#and eva of course sounds incredible as well

[karioke13]

Skskdkskdkeke nobody talk to me 😭😭😭

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Neige LeBlanche first time he sees Crewel daughter during an event where RSA and Princess Academy have to merged, he sees in his opinion a beautiful magpie in a crowd of colorful song birds as she the only one who wore a black dress with gold trimming and a red shawl ( Eva dress from dmc )

What he didn't know she already have someone in mind and he go to NRC ( a lie so she don't have to interact a RSA student much for good some reason )

When he sees you it's like looking at those crushes in the coming of age movies

You're adjusting your cape-jacket and he’s seeing this whole moment in slow motion

I imagine Neige is new to the feeling of attraction 

So all he’s registering is that he’s suddenly really hot 

And he really wants to hear the sound of your voice

So he’ll make his way over to you 

Completely oblivious to the parting crowd at the Winter ball 

You’re hard to miss anyway but he just has tunnel-vision

He introduces himself when he gets to you who conveniently just finished speaking to someone

“Good evening,  I’m Neige Leblanche from the Royal Sword Academy. I just wanted you to say you're looking lovely today.” 

“Oh, well thank you, sir. I’m (Y/n) Crewel of the Princess academy.”

You turned to walk away only for his chimelike voice to beckon you back

“If I may, I’d like to be your first dance for the night.”

“I appreciate the gesture, Leblanche but I’m already scheduled to dance with–”

You look across the room and in a perfect world

You continue with “Vil” who has met eyes with you and quickly excuses himself to stand at your side

But the world is not and your father’s not an idiot

“My father Divus Crewel.”

Beforehand he will gush about how he worries you’ll drift as you age from him and that he wants to savor these moments with you

And of course you want to soothe your poor father

So you agreed to dance with him for every dance into the night

With your matching colors of gold black and red you proudly stand as icons for Night Raven and Princess Academy

And even when he wants to squeeze in a dance while you and your father are taking a break 

Crewel will shoo you off with a task to refill his cup while he talks down the student

“See here, pup. Your plenty fine as a candidate to date my daughter but I will not sit idly by as you try to sweep her off her feet–”

“Oh okay, uhm Sir–”

“Quiet pup if you must question me, than you need to learn what I wil allow.”

While he’s off lecturing the RSA student

One of your lurking bachelors sweeps in and takes you to the dancefloor

Prime suspects are Vil Schoenheit, Malleus Draconia, Jade Leech, and oddly enough Idia Shroud

Malleus was reasonably waiting

“May I ask for this dance Child of Crewel, I’d be honored.” 

Vil is smooth

he's used to doing this seeing as you are childhood friends 

“Figured we finally get a dance in before your father returns.”

Jade is cordial about it but he’s so suave in the way he cuts off some lingering bachelor to guide you to the dance floor

“I’ve been wanting to steal you away. Won’t you indulge me for a bit?”

But Idia is a special case

You were sent to the snack table to get drinks but guess who’s also just chilling by the snacks

“Idia, it's good to see you. You look incredibly dashing tonight.”

He’s blushing really hard and his hair is flaring pink

“T-thanks.”

You two will stand in silence before he pushes out of his comfort zone

“S-so d-do y-you want to dance?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Idia might get away with it as long as he freaks out and runs as soon as the music breaks

But should a creep of confidence trickle in 

He’s going to be the victim of Crewel’s vengeful glare

And the curious gaze from the  envy that is born in Neige’s heart

But hey it was worth it to feel your hand and waist in his hands

“Big Brother! You got to dance with them after all!” 

“Y-yeah. Turns out she-she is better than an otome game.”

From then on either your father jumps back in or you wave him off to dance with your Night Raven bachelors

Leaving Neige to welcome this feeling of jealousy

"T-this feeling...I'm not fond of it..."

[didiwaffles]

im going to be honest, i know nothing about the oc world that you have. so i have no idea who and what you were talking about. but id be interested to hear if youre willing to tell more! from the post it sounded very interesting

Well you gotta tell me where to start

Cause I can start from the very beginning and go on and on but then idk how about you but I will be here for two years and then some and I already fell into that trap once I'm not doing that again

But I can lay out some basic stuff

This is my main OC, Devi.

She's the main victim of my unhinged thoughts. Been through a lot of shit over the millions years she existed. If I start listing... We'll be here for a while XD

Eva is her eldest daughter. Aside from the most recent picture of her I drew, I have this one to show off.

Eva's been through some shit too, some of which Devi's been blaming herself for for a very long time. I could get into it...

Aside from Eva, Devi also has twins Paul and Pete. While they were indistinguishable as kids, they grew up to be the most different people. Pete went on to be an incredibly popular singer, while Paul decided to stay by his sister's side.

That is not to list several more biological, non-biological, adopted, or otherwise people who consider Devi as their mother for one reason or another.

That aside, Devi also has a husband, and hoo boy do they have a rich history of terrible stuff between them. I don't have a picture of him, sadly, cause I've never been satisfied with how I draw him. That being said those two's relationship is the least straight thing that can exist.

That's about it if I lay out the essence of it in a few words. Of course there's like 10 different topics already that i can get into from here. From Devi's backstory, to her and Riam's relationship, to various trauma I inflicted on her, to Eva, to everyone else I vaguely mentioned, or just in general the worldbuilding...

[scalamore]

(Thoughts) Rupert - “Transactional” bonds

I just love how consistent Rupert’s characterization is. The slight manhwa change in Ch 111 bothered me (?) - not because it was bad, but because it highlighted Rupert’s current mindset on his relationship with Lari and how he thinks of ANY relationship with anyone is a transaction - if you want something, you have to give something in return that the other person wants.

This reflects his consistent characterization:

A master of alchemy, where the principle of the discipline is “equivalent exchange” - to use it, he must use a part of his life/blood for maximum strength and efficiency of a technique

He cared for his mother very much, and endured her abuse because studying hard and doing well, learning alchemy, ingesting poisons made her happy. He suffered all that and dealt with it, because he liked to see her “happy”, or at least satisfied/pleased, even if he knew she didn’t love him at all.

He wanted the position of emperor, so he did whatever the crazy Emperor wanted and more just so he could earn that position with his hard work and diligence.

He only trusts Tori because it’s ingrained in her the [order] to listen and serve him. Eva created her as a tool, and that’s it. He gives her orders, she fulfills them

He pays Louis a high salary for his loyalty and service.

He helps out Fassbender, in order to help obtain control over the merchant groups.

That’s his character: Rupert’s interactions with everyone around him involves some sort of give and take transaction. That’s all that he knows.

It’s stated over and over in the series that Rupert feels lacking in the sense he’s never known affection his whole life: He’s never received it from anyone, so he’s incredibly awkward when he tries to fulfill Lari’s request of being someone he cherishes.

But the thing is, just like any other emotion, “affection” comes naturally to him when he’s around Lari. For him, it naturally manifests as wanting to see her happy, healthy and safe. He wants to be with her all the time, so his only wish is that she stay by his side, and doesn’t expect anything from her. She just has to stay where she has been, as she has done over the years. He just wants to keep their current, comfortable every day life at the palace. But of course, he’s very anxious about that: if all he knows is a give-and-take relationship. What happens when Lari doesn’t want anything from him? He’s stuck. He feels he has nothing tangible to offer her. He tries to encourage her to think of something, ANYTHING she wants from him, to reassure him that she’ll stay. Rupert has absolutely no concept of the possibility of a selfless love, where a person can choose to be with someone just because they want to. He doesn’t even realize that that’s what he’s feeling towards Lari as well: he just wants to be beside her, he doesnt want anything from her. He doesn’t expect any special feelings from her either. As bad as it sounds, Rupert is ‘correct’ when he says that [He wants Lari]. It sounds so negative, so possessive and obsessive… but when you think about it, it’s because again, that’s all he knows because that’s what he’d experience with Crazy Emperor.

All he knows is that Crazy Emperor was obsessed with Eva, and wanted her so badly he ruined her. Rupert doesn’t realize that his own desire for Lari is different, because as horny as he is for her, he values Lari’s happiness above all. Yes, he has moments where he wants to grab her and kiss her and be intimate, and has a burning desire to touch her —- but he resists it every time, because he knows Lari won’t consent to it and will hate him if he goes out of bounds. That detail is soooooo important, because it makes him leaps and bounds different from the crazy Emperor. Rupert cannot become him, as he truly loves Lari and cannot hurt her in any way, because he cares for her to the extent where if she’s hurt, he feels hurt too, and if she’s sick and dying, he feels miserable as if he’s the one hurt too. That’s the lesson that Rupert learns during the separation: of what he truly wants from Lari, and what he wants from her too.

That’s what makes manhwa chapter 111 so powerful to me, is because Rupert doesn't recognize the extent of his feelings. He almost lost Lari to the fire, and he’s about to lose her (seemingly) forever again. He’s so desperate, begging her to tell him what she wants, he will give it to her. If she hates him she can hit him, if she wants everything he’ll give it all to her. This is so powerful, in that he’s now the Emperor, he has everything, he’s at the top of it all - but in one moment, he’s literally on his knees, begging her to reconsider her decision and offering EVERYTHING he has - his life, and his life’s work. It’s just so messy, desperate, pathetic even that he has to grovel like that. He stood strong towards everything, but now he’s just a weak, pitiful, kid begging a powerless girl not to leave.

But again, Rupert’s current relationship with Lari is just so vague and uncertain. Whatever their fragile bond was, couldn’t last and inevitably would break off (in this case, super dramatically). It’s also so powerful to see Lari be upset at Rupert’s desperation: she still doesn’t want anything from him, She doesn’t WANT to see him grovel and beg her for anything. She doesn’t want a relationship like that, where it’s something give or take. So she’s firm and says no, and leaves. And of course, Rupert loves her too much, so he allows it even if he doesn’t want to. Because he can’t bear it to be the reason if she’s sad and crying all day. He will never force or trap her in any way for her to choose death again.

Unfortunately, while a lot of his current thinking is from his experience, another part is an emotional block from Eva: she had told him that as long as he’s alive, no one will love him. After all, he’s an unwanted bastard child, whose mother didn’t love him either. He’s a fake, how could ANYONE love him? So he internalized that for years, and had no expectation that ANYONE, even Lari, would even see him positively like that. So he chose to just be nice to her, cherish her the best he could because she requested it, and also because he wanted to be nice to her and treat her well. The moment we find out Rupert’s lightbulb moment during the separation where he FINALLY, finally realizes that he should try to earn Lari’s affections and have her like him back…. Is such an awkward, “wow you are such a loser/dork Rupe…” moment because it’s just THAT obvious. IN his 19 years of life, Rupert NEVER considered the possibility that Lari could fall in love with him, he didn’t make particular efforts to woo her, didn’t think of a romantic relationship with her until after she left. It literally took him FOREVER to figure out such a simple thing (its ok rupe, I love how dorky you are, ur a learning boi ^^)

But yes, I find the moment where Rupert learns that not all love is a transatctional give -or-take, but rather romantic love exists, especially a selfless one where two people mutually care for each other and doens’t want anything from the other (except to be together) is a thing. Because it’s so rewarding to see Rupelali as a couple later: Lari chooses to be with him because of love; she doesn’t want anything from him, except to be with him and support him as always. Same with Rupert - he only wants to be with her, doesn’t expect anything from her, but also gives her the greatest possible gift: he allows her to continue living life how she wants = her freedom, independence, and maybe continue to include him in “her world”. :)

[mermaidsirennikita]

Have any HR Recommendation for a grovel or books like The courtesan Duchess?

I'm very about the gesture of the grovel (what it means, how it debases, how it's a sacrifice) over a big spiel without much action (most of the time). So I liked how Harper St. George did it with The Devil and the Heiress recently; that book was very cozy and soft, but the grovel was a big gesture from the hero, which I appreciate.

Of course, The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean is basically a book-long marriage in trouble grovel; if you liked The Courtesan Duchess and haven't tried this, for sure give it a shot.

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley is another great marriage in trouble book-long grovel. I also really liked that while there was a big event that precipitated the breakup of the marriage, they were also just super young and got married very impetuously and needed to grow up separately.

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall is a nb/nb romance with a lovely grovel. The one lead didn't do something incredibly mean--their actions came from trauma. Buuuut there's still a really lovely "crying on my knees for the rain baby PLEASE" moment that I love.

I really want to reread When the Earl Met His Match by Stacy Reid, because the grovel. Is. So. Fucking. Romantic. And the hero really is a great guy, but he got caught up in the game and fucked up, and his grovel is.... amazing. Rain is involved. Knees are involved. Stacy also writes good grovels in Accidentally Compromising the Duke, Wicked in His Arms, and How to Marry a Marquess. Ohhhh dude, the hero reeeeeeally fucked up in the last one. Like, one TSnake lyric that really encapsulates what I love about a certain romance vibe is the "DON'T CALL ME KID DON'T CALL ME BABY" bit from Illicit Affairs (my favorite song of hers, probably). And that book lol. He really fucked her up. And he really had to sit in the coldest of storage of quite a bit before doing a gesture.

Monica McCarty has some good grovels in her Highland Guard series. The Hawk has a big gesture which is 90% fueled by a "OMG SHE MAY BE UNAVAILABLE TO ME FOREVER NOW" panic. The Arrow has a controversial scene that leads to a grovel which may or may not work for you, depending on your tolerance of things. The Knight is a novella that is so high angst groveling for so much of the book, lol. It's bold. I still don't know if it 100% succeeded for me, but it is... bold.

The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath just came out, and it has the hero up against the woman he left at the altar five years earlier! She's written erotic friend fiction about all the shit he did to her and published it anonymously and he's like "well. this DOES sound like something I would do...."

Once More My Darling Rogue by Lorraine also has a grovel because the hero spends most of the book pretending that the amnesiac heroine is his housekeeper, lmao. She diiiiid in fact treat him like trash before she lost her memory. TW: discussion of childhood sexual abuse.

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh is another book-long grovel after the hero left the heroine at the altar. Their friends invite them both to an island house party so they're forced to be close to each other. They literally see each other and bolt for the shore, but their boats have already left, lmao. Very hot.

Untamed by Elizabeth Lowell is a 90s medieval that has... a truly epic grovel. The most insane grovel. And he needs to grovel--he's a dick and treats the heroine with zero trust for most of the novel. But it's so, so, so good.

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart by Vivienne Lorret. Hero does a good grovel, complete with a puppy. Also, you might like this compared to The Courtesan Duchess because the heroine is very literally the hero's signed, sealed, delivered mistress.

The Bride Goes Rogue by Joanna Shupe has a great grovel made better by her being like ".... do better".

On a less grovel-related note, you might like these if you liked The Courtesan Duchess:

Her Husband's Harlot by Grace Callaway. Very similar in that the heroine disguises herself as a "harlot" and seduces her husband (somewhat less intentionally, lol). The husband is less asinine in TCD (unfortunately) but it's very hot and romantic. TW: I believe childhood sexual abuse is discussed.

The Wolf and The Wildflower by Stacy Reid has a great secret identity plot, wherein the heroine has been disguised as a man for most of her life (her dad thinks she's a boy!!) and she works as a psychiatrist. So naturally she's hired to help "civilize" a duke who LIVED WITH ACTUAL WOLVES (Wolfduke all hail) and he obviously knows she's a girl immediately because he can smell. Her. Arousal. Like a wolf. Tbh this has little to do with TCD aside from the secret identity, but everyone should read it.

The Ranger by Monica McCarty does some more "I'm tricking thee with my secret identity" stuff. But he's the one with a secret; the hero is undercover at the heroine's dad's keep, and he and the heroine are on the opposite sides of the war. She seems him as this noble knight protector, and he's actually literally like, mortal enemies with her dad. It's very emotional.

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian is a m/AFAB nb romance that's a bit more lighthearted and has the duke hero fall for his new best friend... But his new best friend actually is not a man, and there's a big "omg how could you" before like. Super hot sex.

The Marquess Makes His Move by Diana Quincy actually has a marquess disguise himself as a footman so he can steal some important documents from this mapmaker (I think), but it turns out the true mapmaker is the mapmaker's WIFE!!! And our hero begins to fall for her while in his servant disguise.

[cianeto666]

Something that really offends the Infernal Hordes is this thing about the cute gothic girl - who doesn't know if she wants to be a model or a vampire, she wears lace and leather because she's sexy (romrom...), sometimes she's Emo (whatever 'that shit is...), misunderstood but also doesn't want to offend anyone. Well, here is a tribute from the Hidden Circle, to the Women who inspired the idea of the Gothic Beast, they were not tame. A very incomplete selections and with glaring flaws but the images were fine. From left to right, top to bottom (I don't even know why I say this, everyone knows how to read, damn it!).

NICO (The Velvet Underground; Nico)

PATTI SMITH

SIOUSXSIE SIOUX (Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Creatures)

POISON IVY (The Cramps)

COSEY FANNI TUTTI (Throbbing Gristle)

JENIFFER MIRO (The Nuns)

TOYAH WILLCOX (Toyah)

SUSIE BICK - ok, she's not a singer, but she is Nick Cave's wife and there is no photo that better represents the (there it is) beautiful goth woman than the cover of Phantasmagoria by The Damned

MRS. FIEND (Chrissie Wade - we must never forget that the sonic insanity of Alien sex Fiend owes a lot to Nik Wade's voice, but that all the hallucinogenic electronics that maintained the band's sound were courtesy of Mrs Wade)

PATRICIA MORRISON (Bags; The Gun Club; The Sisters of Mercy; The Sisterhood; The Damned)

BRIX SMITH (The Fall)

DIAMANDA GALÁS

MAITRI (Christian Death, Lover of Sin) - Many people may disagree, but Christian Death were never as consistent as after Maitri's entry (in 1992). The band was, perhaps, more metal but it was a new breath of fresh air and Val Kandor found a musical soulmate in Maitri.

- line below, intermediate-

JARBOE (Jarboe; Swans; Skin)

EVA O (Christian Death; Eva O)

MYLÈNE FARMER - a pop singer, this is a strange entry, but anyone who is more familiar with French pop/rock will understand what she is doing here (besides being half-naked, of course)

LYDIA LUNCH - (Teenage Jesus & The Jerks; Lydia Lunch - very briefly...)

DINAH CANCER - (45 Grave)

CHELSEA WOLFE - A girl!!! Old enough to be the daughter (or granddaughter) of the others represented. But, for her music and attitude, the place is more than deserved - she is not a starlet like Amy Lee, from Evanescence; nor a symphonic heavy metal diva. It has the same level of hardness as the others represented.

GITANE DEMONE - (Christian Death - and we know that the band is represented about three times, but even though these devils have attracted an incredible number of diabolical divas to their festivities, it is a complaint to present in one of the wings of the Second Circle - it has nothing to do with the rocker department that poor Dante still couldn't foresee.​

[samuel-de-champagne-problems]

They Weren't Ridin' When We Both Fell

Summary: On a first date, Spencer and Reader find themselves falling faster than time itself.

CW: More 'spicy' than smut, heavy makeout, sexual talk, implied sexual relationship, Spencer x Fem Reader

Note: This is for @foxy-eva ! You are such an incredible writer and a wonderful and kind person! I decided to use the smut prompts, as this isn’t necessarily fluff and nor is it smut, but I just want to play it safe!

Word Count: 3200

Prompt: “If you keep making those sounds, I’m not going to be able to stop myself”

They Weren't Riding When We Both Fell

The dilapidated shack is perched on the muddy hill surrounded by plush green grass. It seems almost too picturesque with the people in their vintage cars rolling up to the ticket booth, with the laughing children playing tag on the muddy hill, with the couples holding hands ready to share cherry-ice stained kisses as the sunset behind them. 

I have never been to a drive-in movie. Usually I’m under the impression that movies are awful date ideas, especially when you’re trying to get to know the other person. But Spencer insisted that this kind of movie was different. And, looking out at the scene before me, I’m tempted to change my opinion about movie dates entirely. 

“Have you seen it?” Spencer asks as he puts his car into park, “The movie I mean. I’ve been reading about it. I haven’t seen it though,” 

“I’m actually surprised you haven’t seen 2001: A Space Odyssey. It seems like the pinnacle Spencer Reid kind of movie,” I tease with a smile. Spencer looks over at me smiling as I reach over the center console to hold his hand. 

“I read the book,” Spencer croaks out, looking suspiciously at our linked hands, “I mean, Arthur C. Clarke is a genius of science fiction. I mean his work is legendary in the field of speculative fiction. Well of course it’s not as good as Octavia Butler, but I mean good as a metric for value is quite subjective. I mean Star Trek is good as is Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment…Ahh,” Spencer faltered, shifting in his seat uncomfortably, “Sorry, I can get a little carried away when it comes to things I find interesting,” Spencer apologizes with a sheepish look on his face. 

“No, that’s silly, Spencer. You’re probably the smartest person I’ve met. I love hearing your perspective and what you think. I mean, we’re on a date. The whole point is to get to know each other, is it not?” 

Spencer blushes as he nods. That sheepish smile that I’ve come to find endearing in the last three weeks turns his lips upward in a grin. I squeeze Spencer’s hand in a comforting gesture. He starts to explain himself again, but is troubled by his nervous stammering. 

“I guess so,” Spencer says. He smiles again, this time weakly, “Let me buy you some Italian Ice from the shack. And I’ll tell you more facts about Clarke’s book and his impact on the science fiction genre as a whole,” 

The air feels like summer. It’s the kind of warm that’s almost cool. I feel the warm breeze against my bare legs and smell the honeysuckles in the distance. I’m reminded of childhood summers spent hunting for lightning bugs. Days spent with chlorine soaked hair and sun drenched skin. I long with that carefree girl that’s lost with time and wear. But maybe, with the sweet boy who rattles off facts about a 35-year old movie he’s never even seen, I’ll watch it begin again. 

“Let’s check it out,” Spencer says, “I want to get something sweet for dessert,” 

My mouth drops at the insinuation of Spencer’s comment. It quickly turns into a coy smile once Spencer realizes what he said. His cheeks blush an adorable pink that leads up to his ears.

“Well, I didn’t know that the genius Doctor Reid had that kind of mind,” I tease. Spencer’s smile falters as he studies my face. I can almost sense the nerves floating off his body. He’s too cute for his own good. 

“I didn’t mean! I’m sorry, Y/N. Damn it, I’m really messing this up aren’t I?” 

“Nope,” I tell him, leaning close and watching him stammer, “Not in the slightest. Actually, I’m quite interested in what desserts you have offer, Spencer,” 

“I-I,” Spencer mutters, he fidgets with his hands as he stammers, “I, um, I think I want to try the cherry-mango ice. I hear it’s good with the vanilla custard,” 

“Hmm,” I hum. Spencer’s eyes refuse to meet mine in an embarrassed sort of way that’s also really cute. I remind myself that this is technically the first date. And a blind one at that. 

Spencer, still smiling goofily, unlocks the car and rushes around to open the door for me. Clumsily, he extends one hand for him to grab as I exit his car. Spencer’s car is perfect for a drive-in-movie. It’s a light, powder blue with tan leather seats. I can tell that he takes good care of his car. There’s a fine line between a car guy and a guy that has a clean car. Luckily, Spencer falls in the company of the latter rather than the former. 

“Penelope said you’re her neighbor,” Spencer says, making conversation as we head to the top of the hill. I nod, letting him continue with his Penelope story. Penelope stories, in my experience, are usually the best kind of stories, “She was pretty much my only friend when I started at the BAU around a year ago. Everyone else was older and tougher looking. I mean, Penelope is older than me, but I guess I just found some sort of comfort in her Dr. Who figures when the rest of the agency isn’t really into office decor,” 

I laugh, taking the opportunity to reach for Spencer’s hand as we begin to walk up the path to the snack shack, “That’s Penelope. She’s always trying to get me to watch movies or shows with her. But she just stays up too late for me. I like being in bed by ten the latest,” 

“I’m pretty much a night owl by default,” Spencer says, “With the academic programs I was in and all. But now with the odd hours at the BAU, an early night seems like a dream,” 

“Good to know,” I say, nudging Spencer as we reach the long line, “So do you have any pets? Dogs? Cats?” 

“I have a fish that I’m pretty fond of,” Spencer says smiling, “I got him when I moved to the East Coast. I’m from Vegas originally. Herman is pretty good company, even if I can’t pet him or cuddle him,” 

“Aww, well you’re going to have to meet Doris and Bartholomew! I just know that they’ll love you. Especially if you want someone to cuddle you,” 

“Is that? Are those? Are those your grandparents?” Spencer asks, his head is turned to me, a pale look of confusion on his face. 

“No, Spencer,” I chuckle lightheartedly. I cover my hand with his as I explain, “Doris and Bart are my cats. Doris is a Calico and Bart is an Orange Tabby. And they are both the love of my life,” 

“Oh, well, that makes more sense,” Spencer jokes. He intertwines my fingers with his fingers and squeezes. It’s the sort of gesture that makes my heart skip a beat. It hasn’t done that in a long while. And I know I’ll be chasing the feeling every night till I see Spencer again. 

Before we know it, we’re next in line. The young girl in the shack happily takes our order. Spencer thanks her profusely for the cherry-mango ice he ordered. He tries to pay for my vanilla sundae with hot chocolate and caramel sauce and after I attempt to refuse, he wins. It was proving hard to resist the charms of Spencer Reid. And I wasn’t going to be the first to try. 

“Thanks for that,” I tell him, gesturing to the sundae I carry back to his car. He offers me a straight lipped smile. He brushes off my thanks with a mouthful of frozen ice and it’s completely adorable. Smiling, I reach my hand towards his. Our fingers brush, sticky from the dessert and curious with the promise of what could be. 

His already perfectly pink lips are tinged a beautiful red. He licks his lips eager to taste the sweet, fruity syrup of his dessert. As we walk back to his car, I look out towards the setting sun. It’s a heavenly mixture of hazy reds and full oranges that mix together into a painter’s palette. I’m left wondering, as I stare at the sky and then Spencer’s eyes, what I could create if I were to drip a brush into colors like these? 

“So if you didn’t even see this movie, then how did you know all those facts?” I ask, changing the subject in my mind. Otherwise, I’ll get carried away by the look in Spencer’s eyes and the colors I could make with him by my side. 

Blushing, Spencer shrugs his shoulders. I never would have considered it to be something attractive, but I’m quickly learning that most things Spencer does are attractive. His blush creeps from the tops of his ears and dances down his cheeks. It dusts his skin with a youth, innocent warmth that draws me in. I’m one to be swept off my feet this fast, but I can confidently say he isn’t like anyone I’ve met. 

“I looked up some facts to help stimulate conversation. I’m not the best when it comes to dating. My reputation has lots of no shows to date where I go to the bathroom and suddenly they're gone. And I’m alone. Again,” 

“I’m sorry about that,” 

“You don’t have to be,” Spencer says, “Anyway, Penny promised me that you’re not like that. But I wanted to be prepared with a boatload of facts about a movie I never even watched. I wanted to make a good impression. And maybe see where this leads. If it leads anywhere that is. Not that it has to of course! I’m not implying that–” 

Spencer’s words, for probably the first time in his life, fail him. They get caught in his throat, just centimeters above the spot on his cheek where I plant a chaste kiss. I can feel the heat in his cheeks on my lips. 

“I would also love to see where this leads,” I whisper, placing another kiss on Spencer’s cheek, “You’re too cute for your own good, Spencer. I don’t usually kiss this fast on the first date,” 

Blushing even harder, Spencer’s eyes dart along my face. It’s as if he’s trying to read my expression. If he can, I hope he knows it’s filled with nothing but excitement and adulation for him. 

“Ah,” Spencer says, those tricky little words getting caught in his throat again, “That’s good. We’re on the same page,” 

“Looks like it,” 

We walk in peace, back to his car. The silence is filled with curious comments about the movie and remarks about how good the dessert is. Spencer has abandoned his spoon, so he can hold my hand and still enjoy his mango-cherry ice. His tongue darts around the cup, scooping up the sweet treat. I try not to stare, but there’s something about his intensity that enraptures me. 

I fail. Badly. 

“You’re staring,” Spencer says flatley, “Do I say something on my face? My teeth?” Spencer asks. 

“No, you’re just really cute is all,” I admit, a sheepish smile of my own creeping up on me. Spencer gives me an unreadable look. It’s half confused, half unsure perhaps. Maybe he’s not used to compliments being tossed around so lackidazily. 

“Oh, I’m not sure about that. You know cute isn’t something I’m normally called,” he stammers with embarrassment, “But it’s nice. To be cute to someone,” 

“Good,” I say, winking as I open the passenger door to his car. 

“Y/N!” Spencer shouts, definitely more aggressively than he intended by the look of shock on his face, “Sorry, I just meant to say that’s my job. To open the door for you,” he explains, rushing to the passenger side of the door. I laugh at his eagerness, shaking my head in part disbelief and part adoration. It’s been so long since I’ve had a crush on someone and by the looks of it, Spencer Reid will turn me into a simpering teenage girl before the sun sets. 

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” I tell him as I slip into his car. Spencer shuts the car door, shrugging his shoulders as he walks around to the other side. 

“I just wanted to do something nice, that’s all,” he explains. He turn his car on, asking me if I wanted any more air or the windows rolled down. Spencer turns the radio on to the station, and we wait for the movie to begin. The silence is filled with stories about Penelope, my cats, Spencer’s fish and all the books we’ve ever read and loved. 

“If I'm being honest,” I say, leaning in closer so my arm is pressed up against Spencer’s on the center console, “I’m a little disappointed that we’ll have to pay attention to a movie. I’d much rather listen to you talk,” 

“Well, that could be arranged,” Spencer says with a smile, “On date two,” 

“And three,” I reply, nudging him with my shoulder, “But we’ll get to that–” 

“When we get to that,” Spencer interjects, somehow already finishing my sentences. 

Silence falls between us as the movie begins to play. We don’t have prime seats, but have a nice view of the stars above us. The radio lags to play the words as the picture moves. Between the dilapidated shack, the overly sweet dessert, and the disappointing seats, one could say this had the recipe for a lackluster date. But in reality, it’s been anything but that. 

“I’m sorry we can’t hear anything,” Spencer says, “I mean I could probably try to fix the radio, it’s just old is all,” 

“Spencer, it’s fine,” I say. I look around at our surroundings. We’re in the last row and the closet car is about 50 feet to our right. All the way back here there’s hardly anyone to see what could possibly be happening in the confines of a car. 

“I just wanted this to be perfect,” he groans, turning to me with a disappointed look on his face. 

“Well, who’s to say that we even have to watch the movie?” 

“Huh, I mean I think I brought the book version. I’m sure it’s in my satchel bag by your feet,” Spencer says, ready to reach for the book. 

“As much as I’d love for you to read to me, Spencer. That’s not what I was thinking,” I say, leaning in close so my words linger in whispers against his jawline. 

“Oh,” Spencer says, his shaky voice breathy against my neck, “That sounds. That sounds much better than trying to pay attention to this movie when all I’ve wanted to do tonight is kiss you,” 

“Oh,” I say, winking as I shed off my cardigan. The summer air is halfway in between warm and cool, but I want a little fabric barrier between Spencer’s hands and my skin when he finally touches me. 

I climb into the backseat, sitting with my legs criss-cross on the leather seats. Spencer follows, trying his best to gracefully make his way to me in the back. He smiles, the excitement of it all making shake with anticipation. 

Spencer’s mouth nervously approaches my lips. He drags his lips from the center of my jawbone along the skin of my neck. Heat drips between us as the movie plays behind us, long neglected and forgotten. My teeth skate across Spencer’s bottom lip and smile into Spencer’s hum of pleasure. His tongue tastes like cherry-mango ice, sweet yet tart. Spencer’s hands play with the fabric of my dress. I can feel his warm palm through the thin material. He deepens the kiss and I can taste the fruity, sweetness all over again. He tastes better than any dessert there ever is. Spencer’s whimper hits me like a sword to the gut. My heart is heavy with trepidation as Spencer’s shaky hands hover over my back. I grid into Spencer’s hips, reveling in the way he groans against my teeth. His hands palm over my back, unable to touch enough of me. 

Crammed in the back of Spencer’s car, I can feel all of him all over me. It’s deliciously addictive. Spencer’s hot mouth dipped below to my collarbone. I can feel the curve of his mouth smile against my sweaty skin. It’s so warm in Spencer’s car, with his hips pressed up in mine and his mouth venturing uncharted territories.  He’s kissing me and I’m kissing him. It’s like the world melts away behind us. Spencer’s hands cling to my back, desperate to touch as much of me as he can. 

“If you keep making those sounds, I’m not going to be able to stop myself,” I promise him, nipping his ear as I kiss the backside of his jaw. 

His whines, the sweetness of it only rivaled by the sweetness of the ice he ate at dessert. I know one thing to be true, I’ll crave him and his taste long after this night ends. I cradle his face in my palm as I back away for a moment. I kiss those lips again. Desperate to see what they’ll look like when they’re bitten and swollen. 

“God, you’re so beautiful,” Spencer whimpers, kissing the center of my palm in a gesture that’s far too intimate for a makeout session in a car. 

“So are you,” I say breathlessly, kissing Spencer’s nose with a smile. The kisses turn into something sweeter. Before it was hungry clashes of skin and bone, but now it’s something that you can do all day. It’s lazy and soft with the promise of something more sensual to come. 

I lean back, resting my palms on Spencer’s shoulders, “We’ve got to stop,” I say, brushing back Spencer’s mussed up hair. His eyes flash with concern, so I lean back and kiss his forehead to wash away any doubt in his mind. 

“It’s not that,” I assure, smiling as Spencer nods, “It’s just I’m not going to fuck you in your car in the middle of a field for the first time,” 

“You got it,” Spencer says, nodding enthusiastically. He gives me a thumbs up, but quickly grows embarrassed at the awkward gesture. But lucky for him, I’m already head over heels for him and find it completely endearing. 

“You’re adorable,” I muse, kissing his cheek and resting next to him, “So the movie was a bust,”

Shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly and sitting up next to me, “You know, we could just head back to my place. And maybe read the book, watch the movie,” 

“Amongst other things I hope,” I wink, plopping my head on his shoulder. 

“Well, if drive in movie theater fields and cars with terrible radios are your parameters, I’ll be happy to inform you that my apartment has none of those,” Spencer says cheekily, scrambling to find his keys in the dark as I giggle at his eagerness. 

It’s strange to think that out of all these cars in this field, none are driving with us as we both fell. And as Spencer speeds away, I'm tempted to think we're driving somewhere we never expected with someone we never saw coming.

* TAGLIST *

@reidsbookclub @reidslibrarybook @reidsacademia @sleepyspencer @pastelbabygirl19 @fandomfriend33 @folkreid @muffin-cup @jswessie187 @doctorspenceryeet @alexrosex99 @reidslovely @shemarmooresfedora @reidsmilf @strawberryspence @drayshadow @nomajdetective @mimischaos @xoxospencerreid @gspenc @kitkatkaitin @greengarsstuff @fightingdragonswithreid @pygmygoat-bicyclehelmet @reidselle @luredwithpretzels @xoxo-jnh-xoxo @mente-sindescanso

[redinkrain]

Come home.

3.

For a second, Abigael stayed still like a marble statue while Mel’s arms took place around her neck and sobs started to make themselves heard. Unsure of how to be a good friend, the hybrid delicately placed her own arms around the Charmed One’s waist. Posing her chin on top of the Latina’s head, she tightened her embrace and spoke with a gentle voice.

“Let it all go, Love.” Closing her eyes and inhaling a scent that she deeply missed during those few months. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

The British Lady then stroked the witch’s back slowly, up and down, with the tip of her fingers. And Mel cried, cried for minutes, hours maybe. None of the two women were putting their attention on the time passing by. The Vera sister calmed down eventually with the soothing movement of Abby’s hand anchoring her. She took a deep breath and without letting go of Abigael’s neck, she looked into those hazel eyes that haunted her some nights. Most nights, when sleep did came. That damn expression tracing the woman’s gaze. That fucking same expression that always left Mel with the wish to be wholly swallowed. So much words unspoken. But the witch exhausted couldn’t brought herself to have this conversation with the half-demon half-witch, not right now.

Abigael used one of her hand and brought it up to the Latina’s cheek, wiping some tears that kept escaping the witch’s eyes. Mel leaned into her touch but her eyes stayed glued to her guest’s ones.

“I didn’t even say “hi”.” The witch whispered with a smile.

“Good evening, Love.” The woman answered with a small smile of her own and with that accent Mel liked so much.

Mel couldn’t stopped herself and so she put her friend in a new embrace, but this time, she hugged her tighter. Abigael responded to this act of affection with as much will and tenderness. Listening to the beating heart of the hybrid, Mel felt a tiny bit better. In her head and in her heart at list, because her legs? Well, it seemed that her two legs had her own agenda. The witch almost fell but Abby firmly kept a grip on her. She helped the Vera sister to sit back.

“You should rest, Mel. You’re exhausted. Have you eat anything today?” the hybrid asked, worries clear in her tone.

“No.” The Latina simply answered.

“Then rest here. I will go out and buy something for you to eat.”

The half-demon half-witch turned around and was about to leave when fingers gripped at her wrist.

“Wait!” Mel stated. “Can you stay a bit longer? We can grab something to eat on our way home, right?”

Home, what a strange choice of word Abby thought. She never had a home. Not really. What was a home anyway? Was it the same thing for everyone? Or did its definition changed depending on who you were asking? But then Waverly’s voice resonated in her mind “You do love her”. And Abby wondered: what if a home wasn’t a place, what if home and love were just parts of the same coin?

She gazed at Mel, and got down on one knee so the witch didn’t have to look up.

“Allow me to at least bring you something to drink. Tea maybe?” The British Lady asked.

Melanie’s eyes softened even more at that sentence.

“A tea would be great. Thank you.” She smiled at her guest.

“I’ll be back shortly.” Abby said while standing up.

She disappeared in a dark smoke before coming back five minutes later with a cup of tea. The hybrid gave it to the witch. Then, she went to take a stool and placed it in front of Mel. She sat on it and observed the Latina who was sipping her tea.

“So… Why are you here?” The Vera sister questioned quietly.

“Well, because your sister called me and silently asked for assistance regarding your current hunt on demons!” The ex-Demon Overlord said with a little scowl to make a point then it disappeared. “But honestly Melanie, I was worried about you and it was just the perfect excuse to come and do my best to help you in anyway I can… If you want of course.” She continued a little worried about Mel’s reaction.

“I’m sorry Abby…” The witch whispered.

“Why would you be sorry?” Now the hybrid was confused.

“Sorry for not texting you back, for not telling you about what happened. You deserve better than that.” The Latina looked away.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she kept her tone light with maybe a little bit of… hurt?

“I-, I don’t know Abby. I guess I-…” Mel was looking for the right words, but she wasn’t even sure to know what she wanted to say.

“You do not have to answer if you don’t want to.” The British Lady tried to be supportive of her friend.

“It’s just, I guess that seeing to pictures of you with your niece, reading your texts. I felt your happiness and I didn’t want to bother you with my pain.” She blurted out looking at the concrete floor.

Abigael took one of her hand and placed it between hers, tugging a little, sign for the Charmed One to look at her.

“Look at me, Mel.” That damn tenderness enveloping her voice again. “You will never trouble me with your sorrow. What you gave me... I will never be able to repay you. That happiness you mentioned? I am learning what it means, what if feels like and… Truthfully you are a part of its meaning. So, I want to be here for you, but only if you’ll have me…?”

The witch was speechless hearing this confession from the half-demon half-witch, but then again, it wasn’t the first time Abigael was being honest about what she was feeling for her.

“I’ve missed you…” she simply whispered.

The British Lady kept her mouth shut, knowing her friend had more to say, but the corner of her mouth curled in a smile. Her hands continued to envelop Mel’s one.

“Abby, I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself since she’s gone. And I know it’s stupid because present me is her past. But I can’t stop thinking of the future. What if changing the present will affect her in the future like you know... she won’t even exist…?” Tears started to flow again, and a river of it made its way on the Charmed One’s cheeks.

“Nothing of what you feel is stupid, Mel. You gave birth to your child, present or future, Eva was, is and always will be your daughter. She’s gone, Love, not lost. You said “goodbye”, not “farewell”. You will see her when the time is right. And of course, changing the present will affect her, but not the way you are thinking.” Abby posed. “Mel, you gave her everything she needed, providing her with security and healthiness. Her future will be bright, and if there is any shadow to come on her path? I have no doubt nor worry that you will be there to protect her once again. You have been an incredible mother to her in a past that she won’t remember and you will be, as I said, a fantastic mother in the future.” The hybrid finished her sentence with so much conviction that the Latina couldn’t disagree with her.

They stared at each other once more, and again Abby wiped away the tears that were still on the Vera sister’s cheek. Something in Mel’s heart burnt at the way Abby was acting right now. She thought about the half witch’s lips, about the taste of her tongue, and all she wanted to do was to lean in and kiss her. When she was about to do exactly just that, Abigael cleared her throat.

“Shall I take you home?” the hybrid questioned gently.

Melanie observed Abby’s eyes, then lowered her gazed to her lips, then her eyes again. A little smirk marked the half demon’s lips. Even though all she wanted to do was to erase this smirk from Abigael with her own lips, the Charmed One stood up straight. Her hand preciously locked up between the British Lady’s ones.

“Yes, please.” looking down at Abby, who was searching something in the witch’s eyes.

Abigael raised in one smooth movement and helped out Mel to do the same. They were so close that their nose almost touched the other's face. Their eyes locked and their lips were about to connect when Mel’s stomach growled.

Abby laughed at the sound, and placed a kiss on her friend’s forehead.

“Come on now Miss Walking Stomach, I think you need to be fed.” the hybrid said giddily.

Mel rolled her eyes at that nickname, and had to hide her smile while Abby turned around. They walked to the stairs and took the direction of the Vera-Vaughn-Greenwood’s Manor, hand in hand without even realizing it...

[synchronmurmurs]

Deo Volente

(God Willing)

[ Gen? | Punchy x Vergil ]

So while scrolling through tumblr on my commute home from work, I came across this incredible dialogue prompt that fit perfectly with an AU I have half a mind to write out in full. It's a reincarnated lovers sort of dealio, except... well, since it's Punchy/Vergil, their reincarnated selves fucken HATE EACH OTHER and they get to have brief flashbacks of their intimacy from their past lives that makes them both recoil in disgust and confusion. 🤣 It's a project I'm leaving well on the backburner until I have more time than none at all, but I couldn't help myself with this particular dialogue prompt, and so I wrote up a quick little snippet of their past lives' final moment together. It's a Lord/Retainer royalty AU because I am a SUCKER for that, and I'd normally post the dialogue prompt at the beginning to give an idea of what to expect, but I think that will spoil the fun.

I hope you enjoy? Because I have to admit I had a buttload of fun writing this. 😭😭 Indulgent as heck and probably the softest I've ever written Punchy before. 🤔

—

The first time that Lord Mundus' fury descended upon their kingdom, the lives of the great Lord Sparda and the wise Lady Eva were taken before his forces were, in a flurry of grief and anger, driven back by their sons. And yet, all of that insurmountable bloodshed was not enough to quell the anger of the exiled Grand Master, and when he came back, as he had promised he would, the very ground trembled beneath the weight of his vengeance. His flames would consume all.

——

The city is lost.

The castle is under siege.

And the horizon burns with hellfire.

Smoke hangs thick in the air, but Vergil remains in his quarters, his armour dripping with the blood of his enemies. He'd left a bright red trail leading back to his lavish quarters, one that he knows his knight, his right hand, his love, will find and follow.

His hand is steady as it finds the clasps of his cape, sighing in relief when it, heavy with blood, drops to the ground at his feet. His sword, the precious Yamato, is the next thing to go. Vergil calmly pulls at the cords that keep it strapped to his waist, holding it in both hands in deep reverence for its years of companionship and service… and then he puts that down too.

"My Lord, what are you doing?"

From behind him, voice muffled behind a helmet and slightly out of breath, yet is unmistakably hers, his prized knight speaks. He turns to face her, expression set in something wistful. Something hopeful. Something sad. The curve of his lips holds a yearning for something they never had the chance to live, but his eyes are resigned to his fate.

"I trust you escorted my brother to the aqueduct below the castle?"

A skipped heartbeat. "Of course, my Lord. But I could not stay."

Vergil closes his eyes and smiles, knowing he was right to send her to do it. But even as he gave her the order to follow his foolishly kind little brother through it, to ensure Dante emerged on the far side of the castle where a boat would be anticipating his arrival, he knew she could not follow the unspoken command to leave with him. She is his knight after all, not Dante's. She is his, as he is hers. Oh what did he ever do to deserve such loyalty, when he could not even keep an inherited kingdom afloat before it drowned in a sea of flames.

Oh why did she come back?

"There is still time." Her voice is pleading, right on the cusp of hoarse with restrained anguish. "They have not yet breached the inner castle, if we make haste, we can–"

The sound of Vergil's vambrace popping open is her reply; a sound burdened with a somber finality that tells her all she needs to know. It clatters noisily to the ground, followed by the other. And then he moves on to the rest of his adornings.

Where he will be going, his armour won't be needed.

The visor on her helmet lifts, the jaws of a steel lion parting, and from within, her eyes shine with unshed tears.

"Then let me be with you."

When he faces her again, he is unburdened with notions of nobility and royalty; they lie scattered on the floor of his chambers. He stands before her not as her Lord and master, but as something much simpler. Something he'd always wanted to be: just Vergil. And when he steps up to her and removes her helmet, when he kisses her so soft and slow that for but that one moment, their world is not burning down around them, she is as she's always been to him: Myra Stathis.

He holds her face in his hands and presses his forehead to hers, noses barely touching, and yet the warmth that overcomes him is tangible.

"Someday, in another world–" he pauses when the castle shudders and creaks, smoke thickening and heat rising, "–where the seas are calmer, and demons do not watch us, I will love you again."

Her hands cover his. The castle trembles again. Somewhere, an explosion sounds.

"And the gods willing, I will find you."

And on nothing but a promise to gods that have abandoned them, they wait together for the sky to fall.

[yelenasdog]

something like “i know” (ben hardy x fem reader)

genre: FLUFF FINALLYY

summary: sometimes making tiktoks with ben doesn’t always turn out the way you plan, but by no means is that a negative.

words: 1.4k

warnings: age gap (not dramatic, reader is like, idk, 23 maybe?), kissing, i think that’s it but lmk!

a/n: hi! so i’ve had this idea for ages and wanted to write it so here it is! the end of it is far sappier than i planned but meh whatevs. also ty to cici and eva for helping me pick the moodbard hehe. k enjoy!

☆❂✧

Having an age gap was never something that put a large damper on their relationship. The conflicting personalities of the two balanced out quite nicely, and the similarities that drew the two of them together in the first place (apart from the aforementioned) made sure they never had a lack of interesting things to talk about that weren’t generational.

Until TikTok, that was.

Now of course, there were some other millennials on the application, but Ben just for some reason couldn’t get it.

“Yes, I know that, babe, but why do they do dances?”

“They lip sync too!”

“But what is the point?”

And that’s how the conversation would end. Every single time. So Ben would sit on the sofa, watching as she danced about in front of the small screen, occasionally playing some cruel (ok, that’s a large exaggeration, they’re somewhat mean, at best) joke on him, claiming it was a trend on TikTok? That just did not sit right with him.

He didn’t remember hearing “mean pranks” in the initial description of the app when she had described it to him all of those times.

Ben tried to tune it out, he really did. He would wear his headphones, blasting Zeppelin as loud as he could while reading scripts or a book. But somehow, those catchy little tunes always managed to worm their way into his ear, being stuck in there for days and days on end.

He would waltz around the house humming Megan Thee Stallion, the occasional Flo Milli or underground indie artist also making an appearance often.

He was pouring a cup of coffee for himself one Tuesday morning in the kitchen before going on a run, Y/n watching fondly from afar. Rain was softly rolling down the windows, barely coming to a cease. The air was chilly, and fog floated through the early morning sky, a sense of calm washing over their shared South London home.

The room was kept somewhat warm, though, from the fireplace that she had insisted the house had to have, which Ben ended up being grateful for on more than one occasion. He looked over his shoulder briefly, smiling at the sight of his beloved wrapped up in his seafoam jumper, watching him move about contently.

As he turned back to where he was working on filling the two mugs in front of him, he began to oh so quietly sing the lyrics to what sounded like a familiar tune off of the app. Watermelon Sugar, maybe?

“Ben? Baby?”

He turned, his eyes growing wide and his hands flying to his hips as he leaned against the countertop behind him.

“Mhhm, yeah, w-what’s up, babe?”

She couldn’t hold in her giggle at the sight of her boyfriend’s red face and disgruntled appearance, one of his hands now scratching casually at his gold locks.

“What’re you singin’, pretty boy?”

His blush only increased at the nickname, eliciting another laugh from his girl.

“Y’know, just somethin’ I heard on the radio the other day.”

She immediately recognized his lie, he refused to listen to the radio, only using either Bluetooth or the aux cord, his music taste too pretentious for mainstream stations. She didn’t mind, though, always finding it quite funny how much of a music snob he was.  

But rather than call him out, she only nodded and smirked, standing up and bringing her phone with her over to the windowsill where she usually filmed her TikToks, pulling Ben along with her.

He sipped from his mug, eyes slanted as she scrolled through something on her phone, various sounds emitting from the speaker.

A little smile showed up on her face when she (apparently) found what she was looking for, leaving her to set the phone down, allowing a video under the sound to play on repeat.

“Sweetheart, what’s going on?” He asked, ever so cautiously, taking a step towards her. She walked towards him, engulfing him in a hug which he (yet again) cautiously reciprocated.

“I am going to teach you a TikTok dance.”

He had to do a double take.

“Come again?”

She pulled on the elastic waistband of her sweats, grabbing Ben by the arm.

“Come on, I know you wanna. And if nothing else you’ll do it to make me happy.”

He rolled his eyes, slightly irritated at her confidence and that she was so incredibly correct, he would do mostly anything to put a smile on her face.

“Yeah, you’re right.” He grumbled, moving to stand next to her.

She clapped once in excitement, joy flooding her entire body. The music started up again, but this time, she began to dance along to it.

“Ok, so just try to do what I’m doing, alright?”

“No! Not alright, can I just stand here, I think I should just stand here-“

“Ben, it's literally not that hard, 8 year olds can do it!”

“Well, I’m an extremely confused 29 year old man, thank you very much!”

And that’s basically how the next 15 minutes went until she finally gave in, allowing Ben to stand behind her, occasionally doing a little move of sorts. The two were in a fit of giggles now, struggling to keep enough composure for long enough to get even one successful video.

“Benjamin Jones! This is the last one, okay?”

He put a hand on his stomach, both of the pair attempting to catch their breath.

“Yes, yes, right okay, got it, last one.”

The little timer button counted down, the sound echoing throughout the property. 

The music then started, and she could barely keep a straight face for the 15 seconds. Bored of the routine, but never of her, Ben decided he would grab her and throw her onto the sofa, as payback for all the “TikTok pranks” she would pull on him. He waited for the perfect time to strike (one where she wouldn’t hopefully be too infuriated), restlessly shifting from foot to foot.

Nearing the last few seconds, he made his move. He swooped forward, a high pitched shriek falling from her lips as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist, running and jumping onto the couch, crushing her. He rolled off quickly, and she moved to be on top of him, her hair wildly astray. She sat up, straddling his thighs with a bright smile plastered on her face.

“You little jerk.”

He only smiled boyishly in response, a lovesick gaze set in his eyes.

The song was still playing on repeat as she leaned down, positioning her hands on either side of his head in order to place her lips gently upon his.

“That’s your reward for putting up with me today, Jones.”

He scoffed, taking her by the shoulders and bringing her to his chest. She looked up from where she was now comfortably lying, meeting his homey emerald gaze, his eyes like sea glass that had washed up on white sands, waiting to be rediscovered.

“I feel as if I deserve something more for all of that.”

“Oh, do you?”

He hummed and nodded, closing his eyes. She reached up, placing another peck on his plump lips, before scurrying away to retrieve the phone. He sat up rather quickly at the sudden loss of her body weight, smiling at the sound of her laughter coming towards him.

“Ben, look, it turned out so well.” She managed to slip out before basically throwing him the phone. A grin erupted on his own face soon after, along with the hearty chuckles to match. 

He made some commentary on how wonderful it was, before handing her back the device. She moved so she was once more essentially laying on top of Ben, the screen in both of their views. 

After sharing a few more laughs over the video, she captioned it and posted it, throwing her phone to get lost in the couch cushions as the likes and comments began to roll in.

She looked up at him once more, and he met her gaze, as he always would, bringing a hand up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. 

It didn’t leave her cheek, resting there and lightly caressing her skin. The two were most serene then, almost appearing as two felines that had decided to nap during the morning showers, most comforted by each other and the steady sound of the droplets as they pattered.

He was whispering now, the rambunctious energy of the room fading into a much more tranquil and stolid vibe, wrapping the two up like a warm embrace.

“Y’know I really would do anything to make you happy, my love.”

She closed her eyes, taking hold of one of his hands.

He then heard her mutter something like “I know”, and all was well.

☆❂✧

it was fitting for the theme. but anyway i hope u enjoyed, pls reblog and like if u did :) go drink some water, eat some protein, and take an electronics break!

love you bunches! xx hj

[jonnyparable]

Cottage Hills : Redemption, Part III

Who is Oak?

Since Oak's been in town, he's been spending a lot of his time by the corn fields, just looking out at the endless sea of maize, constantly deep in thought. Today, Rod's voice breaks the silence as he walks up to Oak from behind, surprised to see him hanging around his corn fields.

Rod:

"So, this is where you've been hiding out. I guess Eva's already left town huh? I've been meaning to chat with you too."

Oak turns and greets Rod.

Oak:

"Oh! Hello Rod. Yes she has. But I've decided to stay a little longer... I've been enjoying the scenery very much. Sure, what did you want to talk about?"

Rod:

"Scenery, huh? It is nice here. I missed it sorely when I was alone up in the mountains. Felt like an eternity ago. Remember the Yarra? Namdol and Lorna?"

Oak:

"Yes, I remember. Lorna? Who's that?"

Rod:

"Thats what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to let you that it's alright, Oak. I know who she was. I've known for some time now about the Goddess and her many faces. I've had alot of time to think about all she's done for us. And I'm grateful she came to help me up there in the Simalayas. She came to me in visions and helped me get on my feet, and helped me find the Golden Flower. I'm grateful to you too, Oak"

Oak :

"Ah... Well, the Goddess has her way of doing things, I suppose. I don't pretend to understand it all, but..."

Rod:

"But she led you back here in the end, to where it all began didn't she? After all, it was you who first told us about the Golden Flower all those years ago when you were here, and now everything's come full circle, hasn't it... It's good to have you back."

Oak turns to face Rod, and looks shocked, and gets a little flustered, but Rod just chuckles good-naturedly.

Oak:

"You.... You know who I am then, you... remember?"

Rod:

"I've known that for some time too, took me a while though... I suppose you are staying in town to tell her? It's funny that after all those years, she somehow came back here too. It's fated! I'm sure she'll understand."

Oak:

"Do you really think so? After all these years... It couldn't have been easy for them when I just left."

Rod:

"Well, you're back now, that's what matters... As for how she'll take it, there's only one way to find out, I suppose."

Later that day...

Mary had just finished her morning chores and was just about to settle down for breakfast when she hears a slight tapping on the windows out front. She goes out to take a look and sees Oak standing there, looking wistfully at the shopfront.

Oak:

"Oh! Mary, so you own this Bookshop. I was just looking at some of the novels you wrote in the window... Do... Do you remember me?"

Mary:

"Good morning! Yes of course I remember you, Oak, we met only a few days ago. Are you staying in town? We're not open yet but why don't you come in, I can show you around!"

Oak looks happy, but just a little bit crestfallen as he enters the shop with Mary. He looks around in a daze, as if everything is familiar, but foreign, at the same time. He picks up some of the mystery novels that Mary had recently started writing ever since she moved here.

Oak:

"Did you write all these? That's incredible Mary, I'll get all of them!"

Mary:

"Here, why don't you take those, on the house! I've been writing mysteries for years, but moving back here has really inspired me to write a whole new series. Read them and tell me if you like them! "

Oak:

"Oh, thank you! What's it about?"

Mary:

"A journalist named Mully comes across this quiet little town called Huxley Hills, and she slowly uncovers the clues to what happened to her missing father! It's a real roller coaster! I think it's my best yet!"

Oak fondles the books nervously as he puts them away in his bag.

Oak:

"Sounds thrilling! How did her father go missing?"

Mary :

"Well, I don't want to give everything away, you'll just have to read them to find out!"

Oak:

"Ah, of course! Thank you Mary, this is most kind of you. This will give me something to read at the inn!"

Oak leaves the shop looking a little confused but somewhat cheery. Perhaps he had thought, or wanted something else to happen but he's happy nonetheless that he has some new books to read at the very least. He pats his satchel contentedly as he walks briskly down the road back to the inn. As Mary watches him leave, she felt like he had wanted to say something else but held back. Was he trying to tell her something?

[canmom]

Animation Night 54 - FLCL

Hey friends! Perhaps surprisingly with the amount of Gainax we’ve covered here, I’ve never actually watched FLCL! But tonight? We’re going to fix that...

“huh, what’s this one, Eff Ell Cee Ell?” “baka! it’s pronounced Fooly Cooly!” “uh, sure, ok? do i know you?” - more or less how i imagine anime conventions went in the mid 2000s

FLCL is a six-episode OVA from THE YEAR 2000, a high point in the Gainax’s arc between their other most famous works like Eva and Gurren Lagann. (Previously on Animation Night: Rebuild of Eva, early Gainax, Hiroyuki Imaishi, Gurren Lagann). Hot on the tail of the incredible but harrowing film End of Evangelion, it was the studio’s chance to pour their built up energy into something much lighter, a portrayal of a different side of adolescence in all its confusion that gleefully blends metaphor and sci-fi, all set to the music of indie band The Pillows.

For the director of this one, we need to introduce another member of the Gainax cast. FLCL was the creation - and directorial debut! - of Anno’s protégé Kazuya Tsurumaki (whose The Dragon Dentist opened the Animator Expo making him one of the first people we ever watched on Animation Night), and what a statement it is, consciously an attempt to experiment with the ‘rules’ of TV animation from soundtrack to pacing. Tsurumaki would go on to direct Diebuster, a stylistically distinct (but cool as hell) sequel to Gunbuster about a girl who is the mecha; then, in the late 2000s, he’d follow Anno to Studio Khara to work on the Eva Rebuilds.

But he’s certainly not the only person to make FLCL: it is also an absolute sakuga feast, giving its key animators a lot of space to express their particular styles. By this point, renowned animators like Yoh Yoshinari and Tetsuya Nishio had been pushing themselves to create some of Eva’s most brutal scenes, and were ready to cut loose and drop some of the most insanely cool sequences of their careers. It was a milestone for Hiroyuki Imaishi too, the first time he directed an episode (episode 5) as well as a chance to bring some of that relentlessly chaotic, visual-gag-heavy directing style to his key animation... All that energy and charm extends very much to the character acting oriented scenes as well, with some really delightfully exaggerated poses and emotions giving it a particular charm, but also the ability to convey subtler and quieter scenes like the many atmospheric canalside shots.

It also... struggling to find the right words for this, but looking at the animation and character designs really seems like a fascinating transitional point from the kinds of slightly angular, character designs and animation styles of the 80s-90s OVA era, like we saw last week in Down Load, into the particular kinds of stylisation and exaggeration that would later become the Imaishi/Trigger signature...

So what’s it about? In terms of literal plot details: 12-year-old kid Naoto Nandaba gets whacked on the head by a vespa-riding girl with a bass guitar named Haruko, which like most head injuries, results in robots periodically emerging from his forehead. Fortunately, Haruko - claiming to be a space cop - is able to subvert one of the robots and give Naoko a way to defend himself, but her presence draws the attention of legions of suited goons from the

Yet even before this happens, things seem a little strange: the town in which he lives is dominated by a looming corporate building that looks exactly like a clothing iron. Which feels like a way of saying, don’t try to interpret this too literally!

Over the course of those six episodes, it sounds like things go some pretty wild places! One sequence both @lyravelocity​ and @mogsk​ were keen to mention was the episode designed to take after a manga, with the motion edited into black and white panel borders and physical sound effects. Apparently this was accomplished by drawing an enormous manga page as a background, and moving the multiplane camera over it along with the cels, in one of the most technically complex anime shots ever filmed at the time. I can’t wait to see it!

(I also can’t deny FLCL has some troubling elements, or at least ones worth flagging up in advance. F’r example, there’s apparently one episode where the main character’s dad chases him around in a nazi uniform repeatedly seig heiling, which I believe is in context a crass way to signify his authoritarian attitude with a visual gag. I haven’t heard about anything in it that I would consider outright evil; a spirit of irreverence and experimentation is sometimes going to go some misguided places as much as it succeeds in creating something brilliant and new, but you know, don’t let your psychic armour down entirely, this is a Gainax show!)

Unfortunately for such a renowned work of animation, the existing prints of FLCL are not fantastic. We’re left with the choice of either the Japanese DVD release in interlaced NTSC which is of course low resolution and poorly suited to computer playback, or a blu-ray release which applies a detail-removing, over-filtered digital upscale, and also messes with the crop and colours. It’s kind of a case of pick your poison, and some nyaa uploaders prefer the DVD, while others use the bluray. I’m going to test out both on my system and make a decision on the night; of course, given I’m streaming to you over Twitch, it’s kind of moot on your end ><

There are, at least, extensive production materials available: storyboards, commentary tracks, and interviews with the creators which I would like to show if time permits! (Which it probably will, because the total runtime of the OVA is only about 3 hours.)

And then, the sequels. FLCL received a pair of sequel series airing in 2018 titled FLCL Alternative and FLCL Progressive. The circumstances of their creation are a little weird: at first, Gainax (now a shell of a company, with all its big names departing to Khara and Trigger) was set to sell the rights to Studio Khara, with whom it was also fighting a lawsuit over refusal to pay Evangelion royalties; according to Anno, Gainax jacked up the price at the last minute and the deal fell through.

Instead, the main animation work on the sequels was handled by Production I.G. (who had been part of the original show’s production committee) with support from several young studios like Signal.MD, Revoroot and NUT. Several of the staff returned, including the original character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, and while Tsurumaki apparently supervised (but did not direct) the project... the general feeling I’ve gotten towards these series is lukewarm at best, certainly not as well regarded as the original. Is that fair? I can’t say, but I’m not gonna consider screening them til I’ve watched them myself.

Animation Night 54: FLCL will begin at 7pm UK time at twitch.tv/canmom - and, gosh, I’m incredibly excited to see this at last, it sounds like such a fantastic time. Hope to see you there :)

[btsmosphere]

This is Rigged | KSJ

~summary: just a night in with your friends, courtesy of your boyfriend. Although he may have a slightly different grasp of the rules to you... lion shifter!Jin x reader ~word count: 1.9k ~shifter au, domestic fluff Rating: pg ~warnings: basically nothing, ...the game is rigged? allusions to Lion King spoilers, that’s not a real warning but better to be safe haha ~a/n: this is my secret santa gift for the incredible Eva @aroseforyoongi​!! I really wanted to write something you would like as a huge thank you not just from me, but from everyone at the net for being such an amazing team mom! Joining @thebtswritersclub​ is honestly one of the best things I’ve done this year and I appreciate all the hard work you put in to make it so amazing💖😊as for this fic, I have never written a shifter au before, but I couldn’t get over this idea, so I went with it. I hope you enjoy it!

“If you guys win?”

“You give me a kiss,” he said, smirking (you wish you could call it infuriating, but really, who were you kidding? It was endearing).

“Is that so?” you popped your hands on your hips, “and if I win?”

“Then… I’ll give you a kiss.”

“Ah,” you nodded, “I see. That is a good incentive. You’re on.”

Indulgent smile spreading onto his features, Jin leaned down with his lips puckered, but you ducked out of the way, holding him off at the shoulders.

“Not until I’ve won later!” you laughed, running from the kitchen and leaving him to fume loudly behind you.

“Yah! Don’t make me get my claws out!” he called.

But you knew he was already collecting up the dishes to wash.

Jin was sure he had convinced you to let your friends come for games night. In reality, you were going to say yes no matter what – they were your friends – but the promise of some love from your boyfriend was definitely worth stalling for.

To be honest, he was probably more than happy with giving you the love anyway. Aside from the obvious fact that he was your boyfriend, you had been working hard this holiday and he wanted to spoil you.

So some love, from him and from your friends, was certainly in order.

You knew his tactics for cheering you up. He probably knew you knew. But it didn’t matter – they worked perfectly every time, just as your ways worked for him when he was stressed or down. Good food was a must, and usually you two would end up on the couch as you stroked your fingers through his mane, hearing his deep purrs to affirm his lighter mood.

Of course Jin’s plan to make you feel great was a little more elaborate than that, only allowing you to snatch hugs while he called your friends and prepared what he called ‘nibbles’.

Eventually, you resigned yourself to stealing the snacks, although this didn’t go down well with Jin. After what must have been the sixth time he caught you sneaking away some popcorn, he promptly attacked you with a bear hug, pinning you onto the sofa while you squealed with laughter.

“I should have known,” you giggled, “all I had to do to get your attention was steal your food!”

“Okay, I get it,” he conceded, “let’s wait here until they arrive.”

Peppering your face with kisses, he slid off you and tucked you against his side. Though he flicked on the TV, neither of you paid much attention to it as you swung your legs over his lap and curled up against him, content with each other’s presence until the doorbell sounded.

Tae rummaged in the little basket Jin had prepared, eventually producing a card, being sure to cup his hands and hide it from sight. A smug smile stretched across his mouth.

Tucking the card into his pocket, he swaggered forwards to stand in front of you all; you were spread across the two sofas, according to which team you were on.

And so it began.

“A movie!”

“4 words!”

“First word…”

As he bent his knees, the shouting started straight away. Trying to focus on him instead of laughing at your friends, you watched as he settled in a crouching position.

“Kneeling!”

“Stooping!”

“Floor!”

“Why would it be the floor, Hobi?”

“Maybe it is, you never know!”

“It’s not the floor, look, he’s shaking his head!”

“Hey!”

Two ears had sprouted from Taehyung’s head, and now fuzzy stripes made themselves known on his face. Curling his fingers, he made a pouncing motion as he showed his claws.

“Scary?” Jimin guessed first.

“Hunter!”

Suddenly the frown melted from your face, the answer clear to you.

“Crouching! It’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!”

Clapping his hands, Tae stood back up again, a proud smile coming your way. As he squeezed back in beside you on the sofa, you glanced at Jin. But though you had expected him to glare back at you from fear of losing your little game, however pointless it was, instead you were met with a cocky quirk of the eyebrows.

However, the way Yoongi’s eyes widened when he read his card gave you back some confidence. His cheeks turned bright red, but he huffed anyway and positioned himself in the middle of the room.

“I-I don’t know how to…”

“Yes you do Yoongi,” Jin urged, “get on with it.”

You weren’t sure you had ever seen a bigger eye roll than the one Yoongi gave, but he complied anyway.

“Okay… one word! Film?” Joon started, leaning forwards and studying Yoongi’s gestures.

“Nonono, that’s a musical,” Jungkook interrupted.

Yoongi nodded and moved on. Your eyes nearly popped out of your head when he turned to the side and started strutting, swishing his butt about with his hands on his hips. For someone who looked as embarrassed as he did right now, he was really going for it.

“Sexy!”

“Scarring?”

“Oh my god, is it Burlesque?”

“You’ve watched that?”

“It’s not Burlesque, look!”

The next to resort to shifting, Yoongi was now prancing around in a circle with his tail in the air.

“Tail! Bum!”

“Cat-rocity!”

“Jin, shut up-“

Even though you knew he was the most versatile shifter of the group, it still surprised you when he jumped and landed as a tabby cat, then a black one.

“Cheating! Cheating!”

“Hobi, Tae literally shifted in your round too.”

“I know! I know!” Jungkook leapt from his seat, hand dancing in the air, “It’s Cats! Is it Cats?”

“Yep,” Yoongi replied gruffly.

Turning back to his fully human form, he crossed his arms tightly as he sat back down.

“This is rigged!” you complained, “Charades is so much easier when you can change shape!”

“We can only change to one animal,” Jin replied as he got up to hand the basket back to your team.

“Sure does come in handy when your card is Cats, though,” you quipped in return, but Jimin had already got up.

Turning your attention back to the front, you watched as he swooped into the air, suddenly a small bundle of wings and feathers. Of course, he apparently had a tailor-made card as well. In fairness, it was quite entertaining.

Stopping in mid-flight, he brought a wing across his chest (over-dramatic, even as a bird) and flopped to the ground, landing in human form again, eyes closed.

“Death!”

“Getting shot!”

“Floor!”

“Hobi, what films do you know called ‘floor’?”

Back on his feet, Jimin was sticking his tongue out, waving his hands at the side of his head.

“Rude!”

“Childish?”

“A… a dead child!?” (he had fallen back to the floor)

“Time’s up!” Jin exclaimed then, eliciting groans from the three of you who slumped back on the sofa.

“Come on guys, it was ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’” Jimin got to his knees, “see? Mocking… bird… killed…”

“Too hard,” grumbled Tae.

Jin’s team was up next, and although they guessed Kung Fu Panda correctly, you thought it a fitting consequence that Joon was now stuck with fluffy black ears on his head. Usually a bear shifter, he clearly didn’t find it as easy as Yoongi to change it up.

Refusing to look at your scheming boyfriend, you focussed hard during the next round, not liking the fact his team was drawing ahead of yours.

However, their next turn crashed and burned, not without an intensely heated debate about the differences between Spiderman and Antman and how to suitably portray them.

Next up, you reached for a card, hoping you didn’t get a difficult one. If Jin could manage to fix the cards for the shifters among you, you hoped he would go easy on you.

Apparently not.

Despite not being able to change shape, you thought you acted out the Wolf of Wall Street pretty well. Jimin guessed it just in time, thankfully before you resorted to any of the… well, more explicit content.

Perhaps Jin had been hoping for that, you thought, smirking back at him as you took your seat.

By now the other team were back around to Yoongi, who, handily, had to act out the Cat in the Hat.

It didn’t take long.

From here on in, the game devolved into Jin’s laughter and your groans as the cards magically got harder for your team. Seriously, how can you go about Pulp Fiction in charades?

And then there was Jin, roaring in all his majesty and putting an imaginary crown on his head. There was no need for Jungkook to look so proud when he guessed the Lion King, anyone could have seen that. You were surprised at how long it took them, Jin having to throw himself from a cliff screaming and howling for them to guess it.

But who were you kidding? Of course your boyfriend was going to try to sabotage you, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t having a good night, mind completely away from your work.

By the time you waved your friends off, you had laughed yourself sore at Hobi’s silly guesses and Jin’s dramatics, stuffed yourself with the damn nibbles and were ready to fall into bed and sleep happily.

On leaving the shower later on, you found Jin already waiting for you in bed. Seeing you, he grinned – that endearing infuriating grin – and spread his arms wide.

“Where’s my kiss, then?”

“No way!” you scoffed, sitting on the edge of the bed with hand over your heart, “you rigged that game!”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You liar, Mr Lion-the-Witch-and-the-Wardrobe. We totally would have won!”

“But you didn’t,” he smirked.

You narrowed your eyes at him, only to be assaulted by light tickles to your sides.

“Hey!” you gasped, suddenly finding yourself underneath him. And gosh, no matter how long you had been dating this man, he never failed to make the blood rush to your cheeks.

Triumphant smile adorning his face, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips. They lingered there, and only pride stopped you pulling his face closer still. When he eventually pulled away, a grin spread onto your face.

“Ha! You kissed me! I did win!!”

Eyes widening almost comically, a look of anguish quickly took over Jin’s face.

“Aargh! Nooo!” he cried, melodramatic as always as he flopped back to his pillow.

The sound of your laughter was all that followed as you climbed into bed next to him, satisfied when his arms circled your waist to tug your closer. Until he started trying to pull you over to face him.

“Give me a kiss!”

“Nope!” you laughed, “I won!”

A valiant effort was made on your part to squirm away from your boyfriend, ending with several kisses to your face and neck as he aimed for, and missed, your mouth. Coming in breathless gasps, your laughter rang out in the dim room.

“Spoilsport,” he muttered eventually, though he failed to sound genuinely bitter.

Finally dissolving, you hid your giggles in his chest as you settled in his arms. It was only once your eyes slid shut that he whispered into your hair.

“Did you have fun tonight?”

Pulling away to look at him, even in the low light, you smiled widely.

“Of course I did! Thank you, Jinnie.”

(It’s safe to say you both kissed each other, in the end)

Thank you for reading! To Eva, happy holidays and I hope you liked it!💞

taglist: @aianloveseven​ @preciouschimine​ 

My main masterlist here

[samanthadalton]

Can you do a Sam Dalton x MC fic, please? 🙏🥺I miss Sam

hiiiii I’m so sorry it took long I’m trying to work through a few of my requests but I hope you like it 💖

pairing: f!Sam x mc (I named my mc Josie so I’m sticking with that)

Takes place after chapter 6 the engagement party

word count: 3.1k (it’s a long one but Sam deserves) 

taglist: @kamilah-sayeeds-habibti (i hope you enjoy it) @cloud9in @alleycat97 (if anyone wants to be added on for this pairing let me know 😊)

Drunk words, sober thoughts 

You’re preparing breakfast for Mason and Mickey until a sudden flurry of texts interrupt your cooking, the pings going off every second. Sam stalks into the kitchen, already dressed for work as she reaches for the mug of coffee you prepared for her not a minute before as you’ve become accustomed to your usual morning ritual. 

“You’re popular this morning,” she jokes as her eyes flicker over to yours, and you see a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. 

“Heh. It’s my friend Jenny, she and some of my college friends are going out tomorrow and she keeps begging me to go.” Sam raises an eyebrow at you, the glimmer of amusement dissipating from her eyes and replaced with something you can’t really put a finger on. 

“Where do they wanna go?” her tone nonchalant, but her eyes tell a different story. Since the engagement party and your heavy makeout on the rooftop, things have been incredibly awkward with Sam. You’ve barely had a chance to talk with the CEO and she’s been doing a damn good job of avoiding you over the last couple of weeks every time you’ve found yourself in the same room alone after hours. 

“Just to the club.” 

“Ah. So why don’t you wanna go?” 

You shrug your shoulders as you contemplate your answer, “I don’t know, just with settling in the new job and stuff I don’t think going to the club is suitable.” 

“Seriously Josie?” Sam raises an eyebrow at you, “tomorrow is your day off and like you said before,” Sam takes a steady gulp, her eyes never leaving yours, “you’re a young single woman, you should have some fun. One of us should at least.” Sam mutters the last part, and you wonder if you were meant to hear that bit until your eyes meet and something in Sam’s eyes flashes, and suddenly you find yourself falling back into the memory of you and Sam on the rooftop. The rooftop where you were screaming at Sam for being jealous of you and Robin, where you found yourself chastising Sam for her overly zealous behaviour, moments before you found yourself attached at the lips, passion infiltrating your senses as you kissed her recklessly. You come out of your reverie, your face flushed as you look away from Sam, unable to meet her eyes. 

“You’re right.” You nod slowly and you mull over Sam’s words, hesitantly you pick up the phone to text Jenny that you’ll be there tomorrow and as you set your phone down, Sam opens her mouth to speak but is interrupted by the sudden stomping of Mason and Mickey who race into the kitchen at the smell of your cooking. 

“Morning Josie!” the twins say as they settle in their seats, you ruffle their hair and place a plate of waffles in front of the boys as they hungrily scoff the food down. 

“Slow down boys you might get a stomach ache.” Sam places a chaste kiss on each of the twin’s forehead before giving you a swift nod and heading out to work. 

…. 

The next night you’re getting ready to go out as you stand in front of your closet with Jenny lounging on your bed inattentively scrolling through her phone. You turn and snap your fingers at her, “Jenny! Pay attention. What do I wear?” 

Jenny groans before getting up and standing beside you, “I usually love giving you fashion advice but you’ve literally turned down every dress I’ve picked out.” 

“Because it has to be perfect.” 

“Why?” 

“Because. I-” you stammer, not able to come up with a valid reason, but the voice in the back of your mind has been pestering you for the last hour, and all you know is that tonight you have to look flawless.

Jenny side eyes you, carefully considering, “Okay say no more.” You’re grateful at how well Jenny knows you in knowing when to not pressure you into speaking. She briskly claps her hands together, her usual peppy self sprouting up again as she assesses your closet. “Mmmmmm, this one.” She holds out a short red dress with thin straps and holds out the dress to you, “if you’re looking to make an impression tonight I advise you to wear this tonight.” 

You stare at the dress, the redness of it radiates at you, and you fully know that you’ll definitely be the centre of attention if you wear the dress tonight. In your heart however, you realize you only want the attention of one person, Sam. 

“Come oooon. We’re gonna be late. Try it on and trust my expertise please.” Jenny pleads, flashing her puppy dog eyes and you can’t bring yourself to say no. 

“Fine, give it here.” After trying on the dress, and pairing it with red stiletto heels, you’re interrupted by a brisk knock on the door as you‘re looking into the mirror, putting on your lipstick while Jenny straightens your hair. “Come in!” 

Sam gingerly opens the door, as her eyes scan the room until they find you, and she visibly can’t tear her eyes from you.  Her eyes meticulously roam your outfit, flashing with undisguised desire. “Josie..” Sam’s at a loss for words as her mouth hangs open, until Jenny’s shrill voice breaks her out of her trance and Sam looks over at the peppy brunette as if she’s only noticing her presence for the first time. 

“Doesn’t she look hot?” 

Heat rises to your cheeks as you avert your eyes from Sam’s, looking embarrassed as you reply, “Jenny!” Your voice comes out more snappier than you intended but your best friend gets the hint and clasps her mouth shut, focusing on her task of straightening your hair. You clear your throat before looking back up at the CEO and you see a similar blush on her face, as she conspicuously tries not to let her eyes drift to your body. “Sorry about her Sam. Did you need something?” 

Sam clenches her jaw slightly, before inhaling slightly, her demeanor becoming more relaxed by the second, “no, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay and wanted to ask if you needed a ride to the club.”

Before you can open your mouth, Jenny chimes in, “of course! That would save us money on using an Uber.” You plaster a small smile on your face, trying to camouflage your uneasiness. 

“Yeah, thanks Sam.” 

“Well just let me know when you’re ready to head out.” 

“Wait, you’re driving us? I thought that maybe Carter-” 

“No, Carter has retired for the night. I wouldn’t want to bother him.” 

“What about the boys, they shouldn’t be left alone.” 

Sam eyes glistens with humour as she realises that you keep coming up with excuses to not be in a car with her, “Robin’s here. We have some paperwork to go over so she can watch the boys while we’re gone.” You try to come up with another excuse, your mind blanking as Sam smirks at you, and you begrudgingly accept her ride. 

As you step out of the room and walk into the office to call Sam, Robin sits at the front of the desk, her eyes drifting to your body, appraising every inch of you as she lets out a low whistle. “Damn, Josie. You look hot.” Before you can respond, Sam appears at the door, her eyes dark blazing into Robin’s, as a scowl outlines her face. 

“Josie. Are you ready to go?” Her eyes snap back to you, and the grimace from her expression shifts into a more softer look. 

You nod and leave the room with Sam in tow, behind you Robin calls out, “go get some!” You laugh shaking your head as you meet Jenny who’s waiting by the lift and make your way down. 

…..

As Sam pulls up the car, she steps out and opens the door for you and Jenny, and you slide into the backseat on the car as Jenny sits next to you and Sam moves to the driver’s seat, your eyes meeting in the rear-view mirror. You pointedly glance away, tapping away on your phone as Jenny gives Sam the directions to the club. Suddenly, your phone rings and you see your friend, Eva’s name flashing on your screen. You accept the call and her voice blares out on the other end as loud bass music and her voice crackles out, her words slightly slurring, “heeey, where are you guys?” 

“Yeah sounds like you guys started without us,” you put the phone on speaker holding it between you and Jenny. 

“You guys were taking forever!” Another voice rings out on the other end, most likely your friend Reina judging by her shrieking voice, she’s also wasted. 

“Blame Josie, she took forever picking a dress,” Jenny teases and you facetiously roll your eyes. You maintain a conversation for the rest of the drive as Sam sits in the front in silence, occasionally smiling to herself when she hears your friends voices ring out as they sing along to the music or just scream on the phone. Eventually you turn off your phone promising your friends you’re close and you’re soon pulling up to the club. 

“We’re here.” Sam smiles as she turns to face you and Jenny, her gaze warm. 

“Thank you so much for the ride Ms Dalton,” Jenny replies as she opens the door and starts to slide out of her seat, careful not to crease her dress as she does. 

“I told you to call me Sam, Ms Dalton makes me sound too old,” Sam jests and Jenny gleams at the CEO as she thanks her once again, this time fully enunciating Sam’s name. As Jenny leaves the car you’re about to slide out after her until Sam’s soft hands lightly touch your arm and you suddenly feel anchored in your seat. “Josie I-” her eyes flashes with the same expression yesterday morning when you mentioned the club and your brows furrow as you take in the pointed look on her face. 

“Is something wrong?” 

You watch as the unfamiliar expression shifts into an abashed grin as she languidly moves her hand from your arms, her fingers ghosting down your arms eliciting goosebumps as it moves. 

“No.” She plasters a pageant smile on her face, and somehow you just know she’s putting up a front, “hope you have a good night and Robin and I will most likely be up late so don’t hesitate to call if you need a ride home.” Sam looks like she wants to say more but she presses her lips together in a thin line, just before you can ask, Jenny’s shrill voice cuts through the air tearing you out of the moment. 

“I should go.” You carefully slide out of your seat and then shut the car door, linking your arm with Jenny’s as she ushers you into the club. Before you enter you look over your shoulder to see Sam’s car driving off in the distance, and you feel a tiny pang in your heart. Once you enter the club, the music blares, momentarily overtaking your senses until you stalk over to the bar and order 3 shots, downing them all one after another. 

“Damnnnnnnn,” Jenny says, gazing at you with astonishment. 

“Well everyone else is already drunk so we have to catch up,” you raise your third shot in the air as a toast and then throw back the drink, the burn of the tequila sliding down your throat and settling into your stomach and you feel already more at ease. 

“True dat.” Jenny responds as you order more drinks before meeting up with your friends who are in the middle of burning up the dance floor. 

“Josie!” They cheer as you arrive and you sandwich yourself between your friend Eva and another girl named Flora as you begin dancing with them. 

…..

You’re unsure about how much time has passed but after a few more drinks, you feel the alcohol running through you and your thoughts begin running wild. Your mind flashes back to Sam and anger begins filling up your senses. Though a small part of your brain says you’re thinking irrationally, the rest of your brain is fueled with both frustration and alcohol and before you know it, you’re standing in the corner of the club with your phone in your hand.  

…. 

Sam and Robin sit in Sam’s office working through some documents until Sam’s phone begins vibrating and her screen flashes with messages. 

“Jesus, it’s almost 1am, who the hell in texting you now?” Robin raises an eyebrow at her sister while Sam continues examining the papers in front of her, her eyes never tearing away as she retorts, “not important. Focus.” Her tone reprimanding as the two women fall back into silence until Sam’s phone buzzes again breaking the silence in the room. 

“For god sakes check your phone it might be important.” 

Sam sighs, and slams her papers onto the desk before picking up her phone and she sees your name on her screen and sees she has left several voice messages. All the anger dispels from her face as she unlocks her phone and brings it up to her ear after pressing play. 

“Heeeeeey Saaaaam.’ 

Sam chuckles, at the sound of your voice, your words are slightly slurred and your voice is quite low as the message plays. 

“I juss wanna say that I was thinking, aaand it occurred to me, why are you getting so mad at me when you kissed me?” Your tone at this point in the message is filled with anger and as you keep rambling on Sam’s eyes hastily snaps to Robin, who’s preoccupied with her document she hasn’t heard your voice over Sam’s phone. 

“And you know what? Screw you! If I wanna have fun then I’ll have fun, I don’t need you controlling me.” Sam clenches her jaw, anger swelling up inside of her as she abruptly stands from her chair, grabbing her keys while Robin shouts out after her sister, “where the hell are you going?” 

…..

After slipping a hundred dollar bill to the bouncer so she can skip the line, Sam observes the club’s surroundings, until her gaze catches sight of you on the dance floor dancing with a random club goer. She internally debates whether she should interrupt you but when the stranger places her hand on your waist Sam pushes all thoughts aside and begins charging onto the dancefloor. You’re so engrossed in your dancing that you don’t realise Sam’s presence until you hear her soft voice in your ear and you jerk your head back to make sure you’re not dreaming. 

“Sam! What are you doing here?” 

Something flashes in Sam’s eyes, and this time you know what it is, jealousy and it is a green eyed monster alright. Her darkened eyes bore into yours as your arms are still wrapped around the stranger’s who’s too drunk to notice Sam. 

“Let’s go.” Sam reaches out to take your arm before you jolt back, placing a distance between you and the CEO. 

“No I wanna stay.” Like a child you stomp and cross your arms, pouting at the CEO. 

“Where are you friends? Where’s Jenny?” 

You nonchalantly shrug your shoulders, “I don’t know and I don’t care. I’m dancing with…” your mind struggles to remember the name of the person whom you were just dancing with so you sloppily wave your hand over at the girl, which just seems to frustrate Sam more. 

“You’re drunk Josie, let’s get you home.” She takes a step forward until the stranger takes a step towards Sam placing her hand on the CEO’s chest. 

“Do you know her?” the stranger speaks over her shoulder, as her hand remains firmly on Sam’s chest. 

“Take your hand off me right now before we have a problem,” though she keeps a cool stoic expression, the tone in Sam’s voice sparks with threat and the stranger removes her hand retreating from the encounter. “Alright let’s go.” Sam takes out her hand and you bitterly accept it, letting the CEO maneuver you out of the club and ushering you into the front seat of her car. “Are you gonna be okay? Do you feel like throwing up?” 

“Just take me home,” slightly mortified by your childish behaviour at the club you turn away from Sam and lean your head against the window and soon your eyelids start feeling heavy and you let the sleep consume you. 

You’re woken up by a gentle shake by Sam, a worried expression etched on her face as her hand rubs comforting circles on your shoulder. “Where are we?” 

“Home. Here let me help you out.” Sam exits the car and comes around the other side opening the door and wrapping an arm around your waist. She easily hoists you up and you lean on her, steadying your weight as you place an arm around her shoulder. “Okay we’re gonna start walking now.” She carefully takes you into the building and you make your way into the elevator and soon you’re back at home. Sam carefully sets you on your bed and moves towards your feet, delicately removing your heels before tucking you into the duvet. 

“Thank you Sam,” your voice a whisper as you feel yourself slipping back into a sleep, Sam smiles and gently kisses your forehead and soon you’re passed out again. Sam moves into the hallway taking out her phone bringing it to her ear. She replays the last voice message you sent her, her eyes glimmering with bliss as she listens to your words. 

“You have some nerve telling me to have fun tonight. I mean how can I have fun when I keep thinking of you? That kiss on the rooftop.” You let out a humourless laugh, “that freaking kiss. I can’t stop thinking about it and I hate you for it. I hate that you’re on my mind all the time and how badly I want you. I hate that you make me so vulnerable. I may not be some fancy business woman like Sofia but at least I’m someone who genuinely cares about you. And I know you care about me too, so I don’t care that you’re engaged to some freaking robot. Because I know what we have is real and I-.” In the background you hear Jenny’s voice cut through and the voice message hastily ends but Sam looks down at her phone, eyes filled with hope because she knows she feels exactly the same. 

[theflowerisblue]

@joananoexiste going live with @lo_siento_cris

Tamara: Hi! Welcome back to my channel! Hahah okay guys I’m just waiting for the lady to show up. Once she’s here we can begin.let me know if she’s here cause I can’t see. I’m like Alex, dude. This so crazy, everyone’s like I don’t want the lives to end because once they do then it’s the real end. But as I said in Alex’s live this is so cool and it’s really hard to put into words. Here she is! Lo_siento_cris! We all fucked up so hard we the timing!

Irene: hi! I mean yeah! This is so big. I don’t know where to sit to get better lighting but okay. I’m in a bathroom! I was out having dinner and I came into the bathroom for this.

Tamara: of course you are. You couldn’t have done it any other way.

Cris: look! Take it all in! SO

Tamara: SO Irene tell us how are you feeling?

Irene: I’m so sad, girl.

Tamara: haha I’m like SO TELL US! and you’re super sad.

Irene: this is so depressing. Crying in the bathroom. But yeah I’m sad, aren’t you?

Tamara: I’m still in shocked I think. Like in the back of my mind I’m like “yeah, right. That was the end.” But I don’t believe it.

Irene: totally! I haven’t accepted it yet. Like it was the end but not really.

Tamara: right. It’s weird, I was just talking to Alex and I said that we have been holding on to different things to avoid thinking of the ending. Like okay there’s still a season yet, half a season, it’s the last day of filming but it still has to air!

Irene: exactly!

Tamara: and now we’re like “we only have the lives left and that’s it” and we’re like SHIT.

Irene: I’m going to cry.

Tamara: and you can also see it on screen. Like in the last clip, you know? Like I was there but I was watching the clip of the toast and I kept thinking that you can really tell that it wasn’t scripted.

Irene: yes! That was just us!

Tamara: like we would be talking and someone would go “and the marks!” Because we suddenly remember about the scene.

Irene: have you seen the last clip?

Tamara: yeah, of course.

Irene: well, when we’re toasting there at the beach we’re all improvising.

Tamara: I know! I could tell. And everyone did too, if you see the comments you coul see people saying “this is all them” and it was so cool that it was all so real. Because it was so long! Like it was a long time! It’s been years. It sounds crazy but we all did become a family while filming, and now we go from seeing each other every day to okay I can still see you but it’s not the same. So that’s why we did all those comments of “we’re off to college, we won’t see each other as much!” That’s so realistic.

Irene: yes, totally. Like yeah we’re still going to see each other but we won’t be working together. We won’t get to say “any time, bego!” Or “Rosi!”

Tamara: that’s so funny. Bego is literally full of light. I have ever met in my life a nicer, more loveable person than bego.

Irene: I want her to be my big sister.

Tamara: I want her to direct my life.

Irene: YES! EXACTLY! I can’t do it on my own. We can always just show up at her house.

Tamara: one day we all just go there. We use her as a therapist, we tell her all our problems and we say now what? What’s the next scene?

Irene: I don’t know about you, but this past two years she’s been my therapist.

Tamara: my bego. I love her. There are like a million questions so I can’t pick. Let’s just tell stories. Oh! I know, this is a cool questions. When was the first moment you went from these are my coworkers to fuck this is my family.

Irene: it was so early for me. As soon as we met. Like in the first day, several months before we started filming, we created the group chat and we followed each other on Instagram and then like so soon tomi sent a message like “guys, we’re going to be so important to each other.” And that was it for me. So like the first day.

Tamara: super fast.

Irene: I mean have you seen me? I’m a drama queen. I’ll look it up, I’ll find that message and print it. I’ll hang it up on my wall and cry. And how about you? Why would you say?

Tamara: I think that...I don’t know if I can talk about this. Let’s make it family friendly. We were at a party and I was so fucked up, lying on the couch about to die and Ruth comes like a gift sent by the gods. And she goes “come! Come with me” to I don’t know where and I was like mm I like her.

Irene: hahaha this girl seems nice.

Tamara: I like all these people. My memories are mostly like that because during filming I’d mostly film with you. But like I have memories of “casa tomi” (tomi’s house)

Irene: right! That’s like the rite of passage. You haven’t really been a part of this until you come to your first party at casa tomi.

Tamara: legit. I’m y story about Ruth was there.

Irene: you see? That’s where the magic happens.

Tamara: my god. But see that’s what I’m talking about. Like I can’t cry because I don’t really believe it truly ended. It’s weird.

Irene: it is. Don’t you feel like it’s exactly like when we stop during seasons? That’s how I feel, no like it’s really the end.

Tamara: yes! But with the fear of “wait! It’s not that”

Irene: YES! Literally. Like in my mind I know it but I can’t come to terms with it.

Tamara: me neither. My brain refuses to accept it. I’m like well we’re here doing propio for the show. And then I realized there’s nothing else after this.

Irene: girl. There has to be something else. They must release the bloopers. That would be MAGICAL.

Tamara: they should released the HOURS of material they have from the mics.

Irene: oh! Please god no. Thank you very much.

Tamara: the day we found out they were listening! Everyone’s faces. It was so funny.

Irene: the sound crew know everything about my life. Literally everything.

Tamara: they were the true therapist and without even wanting to.

Irene: my confidants. It was funny I would talk to someone and they’d be like “what happened with this?” And I’ll be like when did I tell you about it? It was so bad.

Tamara: that’s so scary!

Irene: it’s all my fault.

Tamara: okay, I think we have two minutes left. Let’s do this, tell me your favorite from each season.

Irene: alright. From the first one I believe that I choose the one where Eva cries in the bus because I was so sad for alba! I wanted to hug her! The funny thing is that I saw it with her next to me and I was like “are you okay?” And she was laughing, we were out partying and I felt so bad for her. From the second one either when clip comes out or “perdóname”

Tamara: that’s iconic. “You’d say anything to make me mad!”

Irene: it’s amazing.

Tamara: what about the third?

Irene: I’ll go with the clip where Nora talks about her sister being sexually assaulted. That’s really cool. And I think that from the fourth, I’ll choose the last one in the islands.

Tamara: from the first one, the one I really liked is

Irene: the one with your song!?

Tamara: hahaha no ❤️ no that one actually freaked me out. Let me tell you why, they tell me: they’ve asked us for a song for this new show called skam and I was like fine! And then while we were joking we say “imagine they use it for a sex scene” and I was like I don’t think so. And they never told us in which scene they would use it. And then the clip drops and I’m like I can’t believe it.

Irene: all your musical appearances in skam are incredible. I mean cute bitch? With Joana on the bridge? C’mon!

Tamara: that was so funny. Because I knew they were using the song but not where, I was like “Great! Fine, whatever you want, bego!” And then I was so shocked. It’s crazy because in the first season rizha exists inside the skam universe but it’s just background music, the characters aren’t listening to her but then in this season JOANA is listening to her.

Irene: Joana listens to rizha that’s crazy!

Tamara: isn’t she suspicious about how they look exactly the same?

Irene: right? She should look at the album and be like “that’s weird”

Tamara: that’s crazy. But we have such cool memories. Everything has been so intense. I mean it’s the end, but we’ll always have it.

Irene: exactly.

Tamara: could you imagine if they delete everything? Tomorrow you wake up and it’s all been a dream!

Irene: like in “Los Serrano” could you imagine? I’d die.

Tamara: okay, time’s up. I have to let you go, say goodbye.

Irene: why me? If I still have my live left.

Tamara: you’re absolutely right. Let me do it then. guys! You’ve been super important for this show, you’ve made us laugh, cry, shown us much love. The show will always be there, you can still watch it. But thank you for everything, for all your support. It’s been fucking crazy!

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Code: Light

Part of my Series based on the in game dungeons lol. Just for fun.

In fact… there was a boy who lived here… 20 years ago…

The words echoed in Lu Mingfei’s mind as he looked over the rundown landscape in front of him. He was sitting on a dirty pillow on a broken, rotted out porch, rain pouring down on his head through the holes in the overhang. Spiders skittered about and made him pull his feet in. In front of him was a table of rice, vegetables and tea. Outside the porch was a small garden with a pond, green and overgrown with algae. It was pouring down rain as it had been all day. The pond was at capacity and it would soon overflow its banks. From the gloomy surroundings, frogs creeled out a constant serenade.

He was led there by a woman, an elder in that particular village, who had first reported what turned out to be dragon activity in this small town. Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang, and Caesar Gattuso were called to investigate. According to the report on the dossier, a young child in a red coat, carrying a red balloon could be seen standing at the edge of the village. His face was impossible to make out. Japanese towns could be full of local ghost tales, but this one occurred with disturbing regularity. EVA, the Cassell Supercomputer then detected an elemental anomaly. Plants seemed to be growing at such an incredible rate, that the rain clouds over this small area of Japan never seemed to stop. The rain would fall, the plants would soak it up and transpire the water again. It was as if the Amazon Rainforest took up residence in the far East.

After explaining about the child, the old woman took them out to that ramshackle ruin of a place. “If it’s that boy you’re seeking, why not try making him something to eat?”

Then she left.

“Guys I’m so over this ghost hunt. This is so creepy and the lower the sun gets the more I want to leave.” He said. He was wearing his usual combat suit, that skin tight but extremely durable wear that was close enough to the body to avoid catching on anything, but strong enough to withstand the cut of a knife. But was it ghost proof? Who was to say they wouldn’t get eaten by this ghost and the rice be left cold and moldy with no sign of them?

“Are you excited to be on an actual ghost hunt? It’s a shame that the ghost is a boy though.” Caesar sat smoking his cigar and looking out over the grey sheet of rain in front of him. He was dressed similarly, with his Desert Eagles at his side. Of course, he made a much more handsome figure in the muscle-hugging suit.

Lu Mingfei wanted to pull his hair out. “You’re engaged! Don’t lust after the dead you freak!”

Chu Zihang slid his sword part way out of his sheath to check his equipment. “There’s no such thing as the dead coming back to life, unless it’s a dragon. And dragons don’t really die. They just sleep until they can be reborn. What we’re looking for is not a real ghost… but something that has the properties of a dragon.”

“Ghost… dragon… whatever. Do we even know if it’s attracted to rice?”

“It’s not about the rice, Lu Mingfei, it’s the routine. If the boy had a family or cared for anyone at all, wouldn’t it miss sitting at a table with a family meal?” Caesar bit his cigar, 

“And we’re supposed to be its family huh? Who are you? The mom?” Mingfei shot back.

“Well…” Caesar looked down at the food. “I cooked it.”

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth to say something else but Zihang suddenly tensed. His golden eyes stared into another pair of golden eyes. A boy in a red raincoat, stood at the edge of the mossy pond. He was holding a red balloon. Only those glowing eyes were visible under the red hood. It didn’t seem to have a face.

Lu Mingfei’s face went white and then grey with terror. He shook so hard his teeth chattered “G-ghost!”

A small child’s voice echoed clear despite the pounding rain. “Outsiders. I need your help. Come with me.”

The rain suddenly stopped but the sky grew darker, like a great shadow from something large coming over head. The air suddenly cooled. They were still in front of the table but the garden was replaced by sand. The sand was grooved in artistic circles, like an elegant Japanese rock garden. Looking around, they seemed to be in a ruined ancient village. The piece of land they were standing on was floating in mid air, like it had been torn from the earth. There was no sun. The way was lit by ominous paper lanterns that floated in place, painted with a red swirl pattern. In the distance an ancient Japanese castle tower rose out of the misty horizon.

Torii gates were seen floating in the grey, foggy surroundings. Most were shattered. They seemed frozen in the middle of being demolished, their broken pieces spraying at odd angles, their elegant cross bars tilted, but they never collapsed. 

What was most noticeable about this place however, was the sudden sense of crushing sorrow. The feeling one got when they received some sort of horrible news. Like a loved one had just died. It hit Mingfei in the chest and took his breath away.  “Guys. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to …” Mingfei eyes filled with tears. “What’s happening. I’m so scared.” He hugged his own arms and tried to stop the tears from falling. “We’ve got to get out!” 

He turned to Chu Zihang who always knew what to do in times like this. But the man was frozen, his jaw tense and locked, staring at the ground in a trance, trying to control his out of control emotions. He was breathing fast and trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

Apparently, sorrow drove Caesar Gattuso to action. He drew Dictator and pointed it up towards some broken stairs framed by a bright red Torii gate. Caesar suddenly roared. “This place sucks! Let’s get out of here as soon as we can. The only way out is up!”

His sudden yell seemed to break whatever emotional spell had been cast on the other two teammates. Lu Mingfei wiped his face. “What was that all about?”

“I’m not sure. Likely the owner of this place had a terrible life.” Chu Zihang said gravely. “I’ve heard of Longwei, the natural fear that dragons give off to other creatures, but I’ve never heard of a Dragon’s sorrow being projected like this.”

The stairs were floating over empty air, made of uneven, ancient grey limestone. There were dozens of stairs leading up into the ominous grey sky with broken Torii gates at intervals every twenty steps. Chu Zihang held up his hand to catch what appeared to be snow flying in the air. He sniffed at it. “Ash. Like something is burning. This must be some sort of Nibelungen. But I’ve never seen anything like it.” Chu Zihang said. “We should watch out. Where there’s a Nibelungen, there’s always…”

A sudden loud screeching interrupted him. A flock of bats the size of geese suddenly dislodged from under the stairs.  A whole flock of them swept forward in a single black cloud mass. Lu Mingfei ducked his head as the claws and teeth scraped at him. “I hate this place already!”

Caesar drew his pistols and fired. The bats were flapping and tilting and whirling, but he just needed to aim for just a moment before shooting one out of the air without missing. Likewise, Chu Zihang quickly slashed once and twice, neatly severing their bodies in two without trouble.

“Bats are better than snakes!” Caesar yelled, reloading his Desert Eagles.

“At least Snakes don’t fly!” Lu Mingfei yelled.

 As they climbed the stairs, they stayed back to the back, firing and slicing through the endless swarm of screaming bats. The sound of it was like a constant siren. Mingfei held his hands to his ears and allowed himself to be shielded by his two older students. He could hardly see anything between the endless assault of black bodies.

Caesar’s eyes glowed yellow. “There’s something big at the top of the stairs. That’s where they’re coming from!” He had sent out his Scythe Itachi and they returned with a huge heartbeat up ahead. “Chu Zihang, get rid of these things!”

“Get down.”  Chu Zihang closed his eyes for just a moment and then an evil snarl emanated from his throat. Black waves of heat drove back the bats and then exploded outward into violent flames. The bats were instantly set alight and hundreds of burning bodies folded their wings and fell into the endless pit below. Lu Mingfei didn’t even want to think of what it meant to fall down into that grey void. Would he just continue to fall forever?

“Eugh…” Caesar pinched his nose to escape the smell of burning flesh and hair.  “Good.” He said, reaching down at pulling Mingfei to his feet.

A loud roar shook the stairs and cracked them.  Then the stairs started to crumble, starting from the bottom. If they didn’t hurry, they would be the ones falling. “Run! Run!” Caesar yelled. 

Ahead of them was a large gap. The stairs were falling apart around them, coming to pieces, like the mortar that held them together suddenly lost all its strength. “We’ll have to jump it!”

It looked to be ten feet across over the nothingness. They’d never make a jump that far. But it was either try to jump or fall to their deaths anyway. Chu Zihang suddenly grabbed Lu Mingfei’s arm and without explanation took a leap and dragged him with him. For a moment, there was nothing but empty air under him. And then a sudden blast of heat and a loud boom! Chu Zihang used Royal Fire to blast himself over the gap, dragging the terrified Lu Mingfei the extra few feet needed. They landed and Lu Mingfei collapsed on shaky legs. “Are you out of your mind? You could have at least told me!” He gasped.

Chu Zihang looked at him with no expression. “You would have hesitated.”

Lu Mingfei froze. “I- n.- No…” Lu Mingfei looked away and then looked around. “Where’s Caesar?”

Caesar pulled himself up onto his arms. He was hanging from the ledge, having barely made the jump himself. He looked at Chu Zihang, annoyed. “Sure. Don’t mind me. I’ll just help myself up.”

His eyes suddenly widened at something behind Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei. They turned around and saw a looming snake with a thick human-like torso and bulging human arms. It glared at them with yellow eyes shining from the skull of an ancient predator it wore as a mask. It brandished a spear as long as a car with a sharp bone tip.