#11 chapters until they met wow

[loftec]

Shameless DVD Commentary: None the wiser

I was tagged by a lovely anon over at @shamelessdvdcommentary to do this, thank you! Here we gooo

Which fanfic is your DVD commentary about?

The people (11 out of 20) have spoken! None the wiser

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc)

First published: 2015-09-23 (coming up on 9 years what is time??)

Last updated: 2021-12-11 (holy heck that's... shit! I'm sorry!)

Words: 218,480 and counting

Chapters: 53/68

What was the initial inspiration for your story?

A little bit of everything, mostly I'd been reading a lot of Shameless fic at the time and really wanted to write something that was both a really quite basic diner/coffee shop AU, but The Most version of it. The slowest burn, the most diner AU. I had no ambition for people to like it but I wanted it to be Known. If anyone ever asked for a diner fic, they'd HAVE to say, well, NTW is The Most diner fic we've got. If someone asked for slow burn, people would sigh and say, WELL, this one over here is the worst, but it is very slow. And also I was inspired by Before Sunrise / Before Sunset, and working in the music industry.

If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character?

I chose Mickey specifically because of the Concept, that Ian decides when the chapters start and end (with some exceptions) by going to the diner, but we're limited to Mickey's POV. Generally I think Mickey is easier for me to write, too, he's got a really strong voice and I like looking at the world (and Ian) through his eyes.

What was your favourite scene to write?

The whole banter/walk scene in chapter 44 when they leave the venue:

“Sure you and your lips can do whatever you set your heart to,” he says, “I believe in you.” Ian is silent, and when Mickey risks a glance in the direction of him and his non-trumpeting goddamned marvelous lips, Ian is looking at him like he’s some kind of unsolved mystery. ”What?” Mickey asks, frowning at him when Ian smiles. “Just a thought,” he says. ”You’ve been flirting with me since we first met, haven’t you?”

I had that whole back and forth leading up to the first kiss in my head for years before I got to finally got around to write it and I still love it.

How did you come up with the title?

It's from a song, one of the core songs I associate with this fic. My playlist now has 149 tracks on it, but the ones I consider "core songs" are None the wiser, Day After Tomorrow, Let's Dance, How I Made My Millions, Not Dark Yet, and Mosquitoes. I'm not sure I can explain why, but None The Wiser came on randomly when I was doing dishes and thinking about this fic I was writing, and the vibes just lined up in my head. Also I think it fits this version of Mickey I'm writing, who knows so much and has so much experience, but refuses to understand what's happening when Ian walks into his life.

Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice?

Oh, wow. Yeah. I always reference silly little things and I just have to hope people understand them, or tolerate them at least. I think one of my favourite bit of foreshadowing is in chapter 39 when people keep staring at Ian because they obviously recognise him, but Mickey thinks staring at Ian is a completely reasonable thing to do and is mostly just annoyed over how blatant they're being.

Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this?

I am struggling right now lol, I had meticulous notes for what I wanted to happen for every single chapter up until 45, and now half of them say "they text all day" and I'm like THANKS!!! VERY HELPFUL!! Also life and writers block etc etc.

Favourite line in the story?

This is such a hard choice, so I'll just go with this one from chapter 42:

“So,” Ian says, sitting back to sweep his arms out in a wide motion, presenting his solution. “I think we should go out for breakfast sometime.”

Because to me it pinpoints the moment when Ian breaks the format, in a way? They have met outside the diner before, but only on accident, and here Ian realises that it might be a problem that they only ever hang out at Mickey's job. But metatextually, he also highlights the narrative crux they're stuck in. I don't know, is that a boring favourite line? I have many, and I grabbed the first one I saw so I wouldn't get stuck rereading the whole fic lol. Do you have a favourite line?

Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story?

So much, it's hard to believe because there isn't too much of a plot, but so much. My planned ending is so far from what it was when I started out, which is maybe one blessing that comes from how long it's taking me to write it, I have time to rethink things. I can't really talk about it now without spoiling the actual ending, but you better believe I will expose myself once we get to it.

If you are writing a particular trope or genre, was it your first time writing this?

I'd written fic for a different fandom ten years earlier, but nothing in this style I don't think, and this was my first time writing since I was 20 and stopped writing jrock rpf. I suppose I'm still writing about music, though!

What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterisation, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc)

One of the things I've always wanted to do with writing for Ian and Mickey is to let them have conversations, have things in common, and be friends. Because I think they were in canon, we just never got to see it (in the first 5 seasons, careful what you wish for). Guess I'm saying I'm proud of the bants!

Are there any deleted scenes that didn’t make it to the final story?

I don't think so! I mean, maybe the last 15 chapters? I kid! They will make it!

Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line?

There is one line Ian says where, when I wrote it, I was like; this is the first time Ian thinks "I love you" but says something else. Cannot remember what or where right now, and I don't want to try and find it, it's late! Submit your guesses here, I might find it over the weekend if I have some time to look. Also, it's like one of those silly I love yous, one of the early ones, full of potential and feeling but perhaps lacking a bit in substance, but he thought it and I saw him thinking it!

Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add?

Eh *coughs* I might already have, and I apologise. The worst part about writing something this slowly and posting the chapters as I go is that the fic isn't finished and so I feel like it's fine for me to sometimes go back and edit already published chapters. It's not right but I... will still do it. Sorry! A most embarrassing example is when, not too long ago, we discussed the layout of the diner here and I went back to the first chapter to see how I had described it, and it had changed in so many ways over the years? Small round tables?? The tables haven't been round since 2016!! So that's a very clear case of something having become canon for all the hundred little times I've thought of the tables as square while writing vs that one time in chapter one I carelessly said they were round.

Would you ever write a sequel to this story?

Yes! So many! Or maybe not a sequel, that suggests another part of equal size. But little bits of stories, yes!

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity?

Yes! Like I said, my only aim was to annoy my way to fandom infamy. Turns out it's so much more fun to actually connect with people and write something with someone else in mind, besides myself. I feel so lucky that so many people have connected with NTW over the years <3

Were you nervous or excited to post this story?

Mostly just excited, I think! I still am, whenever I get to post something : )

Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote?

No, I probably should have but I have a very hard time showing things to people when they're not finished.

Ask your followers to pick a snippet (no more than 500 words) and share your thoughts about it.

Add snippets in the replies and I'll share thoughts, if you want!

Thanks for reading! <3 <3 <3

[ladykailitha]

Well Met By Moonlight Part 19

I can't believe it, there is only one more chapter to go after this one and it'll be done. I'm really sad to see this one end. But as I've said in the past, I think it potential to be something more, so I'm having a good friend of mine read the story and let me know what she thinks.

We've got a lot of reveals to get through and a lot of twists to untwist. Buckle up, because the bumpy ride is ramping up.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

~

“Hello, Murray,” Billy said stepping out of the shadows of the woods into the small clearing. “Are you going somewhere?”

Keith hurried out of the trees to stand close to the Dominus.

“Billy!” the bald little man cried out. “Hey...so you survived. Again.”

Billy tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m special like that. Someone’s been a bad dog. Am I going to have to get the newspaper?”

Keith giggled next to him.

Murray smiled tightly. “Uh-huh. Dog jokes. Very funny. Now if you’ll pardon me, I’ve got places to be and can’t stand to chat.”

Billy chuckled darkly and walked up to Murray. He picked the man up by shirt collar. “You think you frighten me? I have survived your little machinations twice.”

“You should be afraid of me,” Murray huffed without even batting an eyelid at Billy’s rough handling. “I’ve been pulling the strings in this town for almost two decades. You are who you are because of me.”

Billy threw back his head and laughed. “You think you gave me this unlimited power, this beautiful body, this charm? Because that’s what got me where I am today. Not you weakening this town until it was ripe for the taking. Because I could have taken out Dr. Brenner without all of that.”

Murray wriggled out of Billy’s grasp and straightened his shirt. “You’re just some washed up beach bum with delusions of grandeur.”

Billy transformed. His bat form large and imposing. His chest expanded and wings sprouted from his back. His feet and hands became clawed and terrifying. His eyes were black and his fangs extended below his lips, glinting in the low light.

Billy roared, but before he could leap at the cocky werewolf, the manticore leapt from behind Murray and straight for his throat.

Billy and the manticore fought, ripping and tearing at each other but before Keith could leap into action Murray stabbed him in the back with a yew stake.

“This was a little gift from my benefactor,” he whispered as blood pooled from Keith’s mouth. “I could only use it the once, but I think you’re perfect for its use. Don’t you?” Keith fell to ground, the yew stake evaporating like dust on the wind. “Of course you don’t.”

A small white cat appeared at Murray’s feet, entwining itself among his ankles.

Murray looked down at it. “Why are you here, Sorcha?”

The cat sìth leapt to his shoulder to watch the battle.

“Fine,” he huffed, “don’t tell me.”

Far too soon in Murray’s opinion the manticore ripped off Billy’s head clean off. The body of the Dominus slid to the ground as the manticore tossed his head behind it.

“Wow,” Murray said impressed. “That was actually grotesque.”

Sorcha jumped down and walked up to the head. She opened her mouth and inhaled. A silvery mist came out of the mouth of the corpse’s head into hers.

“It is done.”

Murray blinked at her and looked around in confusion. “What the fuck? What’s done, Sorcha?”

She ignored him and walked up to the manticore. “You have held up your end of the bargain and we will hold up ours. May the road rise up to meet you.”

“And to you as well,” the manticore growled.

“You both can talk?” Murray asked, rearing his head back in shock.

“Will you explain it to him?” Sorcha purred. “I must return home. I grow weak in this magic wasteland.”

“Of course,” the manticore grinned. “Well almost all of it.”

Sorcha chuckled. “But of course.” And then like she was mist herself, she dissolved and was gone.

“What the fuck is going on?” Murray asked in fear. This had really slowed down his getaway. Alexei was waiting for him at that drug lord’s house.

“I will explain on the way,” the manticore growled. “The alpha has scented the battle.”

Murray’s eyes went wide and he grabbed his things, moving toward path that would take him to his mate.

Once they were far enough away from the clearing the manticore spoke.

“Billy isn’t a true vampire no more than you are,” the beast growled.

“Just how does that even work?”

“There are only two ways to become a vampire,” the manticore explained. “Either have the good fortune to be born as one or be bitten. To die a painful death to never breathe again. To have unlimited power but to never reproduce or enjoy the fairer aspects of life.”

Murray’s expression twisted in disgust. “Yuck.”

The manticore chuckled. “Yes, Billy felt the same as you, but he wanted the power that came with vampirism. Weres don’t live long enough to tempt Billy Hargrove. Oh no.”

“Sounds like he was fucked,” Murray muttered, scenting the air. There was no smell or sound of anyone near them, but he couldn’t put away his unease that he was in danger.

But that didn’t make sense. The manticore was bound to him. The beast couldn’t even break a sweat without Murray telling him to. But the sense of danger only heightened with each step.

“He knew something most people in this modern age had long forgot,” the manticore said with a hint of laughter in his tone.

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“That real magic exists,” the manticore hissed gleefully. “He made a deal with Queen Titania. Serve her for one hundred years and he would be granted his wish. But Billy had no desire to actually be her slave. He managed to convince her to make him vampire first and then he’d serve her. He didn’t want to come out of the Seelie court in the year 2085 and not know anything.”

Murray shrugged. “Makes sense to me. I wouldn’t want to waste my life away in some Fairyland either.”

“Yes,” the manticore agreed. “But as soon as he got his power, he ran off to America outside of her power.”

“So she sent the cat sìth to hunt him down,” Murray guessed.

The beast nodded. “But by the time Sorcha found him he was too powerful to dislodge without some help.”

“So she enlisted you,” Murray concluded. “So what do you get out of this deal?”

The manticore merely grinned. “We’re here.”

Alexei popped his head up to the window and when he saw who it was, came running out, into Murray’s arms.

“We’re almost safe, my love,” Murray whispered. “Do you have the hostage?”

Alexei nodded. “She was too easy to catch.”

Murray chuckled. He had to give Steve props for tightening security but it’s a little hard to guard something you didn’t know could be taken.

“Go get her and bring her here,” he muttered. “I think we’re about to have company.”

Alexei nodded and trotted back to the boathouse. Murray pulled out a gun from his bag.

“Savage,” the manticore groused.

Murray chuckled. “I wouldn’t expect a beast like you to understand. You can’t change, you will always be what you are. A monster. But me? I use all the resources I have available to me. And that means guns and hostages.”

Murray grabbed the girl from Alexei’s grasp and pressed the barrel of the gun to her temple.

Then crashing out of the woods were Steve, Hopper, Jonathan, and Gareth. On Steve’s back was Tommy.

Tommy immediately leapt from Steve’s back as he suddenly transformed.

“Robin!” Steve called.

~

Once the fire had been put out and they took stock of who was wounded and who was just covered in someone else’s blood, Steve turned to find Tommy standing there, looking sheepishly at his feet.

“What are you doing here?” Steve growled. “I mean other than the obvious, spilling pack secrets.”

Tommy’s head shot up in shock. “You knew?”

“Since the town meeting.”

Tommy blinked at him a moment. “You never intended to mate with that vampire, did you?”

Steve scoffed. “It’s biologically impossible. You really should have paid more attention in school, Tommy.”

“Oh.”

He cleared his throat and then kicked at the dirt. “I actually was trying to warn Billy that they were going to attack, but I was too late.”

“Explain,” Steve growled. “And be quick.”

So Tommy explained everything. The deal he made with Billy, the information he had sold to him, and the puppet master and all his machinations.

Just then Hopper and Jonathan came tearing up to them, Gareth easily keeping pace behind them.

“Robin’s been kidnapped!” Hopper bit out, panting for breath.

Steve stood up straight. “Where would he go?”

“The clearing I spotted them in was near Lover’s Lake,” Tommy said. “Maybe they have a safe house near there.”

“Reefer Rick’s,” Hopper said gruffly. “He’s the closest thing Hawkins gets to a drug lord, but he’s got a house out there on the lake. He gets supplies air dropped on the lake and then goes out and scoops them up.”

Steve nodded. “Let’s go.” He turned to Tommy. “You’re coming with. You’re the only one who’s scented the mate. Hopper, lead the way.”

The old wolf nodded and waited for Steve to transform. Jeff helped the keeper onto Steve’s back.

“I’m going to find out what’s keeping Eddie and Wayne,” Jeff said. “They should have been here by now. We’ll all meet up at the lake.”

Steve nodded and waited until Jeff had taken flight before the three werewolves and the gwyllgi took off, heading for Lover’s Lake.

~

Robin was struggling to stay on her feet, her height far greater than that of her captor caused her to almost have to kneel to avoid being choked by him.

“If Hopper had just removed Alexei’s banishment none of this would have happened!” Murray screamed. “He didn’t do anything wrong. Those weren’t kids they were Hunters!”

“He tore them to pieces, Murray,” Hopper said, shifting into a human. He held out his hand, trying to calm him. “It doesn’t matter who they were, or what they were planning. He should have gone to his alpha told him about the Hunters. Let the alpha deal with them. But he didn’t.”

WHOOSH!

The three vampires landed deftly behind the ring of Shifters.

“It was sadistic,” Wayne said with a sneer. “They were played with. Alexei isn’t well.”

“He didn’t have a drop of blood on him!” Murray protested.

Hopper stepped forward and Murray tightened his grip on Robin. “If you take one more step, Hop, I’ll blow her god damn brains out. I swear I will. If you move, her blood will be on your hands.”

Something thrummed deep inside of Steve. That was a call back to what he had told Hopper when Eddie had to use force to get Steve to come out of the compound all the way back to when this all started.

“You sent the Hunters after me,” he said coldly.

Murray sneered. “You alphas are always the same all brute and no intelligence. Yes, I did it all you dumb mongrel!” He pulled on Robin’s hair causing her to scream in pain. “All of it! Sara’s death by having Alexei tamper with her chemo, getting Hopper on as many drugs as possible, the murder of your grandfather and parents, Hopper’s kidnapping! But still you stupid alphas refused to see the truth! Alexei had been framed!”

Then a sleek, dark brown wolf oozed out of the forest, all danger and cunning. Nancy was one of the most beautiful purebred werewolves Steve had ever laid eyes on. She was everything that humanity had ever written on the subject of werewolves. He still loved her, because how could anyone not, but god he was glad he had Eddie now.

“He hasn’t been framed, Mr. Bauman,” she said her transformation even more fluid and graceful than Hoppers. “Not in the way you think. You two don’t belong here.”

“Nancy?” Wayne asked stepping forward. “What’s going on?”

“I belong here, you witch!” Murray screamed and Hopped instinctively took a step forward.

They all watched in horror and slow motion as he pulled the trigger, the muzzle flash, and the bullet striking Robin’s temple.

Then falling harmlessly to the ground.

Robin blinked a moment. “You aren’t using silver bullets?” she asked sheepishly.

Everyone was staring at her in shock, all but Steve who was chuckling.

“I wouldn’t use something that would accidentally get me killed!” he protested. “I’m not stupid.”

Robin grinned and then leapt out of his hold, bright and golden. A bitten werewolf. She turned in the air like she was made to be a werewolf. She was stunning.

She bounded straight for Murray’s throat and the gun went flying. She tore off a necklace he had around his neck and it too went flying the other direction.

“No!” Murray screamed. “Not that! You don’t know what you’ve done!”

The scorpion on the necklace began to pulse. Then it shattered in a blinding flash of light.

Standing in its place was the manticore. In all its freaky glory. The face of a human, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion.

The manticore stretched out its lithe body. “The cat sìth made good on their word. I will have to thank them.” He turned to the crowd. “After I eat all of you, of course. It’s been so long since I’ve had such a buffet of delights.”

But as it leapt into the air, another creature appeared in the air behind it. It too had a human face but the body of a bird.

It began to sing about being still and quiet and everyone froze. The manticore crashed to ground in a crumpled form.

The siren grabbed the manticore by the mane and lifted it up into the air. He tossed it into Lover’s Lake like a rag doll. The beast howled and snarled as it was ripped apart by...

Seals?

Blood soaked the top of the water turning it dark red. Then one of the seals stepped out of the water and pulled back the seal’s head like the hood of a cloak. It revealed a red-headed girl with bright green eyes and freckles. Next to her the siren transformed into a chubby young man with wild hair.

“Barb?!” Nancy called out in amazement just as Jeff called out, “Brian!”

~

DUN! DUN! DUHHHHH! Hehehe. Cliffhanger!

Part 20

Tag List: THIRTEEN SPOTS REMAINING

1- @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @goodolefashionedloverboi

3- @fullpoetrybread @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @bookworm0690 @littlewildflowerkitten @just-a-tiny-void @potato-of-the-lord @thelittleclare

5- @goosesister @tinyplanet95 @she-collects-smut @irregular-child @y4r3luv

6- @fairytalesreality @anaibis @papergrenade @ravenfrog @blondie1006

7- @thedragonsaunt @sadisticaltarts @kultiras @blackpanzy @disrespectedgoatman

8- @kal-ology @w1ll0wtr33 @dreamercec

[ivnxrori]

When Sun and Moon meet - S2 FINALE

Zuko x Fem!WaterBender!Reader Enemies to Lovers

As one of the Princesses of the Northern Water tribe, you were blessed with a gift by the moon. However you were permitted to be allowed to use the gift at all costs. From many hidden waterbending usages, the aftermath of the avatar visiting the Northern Tribe had led to your beginning journey, hiding yourself as a water bender as a princess from the Northern water tribe

Warnings: Arguing, Fighting, Betrayal, mentions of death

Masterlist

҉ * ‧͙ ⋆ ⁺ ༓ ☾ Chapter 11 - Trust to Betrayal

“What are you doing here?” I hissed. “Aren't you part of the fire nation? Couldn't they make an exception even though you were banished?” I asked but no response. “Oh so you're just going to stay quiet huh? What happened to your snappy attitude when we last met?” I shouldn't be asking such questions, knowing I wouldn't get any response from him. “I genuinely thought you came to Ba Sing Se for a change until I saw the drill in the walls with the fire nation logo. I even gave the benefit of the doubt when you were looking at Appa’s missing poster.” I stopped for a moment of realization “That's why you’re here! Once Aang comes here you and your nation can easily catch him”. I sigh in irritation “You're so annoying you know that? I don't even understand why you want the avatar so bad to the point you almost got killed. If your father really does care he wouldn't have banished you. You're lucky that Aang was the one that wanted to save you from the snow storm, the rest of us wanted you dead!” I scoffed “But of course you don't care! You only want your ‘honor’” I mocked. “Then once you go back to the fire nation you will continue with the fire nation war schemes and stand right next to your father in his horrible plans” 

“That's not my plan” Zuko finally speaks up. “Oh wow, so now you finally spoke up” I rolled my eyes. “Then what is your plan Zuko? All you fire nation people are about war and taking over everyone's happiness” “You don't know what you're talking about,” Zuko said out loud. “You said that many times to me before, but I feel like I know enough” I glared at him but sighed heavily. “But really what's the point of me trying to say anything to you.” I sat against the wall leaning my head back trying to keep my anger in check. “I wasn't the one who caused the drill in the walls of Ba Sing Se, it was Azula,” Zuko said. “Azula?” I asked, “My sister,” he answered. Ah, so the girl in the middle of the fake Kyoshi warriors was Azula. I rolled my eyes “So what? It's your sister, same tribe, same blood, same everything” 

“That's not the case…” Zuko sighed as he continued “my sister and I always had different views of everything ever since we were younger. Which led to my banishment with a scar to remind me” He touched his scar. I furrowed my eyebrows in sadness and moved closer to Zuko. “Did your sister have the same mindset as your father by any chance?” I asked softly as he nodded. “Then did you possibly have the same mindset as your mother?” Stupid question indeed.

“My mother left years ago because of the fire nation” Zuko said which made me wince at my unnecessary comment. “Sorry…” I said awkwardly. “I'm sure you’ll find your mother” I put my hand on his shoulder in encouragement. “Thanks” He gratefully said. I took my hand off of his shoulder and thought about my own mother. “My mother died from the fire nation last year, however weirdly enough I can't remember the details even though it was so recent” I shrugged stiffly. “I actually had a dream about her when you…uh hit me to the point I passed out” This turned way more awkward than it should have. Zuko stiffened and croaked out a sorry but I shrugged it off. “She told me not to give up in my dream but I'm still not sure what that means to this day…maybe she knew my sister was going to sacrifice herself to the moon spirit and to tell me not to give up…she wanted me to keep my head up high.” I sway slightly, feeling quite sad that I lost two of my loved ones in such a short period of time. “I'm sorry” Zuko said in sympathy as I shook my head. “It's not your fault…that's actually why I came to Ba Sing Se, not only for me to start new but to get revenge at the guy who killed my sister.” I said, trying to sound more confident. “The person who killed your sister was sent to the spirit world by the Avatar” Zuko said which made my eyes widened. “Oh…well that works too” I said slightly embarrassed. There was a moment of silence till I spoke up again. “Are you still planning on hunting down the Avatar…” I asked, silently praying his answer will be no. “This scar cursed me to chase the avatar forever…but lately I realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free from my mark.” Zuko turned around to face away from me. “What if you could be free from your mark?” I said which made him immediately turn around with his eyes widened. “What…?”

“In the Spirit Oasis, the water there is more enhanced which could heal your scar” I explained “When I was younger I was in major pain and no one knew my cure, so my parents took me to the spirit oasis for my moon spirit to heal me. Which is why my hair is white” I pointed to my hair. “I'm sure your scar could possibly be healed in the Spirit Oasis, I could take you there.” I leaned closer to his scar, he closed his eyes as I moved my thumb across his scar. Then I heard a crash from the other side, showing Aang, Katara and the Old man who owned the tea house. “Katara! Aang!” I said running towards them in a hug. They both hugged me back “Thank you for coming to save me” “Of course we would save you Y/N no need to thank us” Katara said as Aang nodded. “Yeah! You're our friend!” Aang added. I smiled softly “Yeah…friends” I turned around to see Zuko irritated once again. The once soft moment was replaced quite fast. “Go help your other friends” The old man said while consoling Zuko. We nodded and ran out. I was following Aang and Katara but I took one last glance at Zuko in worry.

“We gotta find Sokka and Toph,” Katara said as we were running. I heard an electrifying sound and immediately turned around. Aang blocked it with his earth bending while I used my water bending to turn into ice. I looked to see who the attacker was and it was Azula, of course. Katara moved  her water bending to get a direct attack at Azula, a wave of smoke fills the atmosphere until she comes out again. Attempting to hit us with fire, the three of us used waterbending to shield ourselves. Azula landed on a tall rock which Aang was able to break down with his earth bending. Azula landed across from me, pointing her fingers like she was going to use lightning however she didn't know who to hit. Suddenly a blast of fire landed near Aang. From the corner of my eye, I saw Zuko who hesitated on who to hit. But it didn't take long for him to make his decision, shown by using his fire bending to aim at Aang. “Y/N Go up the waterfall and get Sokka and Toph,” Katara said, blocking Azula's attacks. I nodded instantly moving towards the waterfall, dodging Azula's attacks that were specifically made towards me. I lifted myself up with my bending, looking down at the scene feeling disappointed in myself. Looking at Zuko, I once again was a fool to trust him, again. It didn't take long till I was out of the cave.

  ҉   ☾

“Appa! Momo! ” I yelled after finding them both. I had no idea where I was once I managed to get out of the cave. Luckily, I found Appa and Momo together outside. I immediately got on Appa “Yip yip, we need to get to Toph and Sokka” I said which made Appa make a sound of agreement and he started flying. Once we got near the palace, I immediately saw Toph and Sokka with the King and his bear. “Sokka! Toph!” I yelled. “Y/N!” They both yelled back. I got down from the sky bison to get eye to eye level with the two. “Are you okay? Aang got a vision of Katara asking for help for you” Sokka said. “Yeah, it was hailing a lot around the palace” Toph included. “I'm fine but Katara and Aang aren't,” I said quickly. “They’re fighting Azula and Zuko right now” I was panicking, a lot. Last thing I want is one of them dead. “Do you know where they are?” Toph asked as I nodded. “Get on, everyone” I ushered the king and his bear to get on. 

  ҉   ☾

Once we made it to the destination I got off the bison “You guys stay here, it’ll be dangerous to all come together” I said. “Then why did we all come here?” Sokka whined. “It's because Katara needed to make sure you all were safe, and it's not for long. I just have to use my waterbending to get down and to somehow get Aang and Katara up. You guys need to be here for all of us to escape” I explained as they both nodded. I made my way over towards the waterfall and took a deep breath before jumping in. Once I made it down, I saw a horrific scene. It was Katara, crying while holding Aang’s body. I immediately used a splash of water to border Katara and Aang, making sure no one touched them. Coincidentally a wave of fire was shown, the old man came out of nowhere, landing in front of Katara and Aang. “You’ve got to get out of here! I’ll hold them all as long as I can” he says to both of them, making Katara nod and carrying Aang to get out of here. “Katara!” I yelled out making her look at me in somewhat relief but I could tell she was on the verge of crying again. I pull her closer towards me and make a water platform beneath our feet, helping us up. Before we reached the top I made sure to glare at Zuko, and he saw me, glaring at him. “Just as I thought you wanted a new start” I said, making sure he heard before disappearing.

  ҉   ☾

All of us were able to get above from Ba Sing Se, it wasn't as happy or uplifting as it was before. Instead it was depressing and anxiety wrenching. We stared at Katara, pulling the spirit oasis water out of the bottle to heal Aang. Internally praying he will come back to life again. Once the spirit of water disappeared in Aang, Katara couldn't help but hug him even tighter, crying. I looked down in disappointment at how everything turned out and so did everyone around me. Till a glow of a familiar arrow and breath indicated he was in fact alive. Everyone smiled happily while Katara laid him down and hugged him even tighter. Thank the spirits. “The earth kingdom… has fallen” Said the earth king with his head down, in disappointment and guilt. I felt bad for him. Thinking just as he saved his kingdom, it broke down once again.

A few hours go by, the cold breeze hitting my face making my skin feel like ice. It feels nostalgic, it feels like my home…northern tribe. I looked at Katara, still holding Aang in her arms. I decided to speak up “I'm sorry Katara…” I said shakily. “What do you have to be sorry about? You saved me.” She whispered, looking towards me in worry. I shook my head “I knew about Zuko being in Ba Sing Se the whole time” I admitted. I felt everyone suck in a breath which made me internally wince. “I met him here and talked to him but I didn't do anything because…I-” My voice cracked “I thought he must have changed…if I weren't so naive then…I would have caused any of you guys trouble”. I looked down, ashamed of my actions. Katara’s hand meets mine “It's fine Y/N…I'm just happy all of us have made it out”. I look up to everyone nodding. I dropped my shoulders and continued to look across from me, the night cloudy sky…

Season 2 END

<- Back - Next ->

a/n: WOAH lots of Zuko today and betrayal lmao. BUT S2 HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED. Not 100% sure when season 3 will start up, I already started it however I have ap exams soon for school, so I wont have much time :(. But I wont be gone for a while. Make sure yall take care of yourself and have a nice day! :)

-

taglist: @luvkvni @katovano @karmaswitch @someonesmember @velvet-spider @sh3sa1dwhat @nerdisthenewcool @meiraloves2dmen @fqnfics101 @iluvme547 @leaderwon @yukihatesreoyo @heart4hees @4l3x1s @kkissaku @corpsebridenightamare @newjellis @fatkish@pbeckn26@jasminesacademia @kyo-kyo1

[tessenpai]

Kono Oto Tomare! Chapter 128.5 Scans and Rough TL

Disclaimer: Please DO NOT use this translation to make your own TL of the chapter!! The KOT TL group works very hard to give you the most accurate translation, that does as much justice to the original script as possible. This is a ROUGH translation. That means is faulty and there must be mistakes in certain places. This is just for impatient people like myself to get a grasp on what is going on in the chapter! You can REFERENCE my TL if you want to discuss the chapter but never USE it as it was your own.

Scans: (I recommend the use of an adblocker to avoid NSFW content) https://klz9.com/jxsh-kono-oto-tomare-raw-chapter-129.html

Page 1

Isaki [thoughts]: On my 27th winter

Isaki [thoughts]: My father passed away.

Side text: The story of how Chika and Isaki met...

Gen [memories]: If something were to happen to me...

Gen [memories]: Please take care of Chika.

Isaki [thoughts]: ---To me

Chika: Whatever. I don't care.

Page 2

Chika: I don't give a shit what you think of me. Not anymore.

Side text: When his grandfather died, his heart did as well---...

Isaki [thoughts]: He left only one request.

Chapter title: #ex [first light]

Page 3

Isaki [thoughts]: ....Whaaa---... No no, you can't be serious... This? You left this to me??

Gen [memories]: His eyes have been full of kindness lately.

Isaki [thoughts]: Where??

Isaki [thoughts]: Those are not the eyes of a child. Normally, it would've been impossible.

Isaki [thoughts]: Something like this... I've never even raised a child before, this is way out of my league---...

Isaki: !!

Isaki: Eh? Wai- Where are you goi--

Chika's father: Leave him!!

Isaki: Still...

Page 4

Gen [thoughts]: I leave it to you.

Isaki [thoughts]: Really, you ask too much...

Isaki [thoughts]: Wow.

Isaki: Excuse me, could borrow an umbrella?

Employee: Go ahead.

Isaki [thoughts]: He couldn't have gone too far yet but... Where should I even look for him?

Isaki [thoughts]: In a place that looks unsafe?

Page 5

Isaki [thoughts]: What should I do if he got in a fight again?

Isaki [thoughts]: There he is...

Isaki [thoughts]: For now, let's just call out to him. He will probably reject me but... Wait, if I get rejected, is there anything I can do after that? We've just met, so... The most practical thing for me to do would be to go back and call my brother.

Page 6

*No text*

Page 7

Isaki: ....Oh. Um...

Isaki: ...

Isaki: ...Do you know who I am? I'm your father's younger sister.

Isaki: Dad... Did Grandpa ever tell you about me?

Chika: ...

Isaki: About my brother... I think he's just a little bit preoccupied right now, so… maybe you should talk to him when he's a bit calmer and...

Chika: It's fine.

Chika: I really couldn't care less about that.

Page 8

Isaki: What? But...

Isaki [thoughts]: He was crying so hard just now...

Isaki [thoughts]: ...Ah.

Isaki [thoughts]: ...I see...

Isaki: You... Truly loved Grandpa.

Page 9

Isaki: I think the time Grandpa spent with you was really fun and joyful to him.

Isaki: I think you made him happy.

Isaki: For being with him until the end... Thank you.

Chika: !!

Page 10

Chika: u... ugh.

Isaki [thoughts]: ...Aaah.

Isaki [thoughts]: Can't do.

Isaki [thoughts]: I definitely

Isaki: Chika

Page 11

Isaki: Come live with me

Isaki [thoughts]: I can't leave this child alone.

Isaki [thoughts]: ---That was

Page 12

Isaki [thoughts]: The beginning for Chika and me.

Isaki: We haaave arrived! This is my humble abode--!

Isaki: The bathroom is over here--- And over there---

Isaki: Who would've thought you could do that...

Chika: What?

Isaki [thoughts]: He is surprisingly well-behaved.

Isaki: Here, this is my room---...

Sfx: Clack...

Page 13

Isaki: If you enter, I will beat you up ☆

Chika: ...

Isaki: Next up is the living room.

Isaki: And finally-- Your room!!

Sfx: Ta-daaaan

Chika: ...

Isaki: You got nothing to say about it...?

Chika: I'm fine just with a place to sleep in.

Isaki [thoughts]: I was just kidding... I planned on partitioning the living room to create a room for him but...

Isaki: ..............Whatever, I guess.

Page 14

Chika [Sfx]: Look around

Isaki: Hm? Are you looking for something?

Chika: ...I was just thinking that there aren't any kotos around here.

Isaki: Aah.

Isaki: I used to play it a little a long time ago. Now, not at all.

Isaki: My job is related to events so I sometimes get exposed to it from time to time.

Chika: Hmmmm.

Isaki: What, did you want to play the koto?

Chika: Nah, I can't play.

Isaki: Is that right? My fathe... Grandpa told me on the phone before

Isaki: "Chika played the koto!" He was so happy when he said that.

Page 15

Isaki [thoughts]: ----Ah.

Chika: ...Hmmm.

Isaki [thoughts]: His eyes light up as soon as Grandpa is mentioned

Isaki [thoughts]: That's probably his true self...

Sfx: Ruuumble

Isaki: ...Did you hear that?

Chika: ...Well, yeah.

Isaki: That's because I'm hungry. It's almost six, let's have dinner.

Isaki: What do you want to eat? We can go eat out or order delivery---

Chika: I don't need anything.

Page 16

Isaki: ...What?

Chika: Food, I mean... I'll be fine even with little food.

Isaki: What are you even saying??

Chika: It's enough if you just lend me a place to sleep.

Chika: I don't plan on coming for anything except to sleep.

Chika: Today I will also go somewhere else until night hits.

Chika: About my clothes... I would be thankful if you let me leave them here.

Isaki: I will make it.

Chika: ------Eh?

Isaki: Today, Isaki-sama, for your well-being, from the bottom of her heart, will cook for you. So eat. Until there isn't a single crumb left.

Page 17

Isaki: Right now, the only things I have in the fridge are water, alcohol, and snacks. I gotta do some shopping.

Chika: Eh? Wai-

Isaki: Ah, are you coming with me?

Chika: If there's anything you need, we can buy it.

Chika: ...Well, no ...There's really nothing.

Isaki: That so? Well, just stay at home then.

Chika: !

Chika: ...

Isaki: What, you coming then? Is there something you want?

Chika: ...There's nothing, really...

Page 18

Isaki [thoughts]: Yeaaaaaah, I don't get it.

Isaki [thoughts]: He is following me, but he is so far away.

Isaki [thoughts]: Well, you know? Of course, right? From a junior high school student's point of view, a woman around 30 years old is considered an old woman, right?. I'm sure it's embarrassing to walk around with one, right?

Isaki [thoughts]: I totally bought too much.

Isaki [thoughts]: Whatever--- It's just a 5-minute walk...

Sfx: Grap.

Page 19

Isaki [thoughts]: Oh?

Isaki [thoughts]: Ooooh...?

Isaki: Wai- At least let me carry one of those.

Chika: ...

Isaki: Hey!

Chika [Sfx]: Power walking

Isaki: Wha-!?

Isaki: Wait right there! Hey!!

Isaki: Don't ignore me!!

Isaki: Listen here!! I get that you don't want to walk with me but

Isaki: That kind of thing is still hurtful, you know!? I'm grateful you are carrying the bags, though!!

Page 20

Chika: Ah, no.

Chika: That's not... it.

Isaki: Come again?

Chika: ...Did you see how it ended up? Gramps house, I mean.

Chika: It'd better for you not to be seen around me.

Page 21

Isaki: Are you underestimating adults?

Isaki: Gramps house? Yeah, I took a good look at it with these two eyes. It was the worst among the worst.

Isaki: I think the people who did that are really shitty kids. And you're a fool for hanging out with them.

Page 22

Isaki: When I first heard about the incident, to be honest, I was super pissed with you.

Isaki: I thought it was too much trouble, I wanted nothing to do with it.

Isaki: But once I actually met you, you were only a child crying for the death of his grandpa.

Isaki: You have reflected and regretted. But you are still someone who hasn't learned how to look forward, at all.

Isaki: Don't you dare try to put yourself in front of me to try and protect me.

Page 23

Isaki: There's no way I will run from some brats who try to belittle my nephew.

Isaki: I will use my power as an adult to turn the tables on them-

Isaki: So you can rest at ease, and walk beside me. And every day, you can come home normally!!

Isaki: Do you understand!?

Page 24

Isaki: Come on, let's go.

Chika: Carrying it like this is embarrassing....

Isaki; Oh, is that so? Let go, then, and let me carry these heaaaavy bags all on my own.

Chika: Ugh...

Chika: ...

Page 25

Isaki [thoughts]: That night

Isaki [thoughts]: For the first time in several years I cooked

Isaki [thoughts]: A fucking disgusting A slightly different curry

Isaki [thoughts]: Chika did exactly as I told him.

Isaki [thoughts]: And didn't leave a single crumb.

Page 26

Isaki [thoughts]: He is more honest than I thought.

Isaki [thoughts]: And he is extremely clumsy.

Isaki [memory]: ----Eh? You don't want to go to high school and want to start working directly instead? Is there a work you are interested in?

Chika[memory]: There's nothing like that but, normally I would have to pay rent, and earn my living. I wanna pay for it.

Isaki[memory]: What, now?

Isaki[memory]: Your father will be paying for all your expenses, isn't that obvious?

Isaki[memory]: You don't want to depend on your father?

Chika[memory]: Ugh...

Isaki[memory]: Well, is not like I don't understand where you are coming from, but.

Page 27

Isaki [memory]: If there's anything you can use, use it.

Isaki[memory]: If you can rely on something or someone, do it.

Isaki[memory]: There's nothing to be embarrassed about.

Isaki[memory]: For once, forget about things like money and whatnot. Just think about what you want for yourself.

Isaki[memory]: But if after that, you still want to work, then I will support you.

Chika [thoughts]: ...What I want for myself...

Chika [thoughts]: ..............

Chika [thoughts]: I have no clue--... I don't have a hobby or any kind of special talent. Nothing.

Page 28

Chika [thoughts]: ...Truly. I really have nothing.

Chika [thoughts]: Nothing...

Gen [memory]: Chika!

Isaki [thoughts]: I'm home---

Chika [Sfx]: Stare

Isaki: Eh? What is it? You are scaring me.

Isaki: What, did you break something?

Chika: I didn't break anything.

Isaki: What is it, then?

Page 29

Chika: .....

Chika: Ther-

Chika: There's something I... Want.

Isaki: ! What is it?

Chika: ----------

Chika: Pi- picture...

Chika: I want a picture.

Chika: ....Of Gramps.

Chika: I

Chika: Don't have even one... so.

Page 30

Chika: If it's not doable, that's fine.

Isaki: Eh- no-! It's totally doable!!! Pictures, huh! I will bring them over!

Isaki: These are albums.

Chika: Are these all Gramps'?

Isaki: Well, there are also other family members in them.

Isaki: You can grab whichever picture you like.

Chika: ...Thanks

Chika [thoughts]: Oooh...

Page 31

Chika [thoughts]: Around this age, I can already tell it's Gramps.

Chika[memory]: Koto club? What's that, a club where you play koto?

Gen [memory]: Yeah. I was the founder of the Tokise Koto Club!

Page 32

Chika: ---...This.

Isaki: Hm? Ahhh, that's a picture of when the Koto Club was first founded.

Chika: ...Does this club

Chika: Still exist?

Isaki: If I remember correctly, it's still there, but----

Gen [memory]: Do you want to give it a try?

Gen [memory]: Haha, you are pretty good.

Gen [memory]: You actually seem pretty talented.

Isaki [memory]: "Chika played the koto!" He was so happy when he said that.

Page 33

Isaki: -----...

Isaki: Did you find what you want to do?

Page 34

Chika: I wonder if it's too late for me to aim to go to high school.

Isaki: Well, that depends on how much effort you put on i---

Isaki: Wait a second!! You have to submit an application form for the entrance exam! When is the deadline!? It's already December!!

Isaki: Will we make it on time?

Chika: I will go ask Tetsuki!!

Isaki: Eh? Who is Tetsuki!?

Chika: It's ok! I will make it on time!! If I tell Tetsuki, it will be fine, for sure!!

Isaki: Ok, but who is Tetsuki!!??

Chika: Uh... I

Chika: Will go to Tokise and

Chika: I will join the Koto Club Gramps created!!!

Page 35

Isaki [thoughts]: Thank you, Dad. For leaving a light for Chika.

Isaki: That's great!!

Isaki: Well then, from now on, it's full-time studying!

Chika: Starting tomorrow I will ask Tetsuki to help me study, so I will pass for sure!

Isaki: What the hell is a Tetsuki!!!???

Side text: I hope this sound reaches the heavens----...

Isaki [thoughts]: Chika won't lose sight of that light, and this time I will be right beside him.

Isaki [thoughts]: Please, look after us.

---Kono Oto Tomare! will continue in the next issue---

[doahaesunshine]

Chapter 14

Chapter WC: 2975

Tags

None

Tristen Note: Will not be queuing anything else until Friday so expect the next chapter on 11/2! Sorry!!

Master List | Prev | Next

Sometimes I feel different I don’t have a problem with not being normal But it seems as though people misunderstand me I don’t have to say everything I’m thinking I just want to be myself And not have anyone judge me.

For the next week, Jihoon had joined you on your strolls around Diamond Hall. He was there when you went to the archives, he was there when you visited Dino, oh- and he was there when you wanted to take a trip down the stream. Of course he freaked out when you said you wanted to visit the lake and refused to let you go anywhere near it.

It’s not that you didn’t like Jihoon – quite the opposite actually – you considered him a very good friend and the time you two spent together was nice. There was just this empty feeling in your chest, like something was missing.

Meeting with Jeonghan was nearly impossible. Sure, you saw Obsidian every night and had late night chats with him but it wasn’t the same. You missed the witty comebacks and snarky attitude, not to mention the kiss . 

Yeah- It was only a forehead kiss, but still…

It had to mean something, right?

Regardless of what it meant, Jeonghan was also a friend and you wanted to spend time with him but he never showed up. Maybe he freaked himself out or there were mixed messages, you didn’t know. You couldn’t even sense his emotions because you were too frazzled to focus on them. If you could just have a moment with him to talk about it, your mind would be put at ease and the overall antsy feeling would vanish.

And so you had a really wreckless idea.

Midnight, the safest time to travel, at least around the dorm. Soonyoung and Vernon would be asleep, Mingyu would be in his room at the Vitae Springs, and Jihoon would be diligently working on spellcraft. As long as you were quiet and returned home before sunrise, no one would even know you were gone.

With caution you tiptoed down the staircase, hyper aware of every little creek. Once you reached the ground level you looked both ways, a low orange light leaked out into the hallway on the left side, that was Jihoon. You continued carefully toward the front door and entered the threshold of the entryway. Exhaling softly, you grabbed for the door knob and twisted. 

A small chirp alerted you and you looked behind you to see an inquisitive Ruby staring directly at you. The little furball didn’t have a lot of expression in his face, but you could tell he was upset. You offered him a small “Sorry” and exited the building.

The midnight air was cool and welcoming but now was not the time to appreciate the fresh air. You walked along the stream toward the evergreen forest. Even if you hadn’t been there in three months, the path was ingrained in your memory.

“You know this is incredibly foolish, right?”

Eris apparated next to you, swiftly matching your pace as her paws met the ground.

“I know-” You huffed out a labored breath. “But I feel like a damn prisoner in that room. I need to get out and enjoy the wilderness alone…”

“Translate to; I want to see Jeonghan.” Eris said in a condescending tone.

You scoffed. Eris was right, but you didn’t want to admit it. The two of you barely talked about him and now that you thought about it, you never talk about him to anyone. Your pace slowed as you reached the treeline, your mind telling you to stop and think. 

“Eris, please do not laugh at what I’m about to say…”

The snow leopard gave you all of her attention, intense glare and all.

“You are right about me wanting to see Jeonghan…” You cringed at your next thoughts. “And I actually do miss him- before you say anything- I know, it has only been a week, but still… I kind of feel like I need to see him.”

“Oh wow~ You’ve gone off the deep end, Sage…”

You sighed. “I’m not kidding around, Eris!”

“Okay- alright, I understand. It’s just- I was teasing you about liking him as a joke, but now…” Eris shook her head gently. “It doesn’t matter- Where are we going, Sage?”

A genuine smile spread across your face as Eris supported your decision.

“The lake.”

Once again a nudging muzzle and soft moo disrupted Wonwoo’s precious sleep. Cosmos continued to use her nose to try and wake up her Arcanist, but all he did was gently push her away. With a grumble she jumped on top of the bed, pushing Wonwoo’s side with all of her strength until he teetered on the edge of the mattress.

As he slid off the bed, Wonwoo made no effort to stop himself from falling, crumbling with a thud. He grumbled as he collected himself. 

“What do you want, Cosmo?”

The black panther leapt gracefully from the bed and met Wonwoo at eye level. Her yellow eyes glaring into Wonwoo’s dark brown. For some reason, the pair's telepathic connection frizzled out years ago, the two becoming Man and Animal instead of Arcanist and Familiar.

“Are you hungry?”

The beast shook her head.

“Has there been a breach?”

She shook her head once more.

“Cosmos…” Wonwoo sighed as he rubbed his eyes. “Why did you wake me?”

Silently, Cosmos sauntered over to a book that had been knocked to the floor and she pushed it in his direction. Wonwoo stopped the book from going past him with a hand and lifted it to his face to read. Its cover was made of leather, a bit damaged, and definitely old. The script was too subtle and the room was too dim as he struggled to read the cover.

“Would you kindly light up the office, Cosmos?” Wonwoo requested as he retrieved his glasses from the nightstand.

The yellow of Cosmos’s eyes glimmered softly and in a second the room was slowly enveloped in warm light.

“Thank you…” Wonwoo muttered as he sat on the edge of his bed.

He put on his glasses and focused on the book in hand. There was no text on its cover, only an emboss of a lotus flower in the leather. Recognition sparked as he snapped his gaze to Cosmos.

“Where did you find this?”

“From me of course!” A jovial voice rang out from the balcony that hung over Wonwoo’s bed.

Peering upward, Wonwoo saw a head of near-white blond hair and two glowing blue eyes that reflected the light from below.

“Junhui…”

Jun slid down the ladder of the balcony and stood in front of the Archivist. “Wonwoo…” 

“How did you manage to pass the wards?” 

Jun crouched down next to Cosmos and gently patted her head. “This beauty let me in.” As he continued to stroke the black fur of the panther, a white scaled snake head poked out of his sleeve. “Howl really likes it here…”

Wonwoo glared at Cosmos, he wasn’t mad, he just would have liked to have been made aware of this visitor. “Then how did you procure this book?”

“It’s one of the only positives of living with Prismus Yoon.” Jun giggled to himself. “He’s been so preoccupied that he hasn’t been watching his things as carefully.”

“Jeonghan… preoccupied?” Wonwoo raised his brow. “For some reason I don’t feel comfortable with that information. What has been keeping him busy?”

“You should read that book-” Jun deflected the question. “It’s an… interesting read.”

With a sigh, Wonwoo opened the leather cover. A few of its pages were ripped out or the corners were singed, it had seen better days. 

The first page that was legible read;

March 20th, 1640

The Spring Equinox has welcomed us with budding flowers and beautiful green fields this morning. Which means today marks my 16th Nameday. Congratulations to me.

I did not foresee the loneliness to come since my appearance here in Imperium Septimus Decimus. I knew no one when I first arrived, but thankfully the fates gifted me a friend. He is younger than me by three years, I consider him a brother, a friend, he goes by Wonwoo.

He informed me of his Nameday, July 17th. I will remember this date so I can congratulate him as he congratulated me…

Wonwoo brushed his finger over the page, the rest of it was unreadable due to damage. He closed the journal and looked up at Junhui with slightly reddened eyes.

“Jeonghan had this in his possession?”

Jun’s usual blank expression softened as he saw the change in Wonwoo’s eyes. “Uh- Ye- yes. I don’t know where he found it though.”

“I believe I have an idea…”

You had never been to the lake this late before nor have you ever been alone. It was just as serene and beautiful as before, but there was an underlying sadness. The waters were dark and empty, no birds that were here had flown off to return to their nests. It was only you, Eris, and the night sky. 

Sitting on the rocky shore by yourself was strange, you were used to Jeonghan being next to you, teaching you, smiling at you. But now you were alone.

Eris lounged on a rock beside you and sighed as she rested her head on her paws. 

“What exactly are you doing, Sage?”  

You looked over at your familiar with apologetic eyes. “Waiting…”

“For Jeonghan…”

A drawn out sigh left you as you gazed out into the lake. You knew you were being foolish, you just didn’t want to admit it to Eris.

“Let’s just stay here for thirty more minutes.” 

“But I want to go home, Sage. We’ve already been idling here for twenty minutes and I wish to return to the plushy confines of our bed.”

“Just thirty more minutes.” You pleaded.

Eris sagged her head in defeat, not wanting to argue any more. She tried her best to get comfortable on the rock and closed her eyes to try and get some assemblance of sleep.

For the next twenty minutes you spaced out while staring out into the dark waters. You saw the occasional bat fly by or heard nightingale song from the trees. Bored, you stood and searched the ground for flat rocks, there were few that were suitable but still you collected them. Every so often you tossed one out into the water and watched it skip, aiming to get an extra skip with each throw.

After you ran out of rocks you went in search for more, Eris had dozed off and hadn’t told you to stop so you assumed it was safe to continue. 

“Jeonghan!”

A booming voice startled you as you stood by the shore of the lake. Sprinting over to Eris, you shook her paw to wake her.

“Jeonghan! I won’t allow you to ignore me!”

The voice got closer, it sounded like Archivist Jeon.

“Into the treeline, quick!” Eris spoke into your mind.

You and Eris quickly snuck to the trees, remaining as silent as possible. While squatting behind a thick trunk, you peeked out looking for the source of the voice.

Only yards away you saw a dark form, flowing clothes, long black hair, Jeonghan, walk past at a brisk pace. Archivist Jeon, wearing a light sweater and neat trousers, followed close behind. 

“Oh~ What are you going to do? Pull the leader card? Would you do that, betrayer ?” Jeonghan spoke in a teasing tone, but there was an underlying sincerity to his words. He sounded angry.

An exasperated scoff resounded from Archivist Jeon. “You’re calling me a betrayer ? After everything you did?” He quickened his pace to veer in front of Jeonghan, placing a stern hand on his chest to stop him. “You’re the reason everything descended into madness!”

Rage erupted in your chest, causing your heart to beat fast and hard. You clutched your chest as you felt the pure anger resonating off of Archivist Jeon.

Jeonghan grinned as he let the Archivist push him. “Is that how you remember it?”

Archivist Jeon released his hold on the other man, studying his face. “I-”

“Hm~” Jeonghan provoked as he leaned in. “What’s wrong, Wonwoo? Do you not remember?”

“I just-” Archivist Jeon lowered his gaze along with his voice. “Where did you get that journal?”

“It was a gift.”

Archivist Jeon snapped his attention back to Jeonghan. “I don’t believe you-”

“The real question is- How did Jun get into my room? I really need to get better locks…”

“Jeonghan…” Archivist Jeon stared daggers into the other’s eyes. “Answer the question; Where did you get the journal?”

Jeonghan laughed, breathy and hurtful. “Shouldn’t you know? Oh- wait- I’m so sorry.” Now he was raising his voice. “You were too busy turning your back on people to realize what was happening to our friend! You, Wonwoo, were too egotistical to realize what was going on! You, of all people could have stopped it-”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was shunted backward with so much force that he flew. The trajectory sent him flying into the trunk of a nearby tree and with a sickening crack, Jeonghan cried out, and ceased moving.

“Jeonghan!” You called out as you rushed out of the treeline.

Eris followed close behind, guarding you as you crashed to your knees in front of Jeonghan’s unconscious form. Archivist Jeon was startled the moment you appeared, not realizing you were listening.

He took a step forward. “Sage- I can explain-”

“Go away!” You yelled, voice thick with wrath.

Eris interjected, cutting off Archivist Jeon’s path and growling in his face, fangs on full display.

“Sage…” He pleaded as he backed away.

You didn’t want to hear it. Jeonghan was unresponsive and Archivist Jeon was the cause, nothing else mattered, you needed to make sure Jeonghan was safe. With a glare sharper than any blade, you addressed the Archivist but did not speak. Words were not needed and with a surge of strength and magic you sent your nerves, fury, sadness all toward him.

Something in Archivist Jeon’s eyes faltered, like when you’ve witnessed a horrific scene and couldn’t tear your eyes away. 

“Sage. Please…” His voice broke as he spoke, voice weak, the softest you had ever heard.

You shook your head as a singular tear ran down your face. “Just- Go…”

Archivist Jeon hesitated as he reached out, but he retreated as he saw your focus was only on Jeonghan. Without another word he left, disappearing in the darkness of the evergreen forest.

You stayed there for a moment, looking down at Jeonghan to assess the damage. He was breathing, thankfully, but wasn’t responding to any movement or sounds. 

“Eris- Help me get him up.” You asked, voice vacant but determined. 

Obediently, Eris nudged Jeonghan’s back off of the ground and, with your help, lifted him onto Eris’s back. 

“Let’s just- Let’s go back to the dorm. I can explain everything in the morning.” You held onto one of your friend’s arms to keep him from sliding off.

Noticing your distraught state, Eris said nothing and complied.

Back at the dorm, you hurried Eris through the door and rushed her up the stairs. You didn’t care if you were being disruptive and loud, Jeonghan needed a place to rest. Even though Jihoon was most likely still studying, you weren’t going to steal his room. You decided the best decision would be to have Jeonghan rest in your bed and you would manage in your chair for the night.

Eris did most of the lifting since people are surprisingly heavy when they aren’t supporting their own weight. Gently, you pulled the covers over him, not wanting to disturb him. You pushed the wingback chair in your room to the edge of the bed and sat.It wouldn’t be very comfortable but you had to deal with it.

As much as you desired to stay awake in case something happened, your eyes were heavy with sleep and you couldn’t restrain the yawn that escaped you. Slightly leaning over the bed, you laid your head next to Jeonghan’s arm and let yourself sleep.

The night was silent, dark and lonely, only the stars accompanied Wonwoo on his walk back to his office. He regretted it, attacking Jeonghan with his magic, but the rage he felt was insufferable. Lashing out was just a response to Jeonghan’s hostility though it had been a long time since the two had fought with such malice. 

The whole situation left a bitter taste in Wonwoo’s mouth and the moment he entered his office he sunk to the floor. Tears welled in his eyes and he let them fall, fighting against it was useless. Why did he resort to such brutal actions? Maybe he was still the same man he was all those years ago…

Manipulator, Tyrant, Betrayer.

He had collected many names over the years and he was starting to believe those who pushed those titles onto him. 

As he cried, head buried in his hands, Cosmos nudged her head under his arm and nuzzled into his face, trying her hardest to stop his tortuous thoughts. Wonwoo hugged his familiar tightly as he continued to weep, it was hushed and strained, like he desperately wanted to stop but the tears kept falling.

“It’s all my fault Cosmo. I should have never- I let- all those people…”

“No, Wonwoo…” A calming, nurturing voice spoke into his mind. “Don’t blame yourself. Not again…”

Wonwoo’s eyes shot open and he held Cosmos's face to look into her yellow eyes. “I heard that- I actually-” He smiled as he hugged the panther close.

Surprised but overjoyed, Cosmos leaned into the hug and cuddled with her Arcanist. 

Finally, they were whole again…

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@reiofsuns2001 @shinwonderful @starstrawb

[skzhocomments]

A Chance of Fate (Lee Know) - Chapter 4 - Blooming Feelings

Story masterlist - please consult it for the summary of the story, trigger warnings etc.

Wattpad | AO3

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

---

Chapter 4 - Blooming Feelings

Chapter word count: 2.4k words

It’s been exactly three weeks since you met Minho and started living with him, and 19 days since you started taking daily walks with him and getting to know him. It’s also been 19 days since you noticed a feeling growing slowly from within your chest, and you truly disliked it. Not that it was unpleasant. It wasn’t. But you didn’t want to put a name to it, afraid that if you would, everything would change between you and him, and you’d end up with a broken heart. Or rather – a more broken heart.

You also started helping around at the restaurant as a server and sometimes in the kitchen if Minho had too many orders.

By now, you knew all the regulars and memorised their orders by heart.

Mr. Park would always come Monday-Friday at 6 PM sharp, just after finishing up at his job. He would always drink a glass of beer and eat Minho’s special recipe Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and on Tuesday and Thursday he’d drink 2 bottles of Soju and eat fried pork belly.

Mr. Cho would come every 2 or 3 days with his wife and eat some of Minho’s chocolate cake. He’d drink some wine, and she’d have a few cocktails, both of them leaving satisfied after each date.

You even met a few of Minho’s friends: Changbin (that you found out writes a lot of songs with Chris and Han), Seungmin (who went to the same Uni Han attends) and I.N. and his girlfriend. They would drop by, have a quick meal and chat a bit with Minho, but all of them were busy doing their own thing and wouldn’t stay for too long.

That was until tonight.

This Friday night, Minho closed up earlier, which you found unusual, especially considering that Fridays were one of the most profitable nights of the week for his business.

“My friends are coming.” He explained. “We meet here once a month to catch up. Ah, Jisung will be here too!” He smiled and started preparing different snacks and foods a few hours before their arrival.

“How many people will there be?”

“Well, there’s Chan and Olivia, Han, Changbin and Felix, I.N., his girlfriend Mary, Hyunjin, Changbin, Seungmin and Felix.”

“You counted Changbin twice!” you laughed.

“Well, he eats like two anyway!” he chuckled.

“Okay, then I’ll go ahead and set the plates for you.”

You grabbed some and started placing them on the big table Minho formed out from other tables.

After a few minutes, you placed 11 plates and 11 glasses, napkins, cutlery, and some soju bottles. You also grabbed some of the snacks Minho prepared. The table looked pretty nice, or at least adequate, you figured.

“Wow! This looks so much better than what I could’ve done! Good job, Dal-Rae!” he praised you and looked actually excited. “Everyone’s gonna be surprised by this, I never set the table or anything for these meetings. I think Jisung will be shocked.”

“Hahah, yeah. You prepare all this food and stuff, though!”

“But wait, why are there only 11 seats?”

“Well, you’re 11, right?”

“No, that’s not… right.” He replied while shaking his head disapprovingly.

“What do you mean? Chris, Olivia, Han, Changbin and Felix, I.N., Mary, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Felix and you. That’s 11.”

“Dal-Rae, we’re 12.”

“No, you’re 11. Did I count it wrong? Chris, Olivia-”

“No, dummy. You counted right. But you forgot your seat.” He ruffled your hair and grabbed another plate, placing it on the table.

“Oh- Am I… invited, though?” you asked unsure.

“What? Why wouldn’t you be-”

“SURPRISEEE!” a familiar voice shouted loudly and busted through the door.

“Jisung, what the heck?” Minho chuckled.

“Lee Know, Lee Know, Lee Know, I came to rescue you from your misery of having to set up the tab- What the fuck, man? This looks so beautiful, what? When did you learn how to manage without me?” he whined and faked a cry.

“It’s all her!” Minho pointed at you and bowed jokingly.

“Dal-Rae, just who I wanted to see! I missed you sooooo much!” he hugged you tightly.

“Don’t you text me everyday, though?” you chuckled, hugging the boy who quickly became your best friend back. “Although you didn’t even tell me you’re coming.”

“Wait, you’re texting her?” Lee Know raised an eyebrow.

“I do, but I still want to see you, Dal-Rae! I wanted to surprise you. Wow, getting big, are we?” he petted your belly and smiled, just when you felt a kick.

“Dude, don’t touch her like that-” Minho started and grabbed Han’s wrist, but was quickly interrupted.

“OMG! THE BABY JUST MOVED! THE BABY JUST HIGH FIVED ME!”

“Yeah, it keeps doing it! Especially if I lay down. If it’s a boy, it must be a future football player or something!” you chuckled.

“Or a boxer! Or maybe it’s a girl and she likes dancing!”

“Seriously? Did it… kick?” Minho asked, surprised.

“Yes!” Han exclaimed. “Oh my god, this is the most beautiful thing ever!!! What the heck. Wow. The miracle of life.”

You noticed something shift in Minho’s eyes. Jealousy? It can’t be. Curiosity? Maybe he wanted to feel the baby’s kicks too but didn’t know how to ask.

“Do you… want to…”

“No, no, I’m fine.” He quickly denied.

“Oh…” You frowned. You didn’t expect him to reject the idea so openly. Was he that uncomfortable with touching you, or was he just hesitating?

“I mean- I don’t want you to be uncomfortable-”

“I’m not! You don’t make me uncomfortable, so you can-”

“Seriously, guys? What the heck is wrong with y’all?” Han sighed and grabbed Minho’s hands and pulled him towards your belly.

You found it a bit amusing how Minho was always putting on a brave face, but now, looking at you, he seemed so unsure.

Was he really allowed to touch you? He knew Olivia hated people placing their hands all over her belly, she barely let Chan touch her, much to his dismay, so Minho never insisted, although he couldn’t deny that he was curious. And he hasn’t really had other chances to interact with pregnant people or to be close enough to someone as to ask.

For Minho, this felt… personal, in a way.

“I…”

“It’s okay.” You said and grabbed his hands that were hovering mere centimetres in front of your belly, placing them against you firmly.

His hands were cold, you noticed, and the expression on his face was expectant. Luckily for him, the baby seemed to be active today, so another kick came pretty quickly, making Minho open his mouth in shock and excitement.

“Oh! Wow!” he smiled brightly and looked into your eyes.

He was so beautiful. Of course, you’ve noticed that when you first saw him. But this? Fuck, your heart was not prepared for this.

The way he looked at you, the smile on his face, the way small creases formed around his eyes, mouth and nose, the way his cold hands felt on your warm belly…

This was too much to bear for your poor heart that was now running at 400 km/h.

The feeling came over you again, and you allowed yourself a second to wish that Minho was the father of your child instead. Then, you slapped yourself in your head and returned his smile.

Don’t be stupid, Dal-Rae.

“How’s that, Lee Know? Isn’t that great?” Han asked excitedly.

“Mhm.” He nodded happily.

“Makes me wanna have a kid too! That’s so unfair!!! Why don’t I have a girlfriend yet?” Han whined. “Dal-Rae, promise me you’re gonna make me the Godfather! Pretty please??”

“Oh! Would you want that? Like, for real?” you asked, this time you being the surprised one.

“YES!!! CAN I?”

“Dude, you’re too loud.” Minho covered Han’s mouth with his hand.

“Yeah, but isn’t it too quiet without me here?” he replied with a muffled voice, struggling to speak through Minho’s hands.

“Eww, don’t lick my hand! Gross!” Minho grimaced and let Jisung go.

“Han, I’d love it if you were my baby’s Godfather.” You replied, ignoring the small commotion and curses between the two.

“Oh my god!!! Really??? Lee Know!!! Did you hear that?? I’m gonna be the Godfather! This makes me a bit emotional.” He said, tearing up and hugging you.

“By the way, how’s Uni?” Minho asked, unimpressed.

“Wah, Dal-Rae, how are you holding up living with this asshole and his three asshole cats?”

“The cats are really nice, actually.” You replied with a chuckle.

“Hey! Just the cats? What about me?” Minho pouted, making you laugh.

“You… you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” You smiled and quickly corrected yourself, afraid he would misunderstand. “Both of you.”

Or rather, you were afraid he would understand.

It was true. Minho is the best thing that ever happened to you. And the fact that the “is” would soon turn into a “was” truly broke you, but you knew you couldn’t stay here forever.

It was stupid of you to get used to Minho’s presence and to depend on him so much. He was not the father of your child, so you had no right to live in your made-up fantasy that he was and that he would keep taking care of you.

After all, in less than 6 weeks, your baby would be born. Until then, you’d have to get a new job, search for a place for you two and get your life together.

How were you going to do this? You weren’t sure.

~

“Dal-Rae, I was not expecting to see you tonight! How are you?” Olivia approached you rather coldly. Although she was smiling, you could tell how forced it looked. Maybe Minho shouldn’t have invited you after all.

“I’m good, thank you. What about you? Were you busy at the shop lately?”

“Oh, yeah! Very! By the way, this is Chris, I believe you still haven’t met him yet? Chris, honey, this is Dal-Rae, the girl that came with Minho to the store the other week. Oh! Hyunjin!” she exclaimed, noticing a tall frame enter the door. She left you and Chan alone and ran over to the younger, jumping up and ruffling his hair affectionately.

“Ohhhh, yes, I remember Olivia telling me about you coming to the store. I’m Chan, or Chris, whichever you prefer. Nice to meet you!” he said, turning his attention to you.

“The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard a lot about you from Minho and especially from Han. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Good things I hope!” he chuckled.

“Yeah, nothing to worry about.” You returned his laugh and pointed him towards the table. “You can sit down if you’d like.”

“Do you live around here? It’s pretty late, so I’m just surprised that you’d come, considering you’re pregnant and all. I remember Olivia barely had any energy to interact with others, especially at this hour. She would sleep like a log.” He chuckled and affectionately took a glance at his wife.

“She lives here.” Han came from behind you and placed his arm around your shoulder.

“Really?” Chan asked, his face forming a slight frown that you would’ve missed have you not observed him so closely. “That’s great! Uhm… will you excuse me for a moment?” he brushed over you and headed towards the kitchen.

“Don’t mind him so much, Dal-Rae. He’s just trying to look out for Lee Know. Chan can get really protective of his friends, and Minho is like a little brother to him.” Han whispered.

“I… know. But… he doesn’t have anything to worry about. It’s true that Minho is helping me, but I would never take advantage of him. I will try to move out as soon as possible, before the baby comes. I promise.”

“Wait, what? When’s that?”

“In less than 2 months, so there’s really nothing to worry about. I’ll be gone soon.”

“What do you mean?” Han frowned. “How? Where?”

“I don’t… uhm… Minho is paying me way more than he should, I’m sure, so I do have a little wiggle room…”

“Did you tell Minho about this? That you’re planning to leave…?”

You were the one to frown hearing this question. How could you tell him and burden him even more with worry?

Trying to push aside the sinking feeling in your chest, you smiled briefly and muttered a quiet “Soon” with a shake of your head.

~

“Hey, man. The food looks great.” Chan approached Minho.

“Oh, I didn’t know you'd already arrived. I’m stacking up these plates still!”

“Smells great too.”

“Thanks. I’m working on a new recipe, so you’ll be my guinea pigs tonight.” Minho chuckled.

“Listen… Olivia told me that you brought a girl back to the store…”

“Oh, yeah. Her name’s Dal-Rae. What about her? She’s here tonight if you wanna meet her.”

“I just did… she seems like a nice girl… but Minho, Han said she lives here. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m just gonna ask you this once. Are you… the father of her child?”

Right. The elephant in the room.

Lee Know sighed. “I’m sure Olivia already told you about it.”

“She did, but I want to hear it directly from you.”

“If she did, then you know the answer. No, I’m not the father of her child.”

“Then… what are you doing?”

“What am I doing?” Minho dropped everything from his hands and faced his friend.

“You know what I mean.” Chan replied sternly, frowning.

“No, I don’t.”

“Minho, don’t play dumb. Letting her stay here and eating your food? Paying hundreds of dollars for things for her?”

“What was I supposed to do then, hm? Let her go and pretend I didn’t notice she needs help? You didn’t see her when she first came in! She was full of bruises-”

“I’m sure we can find other ways to help her. We’ll contact a women’s shelter and-”

“We’ve already tried that route, smarty-pants.” Minho sneered. He was feeling irrationally angry. “And you know what happened? Nothing. There was no place for her.”

“But even so, hear me out.”

“No. I decided to help her. I can’t let her down now. Not when her due date is so close.”

“Minho-”

“Chris. I’m serious about it. She will stay here, and I will help her.”

“Why? What got you so worked up for this girl, man? You’re still young, you have time to find someone else.”

“You should know better than anyone that I don’t want someone else after what happened.”

“But still, this isn’t right for you.” Chan frowned. “I just wanna look out for you, man. If you’re doing this for her just for pity… That’s not right either.”

“That’s how it was at first, but now? I don’t know… I think I… for the first time in so long, I think…”

Minho wasn’t sure if he was able to admit that out loud, but Chan’s raised eyebrow made him confess with a sigh:

“I think I’m in love with her.”

~

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

[roping-riding-wrangling]

Little Black Train

Previous Chapter

After several minutes of silence, interspersed with your father’s sniffling, he finally speaks up, “you were a fat baby. 11 pounds. Grandma Mary loved pinching those chubby little cheeks till they were bright red.”

Your response is to squeeze him tighter, encouraging him to keep going. 

“I keep thinking about what I’d do if it was us,” he says, “If you were the one I was burying tomorrow.”

Summary: Y/n and Bob look through some scrapbooks, she goes monster hunting, and trauma dumps just a bit

Words: 4k

Warnings: Fem!Newby!reader, guns, funeral, mentions of death (including matriarchal and death of a child), swearing, mentions of Jonathan's creepy stalker photos

The living room is quiet. The whole house is quiet. There is a sense of mourning that exudes the walls, as if they know there is no place for joy here. They hold a deep reverence for the boy they never met, and as far as they know, never will. 

But you know better. You know better than to hold a wake for a boy still alive, who’s false body will be lowered into the ground tomorrow. 

Its late. Too late for your dad to be awake, yet there he is. You walk into your room and he sits on the bed, holding a scrapbook of baby pictures. A scrapbook that doesn’t contain anything past age 13. You can tell he’s been crying, his cheeks are still wet and his green eyes are contrasted against the red in his sclera. 

You shift from foot to foot in the doorway. You pull at the sleeves of your jacket that you’ve yet to take off. He looks up at you and for the first time in a long time, you feel his age. His salt and pepper hair, the slight wrinkles on his face, the way he slouches from years of being hunched over a workbench. Bob Newby is by no means an old man, but he’s certainly not the young man who used to run circles around you. 

You know, though, that as he stares at you, he only sees the little girl he cradled in his arms until you fell asleep. The kid who, unlike most 5 year old girls, came home covered in mud every day inexplicably. The child who ran into his room anytime you had a nightmare or the darkness was just a little too dark. His little buddy. 

Perhaps Benny’s death and Will’s impending funeral have made you both a little more aware of each other's mortality. You sit next to him on the bed and put your arm around him and place your head on his shoulder. It reminds you of how you comforted Jonathan mere moments ago in the car. 

You look down at the page your dad has opened. It's your first birthday party. Your dad holds your tiny body aloft, rubbing his nose with yours. You each have giant grins on your faces. In the background, your mother sits. She wears a bored expression, party hat tilted atop her head. She’s admittedly very beautiful, and you’ve inherited all her ugliest flaws. You hate how much you see of her in the mirror. 

Your dad is clearly not focused on the woman who abandoned you both. He looks instead at the focus–you, always you. Your dad has done everything for you, a sacrifice that you will never dismiss. 

After several minutes of silence, interspersed with your father’s sniffling, he finally speaks up, “you were a fat baby. 11 pounds. Grandma Mary loved pinching those chubby little cheeks till they were bright red.”

Your response is to squeeze him tighter, encouraging him to keep going. 

“I keep thinking about what I’d do if it was us,” he says, “If you were the one I was burying tomorrow.”

“What would you do?” you ask

“That's the thing,” he answers, “I don’t know. I try to picture losing you and I just get so sad I can’t think. Like, my brain stops working. I think that's just how it is, though. When a parent loses their kid, they lose their function. I remember seeing you for the first time and thinking: wow, this is my purpose. So, I lose you and I lose the purpose.”

He kisses the side of your forehead. “You’re my purpose, buddy. Don’t ever forget that.”

You kiss his cheek in return. “You’re my best friend. I don’t care how lame I sound. I’m lucky you’re my dad.”

You sit and pour over the scrapbook together, sharing wet laughs until the wee hours of the morning. You’ve nodded off against your dad’s shoulder too many times and he slaps his thighs before standing up, jerking you awake. 

“Alright buddy,” he yawns, “I’m off to bed. Goodnight, love you.”

“G’night,” you say, already under the covers, “Love you too.”

–––––––––

The funeral is the next day and though you know the truth about Will’s apparent demise, it doesn’t change the fact that you are attending a funeral for a little boy. A little boy whose brother you’ve come to care for like your own sibling. You dress in a simple black dress, your dad wears a wool sweater over his dress shirt. You arrive early to the funeral, at your father’s insistence on punctuality. 

You see Jonathan and his mother, but there’s a man with them you’ve never seen before. 

Jonathan makes eye contact with you and slips away from them. You walk away from your dad, who is trapped in conversation with Mrs. Withersbee. Jonathan’s state keeps deteriorating, you notice. He looks even paler than yesterday and his eyebags are even more pronounced. You wonder if he got even an hour of sleep last night. 

“Hey,” you pull him into a hug. You’ve noticed over the past few days that he always sinks into your touch. You can feel him relax, even if just slightly. You pull away and nod at the man sitting next to his mother. “Who’s that?” you ask.

“Lonnie–my dad,” Jonathan says with a barely contained sneer. 

Your dad joins the pair of you, finally free of Mrs. Withersbee. “Jonathan?” your dad holds out his hand, which Jonathan takes in a firm handshake. “Mr. Newby.”

“I’m sorry about Will. We’re here if you guys need anything,” your dad says.

“Thanks,” Jonathan nods at him. 

You depart from Jonathan with a comforting squeeze of his shoulders. As you walk to find a spot, your eyes scan the crowd for Nancy. You spot her and recognize her brother from Dustin’s group of friends. You try to recall his name, Matt or Mason or something–you know it starts with an M. 

She doesn’t look your way, instead her eyes are practically locked onto Jonathan. Anytime you look her way during the ceremony, you can clearly follow her line of sight to the boy. An unreadable emotion is displayed on her face, or perhaps its several different emotions bubbling up to the surface. 

Your dad’s arm is heavy across your shoulders. You appreciate the extra warmth he gives you against the cold November air. 

The casket is lowered into the ground. It's a very sobering moment as you realize that even if they aren’t dead, very soon you could be at Will’s real funeral. Or Barbara’s, or Eleven’s. You glance at the other teens. It could be they’re funeral too. They’re a year younger than you and though it's not a huge gap, but you still feel protective of them. 

After the ceremony, you slip away from your dad and grab Nancy’s hand. She lets you guide her silently to Jonathan’s car. He’s waiting for you with a piece of paper. 

You and Nancy come up on either side of him as he shows it to you. The three of you sit down on the ground. “It's a map,” he begins his explanation, “This is for sure where we know it’s been.”

Nancy looks impressed at his collection of the information. Both of you’d assumed that this would be something to be done as a group. Your eyes dart between the map, Jonathan and Nancy. You wonder if this is part of the reason he got so little sleep or if he had done this because he couldn’t sleep.

You look back at the map. There are three Xes on it. 

“So that's…” Nancy trails off

“Steve’s house, where Will’s bike was found, my house,” Jonathan says, pointing at each X

“Huh,” you say, “they're all really close. And look how close Will’s bike was to Benny’s?”

“Exactly,” Jonathan says, “It's all within a mile or something. Whatever this thing is, it’s not traveling far.”

“You wanna go out there?” Nancy asks.

“We might not find anything,” Jonathan says.

“I found something,” she responds.

“We have to try.” you say

“And if we find this thing, then what?” Nancy says

Jonathan responds resolutely, “We kill it.”

You and Nancy look at each other, a question in both of your heads: kill it with what?

Jonathan is already standing and offers a hand to Nancy who takes it, who then in turn helps you up from the ground. The two of you follow behind Jonathan as he leads you to a car you don’t recognize. 

“Cover me,” he says before squatting down and unlocking the door with a knife. You and Nancy huddle around the boy, looking around to make sure no one sees you. 

“Are you crazy?” you ask 

He doesn’t answer you, just opens the door and begins on the glove compartment.

“Who’s car is this anyway?” you ask again.

“Lonnie’s” he answers. 

“Oh.”

He opens the glovebox and pulls out a gun. Nancy looks at and scoffs, “Are you serious?”

“What?” Jonathan says, “You wanna find this thing and take another photo of it? Yell at it?”

“This is a terrible idea,” she says.

“Jonathan’s right. We need to get rid of this thing. This,” you gesture to the gun, “is our best chance.”

“We could tell someone.” she glances warily at the gun. 

“Who would believe us?”

Nancy looks up at Jonathan, trying to convince him, “Your mom would.”

“She’s been through enough,” he argues. 

“But–”

“Nancy,” you grab her arm, “do you really want to bring more people in on this? This thing’s dangerous. The less people involved, the better.”

She bites her lip, thinking it over. You and Jonathan look at each other, then back at her. 

“Okay.” she says.

–––––

In the car, your dad talks again about the AV club. “Scott–Mr. Clarke–was telling me that the ham shack caught on fire. Totally random, just burst into flames.”

“It wasn’t a prank or anything?” you ask.

“Nope. Just poof! Melted.”

“Weird.”

–––––

At home, you search through the shed for something to fight against a life-threatening monster with. Your dad doesn't have any traditional weapons around, but you do find a big pipe that could come in handy. You don’t want Jonathan to be the only one armed. You throw the pipe into your trunk, then go back inside. Your dad is on the phone in his office–where all the tools are. 

You slink inside and he raises an eyebrow at you. You mouth “Screwdriver” to him. He opens a drawer and you come around to pick one out. You find the biggest one you can and give him a kiss on the cheek. Outside his office, you stick the screwdriver in your jacket pocket. You grab your bag and keys and jump into your truck.

After popping a Beatles cassette into the tape deck, you drive to the address Nancy gave you. It's not too far from where you live, but most definitely in the nicer part of town. 

You pull up and Steve is outside talking to his girlfriend. You can’t see him, but her face is strained, awkward. 

“Nancy!” you call out to her, “C’mon!”

“Sorry Steve, I gotta go.”

She runs to your car and throws the bat she’s holding in the bed of the truck. 

“What’d he want?” you ask, driving away.

Nancy drags a hand down her face. “I don’t know…he wanted to see a movie, but obviously…”

“You can’t,” you finish for her.

“Even if I could…I don’t know if I want to,” she says.

“Oh?” you say. 

“Its just…He was such a dick the other day. He got mad at me when I went to the police about Barb. He freaked out because he was gonna get in trouble with his parents for having a party–drinking and stuff. Barb is missing and all he cared about was that he was gonna be in trouble with mommy and daddy. And I know he’s a good guy, he apologized–just now– but I don’t know. It still stings.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah. whatever, we have bigger things to worry about.”

“Yeah…have you ever shot a gun before?” you ask, genuinely curious about the girl.

“I’ve never even held one.” she laughs, “You?”

“No. Benny was gonna teach me after I graduated, take me hunting and everything.” you say.

“You were really close with him, huh?”

“Yeah. He was a family friend for ages. He actually helped me get this,” you gesture to the truck, “piece of shit up and running.” 

Almost as if to spite you, the truck makes a groaning noise.

“Is that normal?” Nancy asks nervously.

“Oh that,” the grumbling stops, “It happens sometimes. Don’t worry about it.”

“Right…” she says.

You pull off the road and drive into the grass at the edge of the woods. Hoisting yourself up on the bed of the truck, you grab the pipe and the baseball bat, tossing the latter to Nancy. 

“Nice catch,” you say.

The two of you walk to the clearing that Jonathan described. He’s already there, shooting at glass bottles–and missing terribly.

“Do you think he knows he’s supposed to aim for the cans?” Nancy says to you, loud enough for him to hear it. 

“You see the spaces in between the cans,” he retorts, “I’m aiming for those, actually.”

“Then you’re a perfect shot.” you say, setting down your stuff. 

Jonathan looks to Nancy, who is already standing right next to him. “You ever shot a gun before?” he asks. You and Nancy look at each other and laugh at having just had the exact same conversation. Jonathan looks between the two of you, perplexed. 

“Sorry,” Nancy says between giggling, “No, have you met my parents?”

Jonathan looks to you and you shake your head no. 

“Yeah, I haven’t shot one since I was ten,” Jonathan says, “My dad took me hunting on my birthday. Made me kill a rabbit.”

“A rabbit?” Nancy says. 

“Yeah. I guess he thought it would make me more of a man or something. I cried for a week.”

You picture a ten year old Jonathan crying while holding a gun, standing over a dead rabbit. It makes sense that he would cry over killing something so small and defenseless. He’s intensely protective, so of course he wouldn’t want to hurt something that isn’t doing any harm.

“Your dad sounds like a peach.” you say sarcastically. 

“Yeah,” he scoffs, “I think he and my mother loved each other at some point, but I wasn’t around for that part.”

Nancy holds out her hand and Jonathan hands the gun to her. She aims and lets out a breath. “I don’t think my parents ever loved each other.” she says.

“There must’ve been some reason they married each other.” Jonathan says and she rolls her eyes. “My mom was young. My dad was older, but he had a cushy job, money, came from a good family. So they bought a nice house at the end of a cul-de-sac and started their nuclear family.”

“Screw that.” Jonathan huffs.

“Yeah,” she closes one eye, “Screw that.”

She squeezes the trigger and hits the can dead on. 

“Woah!” you gasp.

She blushes and offers you the gun, which you take. It's oddly heavy in your hands. You line up in front of a can and square yourself up. 

“I uh, I never really knew my mom,” you say, raising the gun, “She died a few years ago. What's crazy is I didn’t even know her family existed, but they all acted like I was the prodigal son. The truck is her old shitbox. They insisted I take it. Her husband has two lincolns.”

“Oh.” Nancy says.

You can remember every little detail of her funeral. Her husband–tall, graying hair, and dark brown eyes. He had wrinkles around his eyes and wore half moon eyeglasses. Her son looked like the perfect combination of the two of them. Though he’s younger, he stood at eye level with you. You would have balked at the similarities between the two of you, if you’d cared. He smirked as her husband pressed the keys into your hand and insisted that she would have wanted it, that you deserve it. 

The months that followed that interaction were filled with painstaking labor and frequent stops at the auto shop. Benny taught you everything you could ever know about taking care of a car’s engine, but the radio was all your dad. The damn thing had a tape jammed in it and your dad spent an entire day sitting in the hot Indiana sun, carefully fiddling with the radio, not just getting it to work, but also getting the tape out in one piece.

It was almost sunset when he got it to work, you were replacing the serpentine belt and heard his triumphant laugh, then the voice of Woody Guthrie sing, “You silken bar-room ladies, dressed in your worldly pride. You’ve got to ride that little black train thats coming in tonight.” You both cheered as the song played. 

The irony of that moment just now hits you, and you have to hold back a laugh as you realize that possibly the last song your mother heard was a song about the inescapability of death.

You suck in a breath and squeeze the trigger. The kickback surprises you with its power, for how small the weapon is. You don’t hit the can, instead the bullet lodges itself in the stump it rests upon. 

“You better hang on to this,” you hand Nancy the gun, “You’re clearly the best shot.”

Again she blushes under the praise. You grab the pipe and Jonathan grabs the bat. The three of you stand at the edge of the woods. They seem so daunting, especially knowing what's in there. 

“Onwards?” you say to the others.

“Onwards,” they respond in unison.

––––

You’ve been walking in circles for over an hour and haven’t found anything. You walk a few paces ahead of the others, occasionally hitting at the ground with your pipe. You turn around and walk backwards while facing the two younger teens. “Have you guys seen anything yet?”

“No,” Jonathan says. 

You turn back around and walk further ahead. 

“You never said what I was saying,” Nancy tells Jonathan. 

“What?” he says what you’re thinking. 

“Yesterday, you said I was saying something and that’s why you took my picture,” says Nancy. 

You cringe, remembering the invasive photos of the girl. 

“Oh, uh. I don’t know” Jonathan explais “I guess I saw this girl, trying to be someone else. But for that moment…it was like you were alone, or you thought you were. And, you know, you could just be yourself.”

Apparently Nancy disagrees because she says, “That is such bullshit.” “What?” Jonathan stammers.

You don’t hear their footsteps anymore, so you turn around to see them stopped and facing each other. 

“I am not trying to be someone else. Just because I’m dating Steve and you don’t like him–”

“You know what? Forget it, I just thought it was a good picture.”

Jonathan walks past you, Nancy hot on his heels. 

“He’s actually a good guy,” She yells at him, “the other day, with the camera he’s not like that at all…he was just being protective.”

You can't help but wonder when Nancy had changed her mind and forgiven Steve–or if it was a ruse for the sake of fighting with Jonathan.

“Yeah, thats one word for it,” Jonathan scoffs. 

“Oh and I guess what you did was okay?” she retorts

“I never said that,” he yells over his shoulder.

Nancy pushes on the topic, “He had every right to be pissed–” 

“Does that mean I have to like him?”

“No.”

They huff at each other for a moment. You can clearly pick up on some tension between them–romantic or otherwise. Jonathan takes a breath and picks his next words carefully, “Listen. Don’t take it personally. I don’t like most people. He’s in the vast majority.”

Nancy doesn’t let the conversation end there. It's like she wants to fight. “You know, I was actually starting to think that you were okay. I was thinking ‘Jonathan Byers: maybe he’s not the pretentious creep everyone says he is.”

That gets Jonathan riled up again, “I was just starting to think you were okay. I was thinking ‘Nancy Wheeler: Maybe she’s not just the same suburban girl who thinks she’s rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does, until that phase passes and they marry some boring one-time jock who now works sales and they’ll live out a perfectly boring little life at the end of some cul-de-sac. Exactly like their parents, who they thought were so depressing. But now hey, they get it’”

“Jonathan!” you yell at him and chase after him as he storms away. Nancy follows behind you and the three of you walk in silence. You stand in the middle of the two, a buffer. For hours, you explore the area from Jonathan’s map. You walk well past sunset and each pull flashlights from your bags. The forest is ten times creepier at night. It's a new moon, so the only light comes from the flashlights you carry. Every crunch of a leaf or snap of a twig nearly gives you whiplash from how hard you swing your head. 

A low whimper sounds to your right and you turn your head immediately. Nancy stops, having also heard the noise. 

“Are you tired?” Jonathan mocks but you hold up your hand. “Shut up,” you say. 

“What?” he asks, offended.

“Shut up!” you whisper-yell at him.

Nancy looks over to you, then off in the distance “I think its over–” 

The noise comes again, louder this time. “There!” She shouts and begins walking towards the sound. You and Jonathan trail after her to find an injured deer. 

“Oh god,” you say.

“Its been hit by a car,” Nancy says, kneeling down, “we can’t just leave it.”

The doe whimpers again and Nancy holds the gun out as if to shoot it, her hand shaking and lip quivering. Jonathan gently says to her, “I’ll do it.”

“I thought you said…” she trails off.

“I’m not nine anymore.” he states and takes the gun from her. 

The three of you stand and Nancy turns to you, facing away from the doe. You pull an arm around her and she grips your jacket, seeking comfort in you. Shielding herself from the reality the deer has to face. 

You close your eyes in anticipation, but are no gunshots to be heard, only a dragging sound. You open your eyes to see the doe being pulled into the darkness. You lean closer to see a trail of blood left behind. “What was that?” you ask no one in particular. 

You follow the trail through the trees. No one dares to say a word until the trail ends. But there is no deer and no monster at the end. It just…stops. 

“Where’d it go?” Nancy says.

“I don’t know,” Jonathan answers, his gun up, “do you see any more blood?”

You shine your flashlight all over the ground but find nothing, “Not here.”

The three of you split up to cover more ground. You point your flashlight all over, but find nothing. No blood, no bones. It's like the deer disappeared completely. 

“Y/n!” you hear Nancy yell from afar, “Jonathan!” You turn around and head towards where you heard her. You shine your light towards where she is, but there’s nothing there. Suddenly a scream resounds. You run hard, your legs burning. You push past it, never dropping your pace. You hear Jonathan yell her name from farther away. You call out to her too, practically willing her to appear. 

The scream doesn’t leave your mind. It’s blood-curdling, heart-stopping. You keep running, but trip over something and crash face first into something hard. Pushing yourself up, you try to blink off the dizziness. Looking down, you see a rock right where your forehead landed. You turn to see your foot is caught in and your heart drops when you see Nancy’s bag on the ground. You hurriedly untangle yourself and push yourself up. Jonathan nearly knocks you into the ground again as he barrels forward. 

“Where is she?” he looks at you, eyes pleading.

“I don’t know.” you say “Nancy!”

“Nancy!”

All you hear is a scream in response. 

Taglist: @ucannotcompare

[veemunson86]

Mrs munson

Chapter 5. Was so tired when I wrote this, I'm gonna start a little section of the mastlist with little in detail extras of the moments at random. Also send in some requests you'd like to see for this series!!

Masterlist

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Ever since the day he met your girl, Eddie was never the same again. It amazed you how great he was with her, and how much she adored him.

It was rough at first, having her break from her routine now that he lived with the two of you, but it was an adjustment you all worked on together.

It was hard explaining a cover story to prove he was really innocent, nobody could ever know what really happened. Everyone knew of what happened to Jason, and it was Steve's idea, to tell everyone Jason went out of control and he was the one responsible for chrissys death, wnd couldn't cope with what he did, and spiraled out, attacked Lucas before the events after. And surprisingly, everyone believed it. It meant alot to finally have his name cleared.

The hardest part was trying to find a way to explain to everyone who thought he was dead, that he was alive. So you did what you should have done from the beginning, you told the truth.  The only people who knew of his death were the hellfire guys, and the party's parents, you told the parents that was the safest thing for eddie until his name was cleared, and you told his friends the truth. You didn't sugar coat anything, and they took it very well, just haply to have their friend back. They had all become uncles to Amelia, and she grew to love them all.

You woke one morning to start your new routine.  You sat up, before being dragged back down my Eddie. He groaned tiredly" 5 more minutes.' He mumbled sleepily. " babe it's already 9." You giggled softly. Every morning was like this now, and you wouldn't have it any other way. You were about to agree until you heard babbling coming from your daughters nursery . "I'll get her." He said eagerly, jumping out of bed and running to the nursery, coming back with you're happy girl. She gave you a big toothy grin, now having 2 on the top row. "Goodmoring my sweet girl ' you kissed her cheek. She squealed and kicked her chubby little legs. " ready for today little flower girl?" Eddie asked in a cutesy baby voice. Ah yes, your wedding. Now, like everything in Hawkins, it would be a bit different, not a big wedding.  You planned a small get together in a beautiful outside area in the middle of town, and then a small after party at your home.

"You're gonna look so cute in your little dress aren't you sweetie?" He asked, kissing her cheeks. She cooed and looked up her dad with a wide smile. " what time do we have to be there again?" He asked, bouncing Amelia in his arms,  causing her to coo " 11. So we have like a hour and a half to get ready, then we will leave at 10:30 to head there." You said smiling. "And are you sure you don't want me to wear a tux? I will if you want me to." He said smiling. You smiled "I want you to wear what you want. I'm not wearing a big fancy dress, it's just a quick ceremony and then we have the party, so we should be comfy." You said kissing his cheek.

You both decided to dress your style, so he wore black jeans, black boots, a long-sleeved led zeppelin shirt, and his vest. You wore shorts, a Metallica t shirt, and a red leather jacket, and high heeled black boots.

Although you wore that same outfit every other week in school, it was the first he'd seen since he'd been back, so when you walked down his jaw dropped. You blushed as he stood at the end of the hall with wide eyes and a open mouth." You look... wow.." you giggled "thank you, you look very wow too" you smiled and kissed him softly, which he returned. "She ready?' You asked as you saw Amelia in her stroller. Eddie picked her out the cutest outfit which had a matching diaper cover. It was a pink flowery dress with matching pink bows, as he did her hair in little curly pigtails. "Oh she is adorable!" You got out your camera and snapped a few pictures.

*because I'm not about to type out the whole ceremony, skip to the end*

Steve was thrilled when you and Eddie asked him to be the one to marry you both. He finished and let you guys go in with vows " you may now kiss the bride.' He smiled and everyone cheered, you laughing as Eddie picked you up, your legs around his waist as he kissed you. "Ready to go party Mrs munson?" Mrs munson.. it had such a ring to it. "Let's do it Mr munson." You said before kissing him again. He set you down "alright everyone, party at the munson house !"

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If you'd like to see the wedding after party, I will Have a little section of the masterlist with extra moments and little thoughts soon!!

Tags:

[lovebaela]

Ice & Fire ༄ Pt. 11 (Bran Stark x Targaryen oc fanfic)

⋇ Chapter 11: The Wedding ⋇

Warnings: Smut (again I tried LOL)

Tsireya’s POV

A few days before the wedding, the houses of the North came to Winterfell to talk about the marriage. They were at first skeptical about me, until the Starks defended me. “She has been raised along side us before the war,” Sansa said, “we have full trust in her.” After getting that out of the way, I had to figure out which dress I wanted. Sansa and Arya, of course, helped me pick one.

We all met up in the godswood again, requested by Bran. He was really ticked off, he saw in the past all that Little Finger did. He told us and we were shocked. “So…he was the one who sent that assassin?” I asked. He nodded, “yes..” “I knew he couldn’t be completely trusted but wow, he started everything!” Sansa said, growing angry. We held a trial for Little Finger, of course he denied all the accusations, but Bran brought up everything he did from the past. He begged for his life, especially to Sansa, but that wasn’t going to work. Arya passed Bran a sword. He whispered to himself, “the man who passes the sentence swings the sword…” he sentenced Little Finger to death and sliced his head off. At least we don’t have to worry about him anymore.

The day before the wedding is Bran’s coronation. He had to proceed into the Great Hall on horseback like he did before. But instead of doing it as a Prince, he did it as a King. It felt like just yesterday when we had the harvest.

Before he trotted in, the Lords of each Northern house drew out their swords and rose them up. As he passed each Lord, they lowered their swords. Once he sat down at the high table, the maester placed the crown on his head. Everyone chanted, “King of the North!” Just like that, the day was already over. Everyone went to bed extra early for tomorrow.

My maids helped me get dressed in my wedding gown. Sansa and Arya were also in my room too. I decided to put my hair up instead of letting it flow.

“You look so beautiful,” Sansa said.

“Like a queen,” Arya smiled.

“Thank you guys,” I said. I gave them both a big hug, “well, I guess it’s time.” Sansa and Arya nodded and left the room so they could go to their spot outside in the godswood. I thanked the maids and dismissed them too.

When it was finally my queue to go, I took a deep breath and left my room. The sun was starting to go down, such a beautiful scenery. I walked in front of the trail that had lanterns on both sides leading all the way down to the tree. Everyone stopped talking and turned to see me. They all gasped in awe. Bran’s eyes widened as he saw me, making me grin a little. He looked so handsome, dressed in black, kingly attire. I started walking down the aisle, hearing people whispering compliments.

We are both 18 now, man and woman. If only everyone else could see us, how far we have come.

I started to imagine what the wedding also could’ve been like. I pictured Jon, Robb, Rickon, Lord Eddard, and the girls by Bran’s side. For my side, I pictured my mother and the rest of my family. What hit me hard the most was thinking about my father. He could have been the one to walk me down, giving me to Bran. I also thought of Hodor, Jojen, and Summer. I looked up and saw our dragons circling the ceremony, watching from above. I finally made it to Bran and the maester in front of the tree.

“We are gathered here today to witness the union of man and woman. Brandon of House Stark, King of the North, son of Eddard Stark and Lady Tsireya of House Targaryen, daughter of Daeron Targaryen.” the maester announced, “now, King Brandon Stark, do you take this woman?”

Bran looked deeply into my eyes, “yes, I take this woman.”

“And you, Lady Tsireya Targaryen, do you take this man?”

I never broke eye contact with Bran, “yes, I take this man..”

We both move closer to each other and hold each other’s hand. Then we face the tree and kneel before it, in prayer and meditation. We both stood back up. “Now you may take your bride under your protection,” the maester told Bran. He removed the cloak from his shoulders and placed it on mine. Then the Maester approached me with a crown, placing it on my head, “Tsireya Targaryen Stark, our Queen of the North!”

Sansa signaled a maid to grab a dragon glass blade. The maid gave it to the maester. The maester first gave it to Bran, he puts it against his bottom lip and slides it down, making it bleed.

He then cuts his hand before giving it to me to do the same. After I cut my lip and hand, he first rubs a mark on my forehead and then I do the same to him. This signifies the continuation of our bloodline. We both take each other’s bloody hand as the maester wrapped the wedding cloth around them.

Bran and I both pledge in Valyrian, “One flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever.” We repeated the vows in common tongue for everyone else to understand.

The maester announced us as husband and wife, “you may kiss the bride.”

Our lips crashed together as the crowd cheered for us and clapped. Bran then lifts me up and carries me the rest of the way to the Great Hall, for the feast.

“To our new Queen of the North!” Bran shouts, lifting his goblet. The Lords begin to shout, “Queen of the North!” I giggled in embarrassment as I drunk out of my cup. We were presented with so much food! We wanted to try every dish, but we were full by the time we reached the third.

“How does it feel to be queen now?” Arya asked me.

“It feels nice,” I smiled.

“I have a wedding gift for you,” Bran said. He signaled the servants to bring it out. It was a Targaryen themed saddle! “I remembered when we talked about saddles for the dragons so…I had two get made for us! This one is yours!”

“Thank you, Bran!” I kissed him on the cheek.

The musicians played a certain song that sounded familiar. It was the song that played when Bran and I danced at the harvest. Bran smirked at me and offered his hand, “Kostagon eman bisa lilagon, ñuha dāria? (May I have this dance, my queen)”

“Kessa,” I accepted, placing my hand in his. We both went to the dance floor and did the same moves we did before as kids. This time, it felt so much more magical than before.

(Imagine them dancing like this)

Everyone watched as we danced in silence until we were finished. They applauded us and then everyone joined us on the dance floor. We did it the same way before, copying our dance moves and switching partners after we finish.

We were all having a blast! The feast started to get more hectic. The music was barely heard, the men were drunk and touching their women, and it was getting hotter. It was about time for bed.

“Now it is time for the bedding!” Bran announced, “but I will gladly carry my own wife to our bedchambers!” He picked me up as I giggled, blushing.

“Don’t be too loud now!” Arya shouted, making the hall laugh.

“Shut up!” We both yelled as we left.

For the bedding, we were given a special room. It sort of reminded me of Bran’s room, just filled with rose petals and nicely scented candles.

As soon as Bran shut the door closed with his foot, we immediately started to kiss each other, moving our mouths in sync. His lips were perfectly plump and so smooth, I could kiss them all night.

We were both waiting for this moment, just the two of us, alone with no interruptions. Bran gently placed me down, and we both started to remove our clothes. He finished a lot faster than me, leaving on his breeches. I insisted that I could do it on my own, so he went to his side of the bed and waited.

I placed the cloak and my white fur coat onto a chair. I started to remove my dress, Bran watched me in admiration as I gracefully removed it, revealing my corset, short braies, and high socks I had under my dress. Before I could hop into the bed, I seductively took down my bun and unbraided my hair, shaking my hair back and forth letting it fall on my back again.

I crawled to him from the foot of the bed. We were both blushing extremely hard. I took a moment to stare at his body. He was slim, but also had a slightly toned build. He was beautiful.

We both have been waiting for this moment, but it still felt a little silly and strange. We both laughed and giggled as I had my body over his.

Bran sat up and placed his hands on my hips as I straddled him. I wrapped both of my arms around his neck. We looked into each other’s eyes and then started to kiss again. The longer we kissed, the more hungrier we grew. This time, Bran opened his mouth more for my tongue to enter. He moaned as I explored his mouth with my tongue, whispering my name. He tried to find the strings of the back of my corset, but it was hard for him to see. He was too overflown with pleasure, keeping his eyes closed.

He managed to untie it and gently takes it off of me, tossing it across the room. He innocently couldn’t stop staring at my chest. I stop kissing him and giggle. I start to feel something strange under me. I glanced down at his breeches, noticing a bulge. I blushed really hard, chuckling, “oh, I guess you like what you see…” He turned completely red, “hey, stop picking on me!” He whined, with a slight grin on his face. I showered his whole face with kisses, making him giggle, “as my King commands.”

I took his two hands and placed them on my breasts for him to feel them. He looked from his hands to my eyes, his were filled with such curiosity and admiration. We started to kiss again, as he massaged my chest. Our tongues were dancing with each other as we kissed. I started to slowly grind on him, making him moan louder. We stopped kissing, out of breath, and I looked down at his breeches. “Do it,” Bran commanded desperately. “Yes, my king,” I tease, giving his nose a kiss.

I start to undo his breeches as he silently watched me. I threw them across the room like he did with my corset. I bit my lip as I looked upon him, blushing. His whole body is beautiful. “I guess you like what you see too?” He asked, laughing. “Yes, I do..” I proudly admit to him. “Alright, my turn!” Bran playfully yelled, switching our positions suddenly. “Oh!” I exclaim snickering, surprised that he did that. Bran started to carefully remove my white high socks and threw them at the side of the bed. He started to eye my braies asking, “may I?” I nod, letting him do the honors. He pulled down my braies and threw it at the side of the bed too. Bran scanned my face and body, “wow.” “What?” I asked. “You’re beautiful, Tsireya. Please don’t ever forget that. Inside and outside,” he said. I blushed replying, “thank you Bran, so are you…”

He kissed me slowly and passionately as I closed my eyes. I bit down on his bottom lip, making him groan in excitement. He positioned himself at a better angle on top of me and he looked at me, asking for permission, he didn’t even need to ask, I gave him a little nod as I panted. He tried to enter inside me, but it wasn’t going in. This was our first time after all. “S-Sorry…” he told me, embarrassed. I place my hand on his cheek giggling, “it’s okay!” After he kept thrusting a little more, I moaned loudly as I felt Bran unexpectedly entered in. Honestly, I didn’t care if people could hear us anymore. I started to whimper as he moved up and down on me slowly. “D-Does it hurt?” He asked me, worried. “No, no, it doesn’t hurt it just feels different,” I said, “but I like it…keep going.”

Without saying a word, he nodded and continued on. He kissed me again, traveling from my mouth to my neck, making me gasp. He started to gain more speed, thrusting harder and harder. I wrapped my legs around his waist, screaming his name in pleasure, “Bran!” I was a little embarrassed that I screamed but I was too in the moment to care.

As we released ourselves, both of us moaned extremely loudly. Bran then sighed and dropped right next to me, “well, we just did that.” We were both out of breath. “Yeah,” I chuckled, “Arya is going to tease us a whole lot tomorrow…” we both laughed. I turn to Bran, laying my head on his chest. “I can’t believe it,” Bran said, playing with my hair. “Us, King and Queen of the North, I never would have thought I would become king. Now, I must be like Robb. I have to be brave, we both do. We must protect our people from the Night King and the dead. No matter what happens, we go through it together.” “Yeah, together.” I agreed, “when will Jon and Daenerys be here?” “They’ll be on their way soon, when they do come, we must tell Jon. Tell him about who he truly is.”

We both just laid in the bed in silence, not sleepy. “So, what now?” I ask him. “Hmm,” Bran thought out loud, “you wanna do it again?” I giggled, “I’m up for it if you are…” I threw my leg over both of his. “I am all yours, my king.” I whispered, running my finger down his chest. I slightly winced as I felt him inside me again but quickly pushed the feeling aside. He gripped my hips hard as I began to ride him, “gods, I love you so much,” he moaned submissively.

°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。

When it was breakfast, we were already expecting Arya to say something. “How did you sleep?” Sansa asked Arya. “Well it could have been better,” she replied. She looked at us and then smirked, “I mean, practically the whole castle could hear those love birds. How is one supposed to sleep when all you hear is screaming?” We rolled our eyes at her, but we still turned red.

I won’t lie, after our bedding, we made love many days after. We just loved each other so much. Arya continued to playfully complain about our sounds of pleasure. “What can I say, I love to ride,” I said jokingly yet serious.

One night before we could remove our clothes, we heard a knock on the door. “Come in!” Bran said. A man entered the room, but he looked familiar. It was the man who helped us get beyond the wall! “Samwell Tarly,” Bran stated. “I thought you would have forgotten me,” Sam said, surprised Bran even remembered. “I remember everything now,” Bran replied.

Sam noticed me in the room, “o-oh, am I interrupting something?” “No,” I reassured him, “please come sit.”

He nodded, smiling, and closed the door behind him. “Thank you,” Bran said, “for getting us beyond the wall, you’re a good man.” “Gee, thank you, your grace, though I’m not really sure that I am,” he replied, “what happened to you, outside the wall?”

“I trained to become the three-eyed raven.” He told Sam.

“Oh! I…don’t know what that means…”

“It means I can see the past and sometimes glimpses of the future. I can see what happens now, well when I choose to.”

“What brings you to Winterfell?” I asked Sam.

“Is Jon here?” Sam asked. “I came to see him.”

“No, but he is on his way back with Daenerys Targaryen from Dragonstone.” Bran answered.

“Did you see that in a vision?” Sam asked.

Bran showed Sam a little letter that was sent by a raven.

Sam, feeling dumb, chuckled, “oh.”

“When he comes, we must tell him the truth,” Bran said.

“About what?”

“About himself…no one knows, no one but me and Tsireya.”

“He isn’t the son of Eddard Stark,” I told Sam, “he’s the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.”

“They held a secret ceremony to get married, in Dorne.” Bran said.

“Oh gods,” Sam exclaimed, “then that would mean he’s…”

“The rightful king of the 7 kingdoms…” Bran said, finishing Sam’s sentence.

A week later…

I’ve been starting to feel strange lately. I’ve been getting more cramps than usual, and my stomach has been making me feel queasy and nauseous. What’s going on? I didn’t let Bran know about anything, I just went to my maid about it.

“What does it mean?” I asked her. She began to cup my breasts, examining them. “What’s wrong?” I asked her. She looked up at me and replied, “your breasts, they are more swollen than usual. Does it hurt when I do this?” “It does feel a bit sore..” I answered. “When was the last time you bled, my queen?” She asked. My eyes widened, I’m pretty sure I was supposed to start bleeding by now. She took my hand and placed it on my flat belly, “my queen, you are with child, the gods have blessed you!”

I continued to sit there, thinking to myself, me, pregnant? When the Long Night is coming? I can’t believe it…he’ll never let me fight if I told him now. “Shall we inform the King?” She asked me. “No, it’s fine, I can tell him when the time feels right.”

┈┈┈┈﹤୨♡୧﹥ ┈┈┈┈

(a/n) Hey guys, sorry I’ve been slacking in posts but I started writing some chapters so they should be out soon! I hope you are enjoying the story! :)

Taglist: @icarusignite @rinisfruity14

[tsukiyadori]

wow.

... Just wow.

I've written about Kemutai Hanashi before a bit in my Anime-Planet List: Queerplatonic Vibes

And something imo essentially queerplatonic (if you know that word) is the entire series' hook and tagline:

Different to lovers, friends or family. Still, by your side is the right place.

The whole title is already a glorious metaphor. And this theme has been in and out recurringly from the beginning of the series.

But up until chapter 11, it was just vague impressions, their thoughts, discomfort, feeling a gap that can't be filled by words.

And then comes chapter 12.

Takeda gets invited by Hinako for a chat, for a drink (and some ice cream) and they do exactly that: Have a conversation.

And it doesn't take long until the inevitable question arises, once the conversation mentions Arita, who was going to be mentioned given Takeda and him have moved in together and they are part of each other's lives:

Do you really live together?

Hm?

Arita-kun, I've met him the other day in the shop. He was keeping watch over Alice.

Aah, right, he mentioned something like that.

It's going great, is it?

Great? Rather than great or so... it's just normal. We're just doing normal.

... I was surprised, you know. When I first heard about your living together.

Were you?

Of course. Even if you are former classmates it's not like you were close.

Just what is truly behind that turn of events?

'What'... We're just enjoying ourselves. Thought it would be nice being alongside each other. That's all there is to it.

Haaaa (sigh)

Eh? Is that somehow not ok?

No. I already thought as much from Arita's account, but… So, there's really nothing else between you?

Else?

Basically, something like romance or so

Me and Arita?

… Right. I get it. That's enough. (holds hand on head)

You were one like that.

Eh…?

(some ice parfait getting served by the waitress momentarily stalls the conversation and Hinako gets busy taking pics with her phone until Takeda resumes the conversation.)

Is it that strange?

… no well, it's not like such a way of living is completely impossible, Just…

Just

Right

It's just hard to imagine that you would go as far when you aren't lovers, I think

(she looks him in the face)

… Say. I've just mentioned that Arita hasn't been at his parent's home. [It was previously about how it's far away]

Yes?

You know. Isn't that because it's difficult for him to return?

Eh?

This is just a guess, but… Don't you think there is a chance that he finds it difficult to talk about you and him?

Eh? No.

But he did tell them he's living with me.

I don't mean that.

I mean, what relationship he has with you.

Or so

something like that.

Wouldn't he be asked about it after all?

Things like that

For example, if I was his parent, if I heard that my son, who lives away alone, suddenly starts living with a man, I wouldn't exactly blame him, but I think I would genuinely want to ask questions. What happened, or what are your plans for the future, or so. What the other person is to you. For example.

Takeda, are you able to explain it, when people ask you?

Explain.

(he thinks back on a previous encounter he had in a supermarket.)

… you know. I thought this before, but is this something you need to explain to people? I don't particularly…

… For me, it's things being explained with words is comfortable… or more like, smooth, I think.

Just as an example

If one was to see you and me together eating desserts, probably a lot of people would think "Those two, they're a couple".

Huh?

As I said, you wouldn't know the truth if you were those people who don't know you well.

But, just like that with just looking a bit, they can match things to concepts they know and be with it, as long as it's nothing unnatural.

By doing so, they don't have to ask "why?"

With human relationships, as long as you are alive, I think it's more convenient to be able to explain something.

All the more, if it's a strange one.

People will want to investigate the things they don't understand.

Is it not ok… to not be able to explain? To just not understand?

Who knows… Maybe it's really fine with just that.

Just

There are people who are in distress when you come upon something they don't understand.

And opposite of them

there are people who feel pain when they aren't understood.

All the more, when it's someone you know well. For example, like family.

Things of unknown nature are scary.

Being thought of as something of unknown nature is scary.

More than anything

you yourself not knowing what you yourself are

is scary.

Are you like that as well, Hinako-san?

Something that's fine for you, Takeda,

doesn't have to be fine for anyone else.

(The phone rings)

[The conversation wraps up there, as Arita messaged Takeda asking him to run an errand. They walk away from the café together a bit and chit chat random small talk.]

Takeda

Hm?

I said all that, but you moved in together after thinking it though properly, did you.

Yeah

I see… then it's fine.

I'm sorry.

Even I think it's a bad habit of mine. Thinking about what I'd think myself and getting stuck on it.

I was being meddlesome.

No. I've always liked that bit about you since forever.

…

Ouch! Hey, you didn't have to hit me

Shut up! Go home already!

This series was already excellent with how it treads onto their relationship in delicate, subtle manners. But there was always something in there: It's not like they aren't thinking about it. But they are very much dodging it. Arita, of more introspective nature, is further down the lane with his admitting to himself that it's not that he isn't hiding it or ashamed of it or anything, but there's just this gap in words that he doesn't know how to fill, because he is well aware that what he and Takeda hold is different from what people usually think about "friends". (Chapter 3)

Takeda meanwhile feels discomfort, but can't exactly put a finger on it. And he does not actually want to label it. And as he repeatedly asks. Is that not okay? Basically: Is that wrong? Is that not allowed?

This conversation is absolutely excellent. Because Hinako does not answer this question in a simple yes/no way. At first, it may seem dodgy, but she eventually does add her actual own conclusion to it, that it's completely fine if they had thought things through and came to the decision. But the focus for the conversation prior is more at pointing things out to Takeda - almost warning him - as she knows since childhood, and to her he is a bit of a simpleton who doesn't think too complicated about these matters (to the point she almost gets headaches). And it's just such a beautifully concise way of outlining why words - labels - are useful, and moreover how the lack of it may be dangerous.

So, first thing I thought about this chapter:

Wow. Just wow.

Second thing: Damn, I needed this a few years earlier. It would have saved me some 2-3 weeks of brooding over the subject. (Which probably is still relatively little time wasted comparatively) I was right there asking those same questions Takeda is asking here. After years long of not wanting - or not knowing the words - to label anything and being fine with that myself with not explaining things or explaining things in my own words that didn't match common understanding of the words (much like Takeda again) it gradually ceased working. Because, no. You actually are not allowed to not explain yourself before the vast majority of people, if you actually want to interact with them. I was (am) also right there being angry about not understanding and getting explanations for things 'normal', especially as I am always pressed to explain myself.

Also look at those visuals, so simple, but powerfully subtle with all the facial expressions, sentences chopped up with little pauses displayed by the bubbles where Hinako is trying to find the tactful words and especially those pointed uses of black there: Hinako's drink. That panel with the smoke and her talking about "scary". (One meaning of kemutai from the title is smokey.) That lingering discomfort to fear that is oozing over to Takeda. That smartphone that displays his connection with Arita is black right after for a moment. The entire sky in that last page. Takeda's having his back to it, but now he's walking right into it. This conversation with Hinako may as well be the starting line for him and by extention Arita that they realize, they can't run from talking about it forever.

It's a bit funny to read this now, because I happened over that word, queerplatonic, which is looking pretty much like that word they are struggling to find, and it makes me feel like wanting to just throw over so they have something. But I also only know about this word for 2 years at best as of now, which is not long at all. And it's fuzzy and vague as hell (which is kinda its point I guess) and it took me a good while to get my head around it, even just a bit. On top of it it's anything but spread, so its usefulness is very limited, so much that I haven't even once used it in the flesh and blood IRL, where I'm not able to immediately throw google results over so that the links do the explaining for me.

The quintessential theme of this series hits home a lot, but also, just like The Case Files of Jeweler Richard which comes along and has the protagonist say that even after years and learning multiple languages he is unable to encapsulate what he's feeling in any words - their gaze is moving a bit backwards, retrospective. They have already met, they have something (even if it's maybe still developing) and then struggle to put it into words.

And that makes it all an explanation, as this chapter calls it. But more than anything, I think, it's actually a justification.

And while it's utterly precious that there are works now talking about this in such a beautiful and concise way, capturing all the confusion about being lost, I just find myself like.

I have come to see the need of ways to talk about this. I'm there to collect words and examples as much as I can find. But somehow I don't really want to justify myself. Or explain myself after the fact. But talk about it before it. (I do get it easier to spin a narrative over something that actually is and can be actively show than it is to make a plot out of the difficultiy of searching something you can't properly grasp in the first place. And even the former is already such a tall task that it has very very little amounts of attempts at undertaking.)

And this quote:

More than anything you yourself not knowing what you yourself are is scary.

... is thankfully, something I was spared of more than not, quite similar to Takeda. But just as Hinako points out, because I was fine with that it means naught for anyone else. And if you want a connections and relationships out of all things, it goes beyond just yourself. If someone like me, in all the idiosyncratic ways that be, wants to connect to people, I think understanding and acceptance is paramount. Like how I'm also aroace, among other things, but I'm not actually against having a relationship - it will however have to look very different from the common idea of one. If I ever wanted to begin something, I think I'd need to be able to explain myself and my expectations before it happens.

Not as a justification, but only an explanation, a feeble chance for getting to the starting line.

I think Hinako did that wonderfully. Without even having to outright answer Takeda's question of "Are you like that as well?"

Note: The series has no official nor fantranslation in English. It did get nominated for the Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Award 2022's web category and freshly licensed in France.

[oillydiya]

Things Between Us | Cillian Murphy x OC

Chapter 11 : Clear the air

Talk: Sorry for the delay in updating I've been swamped with adventures at Hogwarts. Note: This chapter might be a bit shorter, forgive my brevity. I promise to bring you more of our journey without delay.

Sansa had been busy exploring the gallery for her much-anticipated final art exhibition happening next week. After wrapping up her quick chat with the gallery representative, she made her way back to the apartment.

The elevator dinged open, and she stepped into the apartment space.

"I'm back," she called out to him. She spotted Cillian lounging by the sofa, absorbed in something on the screen.

"What's up?" she queried.

He swiveled towards her, his face breaking into a warm smile. "How'd it go? Do you like the gallery?"

"It was amazing. Roomy, can fit a crowd, super reachable. Thanks a ton. But what are you getting into?" she asked, driven by curiosity. Instead of replying, Cillian walked up, scooped her up, and sat her on the bar.

"What's the plan here?" Sansa chuckled, thrown off yet amused by his antics. Cillian responded with a playful tap on her nose, making her laugh at his teasing.

"Two weeks ago, I met a woman. She walked into a restaurant in total disarray, laden with things, looking utterly chaotic. And she just sat down next to my table,"  he reminisced, hands gently framing her face.

"I think she was pretty cute until some dude tried his luck. She wasn’t having any of it."

"Wow! She sounds interesting! I think she's pretty unique for being able to sleep in the middle of a restaurant without caring about who's watching. And I felt absolutely great when she stopped her friend from taking pictures of me, saying it was too intrusive. She's so adorable for that. It's something most people often forget - respecting others' privacy."

"I love when her started making that little kitten sound, begging her friend in the middle of the restaurant. It was so cute, I couldn’t take my eyes off her -- her friend was right when she said others should see how adorable she is. Especially when she was talking to the cheeseburger, she looked so cute and quirky."

Sansa burst into laughter, "I must have seemed so crazy then."

Cillian laughed, "Seriously! When she started singing, her voice enchanted everything around, making it impossible for me to stop thinking about her. I wanted to know who she was, what she did, where she lived --  and just like that, luck was on my side when you needed someone to give feedback on your art. It let me dive deeper into knowing her - she's really one of a kind, he paused, playfully pinching Sansa's cheek.

"All my buddies were dying for her contact info, but no way. I wanted it all to myself. Yeah, I'm kinda greedy like that!"

She laughed at his boldness.

"When she was like, 'How about we meet at her apartment?' I literally yelled out loud in the coffee shop. It was my ticket to getting to know her even better. The more we chatted and got to know each other, the more I just wanted to hang out with her!"

"That kiss? Totally not an accident. I meant to do it," he said, raising an eyebrow with a cheeky grin.

Sansa's eyes widened in surprise... "You're nuts! I was freaking out, worried you'd think I was flirting too hard," she said, playfully smacking his shoulder.

"Who could resist? You're drop-dead gorgeous," he replied, cool as a cucumber.

Before Cillian continued, pouring his heart out, "I really liked that kiss of her, awkward as it might have seemed, like she was about to choke at any moment." She doubled over laughing at his description because it sounded like the worst kiss ever.

"To be honest, I swore under my breath countless times whenever I saw her. Seriously, she's just stunning, perfect in every way."

"When she told me she never had sex before, it drove me wild. I had to remind myself to stop right there because she was too innocent for me. But when she looked at me with those eyes and asked if I could teach her, I lost all control. I just couldn't resist anymore," he explained, softly touching her face. "That turned out to be the best sex I've had in ten years. I'm crazy about her and feel so lucky to have found her and to be with her right now."

"Sansa! Meeting you at that restaurant might have been coincidence, but falling in love with you was completely intentional."

"I'm sorry for the last few days, for upsetting you. I've realized I really don't want to lose you. Please forgive me, Sansa," he said, feeling guilty, while lovingly holding her hand against his cheek.

"I promise, I won't make you sad, and this isn't just about having sex for a while. I want to be in a relationship with you. Let's be together, okay?"

In that moment, Sansa felt overflowing. She looked into the eyes of the man in front of her, Cillian! His words felt like magic, making her believe everything he said. She had forgotten all the sadness from the past few days, even forgetting that he was married!

"I stopped being mad at you since I saw your face last night," she replied before pulling him in for a kiss.

'I'm hopelessly falling in love with him!' Sansa thought to herself.

[yujinniw]

MIDNIGHT RAIN — KTR | 03-perfect image

2:11 am, it was cold and rainy surprisingly in the summer. I felt everything crushing down on me. If it was work, family, scandals? It was just too much, I and lots of others are not machines, we cannot do everything perfectly like they want us to. But the only thing I can do is smile and act as if nothing has ever happened, Even if I try there will be so many shits that I don't want other's to handle because of me.

So here I am, finding it amusing how such a big tourist attraction could feel so empty for once. But damn FOR ONCE MAN thank you rain! It was nice taking all that fresh air in, feeling the warm breeze hitting my skin was not too fun but hey it is the summer, unless you live in the UK or something.

I was just minding my own business until, I saw this dude coming closer to where I was. His hair was messy, kinda looked like he just got up from a nightmare, Yikes. But I couldn't see his face, he was wearing a mask. '....masks of course, the people with the hottest hair always wear a mask.' I thought to myself 'How am I supposed to know if you're really hot or not..'

'Should I go talk to him?' 'No chae miyeon, privacy.' I slapped myself to reality. But I think it was kinda too loud considering how he suddenly turned his head my direction. 'great. JUST GREAT.' All those thoughts were gone as soon as I heard a tired voice saying; "Are you okay?" I tilted my head up to looked at him 'SHIT. what am I supposed to reply with. Yea yea I'm fine, no you looked like you fell down from heaven itself. okay.... why was that even an option.'

"Yea, just thought there was a mosquito." WOW such a great answer congratulations. He just nodded before sitting down beside me 'FUCK HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ACT MORE NORMAL NOW YOU'RE NEXT TO ME.' hold up. act I can act FOR FUCK SAKES.

"Why are you awake and up here so late." He asked me before I could... "Just needed some fresh air. what about you?" "Needed to clear my mind." same bitch, same. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" He asked, which caught me off guard "Oh I do mind." WHAT THE HECK! NO NO THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!! "Oh... sorry then" he responded while scratching the nape of his neck. Miyeon Chae, This is the result of your action take responsibility

"Depends on what you're going to do with them," "Keep it to yourself? Sell it on the black market. I don't know." I retorted back. Should I tell him my real name? should I lie? Decision making should not be anywhere near me.. BUT back to reality, He chuckled at my words and responded with "Yes... I will sell it on the black market. Now give me your name." "Woww such a creep..." OMG WHAT IF HE IS A CREEP.

"No actually, do you mind if I get your name?" Right... my name... "Miyeon, Chae Miyeon" I said holding my hand out to his "As in the Actor? Or a normal person" Hah.. this bitch. " Don't know whatever you think I guess." He laugh while shaking my hand. "Kim Taerae."

If I'm being honest, His hand was huge. Would probably have me flying from one slap with that hand. But then I looked back to what he said was his name, Kim Taerae. I looked up to meet his covered face. Gorgeous eyes babes. But the hair, face shaped and hand. did match the description of the ZB1 Kim Taerae.

Eyes widened when I come back to my senses that this gorgeous looking dude right here, who still has my hand in his. Could actually be Kim Taerae Zerobaseone.. I took my hand away " I should probably get going..." "It was nice meeting you." I said quickly before running to my car. yes I drove here...

"I'm done for."

sypnosis : One of the many famous actress was spotted at a park holding hands with their boyfriend, which was rumored to be Chae Miyeon, and Kim Taerae of Zerobaseone.

a/n: Really feeling like writing today woke up at 4 am and decided yk what I'm going to write the whole of chapter 3😖 ANYWAYSSS THEY MET or did they ykyk😶

donate to the poor | masterlist | ahah..

tag-list: @sparklingsjy, @xinxinyy,@wtfhyuck

[l3m0ncyan]

New to Life | Holiday Special

Steven Grant/Marc Spector x Teen! reader

Masterlist

Summary: After finding out that Hanukkah brings bad memories to Marc and Steven, Y/N decides to bring the holiday back to them; but this time give them a memory they wont forget.

Note: If I get anything wrong about jewish traditions, please let me know!

P.S this is gonna be based off my series, hence the name, but Ill add a kind of recap in case yall don't wanna read all 11 chapters lmao.

—————————————————

Y/N stood triumphantly on a chair, staring at her decorations, as she hung up the last of the colorful lights in her apartment. The door unexpectedly opened, catching her off guard and almost causing her to slip. The chair wobbled, and she attempted to grab the back of it, but was aided by a few hands.

“Woah! I got you!” Marc held her up before she could fall.

She slowly climbed from the chair, regaining her balance. Marc crossed his arms as she returned the chair to the dining table to inspect her work. Y/N stood to the side as if she were being scored by Gordon Ramsey.

“Wow, you really went all out” He breathed out.

Each wall in her apartment had a light hanging from it. Garland was also hung around the room, and there were a few Santa and deer statues on the tables. To top it all off, she had a fake Christmas tree in the corner with a few gifts she had purchased for herself.

"Yup, that's my mission during the holidays. Anyway, what brought you here?" She bundled the decorations' packaging and quickly moved it to the trash can.

Marc examines the details of a ceramic Santa but puts it back. "I was just wondering if you wanted some tea that Steven thought you'd like."

She shrugs and nods, “Sure, let me just get my jacket”

She grabbed her jacket from the couch and walked over to her door. She bowed and motioned for Marc to go first. He rolled his eyes but continued, followed by Y/N.

Being across-the-hall neighbors was convenient because she or he didn't have to take an elevator or walk more than three steps to each other's apartment. For context, Y/N moved in a few months ago.

—

She was only 18 years old when she moved from California to London to attend her dream college. On the first day, she met Steven, who helped her in unlocking her door, which was difficult to do. Working with him in the gift shop resulted in her being attacked by a jackal a week later, bringing her and Marc together.

The basic gist is that she later assisted Marc and Steven in stopping a man named Harrow from destroying the world. On the way, she ran into their ex-wife, Layla, who had to return to Egypt to continue her archeology business', with the help of a certain goddess.

Something that may have gone unnoticed was that Y/N also gained an unusual ability. It was discovered that she had a symbiotic relationship with a symbiote. They are now known as Mania.

Anyways back to the actual story.

—

Marc opened the door for Y/N and set his jacket on a nearby table. The apartment's bareness was the first thing Y/N noticed. It was completely dark, as it had always been, with no lights or signs of color.

She sat at the dining table after following Marc to the kitchen. Twirling her thumbs and looking around, she noticed Marc's body tensing up before returning to normal. He smiled warmly and walked over to the stove to get a kettle.

He returned to the table and poured Y/N's and his cup of tea. She smelled the mug and an aroma of vanilla and cranberry as he slid it over to her. She had never considered combining those two elements until now. It was a good mixture though.

"There you have it, let me know what you think. I believe it will put you in the holiday spirit," Steven said with a smile.

Taking a sip, her eyes widened a bit, and nodded in approval, “It’s sweet, you made it yourself?”

"I did buy a few herbs and combined them. There wasn't much work put in," he shrugged.

She nodded, “You still did a great job” she continued to sip tea.

Steven sat across from her, taking in the time they were spending together. With winter approaching, the heat from the mug guided them in restoring their fingertips' temperature.

She continued to look around the apartment, still wondering why it was so colorless. "Something on your mind?" Steven asked as he set his cup down.

"Isn't Hannukah in a couple of days?" she scratched her head.

Steven paused to think, "I believe it is, why?"

"It's because I've noticed you two haven't exactly decorated or even talked about it”

Steven paused and thought for a few seconds. He had a melancholy look when he did. It seemed like he was thinking about a thought or a memory. He cleared his throat and went back to being his almost happy self.

"I've always spent most seasons alone, so when Hanukkah would come around, I never bothered in celebrating it" he gave a side smile.

Y/N nodded, "What about this year? You're not alone this time; you have me and Marc"

"Yes that is true innit," He looked up, "But I don't want to change your winter traditions just for me. Plus Marc isn't quite fond of the holiday"

"Why?"

"Well..." he trails and turns to a nearby reflection.

“Just turn down the question, she doesn’t have to know”

Sighing, he shakes his head, "It is nothing to worry about. Anyways, how about we finish our tea and get some rest?”

Y/N smiles and nods, still she was left curious on why the two didnt celebrate. Yet, that was something for a later time.

After they finish their drinks, Steven took her cup and his to wash it. She offered to help but he said how it was just two dishes so it wasn’t a big deal. Once finished, Steven told Y/N to bundle herself for the night before she left since degrees would drop. She thanked him and then went off to her apartment.

——

Back at her apartment, she changed out of her casual clothes and sat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She imagined various reasons on why Marc and Steven didn't want to celebrate Hanukkah. She was probably being pushy just thinking about it, but she didn't like people missing out on holidays.

Yes, they’ve only known each other for a few months, but that creates a bond. Doesn’t it? Especially when you die with them and come back to life.

She felt like the polar opposite of a Grinch or a Scrooge. She wanted them to take part in a celebration for the winter season. She just wanted them to be happy. Especially after everything that went down the last few months, they needed a nice change of pace. She sighed and hugged a pillow close to her side. She hoped she'd fall asleep soon before her thoughts consumed her.

“Why are you making a big deal of this”

Again, she hoped.

"Because it's depressing to think of them dealing with all that shit from Cairo and still not being able to do anything for the one time of year when people are happy," she continued, her eyes closed, feeling the cold bite her fingers.

“Then ignore them. Take pride that you can and they can not”

"That's what an asshole does, and we hate those kinds of people remember?"

“Right, then in invite them”

“They dont celebrate Christmas, they’re Jewish”

“How is that a problem?”

"Because they celebrate Hanukkah, dude you were literally right there when we were talking about it!" she became irritated.

“...What is the difference?”

“Good night!”

The symbiote stopped talking after she covered her head with the covers. Fortunately, the rest of the night was peaceful, and Y/N was able to sleep.

—

She asked Marc if he wanted to go shopping with her the next day. She described her plans for shopping for herself and her family back home. He agreed and followed her because he had no other plans. When he went out, he never looked for places to spend money; he just wanted to take a break.

Aside from that, he wanted to make make sure Y/N did not get into too much trouble. One time they went out, they were caught up in a hostage situation at a discount store. Of course, Mania and Y/N were there to stop it, but Marc and Steven had no idea it was them; they just thought it was some monster wreaking havoc in the city.

They still don't know about Y/N's and Mania's symbiotic relationship.

Y/N dragged Marc over to Westfield, a popular shopping mall in London, after hearing about it. Her gaze scanned the structure from bottom to top as she stood in front of it. It was more extravagant than the ones she had in California. The entrance wall was made of blue-tinted glass. However, it was linked to another building with large white bricks and a glass-covered portion sticking out. The words 'Westfield' were written in red slanted letters on the building's side.

She adjusted her tote bag, hoping it was just for show and that the stores weren't too expensive. As they enter, they notice that the building is two stories tall, with escalators leading to the top. Thankfully, she recognized many stores from home, such as Forever 21 and Hot Topic.

"Where to first?" Marc asked with his hands in his pockets.

She gestured to and walked over to a store that sold items for her younger family members. They looked around for nice but cheap gifts for her family, which was hard since it's been a while since she has seen them. Marc did his best to help her by showing her a range of items, but the majority of them were expensive. After battling through the crowds, Y/N purchased a few items and moved on to the next store.

The entire shopping experience had both of them wanting to pick fights or quit and leave. Marc was taken aback by the number of people trying to buy gifts for their families at this time of year though. Mostly because his own family never made a big deal about giving or receiving gifts around this season. So seeing all this movement was a bit new.

Because it was new to him, he occasionally let Steven take over. Oh, and Steven was having a great time as well. He never understood the hype of shopping or seeing things for sale; not just because of his lack of celebration but because he thought it was bizarre many would shove each other to get one item that was only a dollar less than its original price.

But here he was pushing people, apologizing when he did, in order to take a look at many things. A few would be for Y/N's family and some would catch his eye. When he did, he would reach in and take it back to Y/N to see if it was suitable. He would then ask her if there was anything they liked or found interesting and he would go on a search for something like it.

At the end of their shopping trip, each of them had at least two bags full of random items. As they made their way back to the bus stop, Y/N felt bad about having Marc lug all those bags but fortunately, they were able to go on the bus and rest.

——

They were still a few blocks away from the apartment building after exiting the bus. The chilly air however made them rush, so they would be home soon. Well honestly it was Y/N rushing him, she was new to the cold weather. Marc wasn't so much since he grew up in Chicago where it was cold normally compared to California.

"I don't think I've seen so many adults fighting dude. You saw those guys fighting for a controller?" Y/N almost breathed out the memory.

Marc gave a small laugh, "Those idiots didn't even get it at the end, some kid did"

"For real, also sorry about making you carry all that" She looked over at the large bags from various stores.

He shrugged, "Its alright, its better than seeing you trying to carry them all"

"Are you saying that for kind reasons or to make fun of reasons?"

"Both"

"Meanie, I bet Steven wouldn't laugh at my weakness. Right, Steven?" She waited for him to respond, but there was no response. She looked over at him, bewildered, but he wasn't there.

Turns out something caught his eye on a window display.

She walked back to him and noticed how his eyes were soft as he looked at the items. The only time he has looked at someone like that was when he talked to Layla. She followed his eyes and noticed a display with many Jewish decorations.

It had a blue cloth with gold lining on the table cover. A few dreidels and gold chocolate coins were strewn about. What drew their attention was the menorah that sat at the center of the table. It was made of gold and had nine candle holders. They contained candles with an ombre pattern of white to blue. Eight of them were identical, except for the one in the center, which had a Star of David on the stem. The main stem of the menorah that held the rest of the branches was inscribed with Jewish phrases. It was truly breathtaking.

"It's pretty..." she smiled.

Marc nodded, "...it is". His eyes were still glued on it, holding a sort of love for it.

"Whys is the center one different?" She looked over at him and he hesitated.

"It's a...shamash candle. It's to help light the other ones during Hanukkah" he pointed out.

She nodded, "You should buy it, Hannukah is close. Plus it'll add some color to your guys place"

Marc knew where this was going and he shook his head, beginning to walk away, "Next time"

Baffled, she looked at the menorah and back to Marc's walking figure, "Wait what?"

She ran up to him, gripping the bags to make sure they slip from her grasp, and looked for an answer in his eyes, "Why?"

"I don't have room or time for it, maybe next year" he continued looking straight ahead,

"You can make room, plus you don't even work for Khonshu anymore so you have enough time"

Marc ignored her and continued trying to make it home, giving many excuses like how he didn't have money but Y/N would then offer to buy it for him. It seemed like the conversation wasn't going anywhere so she walked in front of him and he skid to a stop.

"What is stopping you?" looking straight at his eyes and he seems annoyed.

"You can tell her, Marc. It'll be different this time"

"Why do you want me to?" his face wrinkled, trying to comprehend why this topic was still going.

"Because you're going to be all alone in your apartment and probably sad and lonely while everyone else is happy"

"Just tell her, Marc"

"I think I'll be fine," he moves around her to get through but she gets in front of him again.

"If it makes you feel better, I can celebrate with you! I can cook some stuff too and we can hang out at your place. Then you guys won't be alone-" Her smile turned as she was cut off.

"Why do you care so much?" He said rather harshly, "You're just a neighbor and a coworker for me and Steven"

Y/N inhaled deeply, feeling her body get a wave of a mental wound. It hurt, but it was true. She had no actual connection to the holiday or them, so why was she making such a big deal about it? It was his life, not hers, and he had the maturity to make that choice.

Marc's eyes widened when he saw her hurt expression. He didn't mean to say those words; it was a coping mechanism he used frequently. But now he was staring back at Y/N, who was looking at him with dejection in her eyes.

He immediately gave Steven control, forcing him to hide in the mind space. Steven looked down at her and smiled reassuringly, guiding her back on their way.

"He didn't mean it; as I said before, he is quite sensitive on the matter," he continued to hold the bags on the way back.

"...Am I being too pushy with you guys?" she looked down at her feet.

"No, it's rather very 'you' to be worried about small things like a holiday"

"It's not that small. Just tell me why?"  She almost begged Steven. "I've told him stuff about my life back at the Field of Reeds when I needed to, and he listened. The least I can do is listen to his too, he doesn't have to hold it all in"

Steven thinned his lips and looked at the passing mirrors on her side. Marc's reflection returned a guilty look to Y/N. He knew she wouldn't mind him talking about his childhood, but he didn't want to add that weight to her shoulders. He also didn't want her to change the way she acted around him.

“…that will have to be a different topic for a different day. How about instead we focus on how your family will react with these gifts” he gestured the bags to her, trying to get a smile out of her.

Seeing what he was doing, she obliged, “uh yeah”

“Atta girl, now I think that with just a few bows and whatnot, and you’ll have amazing looking presents” he continued babble about her family and decorations.

All Y/N could do was listen, she was still a bit sad that they both didn’t trust her in sharing their past. It made her wonder if she was trying to force this closeness too far.

—

Before Y/N could tell Steven good night, she made sure that Marc also heard it from her.

“Hey Marc, you might be angry with me or something but good night dude” she waved at Steven.

He smiled and gave a small nod before going into his apartment. Closing the door, Y/N looked at her apartment and at all the Christmas decorations. Currently, she was still sensitive to what Marc told her. She knew he didn't mean it but it still hurt.

She sat on her couch and looked up at the ceiling, recalling how the two looked as they brought up their Jewish holiday. It was the same way she looked whenever she remembered the day her grandfather died or when her mother yelled at her cruelly. It was like their perspective of Hanukkah was one similar. Where something horrible happened that day, that has been engraved in their minds.

She felt almost like a cartoon character as she felt the lightbulb in her head go off. If they hadn’t celebrated, that means the last image they have is of something terrible. So why not try to replace that image with one more positive?

She took out her phone and began researching the holiday and a few traditions. What the menorah symbolized. How to play dreidels. Ways to cook Jewish foods.   And the types of decorations that some families use. She looked up family vlogs of Jewish families to make Marc and Steven feel even more at ease.

Gathering all her information, she began planning the surprise for Steven and Marc.

-

The next day, Y/N spent it by buying ingredients and a few decorations that were in blue and white. Back at her apartment, she began practicing in cooking the meals and wouldn’t come out until she perfected them. At times Steven would call to check on her, seeing that she has been locked away in her flat. All she would say is that she was fine and that she was just getting a few things ready for the holidays.

However, the boys were concerned because she hadn't been seen all day. Marc, in particular, believed she was angry at them and refused to speak to them. Steven would reassure Marc that it wasn't the case, but Marc was already convinced.

"Mate, Y/N isn't mad at us. If she was, she would have cursed at us long before we ended the conversation," Steven joked, attempting to cheer Marc up.

"…Maybe," Marc would say before disappearing into his headspace, where he would continue to think of ways to apologize to her.

As the sun began to set, Y/N gave one last look before patting herself on the back. She had tried numerous times to improve the cooking and would continue to do so to see if they wouldn't kill Marc and Steven. She considered it a success because she was still breathing.

She was nervous about pulling this surprise because she didn't know how the boys would react. Will they be grateful? Or would they be furious with her?

They made it clear that they didn’t want to celebrate.

The only way to find out was to wait until tomorrow. The plan was to wait for them to leave their apartment, which they usually did in the evening to go for a walk. With them gone for at least an hour or two, she had enough time to set everything up.

“You sure it’s going to work? What if they decide to stay in?”

“Then… I’ll ask them to bring me some supplies or something, I don’t know” she shrugged and began to put the decoration away in a bag.

“This is gonna go to shit”

“Thanks for the optimism”she said sarcastically.

———

It was the next day, and Y/N had spent it preparing various Jewish foods. The whole apartment was filled with a mixed aroma of sweet and savory. She wrapped the trays in foil to keep them warm until the time came. She looked up decorating ideas and built inspiration as she waited for the time to come.

She waited for the man across the hall to open his door and leave, as he did every time. She peered through the peephole when she heard the door close and saw Marc walk towards the elevator. She waited a few moments to make sure he didn't return, which he didn't.

As he walked away, he appeared to be deep in thought; perhaps she had caused him to have flashbacks of those bad memories. Or, hopefully, he was thinking about enjoying the holiday and went to do some last-minute shopping. Not to worry, she had it covered.

"I think it's neither of those, especially the second one"

"Shush"

She began gathering the decorations and making her way to their apartment once she was certain. They got in by having Mania open the door from the inside by slipping under the space between the door and the floor. Y/N took in her surroundings and mentally mapped out everything.

“Okay, okay, this should be easy” she breathed out.

———

The sun had set after an hour, and Marc was on his way back to his apartment. Going out was routine, but he needed to this time. He wanted to get something Y/N as an apology. He didn’t know how, he couldn’t even apologize to Layla for what he did to her. Normally, giving flowers worked, but he knew Y/N wasn't into that sort of thing, and it would be strange to receive a bouquet from a man twice her age.

Instead, he got her a bag of things she liked as a peace offering with the help of Steven. It was filled with her favorite snacks and a few items from her favorite shows, such as a t-shirt and mug.

Marc walked to the elevator after opening the complex's entrance. As the elevator climbed the levels of the building, he breathed in and out to try to relax. He was nervous because he was afraid she would yell at him or refuse to open the door for him.

“Marc, she isn’t one to hold grudges, I think... I’m sure she is over it”

“You don’t know that. She hasn’t talked to us since we went to the mall. I shouldn’t have said that, maybe I should have told her or just taken the offer” Marc gripped the bag and stared at the floor.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked to Y/N’s door. He stood there for a second before knocking. Waiting for a sign, he knocked again but there was nothing. Swallowing heavily, he knew she was upset and didn't want to open the door. She was probably on her bed, her eyes puffy from crying herself to sleep, thinking about his comment.

He didn’t want to force her to open the door, so he turned to Steven and his place. As his hand moved to the doorknob, he heard shuffling inside and his senses went up. He remembers he locked the door, he could even ask Steven, he was there.

It went smoothly when he gave it a turn. He slowly opened the door, taken aback. He was tense and ready to fight anyone who charged at him, but no one did.

Instead, he noticed blue and white streamers dangling from the ceiling. He moved slowly through the apartment, ending up behind Gus' fish tank. He noticed Steven's desk, where he used to read, had been cleaned up, and there was a blue table cover. It had a white table runner with the Star of David symbol on both sides.

Paper dreidels hung from the ceiling, and white lights illuminated the area. There were a few dreidels and a lot of golden chocolate coins on the desk.

The menorah Marc saw in the window display, however, was in the center. The one with the nine candles and the engraving at the bottom.

The whole set was in front of the window that overlooked the street. Where pedestrians walked by and admired the display from afar.

He gazed in awe before turning around to face Y/N. She wore a navy blue long-sleeve turtleneck with black jeans. She was carrying what appeared to be latkes. She smiled nervously and gripped the tray, not wanting to drop them and create an embarrassing memory.

“Surprise!”

Marc just stood there, still staring at her which caused her to almost shrink. He was maybe getting ready to yell at her.

"Yeah, I didn't know how you would react and I knew if I told you, you might have gotten angry or something. But I didn't want to keep you from the holiday stuff, you know?" She waited for a reaction.

"If your angry with me, I get it, just say the word and I'll take everything down and we don't have to talk about this ever again," she gulped. "Even if you don't ever want to talk to me again, I'll understand. You don't have to explain. Just say the word, and I'll-"

“He’s not angry”

Y/N paused and heard the bag he was holding fall to the floor. Her eyes trailed from the floor to Marc's face. Her eyes widened at his expression.

He had tears streaming down his face.

-

Layla was the last person who actually cared about Marc. She always seemed to bring the sun to him before and after they married. She would do small acts of affection for him, such as buying him something that reminded her of him or holding his hand when he was anxious. When they were together, he felt so loved and important every day. Nonetheless, he pushed her away at the end.

He pushed her away, believing that his existence would bring her harm and chaos. He argued that it was for the best and it was all for her happiness. After disappearing, he thought that no one else would ever show him the same affection. He even accepted it and contemplated his future in loneliness. That is until Y/N appeared.

The young adult was struggling to make sense of her life in London, but she still made time for him and Steven. Even after they saved the world from Harrow, she stayed by their side.

During lunch breaks, she would bring out two Tupperware containers filled with food. When looked closer, it turned out that she would make what the two liked. Steven was, of course, vegan, and he loved tomatoes, so she would prepare a vegan dish for him. Marc was vague but liked savory things like mushrooms or buffalo sauce, so she would end up making something he liked.

He'd always tell her she didn't have to, that sharing with Steven was fine with him. With that statement, he expected her to simply nod and continue serving Steven his customized food, saving her energy. But, no offense to Steven, she would say it wasn't fair to have him eat something he didn't like. She'd then have him eat his food while she ate hers.

She probably didn't think much of her words, and she probably thought it was normal to say. Nonetheless, it made Marc feel important.

-

Now she had taken time away from her day to incorporate his holiday into his life, even after his comment from a couple of days ago.

She most likely did her research and double-checked everything. She included a variety of foods, including sufganiyot, which he could tell was made by hand. Even some of the decorations he saw were made by hand. Aside from that, he realized she is very attentive to his eyes. Y/N got him the menorah that she somehow knew he loved. The reason why he was memorized by the menorah is that it was the same one he used as a child when his younger brother would help him in lighting it.

His brother always gave him the type of sibling love that made Marc miss. Because of his brother's death, he assumed that he would never receive that same affection again.

But here he was, in front of someone who made him realize he was enough. That he didn't have to be perfect and that he was fine the way he was. Even with all his flaws and fears.

More tears continued to pour and he tightened his hands into fists., sniffles coming from him. This made Y/N panic, thinking that she might have set off some horrible memory for him.

She hurried to place the tray on the small table Steven had, quickly apologizing.

"Don't worry, I'll put everything back!" She looked around for a place to begin.

Marc smiled and shook his head, giving one last sniff before pulling her into a hug. She stood frozen, perplexed by what just happened. His hug was tight like he was pouring all his gratitude and love from the past months.

"Don't," He pulls away and looks her in the eyes "Kid, you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. You aren't just some neighbor or coworker, you're my best friend and I want you to know that"

This time Y/N was tearing up which was followed by a few tears falling, "Man, you really got me crying,". She wiped her tears and sniffled, "I'm glad we're officially best friends, dude"

Marc softly laughs, ruffling her hair. She lets it happen, and that's when her eyes fall to the bag that fell, "What's that?"

"Oh, uh, I thought you were angry with what I said the other day" He picks the bag up.

"So you were going to ask for forgiveness by bribing me with stuff?" she raised her eyebrow.

"No...sort of. I got you-" he was stopped by Y/N raising her hands up to stop him from talking.

"Don't tell me! You can use the wrapping paper I have over there" She indicates a roll of white and blue paper with dreidel designs. "That's all I have left from wrapping your guys' presents."

“Presents?” Y/N motions to the stack next to Steven's desk. Marc follows her finger and discovers roughly 16 presents wrapped in the same paper as before. He approaches them and notices a few with his and Steven's names on them.

"Yeah, I saw that some families are trying to make gifts a tradition, so I figured why not make this," she said, motioning to the decorations. "A new tradition, if that's okay with you."

Marc smiles and nods, “Yeah that sounds great, I’d like that”

They spent the rest of the night spinning dreidels. Of course, Marc had to teach Y/N how to play first, explaining what each symbol meant. If the dreidel landed on the nun, she would get no gelt or chocolate coins. She'd get all of the gelt if it landed on the gimel. Hay means she gets half, whereas shin means she only gets one gelt.

For some reason, once she got the hang of it, she was getting more gelt than Marc. Each time she landed on a good symbol, she would hold a grin on her face. He asked her if she was using gum or something to make the dreidel land on hay or gimel, but she denied it.

"Hahahah! We are winning!"

That's when Steven entered the picture, and they were now almost tied. Marc was just baffled at how they were good at a simple game, it made him question his luck.

"No! Don't let him win!"

Finally, they decided to call it even and split the candy equally.

"We should just quit because if we continue, I know imma get all the gelt. I don't want to hurt your manly ego," she said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course, I would have won the pot and you would have knocked everything off the table," Steven said as he sat cross-legged on the floor.

Marc and Steven tried the dishes made by Y/N after they finished playing. Her leg shook with excitement as she waited for them both to try the latkes and sufganiyot. Steven loved it, saying how she nailed it at getting the flavor. Marc, on the other hand, would mess with her and pretend to vomit.

“You’re an ass, you know that?” She leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed.

"Sorry, sorry, it's good…for the most part," he said quietly, prompting Y/N to kick him on the shin.

With all that done, they both moved to the menorah, ready to light the first candle. Y/N let Marc take the wheel since he knew the prayers more. He still hesitated but when he glanced at Y/N, he knew everything was alright. He started it off and soon Y/N joined in too, surprisingly pronouncing the words correctly.

Once done, with the shamash candle lit, Marc lit the first candle to the right. Marc placed the shamash candle in the center after it was lit and continued to recite the hanerot halalu.

When they finished, the two stared at the menorah as the small fire melted the wax. After about 30 minutes, they turned off the candles. Y/N remembered the gifts by he table and quickly grabbed two of them to give to Marc.

He blinked and carefully took the gift-wrapped box, as if it was so fragile it would break if he breathed on it.

Y/N bounced her feet and waited for him to open his present. He took off the lid of the box and paused to look at the inside. What he pulled out was a brown jacket with metal buttons down the middle.

"I remembered how your favorite jacket back at Mogart's got ripped up and how you were so devastated," she teased, "So I saw it back at the mall and I thought you'd like it"

"What the hell..." he said as he started putting it on to see how well it fit, and it was just like his old one, "It's just like my old one, but better! Look! It's even got more pockets! Thank you, I love it" he said as he hugged Y/N.

Steven then switched in and he looked at her, “I might sound like a child, but me next” he clasped his hands together.

She smiled and handed him his, and he didn't wait long before he began ripping it open. He was right, he was acting like a kid. What he pulled out was a deep brown leather messenger bag.

“Again, your bag was kinda destroyed by that jackal back when and you needed a new one. Plus you make it work” she gestured to the present.

"I love it!" he said, extending the bag away from his face with an open grin. "Oh, this leather will definitely keep water at bay. Thank you very much, Y/N."

She smiled proudly as Steven also went in to give her a hug.

Marc and Steven then wrapped one of her gifts and presented it to her. She pulled out a t-shirt from her current favorite show. She squealed and put it on right away to see if it fit.

“This is fucking cool!” She stretched the hem out to see the front image clearly.

“I’m glad you did, I helped Marc look around at that Hot Topic, you should have seen him. He was confused out of his mind” Steven laughed and so did Y/N.

“No I wasn’t, everything was just dark and gloomy”

--

For the whole week, Y/N would come to their apartment when the sun began to set. They would go and play a few rounds with the dreidel, eat a few latkes, and maybe have a conversation about the upcoming year. They would then follow the same routine of praying and lighting the candles. After Y/N would ask about what songs Marc would play and they would listen to a few while singing.

Later into the night, they would open the next present of the day. A leather watch for Marc and a gold bracelet for Steven were among the gifts they received.

On the last day, just when Marc was going to light the candle, he paused to think. That's when he turned to Y/N and handed her the shamash candle.

“Wait, you want me to light the candle? You sure? What if I burn the place down?”

He shook his head, “I doubt it, I believe in you”

Those words gave Y/N motivation and a sense of gratification.

Y/N took a deep breath and began slowly lighting all of the candles on the menorah, placing the shamash back in its place. She took a step back and gazed at the dancing flames that illuminated the small area of the flat.

They sat down to eat at the dining table after saying their prayers. Y/N ate her latke while talking. The conversation was about how she was excited about the new schedule for her next quarter of college, saying how there would be classes she actually liked.

Marc remained silent and listened as she continued to speak. He hadn't shared a holiday moment with anyone in years, let alone celebrated it.

When he thought of Hanukkah, the first thing that came to mind wasn't his mother yelling at him. The sense of loss and regret.

This time, it would be where Y/N rambled about her interest as she ate Jewish foods on Steven's wooden dining table. Where the feeling of comfort and love came.

They were just two people, with different lives, different backgrounds, and in different places in time.

Yet here they were sitting at some old apartment sharing a memory.

———————

Tbh, I had to make up some problem in order to lead to the lowkey angst at the middle. It probably doesn’t make sense, so I’m sorry.

Also let me know if I got anything wrong about Hanukkah. PLZZ

Anyways I hope yall are enjoying your winter break :)

Happy Holidays!!

PS: if you're coming from my series, the next chapter will be taking place after this holiday special. Meaning, see yall in January....? Idk, depends if I just want to write already.

Taglist: @itsjusspele @dustyinkpages @scoliobean @moonywritings

[smollangrycat]

Drown, Prt 10

(Avatar: WOW Oc)

Prt:1 Prt:2 Prt:3 Prt:4 Prt:5 Prt:6(I) Prt:6(II) Prt:7 Pt8(I) Pt8(II) Pt8(III) Prt:9 Prt:10 Prt:11

Quick Note - Hi Luvs! I’m so sorry about the long wait - Exams are currently kicking my ass, I hope your enjoy this Chapter!! Sadly I have to say there’s a note at the end, sorry!! 😅💕

Avatar: WOW spoilers. 

I would also like to give a massive thanks to all the love you guys have shown my fics, it truly makes my day!!

Summary

(During Avatar: WOW) Alue’k is terrified of water, so what happened when some Metkayina boys think it would be funny to drag her into the sea and leave her.

Warnings

Just fluff

Crying?

If you think anything else needs to be added leave a comment. 

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Silence.

Total silence … and quiet rage.

The eldest sully had faced many things in his life time, loosing his legs, loosing his brother, being shipped to a completely different planet, nearly dying to protect his new way of life, the stress of parenthood. However nothing could have prepared him for what he was told.

“They tried to drown me.”

Jake couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, someone almost took his child from him. His eye twitched slightly as he processed this new information and to say he was angry would be to drastically downplay the situation.

Hell, to say he felt rage would be a fucking understatement.

What Jake felt, he didn’t even think there was a name for. Some one had tried to take his child from him, tried to kill his baby girl. His sweet, funny and happy baby girl who only ever wanted to make others laugh. 

Jake hadn’t  notices that his inner thoughts had made him miss Alue’k quiet request. 

Neteyam caught on that his dad had managed to miss his sisters question so he gently pushed it forward by placing a hand on his fathers shoulder. When Hake met his eldest eyes he was directed to look once again at Alue’k.

Neteyam - Dad?

Jake once again made eye contact with his daughter fully listing to whatever she had to say. An alarmed look covered his face as he waited for his daughter to say something. 

He held  her tight in his arms, eyes wide and alert. Alue’k quietly chuckled to herself, he looked like what humans called an “Owl”. She had read about them in books Norm had given to her, the man could never say no to “puppy dog eyes” as he called it.

The young girl cuddled closer into his arms trying her best to match her breathing to his. Alue’k had always struggles white the idea of being small, always arguing against it. However, now? She couldn’t deny how small she really was, wrapped in her fathers arms. This is the safest she thinks she’s ever felt.

Alue’k - Can we go home?

Her voice was quiet and hoarse, like sand paper. 

It mad Jake wince. Nodding his head he cupped Alue’ks face, cradling it softly. A gentle smile covered his face as his eyes softened, how could he let this happen? 

He was meant to be the protecter… . How had he become so wrapped up in adapting to his new life that he missed his daughter struggling. Hell, we’re all of his children struggling and he was just blind to it?

Jake - Sure thing baby girl, we’ll go home yeah? We’ll go home, your mamas waiting up for you.

Alue’k sniffles nodding her head in agreement. She held on tight to Jake as he stood up and started to make his way to their marui pod, carrying Alue’k close to his chest. 

That was until an all too familiar feeling of teeth sinking into his calf’s made him stop. Jake stared down at the viper wolf who had never rlly shook the habit of nipping at his calf’s. He looked at his daughter who was reaching down towards the viper wolf, sighing gently he leaned down slightly making it easier for the young girl to pick up her friend.

Tonôwa cooed happily as he laid comfortably on Alue’k, the girl in questions smiles as she scratched under his chin making him purr. Her attention was captured by another however as someone started to frantically call her name.

They voice was quickly identified as Neytiri.

Aleu’k flailed a bit trying to get out of Jakes arms. Jake steadied himself before taking the hint and letting the girl down, he helped her regain her balance but before she could even properly settle on her feet she took of sprinting towards her mom. 

Alue’k - Mama!

Alue’k - Mama!

Her voice grew desperate as she pushed herself to run faster.

Tonôwa still in her arms (not enjoying the very rocky journey).

Neytiri ran faster than she ever thought was possible, she legs burned by the time she reached her precious daughter. When they finally crashed into each other, the force of it brought them both to there knees. Neytiri wrapped her arms around Alue’k, eyes watering out of relief that her daughter was safe.

After a few moments of just being held by Neytiri, Jake joined followed closely by Neteyam and Lo’ak. The all huddled around the girl and pulled each other in. This is the family she almost gave up, at this moment she didn’t believe she could ever forgive herself for that.

Their peace was soon interrupted by screaming, Alue’k braced herself as two bodies came crashing into the Sully family huddle.

Tuk and Kiri.

Kiri cupped her face, resting her forehead on hers while saying a quiet prayer of thanks to Eawa. Tuk just sobbed, wrapping her arms around her sisters waist and begging her never to leave again.

Alue’k had a lot of mixed emotion at the moment: She felt sad, angry, guilty just to name a few. However, right now, there’s no other place she would be then wrapped in her family’s arms.

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Hey Luvs! I’m so sorry but I’m going to have to take a break, just until my exam are over. I hope you all understand!! However, I’m gunna miss all of you for the next few weeks, just remember to look after yourselves and be as happy as you can!!! 💕💕💕🥹

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Tag List

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@abbersreads

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@sophiexoxo-lollol 

@ksata

@just-another-queer-writer

@quietshyashlyn19

@kitkat27

[come-away-with-me87]

All I Need Chapter 11

Chapter 10 here

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Warnings: This chapter has a three-month time jump.  It's been over nine months since Sir Nighteye has passed.

******

The next few months went by without incident, and the spring months were slowly approaching.  You and Shouta went back to the way things were before the kiss, and you were grateful for that.  You often hung out with him, Hizashi, Toshinori and Nemuri in the staff common area, or sometimes you went out to a bar and got a drink, or sometimes you all even went on walks together in the nearby park.  Speaking of that park, with regards to losing Mirai, you felt like you were finally starting to feel your "new normal."  You still missed him every day, but you felt like you were slowly, but surely, starting to move on with your life.

That is, until one day at the school, something happened that you weren't expecting to feel a certain way about.  Many of the high schools were gathering at the U.A. for a training event, which included Ketsubutsu Academy High School.  You were asked to attend the event, in the case any of your students needed emotional guidance.  You walked down to where the event was being held, and stood on the sidelines between Hizashi, Toshinori, and Nemuri; they always liked to be in on the action.  There were all types of students at this event, and all different types of pro-heroes as their teachers; it was so cool to see, especially as someone without a Quirk.

You continued to excitedly scan the field and the bleachers, looking for all different types of heroes and students.  During your scanning, you finally noticed Shouta up in a bare section of the bleachers, except he wasn't alone.  He looked like he was in an intense conversation with a woman with green hair and an orange bandana.  What was this feeling...you were feeling?  You've never seen Shouta talk to another woman so intently...and you felt jealous.  What the actual hell?  Why did you feel jealous?  Things got back to normal between the two of you months ago, you were just friends.  So why were you feeling jealous, of all the emotions you could be feeling?

You tried to play it cool, and casually asked, "hey Nemuri, who's that woman talking with Shouta?"  Nemuri looked up at them, "oh that's Emi Fukukado.  Her hero name is Ms. Joke.  She's hilarious, she's always trying to get Shouta to go out with her.  She's even proposed marriage a few times," she said while laughing.  "Ha ha, oh wow, that is funny," you said half-heartedly.  You tried to look away from them, but found your eyes continuing to wander up to them.  Ms. Joke was smiling and laughing to her heart's content, whereas Shouta couldn't look less amused.  Little did you know, Hizashi was watching you this entire time. He whispered in your ear, "you have nothing to worry about, Y/N.  Eraser thinks she's the most annoying person he's ever met."

"Then why do they look like they're having a deep conversation?" you muttered annoyingly, then slapped your hand over your own mouth.  You can't believe you just said that.  Hizashi just laughed out loud at your question, "trust me, you have nothing to worry about there."  You tried your best to snap out of your jealous fog; it wasn't a good look.  "It's none of my business anyway, Shouta can talk to whomever he wants.  We're just friends," you said defiantly.  Hizashi just continued to look at you with a knowing smile on his face.

The event went on, and you came to the emotional aid of many of your students, which made you practically forget about Shouta and Ms. Joke.  Many of the students were beating themselves up for many reasons.  The biggest reason you seemed to run into was that they thought their Quirk wasn't strong enough.  You assured each and every one of them they were, indeed, strong, that they would continue to grow and get stronger, and become fine heroes one day.  They seemed to feel better after talking to you.  What you didn't notice, while speaking with the students, was the pair of black eyes staring at you with awe from the bleachers.

The training event eventually ended, and the other schools started to depart.  Ms. Joke came down from the bleachers and met up with her students.  She was within earshot of you, getting one last "c'mon Eraser, go out with me!" out of her system, to which he gave a defiant no.  You then felt a hand on your shoulder; it was Hizashi, "I told you, he's not interested in her in the slightest."  You looked up at him, "pfft, it's none of my business who he dates or doesn't date."  Hizashi just rolled his eyes and laughed at you, knowing very well how you actually felt.

Once all of the other schools departed, you, the other staff, and the students walked back to Heights Alliance as a big group.  The students and staff split up into their respective dorm areas, and you all said goodnight to each other.  As you, Shouta, Hizashi, Nemuri, and Toshinori walked up the stairs to go to your dorms, there was someone very unexpected there, waiting right by your door: Bubble Girl from Nighteye Agency, and she had an envelope in her hand.  What in the world was she doing here?

******

To be continued!

[greenerteacups]

Fic Masterpost

Oh, boy. Okay. Here we go.

I have written literally hundreds of thousands of words of fic, and this is where you can find it! Consider this a kind of annotated bibliography.

Harry Potter

Lionheart

Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger | 300,000 words and counting

How Draco Malfoy met a girl on a train, ruined his life, started a war, and ended one.

Notes: Oh, honey. This is my baby. The longest fic I've ever written, the currently running one, and the one I'm most fond of. A Gryffindor!Draco AU that retraces all 7 books. Slowburn Dramione (SLOW, slow burn, a simmer, currently more like a suntanning) with Golden Quartet vibes. I pre-write all the books and then release them in weekly updates, kinda like a serial publication, so you always know when your next hit is coming!

Volume I, "Green and Golden," composed of Years 1-3, finished early in 2023. It's currently releasing Volume II, "Son and Heir," which just finished the first act of Year 4.

/

The Climb

Harry Potter, Severus Snape & Harry Potter | 22,000 words

"...in the event that I, Lily Evans Potter, and my husband, James Potter, become deceased," read Albus, "I do hereby name Severus Snape as sole legal custodian of my son, Harry James Potter, until such a time as he comes of age." He folded his glasses on the table. "Fuck," said Severus, with feeling.

Notes: An unexpected brainworm that I had while compiling a Severus playlist for Lionheart, which rapidly spiraled out of control. It's a "Severus raises Harry" fic, which I never had a taste for until I started writing this — I realized there was so much more juice in the narrative idea than I'd realized. I like how I use voice and style here; I think I made a real leap in technique between SWHTWW and this one.

//

Other

the scenes which hold the waking world

Six of Crows, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa, Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey/Wylan van Eck | 70,000 words

Thirty million dollars for a secret. That's the payout for Kaz Brekker, the most dangerous, ruthless, and talented extractor in the dream industry — if he can manage it. But to have a chance, he needs the best. That means finding a team willing to attempt the impossible: a knife-wielding cat burglar, a college dropout with perfect aim, a sullen ex-Navy SEAL, a drop-dead gorgeous former Soviet spy, and the estranged son of their rich employer. If they can avoid killing each other, they'll go down in history. If they can't, none of them may wake up again.

Notes: This was my first novel-length fic, and I'll always have a soft spot for it. It's an Inception AU with the vibes of Leverage meets Ocean's 11, with a side of psychological trouble and codependency. Read if you like spy movies, heist stories, or dangerous criminals whose Achilles heel is being unable to stop talking shit to each other.

/

someday we'll linger in the sun

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Namor of Talokan/Shuri | 40,000 words

As the legends have it, after she earned the blessings of Bast, the Princess Shuri took a god for a lover. The legends say less about what happened in between.

Notes: Another drabble that spiraled wildly out of control. (You may notice a theme.) I watched Black Panther over Christmas break and thought, "Wow, that's an incredible storyline that didn't actually happen, wish someone would write it." Technically unfinished, but I think the existing chapters serve as a complete story. Unfortunately, no plans to come back to this one; I might mark it as finished at some point, because it feels settled to me.

/

it's a western, henry

Dimension20: Fantasy High, Riz Gukgak/Fabian Aramais Seacaster | 10,000 words

Nobody fantasizes about kissing goblins in the moonlight, or taking them out on ice cream dates after class. Especially not beautiful half-elves on the bloodrush team, who could have anybody they wanted (and probably do). It's the beginning of a bad joke. A goblin and a half-elf walk into a tower... And the goblin ends up slain on the floor while the half-elf walks out with the princess.

Notes: My first fic, which started as a writing exercise. A character study in fantasy race relations and a love story between a nerd and a jock in which the jock is the anxious one. Working title for a while was "it's not easy being green," before I found the fancy Siken line. I still think there's some good humor in here, and I like rereading it from time to time.