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fadedin2u · 1 year ago

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pick up and roll the dice - ch. 3

read in between the lines, i know you love me…

summary: you plan a surprise for ellie’s birthday, and ellie’s doesn’t know what to do about her overwhelming feelings for you.

content: college!au, childhood best friends!au, dealer!ellie, fem!reader, modern!au, ellie is a simp (not surprising), ur also a simp, art major!ellie, kinda slow burn??

word count: 2k

warnings: none really for this chapter!! expect nsfw chapters in the future so MDNI 18+

notes: it bums me tf out how little attention ellie fluff gets on tumblr, but i love writing this series, so if u like to read it, like/reblogs are SO appreciated

read chapters one and two here!

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

The day after the party, Ellie’s a wreck. She barely got a wink of sleep that night, unable to stop ruminating on how much she’s fucking up her friendship with you by having this soul-consuming want for you. It’s not like Ellie doesn’t know how bad this could all end. You’re not only her closest friend, one of the few people she actually trusts, but you’re her goddamn roommate. If Ellie fucks this up, there’s no escaping the awkwardness that would inevitably ensue, plus risk losing you completely.

So, she texts Kylie.

E: hey, sorry for going MIA lmao, things got busy, would u wanna grab dinner w me on friday?

Ellie sits down on her bed and rubs her temples. She doesn’t even like Kylie very much, but she’s available, and she’s clearly interested in Ellie, so at the very least Kylie can be a distraction from you.

Ellie feels a black hole of guilt swirling in her stomach from leading Kylie on, but it dissipates as quickly as it came on when you burst through into dorm, kicking off your shoes that you wore to your morning classes. Ellie, usually, is still asleep when you leave for classes, but this morning, she was just lying in bed, completely awake, as she listened to you getting ready, pushing through your hangover.

“Happy 20th Birthday eve!” You exclaim, giving Ellie a bright, cheeky grin.

She rolls her eyes, trying to conceal her smile, “You’re such a fucking dork.

You shrug and laugh, “Hey, it takes one to know one.”

You notice the dark circles under her eyes and frown slightly, “You look like shit.”

Ellie huffs a laugh, “Thanks.”

You sit across from Ellie on your own dorm-style twin bed. “You’re free tomorrow, right?”

Ellie nods, “I’m getting breakfast with Joel that morning, but yeah, I’ll be free after.”

You grin, and mischievous look on your face, “Good.”

Ellie raises an eyebrow, “Should I be worried?”

You shake your head, “Nah, you’ll love it. I just can’t wait to see your reaction. Just make sure you’re here at the dorm by 5pm, okay?”

Ellie puts up her hand, raising two fingers, “Scout’s honor.”

You snort, standing up to walk to the bathroom, “That’d probably mean more if you were actually a Scout.”

Ellie scoffs, “I know way more about survival than any of those dipshits, I’m basically an honorary scout, if you think about it.”

You rolls your eyes and laugh, “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Els.”

—————

The next day, Ellie’s playing the guitar that Joel made her for her birthday when you walk into the dorm at 5pm sharp.

“Happy Birthday Ellie-Bellie!” You exclaim, knowing her deep-seated hatred for her childhood nickname as you throw a handful of streamers in her direction.

She keeps herself from laughing, “You’re cleaning that up, right?”

You give her a look, “No, I was planning on making you my maid on your birthday. Now come on, we need to get going!”

She puts her guitar to the side and stands up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her t-shirt and cargo pants with her hands.

“Is that from Joel?” You ask, motioning to the guitar.

Ellie nods and smiles wide, “Yeah, he made it for me, it’s super sweet.”

You examine the guitar’s craftsmanship as Ellie laces up her converse.

“You’re not driving right?” She asks.

You give her another look, “I have to, it’s a surprise destination. You can’t drive somewhere you don’t even know you’re going to.”

She groans, “And to think I didn’t even give Joel a proper goodbye.”

You kick her shin playfully, “Shut up, you’ll be fine. I’m an… okay driver.”

Ellie starts walking out of the dorm building with you, “Does an ‘okay driver’ almost commit vehicular manslaughter twice?”

Your face goes hot, “Those kids appeared out of no where, and I stand by that. Besides, the key word is ‘almost’, babe.”

Ellie doesn’t look convinced.

“Besides, you get to be my passenger princess for today,” You say with an obnoxiously cocky grin as you walk into the parking lot.

Ellie rubs her face, “Jesus fucking Christ.”

You giggle and walk up to your car, opening the passenger door for Ellie, to which Ellie rolls her eyes at, but you can see that she’s trying not to smile.

You hop in the driver’s seat and say, “Birthday girl gets aux.”

Ellie plays a lot of 80s music during your drive into the city to her surprise destination, her taste in music developed during her years living with Joel. Halfway through Take On Me by A-ha, you pull into a parking lot.

You and Ellie get out of the car and you start leading her to a large building. Once you two can see the sign that reads “The Hansen Planetarium”, a giddy grin breaks out on Ellie’s face.

“Oh fuck yeah, we’re going to the planetarium?!” Ellie asks, walking faster.

You laugh and catch up with her, “What can I say? I know my girl.”

Ellie’s face goes a bit pink and she tucks some loose hair from her half-up bun behind her ear, “Yeah, I guess you do.”

You show the person at the planetarium’s front desk your confirmation for the tickets you bought beforehand, and you go inside.

Ellie stops to read nearly every blurb that’s written in front of each display, and you patiently wait for her, wanting her to take her time and fully enjoy the experience.

In between reading and examining the exhibits, Ellie is listing off factoid after factoid.

“Y’know, Neptune’s only made one full orbit around the sun since its discovery.”

“There’s actually some gravity on the International Space Station, which is kinda weird honestly.”

“Dude, do you know that the moon is really shaped like a lemon?”

You raise an eyebrow at that one, “You’re lying.”

Ellie laughs, “I am not! It’s fucking crazy! It looks round in the night sky, but I swear on my life it’s really shaped like a lemon.”

You shrug, still doubtful but accepting that Ellie’s probably not wrong, knowing her long-time obsession with space.

By the time you’ve made it through the all of the exhibits, Ellie is a little bummed.

“I almost wish there was more to look at, I don’t wanna say goodbye yet,” she says and your lips quirk up into a knowing smile.

“Yeah, it sure is too bad that there’s nothing else to do. On an unrelated note, follow me.”

You lead Ellie to the entrance of the Dome Theater inside the planetarium, and Ellie’s eyes light up when she reads the sign.

“Rock the Dome? Dude. Is this a laser show?”

You laugh and nod, glad that you guessed correctly that Ellie, the nerd she is, would be genuinely excited about this.

Ellie pulls you into a tight hug, “What the fuck? You know me too well.”

Your cheeks go hot and you giggle a little, “Well, at least we can agree on that.”

You give the Usher the tickets you pre-paid for, and let Ellie pick your seats in the Dome Theater, the night sky projected onto the curved walls surrounding you.

When she sits, you sit next to her and she immediately grabs your hand.

“Thank you. Seriously. This is… Genuinely one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.” Ellie says, squeezing your hand with a soft look in her eyes.

You squeeze her hand back, hoping you don’t look as flustered as you feel. “It’s seriously no big deal, Els. You’re my best friend, you deserve this.”

Ellie looks down at her lap and smiles a little, but doesn’t let go of your hand as the laser show starts, fog machines starting to pump out misty clouds into the room that makes the light from the lasers almost look solid.

Your mind is racing as the music comes on, mesmerizing the crowd with the lasers dancing in coordination, ‘This is platonic, right? This has to be platonic. Ellie’s just being appreciative of what I did for her. Jesus fucking Christ, maybe this isn’t platonic?’

You decided to not think about it too much at that moment, and try to enjoy the spectacle of color and light before your eyes.

———

The show included a lot of classic rock from the 80s, including Queen, the Stones, Bowie, Talking Heads, and The Clash. Ellie was awestruck, singing under her breath to every song that she knew, while you tried not to smile too big at how cute she was being.

By the time you two are back at the dorm, Ellie is completely over the moon.

“This was seriously the best birthday I’ve had yet. A new guitar from Joel, planetarium, and a laser show? This day fuckin’ ruled.”

You giggle and go over to your closet, “Well, it’s not quite over yet.”

Ellie narrows her eyes, “No way. You’ve already done so much.”

You pull a thin, wrapped gift from the top of your small closet, and bring it over to where Ellie’s standing.

“I wanted to do so much,” You say, rubbing the back of your neck.

Ellie takes the gift from you and sits down on her bed, intrigued.

“Can I open it?” She asks.

You laugh, “No, I just brought over your birthday gift so you could check out my wrapping job. Go open it, dumbass.”

Ellie chuckles and tears open the wrapping paper, her face morphing into shock as she sees the Special Edition “Savage Starlight” comic book in her hands.

“Holy fuck,” Ellie says, staring at it a second longer before nearly lunging forward to hug you.

You stumble back a bit, laughing as you wrap your arms around her as well.

“I’m guessing that was a good choice?”

Ellie guffaws, “Are you fucking kidding? It’s perfect. How the fuck did you find this, dude?”

You shrug , smiling to yourself, “I have my ways.”

Ellie pulls back from the hug, her freckled face a little pink as she looks back down at the comic book.

“This is too much. Like, way too much.”

You shrug, “Once again, you deserve it.”

Ellie looks down, smiling to herself, “Still. You’re just… This is so fucking thoughtful.”

You laugh a little, feeling flustered by this whole interaction, “What can I say? I have a lot of thoughts in this head, I gotta make good use of them.”

‘So fucking dumb, oh my god,’ you think to yourself, wincing at your response.

Ellie rolls her eyes at you, but her grin is huge and pure. “I’m gonna use the bathroom super quick, but do you wanna read it with me after?”

You smile wide, sitting on her bed, “Absolutely.”

Ellie races to your shared bathroom, and as she’s gone, you pull out your phone and scroll absentmindedly.

You’re pulled away from your phone when you hear Ellie’s phone buzz on her bedside table, right next to you, the screen lit up.

Before you have time to shame yourself for intruding on her personal business, you glance over at her screen, where a text is shown:

Kylie: I would love that! :) what time were you thinking?

Your stomach fills with dread and complete embarrassment. You should’ve known better than to think that Ellie holding your hand was anything more than platonic, that Ellie would ever see you more than her best friend. You knew that Ellie has never, and will never see you the way you see her, and you still let yourself get butt hurt over something as stupid as her getting a text from someone else.

‘I’m so fucking dumb, this is my own damn fault for getting my hopes up.’

You try to go back to scrolling through your phone, but your churning stomach keeps distracting you from thinking about what’s on your own screen, still thinking about the text you saw on Ellie’s.

When Ellie comes back in the room, she tears open the plastic packaging on the comic book and tosses herself onto her bed, pressed against you.

You move away from her slightly, “You ready?”

Ellie’s chest pangs with slight hurt, seeing you distance yourself from her.

“Uh, yeah! Let’s see what the Traveler’s are up to this time,” She says, trying to cover up how let down she is that you clearly don’t want to cuddle with her as usual.

You cross your arms and legs, leaning against the wall against Ellie’s bed. You’re barely able to see the full page of the comic book, but you don’t really care, it’s not like you’ll be able to think of anything except for that text.

Ellie glances over at you, her face crestfallen as she bites her lip, before pulling it together and getting into her “narrator” voice.

“The year is 2186, light years away from planet Earth…”

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

read texts w/ reader and ellie here

i realized i don’t have a taglist for this so lmk if you’d like to be added!

taglist: @elsbabyxx @mikellie

#rose writes #ellie williams #ellie williams x reader #tlou2 #tlou #ellie x reader #ellie williams fanfic #ellie fluff #ellie williams fluff #ellie x y/n #ellie x fem reader

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hodari-pavels-good-boy · 3 months ago

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Espresso Chapter 3:

Vaunting

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3

Pairing: Hodari Pavel x Reader Word Count: 2.1k Chapter: 3/? Rating: E

Tags: Angst, Angst with a happy ending, miscommunication, fluff, eventual smut

A/N: This is a multi chapter Hodari x y/n story! Gender is not specified so everyone can enjoy it (though I did originally start writing it with the intention of it being a male reader lol). Tags will be updated as the fic goes. Cross-posted Here on Ao3. Fic below the cut! Enjoy :)

In the days that passed since Hodari confronted you in the mines you’ve been avoiding the Pavel house like the plague and succinctly the mines themselves. ‘It’s nothing personal’ still echoes in your head and you’ve decided the best course of action would probably be to avoid all of the southern half of Bahari Bay for right now so you don’t accidentally run into the miner or his daughter and risk catching Hodari’s ire. The message was received loud and clear the first time and you’re not exactly chomping at the bit to hear it again. You’re not one to place yourself where you aren’t welcomed or wanted.

This clever plan however, has its drawbacks. Only sticking to the northern half of the bay has unfortunately proven to be quite a challenge. It comes with the steep price of annoyance from the town’s stern hunter who has been trying to mentor you in proper use of your new bow and you fear his patience is running thin with the various excuses you’ve been feeding him.

Your ore stash has also taken a hit with not being able to actually venture into the mines or the foothills that surround them. Thankfully you still had a decent supply set up from your excessive late night mining but it's not an expansive supply by any means so there wasn’t much to spare. This means you’ve been stuck with the less-than-ideal pickaxe you had been hoping to ditch in favor of a better one. You’d been planning on talking to the miner about the upgrade but no longer see that happening in the foreseeable future so you’ll just have to make do.

You feel yourself cringe internally at the memory of the conversation still freshly haunting your thoughts. Thinking back on it, he didn't seem mad per se but any interaction with him is most likely going to be tense and awkward and you'd rather avoid the whole thing if you can. It’s bad enough that when you spot him in town you find yourself ducking into the nearest building to avoid any confrontation with him.

Regardless of anger, your heart still hurts and your self esteem definitely took a harder hit than you’d like to admit, even if only to yourself. Fitting in and finding your place here has been nothing short of difficult but you thought you had been making headway. If you were feeling bold, you might have even said becoming friends. ’We- I don’t know you’ floats its way back into your thoughts and you stop it in its tracks before you can spiral again. Finding out you had been very mistaken and overstepping boundaries left and right unknowingly is as painful as it is embarrassing.

Deciding to stop the tiny pity party you've found yourself in, you get ready to head into town. You’ve been needing to stop by Zeki’s for a few things and no better time to do so than when the day is still young. Now that the weekend is here once you've finished what you need to do, you're looking forward to not having to worry for a few days and take the time to relax and soothe your hurt and embarrassment in peace. With one last quick check you leave your plot and start your walk to the general store.

As you’re making your way down the hill Sifuu spots you. “Y/n!” She calls and waves you over.

“Good morning!” You greet as you approach her. She smiles and claps a large hand on your shoulder. “Haven’t seen you around the last few days, my iron has been running low!” she laughs. You smile placatingly and brush it aside, apologizing letting her know you’ve been busy.

“Haven't we all! Tell you what, I’ve got some extra gold in it for you if you could help me out and get me some extra for tomorrow. I’ve got an order I've been working on that’s requiring a bit more than I expected. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” She winks and you hesitate. On one hand you do want to help her and the promise of some extra coin is as good a motivator as any. On the other hand… you still aren't planning on going anywhere near the mines anytime soon. ‘Well good bye gold’ you silently mourn.

“I'm sorry, I wish I could help but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be going down in the mines right now. I’ve got a lot going on right now and won't have time” you apologize, the tiny lie falling from your lips. You hope she doesn’t ask any for any clarification and thankfully she doesn't. She just narrows her eyes but doesn’t press any further. You internally let out a sigh of relief, you really didn’t want to explain the situation. As kind as the blacksmith is, you have a feeling she wouldn’t be the best person to talk about this with.

She sends you off with reassurance that it’s okay and that she hopes to see you around town again before heading towards her forge. You head the opposite direction towards the docks, reasoning Zeki’s can wait a bit longer. A few hours of comfortable silence later spent with Einar as you fish together, the sun is high in the sky and your stomach is telling you it’s time to eat. You sell Einar your tiny haul and head back towards the town for some food.

Between the time and it being the weekend you figured the inn would be empty for the lunch period. Walking in you were surprised to find that instead of the silence you were expecting, the inn seemed to be quite busy and filled with life. Sifuu and Badruu are here lounging at the long table by the door laughing loudly, drink spilling as their cheeks color a ruddy hue from what you're not sure is from the joy they're projecting or from the spirits in their cup. Both Kenli and Zeki sit across from them, one far more interested in the going ons across the table than the other. In the corner at the end of the same table, Delaila and Chayne are more quietly talking amongst themselves. Curious, you walk over to the bar where Reth is.

“What’s going on?” you ask the cook motioning to the commotion behind you.

Reth laughs, wiping the bar down. “I guess everyone decided to have a break day. They're all taking the afternoon off to catch up before the end of season rushes hit everyone.” You nod along and slide into one of the stools at the counter.

“Guess I’ll take my lunch over here then, I don’t want to intrude.”

Reths gives you a weird look before throwing the towel on his shoulder and leaning against the countertop. “Look I’m not wanting to stick my nose in where it isn’t wanted so you can tell me to forget it and it's gone, but are you doing okay, sweet tooth? You’ve seemed pretty down every time I’ve seen you the last few days. Starting to miss the smiles around here.”

You take a moment to think before you answer, this is Reth. If anyone is going to be sympathetic to the situation, it’d be him. "I'm fine. I just- do you ever realize you misunderstood something and the aftermath of that... just kinda sucks?"

Reth’s face changes from curious to mildly confused at your question. "Yeah. I guess so. What happened?"

You're not sure if you want to tell him the whole situation, not wanting to cause a bigger issue, but the genuine concern in his eyes placates some of your nerves. You can trust him. "It's not a big deal really.. I just thought I was finally understanding the gift giving and friendship rules here” you pause before sighting, “but I guess not."

Reth stays quiet for a moment as he ponders the words and then tilts his head, " So what happened?" He asks again.

You look down at the counter picking at the grain of the wood., "I accidentally overstated my welcome in someone’s company and misread a situation. It's fine, I'm just a little embarrassed."

Reth gets a bit more serious now, everyone in town adores your presence. You've been so kind and helpful to everyone! Eager to learn the customs unfamiliar to you without complaint and you go out of your way to help everyone you come across, even at your own inconvenience and expense. You've been so kind to him in particular, he can't imagine who wouldn't want you around. Surely there's just been a misunderstanding "Who-" he starts before Ashuras booming voice fills the inn

"Hodari, my friend! You made it. We were getting worried you wouldn't actually come"

Hodari says something in response but you don't catch is as you feel your whole body lock up, refusing to turn around

Reth shoots you another strange look at your reaction before his eyes widen, putting the dots together. "What did he say?" He begins but you shake your head.

"It's really not a big deal, Reth. It’s more of an ego hit or sting to my pride than anything else."

Reth just hums and gives you an almost withering look to tell you he’s not impressed with the answer but drops it and you feel a wave of gratitude towards your friend. As time passes you slowly start to relax as you realize the miner hasn’t seen you as they all gather amongst themselves to chat.

Reth sets a bowl of your favorite soup in front of you that you hadn't ordered yet. You look up at him quizzically and he shrugs. "It’s a new recipe, you're the first to try it so let me know what you think. On the house for testers of course." You nod and take a sip and can't help a smile as the flavor bursts across your tongue, there's nothing new about it at all. And with every spoonful, you feel just a little bit warmer. After you've finished, Reth takes the bowl from you. "Want me to go talk to the grouch?" He nods his head towards where Hodari is talking and laughing and you stifle a laugh at the image in front of you with the ‘grouch’ descriptor while shaking your head.

"No. It's okay, really. I misread the situation, it stings and I'm so embarrassed. But it's probably for the best. I don't want to force myself to be somewhere I'm not wanted."

Reth scrunched his nose at that huffing ".. I don't like that. We don't do that. Sure we can be pretty strict in our traditions and some can be harsh if someone deviates" he pauses gesturing to his entire self, "but we repay the kindness we are shown." You nod along to appease him but don't say anything as he continues. "I meant it when I said you don't have to tell me what happened, but I'm not gonna lie, sweet tooth, I'm a little confused what he could say or do to make you feel like that. He’s a bit gruff, sure, but under all that he tends to mind his own business and is always willing to help out when it's needed. I mean, he hasn't even shown any issue with me. Maybe it's just a really big misunderstanding?" He says not unkindly.

You shrug noncommittally, wanting the conversation to move on. Reth picks up on the change pretty quick and switches the topic to something more neutral. Soon enough he has you throwing your head back in laughter, Hodari and the conversation far from your mind. Before you know it, over an hour has passed and you needed to be heading back home. You tell Reth as such and he offers to help you sneak and you slip out the back so you don't have to walk past the whole group still engrossed in their conversation or Hodari.

As you're leaving from behind the inn, your steps feel a little lighter. Even with everything that's happened, you still have friends who care for you and it'll be okay. This has been a learning opportunity and you’ll give yourself room to grow. Lost in your own self assurance as you start the walk home you almost miss the sound of footsteps racing behind you. Subconsciously you start to brace for impact from Auni when a girl's voice calls out "Y/N!" You turn around to see Najuma tearing out from seemingly Jel’s shop, if the harried tailor and Tish running out from the building are any indication, and running right towards you. 'Oh no..'

[Dividers by the-aesthetic-shop]

#hodari pavel #hodari palia #hodari pavel x reader #hodari pavel x male reader #hodari x reader #hodari x male reader #palia #cain writes #espresso

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matchagator · 3 months ago

Text

TXT/SKZ | Regal Affairs | Ch. 2

While Aurelia settles into Choi court and Yeonjun battles the reality of his unwanted approaching nuptials, Reina comes in close contact with a very bold, very alluring Taehyun.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

{Main Pairings:} Choi Yeonjun x Original Female Character, Kang Taehyun x Original Female Character, Lee Minho (Leeknow) x Original Female Character

{Rating:} 18+

{Genre:} Royals

{Warnings:} Arranged Marriage, Flirting, Forbidden Romance, Drama, Family Dynamics, Future Smut

The next morning, the sun rose above the horizon as the betrothed pairing took a stroll through the castle. Yeonjun practically waltzed through the corridors, moving swiftly to end the interaction so that he could respectfully neglect her presence. Aurelia was more than willing to keep up with his pace, her shoes scuffing across the stone floor. The tour of the castle was fleeting as the princess tried to make polite conversation, but was interrupted by her groom before she could utter a sound. Yeonjun strategically spoke about each area of the house to avoid dwelling in awkward small talk, leaving no room for Aurelia to get a word in edgewise.

He found his demise as they reached the garden, where the space was bountiful and there was a spectacle to see in every corner of the grounds. His limbs were exhausted from the haste within the walls of the chateau and were begging for solace as they transitioned to the gravel pathway. With the change in pace, Aurelia drank in the tranquility of the sun shining down upon her fair complexion and brightened the hues of the flowers.

“Look at how beautiful the weather is this morning.” She sighed happily, taking slow deep breaths as she promenaded alongside Yeonjun through the autumn blooms. The prince merely nodded in accordance with her statement, giving no proper reply to thread a more in-depth conversation.

Aurelia held her hands behind her back as she peered at the handsome man beside her, sparked with interest as he continued to steel himself from her presence. “Do you favor any past times?” Her gentle steps crunched against the jagged rock beneath them as they headed for the lake.

He chuckled sarcastically, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “Future kings do not get much time to pass, unlike their fertile, craven queens…” He took the opportunity to knock down her character, enjoying the flinch in her muscles from his comment. “I suppose when I do, I rather enjoy swordsmanship, archery-”

“Combat.” Aurelia boldly interrupted, unimpressed by his interest in weapons and battles just like any other man of their time. How predictable and brainless. She was spurred on by his presumptuous slander of women in her predicament, and if he was such an advocate for war then she would be willing to participate.

Yeonjun picked up on the smallest hint of venom in her tone, smirking to himself. “I also like to paint.” His steps moved without hesitation onto the grass, crossing the field to reach the edge of the land while Aurelia faltered, falling behind briefly as her mind processed an image of the eldest Choi having the patience for intricate strokes upon an impressionable canvas.

She cleared her throat, gathering her gown to chase after him. “You paint?” She inquired, trying to capture his eye as she caught up to him once again. He only hummed in response as he finally reached the shore. “Let me guess…images of war and bloodshed?” She was only teasing, but the sharpness in his glare held her tongue from further speaking. She needed to make this union work and antagonizing him would only make their bond more unbearable.

“Does it matter?” He challenged, turning his body and adjusting his posture to oppose her menacingly.

Aurelia did not grow timid from his display of masculinity, only looking to know more about the man she would be marrying in only a few days. “Yes…it tells me what is in your heart.” She looked up at him through her eyelashes, enamored by his stature as she admired his handsome features under the harsh demeanor.

The betrothed stood in silence momentarily, gazing at each other as they observed the characteristics of one another. Yeonjun drank in the view of her bosom just under the bridge of his nose, flickering his dark orbs up to her face and tracing every curve with admiration. There was no denying a physical attraction was present between them, but many more strides were necessary for their emotional bond to tether.

Yeonjun was the first to break free from the enchanting spell of her beauty. “Come, I will show you the training grounds we use for combat.” He flashed her a roguish smirk as he twisted his body in order to guide her to the other end of the castle grounds, close to the thick treeline surrounding their home.

While he was facing away from her, Aurelia stole the opportunity to roll her eyes. Boys. She trailed behind him, waltzing across the lush grass as she admired the scenery of the field during their journey. She subconsciously fiddled with the pendant of her necklace, thinking about her future, their future. She hadn’t been in court long, but it was facile to observe the relationship between the siblings was stitched closely despite the affectionate banter. “I notice you are quite close with your brothers and sister…” This captured his attention, his muscles tense as he wondered what she might try to discuss in regard to his siblings. “Does that implicate you to want more than one child as well?” Aurelia admired the bond of the Choi offspring, missing the opportunities she could have had if her parents created more children.

Yeonjun relaxed, sighing as he fixed his narrow eyes towards his bride. “Ah, the imbeciles, you mean?” He chuckled at his own joke. “Yes, I guess you could say I’m fond of them.” It was a pure understatement; there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for his younger brothers or sister. He hid behind the veil of annoyance well, but his instincts gravitated towards their presence, enjoying the laughter they brought into the castle and his mundane life. “As for children of my own…” He thought about it for a second, imagining the pitter-patter of tiny feet stampeding through the corridors just as he and his siblings would when they were younger. A ghost of a smile graced his lips as a sense of pride swelled within his chest. Above all else, he wanted children and was more than happy to participate in the ritual of creating them. He glanced slyly at Aurelia, “I’d like as many as your womb allows.” He left her speechless with a wink, striding proudly towards the terrain of the training area.

Aurelia felt heat overcome her cheeks, praying that it was coming from the rays of the sun rather than the impact of his words. How could he be so bold? Why not just give her an ideal number rather than imply he was willing to fill her with his seed indefinitely? She huffed in rebuttal, stomping her heels into the dirt. “How do you suppose I would allow you that many children?”

Yeonjun chuckled as he turned back to her, his smirk ever present as he intended to torment her imagination. “It’s hardly complicated, you simply lay back and open your legs.”

Aurelia held back her urge to slap him, “You’re insufferable.” She hissed in retaliation.

He took a menacing step forward, “Yet in only a few days, you won’t have a choice. That’s the beauty of our arrangement.” He tilted his head, staring her down condescendingly. “Bedamned the etiquette and manners, we are forced together regardless. Save yourself the effort and end this forsaken charade.”

She was left speechless yet again, unprepared for how to manage his attitude respectfully. In the end, she held her tongue; if he didn’t want her efforts then she would give him nothing in return. She took a deep breath, soothing the bubbling anger that simmered under the surface of her calm demeanor. “I understand our circumstances are less than ideal, but it is our duty and I hope that in the future, you find our pairing is favorable.” She gave a small curtesy, excusing herself to retreat towards the castle. She refused to let him break her spirit, plaguing her mind with rebellion; she was raised to be queen and planned to continue on the path flawlessly.

—

The crisp crinkling of parchment echoed through the castle corridors as Reina flipped through a novel of foreign policy, strolling through the lavishly decorated space, her gown trailing behind her as it swished with each of her steps. She found herself merely reading the words printed on the page, completely disengaged from the context of the information.

She let a sigh escape her lips as she dabbled in the mundane subject matter, wishing princesses wouldn’t need to learn such things. It wasn’t like they would need the information themselves. The man of any marriage was tasked with that responsibility while women were seen as pawns in bearing an heir.

Reina’s mind couldn’t help but venture onto Aurelia, thinking back on the conversations shared at the dinner table the night of her arrival. She was her family's only heir, yet she wouldn’t be able to reign as their queen until she was wed to a king, one with a claim to the crown and the power to rule their nation. Surely she would be able to rule alongside her counsel. Through the brief interactions she shared with the visiting royal, she was highly intelligent and knowledgeable. However, despite her capabilities to rule independently, her kingdom would appear weak in a man’s eyes, the world filled with vulturous men eager to prey on weak unsuspecting nations to conquer them for their own.

This must be why Aurelia was so eager to appeal to Reina's mother and father, why she didn’t mind being promised to a complete stranger. Her nation would need the support of a king’s rule, and her eldest brother would be just that.

It’s just a matter of time before mother and father sell you both off just the same.

Reina shuddered at the thought of Yeonjun’s words during Aurelia’s arrival. They were both arranged to be married not by their own free will, but by their parents' bidding. They would need to live the rest of their lives married to one another despite Yeonjun’s distaste of the sheepish royal and despite any of Aurelia’s wishes.

Reina continued to peer down at the busy pages nestled in her palm, her mind venturing from the parchment as she dwelled on her interactions with the handsome servant, Taehyun. Reina hoped she’d marry for love, destined to spend her days with a man who fills her with happiness and admiration. Her mind suddenly shifted to the horrid reality that one day, she might also be promised off to some outsider all for alliance and security amongst a changing world.

She shook herself of her thoughts, flipping through a few more pages of her book before turning the corner of the corridor, eager to seek out Beomgyu for a much-needed change in pace. Her book closed with a loud thud as she glanced up from the object, her eyes widening once realizing that she was inches from colliding with another individual.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough time to avoid the collision, the loud clanking of Taehyun’s metal tray ringing against the stone floors as red wine splattered across the marble, rouge grapes and cheeses joining the disarray. Her eyes found Taehyun stumbling back from the impact, Reina struggling to find her footing as well before glancing down at the heap on the ground.

“Taehyun, I apologize…I…I was reading before...” Reina stumbled over her words, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment as his gentle wide eyes bore through her soul. She was relieved to see a chuckle tug at his lips as she knelt down to begin gathering some of the debris onto the now-empty tray.

“Please, Your Highness. It’s entirely my fault.” He added without hesitation, working quickly to clean any remnants off the floor.

Reina felt partially responsible for the mess, crouching beside him as she set her book down to aid in picking up litter. Taehyun paused in his movements, surprised to see a royal not only aid in cleaning up the mess but also using a handkerchief that was tucked with her gown to aid in wiping up the spilled wine. “Let me help.” The young princess stumbled against the stone, making quick swiping motions in her best attempt to clean the spilled wine, the sleeve of her gown becoming saturated with the substance.

Taehyun moved quickly to pull his own rag from his pocket, aiding to remove any excess liquid, stunned that Reina was still trying to work alongside him in rectifying the mess. “Your Highness, please don’t worry about it. Princesses shouldn’t scurry, especially not on stone flooring.” He placed his rag onto the silver tray, grabbing her handkerchief before offering his hand to assist her in standing. Reina hadn't realized she was on her hands and knees, appearing as if she had just been scrubbing the floors, which she so boldly did.

She gave up on her mission as she reluctantly accepted his hand, feeling a jolt of electricity course through her body as Taehyun’s gentle fingertips caressed the fabric of her sleeve. She could feel his warmth seep through the material of her gown, warming her body in an insatiable heat.

Taehyun’s hair hung loosely in his eyes as he used his free hand to push back the strands, exposing his bright-eyed stare. “Your gown...” He spoke softly, his voice almost a whisper as his fingers trailed down the soiled fabric, grazing over the spot.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Reina pulled her arm away from his soft embrace, hiding it behind her to conceal the damage of her efforts. “It’s only a gown. I’ll come up with some excuse as to why it’s been stained.” Reina shrugged off the matter as she glanced back down to see if there were any remaining objects scattered about.

Taehyun was mesmerized by her nature, stunned to find that she wasn’t like most royals he’d come across. She treated him as if he were her equal, making him feel like a man of dignity despite his current position as a servant in the palace. He was in awe of her, wishing their status wouldn’t be an obstacle for him to profess his affection, knowing there could never be anything between them other than their hidden flirtatious gestures.

As if his mouth spoke on its own, he found himself stepping closer to her as his eyes darkened with intent. “Take off your gown.”

Reina blinked, completely dumbfounded by the audacious statement that escaped Taehyun’s lips. Her face flushed a deeper shade of crimson as she struggled to meet his gaze. “Pardon me?”

Taehyun refused to release her from his captivating glare, ignoring thoughts of the consequences as his mind whirled with images of her figure beneath the material adorning her body. With a jolt, he managed to peel his stare from her figure, peering up as his eyes widened at the reality of his predicament. “For the stain, your highness.” He quickly added, fumbling back as he allowed their proximity to simmer. “If you take off your gown and leave it in your chambers, I can tend to the stain.” He quickly attempted to cover his remark, wishing he could toss himself from the top of the trivets, mortified that he allowed himself to be so bold.

Reina visibly relaxed as she took in his explanation, nodding in agreement as she pulled her arm from behind her, examining her sleeve once more. “I shall. Thank you.” She spoke softly, her eyes glimmering at Taehyun with a wild desire as if expressing similar interests in the young servant. He felt himself gulp back his shock before Reina turned to make her way towards her chambers. “I’ll send my maid to inform you once it’s ready.” She called back, fighting every urge in her being from turning around to further indulge in the interactions she shared with the handsome servant.

Taehyun stood still as he watched her confidently strut down the corridors, leaving him practically drooling at the sight of her backside swaying with each step.

{Tag List:} @luv4gyuuu

#txt fanfic #choi soobin #choi yeonjun #kang taehyun #heuningkai #tomorrow x together #txt smut #choi beomgyu #stray kids fanfic #txt imagines #lee know

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onomatopagu-et-cie · 2 years ago

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Some (too many) mental notes & questions about D. Gray-man!

(SPOILERS UP TO CH. 247 & sorry if the terms used are awkward esp. the localization of the manga, I read it in french!)

I recently re-read DGM as the new chapter came out. I stopped catching up after volume 22 years ago and I am so glad I re-read the series!

If it was already beautifully sad and cruel, the volumes 23 to 27 hooked me even more. Like other manga (eg. Witch Hat Atelier, Berserk), the panel composition was already beautiful in the previous volumes but I was fascinated through my reading. The attention given to hands in these volumes (like MHA) was mind-blowing!

The Allen-Kanda-Johnny-Link group (and now Tiedoll) works really well, I didn’t expect that at all! Oh, and the character development/decline of every character is great, especially Allen & Neah, Kanda & Link (and Cross and Road in those flashbacks?????).

DGM wouldn’t be DGM if the mysteries didn’t keep growing even more cryptic as the story unfolds, so I guess here are some notes and questions I’ll come back to one day to see if they are answered!

► Now that we know the D. in DGM stands for ‘Dear’ (I already sense the tragedy in the title for both Allen and Mana aaaaa), I don’t know if this was intentional, but Mana in front of the mirror strongly reminded me of The Picture of Dorian Gray, especially the end (I shouldn’t have read this scene late at night, I was spooked haha). The characters of Allen and Neah, shrouded in mystery, also encapture the elusive personality of Dorian Gray.

► Paying extra attention to all the parallels between the Ghost of Mater & the Artificial Exorcists Arcs was Pure Pain. I’m always amazed how far the details go and make (even more or a whole new) sense later on.

► Lenalee and Komui’s story touched me once more aaaaaa ► Miranda’s power is really cruel, I wish we could see more of her someday ;;

► Road used for super-human the word ‘choujin’, which also seems to refer to the concept of übermensch in japanese ie. the ideal superior man of the future who could rise above conventional Christian morality to create and impose his own values... NOW THAT IS INTERESTING.

Especially regarding Road and Cross meeting & Allen’s prophecy as the ‘Destroyer of Time’ (the fact he could ‘sense’ Lenalee’s dream and interact with it, Cross ‘death’ by Apocryphos hands, past!Allen’s mystery over his rejuvenated body, Apocryphos observation on ‘Allen’s’ long existence as a parasite, and so on …)?????????????

And could she have a link to Allen and Lenalee’s dream of the future?

► The overarching theme of humans, akuma, Noahs and even the Earl at God’s/The Heart’s mercy manifests in many little plot points eg. the Ghost of Mater (that could even foreshadow the whole Cross/Road meeting), Road dressing Lenalee as a doll, Lenalee and Miranda taking their suffering as the Innocence testing them, Link turned into a puppet, Crown Clown and so on …

► Could this be Campbell’s mansion Allen will visit in the next chapters… ?

► Reever’s devotion to Komui ;;;;;;;;

► Fascinating how everyone except Allen is at risk of becoming a Fallen One, despite everything he does ‘against’ the Order, God and the Innocence: it could be explained by the role he was given by the Heart now that we have a bigger picture And it is foreshadowed since the Suman Dark Arc:

-> When Allen says Suman betrayed ‘God’, the kanji for god is used (kami), but the furigana read as Innocence:

And Allen even says later the Innocence punishes sinners as God itself, devuring Suman from the inside like a worm ……….

-> While Komui says he has betrayed God and the furigana read as God this time:

I love the word plays in the original versions with the furigana (I wonder if this has a name?), another example:

The kanji for family, kazoku, is read as the english « home », which we always saw used to describe the Order as a comforting place to return to: the Order was never Suman’s home, he always longed for his family

► Will this ever be explained? That, and Cross's special bond to God or the Heart!

Also this????????

AND ALSO CROSS HATRED FOR TIMCAMPY???????????

► Could Cross be a Bookman?

Neah’s flashback mentioned an ‘excentric uncle’, so it could also be Cross, given how he remembers Mana’s smile from his childhood, I am Confused Or he could be their childhood friend, as his appearance in the flashbacks suggests he would've had the same age past!Allen, Neah and Mana would have, around 35yo? Idek anymore! Either way, he has an obvious hold over his age like past!Allen, maybe through magic or their nature?

Was the unknown language Bookman spoke when the Ark was disappearing in the sky the same Mana taught Allen? In Komui’s corner, we learn Bookman knew in advance they would synchronize with an Innocence when their mission began???????? Do they somehow have links to the Heart or Apocryphos? Are they from the doomed world Road told Cross, as some sort of witnesses of the Noah's struggles on behalf of God?

► Tyki’s nature is hinted at by Road even as early as ch. 93, and the confrontation with Neah in the volume 26 makes me really think he’s some sort of copy of him

► This panel is Pain:

► I love Lenalee and Lavi’s relationship so much!! Lavi’s arc was gripping, and took Lenalee’s words on the boat (‘am I still in this world?’) to a whole new context

► About Luberrier :

How in hell was he aware of the 14th without even Cross telling him? His dialogue with Zuu before saving Link strongly suggests he knew the 3rd gen. project would cause the Noah attack on the laboratory and the 14th awakening, isolating Allen, as though he made a deal with a Noah or sb else. The ch150 (Hevlaska and Luberrier’s past) is haunting me, I’m really curious to see where this is going!

► About Link : We know so little about his past, how he became a Crow, how his devotion was built by the Administration (Link’s flashback with Luberrier after recovering was scary, how easily he gave in & Luberrier’s whole behavior was ugh)! Komui’s corner mentions the two red dots on the Crow’s forehead are scars left by the operation that made them sorcerers against their will + Allen tried to touch it, which made him mad GAHHHHHH I NEED MORE CONTEXT

Ch247 hurts even more considering Neah used the same words as Allen to greet Link but rang false aaaaaaa

Link’s profile is cut from the Central Administration’s organization chart from volume 25 (when he admits feeling conflicted over Allen’s fate), before his profile was included in the same box:

Komui’s corner once mentioned comforting food thanks to the emotional value they hold eg. Allen and Cross’s porridge. Link says he had something similar so I wonder if this will ever be showed in the manga!

► About past!Allen: This might be a reach, but ch221’s flashback made me think Atuuda’s magic (its symbol in particular) can be linked to past!Allen with the whole spiral of life theory (+ the fact his body rejuvenated by some miracle):

There are also many parallels with other dynamics in the manga: -> Neah-Cross & Mana — he was set on eliminating anything else that draws near Mana, as a promise he made to Neah -> Luberrier-Link & Neah-Allen — Luberrier needs Link in order to protect and save them from anyone -> past!Allen & Neah — he promised Neah he would protect his memory from anyone (-> Kanda & Alma — he was the only one that could save Alma)

(I don’t want to think about Link potentially becoming another host for Neah, sacrificing himself for Allen for example aaaaaa)

I saw Hoshino’s sister loves Link’s character and what happens next to him will potentially be pure pain, I get her because his potential is skyrocketing and I’m definitely not ready aaaaaaaa

► What was even going on between Neah and past!Allen???????????????

► Allen’s past was really devastating. Mana’s words by the sunset ;;;;;

► In ch216, Cornelia’s wood destroys Timcampy in a similar way Red is bound eyes and ears from the scene when the Earl comes back in the circus in the recent chapters (with those little black hands)

► The parallels & oppositions btw Kanda & Link (the potential of the trio Kanda-Allen-Link!!!!!) : -> both presented in a negative light at the beginning -> both now deem themselves unworthy to be a part of Allen’s life: Kanda is glad Johnny is there to support him, Link says he will disappear from Allen’s life if he defeats the 14th (and also That Panel when he saw Allen come back to his senses and save Johnny). Both have feelings they suppress when it comes to Allen, in a stark contrast with Johnny’s honesty -> both were objects of experimentation/intensive training but Kanda feels no loyalty to the Order, while Link does strongly to Luberrier -> both wound up with a shortened lifespan they hide atm (Kanda as a Fallen One & Link with Atuuda) -> both were targeted by Apocryphos and had their memories rewritten -> Kanda wants to kill the 14th, Link is ordered to aid him -> hands shown as holding dominion over them both (the Innocence, Luberrier and the Heart)

► Predictions for the next chapters: Since Johnny is going along with Allen & Link, there’s a chance : 1) Link will drive Johnny away so Neah wakes up ; 2) Neah will do it since he sees everything through Allen’s eyes and even challenges Link’s ‘loyalty’ 1) would be logical as everyone in Allen’s group feared it while Allen accepted the risk but given the whole arc, Link seems VERY conflicted over the whole matter (and their shoujo-esque reunion damn, that and volume 25 whole vibes) Also Road seems to have led Allen to the mansion through his dream because she thought he was dangerous (????) AND a ‘bookman’ was there, so a lot will happen!

Have a nice week-end!

#dgm spoilers #dgm meta #d gray man #allen walker #yuu kanda #link howard #cross marian #yullen #linkllen

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duhragonball · 6 months ago

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Chainsaw Man ch. 48-52

Gosh, I wish that was me.

Last time, Chainsaw Man got suckered in by a cute girl named Reze, who turned out to be some sort of assassin with explosion powers. Now they're fighting it out, but Denji's usual strategy of "hit them with chainsaws" is kind of ineffective against someone who can repeatedly self-destruct and regenerate.

Parts of Reze's transformed body look like a mass of cables, maybe primacord. One of her fingers gets cut off and it's still stuck on Denji's chainsaw after their next exchange, and she uses it like a bomb. I'm not clear on how her powers work exactly, but she seems to be able to remove any part of her body and use it like a bomb, or just blow it up while it's still attached. Also, she seemed to have a duplicate body she used as a decoy, so good luck explaining that one.

The point here is that the explosions are just the beginning. Reze knows how to use her abilities in a very tactical way. One might assume that she tried to seduce Denji because she was too weak to challenge him directly, but we see here that this was never the case. She just wanted to try a subtle approach, but that was never the only option.

But fighting Denji in the open means you also have to deal with his comrades in Public Safety. Aki lops off one of her hands just when it seems like she's beaten Denji, and then she has to fight him for a while. Recall that Aki has a new power courtesy of Future Devil, which gives him a slight insight into the future. This allows him to anticipate his opponent's actions, although he doesn't mean he'll necessarily be quick enough to do anything about it. Still, it's enough to keep him alive while he duels with Reze, at least until...

Violence Fiend shows up to pull him out of harm's way. Violence Fiend tried to fight Reze earlier, but he got overwhelmed and ran away. I'm seeing this a lot with the Public Safety guys. They'll sometimes just turn tail and run, then come back when you least expect it and actually do something useful. Is that cowardly? I guess it depends on how you look at it, but if Violence had stood his ground earlier, he proabably would have gotten killed, and Aki would have died later on with no one to rescue him. These guys pick their spots. They're hunters, not warriors, so it's kind of ridiculous to expect them to stand and fight their prey when they're at a disadvantage.

Anyway, the key thing here is that Aki says this is the first time he ever wanted to be friends with a devil. So at long last, he's beginning to come around to the things Himeno wanted him to understand. Aki's grief, his craving for vengeance, and his absolute disdain for devils was working against his ability to fight and survive in this line of work. Now, as the story picks up steam and the battles become more desperate, he's learning to be more flexible about his attitudes.

Violence might have been enough to turn the tide here, except Reze has her own backup in the form of Typhoon Devil, who was also after Denji but they seemed to be working independently of each other. They crossed paths back in Chapter 43, and it was all awkward becuase they got in each other's way, and Reze told Typhoon to obey her for a while to make it up to her. So now she's calling him in.

I... feel like I should have more to say about Typhoon Devil being a pile of viscera with baby legs and a baby head with an exposed brain sticking out of its broken cranium, but... I kind of don't care? I don't know if I'm just desensitized at this point, or maybe the design really isn't that big a deal, but I feel like it should be.

Anway, Denji recovers once Beam and Angel feed him more blood. Notably, Angel Devil uses blood from a fatally wounded civilian, and he mercy-kills the lady before taking her corpse to Denji. That's important because Aki asked him to do something similar earlier in this arc, and Angel refused, more out of apathy than defiance.

Angel suggests that Chainsaw needs to step up his game, and asks Beam to tell them everything he knows about Chainsaw, since he seems to know him better than he lets on. Beam mentions that he used to use his chains to get around. I'm not sure what this is referring to, because it's like he's talking about the Chainsaw Devil before Denji got this power, and... well, that's just Pochita, right?

I think the implication here is that Pochita used to be a much more fearsome creature before he met Denji, and Beam might be the only one who remembers this. Anyway, I think it's pretty clear that he was talking about Denji swinging around and using his chains like Spider-Man webbing, but Denji's an idiot so he puts the chain in Beam's mouth and rides him through the air like a horse.

But it does look pretty awesome, so maybe he's got the right idea, I dunno. Denji doesn't tell me how to do my job, so I shouldn't tell him how to do his.

During all of this, Typhoon Devil produces a storm, and Angel Devil is nearly carried away by the high winds. Aki catches him, but can barely hold on, and Angel's like "Just let me go, I sort of want to die anyway, it's cool."

But Aki refuses to give up, so he grabs Angel by the hand, which is a really bad idea, because Angel's touch will automatically drain a human's life span. That brief contact alone took two months off the time Aki has left, but it was the only way to save Angel. Angel asks him why, and Aki tells him that he's seen too many people die already, and if Angel really does have a death wish, then he should make sure to die while Aki's not around to stop it.

Okay! Right there, Aki finally started to turn this around. He's actually having a character moment with Angel, and growing as a person. He's matured, but more importantly, he's rubbed off on Angel a little. Angel's actually cooperating without Aki around to force him to, and Angel actually seems to care about other people around him. That's because of Aki.

And this is a good thing. I'm still not very high on Aki right now, but at least he's finally reached a threshold where he feels like more than just a bystander. His personality is still "I don't want people to die" and "I want revenge on the bad guy", which is pretty flat, but at least he's having an impact on the plot now.

Back to Chainsaw Man, the reason this storm kicked up is because Typhoon's trying to defend himself (and Reze) from Denji. Earlier, Denji managed to cut off one of Reze's legs, and Typhoon spit some of his blood at her to help her recover, but now Typhoon's on his own while he waits for her to heal. The thing is, Typhoon's so big, and Beam is so agile in the air that Denji can hit him with ease.

So Typhoon goes down, and then Reze divekicks Beam to take him out of the fight, so we're back to Reze vs. Denji. Only this time, Denji's figured something out. When she blows up one of his arms...

... he shoots out chains from his stumps, and attacks her that way.

He tangles her up and wraps them both together, then falls off whatever they're standing on and they fall into the ocean. Apparently Reze can't detonate underwater, although I'm not sure how Denji would know that.

And then, Reze wakes up on the beach. Since Beam is there too, I guess he pulled them both up to the surface. Reze is surprised that Denji didn't kill her, but he explains that he would have regretted it, so he spared her.

He thinks there's still something between them, even though she keeps insisting that she was faking it the whole time. But if she was so determined to kill him, why didn't she finish him off at the school when she had the chance?

Denji still can't quite believe there was nothing between them, so she briefly feigns affection again, then breaks his neck to incapacitate him. Denji can recover from this, but he can't move until he does. Anyway, he tells Reze he'll see her at the cafe today at noon.

Except she doesn't show up. I'm not sure why he thought she would. I guess it's just wishful thinking? Someone does arrive, though...

And it's Power, returning to duty after her blood-draining procedure. She's back, and she tracked Denji down by his scent. When she sees the flowers, she tries to take them for herself. It's not clear that she plans to eat the flowers, but that's what Denji does, so I just assumed she had the same idea.

So what did happen to Reze? Well, she tries to flee to... somewhere? Maybe she's headed back to that cafe to try to take one more crack at Denji? All that matters is that a bunch of rats follow her into an alley and they form a big rat pile which becomes...

Makima? So she has rat power? Whatever.

I should explain this thing she says about the country mouse. You know the Aesop's Fable about the town and country mice, and each of them envies the other's lifestyle until they try to live there and find out it's not so great. In this arc, Reze brings it up to Denji, and Angel talks about it in a separate scene. It... kind of went over my head, but the characters seem to agree that being a Town Mouse is like being in the Public Safety scene, and being a Country Mouse is like living a more tranquil, normal life as a civilian. Denji is team Town because he likes the excitement, while Angel is Team Country because he hates working for Public Safety. Reze said she was Team Country, but I think that was just to convince Denji to run away with her so she could murder him.

Anyway, Makima apparently heard their conversation, as indicated by her line that she agrees with Reze about Country Mice. But Makima likes it because she has a friend on a farm, and every fall she goes down to help him exterminate all the mice in the field before winter sets in. This involves digging holes to get them out of their burrows so the dogs can chase them down. Makima finds this "calming".

The point I think she's making is that the country life isn't all that different from the work she does in Public Safety, sending her "dogs" to find and kill "mice" like Reze.

Reze tries to fight Makima, but she didn't count on Angel Devil throwing spears down at her from the roof. I guess Reze might be kept alive after this, but this whole scene reads like an execution. Reze took her shot and missed, and now Makima is eliminating her before she can try again. That's a shame, because I really enjoyed Reze's whole run here, and I'd be down for more of the same.

Anway, Makima originally ordered Angel and Aki to be here together, but Angel came alone, and Makima realizes that Angel didn't want Aki to be involved with killing a girl like this. Makima praises Angel's kindness, and yeah, some genuine character development here thanks to Aki. Nice stuff.

That last shot of the mouse kind of bugs me, because I think the town mouse/country mouse was meant to be deeper than I'm able to understand. The thing is, the fable was never about which side you'd prefer. The point of the story is that you tend to take your own circumstances for granted, and assume that some other guy with a different way of life has it better. And then you step into that way of life and realize it's not all it's cracked up to be. You're going to have problems no matter where you go, because in the end you're still a mouse.

Although, the mice and rats in this story have it pretty good when you think about it. The devils in this story are only after humans and human blood. Sure, Power ate a bear, and she's probably not the only one to go after animals, but who'd waste time picking on mice? How much blood can they have? No, the mice will go on no matter how this plays out. Makima can exterminate them in her friend's farm, but they come back every year, and the mice in Tokyo aren't going away anytime soon. They'll be around long after the devils and hunters are all dead.

#chainsaw man #denji #reze #aki hayakawa #beam #violence fiend #power #angel devil #makima

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lynyangell · 1 month ago

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Angel With a Shotgun Ch. 3 *complete*

***Chapter dedicated to @starwritingbri for encouraging me to get the edit done so they'd have something to read during a potentially awkward family dinner LOL***

***Also, spoilers for the OMV "Yet Another Man's Battle". If you haven't watched it, you're sincerely missing out!***

Maes Hughes strides purposely towards the medical tent. His face is pinched, his pace even but quick.

Earlier that day, he killed an old friend to protect another friend’s life. His stomach is still sour at the thought of another death, but this one feels less like murder than some of the others. At least this time he had someone to protect right in front of him.

He tries to pretend that he’s doing all of this—fighting in this damn war—to protect the people he loves—to protect Gracia and the future he wants to build with her. Most of the time he can convince himself. The rest of the time he just tries to stay alive.

He’s just finished delivering a report to his commanding officer and spent an hour answering questions about why he let a valuable resource, a State Alchemist, go in alone after an attack before the building was cleared. Hughes had his ass handed to him by the CO. He didn’t tell Colonel Stabler that Mustang rushed in before being given the all-clear by the perimeter team. He didn’t tell him that he and Mustang knew the Ishbalan who fired at Roy and didn’t tell him that Mustang hesitated when his own life was under threat.

Hughes doesn’t know what’s wrong, but he needs Mustang to snap out of it. They won’t make it through the rest of this war if he has to keep guarding Roy’s back every minute of the day to keep him from making more stupid mistakes like this. He covered for Roy with the CO this time, but he won't be able to keep it up indefinitely.

They’ve both got to make it through if they’ve got any chance of putting Mustang’s foolish naive plans into effect.

Hughes takes a sharp breath, then lifts the flap, entering the tent.

“Alright, Major. It’s time to get to work.”

#fullmetal alchemist #royai #roy mustang #riza hawkeye #fma #fanfiction #stolen moments #The Cab #YAMB #Spotify

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aftgficrec · 1 year ago

Note

Any neil& aaron recs? Not with a relationship with them necessarily as endgame but something like triptych or the one where they're on the hunt for andrew (cant remember the name rip, but i love that one)

There are a good amount of fics for Neil and Aaron — their relationship is fertile ground to explore angst or growth! The stories run the gamut from mutual disdain to familial warmth, from bad or awkward situations to quests (like hunting for Andrew together in ‘I'm leaving this town…’), from friendship to lovers and even plain ol’ sexual experimentation (see ‘triptych’).

Though you weren’t keen on Neil/Aaron as a couple, you might enjoy ‘Every Sinner Has A Future.’ It’s friends to lovers and spends significant time developing their relationship. Find it and the fics you referenced among those featured below. -A

Neil & Aaron in situations/working together

Aaron & Neil stranded together here

Aaron & Neil stuck in a bad situation here

‘Calm down. I look a lot worse than I am.’ and ‘climb a mountain (hold his hand)’ here

‘they who made you/they made me too’ here

‘Identity Theft’ here

‘Apart from Your World (A Part of Mine)’ (selkies) here

‘The World Beneath Our Feet’ series here

‘Crossfire’ here

‘For You I'd Bleed Myself Dry’ here (updated)

‘If Neil, Then Fox’ here

Neil & Aaron relationship because of Andrew

Aaron & Neil rapprochement here

Aaron accepting andreil here

Aaron & Neil's talk at the cabin here

Neil meets the in-laws or foxes here

‘Did You Get What You Deserve?,’ ‘The Ash is in Our Clothes,’ and ‘common ground??’ here

‘Married To Annoy,’ ‘head case (what to do with you),’ and ‘AJMICKEY56's Fanfiction Palooza!’ chapters 2 and 82 here

‘Hold each other...ch 8: Time Does Things’ here

‘Muscle memory’ (completed) and ‘The Memories I Never Can Escape’ here

‘No More Fucks To Give’ here (updated)

‘Neil Fights the Foxes’ here

‘on the tip of my tongue (say something)’ parts 7 & 8 here

‘No straighter path than to struggle,’ ‘The Road Trip,’ and ‘An Olive Branch’ here

‘what even is baseball anyway’ and ‘Holding On and Letting Go’ here

‘Hold me close (in fact, bury me)’ here

‘a girl so bright she'll blind you’ here

Neil & Aaron friendship

Aaron & Neil = Andrew/Neil here

Neil & Aaron friendship 2 here

domestic fluff w/twinyards bonding + Neil & Aaron friendship here

the tumblr posts in Neil/Aaron or Neil & Aaron ask here

‘Make This Leap (Geronimo)’ here

‘Math, Exy and Middle Ground’ here

‘every piece of you, it just fits perfectly’ here

‘i just wanted you to know (this is me trying)’ here

‘togetherness’ here

‘More Than Words’ here (updated)

‘Ten Percent’ here

‘Tachycardia’ here; ‘Tachycardia (the My Own Soul's Warning Remix),’ ‘It's going tibia okay,’ and ‘What the fuck happened to you?’ here

‘Aaron is Neil’s doctor in the pros’ here

‘Shards of Glass’ here

‘Et tu, Doctor?’ here

‘Art Hoe’ here

‘Beach Bois’ here

‘just a footnote’ here

‘I'll Follow You’ here

‘Call the doctor ( I may need help)’ and ‘we're inside out’ here

‘Andrew Goes to Hogwarts’ series here

‘Minyards' Magical Mischief’ here

Neil/Aaron rarepair

Neil/Aaron or Neil & Aaron here

‘In The Forest (Burning Bright)’ here

‘Winter Banquet’ here

you may also like

new Katelyn/Aaron here

Katelyn & Neil friendship here

Katelyn & Neil as siblings/lookalikes here

Katelyn-centric hurt/comfort here

Aaron protective of Neil here

Neil mistakes Aaron for Andrew here

Andrew & Katelyn rapprochement here

‘the prettiest blue’ and ‘The Photo Strip Predicament’ here

‘Nor are we forgiven’ here

‘Give Me Another Minute (to Lay Here in Your Echo)’ here

‘coming loose’ here

‘the roads I traveled with you’ here

‘One day we'll reveal the truth’ and ‘i'm getting static from my better sense’ here

‘you're not next before forever’ here (completed)

‘Before You Drown’ here

‘Five Years to the Day’ here

‘Twilight and Daytime’ here

‘Whispers in the leaves, shadows in the moonlit night’ here

quests and situations

halloween series by zweimam [Collection, Rated T, 44426 Words, Incomplete, Updated Sept 2023]

NB: Part 1 reviously recommended in new twinyards bonding ask

Part 1: I'm leaving this town (and I'm changing my address) [40309 Words, Updated Sept 2023] Aaron tries to assimilate everything, nodding, "How do you know he didn't mean it?" "It wasn't a thought, or anything," Neil says, looking everywhere but at him. "He told me to go away, to leave and run, and I did. I'm very good at running, you see." Or: Aaron has been looking for his brother for six years. Right when he's beginning to lose all hope, he meets Neil Josten.

tw: child abuse, tw: implied/referenced murder, tw: heavy suicide themes, tw: implied/referenced suicide attempt, tw: implied/referenced drug addiction, tw: detailed discussion of drug use, tw: implied/referenced overdose, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: panic attacks, tw: dissociation

Part 2: I know that you'll come if you want [6170 Words, Updated Aug 2023] If Aaron has been looking for his brother for six years, Andrew has been waiting for him for longer.

The Most Unorthodox Way of Fighting Back by orphan_account [Rated T, 1683 Words, Complete, 2021]

Neil Josten is forced to pick up his shoes and run. If not for him, than for the ones who can’t.

tw: graphic depictions of violence, tw: murder, tw: blood/gore

Tumblr Bits by gluupor [Rated T, Collection, Complete, 2019]

Chapter 8: Neil Josten: Accountant Spy [2316 Words] Whenever anyone asked Neil what he did for a living, he responded by saying he was a spy. This always was met with impressed faces and probing questions about his job.

till the bitter end on a flat tire by thewintersolstice [Rated M, 10000 Words, Complete, 2022]

neil & aaron end up stranded on the side of the road in the desert. neil wants to talk homophobia. aaron wants neil to shut up for once in his life. aka: my attempt to turn aaron minyard into someone i want to like

tw: homophobia, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Growing Sharp Edges by Leocante [Rated G, 10218 Words, Complete, 2022]

Aaron just needed some wiggling room. He didn't think he was asking for that much - a few inches of freedom, a miniscule amount of life outside of school and exy, an ounce of control over his day. Well, thruth be told, he wasn't exactly asking asking. Questions like that resulted in a knife under his neck and an unyielding 'no'. But Aaron needed some goddamn wiggling room, and he was desperate enough to ask Josten for help.

tw: attempted sexual assault, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced drug addiction, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced murder, tw: recreational drug use, tw: alcohol

Who is the man in the relationship? by sugaroto [Rated T, 6986 Words, Complete, 2022]

"I'm your type." Neil went on. "Then I'm yours." Aaron shot back, "You're literally fucking my twin, asshole!" "High five!" Neil said, his eyes lightening up, "We're type buddies!" Neil started laughing. "What? What's so funny?" Aaron asked. "We should get married!" Or The time Neil and Aaron got drunk and thought it'd be funny if they got married.

tw: alcohol

NB: fic meme by @sugaroto here

Momentary Disaster by JostenlovesMinyard [Rated T, 1305 Words, Complete, Twinyards Appreciation Week 2022]

Day 2: Disaster Aaron and Neil are sent to do a grocery run but Neil loses something along the way. Aaron is there to help him.

You Are So Much More Than Your Father's Son by phan_taloon [Rated T, 3143 Words, Complete, 2021, Locked]

In which Nathan Wesninski has fanboys and Neil Josten doesn't want to deal with them, but Aaron is there to save the day.

tw: panic attacks, tw: flashbacks

A Pain Never Meant to be Felt (I really suck a titles, just pretend its good.) by transandsad [Rated M, 14187 Words, Incomplete, Updated Aug 2023]

Aaron is mistaken for someone he is not and has to figure out how to pick up the pieces in the aftermath.

tw: gang rape, tw: nonconsensual touching, tw: assault, tw: graphic descriptions of csa, tw: graphic depictions of violence, tw: blood, tw: flashbacks, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: ptsd, tw: panic attacks, tw: suicidal thoughts, tw: murder, tw: drug addiction

Neil and Aaron swap body’s AU bullet fic by @sadboyayeron [Tumblr, 2020]

AFTG Neil & Aaron Gender Swap hc by @sadboyayeron [Tumblr, 2020]

friendship

Oblivious series by greencherrybomb [Rated T, Collection with 2 complete works, Updated July 2022]

Part 1: Oblivious in love (3152 Words) Andrew has been pining after Neil Josten for months, but knows it wont happen. Neil doesnt even swing, so he does the only thing to protect his feelings. Ignoring Neil and eating ice cream. Part 2: Best Friends Brother (3930 Words) Neil has been harboring a long time crush on his best friend, Aaron Minyards, brother Andrew. Too bad Andrew has been avoiding him at all costs and is dating the hottest guy in school, Kevin day. Or at least thats what Neil thinks.

Dear Little Ghost by choisunsanie [Rated G, 4650 Words, Complete, 2022]

Neil Josten starts to be haunted by a naughty blond ghost.

tw: previous major character death, tw: car accidents

And I Swear And I Swear, I Was Burning Alive by Miss_Fun_Fun_and_Fun [Rated T, 1477 Words, Complete, 2022]

Neil is confronted by his ex-best friend's twin brother while still reeling from his mother abandoning him. - A one-shot, alternate universe for Fortheloveofexy's fic, "More Than Words".

tw: implied/referenced drug addiction

NB: ‘More than Words’ was previously recced here (updated)

sexual experimentation

triptych by likearecord [Rated E, 12805 Words, Complete, 2023]

Three parts, three POVS. Aaron, wondering, picks up a guy in a bar. Neil, having learned something, wants to try again. Andrew, knowing nothing, sees something he likes.

tw: explicit sexual content, tw: nonconsensual touching

friends to lovers

Every Sinner Has A Future by OfficialStarsandGutters [Rated E, 29864 Words, Complete, 2021]

Canon divergent Neil x Aaron. - Neil Josten. A shock of red hair and ocean blue eyes. Pretty faced, but nothing special. Except he makes a throwaway comment about Andrew being off his meds and it’s like everyone in the room forgets to breathe. Even Aaron, his body still and tense with surprise that he can tell them apart. Without even having met Aaron, he knew Andrew wasn’t him. That shouldn’t mean anything. Aaron rubs his sweaty palms on his skinny jeans and tells himself it doesn’t, it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

tw: recreational drug use, tw: implied/referenced drug addiction, tw: nonconsensual drug use, tw: graphic description of overdose, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: implied/referenced murder

Art

monsters cuddle pile art by @emry-stars-art

au where aaron and neil are best friends first comic by @02511213942 also on twitter

when Neil tells Dr Aaron he’s fine art by @srslyarts

get in loser we’re going shopping art by @ouijacine

Josten and Aaron on press duty comic by @paradoxolotl

Aaron is a godfather comic by @paradoxolotl

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funarisjournal · 8 months ago

Text

Chapter 52 Thoughts!

Ohhhh, this chapter was absolutely AMAZING! Real life is mirrored, things are relatable (again), and flower symbolism??? I am so giddy after reading this one, aahh~

Again, I will talk about it under the cut because spoilers BUT I will say first: After today's update, it was announced that future Tsukutabe chapter updates will be at a more "irregular" schedule. A bummer, but I understand. Yuzaki-sensei can rest and take all the time she needs to make future updates. I will be there!

If you remember, back in Ch. 49, Nomoto decided she wanted to come out via social media first. We saw the beginnings of that - all positive.

But...this chapter kinda crashes back to reality. Yes, she did get quite a bit of support, but she was also getting QRTs and replies that really hit Nomoto hard. You know, even making comments like, "Well, I followed for the lighthearted thing, but you've been talking politics a lot lately, so I'm going to unfollow" can be just as hurtful as "weird-ass (slur)" (not actually used in the chapter but that was the impression I got, that she received the spectrum of negativity).

After a brief group chat with Nagumo and Yako (where the pre-cut image comes from), Kasuga and Nomoto have a chat, alone. Nomoto gives us further insight to why she wanted to come out - the news of that one athlete coming out really inspired her and, even if she's comparatively a nobody, she just wanted to show others that, yes, she exists. She's here and she's queer! It really inspires Kasuga...

We get treated to a few pages' worth of Kasuga at work. Eventually, she's reaching the end of her shift and she notices...the flower department of this supermarket. Maybe she could get something? Well, one shouldn't just pick something because it's pretty. Oh no, Kasuga actively searches for flower language meanings to pick the right one~ (I'll reveal the flower at the end)

So it's time to check out, right? Once again, Kasuga encounters an awkward situation with the employee. They assume, oh, a friend? And memories flood back of the other times Kasuga had this same encounter - namely, Christmas present shopping and Valentine's Day chocolates. She used to pause, maybe even leave, feeling invisible. Like she doesn't exist. Granted, she didn't know her exact feelings before, but that terrible vibe was there.

But then, she remembers Nomoto's words. She's emboldened. No, this isn't for just a friend. This is for a lover, her girlfriend (it is stressed in the bubble, actually!)

The shopkeep wishes her luck, no malice shown, and we are treated to the most adorable return home aaaaaaa!

The flower she chose, by the way? Delphinium

And, if you had been following the latest chapters in general (I think since Ch 46 or so?), the choice hits SO HARD, but so good! And I'm sure Kasuga actually shared the reason she chose them and Nomoto's gonna cry, but it'll be happy tears and (babbles incoherently).

...ahem! Anyway. So, while updates will be infrequent now, this was a great way to leave the comic if it's gonna be a bit until the next update. It really feels like the end of this particular arc, so whatever happens next will be new arc. I'm sure of it. I am definitely looking forward to it!

❤️

#funari's texts #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #tsukutabe #spoilers #not a spoiler: THEY ARE STILL CALLING EACH OTHER BY SURNAMES AAASDKGKSK #when will that change #WILL it ever change??#will it be our meme?

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imogenleewriter · 2 years ago

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I have opened up to reading WIPS because of your fics (I love all of them, by the way!!!!!!!). Do you have any others to reccomend? 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Honestly, I hate that WIPs get such a bad wrap. I get it because I hate waiting too, but it's also so exciting to get the email, you know? Like I'd rather get it piece by piece than not at all. I'm not going to make this a pretty post because they won't stay WIPs, but here are some of my favourites! I'm only posting ones that have been uploaded to within the last month, but most have been uploaded to within the last week. I Don't Wanna Face The Music - hereforh / @hereforh Current WC: 24k 3/10 - Weekly uploads. Summary: Louis likes to think he's a pretty normal, typical lad. He likes spending nights at the pub with his mates, he loves football and is very close to his family. So when he moves to London for uni, he doesn’t think much will be different. Until he makes these new friends who are nothing like his mates back home and change his life for the better - and this one boy who messes with his head from the get-go and makes him question everything he has ever thought about himself.

Anything But Awkward - The_Dizzy_Pixie / @dizzy-pixie17 Current WC:91k Ch: 17/? Summary: Harry looked down at the signed album in his hands before flipping it over. He blinked at the sight of the cramped and rather messy handwriting scribbled on the back of the vinyl jacket. When you’re less tongue-tied, maybe give me a call, babes. xx :) +44 280913 7777 Harry groaned when he walked right into the side of a bus shelter. Louis Tomlinson had given Harry his number. OR The one where Louis's a rockstar, and Harry's his biggest fan. When he meets him at a signing, he's awkward and forgets everything he wants to say to him but Louis thinks he's cute and gives Harry his number.

Babes In Boyland - bananaheathen/@bananaheathen Current WC: 37k Ch: 4/? Summary: The genderqueer parenthood sequel to Of Mates and Men ❤️ In which, Harry and Louis decide to start a family. Or, the one where they all grow up.

The Pros and Cons of Breathing - HelloLovers13/@hellolovers13 Current WC: 50k Ch: 12/19 Summary: Omega Harry has always known he'd be married off someday, so when he's betrothed to Prince Louis, he's anxious about having to leave his life behind, but hopeful for a happy marriage. The hope doesn't last long, with his husband avoiding him at all costs and Harry being left to fend for himself. Can he find happiness even in a broken marriage? everything to lose - stylinsoncity / @stylinsoncity Current WC: 80k Ch: 14/15 Summary: harry is a global popstar who's convinced the world he has it all -- a happy marriage to a devoted alpha, two beautiful children, two grammy awards, three platinum albums, and a budding film career. but some aspects of his image aren't as true as they seem. like the fact he's been separated for over a year, uses meaningless flings to cope and occasionally forgets responsibilities or commitments to his family. he and louis once commanded stages together. they tackled any challenges to their future. and no matter how hard things got, they always returned to one another. harry would always return to louis. until one day, he finds he can't.

Bike Strike - thinlines / @thinlinez Current WC: 62k Ch: 13/14 Summary: What would you do if you saw someone riding your bike, which had been stolen weeks before, across campus? Omega Harry chose to show no mercy. He didn't know it would all lead him to his own demise. The Habit That I Cant Break - Cyantific / @cyantific Current WC:5k Ch:2/10 Summary: While searching for a healthy alternative to fill the void that one habit left, Louis gets hooked on something and someone totally different. This new experience pushes him way out of his comfort zone, making Louis realize he’s capable of so much more than he could’ve ever imagined. Or… The one where Louis quits smoking and tries to get healthy, and Harry is the fitness instructor who helps him achieve those goals while making him sweat in and out of the gym. In which Harry and Louis still meet at bootcamp, just not the one you’re thinking of. Featuring Lottie as the supportive sister that drags her brother to bootcamp class, Louis as the grumpy ex-smoker, Harry as the instructor with exhausting amounts of enthusiasm and one obnoxious pair of yellow trainers.

Addictive Heart - Alwaysinlove /@always-in-love-x Current WC: 91k Ch: 41/? Summary: Louis prefers to be single. He's seen too many relationships crumble around him to want a boyfriend in his life. As a successful singer on tour, his schedule doesn't exactly allow for a relationship anyway. So he has Harry. Beautiful, handsome Harry, who always turns up whenever Louis is lonely or horny. Because Harry is in love with him. Sadly, Louis doesn't do love. Until one day, Harry stops replying to Louis' messages and he goes on a mission to find out why... Two Hearts In One Home - enchantedlandcoffee / @enchantedlandcoffee Current WC: 14k Ch: 3/? Summary: Best friends Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles have been living together for almost 3 years. With Louis' YouTube videos mainly featuring challenges, vlogs, and tutorials, his best friend is unknowingly a common topic on his channel (with his identity hidden) leading his viewers to believe that they are dating. What happens when Harry's childhood friend, Niall Horan, returns from Ireland and turns out to be one of his biggest fans and sends a tweet that turns his life upside down?

On The Horizon - FitzAndLarry / @fitzandlarry Current WC: 169k Ch: 16/? Summary: “Let’s enjoy each others’ company. You’re fit; you’re young; you’re a bloody doctor. You’ve got everything going for you.” There’s a moment of hesitation before Louis plants a gentle kiss atop Harry’s head. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be as long as we’re having fun, yeah?” Drunk, loose, and excited on the first night of his two-week-long cruise, Doctor Harry Styles finds himself with a little extra company on what has turned out to be a lonely experience. Louis, the pilot who helped fly him across the Atlantic, is the object of his fling. Thus begins an adventure filled with laughter, sun, and trauma rearing its ugly head. Deadline on their companionship, the pair commit to enjoying their time - and Harry, the screw-up he is, can't help but lose himself in the fantasy.

#my fic recs #wip fic recs

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deludedfantasy · 2 years ago

Text

Trimax Vol 7 Ch 4-6

My suffering continues in the second half of this volume. Things have been getting steadily worse and worse for a while, but something about this one really just got me. I know it's gonna get worse though lol. Until then, my thoughts on the last three chapters.

Ch 4

Wolfwood, my guy, what are you even doing? “He looks like he’s been to a funeral, and another one and another one after that.” I mean, yeah, Vash has been having a real shit time of it lately. That’s actually a great way to describe it.

In all seriousness, this is actually weirdly sweet to me. I think Wolfwood’s trying really hard to cheer him up, except he has no idea how to do it, so he’s just being so awkward instead. He gets like the tiniest little smile out of him. But it’s so sad because you can’t see Vash’s eyes anymore, he’s hiding all that pain beyond his brand-new goggles that function almost like blinders.

Despite how terrible Vash feels, he still helps those people out. His reputation precedes him though and it’s gotten worse. Now the story about his powers is out and the people avoid him, treat him like a devil.

But the guys he saved are being really nice to him! Actually treating him like a person! We love to see it.

Vash looks like he’s having fun drinking but after the last volume, I’m a little worried. He’s having a nice time, but I also feel like he’s using it to bury all the hurt he’s feeling.

“Oh well. This may be his last chance to enjoy himself.” I can’t begin to explain the dread this line puts in me, especially since I know where this is all going. So does Wolfwood, of course. But he seems so calm about it, like he’s accepted the inevitability of it all.

“I’m the angel of mercy handing out booze to these poor souls.” This is a banger of a line to come from some random barkeeping granny.

That is a bleak, bleak view of Vash’s possible future that this guy gives him. That he’ll always be alone, time the only thing that will wipe away his regrets, nothing but that for as long as he’s alive. He’s probably speaking from experience though and that’s what makes it even sadder.

Oh no. OH NO. Vash’s power reacted to something and I don’t like it. It’s Knives, it’s him merging with the Plants and things are about to go down.

The way Vash says, “Wolfwood, you really are my guide, right?” HE KNOWS. I’m convinced now that he knows that Wolfwood is Knives’s agent and has been from the beginning. I hesitate to say he doesn’t care, but he certainly doesn’t blame Wolfwood for it. But it also makes this all so tragic. In a way, they’ve both accepted their fates at this point and just, ugh, nooooo.

Knives’s big plan is starting…with an attack of galactic proportions. He’s bringing down all the satellites, destroying the planetary communications network. A great way to sow fear and chaos across the land.

When we do see Vash’s eyes, they’re so empty. He has given up. The way he’s talking, it’s like he’s walking to his death. He knows whatever he’s walking into, he’s not coming back from it. His language, thanking everyone for one last drink, one last good night, it very much reads like a suicide note. I’m gonna go curl up in a ball and cry now.

Ch 5

The chapter titles in this volume…they fuck me up. “Late Arrival to the End of the World.” On the one hand, oof, yes, how evocative. On the other hand though…I’m scared.

So Wolfwood and Vash arrive at Knives’s murder castle/ship. Vash runs right on in because there’s no hiding now. Knives’s power is at full blast. Not only can his brother sense him, but Vash’s own power is reacting to it and he’s shifting. For the first time, he looks calm about it. But it’s not because he’s okay with his power. It’s because he’s accepted his fate. He’s locked in and nothing will stop him now, because he has nothing left to lose.

Oh my god???? What was that horrifying vision Wolfwood had? He doesn’t seem to think it was Knives and Vash didn’t even notice. FREAKY. There’s someone in the murder castle that’s after him too.

But also, “I don’t want to be a burden on him.” God, Wolfwood. Just…you care about him so much, but it wouldn’t be a burden to him. But he knows that, which is why he won’t do it. He won’t put something else on Vash’s shoulders, he won’t make him even more worried, or harder than it already is.

Elendira is just like, “Hi there! Let me lead you to your murderous brother for your final showdown. Right this way!”

Ah, so Vash did pick up on something from Wolfwood’s vision. As always, Vash remains more perceptive than Wolfwood is willing to give him credit for.

IT’S REVEALED. Wolfwood isn’t Chapel! Also, can we talk about the badass wheelchair of death the actual Chapel is using?

I love that Elendira basically scolds them into not pointing their guns at each other.

You know, it occurs to me that Wolfwood manages to betray a lot of people all at once. There’s something really sad about that because I just know it makes him feel so much worse about himself as a person.

Always funny to me when Wolfwood calls other people faithless. Like, dude, so are you! That’s just the pot calling the kettle black.

Knives’s aura is so powerful, it cracks Vash’s glasses and blows them off his face. He can’t hide his feelings anymore and he also can’t hide from his brother anymore. He has to look the world full in the face now. There’s no turning back or running away anymore.

Also, this last panel of Knives emerging from the pavilion is terrifying. Especially the way the giant hands don’t match up with where the rest of his body is positioned.

Ch 6

It kills me that Knives’s plan to make Vash suffer and break him down succeeded. He wanted to see his brother brought low, to have all of his ideals smashed and proven wrong, before they faced each other again. It’s so cruel, especially after seeing how kind and loving he was as a child.

But Knives still frames what he’s doing as saving Vash! Now it’s because of the black hair, because he’s closer to death than Knives is. Does Knives feel guilty though? Because as far as I can tell, every time Vash has used his powers and his hair has turned black up to this point has been directly due to Knives forcing or manipulating him into it.

This has been haunting me since the first half of this volume, but Knives bringing up Tesla again reminded me. Would she want this? Would she want the kind of destruction Knives wants to rain down on the world? Would she want that kind of large scale revenge against all of humanity? She might have been a child, but Independent Plants, as we’ve seen, are incredibly intelligent, even as children. If we assume she was a vengeful ghost who wanted to show them the truth about humanity, then maybe. There’s this tiny part of me though that wonders if she’d be horrified instead to see so much suffering done in her name. Would she really want to see anyone, Plant or human, harmed just because she did too? Would she want others to experience the same pain she did? And that’s the thing. We don’t know. We’ll never know what this little girl wanted. She never had any agency, not when she lived or died, not even in her legacy. She became a martyr for a cause she didn’t even know existed.

Oh hey, it’s the argument Vash and Knives have in the Tristamp finale! I didn’t catch this on my first read. The context here is very different though. Vash is a lot more broken down here and we know he has so many doubts. So to hear him say something like this, that he’ll run away and try again, is so weirdly hopeful and optimistic. Knives is just as enraged though.

I’ve been wondering what those tubes on Vash’s jacket were for ages! It looks like ammo to reload his arm gun (and maybe his revolver too). Clever design for a gunslinger’s jacket, honestly.

Is—is Legato hopping up the stairs in his weird little metal coffin thing? Like he’s in a sack race? That is such a ridiculous image in the middle of this battle.

Ough, Vash. This page…Why must you hurt me like this? He might still have some hope left for humanity, but he doesn’t have any left for himself. In that sense, Knives failed. He wanted him to suffer and see humanity’s failings, but Vash only ever saw his own.

Knives really went, “If I can’t save you from yourself, I’ll make you part of me and take away your entire autonomy.” He’s always been like this, but this time he’s just said it out loud. All those posts about Knives seeing Vash an extension of himself become very, very literal here.

Oh? Vash was actually able to overpower him when he tried to meld with him?

I can’t believe Knives actually listened to Legato. He hasn’t been listening to anyone recently. And Legato’s deranged, excited expression when he does and then asks him to restrain Knives…he’s really enjoying himself, for once.

Oh no, oh this is bad. Vash is captured, Knives is planning the destruction of the planet, there’s apparently a massive airship. Everything looks very, very bad. This is so much worse because I know where this is going.

#trigun #trigunbookclub

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ithinkyouhealedmyheart · 30 days ago

Text

Ghostwriter CH 28

Unbetad Unedited Unhinged || AO3 Wattpad

Character(s): Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell, Gustavo Rocque, Kelly Wainwright, Jo Taylor, Lucy Stone, Camille Roberts, Katie Knight, Mrs. Knight, Mercedes Griffin, Arthur Griffin, Veronica Clark oc, Mr. Clark oc

Pairing(s): Kendall Knight & James Diamond & Carlos Garcia & Logan Mitchell, James Diamod & Original Female Characters, Kendall Knight/Original Female Characters

Word Count: 6184

When Ronnie didn’t have a dedicated songbook for her music and random personal blurbs, she learned to censor her thoughts. Using an old notebook was very public, and even when she labeled it, there was always a risk of someone mistaking it for a notebook she used at school. It wasn’t much of a concern if she lost her notebook or if someone found her notebook and looked through it. But now that she had a dedicated leather-bound songbook that had a cord she wrapped around it, she was much more comfortable writing her private thoughts.

A dedicated songbook felt more personal, especially because James had gifted it to her for her birthday. She wrote her feelings in it since she didn’t discuss them on the tour. Ronnie sat at the green-tented cabana, tapping her yellow pen against her cheek. Her red hair was tied back loosely, and a few strands fell before her face. The five of them were back at the Palm Woods for a week when Gustavo said they were working on a third album. She knew it would be a matter of time until she was back at her job, but she hoped there would have been a bit more time for everyone to decompress from the tour.

Things have been weird with Kendall. Now that his ex-girlfriend was back, he probably didn’t want to make Ronnie feel left out. He was being a little too clingy. Maybe he didn’t want her to think things between them were suddenly going to change because Jo was back. As much as she liked the attention, she knew how much Jo meant to him. Ronnie didn’t want to make it such a big deal. There shouldn’t be any drama between them.

“I’m sorry, is this seat taken?”

Ronnie wasn’t afraid to admit that Jo Taylor was gorgeous. There was a reason Kendall went out with her. The girl had bone-straight, dirty blonde hair, thick brows, and a strong facial structure. Her face wasn’t boxy, and her features were soft. The songwriter blinked twice and quickly realized she was staring.

“Uh… No– No.” Ronnie swallowed thickly and looked away.

“Thanks!” Jo draped her bag over the back of the white plastic chair and smiled brightly. “I didn’t expect it to be so crowded here. Yeah, it’s July, but there weren’t this many people at the Palm Woods. At least not this many that I remember.”

Ronnie nodded as she wrapped the cord around her songbook, slotting her pen into the space available.

“Oh! Jo, Ronnie, you’ve met already, right?” Camille seemingly came out of nowhere and sat next to the blonde.

“Right, Kendall told me you’re the songwriter for Big Time Rush.”

Ronnie wanted to curl up in a ball and hibernate for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve told Ronnie mostly everything about you, like your relationship with–”

Jo laughed awkwardly and slapped her knee, startling Camille and Ronnie. To the actress, this seemed very out of character for her best friend, but Ronnie didn’t know that much about the blonde girl. All Ronnie knew was that she and Kendall dated.

“So, do you like the Palm Woods? I know it can be overwhelming at times,” Jo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I uh– It’s nice…” Ronnie smiled slightly. She could feel embarrassment creeping into the somewhat dry conversation. The songwriter was never the best when it came to new people. It was easier for Camille and Jo to get along because they knew each other, but Ronnie was a fish out of water. She also didn’t want to make things awkward between them.

“Hey, Cami, can you get me a smoothie?” Jo asked.

“Of course!” The dark-haired girl jumped out of her seat and walked away speedily.

Jo leaned forward. She looked a bit concerned.

“Are you okay? I’d hate it if I made anything uncomfortable.” Jo lowered her voice slightly. “I think it’s pretty cool that Gustavo hired a girl to write their music, especially their love songs. I always thought they needed a feminine touch.”

Ronnie felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Her muscles relaxed, and she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Genuinely smiling, she was more comfortable knowing there wouldn’t be any bad blood between them. Part of her worried Kendall would think they hated each other, but she could deal with him later.

“So, you shot movies in New Zealand?” The songwriter tried to move the conversation along. She would be mortified if the conversation fell flat because she felt awkward. That didn’t mean Jo felt awkward.

“It was supposed to be a series for this young adult fiction novel, but the test audience didn’t like the first movie.”

“Oh. I’m sorry– I didn’t–”

“No, no. It’s okay!” Jo shook her head. “These things happen. I’m just glad to be back. I would have regretted it if I didn’t go to New Zealand.”

“What would you do if acting went nowhere?”

“I’ll always have singing to fall back on, not that I’ve sung in front of people enough to advertise it.”

“Oh.” In the back of her mind, Ronnie had this growing feeling. If Jo and Kendall got back together, Big Time Rush might collaborate. It would most likely be a romantic duet that she would have to write. “I didn’t know you were a singer,”

“Camille doesn’t know either. I haven’t gotten anywhere in the music business, so I’m focusing on acting.” Jo shrugged. “What about you? I doubt you only want to be a songwriter.”

“I… I used to sing many songs on my website, but since I’ve been signed to Rocque Records, most of my music goes to the band instead. I don’t hate it, but I sometimes wish to write something for myself.”

“What? You don’t keep songs for yourself?”

Ronnie shook her head. “Even if I did, Gustavo has a habit of looking through my songbook, so it’s not like I can hide anything from him.”

“He looks through your songbook?”

“...With my permission, of course! He fixes the music I write before we transfer it.”

“Still, shouldn’t he ask?” Jo furrowed her brows.

“I’ve gotten used to it.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“I’m back with smoothies and ice cream!” Camille said in a sing-song voice.

“Ice cream?” Ronnie furrowed her brows. “Where did you find ice cream?”

“Oh, Katie and Buddha Bob are selling ice cream for five bucks over there.” Camille pointed to a hefty line forming around a vendor cart, where Katie was taking cash from teens trying to beat the heat.

“What flavors do they have?” Ronnie asked.

“I don’t know. Get your own ice cream.” Camille waved her away, sat down, and turned toward Jo. “There is so much I’m excited to tell you.”

“...Okay.”

Ronnie left her songbook at the table, technically unattended, as she joined the line for ice cream. Kendall filed in line behind her. He looked over at the cabana, and it should have been reassuring to see Jo and Camille talking instead of Jo and Ronnie. He shouldn’t even be worried about his ex-girlfriend talking to one of his friends, but it made him panic for some reason. Seeing her in person made him realize he wasn’t sure if he should move on or get back together.

“You know, I’ve gotten better at knowing you’re behind me. It’s become a sixth sense.” Ronnie turned around.

“Huh? Oh, hey!” Kendall chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. “How– How are you?”

“Other than being tired from school and work? I’m fine.”

“Cool. Cool,”

“You know, when you start a conversation with someone, it’s supposed to go somewhere.”

“I wasn’t that one who started the conversation.” Kendall rolled his eyes. “If you hadn’t noticed me, then perhaps it would be so awkward.”

“Awkward? What about this is awkward?” Ronnie furrowed her brows.

“Wait, that’s not what I meant.” The blonde’s eyes widened. “I meant that we see each other all the time, and our conversations are bound to fall flat occasionally.” He tried to cover himself, but he made it worse.

“So, you see me too much? We live in the same building.” Ronnie deadpanned.

“Wait, no–”

“I don’t have to talk to you if you don’t want me to.”

“That’s not– It’s just weird with Jo around.”

“...Because you want to get back together with her.” Ronnie hesitated. She brushed her hair out of her face and rolled her shoulders. “I don’t mind that you want to get back together with your ex-girlfriend. It wasn’t like there was anything between us to begin with,”

“Wait, wait! No, that’s not–”

The line moved considerably quickly, keeping Kendall from fixing their miscommunication. Hearing that nothing was going on between them hurt a little. They were friends, so there was obviously nothing between them, but he couldn’t help feeling hurt. To hear it from her directly was like putting salt in the wound.

“Ronnie, wait–” Kendall grabbed her by the elbow. “Why are you giving me the cold shoulder? I thought we were cool,”

“We are cool. We’re friends.” Ronnie raised a brow. “Do you… Not want to be friends?”

“No, no. I love being friends with you!”

“Then what’s the big deal?”

“I– I don’t know…”

“Okay, then there’s nothing wrong.” Ronnie shrugged.

“Oh.”

Kendall frowned. He watched her walk over to the cabana Jo and Camille were sitting at, and something tugged at the back of his mind. Something felt wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what. Maybe it was because he didn’t want his ex-girlfriend and his… friend to talk to each other. No, “friend” didn’t feel right. But what would he call her? They weren’t dating. He did want to spend more time with her, and the one time he was apart from her, it drove him crazy. He would have done so without a second thought if he could take her to Bel-Air. She would even love the house Gustavo bought for the guys.

Was it weird to not want to be apart from her? Was it odd that he thought his ex-girlfriend might come between them? Ronnie did say that there was nothing between them, but he couldn’t help but think that was a lie. There was something different in the way they acted with each other. Ronnie was as upset about him moving to Bel-Air as he was.

Kendall looked over at the cabana and sucked in a breath. He would do away with the weird feeling settling in his chest. He should be happy that Ronnie and Jo are getting along. The last thing he would want is for them to hate each other. He would have to choose between them if they hated each other, and he couldn’t possibly choose. He wanted to be friends with both of them.

From a distance, they looked like they were having fun. Kendall joined his friends at their usual spot. Carlos, Logan, and James were lounging on lawn chairs. Logan, like always, was doing his homework, and James had his nose buried in a Pop Tiger magazine.

“Hey, bud, what’s got you so blue?” Carlos asked, adjusting his sunglasses.

“Nothing,” Kendall sat down and pouted like a child.

“Aren’t you glad Jo’s back? All you could talk about for a while was how you couldn’t wait until she got back.”

“Not helping,” Kendall groaned.

“It’s not my fault you’re acting weird.” Carlos shot back.

“I can’t help it! Seeing them together is so weird!” Kendall threw his head back, squeezing the ice cream cup. “Man…” He grimaced and shook off the ice cream spilled on his hand.

“What’s weird about it?” Logan asked. “Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting along? If they hated each other, then it would be harder to hang out with either of them.”

“Yeah, but what if they start talking about personal things…”

“Like how you and Jo dated for a while?” James asked, slightly lowering the magazine. “Ronnie already knows about that.” He waved away his friend's concern.

“That’s not the point. What if Jo says something to her, and she starts acting weird?”

“Like how you’re acting weird right now?” Logan raised a brow.

“You guys don’t get it!” Kendall huffed and stood up, stomping away.

~~~

Ronnie tried to ignore Kendall's weird behavior. He avoided her when he could and refused to talk to her at work, which angered Gustavo. Because he refused to speak, rehearsal was painful for everyone involved. The songwriter didn’t know what she had done wrong, which irked her. She thought they had moved past this.

For a moment, she thought he read those online articles. It made no sense for him to be upset with her, but perhaps someone wrote a charming article that persuaded him. They were supposed to be friends. If he had a problem, he could tell her about it, but maybe being friends was all in her head.

As much as this hurt, Ronnie had to be professional. Holding her head high and pushing aside, the simmering annoyance made Kendall look outrageously childish. But when was he never childish? James, Logan, and Carlos had to be the messengers between their friends, but even they had their limits.

“What’s going on with you and Kendall?” James asked, sitting across from her in the cafeteria.

“I don’t know.” Ronnie sighed and scribbled over what she was writing. “We’re friends, I think… Maybe I did something wrong?”

“Everything and anything set Kendall off,” Carlos butted in. He tore into his bagged lunch. “He could have woken up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Yeah…” Ronnie picked at the small bag of chips her dad packed with her sandwich. “I wish he would tell me so it wasn’t a guessing game.”

“He’s been this way since kindergarten.” James chuckled. “There’s no way he’ll change now.”

Ronnie frowned. If he had been this way since kindergarten, then would he have been such a good friend to James, Logan, and Carlos? It isn’t fair for them to walk on eggshells or try to guess why Kendall was upset. No one should tiptoe around their friends when they’re angry.

“That doesn’t make it right…”

“But he means well. It’s probably some scenario he thought of and convinced himself it’s real.” Logan shrugged, joining the four at the table.

“Maybe he’s in love with Jo and is sending a message?” Ronnie stared at the lyrics she had written, which didn’t make a single sense.

“No, he’s been acting weird about her too. She asked me about it this morning,” James scratched the back of his head. “Not– Not that I’m siding with her!”

“Siding with her? What do you mean?”

“Well, you know, she’s Kendall’s ex-girlfriend, and you’re his… friend.” The brunette chuckled awkwardly.

“What do you– Wait, do you guys think I care?” Ronnie furrowed her brows. “I could care less! You don’t have to pick sides, either.”

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable!” James puffed out his cheeks and looked away. “You’re a very good friend, and I didn’t want that to change.”

“Okay, gross, it sounds like you’re going to tell me you’re in love with me.” Ronnie leaned away.

“What? No!” James fake gagged. “Wait– I wouldn’t be the worst person to date!”

“For me, you would,” Ronnie chuckled lightly.

“Hey!” James’ voice cracked.

“Our personalities don’t mesh romantically, and our love languages are different.”

“You really thought about this… It’s starting to hurt.” James pouted.

“Sorry, sorry. I took the joke too far?” Ronnie paused, and regret washed over her face.

“No, no! It’s okay!” James quickly reassured her.

“Okay…” Logan exhaled sharply. “Are you not at all threatened by Jo?”

“No. Why would I be? We’re friends.” Ronnie wasn’t following what they were saying. They were beating around the point.

“You both like Kendall.” Carlos pulled the metaphorical bandaid off hastily. “The ex-girlfriend would threaten anyone in your position. I’ve seen it in chick flicks all the time.”

“I’m not threatened.” Ronnie blinked twice. “And I don’t like Kendall like that. I told him we’re not together, and he can date her if he wants.” The songwriter shrugged.

“What!” James shrieked. “No, no, no. Never say that to a guy!”

“How many times do I have to keep saying we’re friends?” Ronnie sighed and idly played with her hair.

“Look, you don’t understand the complexities between–”

“I do understand,” Ronnie said sharply through clenched teeth. “I understand just fine that Kendall is my friend, and even if I did like him, he has feelings for Jo.”

The table fell silent. With her chip bag crumbling in her fist, she grabbed her songbook and left the table. James didn’t say anything or make a move for her to stay. He knew he had touched a nerve but couldn’t help the wolfish grin that stretched across his face.

“Did you hear what she said?”

“Yeah, they’re friends.” Logan furrowed his brows.

“No. Did you hear what she said?”

“Yeah?” Carlos looked as dumbfounded as Logan did.

“Oh my god,” James facepalmed. “She likes Kendall!”

“Yeah, say it louder for everyone to hear!” Logan hissed.

“Oh! I thought she was on her period,” Carlos smiled innocently. Even though the comment was insensitive, James reached over the table and flicked his forehead.

“Obviously, she doesn’t want to get us involved or make us pick sides.” James continued. “But, anyone who’s seen them together thinks they like each other. Kendall already had a relationship with Jo. He might as well try it with Ronnie.”

“You’re going to get in the middle of this, aren’t you?” Logan deadpanned.

“Of course! Kendall’s my best friend, and Ronnie is practically like my sister. I want them to be happy.”

“What if you make the situation between them worse? What then?” Carlos asked, with a mouthful of corndog.

“Eat with your mouth closed,” James sighed and shook his head. “And I can’t possibly make it worse than it already is. From day one, Kendall has been a jerk to her. A little persuasion from the love master could do them much good.” James grinned and combed his fingers through his hair.

“I have a feeling this is going to end badly…” Logan sighed and shook his head. “Which means I’ll have to help you fix your mess.”

“That’s the spirit! With your doctor-ness, you’ll help greatly!”

“I didn’t agree to anything!” The nerdy boy facepalmed. He should have stayed out of the conversation, but it was too late to turn back.

Work was long and annoying. Ronnie pulled her sunglasses out of her bag and paused. Since Kendall had bought them on their tour of Los Angeles, she had been using them. It meant nothing; they were sunglasses. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she slid the square blue and purple ombre lenses over her face and slung her bag over her shoulder. Untangling her wired earbuds and plugging the headphone jack into her MP3 player, it seemed she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings. Logan followed her at a distance; he wouldn’t know what to say if she confronted him about following her, and he was mulling over the possibilities in his head.

Ronnie stopped at a cafe on the corner, and Logan did, too. His phone buzzed in his pocket, James giving him updates about Kendall every few seconds. The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. The logical solution was to go and talk to her, but what would he say? They barely spent time together, and she would know he was following her because he didn’t even know this cafe existed. He noticed the dark-haired barista taking Ronnie’s order and tucked this information behind his mind. He could tell Carlos about her when he returned to the Palm Woods.

“Thanks, Ashlynn.” Ronnie chirped and stepped away from the counter. At a table by the window, she pulled out that leather-bound songbook James gifted her and hunched over.

“Next,”

Logan snapped out of it and anxiously stepped up to the counter. He watched an old lady hobble off to the side, hunched over, with a white purse hanging off her arm. Haphazardly, the boy looked at one of the many items on the board hung on the wall. He ordered a simple black coffee. Logan Mitchell wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but he panicked. He didn’t even realize he got in line. A few minutes later, he grabbed the coffee at the pickup counter, and instead of sitting down at the table with Ronnie, he sat a few tables away and watched her.

The songwriter still had her earbuds in. Tapping her pen to the song, she scribbled out a misspelled word. In the cafeteria, she had been trying to develop a great first song for BTR’s third album. She wanted to surprise Gustavo because he hadn’t even mentioned their next album yet. Part of her wondered if Griffin was waiting for the right time to drop the boy band. Yet again, her career was balancing on the music she was able to write. She wanted someone to help her for once, but the guys were off in their world worrying about girls and fame. Not the work it takes to become famous.

Flipping back a few pages, she ditched the first song idea. Reading over what she wrote yesterday before Jo sat with her at the cabana, she frowned. She couldn’t be in love with Kendall, could she? Maybe she was looking into things too much? It wasn’t that Ronnie was looking for a rebound because she broke up with Curt six months ago. Except the media decided to tear into her as much as possible now that she’s back and can’t ignore them. Bouncing her foot idly, she sighed and put her pen down. Maybe she was in love with Kendall.

Ronnie had been so anxious when she found out Jo was back at the Palm Woods. Deep down, she was worried that she would be pushed aside. But he wouldn’t push her aside. At least, she believed he wouldn’t push her aside until he decided to ignore her. Of course, this could be his way of getting her back for ignoring her back when she was new to the Palm Woods. She sipped her summery-themed drink and pressed her lips into a thin line.

All she wanted to do was yell at him for confusing her. He was messing with her head more than she wanted to admit. Ronnie looked down at one of the friendship bracelets Addison made her at camp over the summer. Blue and yellow thread complimented each other nicely, and there was a bit of green mixed in. She smiled slightly, then remembered a conversation that others would have forgotten.

“Blue and yellow make green, like my hair!”

Her cheeks felt warm, and she ducked her head. Not that long ago, Ronnie’s hair had been green, but that conversation was months ago. Why was she remembering it? Why did she have to mention that blue and yellow make green? Of course, he knew that. He learned his colors in kindergarten. She sighed and tapped her pen against the paper. These feelings were strange. The only time she dwelled on her conversations with Curt, her chest was filled with this anxiety that made it feel like she was breathing through a straw. But thinking about Kendall… She felt warm and fuzzy. Shaking her head, she stared at the words in black pen ink on the scratchy paper.

Kendall was in love with Jo, the girl he had been waiting for. Ronnie would be a fool to assume they were more than friends. Maybe that was it; she never had that many friends, so perhaps she was confused. She could be mistaking platonic friendship for something more because her early childhood had lacked affection. Laughing to herself, she rested her cheek in her palm. Sooner or later, she would realize that they were meant to be friends, and then maybe she could get past how weird it feels when he’s around. She had to admit she was a bit harsh to him yesterday in line for ice cream, but it was the only way to avoid giving it away that he gave her butterflies in her stomach. He didn’t do anything; he just stared at her with his big green eyes.

~~~

“Guys, don’t you think it’s weird? They’re hanging out with each other.” Kendall paced in the living room, anxiously running his hands through his messed-up hair.

The blonde wanted to relax at the pool but booked a ride back to the apartment when he saw Ronnie and Jo talking. The guys were mainly paying attention. Logan was working on his homework at the glass table by the swirly slide, and Carlos and James were playing a racing game, trying to block each other's view.

“What’s weird about it? Don’t you want them to get along?” Carlos asked, eyes glued on the television screen. He was currently in the lead.

“I know why he doesn’t want them to get along. He likes both of them.” Logan deadpanned, erasing something on his math homework.

“I do not!” Kendall stopped pacing and shot the boy a glare.

“Okay, then, why do you not want them to talk to each other?” James asked, holding his controller out of Carlos’ reach.

“What if Jo says something to her? What if Ronnie gets weird and doesn’t want to be my friend anymore?” Kendall went back to pacing, biting his nails. A nervous habit he picked up from Logan.

“No one cares this much if they’re just friends with someone,” Katie announced her presence in the room, sitting at the breakfast bar.

“You, stay out of this. You don’t understand teenage relationships.” Kendall wiped his hands on his shirt, running them through his hair again.

“Careful, you might pull out your hair next.” Katie rolled her eyes. “And you’re right, I don’t understand teenage relationships, but I want to help.”

“No. No, you are not going to help. There is nothing to help because I don’t want to get back together with Jo.”

The room went silent. James and Carlos dropped their controllers, and Logan’s pencil came to a scratching halt. His friends looked at him with wide eyes. Kendall covered his mouth. Did he mean it, or was it just a spur of the moment? Katie furrowed her brows and looked at all of them, confused.

“What? What’s so bad about not wanting to get back together with Jo? Isn’t she your ex?”

“So, you do want to date Ronnie!” James jumped to his feet and spun around, then pointed at Kendall. “I knew it! I knew something was going on between you ever since the tour!”

“Shut up!” The blonde shouted at him. “I don’t like Ronnie!”

“That’s what someone says if they don’t like someone,” Katie commented.

“Yes, thank you!” James grinned. “Your sister sees it as much as I do! You have feelings for Veronica Clark!”

“Her first name is Veronica?” Kendall furrowed his brows. “Veronica…”

“Did you think her full name was Ronnie Clark?” Logan asked, continuing his math homework. He wasn’t involved in this conversation but didn’t want to walk away.

“Do your homework, you big nerd!” Kendall frowned. “And I do not like Ronnie!” Kendall turned to his sister.

“Really? ‘Cause I found her songbook in the lobby.” Katie pulled the leatherbound songbook out of nowhere, and Kendall’s eyes widened.

“You’re not supposed to have that.”

“Oh, well, if I wasn’t supposed to have it, why did she leave it unattended?” Katie tilted her head to the side. “I’m not kidding either. She left it in the lobby, and I didn’t want Jett to get at it.”

“Ugh, Jett.” Her older brother groaned. “Give it to me,” he said, expecting her to hand it over without a problem.

“Uh, no.” Katie glanced at his outstretched hand. “If I give it to you, you will read her private thoughts. I may not know how teenage relationships work, but I know how you function.”

“Come on, I’m serious. You’ll make her pay you to get it back.” Kendall argued.

“I wouldn’t make her pay that much. Then again, if it means a lot to her, she’ll pay a lot.” Katie’s eyes sparkled mischievously. Her brother gave her an idea. She wouldn’t make Ronnie pay for it until her brother mentioned it.

“Damnit…” The blonde muttered. “I’ll pay for it.”

“A hundred dollars.”

“What? I’m not giving you a hundred dollars!”

“Then no songbook,” Katie shrugged. She wouldn’t make Ronnie pay for it, but now she had something to pit against him if she ever stole his stuff again.

“Katie, I’m not joking around. Give me the songbook,” Kendall sighed.

Mrs. Knight came out of nowhere and plucked the leatherbound songbook out of Katie’s hand.

“Ronnie’s been looking for this everywhere, Kendall. Can you give it to her when you and your friends are done?” His mom handed him the book with ease and glanced at Katie. His younger sister smiled sheepishly and made a beeline for her room.

It was a bad idea to entrust Ronnie’s songbook to four teenage boys, but Mrs. Knight knew her son better than that. She trusted he wouldn’t look through her thoughts; if he did, she would ground him or give him another form of punishment. Kendall stared at the book in his hands. The leather cord was so enticing.

“Let’s get a sneak peek of the next song she’s writing!” Unlike Kendall and James, Carlos had no ill-advised intention to look through her book.

“Let’s see what she wrote about you.” James snatched the book from Kendall’s hands.

“That’s a bad idea,” Logan commented. He was an accessory to the crime but wouldn’t touch her book. He knew better than that.

“No, James.” Kendall reached for the book, but his friend held it away.

“Aren’t you curious to see what she thinks? She always keeps her thoughts close to her chest.” James wasn’t trying to be mean, but he knew what Kendall was thinking. He may be friends with Ronnie, but his best and closest friend came first.

“If she found out we were reading her book, she’d kill us.” The blonde sighed and tried to reach for the book, but James backed up.

“She’d be distracted if you walked up to her and told her how you feel.” The brunette chuckled.

“James, I’m being serious. Give it back.” Kendall’s voice was level.

The two started wrestling for Ronnie’s songbook in the blink of an eye. James meant nothing about it. He wanted to egg Kendall on. Subconsciously, he wondered if Ronnie had ever written about them, but he wouldn’t look through her private thoughts. On second thought, he wanted to know what she thought of him. As kind as she was, he couldn’t help worrying if she thought he was annoying or self-centered.

James and Kendall tumbled over the couch, and the book was released from his grasp. In a panic, the brunette braced himself for the fall.

“The window!” Carlos gasped.

Since when was the window open? Kendall lunged forward, reaching out the window to grab it, but helplessly, he watched the songbook tumble into the pool area. Ronnie and Jo were in the pool area. Unfortunately, the leatherbound book bounced off one of the table umbrellas and splashed into the pool. The blonde was off running without even thinking to help his friend up. Not only was he dead for touching her book, but he was double dead for accidentally getting it thrown in the pool.

“What was that?” Jo looked around when she heard the splash in the pool.

“Huh?” Ronnie looked up from her phone, reading one of Addison’s walls of text, unaware of her surroundings.

“Weird…” Jo narrowed her eyes. “I swore I heard a splash in the pool.”

“Maybe someone threw a ball in or something?” Ronnie shrugged. “Happens all the time with those stupid footballs.”

The songwriter was a bit on edge because her songbook magically went missing. She couldn't find it when she looked for it in the lobby. If someone found her songbook, then they would have access not only to BTR’s songs but also to her inner thoughts. She used it as an outlet. When Ronnie was younger, she used to have a diary, but she had always been uncomfortable with the idea of a diary. It felt so formal, and she was always ashamed whenever she wrote in it. There was a reason why she was embarrassed, but this was not the time to think about it.

She was halfway through Addison’s wall of text. She could have sent a letter if she had wanted to write so much. Ronnie rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck. So much had happened at home, and she was upset she wasn’t there to experience all of it, but she was happy for her friend nonetheless.

“Is that Kendall?” Jo smiled brightly.

Ronnie learned Kendall had also been avoiding her. She looked up from her phone again just in time to witness the blonde pull something from the pool. Her jaw went slack. Kendall pulled out her sopping-wet songbook and grimaced. Ronnie rose to her feet, and her legs moved without another thought.

“What the hell!” She took the songbook from him. “Are you kidding me? You took my book?”

“No. I didn’t take your book. Ronnie, I can explain–”

“Then how else did you get it?” The book in her hands was dripping chlorinated pool water. “And better yet, why was it in the pool? Was this to get back at me for something?” She tried not to take it personally and hoped it was an accident, but this book meant so much to her.”

“I don’t want to get back at you for anything!”

“Is it because James gave me the songbook?” Ronnie questioned. “Is it because I did something wrong? I don’t get it. I thought I could trust you.”

For good measure, she shouldered past him. Kendall’s shoulders slumped, and he closed his eyes. He could have explained himself, but he froze. He had never seen her so mad. Her face was turning red, and he felt terrible. The book falling in the pool was his fault, but he didn’t take the book from the lobby. Running a hand down his face, he sighed and hung his head. Just when things were getting better, something had to happen to make things worse.

“Kendall, did you take her songbook?” Jo asked gently. She looked up at him with big brown doe eyes that he would have gotten lost in forever ago.

“No… No. I didn’t take her songbook, but it is my fault it fell in the pool.”

“What happened?” She put a hand on his arm, and he tensed up.

He didn’t deserve her kindness. Jo should be angry with him for ignoring her, but that wasn’t the case. She was so gentle with him.

“I– I have to go.” He excused himself quickly.

Taking the stairs two at a time was faster than taking the elevator. His heartbeat was hammering in his ears. He was going to fess up and take the blame for the missing songbook because it might as well be his fault. Either it was the adrenaline or the anxiety, but he walked down the hallway quickly and knocked on her door. He stopped himself from practically slamming his fist against it. Ronnie opened the door but quickly tried to close it.

“Wait, wait. I’m sorry for taking your songbook.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” She didn’t look at him. His foot in the doorway stopped it from closing fully.

“Ronnie, please! I’m sorry I took your songbook. Can I make it up to you?”

“Yeah, by leaving me alone. I’ve told you not to touch my book, yet you went ahead and did it anyway. What were you trying to learn?”

“I was going to give it back to you–”

“What? You couldn’t just talk to me like a normal person? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Ronnie, I didn’t want to hurt you. I knew you would freak out if it went missing, so I tried to give it to you, but I got caught up with my friends and–”

“Oh.” Ronnie’s eyes widened. “So they saw what was in this book, too? Make a fool of me, why don’t you? No one takes me seriously, so I bet they’ll take me seriously now!” She chuckled sarcastically.

“We didn’t look in the book. Please, if you’ll let me explain.”

“No. There’s nothing to explain.”

She nudged his foot out of the way with her foot and closed the door in his face. Kendall bowed his head and rested it against the door. Telling her how he felt would be a lot harder now. He just had to screw up.

#btr #btrtv #big time rush #btrtv oc #btr oc #kendall knight #ghostwriter fic #oc: veronica clark #james diamond #carlos garcia #logan mitchell #gustavo rocque #romance #ao3 #fanfiction #fanfic #btr fanfiction #btr fanfic

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8bitsupervillain · 2 months ago

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Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi pt. 67

So really the entire reason Takano is executing the emergency manual is because she doesn’t want to be put in the awkward situation of running into coworkers or former coworkers at the grocery store. I respect that. I think it’s funny how the entire conversation could be read as Irie is acting as a sort of go-between for Takano and Tomitake who just went through a break up.

Ignore the Ooishi there, I flubbed the screenshot.

It’s interesting how much of a role reversal it is between Hanyuu and Rika in these last two chapters. Some time in the future I’ll have to refer to this when I talk about a certain plot point. A fun thing worth noting here is that if you play the visual novel using the remake, or original arts Hanyuu is in her school uniform, she only has this dress in the console art style. I think it’s an interesting thing to think about because of the implication of the designs. I feel that the usage of her in her school uniform is an interesting visual shorthand to demonstrate how removed Hanyuu really is in regards to the humans of the gaming club, and also the adults working against Takano. She’s on their side, but she isn’t the same as the rest of them, she’s an outsider both from the fact she’s a divine entity, and from the fact that as far as they’re aware she’s only come into their lives a day or two ago. This pink dress however bears a passing similarity to Rika’s dress, so it downplays her otherness in a way by emphasizing her association with Rika. If it weren’t for the horns you could swear the two were sisters in their similarity. It doesn’t get into it, because the visual novel never actually gets into anyone’s clothing, but I could easily imagine a conversation where Hanyuu and Rika discuss her dressing this way to make it so no one questions the new purple haired girl. That is, if anyone even really sees Hanyuu at all, most of the time her presence goes unremarked upon by everyone except for Rika.

And so our crack commando squad of teens, preteens, and Ooishi settle upon the timing of their 48 hour operation. Sure would be embarrassing for them if they couldn’t fall asleep quickly enough, or slept through their alarm and missed it.

The thought did occur to put one of my medium effort sillies here that’s an edit of the Alien vs Predator poster that has the tagline “whoever wins, we lose.” But I decided against it.

#higurashi #higurashi when they cry #higurashi no naku koro ni #higurashi playthrough

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justanotherstarlightmonger · 2 years ago

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Helsinki ch 13: Bruises and repercussions.

Helsinki syndrome is a term sometimes used incorrectly in place of Stockholm syndrome. It’s use in literature is often ironic and deliberate and literally means when a captive refuses to cooperate with their captor.

Summary: A war of wits does have some rules too. But if one party refuses to acknowledge the sacred rule of leaving family out of it, the other must retaliate stronger to quell any such advances for the future… Or at least that’s what Min Yoongi told himself when he abducted Kim Namjoon’s younger sister. That was before he realized that this elaborate game of chess didn’t have just two players and before he had promised Namjoon he’d keep her safe, But also before he realized that one month was enough to leave his whole life in chaos.

Genre: MAFIA AU, slight yandere themes, smut, a happy sprinkling of fluff/comfort, and a truckload of ANGST.

WARNINGS: If Taehyung was your favorite character, I sincerely apologize.

Pairing: Main pairing: Mafia!MIN YOONGI X READER

Others include: Collegeboyfriend!Hosoek x reader + Mafia!Taehyung x reader + Kidnapper!Seokjin x reader.

Word count: 3.5k words

Previous II Ch 13 II next (coming soon)

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Taglist: @rosquilleta @minniesvenus @parkdatjimin @bebejungkook @gaeguuliii @themochiverse @sugasbultornebae7 @silentkei @badbyeyoongi @zae007live @princess-sunshyn

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The first thing you noticed when you woke up was how impossibly soft the pillow was. The second thing was how incredibly sore your body was, and the third were soft snores coming from somewhere near your feet.

“Yoongi?” you whispered into the semi-darkness.

No answer.

What time was it anyways?

You scooted over to the other side of the bed, to lean to look at the sky from the window. It was super early, the sunlight weak.

You felt well rested though, and were aware by now that this was Yoongi’s room. Something told you you should return to your own room before Taehyung wakes up. You tip toed to the door.

“Are you running out on me again kitten?” a gruff, grumpy voice sounded from behind you.

You froze. Truth be told, it was a little awkward…but you steeled yourself. You were a big girl, you could face Min Yoongi. Even after he had wrecked you last night.

“Um, no. I was just going to get a glass of water.” You lied.

“I’ll get you some.” He sat up, hair sticking up and cheeks puffy. He looked so cute. You needed to see more of soft, just woke up Yoongi.

“It’s okay Min, you didn’t break me.” You teased him.

His shoulders shook in a silent laugh.

“I have to go change my sheets, too.” You reasoned, opening the door softly, and stepping out, rushing to your own room, that was still in a disarray, and closed the door behind you.

When you came out again, you saw Yoongi mixing something into some eggs, presumably to make an omelet. Before you could even register how out of place Yoongi looked in a baggy t-shirt and in the kitchen, Taehyung’s door opened and he stepped out.

Your eyes widened and a little blush sat on your cheeks.

Yoongi the actor, looked up at both of you, “Good morning sleepy heads. Come have something to eat.” He said as if he was meeting you for the first time this morning. You giggled, causing Taehyung to shoot you a confused look, as to what had gotten you so happy so early, especially because the last time he’d seen you, you were passed out in bed.

“Y/n!” Taehyung gasped, eyes focused on your neck.

“Wha-?” you asked him, alarmed at his wide eyes.

“I’m gonna murder Seokjin.” Taehyung said through clenched teeth.

Yoongi nodded easily, but you were still confused. Before it hit you. The bruises on your neck. Not the ones Seokjin left, the much clearer, much more numerous ones Min Yoongi left on you.

You choked on your coffee, grabbing the edge of the table for support as your face reddened and you lost the ability to breathe.

Nonchalantly, Yoongi, who was sitting closer to you, rubbed your back to soothe the coughing, hands shaking with the effort to hold back his laugh.

“I’ve had snipers stationed outside since last night. They scanned the whole area. It’s all clear. You can move there immediately.” Yoongi told Taehyung, who was nodding in agreement, as you sat with your arms crossed on the couch, refusing to believe what he was saying.

They were moving you again. This time to escape Seokjin. You didn’t mind jumping around anymore, it was the second part that bothered you. Yoongi was going somewhere else. They were counting on the fact that Jin would think Yoongi took you along, and would follow him.

“I don’t understand why we can’t all just move.” You frowned.

Yoongi’s gaze met yours and softened. “We’ve been over this.”

“He has men working for him. Tens of them if he’s anything like you. What makes you think he won’t follow both of us?” you countered.

Taehyung sat beside you. “His little minions don’t scare me. It’s about who he goes after.”

“I can’t believe I’m in real life twilight.” You mumbled.

Yoongi laughed a little. “If we were all vampires, I would have snapped his neck centuries ago.”

You let out a weak smile. You hated this. Every time Yoongi had left, nothing good had come of it. Yet here they were, so sure that this time it’d all be okay.

“What about here? If we retract all security from here, it’ll be too obvious.” Taehyung pointed out.

“We’re not being discreet. We want him to know we’re leaving.” Yoongi said simply.

Your stomach was uneasy. The breakfast you had, was sitting uncomfortably. Yoongi was straight up exposing his back with a big target sign on it for Seokjin to strike down. You couldn’t help but feel that you’d been nothing but trouble. Even though you weren’t here on your own accord.

“Did you unpack anything?” Yoongi asked you.

You shook your head, you had been living out of the suitcase you had brought along.

“Good.” Yoongi nodded. “Tae?”

“Nothing. But I need a shower before we leave.” he said.

“Sure.” Yoongi rose. “Then it’s settled.” He brought out his phone and called someone. “I’ll leave in ten minutes, make sure to tail me thoroughly.” He said to whoever was on the other end.

He turned back to a questioning gaze from you, and Taehyung had gone to shower already.

“That was the body double for Taehyung. We’ll have someone pose as you and I’ll take her along. Our fake Taehyung will follow me for a good while before we split so that they see ‘you’ with me.” He clarified.

“Yoongi, I don’t like this one bit.” You rose from the couch.

“Me neither kitten. I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess.” His eyes were sad as he regarded you.

A pang of sorrow stabbed your heart to see him this troubled. Your hand rose to stroke his cheek, as his downcast eyes turned up to meet yours again.

“If I could send you back to your brother right now, I would. But he can’t do much against Jin hyung. He’s a psychopath in the truest sense of the word, just likes to make me suffer any way he can. Namjoon and the Seoul PD don’t stand a chance against him, or I’d send you back in an instant.”

Tears crept into your eyes. Tears of the helplessness you saw mirrored in Yoongi’s eyes. The helplessness and the ache.

“When will I see you again?” you whispered.

Yoongi shrugged, the movement seeming like it weighed tonnes on his shoulders. “When I’m done with him hopefully.” He said, monotonous.

A chill ran up your spine. You reminded yourself how dangerous the man standing before you was, something that you had easily forgotten because all he’d shown you was softness and gentleness. His hands found yours as he pulled you to him. “Can I kiss you?” he asked.

“Please.” You nodded, smiling against the addicting feeling of his lips lowering on yours as he pressed a sweet kiss on your lips. “Miss me, okay?” he whispered into your cheek before pecking it and pulling away.

“I will.” You nodded, not a single doubt in your mind.

The sound of water running in Taehyung’s shower stopped and you pulled away from Yoongi, resuming your position on the couch as Yoongi stepped back to look out the window. He knew Seokjin’s men were probably in many of the cars that were parked in the street outside. He wasn’t afraid of any of them. Hell, if it came to it, he wasn’t afraid of their boss either. But right now, his heart was thudding in panic.

Panic at the idea that if his plan failed, he’d not be around when Jin caught up to you and Taehyung. Once again.

“Where were you Yoongi?” your words replayed in his mind as a shudder went through him. The thought of what could have happened had he been a moment later yesterday, had already invaded Yoongi’s nightmares all last night, the only thing that had kept him calm was your still, sleeping form in his bed, so close to him, reassuring him you were safe.

What would he do when you were miles upon miles away?

He shook his head.

He could handle it. He could handle anything. He was Min Yoongi, god damn it. He owned a quarter of the entire Korean mafia’s wealth and power. He could get rid of an ant that claimed to be next in line to the throne by some stupid claim of blood.

He heard Taehyung come out and turned around.

“I’m leaving.” He announced.

“Hyung.” Taehyung came and rested his hands on Yoongi’s shoulders, “Take care.”

“You too Taehyungie.” Yoongi said softly, before his eyes flitted over to your pale face. “See you later kitten.” He smiled at you, trying to calm your anxiety.

“I better see you later Min.” you threatened. He laughed softly, taking in the sight of you for a moment longer, before turning and striding to the door, already calling the body doubles to assume their position.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Ilsan shipment had passed through seamlessly. Namjoon had the entire Seoul PD running around chasing petty criminals all over the city just so no one had time to intercept the massive trucks passing through the suburbs in the early hours of the morning.

He had withdrawn his forces completely and as far as he knew, Yoongi’s trucks had passed through unhindered. But he was restless and worried, because he hadn’t received a single call.

A single sign of your wellness.

And then, his phone rang. He snatched it off the table, “Hello?”

“Detective Kim Namjoon,” an unknown voice sounded on the other end.

“Who’s this?” he asked.

“Someone that you’d like on your side.” the stranger replied.

Namjoon frowned. “I suggest you don’t waste my time and reply to my question.” he pulled his most threatening, silent tone.

“I think my time is more precious than yours, little detective. But there is one thing that might be more precious. For you see, I know exactly where your precious little sister is.”

Namjoon said nothing for a whole minute. Then, “Go on.”

“Min Yoongi took her to Gwangju. And today, he’s moving her out of the city. If you’d like me to keep my guarding eye on her, how about you promise me the Seoul shipment will sink next week?”

Namjoon quirked an eyebrow. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew full well that this was one of Min’s rivals and he could be walking straight into a trap. That, or this was a set up from Yoongi himself. But, uptil now, the only thing he had been trusting was Yoongi’s word. Which, granted, wasn’t the best thing to trust. But what could he do, when the last time you’d talked to him, you had assured him you were fine, that he was keeping you safe?

And if that was truly the case, then who was this idiot?

“Tell me who you are and we’ll talk.” he said finally.

“That’s not important, detective.”

“Then, neither is your proposition.” he said and cut the call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a whole day. There had been no word from Yoongi. By now, even Taehyung, who was lying down on the tiny couch in the living area, was worried. You looked down at your ripped, bitten knuckles, a stupid habit that you had when you were anxious, and winced to see tiny droplets of blood sitting there. This was going to get you nowhere. You rose from the bamboo mattress you were sitting on, and nudged Taehyung, who looked sideways at you.

“Are we really going to stay here in the dark like this?” you asked incredulously.

“I mean,” Taehyung sat up, not a hint of mirth in his face, “We have clear instructions to not contact anyone till contacted ourselves.”

“Tae…”

“Hey, he’ll be fine. For now, let’s just focus on not dying ourselves, yeah?”

“Dying?” you choked.

Taehyung’s eyes widened. “No- fuck… no.”

“What do you mean dying?” your voice rose.

“Nothing, honestly. It was a slip of the tongue.” he reassured you.

“Are you saying, if Seokjin finds us first, he’ll kill us?”

“No.”

“Taehyung, you’re lying to me.”

“I am not. Drop it!” he sounded cross.

You rolled your eyes and huffed, kicking the couch and going back to your mattress, looking round at the tiny quarters you had rented for a few days. You understood that Taehyung was stressed, maybe even more than you were if his throbbing temple was something to go by, but something in you told you that you might not see Yoongi ever again if you didn’t get up and do something.

You started thinking of something, a small plan. Not very dramatic, but enough to attract attention to you. Just enough attention to shake Seokjin off Yoongi’s tail. You cast a look at Taehyung, who seemed to be sleeping. Or was he just acting?

“Tae?” you whispered.

No response.

You tiptoed to the covered window and pulled the curtains back slightly. You could clearly see the sniper on the next roof. And you knew there were more at every vantage point in the vicinity, because those were Yoongi’s orders.

You had to stay inside. Stay inside and stay safe and listen to what Taehyung said, for just a few days and you’d be fine. You shook your head. There would be no fine if there was no Yoongi, you reminded yourself.

“What are you doing?” a deep voice said right next to your ear. You jumped and smacked his arm, “What is wrong with you?”

“What is wrong with YOU? Why are you peeking out?”

“Oh, I can’t look out either?”

“No, you can’t.” He pulled your shoulders and dragged you back to the couch. “Sit down. What do you want for dinner?”

Wow, the audacity. You rolled your eyes. “I’m not hungry.”

“Ok, kimbap it is.” he announced and pretended to clap happily.

“How are you not bothered Taehyung?” you asked, annoyed beyond belief.

Taehyung whipped around to face you at that, all softness drained from his face, the icy glare he had fixed you with the first night you met, looking back at you. “Do you think you’re more concerned about my brother’s safety than I am, little girl?”

You got whiplash, and had to steel your nerves to stand tall.

“You’re gonna leave in a week. You’re never coming back. Why are you pretending to be so worried about him? He’s my brother, he’s all I have. And yet I’m not the one losing my shit. Do you have anything to prove here?” he egged on.

“That’s not what-”

“That’s not what you meant?” he tilted his head, “Tell me y/n, what is it that you meant? Why are you suddenly so worried about Min Yoongi, the man you loathe? Was the answer to the question I asked you in that garden an eternity ago my brother?”

You gasped. How was he bringing this up at this time?

“Did you lie to me about someone waiting for you at home? Does our little y/n-ie have a secret?” he mocked.

“Why are you being rude?” you said, dejected.

“You’re deflecting. Answer the question.”

“I don’t have to answer anything.”

“And why is that?”

“I’m not answerable to you.”

“And who exactly are you answerable to little one?”

The use of the nickname that your brother used, sent you fuming. “Don’t call me that.” you spat.

“I’ll call you whatever I want!” his tone was icy. Foreign. Nothing like anything you had heard from him. If you weren’t so angry, you’d register the fear that instilled in you. And you’d also realize why to him,it felt like everything in his world was going wrong ever since you came.

If you weren’t so angry, you’d realize that to Taehyung it felt like you were the root of all evil. That he had spent a lot of time last night thinking what would have happened if he had let you talk to Seokjin, and not let Yoongi overreact so much, which would mean that his obsessive older brother wouldn’t be chasing his sensible one to the edge of the country right now, while he sat fidgeting and worrying over the person who caused it all. Nothing had gone right since you came. Even Yoongi had changed. And now that he was looking at you, effectively losing your mind even though you had claimed time and again that you hated Yoongi, he firmly believed that that simply was not true.

Anger surged through him. Anger and confusion. He hated you, but he also wanted you. He had wanted you since the night he had spent talking to you. He had wanted you even when you cried and broke down in his arms. And revolting as it felt to him, he wanted you even now, as you stood adamant and cross in front of him, a living proof of the fact that Yoongi had won again.

And somehow, in the sea of sudden bitterness in his heart, he wanted to sit down and cry. He wanted to cry because he hated you and felt like he’d hurt you if he saw you much longer, and he wanted to cry because he couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. He wanted to cry for his brother, who was in danger, and was the only person he had in this world. And he wanted to cry because for a moment there, he had hated him. He had hated his own flesh and blood for a temptress like you.

His head snapped to yours, his face looked like it was carved in granite. You blanched under the smolder he regarded you with.

“You can’t love me because you love my brother.” he said coldly.

“What?!” you scoffed, incredulously. How did the conversation go from worrying about Yoongi to accusations of loving Yoongi. Your heart fluttered in your chest. He was lying. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.

Yoongi’s soft, concerned face as he leaned in front of you as you sat crying on your bedroom floor flashed in front of your eyes. The ghost of his arms that held you against his chest in the throes of pleasure squeezed you gently. Blood rushed to your cheeks and you stole your gaze from Taehyung.

“After everything I’ve done. After every time I’ve stuck my neck out for you… you love him…” nothing about his eyes changed, they were still empty.

And they began to scare you.

“Tae-”

“Don’t call me that y/n,” he threatened and took a step towards you. You retreated, heart beating, “Don’t call out to me like you have any right on me. It’s because of you. All this is because of YOU!,” suddenly he was screaming.

You gasped as your back hit the wall, terror freezing you in place.

“I didn’t ask for this.” you whispered.

“You fucking asked for it y/n. How could you let this happen? You were supposed to be ransom. How did you become the main character?” he slammed his palm into the wall next to your head. “None of this would be happening, if you weren’t here.” his other hand made his way to his pocket.

Your wide eyes followed his hand’s movement and caught the flash of silver. A scream ripped from your throat as soon as the gun came into view, shooting adrenaline through your systems. How did the situation get here?

You shoved Taehyung away with all the strength in your body and ran to the door, struggling with the massive extra lock, but sliding it open just in time as he lunged for you, making it out and shutting the door behind you and running as fast as your legs would carry you.

~~~

Up on the rooftop next to the house you just ran out of, the sniper who had his gun trained on the building next to you, saw you running out and immediately aimed his gun at you, following your path. His radio buzzed and one of his partners said, “Taehyung’s running after her, is she trying to run away?”

“I have no idea.”

“Do we engage?” the semi amused voice asked.

“Engage on who?”

“Her, of course.”

“The boss ordered us to keep her safe. If any one of you shoots her, you’ll have to answer to him.” he warned.

“I say we shoot a warning shot.”

“And call everyone’s attention?!” another voice chimed in.

Meanwhile, the initial sniper was already calling Yoongi. “I’m calling him, standby.” he said as the line connected and Yoongi picked up.

“What?” he asked urgently.

“Boss, the girl just ran out of the house.”

“What!?” Yoongi yelled, “What happened? Who’s after her?”

“Your little brother.” the sniper said calmly.

“What the fu-”

“And sir, he’s holding a gun.”

“Do not engage. Get your men out of there, and you stay in touch with me and follow those two idiots. The rest of you disperse.” Yoongi hung up, his heart hammering in his chest and hands trembling as he called Taehyung. And called Taehyung again. And again.

#mafia min yoongi #min yoongi #min yoongi fluff #yoongi smut #min yoongi angst #bts suga #bts min yoongi #mafia bts #suga angst #yoongi x reader #suga x reader #bts x reader #bts angst #yoongi angst #mafia suga #Fic:helsinki

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