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bisexualshakespeare · 11 months ago

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fic writer asks

I saw these questions by @ficwip and decided to just answer all of them rather than waiting to be asked

30 questions below the cut!

What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again? Uhh I wrote a lot of smut? 😅 oh I have a fic that is just a sex scene? it was part of a series so the lead in was technically there and also I was about to start my period and was very horny. I loooove a long lead in to the sex. Lightning Strike, and kind of Nymph Butter too, has like a couple horny paragraphs and then sex. I don't know if I would do it again but it wasn't really planned? so I guess we'll see what happens!

How many fics did you work on this year? (They don’t have to be finished or published!) it looks like 25??? wild

What’s something you learned about yourself as a writer? I think I have a better grasp of how I intuitively write and I learned that it's NOT a thing I need to train myself out of. It's okay if I write non chronologically or in dialogue only for the first draft, because following the way my brain works will lead me into the most energetic path and I can circle back and add description or transitions later. I think I'm better at description than I think I am but it just doesn't come as quickly.

What piece of media inspired you the most? I mean I published 5 Willow fics in less than two months and started several more so I feel like I have to say Willow!

What fandom(s) did you write for this year? Willow, Ted Lasso, Haven, a couple other one off fandom filks

What ship(s) captured your heart? Airk/Elora/Graydon I am such a sucker for ot3s

What character(s) captured your heart? THRAXUS BOORMAN MY LOVE

Did you write for a new fandom or ship this year? Yeah I watched Willow in i think April and enjoyed nothing else as much

What fic meant the most to you to write? Finishing Multivocal was soooooo wow. Like it is The longest thing I've ever finished and it really brought writing back into my daily life as something to look forward too rather than something to feel guilty for not doing? I wrote it for like three years. This year I made some edits and added some scenes that made me feel really good about taking my time. I really wrote the fic I wanted to see (except i mean i would've preferred them to fuck but other than that lol)

What fic made you feel the happiest to work on? Eckleberry Pie was so fun. It was really stream of consciousness. I just had no worries about what other people would think cause I literally was like no one is gonna read this but @lowkeyed1 so I can do whatever stupid shit I want 😂

What fic was the most satisfying to finish writing? I think Apple Candy. I didn't realize how it was going to end until I got there. I kinda sped through the end of the chapter cause it was already going up after the October collection was closed and I wanted to get it done, so I was just kinda awkwardly figuring out what we were gonna leave on and then I wrote that Graydon was loved and I was like 'oh. yeah. that's what this was about!'

What fic was the most difficult to write? Did you finish it? All of them were difficult. If we're including fics I didn't finish then probably every ted lasso fic I tried to write and couldn't. I was planning on writing a series from Jamie's perspective, I tried to write a fantasy AU, I tried to write PWP, just so much did not work and then I left the fandom.

What fic was the easiest to write? I think I wrote Lightning Strike in like an hour lol

What were your shortest and longest fics this year? If we're ignoring filks and Multivocal, which started posting last year, then the shortest would be Bridges at 670 words and the longest would be my as yet unposted Cyrano AU at 21K.

Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023 I mean I have to go with Eckleberry Pie and the rest of the Harvest Festival series right?! Or if you don't want a bunch of smut then In The Middle is a filk about yelling at creators, so that's a mood

What were your go-to writing songs? I got really into these "immersive writing session" videos where someone buys the rights to a bunch of instrumental music and puts it together to fit a vibe. I listened a lot to traveling through a medieval fantasy world but it gets darker the longer you write What were your go-to writing snacks? tiny bottles of wine cocktails from the grocery store

What was the hardest fic to title? I guess Lightning Strike? I almost always name fics after phrases I use in the fic and in the Harvest Fest series I wanted them to be named after food cause I knew the last one was going to be called Apple Candy, but Lightning Strike didn't have any time for food cause it was just fuckin so I had to find something that felt like it fit but was different. It was a change in perspective, Elora instead of Graydon, so once I decided I wasn't mad about the title not fitting the theme.

Share your favorite opening line Okay I actually wanna use a filk for this cause I love the first verse of What You Believe: How on earth could I be calm When inside my chest's a ticking bomb? The nicest guys can be deceiving Lift you up, then leave you bleeding It's a goddamn tragedy like Misérables

Share your favorite ending line As the moon rose on the final day of the Harvest Festival, Graydon knew, with the utmost certainty, he was loved.

Share your favorite piece of dialogue From Apple Candy:

“So what am I gonna do while you and Airk are together? Sit in my room twiddling my thumbs?” She scoffed and dropped her hands from his shoulders. “I kinda thought you would do things that I don’t like, like studying your languages or practicing the flute.” “Yeah or sleeping with Boorman.” Elora groaned and rolled her eyes. It was kinda cute though. Knowing she was in love with him made it better. He ran a thumb over her hip. “Hey so, Airk left us your bedroom for a few hours. What do you think he’s doing, knowing what we’re supposed to be doing?” Elora’s eyes narrowed. “He better be twiddling his damn thumbs.”

Share an excerpt from your favorite scene From Multivocal, a scene between Duke and Audrey I added right before posting and was much needed:

“I think it could work." She pressed. "The three of us.” “Oh you’re not even gonna ask me? I could have other offers. I’m a very well liked guy.” “As I can see by the gigantic mess all your friends left.” “Hey I don’t mind a mess,” he held her eyes, “as long as I’m not the only one trying to clean up.” She stepped closer. “You’re not.” Audrey put a hand on his chest. She had almost done the same thing several months ago, when she thought the only option was giving him his family trouble again. But then she’d wrapped her hand around his neck instead and pulled him in for their first kiss since Colorado.

Share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out?

this is so hard. I feel like I forget what I used to struggle with cause I'm so focus on what i'm currently struggling with 😅

I had a really hard time writing Nymph Butter because it was this mix of humor and smut and sincerity and I wanted to have like real moments of connection between Graydon and Elora without it being so serious that it killed the sexy mood. The whole fic was a big balancing act there.

“Can you stop talking about Airk? He has nothing to do with us.” “Of course he does!” She shouted, hitting the ground in frustration. “I thought I loved him, but what if I was just using him to get over you? Like you're using Boorman to get over me.” “First of all, Boorman likes being used. Don't you, pal?” Boorman’s moan came from behind him, along with the sound of his hand sliding with help from the nymph butter.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out. I was very meh when I first posted it, but on a reread I think it holds up. Since my new main ship is an ot3 I'm sure I'll have many more chances to work on this mixture of sex and relationship negotiation.

What’s something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story?

I think I was surprised in Apple Candy that Boorman got a little jealous of Graydon and Elora. Boorman was always supportive of them but when I was writing the morning after, I started thinking in Boorman's voice and I felt that little twinge of sensitivity that he has and how he runs away from his emotions and I was like hmm okay I'll follow that. The overall story was the same but I think it added a little weight to the Graydon/Elora relationship negotiation that came after.

What did you use to write? (e.g. writing programs, paper & pen, etc.) a combination of GDrive, LibreOffice, OneNote, and a physical notebook.

If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year? Probably in August when I first started writing Cryano AU. I hadn't written anything the whole month and then in the last week and a half I wrote like 5k

Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic?

No but I should! I need to think of a good finished project ritual. I think I usually just text a friend and sigh and watch youtube videos and wait to get a comment.

How did you recharge between fics?

I...don't? Should I have a recharge ritual too?

If this were an awards show, who would you thank?

🥺 I would like to thank my IRL friend Lee for beta-ing Multivocal for me. I would like to thank lowkeyed for leading the way in the scary world of rare pairs. Thanks to everyone on the Revolorilution server for encouraging my ideas. Everyone at Voiceteam for encouraging my filks, especially klb! And of course I thank everyone who commented and gave a kudos on my fics! I love you all so much! It's been a great year of writing! Thank you 😭

What’s something that you want to write in 2024?

I want to write all of the willow season 2 fic ideas. I am manifesting an announcement of the show coming back and I want to make sure I get all my thoughts out before that happens. I'm definitely excited about the possibility and would like to have trust in the writers, BUT I put off all my ted lasso ideas until season 3 and now they're all dead to me so gotta grab my joy while I can!

#ask game #kinda

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alder-saan · 1 year ago

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20 author questions

Tagged by @yourlocaldisneyvillain, thank youuuu

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

1, lol

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

6199 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Carterwood

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

well...

Of scars and fresh blood, with an enormous amount of 15 kudos!!!!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

All of them. I don't like when I leave a comment and the author doesn't reply, so I reply. And that's why I have more comments than kudos.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Well... Of scars and fresh blood this is a hurt/hurt fanfiction, no comfort and major character death so. Yeah, kinda angsty?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I don't have a fic with a happy ending on AO3, I do however have some fics with happy endings on Tumblr, like Hide and Need, but they aren't good at all. You can check on my profile but I hate every single fic I wrote before my Carterwood one.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

nope. I mean, Gwen fandom used to be the kindest fandom, everything I wrote, even trashy, was welcomed with a lot of love. After some drama™ happened, I kinda decided to go because... Ugh. I don't like drama. And now I am in a dead fandom, with 2 people and a shoelace (I am the shoelace)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I try. The kind that isn't smut but more spicy romance.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

nope, never and I usually don't like them.

11. Have you ever had a fiction stolen?

Lol, who would want to steal my fanfictions? My Gwen ones are terrible and my Carterwood one... has 15 kudos.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

well technically my first first first fanfictions were since I wrote them in French before translating them in English. Then I did translate (from English to French this time) the Path of Poisons (an abandonned multichapter Larissa/oc fic)

13. Have you ever co-writtten a fic before?

curently doing it! with the amazing @tanith-rhea, we're working on Agent Carter season 3 (the first chapter isn't finished yet so... it won't be there until a long time loool)

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

????? I don't know? I changed a lot my tastes about ships since... Well I'm still young™ so I didn't spend much time in communities, and the ones I was in before were... Straight ships I don't like now. BUT there is this one ship. About a French/Belgium comic no one knows about. That is very specific to two of the books in the series. Nastasia Wardynksa and Francis Blake. Of course I had to ship them. It's a middle school ship so yeah, it's straight, but I still love it. It's one of my comfort ships and there is 0 work about it, I have a whole story about it in my head but won't write it because... why doing it?

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oh! A LOT of them. Like... prolly all of them, I don't feel like writing these days (actually I want to write but I just don't manage to do it)

16. What are your writing strengths?

idk lol

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogues? Characterisations? Descriptions?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

UGH STOP WRITING IN FRENCH PLEASE!!!! Or at least ask some French speakers because sometimes it's just... I want to cry but it's cute and it can be great but most of the time it's terrible like... "ma chérie fille" as a translation of "my darling girl"... NO. Just NO. it'd be "ma fille chérie", and NO, because it's for your literal CHILD so NO.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Warrior Cats I was 10 and I had a note book I would FILL with a fanfiction and I wanted it to be an actual book

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Of scars and fresh blood. The only acceptable one I have.

Idk who to tag so tagging anyone who wants to be.

#I'm very harsh on my own work I know #carterwood #dottie underwood #agent carter #peggy carter #larissa weems #agent carter season 3

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lescarbille · 8 hours ago

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Fic Writer Interview

Tagged by @lottie1824 🧡

How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 12 works and 1 hidden in a private collection until I manage what to do with it.

What's your total AO3 word count?

My word count is 306,163. I am as surprised as you are cause it's A LOT in a year.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Is it Over Now ? [Landoscar] - 1087 kudos (complete)

481 pounds of Fine [Landoscar] - 504 kudos (complete)

From track to path [Charles adopts Oscar / Girl!Charles] - 250 kudos (complete)

Guide to I accidentally acquired a demon by Oscar Piastri (Thank you Lando, sarcastically) [Carcar] - 228 kudos (in progress)

The grill the grid coffee [Carcar / Norpinto / Gax] - 218 kudos (complete)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I respond to every comment but sometimes I take time cause I don't know how to respond and I don't want to sound bad or clumsy so I just panic and do the ostrich (hide my head in the sand). But I always respond at the end of the day, cause it helps me to keep track if people still love what I'm writing or not since you can leave kudos only one.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Ahaha. The tortured poets department. This is the story with the less kudos (statistically this fic doesn't work) but I'm just so proud and love every aspect of it.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Tricky, every fic has a happy ending but I'll go for the most satisfying ending : Is It Over Now ? cause the angst during the finals chapter gives a particular taste to the happy ending.

Do you write crossovers?

Nop, but still I want to write at some point a Harry Potter crossover.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Never or maybe my english is so bad that I haven't understood. Recently I saw on a Carcar tag someone saying they couldn't find any good Carcar fic and I take it personally (read I was a bit depressed for no reason), so no hate just some itching feeling that I'm not enough of a writer.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Technically yes. Do I post it ? No. Will I post one ? Yes. Since it's for the F1 girl fest, it will be something sapphic, and since I'm not comfortable with writing it, there is a sort of poetry ? Yeah, let's say I write poetic smut and never talk about it again...

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nop but I don't want to.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Never.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

Jegulus. Yeah nothing related to F1, but I just love the James and Regulus ship. They have everything I love, and more. Like the Stars/sun parallels, it makes me weak on my knees.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I'm working A LOT on Every dead man should tells some tale, but I don't know if I'll manage to finish it someday.

What are your writing strengths?

Angst. Description and visualisation. I can make you feel what the character feels like and crush your heart like their is crushed. I'm also a queen of foreshadowing since the solution is ALWAYS in the first chapters.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. I'm bad at it. I don't have the code of communication, especially in English. I don't have the same humour. I have this very typical french humour that we call 'second degrès' I think my dialogue lacks spontaneity.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

If the fic is in english, even if the character speaks french, so the dialogue should be in english with a italic or a "he said in spanish", cause it's frustrating to google translate something in the middle of the reading. For the pet name, it's fine.

Also "mon chou" in french for the Lestappen is the CRINGIEST nickname ever. If you call a french mon chou, they will look down on you.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

PJO. A long time ago. A crack smau fic. I smile everytime I think about it.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

None. I just go with the wind and never look back.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

There are two, and they are the least favourite on my account. It's Every Dead Man Should tells some Tales and The Tortured Poets Department.

(The funniest part is that two of my most liked stories : The Grill the grid coffee and From Tack to Path are my least favourites fic).

AND THE END !

#ask game

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ashtree11 · 10 months ago

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Fanfic writer 20 questions, thanks @modulatechaos for tagging me :3

1. How many fics do you have on ao3

62!

2. What’s your ao3 word count?

531,384 🤯

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I used to write for Fire Emblem Three Houses, and I currently write for Genshin Impact, some Jujutsu Kaisen for a rare pair, tentatively returning to Control when the plot bunnies return, and wanting to do more for Path to Nowhere

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Triple Lutz

Resonance is Far Away

Oh my god they were batterymates

Sakura Sake

Notes in Memory

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely! As soon as I can I reply and I keep the email with the comment for days at a time. Knowing that my work is being enjoyed and someone took the time to tell me keeps me going

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I’m not much of an angst writer, but I think the closest I’ve come is maybe The Saddest Part: Never Mine, and maaaaaybe Take the Throne? The latter certainly didn’t end conventionally happy at least

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Basically all of them really 😂but the ones that stuck with me are the edeleths and Timeless Pool of Light

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No not at all

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I did mostly for FE3H and Control; only f/f and kept pretty vanilla in terms of kink and by the time I wrote for Genshin I evolved into what I call “philosophical foreplay” more dialogue and introspection of the characters rather than simply the act itself

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what kind?

I do a lot of aus but not definitive crossovers; I keep my fandoms pretty separated

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I definitely hope not

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Oh yeah one in Japanese and Chinese, and another one I think got translated into German

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yup! With none other than the great and powerful @modulatechaos themself! As soon I went into the Control fandom we both took off on some works and we’re struggling on a genshin fic rn but we’ll figure it out 😅

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Edeleth will forever and always have a special place in my heart

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but probably never will?

I feel like I have an answer, but if I shared it it would feel like I’ve given up on it, and like I’m speaking prematurely on my future-self’s behalf. I have too many wips, but enough hope of finishing them one day to outnumber them

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue I hope! And from the dialogue I find engagement in character study/introspection

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

It’s perhaps more of a self consciousness than a weakness, but I’m always worried about my pacing and story structuring when it comes to my multichaps

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I value extensive research on any topics that might not be something overtly familiar and language is a big part of that. Depending on how prominent it is, I find that simply having the implication of a spoken language is sometimes better than trying and botching a full translation

19. First fandom you ever wrote for?

FE3H easily, but if we’re talking deep cuts and technical, I wrote a thing for Code Lyoko in high school but that’s a memory just for me :3

20. Favorite fic ever written?

Triple Lutz because it was my first; the Jean/Signora series because I had taken the risk; Timeless Pool of Light because I had persevered to finish it; and When the Air Rains Messages because I think that encompassed my love for a character better than anything else I’ve written this far

#my post #writing thoughts #thanks for the tag saint ❤️

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fanmoose12 · 4 years ago

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Partners

Characters: Petra Ral, Levi, Hanji Zoe x Levi Genre: Action / Mystery / Romance Rating: T

Detective!au

Summary: when Petra was promoted to a detective and partnered up with legendary Levi Ackerman, she felt like the happiest person in the world.

But, as she soon found out, detective Ackerman she used to admire so much was actually a far cry from the ideal policeman Petra thought he was. He was rude, harsh and easily annoyed. And, in addition, he still hadn’t moved on from the death of his previous partner - detective Hange Zoe.

Chapter 10/?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Сhapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Сhapter 7

Сhapter 8

Chapter 9

“We’ve been apart for so long!” Hange kissed the crown of black hair, nuzzling her nose into it. “I’ve missed you so much, my dear! I love you more than anyone else in this world, yes, yes, I do.”

“Are you finished already?” Levi asked, scowling darkly. “Or are you going to continue making out with my dog?”

“I’m just saying hello to my favorite boy!” Hange giggled, and Grim licked her face happily. “Well, my second favorite boy,” she corrected, shooting Levi a mischievous grin.

“Get the fuck off the floor, four-eyes,” he lightly kicked her thigh. “Before your butt freezes.”

“Fine, fine, Grim, get off me, boy,” the dog complied instantly, and Hange outstretched her hand, signaling Levi that she needed help with getting up. Levi rolled his eyes, but obeyed too. Hange stood up, dusting her pants. “A certain someone likes my butt so much, he doesn’t want it to freeze.”

“Take your shoes off,” Levi grunted, way above responding to Hange’s taunts. Whatever he thought about her butt wasn’t any of her business anyway.

“Ah, this place hasn’t changed a bit!” Hange exclaimed, as she walked further into Levi’s apartment.

“What did you expect?” Levi followed after her. “Some big renovations?”

“Maybe?” Hange shrugged. “I was actually worried some cutie lives here now.”

Levi stared at the back of her head, lost and confused. She was worried? About some cutie?

What the fuck?

“You know,” Hange continued. “Some adorable little thing who managed to steal the heart of Levi Ackerman himself.”

“Nothing of the sort happened, as you can see,” he said, his face blank despite his obvious discomfiture.

Adorable little thing stealing his heart? What a bunch of nonsense, Levi thought. Even if there was someone, capable of stealing his heart, it would be a loud, messy idiot who stood a good few inches above him.

“You don’t need a tour around the house, I hope?” he asked.

“Of course not, I remember it better than my own.”

“Good, then settle down, I’ll go on a walk with Grim.”

“Aw, you’re taking him away from me already?” Hange pouted, crouching in front of the dog. Grim licked her pout away, making Hange giggle. And eliciting an annoyed tsk from his owner.

“Let’s go,” he fastened a leash to Grim’s collar. He then looked back at Hange. “Try not to ruin my house while I’m gone, alright?”

“Sure!” she showed him thumb-ups.

Levi shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “I won’t be gone for too long. Oh, and Hange,” he glanced at her briefly, before turning away. “Welcome home.”

***

“Um, Levi?” Hange called seconds after he returned from his walk with Grim. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” he gave Grim a treat and motioned for him to stay put, walking towards the bedroom, from where Hange’s voice was coming from.

Levi walked in and saw that Hange was standing in front of his wardrobe.

Oh. She wanted to ask him about that.

Understandable.

“I know how that it looks kinda creepy…” he rubbed his forehead, feeling more than a little bit embarrassed.

“That’s my old clothes, right?”

Well, there was no pointing in denying that.

“Yes,” Levi said, giving Hange a courtesy of looking her straight in the eyes. “I was the one, who cleaned your apartment after, well, you know…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, throwing them away seemed like a waste, so…”

“Thanks!” Hange beamed.

Levi frowned. “You’re not… mad or something?”

“Of course, not, silly! I’m actually quite happy. I’ve missed this pullover so much!” Hange took the piece of clothing out, throwing it at Levi’s bed. “And this sweater!” it followed the path of a pullover. “And this shirt! And—”

“Okay, stop.” Levi grabbed her hand, preventing Hange from making a total mess on his bed. “I’ve got it, you don’t mind me being a weirdo, my bed has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh right,” Hange chuckled, shrugging helplessly. “Sorry about that. I can—”

“I’ll clean this out,” Levi cut her off. “You go ahead and take a shower.”

That put a pout on Hange’s face. “But I’ve already had one this morning…”

That was an improvement, Levi was actually impressed. Still, it wasn’t enough.

“I’m not letting you sleep in my bed until I make sure that you’re fresh and clean, four-eyes.”

“What!” Hange squealed. “You want me to sleep in your bed?”

“Do you wish to spend the night at my shitty old sofa? With Grim drooling all over you?” Levi bluntly countered. “I thought to take that place myself, but if you’re so eager...”

“But I can’t just kick you out of your own bed. Let me take the sofa.”

“You’re a guest, four-eyes. Take the fucking bed.” He gritted, annoyed by her stubbornness.

“Fine!” Hange threw her hands in the air. “If you’re so dead set on this, I’ll take the bed.” Levi’s lips almost curled into a victorious smirk. “But you’re sharing it with me.”

And the celebratory expression disappeared without a trace.

“…What? What do you mean?”

“I mean, let’s share the bed. You take one side, I take the other, no one sleeps on the sofa, we both sleep on a bed. Together.”

We both sleep on a bed. Together.

These words made blood rush to his face. He just recently discovered that he might be harboring some kind of feelings for Hange. He didn’t know yet just what kind of feelings. He didn’t know when all of that had started and what make of it. So sharing a bed… seemed like they were rushing things a bit.

“Isn’t that weird?” he asked, trying to find a way out of this situation. Preferably without revealing to Hange just what exactly was weirding him out so much.

“I don’t think so, no.” Hange shrugged. “I mean, we’ve shared the bed before.”

“It was one time,” Levi said, understanding exactly what she meant. “And we didn’t share a bed. You fell on top of me while we were napping on a sofa in the office.”

“That wasn’t the only time we’ve shared the bed, though,” Hange remarked. “Remember Erwin’s birthday party?”

“We were drunk,” Levi crossed hands on his chest. “And technically we weren’t sharing.”

“How so?”

“You were sleeping between Erwin and me. It’s not sharing.”

“It is!” Hange huffed. “I was sharing a bed with you and Erwin. Your hands were on my waist! That counts as sharing.”

Oh. His hands were on her waist? Levi’s mind thankfully obscured that detail.

“And if it makes you feel less awkward, it wouldn’t be just us in this bed tonight too.”

“Huh?”

“Grim,” Hange smiled. “I’m sure he’ll join us too.”

Levi scowled. “He is not allowed on a bed.”

“Sure,” her smile turned into a smirk. “Keep lying, Ackerman.”

“Fine,” he shook his head. “I’ll go wash Grim and prepare a bath for you. And then you’ll shut up, take a bath and we’ll go to sleep. It’s late and I had a hell of a day because of you.”

“I’ll go make tea for us in the meanwhile,” she moved past Levi, heading to the kitchen. She stopped when she was right next to him and left a kiss on his cheek. Levi’s heart did a flip. “Thanks for everything,” she whispered, before disappearing into a kitchen.

Levi stood there, with a hand pressed to his cheek, gently touching the place Hange kissed for an embarrassingly long moment. He would have continued to remain frozen on that spot, if it weren’t for Grim, who started to whine loudly, getting impatient of waiting for Levi to snap out of it and take care of him.

“Shit,” he cursed, running a hand through his hair. Just what Hange was doing to him? “I’m coming!” he yelled, hurrying to his pet.

***

Levi put his hands around Hange, pulling her closer. He inhaled her faint scent and smiled, tracing the contour of her shoulder with his nose.

Hange turned in their embrace, facing Levi. She looked him in the eyes, the corners of her lips lifting in a soft, loving smile.

“It’s so good to be reunited, isn’t it? After long two years of being apart?”

“Yes,” Levi breathed out, unable to do anything but stare at her, devotion shining in his eyes.

“Do you think this is going to last?” her voice was honeyed, sweet. Too sweet, Levi realized as Hange’s smile changed. It wasn’t soft. Or loving. It was cold and cruel. “Do you think you can make me stay?”

Hange shook her head, disappointment replacing the once tender expression. Before Levi could say anything, ask her a question or give her some kind of an answer, she disappeared, slipping between his fingers. Like she wasn’t even there. Levi stared at the now empty space beside him with widened, shocked eyes.

“No,” he whispered weakly, grasping the sheet, where Hange just laid. “No, don’t go, don’t leave me alone, not again.”

He was cold, and the room around him was dark. It pressed on him, making him feel like a small frightened boy. The panic gripped and ceased him, suffocating him in its tight, loveless embrace.

And then— as though out of nowhere, there were warm hands on his face and gentle, insisting voice in his ear, calling out his name, repeating it again and again.

Unable to resist, he followed it.

He opened his eyes and he was still in his room, but— it was different from before. It wasn’t engulfed in darkness anymore, the lamp on his bedside table illuminating everything, and he wasn’t alone, Hange— Hange was hovering above him.

She was looking at him with a mixture of worry and confusion, her hair was out of the usual ponytail and seemed to be even more of a mess, the glasses were gone too and Hange was squinting, which made her look like a disheveled, one-eyed owl.

She looked ridiculous, Levi thought. He wanted to stare at her for hours.

“Levi?” she asked in a quiet whisper.

“Sorry for waking you up,” he said, embarrassment making his voice even gruffer than usual. “Go back to sleep.”

He turned away from her, switching off the lamp. A couple of minutes passed and the room was still silent. Levi closed his eyes, hoping that Hange was merciful enough to spare him and forget about the whole incident.

Of course, that was foolish of him. Hange forgetting about something? Nothing more than a wishful thinking on his part.

“Hey,” Hange called. “Do you want to talk about that?”

“No.”

“I do.” She said matter-of-factly. “You had a nightmare.”

Levi snorted. “Great deduction, detective Zoe.”

“That nightmare was about me.” It wasn’t a question, but Hange still paused for a second, giving Levi a chance to confirm or deny it. He remained silent. Hange took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. You’re… suffering because of me—”

“Shut up,” he cut her off harshly, preventing her from spitting out even more nonsense. “You came back, Hange. You’re here now. That’s more than I could ask for.”

“Come here.”

Suddenly, there was a hand on his arm, turning him around.

“I want cuddles.” Hange explained with a silly grin.

“I don’t.” Levi glowered.

“Yes, you do,” she threw her arm over him, laying a head on his chest. “He does want to cuddle, right, Grim?”

Grim, who was lying at the foot of the bed answered by putting his head on Levi’s leg.

“Good grief,” Levi muttered, wrapping his hand around Hange’s shoulder. She nuzzled into his chest with a contended sigh.

Levi was glad that the room was dark this time. It made it easier for him to hide a smile.

***

“So!” Hange rubbed her hands in anticipation, looking around the police precinct with an excited smile. “What’s our plan of action?”

“I’m catching up on all of my paperwork.” Levi said. “You sit tight and watch me work.”

“Boring,” Hange answered flippantly. “Didn’t we use to visit forensics first thing in the morning? You know, to get updates about the clues and stuff?”

“There are no clues, remember?”

“Right,” she scratched her chin. “But, maybe, they found something?”

“They would have informed me already.”

“Maybe, they forgot?”

Levi sighed. “You just want to visit the forensic department, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Hange agreed with a shrug. “Shall we?”

“You go,” he gave her a slight push. “There is something I need to do first.”

“Eh?” a confused crease formed between Hange’s eyebrows. “And where are you going?”

“I’ll join you soon.” Hange continued to stare at him. She put hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes, silently demanding a more detailed answer. Levi sighed again. “I’m going to get my tea. And then I’ll come back, alright?”

“Oh,” Hange snickered, giving him an amused look. “Alright, go get your tea, shorty, I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Detective Ackerman! Detective Zoe!” before Hange and Levi could go their separate ways, a man approached them. To Levi, he looked distinctly familiar.

“Oluo!” Hange greeted with a smile, bringing Levi up to a speed.

Right, Oluo Bozard, a police technician and Petra’s old colleague. A man who was foolish enough to follow through with her reckless schemes.

“How is Petra?” Hange asked, while Levi was too busy glaring holes at the man. “Did you two get back home safely last night?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you actually,” Oluo rubbed his neck. “Petra, haven’t you two seen her? She doesn’t pick up the phone and she isn’t at your office.”

“Since this weirdo is with me today,” Levi pointed to Hange, earning a playful punch to the arm from her. “I texted Petra this morning, told that she can have a day off. She’s probably still sleeping.”

“Poor thing,” Hange shook her head. “She must be so exhausted.”

“Oh,” Oluo nodded. “I was starting to get worried, but Petra is just lazing around? A weight of my shoulders,” he wiped the imaginary sweat from his forehead and smiled. “Thank you, detectives. Have a good day!”

“You too!” Hange waved at him, then turned to Levi. “Don’t take too long, shorty, I’ll be downstairs.”

“Just… be careful, four-eyes.”

“Huh?”

Levi gave her a knowing look, as corners of his lips curled into a small smirk. “They don’t know about your miraculous resurrection. Don’t give our scientists a heart attack, alright?”

Hange snorted, clasping his shoulder in delight. “I’ll try my best,” she promised, before hurrying to the stairwell that led to the forensics department.

“What an idiot…” Levi whispered, watching her go with a fond look in his eyes.

***

Moving on her tiptoes, Hange carefully made her way down the stairs. She slowly and quietly approached the entrance to forensic department, and then carefully touched the handle, remembering that it used to have an extremely annoying habit of rattling very loudly every time someone moved it.

Two years later, and that particular problem still hadn’t been solved. She softly gripped the handle and turned it, trying to be as stealthy as possible.

She took all the precautions not because she wanted to give the scientists a heart attack, as Levi had so bluntly put it. She just… wished to see a look of shock and surprise on their faces. It would be hilarious, Hange thought, already anticipating Moblit’s wide-eyed and pale-faced look, Nifa’s squeal, Keiji’s shout and Abel’s cursing.

It would be hysterical. Levi would regret not coming with her.

With that in mind, Hange threw the door to forensics department open. “Hey, guys!” she yelled, waiting for the gasps of surprise to reach her ears.

They never did.

Nifa, Moblit, Keiji and Abel all ran out to see her. There were wide smiles on their faces and happiness shining in their eyes.

No shock, though. No surprise. Hange couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Did the miraculous returns of the people who were presumed dead for two years become such a common thing nowadays? Not worthy even a single ‘what the fuck’?

“We missed you so much!” Nifa wrapped her arms around Hange’s neck, bringing her down to a hug. Hange embraced her back, forgetting about her chagrin for a moment.

“What are you standing there for?” Nifa scolded, turning around. “It’s supposed to be a group hug, you idiots!”

Laughing in embarrassment, Moblit was the first to join Nifa. Keiji and Abel, complaining about Nifa’s bossiness in hushed murmurs, were quick to follow her order as well.

“Ah, guys, I missed you too,” Hange sighed, happy as ever. Having four people curled around her body wasn’t exactly comfortable, but Hange felt warm, she felt loved and appreciated.

She felt at home.

***

“So who ratted me out?” Hange asked, after Keiji had put a cup of coffee and a plate of Nifa’s delicious cheesecake in front of her. “Who told you that I’m not actually dead? Was that Levi, that blabbering gossiping midget?”

“Um, no?” Abel answered with a confused frown. He had some troubles imagining Levi as blabbering. Or gossiping. Or anything else, except a menacingly looking, constantly scowling man.

“Then was it Erwin?” throwing a piece of cheesecake in her mouth, Hange leaned closer, watching all of them carefully. “Did that handsome bastard finally grow tired of keeping my secret and decided to spill it out for everyone?”

“It wasn’t him either,” Nifa smiled. “It was Petra who told us.”

“Petra?”

“Yeah, you know,” Moblit chimed in. “Detective Ackerman’s new partner.”

“Of course, I know Petra,” a wide smile appeared on Hange’s lips. “She’s such a sweet girl. I take it, you already bonded with her?”

“She’s nice,” Keiji shrugged, sipping on his coffee.

“And very kind,” Moblit agreed.

“And so fricking pretty!” Nifa added. “If that idiot Oluo ever grows tired of her…”

“Sorry, Nifa,” Hange chuckled, patting the girl’s hand sympathetically. “But I saw them the other day. If anyone is going to grow tired, it’s definitely not Oluo.”

“What a shame,” Nifa stared into her cup of coffee, shaking her head.

“By the way, Hange,” Abel said, diverting attention from heartbroken Nifa. “I’ve gotta say, the eyepatch looks good on you.”

“Yes!” Nifa perked up. “You look so badass.”

“Ah, you think so?” Hange touched the eyepatch with her fingers, a look of self-doubt painting her features.

“You look cool as hell,” Keiji assured her with a warm smile.

Hange’s cheek reddened slightly, as she gave a small nod, silently thanking everyone for the compliment.

“Where is detective Ackerman?” Moblit asked suddenly. “Is he not going to join us?”

“He doesn’t trust your taste in tea, so he went to get his own,” Hange explained with a fond look. “He’ll be there in a moment.”

“What an insufferable little man!” Nifa muttered with a dark expression. “We still keep his favorite brand of tea,” she huffed irritably. “If only he visited us more often, he’d know that.”

“Why are you here today?” Abel questioned Hange. “Does that mean—”

“That it’s a ‘bring your best friend to work’ day?” Hange forced out a laugh, pushing her glasses up.

“So you won’t… return?” Moblit looked into her eyes. His sad, disappointed look broke Hange’s heart.

She took a breath, turning her gaze away. “I don’t know if I’ll return,” she said earnestly. “But… I really want to.”

“So!” she clasped her hands together, destroying the tense silence that fell over the room after her words. “Do you have a nice, horribly mutilated corpse to show me?”

“Oh,” Nifa smirked, her eyes glinting wickedly. “We have just what you need.”

***

Levi leaned against the doorway, unnoticed by everyone. With Hange at the center of the table, it didn’t surprise him. He watched her exchange jokes with the others, smile and laugh, and he thought – finally, everything is as it should be.

He realized he had missed not just Hange, he had missed this, a life he used to have, a routine he was accustomed to, a routine that disappeared ever since Hange was gone.

He missed coming down there with Hange, missed listening to her nerdy conversations with their colleagues and looking at the disgusting, revolting corpses with her, missed dragging her out of the forensics department and into their office, forcing her to get to actual work.

He wondered if this life was ever going to return. He desperately hoped so.

“Hey, detective Ackerman!” Abel’s friendly voice distracted Levi from his gloomy thoughts. “Come join us, the tea is getting cold!”

“We still have your favorite brand, by the way,” Nifa scolded him, wearing a disgruntled expression. “You would have known this, if you actually visited us more often than once in a lifetime.”

“Sorry,” Levi mumbled. Nifa’s strict voice and vicious glare actually made him feel bad. “Thanks for the tea.”

“I saved you a place!” Hange said, standing up.

“And where are you going?” Levi narrowed his eyes, suspicion swirling in his gaze.

“Nifa and I have some business in the dissection room,” Hange leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. “She promised me a cool corpse!”

“Ugh,” Levi pushed her away. “You don’t change,” he told her. His voice sounded much fonder than he intended it to.

“Yeah, love you too,” Hange ruffled his hair and left, hurrying after Nifa.

His heart skipped a beat at that. Levi stared in the distance for a long moment, failing to calm his racing heart.

“Detective?” Moblit carefully touched his elbow. “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” he gritted through teeth, snapping out of his stupor. “Don’t you dare to say a word,” Levi threatened, scowling at Moblit, Keiji and Abel.

He picked up his cup, hiding a blush behind it. Damn Hange and her annoying ability to always embarrass him. That part of her he most certainly didn’t miss.

***

“If watching me work gets you so damn interested,” Levi muttered without looking up from a mountain of paperwork on his desk. “Then lend a fucking hand, four-eyes.”

“Don’t distract me,” she chided, throwing a paper plane right in the middle of his desk. “I’m thinking.”

“Thinking?” Levi crumpled the plane in his hands, changing its trajectory into a trashcan. “I wasn’t aware you could do that. New skill of yours?”

“Asshole,” another paper plane hit him in the side of his head. Levi cursed, crumpling this one with much more force. “If you’re such a douche, I won’t tell you what I was thinking about.”

Oh. That got Levi curious.

“I’m listening,” he said. He sat back in his chair, directing his gaze on Hange. The paperwork lay forgotten on his desk. Levi ignored it. He also ignored Erwin’s voice in his head that reminded him that he was supposed to finish all of it today. He was working for over an hour now. He deserved a small break.

“Well,” Hange huffed, raising her nose up in distain. “Now I don’t want to tell you.”

“Hange,” Levi took a paper from his desk, crumpled and threw it at her, making her look at him. “I’m listening,” he said, looking her in the eye.

Hange’s demeanor changed instantly. She lowered her gaze and shook her head. “You would think I’m stupid…” she quietly mumbled.

“I already know that you’re stupid, four-eyes, so, c’mon, spill it out already.”

“After all this is over…” Hange began, drawing invisible patterns on the surface of her desk. “You know the murders and that shit with Zeke… do you think I can come back?”

“Hange,” Levi looked at her seriously. “Tell me one thing, please – are you an idiot?”

Hange glanced up, blinking in surprise. “…What?”

“You saw how much everyone misses you today, and you still have any doubts about coming back?”

“I doubt it’d be so easy…” Hange fumbled with her thumbs. “I’m presumed dead, after all.”

Levi rolled his eyes, exasperated. “I’m pretty sure Erwin can clear that out in no time.”

“But after those two years, would I be able to… fit it?”

“You’re definitely an idiot,” Levi declared, biting his tongue from saying something much worse. “Tell me one goddamn reason why you wouldn’t fit in.”

Hange shrugged, studying her nails so intently like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “You have a new partner now.”

“That’s… what got you so worried?” Levi spoke, his voice full of surprise.

“Well… I just don’t want another partner, I guess.”

“Idiot,” Levi repeated once again. “I don’t want another partner too, I don’t think Petra is going to be very upset if Erwin finds her a new one.”

“Oh!” Hange finally looked up, her face bright and excited. “You would want to continue working with me?”

“No,” Levi said in a dead-pan voice. “Working with my best friend is absolutely awful, I hated every second of it, that’s why I was so depressed after your death.”

“Gosh, you’re such an asshole,” Hange said, a smile breaking on her face.

Levi couldn’t help but curl his lips upwards too. “And you’re an idiot.”

“Erwin would be ecstatic to have you back too,” he remarked, turning back to his papers. Looking at Hange’s smile made him think silly things. It made him want to press his lips to that smile and taste if it was really as sweet as it looked. He shook his head slightly, struggling to return his attention to work.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you were his best detective, after all.”

“Hm.” Hange frowned. “Weren’t you the precinct’s best?”

“No,” Levi said, his voice much gruffer than usual. The pen in his hand trembled from the force he was holding it with. “Without you, I wasn’t.”

“Levi…” Hange whispered.

She stood up suddenly, the scraping noise from her chair filling the too quiet room. She walked up to his desk and sat at the edge of it. She slowly reached out to him, curling her hand around his shoulder, and as Levi looked up, he saw that she was staring down at him with a mixture of fondness and shyness.

“Maybe, it’s not the right time for this, but I’ve always wanted to tell you…” she paused, looking down for a second. Then she took a deep breath and—

And then someone knocked on the door. It was loud and insistent, and Levi cursed whoever was behind it. What was Hange going to tell him? He wanted to know. He wanted to know so much he was ready to ignore the irritating knocking.

Hange had another opinion, though.

“Come in!” she shouted, turning away from Levi.

The door opened, and a sweaty, heavy-breathing Oluo tumbled inside.

“Detectives!” he managed to yell between his pants. “Have any of you heard from Petra?”

Levi and Hange exchanged a glance. “No?”

“I’ve just returned from her apartment,” Oluo explained, nodding gratefully at Hange, who offered him a glass of water. He gulped half of it in one go. “It was— it was empty. Her coat and shoes were inside and—”

“And the door?” Hange asked.

“Unlocked.” Oluo answered.

“Shit. Have you noticed anything else?”

“Yes,” Oluo nodded, opening his coat and taking something from the inner pocket. “This was lying on Petra’s windowsill.”

Hange snatched a small bag out of his hands, pushing her glasses up and inspecting it carefully. “A cigarette butt…” she whispered with a troubled expression.

Levi was instantly by her side. “I take it, the brand is familiar?” and before Hange could answer, he added. “Zeke smokes a lot, does he not?”

“I don’t—”

“I knew we couldn’t trust him,” he growled, clenching his fists. “I told you we couldn’t, and now Petra—”

“I don’t think that’s him, Levi,” Hange said, cutting him off. “Just think about it,” she continued, starting to pace around the office. “It’s Zeke we’re talking about, a man so evasive we spend a whole year chasing after him, and now, what? He forgets to throw out his cigarette butt? Even though, he knows we may still suspect him? He’s much smarter than that.”

“So what are you saying?”

“Someone is setting him up,” Hange concluded confidently. “Now I’m sure of it.”

“And what about Petra?” Oluo spoke up. “Do you really think she was… kidnapped?”

“Shit.” Levi muttered with feeling. He didn’t want to believe that Oluo’s conclusion was right, but… then he remembered a note they’ve found at the scene of a second murder and… it was the only possible explanation.

“We need to start the search,” Hange announced in commanding voice. “Levi, go and inform Erwin about this, tell him to gather as much people as he can. Oluo, rest a bit, then go back to your department. If there are officers you unquestionably trust, ask them for help as well. We’ll meet right there in two hours.”

“Oi!” Levi grabbed her sleeve, catching up with Hange, who was already by the door. “And where are you going?”

“To Zeke,” Hange said. “I need to make sure he’s innocent. And, who knows, maybe, he’ll be able to help us.”

“Hange…”

“I’ll be fine,” she gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to die on you for a second time.”

“You better keep this promise, four-eyes.” Levi spoke darkly. “Because I’m not letting you go for a second time. Good luck.”

Hange nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

***

There was a pounding, pulsing pain that was impossible to ignore. It felt like someone was hitting her head repeatedly with a hammer and simultaneously squeezing her brain inside the tight clutches. It felt like a hundred hangovers combined.

And it was made exponentially worse by hushed voices to her left that just didn't shut up.

Groaning softly, Petra opened her eyes. And closed them instantly as a new, much stronger wave of pain hit her. Her eyes felt like they were burning, her head felt like it was going to explode.

What had happened to her?

Fighting through pain, Petra tried to focus, searching through her brain for the recent memories. She was... with Oluo, and together they've broken into Sannes' office. Levi had come then, with detective Zoe in tow. And after that... she went home. Petra remembered the feeling of exhaustion as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. And then... what happened then? She must have gotten to the front door, and, right... she had found it unlocked. She walked inside and saw a man and....

"Detective Ral. Did you and your partner receive my note?"

And then before she could do anything, cry out for help, try to defend herself or take out her gun, the man with an eerie smile attacked her. He seized her hands in his, his face moved closer to hers, she felt shooting pain at the back of her head and then... There was darkness.

And now she was strapped to a chair with a headache so fierce it made her nauseous.

God, it was pathetic. She needed to do something about it.

She opened her eyes again, this time more slowly. The room she was in was still too bright, but Petra persevered and carefully surveyed her surroundings.

The room wasn't big and it was mostly empty. There were no windows and the only source of light was a lightbulb that shone right above her head. Apart from a chair she was sitting on, the only piece of furniture inside was a long table that stood at the other side of the room.

That's where the voices came from. And that's where two figures stood. Petra recognized one of them right away, despite him standing with his back facing her.

Sannes.

That meant that the man beside him was his intern. The bastard who kidnapped her. The man with an eerie smile.

Engrossed in a conversation, the two men didn't seem to notice that she had regained her consciousness. Petra had to use it to her advantage.

Whatever they talked about, the discussion seemed heated. Petra strained her hearing, listening in.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Sannes hissed, grabbing the other man by the collar of his shirt. "Do you understand what you've done? If Ackerman finds out—”

"He won't," the man responded calmly, easily throwing Sannes’ hands off him. “He won’t be able to find us, I took some precautions.”

“You— you took some precautions?” Sannes repeated, a breathless laugh escaping his lips. “What kind of precautions, you fucking dimwit? Do you know who you’re dealing with?”

“You said he wasn’t as good as he was before…” the man mumbled with a confused frown.

“And that still makes him ten times smarter than you!” Sannes snapped, turning away. “Fuck!” he yelled, gripping the side of his head. “Why did I even agree to help you out, I knew you were a fucking idiot. And now Ackerman will have all the proof he needs to get rid of me. Years of hard work!” he lamented. “And all of it wasted because of your idiotic stunt!”

“Calm down, I’ve got everything under control!” the man tried to placate Sannes. “We’re taking a huge risk, I know, but the reward will be worth it!”

“What kind of reward?” Sannes seethed. “Getting rid of Zeke? I never really cared about that! It’s you who are obsessed with that!”

“Zeke is a fool,” the man sneered, his voice full of disgust. “He’s not the man he was before. Ever since he took in that Zoe, he had made mistake after mistake. It’s time to put an end to this. It’s time for someone else to take over his legacy. Our gang needs a new leader. Someone, who has as much potential as Zeke, but who doesn’t yet possess any of his flaws. Someone, who is cunning and ruthless. Someone who will be able to success, where Zeke failed. There is only one man who can do this," he finished, and even from afar Petra could see a shine of adoration in his eyes.

Sannes scoffed, rolling his eyes, not moved by the passionate speech at all. "And who is that?"

"No one can achieve the greatness Zeke once possessed. Except," the man smiled, and the sight of it made shivers run down Petra's spine.

"His own brother."

#/shows up with update two months later/#i hope y'all still remember that fic lmao #levihan #levihan fanfiction

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aadmelioraa · 4 years ago

Text

Take Two

A Happiest Season Abby x Riley fic (2.4k, T)

It had been one year since Abby had left. One year since they’d called it quits. One year since their engagement was over.

And now it was Christmas time again, only this time Abby was more alone than ever.

She’d been on a few dates since they’d broken up, but no one had stuck around. Probably more her fault than theirs. It had been good to get back out there, but it still hurt to remember how things with Harper had ended.

It was a pretty big shock at the time, but looking back it had been a long time coming. Abby and Harper were on different paths and it just wouldn't have worked, no matter how much they loved each other.

“It’s not you,” Harper had insisted. “It’s me, and I’m so sorry.”

That was one of the last things Harper said to her.

They’d been talking wedding plans that morning and by evening Abby was packing her bags.

Harper had been so desperate to make her happy since they got engaged, but her constantly bending over backward wasn’t what Abby needed, and it was stressing Harper out. Neither of them was their best self together, not anymore. Rather than bringing them closer, in the end, that Christmas with the Caldwells had exposed too many rifts in the relationship to salvage.

Tagging @mego42 @endlesslychildish @arcane--soul @skittles321

Read the rest below the cut or on ao3

“I want you to be happy without trying so hard to satisfy the idea of me in your head. You’re such an amazing person—“ Abby had started sobbing here, “—but I can't give you what you need either.”

She’d moved out that night. Harper hadn’t accepted the breakup at first despite sort of initiating it. The conversation had lasted for hours, but eventually, she acknowledged the inevitable and left Abby alone for a few hours to pack. John, thankfully just a text away, had helped her drive everything over to his place.

It had been the second-worst night of Abby’s life.

She’d moved to Philadelphia two months later. She’d grown up there, technically, but without her parents, it didn’t really feel like coming home. New neighborhood, new apartment, new job. If that wasn’t proof she could get over it, what was? But when the holiday season came around again a lot of memories, once happy, now painful, resurfaced.

Waking up alone on Christmas Eve that year, in a word, sucked.

Abby was awake at 6:30 am for some reason. She checked her phone. She’d missed two non-emergency texts from John last night after she’d taken melatonin and passed out. He was definitely still sleeping; she’d text him back later.

She made a pot of coffee and stood in the kitchen in her pajamas wondering what she was going to do to keep herself occupied all day. John, who was living with his boyfriend in New York now, had invited her to stay the night and spend Christmas with them, but Abby wasn't sure if she was feeling up to it. She kinda wanted to sit the holiday out completely this year. She opened her phone and jumped aimlessly between the same three apps, then finally forced herself to take a shower.

At noon she decided to get dressed and go for a walk. That ought to keep her distracted enough. She put on jeans, thick socks, and her warmest sweater under her coat and started wandering.

There was nothing quite like Philly at Christmas. Still brash, loud, and occasionally vulgar but now decked to the nines with tinsel. She was glad to have new haunts to discover along with revisiting old haunts.

The snow from the previous day had turned to slush by the time the sun was at its peak, but that didn’t stop the kids in her neighborhood from spilling out into the streets to play football and tag under the grey sky. She waved at her upstairs neighbors and made a mental note to try and get to know them a little better in the new year.

It was a nice enough day. Maybe she’d head to Fairmount Park. Wherever she ended up there were sure to be plenty of frantic people coming to and fro, finishing last-minute Christmas shopping.

A wave of mixed emotions washed over her as she passed by a jeweler. Harper had given back the ring, of course. It was with John for safekeeping. Abby couldn’t return it, but it felt really weird to have it at her new place. Fresh start and all. Maybe someday she’d be ready to sell it. For now, she didn’t want to think about it.

She continued on at a brisk pace, stopping at a street cart for a lunch of falafel which she ate standing over a trash can, then continuing on.

It was after four o’clock by the time she realized how far she’d walked. Her hands had grown pretty chapped, she should probably go inside for a minute. There was a bar up ahead that looked open, and she could definitely use a drink.

It was fairly empty when she entered which made her instantly relax. She sidled up the bar and took a seat, rubbing her hands to warm them.

“Hey.” There was one bartender working, a curly-haired woman wearing a bandana headband, fitted flannel, and impeccable winged eyeliner like some kind of femme Luke Danes. “What can I get for you?”

“Vodka tonic?”

“Not feeling the Christmas spirit today, huh?” the bartender asked, grabbing the well vodka and rimming a glass with a wedge of lemon.

“Not really.”

“Yeah me neither. Anyway, name’s Gem,” the woman said, setting the cocktail down with a gentle tap. “Yell if you need anything.”

She smiled and walked to the far corner of the bar, a towel draped over her shoulder. A tall redhead and a petite girl with shoulder lengths locs raised their glasses at her.

Even if Abby wasn’t feeling it today, she’d picked a good spot.

She’d just started to feel the effects of the booze when she heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, I thought that was you.”

Startled, Abby nearly dropped her drink.

Riley, Harper’s Riley, slid onto the stool next to her.

“Hey!” Abby said, “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too,” Riley laughed.

“Yeah, I mean—great, great to see you.” Abby couldn’t help from grinning. She probably looked like an idiot but she didn’t care.

“You look good,” Riley said, subtly sweeping her eyes up and down in an appreciative manner.

“Thanks, thanks.” Abby was glad she’d foregone the beanie with the hole in it. “You look good too.”

She really did. Her hair was a little shorter now, though it still framed her face perfectly. Otherwise, she looked exactly the same as when they’d met two years ago. She was wearing a black mock neck sweater and a pair of perfectly tailored wool pants. Her boots had a slight heel, not too high to be practical in an East Coast winter. The hem of her sweater pulled up a little as Riley leaned over the bar, exposing just a sliver of skin. Abby tried not to stare too obviously while she ordered a drink.

“I moved to Philly last month, to answer your question,” Riley said. “Got a fellowship at Kensington, I start in a week.”

“Oh, cool. Congrats, that’s awesome.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Riley took a sip, glancing over at Abby in a way that made her face grow slightly warm. “What have you been up to?”

“Finished the doctorate and got a job as a curator at the PMA. It’s going well. I mean, relatively.”

“Well, look at you!” Riley raised her glass. “Doctor.”

“Doctor,” Abby echoed, laughing, as she knocked her glass against Riley’s.

“Glad to hear that.” Riley took another sip of her drink and paused, mouth pulling to one side awkwardly for just a second.

Abby knew the question that was coming.

“So,” Riley was looking straight ahead into the mirror behind the bar, “how’s Harper?”

Abby grimaced.

Riley’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit…”

“It’s ok! It’s ok,” Abby could feel herself overcorrecting. “It’s been about a year. But yeah, we’re not together anymore.”

“I’m really really sorry, Abby.”

“It’s fine, really,” Abby shrugged. “I mean, if anyone knows how I feel, it’s you.”

Riley exhaled and leaned over the bar, her elbow just barely touching Abby’s. “Yeah, that’s definitely true.”

“So what are you doing in a random bar on Christmas Eve anyway?” Abby asked, ready to change the subject.

“I live up the street, actually. I’m heading to Pittsburgh to see family tomorrow, but that’s going to feel like work, so today I just wanted to relax.”

“Totally,” Abby said, watching as a party of college aged kids spilled in from the street and headed to the high top tables towards the back of the bar. “I’m just taking it easy today, too.”

“Big plans tomorrow?”

“Might see John. I think you met him…when we met.”

“Yeah, I remember John. How’s he doing?”

“He’s really good. Thinks I need to get out more, but otherwise he’s very happy.”

Riley laughed. “I’ve been out exactly three times—wait, no, this makes it four—since I moved here in November so clearly I have no idea what that’s about.”

“You liking Philly so far?”

“Yeah, I do. I mean, don’t get me wrong it’s weird as fuck, but it’s got some really great people. The doctors I work with are whatever, but this kind of place has a good vibe.”

She smiled at Gem, who was rolling her eyes as she made Long Island Iced Teas for the group at the high tops.

“You two know each other?” Abby asked, internally cringing at how un-cool about it she sounded.

“I’ve been here three of the four times I’ve been out, so you could say that,” Riley said. “Nice people usually.”

Gem dropped off the tray of Long Islands and brought Abby and Riley another round.

“They tried to order mojitos,” she sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Fucking kids,” Abby said. Riley laughed. That felt good.

Another large group came in, middle-aged couples this time. It had grown dark outside, it must be after five by now.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the conversations happening around them. Old friends were reuniting to the right and left of them, the chatter that filled the air was starting to make Abby feel a little claustrophobic. She shifted towards the edge of her seat, tapping one foot nervously against the floor.

“Hey, do you want to get out of here?” Riley asked, raising her hand to catch Gem’s attention. “It’s getting a little crowded.”

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Abby said, relieved. “I’m just gonna run to the restroom.”

She threw a slightly crumpled pile of bills—mostly fives—on the bar and made her way to the back.

By some good luck, the bathroom was free with no line. The space was cramped and not overly clean, and the small black and white tiles that covered the lower half of the walls created a frantic pattern that did nothing to help Abby’s nerves. She exhaled a deep breath, fixed on her own gaze staring back at her from the mirror.

You’re fine. You’re just hanging out with a girl. A friend, even. Stop being so fucking nervous.

She rolled her eyes, annoyed at her own pep talk, then made her way back to the bar.

Riley was waiting with her hat on, hands thrust deep into the pockets of her dark green coat. Her face broke into a smile when she saw Abby returning.

“Anywhere in particular you want to go?” Abby asked.

“Not really,” Riley said casually. “Lead the way.”

“You got it,” Abby said, and Riley followed her outside.

The air was brisk, and snow had just started to fall as they left. There were Christmas lights everywhere, garlands wrapped around lampposts, a tree decked to the nines in nearly every window.

“Philly really gets in the holiday season, huh?” Riley asked dryly, then pointed up at a stuffed orange mascot that hung from a wreath on someone’s porch. “What the hell is that thing?”

“You really are new here,” Abby laughed. “I don’t know if you’re ready for me to explain Gritty tonight but I promise he's worth the wait.”

They continued up Broad Street, gradually making their way away from the noisy crowds. It had started to snow, which helped muffle the sounds of passerby and create a more mellow but still festive atmosphere.

“So, I’m glad I ran into you,” Abby confessed, breaking the silence that was lingering between them.

Riley’s shoulder bumped against hers as she sidestepped a puddle. “I am too. I have to ask though, is it because we’re both members of the Harper broken hearts club, or something else?”

“No, I’ve been trying not to think too much about that,” Abby said.

“Sorry to bring it up again.”

“I mean, it’s kind of unavoidable. That’s not what I meant, sorry. I’m glad because I really liked you when we met, and I kind of regret not realizing that at the time.”

Riley glanced over at her, genuine surprise etched on her face. “I liked you too, Abby. A lot.”

Abby smiled into her scarf and shook her fingers through her hair the way she always did when she was nervous. “Really?”

“Yeah, past tense though,” Riley added.

“Asshole,” Abby laughed, and Riley’s mouth twitched in reply.

They had paused on a street corner. The snow was falling around them in big flakes, Riley’s hair glittering in spots where it had landed and begun to melt.

Riley cocked her head, lips slightly parted, and stepped a little closer. Her brown eyes sparkled in the light of a Christmas tree peeking out of a nearby window.

“You good?” she asked.

Abby hesitated, chewing her lower lip.

“I can head home, if you’re not feel—“

Abby didn’t let Riley finish. Surging forward on her toes, she kissed her.

Rile tasted like the old fashioned she’d been drinking, smoky and slightly sweet. She kissed Abby back, running a hand through the hair behind her ear, and Abby could feel her smiling as their noses bumped together. When she pulled back Abby caught her breath and realized she was grinning too.

“I’ve wanted you to do that for a really long time,” Riley breathed.

Abby laced her fingers through hers and they kept walking. She wasn't feeling alone amidst all the holiday revelry any longer.

“Do you want to grab dinner sometime, maybe?” Abby asked tentatively.

Riley squeezed her hand. “How about now?”

Abby grinned. “Now is great.”

#abby x riley #happiest season #happiest season fic #kat writes

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theydontknowaboutusimagines · 4 years ago

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This Christmas - A Harry Styles Christmas Series (Prologue)

Two life long friends. Secretly in love. Home for the holidays. Will they risk everything by telling the other how they feel? Or will they spend another year loving from afar?

Find out in This Christmas - A Harry Styles Christmas Series Starting December 14th.

It’s the cliche storyline of many movies and romance novels. The whole being secretly in love with your best friend never telling them thing… yeah that one. Except this time around it was a very real thing involving you and your best friend Harry Styles.

You and Harry grew up together living only a few houses down from each other. You two went to the same school together. Your Mum’s were always arranging playdates, so the two of them could hang out. There was never a time when either of you weren’t together. You were the best friends and promised to always be there for each other.

And you were for every heartbreak and every happy moment in time.

But then things changed. It wasn’t just your typical growing up and growing apart thing that happens sometimes with teenagers. It was something much bigger than that. Your best friend went to audition for a little show called X Factor and then technically never really came back.

At least the Harry you once knew never did. Yes, Harry was still Harry, but he was always Harry Styles of One Direction. He was traveling the world, performing in front of thousands of screaming fans, and making millions of dollars. His life had literally changed overnight, which naturally meant you being in his life changed as well.

Of course you two still stayed in touch as best you could, but eventually those moments came less and less frequent. And then a few years later, you moved out of your childhood home, attending University, and Anne moved out of Harry’s. After that your contact with him was almost non existent.

However, in the few times you two crossed paths, either during a trip back home or at one of his shows, it was like no time had passed at all. You two were still just Y/N and Harry. Whenever those moments happened, you were your most happiest and that was when you realized just how in love you were with your best friend.

It took you a really long time to finally admit that to yourself. The problem was that you have always loved Harry, but trying to separate a platonic love and a romantic love was harder than one might think. Upon your realization, you contemplated on sharing your newly discovered information, but you quickly talked yourself out of it.

Now, it’s not that you thought Harry was shallow, but it was hard willing you to put yourself out there when many of his known past relationships were who they were. Plus, the odds of him feeling the same way were practically zero. So, you decided to hide away your feelings in the back of your mind and move on.

Years have passed since then and for some reason, they kept popping back up. So much so that all of your romantic comedy novels you’ve written, the male internet seems to resemble Harry either in looks or personality. Or there’s a recurring theme of friends to lovers in there somewhere. There have been a few theories going amongst fans of your books and Harry’s fans, but none have ever really been proven. It wasn’t like you had planned it out that way, it just happened… and kept happening. Regardless though, you sold a lot of books and had a Netflix film in the works, so it was working for you.

Currently, you are staring at the screen of your computer. More specifically a blank page that should have your current work in progress written on it. You had a deadline to finish your next manuscript by the end of the January and you hadn’t even started on it yet. It wasn’t that you didn’t have an idea for it, it’s just that you didn’t know the plot, the characters, or the setting.

The only thing you did know was that it was going to be a Christmas contemporary novel. Which should be right up your alley especially since it was approaching the Christmas season. You decided you needed to take a quick break and make yourself some hot chocolate. While you waited for it to heat up, you grabbed your favorite Christmas mug down from the cabinet and took out the whipped cream from the fridge.

Just as you poured the hot chocolate into the mug, your phone rang. You quickly retrieved it by your computer, answering it.

“Hello?” You answered.

“Y/N! Hi, lovely. It’s not too late is it?” The woman on the other end asked.

The woman was none other than Anne.

“Oh, hi Anne,” you smiled. “No, it’s perfect timing. How are you?”

“I’m doing well,” she said. “I just got off the phone with your Mum and she mentioned you weren’t coming home for Christmas this year.”

You sighed holding the bridge of your nose. Leave it up to your mother to not hear everything you told her.

“I did kinda say that,” you said. “But I didn’t mean I wasn’t coming home at all. I’ll be there for Christmas Even through Boxing Day, but I can’t stay my normal time because I really have to finish this book.”

“Well, what if I told you I had the perfect solution to your problem?” She said.

“What? You’re going to write my book for me?” You laughed.

“Oh honey, I’m a terrible writer,” she joked. “But no, I was thinking that maybe you need a change of scenery. I know Gem talks about how when she’s in a bit of a block she needs to get away for a bit.”

“I mean, yeah I’ve done that before,” you said. “I would really love to come home earlier, but let’s be honest my mother and her Christmas mode will not leave me be.”

“Which is why I’m offering you our little guest house in the backyard,” she said.

“You mean the tiny house that is only one room?” You asked.

“That exact one,” she said. “Of course you’d need to use our loo and the kitchen, but it’s heated, as a bed, and a desk perfect for writing.”

She was making a good argument, but you really couldn’t afford any distractions over the next few weeks.

“I don’t know, Anne,” you sighed. “I’m really behind and I can’t risk not finishing it.”

“Y/N, you can’t lock yourself away and write 24/7 either, now can you?” She asked. “Maybe that’s why you’re struggling. You need to get out of your flat in the city and enjoy some fresh air.”

“Why does this sound exactly like the plot of a Hallmark movie?” You groaned, shaking your head.

“Because they get those ideas from somewhere,” she said. “Y/N, you’re a talented writer and I know you’re going to get what you need done either way, but I just thought I’d offer in case you were interested.”

“Okay, let me think over it and I’ll let you know, yeah?” You asked.

“Sounds great. The offer will always be here,” she smiled. “You know you’re like another daughter to me, right?”

“Yes, I know,” you smiled. “I love you, too.”

“I’ll let you get back to writing now and I’ll be looking forward to your call,” she smiled.

By the time the call ended, your hot chocolate had turned into warm chocolate. You placed it in the microwave to warm it up a bit and contemplated Anne’s offer. It was a really good offer, and it wasn’t like she was making any progress on the book here. You took your hotish chocolate into your living room looking out your window as you took a few sips.

Most of your neighbors had already put up their Christmas decorations, while your flat was looking straight up Grinch Mode. Maybe this was your problem. You were so focused on writing a book about Christmas, you weren’t living it. You needed inspiration, time, and space, but most importantly you needed to go home.

Pulling your phone back out, you sent a text to Anne telling her you would be on your way first thing in the morning.

“Okay, Hallmark,” you whispered. “Let’s do this.”

12 Days of Christmas will officially start on December 14th.

Make sure you look for Part 1 in ONE WEEK.

#Harry Styles Imagines #Harry Styles Fanfiction #harry styles fanfics #Harry Styles Christmas Series #Harry Styles Stories #Harry Styles Fics #Harry Styles Series

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hyunllx · 4 years ago

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The Christmas Baker

A Hyunlix Hallmark Fic Chapter 5/5 wc: 4.9k

Hwang Hyunjin is a rich, cocky, famous dancer that prefers to keep to himself during the holidays. When his roommate drags him along to visit his hometown, however, Hyunjin meets a boy who helps him believe in the spirit of the season. Primarily Hyunjin’s pov with Felix’s pov added in occasionally. series warnings: Extremely cliche. You will probably cringe at some points but its okay. chapter warnings: None, just super cheesy :) note: This fic is not meant to accurately reflect or portray the members of SKZ. This is just for fun.

Read the last chapter here

|--------------------Felix--------------------|

“Do we have to go?” Felix couldn’t help the whine in his throat as he let Chan push his body into his coat. He winced slightly at the pulling on his wrist when the sleeve passed over it, the pain of the fresh injury having caught up with him over the last 24 hours.

“Yes we have to go. You know you’re going to regret it if you don’t.” Chan paused as he held up Lix’s gloves, realizing he wasn’t going to be able to get them on over the cast. He stuffed them into his hoodie’s pouch after a moment and pulled a beanie onto his little brother’s head instead, “Besides, don’t you want to be there for Hyunjin’s first time at the party?”

Felix let out a small huff as he let his brother dress him like a child; it was easier to have help, even if a little embarrassing. He was right too, Felix DID want to be there with Hyunjin. He knew Hyunjin didn’t care much for the holiday, but the little school-boy crush in him wanted desperately to show him a good time, even if he was hurt.

"Yeah, I guess… I just know everyones gonna be disappointed about the cookies…"

"No, don't think that Lix. Even if Seungmin got only one batch done everyone will be happy to see that you're okay."

The door behind them opened as Chan finished speaking, a tightly bundled Hyunjin rushing in and almost knocking into them,

"Ah! You guys are almost ready!"

Felix looked at the taller boy curiously; since he'd got home from the clinic, Hyunjin had been in and out constantly all day and night. He'd return home for a quick meal or a nap, or to watch Felix as he slept himself, but he was gone again within a few hours, leaving Felix very little time to talk to him. Felix missed him when he was gone, a dangerous thing to feel given Hyunjin was still thinking about his own feelings, but he couldn't help it. When he saw Hyunjin's face light up as their gazes met, he hoped Hyunjin missed him too.

"Chan-hyung," Hyunjin turned his eyes to Chan, who immediately perked up. Felix blinked in surprise, looking between them; since arriving Hyunjin hadn't used such casual, affectionate language before. It was new… but Felix liked hearing him happy and comfortable nonetheless, "Um, some people want you at the town hall immediately. I can bring Felix in a little bit, but you should go meet them as soon as possible."

"Who?" Felix interjected. They were up to something; he could see the twitching at the corner of Chan's mouth that he gets when trying not to smile.

"I'm sure it's just last minute changes, Lixie. I'll go now, thank you Hyunjin."

"Hyung…" Chan gave his forehead a quick goodbye kiss and managed to escape Felix's grasp as he reached for his brother's coat. Hyunjin didn't help, draping a long arm across Felix's shoulders to guide him into the dining room, "Why can't we all just go together?"

Hyunjin paused, clearly not having thought about that before in whatever he was planning,

"Uh, I have something I wanna do first. Here, put your arm on the table."

Felix let out another sigh but obeyed, taking a seat and stretching out his arm as much as he could with the cast, "Like this?"

"Yeah. Now let me just fi- Ah!" Hyunjin shuffled through the many pockets on his thick coat until he produced a thick, black sharpie marker.

With great care not to twist too much, Hyunjin took Felix's arm in his hand and turned it over until his inner wrist was face-up. A hot blush bloomed across Lix's cheeks when Hyunjin popped the marker cap off with his teeth, using the black ink to write something he couldn't yet see on his cast. He felt as though he were back in middle school, having the popular boy sign his cast to sport the signature in front of everyone.

One proud grin later, Hyunjin pulled away to show Felix his message. Though the thick marker smeared a bit over the rough surface of the cast, his forearm read:

Felix, Get well soon so we can dance together. Merry Christmas Hyunjin.

Accompanying the words was a heart drawn directly over his broken wrist. Felix felt as though his own heart may burst,

"What's this?"

"Just a little motivation to get better." Hyunjin snapped the cap back on the marker, avoiding his gaze. His ears were red and he rocked nervously on his heels. He was so incredibly…. cute. Felix wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

Not now. Not today. He reminded himself Hyunjin was still sorting out his feelings.

"Is this an official signature?" He teased instead, eliciting a giggle from Hyunjin,

"Technically yeah, I dunno how much it'll sell for-" His words cut off with a surprised gasp as Felix stood up and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Hyunjin."

Hyunjin hesitated; Felix knew he understood the deeper meaning, he didn't need to hear anything in return. After a few rapid heartbeats, Hyunjin wound his arms around Felix in return, crushing him into the thick, squishy coat he still wore. Felix buried his face into the warmth of his chest for a moment, savouring the slip of affection more than he knew he should.

"So uhh…" Hyunjin stuttered, visibly flustered as he broke the embrace, "Are you ready to go?"

Felix nodded, letting Hyunjin lead him outside and down to the driveway. It was dark outside, long past evening and the moon and stars covered in a thick blanket of dark clouds. Despite the black sky above, the town was brightly lit with millions of little glowing bulbs lining the streets. Felix grinned at the sight, feeling lighter and more excited about the party than he had inside.

The only problem was the bitter cold.

As they walked, a breeze stirred in the air, not strong but deeply cold. It bit and stung Felix's cheeks and exposed skin,

"Ah shit…" He groaned as his fingers ached, fumbling the zipper of one of his jacket pockets, "Channie took my gloves with him…"

"Here…" Hyunjin's eyebrows knit together in concern as he plucked off one of his mittens. Felix opened his mouth to reject the mitten, not wanting Hyunjin to have to suffer the cold too, only to have his words halted when Hyunjin's hand slipped into his.

The taller boy winced as Felix's cold flesh pressed against his own, but continued to lace their fingers together. His large hand enveloped Felix's palm, warming his skin. Ears turning red with the sudden intimacy, Felix ducked his head, biting back a smile.

"Is this okay?" Hyunjin asked, his voice timid.

"This is perfect."

They continued to walk in shy silence, Felix's heartbeat roaring so loudly in his ears he was convinced Hyunjin could hear it too. Occasionally they would dare to spare a look at each other, catching the other's eye just to look away. Each time the grip on each other's hand grew tighter, more afraid to let go.

Is this his way of telling me he made up his mind? Felix wondered to himself. He didn't want to voice the thought aloud in case it wasn't true. He had to wait for Hyunjin to be ready to say it. No matter how painful the wait was.

They made their way to the center of town where the town hall stood among the maze of shoveled paths. The windows were all lit up orange and red and warm white, lights and ribbon strung around every tree and hedge and post, drawing them in with the promise of fun and warmth.

Except the sight of the building so close caused the anxiety to gnaw at Felix’s gut again.

“What’s wrong?” They paused at the bottom of the stairs, Hyunjin sensing his hesitation as his steps slowed and his grip grew weaker.

“I’m… really worried people are going to be disappointed to see me. Since I didn’t get to finish setting up everything.” He admitted with a sigh, his breath swirling around him in the cold, “I don’t like letting people down.”

“Hey…” Hyunjin frowned, slipping his hand out of Felix’s to pull him into a side-hug. Felix’s ears grew white-hot at the sudden affection, his hand clutching onto Hyunjin’s coat, “Do you trust me?”

Felix blinked at the question. It felt odd, like he should suspect something was wrong. Yet as he looked up into Hyunjin’s warm, smiling eyes, he knew he did, unquestionably.

“Yes, I trust you.”

“Then trust I wouldn’t bring you here if I thought it would upset you.”

Before Felix could ask what he meant by that, Hyunjin grabbed his hand again and pulled him up the steps to the grand entrance to the old building. The doors were closed, which he found odd, and they both had to push to get them open. Blinking against the assault of brilliant decorations lighting the entire entry hall, Felix stood in the doorway for a moment, dumbfounded at the sight before him.

“Merry Christmas, Felix!” Everyone who had gathered for the event was crowded in the room, dressed up in their santa hats and cheesy sweaters, and all looking at him with the happiest smiles. His neighbours, his employees, his friends, everyone was there and greeted him with a chorus of cheers. Above them hung the typical “Happy Holidays” banner that was used every year, though with a new addition. A second crudely-yet-endearingly-made banner hung from the bottom of the thick fabric:

Get Well Soon Felix

At the center of the entryway, sitting under the standard tree, was a board with papers and notes of various colours pinned up under a sign reading “Dear Felix Lee:” He walked into the crowd, accepting the hugs and high-fives and head rubs from the people he loved so dearly as he passed, until he got to the board.

Just from glancing over them, most of the letters echoed the sentiment of wanting him to get well and recover. Some letters thanked him for running the bakery, or for being so kind. Some called him an essential part of the community. All of them conveyed unconditional love.

Tears welled in his eyes, a wave of relief and overwhelming love crashing over him, lifting the burden of anxiety from his shoulders. No one was disappointed in him… they were worried. The whole town, worried about him.

Seungmin broke away from the crowd and bounced up to Felix excitedly, the bells hanging from his reindeer antler headband jingling over the music playing deeper in the hall.

“What do you think? Were you surprised?”

“Seungminnie... how- how did you do all this?”

“Actually… it was his idea.” Seungmin grinned, pointing behind Felix to where Hyunjin still stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“Hyunjin? Did this?” Felix blinked several times, his brain unable to process that statement.

“Ah… I have to admit, he also did most of those.” Draping an arm across Felix’s shoulders, Seungmin turned him to face the wall lined with tables of food and drink. At the center of it all was a familiar long table and display case both piled high with hundreds of cookies of various shapes and sizes. Several kids crowded around the table armed with plastic bags of brightly coloured frosting as they decorated their treats. Just like any other year. Like nothing happened.

The tears in his eyes spilled over, and Felix started to cry.

|--------------------Hyunjin--------------------|

Hyunjin lingered in the doorway, watching as Felix took in the surprise everyone had worked so hard to make for him. He was cold and tired, but it still felt odd walking into such a personal celebration. He was still an outsider.

“Hyunjinnie? What are you doing?” Hyunjin didn’t notice Chan escape the crowd until his hand rested on his shoulder, startling him.

“Oh… uh, I’m not sure.” Chan followed his gaze to where Felix and Seungmin were speaking excitedly,

“Go to him.”

“What?”

“Come on, Hyunjin. You did all this for him. You need to tell him.”

Hyunjin didn’t need to be asked twice when Felix turned to look at him, tears glittering under the glowing lights illuminating the hall. He was at Seungmin’s side in an instant, pushing his way through the crowd with his heart racing.

“What’s wrong?” Felix rubbed the tears from his eyes with his sleeve as he saw Hyunjin approach, Seungmin’s face lighting up,

“Um… I’ll go find Minho and give you two a minute.” He gave Hyunjin a reassuring pat on the shoulder before slipping into the crowd, a friendly gesture that still felt so surreal. He’d spent so much time with Felix’s best friend over the last two days, they felt like friends themselves.

“What the matter?” Hyunjin repeated to Felix this time, his heart aching as he watched the small boy try in vain to wipe his tears away.

“I- I can’t believe you did all this… For me?” Hyunjin dropped his eyes, ears burning with embarrassment under his beanie,

“I felt really bad that you couldn’t finish something you were looking forward to so badly. Especially because I feel like it was partially my fault. Seungmin, Minho, and Chan helped a lot.”

“Thank you so much.” Felix tugged him into a tight hug, burying his face into Hyunjin’s chest. He was sure it was to hide his tears, yet he couldn’t complain. He embraced Felix tightly, resting his chin atop his head.

“Thank you for always being so kind to me.”

Felix giggled shyly as he pulled away, his cheeks red now from rubbing his tears off them. Hyunjin took the smaller boy’s face in his hands and used his thumbs to gently do so instead. Not even two days ago, he would’ve considered the action a mistake. It would’ve made him panic at the way his heart pounds and his tummy flutters. The way a dizzy warmness spreads through his veins.

But today… today when he saw the look of pure affection in Felix’s chocolate brown eyes, it brought Hyunjin nothing but joy.

"How are we all doing?" Chan’s voice boomed over a mic and speakers at the back of the hall, startling them both. They giggled shyly to themselves as the crowd cheered, everyone’s attention turning to the platform where Chan stood, set up with his laptop and DJ equipment, which Hyunjin had come to find took up most of his obnoxious amount of luggage,

“Good! Good. It’s really great to be home again to see everyone, especially at this time of year. Um, as you all know, we’re not just here to celebrate Christmas Eve tonight, we’re gathered to celebrate someone very special to my heart. Someone that’s very special to all of us.”

The crowd cheered again, making Felix’s ear turn red and his fingers fumble bashfully with the hem of his jacket. Hyunjin’s heart swelled at the love flooding the room for this boy he cared for so deeply. He wanted to make sure Felix never stopped feeling that love.

Feeling HIS love.

Hyunjin couldn’t deny it anymore. He loved Felix. Relief washed over him like a warm bath, comforting and healing. If only he could make it through tonight… through this party with all these people around… Hyunjin made up his mind to tell Felix when they returned home.

“If you don’t mind, I’ve had a request to play one of his favourite songs. I’d like to play it now, before people start getting tired. You’re welcome to come dance along if you would like. Please enjoy yourselves.”

Claps of excitement rose from the crowd as they parted around the two of them, giving Felix a path to the empty space in front of Chan used as a small dance floor. A smile touched Hyunjin’s lips as the track began to play; the last time he’d heard it he was sat on a couch in Felix’s bakery, watching snow flutter in the wind and waiting for the sweetest boy to bring him something to eat. Felix’s eyes also lit up as he recognized the song, though a frown quickly replaced the smile forming on his lips,

“Ah man… I wish I could dance to this.”

“Why can’t you?” Felix lifted his hand that was trapped inside the pink cast, cocking his head,

“It’s not exactly going to feel good if I try.” Hyunjin smiled gently at him in response, taking his uninjured hand and giving it a gentle squeeze,

“Trust me?”

“I told you I do.”

“Then come dance with me.” Felix nodded cautiously, letting Hyunjin lead him out onto the dance floor. Other couples and kids had already ventured out, swaying or bouncing along to the music in their own little worlds, only acknowledging them enough to not bump into them.

Hyunjin felt more confident like this; he liked the way people in the crowd turned to watch them curiously, and the way the music felt coursing through his muscles. It buzzed in him as if he were preparing to go on stage. The adrenaline before a performance was like anything else in the world. At least he’d thought so until he’d fallen in love. Now both mixed in his chest as he guided Felix’s hands to his shoulders and wrapped his own arms around the small boy’s waist, creating a cocktail of joy and comfort and safety in his body that he’d never thought he’d ever feel.

“Is this okay?” He mumbled, swaying their bodys slightly to the slow pace of the song. He was sure they looked like school kids at their first dance together, but he didn’t care. He felt just as giddy as he would’ve if they were kids.

“Mmm… yeah. This is good.” Felix tucked his head under Hyunjin’s chin, leaning against his chest. Hyunjin didn’t mind the pressure, he relished in Felix’s body heat pressing into him, the way their breathing slowly fell into sync with each other as they enjoyed the moment in silence. As they swayed to the music, Hyunjin caught Chan’s eye from his little stage setup; he was watching them with the biggest smile Hyunjin had ever seen him make. His best friend lifted a thumbs-up, and Hyunjin returned it, the fluttering in his stomach spreading throughout his entire body.

“This is really nice.” Felix murmured against Hyunjin’s chest, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

“Yeah, it is.”

“I wish we could do this forever…” Hyunjin could tell by Felix’s tone that he was testing him, poking the waters to see if he would confess his feelings. With a sigh, Hyunjin slipped one hand up Felix’s back to cradle the back of his head, fingers massaging his scalp gently to prompt him to look up.

Their eyes met, and Hyunjin couldn’t help but notice how close their faces were… how easy it would be to lean in and kiss him…

No… that would be unfair to such a sensitive, sweet boy like Felix. Hyunjin knew he had to wait.

“Listen… Can we talk later? When we’re alone… I don’t want to have this conversation in front of all these people, okay?” Felix’s face started to fall so he quickly added, “It’s not bad, I promise. I just… would rather it be private.”

A spark of hope flickered in Felix’s smile as he nodded, sliding his arms from Hyunjin’s shoulder to his neck, dragging him down into a tight hug. Hyunjin buried his face into the crook of the boy’s neck, taking in his sweet, sugary scent and his warmth. He felt peaceful like this, like he was home for the first time.

“Do you mind if I steal him for a minute?” A voice interrupted their embrace as the song ended, Seungmin having walked up to them while they were lost in each other. His puppy face was lit up with an approving smile, stifling a little of the embarrassment that was heating Hyunjin’s face, “There’s some friends who want to see Lixie.”

“Oh yeah… of course. Um… I’ll be over with the cookies if you need me.”

“I’ll find you.” Felix promised, his eyes lingering on Hyunjin as Seungmin led him away until the crowd swallowed them both.

Sparks lingered on Hyunjin’s skin where their bodies were touching for so long, making him giddy as he skipped over to his post. For the first time in his life the christmas tunes that Chan played didn't seem so grating. He understood the joy and the warmth. Though he didn't have nostalgia about the holiday, Hyunjin found himself looking forward to making new memories.

He hoped they would be with Felix.

Hyunjin didn't know how much time had passed that he sat in one of the chairs behind the table stacked high with frosting and cookies. It must've been awhile because he didn't realize he'd dozed off until the metal legs of another chair scraped across the floor next to him. He nearly jumped out of his skin, and seeing it was Minho who'd come to join him definitely didn't settle his unease.

They didn't spend much time together over the last couple days, Minho being focused helping Chan set up the hall while Hyunjin stayed in the bakery with Seungmin. The little time they did spend together, Hyunjin saw a soft side to him when he spoke to his boyfriend and when he was thinking about Felix. He wasn't so intimidatingly cold, but he clearly did not trust outsiders. Hyunjin couldn't blame him for that, he respected it.

Minho spoke, dragging Hyunjin further out of his sleepy daze. He tried to push the drowsiness away as the days of work and little rest rapidly caught up to him,

"Hm?"

"I said, he really likes you. Felix. I don't know if you know, but I've never seen him look at someone like he looks at you." Hyunjin swallowed, meeting Minho’s intense gaze as he spoke.

“Um… I think I like him too to be honest…”

A heavy palm slapped onto Hyunjin’s shoulder, startling him before he could even begin to feel the embarrassment of admitting his feelings aloud to someone else. Minho’s hands were only slightly larger than Felix’s, but his grip was strong enough to make Hyunjin quiver,

“Felix is more than just Channie’s little brother. He’s family. I love that little boy and if you hurt him you’re going to regret it.”

Hyunjin fought the instinct to turtle into his coat and hide from the intense gaze pinning him to the chair, swallowing as he managed to hold eye contact. He knew Minho was testing him, trying to see if he’d crumble and run. But he didn’t want to, he never wanted to.

“I know. If I hurt him I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself.” Minho silently held his gaze for a moment before his eyes softened, a smile entertaining his lips,

“Correct answer. Welcome to the family. I better be able to trust you.”

Hyunjin blinked rapidly in shock at the sudden shift. Minho had been nothing but closed off with him since they first met, yet now he was extending a timid warmth to him. He looked friendly even. Hyunjin felt incredibly privileged,

“I uh… yes. Yes, you can trust me.”

“Minho-hyung!” Felix’s voice cut through the music as he bounced up to them, his face alight with his brilliant grin but his eyes wary as he glanced between them, “You’re not scaring Hyunjin, are you?”

“No, he’s alright.” Minho smiled as he pulled Felix into his lap, holding him by the waist as the younger boy wrapped an arm around his shoulders to steady himself, “Are you having a good time?”

Felix nodded, grinning at the both of them. Hyunjin’s heart fluttered watching him be so cuddly with his close friend, he looked so small, vulnerable, and unbelievably cute. Though he couldn’t deny the small pang of jealousy in his belly.

“I haven’t tried the cookies yet!” Lix complained, prompting Minho to scoot a little closer to the table. Hyunjin joined them as Felix reached for the nearest tray of star-shaped cookies. Seungmin had pre-decorated these ones with gold and silver frosting, and tiny glittering sprinkles in matching colours. He picked out three and passed them out between each of them, making a happy little noise as he bit into the treat.

Hyunjin held his breath as Felix took a moment to chew slowly, savoring and analyzing the flavors. He swallowed and a warm smile broke across his face,

“Hyunjin, these taste so good!” Lix looked up at him as if in awe, taking another bite like he couldn’t believe it. Hyunjin squirmed with embarrassment, biting into his own cookie,

“I guess I had a good teacher…”

Felix beamed at him, finishing his cookie with large, hungry bites. When he finished, he used the parchment lining the tray to wrap up the remaining cookies and stick them in his pocket for later.

“I’m starting to feel tired though. It’s close to midnight.” he whined, resting his head against Minho’s to punctuate his point.

“That’s funny, I caught Hyunjin sleeping just a few minutes ago.” Minho teased. Hyunjin opened his mouth to protest, but Felix let out a loud yawn that cut him off,

“Maybe we should head home a little early?”

“If you want to leave now, I’ll walk you home.” Hyunjin offered, making Felix perk up with a smile,

"Okay, I'd like that." Minho helped Felix off his lap, giving him a playful swat on the butt,

"Be careful, no more accidents." Felix squeaked and giggled, giving his friend a quick hug,

"I'll be okay Hyung, Hyunjin is with me."

Their fingers naturally locking together, Hyunjin let Felix lead him through the crowd and out into the night. The breeze had died while they were in the party, taking the edge of bitterness out of the cold air. Still, the boys huddled together as they walked, both for warmth and the comfort of each other's proximity.

Felix talked about the letters he'd read and the signatures from friends that he'd accumulated on his cast through the night. Hyunjin really did desperately try to listen, yet with every step he took closer to the house, the more his brain melted into pudding as he realized he was getting closer and closer to having to confess his feelings.

Why am I so anxious? He asked himself, I already know how he'll react. I've already admitted how I feel.

The driveway came into view. Hyunjin thought he might throw up.

"Thank you again for everything you did." Felix said as they shuffled up toward the house, "You really didn't have to do all of that."

Hyunjin paused, stopping Felix and making him look up, confused at his sudden hesitation.

"Yes, I did." He sighed, building the courage to look Felix in the eye. The boy cocked his head, sensing the seriousness in Hyunjin's tone, "I already told you this but I do like you… a lot. In an overwhelming sort of way. It really scared me to know you were hurt. I realized that no matter how hard I tried to push my feelings away, they were just going to keep growing. I- I think I'm falling in love with you, Felix. And I want to be with you. It's the only thing I want."

“Hyunjin…” Felix’s voice was gentle, warm, his eyes welling with tears much like Hyunjin’s own, “I’m falling in love with you too.”

“Do you- Do you think we can try to work this out?” He hated the way his voice broke with the nerves and overwhelming sense of joy pulsing through him.

“I would really like that.”

Floodgates opened somewhere inside Hyunjin and all the love and desire he’d been holding back crashed through his system, washing away his doubts and fears. The crushing tide brought back the need to hold Felix, to kiss him and never let go. He didn’t need to stop himself anymore. One hand lifted to rest against the smaller boy’s cheek, pulling him in like gravity until their lips touched for the first time. Felix’s arms wrapped around Hyunjin’s neck, pulling him even closer, deepening the kiss with a content sigh.

All Hyunjin could think about was how his lips tasted like sugar, how when their tongues found each other, he tasted like vanilla and butter. His lips were so soft, his happy little moans and gasps the sweetest music Hyunjin had ever heard. He wanted to stay in this moment for the rest of his life.

They finally broke away when something cold and wet settled on Hyunjin’s cheek, then again on his nose, and his knuckles. Chest heaving, he looked up as snowflakes drifted down from the dark clouds above, swirling around them gently. Felix let out an excited laugh, the flakes settling on his freckles and long eyelashes. He was so beautiful.

I can’t believe he’s mine.

“Felix? Merry Christmas.” The small boy beamed at him with a grin that rivaled all the lights in the town,

“Merry Christmas, Hyunjin.”

#stray kids #skz #skz fanfic #skz au #lee felix #hyunjin #hyunlix #hyunlix fic #mine #my fic #the christmas baker #its finally done #three months late and out of season fdhdjfh #im such a slow writer im so sorry #thank you to everyone that stuck with me to read this #i hope the ending is satisfying enough #ngl i needed to stick that hyunholix scene in there because it felt weird shipping minho with someone else now that i ship them all jdhfkjd

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fantastic-rambles · 4 years ago

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You made great points as to why a final Adam/Langa race would happen. It makes a lot of sense narratively, but I do hope they’ll choose a more subversive path in which he does forfeit/quit whether that be during Tadashi/Langa or Adam/Langa. I still hope for Tadashi/Adam to occur since they’ve also built him up as an equal. They’ve made a point that in other races Adam has purposely stayed behind to match the speed of other races, regardless of whether they start together, if he was interested by them. But Tadashi matched Adam’s time exactly in the qualifying rounds. And considering how much Adam has insulted Tadashi about being beneath him, I’d find them going head to head pretty satisfying. Makes me want to see a race where both are going all out since we’ve never seen either of them particularly intense about winning. Adam because of his persona and wanting to mess with his opponent and Tadashi because of his reserved nature. Either way I’m sure it’ll be good.

And I hope that Reki is more secure in himself when facing Adam like you mentioned. If he doesn’t want to go against him again, what do you think would happen? I’ve seen ppl say Reki will probably agree for Langa’s sake and the opportunity to skate, but what if he holds his ground about not enjoying skating with Adam? Do you think it’s possible that could be what causes Langa to forfeit/quit. (That would make Adam so mad lol). It’s probably not likely since they’re our main protagonists, but I think it would a cool demonstration of their character growths. Reki because he wouldn’t skate if it’s not going to be fun for him and Langa because it goes back to the original broken promise + prioritizes the relationship that makes him happiest about skating in the first place. Also, they can get away from what could be considered unnecessary, dangerous behavior that show condemns (when Manager Oka tells Reki that he’s enjoying pain because he’s unhappy with himself). Obviously skating is good for Langa and Reki, but the illegal and dangerous races at S could be framed as self-destructive. Especially when you consider all the injuries and strife surrounding it. I think if the characters were to come to this conclusion at some point (with or without quitting yet) it may make sense plot wise since the whole political scandal/jail thing makes me nervous about S continuing. Considering that Tadashi is the main man in charge of keeping cops away and he currently wants to end Adam’s time there, I wouldn’t be shocked if a confrontation with the law happened there like it almost did that one ep when the race got interrupted.

Oh and don’t worry about rambling at all! I love any long analysis on Sk8. Plus, I can get like that too and definitely edited this to make it more understandable lol.

Yeah, I would love Adam/Tadashi, but I feel like Adam/Langa is more likely. (And technically, Tadashi beat Adam by 2 seconds, though Adam also wasn’t taking it seriously then.) Though I do feel like Langa is probably at a level that Adam finally can skate all-out against him, if it comes down to the two of them.

When Adam insults Tadashi, I feel like it’s coming from all those years of resentment/lost trust (again, not an excuse for Adam’s behavior, but an analysis of it), and I also feel like Tadashi feels that he deserves them (and he himself sincerely believes that he’s below Adam). It’s obvious to me that Tadashi feels guilty for contributing to making Adam what he is today/for not standing up for or supporting him when Adam was younger, and he has been trying to make up for it by obeying Adam completely, no matter what he personally thinks. Because he couldn’t voice his opinion when Adam’s board was being burned, which was probably one of the most painful/significant experiences Adam has ever had, he feels that he doesn’t have the right to voice his opinion now: all he can do is try to pull Adam away from the self-destructive path that he’s on by betting his ability to skate on a race. In terms of skill, yeah, they’re equal, but in their interpersonal dynamics, there’s a huge gulf, which I think would make it very difficult for Tadashi to “save” Adam because Adam has lost all of his respect for Tadashi or his opinions.

I don’t think that Reki will end up not skating against Adam. But if he did, I don’t think that’s enough for Langa to refuse as well. My scenario for Langa forfeiting is that Reki gets wrecked against Adam, which outrages Langa and/or makes him have to choose between going to the hospital with Reki or staying to skate with Adam, and he chooses Reki over Adam. To me, Reki’s growth would come from the parallels between the two times that he skates against Adam: in the first, he’s completely crushed by the difference in ability and runs away, and in the (theoretical) second, he accepts that he will never be a star skater, but he can still enjoy skating even if he doesn’t win.

And I frankly was really pissed by Reki trying to force Langa to promise not to skate against Adam. Yes, he has a reason for it and he’s worried about Langa, but what about Langa’s own feelings? It’s obvious that Langa has fun taking on challenges, and Adam is the ultimate challenge, not just for him, but also for everyone else. If we want to talk about it in terms of relationships, which it seems most of the fandom does, I saw that as a possessive partner trying to forbid their partner from going out and having fun with their friends. Would Adam be a terrible “friend” to hang out with? Absolutely. But if Langa enjoys spending time with him, what gives Reki the authority to forbid him from doing so? So if I’m being entirely honest, my opinion of Reki plummeted after Episode 5 and just kept going downhill until the most recent episode. xD

I don’t think that “S” itself was particularly dangerous initially, other than for Shadow. Most of the skaters that we see seem to play fair and engage in contests of pure skill, even though it’s always been an “anything goes” sort of thing. Of course, it could be because the best skaters won’t get thrown off by petty tricks so it’s not worth trying them, but in the end, the result is the same. It’s only when Adam reappeared on the scene (from other people’s reactions, it seems clear that he’s been missing for a while since nobody could capture his interest) with his Langa-obsession that he started to contribute his own brand of madness, but that’s limited only to him. Unless someone is skating against Adam or Shadow (or that gang in the prelims), the majority of races are just normal races on a challenging track. Yes, they’re illegal (though it boggles my mind as to why: can’t Adam just buy it and turn it into “private property” so that he can do whatever he wants on it?) (though I guess it’s understandable since buying it would be a matter of public record and he’s keeping his skating life and public life separate) (but then can’t he get someone else to buy it for him?), but part of the attraction of skating is developing new things (like when Reki is gushing about ollies) and figuring out how to “skate anywhere,” so challenging locations like an abandoned mine and factory are places that people can do that. Like taking a turn with what Miya/Reki did by riding the board sideways, and improving on it by instead using a Caspar Slide. Or the various ways Langa goes through the factory (dropping down a broken beam, skating down the railing, using Joe’s momentum on the other beam to push himself forward, etc.). I think that Adam must have chosen that place for a variety of reasons, but one would have been its ability to promote improvisation/the evolution of skating in the hopes that he could find someone who would excite him. Which is why he’s so disappointed by Cherry’s “overcalculated”/boring skating.

After Adam gets arrested, though, I think that “S” will shut down simply because it’s Adam’s influence that’s kept the police away for so long. Tadashi takes care of the logistics, but that’s because that’s what Adam’s told him to do. But I don’t think Tadashi will betray him just to get it closed. (I also don’t think he phoned it in the first time, as I’ve seen other people speculate. I do think that the explanation is as it was presented: the prosecutor was suspicious about an area that was taken out of the patrol route, so she used her authority to override Adam’s bribes.) We’re talking about someone who will go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit to protect his boss. He’s not going to call down the police and risk them getting caught up in the net and in trouble.

#sk8 #sk8 the infinity #skate the infinity #sk8 adam #shindo ainosuke #ainosuke shindo #sk8 snake #kikuchi tadashi #tadashi kikuchi #sk8 snow #sk8 langa #hasegawa langa #langa hasegawa #sk8 reki #kyan reki #reki kyan #analysis #long post #mine

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rueitae · 4 years ago

Text

Writing Roundup 2020

This is a writing reflection I’ve been doing for myself every year for the last four years. Its a positive boost to myself see how far I’ve come and look back on my progress for the past year and look forward to the new year.

Everyone is welcome to use this same format if they’d like to do the same!

~~~~~~~

Stats:

Words written:

330,000, which is nearly half of all the words I’ve written on Ao3 in the last three years.

One Shots Posted (all fics plance unless otherwise stated):

In the Arms of the Ever(pink?) Tree (4463 words)

For the Plance Secret Santa exchange. Post s8 date/not date on a snowy moon. Love confession.

Birthday Treats (2129 words)

For Pidge’s birthday this year! Domestic family fluff, breakfast in bed, plance kids.

Begin Again (Together) (4805 words)

Canon divergence from before episode one! Pidge and Lance are established dating when alien intervention brings them to where they are supposed to be: with the Blue Lion. Just a brief look into what the AU would look like.

Common Ground (4521 words)

A treat for my friends who introduced me to Magic Knight Rayearth and pointed out some fun character parallels. There is this beautiful art Arya made to go with it because we’re all trash for both series. Plance meet up with Fuu and Ferio post series for both couples.

Bonded To You (1808 words)

For the Langstron Halloween Exchange! Established plance with a baby Lance is trying to keep safe from a witch who would take advantage of the child’s heritage.

It Tasted Good (6785 words)

Pikelavar for Pikelavar Month! The premise is crack, but it's mostly treated seriously. Pike ate the Jewel of Jitan by accident and doesn’t realize it until Haggar finds them. Meklavar gets Protective.

The Remainder of Days (3188 words)

Part of my Bad Things Happen Bingo. Fantasy AU where Pidge is a minor forest goddess and Lance is her neighbor mortal farmer.

I Love You a Lily More Each Day (3232 words)

Another of the Bad Things Happen Bingo. Canon compliant where Lance is undercover at a flower shop and knee deep in an illegal smuggling operation.

Lease on Life (4978 words)

This one was also part of Bad Things Happen Bingo and was an experiment. It’s POV of an oldest plance kid, canon verse. Her parents’ Paladin days come back to haunt them one night. Some cute family stuff too in there.

Ready to Dance (4135 words)

For the Valentine’s Day exchange! Post series. Lance tries to get back into the party scene and Pidge rescues him from a disastrous night.

Loopholes (5476 words)

Technically I didn’t write this fic this year, but a very kind reader asked if I would post this to Ao3, so it was my first fic of the year on Ao3. It’s Lotura! Originally a gift for a dear friend I’ve had since elementary school. It’s a fantasy AU where Lotor stumbles into Allura’s kingdom needing help.

Next to Me (7311 words)

Also for Bad Things Happen Bingo, this is probably one of my favorite fics of the year. This is the canon verse AU that went all wrong in s7, and Sendak succeeds in destroying Earth. Lance and Pidge end up not only his prisoners, but also two of the last humans in the universe. Ends open ended, but it became a series in the end!

Into Me (14248 words)

The sequel to the above fic. There are two versions, this and the one below. The title tells all. Lance and Pidge come to terms with their new life aboard Sendak’s flagship and do their best to keep the other comforted.

Into Me (non-explicit version) (7228 words)

Exactly the same as the fic above, only this one is SFW

Sunshine (3831 words)

A Bad Things Happen Bingo! One of my favorite concepts. Canon verse. Pidge gets sick while she and Lance are on a scientific mission.

Showoff (635 words)

A really short fic for a friend on their birthday, featuring their plance kids!

Respite of the Heart (4181 words)

A fic I have been wanting to write for a very long time. I love the concept of Pidge as a Disney Princess in the sense she has the forest guardian theme and all these animals love her. So there’s some play on that as the Paladins stop for lunch on their journey back to Earth in early s7. Lance comes to a realization and they have a chat surrounded by the animal friends. @anchoredtetherart did a phenomenal piece to accompany it. Please look at it in awe here.

The Hardest Part (3960 words)

For Bad Things Happen Bingo! An AU of the episode The Reunion where Pidge doesn’t return when she’s supposed to.

A Planned Sacrifice (4988 words)

Another Bad Things Happen Bingo. Canon verse. Pidge assumes that being a sacrifice for the ‘forest god’ is strictly ceremonial and at worst a wild animal. It’s actually Sendak, who no one has seen since Shiro shot him out of the Castle. He remembers Pidge and is far too pleased to see her again, tied up on a silver platter.

Almost Forgotten, but Not Gone (3946 words)

Bad Things Happen Bingo. AU sometime in s1 where Haxus isn’t as dead as Pidge thought.

Touch (7519 words)

Written for the Lance Goes Boom bang! It was inspired by @fenixseraph ‘s amazing art here! It’s a different take on The Way Forward, where Pidge and Lance are separated from the rest of the team and placed in their own cell. And the Red Lion causes issues.

Chaptered Fics started/added to:

Wolf In Thieves’ Clothing (4516 words)

An AU of The Castle of Cagliostro from Lupin the Third series. Lee, you have my thanks forever for making me watch this finally. Pidge is a literal princess whose kingdom is in the middle of an internal coup. Lance is a gentleman thief who rides with his best buds Hunk and Matt. Their paths are destined to cross again when Lance goes back to the castle he used to call home.

Game of Love (4593 words)

The most crack of the bunch. AU of Fall the of the Castle of Lions where Sendak and Haxus get away with it all. Pidge and Lance are prisoners on Haxus’ new ship, and Lance finds an opportunity for eventual escape when he learns that Haxus has a crush on his second in command. Operation matchmaker begins. (happy ending planned for all)

What Tides May Bring (20704 words)

Collab with the fantastic @anchoredtetherart for MerMay! Established plance as mermaids and guardians of their elements with adorable mer child. Then angst because they are all captured by a ‘research’ institute.

Seasons of Magic (16546 words)

I actually added a chapter this year! Ongoing collection of one-shots with mage Pidge who lives in the country and cultivates her plant magic and makes potions with the assistance of her dragon familiar, Lance. Mostly domestic fluff.

Too Soon and Not Soon Enough (11438 words)

Added another chapter this year to my Keith-centric AU. It’s basically VLD but five years early and they’re all literally child Paladins. Keith gets to meet Krolia earlier and its fun to go into tween friendships as they try and navigate the reality of their situation.

Seeds (48833 words)

Added a ton earlier this year. A collection of plance fics all or mostly under 500 words. All meant to be adopted by others if interest strikes. Covers many genres.

Chaptered Fics Finished:

Resolve to Fly (75799 words)

Written for the Pidge Angst Bang. My artist @alchemie0 did an outstanding job capturing the feel of the fic. Look at the art here! Canon verse AU where Pidge encounters Haxus, who has crashed on Earth. She helps him repair his ship in excitement and good faith, which he pays back by kidnapping her. For two years she survives as little more than a housepet on Sendak’s ship. Gen.

Who's Protecting Who? (28989 words)

Also technically not written this yeah, but posted. A collab with Hush waaaay back in 2018. It's a plance Altean AU with Pidge as distant royalty and Lance as a bodyguard.

A Dish Served Cold (21533 words)

Finally finished this one! Canon verse in which Pidge accidentally runs into Sendak on an isolated planet. Sendak takes advantage of this encounter and tries to return to the Empire with her in tow. Much Pidge whump. Gen

Reflections:

Best title

I still really really love Too Soon and Not Soon Enough (11438 words). Because it's too soon for the Paladins to be Paladins, and for Keith it's not nearly soon enough for Krolia to return. It just feels like it has a lot of heart to it. I hope I can keep it going, but my ideas are incredibly scattered for it.

Worst title

Touch (7519 words). Yeah it’s a play on ‘Don’t you touch her’ but it feels soooo dry.

Best/worst last line

Best: This was really, really hard choice this year, but ultimately, making up for the terrible title, its Touch (7519 words)

“It feels good to escape the ship with all of his teammates, secure in the knowledge that he has a way forward not just as a Paladin, but also with Pidge.”

- Not only did I manage to fit the title of the episode in there, it's got that hopeful tinge to it and reflects on personal growth both internally and with Pidge.

Worst: This one isn’t necessarily bad from Begin Again (Together) (4805 words), but it could be better. It didn’t get quite the epic sense I was hoping to pull from it.

“Okay,” he smirks, hand firmly on the throttle. “Operation save Earth starts now.”

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

Definitely wrote way more. Even with posting two fic that are essentially the exact same, I still ended up writing nearly half of my total Ao3 word count this year. (330,000/670,000). Doing Bad Things Happen Bingo was a bit part of that - I was very inspired at the beginning of this year - but also there were many events I participated in (8 total!!) on top of my personal projects.

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

A really hard decision this year, because there are several that make me really happy. I think oddly enough though, it’s Game of Love (4593 words) because of its potential and how much crack it is. It has such whacky rom-com energy to it but also that underlying angst of the situation I can fall back on. My favorite trope to explore is what happens to the characters when they’re captured. I just really enjoy the concept and the challenge to make such a concept believable with minimal suspension of belief.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

Using kudos as my gauge (and not counting the chapter fics), the winner is:

Respite of the Heart (4181 words)

Not surprising because Ivy’s art is STUNNING.

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

I think that’s It Tasted Good (6785 words), the pikelavar fic. Pikelavar is underappreciated in general

Story that could have been better?

For all I was excited to write Sunshine (3831 words), it didn’t quite fall the way I had imagined in my mind. I don’t know if it was the structure or I was running out of steam or what. All i know is that I wanted more but all I could concentrate on was that scene where he’s caring for her in bed. Maybe I was just too ambitious.

Sexiest story?

No brainer it's Into Me (14248 words). Literally. Which really shocked me that it happened. Didn’t think I’d write any smut at all, let alone this year. This particular fic just kinda called out for it

Saddest story?

The prequel to the above fic: Next to Me (7311 words). How much more sad can you get than Earth being destroyed, being Sendak’s prisoners all while trying to tell each other ‘i love you’ without seeming weird because you’re the last humans in the universe.

Most fun?

I think it's Ready to Dance (4135 words). Just Valentine’s fluff and impromptu slow dancing in the park at night.

Story with single sweetest moment?

I’m picking What Tides May Bring (20704 words). Listen, mer Lance and mer Pidge playing with their mer baby in their domestic paradise is probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. Dad Lance has my heart.

Hardest story to write?

The last chapter of A Dish Served Cold (21533 words) was like pulling teeth. I’m pretty happy with it in the end but at the time man it was so hard.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

I wrote smut. It was...weird? But also strangely calming. I wrote more for another fic but it's still a WIP. I definitely need to be in the mood to write it.

Proudest Achievement:

The Pidge Angst Bang. Resolve to Fly (75799 words). Look at that word count. I only wanted something under 3k at first, so it was just going to be Pidge meeting Haxus. But by the time I finished that part it was already 10k. So even though I was going through a rough part of my life, I just kept going and it ended up being my therapy. I’m really proud of the fic and I love my artists’ pieces. It really lifted my spirits. (You should all really go check out the Ao3 collection of all the bang stories and art they are AMAZING you won’t regret. If you love Pidge angst they are all must reads.)

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

I’d like to finish my Bad Things Happen Bingo card and then focus on my current WIP, that includes the Seeds collection. There are days I still feel a bit overwhelmed, and I’m still trying to find a routine after moving. I’d like to do more events too, but I think I need to be more selective about which ones I do. I don’t want to burn myself out.

Apart from that, I’d really like to try and give back to the community more. I’d like to start consciously writing fics for others without an event to go by.

Past Years:

2017

2018

2019

#plance #pidgance #rueitae #writing roundup #my writing #vld #2020 writing roundup

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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years ago

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Survey #306

i’m v talkative today so pardon my jabbering below.

What is the strangest type of candy you have eaten? I think I've had one of those lollipops with a bug in it before as a kid? I don't remember. What would be your most ideal profession? A freelance photographer. But I'm honestly starting to lose hope. Have you tried those coloring books for adults? Yeah; it's funny you mention 'em, 'cuz a family friend got me one for my birthday earlier this month. What is a topic you definitely don't want to talk about with anyone? I don't like talking about my sexual history, doesn't matter who you are. It's just uncomfortable. What was your first gaming console? An Atari. Is there something you're eagerly waiting for? What is it? *SLAMS FISTS ON TABLE* MAY NEEDS TO FUCKIN' HURRY. My tattoo appointment is set then. :''') Do you/have you ever belonged to an organization? If so, which one? I was a Girl Scout when I was young. What is something you're very passionate about? Nature conservation, gay rights (equal rights in general, really), the pro-choice movement, and then there are less "important" things like certain hobbies interests and such. I'm sure there are more big ones that are just slipping my mind right now, considering I feel passionately for a shitload of stuff. What are you studying or what was the last thing you studied? I majored in Art & Design with a focus on Photography in college. But guess who dropped out. What was the last present you gave someone? I don't know... I mention enough that I don't have a source of income where I can really buy anything. I think the last thing I did was a Christmas gift for Mom a year or two back of a drawing I did of our late dog Cali, whom she absolutely adored. Do you enjoy plays? If so, what was the latest one you saw? Not really, no. What was the last thing you achieved? PHP has helped me focus on little victories, so prepare for an underwhelming answer haha, but it's something. I Facebook messaged an old friend I really wanted to catch up with, and everyone in group cheered for me. :') It was really heartwarming. What a shocker that this program is really helping me once again. What is something you would like to achieve at some point in your life? I would love love love to take at least one "famous" or award-winning photograph. It'd be such amazing validation that I'm talented at something I love so much. What is one philosophy you have regarding life/living/purpose? That's... difficult to answer seeing as I'm trying desperately to find my purpose. I do try to live by this old quote a therapist said once: "Deal with life, or life deals with you." I think it holds an incredible amount of depth and meaning in such a short phrase. How would you design the inside of your own home? I don't know the details of it, really, besides that shit is gonna look like a Halloween house year-round. I can imagine wanting black furniture, too, and having loooots of decor expressive of what I love and find comfort in. Gotta make a house feel like a home just for me. What is a band you remember liking from your childhood? Backstreet Boys, duh. Do you ever get mad at people for not having the same opinion as you (i.e. abortion being wrong/right, meat-eating being wrong/right)? Two things: it depends on the topic, and "get mad" is the wrong term for what I feel. It's more disgust; ex., I'm repulsed by anti-gay rights people and want absolutely nothing to do with 'em, but I'm not like, mad at them. Do you edit any of your pictures? In what ways? Oh yeah, and it definitely depends on the raw photograph. I edit depending on the mood it emanates; like if you've seen my roadkill photography versus nature shots, there is an extremely distinct difference in editing style and vibe. I'd say in general though, I tend to like to brighten my photographs and add more vibrance. If you like to take pictures, what is your motivation? God, I could write an essay on this. I just love and am so thankful for the fact we can literally freeze time forever with the click of a button and look back on fantastic sights, beautiful moments, memories... It's just magical to me, and I adore contributing to that art. Would you ever consider living anywhere cold? Well yeah, that's my preference, actually. What is your absolute favorite food? The spicy shrimp fritas from Olive Garden, jfc. Would you ever wear snake-skin pants, or other animal clothing? Fuck to the absolute hell no. What foreign country would you like to go to for a shopping spree? Idk, considering I'm not well-versed in the artistic creations of other countries. Perhaps India? Japan? I dunno. If you met your favorite musician, what would you ask him/her? I'm asking for his fucking autograph and a hug while I smile my face in two AND cry lmao. What do you spend most of your day thinking about? I ain't gonna bullshit nobody, my PTSD. In some way or another, he's lurking in that head of mine through memories, flashbacks, wonders of what could have gone differently... but thank God it's no longer in the forefront of my mind after my first PHP. I've come very, very far, but especially when trying to blank out my mind to fall asleep, parts of PTSD strangle my brain until I'm just finally out. I really hope that changes someday. Where is a busy place you would like to go to? Yikes, nowhere, really. I like to avoid busy locations. Do you think video games cause people to become violent? Absolutely not. You are responsible for the decisions you make; music, games, movies, etc. have no deciding voice in stupid shit you do, and it's bullshit that people blame art and entertainment for such things. Vocabulary: What was the last word you learned? I'm unsure. Have you or could you build your own site? Absolutely not from scratch. The closest I've gotten to that is my photography website, but it was through the assistance of Wix. What's the best thing you can cook yourself? Scrambled eggs, haha. I do make some bomb eggs at least. Are there a lot of graffiti around your neighborhood? No. Do you have a hobby that forces you out of the house? If so, what is it? Nature photography. Would you stop eating meat, if you had to raise and slaughter it yourself? Absolutely. God, I want to go vegetarian again... Besides English, what other languages can you speak? I can speak a very little bit of German. Took four semesters of it in high school and became very good at it, but lack of practice has pretty much ruined that. Besides English, what other languages can you read? I can read German well; as in, I can pronounce most words I see, but that doesn't mean I understand what is written. Do you think you could make it as a chef? Gordon Ramsey would deadass kick me off his show on day one, lmao. What's your favorite kind of tea? It marvels me JUST how many tea and coffee questions are in surveys. Anyway, I don't like tea. I am an embarrassment to NC culture. What thing/person/happening has made you the happiest you've been? lask;dfjal;wekrjwe What's the most freeing thing you've ever done? Stealing my happiness back from someone who had no right to hold it all in its entirety. That shit's mine. Do you think today's kids are really impatient? Most, probably, but in some ways I can understand it - at least, in the sense that with the assistance of modern technology and advancements in satiating our wants so quickly, kids just expect it. I definitely believe that patience is something to try to be deeply instilled in everyone, though. I don't have an ounce of it (in most situations) and wish I did. Have you ever tasted birch sap? No. How about the young buds/shoots of spruce trees? No. Which edible flowers have you tasted? One of my favorite Southern experiences is finding a bunch of honeysuckles and tasting the honey (is it technically even honey??). Tastes amazing. My family's hairdresser lives down a beautiful path that sprouts a massive amount of them, and as kids, my sisters and her two boys would go tasting them while our parents talked for so long, or if we were waiting our turn. Good memories. What has been your worst restaurant experience? I'm not sure, really. What's the most immature, adolescent thing that still makes you laugh? "Inappropriate humor type jokes." <<<< They can get me sometimes, too. Have you ever had a life-threatening condition? If so, what was it? No, thankfully. Have you ever had a custom print done on a shirt? If so, what was it? I don't believe so, no. Besides making a tye-dye one in HS with our school colors. Wasn't my idea and never wore it, haha. Do you ever read other people's survey answers? It depends on the person. If it's a friend, absolutely, because I love learning usually obscure things about them I wouldn't have known otherwise. If it's a user I don't know from wherever I got the survey, sometimes, depending on how short the answer is and my eyes kinda just scroll over it. Do you like daytime or night time better? Why? Daytime, especially mornings. I'm generally happier when there's light around. What's your highest level of education so far? Some college. Describe your ordinary day: My average day is embarrassingly uneventful. It's sitting on the laptop doing shit on various sites, none of which are actually important, and playing WoW, which is also without true substance, save for social interactions with my friends on there. I spray Venus' terrarium everyday multiple times as well to keep the humidity up, and obviously eat and handle that kinda bodily needs stuff. Would you ever have a UV tattoo? Ugh, that'd be so dope. I've seen some awesome ones, but idk if I'd get one, considering when am I actually going to be under UV light?? Like I wanna be able to see my tat. What is the brand and color name of your favorite lipstick? I have one black lipstick, but it comes right off so I don't even like it. I only ever put it on to take pictures. What do you like on your tortilla? Just ham and cheese. How about inside your pita bread? I've never had pita bread, actually. What do you like in your burger? It depends on where I'm getting the burger. My basic is cheese, ketchup, mustard, a bit of mayo, pickles, and a light sprinkle of diced onion, but sometimes I add bacon and take away the onions. How about on your pizza? I have three I tend to pick from: pepperoni, jalapeno, or meat lovers. Do you work better alone or in a group? Alone, definitely. Which body part would you not mind losing? I'ma be extremely honest, with just how horribly weak my legs are, I could live without them, I guess. Not saying I want to by any means, it's just exhausting using them. Ideally, I'd take away something minor, like a finger or something. What common saying people use is absolute BS to you? “'Everything happens for a reason.'” <<<< Fuckin' colossal "same." I won't rag on people who believe it, especially if it gives you courage to keep moving forward, but I don't believe it in the slightest. If it were so, I'd like to talk to whoever is in control of those "reasons," please. What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? I had no idea elephants were pregnant for two years, like holy shit, can you imagine. It was in an article I saw on Facebook about a mother and daughter elephant who are both expecting and doing well. Wonderful to hear. What’s the most useless talent you have? Ha, I'm a master in the arts of catastrophizing and jumping to conclusions involving people hating me in one way or another. What’s something everyone looks stupid doing? I'm one of those people who hate dabbing done by anybody, like you look like you're just smelling your armpit. Which kids’ movie scarred you for life? I wouldn't say "scarred me for life" by any means, but when I was little, I was terrified of the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz and even had nightmares about her. It sucked because my little sister was obsessed with that movie, haha. In one sentence, how would you sum up the Internet? A source of incredible knowledge but also hate and misinformation. What would be the most ridiculous thing for the government to make illegal? I literally dread the idea of Roe vs. Wade being reversed. Banning abortion would kill so many people with operational uteruses and cause absolute pandemonium. How many friends do you have on social media and how many of them do you know for real? On Facebook, I have 124 friends, and I'd say I know most of them "in real life." However, having been on the Internet since I was so young and befriending loads of incredible people, a good chunk are "online friends." Hell, I'm more interested in their lives than most "real" ones. Long-distance friendships are so valid. What fact amazes you every time you think of it? Lots of things, generally regarding the stupidity of humanity. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Probably going to the beach w/ my old friend Colleen. We had zero plans of doing it, but she just called me one morning and asked if I wanted to go, and off we went. It was a fun day. What has taken up too much of your life? I'ma be real, WoW. I don't think I'm addicted to it like I once was seeing as I go through spans where I barely want to play it at all and don't, so I truly am capable of not playing it, but rather it's just the most entertaining way to kill time in my life. I just don't like how much time I've invested into a game over six or seven years regardless. Where do you not mind waiting? Uh, nowhere lmao. Is there an app you hate to use, but still use every day? No; why would I use it if that was the case? Who is the funniest person you know? My friend Girt is fucking hysterical. What three words describe you best? Complex, passionate, and creative. What makes you think you’re smart? Lol who says I think I'm smart? Who inspires you? Korean Jesus. Okay on a serious note, not just him, of course, but he's #1 in an entire universe of ways. Do you aspire to be like somebody else? If so, who? No; I want to be my own authentic self. How did you meet your best friend? YouTube, back when it had more social aspects. Which one of your accomplishments are you the most proud of? I want to say my recovery, but like... I wonder a lot if it's "enough" to be proud of with how scarred I still am? I still struggle with a lot and feel like I could be so much better by now if I tried harder. If I'm completely honest with myself, I think it's finishing high school in the top percentile of my graduating class. There was a ceremony for the handful of us and all, and I cherish my plaque probably too much. Reminds me of a time when I knew what the fuck I was doing. What's the strangest thing you ever did as a child? Thinking I had "animal powers" where I could invoke the traits of certain animals at will, like what the actual fuck, Brittany. What did your mother teach you? Christ, a lot. Dad didn't do a lot of the raising, honestly, so much of my core values and whatnot were instilled by my mother. She taught me to care for and be nice to others, respect myself, try my best in everything, and most importantly that she is always there for me and my sisters no matter what and can tell her absolutely anything. She was very serious about us going to college and saving sex for marriage when we were younger, but she diverged from those ideas as absolutely necessary with experience. I'm extremely lucky with who I call my mom, overall. What did your father teach you? Eek... Read above. Not a lot as a kid (save for riding a bike and playing softball); most he's taught me has come following reuniting with him after my parents' divorce. I remember we went to lunch once and talked about my breakup, and he talked to me about sometimes, you just have to let people go in order to be happy, like with him and Mom. He's very serious now about ensuring us girls know that he is always there for us and will help us in any way he's capable. What makes you feel powerful? "Powerful" isn't something I really feel, if I'm being real. What are you ready to let go? It would be inexplicably fantastic if I could let every speck of Jason go in both my head and heart. What is your most bizarre deal-breaker? I don't really find any of my expectations and limits as "bizarre?" They're all valid to me. Well wait, idk if you'd find it strange that I absofuckinglutely would not date someone who hunts, but it's not to me. That's a difference in a very serious value to me. Would you rather be hated or forgotten? Hated. God, I don't want to leave this earth having given just nothing. I can live with some people hating me for whatever reason. What’s the biggest personal change you’ve made? Accepting my bisexuality, probably. That's something that I consider pretty big for two reasons: 1.) I could end up with a woman forever, and especially 2.) I was originally homophobic. I still have difficulty in fathoming how I ever was. What are some of your short-term goals? PHP is finally starting to make me build these again. I want to get better at selfcare, draw, write, and read more, I want to drink a lot more water, exercise way more... Lots of things, really. What is the weirdest thing about you? Uh. I dunno. Probably that I RP meerkats, which is a very obscure RP niche for sure.

#survey #surveys #questions

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drfate · 4 years ago

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Dr. Fate: In the Dungeon of the Damned

An old school Dr. Fate novel by Rex F Dorgan

Chapter 1 – Salem Tower

The tall blond man stepped from the train onto the platform at Salem Station. It was only 5 p.m., but the sun had already moved behind the train-and-bus depot building, leaving the platform and track in shade. He glanced down the track at the tunnel from which he had just emerged, and then began the climb up the stairs, to street level, with the mob of commuters and tourists departing the train with him. It occurred to him that much of his life had been spent on journeys through various underworlds followed by ascents back into the light. He smiled and laughed quietly at himself; he really needed to curb his habit of finding portentous metaphors in every little activity.

He normally used much faster modes of transport, but today he felt like taking things at a slower, more human pace, especially after all the inhuman things he had witnessed recently while working on site in Iraq. He was returning home now, having stopped first to deliver a guest lecture about this expedition in the city of his birth – Cambridge, where he had spoken before a packed room at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology at Harvard. He now began the final, happiest part of his journey, back among the familiar vistas of his adopted hometown of many years, Salem, Massachusetts.

“Witch-haunted” Salem, as it was so often called, an epithet confirmed commercially, and somewhat comically, as he strolled down Washington Street on his way home. In every direction, the town was overrun with reminders of its claim to infamy. To his right was the Witch Dungeon Museum on Lynde Street and to his left the Salem Witch Museum off Church Street. There was the Witch House and the Gallows Hill Museum, the Witch Village and the Salem Wax Museum. There was even the Bewitched Sculpture in Lappin Park, depicting television’s favourite housewife-witch, which he spotted as he passed Essex Street.

But then he came to Front Street, which led to Charles Street and the Witch Trials Memorial, and the true, sombre reality of the town’s supernatural past asserted itself. If they only knew, the man thought to himself with morbid amusement as he glanced back toward the ridiculous Bewitched statue, if they only knew. Salem had in fact truly been haunted by dark witchcraft in its colonial past (and since), but it was not the work of the young women who had been accused, tried, and executed at the Witch Trials, but by some of the very men who had sat in judgment of them. Isn’t it always the case, the man thought to himself, that great evil resorts to even greater evil – the greatest evil – when it sacrifices innocents to bear the blame, and suffer the consequences, of its own dark deeds?

His grim reverie was broken by someone shouting at him.

“Kent Nelson!” A very old man teetered on a walker directly in front of the tall blond man, pointing at him and accosting him loudly.

“Yes?” the tall blond man asked, a little confused. The old man seemed vaguely familiar.

“You’re the spitting image! Of him. Kent Nelson, that is. Except for the beard, of course. Kent Nelson was a clean-cut man, he was. A gentleman.”

Kent Nelson understood now.

“My grandfather. I believe you’re thinking of my grandfather. ‘Kent Nelson’ is my name as well. I’m named for him, as was my father. Dad just never went by ‘Junior,’ and I don’t go by ‘the Third.’”

“Why, it’s like looking back in time when I look at you Mr Nelson! Or is it Dr Nelson, like him?”

Kent Nelson smiled. “Well, technically, I’m a doctor, too – but only a simple Ph.D. in Archaeology. Not a medical doctor like him. Although he had a Ph.D. in Archaeology, as well – and Physics, too!”

“Oh, I recall all about the archaeology! He was like Indiana Jones, he was! Better! The real McCoy. He was always in that bomber jacket and those khaki desert pants when we saw him walking these streets, and then later after the war always so smartly dressed, being a doctor and all, in his dark blue suit. Like the one you’re wearing now. And with a gold tie. Like yours. And his wife, what a beauty! We were all so smitten, you know, all us boys. What a face! And what a body!”

Kent Nelson smiled more broadly. “Yes, she was quite a looker, ol’ grandma. People tell me she was as pretty as Maureen O’Hara – and twice as feisty!” He and the old man shared a laugh.

“And you still do the digs? Like your gramps? Looking for pyramids and the like?”

“Yes. In fact, I’ve only just returned to the states on a mission in Northern Iraq, evaluating the damage done to the Ezida Temple – the Temple of Nabu – and the Nergal Gate – by ISIS. And trying to help the National Museum recover precious antiquities that were stolen in the wars from whatever black marketeers and crooked billionaires they made their way to.”

“Iraq? Worse than ever, I reckon?” the old man asked, arching an eyebrow in a manner that indicated a kind of general scepticism toward every story he’d heard about the place for the last two decades.

“Yes, in some ways worse than ever, sadly. The birthplace of Western civilization, and we’ve lost so much so quickly. The destruction of the Northwest Temple, the ‘mermen’ statues, much of Nimrud in fact…”

“No doubt, no doubt,” the old man grumbled.

“I flew into Logan and stayed in Boston for the night, and gave a talk at Harvard this afternoon to please my benefactors. A TED Talk, very au courant, I’m told. You’ve heard of them?”

The old man shrugged. Nelson chuckled. “Yeah, I hadn’t either before this one. My publicist,” he said, as if that explained everything. And it apparently did; the old man nodded knowingly. “But now I’m finally heading home – and I can’t wait to get there. It’s been too long!”

“Well I won’t keep you, then,” the old man said, shifting his walker to clear a path forward for the doctor. “No doubt you got a pretty wife of your own to run home to. It was a pleasure to meet you, young Mr – Dr – Nelson.”

“And it was a pleasure to meet you too, Mr...?”

“Moore. J.D. Moore.”

“A pleasure, Mr Moore.” Kent nodded his head in a slight bow toward the man and continued on his way. He remembered Mr Moore, all right. Or Little Jimmy Moore, as he had been called back then.

At Norman Street he turned right to head south to Margin Street, which led to Jefferson Avenue and the more prosaic part of his journey. Off the beaten tourist path, with architecture less enduring and much less quaint, he now entered a part of town that grew increasingly quotidian the farther south he travelled. He passed the Post Office, which sported a “ye olde” colonial brick façade on its otherwise prefab form, and then the police station, the red brick of which was even more utilitarian and bland. He passed parking lots and auto parts stores, and a nest of large, boxy buildings constructed primarily of sheet aluminium, which gave the impression of being the office-building equivalent of a mobile home park. He proceeded into an area where Jefferson Avenue was lined with old homes, some of which had businesses operating out of them. He stopped at one of these, a quaint little flower shop with the name “Rose Red and Snow Lily” hand-painted in a flowing script on a wooden sign above the porch.

He had known the shop’s proprietress, Eliza Grey, since the time he had first arrived in Salem, which seemed as if it were only yesterday – while at the same time, it seemed as if their acquaintance had spanned centuries. He supposed both impressions were true; he knew that for Lady Grey, as he called her with an odd mix of irony and respect and affection, it had seemed forever. Time, and the perception of it, was as personally relative as it was fleetingly elusive, even for him.

No sooner had the little bell atop the door jingled upon his entrance than he was greeted by a voice that was at once shrill and melodious, upper-crust British mixed with the sharp, flat edges acquired from too many years in Boston, “Kent Nelson! What a plez-zhah!” The old woman rushed over to him and hugged him, her head only reaching his belly. She released him and looked up, smiling. “And how is that lovely wife of yours?” she asked.

“When last we spoke, she was doing very well, thank you. But that was last night on a sketchy WhatsApp connection and we haven’t seen each other in weeks. I’m on my way back home now. In fact, she’s why I stopped in.”

“Well of course she is, dear! Who else would you ever be buying flowers for?”

“Oh, the occasional funeral – maybe my own if I don’t get moving a little faster,” Nelson quipped.

“Well, then – the usual?”

“You say that like I order them every day.”

“Every time I see you.”

“But what is that – every five years?”

“Three, four – but who’s counting?”

“Yes, two dozen of the Rosa Richardii.”

“The Rosa Sancta – the Holy Rose of Abyssinia?”

“The Holy Rose of the ancient Egyptians, too.”

“Oh, yes, that’s where you two met, isn’t it? Alexandria?”

Nelson smiled. “As well you know, Lady Grey.”

“And you only want two dozen? I hear that when you first met her, you bought out a vendor’s entire market stall and had her hotel room stuffed so full of them she couldn’t move without knocking over a bouquet. You might have asphyxiated her with perfume blooms.”

“I have no idea where you might have heard such a ridiculous slander, Lady Grey,” Nelson laughed.

“Oh, I heard it from the most trusted source, Dr Nelson, the beautiful woman herself.”

“Yes, only two dozen. I learned my lesson not to overdo my displays of affection. With flowers, anyway.”

The old woman laughed and pelted him in the chest with a large delphinium she had been holding. “You are ever a character, Dr Nelson,” she said as she assembled a pile of flowers from two different refrigerated cases.

“As are you, Lady Grey.”

The old woman placed the flowers on the counter, pecked daintily at her register, and announced a price that was clearly too low for the rare flowers that Nelson had picked up and organized into a bundle appropriate for carrying another mile or so.

He tossed a $100 bill on the counter and said, as he headed toward the door, “Thanks, Lady Grey. Wonderful seeing you again.”

“Stop by any time, Dr Nelson,” she said. “Always a plez-zhah dealing with a gentleman. And such a wicked handsome gentleman,” she added with an exaggerated South Boston accent, accompanied by a playful wink.

He laughed and turned to leave the store and saw his face reflected in the glass window of the shop door. He’d allowed crow’s feet to form at the corners of his deep blue eyes, and, mixed in with the gold that the desert sun had spun in his straw-coloured hair, there were here and there strands of silver, but he realized he had hardly changed in all the time Lady Grey had known him. Not bad for a man of 112, he thought to himself.

Before long, he had come to a collection of four gambrel-roofed houses, two red, one blue, and one white, that struck him as a playful bit of coincidental Americana, and which served as a sign that the last leg of his journey lay before him. He turned onto Willson Street and followed it until it led to the entrance to the Highland Park golf course – or, as the purposely anachronistic green and gold wooden sign referred to it, “Olde Salem Greens.” This park was part of the larger green space known as Salem Woods, where his home was located.

As the sun started to set, he crossed the parking lot to a little asphalt trail that led into the park, then crossed the golf course until it ended and the trees began, where he picked up a narrow dirt hiking trail that continued on into the woods. As he walked through the remaining forest of an area once sacred to Native Americans, he passed what he had long known to be three sites of intense spiritual energy. Powerful guardians still watched over this patch of woodland from the higher planes, and they bowed, and the birch trees that sensed their presence likewise bowed, as be passed.

At last he came to the base of Monument Hill, the tallest point in the woods. From the top of this hill you could reliably see the smokestacks of the power plant in Salem to the northeast, but on a clear day looking due east you could see over Swampscott all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

At the top of the hill there had once been an observation tower that had belonged to the Forestry Service and then to the local Boy Scouts. The tower had been mostly demolished by 1933, at which point a new owner had purchased the hill, and the land around it, from the town and built a large, two-tiered granite tower that one local wag had likened to a rook from God’s chess board. The tower had no windows and no doors; its builder, one Kent Nelson, had declared that it was not to be inhabited but was instead merely a monument to the town and to luminaries such as Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau, who had all reputedly derived spiritual sustenance, at one time or other in their lives, from visits to these woods. The town was perfectly fine with this construction, since the remains of the Boy Scout tower had been an eyesore, and this seemed to be a perfectly satisfactory memorial, along the lines of the obelisks that city fathers were forever erecting in plazas and traffic circles, but with a Northern European flavour that had greater appeal for the WASP city fathers of that era.

But whether because of or in spite of this tower’s vague function, the locals set about immediately creating legends about the tower and its alleged inhabitants. Ghosts, witches, the ghosts of witches, Mothman, aliens, vampires - even Bigfoot - had all allegedly been seen coming and going from this tower, which apparently could only be accessed by beings capable of passing through its walls as if they were mist.

Kent Nelson grinned and let out a quiet, satisfied sigh of excitement at seeing his home, then bounded up the hill until he stood by the tower wall that faced north, hidden from the view of the condos to the south and west of the woods. He raised his hand and touched the cool granite blocks of the tower wall, the tower he had built with his own hands, with his own craft. And then he walked right through the wall as if it were nothing more than mist.

The world inside Salem Tower was not a place the untrained human mind could easily apprehend, much less comprehend. Here the laws of physics did not strictly apply. As in Faerie, the four dimensions of spacetime, and the rules governing it, were violated here in ways that could be literally maddening. But unlike Faerie, which grew more disturbing the longer one lingered there, the interior of Salem Tower was ordered, logical even, something a mere human could adjust to, given time (or a magical facsimile thereof) and an easy-going imagination. While its bowels were vast, covering an area that seemed enormous at first glance and never-ending to one attempting to traverse it, and while its many staircases and rooms were set at Escehrian odds with one another in defiance of gravity and three-dimensional causality, it still had a lived-in humanity about it that made it, over time, knowable and even comfortable to those who dwelt there. Bookcases filled with ancient volumes, odd but beautiful artworks and artifacts stood in hallways or sat on tabletops, Persian rugs of great size and greater value (but none of them – any longer – capable of flight) covered floors of ancient hand-hewn oak, maple, and ash, and stone archways and hallways were so captivatingly constructed that one could walk through them for hours and never feel fatigued, or see the same place twice. This fantastical homescape was where Kent Nelson and his beloved wife Inza Cramer had lived the better part of their lives.

But entering Salem Tower now, this is not what Kent Nelson saw.

He saw, instead, a scene that reminded him of the Coventry Blitz: splintered walls, broken staircases, carpets ripped to shreds and stained with something resembling viscous bloody ink that seemed to be spreading even now before his eyes, the loose leaves of books scattered everywhere, their gutted hardcover carcasses lying spread apart like dead soldiers on a field of slaughter. Statuettes and ancient musical instruments lay in pieces on the tables they had rested on, or on the floors they had fallen on.

And in his right hand, two dozen roses drooped, withered, shrivelled, turned a sickening ashen grey, and then flaked into dust before his eyes.

But while all this registered, none of it mattered. Only one concern came to mind.

“Inza!”

He rushed from room to room with inhuman speed. “Inza!” Up and down broken staircases. In and out of crumbling archways. In every room, it was the same. Devastation. Desolation. And no Inza. He knew without a doubt that whatever had come here, whatever had worked its evil will here, had made her a captive pawn in its deadly game.

He fell to one knee, head in one hand. He felt the closest thing to panic he had felt in years. It was not that his many years labouring in the supernatural had rendered him any less a natural being, or that his many journeys among the superhuman, the inhuman, the dead, the demonic, the angelic, and even the godly had left him in some way less capable of emotion. Or that his own superhuman powers rendered him any less human at his core. It was simply that his many years of training had taught him discipline and calm in the face of adversity, and his experience and triumphs had given him confidence facing the most powerful of foes. But being attacked like this in his own home, in his heretofore impregnable fortress, and to have had the one most dear to him apparently abducted, held hostage, or, the unthinkable, dead – this shook him as nothing in many years had. And… there was something else. A dark grey shadowy pall hung over everything – less substantial than mist, almost as if a kind of veil had been cast over his vision, or a scentless smoke were choking the very light. It seemed to instil in him – even in him! He considered, amazed – a kind of irrational fear. It reminded him of what the ancient Sumerians had called puluhtu, an almost physical dread of the divine, the twisted opposite of ni, the awe one experienced in the presence of melammu, the aura or garment making manifest the glory of a god.

“No! It can’t be!” he said to himself, but the thought caused him to spring up and race to his watchtower room, from which twelve “windows” – mystical mirrors, in fact - looked out onto various planes of existence from the windowless tower. As he expected, these were all cracked and filled with a hideous grey film. In the centre of the room, in a pile of shattered glass below the wrought-iron stand where it had nested in its centuries-old circular oak frame, was the remains of the Eye of Merlin, an orb that had been the scrying glass of the famous magician, given as a gift to his friend and peer after the two had defeated the chthonic demon trio of Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast. What power on Earth was great enough to destroy this supremely potent magical engine? He gestured to the pile of broken glass and willed an unspoken command at the glistening shards. A flash of golden light, a radiance halfway between a blast of lightning and the glow of a saint’s halo, flew from his fingertips to the pile of glittery rubble. The light subsided; the pile of rubble remained.

Once again, he made the mystic healing gesture, but more forcefully this time, exerting himself with such grim determination that every muscle in his body tensed and strained. The pieces of glass slowly, ever so slowly, began to rise and reassemble into the shape of a crystal globe, but he could see black fracture lines where the shards joined, and realized that these dark lines represented a destructive force repelling the shards from each other, preventing an undoing of the globe’s destruction. He struggled with this force for several minutes, contesting with it, his raw will against this nameless, mindless force. At last the black lines faded and the orb seemed to settle into a restoration of its whole, intact state. Nelson let out a long sigh of relief. But no sooner had he done so than the black lines swiftly reappeared, seemed to quickly expand, and the globe shattered into a pile of shiny debris once more.

Nelson let out an angry epithet, then cast a summoning spell. His form was quickly enveloped in golden light until it became a blinding blur. When the light slowly faded, in Nelson’s place stood a form clothed in a golden cloak, gauntlets, boots; a blue body suit covering his body from his torso to his legs; a golden amulet on his chest, and on his head a golden helmet. This quiet, private man now stood revealed as a figure known around the world – and on many other worlds, as well – as the master mage and supreme sorcerer, Doctor Fate.

Something had declared war on him, and likely had also declared war on the entire world. Doctor Fate would answer it.

He gestured toward the broken globe again, but this time with his left hand; his right hand pressed the golden jewel set in the centre of the golden metallic disk on his chest: the Amulet of Anutu. The power of the greatest of the ancient gods, Anu, the Creator of All, the Lord of Heaven, transmitted through the sigil of his scion, Utu, god of the sun. He rarely used the amulet’s power; it was too great, too unwieldy for anything but the most extreme situation. But he knew such an occasion was upon him now. Power flowed into him from the wellsprings of creation itself, until he knew he could barely contain it. Dropping his right hand to his side, he expelled the tremendous force from himself through his outstretched left arm.

The tower shook and for a split second all the familiar reality of it seemed to blink into something else entirely; for a split second, time and space, even such as they were in the Salem Tower, were rendered entirely irrelevant. Everything was something entirely other. But then reality reasserted itself, as did the Eye of Merlin, for when Kent Nelson – Doctor Fate – had recovered his sense of reality, the globe was fully restored. Holding his breath for a few seconds, he let out a sigh of relief. The restoration spell held; the dark force had been completely expelled.

But at such a cost. Despite possessing superhuman strength and stamina, he was exhausted. But there was no time to rest. Inza’s life was at stake. Certainly, he knew that some unknown enemy was setting a trap, that he was the prey and she was the bait. But that hardly mattered. He would rescue Inza or, immortal or not, perish trying.

Taking a deep breath and concentrating, he muttered an invocation to the spirit of the Annunaki and a supplication to Anu, to Enlil and Enki, and to his former mentor, Nabu. Give me strength, and more, give me wisdom, he spoke in the ancient, forgotten, forbidden tongue of the original Ubaidian sorcerers. He then laid his palm over the Eye of Merlin and exerted his will upon the orb, directing it to locate Inza.

The globe seemed to come alive with a golden light that radiated from it as if it were a warm electric bulb, but this glow dimmed and lost its lustre until it was a smoggy yellow-grey, and inside the scrying glass grey mists swirled and grew darker, until they appeared to form a grim shape.

The shape became the shadow of a misshapen head, and then in an instant it resolved into a hideous face, one that clearly had once been human long ago, but had become so corrupted as to appear demonic. It was completed bald, and its pale, bluish-grey skin appeared to be ravaged by some disease that had left it pocked and mottled with dark pits and patches. Its ears were of differing sizes; one seemed to have been partially eaten. Its teeth were long and yellowish and appeared to have been purposely filed to points; its tongue was long and appeared to have been similarly altered by surgical means: it was forked, like that of a snake.

But the most disturbing aspect of this creature’s face was its eyes: the whites were a cirrhotic snot-yellow, the irises a chthonic fiery red.

It couldn’t be, Fate muttered to himself. The demonic face laughed as if to answer, But it is!

“Nergal!” Fate exclaimed. The word sounded half curse, half question. The creature laughed again.

“What have you done with Inza?” the distraught sorcerer demanded.

The face grinned widely, exposing all the pointed yellow spikes in its hideous mouth., then turned and gestured to the form of a woman, floating in the middle of the great hall of a stone temple. The image grew closer to him until he could see that it was Inza, stiff as a board, pale white, and dressed in sombre sheer black silks with a grey rose and a grey viper perched on her breast – in the manner of ritual sacrifice to a dark god.

“NO!” Fate shouted. But then the face appeared again. Its mocking laughter filled the orb, and evil emanated from it like the wicked gravity of a black hole, depleting all heavenly light in its vicinity. The black veins again appeared in the orb, and it threatened to shatter, but it held firm. A look of surprise appeared briefly on the hideous face, but then it just smiled again, and pointed again to the floating form of Inza. Then the view inside the globe seemed to scan the room, so that Fate would be certain where his beloved was being held captive. But he had known that room from the first second the face had ceased to fill up the entire orb. It had once been home to him, after all.

Then the face vanished completely, the darkness drained from the globe, and it was once again no more than a large crystal ball.

Fate shuddered. He was shaken by unreasoning fear, as if under the spell of the fear-inducing Mask of Medusa. He had faced some of the most powerful beings in the cosmos – Darkseid, the Anti-Monitor, Mordru, even the Spectre – and never felt fear like this. He knew it must be the primal power of the creature’s aura, powerful enough to induce extreme puluhtu, even in him. And for the first time in his life, Nelson – Fate – experienced the sensation of his life flashing before his eyes, his life compressed into an infinitely faceted, self-reflective crystal. Under pressure like the grip of a collapsing star, he saw his life reduced to an atom of time upon staring into the face of the god of death.

#drfate #doctor fate #dr fate #dc comics #fantasy #fiction #comics #superhero #supreme sorcerer #kent nelson #inza cramer #nabu #justice league #justice society #jla #jsa

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heartfulofsighs · 5 years ago

Text

Baggage Claim Pt. 6

Description: Seunghoon back from a business trip only has a mind for growing his company. You are in the middle of running from the by the book life that was drowning you. When a minor inconvenience sets you in his path will you be the reason he eases up? And could he be what you need to get serious again

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Not long left to go. @negrowhat sorry there’s no smut but you know me it’s coming down the pipe ;). This part is more dialogue driven as I’m trying to get better at that. Enjoy! About 3k

“You have to tell me everything.” Cherry sat on the living room couch with a hot cup of tea in her hands. It was dark out he had dropped you home before the evening traffic had set in. The whole ride he was animated, his face holding the pleasant expression that it had adopted on the dragon ship ride. He joked with you, laughed as you told him funny stories about your trip so far. It was easy, the conversation flowed because he was genuinely interested. The car ride went by so fast. Before you knew it he was leaning over to kiss you on the cheek.

“I’ll see you.” He had said to you.

“Yeah, definitely.” You had answered. You hopped out and felt his eyes on your back as you climbed the stairs. All you could think about was his face when he asked for more days.

“Hello?!”

You snapped too and focused back on Cherry.

“Sorry,” you rubbed at your forehead, “I zoned out.” You tried to gather yourself, “everything?”

“Everything.” She repeated.

“It was just...a date at the boardwalk.” You finally said, “he loosened up, he laughed....it was better than I thought it would be.”

“He was respectful? Like he wasn’t all clingy, or to touchy?” She pushed. You shook your head, “nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Ordinary?”

When you looked up her eyebrows were raised in suggestion, “what was in the ‘ordinary’?” She asked.

“We kissed.” You twisted your fingers in your lap as you spoke.

“Oh my god.”

“In a photo booth.” You added.

“That’s the cutest shit I’ve ever heard in my life!” She declared. You shrugged and felt yourself blushing. It was pretty cute.

“So…” She began. “Are you guys dating or?”

“It’s like a...sort of like we agreed on a fling.” You explained, “it can’t be anything serious, since I’m leaving…”

“Makes sense.” She granted.

“And he asked me if he could keep seeing me, and a sort of casual fling…” You could hear yourself floundering. The words just fumbled their way out while you tried to justify why you said “fling.” Part of you (the part that didn’t want to go back home) was all for the idea of a relationship, but practical you won. It wouldn’t be fair to him at the end of it all.

“A casual fling is a good thing to label it.” She seconded. You could hear a sort of unconvinced tone in her voice. Her face was all innocence, “I mean if you both agreed to it...then it should be no big deal.”

“Cherry?” You called her name suspiciously.

“What?” She was really trying to sell the innocent act. She kept sipping her tea while you thought what she said over. It would work out, because it had to. You didn’t want to think too far ahead about it. A fling was suppose to be fun and stress free.

“Did he have soft lips?” She asked. You touched your own lips and felt yourself blush, they were soft and inviting. Maybe you were a bit deprived but you were interested in more. He could have kissed down your neck, sunk his teeth teasingly into-

“You’re zoning again.” Cherry advised, “and turning so red. Are you having naughty thoughts?” She asked.

“No.” Your denial sounded childish to your own ears, “I was just...listen I’m an adult.” You asserted. “I can think about sex if I want to.”

She squealed and nearly spilled her tea.

“This is honestly the best talk I’ve had in awhile…” She couldn’t stop herself from laughing, “life has gotten a thousand times more exciting.”

You smiled uncontrollably, it wasn’t often that you were the center of attention. It was so much easier to be overlooked most times. You covered your face and made a very put upon noise.

“I was just suppose to come here to relax.” You whined.

“Oh don’t worry...he’s gonna help you relax.” She joked, “get all the kinks and aches out.”

He bit his lip, he was sitting perfectly still on Mino’s couch. Jinwoo sat casually on the loveseat, his eyes glued to his cell phone. Mino was in the kitchen, softly pleading with his coffee machine to work.

“So do you guys wanna know the good news or should I it to myself?” Jinwoo began. Hoon snapped to, his mind wading through his memories of the boardwalk to more business thoughts.

“What’s the verdict?” He asked. Jinwoo looked up from his phone and cleared his throat, “They’re going to pay 85% of your fee, and they’re even going to pay on top of that for the adds that you two sent them.” He shared.

“Seriously!?” Mino called. Jinwoo nodded, “it really wasn’t a big deal. They weren’t very combative...I think they were actually pretty nice, all things considered.” He shared.

“You threatened to sue didn’t you?” Hoon asked. Jinwoo smiled to himself and shrugged, “in all seriousness we wouldn’t have won but when you count how your small brand has been making waves, and the company that bought Squeeze is recovering from a spat of bad publicity...it wouldn’t have looked good for them in the public eye to be perceived as bullies.” He explained.

“Smart.” Hoon concluded, “very smart.”

“Did you think I was going to do something stupid?” He asked sharply. Hoony held up his hands defensively, “never would I even think that.” He said. Mino cursed, “how about tea instead?” He called, “or some champagne to celebrate?!”

“Champagne sounds nice.” Jinwoo seconded, “I would rather that then tea.”

Hoon rolled his eyes and stood up, “Did you plug the machine in?” He questioned as he crossed the living room on his way to the kitchen, “the last time you had that faulty plug-”

“You dropped something.”

His heart stopped, he turned and saw Jinwoo reaching for the photo strip. The one he had kept, the one with your bright smiles and him kissing you.

“Who is this?” Jinwoo asked casually. If he managed to get to him before the second inevitable question maybe he could get ahead of Mino’s-

“Did you get a girlfriend? Who is this girl you’re kissing!?” Jinwoo’s voice carried throughout the entire apartment.

“Kissing!?” Mino shouted. The coffee machine was forgotten. He was doomed. Mino managed to get by him and stand next to Jinwoo eyes gigantic as he looked at the photo strip.

“This is,” Mino looked up at him then back down, “the girl from the party! The beer girl!” He shouted.

“Lower your voice.” Hoon begged, “it’s not a big deal.”

“Why are you kissing her?” Mino pushed, “how long have you been seeing her?” His questions were rapid fire.

“When did you guys take this?” Jinwoo asked.

“Today.” Hoon admitted, “that’s where I went today.” He explained.

“I stayed in the office and you went to play around?” Mino’s face was all dramatic shock, “I worked on art all day. And you were kissing girls at the boardwalk?” He said.

“Well technically one girl.” Jinwoo supplied, he looked over at Hoon.

“One girl right? You didn’t like...have some sort of crazy orgy did you?” Mino pushed.

He was too stunned to answer. Which sunk him further into confusion. The pause was long enough to throw his two friends into deep suspicion.

“What the fuck have you been up to? You’re supposed to tell us about this kind of stuff…” Mino sounded the most offended.

“It’s not a big deal. It’s not anything that will cause a scandal-”

“A scandal! You think that’s what I’m worried about?!” Mino pulled the photo strip from Jinwoo. He was gearing up for something dramatic. Hoon steeled himself, there was no use in trying to get any words in until he was done.

“Besides this company, we’re friends.” Mino said, “ you never show any interest in anything fun, I always have to drag you. And now here you are doing fun stuff...and it’s all a secret?!” He shouted.

“Alright, calm down.” Jinwoo tried.

“He’s keeping secrets. BIG SECRETS!” Mino looked inconsolable.

“I’m sorry.” Hoon offered. Jinwoo took the pictures back, “see he’s sorry, no harm done, so where did we meet beer girl?” He asked.

“At the airport originally.” Hoon explained, “we switched bags and then met when we switched back.”

“Then she was at one of the booths at a networking event, serving beer.” Mino supplied, “he made me give her a big tip.” He whined. Jinwoo rolled his eyes, “well I’m happy for you,” he turned aiming to give the photo back. “She’s really pretty.” He finished as he handed it over. Hoon took it all his excitement tempered by what you had labeled them.

“She...it’s just a fling.” He said.

“Just a fling?” Mino echoed.

“She’s leaving in 6 months...it can’t be anything else.” He explained.

“Well,” Jinwoo shrugged, “make it a fun six months then.” He offered.

He did try to prep for the meeting all evening back at his apartment. But once he went to his fridge to hang the photo strip it seemed like a lost cause. He stared at it for a long while before he started to get ready for bed. Ideas about where to take you next dominating his thoughts. The next day he purposely did not look at the two photos in his kitchen. He made his way to his meeting with every intention of being serious.

“I’m sorry I took so long to set up this meeting. I had a lot of advisors wanting me to choose bigger firms.” Seungyoon was probably one of the happiest men Hoon had ever met in his life. His general attitude was brighter even then Mino’s. He smiled and sipped at his tea as he spoke.

“Well, we’re happy you decided to choose us.” Mino said, he rubbed at the back of his neck, “we have lots of ideas all ready to go.” He matched Yoon’s energy a huge beaming smile coming across his face. He leaned forward on the meeting table clear excitement in his eyes. Hoon was just happy he wasn’t still carrying a grudge from last night. He seemed to have gotten over Hoon keeping secrets. Jinwoo sat on his other side, he hadn’t said a word beyond general small talk. The contract had already been reviewed by Yoon’s lawyers apparently. He hadn’t seen the need to bring them.

“I wanted a startup, company, nothing big.” He said. Hoon found the line almost funny considering that Seungyoon was starting his business with help from his mother’s massive fortune. Everyone knew her story. After his father walked out on them his mother started a café that eventually turned into a popular chain. She was smart with her money, a very good example of a self made woman. All of her hard work and time was rewarded by an adoring public who supported her. She gave work to women in similar situations and started charities to benefit single parent households. She also bought her son an old nearly run down camera factory. It was what he was passionate about apparently. Film and nostalgic vintage looking cameras seemed to be a strong new emerging market. It wasn’t a dumb purchase.

“Besides you guys have very good energy.” Yoon added as he picked up the pen.

“Good energy?” Jinwoo echoed.

Another bright blinding smile as he found the line he was supposed to sign on.

“You guys are all friends but,” he signed with a flare then went on to the next page, “you’re the kind of friends who aren’t afraid to tell each other when you’re wrong.” He signed the next page, his face all concentration, “I thought, not only is that good for personal life but also for business,” he signed the last page then looked up at them.

“Please...treat me the same way.” He asked.

“Of course!” Mino agreed. Hoon nodded his own agreement. He had a good feeling about their new client. He was comforted by his positivity. Yoon wouldn’t move to a bigger company or try to wiggle his way out their contract. He was with them now, and he would stay with them.

“We should celebrate!” Yoon purposed.

“What would you like to do?” Jinwoo asked, “I know a good spot for lunch? Or if you want, we can go out a little later for dinner?”

Yoon thought these ideas over than shrugged, “we could do that, but I was more thinking a nightclub. I have a friend who owns one and he always keeps a table for me.”

“Oh,” Mino scratched the back of his hand and looked to Hoon. It looked as if he was asking permission.

“Is that suggestion too informal?” Yoon asked. He looked unsure, some of his enthusiasm dampened.

“No it’s fine,” Jinwoo assured, “what night would you like to go?” He asked. A nightclub? He wasn’t particularly looking forward to the idea but he couldn’t outright refuse. He liked Yoon enough already to not want to dampen the younger man’s mood. He would just have to muscle through.

“Friday night we’ll go. And until then can we talk about some ideas I had for the factory reopening?” He asked. Hoon found himself leaning forward, “definitely, we can start right now.” He had notes and ideas ready to pitch. Mino put his hand on his shoulder, “can we at least get coffee before we make this into a complete planning meeting?” He begged.

You lounged around your airbnb mostly reading and watching movies with Cherry when she was home. Her recovery from her cold was quicker then you would have guessed. You suspected her excitement over any little detail about Seunghoon fueled it. Whenever your phone buzzed from a text she would wait patiently for you to tell her whether it was him or not. If it was, she could barely stop herself from asking what he had said. What he usually texted you wasn’t anything to freak out over. After the boardwalk he sent a text the next day about how much fun he had. Then you two sort of settled into a conversation about anything and everything. He was definitely not the serious taskmaster in conversation. He made you laugh constantly and it was so refreshing.

“So when are you guys going to go out again?” Cherry was in the process of choosing a movie. She flipped through the options slowly, reading each title as she went.

“He mentioned something about Friday.” You were spread out on the couch next to her.

“What sort of something?” She stopped at a romantic comedy then turned to you judging your reaction. You nodded and she chose the movie in question.

“I think he said something about a club…” You picked up your phone and scrolled up through your messages, “some place with a fancy name…”

“Hmmmmm.” The noise she made was non committal, you could guess though that she was about to say something borderline embarrassing.

“Make sure you throw some condoms in your purse before you go...men like to conveniently ‘forget’ that detail.” She provided.

“Cherry.”

“Just one or two,” She made a thinking face, “actually better do four cause what if morning sex happens too...better to have it and not need it…”

“Cherry.” You pressed your hands to your face and groaned.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll do it for you.” She said matter of factly. “Girls helping girls.” She said to herself softly. You uncovered your face and sighed.

“Thanks.” You said softly. She broke into a smile but didn’t say anything else. You sat up and tried to pay attention to the movie. But a question or two still knocking around in your head.

“It’s not like...odd to you that I’m down to sleep with him so soon?” You asked. She paused the movie and turned to you. She took your hands before taking a deep breath.

“It’s 2019, please do whatever the hell you want, as long as it’s your choice throughout the entire event.” She explained, “it’s no body’s business at all, and if he dares speak an ill opinion about the gift you are so graciously going to give him,”

She stopped dramatically and you were left gazing at her waiting for what would happen.

“I’ll kick his ass.” She finished.

“Oh.” You whispered.

“Do not be fooled by my tiny appearance.” She went on, “I mean it.”

“I know.” You winced as she squeezed your hands before letting them go. She picked up the remote, “if he messes with you I swear to god.” She trailed off as the movie started again.

“After this we should see what you’re gonna wear for the club.” She suggested.

“I brought one going out dress.” You said.

“Cleavage or legs?” She asked. You thought the question over picturing the dress that was hanging in the closet.

“Both…” You spoke without much confidence.

“Do you have a bra and panties that match?” She continued.

“I...I think so?” That question you would have to circle back around to. You couldn’t remember the last time you had bought a fancy set.

“I mean, if I’m nearly naked,...does a matching set make a huge difference?” You asked.

“On the one hand, no...but don’t they have that saying,” she started snapping her fingers as she struggled to recall, “umm something about the eyes eating first.”

You knew the saying but you weren’t going to think too hard about it. You wanted to picture other things. Dancing with him, smiling at him as the lights flashed and the two of you sipped drinks. He would say something funny, get close to you and say it directly in your ear because the music would be too loud. Put his hands on the small of your back, maybe when he pulled away to look at you there would be a tiny spark of lust? An inkling that he wanted what you wanted? The more you thought of it the more your cheeks burned. All he had to do was ask if you wanted to go back with him. You would even forgive him if the sentence was blunt. Time was too short for suave pickup lines.

It was probably not the best idea when you considered again that your stay had a time limit. But then again maybe he was horrible at sex? Maybe the two of you would be bad in bed together? It would be better to know now rather than later. The waiting and wondering would kill you.

You sighed and rubbed at your face again. Fling’s were suppose to be simple. Right?

#winner #winner fanfic #Seunghoon #Hoony #hoony fanfic #kpop fanfiction #kpop sfw #baggage claim #Baggage Claim Series #Thank you Eboni for the title

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marshmallowprotection · 5 years ago

Text

Vampire AU

Pairing: Saeran x Lila, Ray x Lila

Lila hummed underneath her breath as she tended to the flowers.

It was a quaint day, she had been working since they opened early in the morning and hadn’t really taken much of a break. When your family was the only florists in your town, that meant that you had a lot to do and running this business took a lot of time and energy, even though this was technically her families' business, she was the one here most often and the one working the hardest to keep things running smoothly since her Grandmother had fallen ill.

[[MORE]]

Now, they had employees and plenty of the family would drop by to make due when they had to but it was Lila that stepped up to the plate to make sure that the life work of her grandparents was taken care of. It was sort of expected of her, after all, she was the only one in her family that didn’t have what they would like to call a “conventional” career path.

She was an artist that was still trying to find her footing, and without immediate satisfaction, it left most to speak ill.

If she had her way about it, she might have been spending time out in the backroom. She had her spare easel back there so she could spend time working on her next project. She had started to finally work on her floral collection and with spring on its way, a new bloom would be likely to spark her creativity.

Whatever wasn’t in the back room at the moment was on display on the front where the walls were barren and abandoned of much else. Who needed a gallery when you could borrow the wall space from the flower shop? She thought with a weak-willed laugh.

She had dreams of being a beloved artist. But, she had to make sure that her second passion was taken care of first and foremost. After all, she made a promise and Lila didn't break her promises once she made them. Unfortunately, sometimes that meant that she would have to do things that she didn’t account for.

At the very least, this time she was doing something that she liked.

If Lila hadn’t found her passion and love for art at such a young age than she might have been working full time at the flower shop as a florist. She genuinely enjoyed doing for others and it didn’t hurt to find herself amongst the flowers. It was her safe space. Nothing bad could come to her if she was where she was happiest.

This was where she was happy.

Far from the grief and pain that she had experienced two years ago.

The afternoon sun had just begun to set, and she finished arranging a piece for a wedding, taking the time to set it aside for delivery. That was going to be a doozy.

When she peered out the front room her two workers were tending to the dead leaves and weeds stream about the garden, that was one job that was taken care of for her. However, she still just needed to count the books and make sure their ducks were in a row. The deliveries for the week would be going out in the morning, and she would make sure they had received the payments that remained.

Lila shut the door to the back behind herself and stepped up to the counter, tugging the book from one of the cubbies, opening it up and beginning to dot her I’s and cross her T’s. This and that, that and this.

The front bell to the shop jingled, and when she lifted her head she noted it was one of her regulars. "Oh, I didn't expect you to drop by today.”

She had moved into town not that long ago, coming from across the country because she was attending the university and this part of the town was the cheapest for students to find housing they could afford. Her cheeks were pink and she looked a bit nervous, her eyes downcast at the floor. "...I'm good. I've just been thinking about... um… well, you see there's this..."

Lila raised an eyebrow, seemingly picking up a hint about why she was dropping by. She laughed, suddenly, and understood why the blue-haired girl seemed scared. "Is it a special somebody?"

She fiddled with the fabric of her baggy hoodie sleeves and looked up at Lila with a mortified expression, “N-No! It’s not that,” she tried to say, before sighing. “How did you know it was about that?”

“Oh, it’s just something that I’ve learned to pick up,” Lila said. She set her pen against her book and shut it. “I’m used to people dropping by because they want to impress someone or because they have a crush and want to give them something. You wouldn’t believe how many people have come by because they don’t know what to get their partners.”

“I don’t have an um…” she swallowed.

Lila smiled knowingly. “Oh, but you’ve got the eyes for somebody, Bridgit. Is it a cute boy on campus? He must be something special if you like him. Do you wanna tell me about him? Maybe I can find you something that he’ll like.”

She panicked, once again, and shook her head. “I-I’ll have to ask you about this later, um, I’m going to work on my homework.”

Lila sighed at the young girl. It wasn’t surprising that she ran out of dodge when she got a little too excited or flustered. Bridgit was painfully shy, and she still didn’t know the ropes around just making a move. If she remembered correctly, she had ducked into her shop the first time because she had seen a particularly cute boy and wanted to avoid being seen by him.

Perhaps this was the same boy. This was the closest that she had gotten to asking Lila for advice. Maybe the next time she would be able to finish her questions without ducking out.

One of her employees looked over at her, “You think she’ll work up the courage one of these days?”

“Man, she’s been in here too many times to count. I kind of hope this guy figures out she likes him and then makes his move. ” the other discounted.

“Just because that’s the most drama you two can gab about doesn’t mean you have to start placing bets on her love life. I know it’s been a slow week but be a little more mindful of our customers. Why don’t you two go ahead and go home for the night if that’s what’s on your mind? I’ll close up tonight.”

The moon had made its way into the sky by the time she had cleaned up the shop and began to stash away the brooms. She had to adjust the temperature inside to combat the weather outside the greenhouse. She tugged up her sweater closer to her body as she grabbed it from the hook, and let out a little puff of air against that lingering winter cold.

It was too far too cold for her liking, and while it had been warm during the day, the nights still had that chill that made your spine tingle. And, she wasn’t even outside yet. What a strong chill if it slipped through the cracks of the building with ease.

With pursed lips, she went to head to the door but stopped in her tracks when she noticed that someone was in the shop. That was peculiar, nobody usually stopped by this late. She thought that it might have been Bridgit, but this figure was far too tall to be that petite girl. This was a quiet part of town, and she knew almost everyone that dropped by.

Someone new was a rarity.

It was a guy.

He was dressed in dark, muted tones that would have made him a hazard in the roadway at night. His hair, well, the most that was peeking out from underneath a hood at least that she could see, appeared as white as the night sky; There was the faintest hint of pink there as if he hadn’t dyed it all the way that he wanted. This was a little strange but he didn’t appear to be any different than the rest of her customers.

It was possible that he was new to town just as Bridgit was, and had wandered into this part to check things out. Still, she was about to close because of the late hour and he would have to go sooner or later. Lila pursed her lips.

With her hands in her pockets, she put on her business face and lit up the bubbly attitude as much as she could. “Hello!” she greeted, “I see you’re admiring the coming spring’s bounty. This winter has been a long one so it seems. The gladiolus there is coming in well, but they’re very picky when it comes to their temperature. It hasn’t been warm enough for them to completely flourish. I'm afraid that one has been on the brink of dying as of late.”

The stranger didn’t budge from his spot, nor was he jostled by the sound of her voice like any other person would be. She had been fairly quiet when she came back into the room. He turned his head back in her direction, and she caught a glimpse of his green eyes. They seemed rather unnaturally green as if he were wearing some of those colored contacts.

“You’ve taken great care, they have just the right amount of water, it’s always often that people forget to give them what they need, thinking the rain may be enough, but you seem to know better than that,” he spoke, suddenly. His fingertips brushing against the petals of the almost blooming blossom. “They seem happy with the kindness you’ve shown them.”

Oh, interesting, she thought. He knows a thing or two about flowers.

“I do my best,” Lila said. “I wouldn’t call myself an expert by any means. I've learned by error my entire life, making mistakes and fixing them is my way of life. After all, this place is very important to me.”

“...You’re the owner, then?” he asked, then.

She let out a little laugh. “Kind of, you're in the right area. It belongs to my family, actually. I’m just the one that takes care of the place the most lately. You must be new to town, then, this is a fairly small place and I know pretty much everyone, and they know me.”

He shifted from one leg to the other, guarded.

“Yeah, you could say that,” he said, curtly. It was clearly something that he didn’t want to talk about. It wasn’t any of her business, so she paid it no mind.

“Well, if you haven’t heard it yet, welcome to town, and my shop,” she smiled. “Anyone who knows their stuff and their way around a garden is more than welcome in my shop. I never meet someone with an eye often. Is there anything that I can do for you this evening?”

The man looked away when he caught a glimpse of it.

“No,” he said.

No?

“I've just admired the view from outside the window for a while and I… wanted to see what it was like on the inside.”

Oh.

Lila smiled. She understood that much. Perhaps he was someone who hadn't been able to touch the grass in some time; If you lived in a city, it was hard to find the grass and wonder.

“Well, I'm flattered you think so much of the place.” She said, “My family also has a large garden not far from here that's open to the public, and the groves there are far better than what I've done here. If you think my shop is great, you'll see really quickly that I'm nothing special compared to mother nature herself.”

She took a step closer and leaned against the edge of the table. Her fingertips brushed against the bud still damp from its last watering, the one that he had last touched himself.

Beaming with an idea and a kind heart, she looked over at the stranger who stood still. “Gladiolus represent remembrance, as well as confidence, dexterity, and faithfulness. You seem very fond of it. Hm, since this particular one has been giving me some trouble, why don't you take it with you and breathe some life into it for me?”

He blinked, raising an eyebrow. His expression was unreadable by her, and that was when she noticed the parlor of his skin. He seemed as white and as delicate as a lily, sickly even. It dawned on her that this stranger may have had more struggles in his life, and that only made her forget any of her silly suspicions on spot. All that was on her mind was making someone's night better than it could be. It was her goal.

She wasn't taking no for an answer, either. Scooping the pot into her hand, she pressed it into the strangers hand with a smile and a nod.

“No charge. Something like this could liven up your room as well as your mood,” she said.

“You would do something like that?”

He was surprised by her sudden actions, so much so that he didn't say much else. She waved it off as a bit of embarrassment and headed to the door where she held it open for him and made sure to lock it before she stepped out into the cool night air.

Lila stole a glance at the stranger, before she started to walk in the direction of her apartment, “I'm in this business to make people happier by any means. With the right flower in your hand, and a smile, you could make even the saddest person feel again. That's something that not even money could buy.”

“...You're very kind.” she could hear him.

“Just promise you'll let me know how it turns out!” She called back at him with a laugh.

The stranger watched as Lila disappeared into the shadows and rounded the corner to her small apartment that was two blocks away. She would get their safely as long as he was nearby. This town was steadily becoming a hotbed for prowlers and he wouldn't want anything to happen to her because of that. For so long he wanted to talk to her but he never could work up the courage to do it; He took the chance tonight only because he had quenched his bloodlust the night before.

It was all too easy to find someone in a college town. Ray just hated and felt bad after he had to coerce someone for their blood. He had to survive… and that was the cost he had to pay.

He had just gotten sidetracked when he looked and saw the most lovely girl tending to a bouquet of lilies. He had intended to keep moving and to keep hiding from the underground that wanted to find him and destroy him. But he just… couldn't leave this place.

He felt enraptured and bond by the intoxicating feeling that girl gave him. She smelled heavenly and her smile almost made his heart beat again. She really was as kind as she seemed to be, he had been watching her for some time now, and he was relieved to know that she was lovely. He was so glad he came to this town, but at the same time, he knew that as long as he was here… danger would follow.

Ray stared down at the gladiolus in his hands, almost gleeful. “Perhaps this time she won't find me… maybe I can be normal again… maybe we can just exist here…”

#mod kait #vampire au #choi saeran #saeran choi #lila x ray #ray x lila #saeran x lila #lila lancelot oc #ficlet #guest appearance #by nerdylunagrls oc bridgit

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