#a whole lot of time that i don't care to spend. it's a stepping stone now. and not bad on its own rights i just know i can do much better

[mj0702]

@helen-with-an-a ... I take your raise and go all in...

The whole Barca team was gathered in Mapís and Ingrids garden having a small get together before everyone left for their holidays – or charities as that's how Alexia likes to spend her time off. There where small groups standing together having small conversations amongst themselves while Lucy got suck with the task of grilling the meat wearing a “Don't kiss the cook”-apron which Mapí, Pina and you ignored and smooched your sister quiet theatrical before you all got smacked away with the tongs aggressively. It was a nice warm summer night in Barcelona and everyone was having a good time enjoying the time with their friends. Everyone? Oh no... not everyone.

“ARSENAL??????!!!!!!!!” your voice could be heard from inside the house and probably in the whole neighborhood

The whole team stopped talking and looked towards the living room door which connected the inside with the garden

“ARSENAL???!!!!” you screeched again as you appeared in the door looking with wide eyes at Keira

“What?” your sister shook her head at your actions “You finally lost your plot?”

“Why am I finding out ONLINE you're transferred to ARSENAL??!!” you ignored Lucy and just stared at Keira

“No one...” the blonde started knowing exactly what you meant carefully making her way towards you but you already took a step back “... Bitsy”

“No... no you don't get to call me that anymore you backstabbing B...” you started before your sister interrupted you

“Oy... watch your mouth!” Lucy said getting angry herself – still not knowing what was going on but she didn't raise you to talk to Keira of all people like that

“You know what... I don't care... you're dead to me” you looked Keira straight in the eye your voice full of venom

“Bitsy” the blonde tried again tears forming in her eyes but before she made it to the door you were already gone

“What's going on Kei??” Lucy asked lowly ushering her ex-girlfriend inside getting her away from all those questioning looks from their teammates

“Arsenal offered a LOT of money for me to transfer back home” Keira sniffed as her tears started to fall “Nothing is set in stone but obviously there where rumors...”

“Fuck me” your sister groaned loudly and Ona joined them since she became good friends with Keira before she even started dating Lucy

“What's going on?” the small spaniard asked worried looking around if she could spot you

“My sister is being a plonker again” Lucy said “... she read something online and she didn't come to talk to Kei instead she got to her own conclusions and OF COURSE they are wrong but she's gone now”

“We need to find her....” Keira suddenly stood up wiping her tears away marching towards the door you left through mere minutes ago

“Kei you know it's no use... we'll find her either if the Police picks her up or if she wants to be found.. Barcelona is too big to search it... even if we pull all hands on deck” your sister said after she caught up with her ex-girlfriend holding her back grabbing her wrist

“I need to do something Lucy” the blonde said and Lucy and Ona saw how it stressed the english woman not knowing about your whereabouts

“You need some alcohol in your system” Lucy said pulling Keira back signaling Ona to inform their capitan about what happened

“What if she...” Keira started trying to turn around again

“No what ifs... she'll be back at some point” your sister said firmly “... when did our roles reverse? Normally I'm the one panicking”

“Yeah well she didn't call you a backstabbing bitch and then ran off” the blonde deadpanned while she let Lucy pull her back outside and Ona immediately pushed a beer into the blondes hand

“I knew I would find you here...” you suddenly heard behind you scaring the absolute shit out of you

“Go away” you said harshly as you aggressively wiped away your tears

“No... my english might not be good but we talk” the dark haired spaniard said as she sat down next to you in the sand looking at the Ocean

“No offense but you ask people if they work” you said raising your eyebrow

“Yeah well she was at every game... I got... confundida” Aitana shrugged her shoulders

“You what?” you looked at her confused

“Confundida... ehrm.. I not know if she works” the dark haired looked at you and suddenly understood what she meant

“Confused... the word is confused” you smiled very lightly

“Sí... confused... but that's not the... punto...” Aitana said before she thought for a second “... point... that's not the point why I walked away from a great party”

“You can walk right back... I'm not stopping you” you said defensively

“I can't... you hurt mi hermanita” the spaniard said sternly and for the first time you saw the protective side of Aitana Bonmatí off the field

“Your what?” you tried to dodge the bullet – you knew very well what “hermanita” meant

“Stop it... you hurt Keira... I want to know why” Aitana said looking straight at you while you kept your eyes trained forward watching the Ocean

“You wouldn't understand” you said sadly laying your head on your knees hugging your legs

“Then try to understand me” the dark haired said a little softer as your body language told her you try to close yourself off and she needed to act quickly

“It's easier to hurt than get hurt... It's easier to end something then being ended... she's leaving... she's leaving not only Barcelona but me too... She left before – but she left to come here... I knew it got easier again to see Lucy AND Keira again... but now? I don't want to go back to England... I rather go to Germany... but I want me family in one Place... Luce and Ona are great... they're good for each other... but no one can take Keiras place... so I rather push her away and make her hate me than to see her go through Security here in Barcelona for the last time knowing she's not coming back” it suddenly broke out of you at some point your voice cracking and Aitana saw the tears rolling down your cheeks but let you talk “... I love Leah and Beth and Kyra and everyone at Arsenal... but it's not Keiras club... not her style... Her club is City.... it's the only Jersey that fits her except for the national one... Arsenal wouldn't even know what to do with someone as good as Kei...”

“So you thought spitting... names at her would work out in your favor?” Aitana asked lowly trying to get to the ground of your actions

“I didn't think... I just got so angry...” you cried silently “.. Lucy did the same you know.. when she left for Lyon... she didn't tell me... I found out online.... I never thought Kei would do the same”

“What's the real problem?” the spaniard pushed you slightly knowing that wouldn't be all

“She... she.... she...” you started to cry harder and even you were a part of the team now Aitana and you weren't super close but now the spaniard carefully pulled you into her side

“It's okay bebé... está bien bebé... déjalo salir... encontraremos una solución...” Aitana mumbled against your hair holding you closely while you sobbed heartbreakingly into her shirt

“She'll forget about me...” you sobbed out fisting Aitas shirt not knowing what else to do

“Y/n... we don't even know if she is leaving – yes, Arsenal offered money for her but Barca is not interested in letting her go... neither is Keira – she doesn't want to leave” the spaniard said softly

“She'll just forget about me” you sobbed not getting control over your emotions

“She would never” Aitana kept her soft tone “... you ARE her pequeño... even if she got hit in the head and doesn't remember her own name – she'll never olvidar tú”

“Why would she never olive? She hates olives” you calmed down a little bit but still couldn't stop the tears

“Olvidar... you speak catalan but not spanish?” Aitana chuckled at your confusion and started do wipe your tears away with her thumb “She'll never forget you bebé”

“I could never Bitsy... and whatever you throw at me I won't go away... you are to important to me to let you go or give up chasing after you” you heard Keiras voice behind you and before you even started thinking about it your body reacted and you pushed yourself off Aitana springing up running.

This time Keira knew what your reaction would be and reacted faster than you so you ran straight into her and before you knew what was happening Keira held you in a death grip against her.

“Calm Bits... it's okay... you're okay... sssshhh... calm down” the blonde whispered against your hair as you tried to fight her

“.... you're okay...” Keira repeated it over and over again until your fighting got less and she felt the tears against her neck and how you suddenly cling to her like your life depended on it

Keira looked up meeting Aitanas sorrowful look and mouthed a “Gracias” at her friend as she kept hold of you swaying you slightly from left to right trying to calm you down

[blankiebloo]

Omg ok. Can you do a fic about Xiao being REALLY shy around the reader, but the reader thinks that he just doesn't like them. Then one day the reader accidently confesses to him??????? 🤭 

Oh my gosh....YES!

"Who said?"

Shy!Xiao x Gn!Reader

Genre: Angst to fluff

Warning(s): one curse word, reader is kind of awkward

It was a beautiful day in Liyue, and what better time to spend it than at Wangshu Inn? Walking up the stairs to the third floor balcony you see the Adeptus that you've been wanting to see for the whole week: Xiao.

"Xiao!" You call out, walking over to him with an excited smile.

In response to the sound of your voice, he calmly looks back at you from over his shoulder, though he doesn't say a word.

"How was your day?"

You walk over to stand next to him, but now, he just won't look at you. Tilting your head to the side to try and see his face, you notice that he seems a little bit nervous, and he keeps turning his head away from your view.

Xiao just won't look at you, and you trying to get a better view at his face is not helping him; though when you stop he can't help but look over to you and-

"Are you alright, Xiao?" You ask softly, your face right next to his.

His eyes widen, and out of embarrassment his face flushes red.

He moves back instantly, mist forming around him as he disappears and reappears away from you.

"I'm fine." He says quickly, hiding his face from you with his hand, though it doesn't do well to hide his embarrassed blush.

"I've got to go.." He said quickly before disappearing once again, leaving you alone on the third floor balcony of Wangshu Inn.

You watch as he disappears, a small bit of disappointment rises in you at the fact you didn't get more time with him today, you don't blame him though, he's busy, but surely you'll get a better conversation tomorrow!

~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~

The next day you quickly head to Wangshu Inn, walking up the steps and towards Xiao. You walk up right next to him, gently tapping his shoulder and waving at him.

"Hello! Are you free now?" You ask, tilting your head slightly.

"Free?" He repeated your words with a confused look, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yeah...you said you had to go yesterday. Were you not busy?" You'd like to think he was and that he wasn't just avoiding you, but he could've.

"I wasn't busy." He replied bluntly and turned his head forward, looking out at Dihua Marsh.

You stare at him, slightly shocked but what did you expect? He's a Yaksha, he's met over a millennium of people, why would you be any special?

While you're getting lost in your thoughts, you didn't realize that you've been staring at Xiao and your stare is making him slightly nervous. His face is starting to turn red and now he can't help but look back at you only to see your slightly hurt expression.

"[Name]? Are you alright...you've been staring at me for a while" Xiao's voice suddenly pulls you out of your thoughts.

"Ah- My apologies," you clear your throat and turn your head away.

You clear your throat and turn your back to him and he follows by turning to face you.

"I should get going, I don't want to take up too much of your time"

"Too much of my time?" Xiao questions, crossing his arms as his eyebrows furrow. "What could you possibly mean by that-"

"See you later." You wave goodbye and walk down the Inn's stairs, deciding to take a walk and clear your mind.

~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~ ~▪︎~

Walking through Dihua Marsh and towards stone gate is surprisingly a lot longer than you expected; especially when you keep getting stopped by this group of treasure hoarders keep following you and trying to attack you. But to make matters even worse...you forgot to bring your weapon.

'Why haven't the Millelith taken care of these guys yet?' You thought to yourself as you keep trying to dodge their darts and other attacks, though your dodging doesn't work for long. Suddenly, you trip over your own feet, falling flat on your face. One of the treasure hoarders laugh, walking over to you and stepping on your head.

"Maybe this will teach you not to mess around with the treasure hoarders," he says and laughs.

You can already hear another one of them loading up their crossbow and getting ready to shoot at you. 'This is it,' you think. 'This is how I'm going to die.' Until somebody suddenly swoops in, attacking the treasure hoarders and getting them away from you.

The person helps you up and you immediately recognize it's Xiao, as soon as you look up at him it makes your heart flutter, the way he's standing there reminds you of those moments from the light novels you read.

You stare at him until he clears his throat. "Why didn't you call out for me?" He asks with slight agitation in his tone. "If I wasn't watching, you would've been dead by now."

"I thought you didn't like me, or at least were mad at me," you say, looking away from him as you realize how childish that answer is.

"Didn't like you? What do you mean, of course I like you."

He looks at you with confusion, and on sudden impulse at his words you confess your feelings to him, "Well not the way I like you! You don't like me in the same way!"

"You don't think about holding hands, kissing or-" "What?"

Oh shit- Your eyes widen and you cover your mouth with your hand. Your cheeks turn bright red and you stand up, turning your back to him out of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, forget I even said anything," You quickly apologize and go to walk away until Xiao stops you by grabbing your wrist.

"Who said I don't like you in that way?" He asks, his voice soft and his eyes narrowed on you.

"What?" You look back at him, only for him to immediately turn his head away and cover his blushing face with his free hand.

"Who said I don't like you in that way?" He repeats, closing his eyes for a moment and letting go of your wrist. He clears his throat and looks back at you, extending out his hand for you to take. "Come, let's head back to the Inn."

A/N: Hello! I'm so sorry that this took so long! I just wanted to take my time on this and not rush. I really hope this was enjoyable, and I really appreciate your time!

This also took me a tiny while because I originally had it to where reader teases Xiao a lot, but then I reread the request and realized that I was doing it wrong T^T But it is done now, and as always, if you'd like to send me a request, please read this first!

Thank you everyone for your time and enjoying my works, Blank out~♡

[nuctoria]

How would you describe each member of Luigi's harem?

I'm going to note down the members down first so I can follow it along, both good and bad guys will be here instead of just the evil trio and this is based on my opinions. Puppy crushes will be included. We got; Daisy, Peasley, Dreambert, Bowser, King Boo, Antasma, Dimentio (I'm holding back on adding the artefacts that possessed him and give them sentience but you can't tell me they aren't literally sniffing him out through the entire population and hunting him, the Dark Prognosticus did it best) Daisy: we know her, we love her. She is the first love since Luigi got to that world. She learned of Mario through Peach and liked him when he met him but was more attracted to Luigi when they met due to his soft, shy and kind-hearted nature, loving how cute he is but also the amount of surprises he holds. Like how he matches her competitive nature in sports and taught how much more fun it is to plant flowers. And she will never say no to his cooking, she nearly tried to hire him to her kingdom so she could eat and be together with him more but she'd never dare separate him from his brother. If Luigi feels too socially drained she'll either speak for him after he whispers or gives her looks she understands or kidnap him to his place for cuddles and rest.

Peasley: Adores Luigi with all his heart, he feels so lucky to have met him and is always excited when he visits his kingdom to see him. He will boast about him to his people and close connections, letting his name be more known as well as his own heroic deeds. When Luigi does visit, he often asked about any new adventures he's been on or his life in general, smitten by much Luigi appreciates the small things in life and how perceptive he is and it slowly rubs off on him. By now, he knows the most part of Luigi's routine and has things ready for him if he can which Luigi really loves. He loves how he doesn't hide his nervousness and marches on even though he's scared, true bravery in his opinion. Despite how cute he finds it, he still tries to build up Luigi's confidence and be less anxious, trying to slowly help him step out of his comfort zone once in awhile.

Dreambert: he really looks up to both brothers and admires their strength and resilience but he's gotten closer with Luigi due to his calm nature and his basically legendary dream powers that he's only ever read or heard of before. It's stressful and tiring trying to regain and rebuild his kingdom after all these years of being a stone and loosing the Dream Stone to a bunch of coins but Luigi's help and company really calms him down and sets him in a better mood about the whole thing. Exploring the Dream World with Luigi is always so amazing to him and a lovely break from real life problems. When not doing that, they cuddle or nap together in various places and let their dreams merge which helps with Luigi's insomnia. Speaking of which, he is determined to assist Luigi with it so he can sleep normally again after so long, which Eldream and Dr. Snoozemore have joined in as they are interested in how their remedies and techniques would work on the human.

Bowser: ngl, I'm very surprised at how many things I missed between these two but noticed them after the dang movie and this ship skyrocketed. He has proven his power to Bowser plenty of times from saving Mario, battling him in the Dream World, heck Luigi was even about him when he battled O'Chunks for the last time. He has a lot of respect for Luigi and would like to challenge him more to see just what else he's capable of on his own. He also loves how much he cares for his children and tries to spend time with them when he's around, making them treats and keeping them in line when they get too rowdy. Some of his troops also show their own respect to him and try to speak with him when they have free time. He's honestly much happier and more tame when around Luigi but don't feel too safe cause he's still the same Bowser all know and love or fear.

King Boo: I made a whole post of how they are bitter exes and I'm sticking to it. This dude is egotistical, deranged, a ticking time-bomb and he has it all out for Luigi to a more dangerous level each time he's defeated. Not even Bowser got this insane, his schemes are always crazy and over the top but not the way KB does it. After yet another rewatch of LM3 I kinda put myself in Luigi's shoes and was actually terrified for him. Now at the start, KB and Luigi had a good thing going, in all honesty, but the power lust got too much and showed thr signs of insanity more clearly. I think during their relationship, Luigi may still have been afraid of the boos but he warmed up to the kinder ones and brought tons of Boo Candy for them all, those boos now feeling sad that they have to let him be tortured this way from their king but can say nothing about it. Dude needs rehab. But try to catch me not liking this toxic yaoi, cause you won't, the one who does is probably my doppelganger or an identity thief.

Antasma: this is yet another person I've made a post about under your request and have added my own shippy headcanons on. Now, this guy is all about control and careful strategy as we've seen in the game, which got amplified after his betrayal with Bowser. However, now that both stones are gone he starts to gravitate towards Luigi's dream powers who are nearly that of the Dream Stone's and has even impressed the spirit of said stone. This leads to curiosity, wanting to learn more about the plumber himself which made lead to clues on how he even has these crazy powers. Then it turns into fascination and affection. I feel like Antasma is the easiest to rehabilitate, it just needs time and care, which Luigi is capable of. But it can result in a bit of an isolation on his part since Antasma most likely doesn't want most of his enemies surrounding him. While he may turn good, doesn't mean his scary side will change, it will just be used less and in different ways for each person. This can honestly end up being the second less toxic relationship Luigi can have with a villain.

Dimentio: do you guys have any idea what this twink has put me through? Idk what curse he placed on me but ever since I paid attention to him, I've seen far too many evil, murderous, gay jesters from literally every single fandom I know like some portal of hell opened up specifically for evil jesters to come out of. Like, holy shit. Anyways, this guy has a number of crimes under his belt and a special fascination towards Luigi, since unlike the other villains, he actually wants Luigi by his side not for revenge or to drain his power but for the individual himself. At first, he was just another tool to be used, another character to the story, but then he started seeing past that dull perspective of his and realized why both the Dark Prognosticus and the Chaos Heart chose him specifically. He has lived for endless years and his ambitions have made everyone around him dull and the same, but Luigi is an enigma to him, the first interesting person in years and it increased after the defeat. He tried to get close to Mr L who didn't seem interested but he still used his opportunity to at least learn the plumber's hidden side to use it against him. He believes it's not over for the two of them, his perfect world is still waiting to be created by him and dub him its ruler. And what's a king without his queen? I can honestly say that while Luigi may fear him, he's the only villain he actively hates with a passion and won't hesitate to get physical with.

No idea if this is what you wanted but this is what I can provide. This has my own opinions and headcanons on there so take it with a grain of salt. This was honestly fun cause I'm pretty opinionated and I love talking about these freely.

[ladylilithprime]

Day 10: Mushrooms

(Part of the Grand Not-Coven of Palo-Alto series.)

SAM WESSON'S GARDEN was a truly spectacular work of time, effort, engineering, and spell work. It was the first thing any visitor to his properly noticed from the street and a favored place for friends and family to gather to spend time together just chatting and enjoying each other's company. Even if you didn't have a lick of sensitivity to the supernatural and mystical energies, the Garden was a visual marvel of growth and care, at least some parts of it always in bloom no matter the season. If you were sensitive to mystical energies, it was a massive nexus of magic, from the carved stones and mosaics that marked out the footpaths and plant beds to the plants themselves. It was the focal point of the wards Sam had built around his house and extended to the house next door where Dean Smith lived, and it was where the anchor stones for the wards Sam maintained around the homes and businesses of his "network friends" and Palo Alto as a whole were kept, continually renewing and recharging with every sunrise, moonrise, and rainfall.

As a licensed herbalist and practicing witch, it was no surprise that the Garden held a lot of the plants and herbs Sam needed for various potions, tinctures, and poultices, grown fresh and harvested with care to dry and preserve. The large glass greenhouse at one end of the Garden, which connected to the main house via the Solarium, held the more "tempermental" plants in their specially warded pots and beds, the ones that Sam's FBI contacts really wanted to pretend didn't exist for one reason or another. There was even a section of the Garden devoted to growing fruits and vegetables which Sam used to cook and gave to or traded with other members of the network. Frankly, the only thing that was surprising to people who had learned the secrets of the Garden was that Sam would need to go anywhere else for some type of plant.

Specifically, mushrooms.

"It's not that there aren't mushrooms in the Garden," Sam explained as he led the way into the woods behind the house, Bones cheerfully bounding ahead before circling back to dance around her favorite human and his friends. "The act of foraging is itself a part of the ritual, much like harvesting. A reaffirmation of life and sustainability amid death and decay as part of the cycle of the natural world."

"And they're really safe to eat?" asked John Castiel Novak curiously, stepping around a fallen branch even as he split his attention between Sam and the mushroom guidebook the witch had given him.

"Some are," Sam nodded, then shrugged. "Some aren't. And some of them are only safe to eat in certain stages of their growth, so pay close attention to that guide book and if you aren't sure ask me or Bones to double check."

"Too bad we don't have a pig along for truffle hunting," Cas's twin, James Constantine Novak joked, and then yelped as the golden retriever abruptly stood up and changed into a golden-haired woman with her hands on her naked hips.

"I'd like to see a hog sniff out the good mushrooms of all types and warn you away from the bad ones even half as well as I can!" she snapped. Then her indignation melted away into a mischievous smirk as she added, "Besides, Dean said he was never doing that again after he got dirt up his nose that was still there when he changed back."

"Bones," Sam groaned as Cas and Jimmy exchanged slightly alarmed looks. To the twins, he explained, "It was a dare from Andy to see if I even could change someone who wasn't my familiar into an animal, and Jess suggested a truffle hog to see if we could find some wild growing truffles to save some money on ingredients. Dean volunteered to be the guinea pig, and, well.... actual pig."

"And it worked?" Jimmy asked with interest. "No negative side effects?"

"Dean gained a better appreciation for vegetables as a food group, so your mileage may vary," Bones snorted, then slipped back into her canine shape with a cheerful yip.

"I, on the other hand, was exhausted, which is the real reason he said never again," Sam explained, getting tandem nods. The twins were well acquainted with Dean's intense protective streak when it came to Sam. "So Bones conspired with Dean to learn the scents of every mushroom in these woods and a few that aren't so she could be my primary hunting partner."

As it should be, Bones whispered in Sam's mind, answering his small smile with a lolling canine grin. Sam may have left the world of hunting behind along with the Winchester name, but there were some aspects he just couldn't give up completely. He rather suspected that, with the way the Novak twins kept coming back with their increasingly flimsy excuses, the hunting world wasn't ready to be done with him, either.

He thought he might could live with that.

[askthehiddencaste]

Serthi: Think

Serthi fighting with his demons and finally taking a step in his life in the right direction ***Suicidal Thoughts implied heavily with this drabble*** If theres something i missed and can tag please tell me so i can do so Izdira and Xheras both belong to @contrastparadoxx ! Go show them some love!!

“Thank you for walking me home darling. Are you sure you don't want to spend the day with me? Xheras is going to be at his other Red’s today so he won't be around to start a fight this time…”

Serthi smiled sweetly to his mate, reaching up to gently cup the others cheek. “As much as i would love to, I have to get back to my room…they decided to move me this time and i need to clean up and be ready to move by tomorrow after sundown” he replied softly as the fuchsia cusp frowned. 

“Then just come stay here! I hate that you constantly get moved from room to room and live out of a suitcase!” Izdira pouted, those expressive fins showing his displeasure at Serthis situation. The jade returned a softer, sadder smile as he shook his head. 

“I don't want to cause strife more than there already is jewel....besides I still have a lot to repay and atone for…this is….it's just part of it” he answered simply, his thumb running over Izzy’s cheek. 

The dweller gave a defeated sigh and nodded. “Alright, fine….Whatever you did, i don't think you should be stuck living essentially homeless to pay for it…. Please, At least think on the offer… I remember you mentioning that you had a week left on the already paid time, I want you to think about moving in at the end of it… please” he said in a soft voice, tail swaying lightly behind him as he stepped up to give Serthi one last kiss before they parted for the day. 

The jade returned the kiss with a soft sigh through his nose, nodding and turning his eyes away. “I’ll think about it Iz….. I’ll see you in a few nights for dinner” he replied softly, offering a small smile before finally turning away to walk himself ‘home��. 

* * * * * *

Serthi has been walking for a while, his hands in his pockets as he stared up at the dark sky above. 'Just think about the offer'. That phrase seemed to echo through his mind the whole way. The jade sighed and pulled one hand out to rub at his face.  Everything with Izzy was still so new, and he felt as though he deserved everything but the gorgeous man that he had managed to impress completely by accident.

As he came to a bridge, Serthi stopped, deciding the wisest way to walk across was to wander along the stone railing. "Why does he insist on loving me?... I'm no better than a cerulean with what I've done," he muttered to the open air, sighing and looking to the sky again. 

"what could I have done in my life to deserve him?  I mean, I tried to cull two of the most important people in my life… .and for what Serthi?  For some shadow walker asshole who promised you a shot at fame?  Some I'll begotten glory?"

Serthi stopped about halfway across the bridge, staring down into the fast flowing water with a soft hum in his throat. "If I just…. Slip… . He wouldn't have to fight with his mate… I wouldn't be living out of a motel… no more guilt for what I've done…." Serthi balanced with his heel on the edge of the railing, just about to step off when he heard Izdira’s voice in the back of his mind.

"I don't care about what you've done, you are all that's important"

Serthi rocked back onto his other heel again, a frown on his lips as Izzy's voice continued to echo their conversations from the night. The fuchsia had been so intent on learning what he had done… and even accepted that Serthi didn't feel comfortable speaking of his past. Izdira accepts him as is…

"hey man you okay?"

Serthi is ripped from his thoughts as a gold blood with an iguana/ hyena lusus padding behind him.  "hm?  Yea…yea I'm fine" he rushed out, planting his feet firmly on the rail again as the lusus sniffed at his shoe only to begin laughing. 

"what's so fucking funny?" Serthi huffed, the gold reaching out and taking the harness handle. "don't mind dad,  it's a hyena thing."

Serthi frowned, jumping down with a sigh when the lusus tugged on his pants leg. "Alright, alright I'm down.  Better?" another laugh from the odd iguana dog.  "your lusus round?" the gold asked, not wanting to leave Serthi alone after what he had almost witnessed.

The jades frown deepened, shaking his head "no moms……she's not around anymore."

"Oof…uh… quads?  Pale?  Flush? Hell, even a pitch?"

Serthi paused at that, swallowing thickly as he dared putting a label on what he and Izdira had. "matesprit…but I just dropped him home… he's probably asleep now and I don't want to bother him…"

The gold frowned, letting his lusus go to rub the back of his neck. "well… . I could hang around. I was just walking dad anyways so it wouldn't be a problem to get you home" he offered, the hyguanna snuffling at his hand and making Serthi pet him.

The jade thought for a moment before nodding. "yea… I could use a companion for a bit… you got a name?"

"Yeah, it's Hahena Ignedi.  You?" 

"Serthi Xernal" 

The two shook hands and brought a smile to the golds lips. "let's get you home man"

Serthi shakes his head,  a light smile on his lips.  "no… that's not for a few days yet" after all,  Izzy is still waiting for him at home

[headcanonrepository]

Thoughts on Final Fantasy XII

I've been replaying Final Fantasy XII lately. I say replaying - I never actually finished it the first time around, yet have proudly denounced it as my least favourite entry in the series for years. But I decided that to be fair to that, I should actually finish the game, so I picked up Zodiac Age for cheap with the idea that I can show my wife exactly why I rate it so little. Definitely a 'get drunk and bitch about it' kind of idea. (So uh, sorry if this is your favourite game, but this is a pretty negative post, just FYI)

My original criticisms still hold up, for the most part. Vaan makes no sense as the main character - aside from stealing the first stone at the beginning of the game, his impact on the actual plot is nonexistent. The plot is something that happens around him, not something he drives and impacts. In fact, apart from Ashe and Balthier, it's really difficult to justify anyone's connection to the plot.

Compounding this is that no one ever really talks to each other or comments on the situations they are in. There are a few cutscenes, brief and far between, but for the most part, there's an immediate 'what next?' after every section that just serves to point the player in the right direction. We learn next to nothing about who the characters are as people - what do they think? What are they passionate about? What do they hate? We just don't know.

While I'm ragging on the plot: it's a dense opening with many kingdoms named, important leaders, and characters, all before you take control of a single one of them. It's a struggle to remember so many plot points introduced so rapidly, let alone care about them. The density of information continues throughout, where you are expected to remember who is part of which kingdom, who is an ally and who is foe and how different people's agendas are playing out from one scene to the next. It feels a lot like the prequel trilogy of Star Wars - lots of information introduced relatively quickly and without spending a lot of time memorising it, working out how and why things are happening is borderline impossible. I had a similar critique of the prequel SW movies: good plot and ideas, terrible execution. Unfortunately, FFXII doesn't have a whole miniseries to help the player comprehend the politics of Ivalice.

I really disliked the Gambit system the first time I played. It felt very much like getting the game to play itself and if that's the case, why am I playing a game? I'm just running from fight to fight. I appreciate it a little more now - mostly because I am a tired adult with limited game time so automatic fighting for 99% of the time combined with 2x speed (which honestly the original game should have had, it's been permanently on throughout this playthrough) makes it more palatable to grind and get through some of the longer travelling sections of the map. I also think it's partly because my expectation has shifted from 'strategy is what I choose to do in a fight' to 'strategy is how I prepare for the fight' - I was already aware of the gambit system and how to make it work so I could start having fun with trying new things.

However, the descriptions for some techniques are just ludicrous. The in-game text for Traveller lead me to assume that it gets stronger based on the total amounts of steps you've taken in the game (and similarly Horology for time spent in game). The wiki dispelled that illusion and confirmed that both attacks were pretty much useless unless you were micromanaging to a degree that I am simply not willing to do. Lots of the gameplay information is similarly vague and unhelpful. I feel like the only reason I understand what I'm doing is because I have played other Final Fantasy games (so I already know what the spells are supposed to do) or other RPGs (so I can guess that equipment will behave in a particular way or puzzles will react in a certain way). Even then, I've had to search for the odd solution (wait, you mean I have to summon the guy to open the door, not just touch it with the person who can summon him?).

The hunt sidequests are just tedious. There’s no need to pick up a hunt, then confirm with a separate NPC that you’ve accepted the hunt, then go to a third location to find the hunt (often with a stipulation that the mark can only be found when the weather is just right, which is largely random and results in you loading and unloading an area repeatedly to get the conditions right) and then go back to that NPC to claim the reward. Especially when none of those objectives are ever marked on your main map, and you can only access a reminder by opening up the main menu, selecting the clan primer, selecting hunts, scrolling through every hunt you’ve ever accepted (even completed ones) to find the current hunt, to see a description and on one very particular screen, you can open a map that has the hunt’s current objective marked. Unless it’s a hunt where it just gives a vague location for you to search. Those exist, too.

Speaking of tedious, the Great Crystal was a section designed to force you to use a guide. Prima must have bribed them for that, because I swear that place is impossible to navigate without a VERY detailed map - no ingame map, switches to open doors (on a timer) and multiple doors per switch that can actually wind up blocking access to areas later, so you have to retread old areas to reactivate the switch and open the right door (still on a timer) and do this while running past enemies and hopefully going the right direction, with no real visual clues or references? Either you grew up playing old school dungeon crawlers and you’ve drawn your own map, or you’ve bought a guide. Or googled, but back in 2006, you probably didn’t have ready access to the internet while you were playing.

On a really annoying ‘we want you to buy a guide’ note for me - Libra seems mostly useless as a skill. It allows you to see enemy data and traps in the world, which would be useful, except there’s a large swathe of enemies that are unreadable. Those would be the bosses and hunts - the powerful enemies you are most likely to want extra information on. Given that you have used resources to both learn and acquire the skill, plus the resource of time in the field to use it, it is really frustrating that it’s so useless when you really want it, and I can’t see a compelling gameplay reason for it except forcing you to use an external guide. Given that a large part of the combat is adjusting your strategy to suit the enemy you are facing, purposefully withholding the information is just forcing you to use trial and error or brute force. Or a guide.

The game thinks it's better at writing ye olde English than it is. I'm willing to chalk it up as difficulties in translation, but most of the dialogue is very stilted and formal regardless of who is speaking and what their actual background is. A third of the party are guttersnipe orphans, a third of the party are pirates and a third of the party are used to royal formalities - they should not all have the same vocabulary and manner of speaking. Similarly, the voice acting has some very weak moments that I absolutely chalk up to localisation difficulties - voice actors have to fit the dialogue to mouth flaps rather than the other way around, and they have some awful dialogue choices to work with, especially in fast-paced cutscenes.

Also, there are so many different non-human races and different human cultural backgrounds - which I love in theory - but they don't really explore anything in great detail. Either the beast races like Garrif and Viera don't want contact with humans and so give very minimal details on their culture and way of life, or they are like the Seeq and Bangaa - they integrate with humans so well that they might as well have been a human in a costume. Even the humans from vastly different places seem to not have any major differences between their ways of life, which considering a large motivation of the plot is war, you would think to see some kind of resistance or protest purely against losing their heritage or way or life. As it is, an NPC in Rabanastre is largely the same as an NPC in Archades.

There’s some really cool aesthetics in the background of Final Fantasy XII that were probably a result of Star Wars (personal hover-transports that absolutely aren’t speeders, the vehicles in Archades that don’t look at all like Coruscant or the huge dogfights between airships that definitely aren’t an action sequence from any movie franchise we can think of, no way…) but otherwise inaccessible to us as the player. Oh, you wanted control of a speeder? How about a chocobo? An airship? Uh, you can get one sometimes, if we want you to, but you don’t get to drive, and most of the time, you’re on foot, bucko. I’m not saying a little speeder chase section would have made the game amazing, but it would have been cool as all hell if we had something like the motorcycle chase sequence from FFVII to break the game up a little bit, you know?

Despite all this, I did have some kind of fun with the game. But it's definitely one where I'm brought my own fun. Like trying to work out how I would rewrite the script to make it more compelling. There are definitely seeds of something interesting, just never really explored.

Things I actually liked, in no specific order:

Balthier and Fran’s whole dynamic. I really like shady duos who have shared history, with the man as the brains and the woman as the brawn of the operation. Optional points for the woman being athletic, agile, and a woman of few words. If I had a nickle for every duo who met this standard…well, I’d have two nickles, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. (see Roman and Neo from RWBY)

The fact that Vaan and Ashe didn’t wind up romantically entangled. Like, I was really worried that was going to be a thing. Especially as the game kept setting up ‘Ashe sees dead ex-husband’ followed immediately by ‘but anyway, here’s Vaan’. He is so young and childlike in comparison to the weight on Ashe’s shoulders, I was really squicked to think that this was a direction they might be going in.

The vierra in general - I just wish we had more of them and their culture. Just give me about 20 more cutscenes where I can appreciate tall bunny ladies who can step on me, please and thank you?

That’s about it. The team dynamic was underwhelming, to say the least, no one really bonded or connected with each other on-screen in any way the player could appreciate, they all just bounced around from plot point to plot point reacting (barely) to circumstances as they came up and never really had a proactive plan or goal.

If you did really like Final Fantasy XII, I'm actually really interested to hear why. If you read this and disagree, and want to point out things you really liked, please do. My opinion is not going to change, but it might help me appreciate an element of the game I had disregarded.

[asinglemagpie]

I think it's because you never really get past their snarky outer shells in the books. You see hints here and there of the soft underbelly but you don't get to explore it.

So fic kind of steps in and give you that, and putting them together makes perfect and horrific sense because they spend a lot of time within the same vicinity as each other - like for nearly two years they room together, have to put up with each other socially whether they want to or not. There's capacity for them to get close.

Then third year they're not rooming together any more - which gives space for missing each other's company, though not a whole lot of it because socially there's still going to be a lot of time together.

Plus you have the possibility of Aaron's complete identity crisis because we all have had to put up with someone who was homophobic and then turns out to be gay - THOUGH obviously in Aaron's case he never was, he just doesn't like how Nicky's gay-related humour crosses lines, and no one enjoys thinking about their siblings getting freaky with anyone (like... my SIL is pregnant, and I'm not naive as to how that happened, but I really hate that it's a thought forever in my head), but it would still be a huge "oh fuck" moment when he realises he has feelings for a man.

Also Kevin "it's easier to be straight" Day having to decide if he can keep that part of himself locked away forever, especially if it means turning away something he really wants.

I also like that Aaron doesn't care about Exy that much. It was a way out of the house to avoid his abusive mother, it's a stepping stone to getting himself into med school where he wants to be (and I do hate when people make out that he's bad at Exy, or he only started playing because of Andrew signing them all up to the Foxes... like sure, he possibly wasn't NCAA division 1 material, but not once does Neil talk shit about him as a player, and you KNOW if he was THAT BAD that Neil would have had to say something!) A lot of people say that Kevin needs someone who doesn't know a thing about Exy to balance him out and help him figure out a difference between his work and home life... and honestly I think that works with Aaron. He knows Exy, but he isn't obsessed. He'll understand what Kevin is saying and be able to have an opinion - and one that Kevin would listen to because y'know he was an NCAA division 1 champion too (at least once, we don't have a canon number on that lol). At the same time, Aaron won't want his whole life being Exy - even if his boyfriend, brother, and brother-in-law are all pro Exy players. He's going to work hard, with long hours, and want to relax when he's home. I can see him putting his foot down and saying that he doesn't bring work home, neither should Kevin. There's room for it in their off hours, but it can't be everything. But he could still go to the gym with him (exercise is good for you), make sure their meals are healthy - but that they're not missing out on eating fun things too. There's a good capacity for balance.

One of the tropes of the pairing that I really like is the "I see you" aspect - Kevin sees Aaron as Aaron, not "Andrew's twin". Where he sees him as his own person, with his own uniqueness, as a full and complete person and not half of a pair. I think it means a little more to me than it does with Katelyn because Kevin has them both in his life. He spends a LOT of time with Andrew. And to still see Aaron as something other than "not Andrew" is usually very beautifully written.

Speaking of our cheerleader - where do I factor Katelyn in with this? Well, I am happy for it to happen many ways. I prefer it when no one cheats, but I accept that sometimes it's part of the narrative. I prefer it when they've split amicably (way before Kevin happens) and now they're good friends. I've yet to go down the Kevaaronlyn pipeline or whatever the heck it's called... I have no clue, since I don't tend to read those. I like threesomes, I like poly stories, but they're not always the best put together pieces I've read so far - but I mean, I'm a decade behind on reading fic still, so I have a LOT of fic to go to change my mind!

But yeah, I guess it's not too different to Andriel - it's two people who have been through a lot of shit, who are snappy and snarky and abrasive, but under it all have the capacity to be warm and soft and have to find to find the people that help them heal.

Also the height difference is often hilarious, and as someone who has been involved with people a foot taller... it's relatable LOL!

People do not ship kevaaron bcs their too scared to ship kevin with andrew but if you do find out why they ship kevaaron please tell me

@ kevaaron shippers assemble

[nobody-knose--archive]

hey all, resident person who does music analysis without knowing how to do music analysis here (looking at you, mind electric post from last september with a few dozen notes), have you ever wanted a vaguely concise list of all the differences between not one, not three, but two different versions of ruler of everything? i made it regardless.

to start, i’ve got to highlight various aspects of the ruler of everything mmmm 2008 version (the reference i’m using to compare the other versions with):

-the bpm is 83

-the key is b minor (bm)

-instruments featured include various strings (violin, cello, bass, i probably can’t name them all by ear), glockenspiel, chimes, acoustic guitar, calliope, drums of course (a drumkit), a specific keyboard synth, electric guitar, bass guitar, choral vocals separate from the lyrical ones (technically not an instrument but i’m including it here for a reason), tambourine, and one more percussion instrument that i genuinely cannot name precisely but theorize is some snare-drum-with-brushes shenanigans or maybe possibly a güiro (sounds like lighting a match, you can hear it in the breakdown part).

-the song is 3:42 long, not counting 13, which is, of course, 13 seconds long

-approximately 32 seconds of it is the outro with only glockenspiel

-notable situations in which there are differences between audio channels include the intro, where the glockenspiel is mostly, but not entirely, stored within the left channel; the reversed cymbals leading into the second verse, where two separate cymbal tones are played in each channel, with very little overlap; the “aaah”s following the first verse of “ruler of everything”, where the sounds switch between coming mostly, but not entirely, in the left & right channels; the reversed “jackrabbit” line, where the sound starts on the right channel and ends in the left, never entirely in only one channel; the laughter immediately following the “wonderful life” verse, which pans between the left & right channels; during the bridge, where there are some backwards vocals that hang out greatly in the left channel and, to a lesser (& different) extent, the right; the final “smile” at the end of the bridge, which echoes between channels as it fades away; and the final choral vocal during the outro, which emanates more from the left channel, though it is still present in the right.

-miscellaneous points in which there are differences between audio channels include, in about the entirety of the “do you like how i dance?” verses, guitar power chords are heard primarily in the left some bowed string flairs come primarily in the right or left (i would guess there’s a cello part in the right & a normal violin part in the left, but i can’t name them by ear), and there’s an electric guitar riff that dwindles off in the left shortly before the breakdown/bridge. during the bridge there is the aforementioned weird percussion bit coming in primarily in the left, two separate reversed synth riffs in the right & left, and another electric guitar riff primarily in the left. during the final chorus, the vocoded (a la taken for a ride 05 ver) and deeper vocals are more present in the right channel than the left & vice versa, respectively, though neither is fully absent from the other.

now that we’ve got this out of the way, time to look at the 2005 release:

-right off the bat, there’s a couple key differences. the key itself is raised up half a semitone, which less places it in a different key & more makes it sound horrendously out of tune with the 08 release. the tempo is also slightly faster, despite its longer length of 4:17 (about 1:10 of which is the glockenspiel-solo outro, about 22 seconds of which is silence covering up the existence of hidden in the sand, with the following 19 seconds being ocean sfx that further lead into hidden in the sand). i’d place the tempo around 85 or 86 bpm, not a significant change, but enough to offset it from the 08 ver.

-instruments featured include- with those that appear in both the 08 & 05 versions in bold, and those that only appear in this version in italics- various strings (i’d wager the same ones as in 08), glockenspiel, calliope, acoustic guitar, real bells/chimes, a specific keyboard synth, a drumkit, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, choral vocals separate from the lyrical ones, that same unnamed percussion instrument from earlier (but more subdued), and tambourine.

boy, that sure is a lot of the same instruments isn’t it? time to move into the meat of the differences: musical shenanigans!

-for starters, the 05 ver sports many different mixes between audio channels from the 08 ver. the intro glockenspiel is located squarely in the left audio channel, leaving only an echo in the right (far less space in between than the 08 ver); the reversed cymbals are mixed together in both channels rather than separated; the calliope is only found in the left channel; the specific keyboard synth is only found in the right channel (this & the previous point apply to the entire track); the small guitar riff during the “powerful job” line that follows the “i’ve been you” melody is mostly in the left; when the glockenspiel returns around the final verse it keeps primarily to the right channel for the rest of the song; the wonky percussion instrument is only in the right channel for the first go of the breakdown, but switches to the left for the transition between the two; the electric guitar riff is far less relegated to only the left, if at all; the reverse tambourine during the transition to the other half of the breakdown is mostly in the right; and the cello (i think) that comes in before the final chorus emanates more from the left channel.

-concerning the vocals in particular for the audio channels, the gentle “ah-ah”s in the first verse move from the left to right channels; the “aaah”s following the first lines of ruler of everything are less concentrated in individual audio channels; the reversed “jackrabbit” line pans between channels more than once; zubin & joe’s vocals across their verses before the breakdown do various things such as taking place entirely within the left & right channels respectively, only having a line’s echo in the one channel, having two different audio distortions/harmonies of a line be in different channels, or having a distorting line pan between channels; the laughter immediately following the “wonderful life” verse is mostly found in the right audio channel; the vocalize following the “you’re making me cry” line is mostly in the left; the falsetto harmony in the following verse is mainly in the right; one deeper, distorted harmony in the intro to the breakdown is only in the left; the final “smile” at the end of the breakdown keeps more closely to each ear as it echoes between them; the deeper and vocoded distorted vocals during the final chorus are fully relegated to the left & right channels, respectively; the “aaah”s following the final lines of ruler of everything switch between coming primarily from the right & left channels; and the echo on the final line is, in one part, offset & in primarily the left channel, and in another part, distorted & primarily in the right channel.

boy oh boy! that sure is a lot isn’t it? what if i told you the part i’m going to cover next includes literally everything else. not being a trained musician, i at the very least won’t start by pointing out every subtle difference in mixing & mastering, and instead catalogue all the other changes i can pick up on. granted, i’m going to ignore the obvious things like sound quality, alternative harmonies/melodies/etc, and different samples, and i’ll try not to restate anything that can be gleaned from comparing the data further up this post

-assorted differences of note include generally greater acoustic guitar use (notably in the first verse), amplified reverb on too many lines to count (the “aaah”s, first verse, and zubin’s lines are notable at least), drastically reduced echo on the reversed “jackrabbit” line, a complete lack of vocal distortion on all of zubin’s lines, far quieter hi-hat from the “practice your mannerisms” line on to the next verse, the chime in the buildup to the breakdown is louder & holds for longer, there’s no glockenspiel immediately following the breakdown, and a far stronger echo placed on the final line.

is this it? is it the end? good question. i could very easily move on & do this all over again with the complete demos version, if anybody cares about that. but from my own point of view, i find that ver to be so different from the finished product that it’d be like comparing a song and a cover of it. anyway, if the tally hallmanac page for ruler of everything gets updated based on all the work i did i want to be cited. the wikia gets a pass though

[celestialevie]

Birthday surprise // Niall Horan x singer! Reader

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: none

A/N: Since it's officially my birthday week and Niall's has just passed, I decided to write this very self-indulgent fic (even though I can't sing, but a girl can dream </3). I mostly wrote this for myself because I adore this human with my whole heart. Anyways hope someone will enjoy this fic just as much as I did writing it.

Finishing the first two songs, you chat a little with your fans. Noticing some of the signs they brought with them to get you to notice them, some of them making you laugh, while some of them made your heart clench with love. Sitting down at the piano, starting to play 'champagne problems'. While you were in the happiest relationship to date now, you still had some issues with your past relationships, where you were made the villain and them a victim when in reality it was the literal opposite. Niall was the blessing you were praying for. So what if you were fucked in the head? Niall loved you just the way you were.

Your birthday was coming up, and you were going to spend it while being in one of the cities you absolutely love touring in – Dublin. Although you were heartbroken because this will be the first birthday you were going to celebrate without your boyfriend, Niall. Ever since you've known him, you celebrated both of your birthdays with one another. His tour lead him to being in America during your birthday, which really sucked. You were both bummed out about it, he even offered to reschedule that concert, so he can be with you in Dublin, maybe even visit his family whilst already being in Ireland, you told him no. You didn't want to be selfish just because it's your birthday. Talking on the phone with him right from the moment he was awake (which was already in the afternoon for you). '' It feels weird to not be with you on your birthday, how will I survive without my birthday kisses and hugs from you? '' you ask while pouting. Niall chuckled and mimicked your put. '' I will give you your birthday kisses and hugs as soon as I see you. With extra ones for each day between your birthday and the day we see each other again. I promise. '' he gives you a smile. And you just pout harder. '' I really miss you. I can't wait to see you soon. '' checking the time, you realize it's almost time for you to start getting ready. '' Hey baby, I have to go start getting ready soon. I'll make sure Jenna calls you to FaceTime and shows you at least some concert if you're not busy. I love you and I miss you. '' as you say that, you hang up and quickly text your makeup artist, she can come over. Two minutes later, her and Jenna (your assistant and close friend) are in your dressing room, and you're getting ready. An hour later, you were done with your makeup and hair and all that was left was to put on your outfit. Ten minutes later, you were slowly making your way towards stage. Quickly texting Niall another I love you, and wishing him good luck on his own show later, you were off on the stage, the intro of your song' dress' starting to play as you were brought onto the stage. Let the fun begin.

After champagne problems, one of your favourite songs you wrote was next.

''... Don Perignon you brought it, no crowd of friends applauded

your hometown sceptics called it, champagne problems.''

'' A lot of you might not know, but this next song was inspired after I was done watching the amazing spider-man 2 for the millionth time. My love for Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield is unmatchable. Just ask my boyfriend, who's been hanging out with Tom Holland, how both of them are feeling betrayed by my love for both Amazing Spider-man's movies. This is How you get the girl. '' The intro of the song started playing and so were the screams of people.

Singing two more songs, you go get changed into a different outfit. Going back onto the stage, you're surprised that your manager Anna is standing there with a grin on her face.

'' Stand there like a ghost

Shaking from the rain

She'll open up the door and say 'are you insane?'

Say it's been long six months

And you were too afraid to tell her what you want, want...''

'' Uh-oh, manager is grinning, prepare yourselves guys, it's not going to be good. '' The crowd laughs while Anna rolls her eyes and smiles at you. '' We have a small surprise for you. '' as she says that, she points on the big screen behind you, when you turn around you are surprised to see a familiar face of one of your closest friends, Lewis Capaldi, wishing you a happy birthday and saying you guys need to go clubbing again soon. Laughing as his face fades away and the next one shows up, your very close friend and sometimes co-writer Taylor Swift, again wishing you the happiest birthday and saying how much she adores working with you and that she loves you very much. It went on for a while, all your friends and even your parents were there. Tears were falling down, and you didn't care it ruined your makeup. And then at the end there he was. My favourite face to see. Niall. '' Happiest birthday to you angel. I wish I could be there with you, just like we are always for our birthdays, but unfortunately I am not there to give you all the birthday hugs and wishes. I love you so much angel, keep rocking the world, and I will see you as soon as we can. '' At the end you were full on sobbing happy tears, hugging your manager and your band. The best surprise ever. '' I am very sorry for being a mess so publicly '' wiping your tears and thanking to whoever invented waterproof mascara for being the reason your makeup is not that ruined. '' Anyway, the show must go on, so let's go. '' picking up your acoustic guitar, adjusting it, you announce the song. ''You are in love. Let's go.''

''(...)

As the show is slowly coming to an end, and you're about to play a song that is about your boyfriend, that he inspired you to write. And Taylor helped you co-write it.

Morning, his place

Burnt toast, Sunday

You keep his shirt

He keeps his word

And for once, you let go

Of your fears and your ghosts

One step, not much

But it said enough

You kiss on side walks

You fight and you talk

One night he wakes

Strange look on his face

Pauses, then says

You're my best friend

And you knew what it was

He is in love. ''

'' Sadly, the show is slowly coming to an end. You guys were the absolute best and I adore spending my birthday with you all. This next song is literally one of the most accurate songs I've written about any of my relationship. When I got inspired by my loveliest boyfriend, I had to invite Taylor to help me write it, as we all know she is the lyrics master. Lover is one of my many nicknames I use for Niall, and I know that he's probably watching this or will watch it later, so hi Niall. '' you wave to one of the camera's while the crowd laughs. Gently, you start playing the guitar.

What you didn't know is that your boyfriend is a liar and is actually hiding with your assistant Jenna, waiting to come on the stage to surprise you. Of course, he wouldn't miss your birthday, even if he has to reschedule the concerts. You were absolutely worth it. As he waits for the part of the song he's gonna crash in, Jenna and Anna are making sure you don't accidentally notice Niall before time. The plan is for Anna to quickly distract you on one side while Niall comes out on the other side of the stage.

'' (...)

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)

You're my, my, my, my

Lover '' as you sing that part, you notice Anna waving at you like a maniac, distracting you and mouthing something to you. As you're trying to figure out what is she saying, the crowd starts screaming, and you freeze as the familiar voice starts to sing the next part of the song

''Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?

With every guitar string scar on my hand...''

The song soon comes to an end, and you're bringing Niall into another hug. He just smiles and wraps his arms around your waist. '' Happy birthday, angel. I hope you don't mind me crashing. '' You just shake your head while holding him as close as you can. '' You are always welcome to crash my show. The next song is your song anyway, so you might as well stay and sing with me. '' he pulls away and looks at you. '' Let's go finish this show, so I can give you all the birthday kisses and hugs you want. ''

You turn around with your hand on your mouth, as the man himself makes his way towards you. You're in absolute shock because this man is supposed to be in America. He only laughs at your reaction as he pulls you towards him in a tight hug while still singing. Hugging him back, not wanting to let go of him. Slightly pulling away, looking him directly in his beautiful blue eyes while singing.

'' I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

All's well that ends well to end up with you

Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me

And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover ''

[komoreangel]

𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬

pairing: kazuha x reader

scenario: kazuha takes you to the lake for a romantic getaway, and he finds himself reminiscing of days long gone…ah, but you’re here with him, and that’s the only blessing he really needs, isn’t it?

genre: fluff, kazuha misses his friend but he loves u a lot !! + kazuha with messy hair hdbnd

request: KAZUHA AND HIS S/O SWIMMIGN TOGTHER IN A LAKE <\\3 SO ROMANTIC

a/n: SO TRUE ANON!! man,,,no ones doing it like kazuha,,,sexy and romantic? 🏃‍♀️

he woke you up that morning with a soft grin, telling you he had great plans for the day ahead. you had only just woken up, and already the words that fell upon your ears were nothing short of adoration, along with him trying his best to convince you to agree.

his efforts were in vain, because you would’ve followed him anywhere without hesitation. after getting dressed and grabbing your things, he took you by the hand and the two of you made your way out of the harbor. the crux was temporarily docked there while beidou visited ningguang (which the crew knew could take days, as it was painfully obvious they were more than just business partners).

“kazuha, where are you taking me?” you asked him after a while. you had thought he was planning on going to guyun stone forest again, as the shores of his homeland, inazuma, we’re faintly visible from there. he loved telling you stories about the land of his birth, and always said he’d take you there someday.

“don’t fret, y/n, it’s just a different route this time,” he assured you. however, the farther you got from the coast, the more you realized he had a different location in mind. before you could joke about how he’d tricked you, the two of you stood on a cliff overlooking luhua pool.

he offered to carry your bag and set it down in the sand. “darling, come here,” he called. you went over to him, leaning your head on his shoulder as you gazed at the crystal blue waters in front of you. the weather was rather nice that day, and he was ecstatic to have you here with him.

after enjoying the scenery for a while, he once more took you by the hand, with his eyes only on you and nowhere else. “you want to go in?” you have to admit, the water was gorgeous, and it had been getting a bit hot, as if the sun itself would concede to his wishes. “but i’m just in my clothes, i don’t..” he pulled you closer to the water, slightly chuckling at your protests.

“relax, dearest. there’s no harm in getting your clothes wet, is there? it’s hot enough outside that just setting them on the deck will dry them by tomorrow.” you can’t help but agree with him, especially when he looks at you like that. “alright, but if my clothes get ruined, it’s on you.” you tell him. his eyes light up at your words, and the two of you head closer to the water.

“of course, i’ll take full responsibility.” he replies, and as he steps further into the lake, you follow after him. you move your foot forwards, not realizing how deep the water is, and before you can stop yourself, are falling headfirst into the lake. your hair, along with all of your clothes, are now soaked. to your surprise (and slight annoyance), kazuha lifts you up with one hand, his hands steadying you.

“be careful, y/n. we don’t want you drowning, now do we?” you are slightly miffed that he didn’t help you earlier (because from past experience you know he was fully capable of stopping you from falling) and in retaliation you lean down into the water, as if to look for something. he notices, and turns towards you. “is something the matter?”

“yeah, i’m looking for my bracelet, it fell off in the water.” at this, he also leans down beside you, unaware that the bracelet you speak of is actually in your bag, which he was carrying earlier. as soon as his face nears the water, you push him down, his surprise evident as he lets out a yelp of surprise. you laugh at his struggle, as for once, the man who is always ever so eloquent and full of nothing but the most elegant of words is startled.

his head rises above the water with a tired smile on his face. “i suppose i should’ve expected that, hm?” his hair is wet, and has gotten messy from the sudden submersion into the lake. despite it being a prank of yours, you can’t help but think he looks even prettier this way. you help him up, continuing to laugh as you do so.

"sorry," you say between giggles. he continues to grin, pausing to add, "you didn't actually lose the bracelet, did you?" the bracelet was a gift from him to you for one of your anniversaries. "of course not, kaz. i'd never lose it."

he smiles at you and turns his gaze to the water. it wasn't long ago he was standing here with tomo... hoping to himself that things would forever stay that way. moments like these are when he truly understands the shogun's desire for 'eternity'. for the time we spend with our loved ones to last forever, and for the emotions and feelings we hold dearly to never end.

"kazuha, are you okay?" you've moved towards him, your hand on his shoulder. he falters a bit. "ah...yes, darling, don't worry. just lost in a thought, that's all." the smile you give at his words is everything to him, even if you don't know it. "thank you for bringing me here, kazuha. i know it's an important place to you."

so you'd known what he was feeling the whole time? he'd always said you understood him like no one else did, but apparently even he didn't know to what extent. he feels so comforted in your presence, like he doesn't have to say anything to convey his feelings. you just know, and vice versa.

he's never felt more grateful to have someone like you by his side. maybe, even though tomo is long gone, his friend had done him one final favor and pushed you in his direction. because to be in love with a person as amazing as you, kazuha believes there's got to be some other force of nature at work.

a/n: IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG ANON </3 I MEANT TO RELEASE IT EARLIER I SWEAR. there goes kit again with her wack post schedule. BUT 2.1 IS OUT!! AND SCARAMOUCHE APPEARED!! FOR FIVE MINUTES!!!! all jokes aside IM SO HAPPY HE FINALLY SHOWED UP. LIKE....GENUINELY WHEN I WAS PLAYING THE UPDATE AND I SAW HIM I WAS VERY VERY SATISFIED 10/10 !! i also learned the way i portray him might be completely ooc...which is fine its fine im fine- but i think i will be posting more scara content (whos surprised) just to celebrate plus i also wanted to get this one out before another day goes by where i forget, thank u for reading !! <33

[tellmegoodbye]

I have a couple! I'll also include some of my favorite lyrics just cause I know not everyone will like certain genres or have the ability to listen to a song right now.

(I actually have a lot more because I'm currently compiling a playlist myself, but I wont go too crazy here)

1. Unlovable - Diamante [×]

This song reminds me so much of TK, especially in season 1 😭 Every time I listen to it I can't help but think about his journey and how far he's come.

"Another love taken to the grave Another one goes right down the drain I keep making all the same mistakes Running out of reasons I can blame"

"Is there anyone left to believe? Is there any good still left in me? I keep slipping further underneath I just want a love that never leaves"

"Thought I had a heart of gold Everything I touch turns to stone Is it my fault I always end up alone? Maybe I'm just difficult Maybe I'm impossible Maybe I'm just one step over the edge You're one foot out the door"

"Maybe I'm emotional Too much to handle or Maybe I'm unlovable"

2. Green Eyes :: Siena - Nothing But Thieves [x]

These lyrics make me think about Carlos in season 1, and I could imagine this song being from his pov directed at TK. NBT has so many songs that could be Tarlos coded but I wanted to mention this one specifically.

"I swear it's true The last thing I expected was to fall for you What were we to do? Just two imperfect pieces pullin' at the glue"

"Sometimes when we lied together I could die and make my peace 'Cause I, I, I'll love you forever, you know And we're gonna beat this thing"

"So I'll hold it all down I hang around 'til you come around, you come around"

3. Time - NF [x]

This song could really be used for so many couples but I always loves NF's lyrics and this one was too good not to include. Tarlos' whole journey could be summed up with this one song right here.

"Way before I bought you the ring We were fighting back and forth like you were wearin' the thing Two passionate people not afraid to say what they think Lead to passionate conversation when it's hard to agree"

"And I know it hurts knowing that I carry this weight on my chest Making it difficult for me to open up and connect Lot of regrets, I apologize for all of the stress That's not what I meant to do, you know I love you to death"

4. If You Only Knew - Shinedown [x]

This song is very breakup-era coded (I have a lot of those, I like angsty songs) But it's also a very beautiful song with a lot of hope as well as heartbreak. I think it works for both TK and Carlos during this time.

"If you only knew how many times I counted all the words that were wrong And if you only knew how I refuse to let you go even when you're gone And I don't regret any days I spend, nights we shared Or letters that I sent"

"Cause it's 4:03 and I can't sleep without you next to me I Toss and turn like the sea If I drown tonight, bring me back to life Breathe your breath in me The only thing that I still believe in is you If you only knew"

5. On My Way - O.A.R [x]

This song is very special to me because I've loved it since I was a little kid. I also think it could apply to any couple but I wanted to include it because it also specifically reminded me of the soulmates scene, and the idea that no matter what, neither of them are going anywhere. Also, the lyrics use the word baby a lot which is very appropriate for them and for that scene!

"When your body, cold and shaking I'll steal you darlin', steal you And when your body's old and aging I'll heal you darlin', heal you"

"Your soul lights the day I'm on my way, I'm on my way When you're so filled with pain I'm on my way, I'm on my way Well maybe, baby, it's just me"

6. Someone To Stay - Vancouver Sleep Clinic [x]

I think this song speaks to the idea of both Carlos and TK needing each other when they did and the fact that they saved each other. It's not about one person needing the other more. It's about both of them loving and caring for each other equally.

"You've been fighting the memory, all on your own Nothing worsens, nothing grows I know how it feels being by yourself in the rain We all need someone to stay"

"You've drunk it down and you've spat it out And nothing tastes like the things you had So tear it off, why don't you let them go? We all need someone to stay"

"You were alone, left out in the cold Clinging to the ruin of your broken home"

"Hear the fallen and lonely, cry out Will you fix me up? Will you show me hope? At the end of the day we're helpless Can you keep me close? Can you love me most?"

And that's all for now! I'm still adding to my tarlos playlist so I would love to see everyone else's choices!

nice ask day

I'm stealing this idea from @carlos-in-glasses, because I love it, so here's a Nice Ask Day request for all of Lone Star fandom: tell me your Tarlos theme song, and why you love it for them! Let's make a big ass playlist.

[lostysworld]

A healing touch – Kaz Brekker x reader

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 (final)

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x reader

Warning: OOC (I hope it's not too much in this chapter :D), a little bit of angst.

Summary: something inevitable happens, that causes you to reveal your true feelings

A/N: I hope guys, you'll like it) Also I was hit by the song "Paradise" by Chase Atlantic, and I think it's perfect for them here))

Masterlist

The weather is perfect. Perfect for visiting your friends in the Crow Club. You don't have any plans for the whole day, and not even for helping your parents in the bakery, so you decide to spend this morning with pleasure.

The anticipation of seeing Kaz is so strong, after yesterday's evening, that your fingertips are tingling with joy. Does it mean, he will finally start treating you another way, more...intimate.

But when you come up to the club's doors, two men from Brekker's guard block your way. As you want to ask what the matter is, Jasper appears behind their backs.

– It's okay, guys. Let me settle this, - he claps their shoulders and comes to you.

– What's going on, Jas? - it is strange, that you are not allowed to go further. The boy's glance changes from cheerful to sympathetic one.

– I'm afraid, you are banished, Y/N.

– What?! Kaz banished me?

What you could possibly do to cause such a move from the man. When you left him yesterday's night, everything was alright.

– I want to talk to him.

– Y/N, I don't think-

– He banished me from the club, and, as I suppose, from the Slat too, and if it's his decision, I will not argue. But I only want to know the reason, Jas, - for a second you are peering at each other intensely. – Do I not deserve it?

– You do.

– Lead the way, then.

You may be a ray of sunshine, as others see you, but you also have a strength to fight back, if it's necessary. And now it is the time.

The wooden ladder squeaks under your steps, and you can swear, that Kaz already learns about your presence in the club. Well, he'd better know.

On the last stair you step forwards in front of Jasper, opening the door in Kaz's office. The man is sitting behind his table, showered with different documents. Rapidly he raises his head to meet you in the doorway.

Jasper takes a step back and leaves you two for his own sake.

Brekker furrows, his jaw's clenched.

– As far as I know, you are banished form the club, Y/N.

– We both know, I don't obey your orders.

You look at each other with such anger and rage, but deeply in your chest you still feel resentment towards him.

– What the matter, Kaz, - you throw you hands up, coming closer. Brekker doesn't move, he doesn't even take a step back from you. – Have I done something wrong?

Your eyes are roaming across his face. Kaz looks tired, as if he didn't sleep that night at all, dark circles under his eyes become more visible.

– Nothing, - he stands out of the table, leaning on its side now with arms crossed on his chest.

– Nothing? Is it your answer? - the man is still silent. – Don't want to give me a reason?

Of course he doesn't have to, but you think, he will do it as your friend. Even if you see him as much more than a friend to you.

– Kaz, we are friends-

– Yes...'friends', - his voice is full of unhidden venom, that makes you furious and lost at the same time. – Your friends are downstairs, and you still can meet them outside of the club.

You still don't understand, but something tells you, Brekker won't explain you anything. He has his own strange reasons, and, like everything else about him, you just have to accept this.

The man waves you off.

– If it's all, - he switches his displeased gaze on you. – I still have a lot of work.

Is it the end? He just doesn't want to see you anymore.

– Of course, Mr. Brekker, - he flinches barely visibly from your addressing. – I will no longer bother you.

You comes out, slamming the door behind your back.

Kaz closes his tired eyes rubbing his face. What did you want to hear from him? What could he possibly tell? That he doesn't want you here because of the constant life-threatening? That he serves as a magnet for all killers in Ketterdam, and is afraid that you will pay his price?

You'd better stay in your little shiny bakery and never met him in years.

The sudden urge to abandon it all and stop you from leaving is overweighted by his common sense, and he just throws everything from his table in anger.

Kaz Brekker is never drunk, but now something is driving him to the bottle of whiskey in his drawer.

Even if the man doesn't want to remember this now, the day, when he first met Y/N, is so vivid in front of his eyes.

Flashback.

It is a winter evening, almost night, calm and snowy, and Kaz comes out of the Slat to find Jasper, whom all of them are waiting for discussing the next heist. And why he of all of people, should look for him?

It is cold, and the man shrugs his shoulders. His leather gloves don't bring him any warm at all and his fingertips start freezing.

After a half an hour of wandering across the town, he finally hears that familiar voice and sees Jasper along with a young woman, who the boy is hugging with one arm.

– Why should I search for you, Jasper, while you're having fun with another girlfriend of yours?

Brekker is grim, but after one glance at the girl next to Jas, he feels a bit confused. Her wide y/c eyes seem looking right inside his soul.

– I'm not his girlfriend.

As fast as the boy opens his mouth to explain, the girl cuts him off. Her voice is calm, but the man catches a sparkle of surprise in it.

Jasper waves her to Brekker.

– It's Kaz, he's my boss, - the girl steps forwards and extends her arms for a handshake.

– Nice to meet you, Kaz, - a mischievous sparkle shines inside her gaze. – I'm Y/N.

Her voice rings, not getting lost in a noisy crowd. The way the young woman calls his name sounds...nice, and Brekker blinks for several times to return his previous cold demeanor.

She still stands with her hand awaiting for his reaction, and when Jasper wants to say about Brekker's touch aversion, the man instantly grabs her hand in his and shakes.

– Kaz Brekker, miss.

Her touch is warm, he feels it even through his glove. And all of her radiates with warmness, actually Kaz thinks it's a smell of baked bread.

A knowing grin appears on Jasper's face and he decides to keep quiet instead.

End of flashback.

Slowly you became a part of the team, and Kaz wondered for a thousand of times, how natural your presence was. It felt like the Crows have been knowing you for their whole lives.

And now you are gone, and it is his fault only. But Kaz would better know that you're safe, somewhere far away from him and his doubtful fortune.

The chilly wind becomes colder, as you make your way around Ketterdam, deciding not to come back to the bakery after your fight with Kaz. Otherwise you couldn't escape your mother's questions.

Slowly your anger calms down, and while the night falls on the town, you find yourself near the Slat.

Knowing this area you would never appear here in this time of the day or without any company, like Jas or Inej. Like Kaz.

You shake your head. Kaz kicks you out of his club like you have never belonged there, severing all the ties between you.

You feel yourself like a little naive girl, who is twisted around the finger will all your trust and friendship stuff.

There is no one except you on a narrow dark street, where only one lamppost is lit. Suddenly you hear steps behind you, that are echoing from dull stone walls of slams.

You turn around to see two men coming to you, as cold shiver runs down your spine. No way it can end up well.

You fasten you steps, noticing that the two behind you do the same. When you start running, you already abandon all thoughts about escaping alive.

In the end you bump into a wall, that can mean only a dead end of the street. Perfect, just perfect. Intending to come back while it's not that late, you doesn't notice a dark side street between two old houses, that may be your escape route.

But you still hesitate, and when you refuse to go there, someone's arm grabs you and drags into the alley.

Instantly a gloved hand closes your mouth, in case you want to scream. This familiar glance of Kaz in front of you calms down your rapidly beating heart, that pounds in your throat.

You exhale in relief, and both stand like this until the strangers' step disappear. He is so close to you, there is no an inch of space in between, but his palm. Slowly, he drops his hand, making sure that you won't scream.

He looks at you intensely like this for some minutes, and when the street is empty and silent, Brekker takes a step back.

– What the hell are you doing! - of course you could thank him first, but just can't hold back these words.

– Follow me.

He nods and goes further, not looking at you, trying to bring you to the safe place. After some time you find yourselves at the Slat with no Crows on the first floor.

Without a word you come with him into his room. Honestly, you don't have a slightest idea, what he is going to tell you now, after you morning incident.

The door is closed, and it feels like your freedom is cut off by his own hands.

– When I last saw you, I was a whiny pain in the ass, - you arch a brow at him. – And now you are waiting for me on the streets to save from a pair of thugs.

Brekker is silently watching you and it starts to drive you mad.

– Did you bring me here to keep quite, Kaz? - you watch him turn with his back to you and freeze. – At least tell me, what were you doing-

– That is the reason! - Brekker slams his hand on the table surface, and you flinch. – You think, that I don't care, but it's not true.

– Kaz-

– I banished you from the club, because I simply don't want you dead. Or this day didn't teach you anything?

– So you don't want me here? - your gaze is locked on the man. – You just throw me out.

– Is it the only thing you've heard?

– Than why I'm here now?

You know, he wants you alive, it is his only intention, but it's time for you to settle this. When Brekker doesn't respond, you go on.

– Oh, I can tell you, why, - you take several steps towards him, and the man doesn't move away. – Because I'm much safer here, in the Crow club or in the Slat, doesn't matter. Any place, where you are, I'm safer, Kaz.

– But you...you deserve more than the Crow club or the Slat, - he comes up to you, leaving a short distance between. – You deserve so much more, Y/N, and I can't give you that.

It is enough. Your emotions overwhelm you, and all anger, resentment and longing for the man you love now turn into tears, that are just flowing freely down your cheeks. You know every thing, that Kaz thinks about himself, and you just want him to shut up. Only because he deserves more too.

– I'm not asking for more, Brekker. Why don't you see it?

– Why are you so stubborn? - Kaz shortens the distance, taking his gloves off. He is watching a stray tear on your cheek, but can't force himself to raise his hand and brush it off.

– Because I love you, Kaz. If you want it or not.

The man stays speechless. Not that he doesn't want it, but he just doesn't expect your feelings. He shakes his head.

– It won't end up well.

– It isn't supposed to end, Kaz! - his answer only makes you cry more, as you turn away from him, starting roaming around the room. Why should he always be like this? – Unless you want it to end, of course.

– And what do you want, huh?! - the anger slowly overflows him. – If everything stays like this, that will only give you another reason to hate me in the end, Y/N!

– What do I want? I want to spend my life with you, Brekker, every single moment of it, - you throw your hands up in displeasure. – But as I see, it's not mutual.

Kaz is still silent, and you only have to leave him be. You don't want to hurt him with your words, and knowing that, you'd better go away now.

When you go downstairs, you see Nina and Matthias, but don't even turn to her, calling you. You know, it's rude, but nothing matters now.

[haikyuu-appreciation-club]

hii!! this is actually my first time requesting so I'm a little bit nervous about this. but would it be alright to ask for hcs with hinata, bokuto, and iwaizumi with an s/o who has this irrational fear of when they're walking and they don't see the person they're walking with in front of them or beside them, they (s/o) automatically assume that the person they're with left them and starts crying or pinging their phone? and when they ask they're s/o about it, they tell them that it was because when they were younger their mom always made them walk in front of her when she's in a bad mood and younger them just thought that their mom made them do this so that she could abandon them and leave them to be lost? it's totally fine if you don't want to do it! ^^

• Hinata, Bokuto, + Iwaizumi W/ a S/O Who Has a Fear of Getting Lost •

warnings: descriptions of a panic attack

genre: comfort + fluff

characters: hinata, bokuto, + iwaizumi

a/n: i’m so sorry that these are crappy, it’s been so long since i’ve written hcs 

•Hinata•

hinata was beyond excited to bring you along with him to the winter festival

not only did he get to stuff himself full of good food but he got to spend the entire night spending time with you

being as eager as he was, he picked you up early from your house and dragged your intertwined hands towards the bright lights that shone down the road

the winter festival was an extremely popular event in miyagi so it wasn’t a huge surprise that when the two of you finally arrived, it was packed with people

hinata payed the large crowd no mind, too focused on the bright lights and the smells flying through the air to care about the amount of people

you on the other hand began to grow worried, with the extreme amount of attendees the chances of getting separated from hinata were through the roof

however, you decided to push away your worries so you could just enjoy the night, taking a deep breath to calm your nerves and reaching a hand out to grip onto hinata’s sweater

but nothing but the cold night air met your fingers as they curled back into your palm

in a moment of panic your gaze swept across the crowd, eyes growing wide when you failed to spot your boyfriend

with shaky hands you fished around in your bag for your cellphone, quickly scrolling through your contacts and clicking on hinata’s name

the dial tone blared through your ears as chants of ‘please pick up’ fell from your lips

after what felt like an eternity the line connected and you could’ve swore you let go of a breath you didn’t even know you’d been holding

“Y/N where’d you go? I turned around but you weren’t there. Stay put and i’ll find you, kay?”

the line cut off as quickly as it connected and you were left clutching your cellphone in the middle of the busy street

you manged to make your way to the sidewalk in your frightened state as familiar thoughts slipped into your mind

he had told you he was on his way to come find you but all your brain had registered was that hinata had left you and was never coming back

it wasn’t until you felt a warm hand on your shoulder that you were ripped from those thoughts

your glossy eyes moved from the cracked pavement to the bright grin that was spread across hinata’s face

“There you are! Sorry, i should’ve made sure you with me-”

he stopped his train of thought when he noticed the hurt painted across your face

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“T-Thought you left me.”

his heart broke at those words as he slid down next to you and pulled you into a tight embrace

“I’m super sorry Y/N. I promise i’d never leave you on purpose. You mean so much to me and there’s no where else i’d rather be then right here with you.”

a sigh of contentment left your lips as you leaned into his touch, knowing he meant every word

“It’s okay Sho, i’m just glad you’re here now”

he beamed at you as he moved to stand up, extending a hand towards you

“Yup, and now that i am we can go have fun!”

the two of you spent the rest of the night laughing and smiling with one another, hand in hand as you stuck by each other’s side

•Bokuto•

bokuto was so excited to take you along to watch your first in-person pro-volleyball game

of course you’d attend his games before but this was the first time you’d be able to see a professional game from somewhere other than his living room television

you were pretty fired up too, growing to love the sport just as much as bokuto did during your relationship with him

the two of you walked into the stadium hand in hand, bokuto rambling in excitement as his eyes trailed across the environment

you followed his gaze, looking about the huge structure around you and the many people that wandered throughout it

you knew professional games were obviously popular but you didn’t expect it to be so crowded

you were growing nervous, subconsciously squeezing bokuto’s hand out of habit as your sight shifted from one person to the next

bokuto’s eyes wandered to you due to the increased amount of pressure youd applied to his hand, wondering what had you so fidgety

“What’s wrong Y/N? Something bothering you? Oh, do you have to go to the bathroom? I’ll show you where it is!”

before you could protest, you were being dragged towards the direction of the restroom

it’s not as if you could turn down bokuto’s offer after he gave you such a confident smile at the door to the bathroom, so you gave him a quick hug and walked in

it was much more peaceful behind the closed doors, the soft music drowning out the anxiety that had previously overwhelmed you

after spending a believable amount of time in the restroom you turned to examine your appearance in the mirror once more before stepping outside

your gaze imminently wandered to the place where your boyfriend had stood prior

only to find that he was no longer there

your eyes quickly darted around the area, head turning almost painfully fast in attempts to scout out bokuto, but it was no use

your chest began to tighten as your breath picked up in pace

you felt light headed, dizzy, and so incredibly lonely

why did he have to leave you here? where could he have gone?

you stumbled, attempting to grip the wall to steady yourself but you missed

before your head met the floor you heard the crinkle of wrapping as a large hand gripped at your arm

you sank to the floor with the figure before you were wrapped in a comforting hug

“Y/N, it’s okay, i’m here. Just try and breathe for me, okay? Look, you can listen to my heartbeat too!”

your head was lightly pushed up against bokuto’s chest as his heartbeat filled your ears

slowly, your breath began to match the soothing sound as you came down from your breakdown

once your breathing had returned to normal bokuto pulled you away from his grasp and gave you a frown, hair falling with it

your eyes wandered around and moved from the sad boy in front of you to the snacks spread across the floor behind him

“I’m sorry Y/N, i just went to grab us snacks. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I love you a whole bunch and i promise i’d never leave you all by yourself like that.”

your shaky hand moved to cup bokuto cheek as you gave him a soft smile

“It’s okay Ko, you’re here now and that’s all that matters. Now let’s go watch that game, kay?”

his grin returned as he pulled you into another hug

“Sounds good to me.”

The two of you made your way to the stands with snacks in hand and spent the rest of the day in each other’s company

•Iwaizumi•

you and iwaizumi decided to spend your sunday afternoon window shopping in the plaza near his home

both of you had things to purchase so it made the most sense to kill two birds with one stone and spend time with one another as you found what you needed to

your dates together were always like this, never too fancy but always giving you the opportunity to spend time with one another, which was more than enough for the both of you

the two of you walked side by side down the sidewalk, chatting and peering through windows at different merchandise on display

normally it wasn’t too packed when you came to visit the shopping center but it was the weekend after all and pretty close to a holiday so it was a lot more packed than usual

however, you decided to pay it no mind today, way too focused on that adorable bag you spotted in a bouquet the two of you had just passed to worry about something like a crowd

you turned to tap iwaizumi on the shoulder so you could drag him to the shop, only to realize he wasn’t next to you like he had been prior

in fact, as your gaze wandered about the crowd you found that he was nowhere in sight

imminently, panic began to set in as tears pricked your eyes

he was gone and you had no idea where he could be in this sea of people

and although this wasn’t intentional on iwaizumi’s part, your brain told you that maybe he wanted to leave you stranded on the busy streets

your sniffles turned into quiet sobs as you cried into your hands, eyes still trying to find your boyfriend through blurry vision

swiping at your tears didn’t help your search either as muffled hiccups began to escaped your lips

you were about to completely give up and breakdown when you heard your name being called out somewhere in the crowds of people

eyes widened as you began frantically looking around for the source of the familiar voice and soon enough you spotted iwaizumi running towards you, a concerned look on his face

you sprinted towards him, sobs still wracking your body as you arms found their way around his torso, burying your face into his broad chest

he returned the embrace, holding you tightly as he felt your hot tears wet his grey t-shirt

“It’s okay Y/N, i’m right here. I’m so sorry, i’m not going anywhere i promise. I love you so much and id never leave you like that.”

after some time your sobs returned to mere sniffles in iwaizumi’s grasp

you felt safe and content knowing that your boyfriend was in arms reach once more

once you’d calmed down, the two of you continued your shopping, iwaizumi holding your hand just a little bit tighter this time around

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

[localwebslingers]

"Of course I did, can't go out traveling and not bring something back for you." he said, waiting for Harry to be satisfied with checking him over before stepping in to accept the hug. With both arms. As much as he enjoyed getting to travel around, Peter enjoyed home just as much. More even, that was where the people he knew and cared about were, "I went north a ways, and don't worry I didn't go too far. No sign of snow anywhere." cold was one of those things Peter didn't handle well. It only took one time trying to travel in winter to make it very clear that was a bad idea.

May alone had given him an earful.

"And then turned west where ran into a group that was passing through for trade. They let me join them to reach a city at the edge of the forest that’s a few days from here. The place was so big I had to spend my first day there just looking around. I already have to go back, there's no way I saw everything there. It had lots of wood working craftsmen from being near the forest, a lot of the buildings even had woodwork decorating the outsides of the buildings." He released the hug and opened his usual satchel, "And a lot of it was elaborate, really fine detailing. I saw some pieces that seemed to be telling whole stories that would wrap around just their taverns.”

Peter pulled two items out, letting the flap fall shut, “They had shops all over the place selling carvings, furniture, you have no idea how many walking sticks I was offered just my first day.” the first item he handed over to Harry hung on a string. Glimmering green and yellow stones in varying shades, cut to be a forest view against the mountains. It was set in a dark wooden frame carved to look like winding branches. He smiled a little and shrugged, “Since you can’t come with me to see the sights, figured I’d bring one to you this time. That's the view from the city to the north. The woman who ran the shop got more customers since I did some of my act for a few days outside her place. She wanted to thank me for it and let me pick it out.”

The smile widened before he held out a book, a little worn but in decent shape, “This I'm actually proud of myself for finding. The shop had some tools in the window I recognized from around your lab so I took a look. It was run by a dwarf and we got talking, told him I had a friend that was studying and he gave me this to pass along. I guess it’s from further down south and was dropped off years ago from another alchemist. He had a copy of his own and it looked like it was barely holding together and said he highly recommended it. So, hopefully it’s not one you already have.” he was able to keep track of things he’d picked up for Harry. Anything that his friend got for himself? Peter was at a loss on.

“How have things been around here?”

\\ @inhcritance \\

If there was once place of the family manor that was undoubtedly Harry's, that was his lab. Oh, his bedroom was his in enough ways, but servants cleaned it and walked it, and he had to be careful. And the gardens, well. While they were the only properly safe place to be in his natural form, excluding his bedroom with the proper magical locks... none of those were Harry's lab.

It had once been a large, airy space, meant as an ample office or a large study, and it did somewhat keep to that function. There was a table and a chair, and shelves and shelves of scrolls and book that would have indicated he was a man of learning, but the air of opulence had long drowned in fire pits, cauldrons, beakers and magic arrays; in the smell of alchemical components and the faint spells he used to mostly hide it under a soft tinge of lavender and ash, and in the way Harry was less a lordling in his office and more of a scientist unleashed unto the mysteries of nature.

But there was no amount of focus that would have made him miss the chimes of Peter's particular entrance to his domains, and no amount of practiced restraint that would have made him hide his grin. It had been more than a month, and Harry only waited to turn until he'd moved the contents of two beakers fully, and then all his attention was on Peter.

"You did?" He asked, however, curiosity piqued as he looked his friend up and down. All limbs seemed in place, and the grin was familiar enough, and the ever-present worry whenever his friend was away vanished easily enough. "Pray tell." But then, immediately, he extended an arm towards his friend, a clear offer of a hug. "Where did you go? What did you see?"

He couldn't help his curiosity, and he'd never really hidden it when dealing with Peter.

@localwebslingers

[venushasvixens]

Ch. 6 Confliction - Life is but a Dream (Spike Spiegel x Reader)

[A/N] I really want to give a huge, huge thank you to @tebdundy on tumblr for editing and dealing with my constant check ups and stuff, you are so amazing for helping me. It means a whole lot. You can find more of me on instragram, wattpad, and AO3 (under the same username). Okay, onto the chapter!

WARNING: a lot of angst, rejection

Your ship was on fire. Every belonging, every single thing you had worked so hard for was gone. Your guns, clothes, even appliances you had never given a second thought, gone. And it hit you like a shot. The moment you took in that your ship was on fire, you shut down. Your mind began to wander. What did I do to deserve this? Why is this happening to me?

The next thing you could remember was Spike shaking your shoulders to snap you back to reality. You struggled to form a response. You tried to open your mouth, give some indication that you could feel and see him. In reality, the only thing you could really feel was a dull ache in your spine, each vertebrae mounting with an odd, uncomfortable pain.

The shock was setting in.

You blinked, eyes glassy as you watched firefighters put your ship out of her misery. There was no noise. You couldn't feel your fingertips, your face. You couldn't feel anything. Just that dull ache creeping up your spine.

Thoughts spiraled through your aching head, moving so quickly you could hardly keep up. It felt like you were at war with yourself, trying to keep yourself conscious and cognizant of the situation, while you sank deeper and deeper into your head.

This is just a small hiccup.

Just an obstacle that needed to be conquered, a hurdle you needed to jump over.

This is all your fault, you’ll never bounce back.

Everything happens for a reason, right?

Maybe if you hadn’t been so stupid.

You always ruin everything for yourself.

You might as well give up now.

There’s no coming back from this one.

You’re a disappointment.

You’ve failed.

It ate you up like a starving monster devouring a poor soul who crossed its path. Dark tendrils of shame, anger, and sadness weaved into your head, wrapping around your mind and tightening with every passing second. You were going to drown.

Push it down. Push it down. Grieve later. Think now. Grieve later. Think now.

You needed to figure out what you were going to do next. You needed to get out of your head. You desperately tried to claw your way out of this state. Taking a deep breath, you tried to make sense of the chaos around you.

You were sitting on the ground, a blanket draped over your shoulders. You felt the cold stone of the dock under your legs, felt the itchiness of the thick wool wrapped around you. You watched as Jet ran over to Spike, shouting over the sounds of panic that had flooded your head just moments before. Spike was staring at you, his face riddled with concern. You heard him call your name. You didn’t respond.

It was usually so hard to read him, to figure out what he was feeling. But now, it was so incredibly clear. You saw the emotions flashing in his eyes as he called for you again. Loss, guilt, despair, mania, heartbreak.

You felt Jet’s strong hand on your shoulder, shaking it gently.

"Hey kid, you okay?" He said, his brows furrowed.

You swallowed. Do not cry. Do not cry. Wait until you're alone. Push it down.

"I think...I think— a glass of water."

-

"How much do you have?"

"About 200,000 woolong."

"Well, that ain't much."

"Well, I wasn’t expecting to lose everything I own."

You sipped your coffee slowly as you, Spike and Jet discussed a solution to your giant, unavoidable problem. No matter how much you told them that you were okay and could take care of yourself, they insisted on helping you. Deep down, you appreciated it, because you definitely weren’t okay and wouldn’t be able to take care of yourself, no matter how much you tried to convince yourself.

You picked at the eggs on your plate, imagining sleeping in your own bed right now. Wearing your favorite shirt. Eating breakfast in your small kitchen. Watching the morning news in your room. Maybe have someone with you, showing him everything you owned like an excited child because you were so proud of how far you came from your first bounty to now. Things you’ll never be able to do again.

You felt silly and materialistic, mourning the loss of your belongings. But when you worked so hard for something you wanted for so long, building it up over the years, and losing it all in seconds? It's very hard to not mourn.

You had tried to pack light, to not become attached to material possessions. That was one of the first things that you were told by other bounty hunters. When you had first considered entering this god-forsaken profession, you sought out the help of any bounty hunter you came across, trying to glean any useful knowledge from those more experienced than you. You got too comfortable and started to ignore that piece of advice, and now you’re crying over some clothes and dishes.

But your keepsakes, your souvenirs. Ties to your troubled past. Memories of old friends, places, and happy times. Gone, burnt to a crisp.

"How much is a night stay here in town?" You spoke up, interrupting Spike and Jet’s bickering.

"You don't even want to know. The further you go into the city, the worse the rates are. I looked at a couple of places, and it does not look good." Jet replied, taking a sip from his mug.

"And staying on the streets isn't too good either," Spike muttered.

"Wasn't planning on it, but thanks for the advice." You snapped back.

The tension was thick in the air between you and Spike. Maybe it was because of your interrupted intimacy from the previous night, or the fact that neither of you had slept for the past 24 hours. But you couldn't understand why he was taking his frustration out on you. You hadn’t planned for your ship to burn to ash. You didn’t want to be a burden.

"I have a suggestion. Well, more of a proposal." Jet said.

You perked up. "And what's that?" Even before Jet could say anything, you already felt guilty about it.

"You can stay with us on the Bebop until you find your feet again."

You breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do what now?!" Spike hissed softly.

"But, "Jet held up his hand to Spike, who sighed loudly, annoyed. "I have a few conditions."

It kind of pissed you off how Spike was reacting to all of this. Actually, kind of was an understatement. It really pissed you off, almost offended you on how he was acting. Just a few hours ago, he was desperate to get into your pants, and now he was throwing a hissy fit at the thought of you living on the Bebop. Isn't this a good thing, you being able to spend more time together?

"Just contribute to the Bebop. Whenever you cash in a bounty, set some aside for fuel, food, all that good jazz. Maybe cook dinner sometimes, or clean the bathroom. Other than that, don’t worry about it." Jet said.

A cloud of suspicion settled across your thoughts.

"That's it?" You asked, “Are you sure?”

Jet chuckled. “There’re other rules, but you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. I have a feeling you know how to respect other people’s spaces and belongings. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

You glanced at Spike, who was leaning back, staring out the window. He met your gaze, eyes unreadable once again. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He felt like an entirely new person, one who just wanted you to piss off and leave him to his business. You tried to shrug off his sudden coldness, but it bothered you. It stung.

-

The walk back to the Bebop wasn't too bad, but trying to initiate a conversation with Spike was difficult. All he did was grunt in response, a few "oh yeah”s and “huh”s thrown in for good measure. You hoped it was because he was tired, and not that he was pissed off that you were going to be invading his space.

The guilt was heavy on your shoulders. You certainly weren’t a freeloader, but you couldn't help but feel like you had already overstayed your welcome. And you haven’t even stepped foot on the ship yet. You didn't want Spike to be distant from you. Even though you had just met him, you wanted him to be closer to you than anyone else. You wanted to reach out to him, hold onto him and never let him go. Instead, he was pushing you away.

You weren’t good with rejection. Rejection defined who you were today and had been a driving factor to almost everything in your life. You had managed to take ahold of those haunting feelings and build them into a hard shell to protect yourself, vowing to never show your vulnerability or true feelings. You had pushed the old version of you so deep down that it would never escape. You had been doing so well, but the last few days had shown you that the hard work you put into being a completely emotionless bitch was all for nothing.

Jet was going into an extensive explanation of the ship, where you could take a shower, where your room was. He explained that the Bebop was once a fishing ship from Ganymede, and how he had fixed it up to be a high-tech, fully functional ship of today (his words, not yours).

"She operates well when treated right. However, some of our crew members would say otherwise." Jet grumbled. "Speaking of, did Faye tell you-"

"I haven't seen Faye since two days ago. Her ship was still gone, the last I saw." Spike muttered, throwing his jacket over his shoulder. "Besides, why do you care?"

Jet held up his hands. "It was just a question. Jeez." Spike muttered something in response.

You suddenly remembered the bounty on Faye’s head, but it didn’t really matter right now. That was all on the back burner for now, seeing as every plan you could think of required a ship that wasn’t the one Faye was living on. And you really didn't want to make enemies of your new crew this early on. All you cared about right now was taking a shower to wash all of last night's events off you and getting some shut-eye.

You wondered whether Jet was aware of your previous intentions of collecting the big bounty on Faye. You had asked him if Faye was joining the group for dinner last night, with no context. There was no answer, but that also could mean he took in what you said and was processing what you really intended to do if Faye did show up at the dinner. Remembering your first meeting with Spike, he told you clearly he doesn't care if she got captured or not. So you have two people who are on opposite ends of the discussion. One is in charge of the Bebop and which bounties to pursue, and the other one likes to smoke and philosophize.

The obvious correct choice was clear, but you decide to choose the latter.

"When you come in, don't be too surprised by some of our unique characters." Jet remarked. "You've already met us two, but there are a few more along the way."

"I like to think I'm also a unique character, so we should get along." You replied happily, a tint of exhaustion underlying in your words. Spike scoffed, walking over to open the small hatch.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You snapped, a full night's worth of frustration threatening to overflow in the form of obscenities and insults.

"Are you talking to me?" Spike said over his shoulder, punching in the security numbers on the small pad. The hatch to the side of the Bebop creaked open, landing on the stone pier with a hard thunk. "I’m tired. And when I’m tired, I don’t put my energy into pulling punches and being nice.Got it, (Y/N)?"

You bit down on your tongue. "Never mind. What were you saying, Jet?"

You could hear a quiet, "Yeah that's what I thought." echoing up into the Bebop. Rolling it off your shoulders, you turned your focus to Jet as you both walked into the ship.

Opening a round metal door, you looked up to see a dimming bulb illuminating the cylinder passage. The walls were yellowing, patched with dark, aging metal, and littered with hazard signs. Jet walked over to a ladder bolted on the wall and began to climb.

"I'll tell you, you’ll get a real workout just getting around this ship." Jet laughed, his voice bouncing off the walls.

"Are there a lot of these around the ship?" You said, following.

"Oh yeah, plenty. But if you stay in the living area, you don’t really need to worry about them. I'll show you around anyway, just in case we need you to get something. We wouldn’t want you to get lost." Jet smiled.

He hopped into the center gravity passage, holding out his hand to you. You grabbed it gratefully, not realizing how much of a drop it was to the floor of the tube until you looked back down.

"Oh damn." You exclaimed, looking down. "That's pretty far."

"It’s just 15 feet. Your eyes must be playing tricks on you." Jet chuckled, closing the metal door. "Alright, so this is the lower gravity passage. It leads to the living area, that includes bedrooms, kitchen and living room, and to the storage area."

Spike was nowhere to be seen in the passage. You assumed he was already in the living room, smoking before heading off to bed. Jet opened a sliding metal door marked “Storage”. You peered into the dark room.

"This is where we keep extra ammunition, supplies, and medical boxes.”

Jet pressed a button next to the storage door, one that opened to the living area. The walls were a gradient blue color, illuminated with warm lighting. The staircase was a dark, metallic gold leading to a dark blue platform. On the floor was a yellow couch, and across from it was a single matching seat. In between them sat a knee-level coffee table with a holoTV, a computer, and someone's breakfast. Jet walked in first, stepping down. "This is the living room.” He pointed to the set on top of the table. “You’re welcome to use the holoTV and the computer, everybody shares them.” He chuckled. “I’m not sure whose breakfast that is, but don’t touch it. People are pretty possessive of food on this ship.”

Right as you took a step in, you heard the light pattering of paws bouncing into the living room. From a staircase leading down, two small light brown ears popped up. Then two big brown eyes peered over, searching for the source of commotion in the room.

"You guys have a dog?!" You asked, practically jumping down the stairs. The small Welsh corgi was seemingly just as excited as you were, running and tripping up the stairs to meet you. You extended your hand, letting him sniff you.

Jet chuckled. "Cute little thing, isn't he? His name is Ein."

"Oh, he's adorable. Who’s a good boy?" You cooed, bending down to rub Ein's ears. He stretched his head out, his little stumpy tail going a hundred miles a minute.

"And usually tagging along with Ein is-" Jet was interrupted by the pounding footsteps coming from downstairs.

"They're back, they're back, they're back!" a scrawny red-headed kid rejoiced, waving their arms about. "Ed was worried, but now Jet’s back, and Ed is okay again!"

The kid's smile stretched from ear to ear, clearly more than ecstatic to see Jet back home. They grabbed the plate from on top of the table and plopped down next to a box with a computer on top. They gobbled up what was left of their food, before bending their head back to get a look at you. "Who are you?"

"This is (Y/N), they're going to be staying on the Bebop for a little bit." Jet replied, walking over to the table. He turned back to you. "Ed is a computer genius and a damn good hacker. You ever need someone to work out some malicious malware, Ed’s your girl."

“Hi, it's nice to meet you." You said, giving Ed a small smile and a wave. She scampered over to you on all fours with her behind high in the air, chattering to herself.

“Stranger, changer, danger! Hihi...”

You laughed nervously, glancing back at Jet, who was standing with his arms crossed, looking amused. The girl stopped at your feet. “Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the Fourth,” she said matter of factly. Ed grabbed your hand and sniffed. You had met some oddballs in your time, but this one took the cake. She made a face and jumped back, her hands covering her nose and mouth. "Ed thinks you stink!"

You sucked in air between your teeth. Did you really smell that bad, or was it another talent of this child prodigy? That’s so embarrassing. "Is it that noticeable?"

Jet half-smiled. "Doesn't bother me none. Thought I wouldn’t mention it till you could do somethin about it."

He was just going to let you find out later? No wonder Spike didn't want to be anywhere near you. It wasn’t even your first day of being on the Bebop, and you were not making a great first impression.

"Let me show you the kitchen." Jet motioned for you to follow up a small set of stairs through a large circular door frame leading down a small hallway. You turned into the kitchen, completed with a fridge, stove, oven, and a small countertop. The kitchen was dark, the only light in the room was the dimming orange ashes of Spike's cigarette falling on the floor. He was leaning against the countertop, staring down at his cig.

"There you are, Spike." Jet flipped the lights on, revealing a slightly disorderly kitchen. Spike winced, covering his eyes.

"Jesus, Jet give me a warning next time," Spike mumbled, his voice deep and raspy. Your annoyance and anger at him suddenly disappeared. That voice. You wanted to hear that voice again. You wanted to put your hand on his chest and feel the vibrations of that voice. Every time you tried to find some way to be mad at him again, he just had to stand there, looking cool and intoxicatingly seductive. You craved him like an alcoholic craved whiskey.

"Are you finished with the grand tour?" Spike asked, his heavy-lidded eyes looking away from you and Jet.

"Not yet, but I was hoping you could finish it."

"I’m not in the mood for hospitality right now. I'm going to bed." Spike said, making his way to the door.

"Just show her on the way there. And be nice, she's our guest." Jet warned, sorting the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.

"Yeah, show me some respect." You teased. But Spike clearly was not in the mood. Instead, he turned away from you, rolling his eyes, and walked out of the kitchen

Jet patted you on the back. "Give him a minute, he'll come around."

"Thank you for everything, Jet. It means a lot." You smiled.

"Don't sweat it, kid. Go ahead and get some rest. If anything comes up, I'll send the cavalry after you." He said, gesturing to the living room.

You took a deep breath before heading out of the kitchen. Ed was sitting motionless in a trance-like state, her eyes engulfed with giant goggles. Ein lay peacefully on the couch, watching as you followed Spike down the steps into the living room.

This was the first time you and Spike had been alone since last night. Just hours ago, you were definitely not afraid to touch him. Now, you didn't even want to take a step near him.

"Are you coming or what?" Spike called out impatiently, already halfway downstairs to the lower part of the living area. "I don't have all day."

"I'm here." You raced over, gliding your hand down the rail. Spike continued his way down, turning around a corner. The walk down the hallway was quiet, the silence uncomfortable. Neither of you wanted to do small talk. Spike probably didn’t want to talk at all, but you had to know. You had to ask him.

"Spike?” you asked quietly. You wrung your fingers around each other anxiously. Spike stayed silent, his quick pace faltering before coming to a stop in front of a door.

“Do you remember what happened last night?” You finally asked. Spike seemed to tense up, his jaw clenching. Deciding to press on further, you continued.

“I umm,” you mumbled, “I may have been drunk and you probably were too, but why are you so cold to me now when we were literally about f-“

“This is the bathroom. It has a tub and a shower.” Spike interrupted. Your heart dropped to your stomach. So much for answers. “There should be some clean towels. You can wash your clothes upstairs, Jet can show you where the washer is. Your room’s gonna be the first door you see when you reach the top of the stairs. It’ll be all yours till you leave.”

Spike puffed out a cloud of smoke before making his way slowly down the hallway. You looked at him in disbelief. He definitely remembers. And he’s rejecting it. You and him. Cutting it off before it starts, pushing you away.

You stepped into the bathroom, letting the door shut behind you before tears of anger and resentment started to fall down your face. How can you feel so much emotion for someone who shows none? You lost your home and belongings. You didn’t want to lose anything else.

-

After a long hot shower, you stood in front of the mirror, combing your fingers through your hair. You were going to have to get essentials eventually, a comb and a toothbrush would be nice. But that would have to wait. You rubbed circles on your temple, your impending exhaustion headache approaching fast.

After drying yourself off, you slipped your old clothes back on. It felt awful putting dirty clothes on your clean body, but you were not about to walk around the ship in a towel. You had already dug yourself a deep enough hole with Spike, you didn’t want to traumatize Jet, the kid, or the dog.

As you wrapped your hair in a towel, you heard shouting from outside. You combed through who it could be. Spike and Jet. Or Jet and Ed. Or Spike and Ein, or Ein and Ed. There were quite a few combinations.

“First fight on the Bebop.” You muttered to yourself. “So excited.”

This was so ridiculous, you couldn’t help but giggle to yourself. All you had to do was walk past and not get involved. Unless it was about you, then you would at least try to defend yourself. You opened the door, listening intently.

“What the fuck-“ more shouting. “And you bastards decide to tell me now?!” A shrill female voice was yelling. A table got knocked over. You could hear stomping and more shouting. “Well, where the hell are they?!”

Whoop, time to hide.

You shut the door and the latch clicked with a loud cathunk. You hoped they hadn’t heard it. You were down a big hallway, there was no way that they could’ve heard it. You had a pretty good idea of who the screaming was coming from, and you were not ready to meet her right now.

The sounds of stomping grew louder, getting closer to the bathroom door. Your fight-or-flight mode started to set in. With how pissed she sounded, stomping and roaring, this may as well be a life-or-death situation.

You rolled your neck, stretching your arms out. If you needed to defend yourself, you were going to have to do it bare-knuckled. No guns, knives, bars of soap, nothing. You flexed your hands, cracking your knuckles. You planted yourself in front of the door. The footsteps outside stopped. This was it! You were ready for anything.

Bam!

The door slid open. Faye Valentine stood on the other side, hands on her hips. She was panting from her ranting and raving in the other room. She smiled, her eyes a little too wide. You couldn’t tell if she was happy, crazy, or surprised.

“Hi there, you must be our newest crew member! My name is Faye, it’s so nice to meet you, girly!” She beamed, her eyes manic.

Not the response you were expecting. “It’s nice to meet you too, I’m (Y/N).” You held out your hand. She took it, her soft palms gripping your hand a little bit too tight. She shook your hand. She kept shaking. And shaking. You pulled back, trying your best to put on a friendly face.

“Sorry if I’m hogging the bathroom, there was an accident last night and I was so dirty, I just had to have a shower.” You smiled, stepping to the side.

“Oh no! You’re totally fine. I was just looking for the toilet, I guess I got lost.” She replied, waving her hand.

“The toilet’s just across the hall from your room, how long have you been here-“ Jet was cut off by Faye’s elbow jabbing him in the ribs. Jet grabbed his side in pain, giving you a half-smile.

“Well, I’d love to chat, but I’m really tired. I’m going to go get some sleep.” You smiled apologetically and gestured to the stairs.

Jet and Faye’s voices mingled with each other, overlapping into a confusing symphony of hospitality and kindness.

“Yeah, no worries!”

“Call us if you need anything!”

“We’ll be right here!”

Smiling, you gave a small wave, turned around, and basically sprinted down the hallway to the living room. You heard Faye hiss, “You didn’t tell me she was a girl, dumbass.”

“I was going to before you blew up at me. If you had let me finish, I would’ve. Why are you so pissed off about another crew member, anyway?”

“I’m tired of all the men on this ship, I didn’t want another one. And I thought they were going to take my room...”

Their bickering trailed off as you climbed up the two sets of stairs to your new room. Ed was still on the floor with her goggles on, humming to herself, seemingly oblivious to the fight that had just happened. Ein cautiously sniffed the overturned table, before settling onto the floor next to Ed, resting his head on her lap. You would’ve said goodnight, but they seemed to be in their own little world and you were happy to let them stay like that.

When you reached the top of the stairs, you saw two doors directly across from each other, one on each side of the landing. Spike had said it was “the first door you’d see”, but that wasn’t particularly helpful in this situation. Hoping you were correct, you quietly walked over to the door to your left, pressing the button to open it.

Your breath hitched as the door opened to see Spike fast asleep in his bed. He snored lightly, sleeping so deeply he didn’t hear the hiss and clink of the door opening. His arms were behind his head and the steady rise and fall of his bare chest was hypnotic. Even asleep he was really, really attractive. You fumbled over yourself trying to shut the door. It finally latched, and you let out a breath.

Sighing, you turned towards the door behind you. This one had to be it. You opened it to see a small, sparse room. Closing the door behind you, you flipped on the light. Pushed up against the far wall was a simple bed, and to your right was a small desk built into the wall with an old armchair next to it. There was a closet in the far corner, but the door was locked and some large boxes were stacked in front of it. They must not get many guests, it seemed like this room was mainly used for storage.

Feeling the ache of exhaustion overtaking your body, you flopped onto the bed. It was surprisingly soft, with a pillow and tan comforter neatly folded on top. You didn’t know how to thank Jet for being so kind and accommodating. Next time you cashed in a big bounty, you were going to set aside some woolongs to buy him a thank you gift.

On top of the pillow, you noticed a pair of black shorts and a yellow button-up. Pinned to the shirt was a note, clearly written in a hurry.

Some clean clothes. You smell like shit.

-S

You laughed. He’s straight-talking, that’s for sure. You slipped on the shorts and buttoned the shirt halfway up. Spreading out the comforter, you crawled underneath. You were already half-asleep, and thinking about how breathtakingly attractive Spike looked asleep relaxed you even more. Your mental snapshot of your accidental encounter was glued to your eyelids. It was never going to happen again, but you got to have one taste of beauty while here.

You gently wrapped your arms around your pillow, thoughts of Spike disappearing into clouds of empty dreams. It was so much better to fall asleep to thinking of someone, rather than no one at all.

And even though it was going to hurt, you would do it again and again.

-

[A/N] all I got to say is fasten your seatbelts for the next chapter, slut puppies.

[lauwrite1225]

Somebody to die for.

Finan x OC; The Old Guard inspired Alternative Universe

Summary : Victoria's life is rather simple until she has a car accident from which she ends up miraculously unscathed. A series of weird events animates her daily life, everything seemingly bringing her to a strange man. Until this very man knocks at her door.

Spotify Playlist • Masterlist

A/N : Happy Finan Friday!! As you can see on the moodboard, we are learning more about someone ;)

Warnings : mention of death as always and probably torture? I prefer to warn lmao

Chapter 11 : Welcome to the panic room

Victoria stares silently at the plate of vegetables resting in front of her. She isn’t hungry, even the sight of food disgusts her. She pushes it away and stands up from the chair. Warned by the sound, Sophie turns away from the dishes she is washing.

“Victoria.” She sighs worriedly. “You need to eat something. Letting you starve won’t make him come back.”

Vicky rolls her eyes while walking out of the kitchen to join Osferth outside. Since first lights the monk has been searching for any clues that could tell them who the men from last night are and consequently where they are keeping Finan. Victoria tried to help but the lack of results quickly angered her. However, she can’t stay still, feeling like her blood would boil if she did. She’s first been upset with Osferth after he has told them he tried to prevent the men from coming inside, which only resulted in him being killed. Maybe if he hadn’t, he could have prevented Finan from being taken away. But when she saw how guilty Osferth was already looking, she tried to ease her rage. Instead it turned against herself, for being the whole reason they have been in trouble. Of course, she had no ideas as to why they needed her specifically, but maybe if she had made herself known they would have gotten answers. She would have undoubtedly been taken away but Finan would be safe by now, him who has nothing to do with that. 

That’s another question that troubles her: why taking him when it’s her they were searching? She’s sure they want her for her immortality, they could have found out about Finan’s during a fight. Her heart squeezes as tight as her fists at the idea of what he could be enduring while they are still, unable to save him. If only she could still dream of him, it would have given her a way to find him.

Exhausted by all her emotions and after a sleepless night, Victoria falls asleep even before sunset. She's not surprised when the first thing she sees is Sihtric's face. Though, this time he's wearing a modern outfit, a dark leather jacket above a white t-shirt. He looks anxious, his different coloured eyes looking around constantly. There seems to be a lot of agitation around him so Vicky spins around to see and a weird feeling takes her, she knows this place. He is in a clearing, full of armed men starting to encircle a small stoned house illuminated by the light of vehicles. She knows this place. A man is standing in the middle, grey hair and a clean shaved face of what she can see, talking to whoever is in the house. Then the door of the house opens and two men come out, raising their hands in sign of peace. They talk for a moment with the grey haired man before with a simple move of his hand soldiers start to walk toward the front door. One of the men tries to prevent them from entering and Vicky jumps at the sound of a shot. She heard this sound. The other man, bearded, catches him as a red stain starts to spread in the middle of his chest. He stays by his side, holding his hand tightly while the men enter the house. They spend a while inside before coming back, the first one shaking his head. The grey haired man seems upset and barks to kill the other still next to his dying if not yet dead friend.

That's when Sihtric finally moves, walking out of the shadow and Vicky can feel his rise of confidence and anger as he barks back to wait. The man who looked awkwardly relieved to be executed stares at Sihtric with wide eyes, a clear surprise and disbelief playing in his pupils. She knows this man. The Dane ignores him and walks toward who Vicky supposes is the chief.

“He could help us to find her.” He says and the older man raises an eyebrow at him. 

“How are you so sure?” He asks, narrowing his eyes, wary.

Sihtric glances back at the man who's now shaking his head, trying to silently dissuade him, but he doesn't care. “I know, that is all.” He answers, almost whispering. 

Even if the older man seems unsatisfied by Sihtric's answer, he agrees and orders a few soldiers to take the bearded man. He wrestles when they grab his arms, trying to kick them as he shouts Sihtric's name and he is taken away under the Dane's confident eyes.

Vicky wakes up suddenly, gasping for breath as she realizes what she has just seen. Sihtric was here, with the men searching for her and he was the one ordering for Finan to be taken. She can hardly believe it but it gives her some logical answers on how they keep succeeding to find her, they are using Sihtric's dreams. 

She gets out of her bed and notices the light in the kitchen. She finds Osferth in it, drinking a beer while the darkness of the night outside is still far from fading. The monk looks up at her, frowning at her heavy breath. 

“Are you alright?” He asks her, starting to stand up but Vicky sits on a chair in front before he has the chance to.

“Sihtric… Sihtric was here.” She tells him, meeting his light blue eyes who glaze over in confusion in confusion. 

“What do you mean?”

Victoria rubs her face, trying to think of a correct and clear sentence before resting her hands flat on the table. “In my dream, Sihtric was standing in the clearing with the men encircling the house.”

Osferth's eyebrows furrow once again. “I did not see him. Are you sure?”

“I am.” She assures him. “I saw you die, Finan was holding your hand. Then, when they stopped checking the house, a man ordered Finan to be killed as well but Sihtric prevented them and took him away.”

The monk sighs desperately and buries his face between his hands. He stays silent for a long time before joining his fingers to press his lips on his thumbs. “Why did he take Finan and not me then?”

Vicky opens her mouth, trying to remember what Sihtric said to the leader but she can't remember. “I don't know.” She answers, looking down. 

“Do you think he finds you because of the dreams?” Osferth demands carefully and Vicky nods. “Then he is going to find you again.”

She clenches her jaw, her fingers drumming nervously on the table. Her friend keeps staring at her intently while she thinks. As long as she isn’t rid of her dreams with Sihtric, he'll keep telling whoever the men wanting her are where she is. Her and him are linked until they finally meet. Suddenly, her fingers freeze and she stares back at Osferth.

“I have to meet him.”

“Sihtric?”

“Yes.” She confirms. “He can find me, but I also can find him. I can determine where Finan is and once we are there, I have to meet Sihtric to be freed of our dreams. He won't be able to find me anymore, and we will just have to hide somewhere else.”

Osferth visibly hesitates, his head leaning on a side then the other. “If he took Finan, it might be because he knows you'll go save him, because he is important to you.” Vicky can't help but blush at Osferth's words, biting her lips. “And he'll know we are coming. It's jumping into the lion's den.”

Vicky can only agree with Osferth, it's another risky plan, more likely to turn badly, but she doesn't see any other way out. “I know. But Sihtric and I can't escape each other, if we don't try, we'll be playing cat and mouse for God knows how long.”

After a few minutes of reflection, the monk agrees to her plan but it doesn’t relieve Vicky much, the hardest is to come. When Sophie wakes up, they tell her of their plan, and she doesn’t even have to speak for them to understand that she isn’t pleased with this plan.

“That’s complete madness!” She exclaims to the two immortals sitting on the couch. “There’s no way it goes perfectly well.”

Vicky rubs the back of her neck. “We know, but we have to try, for Finan and to get rid of them for good.” 

Sophie sighs, her hands resting on her hips. “Très bien.” She pushes her glasses which had slid too low on her nose and looks at them again. “But I’m coming with you.”

“What?! No!” Osferth replies, standing up.

She shakes her finger before pressing it on his chest. “That’s not a choice. I’m coming that’s all.”

Osferth spends the following days trying to convince her to not come with them, that it is too dangerous, but Sophie reveals herself to be extremely stubborn, and during dinner he finally gives up, which gives an amused smile to Vicky, despite her very low mood this time. 

Vicky spends most of her time concentrating on her dreams, drawing any faces or places she sees, and writing any word or discussion she remembers down. She succeeds to determine that Sihtric is somewhere in Germany and still in the regular presence of the grey haired man. In her drawing, he looks about seventy, with strong features but an awkward warm gaze. There’s something in the man that weirdly initiates confidence.

One night, she stands in a dark and cold cell with only an old bed furnishing it. Sihtric waits near the door while two men carry and then drop a man on the floor. Vicky gasps when she recognizes Finan, His face pale and dark marks coloring below his eyes, his clothes are soaked making him shiver in them. Sihtric looks at him pitifully and when the door closes, he makes a step forward and Finan who is now sitting crawls back until he is against the wall. The Dane keeps walking until he crouches to be at his eye level. 

“You know how to make it stop.” Sihtric says, in a cold tone. 

Finan huffs, trying to ease the shattering of his teeth. “Why are ya doin’ that?”

“I told you.”

“No, everythin’.” The Irishman leans forward. “Ya’re betrayin’ us.” He growls with the most anger his state allows him.

Sihtric frowns and his own anger takes control. “You were the first to betray us.” He snaps back. “You left us! Not even caring what we could feel and what could happen if you were gone. Do you know what happened to Uhtred? Did Osferth tell you?!” 

Finan swallows hard, his gaze dropping down. He shakes his head and looks back to him. “How can ya allow this? Ya know perfectly that immortality isn’t a gift.”

“It’s not about immortality, it’s about saving people.” Finan frowns at him but he says nothing more. 

When she wakes up, she can't forget Finan's sight, how he looked sick and sleep deprived. It gives her a myriad of feelings, she feels guilty for being the reason he is there, she feels angry at Sihtric for hurting him and she feels desperate for not being able to do anything at the moment to keep Finan from suffering. But it also gives her determination, one she has never felt before. She has never had so much determination in doing something, of course she is biased, Finan means a lot to her and she can't abandon him. She feels a strength growing in her, a confidence in front of a situation far from certain, something that would usually have made her give up.

She talks about Finan and Sihtric’s discussion to Osferth while Sophie is gone to make research with all she has already written down. The poor monk has been in a low mood for the past days as well. 

“Sihtric was the most disappointed by Finan's choice.” Osferth explains after Vicky mentioned he said Finan betrayed them. “Uhtred was angry, obviously, but he forgot. Not Sihtric. Sihtric was loyal to the bone to Uhtred and he didn't understand how Finan could leave us all behind for a woman.”

Vicky nods and leans forward. “Tell me. How did they all meet? Uhtred, Sihtric and Finan.”

Osferth shifts uncomfortably on his chair, his eyes locked on his glass before finally glancing up. “He didn't tell you?”

Vicky shakes her head. “In fact, he lied to me. He didn't tell me of your existence until I started to dream of you. And when he was about to finally tell me the truth, we were attacked. I know only the big lines.”

Understanding, Osferth rests his hands flat on the table and starts to think of how to tell the story. “Sihtric was a slave and the bastard son of a Dane Jarl. He was meant to kill Uhtred with a group of other Danes but they failed and Uhtred kept him prisoner. Then Sihtric asked him to be his man which he accepted.”

Vicky stares at him intently, not having imagined the story to be so complex and tragic. “I didn't know he was a slave.” Her friend looks aside, his lips curling as she guesses he hesitates to say something. “Osferth?” She frowns. 

“I suppose Finan didn't tell you he was one as well.”

Her eyes widen in half-horror and half-surprised, not expecting to learn another dark part of Finan's past. “He did not.” 

Osferth opens his mouth to say something but the sound of the front door opening stops him. They both turn their heads as Sophie walks in the kitchen with a proud smile, holding a folder in one of her hands.

“I found something!” She declares, sitting at the table with them. 

Osferth and Victoria share a glance while she displays papers on the table. 

“So I started by the castle you described.” She explains grabbing a sheet of notes. 

A few days ago, Vicky saw Sihtric walking in a castle courtyard full of men during an evening. With him was the same old man, talking to people probably rich enough to live in a castle similar to this one. The Dane was quite annoyed to stand in the crowd and most of the time remained silent. Victoria drew some of the facades of the building and is now glad to see it has been useful as Sophie grabbed pictures of a castle to compare with her work.

“So I searched when and where such a reunion happened in Germany, and regarding your drawings, I supposed it was the one in Heidelberg Castle, about four months ago.” 

“It looks like it.” Osferth comments after Vicky hands him the drawing and pictures. 

“So I did even more research to find who were the participants and I came up with a few names. But the one interesting us is Friedrich Müller.” Sophie's tone loses its enthusiasm to become more serious as she takes out a real factsheet about him, with a picture of the man in the corner. “Do you recognize him?”

Vicky gasps and nods, the man looking exactly like in her dreams. He is as she guessed in his seventies and retired from the firm he has been running, apparently leaving it to his daughter a few years ago. He is a part of the richest men of Germany and respected as an excellent businessman. 

“Alright, but all of this is pretty… Clean? It has nothing to do with me, nor Sihtric and isn't going to tell us where they are keeping Finan.” Vicky says, impatient to know more of her friend's reasoning. 

“I'm getting there.” She reassures her. “Müller came to the reunion as president of the Quelle des Lebens Stiftung.”

“Fountain of life foundation?” Osferth translates hesitantly. 

“Yes, his own father was the president of it during the Cold War and left it to his son during the 80s. It's a foundation meant to do research to fight cancer and rare diseases.” She explains pointing at a description of the foundation's activities. “It still looks pretty clean like this. But after further research, Müller's father is suspected to have funded scientists during the third Reich working on the creation of a superior man.”

Vicky shivers, her fingers stiffening as she holds one of the papers, not expecting the story to take such a dark turn. “So… You think the foundation is just a cover to their real activities?”

“Sort of. But what is sure, is that whatever it hides, immortality is the key of their research.” Sophie concludes, a heavy silence growing in the room right after. 

Even with answers, Victoria feels still lost as new questions arise in her mind. She tries to push them away and concentrate on what they know. Finan is somewhere in Germany, according to Sophie somewhere near Munich as the head of the foundation is located there. Their destination is settled and they spend the afternoon preparing for leaving for Germany.

A/N : Sihtric part of the bad guys, did you expect that ? 👀

Tag :​ @for-bebbanburg @osferth @maggiescarborough ​ @finansarms ​ @dumbledoreisnotmyhubby @solinarimoon @wardl0w