#ah i love her + i love that outfit + that dramatic pose

[linkemon]

Love is an open door (Neuvillette x Reader)

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Other oneshots can be found here.

ʟᴏᴠᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴜᴠɪʟʟᴇᴛᴛᴇ'ꜱ ᴅᴏᴏʀꜱᴛᴇᴘ. ᴜɴꜰᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜɪᴇꜰ ᴊᴜꜱᴛɪᴄᴇ ꜱᴛᴜʙʙᴏʀɴʟʏ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ. ꜰᴜʀɪɴᴀ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀᴍᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʜɪᴍ ᴏᴘᴇɴ ɪᴛ ᴡɪᴅᴇ ꜱᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ] ᴄᴀɴ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ᴅᴏᴏʀ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴀ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ…

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴏɴᴇꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ᴀ ᴅɪᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ ᴍɪx. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ꜰʀᴇɴᴄʜ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ꜰᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴᴇ. ɪ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ, ꜱᴏ ɪ ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ. 2. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴄʜᴏɴ ǫᴜᴇꜱᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴀꜱɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ɴᴇᴜᴠɪʟʟᴇᴛᴛᴇ'ꜱ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴛʏ, ꜱᴏ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪᴛ.

Low-flying books never posed much of a threat to Fontaine. Or at least that's what the Palais Mermonia staff thought until last week.  

— How long will it take? — whispered the young girl to herself, carrying a stack of documents.  

She didn't have to wait long for an answer.  

— Where's the next part?! — A dramatic voice came from behind the door and immediately after that the latest novel from Inazuma flew out the door.  

The pages fluttered in the air. The older friend pulled the younger one back. They miraculously avoided a sudden encounter with literature. More specifically, the best-selling recent romance novel from the Nation of Eternity. 

— Lady Furina, unfortunately that was the last part. We have contacted Yae Publishing House but Zhenyu has no plans to publish the next one yet because it is a new series. — The man behind the door explained patiently. 

—Ah! You don't understand the seriousness of the situation... It was not an ordinary read but a feast for the imagination. A sensually stimulating treatise on momentous deeds. Two tragic lovers brought together by fate. Their emotions could not see the light of day. Now they suffer and they don't even know if fate will put them on a common path again! Without the next part, my life becomes BORING! Only ugly, naked and gray reality!  

The Archon spread herself helplessly on the soft sofa. Her head hung down and her leg dangled steadily behind the backrest. Her outfit seemed to blend in with the blue upholstery. Thus, it created a sense of unity with the furniture. A very woefully dissatisfied unity.  

— Yes, but there's nothing we can do about it...  

—Toodaloo! — she suggestively asked the employee to leave the room.  

Just as he was about to cross the doorstep with a sigh of relief, the archon's voice stopped him.  

— STOP!

He just hoped he wouldn't have to look for another series. Lady Furina had probably read every possible drama and she didn't even want to hear about the bad ones.  

— What is Mademoiselle [Reader] doing here again this week? — She narrowed her eyes as if that would help her find the answer.  

Indeed, one of the main employees of the Opera Epiclese slipped through the door. Furina has performed on the stage of the opera many times. But she couldn't say she knew her particularly well. The woman did not deal with art but was a kind of a link between the palace and the court. In addition, she was usually up to her's ears in court documents. It was even more special that lately she had appeared here almost every time the archon threw another part of the series out through the door.  

— Mademoiselle [Reader] has been very busy lately. I think she's overwhelmed by it all. She was even sick recently. It seems to me that she has many matters to discuss with Monsieur Neuvillette and…  

— I SEE! So that's how it is! — Furina jumped off the sofa as if she had gained new energy.  

— What do you mean, my lady? — asked the confused man.  

— Isn't it obvious?! It's just a cover. She must be in love with our dear Iudex! — she announced, snatching a plate with a piece of cake from the table. She stuffed the cake into her mouth. She looked extremely happy.  

— I think it's just...  

— Shhh. — She pressed a muffin into his hand. — You must not stand in the way of love. Its doors should be opened wider. And if I know our dear judge, he will close it right in her face. Luckily, I am me and I'll play the best doorman possible! — Saying this, she ran out the door.  

— This can't end well. — The man rubbed his temple. Eventually, however, he ate the cupcake and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards.  

***  

— It should be around here somewhere… — [Reader] mused aloud.  

— What are you looking for, mademoiselle [Reader]?  

The calm, familiar tone could only belong to one person. Besides, hardly anyone stayed to work after hours at Palais Mermonia. Especially considering that no new trial has been announced yet.  

— Good evening, Monsieur Neuvillette.  

Indeed, she was not mistaken. Iudex of Fontaine emerged from behind the glass door. His step was as stately as ever. Even despite visible fatigue after a long day of work.  

— I'm looking for my umbrella — she explained, casting a longing glance toward the empty umbrella stand.

There was a heavy downpour in Fontaine. The woman wouldn't say it was the worst rain she had ever seen. However, the thought of what she would encounter when she emerged from above the small roof did not fill her with optimism. She was sick recently. The vision of such a quick repetition of the entertainment was not in her plans. Sneezing on government documents didn't seem like a good idea.  

— Was it long and black? — asked the man.  

— Exactly! Have you seen it?  

— I noticed it in my office before I left. I didn't know it belonged to you. I figured whoever the owner was they were probably already gone.  

— Hmmm... Honestly... it's a bit weird. I don't remember taking it inside with me. I could have sworn I left it here before I left.

— If you wait here, I'll try to find whoever has the key today...  

— Don't worry. Everyone left and went home a few minutes ago. I'll take it tomorrow.  

[Reader] and Neuvillette stood in complete silence for a moment. The woman seemed to be fighting with herself. Thick, heavy drops continued to fall onto the sidewalk. Waiting wasn't an option but she could enjoy a few more seconds of dry clothes.  

— Ahem — Neuvillette cleared his throat after a moment — you're going to get wet. Please at least accept my coat.  

The material was thick, soft and warm. The woman hesitantly accepted the clothes.  

— Then you'll get wet and I couldn't let that happen — she said. — Maybe we could share?  

— We could share? — the man repeated unconsciously.  

Was this what people did? He wasn't sure. He knew it was just a nice habit. On the other hand, in many years of his life he had never had the opportunity to give his clothes to anyone. And he certainly didn't try to share it.

— You once said that you liked the rain, monsieur, but it would be too much to let you go without anything in this downpour.

[Reader] threw half of the cloak over his head and covered herself with the other half. Each of them was only partially covered. It wasn't the best idea but at least it seemed fair. In this way, they moved briskly down the stairs.

Neuvillette didn't remember exactly when he told the woman that he didn't mind the rain. He didn't think anyone would remember that. And he tried not to give out too much information that could lead anyone to his true identity. It wasn't important anyway. It's not enough for anyone to say anything. Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice [Reader] barely keeping up with him. After all, he was much taller than any resident of Fontaine.

One careless move was enough. [Reader] felt the concrete step slip away from under her feet. She tried to save the situation with her hands. The only thought in her mind was that she could have at least done it halfway and not almost at the bottom of the stairs like the worst klutz. She mentally prepared herself for the pain. However, it did not come. Monsieur Neuvillette caught her around the waist before her face hit the hard ground.

— Everything's all right? — he made sure, which was answered by a nod of the head.  

They continued through the city streets. Few people were walking in this weather. Those who decided to do so, however, stared with interest at the couple hidden under the coat. Some recognized the judge. The woman glanced at her companion but as she suspected, he didn't seem affected by it. She just hoped there weren't any Steambird journalists among the passersby or they'd make the headlines tomorrow in the stupidest way possible.  

A child flew past them. The blonde seemed to be about a dozen years old. A strange tin creature ran past him. If she wasn't mistaken, he looked like a penguin.  

— Hydro dragon, hydro dragon… — he began quietly.  

— …do not cry! — [Reader] concluded loudly. ��

He seemed scared that she was even paying attention to him. With his head down, he ran away in a direction known only to him.  

— Oops, I think I scared him. — She looked at her companion.  

It occurred to the man that maybe he wasn't the only one who didn't always know exactly what and how to say things.

— Does Mademoiselle believe in this legend? — he asked.  

— I think dragons likes rain but sometimes I wondered if it is actually their tears. If one is still here, looking after Fontaine like Monsieur and Lady Furina, then I think it's natural to want to comfort him in his sadness.

It was the first time he had heard such an answer. Usually people just thought it was a magical incantation to stop the rain. Something that was supposed to drive away evil. The rain they didn't like. His feelings were an inconvenience to them. And keeping the sometimes unknown emotions in check was difficult. The mere fact that he often made parts of the city miserable due to the weather already put pressure on him. To keep everything under control and be calm at all costs.

— I think the dragon would appreciate your concern — with these words he left [Reader] at the door of the apartment and then continued through the wet streets of Fontaine.  

***  

— Welcome to Chioriya Boutique, how can I be of service? — the standard phrase echoed as soon as [Reader] crossed the threshold of the store.  

She couldn't see the saleswoman. The shelves were filled to the brim with bales of material. Only in the next room, among the mannequins, lace, corsets and crinolines, did she find familiar faces. Interestingly, it wasn't just Eloffe she expected to meet.

— Mademoiselle [Reader]! — Sedene and Sigewinne greeted her in unison.  

— Good morning. What kind of shopping is this? — asked the woman, leaning gently over her much shorter companions.

The melusines looked intently at the open drawer. Bows and ribbons were arranged in neat rows. [Reader] had no doubt that Eloffe had spent a lot of time getting them all looking right. The multitude of colors and shapes made it difficult to take your eyes off them.  

— We're trying to find a gift. We can't decide which ribbon is the prettiest. Fortunately, we have today off, added Sedene.  

Melusine straightened her uniform. It was a habit she picked up from the office, where she spent her days at the reception desk. Her clothes were wrinkled from sitting for a long time. She scratched behind her ear.

— Which one do you like? — she asked [Reader].

[Reader] looked ahead, going into nystagmus. She didn't know who the gift was supposed to be for. She assumed in advance that it was a different melusine. Perhaps from the village. It happened that friends who had adapted to life in the capital visited those who preferred peace and quiet in an underwater village.  

— This one is quite nice.  

A blue ribbon twisted into a bow was decorated with a single pink shell. It wasn't something that half of the fashionable society in Fontaine would wear but the woman knew perfectly well that melusines perceive the world in different, not always typical categories. Considering how closely they were connected with the sea, the choice seemed very good to her.  

— We'll take it — Sigewinne said without hesitation. — Monsieur Neuvillette will be pleased.

If the jaw could actually drop to the ground like in the tiny comics printed on the back pages of the Steambird newspaper, [Reader] was sure that's how hers would be. She couldn't imagine Iudex of Fontaine wearing that hair ribbon. It suited the melusines, but him? She looked at her satisfied companions. She didn't have the heart to tell them that maybe it wasn't the best idea after all. They seemed very happy to finally make the difficult decision. Soon the tiny box was in little blue hands.

[Reader] had her work uniform repaired. To her surprise, there were still melusines standing in front of the store.  

— Actually, I have a favour to ask of you, mademoiselle — Sigewinne began. — I have to get back to the Fortress and Sedene doesn't have time either.  

— I don't? — The blue melusine blinked.  

— We don't — her friend emphasized. — That's why I thought maybe you could bring a gift. Monsieur is waiting at the café Lutece. We will be very grateful. If I understand correctly, this is how human gratitude is defined…

— Didn't Sedene say by any chance that you had the day off... — [Reader] didn't finish the sentence because the box was thrust into her hands and the melusines disappeared around the corner with a loud farewell.

So she headed towards the café. The Chief Justice was hard to miss. He was sitting at a double table, looking out at the street.  

— Monsieur Neuvillette.  

— Mademoiselle [Reader] — The man seemed slightly surprised to see her and that wasn't often the case.  

— I'm bringing you a gift. Sigewinne and Sedene really wanted to give it to you but unfortunately they couldn't make it.  

The tiny bundle landed in his hand. It seemed to [Reader] that their fingers touched for much longer than was really necessary. However, this impression quickly passed.  

— Did something happen?  

— I don't think so, although they were acting strange. Sedene said something about a day off but Sigewinne suddenly said that they had to go back. I hope all is well at the Fortress of Meropide.

Melusines always remembered their duties. They were usually extremely dedicated to their work, no matter what profession it was.

Neuvillette just nodded. He guessed what exactly it was about but he couldn't say it out loud. Sigewinne did it on purpose. She had been pestering [Reader] as his replacement for some time now. She even arranged a lecture on cosmetics after [Reader] mentioned that she wanted to be better at applying makeup. Melusine tried to better understand who she was and what exactly was going on between her and Iudex of Fontaine. The truth was that too little was happening and too slowly for her liking. That's why she stubbornly tried to gently push the two of them in a common direction. Usually, however, with poor results.  

— Wriothesley will certainly handle any problem should it arise. — Please, sit down — the man encouraged.  

The woman looked around the table shaded by the umbrella and noticed a small piece of paper. Sedene's name was written in gold cursive. Apparently the reservation was intended just for her.  

— I wouldn't like to disturb you.

— Mademoiselle could never disturb me. — Neuvillette looked her straight in the eyes, then had a short conversation with the waiter.

— To be honest, I received an invitation for two to a café and I wanted to invite you here but I saw that you had a document transfer scheduled for today, so I decided against it.  

It was true. However, he left out the moment in the story where he simply hesitated to ask the question. After all, as a last resort, the woman could take time off to meet him if she really wanted to. The question was whether she really wanted to. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer...  

— Well... It so happens that the transfer has been postponed, so the trial will probably be delayed. Fortunately, I'm not the only Opera employee. Someone would do it for me if necessary. For example, if I was invited to a coffee shop… 

Neuvillette didn't have time to answer. The waiter brought crystal glasses on a tray. [Reader] peered in curiously, assessing the contents.  

— Is this a new type of Fonta? — she asked, sniffing.  

— It's water. I like tasting water. You could say it's my hobby — he cleared his throat. — If you want, I'll order something else...  

He didn't expect [Reader] to be present today. Therefore, he informed the waiter in advance that he and Sedene would drink water. This wouldn't be strange to a melusine, as they could sense subtle differences that humans usually couldn't. However, hardly anyone else reacted normally to his passion. He didn't find much understanding on this matter, so he usually kept it to himself.  

— There's no need to! — she protested vehemently. — I mean... I'm not a connoisseur and I don't know how much I'll feel something but I'll try. And if it doesn't work out, I can just listen. — Saying this, she took a sip of water from one glass, then another.

She looked serious for a moment, as if weighing the flavors.  

— It won't work, they taste the same to me. — She laughed quietly.  

— Inazuma water has a deep, distinct flavour like no other. The one from Sumeru is a rich and complex bouquet. You have to drink it slowly and for a long time to understand it. Therefore, there is no point in giving up. Take a sip now and another one, in a moment.

The woman nodded. Neuvillette finally unpacked the small box. The ribbon looked different than the ones he usually got from melusines. The pink shell jingled softly. It reminded him of the call of the sea. For a moment he wanted to return to it.  

— I hope you're not mad. I chose it. I didn't know who the gift was for, and Sigewinne and Sedene asked me for advice, and that's how it turned out.  

— It's beautiful — he said.  

But his eyes weren't on the ribbon at all. [Reader] noticed this and looked nervously to the side while tucking her hair behind her ear.  

— Maybe I can help you put it on? — she suggested to break the silence.  

She approached the table from the other side. She pulled off the old ribbon and carefully placed it back in the box. A cascade of long, silvery hair flowed gently in the wind. After a while, they were decorated with a pink shell. Neuvillette turned his head, probably thinking it was over. However, he didn't notice that [Reader] wanted to move something. His face met a pair of eyes shining with concentration. They were so close to each other that he could almost feel her breathing. He felt warmth rising to his cheeks. The distance was rapidly decreasing. Was this the state he had heard so often about but had not yet been able to understand? An inexplicable fascination that drew you closer and didn't let you escape?  

— Can I help you with anything else? — He turned around abruptly at the sound of the waiter's words. If there was anything he regretted that day, it was that the employee showed up at that particular place at that time.

***  

[Reader] looked around uncertainly. Lady Furina warmly assured her that Monsieur Neuvillette needed help and would certainly be in the area. She even offered to give hercompany because she had something to do nearby. Despite this walk, she never once mentioned what the help actually involved. Every time a question was about to be asked, she veered off topic. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the archon did not fall silent for even a second, without allowing her to say a word.

The woman hadn't been here for a very long time so she walked along the seashore to make sure she didn't get lost. The waves gently lapped the golden sand. The sun was pleasantly warm, reflecting the glow of the water. She would have been delighted with the view, if it weren't for the fact that she couldn't find a man and she was getting further and further away from the city. Tired, she sat down by one of the grayish rocks.

— Argh! — a loud sound came from behind her.

She turned around abruptly. As it turned out, she had company. Behind a small rock sat a large Blubberbeast. It flapped its fins on belly and tilted its head curiously. She probably would have left it alone if it weren't for what she found behind it. A tower was being built next to the animal. But not just any kind. The pile was getting bigger by the minute. It consisted mainly of oysters. There was also seaweed and shells among them but she also saw a few pearls in the sand. Every now and then a new animal emerged from the water, each carrying another sea treasure. The white otter nimbly jumped out of the sea and trotted as fast as its little legs could to add its weight. It looked at [Reader] and made a whistling sound. Immediately afterwards, Blubberbeast approached the woman. And then more emerged from the sea. A group of crabs joined in, clacking their claws. She felt cornered. She had never heard of such a phenomenon and was about to slowly start to back away when the otter grabbed her leg. It placed seaweed at her feet. A string of milky white pearls stuck out from between them. Interestingly, they were strung on a silver chain, which made her wonder where animals got it from.  

— Is this for me? — she asked in disbelief.  

Blubberbeast patted its stomach and its companions followed. She took this as confirmation and put the necklace on.  

Suddenly she heard voices in the distance. The men looked suspicious. Their clothes did not suggest the inhabitants of the capital. Tattered shirts and trousers did not bode well, as she realized when she saw the weapons in their hands.

— Can you see that? — the tallest man asked. — We've got some loot, boys.  

He looked like the leader of the group. There was a scar on his eye and a nasty smile on his face. He walked over to the pile of treasures, scooped up a few pearls and bit into them as if testing gold. The animals made warning sounds. It wouldn't take a zoologist from the Institute to guess that they didn't like it very much.

[Reader's] first thought was to escape. However, she didn't have time to make any move. The air became humid. She felt the intense smell of salty sea water. Its droplets seemed to float in the air for a moment. As if someone had stopped time. Immediately afterwards, all three attackers were knocked down in an instant by a stream of water. Behind it she saw a familiar face.  

— Monsieur Neuvillette. — [Reader] breathed a sigh of relief.  

— Mademoiselle [Reader], what are you doing here?  

She couldn't tell him that Lady Furina had led her here. The archon clearly emphasized that this was not a good idea. This is a tragically hopeless idea, full of complexities that there is no time to explain, leading to unnecessary misunderstandings... Do you understand?  

— It worked out that way… — she said sluggishly.  

— I'm glad you're okay.

Neuvillette looked at her neck, then at the pile of treasures, then at the entire animal retinue.  

— You got your gift a little earlier than I planned...  

The woman instinctively grabbed her jewelry.  

— How did you get them all to… Oh — she realized.  

Bad weather after the trials. The fact that he was able to use hydro power without vision. The way he got along so well with the sea creatures and made the sea animals listen to him. Now everything made sense.

— We'll talk about it later but first I'd like to say something. — He looked her straight in the eyes. — You already know that I'm not human. That's why I can't always immediately understand the emotions that are associated with humanity. I waited because I wanted to make sure that what I said would truly reflect how I felt. I'm infatuated. I see you in places you're not and in things you don't touch. I walk through the streets of Fontaine thinking I'll meet you and then I wonder what I would say if we saw each other. And even when I have something in my head, I can't say it when we actually see each other. If there is a crime you should be convicted of, it would be stealing my heart but I know I wouldn't be able to pass the sentence. Therefore, judge me because only you can do it. — With these words, he knelt in front of her and took her hand.  

[Reader] couldn't shake the feeling that Lady Furina must have dropped off the Inazuma romance novels on Neuvillette's desk somewhere among the papers. But she had no intention of complaining.  

— I hereby declare you innocent. — She smiled gently. — First of all, we can go to...  

***  

— What is this even? Hopeless. A total tragedy. End of the world! How can you be so... ARGH... Ignorance is rampant in Fontaine and the great efforts of outstanding people who try to fight the gray, boring reality disappear into the darkness. This is a dimension of despair that few will understand...  

Furina sat on the window sill, with a grimace of dissatisfaction. With an expression that spoke more than a thousand words, she complained about the lack of results from the grand marriage plan she had been plotting for the past weeks. In her hand lay a cupcake, as bitter and black as her soul at that moment, which she did not fail to emphasize loudly and clearly to her employees.  

— I left her umbrella on the desk but he totally ignored hit and she didn't even bother to come to the office. I gave him the day off and a double invitation to the Lutece Cafe. Who did he invite? Melusine. I literally took her to the place where he had been sitting all morning, I stood there for so long and it didn't work because she decided to sit with the animals. — She stuffed a cupcake into her mouth. — Are they doomed to tragic love? Am I not the best archon? — she asked the guard who was just entering the room.  

The man quickly understood the context of the situation. Not that he had anything else to gossip about at work lately. Archon Fontaine's schemes, try as they might, were not that secret. Half the people in Palais Mermonia must have seen her efforts and expected the results. At least the books weren't flying back and forth over their heads. And that was already a success in itself.

— You are the best archon, Lady Furina — as he said this, he placed a crystal bowl full of warm, dark brown cupcakes straight from the oven.  

— Wait a minute... Wait a minute... — Furina abruptly pressed her nose against the glass. 

Her eyes widened in disbelief. There were two people standing at the bottom. She would recognize them from a distance. [Reader] looked from side to side, as if searching for onlookers around her. Once she was sure no one was there, she placed a gentle kiss on the man's cheek. None other than Iudex of Fontaine, who looked back at her one last time with a tiny smile and entered the building.  

— WHAT! — echoed around the room.  

As if on cue, several guards standing guard in the corridor burst into the room.

— Everything is fine, my dears! Furina cleared her throat. — Well actually, the momentous moment has come because I helped love triumph. Like a mystical cupid sent from above to the little ones who do not want to accept this feeling. Remember, when the door is closed, this magical force will enter through the open window! Because there is nothing stronger than love!

The guards blinked in surprise and nodded, sheathing their weapons. Whenever they didn't understand the lady's poetic words, they simply agreed with her. They didn't always have to know what exactly they were about.

— Please contact Miss Charlotte and invite her to the palace immediately for a private audience. I expect that everyone at Palais Mermonia will receive an issue of Steambird tomorrow morning. Whoever handles this has to be in line outside the door at dawn, before the presses start rolling, understand?  

— Yes, lady Furina! — they saluted in unison. 

— And I'll play the doorman in the next musical! — she added.   

[kaledya]

I'm will mess the order of our conversations but I need to explain how the things happened !

So I was on Youtube, and i saw your post about you wanting to do some dark fantasy/steampunk story on your own world (and it is also my favorite type of book but with more fantasy politics I'm writing in my langage) and I was so hyped for the idea like putting some pom-pom girl outfit or whatever to encourage you to do it!!

Like let's go ! You have the potential and I will watch it all ! (Well not that my support can really help cause I have no influence on internet whatsoever but ahah) I will love it ! Like slayyyy🌸🌸🌸

And then I thought perhaps you had some concept art already on tumblr so I go here and then... IMMEDIATELY was attacked by your gift  and I was not ready. Kaledya *take my hamster* Like the doodles are so sooo cute !

First, Narrator is smooth. Ah ! My crazy baby. Just by the shape of his smile you know its over ahah

Second, Lolicia's second outfit (thanks bg3 again) and just, I just love how calm she looks.🌸 You did her so well, I need to try to do a profile like that for her!

Third, my favorite, the Human Lolicia. So pretty! First the doodles with the big eyes ! I love when you do that with the characters its very adorable. And her human face and the look is so Lolicia i think like soft and... unhinged a bit scary. Love it.

Fourth, Vittorio aaaah. So mischievous. *take my Astarion hamster back.*

Thank you ! I was not prepared! I know I was suppose to be. But I was not ahah. I will gift you back !🌸

_

I'm glad you liked the gift ! I will draw more and hopefully get better and better !

And fore the shape-shifting idea of Constantine for justifying differents type of horns is 🌸clever🌸. All questions of people answered just by that!

Also yes thank you, I just play doll with Lolicia's outfit and I justify it by saying its Velvette who makes it ahah

_

Anw I like your OCs too! And yes Narrator steal hearts of everyone I saw, good for him ahah ! Oh yes ! I think even if Constantine had a very strict and extreme education, even princes had time to go out with "friends" even if Constantine never really had friends before Serinity he still had guys of his age to spent time with sometimes and they just had a moment to be free a bit. So teen Constantine and Verdelet/Narrator we will see them in the short story !

I saw Turkish people weaponry in museum too! I don't like guns of our times but old riffles like that ? Yes. And don't mention Berserk like its not a trauma manga 😭 ahah

_

I love all of your designs I just don't say it all the time but I do!

_

I just love when you give all the comments about the chapters, rating about the songs and the ambiance (thank you again i just can't-) and then you just like :

You : So beautiful, I love it but now THE REAL DEAL, I don't fucking care, I want to know ABOUT LOLICIA...

And that just kill me with laugh. Every. Time.

_

Also for your exams (that is a damn important part) glad you made it to your first exam ! And for your boss exam just take an armor, focus on shading and proportion and just go for it. Slay! Everything will be okay *pom pom girl movement* Just slap that ART exam in the face.

The villain career just killed me twice ! Honestly, I can write your villain songs no problem. Let me just kidnapped a musician real quick just in case...

_

Thank you ! And you will do a fantastic animator once you are in that university of animation you want to be in. I'm not even worry, you have made a lot of progress since your first and last animatics on youtube for exemple, from the positioning of the characters, the dramatic effect linked to the music lyrics, the differents perspectives and the little details in the poses and camera work. So continue to be what you are !🌸🌸🌸

Now I will write !

OMG!!! Do you like the steampunk/fantasy theme too!!?? I'm so glad to hear that!! I seriously love this theme, both visually and in terms of the factors it adds to the story.

Right now, in my mind, the place where the first part of the story will take place will be a city that relies on technology and does not have much magic. Maybe it could be a region with class distinctions, a bit like the cyberpunk universe.

Or a universe where there is a lot of life difference between the nobles (wealthy people) and the Lower class people. in Red Rising and Mistborn While one side lives a rosy life amidst wealth, the other side is drowned in misery.

And did I understand correctly? Are you writing your own story about this concept in your own language??

SHOW MEEEEEE (in niffty's voice)

And THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! AND YOUR WORDS MEAN A LOT TO ME, THANKS A LOT!!❤️❤️❤️ And it doesn't matter whether you have an influence on the internet or not, you are someone whose work I love very much, it is an honor to be supported by you!)

---

YAAAAAAAAAY *gently takes the hamster* I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!!! I wish I could draw them more now. I love all of them very much, and I love Verdelet more and more with each passing chapter! Lolicia is great as always and not to mention Abaddon. I want to draw him so bad and I'm so excited for Charlie's meeting with him!

*kindly gives the hamster back*

----

And definitely! Constantine was someone who thought that there could be alliances in hell, but even those he thought friendship was impossible, this changed with Serenity, but it was a very sloooooow process. Even then, at first, instead of calling Serenity a friend, Constantine says this "she is tolerable or I find her amusement."So it really was a long process of acceptance for him.

And yes! Although Constantine had no friends when he was young, he spent a lot of time with people at his age: his cousins, or other high nobles like Verdelet!

And I read that short story and loved it!!Constsntine's training sequence, the dialogues between him and Verdelet, everything!! I really loved the dialogues and dynamics of Verdelet and Constantine. It was great to read the little adventure between them!!

And I love brothel story arcs for some reason too.Strangely, very rich story arcs can occur in brothels. I always think of the Yoshiwara arc in Gintama, it was a really great arc.

Also, the scenes where Verdelet takes Constantine to the brothel and they live there were beautiful!

Con: These pants are not coming on tonight. *" You dont have my attention "by looking at the brothel*

Verdelet:HAH! I never said anything like that *rips out someone's heart and shows it to Con* We're just going to do a live anatomy lesson" *"well.. you got my attention now"*

The short story was a seriously fun read!

--

Definitely! In general, everything that is old seems more artistic to me, even the rain pipes on buildings.

Yes, it was a trauma (experiences traumatic flashback), but on the other hand, it was a masterpiece manga. It was a perfect manga, both in terms of story and drawings.(funny part is, I'm wearing a Berserk t-shirt while writing this part)

----

And (⁠´⁠⊙⁠ω⁠⊙⁠`⁠)⁠→of course I will do this, you always bless me in your writing

And LMAO I love Lolicia and your OCs in general. Sometimes I even say, "Damn the general plot, I want to see these characters."Looking forward to Lolicia and Con meeting *getting ready to draw ship fanart*

And all joking aside, I love the designs you chose for your OCs in general and I also love their personalities. They are so fun to read. On the other hand, if you write a story that is told only POW of your OCs Please send it to me, I'll be happy to read it! 🛐🛐

---

And thank you very much for the support!!!! I hope I can win by working hard But just in case *prepares rope for kidnapping*

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR KIND WORDS!!!!❤️❤️❤️

____

Now it's time to talk about short stories. The short story between Azrael and Abaddon was simply a masterpiece.I loved the dialogues between them, their protection details were very nice.I really liked Abaddon's personality, you really created a beautiful character.

Michael's idea of giving Charlie and Constantine a blessing to prevent them from going to the dark side was really interesting.At least it clearly worked on Charlie. 2x cinnamon rolls

And Azrael taking care of Lucifer's ducks was so sweet!!

I'm seriously excited to see abaddon in the future.

And I LOVED ABADDON'S DESIGN AND AZRAEL LOOKS AMAZING !!!

In short, thank you again for blessing my eyes!!

Have a good day❤️❤️

[alwaysvivid]

- - ⋆ ₊ ﾟ 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐚 & 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐢 @ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 ♡ ˚◞

⚲ new york city , new york

sora and sisi of the global kpop girl group VIVID made their met gala debut at this years carpet. the pair were dressed by donatella versace in custom floral gowns. the pair wore individual outfits that worked together to convey the theme ‘garden of time’. both girls represent the same garden in different times with both showing the ways that flowers bloom and die over time.

the girls were a hit , with both of them appearing on multiple best dressed lists for their appearance. there was debate on their looks as they were seen as too literal. they still went viral for their stunning looks which brought in a lot of new fans and admirers. overall our girls ate that shit up !

“hello beautiful girls ! it’s honestly an honor to meet the two of you.” the interviewer gushed as sora and sisi made their way over to her.

sisi shook her head dramatically as she grabbed her own mic, “no the honour is ours! we can’t even believe we’re here.” sora nodded beside her. despite how fluent she had become she always felt a bit nervous and often let sisi take the reins.

“and this is your met debut right? how does it feel to finally be here tonight?”

sisi looked over at sora, subtly motivating her band mate to speak, “yes it is. it’s so amazing.” sisi couldn’t help but smile , “even at the fittings we were like,” the australian placed her hand over her mouth, in a high pitched tone she jokingly squealed, “ah oh my god!”

“oh wow pretty dress, wow pretty shoes!.” sora joined in. “hours and hours of fittings.” her band mate added both laughing along with the interviewer.

“speaking of dresses.” the interviewer took a long pause, dropping her jaw and gesturing to the girls. “you two look absolutely gorgeous!”sora and sisi laughed, thanking her profusely.

the camera panned from their heads to their toes , making sure to capture every detail of their looks. the interviewer continued to gush over them making both girls strike poses as they continued to giggle. sora lifted her arm, signaling for sisi to spin to show off her full look before doing the same gesture for sora to do the same thing.

“sisi i heard stray kids are making their debut as well tonight . and i hear your younger brother is actually a member of the group?” both sora and sisi nodded along with the interviewer , “how does it feel to be here together.”

“well i love felix i do.” she smiled before jokingly throwing her hair over her shoulder. “but we both know who’s gonna be the best dressed sibling tonight.” the other two couldn’t help but laugh at her as she continued to stare the camera down.

“definitely. felix do you hear that?“ the interviewer joked before closing off her short interview. “you’ve been so fun to talk too, you look amazing and i hope you enjoy your night ladies!”

the girls waved off excitedly before moving over to the next interview.

- - ⋆ ₊ ﾟ 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐢 ♡ ˚◞

sisi’s look was inspired by a vibrant and blooming garden. her dress wraps her is sculpted pastel fabrics embellished with bunches of flowers. the flowers appear to continue grow up her legs as the decorated straps of her heels wrap upwards to her thighs. they finished off the look with her makeup although fairly simple had exaggerated blush that complimented the flowers placed in her slick back bun.

- - ⋆ ₊ ﾟ 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐚 ♡ ˚◞

sora’s look represented the garden after time has passed and the flowers are not as vibrant as they once were. her dress depicts this by having sculpted flowers that only bloom at the top and bottom of the dress whilst being surrounded by overgrown ivy. unlike sisi’s garden sora’s does not grow up her legs with her shoes only having leaves. the look was topped off with a subtle makeup look that was decorated with large flower petals that go into her hair.

- - ⋆ ₊ ﾟ 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 ♡ ˚◞

for the after party their look was still matching. this time the two were each a half of a silver flower and when they stood beside one another it created a full flower. they popped on some silver heels and made their way to the after party.

[christian-oc-tournament]

Skidding in with sparks coming off my heels, panting, holding out...

FARAENA PROPAGANDA!

Makeup. Fashion. Gossip. And annoying the heck out of the main character. Faraena tiz Draler is the royal seamstress in Black Castle, hired by the last "Mistress", or commander-in-chief. She is responsible for overseeing the army's tailoring department, and also making sure the higher-ups have nice things to wear for formal events. She does this job quite well... most of the time. But she and Vellatra, the new Mistress, get along like cats and dogs... so instead of her normal "style advice", she keeps coming up with more and more ridiculous outfit designs...

Here's an old fic fragment:

I took a deep breath, edged closer to the doorway, and... quickly sprang past it. I was about to walk casually on when‒

“Well, hello there, Vellatra,” came her high, girly voice. “What perfect timing! I was just thinking we hadn't had a chat in awhile.”

“I've been busy,” I said, turning back to her and crossing my arms.

“You always say that,” Faraena said with a pout. “And yet you always have time to slip off by yourself for hours on end. You go and do Grandparents-know-what every day, and never spend any time on what really matters!”

“Such as?”

“Take that outfit you're wearing, for example. It's just a plain, solid black and solid gray set with absolutely nothing to make it stand out, no frills, no sparkle, no color, no skin, nothing! You look like just another one of the soldiers! You shouldn't be seen in public with those threads, but you wear that sort of thing every day instead of trying to look like a proper Mistress!”

“What would you suggest?”

“Here, have a look!” said Faraena, grabbing my hand and jerking me into her sewing room.

The room was full of pink lace, red ribbons, and golden baubles from top to bottom. Faraena started digging through a chest of drawers, pulled out a book, and came back with it, opening it and setting it on a nearby work table.

“I've come up with some designs I think you'll look quite ravishing in,” she said as she leafed through the pages of what appeared to be a sketchbook.

“That's what I was afraid of,” I said.

“Ah, here we are!” she said, stopping on several drawings of what appeared to be me. “There's this one,” she continued, “a nice one-strapped one, lots of frills and layers, a dramatic dip toward the unstrapped side‒ that'll make for some lovely cleavage‒ and it's floor-length on one side but above the knee on the other. In back‒ (here she pointed to a different picture) the skirt stays above the knees most of the way until it drops to join the floor-length front panel, and your back is almost completely bare until the big, sheer-fabric bow that starts off the skirt. What do you think?”

“Too low in back. Why am I in that pose?”

“Here's another one,” Faraena said as if she hadn't heard...

Faraena and her husband Raymi out shopping for more fancy fabrics!

Look at her. Is she not simply fabulous? XD

.

[es46]

Airplaneshipping Prompt - Clothes Shopping

- Compared to most of Skyla's choices, this dress was quite presentable. Silky smooth, black with a series of white lines embedded with glittering beads and slung over one shoulder, complete with flowing skirt. Elesa likes it, turning this way and that to examine herself in front of the mirror. Tight on the waist, but overall form-fitting and silky smooth on her skin. Not bad. The design could do with more contrast, perhaps a cut to the skirt to let one of her legs bare, but not bad. If she went back to blonde, got a different pair of headphones, Elesa thinks she could work this into a charming late-night-party theme. A little blend of casual and sophisticated, well suited for a bar or a suite- "C'mon, Elesa, don't take all day! We don't all age as gracefully as you!" Elesa smiles, chuckles. Impatient as ever, her dear friend. Well, if she's going to perform, she ought to look her best doing it. Reaching into her handbag, Elesa procures eyeliner and a lipstick, applying both tactfully to give herself that perfect dash of shadow, that extra glimmer of pink. Elesa admires herself as she slings the handbag over her bare shoulder before turning to the curtain. She envisions a vast stage and cheering crowds beyond, then steps out with a supermodel's grace. Skyla is sat opposite the booth, phone in hand, and she gasps in delight as Elesa presents herself with a flourish. Clapping one hand to her cheek, she voices her wonder at Elesa's beauty, gibbering for her to strike a pose. Elesa loves the way Skyla's cheeks flush, the bright adoration in her eyes, and laughs as she settles into their routine. Elesa snaps from one to pose to the next; playful, coy, innocent, dramatic. Skyla is delighted, her phone capturing every angle Elesa emphasized as she rapidly chirps requests. "That's it, love the pout! Look at the camera now, smile real nice for me. Ooh, maybe a bit more leg on this next one? Ah, you're so stylish!" Candidly, Elesa does love posing for Skyla. Even if the outfits she picked were garish, it was how Skyla reacted so enthusiastically to her presentation. The way she smiled, laughed, joked around like an amateur photographer, it was sincerely gratifying. Of course, these shopping trips weren't just for Skyla to have fun snapping pics of Elesa in gaudy outfits. Elesa's got some outfits herself for Skyla to try, outfits that make her muse on how good Skyla would look strutting down the catwalk. Gathering her possessions from the booth, Elesa smirks mischievously as she holds up a black bag and waves it before her friend. "Alright, sweetie, your turn. I think you'll like this one, it's got just the flair to really bring out your eyes and match your hair. Daresay it'll have you looking real high-fly!" She expected Skyla to laugh/groan at the pun, but Skyla hesitates. The blush on her cheeks deepening, Skyla's expression goes rather shy as she purses her lips, contemplating. Setting her phone down, Skyla takes a deep breath and reaches into the bag next to her, pulling out a package that she keeps hidden by her side. As Elesa raises an eyebrow enquiringly, Skyla sheepishly elaborates. "Oh, um, thank you, Elesa, but I kinda wanted to try this one on first. I, uh, really think it'll be something special. Do you mind?" "Of course not. I'm sure it'll look dazzling on you." Skyla smiles, but Elesa doesn't miss the odd way her eyes avert their gaze, how her expression seems rather nervous now. Skyla shuffles past her into the booth, quickly closing the curtain behind her, and Elesa takes the time to sit down and ponder.

Not often Skyla got antsy around her. She used to be nervous when they first met, but over time she'd gotten perfectly comfortable around her. Elesa wonders if she'd come on too strong with her poses, or maybe that pun wasn't as good as it could've been. It's not an encouraging thought, potentially making her friend uncomfortable, and Elesa hopes that whatever outfit she's picked would perk her up. A few minutes of solemn contemplation pass, before Elesa perks up when Skyla (rather meekly) calls that she's ready. Setting up her camera, Elesa masks her concerns with a cheerful expression, deciding that whatever the matter was, she'd make as enthusiastic an audience for Skyla as she was for her. "Alright, come out whenever you're ready, sweetie. I'm always keen for a shocking experience!" A little giggle behind the curtain, stuttering ever so slightly. The curtains shift, and Elesa widens her smile in readiness to brighten Skyla's mood. Skyla steps out and- Oh. Elesa goes still. Her expression slacks. Her eyes widen, briefly unable to comprehend what she was looking at. Her hand lowers, as she stares with what can only be wonder. Skyla was gorgeous. Skyla was looking absolutely, heartbreakingly, gorgeous. Elesa had always thought her gorgeous, but had she truly appreciated how much? Maybe Skyla had decided now was the time to show Elesa just how well she could model. The dress Skyla wore was a lavish pink and clung tight to her curves, billowing out from the hips into a long flowery skirt that stopped before the knees. Thin straps lined with elegant ties curled around her shoulders and neck, displaying ample amounts of her skin. Florid patterns lined the dress, culminating in large 'petals' curled around Skyla's chest. She's undone her usual hair bun, letting a loose wave of red frame her face, and Elesa forgets to breathe as she stares, seeing how it emphasizes Skyla's contours... Oh. Skyla's blushing brightly, but the smile she wears is radiant. Looking shyly at Elesa, Skyla carefully lifts her skirt in both hands and twirls, making it flutter around her as she moved. Her hair flows smoothly with the motion, the turn of her body showing off her bare back. Had she always stretched her legs so elegantly? Elesa follows every motion with wonder, unable to think of anything more sophisticated than marvelling at Skyla's beauty. "Do you like it, Elesa?" The soft way Skyla asks breaks Elesa's mesmerised state. She feels like she has to remember herself, to breathe steadily. Elesa looks at Skyla as if her vision had been blurred but now could see clearly. Setting her phone aside, Elesa stands up and slowly steps forward. Skyla waits, cheeks flushed and her eyes imploring as she gazes up at the taller woman. Elesa can't say what compels her, but her hands reach out and gently caress Skyla's cheeks. Skyla trembles, reaching to grasp Elesa's wrists, expression mingled between uncertainty and affection. Feeling her smooth warm skin, Elesa feels like time has halted. Skyla looks so magnificently beautiful. How has Elesa taken so long to truly appreciate how beautiful she was? "I love it." Elesa leans forward on impulse but hesitates, struck by how fast she was going. Breathing deeply, she bites her lip and starts to withdraw- But Skyla's grip tightens. Elesa looks at her, surprised, and Skyla looks back with certainty. She leans forward, and her lips slowly purse. She's so beautiful. Elesa can't believe she's taken so long to appreciate that. Mustering her resolve, Elesa closes her eyes and leans in to meet Skyla. The gentle warmth of her breath brushes over her lips. They move closer, a whisper passing between them. The kiss is short, but it's warm, soothing. Elesa draws back with a newfound sense of awe, and Skyla gazes at her with a shy pleasure. Elesa's hands fall from her cheeks, stroking down her billowing dress, and the tender moment lingers between them. Skyla exhales softly, managing a jovial whisper. "I think I'll buy it then."

[pancake-breakfast]

Ugh, too sleepy. Almost done with manga. Can't fall behind now....

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 13, Chapters 7-9 below.

Chapter 7: Catch-As-Catch-Can

Yeah, don't overdo exercise training, kids. Not only is passing out DEFINITELY not good for you, but you can get seriously injured even if you have a spotter. Even if you only get a minor injury, it can put your training back weeks or months.

Awww, Livio looks so young here! Look at his short, floofy hair! I hope he grows it out a bit again. Maybe not quite like he had it before, but yeah.

Do people actually do finger push-ups, or is that just something for badasses in animation and comics?

Training montage!

Aw, man! He got to wear a Wolfwood outfit? I feel robbed.

Ok, Satosugu.

Ah, she's doing that thing again. I think.

Oh, what? Elendira's finishing move is a really big nail? Lame.

She's really putting lot into all this, though, isn't she? She looks a bit rough.

Oh, shoot. It's the nuke.

She senses something. I WONDER WHAT.

Yeah, it was Livio.

I like his simple mentality here. Very straightforward.

NO! No one's allowed to drink vials anymore! NO MORE VIALS!!!

Him? Wolfwood??

Chapter 8: Tipped Wings

CW: Gore

TBH I don't know how the hell Livio won this fight. Assuming he technically won at this point.

Heh. Yeah. "Him" was Wolfwood. But of course Livio knows him as Nicholas.

Aaaaand we're back to my favorite wet cat, Legato Bluesummers.

How does he know Elendira has been defeated? Did he have a little feeler in her? Was he skimming her brain kinda like when he had a little mind convo with Vash?

Dude. I thought you wanted to win this. You guys can't both die to each other in this fight. I will genuinely be annoyed if that happens.

Guernica? You mean the flail thing? That thing had a name???

Heh. I appreciate Legato calling Vash a force of nature here. After all, he is the Humanoid Typhoon.

Awww, look at baby Legato raiding the leftovers from July. Also, hasn't it been like 25 years since July? Just how old is Legato??

Ohhhhh, this is where Stampede got his character design. Like, yeah, they straightened his hair, but I recognize that short little jacket.

Welp, Knives has seen better days. Actually, this is a lovely turn on the way Rem is often paneled with Vash. Instead of a small Vash and a dominating, hopeful figure of Rem, we have a small Legato with a very, very broken Knives dominating the upper third of the panel.

Yes, because the thing Legato needs is another reason to have a psychotic break.

Geez, he's just... scooping up Knives' guts to try and... what, shove them back in? Carry them with them?

He's soooo sad, too.

Knives. What. The. Fuck. Just let the boy cry, idiot. He adores you. Also, talking while you're half corpsified is creepy. Cut it out.

Aww, Vash is still trying to save him. Gods, I wish Vash had found him instead.

Goodbye, weird machine gun doll flail thing. We barely knew thee.

Oh, dang. Legato got the jump on Vash.

Chapter 9: VS

I have no idea what's going on here. At least it led to weird, dramatic Legato pose?

Legato, no. This is not how it should be. This is not how anything should be.

Mmm, Wolfwood memories.

Vash is right. This isn't a fight anymore. But I think Legato knows that.

Oh, would you look at that. Thanks, literally the first panel on the next page.

Ok, but did Nightow have to draw his fingers this sexy here??

Legato's trying, but he's not getting through Vash's defenses.

Huh. Interesting that the Earth Fleet guy with his vastly broader knowledge of Plants would state Vash is a rarity. I like that all his sisters seem very fond of him, though.

Chronica is bitter about Domina. It might have been a bit of a mistake for Knives to off her.

Knives says this, but Chronica knows this, so... I wonder what she's actually planning here.

Wait, just who are they attaching a cable to??

Of course Milly and Meryl would have Vash's back.

Hahahaha, this really highlights the contrast between the two characters.

Love and peace, yo.

Gods, Legato just keeps coming at Vash. He's getting ripped apart by Vash's defenses, but he just keeps at it.

What? Vash? What are you doing?? You... you need that box, don't you???

Ohhh, they're doing shonen battle showdown pose. It's on now.

Aw, dammit. I guess it's on in the next (and final!) volume.

Archive

Trigun Vol. 1: Covers + 1-3, 4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 || Vol. 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Vol. 1: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7 || Vol. 3: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 || Vol. 4: Covers + 1-2, 3-5, 6-7 || Vol. 5: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 6: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 7: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 8: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5 + Bonus || Vol. 9: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 10: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-8 || Vol. 11: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 12: Covers + 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 || Vol. 13: Covers + 1-3, 4-6

Extra Credit: Trigun Vol. 1: Nebraska vs. Vash's Motivations, Vash's Loneliness, Vash's Depression (pt. 2 of post), Soupy Brains || Vol. 2: Coin Factoids || TriMax Vol. 1: Lina, Vash, and a Haircut || Meryl, Vash, and the Pursuit of Happiness || Vol. 5: Knives, Vash, and Hatred for Humanity || Vol. 6: Coping Series: Wolfwood, Meryl, Vash || Vol. 8: The Uncoordinated Counterattack || Vol. 9: Justice, Punishment, and Mercy, The Tolling of an Iron Bell || Vol. 10: Crucifixion Symbology (pt. 2 of post), Merging of Families, Being Childlike (And Why God Hates Chapel) || Vol. 11: New Hair, New Outlook

[magicalrobodokiofficial]

Not just a fan, a Fanatic!

thanks to @weaponsdrawn for motivating me to complete this cool drawing!

Basically my self insert, an intern at the company who just joined, really wants to be part of the Robodoki team. Eventually she realizes she isn't the main character and self loathes that she isn’t fit to be chosen as a magical girl. Diana and Glitch promise her that she can become one if they get the Robodoki team to their base.

Her power is throwing ace playing cards at people, mainly to steal their powers, but also as combat shirukens and shields. The powers she can steal range from general dark magic, like what Redacted has, to Robodoki abilities and even skills that other people have (such as Helen's ability to think of evacutation plans).

The power copy isn’t perfect, especially with the inevitable nerfing of some op powers. Also, the more powers she takes, the weaker each individual power becomes.

Eventually, my self insert snaps outta it by being told she’s the magical girl bad guy and she’s hurting her idols, like it or not.

Miraging Mini-Fic Under the Cut!

///

Abby couldn't help but shed a few tears as worries began to cloud her mind. Her sandwhich was left uneaten, her chips untouched, and her feelings were undoubtably conflicted, to say the least.

She had rushed in to try to calm down some dumb Cookie mirage, and Aian- er- Robodoki told her to butt out of it. To not risk her life to become a magical girl like a lot of interns apparently did, because all the slots were taken. And while she did understand why she said that, deep down, that didn't mean it shouldn't have caused SOME feelings of inadequecy, right?

"...She might as well had told me to stay in my place." She sighed as she glanced at her wallpaper, which sure enough had all 5 Robodoki members alongside her, posing for a picture. "And I'd admit...I was stupid for doing that. But...I dunno...isn't that what MADE them a magical girl in the first place? Rushing into danger and attempting to help? Can't I just..."

Her voice trailed off. A black card was inexplicably wedged in her sandwhich. Even more inexpeciably, she picked it up, and a vision of her being a bonafide ace-slash-magician themed magical girl played on its animated surface.

She lit up. Glitch took notice.

Ah, I see you wanna be a magical girl! Very fucking cool goal, if I do say so myself, even if all the magical girls were already chosen before you arrived. His bratty teenage voice echoed through Abby's head. Good thing we have a way to fix that! Make you the strongest magical girl of them all!

Yeah!!!! A mature sounding voice, Mirai, piped in with more excitement than she usually had. She was trying to sell Abby by riling her up. Letting her excitement overcome her logic. You look like the kind of girl who loves Kirby, right? So we gave the ability to steal powers using Ace cards, which you can ALSO use for combat in any way your imagination desires! And of course, we've developed a maho shoujo outfit that'll trump even Doki's frills! AND all we ask in return is to knock the Robodoki gang out of the picture and into our base! She laughed.

"...Really? This isn't me being punk'd?"

Yep, we're willing to do ALL THAT in order to help a fellow dreamer out. That's what we do in MiraiCo.

Hell yeah! So whatdaya say?

Abby lit up in excitement. "If you're waiting me to say I'm fucking sold, well, I'M FUCKING SOLD! THIS IS GONNA BE FUCKING AW-"

Her words were interrupted by being engulfed in a static-covered beam of magic. The beam then proceeded to encase her in a shattered glass crystal cluster, with the inside filling with the same static she was hit with. Said smoke encased Abby's silhouette as the background turned to vantablack.

Now channel your hatred! One arm broke out of the crystals.

Become what you're destined! The other arm broke free.

Fanatic... The crystal fully and dramatically shattered, revealing her new form.

...Our selfish MEGAmirage!!!

[m-artvota]

i’ve never run to get my sketchbook so fast before,, @glass-scientists thank you for lucy

[goddess-of-green]

More Tobi please !!! It’s so good 😫🙌 I love ur writing so much 😊

I'm running out of Tobi gifs you guys (Part 2 here!)

Warnings: Language, suggestive themes, submissive reader

"Yay! It must be Tobi's lucky day!" Tobi exclaimed as he threw down his cards—his winning cards.

You paled.

This generally wouldn't be such a problem.

Sure, Tobi was suspiciously good at Poker when he needed to be, but you never minded when he beat you by a landslide and proceeded to gloat until one of the other Akatsuki members had to shut him up.

Although, since you didn't really want to wager money on the game -your savings had been dwindling recently and you jumped at any opportunity to save some extra Ryo- you and Tobi decided to instead, make a bet.

If you won, Tobi would be at your beck and call for 24 hours; if Tobi won, you would be at his beck and call for 24 hours.

You knew such a bet could go either horribly wrong or horribly right.

However, you hadn't really let the implications of being at Tobi's beck and call hit you until you saw that winning hand.

Tobi was completely unpredictable and a known troublemaker.

He was always 'innocently' finding ways to insult people or taunt them. You were fairly sure he had some weird sadistic hobby to see how far he could bend people before they reacted violently.

You and Tobi had meshed so well in the organization because you were extremely patient and always reacted positively to Tobi's teasing and jabs.

After a while, Tobi seemed to realize that his taunting and teasing wouldn't make you upset, so he claimed you as his "best friend" and took to following you around in his freetime, you being the only one who could handle his overbearing and deliberately annoying nature.

Tobi loved to cause trouble and make fun of people. Despite his 'innocent' nature, you knew his humor was a little twisted at best.

What the hell did I get myself into?

Tobi was giggling like madman at your expression, a hand raised to where his mouth would be to ineffectively muffle his snickers.

"Y/N-Chan's time starts now! She has to be Tobi's maid for a whole day!" Tobi cheered, throwing his arms up into the air.

You blinked.

Maid?

Fuck.

"M-Maid?" You asked, already knowing that no matter what he responded with you were screwed.

Tobi giggled a bit more, "Yep! Tobi's even got Y/N-Chan a cute little outfit to wear while she does everything Tobi desires~" Tobi explained, his amusement coming off him in waves.

Maid? 'Cute little Outfit'? Tobi's desires!? God, help me.

You sighed, "Very well, Tobi."

"Actually, Y/N-Chan...there's something else Tobi would like you to call him~"

::

Here you are, dressed in a maid outfit.

A frilly black and white choker secured around your neck and your hair down, your top doing nothing to hide your cleavage, and your skirt giving you about two inches of leeway.

If you so much as bent over, your panties would be revealed to anyone in the vicinity. To top it all off, you had a white waist apron with little frills on the ends.

It covered even less than your skirt.

Kami, where did I go wrong? What did I do to deserve this?

Your internal lamenting is brought to halt as you hear Tobi cooing at you.

"Y/N-Chan~ you look so nice, all dressed up for Tobi like this~" He put his gloved hands on your hips, pulling you closer to him as he continued to inspect your form.

You swallowed, "Thank you, Tobi~Sama." You said softly, as he had requested you call him.

You blushed in embarrassment as you said it, unintentionally making yourself look even cuter as you looked up at him through your lashes, hoping he wouldn't make fun of you.

Tobi was unusually silent as he stared at your inadvertently coy expression. His hands still on your hips, and his expression unreadable through his mask.

After a moment, he started giggling.

"Y/N-Chan is such a good little maid for Tobi~ Tobi has a feeling he's going to enjoy this very much~" Tobi purred as he brought his arms up to wrap around your waist and buried his masked face into your neck; his body snuggling into yours in the process.

You gulped as his warm body encased yours.

Is it just me or is it a little hot in here?

You would have tugged on your collar if you had one.

Tobi pulled away from the embrace with excitement as he grabbed your hand.

"Alright Y/N-Chan, you're going to make some for lunch for your master, and then we're going to play a game~" Tobi said brightly, a teasing tone slipping through his usual beaming attitude.

Something about the way Tobi said "game" raised some flags, but you complied nonetheless.

You certainly didn't want to give Tobi a reason to punish you, as he had warned.

You shuttered at the implications.

He didn't mention or signal any sort of sexual things happening, but you could never be too careful. This entire situation was more than a little suspicious.

He's already made it clear he's got a pervy side, if the outfit was anything to go by.

You sighed lowly as Tobi's hand slipped from yours and he wandered off to wait in the living area of the base while you prepared him something to eat.

"It's too bad Tobi has his mask, or he would love to have Y/N~Chan feed him~" Tobi sighed wistfully as he walked off.

Clearly talking to himself, but you were sure he meant for you to hear.

You blushed at the thought, shaking your head to rid yourself of such thoughts as you continued on your way to the Akatsuki base's kitchen.

After you finally washed your hands and got to actually making something for Tobi, you ran into a little roadblock.

You had no idea what kind of food Tobi liked, or even if he had any allergies. He rarely ever ate around you, and when he did you tried not to stare at him too much and respect his privacy.

(Even though you were definitely curious as to what lied underneath his infamous orange mask.)

Even if you had paid attention, you doubt you would have caught much anyway.

Tobi is very sneaky when it comes to keeping his face hidden, and his food is off the plate and in his mouth faster than anyone can even tell what he was eating.

"He's so annoying all the time, yeah! The least he could do is let me catch a glimpse of his damn mug for once, un!"

You smirked as you recalled Deidara's ranting.

Remembering your situation, your smirk slipped away as you considered your options.

You could take a stab in the dark and make something that Tobi may or may not like, or you could go back out and ask Tobi what he wanted.

Neither were very good options.

If you took a wild guess then you would risk Tobi either not liking what you made or having an allergic reaction to it.

The last thing you wanted was to make Tobi sick or unhappy, but going back out to ask posed its own risks.

If you went out into the living room to ask Tobi what he wanted to eat then there was a good chance one of the other members would see you.

Then, they would ask questions.

You knew that Tobi wouldn't hesitate to embarrass you and go into great detail about how you were his cute little maid who would do anything to "satisfy" him.

Your face heated up in embarrassment just thinking about it.

You sighed, biting your lip as you ran through the pros and cons in your head.

You wilted after a moment, your morality winning the internal battle.

Discarding your dignity, and swallowing the last of your pride, you turned around to exit the kitchen and go find Tobi.

::

"But D-Deidara-Senpai! Tobi's not lying! He swears!" Tobi exclaimed, waving his hands around wildly as if that helped his case.

"Tch. Sure Tobi, un. You really expect me to believe that you got Y/N to be your maid?" Deidara scoffed.

It was then that you peaked from the hallway. Calling Tobi's name and desperately hoping that he was alone.

"Ah! Y/N-Chan! Impeccable Timing~!" Tobi said happily, Deidara snapping his head over towards you to see if Tobi really wasn't lying.

Uh oh.

Your face flamed as you tried to retreat back into the hallway, Tobi one step ahead of you, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into the living area for Deidara to see.

Deidara's eyes widened as he looked over your form, clad in a skimpy maid outfit complete with the lacy little headdress on top.

Deidara slowly but surely flushed, before turning to Tobi.

"I want in." Deidara said earnestly.

Your face flamed and you literally wanted to die in a hole of pitiful embarrassment.

Completely appalled, Tobi gasped quite dramatically at Deidara's words and pulled you close, as if protecting you. "Deidara-Senpai! You can't! Y/N-Chan is Tobi's maid! And Tobi doesn't think you would appreciate her like Tobi does!" Tobi said indignantly as he snuggled into your chest.

Good lord, you felt like your face was permanently pink today. From all this excitement you had nearly forgotten what you came out to ask-

"What?! Tobi! You can't keep her all to yourself like this! You're being selfish!" Deidara yelled.

"Nuh-uh senpai! Tobi won Y/N-Chan's free will fair and square! And why would Tobi share? This way she's all mine~" Tobi exclaimed, trailing off into a creepy giggle at the end.

It's like they're two kids fighting over a new toy... You sighed.

You blushed when you realized that you were the toy.

Before Deidara could fire back or you could finally ask what the hell Tobi wanted to eat, something awful happened.

Hidan walked in.

It took him five seconds to skim his eyes over your form, Tobi's face pressed into your chest and Deidara blushing... and burst into laughter.

"Pfft Hahahaha, what the hell kind of kinky shit is going on in here?" Hidan howled, bent over and holding his stomach from laughter.

Tobi hurriedly let go of you and turned around, putting his arms in front of you as if to hide you. "Nothing Hidan-Senpai! Y-You don't have all the information!" Tobi exclaimed, his slightly shaky voice not convincing anyone.

"Tch. Tobi got Y/N to be his maid, and he's keeping this opportunity all to himself!" Deidara scoffed, crossing his arms indignantly.

Interest piqued, Hidan walked over to you, promptly pushing Tobi out of the way and grabbing your jaw.

"His maid, huh? And just how'd he manage that...?" Hidan said, his voice quieter and more husky since he was so close to your face.

You tried to repress the shiver that threatened to crawl down your spine...Hidan had always creeped you out.

Before you could stutter out a response, you felt a stinging on your ass.

Oh my-

He pinched my ass!

You squeaked involuntarily and pushed Hidan off you, Deidara starting to fume as he realized what happened.

"Hey man! Don't touch her like that, un!" He exclaimed, though he probably wanted to do the same thing.

"Hidan!" Tobi gasped, rushing over to pick you up bridal style and cradle you in his arms.

"No one is allowed to touch Y/N-Chan like that! She is Tobi's!" He exclaimed, and you would have been happy for his defense if he didn't keep referring to you as 'his'.

Deidara and Hidan were now straight up fighting, Tobi's yelling falling on deaf ears.

The lewd things Deidara and Hidan were saying about you as they fought had you desperately hiding your burning face in Tobi's chest.

Tobi pet your hair in a soothing manner before running off, with you still in his arms.

"It's too dangerous out here with all the other members! Y/N-Chan will just have to serve Tobi in his room! Alone~"

Lunch completely forgotten, you worried for what was to come as Tobi carried you off, Deidara and Hidan still wrestling on the floor.

It was then that Kisame and Itachi walked in, just in time to hear Tobi's exclamation as they saw you being carried off by Tobi while Deidara and Hidan were rolling around the floor and pulling at each other's hair.

[redorich]

for the hermit canyon, i humbly request:

Etho messing with Karl and maybe like, Lazarbeam or Fundy, by pretending he’s moth man.

Quackity stalks through the woods, blissfully unaware of its other inhabitants-- not that he would care, if he knew. No, tonight, under the full moon (because it's romantic) he makes his move.

The Hermit, as Quackity is completely sure of, is a beautiful young woman with long flowing hair as white as snow. Because she is a creature of untold power and beauty, fairy tale logic obviously applies. Therefore, if Quackity can steal her clothes, she will have no choice but to marry him and they will live happily ever after as big booty bitches in love.

Nodding to himself, Quackity feels assured in his logic. He's wearing his favorite assless chaps, his best pair of knockoff Yeezys, and no shirt. He is ready for what is to come.

---

Karl lurks deep in the forest, illuminated only by the moon. He leans against a tree, taking care not to disturb his outfit-- he is camouflaged as a bush. Dangling strips of green and brown fabric cover his body, and his limbs are completely hidden in the costume so long as he stands still. It's a daunting task, standing still in the dark, dangerous woods at night. Nevertheless, Karl knows that this is what he must do.

"Triclops Mothman, my beloved," he whispers into the night. He will find Mothman, and he will marry Mothman. There is no alternative.

---

Far away from both Karl and Quackity, though still in the same spruce forest, Sapnap angrily prowls. Well, he'd describe it as a prowl. Truthfully, it's more of a pouty stomp. He knows that this forest has had multiple "Hermit sightings", and Sapnap wants-- no, needs what he's after.

"Hermit!" he screams into the night. "Come out and fight me, you little bitch! Man on man!"

To emphasize his point, he bangs a pot and a pan against each other several times. Sapnap is getting his revenge for that little ravager prank, one way or another.

---

Deep within the canyon walls, the Hermit complex looks like an overturned anthill with all its activity. It's Halloween night come early.

"I'm not wearing a dress," Etho insists.

Grian whines, "But Etho, I made it just for you! It matches Stress's outfit."

Stress, upon hearing her name, looks up from her book and waves. Cleo is currently fiddling with the thick mane of synthetic white hair Stress is wearing, styling the wig into a princess-y type braid.

"I'll say it again," Cleo says, looking very intently into Etho's eyes, "I could take your place."

"No," Etho sighs. "If what Puffy said about these guys is true, you'd probably bite someone's face off by the end of the night."

"You're no fun," Cleo huffs, but acquiesces.

"At least put on the wig," Grian demands.

Grian and Etho have a staring contest for a solid ninety seconds before Etho snaps his fingers in front of Grian's face, causing him to flinch and blink. "You cheater--!"

"I'll wear the wig," Etho interrupts Grian. Instantaneously, Grian loses his outraged moue.

Cleo sighs. "They're the same wig, right? Do I have to braid Etho's hair, too?"

"I think I'll be fine with my new flowing, luscious locks," Etho says with a humorous crinkle to his eyes.

They all laugh as Etho dramatically flips his fake hair, whipping himself in the face with it in the process. He also receives a thumbs up from Joe, who is in the process of searching for his contact lenses because "Herobrine doesn't wear glasses", according to Bdubs.

Night falls, and the Hermits are prepared. They hope their victims aren't.

---

Quackity catches a glimpse of silver-white after so long searching in the woods. With a little gasp, he eagerly pursues it. His beautiful maiden, ethereal and distant like the moon, darts between trees and leaps across creeks like she is flying, like her feet barely touch the ground.

He follows her to a clearing, but when he bursts through the brush into the open space, she is nowhere to be found.

“Mi rey!” he wails, “Fantasma hermosa! Come to papi!”

Etho, hiding in a tree about five feet away, has no clue what any of those words mean. He affects a terrible falsetto and throws his voice. “Hello, Quackity.”

Quackity jumps, looking around wildly for his beautiful girlboss queen. “Hermit?! You know my name?”

“Of course, Quackity,” Etho says, hefting a large rock in his hand. “Come closer, I have a cask of Amontillado we can share.”

Quackity turns toward Etho's voice just fast enough to catch a glimpse of the Hermit's mask, his (fake) long white hair, his decidedly not female appearance. Quackity looks the Hermit up and down. Etho has never felt more Perceived.

"What's a place like you doing in a guy like this?" Quackity says, flirtatiousness dripping from his voice.

Etho eyes the man's assless chaps with distaste from his crouched perch in a tree. Quick as lightning, he chucks the heavy rock in his hand at Quackity's head, knocking him out instantly.

Etho jumps down from his tree with a huffed sigh. "Well," he says, grabbing Quackity by the ankle and dragging him, "time to get to work."

---

"Pspspsps," Karl whispers, "heeeere Mothman..."

The sound of a twig snapping to his right makes Karl freeze, then turn ever so slowly. There's no one there. Karl holds his breath for what feels like an eternity, but is eventually forced to admit that the noise was probably just an animal. Surely, a creature of Mothman's size would make more noise when he walks, given the weight of his strong legs.

"Mothman," Karl says. "I wrote you a poem!"

Joe, who was up until this point hiding behind trees and ominously snapping twigs, feels a twinge of morbid curiosity. As a poet, he absolutely has to know what Karl considers an adequate love poem for Mothman.

With red cheeks, Karl professes his love:

"Your feelers make me feel so sweet

Your hindwings set my heart aflame

Fern-like antennae make me melt

And Mothman, you're to blame."

Despite himself, Joe is a little bit impressed. It almost makes him feel bad about what he's about to do-- almost.

A soft eerie glow seeps into the forest, catching Karl's eye. He investigates, creeping forward until he turns around a tree and sees glowing white eyes. He screams, but there is no sound, and the forest has disappeared. Only those eyes remain, and they too flicker out of existence.

There is a dim corridor ahead of him, narrow and lit by redstone torches. At the end, there is an iron door. He runs to the exit, but as soon as his hand touches the door it disappears and he is engulfed by swirling purple-- like a Nether portal, but so much more terrifying.

The purple is gone and he can just barely make out the menacing image of a man with glowing white eyes T-posing in the blackness. Karl opens his eyes and wakes up on the forest floor, prone and sore.

"Right," he mutters breathlessly to himself, "Mothman is not interested."

---

"--YOU BITCH ASS PUNK, I'M GONNA RIP YOUR LEGS OFF AND STICK 'EM ON YOUR HEAD!" Sapnap screams, banging the only pot he owns against a non-stick frying pan he stole from George.

"Well, that's not very nice, innit?" says a feminine voice. Sapnap looks left, right, behind him, up in the trees... then down.

Big brown eyes peer up at him through white bangs. A displeased pout set into a moon-pale face attached to an equally moon-pale woman chastises him without words.

"...You're the Hermit?" Sapnap says disbelievingly. He has his doubts that someone as small and pretty as this woman could wrangle a ravager onto his front lawn.

"You wanted a fight," she huffs. "And for the record, you totally had it coming, with Pamela's Revenge-- remember, the rava--"

"Yes, I know the ravager was named Pamela's Revenge! There were like eight hundred million death messages in chat about it, you jackass!" Sapnap snaps, trying to cover up his unease. It's not that he's hesitant to hit her because she's a girl; he would deck the shit out of Niki or Puffy with absolutely no provocation whatsoever. It's just that... she looks soft. Like a non-combatant. It would be too easy, too cruel--

Stress punches Sapnap in the jaw with a wicked right hook. "Stealing is wrong," she says.

While Sapnap is dazed and quite possibly mildly concussed, Stress follows up with a brutal kick to the shin. Sapnap makes a genuine effort to fight back, and he’s no slouch, but he’s been taken so thoroughly off guard that the best he can do with his head spinning as it is is to swing with a wild haymaker and hope it hits.

His fist makes contact with something soft and squishy. He hears a grunt, but Stress shoves him over onto the ground and dumps a bucket of glitter over his head. It burns his eyes, but more importantly it burns his pride. He doesn’t remember at what point he dropped his pot and pan (he must have at some point, because he punched the Hermit with an empty fist), but he’s angry enough to open his watery eyes through the magenta glitter and snatch George’s frying pan up off the forest floor, hurling it at the Hermit with devastating accuracy. She yelps, blocking with her forearm at the last moment.

“Knew I shoulda let Etho...” Sapnap hears the Hermit mutter. What’s an Etho?

Stress irritably bonks Sapnap on the head with the pan he threw at her. He goes limp like a ragdoll, and Stress sets about maneuvering his body into a sitting position leaned against a tree so she can do his makeup while he sleeps.

“Hope I don’t poke his eye out!” she says. “Ah well, he’s got two anyway. Now, should I go for a cute, summery look, or a dark evening look?”

---

In Atrium 1 of the Hermit Canyon complex, Puffy laughs loud and clear, clutching her paper cup tightly so she doesn’t spill her fruit punch. "No,” she chokes out, “he didn’t.”

Cub, holding a similar paper cup, waves his hand in a vague gesture. “Yep. That’s Etho for you. You know, one time he got Doc to run around with a snowman head on, eating spider eyes?”

“Oh man,” Puffy sighs, wiping a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye. “I’m so glad I snitched on Karl, Quackity, and Sapnap. I can’t wait to see their reactions!”

Cub grins evilly. “Stress got pictures before she left.”

Puffy gasps, stars in her eyes. “I’ll bake you a whole cake if you get me a copy.”

“I’ll bake Cub a whole cake if he gives them to me instead,” Grian interjects from across the room. “I don’t need them, I just want to take them from you.”

“Nooooo!” Puffy wails melodramatically. “Grian, please spare me!”

“Five diamond blocks,” Grian makes his demand.

Puffy continues to fake-sob, pretending not to notice Scar sneaking up on Grian until Scar drops an anvil on Grian’s head, like a Looney Tunes episode but slightly to the left. While Grian is distracted, Cub slips the pictures to Puffy, who puts them in her inventory without looking.

Etho walks into the Atrium, now dressed as his normal self, including his natural hair, which looks like an angry wet cat perched atop his head, just the way he likes it. Everyone cheers.

“So, how’d it go with Quackity?” Puffy asks with a smirk.

“Well...” Etho says.

---

Quackity wakes up with the sun in his eyes. In front of him is the public Nether portal, and standing right in front of it is a wide-eyed Sam, staring directly at him. Quackity looks down.

He’s naked, covered in half-dried honey, and tied to a pole like the world’s sexiest flag. And he’s got the world’s worst hangover-- it feels like he’s been hit in the head with a large rock.

“Not again,” he groans.

“...This happens often?” Sam asks.

“If I had a nickel for every time something like this has happened,” Quackity says, wiggling his way out of the ropes tying him to the pole, “I’d have enough money to go buy myself a pair of pants.”

Sam averts his eyes to the sky, abruptly aware of exactly why Quackity would feel the need to buy a pair of pants.

“Damn it,” Quackity says. “Those were my favorite pair of assless chaps.”

“Were they now,” Sam says numbly. The sky is quite blue today, it’s rather beautiful.

Quackity huffs in aggravation, finally having freed himself from his binds. “Yeah, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to, you know?”

“Not really, no,” Sam says slowly. “I wouldn’t know much about-- assless chaps.”

The naked man shrugs. Haltingly, Sam unclasps his cape, pulling it off his shoulders and offering it to Quackity.

“Nah,” Quackity says, “I’ll just streak.”

“Please don’t,” Sam says with pain in his eyes.

[somewhatgreatexpectations]

Wouldn’t It Be Nice? (Wanda Maximoff/ Reader)

Hello! May I present you all with part 2 of the "Love Goes” sequel. I’m still trying to decide on the name for it, but I’m really appreciating all the suggestions so feel free to keep sending them. A fair amount of dialogue from Wandavision is still used since it was necessary, but less than the first part for sure since the story is developing.

Songs used are “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” by The Beach Boys (1966) and “This Magic Moment”  by The Drifters (1968). Hope you all enjoy!

Summary: As Y/n and Wanda attempt to settle into 1960s Westview, what shenanigans will they encounter? Will they be able to fit in?

“You’re a mystery around here, you know?”

Glancing up from your desk, you noticed the familiar figure of your partner leaning against the entryway of your office with a friendly smile on her face. “A mystery you say?” You questioned in amusement. 

Instead of answering right away, she moved further into the office and took a seat in one of your chairs. “Yes. We’ve been partners for weeks and I barely know anything about you besides the information that everyone already knows because you were an Avenger.”

You shrugged and leaned back in your chair. “Maybe that’s how I want it.” Was your cryptic response. 

“If you say so.” The woman rested her head on her palm thoughtfully. “One day you’re going to have to let someone in.”

“Maybe I already have. Maybe I’ve learned better.” You raised an eyebrow in challenge. 

For a moment she just stared at you, analyzing you. “So, you regret it then? Letting someone in?”

“I could never regret it.” You replied quickly, easily. 

She leaned forward with interest. “Does the reason for your mystery have a name?”

There was hesitation in your voice as you responded. “Wanda.” If you were going to be partners, it was only a matter of time until she found out anyway.

Her eyebrows raised slightly in recognition, everyone who worked there knew who Wanda was. “Hmm.” She hummed, her expression neutral. “I actually came in here to ask if you wanted to get dinner together? Maybe lift the shroud of mystery a bit more.” Her tone was teasing.

A soft chuckle escaped your lips. “Sure…” A name followed the word, but it was muffled. Almost as though you couldn’t remember it even in dreams. 

“Y/n.” The women said as you looked up at her with furrowed eyebrows. “Y/n. Y/n. Y/n.”

With a jolt, you sat up in bed, relaxing slightly when you realized you were in your shared room with your wife. “Y/n.” You heard again. Turning your head, your eyes landed on Wanda who was looking back at you with wide eyes. 

“Yes, my love?” You answered groggily through a yawn. 

Her expression became shy as she fiddled with the sheets. “I think I heard something at the window.”

Glancing towards the window you heard nothing but silence. “I’m sure it’s nothing, sweetheart.” You said reassuringly but got up when you saw her expression remained the same. “Allow me to put your mind at ease.”

Pushing aside the curtains, you glanced outside and saw nothing but the picturesque garden Wanda had lovingly put so much effort into. “What do you see?” She probed tentatively.  

“Only your lovely rose bushes.” You answered as you scanned the yard once more. When you were satisfied, you closed the curtains and turned back to face Wanda who still looked skeptical. “I assure you, I saw nothing amiss. You have no reason to be frighten-”

A bang against the window interrupted your sentence as you let out a squeak and dove into your bed to seek safety. You pulled your covers up to your chin. 

Wanda stared at you with an unamused expression as the disembodied voices laughed. “You were saying?”

“You know, I was reading an article in the newspaper about suspicious activity that’s been recently occurring in the neighborhood.” You mumbled defensively from behind your sheets. “Who knows what that could mean. Robbing house, vandalizing property-”

“Manipulating the earth, moving objects without touching them?” Wanda cut you off sarcastically. 

You tilted your head curiously. “You think they were referring to us?” Before Wanda could respond another thud against the window startled you both. You gasped and Wanda magically pulled the beds together. “One of us should really determine the source of that sound.” You suggested meekly.

Wanda set her lips in a line and shook her head at your antics. “Yes, one of us should.” She grumbled sarcastically.  Another thud tapped against the window, making you both jump again. “Oh, this is getting ridiculous. I’m going to take a look.” 

You grimaced as you both turned towards the window. Wanda waved her hand to open the curtains, only to find that the source of the sound came from a tree branch tapping against the window from the wind.

There was an awkward moment of silence as you both merely stared at the true source of the sound. “Well… I think we handled that well.” Wanda said lightly with a playful smile. 

You turned on your side to face Wanda with a smile to match hers. “Yes, I’m very proud of us. All the trees in the neighborhood will know not to disturb us from now on.” You said teasingly. You glanced down at the bed with a smirk. “I’m even more pleased with the way you’ve seized the opportunity to redecorate.”

Wanda grinned suggestively. “This is better, isn’t it?” She questioned as she waved her hand. Immediately the two separate beds transformed into a one large bed.

“Wanda, darling.”

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Yes, dear?”

You shifted closer. “Get the lights.” Wanda waved her hand to turn off the light as she pulled the covers over both your heads. As soon as the covers were over you both, you could feel her eagerly climb on top of you and connect your lips fervently. The disembodied voices gasped scandalously.

“You know, I’m beginning to think I should have been the assistant, darling.” You called out as you adjusted the hat that was placed precariously on your head.

There was a short pause before Wanda shouted her reply, “Just say the line!”

Sighing at her response, you turned back so you were facing out into the room. You took a moment to close your eyes and take a deep breath as you got into character. If you were going to do this, you were going to do it right.

“Ladies and gentlemen, for my final trick, I bring you…” You paused for dramatic effect. “The cabinet of mysteries.”

You gestured out into the open air where Wanda should have been, rubbing a hand down your face in amusement when she didn’t respond. “Darling. That’s your cue.” 

“Did you say cabinet of mysteries?” She called from the hallway. 

Stepping back, you gestured dramatically to the open space once again. “I said… Cabinet of mysteries!” You repeated even more theatrically.  

“Oh. That’s my cue.” Wanda said cutely as you could hear her struggle to push the large box into the room. 

Quickly rushing over to help her, you huffed at the weight of the object as you pulled it. “Doesn’t this seem like a bit… much?” You asked hesitantly. 

Wanda waved her hand dismissively. “You should hear about what some of the others are planning. Let’s keep going.” She urged, her eyes shining brightly with excitement.

When she looked at you like that, you were unable to deny her anything she wanted. You would have given her the moon and all the stars if she asked for them. 

You quickly got back into character. “Yes, okay. Where was I?” you mumbled to yourself. “Ah, yes! Watch closely as I, Terra, make my captivating assistant, Glamour… disappear!” You bit back laughter as Wanda posed dramatically. 

In unison, you opened the doors as Wanda stepped in, her eyes locked on yours adoringly. “You really are very stunning.” 

A blush spread across your cheeks as you smiled bashfully back at her. “Thank you, darling.” You stood with your hand resting against the doors. “Fear not, Glamour. I vow to bring you back exactly as you were.” Again, you had to bite back laughter at Wanda’s expression. 

A overly dramatic gasped escaped your wife’s lips as you closed the door. “Abracadabra!” You exclaimed as you tapped the box three times with the plastic wand. After a beat you opened the door once again to reveal the empty box. “Ta-da!”

Wanda began clapping as she stepped out from behind the trick door, a delighted smile on her face. “That was amazing!” When she received no response from you, her brows drew together apprehensively. “What’s wrong?”

“It still seems a little much.” You admitted sheepishly. “Plus, I think you’re a better fit for the magician than I am. Your powers are more aligned.”

Wanda stepped out of the box and made her way over to you. “Darling, it’s fine. In a real magic act everything is fake.” She reassured you “The talent show fundraiser is the most important event of the season. It’s our neighborly duty to participate… And our chance to appear as normal as possible while doing so.”

“We are the very definition of normal, dear.” You replied teasingly as you allowed yourself to float for a moment to emphasize your point before settling back to the floor. 

That’s new, you thought to yourself. 

If Wanda was surprised by your actions, she didn’t show it as she gently took your hands in her own and pulled you closer. “This is our home now. I want us to fit in.” There was vulnerability in her eyes which immediately put a stop to your joking.

Tenderly, you stroked the back of her hand with your thumb. “Oh, Wanda… We do. We will. I’ll make sure of it. And we’ll be the best act out there.” You promised her earnestly. Once again, you’d do anything for her. 

Wanda leaned forward and placed a short kiss on your lips in appreciation. 

“Especially with you wearing this.” You added with a wiggle of your eyebrows as you picked up her stage outfit and held it in front of her. 

Wanda shook her head in amusement. “That’s actually the rest of your costume.” She quipped teasingly. 

With a shrug, you held the costume against yourself. “I did say I would be better off as your assistant…” You trailed off as the disembodied laughter once again drifted into the air.

With a light hit to your shoulder Wanda took the costume back in her hands. “There will be no backing out now, Y/n.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” You pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

Briefly Wanda glanced down at her watch. “Well, I better get going if I want to make the planning committee meeting.”

Reaching over, you grabbed your cardigan off the couch and began pulling it over your blouse. “I should be off as well. I have a meeting with Ellie.” At the mention of your publisher’s daughter, Wanda’s eyed you, an uneasy expression on her face. 

“Why are you meeting with her, darling?” Wanda questioned with a tense smile.

Occupied by the buttons on your cardigan, you missed her expression. “It seems she takes after her father as she is the chief publisher of the town’s newspaper. After last night’s scare, I want to make sure the town is informed and prepared for any potential dangers.” You said seriously.

The tension in her shoulders melted away at your response as Wanda affectionately tugged you forward by the cardigan. “That’s a swell idea. You make sure you let all the tree branches in town know who’s boss.” She pulled you even closer and pecked your lips.

When you pulled away she adjusted your cardigan. “Would you look at us? Fitting right into Westview. Who would’ve thought?” You teased with a wink.

A short laugh escaped her lips as she looked at you fondly. “I’ll see you at curtain call.” She announced as she moved into the kitchen. You chuckled and departed through the front the door.  

Shortly after you left a loud thud caught Wanda’s attention. When she stepped outside a vibrant object in the bushes stood out easily against the monotonous tones that surrounded it. She looked around nervously. When she plucked the object out of the bush, she stared at it for a moment. The confusion in her eyes was clear as she held the object as though it was a threat.

The vibrant red helicopter was clearly out of place. 

“Look, it’s the star of the show!” 

Wanda jumped at the sudden voice as she dropped the toy back into the bush. “Agnes,” She gasped out as she clutched at her chest. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Agnes’ smile never faltered as she raised the cage in her hand. “Oh, I brought my pet rabbit for your magic act.”

“Yes, of course! Thank you, Agnes.” Wanda said appreciatively as she took the cage from her and began walking in the direction of the house again. “We will take good care of him.” 

With a proud smile, Agnes called after Wanda, “Señor Scratchy just loves the stage. He played baby Jesus in last year’s Christmas pageant!”

Unsure of what to say to her comment, Wanda turned and laughed awkwardly as she placed the rabbit inside. ___________ When you arrived at the Westview tribune, you found Ellie’s office easily, except she seemed preoccupied by the papers in hands. The soft sound of music drifted quietly from the radio at her desk.

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray, it might come true. Baby, then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do. Oh, we could be married and then we'd be happy. Oh, wouldn't it be nice?

The music distracted you temporarily as your thoughts wandered – essentially entranced by the unfamiliar tune. Static over the song cut into your thoughts as what sounded like muffled speaking rolled over the instruments. Ellie didn’t react to the change in sound, almost as though she chose not to hear it. You figured she was just engrossed in her work. The muffled sounds lingered for a second longer before fading into the music once again. With a shake of your head, you remembered why you were there.

To get Ellie’s attention you knocked softly on the entryway, smiling politely when she looked up. “Hi, sorry to interrupt. Is now still a good time to discuss the neighborhood safety article?”

“Y/n. You’re not interrupting at all.” Ellie said dismissively as she leaned back in her chair and waved you in. “Lay it on me.” 

You took a seat in one of her chairs. “Well, I was recently reading an article in the tribune about suspicious activity in the neighborhood and I thought it might be relevant to feature an additional article discussing safety protocols and tips.” You pitched enthusiastically. 

A minute passed without a word. “I think that’s a swell idea, Y/n.” She finally said with a smile.

An excited smile crossed your features as you attempted to contain yourself. “My wife said the same thing.” You admitted bashfully.

With an amused smile, Ellie rested her head against her palm as she scrutinized you. “Well, it’s clear she has excellent taste.” She paused briefly. “She is married to you after all.”

Unsure of how to respond to the comment, you decided to ignore it entirely.

 Hesitantly, you stood up and offered her a hand which she easily took. “Thank you for meeting with me today, but I really should be going. I want to get to the talent show location early to get everything ready for Wanda. Today means a lot to her.” 

Ellie stood with you and stepped around her desk. “The talent show isn’t for a good while. Stay and chat. Maybe lift the shroud of mystery a bit more.” She said playfully.

Her words caused you to recoil as remnants of your dream from the night before flashed through your mind. “Sure… Ellie.” You responded unsurely. 

“Are you alright, Y/n?” Ellie’s eyebrows knitted together in concern as she took a hold of your elbow.

For some reason, you couldn’t help but feel something familiar in the action. It wasn’t flirtatious, it was comforting. Like the touch of an old friend. “I’m fine.” You paused as you attempted to gather your thoughts. “Just déjà vu.” You insisted.

There was still hesitance in Ellie’s eyes as she released her hold of your elbow. “If you say so.” Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, which caused you to jump slightly. “Maybe you can get into the neighborhood watch committee.”

You nodded eagerly, relieved her focus was back to the article. “I can do that.”

“Between you and me, I think it’s just an excuse for the men in the neighborhood to eat pastries.” She whispered in a mock-conspirator voice.

A short laugh escaped your lips. “Even more of a reason to join.” Once again, you glanced down at your watch. “I really should be going now though.”

Ellie nodded, knowing there would be no convincing you otherwise. “Before you go, do you mind helping me get a box of books down from my bookshelf?” She gestured to the box on a shelf slightly above your height, but just out of Ellie’s own reach.

“Sure thing.” You made your over the shelf and began sliding the box off the shelf, so you could get a better hold of it.

Just as the box was teetering precariously along the edge of the shelf the static on the radio flared as a single word slipped through clearly. “Y/n.” The sudden appearance of your name startled you as the box fell off the shelf and knocked you in the head, causing you to fall.

A surprised gasp escaped Ellie’s lips as she rushed over to kneel by your side. “Are you okay?”

When you looked up, there were three different versions of the woman before you swimming in your vision. “’m fine.” You mumbled out as you rubbed the side of your head.

Cautiously Ellie helped you up, her eyes skeptical. “If you say so. Here, at least take this pain reliever.” She quickly walked over to her desk and grabbed the medicine before handing it to you. 

To appease her you took the medicine. “Have a nice... work time.” You said unsurely as the thoughts in your head became muddled. On unsteady feet you made your way out of the office and began your trek to the location of the talent show, not wanting to keep Wanda waiting. ____________________ Hurriedly, you rushed up the steps to the gazebo where your wife was waiting anxiously. On the last step you stumbled and fell on your side. An amused chuckle escaping your lips. “Wanda,” You said unsteadily with a crooked smile when your wife came into your view. “You look breathtaking.” 

“Where were you? Did something happen?” Wanda rushed over and helped you up, her brows knit together in worry. 

Her question fell on deaf ears as you leaned heavily against her. Your eyes settled on the women who was on your other side seemingly ready to catch you if you fell again. “Well, hello there.” You said with a goofy grin. “Have we met? I apologize if we have, I don’t even know the name of my desk mate. My name is Y/n Y/ln… or is it Maximoff? We never discussed the logistics.” 

Much to Wanda’s relief the woman seemed amused by your antics. “We have not. I’m Geraldine.” The women replied, offering you a hand which you shook rapidly. With an awkward smile she stepped back. “I’ll be over there checking on the other acts.”

Geraldine walked away, and you continued leaning into Wanda. “Where were you?” she repeated, her eyes still wide with worry.

“Was just at the tribune. I might have gotten lost on the way here. I heard the loveliest song.” You rambled deliriously with a wave of your hand. 

Ignoring your words, Wanda tried to get you to stand on your own. When you were properly upright, she took your hand in hers, her expression serious. “Listen, something strange happened today, Y/n. It’s hard to explain.”

Your eyes widened in an overdramatic fashion. “Did the man in the radio try to talk to you too?” you said in a poorly executed whisper.

“Man in the radio? What? Y/n, no. What is going on?” Wanda questioned, her concern growing. 

Geraldine rushed over, interrupting the conversation. “You are!”

Indistinctly you could feel Wanda adjust the hat on your head as she rushed away. You began fiddling with the ring on your finger as your mind wandered. “Hey! Hey! You’re up!” Geraldine whispered urgently as she ushered you out onto the stage.

When stepped onto the stage, you felt as though the floor below you shifted which caused you to stumble into a post. “Pardon me, I’m sorry.” You mumbled as you staggered down the steps. “Hello, Westview!” You shouted dramatically. “Good afternoon, it’s lovely to be here! I’m Terra, Glamour’s assistant!” you declared confidently. 

“What she means is I’m Glamour, her assistant and she’s terra the illusionist.” Wanda corrected with a dramatic wave of her hands. 

“Yeah… what she said.” You turned towards the audience with wide arms and a deliriously bright smile. “Today, we will lie to you and you will believe us!” You shouted boldly as Wanda’s smile faltered slightly. “Because you are all naïve and easily amused by simple slights of hand. And fooled by basic illusions due to how little you’ve seen! Flourish!” 

The strained smile on Wanda’s face remained as you wandered over to the opposite side of the stage. “You just do it, you don’t say it out loud, honey.”

You waved a hand dismissively as you attempted to search through your muddled mind for the rest of the act. “Now, my wife and I will delight in your dumbstruck little faces. Flourish!” You repeated as you allowed yourself to float into the air. 

Thinking quickly Wanda waved her fingers and a rope attached itself to you as the crowd chattered excitedly. You turned sideways in the air from the rope as Wanda maneuvered it to lift you higher. You felt your head spin even more than it was before. “Wanda! Darling, let me down! I’m feeling dizzy!” You shouted indignantly. 

Thankfully Wanda let you down moments later, her concerned expression breaking through her show façade. 

You attempted to recall the next portion of the act, but eventually gave up when you spotted a car parked just off stage. Metal. Perfect. “How about a fantastical feat of strength?” You maneuvered your fingertips so that they were barely resting on the bottom of the car. With a quick wink to the audience, you turned to focus on the car again. 

With a slight wiggle of your fingers the car began to float just above your hand, so it looked like you were picking it up. 

“Illusions!” Wanda shouted nervously and made her way over to you after she wiggled her fingers. “Terra is the master of illusions! Allow me.” She took the now cardboard car from your hands, making sure the audience saw that it was indeed cardboard.

When she turned she winked at the audience. “Whoops! You weren’t supposed to see how we did that trick.”

Feeling yourself getting sleepy, you decided to jump forward to the final part of the act. A portion that you actually felt you remembered. “Ladies and gentlemen, for our grand finale, I bring you the box of… magic?” You shouted semi-confidently, unable to think of the name you had practiced just that morning.  

Wanda took the hint and began wheeling out the box. “The cabinet of mysteries!” She corrected.

“Yeah, yeah. What she said.” You pulled open the doors to show the box was empty inside. “I will now make my wife disappear!” 

“Are you sure you don’t want an audience volunteer named my husband Ralph?” Agnes called out from the audience.

You forced a chuckle along with the audience, “Haha- no.” You mumbled flatly as you closed the doors to the cabinet. “Abracadabra!” you weakly hit the box with the plastic wand, proud of yourself for remembering that step.

Wanda looked around nervously. “Uh, sweetheart?” 

“Yeah?”

“Hi.”

“Oh.” You said, realizing you forgot the most important step. The crowd quickly started chanting what’s in the box.

Both you and Wanda exchanged timid glances as Wanda’s smile became strained. Her body language showing her obvious discomfort with the situation. Subtly, she wiggled her fingers once more. 

With hesitant hands, you pulled open the doors with Wanda to reveal a very confused Geraldine. 

The crowd cheered enthusiastically. All three of you took hands and bowed. “Flourish.” You muttered sheepishly for the final time. “Let’s get out of here.” You mumbled to Wanda as you ran off stage. 

When you were safely backstage, you turned towards Wanda with a guilty look on your face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so stupid.” You cried as you sat yourself on the floor and covered your face in shame. 

Wanda hastily made her way over to you and delicately placed her hands on your cheeks as she tried to get you to look at her. “Y/n. Y/n, it’s alright. Hey, it’s okay.” She reassured you as she attempted to urge your eyes up to meet hers. “But what is going on with you?”

You threw your hands up in frustration. “I don’t know! It all started when all of Ellie’s books fell on my head and then she gave me medicine that made me feel worse.” You whimpered.

Wanda’s eyes softened. “Oh, sweetheart. Let’s get you home, so you can sleep it off.” She gently coaxed you up. “And before Dottie and the planning committee can string us up for ruining the show.

Wordlessly you agreed with her plan and took her by the hand as you both attempted to sneak passed the audience. 

“You two! Stop right there.” Wanda’s hand tensed in your own as you both turned to face Dottie who was on stage. “Nothing like what you two did has ever happened in the history of our talent show.”

You squeezed Wanda’s hands comfortingly as you stared down at the floor in shame. “Dottie,” Wanda began fearfully. “We are so-“

“Hilarious!” The woman interrupted Wanda. You both shared a look of surprise. “That was the most hilarious act we have ever seen. Wouldn’t you all agree?” The crowd cheered.

Dottie gestured you both on stage which you both uncomfortably complied with. “On behalf of the planning committee I would like to award you with the inaugural comedy performance of the year.” Wanda beamed proudly as she took the offered trophy. The look on her face made everything worth it to you.

You smiled deliriously at the sight as you rubbed your head which was still spinning. 

As the crowd cheered you gestured Geraldine forward into your final bow, everything after blurring together so much that you couldn’t remember it. _______________ When you came to again, you were on the couch at home. Your head resting in Wanda’s lap as she stroked your hair soothingly. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you feeling?” She asked softly when she noticed your eyes flutter open.

You sat up and blinked a few times. “Much better, my love. Heads all clear again.” You answered as you knocked lightly on the side of your head. “Though I don’t remember everything that happened.”

Wanda chuckled softly and pecked your cheek. “I think it’s better you don’t, darling. While you were amusing in your delirious state, nothing can beat the Y/n I know and love.” Wanda leaned into your side as you wrapped an arm around her. “I don’t know what I was so worried about. It wasn’t so hard to fit in after all.” She admitted. 

You rubbed your hand up and down her arm tenderly. “And all we had to do was be ourselves.”

“With a few modifications.” Wanda added with an amused smile. 

For a moment you both just settled in the comfort of the moment before you stood up and made your way over to the radio, turning it on. “Let’s celebrate.” You suggested as you fiddled with the knobs.

Sweeter than wine, softer than the summer night. Everything I want I have, whenever I hold you tight. This magic moment, while your lips are close to mine, will last forever. Forever ‘til the end of time.

Satisfied with the music, you turned back to Wanda and offered her your hand. “I was wondering if I may have this dance, my love?”

Wanda stared up at you with loving eyes as she took your offered hand and stood up. “You certainly may.” 

Gently, you pulled her closer. Your arms wrapped securely around her waist as hers rested over your shoulders. The feeling was comforting and familiar. Everything either of you ever needed. Wanda’s eyes stayed on yours, glimmering with pure love and happiness, the look mirrored in your own expression. For a moment you both just swayed in place to the rhythm of the song, your heads pressed gently together as you cherished being there in that moment. 

The moment was short-lived as static rolled over the music playing much like it did earlier in the day. Both you and Wanda pulled away to stare at the radio. 

Once again, the muffled speaking began, this time much stronger than before. “Wanda.” The voice called out clearly, this time addressing your wife. You didn’t know why but you knew that you recognized the voice. You just couldn’t place a name to the voice. “Wanda. Can you hear me? What happening, Wanda?” 

You turned to look at Wanda, unease in your eyes. “What’s going on?” you questioned, but her eyes remained locked on the radio. 

Before Wanda could say anything, a loud thud outside caught your attention. The abruptness of the sound making you jump and effectively distracting you both from the radio. “If it’s the damn tree again, I’m going to rip it up by the roots.” You announced as you stormed outside, the radio forgotten as Wanda followed closely behind you. 

You walked to the edge of the yard, looking around as Wanda stopped beside you. “I don’t see anything.” She said lightly. 

Almost as soon as the words left her lips, a mysterious figure came out of the drain cover. “Wanda. What is that?” you stepped protectively over to her, your arm wrapping around her from behind.  

The figure turned their head in your direction. “No.” Wanda said sharply. 

Satisfied with the music, you turned back to Wanda and offered her your hand. “I was wondering if I may have this dance, my love?”

Wanda stared up at you with loving eyes as she took your offered hand. “You certainly may.”

You froze slightly when Wanda stood up. “Um. Wanda.” 

“Hmm, what?” She questioned with a cute tilt of her head. Your eyes fell to her abdomen which had become round with the signs of pregnancy. You delicately placed your hand on her stomach as she gasped. “Y/n… is this really happening?” The smile she gave you was so bright that it could have rivaled the sun. 

You brought her hand up to your lips and pressed a soft kiss to the palm of her hand. “Yes, my love. It’s really happening.”

Lovingly Wanda leaned forward and connected your lips in a sweet kiss as the disembodied voices cooed at the action. When you pulled away Wanda cupped your cheek, a surprised look in her eyes when she looked at you. “Y/n.” 

You both looked around in awe as the home around you became rich with vibrant colors. Like magnets you were drawn back together as you both met in a loving kiss. . . . . . . . . The group once again watched you and Wanda share a sweet kiss as the credits rolled on the screen before them. A moment of tense silence hung in the air as they attempted to process what they just saw. 

“You got her pregnant!” Natasha finally shouted at Steve, smacking him in the back of the head. 

Darcy tried to choke back a laugh at the sudden comment as she fumbled with the technology, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. “I don’t think that’s how pregnancy works.” She mumbled to herself.

Steve rubbed the back of his head with a frown. “I didn’t get her pregnant, Nat.” He huffed in annoyance. “And I might not be a scientist, but I know Y/n couldn’t impregnate her either. I’m pretty sure Wanda got herself pregnant.”

“Yeah, well, one minute they’re dancing and then you try and talk to them and suddenly Wanda’s pregnant. I blame you.” Natasha countered with a roll of her eyes. “Which, by the way, while Y/n was lifting heavy objects over her head? Really?”

Darcy’s eyes widened in amusement as she tried to keep her expression neutral. 

“That… wasn’t my finest moment.” Steve admitted shamefully as he rubbed his temples in embarrassment. 

As the two Avengers were arguing Fury shut off the television. “What’s done is done. Now that we have Monica in there under the guise of working for S.W.O.R.D. we can potentially receive some intel. Even though she seems deeply immersed in her character. And,” He waved a file in his hand. “I know who Ellie Hart is. You two might want to hear this.”

Part 2! I will admit I had slight trouble writing this since it was still fairly restricted by Wandavision because it’s necessary to set up the story still. Well, as always, I hope you all enjoyed! And let me know your thoughts, remember they are always welcome! :)

[tanakavox]

Cinder was quietly reading in her room, currently engrossed in a dramatic scene that had her caught up in her own little world...

 

Jaune: *Muffled* “OOOOOH, CINDER!~”

 

...Only to have it completely shatter and crumble as her concentration was broken at the annoying call of her twin brother. She huffed to herself in annoyance as she put her book mark in place, and started to make her way to his room scowling the entire way. She made her way in, only to grimace in disgust as her brother sat in his chair in front of his Tv, wearing only a pair of boxers and a wife beater and a pair of socks as he was currently engrossed in whatever stupid game he was playing.

 

Cinder: *Scowling* “What, do you wa-!”

Cinder didn’t even get to finish her question, before she was blatantly interrupted by her brother.

Jaune: “Ah, ah!~ Your tone? Can’t say I care for it Cindy. And as I recall, you’re supposed to greet me in a very specific way as part of our agreement.”

At this, Cinder’s eyes narrowed in anger and her hands balled so tightly into fists that her skin was turning bone white.

Cinder: *Forcefully* “Jaune, if you think for even a moment that I’d even so much as consider to lower myself to even uttering such an idiotic thing, so help me I’ll-!”

Cinder's threat was cut off as Jaune swiftly pulled out his scroll and pulled up a video in one smooth motion, smirking the entire time as the contents were revealed. We see Cinder in her room, dressed in a magical girl outfit with a red trim on the skirt and collar, a blue bow on her chest and she was wearing a golden headband with a red gym in the middle. Posing in a dramatic fashion, she began to speak with fire and passion in her voice.

Cinder: “The fire of passion and the power of prayer will defeat evil ! I’m Sailor Mars, of the red high heel ! In the name of Mars, I chastise you !”

Cinder paused as she looked upon the video with a horrified look, her whole face flushing bright red in embarrassment and her mouth frozen in shock.

Jaune: *Smugly* “So uh, would you care to rephrase what you were about to say… Sailor Mars?”

Shock and embarrassment swifty turned into rage and hate as Cinder shot Jaune a hateful glare, the intensity and heat enough to melt solid steel. Jaune returned her glare with an expected look, his smirk widening as he patiently awaited his sister to speak up. After a tense silence, Cinder clinched her eyes shut, taking in a deep and steadying breath before her eyes shot open with a hateful look as she began to speak through gritted teeth,

Cinder: *Grit Teeth* “Oh Great and Powerful Jaune! Who is better than me in Everything and Every way! How may I, your lesser twin, be of service to you today?”

Cinder had looked like she had swallowed lemo, hating the fact that she had been forced to spew out such absolute, vile, bunk! Jaune merely smiled happily at his sister's reaction, before putting his scroll away and gesturing towards his feet.

Jaune: “See? Now was that so hard Cindy? As for what I want? Well, I would like you to take my socks off.”

Cinder wanted nothing more than to set her twin on fire, and watch him flail around the room screaming as he tried to put the flames out while she watched with a sadistic smile. Alas, she could only dream of such sadistic punishments in her head, and as she lowered herself to take Jaune socks off, she glowered at him one last time and bitterly hissed out a single statement:

Cinder: “I hate you so much right now.”

Jaune: *Brightly* “Love you too Cindy!”

[missamyrisa2]

A simple request... how would you tickle and edge a helpless and crazy ticklish cock and balls to put a boy through hell🙈

I would do you up nice and dramatic. You'd be bound to a chair, legs gently spread. The room is dark until the heavy door creaks open. A beam of light shines on you, temporarily blinding your vision as you hear my footfalls. I'm dressed to work and tease~ one of my more known tickle outfits, the tiny shorts and flower belt with a black cropped top adorned in crimson roses. My long blonde hair is in a sporty high ponytail, bouncing and swishing as I approach. I love to wear a tickle outfit for a helpless ticklee, because I get to tease you with spots that you can't touch. What's going to be happening soon could surely stop if you could tickle my completely exposed navel~ but you won't be able ~ With a smirk, I wave a red feather at you. In my other hand I grasp a clear jar. Setting the container on a table nearby, my eyes blink and direct between your legs. I wait for you to glance down and see the pink cradle over your boyhood. Maybe you felt the silky sensation and didn't want to look down, didn't want to acknowledge how good those panties feel on your penis and balls. They hug your royal parts perfectly, and the gentle pastel pink is so adorably cute. Or maybe you feel like a cute girl is rubbing against you, and those are her panties. I snicker seeing the blushes bloom on your neck & cheeks. "Aww, does someone like their little underwear?"

I'm next to you now, cooing and chuckling darkly. "Ah yes, these pink panties. So delightful. Silly boy. There's no hope you must realize. No escape for you now. You're in my world. And I can show you delights beyond measure" My nails trace the outline of your balls through the panties, I delight at your longing quivering reaction as the soft material relentlessly caresses you. And then I suddenly seize them with a firm grasp. "So be still. And let Amy take you." I cackle at your squeak and pose, showing off my exposed tickle spots along my belly and hips and legs. "You love seeing tickle spots don't you? I'm not even naked or anything and I can tell this is exciting you. I have a fun experiment for deviants like you. And like me~" I laugh and pick up a remote. Suddenly I'm behind you, whispering in your ear as my long purple nail begins creeping down your inner arm. "See, I have this let's say porno collection. Except it's not really porn. It's totally innocuous to the naked eye. But to a lovely depraved tickle bug, this is going to ignite that fire, and you won't be able to do anything about it except let those little panties love on your silly ticklish boy parts"

I click my remote and a projector flares to life. The wall is illuminated with an image of a cute girl bearing her bellybutton and tiny cute feet on the beach. The slideshow starts. A lady holding her perfectly manicured nails over her perfectly pedicured feet. A collection of carefully curated images follows - celebrities, models, candid captures. Each one is a beautiful soul exposing a tickle spot, or some even being tickled in totally innocent circumstances. Flirty touches. Tickle outfits. My nail traces your belly and dips into your navel, in and out, as I whisper about each one. "Does that excite you? Look at this belly they're showing. It's so oily, perfect for tickles no?" The panties hold your growing erection tightly. The more aroused you get from the images and my taunts, the more the fabric strains yet holds, stimulating you further. Your balls are in a silken prison themselves, brushed with every writhe in your body on the chair.

At last when I have you aroused to my satisfaction with your penis poking out the top of the panties, I pick up that red feather and start tracing the underside. I follow the vein carefully, letting the soft tip kiss it. "Such an eager volunteer for tickles" I murmur, my other hand randomly grasping at your thighs to massage and pinch the muscles to keep you giggling. Occasionally I reach and start slowly and gently tickling with my fingers under your balls, humming a melody of jingle bells. But while my one hand wanders and plays, that feather refuses to let up on your swollen manhood. The ultra soft tool reaches the head and performs a twirling circle before taking the long trip back down. It takes detours to every sensitive spot it can find on your cock before trailing along the pantyline and heading back up. "I think your penis is very ticklish cutie. And I think you like me tickling it. You love this feather. You love your tickles. Don't fucking lie to me now, or it's the wand for you~ and when I get the wand out, I'll make you ticklegasm over and over until there's nothing left~"

I grin at your cowering under the threat of the multiple ticklegasm treatment, my other hand now constantly readjusting the panties to keep them grazing different parts of your royal parts. Once I have them set to my satisfaction, I pick up a shiny silver bullet and hold it by your ear. With a click the tiny toy buzzes furiously to life, and I exchange my red feather for one with a black and yellow pattern. "I call this the feather bee~" I snicker and plant a raspberry on your belly before taking the feather just under your cock's head. I hold it steady and start running the bullet's vibing surface along the fibers of the feather, sending the quill trembling on your hot spot. "Oh yes, must extract only the purest of giggle nectar from cute boys. And we need to fill this whole jar, yes we do." I cackle at your reactions and desperate thrusts, keeping the vibrating feather just barely touching enough to edge you along.

Once I have you thoroughly dizzied from the feather bee, I retrieve my fluffy blush brush. The handle is a sparkly purple. The hairs are black on the outside but I flip it up to show you the center threads are purple, forming a heart shape. "Isn't it just so adorable? I've been calling her Heather. No idea why, I just like that name for a tickle toy." I take the tool and start tracing your balls through the material. My fingers are tickling playfully at your tummy, grasping at your abdomen and spidering your sides. Heather twirls up and starts painting your exposed shaft. All those tiny fibers at your skin, urging your arousal further into the heights. You're so tickled already but this tender sensation, these tiny caresses are too sweet to resist. You could pass out were it not for my graspy tickle attacks following every time your head lulls. "Are you gonna? Yeah? No? Uh-oh! Uh-oh! What's gonna happen? Mmm? Tickle tickle? On your pickle?" I start jingling your balls again, Heather brushing madly on your head and down the underside. "I want all of it now. All of it. Alll of it. If you don't give me all of that royal cream we're gonna start all over. And I will get out my wand too." I hold the jar close to your head, Heather endlessly dancing on your hottest tickle spot. I don't care how long it takes, I will only grant you the softest giggliest ticklegasm, and I will be there to catch all of it. "Beg me to cum now. That's all I need to here. Okay? Okay. Yes, you can go cutie. Anytime. I'm gonna tickle you all the way through now baby. And afterwords~ we can review the footage and maybe I'll give you a nice snuggly tickly post-ticklegasm handjob for being such a sweet tickle toy~"

[whumpmatsus]

So. Todomatsu always ACTS like he hates that Karamatsu is so eccentric, but we all know he actually doesn't mind that much. If anyone else made fun of him for that stuff, I can't help but think he wouldn't let it fly. So what about a situation where Karamatsu gets made fun of/bullied/put down by someone OUTSIDE the family for being the way he be and Todomatsu gets an opportunity to go into full protective mode over him??

OH SHIT the youngest of them goes feral

dare I say... RELEASE THE BABY!!!!!

God I love Zaimoku, it’s so good <3

-

If Totty is being completely, utterly, unfailingly honest with himself, his brothers need his help if one of them is going to be going on a date.

Really, he’s the only one who has any clue about how to act on a date! He could hit his big brothers over the head with a Clue-by-four with that shit and they still wouldn’t really get it.

Even so… part of him thinks he shouldn’t really be following Karamatsu to a date. Karamatsu is the one Totty knows is never going to come running to him for advice or assistance, especially with girls; he’s got the undeserved ego of an avocado toast sandwich. Totty isn’t sure he’d be pleased to know his baby brother tagged along not because he has to sort out a schedule thing at work, but because he wants to keep an eye on Karamatsu.

What else is he supposed to do, though? Just let Karamatsu go alone and totally blow it? His usual behavior aside, Totty really wants his big brothers to be happy and have fulfilling relationships. He thinks if he can be there to keep an eye on things, well, maybe it won’t go so bad. Maybe Karamatsu will have a shot with this woman. Maybe he’ll get a girlfriend!

The very idea was enough to make him feel a little better about lying so that his brother will take him along. It eases his conscience, imagining that if he manages to help Karamatsu out to the point that the second eldest ends up in a loving, joyful relationship, (obviously as opposed to the past few horrible ones he’s had), then a little fib isn’t so bad, is it?

After all, if he were the one in need of something like this, he’d be grateful for his brothers’ help however they did it.

Of course, when he sees the look this girl gives Karamatsu, a look like the kind a baby gives after licking a lemon for the first time, Totty can’t help but wince. This isn’t off to a great start. He lingers by the counter, greeting Sacchi and Aida, trying not to look as if he’s watching his big brother’s date.

“Aren’t you off today, Totty?” Sacchi hums as she turns to start making a drink.

He nods. “Yeah, well, I can’t stay away, I guess, haha.”

Aida jerks her head toward the table where Karamatsu and his date are. “That’s one of your brothers, right? Still as painful as ever,” she teases. “Is he… oh, my God, he’s on a date??”

“Shhhh, shh!” Totty waves his hands a little, hoping to get his friends to quiet down a little. The last thing Karamatsu needs is to be drawing attention. “He thinks I tagged along to talk to you guys about my schedule. But, yes, he’s here on a date.”

Sacchi finishes serving her customer, one of the few in the shop at the moment, and then leans against the counter to look over. “Aw, good for him. He’s not either of our types, but he deserves a shot with someone who’s interested.”

He lets out a soft sigh. “Agreed there. I kind of just wanna keep an eye on him, you know? To make sure he doesn’t mess it up too much. He should have let me pick his outfit, ugh… that aside, he’s doing okay so far, though, I think.”

Aida frowns as she slides a cup of coffee toward her coworker. “Um, I hate to burst your bubble, but he’s got his work cut out for him. I’ve been to some mixers with that girl, and she always finds something wrong with every guy she hangs out with.”

“She’s right,” Sacchi adds. “Good thing you came along so you can carry him home, ‘cause that girl’s gonna tear him to pieces. I mean, she went out with Atsushi and the next day he was in here crying and telling me she made him feel two inches tall. Nobody’s good enough for her.”

Aida clicks her tongue. “Your big brother’s in big trouble, Totty.”

It’s Totty’s turn to frown as he looks toward Karamatsu. Unfortunately, Sutabaa is so small and he’s close enough that he doesn’t have to strain too much to hear what’s being said.

The woman is laughing. However… Karamatsu hasn’t even really opened his mouth yet. “Oh, my God! You’re my date, huh? Last time I let my sister set me up. That bitch, haha. Ah, well… wow, your jacket is hurting my eyes. Could you take it off?”

Karamatsu seems to be trying his best to smile. “O-oh, yes, of course.” He moves to tug it off, folding it over the back of his chair. “Please forgive me. Anyway, my name is Karamatsu. And you, my angel?”

“Ahaha, WHAT?” The woman raises an eyebrow at him. “C’mon, dude. Don’t call me that. I’m nobody’s angel.”

Totty feels himself starting to steam. You’ve got that right.

“A-ah… right, my apologies.” Karamatsu just keeps smiling. The expression on his face reads almost like he’s in pain. “Well, should we order?”

She gives a cursory glance toward the menu, then suddenly her eyes are drawn to Karamatsu again. “Oh, my God, hold on… is… is that your face on your shirt?! Holy shit! Are you really that full of yourself?”

Totty’s heart sinks as his brother’s cheeks flush bright red. This is not going well. And while, yes, Karamatsu probably should have picked a different shirt, what’s really wrong with what he’s wearing? Even though he’s a little over-the-top and dramatic, this woman can’t know whether or not he’s ‘full of himself’ when she’s barely letting him get a word in.

Totty is the most socially intelligent of his brothers, and even he doesn’t think Karamatsu’s actually doing anything wrong. He hasn’t drawn anyone else’s attention like he usually does, he hasn’t gone overboard with any poses, and he’s… kind of just being himself, slightly toned down. It’s not like he’s bragging or being a jerk. Hell, it’s just a strange fashion choice; how the hell does she think it has any bearing on what he’s like as a person?

“Damn,” Sacchi cringes. “She’s not wasting any time, is she?”

Aida gives a pout toward her friends. “He didn’t even do anything wrong yet. He’s been a perfect gentleman.”

“Yeah, he’s just a little odd and, like, a tiny bit painful. But he’s acting really nice and polite.” Sacchi sighs as she props her head up on her hand. “There’s no pleasing some people. Aida, why don’t you go take their order? Maybe you can accidentally spill it on that pretentious top of hers when you bring it to them.”

“Pfff, if only. I’m on it, though.”

Totty continues to fume as he watches his poor brother try to impress this girl, pretty much in vain. He gets the feeling that nothing Karamatsu says or does is going to be good enough. For some reason, that really pisses him off. Despite the fact that Karamatsu can be a bit much, that he’s overcompensating for being insecure on the inside, that everyone rolls their eyes at him… Karamatsu isn’t a bad guy. He tries hard to make other people happy and treats them with respect. Even his brothers who don’t always return the favor.

By the point Sacchi and Aida are finished making their order, the youngest is ready to explode at this woman. She never even told Karamatsu her name, but she’s spent the whole time talking him down. When she asked what he did ‘besides be super excruciating’, and he told her he didn’t really have a job, she laughed at him. He tried to save it by saying he occasionally played guitar at coffee shops, and she responded something along the lines of, “What kind of hipster loser does that these days??”

Listening to it just makes him so angry. She doesn’t think Karamatsu is attractive, she’s called him embarrassing more than once, and no matter what he does or says, she’s not happy with it. Why the fuck did she even bother going out with him, then?

Totty was worried that Karamatsu was going to screw this up; so far he’s actually managed to be a decent date. He wasn’t prepared for his brother’s date to be the shitty one.

Sacchi brings him a simple iced coffee while Aida returns with the serving tray, a fake smile on her face from laughing uncomfortably at one of the woman’s comments. “God, she’s exhausting.”

“I don’t even know her and I can’t stand her,” Totty mutterrs before taking a sip of his drink. “Why the hell is she treating him like that? He’s just… being himself!”

Being himself. Karamatsu’s really not doing anything wrong. He’s trying to talk himself up when this woman gives him a chance to, but who doesn’t talk themself up on a first date? He just wants to impress her.

It makes Totty feel a little guilty to realize that, honestly, all Karamatsu really wants is to impress everyone because he wants people to like him… including his brothers. If Karamatsu feels the need to seek love and acceptance from strangers like this girl, to the point that he’s willing to put up with the horrible way she’s treating him, what does that say about his brothers? It’s not the first time he’s sucked it up and dealt with something he shouldn’t have from someone just because he wants that person to love him.

His attention is drawn by the woman giggling a little too loudly. “Fuck, you wanna go out with me again? I mean, how do you think this is going? I’m two seconds away from sneaking out the bathroom window. You’re so obnoxious, you dress like an edgy middle schooler, and who wears sunglasses inside, especially when it’s raining outside? You’re, like, cringe incarnate.”

Completely contradicting every statement she made, she slid her hand across the table to take his, if only for a brief moment. The wicked look in her eyes, more sadistic than even Ichimatsu, made Totty’s stomach twist in anger. “I might keep you around, though. You seem like a guy who’d keep me laughing for a while. Maybe next time I’ll take you out with my friends so everyone can laugh at you.”

Oh, that’s it.

He doesn’t know if Karamatsu is oblivious to what she means because he’s blinded and deafened by the promise of another date, or if he knows exactly what she means but perhaps thinks it’s worth it. His eyes light up… and behind that hopeful spark is the pain she’s already put him through.

Baby of the bunch though he is, Totty isn’t going to sit around and twiddle his thumbs while some bitch takes advantage of his big brother.

“Oh, that is sooooo not happening!” he calls as he approaches the table. Although he feels a little bad about just stepping in like this, he’s not gonna let her get away with treating Karamatsu like that. Laughing at him herself was bad enough; parading him in front of her friends for all of them to laugh at him when there’s nothing wrong with Karamatsu isn’t gonna happen if Totty has something to say about it.

The woman gives him an unimpressed look. “Who the fuck are you?”

“T-Totty!!” Karamatsu,  on the other hand, looks immediately panicked. “I can handle this… please, go back and fix your schedule, and I’ll meet you at home.”

“Wait, you work here?” She tilts her head at him. “Oh, shit, hold up. You’re the asshole who messed up my drink last time I was here.” Her gaze flits between the two of them, and she laughs again.

“― Oh, my God! You had to bring your twin brother along to come on a date? You’re pathetic!” Her hand pulls away from Karamatsu’s. “Oh, you’re definitely coming out with me and my friends.”

Totty hisses and pushes her hand away from Karamatsu’s. He steps in front of his big brother to physically block this woman from him. “Keep your hands off him! You’re not taking him anywhere. He’s never seeing you again, because you treated him like… like, fuck, I wouldn’t treat a rock the way you treated him!”

He hears Karamatsu make a noise of almost-protest behind him; he can just imagine the other man sinking down in his seat and trying to hide his face. “Totty, please…”

“No! No, she doesn’t get to just treat you like dirt, Karamatsu-nii-san! You think my brother’s just some kind of dumbass you can show off to your friends and laugh at and treat him like crap?!” he snarls. “Well, guess what? He may be sort of a dumbass sometimes, and maybe he’s a little painful, and maybe he’s not the perfect guy you’re looking for! But he’s a whole hell of a better person than you are!”

Although Totty could kick himself for not saying anything to Karamatsu before, it might be best it’s coming out now. He doesn’t have a lot of time to really think about it or pretend or rehearse. What he’s saying isn’t practiced, it’s real. “Karamatsu is the kindest person I know, and you wish you had at least half the passion he does for the things he likes! Who cares that he wears a shirt with his own face on it? He was bending over backwards to make you happy, even though everything out of your mouth was word barf about how embarrassing he is! And, by the way, you’re wrong!”

It only takes half a step for him to reach over to grab his coffee from the counter, assisted by Aida who’s smirking as she holds it out for him. “If my choice was between you or him, I’d be way less embarrassed to be seen in public with him than with you! He’s not perfect, but he cares about people, and he’s always there when you need him, and ― and all this stuff you think is embarrassing, who the hell gives a shit?! It’s what he wants to do and it’s not hurting anyone! I’d break my phone before I let my big brother go out with someone like you again! Maybe he keeps striking out with dates, but he’s never going to be that desperate!”

He feels a little bad about what he’s about to do. That feeling is mitigated by the fact that at least his coffee isn’t hot.

“And, you know, I actually am sorry about messing up your drink last time. So here, you can have mine!” Almost before he’s finished speaking, he’s dumped his entire cup over her head.

He doesn’t stick around to deal with the aftermath aside from seeing the look of abject horror on the woman’s face as the coffee makes her bad mascara drip. And even though there’s a little bit of guilt over the fact that he’s leaving his coworkers to deal with her, the fact that Sacchi and Aida are cackling while they gather up napkins eases his mind.

He grabs Karamatsu by the hand and leads him out, tossing his coffee cup on the way. There’s not much choice on Karamatsu’s part, except he doesn’t particularly look as if he minds that.

“You didn’t… have to do that, Totty,” Karamatsu mumbles. When Totty glances over, the second eldest looks more tired than anything. He knows that look; the exhaustion of something not working out, of thinking you had a chance only for it to all go up in smoke.

Totty huffs, marching the two of them in the direction that leads back home. “Of course I did! You weren’t going to do it, so someone had to. God… you’ve gotta stop letting people walk all over you, Karamatsu-nii-chan.”

The shift to the more affectionate honorific suggests to Karamatsu that this is really, truly something Totty cares about. He squeezes his baby brother’s hand with a thoughtful hum. “… If that’s the case, perhaps a romance for me just isn’t in the cards. I… really thought it was going to go somewhere this time.”

At last Totty slows slightly, from an aggressive pace to something a little calmer. He’s still pissed off that someone treated Karamatsu like that, and although he’s a bit upset that Karamatsu sit there and let it happen, he knows what it’s like to want people to like you so much that you’ll put up with nearly anything.

However, that’s also the reason he doesn’t want Karamatsu just putting up with it. He deserves so much better than to have people treat him like dirt. It’s not right to do that to anybody, but… especially not to Totty’s big brother.

“I’m sorry I kind of… tapped into Murder Totty in there,” he sighs. “Did I go overboard?”

Karamatsu shrugs. “Maybe a little. But I wasn’t truly enjoying myself and I didn’t want to go on another date with her. I just… didn’t know how to tell her no. I suppose I really am lucky you were there, too.”

Silence falls between them while they walk, then after a moment, Karamatsu clears his throat. “Totty… did you… mean all those things?”

“Huh? All what things?”

“Those things, you know… you said I was… kind and passionate and reliable.” He lets out a soft laugh. “You… you said you’d rather break your phone than let me go out with her again.”

… Oh. He. Did say that, didn’t he?

He pouts a bit, then squeezes Karamatsu’s hand. “Yeah, I meant it. Of course I meant it.”

Beat.

“But as much as I love you, I’m just glad I don’t have to do that.”

[blue-bird-kny]

How You Spend Days Off

I stuck to only the three main peeps, but I’m looking forward to writing for more JJK characters. It was actually really nice to write for them, so I hope you enjoy~Amanda

P.S: Be safe out after dark!

Warning: N/A

( 2.1K+ words)

   ↳{shenanigans you and your S/O get up to on days off}

Yuji:

Days off with Yuji are unpredictable and always either involve something thrilling and very energy consuming or it can be some of the simplest things a person can do- no in between.

Yuji usually is the one who makes plans during your spare time (though he always gets your opinion, of course), he just really values time with you and wants to experience so much together while he can

It was common knowledge that this coming Friday, all the students would have the time off to rest as a reward for all their hard work with the recent influx of curse activity. Yuji wasted no time in planning the perfect day together, from the moment you woke up next to him to when you both fell asleep, he had something ready.                               

“Ah that was delicious Yuji, thank you” you cheered, arms stretched high above your head in an attempt to work away the sleepiness the food had made you feel. “No problem! Only the best for you, princess” Yuji’s smile reached past his shining eyes, thrilled you enjoyed the assortment of plates and bowls filled with your breakfast favorites he’d surprised you with. “Well then, my prince, to what honor do I owe your company today?” you asked leaning against your balled fist and bent elbow on the table, amusement and adoration laced on all your features. “For one day only, yours truly scored us tickets to…! Drum roll please!” Yuji posed dramatically, eyes cast down while crouched and pointing in a funny manner.

You proceeded to bang your fist against the table, laughing lightly, “We’re going to spend all day at Monster Con!” he pulled out two floppy pieces of paper from his back pocket as you gasped, “Oh I’m not finished yet, princess, we’ll also be wearing matching costumes I hand selected” You stood quickly, clapping at his theatrical performance as he bowed, repeating, “Thank you, thank you”. You made your way to infront of the boy, your arms wrapping around his broad shoulders while he enveloped your waist tightly, pressing you against him. “Not going dressed as your pesky alter ego, huh?” you joked staring up at the taller kid, earning you a slight pout, “No, he’s not invited” he grumbled. “Sorry, that joke was in poor taste” you apologized, shifting to run your thumb along his juted bottom lip to smooth out the lines.

“No worries, I know ya didn’t mean anything by it” your hand stayed cupping his cheek, both star-filled eyes trained on each other as you both wore the cheesiest grins. Just as you stood on your tip-toes to close the space between each other, a warm gust of breath blew against the palm holding Yuji still, “I was wondering why you hadn’t spoiled the moment” you sighed, lowering yourself to lean your forehead against Yuji’s chest instead. A small mouth carved into its host cheek frowned, now free to speak without your hand suffocating it, “I can handle the women’s teasing, however what have I done in my many lifetimes to have to suffer through this painful love-sick puppies act” Sukuna complained. “Many things actually” you responded, muffled by Yuji’s shirt that smelled of a citrusy-warm blend you couldn’t get enough of. “Why do you always kill the mood?” Yuji  groaned up towards the ceiling, earning himself a scoff from the demon king. “Oh? You mean like that I wouldn’t let y-” “SHUT UP!” Yuji slammed his hand against his own face to silence the man, his cheeks inflamed.

Now clad in matching costumes, you as frankenstein's wife and Yuji as Frankenstein, from the hair to the clothes to the make-up, you both spent the day without any further hiccups; how Yuji kept Sukuna at bay, you didn’t know, but I didn’t really matter. The stares from passengers on the train to the convention center was obvious to everyone but you two, lost in your own little love-sick world of old-fashion horror movies, delicious food, and pure, unfiltered content.

Megumi:

Megumi is a simple guy who likes simple things; he’s overworked and more exhausted than he even realizes, however he doesn’t acknowledge that...ever. In fact, you could run a mile ‘too quickly’ by his standards and he will have you take a break and drink his bottle of water (though you had your own and he knew that).

On your rare days off together, Megumi would silently stick to you like glue; he wants to do something for you in the creative way Yuji does and definitely wants to spend the time with you, but he can never come up with a complete idea of how to ‘wow’ you.

Except you didn’t need to be wowed, in fact you really were burnt out, so when the day came when you had  nothing to do but be together, you planned a whole day of nothing with a side of Netflix and take-out.

You knocked on the door to Megumi’s dorm that was just a few paces away from your own. It was almost noon and you still wore your pj’s from last night, cookie monster shorts and an old shirt of Megumi’s you took last week, having made no attempt to fix your hair. “Umi~!” you whined, banging on the door a little harder, the plastic bag from the convenience store rustling at your side. “Coming” Megumi opened the door in a similar state; pj’s still on and hair sticking in even weirder directions than normal.

“Mornin” you greeted with the faintest grin, “sorry to wake you” “ I was just getting up” he yawned while he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. “Sure I can tell by the bed head” you teased, earning a playful eye roll from the boy. You waved the bag of goodies in front of his face, “Let me in, I’ll make it worth your while~” he chuckled, “I doubt it” despite his words he stood to the side, letting you past and closing the door behind you.

His dorm was dark and a little stuffy, clearly Megumi hadn’t had time to do the in depth cleaning the little neat-freak was so fond of. The continents of the bag clacked together and scattered around as you tossed it onto the small table in the corner, making your way over to his comfortable futon that smelled of his signature eucalyptus soaps. You flopped about for a moment, stretching, snuggling into the sheets still warm from Megumi, who was watching the small scene from the door, “C’mon Umi’ I wanna get through at least two episodes of SVU before we inevitably fall asleep wrapped in each others arms” you called dreamily with lidded eyes, already tired again as you buried beneath his sheets and pillows.

Megumi could feel his chest ache and stomach flutter at the image of the one who he cared for so much that it physically hurt laying there in his bed with soft, kind eyes just for him- it was almost too much. “Umi, I will eat all the sour snakes if you don’t come over here, your sheets are getting cold” Megumi was cut off by his own thoughts of admiration by your voice. He chuckled at the cute way your face cringed a bit at the sour-sweet taste of the candy before sliding into bed too, your head laying on his chest as he held you close. A small, genuine grin spread across his lips as the sound of Netflix starting rang from the TV, holding you even tighter, ‘this is perfect’

Nobara

Be ready to put on your best dressed because you and your girlfriend are hitting the town! Of course Nobara would find her way into the city whenever she could, foreign to the endless wonders the busy streets had to offer and luckily for her, you happened to be far more native with the many sights to see.

She’d let you sleep in, holding you tender as she traced her nails across your skin to form intricate patterns until you woke. You both would totally be the couple that wears matching outfits, the same colors and patterns tailored to your personal styles- of course this would also lead to thousands of pictures for Nobara’s instagram.  

You two would laughed, eat delicious foods, and would spend way more than either of you cared to admit nor did you want to because the price of absurd, unfiltered laughter and the feel of just a good time, was one both of you could pay a thousand times (and a new pair of shoes too)

The sun hung lower in the sky than it did when you started this little adventure before noon, having been sold on the idea by Nobara that she “only needed a few things” this morning. Now, exhausted perched on a steel chair outside some cafe you’d never heard of with your sore feet elevated on the other empty one you waited for your girlfriend who was inside somewhere.

“Jeez even my fingers are cramped” you groaned flexing your numb digits; shopping was a grueling vice because no matter how much you’ve already bought, more cute sweaters, tops, and matching accessories called to you by name and the art of saying ‘no’ wasn’t exactly in Ms.Kugisaki’s vocabulary. “Here ya’ go babe” Nobara emerged from the shop with two cups, handing one to you before sipping gingerly from her own. You brought the plastic straw to your lips, sighing in relief as the contents quelled a thirst you didn’t even know had been building up. “I don’t think we did too much damage” your face fell and eyes bulged, flailing your arms out around at the brightly colored parcels that littered the table and surrounding floor, “Nobara there are at least fifteen bags here”

She laughed, her hand falling on top of your thigh, giving a gentle squeeze, “Still no that bad”. She scooched her chair closer to yours, her thumb rubbing nonsense circles into the denim of your jeans, “What next?” she asked leaning into her seat, her brown irises watching yours fondly, “Food? We haven’t eaten since a lot earlier and I could turn into a wolf any second and eat you” you teased, though food sounded better and better the more you thought about it. “Eat me? You promise, baby?” Nobara’s smirk earned herself a not-so-graceful, but light kick from you.

“An impromptu picnic sounds great” Nobara decided, tapping against you in finality. It became a game: You both had 30 minutes to run around the delicious food district to pick out each other's favorites, as many as you liked (which would be more food than two can eat), then you’d reconvene at the same cafe. Nobara offered to pick up a blanket at the convenience store because she ‘knew you so well she wouldn’t need the whole half hour.’ The game was on and time was ticking as you both rushed in opposite directions with several bags and a hunger to please the other.

You scurred around each vendor, selecting different meat dishes and veggies, cakes and watermelon, and even splurged on some fancy sushi from the place she'd wanted to try. Your arms quivered under the weight of the many shopping bags and take-out boxes, but you were determined to get back first. “Just around the corner- Are you kidding me?!” you yelled. In the exact steel seat she sat in earlier, was Nobara with an array of bags around her, boxes and the blanket stacked neatly on the table with dark sunglasses adorning her face and her legs crossed cockily as she spoke smoothly, “Beat ya”

Both of you grossly overestimated the amount of food you could eat in one sitting as practically unopened boxes lay stacked on top one another on the blankets while watermelon rinds and used plates were thrown into a garbage bag. The sun was low, almost at the horizon, painting the sky in pastel oranges and pinks with hints of purple and blue; the spring chill had blown a little heavier now that the sun was setting and it was getting harder to stop the shivers. Nobara laid against the trunk of a tree with you between her legs, holding you as her manicured fingers idly massaged your scalp quietly- you would have fallen asleep at the small gesture had you not been actively keeping your eyes open. “The boys will be grateful for the food, I’d hate wasting it” she yawned to which you only hummed.

“Hey” you turned your head up slightly, only enough to meet her gaze, “today was really fun” she smiled, slithering across your arm to grab your cheeks gently in her fingers, forcing your lips to pucker, “yeah it was.” Your wobbly smile made Nobara feel things, too many things at once, and a lump began to form in her throat, “I love you” you mumbled, Nobara’s breath caught for only a moment, whispering a thick “me too.”

Masterlist 

[hufflepuffhollander]

the photoshoot: tom holland imagine

a/n | i got this idea from a facebook post i saw and ran with it! i’ve never included a photo story in my writing so i hope i didn’t botch it! my WIPs are all pretty angsty so i figured i’d fluff it up a little for y’all (also this gif amirite)

summary | you are picked for a social experiment: a couples’ photoshoot where you don’t meet the person you’re posing with until the beginning of the session.

tom x fem reader | contains fluff, fluff, and more fluff | word count: 2.1k | enjoy!

“My god, just pick a dress, y/n. We’ve been here for hours.”

Your friend stood with her arms crossed as you studied yourself in the dressing room mirror, making faces of content then unrest, unsure if this dress was the one to go with- or if it could’ve been any of the last 15 you’d tried on.

“I can’t decide, maybe I just need to go through them again-”

“No!” your friend said, grabbing the pile of hanged clothes off of the hook on the wall and holding them out of your reach. “You’re overthinking this, it’s just a photoshoot! You don’t even know the guy! And the one you have on is obviously the best choice.”

You turned back to the mirror and stared at the starchy white fabric of the dress, its eyelet lace design making it a tight fit that accentuate your curves. You sighed in resignation. “Fine. But if the pictures come out and I look like a ghost, I’m blaming you.”

You took the outfit home and laid it out in preparation for tomorrow, kicking yourself for having signed up for this in the first place. After a long week, you only wanted to stay in your sweatpants in bed tomorrow instead of getting all dolled up to go take photos in cliche poses with a total stranger. You sent your friend a passive aggressive text about it, since she was the one who made you sign up for the ‘social experiment’, and all you received back was an annoyingly curt “you’ll thank me later”. You threw your phone aside and went to bed early, crossing your fingers that tomorrow would go by as quickly as possible. 

You arrived to the shoot location the next day- a vineyard an hour away that you got turned around twice trying to find. Once you stepped out of the car, the photographer came to greet you, a friendly woman in her mid thirties wearing all black and a massive camera swinging around her neck like an oversized necklace.

“Ah, y/n, thank you so much for coming! It seems like your partner is running a little behind, so we’ll just have to wait for a few,” she smiled bleakly, running away to ridicule one of the men setting up the reflective umbrellas.

“We want to capture the people, not the sun, Nicholas.”

You leaned against your car already annoyed at your partner for failing to show up. You had woken up two hours early to curl your hair and do a full face of makeup, and this is how you get rewarded? You swore up and down that you’d smack your friend when you saw her later. The photographer, whose name you learned was Karen—typical—brought you into a tangle of grapevines to test the lighting and shoot some practice photos. You were already horribly uncomfortable when it was just you standing alone, and couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be when another clueless anti-model had to pose next to you.

“Doll, just put your hand on your hip, like this-

“Well no, not like that—uh, Nicholas, can you go pose her?

“Just smile, dear. You look...really unhappy.”

It was nightmarish. 

You were saved by the bell as another car pulled into the lot and a guy of average height wearing a crisp blazer stepped out, wearing the snobbiest looking pair of wayfarers you’d ever seen. 

“Oh, great! Tom’s here,” Karen cheered, happy to rush away from the agonizing one-on-one session you’d just had. You looked at Nicholas, trying again to fix the umbrella.

“Tom?” you asked, and he just nodded. 

“Yeah, Tom Holland. Don’t know how she managed to get an A-lister out here for this, but that’s Karen,” he responded, walking away.

Wait, what?

Karen waltzed back over to you with him in tow, a smile plastered on her face so big you thought the one she flashed you earliest must’ve been entirely insincere.

“Great! Here we are! y/n, this is Tom,” she said, pushing him forward to stand in front of you. He gave you a bright smile and stuck out his hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, love.”

You shook his hand without speaking because you literally had forgotten how to breathe. This was your stranger? You’d had the biggest, most incurable crush on Tom Holland since you were a teenager, and all of your social skills that you’d picked up as an adult had clearly just evaporated in the sun.

“Uh, hi-” Karen and Tom shared a laugh at your starstruck expression. “Sorry, do you two know each other?”

“Yeah, Karen and I go way back,” Tom said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her tight. “She taught me how to model.”

“Well, it’s not hard when you have this face to work with!” She pinched Tom’s cheeks and grinned, then looked you up and down, reminding you with a glance how hard it had been just to get you to smile for the camera without looking deranged. Ouch, Karen.

“Okay, well, let’s get started then,” she skipped off back to the rows of vines lining the field and Tom ushered you with his hand. “After you,” he smiled. 

You tried not to stumble over your heels stepping in the uneven earth below you, and Karen brought the camera up to her face with a squeal. “Alright, sweeties, let’s make the camera think you’re falling in love!” Karen, you decided, was an extremely over-the-top human. “This is your meet cute. You’re just seeing each other for the first time. Make it sparkle.”

That was all she gave you direction-wise, and you and Tom just stood staring at each other a few feet apart as the camera started clicking. The shade of your cheeks made it look like you’d just run a marathon and you just started giggling out of sheer nerve, making Tom start to work up a laugh, too. 

“She’s a bit much, isn’t she?” he motioned with his eyes so Karen couldn’t pick up on his comment.

“I don’t even know what she wants me to do.” you said, concentrating on a bushel of grapes instead of Tom’s dreamy face because you were worried if you spent more than three seconds looking into his eyes, you’d pass out cold.

“Well I’m basically a pro at this, so let me help you, okay?” he said, reaching out for your hand again. You took it as your heart did somersaults in your chest, and as he exclaimed “ooh, nice nails”, you genuinely smiled, giving Karen exactly the shot she wanted. 

Your hand was shaking, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. “Why are you so nervous?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m absolutely clueless!”

Tom shrugged and looked off to the side. “Well, you said it, not me...”

You gasped and feigned offense, whipping your hand out of his. “How dare you!”

He laughed and tried to take your hand again, but you dramatically swiped your arm out of his reach, and the camera picked up a series of shots that made it look like you and Tom were playing ninja. 

“Uh, what are we doin’ here, folks?” Karen questioned as you and Tom ran in circles around one another, him trying to get at your hands and you doing everything in your power not to let it happen. Your nerves melted away as the endorphins kicked in. Eventually Tom gave up and decided to grab hold of you, pick you up and twirl you around, in the chaos yelling “We need to please the Karen!”. You were laughing and out of breath from running around, and you slowly lowered your head to his, the look in his eyes reading that he was about to kiss you...

“That was amazing!” Karen squealed, shaking you from Tom’s mesmerizing stare, pushing the moment past you. Tom let you down to the ground, both of you shocked that he’d made such a bold move in the first place. He wiped his hands on the legs of his pants and cleared his throat as you fiddled with some of the curls that had come loose around your face. Karen couldn’t be happier; the money shot came out looking like a magazine ad.

 Tom gave you a sheepish smile. “Uh, sorry if that was too-”

“It wasn’t,” you batted your lashes at him and could’ve sworn his cheeks were tinted just as pink as yours.

Karen’s loud voice pitched in as you had ended up standing still, a photographer’s worst nightmare.

“Okay, so we’ve met, now show me that chemistry!” she shouted, getting an eye roll from you and a snicker from Tom at your reaction. 

“Is she expecting us to fall madly in love now that we’ve known each other for more than five minutes?” you asked, fluffing out the skirt of your dress.

“Weirder things have happened,” Tom shrugged his shoulders and winked at you before turning around and walking towards a cluster of vines, picking off a grape and popping in his mouth with a satisfying crunch.

“Oh, are we allowed to eat them? I’m dying out here in the sun!” You followed his pattern and picked a few grapes out of the brambles, noticing a few rows away that there was a small table with two glasses and a bottle of wine. Tom followed your gaze to the alcohol and looked back at you, his expression reflecting exactly what you were thinking.

“Can I buy you a drink?” he smirked.

You collectively ignored Karen’s remarks as you wandered to the table and filled the glasses.

“Are we sure this is here for us?” you looked around skeptically. 

“I have no idea, darling. Cheers.”

You sat down in the grass and clinked the flutes together, still unable to believe this was really happening to you. You and Tom started to talk about nothing, already feeling a thousand times more comfortable around each other, bonding over this shared weird experience—and the fresh off-the-vine wine certainly didn’t hesitate to calm your nerves.

As Tom was leaning closer to you, gaze notably flicking from your eyes to your lips, Karen snuck up to you—pretending to be a grape?—and snapped photos of your impromptu picnic. 

“Just adorable,” she murmured, and you almost spilled your wine because of how startled you were. Damnit, Karen, you keep ruining the moment. But she didn’t think twice about the interruption; she almost had tears in her eyes because of how perfect the shots were.

You both sat up and away from one another, feeling stiff now that a lens was pointed at you.

“Well, don’t stop on my account!” she chortled, wholly unaware her debut was what killed the vibe.

Tom stood up and offered his hand to help you stand, not immediately letting it go as you wandered to a different part of the sunny vineyard. You pushed the photographer out of your mind as you chatted again, bumping each other’s shoulders as you walked and not minding it a bit. Every time you saw a certain glint in Tom’s eyes, any moment he caught you looking, there could’ve been a spark there that ignited something more. But you were constantly interrupted by shutter clicks, yells at Nicholas, and annoying directing interjections by the appropriately-named Karen.

At one point, Tom had clearly had enough of the pestering, and took your hand, pulling you into an array of closely packed trees so you couldn’t be found. 

“Woah- what are you doing?” you asked, confused at the sudden change of scenery.

“Guys? Where did you go?” You heard a shrill voice coming from outside the trees, and Tom attempted to shush you by pulling you close into his body and covering half your face with his hand. 

“Shut up shut up shut-”

You heard Karen’s voice grow quieter as she searched in the opposite direction.

“Tom!” you chuckled, prying his fingers off of your cheek. “You’re going to smear my makeup!”

“It’s not like you need it, y/n,” he said without thinking, attention still focused on hiding.

Your whole face grew hot and you couldn’t help but smile like a complete fool. When he looked down at your reaction, he noticed the weight in what he’d said, and made the cutest giggle you’d ever heard, trying to avert the focus from his compliment.

“Sorry, I just couldn’t handle another photo directive being shouted in my ear,” he breathed while pushing his hair back out of his eyes in some devilishly handsome way. You were still clutching the hand that had been on your face, and Tom looked down to interlock his fingers with yours.

“You do know we’re at a photoshoot, right?”

He playfully shoved your shoulder with his free hand at your sassy comment.

“Just saying, I thought you were a pro-”

You heard the photographer’s voice come into the foreground again and you abruptly ran as fast as you could with heels on, still holding Tom’s hand as you trailed behind him. You found yourselves in an even more tightly packed bramble of trees, facing each other with barely a grapevine’s width between you. 

“Oh, you have a stick in your hair,” you whispered, reaching up to pick a tiny branch out of his curls. As you looked from his hair to his eyes, he was staring deeply into yours, prompting you to leave your hand resting at the back of his neck. 

Wordlessly, he leaned in and kissed you in one fell swoop, and you thought you might implode on the spot when his lips came in contact with your own. He tasted like cologne and crisp grape juice and it was a mixture of scents you hoped would never leave your nose—just the way he kissed you so sweetly made you want to bathe in the stuff.

When he pulled back, he brought your intertwined fingers up to cup your cheek, and you let your hand rest on the back of his as you tilted your head to instigate another kiss, still enjoyably dizzied from the one before. 

Tom let his mouth linger over yours after another long kiss before coming up for air again, and you could see his eyes wrinkling at the corners, knowing he was smiling without being able to see the rest of his face.

“You know, I was hesitant to do the whole ‘stranger photoshoot’ thing, but now I’m pretty happy I was able to be convinced.” He sighed contently.

“This was more of a stranger hide-and-go-seek than a photoshoot, I feel like,” you spoke from your lighthearted chest in airy breaths and moved to lock lips again, unable to get enough of your stranger. He put his hand on the small of your back and leaned you backward, deepening the already electric hold he had on you.

“I don’t want you to be a stranger anymore, darling,” he mumbled against you, sending vibrations through you with his voice. You just whispered a soft “okay”, lost for words, as his mouth touched your cheek, your jaw, and then back to your lips for more of your wine-infused kisses. You were wishing this moment could last forever, Tom holding you and sending shivers down your spine, right as you heard a click and saw the bright white flash of a bulb. 

“Jesus, Karen!”

But she didn’t care that you were mad; her experiment had worked, she’d gotten her strangers together—and just look at that shot.