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transformers-fan-continuities · 3 years ago

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Spotlight: Ties That Bind

This one’s a doozy folks! If you missed the last spotlight you can go read it here, but strap in for The Ties That Bind, an absolutely brilliant take on humanformers. It’s hosted here at @tiesthatbind-tf created by @artsy-hobbitses!

Q) Give us a run down of your cont! What's it about, what's it called, what's it like?

Ties That Bind is a humanformers-based original continuity which is part Science Fiction and part Alternate History where the invasion of Quintessons and introduction of their technology to Earth in 1920 sets the world and humankind on a completely different trajectory. The active narrative spans a period from 1920 to 2070, covering the First and Second Quintesson Wars, the interplanetary Antillan War (leading to the creation of Unicron on Mars) and the Great War which involves the Autobots, Decepticons and Functionist stalwarts, and how it affects the characters.

The cast is pretty sprawling and the narrative is mostly centred around human drama with bits of humor interspaced and a dash of horror (mostly centred around how the previous government often chose to utilize the technology left behind from the Quintesson Wars to create new systems of oppression, which affected many of the characters, in the name of worldwide rebuilding efforts).

Q) What characters take the lead here? Any personal favorites?

I will admit to this continuity being very much heavy on the relationship between Old Bastards Optimus Prime and Megatron, which is given considerable weight as they were best friends who had known each other since childhood and were deeply intrinsic to each other’s growths as individuals, which makes it all the worse when guilt and betrayal enter the party. Despite being captains in two corners of this battle, there’s a part of them that just cannot let go of their pasts together and they need to reconcile with how this will affect their agenda (Megatron) and how they lead their team (Optimus) who don’t necessarily share their history.

Other characters with significant development include:

Starscream, a Cold Construct in a toxic working relationship with Megatron with whom he is hiding a dark secret, who struggles to balance the underhanded viciousness he believes he needs to gain power and his innate desire from his Senate days to make the world a better place.

Windblade, a Camien native who fights her government’s apathy concerning the situation on Earth which they see as unsalvageable compared to their more Utopian society.

Prowl, a Cold Construct raised from childhood to be a cop in a police state, who finds out that he was brainwashed several times to ensure his obedience and efficacy as a government asset and is now working to reclaim some semblance of the humanity he was never allowed to feel and figure out how much of him is who he really is and how much is programming.

Hound, a sheltered Beastman who joined the fight to ensure that Beastmen the world over would have the same rights he did in his homeland of Shetland Isle, but is forcefully stripped of his humanity and faced with his animal side during the war and has to relearn what personhood means amid his trauma.

Q) Is there a bigger point to this, like a theme or some catharsis? Or is it just fluffy fun?

God with the amount of time I spent sleepless trying to figure out how the logistics of this or the semantics of that were supposed to work in universe, I cannot for the life of me say it’s fluffy fun, but I can’t exactly say it hasn’t been pretty engaging either!

There’s elements of war being messy for everyone involved where there doesn’t seem to be a clear line between friend and foe at times, but I think for most part it prescribes to Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s belief that people are inherently good, but are corrupted by the evils of society. Despite its dark themes (Including but not limited to child abuse, torture, illegal experimenation and brainwashing), love and friendships do prevail, kindness does beget kindness, found families are made, even the smallest actions matter, and things do get better because there are people on both sides who genuinely want to, and strive to make it better.

With Cold Constructs and Beastmen, it also delves heavily into what it means to be human; to have agency and personhood.

There’s also a strong undercurrent of taking responsibility for one’s actions, even if they were made with the best of intentions (Avoidance of this is what eats up Starscream and Megatron from the inside, and what Starscream eventually embraces).

Q) How long have you been working on it?

There’s two answers to this!

I’ve had a Humanformers-related universe going all the way back to 2007 around the time the first Bayformers came out---basically I had a choice between learning to draw cars or draw people (I was an anthro artist back then) and I immediately chose people.

The 2007 draft however had no worldbuilding or connective storylines and was mostly a fun little venture into character design and practice which were actually instrumental to me experimenting and learning how to draw humans properly.

I left the fandom for about a decade and when I came back to it in late 2020 around September via the War for Cybertron series on Netflix, I immediately got hooked on the 2005 IDW comics I missed out on and wanted to get around to updating my old designs as well find a way to translate several of the concepts I wanted to explore in a human sense, so the 2020 update became its own full-fledged original continuity with detailed worldbuilding and history.

You can see the artistic evolution of several characters from their original incarnation below!

Q) It’s incredible to see your artistic improvement too! Give us a behind-the-scenes look! Show us a secret ;))

Say hello to my workspace! I’ve been working exclusively on the Ipad Pro since late 2016, which is fantastic because I can basically whip up concepts and sketches on the go anywhere. Nowhere is too out of bounds to work on TTB!

Also, do enjoy this sneak peek at true!form Rung, whose synthezoid human body took years to perfect.

Q) YESSSSS alright I must admit this is one of my favorite Rungs, and certainly my fave within TTB. Amazing. Phew, anyway. Where did you draw inspiration from? What canons, what other fiction, what parts of real life?

TTB was initially conceived as a faithful retelling of the IDW 2005 narrative before it was transformed into its own continuity and as such, it borrows heavily from concepts and mirrored plot lines introduced in that run! I chose to have the series inspired off it specifically for the amount of history and worldbuilding it introduced to the franchise.

Anime like Gunslinger Girl and Beastars inspired the depictions of Cold Constructs, especially the more harrowing aspects of their upbringing as government assets instead of children, and Beastmen (Beastformers) in TTB.

I haven’t depicted the world itself in my art all too much, but the architecture from Tiger and Bunny, which has sort of a futuristic Art Deco feel to it, is what you’d usually see in major cities. There is an in-universe reason for that---with a Point Of Divergence set in 1920 followed by 25 years (an entire generation) of progress basically being kicked to the curb due to the Quintesson wars, mankind was basically in a time-locked bubble until the end of the wars, and by then their heroes were 1920s-style rebellion leaders, which lead to 1920s fashion (especially among the Manual Working Class---Megatron, Jazz and Optimus all rock 1920s fashion at some point of their lives) and architecture being celebrated and retained as sort of a reminder of how things were before The Invasion. This anime’s background design is also where I adopted the tiered system TTB’s major metropolises are often built on (with each tier being designated to a different working class) from.

The main artistic style itself is a love letter to 90s cartoons, in particular Gargoyles’ deep and drama-driven character narratives and designs as well as The Centurions’ take on body armor logistics.

I also take inspiration, especially armor-wise, from the characters’ given heritage and background. As an example, Hotrod who is depicted as Irish has the flames on his armor done up with Celtic knots. Welsh aristocrat Mirage’s armor bears olden knight-style filigree and has his Autobot logo designed as a coat of arms. Indonesian Soundwave’s armor and Decepticon logo takes cues from Batik and Wayang Kulit while their mask is based off the Barong.

Q) They are absolutely gorgeous! Show off something you're really proud of, a particular favorite part of your cont.

The worldbuilding in general! Most Humanformers I’ve seen tend to treat it like a fun exercise which it is and is definitely valid, but I found myself wanting a full-fledged world to lose myself in and I sought to try and make that world myself by drafting a detailed history and timeline of events which would affect ongoing narratives, having indepth worldbuilding to include almost all societal aspects of the universe and expanding on the concept of Beastmen and Cold Constructs existing in a human setting.

I’m not so secretly proud of the research and diversity included to make the cast look like the multicultural, globally-based team that they were meant to be instead of being locked to a single region! My original draft from 2007 was, to put it simply, quite culturally monolithic and I wanted to improve on that aspect with TTB.

I’m also proud that I’ve kept to it this far! I’m a notoriously flaky person jumping from one idea/fandom to another and to have kept at this continuity for the better part of ten months is honestly a personal feat.

Art-wise, this scene depicting a young Megatron working alongside Terminus and Impactor (cameo by @weapon-up-wallflower‘s OC Missit!) is definitely one of my favorites since it helps build up the world they live in and plays to familial bonds and comfort found in one another despite their less than ideal circumstances.

Q) Everything has come together so beautifully, you absolutely should be proud. What other fan canons do you love and why? Would you like to see them interviewed?

I am dying to hear more from @iscaredspider’s Sparkpulse continuity! Her designs are MIND-BLOWINGLY GORGEOUS and I want to hear more about what inspired her to work on it!

Also YOU. Yes YOU BLURRITO. LET ME HEAR MORE ABOUT SNAP.

Q) [wails and squirms away in the mortifying ordeal of being known but in a very flattered way] I WILL SOMEDAY I PROMISE aflghsdjg thank you QwQ

Well that was fantastic, Oni, thank you muchly! A magnificent continuity with so much to look forward to! Coming up next is another personal fave of mine, the first inspiration for SNAP, so stick around...

#long post #gore #ties that bind #spotlight #transformers #HUMANFORMERS #transformers au #tf original continuity #transformers fan continuity #transformers redesign #maccadam #i said id post this on sunday but i realize thats a holiday for lots of folks on this site :/

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karanna1 · 4 years ago

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AU - Lena Luthor Saves Krypton

Lena is somehow sent back in time and finds herself on Krypton 30 years before the planet explodes. Kara doesn’t exist yet. Krypton has no idea what’s about to happen to them.

Lena realizes that with her knowledge of what’s to come and intellect to devise a solution, she can do two things. One, she can save an entire species from near extinction. Two, she can save Kara from ever having to experience the pain of losing her family, her home, and being abandoned. Kara could live a happy life and never know the burden of Supergirl or being the last daughter of Krypton.

So instead of trying to find a way back to Earth, back to her own time, she settles into life on Krypton, becomes fluent in Kryptonese, and sets about with a spectacularly single-minded focus of changing the future - to save this dying world (and Kara).

She succeeds...mostly. They can’t fix the damage that’s already been done to the planet. Their sun will die and destroy Krypton still, but with Lena’s help they’re able to locate a barren planet in another system that has a white star. It’s brand new, strong, and will live for untold trillions of years (provided Kryptonians didn’t try to harness its power again).

They terraform the planet and create “New Krypton” using the dome concept that Zor-El invented fused with Coluan bottling technology. All Kryptonians are instantly transported to their new home that’s identical to the old one save for one difference - the white sun grants them god-like powers that are beyond what Lena ever saw Kara and Clark capable of on Earth. Kryptonians are overwhelmed en masse by these powers. Some go power mad and attempt coups and form radical sects. Others realize the gift they’ve been given and, with Lena’s guidance, Kryptonian society develops under a new mission - to travel the galaxy and offer help to all those in need. Not just offering knowledge and technology this time, but themselves with their newfound powers.

Lena keeps her distance from the House of El as much as she can. It’s nearly impossible considering their standing with the Kryptonian High Council. Lena has to work very closely with the Council. Jor-El and his brother, Zor-El, are brilliant scientists and statesmen. Alura In-Ze is a rising star in the judicial system. Her marriage to Zor-El, second born son of the House of El, caused quite a few waves, but when Lara Lor-Van, a brilliant biologist and prominent noble of the House of Van, agrees to marry Jor-El, it’s all anyone can talk about. All 4 of them live very public lives due to their professions, their positions on the High Council, and their nobility.

They’re ever so fascinated by Lena Luthor, the human from Earth that appeared one day to save their entire planet. Their savior. The one their people have named “The New Dawn”. Lena wants nothing to do with the House of El. It’s too much. She can’t bear to be so close to Kara’s family without Kara. It feels wrong. Unfortunately, with how much Lena tries to avoid them, the 4 nobles think they’ve done something to offend her, and constantly attempt ways to make amends. It only makes Lena’s life that much more difficult.

But she still knows the exact date and time that Kara Zor-El steps into existence. Later, she will know the moment Kal-El is born (mostly because Lara’s natural birth is all anyone can talk about).

Lena meets Kara on New Krypton entirely by accident one day when Zor-El brings his brilliant young daughter, a prodigy in the Science Guild, to see Krypton’s finest laboratory entirely unannounced. The same laboratory that Lena founded and runs. She’s stricken, having tried to avoid this moment for as long as she could, knowing that eventually she’d have to see Kara as child, which would spell the end of every fanciful dream or slightest hope she had of a chance that someday she would find Kara, her best friend, again. Seeing the reality both warms her heart and breaks it all the same. This bouncing bundle of joy and inquisitiveness has the same blinding smile, in all its purity, with that same head of golden hair.

“You’re THE Lena Luthor?”

She kneels before her so they’re at eye level. “I suppose I am. And you’re THE Kara Zor-El?”

The ten year old gasps. “You know who I am?”

“Of course. I know all the important people. And you are a very important person, Kara.”

“I am?”

Zor-El interjects. “I’ve told Lena all about you, my dear. I’m sure she’s grown tired of my endless babbling about my wonderful daughter and her keen scientific mind.”

“Not at all,” Lena replies a bit flatly and tries to tune him out as she focuses on the young girl who will one day be a most extraordinary woman. “Do you enjoy the Science Guild, Kara?”

“Yes! I love to learn new things. As many things as I can! Sometimes father asks me to work with him in his laboratory at home and I help him with his projects!”

“That does sound like fun. I enjoy creating things as well.”

“You’re the most brilliant bio-engineer on Krypton! I’ve read all about you! You saved us.”

Lena shies away from the praise and instead fumbles her way forward, uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Zor-El, whom she’d never given the time of day until he walked in with his daughter.

“Tell me, Kara, do you like other subjects besides science?”

Kara fidgets, a little confused. “Well, I don’t...they don’t give you much time for other subjects. I-I do try to read about other things like art and history when I have free time, but I’m not really allowed—“

“She’s a hard worker and a wonderful student,” Zor-El interrupts again.

Lena ignores him. “Do you enjoy writing, Kara?”

“Writing?”

“Creation comes in many forms. I enjoy being able to create things with my hands. Machines. Technology. Things to help people. Science is my passion, but there are many other ways to help people. Ways that I’m not very good at, but others are. Writing takes a curious mind, creativity, and a way with words. I believe you might have a gift for that.”

“A gift for words?” Her little brow crinkles as she considers it.

Lena nods. “A writer can do a great many things that a scientist cannot. They are equally as powerful and important. What matters is doing what you love most, what inspires you most. You’re going to do great things one day, Kara. Maybe with the Science Guild, maybe with something else... The future is limitless for you.”

“You really think I could be that important someday?”

“You already are.” Lena smiles and breathes deeply. “Do you know what your name means where I come from?”

She shakes her head. “I have read about Earth. It’s very far away and my Aunt Astra says their civilization is primitive and filled with savages. They have my name there too?”

“Daughter, do not speak—“

Lena waves off Zor-El’s warning without looking at him.

“That’s not an unfair assessment of Earth compared to Krypton, but I do believe humanity would surprise a great many Kryptonians, including your Aunt. In my native language, Kara means ‘beloved friend’.”

Kara beams in a way that is so achingly familiar. It’s like an echo in Lena’s memory. Not exact, not complete, but the beginning of what it will become.

“I like that. Does that mean I’m your friend?”

Lena feels it in that moment. The melting warmth simultaneous with the absolute shattering of what was left of her heart.

“I will always be your friend, darling. Always.”

Kara leaves with her father and Lena’s coworkers are concerned when she goes off planet for an impromptu holiday without notice. She returns two months later and picks up as if she never left.

It’s around that time that one of the people she’s befriended in her years on Krypton remarks at how ageless she seems for a human that supposedly has a short life span. It sparks Lena’s curiosity. Indeed, it’s been nearly 30 years since she traveled back in time and found herself on a new planet. Yet you’d be hard pressed to find a single physical difference. Kryptonians aged slowly under a red star, and even slower still under the white star, but Lena was human. Her body wasn’t designed to accommodate solar radiation the way Kryptonians did. She was over 50 years old now, yet she still didn’t look a day over 28.

More years pass and New Krypton thrives. The galaxy is brought together through New Krypton’s diplomacy and thousands of planets and species are united under a banner of peace. There are always dissenters, but happiness and prosperity is widespread. Lena finds joy in friendships and attempts romantic relationships, but nothing ever really takes. Still, she’s content. She misses Earth, of course, and hopes to return one day before she dies, whenever that will be, but she’s found peace in knowing that she is able to be the one thing she’s always wanted - a force for good.

She’s at dinner with coworkers one night when Lara and Jor-El spot her. She sighs and straightens, preparing for their next attempt to get in her good graces.

“Do they never desist?” One of them mutters next to her ear. “Surely they’re intelligent enough to know when they’re not wanted?”

“Don’t be unkind, but help me keep it short if it goes on too long.”

“Lena! It’s wonderful to see you,” Lara says.

“You as well. How are you?”

“Very well, thank you.”

Lena’s table has gone conspicuously, and therefore awkwardly, silent.

Lara and Jor-El look around at the group uncomfortably.

“We were wondering...well, our niece is being inducted to the—“

“The Science Council as First Order,” Lena finishes for her. “Yes, I’m aware. It’s a great honor. I’m sure the House of El is quite proud.”

“Indeed we are,” Jor-El jumps in. “She’s a most remarkable young woman and we couldn’t be prouder of who she’s become.”

“We are holding a celebration to mark the occasion and were wondering if you might honor us by attending? It will be quite the event.” Lara does a slight eyeroll. “Jor is insisting on all the fantastical things.”

Jor-El nods enthusiastically. “My brother isn’t one for celebrations so I’ve taken up the mantle. Kara deserves all the praise she’s earned with her hard work and dedication.”

“You’ll have to forgive my mate’s enthusiasm. He’s quite invested in Kara since she can share his passion for his life’s work while our son is—“

“Disgustingly hopeless,” Jor-El grumbles.

“Oh?” She raises an eyebrow. “A great disappointment he’s been then?”

“Goodness no!” Lara shakes her head and shoots a warning look at her husband. “Kal is a fine boy. Just...a little lost.”

“Perhaps he is simply in need of a different path than the one his father has in mind,” Lena finds the words tumbling out of her mouth without thinking twice. The couple stares at her agape, but she continues without care. “I can certainly sympathize with the need to step out of the shadow of a family’s overbearing legacy.” She sighs. “While I thank you for considering me, it’s simply not possible with my days usually booked from dawn to dusk. Besides, parties have never been altogether pleasant endeavors for me.”

The disappointment on their faces isn’t what changes her mind. It’s that as soon as she says the words, she regrets it. She’s, of course, kept up with Kara’s doings and was concerned when she heard about the recent move in the Science Guild. Was journalism just a secondary passion since she couldn’t truly use her mind on Earth the way she could on Krypton? Or was this a woman just following in her family’s footsteps because she believed it was the right thing to do? Lena hadn’t seen or spoken to Kara in 16 years. Not since the day Zor-El brought her to the lab.

In the end, it’s Lena’s concern and curiosity for Kara’s well being that wins out. Though she very well knows that the woman that existed in another life, on another planet, is not the woman who lives here now on New Krypton. Even if she shared the same name and the same face...maybe even the same bright eyes and sunny smile. Even then.

“Send me the invitation. I’ll see what I can do,” Lena says, to the surprise of everyone at her table, including the two standing next to it.

They nod, stunned but pleased, and say their goodbyes quickly, walking away.

Lena’s coworkers all turn to her in surprise, but she refuses to answer their questions and excuses herself early for the evening.

She doesn’t show for the celebration. She torments herself for a week coming up to it and can’t bring herself to go. The fear of the past and her memories being trod upon are too strong. But somehow she finds herself in the Starling Grove anyway, just as it comes to an end. The evening is late and guests slowly make their exit after the long day of partying. Lena practically sneaks in, staying in shadows, not knowing what she hopes to find or what she could see that would make all her fears come true.

Is it any wonder that fate would intervene? That there would be no circumstance in which Lena could fly so close to the sun and not be touched?

“If avoiding people is your specialty, you’re very skilled at it.”

It’s almost terrifying to hear her voice again. It’s a different language being spoken, but the voice is the same. As if it’d been snatched from the deepest recesses of Lena’s memories, of a different life and a different world, and brought to the present in flesh and blood with a bolt of lightning.

She turns and it’s Kara smiling at her. Not the sunny smile. The soft, tender, reassuring one. The one that she used to share with Lena when she had one of her harder days. Kara was no longer the small and precocious child she met all those years ago, the one that she could almost convince herself was a complete stranger and that there was no connection between the child and the woman she knew. But that was gone now. The Kara standing before her was the same one she’d left behind on Earth. The one she’d given up in order to save her. The one who walked into her office so many years ago, trailing behind her cousin, and Lena knew she was done for.

Her eyes were so blue as she looked at her...bluer than Lena remembered and it seemed so impossible. Perhaps it wasn’t real. Perhaps she was dreaming. But she wasn’t...was she?

“My skills must be rusty since you were able to catch me.”

Kara put a finger to her smiling lips. “Shh. Finding people is one of my untold gifts.”

“I imagine you have a lot of those.”

Kara looks pleasantly flustered and she stammers over her words in a way that Lena knows so well that the sound of it squeezes her heart in a vise like grip.

She’s not the same person. She’s not your Kara. Your Kara doesn’t exist anymore. Over and over she repeats this in her head.

“Wait...” Kara finally collects herself and peers at Lena more closely. “You’re-you’re Lena Luthor! My Uncle said you might be here, but I never thought...”

“On my home world, they like to say it’s fashionable to be late. However, tonight was just a tad bit too far. I...I simply wanted to stop by and wish you well. A-and to congratulate you on your achievement.”

Did she manage to say that with any passing conviction?

“Thank you. That means a great deal coming from someone like you.”

“Are you happy?” She blurts before her good sense can kick in. “This life...does it make you happy?”

Kara looks at her oddly for a long moment, clearly thrown, but not put off. Lena doesn’t know what else to say that could fix her blunder.

“Yes,” she says, a serene smile creeps across her face. “I’m very happy. I love my family and my friends. I enjoy my work. I hope to have a family of my own one day, but I don’t mind waiting for the right person. Everyone always wants to rush me into something, telling me that I shouldn’t be alone, but I don’t mind it. When it’s right, I know that it will be worth the wait.”

Lena’s heart stutters and freezes. “I-I’m glad to hear that. Truly. I shouldn’t take up anymore of your time though. I’m sure you have somewhere to be and it’s late so I really should be going anyway.”

“Oh! Um. Yes, of course.” She looks disappointed, but Lena can’t think about that. “Thank you for being here.”

Her legs feel as though they’re weighted with cement as she walks away. Her mind screams at her to run, but her body doesn’t seem to get the message. She doesn’t want to leave Kara’s side. Not like this. Not after she’s found her again.

But it’s not her. Not really.

“My Lady?”

She turns around at once. Kara stands there, fiddling with her hands, her head tilted to the side.

“Apologies. I-I remember reading that you never liked that title. You prefer...what was it...” She closes her eyes as she searches for it. “Oh!” Her eyes fly open again. “Miss Luthor. I should have addressed you as ‘Miss Luthor’, yes?”

The ‘Miss’ was heavily accented and sounded nothing like how she used to say it, but it still tore Lena apart.

“I never forgot what you said.”

The voice in Lena’s head screams again for her to run, but instead she draws closer. She needs to hear it.

Her Kara.

No, it’s not her.

“What did I say?”

“I was a little girl. My father brought me to your lab to show me around.”

“I remember.”

Don’t let her do this. Don’t let her pull you in again. You can’t. For both of your sakes, you can’t.

“You talked about different ways of creating. Of passion. It’s silly, I know, and I’m sure you say it to all the children who read about you in school and have a serious case of hero worship, but...you told me I was important.”

“You are.”

It’s a reflex. She can’t help it.

“And you said that I had a gift for words. I never understood why you would say that. How you could know...”

Lena chuckles awkwardly. “Looks like I was off the mark since you’ve just joined the Science Council.”

“But you weren’t.”

Lena’s breath hitches.

“I’ve never told anyone else this...”

Kara steps closer, sharing a secret that Lena doesn’t know she deserves to hear. She wonders if she still knows how to breathe with Kara being this close after so long...so many years gone...

“I started writing that day. That very night I went home and I tried it. I never stopped. I’ve never been happier than when I’m writing. Imagining stories or just writing my thoughts, putting memories into words, keeping a record of each day and what I’ve done, who I’ve seen, what my first thought is in the morning and my last thought at night. All of it.”

Kara was so close. She could smell her. Nothing like what she remembered. It was something altogether new and still...still... Lena’s heart beat so loudly, she was sure every Kryptonian within miles was wondering what that raucous drumming noise was. What must Kara think? Surely she could hear it. Lena was embarrassing herself.

“You inspired me.”

Lena doesn’t know how she manages it, but she somehow strings together coherent words.

“But you continued to pursue...”

“The Science Guild, yes. I’m very good there. It comes easily. It makes my family proud.”

“It’s not your passion though.”

Kara shakes her head gently.

“What stops you?”

“Well, what if I’m not really good at writing after all? I’ve never told anyone about it. I’ve never let them read anything... What if I make a terrible mistake and humiliate myself and my family?”

“Following your heart isn’t a mistake.”

“That’s not a very Kryptonian sentiment.”

“No, but it is a human one.” Lena sighs. “I tried so hard, for so long, not to listen to mine. But it won out every time. Despite all the pain it brought me...I remind myself that it’s what brought me here. To this planet. To this time. To do good. To be good. Following your heart is the most terrifying notion, but in my experience, it has also led me to the greatest moments of joy and love that I’ve ever known.”

Kara stares at her in wonderment. Her long blonde locks flow over her shoulders. Her dress is white and flowing, almost luminescent under the glow of the evening flowers blooming in the garden. It became quickly apparent how very alone they were, the last guests and servers from the party were gone. The torches were still lit, but it was their own world.

Wasn’t it always?

It’s not her.

“I don’t think I could be as brave as you.”

“You have always been brave and I know that you are capable of the most extraordinary amount of courage...courage and boundless hope. You are the one who inspires me, Kara. You always have.”

“Me?” She replies in the softest utterance. “But I haven’t done anything nearly as incredible as you.”

“The kind of person you are is far more important than any sum of career achievements. Don’t let fear make you hide in the shadows, Kara. Step into the sun. You’ve always belonged there.”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“When will you step out of the shadows, Miss Luthor?”

A voice calls for Kara in the distance. It’s jarring and breaks the spell that seemed to lock them together in time suspended.

They step away, now acutely aware of how close they’d been this whole time.

Kara blushes and opens her mouth to say something, but Lena can’t bear to hear it.

“Goodnight, Kara Zor-El. I hope you enjoyed your party.”

Another voice joins the first. Two people are calling for her now. Kara seems frustrated and turns back, yelling to them that she’d be there soon.

She turns back. “I—“

But Lena’s gone.

She leaves New Krypton again. Journeys to other planets under the guise of a holiday and scientific exploration. She wonders if now is the time to return to Earth. She can’t even call it home anymore, but it’s home...isn’t it? 45 years could be enough to make New Krypton home and maybe it was. Maybe it was more of a home than Earth. But New Krypton had spectres walking among the living. Lena’s past had caught up to her here as well. She was no longer alone. Would Earth be any better with a reminder at every street corner? A certain smell. A park bench. A pair of glasses. Food. All of the food on Earth. She would never truly escape there either. It has to be a different planet. Not New Krypton, not Earth, something else entirely.

She searches across galaxies for it. Finally, one appeals to her. She can see herself settling down there. She can make a new life for herself...again. She returns to Krypton with determination. She resigns from her position, ignores the High Council’s pleas, ignores their more pointed demands, and even their attempted orders when it appeared that nothing else was working. She packs her things and bids farewell to her friends. They’ll visit now and again, but soon she won’t be seeing them at all. It doesn’t bother her all that much. She’d find replacements eventually. No one had ever been like... Well, she’d never let anyone get close enough to try.

She was walking out of her building for the last time, her luggage already sent ahead, and was headed to the transport when she heard her voice again on the wind, calling her name. Of course she would hear her now. This was exactly why she needed to leave this place. The sooner the better to end this torment.

The transport doors were nearly closed when a hand shot between them. The metal alloys were crushed in a powerful grip and the doors were jerkily pried open again.

Kara stood in front of her. Her hair windswept, almost what it used to look like when she would fly to Lena at breaking speed to rescue her. Did she fly here? Was she really here?

“Kara?”

“Lena, don’t go.”

“What are y—?”

“That’s government property!” someone shouts at Kara from further away.

A Kelex zooms in beside her. “And you were flying within city limits which is strictly prohibited. Unfortunately, Lady Kara, this means we must place you under arrest.”

A patrolman, the one who shouted, walks up behind Kara, nodding his head in agreement.

“Arrest?” She rolls her eyes at the Kelex and turns to the patrolman. “The doors were an accident and sorry about the flying thing. I’ll pay the fines. I doubt Alura In-Ze will take kindly to you dragging someone in for petty infarctions, let alone that someone being her daughter.”

Lena finds herself walking out of the transport, entirely of her own volition, and watches it leave without her. Kara is arguing with the patrolman over what her fines should be, but suddenly Lena feels someone take her hand. She looks down and sees that indeed there is another hand holding hers. She drags her gaze up to find those blue eyes again. A ghost. A spectre. Everything she was trying to escape.

“I’m sorry to just...burst in on you like this. But you’ve been gone for months and I only just heard that you’d come back, planning to leave New Krypton for good. I didn’t...”

“You didn’t what?”

“I don’t know.” Her brow furrows in frustration. “I didn’t plan this. I just...when I heard, I felt like I had to stop you.”

Lena pulls her hand away and crosses her arms. She needs to get ahold of herself. This was all so out of control.

“Why?”

Kara is just as bewildered as she is. “Well, I...I’m not sure. But we’ve only just started.”

“What?”

“Don’t you feel it? I know you must.”

She swallows thickly. “Kara, I...”

“I think there’s a lot you haven’t told me. A lot that I hope you will tell me. You promised me once that you would always be my friend. Please, Lena. We both know that this...it’s not supposed to end here.”

“When is it supposed to end?”

“I hope not for very long time.”

“I’ve lived a lifetime already.”

Kara grins. “Then what’s one more? Should be easy if you’ve already done it.”

Lena shakes her head. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Somehow I do...and I don’t. I know it’s strange. I know what I sound like. But I think you understand. Don’t you?”

“Kara...”

“Are you hungry?” She interrupts. “I’m famished. The flying thing is really fun, but I always get so hungry after. How about it?”

“I’m supposed to be boarding a ship in 20 minutes.”

“We can eat fast!”

“I know you can eat fast, that’s not the point,” she mutters. “I have to go.”

“But you see? You say things like that. Like it’s normal to just know these things about me, but it’s not. How do you know? We’ve only met twice and both times it feels as though you know everything about me.”

“Everything?” She scoffs. “No. Never.”

“Well, the important things anyway.”

Lena falters.

“Please? Just...for a little while? There’s always another ship if you really must go.”

No.

No, I’ve been through this before. I saved you. I saved your people. You’re happy. I don’t belong here. I’ve never belonged. This is your world. I don’t belong anywhere. I did what was right. I helped people. I still help people. But I won’t do this again.

“I’m pretty sure you know that a Kryptonian can tell when you’re lying. The white star brought us untold abilities. And the longer I’ve lived here, under this new sun, I’ve discovered more abilities. Would you like to know about them?”

Lena can only stare.

“If I’m close enough...and I concentrate hard enough...I can feel what you’re feeling. It’s not mind reading exactly, but something deeper. I can feel you right now.” She swallows hard. “What have I done to cause you such pain, Lena? I never thought that... If you have to go, I won’t stop you. I just thought...” She sighs defeatedly. “I don’t know what I thought. But it wasn’t this. It wasn’t pain. Or anger. Or betrayal.”

Lena’s eyes widen at the same time as Kara’s. She seemed to realize it only as she spoke the word aloud.

“Betrayal?” Kara whispers, half to herself. “I don’t understand.”

“There’s nothing to understand.”

“You’re lying.”

“Stop it.”

“I can’t! Tell me what’s happening. How can you be so angry with me, but also feel...like this...when we don’t even know each other?”

“But we do.”

At last she admits it.

In the quietest whisper.

“We did. Once. In another life.”

Kara nods slowly. “Where?”

“On Earth.”

“I’ve never been to Earth.”

“Not in this time. But in another...you were Earth’s Champion. Our Protector. The Paragon of Hope.”

“As you are the Protector of Krypton? Our Salvation. The New Dawn.”

Lena shrinks uncomfortably under the titles.

“Will you tell me more?”

“You believe me?”

“Of course I do. You’re Lena Luthor. Also, with my powers I can sense you’re telling the truth, so...” She shrugs lightly at that, a sheepish smile.

“Right. Well, I admit I’m still a bit resentful that after everything I’ve been through, I still didn’t get even a hint of those powers.”

Kara takes her hand again, tentatively this time. She probably thinks Lena will pull away.

She doesn’t.

“There’s been a rumor for ages that you’re immortal. Are you saying that’s not true? From what I’ve read, humans have a shorter life span than us. Your species only live about 85 years or so.”

“I’ve heard the rumor and, yes, the average human lifespan is shorter than a Kryptonian’s.”

“You look pretty darn good for your age if you’re preparing to join Rao in a few cycles.”

Lena has to laugh. She lets Kara lead her away from the platform and down to the street. They walk hand in hand.

“So you’re not immortal?”

“It remains to be seen.”

“Then maybe our white sun did give you a hint of something after all.”

“Maybe. I have yet to ascertain the cause.”

“I could help you with your study, should you choose to explore it further.”

“You want to study me?”

Kara blushes. “I...I didn’t mean it like that. I only meant—“

“I know what you meant.”

Silence falls between them.

“You’re still holding my hand.”

“You’re still letting me.”

“It’s strange.” She stares. “You’re different. You’re so different than you were before, a completely different person, but somehow...when I look at you, you’re exactly who you’ve always been.”

“Are you different now too?”

“Yes.” She shrugs. “I think so anyway.”

“But we’ve still found each other. That means something.”

“Are you sure you want to hear this? You might be angry with me. I...I made choices that changed your life. A great number of lives.”

“I want to hear everything. But even if I do get angry, I won’t leave. I promise.”

Lena starts at that. How could she know exactly—? The realization hits her.

“My fears...you feel them right now, don’t you?”

Kara nods. “I won’t betray you, Lena. Whatever mistakes I’ve made before...in that other life...I won’t make them again.”

“You’ll make other mistakes.”

“Of course!” She laughs. “I’m gifted, but hardly perfect. You’ll make mistakes too, even if you are the Great New Dawn.”

“Two prodigies...” Lena raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know how people stand us. We must be insufferable to be around.”

“I can’t be held accountable for the jealousy of others.”

Lena chuckles. “Good to know you’re as competitive as ever.”

“And you? Are you competitive as well?”

“On occasion...when it comes to the right things.”

Kara grins. “Tell me more about Earth.”

“Earth or...you on Earth?”

“Both. Or just one. Whatever you like. We have all the time we need. We’ll get to it eventually.”

“Kara?”

“Yes?”

“What do you want?”

“You.”

“How do you know that?”

“I just do.”

“You’re not afraid?”

“Of losing you? Yes, I’m afraid. I thought I did when you left me in the Grove that night.”

“It’s different this time though.”

“Different how?”

“You were afraid before. O-on Earth. So you lied to me. Hid things from me. You were afraid I’d reject you.”

“So I lost you anyway?”

“For a while.”

“I know who I am and I want to share all of that with you. I’m afraid I’ll lose you if I don’t. Do you think that means I learned my lesson with a second chance?”

“Even though you don’t remember the first?”

Kara tilts her head thoughtfully. “Are you familiar with the theological concept of reincarnation?”

Lena nods.

“Many species and cultures detail it differently, but the belief that a soul does not reside in an afterlife fascinates me. The idea that one could instead be reborn and is destined to learn new lessons with each life that it failed to learn in the last. Maybe we found a way to do that without needing to die at all.”

“Are you sure you’re the First Order of the Science Council? Because that sounds an awful lot like preaching I’ve heard from the Religious Guild. You’re in the wrong profession.”

Kara rolls her eyes. “If anything, I should have joined the Artisans. But it’s too late for that.”

Lena’s quiet for a moment. They’re walking along streets she’s never seen before and doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter.

“I think I’m learning...” she says softly, “that it’s never too late. If you want something enough, it’s never too late.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Lena looks around. “Do you know where you’re going?”

“No, I thought you did.”

“No. I guess we’re lost then.”

Kara shrugs with a charming, sunny smile that lights her whole face. It’s the one that Lena hasn’t seen in over 40 years and it takes her breath away.

“Oh well.” Kara squeezes Lena’s hand happily. “I suppose we’ll find our way together.”

#supergirl #supercorp #supercorp fanfic #supercorp fic #supercorp fanfiction #dont read this #im sorry #it was a rambling stream of conscious moment

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im-a-lil-simp · 4 years ago

Note

hello!! could i request a wilbur fic about joining him for a if you laugh you lose? :) take your time and i hope you have a great day! <3

Indirect Introductions (Wilbur Soot x Reader)

I really loved writing this, even if I put it off and wrote it over the span of 2 days. I'd usually just get it done in 1 session, but I was all over the place today. I hope you enjoy it! I kept it as romantic as I could.

It had been a chilly day. You woke up cold, you went shopping cold, and cold you stayed. It took everything in you to not just stay inside all day and burrow under your blankets, turn on a space heater, and try to sleep for the rest of the day.

In your mind nothing was stopping you. But on the way back to your house after shopping for some much needed household products, it dawned on you that you still had to show up to the office today.

You happened to work for Wilbur Soot himself. He wasn't the biggest deal, compared to larger people in the media, but with a couple million subs, he still needed help carrying his workload.

You happened to be one of those who helped to carry that workload. Being a long time friend of Wilbur, he offered you an editing job when your old one let you go. He was very understanding and knew you had some prior experience.

When he switched to streaming in an office, he invited those who worked for him to use the space as well. It wasn't necessary, it was just an offer. But when you ended up being the only person to take him up on it, it felt a bit awkward.

Sure, the office wasn't very big, but having it just be the two of you there felt off somehow. But you'd be lying if you said you didn't like that it was just the both of you.

You guys would constantly bump into each other, Wilbur muttering a quick 'sorry bout that' before moving on. The small flush of your face that would occur after that was not easy to hide, but you managed.

He was always such a gentleman with how he approached the close quarters situation. Always letting you go ahead of him if you got there at the same time, waiting for you to get comfortable before trying to move around you, etc.

None of that changed the groan that came from your mouth when you realized you had work to do at the office. You honestly did not feel like cutting down a whole stream vod for what felt like forever.

Once again leaving your house, you set your sights on your workplace, slowly trudging along as you did so.

Upon arriving, you noticed that Wilbur was already inside. The door was unlocked and his stuff was placed messily inside. He had been streaming when you walked in. Reciting his famous you laugh you lose rules as you hung up your coat.

You smiled to yourself as you made your way to your little makeshift workspace. It was comfortable and effective.

That was before Wilbur was damn near yelling your name to get you to come over to him. You, a meek little editor, had no business being on camera. But there you were, just out of view as you spoke to Wilbur.

"Join me on stream. You can get more lives than me."

"But Wilbur, I have editing to do."

This was mainly an excuse. While it was true, you just didn't want to have to be on camera. You weren't exactly the most secure person out there. As well as the fact that it meant you had to sit directly next to Wilbur for the stream to see you well.

"Oh come on. Chat's tired of me. Come sit over here."

Ultimately you knew that you wouldn't be able to say no. His pleading made you feel weak and your heart probably couldn't take much more.

With a heavy sigh, you look around for your chair. Its wheels making too much noise against the floor as you roll it next to Wilbur's.

He had you introduce yourself to his chat, so you gave a quick 'hi' and told them that you were just his editor.

"You're more than just my editor. You're also one of my good friends, aren't you?"

You chuckled out a half-hearted 'yea' before internally screaming at yourself. Of course he wouldn't just admit anything in front of his stream, but he had you in the first half, not gonna lie.

You had no clue how you were supposed to keep your flaming cheeks to yourself if you were on stream.

The chat was being spammed with messages of support. Many greetings from his fans that you only ever see in vods or hear him talk about during streams.

Mediashare donations kept rolling in as you tried you hardest not to laugh. While Wilbur only had one life, he and chat agreed to give you around 10.

This was probably a good thing, as you weren't as experienced as Wilbur was. Choking out a couple of laughs at videos Wilbur had already seen multiple times (smh y'all are breaking one of the rules), you had been brought down to six lives.

The stream had been live for about 2 hours now and Wilbur despperately wanted to end the stream. He hadn't been too up to it today, for the same reasons as you. It was just one of those days where you didn't want to do a single thing.

He kept trying to make you laugh, going so far as to poke your sides a couple of times to get you to budge. But you weren't moving.

You were, however, extremely conscious of how close the two of you were. You were extra careful to make sure you were ver consistant distance at all times. If you so much as brushed Wilbur's hand, you would probably break out into a full flush and maybe even a stutter.

You did not want to do that on stream.

By the time he finally ended the stream, you still had 4 lives left. You ended off stronger than you thought and felt kind of proud of yourself.

Once the stream had ended he expressed how proud he was of you and how long you made it had him bringing up a hand for a high five. Thinking nothing of it, you went in, the pride of your success making you feel very confident.

As soon as your hands collided, he intertwined his fingers with yours. This sudden change of plans made you very confused but also very embarrassed.

Not wanting to pull away you both sat there awkwardly. You guessed that he had not planned much further than this.

You coughed awkwardly before he pulled both of your hands down. He scooted closer to you before rubbing his thumb against your hand. You had no idea how to react to this.

"I hope it was alright that I dragged you into the stream like that," he muttered lowly.

"It's really fine, I understand wanting to spice up your streaming."

"Yea, I guess I just wanted them to know who you were, so that hopefully if you said yes when I asked you out, they would already know who you were."

It took you a second to fully process what he was saying. Blinking a couple times, and summoning zero words from your brain, you sat there looking like a fish out of water.

Finally finding the right words, you blurted,

"You were planning on asking me out? Me? On a date?"

You were shocked. Nothing could have ever prepared you for this.

"Yea you."

"Does that mean I can say yes?"

He did nothing but laugh at that. Hopefully his stream would be delighted when it finally came time to tell them you were dating.

#mcyt x reader #dreamteam #dreamwastaken #mcyt #dreamsmp #wilbur soot x reader #wilbursoot #technoblade #sleepybois #sleepybois x reader

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ahkaahshi · 4 years ago

Text

lucky [oikawa tooru x reader]

pairing: oikawa tooru x fem reader

genre: smut (18+) with some fluff :)

warning(s): explicit sexual content, orgasm denial/edging, roleplaying, penetrative sex, implied deep throating, swearing, alcohol consumption, mentions of gambling and casinos, and oikawa being a lovable dork as always

word count: 5.4k (a monster of a fic compared to my usual writing. whew)

overview: after a long weekend of work-related conferences, you’re desperate to let off some steam at the hotel bar. however, you don’t realize what you’re in for when you take to eyeing the man you couldn’t keep your attention off of when you arrived.

From the first moment you set foot beneath the sea of twinkling fairy lights adorning the patio of the luxurious hotel bar, you haven’t been able to take your eyes off him. Like a star, he shimmers in the gentle glow—his crisp, white button-up reflecting every hint of light that falls upon his figure. That bright smile of his he flashes the bartender as the two enjoy a casual chat is radiant, threatening to set your heart ablaze. With the warmth that his demeanor exudes, it’s impossible for you notto notice his presence in spite of all the other patrons chattering, swaying to the music, and enjoying a good laugh with friends in the large, outdoor space.

Oikawa Tooru. You already know his name after seeing his face on national television countless times, but you never could’ve expected that you would bump into him during the last night of your stay at this hotel in particular. Even from afar, he’s just as stunning—if not more so—than he appears on the volleyball court, and the instant attraction you feel to him is what has you carefully weaving between the throngs of guests to make your way over to the bar.

The seat next to him is open, but you think twice about taking it. Doing so would quickly put you in a rather intimate situation, you assume, given how close each stool is located to the next, so you settle on leaving a bit of distance between the two of you by perching on the plush cushion of a one a few seats away. Once you’ve placed your small purse securely on a hook beneath the counter, you flag the bartender with a small wave of the hand and a smile, making him abandon his conversation with the professional volleyball player to attend to you.

There’s a brief moment when your gaze meets his brown one tinged golden by the lights as he glances over to see the source of his conversation’s interruption, and, in that short span of time before your eyes dart away from his, you swear you catch a glimpse of a smile playing on his lips. After you’ve placed your signature drink order, you focus your attention on the man behind the counter instead, watching him grab and combine the ingredients necessary to fill your request. However, you can’t shake the feeling that you’re not the only one having a hard time keeping their eyes to themselves.

And your own inability to do so is what has you sending another glance down the bar in his direction, (e/c) eyes trailing along the intricate detailing beneath the counter’s resin surface as they make their way over to his. Trying to withhold the smile that almost instinctively spreads across your lips at noticing the one already gracing his when your gazes meet again is futile. There’s something about his radiant presence and the barely noticeable glint of rapture shining in his eyes that has your heart fluttering in your chest—and its pace soon increases when he lifts his glass, grabs the jacket draped over the hook by his knee, and stands so he can close the distance between you.

A giggle tinged with both delight and nervousness escapes your lips before you call out to him, “You don’t have to come over here!”

“Oh?” he questions coyly, raising an eyebrow at you as he ducks beneath the counter for a moment to place his jacket on the hook beside your purse, “What was I supposed to do, then? Just sit and stare until someone else came to chat you up?” His teasing remark fills you with warmth, as does the realization that only a few inches separate you from the impossibly attractive man you’d been admiring. As bold as you were to look him in the eye before, you find the feat to be a challenge now.

“Not exactly,” you suggest, suppressing your nerves enough to deliver an equally playful response of, “But I thought I’d receive a message from the bartender that my drink’s already been paid for by the handsome loner at the other end of the bar before he gathered the courage to approach me?”

His fingers swim through his brown waves of feathery hair as his lips quirk into a devilish smile. “Mm, but then I would’ve been doing exactly what you expected me to do! And where’s the fun in that, huh?” You follow his chestnut gaze to the man behind the counter when he sets the drink you’d requested down on the coaster near in front of you. Your hand’s journey to your purse is stopped by a light touch on your arm and the words, “You can put anything she orders on my bill,” leaving your new drinking partner’s mouth.

Traces of heat skitter along the skin his fingers graze like stray embers that have escaped the fire. Somehow, in the coolness of the night with not a drop of liquor in your system, there’s not a single goosebump on your body.

“Thank you…”

“Tooru.” He sticks his hand into the small void between you in a formal greeting.

You return the favor, sliding your palm against his and giving it a gentle shake. “(F/n).” A thought about how soft and gentle yet firm his grip is passes through your mind, bringing familiar prickles of warmth to your cheeks. “I appreciate it.”

Chuckling, he mentions, “Didn’t wanna ruin the little fantasy you seem to have all put together in that pretty head of yours by making you pay for your own drink.” The degree of rapture in his gaze, as if he thinks your face is the most enticing subject in his field of vision, slowly melts away your hesitation, and you find yourself raising your glass to his after it’s been refilled once more in an amicable toast.

The first taste always burns the most, but Oikawa’s presence seems to sweeten it ever so subtly. “So,” you hum after taking a deep breath to collect your thoughts, “what brings you here tonight by yourself? Thought someone as famous as you are wouldn’t be a moment without an entourage of adoring, female fans.”

He snickers, lips curling up into a grin that reflects his amusement. “It’s quite a large burden to bear, if I do say so myself, but I managed to escape their clutches just moments before you got here. Pretty lucky if I do say so myself,” he explains, his flirtations accompanied by a small wink. After taking another sip of the dark liquor in his glass, he adds, “As far as what I’m doing here; well, I’m here on business. But there’s no harm in mixing in a little pleasure, right?”

You shrug. “Might as well.”

“How about you?” Your gaze only leaves his for a moment to watch the way his fingertips graze the height of his glass, collecting droplets of condensation rolling down the sides. The silver rings he’s wearing on his right index and ring fingers shine when they catch a hint of the soft light pouring over your forms.

Returning your attention to his eyes, which appear to relax at having the pleasure of meeting yours once again, you elaborate, “Same reason. Wanted to find at least one fun thing to do after a long weekend of back to back work-related events.”

“In that case, feel free to have as many drinks as you want—on me,” he offers. However, before you can protest and tell him that you would never be so cruel as to exploit his generous offer, he comments, “But, if you’d rather sink money into something a little more rewarding and exciting than the frankly overpriced alcohol here, what do you say to joining me in the casino?”

You bat your eyelashes at him from over the rim of your glass while you take another sip as an indication that you’ll give him an answer when you can speak again. The invitation’s rather bold, you think, considering the fact that the two of you have only known each other for a grand total of about ten minutes. In any other situation, you’d most likely say no and do anything you could to shirk your conversational partner’s advances—depending on how they’d approached you, that is. But you find that you don’t want to say no to him.

Whether it’s the way his inviting gaze threatens to keep drawing you closer and closer to him so you can see the glimmer of the fairy lights in his eyes, or the air of warmth surrounding him that makes you feel as if you’ve known him forever, you don’t know—but you just can’t say no. You don’t want to. Sure, you’d gotten dressed up and taken a trip down to the ritzy hotel’s bar with the intentions of alleviating your boredom, but if you left with him, it would be because you wanted to be in his company rather than because you wanted a solution to your issue.

So, you answer him with a nod, but delay your next course of action for a while longer by asking, “Is it alright if I indulge in just one more of these overpriced drinks before we leave, though? I don’t know about know about you, but I only just got here.”

His smile doesn’t falter as he obliges with a dip of the head. “Really trying to bleed me dry, here, aren’tcha?”

“Might as well leave the bar knowing that you spent your money on something worthwhile before losing it all at the slots.”

“In that case, I’ll order myself another too.”

The two of you share a much-needed laugh, considering your long weekends of work, and continue your conversation over another refill. Though you’re sure the time the two of you spend on the plush stools at the bar top is relatively short, it feels much longer, and you find yourself abstaining from finishing your drink too quickly to prolong the moments you spend together—since you don’t want him to splash more of his hard-earned money on another rather average drink hiding behind a fancy name. In spite of all the commotion surrounding you as people dance, fill up the barstools on either side of you, or raise their voices to be heard over the chatter and music, his figure is the only thing you can see, and his voice the only thing you can hear.

You do snap back to reality once more, though, when you both come to the realization that your glasses are empty, but you’re happy that his idea to visit the casino means this isn’t the end of your night together. Once he’s slid on his jacket and you’ve slung your purse over your shoulder, the two of you head back into the hotel and stride down the ornately designed carpeting towards your destination. The slight sensation of the alcohol buzzing in your veins fills you with warmth that he seems to localize and intensify with his light touches to the small of your back as he guides you over towards the glowing slot machines.

Oikawa notices your hesitation when you sit down in front of one of the money-guzzling contraptions, and teases, “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but you have to pay to play, princess.”

The affectionate nickname that leaves his mouth makes your heart jump in your chest and nearly takes your breath away. Quickly regaining your composure and dismissing his comment with a wave of the hand, you simper, “Of course I know that, Tooru. I’m just trying to decide if this is really worth it, since I never seem to have the best luck with the slots.”

A reassuring smile forms across his lips, and his eyelashes flutter ever so slightly as his eyes flit over your figure. “Well,” he sighs, leaning against the seat and nonchalantly slinging his arm over the back of yours, “you never know. Tonight might just be the night you get lucky.”

His comment seems innocent enough, but the seduction laced into his voice as well as the confidence behind the smirk that replaces his sweet grin has you believing otherwise. And his intentions soon become clearer as you make your rounds around the casino together.

At first, you think his advances a figment of your hyperactive imagination projecting your own desires onto him. That every bumping of your knees together while lounging in the cushioned seats at the machines is an accident, and that every graze of his fingertips along your arm is just a polite way of grabbing your attention. However, as the evening wears on, you stop second-guessing yourself. To be fair, it gets fairly challenging to deny that something more than just camaraderie is present between the two of you when his hand wraps around your waist as you make your way to the blackjack table—and eventually ends up running along your thigh beneath the cover the polished wood provides.

His touch ignites your entire body with sensation. It refuses to be ignored, just as his presence had when you’d seen him at the bar earlier, and it fuels a desire within you to have his hands on every inch of your skin. Oh, how sad they must be, only being able to travel the short expanse between your knee and the hem of your dress’s tight skirt for the sake of politeness, you think. But pity is the exact opposite of what you should feel towards him, since you know better than anyone else that you want more than anything to give into him.

He seems to sense—given the way your own hands never move to reject his advances and you lean into his touch when he experimentally puts an arm around you—that you’re on the same page as he is, and decides to beckon you closer to him for a chat before you reach your next destination. “Hey, whaddya say we make things a little more fun?” he suggests, tucking a loose strand of your hair behind your ear. Thankfully, the shuddering breath that escapes your mouth is lost beneath the ringing of the slot machines and upbeat music.

“What did you have in mind?” you wonder, feeling excitement course through you at the limitless options that he could be imagining.

“How about—” he pauses for a moment to lean down closer to your ear—“we make a little deal?” You follow his gaze over to the roulette table a few feet away before fastening your attention on him once more as he offers, “If the ball lands on an even number, I’ll give you a special prize.” He retrieves a small, plastic card from his coat pocket that you instantly recognize as a room key, making your breath hitch in your throat and your eyelashes flutter with shock.

You swallow thickly and ask, “And what if it doesn’t?”

The grin that tugs at the corners of his mouth is one you’ve seen before many times on television when he’d one-upped his opponents with an unexpected play, but being exposed to it in person and in such close proximity to him has your heart racing. “You’ll have to be willing to take the risk and play in order for you to find out the answer to that question, sweetheart. Trust me, you can’t lose.”

There’s a long moment of silence that ensues his proposition before you nod in agreement and strut over to the table to try your luck. After placing a bet on all even numbers, you watch with bated breath as the tiny ball whizzes around the outside of the wheel. Oikawa chuckles at your clear desperation, earning him a roll of the eyes from you. Because of your previously held belief that you’d probably end up losing more than you’d earned tonight, your heart leaps with excitement when the ball rolls into the slot with the number 22 etched into it.

“Well, look at you! What did I say earlier?” Oikawa muses, giving your shoulder a pat as you collect your winnings even though they’re not at the top of your mind like his hotel room key is. The sensation of the card’s smooth edges running along your fingers when he slides it into your awaiting palm gives you an instant adrenaline rush. “Off you go, then. I’ll be up in a minute.” Before you can even ask him what the alternate option to the deal would’ve been, he’s giving you a gentle nudge in the direction of the tiled floor leading towards the lobby. The parting words he whispers in your ear have your core flooding with heat: “Oh, and I’d really appreciate it if that dress was off by the time I got there.”

In an instant, he’s sauntering in the opposite direction, leaving you to walk to the elevator by yourself on shaky legs that continue to quiver the entire ride up to the eighth floor. Part of you wants to curse yourself for being so susceptible to his irresistible charm and sugared words, but there’s no point in doing so now. You’re going to get what you want, after all.

As you step into his room, you’re greeted by the subtle yet delightful scent of his cologne wafting from the suits in the closet on your way over to the foot of the large bed you see peeking out from around the corner. Nervous tingles travel down your spine as you kick off your shoes and reach for the zipper of your dress, making your skin erupt in goosebumps, but the sensation doesn’t stop you from slipping the garment off and settling down against the plush duvet.

Luckily, he doesn’t keep you waiting long, and you’re leaping to your feet when you hear the heavy door open, letting in the conversations of other guests wandering down the hall nearby. For a split second, you feel self-conscious and wish you had more covering your body than just a lacy bra and panties, but, when you see the way his steps come a halt and his gaze traces over the entirety of your figure, drinking in the beautiful sight before him, your hesitation immediately dissipates.

Slowly, he approaches you, shrugging off his jacket before placing one hand on your bare waist and using his other to tilt your chin up so he can look into your eyes. “You’re gorgeous, (f/n),” he breathes, pupils dilating as they trace and retrace the path from yours to your lips parted with anticipation and desperate to be kissed, “I got lucky too. So, so lucky.”

Your eyelids flutter shut as he presses his warm lips against yours. They’re soft and gentle, molding to fit the shape of yours as if they were created to be interlocked. As his tongue runs along yours after tentatively prodding your lower lip in a silent request for access, his fingers dance along the bare skin on your back. Soon, your kisses are becoming more and more heated, and your hands are moving to his shirt to undo the buttons keeping it clasped together.

“Lemme take these off, yeah?” he murmurs against your lips, tugging at the back of your bra with one hand and at the waistband of your thong with the other. All you can do is nod, since you’re too breathless to give a verbal response, and allow him to undo the clasp around your back. A gentle push towards the bed sends you toppling down atop it with a playful giggle before he finishes your job of ridding himself of his shirt and tugs your panties down your legs.

Through half-lidded eyes, you can see the strain of his erection against his trousers, making your mouth water. He smirks at your mounting desire for him and kneels down on the carpet, grabbing your hips and pulling you closer to the edge of the bed. As teasingly as you’d expect from him, he drags a long finger down your slit, dragging the juices seeping out of your core up to your clit and rubbing the sensitive bud experimentally, delighted by the loud moans he reaps from your vocal cords in response.

“Tooru…” you utter needily, arching your back, “More… please.”

Unable to resist your gentle plea, he brings his lips to the plush skin of your inner thigh and mumbles, “Keep saying my name just like that, princess.” His low hum of contentment sends vibrations through your entire lower region as his mouth presses against your entrance so he can lick a broad stripe from there to your pearl.

The sensation’s nearly too much for you, but you soon melt into it, your hands reaching for his head of soft, brown hair to bring his face closer to your heat as he pleasures you with his tongue. His fingers splay across your thighs and give them a tight squeeze before he moves them up to your hips so he can hold you in place when you begin rocking them against his tongue. The sound of his name leaving your mouth in more desperate cries encourages him to delve the wet muscle deep enough into your core to make you squeal and tighten your grasp around the strands woven between your fingers.

It only takes a few minutes for him to have you at the brink of your first orgasm with how skilled his tongue is in working your sensitive bundle of nerves. “Right there—ah—Tooru!” you whimper at feeling your stomach fill with heat, “Please! I’m… I’m gonna cum!”

You expect to feel your body succumb to the pleasure, but, upon hearing your words, he retreats from you completely and licks his lips. “So soon?” he questions in a manner that’s almost mocking. Chest heaving and glistening core still fully exposed to him, you watch him with dismay. “C’mon, I know you can last longer than that.”

Inadvertently, you clench your thighs together and complain, “Don’t tease me like that.”

Shooting you a devious smile, Oikawa rises to his feet once more and quips, “Whine all you want, baby; but I know you’ll be changing your tune when I make you cum harder than you ever have before.”

Your breath hitches in your throat, but you’re quick to regain your composure under his perceptive stare. “Quite a bold promise to make, considering you don’t have a single clue about my sex life, whatsoever,” is the comment that leaves your mouth in a grumble while you shift your position so that you’re sitting up on your knees. Intent on getting payback for being robbed of your orgasm at the last second, you reach for the belt holding his trousers up and task yourself with undoing it.

He chuckles wryly. “It’s not a promise—it’s a guarantee.” Your throat goes dry at his words and at the sight of his large cock when you free it from the restraint of his pants. “Besides,” he mentions, his voice taking on a low tone that has you looking up at him as you lean forward onto your elbows, so your mouth is level with the leaking tip of his erection, “it doesn’t matter who you’ve been with before. You’ll forget them all after tonight.”

With that statement made, he eases his hips forward as you open your mouth invitingly so he can slide his cock along your tongue. A gentle groan rumbles in his chest when you close your mouth around him and move further down his shaft at a painstakingly slow pace until the tip is nudging your throat. You don’t intend to keep him there, but you want to tease him with the sensation just enough to make him lose a bit of that cool composure of his. Spurred on by his gentle sounds of pleasure and the look of fascination he’s regarding you with, you bob your head along the length of his shaft, dragging his tongue beneath it in long, deep strokes.

“Fuck, (f/n), that feels good,” he hisses, gaze wavering as he struggles to keep his eyes from rolling back at how good your mouth feels enveloping his cock. A gentle hum of appreciation you let out in response to his compliment has him thrusting into your mouth in an effort to feel the vibrations along every inch of his length. The slightly bitter taste of his precum catches on your tastebuds when you swirl your tongue around his throbbing head. “So fucking good.”

Your needy pussy clenches around nothing at his praise, and you moan teasingly while picking up the pace, taking him closer and closer to your throat with each thrust. His hand comes down to brush a few strands of your hair away from your face in a surprisingly tender gesture before his fingers clench around them to keep one of his hands occupied. The other rests on the bedside table nearby, fingertips turning white beneath the pressure he’s applying against the hard wood.

Though it’s clear he’s enjoying every moment of this with the way his cock twitches appreciatively in your mouth, the last thing he wants is to finish before he’s taken care of you. “On your back, princess,” he commands, his voice gruffer than usual as he indicates he wants you to stop by tugging your hair in the opposite direction to his body. Obediently, you let him slide his cock out of your mouth and fall back onto the bed, spreading your legs wide open so he can see just how ready you are for him. Your core has been ablaze with yearning for too long for you to be shy now.

The shadow his body creates in the soft light falls over yours when he crawls onto the bed and hovers over you. The desire to be closer to him that hasn’t left since the moment you first saw him resurfaces once again, prompting you to throw your arms around his shoulders so you can unite your bare torsos. His lips dive down towards yours once more, pressing passionate kisses against them that—in combination with the feeling of his cock pressing against your clit—have you moaning into his mouth. Your fingers pressing into the muscles along his back indicate your desperation to have him inside of you, so he obliges; plunging into your warm, velvety core as he takes his lower lip between your teeth.

A wanton mewl escapes your lips at feeling so, delightfully full, and you wrap your legs around his back, adjusting your hips so he can reach deeper inside of you. The stretch is somewhat painful at first, but every sensation you feel quickly melts into pleasure when he begins thrusting into you slowly and gently. Soon, it feels too slow and too gentle, and every nerve ending in your body is screaming for more. “Faster!” you cry as he nudges your head to the side so he can litter the tender skin on your neck with love bites.

He listens and indulges you, but not for long. Each time he hears your breathing become more erratic and feels you clench around him tightly, he eases off, ignoring the whimpers and complaints that leave your mouth at each orgasm he prevents you from reaching. As he teases you with shallow thrusts or riles you up even further by pulling out of you, he moves his head down to your chest so he can take one of your pert nipples in his mouth while his fingers pinch the other.

“Tooru, please. Please, let me cum!” you find yourself begging after being edged to what you feel is damn near the point of insanity with how little you can focus on anything else aside from chasing the high he keeps within inches of you. You open your eyes to give him a look of longing that you hope is enough to convince him to finally finish you off.

“Don’t worry,” he breathes, sending a wave of fresh goosebumps along your skin glistening with sweat, “I’m gonna make you cum so fucking hard.” The sound of his gentle voice transforming into a low growl dripping with lust fills your entire stomach with heat. “Turn over.” His hands on your waist help you flip onto your stomach and bring your hips up into the air as he kneels behind you to position himself at your entrance.

In one, swift motion, he pushes the entirety of his length back inside of you, making you cry out at the feeling of every ridge and vein in his dick dragging along your hypersensitive walls. The plush duvet and high thread count sheets muffle your screams of pleasure enough to keep them confined to his hotel room alone as he pounds into you mercilessly, sending your body charging towards what you hope is the release you’ll finally be able to experience. With all the pressure that’s building up inside of you, you can hardly withstand the pleasure overwhelming your senses.

A few more thrusts that target your most sensitive spot have you finally toppling over the edge of your orgasm, and warm waves of ecstasy crash over you as your body shakes and stars fill the edges of your vision. Your pussy spasming erratically around his cock has Oikawa snapping his hips against yours at a maddening speed until he’s filling your core up with the warmth of his release. He moans loudly between the praises and expletives that roll off his tongue as you ride out your highs together. Though you hate to admit it, he had been right—while merciless, his edging had intensified your pleasure in the end.

The strength of your orgasm leaves you unable to do anything else aside from flop onto the mattress and let your eyelids flutter shut while you regain your breath after Oikawa pulls out of you. The bed shifts beside you as he lies down at your side, taking a minute to steady his own breathing as he runs his hand along your back gently. There’s a few, long moments of silence that fill the warm air of the hotel room before a gentle chuckle from your mouth permeates it. Without speaking, he knows exactly what the source of your amusement is, and he ends up snickering as well.

“You really do say some of the corniest shit, baby,” you remark, amusement glimmering in your eyes when they find his after you roll onto your side to face him, “But I guess you’re a decent actor. Just don’t go quitting your day job, now.”

He grumbles and nuzzles your chin playfully, pressing a kiss against your jaw before pulling away and defending, “Oh, come on. You have to admit that at least some of the things I said were pretty hot.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

His arms snake around your body to pull you against his chest. In one ear, you can hear the sound of his strong heartbeat, and, in the other, you can hear him answer, “Like the whole using roulette as a gamble to win my room key instead of just money situation. C’mon. You liked that. I know you did—I saw your eyes practically burning with desire at that point.”

“Mm? And how do you know I wasn’t just acting as well?” you retort, throwing one of your legs over his and shifting your position so you can see the face of mock irritation you know he’s making at you. Sure enough, his eyes are narrowed, and his lips pursed as he squeezes them shut. After planting a kiss against his lips, you reassure him, “I enjoyed it. You’re very creative, as always, my love.”

“So all the money we spent on this little sexcapade, so to speak, of ours was worth it, then?” His hand on the back of your head keeps your faces within close proximity as he gazes into your eyes expectantly.

With a nod, you answer, “It was. But, any time we get to spend together is always worth it.”

A gentle smile forms on his lips to mirror your own, and his nose brushes against yours when he brings you closer to another kiss. This one’s deeper and more sensual than the last, and it makes your heart flutter in your chest. “I love you so much, (f/n).”

“I love you too, Tooru.” The two of you take some time to bask in your mutual and deep feelings of adoration with your foreheads pressed together and hands tracing over each other’s features before you speak again. “Now, how are we gonna be able to top this roleplay, huh?

That very familiar, devious grin of his returns to his mouth as he answers, “Oh, don’t worry, baby girl, I have plenty of other ideas.”

treat me to a coffee! ⭐︎ kinktober masterlist

taglists (see pinned post on my blog for form)

general: @dinablossom, @newfriendjen, @devlovesramen, @ohbyunhunn, @aftcrlust, @mister-future, @kyleclxin, @kac-chowsballs, @osamusmiya, @nit-sir-hc, @arixtsukki

oikawa: @why-aminot-dead, @lotsoffandomrecs, @atsunakaashi, @heyhinata, @cuddlysoftbear

#haikyuu x reader #oikawa tooru x reader #oikawa x reader #oikawa smut #haikyuu smut #ahkaahshi gets wild #ahkaahshi's mini kinktober 2020 #x reader #reader insert #tw edging #tw alcohol #tw gambling #fran writes hq!!#haikyuu fanfiction

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hb-writes · 3 years ago

Text

Don’t You Dare Touch Me

Summary: When Sam and Dean let Nora in on a hunt, she gets more of an experience than she bargains for. She deals with it the only way she’s ever seen a hunter deal—by burying it deep down below a level of anger and alcohol.

Characters: Dean Winchester & Nora Winchester

Content Warnings: Angst, typical Winchester family business - murder/ death, emotional pain/ trauma, and alcohol consumption.

"I think that's enough."

Nora scoffed, her eye contact with Dean remaining steady as she pitched back the drink, feigning indifference as the whiskey seared her throat, sending a warmth through her chest that barely flickered when compared to the pain surging through her as she searched for some sort of release or whatever it was that her brothers and father and every hunter she had ever known seemed to be chasing down the bottom of a bottle.

Dean rarely had much to say about his sister having a drink these days, hadn't really since she turned eighteen. He didn't have much of a leg to stand on considering he'd started consuming much earlier than she had and it didn’t bother him much anyway. Nora was a good kid. She was usually responsible about it.

Nora had only gotten drunk once in the time since she’d started indulging without asking permission, and she’d done it in the company of her brothers, the three of them collectively getting a little out of hand in the name of celebration, but this was something different. This wasn’t a finger of whiskey enjoyed with her bare feet up on the coffee table or Nora and Sam sampling a fancy bottle of wine. It wasn’t a beer used to wash down one of Dean’s famous burgers.

He recognized this as something else entirely, something he’d done more than once, something he’d never wanted for his sister.

Dean wasn't sure how much Nora had had, but his sister had been alone in the library since they arrived back at the bunker, heading straight there without a word to her brothers, the music coming from Sam's laptop growing steadily louder until it finally pulled Dean from his bedroom to check on her while Sam went out to pick up dinner.

The bottle of whiskey sat beside his sister was nearly empty. Dean couldn't remember how much was left before they'd gone out for the latest hunt, but he imagined it had been more than half-way full the last time he’d had it out of the cupboard. How much she’d had didn't matter though. His concerns were more closely tied to the fact that his sister had sought this out on her own, reaching for oblivion as she pored over the book they should've read a bit closer the day before, poring over the passage he shouldn't have rushed her through.

She'd been curled up with the book in the backseat for the entire ride back to the bunker, completely silent with her headphones firmly in place, not a single request to stop for the bathroom or lunch or to stretch her legs made during the seven-hour journey, not a single interruption to Sam and Dean's conversation voiced, no complaints or sounds coming from their sister in the back seat other than the turning back and forth of pages as she memorized the words Dean hadn’t given her a chance to even skim.

She'd gone for a shower back at the motel, been in there for maybe twenty minutes and she’d come out what Dean would have called stoic, strong and stoic and in control of herself. Dean was a little impressed, proud of the way she was handling everything, especially considering what she'd been through, what she'd ended up having to do, but Dean recognized it was his father’s voice in his head. It wasn’t him.

He and Sam should have known better than to be impressed, should have known better to be proud of Nora for something like that, something their sister wasn’t even capable of, pushing it all aside like that in the name of soldiering on. Sam and Dean knew their sister better than that, knew better than to accept her words at face value when she insisted she was fine after what she’d been through, what she’d done. And even if it hadn’t been their sister, even if it had been some random person, Sam and Dean should've known better to accept that sort of nonchalance because neither of them had been fine the first time someone else’s blood made its way onto the soft pad of their inexperienced hands. It wasn't something you could ever really wash away, not in the span of a shower, not in the span of a lifetime.

That's why Dean had always relegated his sister to the role of researcher. There were no blood splatters where the books were concerned, not direct ones anyway. It was safer, set a physical and emotional distance between Nora and what they really did, spared her aside from the occasional paper cut and whatever ideas the knowledge put into her head. But Dean understood why she was eager to experience the rest of the job. He'd been the same way once, curious and pulled to it with no real clue as to what hunting really meant.

But just like Nora’s consumption of alcohol, Dean and Sam had been able to push her introduction to it much later than their father had done for either of them. Sam and Dean had spent years instilling in her how important the research was, reminding her how necessary that component was to the success of her brothers’ business.

It had all started as a way to keep her out of the actual hunting, to keep her occupied on the long days left alone in hotel rooms or to entice her acceptance of the long stays at Bobby's, emphasizing the opportunity it gave her to learn from a seasoned hunter and his extensive library. It had been designed to keep her happy and safe, but it had become more than that at a certain point, more than a diversion and a convenient excuse because Nora was good at researching, better at it than either of her brothers, something Sam and his big shot college education were loath to admit some days.

Nora was smart, natural with the academic stuff like Sam had always been and always with a book nearby from the time she could read, but she had a hint of rebellion in her that kept her from loving school in the same way Sam did. And whenever she hadn't done as expected in regards to the school stuff, she was always quick to point out that Dean hadn't done as expected either, something he often had a hard time arguing with.

So her diligence and skill she’d developed with the research had come as a bit of a surprise, something Dean partly attributed to Nora being so eager to prove herself to them, so eager to fit some place in her brothers’ business that her determined eyes saw things Sam and Dean’s eyes more quickly dismissed or passed over.

Her determined eyes had still been looking, barely glancing up when they'd come back to the motel the day before, more engrossed in the words before her than her brothers’ updates, and Dean should have paid more attention to that, should have given more weight to the slew of old tomes and Sam’s laptop spread out in front of Nora on the motel bed. He should have heeded the fact that she clearly wasn’t finished with her part of the job, not ready to relinquish the work to them, but Dean hadn’t read his sister right. He’d gone ahead and announced their next course of action, decided what the kid was and that they could take care of things easily without his sister finishing her part of the job, a simple extraction and they'd have Jesse Miller back to frat parties and sleeping through the 8 am college classes his parents paid for from their retirement savings.

Nora had fought him at first, asking after a few more hours with the books just to be sure, but Sam had already agreed and Dean had easily dismissed the need for confirmation, their collective confidence in the plan enough that a bit of doubt about her abilities, doubt about her experience and hunches, crept into Nora’s mind, and her own confidence fell away, allowing her to set her own plans aside as she agreed to the course Dean charted, moved along that road by the fact that Sam and Dean were letting her come along.

It had been a while since Sam and Dean had let her do anything more than sit in the car, and she’d been eager, but now they all wished they'd left her behind sulking at the motel. Nora hated it and she usually railed against her brothers' protection with varying levels of intensity, but it had protected her, physically and mentally. It had kept her safe and whole and all of the things Sam and Dean hadn't been for a long time.

Nora met Dean's eye before filling the glass again, her hands shaking as the liquid sloshed over the rim.

“To saving people, hunting things, the family fucking business,” she said, lifting the glass in his direction and offering him a smile that made him feel sick in the pit of his stomach.

"Nor—" Dean stopped himself when she tipped the whiskey into her mouth, a soft hiss coming from her lips before she started filling the glass once again. "I said that's enough."

Nora stood and backed away from the table, taking the glass and the bottle with her as she stepped away. Dean took a few steps toward her, hand extended and reaching for the glass though her back was to him as she trailed away.

“Nora, give me the glass.”

Nora tilted her head back a moment before extending an arm out behind her, setting the now empty glass in his outstretched hand while retaining the bottle and the small bit of whiskey left inside. She let out a self-satisfied snort and sent a smirk over her shoulder at him.

Nora was drunk. She wasn't herself, wasn't in control. She wasn’t conscious of exactly what she was doing. Dean knew that and he knew that he had no right in being pissed off for her behaving the way she was. It wasn't on purpose, but it set something ablaze in him anyway, a flash of anger running through him at his sister's smartassed defiance.

Dean set the empty glass aside, letting it clash with too much force as he placed it on the table and he moved with a more deliberate pace to close the distance she'd put between them.

"Nora, give me the goddamn—"

Dean didn't have a word to describe the sound that ripped from his sister's throat as he pulled her back to him, one hand wrapping around her arm as the other closed over her hand in an attempt to release the bottle from her grasp. Dean understood it though and it stirred something old and nearly dead, something interred deep within him, the sound of his sister's pain resonating so strongly with the residual something that still lived within him, a pain applied and buffed into his bones and soul, so well permeated that he'd never wash it away.

"Don't you dare touch me."

Even if Nora hadn’t growled the words, her wants had been made clear enough, discernible in the way she recoiled from Dean’s touch as if his fingers burned the skin through her shirt sleeve, made obvious by the way she tried to rip herself away from him. Dean didn't allow her to break the contact though, not even when she released a scream so high pitched that Dean could still hear a ringing in his ear a few seconds later when she stopped to take a breath.

The bulk of the remaining whiskey had spilled out in the struggle, drops of it covering them both, but Nora still gripped the neck, her effort to keep hold of the empty bottle renewed as Dean attempted to rid her of it, to get it out from the small space that existed between them, to save them from an even bigger mess, a different kind of pain. Dean couldn't imagine having to physically hold her down to bandage the cut that would inevitably come from allowing her to continue having the thing in her grasp.

Dean made a decision then and almost mechanically took hold of the bottle, twisting Nora's wrist as she cried out in pain, her whole body turning as he did it, her fingers involuntarily releasing the bottle which Dean quickly set aside, freeing her wrist, almost certain she'd use the opportunity to put some distance between them, use it as justified ammunition to keep him away.

Nora put her hands up and shoved at Dean’s chest hard enough that he stumbled back a step, dazed for a second as she rushed forward, whatever energy she’d been using in retaining the bottle, all of the focus and determination she’d held, now directed at her brother instead, and Dean simply took it, took the fists pounding against his chest, standing firm as Nora pushed against him, trying to move him back, trying to push him away as she sought a bit of the satisfaction she’d gained when he’d first stumbled, her words starting to come as the adrenaline subsided, a string of pained demands taking the place of the pounding fists, a continuous stream of cruel words wielding more power than any of her punches could have, most of them heavy enough and true enough that Dean tried to ignore a good bulk of it, tried to remember that Nora was working at creating a distance between them, both physical and emotional.

Her arms grew slack and Dean finally got a grip on her wrists, her fight renewed as he gained control.

"You can't push me away, kid."

She stopped fighting against his hold then and Dean sighed, relief just beginning to flow into him as he shifted his grip, preparing pull Nora against his chest, to work on getting her through the worst of it, to help her to shift from the anger to the tears, hoping he’d get her to sleep after that.

"You're murderers,” she said, her words barely above a whisper though they held a certain conviction. “You and Sam. Killing innocent people. Innocent fucking people. Ruined. Broken."

Dean swallowed as Nora stepped back, using his second of shock to put some distance between them, both of them working through her words and pulling out what they'd really meant, so much more than Nora labelling her brothers as exactly what they were.

Sam and Dean were hunters. And they had killed innocent people, hurt innocent people, ruined innocent people, broken them.

And Nora had now done the same. She'd summed it all up in words that took her only seconds to get out, expressed that she'd been ruined and had done the ruining, some precious part of her, the person she would never be again, killed in the three seconds it took for the knife in her hands to plunge into Jesse Miller's side, that part of her dead before the kid was, taking its last breath before the first bit of Jesse’s blood came to the surface of the wound she'd inflicted in the name of self-defense, the wound she'd inflicted because her brother had been wrong, wrong in not letting her finish the research, wrong in allowing her to come along, wrong in not watching over her more closely once they were in the middle of it, for putting her in that position.

Dean looked away from Nora for just a moment, to gather himself and avoid having to look at her as she came down from the anger, the hurt taking over as the venomous rage subsided, the tears coming from her heavy eyes somehow different than those that had been there just a moment before, the choked sobs somehow screaming at him though no sound came from her mouth.

"I—"

Dean rubbed a hand down his face, pulling his eyes back to Nora as she tried to speak, her feet moving just a step or so forward as she tried to fill the gaps, tried to fill the space between her and Dean and the space between what she'd said and what she'd meant, but Dean didn't need her to say any of it. Although she hadn't been able to get past that first syllable, Dean knew his sister had opened her mouth intent on labelling herself in the same ways she'd labelled her brothers.

Murderer.

Killer.

Ruined.

Broken.

Dean took a single step, the distance between them already small enough that he could easily reach out and pull Nora against his chest. Any composure she’d had left her shattered as he did it, her whole body shaking with the sobs that were no longer silent, her pain no longer buried under a layer of anger and stoicism as she clung to her brother, barely aware of his attempts to soothe them both.

"It's alright, kiddo. I know."

Bye, Bye Apple Pie (Supernatural) Masterlist

500 Follower Celebration Masterlist

#500 follower celebration #angst prompts #supernatural fanfiction #spn fanfiction #dean winchester #nora winchester #winchester!sister

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lifeofkaze · 3 years ago

Text

An Art of Balance #33

Orion Amari x MC

Warning: Mention on injuries and a teeny tiny bit of blood

A/N: Ira Janda and Julian Bennett belong to @slytherindisaster, Azariah Steele belongs to @cursebreakerfarrier, Henry McClarnon to @thatravenpuffwitch and, of course, Judith Harris to @judediangelo75

Word Count: ~ 5.900 (I sincerely apologise for this. I am so sorry.)

_____________________________________

Chapter 33: Leap of Faith

Both teams were already waiting at the entrance of the pitch, when the three Hufflepuff Chasers joined them. The shadow of the stands overhead was concealing them from most of the crowd while they waited for Murphy to make the usual introductions. The atmosphere was so strained it could have been cut with a knife as Orion made his way to the front to stand next to Charlie. Lizzie and Skye were filing into their position in the line according to their squad numbers; out of the corner of his eyes, Orion could see how tightly Lizzie was gripping the hilt of her broomstick. She would usually have a little banter with her friends on the Gryffindor team, but today, none of the fourteen players spoke a single word.

Orion could catch a glimpse of the bright blue sky spanning the stadium. The sun was glaring down on them, its burning heat lessened by the light breeze that had picked up; the conditions were perfect for the match of the year.

“Are you ready for the last match of this year’s season, the final of all finals?” Murphy’s magically enhanced voice sounded through the air over the excited rumblings of the crowd.

“Going against all odds, which are standing at a remarkable 7.6 % to 92.4 %, both teams are starting into today’s game with the same amount of points scored throughout the year,” Murphy elaborated on the starting situation. “That means, the winner of this match will claim the House Cup and be crowned Hogwarts’s new Quidditch champion! Without further ado, I present to you the first of the contenders: fast as lightning, brave as lions and daring as they come; a massive applause for Gryffindor!”

Charlie and Orion shared a short look before the Gryffindors mounted their broomsticks and entered the roaring arena in flashes of gold and crimson. Orion could feel his heart beating in his chest as they circled the perimeter of the pitch once.

When it was their turn, he felt a sudden and familiar sense of calm wash over him as he mounted his broom and led his team out into the blazing sunlight. This was it, the moment they had all been working towards was here; there was no going back now.

The teams gathered around Madam Hooch in the middle of the pitch. As she recounted the rules for them, like she would always do, Orion let his eyes wander over his team members one last time to check if they were ready to spring into action as soon as the balls were released. He and Lizzie locked eyes for a moment, his slight nod of encouragement answered by a barely visible smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“We’ve had a clean season so far and none of you is going to change that, do you all get me?” Madam Hooch barked, her piercingly yellow eyes sweeping the circle of players around her. “I want a good, fair game, alright? Captains, shake hands.”

Orion and Charlie did as they were told, clasping their hands together with a resounding smack.

“Good luck everyone.”

With the sound of her whistle, the Bludgers and the Snitch were released and Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle high up into the air; the game was on.

Skye lost no time whatsoever; shooting upwards on her Comet, she immediately claimed the Quaffle and headed for the Gryffindor goalposts. Lizzie and Orion were flying by her side before they veered off to their own assigned positions.

Just as Orion had anticipated, with the beginning of the match all his nerves had made way for an absolute clarity of mind. For the first in what felt like forever, he knew exactly what to do.

As it turned out, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor being the teams fighting for the Cup was a more than warranted pairing. Even from the beginning, the match was pretty balanced, albeit incredibly tough to play.

The Gryffindor Beaters Julian Bennett and Henry McClarnon - a tall, broad shouldered boy from Lizzie’s and Skye’s year with a long, black ponytail - were in unbelievably good form. Orion and the other Chasers had to constantly dodge the Bludgers they were sending at them; somehow, however, they still managed to function as a unit.

Skye’s and Lizzie’s individual training was paying off splendidly; they were interacting in a completely new way no one except their own team members had seen before. Until the Gryffindors had adapted to the new style, they were able to score quite a few goals.

It wasn’t long before Orion and his team had carved out a hard-earned lead. After a failed pass, Skye lost the Quaffle to one of the opposing Chasers near their own goalposts who didn’t lose any time. He made short work of his attack and cheered as the Hufflepuff rings flared up.

“Another goal for Gryffindor,” Murphy’s voice could be heard echoing across the pitch. “That means another ten points adding onto the lion’s score. But I’m afraid the goal scorer won’t have much longer to celebrate.”

As Murphy was speaking, Judith had sent a Bludger flying towards the unheeding Chaser. He tried to dodge the spinning iron sphere, but he had seen it too late; making contact with the handle of his broom, it broke the hilt into an assortment of varnish and splinters. The sheer force of the impact sent the Chaser spiralling towards the ground, where he hopped off his dysfunctional broomstick moments later.

“Ouch, that one might be in need of a new broom, I think,” Murphy commented, sounding way more excited at the situation than he had any right to be. “According to Which Broomstick?, the leading magazine on Quidditch gear, the standard model of the Cleansweep 6 would be a good shot, with only 14.5 % less speed compared to the reigning market champion, but I digress. This particular broom, in any case, is 98.3 % not flyable anymore and that means, as of now, Gryffindor is short a Chaser!”

The crowd groaned at his words; the Gryffindor supporters because they were missing a player and the rest because now the tides of the game were undoubtedly bound to shift.

“It seems as if Hufflepuff is losing no time in using the new situation to their advantage,” Murphy continued as he watched the rapidly moving scene in front of him.

“Amari claims the Quaffle and heads towards the Gryffindor goalposts at lightning speed; he dodges the Bludgers sent after him by McClarnon and Bennett but will he be able to score, ladies and gentlemen? Of course!” Murphy jubilated maybe a bit too enthusiastically. “Amari sends the Quaffle past Gryffindor’s Keeper Steele with deadly precision and secures another ten points for Hufflepuff!”

Orion usually wasn’t keen on cheering excessively, preferring to keep his mind focused on the next move. But he couldn’t help a grin as Lizzie and Skye flew to his side and clapped him on the back, both cheering all the louder for his lack thereof. Skye raised her arms towards the Hufflepuff stands, firing them up to give it their all with their support.

Without their third Chaser, Gryffindor was slowly but surely starting to get into a fix. Being short a player, they had trouble getting hold of their opponents and were outflown or scattered by Judith’s and Everett’s Bludgers more than once.

A powerless Charlie was trying to rearrange his team but it didn’t help; he was forced to stay on the sidelines of the game. He could do nothing until the Golden Snitch was spotted and his time to take an active part in the game had come.

Due to the new situation, Orion was able to pass the Quaffle back and forth with Skye and Lizzie to their hearts’ content; it was showing yet again, if there was one thing holding the power to unite them like nothing else, it was their shared passion for the game they loved.

With their decimated numbers, not even the above average speed of the lions was enough to stop them once Hufflepuff had adapted their strategy. They were able to score many times in a rapid succession, giving them a more than comfortable lead.

The effect the change in balance had on Gryffindor was palpable; as the Hufflepuff score was increasing, the Gryffindor Chasers were starting to play more roughly, bumping into whoever held the Quaffle more often than not. When Madam Hooch had seen enough of it, the shrill sound of her whistle cut through the air, awarding Hufflepuff a free shot.

Skye took the responsibility on herself and expertly threw the Quaffle past Azariah, much to the chagrin of the Chasers who saw their foul play backfiring on them. After Skye flew past them with a smug look on her face, they shared a look between them before they set after her. One coming up on each side of her, they suddenly yanked their broomsticks inwards and wedged her in. One of them leaned over and let the handle of his broom collide with Skye’s, throwing her off course.

Guessing what Skye’s reaction to being fouled would be like, Orion was quick to fly towards the scene, finding himself to be correct. By the time he arrived, all three players were arguing fiercely; only moments after Charlie joined the scene.

“T’was a bloody foul and you know it,” Skye snarled at the other Chaser with flashing eyes. Orion didn’t know what had been said earlier, but judging by the angry spots on Skye’s face, they had been working themselves into quite a state already.

“No idea what you’re on about, Parkin. Must be seeing things, I guess,” the Gryffindor Chaser sneered; it was the one who had crashed into her.

Skye leaned forward and opened her mouth to shoot back but Orion was quicker. He got hold of her shoulder and pulled her back. While he tried to insert a calm energy into the heated situation, there was unwavering determination underlying his touch; he would not let this escalate.

“It’s enough Skye,” he told her firmly. “Let it go and concentrate on what matters.”

“But Captain,“ Skye started protesting, but Orion shook his head.

“No, don’t waste your energy on a needless fight; these are not our methods.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the Gryffindor Chaser from before chimed in angrily. “You have a problem with our methods, Amari?”

“Easy now,” Charlie interrupted before tempers could flare up again. “He is right; let’s just play, all this bickering is leading nowhere.”

His Chasers faltered under the withering look Charlie gave them. While he was always ready to put up a fight on the Quidditch pitch, Charlie was known to disapprove of foul play; he wasn’t happy with either of the turns the match had taken.

Thankfully, Charlie’s sharp words had the desired effect and their little gathering was dissolving quickly.

Sure enough, the move on Skye had not gone unnoticed by Madam Hooch and she awarded yet another free shot to Hufflepuff. Skye shot it brazenly past Azariah with all the force she could muster. He was diving for the right hoop, but wasn’t quick enough to prevent her from scoring again; his angry outcry could even be heard from where Orion was hovering in the air.

Cheering at her goal, Skye raised her fist into the air and flew by the Gryffindor stands on purpose. Orion furrowed his brow in dismay; he didn’t approve of her deliberate provocation at all.

“Hufflepuff scores another goal with Parkin’s free shot, raising the score into dizzying heights,” Murphy summarised the events for their onlookers. “Even if Weasley were to catch the Snitch right now, the additional 150 points wouldn’t be enough for Gryffindor to win. What a fantastic goal fest we are allowed to witness here today!”

When he heard Murphy announce the current score, Orion allowed himself to let a hint of relief touch his mind. He had felt confident about their chances at success from the beginning, but now, the end of their journey was becoming clearer as they approached the finish line.

Nevertheless, he remained apprehensive about the Gryffindors’ reactions. After all, if not even Charlie could secure their win right now, their situation was getting desperate and Orion knew a lion was most dangerous when it was wounded.

Contrary to him, however, his team didn’t seem to be sharing his concerns. Lucy was the only one still fully focused on the task of finding and securing the Snitch, but the others were visibly relieved at the high lead they had managed to attain.

He saw Lizzie and Skye passing the Quaffle between them a lot more recklessly than they had to; both their Beaters seemed to be more relaxed than in the beginning of the match as well. Orion felt the need to remind them to pay attention, but the sudden sound of Judith violently cursing stopped him dead in his tracks.

“The comfortable lead seems to have made the Hufflepuff team a little bit more careless than they should be,” Murphy exclaimed. “A Bludger from Bennett makes it past Harris and Everett and is headed straight for the Hufflepuff Keeper. I’m afraid this has a 72.3 % chance of ending badly.”

Neither of the Beaters was close enough to reach the attacking Bludger in time; Judith was trying to, but she was too far away to catch up with it. Orion could only watch with gritted teeth how Brian was trying to move out of the way, but he wasn’t fast enough. The impact of the Bludger against his shoulder probably wasn’t so bad in itself; he had been hovering close to his goalposts, however, and was now smacked into the middle one with force. Orion went pale as he saw his teammate collapse onto his broom and sink slowly to the ground.

He gripped the handle of his broom tighter and went off to go and check on him immediately; his movement got cut off by yet another Bludger whizzing over his head, straight into the direction of Lizzie and Skye.

Both girls had been watching Brian crash from somewhere close to the Ravenclaw tower; they were so distracted by their Keeper’s demise that they didn’t see the Bludger shooting towards them. A surprised looking Skye was able to dive out of its way just in time, but Lizzie wasn’t as lucky.

The crowd gave a collective gasp as Lizzie was hit square in the chest, her audible cry of pain ripping at Orion’s heart. He felt his breath hitching as he watched Lizzie getting knocked off her broom and into the wooden Ravenclaw Tower. She clung onto the blue banner hanging from it on pure instinct to keep herself from falling; her Comet, useless without its rider, was tumbling to the ground.

“McClarnon’s Bludger hits Jameson and leaves her without her broomstick, hanging from a height that will 87.4 % crush her bones if she doesn’t manage to hold on. Someone better do something right now!” Murphy’s voice was shaking with distress at Lizzie’s predicament.

Shrieks erupted from the stands as the Ravenclaw banners suddenly gave way before stopping again; they weren't intended to support the weight of someone clinging to them after all. Lizzie was screaming loudest of them all as she desperately tried to hold on to the piece of fabric that stood between her and more than several broken bones.

All of it had happened incredibly quickly, but the sound of her screaming had Orion snap out of his state of shock. He raced his broom over to the Ravenclaw tower as fast as it would allow, his heart thumping painfully in his chest. Lizzie’s eyes were wide with fear and relief as he reached her and helped her up on his broom. He saw how her ashy face twisted in pain as she held onto him with one arm, cradling her ribcage with the other. Her breath left her lips in a strained hiss and Orion could tell that she was hurt.

With Lizzie and Brian being attacked simultaneously, the match had all but stopped, everyone on the stands and the pitch anxiously watching the events unfold. A sigh of relief rippled through the crowd after Lizzie had been saved. Wanting her to get examined and needing to check on their Keeper as well, Orion signalled to Madam Hooch for a time out.

As soon as their feet hit the ground, Orion could feel Lizzie’s grip on him tightening as she struggled to support her own weight. After she had adjusted to standing again, she let go of him, clambered off his broom and gingerly sat down on the grass.

Her breathing was shallow and she dipped her head back into her neck. Orion could see that her eyes were shut tightly and her lips pressed together in pain. When she relaxed them, a distinct red sheen formed on them, growing into a ruby bead of blood that slowly started trickling over her lower lip.

He knelt down beside her immediately and gently took hold of her chin, turning her face ever so slightly to see how badly she was hurt. Lizzie winced at his initial touch but didn’t draw away. Instead, her eyes found his and the corner of her mouth twitched into a wry smile as she spoke.

“Don’t worry, Captain,” she reassured him, “I only bit my lip when falling, nothing too major.”

The strain in her voice did nothing to ease his worries, but before he could say anything, Ira appeared at their side, her brow furrowed in concern. She was acting as Madam Pomfrey’s extended hand during Quidditch matches, taking care of minor injuries. She brushed her blond curls out of her face before she gently but firmly pushed Orion to the side to examine the damage the Bludger had done.

Ira quickly checked Lizzie’s eyes for any sign of a concussion; when she was satisfied with the result, she moved on towards her bleeding lip. She took her wand out and muttered “Episkey”, making short work of the small wound. When she started scanning Lizzie’s ribcage, however, Lizzie grit her teeth, trying hard not to cry out at her touch.

“You’re lucky,” Ira stated as she straightened up again. “As far as I can tell, nothing’s broken but your ribs are badly bruised. This is going to hurt tomorrow.”

“Only tomorrow? What’s this now then?” Lizzie pressed out with a wry grin, trying to mask the pain that flooded her with every breath she was taking. “Can you give me something for the pain?”

Ira handed her a small, stoppered vial from her bag. The turquoise liquid inside was gleaming brightly in the sunlight as Lizzie unceremoniously upended it into her mouth.

The sound of angry voices approaching drew their attention; Charlie and Henry were headed over from where the Gryffindors had gathered; Skye was following in their wake, both Lizzie’s and her broomsticks resting on her shoulders. She was arguing loudly with Henry; a hint of annoyance at their bickering was visible on Charlie’s face. All of them knew that Henry hadn’t hit the Bludger out of ill intent; as brutal as it was, it was part of the game.

He immediately forgot his fight with Skye, however, as soon as they were within earshot. His usually cheerful face was pale and his brows drawn together with worry.

“Lizzie, thank Godric you’re alright!” he exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. I thought you’d dive or something!”

“Well, thanks to Julian knocking out our Keeper I was a tad distracted,” Lizzie replied sardonically. “I’ll give you that, Henry, you have a brutal swing.”

The tall Beater hung his head; it was palpable how bad he felt, although he had only done his job. “I’m really, really sorry.”

Charlie crouched down next to her, his brown eyes looking her up and down. “You alright, kiddo?” he asked her quietly.

Lizzie nodded and got to her feet again. “I’ll survive it; the potion’s working already.”

“That’s good to hear,” the voice of Madam Hooch could be heard behind them. She had been over at the Hufflepuff goalposts to check on Brian and had now come over to see in what state Lizzie was in.

“Your Keeper is out cold, I’m afraid,” she told Orion, who grimaced at his fear being confirmed. “He won’t be playing another second today, I’ll have him sent straight to the Hospital Wing.”

Her yellow eyes rested on Lizzie, trying to determine whether she should follow Brian or not. “What about you, Jameson? Can you play again?”

“Yes,” Lizzie answered immediately, simultaneously with Orion’s determined “No.”

Lizzie gave him a stubborn look. “Of course I can play; I have to. You heard Madam Hooch, we’re short one player already.”

Orion crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. “Absolutely not,” he declared firmly. “I applaud your dedication to our team, but right now it is thoroughly misplaced. You’ll go to the Hospital Wing and get yourself examined properly.”

Lizzie couldn’t believe her ears; it was very unlike Orion to not trust her judgement. “Are you serious? No matter how far we’re in the lead, with two players missing, we might as well give up straight away!”

Madam Hooch had watched their discussion silently; there was no way to tell her opinion from her unreadable face, so Lizzie was surprised when she spoke up.

“I’m afraid she’s right, Amari,” she said matter-of-factly. “With only five players your team will be in a rough place before you can say Bludger Backbeat.” She shrugged. “But in the end, that’s your decision.”

Orion knew they were right; the only way they could win this match with Lizzie and Brian missing was by Lucy catching the Snitch as quickly as possible, but there was no way to tell when or where the evasive golden ball would make its next appearance.

Injuries were a regular part of Quidditch and they all had been at the receiving end of a Bludger one time or the other; but Orion was still deeply shaken by the thought of Lizzie hanging from the side of that tower. He didn’t want to risk her getting hurt again.

He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes, uncertain what to do. “I don’t know,” he sighed doubtfully before turning to Ira. “You examined her, what do you think?”

Ira was looking uncomfortable at being dragged into the discussion. “Well, the potion I gave Lizzie should last for a bit, so she won’t be in pain for now; it will hurt like hell once it’s wearing off, though.”

She could only shrug helplessly as Lizzie and Orion both stared at her intensely, both wanting her to say the complete opposite. “But from a medical perspective, there’s nothing really speaking against it. If you promise me to get straight to Madam Pomfrey afterwards,” she added with a sharp look at Lizzie.

While he was glad that Lizzie really didn’t seem to be injured too badly, Orion still wasn’t convinced. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

His restless gaze met Lizzie’s for a moment. She locked eyes with him, unwavering resolve burning in them. Despite being the one who had fallen off her broom, she radiated a calm determination that slowly spread over to Orion as everything else around them seemed to fade for a moment.

“If you don’t want me to get back into the game, I will accept your decision,” Lizzie told him quietly. “But please, think about it. You know it just as well as I do, without a Keeper and three Chasers there is no way we can win.”

Orion bit his lip. He knew that she was right and he wanted to believe her, but there was no way of telling if the odds were really worth the risk.

Sensing his resolve wavering, Lizzie put her hand on his forearm, just where his captain’s armband was tied over his yellow robes. “Orion, please, let me play. You can trust me.”

His dark eyes flickered over her face, taking in the faint trace of blood still clinging to the corner of her mouth. “Are you absolutely sure?”

She only smiled at him for an answer and nodded.

Breaking the contact with her, Orion closed his eyes for a moment. He could feel her words were ringing true and he could see how badly she wanted to finish the match. What was more, he knew that she understood how much achieving their goal with this team meant to him.

And yet, she was ready to accept his decision, regardless of her own wishes. She trusted him to do what was best for all of them.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. If Lizzie was so sure about it, he had to give her the benefit of the doubt and take a leap of faith; he just hoped it wouldn’t be misplaced.

“Alright, you heard her,” he declared loudly and clapped into his hands. “Let’s get back into the game. It’s time to finish this”

***

After both teams had returned into the air the match resumed, albeit it was palpable that everyone was still shaken by what had happened.

It became increasingly difficult, if not downright impossible, for the Hufflepuff Chasers to score. Orion had withdrawn Judith and Everett from the main events of the game; they couldn’t leave their goalposts at the mercy of the remaining Gryffindor Chasers, so the two Beaters were now circling the hoops and setting Bludgers on every crimson-clad player that dared venture too close to them.

As a result, however, Orion, Lizzie and Skye were left without any sort of protection themselves. They were too busy dodging Bludgers and taking the Quaffle off their attacking opponents to even come anywhere near the Gryffindor posts.

Lizzie had just lost the Quaffle again and had turned around to chase after it, when her attention was caught by a flesh of red robes shooting upwards at a steep angle.

It was Charlie, his eyes trained on a spot high above them where a golden gleam was visible against the blue sky. Lizzie held her breath as she watched him ascent, her hunt for the Quaffle all but forgotten. Gryffindor had been able to score a few times and Hufflepuff was exactly 150 points in the lead; if Charlie caught the Snitch now, they would find themselves in a tie.

Luckily, the Snitch was hovering at a point in the air that had Charlie fly directly into the glaring sunlight. He tried to follow through for a few seconds longer before he couldn’t take the brightness anymore. Closing his eyes, he turned around and the Snitch vanished from sight once more. Relieved, Lizzie let out the breath she didn’t realise she had been holding.

She could hear Charlie’s outcry of frustration as he flew past her. A tie would play into Gryffindor’s hands; if two opposing teams had scored the same amount of points when the Snitch was caught, the winner was determined by a shoot-out and Hufflepuff was short a Keeper.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Charlie gestured to Madam Hooch, who blew her whistle moments later. Gryffindor was calling for a timeout.

Orion was looking as concerned as Lizzie felt herself when he gathered his team around him. His dark eyes swept over them as he spoke. “That was a close call; from what I could see, he very nearly caught the Snitch.”

Lucy’s shoulders slumped. “I know, I’m sorry; I should have seen it before him.”

“Don’t worry,” Orion shook his head, “Charlie is a gifted Seeker and he was in a better position to spot it. But the moment to call for a timeout is a peculiar one; I assume Gryffindor is about to change their strategy. They will probably switch to a full offensive while Charlie will go after the Snitch even more determined than before.”

He turned his attention to Lucy again. “Don’t let him catch it. We have to end this game on our terms and do it fast. As of now, we are exactly 150 points in the lead; if Charlie can secure the Snitch for his team, the winner will be determined through a one on one duel between the Chasers and the Keepers; and from where we stand, we are acutely short of one.”

“I could substitute as Keeper,” Skye offered. “I know how to play every position.”

Orion shook his head. “I appreciate your willingness to step up for the sake of the team, but I need you in the field to make sure the Quaffle stays with us and we manage to score at least one additional goal. And should it really come to a shootout, there is no one that could replace your precise aim.”

Skye nodded in agreement and Orion turned to Everett and Judith. “Make sure our goalposts are protected, should Gryffindor try for a counterattack. Chasers, try to keep the Quaffle in our ranks and score if you get the chance. We must not let it come to a one on one fight. Any questions?”

When all of them shook their heads, Orion nodded determinedly and mounted his broom again. “Let’s go and bring this Cup back home.”

Even though the Hufflepuff team had changed their tactics according to Orion’s plan, it proved incredibly tough to withstand the repeated assaults from the Gryffindor team.

Whatever Charlie had told them had reignited their desire to win and they set about their task with a grim determination. The Beaters were barely able to protect the goalposts from the continued attacks anymore, but somehow they managed.

They had been playing for several hours now and Lizzie wasn’t the only one who was starting to feel the exertion of the exceeding duration of the game. Everyone’s concentration was beginning to slip and the manoeuvres gradually becoming sloppier.

After another attempt on the Hufflepuff posts, Everett kicked the Quaffle back into the field; but even his brutish strength was fading and he didn’t have the experience that their Keeper did, so the Quaffle flew past Orion and began descending right in the middle between him and one of the opposing Chasers.

Orion immediately set after it and managed to catch it only moments before his opponent reached it. They almost collided in mid-air but Orion ducked under the other’s feet and sped up his broom on his way to the other side of the pitch, Lizzie and Skye falling in formation beside him. They only needed to score this one goal to make them breathe more easily.

The crowd had fallen increasingly silent as the match had dragged on, when suddenly a rumble went through the stands and Murphy’s voice drew Lizzie’s attention.

“Once again, Weasley seems to have spotted the Golden Snitch,” he exclaimed in excitement. “With O’Connell on the other side of the pitch, we might be witnessing the last moments of this year’s season right here and now! But I strongly suggest taking a good look at the Hufflepuff Chasers as well, as they are positioning themselves in their favourite formation to prepare for a last desperate attack.”

Lizzie gripped the handle of her broomstick tighter as she heard Murphy’s commentary; she knew the chances of Charlie letting the Snitch escape a second time were minimal. Out of the corner of her eye she could see both Julian and Henry aiming Bludgers in Orion’s direction, so she didn’t lose any time; lying as flat as she could on her broom, she sped up and broke free of their arrowhead formation. She shouted Orion’s name as she overtook him and he passed the Quaffle to her without a moment’s hesitation.

She could see Charlie extending his arm to reach for the Snitch and knew she had only moments left to score. The Gryffindor Chasers appeared at her side, trying to close in on her, but Lizzie pulled every last bit of speed her Comet could muster from it and left them behind. She had reached her favourite scoring distance and was absolutely sure she could bring the Quaffle past Azariah if she aimed for his least preferred hoop; the only question was if she still had the time to do so.

Lizzie was already preparing to throw when she suddenly saw Skye veering in from the side ahead of her. Employing one of their signature manoeuvres, she had used the focused attention on Lizzie to round behind the Gryffindor defence and reappear unexpectedly.

Lizzie was in a prime position to score and it was only seconds until Charlie would close his fist around the Snitch. Her eyes flickered to the commentary box and for a fraction of a second she could see Ethan Parkin standing in the first row next to Murphy, leaning dangerously far over the railing in excitement and anticipation.

Lizzie decided to go all in.

Screaming Skye’s name, she threw the Quaffle in her direction with all the strength left in her, praying to every God she had ever heard of that this wouldn’t turn out to be the worst decision of her life.

Skye caught the Quaffle expertly and with Azariah not expecting the most borderline reckless move Lizzie had ever pulled off, he had no chance to dive for the right hoop in time as Skye shot the Quaffle towards him with brutal force.

The goalposts behind him were flashing up in the same moment that Charlie pulled out of his dive, the tiny wings of the Golden Snitch beating furiously against the palm of his raised hand.

The stands exploded into screams and cheers but all of the players were holding their breaths. No one knew what had happened first, Skye scoring or Charlie ending the match. All fourteen pairs of eyes were trained on the commentary box where Murphy tried working out the events.

“Parkin scores an incredible last minute goal as Weasley catches the Golden Snitch almost simultaneously!” Murphy almost stuttered in excitement, something close to no one had ever heard him do. “The chances of both moves happening at the exact same time lie way below 0.5 %, so let me check the scores.”

The moment seemed to stretch into forever; Lizzie held her breath and Skye, who had flown to her side, gripped her arm so tightly it hurt when Murphy bent down to his megaphone again.

“Parkin scored first!” Murphy screamed so loudly his usually steady voice cracked. “That means, the final match of the season ends with 90 to 390 points for Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff is this year’s reigning Quidditch champion!”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #quidditch #orion amari #murphy mcnully #skye parkin #charlie weasley #lizzie jameson #aob #art of balance #the quidditch squad #longest quidditch chapter ever #sorry got carried away #ONLY TWO CHAPTERS LEFT NOW #OMFG #the end is nigh #I'm getting emotional over here

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adiabolikpastel · 3 years ago

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Title: Lunar Eclipse Masquerade

Kanato pt. 2

Rating: NSFW | PG-17 (language & sexual content)

Word Count: 2,370

Pairing: Kanato x Yuuki (m/f)

ღ Yuuki marvels at the beauty of Eden Castle and it's guest, however, Kanato's agitation threatens to ruin things. Perhaps some alone time would do them both some good. ღ

Mun Yu: We made it to the second wave of LEM. I hope you all enjoyed the set up, and are ready for the main event. Our Lunar Eclipse is in full swing as the masquerade beings. These chapters will be longer.

Additionally: I would love to thank @dialovers-translations for translating the Kanato and Subaru versus CD which show cased them during the Lunar Eclipse. It helped me greatly to write his personality.

☆+ ﾟ .+ .ﾟ.ﾟ�� ﾟ｡. +ﾟ｡ﾟ.ﾟ｡☆*｡｡ . ｡ o .｡ﾟ｡.o｡* ｡ .｡

Despite what most people think, demonic beings are very social creatures. The elites hold countless balls and parties, celebrating their immortality together, and entertaining one another with stories. Typically, they are done in celebration for something – though this is not always the case. All types of beings from across the Demon Realm will come if the host is of high enough prestige.

There would be no such host if it was not for Karlheinz. Seated as the head of the Bat Clan (vampires), Karl’s reach spans far. Being the widow for the former Demon King’s daughter, and having children of the first blood, an invitation from the Vampire King is not one to refuse. Though why would you? In his immaculate castle within the Demon Realm, Eden Castle, it is always quite the spectacle. While the celebrations held in his Human World mansion are nice, nothing compares to a true night of pleasure within the true home of the King.

On this night, there was to be a Masquerade in honor of the first Lunar Eclipsed Moon in over two years. While this night may serve each species differently, the idea to celebrate its return was simply too tempting. For this reason, Karlheinz took it upon himself – or rather – his house, to host the event. This extended to his offspring as well, regardless of their personal agenda. Members of every social elite race accepted the offer, and gathered for a truly unforgettable evening.

Yuuki marveled at the magnitude of Karlheinz’s castle. Kanato had told her it was called the Eden Castle, and that his father was always cooked up in it. It was the first actual castle Yuuki had ever seen in person. Kanato was less excited. He kept going on about how he was annoyed to be back in this house, and that he’d wished Teddy were with him.

Yuuki knew how much it meant to Kanato having to leave Teddy behind. So she offered him her hand as a stand in. At first the small vampire looked angry. She would even suggest such a thing, but once Yuuki’s hand was laced with his, he didn’t seem to mind. Yuuki declared that she wouldn’t let go all night, if it meant he would feel better.

The guests of the masquerade were all wearing such beautiful gowns and masks, Yuuki couldn’t help but notice. She asked Kanato if it was really all right for her to be here. He had only laughed and commented on how the demons may try to eat her if she wanders off. Yuuki couldn’t tell if it was a joke or he was just trying to make sure she didn’t leave him.

There were beautiful decorations, and the castle seemed to brighten even more as the music began to fill the halls. Everyone was welcome to explore, though most chose to stay in the ballroom. Kanato had wanted to spend time getting food, so that was where Yuuki and he went first. It was an eye opening experience to see the high society of the Makai interacting with one another.

While Yuuki had no actual concept of what everyone was, she could tell that there were no humans apart from herself and Yuko – who had tagged along with Ayato. That idea was rather frightening. Did other races not date humans? Surely there were other vampires at the party. What made the Sakamaki family so different? Perhaps one day Yuuki might learn the answer, but for tonight she was simply happy to be present with Kanato.

For the bulk of the evening, Kanto had the two of them sitting at a table. He had gotten a large amount of sweet treats, and was content simply staying away from the crowded areas. Yuuki however, was itching to go dance. “Your face is so honest.” Kanato finally spoke to her with a glare. “If you want to go that badly, simply leave me here.”

Yuuki pouts slightly at his words, “If I were going to dance, I’d only want to do it with you Kanato-san.” She assures him. “Are we going to? We came all the way here, and got all dressed up. You have all these foods at home, surely we could-"

“Please stop talking.” Kanato said softly, yet his voice was firm. Yuuki was about to protest when she saw that he was looking past her. Curious, she turned to find what on earth he could be looking at.

Not too far away from them, but far enough that it was a challenge for Yuuki to be sure, was a man dressed also in white. His hair was long, matching the color of his clothes, tied with a crimson ribbon, and draped over his shoulder. His mask simply covered his eyes and was a goldish color with what looked to be pearls. This man seemed to stand out, even in the crowd. As if the entire room was aware of his presence, and made it a point to keep a distance.

Next to him stood a gorgeous woman. Yuuki actually felt herself blush a little. She was also without an equal. Dressed in a single strapped long dress that started in black, then faded into a deep crimson. Her hair is decorated with matching colored flowers. Her mask matched the dress, being mostly black in color with some red jewels to decorate the center.

The two stood next to another man who held a similar aura to the first. Though without as much, overwhelming presence. By comparison, he seemed to be the opposite of the man in white. Dressed in darker clothing, and hair also dark, though long and tied in a ribbon as well. The three of them really stood out, though Yuuki couldn’t honestly say why.

“Wow… she’s beautiful.” Yuuki comments, thinking that Kanato was admiring the guest as well.

“Beautiful!?” Kanato’s voice was full of rage as his shout caught the attention of those around them. “Ha! That thing he has draped on his arm?! What a joke! Truly there is no lower standard that man will not fall to!” Kanato rants, and grabs a hold of the table.

Yuuki looks around nervously as the surrounding guests start to whisper. “Ua… K-Kanato-san why don’t we-" Before she could finish, the purple monster of a vampire flips the entire table over. All of the cakes, pastries, candies and ice cream spill onto the floor. Yuuki shot up out of her seat, ensuring no food could get on her dress. “Kanato-san!”

Kanato’s eyes were still locked onto the man at a distance. His rage bubbling inside. Yuuki moves around the mess to walk over to him, taking his arm. “Kanato-san, come with me, let’s go get you cleaned, okay?” The vampire did not fight her, but his eyes also never left their locked on location. Yuuki looked over her shoulder as she managed to get Kanato out of the ballroom. That man didn’t seem to notice their presence at all.

Yuuki held onto Kanato as she searched for a bathroom – though this castle was much larger than the mansion. In fact the more they walked, the more intense it seemed. The halls seemed to grow darker, and it felt like every turn only led to a dead end. However, Yuuki wasn’t going to give up. Kanato needed her to be strong in this moment, no matter how scary the castle seemed.

After walking for what felt like forever, Kanato finally stopped dead in the hallway. Yuuki also almost fell backwards at his abruptness, but she steadied herself. “Kanato-san? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” She asks, looking him over.

Kanato stood with his head downward, “That man- … how dare he show off that-… when that person always…” He mumbled to himself, as the frustration from before finally began to manifest itself into tears. “All my sweets are ruined as well…” He began to openly sob, wiping his eyes with his free hand.

Yuuki couldn’t bear seeing Kanato like this- she never could. It never mattered how selfish, or fake the tears were – Kanato crying always reduced her to a puddle. “Kanato-san…” Yuuki didn’t know how to help. This time it really seemed like he was frustrated and upset. Feeling at a loss herself, Yuuki looked down to their joined hands. Kanato had not let go, in fact, he was holding on so tightly. Just like with Teddy.

Without warning, Yuuki moved in front of Kanato and pushed her head onto his. The Vampire was surprised and looked into Yuuki’s eyes as she looked into his. “Kanato-san… I’m here… you don’t have to cry all by yourself. You know that, don’t you…?” She says softly, bringing her other hand up for him to lace with his.

Kanato was taken back for a moment, but slowly took her other hand in his. “You can be frustrated all you want with me, I don’t mind.” Yuuki smiles, squeezing his hands. “I want to help you… that’s why I’m here.”

Kanato sniffles a little before meekly asking, “You want to help me…?” Yuuki nods in response, and he begins to drag her down the hall. With no instruction Yuuki is simply left wondering where her keeper was taking her. She had been wandering the halls with no way of navigating them, yet Kanato seemed to know exactly where to go.

It does not take long for him to locate a room, and in a hurry he pulls Yuuki into it. A rather small bathroom, but this had been where Yuuki was trying to go. Kanato moved to lock the door as Yuuki wandered over to find a towel. “Here let me clean you up Kanato-sa-" Yuuki begins to offer, but Kanato embraces her from behind. “Ah! Kanato-san our clothes they’ll- … Ah~!” Yuuki began to protest, but was cut off as Kanato licked the side of her neck.

Kanato ran his tongue along her veins softly, “Fufu… you told me you wished to help… I have no concerns about these clothes.” He states firmly. “You too… instead of worrying about them… console me more.” Kanato murmurs against her skin as his fangs begin to descend.

Yuuki blushed at Kanato’s demands, and was about to speak when she noticed there was a mirror in the restroom. It captured their likeness perfectly. The embarrassment leaped from inside her, and she rushed to cover her face, “K-Kanato-san not here that’s too…” She groans a bit.

Kanato looks up, noticing the mirror himself. With a sigh he moves so that Yuuki would be pinned against the mirror. “You say that you will help me, but refuse when I ask!” He yells, his saddened cries echoing in the small room. “Why do you always toy with me like this!?”

Yuuki tries to push herself off of the glass, but the combined friction causes it to break. The shattering glass cuts into her hands and wrist, as they fall into the sink and onto the floor. She winces in pain, “Ah! Kanato-san wait… the glass…”

“You think that will stop me? I get to decide when your blood is taken!” Kanato says moving to a crouching position and lifting her dress, folding it up onto her hips. “We still have an appearance to make… So I’ll have to punish you down here. All though I wouldn’t mind marking you up for all to see~ Fufu.” Kanato speaks as he caresses Yuuki’s thighs.

Yuuki knew when things got to this level, it was because Kanato was feeling insecure. He needed some affirmation of her loyalty and affections, no matter how embarrassing it was. “I’m sorry Kanato-san… I was embarrassed before…” She says softly, looking over her shoulder to see him.

Kanato pouts a little and squeezes her thigh. “There is no taking it back now… I’ll spoil you a little I suppose. My fangs will feel good for you after all.” With that he bites into the fat of her thighs. Yuuki let out a small gasp, though it wasn’t so much in pain. “Haa… it’s flowing out… and mixing inside me…” Kanato’s voice was muffled as he drank deeply. “I was so frustrated before… mmmh but now…”

Yuuki’s face was beet red as Kanato drank from her. This situation was embarrassing enough, what if someone came by this room!? However, those thoughts alone were not enough to make her protest. In fact, she felt the moment a bit more. “Ahh… Kanato-san….!” Her voice echoed slightly as she tried to keep quiet.

“Nn… No good… let your voice out more…” Kanato whined as he moved over to her other thigh. “Haah… the sweetest melody you ever make...Fufu… Is when you moan from my fangs!”

Yuuki could feel Kanato bite deeper into her, causing a rather loud moan to escape her. As he drank, she couldn’t hold back. The echoing sounds filling the small space. “Ahha! Kanato-san…!” At this point in their relationship, Yuuki couldn’t help but feel… aroused whenever Kanato drank from her. It used to be embarrassing, but now… she just couldn’t help it.

Kanato pulls away with a loud sigh, licking the blood that dripped down Yuuki’s leg. “Haha… what will people think if this blood of yours stains the floor? Fufu...” He stands up, and looks at Yuuki through the mirror. “Aah~ Look at your face now! Your expression… it always excites me.”

Yuuki looks up into the mirror as well. Her expression was one of pure ecstasy. Cheeks flushed. Short of breath. Outfit a mess. “Fufu… you are beautiful, My Doll.” Kanato says, pulling Yuuki up from her bent position. He wraps one arm around her waist, the other up to the top of her dress. “Hey… comfort me more… you’ll do it properly right?” Kanato asks, tugging at her dress.

Yuuki smiles, leaning her head back against Kanato’s shoulder. “Of course…” She says catching her breath. Yuuki could never say ‘no’ to him. Not even as he holds her very life in his hands. There had been countless nights where his squeezed at her throat or drank from her until she passed out. Still, she would always consent to his torture.

Kanato sunk his fangs deep into Yuuki’s shoulder, while his hand grab onto her chest. She let out a gasp, moving her hips back against him. “Kanato-san…” His name floated in the air, filling the small space. Again and again. It was all she could manage to say when things got like this.

“Fufu… such a naughty doll you are… Hmm” Kanato moved his other hand up the bottom of her dress. “You are trembling, Fufu~ Say my name more… so that everyone knows who you belong to.”

After those words, any restraint left the both of them. The desire to feel one another. To be lost in their own world. “Haah… Kanato-san… I love you…” Yuuki voice was soft, despite how rough things had gotten. No longer in front of the mirror, the two had moved to sitting on the toilet. Yuuki on top of Kanato, her dress pulled down, his face buried into her chest.

The vampire had his fangs buried into her plump flesh when she spoke. He released her with a small pop, blood falling down over her skin. With a pure smile, he looked up at her, resting his face still on her accented breast. “Me too… fufu~” He moves to capture her lips.

It’s a sweet, yet tender kiss. Assuring her of his affection. When he pulls away, Kanato moves his head to rest once more on her breast. “My perfect Doll…” he mumbles diving his fangs into her as he thrust into her once more.

☆+ ﾟ .+ .ﾟ.ﾟ｡ﾟ｡. +ﾟ｡ﾟ.ﾟ｡ TO BE CONTINUED ☆*｡｡ . ｡ o .｡ﾟ｡.o｡* ｡ .｡

#writing #Lunar Eclipse Masquerade #LEM

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shihalyfie · 4 years ago

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Adventure, 02, and the “secret double life”

Adventure’s concept of “Chosen Children” prophesized save-the-world heroes is hardly unique to it, and given that it ostensibly follows so many fantasy tropes, it’s easy to see it as having a textbook pattern of the “secret identity”/”secret double life” tropes, in which adventure-faring kids keep everything from their parents and society under the idea that if people found out about their adventures, they’d be kept from action or be experimented on.

But as much as it’s easy to see it that way, in fact, Adventure and 02 had a somewhat different view of the matter. Although 02 in particular, with its concept of “wake up, go to school, save the world,” probably gives off the strongest “double life” aura, in actuality, Adventure and 02 both had an underlying sentiment that the concept of keeping Digimon from one’s parents -- and, eventually, the public -- was practically impossible.

(Unless otherwise stated, translations for Adventure/02/Kizuna are from Ryuu-Rogue/PositronCannon/L Subs, respectively.)

The Hikarigaoka incident

The aftermath of the Hikarigaoka incident in 1995 (or, in other words, the Greymon and Parrotmon incident depicted in the first movie) was depicted in Adventure episode 29, in which, as it turned out, was passed off as a “terrorist bombing incident” -- and that kids like Takeru who attempted to explain the situation to their parents were dismissed for imagining things.

The Adventure novels add a bit of extra addition that there might have been some external finagling to make sure things were cleaned up, but even then, things weren’t all that clean-cut. For one, the Hikarigaoka incident was a rather short one that was cleaned up in quick order -- there was a minimal amount of destruction compared to what later events would bring (only a single localized area in terms of collateral damage, especially since Parrotmon wasn’t there to cause wanton destruction), the full brunt of the incident may not have even spanned so much of an hour, and both Digimon involved vanished almost as quickly as they came. It really is just enough that you could sweep it under the normalcy filter of wanting to throw out any supernatural explanations, especially since the kids themselves eventually succumbed to the adults’ explanations.

And yet, even despite that, Takaishi Natsuko still found the Hikarigaoka incident a topic of interest to the point she started doing independent research on it -- especially when a certain incident four years later pushed things far beyond the range of plausible deniability. The novels make this pretty explicit:

Among her normal jobs, a side project that she was working on involved investigating the “Hikarigaoka terrorist bombing incident” four years ago. It was an incident that occured in the very place where they had lived. Not only did it capture her interest, but as she kept investigating it, she found many aspects about it that weren’t acceptable explanations to her. It still wasn’t enough information for her to put into an article or a book, but someone, somehow, had managed to find out that she was working on it and had contacted her wanting to talk. But when the time of their appointment came, the man she was supposed to meet didn’t appear. What was that man’s name? Oikawa? I think? Well, I’m never going to set up a meeting with him again.

So in other words, the fact that she had spotted a rat was somewhat public enough for someone to figure out that she was on the case. Not to mention that said someone had also spotted a rat -- someone who was not possessed by any Digimon vampires at this point, and was merely just an enthusiast trying to reconnect with a mysterious phenomenon from his childhood and dealing with grief for his recently deceased friend. It probably would not have been long before the truth would have been fully spilled even by itself -- but later events that would confirm everyone’s suspicious pretty firmly were already on the horizon.

Menoa Bellucci and the advent of Chosen Children

In a bit of “hidden” Adventure lore, the number of Chosen Children thus started to double every year -- something cited by Two-and-a-Half Year Break (Koushirou’s track) and confirmed by directorial statement. (Kizuna’s To Sora is consistent with this principle, and the 02 epilogue being set in 2027-2028 also tracks with the global population being partnered to Digimon with that precise number.) Either way, Adventure episode 53 confirmed that the eight “Tokyo Chosen Children” from 1999 (or, in other words, the Adventure main cast and their partners) were hardly isolated singularities -- there was a group of Chosen Children before them that placed an incomplete seal on Apocalymon prior, and, according to the Adventure novels, four of their partners evolved over a long period of time to become the Holy Beasts. The fact that there had to be at least four gives only a very narrow period of time said Chosen could be from, most likely between 1997 (4 Chosen) to early 1999 (16 Chosen), with the very short real-world time in between likely correlating to enough time in the Digital World for their names to be lost to their history.

(Note that Oikawa Yukio doesn’t count here; although he and Hiroki made contact with the Digital World through video games in the 80s, there is no indication that Oikawa was fundamentally partnered to Pipimon at this time, in the same way that it was only after the Tokyo Chosen Children witnessed the Hikarigaoka incident that “the one who wishes for stability” -- Homeostasis -- came up with the idea for creating a system to tie Digimon evolution to human partners.)

Kizuna confirms it further by introducing Menoa Bellucci, who says that she met Morphomon (and, presumably, did become a Chosen Child) at the age of nine, meaning presumably 1997 -- making her one of the small handful of people who became Chosen Children before the Tokyo eight.

The little snippets we get of Menoa and Morphomon’s life are interesting, but also telling. For one, their life together is depicted through a bunch of photos with both of them there, through events such as birthdays and travel...and given that someone had to have taken all of those photos, this means that it is extremely likely Menoa’s parents were fully aware of Morphomon’s presence and existence as her partner. In other words, Morphomon was not a secret to them in the first place.

Another interesting thing here is that it’s never said that Menoa went on any incredible world-saving adventure during her time with Morphomon, so it’s ambiguous whether she did or not. It’s entirely possible that she did but doesn’t want to bring it up to Taichi and the others because of how much baggage would be associated with it compared to, well, the rest of her early childhood life with Morphomon; given the time dilation that was in play prior to 1999, it’s very likely any adventure she could have gone on would have been lost to Digital World history. (That said, given that Morphomon doesn’t seem to have any ties to Holy Beast lines, a group of 4+ Chosen distinct from her and the other Tokyo Chosen Children by necessity would have to be from 1998 or early 1999.) She does, at the very least, seem to have evolved Morphomon at least once, given that she cites “loss of the ability to evolve” as part of the process of partnership dissolution when explaining it to the others (and it’s implied very heavily she only has her own personal experience to work with). But if Menoa’s parents were sufficiently supportive, it’s possible they might have had no problem with Menoa having a large and very cute butterfly friend -- especially if Menoa didn’t go on some grand adventure and wasn’t even in danger anyway.

We also learn a bit more about the Yagami siblings in Adventure episode 21, which takes place on August 1, 1999, and that Hikari has been witnessing the increased Digimon contact with the human world (part of a long, ongoing process of the Digital World slowly coming into more concrete contact with the human world) for quite a while now, but because it isn’t very “clear” contact yet, she’s the only one who can see them. She’s been trying to tell people for a long time, but nobody believed her -- and that’s the only reason she kept quiet about it.

There’s also another interesting line in this episode, when Taichi considers never returning to the Digital World and staying home with Koromon -- it seems that he intends to be straightforward with Koromon’s presence and not hide him from his parents! At worst, he simply thinks his mom might think Koromon to be a nuisance -- but not something he has to entirely keep a secret, meaning he also trusts his parents to be open-minded about a weird pink talking creature.

The Odaiba fog incident

The “Odaiba fog” incident refers to the events of August 3, 1999, spanning Adventure episodes 35 to 54, when Vamdemon covered Odaiba in fog and launched a bunch of mass kidnappings in the search for the eighth Tokyo Chosen Child, put a large amount of adults to sleep, was defeated by the Chosen Children, and eventually was followed by a projection of the Digital World in the sky, resulting in the surrounding witnesses observing the eight Tokyo Chosen Children and their partners rising into the sky, returning to the Digital World, and defeating the Dark Masters and Apocalymon.

Unlike the Hikarigaoka incident, this was not something that could be easily ignored. People in Odaiba saw, in vivid daylight, a bunch of strange monsters kidnapping them and stuffing them in Tokyo Big Sight. The Digital World appearing in the sky, Digimon falling out of them, and freezing anything they touched happened all over the world. Ultimately, this was not the kind of thing you could just sweep under the rug!

Daisuke, Iori, and Michael recount their experiences with this in 02 episode 14, and Spring 2003 and the Adventure novels depict this as a formative experience for Daisuke wanting to become someone strong enough to protect others. The kids’ parents in Tokyo saw their kids fighting in the sky (in fact, it’s likely everyone did, but only the parents were aware of the actual identities of the kids up there, considering it wasn’t like the sky gives you much of a close-up view). And, of course, we had our “intrepid reporter” Ishida Hiroaki, who was insistent on covering these incidents in Adventure episode 35 before he even knew his sons were involved, and Takaishi Natsuko, who, as per 02 episode 38, ended up tacking this on her list of Digimon incidents to investigate.

So by the conclusion of this incident, it is pretty safe to say the populace knows that Digimon are a thing. Of course, they still haven’t made sense of all of it, and everyone (including Hiroaki and Natsuko themselves) is missing some key details, but the fact that these monsters are A Thing That Exist is hardly a secret. In fact, this is made pretty explicit in 02 episode 39:

The governments of every country most certainly did not just see that whole incident and decide “well, that’s nothing to worry about” -- they immediately went ahead and started doing military research on the Digimon! But Gennai and his fellow Agents figured out pretty quickly that very bad things would happen if the Digimon became public knowledge and government militaries started exploiting them, so they secretly wiped away data regarding Digimon in order to hide their existence.

Note that this does not mean they wiped everyone’s memories -- they’re not that all-powerful -- but merely made it so that anytime anyone tried to do organized research on Digimon, poof! -- the info would just magically vanish. Of course, that doesn’t stop pen-and-paper work, and, again, it also did not stop reporters like Takaishi Natsuko or Ishida Hiroaki from doing investigations into everything from a journalistic perspective, nor humanities scholars like Takenouchi Haruhiko or Kido Shuu from taking an interest in Digimon. And, of course, it’s not like you can just wipe human memory that saw all of that happening! But it sure does put a major slowdown on attempted organized research of Digimon to the extent of being easily able to do the kinds of things Gennai and the Agents feared, because it makes it significantly harder to exchange info or collect anything.

Which of course leads to...

The events of 02

The Tokyo Chosen Children got a “break” of sorts after the events of Adventure, and for the most part they didn’t have to think too hard about how to deal with their Digimon in regards to society, especially since they were separated from them. Then, in April 2002, Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori get their partners, and they, Takeru, and Hikari become lucky enough to be able to bring their partners back and forth between the real world and Digital World. With their partners small enough to be passed off as plushes, and no Digimon battles taking place in the real world at this time, the kids choose to keep their Digimon activities a secret from their parents.

At this point, it should be pointed out that this was not actually strictly necessary in terms of keeping the Digimon from society -- especially on the part of the Adventure kids, whose parents already know they exist and certainly have not forgotten! In fact, this is made into a prominent scene in 02 episode 18, when Koushirou’s mother is surprised Tentomon is not there (even though there’s no indication a conflict is going on at the time), in contrast to Koushirou having just been worried about opening a gate in her presence.

In fact, Kizuna adds an important detail by showing us a newspaper clip from around 2002 (when Menoa was accepted into university), indicating that apparently the concept of a “Digimon partner” was well-recognized enough that Morphomon was openly in the newspaper clipping, accompanied by a caption identifying her as Menoa’s Digimon partner. (Kizuna having so much attention to detail with background lore that it even complies with the doubling-every-year principle, it’s not something you can easily pass off as a writer mistake.) Doing the math, 16 Chosen Children in 1999 means around 128 by 2002 (which also tracks with the approximate amount we see around the world in 02 episodes 40-42 and 50). That’s still a drop in the pond in terms of how much the global population truly understands this, but considering that there were reporters like Takaishi Natsuko and Ishida Hiroaki already on the case, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that the press and informational publications would have an idea.

So why did the kids still try so hard to keep the Digimon from their parents and society? A lot of it has to do with the way the kids make their plan to infiltrate the Kaiser’s base in 02 episode 18.

Prior to this point in the series, their fight in the Digital World had been an after-school affair, one that they were capable of hiding instead of having the truth presented up-front to their parents, whether they liked it or not. Starting in April 2002, the kids voluntarily chose to enter a territory war after school. Think about how they’d have to explain this to their parents -- “oh yeah, by the way, I befriended a mysterious monster and will now be going to another world after school to fight a territory war with even bigger monsters on a near-weekly basis” -- of course, most parents would start being obstructive and immediately put an end to that, and there would be so much they’d have to explain to them. In fact, the way the kids parade their Digimon around and try to use the “plushes” excuse instead of really making any decent attempts to hide them indicates they’re not really trying that hard to maintain a facade, just enough to not get awkward questions and people intervening with their actions. After all, if even incidents like the ones in 02 episode 9 can be safely passed off as “being over late at a friend’s place,” why not use that excuse?

So when they first start a real trip into the Digital World that may span multiple days (with Miyako being visibly out of place with this, a sharp contrast to her seniors being used to the idea of being “trapped” there for days on end), Iori says very explicitly that he doesn’t want to worry his family, and the discussion immediately shifts to how they’ll keep this from their families. Interestingly, when Daisuke suggests just lying about it, Hikari scolds him for doing so -- implying that it’s not like she (or the others) is even comfortable with that kind of lie, hence why they ultimately resort to having the seniors stage a camping trip so that the lie can at least be a bit less far-fetched.

But the fact that they can do this in the first place ultimately ends up being a luxury, because they can get away with this as long as the conflict is still in the Digital World. Eventually, we arrive at...

The Christmas 2002 incident

A lot happened on Christmas 2002, especially given the timezone stretch and the number of episodes it spanned, but this effectively sparked the point of no return where Digimon incidents were unavoidable and staring everyone in the face -- especially since it spanned multiple days. Dark Towers started appearing all over the world, wandering Digimon started appearing everywhere, Chosen Children around the world mobilized to round them back into the Digital World, Demon and his army invaded Tokyo, Oikawa kidnapped a large number of children, and eventually the battle with BelialVamdemon on New Year’s Eve ended up bleeding into the real world, with Chosen Children appearing en masse to help them defeat him.

During the course of the international Chosen arc, we do see that quite a few other kids have been hiding their Digimon from their parents -- indeed, not everyone is like Menoa, and especially if they’ve been involved in dangerous incidents or are very small children! Even Mimi tries to hide her involvement from her parents in 02 episode 10, despite them already knowing about the Digimon from the Odaiba fog incident, because -- as they say in the episode -- moving to the US was partially motivated by them wanting to get away from all of this, so, naturally, they’d prefer Mimi have nothing to do with it. But Takeru is comfortable enough to call his grandfather in to help, presumably deciding that he was trustworthy enough about it.

And, indeed, the first major break we see in the facade with the core cast’s parents is with Takeru’s mother Natsuko, who correctly deduces that something is going on and confronts Takeru about it -- to which he immediately does not attempt to cover up or deny, and admits without hesitation. Natsuko, in turn, decides to accept it without grilling him too much, deciding that she’ll trust in Takeru to handle this (presumably, especially after seeing him handle quite a lot even at the young age of eight). At the end of 02 episode 45, Ken -- whose parents have seen so many horrors going on with him that the explanation of him engaging in dangerous monster battles would be more of a comfort to them, because at least they’d be aware of what’s going on -- ultimately chooses to confide in his parents, leading to them and the rest of the Adventure kids’ parents actively choosing to support their kids in their fight over the course of episodes 46-48. Naturally, as much as they’d probably rather their kids not get engaged in dangerous things, they understand what this is and that it’s important, and at the very least want to support them as much as they can -- Koushirou’s mother laments in 02 episode 48 that she wishes she could do more besides just bring food!

02 episode 46 has a moment where Oikawa and Archnemon watch a TV program with people trying (very badly) to blame the recent incidents on a mass delusion -- the TV show itself is portrayed as a sort of trash gossip kind of special -- and Oikawa provides an explanation for the impasse of acknowledgment where people seem to be increasingly aware of Digimon but also not quite aware: things are undeniably happening, but people still aren’t quite ready to accept an explanation that borders on the supernatural. The entire concept of Digimon is a massive shake to the status quo, after all, so while certain investigative and curious people like Natsuko or Haruhiko are naturally more open-minded, and many parents are likely to pay closer attention when kids are involved, only slightly over a hundred Chosen Children (many of whom are still erring on the side of keeping it a secret) and a few reporters aren’t enough to really help people understand...

...but all things considered, it seems to be enough that the Chosen are now functionally giving up on hiding it at all!

By the time of episode 50, the situation has now escalated to the point where any member of the families of the Tokyo Chosen Children who wasn’t already aware of what was going on is now definitely aware, as they await their children’s return from the Digital World. Considering that Jun was already witnessing the return of dangerous things as early as 02 episode 38, and Iori’s grandfather Chikara discovers Armadimon’s existence in episode 47, it becomes rather important to point out that Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori failed to hide their partners’ existence and involvement in Digimon battles for any longer than eight months (April to December 2002). That is how flimsy the facade was. Again, they weren’t even doing that spectacular a job keeping their partners under wraps, Chikara discovered Armadimon by sheer accident just from Armadimon being too big and being unable to control his hunger, and, ultimately, it really is pretty hard to conceal the existence of a living creature constantly accompanying you everywhere.

The aftermath of 02

Well, firstly, there were definitely other things that happened right after the events of 02 that would be pretty hard for people to deny. For instance:

The Internet being the Internet, the incident in Our War Game! could have potentially been passed off as some kind of graphics stunt. But the 2003 Diablomon/Armagemon incident? Nah. People saw that one, and even actively participated in that one! In real life!

With that, as much as Oikawa claims that people are too stubborn to accept changes to the status quo and thus accept Digimon, ultimately, Spring 2003 makes it clear that the Christmas 2002 incident made enough of a fuss that the involved parties all got put on the spot by the public and media. This got to the point where the kids had a risk of their privacy being invaded, and had to be covered by their parents.

My mother, who followed the Hikarigaoka incident as a non-fiction writer, along with Sora-san’s father, are known today as “Digimon critics.” Although the two weren’t sure whether they appreciated their new titles or not, they accepted it and went from investigators to people who were most sought after... ...Thanks to [Hiroaki], we were saved from publicity. It’s sort of like… we’d like to keep our identities and the Digimon a secret. I don’t mean forever, when I say that, but the relationship between us and our partner Digimon is unique and other people probably wouldn’t understand that. For example, we can’t have people thinking that Digimon are slightly strange pets. If they do, then they won’t take us seriously either, and of course, the Digimon wouldn’t like that perception themselves. That’s why, until we get the general public to acknowledge Digimon and the Digital World for what they really are, we’d like to lay low. But in order for that to happen, someone must go out there to explain about the Digimon to others. It was both my mother and Sora-san’s father who accepted that role wholeheartedly. We told the two everything we knew, and they spoke for us to the TV, newspapers, and magazines.

Being people directly connected to the children and understanding of their position, but also in media and publicity positions, Natsuko, Hiroaki, and Haruhiko took on the jobs of advocating for Digimon and explaining their part to the world, while also deliberately acting as go-betweens so that the kids could maintain their privacy. But nevertheless, at this point, the incident in 2002 was such a major thing that it basically was a turning point for people realizing that Digimon exist and are a major presence, and starting to grill informed parties about the details (and, technically, getting those details from the kids themselves, speaking through said media outlets). Hikari also starts working on a “surprisingly useful” informational video for new Chosen Children confused about having a partner -- encouraging them to contact them for help -- and it is also revealed that Shuu, Miyako’s sisters, and Jun had all just gotten partners, meaning that the issue was now starting to become significantly more relevant to their families.

Kizuna also drops an interesting detail about what happened right after 02, or, rather, right after 2002:

The articles describing Menoa’s Digimon research team have titles that indicate that this is one of the first major Digmon scientific research efforts in the world, indicating that, shortly after Menoa’s admission into university and establishing herself there, she began to open up the field of Digimon academic research (her declared major beforehand had been “biology”, presumably the closest she could get to studying Digimon when such a topic didn’t formally exist yet). This is significant because it means that Gennai and the Agents had finally dropped the embargo on Digimon organized research, since it presumably would have been bad for Menoa’s data to vanish without warning -- and, indeed, it makes sense that they would allow for Menoa’s research team to proceed, since Menoa is a Chosen Child herself who has a vested interest in studying Digimon for the greater good and advocating for them in the same way Haruhiko is.

It also provides potential context as to why Menoa may not have been involved much in Digimon fighting and battles in the past but was chosen as a Chosen Child anyway -- Koushirou describes the definition of a “Chosen Child” as such in Two-and-a-Half Year Break:

Having a partner Digimon isn’t really that special. Being a “Chosen Child” means… to cease the hostilities that break out and inconvenience the Digital World. In order to do so, that child gains a partner Digimon faster than another.

While it’s not necessarily in terms of aggressive fighting, a bright and intelligent child like Menoa being chosen to “fight” in the sense of using her intellect to study more about Digimon and help advocate for them seems like a fitting way to fulfill this role in her own way. But, alas, as Gennai and Homeostasis and the Holy Beasts couldn’t necessarily predict what happened to Ichijouji Ken and his fall into becoming the Kaiser, they didn’t seem to be able to predict Menoa’s unfortunate fate and downfall...

Kizuna and 2010

Again, To Sora citing the number of Digimon partners to be over 30,000 by 2010 correctly tracks with the “doubling every year” principle, so it’s probably prudent to assume it’s still been applying over the years. 30,000 is certainly a lot, but it’s not exactly a huge chunk of the global population -- especially since said 30,000 are spread out all over the world, and it’s hard to say how many of them would even live in Japan, let alone Tokyo. It’s a big enough number that Koushirou and Miyako now need to maintain a whole network of Chosen Children (Hikari’s video presumably helped with that), but there are still a lot of unknowns, like the still uncharted territory of the partnership dissolution phenomenon.

Nevertheless, what we see in Kizuna is what you’d probably expect from a society that has now had eight more years to properly digest the existence of Digimon and Digimon incidents. This is most starkly demonstrated in the opening, when a waitress comes by to berate Agumon and Gabumon for making too much noise -- and that’s it, with no weirdness or being taken aback by their presence or existence, just telling them to calm down. The characters in the movie carry around and parade their Digimon quite openly in almost all walks of life, and others interact with them in a very normal manner. One of the credits scenes even shows Daisuke’s higher-up at vocational school being more annoyed at Daisuke’s fight with V-mon than he is at the fact V-mon is there. A newspaper article from early in the movie also correctly identifies Parrotmon and Greymon as Digimon (even if not their specific species), and it is merely treated as an incident rather than paying any particular attention to the fact that Digimon exist. The drama CD also indicates that Daisuke and co. are at the point of sneaking their Digimon into a karaoke bar because said bar has enough awareness of Digimon to charge them admissions fees!

There’s another interesting minor detail in that Palmon, Tailmon, and Patamon are depicted on digital cameras without any static interference. In Adventure and 02, it was impossible to catch them on digital camera in the real world, because, as per Adventure episode 39 and 02 episode 33 (among others), trying to do so would cause nasty static interference and ruin the attempted photo/recording. (This is presumably why Menoa’s photos with Morphomon seem to be film photos.) But for a society where the presence of Digimon is becoming more and more expected, and digital cameras are naturally becoming more commonplace, it would be very bad if this continued to be a problem -- so it makes sense that, by 2010, technological research would have figured out a way around that.

Obviously, not everyone has a Digimon yet, and it’s not like everything in the world has accounted for the assumption people will be walking around with partners -- after all, Taichi’s thesis still involves having to help advocate for Digimon partners and the fact that many people are still skeptical about them. But nevertheless, people are not surprised or perturbed by them anymore, and when something does happen with them, they’re relatively accepting of them. Again, 30,000+ is not exactly a lot to the extent that the entire population has a partner, but with the doubling-every-year principle in play, it seems like society is already well on its way to adjusting to their increasing presence and the eventual point in 2027-2028 when everyone will be expected to have one.

#digimon #digimon adventure #digimon adventure 02 #digimon adventure last evolution kizuna #kizuna spoilers #shihameta

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hopekiedokie · 4 years ago

Text

The Dreaded First Day of School (single dad!jimin)

SUMMARY: On his son’s first day of school, we learn that the badass, leather jacket wearer, and tattoo clad single dad might not be so tough after all. Or maybe, his soft little son isn’t as pure as he ought to be. (In short, Jimin’s baby is growing up and he’s not prepared for it.)

GENRE: fluff, humour, maybe angst if you squint hard enough

WORD COUNT: 1.6k

NOTES: So Jimin isn’t supposed to be a mean or awful dad here. He’s just still not totally equipped to be one even after five years now. This might become a mini series with Ms. Y/n being Haneul’s teacher in the future. Who knows? Also, the photo is not mine.

POSTED ON: 26th March, 2021

What the actual heck is this??

Jimin has seen a lot of crazy things in his life but this, whatever is happening in front of him, is something he truly cannot believe.

You see, today is his son's, Haneul, dreaded™ first day of school.

The kid was up until 3 in the morning, crying his eyes out. He kept begging Jimin to not let him go, saying things like “I’ve been a good boy.” or “I don’t know those people.” or “Please, daddy, I don’t want to go!”

Half of the time, Jimin didn’t even understand what he was saying because he was crying so much.

The worst part is that Jimin had half the mind to give in to all these excuses and to just let Haneul attend school next year.

Contrary to popular belief though, he’s not entirely an awful example of what a father should be. In general, yes, he’s done a lot of questionable things. But in particular, as a father, he does like allowing his son to eat whatever junk food he wants, watch whatever is on the tv, or letting him up way past his bedtime (as late as 4am).

BUT he still has a smidge of decency left in his being and he actually wants his son to grow up decent.

(Which for the most part, is going along fine since Haneul is probably one of the sweetest and softest kids he’s ever seen. How though? Jimin has no idea.)

So with tired eyes and barely 4 hours of sleep, he dragged his son to school.

Even during the drive, Haneul was still adamant about skipping school and all the while, he kept using his cute crying voice that ALWAYS turns Jimin into mush.

Not this time though.

“It’s gonna be okay. You’ll meet a lot of friends and you’ll play with them! It’s gonna be fun, I promise.” This is one of the many things he said to lift his son’s spirits up.

All his efforts are still not enough to pacify Haneul as the tiny boy kept throwing a tantrum. Jimin even had to carry him after getting out of the car and during the entire walk to the school gymnasium where the assembly is, Haneul held his arms tightly around his neck.

To be completely honest, Jimin thought that it would be embarrassing but actually, he found the entire thing quite endearing.

Maybe it’s the narcissistic prick inside him that’s talking but seeing and hearing his son say that he’d rather spend time with him makes him feel like perhaps he’s not so bad of a dad after all.

Which brings us to the present.

To reiterate, Jimin cannot believe what’s happening.

One moment, his son is clinging to him for his dear life, then in an instant, he watched him grow up right in front of him.

In the worst way possible.

Not to be dramatic, but it was like watching his entire life slip away from his grasp.

The beginning of the end started when Jimin pointed to these three boys and insisted Haneul to introduce himself.

Boy, oh boy, oh boy, BIG mistake on his behalf!

He probably should’ve pushed his son to the “nerdier” looking kids. That would’ve helped him in the long run, as well!

At first, he watched in awe from a far as Haneul progressively turned less tense and more comfortable with those boys. They started with cute small smiles but it quickly turned into wildly animated gestures while comparing their Paw Patrol themed trolley backpacks.

“That’s my boy! Already making friends and it’s only been 5 minutes.” Jimin proudly thought to himself.

Okay, maybe Haneul is going to be fine. All that crying thinking Jimin did the entire night was for nothing! His cute soft son can totally do this.

Now, Jimin’s life altering moment comes. The time to actually say goodbye is here.

A teacher announces that they’re taking the kids to their respective classrooms and even if they cry or make a huge fit about it, the parents or guardians should stay where they are. They should refrain from “babying” their child.

Alright, now’s the time for Haneul to cry again! There’s no way he doesn’t cry even just a tiny bit…....Right?

Jimin makes eye contact with Haneul and, without any second thoughts, proudly mouths “I love you” while pointing to him.

Normally, Haneul is quick to return the gesture. Heck, he even goes as far as drawing a huge heart with his tiny pointer fingers!

But today, he doesn’t do that. No no no no no!

Instead, Haneul discreetly looks around him to check if anyone is watching him then……….

He shakes his head towards his father then faces back to his new friends.

Gasp! What is this???

Jimin has never felt so betrayed in his entire life! Not to mention, by his OWN son too.

This irks him so much.

So much so that he stands and gets close to his son, opposing the teacher’s instruction of letting their kids be.

Bitch, no. He’s getting his “I love you” from his son no matter what.

As he walks towards Haneul, it’s apparent that the kid had somehow done a complete 180 from his mood 10 minutes ago.

How can this be? How is he suddenly so cold towards his own man?

When he finally gets to Haneul, he literally, no joke, had to call his name 4 times to get his attention. The actual audacity of this kid!

“Hey, Haneul. Daddy’s gotta go!” Jimin says with his world famous “no eyes” smile.

Haneul’s face drops.

Bingo!

This kid is about to get a huge reality check or so Jimin thinks he is.

He’s waiting for any signs of despair, a sniff or maybe some glassy eyes but nothing happens.

Come on, where are the water works?? Where are all the hugs and kisses???

Haneul is like (・-・) to Jimin.

O-okay…….

“...”

Nothing???

“There’s a lot of scary strangers here……”

Okay, so that was really mean for Jimin to say bUT HE ONLY WANTS TO SQUEEZE EVEN JUST A DROP OF AFFECTION FROM HIM. Sue him!

Haneul finally opens his mouth.

Jimin quietly anticipates his son to return to his warm and loving self that he still doesn’t quite know where he gets from...

“So what, daddy? I’m a big boy! I don’t need you.”

(´⊙ω⊙`)?！

Uhm exCusE mE, but W H A T??

Needless to say, that statement hurt Jimin like a buttcheek on a stick.

However, he’s not gonna break away from his badass persona in front of all these people, especially around these little shits that they call “children”. He has an ✨𝓪𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓬✨ that he strictly abides to, people!

And frankly, he’s not gonna let his son walk all over him.

So without any word, Jimin leans down to give Haneul a kiss. If he’s not gonna receive any affection through words then fine! He’s gonna get it through a different way.

Jimin’s lips are almost in contact with Haneul’s plush cheeks. They are literally a hair away that Jimin can feel the heat emitting from it but all at once, that heat is gone.

You know why?

Because Haneul is quick to do that matrix shit where he bends his back to avoid his father’s lips.

Then he saunters away, leaving Jimin hanging.

(๑´⊙ ₃ ⊙`๑)

Jimin calls him a couple times but again, he did not look back.

S I G H

Alright, then. He doesn’t normally raise his voice towards his son (nor disciplines him tbh) but oh boy, oh boy! This kid is practically asking for it.

He doesn’t give a fuck if he’s five, no son of his is gonna be allowed to treat him like that!

“HANEUL! GET BACK HERE. NOW!”

Well, that got him looking back towards his father.

Jimin points in front of him to which Haneul begrudgingly complies after taking a peek from his new found friends.

Haneul hears the other boys snicker behind him as he trudges towards his slightly pissed father.

When he’s standing right where his father wants him, Jimin leans his cheek down again for him to kiss.

Now, the other boys are blatantly laughing at him.

Maaaaaaaan. He can’t be a laughing stock on his first day of school! He needs to be as cool as his daddy!

As Haneul contemplates his life choices, Jimin patiently waits for his kiss. There’s no way Haneul is gonna reject him for the third time in a row within a span of two minutes!

Within a few seconds, he feels Haneul’s lidol babie hand against his cheek.

O M G

How 😭 cute 😭 is 😭 this 😭 ??

This has got to be one the softest moments they have shared together. AND it’s in front of all these people!

Take that Namjoon hyung for saying I can’t be a gentle and tender loving father!

Jimin is about to place a hand over Haneul’s small one to caress it but then Haneul pushes his face away.

“Just go, daddy!”

Before Jimin is able to process what just transpired, Haneul is already strutting towards the other kids, feeling like a king or a boss for bitch-slapping his own father.

This little fUqer!!!

Who does he think he is to act like this towards Jimin iN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE??

This is what happens when he lets his son spend too much alone time with his Uncle Jungkook and Uncle Taehyung.

But to be fair, Haneul is still Jimin’s son at the end of the day so…..like, maybe he shouldn’t be too surprised??

Yet, still, he truly cannot believe it.

All it took was 5 minutes and a rowdy set of friends, then his kid has grown up.

He apparently “doesn’t need him” anymore, according to the kid.

To think that Jimin got up early to make him those cute bento boxes. He even specifically made them look like various pokemons that Haneul fancies!

Wow. Just. WOW.

Excuse him, but he’s just gonna get in his car and crank up “Slipping Through My Fingers” by ABBA while he ugly sobs.

#bangtan #bts #bts scenarios #jimin #park jimin #jimin x reader #bts x reader #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts imagine #bts humor #bts au #bts drabble #jimin drabble #jimin fanfic #jimin fluff

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missturtleduck · 4 years ago

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The Girls of Ba Sing Se - (Sokka x f!Reader) Pt. 3

Part Two│Part Four

“The road to Ba Sing Se would be long, but at least she had the sky.”

TW: Mentions of blood

Dressing in some less formal attire, flowing pants and a comfortable top, Y/N was finally clean of Avatar soup. She shuddered, bundling her clothes into the wash basket at the end of her bed. The night sky was calmer than the evening meal had been, the serene blanket of starlight seemingly wrong compared to the chaos that had ensued. It was pleasant, at least, to be bathed in moonlight, looking up at a million tiny lights.

Serenity came crashing down as Kuai leapt up, front paws on the window. He barked with a vicious disposition, startling Y/N; Kuai was nothing but a dopey, kind dog. Following the menacing gaze of the dog outside of the slobbered-on window, she felt her eyes widen. Without slipping on her shoes, nor pinning her hair, Y/N stumbled out of her room, grasping her bō staff as she flew down the corridor, Kuai on her heels.

A half-asleep guard sat at the doorway of the house; she tapped him hard enough to startle him. “Alert the guards and Master Yu. Mistress Toph and the Avatar are in grave danger.”

Before he could respond, Y/N was already sprinting out of the doorway, the grass cold against her bare feet. Two metal cages, each containing one child, and a myriad of earthbending wrestlers stood in her way. She planted herself on the spot, rooted as unmoving as any earthbending master.

“How uncouth,” Y/N scoffed, raising her staff. “Kidnapping children? Over a money dispute? Utterly pitiful.”

“Y/N!” Toph exclaimed, grabbing at the metal bars on the cage to pull herself into view; she was okay.

Xin Fu, host of Earth Rumble V, opened his mouth to speak, but his goons beat him to it. The Hippo charged Y/N, with little consideration to the environment around them. Rather than immediately knocking her out with earthbending, he went for brute force. Interesting, she thought, as she countered his charge with swiftly placed jabs of her bō. He was massive, far bigger than her, so all she could do was counter and counter again, waiting for the right moment of weakness to strike. She furrowed her brows as he brought rocks to his mouth and began chewing, but when they began to spray like shrapnel she reacted, shielding herself with her staff.

A single rock deflected, knocking him on the head. The Hippo, despite his size and strength, looked like a child for a moment, eyes watering as he had been outsmarted. Y/N grinned, and then instantly regretted grinning; his entire face flushed a vengeful red and he charged her once more. A quick slide to the ground and she was behind him, leaping onto his back and pulling her staff tight over his throat. Face scrunched up with effort, Y/N needed only a few moments more to incapacitate him. But he was quicker.

Dirt did not taste great, Y/N realised, as the Hippo flipped her face first onto the grass, freeing himself from her hold. As he moved to finish her off, Kuai stepped over her, snarling at the earthbender. Spitting blood onto the ground, she gently pulled the dog towards her, not wanting to risk his life.

“Hippo!” Xin Fu looked more annoyed than mad, as if she had been a distraction. “You idiot! Get the cages and go!”

He looked between Y/N and his boss. Mouth full of blood and arms strained in effort of keeping Kuai back, she prayed to the spirits that he decided to do as he was told, despite that meaning Toph’s life for hers.

She didn’t know when they left, not really. Kuai whined for what seemed to be hours, curled up on her bare feet, preventing any chance of catching the cold in her lungs. Pinned into the grass under her bō staff was a scroll, likely left as a ransom note. Y/N kicked herself mentally. She knew how to beat them all, but she couldn’t expose herself like that. Resigned to a weapon and the strength of her body, she needed to learn – to adapt.

“Y/N!”

Y/N turned her head to be met with Poppy, knelt down in the grass, status be damned. Tenderly, she dabbed the blood off of her mouth with a handkerchief, and she didn’t even mind the coddling. With as much respect as she could muster, Y/N moved away from the matriarch, stumbling to her feet – and putting her hand out to prevent anyone from helping her. She bowed as low as she could before her ribs ached with the effort. Her eyes didn’t leave the ground.

“Sir, I have failed you, and your household,” Y/N said, her tone solemn as she addressed Lao. “I sincerely apologise, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“Get up, Y/N, or you’ll only hurt yourself more.”

It took more effort to stop her jaw going slack than it did rising from her bow.

“Yes, sir.”

Lao looked at her, eyes sincere. “You did more for my daughter just now than any of my guards. You owe us nothing.”

Nodding, tears pricked her eyes. They were from the pain. That’s what she told herself.

“Whoever took Aang and Toph left this note,” The boy, Sokka, said, handing the scroll to Katara and the staff it was pinned under to Y/N.

“’If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena.’ It’s signed by Xin Fu and The Boulder.”

“I can’t believe it,” Sokka muttered, taking the scroll back to examine in. “I have The Boulder’s autograph!”

Dumbfounded, Y/N stared at him, having taken Poppy’s handkerchief and nursing her split lip. He had sunk to his knees in dramatic fashion, clutching the scroll to his chest. “I really hope you’re kidding.”

He smiled, suddenly quite sheepish, but nevertheless pocketing the scroll. The comic relief, Y/N realised. There had to be one in a group, though she was wondering, bemused, whether the flying lemur was the true holder of that role.

The healer of the group, Katara, approached her, bending water towards her in a tendril, almost an extension of her arm. “Keep still.”

Y/N did as she was told. There was something about Katara that let Y/N know that she wouldn’t get away with not doing as she was told. The girl, no matter how young, reminded her of her mother. Sure, the girl had skin darker than her mother’s and had blue eyes rather than the brown she also possessed, but it was her demeanour and kind face that seemed overly maternal. It was unlike Poppy, who was too much of a lady to also act as a mother to Toph, only having moments of motherly love, but something new that she hadn’t experienced since her mother sent her away to be with the Beifongs three years ago.

The water from the pouch hooked on the side of her hip was brought up to her mouth in a bubble. It was soothing, distracting from the bizarre sensation of her lip healing, the wound closing, scabbing over, and disappearing as if it had never happened. Pulling away, the water no longer glowed with the soft blue light, but was tinged with the coppery red of her blood. Regardless, Y/N felt better than ever, not only her lip healed but the dizziness and shock of being flipped dissipating.

“Thank you,” Y/N grinned, fingers brushing tenderly over her lips, as if searching for the imaginary scar that should’ve been there if not for Katara’s healing skills. “I hope we won’t need your healing skills anytime soon.”

Her lips quirked into a gracious smile, small but still there. “Well, you’ll have me and Sokka this time- “

“Yeah!” He interjected, putting his hands on his hips and a grin on his face. “I am the best warrior from my village after all.”

Lao cleared his throat. Breaking the conversation between the teenagers. “Myself and Master Yu will also be accompanying.”

“Sir, I don’t think- “

“She is my daughter, Y/N,” Lao said, cutting her off sharply. “You cannot stop me.”

With that, the five of them set off, Y/N leaving Kuai with Poppy as they left; she would not risk the life of their dog, rather risking herself over him. The adults followed the teens to where the tournaments were taking place, reliant on Master Yu to open up the arena for them. It struck Y/N how the night now seemed far less serene, but more menacing. The dark was all consuming, the moon vanishing behind the clouds, and Y/N wished someone would spark a flame and illuminate their path.

The arena was far dingier looking than Y/N had realised when she had first ventured in there. Maybe it was just her heart pounding in her chest, so hard she could hear it in her ears, that made her so much more susceptible to her surroundings. A laugh, however, bubbled to her throat as she heard Toph inside.

“Why don’t you come up here, so I can smack that grin off your face?”

Lao leaned forward, as if to run into the ring, only stopped by Y/N’s staff. “Toph!”

“Here’s your money,” Sokka called out to the kidnappers, chucking the bag of gold onto the ground. “Now let them go.”

Master Yu, frown on his face, pushed the bag across the ground, the tremors shifting it to the middle of the arena. Xin Fu gestured vaguely, picking up the bag and immediately surveying its contents. A great groan of metal filled the tense silence as Toph’s cage was lowered from its place suspended high into the air. As she stepped out the cage, Toph made her way to them, grasping onto Y/N’s arm.

“Thank you,” She whispered, not two words that were often heard out of her mouth. “I didn’t realise my etiquette teacher could kick butt.”

Y/N felt herself grow a little soft. “No, but your friend can.”

All of the wrestlers suddenly came to their boss’ side as Y/N realised something; they weren’t letting the Avatar go. She furrowed her brows, watching as Lao tugged his daughter away. They were so ready to leave him – Aang, supposed saviour of the world. The pleading of Katara filled her ears as she watched the Beifongs leave, Toph’s hand still out as if expecting her to come with them. Yes, she was loyal to the Beifongs – to her friend – but she couldn’t just leave the Avatar to be handed over to Ozai. It was wrong.

“Toph,” She said finally, silencing everyone in the arena. “Help them.”

Lao span on his heels. “Y/N, you are overstepping now. My daughter is helpless! She is delicate- “

“Toph, please. You can help them.”

“How dare you. How dare you insult my daughter in this way. You make a mockery of her blindness, her disability- “

“Toph, help a friend.”

“She cannot help you!”

The silence that permeated the air was thick, almost choking Y/N as she stood her ground; she was the helpless one, not Toph. They had stopped walking now, and she could see Toph considering, stood silently, clutching the hand of her seething father. A beaming grin came to her face as she watched the girl rip her hand away, her face steely.

“Yes, I can.”

Moving to the middle of the ring, she brushed Y/N’s arm as she passed – a friendly gesture. Even as they all moved to assist her, to beat the baddies, Toph stopped everyone with just a move of her hands and a few words. Finally, Y/N thought. Finally, her father would see the power she possessed. Toph Beifong was more than a doll, more than a lady of society. She was the most powerful earthbender they had ever seen.

In fluid motions, pillars of stone raised from the ground, sending her opponents flying. The ground bent to her will like clay; waves of rock flowed under her command, washing away the men as easily as a tide on the shore. One by one, they fell like cards, knocked over by a breeze.

“She is the greatest earthbender I have ever seen,” Master Yu gasped, echoing everyone’s thoughts.

As the arena quietened, Lao turned to Y/N. “You are no longer welcome in our home. You will have your belongings sent to your mother, but you are never to return to our home.”

Barking out an astonished laugh, Y/N stared at him. He was serious. Staff in hand, she bowed sarcastically. Not looking at him again, she walked to where Toph stood, her proud victory soured by her father. The hug the earthbender enveloped her in was so tight, almost knocking the air out of her lungs.

“Good for you,” Y/N whispered to no one but her, ruffling her hair out of its formal hairstyle.

The night sky. It all came back to that for Y/N it seemed. With only her staff and the clothes on her back, she began to walk the only way she could. The road to Ba Sing Se would be long, but at least she had the sky. From the clouds, the moon appeared in all its beauty. It seemed to bless her with its soft light, brightening the path ahead as if granting her luck on her journey. At least she had the sky and its beautiful moon.

As the winds picked up, it became more bitter. She was alone now, she reasoned with herself, as she pulled out her palm. Atop it glowed a single flame, a subdued orange illuminating her face. It granted her more warmth than her breath alone.

“Y/N!”

She extinguished the flame. Looking around, she saw no one.

“Up here!”

The moon was now blocked out by the sight of a flying bison. Astonished, Y/N’s eyes were transfixed on the sky. “Toph?”

She cackled, leaning over the side of the creature, the wind brushing her face in a way she had probably never experienced. “This is a kidnapping!”

Slowly, the creature lowered itself to the point she could leap on. Slipping backwards slightly, she nearly took a stumble, only to yanked forwards by two strong arms into an equally strong chest. Toph laughed again at the sound of the commotion, punching Y/N’s arm as she scooted backwards from Sokka.

Maybe the moon had indeed blessed her journey.

TAGLIST: @lunariasilver

#atla #sokka x reader #sokka #toph #fanfic #katara #aang #the girls of ba sing se #missturtleduck

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opbackgrounds · 4 years ago

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This might be a weird one or long but we all know Oda reuses the same plotline every. Single. Arc. (For the most part). A country falling into chaos saved by Luffy through circumstances. Yet we’re not sick of this plot, can you do a commentary on how Oda chieves this? I have some ideas myself but can’t articulate as well as you.

A couple things here: While it’s true that there are several country-wide escapades for the Straw Hats to muck about in, there are plenty of arcs with much lower stakes. For example, Little Garden, Thriller Bark, Punk Hazard, and of course the Davy Back Fight. You’ve got war arcs and arcs where the Straw Hats are the destructive force (Enies Lobby says hi) and arcs where the island they’re visiting doesn’t really change, except for a few select individuals. Some of these arcs are set ups for larger conflicts, but they’re necessary to help break up the flow of the story, variety being the spice of life and all that jazz. People don’t like the Davy Fight Back, but the story needed a place to breathe between two long, emotionally draining arcs. Same goes for Thriller Bark. You can’t go from the emotion of Water 7/Enies Lobby to the darkness of Saboady/Impel Down/Marineford without a little bit of levity in between. It’s a pacing issue, releasing tension before it can be built back up again.

(Also this is another reasons why One Piece has a much more organic power creep than some other series. Not every villain has to be stronger than the last)

Secondly, “country falling into chaos saved by Luffy through circumstances” is pretty broad as far as descriptions go. You’ve got Point A and Point Z figured out, but all that stuff in the middle is up for grabs. How the Straw Hats go about saving Skypea is pretty different than how they end up dealing with Crocodile in Alabasta. They’re different places with different characters dealing with different sorts of problems. Freedom is a major theme of the series, so it stands to reason that the crew is going to deal with a lot of characters trying to take away the freedom of others. Different arc villains do this in different ways, allowing Oda to explore his core message in a nuanced and deep way.

Thirdly, Oda’s world building is second to none, and he does a really good job making his audience care about secondary characters and the dozens of different factions that influence the plot as much as the main cast. I get more excited about post-arc chapters than I do anything else because you know Oda’s going to throw curveballs at you that you never expected.

Sometime you don’t notice that a plot line is similar to something you’ve seen before because you’re super invested in what’s going on In the present, or the settings are so different you don’t think to compare them. For example, I think there are some interesting parallels between Totoland and Thriller Bark, but their aesthetics couldn’t be any more different.

Many of One Piece’s strongest arcs draw connections not just between Luffy and the big bad. The Guest Star Party Member is just as important. I noted it in East Blue that the villains were all foils to Luffy and the crew member he was recruiting, but when you think about it it carries over into the Grand Line. You can make just as many connections and comparisons between Vivi and Crocodile as you can Luffy and Crocodile, and it’s this sort of multi focal writing that really makes it easy to care about someone you know won’t be around after their arc is over.

Lastly—and this isn’t directed at you, op—I’ve seen people complain about Luffy going around to all these islands saving the day and I’m like. What do you expect? He’s the main character, of course he’s going to do stuff. What I like about One Piece is that there’s a sense of progression. Luffy has always been working toward a goal, and though sometimes advances are slow, he is always advancing. First he had to prove he was ready for the Grand Line. Then he had to be able to fight Warlords. Then you bring in the giant, globe-spanning military might of the World Government. Then he got strong enough to challenge an Emperor’s strongest commanders, and by the time Wano is done he’ll be able to fight an Emperor (or two) and win. Luffy never feels stuck, is never retreading old ground or spinning his wheels. You know he’s going to reach his goal, it’s just a matter of getting there.

#sarc talks

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stormra · 4 years ago

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Hiya! I was wondering if you could give your headcannons on how the Matsuno brothers would react towards someone finally reciprocating the same feelings/developing a crush on them? Take your time!

❝ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

— type : headcanons

— characters : the matsuno brothers

Thank you for being my first headcanon request! I know that I’m allowed to post other works without anyone requesting them, but I felt as if it would be more rewarding to wait until someone finally did. Now I’ll let myself write headcanons, especially since I’ve finally caught up on matchups. It also took me a while to figure out how I want to format headcanons. I care too much about what my blog looks like. So, without further ado, let’s get into it! Thank you for being patient!

Osomatsu : Although he’s a huge pervert, your confession will leave him absolutely winded. He has spent his entire life begging for a partner—with you as the target he’s been dreaming of—but with this sudden opportunity placed before him, he doesn’t know what to do... and is he really cut out to date someone as awesome as you? Wishing for a partner is immensely different than actually having one. Rather than immediately accepting the confession, he’ll hesitate before quickly realizing that he shouldn’t think, deciding that acting fast is probably the better option as compared to standing and worrying. He doesn’t want to lose you, after all! He’ll jump at you with open arms as if miraculously brought to life by your smile, nuzzling the living Hell out of your head. Wow, wow! A partner! How awesome! His thoughts won’t be very profound... nor will his speech. He’s pretty puppy-like in disposition. Despite being a bit worried about the future, though, he’s elated—especially because it’s you who likes him, not some rando or Totoko. I headcanon that his “crush” on her is just his version of coping with the fact he has nothing he truly came up with on his own. So, crushing on someone gives him the same sensations related to finally having his own idenity... but that’s a thought for another post. Anyways, your confession leaves him undeniably euphoric, really. He won’t exactly tell you that he feels the same, but it’s kinda obvious in the way he begs to kiss your cheek and tell his brothers about your confession.

I’ll be real with you; he’ll definitely want to show you off and the fact that you confessed first. You best prepare yourself for that.

Karamatsu : Did you say “lots of blubbering?” “Many futile attempts to hide his obvious tears?” Like Osomatsu, Karamatsu simply cannot believe someone as elegant and as beautiful as you returns his cheesy affections. It’s no secret that he’s a very emotional, guarded man who hides the truth behind painfully obvious facades of cringy confidence and things of that nature. Upon hearing your words, he‘ll stop whatever he’s doing and stare at you as if you single handedly fought off a horde of angry people, lips agape and eyes wider than saucers with tears already forming in the corners. He did not just hear you say that! By the gods! He definitely tries to mask his joy with those obnoxiously cringy phrases he loves, calling you his muse while claiming he knew this would happen—who can resist such a man as he? Yet... when push comes to shove, that persona of his is faltering immediately as soon as you laugh or even smile at his attempt to play it cool. I can tell you that much. As his tears finally fall, overwhelmed by just how euphoric you make him feel, he’ll let you comfort him like the man-baby he is. He’s just so overwhelmed that you, the light of his life, finally feels the same about such a lowly NEET like himself! Although crying like an infant, he’ll try and confess his own feelings in an attempt to win your affection further. What a dork!

Choromatsu : Don’t expect a dramatic reaction from this guy. On the surface, he’ll manage to stifle his joy and surprise well enough to smile at you, timidly (yet effectively) expressing himself in return. Great! Romance! However, on the inside, he’s indefinitely a panicked mess, stressed and worried about what he should say and do from this point onward. Dating? Who is she? He doesn’t know her—especially anything having to do with “wooing” you. Prior to your confession, he hardly flirted with you at all! He’ll definitely crack from time to time during his own confession, stuttering every so often, incapable of looking into your eyes for any extended period of time. If you want to see his composure fall, just kiss him, hug him, or try to hold his hand. Even quicker than Karamatsu’s facade, his unbothered approach will quickly melt into that whimpering mess we’re familiar with. Once he’s true to himself, though, he might even calm down and effectively convey himself without tripping over his words. You can expect to see a very prominent reddish hue on his cheeks. It compliments him greatly!

I’d also like to mention that he’s definitely the most obvious when it comes to his crush on you. I honestly don’t make the rules; I only enforce them!

Ichimatsu : This one is a bit tricky. While it’s easy to assume he wouldn’t have much of a reaction to your confession, it’s more accurate to say that his reaction would be the most negative out of his brethren. No, he won’t shoot you down, but he won’t say yes either. He’ll instead look at you in complete disbelief, confined to silence for a moment, before uttering that he doesn’t believe you and that you’re just trying to make him look like an idiot. If I’m being realistic, you’d probably have to space your confession out over the span of two days in order to reach the best results. You need to give him some time to sit and think through the thought of dating someone. Even though he adores you and your presence a lot—more than anything else—he views himself as garbage; someone unfit for love. He never would have imagined that his tiny crush would lead to this. If you confess to him and give him a day to think, however, you’ll find that Ichimatsu really is just misunderstood and touch-starved, desperate to find the love and support he has been dreaming of. He needs someone in his life who is willing to be patient with him and his struggles. The fact you are willing to wait for his indecisiveness to pass shows just how reliable you can be for him within a relationship. He’ll return to you the next day and wordlessly embrace you, ready to try something outside of his comfort zone. As long as it’s you he’ll be dating, he doesn’t really mind!

Jyushimatsu : Yeah... you can anticipate a lot of smiles and a lot of jumping up and down with flappy arms. He’ll definitely find your confession to be the most exciting thing ever, but it’s important to remember that Jyushimatsu is very, very incapable of keeping still and expressing himself with words (due to a lame vocabulary), so it’s advised to be patient with him and read his behaviors closely. Instead of expressing his own feelings with words, he’ll excitedly lunge at you and wrap you in his strong arms, absolutely ecstatic over the fact that his crush reciprocates his feelings. Internally, his mind is one with his outward demeanor, fueled by the ideas of what the two of you can do together now that he knows you feel the same. Again, while he may not express his love with words, the way in which he actively tries to kiss your cheek is a pretty solid indicator that he feels the same. Honestly, his reaction to being confessed to isn’t too different from his typical way of expressing himself to you. Prior to your confession, he always greeted you with a huge embrace! Now that he knows you feel the same, though, expect a lot of kisses and a lot of super tight hugs. You probably won’t get a confession out of him at all; you’ll have to ask him if he truly wants to start a relationship or not. Communication is always important. Although it may be hard to communicate with someone as exitable as him, it’s very important and he’ll appreciate it immensely! Trust me.

Todomatsu : Honestly, compared to the rest of his brothers, this guy’s reaction ought to be the most casual and, dare I say it, assertive of the bunch. His siblings are all painfully starved from social interaction and proper enactments of adulthood, so it’s no surprise that they’ll react like children when finally given the opportunities they have been dreaming of for years and years. Todomatsu, however, has grown to be a more social man when posed aside his extremely toxic brothers, constantly hanging out with girl after girl and guy after guy in order to climb to the top of his sextuplet home life. It’s no surprise that he’s the most unbothered by your confession of love. Upon hearing your confession, he’ll blush a bit while placing a smirk on his cheeks, dead set on teasing the Hell out of you. Being a tease is his specialty, after all. Even if he’s a bit embarrassed on the outside, he’s ready to assert whatever dominance he can. It’s cute, honestly, but that doesn’t mean he won’t comment on your confession or crush.

“Wow, Y/N-chan has a crush on me? How sweet!”

“Finally coming around, huh? You’re so cute.”

However, deep inside, peering around his two-faced nature and desire to be the best of his brothers, he’s shocked with your confession, feeling like a pampered prince who has just touched the most lavish cushion ever crafted by man. Finally! His efforts have been noted! You can expect to receive a hug or a kiss as he admits to liking you back. While it may not be the most extravagant reaction, your upcoming relationship will make up for it. I promise!

#headcanon #headcanons #osomatsu san headcanons #ososan headcanons #osomatsu san #ososan #osomatsu san content

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wolfcha1k · 4 years ago

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"One look and I can't catch my breath Two souls into one flesh When you're not next to me I'm incomplete 'Cause I'm on fire like a thousand suns I couldn't put it out even if I wanted to These flames tonight Look into my eyes and say you want me, too Like I want you"

"All my life I've been looking for a place my parents wanted me to find, and I found it… but now? All I can think about is Eep. My best friend, my first… and only love."

Summary: Guy and Eep reflect on what has happened in the wake of these two crazy moons since their Tomorrow was challenged. There's damage that needs to be fixed and broken hearts to mend. - <3 - I used a ton of references from the movie as well as loosely traced bits, the kiss was referenced from the ending of "A New Age". I wanted to draw a proper cover for my new "chapter" for my "The Sun Was a Wayfarer" series, which is a bunch of one shots/little stand alone stories set in the same timeline despite it kinda skipping around a bunch. This one is "All I Can Think Of" as of now it takes place after "It's Our Nature" and before "A Tomorrow of Our Own", ngl, this chapter was mostly to practice writing kisses, I had some fun actually writing it. Usually I get hella embarrased lol I'm gonna paste the story beneath the picture, hope you like ~

The Sun Was a Wayfarer - Series

<Previous> Its Our Nature <next> A Tomorrow of Our Own

The moment Guy saw a chance to get away from the Pack he took it, quickly grabbing for Eep's hand to pull her down a random direction into the garden. She started in surprise before willingly following him with a trust Guy didn't feel he deserved anymore after last night. Guy didn't stop until he felt they were far enough away that nobody would find them without looking very hard, hidden behind some of the large gourds and corn.

He spun around to face her, letting out a long sigh. Guy just needed a moment to look at her, dark eyes worried and concerned as the adrenaline of what happened just a few hours ago finally seeped out of his body. Guy was covered in bruises and ached all over but it was nothing compared to the pain of when he thought he lost her forever three times in the span of just two terrifying days of his life. Somehow The End of the World felt miniscule in comparison now that Eep was his world.

His Tomorrow.

He rested his shaky hands on her shoulders, relief making him dizzy. Eep supported the sudden slumping of his weight, her green eyes wide with concern. "Guy! What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," he said, a tired smile on his face as he looked at her.

She held him up by the arms before lifting him up into hers. Eep sat down on the grass and positioned him on her lap, stroking the fringe of hair away from his face.

She could see the swollen purple bruises on his cheek and the black eye he had, his lower lip looked swollen and puffy. "You had a bad day," she sighed, cuddling him close.

"Yeah," he managed to chuckle, finding some amusement out of her words. "But it's better now that you're here…" He pressed a tired, sloppy kiss to her shoulder and rested his forehead there after. "Empathis on the better."

She just tugged him closer, as if her arms could squeeze the exhaustion and nerves right out of him. "I'm sorry," Eep suddenly said, muffling her face against his cheek. He felt moisture against his skin and the slight tremor in her arms and shoulders. "I'm really sorry."

Her warbled words cut him like a knife and he used his head to nudge her back so he could look at her. He could see the beginnings of tears on her eyelashes, gaze watery as she blinked it away stubbornly. Guy reached his hand to touch her face, feeling her recoil a bit before relaxing into his palm. He wiped his thumb under her eye, catching a tear.

He realized his own eyes felt moist all of a sudden, it'd been an emotionally charged couple of days. "It's okay, Eep. You didn't do anything wrong, I was just so stupid."

She sighed heavily, unwinding an arm from around his body so she could cover his hand with her calloused palm. Eep said nothing for several long moments, just clutched his hand like a life line.

"Eep?"

Eep finally looked at him, tearing her eyes from the random direction she'd sent her sights towards. "Yeah?"

"You're not hurt, are you?" Guy sat up a bit in her lap, cautiously letting his palms trace her broad shoulders, fingers squeezing tentatively to see if she would flinch. He knew she was good at hiding things like injuries, nursing them in private as to avoid upsetting Grug, it'd also extended to him now. She was strong but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to worry over her.

"No, I don't have a scratch on me," she assured him but Guy didn't stop checking her. Eep let him fuss though, knowing it would make him feel better if he came to the conclusion himself. His touch felt nice though, Eep realizing how starved she was for it since being separated from each other.

He touched her back, her arms, her ribs, anywhere his hands could reach in a modest way, careful in his examination. After running a hand down her leg, his eyes fell to where the prohestic was once on her pinkie toe. "I'm so, so glad you actually don't have a toe there," he sighed, knowing it was one of the most nonsensical, bizarre phrases he'd ever uttered in his seventeen years of life.

"Guess getting bit by that bearyena came in handy for once," Eep quipped, trying to lighten the mood a little.

He also was relieved she hadn't been ripped in half during the struggle, it had to be a miracle of some kind. Guy didn't voice this though, just traced his hands slowly back up her body so he could hold her waist. He missed her so much and he was quick to show her that, words failing him as he gently brushed her lips in a kiss. He let his hands slide up her back to lovingly stroke her shoulders, feeling the muscles ripple under his palms. She shivered and he shook, he pulled her closer as if to warm them both but still the trembling never stopped.

He always did love her shoulders and muscles, the clinical and practical part of him admired the strength and power there, how they could flex and be used to take down beasts twice her size. Then there was the simplicity of just being a man who loved a beautiful woman and it inspired a different kind of appreciation in him.

One that he knew Grug who absolutely skewer him alive for, his heart longing and aching as he hugged Eep. He never knew he could be so needy, it should have been pathetic as a puppy following its master for attention, never satisfied.

They'd shared an intense kiss over the raging flames but it still wasn't enough after the longest dry spell he had ever known since meeting her. After that first kiss in the ocean, he never got enough of her now. He was greedy and never was ashamed of that when it came to loving her.

He only wanted to be with her until there were no more Tomorrows that crossed the sky.

Eep quickly cupped his face in her hands and surged forward against him, her ferocity taking him by surprise. He practically squeaked when he felt the nip of her teeth on his bruised lip but somehow he couldn't care less. Just welcomed it, tilting his head and taking in the taste of her as he brushed her tongue with his. It was like fire and he was more than happy to be burned, letting Eep fly with him like the wild tiger in his stories.

He drew away a moment, just the slightest breath away as he spoke, pressing a few rapid kisses to her lips with each word. "You." Kiss. "Have." Kiss. "No idea." Kiss. Kiss. "How much I missed you," Guy finished in a rush, breathless as he lowered his head to trail a series of kisses down the column of her throat, grazing his teeth lightly on the skin of her collarbone.

There was a hitch in her breath at the affection. "Can't be more than I missed you."

He went to nuzzle her ear, placing a chase kiss on her earlobe. Eep arched into him and he clutched her tight as if she were water slipping through his fingers. "I thought I was going to die seeing you up there," Guy uttered in a strained voice. He could picture it so clearly, seeing her leaping and bounding across skeletal remains hanging precariously from old tendrils of vine. The spiny mandrilla closed on her heels and he could do nothing but watch, screaming her name out in desperation until his throat went raw. "I screwed up and almost didn't get to fix it."

Guy felt Eep nudge his head away from her so they could look at each other properly again. She just traced her thumb over his cheek, tender as she marked one of his hand print shaped bruises. "You saved me," she finally said, leaning forward to steal a kiss, smiling against his lips as they brushed, once, twice and finally a proper one that had Guy's toes curling and his head fuzzy. "I was so happy when I saw you again, Guy."

He'd been more than shocked to have seen Eep and the others arrive, riding Chunky and a pack of wolfspiders. He had practically given his last rights, resolving painfully he would never see her again, never fix what he had done to her. His first and only love, he didn't need to meet any other girls to know what he felt was real and it was more than just a beautiful teenage romance.

"You want to talk about heroics? How many people come swooping in on a tiger and take on a giant monster single handedly," Guy pressed his forehead against hers, awed by her courage and humbled by her love for him. "And here I picked a tree over you."

"It wasn't just a tree," she lightly scolded him much to his surprise. "I get it now."

Guy felt moisture collect on his eyelashes and without another thought, closed the distance between them once more. He let his hands roam, touching every part of her out of fear he would forget how warm and solid her body felt in his arms. It was almost like a dream, eyes shut tightly and listening to the soft little gasps in her breath, the way her chest heaved against his own. He hated needing to breathe when all he wanted was this, reluctantly pulling away as he felt light headed, exhilarated and breathless.

"Never again," he promised her, nuzzling his nose against hers. Eep practically purred at the loving attention, letting her palms rest on his shoulders to gently knead the tension there. He shuddered, forehead pressed into hers, knowing the gesture meant so much more than simple touch to her. "I'd rather chop off both my legs than lose you again. Please never scare me like that, I couldn't bare it."

She kissed his lips, gentle before in all her passionate nature, looped her arms around his neck and kissed him enough that Guy was convinced he'd forget his own name.

But that was okay, because she reminded him, pulling away. "Guy, I love you," she only said, beaming at him.

"Please say it again," he pleaded.

"I love you."

He felt his eyes growing glassy again and Eep kissed a tear away from below his eye, soft and tender. He smiled at her, embracing her tightly once more from his comfortable position in her lap. "I love you more," he murmured, kissing her shoulder.

"I love you more," she protested, lightly shoving him to nibble his ear, feeling his weight push into her.

"No, I said I love you more first."

"And I'm telling you I love you more right back," she purred, lifting her neck to give him better access to her jawline when he started to press an open mouth kiss there.

He felt her pulse rush under his lips like she'd ran a marathon, skin flushed as red as her hair. He couldn't help but kiss her again and again.

"You're so stubborn," he grumbled good naturedly, nuzzling her.

"Takes one to know one, babe." Eep grinned at him, stroking the nape of his neck and fiddling with his top knot.

It was just them now and feeling thrilled that he had her to himself, gently nudged her down, feeling her eyes bore into his. Guy braced his arms above her, not caring his muscles throbbed in protest. He could see the sun as it set shimmering there, burning with more than mere fire.

Her eyes were nearly amber in the low light of the evening, glinting with love. Those same eyes reminded him of the first night they met, curious and glowing as the fire flickered. He touched her face, fingers curling under her chin, taking in her flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips. It was a good look for her. She was beautiful, and no amount of sleeping suns in the sky would ever compare.

There must have been something in his expression for he saw her tremble and emotion swelled within him as he shut his eyes. He ached in more ways than just the pain from the ordeal with getting pummeled by a bunch of punch monkeys.

No more words were spoken for a long time, whoever reached for whom first he didn't care. All that mattered was now she was in his arms, heart pressed against heart and the gentle whispers of breath against lips. She arched into him and it took all his might to remember how to breathe. She palmed his shoulder suddenly with a growl, pushing him beneath her and he didn't fight her.

No one and no thing would ever separate them again, he thought as he caught her lips once more in a fluid movement.

Grug had panicked when he realized Guy and Eep had disappeared. After today, who could really blame him for it? Everyone was quick to volunteer to find them, Ugga crouching to encourage Sandy to use that skilled sense of smell of hers. The fierce little tot bounded into the fields, disappearing into the tall grass and crops.

"She's got the scent!" Gran exclaimed, hobbling after her youngest granddaughter.

Grug just worried and worried, Ugga absently massaging a kink out of his large neck. "Relax, the farm is safe. I'm sure Eep and Guy are alright, Grug."

"Still," he began with a frown. "I'd feel better knowing that with my own eyes, honey."

They'd followed Sandy through the gardens, the farther they went the more Grug fretted. It felt too long when Sandy finally paused, several large bushes and crops shielding the view. She pawed in the direction of it, turning to giggle and pounce into Ugga's awaiting arms.

"Good girl, Sandy," she praised, pressing her cheek against hers fondly.

Grug lead the way, parting the foliage. Everyone shoved about behind him and attempted to peak around him, making the caveman huff in annoyance.

The family came upon the couple hidden amongst the fields of other worldly produce, cozy together on the grass as they traded needy little kisses. Alternating between whispering, giggling and pressing a small kiss here or there, Guy and Eep were content in their bubble. Guy was curled up as content as a house cat right in her lap, Eep's arms around him in a hug. The sight would have infuriated Grug once upon a time ago but he'd seen a lot in just two days.

Things changed and so did he. His daughter deserved happiness and having seen just how broken Guy had been over her, he knew it wasn't just puppy love.

It was full grown.

"Aw," Dawn gushed as she peeked over Grug's shoulders, standing on her tiptoes. "How cute, are they always like that?"

The typical young boy that he was, Thunk made a face, his travel window lowering. "Bleh," he only said. "Again already?"

Gran snorted and leaned over to Dawn to say inconspicuously, "You have no idea, smart girl."

Belt's only response from around Dawn's torso was to make a swooning gesture, unwinding an arm to drape it over his face. Dawn chuckled when immediately after the sloth was gushing over Sash who'd leaned down to nuzzle noses with Guy's little friend. "I get the picture."

Hope folded her hands to her chest, "I can't believe we tried breaking them up… who does that?"

The words Hope said affected Grug more than he wanted to admit and guilt swelled inside him.

Ugga patted him gently on the shoulder, rousing her mate's quiet contemplation. "Well?" Ugga asked him in that soft voice of hers, gray eyes shifting back towards Guy and Eep.

"Leave them be," Grug told her and the others, shaking his head with a reserved little smile. He felt sad but there was a fatherly resolve in his heart. Eep would always be his little girl but he had to accept she had her own life to live now.

One with many Tomorrows that he knew Guy could give her, there was no doubt the young man was going to give her the world on a silver platter. The thought of her leaving was like a knife in his heart, even Guy would be a tough bone to swallow, after all, Grug had called him son. And as a father, he only wanted what was best for them, even if it meant it wasn't here with him anymore.

Gran stomped her cane on the grass. "Who are you and what have you done with our Lunkhead?"

Grug grunted, "What? I'm not allowed to have a change of heart now?"

Ugga leaned her head against his fondly. "I'm proud of you, big guy."

Grug didn't want to get emotional, feeling the moisture gather in his eyes. Phil threw an arm over his shoulders on the side Ugga didn't occupy.

"Something on your mind, bro?" His eyes were sympathetic.

He sniffled, "Nothing, really." Grug shrugged Phil's arm off and sighed.

"You can tell me," Phil encouraged, lifting a hand in an encouraging manner.

"I don't wanna."

"I'm knocking on the door, big guy. Let me in!" He persisted.

Grug side eyed him, knowing no matter what he said the lanky Betterman was going to get his way. "It's just… gonna be hard to let them go," he said, the words slightly warbled. He was a big scary caveman but he'd always been soft in the heart despite the stoney exterior.

Gran scoffed, the old matriarch beginning to hobble away. "There's our Grug now. The big baby."

Phil patted him on the back, "There, there, it'll be alright. Besides, I have a solution to your little problem."

He looked uncertain as Phil led him away from the serene couple, the rest of the family following behind. "What do you mean 'solution'?"

"Let's just say it's a wedding present for our favorite pair of lovebirds, Gruggers. You can help me get it ready, they'll take one look at it and want to stay forever." Phil then fondly nudged his friend's back. "Just please learn to use doors, Guy won't be happy if you tear a hole in their little love nest. Knocking will save you a lot of grief too."

"Love nest?" Grug echoed and for a moment the protective father that wanted to smother his daughter peeked out.

Before he could regret his decision, it was a joint effort to shove him towards the large tree on the property, hefting a sigh and pouting as Ugga just laughed.

And oblivious to the world around them, Guy and Eep stayed stuck together, joint by the heart.

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