#and it would imitate me in return when I made up a new sound

[dollfxcx]

Pennywise in his BigBoi mode (the form he took in the projector scene) and reader 👉👈

Not necessarily smut, write something according to your current mood thank youuu ☺

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED HIS BIGBOI FORM I WAS SO HAPPY TO READ THIS REQUEST!!

TW: none. at least you're allergic to fluff🙌🏻

Word count: (900+)

"Look, I'm taller than you." you say, looking at him from the top of the last rung of the ladder on which you are precariously balanced.

You're trying to hang a picture you received as a gift as upright as possible, but Pennywise is doing everything in his power to make the task tremendously difficult for you, occasionally shaking the ladder forcefully, making you stagger dangerously, or squeezing and scratching your hips with his clawed fingers, action that makes you jump every time, both because they creepily tickle on your bare stomach skin, which appears from under your shirt as it rises when you stick your arms up, and because, in any case, they are still claws, an inappropriate movement could cause them to sink into your flesh and you really don't like the idea. At least not in this situation, in bed it's more than welcomed.

You turn around when you finally manage to hang the picture, putting your hands on your hips and looking down at him. His blue eyes find yours immediately, a smirk on his full red lips makes you realize he's got something up.

"Oh, little Y/n thinks so? What about now?" he questions, you hear his bones crack with a worrying noise, as if they were breaking and reassembling themselves like building blocks, and, after a few moments, he actually seems taller than before.

"I'm still taller than you." you comment, unconsciously backing away against the wall behind your back. Pennywise shakes his head gleefully, the bells on his costume jingling, and again you hear the unusual cracking of bones, this time it doesn't stop at his legs but you feel it coming from his shoulders and chest as well. You blink quickly as you find his eyes level with yours, his sinister smile widening and cutting his face almost in half.

"And now?" he asks again, leaning forward to sink his face against your shoulder, you feel his nose rubbing the skin of your neck, a slight humming rumbles from his chest and spreads, as if by osmosis, throughout your entire body. You don't answer, cradled by that sound that almost sounds like a lullaby, and you actually feel like you're about to fall asleep, so you close your eyes and lean your head against his own. It's just when you feel like you're sinking into dreamland that you feel him press a gloved hand against your face, covering your eyes.

"Penn–?" you try to say, but your voice dies in your throat when, freeing yourself from his grip, you find him in front of you so tall that he almost touches the ceiling. About three meters tall, he stares at you from his new stature, golden eyes fixed on yours, rimmed in red, sharp teeth bared in a wild smile.

"And now?" he asks a third time, the voice coming out of his throat doesn't even sound like his as it's creepily distorted.

"Holy shit." is all you can say, shaking in your knees so much you risk falling off the ladder. Fortunately his huge hand grabs you before this is possible, it supports you with inhuman delicacy while his eyes return to the blue that you like so much. Pennywise sits you on the floor, curling up around you like a lazy cat would in its owner's lap. You lean against his chest, which rises and falls in imitation of human breathing that he doesn't really need, and narrow your eyes.

"You almost made me shit my pants." you snap at him, pretending to be offended and he, in response, wraps himself around you even more tightly, a slight purr envelops you with warmth.

"Needed some fear to nibble on. Got a bit peckish." he explains matter-of-factly, as if it were obvious, he then rests his huge head in your lap so you can run your fingers through his ginger hair, which makes him purr even more. After a few minutes he picks you up again, he can never stay still in the same position for too long, he needs to handle you and move you around as he pleases. He sits you on his lap, you almost sink into the crook of his crossed legs, but his body is so warm and welcoming that you don't particularly mind being totally at his mercy. His huge hands move from your hips up back towards your face, if he wanted he could smash your skull with little to no effort.

Yet he doesn't, his gloved palms caress your cheeks and lightly pat you on the head, as if he can't help but touch you. He is so focused on you and your body and on how fragile and soft you are compared to him that his buck teeth pop out of his lips in a lost and amazed expression, a thin thread of drool stretches from his mouth and rolls gracefully down his chest towards where you are sitting.

"You're drooling all over me." you point out to him, he shakes himself out of his trance but continues undaunted to stroke and pet your head as he observes your reactions, you see him wrinkle his nose at your constant change of emotions, at how your heartbeat increases with every second that passes.

"You like me like this." it's not a question, it's a statement decorated with a smug smile, to which you can't help but roll your eyes. Pennywise leans towards you and sinks his cherry-colored nose into your hair, a soft purr envelops you when, probably satisfied with the scent you're giving off, he gets up from the floor, gently picking you up.

"Should I show you what else I can do in this form?"

---

I hope I didn't disappoint >:((

feedbacks always appreciated<33

[gyeomsweetgyeom]

[9:19 pm]

(cw: foul language, sexual themes not happening in real time but detailed recountings)

(a/n: this is the steamiest I'm ever going omg pls let me know if this was bad bc I had no idea what i was writing, I'll stick to fluff and angst plz and thx)

“Holy shit,” Jeno panted into your ear, “that was like the best sex we’ve ever had.”

You rubbed your hand up and down his sweaty bare back in soothing circles, “it was alright, yeah.”

His head popped up from the crook of your neck, eyes wide and eyebrows quirked in confusion, “Just alright?”

“I’m partial to the first time you tried and successfully wooed me. The rose petals, candles lit, it was super romantic and I loved it,” you replied, rubbing away the crease between his eyebrows with your thumb gently.

“You mean the time I burnt down one of my curtains and scarred my shin after a thorn got stuck there? That time?” Jeno questioned.

“It was really cute,” you pouted, “it showed me how serious you were about us.”

Jeno’s head fell to your shoulder, “Not the time after I proposed? Or the time we were in Thailand for our anniversary? Baby, you just came 4 times in an hour and a half, that’s the loudest you’ve ever screamed. How is that not the best?”

“I’ve already told you Jeno. Now go get me a towel, I’m sticky and sore over here,” you shoved his shoulder.

He huffed and mumbled under his breath on his way to the bathroom. He returned with a damp rag as he settled onto the bed again, while he wiped away at the cum spilling out onto your thighs.

His eyebrows were furrowed in deep thought again, “I’m pretty sure you cried this time and you haven’t done that before.”

“I’m literally laying here while you wipe your cum off me Jeno, can we please move on?”

He pouted further as he balled up the damp rag and threw it in the direction of the hamper, “made you make that new sound when I spanked you too.”

“Jeno!” You gasped, embarrassed that he was still going on about this.

He noticed your shocked face and smirked, “Hah ah- ahhhh Jeno! Right- right there baby! Hah!”

Your jaw dropped hearing his high pitched moans, he continued, “ha-harder Jeno! Je-Jeno, so so close. Keep going!”

You smacked his shoulder, “I do not sound like that!”

He laughed, pushing your hands away as he went on, now with added writhing and pulling on the sheets, “Baby, baby, baby, ahhhhhh!”

His over the top moans filled the room, he began panting until his mocking moan got louder and higher pitched. He imitated your sniffles and what up you assumed was your orgasm face before his performance was finally done, “See, my love? So good I have your whole performance burned into my memory.”

“Yeah well you grunted really fucking weird in ear when you came that last time I thought you were choking on your own tongue or you had rubbed your dick raw from having no control,” you snapped.

“I wouldn’t have thought that when your legs were shaking for a whole minute after we were done.”

“Maybe that was because someone insisted on having my leg over their shoulder for a whole hour we fucked like we were in one of those gymnast pornos you used to watch.”

Jeno slapped a hand over your mouth, “I told you that in confidence.”

“And I trust that you won’t mock my moans when I let you jizz inside me, much less let you fuck me!” You counter.

Jeno replies quickly, “Wasn’t mocking you baby, I was reminding you of how good it was. Not just decent, amazing, life changing, out of this world, I could go on. And stop calling it fucking.”

“What would you like me to call it then Jeno? Having intercourse? A sexual encounter?”

He shakes his head, “making love?”

You let out a shocked laugh, “making love? Jeno we make love after fights or on anniversaries, not when you spank me and chicken out when I ask you to choke me.”

“Can’t hear your pretty noises if you can’t breathe, baby,” Jeno smirks leaning in to press a kiss to your cheek.

You shove at his shoulder, "Why do we both have to have the same sex ranking anyway?"

Jeno shrugs in response, stating that he guesses it doesn't make sense if you do. He might like it a little more passionate and you like it a little more romantic, "But that first time we had make up sex?"

"Number 2," you both agree with a simple nod of your head.

“We should fight more so we can have more sex like that, god that was good,” he sighs dreamily.

“Just good?” You mock his earlier question.

“One of the best baby,” he smiles.

[cameronspecial]

Before The Last Petal Falls (Part 2)

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: N/A

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 2.5K

Summary: It's always a funny thing to be invited to your ex-boyfriend's engagement party. It's an even funnier thing when it seems all his family members have something to say to you.

Masterlist

“How about Lace Place?” Lacey asks, flashing her hands in an ark to imitate the arch of the sign she is imagining. Y/N gives her a funny look at the words, “Babe, that sounds like you sell drugs. If you name your restaurant that, you’ll be attracting the wrong type of clientele. Although, if a stoner accidentally walks in, maybe you’ll get some business from the munchies.” Lacey cringes at the realization and nods. “Hey, you think I could sell some cookies at your bookstore? Maybe, it can help drum up some business,” Lacey suggests. 

“I don’t see why it would be an issue. Let me just read up on the regulations on it just in case we need a special license or something, but it’s such a cute idea. I can get one of those rollie carts and call it the Cookie Cart. Ooh, maybe I can give a free bookmark with each purchase of a cookie.”

“That’s a great idea. Then I could offer the same thing when someone buys a certain thing at the restaurant. Like, get a ten percent coupon for the bookstore. How do you feel about being a dinner special?” 

“Ahh, I love this idea. We are just two business girlies supporting each other. Soon, well, be girl bosses dominating the world.”

“Uhh, excuse me. Last time I checked, you were already a girl boss, who dominates the world. I mean In The Shadows has been in The New York Times Best Sellers for fifty-two weeks, now. You went on an international book tour for your debut book and you are writing the much-anticipated sequel as we speak. You made it, girl.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t discount your achievements though. You literally worked at a Michelin-star restaurant and graduated top of your class at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Now, you are opening your own restaurant at twenty-three.” 

The girls laugh at the little spiel they went on about being proud of their achievement and return to the paperwork they were going through for each of their respective businesses. In the five years since graduating high school, Y/N graduated from Oxford at twenty-one, but not before signing a deal with a major publisher for her book. A year later, her book is on the best sellers list and she is whisked away all over the world to promote it. She does recognize that her success may in part have to do with her mother and considered writing under a pseudonym, but decides against it when she realizes it wouldn’t really do anything. Using a fake name would mean she wouldn’t be able to make an in-person appearance out of concern for being recognized. It’s not exactly like her face has been hidden from her mother’s social media page. She really wants to have those moments to connect physically with her fans.

 On the other hand, Lacey had gone to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu, and then quickly got a job at the Michelin-star restaurant. She decided to quit her job there so that she could open up her own restaurant. 

——

Y/N has no clue where she is going. Mason had just told her to get dressed nicely and to get in the car. She couldn’t get a question out, so she followed his instructions and got changed. She put on tan-coloured pants and a light pink balloon-sleeved satin blouse. She wore a black belt with a gold buckle and golden jewellery to pull the outfit together. Y/N sulked as she walked to Mason’s car. Her pestering as to where they were going went unanswered. When she sees where he stops the car, she wants to literally jump out of the car and run home. “Why did you bring me here, Mace?”

“It’s their engagement party today. I wasn’t planning on bringing you, but Blythe called and she literally begged me to bring you today. She knows how much you meant to Rafe and wants to get to know you more. She hopes, maybe even, that you guys can make up.” 

Y/N gives Mason a questioning look, “She wants her fiancé to get along again with his ex-girlfriend?” Mason nods and gently moves to bring his sister inside. “Blythe is a sweet girl and she really loves Rafe. She feels secu-.” Realizing that what he was about to say may have made his sister feel bad, he quickly switches to a different path. “Blythe is really friendly. She makes it her mission to help mend broken relationships. Rafe told me that she got two girls who were best friends when they were younger to make up after they got into a two-year fight over a boy. Can you just go in? You don’t have to talk to anyone and I literally brought you a book.” Y/N isn’t too excited about going to her ex-boyfriend’s engagement party, but she does as her brother asks. 

The twins enter Tannyhill together and are immediately given each a hug from the excited bride-to-be. “Ahh, and in comes the best man. You are only a tiny bit late, Mace. Y/N, I’m so glad you decided to come. I just know you and Rafe will make up in a jiffy.” Y/N gives an awkward smile, “Yeah, I totally chose to be here voluntarily.” Mason discretely elbows his sister in the stomach with a smile on his face. Play nice, the action signified. Blythe doesn’t seem to sense the sarcasm in Y/N’s words and turns towards Mason. “We are going to take the wedding party pictures now. Come on,” Blythe orders, taking Mason’s hand and dragging him away. “Rafe, say hello to Y/N.”

Y/N hadn’t noticed that Rafe had been standing at the main entrance too. Blythe has a way of holding everyone’s attention in a room. He had been standing there quietly observing the greetings. He quickly murmurs a hello then goes off after Blythe before Y/N can return it. She isn’t sure what to do and seeing as the only people she knows at the party are groomsmen, she goes upstairs to read on the balcony. She knows she probably shouldn’t be up there, but the balcony was guest free and she really didn’t want to explain who she was to anyone else. 

The broken silence from the front yard causes her to look up from the book. She silently watches as it appears the party is being moved outside. Rafe’s arm is wrapped around Blythe’s waist as she makes a speech thanking everyone for being there. Once she is done talking, Rafe follows her around whilst she talks from guest to guest. Rafe and the older lady listen to something Blythe says and they both laugh their heads off. This is why Y/N had to break up with Rafe. She could never be the social butterfly that matched his need to be around people. She could never fake pleasant conversations with people she doesn’t know. She would never want any of the traditional things associated with a wedding. And Rafe deserves all of that. Watching Blythe be all of those things for him cements the idea into Y/N’s mind that she did the right thing for him. He was able to move on and thrive with someone much more like him. With someone who didn’t hold him back. 

“Why does it not surprise me that you are up here?” A voice breaks the silence. Y/N turns to see a much older Wheezie at the door of the balcony. “OMG, Wheez. Look how big you’ve gotten. You are such a dignified young woman. Are you driving yet?” Wheezie moves herself to go sit beside Y/N, “Thank you, but I only seem to have gotten bigger because you haven’t seen me in five years. And I am driving. Rafe and Sarah are too scared to be in a car with me though. Blythe lets me drive her but I think only because she wants brownie points with me.”

“It’s still nice of her though. Do you like her?”

“Yeah, but you would let me drive you because you believe in my driving. Not because you want me to like you. You bribed me with cookies for that. She does it because she wants me to like her. She’s nice, though. But you know, she doesn’t make Rafe’s eyes twinkle as much as you do.”

“Louisa, you can’t keep comparing me to her. She’s the one marrying your brother.”

“And you are the one who still has a tighter hold on his heart even if he won’t admit it. You know I’m still angry at you for breaking up with him in the first place. But I missed you too much to be mad at you right now.”

“You gotta stop saying that. And I know you are mad. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have iced you guys out like that. I’m back now though and you can tell me all about your high school experience.”

“Yeah, yeah. We can talk about that later. Right now, I want you to sign my book.”

“You read my book?”

“Of course I did. You tell the best stories. You know Damian is an interesting character.” 

“He is, isn’t he? Don’t you just love a good demon love interest?”

“Yeah, that’s totally why I find him interesting…” 

Y/N doesn’t comment on Wheezie’s crypticness and follows the girl to her bedroom where the book sits. She signs the book and is dragged back downstairs to the party by the younger girl. Wheezie promises to come back and darts off to who knows where. Y/N is left alone in the kitchen she once used to make dessert cookies for her first date with Rafe. She resorts back to reading her book on the kitchen island. The sound of someone entering the kitchen causes her to look up from her book. Rafe is at the entryway staring at her with a scowl. “Where did you run off to, Y/L/N?”  

“I was upstairs on the balcony, reading.”

“You know, typically guests aren’t allowed upstairs during a party.”

“Wheezie didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”

“Yeah, well, she worships the ground you walk on so she isn’t exactly a non-biased host.” 

They stare each other down for a few seconds in silence before Y/N decides to break it. 

“You told me you wanted to get married at twenty-five.”

“And you told me that you wanted to be with me forever. I guess we are both pretty good at changing our life plan without telling the other.” 

“Haha, such a good retort. You really thought that would hurt me, Rafe?” Her words are only half true. The reminder of the choice she made stings a lot if she were to be honest, but she wasn’t about to admit that. Rafe just shakes his head and pushes past her to get to the fridge. He gets a drink out of it, “Whatever, I don’t have time to deal with this.” On his way out of the kitchen, he accidentally brushes her arm with his elbow and the scent of sea breeze and pool overwhelms her. The fact that he still smells the same after all these years causes her breath to hitch and tears to start to swell in her eyes. Rafe wants to pretend like he doesn’t see it. He wants to pretend like he doesn’t care, so he does. Now, she is left alone in the kitchen, wondering where the hell Wheezie went. 

Y/N goes in search of the younger girl, but it seems to be like playing a game of Where’s Waldo with the amount of other people in the house. Somehow, Y/N always seems to find herself in the same room as Rafe and it doesn’t go unnoticed by her that every time he spots her, he moves to another room. He’s avoiding her and she obviously understands why he would. Eventually, she gives up on finding Wheezie, but she soon regrets staying in the now-empty backyard. Because Ward Cameron is quick to make his presence known to the girl. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you here.” Y/N looks at Ward with critical eyes, it’s not every day she sees the human embodiment of her insecurities in person. Her hands go to hold her locket and plays with it between her fingers. 

“I’m not here out of my free will. The bride wanted me here and what the bride wants, she gets.”

“Ahh, yes. Blythe,” Ward begins, they both look at Rafe and Blythe through the window. “Isn’t she a much better fit for him? She went to UNC with him. She moved to the OBX for him. Look at everything she sacrificed for him.” Y/N watches as Blythe and Rafe interact with the guests of the party. She can’t listen to Ward’s insistent belittling of her, so she does what Rafe would argue she does best and runs away from Tannyhill. She runs as fast as she can back home without a care for her tired limbs. Once safely in the sanctuary of her room, she slams her back against her door and starts crying. She doesn’t know why she is; she’s over Rafe. She let him go, but something about Ward poking holes at all of her insecurities brought back some complicated feelings she always seems to want to repress. 

——

Rafe had seen Ward talking to Y/N through the glass and he watched confused as she ran off after something his father said. He had no idea what Ward said but he was sure as hell going to find out. The engagement party has finally come to an end. Rose and Blythe went out to do some wedding shopping, while Sarah and Wheezie went to go do sister things, leaving Rafe the perfect opportunity to interrogate Ward. “What did you say to my ex-girlfriend?” Ward turns toward his son in his desk chair, “Nothing she hasn’t already heard before. What does it matter? As far as I know, you didn’t want anything to do with her.” Rafe shakes his head at his dad’s callousness. “Really, Dad? Even after we’ve been broken up for five years, you still find a way to torment her,” Rafe argues. 

Ward gives a questioning tilt of his head towards his father, “She broke up with you. How could you still care for you?” “She may have made the decision to break up with me and I will always be angry at her for that. But I’m not oblivious enough to think you were a harmless observer in Y/N and mine’s relationship,” Rafe begins. “I know you probably said some things to her that set our break up into motion. I want to make something clear, Dad. Even if we are broken up, I don’t want you to get your claws into Y/N’s head ever again. She doesn’t deserve it no matter how much she hurt me.” Rafe finishes his threat and gets up from the chair he sits upon. He storms out of Ward’s office without another word. 

Taglist: @sublimepenguinpeach-blog @gillybear17 @f4ll-for-you @winterrrnight @maggiecc

[shankschewtoy]

Please only do if you want to, but I loved the imitating your SO a bit too much and I’m a shit stirrer. What would the other guys from One Piece do if you were imitating them? 👀

a/n - dw I’m gonna cause as much trouble as I can for you lmao- and I’m assuming ace is a good choice because of your pfp 👀 tysm for requesting! (I’m so sorry if I didn’t end up writing the character you wanted originally 😭)

Warnings ⚠️ - not proofread, g/n reader

Mocking Ace + Corazon + Luffy

Ace

- this boy is a really sweet guy! All he wants is for you to be safe and sound :)

- being the s/o of fire fist ace was pretty cool other than the fact that whenever you cuddled with him- you’d get pretty hot quickly lmao

- he gets sad whenever you have to take a break from cuddling him and turn the ac on in the summer 🥺

- “y/n come back-“

- “ace you’re really warm.. I’ll be back in five minutes ok?”

- “🥺 I need cuddles though.”

- you had to slightly laugh at your boyfriend’s cute little sad face he made

- “I need cuddles tho-“ you said, trying to make the same puppy dog eyes he was making

- I think you made him cry.

- … I’m not in a shit stirring mood anymore bec these characters are rlly sweet and soft 😭

- you even imitated his voice just to poke fun and tease his little needy self

- You didn’t expect to make him feel bad and sulk while hugging a pillow- !

- he turned away from you and silently just- (broke down) inside while cuddling a cold pillow which he thought was a poor replacement of your cuddles

- the poor boy was so hurt by your actions, and you didn’t even mean for it to be that way 😭

- you had to apologize and give him plenty of hugs and kisses to get this golden retriever energy boy back on his feet lol

- “Ace it was a joke- I’m sorry! I love your cuddles-“ You tried to say, wrapping your arms around the man, cupping his cheeks in your hands

- “… I don’t make that face.” He mentioned softly, burying his head in your chest like a little baby needing attention

- “Pft- you do through.”

- “do not.”

- “do too.”

- “… do not.”

Corazon

- this man is the definition of a gentle giant :)

- 9’7 (ty @ewfilthymundane for telling me cuz I thought this man was 6’0 for the longest time-) and all he needs is you 🥺

- The problem with being so large is that sometimes he can suffocate you when he lays on top of you while hugging your torso

- So maybe it’s better for you to lay on top of him instead of the other way lmao

- but you still let him cuddle you because his cuddles are the best ✨

- he sometimes works for days on end, so when he returns, he literally just- collapses into you like a pile of mush 😭

- you’re on the sofa, and he just- bleh

- “Rosi, welcome home..” you said, kissing his forehead, ruffling his fluffy blonde hair

- man was kinda drowsy- so he looked a bit hazey

- “Mmm.. thank you baby..” His arms subconsciously just wrapped around you, his legs curling up underneath yours

- he was snuggling closer to you as you were just watching some tv, but you decided to poke some fun (bec yes. Shit stirring mood)

- you grabbed his old beanie, putting it on your head and quickly trying to put on the lipstick without your sleepy boyfriend noticing

- (this is at a time when he’s a marine now :)

- “What are you doing y/n?..” He asked drowsily, slightly opening his eyes to check what all the commotion was about

- His eyes immediately widened when he saw your whole new look

- “Silent.” You said, snapping your fingers like he would always do

- man was shook

- but also extremely confused because when he’s tired like this, his brain isn’t functioning lmao

- “wh- why are you wearing my beanie…?”

- “You don’t like it??”

- “No-! It looks good on you- but why are you- wait. WAS THAT ME YOU WERE IMPERSONATING?!”

- … Cora 💀

- “YES YOU-“

- cut him some slack lmao he sets his shoulder on fire everyday

- man was shook x10

- omg he was actually kind of scared, and embarrassed 😭

- “Y/n- please don’t impersonate me..”

- “Why?? You’re so cute!”

- You pinched his cheeks together, and it made him feel a bit better that you thought of him that way :)

- I mean he still didn’t enjoy being impersonated but- you ended up giving him kisses later with his lipstick on lmao

Luffy

- you dare to try and impersonate the absolute KING of impressions?!

- nah nah nah hold up

- “GOMU GOMU NOOOOOO!” You shouted, throwing your fists forward in front of Nami and Chopper

- “HAHA! You sound just like him!” Nami cackled, struggling to breathe

- it was like Luffy SMELLED the mocking going on like- he was there in front of you guys within seconds

- “Y/n. Was that me??”

- “Yes Luffy, who else says that.”

- “You’re the one who’s always telling me not to jump into the ocean! dOn’T jUmP inTo tHe oCeAn! YoU aTe a dEvIl fRuIt aNd CaN’T sWim-!” He said, trying to imitate your voice and movements

- you were offended

- “YOU’RE THE ONE OBSESSED WITH MEAT!”

- “YOU TELL ME IM DUMB ALL THE TIME!”

- “BECAUSE YOU ALMOST ACCIDENTALLY ATE CHOPPER!”

- “… Nami- will they stop?”

- “Once Sanji makes dinner they’ll settle down.”

- “I KNOW WHAT READING IS Y/N I’M NOT STUPID!”

- “OI! Dinner!” -Sanji

- “… I’ll race you!” -Luffy speeds to the kitchen like a madman

- god he was a handful. But you love him 😭

- “see? all Luffy needs is food.” -Nami

a/n - hehe these were funny 😭

<3

[winter-leftovers]

Til The End Of Eternity || Chapter ten: Relics (10/?)

(Douxie Casperan x f!reader)

Summary: Y/n is trying to figure her life out but is going to be hard since her brother is the new trollhunter and she is plagued by dreams and feelings she doesn’t understand.

Chapter Summary: Jim learns about her sister’s secret. Y/n gets a book and a suprise.

Word count: 2838

Warnings: no

(Season 1 Episode 18,19 )

Song?: Little talks by Of Monsters and Men// Kindly Calm Me Down by Meghan Trainor

Previous - Next

Masterlist

Y/n was laying down on the couch watching tv when the feeling caught her. A shiver ran through her spine. Her heart felt hollow. She sat down on the couch with her feet on the ground trying to shake the vertigo she was suddenly feeling.

She looked down at the ground but the carpet was no longer there, instead, there was tall grass hiding her boots, boots that she didn’t remember putting on.

She was walking to the edge of the cliff, to a man wearing heavy armor that was kneeling at the edge looking down at the sea.

“What have you done?” Her own scream shook her bones. She ran to the edge, trying to prove herself wrong. She looked down but the body was already being washed by the sea. The image made her anger start to boil inside of her.

“What have you done?” She whispered not taking her eyes from the water. The violent waves imitated the turbulence of her heart.

Her legs quickly gave out. She felt like someone was reaching through her chest and ripping her heart.

“No” a broken sob escaped her lips.

She stretched her hand down towards the ocean like it would return what she lost, like it would fill back the hole where her heart used to be.

The voices of her brother and friends started to fill the room, bringing back Y/n from her haze. The carpet was under her feet again but so was the grief and a cold space next to her.

The trollhunters were returning triumphant from their second quest with the second Triumbric Stone.

“Y/n you won’t believe what happened!!” Toby screamed.

Y/n turned to them. She couldn’t see well, her view was blurry. She could recognise each of them by their clothes, their voices. She was dizzy like she had just stepped out of the most violent rollercoaster.

Toby gave a nudge to Claire and she slowly took out a stick that looked like stone.

“Y/n, are you alright?” her brother asked after noticing the pain on his sister’s face.

She nodded with a smile and got closer to see what the teenagers were showing her. What Y/n believed to be a long piece of stone opened into something longer, a gray staff made of quartz taller than her.

Something in Y/n shifted. Her vision was blurry but she could see the staff clear as day. The dark quartz shining with purple reflects, the handle made of black stone.

“The shadow staff” her raspy voice was full of anger, of grief “How did you get this?” She said louder.

She didn’t understand a word of her brother's explanation, just one name, Angor Rot.

“He shouldn’t have this. You shouldn’t have this” She laughed incredulously “Why’d he had this? It’s her’s” Y/n screamed and took the staff from Claire’s hand.

The grief she felt during her vision grew. She felt the tears fall to the ground. She couldn’t see, the pain had made everything dark.

“Sorry, sister” a woman whispered, making Y/n drop the staff and fell to her knees letting out a guttural scream.

—

The heavy darkness became a warm soft orange light. In the tall ceiling, Y/n could see the shadows dance and for a moment, no grief existed. But the moment was cut short by the sounds of glass clinking, the heaviness returning to her chest.

“Ah, I see you’re awake” Vendel walked to the head of the stone bed “ Do you know where you are?”

Y/n nodded sitting up.

“TrollMarket” it hurted to talk.

“Do you know who you are?”

“Do you know what you are, Y/n?” A woman’s voice screamed at her.

Y/n knew it was just Vendel and her. She knew the voice came from inside her brain.

“Y/n Lake”

Vendel nodded.

“Do you remember what happened last night?”

She knew. She could see clearly now, see the confusion, the fear on everyone’s eyes, on her brother’s eyes. She also remembered the anger, the sadness, the hot tears in her eyes, her mind chanting ‘She died. He killed her’.

“Yes” she said between tears.

“You’ve been under a spell” Vendel explained “There’s a barrier in your head dividing your memories, between who you are and who you were” with his finger he drew a line in the air.

“I know” Y/n took her hand to her throat.

“You know?” Vendel shifted his cane to his right hand. He was surprised.

Y/n nodded.

The troll was about to ask another question when a loud meow erupted from TrollMarket.

“Alfred, no!” She heard Jim running but the cat was faster.

Al ran to Y/n’s lap and started to rub their faces together. He was relieved.

“I see” said Vendel.

Jim stopped by the entrance. His eyes focussed on her sister.

Y/n felt the shame rise. She was afraid. What if Jim was mad at her for keeping a secret and almost hurting his friends?

“Y/n” Jim ran to her sister, hugging her with all his strength.

Y/n was confused she was prepared for Jim anger, but not this.

“Jim” she caressed his head, brushing his hair with her fingers.

Her brother held her even tighter in response “I’m sorry” he said.

“No, you shouldn’t be sorry. I’m sorry, Jim. Last night was scary and I should’ve…”

Jim shook his head.

“It’s my fault. I dragged you into this…”

“Jim, is okay. This was going to happen even if I didn’t knew you are the trollhunter”

Jim lifted his head from Y/n’s side.

“She is right” Vendel interrupted “The spell has a expiration date. Even if you didn’t told her she would have this reactions to the reminders of her past life”

“So, it wasn’t my fault?” Al peeked his head from between the siblings.

“Woah” Jim jumped back “He talked”

Y/n laughed.

“No, it’s not your fault” Vendel said.

“He talked. How can he do that?” Jim pointed to Al.

“Yes, I did. I’m Y/n familiar” Al sat at Jim’s feet.

“Familiar?”

“Is like a wizard assistant” Vendel explained.

“Wizard?” Jim’s eyes shifted between Alfred and Y/n.

Y/n smiled. She was still just as confused as Jim.

“So the red light, that was you and not the staff?” Jim asked remembering the night before.

Y/n looked at Vendel with her eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes. Y/n used to be a powerful wizard”

“What?” The siblings said at the same time.

“I don’t think we should push anymore, Vendel” cautioned Alfred.

“I think we should work to make the barrier fall. After all, having Y/n next to the trollhunter may be of great help” The troll looked at Y/n “I could try help to return to who you were in exchange of your help against Gunmar”

“Of course” Y/n answered immediately. There was nothing to discuss, she was going to help magic or not magic.

“That’s settled then. I’ll see you tomorrow”

“I’ll see you tomorrow” Y/n smiled and left with Jim and Alfred.

“Y/n, are you sure?” Al asked once they were far enough from Vendel.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Al didn’t answer.

“So, you can do magic?” Jim asked.

“Yes, I mean, I only tried moving stuff”

“Awesome” Jim said “that’s so cool”

They laughed.

The walk was cut short by a scream.

“Y/n!” It was Toby.

Y/n turned around and was tackled by the younger boy.

“Oh god, I’m glad you’re okay” he held her tight “I was so worried”

Y/n chuckled, reciprocating the hug.

“I’m sorry, Tobes. I didn’t mean to scare you” Y/n said through the pain in her throat.

“I’m glad you’re okay too” Claire said. Her eyes fixated on the ground.

Y/n lifted a hand from Toby’s back and grabbed Claire’s hand with a smile. The girl lifted her eyes.

“Thank you” Y/n mouthed.

Claire smiled back.

—

Y/n was browsing the back of Douxie’s bookstore. Those last bookshelf that no one ever looks at.

She had never heard of some the books and that didn’t surprise her. What did surprise her was the top shelf. The first three books didn’t have its title written on it, they looked old, worn, loved. The three that followed were a couple of her favorite books, books that she had loved with all her heart. They were old, even the most recently published seemed loved.

Y/n stroked the spine of all the books in the row, her finger stopping on a small red book, like the first three, it was old and didn’t have the title written on the spine. Y/n grabbed it. It didn’t have the title written anywhere. She traced the golden details but before she could open it, Douxie came looking for her.

“Hey, love” he said after a customer closed the door.

Y/n smiled.

Douxie and her had been taking things slow. After their talk they’d hang out a couple times a week until Y/n got “sick” after the shadow staff episode, then they started hanging out every day.

One afternoon, Douxie called Y/n after she left several texts unanswered and Barbara answered. She told him about Y/n “sickness” so he stopped by. He sat at the foot of the bed and talked with her. At first it was just him doing the talking. He would tell her about the rude customers, about that old lady that went to the library with her dog and how Archie almost got his tail bitten but mostly he would talk about music. Douxie would show her his new favorite song and the new songs he had written.

By the time Y/n got her voice back they would sit side by side at the head of her twin bed with Alfred between their legs. Y/n enjoyed Douxie presence. She found comfort in the small domesticity he had created

“There’s something about him” she told her mother over tea one night after Douxie left for his shift at Benoit’s when her mother commented on Y/n and Douxie’s relationship.

Douxie had caught her staring a couple times during one of their lazy afternoons. She would look at him. Just observe him. She would follow the bridge of his nose with her eyes, having to stop his fingers from doing the job. She would imagine how his soft disheveled black and blue hair would feel between her fingers.

Y/n tried to engrain every little detail into her head. How his eyes would close when he smiled, how he would mindlessly scratch Al’s head, how he hums while making any task, how he knew how to make tea the way she liked, how he would scratch his head when he was nervous. She tried to embroider his little actions into her brain because a voice deep in her heart would remind her how easy it was to forget.

“But how could I forget those hazel eyes?” She would ask but the voice wouldn’t answer.

“Doux” Y/n turned around with the book in her arms.

“What’d you have there?” He furrowed his brow.

“Ummh…I don’t know” she gave him the book “Sorry, I was shamelessly snooping”

He chuckled and took the book from Y/n’s hands. When the book left her hands a piece of paper fell to the ground.

“It’s okay” Douxie smiled “You can do anything you want”

Y/n crouched down and opened the folded piece of paper. It was a music sheet. The paper was really old. Y/n was afraid to touch it too much and break it. The ink where the title was written was smudged but she recognised the piece instantly.

“Oh, I really like this one” she whispered to herself.

“You know it?” Douxie asked.

“Yeah, it’s my…” Y/n brows furrowed.

“It’s my sister’s favorite” almost fell from her mouth.

She shook her head.

“Well…It’s not really my favorite but I really like it” she corrected.

For a moment, Y/n thought about the incident that happened the other day. Thought about the sadness that the shadow staff would bring every time she would look at it and, most important, what that voice had whispered to her ‘Sorry, sister’. Could it be that she left someone so important behind that now they were trying to claw their way out of the exile of her memories?

Y/n gave the paper back to Douxie.

“I would like to hear you play it sometime” He smiled.

“Sure” Y/n smiled back, her cheeks slightly red.

Douxie looked the book on his hands for a second and looked back to Y/n and said:

“You know, this is a really good anthology. It could be really good to start reading again. Would you like to check it out?”

Y/n smile grew. She had told him she wanted to start to read for pleasure again when she found out that he worked on a library. She couldn’t believe he remembered that.

“Yes” She took the book and started walking to the couch but before she sat down she retraced her steps and stood in front of Douxie once again.

“Thanks” she kissed his cheek.

Douxie smiled, his cheeks turning crimson the moment her lips touched him.

Y/n carefully flipped through the yellow pages, inspecting the small letter and finding some illustrations but what surprised her the most was a short note on the last page: ‘I’m so sorry about your book. I hope you love this version too. —H.C”

Y/n smiled at the relic in her hands and wondered if the previous owner of the book loved it as the one they lost and if they ever forgive H.C. She stood up to go to Douxie and ask him but before she could her phone rang. It was her alarm reminding her about her appointment with Vendel.

In the last week, Vendel believed he had made some progress on Y/n spell but she wasn’t so sure. The visions she’s been having disappeared and her nightmares too but no memories appeared. And for a moment, she thought her lack of nightmares were a good thing but she quickly found herself missing them too. She missed the people inside her dreams: the tall man that would walk with his hands behind his back, the woman that was always too far off her reach and that soft blue light that seemed to follow her everywhere.

She found the hole in her chest growing and could only be ignored when she wasn’t alone but she wasn’t sure how much she could be this clingy with the people she loved.

“Hey, Doux. I have to go” She grabbed her purse and walked to the registry.

“Oh, okay “ For a moment Y/n thought she saw him deflated “I’ll guess I’ll be seeing you soon”

She laughed.

“I’ve actually been seeing you a lot this week” he chuckled.

Y/n smile fell. Maybe her fear was becoming true.

“Yeah, bye” she faked a smile and started to walk to TrollMarket.

Her mind repeated her last week with Douxie. Maybe it was too much.

—

“So how are you feeling?” Vendel asked while he tinkered with some vials.

“Fine” Y/n answered from her place at the bed made of stone.

They had the same routine for the last couple days. He would ask how she was and she would say ‘fine’. She wasn’t lying, she was fine, just fine. She hadn’t remembered anything yet. She had hoped that by now, at least, a small memory would’ve returned.

“Still no memories, huh?” He kept working with the vials.

“No” she saw him stop moving for a second but he kept doing what he was doing.

“Have patience. It’s a process” he turned to her, knocking a vial with his elbow.

“Careful!” She stretched her hands from her seat on the other side of the room.

Vendel didn’t took his eyes from Y/n, smiling proudly when he saw her shocked face.

The glass vile was floating four centimetres from the floor, a faint scarlet light surrounding it.

“Put it back on the table” Vendel asked.

With a small movement of her fingers she put the vial back on the table.

“I can’t believe it “ she looked at the palm of her hands.

“I told you to be patient” he got closer to her.

Y/n looked around the room. Everything seemed different. She recognised the stones around her, she could name most of the stuff inside the vials, she could even read the book in trollish that was next to her with ease.

“Thank you” she smiled and hugged Vendel.

The troll went stiff when she touched him, making her back up.

“Sorry” she chuckled.

“It’s okay, Y/n” he patted her shoulder making a small streak of electricity run through it.

A/n: i really like this one for some reason ☺️ in the next post I’ll be uploading the playlist!!!

[marlynnofmany]

Double Duty

It’s a rare day when I have to squint at the sight of a house, but this one was shiny. A giant ball woven out of the brightest metal wires I’d seen in a while, all gold and copper in complex patterns. It made my head hurt to look at. Probably imitation metals, because surely that would be impractical and expensive to use actual gold. But what did I know? Not my species.

I squinted as I walked up with the package, wondering if that was rude of me. My little human eyes probably always looked like I was squinting though, compared to the big bug eyes of the Mesmer who lived there.

And the one walking beside me. Zhee was nodding quietly to himself while he took in the sight, with his vibrant purple praying-mantis exoskeleton looking right at home. If I hadn’t known that one of his people lived here, somehow I feel like I would have guessed. It was flashy in the extreme.

And so was the walkway, a glittering stripe of vivid red that curved through a garden full of alien flowers that probably didn’t bite. I didn’t like the looks of the local butterfly analogues, though; they had stingers I could see from here. I was glad they were keeping their distance.

Zhee reached the door first — a solid slab of bronze with an inlaid galaxy of gemstones, naturally — and he found the doorbell while I ducked under another butterfly. The chime was a brief melody from an instrument I couldn’t identify. It sounded like a violin invented by people whose earliest music was made by rubbing their legs together.

The door pulled inward and slid to the side, showcasing the homeowner who must have been waiting right there for us. Up close, the side of the house had window space visible between the weave, ideal for peeking out but not being seen until you were ready for your close-up.

“Good greetings!” announced the Mesmer woman who towered over both of us, a spectacle of metallic rose-gold coloring. Surely that couldn’t be natural. I’d never seen a Mesmer yet with metal tones; this had to be like full-body nail polish. But I sure as heck wasn’t about to say a peep about it now. I’d ask Zhee later.

“Greetings,” Zhee returned, urging me forward. “Your package.”

I handed it over, wondering if I’d get to see how the thing opened. It was one of the plastic puzzle box dealies that had been a popular way to ship valuables lately. There was one button on top and no visible seams.

Even with that thought, I was surprised when she grabbed it with her pincher arms, kicked a side table into view with one leg, then set it down and tapped out a rhythm on the button. The box split open to dramatically reveal the custom stained-glass lamp that we’d delivered in perfect condition, thankyouverymuch.

“Exquisite,” she said, holding it up to let the light shine through all the aquas and teals. “Just what the blue room needs.” She looked at us. “I have one of each color, you know.”

Zhee nodded like that was normal and admirable. “Excellent.” He held out the electronic payment pad without being so gauche as to mention it out loud, and the customer chattered away about her house as she set down the lamp and paid.

“…The yellow room was the biggest hassle, of course, but I’m most pleased with the rainbow room. I have art, rare plants and a few select exotic animals in there. Those have been a different type of challenge, especially the new one.”

That caught my attention. As I was wondering how best to ask what kind of animals she kept, Zhee beat me to it.

“Animals, you say?” He gestured theatrically toward me. “Robin is an expert in animal care, if you need a consult.”

I turned my head to stare at him with my best what-did-you-just-volunteer-me-for expression, which he could certainly see, given those eyes’ range of vision. He didn’t react.

“I would appreciate a look, now that you mention it,” the large alien said. “My prize oil-slick tentacle has stopped eating, and has begun shaking in a strange way when I get near.”

Zhee immediately haggled for a consultation fee while I wracked my brain for any knowledge of this alien whatsit. I was going to have words with Zhee afterward.

But apparently I was going to look at this thing first. The customer agreed to the price, payable afterward, and led us both into the house. It was just as multicolored as expected. Like each room had been given to a different child to design, with the instructions to use as many expensive jewel tones as possible.

The rainbow room was actually a relief, surprisingly enough. There were darker accents to make the furniture and murals stand out. And the various terrariums were clear glass. I looked between feathers and shells and flowers for anything that could be described as a tentacle.

“It’s over here,” she said, leading me toward a glass case under a spotlight. “I haven’t had it very long, but it was eating before, and I just don’t know why. The medi-scanner says it’s not ill. Perhaps I need a new scanner. What do you think?”

Feeling like the spotlight was aimed directly at me, I stepped up for a look at the thing curled up in the corner. It was, as expected, iridescent like an oil slick. But those scales were familiar.

I moved around it to get a look at the head, then smiled and stood up straight. “That’s a sunbeam snake! My favorite kind!”

“Okay, but what’s wrong with it?” the alien woman asked. “When I give it food, it hisses at me and shudders!” She waggled a pincher arm in imitation.

“It’s trying to scare you away,” I said. “They shake their tails like rattlesnakes do, though they don’t have rattles or venom.”

“Well, I don’t know about all that,” she said with a huff. “Why is it doing that? I’ve been more than kind to it!”

“I’m afraid you’ve given it nowhere to hide,” I explained gently, spreading my hands at the tank with a black floor and only a small water dish in the center. Little blobs of meat littered the area. Images of plants had been painted into the corners, but that did less than nothing to help a burrowing animal. “This type of snake needs several inches of plant life or loose soil to dig into. For one this size, I’d say at least this deep.” I held my hands six inches apart.

“It digs?” the customer asked. “They didn’t tell me that!”

“It spends most of its time hidden,” I said. “Or at least, it’s meant to. This one is extremely stressed by being out in the open like this.”

I was a little worried how she’d take the news, given that this was her prize specimen with all the lights aimed to showcase its rainbow scales. But to her credit, she listened while I suggested framing a good photo of the snake outside the tank, then only watching it during mealtime. Any visiting friends could be told how exotic and special the animal was, and how lucky they would be to even catch a glimpse of it.

“Yes,” she said, clearly thinking. “Yes, I can work with that. I’ll arrange for the adjustments to the enclosure. You said this much ground cover?” She held her pincher arms apart.

“Right, at least that much,” I agreed. “Ideally you’ll also want to bury a few things for enrichment, like rocks and bark and sections of tubing, and have a couple of those on the surface for it to hide under when it comes up for food.”

We ended up going into a different room where she could take notes, which did more to put me at ease about the snake’s future care. I waved at it as I left, wishing it well. I’d always liked sunbeams. Good thing I remembered the specifics of their care needs.

“You’ll also want a bigger water dish, so it can slither through it,” I said. “And the tank should be both warm and very humid…”

The customer took lots of notes while Zhee alternated between standing there looking smug and casting an appraising eye at the room’s gaudy features. This was the purple room, and he blended right in.

Finally we’d covered all the important points. Zhee tactfully brought out the payment pad again, then we strolled back to the front door.

“I will recommend your service to all of my friends,” the customer said as she closed up the lamp case. “Quality parcel delivery, with bonus animal care! That is hard to beat.”

“My pleasure,” I said honestly.

Zhee thanked her as well, and we exited into the garden. Zhee was still looking smug as the door closed behind us. “I am very glad I spoke up.”

I shook my head with a rueful smile. “I’m glad it was an animal I’m actually familiar with, not some independently crawling tentacle.”

“Those do exist, you know.”

I let out a deep sigh. “Of course they do. Guess I’d better do some research in case she does tell all her friends.”

Zhee strode forward with pride. “It will be good business! Captain Sunlight will be pleased.”

“It’ll be interesting, that’s for sure.” I thought of the crewmates who had tentacles of their own. “Mur will probably think it’s funny.”

“Oh, he’ll think it’s terrifying. The mobile tentacles are from his planet; they’re a venomous parasite.”

“Of course they are. Remind me to bring gloves on our next delivery, just in case.”

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come!

[amyriadfthings]

So, this post happened, and then this, so then I thought okay why not, then I went out to vote, and then this little thing happened @brindlelogs

The candle on his desk went out unceremoniously after rousing him with its violent flickering.

Alfred Hillinghead adjusted his glasses and got up to stretch his aching joints and find another stump in Charlotte´s dwindling supply in the kitchen. He groaned from limbs that had gone stiff and realization that age was happening to him whether he agreed to it or not.

It´s not that he had dozed off exactly; his eyes had just gone unfocused after staring at latin terms and intricate illustrations for too long, and the flame not only jolted him back to reality, but also returned with it a helpful, neverending loop of „H e n r y“ riding a merry-go-round in his head.

Whenever he stopped to think at any point in the last 48 hours they were the only letters his brain seemed to want to string together, so he did what he could to populate it instead with any information he could find on South American butterflies exhibited in private or public collections in London over the last six years.

Back by his chair, he lit the new candle and shuffled the leaflets of various entomological associations that were strewn across his desk. He hoped one of them would hold a clue that could save his partner before he could get himself into a situation he could not get out of (because Alfred wasn´t there with him, and Henry was always so damn reckless).

He never knew London had so many passionate butterfly collectors.

But then again, teaming up with Henry was inevitably going to deliver surprises and revelations of all kinds. It´s what made him feel alive more than anything these days. That and Henry´s hands on his skin. (No, he chided himself. He must not think of that now. Nor his hands on Henry´s strong body willingly, eagerly arching up to him, fond eyes never leaving him, soft lips inviting him in, always ready to receive him… no.)

Alfred jumped up again this time, so vivid was the image in his mind. So warm Henry´s skin in his memory as if it were life and not mere thoughts he was conjuring up. He was suddenly enveloped by a need so mighty that it took his breath away and made him clutch at his waistcoat. His whole body seemed to miss Henry, after only two days. And no contact for another one at least.

Another issue was the steady stream of Henry´s voice that was gone from his ear, but not his mind.

He could hear Henry tease him, how unable to keep his focus Mr. Detective Inspector appeared to be. He´d probably even ruffle his hair, Alfred thought, which would earn him his best glare (his own hand going up to the side of his head without thinking, to imitate Henry´s touch), but that would only widen Henry´s grin and he might ask what could possibly be distracting him from his oh-so important work. He might even sit on Alfred´s armrest or...

Alfred´s cheeks began to burn when he looked down at his desk and thought back to how they had said a last urgent goodbye right on this very surface two and a half days ago, even though they had already done that and more extensively the night before.

A knock on the front door rushed him back to the present. It sounded hurried, but before Alfred could even leave the study, or wonder why the mysterious caller did not use the door bell, he heard the door open and close hastily, key turning, locking them in. The only one with a key besides Charlotte and Polly would be…

„Henry! What in the-,“ Alfred took two fast strides forward as a sodden Henry Ashe (his Henry) stumbled into the room (when had it started raining?), a cut along one eyebrow bleeding profusely down his face and staining his shirt (how long has he been bleeding??)

„Change of plans,“ Henry announced with a weak, self-deprecating smile, and winced as Alfred´s worried hands fluttered over him.

Finally, Alfred held Henry in place in front of him and closed his eyes for a second. „Alright. Sit down. Tell me everything. I´ll get the bandages.“

[maopaoo]

|~Rooftop~|jiwon & goo

ੈ✩‧₊˚- At this time they’re not in a relationship, just pure fluff and friendship

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

“I pray that I won’t have to meet you ever again”

“You know you don’t mean that.”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Jiwon struggled to comprehend how her actions had led to such an outcome—how did they end up becoming so... close?

It wasn't her intention at all. Yeah, sure, he had “saved” her from those bullies, but 1. She hadn’t asked him to, 2. She could’ve done something herself if he had not interjected himself into the situation, and 3. That just simply wasn't enough to make them friends, at least in her eyes. Different people different thoughts, since apparently good had a completely different view on what they were. No matter how much distance she tried to create between them, it only seemed to entice him further to stay by her side. She could hide all she wanted, skip school, skip class, not get out of her home for days at a time, it didn’t matter. Goo was always there in some way shape or form.

She didn’t understand why he insisted on being there even after making her intentions clear. They fought, bickered like cats and dogs, but that only seemed to make him want to stay closer. With every fight, every argument, it just spiraled into wanting more; he could easily overpower her and he knew that, yet he always insisted on sparring, leaving her battered each time. One would say that Jiwon was dumb for still engaging with him after everything, but there was something keeping her from pulling away. Besides, these beatings never came for free; she always received something in return—new clothes, food, jewelry, anything she might need, he provided it all. Where did he get so much money? Who knew. It was smarter to not ask and just take the ‘gifts’ silently.

Perhaps that's where she went wrong. She never rejected his offers, always taking his gifts without a word and remaining by his side for the rest of the day (or at least until he grew tired). It made sense on why he would think she didn’t mind his company, because even with how much she complained about his companionship in the past, she had grown to enjoy it. Even when she didn't speak to him, he made sure to yap her ear off with his constant bragging and stories. It was annoying initially, but she grew to appreciate the lack of silence in her life. She no longer had to worry about being bothered when he was by her side; she no longer had to worry about her lack of resources since he was always there to help her out. In a way, Jiwon was actually grateful for his company; however, that gratitude would never be expressed out loud, or at all.

A hand was quick to block her view, followed by the sound of his voice, “¡Hey! Are you even listening to me?” He was quick to snap her out of her thoughts, glancing over at him for a second before looking down at the street below them, “No.” The reply was curt, earning a sigh from the blonde. It wasn't unusual for the girl to ignore him, but sometimes it could get so annoying. He always tried so hard to interact with her, but she never appreciated his efforts! What a bitch! After everything he does for her and this is how she acts? It didn’t take long for her to go back into her own thoughts, tugging the scarf up to cover her mouth as the cold breeze hit her skin. Meanwhile, the blonde only stared, not daring to speak up. Why would he if she was just going to ignore him? He should just leave her to be in her solitude, that’s what she wanted right? If she wanted to rot by herself then he would let her

Except he wouldn’t

She had made it more than clear that his company was unwanted, which only made the idea of remaining by her side more attractive. No one would tell the Joongoo what to do! He imitated her action, looking down at the people walking below their feet. Both sat at the edge of the building, the cold breeze of the autumn season lowering their body temperatures. The atmosphere was oddly comforting, and in all honesty, it just made Goo’s exhaustion a lot more noticeable. He had a ‘long day’, or at least that’s what he says. His attempt of ranting to her about it had failed miserably, and his body was just begging for some rest. A low hum escaped his when an idea popped into his mind, switching positions and pressing his back against the floor while his head rested on her lap. He waited for a second, his eyes strictly focused on hers in order to catch her reaction. Unfortunately, or fortunately? She didn’t react much to his antics.

“What are you doing?” She asked, confusion apparent in her eyes.

“Sleeping” His reply was just as dry as the one she had given him earlier, she wanted to be petty and only give him one word answers? He would too! He can also be some emo broody teenager if he wished to.

“Move your head, or I'll throw you off the roof.” She wouldn't, she can't; it had gotten to the point that he might even be considered her friend even if she never outright said anything, and he knew that a little too well.

A smirk tugged at his lips, brushing off the threat and simply closing his eyes. “Whatever you say, Jiji,” She wouldn’t do that, she depended on him way too much! There was nothing else to do other than suck it up. Two seconds was all it took, his chest began rising and falling calmly, his lips slightly agape and his squeezed shut eyes softened. The warmth of her skin transferring to his, making the cold weather a lot more bearable. She couldn't be too bothered to move him, he must have been exhausted for him to be able to fall asleep so fast… or not, Its Goo, you never know what is normal for him.

Her hands took his glasses, slowly removing them from his face and carefully examining them. The thought of tossing them down quickly crossed her mind, but it was quickly brushed off just as fast. He would probably start something if she did so, and she was in no mood to fight him at the moment. After placing them on the concrete behind them, her gaze fell on the scenery ahead once more. It was best to let him enjoy the moment. After all, it would be the last memory he would have of her before she left without saying a word.

[beaniebeensbaby201]

MIDNIGHT SKY// JAY KELSO

A/n: This is also on my Wattpad along with my other imagines that are on here.

SUMMARY: Cassidy Whittmore was just your average teenager. she was a girl who craved adventures and someone who would tend to get into some trouble with her friends and her boyfriend.

this summer, they invited a new friend to the group, trying to get her out of her comfort zone to prove that she didn't have to be a goody goody.

12:00pm

Pt place Wisconsin

Gwen Hyde Bedroom

I WAS with Gwen as we were hanging out at her house. Gwen Hyde has been my best friend since we were kids. My parents were friends as teens. They all grew up next door at the foreman's house. 

   "This is going to be the best summer ever." I announced, and I laid on her bed. 

   Gwen tosses herself on her bed as she lays next to me. Our shoulders touched as I tossed a hacky sack in the air. 

   "I'm surprised your parents aren't going on vacation this year. Are you still staying over this summer?" Gwen asks. 

    "Every summer for the past five years, I have lived here. Do you really think I'm going to stop traditions?" Gwen giggles as she leans her head on top of mine. 

   "Why don't you just live with us? I mean, you're basically here all the time." I snorted, getting up as I continued to toss the hacky sack.  

  "If both parents agree, then I'll consider moving in." Gwen squeals getting up as she starts jumping around to the music in the background. 

    I caught sight of a blonde girl who quickly ducked. 

   I opened the window with a grin. 

   "Hello, what are you doing here, creeper?" I teased, as the girl that looked around the same age as us came into the room. 

   "Oh, nothing weird." I smirked and crossed my arms. 

    "I was just standing outside your window. Watching you sing and wondering what it'd be like to be you two." I laughed as Gwen and I looked at the nervous blonde. 

    "I'll go now." You could feel the anxiety rubbing off on her. 

    "Unless you want to hear a cool Bootleg, I got in Chicago." The blonde spoke, not knowing what her name was yet. 

    "Oh, I'm listening." Gwen spoke. 

   "Yea, it's pretty super major. Big-time bootleg. The booties of legs." I stopped the girl from embarrassing herself even more. 

   "Just go get it." I laughed quietly. 

   "On it." I turned to Gwen, who just shrugged in response. 

   "So, how are you and Jay?" She wiggles her eyebrows at me as we wait for the girl to return. 

   "Two years strong." I sighed dreamily as I laid back on the edge of her bed. 

    "The longest a Kelso has lasted in a relationship." I point out. 

  "It's a new record." I leaned on my forearms as I looked at the light skinned girl. 

    

   The girl came back, and soon we learned her name was Leia. 

   "So, this is your mom's old room, and your dad lived next door?" I tossed the hacky sack in my hands again as I was cross-legged on Gwen's bed. 

   "I bet they boned in here all the time." I joined in the conversation. 

   "Explains a lot." I grinned when I saw the expression on the blonde's face. 

   "Sometimes, late at night, when everything's quiet, we could hear the-." I paused, making creaking sounds to imitate the noise of the bed. 

   The girl cringed, looking uncomfortable. 

    "Sorry about her, Cassie loves to make people uncomfortable." I shrugged as I nudged my shoulders with Leia. 

  "You're really good at it." I smiled as I bowed to the girls. 

   "Anyways. Tell us about Chicago. What are you into?" I asked, wanting to know more about the girl that came through the window. 

   "Me? Uh, a lot of stuff." I rolled my eyes, knowing that she was trying to play it cool. 

   "School." I nodded my head, wanting her to continue as I made motions with my hands. 

   "Schools a big one." Gwen spoke. 

   "And I'm a pretty big deal in the debate club." I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand. 

   "Yea, I'm not very popular." I wrap an arm around Leia's shoulders as I rub her arm. 

  "Good. Popular people suck." I nod in agreement with Gwen. 

   "Ooo, this parts dope." I spoke up, as I ran towards the radio and turned up the music. 

   "Damn it, Gwen! Cass! Turn that shit down." I looked behind me to see Gwen standing closer towards the radio. 

   A shirtless Nate comes barging into the room. 

   "Turn that crap down. I'm trying to shave!" He whines. 

   He leaves the room after we turn the volume back up to annoy him again. 

   "Older brother. Different dads. He's cool." Gwen's response was short. 

    "And I'm their cousin. We'll be half cousins, but still family." I wrapped my arm around Gwen as she wrapped hers around my waist. 

  She was a bit taller than me, only by a few inches. Nobody ever believed us when we told people they were cousins due to the fact that she had darker skin than me, and I was fair with ginger hair. 

    "Well, he's only mostly cool because he has a van. And he's fun to mess with." I honestly say. 

   "This Whiny, vagina music is bumming me out!" Nate came back into the room again to complain about our music. 

  "Oh yea, Nate?" I taunt. 

    "Me and our new friend are gonna call our new band the whiny vagina." I make a rainbow with my hands and do jazz hands to exaggerate. 

   "Damn it, Cassidy!" I laughed along with the other girls as I turned the volume even louder. 

  This was only just the beginning of summer, and I already know this summer is going to be EPIC.

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 18: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste… Touch: de Sousa’s banquet provides a sensory experience on multiple levels.

All Chapters Archived on Ao3 

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

That night, when we left for the house de Sousa had been renting, we traveled on horseback. To be specific, we were to share a horse rather than taking a palanquin. I tried to raise one eyebrow in inquiry, since it seemed odd that Mitsuhide would switch transportation modes.

"My goodness, Kaya, is there something wrong with your face? Or are you attempting, for whatever reason, to imitate a rabbit?” Of course he raised one eyebrow as he said it.

The sixth thing I hate about Mitsuhide. He can raise one eyebrow and won’t teach me how.

I sighed and gave up on the nonverbal cue. "No tiny box tonight?"

"On the small chance that we'll need to make a hasty exit, I would prefer not to leave that up to the speed of a palanquin." He gestured to his horse. "Up you go."

My kimono was too narrow for me to hop up with my customary acrobatics, but I managed well enough without ripping anything, although I was left somewhat draped across the horse. “Do you plan to lead me across the city?"

Not dignifying that with a comment, he simply swung up behind me. "I trust you won’t fall off."

Given that I was sitting rather (too) snugly against him, I figured it was an unlikely prospect especially when he reached past me for the reins. Not wanting to think about how his body felt, firm and solid against my back, I instead pulled the conversation back to necessary business. "Is this another sit there and be distracting evening, or will I get to use my new toys?" I patted my hair. At Mitsuhide’s instructions Sho had placed three knots in it, each secured by one of the hairstick/lockpicks.

"Plans may need to be adjusted based upon the evening. de Sousa has promised some form of 'entertainment,' whatever that might mean to him, which may allow us an opportunity to search through his papers." He spoke directly into my ear, his voice pitched to a low purr that I could hear quite clearly under the sound of the horse's hooves on the hard packed dirt of Sakai's streets. "One hopes that you were underplaying your ability to read the Nanban script."

"I can read it. Not quickly though. It depends on how cramped the handwriting is – Westerners often write letters on top of each other to save on paper." I drew a little plus sign in the air to demonstrate their method of ‘crossing pages.’ “But I can at least read their alphabet.” No need to mention that that learning had taken place in modern Japan. But while I'd taken classes in school on the English language and alphabet, I'd never been particularly great student. Even so, the knowledge from that early education had returned when I began taking lessons from Francisco, and motivated by the need to locate my brother, I’d learned far faster as an adult than I ever had as a teenager.

Mitsuhide made a noncommittal sound that indicated he was thinking things through. Likely, he had a plan B, possibly a plan C, and was refining them as we spoke. Aki was much the same. Actually I was as well. Contingencies could make the difference between dead or alive.

I left him to his unspoken plotting. It was interesting how he seemed to be able to lock his thoughts and feelings away and completely focus like this. While I still felt off balance and uncertain after last night's argument, for Mitsuhide, it appeared to be done and over with. He was as ambivalently autocratic to me as he had been on the first day in Sakai. In fact, neither yesterday's argument nor that night last week when it had seemed like we’d accepted overtures of mutual friendship had made any dent at all his this personal armor. Or maybe they had, but he’d simply replaced the armor with something stronger.

While I was glad to leave the fight with dust, I regretted losing those moments of peace and understanding.

de Sousa's townhouse was not very far from Mitsuhide’s (we easily could have walked, were it not for our need to stay in character). Like the one Mitsuhide was using, the building was longer than it was wide, with a storefront that abutted the street. Unfortunately for de Sousa the rear of the house was against the town's moat, and the fragrance that arose from it suggested some of Sakai citizens used it as a toilet.

I didn’t realize I was wrinkling my nose in response to the smell, until Mitsuhide stared at me, and tapped his own nose.

Whoops.

Carefully, I wiped my face of all expression, aware that Mitsuhide was watching as I did so. He nodded approvingly as Kaya’s bland mask slid into place, and then undid all my work by noting, “One would hope we won’t be required to employ the moat as part of that quick exit.”

Oh gross.

He gave me that smirk, and I wondered if his lack of tastebuds also extended to a lack of an olfactory system. Although if that was the case, why did he habitually burn cinnamon and sandalwood?

I was still trying to blank out my face again when a servant appeared. The servant let us inside, escorting us through a semi-exposed courtyard, past the offices and storehouses, and up to de Sousa’s living quarters on the second floor. The narrow rooms weren’t really adequate for any sort of entertaining, so, rumors of a 'banquet' had been greatly exaggerated. No more than dozen other people had been invited, including, to my surprise, Yoshimoto. If I got a free moment later, I would have to ask him how he had managed that. He’d probably just say that an Imagawa does not need to manage.

de Sousa had made an attempt to create a Western style dining atmosphere, by pushing several long, tables into one big rectangle. But without a way to raise the tables to waist level, and without any Western chairs, there wasn’t any other choice but to eat kneeling, the traditional Japanese way.

Mitsuhide was seated next to de Sousa, and across from Shojumaru, who claimed that he would be helping to translate anything, if needed (via some careful eavesdropping, I learned de Sousa's Jesuit translator - a.k.a that murderous priest - had been sent to one of the Southernmost islands). Apparently de Sousa wasn’t certain what to do with me, the only female present, but ‘Kyubei’ got his Yandere on and stated that he refused to let me out of his sight amongst all these other men.

Upon being asked by de Sousa to translate that, Shojumaru told him that Kyubei wanted his whore close to him, because he didn’t trust other men around her.

Ok. Ouch.

Whore.

See if I run interference between you and Sho any more.

The final result of that interaction had me seated between Mitsuhide and Yoshimoto, and across from Shojumaru, ready to pick up on any information spoken in Portuguese. But if Mitsuhide thought that the dinner table discussion would offer him any information on Hideyoshi, or Mai, or the missing weapons, he would be disappointed with what I overheard. While I dutifully tuned in to the conversation for any non-translated threats or other dangers, what I got was a conversation about art (which explained Yoshimoto's presence, as the man enthusiastically took part in a long discussion of Italian masters).

In the meantime, what should be done about the mound of stew in my bowl? It was some heavy meat based thing, smelled somewhat gamey - not off, exactly, but to someone like myself, who prefers a plant based diet whenever possible, it was difficult to choke down. Idly, I noticed that Shojumaru wasn't eating his either. Oh he was going through the motion of lifting his food to his mouth, but eventually it ended up back in a dish. Had someone poisoned the food?

Hm. No one else had any problems with the meal, so maybe Shojumaru was also a vegetarian. It was possible he was a strict buddahist, as some sects did recommend a no-meat diet. Mitsuhide had no difficulty with his serving of glop, but then it probably reminded him of his own cooking.

 "What do you think, Miss Kaya?" Startled, I realized that Shojumaru had addessed me. "Senhor de Sousa wants to know if you are interested in art?"

"Oh. Um. I don't know much about it." Which was true about both myself, and Kaya. While a courtesan likely would be able to intelligently converse about all forms of the arts, I was pretty sure that everyone was aware that Kaya had been a peasant sold into slavery. It would not be surprising for a peasant to be ignorant of art and culture. "But Master Kyubei is teaching me all sorts of interesting things about books and drawings."

Shojumaru translated that accurately to de Sousa, who then responded with something extremely crude. Thankfully, I'm not easy to blush, but my pulse must have jumped, because Mitsuhide gave me a quick glance. Then again, it could be because one of the words de Sousa used was familiar in any language. Even Yoshimoto looked displeased when he heard it.

Once again Shojumaru smoothly erased de Sousa’s crudity, saying diplomatically that no knowledge is wasted.

At this point Mitsuhide-Kyubei entered the conversation. "This one was an ignorant char when I purchased her. I find it far more satisfying to teach someone how to respond to my suggestions, what to think about the world of art, how to behave and to obey my desires. It’s actually faster than retraining a stubborn woman's badly learned habits." He turned and laid a possessive hand on my arm. "She responds to tutelage admirably."

Gee thanks Professor Higgins. Glad to know you're growing accustomed to my face.

He wasn't finished yet. "It is lovely to take a wild thing, domesticate it and know it is your creation."

While Shojumaru rapidly translated this for the Nanban, Yoshimoto chose this moment to rise to Kaya's defense. "I find it more satisfying to meet a woman who can teach me something. Passionate arguments are more exciting than blind obedience."

Which, thank you Yoshimoto for the defense, but your timing sucks. Thanks to him, I hadn’t been able to hear what de Sousa and Shojumaru were saying. Had Yoshimoto forgotten that he was responding to a creature who was just a character Mitsuhide was portraying? Or was he simply behaving as he would normally? I couldn’t even reassure him that everything was fine, not here.

"Passionate arguments are fine, as long as one wins them." Mitsuhide addressed Yoshimoto for the first time. "The greatest victory is to take the sword of defeated opponent as they fall to their knees and swear fealty to you.''

That... apparently had a double meaning for Yoshimoto, who flinched at Mitsuhide's sudden intense stare. Shojumaru now sent a rather inscrutable look our way as well, and the increased tension in the air felt choking. If I had not been disguised, I would have tried to change the subject, or defuse things somehow - but Kaya wasn't the forthright type. In character, I could only stare at my bowl while the gamey smell of meat added to an overall feeling of illness.

Finally de Sousa, who must have simply wanted to be the center of attention, clapped his hands, and announced he had hired a theatrical troupe to perform dances for the evening. Within moments, a house servant had silently cleared the table, and rearranged the room with a mocked up performance space at the far end.

A group of musicians and dancers emerged from the top floor – had they been sitting up there waiting all night? Hopefully someone had managed to get them some food… but I doubted de Sousa would have thought of it. Then again, given what we’d just been fed, the entertainers were probably better off.

Though the musicians weren't loud enough to be distracting, the dancers were beautiful, and wore exquisite jewel toned dresses with even brighter embroidery that sparkled in the lantern light. Their movements were slow, but hypnotic, and after that heavy meal, no one seemed inclined to do anything by sit and watch.

During the great rearrangement, Mitsuhide and I had positioned ourselves near the stairs to the ground floor, and while the rest of the guests were enthralled by the dancers, we slipped out of the room and tiptoed down the steps.

As we skirted around the edge of the courtyard, something splashed my sleeve. I glanced up to the exposed sky, just as Mitsuhide said, "Good. Rain. That is auspicious." He sounded like he was talking to himself, so I didn’t ask why he thought that was so. Maybe the sound of the rain on the tile roof would cover up any noise we made.

I followed him into the room de Sousa had set up as an office, or, well a private study of sorts. The only difference between de Sousa's office and the one that Mitsuhide was using in our own dwelling, was that he, like Francisco, (and, for that matter Aki) had somehow managed to lug a Western style desk into the room – then again, maybe Aki and Francisco had transported theirs in via the wormhole or something. Or maybe there was some ship that only carried furniture from one county to another so that their merchants could have some place familiar to sit.

Surprisingly, de Sousa's desk was not kept locked, which was a disappointing because I wanted to try out my new toys. Either he had nothing to hide or, more likely, he didn’t believe anyone here would be sophisticated enough to investigate him. Mitsuhide opened a drawer and removed a small stack of scrolls and letters written on the heavier western parchment. "One hopes that you’ll find these readable."

It was an intimidating pile. "What are the odds that we can bring some of these home? Er, back to the town house." It was not home.

"I have no knowledge of how he has these categorized or whether he would notice something  missing, but it’s best to cause as little disturbance as possible. Keep everything in the same order.” At his borderline mansplain, I considered pointing out that I had searched his room without disturbing anything, but since that would probably prompt another argument, I held my tongue. “I suggest you scan each one for key words until you can confirm whether it is business or personal. I will stand guard." He moved to the doorway stayed there like a sentinel.

As that seemed like a workable plan, I quickly settled into a rhythm for the project. The letters on western parchment were all written on a feminine hand, and proved to be from his 'dearest Paloma.' I flipped through those with only a cursory glance. Mixed in with the personal letters were inventory lists, shipping records, even a few papers that looked like invoices, which potentially could pinpoint a time period and date the weapons were due to arrive. "Do you know about when de Sousa pulled back the shipment? Most of these are dated."

He gave me an approving nod – my question must have merit. "Mid to late seventh month. At least that was when we learned of it. However things might have been moving behind the scenes prior to that." He spoke quietly, the majority of his attention was on the door.

Just to be safe, I skipped past any correspondence prior to ‘Iunius.’ I couldn’t remember what year the Portuguese had switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian, but neither one corresponded to the Japanese lunar cycle anyway. Once I found the correspondence in the likeliest window of time, I read the letters more carefully. One shipping document referenced “Nofunga” Oda -- that must be the initial order, or at least a confirmation of sale. At that point in time, it seemed that de Sousa still intended to fulfill the request. Another letter, also mentioned Oda, but only in passing - speculating on whether or not he would contend to allow self-governance of Sakai, and if not, would it be useful to send a party to negotiate with him directly.

Interesting, but not what I was looking for.

And then I found it.

Correspondence from Shojumaru, offering to broker a deal for weapons, to be supplied to Motonari Mouri in exchange for silver provided by Kanamori Iekane.

The page blurred in front of my eyes.

Iekane.

Iekane. Even though the last name was different – he was no longer using Aki’s – it had to be the same man. Of course he was in this. Maybe he'd been so since that day five years ago when he locked me in a crate among one of Motonari’s weapon shipments.

"What is it, brat? You're staring at that letter as if it’s going to eat you.'' Mitsuhide's voice broke into my reverie /panic. Same difference at this point.

"It's confirmation that-"

A loud squeak interrupted me. The sound a staircase makes as it protests the weight of travel. This was followed by the clatter of footsteps, and voices. de Sousa, talking about some ceramics he wanted to show off.

In one smooth motion, Mitsuhide slid shut the door to the office and was across the room while I was registering the noise… and the implication. He swept the stack of correspondence back into the drawer, then lifted me up and plopped me on top of the desk. "This is not the time to protest my next action, as we are about to become extremely visible to the rest of tonight’s guests."

"Huh? Shouldn’t we just hid-”

That was all I got out before Mitsuhide kissed me.

While my brain was still processing the sudden liplock, Mitsuhide pulled me closer, until his leg was between mine (or as between as my narrow kimono would allow). I swallowed a protest, knowing that this was a performance, part of our agreement to show public affection. Not real.

How does one fake act a kiss? Should I close my eyes? Ok, yes, probably, Kaya would have her eyes closed. Commencing eye closure.

It wasn’t a terrible kiss, as sudden, barely warned kisses go. Not that I would know. But he could have made things unpleasant for me, especially given the character he had established as Kyubei. It could have been overly intrusive, or painful, or oppressive, or gross, or-

He broke away and slid his mouth toward my ear. "This would go much better, if you could at least pretend to participate. With enthusiasm, if at all possible.”

Director’s notes? Now?

Although he did have a point. I took a deep breath, prepared to channel my inner Meryl Streep. "You surprised me.  Give me a moment to catch up, all right?"

The clatter of footsteps and murmur of voices grew closer.

After a split second in which Mitsuhide was either praying for patience, or counting to ten (he just had a sort of 'give me strength’ look in his eyes), he placed his hand on my cheek, and slowly dipped in for another kiss.

This new kiss, he took his time. His lips gently glided across mine, his embrace keeping me easily balanced on the desk. The gentleness did what the surprise could not, and a previous unknown voice inside me went, ‘more!’ and before I knew it, it stopped feeling like an act of theatricality, and started feeling like an act of mutal desire.

His body was all lean muscle and kinetic strength – I wanted to feel that strength on my skin, to slip my hand under his clothing and savor the texture of his flesh, to savor the vibration of his heartbeat beneath my palm, a vibration that echoed in my ears. I pressed myself closer before any logic could overrule action, grinding my hips against his, opening my mouth to his tongue.

Someone moaned… was that him? 

Please don’t let that have been me.

Then annoyed voices from the corridor intruded and Mitsuhide finally ended the kiss, though he did not let me go. He turned to face de Sousa, Shojumaru, Yoshimoto, and a Japanese merchant whose name I had not caught. They were all staring at us from the now open doorway. I hid my face in his shoulder in not entirely feigned embarrassment.

Cinnamon and sandalwood.

"What the hell are you doing in my private office?" The words were in Portuguese but there was no mistaking the intent behind them.

Mitsuhide didn’t bother to wait for someone to translate, he simply proclaimed, "My toy was looking so lovely tonight, I simply had to be alone with her. But the rain chased us out of the garden."

Toy. It was as if the wall to the courtyard opened up and the cold rain had splashed all over me. Right. Acting.

I knew he did not truly consider me a toy. I also knew that the kiss had simply been part of the performance, one that had needed us to at least look like we could not keep our hands off each other. So that’s… what method acting is. I guess I do have an inner Meryl Streep after all. Acting. I had been acting too.

Without switching from that conversational tone, Mitsuhide patted the desk. "This furniture is perfectly stable. Can someone procure one for me?"

de Sousa waited for Shojumaru to translate that, but even with the benefit of the translation, he still looked irate. His response was something along the lines of if Kyubei wanted to turn his house into a brothel then he ought to have brought more women, or at least offered to share.

I wondered if Shojumaru was going to translate that back into Japanese, but whether or not he would have done so was destined to remain a mystery, for Yoshimoto stepped forward to play diplomat. "Senhor de Sousa, perhaps you could show us those ceramics from China now."

After one final look of envy, de Sousa shepherded the group toward the storehouses, but Shojumaru continued to eye us. He didn’t say anything, and that overly friendly smile stayed on his face, but there was a hardness in his eyes now.

As Mitsuhide helped me off the desk, Shojumaru's gaze went to its surface. Scanning for incriminating papers maybe? Thank the Gods that Mitsuhide had managed to get de Sousa’s correspondence back into the drawer before initiating that ‘seven minutes in heaven’ act.

"I take it it’s too much to hope that de Sousa will allow us to use his bedroom?" Without waiting for a response, Mitsuhide bowed to them. "In that case, we shall return home, as I am hungry for a different sort of meal. Kaya, you may let go of me.''

Trust him to point out that my hand was clinging to the front of his kimono.

Right.

Disengage grappling hook.

I let go, and followed him out the door, aware that this was probably one of those fast exits he had warned me about.

Hopefully… not through the moat.

My senses had already been through enough this night.

@bestbryn @lorei-writes @selenacosmic @lyds323 @akitsuneswife @tele86

[pfannkuchen07]

The Changes from POTO Italy in Monaco- Monte Carlo

I've seen no one talk about it, so I'm gonna talk about it!! I was at the POTO Italy showing in Monaco on the 20th December 2023, and they made some interesting new changes for that show 👀 Beforehand I gotta say, I was also at the showing in Trieste in July 2023 and haven't watched ANY other of the productions, so I'm not too sure what may be new for people who only saw other versions :'D (well besides the anniversary version from 2011) But if you have any questions, just ask them! Also I'm gonna post my super secret complete audio recording of the show on another post, so look out for that hehe

In The Music of the Night Ramin's Phantom did that candle thing again, where he (in Trieste) would take one of his candles from the organ and blow it out, but this time he took the candle (somewhere at the start of the song) and placed it on the ground in front of Christine. She than sat in front of it and stared at it, like she was hypnotized by the light and by his singing promising her all these things she never even dreamt of, until finally he came to her, crouched in front of her and blew it out. "Close your eyes, let your spirit start to so~ar. And you live *candle blows out* as you never lived befo~re." From then on she was under his spell. For the rest of the song, anyway. Later she woke up in the Phantom's four-poster bed and proceeded to find him.. sitting thoughtfully on his piano bench. I guess inspiration for his music where to be found floating somewhere in the direction of the audience. They probably did that so that we could easier see when Christine snatched the mask from his face, but it was funny to see nonetheless. Just imagine this epic shadow man of gothic stories than can basically appear and disappear wherever he wants, truly a master in every craft, and he gets bested because a ballet girl sneaked up on him. :'D Anyways.

Later after the first chandelier got destroyed, Christine ran off to the rooftop and stood on the edge of the precipice. Just one jump and the Phantom might not kill again... but thankfully Raoul came before she could have acted on any of her wayward thoughts. Although Raoul only climbed up to the end of the roof ladder and Christine was scarily near to the edge. Why Have You Brought Me Here became a song to talk to Christine about what scared her and hopefully get her down from the roof. After one almost jump at the end of the song Raoul finally got off the ladder and scooted to her, to bodily keep her from any other near falls. He comforted her with All I Ask Of You and they end up kissing and engaged. Yay.

Now fast forward to The Point Of No Return. They do their intrigue thing where they try to find the Phantom somewhere IN the opera, because he must be somewhere to watch them present his masterwork. Unknowingly he changes positions with Piangi (which looked very smooth. With his hands on the curtain during the switcharoo and all that). Lots of cool outfits during this scene. It must have been very hot, especially when I first saw it in Italy during a heatwave when it was like 30°C outside. Luckily they had air conditioning. Also I love that Ramin went all out in his attempt to make the Phantom sound more like Piangi in this scene and have the accent full on. Makes the switch that much more surprising when you don't know that it is coming since he does a really good job of imitating him. And I kinda love how he sounds with it hehehe The interesting thing though is that the Phantom loses the accent as the song The Point of No Return really starts as if to show Christine who really is behind the costume. You can here it on the first "Our games of make believe are at an en~d." especially well. He drops the accent and goes from his chest voice back to his more typical register. Also he gets his signature "whine" back. He kind of goes in and out of it as the verses go on. Fighting his desire to be with Christine with his need to keep the ruse going. Maybe he needs to be with Christine, maybe he needs to finally come clean, whatever it is, it made him take the disguise off at the end of The Point Of No Return and look guiltily at her while she sadly looked on. Christine herself didn't even try to look under the costume during TPONR and unmask him. Even when clearly she must have know that he was under it. I mean yes, during the song she didn't touch him as much as I know she does in the anniversary version (which here sadly takes the sensuality out of the scene for me because most of the time they stood with a few meters in between them or walked around the table :c), but she knows his voice and clearly heard him change his accent. One could argue she might know his voice like this (without the visuals) even more intimately then with. So I'd be easier to pick out for her. Not sure what I think about this change. After the Phantom runs away with Christine, and the police and audience is in chaos, Firmin and André let some lanterns fall down and proceed to burn down the Opera house because well, insurance doesn't cover maniacs but hopefully it does fires? As long as no one from the audience tells on them, I guess. The funniest thing about this show was the end In The Lair when Raoul gets hung up on a rope (by the Phantom's bed ;))) 90% less wet than he was in Trieste but 80% louder with his yelps and moans of pain. After some minutes he even goes still and passes out. And the show ends with the Phantom magically disappearing under the blanket on his bed. I do wonder how they did that, since I could very clearly see under it to the wall. Hmm... All in all, very fun to see tho. c:

[crispinablr]

Movie date

I make a stroke trying to imitate the lines of the sunbeams coming through the window at dawn, warm and comforting, feeling the brush dancing on the canvas aimlessly, I just let myself go with the moment, no thoughts or worries, just the brush, the painting, and me wandering, existing.

When my brush reaches the end of the canvas, I wake up from the trance as if someone had been immersed in a dream and someone had snapped their fingers, I simply retract my hand with the brush and observe the landscape I was drawing. A room with a black kitten enjoying the warmth of the rays passing through the window, I smile and look behind the canvas, and there was the little ball of fur, belly up and stretched as if it were a human sunbathing.

I stare at the bundle of love that was my kitty while I think about everything and nothing, she must notice that something is going on and decides to get up to jump into my lap. I smile weakly and delicately stroke her little head, feeling the vibrations of her purring and how she starts rubbing against my hand asking for more attention. Suddenly I feel two arms embracing me and I almost scream in surprise. I feel Kai laughing on my right shoulder at my reaction and I just give him a look of "here we go again."

-Do you think it's nice to scare your partner like this, huh Kai?

Kai kept laughing as he tried to calm down to say something.

-I'm sorry, I just wanted to give you a kiss and see how you were, I didn't expect to scare you. But seeing you stroking Melinda made me think of giving you a surprise hug, I swear by Jett. - he gives me a kiss on the cheek trying to appease my "anger" and looks at me with a smiling puppy face.

I just shake my head as I release a little joke at his reaction.

-You're lucky I love you - I joke - Lucky me - he lets out a little laugh as he runs his nose along my neck.

-I'll assume you've finished working for today - I say smirking

He makes a sound of affirmation as he pulls me close to him - And what better way to spend my free time than to come see my favorite little star.

Melinda jumps off my lap and goes to her bed under the sunbeams.

I smile slightly at Kai and decide to give him a little surprise. I cup his cheeks with both of my hands, feeling his cheeks blush and his eyes widen. Before Kai can say anything, I close my eyes and our lips meet in a soft and slow kiss. I hear him make a small sound of surprise at the sudden kiss, feeling his heart racing as he happily returns the kiss.

After what felt like seconds, I decide to break the kiss with a smile, as much as I enjoyed being with him kissing today, we had planned a movie night at home and I didn't want to miss it for anything in the world, plus I'm sure Andrew would remind us of it for the rest of our lives.

-We should get ready for tonight, we agreed to watch Dungeons and Dragons the three of us together. - I remind him as I adjust his bangs.

Kai was still recovering from the kiss and suddenly opens his eyes wide remembering our night plan.

-I'll go get Andrew and you shower and change clothes. - I say as I put everything in its place.

-At your command, boss - he gives me a goodbye kiss and quickly goes to get ready.

Once I've tidied up, I go to the bookstore where Andrew works and see him chatting with Vince while sorting books, both hear the sound of the door and turn to see who had entered. Seeing me, they greet me and I approach them.

I go to Andrew and give him a hug from behind while Vince smiles shyly at my display of affection.

-How are my two favorite introverts? - I joke.

Andrew laughs at my joke and Vince just rolls his eyes teasingly.

-We were talking about Vince's new song, you should listen to it, it's to die for - says Andrew as he places the last books he was carrying.

-You're exaggerating, I haven't even finished it and it still needs a lot of polishing, and besides, I don't think it's that good - says Vince timidly.

-You should have more confidence in yourself Vince, remember even Wyatt's music partners all wanted to hire you for little and almost pulled each other's eyes out. - I laugh as I remember when Vince participated in the music festival where he had decided to bring his industry music partners to look for new talents for their companies.

Andrew and I laugh while Vince blushes and hides his face in his hands not wanting to remember that memory that was quite embarrassing for him, it's not every day that when you decide to sing in front of an audience there are businessmen fighting like a group of fans fighting for the love of their favorite idol.

Andrew finishes placing the books so he stands behind me and gives me a kiss on the head.

-I think it's time for both of us to go home, it's getting late and it's time to close the store.

-I should go too, Jean said he would be waiting for me for dinner - says Vince looking at the time on his phone - see you.

Andrew and I say goodbye to Vince and head home together, we always went together to pick up Kai from the workshop or Kai and Andrew came to the restaurant to take me home.

-Where's Kai? - Andrew asks curiously.

-I told him to start getting ready, I bought the drinks, some pizzas, fries, and drinks. - I said proudly.

He just smiles and looks at me happily.

-Tomorrow I'll make breakfast for the three of us, I can't let you do all the work, it would be pretty bad of me. - he says smirking.

I vibrate with excitement at the thought of what he would prepare for breakfast when I woke up, I was looking forward to seeing him with his hair messy and still in his pajamas. When the three of us were together, it seemed as if we had been married all our lives, I wouldn't change all this for anything in the world.

-I can't wait to see what you'll prepare for us, oh great Chef Mitchell - I say playfully.

He laughs as he hears me calling him by his last name as we continue walking home together. Finally, we arrive home and both Melinda and Chipoki greet us happily at our return, I give Melinda a few kisses on the head after they both receive their share of affection they go straight to their beds to snuggle together. Andrew and I race to our rooms and before I can even touch the doorknob of my door, I feel arms wrapping around me and lifting me into the air. I turn my head and see Kai and Andrew, they had joined forces so that I couldn't win the race.

-That's not faaair - I say laughing and trying to wriggle out of their grip.

-Nuh uh - they say in unison.

They trap me in a bear hug and seeing that I couldn't escape so easily from their trap, I decide to play my ace in the hole.

-I bought a jumbo bag of butter popcorn, whoever gets them first keeps them. - I say with a smile.

At this new information, they look at each other as if they had heard about the treasure of El Dorado, they release me quickly but gently and start running like crazy while playfully trying to hinder each other. Finally, I enter my room to put on my favorite polka dot pajamas and slippers, once I finish changing I take the butter popcorn out of my hiding place and go downstairs in search of the boys.

I laugh seeing them looking inside the kitchen cabinets like children looking for their Christmas presents. I decide to end their suffering and tell them that I had them hidden in my room all this time.

-Hey guys!, look what I've got - I say holding up the popcorn bag.

They turn at the sound of the bag and look at me with surprised and betrayed faces seeing the promised popcorn bag. They look at each other and laugh unable to believe they fell for my little trap, Andrew finally goes to his room to change clothes while Kai and I arrange everything for our date movie. We put both the popcorn and the other snacks in different bowls, we put them on the living room table along with the glasses we were going to use, the napkins, and the bottles with our favorite drinks.

Finally, we finish positioning everything and even have the movie ready, we just needed to lie down on the sofa together with the giant blanket, turn off the lights, and press play. We wait for Andrew to come down and join us, Kai and I choose our seats and I cuddle up against him while we talk a little about our day.

-I see you've already started without me - he says teasingly - I'll have to settle for being the third wheel of the night - he says hurt, but he was only pretending.

I roll my eyes at his antics, look at Kai conspiratorially, we grab Andrew and throw him on the couch. I surround him with my arms and legs while Kai and I cover him with kisses all over his face, Andrew starts laughing.-

-Oh noooo I'm being attacked, helppp - he says dramatically "making the move" to free himself from us.

-You won't be able to escape our love - I say as I hug him like a koala.

-You better surrender, Mr. Mitchell - says Kai teasingly.

-I surrender I surrender - he says laughing.

The three of us laugh as we lie on the couch hugging, cuddling, and looking into each other's eyes, I could see behind their eyes the love they felt, whenever they looked at each other they made my heart race a thousand times faster and I remained enraptured looking at them while smiling like a silly in love.

Since I ended up in Brian Bay because my car broke down due to technical problems, I never thought I would make so many fantastic friends like: Vince, Jean, Chris and even though it's hard for me to admit it also Kevin and Wyatt, those two no matter how stubborn and eccentric they were good friends, no wonder the two ended up together as a couple.

But what I never thought possible was falling in love and even less that someone would fall in love with me, my personality, my flaws, and my everything, I just thought those things happened in otomes or in the fantasy books I read thinking that only in fiction could I find something so special and unique. I still remembered the tears I shed from happiness for the first time in my life, hearing them both say they loved me all of me even my imperfections of which I had always felt ashamed.

From the day I met both of them I knew we would get along well, we both shared similar tastes, Kai and I liked video games and Andrew and I liked to read books, basically I talked to both of them in my free time. I even went so far as to introduce them to each other, it even seemed strange to me that they had never met, but I guess they were both too busy to meet every person who lived in town, I planned some get-togethers to exchange hobbies and felt that with each get-together we got a little closer.

I even saw how Kai visited Andrew at his work or how Andrew sometimes brought him something he had cooked himself at his house. I was happy that they got along well, but I saw how they started to look into each other's eyes like a couple of teenage lovers I knew I had to step aside and give them space. I felt like my heart was breaking into pieces and I knew I had fallen in love with both of them without realizing it. But that ended some time later when they both came together to tell me they loved me and wanted the three of us to start dating together as a throuple, I just threw myself into their arms and that day I felt as if I had won the lottery. I just remembered old memories and simply smiled nostalgically.

The two of them look at me intrigued to know what I was thinking, but I just tell them that I was just thinking about how much I loved them and how lucky I felt to have them in my life, they smile and kiss my cheeks. After a while of being silly the three of us together, we decided to turn off the lights and start with the movie date between hugs and smiles.

[jiejie-eonni-onee-sama]

The player & The writer

For my cutie @marilynmonroefanfics​ ❤️❤️❤️ 

Hope you’ll enjoy!

Pedro Delgado was sitting on his sofa and phoning his publisher. The latter was very enthusiastic:

"I received your latest manuscript, Pedro. And I love it! Who would have thought it possible to make the Braganza dynasty and their links with France interesting? Frankly, bravo!"

"Glad to see you like it!"

For Pedro, it was a relief: even if he was one of the most well-known historians in Europe, the young man always worried about the quality of his works.

Luckily for him, he worked for one of the most prestigious publishers in France.

"Of course, I love it! You never disappoint me, dear! I'll show it to the marketing team, and we will discuss a publication date later. Does it sound good to you?"

"Sounds perfect to me!"

"Excellent! Take a rest, and see you later!"

"See you later!"

The young man heard the door open. 

To his delight, his companion, Antoine Griezmann, entered:

"Hello, sweetheart. How was your day?"

"Fine, thanks. I've progressed on my latest book about the queens of Europe and just had my editor on the phone."

"Oh yeah? And what did he tell you? That you won the Goncourt prize?"

"Very funny! On a more serious note, he said he loved my manuscript about the Braganza dynasty and that he prepared the publicity!"

"Great! I'm sure it will be a big hit in bookstores!"

Pedro rolled his eyes, amused, before asking:

"How was your last training session with Atlético de Madrid?"

"It was fun, but I was impatient to return to the national team: that's where all my mates are!"

The historian smiled: he knew his lover felt more comfortable with the French team than with his club.

At that moment, anyone who saw this scene would wonder why a historian would date a footballer.

It all started one night when Pedro found himself in a nightclub, forced by his friends, who were party animals. 

While his friends were dancing on the dancefloor, the young man was sitting at the bar, looking bored and looking for the perfect opportunity to go home.

Lost in his thoughts, Pedro had not heard someone sit down next to him and ask:

"Is everything all right?"

The historian turned around and saw that a man was standing right next to him. Despite the darkness, Pedro could make out some of the features of the man who talked to him: tall, with blond hair, blue eyes and fair skin.

Stunned, the young historian spoke with difficulty:

"Y...Yeah, I'm fine."

"Really? You seem lost to me. I'd even say you're out of your element."

"Does it show that much?" grinned Pedro.

"A little," smiled his interlocutor.

The historian stifled a curse.

"I didn't need that: to look like a fool! I should have stayed home!"

"Don't look so grim! Here, I'll buy you a drink to cheer you up!"

"That's nice of you, sir..."

"Call me Antoine. And you, what is your first name?"

"Pedro."

"Nice name! Where does it come from?"

"From Portugal!"

"Portugal? And what's a nice Portuguese guy doing here in France?"

"For my research: I'm a historian."

"An intellectual. Interesting!"

They spent part of the evening chatting and laughing until Antoine offered him a lift home.

It was when they left the nightclub that Pedro recognised the man he was talking to:

"But... You are Antoine Griezmann!"

"In person. I'm glad you didn't recognise me: I could have a real conversation, which is not always the case."

"You don't seem to hold a grudge against Portugal, even after Euro 2016."

The footballer pretended to be offended:

"Why do you have to remind me of this painful moment? I don't hold a grudge against the Portuguese team anymore. I'm just waiting to punch Cristiano Ronaldo's beautiful new nose!"

This remark made Pedro laugh out loud. Antoine imitated him, delighted that he got on well with his interlocutor.

After calming down, the two men jumped into Antoine's car and drove home.

Once in front of Pedro's house, Antoine asked, blushing:

"Can.. Can we meet again?"

The young historian considered that he had made the right choice in accepting the footballer's request.

After this first meeting, the two men met regularly, and gradually a romance developed.

And Antoine was the ideal boyfriend for Pedro: crazy in love, caring, supportive, funny and intelligent.

As for the football player, he kept telling himself how lucky he was to be the historian's lover: in addition to having a lot of charm, Pedro was adorable (when blushing), patient, intelligent, calm, and passionate about what he did.

For the time being, they hid their romance from the general public, Pedro being a shy man and Antoine wanting to preserve his personal life.

The Atletico Madrid player knew that his coming out had not only provoked positive reactions, and he was keen to keep his companion free from hatred.

Even his teammates did not know that he had a boyfriend!

But the most important thing was that they could find each other, despite their busy schedules.

The two lovers spent the rest of the evening entwined in the large bed in their room.

Resting against Antoine's chest, Pedro relaxed while enjoying the footballer's hands caressing his head.

After a few minutes of silence, the historian asked:

"Are you going to Clairefontaine tomorrow?"

Antoine nodded.

"The gathering is tomorrow: we have several games to play!"

"You're going to meet your mates: it will be fun!"

"I know..."

The football player sighed.

"I'd love to show you around Clairefontaine one day. Maybe when I'm ready to introduce you to the others..."

"Antoine, don't put pressure on yourself because of me."

"It's not that: it's just that...My whole team has supported me since I came out, but I dread their reaction when they see me with you. I don't want them to say hurtful things to you or worse."

The footballer felt his lover's hand caress his cheek.

"Take as much time as you need, and when you're ready, I'll be there for you."

Antoine kissed his boyfriend.

"Did I ever tell you that you were the best?"

"Even in your sleep!"

"That's because I think that every day!"

Pedro smiled.

"I'm lucky to have you."

"You say that in your sleep..."

"I mean it!"

Waiting for a new day to begin, the two lovers fell asleep peacefully.

⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽

The next day. Clairefontaine training centre.

"Come on, Antoine! Say yes!"

"Come on, Toine-Toine: you can tell us everything!"

"Give me a break!"

"TELL US EVERYTHING!"

Antoine rolled his eyes: since this morning, Lucas and Theo Hernandez have not stopped asking him questions about his "secret lover".

Even though Antoine hadn't told them anything, the Hernandez brothers knew that Antoine had a boyfriend, and they wanted to meet him.

"Come on, be nice: we are your best friends! We care about your well-being!"

"Respect my privacy!"

But the Hernandezes were not the type to let go, and they continued to hound him with questions, even into the dining room where the rest of the team was.

"Give us some detail: is he handsome?" asked Lucas.

"Is he famous?" asked Theo.

"Please tell me he likes football: otherwise, he'll be a pain in the ass!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, BOTH OF YOU!" exploded Antoine, startling all his teammates - Benjamin Pavard nearly choked on his mouthful.

"Uh, Antoine? Are you all right?" asked Hugo Lloris.

"Except those two have been pestering me since this morning: I'm fine," grumbled Antoine.

"We're not bothering you: we just want to know if you have anyone in your life!"

"Mind your own business! And who says I'm in a relationship?"

"So, who is the person you call 'my darling' on the phone?" asked Presnel Kimpembe, making the others laugh.

"Lord, give me patience..." grumbled Antoine, pinching the bridge of his nose

"Wouldn't it be more like strength?" asked Raphaël.

"No, otherwise I'll kill all three of them - him and the Hernandezes!"

Olivier Giroud intervened.

"Calm down, guys. There's no need to get upset!"

He turned to Lucas and Theo.

"There's no point in pestering Antoine about it: if he doesn't want to talk about it, he won't!"

"Ah, thanks, Olivier!"

But the striker saw his teammate smile.

"But since we know you have a boyfriend, I think we can finally get to know him, don't you?"

"YEAH!" exclaimed the other players.

"Traitor!" ranted Antoine as he facepalmed.

Suddenly, the voice of Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French team, was heard:

"Get ready, guys: we start training again in an hour!"

All the players headed to their rooms to change, including Antoine.

As the player entered his room, he heard someone calling him:

"Don't close the door: I'm coming!"

The striker let in Paul Pogba, his teammate and best friend.

The midfielder asked mischievously:

"So, is that it? You'll have to introduce your darling to the whole team!"

"Yeah, and I'm not happy about it!"

"Why not? I'm sure it'll do: they'll love Pedro!"

"I appreciate your optimism, Piochi, but I can't help it. I'm so afraid that Pedro will become a target for homophobes that I don't trust anyone!"

Paul pretended to be offended:

"Even me?"

"No, not you! You're the only one on the team who knows Pedro!"

Indeed, Paul met his best friend's lover by pure chance when he visited Antoine in Paris. After knocking at the door, he had come face to face with Pedro, who had opened the door for him.

After the surprise, the Juventus Turin player found the young historian "super adorable" and "too cute" and knew Antoine would be happy.

Antoine sighed:

"I do not know what to do."

Paul patted his shoulder in comfort.

"Don't worry, mate: you can count on me to support you!"

The attacker cracked a smile.

"Thank you, Paul."

"At your service, my Grizou. Come on, come on: we're late for training!"

👟👟👟👟👟👟

After the training, all the players took time to stretch and take a shower. As Antoine was leaving with Paul, Didier called him:

"Antoine, come here, please!"

Surprised, Antoine told Paul:

"I'll join you later!"

"Okay, see you in a minute!"

Antony walked over to his coach and asked:

"Yes, coach?"

"I thought I heard you yelling earlier. Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh yes, it was nothing: I had a row with Lucas and Theo, but nothing serious!

"Would that be about your mystery lover?" asked Didier with an amused smile.

The attacker slapped his forehead.

"Who told you about it?"

"News travels fast, you know. But if you want details, I heard Ousmane and Alphonse talking about it."

"Great! Now the whole French team knows!"

Didier patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry: I'm not judging you. In fact, I'm rather happy to know that you have someone in your life. I'm already proud of you for having the courage to admit your homosexuality to the whole world, and it reassures me to know that you have a partner."

Antoine nodded: Didier was among the first to support him when he came out. He knew he could trust the French team manager, whatever happened.

He sighed:

"They want to meet him!"

"And you don't want to introduce your darling?"

"I don't know... I'm not ashamed of him: it's just that I don't know if the guys would accept him."

Didier understood the struggles of his player. But he also knows that this story would poison the relationship between the players if Antoine is still defiant towards his teammates.

He suggested:

"Listen, son: why don't you talk about it with your boyfriend? It might help you take a decision."

"Yeah... I think I'll do that. Thanks, coach."

"You're welcome. Oh, Antoine?"

"Yes?"

"Does he makes you happy?"

A dreamy grin appeared on Antoine's face.

"More than you could imagine."

"That's what I want to hear. It teases my curiosity: I want to meet your lover too!"

"Please, don't start now!" grumbled Antoine as he left.

"Never say never, Grizou!" laughed Didier.

🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡

Later that day, Antoine got back home.

"Honey, I'm home!"

No answer. The footballer player noticed a piece of paper on the living room table.

He took it and read:

"Went on a bike tour. I will be back for dinner. Love you, Pedro."

Antoine grinned: he remembered that Padro loved to bike riding when he needed time to relax.

While waiting for his lover to return, the footballer took a quick shower and prepared the meal.

Half an hour later, while he was on the train, Antoine heard the front door open, and Pedro entered:

"Hi, honey."

"Hello, my angel. How was your walk?"

"It went well. I'm sorry if I arrived late, but I met a lot of students who wanted to ask me for autographs. You know me: I couldn't refuse!"

"As long as you come home, that's fine with me!"

Pedro smiled before asking:

"And you, how was your training session?"

"It went well: Kylian's legs are on fire, and the guys are motivated for our first game on Saturday."

"Perfect! And how is Paul?"

"He's fine, and he says hello!"

The young historian stealthily kissed his companion on the cheek.

"I'm going to change and take a shower. I won't be long."

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Antoine with a mischievous smile.

"No, not tonight. But I'm not saying no to a bath after dinner..."

As Pedro walked away to the bathroom, Antoine finished preparing the meal.

Then, once everything was ready, the couple sat down and enjoyed the meal.

While Pedro spoke passionately about his future writing projects, Antoine remained evasive about his day.

This puzzled Pedro: usually, Antoine was more talkative when he was with the French football team.

The young historian decided to leave it until they finished the dinner.

Then, they went into the bath, where the pair relaxed, enjoying this quiet moment.

Pedro chose this moment to ask:

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know: you were not talkative about your teammates. Is something bothering you?"

The football player sighed.

"Not really. It's just... Don't worry!"

"Antoine, you can tell me everything. Go ahead!"

Antoine stayed silent before explaining:

"The guys heard that I'm in a relationship, and they want to meet my boyfriend. In other terms, they want to meet you!"

Pedro stood flabbergasted: he knew that day would come, but it felt too early!

He was not a football expert, but he knew enough. How would he manage with professional players?

Worried about the lack of answer from his boyfriend, Antoine added:

"Since Presnel heard us on the phone, Theo and Lucas harassed me all day, and now the whole team asks about you! Even Didier wants to know about you!"

He sighed.

"I guess I don't have a choice!"

Pedro nodded.

"I see... And what did you tell them?"

"I haven't decided anything yet. I wanted to talk to you about it before I did anything."

The historian sighed before answering:

"Anyway, it was bound to happen sooner or later. We couldn't live in hiding all our lives!"

"I know, but it's just that I want to protect you..."

Pedro stroked his cheek.

"Toinou, I wish you'd worry a little less about me: I've already endured the homophobic comments. I've seen the violence some people can express against someone like us. But I've also seen how wonderfully tolerant people can be, so I'm less afraid. Our families have been very supportive, and I've seen how your teammates stood by you when you came out. Don't worry: I'm much more resilient than you think."

He added with a mischievous smile.

"And as for your problem, I think I have a solution. And you'll like it..."

🎆🎆🎆🎆

The next day.

"But where is Antoine?"

"Relax, Hugo: he said he'd be here in half an hour," Karim reassured him.

"What did he do anyway?" asked N'Golo.

"He said he'd be back with a surprise guest!" explained Ousmane.

"WHO?" asked the other players.

"If I knew that, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore!"

Only Paul remained silent, amused by the commotion: only he knew who was coming with Antoine.

Raphael noted this and asked:

"And you, Paul, aren't you curious to know who is the surprise guest?"

"No more than that."

"You say that like you already know the surprise guest!"

The Juventus midfielder smiled broadly.

"Because I do!"

"And you're just telling us this now?" protested Randal Kolo Muani.

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise!"

"Okay, but that doesn't tell us who it is!" pointed out Mattéo Guendouzi.

Looking out the window, Lucas exclaimed:

"Oh, guys! I see Antoine's car!"

At these words, all the players rushed to the window and saw their friend's car parked in the main yard.

They saw Antoine get out of the vehicle and then go to open the passenger door for a young man.

Reactions were swift, and questions flew:

"Who is he?"

"It's strange: I feel like I've seen this young man somewhere before..."

"Anyway, he's pretty cute!"

For their part, Antoine and Pedro went towards the entrance of the building.

"From what I can see, the welcoming committee is already here!"

"I want to warn you, honey: my teammates are very nice but can be chaotic!"

"I'll manage."

They barely walked through the door when the entire French team greeted them.

"ANTOINE, WHO'S THE GOOD-LOOKING GUY WITH YOU?" 

The striker smiled proudly before making the introductions:

"Guys, after the Hernandezes broke my feet about this..."

"NOT TRUE!"

"Whatever! I was saying that since I've had a lot of requests about it, I figured I should make the proper introductions!"

He took the young man's hand and said:

"Guys, I'd like to introduce Pedro Delgado, a well-known historian with several bookstore hits. But he is also the man who has made me happy since 2017! In other words, he is my boyfriend."

"Hello, everyone!" greeted Pedro politely.

There was silence, and then without warning, all the players rushed to their rooms.

Worried, Pedro asked:

"Did I do something wrong?"

"I don't know: I don't understand their reactions."

A few minutes later, all the players returned, books in their hands.

Hugo was the first to step forward and handed the book. Pedro recognised the book: it was the book he had written about the remaining French aristocratic families!

"I am delighted to meet you, Pedro. I know you as an author, but I didn't know you were Antoine's lover. And I wanted to ask if you could sign my book for me!"

"But of course! I need a pen!" smiled Pedro, relieved.

"Here, buddy: this will help you!" smiled Paul, handing him a pen.

"Thanks, Piochi!"

"One minute: did you know Pedro?" asked Aurélien Tchouaméni.

"I met him by pure chance when I visited Antoine. And as fate would have it, Pedro opened the door for me. Since then, we've been getting on really well!"

Soon, all the players lined up to greet the young historian and receive an autograph.

At the same time, Didier, who had just had a telephone conversation with the Minister for Sport, came to meet Pedro.

"I'm happy to meet you, my boy. I hope the guys gave you a warm welcome!"

"I couldn't have wished for a better welcome!"

"Good for you! Antoine was a naughty hider: he could have told us he dated a charming intellectual!"

Antoine rolled his eyes: he would hear about it for weeks!

But when he saw Pedro getting to know the rest of the team, he smiled: at least he knew his companion would be welcome!

"Pedro, can we count on you on Saturday?"

"Gentlemen, I'll be at the stadium on Saturday without fail!"

⚽👟⚽👟⚽👟

Saturday, at the Stade de France.

"INCREDIBLE! ANTOINE GRIEZMANN SCORED ANOTHER GOAL IN THE LAST MINUTE! IT'S A DISASTER FOR THE MANNSCHAFT WHO ALREADY CONCEDED FOUR GOALS!" screamed the speaker under the roars of happiness from the French supporters.

Among the supporters, Pedro cheered happily for his boyfriend.

He had to wait until the final whistle to come down onto the pitch and congratulate his lover.

"You were fantastic!"

"Because I knew you were there to support me!"

Antoine smiled mischievously.

"Do you think I'll get a victory kiss?"

"You deserve it!" smiled Pedro, who kissed his companion.

At the same time, the stadium's giant screens broadcast the scene, provoking exclamations of surprise and shouts of joy.

Only when they stopped kissing did the two lovers realise they had had 80,000 witnesses to their romance.

"Congratulations, guys: you've been on live TV!" joked Lucas, making his brother laugh.

Embarrassed, Pedro hid in Antoine's arms, who laughed.

"Don't hide, mon petit lapin: let people admire your beauty!"

Pedro smiled.

"After all, why hide?"

And with that, he kissed his lover again to the crowd's cheers.

Kylian grabbed the microphone and shouted to the crowd with Paul:

"I WANT A STANDING OVATION FOR THE LOVERS OF THE STADE DE FRANCE: ANTOINE GRIEZMANN AND PEDRO DELGADO!"

A memorable evening that foreshadowed greater ones for our lovers...

Thanks for reading!

Hope you loved the story!

Take care of you and feel free to request! 😘😍❤️

[peony-pearl]

Another day had resulted in a warm, melting sunset, that was chorused with the sounds of happy customers waving goodbye as they left the Jasmine Dragon.

Iroh, flanked by Haruka and Rioko, bid them farewell, at least until tomorrow.

The trio returned inside. Haruka kissed Iroh’s cheek as she left to tend to the till; meanwhile Iroh began cleaning up with Rioko following him with her own little broom made just for her. She had yet to really pick up on the finer details of what she was doing with it, but Iroh didn’t deter his four-year-old from wanting to be involved; even if he and Haruka often had to follow up after her to make sure the chore had been completed.

After the tables had been wiped down, the counters had been swept free of loose tea leaves, and the dust had been cleared, Iroh smiled at the tot.

“Let’s go get something brewing for bedtime.”

Rioko followed Iroh into the kitchen, dragging her little broom behind her. She put it up as carefully as she could, but didn’t pay attention as it fell with a clatter anyway. Iroh chuckled and picked her up, ignoring the crick in his back. He was too old to be a dad again, but here he was, too happy for his own good as Rioko clung happily to him.

“Alright, my little lemur; what should we have tonight?”

Rioko blinked, her hammy little hand holding tight to his robes; he winced as she was gripping several loose strands of his beard.

“What about that one?” Rioko said, pointing to a jar of lavender tea. Iroh pulled it forward, opening it for her to smell into. She thought for a moment, imitating his pondering face as she scrunched her nose. “Yeah, that one.”

“This one?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Iroh, knowing his daughter by heart, took his time scooping the tea. “Alright, I’m scooping riiiiiight now-”

Just seconds later Rioko suddenly decided: “No wait that one!”

She lunged forward to grab another jar, and Iroh laughed and pulled forward the near-empty jar of chamomile she always settled upon.

“We are almost out; who’s going to go get us some new chamomile?”

“You!” Rioko smiled.

“Me?” Iroh feigned indignity, but couldn’t help his sense of playfulness seeping through the act. “I’m so busy though. Maybe I should send someone who has all day to herself to go pick some fresh, tasty chamomile that we have every night,” he said, looking right at Rioko.

“Mmm, I don’t think mama would like that; she hates running errands.”

Laughing heartily, Iroh filled the kettle with some water and he stuffed some straw into the stove. Rioko watched intently as he prepared to set the straw ablaze until-

“Wait! I wanna try!”

Iroh looked at her, unsure.

“Rioko, I don’t think-”

“Please? Please papa?”

Her big green eyes looked too excited for him to say no. But it wasn’t a matter of saying no.

They already knew she was an Earthbender. She’d proven that earlier in the month when her stubborn little stomps caused a crack in the wall of the apartment. She had been so excited to learn she was just like her mother in one way, wanting to imitate everything she did and asking question after question.

Now she was eager to try something new.

Iroh hesitated, but he gave in.

“... Alright; you can try. There’s never any harm in trying, after all.”

She aimed her fingers, scrunching her face as she she waited for some kind of spark to ignite. When nothing happened, she shook her hand, as though trying to shake the fire out of her arm, but still, nothing happened. Iroh almost lost his balance with how far she was leaning, and she supported herself on the counter, still concentrating - but as she became frustrated, she slapped her hand on the stone counter, only for it to break as though it was the center of a small earthquake; toppling over several jars of tea with pops of porcelain.

Rioko screamed, and Iroh pulled her close again, making sure she wasn’t nicked by any shards.

Iroh breathed a sigh of relief as the small disaster ebbed and he looked around. The damage was minimal - nothing important to the business had been destroyed, but that was the least of his worries.

“Rioko, are you alright?”

Rioko’s face remained buried in his beard; she held so tight to him he thought they were going to fuse together. He heard her hiccup and cry into his chest.

“Rioko, my dear, it’s alright. Accidents happen.”

He stepped away from the shards and sat down, setting her in his lap as she cried.

“I’m sorry! I thought I could do it! I wanted to light it but I couldn’t!”

Iroh rubbed Rioko’s back. “Why are you sorry? You still tried.”

“But I can’t do it! I can Earthbend like mama, but I can’t Firebend like you yet!”

Iroh’s heart dropped. He’d had a feeling they were going to have to have this conversation one day. He pulled Rioko closer, almost cradling her.

“Rioko, you’re... not going to be a Firebender.”

He hated seeing her big green eyes looking up in despair. “Why not?!” She cried.

“Because,” Iroh said. “Only the Avatar can bend more than one element. All of the rest of us are stuck with one if we can. And you’re an Earthbender, just like mama.”

“But I wanna Firebend too! I wanna light candles and lanterns and cook the tea and light the fireplace!”

Chuckling, Iroh did his best to wipe her tears away.

“And how do we have the lanterns, and the tea kettles and the fireplaces?”

“Huh?”

“What are the lanterns outside made of?”

“Metal.”

“That’s right. What about the Fireplace? It’s made of stone, isn’t it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you know what makes our tea kettles and cups?”

“No,” Rioko said, by now her eyes had stopped overflowing with tears.

“It’s made with clay - and that comes from the earth. All of it does; metal, stone, clay; in fact,” he said, standing carefully with her still in his arms. He opened a cabinet to reveal a rather wobbly-looking tea kettle. “This is my favorite tea kettle. Do you know why?”

Rioko seemed skeptical. “No; it doesn’t look nice like the others.”

“Yes, but it was made with love; because mama made for me with her Earthbending; all the way back when you were just a baby. She harvested the clay herself, and shaped it and decorated it and baked it, and it’s one of my favorites to use when I need an extra pick-me-up. You see, I cannot just heat water with my fire, Rioko. I need this to hold it. These kettles, made with skilled hands and artistry; and love. I couldn’t have my tea, we couldn’t have our lanterns and fireplaces without the support of the earth holding it, supporting it. Everything works together, Rioko. Besides, what would I do without my kettles and cups? The tea would get everywhere and no one would be happy!”

Rioko laughed as she snuggled with Iroh; she let out another sniffle. “So... you’re not sad I’m not a Firebender?”

Iroh smiled, this time his eyes becoming welled with tears. “Sweetheart, we’ve known for a long time you probably wouldn’t be a Firebender. We had a feeling that the moment you opened your eyes and we saw those big emeralds staring back at us that, if you were a bender, you would take after your mother.”

“What if I couldn’t bend at all?”

“Then guess what?” Iroh whispered. Rioko looked at him, nervously, but Iroh grinned. “Then I would still have the best daughter in the world; and mama and I would still be the luckiest parents, because we have you. Our bright little opal.”

Rioko lit up. “Really?”

“Really,” Iroh answered, kissing her forehead. Rioko snuggled with him once more, and he held tight to her, having promised long ago to never take another moment with one of his children for granted.

They cleaned up the mess and resumed heating up the water. Rioko looked to the still-jagged counter, and Iroh could see she was debating trying to fix it, but as she put her little hand on the stone, she paused, and then looked back at Iroh.

“M... Maybe I’ll let mama fix it. I can always figure out how later.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

****

“Teatime, teatime; mama, teatime!” Rioko sang as she ran circles around Iroh, who serenely carried the tray of tea up the stairs to the apartment expertly without tripping once.

Haruka looked up with a broad smile. “There you are; I was just finishing up with the books.”

Iroh set the tray down on Haruka’s desk as Rioko eagerly took her teacup, but not without a small ‘thank you, papa’ as she went to go sit at the family table. Haruka noticed Iroh taking a pause before serving her tea.

“We had a talk,” he said softly.

“Oh?” Haruka said, immediately worried. Iroh handed a teacup to her, offering his most reassuring face.

“There was... a bit of an accident; she was trying so hard to light the fire for the tea but she... may have - kind of destroyed one of the countertops. We might need you to fix it in the morning.”

“What do you mean she was trying to light the fire?”

Iroh sipped at his tea. “She hadn’t realized yet she wasn’t going to be able to bend both Earth and Fire. She had thought this whole time she just hadn’t caught on to Firebending yet. She was so upset - she thought it was going to make me sad if she wasn’t a Firebender.”

Concerned for her daughter, Haruka was going to stand, but Iroh touched her hand. They looked back to Rioko as as she snuggled with her favorite plush - a replica of Bosco, complete with his signature ensemble. She talked to him like she always did, as though he was a lifelong friend (which he was, with how worn he looked), and it eased Haruka.

“Well, it looks like all those talks with Zuko have payed off in the advice department,” she smirked. Iroh guffawed, and he nodded.

“I would hope so,” he said, sipping at his tea. He smiled at his wife, beaming as she watched their daughter. “I showed her the teapot you made me.”

Haruka winced. “That ugly old thing?”

“Ugly!? My love it is an art piece! Created by your own heart!”

Haruka sipped at her teacup, doing her best to not appear completely in love with this man.

“You’re hopeless,” she said, and Iroh couldn’t help but grin.

“On the contrary - even when my circumstances were hopeless, I was not. And look where it got me,” he grinned. Haruka rolled her eyes, standing up to kiss him, preventing any more wisdom from leaking out of his chamomile-tasting mouth.

“I’m glad one of us had hope; I know I lost it a few times. I guess you carried enough for both of us.”

“I would carry the world for you,” Iroh whispered, stroking her cheek. “For you and Rio - I would carry the universe.”

[neonthewrite]

Friend of the Sprites

The prompt today is "Mermaid". And ... well, water sprites are sort of like mermaids! Their leg fins could make their legs look like mermaid tails if you squint ... That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

~~~

A storm threatened on the far horizon, promising that before the night came the world would be drenched in cool rain. Dead leaves scattered in the wind. Such ambience was the perfect setting for his arrival. The ambience of autumn suited him, from his tendency to wear cozy sweaters to the way his vibrant red hair whipped in even the small breezes, giving him that effortless mussed look. Combine it with his thick glasses and the worn shoulder bag that went everywhere with him, and Louis appeared perpetually ready for the start of a new fall semester, despite having graduated three years prior.

Not that the residents of Fallon Park cared much. They saw many people in the day to day comings and goings through the park, and Louis was one of the only ones that made a point to greet the park’s hidden denizens when he could.

His unmistakable style and the bright color of his hair preceded him, and the water sprites of the pond waited just beneath the surface, peeking around lily pads and reeds. Even with a storm on the way, they’d be ready to return his friendly hello.

He shifted his bag to his other side as he paused by the pond. Kel and the others waited as he glanced this way and that. Ever careful, was their Louis. He wouldn’t acknowledge them until he could ascertain that no one else was around, and no one would notice him talking to the pond. When he finally looked down, they were all assured that he hadn’t seen another human too close to bother with him. The nice thing about the park, something the water sprites had long accepted, humans that came there were often far too preoccupied with their own lives and worries to pay the life under the surface of the pond any attention.

Louis squatted down and Kel grinned. He and the others all raced upwards, their fin wings rippling and the fins on their legs spreading as wide as they would go to lend them speed. They broke the surface at about the same time, each clearing nearly a foot before they had to flip backwards in graceful arcs to dive back into the water with small but no less jubilant splashes.

When Kel resurfaced to tread water with the other six or seven water sprites that had jumped with him, Louis was laughing and wiping his glasses with a swatch of soft cloth that he never let the water sprites swim off with, though they’d tried once or twice. “Yes, hello,” he said, replacing the glasses on his nose. “Do you splash my glasses like that on purpose, or does it just come with knowing a bunch of watery troublemakers?”

“What if it’s both?” Kel called up, his voice coy and hushed. Speaking up while out of the water had always seemed dangerous to him. Most of the pond’s denizens felt that way. But they couldn’t talk to Louis any other way, so they had to. “Maybe you’re asking for it, being so splashable.”

Louis raised his eyebrows, eyes widening in a very good imitation of pure shock. “Kel, after everything! And you lead this charge against me.”

His dramatics earned raspy laughter from the diminutive water sprites gathered before him. The sound broke him out of his character and he grinned, a truly beaming expression on his pale face. He thought the water sprites were cute, with their butterfly-like fin wings and the found-object fashion they employed, wearing cast off items as accessories.

He was right, really, by Kel’s estimation. He and the other water sprites were adorable.

“Isn’t it Saturday,” one of the other sprites piped up, ducking her head partially back into the water when the human’s attention turned on her. She popped back up again to finish her question in spite of her startle reaction. “You don’t do office things on Saturdays.”

Louis nodded. “You are correct, it’s Saturday and I’m not going to work today. I came just to see you.”

“Did you bring something?” another sprite asked. Kel splashed at them.

“I did, actually,” Louis replied, glancing at the bag at his side while he rummaged within it. The water sprites drifted closer, eager despite all warnings against coming too close to the bank. They gasped when Louis pulled his hand out of the bag again in a quick motion, surprised by his speed, and then distracted by the tidy spool of twine he held up for all to see.

“Strong rope! All of that is for us?” someone asked. “How much is there?!”

Louis lowered it towards the water for the sprites to get a closer look. Indeed, they drifted closer, reaching up to touch the rough texture. Kel grasped some of the twine experimentally. It was sturdy.

“It’s three feet of twine,” Louis explained. “The weather report says that the storm is going to be pretty rough later. I wanted to make sure you all had enough to lash everything down, just in case the wind is strong enough to upset the pond.”

He was so kind, compared to how awful the sprites knew some humans could be. Kel smiled up at him. “You spoil us, Louis. Absolutely rotten.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “Sure. Just don’t go using this twine to pull any pranks, okay? I’ll never hear the end of it.”

He certainly wouldn’t, if any of the older water sprites bothered to come up to scold him in person. Kel shook his head. “We make no promises, human. No promises at all.”

[aeoki]

SHINSEKAI - Magicians of ES: Chapter 11

Location: Cafe Characters: Shuu, Natsume & Tsumugi

Shuu: …Or so I had thought.

My way of thinking has slightly changed after spending time with Kagehira in “SHINSEKAI”.

I thought I would be fine as long as I mastered art but what about Kagehira?

Unlike me, that child is carefree. It seemed he wanted to do a lot of things and he’ll absorb things at a fierce rate as much as the space in his head allows.

But it dawned on me.

Making such a child solely pursue art…

That would only result in making him my imitation – a counterfeit me, wouldn’t it?

I do not have any intentions of producing clones of myself.

Someone who will provide stimulus and a creative spark, someone who can make a piece of art that I cannot imagine – An artist of equal standing…

Someone who will travel down the same path with me, albeit with a different style of walking – a fellow travelling companion. I’m beginning to change my mind and think that’s what I truly wanted.

Someone who would surprise me and would make me think, “That sort of idea existed as well!”

I’ll say, “Then, I’ll do this!”, and show off my own methods while sharing my techniques, knowledge and passion with the person who will walk by my side. Perhaps that was what I was seeking all along.

That’s what I’ve now come to realise.

And all this time, Kagehira was just gazing upon me, but I’ve now concluded that it is I who should take this opportunity to look at him.

He happily takes in and purifies the things I cannot comprehend and accept into art.

And so, I thought, isn't that truly what I had been seeking this entire time?

That’s why I did my best in that foolish variety-styled game that I would normally not pay any attention to.

Naturally, it’s not something I’m used to, so it was failure after failure and I ended up showing an unsightly side to myself.

But Kagehira, who is more well-versed in that sort of thing, showed me what was “correct” from time to time.

And other times we discussed amongst ourselves what went wrong and what we couldn’t do well. Doing that was very meaningful.

There is nothing that stands in my and Kagehira’s way as long as we support each other, after all.

I’ll improve everything in light of our experiences this time and I’ll raise our art to new heights.

Like you, “Switch”, I too was also conducting my own experiment in “SHINSEKAI”.

That’s why there’s nothing I regret nor feel sorry for, Boy.

Natsume: …Just like the other Nii-sans, you’re too soft on mE.

Shuu: Of course. Every one of us loves you dearly, after all.

For you, everything worked out as you desired, no? You wanted us to experience work that was not very artistic and lacked class, right?

That’s why you dragged us into this against our will and made us play “SHINSEKAI”. By making us complete the variety-styled missions in-game, we were able to gain a lot of new experiences.

Tsumugi: Fufu. It’ll be more and more difficult for unique individuals who excel in one field to survive in the future, after all. People will start to want individuals who, like idols, are skilled in all aspects.

Work outside an idol’s main stage – in other words, work other than performances will only continue to increase.

Ever since ES was established, idols are trying to return to their original forms.

When everything centred around Yumenosaki, they thought it would be inevitable to be involved in every aspect, so that’s why idols who specialised in performances were created. It was all because they were the main selling point back then.

Times have changed. One cannot live by simply doing performances anymore.

In order to adapt to these changes of the times, we’re also coming up with new things and experimenting. And the best thing we’ve come up with right now is “SSVRS”.

Shuu: Hmph. It would have been fine as long as you focused on producing those results, but you even decided to interfere with others – with us. That definitely sounds like something you would do, though.

Tsumugi: That’s what makes us “Switch”, and it’s also our selling point.

Natsume: Wanting to walk hand in hand is also the wish of our beloved treasuRE, Sora.

Not giving in to the fundamental aspecTS, adapting to the environmeNT, improving oneself and becoming strongER. That has changed completely thanks to the establishment of ES and it’s the key to survival in this new worLD.

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