#I’ve hidden the winners face just in case but I’d LOVE to see more of what they received

[milbroom]

TWW98 original set material ✨

TWW Tumblr: I ended up down another internet minefield and came across a tww auction for Ukraine's Aid by Holly Rivers in 2022!!

The winning bidder managed to meet the cast and receive a few of these original props which have been posted online. How does it feel to live my dream?

The group photo is lovely-Kate is lovely!! I hope to see the full version one day <3

*EDIT: here's a few more images from Holly's Twitter* - https://x.com/HollyRivers_Lit/status/1094239612111863808

[unnaturalequilibrium]

Capítulo 7

- Mafin rewatch (Sueños de Libertad)

Fina in that green dress - she is beautiful. Damn. She also is Isidro’s daughter through and through, she too seem to have that way of getting people to open up, getting them to accept her advice and comfort. She is soft and reassuring as Claudia spills her mistakes with Tasio. And Fina’s hug looks so nice. I’m pretty sure this is what “everyone needs a bosom for a pillow” means and I agree, they do. To get lost in her embrace looks like it could solve a great many personal problems and maybe a few societal ones too. I don’t know if it’s the solution to climate change, but if 2025’s Nobel prize winners tell me it is - well I won’t be surprised. I also like that she one hundred percent share my exact opinion of Tasio, he is trash, unredeemable trash and should be avoided like the plague.

Aww, Fina arguing her case that a marriage doesn’t equal happiness and that her father shouldn’t be so quick to wish one upon her. The old man really just wants her to be happy, you can tell though that it’s a conversation that makes her ill at ease because of the way she has to stretch and stitch the truth in her replies. I already know it’s going to hurt a lot when he later on rejects her.

Marta confronting Elena - I know that it won’t officially happen for another hundred plus episodes, but Marta is the boss. The way she just slides into that armchair and takes hold of the entire office with what seems like nothing more than an innate sense of authority and a raised eyebrow - yeah, she exudes in charge. But I enjoy the little exhale at the end as Elena leaves. Like so much of who Marta is at this point this too is a game face. Maybe she carries it with what looks like ease, but it might actually come at a fairly high price, just not one we’re allowed to see yet.

Petra, I’m telling you - back off the Marta insults, or - If I remove myself from the narrative though, I love this. I love how they try to build Marta up as this stick in the mud, firm, cold and distant. Unsmiling, no sense of empathy, all business and with very little sympathy. If I hadn’t know what was to come maybe I’d buy it, maybe I’d laugh along with Petra as she mocks and says that Marta needs to smile more. Because yeah, all we’ve seen of her so far actually fits that vision of the demanding ice queen, except for these brief micro-expressions on Marta’s face when no one is looking, when she doesn’t have time to catch her true reaction. When Damian brings up marriage and children, when Elena turns her back, when Fina confronts her and tells her she demands a lot of respect. For a second you see something else, but only for a second, before it is hidden behind the wall again. So yeah, if I had watched this for the first time I would probably have thought of Marta as a bit of a bitch to approach with extreme caution.

That said, back to the narrative, fuck Petra. Fina is a fucking cinnamon roll and I ache so hard for her as this woman clearly leads her on, only to slam the door in her face and call her disgusting as wine and a win makes Fina bold enough to go for a kiss. And invertida is never a slur I’ve had to personally experience, but the way it is delivered and the way it lands makes it feel like I share its burden too. It’s a slap in the face and I wish I could reach through the computer screen and return it, with interest.

Marta’s relationship with her dad, ugh. She talks to him about being happy with being more involved in the company, getting a shot at running the business alongside her brothers. And what does Damian do? He turns the table on her and brings the conversation back to her marriage, talking about how it isn’t what he wanted for her. Granted it’s nice of him to want more than the isolation her current marriage gives her, but it’s also another dagger in Marta’s side, isn’t it? Whatever she does, or achieves, with her dad it always boils back down into her marriage, her role as a wife and the failure of it all. That shit really has to feel like someone ripping out the feathers of her wings every time she tries to take flight. It’s a nice parallel though of both Isidro and Damian wishing happiness and partnership for their daughters. I’m looking forward to when this will come full circle in 170 episodes and they discuss how their daughters have found just that, in each other.

[writeyourownadventure]

PART IX

notes | part i | previous part | poll winner: “Yes. It said I was not dead, yet.”

“Yes. It said I was not dead, yet.”

He regards you for a moment, and then reaches out, plucking at your skin. You feel nothing as he peels away a long strip, look down to be met with the sight of one of your open wounds, more shrivelled, dried now. “Look pretty dead to me,” he remarks, flicking the necrotic tissue into the water behind you both. 

“I— No. It said that I was dying. That it had not had “one like me” for a long time.” You stare at the back of the skeleton, but if it knows anything of your conversation, it gives no indication that that is the case. “I do not understand.”

He pats your hand sympathetically. “Taking it harder that I’d thought, eh? What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I was torn apart by wolves,” you say, half in a daze and only belatedly realising how odd the words sound in context. “I was— I was still alive. I crawled into a chest, and…” You shake your head, but your arms start to prickle and you glance over.

A face hidden in shadow turns away again before you can see who it was, but you fall silent anyway.

“You’ll get used to it,” says your cheery new friend, and the boat slows to a dead stop. You count the still bodies in the boat — four, from what you can tell, although mist and shadows make it difficult. The skeleton’s smooth movements make it three, and it spares you not a glance. Perhaps you did just make it up. You cannot be quite so sure as you were only… hours ago? Days?

Your friend is talking again, and you blink and make more of an effort to listen to his story.

“...and so he goes, ‘Mince—’ Yeah, that’s me, right?— ‘Mince, stop yourself before you get yourself into a kicker and listen to what you’re told.’ But I’ve a wife and six little ones and I can’t just be throwing away good money like that, so away I go anyways. Made it back out of that one only to find that they hadn’t made it through the plague, and I guess I was lucky in that regard but still— maybe I’ll see them again down here.”

His coolness at your situation starts to make sense in your head, and you nod, but something sticks out oddly. “The plague?”

“What?”

“You said— I apologise for my bluntness, but said your family succumbed to a plague?”

There’s a silence for a good few seconds, and you shift slightly. “Been living under a rock, you?” 

“No.” Arguably yes, but you do not feel ready to explain your circumstances yet. Mince seems kind enough and it is a ray of sunshine in this dismal place, but that means little.

“The plague. The sickness. Nobody dropped dead down your end, no?”

“The—” Something clicks and you curse yourself for your obtuseness. “The magick?”

“Ah, right, aye. You’re one of they nutters that thinks magic is the root of all evil, aren’t you? Nah, I’m living — or not living — proof that that’s not real. Wife never had a drop of magic in her, and six weans aren’t going to be hiding that very easily without burning the house down. Just a sickness, love. These things happen.”

His voice is so steady and assured that you would feel like a fool if he wasn’t so kind about it. “Oh,” is all you say, and then rather deflatedly, “I was always told it was magical.”

“Nah.” Mince winks, grinning conspiratorially. “But for someone so anti-magic, seems you’re all too happy to believe in it if you’re a magical undead in the afterlife, no?”

There are eyes on you again — you are not brave enough to face them, and so keep your own gaze steadily on Mince. Another person is awoken — by your estimate, there are only two more left drifting. “It said that if I wanted to go back to the shore it would take me.”

“I see,” he says, clearly not seeing, but his smile is still soft. “And what would happen then?”

“Their souls,” you gesture, “wouldn’t be collected.”

He regards you. “Ask, then.”

You hesitate.

[before you vote, please consider reblogging for more contributions on the polls! much love <3]

[ramblingguy54]

Sonic & Tails R: A Love Letter To Miles Tails Prower’s Characterization

     Warning: This will contain massive spoilers for the short radio play series of Sonic & Tails R. If you haven’t listened to the radio play yet on Youtube, I’d highly recommend any hardcore Sonic fan who hasn’t seen it check it out. It’s one Hell of a treat.

     For as far back as I can remember in my childhood, Tails’ story of trying to step outta Sonic’s shadow has been such a resonating one for myself. Even when I was a much younger kid playing my Dreamcast, during entries like Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, there was some idea lingering about why Tails just stood out more emotionally in his journey to grow beyond depending on Sonic all the time for help. Now here I am a young adult in my late twenties having such a deeper appreciation of this little two tailed genius kiddo because he’s got an important element that’s made him so beloved for good reason.

     In spite of his genius being a rival to that of Eggman’s high IQ and of course proving to surpass it plenty of times when scenarios boil down to being a high stakes battle, Miles Tails Prower beneath it all is still just like any one of us. We’re all trying to find our place in this world about what defines us for who we are as unique people. He wants to be more than just seen as someone who’s alongside Sonic The Hedgehog’s never say die attitude, but prove he’s plenty capable of standing on his own two feet to protect everything the kid holds dear to himself. Underdog stories, when they’re naturally executed very well, can reel me in so easily. They are very much my bread & butter trope I adore seeing.

     To no one’s surprise, the two Sonic Adventure’s iterations portrayal of Tails’ characterization are hands down some of my favorite writing for the two tailed fox, regarding what the 3D era has done toward him, development wise. It gave him more of an existential struggle to endure like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t around to help stop Eggman? What if I’m not strong enough to accomplish what he can?”, making Tails plight to be seen as an equal all the more endearing when stopping Eggman in his climatic battle against the Egg Walker in Station Square. This here is a great use of a timeless lesson you can apply in life that if you set you heart and mind on anything, there isn’t a thing you can’t accomplish on your own, which is why many fell in love with Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s writing for Miles Tails Prower’s journey of independence.

     As someone who comes from a large family tree of relatives, I feel the weight of my existence on my shoulders at a number of points more than I’d care to count, admittedly. Seeing Tails struggle with his sense of purpose, in contrast to observing how much Sonic has accomplished with his carefree, yet deeply compassionate attitude, means the world to me in watching another trying to comprehend their value as a whole on how much they matter, overall. This is a big part of why my fondness for SA1 & 2′s quality has never wavered over these years, besides still obviously enjoying most of their game play mechanics. People can try to debate to their heart’s content on whether the Adventure games still hold up in their own eyes, but I’ll always respect them for how they tried to develop certain characters, such as Tails, Gamma, and Shadow The Hedgehog notably, to attempt expanding upon their characters, as well as world building.

     I won’t bother going into a rant about how Sonic’s recent 3D games have butchered Tails’ personality & relatable nature, due to the current writers in charge of handling the cast of characters. More or less, I greatly empathize toward the notion many have already stated about Tails being so cowardly and God forbid, looking at Lost World, downright severely mean spirited. Rather, I’m obviously writing this lengthy post to breakdown why Sonic & Tails R succeeds, where these certain 3D games have greatly faltered in exploring Tails’ emotional dilemmas as an insecure, yet still having the courage to prove himself, talented boy full of hidden potential he doesn’t quite realize, until his back is against the wall in life threatening situations.

“That day, I realized I couldn’t depend on you forever. Not that I can’t depend on you, but like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t here?”, you know?”

     Sonic & Tails R further delves into this fundamental rule of what has defined Tails in Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s stories of events where Sonic wasn’t there to aid his best bud in taking down Eggman’s evil efforts for global domination, most importantly his fear of defending the Earth without his role model. Besides what I already stated in SA1′s events in Station where he stopped the Egg Walker, as well as the missile Eggman launched from detonating before their climatic battle, Tails watched Sonic blow up in ARK’s capsule presuming him to be dead after Sonic imparted how much faith he has in the kid’s abilities to be truly strong in the face of any foe. Sonic & Tails R manages to use fan service in a way that doesn’t feel like “pandering” for the sake of it, using this past canon material to do more of an in-depth study about Miles’ anxieties of existing without Sonic.

     Wouldn’t put it past them if EmuEmi & crew were using SA2′s Sonic death fake out scene in that space capsule to further add trauma to Tails’ psychological attachment to Sonic, as well as his insecurities of depending on him too much, to boot. While it’s never obviously outright stated in their radio play, I definitely believe they were factoring this element into adding dramatic exploration for why Tails is so self-conscious about the worst case scenario of permanently losing Sonic. Watching Sonic supposedly die put Tails into a deeper state of self-reflection, so I very much enjoyed how they went using these past events to create a thorough exploration about him learning just as it’s important to realize you need to stand up for yourself without using someone else as a crutch all the time, it’s doubly important to remember there’s nothing wrong about asking someone for help when you’re about to be down and out with little options left.

     Sonic & Tails R beautifully builds upon the foundation these two games’ stories left behind years ago, creating new damn great material to explore with the most iconic characters of this cast, Sonic & Tails brotherly dynamic. I’ve been praising Sonic & Tails R out the wazoo for how well it captured Tails underdog story of overcoming death defying odds, but it managed to remind me how simply adorable and outright wonderfully endearing their brotherly chemistry is as a whole. This is a big friendly reminder Sonic isn’t all about being cocky wise cracking character making meta jokes left and right, but he can be plenty capable of showing serious compassion to anyone he values as an ally and friend. This is no greater evident, than with him verbally lifting Tails up in his time of need when he’s self-depreciating his own significance. It can be seen in Episodes 2, 4, and 7 giving Tails motivational pieces of advice.

    Episode 2 In Adabat’s Cavern

-Sonic: Wasn’t it your radar that helped us find these Emerald shards in the first place? How could you be slowing us down when you’ve gotten us this far?

-Tails: But, I...

-Sonic: I could never make something like that. You’re the smartest person I know, Tails. One way or another, we’ll figure this out, count on it.

         Episode 4 In Holoska After Helping Silver Save The Chao

-Sonic: So, what was that back there? At the cave, in Adabat? -Tails: What do you mean? -Sonic: Frozen stiff. Confidence shot. It’s not like you. It was more than feeling like you were “slowing us down”, right?

        Episode 7 Inside The Egg Carrier 3

-Sonic: Let’s split up! I’ll distract them and you can go after the energy source. -Tails: You’re gonna take them on all by yourself!? Let me help, Sonic! -Sonic: No time for this, Tails. Stop overthinking and just go! If I can get their attention, I’ll take the heat off of you and that room you’re going to probably won’t have any security. Take this emerald and I’ll take the other one we have. It’ll lead me right to you after I beat these guys. -Tails: O-Okay... -Sonic: Hold on, Tails! Listen to me. Don’t stop moving and be careful. I’ll be fine and so will you!

     Sonic & Tails R remembers the most crucial detail of their important relationship. One isn’t better than the other and needing to always rely upon that notion for helping one outta a jam, but instead showcases how they’re equals as a team/bros. Sonic may be super fast and strong, however Tails has his intelligence to analyze situations in a different angle Sonic wouldn’t necessarily consider, per say. Which isn’t to say Tails couldn’t put up a fight either, as we’ve seen in SA1 & SA2′s stories where he faced Eggman one on one with no outside help to best him at his own game of wits & strength.

     We get see the apex of this idea through Tails facing Eggman in his super improved mecha walker. Although Tails may get thrown for a loop here at first by Eggman, it’s his villainous speech about winners and losers in their world that ironically does the exact opposite of what he intended. Eggman wanted to crush Tails’ sense of self worth before finishing him off, but all it did was reignite the very lesson Sonic told him earlier before running to distract Eggman’s robotic minions. That said lesson of he’s more than capable of facing dangerous threats

-Eggman: Poor boy. We all have to learn this lesson, sooner or later. In every game there’s no one you can depend on. You’re all alone and you’re either a winner, or a loser. And as you know, loser’s lose all of their lives. Say goodbye, fox!

-Tails: You’re wrong! I can depend Sonic! I won’t let him down! I can’t because...Because he’s depending on me! And because of that I won’t lose to you!

     This radio play strikes a good balance in utilizing the grey moral area about depending on someone vs it being an unhealthy display of attachment derived from serious insecurity. Word’s can’t begin to describe how much I loved this moment to pieces because it’s oh so important for writing Tails’ characterization. If you’re going to tackle him being super self conscious about his reliance on Sonic, then you gotta remember why they are so close to one another to begin with. Sonic & Tails have an unbreakable connection, considering they’ve brought out their best qualities in themselves from being together as individuals. For Sonic, it’s his older brother compassion to Tails to bring him outta feeling melancholy. For Tails, the kid finally understands there isn’t anything wrong with depending on Sonic when he needs it most.

     After all, that’s what a real healthy friendship is all about. Whether you’re giving someone a dose of tough love, or simply a piece of motivational advice, it defines how much you truly care about someone, period. Sonic & Tails have this very same power from their bond, which is why new emeralds form from their compassionate friendship that hasn’t been shaken after all the years they’ve been together. Another detail worth noting is it adds to the lore in an impactful manner when Tikal expresses in Episode 8 about positive connections and thoughts from users of the Chaos Emeralds having a strong will & heart. Using the ideas they had for encapsulating Sonic & Tails’ dynamic to create new emeralds from their love for each other as brothers adds an emotional weight.

“So, Sonic’s not the only one who harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds? I can too!?”

“Yes, you have a strong heart! There is a power waiting to be unlocked within you, as well.”

          I’d always daydreamed about in my childhood seeing Super Sonic & Tails take down a threatening villain, whether it was Eggman or different powerful creature such as Chaos or the Biolizard. You can imagine how fucking giddy I was beyond belief to see this artwork of Episode 9′s cover for the radio play. Tails not only got to have another one on one with Eggman, but a team up with Super Sonic in his own respective Super form? Sign me the Hell up! Talk about an all you eat buffet of good writing for Tails’ journey reaching its climax. Getting to hear this play out, alongside the amazing song of Fly With Me, made it authentically feel like something straight outta if there were an installment of Sonic Adventure 3 being brought into reality, which certainly feels like it now.

     Episode 9 has so much awesome stuff with Sonic & Tails working together in their super forms. Particularly, my favorite scene is at the beginning when Sonic teaches Tails how to navigate his newly acquired speed in his respective Super form. My heart melted hearing Sonic help Tails through it all, while he was overjoyed about how fun this new form is for himself. Wholesome Sonic & Tails content is the perfect daily serotonin for me, easily. It’s an awesome fun fact to know they used a scrapped boss from Tails Tornado segment in SA1 for Eggman’s flying dragon three headed robot in their big final battle, once again using old canon material in a very effective manner to boost the quality of their fan made story.

     It’s been a real thrill to hear Mike Pollock play a straight forward serious Eggman making my day in more ways than one, considering that’s another thing I’ve been yearning for desperately besides Tails being a competent character again. His performance in Episode 9 when Eggman gave that speech about how long he’s been at odds with Sonic & Tails stubborn will power was simply excellent. The moment he told his mechanical dragon to crush them I got serious chills. That’s the Eggman I remember and grew up with. He could be a hammy villain sure, but Eggman wasn’t a doormat that could be swiftly beaten. Robotnik can be considered a serious threat in his own right and this radio play nailed it down to the very letter with how much he predicted their actions.

“Sonic, all I ever wanted to do was be like you. You’re not scared of anyone or anything. I could never be like that. At least, so I thought. I grew from that, but then I got so caught up in trying to prove it that thought it wasn’t okay to depend upon anyone, especially you. I just didn’t want to be that scared little kid in Station Square anymore, but now I understand. It’s okay to depend on your friends. It all means is that we’re stronger together, so the next time Eggman comes back and wants to start any trouble with you, or any of my friends. Emeralds or no emeralds, he’s gonna have to get past me and he won’t!”

Sonic By Episode 1′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here we come!

Tails By Episode 10′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here I come!

Turn your thoughts into power. Be all that you can be.

     The ending legit got me choked up because what of they decided to do for wrapping up Tails journey in a poetic fashion. Having Tails go off on his own separate journey to grow more independence pulled on my heart strings perfectly. Very much so, as I’m transitioning slowly, but surely, into gaining more freedom to go out into the outside world in my own life. Concluding the story, by Sonic & Tails holding onto the two Emeralds their bond had formed from positive energy, due to their powerful friendship, was so heartwarming. This is how you write an overview of what makes Sonic & Tails chemistry work so well as it does.

     Sonic & Tails R’s ending represents while some things never change, like Sonic and Tails bond for each other, it also shows there’s very much a necessity for people to grow, hence Tails’ whole solo journey in the epilogue. People can’t stay in the same place forever and will need go about finding their own path, even if it means saying “goodbye” periodically for a notable amount of time.

     It’s for these reasons I’ve listed in great explanation above throughout this detailed post cement Sonic & Tails R high on my list of favorite Sonic fan projects. They captured the magic of what made the Adventure games so beloved. Gonna be looking back on this passion project for many years to come. Everyone involved in this year long effort of a project dating all the way back Summer of 2020 ought to be immensely proud for how much their hard efforts paid off in the long run.

Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts here! 

Hope you enjoyed. 

[onyourmemory-ha]

Chapter One

little changes can pave lanes

Auggie broadens their horizons and meets their best friend’s girl. 

The seats are crammed together, packing everyone in like sardines. The sweat and general body odor seem to go along with the disgustingly fishy trend. All of that Auggie could forgive but the hollering child was where they drew the line. The demon spawn pounded its fist against the back of some poor unfortunate soul’s seat and yelled about wanting to go play.

The sole reason they don’t join in and match the child’s volume is because of Trish, the woman keeping a firm hold on their hand as if reading their thoughts. And considering the type of woman she was, they really wouldn’t put it past her if that really were the case. As it is, it helps ground them and not lose it on a literal child.

“I thought your dick of an ex was rich now,” They grumble lowly, debating if they should give in to the desire of banging their head against the headrest.

“He is,” Trish tries to hide her amusement, hiding her grin behind her drink as she pushes further. “Why would you think otherwise?”

Snorting, Auggie gestures to the hell hole they’ve been forced into. “The bastard skimped out on getting the good seats. But it’s good to know Dick is just the same.”

“We’re just lucky to have found tickets at such short notice,” She gently squeezes their hand with a wordless scolding and it’s enough to have Auggie’s frown deepening.

Flushing, they look to the cloudy sky. It’s a cruel reminder, being indebted to someone like Ken of all people. Instead, they choose to focus on the reasoning behind it, easily shifting the blame onto the person who’s truly at fault. “I’m gonna beat your son’s ass when we see him, fair warning.”

And Trish, the traitor, just laughs to herself. “I love you, honey. But I don’t think you’d like who the winner was in something like that.”

“Oh, I know,” Auggie just shrugs. “But I’d get a few good hits in there and that’s all I need to ruin his day.”

This just has Trish laughing even more though she clearly tries to fight it. When Auggie snorts as a result, she lightly slaps their knee, and they both tune back into the movie playing overhead. And when Trish begins to tear up at the lovers reuniting on-screen, Auggie just squeezes her hand tighter and doesn’t mention it.

ㅤ⠀                                                        |♛|

It’s barely even noticeable, hidden beneath postering and a surprisingly fragile smile. If it hadn’t been for the years of knowing him or the sudden edge in Trish’s eyes, Auggie might have not even picked up on it. But they did and therein lies the issue.

The thing about Hardin was that he was similar to a horse. Big and intimidating but one good blow will end him for a long time. And so easily spooked on top of it. He wasn’t the type to confront, not when he was trying so hard to hide it like he was. They already knew how that would play out and it wouldn’t be pretty.

So, they did the only thing they really could do. They waited. Hardin wasn’t exactly someone subtle nor was he someone who bottled everything well. He was the explosive sort and that meant all Auggie needed to do was wait. Preferably without pushing him to that breaking point themselves but if they needed to, they would.

“Look at you!” Trish beams, holding his face gently. “How’ve you been, love?”

He places his hands over hers, his smile growing stronger. “Better now that you’re here. Was the flight okay?”

“Oh, it was fi—,” Trish goes to assure but they cut her off there, a screaming child flashing beneath their eyelids.

“It was absolute shit,” They announce with a proud grin. “I expect compensation, just so you know.”

Trish just shakes her head, pressing a kiss against her son’s forehead before pulling away. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“It was but you can pretend otherwise,” Auggie corrects, rocking on their heels.

He just snickers, shaking his head as he grabs Trish’s bags. “It wasn’t too bad if you’re still in high spirits.”

He walks forward without a warning, leaving the two of them to catch up. And Auggie does just that, their own bag thumping against their thigh with each step. “Of course I’m in high spirits now! I get to see my favorite white boy named Allen!”

He stops, just for a moment, and levels them a fierce glare from over his shoulder. “I’m sure they could always arrange a flight back home for you by tonight.”

“Or I could just go on with you two,” They beam, eyes wide and ready to play the innocent card.

Trish huffs at them both, her smile betraying the notion as she gestures them to hurry up. “If you two don’t play nice, I’ll ground you both!”

That has Hardin laughing, the shadows being chased away for the moment and it’s a small victory that Auggie soaks in. They walk with a purpose after that, Auggie shuffling after the mother and son duo with a smile that feels more real than any other one has in months.

ㅤ⠀                                                     |♛|

The apartment isn’t the cleanest of places but Auggie can still tell how nice it is under it all. They wonder whether or not it was another attempt on Hardin’s sperm donor to win him over and how successful it actually was considering he accepted it. The only thing out of place, besides the strewn-about clothes, is the light that streams in through the large, modern windows. It feels like the darkness should be trapped inside by thick curtains, not released to the light. They can’t help but think that maybe that was exactly the case before Hardin left to pick them up.

“Well, here we are,” He announces with little enthusiasm. “Go ahead and get comfortable.”

“Ooh, might as well draw me a bath in that case,” Auggie teases lightly before seriously considering it themselves. The warm water really would be nice right about now. “We can make it like old times and you can join me.”

“No thanks,” He snorts, dropping the suitcases in front of what they assume is the guest room. “One almost drowning was enough for me.”

“So boring,” They tsk, flopping on the couch as Trish rolls her eyes at the pair of them.

That’s when the newcomer makes themselves known, slinking out of the bedroom with a heated glare and her hands on her hips. The first thing Auggie notices is how pretty she is. It’s the type of prettiness that can be weaponized, the kind of features that were found on the faces of the popular kids back in high school. Her blonde hair pulls upon that cliche even more, cascading over her shoulders in a gentleness thats betrayed by the poison pooling behind her teeth. And it’s with a sinking feeling that Auggie realizes who this is at the same time that Trish does.

“You must be Tessa!” She exclaims after a pause, striding across the room and pulling the other girl into a hug. “Oh, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you ever since Hardin mentioned you!”

And that is very true. When they’d discovered Tessa couldn’t make it, leading to Hardin canceling as well, the woman had almost been heartbroken. That alone would have been enough for Auggie to be on guard around her. But the already set glare and the way Hardin seemed to shrink in on himself yet attuned everything to her, that did it. So Auggie stayed where they were seated, not bothering to stand up to greet the girl that their entire body seemed to rebel against.

“Oh, I thought…” She trails off, flushing with a sheepish smile. Her eyes though, they remain sharp. “It’s so good to meet you! I was just going, though.”

“No, you can’t just go now! Please stay! At least for dinner!” Trish pleads, the desperation matched in her son’s eyes.

“I mean, I told my mom I’d be there by dark…” She trails off, guiltily looking towards the door.

“Surely it wouldn’t hurt another night. It’ll be safer to drive in the morning anyways,” Trish reasons and they don’t miss the way Hardin’s eyes begin to brighten at the prospect of her staying.

It seems to be enough to convince the girl though and she gives a weary smile as her decision is made up. “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

And for some reason, Auggie highly doubts it, but they keep their mouth closed for now. Although, they do throw their head against the back of the couch and let out a big sigh. “Is that bath still an option?”

ㅤ⠀                                                      |♛|

They end up ordering in food, the empty cabinets and fridge having given Hardin pause in his plans. And pause in conversations as well, it seems. Trish makes an effort, asking simple little questions to get to know the girl her son has become infatuated with, for some reason, while Hardin sits there staring at his plate like it spit in his face. Tessa, for her part, answers as politely as she can with a well timed smile.

The fakeness is stiffening and they all know it. Or at least, Auggie hopes they aren’t the only one picking it up. By Hardin’s awkward gazes between the blondes, they think they aren’t. So when Auggie is finally brought up, they’re pulled out of their overanalyzing thoughts about Hardin, the apartment, and the awkwardness. “What?”

“I was just saying how you and Hardin met,” Trish beams like the proud mother she is. “They’ve been with us through so much.”

“I had no idea,” Tessa enunciated slowly with an indescribable look leveled at their way. “Hardin’s never mentioned anyone other than his mother.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Auggie shrugs, trying to shake the edge in their voice before it's noticed. “Hardin always has been a private person. Plus he’s always been a momma’s boy.”

Tessa nods, glancing to her boyfriend before focusing back on the odd creature that Auggie must look like in their perfect apartment. “So what is it you do back in London?”

“Wiltshire,” They correct.

“What?” She frowns, sitting back in her seat with a deepening frown.

For some reason, Auggie finds relief in that. “It's outside of London. That’s where we’re from. But I mainly just help look after Mum and work down at the convenient store. Hoping to broaden my horizons soon and all that.”

“Oh,” Tessa trails off, looking towards Trish now like she’d somehow done something. “So you and Trish are close too?”

“Of course,” Trish answers with no hesitation, missing the way the girl’s smile tightens. “I practically raised this one and when Hardin moved away for uni, this sweet thing stepped up and moved in with me.”

“I’m basically the favorite child,” They grin ear to ear, nudging Hardin with their foot. “Isn’t that right?”

He, finally, stops staring after Tessa like a lost puppy and scoffs. “She only tells you to keep the peace in the house.”

That’s what Auggie considers a good opening, especially for what they’ve been meaning to discuss, and there’s nothing like biting the bullet head on. “About that.”

He turns his entire focus to them and almost looks scared. “What? What’s happening?”

Trish picks up on it immediately and sets down her drink softly. “Before you say anything, know that this was something I pushed.”

“Just spit it out already,” He snaps, hackles seeming to rise.

Auggie takes a deep breath. “Remember them broadening horizons? Well, I think it's time I actually do that and I’ve been talking with the Dick…”

“Ken? Why the fuck have you been talking with my Dad?” Hardin exclaims, eyes narrowing between them and his mother.

“I wanna go back to school and the only way I could afford that is if I had some help or knew someone. I ended up having both.” Auggie further explains gently.

It finally clicks in his head and his guards fall at once, his eyes widening. “You’re going to attend Washington?”

“If I can get a place to stay at,” Auggie slowly explains, clearing their throat. “I might need a place to stay while I get everything in order, though.”

“And it would be very generous and kind if you were to help Auggie out with this,” Trish adds on, eyes narrowed as if daring him to deny them this help.

Hardin just rolls his eyes, leaning back in his chair now that he knew what the conversation was about. “Don’t be stupid. Auggie can have the spare bedroom once you leave,” Then he pauses, looking towards Tessa. “If that’s alright with you.”

If it weren’t for her white knuckles around her fork, her easy expression would have fooled Auggie. She even smiles sweetly and nods. “It’s your place too. Of course they can stay for a little bit.”

“Then that’s perfect,” Auggie claps. “I packed all that I could and once Trish gets back, she can ship me my things!”

Tessa nods, her knuckles whitening and her smile stretching almost uncomfortably. “Mhmm, perfect.”

[kerikaaria]

If I Never Met You: Chapter 21

(??? X Reader) Idol!AU, Manager!Reader

Genre: (PG13) Fluff and some angst

WC: 2.8k

Warnings: Vague description of anxiety and a mild panic attack

Series Masterlist

Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22

It was time for the MMAs, and I can tell the boys feel really nervous. They hadn’t really stood out among other groups who debuted this year, and while they had a large enough fanbase, there was also a lot of negativity and criticism being aimed towards them – more and more every day it seemed. But they were still nominated for Best New Artist and Rookie of the Year awards at some of the shows. Which was the case for this first one, plus they’ll have a performance to do not long after that award is announced.

I made a deal with Jimin that he had to do his best to eat something before schedules, especially big events like these, and that when I asked him about if he ate he had to be honest with me. Luckily, he seemed to be keeping up with that so far, so I had hope that he’d get through his troubles eventually.

I paid attention to the television screen in the corner of our room whenever I could. It had honestly been my first time seeing one of these shows. I never had much interest in them back home, but I was actually enjoying what parts I could watch of it. I was familiar with most of the songs being performed, having heard them countless times during the boys’ own activities. And there were some really interesting special performances other groups had put together.

When it came around to the time when they were to announce Best New Artist, everyone in our room paused what they were doing to watch the screen closely. I started feeling my heart race. This was an award that every artist only had one chance at getting (per award show at least) so that made me feel more anxious of the result we were waiting for.

The woman on stage opened her envelope and paused only briefly before announcing the winner. As soon as she said “Bangtan Sonyeondan,” I jumped up and down, barely containing a scream from leaving my mouth. We could see how happy and excited they were as they made their way to the stage to accept the award, with Joonie giving a short speech before they descended.

They had to come backstage right after so we could get them ready for the performance, and I could hear them coming down the hallway. They were yelling in excitement and they all practically ran into the room one or two at a time.

“We got the award!” Namjoon exclaimed as soon as he entered.

Many people in the room, myself included, cheered or said words of congratulations as they each piled in.

Tae was the last to bound into the room, and he instantly found his way to me, practically knocking me over when he jumped to embrace me. “We got it, noona!” he said right by my ear, a little too loudly.

“Yeah, I saw,” I laughed. “Congrats, V.” I said with a smile as I gently grabbed his shoulders to move him away slightly before he could destroy my eardrum.

Staff around the room started approaching the boys with sound equipment to get them ready for their stage while the Bangtan Bomb cameras filmed them. The smiles on all their faces were as big as they could be, and I was so happy to see them like this.

After Jin was done getting set up for the stage and made sure the camera was focused on one of the members not close to me, he came over to wrap me in a hug too.

I chuckled as I returned the embrace. “Yes, Jinnie?”

“This is great,” he said. “I didn’t think we’d actually get the award. I’m so happy.” I could tell he was smiling by the tone in his voice as he rocked us back and forth.

“Yeah, I’m so happy for you guys,” I said. “Don’t forget you’re also up for the award a few more times too. Who knows, you might get another one.”

“That’d be crazy,” he said as he let me go.

The boys finished getting set up for their stage before leaving to get into their places. The stage was relatively short, only about five or six minutes. But especially after getting the award, it was meaningful. Not everyone got a chance to perform at these shows.

I held their trophy and watched on the screen in the back as the boys performed, wishing I could be out in the audience for once. Their excitement from winning their first award was still evident in how enthusiastic they were on stage and I longed to be in the audience to feel that excitement radiate off of them. I felt like this stage was more meaningful because of their win, and they didn’t come to disappoint.

When they finished, they came backstage again and they filmed a message to their fans for the Bangtan Bomb before we got ready to go home. They were still so happy and energetic. Even Yoongi, who is usually the calmest out of all of them, would randomly break into a happy dance or start to ramble excitedly with the others. Needless to say, the ride back to our apartments was noisy. And it made me so happy to see.

Sejin drove tonight, so I looked through twitter. I was curious to see what people had to say about tonight’s performance and our award. Of course we posted on twitter and the comments on our post were filled with love and support from the wonderful Army. It was amazing how even the simplest “congratulations” or “you guys were amazing” could make me feel so happy.

And then I decided to browse through the internet, looking on articles that were quickly written about the event. Now that was something I shouldn’t have done. My stomach churned when I saw piles on piles of comments saying that our boys didn’t deserve to win the award, that they have no talent and they won’t last even two years in the industry. Every now and then there was the light of a positive (or even neutral) comment in the dark sea of negative words, but I soon gave up trying to find more and went back to twitter to detox the comments from my mind.

Soon enough we were home and before I could even go to unlock my door, arms wrapped themselves around me and dragged me into the boys’ room.

“You’re not getting away that easily, noona,” Hoseok said as he let me go.

I laughed. “I’m not even allowed to set down my stuff, or maybe change into something more comfortable first?”

“Only if you promise to come right back,” Jungkook said from behind Hobi, resting his chin on his hyung’s shoulder and looking at me.

“I promise,” I said as I backed towards their door.

I only took a few minutes, changing into a comfy pair of pajamas before making my way across the hall again. When I reentered the room, I heard Jin on the phone ordering takeout while Tae was tickling Jungkook into a giggling puddle on the floor, and Jimin and Hobi were in a fit of laughter, the younger practically falling into Yoongi’s lap.

“Can’t you guys be quiet at least while Jin was on the phone?” I asked them, chuckling a little bit myself because the scene was just so crazy.

Tae let go of the younger boy and Jimin and Hobi’s laughter slowed down at that. “Sorry noona,” Jimin said. “Namjoonie hyung literally just tripped over thin air. It was the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen, I couldn’t help it.”

“How can you say it was the most hilarious thing when you laugh at even the worst of Jin hyung’s dad jokes,” Yoongi retorted.

“Glad you thought me almost dying was hilarious,” Joon said.

“It really was though,” Hoseok said, laughing once more.

It was amazing how they lived together and spent every moment of every day together but still managed to keep conversations constantly flowing. I didn’t participate in the conversations very much, content just listening to each of the interesting stories from their childhoods they were currently sharing.

I didn’t know if it was because I was a bit tired, but my eyes kept falling to one of the boys in particular. I’d be watching someone else while they talked, but then he’d start to speak, or laugh, or just move around and my eyes would just gravitate to him and even linger on him for a bit afterward. Probably because he was sitting right across from me and it was just natural to look in that direction.

Even after the food arrived, and even still after we all finished eating the boys were still energetic. It was well into the night, but they showed no signs of settling down yet. Except Yoongi, he was back to his usual calm demeanor now. At least we didn’t have anything to do the next day, otherwise tomorrow would have royally sucked.

I sat a bit separated from the others, somewhat spacing out. I definitely didn’t have as much energy in me as these guys, but I felt like it would be rude if I just left right now. As I spaced out, my eyes stayed glued to him again.

Lost in my mind without any comprehensible thoughts, I felt a small smile sitting on my face but had no idea why. He turned and I vaguely noticed through my blurred, spaced out vision that his gaze met mine. I woke my brain back up to purposefully smile at him before turning away, embarrassed because I realized it probably looked like I was intentionally staring for who knew how long.

I opted to move my sight to the floor so I didn’t embarrass myself again. As I let my mind slip back into its hidden corners, I felt my heartbeat somewhat speed up. It brought me back to consciousness a bit so I could focus on it, wondering why that was happening. Then I started to feel my breath become shallower. I tried to focus on taking deeper breaths in but it didn’t seem to be working. I realized what must have been going on so I stood up to walk towards their door.

“Hey guys, I’m feeling pretty tired so I’m going to head back to get some sleep,” I said as calmly as I could muster. I let some of them say goodbye before I left as quickly as I could without (hopefully) seeming suspicious. As soon as I closed the door to my apartment, I leaned against the door and slid down. Without having any need to hold it back anymore, I felt the effects of the panic attack increase.

What was this? Where the heck did this come from? It had been so long since the last time I had a panic attack. My anxiety hadn’t been affecting me for a long time so I was confused as I let myself succumb to my body’s irrational reactions.

Then I remembered the thoughts that started surfacing recently. How I was worried about spending too much time around the boys, that I was going to annoy them if I didn’t distance myself a bit. How did I not recognize it before? My anxiety was coming back. I thought I had pushed it down, but I guessed it wasn’t as easy as that.

I willed my shaking body to get up and go to the kitchen to find paper bag from a recent takeout meal I had ordered so I could use it to regulate my breathing before it got worse. Why this trick worked was beyond me, but all I knew was that it was calming.

I tried to focus my thoughts, thinking of something comforting. While I was sure my body was panicking from insecurities about my friendship with the boys, when I fished my own mind for thoughts that were calming, he came to mind. His smile, his laughter, the feeling of his embrace. Soon enough, between that and regulating my breathing with the paper bag, I was able to bring my mind back to earth and my breathing and heartbeat regulated.

I needed to figure out how to keep this from happening again. The last thing I needed was to have a break down during work.

The next day, I decided to try to spend by myself to make sure a repeat of the night before didn’t happen. And that was going all fine and dandy until there was a knock on my door.

I opened it to see Jungkook, who instantly entered my house before I could even say hello.

“Hey, Kook,” I said as he sat in my living room. “What’s up?”

“I’m hiding,” He said.

“Huh?” I tilted my head in confusion. “What are you hiding from?”

“Jin hyung.”

“Okay…” I sat across from him and raised my eyebrows. “Care to elaborate?”

He bit his bottom lip as he contemplated telling me. “Well, I may have ruined one of his Mario figures.”

“Oh no.” I gasped. “Not the Mario figures. Do you have a death sentence?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“Does he know yet?”

“I would be dead if he did.”

“How did that happen anyway?”

He laughed nervously. “I accidentally bumped into the shelf with his figures when me and V hyung were wrestling. One of them had fallen off the shelf and hyung pushed me to the ground on top of it and it broke. It hurt, too.”

I shook my head and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It was nice knowing you, Kookie.”

Not two seconds after I said that, I heard a voice that was very distinctly Kim Seokjin’s yelling, “WHERE IS JEON JUNGKOOK?” That was quickly followed by a knocking on my door as the maknae ran into my bedroom to hide.

Good thing I keep my room clean, I thought as I opened my door. Jin entered quickly before saying, “Hi (Y/n). How are you today? Have you seen Jungkook?” within the spam of two seconds.

I blinked, taking a moment to register what he actually said before shaking my head no. “No, I haven’t seen him.”

“(Y/n),” he said, eyeing me carefully. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“Is he missing?” I asked, feigning ignorance. “Do we need to go looking for him?”

“Oh, he will be missing once I get my hands on him,” Jin said. “And I have a feeling he would have come to you to keep him safe.” He stepped closer to me, bending down until his face was mere inches away from mine. “So tell me, (Y/n), our precious little Kookie came here, didn’t he?”

Before I could say anything, a sound came from my bedroom. Jin hurried to my room and opened the door to Jungkook holding onto his foot. It seemed like he stubbed his toe on my bed frame. His eyes went wide as he saw Jin standing at the doorway.

“Jungkook…” The quiet tone of Jin’s voice was honestly scary.

“Yes, hyung?” the poor maknae asked as innocently as possible.

“Did you do this?” he pulled a broken Mario figure out of his pocket.

Jungkook gulped nervously, but didn’t say anything.

“Taehyung already told me you broke it so just admit to it,” Jin said.

“Wait, hold on,” Jungkook said, straightening up. “He’s as much at fault as I am. He’s the reason why I landed on it and it broke in the first place.”

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Seokjin yelled as he grabbed Jungkook by the arm and dragged through my apartment back to their own.

Well, I guess Jimin is about to be the new maknae, I thought as I heard some more yelling and closed my door. I chose to go back to relaxing, not wanting to get in the middle of what was sure to be a blood bath.

Later, there was another knock at my door. I carefully opened it to see both Jungkook and Taehyung there.

“I’m not harboring anymore fugitives today,” I said.

“We didn’t do anything,” Taehyung replied. “We just wanted to stop by.”

I looked to Jungkook who nodded in confirmation. “Okay, well then come on in, I guess.” I sat in the living room and the boys followed, sitting on either side of me. “So, Jin didn’t kill you after all, huh?”

“Only because Namjoon hyung stopped him,” Tae said.

“Good,” I said, chuckling. “Be more careful next time, yeah?”

“We will,” Jungkook said, smiling.

I sighed, feeling strangely content. Yesterday was so strange. I had no reason to be feeling anxious or worried because actually more often than not, it was the boys seeking me out to spend time. If that didn’t show they wanted me around, I didn’t know what would. But then again, when did anxiety ever make sense?

Series Masterlist

Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22

Tags: @calling-dips-on-j-hope​ @misohime​ @netflix-batman-sleep​ @smallbaby-cat​ @leitholdwithlove​ @ramyagovindraj​ @leesalts​ @rjsmochii​

Send me a message or ask if you want tagged! And also feel free to leave comments or send asks to just talk to me!

[anistarrose]

Fear The Reaper A Lot, Actually (TAZ Balance AU)

AO3

Summary: In the aftermath of the catastrophe at the Miller Lab, Kravitz strikes a deal with his bounties. Their crimes against death will be forgiven if they can bring in two specific liches for arrest…

But unfortunately, those liches are named Lup and Barry J. Bluejeans.

Characters: Kravitz, Taako, Barry Bluejeans, Angus McDonald, Magnus Burnsides, Merle Highchurch, Noelle | No-3113, The Raven Queen, misc. BoB cameos

Relationships: Taakitz, Angus McDonald & Taako, Barry Bluejeans & Kravitz

I posted the second of three scenes in this chapter on Tumblr in January, not really expecting to continue it at the time, but it was well-received there, and I realized that I actually have a lot more ideas for this AU than I expected! This fic has been in the works for months, and I’m simultaneously so excited, nervous, and relieved to get it out of my mind and into the world.

That said, there is one other person who’s read this fic before, and that’s @fexiled! They’ve been an awesome (and patient) beta reader, and I’m incredibly grateful to them for all their advice, typo-catching, and encouragement!

***

Kravitz couldn’t even begin to fathom what kind of sinister agenda would possibly bring a lich to a train station, but he’d intercepted Barry J. Bluejeans in stranger places than Rockport. If he was after any other bounty, he’d be worried about the nearby masses of civilians on holiday getting caught in the crossfire, or worse, being used as hostages — but with Barry, he never knew what to worry about.

Barry, for his part, didn’t seem fazed by the prospect of facing down the Grim Reaper in a transportation hub staffed entirely by identical clones of Tom Bodett, and he addressed Kravitz calmly and amiably:

“Ah, there you are. Hope you didn’t have a ticket for the Rockport Limited, ‘cause it left a couple minutes ago.”

“I have a magical sapphire scythe that lets me teleport anywhere on the Material or Astral Planes,” Kravitz replied. “Why would I need train tickets?”

Barry chuckled — nervously? Awkwardly? Without a visible face beneath his hood, he was difficult to read. “I dunno, leisure? In case I got on a train and you wanted to follow me, but legally?”

Kravitz narrowed his eyes. Barry was normally talkative for a lich, but today, he seemed especially affable… not to mention unsurprised by Kravitz’s appearance. “Were you expecting me to follow you here?”

“You’ve followed me stranger places,” Barry reminded him. “Graveyards for dragons, necromancy conventions, the actual moon that isn’t just a secret society’s headquarters… point is, I kinda figured the ticket counter at a train station wouldn’t stop you.”

Kravitz adjusted his grip on his scythe, channelling a spark of the Raven Queen’s power to scan the area for magical traps. There were none.

“I don’t have any tricks this time,” Barry promised him, his hooded void of a face still frustratingly impossible to read. “No sabotage, no moon ogres. I just want to talk.”

A pigeon landed on the ground between them, pecking at a dropped sandwich without any acknowledgement of the two undead entities that could each obliterate it in a second.

“Let’s say I humor you, in the interest of not catching an innocent bird in the crossfire,” Kravitz replied. “What would you want to talk about?”

“I’m realizing this isn’t gonna sound that sincere, but… an apology. And a warning.”

“What world do you come from, where it’s appropriate to follow an apology with a threat? Are you going to, I don’t know, imprison my soul if I don’t forgive you?”

“The world I come from has nothing to do with it.” The lights beneath Barry’s hood flickered erratically, but he kept his composure. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for wasting so much of your time. You could be out there stopping evil necromancers, but I’ve been leading you on a wild goose chase for a decade, and I’m genuinely sorry about that. I’m sorry that I can’t do the things I need to do or save the things I need to save without being undead, and making what I can only assume is a gigantic bureaucratic mess for the Astral Plane.”

Kravitz sighed. “Are you hinting that I should just give up forever on chasing you, because you’re not evil? Do you really expect me to believe that, coming from a lich?”

“Well, I wasn’t counting on it, but that would be nice,” Barry admitted. “The thing is, whether you believe me isn’t going to matter a whole lot in… let’s see, at the rate we’re going, I doubt it’ll take much more than a year. You’re gonna have a bigger problem on your hands — and if you want even a slim chance of surviving it, you and your goddess and every plane in this system will need to be prepared.”

Kravitz eyed a clock on the station wall. “Keep making threats like that, and you’ll have thirty seconds to explain yourself before I end this conversation.”

Barry held up his hands. “Wait, wait, let me clarify — that wasn’t me threatening you! That’s me knowing what’s coming, and not wanting to see it obliterate this entire universe! I — I see, now, how that could get misinterpreted — but I promise, I’m not making this up just to mess with you! You have the ability to warn the Astral Plane, to warn the Raven Queen and by extension all the gods in the Celestial Plane, so that they can prepare for this and stand a fighting chance —”

“Excuse me, gentlemen? Is there anything I can help you with?”

A Tom Bodett approached them, completely unfazed by the lich and the reaper staring each other down of the Rockport Limited boarding platform, and Kravitz couldn’t help but wonder how frequently the humble employees of the train station had to deal with the undead making a scene.

“Stay back, mortal!” he shouted, twirling his scythe and jumping between the Barry and the poor, almost certainly underpaid Tom. “This is an arrest of one of the most dangerous death criminals in Faerun —”

But Barry had already vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the faintest wisp of red smoke, and Kravitz held back a curse.

This always happened one way or another, every damn time Kravitz had encountered Barry in the past decade. Barry had been right about one thing — he’d wasted an astronomical amount of Kravitz’s time over the years.

“Well, I guess that takes care of that,” Tom declared brightly, as if he caused distractions that allowed ultrapowerful death criminals to escape justice every day. “He was making quite a scene — any idea what his deal was?”

Kravitz shook his head. “Just a lich playing mind games. As liches are wont to do, you know.”

At least, I hope that’s all Barry is, he thought with a shiver. But if he wants to give me a reason to believe him, then… well, he can do it from a cell in the Eternal Stockade.

***

“Hey, Reaper Man! I’ve got an idea for you!” Taako called out. Something about the gleam in his eye piqued Kravitz’s curiosity, even though hearing out ideas from death criminals was an objectively unwise idea.

“Do tell, then,” Kravitz replied, and the mischievous smile on Taako’s face expanded into a toothy grin.

“You hunt down a lot of different bounties, right? And Lucas and Maureen and Noelle, they can’t possibly be the worst criminals on your naughty list, can they?”

“Naughty list? What is he, Santa?” Magnus snickered. “I guess it is technically still Candlenights…”

“Today has been a Day with a capital D,” Kravitz warned Taako, “and I’m not in the mood to hear an argument about why I should let them go because morality is relative —”

“Cool your collarbones, Skeletor, I may have come here to get the Philosopher’s Stone, but I’m no philosopher. I was just thinking: what if we tracked down one of your bigger bounties for you? You let some harmless death criminals go, we bring you a really evil one in return, you collect a big old bounty and also get to see my charming face again! Doesn’t that deal sound like a winner?”

“In practice, it just sounds like a good way to get double-crossed — but in theory, it would be quite a bargain, I’ll grant you that.” Kravitz mentally ran through his list of bounties, almost immediately focusing on one particular lich that had vexed him for years. “And I have to admit, I’d love nothing more than seeing you three take a crack at bringing in Barry J. Bluejeans —”

The second Barry’s name was uttered, Taako let out a wheezy laugh like a congested elephant, and Magnus and Merle weren’t far behind, guffawing so heartily that they fogged up the insides of their null suit helmets.

“I laughed at that name once just like you, but when you’ve been hunting him for years to no avail, it won’t seem so funny anymore!” Kravitz warned them. “He’s easily in the top five most dangerous liches in Faerun, not to mention the number one most elusive!”

“Barry’s a LICH?!” Magnus chortled, as Merle doubled over clutching his stomach and Taako rolled around on the floor in hysterics.

“All that time in Phandalin, we were at the mercy of an evil undead overlord and we didn’t even know it!” Taako cackled, evidently not too troubled by the revelation. “Fuck, we’re lucky to even be alive!”

That caught Kravitz off guard. “Wait, you’ve met Barry Bluejeans?”

“And lived to tell the tale!” Merle boasted. “We could totally do it again, by the way!”

“Hang on, Merle,” Noelle interrupted. “Was this what you meant earlier? When you said you were friends with a couple of liches?”

Merle blinked. “When did I say that?”

“Never mind.” Noelle sighed, then turned to Kravitz. “There’s gotta be some mistake. Some kinda identity confusion. The Bluejeans I met in Phandalin, he — he was a good man. He tried to keep us hidden while he fought off that awful dwarf, that dwarf that was setting everything on fire as far as the eye could see. Mister Bluejeans was so reassuring, and so brave — if anything, I’d call him a hero, not some horrible undead monster.”

“That doesn’t really sound like our Barry,” Merle said. “He was kind of an ass. Told me to stab myself with a rusty fork.”

As his bounties squabbled among themselves over the true nature of Barry Bluejeans, Kravitz took the opportunity to pray to the Raven Queen.

Your Majesty, if these criminals think they can really track down such a dangerous lich… would taking their offer be the right choice? Or am I about to be scammed?

The reply was immediate, as if the Raven Queen had already been observing the Miller Lab intently and contemplating the situation for herself. I cannot make this decision for you, Kravitz. But I trust your judgement.

Thank you, milady. Kravitz collected himself, and announced his terms.

“I’ll tell you what. One lich isn’t quite enough to sell me on this deal… but two liches would be, especially if the latter of the two hasn’t been detected in over a decade. If you bring me the both of them in the next two months, everyone involved in this whole Miller debacle goes free — but if you fail, I come to collect all your souls. You still up for this deal?”

Magnus looked like he wants to ask for clarification, but before he could get a word out, Taako casually declared:

“Sure, dude, we’re up for it. Who’s the second lich, other than Barry?”

“Her name is Lup, and she was last sensed in the general vicinity of Wave Echo Cave ten years ago,” Kravitz replied with a smile. “That’s all I know about her, so that’s all the information you get, too. Good luck!”

***

“You’ve got two months to capture a couple of liches? And if you don’t, the Grim Reaper will take your souls?!”

“Shh, not so loud!” Magnus hissed, pressing a finger to Angus’s mouth. “Do you want everyone on the moon to hear?”

Angus glanced around the cafeteria. Exempting him and the three Reclaimers, it was completely empty aside from a few discarded, tattered Candlenights decorations. “Have you at least told the Director about this?”

Magnus smiled sheepishly. “Uh, it never seemed like the right time to bring it up.”

“Carey knew because she was there, but she didn’t seem too keen on being the one to break the news,” Taako elaborated. “Can’t say I blame her.”

Angus sighed. “And your new robot friend, Noelle. Is her soul a part of this bargain, too?”

Magnus nodded. “Yeah. We promised her we’d take care of it, so she’s hanging with the Regulators now —”

“And I bet Lucas Miller isn’t even dead after all, is he?”

“Perceptive as ever, Agnes,” Taako confirmed. “Maureen really did die, though. She went back to the Astral Plane.”

Angus took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, a gesture that made him look far older than ten. “No offense, sirs, but why didn’t just gamble with the Grim Reaper for your souls like normal people? You might’ve actually had a chance at succeeding, that way!”

“Huh,” muttered Magnus. “Good question…”

“Yeah, Taako, why didn’t we just gamble for our souls like normal people?” Merle echoed.

Taako shrugged. “I dunno. I guess I just thought that Kravitz guy sounded pretty okay, like he’d give us a reasonable bargain…”

“Reasonable? He made Magnus chop my damn arm off!”

“Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere, sirs,” Angus spoke up. He hoped he was putting on a calm facade, even though his feet were trembling in his shoes. “Did Kravitz tell you anything about these liches? Names? Locations of recent sightings?”

“Already jotted down all the details for you, my little man,” Taako answered, handing Angus a single sheet of paper. “Didn’t want to forget anything that would help you work your boy detective magic.”

“As if you could ever forget Barry Bluejeans!” Magnus scoffed.

“A lich named Barry Bluejeans? That can’t be right…” Angus took a look at the sheet, titled “Case File” in loopy cursive letters and broken up into two subsections:

Lich #1

Name: Barry Bluejeans

Last seen: The circular glass mistake formerly known as Phandalin, a couple months ago

Weaknesses: Gerblins (unless that was a cunning play so we’d let our guard down), pants that aren’t made of denim, the temptation to party and drink while other people do his job for him

Other information: Used to be Gundren’s bodyguard, and didn’t do a very good job — but who could blame him? That dwarf was an even bigger asshole than he was.

Lich #2

Name: Lup

Last seen: Wave Echo Cave, 10 years ago

Weaknesses: I don’t know, probably holy water or something

Other information: Zilch

Each section was accompanied by an illustration. Barry’s was a cartoonish drawing of a skeleton with jeans, glasses, and a mullet, while Lup’s was simply a series of question marks. At the bottom of the page, Taako had written: Now have at it, Caleb Cleveland Junior!

“…You really have a lot of faith in me, don’t you, sirs?” Angus asked quietly.

Taako shrugged awkwardly, as Magnus replied:

“Well, we know you’re way better at this than us. And you know that’s not exactly a high bar to clear, but you’re obviously our best shot.”

Angus took a deep breath. “Do you remember the reaper’s exact terms? Were there any loopholes we could exploit?”

“Were there?” Magnus mused, tugging at one of his sideburns. “Does anyone remember what he said?”

“Why are you looking at me?” Merle asked, prompting a laugh from Taako.

“Well, in that case…” Angus took a deep breath. “I guess I’ll interview Carey and Noelle to make sure we’re not missing anything, but we shouldn’t count on being able to cheat the deal. Do you think we could book a transport sphere down to Wave Echo Cave tomorrow morning, to go search for leads?”

“Should be no problem,” Taako told him. “Back to our old stomping grounds! I can hardly wait!”

“Reliving our old mistakes! Hooray!” Merle cheered sarcastically, and with that, the Reclaimers all sauntered back to their dorms with easygoing attitudes that Angus could hardly believe.

How are you all so cavalier about dying? he thought. How can you bear to joke about this situation?

And what will I do, if I can’t help you find these liches?

***

Notes:

I really appreciate people commenting on/reblogging this fic, especially for this first chapter! There's absolutely no obligation to do so, of course, but it would mean a lot <3

For what might be the first time in my life, I already have a surplus of chapters written, so the update schedule should remain consistent for at least a month or two (fingers crossed). Since this chapter was on the shorter side and included a scene I posted months ago, I think I’ll post Chapter 2 in a week, then switch to updating every other week from Chapter 3 onwards. (Probably still on Tuesday evenings, plus or minus 24 hours.)

Also, I’d just like to give a shoutout to Angus McDonald for always, always ending up with a bigger role in my fics than I expect when I start writing! But I’m glad he managed to sneak his way into this one, because there’s a bunch more Angus scenes coming up that I can’t imagine this fic without!

[calpalirwin]

Change Your Mind

Summary: Calum runs into an old flame

Word Count: 2.4k

And away, and away we go!

__

“C’mon!” Calum laughed, grabbing her hand and breaking out into a run, the night air cool on his face.

“Cal, wait!” she laughed along with him, breathless as he dragged her along. “My legs aren’t as long as yours!”

“Here!” he said, an idea coming to him. He stopped in his tracks, crouching slightly. “Hop on.”

She jumped on his back, wrapping her legs over his hips and her arms around his neck.

“Aw!” Michael’s girlfriend, Amanda, mock-pouted at the blonde, swatting at his arm. “Why can’t you carry me like that?”

Michael side-stepped away from his girlfriend. “I can either hold you, or the baby. Which is it?”

“Don’t you dare drop my baby, Clifford. That’s precious cargo.”

“Your baby? Last I checked it was our baby.”

“Cutest boy this world has ever seen!” Y/N called out from her spot on Calum’s back.

“Hey!” Calum protested, loosening his hold on her legs like he was gonna drop her.

“Calum!” she shrieked.

He laughed as he tightened his grip. “Better watch yourself.”

“You wouldn’t really drop me, would you?” Her voice was a whisper by his ear.

He tilted his head to the side to flash her a grin. “Never, baby. I’ll always catch you.”

“Mmm, you better,” she warned, kissing at his cheek.

“Fuck, this is amazing isn’t it?” Amanda asked as she laid down in the grassy field. “It’s like the whole world is spread out before us.”

“Today, high school graduates. Tomorrow… who knows! We’ll make it up as we go!” Michael said with a grin.

“Tomorrow, London,” Calum came up with his answer. “We’re gonna be rockstars, Mike.”

In that moment, staring up at the night sky, the four friends’ futures never looked brighter or more tightly intertwined.

~Ten Years Later~

“Mike? You get one of these too?” Calum asked, flashing an envelope with their high school crest on it.

“Yup,” Michael responded, not tearing his eyes away from the screen and the video game he was playing with his son, Lincoln. “Can’t believe it’s already been ten years.”

“I can,” came Amanda’s slight scoff. “We got the time stamp to prove it, Mikey.” She ruffled both her husband’s and son’s hair with either of her hands.

“You say ‘time stamp’ I say ‘son.’”

“You say ‘son’ I say ‘winner’!” the ten year old boy gloated, rising to his feet for a victory dance.

“What?!” Michael stared at the screen in disbelief, setting his controller aside. “How in the?!”

“In yo face!” Lincoln continued to boast.

“Oh, yeah?” Michael asked before charging to tickle his son’s sides while the boy broke out into a high-pitched giggle.

“Mikey, stop. The boy can’t breathe. Look, he’s turning pink,” Amanda scolded.

Michael let go, looking over at his wife innocently. “So, did you wanna go to this reunion?”

“Yeah. I’d love to see Y/N again. She hasn’t seen Link since he was a baby. Oh! And we can finally meet her daughter!”

“Babe!” Michael hissed, but the damage was done.

“Y/N has a daughter?” Calum asked, body snapping to attention.

“Yeah…” his friends admitted.

“Hmm… good for her. How old?”

“Uh…”

“How old is she?” Calum repeated, gritting his teeth, his brown eyes darkening.

“Cal…” Michael started, keeping his voice low. “She made us swear not to tell you.”

“HOW OLD IS SHE?!” Calum barked, grabbing Michael by the front of his shirt. “TELL ME!”

“9! She’s 9!” The woman told him, her voice shaking.

Calum released Michael, slumping back like he had the wind knocked out of him. “9?” he croaked, tears springing to his eyes. “Is she…?” He pointed at himself

Michael nodded. “Yeah, mate. Look, this wasn’t how you were supposed to find out...”

“How the fuck was I supposed to find out then?! You two lied to me for 9 fuckin’ years! She lied to me!”

“I know! But we didn’t want to! We begged her to tell you. But she had convinced herself it wasn’t worth bothering you about. That she’d figure out a way to tell you. Mate, you gotta believe me. We wouldn’t have hidden this from you if we had a choice.”

Calum hung his head in his hands. “I can’t believe this… I can’t believe this is happening… I think I’m gonna be sick…”

“D- do you want to see pictures?”

The man nodded, and Michael fiddled around on his phone. “I saved all the pictures into an album. Here.”

Calum took the phone in shaking fingers, slowly scrolling through someone’s lifetime. His daughter’s lifetime. “Fuck… she looks just like Y/N…”

“Funny. Y/N says she looks like you.”

“Yeah, I can see it a little in her face. Are my cheeks really that squishy?”

“Yes,” was the laughed response.

Calum sighed, passing the phone back. “So, when do we leave?”

~~~

Calum spotted her the second he walked in the hotel ballroom, nostalgia hitting him like a tidal wave. Every promise whispered on skin they had broken with goodbye flashed in his head like a movie as he made his way to her. He didn’t know if he was more angry, or just flat out crushed. “What’s her name?” he asked once he was in earshot.

“Wow. That’s gotta be a record for the Cliffords. Never were the type to keep a secret.”

“Don’t deflect the blame on them. What’s her name?”

“Ari.”

“Why?”

“Cuz she needed a name.”

Calum breathed slowly. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he rephrased.

“It wasn’t your business.”

“Wasn’t my business?! She’s my daughter, Y/N!”

“Lower your fuckin’ voice!” she snarled, looking around the room before gripping his upper arm and pushing him outside like a scolded toddler.

“I want to meet her.”

Y/N scoffed. “Yeah. Fat chance of that happening.”

“Oh, so you're just gonna keep me from her for the second half of her life, too?”

“Half of her life? She’s 9, Calum.”

“That’s halfway to 18.”

“Not everyone leaves their family at 18 like you did Cal! Some people actually stay!”

“Excuse me?! That’s why?! You kept my daughter from me out of spite?! Because I had the guts to make something of myself?! In case you didn’t notice, Mike had the same story we did, and he got to do it with his kid!”

“You think you’re the only one who could be somebody?! I’ve busted my ass for the last decade to forget about all the promises we broke! And I did it all while raising the reminder of everything we were, and everything we were too scared we could be!”

“We were supposed to be somebodies together!”

“You left me!”

“I didn’t do it on purpose! I had to do what was best for me!”

“I did too!”

“I’m never gonna forgive you for this…”

“Good thing I never asked you to.”

“Oh, I can’t believe you! Who are you protecting? Her? Or you? I’m not the bad guy here. You’re the one who made a huge ass decision about our lives without talking to me about it.”

“Kinda like you did?”

“When did I ever do something without talking about it with you first?! I asked you to come with me to London. You didn’t want to. I said let’s try to make it work. You didn’t want that either.”

“We didn’t talk through shit, Cal. You talked. But you always had your mind made up before you ever opened your mouth. And you still do.”

“Then you should know that I’ll do whatever it takes to meet her.”

“Fine. She has a soccer game in the morning. I guess you could come to that.”

“She plays soccer?”

“Of course she plays soccer. She’s yours, ain’t she? Memorial Park. 9am. Don’t you dare be late.”

“I’ll be there. And hey, you look good by the way.”

“Ew,” she scoffed, but even in the dim lighting he saw her cheeks pinken. “You look… alright I guess. Your curls always did suit you better in my opinion.”

~~~

Even if Calum hadn’t seen the pictures of Ari, he would have been able to pick her out of a crowd with her wild, dark curls held out of her face in a ponytail as she ran about the field. Calum and Y/N sat in tense, but not uncomfortable silence next to each other in the stands before Calum finally spoke up at the start of the second half. “You know you robbed me of 9 years worth of mornings like this?”

“5, actually. She’s been playing since she was 4.”

“Was talking about mornings spent watching our daughter, but I’m glad you agree with me.”

“I didn’t ‘rob’ you out of spite, Calum. I know you already made up your mind that I did. And if that’s what you’re determined to believe, I don’t particularly care all that much. Like I said last night, it’s not like I’m asking you to forgive me.”

“If you think my mind’s made up, then you shouldn’t see an issue with telling me why. Humor me.”

“It’s because we didn’t need you. And I don’t say that to hurt you.”

He scoffed. “Could’ve fooled me. Were you ever going to tell me?”

“I thought about it a lot. But the longer time went on, the harder it became. I mean, I didn’t find out I was pregnant until you were already gone. I was 18 and alone. Did I make mistakes along the way? Yeah, probably. But I did what I thought was best. And calling you up in tears so you could give up your dream of being a rockstar to rescue us wasn’t on that list. I didn’t want you to resent me more than you already did.”

“I couldn’t resent you if I tried. And trust me… I tried. You should’ve told me.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. But we didn’t need you, Cal. And you didn’t need us. And all three of us turned into the people we were supposed to be.”

“Agree to disagree. You may not have needed me, but maybe I needed you guys. And maybe the person I was supposed to be was supposed to be a dad to our daughter. And I may not be able to get these last nine years back, but I’ll be damned if I don’t get the next nine. And all the years after that.”

She shook her head, eyes rolling behind her sunglasses. “It’s not that simple, Cal. You can’t undo the damage we dealt with some inspiring words.”

“And who’s fault is that? Look, I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. But I want to be in her life. You gotta trust me here.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Cal. It’s not like you ran away. I mean, you did. But I had my chance to go with you. And I had my chance to try and make it work. And I haven’t asked you to forgive me because I don’t deserve to be forgiven. I had our two best friends lie for me because I was too scared to confront you myself. And I lied to myself by saying I was doing it for your sake. So you could live your dream. I saw how hard it was for Amanda and Michael in the beginning. I wanted better for us. And I’m willing to admit that maybe I went about it the wrong way. But playing these maybe/maybe not scenarios isn’t going to change the past.”

“I’m not looking to change the past, Y/N. I just want to be in her future. Don’t you think I have that right?”

“Yes. And that breaks my heart, Cal.”

“How does th-?” he asked in confusion, before the realization hit. “Oh… Because you made up your mind that I just want her. That I’ll never be over what you did to even contemplate wanting you too. Guess I’ll just have to change your mind.”

She blinked, not believing she heard him correctly. “Y- you want me too?”

“How could I want my daughter, and not the woman who gave her to me? Yes, I want you too.”

“Cal…” she warned tearfully. “If you’re lying, I’ll never forgive you.”

“And if I’m telling the truth?”

“I just might have to kiss you.”

“Pucker up, sweetheart. Been waiting 10 years for this kiss, so you can bet it’ll be a long one.”

“Who are you, and why are you trying to kiss my mom?” a small voice demanded.

Y/N snickered into her hand while Calum took in the girl with her hands on her hips and a fiery look in her eyes. “Ari, sweetheart, this is my old friend, Calum.”

Ari looked Calum up and down skeptically, her hands coming off her hips so she could cross her arms over her chest. “That answers the first part of my question…”

“Ari!” Y/N gasped in shock.

“What? I’m not wrong. Now, why are you trying to kiss my mom, Calum?” She cocked her head to the side waiting for an answer.

“Because that’s what adults do when they love each other,” Calum answered, taking the path of least resistance.

“No… when adults love each other they have se-”

Y/N’s eyes went wide as her hand flashed out to cover Ari’s mouth, pulling the girl towards her. “That’s enough out of you. Would you behave? Please?”

The girl huffed, rolling her eyes. “Fmm!” was the muffled response. She huffed again when her mouth was uncovered, hands brushing down the front of her jersey with unnecessary sass. “So, you love my mom?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

“Good. Because she loves you, too.”

“Oh, does she?” Calum asked with a smirk. “And how do you feel about me?”

“Mmmm… you’re alright I guess. As long as you don’t try to kiss my mom in front of me again.”

“Ari?” Y/N asked softly.

“What?! That was nice!”

“Get your stuff. I’ll meet you at the car.”

“Ew! You are gonna kiss him!” the girl squealed with a shudder, before running off to get her things.

“So, where were we?” Calum asked, rising to feet and closing the distance between him and Y/N.

“Right about here,” she breathed, stretching up on her toes to greet his lips.

“Ari! Who’s that kissing your mom?!” one of Ari’s teammates asked her as they giggled into their hands.

Both Y/N and Calum could hear the eye roll in their daughter’s voice as she answered with a sigh, “Oh, that’s just my dad.”

__

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[haledamage]

"I think we're stuck." for Kai?

(trigger warning for claustrophobia, brief mentions of child abuse (no worse than the stuff mentioned in-game in Aloth’s backstory))

“Oh, lovely,” Aloth said drolly, staring into the room he’d just discovered. “A dark, ominous closet. My favorite.”

“Wonderful.” Kai managed to sound even less enthusiastic about the discovery than he did as she stepped up next to him. “You know, when I said I wished we could have some more time alone together, this isn’t quite what I had in mind.”

“I know.” He took her hand, gave it a quick squeeze, then let her go. “At least those journals look promising. Maybe we’ll actually find some clues in this one.”

“Or spiders.”

He chuckled. “I suspect we’ll find spiders either way. After you, my dear. “

Kai didn’t hide her reluctance to enter the tiny room, but she did it anyway. It was barely big enough for the two of them to have room to move about without having to climb over each other. She suspected she could lay on the floor and be able to touch all four walls, and the ceiling was low enough that the cobwebs hanging from it caught in Aloth’s dark hair, silver strands clinging to him and aging him before his time. The three walls that didn’t house the door were covered in shelves with stacks of old, crumbling books and intriguing esoteric trinkets.

Without a word, the two of them turned to opposite shelves and started sifting through their contents. She had to resist the historian part of her brain that told her to take everything so she could study it at her leisure. They were here for a purpose, and part of that purpose involved leaving as small of a trace as possible of their passing.

Still. It was very tempting.

“Oh!” Aloth exclaimed suddenly, drawing her attention away from the golden curio she’d been inspecting. “I think I found something. I can’t read the text, but it looks familiar.”

She peeked over his shoulder at the book he was holding, squinting to try and see it in the unlit room. “It’s Engwithan. It’s too dark in here to decipher, but I recognize the language.”

“That seems promising,” he muttered to himself, tapping his finger on the corner of the book as he thought. Kai knew what he was thinking; he was trying to decide if they should risk exploring more, or take their prize and get out. He nodded, coming to a decision. “We should go. We’ve already been here too long.”

“Agreed. We’ll take it back to our room and see what there is to see. Worst case scenario, we can come back.”

They tried to put everything else back where they’d found it, more or less, then picked their way back to the door. It had drifted closed while they were exploring, the old wood warped and uneven from age. Aloth reached it first and moved to open it, but it didn’t budge.

He tried again; the doorknob rattled as he tried to shake the latch free, but it remained unmoved. He threw his shoulder into it, trying to force it, but it still remained spitefully closed.

Kai wished she’d thought to bring her pistol. There was more than one way to open a door.

He turned to her, a frown set deep in his brow, and she knew what he was going to say before he said it. “I think we’re stuck.”

It was amazing how much dread could come from just four words. “Of course we are. Gods forbid anything go simply for a change. How long do you think before someone comes looking for us?”

“If we’re lucky? A few hours.” His eyes roamed the room as if trying to find a different way out, but there were no windows, no spaces there could possibly be any hidden doors or alcoves. “If we aren’t… Edér will probably notice we’re missing by morning.”

“Galawain’s flea-bitten arse!” Kai growled and kicked the door. It did not fly dramatically open like she’d hoped. She leaned back against the door and pressed her head against it.

“Feel better, my dear?” he asked dryly.

“I’m sorry, darling. I just…” She closed her eyes, trying to keep her composure, but she was breathing too fast. “I don’t like tight spaces.”

“I… had forgotten,” Aloth said softly. “Forgive me.”

“Not your fault. It’s been a while.”

“That it has.” He tried to hide it, but Kai could still hear the pain in his voice.

“Don’t you dare apologize, Aloth Corfiser. We’ve talked about this.” They had, in fact, talked about it exhaustively. He still felt guilty for leaving Caed Nua, even though they’d agreed he needed to, and she still felt guilty for not going with him, even though they’d agreed she needed to stay in Caed Nua. It was a circular argument, one with no clear answer and no winner and all it did was reopen wounds that would be better left alone so they could heal.

“I know,” he said, voice so low now it was almost a whisper. She hadn’t realized how much her hands were trembling until he laced his fingers with hers. “But I can still never get back those years we were apart.”

“We have plenty of years ahead of us that we’ll spend together.” Even on the edge of panic, that still drew a small smile to her face. “Though we’ll probably spend them locked in this gods damned closet.”

“Kai. Look at me.” Aloth’s voice was gentle but firm, and she found herself responding to the command almost unconsciously. He was standing very close, his face barely inches from hers, and instead of making the suffocating closeness of the room worse, his proximity actually made it a little easier for her to breathe. His pale eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. “You are safe. I won’t let anything happen to you. Just keep your eyes on me.”

He kept talking about nothing in particular, his voice calm and his gaze steady, his hand a lifeline in hers. Every breath came a little easier than the one before. She stopped shaking as the panic ebbed away, and the walls moved back to a reasonable distance once more. Finally, she sagged against him, pressing her face to his shoulder and just breathing him in for a moment. He smelled the same way he always did, the vanilla-and-dust scent of old books and the clean sharp ozone scent of his magic and a hint of woodsmoke that he picked up from her.

His arms went around her, holding her close, and the last of the tension drained from her and she could finally think again. Her thoughts raced like they were trying to make up for the time lost panicking. Maybe one of these shelves had a key. They couldn’t be the first kith to lock themselves in here. Or maybe… “I don’t suppose Iselmyr knows how to pick locks.”

“Fye, ainlie if ye've git an axe.”

“Figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.” Kai’s own Awakened memories weren’t any help either. Iorena had been a soldier through and through. She knew how to open a stuck door using a spear as a lever, but that didn’t exactly help right now. A memory from her own childhood surfaced, hazy but possibly useful. “Maybe I can. Do you have a letter opener? A… a hair pin? A quill you’re not especially attached to?”

“Perhaps.” Aloth raised a curious eyebrow, but started searching his pockets for anything that might fit the bill. “Why would you know how to pick locks?”

“When we were children, my younger sister Ariana taught me.” Her pockets were distressingly empty, so she scanned the shelves to see if they had anything promising. “It’s been about thirty years since I’ve done it, but it’s worth a try.”

Aloth beat her to the punch, plucking a single patinated copper hairstick that probably predated the gods themselves from the shelf above her head. He offered it to her and she turned to the door to try and coerce it open. “Why would you need to know how to pick locks as a child?”

“Our mother favored solitary confinement as punishment,” she told the lock so she wouldn’t have to look at Aloth while she spoke. She knew what she’d see there: pain, sympathy, and enough understanding to make her angry, both on his behalf and on her own. “While I turned to reading as a way to pass the time, Ari was more proactive. She would sneak out in the middle of the night and rearrange Mother’s furniture, or steal things from Father and hide them throughout the house, and lock herself back away before they awoke in the morning. They never did figure out who was doing it.”

“How terrible,” he said softly, and he clearly wasn’t referring to Ariana’s poltergeist impression.

“No worse than anything you endured as a child.”

“That doesn’t make it okay.”

“No. It doesn’t.” Kai really didn’t want to talk about this anymore. There wasn’t enough space in this room for the two of them and the looming specter of her mother. Lucky for her, she was offered a very easy change of subject as the lock made a loud clicking sound. “Aha!” She gave her makeshift pick a careful twist and the door swung open. She climbed to her feet and gestured to the now-empty doorway. “After you, my dear.”

Neither of them said a word as they crept through the empty building and back out onto the street, then through a nearby alley. They emerged into a lantern-lit courtyard, music and laughter pouring out from the open doors of a tavern, and slowed their pace. Just another normal couple enjoying the evening air. The inn they were staying at was only a few buildings down, and they went straight up to their room as soon as they got there.

As soon as they stepped inside, Aloth rounded on Kai, hands falling onto her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“I’m… getting there.” No use lying to him; he’d see through it anyway. She brought a hand up to his face, tracing her fingers along his cheek. “Thank you for keeping a level head, darling. If I’d been there alone, I suspect I’d have never made it out.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You’ve done the same for me. We take care of each other.” He said it like it was a simple fact of life. Water is wet; grass is green; we take care of each other. It made Kai adore him even more, just like it always did. “I got you something.”

He pulled the Engwithan book from his bag, then reached into it again and pulled out a smaller book, barely the size of his palm, and a bronze statuette of what looked like a deity, though it didn’t look like any of the ones they knew. They were small enough items that probably wouldn’t be noticed as missing, unless the owners did a thorough inventory - in which case their visit would have been noticed anyway.

Kai took the palm-sized book from him and opened it, curiosity getting the better of her. In it was page after page of faded writing in what looked like a very old form of Eld Aedyran, and the pages were so old they threatened to crumble at her touch. “You stole ancient artifacts for me,” she whispered, awed.

Aloth smiled proudly at her clear approval of his thievery. “Of course I did. I know the woman I married.”

She carefully took the books and statue from his hands and set them on the table. Then she walked back to him, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him, pouring every ounce of gratitude she had into it - not just gratitude for the pilfered gifts, but for his support, and his love, and just for being there.

“You’re welcome,” he said breathlessly once they parted, already leaning in for another kiss.

“That’s just the start, darling,” Kai said when they next broke apart. She pulled away from him enough to undo the clasps on her armor, letting it and the shirt she wore underneath fall to the floor. “We’ve got all night. Allow me to thank you properly.”

[taronfanfic]

One All

Madden: Taron Egerton, Golden Globe winner! Big congrats man, all the love, knew you’d get it! Catch up when you’re back in London? R Xx

Taron’s phone hadn’t stopped since the announcement was made and he could feel it vibrating in his jacket with every new text that came through. It was only as his award was getting engraved that he had a chance to look at the screen and that one text in particular. He caught himself smiling widely as he read the message and then remembered that there were plenty of cameras and eyes still on him, so he tried to act more cool as he formed a reply.

T: Thanks Rich, we need a drink or 5 for sure! I feel exactly how you looked when you’d won yours this time last year. It’s insane! Xx

Madden: Take as much of it in as you can. I was so glad to have you there with me that night… ending the night in the best way ;)

T: Well it’s 1-1 now so are you jumping on the next flight over here, or do I have to wait?

Madden: I’ll make it worth the wait, don’t you worry!

T: The fact I know you will is both terrifying and deeply arousing. Shit. Love you. Xx

***

The look of shock and surprise on Taron’s face when he answered his door and found Richard standing in front of him with a bottle of red wine was priceless. The night of the Globes was a total whirlwind for him and he’d completely forgotten that he’d text Richard in the middle of it all.

“My gamble paid off! I was hoping you’d be back by now and also at home tonight so I figured we could have a catch up over a few glasses of this?” Richard held the wine bottle up for Taron to take as he stepped back and invited Richard inside.

“Yeah yeah, of course! What a nice surprise. How are you, man?”

“I’m good, it’s been a while though hasn’t it?” Richard slipped his jacket from his shoulders and hung it over one of Taron’s on the coat rack.

“Way too long. You’re a busy man these days and if you’re not working then you’re clearly in the gym, look at these arms!” Taron couldn’t help but touch Richards bicep, noticing the change to Richard physique as his black t-shirt now fitted snugly across his bulked out chest, shoulders and arms.

“Comes with the marvel contract.” Richard shrugged nonchalantly but the grin that appeared on his face let Taron know he was pleased he’d noticed. “Which I’m sure you’ll be reading over imminently…”

“Yeah?”

“Oh come on, you don’t have to keep it quiet around me. I’ve put in a good word for you, and I’m sure that new shiny Golden Globe will be in your favour.” As Richard turned around to point to Taron’s award, proudly placed in the centre of his shelf, there was no stopping Taron’s eyes from drifting down Richard’s back to his bum.

“We’ll see…”

“You’re quiet tonight, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.” Taron replied too quickly.

“Relax then, open the wine and come and join me.” Richard sat with his arm spread wide across the back of the sofa, watching as Taron pulled the cork from the bottle and poured two large glasses. “Have I made you nervous?” It was genuine concern coming from Richard as he took a glass from Taron’s hand and had a long sip.

“Caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting this tonight.” Taron replied honestly as he sat next to Richard. “My head’s not really settled from the weekend yet. It’s a lot to take in.”

“I know, it’ll take a few weeks. You’ll be fine by the time you have to do an Oscars winning speech.” Richard teased and made Taron laugh.

“That won’t be happening!”

“I hope not! I have no plans to be here on my knees two months running.”

“Shame.” Taron joked back this time with a smirk and suddenly the atmosphere was lifted. “So do I have to continue the small talk or can I put your mouth to better use?”

“I’ve not even finished my wine yet!” Richard blushed and giggled.

“You can finish it after, I’m not going to kick you out.”

“Why the rush then?”

“Because I was turned on as soon as I realised why you were here, and more turned on when I saw how ripped you are… also Emily could be back any minute and-” Taron never got to finish his sentence as Richard rushed in to silence him with a kiss.

“Now is good with me.”

Taron’s hands were frantic with the button and zip of his jeans, lifting his hips so he could bundle the denim down his thighs far enough for Richard to free his semi from his boxers. Smiles were shared in close proximity, eyes looking straight at each other as Richard’s hand wrapped around Taron’s shaft and caused Taron to giggle softly.

“It’s been way too long.” Richard thought aloud.

“Us or in general?”

“Both.” He admitted and Taron responded with a heavy, needy kiss. It had definitely been too long for them but nothing felt weird now they were back in this position. Taron’s hand gripped in the back of Richard’s hair as he continued to kiss him, his erection grew harder under Richard’s touch and then a thought entered his mind that amused him.

“Rich?... I’ve sort of won a Golden Globe for doing this with you.” The pair laughed loudly and Richard shook his head as he slid off the edge of the sofa and settled himself between Taron’s legs.

“I’d call you a dickhead for that comment, but I’m not exactly in the best position for making those kind of insults. I am, however, so pleased that you won it, and so proud. So enjoy.” With that Richard set to work, engulfing Taron quickly and letting his tongue lubricate as much of his shaft as he could. Taron groaned softly as he relaxed his head back to the cushion and took in the sight between his thighs. The change of mouth, tongue and lips working over him was refreshing and exciting. Richard had different ways. He knew what he was doing for sure. The rhythm he moved with was spot on, the way he applied pressure just before the tip and dragged his tongue was sending Taron wild. His moans turned into deep groans and whispered swears started to become audible to Richard. It wasn’t going to take long at all for Taron to spill everything to the back of Richard’s throat. Richard wanted to take Taron to the edge and keep him there; he did for a while, teasing his balls between his fingertips and watching the pre-cum drip from his tip until Taron was almost begging for more.

“Rich. Fuck, Richard.” Taron sighed as his hand slid over his own thigh and into the back of Richard’s hair, pushing his face back towards his needy cock. It was all the asking Richard needed and he bobbed over Taron’s length for another minute before feeling and then hearing the moan of satisfaction that came with Taron’s orgasm. “God, you’re good.” Taron sighed as he kept his eyes closed and felt the sofa shift next to him from Richard’s weight, basking in the calmness that now flooded his body.

“Made up for not being with you on the night?”

“Absolutely.” He moved himself back into his boxers and pulled his jeans back up before sitting forward to collect his wine. “Might have to make you my awards show plus one from now on, just in case.”

“I think Emily might have something to say about that.” Richard laughed just before they both heard the front door open. A look of ‘fuck that was close’ was shared before grins and giggles were hidden with long sips of wine and then desperately replaced with what they hoped to be innocent expressions.

Tag list: @aynsleywalker @tom-hollands-wife @nataschalena2 @captaindirtcowboy 

[darthchic]

Character War: Zoro vs Sanji

Trying to put my own bias aside, and because I’m bored here in quarantine, I was thinking about how I could fairly break down parts of Zoro and Sanji’s characters and compare them. I want to see if I can analytically decide which character is more well realised or well written (just because there’s always that rivalry between both the characters and the fans, you often can’t help but ask yourself these kinds of questions).

EDIT: OH, and SPOILERS if you wish to read this and are not up to date

If the question was “Who’s the more popular character?” though, Zoro wins hands down, no contest.

 So, I broke the two characters down into categories:

–    Design

–    Fighting Style

–    Fights/Achievements

–    Coolness

–    Backstory

–    Gag

–    Development

 Design: Neither Zoro or Sanji have designs that particularly stand out to me, not within their own universe or in anime in general. Seriously, think of some crazy-ass looking characters you've seen in other anime and Zoro and Sanji simply pale in comparison. Heck, they pale in comparison to some of their fellow crewmates (Usopp, Chopper, Franky, Brook etc.) and over time their designs have probably been... how to put this... made more attractive as time goes on? Cause you know, you gotta let the female fans have some eye candy too. And with attractiveness tends to come more “normalness” (not a word but whatever) cause you can't go too crazy with the overall design in case it becomes off-putting. The only thing that really stands out for Zoro and Sanji respectively is hair colour and eyebrows.

–    Still if I had to declare one of them the winner... I'd have to say Sanji, just for his more 'unique' eyebrows. We've seen plenty of anime/manga featuring characters with hair colours that match every colour in the rainbow, so it's commonplace for someone to have green or pink hair and no-one really bats an eye. Peculiar eyebrows however are less common, although not rare (as far as I can tell), but for anime fans, it's something I think people still instantly notice more so than a character's hair colour. So.... point to SANJI! But barely, and it’s not much of a win.

 Sanji 1/0 Zoro

 Fighting Style: Again, neither a sword fighting style or kicking fight style is exactly uncommon, but I am edging towards Sanji's fighting style and I'll try to justify why, even if it is due to my own personal preferences. To me, sword fighting is often the go-to 'bad-ass' method of fighting, cause, come on, SWORDS ARE COOL (can't help but think about the overwhelming popularity of Pokemon Sword vs Pokemon Shield for example). Sword fights/fighters are iconic and that’s the issue at times for me because I feel like I've seen enough sword fights at this point, and not just in anime. So, while they're fun, their overexposure makes me appreciate something different a lot more.

–    To me, Sanji's style has a bit more 'kick' to it (oh yes!) and his reasons for using a kicking style are a bit more unique and interesting as well (being that he’s a cook and can’t damage his hands, the tools to his craft). His style is fun to watch, requires a bit more imagination when designing his moves, but it also has a strange kind of elegance to it which I appreciate. Not that sword fighting can't look elegant (Hello, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’), but I love that people often joke that some shots of Sanji make it look like he could be a dancer which I find amusing, because it’s true. Plus, I admire the fact that he's the only Straw-hat that fights without either a magic power/devil fruit or a literal weapon (though he has now grown accustomed to the raid suit, so…). But, for the majority of the story so far, the dude has just used his legs and that’s it. And is the 3rd (or fourth if you count Jinbei now) most powerful member of the crew, and still impressively strong overall amongst a massive cast of crazy powerful characters. Also, dude can fly. Actually fly. He can fight in the skies, sing “Walking in the Air” and it would not seem completely ridiculous. So, people reading this may not agree, but, point to SANJI!

Sanji 2/0 Zoro

 Fights/Achievements: I feel that most fans prefer Zoro's fights as he tends to take on the second strongest villains of each arc (with Luffy obviously taking on the strongest), which is automatic epicness. I know some fans even argue that Zoro would have no problems taking on the strongest villains in Luffy's place anyway, though I would disagree simply due to the fact that if Luffy were weaker/equal in strength to Zoro then why would he even be captain? The guy who's gonna be the Pirate King can hardly be weaker than one of his own crewmates, it ain't right!

–    Anyway, Zoro's battles tend to be straight-up badass one-on-one feats of strength, while Sanji's can be a mix of badass and sometimes plain goofy (thinking of Sanji vs Mr. 2 here or Sanji vs Wanze). And I do think Oda makes it clear that Zoro is the more powerful of the two, making his wins a lot more impressive, awe-inspiring, and show how physically far he’ll go in order to succeed (man should really have no blood left in his body). For me personally though, I often found many of Zoro’s fights a bit dull, like his fight with Mr. 1 for e.g. (ha, ironic), and when I watch his big battle with Kaku, while I like Kaku as a character, I had a hard time taking the image of Zoro fighting a sword-wielding Giraffe seriously. Sanji fighting a wolf with a moustache often looks goofy as well, but at least wolves come across as a bit more threatening (unless you have been on a scary Safari tour o__O…).

–    Alas, I would give Zoro the point for fights simply because I know how much the fandom appreciates them and the effort he puts in, BUT.... as for achievements... Maybe I'm being sneaky with this, but for me, while Sanji's fights maybe aren't considered as iconic as Zoro's, his actions towards helping the crew solidified Sanji's usefulness to the crew as not only a fighter but a tactician, and without him at a certain point, there wouldn't be any epic Zoro fights to appreciate. Sanji's rescue of the crew in Alabasta was pretty damn awesome, the fact they wouldn't have even reached Alabasta in the first place if Sanji hadn't gotten a hold of the Alabasta eternal log pose is hilarious, his saving of Usopp and Nami in Skypeia, his enabling of the Merry to escape without being blown to smithereens in the Enies Lobby arc, it's all just undeniably awesome. And to me, just as equally iconic and important as Zoro's fights, sooooo... I'm calling it a TIE!

 Sanji 3/1 Zoro

 Coolness: HAHA! Ok, come on, I love Sanji, but Oda's portrayal of him can get a bit ridiculous at times and sometimes rob him of his dignity, whereas with Zoro, Oda really doesn't humiliate him that much. He's usually always cool and epic and never seems to leave a negative impression in the eyes of fans. So, no question about it, point to ZORO!

 Sanji 3/2 Zoro

 Backstory: Ok, maybe it's just me, but I don't think many are gonna argue that Sanji has the better backstory? There's just more of it, it's better fleshed out, it establishes his character relationships and motives far better, it's just... better? Zoro's backstory perhaps is still to be further developed, but as it stands...

–    Zoro = Wants to become the greatest swordsman because of a promise he made to his dead rival/childhood friend. Nice, but doesn’t feel very original or special. Where did he come from before all that? Where/who is Zoro's family? Why did he want to be a swordsman in the first place? Cause it's cool? It just leaves me feeling annoyed because there’s these gaps and things left unanswered within his story and I can't tell if Oda's even going to give us any answers! But with a possibility that Zoro is from Wano, maybe something is eventually going to be explained? Still, I feel like Oda needs to be careful he doesn't make a repetitive tragic backstory, cause I worry that at some point he's going to run out of ideas on how to make each new backstory more uniquely depressing than the last, to the point where it's gonna be a 'been there, done that' kind of deal. Or maybe he’ll actually reveal that Zoro has a DUN-DUN-DUN living mother. I mean, that’s rarely done in this series, so that would be pretty shocking.

–    Sanji = Born as a quadruplet (still so weird to me) to a royal family, kind mother but douche-bag father. Mother dies saving Sanji's humanity because said douche-bag father violated mother and children by tampering with them before birth in order to make his children into sociopathic weapons. Sanji grew up emotionally and physically abused by father and brothers because he had kindness and compassion, and the abuse got so bad that he was even locked in a jail cell with an iron mask on his face because his father was ashamed of his existence. Mother, of course, dies, leaving Sanji with only an older sister to turn to, who could only be nice to him in secret and laugh at him in public. He decided to become a chef during imprisonment due to his mother giving him the only praise he had ever received and he enjoyed making her happy. Finally escapes douche-bag family thanks to decent sister freeing him, but only after promising to never admit he was related to his douche-bag father, further destroying him emotionally. Next, the ship he worked on was destroyed in a tidal wave, killing all his friends at the time, and left him alone on a rock with little food and a pirate who recently kicked the crap out of him. Went months without food only to find out that the pirate he hated had given him all the food, forcing him to cannibalize himself to survive. And all this happened before he was just 10 years old. So, from then on Sanji grew up with a fixed dedication/appreciation for food, but a clearly messed up self-image due to years of abuse and being told he was a failure by his biological father. Not to mention the man who saved his life, while a good man at heart, kinda has a messed up moral compass of his own, and kinda f**ked up Sanji's head in his own way (seriously, Sanji can't bring himself to hit a woman to save his own life cause he can't bear disappointing/disobeying Zeff, the man who actually loved him like a son? Jeez).

–    For real, Sanji's story is a doozy, and Zoro's just doesn't compare (at least not at the moment). Sorry, but clear point goes to SANJI!

 Sanji 4/2 Zoro

 Gag: Possibly debatable again, but I honestly do prefer (and the fandom majority seem to prefer) Zoro's whole getting lost gag to Sanji being a looney tunes pervert (some of the faces Oda draws, I swear!) I don't mind anime perverts so long as they have some substance to their character, but Oda places ‘Pervert Sanji’ in some situations where you're left screaming, “NOW'S NOT THE TIME DAMMIT!” Some moments can be thrown off kilter by the perverseness and/or fanservice to the point where you're just left face-palming. Arguably, the same can be said for Zoro, especially with his wandering off and getting lost in Wano right before Luffy faced off against Kaido (not that Zoro could do much about that anyway if he hadn't gotten lost), but just how easily he gets lost is so ridiculous that it veers right around from being annoying and returns straight back to being hilarious because of how mind-boggling it is. xD So, point to ZZZZZORO!

 Sanji 4/3 Zoro

  Development: Once again, another debatable one. Too debatable! There's no way around it; some may say Sanji's ‘self-rediscovery’ arc in Whole Cake Island made him the better developed character (or didn’t develop him at all) and some will say that Zoro's “Nothing happened” moment is the pinnacle of character development in One Piece, and to me, too much of it comes down to preference and I find it hard to justify why one is potentially better developed than the other. Especially when there could still be further development for them to come. So.... yeah, another TIE!

 Sanji 5/4 Zoro

So, there it is, I killed some great time in quarantine with this(!) Maybe there’s more ‘categories’ I could have added, but with what I came up with, I really did try not to be bias here. I do think it’s important to have a character that can hit ‘all the beats’, deliver in terms of action scenes, comedy and the emotional hard-hitting moments too. I can’t help but appreciate the male characters who are more in touch with their emotions and show vulnerability, which is what I appreciate with Sanji, and why I probably don’t connect with Zoro as much as I’d like to?

Going through all of this however has made me think that I'm actually fairer than I thought I was. No? Yes? Close call anyway.

[bakudekuficlibrary]

(Answer this ask whenever you can.) Are there any good ongoing BkDk fics out there? So far I have been binging on completed ones. Because of the fic "Beyond Sea and Storm" by Celestialgunfireopera, I want to binge read on the ongoing ones. Thank you! 💕💕💕

Heyyy~ I have some good ongoing fics I’d be glad to suggest to you! Yes, most of them are explicit what did you expect. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

~Eve ❣

I added some recommendations at the bottom! And for those who are interested in reading the fic mentioned in the ask, click here! 

-Ellie

15 Works.

Eve:

The Devil Ships ZeKu by xairylle( E | 174,694+ | 29/? )

Midoriya Izuku knew what fanfiction was. He just didn’t think there was something like THIS out there. About him and Kacchan no less.

Hummingbird Heartbeat by Tokiji( E | 91,620+ | 19/? )

“The knife went through his fucking chest, Kirishima.” Katsuki spat his name into his face, mouth twisting into a vicious snarl, teeth and all. “You know that’s where his heart is, right? And his fucking lungs? All the vital shit?”

Kirishima blanched. “I-I know, I just meant—”

“What, you mean to tell me that your stupid fuckin’ ass is so ignorant to forget that he lost a shit ton of blood, hah?! Yeah, it was a flippin’ knife wound, oh hoo-ray, but look at the nerd now! He’s fucking dying because of it!”

Some Read It For The Articles by low_commotion( T | 61,151+ | 11/? )

It all starts because Kirishima lets slip to Kaminari, who whispers it loudly to Sero and is overheard by Ashido, who tells Jirou, who announces it the rest of the girls in the class, that Bakugou has some secret beefy dude mags hidden deep under his bed.

OR Bakugou and Midoriya rebuild their relationship on the backs of shared nerdship and a frankly alarming amount of misintentioned homoerotica.

Bleeding Emerald by AlchemyandHeroAnalysis ( E | 25,188+ | 5/10 )

Katsuki isn’t an idiot. He knows that Izuku and him aren’t exclusive. He’s the one who had made that perfectly fucking clear when Izuku had dropped down to his knees and blew him for the first time all those months ago.

Summary: Katsuki struggles with his growing attachment towards Izuku and his jealousy towards others who get to spend the same sort of “time” with him.

Room 1217 by ImpossibilityGirl( T | 56,533+ | 9/? )

When Izuku found his room again, he could hear music behind the door- loud, with lots of screaming and guitars. His heart sunk a little, but he tried not to pass judgement too quickly. The guy inside was alone right now, after all. He’d probably use headphones once he met his new roommate, right? Izuku took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob, pushing it open as casually as he could to hide his nerves. He thought about the greeting he’d rehearsed in the mirror earlier today.

“Hey! I didn’t see you here earlier! It’s nice to meet you, I’m–” Izuku froze in the doorway, the other man in the room mirroring him. He was holding up a sweater, clearly in the middle of putting it on a hanger when Izuku had barged in. Izuku had been preparing for a lot of possibilities behind the door, but this was not on his list.

Blond, spiky hair, and eyes like fire with a temperament to match. Katsuki Bakugou, undoubtedly.

Hunting The Past by Justaperson1718( M | 141,394+ | 22/? )

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I’ve only ever heard good things about Katsuki’s work and I’m willing to trust him completely for this job,” Izuku explained. Katsuki glared at his appraising gaze. It was one thing to be sized up by an enemy or potential ally, but something else entirely to be sized up by some scrawny kid who could barely hold onto his own gun. “Besides, he looks wholly confident and capable to me.”

Katsuki placed his hands on his knees and bent forward, narrowing his eyes at the other man. Izuku kept on staring at him without a care in the world and if Katsuki’s mother wasn’t in the room staring him down and mentally daring him to say something rude to his new client he’d probably have already yelled at the other by now.

Izuku took the chance to walk over to Katsuki, stopping just in front of him and holding his hand out. He grinned from ear to ear and held his other hand behind his back, waiting for Katsuki to grab his hand in a more peaceful manner this time.

“I think I’m really going to enjoy working with you, Katsuki. I hope we can get along really well.”

To Stand by your Side by aeronines( E | 87,867+ | 14/? )

One student, one hero, and a whole lotta pining

Or, the High School Bakugou/Pro Hero Deku slow burn I need in my life

[Age Gap]

Off Limits by BecauseIAmMildlyAshamed( E | 12,033+ | 4/8 )

When his second rut hit, Katsuki was tempted to start reconsidering Izuku being off limits. It wouldn’t be too weird, right? It’s not like they were hanging out together on their off days. While screaming into a pillow in a fit of frustration instead of rubbing himself raw, it seemed like a great idea.

Once his rut started tapering off, he threw away the idea again.

-

Then the third rut hit, and Katsuki was officially over this bullshit.

Lights. Camera. Hero! by brichibi( E | 23,248+ | 6/? )

If there’s one thing Izuku Midoriya’s good at, it’s dreaming big, and dreaming hard. That’s why he’s in Hollywood, of all places, his hometown an entire ocean away along with his graduating high school class and single mother. But he’s gonna be an actor, an international sensation, a superstar like no other.

He just.

Has to convince the rest of the world.

Which is, admittedly, a difficult task.

[AU where “My Hero Academia” is an upcoming television series, everyone’s an actor/actress, and romance happens behind the scenes]

Izuku’s Home for Wayward Pets by glamour_weeb( E | 44,400+ | 10/? )

Izuku works at the Bureau of Companion Protection as a rehabilitator for abused and abandoned Companions, animal-human hybrids. He’s seen his fair share of cruelty cases and even fostered a few Companions, but he’s never had a Companion of his own, until now. After rescuing Katsuki from a life in an illegal, underground Companion fighting ring, Izuku must take in the wolfdog that no one else can handle.

Eventually, Katsuki comes to love his new home, as well as his new Master.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence | PTSD | Past Abuse]

{ Curator Ellie’s Note: Y’all might recognize this one as the winner of October’s Fic of the month! I highly recommend it as well c: }

Horny, Stupid, and In Love by kacchansass( E | 23,032+ | 5/6 )

Kacchan wants to prove that he’s better than Deku at everything—including sex. Deku, like the fool he is, agrees to create a competition that involves performing certain sex acts on their classmates who then tells them who did better. What seems like a quick fix for his Kacchan addiction quickly becomes a one-way ticket to sexual frustration hell.

Friction by warschach( M | 20,057+ | 3/5 )

Izuku’s getting married today.

To an alpha he hasn’t met and doesn’t know beyond his name and the kind of strain he was born with; lion if anyone was curious. And it wouldn’t be that bad of a situation but Izuku’s an alpha too with a tiger strain, and you know the spiel about alpha-alpha unions more fighting than loving in those bedsheets.

So there’s a high probability this whole sham marriage might go up in flames if they’re not careful; and when was the last you heard about alphas being careful, huh?

(or Izuku makes the right dumb decision to marry the right alpha under the wrong conditions)

Ellie:

Chalk and Stale Coffee by Synnie ( M | 45573 | 15/15 )

Raising a little girl wasn’t easy, but pro hero Katsuki Bakugo felt he owed it to her after an accident in the field left her parents dead and him shouldering the blame.

But now she was starting school and her teacher was a lot cuter than Katsuki had been expecting.

{ Curator Ellie’s Note: There’s a lot of pining, Katsuki’s a good dad to Eri, and Izuku would be a great dad to Eri, too. }

my ex-man brought his new boyfriend by setitoff ( M | 39,717+ | 7/? )

izuku’s desperate to get a date after being persuaded (forced, more like) to go for a family reunion back in his hometown, in which he will most definitely see his ex, todoroki shouto, with a date of his own.

in a last attempt to find someone, izuku asks for help and ends up getting bakugou katsuki.

{ Curator Ellie’s Note: I love the fake dating trope! And what makes this fic really interesting is how Katsuki’s still at a stage where he’s not as temperamental as he was in the beginning of the series, but he still is temperamental. They fight and then they have to work through things like they should. }

Rehabilitation by InkspillsNotebook ( E | 46,807+ | 9/? )

It had only been one day off, not even the entire day if he was being honest, so how had things gone so wrong? This wasn’t supposed to happen. They would get through this, he had to get better. It would take time, but Izuku wouldn’t fail him, not again.

A near death encounter changes the every day life of Izuku and Katsuki as injuries need to be mended and time may not be on their side.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence | Suicidal Thoughts]

{ Curator Ellie’s Note: This fic hasn’t been updated in a couple months, but I think it’s still ongoing. I high recommend it for anyone who loves angst with hope. }

[killjoy-loveit]

Reality is Twofold- Pt. 3

A/N: I would like to clarify that everything written in this story is complete fiction and isn’t to be taken as a true portrayal of reality. Honestly… I love this request! It really pulled me in and was like ‘this is how you’re going to write it!’ This is the third part, you can find the link to the first two parts (as well as my masterlist links) in the notes. There will be a part 4 because I thought it might be better to split it! I hope you enjoy it!!

Request: Yes, hello. I’m coming on anon for this request merely because I’m too shy, but I’d like to request a one shot or scenario - whichever you prefer, please :’) Female reader, any POV that you prefer, with Winner’s Mino, and for the trope - angst/smut, annnnnnnnd a mafia au if you’re okay with that, please and thank you. I’m so sorry if this is a lot; I don’t ever request fics, but I love your writing too much uwu

Word Count: 2,184

Genre: Angst, Mafia AU

*****WARNINGS: Violence, Depression, Blood, Mentions of Death*****

     Everything is dark. The lights have been turned off since this morning, yet I don’t have it in me to get up and turn them on. Maybe I can hide here in this darkness. Contemplate life and exactly what it is I’m doing. How long can I keep wallowing? Or pretending like I’m okay when I’m not? His words play like a record in my head, always repeating. Followed by flickering images of him walking out the door. Haunted by what could have been, if only I had pushed my fears away. Fear and cowardice. The two things that have robbed me of something ripe with the potential to bring me happiness. 

     Turning to my side and pulling the comforter up to my chin, the calico plush toy comes into my field of vision. Sat in the corner of the room by my closet. Those dark plastic eyes boring into me, carrying such heavy judgement for an inanimate object. But what does it know? It doesn’t have any feelings, no memories, no pain. If it did it might not be staring at me so harshly. Although Eun-Ji gave it to me and she had all of those things. Along with a pure spirit, one that could only be properly defined as effulgent. The world Eun-Ji belonged to didn’t fit her in the slightest, and at the end of it all this discrepancy is how she lost her life. 

     I know what she’d say to me, “It never hurts to try!” Her eyes would crinkle at the corners, almost disappearing as she smiled before continuing. “You deserve to be happy!” But things were never as simple as Eun-Ji made them out to be. Pulling myself free of the comforter and bringing myself to my feet, I tread over to the corner where the plush toy sat. Slipping down the wall beside it, I join the toy on the floor. If the toy were alive, would the hardwood floors be just as cold to it? Head falling lightly to the side, I pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms lightly around them. 

     Only the moon lights up the room, placing a spotlight on this corner. It only acts to point out the flaws that marr the toy now- the blood stains it got months ago. I’ve tried, over and over again, to remove the blood that splattered on it. Nothing worked, over twenty methods utilized and still the blood remained. Now it feels symbolic, almost like the toy represents me and no matter how hard I try, I can never escape my reality. I wish the blood would just wash away.

     My arms release my legs letting them fall to the floor. Picking up the toy, I bring it up to my chest, hugging it tightly. Tears fill my eyes, turning the world into a blurry mess. Everything is always a mess, so contorted and twisted beyond imagination. This mess, so bloody and consuming, fuels a fire feeding the madness of danger paired with euphoria. A danger that rips loved ones from our grasps because this is the life we chose, or rather born into in my case. Fury burns through my veins as images of those that were lost linger in my mind. The plush toy in my hand feels like poison, seeping into my skin. As my arm shot out, launching the stuffed cat away from me, a pained scream forced itself past the lump in my throat. 

     “I don’t feel good about this.” I murmur to Juwon, eyes scanning the parking garage we were standing in. There was something in the air, the atmosphere felt wrong, tinged with a feeling of danger lurking. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that there should have been more cars in this parking structure. Or maybe it was the brisk chill in the air that had me tugging my sleeves down to cover my hands. 

     “It’ll be over soon sis. We just gotta wait ‘til my guy shows, he said he had some top tier intel on this new gang that’s encroaching on our turf.” Juwon says quickly, shifting from foot to foot. 

     Despite his words, he seemed just as jumpy as I did. He might not admit it because he likes to put on a brave face, but he must be noticing the ominous feeling lingering in the air. Minutes ticked by excruciatingly slowly, my footsteps fell softly on the concrete as I paced anxiously. 

     My voice is harsh when I turn to question Juwon. “Why did you even bring me? You know I’m technically just a numbers person.” 

     His eyes lowered to the concrete floor. “You’re a better shot than me and I couldn’t bring one of the guys. They tend to act first and think later, you think on your feet and you have faster reflexes.”

     “Great, there’s a potential for things to go wrong!” I groan, throwing my hands up in frustration and walking away from him. After taking a deep breath I turn back to him, my voice lowering significantly. “If getting this info is that dangerous then maybe this should be a gig for more than the two of us.”

     “The guy we’re meeting said that he wouldn’t give out the info if there were more than two people here.” Juwon muttered and turned his head away from me. A second later he crossed his arms and let out a small breath.

     “And that didn’t seem fishy to you?” I question, panicked. Juwon shook his head slowly. “We need to get out of here, this is a trap.” I say quickly. 

     The ice-cold fear wrapped itself around my being as I rushed to the car. This is no info drop, it’s an old play I’ve heard too many times. From what I’ve heard in the past getting a small group together, two to five, from the opposing side and take them out by luring them with intel. It’s a relatively easy trap, as long as your targets don’t already know this tactic. Though it looks like someone forgot to inform my idiot brother of this.

     Yanking the car door open I turned to look at him, only to see him standing frozen in place with wide eyes. “What are you doing? Get in the fucking car, now!” I yell at him.

     An engine revving broke the frenzy jumbling my mind. It was too late, they’re here. “Get behind the car and don’t move. I’ll handle this.” 

     Juwon shook his head. “No, let me help. This is my fault.”

     “You brought me here because I’m a good shot and you aren’t, so hide right now or I swear to all that is holy that once we get out of this I will beat the living shit out of you.” I seethe, my jaw setting in the way that shows determination. 

     Juwon slipped behind the back of the car, ducking down to stay hidden. Not even a second after he hid, a black SUV with tinted windows pulled up to our level. Cautiously I grazed the top of my gun with the side of my hand. I couldn’t act prematurely or they’d know that their plan had failed. Seconds ticked by slowly as I waited for them to get out of the car. Four guys stepped out of the car at almost the same time and I felt my heart freeze in my chest. No matter how good a shot I am, taking out four guys before they could take me down would be a stretch.

     A man with dark shades on, hair slicked back, and a small silver chain dangling from his neck stepped forward. By the air he gave off it seemed he was in charge. A mischievous smile formed on his face as he lowered his shades. 

     “You’re not the guy I spoke with on the phone, babe.” 

     Bile rose in my throat. “I was sent in his place. Did you need him here specifically?”

     The man shook his head, leading the other guys forward until they were five feet from me. “Nah. But since he ain’t here, plans might have to change a ‘lil bit. Whatchu think about that boys?” He chuckled, gesturing to me while tilting his head slightly at his men.

     In this second they simultaneously stepped forward, lecherous grins on their faces. What he meant circled in my head and I knew in that moment that I needed to kill them. Instantly I grabbed my gun from its holster, aiming it at the leaders head. The men halted in their places, looking to their boss for orders.

     “Back off now. This doesn’t have to end badly, just walk away now.” I state. However confident I dared to appear, my nerves showed by the way my voice shook. 

     “You’re outnumbered babe, I don’t think threatening us will work. Besides, it’d be so much easier if you just came with us willingly. We’ll be good to you, promise.”

     A beat later I aimed my gun at the head of one of his lackeys, and before the shot echoed in parking deck my aim was back on the boss. The sound of the body hitting the ground was almost covered by the sound of the shot ricocheting around the parking deck. 

     “Leave now.” I held the boss’ gaze. Meaning I saw the shift in his eyes, from a dark playfulness to rage.

     “Little bitch, I was giving you the chance to go quietly. Not anymore.” He snarled, throwing his body forward.

     Luckily my reflexes were in good condition and I jerked out of the way just in time. Shots rang out, echoing around us. A bullet grazed the side of my ear before embedding itself in the concrete column just by the car. Pulling my gun back up I aim at one of the men closest to me and pull the trigger. Once he hits the ground I change my aim to the last remaining lackey and shoot. Now it’s just me and the leader. I scan the parking deck frantically, he’s ot of sight but he’s still here because his car is right where it was parked. 

     “Looking for me?” 

     I hear his voice seconds before I’m yanked back by my hair and the gun was wrenched from my hands. His face is contorted with rage as he glares down at me. The gleam in his eyes shines in the most dangerous way, there’s no doubt in my mind that this man has tortured people before and enjoyed it. This man would do the same to me.

     “Let me go.”

     He laughs sadistically. “Not happening, you just killed three of my guys. You’re coming with me.”

     The man drags me by my hair for a few feet, but I don’t make it easy on him. Fingers acting like claws as I swipe at him and try to regain my footing in order to fight properly. At this point the fact that Juwon was here had completely slipped my mind, that is until he moved. I watched in terror as he stood, moving out from behind the car with his gun raised. It happened in slow motion, like one of the movies. One minute he was standing there, his mouth set in a thin line showing his determination, gun aimed at the guy dragging me. I scream at Juwon to get back down but he doesn’t listen, instead taking a step forward. He pulls the trigger but he was too late. The leader holding me shot first and I could do was watch as Juwon collapsed, his shirt quickly turning a dark shade of red.

     Something in me snapped upon seeing this, adrenaline surged through my body. Jerking myself free from the grasp on my hair, I spin on my feet and deck the man. I deal a swift kick to one of his knees and pull my gun from his grasp. After the gun is in my hands I don’t waste a second before shooting. Fear, pure and heavy, rushed my movements as I hurried over to where Juwon laid on the ground.

     Uncontrollable sobs wracked me when I dropped to the ground beside him. “What were you thinking?” I place my hands on his stomach, pressing down in a futile attempt to slow the blood flow. “Come on, don’t you dare think about dying on me.”

     Juwon’s blinked slowly at me, eyes unfocused and hazy. “I-I’m sorry,” He drew in a deep shaky breath. “I messed up… My fault.”

     “No, no, you have nothing to apologize for. You weren’t ready to work on your own, they messed up.” Tears trickle down my cheeks.

     “You’re… A good sister.” His eyes fluttered shut and he whispered one last thing, “I love you.”

     “I love you too.” I whisper.

     I can’t watch people die anymore. Not people I love, not my family, not strangers. This isn’t something I can do any longer. Maintaining my sanity in this small sphere of the world isn’t possible. I have to get out. No matter what.

[eorzeasntm]

ENTM Tumblr Cycle 11

Round 3 Results

Hi everyone!  Last week I challenged our models to go out into a dungeon and find a Boss Monster, inspired by one of my favorite card games.  While all of the models fought their monsters valiently (or ran away screaming as is the case with our winner), the best shot this week belonged to 

Ni’ko Shae

The votes were actually quite close this week but the community tipped it in Ni’ko’s favor.  The judges loved the unusual choice of the filter as well as the unconventional pose, since for once “visibly engaged with the monster” was not a battle requirement.  

Our guest judge this week was Misia, the new host of ENTM Instagram Cycle 2.  If you are interested in auditioning for IG cycle, please hit up our Discord channel and join in the fun!  IG Cycle 2 auditions will end on March 24th. 

For all the models, we have judges feedback below the fold.  

Judge Terrini

Adam: I quite like the framing and elements of this shot. The effects aren't obscuring anything important and the boss' pose definitely looks like it's responding to your blow, so it works well. Your glamor however doesn't pop all that much and while all the elements work well together, I'm not getting a lot of excitement from the shot. A closer zoom would have given more drama here I think. 

Bria: WATCH OUT! Haha I love how it looks like you avoided the dragon's breath weapon by jumping on it's nose and the filter giving the pink tinge is actually really cool! You've framed the boss really well and being in full dragoon armor says explicitly that this is your job and it's all in a days work. I have no complaints but only a few nitpicks. While I love the more classic dragoon coloring and you do stand out in some ways, it might be nice to use spotlights to give you a bit more outline. 

Haila: The effects of this shot are fantastic! They make this fight look very epic and I love your style and flare for this satisfying image. I do think that the portrait view gives a nice frame of the effects but it does feel a bit cramped horizontally and too tall with empty space at the top of the picture. I know how these things can be hard to capture just right though and how hard it is to get the enemy posed just right with the right animation fram and the right angle. Still great work! 

Kota: I love this shot... you have this perfect framing with blocking that darn jester from stepping on you and him being just ever so slightly out of focus but still up close and personal is a really nice effect. The only thing that might be nicer is if your outfit popped a bit mor, particularly the bust area seems a bit lacking in shades of brown and it would be nice to see the light coloring and white continuing there to contrast with your opponent. 

Luma: I am a bit underwhelmed by this shot. It's a lovely framing of the boss, but your hair is blending into the background and your framing is weak. You are not in a strong action pose so I'm not getting much of a sense of interaction between the two of you besides that you're a bit wary of this great big ape... and for a scenic shot, being perfectly centered is not getting the most out of the background (I would recommend shifting the camera to the left to monopolize a bit more of that nice sunset peaking behind that cabin and cut out the boss gate barrier). 

Ni'ko: Oh wow, I'm quite impressed by this composition and I can draw a lot of emotion from your posing and effects, it's like you're fighting off the demons in your head. I actually really love this shot a lot. My main nitpick is the filter makes the actual boss monster particularly undefined and it's a big risk in a round meant to highlight him, but I think you managed to pull it off with artistic integrity in having it tell a story. 

Peaceful: Your skill is really nicely framed and I love the effect of the bright light arcs from the arrows streaking towards the boss. Your pose is dynamic and expressive which is really satisfying as well. The weakest part of the shot, in my opinion is that you've managed to mostly obscure the boss monster in effects, so in a round called "Boss Monster" this is risky as we are expecting to see both of you as features to the shot. It's not an automatic bad thing, sometimes the risk pays off, but since this is a smaller boss at a distance from you and obscured by effects, the result leaves me wanting. 

Yojimbo: I'm not completely sure what you are trying to accomplish with this shot. The limb darkening and ability both blur and obscure most of the interesting features of the background so it's not much of a scenic, and what we can see clearly is rather uninspiring and empty. The action of the shot is also pretty tame and even as a glamour shot you're also rather out of focus. Being up close does make you really stand out overall and I actually quite love your glamour, the red in the clothes matching the stripe on your face is an awesome combo and I think the pose is great. 

Yomu: This is a very strong shot, like an exchange of blows and waiting to see who came out on top. I like the theme of being a dark knight versus the angelic statue, and the high contrasts of the angel's darkened bone white, reds of abilities, blacks on you and with the blues and greens in the the background is an interesting effect. I know quite well the trouble of framing, but I would have like to perhaps have been a bit more up close on you, looking up from a little below and getting more of a sense of the angel looming above you.

Judge Wulf (Kusuh)

ADAM I have some serious stressful memories from this dungeon, so it’s pretty satisfying to see Siren being taken down a few pegs, honestly. My favorite part of this is the red line created by the DRK skill, it creates a nice line to follow, crossing through Siren and passing the tip of your sword. The way you’ve captured siren leaning back also adds an amazing sense of action to the shot as well! My note for you this week has to do with zoom and framing. It’s small, but I think this shot would do well to be just a bit more zoomed in. There is quite a bit of empty space behind you and behind Siren, and I feel like that is what makes everything seem smaller, and therefore less impactful. I feel like just raising up the camera a tad and zooming in juuuust a little bit would alleviate this problem! With all that said though, I am very much loving this shot, keep it up!

HAILA This is 100% my favorite Machinist skill! I’ve always wanted to get a a good shot with it, and I’m glad you were able to make the opportunity! Going vertical for this shot was really a stand-out unique choice for this shot, and it’s not an unwelcome one. The way the lights are flashing out from the monster really creates a sense of impact  and the roaring makes it seem like the hit hurt! A note for this picture, and it’s a small one: The way you’re angled plus the direction you’re looking really hides your face and from what I can tell, you’re eyes are open and staring downward. I feel like the image could be made a but stronger with you looking directly at the boss’s face/neck area. Keep in mind, though, that’s just a small suggestion, this is a wonderful shot overall!

YOMU Please allow me to get a little bit silliness out the way really quick, The frown on the boss is an absolute MOOD and I would use it for reaction images forever. With that out of the way, I’m gonna come right out and say that this is easily one of my favorite shots this week! One of my favorite things is to follow the lines that effects create in battle shots, and you’ve made excellent use of the DRK effects to make my eye follow across you and right through the boss. The way that line cuts through the center of the picture is an excellent use of framing as well! It gives a very nice “split screen” effect that  divides you and the boss, therefore creating conflict. If I had to give a note for this week (and I always try to!), I’d say that if you moved the camera up just a smidgen, then the boss’s head wouldn’t be caught off just at the tip. That’s it though! Amazing job on this shot.

KOTA The first thing that sticks out to me about this shot is how I can feel the impact of the foot crashing down onto the shield, and the very nice sense of action this creates. There’s a lot of discussion in the ENTM community when it comes to the use of a dutch angle, but I think it works for this type of shot. Also, I enjoy how your outfit fits together with your weapon choice as well as with how it contrasts with the boss’s dark coloration! Here’s my note for you this week: I feel like some of the impact is lost with the boss being blurry due to the DoF effect. Try messing around with the DoF settings, or try a similar shot with it off all together, I think having the boss in full focus would have a greater impact. I can’t wait to see what you have next week, and every shot has shown excellent improvement!

Judge Ona

Adam: While I am personally partial to Siren, I am a little disappointed that this image doesn’t let me see her face and that magnificent hair of hers. The image is not as strong as others you have submitted in this cycle to date. Your face is hidden in the shadows and obscured by your hair. The main light source is directed onto Siren’s chest and not the action below. You are not looking at the enemy, however it could be the follow through to the massive sword swipe. The colors in the image are also very similar and tend to blend across elements.

I do love the angle of the image. The Dutch angle you used here is a great way to draw the eye upward to the enemy. I love the background as well. It is a beautiful space and backdrop for this fight scene. The colors, although tending to cause elements to blend together, are fitting to this scene. I also love the elements from the bottoms of the pillars casting a hint of light upward.

Don’t forget about you light source next week Adam, and take notice to let the viewer see your face, and more of Garuda’s as well.

Luma: While you have definitely added a light source to this image, I think you over-implemented it. You can definitely see the ape’s face and your glamour, this strong of a direct light source now casts a shadow too hard on the rest of the image. Ape-man’s arm has now become the mountainside.

I think this is an interesting location for this image, the background of tropical huts adds a jungle flair, and the banana tree is perfect for a battle with a giant ape. The use of the pencil filter creates a unique texture to the buildings. The unfortunate thing with pencil, is that when it is applied to overly pixelized graphics it can create a more noticeable distortion to them. I also want to point out that the sky in this image is gorgeous. Those colors are beautiful!

I love how you are engaged in this battle with the ape, but I can’t see your face. Change the angle of the camera and essentially reverse the image so that your face shows and the viewer can see your expression. I can see the boss’ expression, but not yours, and no offense, I am sure your Cat-boi face is prettier than that hair ape. I am looking forward to seeing your image next week!

Peaceful: I love your expression! You find pure joy in destroying that monster and landing the final blow! It is without question that no one wants to find themselves on the other side of your bow! I love the juxtaposition of you to the monster, causing you to be the largest thing in the image, without overtaking all the elements. The battle effect is interesting in this filter.

I struggled to see which boss or enemy this is on first look, needing to really zoom in the see the Gobby feet and armor. I also wish you could have somehow angled him, or had placement of him that obscured the purple battle zone line. It is interesting that it remained so bright of a purple with the rest of the elements of the image all becoming a sepia type tone. Try to capture enemies with less of a battle effect so that they are more identifiable in future rounds.

Your glamour is a perfect fit for fighting an armor encased enemy. Steam punk outfit and bow work well in this arena too, I just wish I could see your entire foot at the bottom tip of the bow. The lighting along the walls fills the room and leaves little dead space for the eye to find. I look forward to seeing what future images you bring to the table!

Yojimbo: Red ninja mask, rhinoceros enemy, green oozy glow… Please tell me this was a TMNT cosplay! If not, it is definitely something you can just pretend you tried to do!

I love the red in your glamour! The mask and the red on your arms is enough to make you stand out without distracting from the entire image. With the green glow throughout the image, the red draws the eye to your character and makes you the focus of the image. The slight blur to the image slightly causes the image to lose some clarity, but I would assume that the intent was that this would be like looking through the smoky haze. It is initially difficult to discern the enemy upon first glance, however, because of that same blur. I do like the intent here, however, and applaud you for your creativity in using this effect.

I like how the background is non-descript allowing for the focus to be on the battle, and it may have done some benefit to the image if you were slightly closer to the rhino. Another suggestion may have been to throw a small light source to the right of the rhino, putting some definition on it, without taking away from the overall feel of the image. I look forward to next week’s submission!

 Kota: This shot feels very neon. Very vivid, while still being void of being bright. The color palette reads heavy and aggressive, but is still attractive to the eye. I love the edges and how they seem to glow throughout the image.

I would have liked to see a different hairstyle on you so that your face was not obscured by it. The angle of your body position in the image seems a bit out of proportion as well. From this angle your foot looks to be the same size as the boss. Obviously this is not the case, however, it is something you should keep in mind when having such extreme angles.

I absolutely love how the boss is slightly blurred, and you are the main focus of the image. You utilized the rule of three here perfectly, and balanced the image out well to include minimal dead space in the background. Your glamour definitely suits your tank in this image as well! Don’t forget to add a small light source to your face in your images as well. Even with the hair across your face, a small light may  have helped to highlight and provide definition to your expression. I really enjoyed this image from you!

Judge Nadede

Bria:  I do have to say that this week’s image from you is your strongest one so far. With that said, it was not easy trying to spot you in this shot because you blend in with the surrounding colors. It might have helped you if you had zoomed in on yourself a bit more so than having the dragon in its entirety being seen. YOU should be the main focal point, not the dragon. Other things that might have helped would be getting lights on you a bit more and maybe wearing something that had colors that are complementary to what is around you. In your case, something along the lines of yellows and oranges (complimentary colors are opposite of each other on the color wheel). I also feel that you should be facing the dragon instead of away, especially with the spear end of your lance is pointing downward as if meaning to attack. I will say that this boss does present a challenge when working with lighting and finding ways to stand out. I say that as I used him during a theme we had last cycle. Keep on improving and can’t wait to see what you come up with for the next round.

Haila:  Not too bad of a shot this week. It is somewhat growing on me after seeing it zoomed out to see the whole image at once instead of scrolling up and down (that is on the site hosting the images, not you). With that, it still feels like there is still a bit of space above and below you and the Zu. I wonder if either having the shot horizontal or even zoomed in more would have given your shot even more tension than what is already there. You also blend in a little bit with the background of your image. Some back lighting and lighting on your face would have helped that as well as maybe wearing something that has colors complimentary to the background (like the orange seen through the ceiling windows). Keep up the good work and can’t wait to see what you bring to the next round

Ni’ko:  First off, thank you for the laugh. It was really needed *hugs* It is one of those “What do I do, what do I do??!” moments when seeing all those mobs coming right after you. The diagonals radiating from the main boss helps move the viewers eyes from the center of the shot outwards and back again. All the angles that are being used within your image (including the direction the eyes and faces of everyone is facing) gives the scene a much sense of action being taken place. The only thing that I’m finding distracting is the color filter you used within the image. I appreciate the old comic book feel your image has (dunno if that is what you were going for) but I wonder how the image would have turned out using a different filter. Overall good job this week, and again, thank you for the laugh.

Yojimbo: Yojimbo, sadly this is my least favorite of the images you have taken so far. Your mount one from last week is my favorite so far. One thing that I have noticed amongst all of your images thus far is needing to work on your lighting. You have some interesting ideas in your shots that would be further enhanced. Play around with the light settings from up close to far away along with playing with the light intensities and color sliders. I would even urge you to ask for advice from Katarh or other former models/judges with your images as a second set of eyes never hurts. I know you can do an awesome job and waiting to see what you will bring to the table next week. 

Judge Misia

Peaceful Ursa: I just love the sepia tone you picked for this shot, especially with all the lights you have that frame the picture. It’s easy to pick you out and know what is going on. Your Roe is the star and you are kicking major booty from afar! Only thing I would say is careful with the coloring. My eyes were drawn to the purple behind the enemy. Make sure if you have a color tone to keep it throughout the picture. Also the boss is very hard to make out so either you dismembered him or he just never existed. Otherwise, beautiful job!

Luma Lee:  Your picture is a beautiful shot, and the colors pop out very well. I feel there were a lot of miss opportunities here though. My only thing with this picture though is there doesn’t seem to have very much going on within the picture. The gorilla seems to be the star and you are the co-star to the role without much of a face. This also might be a personal preference, but the purple dungeon blockage also takes away from the beautiful colors you have in the picture.

Yomu Kazul: I am so in love with this shot, it brings me back to the trailers for Shadowbringers! What I love about this shot is that I feel I am watching a battle scene, going toe to toe with an enemy twice your size (And you are already a huge character!) The effects don’t drown you out and the colors pop in so many ways, I want more and more from it .If I have to nitpick something, maybe nudge the camera up a bit to get rid of dead space and see more of the boss but that is me trying to find something. Keep it up! You did an amazing job!

Bria Rirsa: An epic battle against a dragon! How can you pull that off? You surely did! What I love is that you created a scene that shows us exactly what is going on. It even looks like you landed on his head, ready to give the next strike! Watch out dragon! One thing I would work on would be to be careful with colors. You almost blend in with all the purple and light blues. If you are a small part of a picture, make sure you are standing out more so you don’t get lost in all the action. Great job though!

Adam Evershot: A battle with the harpy herself and it looks like you got the upper hand here! I do like how you were going with this shot, especially when it looks like your knocking the snot of of her with your sword. I was a bit disappointed though that I couldn’t see you face very well and your glamour choice didn’t seem to fit the theme very well with what you were going with. You almost blend into the background and the villian seems to really steal more the spotlight. Try something more of a glam that contrasts from the brown so that you shine brighter as the star! Good job though!

Haila Wetyios: Interesting approach on this theme, I love how you are in the battle with the boss and obviously giving it more then it can handle. I feel there was many miss opportunities here. Though you picked portrait for your picture, I feel it cut off a lot of the action and created more dead space in your picture. I love the action and effects but they drown out the boss and your character in general. If you are creating a fight scene, bring more of that action by maybe zooming out from the fight, or showing more of the boss in the picture. In the end, you are the star, so don’t blind yourself out from the fight. Good job otherwise though!

Ni’ko Shae: Great job this week! This picture reminds me of my first time in dungeons when I had no idea what to expect! The face expressions were priceless and the monsters were so easy to make out. I will say that the filter threw me off though with how blended the colors were but they make sense in a almost comical scene you have here. Only thing Ill point out is the line you have going straight through your character. I believe that is one of the filters but it didn’t fit well with the theme you did. Beautiful job though!

Kota Tumet: Man! I would have you protect me any day for you are just a shining warrior in battle with a foe that might just kill us all. I love how you created something that shows what is exactly going on. The boss has thrown a mighty blow and you have blocked it with ease. Your face shows how in the moment you are and I feel I’m right there with you. One thing I will point out that I feel would have made this picture so much better is that you blurred half the boss. If you are in battle, make sure to fully commit to what you are fighting, you are the star, but make sure your co star isn't almost blended into the background. Otherwise, you did wonderful!

Yojimbo Kasai: This boss better watch out cause there is a ninja in town! I will be honest though, this picture was very hard to look at. The edges blurred out so much that not only were you captured in that blur but the boss as well. The dark edges were also not needed because it adds so much darkness to a already dark picture. I would next time take advantage of the environment and let the fog create the ambiance for you, no need to add to an already beautiful backdrop to an epic picture. You want to stand out and not blend in with your effects for they have stolen the show. You have so much potential, keep it up!!

[spring-emerald]

So, a few weeks ago, I found myself in a ditch, suffering from a case of demotivated writing slump. To help cure that, I went through the whole KuroDai tag on AO3 and was able to finally make a list of the fandom favorite fics. Meaning most fans have probably read it, but hey, it’s always good to re-read them :D Some are my personal picks as well, which means that I really enjoyed them because they are very well written, and the characterization is well done. 

There are still a few hidden gems, ones that i really, really personally like, but I  might do that on a separate list. Anyway, now onto the list~

Note: * means the fic is still in progress; Ratings enclosed in parenthesis.

like a properly calculated algorithm by astroturfwars (G)

Summary: 

Kuroo’s got a hand in his hair, pushing it out of his face so he can read properly, and one of the first non-calculus thoughts Daichi has all night is: well, that’s a nice change of scenery.

The second non-calculus thought Daichi has is: shit.

the faster we’re falling by raewrites (T)

Summary:

Sawamura Daichi is really hot.

But also so much more.

And it’s a huge fucking problem.

ride by astroturfwars (T)

Summary:

In which there are cars, kissing, and cute dogs.

accidentally on purpose by keptein (G)

Summary:

“Calm down,” Tetsurou said. “It’s not like she’ll fail you.”

“That’s true, “ Sawamura said, exhaling again. “If she does, I’ll complain. Thanks, though.” He lifted his hand for a one-armed hug.

“No problem,” Tetsurou said, and when they separated, he kissed Sawamura chastely on the lips.

Shit, he thought. His face was very warm.

driven by a beating heart by velvetcrowbars (T)

Summary: 

It was definitely not in Daichi's future plans to fall in love with Kuroo Tetsurou.

Shit happens.

catch and release by evils (E)

Summary: 

"Sawamura-kun, don't tell me you're actually a virgin?"

Daichi flushes a deep red and Kuroo's grin turns positively wicked.

winner takes all by dinosar (T)

Summary:

Daichi prides himself on always helping a person in need, which is why he can't really say no when the guy he's been crushing on for almost two years asks if he can crash on his floor for the night.

__

From how he's acting, it might seem like he hates Kuroo, but it's the complete opposite, really—he actually really likes Kuroo. A lot. In a friend way, yes, but also in a "I really just wanna grab you and kiss you for like five hours straight and maybe touch your butt a little" way. Nothing hateful about that, he's just being dramatic. Probably. But it's normal to be at least a little nervous around your crush, right?

we move like the ocean by thanatopis (E)

Summary:

Transferring to the University of Tokyo had been in Daichi Sawamura's plans, meeting Kuroo Tetsurou had not.

His bottom lip was caught between a perfect pair of straight, white teeth, trying to hide his impish grin and for some strange reason, the man reminded Daichi of a feline. Or more accurately, one of those street-smart, back alley cats that you always heard hissing loudly at night, picking fights with whatever wandered into their territory.

It was a bit like that, Daichi thought.

Wilder Mind by akhikosanada (T)

Summary: 

“’Careful, Sawamura. Kuroo's rubbing off on you.’ Daichi thinks back of sharp golden eyes and cunning smirks, of deft lean fingers holding a camera and warmth seeping out of skin at night, of wild hair and wilder mind. ‘I kinda hope he does, actually.’”

A story of love, loss, and finding home.

And flowers bloom in his wake by kythen (G)

Summary:

Magical gifts AU. The first thing Kuroo notices about Sawamura Daichi is that wherever he goes, there are flowers.

If I Could Change Your Mind by tookmade (G)

Summary:

“I’m kind of excited to meet him,” Bokuto says, roughly an hour before Karasuno are scheduled to arrive. “He sounds interesting.”

Kuroo raises an eyebrow at him. “I just told you that there’s not a lot about him that stands out—how is that interesting?”

“You’ve told me a lot about how he apparently doesn’t stand out,” Bokuto replies easily. “You don’t usually talk about someone so much."

(Or, Sawamura Daichi shows up like a breath of fresh air, and Kuroo Tetsurou doesn't stand a chance.)

Haikyuu!! - Hogwarts Drabbles by Ereana (T) *

Summary:

A drabble collection of various Haikyuu pairings set in Hogwarts. Will giving these idiots access to magic help their relationship issues? Probably not.

Kiss, Live With, Push off a Cliff; by tmntransformer (T) *

Summary:

“I’d live with him.” He says slowly, watching surprise flitter across Bokuto’s face before the glee takes over as he continues. “Then I’d kiss him.” He imagines the expression Sawamura would make if he ever did try to kiss him. Equal parts confused and disgusted he thinks, something sinking low inside his stomach at the thought of it. “I’d have to throw myself off the cliff.” He realises. “It would be the only way.”

Seen a Million Faces (but I’ve been waiting for you) by Hyeyu (M)

Summary:

In all his time as a dance instructor, Kuroo has had his fair share of newcomers walk into his classes at Nekoma. But there were dance newbies, and then there was Sawamura Daichi.

(aka the Dance!AU in which Kuroo teaches dance, Sawamura tries his best, and circumstances keep getting in the damn way.)

ain’t even heard the question, but i know i’ll say yes by pepperfield (T) *

Summary:

to super fly ace guy bokuto-sama: (4:40) fuck FUCK bokuto he kissed me what the fuck do i do

from super fly ace guy bokuto-sama (4:42) oh shit provocation master kuroo-kun r u losing at ur own game???

Kuroo doesn't mean for things to go so far when he asks Sawamura out – it was only supposed to be another provocation, another chance to revel in that momentary flash of emotion in Sawamura's eyes, the split second when his defenses weaken enough for Kuroo to really see all of him. But when they go from being 300 kilometers apart to co-existing on the same campus, Kuroo finds himself losing control over their pas de deux.

He's not sure he's even playing a game anymore.

[Or: Kuroo wants to win relationship chicken, Daichi has eternal patience, and everyone else already knows how this dating sim is going to end.]

And there we have it! Hopefully you’ll have a great time reading them and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I still do. Don’t forget to send the respective authors love by sending them comments and kudos! :D

[craftyshipper]

Blind

Also posted on my Fanfiction account: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12765214/3/Treasury-Of-Love

Modern AU

I can't believe I agreed to this again.

"Here's your coffee sir." The short brown-haired waitress set down a blue mug filled with the warm liquid before she turned quickly on her heel and began walking away, she paused to call out to him. "Let me know when you are ready to order your food Natsu."

"Thanks." He managed to say, as he adjusted the rolled up sleeves on his red button up shirt.

He was a regular in the small diner, all of the staff knew him since this was where he'd go each morning to relax with a coffee before heading to his job as a teacher's assistant. Of course, today was an exception, since it was Saturday, one of his regular days off. And because it was his day off, his friends had convinced him to go on, yet another, blind date. Apparently this girl was a friend of Lisanna and Levy, they met her at the college they went to in a city west from here. She had supposedly moved to Magnolia a few weeks ago, but he found it odd that he hadn't been introduced to her before this. A date with someone he hadn't talked to first wasn't exactly his favorite way of meeting people.

It's not that he didn't appreciate his friends trying to help him with his love life, but all of the girls they had set him up with had always gotten mad because he wouldn't dish out compliments, especially about the dresses they wore or how their hair looked. He didn't do it intentionally, it just seemed pointless to compliment someone on something he couldn't see. He was literally...blind.

If he was honest with himself, he was actually sort of glad they would storm off and leave him. He didn't want to date anyone who thought that looks were all that mattered. In the end, its not like he'd be able tell the girl how beautiful or how sexy she was. He wanted to date someone who valued personality and what type of heart that person had. A beautiful heart was always better than a beautiful body.

For the sake of his friends effort, he would deal with this one too. But instead of going through the entire date, he'd lay it all out when she arrived. She may be a friend of his friends, but that didn't mean she was going to be different than the rest of them.

"Uh, Natsu?" A soft voice called out to him in a hesitant sort of way, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned his head in the direction that he was sure the voice originated from before speaking.

"Lucy?" He inquired back.

"Oh thank goodness." She stated in relief. "Glad I picked you to talk to first instead of that other gentleman with pink hair."

Natsu chuckled at her words. "Yup, you picked the winner."

He heard her slide into the booth across from him and faced his attention forward.

"Honestly though, I thought my friend was messing with me when she said to look for the guy with pink hair."

"You got a problem with my hair color?" He raised a brow.

"Of course not, it actually suits you, but come on lets be real here." She smiled sweetly at him. "How many guys tend to have pink hair?"

"True." Natsu laughed lightly.

Lucy cast a glance into his eyes, the dark color had a slight silver tint to it, confirming what Levy had told her beforehand. She knew he was blind, but she wasn't going to point it out, she wanted to wait for him to tell her. He seemed genuinely nice, his laugh was her favorite so far.

She took in his attire, his red shirt and black jeans seemed like a casual choice for a first date. She decided on a casual look as well, simply wearing a pair of dark blue jean shorts and a pink and white stripped tank top. Her feet were covered in a pair of black sandals with straps that wrapped around her ankles.

Natsu cleared his throat and made the first move to speak. "So, there's something I need to say before we go any further into this...date."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I'm not exactly a first choice for a boyfriend, and what I mean is that I am blind, so if it bothers you that I can't compliment you on the outfits you wear or-"

"Natsu." She cut him off. "Please don't put yourself down like that."

"Huh?"

"I don't want you having negative thoughts about this date." Natsu tilted his head slightly. "You seem like a really nice guy, you have a unique hair color, which I adore and I love your laugh. What's not to like?"

Natsu was at a loss for words and Lucy could only stare at his confused expression. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I just, um, wow." He laughed louder this time. "Boy, I bet I look like an idiot." He crossed his arms on the table and buried his red face in his arms.

"No." Lucy reached out and patted his arm. "But, why would you say those things?"

"Well...no offense but I'm not used to my date sticking around this long." He sighed and sat up, slowly leaning his chin on the hand he propped up against his cheek.

"Why is that?" She asked curiously as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.

"Because I'm blind?" He said that like it explained everything and she had to resist the urge to scold him for it.

Why on earth would being blind make any difference on who he was as a person?

"I'm sorry, but I don't see it that way." Lucy smiled softly to herself before speaking again.

The pink-haired male listened intently to her words. Maybe she is different.

"Sorry, that's just been my experience." Natsu sighed. "All of the girls my friends have set me up with have left angry because I didn't compliment them on their clothes."

"Did you tell them you were blind?" Lucy inquired.

"I never have the chance before they decide they want to storm off and never speak to me again." Natsu leaned back against the cushioned booth, the red leather rubbing roughly against his clothes before he crossed his arms. "I don't mean to think about you that way, but after five other failed dates, you can see why I feel as such."

"Those women sound really shallow." The blond stated. "Dating isn't about looks, if your potential partner has a shitty attitude, excuse my language, then you wouldn't be happy with them."

She actually gets it.

Natsu let a genuine smile cross his lips before it turned into a full on grin, showing off his sparkling white teeth and sharp canines. "Man do I feel like an ass." He rubbed the back of his head and laughed heartily. "Can we start over?"

"I'd like that, and you're not an ass." Lucy giggled as she gently reached out and grabbed his hand. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Natsu Dragneel, the pleasures all mine." He managed to kiss her hand gently without missing, thanking whatever god was out there, that he didn't look like an idiot.

Lucy couldn't help the warmth that spread across her cheeks, she was sure her face looked like a bright red tomato at this point and she was sort of glad he couldn't see it. Of course, his next words would prove her wrong. "You're blushing, aren't you?"

"Wha? N-no, why w-would you say that?" She removed her hand from his and looked down at the table.

He grinned widely as a laugh sprang from his throat. "Well for one, you got super quiet after I kissed your hand, either you find what I did disgusting, or it embarrassed you enough that it made you blush."

"S-shut up." She whined and crossed her arms.

She actually might be someone I can have fun with, teasing her is just a bonus.

"Well, Lucy, I feel like having a bit of fun, care to join me." Natsu smiled and grabbed a white cane that had been hidden under the table before he stood up, quickly taking a few bills to pay for his coffee, deciding to skip eating at the diner. He tried to only carry the bare minimum when it came to cash, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference with several of them, so he kept a few small bills on him in cases like this.

"What did you have in mind?" She grabbed his hand when he held it out to her, before pulling her from her seat.

"The Fair is in town." He suggested and she nodded enthusiastically before remembering he couldn't see her do that.

"That sounds fun." She spoke up causing him to smile again.

"So let's go." He grinned.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Lucy inquired as they walked through the sea of people that were spread throughout the fairgrounds, trying to decide what to do first. They had bought wristbands at the gate, that would allow them to enter any of the rides that were available. She was ready for some fun, she just hoped Natsu enjoyed it as much as she knew she would. It was his idea to come here, of course he'll have fun.

"Sure."

"How...do you know where you're going?" Lucy winced, maybe that had been a little too blunt. "Sorry, never mind."

"No, it's okay, really." Natsu felt her link his arm through hers and couldn't help the smile that came to his face. "Well, first off I didn't always used to be sightless."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there was an accident at the mechanic shop I had been working part time for." Lucy subconsciously tugged Natsu passed a group of people to avoid bumping into them. "It wasn't the shops fault, it was the company who sent us the faulty car battery."

"A car battery?" The blond was slightly confused. "How does the battery fit in with this?"

"It exploded when I was changing it out in an old car." Natsu sighed. "The sulfuric acid from inside the battery shot straight into my eyes, I was quickly rushed to the hospital but by the time I got there, the damage to the cornea had already been done."

"So you'll never have your sight back again?"

"It's hard to say, my doctor told me that there was a thirty-percent chance I could regain my eyesight later on down the road, but its already been almost eight months since that accident." Natsu shrugged. "It was difficult in the beginning, but I already had very sharp hearing, so when I lost my sight, my hearing became even more so."

"So you mostly rely on sound?"

"Yup, plus it helps that I've lived in this city most of my life so navigating isn't really an issue. But I can't let that stop me from living my life right?" Natsu kept his steady pace, of course he noticed when Lucy pulled him lightly in different directions. He didn't mind, though he wondered if she was trying to lead him or if she was getting distracted by the small game booths that he knew were around.

Lucy smiled at his confident tone, he seemed to have come to terms with his disability and didn't let that stop him from experiencing the world as much as he could. She had found that very endearing, making her enjoy his companionship even more. She has had several dates in her past, some were awful and some were amazing, but this one was by far, her favorite. This pink-haired man was just so easy to talk to, and the more she learned about him, the more she felt like she had known him her whole life.

"So do you feel up for some rides?" Natsu grinned at her. "I know we didn't buy these wrist bands for nothing."

Laughing lightly, Lucy excitedly grabbed a hold of his arm and tugged him towards one of the larger roller coasters. "Let's do the big one."

Natsu would soon regret that decision.

"Are you sure she's here?" A dark haired man asked.

"Of course, my informant told me she entered this place just a little under an hour ago." Another man sighed. "But he also stated that it seemed that Lucy was on a date with another young gentleman."

Dan flinched at the mention of another man being out with his ex-girlfriend. Sure she had broken up with him a month ago, but he had been trying his damnedest to get her to take him back. He wasn't even really sure why she had left him to begin with.

"I'll be sure to show her what she has been missing." Dan grinned. "There's no way the loser she's with can compare to me."

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded the pink haired man as he lay down on a bench with his head in her lap. "How did you forget that you have motion sickness?"

"I don't know." He croaked out as his stomach did flips. "I wasn't really thinking."

Lucy giggled as she stroked his hair. They had gotten on the roller coaster earlier with ease, but as soon as the ride started Natsu had begun to look a little pale. She had noticed immediately when he had covered his mouth with his hands and groaned painfully throughout the ride.

"You know-" He groaned. "You kind of become forgetful on things when you lose one of your senses." Natsu sighed and ran his hands down his face, desperately praying for his stomach to stop its churning. "Besides that, I haven't gotten sick in cars since I lost my sight, so I think part of me thought roller coasters wouldn't effect me either."

"Yeah, but cars don't go upside down." Lucy continued massaging his scalp. "Hm, you really are something else Dragneel." She said as she giggled.

"I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself." He grinned, thanking the gods that his stomach had finally decided to calm down. "Although, I make a terrible first impression."

"Technically this would be your second." She laughed. "You made your first at the diner, remember? Or did your sightless condition make you forget that too."

"Ouch." Natsu feigned hurt and placed a hand against his heart as he sat up. "You cut me deep Lucy, how could you?" He faked a cry and Lucy smacked his arm playfully.

"Don't be such a baby." Natsu took her light jabs in stride. He was thankful that she didn't let his disability keep her from joking around with him, he hated it when someone tried to tiptoe around the situation. Doing that wasn't going to make it go away, he knew he was blind, and he could take pretty much anything without getting hurt over little comments.

"Hey." She called his attention. "I'll be right back, I need to use the ladies room."

"Oh sure." Natsu smiled as the sounds of her footsteps became fainter as she walked away, and he couldn't help the fluttering he felt in his chest.

I'm actually having a great time with her, I wonder if she would agree to a second date with me.

"So you're the one that's dating my LuLu."

Natsu jumped slightly when a new voice appeared at his side, he didn't like that voice. It held a "too good for you" tone and it irked him. His LuLu? "What's it to you?"

"Well considering she's my girlfriend." The male stated haughtily. "And you are interfering in my relationship with her."

His girlfriend? Did Lucy forget to tell me something. He thought angrily. "What the-?"

"Where are my manners? My name is Dan." The man held out his hand, but immediately frowned when Natsu didn't shake it. "Apparently your manners left you as well."

"Well, I can't see where your hand is, so..." Natsu scowled at the man.

"Wait a minute, you're blind!" Dan laughed out. "And Lucy actually chose to go out with you." He readjusted his red tie, the dark suit he wore leaving no room for a casual appearance.

"Is there a problem with me being blind?" Natsu growled angrily and that succeeded in shutting up the idiot next to him.

"Not for common girls, but for a lady of Lucy's stature, she deserves someone who can tell her what long sexy legs she has, or how her shorts hug a perfect backside." Dan smirked smugly. "She is an heiress after all, she has lived a life of luxury, now why would she want to down grade to the likes of you? You can't even see and appreciate her beauty."

Natsu felt his insides split apart. She's an heiress? Of what?!

"She's a busty blond, if you'd like to know-"

The more this halfwit spoke, the more angry Natsu became. He spoke about Lucy like she was an item, and whether or not she was his girlfriend, she deserved way better than this fool who apparently only cared about her looks. He clenched his teeth tightly at the thought of her being with him. With the little time he spent with Lucy, he knew she wasn't one to like someone talking about her like he did. This Dan character was certainly starting to piss him off.

"What gives you the right to talk about her like that?" Natsu fumed, his anger slightly getting the better of him.

"What?"

"You heard me." Natsu stood to his feet. "And why should I believe you are her boyfriend anyway?"

"Fine, I'm her ex, does that make you happy?" Dan stood as well and came toe to toe with the male before him. "Still...you are in my way."

"Lucy chose to go out with me." He clenched his fists. "I'm not going to give up on her because some simpleton thinks that he can claim someone that isn't his."

Dan glared at the male before him. "Excuse me?" He growled indignantly.

Natsu was about to retort when a loud voice caught both of the men's attention. "Dan!" Said male turned and smiled at the woman who had charged toward them in a rage.

"LuLu!" He held his arms out for her.

Natsu frowned, Lucy did apparently know him, he expected them to start a conversation and be left out of the entire ordeal but what took him by surprise was the loud slap Natsu was sure he had heard. His eyes widened, despite not being able to see the situation.

"Lucy?" Dan held his hand to his cheek in shock.

"How dare you?" She growled through gritted teeth. "You just insulted both my date and me." Lucy stepped up on the tips of her toes to get in his face and poked him harshly in the chest. "You have no right to talk to Natsu the way you did, I heard everything."

"But-"

"Shut up, I broke up with you because all you cared about was my looks and you just proved that accusation true from what you said to Natsu just now." She stepped away from him in a huff. "I don't care that Natsu can't tell me how I look, I don't need a guy to tell me those things, I need a guy who can appreciate me as a person not as a sex object."

"Lucy!" Dan cried out. "Please, I promise I'll change."

"Too late for that." Lucy trudged over to Natsu and grabbed his hand and began pulling him away. "Don't come near me again Dan."

Dan frowned and muttered under his breath. As Natsu passed him he made sure it was loud enough for the pink-haired male to hear. "What can you possibly offer her?"

Natsu had a small flicker of hopelessness overcome him, what if he really wasn't good enough for her. No I can't think like that.

"Hey." A soft voice called out to him.

"Huh."

"Please don't take what he said to heart." Lucy paused in her steps and turned to him as she firmly grabbed both of his hands in hers. "I really am enjoying this date with you."

Natsu could feel his face heat up slightly at her words. "Are you sure?" He felt he needed to ask.

"Yes." She immediately replied and that seemed to calm his nerves. "I wouldn't choose a jerk with money over someone who has been nothing but nice to me, regardless of your disability." She moved to hug him tightly, hoping she wasn't over stepping any boundaries. "And I promise I'll tell you about my life as an heiress if you want, but only after I get to know you better."

Lucy smiled at the man before her when she stepped back to gaze up at him. "It's okay." He finally spoke. "Only tell me when you're ready, and I'll be there to listen."

With a blush on her face she raised herself up on her toes and kissed his cheek softly, letting her lips linger against his flesh for a few seconds before pulling away. Natsu couldn't have been more shocked even if he had suddenly won the lottery. She kissed me...

He placed a hand against his cheek and smiled. "You missed." He half joked as a giggle escaped her at his words. "Thank you Luc-"

The feeling of lips against his own cut off his words and he could smell the scent of vanilla radiating from her as he kissed her back. She smiled against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands coming to rest on her waist pulling her tightly to him. She was the first to break the kiss and from the dazed look on his face, she knew he had enjoyed that as much as she did.

"Someone looks happy." Lucy teased as a lazy grin formed across his lips.

"Of course, a lovely young woman just kissed me senseless." He laughed through his words and she leaned in to hug him tightly.

"I'd love to do this again." The blond muttered against his chest. "Are you free next weekend?"

"Absolutely." He smiled and even though he couldn't see it, he knew she was smiling too.

-6 Months Later-

"Are you kidding me?" A brown-haired woman uttered, slightly slurred as she grabbed her drink from the table. "You're telling me that you two have been together for half a freaking year and he hasn't put the moves on you yet? What the hell is Natsu thinking?!"

A red headed woman agreed with a nod of her head, while a short blue haired female was next to her staring at her blond friend. It was a girls night for the four of them, Lisanna was supposed to join them, but today was her anniversary with her boyfriend, the blue haired man already planned an entire evening with her. That left Lucy with three of her best friends who decided that they wanted to completely embarrass her about her sex life...or lack thereof.

"Cana, please just drop it." Lucy rested her chin in her hand and resisted the urge to scold Levy, the blue haired woman, who was snickering at Lucy's expense.

"Come now Lucy, we're friends here, you should be able to talk to us about anything." The red head, Erza, stated smoothly.

"Not about this I don't!" Lucy yelled and sat back in her place in the booth, her black dress releasing the wrinkles from when she was hunched over. "You guys are just nosy."

Cana laughed as she gripped her beer mug and chugged the contents before whirling towards Lucy. The white long sleeved shirt she wore was unbuttoned enough to show a little too much cleavage and she had to commend Cana on her lack of embarrassment as all the guys that passed stared unashamedly. Though she was probably too drunk to notice or even care.

"Lu it is strange though, most guys would jump at the chance to end up in bed with a hottie like you." Levy stated but there was one thing the girls around her were forgetting despite knowing him for long, Levy even more so.

"He's blind remember? He doesn't even know what I look like, so that can't be it. Besides I'm glad he's not with me because of my looks." Lucy smiled softly as she glanced at the martini glass in her hand. "He's really sweet, and can always make me laugh."

"Girl you've got it bad." Cana smiled knowingly. "You're so in love with the guy already!"

"Whaa?" Lucy's face turned bright red and she patted her cheeks, hoping to fight off the embarrassment.

"She is!" Levy joined in.

"N-no!" Lucy denied profusely. "I-its not l-li-like that!" The stuttering didn't help her case.

"Okay, fine, but you can't deny that you want to jump his bones." Cana wriggled her eyebrows.

Lucy sighed, finally relenting in their interrogation, they weren't going to let up on this, so she may just spill how she feels about it all. "Look, its not that...uh...I mean..."

Cana and Levy turned serious eyes towards her when they noticed her sullen expression. "What is it?" Erza asked.

"Natsu and I have come close to being intimate...but every time things get heated, he stops abruptly and either says he has to leave or we end up watching a movie, well him listening to it as far as that goes." She released another sigh. "It's frustrating. Is there something wrong with me? Should I ask him about it?"

The three females that sat with her, stared intently at the blond. Levy smiled sadly. "Wow, I didn't think Natsu was like that. I know he's not a virgin so its not like its first time jitters but maybe there's something else he's not telling you, you'll only find out if you talk to him."

Lucy nodded. Hopefully its something he'll want to talk about with me.

Natsu sat with Lucy on the couch in her apartment, she was tucked up against his side while the movie provided background noise in the living space. She had called him over to talk, but she had yet to work up the nerve to ask him about anything that's been bothering her.

"What's wrong Lucy?"

"Huh?" She shook her head, clearing her mind of all the thoughts she had going through her head.

"Come on, I can tell when something is wrong. I may be blind, but I'm not that blind." Natsu removed his arm from around her so he could turn his body to face her.

"Um, uh...nothing." She mumbled.

"Luce." He chastised. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Can I?"

"Well I hope so." He reached for her hand, which she grasped immediately. "Whatever it is, I'm here to listen."

"Well...its about us..."

The pink-haired male raised a brow at her statement. "You don't want this anymore?"

Lucy frowned. "What?" She took note of his troubled expression. "Natsu that's not it, I love being with you, but there's something that's been bothering me."

"Like what?"

"Like our lack of intimacy."

His eyebrows shot up and he sighed, this conversation coming whether he was ready or not. "I knew you'd ask eventually."

"Natsu, I'm not trying to push you to do anything you're not ready to do." She reassured. "But, you push me away every time things get a little hot and heavy between us."

He released her hand and sat forward on the couch, hunching forward to lean his forehead against his hands. "Its not that I'm not ready, or that I don't want to do those things with you...I just..." He cut himself off as a blush worked its way up his neck, this was a lot harder than he thought it was going to be.

"What is it?" She urged gently. "I want you to be able to talk to me too." She leaned more towards him, hoping he would talk to her openly.

Clearing his throat, he sat back on the couch and rested his head against the back of the black piece of furniture. "I'm blind..."

"Yes I know that-"

"No, just hear me out, please." Lucy agreed with a quick 'ok' before he continued speaking. "I am blind, and...the last time I've been...intimate with a woman, was when I could actually see what I was doing." He turned his head in embarrassment as Lucy finally caught on to what he was trying to say. "What if..." He paused and tugged at the collar of his black t-shirt. "What if I can't..." Perform well... That's what he wanted to say, but the words denied him as embarrassing as they were.

"Natsu, I understand what you're trying to say." She placed her hand on his arm and he turned his head back towards her. "I don't want you to think I won't be satisfied with how you perform in the bedroom." She smiled softly to herself at his shyness. "That's why we take the time to explore each other, most people have sex in the dark anyway, I don't think you'll have any trouble. Besides, just think of it as wearing a kinky blindfold."

He let out a throaty laugh. "Oh really?" He grinned, his embarrassment finally leaving him at her joke. "What kinky things did you have in mind?"

She crawled towards him and leaned her plump pink lips against his ear before whispering. "Why don't you follow me and find out."

A low growl sounded in his throat as he heard her stand up and grab his hand, pulling him with her to the bedroom. He went willingly, this time more confident than during the heated moments they previously had on her couch.

As soon as the door shut behind him, she had him pressed against the wall, her hands traveling over his chest as she stood on her toes to kiss him softly. "I need you Natsu." She whispered against his lips and that was all he needed to hear as they traveled towards the bed, her hands swiftly unbuttoning his blue jeans before he tugged her red t-shirt from her body, her skirt dropping not long after.

That night Natsu learned every inch and curve of her body, and which areas held her most sensitive nerves, his favorite being the crook of her neck, the area easily drawing pleasurable noises from her. He didn't need his sight to show him where he should touch her next, the moans forming from her lips were just what he needed to hear to know he was doing everything right. He may be blind for the rest of his life, but as long as this woman with a beautiful soul was next to him, he'd never ask for anything better.

Because he was sure she was going to be the one he'd want to spend the rest of his life with.

They say love is blind, but it knows when and where to hit you.

A/N: Not my best work, but I've had this idea rolling around for awhile, may do a second part to it later.