#Ezy talks

[ezy-talks]

Swindle is basically the Mr. Krabs of Transformers if you think about it

[rickeajacksons]

[bueckersstrap]

ezis out?? 💔

[the-physicality]

the thing about reddit is at least there is a houston dash contingent there. whereas there is no phoenix mercury contingent... which makes me far less interested in engaging

[ashleewillow]

eldarya boys: sudden affectionate nicknames.

Ezarel:

Accidentally calling him by a cute nickname is something you know could unleash all sorts of reactions from him, but you never expected it to happen so naturally. You were distracted while talking, and suddenly, without thinking, you called him “Ezy” in the middle of the conversation.

Instantly, Ezarel went silent, and his gaze locked onto you, raising an eyebrow with a mix of surprise and amusement. He seemed to be trying not to laugh, but his teasing smile was beginning to show. “Ezy?” he repeated, clearly enjoying the situation.

“I didn’t know we had already reached that level of intimacy.” You knew he would have fun with this, so you tried to keep calm, but your face was surely a bit red. “It was an accident,” you said, trying not to make a big deal out of it. Ezarel leaned a little closer, still smiling. “Don’t worry, human, you can call me that whenever you want,” he replied with a teasing tone, emphasizing the word “human.”

Although he tried to hide it, the slight flush on his ears revealed that deep down, he liked the nickname much more than he was willing to admit.

Leiftan:

You were having a relaxed conversation with Leiftan when, without realizing it, you called him “Heaven” in a soft, affectionate tone. At first, he didn’t seem to notice, but then his eyes widened a bit more than usual as he turned to you, as if processing what he had just heard.

“Heaven?” he asked with a shy smile, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. It wasn’t common to see him surprised, but it seemed this nickname had touched something deep within him.

You immediately realized your mistake and covered your mouth with a hand, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I’m sorry, it was unintentional,” you said quickly, hoping you hadn’t made him uncomfortable.

But instead of being annoyed, Leiftan smiled even more, a sparkle of tenderness in his eyes. “You don’t have to apologize,” he said softly. “In fact… I like it.” His gaze was sincere, and you knew he wasn’t joking.

“You can call me whatever you want,” he added, lowering his voice with a slightly more intimate air. Although the nickname had slipped out by accident, the way Leiftan accepted it made you feel that maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use it from time to time.

Nevra:

You were in the middle of a casual conversation when, without meaning to, you called him “Nervy.” The nickname came out so naturally that you didn’t even think about it until you saw how Nevra stopped completely, raising an eyebrow with a playful yet curious expression.

“Nervy?” he repeated with a smile that could only be described as mischievous. “Are you calling me nervous, or do you think I’m so adorable that you need a nickname?” You blushed immediately, aware of how unusual it was for him to receive a nickname that wasn’t something grand or seductive.

“It’s… just a silly nickname,” you replied, trying to downplay it. But Nevra, far from letting it go, seemed delighted by the situation. “I like it,” he said, with his classic half-smile. “No one has ever called me something so… original. It’s like you know I have a soft side.”

“Don’t get too excited,” you responded, half-joking, trying to regain your composure. He leaned closer to you, his intense gaze as always. “Too late, darling. ‘Nervy’ might stick, and who knows… maybe I’ll let you discover that soft side someday.”

Valkyon:

You were working together, focused on a task, when suddenly, without thinking, you called him “Heart.” As soon as the words left your lips, you realized what you had said, but it was too late.

Valkyon stopped what he was doing and looked at you with his calm eyes, clearly processing the nickname. He didn’t say anything at first; he just blinked slowly, as if trying to decide how to feel about it. “Heart, huh?” he murmured, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Although he wasn’t the type to tease, he seemed genuinely curious about the new name. You felt a bit nervous. “I’m sorry, it was an accident. I can stop calling you that if it bothers you.” But Valkyon shook his head gently, his expression serene as always.

“It doesn’t bother me,” he replied in a deep, calm voice. “In fact… I like it. It’s simple, like me.” Although it wasn’t an exaggerated reaction, the small spark in his eyes and the slight blush on his cheeks made you smile. You knew he wasn’t used to nicknames, but it seemed that “Heart” could stick.

“Just for you,” he added softly before returning to his task, making it clear that although he didn’t show it much, the nickname had touched his heart.

[fruitbasketball]

wnba recap 8/16

i didn’t get to watch a game last night bc i was watching paige and flau’jae coach high schoolers into turnovers but i got box!!! so here we go

seattle storm vs atlanta dream

i was surprised that atlanta squeaked this win out bc seattle actually is (dare i say it) a good team

but when rhyne howard drops 30 on y’all heads 😭😭😭 not much you can do i guess 😭😭😭 man i really forget jordin canada plays for atlanta now, but really solid contribution from that starting five

nobody was like exponentially ass this game either like… sure naz only got 6 points, but 13 boards makes up for it. ezi only scores 6 but gets 7 boards

except jordan… maybe jordan was ass

sds back 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 i misseddd herrr 🥰 GIMME 29 🗣️🗣️🗣️

29 for skylar, 21 for jewell, 16 for nneka, and NONE FOR NIKA MUHL

i am in pain.

dallas wings vs connecticut sun

nobody can save dallas atp. not even satou. lord what the fuck is THIS 😃😃😃😃

satou had 20/7/8 😃😃😃 rike shot 50% 😃😃😃 y’all cannot STILL BE LOSING

i get that it’s connecticut but like y’all NEED TO QUIT TANKING. NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE Y’ALL. YOU NEED TO SAVE YOURSELVES.

okay celeste! give us nothing! (2 points)

at with a triple flirt? we love to see it. plus marina with 17 in her debut game??? let’s see how you play with nai on the floor tho 😭😭 i’m playing but fr someone investigate that

YES LIV 4-5 I LOVE YOU BABY YOU’RE DOING SO GOOD

yeah connecticut’s the best team in the league, and i say that because i hate watching the liberty

phoenix mercury vs indiana fever

bro caitlin clark is an insane individual. there is no other way to put it.

what do you fucking mean it’s your first game back and you put up 29/5/10??? on 50% shooting??? who ARE YOU???

and kelsey mitchell with 28?? lyss with a near double??? man y’all make me look GOOFY bc just two days ago i was talking about how good the merc look

dee bro… get another tech. nah go ahead get another fucking tech 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 PLEASE GO A MOTHERFUCKING HEAD AND GET ANOTHER TECH SO HELP ME GOD

another 30 piece for kah 💀💀💀💀💀 and this is how you treat her 💀💀💀💀💀 i am going to bomb phoenix 😃😃😃😃😃😃

man y’all just out here with the sole intent of making me look dumb as fuck bro get it together

headassery

y’all wanna act fuckin stupid go play in the nba i’m TIRED OF THIS SHIT

[fogwitchoftheevermore]

this started as a joke and then a friend of mine who knows will willowmvp personally decided to get me confirmation on his relationship to homestuck so. now you all get to see this i guess.

A FEW NOTES ABOUT THIS

outside of the tiers that straight up say "CONFIRMED" in them I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE. I DON'T KNOW THESE PEOPLE. i also do not keep a very close eye on the irl lives of most of these creators, so unless something is like, a well known fact about them, assume i most likely do not know it. if one of these creators has discussed homestuck and is in the wildly wrong place, whoops.

my decisions were based on a combination of age, what corner of the internet they're in (if they openly have a tumblr), and straight up vibes.

i know some of these creators much better than others, but if someone's not on here, it's because i don't feel like i have anything even approximating a grasp on their personalities or i have never watched them before.

OK ONE EDIT. i forgot lizzie and joel were like straight up scene kids. im not changing the list but idk keep that in mind. also zloy SHOULD be in the "confirmed has read homestuck" tier but in my defense. i forgor.

image id will be the cut cause this is so long

A tier list with 8 tiers that are colored red-blue in rainbow order.

The top tier reads "CONFIRMED Has read Homestuck" and includes Joe Hills.

The second tier reads "Has read Homestuck in full/most of the way through" and includes Mysticatlive, OwengejuiceTV, Ranboo, Apokuna, Krowfang, and ZloyXP.

The third tier reads "Has read Homestuck in part/stopped reading early" and includes Aimsey, Badboyhalo, Crumb, Pixlriffs, Snifferish, SoupforEloise, Animagician, JaidenAnimations, and BerthaDarling.

The fourth tier reads "Has never read Homestuck but has knowledge of the plot/and or characters and includes 5UP, Eret, FireBreathMan, Guqqie, Niachu, TheOrionSound, Shubble, Slimecicle, Smajor1995, RedVelvetCake, Wilbur Soot, ZombieCleo, and Frogcrafting.

The fifth tier reads "CONFIRMED Has read Homestuck and "knows enough" " and includes WillowMVP.

The sixth tier reads "Has never read Homestuck but has heard of it vaguely" and includes Antfrost, Captain Spaklez, Captain Puffy, ConnorEatsPants, Seapeekay, GeminiTay, Illumina, InTheLittleWood, Jack Manifold, James Marriott, LDShadowlady, Pearlescentmoon, Philza, Ponk, Rendog, Technoblade, Tommyinnit, Tubbo, Welsknight, XisumaVoid, ZedaphPlays, Mogswamp, Mythical Sausage, Wunba, and Sevaris.

The seventh tier reads "Has never heard of Homestuck" and includes Awesamdude, Bdoubleo100, Bigbst4tz2, DanTDM, Cubfan135, DocM77, Ethoslab, False Symmetry, Foolish Gamers, Fundy, Fwhip, Grian, Goodtimeswithscar, Hypnotizd, Iskall85, iJevin, Joey Graceffa, Katherine Elizabeth, Keralis, Mumbo Jumbo, Skizzleman, Smallishbeans, Solidarity, Stress Monster101, TangoTek, TinFoilChef, Blockdown, Mr. Beardstone, and Ezy.

The eighth tier reads "CONFIRMED Has never heard of Homestuck" and includes ImpulseSV.

[megbanned]

What would both Uzi's and Ezi's Solver have unlike the other? Like, what unique abilities would they have in their solvers that the other twin doesn't have

Ezi would haveeeee:

-Telekinesis -Regeneration -Matter reconstruction -Teleportation -Telepathy (on this way she could present herself as a shimeji in the drone visors who she needs to talk to) -And I would also like to say that it has some power similar to premonition hmm something like it touches some drone or is in "the mind" of a drone and can see through its past memories, I think this could also apply to the telepathy in a certain way… idk

/hj

[reverie-bros-bank-n-studio-co]

If he told Ezy about the nightmares:

He immediately gets a blanket for the big guy after seating him on the bed, and makes the big guy a mug of hot cocoa and coffee for himself, putting an arm and wing around him

"Yeah, I get nightmares pretty often too my friend. That's alright though, you can talk to me about it if you like, you don't have to though. I ain't gonna force ya. But you can stay here as long as you need, aight? I'm proud of ya, you got this mate." ~Ezy

[He's such a dad friend, help. 😭🤣 -Skeletoon]

Based off an ask from an anon on my blog and a conversation in the notes. Features @reverie-bros-bank-n-studio-co Ezy, their OC. Please do not repost my art, do not copy the characters.

[Bernard at night becomes a gremlin around the people he would like to be friends with. That does include sneaking into their homes at night. No one knows why he does this.

Any other time he can carry on a conversation or socialize.

I think it’s because he likes scaring people.]

[ezy-talks]

I just realized that this blog is basically useless, so I will not be posting on it anymore. I'm not taking it down tho!

[female-buckets]

96 page Caitlin Clark ESPN special... 🙃

Even if you want to make Clark the star, is it really necessary to give her all 96 pages?

What if Clark had 36 pages? Then we could give the other 60 pages to other female basketball stars under 25 years old. Why not give a page to Dyaisha Fair? And let's check on Brink and Rickea and Cardoso. Let's check on Flaujae and Juju and Hannah and Paige. Let's also check on the 2021, 2022, and 2023 rookie classes. What are they up to? Go talk to Mic Onyenwere and Rhyne Howard and Nalyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston and Diamond Miller. Kristen Bell and Em Engstler just won AU medals. Show that. Talk to the young international Olympians that will be in Paris like Ezi and Aaliyah Edwards. Show the young players who spent their winters playing for glamorous cities in Europe and Australia. Give me a photoshoot of Dorka in Italy. I want a nice picture and nice blurb for every under-25 pro that's been playing good minutes in the WNBA.

If ESPN wants to promote the youth wave as the present and future of the game, that's great. But 96 pages on one player is not how you do that.

[yuujispinkhair]

Winter's selfships:

Sukuna x Winter

Once I get a taste, I never wanna stop. Don't you ever take your fucking hands off

Sukuna is the bad boy I meet in a club who drags me headfirst into his world. At first, we both think we will just be a one-night stand, but then it becomes so much more. Sukuna fascinates me. He is such a stark contrast to the boring life I lived before running into him. He is wild and confident, so sexy and a bit dangerous. With him, I finally feel alive. He is like a drug, exciting and addictive, and able to numb all my pain. Life with Kuna feels like speeding through the city at night while the neon lights flash by and my favorite song plays at max volume. It's exciting, just like his kisses and his boyish smirk and the way he fucks me like no one else did before. I get so addicted to him and the way he makes me feel. I feel high when he looks at me with that sexy smirk while he blows cigarette smoke into my face and flirts with me in that teasing and fun way and pulls me along to get matching tattoos or get drunk at some rich guy's rooftop party we crashed. We keep hooking up with each other until one night, Kuna is like, "I think I am in love with you." And suddenly, everything falls into place. Sukuna is my King, and I am his Queen. We are in love. Deep, passionate, life-altering love that I didn't think existed in real life. But Kuna and I have a special bond. We are both outcasts. My mind doesn't work the way it should, and Sukuna is a natural-born rebel who fights any authority he encounters. We are both not made for this world. But in each other, we found someone who loves us the way we are. We are one of those "it's us against the world" couples. And as intimidating and rude as Sukuna can be, he is very sweet and charming to me. I love when his smug smirk turns into a tender smile just for me and when his tattooed arms tighten around me, and he tells me in that sexy low voice that I am his and he is mine until the end of the world.

Our Instagram dump + Sukuna's camera roll + Our wedding

Playlist:

#Cosmic - chloe mk -- You say you wanna tell me you love me on the bathroom floor. You make me wanna give it all to you. Once I get a taste, I never wanna stop. Don't you ever take your fucking hands off

#Dangerous - DeathbyRomy -- You're dangerous boy, but I love it. The feeling of your eyes on me is magic

#Bad idea - Ariana Grande -- I'ma call you over here to numb the pain

#Black Magic - Jonasu -- I'm under your spell, and I'm under your body. The way you're touching my skin. the way you're making me sin. Laying in your backseat, so put your magic on me

#Good to be bad - Talii -- Wrap your hands around my neck. Tell me I'm your favorite. Let me know that I belong to you. Light me like your cigarette, smoke it til there's nothing left

#Unlovable - Delacey -- I'm unlovable as they come, babe. But you said, "Don't talk shit about the girl I love." Tell me they were wrong and I'm enough. Tell me I'm beautiful and you're in love

#Maraschino Love - EZI -- I’ll sip you out the bottle, you're so sweet like cherry pop. Was like, "Oh my god, my new favorite drug." You go down like liquid velvet. Maraschino Love

#Pain Killer - Sickick -- Tell me you won't leave my side. Nothing really matters, you're all I need. Nothing really matters but you and me. You're my addiction

#Dirty Pretty Beautiful - The Maine -- We've got this thing and it's untouchable. It's so dirty pretty beautiful. Give me your energy. A reason to lose, to lose control.

#Maroon - Taylor Swift -- And I chose you. The one I was dancing with in New York, no shoes. And I wake with your memory over me. That's a real fucking legacy to leave

#Bad 4 Me - DeathbyRomy -- Light me up inside, using your hands. Bring me to life, babe. I need you tonight, babe. Baby, be bad for me.

#Like a God - Lia Marie Johnson -- Whiskey on ice got me feeling so nice. I tell myself this won't ever die. So love me like a god, fuck me like a god

#Call me Daddy - 11:11 -- Make a wish, let me give you these blessings. Love it when you call me daddy. Go ahead and send the addy, but only if you call me daddy

#If I - Limi -- If I held you close to my heart and mended all of your scars. If I risked it all for the night. Baby, you and I could fall in love

#Underneath your Clothes - Shakira -- Underneath your clothes, there's an endless story. There's the man I chose. There's my territory.

The song he always sings to me while I sit on his lap :) Kuna's Valentine's special :) I love this idiot so much

Art commissions from @/pupurregen @/tinymaru @/hannycho12 @/ekkura @/luvluvluv06(twitter) @/aikk00 @/katanaski @/kita-dynasty @/pastelle_rabbit

[fefairys]

something rlly funny abt homestuck and hiveswap troll names is like i pretty much know all the different pronunciations to expect from the homestuck trolls. if someone says “TARE-ezi” i know they mean terezi. or kanaya as “kahn-ee-uh”. all the different variations of “aradia” etc.

but when ppl pronounce hiveswap trolls names differently than i do i’m so caught off guard i’m like who are you talking about who is that? who is “duh-RYE-uh”??? and then they show me a pic of daraya and i’m like OH you mean “daria” lmao

[reverie-bros-bank-n-studio-co]

I had to draw ur boi at some point lol

Ezy also just trying to be friendly

(Idk what they’d talk about jdjdjdjx)

@blottart414

[fruitbasketball]

all star roster

so sorry babes life has been hectic but we are BACK BITCHES!!!

this all star roster had me 😃😮‍💨😮🙄🫨

interpret that how y’all feel

dijonai got snubbed. idc that some of y’all wanna be like oh she doesn’t score as many points blah blah she plays for one of the most stacked teams in the league. she doesn’t need to drop 30 a night. this is just like basic basketball logic bro and if y’all got your heads out the stat sheet for one second to consider the intangibles ALSOOO that would be great

why are 3 fever players on here. like what. this is soooo “i only watch for caitlin clark and those are her teammates let me vote for them! idk any of these other names!” bro what the fuck. respectfully, kelsey mitchell over ezi is downright ludicrous. like ezi is putting up 13 and 8 on a team w jewell loyd and nneka ogwumike please let’s use our CRITICAL FUCKING THINKING!!! WHY IS KELSEY MITCHELL ON HERE!!!!

y’all snubbed tina charles too fuck you.

okay before i crash out let’s talk about names i’m happy to see

dewanna bonner!

caitlin and aliyah as expected

angel!! miss double double!!

dearica and jj thank fucking god

rike perioddd

kayla mcbride mhm

and ms nneka MWAH

should be a fun, fun night (team wnba is getting absolutely fucking clobbered 😭😭😭)

[heyyyharry]

Deep End - Chapter 18: She Who Rules the Sea

...in which Ezi and Harry go back to where it started.

AU: famous!harry, siren!mc, adult modern retelling of the little mermaid? lol, fake dating, enemies to lovers.

WARNING: MATURE THEMES

All chapters / Synopsis / Moodboard / Playlist

Read on Wattpad

.

.

.

“Good morning, Harry.”

“Oh, Dawson, you’re still here?”

“Harry, please,” Ezi sighed as she carried the plates of steaming bacon and eggs to the table, joining Dawson and Maggie. Maggie was too busy reading the morning newspaper with her cup of tea to pay attention to the weird dynamic between Harry and Dawson, which Ezi failed to understand no matter how hard she tried. Dawson seemed to love Harry even though Harry claimed that it was all fake and that Dawson lowkey prayed for his downfall.

“How was your sleep?” Harry asked as he took a seat beside Ezi, glaring at Dawson, who was sitting on her other side.

“It was alright,” said Ezi. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Do not worry about me. You sit there and enjoy your breakfast, young lady. Dawson?”

Dawson looked up from his plate. “Yeah?”

“Could you make me a cup of tea?” Harry commanded.

“Why do I have to do it?”

“Because you already got your bacon and eggs and I just want a cup of tea?”

“Oh, you’re so full of shit sometimes, you know that?”

“For fuck’s sakes!” Maggie exclaimed and all eyes were on her as she put the newspaper down and got up. “I’ll make you tea, insufferable child. What else do you want? A full English breakfast?”

“Oooh, that would be gre—” Harry’s mouth clamped shut when Maggie shot him a death glare. “Tea would be fine. Thanks, Maggie.”

Shaking her head, Maggie put the kettle on. Harry turned back to Ezi, smiling. “No bad dreams last night, I hope?”

Ezi was just about to answer when Dawson jumped in, “Actually, she couldn’t sleep and went into the kitchen for water. I was there because I couldn’t sleep either, so we stayed up and chatted for a bit. It was nice.”

Harry seemed offended. “Oh, why couldn’t you sleep, Dawson?”

“Strange bed.”

“What are you? Five?”

“Said the one who was still pissing his pants at five years old.”

“Hey, I was four!”

Ezi buried her face into her palm. Oh god, couldn’t Maggie hurry up with that cup of tea? Harry was always unbearable before his morning tea.

“What were you two talking about anyway?” he asked, eyes shifting between Ezi and Dawson, who had this smug look on his face, seemingly happy to have pissed Harry off. Ezi must admit that pissing Harry off was also her favourite past-time, but not the first thing in the morning, when he was the most annoying.

“Oh, nothing really,” she said. “Dawson just had a lot of questions about sirens and all that.”

“Harry, here’s your tea, you little shit.”

When Maggie handed Harry his steaming cup, his face lit up instantly. Breakfast carried on without any more drama. Still, Ezi couldn’t help dreading what was about to come.

Once they were done eating and had cleared the table, Maggie lay out a huge map that took up almost the entire surface, and everyone gathered around like they were in some sort of war meeting.

“Funny how you just have this gigantic map lying around,” Harry said, standing behind Ezi with his chin on the top of her head as if to make sure Dawson got the message. Childish, Ezi thought, but she couldn’t be bothered to tell him off, and she was secretly enjoying it too.

“It’s not like I work in a bookshop or anything,” Maggie said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Anyway, Harry, I would appreciate it if you don’t speak for the next fifteen minutes.”

Dawson let out a low chuckle, and Harry silenced him with a glare.

“Okay, so,” said Maggie, hands on the map, “this is the deepest part of the ocean. The Ginevra palace lies at the bottom of the ocean, and it’s connected to this cave…here.”

“Sorry, I know I’m not allowed to speak, but wasn’t that where we first met?” Harry turned to Ezi, who nodded.

“Yes. Correct. So your beach house was right…here.” She tapped her finger on the map.

“We need to get Ezi back to the palace, and we can do so through this cave,” said Maggie.

“But Ezi doesn’t have her tail anymore.” All eyes shifted to Dawson, who froze. “Sorry, am I allowed to speak? I know I’m new here.”

“No, you’re not allowed to speak.”

“Harry.” Ezi nudged Harry with her elbow and to Dawson, she smiled. “Good point, Dawson. But I think I just need to get to that cave and I can call for my mother or sister to appear.”

“They will know when you’re there anyway. The Sea Queen keeps track of all of her subjects. Besides, they are after this, remember?” Maggie said, pointing at Harry’s chest.

Fear formed a thick lump in Ezi’s throat as she tried to swallow it down. She looked over at Harry, expecting some sort of reaction from him, but his calm expression remained, which troubled her even more. She wondered if he was just pretending like he was fine because he wanted to appear brave and unafraid for her, whilst deep down, he was very much afraid.

“We can use my private jet to get to the island,” she heard him say when she snapped out of her own head. “It’s bad for the environment, but we’re all dying anyway.”

“You’re dying. We still have a long way to go.”

“Maggie,” complained Ezi, and Maggie rolled her eyes.

“He just talks a lot of shit sometimes.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry said, sarcastically. “I’m the only one here beside Ezi who has the right to talk shit. The Sea Queen wants to rip my heart out because I’m in love with her daughter.”

“Allegedly,” Ezi murmured, eyes on the map, but she could imagine Harry frowning.

“Whether you like it or not, I love you and your mother wishes to kill me.”

“Can we do this another time?” Maggie interrupted. “Harry, call your ride.”

“Oh, I already did. Niall’s on his way.”

“Niall?” exclaimed Ezi. “You told Niall about this.”

“Well, he doesn’t know you’re a mythical creature. He thinks we’re fleeing the country because everyone thinks you’re a gold digger and I’m a fool. So we’re like Harry and Meghan in a way.”

“What? Who’s Meghan?”

“If we make it out alive, I’ll educate you on the royal family. Ours is even more fucked up than yours. Oh, Niall just texted me.” Harry pulled out his phone and his face transformed into a scowl. “He said he’s stuck in traffic and wants us to take the tube???”

Ezi shivered as she recalled the first and last time she was on the tube. It wasn’t fun as it sounded. “I’m not riding the tube. It’s smelly and hot.”

“Pretty sure there’s a train strike and TFL wouldn’t care if Harry Styles and his friends were on their way to save a kingdom.”

“Or just get a cab?” Dawson finally spoke after being silent the whole time.

Everyone exchanged looks and unenthusiastically agreed.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Ezi didn’t know how they’d done it. The airport was now crowded with reporters with their cameras flashing. It didn’t take them long to surround the taxi like a shiver of sharks cornering prey. Dawson was sitting in the passenger’s seat, calmly guiding the driver through the crowd, while Maggie, who sat beside Ezi in the backseat was bouncing her knee with a horrified look on her face. It was probably her first time in this situation.

“Fucking hell,” Harry muttered when his ringtone went off again. He pressed answer and shouted to Niall, “We’re here. Would you chill, for fuck’s sake?”

Niall’s voice was loud yet muffled over the phone, “I just wanted to warn you that someone overheard me talking to you on the phone, and the paparazzi–”

“We’ll deal with them. Are you waiting at the gate?”

“Yup.”

“Alright. See you in a minute,” Harry said and hung up while Niall was in the middle of shouting something. When he grabbed Ezili’s hand and squeezed, camera lights exploded in his concentrated green eyes, like flashes of memories, and she could see them going back to that night at his mother’s place where he’d saved her from his cousin. “Stay right behind me,” his voice was a whisper.

She nodded, clutching his hand as he opened the door, ducked his head, and stepped out. All around was a cacophony of screams, whispers, camera shutters, and honking of angry drivers trying to make their way through.

“Harry, Harry, is it true that you two are fake dating for PR?”

“Harry, is she your cousin?”

“Lady, are you using Harry for his money?”

Ezi ignored those reporters as she kept her head hung and followed Harry’s guide. She focused on the different types of shoes and their many colours, and for a moment, she felt as if her soul had left her body, and she was just a shell, being moved through the crowd. That was until a hard force shoved her to the side, and if it wasn’t for Harry’s fast reflex, she would have fallen. Her injuries tingled in the worst way, and she bit down on her lip as the pain wavered to her brain. But before she could react, Harry’s voice startled her. One of his hands was holding her shoulder, the other caught the fat man’s collar and shook him hard. “You lay your hands on my girlfriend again, and I’ll smack your head in, you prick.”

The man started apologising to Ezi as two airport security guards showed up and escorted them inside safely.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Maggie didn’t get on the plane with them. Ezi supposed that she didn’t want to relive her trauma by going back, but she wished Maggie was here so she didn’t have to feel so awkward sitting in silence with these men.

Well, with Harry at least. Dawson sat across the aisle and seemed unbothered as he made up some sophisticated lie to Niall about how they’d finally found Ezi’s family, so they were taking her to them. Niall being Niall, didn’t question much and was just enthusiastic to be included. Harry, on the other hand, was sitting opposite of Ezi in silence as he gazed out of the window, chin in his hand.

Fingers fidgeting in her lap, Ezi rolled her tongue a few times before she found the courage to speak. “Thank you,” she said, and his eyes shifted to her. “For…earlier.”

He gave a small smile. “Told you I’d protect you.”

When it came to her mother, however, she doubted he would be able to say that. Still, she appreciated his intention.

“You okay?” she asked when the silence returned. Everyone had been asking her if she was okay, but it was Harry the question should be directed to. It was his heart that her mother wanted…no, his life.

Thoughtfully, he pursed his lips. “Hmmm, I don’t know. Feels weird. On the one hand, I’m glad that I can do something for you. On the other hand, I’m being hunted by the fucking Sea Queen. That’s scary, but also an honour.”

Together, they laughed like they were just discussing a movie and not their reality.

“So you were angry at me for wanting to kill you, but it’s an honour when my mother does it?” said Ezi.

“I was angry because you lied to me actually. It made me wonder if any of it was real.”

“I wondered the same thing when you told me I would never be human.”

“I didn’t mean that.”

She paused. “I know that now.”

“Good,” he said. “Do you want to be human?” he asked. “When this is all over, of course.”

Ezi shrugged. “If only you survived.”

His lips twitched as he appreciated the humour. “I mean, I have no choice. Someone has to take care of my cat, and Niall would be a terrible cat dad.” He locked eyes with her for a beat. “And you, too, of course. I’ll have to survive for you.”

“Deal,” she said, hoping it’d be true.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

This was how Harry died, trapped in this tiny beach cave. Clearly, a death by the Sea Queen story would sound much cooler, and it was the only motivation for him not to die here, at least for now. The entrance of the cave was so small, hardly more than a gap in the rock. Ezi was leading the group, followed by him, then Dawson. They had left Niall at Harry’s beach house and made him busy with the iPad. That wholesome image made Harry feel less afraid as they treaded through the water, with only a phone as a torch guiding the way. Two-thirds of the tunnel was filled with black water, and the other with sand that made his shoes sink with every step, and they didn’t want to risk going barefoot in case rocks or something sharp lurked beneath the surface.

The deeper they went in, the darker it got. The space they squirmed through was damp and smelled like dead things the sea had claimed, and the ceiling came down so close that they had to crawl now. Just when it seemed like the darkness would swallow them up, Harry saw a weak gleam ahead. Now they could stand to his full height once again. They had arrived in an open space that was as big as the size of the dining room in his mother’s manor. It looked like the sort of place pirates would hide their treasure and Greek heroes would come to fight a monster.

In the soft light from the algae growing on the walls, Harry recognised this cave. The first time Ezi had “rescued” him from the storm, she’d taken him here.

“Don’t go any further,” Ezi commanded, and they came to a halt. “The deep end is just right past those rocks. From there, just keep diving and you’ll eventually reach the palace, but I don’t think any of us will manage to get there with our human lungs.”

“So what’s the plan again?” Harry asked.

Dawson, who still seemed appalled by the whole situation, sucked in a deep breath. “Ezi will get into the water as bait.”

“No, they’ll kill her.”

“They have to keep her alive,” Dawson said. “They need the heart of a man who’s in love with a siren. If she died, it probably wouldn’t work.”

“On, please, you just found out sirens existed like five minutes ago. Don’t act like an expert.”

“Harry, you’re just talking out of your arse now–”

“Excuse m–”

“Guys, stop, please!” Ezi exclaimed, her voice echoing within the cave. “I’m going into the water. I know the water environment better than you all. I’ll try to get Mother or Koa to come up here and negotiate.” Harry opened his mouth but she shushed him immediately. “Harry, do you trust me?”

“Ezi–”

“Yes or no?”

The light in the cave gleamed in her eyes, softening his heart.

Forcefully, he nodded. “Alright. But come up as soon as you sense danger.”

As usual, she had this hardened look on her face like she was the toughest person in the world, the undead, immortal, but all Harry could see was a fragile young girl who was very much afraid. He wished he could give her a hug or took her back to his beach house where they could start over from day one. Instead, he watched nervously as she shrugged off her jacket and kicked off her shoes, preparing for her dive.

Suddenly, something grabbed his ankle and pulled him into the water.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Harry was there, then he was gone, swallowed by the black liquid. As afraid as Ezi was of the water, she was more afraid of letting Harry be taken. She rushed forward. Behind her, Dawson shouted, ‘No!’ but she ignored him. It was a good leap and when she broke the surface, it felt like a shock, as if she had been struck by lightning, and her heart would explode.

As she began to sink, she just kept going down, down, and down. The water was cold, cold, cold, even colder than she’d remembered. She thought she might just drown and made no effort to save herself. Her limbs felt so heavy, so sluggish, and it took every bit of willpower she got to gather her wits before she died then and there. She trod water, halted her descent to get her bearings, and stared into the depths below her. She was half-looking for Harry, half-looking for a siren. The liquid was a strange green from here, turgid barely seeming to move despite her thrashing, but at last she saw something below her, a pale blur, struggling weakly, increasingly weakly. She duck-dived, kicked, and pressed further into the icy dark.

Harry seemed to plummet, heavier than he should be, or perhaps pulled but Ezi could see nothing that gripped him. At last, she got a grip of his fingers, his palm, his wrist. Her human lungs were burning. Harry’s eyes were glazing over, the lids beginning to drop.

No, stay with me, she thought, emotions welling in her throat.

Harry’s hair like dark smoke around his bloodless white face as she pulled him hard toward her and clasped him to her chest. He was too far gone to hold onto her, so she had to swim single-handed, kicking like a frog. She wanted to look behind to ensure nothing was following them, but she didn’t. Concentrate, Ezi, said the voice inside her head, come on, up.

It was then that she felt a shudder through the water, like it was shivering from its own frigidity. Something yanked Harry back, dragging Ezi down with him, hard and fast. She spun her head around, panicked. And there was her sister in full siren form, fangs baring.

Koa looked into Ezi’s eyes and said something that Ezi couldn’t hear yet understood.

Welcome home, sister.