#HOLDING IT UP AND BLOCKING EVERYONE SO I WAS TAKING REALLY QUICK AND DISCREET PICTURES W BAD LIGHTING

[onawhimsicot]

Took photos with EXTREME prejudice at the Every Place I cry concert tonight, maybe im very bi and a little in love with a certain pair, you can't prove anything

[literaila]

its slippery. 

loki x gn!reader 

summary: you arrive home to find loki alseep on the couch. obviously, you walk past without an issue. (its just fluff.)

*

not even on your tip-toes could you sneak past loki. 

you’d arrived home-- albeit late, it was dark outside, cold in the house --to find loki, asleep on the couch, cuddling a blanket on the couch. 

after a day of meetings, people bossing you around, and an abundant lack of patience, it was a wonderful sight. the best thing you’d seen all day.

it took all your willpower not to take a picture of him (and then proceed to share it with anyone and everyone who might appreciate it as much as you were). all your willpower.

but instead, you smiled at him adoringly, glad to see that he was relaxing while you were at work, then debated against going and giving him a kiss without waking up and eventually came to the conclusion that it wouldn’t end well.

your standing in the doorway ended when you took your shoes off and attempted to walk past him to your bedroom door without disturbing him. 

unfortunately, coordination wasn't your strong suit. about halfway there you tripped on apparently nothing and just barely managed to keep yourself up. it was almost embarrassingly loud. 

so no, not even on your tip-toes could you sneak past loki. or manage to walk to your bedroom door. 

you held your breath for a moment, not daring to turn around and face loki who was surely awake now. it was a moment before you heard the grumble from his mouth. 

“you are the least discreet person i have ever met,” 

something about his tired voice and the annoyed words coming from him made you smile, forgetting momentarily about your embarrassment and finally turning around to grin at him. 

he was still snuggled against the blanket, only one eye open. 

“you must know some very sneaky people then,” you titled your head at him, pretending not to notice the roll of his eye.

his “irritation” was adorable, and to see it some more was to breathe air.

you moved to the opposite end of the couch, purposefully as far from him as possible, setting your bag down next to the coffee table and picking up the book loki had left sitting there. you flicked through it, peaking your eyes up every few moments as you watched him.

“just the leviathan i share a bed with.” loki said, voice still rough, shoving his face into the blanket. 

you laughed, half offended, half shocked and threw a pillow over at him without taking your eyes off the page you were scanning.

the book was held high enough to hide your smile from watchful eyes.

loki finally sat up at your attack, flicking his hair away from his face, staring at you. it didn't go unnoticed to either of you that you were smiling, despite the object blocking loki’s gaze.

“good day at work, darling?” he asked, voice a bit more cheerful, a bit more awake.

you hummed, pretending to be disinterested with the conversation, trying to actually read whatever this book was. it wasn’t working, his voice was distracting. “it was alright,” you shrugged.

loki moved a bit closer, you didn’t look up to see the question in his eyes.

“that’s very wonderful darling, sounds-“ when he stopped, looking towards the other end of the room, you finally took the chance to sneak a peek at him. “did you really just trip on the floor?” he pointed towards the door, perking a brow at you.

of course, now he would notice.

“it’s slippery,” you defended, putting the book down and crossing your arms. you mirrored his gaze.

“slippery?”

“yes.”

loki chuckled which only made you glare at him. he crossed his arms in an imitation of you, barely hiding his smirk.

“we might have to get that inspected,” he said, mock-thoughtfully, faking concern. bastard. “wouldn’t want the mortal to go slipping on the floor again.” he was trying to annoy you, obviously, and it wouldn’t work.

“i’ll have you know, god of whatever, that-“

you paused when you noticed him moving closer, sliding closer, staring at you.

“i’m listening, darling,” he said, close enough to run his finger along your thigh, to stare at you and still mess with you.

his eyes were frightening— and beautiful.

“well, um,” you weren’t watching him anymore. you were staring down at the hand that was moving it’s way up your thigh, trailing itself over your hip.

“darling?” your eyes snapped back up to him. he wasn’t trying to hide the smirk anymore.

bastard bastard bastard.

you stared back at him, forgetting what you were supposed to be saying.

“you were about to tell me how the floor was responsible for interrupting my nap?” he prompted, eyes sparkling at you.

“right, yes,” you swallowed, feeling the hand on your waist now. he was still getting closer to you. “the floor,”

loki smiled wider, looking down finally, still touching you. “are you alright, darling?” he was teasing you in so many ways, you followed his eyes.

and then you grabbed his hand, glaring at him again. “you’re cheating,” you pushed his hand back to him, softly, the corner of your lip twitching.

“we aren’t playing a game,” his eyes were wide, innocent, but his smirk was all-knowing.

“you’re always playing games,” you accused. he was moving closer to you again, enjoying your non-intimidating glare and smiling at you some more.

clearly, he wasn’t tired.

he was right next to you now, leaning his head down to your ear, teasing you with his breathing.

you couldn’t look at him anymore with how close he was.

“but isn’t it fun?” loki whispered, moving down to place a small kiss on your neck. another. another.

and then he was kissing every available inch of your skin and you didn’t really have it in you to reply.

“darling?” loki whispered, a minute later when he was breathing against your skin, when he was pausing to look at your face.

you smiled at him. it was sweet.

and then you tackled him down against the couch, throwing yourself over him. he fell down with an “oof” and you smiled deviously at him.

his eyes were scanning your face, a shocked laugh coming from him.

“this is fun,” you said.

“are all mortals as tireless as you?” he asked, amusement lighting his eyes.

you didn’t respond, instead bringing your nose down on top of his and laughing at his reaction to your proximity.

“i was trying to enchant you,” he half complained, half explained.

you stared at him, dubiously.

it took a moment and then—

“no not literally-“ exasperated, he looked away from you, hiding his smile once again.

you giggled, kissing his cheek. “too bad it didn’t work,”

loki looked back at you again, glaring at you playfully, leaning his head up so you could kiss his neck. you complied.

the two of you were tangled together, his hand moving across your waist, your hand around his neck. you were much warmer than him, it was a pleasant feeling to both of you. 

“i could always try again,” he said, teasing. he was trailing his hand up your back, causing goosebumps to crawl their way up your skin. not that you would let him know that. 

"hmm," you hummed, breathing him in once more. 

and then, in an instant, you were getting off of him, leaving him with one more kiss and picking up your bag once again.

“hey-“ loki groaned, the sudden change so quick that he didnt even get the chance to look shocked. he was sitting up, confused, trying to pull you back. 

“i’ve got to go get changed,” you said, smirking at loki, glad for the upper-hand. “there’ll be time for that later,”

he pouted at you, standing up to follow. “this is cruel,” 

you laughed, once, turning around to look at him. “don’t blame me. you started it,” 

he was trying to grab after you, trying to keep you from walking through the door. his hands were grabbing, clinging onto your waist. you were trying to hide your smile, trying not to squeal at his insistency. he was quietly chuckling at you, his hold strong. 

and then you were slipping once again, he was pulling you some more so you were slipping, in the same place from before, falling back into him. 

loki didnt let you fall-- would never --but when you looked up at him, he was smirking again. 

“how in the nine realms did i start it-“

such a bastard. 

* 

my masterlist here. 

[local-ground-apple]

May i request for some headcanons on how riddle,azul,vil and malleus would react to a fem!s/o who’s an insanely good badminton player. Would they support her during her games? Would they attempt to play with? How would they react when she dominates the court against both NRC and RSA has students?💛

I love this request~~~!! 💛 💛 It was fun to write. Pardon me for starting with Malleus

🐲 at first he didn’t understand the hype behind sports, especially badminton. But when you shyly invited Malleus to come cheer for you and give you mental support on your match, he was…overjoyed,

,,Could you, perhaps, if you have time, of course....come to my badminton match?” 

Malleus: *happy invited noises*

🐲 needless to say, he and his Diasomnia squad who tagged along had the front row all to himself. People politely moved away from his intimidating aura. The mere fact that Malleus Draconia came to sport competition shocked absolutely everyone, including Crowley,

🐲 he was awkward at first, not really knowing how he should behave. Malleus is royalty after all and he has a certain image to maintain. But for you, just seeing his gentle smile and feeling his eyes fixated on your form is more than enough to give you mental support,

,,Ufufufu~~ Sebek, mayhap you could show Malleus how cheering looks like?” “Yes, Lilia-sama”

🐲 you had undoubtedly the loudest cheering out of all contestants and to think that it was just one person. Sebek’s screaming woke up Silver who almost had a heart attack, Malleus took mental notes to always bring Sebek with himself on your next matches, while Lilia was wheezing

,,Y/N-SAMA DESTROY THEM. ARAHHHHH YOU GOT IT”

🐲 Lilia is the definition of “You’re doing amazing sweetie” taking multiple pictures of you,

🐲 after a match, practically deaf Malleus came to see and gently took you in his arms, tightly hugging you, as his hands gently caressed your back. He’s softly whispering how good you were, 

,,Malleus I’m sweaty” “You were absolutely amazing, darling” “Malleus-“ “Your skills are truly admirable, you were able to defeat every team. I’m overflowing with proudness” “You’re not listening, right?”

🐲 Malleus wasn’t surprised you had dominated the court and crashed RSA and NRC students. After all, you’re an endearing human who has great badminton skills, 

🐲 Malleus may have hard time trying to express his support for you, but he truly does his best. After each game, he makes sure to tell you how much he loves you, how amazing you were, all that while showering you with gentle kisses,

🐲 after long pestering and Lilia’s interference, Malleus finally agreed to play with you. You soon regretted this, 

🐲 Malleus claimed that he had never tried this game before (which was true) and he asked you to show him some basic moves and practice them with him until he got a grasp of them. He swore he wouldn’t be using any magic for his own benefit (he’s a man of his word)

🐲 you forgot that he’s an ancient fae, whose senses are more sensitive than yours. Malleus is faster and has better reflexes than humans, so after five minutes you were having a hard time keeping up with him, 

,,You’re a fast learner” “Oh, Lilia used to say this to me all the time” “YAH, Malleus play like human”

🐲 Lilia was quick to remind him to tone down his abilities, 

🥀 Riddle is very supportive, he’s your fan number #1. He may not show it in front of everyone, but he’s always cheering for you and crossing his fingers that you will win, 

🥀 your personal hype squad that Riddle always drags with him to your matches is the definition of chaotic support. Cater takes pictures of you while screaming at the top of his lungs “Y/N-CHAN DESTROY THEM” . Ace and Deuce are chanting your name while holding big ass banners of you. Trey is definition of “you’re doing great sweetie” and he has a water bottle as well as healthy snacks prepared for you after the match. Riddle is aggressively clapping and soon he joins the first years,

🥀 you have a celebration tea parties a lot. A LOT. After each match Riddle has always prepared something for you,

🥀 Riddle showers you in compliments after each won game. If you somehow lose one, he’s there with strawberry tarts and fine tea to cheer you up,

🥀 he is beaming with proudness when you win against every team and snatch the first price. He won’t shut up about this for weeks. Literally,

🥀 Riddle lets you train in Heartslabyul gardens. If you need a professional couch or another player, he will gladly arrange that for you. He sometimes watches you practice, admiring your passion and dedication, 

🥀 at first, Riddle was rather reluctant to play badminton with you. You assured him with a playful smile that you would be lenient with him. Surprisingly, Riddle really enjoys your small match and shyly asks you for another round. You happily agree, 

🥀 you both are often seen together playing badminton in Heartslabyul gardens and Cater always coos at how cute you both are,

🥀 pretty sure, Cater runs a fanpage of yours. You always get embarrassed when he floods you with your pictures and shows you how popular your fansite is, 

,,Cater, I suggest you to refrain from making Y/N flustered, otherwise it’s off with your head”

🐙 Azul did his research when you briefly mentioned you’re playing badminton. He watched few videos, read rules of the game and generally familiarised himself with that discipline,

🐙 he’s really supportive, even though he’s not into sports. Azul won’t miss any of your games. Any. 

🐙 expect him to sit in the front row with Leech twins. He may not be shouting and cheering loudly for you as Floyd does, but just a mere glance at this beaming with happiness octopus who clap for you is more than enough,

🐙 when you dominate the court and destroy both NRC and RSA students, he’s extremely proud and doesn’t even hide it. Azul is quick to sweep you off the ground and twirl you around, while pressing kisses all over you and breathing praises in between.

,,Azul, I’m sweaty” “I don’t mind” “Azuuul~~~”

🐙 Azul doesn’t excel at sports so he was more than reluctant to actually play with you. He’s clumsy and since you’re such insanely good player, he can’t help but feel insecure in your presence. Yet, you assure him that you will go easy on him and just teach him some basic moves

,,Come on, I will teach you~!” “I’m rather a busy businessman, angelfish” “I prepared a contract” “A contract, you say?”

🐙 let’s just say, you promised that for each point Azul gains, you would give him a kiss,

🐙 Leech twins will be having the time of their life catching discreet glances from bushes at the two of you trying to play. When they see clumsy Azul desperately trying to score at least one point, while you casually block each of his attacks, they can’t help but burst in laughter

🐙 Azul may say it loud, but he does enjoy those little playing sessions. It’s a nice alternative from his usual routine and may I say, he finds you absolutely stunning when you play,

👑 he’s your hype man#1

👑 you will be the best dressed badminton player ever. Vil likes to make you try multiple tennis skirts, shorts, tops and t-shirts to find the best one. You’re the only female around, so obviously you have to look the best,

👑 you wear designer clothes and Vil is certainly doting on you right before the match, wanting to make sure you would look absolutely stunning in every moment of the game,

,,Vil, don’t apply make-up on me, it will get smeared and I will be sweaty” “Trust me darling, when I apply it, it won’t smear at all”

👑 he was right. You came to the match in impeccable outfit, with flawless, delicate make-up and perfectly styled hairstyle. No one would look better than you,

👑 Rook for sure is taking pictures of you from trees, while Epel is the photograph on the land. Vil has a whole album from your different matches, 

👑 Vil absolutely savors the moment when you dominate the court against RSA and NRC students, especially if Neige is playing too. He’d be like: “everyone, this is MY girlfriend!!”, Let’s just say he will be boasting about your success everywhere, casually bringing this topic, 

👑 Vil is rather organised and after a won match he has everything prepared. Healthy snack to rebuild your energy? checked. Small make-up bag to brush up any eventual imperfections? checked. Some towels so you could sweep off sweat? checked. Water bottle? checked. 

👑 Vil won’t hug you though, not until you take a shower. But he will immediately praises and compliment you, while he’s fixing your hair

,,You did amazing, darling. I enjoyed the look of absolute defeat on Neige’s face when you crushed them” 

👑 Vil knows that you’re the best, but he’s sure you could be even better. There’s always room for improvement, right? He’s in charge of your diet, making sure you’re eating healthy food. Vil even planned your trainings, gets a coach for you and ensures you attend them,

👑 he acts like your stylist, coach, dietician and boyfriend - all in one, 

👑 Vil agreed to play with you, saying it’s a nice break from his usual exercises. After he got a hang of it, it turned out he’s actually pretty good and you’re often seen playing some matches together. Rook always appears out of nowhere and coos that you’re both the most beautiful badminton couple ever,

,,Mon lapin!!! Quelle beauté!!!” “Rook, stop being so close to her!”

[teamhook]

Finding Hope ::  August Rush Birthday Fic

A new chapter for the birthday fic for my favorite dork  @hookedonapirate cause I love her to death.

Thanks to my beta @ultraluckycatnd she is the best!!

FFN

AO3

Killian has never been this nervous in his life. Not even when he used to perform in front of a crowd. His mind keeps taking him to the worst possible scenario. She is married with children. There's no way someone as bloody amazing as her is still single.

He finally arrives at the Estate. As he works up his nerve to knock on the door, he is met with an older man in a suit leaving.

"Excuse me, Sir, I'm looking for Emma Nolan," Killian said to the man.

The man annoyingly looks Killian up and down with a reptilian gleam in his eyes. "I'm not her butler, dearie. She is not here, she is out looking for her brat."

"I'm sorry for bothering you." Killian walks away, dejected.

After hanging up with Emma, Elsa asks around their old teachers and finds out they have been trying to find someone to do a solo performance at the upcoming event at the park.

Elsa quickly volunteered her friend. The Concert at Central Park, she couldn't believe it. For some time now, Elsa has tried convincing her friend to play professionally.

“Emma, when are you going to allow yourself to be happy again?”

“I am very happy. Thank you very much,” Emma answers.

“You know what I mean, but to clarify, I'm talking about when everyone else goes home. You're a music teacher who doesn't play music anymore.”

“I’ll think about it. Okay?”

This is the push Emma needs and besides, she did call her.

After placing posters of Hope all over the park and nearby street corners, Merlin passes out fliers with the young girl's picture and inquires if anyone has seen her. He only gets people shaking their heads no as they walk by.

Merlin notices a skinny man with shaggy hair walking with a boy roughly around Hope's age and decides to approach them. "Excuse me, I was wondering if you or your son had seen this girl?"

The man looks at the flier and dismisses it with a wave of his hand.

Merlin studies the man's movements. There's something wicked about the man and sets off alarms in his head. He doesn't like the fact there is a young boy around that type of person.

As they walk away, Henry turns to Walsh. "Was that a picture of Hope?" the boy asks.

"Mind your business, you didn't see anything, okay? If you want to stay on my good side, that is," Walsh threatens the boy.

Henry knows what the words mean. Walsh will send him away and he won't have a place to sleep or food, so he nods his agreement. They walk further away in silence. The closer they get back to the theater, the thought of keeping a secret from Hope kills him. What if she can be with her family?

Walsh and Henry failed to notice Merlin had followed them at a discreet distance. He sees them go inside the theatre. Merlin makes a quick call to the police with his concerns.

Merlin looks down at his watch and returns to the park to check on Emma's progress.

A few hours later, the derelict theatre is raided by the police. The police managed to capture most of the kids, but Walsh manages to escape. Henry and Hope evade the police together, finding refuge in a church.

Hope and Henry find an empty pew to sit on in the back of the overfilled church. Hope’s ears perk up when the choir begins singing. Henry puts a protective arm around her as they listen to the music.

Hope rests her head on her friend's shoulder. She wonders what they would do now. There had been so many cops and she knew if they had caught her, they would return her to her foster home. But she was on a mission to find her parents and no one was going to stop her from finding them.

The music stops and Henry nudges her to stand up. They have to find somewhere to sleep and some food would be nice. "Hope, come on, let's go. We need to go find shelter for the night. I don't think the theatre is safe anymore."

Hope nods. "Do you think anyone else got out in time?"

"I don't know. There were so many cops and everyone scattered. Maybe?"

As the kids were leaving the church, a man wearing some sort of gown blocked their exit before they could make their escape. "Hello, children," He says with a warm smile.

Hope and Henry share a look.

"It was a beautiful practice. We have a talented choir. I'm so sorry, I have failed to introduce myself. My name is Father Hopper."

"Hello," Hope says.

Henry looks between them. "I'm Henry, Hope's brother."

Father Hopper nods. "Your parents must be worried sick. I can escort you both."

"Oh, that's not necessary. They are probably outside waiting for us," Henry says quickly as he extends his hand for Hope to take.

Hope grins as she reaches for Henry's hand.

Father Hopper steps aside hesitantly.

The kids try to make a quick escape.

"I know you both came in alone. I know there are no parents."

Henry and Hope stiffen and are about to run out of there.

"Please, don't go. You are safe here. We can offer you sanctuary. At least for the night. Mother Superior has an empty cell we could offer you."

Hope pulls on Henry's hand.

"Follow me and I will escort you to her. Mother Superior will take you to your cell, but perhaps a snack before bedtime?"

At the mention of food, the kids' stomachs growl at the same time.

They follow him through some long halls. He knocks on a door and a petite woman opens the door.

"Father Hopper, what can I do for you?" the woman says with a smile.

"Mother Superior, I found these kids, and they are hungry and in need of a place to sleep."

"Oh, hello children. You can call me Blue."

"Like the color?" Hope asks.

"Yes, like the color. And what should I call you?"

"My name is Hope and this is my brother Henry," Hope answers.

"Okay, follow me to the kitchen so we can get you something to eat," Blue says with a small smile on her lips.

Once in the kitchen, Mother Superior, or Blue as she prefers to be called, makes them some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with two big glasses of milk. She doesn’t say a word, just observes them, and the children are happy for the quiet.

The kids eat the sandwiches hungrily. Once they finish, she takes them to the room they will be sharing.

“Goodnight, children,” Blue says as she closes the door.

Once the door clicks, Henry turns to Hope. “We have to be out of here before they come to check on us. If we wait any longer, they will call the cops.”

“Okay, we wake up early and make a run for it,” Hope says in agreement. She was happy she was no longer alone. She wished Henry was really her brother.

After sleeping a few hours, Hope wakes up. She squeezes her eyes shut trying to fall asleep for a little longer, but the music is calling her. She pushes the blanket off and quietly leaves the room to make sure she doesn’t wake up Henry.

She walks the halls as quiet as a mouse. It doesn’t take her long to end up in front of a big piano. She slowly approaches it and caresses the keys.

“Do you play?” a voice from behind asks.

Hope slowly turns around to face Blue and shakes her head no.

“Do you want to try it?” Blue asks.

“Yes,” Hope says without hesitation.

Blue grabs the sheet music to find something easy to play, but is startled as Hope plays a sweet melody that warms her heart.

Once Hope finishes playing her inner song, she turns to Blue with a shy smile.

“Well, darling. Aren’t you full of surprises? I thought you said you didn’t know how to play?” Blue says teasingly.

“I don’t. I’ve never played the piano. I had a flute once, and played the violin. In school, I wanted to play on the piano, but I haven’t seen anything as big and beautiful as this.”

Blue nods. “Hope, this is an organ.”

“This is an organ? I thought an organ was inside of us?” Hope says, scrunching her face.

“Well, yes that too, but this is a church organ,” Blue answers. “Where did you learn that song?”

Hope shrugs. “I don’t know. I just hear it all the time.”

Blue nods and hands Hope the sheet music. “Can you play anything from this?”

Hope grabs the sheet and looks through the book. Without knowing, she picks the hardest song to play. After finishing playing, Hope turns to Blue. “Was that okay?”

“Hope, that was perfect. You are very talented. I believe you are what’s called a prodigy.” Blue sighs. “We know you and Henry are alone. Hope, the safest place for both of you is with Child Protective Services.”

Hope shakes her head. “ I don't wanna be sent away. We don’t want to go. You don’t understand, I just want to find my parents! I know they're out there somewhere. The music is what I hold on to. And I can't let go. Somewhere inside me, I know that the music in my heart came from them, and I know they always wanted me. Maybe they just got lost, but my song will help me find them.”

“I understand. I truly do but being on your own, there are bad people out there. My job is to make sure that you are safe. Both you and Henry.”

Hope shakes her head defiantly. “If you send us back, we will only run away again.”

“There is something I can do to help you. There’s this wonderful school where they would welcome you. You could play your beautiful song for them.”

“What about Henry? Can he come too?” Hope asks.

“I’m sorry Hope, but I don’t think so,” Blue answers sincerely.

The boy in question appears. “It’s okay, Hope. You should go. Maybe this will help you find your parents,” Henry says with a sad smile.

Hope runs to him and hugs him tightly. “When I find my parents, I will ask them to help me find you.”

Blue clears her throat. “Let me make some calls.”

Once Blue is gone, Henry speaks up. “I’m sorry, Hope, but I have to go now.”

Hope nods. “I will find you, and we will be a family.”

Emma makes two very important calls. One to Merlin for any updates and the other to Elsa.

“Mr. Wilde, I understand. Your department's doing everything they can. Please keep me posted.”

As soon as Elsa answers, she tells Emma the news about The New York Philharmonic.

“Emma, I know it’s just for one night, but they want you back.” Elsa waited for her friend to freak out, but got the opposite reaction.

“Elsa, I know the perfect piece. Maybe she can hear it. You know she has Killian’s beautiful blue eyes. She is so perfect and I really want to find her. I used to swear I could hear her all this time. I know she was trying to reach out to me," Emma says, crying.

Elsa sighs. “I know you will find your little girl.”

Taglist:

@itsfabianadocarmo @xsajx @kmomof4  @searchingwardrobes @seriouslyhooked @let-it-raines  @revanmeetra87 @snowbellewells @hollyethecurious @kymbersmith-90 @branlovestowrite @thejollyroger-writer @shireness-says @ilovemesomekillianjones @thisonesatellite @thesschesthair @winterbythesea @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @superchocovian @lfh1226-linda @artistic-writer @thislassishooked @shardminds @winterbaby89 @xhookswenchx @gingerchangeling @laschatzi @wellhellotragic @xemmaloveskillianx @courtorderedcake @pirateherokillian @optomisticgirl @darkcolinodonorgasm @andiirivera @djlbg  @nikkiemms  @jennjenn615 @scientificapricot @officerrogers @imlaxdris71 @therealstartraveller776 @kday426 @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713   @donteattheappleshook@spacekrulesbians @lassluna @carpedzem @captainodonoghue @killian-will-do @jarienn972 @tehgreeneyes @demisexualemmaswan @queen-serena88 @swanslieutenant @tiganasummertree​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​  @bethacaciakay​ @ohmakemeahercules​ @jrob64​ @klynn-stormz​ @mariakov81​ @sals86​ @elizabeethan​ @brooke-to-broch​ @hookedonhiddles​ @onceratheart18​ @the-darkdragonfly @veryverynotgoodwrites​ @jonesfandomfanatic​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @cocohook38​  @karlyfr13s​ @beckettj​  @chasedancer17​ @lonelyspectator12​ @batana54​ @gingerpoliglot

[parkersbliss]

Twenty-Four | T. Holland

Pairing: Tom Holland X Female!Actress!Reader

Warnings: me trying to be funny, no-no words, me trying very hard to be funny, like really hard, but I’m not. Sexual innuendo.

wc; 4.1K

A/N: dedicated to the one and only Tom Holland, can you believe he’s 24?? I’m going to cry. Happy birthday Tom! Also let’s pretend I had a creative title. I’m really sorry this is so bad, a great idea came right when I finished :(

Synopsis: This year you decide to surprise time on his birthday. With the help of the boys, what could possibly go wrong?

Masterlist | Taglist | Prompt List

—

“Hey darling,” Tom spoke excitedly through the phone.

"hi baby," You greet in return, holding your phone to your ear with your shoulder. "What's up?"

"Just checking in on my lovie," He said.

You roll your eyes, a smirk playing on your lips, "sure, Tom."

He laughs, the sound making your grin, as you shift your phone to your hand, finally having dropped your stuff in the back of the car.

"Alright, you caught me. I was wondering if you were going to be able to make it to London?"

"Oh baby," You sigh sadly. "I wish I could, but they have to re-shoot some scenes here and they're keeping me for an extra week. Then I have press for a few weeks."

Tom huffs through the phone, "so you really don't think you'll make it?" You can hear the sadness in his voice and it breaks your heart a bit to lie to him like this.

"No, I'm so sorry. Believe me, if there was even the slightest chance I could be there, I would."

"I know, lovie, I know. Just haven't seen you in so long and I really hoped you'd be there."

You bit your lip anxiously, "I'm sorry, truly. I'll be sure to Facetime you."

"Okay," Tom sighs sadly.

"I love you, bubs," You said, hoping to cheer him up a bit.

"I love you too."

"I gotta go, I just arrived home, I'll speak to you soon?"

"Mhmm, miss you."

"Miss you more, all my love."

The line goes dead and you send Harry a quick text.

Step One: Completed. Tom has no idea.

...

"(Y/N)!!" Harry said, jogging up to you. He tackles you in a bone-crushing hug and you stumble a bit, wrapping your arms around the redhead. Sam follows up behind, laughing as he takes your suitcase from you. You hug Harry back, grinning at the warmth you received from the Holland twins. It felt like you were home again. 

"Jeez, Harry you'd think I died or something!" You joke, wiggling out of his grasp and going to hug Sam as well.

"Sorry, it's just you being here means Tom will finally shut up about how much he misses you."

"You still have two days," Sam points up, causing Harry to roll his eyes.

"Whatever man, at least she's here."

"Happy to be here." You smile as the three of you walk towards the exit, “What did you tell Tom?”

“Sam said we were picking up Elysia’s sister,” Harry replied. 

You nod your head as you push open the Airport doors. The London weather is a drastic change from the usually hot and humid L.A., but you very much prefer it. The sky was a bright blue, a few cotton ball clouds floating in the distance, occasionally blocking out the sun. There was a slight breeze, but nothing too chilly. It was just perfect weather, you could only hope it stayed this way until Tom's birthday. The twins lead you to the car and Sam deposits your luggage in the trunk as you open the door to the back. Both boys climb into the front, shutting the door behind them.

"So, what's the plan?"

...

Harry pulls into the driveway, announcing your arrival. He's about to get out of the car when Harrison comes running out the door. He gives Harry a deer in the headlights look, hands waving frantically. Sam rolls down his window, poking his head.

"What?" He yells.

Harrison sighs defeated, he gestures with his thumb behind him. Tom pokes his head out the door, a solemn look on his face.

"Get down!" Harry screeches at you, turning around. You slip off your seat, folding yourself behind Sam's seat. You hug your knees to your chest, holding your breath. There's a whooshing sound as Harry tosses a jacket over your head, trying his best to conceal you from his brother's eyes. Tom walks over to the car as Sam laughs nervously.

"Thought you were golfing with Harrison?" He inquired.

Tom sighs, "I wasn't in the mood. Where's Elysia?"

"What?" Sam asked, receiving a quick kick to his seat from you.

"Right! She - uh - we dropped her off at a cafe!"

Harry smacks his head down on the wheel, convinced Sam just blew their cover. Tom gives his brother a quizzical look, "You left your girlfriend at a cafe?"

"Yes?"

"Tom! Your dad needs your help to hang something!" Nikki shouts, trying to get her eldest son away from you.

"Coming mum!" Tom replies, leaving his brothers alone. The twins exhale loudly as he disappears inside the house. There's a loud commotion and your side door is pulled open and you tumble onto the pavement.

"Sorry!" Harrison apologizes, helping you up and squeezing you into his arms.

"Haz!" You exclaim, hugging him. "I've missed you!"

"I think we know who the favorite is," Harry mumbles. You step back from Harrison to see Nikki and Paddy approaching you. Nikki squeals, pulling you into a tight hug and you laugh.

"Hi, darling! Safe flight?"

"Hey, Nikki! Can't complain."

She steps back to allow Paddy to say hello.

"Hey, Padster!" You cheer, wrapping him in a side hug.

"Hi (Y/N)!"

"It's so good to see you guys," You gush. Ever since meeting Tom, you had become very close with his family and friends. As soon as he brought you home Nikki had gushed to you about how much he talked about you, making you smile. His family was very warm and welcoming and it made you feel at home.

"We've missed you!" Paddy said.

"Mum!" Tom calls out. Harrison immediately shoves you behind him and you yelp in protest, before clamping your mouth shut and trying your best to shield yourself.

"Yes, dear?" Nikki said.

"Nevermind!"

Everyone rolls their eyes and you cautiously step out from behind Harrison.

"So, how do you plan to sneak me in?" You ask quietly.

Everyone looks at each other, eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, we wouldn't be worrying about it if Harrison could keep Tom away!" Harry accuses.

"I texted you!" Harrison defends.

"With your shit phone, there's no surprise as to why I never got it."

Harrison rolls his eyes, sticking his tongue out at the redhead before turning toward you. "How many spy movies have you done?"

"Three?"

He claps his hands together, "I have a plan!"

"We might as well give up now!" Harry sighed, receiving a glare from Harrison.

"It's a great plan, mind you," He snorts. "If we can distract Tom long enough and pull him into the other rooms then we could (Y/N) upstairs without him noticing."

There's a moment of silence as everyone ponders the idea. They only had to hide you from Tom, that should be easy enough. Plus the house was big enough to hide you somewhere should it not work out.

"Let's do it!" Paddy grinned, "It'll be like a spy movie!"

"We don't have much of a choice," Sam comments, peering in through one of the windows.

"I'll bring him to the kitchen," Nikki offers, heading back inside. The three boys follow her, Harry tuning around to point an accusing finger at Harrison, "don't screw this up, mate."

Harrison rolls his eyes, "I won't."

You watch with keen eyes as a small thumbs up appear in the window, letting you and Harrison know the back entrance was clear. You both make a run for the back door, crouching low just in case. Harrison puts a finger to his lips, receiving an eye roll from you. He smirks, poking his head in the door to ensure Tom wasn't lurking around anywhere. He sticks a hand out, beckoning you closer. You comply, taking a few steps forward before a string of curses fall from Harrison's lips and he tumbles back from the door and tackles you to the ground. You bite your lip, caging in any sounds from his sudden attack. Your eyes bug out at him, eyebrows pinched together as a silent 'what the hell.' He mouths 'Tom' to you before poking his head in the window again. You push yourself into a sitting position, wiping up off the dirt from your outfit.

"Can you run?" Harrison asked, turning around.

"Yes, but are you sure that's-" He doesn't let you finish before he opens the back door and shoves you inside. Sam runs into the room, ushering you to the next room over.

"He's coming!" He half whispers half yells. Sam goes to stand next to Harrison, giving you a thumbs up and mouthing the word kitchen to you. Tom strolls into the room and Sam waves a discreet hand at you and you pull yourself from your hiding place and tiptoe to the kitchen. Your footsteps fall silently on the plush carpet of the living room and you feel like you can finally breathe since your arrival. However, the moment of peace doesn't last long and before you know it there's the scurrying of paws and loud barking. Tessa happily runs into the room, tail wagging happily when she sees her mom.

"Hi, Tess!" You whisper, bending down to scratch behind her ears. She barks loudly and you press a kiss to her forehead. "Mmm, I know, excited to see you too, but I'm here to surprise daddy."

"Tom, wait!" Sam shouts and you take that as your cue to get moving. You pat Tessa's head one last time before running into the kitchen where Nikki is waiting with Paddy. She leads you to the stairs as Paddy grabs Tessa to prevent her from chasing after you. She whines loudly and Paddy shushes her.

"Do you know where the guest room is?" She asked. You nod and she smiles at you, "I'll have one of the boys drop off your luggage once we get rid of him."

You laugh at her choice of words before thanking her and scurrying up the stairs. You stroll down the hallway, admiring all the baby pictures of the boys. Your eyes land on your favorite one of Tom. He's clad in a superman suit, lips pursed together as he climbs over the obstacle course. You study the picture a little longer, soaking in all the features of your boyfriend. Was he really turning 24? Seems like you just met yesterday, back when you both were both new in the acting business, just starting in your careers. Things seemed much simpler back then when your biggest worries were if you had made the cast. It was already your third year spent celebrating Tom's birthday. Oh, how time flies. It didn't feel like three years, more like three days. Your eyes scan the array of photos and land on one from last year's birthday celebration. It was taken late at night when most of the guests had cleared out. Tom had an arm around your waist and you were resting both hands on his broad shoulder, pressing a kiss to his cheek. The photo wasn't the best quality, as a drunk Harrison had taken it and the only light was coming from the living room. Nonetheless, it still held a special memory with it.

Drunk giggles escaped your lips as you stumbled over the carpet. You had ditched your heels long ago, but that didn't stop you from being a klutz. The night seemed to drag on forever, yet seemed over in the blink of an eye. You were properly tipsy, having drowned multiple shots (courtesy of the Holland boys) and drinking glass after glass of some fancy champagne. It was probably some time between midnight at two A.M. You weren't quite sure, having lost track a while ago and frankly, you weren't sure where your phone was either. You stopped walking for a minute to collect your thoughts. Where was your phone? Patting yourself down, you laugh at your stupidity when you feel it in your back pocket.

"(Y/N)?" Harry asked, poking his head into the room.

"Oh, hi!" You exclaim, turning around and almost tripping over your feet.

Harry takes one look at your drunken smile before sighing, "Tom! Your girl's drunk!"

"Liar!" You accuse, crossing your arms over your chest, a pout adorning your lips.

Harry rolls his eyes, slightly tipsy himself, but had sobered up enough to comprehend his thoughts. Tom comes running into the room, "What? Where is she?"

"Harry you tattletale!" You whined, stomping your feet on the plush carpet. Tom laughs at the sight in front of him, shooing Harry off with a wave of his hand. He walks up to you, reaching out to place his warm hands on the exposed skin of your arms, rubbing small circles on them.

"I don't like Harry," You pout, looking up at your boyfriend with big doe eyes.

"Mean either," Tom agrees, brushing a few strands of hair from your face.

"I heard that!" Harry calls out from the kitchen.

You both ignore him and Tom leans in to press his forehead to yours, you giggle, biting your lip. "happy birthday."

"it's midnight, so technically it's not my birthday anymore," Tom points out. You roll your eyes before pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. He whines when you pull away, not having enough.

"'m tired," You said, rubbing your eyes, a yawn escaping your lips. Tom chuckles as you latch onto his arm, resting your head on his shoulder. He presses a tender kiss to your hairline.

"then let's go to bed, lovie."

You arrived at the boy's flat with Sam and Paddy at two. Dom and Nikki had just left with Tom, keeping him away from where the party was supposed to be held later that night. You opened the door, dropping your bag in the corner and placing the rest of the decorations on the kitchen counter.

"We're here!" Sam announced, walking around and searching for the boys.

"Hello?" Paddy calls out, looking upstairs.

"No, you div! It goes this way!"

"But look at the instructions!"

"fuck the instructions, mate!"

"you all royally screwed this up."

"you're not helping Tuwaine."

The three of you look at each other, snickering as you walk into the open backyard. Tuwaine stands tall, arms crossed over his chest as Harrison and Harry argue about how to set up the table. Sam coughs loudly, causing them all to turn to you.

"And this is why we don't have nice things," You said smugly, smirking as all three of them roll their eyes. You laugh, pulling Tuwaine into a hug, "good to see you again."

"Likewise, it's nice to have a lady around here."

You giggle, stepping back, "I can imagine."

The six of you step into the kitchen to discuss the plan for setting up. Sam was (obviously) in charge of food, Harry and Tuwaine were on drinks and setting up the tables outside, which leaves you, Paddy and Harrison to work on the actual decorations. You're all about to leave and get started when the door opens.

"I forgot my wallet!" Tom announces. Everyone freezes, eyes wide as they realize the birthday boy was here. Tuwaine curses under his breath.

"Hide!" Harrison hisses at you, Sam and Paddy. Sam runs outside, ducking under a window. Paddy glances around frantically before deciding to tuck himself into a far corner of the kitchen, somewhere between the kitchen and the fridge. Which leaves you, the one person Tom absolutely couldn't see, standing in the open air.

"the living room!" Tuwaine whispers and you nod, ducking yourself behind the couch.

"Have you guys seen my wallet?" Tom asked, stepping into the kitchen. From your place behind the couch, you can see Sam's mop of hair in the window, and Paddy squished into the corner. He's holding his breath as Tom steps around the room. Harrison leans against the counter obstructing Paddy from Tom's view.

"No, maybe it's upstairs?" Harry offers.

Tom shakes his head, "no, I think I left it in the living room."

Harry's face falls, panic written all over it. Tuwaine looks from you to Paddy to Sam, not at all being discreet about it.

"You can't!" Harrison shouted.

Tom gives him a quizzical look, "mate, what do you mean?"

"You can't go in there!"

If anything, that just made Tom more curious and he rolls his eyes, stepping into the room. Unbeknownst to him, you were huddled up next to the couch, eyes screwed shut and practically suffocating. Harry runs into the room, standing behind you, ensuring Tom couldn't step back and see you.

"What Haz is trying to say," Harry said, voice laced with venom as he shot the blonde a dirty look, "is that we saw it in your bedroom earlier."

"why were you in my room?" Tom inquires.

"Because that's what friends do?" Harry replied, smiling.

Tom nods his head, "Right, I'll keep my door locked from now on." With that, he turns on his heels and runs upstairs.

"You can't go in there? You can't go in there?" Harry whisper shouts at Harrison. "How was that going to stop him?"

"Oh please, you said we snooped in his room!"

"Like you haven't."

"Guys, I think I'm stuck," Paddy's small voice said.

Everyone turns toward him, he wiggles around, frowning as he doesn't budge. You stifle a laugh, covering your mouth as the absurdity of the situation.

"Found it!" Tom shouts, feet thundering against the stairs. He stops at the door, noticing a familiar handbag in the corner and he feels his heart stop. Had that always been there? He blinks once, twice, trying to make sense of the all too familiar Chanel bag.

"Guys, why is there a Chanel bag at the door?"

"Shit!" You curse, knowing that if he opens the bag, he'll know you're here. "don't let him open it!"

Tuwaine crosses into the doorway, grabbing the bag from Tom's hands.

"It's a gift!" he said, clutching it tightly in his hands.

"For?"

"For (Y/N)!"

"I'm pretty sure she has the same one."

"Oh well, you know Harrison, doesn't know shit."

Tom laughs, Harrison, throwing Tuwaine a glare.

"You're right. I'll be on my way now, don't want to keep mum waiting."

Tuwaine nods, "alright, mate. Have a good time with your parents. We'll be waiting for you."

Tom smiles at him, patting his arm before he shuts the door behind him. There's a collective sigh from everyone. Sam brushing off the dirt from the garden.

"We are never doing this again," You said.

"No way," They all agreed.

"Hello?!" Paddy yelped, "I'm still stuck!"

You scramble to your feet, running over to the youngest Holland. He holds his arms out and you grab onto his hands, pulling.

"He's not budging!" You cry out, dropping his arms.

"That's because you have no strength," Harrison scoffs, butting you out of the way. He does the same, grabbing onto Paddy and tugging. You cross your arms over your chest, giving him a pointed stare when Paddy doesn't budge. Harry walks over and you all tug on Paddy, there's a satisfying pop as he flies out of the corner and you all land on a heaping pile on the floor.

Tuwaine and Sam burst out laughing from above, clutching their stomachs as they double over, wiping tears from their eyes. You shove Harry off, standing up and brushing down your dress.

"I swear, you guys are going to kill me."

"That's the plan."

"Divs."

...

Almost four hours later and you were ready. The house had miraculously been transformed, food lining the kitchen counter and cases of beer resting on the fold-up tables outside. There was a banner hanging from the doorway that read, "happy birthday, Tom!" Streamers and confetti were strewn across the room, all a mixture of blue, red, and gold. You had to admit the boys had done a pretty good job of cleaning the place up. Harry had told all the guests to park a while away so that Tom wasn't suspicious when he arrived. Nikki had texted the boys not too long ago, saying they were almost there. Which was why you were currently making yourself at home in Tom's room. The boys were all hiding downstairs, lights dim as they waited. They had told you to wait in Tom's room as a surprise to him. It was also a plus because you were still slightly jet-lagged. You were sitting against the headboard, phone in your hand as you waited for your cue. There's the faint sound of keys jingling before the door is pushed open.

"Hello?" Tom calls out, flicking on the lights.

"Happy Birthday!" All the boys shouted. You hear a loud thud, followed by a string of curses and many apologies. Snickering to yourself, you figure Tom just fell over. He was never good at surprises.

"Wow, you guys did all this?" Tom asked, a smile painting his face.

"Of course, mate!" Harrison chirped as he wrapped him in a hug, "Happy birthday."

Tom sniffles, "I just wish (Y/N) was here."

You begin your descent down the stairs, adrenaline pumping through your veins. You could finally see your boyfriend. Your footsteps are silent against the wood stairs, "who said I wasn't?"

Tom spins on his heels as his jaw falls open if he wasn't crying before he was now, "(Y/N)?"

"Happy Birthday, baby!" You squeal as he runs to you and picks you up spinning you around.

"You made it! You're here! It's actually you," He spoke into your neck, inhaling the familiar scent of your shampoo. You comb your hands through his chestnut curls, making funny faces at the boys behind you who were all gagging.

"You didn't really think I'd miss my favorite person's birthday, did you?"

"I might've."

You smile at him, lacing your hands together, "Well, it was all Harry's idea."

"Of course it was."

"Are you going to kiss me or..?" You ask.

Tom wiggled his eyebrows, "Missed these lips?"

"Honestly, I've missed you d-"

"There are cHILDREN!" Sam screams, covering Paddy's ears.

"Shove off, I'm fifteen!" Paddy whines.

The boys all leave the room, giving you both some much-needed privacy.

Tom laughs as they leave, before pulling you flush against his chest. He lets go of your hands, running them along your arms before cupping your cheeks gently.

"If you don't kiss me within the next five seconds-" You warn before Tom playfully rolls his eyes and presses his lips to yours. You wind your hands behind his neck, trying to pull him closer because, god, he tastes so good. His lips are warm and tender, pressing against yours in an ever so soft way, but still passionate at the same time. He pulls away, sticking his tongue out at you and you giggle, missing his funny faces he'd always pull on set. Tom laces your hands together, pulling them to his lips to kiss the pad of each finger carefully.

"I've missed you so much, lovie," He said softly.

You burn under his gaze, after almost four years and he still has the same effect on you. "Missed you more, bubs, but I'm not going anywhere for a while."

"I love you so much, you know that?"

"I love you too, birthday boy. Now let's not keep your friends waiting, I'll get you all to myself later."

The rest of the night is spent next to Tom's side, always touching. Whether it was a hand around your waist, his hands interlocked with yours or a hand placed gently on your thigh. He goes around to all his friends and family, joking with them all thanking them for coming. He especially jokes with you and the boys as you tell the story of how they snuck you around.

"So that was your Chanel bag!" Tom said.

"Sure was, I was hiding behind the couch and told Tuwaine if you opened it up you would for sure know." You learned your head on Tom's shoulder, his arms wrapping and pressing a kiss to your forehead. All the boys fake gagging at the display of affection. "That explains everyone's weird behaviors."

The whole table laughs, beer, and glasses of alcohol clinking together.

You lift your glass, "A toast to the birthday boy and to all of you for getting me here as safely as you could."

Everyone raises their glasses, clinking them together.

"Happy Birthday, Tom! Twenty-Four years down and hopefully many many more to come!" Harry toasts. "Thank you for being the best older brother we could ask for."

"The best friend we could ask for."

"The coolest movie star."

"And the best boyfriend," You add, "I hope to be by your side for all those other birthdays. Even when your curls are gone."

"Likewise, baby," Tom chuckles, before sealing the night with a kiss.

— END —

🏷 Holland Taglist: @cams-lynn @runway-to-my-aid @peterspideyy @yoinkyourheart @t-monosapiens-h @hollandsamor @quaksonhehe

[alienisticxo]

X Angel - Chapter Two

Elon Musk x Reader

{Authors Note} Thanks to some encouragement on AO3 I will be continuing this strange little story. So if you happen to come across it, I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: An uncomfortable instance.

Bright white camera bulbs flashed in every direction, the shrill ringing of screams filling my ears until I couldn’t hear myself think anymore. I was blinded by the light that flooded with every rapid click, snapping away at my every move as I exited the Cybertruck I’d been driven in. I was already fashionably late to a discreet -or maybe not so, now- meeting set up by the head representatives of my record label, Astra Records. My manager had decided to tip off the media, and my publicist decided to make it an event without it exactly being one.

It was a complex task, staring into those brazen flashes without so much as a flinch, but that was what was required of me. That was my job and life’s mission for as long as I held the position I did. The ‘drugged out’ smile I was known for never faltered as the flawless chrome of my body reflected every photographer's shining glamor shot right back into their lenses. Despite being surrounded by personnel, security and otherwise, people still clawed and clamored their way forward in an attempt to invade my space as I walked toward the large building before me.

“{Y/N}, over here!” one yelled.

“Give us a wink, will ya?” yelled another.

“I’d fucking die for you!” a shriek made itself heard over everyone else in the roaring crowd.

I just smiled and continued to trek, my {H/C} hair drifting around my face and behind me. I concentrated on my gait, my posture, the way my expression felt as I stepped past my adoring audience.

One misstep and it’s all over, of course.

Occasionally I thought about what a strange thing fame was. People would die or kill for you, just to see you or speak to you. We were all the same, deep down. No matter the wiring or blood that ran under our skin, or chrome. The only ones who seemed to place others on pedestals for no true reason other than a little talent that thousands of others had and would never get the chance to share, were other lifeforms. What really made someone want to know me more than another being who can do the same things, maybe even better? The only difference between myself and someone who possessed the same talents was that no one except the other party’s close circle of friends and family knew of their capabilities. We did it to ourselves, really. If only everyone were looked at the same way.

My security guards pushed against me then, catching me off guard in a crucial moment that could’ve been dangerous for me in more ways than one. They were blocking a rogue fan who’d been dying to ‘feel me.’

I tensed up in the absolute slightest manner as I followed Jett, my manager, into the tall metallic building that was made up of glass, but reflected the entire city skyline on its exterior, catching the neon glow, Saturn and the twinkling stars above with it. Privacy was a must, of course. Being able to see out but not being able to see in was imminent for any corporation’s design. The large double doors that disappeared with a glitch as we approached, reappeared behind us as we stepped further into the lobby of Astra Records. The noise of the rowdy crowd just beyond the front steps of the building sounded as though it was sucked back outside and muffled, like someone had put a lid over the heaps of people screaming my name.

“You’d think they wouldn’t need those old school cameras anymore,” I commented, the exasperation in my voice clear as I relaxed a bit more from escaping the masses, disappearing deeper into the lobby until the sound was no longer audible at all.

“{Y/N}, how else are they going to send the pictures back to Earth?” Jett asked me, a hint of condescension in his tone before pausing.

“People sure are different here aren’t they? They worship you celebrities like gods, worse than little fangirls back on Earth.”

I stared ahead, continuing my trek to the teleportation pad without entertaining his thoughts.

“Fuck, I’m in the wrong business,” he continued in slight disbelief to himself. “Maybe I’ll figure out how to go chrome and become a star instead of managing all you shitheads,” he joked snidely, a nasty grin on his metal-grilled teeth as he turned his head over his shoulder to look at me.

Jett had come to X from Earth after having no luck finding any clients to manage once the great exodus of the rich and famous began. Places like Los Angeles, New York City, London and Tokyo had already been cut throat with the industry players. Once everything fell out, no one trusted a soul to handle their affairs anymore.

It wasn’t hard to see that Jett wasn’t exactly a clean cut looking person to begin with, either.

It was my luck I’d be stuck with him at Astra, but I knew in all aspects I was just that— lucky. I didn’t complain. How could I?

However, as he put it, he hitched a ride on the next flight out and got to work right away with the record label. It was just that easy, and he was just that good.

Sure.

“It doesn’t work like that,” I finally responded in a flat tone to his statement, my eyes scanning the confines of the space as we stood a few feet from the pad. Jett pulled the oversized and black-reflective shades from his eyes then, turning his body to look at me. He lecherously stepped closer before running his -what I assumed to be- warm fingers down the side of my cold cheek slowly, his eyes raking up and down my frame. My jaw clenched unbeknownst to him, and I kept my gaze straight ahead.

“You are a sweet design, I’ll give them that… If it weren’t for security on your ass all the time…”

His eyes moved to the front doors in the near distance behind me as my security team approached us from their previous position handling the crowd, and with that, he let out an abrupt howl, snapping his fingers against the palm of his hand and turning back to lead me upstairs with a cocky gait.

It was moments like that that made my stomach churn. I had to deal with the disgusting remarks and actions, to take them like a champ without even indicating that I acknowledged them at all.

If I did, it was my life on the line.

I was just glad that was the extent of it from him. Even more grateful that that was the extent of it from anyone.

With a silent exhale, and no outward show of disapproval, I swiftly followed behind him onto the teleportation device, ignoring everything he’d said like it simply never happened. With one quick scan of our bodies, as fast as I blinked my {E/C} eyes, we were standing outside of the boardroom I’d only seen twice before. Once to meet the representatives, and the last time to sign myself away to them. As my security team entered next, I searched my surroundings again. The whole floor, who’s exterior wall overlooked another angle of Drax City and a beautiful moon above it, felt familiar as I caught sight of the usual decor. It was dark save for the neon buzzed along the walls, palm trees that were coated in a glittery powder that grew on the leaves as per a new gardening experiment sat in pots in corners next to chrome coated lounge couches and translucent coffee tables. A muted holographic television screen played Astra’s channel on it against a wall, and I saw myself there, giving the last corrupt public service announcement that the Planet X Space Association worked with the label for so long and so hard to have me release to the masses. PXSA was our form of government and space flight. An odd combination, but one nonetheless. I didn’t necessarily believe in the things they forced me to read aloud; fill the heads of the unwise and naive with. But the check was nice, and I was in no position to decline their wishes.

The large area was cast in purple, blue and pink light as nostalgic pinball machines blinked from a short distance away, offering a “glimpse into the past.” Another client, brand new, sat on a couch and played a video game through the latest virtual reality headset, the images they saw being cast across another holographic screen while they waited. It was all very pretty, really, very modern and yet fantastical as I had remembered it from before. But despite the ethereal atmosphere, I still felt uneasy.

I had no idea who I was meeting and what I was meeting them for this time. No one ever seemed to feel the need to tell me much of anything when it came to business affairs. I was told where to go, I showed up on schedule or a little late, and I did what I had to do as I learned what that was upon arrival. The rest was simply code and programming to the people who ran my life; there was no room for error, and I had to learn fast and according to the individual's expectations of me-- or better. I followed Jett down the long purple hued hallway just off of the lounge area, his sleazy demeanor seeping from his pores as he stalked his way to another pair of double doors and stopped as it scanned his body. He looked back over his shoulder at me once more with a smirk before turning and walking through them dramatically, announcing my presence as though I were some prized show pony come to a town where nothing ever happened.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only, Drax City’s own, {Y/F/N}... {Y/L/N}!”

That was my cue.

He stepped aside, his hands reaching out and over to exhibit my presence once I made my way through the doors behind him and stopped in my tracks, my heels still seeming to echo through the large room. Holding my head up high -chin slightly in the air like the small, but statuesque figure I was- was expected from me. And as I held my position, I immediately noticed eleven pairs of eyes sitting around an iridescent boardroom table that were set on nothing other than me as they quickly and quietly gasped and gawked.

“Her figure, the quality,” one drew out.

“I didn’t expect her to be so… so lifelike, in person,” said another.

“Oh yeah, she’s a real beauty,” said Jett, stepping around me then, his hand tightening around the metallic surface of my waist before raking through my hair as though I were a child’s doll. “X hasn’t seen a model like this… Ever. She’s the most famous pop star on our planet— They can’t get enough, eat her up like candy. That’s why she doesn’t come cheap, boys.”

He patted my side then, making me feel like a used car being sold by a greaseball salesman.

That caught my attention, though. My head turned just a hair, but I caught myself before anyone could realize my reaction. I ground my teeth, trying to compose myself through the abrupt shock I was facing. Quickly fixating my line of sight on a neon lamp in the shape of a star that burned in the corner, I desperately attempted to hold my composure. My ears seemed to have failed me however, my thoughts taking front and center as the men briefly discussed things amongst themselves.

Are they going to sell me? To who? Why?

“Oh, we know all about her on Earth. That’s why we want her. We can imagine she’s a planetary treasure here on X, but she’s interplanetary. Labels, execs, people, would just kill to get their hands on her,” one man said, looking at me with a fever in his eye. I guessed he might’ve been the catalyst for my… purchase. The word tasted bitter on my tongue even as a mere thought.

“They’d listen to anything she tells them to do.”

Jett smirked, lifting a shoulder and asserting dominance in his own way.

“She goes to the highest bidder,” he responded blatantly. “And none of this ‘cash’ bullshit. She’s obviously makin’ us a lotta crypto. No one else can afford her. That’s why she’s still with us here at Astra.”

I allowed myself to slowly absorb the situation, then. Astra was trying to deal me away to Earth, the very place I’d almost died trying to escape, all for monetary gain. It wasn’t unheard of, stars being sent to Earth and even back again, but I was X’s golden girl. Or maybe chrome…

They needed me. More than they thought, I now realized. They couldn’t replace me.

Or maybe I was the one mistaken, maybe they could.

As my eyes scanned the area, I also noticed the nature of the collective individuals that sat before me. All in black and gray pressed suits, all male. They’d come here solely to make a deal, an offer Astra couldn’t refuse, and they weren’t leaving without a signed contract, empty pockets, and my life. Fight or flight kicked in, hitting me like a brick, but I couldn’t react. Everything was in slow motion, and it was killing me from the inside out, not being able to protest. It wasn’t in my nature, but I had to play ball now, and well.

One of the suited men stood up from a chair that floated behind the iridescent glazed table, which I now noticed held the reflection of the cityscape that could be seen through the windowed exterior wall as well. He walked over to me with a drilling stare, his stride confident and assertive.

“And this is 100% cybernetic?” He asked Jett, as though I weren’t even in the room.

“Yes,” he spat incredulously.

“What model is she? From who?”

The man stood before me, eyeing me from top to bottom. I wanted to scream.

“That’s the thing,” Jett began again, moving to lean against the table. “We don’t know. She was left at our doors with a letter to the CEO, like some orphaned child. Said she had no recollection of anything other than her programming. We’re lucky her programming was to be a singer,” he finished with a snide grin.

The man snorted then. The tale was unbelievable, sure, but they had no choice but to believe it. There was simply no other excuse for me. A.I. was common, but I was as human as they were going to get, at least for the foreseeable future. That alone made me quite the commodity, something to be revered by other corporations, enterprises and record labels who needed a workhorse without the demands of humans. People saw themselves in me, they felt they could relate, or become just like me someday. This kept them eating out of the palm of whoever’s hand I spoke for and persuaded them to.

Still, the way my mind worked was not the same way as other A.I. beings. I had real demands in order to work, not lifting a finger otherwise, and I made sure they learned this once it was too late— once they couldn’t let me go anymore.

Unless you had enough crypto, apparently.

The older man examined what he could of my body with no regard for my own thoughts on the matter, looking everywhere for any indication of a branding or a code. His brow furrowed when he found none.

“Who are you?” he asked me then, seeming quite perplexed.

“{Y/N},” I smiled. “Drax City’s very own.”

“Where are you from?”

“Planet X, sir. Made and programmed. It’d be an honor to work with you and your people,” I lied. “This city gets kind of boring when you’ve done it all,” I finished exasperatedly.

“Very realistic,” he commented to Jett, his eyes still studying my face. “A.I. just keeps getting better and better. This is incredible. She’s so… human.”

“Did you think we were fuckin’ lying to you? I’m sure you’ve seen her all over TV, she might as well be a person. She thinks, she feels. Hell, I think I’ve seen her cry before,” he said, taking an apple that sat untouched and forever ripe from a bowl on the table. “And she doesn’t even rust.”

They conversed between each other then, deciding my fate with nothing more than cryptocurrency hanging between us. I wasn’t listening anymore, maybe it was a coping mechanism. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the notion that they would just sell me away to Earth. Maybe I just didn’t want to think they would. They used me for everything they did, advertisements, sold out shows, records— even virtual reality experiences. They made crypto over crypto, dollars upon dollars, thanks to cutting government deals as long as I told everyone to listen. I showed up to every event, knew everyone who was anyone, and then a few more people. If they needed something, I’d do it. If I needed something, they’d do it. That’s just how this worked.

Until now.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when a man standing near the corner closest to the window that I hadn’t noticed before, finally spoke up.

The lights from the city beyond cast a glow over his features, mixing with the neon that lit up the room itself. I knew exactly who he was the moment my attention turned to him, not only by his face, but by his deep voice as well.

Attractive, tall, dark haired and with a presence that could command a room despite the quirkiness that he was often known for, it took everything in me to keep from going slackjawed and wide-eyed. His eccentricities were a staple of his personality, and enigmatic wasn't a word enough to describe him and the aura that surrounded him. Anyone would’ve recognized the man, no matter where they hailed from, and yet, his presence certainly caught me off guard. He was even better than the photos.

He was Elon Musk.

Elon was one of Earth’s most influential people, if not the most influential person. But on X, there was a mixed opinion of him that wasn’t exactly warranted. Though he had helped humans become an interplanetary species, among so many other things, as artificial intelligence became more prevalent, it began to turn on its creators. This caused quite a rift between the cyber world and the human world, lending more firepower behind the crime that had already begun to lace the streets due to the advancement that kept average people struggling to make ends meet and survive in the new world.

Elon was blamed for the downfall despite the warnings he’d cautioned the public with for years. It wasn’t until Neuralink was released to the public for use that humanity began to appreciate him again on a grander scale. He seemed to single handedly salvage humanity, curing medical issues that otherwise had no solution, allowing humans to live for much longer with far better quality of life. Of course, until Earth fell apart again.

Planet X, though, was built on technology; on futuristic ways of existing that he himself had paved the way for, thus causing its inhabitants to maintain far less respect for him. To Xians, futurism was par for the course. Elon wasn’t special there anymore. They ate advanced technology and cybernetics for breakfast, and spat it out into something better for lunch.

But to me, he was still a hero. Though we’d never so much as come close to each other, he had never let me down before. From electric vehicles to space travel, to underground tunnels and mock flamethrowers, his creative and profound mind was something I’d always admired from the moment I learned of his existence.

He had his share of blunders like much everyone else, but overall, I knew he was a decent man. No one had ever made it their life’s mission to help humanity on such a large scale with the capability he had, especially in some of the worst times of what we knew to be Earth’s existence. He valued helping humanity, and he was always honest about doing so. Elon Musk’s intelligence was beyond comprehension, in a way that made anyone want to sit down and pick his brain. And, well, he had a sense of humor on top of it all that made him feel more real than the idea of him even seemed.  

I wasn’t sure what to think of him on a personal level, most people had good things to say, others horror stories. I never thought about it too much or imagined him to be any kind of way, not wanting to tarnish any of the admiration I already had for him. I never expected to meet the man himself despite my position in the galaxy. I was a star, but he was far beyond me. Deep down though, I just hoped he was kind, nice; even if they say to never meet your heroes, because they’re usually quite the opposite.

It took every ounce of control to remain the composed little package they all expected me to be in the moment.

“I’d like to see her on my own,” he stated, every head in the room turning to face him as he did so.

[mystichoneybuddhachips]

Could I request an imagine where the RFA+V+Saeran are jealous of MC. Like they see someone flirting with her or see her treating someone with care and they just get really jealous?

okay this got way too long so i’m gonna put the rest under a cut after yoosung’s LOL i wrote freaking novels oh my god

Yoosung:

he actually gets jealous really easily

never forget yandere yoosung

you visited him on campus once and a lot of his classmates got lowkey crushes on you

some had highkey crushes and worked up the courage to go talk to you they moved in packs cause they were nervous

“hey there, are you an incoming transfer student? ;)”

“ah, no… i’m looking for kim yoosung?”

their eyes went wide before they burst into smiles

“oooooh, so this is our yoosung’s infamous girlfriend? we almost couldn’t believe it. i swear, he never stops talking about you”

in the distance, you swear you heard feet stomping before yoosung practically threw himself between you and his classmates

“noooo!!! she’s mine, my girlfriend!!”

you and them are all laughing as he shoos them away before leading you towards the entrance

then he starts apologizing a billion times 

“i’m sorry, did they make you uncomfortable? they’re good guys, though. really!” 

“no, they seemed friendly… do you really talk about me that much at school?”

he goes red in the face and starts stammering like a madman

“n-no, i mean… yes, but it’s all… i like talking about you! but if you don’t like it, i’ll stop!!”

you laugh and say it’s fine, you think it’s cute, and he starts blushing even more

turns out it’s lunch break so he offers to show you around the school

although he holds your hand the entire time and doesn’t let go

if an oblivious male student tries to make conversation, you can literally feel him bristling like a little porcupine next to him

you think it’s cute though, lowkey

Zen:

if he could, he’d carry around a swatter so he could bat away any guy that tried going near you

basically all of your dates in public are 85% you both enjoying the date 5% zen dealing with approaching fans and 10% zen giving major side eye to any guy that’s staring at you too long 

although his possessive instincts got worse after one particular incident

you two were taking a walk around the park late in the afternoon after his rehearsals 

 there were still people hanging around the plaza, so he wore a mask and tucked in his hair under a cap to be more discreet 

he noticed an ice cream cart vendor still hanging around nearby, so he offered to go buy some cones 

you ain’t about to turn down dessert so you agree and wait on a bench in the plaza while he rushes offuntil a pair of slightly tipsy dudes saunter over to you and ask for your number 

you’re all “sorry nope i’d rather not” but they’re annoyingly persistent and loud

they try to sit on the bench with you so you get up to move except they get up and block your way again 

at this point, you’re considering kicking them in the shins when it happens 

you catch zen stalking over from behind the dudes before he not-so-accidentally shoulders between them, ice cream cones in hand 

they both stumble to the ground, swearing at 95 mph 

zen’s too busy handing you both ice creams to hear them anyways 

now they’re pissed off, hauling themselves back up and ready to reach for him 

when zen whips around, yanks off his face mask and pulls off his cap 

you could literally see both men’s eyes widen at how good-looking zen was 

some girls in the distance are now screaming cause they recognized zen but he’s too busy glaring lasers into the two people in front of him 

you know he’s glaring because they both shrunk back slightly, and you swear the shock of it all sobered them up 

although some people were already racing up with their cellphones, so you finally step next to zen and tap his shoulder with your free hand 

“uh, zen? people are watching” 

zen finally glances towards you, a grin growing on his face 

“good” 

he slings an arm around your shoulder before turning back towards the two, who were just blinking like who tf is this guy why are we being surrounded by screaming girls 

and then zen goes “thanks for keeping my girlfriend company while i was gone. i’d rather not be violent and ruin our date tonight, so consider yourselves lucky.”

his fans are good ppl and don’t chase after him as he leads you away from the park, to your relief

once you two were walking back on the street, you’re laughing at how funny the whole situation was

it was like some scene out a drama

zen was pouting for a bit that those guys tried advancing on you, but he soon loosened up and started laughing too

by that time, both of the ice cream cones had half-melted, but neither of you minded

Jaehee:

she tends to keep things to herself, even when something’s bothering her

and usually, she dealt with it on her own, even though you always ask her to rely on you once in a while

one time you were communicating with a potential party guest, and you two really hit it off

he was a real friendly and fun person to chat with, so he sometimes called you up to chat instead of just messaging

one phone call happened in the evening at home 

you were sprawled on the sofa while she was at the dinner table on her laptop

you didn’t notice anything was amiss until she suddenly walked disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with a cup of coffee

she marched over and placed it on the small table in front of the sofa next to you

you slightly tilt the phone away to look at her questioningly and whisper “coffee?”

“you looked tired, i thought this could give you a boost”

“but it’s almost 8pm, i won’t be able to sleep if i drink this”

jaehee looks slightly dejected, but nods

she says “apologies, i forgot how late it was” before taking the cup to her table for herself

now you feel bad for making her sad, but suddenly remember you’re still on the phone and hurriedly go back to answer the guest

you want to go cheer jaehee up so you’re trying to find the right time to hang up but he keeps talking

until suddenly jaehee pipes up from where she’s sitting and goes “could you come and check over this itinerary? it’s almost finalized”

you grab the chance and tell the guest you have something to do, and finally end the call

but when you march over, there’s no itinerary on her screen

“did you send it already…?”

“ah no, i still have to add some things to it, so there’s not much to review yet”

it slowly dawns on you and you grin really wide 

“jaehee… were you jealous?”

she doesn’t turn to look at you, but you ain’t missing the way her ears were going red

“of course not, you were simply doing business with a potential guest. although i must point out that upon looking into his financial history, he does not have a reputable credit…”

you laugh and hug her from behind, feeling her relax and bit and chuckle too

she was right about the guest he was drowning in debt too so you ended up not inviting him, and everyone was happy

Jumin:

look up “possessive” in the dictionary and a picture of Jumin Han will appear next to the definition

will not forgive any man who dares to make moves on you

god help them if they try it in front of him

he’s stuck to your side most of the time you two go outside on a date

although he gets especially territorial when you’re shopping at a mall or something

since you’ll be wandering around looking at the items on sale, you’re bound to encounter different people

but if someone - especially a guy - looks like he’s about to ask for that yung phone number, jumin pops up out of nowhere and literally shuts them down

one second it’s just you and some random guy hanging out by a store shelf as he starts to say “hey, i think you’re really cute. do you think we could exchange info and maybe grab a cup of–”

a wild jumin appears! 

he’ll just… pop up like a gopher before glaring at the guy and going “no”

this happens every time some guy tries flirting with you

you swear he has some kind of radar 

one time he accidentally did it to a salesperson he didn’t regret it though

although when he’s feeling particularly jealous, he copes by buying you everything

i’m talking rows of clothes/shoes/jewelry getting purchased in one go

you’re like “jumin NO” but he just pulls out his credit card and goes “jumin yes”

you end up returning almost everything the next day anyways

if he’s still sulking by the time you two get home, though, you’re sure to cuddle him and reassure him that you love him only

and that helps him stop the sulking and restore the happiness

707:

this boy goes from Not Jealous to Jealous Hacker Meme Master™ real quick

it’s a rare mode that is not easily unlocked, but it’s memorable when it happens

one special moment was when you had to actually go and meet an RFA guest in person

he was fine with it until you mentioned that you two were having lunch before taking a stroll around town while you talked

“wait, this sounds like a date!!”

“it’s not, he says it’s just formalities so that we get along well”

“that’s a date!!!!!”

by the end of the conversation he’s actively clinging to your leg while you struggle to reach the door

you swear that it’s just a meeting, and even offer for him to check on you once in a while if it makes him feel better

he finally lets you go at that, sending you off with teary eyes and a kiss/hug

you and the RFA guest have a peaceful lunch

that is, until your phone suddenly starts beeping nonstop

you’re like wtf and unlock your phone when a pixelated cartoon of seven bounces around your screen

suddenly your phone starts saying “i love seven!” with some upbeat cartoon music playing in the background

okay it’s actually kind of cute but you’re in a public cafe and the thing’s so loud

thankfully it stops after like 20 seconds, and you two laugh it off

the guy’s like “i’m guessing that’s the ringtone for your boyfriend?”

and you’re all “hahaha… yeah… ringtone…”

the walk around town isn’t that eventful - you two just chat a bit about his occupation and you explain a bit about the party

but at the end, he asks to add your number so that he can contact you about any additional questions

you’re fine with it, but when he tries to save your contact information, he frowns when he phone suddenly blares on error sound

to your horror, you can hear seven’s voice from his phone

“Greetings, dear RFA guest! Unfortunately, this precious number is not allowed to be stored onto your cellular device! Please try again with a different phone number! By the power of God Seven, please accept this photo of Longcat instead! Goodbye!!”

there’s a loooong silence after the message as you both stare at his phone

and as promised, a photo of Longcat suddenly pops up on his lockscreen

you’re busy trying not to laugh apologizing to him, but he’s already laughing, finding the thing hilarious

he amends by saying he’ll email you professionally instead, and thanks you for the interesting meeting

also asks you to send his regards to your boyfriend

you go home to a smug seven sitting in his desk chair

you can’t even get mad at him, and he’s lowkey relieved you’re not

the two of you spend the rest of the night chilling in bed and watching cheesy movies together

V:

a really jealous V is a one in a million moment

literally so rare

since he’s too pure to be tainted with such a thing like envy

so even when he does get jealous, it’s like a really mild form of it

for the most part, he’s the type to just silently sulk about it

if you two are out in public, he’ll do his darnedest to make sure he’s holding your hand or your shoulder

and then once you’re home, he asks if he could just sit on the sofa with you

by “sit on the sofa with you” he means “you sit on the sofa while he hugs you forever”

you can tell when he’s feeling jealous though, cause he goes extremely quiet and always wants to hug you 24/7 

during those times you like to hug him back and just continuously tell him why you love him to make him feel better

and it works, even though he always insists that he wasn’t feeling jealous

it’s hella cute when he does it though, so you just let him say that

he also goes on a picture-taking spree when he’s feeling a bit jealous of you chatting it up with another guy

makes sure that the flash is on when he snaps a picture of you

the guys all confused as to why he took a picture

and V just goes “ah, sorry. i was trying to take a photo of my girlfriend. she looked particularly stunning just now”

and at the point, the other party immediately realizes the situation and backs off

thanks to that, there’s lots of extra candids of you talking with some random guy hiding in a box in V’s room

Saeran:

um if you make the mistake of provoking a jealous saeran, you better start ordering a casket

he won’t even give the guy a chance to save himself if he tries flirting with you out in the open

he’ll just casually move you aside and take your place in front of the guy before going “back off before things get ugly”

that paired with his soul-destroying glare is usually enough to scare everyone off

except one time in front of a small movie theater, a particular brave soul didn’t back down

instead, he puffed up his chest and just smirked

“what’s with you, goth boy. her boyfriend or something?”

you’re slightly ticked off now, stepping forward and glaring at him

“he is, actually.”

the guy’s surprised, but laughs it off

“seriously? him? come on, i think i could be a better match for you.”

at this point you’re about the roast this guy to the ends of the earth when saeran places a hand on your shoulder and asks you to go buy the tickets for you two

you catch the expression on his face and know better than to stick around so you head to the ticket booth while whispering a silent prayer for the guy

and then saeran steps forward so that he’s nearly touching noses with the guy

proceeds to give him the most fear-inducing and heart-shriveling look

honestly, the guy was about to pee himself, but just barely held it together

“you have two choices. either leave right now and hope you never cross paths with us again, or i can ruin your life in every way imaginable.”

the guy knows saeran’s dead serious too, so he just books it out of there

and saeran simply walks back to the ticket booth where you’re waiting, takes your hand, and starts heading towards the theater room

you didn’t hear what he said, but you still loved watching it happen

[saxafimedianetwork]

Aled Evans has recently returned from a trip to Somaliland and this (Somaliland Uncovered) is his blog of the trip.

Before traveling to Somaliland, I decided it was best that I arranged my visa before arriving. There is the option to get a visa on arrival in Hargeisa, but after a 14-hour journey from Newcastle via Dubai, the last thing I wanted was to be hanging around, hot and sweaty at the immigration desk!

Having corresponded with the Somaliland Mission in London, I was offered the option to send my passport and application form to them (recorded delivery) rather than visit in person. Although this would have saved me a day out of the office, I am always nervous about sending my passport through the mail and I chose to book a day return rail ticket.

On the day, things run very smoothly.  A couple of stops on the tube and I am in Whitechapel looking for the Somaliland Mission. Hidden away deep inside the ground floor of an office block, it is easy to miss the office. As I wonder through a maze of corridors, a knock on the window and a man pointing to the sign saying ‘Somaliland Mission’ tells me that I’ve arrived. They must have a lot of people walk straight past! It only takes 15 minutes for my application form to be checked and a visa stuck and stamped in my passport. A £30 fee paid in cash and it’s all done and I’m glad I came down to London to have it done in person now.

A couple of weeks later, as my FlyDubai flight touches down at Hargeisa and we step off the aircraft into the dry heat, I’m again relieved that I don’t have to join the que for visas on arrival. It is a quick process to get through immigration, pay my $10 tax and wait for my bags to be offloaded. A tip – keep hold of your luggage receipts as these are checked and cross-referenced to your luggage as you collect your bags and leave.

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Outside the terminal, I am met with a large smile and soft handshake by Mr. Ali, my guide and driver for this short introduction to Somaliland. Before going to the hotel to check-in, we visit the camel market, which at this time in the morning is just getting into full swing. It seems that Mr. Ali knows almost everyone here and there are more handshakes and smiles as I’m shown around. I’m amazed at the prices the camels can sell for, with the bigger stronger animals fetching in excess of $1000 each. It is no wonder that the owners are taking such good care of the animals.

The hour and a half spent at the market flies by and I’m surprised when I’m told we need to go and check-in at the hotel. The drive through Hargeisa passes the famous ‘Hand of Somaliland’ statue which an enterprising local has almost hidden with a large sign advertising their business services. It seems that there are no official laws or rules relating to business advertising, or if there are, someone may have ‘overlooked’ this particular example. It takes about half an hour through the bumpy streets until we arrive at our hotel, located right in the center of Hargeisa.

We arrive at the hotel and with a quick and easy check-in procedure, I’m in my room. A large comfortable double bed, a tv with international channels and a clean bathroom with shower. I have stayed in better but also much worse and it is more than adequate given that the view I have out of the window is of the famous MiG-17 in Memorial Square.

A good night’s rest and the next morning as I step out of the hotel entrance,  Mr. Ali is waiting for me and we head off on foot into Hargeisa to explore the markets.  The city center is surprisingly compact although the central market is a dark labyrinth that it would be very easy to get lost in. My guide seemed to know his way around and, as with the Camel market, he also seemed to know everyone in the market! There are lots of clothes stalls, some wonderful stalls that seem to sell every spice you could think of, and some people selling meat that I am told is a camel.  There are lots of friendly smiles and waves, a few traders try and get me to come in to buy but no real pressure. This is an authentic market and no tourist trap.

We have a light lunch in a cafe just outside the market. The coffee is excellent and gives me just the lift I need for the afternoon. We travel through the city and Mr. Ali points out a non-descript building with high walls topped with barbed wire. ‘That is a top-secret CIA building for battle against al-Shabaab’ he whispers to me. ‘Also used by British intelligence’ he adds with a knowing nod. I wonder, as it is top secret, how Mr. Ali knows what the building is and what it is used for, so I ask him. ‘Of course, everyone in Hargeisa knows that this is a top secret building’ he tells me!

We stop the car at a wonderful view overlooking the city and it is a great place to sit in the calm evening air as the sun sets.  Despite the size of the city below us, it seems very calm and quiet with lights just starting to come on and a call to prayer just audible in the distance.

The next day is an early start as we are heading to what is without a doubt one of the ‘must sees’ of Somaliland – Las Geel. These rock paintings are perhaps one of the most important rock art sites in all of Africa. Dating back at least 5000 years, Las Geel consists of a complex of caves and rock shelters, the most significant of which is a 100 square meter surface with at least 250 individual paintings. The figures depicted here are cattle, giraffe, and hunters accompanied by dogs, among others, and they are exceptionally well preserved, making this a real delight for anyone who is even in the slightest bit interested in rock art.

We travel for about an hour out of Hargeisa and then the journey involves a 25-minute off-road drive that the Land Cruiser handles with no problems. We stop at a checkpoint, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, with the ‘guard’ asleep under a tree. A quick check of our papers and we continue for 10 more minutes to the small whitewashed reception building located near the main rock formation. Inside are a few interpretation boards in English describing the various paintings and the academic studies carried out there.  No cafe, no souvenir stalls, all very low key and discreet.

Mr. Ali leads me along a rough path that gets increasingly steep until we arrive at the main site. What we find in the cave is quite stunning with the walls covered in paintings of wild animals, livestock and people. I can’t imagine how the first people to find this cave must have felt. It really does seem to have an aura about it.

We spend the next hour exploring the various caves with different pictures and levels of details. It really is quite stunning and also very authentic, as there are no other tourists here when I visit. The views looking out over the savannah are spectacular and it is easy to imagine the people who painted these images sitting exactly where I was and looking out at exactly the same view 5000 years previously. Las Geel is certainly worth the visit and the undeveloped nature of the site adds to the overall feel of adventure and discovery when you visit.

My final stop on my quick tour of Somaliland is Berbera, Somaliland’s second city but at only 50,000 people, it is considerably smaller than Hargeisa.  Once occupied by the Ottomans, Berbera is home to a fascinating old quarter which is an interesting place to explore, with winding alleys and some small mosques. It must be said that a lot of the old quarter is now in ruin and I was slightly disappointed to see how the buildings had been left to crumble. Mr. Ali talked about foreign investment coming in and preserving or rebuilding some of the buildings, but there was no sign of this when I visited. If and when this does happen, there is huge potential in the town. The highlight of Berbera for me was the long sandy beach and the wonderful fish restaurant that we had lunch at.

On our return to Hargeisa, something happened that made me think that Somaliland has a long and prosperous future. A smartly dressed young man came up to me just outside the hotel and introduced himself as Ashkir. He had overheard Mr. Ali telling me the collection time in the morning and had realized that I was a tourist.  He explained that he was the customer service and HR manager for the hotel, and they usually only had Western business travelers staying. He was keen to encourage tourists and wanted to know what I thought of his country and the hotel. After telling him all about Undiscovered Destinations he was delighted to know that there were companies out there supporting Somaliland.

Ashkir went on to explain that he had only recently returned to Somaliland and was keen to promote it. His family had been refugees in the 1990s and he was brought up and educated in Oslo, gaining a degree and Masters before working in the U.A.E. at a number of five-star hotels. He had returned to Hargeisa to try and give something back to his country of birth and to help build up the economy of the country. What really struck me about this was that it was not the first time I had heard this story. A few days earlier, I had spoken to another gentleman, the owner of a restaurant I was eating in. He had a distinct midlands accent and explained that once again he was a former refugee, whose family had been resettled in the U.K. He had been brought up and educated in Birmingham, attending his local college and training as a chef. The family had returned to Somaliland and had set up the restaurant. They still had many family and friends in Birmingham but felt that they needed to return to help ‘rebuild’ their country.

As Somaliland is still unrecognized as an ‘official’ country, it is going to be through the efforts of people like Ashkir and others and all those returning to Somaliland, to promote their independence.  During my time in Somaliland, I felt entirely safe and welcomed. There is a vibrancy and energy in Hargeisa, a sense of optimism and hope, and if there is one thing that I will always remember about Somaliland it is this.

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Aled Evans visited Somaliland in November 2018. Due to Somaliland not being recognized by The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) as a separate country to Somalia, it does fall under the FCO as Somalia and therefore has a ‘Advise against all travel’ red warning.  https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/somalia

Undiscovered Destinations works very closely with experienced local contacts and the local tourism ministry and are fully confident that it is safe to operate tours in Somaliland. Full details of Undiscovered Destinations tour in Somaliland can be found here.  https://www.undiscovered-destinations.com/holidays-guided-tours/somaliland/

Somaliland Uncovered, A Unique Adventure Tour