#I really want to like wow but this frustrating the heck out of me

[camelotisshining]

So, let me get this straight. In order to use any flying mount in the Dragon Isles besides the proto-drakes to travel around it I have to do a lengthy series of main story quests at which point the entire ability is pretty much useless since I've been everywhere already? Uh huh...

[marauroon]

A Remus fic where the reader and him just can't stand each-other but she is literally the only person who calms him when the full moon is near?? (Or just straight up can calm 'Moony')

Like, they both hate being around each other but the reader doesn't fight his proximity around that time?? She lowkey knows

Like; "can you stop that?"

"Breathing?"

"Whatever it is, yes."

But around the full moon they are suddenly soft on eachother

B E S T F R E N E M I E S — REMUS LUPIN!

remus lupin x gn!reader | fluff | 0.9k | masterlist!!

You hate each other. You despise each other. But there’s three or so days every month when you’re a little less antagonistic.

a/n — i love this type of relationship, thanks for the request ml <3

You don’t need a phase calendar to know when the full moon is coming up.

You don’t need a lunar tracker, or a magical device.

Heck, you don’t even have to look at the moon.

No, none of that matters. You know when the full moon is coming up, because all of a sudden, almost inexplicably, Remus Lupin decides that he wants to spend time in your presence instead of ripping your throat out.

You can’t say you’re exactly sure when it started, when you mutually agreed to cease your incessant bickering just for those few days over the full moon before returning to your previous hatred.

Just as you couldn’t quite remember how you figured out his little ‘problem’ in the first place.

But here you were nonetheless, sat in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, with you on one end of the sofa and him on the other.

There was no glances, no conversation, but his foot was extended far enough across the cushions to brush against your knee as the two of you sat in parallel, books in your hands and silence in the air.

“Will you stop doing that?”

Remus looks over the rim of his book with furrowed eyebrows. “Doing what?”

“I can hear you breathing, it’s annoying,” You turn the page of your own book with an exaggerated sigh.

“Guess I’ll just suffocate to death then,”

You give Remus a short hum, and he scoffs.

“And stop moving your leg,” You elbow his calf passively, not hard enough to actually prompt him to move, but enough to act as a reprimand.

“I’ve got pins and needles.”

Don’t sit like that then,” You spare him a glance, he’s already looking at you.

You know he won’t move, he never does.

“I’m fine,”

And you’re always right. Especially this close the full moon.

“No you’re not,”

“No, this is uncomfortable as fuck,” Remus agrees with you pretty easily, tugging the decorative pillow from behind his back with a groan. “Why is this sofa so shit?”

“It’s not the sofa, it’s your joints,” You roll your eyes, turning the page of your book. “You’re built like an old man,”

“Oh, wow, thank you.��� His expression matches his tone, deadpan and flat, and very clearly unamused.

“You’re welcome,” Your reply is just as enthusiastic.

“I’m too hot,” Remus complains. You’re sure he’s just doing it for the sake of it.

“Move away from the fireplace then,”

“You’re in the way,”

“Oh for Godric’s—” You exhale exasperatedly, shutting your book harshly on your lap and standing up, making a show of gesturing to your, now vacant, spot on the sofa. “Go on then,”

Remus groans exaggeratedly as he stands, his eyes narrowed in an exaggeration of his frustration with your attitude, and he collapses into your spot like a grandpa into an arm chair.

“Happy now?”

He opens his book with one hand. “Chuffed,”

“Wonderful.”

You grit your teeth with a sigh as you watch him sink into the corner cushions, biting any more unsavoury comments on your tongue as you move to sit on the side by the fireplace.

Although there’s really no point, because he stops you before you can even get two steps away.

“Sit down, don’t let me get in your way,”

“That’s what I’m doing?” You gesture almost sarcastically towards the slowly disappearing indentation on the sofa cushion where he’d previously been sat.

“Don’t sit by there. Like I said, it’s too hot,”

He reaches out his arm without looking away from his book, blindly grazing your side until it lands on your wrist, then he’s tugging you back towards him until you’re basically stumbling into his lap.

“Oh, and this isn’t going to be too hot?” You grumble as you land against his thighs. Even those are bony, and not very comfortable either.

“Just be quiet.” Remus shifts underneath you, pulling your legs over his lap until you’re sat perpendicularly to each other, although occupying the same space.

There’s a few moments of the two of you making small adjustments to the way you’re sitting, how you’re positioned and how to work around having enough space for the both of you to read at the same time.

Then the silence returns, and it’s nothing but the crackling of the fireplace and the occasional turning of a page as the two of you sit quietly in the begrudged agreement of each other’s presence without argument.

“You’re a shit cushion,”

Well, almost anyway.

“Shut the fuck up and sit still,”

[hateblackies]

late night talks

"Loves dumb. People get too caught up in it. They forget who they are chasing that feeling," a young Gojo Satoru said, twirling a pen carelessly in his hand as he sat in his study chair, looking into your eyes through the reflection of the window. When he saw you weren’t replying, he continued.

“People die. What then? Chase after the void they left? Yeah, right," he scoffed. It perturbed you despite the gravity of the words he was saying, he seemed so brash.. so eager, and so careless.

"Love is natural," you said, holding a pillow close to your chest as you sat on his bedside. Satoru turned his chair, watching you snuggle up to the pillow. He rolled his eyes, then looked back in the direction of the window, with a pout that was meant as humor.

"What..?" you said quietly, your eyebrows furrowing, clutching the pillow harder. He turned his head over the headrest and smirked at you “You’re hugging that pillow as if it were your lifeline.”

He leaned back, propping himself up with his hands behind his head. “That thing isn’t going to love you back, you know...” he snickered. “Oh, shut up!” you said in annoyance, throwing the pillow at him from across the room now.

He caught it with one hand, his eyes narrowing. “Oh wow, you’re really mad, huh?” he teased. His lips tugged into a smirk, and he raised his eyebrows. “Someone’s jealous of a pillow?” he asked dramatically, now holding the pillow close to his chest himself.

As much as she wanted to leave his room, she couldn’t bring herself to. She stayed sat on his bed, arms now crossed. She was silent for some time. “If there was no love, we’d all be empty, soulless people,” she whispered beneath her breath. Satoru hated the gushiness.

“If there was no love, there would be no pain,” he countered, still staring at you with soft eyes and an amused look. Satoru wasn’t trying to start an argument at all; he just wanted to see how she would respond.

Her eyes widened. Her breath got stuck in her throat with his sharp words. “That’s.. not true.” He furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity at her response.

“How is it not? How could someone suffer the pains of loving someone so much you can’t see them leave-” He was caught off guard by being interrupted.

“I won’t leave,” she blurted out, suddenly clasping her hands over her mouth at her words, her face reddened. He tilted his head, confused and amused at your sudden outburst.

“Eh?” he said, smirking. He kept his gaze on you expectantly, and raised a brow. He was a dumb teenager. He didn’t understand girls.

She dug her head into her hands now looking down, not saying another word. He was silent for some time. Probably thinking about Pokémon, or something.. by now.

“Why… why aren’t you saying anything?” she said softly, eyes now peeking over her arms, observing him. “Hm? What am I supposed to say?” he asked, keeping a straight face.

She huffed. Maybe an ‘I won’t leave you either’? she thought, but heck, she knew he wouldn’t commit to that. “You’re trying to be a smart ass.” She said.

He laughed, this time genuinely. “Am I?” he said with a cocky undertone.“Besides. Did you seriously expect me to say something mushy like ‘I’ll be with you forever’ type of thing?”

“Especially not to you…” he said with a cheeky grin. His statement was half-true and half-sarcastic; It’s just what he did, but he was serious in a sense; he wasn’t the type of person who would just go around saying romantic stuff. He liked to show rather than say when it came to things like love. And besides, he wasn’t the type to be able to commit to such a thing. He was Gojo Satoru.

“Maybe.. I did.” She said softly, trying to hide her evident frustration in him as she propped herself off his bed, taking steps toward the door.

He stared at her in utter amusement. He crossed his legs and watched her walking toward the door. “Aww, Going already?” he said as he heard the door shut closed, He thought they were having a good time; her leaving was a little surprising to him, despite the way he’s acting. Oh well.

“hm. girls are weird.”

[archiveofvirtue]

RECKLESS ⸻ sam winchester

content / sam winchester x fem!reader, bf!sam, angst, established relationship, sam being overprotective, fighting, lots of blaming each other, mentions of dean being in hell, some fluff, 1.9k words

summary / in which an innocent grocery store run ignites a fire in sam, spiraling him into panic and anger, leading to a heated argument between the two of you fueled by both worry and misunderstanding

YOU QUIETLY SLIPPED OUT OF THE MOTEL ROOM, careful not to wake Sam. You had been driving for days, hunting a wendigo near the outskirts of Iowa. The tension in Sam's body was palpable; the hunt wasn't even the hardest part—it was everything else. Ever since Dean's deal, since he was dragged into Hell, Sam had been on edge, more protective than ever. You could feel it creeping into every part of your lives.

You glanced at Sam one more time as he lay sprawled on the bed, finally getting some rest. He deserved that. Still, you knew you needed more supplies. Your salt lines were running low, and a few charms you used to keep you two safe needed replenishing. Plus, you figured a little food wouldn't hurt.

The grocery store wasn't far, just a tem-minute drive, so you grabbed the car keys, your bag, and left a mental note to be quick. On your way inside the store, you checked for your phone—"dang it", you cursed, you must've left it at the motel.

So you quickly breezed through the aisles, grabbing the salt, herbs, and other supplies before quickly swinging by the food section for some sandwiches and snacks. You hurried out of the store, juggling bags as you hopped back into the car.

But while you were on your way home, the goods and Sam's favorite snacks secured, he was already panicking.

Sam was pacing around the room, staring at the motel door as if willing you to walk through it. His mind raced with every worst-case scenario possible. You'd been gone for hours, hadn't told him where you were going, and your phone had been neatly sitting here on the counter.

Each passing minute had ratcheted up his worry until it had transformed into anger—an anger fueled by fear, jealousy, and the deep, gnawing ache of loss. Losing so many people did that to a person, and Sam had lost more than his fair share.

He couldn’t loose you too.

When you finally walked in, expecting Sam to be asleep, you were met by the intense sight of him, eyes locked on you the second you opened the door. His body was rigid, tension radiating off him.

"Where the hell were you?" Sam's voice was low, tight with barely controlled frustration and disappointment. You could feel the weight of his words immediately, like a physical blow.

"I... I went to grab some salt from the market. We were almost out," you answered, confused by his reaction. "Why? What's the matter?"

Sam rubbed over his face in frustration, walking toward you with purpose. His eyes scanned you from head to toe, as if ensuring you were in one piece. Even though you were back now, his heart still hadn't slowed its furious pace.

"Heck y/n, I woke up and you were just gone. Do you know what that feels like after everything? I thought something bad had happened to you." His voice was shaking with distress.

"I was literally gone for half an hour! I thought you'd be asleep. I didn't want to wake you," you explained, fumbling with your words under the intensity of his gaze. "I wanted to be quick in case we needed the salt. It took me longer because there was this huge crash on the highway—"

Sam cut in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, that's a perfect excuse." His tone softened just slightly, but the tension was still evident, his emotions a whirlwind of anger and fear. "And you didn't think of a way to call me? Let me know you'd be gone longer? No, no... the only thing on your mind was getting some damn salt."

His words stung, more than you expected. "You need to calm down." you said, voice tinged with disbelief. Was he really so distrustful? "I know I should've told you before leaving, but look at me—I'm fine. Everything's fine."

Sam ran a hand through his hair, rolling his eyes. His frustration was palpable, simmering just beneath the surface. "Goddamn it, I don't care if you're fine right now. It's the principle, y/n. You do shit without thinking, and I can't stand it." He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his anger. "There are so many things that could've happened to you out there. How can you be so careless?"

That accusation sparked something in you, and your frustration bubbled over. "Oh, so you think I can't protect myself? After everything we've been through—after all the times I've saved you and Dean—you think I can't handle something as simple as a grocery run?"

Sam's face darkened. His hazel eyes flared with something fierce, a raw emotion that made your heart skip a beat. "This isn't about your skills. I know you're a good hunter. But you're reckless, y/n. Careless. You don't understand what it's like to see someone you love get torn away from you because of one mistake, one slip-up. And then to wake up and think it's happening again..." His voice broke, frustration giving way to something more vulnerable, something desperate.

You softened slightly, realizing how deep Sam's fear went. But you weren't going to let him twist this into you being reckless. "I do understand, Sam. I know how much losing Dean broke you. But I'm not him. I'm not going to disappear, but you also can't suffocate me because of it."

"I'm not trying to suffocate you. Fuck, you really don't get it, do you?" Sam's voice rang in your ears, and for a second, he just looked at you with disappointment in his eyes. "Just forget it y/n."

The sudden intensity of his words, the way he yelled, startled you. Sam wasn't the type to lose his temper like this—not with you. Sure, you two had your disagreements, but this was different. He was on edge, and you could tell that this wasn't just about the salt. It was about everything that had been weighing on him since losing Dean.

You swallowed the lump forming in your throat, seeing his fists clench like that scared you, so the only thing you could do right now was walk away. Your voice was quieter now, the fight draining out of you. "I'll take a walk, clear my head."

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you turned to leave the room. The last thing you wanted was to fight with Sam, especially not like this. But before you could reach the door, you felt his hand gently grasp your arm, pulling you back.

"Wait." His voice was softer now, the anger replaced by guilt.

Sam pulled you close, his arms wrapped tightly around your waist as if letting go would somehow mean losing you again. The heat of his body, the steady rise and fall of his chest, and the gentle pressure of his lips brushing your hair—all of it grounded you, soothed the frayed nerves that had been worn thin by the argument. You rested your head against his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, strong and steady.

For a while, neither of you spoke. It was as if both of you needed that quiet, the space to breathe and let the tension dissipate. But Sam's hand never left your back, his fingers drawing small, absentminded circles, a reminder that he was still there, still holding you.

Eventually, you pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. His eyes were softer now, the earlier fire replaced by something gentler, more vulnerable. He seemed almost embarrassed by his outburst.

"You know," you said quietly, "I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to worry about losing me every time I step out the door. But you also have to let me breathe, Sam."

Sam let out a long sigh, his hand moving to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. "I know," he murmured, though his voice still carried the weight of doubt. "I just... after Dean, I've been going nuts. Every hunt, every day, I'm constantly thinking about what could go wrong, what I could lose next. It's like I can't shut it off."

You reached up, cupping his face with both hands, your thumbs brushing gently along the stubble on his jaw. "Sam, I understand. I really do. But you can't live like this—constantly on high alert, constantly afraid. It's not fair to you. And it's not fair to us."

He leaned into your touch, closing his eyes for a moment, savoring the comfort of your hands on his skin. "I don't know how to stop," he admitted quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to stop worrying."

"I think it's always going to be there," you said softly. "The fear. But you don't have to let it control you." You paused, searching his face for a moment before continuing. "I'm strong, Sam. I know how to handle myself. And I promise you, if I ever feel like I'm all up in my head, you'll be the first person I call. But you have to trust me. Can you do that?"

Sam opened his eyes, looking down at you, and for the first time that night, you saw a flicker of relief in his expression. He nodded, though you could tell it wasn't easy for him. "I can try," he said, his voice a little stronger now. "I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking," you whispered, giving him a small, reassuring smile.

For a few more moments, you stayed there in his arms, neither of you wanting to break the fragile peace that had settled between you. Finally, Sam spoke again, his tone lighter, though still tinged with a hint of guilt. "I guess I owe you for getting the salt."

You chuckled softly, leaning your head back against his chest. "Yeah, you do. I went through a lot of trouble for that salt."

"Next time, maybe wake me up before you leave," he said, his lips quirking up in a small smile. "Or at least don't forget your phone."

"Deal," you agreed with a playful grin. "No more disappearing acts. But you have to promise me something, too."

"What's that?" he asked, his brow furrowing slightly in curiosity.

"You have to promise to stop worrying so much. At least a little. You're going to give yourself a heart attack at this rate."

Sam chuckled, the sound low and warm in his chest. "I'll do my best," he promised, though there was still a glimmer of doubt in his eyes. "But no guarantees."

You smiled, reaching up to kiss him gently. "I'll take it."

He kissed you back, soft and slow, as if savoring the moment. When he pulled away, there was a warmth in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier, a quiet appreciation for you, for the way you understood him, even when he didn't always know how to explain himself.

"Come on," you said, tugging him toward the table. "I got your favorite sandwiches, you need to eat."

Sam hesitated for a moment, glancing at the filled grocery bags. But then he let out a sigh and nodded, he definitely needed these sandwiches now.

"Thank you, baby." He mumbled, pressing a kiss to your forehead before grabbing the plastic bags and putting everything away.

The room still felt heavy with the weight of what you were both going through, but at least you were in it together. You knew that for now, everything was okay. You were safe. He was safe. And together, you'd face whatever came next.

kinda need to fight with Sam just for him to be all soft and cutesy with me after and make up..

feedback and requests are greatly appreciated !!

tags 🏷️ @gibson-g1rl @nuemanfilms @beausling @angelicjackles @sammyluvr @samwinchesterswifu @sampilled @seasons-of-death @starkeysprincess @rubyvhs @deansenvy @ribbonprincess @mxltifxnd0m

[piedoesnotequalpi]

welp.

thursday upload it is i guess.

I have a draft of the next bachelorette au chapter! I did the thing!

Now to see when my ex will text back for proofreading...

[ddejavvu]

another idea!

hotch has one heck of a crush on r. but he’s trying to be super chill about it bc the only person he knows she’s dated was a woman and he’s Not gonna be that guy.

but man oh man is she cute.

so he pines quietly hoping no one notices.

but of course they do! and the team keeps trying to get them together.

something something with the line “hotch, i’m bi”

this actually melted my soul it's the bare minimum but when it comes from him i'm on my knees... hotch x bi!reader representation!!!!!

--

Aaron's fairly certain Reid didn't actually forget something at his desk. Nor that he truly needed Prentiss to walk back there with him, 'in case he got lost'. And Penelope definitely did not want to talk to Strauss. He has a sneaking suspicion they all only ducked out of the elevator to leave you two alone on the ride down, which is frustrating because he's trying to respect you.

"Any weekend plans?" He turns to you with raised brows, trying to keep conversation going and void of awkwardness.

"Uh, not really," You shake your head, smiling at him. It's hard for him to tamp down the cartwheel that his stomach does, but he knows he needs to.

"Me either," He admits, "I think I'm going to sleep in tomorrow."

"Oh, what," You scoff, lightheartedly teasing, "All the way until eight in the morning? Hotch, you went for a six A.M run on your birthday, you're incapable of sleeping in."

"That's not true!" He laughs, more genuinely than he ever would for your other teammates, "I'll make at least nine."

"Oh, wow." You nod, grin permanently etched onto your face, "And you'll still be at the coffee shop before they open."

The one by his apartment opens at ten. He briefly considers asking if you go to the same one based on the info you've given him, and then decides that there's nothing better to do with your remaining time in the elevator.

"You don't happen to go to Morning Roast, do you?"

"I do!" You turn to him with eyes lit up, "You go there too?"

"Every morning before work," He chuckles, "I guess I go too early for you."

"Oh," You huff, elbowing him gently, "Shut up. I'm not up that late."

"You came in almost half an hour late today!" He gawps at you, but where there'd typically be frustration present, there's only amusement.

"That's because some guy was flirting with me this morning and I barely escaped," You sigh, watching the numbers on the elevator screen tick down closer to G for Ground, "I swear, if one more creep tries hitting on me I'm just gonna tell him I'm gay."

Hotch stops dead.

You're not?

"Uh," He clears his throat, "Are you- you're not? I thought you mentioned an ex-girlfriend."

"Oh! Well, yeah," You nod, "But I'm bi, Hotch."

"Oh," He keeps his expression in check, even though he feels like grinning so hard his face splits in two, "I didn't know that."

"Well neither did I, for a while," You snort, and the elevator dings, the doors sliding open to showcase the lobby.

"I hope no one bothers you tomorrow," Hotch lets you exit first, following after you to the entrance of the parking garage, "Hey, if I do sleep in, maybe I'll catch you there."

"Oh, you can be my bodyguard!" You exclaim, eyes lighting up once more, "Thanks, Hotch. Okay, say, nine?"

"Eight," He grins, and revels in your groan-turned-laugh, "Fine, nine."

"See you then, bodyguard!" You click the unlock button on your car and duck inside, leaving him standing in the middle of the parking garage and smiling like a fool as you pull away.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Breath of the Sky Ch 15 (Skyward Sword meets BotW)

Summary: When Princess Zelda goes to the Spring of Courage to pray, accompanied by her appointed knight, a giant magical cog spitting out a goddess is the last thing she expects, but it is what she gets. Meanwhile, the Spirit Maiden Zelda is trying to figure out what the heck is happening and where her missing chosen hero is.

Skyward Sword meets Breath of the Wild pre-calamity, and it changes everything.

Chapter 15: The Champions

Zelda couldn’t sleep.

She and Link had eventually made their way indoors for the night, getting lost for what felt like an eternity before royal guards escorted them back to their room. The bed had been a welcoming sight, and Link had immediately fallen asleep, but Zelda…

She just couldn’t. It was like her first night on the Surface all over again. She was filled with so many thoughts and feelings, with the certainty of massive change on the horizon, with the dread of facing a horrific foe once more, with the excitement of an adventure. She recalled she hadn’t slept her first night on the Surface, either.

Sighing, she eventually gave up. Link didn’t notice as she slid out of bed. She hesitated as she moved towards the door. She didn’t want the guards to see her, to question her. She just wanted to move without causing a gigantic fuss. She looked back towards the window, which was now boarded after Link had broken it a few nights ago, and she smiled.

It didn’t take much to pry the wood away, and Link was a heavy enough sleeper that he didn’t stir. Zelda grabbed her sailcloth and jumped.

The cool night air was a blessing, the openness a reprieve to her caged anxieties. Her bare feet touched down on soft grass, and she sighed as she walked through one of the castle’s many gardens. Crickets chirped alongside countless nighttime birds (and oh how she wished she could see them all – nights on Skyloft were far different than on the Surface), a gentle caress to her mind as she finally felt her muscles relax.

Zelda felt strangely alone all of a sudden. In the past, she used to pray when she was unsure. Now that… well…

Perhaps the Golden Three could still listen. Surely they would, right? Even if she was still a little mad, even if her memories did make her question them a bit (they hadn’t helped they never helped me when I struggled against him—).

Zelda remembered there were benches littered all over these gardens, and so she sought one out. Fireflies glimmered in the air, always just out of reach, making her smile as they illuminated her way. When one glowed near a dark silhouette, she paused, eyes widening a moment, and then crept a little closer from behind it.

The silhouette was very still, but she could see the person breathing, the strong shoulders belaying that it was a man, the smaller figure making her think maybe it was a young one. But his hair was familiar, his posture perfect… was it Champion? He looked a little bigger than him, though.

The man turned, hearing her despite how quiet she was trying to be, his blue eyes barely visible, though the sharp look they held was still apparent. It softened immediately in recognition, though, and the man stood, turned to face her fully, and genuflected.

Zelda initially felt frustrated at being noticed, but once she recognized him it wasn’t nearly as awful. The man looked a little different, dressed down as he was in a simple black tunic and pants, and he wasn’t wearing the hat the royal knights wore; his golden blonde hair was what made her notice him in the first place.

Wow, he really did look like Champion. Weird.

“Hi,” she greeted a little awkwardly, her voice quiet.

“Your Grace,” he acknowledged.

Well… now what? Zelda sighed. “You can get up. And sit on the bench if you want. I was going to sit down too.”

The knight rose, motioning towards the bench with his hand as he stepped back. “Please make yourself comfortable, Your Grace.”

Zelda smiled, approaching and plopping down, patting the space beside her. “Only if you join me.”

The knight watched her silently for a moment, face carefully neutral (just like Champion… she was beginning to notice a lot of similarities between the two), eyes alight with different thoughts, before obeying. He moved cautiously, hesitantly, as if he should spring to his feet and ready himself for a fight in an instant. There was no air of hostility, though – bemusement and anxiety were the better words, and Zelda almost laughed at it.

“I feel like it’s a little late for you to be out,” Zelda noted with a small smile. “Do you ever sleep? I swear you’re everywhere.”

“I am the captain of the royal guard, Your Grace. It’s my duty to know everything and be everywhere.” He answered before shifting uncomfortably. “I… beg Your Grace’s forgiveness for being so underdressed. It is, as you said, admittedly late, and I am… not currently on duty.”

“It’s okay,” she reassured him. “I’m not dressed properly either.”

At least she was just in a nightgown and not wearing her dress backwards like with that other Impa. Good grief.

The knight remained pointedly quiet and neutral, eyes looking ahead. Zelda waved dismissively, remembering how horrified the princess had been at being caught in casual attire in her bedroom. “I don’t care that you’re dressed down, or that I am. Really. I don’t know what it means in this culture, but to my people it’s not really a big deal. I mean, I wouldn’t go out like this but still. It’s not, like… the end of the world or something.”

When she got no acknowledgement, she pressed on, “What are you doing out here, though?”

The knight sighed. “I was… checking on someone.”

“Are they okay?”

“He is, Your Grace.”

Zelda tilted her head to the side, growing a little exasperated, but still enjoying the man’s company. Even though conversing was somewhat akin to pulling teeth, he still had a calming presence. She listened to the crickets for a while, looking out at nothing in particular before her eyes settled on the machines that the princess had talked about. They were deactivated right now, quietly resting up ahead.

“Is the person out here?” she asked.

“No, Your Grace,” the captain answered. “He’s asleep in the barracks. I just… check on him sometimes. And I come here to clear my mind. It’s too quiet to spar now.”

“Funny,” Zelda said with a chuckle. “I came here to clear my mind too.”

The knight glanced at her, though despite the obvious curiosity in his eyes, he didn’t question her. Zelda… appreciated it.

And, somehow, it opened the floodgates in her heart. “Everyone expects me to know everything, to have a solution to all the problems going on right now, and I just… don’t. I came here blind, I just… wanted to find Link, I…”

She trailed off, hugging herself and sighing heavily. “I’m going to help. I promise that. I want to help kill Demise, I want to protect everyone here. I just wish… there was a plan, you know? I mean, there is a plan, but the Triforce doesn’t even factor into it, and that was how I killed him last time, and… do you know anything about the Triforce? You said it was your job to know everything.”

As she glanced at the knight once more, she found him staring at her. His eyebrows were a little raised, and just a smidge closer to each other, but those were the biggest signs of his reactions, tempered by his valiant effort to remain stoic.

Zelda huffed. “You remind me of Champion.”

The captain grew even more confused, and she clarified, “Link. Your Hero of Hyrule.”

There was a pause, a moment where the captain simply continued to stare, before he let out a little exhale through his nose, a smile ghosting his lips, and he took a steadying breath and looking away.

“Do you know him well?” Zelda asked. “He’s so quiet, it’s hard to get to know him. But he’s very sweet.”

“I know him fairly well, Your Grace,” the knight answered quietly before continuing, “As for your question of the Triforce, I’m afraid I will fail you on this matter. I beg your pardon, but I know very little of the item, aside from its symbolism.”

“What symbolism?” Zelda questioned, desperate for any scrap of information she could get.

“The Triforce was some sort of powerful item used by the royal family,” the knight explained, eyes gazing towards his hands, which were clasped in his lap. “I don’t know what it was used for, specifically, but only that it helped them protect Hyrule. But the power of the goddess also protects Hyrule. The Triforce just appears in art and architecture now. I don’t even know specifically what it was used for in the past.”

“It was used to defeat Demise,” Zelda immediately said. “Link used it. My Link, that is. He destroyed the calamity with it.”

The crickets’ songs filled the air, and Zelda grew tired, not wanting to ponder the issue, emotions too raw from her fight with Link earlier in the day, from her revelation with the king, from all of it. “So you came out here for some peace of mind? I’m sorry I disturbed it.”

“I… please, don’t apologize, Your Grace, you didn’t disturb anything.” The knight stumbled over himself to appease her, stiffening a little as he looked at her once more.

“What were you doing, then?”

“I, um—I was—” he cut himself off, shifting, eyes looking between her and anywhere else. Zelda grew genuinely curious now, tilting her head to the side, waiting for him to explain himself. “I was, uh, p-praying, Your Grace.”

Oh. That was why it was awkward. “Uh… well, if it’s any consolation, I didn’t hear it.”

Zelda realized how bad that sounded, remembered how poorly the king took that information, and she hastily added, “But like—I can’t hear it, I mean I’m—look, I’m not Hylia, I mean I was, but I’m not now, and—”

This was getting worse the more she tried to explain it, but the knight at least didn’t look outright horrified like the king had. Instead, he looked almost relieved. “Your Grace… forgive my curiosity, but…”

“Please,” Zelda encouraged him, facing him fully. “Please just ask, it’s okay, I promise. I’m a normal person, I swear.”

“Your Grace is… Hylia, but not?” the knight questioned, looking genuinely confused.

“Yeah,” Zelda answered. “Look, I—Hylia died, long ago. She died fighting the calamity. Or, well, she was dying, and—Demise—Ganon mortally wounded me—I mean her, but she sealed him away. I—Hylia decided to be reborn in mortal flesh, because I knew the seal wouldn’t last, and she—she became me. But I’m also just a normal girl, born and raised on Skyloft, training to be a knight. Make sense?”

“Does Your Grace… remember being Hylia?”

“Yeah, mostly,” Zelda answered, rising and hugging herself. “It’s a little… I’m still sorting it out.”

“I suppose… you eventually will, Your Grace,” the captain said a little reassuringly. “You’re remembered and revered to this day, after all.”

“Time travel sure is a funny thing,” Zelda noted with a weak laugh. “Sorry to dump all that on you, but… thanks for listening.”

Goddesses, it felt amazing just to say that, to know somebody actually listened to her instead of assuming everything. She smiled genuinely, wanting to hug the man, and then remembered abruptly, “Oh gosh, I don’t even know your name! I’m so sorry. I’m Zelda—well, you already knew that, but—I mean you’re calling me by—it’s okay. Yeah.”

The captain watched her with obvious uncertainty before he tried to get himself together. Then he said, “My name is Abel.”

“Captain Abel…” Zelda said carefully, trying to memorize the name. She was usually pretty good with names, though it was really hard to say one way or another considering she hardly ever met anyone new until her journey. But then she smiled, filled with energy and relief, and she dashed forward to hug him. “Thanks for listening.”

XXX

The castle looked strangely… empty. Every time he looked outside one of the cavernous windows, he saw something different. Sometimes it was rivers of lava, their heat making the air swim in ways he’d never seen until going to the Surface. Sometimes, it was a field with strange four-legged animals grazing peacefully. Other times it was islands amidst endless water, like the Lanayru Sea before it had dried up.

He didn’t know what to make of any of it.

The castle hallway he was in never seemed to end, though. But he could still hear familiar sounds in the air, a magical hum that he knew intimately, a growl from beneath him, light and dark swirling in strange arrays, like bits of cloud floating through the air.

When he finally reached where the hallway seemed to terminate, he realized it was simply a dead end. He was suddenly surrounded by stone walls, and he wanted nothing more than to claw his way out and see the open sky again.

But he wasn’t alone.

His successor stood there at the end, holding a torch, watching him silently. His face was stony, eyes piercing, stance broad and strong. Fi was strapped securely to his back, humming.

Link took a hesitant step back, unsure what this meant, what to do.

The flames on the torch flickered and rippled as if blown by a breeze. Then the flames extinguished entirely, drowning Link in darkness. He felt his breath quicken, and he took a startled step away, but then suddenly the torch was lit again, and—

Someone different was holding it. Another teenager, though this one was a dirty blonde, hair stained nearly brunette, shorter and messier. He wore clothes that looked like Link’s own uniform, albeit with some modifications and in a darker shade of green. His own expression was more severe than the champion’s, eyes discerning.

Link tried to ask who he was, but he found he couldn’t speak. He clutched at his throat, and then his chest, trying to figure out why the words wouldn’t come out. He started to panic.

Another figure stepped out from behind this new one. Another dressed in green, with lighter blonde hair, and then another, and then—

Was that Link?

Amidst the crowd, he saw himself walk to the front, looking worn thin, clothes tattered and oversized for his ragged frame.

Fi chimed again. Link backed up until he hit a wall. When had there been a wall behind him?!

Arms encircled him, and he balked, trying to push them off. They were strong, but they were gentle, a caress and hug rather than a choking hold. Feathers floated in the air, white and airy, promising the sky and freedom and home.

“It’ll be okay, my dove,” a voice whispered in his ear.

Zelda?!

“Link. Link.”

Link twisted as best he could to find her. She sounded so far away all of a sudden.

“Link?”

Link’s eyes snapped open with a gasp. He was in the castle room, the large bed nearly swallowing him whole, wrapped in multiple blankets. He glanced around to see Zelda sitting beside him, hovering over him.

“Are you okay?” she asked worriedly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Link rubbed his face, trying to slow his heart rate. One weird dream was just a weird dream, but this was the second nightmare like this. Just like…

He had a bad feeling about this.

“I’m fine,” he lied.

Zelda watched him a moment longer, certainly not believing it, and sighed. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Link huffed. “You really are pushy when it comes to me, aren’t you?”

Zelda poked him, and he yelped in protest. “Because I love you, ding dong! Tell me what’s wrong!”

Link groaned, collapsing back into the pillows and pulling the blanket over his head. The bed shifted, and Link distinctly felt Zelda crawl under the blankets to wiggle up to him and get in his face again. He laughed, unable to really be grumpy about it anymore, and she giggled too.

“It was a nightmare,” he sighed, but waved it off dismissively, in good spirits. “But I’m okay.”

Zelda hummed a little, pushing the blankets off both of them and sitting up. Then she brightened. “Well, this might help get your mind off it – I asked Captain Abel to teach us how to ride a horse!”

Link blinked, confused. “Who’s Captain Abel? What’s a horse? It’s not even sunrise yet!”

“Captain Abel is that royal guard we keep running into! He guided us out of Castle Town that night we were exploring,” Zelda explained. “And horses are big four-legged animals that people ride here, like we ride loftwings. Except they can’t fly.”

“What’s the point, then?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They’re cute enough,” Zelda shrugged. “And since there aren’t loftwings here, I guess they have to get around somehow.”

Link swallowed, feeling a little sad at the remark that there were no loftwings. He couldn’t imagine life without this crimson companion. But he was certainly curious to see what a horse was, and he felt almost kind of eager to see that guard (at least now he knew his name… assuming he remembered it) – something about the man was reassuring in all this insanity. He'd certainly appreciated the guard's help earlier in the day.

Link smiled, following his beloved out of bed as the pair quickly dressed in their knight uniforms and ran outside.

XXX

Princess Zelda paced her room somewhat anxiously. She’d planned this trip meticulously, hoping everything would work out, sending letters to multiple locations in anticipation of their arrival. She’d arranged for all the provisions required for such a journey with the entourage they would be bringing, and she tried to be considerate of all the races and not offend anyone in her chosen destinations and guests. It was exhausting.

Worst of all, though… “Oh, but what if somehow Her Grace is unhappy with it all?”

Her friend and advisor, Impa, huffed a little, staring out the window. “Believe me, Her Grace is quite capable of acting like any other person. She’s not as haughty as you assume.”

“I mean, I have spoken with her, but still,” Zelda fretted. “This is different!”

It was different, after all. So far, everything that had happened was out of Zelda’s control. This trip was entirely on her, it had been her idea. Despite the information Hylia had relayed yesterday—that, somehow, she was but wasn’t the goddess—it didn’t change the fact that she was Hylia in some major capacity, that she would be Zelda’s instructor, and that she had to make this work.

“Zelda,” Impa interrupted her frantic worries. “She’s here to help, isn’t she? You can’t be worried about offending her like this. Just talk to her and listen. She’s… I bet she isn’t as intimidating as you think.”

The princess sighed, hugging herself and settling a little before smiling at her friend. Impa seemed so levelheaded on the matter – Zelda hoped one day she could have such faith and trust in matters like these. She was certainly grateful for her friend.

Taking a steadying breath, she reached for the Sheikah slate and clipped it on her belt. It was time to begin this journey.

XXX

Hyrule castle was buzzing with activity as the sun climbed into the sky. Attendants from all the corners of the kingdom were gathering in an entourage, ready to escort the royal company across the land. It had been agreed that each respective champion would remain in their territory once that Divine Beast was visited, as they would continue to work on preparing for the coming Calamity. The order in which they went, then, was up for some debate.

Revali was eager to show off his abilities and his Divine Beast first, and had said as much to the princess. However, Daruk was insistent that he get back to Death Mountain as soon as possible (he didn’t have the heart to admit that he really needed to practice piloting his Divine Beast, having almost made it step on his city once or twice), so they would have to backtrack a little. Princess Zelda tried to plan out everything as best she could, determined to show the goddess and her hero the beauty of the land they’d created and protected through the millennia.

Mipha shifted anxiously as the champions and princess awaited their divine guests. She glanced at Link, who was stoic as ever, and she tried to emulate his posture, hovering close to Daruk. Urbosa, meanwhile, stayed just behind the princess, while Revali nearly pushed himself to the front.

Honestly. Everyone acted so anxious. It wasn’t as if Hylia had shown any indication of being upset with anyone. Revali wasn’t nervous, for certain. He didn’t have anything to prove. Not at all. He knew he was the best. He’d worked for it. Hylia likely knew it too. She was a goddess after all.

What an honor this was! To go to the divine protector of Hyrule and be able to show her his prowess in battle. To go to the Hero of Myth, the man who had defeated the Calamity in ages past, and prove that he was the superior warrior to Link. Revali felt himself smile in anticipation, stomach definitely not in anxious knots like the others. He was certainly irate that he would not be the first to show his Divine Beast, but he would make the greatest impression. Let Daruk’s be a warm up round before Revali showed what a true Champion could accomplish.

The sound of horses caught everyone’s attention, and just around the bend came the goddess herself and her hero, both atop chestnut stallions. They sat up straight, wearing what seemed to be traditional attire of the Hero according to legends past (notably, Hylia wore her hair in a braid, which caught Revali’s attention as those were common among the Rito), the picture of regal perfection, and for a brief moment Revali did feel his heart speed up a bit.

No matter, though. He would prove himself just fine. He would.

The divine couple guided their steeds to join the group, towering over nearly everyone. King Rhoam led the crowd in genuflecting towards them as Hylia looked over the entourage.

As the massive group of people knelt before them, Zel glanced uncertainly at her husband. The pair had just been practicing riding the horses after the captain had dismissed himself. They hadn’t really meant to find the entire castle waiting for them.

Do you remember how to get off these animals? Link seemed to ask with his eyes, motioning his head a little towards the ground.

Well. It seemed fairly straightforward. But the ground was a little far, and the saddle a little wobbly when Zelda tried to shift her weight to dismount. Loftwings were certainly different. And they didn’t have these foot things—stirrups, right?—that got in the way.

“We wish you the safest of journeys,” King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule pronounced solemnly, rising. The others took this as an indication to do so as well.

Zelda and Link exchanged looks again, not entirely sure how to answer, so she simply said, “Thank you.”

The group began to move, forming a protective wall of people all around them. Link shrugged at Zelda. At least they wouldn’t have to try to dismount in front of everyone.

The loftwing-like person from the festival approached them, bowing deeply. “It is an honor to be traveling with Your Grace and your spouse. I, Revali, Master of the Winds, will ensure your safe journey. We will be going to my domain shortly, where I can show you the true power of the Divine Beasts and assure you that Hyrule will be safe with my protection.”

Oh! Zelda remembered this man clearly! He was the one who had reminded her of Groose! At the time they’d first met she’d been exasperated, but now she was amused. She almost giggled, but instead she just smiled and nodded.

Link’s smile was far more mischievous.

Zellie looked absolutely excited as she walked up to them, hands clasped in front of her heart. “I arranged a carriage for Your Grace if you wish. But in either case, I’m very eager to show you Hyrule! We’ll be going to Death Mountain first, so we’ll be heading northeast. We have plenty of provisions for the journey, and we’ll be arriving at the Moor Garrison by the end of the day. After that it should be a little under a day’s ride to get us to the Foothill Stable, and we can camp there and arrive at Goron City the next day. I figured after that you should see the Akkala Citadel, as it is the pride of Hyrule’s military, before we move on to our next destination.”

Zelda nodded along, growing equally excited to see all those places. Though… did they have to bring enough people to fill all of Skyloft?

“I don’t know if you were ever actually properly introduced to all the Champions,” Zellie continued. “So I wished to do that as we all will be traveling together and Your Grace will be seeing their Divine Beasts. You’ve, ah, met Revali, of course. This is Urbosa, Chief of the Gerudo, Champion of Divine Beast Vah Naboris.”

Zelda glanced at the tall woman, remembering her from the festival as well. Urbosa nodded respectfully.

“Then there is Daruk, pride of the Gorons. He is Champion of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania.”

Zelda recalled seeing some Gorons during her journey, and she knew their people from—before. She smiled eagerly at Daruk, remembering the Goron people’s exuberance and passion for life, excited to get to know him a little more. Link seemed at ease with him as well. Daruk, for his part, waved casually, bringing both Skyloftians some relief – at least someone would act normally around them.

“Lastly, Princess Mipha of the Zora, Champion of Divine Beast Vah Ruta and heir to the Zora throne.”

Heir? Princess? There was another kingdom? Princess Mipha looked very serious, stiffly bowing her head from where she stood on the ground below. Zelda tried to smile kindly, easily picking up on the stress the girl was radiating. Maybe it was a princess thing to be so anxious.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” she acknowledged. Link smiled at them as well, though he didn’t bother speaking.

With the pleasantries aside, Zelda found herself starting to feel a little uncomfortable. They were surrounded by a veritable army, and though she was introduced to the notable people they would be traveling with, there were still… so many around them.

Link seemed equally uncomfortable with the group, glancing at all the soldiers. When Zellie and the other champions mounted horses or prepared to leave, the Skyloftians quietly followed along. Zelda caught sight of Captain Abel in the group of soldiers who were watching them depart, and she was a little sad he wasn’t tagging along. She desperately needed him to remind her how to get off this horse, among other things.

As they passed through Castle Town, attracting the attention of literally everyone and making Zelda and Link want to disappear, Link started to goad his horse to move a little faster. He had to back down on the pace as there were too many people, but Zelda picked up on her husband’s restlessness, and what he was planning.

She smiled and winked at him. As soon as they were outside the city walls, they both bolted.

The wind blew through her hair, somewhat reminding her of flying on her beloved loftwing, and Zelda laughed, nearly standing in her saddle, filled with energy. Link was giggling with the same exuberance, throwing his arms out and letting the wind carry him a little. They outran the entourage quickly as people yelped and moved out of the way, and before they knew it, they appeared to be alone out in this vast world.

Zelda looked around, enamored at the sight of the Surface, and then heard hooves stomping and wings flapping. She looked up first, excited at the sound of feathers tearing through air, and saw the one called Revali quickly catching up to them. A short distance away, Zellie, Champion, and two of the three other guests were following on horseback, and the Goron was rolling along to keep up.

“Well,” she looked over at Link. “At least we outran the rest of them.”

Link’s cheeks were flushed with adrenaline. He wanted to keep running. Zelda moved to continue the chase before the bouncing from the horse nearly knocked her off her saddle. Her husband gasped, leaping from his steed to get to her and knocking both of them to the ground by accident.

Well, that was one way to dismount, she supposed.

“You okay?” Link asked just as the others caught up to them.

Zelda laughed in reply.

“Your Grace!” Zellie called, dismounting with ease as she ran up to them. “What happened? Did the horses get spooked? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Just behind the princess, Zelda could see one of the stranger looking champions wobbling uncertainly in her saddle, and Champion reached out to steady her, making her pale cheeks flush as she spluttered. Link huffed overtop Zelda, rolling off and sighing.

“I’m fine,” Zelda answered, sitting up. “But let’s keep moving before the rest of those people catch up!”

She felt herself filled with excitable energy, climbing atop the horse she’d borrowed from Captain Abel, and Link scrambled to do the same. Zellie seemed bemused, but she followed along, glancing back at the entourage uncertainly.

“We’re far less burdened this way, anyway,” Revali noted.

“We’ll attract less attention too,” Urbosa added. “That would make traveling safer. Let the entourage follow behind and bring the crowds.”

Yes, please, let them deal with the crowds, Zelda thought gratefully.

“Don’t worry about my Goron brothers, they’ll catch up to us at Death Mountain just fine!” Daruk added. “We can move on without them if we want.”

Link didn’t need any other impetus, goading his horse to run ahead, bouncing a little haphazardly in the saddle as he tried to remember what Captain Abel had taught them. It was… somewhat equivalent to riding a loftwing. But also completely not – there was no bond with this animal, not nearly in the same way that Zelda felt with her loftwing. This felt far more dangerous and wild, out of control and thrilling.

She did miss her loftwing, though.

Much to her relief, it seemed she and Link weren’t the only ones struggling on saddles, though. Princess Mipha did not seem very comfortable riding a horse, either, given how she seemed ill fitted for the saddle anyway. Champion hovered close to her, sharp, watchful gaze shifting between the two princesses and the Skyloftians.

Zellie eventually got ahead of Link, leading the way as they all charged across the field. Zelda hardly had a chance to really admire the scenery, eager as she was to escape the confines of the castle and its countless attendants, but what she gathered as they went took her breath away. She still hadn’t gotten over the beauty of the Surface, its vastness far beyond anything she could understand, even with her memories.

Eventually the group reached a bridge, and Zellie slowed their pace. Zelda noted with slight discomfort that it was midday, and her stomach was loudly reminding her (and Link) that they had skipped breakfast in lieu of riding lessons.

And wow was she sore from riding.

“Well, we’re making better time than I thought,” Zellie observed, looking at the sky. “I suppose it is a little easier at a faster clip, though the horses can’t maintain it for much longer. Let’s go to Moor Garrison for a rest and then perhaps we can make it to the stable a little after nightfall if we try?”

“I agree,” Urbosa piped up, giving Zellie some confidence in her decision.

Now that they were going at a more reasonable pace, Zelda had time to catch her breath and observe the others a bit more. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was worth striking up a conversation or not – there were so many of them now; she felt a little overwhelmed trying to establish a connection. Zellie seemed very focused on navigating, so she didn’t bother her. Champion hovered between Zellie and Princess Mipha, while Daruk lumbered cheerily. Revali seemed to be taking a break from flying, walking alongside the group, while Urbosa nearly rode alongside Zellie – those two seemed to have a close connection.

Zelda sighed, guiding her horse to be beside Link’s. The pair glanced at each other and smiled. It helped her feel a little more at ease.

Maybe part of the issue was that she had to reintroduce herself as someone to not be worshipped, that these were four new people who thought she was just Hylia.

“So we were in Central Hyrule,” Zellie suddenly said, pulling out a map to show them. “We’re going to be passing briefly through Lanayru before we get to the Akkala region.”

“It’s all very beautiful,” Zelda commented genuinely. “I… could have never imagined our settlement would grow into this.”

Zellie beamed. Link’s eyes softened as he watched her, looking between the two young women. Then he asked, “You keep mentioning them, and I know they helped defeat the demon king in the past, but… what’s a Divine Beast?”

“Oh! I—I didn’t realize I’d never explained,” Zellie gasped. “They are ancient relics, mechanical beasts designed to help fight the Calamity.”

Oh. So they were machines too? Like the guardians, perhaps?

It was weird, honestly, to hear of something spoken as ancient and know it was still in her future. She wondered how old Hyrule truly was at this point. She was certainly curious what they’d look like – perhaps they had stemmed from the technology of Lanayru’s past? Or were they something completely different?

While Zelda spoke with the princess, Link found himself suddenly feeling something in his personal space. He glanced over to see the Champion Revali lazily flapping alongside him.

“It is an honor to make your acquaintance,” the loftwing man said with a nod of his head. “Speaking with a warrior of your caliber is a once in a lifetime opportunity, after all, and an honor for us both.”

Both? Link bit back a smile. This man really did remind him of Groose.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to speak to you about the princess’ plan for Calamity Ganon,” Revali continued, catching Link’s attention fully. “I was hoping we could discuss the matter when we reach Moor Garrison.”

Link nodded, eyes focused, eager to hear his idea. Revali gave what seemed to be a smile and then flew ahead.

Meanwhile, Mipha was wiggling her feet in a desperate attempt to reach the stirrups for what felt like the eighteenth time that day. She’d nearly fallen off her horse when they’d all gone to a full canter. She wished they designed saddles for Zora, but her people hardly rode these animals.

If only the path included a river in which I could swim, she lamented. At least Moor Garrison was close, and that was by water.

Honestly, this entire venture so far had been stressful and strange. Hylia and her Hero were quiet but almost endearing – she could sense anxious energy off them initially, reminded painfully of Link, but once they’d rushed ahead of everyone they seemed far more cheerful.

It was strange. She’d never suspected a goddess would not like crowds. She wondered if Hylia didn’t like her.

When the garrison came into view, Mipha finally gave up on the horse, wiggling off the saddle, letting Link help her to the ground as he hastily moved to keep her from falling. She smiled shyly in thanks, pointedly trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered, and walked in the back of the group as Link moved ahead to keep up with the princess.

Moor Garrison was a rather small place of respite, but it was pleasant enough. The soldiers had a grand welcome for them, standing in parade formation, and Princess Zelda had sent the court poet ahead of them, so he was there waiting to entertain the group with stories of old while they were served lunch. Mipha settled beside Daruk, who was chatting happily about how he’d share some rock roast with everyone upon their arrival to Death Mountain (Mipha was… not looking forward to the visit, but she had some elixirs at the ready), giving herself as much space from the esteemed guests as possible. On Daruk’s other side was Link, then Chief Urbosa, Princess Zelda, Hylia, her sacred spouse, and Revali.

As everyone settled in for the meal, Revali started to bring up his topic of conversation once more, catching the Skyloftian knight’s attention. “As I was saying on the road, I wished to discuss Princess Zelda’s plan of attack with you, if you are willing to hear me.”

Link nodded, eyes wide with curiosity.

“At the festival, I noticed your hesitancy in returning the sword that seals the darkness to Princess Zelda’s knight,” Revali noted, and Link started to squirm uncomfortably, feeling immediate dread. What was this about? “I understand your concerns, of course. While he is a somewhat capable fighter, there are those who are far superior in ability. I cannot fathom why the sword might have chosen him, but due to that sacred relic, the entire kingdom is convinced he must be the one to face Ganon, despite my superior skills.”

Link bit the inside of his cheek. “Aren’t you all fighting Ganon?”

“The Divine Beasts are meant as support,” Revali explained. “And the actual task of dealing the final blow to Calamity Ganon falls to that Hylian, while Princess Zelda must learn how to seal it away. I believe this is a mistake.”

Link nodded, eyebrows rising. “You want to be the hero.”

“It’s not a matter of wanting, it’s simple logic,” Revali mildly argued. “If I am the better warrior, then I should be the one on the front lines, not relegated to being a sidekick.”

Wow, this one really did remind him of Groose. He sighed a little, glancing at his goblet of water. “The role of hero is not one that we choose, I’m afraid. Are you asking that I suggest your plan instead?”

“I can suggest it myself, good Hero,” Revali huffed, seeming entertained at Link’s question. “But it might have some more… poignancy if you are in agreement.”

It was strange, listening to this. During his own journey, Groose had been little more than a thorn in his side until his classmate had gotten his act together, and then he’d been exceedingly helpful. But this Revali person seemed outright a threat, trying to undermine Fi’s new master. Link didn’t particularly like it.

Not that he really liked any of this, but that was a moot point by now.

“If the sword chose him, then it is the will of the goddess,” Link finally said. “I will not argue with that.”

Revali’s feathers ruffled in the same way Crimson’s would when annoyed. Link almost laughed, but he kept it together. For his part, the Rito warrior was at least polite, humming his annoyance away and picking at his food.

The court poet caught everyone’s attention at this point, playing music and singing for their enjoyment. He spoke of a Great Calamity of ten thousand years ago (ten thousand?!), of a hero of old and how the guardians and divine beasts helped him defeat the Calamity before the sacred princess sealed it away. Link started to wonder exactly how many heroes there had been between his era and now, and the nightmare from that morning nagged at him. He put his fork down, losing his appetite a little.

At least Zel looked like she was having a good time. Link could be happy for that.

It wasn’t that this journey wasn’t interesting or anything, but… he didn’t know. He felt restless and aimless, agitated to be here but wanting to help but not knowing how. What could he do to assist? Fi had chosen another, better master, Zel had to help Zellie, the champions all had their tasks… Link was just… there.

Was this better than being the one solely responsible for saving the world, or was it worse?

Whatever. He could support Zel. At least this time they weren’t separated.

He wasn’t exactly looking forward to this Death Mountain place, though. The name wasn’t promising, and it wasn’t as if he couldn’t see Eldin Mountain in the distance. He wondered if they were the same thing.

He hated volcanoes. He hated everything about them. No good thing had happened in Eldin. Not a one.

At least that Daruk fellow seemed friendly. The Goron archaeologist, Gorko, had been kind and friendly too, so perhaps it was a Goron thing. The mogmas… well, they were hit or miss. He hoped none of them would need rescuing this time around.

…Oh wait. He’d not seen any mogmas at the festival. Were they…?

Link swallowed, heart aching, stomach twisting a little. He wasn’t sure he liked this whole time traveling thing.

Farther down the table, the Hylian Champion listened to the retelling of the Great Calamity for what felt like the thousandth time. He’d heard the tale so often he could probably sing it in his sleep at this point. It didn’t make it any less awkward when it was sung around him, what with the implications of his own position.

Link did find that he was fairly grateful that they’d outrun the entourage. He rarely traveled with such a large group, and to think that he’d be under such scrutiny for a trip across the entire kingdom had nearly made him nauseous when he’d seen the crowd gathering. He was eternally grateful that Hylia seemed equally unhappy with the prospect. She’d at least dismissed the idea in a seemingly unobtrusive way, so as not to offend the princess.

The princess was probably grateful for it too. Link knew she’d organized it, but still. She liked traveling with little to no accompaniment.

He sighed, staring forlornly at his empty plate, wishing for another helping, half listening as Princess Zelda told Hylia of the Akkala region. The goddess seemed particularly interested in the hot springs. Link felt his heart warm at the thought of the hot springs too – they were quite nice. He should find some once they got there to make sure Mipha could be comfortable too.

More than anything, though, he wanted to go to Gut Check Rock. He really enjoyed hanging out with the Gorons there, and Daruk wouldn’t pass up a chance at the challenge, either.

Perhaps… perhaps he could… glancing at the end of the table, he caught sight or Revali flapping his beak at the Hero of Myth and Legend. His mood soured a little at the sight of it, worry and annoyance fighting for dominance. He wasn’t sure what Revali was yapping about, though he imagined speaking ill of him was part of it, but the last thing the Ancient Hero needed was a reason to feel more doubt in himself, and Revali was certainly good at stepping on others to make himself look taller.

Or maybe he just reserved that behavior for Link. Who knew.

Well, lunch would be over soon enough. Zelda seemed eager to get everyone to Death Mountain as quickly as possible. It would be interesting figuring out sleeping arrangements at the stable, though – would Zelda send word ahead for the goddess? Surely they would have a private area set apart for her, yes? A stable was far too public a place.

This journey was certainly going to be interesting.

Link’s musings were interrupted when Hylia herself rose, walking around the table and tracing her hand across the mythical hero’s back invitingly. He smiled at her as she skipped down to the court poet and asked if he knew any songs for dancing. The bard eagerly replied that he did, only looking slightly nervous at having to entertain the goddess herself (or, well, her past self… Link was slowly trying to wrap his head around what he’d observed and what she’d told them). As he played, the couple started to dance something foreign, mirroring each other and circling the room while laughing.

Their giggles were infectious, relieving the tension that had built up around the group, and Link felt himself relax as well.

“Well, it’s good to know that Hylia herself has a sense of fun!” Daruk whispered cheerily. “I was worried this trip might be a bit serious, you know?”

She certainly had a sense of adventure, that was for certain, but Link wouldn’t admit that.

Eventually, the cheer from the couple’s dancing spurred more to accompany them. Daruk was so eager, feet tapping away happily under the table, that he grabbed Urbosa and rushed out to the dance floor with her. The Gerudo chief seemed fairly amused with it, and she motioned to the princess with her head. As soon as Zelda joined the fray, Hylia and her Hero (Cloud, he remembered now that they'd decided to nickname him Cloud) dragged her into a dance, giggling the entire time. Seeing the princess’ exuberant smile actually brought some relief to Link – she never had this much fun usually.

Curious, Link looked to his left again to see Revali scowling a little, and he almost laughed. He wondered if the sourpuss even knew how to dance. He kind of wanted to join in, but this was far too public a setting for such a thing. Mipha, on the other hand, was covering her mouth to hide a smile as she enjoyed the spectacle, eyes darting between Link and the dance floor.

“Oh come on, you three!” Daruk bellowed in his deep voice. “Don’t leave us hangin’ like this! We all gotta have some fun!”

Revali rolled his eyes, grumbling and crossing his arms. Link shifted a little awkwardly, while Mipha grew nervous.

Hylia took notice of the matter, and she nearly galloped over to them, skipping in time. She reached for Link first, much to his alarm and horror, dragging him down to the dance floor and then standing across from him with a beaming smile. She clapped in rhythm to the music, and Link shakily followed suit, unable to really hide the absolute terror from his face, but it only seemed to bring her all the more amusement.

“I suppose none of you would know our dances,” she commented as she took him by the wrists. “We’ll have to improvise!”

With that, she started to spin, dragging Link along with her until the two nearly crashed into everyone else on the dance floor. Hylia laughed, giddy and dizzy, and the two stumbled until Link rammed into Daruk’s belly while Hylia found her husband and leaned against him, breathless with delight. Then she took off for the table again, finding another victim. She honed in on Revali next, and Link really did nearly lose his composure at the Rito’s alarmed expression. He couldn’t exactly say no to the goddess herself, but it was very clear he’d rather die than be in this situation.

Link almost felt bad for him. Almost.

That left Mipha, who Cloud singled out with an inviting hand and a gentle, happy smile. The Zora princess shyly took his hand, not quite sure what to do but not as completely humiliated as Revali seemed to be.

Mipha tried to follow along with the dance moves that the Sacred Hero was doing. The Zora princess watched his feet intently, and Link found himself smiling at her intense focus paired with her wide, anxious eyes.

Goddess, she was really cute sometimes.

He got distracted when Princess Zelda nearly slammed into him, laughing breathlessly as Daruk and she had been spinning around the room. Link stumbled backwards to avoid an outright collision and backpedaled directly into Urbosa’s abs. Blushing profusely, he scurried to the corner of the dance floor, trying to disappear into the shadows while Hylia continued to play with (torment) Revali, Daruk and Zelda started bouncing around each other, Urbosa gracefully moved to a different corner to watch, and Cloud and Mipha matched steps in beat with the music.

Eventually, the spectacle came to an end. With lunch finished and everyone thoroughly winded, they headed outside the building to catch their breath and prepare to continue their journey. The soldiers escorted them to Thims Bridge, where they crossed into the Lanayru Region to make their way towards the base of the mountain.

The beach glistened, and Mipha took a delighted, yearning look towards the water as they went. Link moved his steed a bit closer to hers, catching her attention. He glanced between the water and her as well, a silent invitation, and she needed no further impetus. Smiling in delight, she leapt off the horse and into the water, swimming with speed that nearly surpassed any canter Link could reach with his mare. It caught Hylia and Cloud’s attention as well, and they watched her with awe as she moved gracefully.

“It seems Princess Mipha wishes to lead the way for a bit,” Urbosa commented, amused. “We should keep moving if we want to get there by nightfall.”

“Yes, right,” Princess Zelda agreed, goading her horse to move forward once more. Link’s mare fell in step behind her, eyes alert.

Revali flew overhead, having seemingly given up on any socializing after the dance. Link found he couldn’t complain about the matter. Hylia and Cloud often looked up at him with a strange, distant expression, though. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Our provisions!” Zelda gasped, realizing only now that with the entourage left in the dust, a bulk of their supplies were missing.

“Don’t worry, princess!” Daruk piped up. “I’ll roll ahead and get some fireproof elixirs for everyone!”

Cloud glanced over at him, waving him off. “I’ll be alright.”

“The temperatures on Death Mountain are not to be trifled with, Hero,” Urbosa warned mildly. “None but Gorons can tolerate it.”

“I can,” Cloud insisted, playing with his red earrings. “These will protect me.”

“He’s right,” Hylia agreed, smiling at him gently. “Those are blessed by Din herself. The heat won’t harm him.”

“Maybe we should share them,” Cloud suggested, glancing at Hylia.

“They’re my gift to you,” Hylia replied waving her hand. “I’ll try the elixir.”

Her gift? A gift that held the blessing of one of the goddesses of old?

Link swallowed, remembering just how otherworldly these two were.

Daruk settled on the matter, moving ahead, and the realization that the Hylian Champion was fighting with seemed to settle with the others as well, making the group grow quiet. The beauty of Hyrule didn’t escape Link’s notice, though, as they moved through forests to head to their destination. Akkala Citadel towered in the distance, catching Hylia’s attention, and Princess Zelda explained briefly for her, informing her they would go there after Death Mountain.

At this point, Mipha had long abandoned the river, but had also abandoned any notion of trying to ride the horse provided to her. Link felt a little guilty watching her walk alongside the group, but she seemed much happier on the matter, even if her shorter legs had to work harder to keep up.

The Foothill Stable came into view just as the sky grew almost too dark to see the path ahead. The lamplight of the stable was a welcome sight, and everyone picked up their pace. It seemed the stable personnel had erected some kind of separate addition to their large tent, allowing for a private place for Hylia and her immortal spouse to rest, and the area had been cleared of other visitors so the princess and the champions could inhabit the main tent.

Link watched as Princess Zelda chatted excitedly with Urbosa about the next day, and he relaxed a little. She was safe here, and the first day of this strange journey was over without any major issue. He glanced at Mipha, who had huddled on a corner bed, rubbing her feet a little, looking exhausted. He approached her, settling beside her, wishing he himself had healing magic to make her less sore than she likely was. Perhaps he could find a way to help her ride her horse tomorrow.

Across the way, the Skyloftians stood outside, staring at the foreboding mountain ahead.

“I hate volcanoes,” Link sighed.

Zel bit her lip uncertainly. He knew she wasn’t a fan of them either, honestly. It made him feel crushing guilt just seeing the expression on her face, reliving a moment that could have been avoided if he’d just moved. Her eyes softened, though, as she said, “I’ve heard there’s a redeeming quality to them, though. Zellie said that there are hot springs nearby, and they’re supposed to be quite nice. Want to see? There should be some close by from what I heard.”

Link shrugged. Honestly, he just wanted to sleep – after their fun at that garrison, he’d been growing steadily more uncomfortable riding the horse, aches and pains that he was still trying to become familiar with calling for attention. He’d collected so many injuries during his journey, but they’d mostly healed by now. Long days just… tended to remind him of them. Nevertheless, he was willing to play along. Zelda smiled excitedly at him as she led him away from the stable and the scrutiny of the others.

It was in fact a very brief walk to find some hot springs, based on how they’d been described to her. The water was steamy, looking akin to a bath, but far brighter blue than he was used to.

“Is this it?” Link scrunched his nose in confusion. “It’s like a bath?”

“Sort of,” Zelda giggled. “They said it’s like a little lake, but it’s heated by the volcano.”

Link winced. “Volcano heat is bad, Zelda, it’s too hot. You can’t go in there.”

“They said this is comfortable, silly,” Zelda reassured him, slipping a gentle hand into his and leading him away from where they were standing.

“Why do you want to try it so badly?” Link asked.

Zelda shrugged. “I just want to try it.��

Link was an airhead, it was true. But he was observant when he needed to be. Zelda had an ulterior motive; he just wasn’t sure what it was. He was already in too much pain to argue, though, so he stayed silent for the rest of the trek. His mind started buzzing more than his scars, and next thing he knew he was back in the Earth Temple, fighting for his life, his lungs burning, trying to catch up to Zelda only to be too late. He was so caught up in the image of her standing beside Impa, her ankle distinctly red and angry and painful, blisters appearing from the heat of the shackle that had held her, the words too late burning in his mind more than any magma could, that he barely registered his clothes being removed until he gasped a little as his shirt was tugged.

“Arms up, Link.” Zelda prompted gently, her eyes searching his. “Are you okay?”

He was too dazed, too disoriented, too dizzy, too hot—

Link flinched away from Zelda, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt Zelda’s small hands touch his elbows in a gesture to pull him close to her. He pushed her away. He wasn’t in the mood, not here, he was tired, he was in pain.

“Link… Dove, open your eyes.”

The loving, soft tone made his breath hitch, and he obeyed. Zelda was watching him with concern, and he wanted to kick himself for worrying her so much.

She stroked his cheek gently, giving a small smile. “It’s okay, Link. This is just a bath in some nice, warm water. I just… I just wanted you to try it. Zellie said it’s good for easing tension and pain out of the body, and I know you’ve been hurting since lunch.”

Link cursed himself again. He usually was so good at reading Zelda, he should have known she was insisting because of him, because he couldn’t keep up, because pain, injury, slow, useless was written all over his face. He didn’t have an argument for it, either, and that made him even more frustrated. Relenting, he pulled his shirt off, and then his trousers. Zelda watched his face carefully, and the hunger in her eyes from a few days ago when they’d last been in this position was completely missing. Instead, it felt… comfortable. Familiar. She slowly pulled her uniform off and walked with him into the water.

The instant the heat touched him he flinched despite knowing it couldn’t hurt him. However, then the warmth trickled into his skin, easing his tense muscles, and relaxing him to the bone. He sank into the water with a heavy, relieved sigh, and his head automatically rested on Zelda’s shoulder. He felt her wrap an arm around his waist as the two sat on some rock formation that served as a bench under the water. The bubbling hot spring reached their collarbones, immersing them in a pleasant massage that Link had never felt before. And yet… something about this situation felt familiar, but distantly so, like from a dream.

“Better?” Zelda whispered into his hair.

Link hummed in reply, closing his eyes. He floated in warm bliss until he heard Zelda hiss a little. His eyes snapped open in an instant. “What’s wrong?”

Zelda held his right hand and pulled his arm out of the water. He followed her gaze, his eyes briefly glossing over the feather like patterns of lightning scars tracing their way from his hand to his shoulder like ivy growing along a tree. Then he watched her trace the patterns with her hand.

“I didn’t realize they traveled all the way up,” she whispered.

Link blinked. Wait, had she never…? Oh. No, he supposed she hadn’t seen them in their entirety. They were a bit… preoccupied the last time he was shirtless. He skipped answering and went straight to comforting, partly because he could clearly see how much it bothered her to look at it and partly because it bothered him to think about it. “They’re old, it’s fine.”

Zelda’s eyes transitioned from his arm to his shoulder, to the scars on his chest and abdomen, old reminders of his hasty, frantic, and reckless attempts through so many temples to get to her. Then she looked him in the eye, her eyebrows scrunching in that familiar determined and worried expression. “But they’re what’s hurting you, aren’t they?”

Link swallowed and looked away, unable to answer. He heard Zelda sigh.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, her voice thick with emotion.

Link snapped his attention back to his wife. “Don’t even, Zel. We’ve already talked about this.”

Zelda bit her trembling lip, eyes filled with tears. “You… you almost died, Link. When it was all over you almost died. And you… you didn’t say anything was wrong, you just fell, I almost…”

This wasn’t about their current predicament. This was about… about what had happened to them, personally. Link pulled her gaze to him with a guiding hand to her chin. They locked eyes. “I would do it again, Zelda. I would do it a thousand times for you. I chose to do it.”

“You chose because I made the connection, because I chose you.” Zelda argued, growing agitated.

An uncomfortable feeling crept into Link’s skin. He’d comforted her time and again about this, how, despite everything Hylia had done, Zelda was still Zelda and she hadn’t remembered and…

Despite telling her time and again that it was fine, Link himself hadn’t really reconciled with the matter. He hadn’t addressed it. Even during his outburst yesterday, it had been less of you manipulated me from the very beginning and more you knew everything yet were still wrong.

Had he thought about how Zelda claimed that as Hylia she had used him? How she had singled him out before he was even born, and ensured that she was reborn in his time so that they would be attached to each other? Not really… once, he’d tried to consider it, but he’d banished the thought process from his mind entirely after a few moments – Zelda never wanted to hurt him, would never intentionally do so, and even if what she claimed was true, she’d punished herself by sealing herself away for thousands of years. She'd been suffering from that for the past ten months, and that was what he had always tried to address.

But sometimes… sometimes it did scare him. Sometimes it did make him insecure. Because… because if she had planned that… then…

How could he know if she truly loved him, if she inherently had a deep-seated desire to protect him because he was just… her chosen hero? Had Hylia fallen in love with him in the past, simply through observation, and then…

Link shook his head. “You said you were my Zelda, just as I’m your Hero. We’re here for each other, Zel.”

Zelda’s eyes softened once more, and she sighed, relenting with a small smile. Link pulled her to him in a tight embrace, and the two drew strength and warmth from each other far more than what the water could offer.

Tomorrow would promise their first sight of a Divine Beast, their first glimpse at how exactly this land intended to defeat Demise. It would certainly be interesting.

[bennie-jerry]

My Beef with Wanda Maximoff - An MCU Rant

Sorry not sorry, I will ride the Wanda-ain't-shiitake train till the wheels are worn out. I do not care what her fangirls say. And if you're legitimately going to be so overly offended just from me disliking a FICTIONAL character, I highly suggest you click off, make some tea, and watch a Ghibli movie.

How many times does it need to be said? Just because someone suffers from some form of (small or big) trauma, IT DOESN’T GIVE THEM A PASS TO DO EVIL SH—

I really REALLY sincerely hope there's lore or bits I'm missing here (and if so, PLEASE tell me because I WANT to be wrong so BAD). But from what I know and remember, I feel as though I have every right to be disgusted with who Wanda is as a person.

It frustrates me so much how this carmine-colored narcissist will whine about people being scared of her, but she does stuff only a scary person WOULD do.

Purposefully setting the Hulk off so you could use him as a wrecking ball on innocent civilians in Johannesburg during Age of Ultron? Seems scary as heck.

Literally warping the universe itself to hunt and kill a teenager who did nothing to you during Multiverse of Madness? Seems scary as heck.

Brainwashing an ENTIRE town JUST so you can live in delusion about your man not being dead during Wandavision? Seems DOUBLE scary as heck.

Don't even try to defend what she did in Age of Ultron. Even if she supposedly didn't INTEND to have civilians killed, she sure as HECK didn't seem all too sorry that it happened. She wasn't ‘regretful’ that she did it. She was only ‘regretful' when Bruce confronted her on it. She has the nerve (the utter AUDACITY) to hate Tony Stark for the same CRAP that she does (if not worse, which let's be honest—it’s worse).

At least Tony Stark DIED out of an effort to save everyone, whereas Wanda usually tends to only help others when it benefits HER.

Wanda is nothing more than a Multiversal brat with a god-complex and no one can tell me otherwise. If something does not go 100% her way, she completely acts out and throws a reality-warping tantrum.

“Oh, but she tried to fix everything in Wandavision!”

Yeah, only after finding out she was BRAINWASHING people!

How the FREAK do you reality warp an ENTIRE town (especially at the large radius she used her magic) and expect NO one to be under mind control? Would you NOT try to fly around the premises to see if ANYONE else was there?

Once again, even if this was an example where she didn't INTEND for it to happen, then that proves another great flaw that she has.

Wanda hardly (if ever) thinks through her actions. And then when her actions bite her in the butt, she has the nerve to be surprised. Wanda almost never (and I'm being generous here) considers how her actions harm or affect others until it turns around and affects HER.

She did not deserve Vision, he was too good of a man for her, sorry not sorry.

Just the stuff she did BEFORE Multiverse of Madness ALONE is enough to not like her.

Let's not even get into the fact she never ACTUALLY apologized to Bruce Banner for everything she put him through. All she said at most when he confronted her is, “I know you're angry…”

Oh wow, REALLY? I couldn't POSSIBLY understand why Banner would EVER be angry at you for essentially brain-raping him (going into his mind and memories without his CONSENT) and using his worst fears against him to trigger Hulk so you could use him like a personal killing machine, further lessening the very few support systems he already HAD. She should feel grateful Banner didn't immediately throw her through a wall upon seeing her.

“But she became an avenger and helped them in Endgame!”

I could not give less of a DOOKIE about the fact she did that. Wanda fighting Thanos was literally the ONLY option she possibly had if she didn't wanna turn into dust along with the other half of the population. Sure, she also did it because she was forced to kill her boo BECAUSE of Thanos, but let's be honest—she would've had to fight him regardless. Her handing Thanos’ butt to him (while a very cool scene) doesn't prove JACK about her character.

The fact she ever BECAME an avenger after effectively traumatizing the MAJORITY of them is mind-boggling to me.

“Oh, I'm sorry I weaponized all of your traumas against you for my own personal gain because I wanted to work with a genocidal robot, can I join you guys?”

“Sure, Wanda! Come into the team and we'll pretend like you didn't do a darn thing!”

(The fact this isn't even ALL that she's done is absurd, I can still keep going—)

Don't even get me STARTED on Multiverse of Madness. And before anyone tries to say, “She did it so she could have a reality with her children!”

BRO, HER KIDS WEREN'T EVEN FREAKING REAL—

Wanda Freaking Maximoff wanted to murder a TEENAGER all for some children that were not even ACTUAL people. And when she did have them, didn't she make them FIGHT against the military in Wandavision or am I mistaken (which I VERY MUCH hope I am because what the he---)?

I do not care whatsoever what her reason is or what trauma she went through. Attempted murder of a minor (ESPECIALLY in this case, a minor who didn't even do anything) is inexcusable to me.

There is no way in frog fingers you guys are ACTUALLY trying to justify and/or downplay a grown ADULT trying to murder a CHILD (because that's what America was—a CHILD).

(Her and Miguel O'Hara would get along GREAT, when's the collab--)

And by then, she had ALREADY brutally murdered a whole bunch of people and probably corrupted the multiverse even FURTHER than she already had.

It wasn't until an ALTERNATE version of her (who ACTUALLY had her kids) told her to sit the [BLEEP] down (I'm paraphrasing here, but you get my drift).

Wanda is NOT a victim. Is she a good villain? Yes. But this witch isn't a victim. Not anymore at least. She doesn't apologize for her actions. She doesn't take responsibility. She doesn't reflect on what she does.

And even when she DOES finally do ANY of those things in ANY capacity, the damage is already done. In fact, it's not JUST done, it's also BURNT inside the oven causing smoke to go everywhere.

There is no rhyme or reason you could pull out that will convince me to be anything short of angry with this character and I'm so tired of her fans trying to defend her just because she was a lab rat and lost her man.

Once again, it's not bad to like a character that does awful stuff. But please, for sanity sake, STOP acting like they're a lost little angel BECAUSE you like them. I know they say "hurt people hurt people" but that still doesn't justify doing bad stuff just because bad things happened to YOU.

[bakkusimpp]

So,I was studying and randomly found a video on yt.it was like a study with bakugou thingy and I studied my ass off of it. So it inspired me to write this little wholesome moment of bakugou and reader,where reader is stressed out about their exam and bakugou helps them relax:)

Enjoy

...

I was searching through my study material , it was finals week and I was nervous as heck. It didn't matter to me, how much I've studies throughout the year, my stupid mind goes back to thoughts like 'you'll fail' or 'What the fuck am I doing with my life?' I sighed, closing my eyes momentarily. My eyelids were heavy, I haven't slept in 18 hours and have just studied so much. How can I be so under confident about it?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a hand massaging mu shoulders, I suddenly relaxed and with closed eyes smiled. "You know," he whispered in my ear. My boyfriend, bakugou katsuki.

"You've studied enough, you'll do great, but what I want you to do now is relax," Wow, he's being so gentle.

I guess he noticed just how stressed and frustrated I was during the hours I'd spent studying. If not gentle, he would he screaming about how sleep is important and how I should stop being a loser and sleep.

I opened my eyes, looking up at him through my lashes. His features were gentle. I...don't really like that. I pouted looking at him.

"What?" He asked, as I stood up, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head on his shoulder.

"I miss my angry baby," surprisingly he chuckled at my comment.

"What did you do to him!?" He just smirked down at me, pulling me closer by my waist.

"Brat, im being gentle because I'm very worried,it's not an act," he said pecking me on my lips.

My eyes fell on the ground.

"I just, don't know what's happening. I'm studying day in and day out, but I'm still nervous," I said , his hand caressing my back. Gosh I could melt in his touch. I guess I was melting.

"Being nervous is not a bad thing, it's human nature to be nervous. I know you are scared but you are prepared, and that's all that matters, right now, you have to calm your mind and not keep filling it with unimportant knowledge, so relax with me," his hand moving up and down my back.

He dragged me towards my bed, both of us laying down, I relaxed so much in his arms, his leg around my waist and hand around my shoulders. I sighed in relief. What would I do without him?

He got out of bed suddenly, moving towards the dressing table and grabbing his mobile from the table. He then walked over the light switch turning it off and coming back.

Scooping me in his arms , he turned his phone on and open spotify. Playing 'Ballad of a Badman' placing it on the side table and tapping his fingers on the beat. He kissed my neck.

I turned around and snuggled in his chest, his hand stroking my hair. The music was relaxing and katsuki stroking my hair like that made my eyes close and drift off to sleep,

With a smile on my face and his face on my mind.

...

I hope it (in anyway) helped you relax your mind and calm you down. The yt video I was talking about, I'll link it down and you can RELAX AND STUDY:)

[mcflymemes]

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the 2018 film

i'm right here!

it's been nice talking to you.

are you mad at me? i feel like you're mad at me.

can you fight them all off at once?

i know what it looks like, but... here's the good news.

where is that wind coming from? we're in a basement.

i never thought i'd be able to do any of this stuff.

that's all, folks.

you're looking at him.

i can't do it on command.

one thing i know for sure: don't do it like me. do it like you.

i know you snuck out last night.

i wasn't there for you when you needed me.

it's rude to point.

get rid of the body.

you wanna hear me say it.

okay, i'm kinda freaking out right now.

i was there when it happened.

i haven't actually fought anyone.

you always have to call me out?

you're late again.

this is my fault.

i wanted you to look up to me.

i'm not the only one.

you're being very rude!

can you close off your feelings so you don't get crippled by the moral ambiguity of your violent actions?

look at you! look what you did there!

what's going on with your body?

i was gone for less than two hours. what happened?

you got a minute?

let's start at the beginning, one last time.

it's just really frustrating and that bums me out.

this could literally not get any weirder.

why aren't you dead?

you don't look so hot, either.

it's nice to see you again.

don't you dare finish that sentence! don't do it!

it's a leap of faith. that's all it is, a leap of faith.

we were friends, you know.

a little text might have been nice.

can you be strong?

can i return it if it doesn't fit?

they're counting on me.

that's not how it goes.

i think you know the rest.

where do you want to go first?

above all, no matter how many times you get hit, can you get back up?

we've all been there.

how dare you point at me.

you're a bit late.

the hardest thing about this job is you can't always save everybody.

are you a zombie?

i just washed my hands. that's why they're wet.

what did you say your name is?

who the heck are you?

i don't wanna freak anyone out...

i saved a bunch of people.

when will i know i'm ready?

wow. that was really just a guess.

let's do this one last time, yeah?

when i feel alone, like no one understands what i'm going through, i remember my friends who get it.

what a pig.

can't be everywhere at once.

you like my new toy?

you're gonna love this.

is this all you got?

i like your haircut.

i couldn't save my best friend.

don't get too excited.

so we're just... gonna roll the dice on this?

i need you to come with me.

[yuseirra]

**onk spoilers** wow I'm so sorry, I have to let my thoughts out, I can't shut up about this, I really can't contain my feelings about what I saw??? Hm?? there is something that really gets on my nerves now that I think of it.

There's something that really bugs me from what I saw, how can they make Ryosuke and Nino look like a victim? That's so wrong though?? I wonder about the rest, the rest may or may not could... look okay depending on how it's handled later (the fact that this chapter makes it look like Kamiki's somehow triggered them to kill Ai and Gorou's really problematic and it does irk me out too) but-

This is what makes me even more frustrated than the possibility of having a pair I love dearly being contradicted. If the story is good then okay?? (although I feel that ship is so important in terms of the plot itself? It's a pretty central one) THAT also has its own problems because I'd feel so sorry for Ai (I'm in this ship because he's the man she loved, that's the most important part of it, and I was convinced after my analysis that he isn't capable of having tried to hurt her in the first place)

But even more than that, how can their actions ever be justified?? Perhaps Kamiki's some god that makes people kill each other with some psychic powers? But why write the story like that? and why.. for what reason would he want to hurt Ai? If that's what he's wanted to do, then what is he working for now?? What are his motives? Killing everyone with the white star eyes? What was his past? Why did he have the white star eyes himself when he was young and when he's met ruby?

This HAS to be an act in my opinion for it to be considered as decent storywriting. The chapter itself is interesting as a standalone, but I really, really don't want to see what Ryosuke's done as something that was inevitable or under some divine influence that he had no control over because these things CAN happen in real life and blaming it on some psychopath that's somehow coerced you into it??? feels so wrong. He should not have done what he's done regardless of what the heck Kamiki's said. and it seems like he's only shown him a toothbrush Ai's left behind so what the heck?? Then that means Kamiki DOES have some superpowers that can make SHARING A TOOTHBRUSH a good reason to go stab an idol if you'd want to blame him about Ryosuke stabbing Ai. Because someone with a sane mind wouldn't do that. You'd have to be already really insane in the first place to try and go after an idol for having a boyfriend and had matching toothbrushes. HOW CAN SHOWING A TOOTHBRUSH, FOR GOD'S SAKE, BE A GOOD REASON FOR KILLING SOMEONE?? I guess that wouldn't be all, but isn't it ALREADY crazy of someone to kill an idol for having a boyfriend and kids?? The sensible response upon it would be like Gorou's. He took it pretty well??

And Nino??? Didn't she get a phone call from Kamiki saying they should turn themselves in? Isn't that what's made her act out? That's really different from being manipulated into stab someone, isn't it?

How is that supposed to work?

How can the writers portray them out of all people as the good guys? That part needs to be expanded upon or contradicted later. I'd be pretty angry if things really are how it's shown in 160. It's not a good story, while it may seem pretty entertaining taken at face value because it's SO WRONG.

That's why I think this chapter needs to be a lie.

I have my reasons to think 152~154 are the genuine ones, I may write those out when the chapter gets released or maybe not..while 160 would be the lie, but.. this is really unforgivable if the story is left at this. So I hope not.

Yeah, I'm crossing my fingers for this chapter to be the lie because.. it's just wrong. It makes the whole story look bad and the subject this manga is handling shouldn't be handled this way. This HAS to be a lie, or I'll regret having read this piece. It's disappointing to me for that reason, now that I think over it. And I'm sure.. the author would know what they're doing. You can't blame things like this on some single insane individual or a corrupted god, whatever. Those two guys brought things upon themselves and THEY have to take responsibility for the ugly things they've did.

I'll just bring back what I've written for my review of 159:

Aqua’s “revenge” has to be fulfilled through a movie because Ai’s situation was caused by the public’s perception of her.

If people had accepted the real Ai as a person, twisted individuals like Ryosuke wouldn’t have appeared, and Ai wouldn’t have had to lie to the person she so dearly wanted to love. If… If only Ai had survived, I think Kamiki could have reunited with her after the movie was released. Because people would have understood and accepted their circumstances. Ai would never have had to die because she had children - for being imperfect and human, as she is.

This is not a story about a psychopathic murderer getting back at his ex-girlfriend or just one crazy fan attacking their idol, it's tackling a much bigger theme than that.

So no, this isn't going to be about Kamiki being the crazy mastermind, quite the contrary. He's the one who's lost his beloved due to a societal belief that idols have to be perfect and flawless. He's the one who desperately wants to get her back after having lost her.

When I think about it, it’s really heartbreaking. Ai and Kamiki could have been happy, for sure. They really could have had it weren't it for this, I feel.

The public isn’t always so cold, so I think Ai might have wanted to take that risk…

I think a message like this would better suit the series, and I want this to be a meaningful story.

So, till next chapter drops!

[crowsandturtlesandbatsohmy]

Haikyu!! Season 3

As always, my thoughts are under the cut.

OH MY GOSH I THINK THAT HAS TO BE MY FAVORITE SEASON YET!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

Okay. Okay. Breathing. Let me go over my thoughts.

Let’s start with the opening and ending. WOW!!!! This is definitely my favorite opening so far. It was so intense and so beautiful and it was the perfect representation of this season! That scene where Hinata is spiking and it turns into a crow flying with the sun in the background is just gorgeous and made my eyes teary <3 In the same vein, the ending is my favorite ending. I love how chill and laid-back it is, a much needed breather before jumping into the next episode or transitioning into doing something else. ALSO ALL THE BOYS ARE HERE!!! AAAHH! I was stoked to see all the teams we’ve played against with all their players! It made me so so happy! Two things in particular that I just could not get over every time I watched the ending credits (which was nearly every time, unless I needed that time to process or Netflix automatically skipped before I could tell it not to): 1. Nishinoya was flying. 2. OIKAWA. They did an AMAZING job on him because I could visualize him walking to the beat of the music just off of that one frozen pose. I could see his little nonchalant strut even though he wasn’t moving, and I was just continuously blown away by that.

Okay, moving on to the actual show itself.

LITTLE THINGS THAT I LOVED:

• OUR BOYS FINALLY GOT THE CHEERING SECTION THEY DESERVE!!! I nearly teared up at this. I’ve always been so upset that the other teams have all these people cheering for them and our boys don’t. Not that the people we do have aren’t doing a good job or aren’t special, because they are, but the boys deserve to have a cheering section just like everybody else. They’ve worked SO HARD. • I loved how all the boys had their own special high-fives with Kiyoko, Ukai, and Takeda! That was so sweet :) • TAKEDA GETTING THE RECOGNITION HE DESERVES! • Suga getting more and more unhinged • Daichi got to spike! • Saeko calling Hinata “Shoyo” • Suga, to Kageyama: *doing adorable little jumps* “If you’re exhausted I can switch with you at anytime!” • BABY SENIORS!!!! (I know they’re only first years there but shhhh) BABY SENIORS!!!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!! They’re so cute!!!! • SUGA CAN SPIKE!? HECK YEAH!!

NOT-SO-LITTLE THING THAT I LOVED:

Oikawa and Iwaizumi coming to see the match. Aside from the fact that they were both rocking their casual clothes, I loved their commentary on the game! Their analyses were really neat, and I loved getting to see them one more time, especially together! I love their dynamic. Also Oikawa shooing Iwaizumi out of the gym saying “I’d rather die than see the awards ceremony” made me cackle.

PEOPLE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE MORE IN-DEPTH:

Starting with…

My boy <3 I will readily admit to being worried about him pretty much through the whole season. When he had trouble with that receive right at the end of episode 1 and I saw the look on his face, I started panicking. And then the above gif happened and I was overcome with relief, because that little smirk told me he was going to be fine. Except he kept struggling, and he was getting frustrated, and I kept worrying because A) He’s my favorite and I’m very emotionally attached, so watching him struggle (mentally) would’ve hurt (worse), and B) I knew that if he got stuck in his head there would’ve been no way we could’ve won. That’s not a dig at the rest of the team, and that’s not my favoritism talking. The team needs Noya to be on his A-game mentally and physically because he’s their safety net. I wasn’t sure what to make of his “the only one equal to Ushijima is me” at first, but then Tsukki agreed (and I think Ukai did too) and Noya reminded me that he can back up that claim. HIS SAVE IN EPISODE 9 WAS AMAZING!!!! I adore his relationships with the first years, but especially with Tsukki and Hinata. His dynamic with Tsukki really got to shine this season and I loved it!! And of course I’ll always love the shorty duo and the fact that Noya calls Hinata by his first name. Last thing I want to say before I move on: I said I was worried about him pretty much all throughout this season. Truth be told, I still am. You wanna know why? Because of this line right here from episode 5: “I can’t let us keep losing.” It immediately stood out to me and set off my alarm bells. He’s trying to carry the weight of the end results by himself. THAT’S SO MUCH PRESSURE! And I think the other part that concerns me is that it sounds so reminiscent of the line of thinking that eventually led to Asahi quitting after the match with Date Tech. Am I worried Noya will quit? No. Am I worried that he’s going to hit a wall and have a really hard time because he’s still putting so much pressure on himself? Absolutely. Time will tell, but I hope I’m wrong.

I love Tanaka so so much. I don’t have very much to say but I wanted to talk about him a little bit. First: TANAKA GOT SOME AWESOME SPIKES IN!! He’d better be the ace after the seniors graduate! He’d be so good in that role! Second: A moment of appreciation for Tanaka getting smacked in the face with the ball, knocked to the floor, hopping up, and going “yeah I totally meant for that to happen, that was my plan all along!” Third, and the main thing I wanted to talk about: Tanaka and the first years. I love how even though he doesn’t have a biological younger sibling he is such an older brother. He loves being someone they can look up to and come to for help, he loves teasing them and messing with them, and he’s so proud of them when they succeed! His proud little smile when Ukai’s talking to Tsukki about being the mvp, him supporting Hinata during a block, his haiku! Even more than his relationship with the first years in general though, I love his relationship with Hinata and Kageyama. I love that in season 1 he basically looked at them and went “is anybody gonna adopt those two?” and ignored everyone who answered. I love that he’s the one who got them to Tokyo, how he ruffles Hinata’s hair, that he’s the one who got Kageyama to start high-fiving people. And I love how when all was said and done with this match, it was the two of them he hugged. I just love how much Tanaka loves, okay? He’s got such a big heart even if he hides it behind an attempt at an edgy exterior.

We interrupt our compilation of Karasuno focused thoughts to bring in the one character from Shiratorizawa I really want to talk about…

Yep. That’s right. We’re gonna talk about Tendo. Okay, from the minute he appeared on screen something about his vibes and facial expressions made me incredibly uncomfortable. I disliked him on principle as a result. Him blocking Hinata and being smug irritated me, but more than anything at this point something about him just made uncomfortable. I can’t even tell you what it was because I don’t exactly know. Something in the way he carries himself and in the faces he makes. Then Yamaguchi finally got swapped in, and then immediately got swapped out, and Tendo sang a song about it deliberately loud enough for Yamaguchi to hear and THAT was it for me. No more “you’re irritating.” No more “you make me uncomfortable.” It was now 100% “I hate you.” I hated him more than I ever hated Oikawa (the only other character I used that word for). And then we got backstory on his past in volleyball. And I saw him being outcast because he was “the weird kid” and I guess maybe that kinda hit a little close to home even if it didn’t register as I was watching. Because I immediately felt sympathy for him and that combined with his dynamic with Ushijima was enough to change how I looked at him. Was I still mad about Yamaguchi? Yeah. But I couldn’t look at Tendo anymore without seeing someone who’d finally found his people and his place doing something he loves after being “the weird kid nobody wants to hang out with”. His dynamic with Ushijima, the fact that they’re actually friends?? So endearing. So yeah. I like Tendo now that I’ve gotten to know him!

Back to our regularly scheduled Karasuno…

Tsukki.

He’s grown SO MUCH!!! AAAAAHHHH!!! I’M SO PROUD OF HIM!!!!!! Okay so first the entire “oh look, it’s the normal guy” “Hi I’m the normal guy” exchange was gold! And when Tendo was talking about how much Tsukki was irritating him and Tsukki’s just like “Thanks! :D” I kid you not it’s in my notes as being the thing that made me love Tsukki. Honestly the amount (6) of “YES TSUKKI, GET HIM!!!”s in my notes is self-explanatory to my thoughts. So I’ll talk about the other notes I made on him :) HE DID IT!!! HE BLOCKED!!! And he got to start leading the timing on the blocking and IT WORKED!!!! HE’S IN!!! HE’S FINALLY ALL IN!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! Oh, I’m so proud!!! I love how when he got pulled out of the game he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay. He’s come so far from “it’s just a club” I think you should know that the only thing from episode 8 I found important enough to make a note about was, and I quote, “TSUKKI IS BACK!!!” And I LOVE how in episode 9 he went right to Ukai and was like basically like “Put me back in the game right now” but in Tsukki language. I love that Noya and Yamaguchi both ran straight for Tsukki after the win! And he didn’t really fight them on it! AND THEN UKAI CALLING HIM THE MVP!! AND TANAKA AGREEING!!!

Tsukki has changed so much and I absolutely love him now :)

Alright, post-win details I want to talk about:

• THE SENIORS HUGGING AND BREAKING DOWN TOGETHER!!! AH MY BOYS! <3 • Noya and Kageyama dragging Hinata to go line up XD • Yamaguchi yelling some sense into Tsukki!!! That made me so happy and so proud of Yamaguchi!! • SUGA GOT TO HOLD THE TROPHY!!!!

I loved this season SO SO MUCH!!! There’s more I could say, but I’d be here all day XD like last time, if there’s anything I didn’t talk about that you want my opinion on, feel free to ask!

[mysticstarlightduck]

Incorrect Quotes Tag Game!

Thank you for tagging me @rickie-the-storyteller (here)! I really like tags like this and haven't done one in quite a while! So let's go! (I'll go with the cast of Supernova Initiative for this one)

Rules: use this incorrect quotes generator to come up with incorrect quotes for your OCs!

(It is scary how accurate these got OMG lmao)

Gabi: Hey, aren’t you Jack Tithus? The most famous thief in the galaxy? Jack (narrows his eyes suspiciously): You a cop? Gabi: No. Jack (smirks proudly): Then yes, I am.

Deimos: I’m a multitasker! Also Deimos: I can disappoint fifteen people at once.

Artemis, acting tough: You guys don't want to mess with me. Cassiopeia: Yeah, Artemis will straight-up cry in public. Don't try him. Artemis: Exactly, I will straight-up - (Realizes) Cassiopeia (smug as all heck): Artemis, already tearing up: Cassie, why would you say that?!

Pax: Anybody got any crayons so I can color in my Ph. D.?

Deimos (ten years ago, babysitting Cassie for Jack): OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT?! TIME OUT! GET ON TOP OF THE FRIDGE! GET UP THERE! (Kid) Cassiopeia: *Climbing* THIS HOUSE IS A FUCKING NIGHTMARE!!!

Meridian: I'm hot, I’m tall, I'm gay, and I'm on my theatre kid arc.

Vesper: Hey, Aleks, where are you going? Aleks: Well, it depends. When I die, probably hell. Aleks: But right now I’m going to get some fries.

Lyorna, looking at Jack: Okay, so I need to become a therapist faster.

Cassiopeia: Hey, are you okay? Jack: Yeah. Cassiopeia: 'Yeah.' You don't look okay... Jack (jokingly, about to change the subject so fast): Well, then stop looking.

Pax: I just got the best idea I've ever had in my entire life! *Later* Ethean, to Pax, disappointed and a bit impressed: That was the worst idea you’ve ever had in your entire life.

Jack: So, company is coming, I want this place looking like Disney On Ice in one minute! (frantically organizing the chaos) Cassie, if you haven't made your bed already, throw it away - it's too late to make it now! Get rid of the couches, guys, we can't let people know we sit!! The chairs need to be pushed in, there can't be any sign of living in this house - (On the verge of a mental breakdown, continues rambling)

The entire crew: (done with life)

Deimos: Vesper, is that... my mug you’re drinking out of? Vesper: No, it’s mine. Deimos: It... looks just like the one I have... Vesper (holding the mug like a gremlin): You don’t have one like this anymore.

The Director: I’ve been described as a ‘heartless villain’ and a 'sadistic bastard’, but I prefer… 'has alternative ways of having fun’.

Deimos, playing a video game: This game is so frustrating! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! Jack: OK... then I think it’s time to turn off the game for a little while. Deimos (with the manic energy of someone who chugged three bottles of energetics at once, utterly disheveled): BUT I'M HAVING FUN!

Aleks: You... you saved me. You're not a bad guy at all. YOU'RE A HERO, AN UGLY UGLY UGLY HERO! Noctus: Call me ugly again, and maybe I will eat you.

Jack: Just wondering, did you get any sleep? Artemis: Did I get any... leap? Jack (hella confused): A what now...?

Ethean: I'm trying to juggle family life and work life but I can't seem to find a balance. What do you suggest I do to keep everyone happy? Noctus (deadpan): Quit your job, kill your family. Seriously, I can't stand Pax any moment longer-

Vesper: Your problem is that you’ve got no common sense. Aleks: No, I’ve got plenty of common sense! Aleks: I just choose to ignore it.

Deimos: Did you miss me while I was gone? Cassiopeia (being a little shit with a grudge): Oh, you were gone? Wow. Didn't even notice.

Cassiopeia (at 2AM in the morning): I wish I could control wasps and bees to sting my enemies. Jack (who just wants to sleep): You’re too young to have enemies. Cassiopeia: You don’t even know.

Deimos: Hi- Vesper: Leave before there's a terrible misunderstanding between my foot and your ass.

Aleks: Do I sound smart, or am I smart? Noctus: You sound unbearable, to be perfectly honest.

Deimos: Fine! I don't give a shit! Jack: You seem to give a lot of shit for someone who claims not to give a shit.

Noctus: Pick a card, any card. Jack (smirks): Fine. Noctus: Wait, that's my credit card! Jack, already running away, looking over his shoulder: You said any card.

Deimos: And I’d love to be sorry for that, but we all know I’ve done much, much worse.

Pax: O darling brother, you love me, right? Ethean (suspicious): Normally I’d say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere I won’t like.

Noctus (panicked): This should be illegal! Pax (having the time of his life): It is!!!!!!

Cassiopeia: But that’s censorship. Noctus: Well done. You are correct. You’re being censored. Now go away.

Jack, to Cassiopeia: I'm leaving for the weekend, so I hid 100 units in your room for food. Clean your room, and you will find it.

Meridian, putting their hands over Vesper's eyes: Guess who! Vesper: It's either Meridian or the cold, clammy hands of death. Meridian, putting their hands away: It's me! Vesper: Dammit.

Jack: Deimos likes to say ‘you can be part of the problem or part of the solution,’ but I happen to believe you can be both.

Jack: *dangling from a rope over a pit of fire* Remember when I said I’d tell you when we’re in too deep? Cassiopeia: *also dangling from a rope over a pit of fire* Yes? Jack: ...We’re in too deep.

Artemis, sniffling: Calm down, I’m probably not sick. It might just be allergies. Meridian: Okay, tell me this: are you like, really tired? Artemis: I have depression, robot-man, what do you think?

Aleks: I don’t care what anyone thinks about me. Vesper: Ok. Aleks: Wait, why such a muted reaction? Did that not sound cool?

Noctus (lying through his teeth, cause he actually does care): I just wanted to say that over the years, I have come to regard you as… people I met.

Aleks, throwing a pokeball at Deimos: Deimos, I choose you! Deimos, not looking up from his book and catching it: You need an Ultra ball to catch this Legendary Pokémon.

Meridian: Are you tall enough to play basketball though? Gabi: Are you calling me short? Meridian: No, I'm calling you vertically challenged.

Pax: You need to be more careful! Ethean who was dragged into Pax's issue (and lost his entire career because of it): Careful? CAREFUL?! I'LL CAREFULLY WRAP MY HANDS AROUND YOUR THROAT-

Deimos: You know, I used to play back in my gory days. Artemis: ... You mean glory days? Deimos: Ah, that too.

Artemis: SSSHIT- I BURNT MY LIP- Cassiopeia: ...Why the fuck would you even drink coffee with a METAL STRAW in the FIRST PLACE?? Artemis: BECAUSE WE WERE OUT OF THE PLASTIC ONES!

The Director: I was born for politics. I have great hair and I love lying.

Jack: And what did we learn, Vesper? Vesper, begrudgingly: Tackling someone isn’t the correct response to being asked a simple question.

Ethean: What happened?! Pax: Do you want the long version or the short version? Ethean: Sh-short?? Pax: Shit's fucked. Ethean, facepalming:: Okay, long. Pax: Shit's very fucked.

Jack, opening a bottle of Hot Chocolate: Guess I'll drink my sorrows away.

Cassiopeia: *aggressively throws a pencil at Deimos* Deimos, deadpan: Oh no. I’ve been stabbed. I’ve been impaled.

Kaelus (Lyorna's Dad): Don’t worry, I have a permit. The Junction: ...This just says “I can do what I want”.

Kaelus: Exactly. NOW GET OUT OF MY FUCKING PLANET -

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab,

@winterandwords, @cowboybrunch, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@agirlandherquill, @anoelleart

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

[solarianradiance]

“J-J-JAKE!” Shouted Finn.

“FINN!” Shouted Jake.

“DUDE! YOU’RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS, BUT YOU G-GOTTA LISTEN!” Finn demanded.

“You fought the Ice King who left you frozen where while he kidnapped Princess Bubblegum?” Jake asked.

“O-o-oh... y-y-you already kn-n-now?” Finn shivered.

“Yeah!” Jake replied in a flat voice as he picked up a large rock, using it to strike with great force against the ice of Finn’s feet. The icy shackles shattered easily, having been cracked by the invisible woman. “Kinda figured that out with all the ice and stuff.”

Finn stumbled over; he was free but still cold. “B-b-but how did you know it wa-...w-w-was Princesss-s-s-s-s-s-s bubblegum?”

“이 사람은 누구입니까?” Asked Lady Rainicorn she floated in.

“W-w-w-what the chuck-wagon is that?!” Finn said, almost panicking.

Jake stretched himself into a cozy sweater and attached himself to his brother to warm him up. “Ease yourself buddy, take it easy! Lady is a friend! She knows the Princess! Found her up the river! She explained everything!”

“음, 바나나가 대부분을 설명했습니다. 우리는 거의 이야기하지 않았습니다.” Said the Rainicorn.

“Yeah, I guess ya did, sorry ‘bout chewin your ear off like that, you were kind of... dazed.”

“그녀가 붙잡힌 것 같습니다.” Said Lady as tears welled up in her eyes. “나는 그녀를 구출해야합니다!” She then flew off, crying and sobbing.

“Wait, WAIT! COMEBACK!!! Aw danggit!” Jake scoffed in frustration.

“What she say? D-do ya know?” Finn asked.

“Never mind that, you doin okay man? Anything broken?” Jake asked, wanting to know if his brother was injured.

“Nah, J-...j-just cold... and down.” Finn asked as she breathed.

“Okay, you fought the Ice King, right? Tell me what happened!”

“What’s it look like happened?!” Finn said with anger peppering his words with a touch of sadness. “I flumped up! He stole the Princess and almost killed me! A-and... I-I... couldn’t keep my promise.”

“Promise? What promise?”

“I... promised I would protect her, l-like a hero would, like Billy!” He said in a glum voice. “But then I broke it cuz I didn’t finish off the Ice King like I think I should have and he got the upper hand and left me here while he carried off the Princess.”

“Wow... that’s a doozy! And a lot to take in!” Jake contemplated. “Hmmm, you said you didn’t finish him off? What do ya mean zactly?”

“Um... basically I knocked the cobs out of him and he was down and knocked out cold, or at least we thought he was. Princess Bubblegum told me to... finish him off. But I didn’t, so he got the upper hand. Now the Princess is kidnapped cuz I didn’t have the strength to do what was right.” Finn hung his head in shame. “All cuz I didn’t wanna finish off a guy who just tried to kill me.”

Jake was concerned for Finn, usually he was energetic, but this defeat was a really blow to his ego. But Jake was also a bit proud of his Brother for sparing a fallen foe. In fact that’s what he’s gonna go with in this peptalk.

“Naw dude.” Jake said as he unsweatered himself from Finn and returned to normal in front of him. “What you did took real inner strength to do!”

“Huh?” Finn asked, confused. “No it didn’t! I shoulda finished him off like the Princess ordered me to! Then this mess wouldn’t have gone down! I don’t have what it take to be a hero!”

“No. What you did is something a lot of peeps forget about. Mercy! You showed mercy to a worthy foe and didn’t forget he was a person.”

“Dude! He tried to FREEZE me to death! After I vouched for him to boot! I shoulda taken him down! Like Billy would have, no probs!” Finn countered, anger souring him.

“No. Finn. You showing mercy is something that sets you apart from Adventurers and keeps you from being an Evil Villain or a Neutral Mercenary. You didn’t lose track of your moral code! That makes you a Good Hero, by the process of elimination ironically!” Jake explained with a modest cheerfulness.

“That... kinda makes sense.” Finn agreed, slightly feeling better about his actions.

“Heck yeah it does! A real jerk woulda killed the dude that tried to kill you while he was down. But you didn’t! That makes you a real Knight in fabric armor AND safe from any legal prosecution to it being well within the parameters of self-defense! I think. Don’t quote me on that.” Jake said with half-hearted certainty.

“Yeah, I guess that really does make sense. Thanks Jake.” Said Finn, with a bit more of his usual pep in his words, a sign the pep-talk worked.

“Ya darn welcome buddy! Now come along with me! We got a Rainicorn and her Princess to save and an Ice Guy’s butt ta kick!” Jake beckoned.

“What?! Heck no! We can’t take him on!” Finn protested.

“Why not? You took him down, like you said! We can take that guy no problem!” Jake scoffed.

“Yeah, but only becuz he was holding back the whole time a goofy weirdo! He’s way stronger than we are!” Finn explained, worried about their mortality. “We’re just a couple of level 2 adventurers going up against a level 13 Dungeon Boss! Psycho is way outta our level range! He’ll destroy us! We’ll be TPK’d before we even reach his hideout! It’s suicide!”

“Well what do you expect us to do then?! Play cards or somethin!?” Jake asked.

“We go home and let the professionals deal with it! This whole adventure sitch is bonked!”

“Dude! We ARE the professionals!”

“No, we’re not! Or at least I’m not! I’m a kid!”

“Finn, where the heck is this coming from?! You were dungeon diving and fighting off monsters just yesterday! I know you’re still new to all of this, but setbacks comes with the territory of this profession.”

“Yeah, but... nobody elses life has been on the line quite like this! I’m worried the Ice King might kill her or something messed up like that if we go to rescue her! He WAS about to 69 me! So won’t he go crazy and 69 her?”

“He...WHAT?! 69?! Where tha heck didjya hear that term from?! Goodness!” Jake asked, going full parent mode.

“From the Ice King! It means killing people! I think ...right?” Finn answered.

“Uh... yeah, except it’s 86. 86 is the term. 69 is... meaningless nonsense. He made a mathematical mistake.” Jake said with relief he didn’t have to explain what 69 actually meant, or as to why people would ever 69. It was that sort of subject Jake would probably never fully explain to Finn if he can help it.

“Look, Finn, that girl needs our help! She needs that help NOW, and you made a promise to protect her! This is EXACTLY what we signed up for!” Said Jake, trying to motive his brother.

Finn remained anxious and fearful. He did not want to face the Ice King again. “But he’s so much more powerful! Like I said! Way too much for either of us to handle! He can 1-hit kill us dude! I love Mom & Dad, but I ain’t ready to see em yet!”

“Maybe, but it’s like ya said! We’re a coupl-a-level-two’s goin up against a level 13 Ice Wizard that you almost defeated by yourself! With our levels combined, we’re a level 4 party duo! Our power just doubled! You know what that means?!”

“That’s Algebraic!” Finn said with an upbeat flatness.

“Yup!” Jake confirmed. “And since we’re a pair, that means we got extra actions on the guy!”

“Which makes it calculicious!” Finn said as he hopped to his feet with growing enthusiasm.

“Yeah! Calculicious!” Jake agreed. “And with our combined creative wits and skills, makes our overall chances of taking him down way higher!”

“Alphanumeric!”

“YEAH! I think, maybe, probably.” Jake being unsure of his brother’s phrases.

“PROBLEMATIC!” Finn shouted.

“Darn right it is! And what this problematic... problem... um... needs is a... coupla do-gooders like us to solve it...”

There was a long awkward pause between the two. Neither was sure of what to say or do.

“Point is Finn, don’t doubt yourself so much! You got this bro! We both do! Together!” Jake then gave Finn a grin. “What time is it?” Jake asked, barely concealing his excitement.

“It’s...” Finn began, inhaling, knowing exactly what Jake meant. “ADVENTURE TIME!!!” He yelled out for all the world to hear. Finn & Jake then bumped their fists together.

“That’s my brother! Now let’s go fulfill that promise you made to the Princess and go rescue her! Come along, Finn!” Jake stretched himself larger, becoming quadrapedal, upon which Finn hopped on top of.

“Wait! Hold up!” Finn said with urgency.

“What is it? Gotta take a leak?” Jake asked.

“Nah, see that rod thing in the ice?” Finn pointed at a particular part of the stream, still frozen.

Jake spotted what he meant and broke through the stream and pulled it out, examining the item. “What is it?” He asked.

“Flamethrower! It’s the Princesses! Might come in handy!” Finn said, as he checked to see if it was still working, which judging by the burst of fire into the air, it was. “WHOA-OH!!”

“Careful with that man! Playin with fire is dangerous!” Jake said mindfully. “But you’re right, this could come in handy!”

The two then rode off into the mid-morning sunrise.

Finn was feeling much better, especially after having sat on that ice for so long. But he still felt sadness and anger towards himself for failing the Princess and a fear of facing the Ice King again. He did not want to die, but he also felt the fear of failing her again. He did not know which was worse.

But he was also curious about the Invisible girl. Who was she and how long was had she been there during the fight? Why did she not do anything? Or WAS she doing something? Or was she really a girl and not just a really girly sounding guy?

Most important question of all in this moment, why were they heading towards the Candy Kingdom?

“Uh Jake!” Finn piped up.

“Yeah buddy, what is it?!” Jake said with excitement.

“We’re supposed to be going to the Ice Mountains!”

“OH!” Jake said with surprise as he course corrected by turning into the right direction. “I knew that!”

“Haha! Silly Dog!” Finn commented, jolly as a rancher.

Adventure Time Presents: The Good, The Fair & The Beautiful. - Chapter 9 - Zalloj - Adventure Time (Cartoon 2010) [Archive of Our Own]

[smolwritingchick]

The Bangtan Gal Chapter 44- He's Smitten

Chapter Summary: Jungkook's white shirts go missing. Jen gets noticed by Baekhyun. Bam Bam finally meets Jennie at the Dream concert. Jennie and Jungkook go against each other for dodgeball at school. Jennie checks out Jungkook's English.

Words: 12,000+

Genre: Major Jungkook fluff! And Bam Bam fluff!

Author's Note: Another custom chapter after some BTS events! I really LOVE this chapter and the scenes between Jennie and Jungkook when they played dodgeball at school and ate together after school. One of my absolute favorite chapters I wrote! I love their growing friendship/feelings for each other.

--------

Jennie slept soundly, on top of Yoongi as they napped on the couch, in the living room. Her alarm on her phone began to ring once the time turned to 1:30 PM, causing them both to stir in their sleep. Reaching over to her phone, she shuts off the alarm and lets out a sigh.

“An hour didn’t go by that quick...” She tried to go back to sleep as she felt Yoongi’s chest rumble against her when he chuckled.

“Unfortunately, it did. Time to go to the studio.” His deep voice was filled with sleep as he began to stretch. Jennie looked at him as he ran a hand through his hair. “You wanna know somethin’?”

“What?”

“You look like shit.”

Used to his smart-ass remarks, she remained unfazed. “Oh? So, do you asshole.”

Yoongi let out another deep chuckle. “What? You want me to lie? Wow, you look beautiful this afternoon.”

“Wow, well you look quite handsome this afternoon.” She mocked. “And your breath stinks.”

Suddenly, Yoongi breathed out heavily so she could smell his stench. As soon as his bad breath hit her nose, she covered it and fell off the couch with a yell. 

“Ew! Not funny!” she cringed

“Was to me. Be ready in 20 so we can work on your cover.” He got off the couch to head to the bathroom. 

Today was the day Jennie would finish covering Baekhyun’s Beautiful from EXO Next Door. Already admiring him as a K-Pop idol, she wanted to sing one of his songs and the song was really, no pun intended, beautiful. The song was released on April 22nd, and as soon as she heard it, she immediately wanted to cover it. She low-key hoped that he’d even notice the cover.

Meanwhile, Jungkook searched around his room for his white shirts. They were suddenly missing. 

“What the heck is going on? I had them right here!” He started destroying the side of his room for his shirts.

Jen heard him muttering to himself in panic and decided to go into his room to see what was the problem. “You good?”

“No, I’m not! I can’t find any of my white shirts! They’re-they’re gone! All of them! ALL OF THEM!”

The Bangtan Girl stared at him like he was crazy. 

All this...over shirts?

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. You mean to tell me you can’t find none of your shirts?” She tried to get him to relax as she grabbed a hold of his arm, halting him from pacing.

“Nope! None of them!” He grabbed a hold of her shoulders. “You gotta help me. I need my white shirts, you know how much they mean to me. Help me, please.”

“I’m about to go to the studio. I can help you when I get back.” She suggested, getting out of his grip. “You’re probably overlooking. You sure it’s not in your laundry?”

Jungkook decided to go to his laundry basket and dump out all his dirty clothes. “Nope! Where are they!?” He yelled in frustration.

“What are you whining about?” Jimin approached him out of curiosity.

“Someone had to take them. This is a prank, isn’t it?” Jungkook finally figured it out.

“Take what?” Taehyung joined in.

“Someone took my white shirts!” The Golden Maknae whined and started to fake cry. 

Jimin immediately began laughing, which caused suspicion as Jungkook called him out. “It was you wasn’t it!?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Jimin giggled.

“Give them back!”

“Hahahah! It wasn’t me-hahahah!”

“Did you check the laundry room?” Taehyung suggested, trying not to giggle.

“If I find out that one of you messed with ALL my white shirts, there will be hell to pay.” He threatened them and left the room.

As soon as Jungkook left, Taehyung and Jimin started laughing. 

“Y’all did it, didn’t you?” Jennie assumed.

“We didn’t do anything, it’s just so funny to see him so worked up over white shirts.” Taehyung giggled loudly.

“I hope he finds them.” She let out a sigh.

“I hope he doesn’t for a while. I like seeing him panic.” Jimin added. “I wonder who decided to take them. Maybe Hobi?”

“We could go ask,” Tae suggested.

“Keep me posted on the madness. I have a song to cover.” She said her goodbyes after they wished her luck, anticipating her new recording.

When she headed to the studio, with her headphones in her ears, she was asked to sound softer and build her way up as the song progressed because, in some parts of the song, there wasn’t any build up the first few times she sang the song.

“Maybe if you think about a boy or ARMY, it could help with the emotion.” She was suggested as she nodded, taking in the advice. 

‘A boy, huh? Or ARMY?’ She pondered as her mind started to race with ideas. 

With her phone in her hand, having the lyrics on her notes app, she waits for the music to start again. Once the music was heard from her headphones, she starts off softly, bringing out a sad tone to the beginning of the song.

Annyeong naege dagawa

Sujubeun hyanggireul angyeo judeon

neo huimihan kkumsokeseo

Nuni busidorok banjjakyeosseo

Raising her pitch slightly to a hopeful tone, she continued softly. And as she sang the chorus, a smile came across her face as she maintained the hopeful tone of the song.

Neoui misoe naemaeumi noganaeryeo

Nuni majuchyeosseulttaen~

Dugeungeoryeooh~

Her held notes sounded angelic, and strong but not overpowering the beat of the song.

neoui gaseume nae misoreul gieokhaejwo

Haruedo myeotbeonssik~

Saenggakhaejwooh~

Neoege hago sipeun geu mal...You’re beautiful

“Fly to you naegyeote isseojwo...You’re beautiful...” She finished the song softly and opened her eyes as the last bit of the instrumental played out. 

“How’d I do?” She asked as she got pairs of thumbs ups in response, praising her efforts. “Ayeeeeee!”

After doing some finishing touches on the song, they post it on BTS’ SoundCloud.

‘Give it a listen! My fav has sung it so beautifully, that I just had to cover it! #JEN’ She tweets, posting the SoundCloud link of her new cover. 

She decided to post a photo of it on her Instagram as well with the caption, ‘I had to. #EXONextDoor’

ARMY came rushing in with the comments like there was no tomorrow.

‘This was so cute!’

‘QUEEN!’

‘MOM! I was about to go to sleep!’

‘Welp, I won’t be going to sleep anytime soon. I’m gonna be listening to this all night.’

‘Can you PLEASE do more covers? Your voice is so soothing’

‘Baekhyun needs to hear this!’

‘#DoMoreCoversJennie’

‘@baekhyunee_exo this is great!’

‘I lovvvvveeeee this! Yes Miss Bangtan!’

‘GOD I LOVE HER VOICE’

‘WIG IS SNATCHED’

‘I WASN’T PREPARED!’

‘@baekhyunee_exo listen to this!’

‘If you combine both Jen’s cover and the original song, you can hear how nicely their voices blend. Kudos to Jen’s harmonious vocals. It’s like she’s singing right next to him.’

On her way back to the dorm, she decided to check her Instagram and perceived that a certain someone noticed her cover as she almost dropped her phone. 

“He noticed!” She squealed after she read Baekhyun’s comment.

baekhyunee_exo: Well done :)

-------

On May 23rd, backstage at the Dream Concert, Jen finished getting her makeup done and told the members that she wanted to find her friends. Backstage was hectic, as the staff made sure everything was in order for the show. She managed not to get in anyone’s way as she spotted Jackson finishing up his conversation with one of the staff members.

“Jackson!” She happily waved, catching his attention. A huge smile came across his face as she jogged up to him, pulling him in for a hug.

“Jennie!” He picked her up and spun her around. She laughed at his enthusiasm before getting sat down on her feet. “My favorite American girl. How have you been? Congrats on I Need U.”

“Thank you! Everything is going well, I can’t complain. I’d be lying if I said that we weren’t tired but managing to get wins for I Need U is worth it. I’m so proud of our accomplishments so far.”

“I’m sure. You guys worked hard. I hear that J-Hope and Yugyeom will be dancing together.”

“Oh yeah, they’re gonna kill it. Super excited to see that and GOT7’s stage. Speaking of GOT7, are they free? I’d like to meet them.”

“Oh yeah! They’re very eager. I couldn’t stop talking about you, haha.”

“I hope it was positive things you told them about me.” She let out a laugh.

“Of course, I did. Come on, they’re in the dressing room.” He gestured for her to follow him. 

She was excited to meet them, they seemed like great guys to be buddies with. She did want more guy friends after meeting a bunch of girl idols.

“Hey, guys! Miss Bangtan is here!” Jackson announced as they walked into the dressing room. She waved at them in a friendly manner after hearing a chorus of hellos. In the room were Yugyeom, Youngjae, JR, Mark, and JB as they excitedly got into a conversation with her.

“I’m an avid listener of you guys. You’re always on my playlist.” She happily revealed.

“Thank you! What are your favorite songs?” JB asked with a smile.

“I love A, I even know the choreography for it.” She briefly demonstrated as they looked impressed.

“I think she should’ve been in GOT8.” JB laughed as the guys agreed.

“GOT8 sounds catchy. But GOT7 is way better. You guys are the experts in your dances. Other songs I like are Turn Up the Volume, Stop Stop It and Gimme. I’m looking forward to your next comeback.”

After briefly talking some more with the members, Jen noticed that there were only six of them. 

“I thought there were seven of you.” She looked around.

“Bam Bam.” Youngjae chuckled to himself, glancing at the members knowingly.

“He’s probably wandering around.” Jackson assumed.

“Ah, okay. I hope I can catch him later. I’ll see you guys around, it was nice meeting you.” She said her goodbyes and left.

“You think he’s gonna even want to meet her? He’s so nervous.” Mark pondered.

“He’s meeting her today. No ifs, ands, or buts. I’m tired of him just staring at her. He needs to man up and talk.” Jackson demanded.

As the show went underway, Jen stopped walking backstage when she heard an excited chorus of her name being called out. Two sets of arms wrapped around her as she was attacked with hugs from Jiyoon and Hyuna. 

“Oh geez.” She laughed as the rest of the 4Minute members joined in.

“We missed you!” Sohyun said after they released her.

“I missed you more! How have you ladies been? Oh my God, it’s been a while!” Jen gave them individual hugs.

“We’re doing great, we’re so excited to perform,” Hyuna answered.

“Y’all know I’ll be jamming out when you perform crazy and What’s your name. If you hear screaming, it may be me.” She joked.

As Jen talked with 4Minute, from afar, Bam Bam zoned out as he watched her, mesmerized.

There she was.

She was right there.

So close yet so far, but he was still nervous to talk to her. He felt awkward about approaching her.

What would he say? How would she react?

‘Why is she so pretty?’ He thought with wonder. 

He thought her curly hair framed her face so well and brought out her beauty even more. What was it about her that always made his stomach fill with butterflies?

“You’re drooling.” Youngjae nudged him, causing him to get out of his zone. “Go talk to her.”

“She doesn’t bite, man. She’s very sweet.” JB added.

“You’ll get along just fine. Do I need to drag you to her?” Jackson suggested with a grin.

“Please no!” Bam Bam looked at him with horror. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Say what’s on your mind?” Yugyeom suggested.

“So, tell her, Hi, I think you’re beautiful. I like you, can I be your boyfriend?” Bam Bam made one of his funny facial expressions as the members ended up laughing.

“That’s...a bit forward.” Jackson giggled.

“And why did you make that face?” JB shook his head.

“Wow, he’s still crushing on Miss Bangtan?” Mark asked in amazement.

“Uh huh. He’s smitten.” Jackson wiggled his eyebrows with a smirk.

“I am not!” Bam Bam exclaimed, feeling his face warm up.

“Remember how he was staring at her at the MAMA Awards? Lipsyncing whenever her verse came on? It was so cute.” JR gushed.

“Uh huh. And he’s still looking at her with heart eyes. It’s painfully obvious. But I don’t blame him. Jennie is very pretty-ow!” Youngjae winced once Bam Bam punched his arm, in retaliation. “So aggressive...” He rubbed his arm.

“Well, he gotta wait until the dating ban is over anyway. But at least introduce yourself and be friends with her. Start as friends then confess once the dating ban is over.” JB suggested.

“I’m too nervous, all right? What if she thinks I’m weird?” Bam Bam said with worry. 

He thought he could be a bit much with his goofy expressions and it may be a turn off for her.

Would she think he’s weird for how he acts around his friends? How he loves to dance to girl group songs, what would she think about that?

“Are you kidding me?” JR exclaimed. “If she can live with the Bangtan Boys, I’m pretty sure she can deal with you. Jennie will probably think you’re funny and cute. Be yourself.”

“I could’ve sworn she said that she loves when her ideal type is himself and not pretending to be someone else.” Mark thought about her speech on her ideal type, last year.

Jackson shook his head in annoyance. He had enough of his stalling. “That’s it.” He grabbed a hold of Bam Bam and started to walk towards Jennie.

“J-Jackson! No! What are you doing!?” He desperately tried to fight off his grip as he found himself getting closer to her.

No, he wasn’t ready.

He wasn’t ready to approach this girl.

He wasn’t ready to look at her in the eyes.

He wasn’t ready to get lost in them yet.

He wasn’t ready to blush and make a fool out of himself in front of her.

He needed more time.

“I’m tired of your bull, Bam Bam. You’re going to meet her.” Jackson had none of it as they got closer. “Jennie!” He happily shouted after she was left alone.

She turned to the two boys. “Hey, what up?”

“I wanted to introduce you to the seventh member that you didn’t get to meet. This is Bam Bam. Bam Bam, this is Jennie.” Jackson released him. 

Bam Bam cleared his throat and smiled shyly, giving her a brief wave.

“Finally! I was wondering where you were!” Her sudden statement caused Bam Bam to look surprised. “Were you hiding from me?” She teased with a smile.

‘Oh my God, her smile...how is she real?’ He thought, feeling himself get flustered. 

“N-nah, duty calls.” He replied. ‘Really Bam Bam? Duty calls? I sound so stupid.’ He mentally punched himself. 

”I agree, everything is so hectic. That’s the idol life.”

Bam Bam noticed that Jackson had left them alone as he swallowed nervously, meeting her friendly gaze.

“So, you rap?” She asked eagerly.

“Y-yeah. I rap in GOT7.”

“Wow, that’s dope. Yoongi is helping me learn how to rap. I’d love to rap one day. Maybe even be a part of the Rap Line in BTS.”

“I can see that happening. I could give you some tips...if you’re interested.” He suggested 

“That’s so sweet of you. I appreciate it.”

“D-did you like your get well basket?” He rubbed the back of his neck as her eyes lit up.

“That was you!?”

He smiled shyly and nodded. “I hope you liked the smarties.”

“Of course, I did! Thank you so much! Well, since I’m in front of you now, let me give you that kiss on the cheek.” She giggled as she pulled him in for a warm hug after placing her soft lips on his cheek. 

His eyes almost popped out at the sudden affection but he immediately wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the moment. He caught a whiff of her perfume. It had a fruity scent to it, and it suited her.

‘She is so huggable.’ He thought as he couldn’t keep the smitten smile off his face. 

So this was what it was like to have her in his arms. He was in heaven. Bam Bam didn't want to let her go as his mind started thinking about potential date ideas if he could have the courage to ask her out. 

The GOT7 members were watching his face with amusement and decided to snap a photo for future blackmail.

After she pulled away, she spoke, “You really didn’t have to do that for me. It was so kind of you. Thanks for caring even if we haven’t met during that time.”

“Anytime. You really worried me. I’m happy that you’re okay.”

“Aw, Bam Bam!” She was touched by his words.

‘The way she says my name.’ He gushed. It sounded so cute the way she said his name with cheerfulness.

“I gotta get back to the dressing room, but it was nice meeting you! I hope we get to see each other again, soon.”

“Likewise.”

She smiled and headed back inside the BTS dressing room while he went back to the members. 

“So, did you ask for her number?” Mark asked.

“I wanted to but it slipped my mind.” Bam Bam chuckled nervously. 

He was too busy staring anyway. Man was she stunning in person. Photos don't do her justice.

Jackson, however, wasn’t happy with his statement. “How else will you keep in touch?” He frowned, crossing his arms.

“Instagram?” Bam Bam shrugged.

“I would ask for her number if I were you,” JB advised.

“Oh yeah, show him the photo,” Yugyeom spoke up as JR showed him the photo of him grinning like an idiot as he hugged Jennie. “We’re keeping this for blackmail.”

“Why!? Delete that!” Bam Bam shouted.

“Maybe we should show Jennie, what do you guys think?” JB pondered.

“NO!” Bam Bam yelled, trying to grab ahold of the phone.

----

In the BTS dressing room, the members were dressed for their performance. Jennie napped on the floor with Yoongi, while Taehyung rested next to her. Hobi decided it was time to mess with the members and he went to disturb Jimin first while filming for a Bangtan Bomb. After messing with him, Hobi went straight to Yoongi and Jennie.

He filmed them, contemplating if he should mess with them but decided against it. 

“They’re sleeping too firmly. Last time I got beaten up by them with the others. It wasn’t pretty.” He laughed.

He decided to go after Taehyung instead, messing with his chin while making sound effects to one of the member’s iPhones that was ringing.

Jen kept hearing Hobi’s voice and contemplated if she should hit him so she could sleep in peace. As she opened her eyes, she saw him with a camera, messing with Tae. She glanced over at Yoongi, who had awakened, too.

Not good.

Tae looked over at the napping pair and glanced at Hobi, with fear, shocked that he woke them up.

“You’re really bothersome, doing this.” Tae sighed while Jennie shook her head at Hobi.

“Fuck off,” Yoongi spoke up, causing those around him to laugh.

“He-he cursed.” Hobi giggled.

After a long nap, Jen headed out and walked around until she saw Jiyoon, Gayoon and Sohyun in line for a shooting dart game.

“What’s all this?” Jennie looked around, noticing the spinning wheel and prizes around the staff members, deciding to get in line with them while others got behind her.

“Jiyoon wants the Hulk Buster,” Sohyun answered.

“Hulk Buster! Hulk Buster, please!” Jiyoon looked on, determined. She looked cute, acting like a kid for her Avengers.

“She really wants that Hulk Buster.” Jen laughed. “I hope she gets it.”

“Me too.”

“Oh my gosh is that a Captain America action figure!?” Jennie shouted, pointing it out with excitement. “I want it! I call dibs. It’s mine!”

“You like Captain America?”

“Oh yeah, I love him! Chris Evans is so cute!” She daydreamed, making Sohyun giggle. “He’s my favorite superhero. Just don’t tell Jungkook. He’s more of an Iron Man fan.”

“My lips are sealed.”

After Jiyoon’s failed attempt to get what she wanted, Jennie tried to shoot at the spinning wheel and failed too, winning kimchi flavored noodles. Jiyoon had won cereal and couldn’t hide her disappointment.

“Man, I really wanted that Captain America action figure. I could have it in my room for display.” Jen let out a sigh.

As she parted ways with Jiyoon and the others, Jen continued on her path to go back to the BTS dressing room.

“Finally, I found you!” She stopped in her tracks when she saw Chanyeol from EXO staring her way, smiling brightly.

‘Is he...talking to me? No way, there must be someone behind me.’ She looked back but didn't see anyone. 

“Are you talking to me?” She pointed to herself as he nodded happily and bowed as she did the same before looking up at his tall figure.

Jeesh, he was taller than she thought. But his bright smile made his height less intimidating as she felt at ease.

“Sorry if this is really random. I got really excited when I finally found you, hehehe.” He giggled shyly, covering his face. “I’m Chanyeol.”

“H-hi, I’m Jennie.” She felt her face warm up at the Happy Virus.

She always felt like EXO was untouchable and people she could never seem to approach. But Chanyeol seemed very eager and friendly to want to talk to her. 

She wondered why.

“Baekhyun has been looking for you. I decided to help him out. He’ll be thrilled to know that I found you.”

“Come again?” Her stomach dropped.

Baekhyun? 

Her bias? 

He was looking for her?

Her??

Miss Bangtan?

She wanted to faint right then and there.

“He’s very eager to meet you! He wanted to talk to you about your cover. Can I just say that you have done very well? I enjoyed listening to it. Baekhyun can’t stop talking about it. It has been driving some of the members bonkers, hehe.” He giggled.

“Are you serious? Gosh, thank you!” She couldn’t believe he said that. That was a huge confidence booster. 

To be praised by Chanyeol of all people. An SM artist. Just wow!

Chanyeol had given Baekhyun a quick text and they waited while having small talk until he walked up to them. Jen told him that she wanted to get the Captain America action figure but had failed, as he decided that he wanted to try out the game after Baekhyun arrived.

“Ah, there he is.” Chanyeol pointed him out and left them to talk.

“Hello!” Baekhyun smiled brightly. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Jennie!”

“Hi!” She managed to say, mesmerized that he was right in front of her. He grabbed her hands with his smile still plastered on his face. It seemed to have calmed her starstruck mind down as she returned his smile. “You’re one of my favorite idols. It’s an honor to finally meet you. I saw your comment on my Instagram, about my cover. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to it. It really means the world to me that you, the original artist of the song, would listen to my cover.”

“It’s funny how it came about. Chanyeol had seen fans tagging his Instagram and mine on your photo and he brought it to my attention. We decided to sit down and listen to it. The first opening notes, Chanyeol couldn’t keep his jaw closed.” He chuckled at the memory as he released her hands.

“Seriously?” She covered her mouth in surprise. 

Now that was a plus, that she was able to do that. She needed to stop doubting the potential of her singing ability. There is much to improve, but this right here was a huge start.

“Uh huh. It was well done. How long did it take you?”

“I’ve worked on the song for a week. Due to my schedule, I didn’t have that much free time. I was already familiar with the song because I’d listened to it so many times and sung along in my room. The rearrangement was made in the studio, I worked on making sure the same emotion that you had was there for the song, while still making it my own and then I took it from there. I had a blast working on it.”

“I’m eager to hear more from you. I have always wondered what is it about me that you love so much. I would come across photos of your interviews or videos of you speaking so highly of me. It’s very touching. May I ask why?”

“Well, it’s not hard. Your vocals are so amazing. Like you have no idea how your vocals have made me want to step up my vocal skills. Every time I hear you sing, I am inspired to be able to sing so emotionally, so heavenly and have that much passion. I love watching you perform, too. Your voice and charisma blow me away. I’m learning a lot in this industry, been in BTS for three years and we are still growing musically. You along with many other idols are an inspiration for me.” She revealed in a genuine voice.

“Ah, you’re making me so flustered from the constant support you have for me.” He said eagerly. "Thank you, Jennie,"

He always enjoyed meeting new people and he enjoyed Jennie’s friendly, determined aura around her. Her voice went great with his song. If they were to sing together in the future, it would be a treat for fans for sure.

“I would love to sing with you, one day if you are interested. I’m continuing to improve my vocals so I can push for future collaborations with other idols.” She continued, hoping he would agree.

His smile got wider as he nodded eagerly. “I would love to collaborate with you and teach you a few vocal methods in the future. Whenever you’re ready, just let me know and we’ll work from there once our schedules aren’t in the way. I’m positive SM will agree to it.”

“Re-really!?”

“Really.” He confirmed.

“Thank you so much! Is it okay if I hug you?” She asked. 

He laughed at her excitement and nodded, bringing her in for a warm hug.

After their conversation, she asked for a selfie. He stood next to her, smiling sweetly while she grinned widely as they both put up finger hearts.

‘THIS HAPPENED! So happy to finally meet you! Thank you!’ She posted on Instagram and Twitter, causing EXO-Ls and ARMY to freak out.

--------

After BTS had performed, Bam Bam went out to find Jennie. The GOT7 members were watching him from afar, to see if he would do what he said he was going to do.

Ask for her number.

“You think he’s gonna do it?” Mark asked.

“He better do it,” Jackson demanded.

“I don’t think he has it in him. Watch him chicken out.” JB laughed.

“He better not.” Jackson huffed.

“There she goes.” Mark pointed her out.

Once Bam Bam saw Jennie, taking out her earpiece, and putting it around her neck, he let out a breath and approached her. He repeated everything that he wanted to say in his mind, confident that he wouldn’t be awkward.

Once she turned around and flashed him a smile, he tensed up as she spoke, “Hey, you! Long time no see! Great performance out there!”

“Th-thanks. You were great out there, too. I uh, wanted you to have this.” He presented his hands that were behind his back, revealing the Captain America action figure that she had wanted.

A loud gasp escaped her lips as she took a step back. She looked from the action figure to him, in astonishment as he started to chuckle softly, satisfied with her reaction. 

“No way! H-how did you manage to win this, oh my gosh!” She happily accepted it, examining it in awe. “My Captain America!”

“I was in line for the game and overheard you talking about it. I was aiming to try out the game, just for fun, but I decided why not try to get the action figure for you.”

“Bam Bam, you just made my night.” She pulled him in for another hug.

‘Two hugs in one night? I’m on a roll.’ He happily thought.

Jackson nodded in approval. “Damn, that was smooth.”

“Whipped~!” Youngjae announced as the members laughed with him while they continued to watch.

“How long did it take you to win this?” She asked after they pulled away.

“Three times.”

“Man. You really didn’t need to go through all that trouble for me. But who am I to complain? I got my Captain America!” She cheered.

“Jennie! Come on!” Jin had called her out from afar, wanting her back in the dressing room.

“Gotta go, but thank you again, Bam Bam.”

“W-wait.” He grabbed a hold of her hand, making her turn back around. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

“Can I-uh-can I get your number?” He stuttered out.

He hoped he wasn’t too forward or was giving her the wrong impression. He sincerely wanted to get to know her more. He liked her after all.

“Yeah, of course!” She took his phone and quickly typed in her number for him. “Here you go!”

“Sweet. Thank you. I’ll see you around, Jennie.”

“Definitely. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” She headed back to meet up with Jin.

“He really had it in him,” Mark said in bewilderment.

“Should we start the ship name? BamJen?” Jackson suggested.

“When do you think he’ll text her?” Jinyoung asked as the members questioned the future of Bam Bam and Jen’s friendship.

------

The next day, Jungkook continued to freak out because he still couldn’t find his white shirts in the dorm.

Who would be so evil to take his precious shirts?

Who had the guts to do something like this and expect to get away with it?

“Okay, guys, this isn’t funny anymore, the prank is over, give me my damn shirts back!” He yelled from his room.

“Aish, you still can’t find them?” Namjoon shook his head.

“Damn it!” Jungkook slammed his hand against his opened door in frustration as he walked to the living room.

He was pissed.

This prank wasn’t funny anymore.

“They weren’t in the laundry?” Jin asked, calmly.

“No...” The Golden Maknae grumbled. “Can someone just tell me who did it? I haven’t worn any white shirts in weeks! Somebody just give them back!”

Jimin continued to laugh with Taehyung which caused Jungkook to curse and attack them, wrestling them in the living room. After he beat them up, Jungkook stormed back to his room to try to seethe in solitude.

Once he left, a smirk slowly came across the Bangtan Girl’s features. 

‘Wonder how long I should keep this up.’ She thought evilly.

Jungkook was so mad. She almost felt bad for doing this to him. He trusted her so much that he wouldn’t dare suspect her of all people to mess with his white shirts. 

Jimin peeped her smirk. He was the only one who knew her secret. When she decided to tell him, he was genuinely surprised that Miss Bangtan of all people would steal Jungkook’s white shirts.

That she would be bold enough to do such a thing.

Days later in the afternoon, Jen chilled in the living room, playing video games by herself until her phone buzzed, getting a notification from the BTS Group Chat.

Jimin: uhhh just to give you a fair warning...Kook is looking for you

Raising a brow, Jennie immediately texted back

Jennie: Why?

Jimin: He knows

Jennie: What do you mean "He knows"

Tae: Ennie, you need to HIDE

Hobi: NOW

Yoongi: You R on ur own kid...

Jennie groaned. 

You have GOT to be kidding. 

Why did she open up her mouth? She should've known that Jimin would blab out that she took his shirts. How stupid of her to trust him.

Jennie: Jimin!!

Jimin: He beat it out of me! I'm sorry! Jungkook is so scary when he's angry! I'm sorry, Ennie!

As soon as she heard another ping, she checked the notification, feeling her stomach drop at who had messaged next in the group chat.

Jungkook: Jennie.

Jennie: Hey Kookie! :) :) :)

Jungkook: So...you touched my white shirts, huh? 

Jennie: Me? Nooooo, I would never

As soon as Jen saw the next message, she immediately got off the couch, in panic.

Jungkook: I’m coming for you

She reread the text and ran into her room, earning a loud laugh from Namjoon who was in the kitchen. Shutting the door, she locked it, pacing around. She should've thought things through. She'll never make the mistake of telling anyone her plans.

She decided to hide under her bed, hoping that would be a great hiding spot.

Jennie: I didn’t do anything!

Tae: Jungkook please reconsider! Ennie is an innocent soul!

Hobi: Don't do this Jungkoko!

Yoongi: She dead

Jimin: Jungkook don't!

Jungkook: Where is she?

Jin: Whatever mess you make, I won't be cleaning it up.

Jennie: Jin! You not going to help me!?

Jin: This is your responsibility, sweetie.

Yoongi: She dead.

Jimin: Jungkookie noooooooooooo

Jungkook: I won't ask again.

Jungkook: WHERE

Jungkook: IS

Jungkook: SHE?

Namjoon: Last time I checked, she just ran in her room

Jennie: NAMJOON!

She received a peace sign emoji from the leader and a devil emoji from Jungkook

Jennie: Kookie please!

Namjoon: I'm leaving the dorm. I don't want to see or hear what punishment he has in store. I'll be at the studio

Yoongi: She dead.

Jimin: YOONGI NOT THE TIME!

Yoongi: Do you want me to lie? She's dead.

Namjoon: Don't punish her too hard, Kook. You don't know your own strength at times 

Yoongi: She'll learn her lesson once he's done with her

Namjoon: Good luck Jennie!

Hobi: No! No! No! Jungkook this is a bad idea!

Jimin: Jungkookie don't lay a finger on our Ennie!

Jungkook: I'll be laying more than just a finger on her

“Why me?” She complained.

She was now alone in the dorm. And Jungkook was coming back any minute. It was too late to leave the dorm. He could be already here.

And as soon as she thought about it, she heard the front door open and close.

Great...

Her stomach dropped as she heard footsteps. She quickly put her phone on silent, doing everything she could to not make a sound. Hearing her doorknob rattle, her nerves got worse.

“Of course, you would lock the door.” She heard Jungkook’s voice filled with annoyance.

“Jungkook! It was just a prank!” She exclaimed. “Leave me alone! I’m sorry! It was a prank!”

“Oh, I know. But when you mess with my white shirts, I have the right to give you a proper punishment. Open the door.” He demanded.

“Jungkook, think about what you’re doing!”

“Open the door, Jennie.”

“Jungkook, let’s talk about this!”

“Oh, we’ll talk. My hands are going to do the talking. Now, open the door.” His voice went down an octave, giving off a threatening tone.

She decided to stay silent and for a moment she heard no more noise.

Maybe he left?

She considered getting from under the bed but decided against it after she heard more noise coming from her door. She realized that he was working on removing her bedroom door handle with some type of tool he found.

‘You have GOT to be kidding me! Am I worth this much trouble?! Over white shirts!?’ She panicked as he finally opened her door. 

She swallowed nervously as her eyes came into view with his timberlands walking around her room.

“Are you going to reveal yourself or am I going to have to take matters into my own hands?” He talked out loud to her.

Jen kept her mouth shut. Maybe she could try to escape this. He was fast but she could squirm out of his grip if he caught her. Seeing the light from her phone flash, she glanced at it to see the missed messages from the group chat

Jimin: Jennie! Are you safe!?

Tae: ENNIE!

Yoongi: She dead

Hobi: Munchkin!

Jimin: GUYS SHE’S NOT ANSWERING!

Yoongi: She dead.

Namjoon: She brought this on herself haha.

Jimin: What have I done!? Ennie! Answer us!

Yoongi: She dead.

Hobi: You sure you should’ve

“Crap!” She yelped as he grabbed a hold of her ankles, pulling her from under the bed. She didn’t even get the chance to read the rest of Hobi’s message.

Jungkook turned her around to face him and pinned her to the floor before she could have the chance to crawl away. As she looked up at his stern expression, she swallowed hard. That was a look she was not used to.

“Now...we can either do this the easy way or the hard way.” He advised. “I think it’ll be in your best interest to go the easy route because I tend to not be so merciful when it comes to things like my white shirts.”

“Kook, come on now. Let’s not do this.”

“You brought this on yourself.”

“Jungkook!”

“Now I’m going to ask you one question...and you are going to answer me truthfully, do you hear me?” He got closer to her face.

His serious expression made him look more mature as his piercing gaze stayed on her like a hawk, making sure she wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. It was intimidating to see him like this and she wondered how she would be able to escape.

Where was Jimin or the rest of the guys? Shouldn’t they be scrambling over here to help her instead of texting the group chat?

“Where are my shirts?” Her thoughts were interrupted.

“I don’t know where they are!” She struggled against his strong grip. She could hardly move from under him.

“Strike one.”

“Kook!”

“Tell me where my white shirts are.”

“I don’t know!”

“Strike two. One more, you’re done for. I’m going to ask you, one more time. Where-are-my-white-shirts?” He demanded as his nose grazed hers.

“They’re someplace...where you are never going to find.” She boldly answered. “Admit that I outsmarted you, Kook.”

Jungkook poked the inside of his cheek, feeling himself getting more aggravated that he still didn’t have his white shirts. 

It had been weeks.

Weeks since he’s had them.

Her stomach flipped when he leaned down, and she felt his warm breath against her ear. “You know, I really thought I could trust you. It seems like I need to be more mindful of those close to me. Because they can turn on you just like that. And take things that are precious from you. Like my white shirts for example. You know I wasn’t even going to prank you at all for this prank war? But I guess you didn’t have the same mindset. So, do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you?”

“Let me go and forget this happened?”

“I could...but that won’t be fun, now would it?” He put both her wrists in one hand as his other found itself slowly grazing the side of her stomach, causing her to squirm.

That was a sensitive area, because he’s been there before, and she knew what he was about to do. 

He was going to tickle her.

“No, please! Not that, anything but that! I’ll buy you lamb skewers! Anything but that!” She started to panic.

“Should’ve thought of that before you said what you said.” He moved back from her face, watching her attempt to move around from under him.

“It was so tempting, I’m sorry-“ She was cut off by her laughter as he began to aggressively tickle her sides with both his hands. “St-sthap it-hahahah! Jungko-ok!”

“What was that? Huh?” He teased, as he tickled her relentlessly, watching her become undone.

“Are you going to tell me where my shirts are?” He questioned over her loud laughter. 

No matter how much her hands tried to push him away, he continued to be relentless.

“Please-!”

“Please what? If it’s not about the location of my white shirts, I’m not listening to you beg for mercy. Suffer.” He answered her pleas with no remorse.

After a few more moments, she couldn’t take anymore, and finally, gave up. “Okay! Okay! Enough! I’ll tell you!”

He left her alone, smirking in satisfaction as he waited for her to pull herself together. “Now...about those white shirts...”

“Th-they’re at Amber’s place.” She revealed, trying to catch her breath.

“And I’m sure you’ll return them to me, today, right?”

“Uh huh.”

“Glad we could work something out.” He grinned triumphally. “But just a fair warning...Pull something like that again, the punishment will be even worse. That was me going easy on you. These hands can do a lot more damage.”

“I am never telling anyone anything ever again.” She groaned.

------

The next day, at school, Jennie and Jungkook attended gym class together. The two combined classes found themselves sitting on the floor, as the gym teacher announced that today’s activity would consist of dodgeball. Hearing that caused Jungkook’s mood to boost. He loved dodgeball and was looking forward to playing it.

“Jeon Jungkook. Jennifer Walker.” The gym teacher called them out, gesturing for them to stand next to him. “You two will be today’s team captains.”

‘Team captains? So, I’m going up against Kook in dodgeball?’ Jen thought as she glanced at her best friend.

Jungkook and Jennie were more competitive than others, and it would mean the world to her if she could beat him in dodgeball. It would give her some type of closure since he would usually beat her in video games.

The gym teacher told them to play one round of rock, paper, scissors to see who would get the first pick and Jungkook won by choosing paper over Jen’s rock.

The Golden Maknae looked around the handful of classmates that sat on the gym floor, waiting patiently to be picked. He pondered about which person to choose first, wanting strong teammates since he was stronger on offense when it came to dodgeball.

His eyes landed on Jennie’s shy friend, Hayoon, who was looking down at her feet. “Hayoon.” He called out, causing her to lift her head in surprise.

“Y-yes?” She stuttered.

“Come on, you’re on my team.” He smiled softly, beckoning her to come over.

As soon as she heard him call out her friend’s name, Jennie stared at him in disbelief. “What? My friend though? How dare you?”

“All about the mind games.” He teased as Hayoon stood behind him.

“Sorry, Jennie.” Hayoon smiled apologetically.

“Okay, you knew I was gonna pick her.” Jen frowned at the Golden Maknae.

“Exactly. I know you better than you know yourself. I know how you think.” He replied confidently.

“She’s supposed to be mine.”

“Not today.” He grinned cockily.

“I’m going to....” She trailed off, shaking her head. “The Lord is testing me today...”

“What?” He challenged. “What are you going to do, my dear friend?”

She wanted to smack that grin off his face but she suppressed her urges.

“You better take good care of her.” She huffed and turned to Hayoon. “If he does anything wrong, let me know. I’ll give him a beating back at the dorm.”

Hayoon smiled softly. “I’m sure Jungkook and I won’t have any problems. He is a nice person.”

“You hear that Jennie? I’m nice.” He happily announced.

“She’s only trying not to hurt your feelings. We all know you suck.” She turned back to her classmates, smirking in amusement when he yelled “Yah!”

After picking their teammates, the gym teacher began to explain the rules. “All right, I’m sure we know how to play this game but I added some more rules, to make it more intense. If the ball hits you, you’re out. While you stand on the sidelines when you’re out, you can have one of your teammates that’s still in the game, throw you a ball and you can try to shoot the ball into the basketball hoop. If you make the ball in the basket, everyone from your team is back in the game. If it hits the backboard, only you are back in. Captains, face each other, please.”

Jungkook and Jen faced off, staring each other down intently, as their classmates looked on in anticipation. Jen looked at him up and down, stepping up to him. 

“Golden Maknae.” She acknowledged.

Jungkook smirked at her competitiveness. “Miss Bangtan.” He mimicked her movements.

“Ready to lose?”

“I think the question is, am I ready to win.”

“No, not today. You may beat me in video games, but today, you will be the one who’s losing for a change.”

“We shall see about that.”

“I want a clean game.” Their gym teacher interrupted their face off. “We’ll play three rounds. Whoever gets two wins will be victorious." 

Jungkook looked at his opponent, examining her. Jennie’s defensive skills were only getting better and better. Something that he couldn’t touch. But unlike him, she didn’t have great aim and never went on an offensive route for games. If he could stay on her team, throwing the balls relentlessly, he should get everyone out and win the game effortlessly. His team had stronger players, the main thing he needed to focus on was her quick instincts to avoid getting hit.

Defense vs. offense. 

It would be a great set of matches between the two teams.

The 97 Liners shake hands while their teams go to their spots. Attempting to walk back, Jen is pulled forward by Jungkook due to his strong grip on her hand. She looked up at the tall Golden Maknae with a serious expression.

More trash talk?

“Before I let you go, I just want to wish you luck.”

“How kind of you.”

“And I’ll happily enjoy some lamb skewers when I win. Your treat of course.” His bunny smile showed on his features.

She knew he was up to something. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at him playfully. “Hm, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Well, when I win, I want my noodles. I will enjoy that treat to the fullest.”

“I think you may want to get your mind off noodles. The lamb skewers will be a great meal after school. Might as well prepare for it.”

“Ha! You tried it.”

“Make the best 97 Liner win.” He released her and headed over to his team with a confident look on his face.

Meeting up with her team, they prepare for the first round. “What’s the strategy?” One of her female teammates asked.

“All right, I have a plan in mind. It may sound crazy, but I strongly believe this will work. I want to take a risk.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Don’t get the dodgeballs first. Wait for them to get it.” She informed as they stared at the set of medium-sized, colorful balls in the middle of the gym floor. 

She heard some of her teammates question her strategy. “You sure? Shouldn’t we run and get the balls?”

“That’s what they think we’re going to do. But we’re not going to. Catch them off guard. Make them believe they’re at an advantage.”

“Okay and then what?” Another teammate asked

“I want us to watch the balls and catch them whenever they throw them. Put your hands out like this.” She demonstrated. “Whatever you do, catch it, and then they’ll get out. If we can all catch their balls when they attack, then that means we’ll have fewer people to get out in the game, and we’ll have all the balls then. Trust me.”

Her teammates noticed a strong leader aura around her, as her plan made sense. 

“When you get a ball, aim for their legs and feet.” She continued. “If you aim at their upper body, they’ll have more of an advantage to catch the ball. Their legs, however, different story. I won’t let you guys down, I will fight until we are victorious today. I will lead us to victory. Keep a cool head, and keep your eyes open at all times. Anything can happen in just a blink of an eye. Got it?” She looked at her teammates, who appeared motivated and pumped up.

They all put their hands in the middle. “One, two, three, Defensive!” They shout, throwing their hands up in the air.

Both teams placed their hands on the wall, waiting for the teacher’s cue. This was it. All or nothing. Jen’s heart began to race from anticipation. Her team needed to win this.

“Begin!” The gym teacher blew the whistle.

Like Jen planned, her team stayed back as Jungkook’s team ran up and got the balls. His team looked confused that her team stood back and thought it wasn’t the wisest choice. His team, as expected, threw the dodgeballs at her team, and Jen watched in approval when her teammates caught the balls.

Jungkook widened his eyes in shock at what just happened as he saw a handful of his teammates walk to the sideline. Irritation was clear on his face as he poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, narrowing his eyes at Jennie. He was not happy at how quickly he lost teammates.

“BOOM!” Jennie fist pumped, high fiving her teammates who were cheering. She turned back to Jungkook with a huge smile on her face, having her arms outstretched, tilting her head to the side. “Now THAT is how you make a statement! We here to win today!”

“Game on.” He growled. “Watch your back.” He pointed her out.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game. I outsmarted you. Admit it.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, and it’ll be the last.” He huffed. 

He was not happy. He refused to lose to her. 

It was on, now.

As the game went on, Jen’s teammates noticed how patient and understanding she was towards them as she gave them encouraging words throughout the game. She wanted everyone to remain calm and not be intimidated just because Kook’s team had stronger players.

Suddenly, without even noticing who hit him, Jungkook gets hit on the thigh by a ball.

“Jeon Jungkook, you’re out!” The gym teacher announced.

“Aish...” He threw his ball down in frustration and walked over to the sidelines.

He was so focused on trying to get Jennie out that he failed to realize others were trying to get him out too. Getting strong players out of a game was always a smart move, and he knew he had targets on his back.

Jennie’s team managed to win Round 1 thanks to their effort of catching the dodgeballs whenever their opponents tried to hit them.

“Aaaaayyyyyeeeeeeee!” Jennie yelled as she performed the Shmoney dance in celebration. 

She happily gave her teammates high fives, praising them for their efforts, and told them to keep it up. 

For Round 2, Jungkook’s team came back in full aggression. It seemed like getting the first loss of the game, lit a fire in the Golden Maknae as he did everything he could to get as many opponents out as possible.

Seeing an available ball standing in the middle of the gym, the 97 Liners glance at each other and make a run for it.

‘I need that ball.’ Jen thought hastily as she ran as fast she could. 

Before she could grab it, Jungkook managed to swipe it from the floor first. She stumbled back and fell on her butt with a grunt and cautiously looked up at the Golden Maknae.

“Gotcha.” He smirked, readying himself to throw the ball.

‘Relax, Jennie.’ She calmed herself down. 

If her teammates saw her panic, they would panic too. She needed to stay strong in this predicament. Telling her body to move as soon as she saw him move his hand to throw the ball at her, she barely managed to roll away, earning whoas from her classmates.

“As expected.” He grabbed another ball that was by his feet.

Mostly everyone had the balls on the sideline, aiming to make a basket so their whole team could get back in the game. 

He threw another fastball at her, making her jump out of the way with a yelp. 

‘If I didn’t move one inch, that would’ve hit me.’ She huffed as she got on her feet, watching his every move. One false movement, she was done for.

‘Clever girl.’ He thought, impressed. 

He enjoyed the challenge.

‘Maybe if I could try to catch the ball.’ She thought as she stayed alert. ‘But his aim and speed of the ball are so intense, I’m not sure if catching it would be wise, in fear that it may fall out my hands.’

Hayoon stood next to Jungkook as she aimed a ball right at Jennie, who ducked down in the nick of time. 

“Aye! Why is it two on one!?” Jen exclaimed as she continued to jump out of the way from any balls aiming at her.

“Sorry, Jennie. But you need to get out.” Hayoon giggled and threw another ball.

“Bye!” Miss Bangtan waved at her friend when she caught her ball. A pout came across Hayoon’s face as she walked over to the sidelines. Before Jen knew it, a dodgeball hit her right in the butt, causing her to turn to the thrower in shock. “Ow! You hit my ass!”

“Perfect shot!” Jungkook laughed, fist pumping. “Don’t take your eyes off me, next time!”

“Oh, so that’s how we gonna play, huh?” Rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Jennie stood by the sidelines while the rest of her teammates played against Jungkook and his team. Jen had tried to make a basket a couple of times but to no avail as Jungkook blocked every single one. 

“Oh my god! Back off!” She yelled in frustration. 

Why couldn’t he just focus on the game? Not on blocking her baskets?

Hayoon unexpectedly made a basket, causing her whole team to cheer. 

“I made the shot!” She jumped up and down happily. 

Jennie groaned as she saw all of Jungkook’s teammates run back into the game. She watched painfully as her teammates remaining got hit, causing Jungkook’s team to win this round. He immediately celebrated with his teammates, acting hyped up as he jumped up and down with them.

Jennie on the other hand, gathered her team to group up in a circle. “We may have lost that round but don’t let that discourage you. We still got this. All of you did a great job holding your own. And now we are in the last round. We’re going to need to be more on offense this time. But remain cautious of your surroundings. Never take your eyes off your opponents. We got this. Go hard or go home. Let’s take this victory!” She shouted as her team cheered.

“Final round!” The gym teacher blew the whistle.

This time, Jen sprinted forward to grab two of the balls in the middle of the floor and managed to hit two people in the process. After ducking around and avoiding the balls that were aimed at her team, she finally caught a ball that almost went over her head. Tossing it to one of her teammates to use, Jen watched triumphally as the person who threw the ball walked to the sidelines.

The game was equally matched, and both teams were determined to win. Near the end of the game, Jen stood by the sidelines with her team while Jungkook was still in the game, with one other person going up against three people left from her team. He seemed to be getting everyone out before it was just three people left because her teammates could not seem to hit him with a dodgeball.

“Whatever you do, don’t let Jennie get back in.” Jungkook requested his teammate as he went on to try to get the last people out. 

Those Lamb Skewers were his.

Meanwhile, Jen couldn’t hide her frustration every time she aimed the ball at the backboard, it would get slapped away by Jungkook’s teammate before it could touch it. Butterflies were in her stomach as she witnessed that there was only one person left from her team.

“Please...” She whispered as she tried one more time.

“Walker! You’re back in!” The gym teacher announced. 

Sighing out of relief, she ran to her teammate. “You good, girl?” She asked as she got handed a ball.

“No, I’m freaking out! I can’t do this. I can’t hit them, we’re going to lose!”

“Hey. Get that negative mindset out of your head. Remember what I told you. You can catch the ball to get people out in dodgeball. You got this. Trust me.” She reassured. The two of them ducked as a loud smack was heard against the wall when Jungkook’s fastball clashed against it. “I would like my head!”

“And I would like to win!” She heard him say.

Jennie kneeled and caught his teammate’s ball that was aimed at her feet, leaving Jungkook to be the last man standing for his team. He throws two fastballs, ready for this game to be over before anyone else from her team can get back in the game.

Unable to move in time, one of the balls hit Jen’s shoulder, causing her to fall back. Looking up, she saw that her teammate had a shocked expression on her face and she saw a dodgeball in her hands.

She had caught his other dodgeball.

“Atta girl!” Jen got up and rushed to hug her.

“Winner! Team Jennie!” The gym teacher announced. Her team all rushed up and joined in the hug, jumping up and down, and cheering in celebration.

“WOO! That is what I’m talking about!” Jennie beamed, with a huge smile on her face.

Jungkook, sitting on the gym floor, was disappointed that his team lost but was praised for his efforts. He watched Jennie celebrate, and it was like he was watching her in slow motion as her hair flipped to one side when she turned her head to him. The same bright smile still on her face.

She was something else.

Before he knew it, she was in front of him, extending her hand out. He smiled and took it as she helped him up. 

Keeping a strong grip on his hand, she spoke, “Good game, Kook. Thanks for going all out on me. Your team pushed me harder than ever before.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m kind of glad you beat me.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah, because you make competitions fun. You’re unpredictable. But just so you know, I’ll be the one winning next time.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I’m ready for whatever you bring at me, bunny.”

-----

After changing in the dorm, Jennie and Jungkook took a stroll together, aiming to head to a local noodle restaurant so he could treat her to noodles since she won the game. As Jungkook approached the restaurant, he watched in confusion as Jennie walked past it.

“Wait, don’t you want noodles?” He asked as he followed her.

“I did. But I changed my mind.” She replied as she stopped in front of a Korean BBQ restaurant. “I’m kind of craving lamb skewers.” She smiled, giggling at his happy reaction.

“No way, are you serious!?” His bunny smile came across his features.

“Don’t make me change my mind.” She teased as he eagerly opened the door for her, letting her walk in first.

“Trust me, I won’t let you. You won’t regret it.” He replied as he walked in.

Getting seated at a booth, facing each other, they ordered lamb skewers and watched them cook. Some lucky ARMY came to the right restaurant because they secretly watched the 97 Liners. Some took photos, filmed them briefly, and watched them with giggles. 

Jungkook noticed and felt a little shy when he heard one of them murmur, “Don’t they look cute?”

Jennie watched the lamb skewers cook while Jungkook ended up gazing at her. She rested her elbow on the table as her fingers tangled in her curls. The way she would briefly check her phone, watch the lamb skewers cook with anticipation, and how she scrunched up her nose out of habit, he thought it was some of the most adorable things he had ever seen.

Feeling eyes on her, she decided to remove her hand from her hair, setting her arm down. She flashed him a sweet smile and silently commenced a staring contest until she burst out in laughter from another one of his derp faces. 

Jungkook smiled and looked down, chuckling his own self.

“This better be good.” She warned.

“They will be, trust me.” He guaranteed. “You won’t be disappointed.”

“I blame Yoongi for your obsession with this. But at least I finally get to see what the hype is all about.” She grabbed a stick after it finished cooking and took a bite.

“Well?” Kook looked on in anticipation.

“Yo, this is bomb!” She took another bite.

“Yes!” He fist pumped. “Told you that you would like them.”

As they ate, he requested to take photos, to let Yoongi and ARMY know about her new fascination with Lamb Skewers. The first photo he took was of her smiling while looking down because he said that he still couldn’t believe she beat him in one of his favorite games.

‘She’s still laughing at the fact that she beat me in dodgeball today at school. I will not lose again. #JK’

The next photo he took was a selfie of them, as he put up the peace sign and she stuck her tongue out. He tweeted the photo, ‘Suga Hyung, she tried lamb skewers for the first time, and loved it! Got her hooked!’

Yoongi would reply a few moments later, ‘Welcome to the lamb side. Once you get in, there is no way out, smartie.’

Placing his phone down, he looked up, watching her as he noticed her nose occasionally twitching cutely like a hamster. It gave him the urge to want to kiss it. Unintentionally, he let out a soft chuckle which caused her to look up and smile.

“What?”

“You keep twitching your nose.”

“Oh.” She touched her nose. “It’s a habit. I don’t even know I’m doing it.” She laughed. Moments later, he noticed her nose twitch yet again. 

“You did it again.” he teased, making her cover her nose.

“I don’t mean to! Stop staring, you’re embarrassing me.” She laughed. A few seconds later, she glanced at him as amusement was shown on his features. “Stop it!”

The Golden Maknae let out another laugh. “Can’t help it.”

As they continued to eat, Jungkook noticed how big her cheeks would get when she stuffed food in her mouth. It was official. He saw no difference. She resembled a cute hamster. No wonder ARMY had been commenting about that on their Twitter. Now he saw why.

“So, how is your English?” She went to her native tongue.

He looked shooked at her question. “Don’t want to talk about that.” He said with a sigh.

“What did you get on the English test?” She went back to Korean.

“Let’s not talk about that.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“When’s your next test?”

“I have a test from the basics to what we’re learning now.”

“Let’s work our way up then. When’s the test?”

“In a few days.”

“Jeon Jungkook.” She scolded as he grinned sheepishly. “I’m going to kill you. You should’ve told me earlier. I could’ve been helping you.”

“Sorry.”

“Forgiven.” She replied. She watched him go through his bookbag, take out his English study guide for the test, and hand it to her. “Let’s start with greetings. Greet me in English.”

“Hello, my name is Jungkook.”

She did a double take when she heard his voice go down an octave. “How the heck did your voice get so deep?” She stared at him, astonished. “Manly...”

“Manly?” He repeated with a grin.

“Your voice sounds so different when you speak in English. And your accent is thick.”

“You like?” He raised a brow.

“Eh heh heh~” She chuckled nervously, causing him to smile teasingly. 

“Yeah. I do.” She admitted.

His bunny smile got wider. It made him feel good that she enjoyed hearing him speak in her language. And how she called his voice manly. He felt good about himself.

She looked back down at the paper. “It’s 9 AM. What do you say to someone during that time?”

“Good morning.”

“It’s 3 PM. How do you greet someone?”

“Good afternoon.”

“It’s 11 PM, how do you greet someone?”

“Good night.”

“Okay, I see you.” She praised, nodding in approval. “Let’s have a brief conversation in English. Good afternoon, Jungkook.”

“Good afternoon, Jennie. How are you?”

She had to admit, he sounded cute when he was trying to speak English. She would help with his pronunciation of the words so he could speak clearer as they spoke.

“I am great. How are you?” She responded.

“I am well.”

“What is the weather today?”

“It is sunny.”

“What season are we in?”

“It is spring.”

“Can you describe the weather? Rain? Clouds?”

“It is sunny with clouds. No rain.”

She nodded. “All right we’re getting there. Looks like you’re also learning about appearances and colors. So, how would you describe me in English?”

“Beautiful.”

She couldn’t fight the growing smile on her face. That was smooth. 

She touched her hair, wanting him to describe the color. “Hair color.”

“Pretty.”

“Hahah, the color, Kookie. Color.”

“Brown.”

“Can you say it in a sentence?”

“You have pretty hair.”

“The color?”

“You have pretty brown hair.”

She giggled. “Thank you. What type of hair do I have?” She touched her hair again, fluffing her curls.

“Pretty hair.”

She placed her head down as he began to giggle. If he keeps this up, her face will begin to warm up at all these compliments. 

He was straightforward with his answers. No hesitations, just genuine.

“Pretty curly hair.” He corrected himself as she lifted her head back up.

“What color is my skin?” She tapped her bare forearm before going back to look at the paper.

“Beautiful black skin.”

Stopping what she was doing, she slowly lifted her head, gazing at him, speechless. That statement hit her heart as she thought about those wanting her to bleach her skin, calling it dirty. She received so much crap about her colored skin, and to hear him call her skin beautiful with no hesitation, touched her.

“...Do you...” She spoke softly. “...really mean that?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “You...have beautiful skin. Not dirty. Do not listen to hate. Listen to love. Listen to BTS. Listen to ARMY. You are beautiful. No lie.” His English was still broken, he stumbled on the words, and not to mention his thick accent was still there but she caught what he was trying to tell her. “I thought this of you. Since we met.”

Her eyes began to water as she looked down, speaking back in Korean with a shaky voice after clearing her throat. “Gosh, these onions are really getting through my eyes, Kook.”

“But there are no onions around here,” he said in his native tongue.

She wiped her developing tears and sniffed. She didn’t want him to see her cry, but she was overwhelmed with happiness.

“I want to learn more English so I can talk to you in English.” He brought up.

“But we can speak in Korean together.” She sniffed softly and met his gaze.

“I know that but, you already know my language. I want to get to know your language so there won’t be any language barrier between us. I kind of envy those who can talk to you in your language. Like Namjoon Hyung. I want to be able to do that.”

He was so serious about this. 

“And you will. Learning a language takes time and patience. You’ll get there, Kookie.” She smiled in reassurance.

“Okay.”

“All right, let’s get to the harder stuff for your upcoming test.”

When the bill came, Jen went to grab it and ended up placing her hand on Jungkook’s. 

“I’ll pay.” He said.

“It’s cool, I want to.” She reassured.

Jungkook shook his head, starting to get stubborn. “I want to pay.”

“Kook, I never get to treat you. Come on. Let me pay.”

“No, I got this, it’s fine.”

“Kookie!” She whined.

“Jennie!” He whined back.

She let out a sigh. “How about this? We both pay half and half. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“But the next time I’ll treat you, got it? It’ll be a trend. Next time I’ll treat. Then you. Then we’ll pay half and half, then I’ll treat again and so on.”

“Not a bad idea.”

“Glad we could agree, my good friend.”

“Indeed milady.”

Soon after they paid, the fangirls finally began to speak, calling out their names and waving. 

“Hi!” Jennie waved. 

The girls were covering their faces with their hands, acting shy around them as they waved back.

“How was school?” One of them asked.

“It went well. My team beat Jungkook in dodgeball!” She happily announced.

“L-let’s not get cocky now.” He whined, causing the girls to giggle at him.

“Will you be on Running Man again?” Another fan asked.

“Yeah, I want to see the Golden Duo on Running Man again! It was so fun seeing you work together.”

“I’m down. Are you?” Jen turned to Jungkook.

“Why not?” He smiled.

“I hope they have a couples episode soon, so you two can go there together and beat everyone. It’ll be so fun to watch. They usually have those episodes and have a couples' tag game. I would love to see that happen soon.”

“If they want us, all they gotta do is ask. I would gladly go back to Running Man.” Jungkook added.

After some cute photos with the fans and a brief conversation on whether they were eating well and resting up, Jennie and Jungkook walked back to the dorm as the girls immediately tweeted their photos

‘Saw JenKook today! Just my luck! Jennie’s hair bounced when she walked, it was cute! And Jungkook is so hot! I’m crying!’

‘Spotted Jennie and Jungkook eating after school! Love the 97 Liners!’

‘Jennie is so nice! She looks small compared to Jungkook with his big muscles, it was cute! His muscles are getting bigger! It was a sight!’

‘Why are the BTS members so beautiful in person? They’re unreal!’

‘I wanted to ask Jennie if I could touch her hair but was too afraid she would say no. Her hair is so pretty, though!’

Back at the dorm, Jungkook took out his keys, placing one of them inside the door.

“Jungkook,” Jennie called out softly, placing her hand on his to stop him.

“Yeah?” He turned his head.

Placing a hand behind the back of his head, she stood up on her toes, pressing her soft lips against his forehead for a moment. His eyes widened at her sudden gesture as he felt his face heat up once she pulled away. 

She smiled softly at him. “Thank you. For calling my skin beautiful. Your kind words always hit close to home.”

“Y-yeah, always. I meant every word. Don’t forget that.” He smiled shyly and opened the door, letting her go in first.

Later in the afternoon, Jennie and Jin were in the kitchen. She was in the mood for oatmeal because she saw the box in the cabinet. Jin offered to make it for her, so she sat at the dining room table, waiting patiently. She craved apple cinnamon oatmeal. It was one of her favorites to eat. Jin decided to make it from scratch, just for her.

Meanwhile, Jimin met up with Taehyung and Jungkook on his bed, having a big bag to show them.

“You sure that'll work?” Jungkook asked.

“Hobi Hyung fears everything, it’ll work.” Jimin giggled evilly and took out a live lobster. It was huge as the boys looked at it moved in awe, touching it experimentally.

Jungkook and Tae wanted a front row seat to Jimin’s prank. They had told Jennie about it and she told them that she didn’t want to be responsible for Hobi’s death via petrification, but she’d know if the prank went well if she heard him scream. She was rooting for a successful prank, supporting their evil antics.

Hobi was currently in the bathroom, showering after dance practice, and Jimin thought the perfect time to prank him was while he was in the bathroom. Slowly opening up the bathroom door with the lobster, alive, in his hand, Jimin tip toed in, undetected. Tae and Jungkook suppressed their giggles as they watched from the doorway.

This was going to be a good prank.

With Jin, he finished making the oatmeal and made two big bowls for her and himself. He sat next to her, handing her a spoon. They waited until it cooled down, before eating a spoonful. 

“How is it?” He asked.

“Tastes just like home.” She took another bite. “And you made this from scratch? It’s so fresh, the apples are so sweet. I love it, thank you Jin!”

“Anytime, sweetie.” He felt proud of his work and enjoyed his cooking.

A piercing high pitched scream was heard from the bathroom, startling the oatmeal eaters. 

“What in the world...?” Jin looked up as they heard loud thumping, crashing and rapid shuffling coming from the bathroom.

It sounded like Hobi was slipping and falling around in the tub and his screams got louder.

“JIMIN!” Another scream was heard from Hobi, over the Maknae Line’s laughter. “GET IT AWAY! GET IT AWAY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!”

“Yep. They done it now.” Jennie took another bite of her oatmeal, shaking her head.

“What the heck is going on in there!?” Jin shouted.

“Ah, he’s fine.”

Jin turned his head to her, widening his eyes. “He doesn’t sound fine!”

Hobi scrambled out of the bathroom, naked with suds in his hair as Jimin chased him with the lobster. Jungkook and Taehyung dropped to the floor with laughter.

Jennie looked up and turned her head at the worst time, getting a full view of Hobi’s bare ass. 

“Oh, my God!” She screamed, covering her mouth in horror. 

That image was not going away, anytime soon for her. She could not unsee this. She was glad it wasn’t the front.

“SHIELD YOUR EYES!” Jin yelled, pushing the back of her head down into her warm bowl of oatmeal. “There is a lady here! What are you guys doing!? Knock it off!” He shouted at the boys.

He heard Jen banging her hand on the table in submission and looked down in shock at what he was doing to her. He let go and laughed nervously when she slowly raised her head.

Her face and hair were covered in oatmeal while she stared at him with annoyance.

“S-sorry.” He grabbed a napkin and tried to clean her face but she snatched it from his hands.

Suddenly, she grabbed a handful of her oatmeal and shoved it in his face. Appalled, he grabbed a handful and shoved it in her face.

“Jin!”

“You hit me first!”

“You shoved my face in oatmeal, first!”

“I was trying to protect you from that horrid sight!”

“You know what?” She got up from her seat and he followed her movements. She aimed another handful of oatmeal at him but he ducked and it ended up smacking Namjoon in the face.

Gasping in shock, she covered her mouth, while Namjoon let out a sigh, and stood up, taking off his hoodie. 

“Who did it?” He demanded.

Jin immediately pointed to her. 

"It was an accident!” She laughed.

“Really, Nie Nie? Well, this wasn’t an accident.” Namjoon said as he hit her with a handful of oatmeal.

“Oh hell no.”

The three of them began to toss oatmeal all over each other, initiating a food fight as the dorm filled with laughter along with Hobi’s constant screaming.

“Grab her! Grab her!” Jin shouted as Namjoon grabbed a hold of her while Jin had another handful of oatmeal ready.

“No! No!” She tried to get out of his grip. Once she did, Jin accidentally smacked Namjoon in the face instead.

“YAH!” the leader shouted. 

Jennie ended up giggling at their bickering and watched them throw food at each other.

Yoongi walked into the dorm, making one of his WTF faces when he saw the chaos occurring in the dorm. Jin, Jennie and Namjoon are covered in food, and Jungkook and Tae watch Hobi run around the dorm naked with Jimin chasing him with a lobster.

“Hey, Yoongi!” She waved.

“I don’t even wanna know.” He shook his head and walked into his room.

Namjoon wiped some oatmeal from Jen’s face. “You’re going to need a shower.”

“You’re telling me. Look at you.” She gestured.

The Maknae line walk to the dining room, wondering why they were covered in food. 

“We had some business to take care of,” Jin revealed.

“Want a hug?” Jennie opened her arms wide.

“NO!” Jimin shouted, taking a big step back with the guys.

“Let’s get them.” Namjoon went after Jimin. 

Jennie went after Tae while Jin went after Jungkook. They run around the dorm, attempting to grab ahold of them for a hug despite being covered in food.

“Why do I associate myself with them?” Yoongi grumbled as he went to fix the mess created in the bathroom.

Like Jen said before, every day is a new adventure living in a dorm filled with the Bangtan Boys.

[moonmeg]

Hold up! Did I miss something?! At some point I think I remember that you said that Ian might have a partner in the future. But now in the last ask you just casually revealed teir name! Did I miss something? Did you already talk about a partner or will that be in the future? I miss Ian anyway so I'm thrilled.

After a busy day Ian, once again assigned market-duty for he's the best salesman in the family, packs up all products.

He sold majority of what they had to offer. His charisma was a fantastic aid in the sale. Any of his siblings would've been thrilled had they achieved this. Ian, however, saw no reason for feeling that. It was always the same. Majority sold, conversations with the people, smiling and pretending all is well, unrequited love and just another "great night". He was so tired of it.

Blair fell in love young and was happily married for over 20 years now. Same with Neil. Keith had a loving husband. Maisie too. Heck, even Edan was a sort of father to that lonely girl he found in the hay after a storm. They all had something he didn't and it became more and more difficult to fight his envy. He didn't want to be that kind of brother. He wanted to be supportive and joyous. His siblings were happy...

Maybe he just wasn't meant for it. Maybe he'll never be good enough to be more than just someone to keep the bed warm. Maybe he should just give up at last. He was in his mid-thirties by now. How much more hope can there be left?

He sighed as he placed the last box on the wagon.

"Wait!"

Ian turned around. The call came from an approaching black haired person. Although the hair seemed more blue-tinted in this light.

"Wait! Oh no, please don't say I'm too late!", they came to a halt.

"For the sale?"

Catching their breath they didn't answer right away. They cleared their throat and looked up at Ian, immediately mesmerized at the sight

"Wow- I mean-", another throat clearer, "I'm new here and heard about this stand and I meant to get my groceries but damned little me of course got caught up in something else and then of course I mixed up your closing times and I'm so late now, aren't I?"

Ian couldn't form and answer in his mind. He simply stared perplexed, trying to process the flood of information this stranger just shared.

"Damn it!", the stranger cussed out frustrated.

After a moment of silence Ian met the icy blue eyes of the stranger. He wanted to say something but caught himself thinking about the beauty those eyes had to them instead.

The stranger sighed and already opened their mouth to speak but Ian interrupted.

"We're here everyday. Ye can come by tomorrow."

"No, no, you misunderstand. Today was my only free day for buying groceries during opening hours."

"Oh."

"Well, maybe you can tell me if there's some other place I could-"

"There's some stuff left. If ye tell me what ye need I'll pack a bag for ya.", Ian gestured at the wagon.

"You would?" the strangers eyes lit up, sparkling at Ian like a sky of stars.

"Aye. I only need to know what ye want.", Ian gave his typical cocky grin.

The stranger searched their pockets hurriedly before handing Ian a piece of paper with a list. Ian began to read the products from top to bottom and drew a spell circle to insert all items in a bag. He let the bag float over to the dark haired stranger and let them take it.

"We dinna sell herbs so that's missin' but otherwise here ye go.", he commented.

"That's fine! You did more than enough already! Thank you so much!"

"Ah not worth a mention."

"No, I mean it!", the stranger beamed, "How much do I owe?"

Ian eyed as they brought out a small linen bag of snails. The metal coins clinking inside upon any movement. Accepting the payment now would mean redoing the snail log and possibly even recalculate the change box. He really didn't want to do that now and delay his return home further. Moreover though, there was something about this dark haired stranger with the icy eyes and sunshine smile before him. He couldn't quite explain it but he thought them likable. He'd sworn off romance but who said anything about romance. It could just stay a nice acquaintance. A friendship in the best case.

"It's on the house.", Ian smiled.

"What?", the stranger stared with big eyes.

"Welcome to the town."

Ian gave no room for argument. He climbed the wagon and already took the reins in hand. Perplexed by everything that was happening the stranger called out a "Wait!".

"Mr. Bower, I assume? I-"

"Ian."

"Ian, I... I don't know- I...", trying to sort their thoughts and form a coherent sentence the stranger yielded to a sheepish smile, "Thank you. Just... thank you."

Ian smiled.

"Ye're more than welcome, ...?", he raised his eyebrows, gesturing he wanted the name of the stranger too.

"Oh, right, sorry. I'm Val."

"Ye're more than welcome, Val. Lovely makin' yer acquaintance.", Ian winked in his usual manner before slowly bringing the wagon to move.

"Yours too!", Val called out.

This wouldn't remain their last meeting.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Although Ian was incredibly cautious to not catch feelings the more time passed, it would remain just an attempt. He didn't want to end up in the to-him dreadful situation of only being desirable for intimacy without commitment. He wanted the commitment and was at a point where intimacy was connected to rejection. It happened often enough he'd develop feelings, be intimate with his crush in hopes there might actually be romance involved but his love would always remain unrequited. So he avoided it entirely at some point. When he noticed Val and him got closer, (joke) flirted and Val began to mean something to him, he told them that if they didn't want more of him than that intimacy it would be better they stop seeing each other.

Confused, Val reached his hand and assured Ian they haven't even thought about him in that sense. Val wanted to be with Ian too but in a different way. They actually wanted to commit and be Ian's romantic partner before a sexual one.

They got married fairly recently. Makenna was 20, Feya 18, and Micah 15 (they are now 21, 19 and 16)

Also! Ian and Val allowed to bring a +1 and you can guess three times who Micah took as his +1 and faced boyfriend allegations with the entire reception through :D