#and only be able to remember it from the feeling it gives me when i think about being that age

[dollyichi]

IN-STORE EXCLUSIVE

katsuki bakugou x f ! reader ᯓ★ 1.7k words. fluff / both are pro-heroes / maybe a little ooc but idc / no established relationship, he likes you though / hints on mutual feelings / not proofread

you catch him buying your merch during a morning patrol.

katsuki’s currently getting ready for the day. it’s his day off and could’ve chosen stayed in as usual, but he had an agenda. he’s already thinking of it while he’s tying his shoes, how he could approach it the best he can. well, maybe a bit too seriously.

he thinks it’s stupid but he’s been wanting to visit this new merch store in the city that opened the other day. he missed the big opening, which was fine—better not to get ‘caught’ and bring any attention to him, especially not when midoriya’s the main guest for the opening promotions. he doesn’t want midoriya to run his mouth in front of everybody.

it’s still early morning, and he hopes not a lot of people were in the area, assuming most of them are busy or on the way to work, so their routes should be different from the one he’ll take. he even made sure to check who’s patrolling. it’s just todoroki today, so he didn’t mind. it’s a secluded area, having to pass an alley to enter the store’s street no one should be there anymore since most exclusives for the grand opening should be sold out.

with a huff, he locks the front door and makes his way to the shop. pushing down his cap further. kids were able to recognize him though, giving him a wave while their parents apologized. “i’m on a secret mission kid.” he says as a joke and they nod in enthusiasm, happy to see a hero at work. “pfft.” he laughs to himself when the kid salutes him and goes back to his mother.

once he gets to the store, he’s scanning the area, only a few people were inside. it’s pretty big, seeing how there were also other merch aside from the heroes section.

the staff greets him a good morning from the counter and he gives him a nod. he checks his face if he remembered to put his face mask on. he sighs in relief feeling the cloth on his mouth and goes to the heroes aisle—he looks like a creep the staff doing rounds almost wanted to kick him out.

“lots of me in here.” he mumbles to himself.

he thinks it’s crazy how high the prices were for a figurine of him (the manufacturers usually gives it to him for free). he looks around, cringing when he sees midoriya and todoroki’s section. “shit’s not even worth the damn thing.” he thinks, but then again, he’s a dumb hypocrite.

it’s already a pain to even get to the store. he could’ve ordered anything he wanted to online but this line of collectibles were in-store exclusive and it just happened to be in this store which was a relief. he really would’ve drove to a different city just for it—though, it was also dangerous if someone catches him. he could’ve asked anyone to buy for him too, even thought of todoroki to purchase for him but that man doesn’t have the same shame he would have if he gets seen. plus he didn’t like the idea of a dating rumor of you and todoroki if he’s seen with the merchandise.

he was only supposed to buy one figurine, but ends up buying a few more, pin buttons and one big plushie that he finds really cute of you. he chuckles to himself when it got that ‘same dumb smile’ you always have on your face—the one that causes his heart to skip a beat, even when he didn’t want it to.

this all started when midoriya found out about his little crush when katsuki got into an accident with a victim they saved. it was a big mission where several individuals in the area went missing, turns out a whole gang was using them for blackmail and ransom. every hero in the area, including you, were tracking every villain involved in this case.

a little girl in hostage activated her ‘truth quirk’ when she clung onto the blonde. midoriya was asking him what he’s thinking of—he meant what to do with the villains—instead, katsuki said, “i think y/n’s really pretty tonight.” and he slaps his mouth, he didn’t mean to say that.

apparently the kid’s quirk manages to bring out the deep inner thoughts of the person they used their ability on. “t-that’s n-nice kac- dynamight but i’m asking about the villain… hehe.”

the quirk lasted the whole night and he made sure to keep him mouth shut, having midoriya talk for him instead for their initial report. because when he answered another question from the green haired hero the only thing that ever left his mouth was about you. how he wished he was doing this mission with you instead, or about how many people you saved that night.

eventually midoriya gives him a TCG of you and while he wanted to act like he didn’t want it, it sent shivers down his spine thinking midoriya would have a photo of you, so he takes it (keeps it in his wallet too).

then he got even more invested when he saw collectors online, showing off their ‘rare y/n merchandise’ which got him seething too. he’s not gonna lose, not at all.

which brings him here.

he heads over to the counter with his head down. the staff notices the pink hue on the tips of his fingers and laughs (pissed katsuki real bad). “you like her too huh? i think she could definitely be a top 5 hero soon.” they say. katsuki doesn’t respond instead waits for his total and pays with his card. “fucking nerd shouldn’t talk about her at all.” he thinks. in fact, he thinks your ‘weird fans’ shouldn’t even breathe the same air as you. treating you like some idol, it’s fucking gross.

“have a great day sir!” he takes a breather when he gets out the store. a paper bag in one hand, and the plushie around his arm. he thinks he looks pathetic right now but it’s not like anyone would notice him if he gets home quick, right?

he walks fast but not too much to get him any unwanted attention. taking the same route home quietly and fast.

though he stops in his tracks before even exiting the alley, seeing todoroki waving to him. “you have y/n’s merch?”

katsuki takes off his mask, “mind your business half n’ half bastard.” and walks away flipping him off. it’s fine, it didn’t bother him too much if todoroki were to see anyway.

however, the icy-hot hero was just about to warn him what’s up ahead but it was too late, katsuki’s already gone.

he could’ve hit a perfect home run until he’s stopped on the sidewalk by someone he definitely didn’t want to see right now.

“katsuki?” he internally panics when he hears you. too in shock he looks up from the ground, flashing you his eyes. he blinks and immediately ignores you by walking away, tucking the plushie in his jacket. yet you follow him, already floating to his side with a curious smile. “just what is it with this area suddenly?” he’s mentally screaming right now.

you knew those pair of eyes anywhere no matter how much he tried to cover it. “you’re on patrol right now, huh?” he says with a low voice.

“yup with shou! did you see him? he went first before i did.” you chirp, “didn’t think i’d see you today with…” you look down to see a bag full of your own merch and your newest plushie’s head peeking out of his jacket, “me?”

katsuki’s face turns red. if it was even possible, smoke would be coming out of his ears since he’s been caught by the worst person—fate is really messing with him today. “i’m buying this for that dumb izuku!” he lies, hoping you’d buy it, but you could only giggle. “really? i don’t think you’d do that for him though?” katsuki curses under his breath.

“look kats i’m real flattered. could i take a picture of you like this?” you clap, floating around him.

“fuck off! don’t push your luck. besides, shouldn’t you be on fucking patrol?” he shakes his head and tries to loose you again, unfortunately for him, you’re quicker.

“mhm! you’re right.” you say, “but i only have a few minutes left before i switch shifts.” he’s not even looking at you. “besides i went extra early for today.” you take a quick glance at what’s inside the bag. “it’s a really good thing i did! real great!” you giggle. katsuki’s really flustered, hoping you’d just go away soon and you’d forget about this in an hour. to add more to his rapidly beating heart, you look so good in your hero costume. the fan in him wanted you to sign the toys he just got—well, as if he’d do that at all, he really planned to take this ‘secret’ to the grave (it’s okay to shoot your shot katsuki!)

he seemed lost in thought, and it was the perfect opportunity for you take your phone out and get a quick picture of him before you fly off. katsuki flinches when he hears the ‘click’ but you’re already so up high, laughing away and he’s screaming a string of curses at you.

he didn’t know who to blame, but he knew he fucked up even more when he gave you that stupid excuse. “what the fuck…” he says through his teeth, rubbing his temples with one hand as he walks back home.

katsuki never feels shame, but there’s always that stupid thing you do to him to feel things he’s never bothered to before—right now it’s embarrassment.

tomorrow was supposed to be his shift to patrol with you. he doesn’t even know how to face you after that. when he gets home he immediately sets it up and lays down on his couch.

after a few hours he gets a text from you. ‘i got one of yours after my shift!’ is what it read and it was a small chibi doll of him. you’re so adorable holding the mini version of him close to your face while you’re in your costume, he couldn’t help but save it.

he thinks, “wait, what does that mean?” does it mean you like him too? what’s even the point of you doing all that for his sake?

he then gets another message from you. a picture of him walking out the alley with a smile, clutching the plushie while todoroki’s looking from behind him. sometimes he really hates your flying abilities even when he thinks it’s the coolest.

“ha… you knew all this. well two can play that game.” as if he could even try to embarrass you after that.

oh whatever. he never loses, right?

do not copy, plagiarize, translate, or repost my works

note : i feel like i keep embarrassing reader in front of kats so it’s payback time :p i didn’t mean for this to be so long omg. MINORS AND AGLESS BLOGS DO NOT FOLLOW ME!

[diaferia-dhades]

Silent Treatment - Queen of Onychinus

Sylus x MC

Warning: fluff

Word Count:1015, no proofreading

Preview: MC and Sylus got into a couple's quarrel. So MC gave Sylus a silent treatment, something Sylus isn't a fan of. So he'll just tighten all the jars in the house and put all her favorite snacks on the highest shelf just so she can talk to him.

Sylus is in a bad mood. Fuming, in fact. Luke and Kieran can practically feel the anger radiating from Sylus. Before they come into his office, both take a deep breath and pray they get out of there alive.

Two short knocks. A deep voice called from the inside, "Come in."

Luke and Kieran walked in to give their usual report. They had found that the more they report the worst their boss mood is. They looked at the ground while they give their report, mumbling here and there. Once they finish their report, they continue to stare at their feet.

The entire room was silent except for the ticking of the clock.

"You may leave." Sylus finally said.

Luke and Kieran nodded and quickly left the office as quietly as they can. They didn't want to anger their boss anymore than he already is.

They quickly walked to their room and closed their door, finally able to breath.

"He is angry angry." Luke commented.

Kieran nodded in agreement, "She really done it this time. How many days has it been?"

"Only 4 hours."

"She gave boss 4 hours of silent treatment. Why can't he just go apologize?"

"Pretty sure he did."

Kieran shook his head, "Talk about pettiness."

I stare daggers at the snacks on the shelf. In fact, it's above the cabinet. I used stools and chairs, trying to grab them. I had never cursed my height so much as today. Just as I felt like I lost all hope, I heard the door open. I beamed as I looked over only to frown when I saw my husband walk in. I huffed angrily, turned away, and aggressively took the chair back to where it originally was.

The door opened again and Luke and Kieran walked in. I beamed. Finally, help has arrived!

"Luke, Kieran!" I called them. However, they look very nervous. "Help me get that." I pointed at the snack above the cabinet.

Luke and Kieran looked at the snacks and then looked behind me. I scowled as I knew who was behind me.

Both cleared their throat and mumbled that they had something else to do and left the kitchen without getting anything.

I stare at the closed door in bewilderment. Then I angrily turned around and faced Sylus. His smile quickly faded away when I turned around. I was about to yell at him, but remembered that I was giving him a silent treatment so instead, I huffed angrily.

If I can't have snacks, I'll just make myself one.

I opened the fridge to grab a jar of jam. I should make a classic, peanut butter sandwich. Though it's too big for a snack, so I'll cut it and eat half of it.

I twist the cap. I-

I tried to twist the cap.

I grunt as I tried to twist the cap open. I was out of breath after several tries. I looked up to Sylus.

He was staring at me while I struggled. Bastard.

I slammed the jar onto the counter, slightly surprised that it didn't break. Then I tried to open other jars in the fridge. As expected, every single jar lids are sealed shut.

Sylus, that bastard twisted the lids shut as tightly as he can.

I slammed the refidgerator door closed and looked at all the top selves. All my favorite snacks and food are all on the top shelf. As high as they reach.

I looked over at Sylus again. This time, he is smirking while sipping on his glass of wine.

Fine. I lost. Whatever.

"Sylus."

"Yes, sweetie?" He's still smirking while placing the wine glass on the counter.

"Open this jar." I handed him a jar of jam.

He held the jar but didn't do anything with it. "It looks very tight. I don't know if I can open it."

My eyebrow twitched.

"However, I can try to open it. It does require an intense amount of labor. So payment is necessary." He smiled at me. I knew exactly what kind of payment he wanted.

He held his hand up, showing five fingers. I raised an eyebrow. "You want five kisses?"

"Close."

"Five hugs?"

"No."

"What then?"

"Five hours."

I have a bad feeling about this. "Five hours of what?"

"Love."

The audacity of this man. "Fine! But-" I didn't finish my sentence when he opened the jar. "Not today, I'm in a bad mood."

"Oops, too late. I opened the jar before you said that. Therefore our contract only states that you give me five hours of love whenever I want."

Such a cunning crow!

I lay on my side, staring out the window, watching the city lights in the distance. Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind me. Gentle kisses on the back of my neck and shoulders.

"I apologize, sweetie, forgive me?" Sylus mumbled as he nuzzled my neck.

I turned around slightly and look into his red eyes. I patted his cheeks, "Only if you say I'm right."

Sylus eyes slightly narrowed. Hesitantly he said, "Fine. You're right and I'm wrong. Forgive me please." He held me tighter into his embrace. "Don't ignore me like what you did yesterday. I did not enjoy a single moment of it."

I hold his hand that was resting on my stomach, scooting closer toward him, feeling his toned chest on my bare back. "I forgive you."

Sylus sighed a sigh of relief and pecked my neck, "Thank you, my love."

"You owe me snacks."

Sylus chuckled, "I'll get them off the shelf for you."

"I knew you put it up there! You sly crow! You're doing this so I ask you for help!"

"Are we starting another argument?"

I sighed, "No. I'm tired." Then I mumbled, "Don't really like to be too far from you."

Sylus leaned over and smiled, "Is that a 'I miss you, my dear husband' I hear?"

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever."

Sylus softly chuckled and kissed my lips, "I love you, sweetie."

I leaned into his kiss and whispered, "I love you too, dear."

[babejinxy]

In love with you - part 3

Pairing: Powder x fem!reader

Warnings: friends to lovers, SMUT, kissing, fluff

Synopsis: Powder had been your best friend for years, the two of you met when she was running from the cops when she and her brothers broke into and blew up an apartment in Piltover and you helped them escape. What you never imagined, is that the love of your life was always right there in front of you…

A/N: This is a fic about Powder from the alternate universe, it has nothing to do with Jinx.

🌟 English is not my first language, so I apologize if there are any mistakes.

Part 1 Part 2

💙 @brocoliisscared @bbybubbles @cattjull

You went after Powder who was leaving the last drop, “hey Powder, wait a minute”, you called her and she stopped looking at you with a frown and crossed her arms. “Look, I'm sorry okay? I should have told you, I know you're mad but…”, you didn't have time to finish because she interrupted you, “I'm not just mad, I'm upset too… why...Why her Y/n?”. She actually wanted to ask, “Why anyone else and not me?”, but she held herself back, she wasn’t ready for that, maybe she was too scared for that.

What would you tell her? That you still loved Cait? Maybe you did, or did you think so? Would you say that you were confused and didn't really know how you felt, or would you just say that you couldn't be alone for too long? Yes, your best friend knew all of this, she knew about your potential to easily give yourself to anyone because... because you had this fear of ending up alone, this fear of not being good for anyone, the fucking fear that no one would ever be able to love you.

“I went out with her last week, we went out to dinner and then we went to her house, it’s just… a casual encounter is no big deal.” If you knew how you were breaking Powder’s heart into a million little pieces at that moment, you would definitely condemn yourself.

“It’s not a big deal?”, she said perplexedly opening her arms, “Y/n we’re talking about the girl who cheated on you, she hurt your feelings, if you don’t remember how you felt at the time I do, I comforted you… your whole life I was the one who was by your side and not her, I’m the person who would never leave you alone, never”.

You approached her and held her hands, “I know and that’s why I’m so grateful to have you in my life, you’re my best friend Pow Pow, I love you and I don’t know what I would do without you.” She squeezed your hands in hers, knowing that you loved her in some way meant a lot to her. “I just want to see you happy, I don't like Caitlyn sorry honey, but I don't like her especially after what she did to you.” You started to wonder, “why is it so hard to find someone like Powder?”, someone like her would never hurt you, she was wonderful, but she was your best friend.

“You know Y/n, you deserve someone who likes you just the way you are, someone who knows how to value you, someone who knows how lucky they are to have you, you know someone who… who wakes up every fucking day and says “holy shit, I’m dating Y/n and no one else in the world is that lucky only me”, do you understand that?”.

You felt like crying. Powder always made you feel special. She was the only person who made you see your own worth. You held back your tears and pulled her into a tight hug. You felt her wrap her arms around your waist and hold you close. She was so close to your face, she just needed to move a little more and her lips would be on yours.

You pulled away from her, “Thank you for that, sometimes I need someone to remind me of that.”

“Yes, I know… and I’ll always be here to make sure you don’t forget.” She smiled and caressed your cheek with her thumb. fuck she wanted so badly to drag you to the dark corner and kiss you right now, maybe you would kiss her back, maybe you two would reveal your feelings, then she would take you to her house and taste you, maybe she would…

“Oh there you are,” Ekko’s voice took her out of her reverie and you looked at him - who you soon noticed was sad - Powder rolled her eyes and put her hands on her waist, he always appeared to interrupt the moment and that was already making her irritated.

Ekko approached you and held out his hand handing you a piece of paper folded in half. “Someone wants me to give this to you,” he said, his voice still dejected, he didn’t look at Powder once. You took the paper and frowned, “what is this?” you asked. “I have no idea, a guy asked me to give this to you, and before you ask, I don’t know who the guy is either, I’ve never seen him around here before.”

You were a little confused, curious and at the same time worried that this could be something serious, but Powder knew exactly what it was, some guy at the bar flirting with you and wanting to buy you a drink, how she wished she could tell all of them that you were not available because you were hers. “Well, good night girls,” Ekko walked away from you two and continued on his way with his head down.

You ignored the note for a second and looked at your friend, “You dumped him, right?” You were referring to Ekko. She shrugged, “Sort of… but he wasn’t like this when we got here.” You curled your lips, “So what happened?” She had a hunch that maybe he noticed her advances on you, but she couldn’t tell you that.

“You really don’t like him, do you?” you asked curiously. “He’s just my friend, the fact that I went out with him once doesn’t change anything… wouldn’t you go out with any of your friends?” You didn’t quite understand the question, you didn’t know if she wanted you to answer or if it was just a rhetorical question. In fact this was just a way to know what you would say even though she was afraid of the answer.

You thought for a second, you never went out with any of your friends, maybe because you liked them just as friends, maybe you just needed to think a little more or just look at Powder right in front of you before saying what you said. “I wouldn’t go on a date with any of my friends, those things rub the friendship”.

Powder felt a tightness in her heart, maybe after that the best thing to do was for her to try to get over you and have you just as her best friend, but how would that be possible when you were her dream? And every day that passed, this passion for you only grew and took over her every second she spent by your side. “Well, I guess it depends on how both feel about each other,” she said finally.

“Yeah, maybe… I mean… no,” you closed your eyes, getting confused about your words, “I don’t think it’s that simple… anyway, let’s see what’s here?” you said, opening the piece of paper in your hands as quickly as possible, ignoring your heart beating erratically once again. Of course you blamed it on your anxiety to read what was written on the note Ekko handed you.

You unfolded the paper and Powder approached you to read what was written, you read it out loud, “Hey pretty girl, I've been eyeing you all night, can I buy you a drink?”, you were holding back from laughing, Powder on the other hand, wasn't very comfortable with it, “if you accept, I'm the guy sitting alone at the table on the right corner, I'll wait for you”.

You looked at your friend and laughed, “These guys don’t know when to stop,” she said crossing her arms. “Oh come on, you’re just jealous because I got the note and you didn’t,” you laughed, mocking her. “Pssh, as if,” she said, pushing your arm away slowly. “He might be cute,” you said, looking at the note. Powder felt her body boil with jealousy, but she held herself back. “Do you want to go back there and see if he’s still there? If he is, I won’t judge him.” As she said this, her eyes widened and she looked at you from the corner of her eyes, a chill ran down her spine, how could she have let that out loud?

You looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, “Of course not,” you said, crumpling the note and throwing it behind you somewhere. “Tonight I want to have fun with my best friend, without any disloyal ex-girlfriends or barflirts, just you and me… our sleepover, remember?” You held out your hand to her. Surely if she could, she would grab you and kiss you right now. But instead, she took your hand, intertwining her fingers with yours.

“Part three of the night: braids in your hair,” you said laughing. “Okay, you’re silly,” she said pulling you closer to her, wrapping her arms around your waist…

˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁

It's been three days since the day you went to the movies with Powder and Ekko. You've had time to think about what Powder had said about Cait and you've been ignoring her calls ever since. Today was Saturday, the day of the party in Zaun at The Last Drop. You got ahead on your academy work and told your parents that you couldn't attend their party because you had work to finish.

It was night and you were finishing getting ready for the party when your hexphone vibrated and it was a message from Cait, you read it in the notification bar,

“Hey princess, sorry to be insistent, but I'm not going to give up on you... I'm sorry for what I did to you, I can fix things, give me a chance to change everything. Please give us a second chance. Are you going to your parents' party? I hope so! I need to see you! I still love you baby, don't forget that.”

You couldn’t say it didn’t affect you. Powder was right in what she said before, but what if Cait had changed? What if she really still loved you? People make mistakes and fuck things up, but they’re also capable of change, aren’t they?

For a minute you thought you could go to your parents’ party to talk to Cait. But then you looked at the picture frame on your dresser that held a picture of you and Powder and you knew in that exact moment that she was the one you were supposed to be with tonight. You didn’t know why you felt this way, or why your heart was beating so fast inside your chest. You and Powder had been friends for years and you had been with her countless times, but tonight felt different. You didn’t know why, but you felt like you had to be with her.

˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁

You went to Powder's workshop - where you knew she would be - and found her in front of the mirror grumbling about not being able to get her eyeliner right, she didn't even notice you had come in.

“Do you need help with that?” She immediately looked in your direction and glanced at your short white layered mini skirt and your low-cut silver top that really showed off your beautiful round breasts. “Damn,” she thought.

You approached her and took the eyeliner pen from her hand, “ok, head up, eyes closed,” you said standing between her legs - she was sitting on a stool in front of the mirror - she did as you said and you held her face while you applied the eyeliner to her right eye.

She was clasping her hands together, she wanted to hold your waist, in fact she wanted you to sit on her lap while you fixed her makeup, she had dreamed about this so many times. Your soft tickle on her skin, your scent taking over the entire space, fuck she just couldn't take it anymore. Then she raised her hands and held your waist and you didn't care at all.

“Ok, I think this is good, you like it?”, you got out from between her legs and she took her hands off your waist, turning on the stool to look at herself in the mirror. “I couldn’t have done it better,” she said, admiring her eyeliner—now perfect—thanks to you.

˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁

Arriving at the party, you two joined Claggor and Mylo. ​​“Hey, Y/n, I’m glad you came,” Mylo said, laughing awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck. “So… do you want to dance? Or have a drink?” Before you could answer, Claggor elbowed him and then looked at Powder furtively. Mylo had irritated her, in every way, since they were kids. Of course she loved him, but to her he was a jerk and she knew he had no chance with you, so she wasn't bothered by his advances towards you. “Maybe later,” you finally replied.

You looked around and saw Gert passing by carrying a tray with drinks, your gaze met hers and she gave you a mischievous smile, you smiled back and looked down, you thought she was a very pretty girl.

After a while, Powder went to talk to Vender and you were alone for only half a minute until you heard a female voice behind you, “I thought it was impossible for a girl like you to not be accompanied, but since you're not, lucky for me then”, you turned around and came face to face with Gert. “Be careful, I might be alone for a reason,” you said smiling. “What reason?” she asked, tilting her head and looking from your lips to your eyes. “I might be a heartless lunatic who hurts everyone I come into contact with,” you joked. She curled her lips, “You’re worth the risk, doll,” she said, grabbing a strand of your hair.

˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁

While you flirted with Gert, Powder leaned against the counter and watched you smiling and letting Gert touch your arms, hair, hands... every party ended like this, you met someone, started dating that person and it wouldn't last more than three months and you would suffer from the lack of someone you didn't even like that much just to make up for the lack of self-love that you should have and didn't have or for the fear of ending up alone.

She wished didn't love you so much, she wanted to see you as just her best friend, but you were so much more than that and it hurt her every day. If you only knew that these people would never love you like she does...

Powder was so distracted looking at you that she didn't notice when Vender leaned next to her on the counter, but he was inside. "Why don't you ask her to dance?" he asked, making the blue-haired girl jump in fright. “What? No! Why would I do that?”, she said, frowning in an attempt to hide it. Vender smiled, “I know that look, you like her.” Powder’s heart could jump out of her mouth at any moment. “She’s my best friend, of course I like her,” she laughed nervously. “Powder…”, she took a deep breath, she knew there was no point in denying it, Vender knew.

“Is it that obvious?”, she asked, still looking at you. “Why don’t you tell her?”, she took her eyes off you and looked at Vender with a frown, “Are you crazy?” Vender she is my best friend, if I tell her she’ll get weird and we won’t be friends anymore, I can’t lose her.” Vender sighed, looked at you and then said, “Look Powder, if she really is your friend nothing will change that. Nothing is more important than a friendship and you not wanting to tell her that you love her for fear of losing the friendship between you proves that. But I still think she should know, you should know… she might feel the same way about you, isn’t she worth it? Isn’t she worth the risk?” Powder didn’t answer, she just remained thoughtful and looked back at you.

She thought that maybe Vender was right, it was time to tell you. And seeing Gert getting closer and closer to you encouraged her even more. “Vender, give me a drink,” she said without taking her eyes off you. Vender smiled and handed her a glass of alcohol. She drank it all in one gulp and then looked at Vender smiling, he patted her arm encouragingly, “now go talk to her…”

Leave comments, my loves!

Happy New Year, everyone 🌟🥂

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

IOTA Reviews: Ladybug and Cat Noir: The Movie

Once again, I'd just like to apologize for the lack of activity the past few months. The holidays have kept me busy, especially at work, and I've officially decided to go back to school next month. Don't get me wrong, one of my new year's resolutions is to at least try getting back to consistently working on this blog, which is one of the reasons why I'm going to tackle She-Ra in the future. Either way, I'd like to thank you for supporting me this past year even though I haven't been as active as I should be.

When I heard Miraculous Ladybug was getting a movie, I didn't really pay too much attention to the news due to all of the side projects that have been canceled left and right, but then I saw the trailer. It looked decent, and while I had issues with the animation, I was willing to give it a shot since Astruc wasn't on the writing team. Then the movie came out, and while it got mixed reviews, this was how a lot of people in the fandom saw it after suffering through Season 5.

Yeah, a lot of fans hold this movie in high regard. It's nothing as groundbreaking as other animated films that came out the same year like Across the Spider-Verse and Nimona, but for a Miraculous Ladybug project, it turned out pretty well. That is, except for the brief schism it caused in the fandom. While it's mostly subsided, when the movie came out, there was a debate on which handled the story better, the movie or the show. As always, fandom arguments tend to get complicated, and things only got worse when Thomas Astruc himself decided to throw his hat in the ring by claiming that the show he worked on was better.

Yes, even though fans enjoy a movie based on his characters, because he isn't the one who made it, Astruc thinks his version is better. Just remember, he tweeted this about a month after “Derision” premiered. I feel like that speaks for itself.

Thankfully, the argument has died down for the most part, though there's still discussions on which is the better version. Before I really get into the movie, I just want to remind everyone reading this that my opinion shouldn't be taken as fact. I am not the authority on what people should like, and I don't want anyone to use my review as an excuse to bully other people online for having a different opinion on the movie. While I've made jokes about the show's decline in quality, the show and movie both have their own strengths and weaknesses, and we should be able to discuss them.

With all that out of the way, let's get into Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie

Just to be clear, I'm not going to tackle this like my usual reviews. Instead, I'm going to break this review into three sections: what I liked, what I didn't like, and what I'm mixed on.

Things I liked

For one thing, the characterization is pulled off very well. None of the characters are really as annoying or incompetent like they were in the show's later seasons. Part of what I think makes it work is that there's more focus on character arcs that have to be completed by the end of the film. Marinette has to learn to step up as a hero, Adrien has to learn humility while dealing with the loss of his mother, and Gabriel struggles to resist the allure of villainy.

Marinette's anxiety is more pronounced in this movie, especially since in this continuity, Chloe is just starting to harass her, so she's not used to this kind of treatment. While Chloe is a minor antagonist in the civilian plotline, the biggest threat to Marinette when she's not Ladybug is her own self-doubt. Her status as an outcast is used to add to Marinette's lack of confidence in herself. The whole reason she even meets Adrien here is because she tried to hide from Chloe in the library, and she was too nervous to really speak up to Adrien. Hell, the first time she transforms into Ladybug, it's only because Tikki forced her to transform.

I like how Marinette's insecurities transition into her origin as Ladybug, where she's put in a situation where she has to take charge and be more confident. She still gets frustrated with her situation and her new partner's ego (more on that in a minute), but she struggles to really get her head in the game at first compared to how things were in “Origins”. It makes her development into the confident hero we're all familiar with feel more natural, as the climax of the movie shows her fully asserting herself as the protector of Paris and a beacon of hope for those to look up to.

Adrien is also handled very well here. As much as I liked “Origins”, I have to admit it didn't really do much with him as a character. With the exception of wasting his first Cataclysm, he just goes about the two-parter like it's another day at the office for him. That's why I'm a huge fan of the movie actually giving him stuff to do. Unlike the show, his arrogance is shown in a more negative light and is shown to be a major character flaw he needs to overcome. Nobody tries to excuse or deny his actions, and he learns how to become a better person.

This is what makes his dynamic with Ladybug so interesting. For their first battle together, he's overconfident and assumes that he's the leader, even though he's just as new at this as Ladybug is. The two trade insults and bicker while fighting their Akuma and even when they meet Master Fu afterwards. While Cat Noir does fall for Ladybug, Marinette still isn't open to it, not because she loves someone else, but more because she finds him to be unbelievably annoying. She doesn't really hate him the same way she does Chloe. It's more like that one coworker you can't stand but have to tolerate regardless.

Both Ladybug and Cat Noir help the other improve as they gain each other's respect. Ladybug gains more confidence in order to keep Cat Noir from bossing her around, while Cat Noir becomes more humble to become a better hero. Eventually, Cat Noir reverses his position and assumes he's the sidekick, only for Ladybug to deny that claim and declare that the two are partners. This statement also reflects how both of them are responsible for saving the day in the end. While Adrien ultimately reaches through to his father, Ladybug saves Adrien and repairs the damage caused by Hawkmoth. Both played a role that was instrumental in the climax, and neither one feels ignored by the narrative.

Another character who really got a much needed revamp is Chloe. Yes, she's still Marinette's primary bully, but it's more downplayed than in later seasons. She stays a challenge exclusive to Marinette's civilian life instead of trying to be a challenge to Ladybug. The closest thing she does to opposing the heroes is kick Cat Noir off a runaway Ferris wheel out of fear, and even then, she gets her comeuppance through Ladybug throwing her in a dumpster while saving her. Chloe is also much smarter than in canon, being able to read the room to mask her emotions and maintain her image or to prey on someone's insecurities if they get in her way. Don't get me wrong, she's still a source of comic relief, but the movie treats her slightly more seriously than canon does.

Speaking of comic relief, here's something that I think made this Chloe better than the one seen in the show: The jokes were actually funny. Yeah, it's not laugh out loud, but I like how rather than make jokes about how immature and stupid Chloe is, her jokes are focused more on her own ego and self-image. Well, that, and wanting to kick Marinette's ass. I'm not making this up. Chloe in this movie threatens Marinette several times, and it's honestly amazing.

She unironically put the fear of God in Marinette's eyes in her first scene alone.

I also like how they handle her role as a love rival to Marinette. Unlike the show, Chloe and Adrien never interact, and it's implied that this continuity won't use the childhood friends element introduced in Season 2. It's a good way to show the difference between her and Marinette, how for all her boasting, Chloe doesn't know Adrien the way Marinette gets to know him.

Gabriel is easily the best part of the movie. This version is more fleshed out compared to the show. Rather than flip-flop between sympathetic and pure evil, the movie leans more on the sympathetic side for Gabriel's character. His very first scene shows the grief he's going through while thinking about Emilie, and Keith Silverstein gets to show off more emotions than just over the top sociopathy. You understand why he chooses to become a supervillain, but you want to see him get better, making for a very somber character. I especially love the delivery of the line where he finally gives in and transforms for the first time.

Gabriel: If chaos is the way, I will burn the world and lose myself in the flames to do so!

That line has no right to go as hard as it does.

We see him descend more into villainy as his appearance becomes more disheveled. Despite claiming to care for his son, the Gabriel and Adrien don't interact until the 70-minute mark. By the time the two do talk, Gabriel looks like a mess compared to how he looked at the beginning.

I really like this writing decision, as it highlights the distant relationship between the two, and how being Hawkmoth has only made things worse for Gabriel. Seeing Gabriel finally realize how unhealthy his coping mechanisms have been when he learns Adrien is Cat Noir is a satisfying scene, as it feels like a natural way to put an end to his arc. Compared to canon where he wins and never really feels bad for what he did, this version of Gabriel is far more remorseful at the sight of his son battered and bruised and breaks down sobbing. Remember, this was the version Astruc said we “wanted” and not the one we “needed”.

As for the Miraculous, things were changed to better fit the story, and I like most of what they did. I like how there's more focus on the teamwork between Ladybug and Cat Noir. Their Miraculous don't just grant a wish when used together. They literally become stronger when the two work together, and it makes a lot of sense. I like how the teamwork aspect is rewarded in-universe, because it shows how the heroes can do more than create and destroy stuff. I also think the addition of a call function on their Miraculous makes perfect sense, and clears up a ton of potential communication errors.

The fight scenes are also pretty creative. There's a lot of focus on using the environment to fight the Akumas. The very first fight has Ladybug and Cat Noir defeat the Akuma by letting a train hit it, and the second major fight involves a Ferris wheel going out of control. This leads to more varied action and well choreographed fight scenes. I especially like how with the exception of the Mime (and a brief reference to the Bubbler and Guitar Villain), all of the Akumas are brand-new, so older fans don't know what to expect with these guys.

This level of action also extends to the climax. Hawkmoth uses an Akuma on himself, sending out a massive flock of butterflies. You'd think it'd be like this movie's take on “Heroes' Day”, right? Nope! Instead, the Akumas become tiny attack drones that swarm over Paris like the eight plague of Egypt. I don't know how the animators managed to make an army of purple butterflies menacing, but by God, they did it.

Speaking of animators, my thoughts on the animation have changed drastically. While I still have minor gripes with the character design, I still love how the city of Paris is brought to life, making it seem more populated than in the show. I never really held the limited amount of civilians against the animators in the show, but I'm so happy we can see this show's environment on a cinematic budget. The animation is another reason why I think the action works so well in this movie.

Things I didn't like

When it comes to the changes to the Miraculous, one thing I'm not a fan of is Ladybug not getting her Lucky Charm. It misses the point of her having the power of creation. Yeah, she still has the spotted vision thing she had in the show, but it takes away what made the way she defeats Akumas interesting. She doesn't just beat them into submission. Sometimes, she outsmarts them or reasons with them, and part of the fun with the Lucky Charm is seeing just how she'll use something like a coat hanger or an old football trophy to defeat them.

I also don't like this movie's take on the Butterfly Miraculous. The very first scene has Master Fu build it up as an evil artifact capable of turning people into monsters. Remember, “Origins” established the Butterfly as something capable of creating superheroes, a power Gabriel twisted to create villains instead. Hell, I hate this rule, but the Paris Special made it clear that Miraculous can be used for good or evil, and it all depends on how the power is used. In other words, Miraculous don't kill people, people kill people. Bottom line, I prefer the idea of the Butterfly being the same as the other Miraculous, with the user and intent making it evil.

The one character who I felt the movie absolutely misrepresented was Plagg. This version of the character has none of the heart he had in the show. Yes, Plagg was crass there too, but he had just as many scenes showing how he cared for Adrien like a little brother or a nephew. He was Adrien's primary confidant and wanted to help him however he could. Even bad Plagg-centric episodes like “Kuro Neko” or “The Kwamis' Choice” made it clear he wants what's best for Adrien and is capable of coming up with plans if they'll help him.

Here, Plagg is mostly just there to make snide comments and fart a lot. Say what you will about the show, but at least it didn't make Plagg farting into a running gag. Plagg only gets a handful of lines in the entire movie, to the point where even Tom has more lines than he does. Tikki gets plenty of scenes with Marinette and an entire song, while Plagg feels like an afterthought.

Things I'm mixed on

This might be a little controversial, but I have mixed feelings on the portrayal of the Love Square as a whole in this movie. Don't get me wrong, the Ladynoir scenes are great, but there's not as many Adrienette, Ladrien, or Marichat scenes. In fact, I don't think there were any Ladrien or Marichat scenes in this movie, which is weird. I can at least excuse those, but it's weird how little Adrienette scenes there are. Not counting the masks, they only have four major scenes together before the end, and one of those is a deleted scene that had the dialogue cut over a montage.

While I'm glad the entire movie wasn't about the Love Square drama, the romance between Marinette and Adrien specifically feels a little rushed. I think it would have benefited the movie to have ten or fifteen more minutes to flesh out this subplot a little instead of only focusing on Ladynoir.

I'm also unsure what to say about the songs. Most of them are pretty catchy and have great visuals, but the dissonance between the singing voices of Marinette and Adrien throws me off. I don't get why neither actor for the French or English dub was asked to sing. For some reason, Tikki and Gabriel's voice actors got to sing, but not Marinette and Adrien. At the very least, Drew Ryan Scott's singing voice sort of sounds like Adrien, but Lou's singing voice makes Marinette sound twice her age. Don't get me wrong, I still liked the songs, but this choice was very jarring to me.

And now, because literally nobody asked for it, here's every song in the movie ranked.

8. If I Believed in Me

A very dull “I want” song that's just Marinette wandering around Paris on the way to school. Compared to “Little Town” from Beauty and the Beast, where you can easily follow Belle and understand how she goes about her day, it's not clear what kind of route Marinette is taking. Even the lyrics are pretty bland, just talking about wanting to follow her dreams and be more confident. The issue is that her dreams of being a fashion designer barely factor into the plot, and she only becomes more confident thanks to being a superhero, something she didn't dream of. The only real dud in the soundtrack.

7. Opening Remix

Not much to say here. It's a remix of the opening theme with the new singers. It sounds nice.

6. Reaching Out

This is a much better song than “If I Believed in Me”. It does a great job expressing Marinette's doubt and how she feels pressured to be somebody she's not. Great way to follow up on her heart getting broken by Adrien.

5. My Lady

This one's a quickie, but it's still fun. I love the visuals in this one and how it gradually crescendos, reflecting the new feelings Cat Noir has for Ladybug developing.

4. Stronger Together

Surprisingly, Ladybug and Cat Noir's only duet in the movie, but it's still really good. I love the use of the set in the theater Cat Noir took Ladybug to at the beginning before they run around Paris. The lyrics do a great job showing how far the two's relationship has come, making it clear how close they are, only for reality to metaphorically kick them out of the sky.

3. You Are Ladybug

Another duet, this time between Marinette and Tikki. While I still think Cristina Vee should have gotten to sing this one song given her chemistry with Mela Lee, Lou still does a great job expressing her anxiety. The back and forth between Tikki and Marinette makes this a blast to watch, especially with it using the same music as the theme song. Even the rap part with Tikki was fun to watch. I especially love the part where Tikki excitedly tells Marinette about how dangerous the job is and how close she'll come to getting killed.

2. Chaos Will Reign Today

The villain song in this movie had no right to be as good as it is. The visuals are eerie and fit the more menacing tone of the song. Keith Silverstein gives his all to make up for his crime of singing the Hawkmoth Rap. It's also a hell of a lot better than the villain song Disney had to offer that year.

1. Courage in Me

Easily my favorite song in the movie. The visuals of Marinette struggling to hop across these black spots symbolizing her yo-yo before her transformation into Ladybug is awe-inspiring. The lyrics are a great way to solidify Marinette embracing her role as Ladybug, and it's such a triumphant song to listen to.

Other things I noticed

During the first Akuma fight, Ladybug and Cat Noir pass by some guys with stereotypical French accents while almost every other character speaks like they're in America.

Careless Whisper plays one time in Cat Noir's mind as he develops feelings for Ladybug. The fact that he listens to it after getting his heart broken has to be one of the most subtle jokes I've ever seen in this franchise. Of course, it's clear what the best superhero cover of Careless Whisper really is.

Cat Noir says he has the power of destruction in his introduction while being impressed when Master Fu says the same thing.

There's a Volkswagon tie-in that actually features the two heroes promoting some cars in-universe. This is a real shot from the movie.

I think Chloe ships Alyanette, judging from this exchange:

Marinette: Seriously, Alya, you think Adrien would say yes?

Alya: Of course! I'm gonna ask Nino.

Chloe: I think you should go together, 'cause Adrien is coming with me, not with some baker girl.

I don't think Ladybug ever learned Cat Noir could play the piano, so seeing Cat Noir try to woo her with a little piano number is a nice inclusion.

When Cat Noir's mask is destroyed in the final battle, his exposed eye is still green. Was this where the chibi shorts got the idea from?

Other people have pointed this out, but the picture of Adrien as a kid is traced from a character from The Boss Baby. That's an automatic ten point deduction for making me remember that movie exists.

The post-credits scene with Nathalie was weird.

Did Master Fu not know he lost the Peacock Miraculous too?

Why isn't Emilie in any form of suspended animation?

Is the Peacock still damaged?

Did the Peacock still kill her/send her into a coma?

Was Adrien still created by the Peacock?

Why didn't Gabriel use the Peacock or at least consider it?

Did Gabriel forget to tell anyone about the other Miraculous he has after turning himself in?

Why did Gabriel choose to tell Nathalie when she didn't seem to help him while he was still Hawkmoth?

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a really good movie, and a fresh take on the show's universe. I had issues with it, but I still think this movie series has promise. The animation was great, the songs were catchy, and the characterization was on point for the most part. It even manages to be a better musical than the ones big names like Disney and Warner Bros have made in the past two years. It's one of the best things to come out of the franchise, no question. I wouldn't mind future installments set in this continuity over whatever Season 6 churns out.

[cassiesc0rner]

Impurities VII

Synopsis: You're the new girl at East Highland High, your only goal is to get through school. Until you come across Nate Jacobs

Genre: angst

Pairing: Nate x fem!reader

Warnings: manipulation, jealousy, (homophobia?), lying,

Song rec: Hush - The Marias | Caged Muse - Lilithzplug | listen before I go - billie eilish |

WC: +6,9k

Other parts: previous part, next part

A/N: This might be my saddest part and things are getting crazy but I hope you’ll still enjoy it nonetheless :)

Holy shit

That was all you could think once you woke up the next day. To say that you felt tired would be an understatement. You felt like you got run over by a truck.

Your head hurt—no, scratch that, your whole body hurt, you were tired, and for a moment, you totally forgot what happened the day prior. But once you took in your surroundings—the oversized bed, and Nate's cologne, you remembered it. Every. Single. Thing.

You pulled the blanket over your head, feeling like the room was way brighter than usual. You stayed like this until you heard the door of Nate's room. Your head peaked up under the blanket, and you looked at Nate who stood in front of his bed.

"Good morning, princess." He said as he smirked. He was wondering when you'd wake up, given that it was 1 PM already. "Morning.." You mumbled, before pulling the blanket back over your head.

Nate chuckled as he strolled over "How are you feeling?" he asked, despite knowing you're probably hungover. "I'm never gonna drink this much again.." You groaned, your voice muffled by the blanket.

Nate cooed as he sat down next to your legs. "I'm sorry," he said, running his hand over the blanket where your leg was "I should've kept a better eye on what you drink." he apologized, successfully masking his true intentions.

Nate had no regrets at all, last night had gone better than he could've imagined. Seeing you give in to him, endure his rough side and actually liking it, was everything he ever wanted.

"You hungry?" he asked, changing the subject. You groaned "Starving." you mumbled into the blanket.

"Good, I'll get us something to eat." he declared standing up and stretching, his shirt riding up just enough to distract you momentarily. "There's a glass of water for you on the bedside table. I'll be right back." He announced with a smirk.

You were surprised by Nate's sudden mood shift, but you were sure it was because of your rather exciting night together.

You took the chance to freshen up while Nate went to get breakfast. Once you took all your strength together to get out of bed, you took one of his shirts and walked towards his bathroom.

When you looked into the mirror however, your eyes widened and your heart dropped.

Your throat was littered in red and purple hickeys.

You remembered how Nate's mouth was constantly on your neck last night, of course this had to be the outcome. You weren't sure how to feel other than utter panic, because there's no way your parents wouldn't notice.

You sighed before stepping into the shower, deciding that it made no sense to worry about it now done there wasn't much you could do.

After you got out of the shower and dried your hair, you put on Nate's tee and made your way over to his bed. Luckily your headache wasn't as present anymore and you were just tired.

You plopped down on his bed and scrolled through your phone as you waited for Nate to return. You saw pictures from the party yesterday, which some of the students posted.

You decided to text Max, in order to thank him for everything. You felt bad for him because he had to clean up everything alone, since you left earlier with Nate.

You: Heyy just wanted to say thank you again for helping me and trusting us with your place! 02:42pm

You waited a moment after sending the text, feeling a little better now that you thanked him. You wouldn't have been able to plan this huge party without him, and you wanted him to know that you didn't take it for granted.

But as you continued to scroll through social media, you suddenly remembered Nate's words before the two of you left the party. They echoed in your head, loud and clear, "You're not gonna talk to him again, you understand?"

You sighed. Maybe it was the exhaustion, or the fact that you were finally sober again, but something about that warning unsettled you more now than before. Yesterday you were way too drunk to notice how weird he was behaving, brushing it off as him just being his overprotective self.

But now you weren't so sure.

You glanced down at your phone as Max's reply popped up almost instantly.

Max: No worries, I'm glad everything went smoothly :) 02:43 pm

You smiled faintly, but you still had an unsettling feeling in your stomach—which could've also been a result from the drinks you had, but you were sure it was something else.

Fear.

You couldn't get past what happened when he found out that you and Max were texting, and meeting up without him. You'd rather not risk it happening again.

You put your phone down, and allowed your head to sink into the pillow as your mind went back to the previous night. Each memory seemed so vivid, the way Nate had pushed you past your limits, the way you finally felt less insecure.

The sound of his footsteps ripped you out of your thoughts. You quickly sat up as you waited for him to open the door. Suddenly, you felt anxious as his words rang in your ears over and over again.

The door swung open, and Nate stood in the doorway, smirking at you as he put the bag of take out on his desk. "Miss me, princess?" he asked cockily as he took in your expression.

You nodded before leaning back against the headboard. "Yup, but now you're back." You chuckled, hoping Nate didn't notice how nervous you were.

But he did, of course he did.

He had enough time to analyze your behaviour, and he knew that something was off. You were acting way too relaxed again, almost as if it was forced. "Yeah," he said slowly as he looked at you "what's with you?"

"What? Nothing." you shrugged, Nate's gaze flickered to the phone in your hand just as you locked it.

Now his smirk faded. You wouldn't do the same mistake twice, right? "Y/n," He started as he took a step towards the bed "Was someone texting you?" you shook your head "No, I was just about to text my mom when I'd be home. You know her, always asking me where I am and if I'm okay." You chuckled as you averted your gaze towards your phone.

He didn't buy it one bit. "Then why did you just lock your phone?" He pressed, crossing his arms as he stared you down and when you took too long to respond he continued "Don't lie to me, baby. You're terrible at it."

You groaned, still seemingly looking everywhere but him "Nate why is it so important to you? I was literally about to text my mom!" you defended yourself. But Nate completely ignored it "Unlock your phone."

Your eyes went wide "Nate, you can't be serious right now.. let’s not do this again." But Nate only continued to stare at you. "Unlock it." Your heart raced, as you gripped the phone tighter.

"Nate.. please." you whispered softly, as the memories of the previous fight came back. And for a second he seemed taken aback, questioning himself if he was overreacting.

You just couldn't help it, the thought of reliving that day made you shudder and the way he yelled ‘Stop fucking lying, Y/n!’ was probably engraved into your mind, just like the pressure of his grip on your arms as he shoved you against the wall of his room.

Or the way you suddenly couldn't breathe anymore.

And now, as you watched him inch closer to the bed, you swore it would happen all over again. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" You asked, trying to sound as calm as possible "I promise, it's nothing you have to worry about."

Nate let out a humorous laugh "Then why were you acting so fucking suspicious?" he asked as he reached the bed "And also," he continued, as he furrowed his brows "wasn't that also what you said, when I asked you why you met up with Max?"

"Jesus, Nate, I'm not even acting suspicious!" you groaned in frustration. "Yes, you are!" He shot back, "Locking your phone when I ask you what's wrong, avoiding eye contact? Just stop wasting time and–"

You put your phone beside you, as you sat up straight "Nate, please!" you pleaded again, "Why do you have to pick a fight over this right now? Just because I apparently texted someone?" Nate frowned, taken aback by your sudden outburst.

"I mean, seriously?" You continued, the words rushing out of your mouth before you could stop them "When are you going to stop being so insecure and just love me, without constantly suspecting I'm cheating on you?"

The room went quiet.

Nate flinched, as if you had slapped him. For a moment he just stared at you, processing what you had just accused him of.

And then something shifted, his jaw clenched and he seemed eerily calm.

Fuck.

"Insecure?" He repeated, his voice even lower than usual. The silence afterwards made your chest tighten, somehow this was even worst than him yelling at you.

Because right now, you had no idea what was going on inside his head.

You swallowed hard as he stared at you, almost like he was staring right through you, his expression unreadable. For a moment it seemed like he didn't breathe with how motionless he was.

"What did you just say to me?" He asked, his tone calm. You shifted uncomfortably as you tried not to lose it. "I–I didn't mean it like–" But Nate was already shaking his head, his mouth stretching into a mocking smile. "Nah, you meant it."

He stepped closer to you, slowly, almost as if he didn't want you to notice. "You think I'm insecure?" he repeated, like he was trying to make sense of your statement. Then he chuckled bitterly, almost mockingly as he reached the side of the bed, causing you to inhale sharply as you scooted away.

"Tell me something," he said, taking a step closer as his eyes were locked on you "if I'm so fucking insecure... then why do you look so scared of me right now?"

Your breath hitched as he leaned in closer. You opened your mouth but nothing came out, while Nate was watching you predatory, waiting for you to say something.

"You know what I think?" he continued quietly, leaning in just slightly. "I think you know you fucked up. And now you're trying to make me the bad guy, so you don't have to feel guilty about it."

"Nate..." you whispered. He tilted his head slightly, studying you. "Who was it, hm? Who were you texting?" His voice stayed low, almost gentle, like he was asking about the weather. But you could feel the threat lurking underneath it.

"I—I told you, it was nothing," you stammered once again, forcing yourself to hold his gaze. Nate's smirk faded, his eyes narrowing just slightly. You sighed, knowing you didn't stand a chance against him. "I was texting Max..."

Nate chuckled drily "Max.. really? Why am I not surprised.." he responded sarcastically. "I just thanked him for yesterday, nothing else." You explained, as your hand shakily worked to unlock the phone.

Once you did, Nate took the phone from your hand before his eyes scanned the text messages between you two. His jaw tensed for a moment, but other than that his expression was void of any emotion, causing you to fear he might be even more angry.

"That's it?" he asked, his eyes still glued to your phone.

"Yes, I–I only texted him because I wanted to thank him for the party yesterday. I felt bad because we left so early and he had to clean everything up himself, and–"

"I didn't ask for a speech," he cut you off, his tone less cold. "I believe you." he continued, a faint smile making its way onto his face. You sighed in relief "You do?" you asked once again.

He nodded "Yeah, I do." he stated, his gaze intense as he just stared at you for a moment. Then he tossed your phone back on the bed "But let's be clear about something." he sighed as he leaned in closer.

"You're not talking to him again. Got it?"

His tone left no place for any arguments, so you just nodded "Okay.." you swallowed harshly when Nate's gaze didn't falter "Say it." he demanded.

"I.. I won't talk to him again." You complied quietly. Nate watched you for a moment longer, before a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

"Good girl." he praised, his hand stroking your bare thigh, and for a moment you forgot how possessive and scary he was just mere moments ago. "See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

You forced a smile and nodded, still feeling slightly uneasy. Nate on the other hand seemed perfectly at ease, as if the entire argument didn't even happen.

"You hungry?" He asked casually, before he walked back towards his desk where the take out rested. You simply nodded slowly "Yeah.." Nate smiled for a split second before he opened the bag.

You were left staring at his back, completely confused. Was he actually mad just now, or was he just acting like he was to get his way? He was so angry just mere moments ago, what happened?

You decided to just let it go, glad your fight was over. You were more than sure that you could relax the rest of the day, at least until you'd get home.

Or so you thought.

After you two were done eating, Nate had pressed a kiss onto your lips before he disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower.

You were watching TV as you waited for him to come back, the thoughts of your previous argument slowly resurfacing. You just couldn't get past how his mood shifted so many times.

Suddenly you sensed a faint vibration. Thinking it was your phone, you reached for it, but the vibration continued.

It was Nate's phone.

You still heard the sound of the shower running, so you decided to reach for his phone and take a look at who was calling him.

Not because you were particularly curious or anything, you just thought that it might've been his parents and maybe it was something important.

But it was just a random number, no caller ID or anything. Maybe it was just a scam call, but something inside you, told you to answer the call.

You could still hang up, right?

You slid your thumb over the screen to accept the call, but decided to remain silent as you held the phone to your ear.

"Hello.. Nate? Oh my god.. I can't believe you finally picked up."

You froze as you took in the sound of a female voice. It was a voice you didn't recognize and it frightened you for a second. Nate didn't have any sister, and he barely talks to any girls from school.

Cassie?

Just as you were about to say something, she continued to speak "Listen I–I know that this is pretty late, but I just needed to talk to you, about everything that happened."

Your grip on the phone tightened. "I want to apologize for how things went.. I didn't know Lexi would put stuff like this into her play."

Your eyes widened, totally confused at what was going on. Which play? Why was she apologizing for someone else's play?

"I.. You know that I always stood by your side. I literally dropped everything for you, no one's gonna love you the way I love you! Even after everything Maddy told me about you.. About those dickpics on your phone."

You nearly gasped, your mouth agape in both confusion and realization.

You were listening to none other than Cassie.

Did Nate actually have dickpics on his phone? Does that mean.. he sent dickpics to other girls while he was with Maddy?

No, there's no way, he already told you how crazy Cassie was. Not to mention, that Nate was not the type to cheat on his girlfriend– she was the one who cheated.

But why were you still listening to her?

"I mean.. you're not into that.. right? Or is that why you broke up with me? B-Because you realized you're into boys?"

That's when it clicked and your face started to form into a scowl. Those dickpics weren't his own, they belonged to other guys.

You started to feel dizzy, the urge to hang up was immense, feeling overwhelmed with the situation. But you felt like you'd miss out on a lot of information if you'd hang up now.

Why would she say stuff like this? She's so sure that she's talking to Nate, there's no reason for her to lie.

"God, what am I even saying, I'm sure Maddy just lied about that. Is.. Is that why you choked her at the carnival? I–I get it, okay? I mean, I know you hate when I bring up Maddy, and we talked about this before, but I just– I want you to know that I don't blame you. She was pushing you and you just snapped."

What the actual fuck?

You stopped breathing for a moment, unable to believe what you just heard. He choked Maddy, at the carnival, because his anger got the best of him?You felt like you were about to throw up.

"I always did what you wanted me to do, I even dressed the way you wanted me to, I–I did everything just so you'd like me, so.. what did I do wrong?"

Your hand was trembling as you tried to comprehend everything that she just threw at you. There was no way that she was telling the truth. She sounded just as crazy as Nate described her.

But why did you still believe her?

Did he tell her how to dress? Was that why he bought you all those outfits? You had so many questions, but you couldn't ask anyone. You were just about to hang up when Cassie sighed, ready to continue her rambling.

"I just.. I can't let you go, not after everything we've been through. I need to know if you.. ever felt the same way about me? I.. saw you with her.. with that new girl..." her voice cracked slightly.

"I saw you holding hands. I didn't think she would be your type but.. I guess all she has to do is listen to you the way I did, right?"

You were surprised by how sudden her mood seemed to switch from desperate to bitter in the span of mere seconds. But other than that you were beyond disturbed with everything you just found out.

You felt like everything you knew about Nate was a façade he put on to gain your trust. But why would he go through so much trouble just to have you as his girlfriend?

Cassie was right, it was odd that he picked you. You weren't popular, you didn't dress to his liking and you two didn't even know each other.

"Nate please.. please say something, anything. Yell at me if you want to I.. I just wanna hear your voice."

Your eyes fluttered shut in an attempt to calm down. Then you slowly removed the phone from your ear and hung up.

You wanted to scream at the top of your lungs, you wanted to cry because you were so shaken. When you heard the shower turn off you quickly put his phone back onto the bed. Almost like you felt disgusted to hold it.

You stood up and started to put on your own clothes again. Quickly tossing his shirt onto his bed and picking up your bra.

But you weren't quick enough to get fully dressed when Nate emerged from the bathroom, only a towel around his waist.

He smirked when he saw you in only your bra and panties. "Hm, what do we have here?" He teased as he took another step closer.

To his dismay however you took two back, your dress clutched tightly in your hand as you glared at him. "Drive me home." You demanded sternly. Nate's smirk fell as he inspected your body language.

Something was definitely off.

"What?" He asked softly, but the question was directed towards himself more than you.

"I want you to drive me home." You repeated as you turned away from his gaze and stepped into your dress.

Nate swallowed harshly, his mind racing with all the possible things you could be mad about. He had to find out quickly before it was too late. Nate slowly approached you as you adjusted your dress, your mind racing with thoughts as well.

He placed his hand on your shoulder, causing you to flinch. A frown crept onto Nate's face as he looked around his room.

He was trying to see if anything was out of place, despite knowing that there was nothing you could've possibly seen to get you this disturbed.

"I still have to talk to my parents and everything and it's getting late." Once you fixed your dress, you turned around to walk past Nate. But he had other plans, he grabbed your arm and swung you back almost against his damp chest.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked as he leaned in closer, the scent of his expensive shower gel intoxicating you as you blinked up at him. "I already told you.." you trailed off as he leaned in even closer.

You swallowed harshly before you removed your arm from his grip, and walked towards the door "Are you gonna drive me home or do I have to take the bus?" you asked, your tone serious.

Nate clenched his jaw before he nodded "Yeah.. sure, I'll drive you."

The ride to your place was quiet. Nate occasionally tried to make conversation, complaining about the driving skills of some of the drivers.

But you only replied with short answers, which only infuriated him further. You nervously tapped your thigh as your gaze was fixated on the scenery outside, and the sun which was about to set.

Once he stopped in front of your house, you thanked him and unbuckled your seat belt. Nate squinted his eyes at you as he inspected your strange behaviour.

Usually you'd kiss him goodbye, with a smile on your lips. But that smile was nowhere to be found and Nate finally decided he had enough.

"I'll see you tomorrow." you said softly, as your hand reached for the door handle

Click.

The sound of the lock echoed through the silence and you immediately froze. You slowly turned back towards Nate, who's fingers were casually tapping against the steering wheel.

He looked straight ahead, almost like he didn't just lock you in his car with him. You weren't sure what to say, you knew deep down that he wouldn't let you go unless you told him what was wrong.

And of course he wouldn't let you go until he successfully convinced you that you're worried about nothing.

Nate's dry chuckle broke the silence and interrupted your thoughts momentarily, his gaze still directed to the front "Y/n.." he started. You gulped in return, waiting for him to continue.

"Are you gonna tell me what's up? Because I'll stay in this car with you until you do." he added, before he slowly shifted in his seat to turn towards you.

You simply glared at him, even more anxious now that you knew what Nate did to Maddy when she pissed him off. "Are you gonna hurt me if I don't tell you? If I don't do as you say?" You replied as you took all your courage together.

Nate's jaw clenched before he snickered "What the fuck are you on about? Have I ever hurt you?" he asked, his tone bitter as he unbuckled as well now.

Your gaze flickered towards his hand, feeling even more frightened now that he was less restrained. "Is that a serious question?" you responded, trying to sound as calm as you could.

"Yes, it is. Because if I remember correctly I never fucking hurt you." You sighed when he continued "Was there anything I haven't done for you? Literally anything?"

You furrowed your brows "That's totally besides the point." you defended yourself "Okay, then answer my other question, when have I ever hurt you?" he asked again.

"Remember when we fought about Max for the first time?" You reminded him, to which he sighed "Jesus Christ, why is it always Max?" he scoffed before he added "Is this still about our argument earlier?"

You shook your head "No, you literally asked me when you hurt me and I was about to explain it to you, before you started putting words into my mouth." Nate sighed, his hand gripping the steering wheel.

He despised the way you were talking to him.

It was so out of touch with how you usually talked to him. And the fact that he wasn't even sure what got you this worked up, made him even more angry.

He exhaled sharply through his nose before shaking his head, as if he was trying to hold himself back.

"This wasn't me hurting you," He muttered, his voice even lower "This was me trying to protect you from guys who only want to fuck you. I mean, you have no idea how the boys talk in the locker room, and trust me, Max is one of them."

You blinked in response "You slammed me against the wall, Nate. Do you really think that was necessary?" He turned towards you again, debating on what to say without pushing you further away.

"And I already apologized for that, didn't I?" When you didn't respond, he continued "I didn't realize that I went too far, I was scared because I didn't want to go through the same thing I went through with Maddy."

Maddy.. Is that why he choked her at the carnival?

"I just wanna know what happened while I was in the shower. Did anyone talk to you? Was it Max?" He asked, his tone less harsh and more concerned.

You shook your head, before you looked out the window, wanting nothing more than to get out of his car as soon as possible "I answered your phone." you finally admitted, your tone calm.

Nate's jaw clenched tightly as a million thoughts ran through his head, was his dad calling him and said something weird? Maybe it wasn't even his dad, and one of his stupid teammates?

He nodded encouragingly waiting for you to continue. "It.. kept ringing... and I just thought it might be something important and you were in the sho–" Nate cut you off "I'm not mad that you picked up, Y/n, you don't have to justify your decision."

You nodded in response "It was Cassie." you finally explained. You made sure to look at him as you did, to gauge his reaction.

But to your dismay, he only sighed and shook his head. Then he suddenly chuckled drily. "Seriously? You talk to fucking Cassie for once and you instantly think I'm a monster, is that it?"

When you didn’t respond immediately he continued “This is exactly why I didn’t want you to talk to her when you offered it last week. You believe everything people tell you.”

It was your turn to sigh now "No Nate, I just don't understand a lot of things.. I feel like you're hiding so many things from me while I'm an open book to you." you frowned.

"Cassie's absolutely insane, if you couldn't tell by now, do you really believe what she says about me?" Nate asked in disbelief.

He knew damn well what she told you about him. That he's an aggressive asshole, or that he'll drop you eventually, he was aware of the fact that she'd say anything to make you dislike him, to ruin your relationship.

"She told me about the carnival."

Nate's face remained unreadable, but you could've sworn you saw his eyes twitch for a moment, as if he was nervous. But he quickly masked it with a scoff "Oh and you believe her? You really think I would try to strangle Maddy?"

You remained silent, before you squinted your eyes at him "I never mentioned that she told me that."

Fucking hell.

There it was again, that subtle twitch. "Well, you didn't have to, I know what she tells people." He explained, before swallowing harshly.

Why did you make him so fucking nervous all of a sudden? He was supposed to have everything under control.

You sighed, knowing that he had a point, but he wasn't as calm and collected as he usually was and that made the whole situation really suspicious.

"I mean.. she thought she was talking to you, Nate. I didn’t respond to anything she said.” you answered, your tone laced with frustration.

“And what about.. about the nudes on your phone?" Nate glared at you "Which nudes?" he asked, even more confused now. "Cassie mentioned some dickpics you had on your phone."

Nate shook his head and chuckled again, before you continued "You know, it's totally fine if you're bi or anything, it doesn't matter but–" he interrupted you, slamming the steering wheel as his breathing grew heavier.

"I'm not fucking gay, Y/n, Jesus Christ!" he raised his voice, causing you to flinch. Then why was he so defensive? "The fact that you actually fucking believe anything that comes out of her mouth is insane."

He didn't deny having the pictures on his phone. And judging by his outburst you weren't wrong "Then why did you have those pictures on your phone?" you pressed, wanting to know more.

"Maddy thought it was funny to.. mess with my phone. She put those dickpics onto my phone to mess with me, okay?" he explained, but his words seemed rushed, like he wanted to defend himself even more.

You didn't respond right away, watching him for a moment before you asked the next question that pushed him. "And you just.. kept them?"

His jaw clenched as he turned towards you "You're making it sound like I wanted them there. Do you think I sit around looking at–" he cut himself off, inhaling sharply.

His hand lifted from the steering wheel before it dragged down his face, as if he wanted to wipe the frustration away. "Y/n, I'm not into that shit alright?" He continued, his voice more quiet.

The way he said it 'not into that shit' made your stomach twist uncomfortably. You frowned, sitting up straighter "You mean.. guys?" you asked as your brows furrowed.

For a moment silence set in as you waited for him to answer. "I didn't mean it like that." He scoffed, shaking his head "Yeah, you did." you nodded in response.

His fingers tapped against his thigh, the familiar smug smirk visible on his face. "Look, I'm not gonna feel bad for not being into dudes, sorry if that offends you."

You scoffed "It's not about being into guys, Nate. It's the way you acted like it's disgusting or something." you explained, sighing heavily afterwards.

His smirk faded, because yes, a big part of him did find it disgusting and his thoughts were a mess regarding that topic. But he couldn't let you in on that yet.

"I didn't say that, okay? Sorry if it sounded like that. I'm just starting to get pissed off because this is so absurd." he said, as looked straight ahead again for a moment.

"I mean, did you seriously believe I'm into guys?" he asked, his voice sounding almost amused, before he turned towards you again for what he was about to say next. "After the way I fucked you last night?"

You averted your gaze, caught off guard as your breath caught in your throat. "Or what? Was I pretending back then?" You shifted in your seat as the memories flashed before your eyes "No, that's not what I–"

"And I asked you to be my girlfriend, did you forget that?" his eyes narrowed, watching you intently as his hand moved towards your thigh.

You didn't want to admit it, but he made sense you couldn't deny that. So why did you still feel so.. unsure?

Nate noticed the way the wheels were turning in your head, and he loved it. He was so fucking good at this– twisting your words until you weren't even sure why you were even arguing anymore.

"I didn't forget.." you quietly responded, your gaze falling to your lap. "Do you see what I mean now, how this doesn't make any sense?"

You sighed as you nodded slowly. "And also, I didn't wanna tell you this because I didn't want you to think I'm weird, but.. Cassie and Maddy were best friends."

Your eyes widened as you remembered that Max told you that back in his car. But you obviously couldn't tell Nate. "Oh.. who did you date first?" you asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Maddy, so tell me, do you really think Cassie would've dated me afterwards if she knew I choked Maddy?" You shook your head, agreeing that this was absolutely absurd.

Nate smiled softly, as his thumb stroked over your thigh. "Cassie is a liar, even if she acted as if she wasn't aware that you were the one on the phone, she probably was when you weren't responding."

God, you felt so stupid. Why did you believe some random girl who you didn't even know over your boyfriend? He did so much for you and even if he had a short temper sometimes, he wouldn't do something like that.

"I'm sorry.. I'm so stupid." you sighed, closing your eyes as you leaned against the headrest. "No you're not, you're just too naive and believe people too quickly." he reassured you.

"You could've just told me what happened right away, and we wouldn't have had this argument." you nodded again, placing your hand over his on your thigh.

"I'm so sorry," you apologized again, this time leaning in to hug Nate "I love you and I shouldn't have doubted you like this.. not after everything you've done for me." you mumbled into his neck.

Nate wrapped his arms around you, stroking your back softly "It's fine, baby. I'm not angry, I just don't wanna lose you." he reassured you, sighing in relief before he added "From now on no secrets anymore, yeah?".

You hummed in agreement "No more secrets." you smiled softly, before releasing him again "I'll go inside now, I still have to talk to my parents." you groaned.

Nate nodded, pressing the button to unlock the door again. Then he leaned in towards you, grabbing your chin before kissing you deeply. You kissed him back, your hand resting on his cheek.

When you broke the kiss and smiled at him, he smirked "Text me later, I'm curious about what they want from you this time." You nodded before saying goodbye and getting out of his car.

You waved at him as he drove off, before you made your way into your home.

As soon as Nate was out of sight, his jaw clenched again. He was furious– not at you, but at Cassie. What the fuck was she thinking? Why did she even mention all those things?

He had to talk to her and tell her to stay the fuck away from both of you. Now that everything he was scared would happen did happen and she had nothing to blackmail him with, he could finally cut her off for real this time.

And he wouldn't be nice about it.

As you entered your home you sighed, trying to calm down from the intense argument back at his place and his car. But then you remembered that you still had to deal with whatever your parents had to say.

You decided to deal with it right away instead of postponing it any further, and made your way into the living room.

You were met with the sight of your parents who were currently watching TV. When they saw you, your dad sat up straight before he turned the TV off "Y/n, you're back." he said with an apologetic smile.

Your mom also smiled at you, but her smile seemed almost condescending. "How was the party?" she asked as she crossed her arms "It was really good." you answered, before sitting down on the armchair.

"Well, now that you're here we can finally talk." She added, before glancing at your dad. "Your father got a new job offer.” You swallowed harshly as your heart seemingly stopped for a second.

You were well aware of what that meant.

It wasn’t the first time you heard that sentence, but right now it carried way more weight than ever before.

Your gaze wandered from your mother to your father, who was sighing “You can’t be serious.” you muttered, your voice lower than usually.

“Y/n, it’s a really good opportunity. I’d get the same amount of money and less hours. I’d finally be able to spend more time with you.” he softly explained, causing you to scoff “Don’t you think it’s a little too late for that?”

You crossed your arms as you fought back tears, your mind wandering to all the moments you had with Nate, completely unaware of the guilt clearly visible on your dad’s face.

“I know it hasn’t been perfect,” he admitted as he moved forward, placing his elbows on his knees “But I’m trying to make up for lost time. Time I spent working for us” he emphasized.

“So moving again is your way of fixing things?” you asked shakily, more than frustrated by how unfair your parents were treating you.

“This is about Nate, isn’t it?” Your mother suddenly interjected “You never complained this much before when we moved.” You froze as your gaze was fixed on her.

“I–that’s not true!” you protested, your brows furrowing in anger. She shrugged as if this wasn’t a big deal “It’s obvious, you’re attached to him because he’s your first boyfriend.” you squinted your eyes at her.

“But trust me, Nate isn’t the right one for you. You’re young, you’ll meet someone else, someone better.” Her words angered you even more, and you struggled to stay calm.

How could they do this to you, now that you finally found friends and a boyfriend who loved you so much? You scoffed before getting up “You might think you know him, but you have no idea how fucking ridiculous all of this is!”

Your mothers face turned into a scowl as she gave you a disapproving look “Language..” she scolded, before continuing “You’ll get over it, trust me.. even if it’ll be hard at first.”

You felt like everything you and Nate worked for was crumbling apart. You knew you were powerless regarding the decision of your parents, but you wished they’d let you have a say in this as well.

Your father jumped in in an attempt to reason with you “I’m sorry, I really wish it would work out here but it just doesn’t.. I realized how burnt out I am currently. And with the new work it’ll all get better. And I’m sure you’ll meet new people.”

You did feel bad for him, but it just felt like this realization should’ve come earlier, since he’s been this absent ever since you were a child. You simply nodded, tears stinging your eyes as you glared at him.

“Where are we gonna move, and when..?” You asked shakily “Urbandale.. it’s a city in Ottawa.” your mother replied, causing your eyes to widen “We’re moving to Canada?” you asked in disbelief.

Your father nodded “I have an appointment there next week, to check out the area and our new place. I’m sure it’ll be just as nice and calm as this neighborhood.” You blinked at your dad, unable to say anything.

“If everything goes according to plan, we’ll be able to move there next month.” You bit your lip nervously, trying to distract yourself from the tears that were threatening to spill.

“I’ll go now.” you answered sharply before you exited the living room. As soon as you went towards your room the tears started running down your cheeks.

You closed the door behind you, breathing heavily as the words kept repeating in your head. You couldn’t believe that they were actually serious, totally rejecting your feelings.

You quickly wiped your tears away and pulled out your phone, shakily swiping across the screen as you searched for Nate’s contact.

You knew that he was probably still in his car and maybe he’d pick you up again. Your parents might be against it but they couldn’t stop you.

You sighed one last time before you pressed the call button. It rang a few seconds before he finally picked up. “Hey, is everything okay?”

That sentence alone made you sob, stopping you from answering right away. “Baby.. what’s wrong?” he asked again, his tone concerned.

“C-can you pick me up again? I.. can’t sleep here tonight..” you shakily responded as you moved away from the door, running your hand through your hair in frustration.

“I’m on my way, give me five minutes.” he instantly assured you before hanging up and turning around at the next crossroad, not even minding the traffic laws as he sped back towards your place.

He knew that something huge must’ve happened for you to actually call him, and ask him to pick you up. He cursed your parents for making you feel this way, his jaw tensing as he tried to stay calm.

✎ Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, feel free to give me feedback!! :♡

- Cassandra

Taglist:

@lilyrachelcassidy, @endless----love, @sophsss867, @jennnsthings, @digitalpup444, @vividfleur, @tsofo26, @lunalvrsblog, @sunshinedaisy21, @carley12041, @cc13723things, @amortentiaaaa, @wtrpxrks, @b4mbiette, @dumbasscorn

[bokutosbabe]

જ⁀♡⊹｡° hope you think of me

( rin itoshi x fem! reader )

♡ a/n — hi all! this is part of my new series! if you know me, or my account in general lol , you'd be able to pick up on some taylor swift references in the form of titles :) i do base a lot of my writing off songs! so, i decided to rework old work and...decided to start the new discography masterlist! the masterlist will be made soon, but the basics is that i paired ( almost ) every taylor song with a bllk character! i hope you enjoy the ride ;)

♡ content — rin itoshi x fem! reader, fem! reader, set in both before rin went to blue lock and when he is a pro soccer player, the past will be in italics, the present will be normal text, established relationship, rin misses reader, kinda angst?, unrequited love, pining

♡ synopsis — It all crumbled down the day Rin Itoshi got that letter from Blue Lock. Why couldn't he easily choose one...you? or his dream? In his mind, the two couldn't exist together.

The bright lights of the stadium flicker on, casting long shadows across the pitch as the crowd roars in the background. The announcer’s voice echoes in the air, but all Rin can hear is the soft whisper of your name in the back of his mind, a constant refrain.

His eyes wander across the field, distracted by the fleeting moments that remind him of you, even though he’s supposed to be focused.

It's strange how everything about this stadium feels like a reflection of you. The banner for the jewelry sponsor—that’s the one you always liked. The colors in the ad are almost the same as the ones in your old childhood bedroom, the same shade of deep blue that you said matched the ocean.

And then there’s the scent of fresh grass, the kind that always reminded him of the times you two spent lying on the grass after school, listening to music while you tried to figure out who was more stubborn—him or you?

He should've known it would end like this.

It all crumbled down the day he got that letter from Blue Lock. Why couldn't it have been easy? Why couldn't he easily choose one...you? or his dream?

In his mind, the two couldn't exist together.

"Why do you care so much, Rin?" you’d asked after his constant nagging about what you wanted to do after high school, your voice soft but strained, like you could already feel the weight of the words before they even came.

He should’ve softened, should’ve told you everything that was happening inside him, but he didn’t. Instead, he let the silence grow thick, each word building a wall between you that no apology could ever tear down.

He pushed you away with every passing second. "It’s over," he’d said. Even as his heart ached, watching your big eyes widen and fill with tears, he couldn't risk giving up.

He had to reach him.

"You wouldn’t understand. Whatever. I have bigger things to focus on than you."

Your eyes… they were full of hurt, but you didn’t say a word. You just turned away, the soft click of your shoes leaving out his bedroom door and home sounding like the final nail in the coffin of everything you had.

The crowd's cheers feel distant now, like they belong to someone else. Rin runs a hand through his hair, trying to focus, but all he can do is look around and see you everywhere.

The water bottle with the same brand you used to buy. The locker room seats that remind him of how you’d wait for him after every match, always there, your smile the only thing that made him feel like he belonged somewhere.

He remembers the things you liked—small, silly details that seemed insignificant at the time, but now, they’re all he can hold on to.

He remembers the little things. The music you loved—the way it played softly from your car every time you'd drove to the beach, how you'd hum along with the lyrics, your fingers tapping the steering wheel.

You said the songs made you feel alive, like it was a memory of something you couldn’t quite place.

He didn’t realize until now, standing here in this stadium, that he was the one who made you feel like a memory.

He stepped onto the field, shaking off the weight of the past, but even as the game starts, the images of you flood back in—your laugh, your touch, the way you’d get embarrassed when you said something too cheesy.

The way you always made him laugh without trying to.

"You really remember everything, don’t you?" you had said once, your eyes teasing.

"Everything that matters," he replied without thinking.

Now, as he steps onto the field, the memory hit him like a punch to the gut. What really mattered? Because what he remembers isn’t just your smile or the way you made everything feel like home. What he remembers is how much you gave him, how much you loved him, and how much he didn’t deserve any of it.

The game continued on, but the colors, the lights, the little reminders—they all blur together.

Rin’s vision fades, and for a moment, it’s just him, standing still in the middle of the field, surrounded by a sea of faces, none of them yours.

And yet, every second feels like it’s laced with memories of you.

hope everyone enjoyed :)

likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!!

[fairfoxie]

That's exactly it; rules need context!! I like the way you've expanded upon the context in which the rules would make sense.

I've had a lot more thoughts about this since I originally posted it, so uh, prepare for some tangents.

I like allegories to online safety in the sense that it really is up to your own discernment to tell the difference between a nasty trick and a genuine offering of peace and friendship, in the same way you would between a sketchy email and a real job offer. Both come down to a moment of "does this feel right? Or does this feel off?"

As for entering the circle. In material reality I have watched people step in and out of circles and nothing happens, because it's bold of people to assume that the circle was even activated in the first place. Internet safety isn't all that relevant if you don't know how to turn on the computer. I think it would be a rare kind of human who could step into a circle in the right state of mind to be able to activate it themself or even just access the otherworld from the material plane. Otherwise people getting lost through portals would be a more common issue.

Some people spend their whole lives trying to contact the Fae and just never get through to them. It takes a lot of psychic tuning to even get to a point where any rules would become relevant. Again, you have to turn on the computer and open your browser before internet safety needs to matter.

I will openly admit this; my connection to Faerie is weak and I often lose it for a time. I have lost my belief before. In those times I have no connection at all; I am sleeping internally and operating by the rules put before me by humans. And even now with restored belief and strong community, I find the hammer of doubt to be more effective against any kind of entity out there than any iron talisman. By closing one's mind to even the possibility of an entity, one severely limits the power it holds against them on the material plane, no matter how real it is.

Sarah only escapes the Labyrinth when she remembers that Jareth holds no real power over her except that which she gives him. At this point the whole underground world vanishes and Sarah is safe back at home again. What's more, she can still call upon her goblin friends when she needs them.

Think too of The Last Unicorn, who was viewed as a horse by most people, to the extent that Mommy Fortuna had to use her illusions to make people see a false Unicorn, right where the real Unicorn stood. It takes a certain way of seeing the world to even get close to seeing things for what they are.

And hey, maybe the Fae would pose just as much of a danger to someone who doesn't believe in them. That person still only needs fear what they understand. If two people are struck by lightning, only the one who believed in God was being struck by God, the other was a victim of chance.

Anyway I'm rambling and not sure if this makes sense. But it was fun to write. We are all on our own journeys.

Anyone else get annoyed at faery etiquette guides like this that only cover what you don't do? I feel like it contributes to the fearmongering that elemental spirits are all jumping at the chance to scorn and enslave you and it's simply not true. What's the point of making a guide to interacting with the Fae if all you're gonna say is don't do this or this or this like okay but what do you do???

I've always had better luck with taking my cue from nature. The wind will show you where to go. The birds will guide your senses if you listen. If you see an interesting stump or tree compliment it. Most common tree spirits are close to humans and actually like to be thanked and appreciated. Listening is often more important than looking. A genuine smile goes a long way. If you get a trick played on you, laugh it off, it's all in good fun. Faeries appreciate a good sense of humour, childlike wonder, and carefree singing. Let them approach you rather than approaching them. If you close your eyes and rest for a moment, you will hear the whole forest breathe, and feel more connected to Spirit than ever. And as for what you shouldn't do, don't bring your phone! It interrupts your aura and makes you appear more threatening.

THESE are the things I had to learn on my own that have actually been helpful on my journey. I hope they help you too.

[midnight-mourning]

Holiday Stalling

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 26❄️❄️

Another silly sweet one for y'all, very much enjoyed the shennanigans that occurred :)

Prompt: Second request idea if you need it! Y/n has a christmas party to get to right after their shift and moon and sun see them for the first time in their non work clothes (they look very cute!) The boys are feeling pretty disapointed they don't get to see this side of Y/n and try their best to keep them in the daycare as long as possible ("sunshine you HAVE to see our new puppet show""i didnt see you take your mandatory 10 minute break. my lap. NOW""sunshine i only trust YOU to oil my joints :(") and of course y/n is happy to stay a lil longer but they still want to be able to go to the party(gotta make sure ALL the homies get their quality y/n time)

Word Count: 1329

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

You close your locker and check the time. Still plenty of time to head home and relax before the party. 

Your friends were having a massive holiday bash tonight, and given you hadn't seen any of them for what felt like ages, you were excited. You'd even taken the liberty to bring nice clothes with you to work just in case you wouldn't have time to run home and change. But since you'd gotten off on time, you could instead take the chance to charge up your social battery before heading over. 

You go to out for the day, when you remember you left your jacket in the Daycare. 

Hurrying back that way, you quietly open and close the door so not to disturb Sun. You spy your jacket lying amongst the things on the security desk, folded up neatly. The playtime attendant must have been the culprit, as you see on top of your coat is a sticky note with your name and a drawing of Sun. 

You smile, laughing softly as you grab it. 

You're about to put it on when laughter from across the room stops you. 

Sun lands in your view, wire retracting after a moment. "Hello Sunshine! I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon!"

"Hi, Sunny. Yeah, forgot my jacket, which you already know, I guess." You start to put it on again. "Thanks for finding it for me!"

Sun's rays spin a few times. Then he shakes his head. "Of course, friend!"

"Something wrong? You seem kind of dazed."

He puts his hands up. "Oh no, no. I just, we've never seen you out of uniform before!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, guess you haven't." You laugh, and give them a quick spin. "A bit more dressed up than usual, these are my nice clothes."

Sun makes a noise that sounds, off. Like he had a glitch or something. His tone is even when he speaks however. "You look... very nice, Starlight."

"Oh, thank you." You look away, face heating up, then shake your head. "Well, I've gotta run, have a holiday party in a few hours, but I'll see you tomorrow!"

You start to walk to the doors but a hand on your wrist stops you. "Wait!"

You pause, turning back to him. You can hear his fans have kicked on, and it raises your concern once more. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" You turn to face him fully, hand over his. 

Another noise, then he shakes his head. "Actually Sunshine, I'm not feeling so hot. Could you, maybe stay a moment?"

"Of course I can." You say, voice soft. "Come on, let's go sit down and see if that doesn't help. 

You spend about ten minutes with Sun, chatting as you look him over for any potential causes to his issues. He only seems to get worse however, to your dismay. 

"Maybe a distraction would help." You grab some crayons and paper and split them between the two of you. 

Sun snaps a crayon or two in his haste, but you do think it helps somewhat. In fact, you'd say you made progress enough to be able to leave him alone, when the lights go out. 

Moon is not in nearly as bad as shape, he is, however, insistent that you take a rest. 

"You've been so helpful, Star. You deserve a break too." He pats his leg. "Besides, I don't believe I saw you take your break today. If you're going to be out late tonight you'll need energy."

You check the time again. You still had plenty to get to the party, and a rest in Moon's arms does sound nice...

You fold, climbing into his lap with a sigh. "Alright, guess that's good enough an excuse for me."

"You weren't going to have a choice in the matter." Moon chuckles, arms wrapping around you. 

The two of you chat quietly back and forth, not really tired enough for a nap yourself. There's also the matter that his fans are still going and while not loud, are loud enough that you couldn't sleep even if you wanted to. 

When the lights come back on, you're ready to go, but Sun begs you to stay for a puppet show. 

"Please, Sunshine. I want to perform it tomorrow for the kids and you're the only one who can give constructive feedback!" His hold on you tightens, having still been in his lap from your previous rest with Moon. "You have to see it. Pretty, pretty please?"

You sigh, giving in based on how eager he is. "Okay, but this better be an amazing show, or I'll be thoroughly disappointed." You tease. 

Sun gives a fake gasp. "How could you insinuate it would be anything but?!"

The puppet show is good, you can't deny that. Perfect for the holidays and such. And the surprise of Moon having a show of his own after Sun's finished wasn't necessarily unwelcomed. Sun making you oil his joints 'You're the only one I trust to do it!' wasn't something you were planning on doing tonight, though of course none of this was, but you do that as well since he insists. 

But just as you're getting ready to leave again, you're once more stopped. 

"Sunny, this has been lovely, but I really do have to get going. My party starts soon." You had another twenty minutes or so, but that's not accounting for driving and the likes. 

Your hand is in his, grip tight. "Just one last thing, Sunshine! I promise it'll be quick. Pinky promise."

"Fine. But this is the last thing, okay?" You turn to face him fully, hand reaching up for his face. "You know I love hanging out with you guys, but I have to get to my party eventually."

Sun nods, leading you over to a spot by the playset. He stands there for a moment, holding your hands, before glancing up. You take the hint and do the same. 

Above you, tied to the playset, is a small bundle of mistletoe. 

Your face blooms with heat and you look back down, making eye contact with him. "Oh, um, don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that."

Sun's rays spin as he looks away, grip faltering on your hands. 

"You, you don't have to if you don't want to. We've... kept you long enough." He fully releases you, stepping back. "To be honest, when I saw you earlier, in your regular clothes it, reminded me, reminded us, that you have an entire life out there without us. I guess we just wanted to be a part of it, for a moment at least." 

He starts to walk away, and you grab his wrist. He stops, looking down at the hold as you force him to turn back around. Standing on your tip toes, you tug on his collar so that you can press your lips to his. 

It takes a second but Sun melts into the kiss, and you keep going for a few moments longer before you have to pull away for air. 

You cradle his face, smile on your lips as you speak. "You guys are part of it, more than you know. And if you wanted more, you could've just ask, but I meant it when I said this was fun, you know."

"W-well, you could have said something too!" He sputters, making you laugh. 

You rub your thumb against his cheek, sighing. "Yeah, fair enough."

After making things even for both attendants—which meant equal amounts of kisses and lots of turning the lights on and off—you finally head out for your holiday party. 

You have a great time, and it's wonderful to see you friends, but on your way home you can't help but press your fingers to your lips, giggling at the memories of earlier in the night. 

You suppose you got two parties—and two partners—for the price of one.  

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Thank you for the request @pip-plz!! As you can see I had a lot of fun with the boys being silly/jelly hehe

Thanks for reading!

Masterpost link

Tag list (if you would like added, see this post for more info, you can also dm me!):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8 @luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @milosmantis @robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva @juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml @divinit3a @amarynthian-chronicles

[eternalbuckley]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ WISTERIA VINES. (series)

୨୧ — It's the idea of a deep, romantic and emotional connection you once shared with someone. Wisteria vines symbolize romance and connection. They grow slowly but steadily and represent the patient process of reconnection and understanding. Vines grow in an intertwining way and can reflect a bond between two people and how they grow stronger together. The flowers bloom in spring which symbolises new beginnings, meaning that two people can grow a once shared bond again.

SUMMARY: You have been selected to portray the role of Juliet for the upcoming ballet ballet shows of Romeo and Juliet, which are set to be performed in three months. Which means you have to find yourself in a position to portray your role at the side of your ex-boyfriend and former dancing partner, Aemond Targaryen. Whom happened to have been selected as the role of Romeo. Things between you have been left in a friendly but strange place and given to the circumstances you'll have to find yourself spending most of your time together with him. Old feelings for each other remained between you since your breakup and might find their way back to each of you. What happens if one of you puts your somewhat left friendship and the production at risk for unsaid left feelings?

warnings/tropes: 18+ mdni, modern au, best friends brother, ex lovers to possible lovers, yearning, tension, chapters may contain sexual topics, fluff, angst, smut, and more! it's implied fem!/afab!reader (especially the smut parts) but i try to be as gender neutral as possible, they/them pronouns are used if needed, english is not my first language! (each chapter has its own warnings)

Chapter 1: Your Romeo. Your Juliet. | tiny bit of angst, 4,415 words

Chapter 2: Title not decided yet // coming soon

….

taglist for this series — i won't be able to upload a new chapter each week but i try to post reguarly ♡ (I'm using an extra taglist for this series, so if you want to be notified when i post a new chapter, please fill out the taglist! You don't have to do that if you're already on my main taglist but if don't want to be notified for the series please let me know!)

a/n: i am certainly no professional or have ever experienced dancing ballet myself. all my knowledge is from research and interest in itself. so, there might be things that make no sense, aren’t completely correct or whatsoever — it‘s just fiction so don’t think about it too much, please. i came up with the main idea because of my obsession with classical music i‘ve been having for the past months and because of a post from my angel @peachysunrize made a few months ago about an ex lovers!ballet au, which is the background idea for this series, hehehe. anyways, happy reading! i hope you‘ll enjoy reading this series which is my precious little baby! xx remember that reblogs, feedback and comments are highly appreciated and welcomed! ♡

disclaimer: please do not repost or try and take ownership of my work or post this anywhere without my consent. do not translate my work and post it anywhere — i give you no permission to do that. i don’t give you my permission to use my writing for any ai related things, don’t do it. do not plagiarise or try to take ownership of my work. i only post my stories here, so if you find my work anywhere else please let me know! i do not own the rights of any characters are involved in this series (unless i created them)

dividers by saradika-graphics

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ navigation | main hotg masterlist

[help-i-am-obsessed]

🚨 SPOILERS FOR MOANA 2 🚨

And the fact that they both technically die just adds to the parallel 👌

I genuinely loved that they both "die" and are "born" into something new, Elsa into the 5th Spirit and Moana into a demigod.

That does get me thinking though, I only just watched Moana 2 yesterday so will need to give it a rewatch when it's out on Disney+ to get a stronger opinion but it's such a shame that the only scene from it that I genuinely found beautiful was her death and becoming a demigod. Don't get me wrong, the artstyle of the whole movie is gorgeous but I remember leaving the cinema after Frozen 2 and not being able to shut up about it cause it wasn't just the visuals, it was the music, new characters and plot that drew me in too.

Maybe it's because Moana 2 was originally supposed to be a show so it had a different pace and the characters literally only had one trait that they jusy got "better at" during the whole movie (not the best character development. Moni literally almost died and we only got 2 shots of him reacting to that realisation, like come on) or maybe the fact Lin wasn't there to help the music feel more "native" or even understandable (the instruments being louder than the voices is a CRIME and I hope they fix the audio before it streams but I doubt it) but I genuinely could not get into it the same way that the first Moana had left me gushing about it when I watched that at the cinema.

Moana genuinely had me rewatching it constantly, even my mum who isn't as extreme into animated movies as the rest of my family (she still has watched every single one with us but she prefers her own genres so she'll go read if we want to stick one on) will never pass an opportunity to rewatch Moana yet this one left me feeling like I could watch it but it wouldn't ever be my first choice, you know?

Anyway I'll shut up now and get back to the point that this visual parallel is ✨️STUNNING✨️

Underwater scenes

Moana 2 and Frozen II

[papasbaseball]

The Wizard x Reader (Wonderful Wonderful Girl) | Chapter 8

Pairing: Wizard x F!Reader

Rating: !!!MATURE!!! (Rating to Increase)

Warnings: Power Imbalance, Boss/Employee Relationship, Graphic Depictions of Violence

Summary: Being a maid in the Royal Palace of Oz is not half so bad. Despite the meager wages, everything else is provided for you for an honest day's work. It can be unnerving working for the most powerful man in Oz, but you are able to avoid him most of the time. This changes during Lurlinemas, your paths soon becoming inextricably intertwined.

Word Count: 2,518 of 21,768

Start | Prev

AO3 Link

I don't wait for the ants to crawl out of their colony, running across the throne room to the hallway Humak disappeared into. Footsteps echoing in the hallway give the illusion that there are a hundred ambassadors, all running in different directions. There are no obvious signs of footprints, and even if there were, the emerald blocks of the hallway have been cast into blackness. The only light streaming in is the faint greenish halo of the bustle of the Emerald City and the spotlights on the palace through the windows, too far from the entryway.

Cursing, I try to think of anything to do to get the Grimmerie back. I had only ever seen it up close and personal just a few minutes ago. If I'm being honest, I thought they would have kept it stored away in some locked vault below the Royal Palace, not out in plain sight where just anyone could take it. The fact that he...

Him. I wince at the thought of the kiss and stuff the feelings that are quickly blooming from my chest back down into my curdling stomach. There is no time for that right now. If I did end up with a fate worse than Humak's when the time came to punish me for running out on the Wizard and causing a scene, then so be it.

I run down the hallway to my left, back up the jeweled staircase, through a few pantries and hallways, until with a little effort, I'm back in the ballroom. The party seems to have picked up again after my outburst, the dancers twisting and weaving through intricate footwork, the orchestra thrumming with its strings and woodwinds. I scan the room for Bruno and see the Wizard talking to Glafly, his brow knit together in vexation. I can only imagine that he's telling him how he wants me hunted down and flayed alive. Five feet to the right of him, I spot Bruno talking with some lady who is gushing about something, slapping his arm playfully. Sucking up the fact that the Wizard and Glafly will most definitely see me, I march myself over to Bruno, interrupting the poor woman's attempt to flirt with him.

"Bruno, it's the Ambassador," I say.

He grabs me by the shoulders, well-kept nails digging into the bare flesh. "You scared me," he hisses. "I tried to follow after you, but you disappeared."

"There's no time for that now," I say. I pull Bruno over to Glafly, trying my best to ignore whatever look of contempt I'm sure the Wizard is aiming at me right now. "I was in the throne room, and the ambassador, Humak... he took the Grimmerie."

"Took the Grimmerie?" Glafly says, his voice heavy with disbelief.

"Yeah," I say. "You know the book that someone left unguarded." I shoot the Wizard a look and his eyes go wide in hate as if he could kill me himself right here in the middle of all his well-decorated guests.

"What?" Bruno says. "Humak has been here the whole time, we were instructed to not let him leave."

"Well, he must have slipped out when you all were distracted," I say. A look goes around the circle and I remember the exact moment the room had gone silent earlier. I can't imagine that people were being exactly attentive as I was begging the most powerful man in all of Oz to kiss me a second time.

There is the shrieking outside the hall of the Emerald Guard monkeys, and we all snap our heads to the main entrance. Humak comes crashing in through the ballroom doors, monkey guards running after him, spears in hand. The crowd parts in screams. I watch as a woman trips in the skirts of her dress, her nose cracking against the jeweled floor, blood flowing freely from it onto her painted lips and long white gloves. Humak leaps over her and then there are the Winkie guards grabbing knives off of tables and out of pigs and turkeys. One of them manages to pull a sword off of one of the palace guards, the man in the green uniform soon knocked unconscious on the floor.

Bruno places his body between the Wizard and me as the violent commotion that has erupted tears across the dance floor, the singing of the orchestra being replaced by a cacophony of shouts and screams and simian shrieks. Bruno is backing us away when I feel the Wizard's hand slip into mine, warm and simple. For as much as I could have laid into him a few moments ago about how he makes it his sole objective to embarrass me since I had gone from maid to pet, I squeeze his hand back as we are being herded away. My cheeks have gone cold and my senses feel like they are being fried through the hot burn of electric lights, screams, and lack of oxygen. More than anything I don't want to die tonight in this ballroom, especially not alone, and that tightens my grip.

Out on the dance floor, I watch as one of the apes shoves his spear into Humak's chest, and it's everything I can do to keep my knees locked. The Wizard says something, but I can't hear it over Fiyero crying out for his cousin. The monkey yanks the spear out and blood gushes out in a geyser, pulsing in lessening crimson jets. More Winkie soldiers have taken swords off of dead or unconscious palace guards, and they are now fighting in earnest for a path out of the blood-stained ballroom, trying to pull Fiyero off of his fast-dying cousin.

"We need to evacuate you," Bruno says, and quickly he shoves us to the entrance to the right where the fighting seems to have spared all except a few fainted ladies. I'm squeezing the Wizard's hand hard as I step over one of the girls that I recognize as one of those who had been so excited to play Blind Man's Buff not half an hour earlier.

We barrel down through the servants' passages, the old familiar wooden rickety stairs, down through the kitchens, and then through a door into the unfamiliar territory of the catacombs of the palace. I wonder how Bruno knows this place so well. He is just another one of the ants that patrol its walls, I remind myself. It feels unfair to put him in that category, after all the kindness, care, and understanding he had shown me, even on my most difficult days. When I think we can go no further, we reach a soot-blackened boiler room. I hold up my arm to my face as dry and baking heat washes over us. The boiler room is in every way ordinary, except for a large all-black locomotive that sits on a pair of tracks that is aimed at a tunnel I didn't even know existed.

"There should be emergency provisions on the train," Bruno breathes heavily, still keeping a close eye on the passage behind us. He watches it the entire time, sword drawn as he calls for the foreman of the bare bones crew that is working in the sweltering organ. I grip the Wizard's hand as he pulls me along towards the train. Bruno comes back, his brown curls now sweat-plastered to his forehead, with a barrel-chested and bald man who has sweated through his undershirt. The man climbs aboard the engine portion of the simple train and passenger car and the Wizard drags me toward the latter half. I pull my hand from his, and he opens his mouth to say something.

"I need to talk to Bruno!" I shout as the engine lets out a warm-up hiss of steam.

Bruno pushes me back towards the Wizard, ushering us to climb the steps to the passenger car. "You need to go," he shouts back.

"But Fileah!" I say. The Wizard is already climbing the steps and has offered me his hand again. The engine lets out another hiss.

"I'll take care of Fileah," Bruno says. "You have to go. It’s too dangerous here and you are in danger as a witness."

I look at him and notice for the first time the lovely and honest chocolate color of his eyes. I wonder if Leo has the same eyes and if he will grow up to one day be so violently committed to saving the lives of unfortunate sisters the way his brother has. I throw my arms around him, not knowing if I will see him again or if he will live to see the sunrise tomorrow, and then take the Wizard's hand as the wheels begin to groan under the wrought-iron weight of the mechanical beast.

The Wizard shuts the sliding door to the passenger car, stopping the suffocating charcoal smoke from entering the compartment. I watch as Bruno races back up the stairs, and feel my heart break for all the goodness in him that wouldn't have to be sacrificed if I had just let Humak Tigelaar slip away into the night with the Grimmerie.

"So... some party, huh?" the Wizard says. We haven’t even been on this train for one second and I swear to Oz he’s trying to start a fight. The train is now actually moving and before I can think to get off of it and away from this conversation, the compartment goes black as we slip into the tunnel. “You wanna talk about it?”

I purse my lips together, trying to get ahold of the stress and anger that feels ready to lash out and crack him like a whip. "About the fact that you left the Grimmerie out in the open and now I might never get to see my sister again because I was witness to a crime?" I say. I try to push past him and up the staircase, but in the dark, my foot slips. Pain shoots through where the edge of the stairs bites into my shoulder, arm, and hip.

The Wizard presses a small black button and some grimy lights come on, but others refuse, having died or burnt out. I wonder how long this train has sat down in the sweltering catacombs of the palace, waiting for the day when siege might be laid to it. He offers me a hand. "I didn't leave it out," he says. "It was... hidden." That last part is sheepishly tapered off.

"I don't need your help," I say as I push myself up off the stairs and past him to make an assessment of the train car.

He says my name, and I stop only for a moment. I honestly didn't think that he knew it. What more am I to him than some nuisance whom he had turned into a toy to play mind games with? I ignore him with a sigh and run my hands over the oak panels, trying to find how the doors and closets open since there were no handles or knobs. He approaches me and presses against one of the panels. The wooden door pops open and inside are emergency ration meal bars, thick woolen blankets, other emergency accessories, and some spare clothes. I slam the door shut and look up at him as I can feel my bottom lip trembling with anger.

"Let me help," he says softly. As much as I'd like to deck him in the face, I am aware of how very small I am next to him. Even without all of his guards protecting him, I would still be no match. I turn away from him and continue my exploration of the train car.

With the lights on, I see that the carpet is an old threadbare green, the lights are at least 20 years old, and the entire decor of it all was completely out of fashion. If it really was 20 years old, this train must have been an old locomotive that served the citizens of Oz before the construction of the modern speed train. After the new one was built, they must have parked the old engine in the depths of the palace for an emergency getaway. Heading to the back of the car, the connecting door that would be used if joined to another car is locked, and I can see points at the top where it had been welded shut. I'm completely stuck in here with him.

"We're going to have to talk about this," he states as if reading my mind.

"Fine," I huff. "What could you possibly want to talk about?"

"You," he says, fumbling for the right thing to say. "Us?"

I scoff at that. There is no us. There is only the Wizard of Oz and whatever plaything of the month he has until he gets bored if I believe Emily at all. "No," I reply.

"You want to talk about what happened in the ballroom then?" he asks. "About the... the Emerald Guard and the... the blood?"

I blink my eyes in disbelief. "The blood? You mean watching a man get murdered?"

He pauses for a moment. "Yes," he says quietly, leaning against the narrow hallway, thumb nervously rubbing the back of his hand.

The scene plays before my eyes again, watching as the guard rocketed himself from the floor, fangs bared as he sunk the spear into the cowering Humak, the way the Grimmerie had gone flying from his hands from the sheer force of the death blow. I can see Fiyero screaming, the perfection from his face shattered in terror as he pushed past his guards to do anything to stop the inevitable. The screams and shrieks from the guards and guests are blaring in my head until I can't even hear the puffing of the engine or the thundering of the wheels anymore. I stare at a patch of carpet where the threads had been eaten away, exposing a red, raw, bloody flooring beneath.

I don't know how long I stand like this – staring at the floor as I watch the terrified and dying face of each partygoer in great detail – but soon I feel a blanket wrapped around me, the Wizard guiding me into the bedroom of the train car. He’s says something about sleep, something about other things that I don't process. He lifts me up and tucks me into an old bed, pulling a dusty duvet over me – velvet emerald dress, woolen blanket, and all. Pulling a chair up to the bedside, he slips his hand in mine, and I think it's the same hand that I grabbed as we ran. I don't want to sleep. I'm so worried that at any moment I might be the next one to have a spear shoved through my chest, that I’ll see my own terrified face. It's useless, though. Any fighting of tiredness in my eyelids is eventually won over by the crash of adrenaline, the gentle rocking of the train, and the slow back-and-forth pattern the Wizard traces into the fragile flesh of my hand.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hey there nalyra, I don't know if this has been commented but in 2x8 louis is able to walk in the theater and gives the explanation that when vampires go to coffin they are unable to hear what is going on but we are shown in season 1 claudia writing, Louis waking up from nightmares etc. That seems like a plot hole in order to make the scene work.

Aside from that it also felt very rushed since we have had an entire episode where our main characters are being tortured and clausia dies an excruciating death and then the revenge is barely shown on camera and is over in less than 5 minutes with a little catchy jazz tone in the backround. I don't know if it's just me but it did not feel cathartic at all! What about you?

It seems a bit like a plot hole, agreed.

But I don't think it actually is, because, remember:

The version of this you see, the narrated tale... is still the edited-by-Armand tale at that point. And book canonically Armand manipulated Louis into destroying his coven, and that is what happened here, too, I think.

And if it is, then it makes sense that none of the coven noticed Louis coming at them, because it makes sense within the story that Armand would have made sure they stayed in their coffins.

I mean, it's Armand. Who can put his coven to sleep, just like that:

And only those of his coven he wants to, too.

As per the "rushed". I have commented on it before that I thought the last episodes feel a bit rushed to me, too, yes. Especially the reveal and the clues... could have been a bit stronger. A lot flew over people's heads.

And... said that before, too, but I mourn that Louis did not get his scythe.

Like, the machete makes sense and is modern - but the scythe carries so much impact, because it calls back to the "reaper", to "death", and it would also have been poetic justice in a way, especially after they showed Sam standing there ostensibly guarding Armand... with a scythe.

Louis should have taken that scythe and used it in the theater, imho.

But that is only a little... preference on my side :)))

[whateverisbeautiful]

This is a big one, so I am sorry! There’s a creator on this platform and others that says cruel things about Judith, and though I am Judith’s biggest fan, as she is such a mini Michonne, sometimes I agree with them and here is why. The conversation that Rick gives to Michonne when he tells her about Judith not being his child surrounds obligation. The only reason Rick tells Michonne this is because it was an answer to the question, “ What kind of a life?” Then he proceeds to tell her “ I had to accept that( her being Shane’s child) so that I could keep her alive.” And it wouldn’t mean anything, if the next transition wasn’t him equating that acceptance to accepting living under Negans boot, as he then proceeds to say, “ this is how we live now, I had to accept that TOO, so I could keep everyone else alive.” He then doubles down by saying, “ you have to accept this, or it won’t work.” I’ve always ignored Judith’s resentment because she is my favorite but your breakdowns have got me considering some uncomfortable truths because though Rick is her dad, that conversion was the only time he’s ever said he loves her and it was in defense of him telling Michonne that he had to accept her. I’ve always ignored the idea of him saying he had to in order to keep her alive, because it hurts to think of our Judy as an obligation, but that stings, him saying that keeping her alive was only allowed by him accepting who she was. I tried to ignore it but then I realized everytime they showed Rick really thinking or closing in on Judy, his thoughts of Shane were close by. Everytime Rick asked about her in TWOL, it was only about her life. He knew she was alive in TWOL, be decided to die without even dreaming about her. Rick saying, “ this is how we live now,” was him expressing to Michonne that accepting a child who is the product of betrayal is how he has to live now. Maybe that person is getting to me, idk, but I will say, their world is not black or white and Rick grimes is a human being, and based on his actions, I could understand why it would be hard to raise a child who was born out of an affair, as Judith isn’t adopted by him in the traditional sense; her existence does betray Rick. Do you think Rick holds any resentment? Sorry, I know this question is hard.

This one is definitely tough. But I respect the way you communicated your thoughts on it. I feel protective of Judith’s character as well. There’s often so much commentary trying to ignorantly discredit her role in the Grimes family when adopted children are equally loved in so many families around the world.

I think Judith initially stirred up a lot of different emotions for Rick. But I truly believe Rick fully embraced Judith as his own without resentment very early on. I ended up having more thoughts on this than I realized, and I wrote out the rest here ⬇️💗: 

I remember there was this deleted TWD scene during that time when Rick was isolating himself after Lori died. From what I can remember, Rick takes a moment to come up and check on Carl and then he hears or sees the baby but doesn’t really acknowledge her as he returns back to the tombs. At the earliest stage of Judith’s arrival, it’s understandable that Rick was grappling with a lot. Due to the circumstances, Rick did have to accept/choose Judith as his child in a different way than he had to accept Carl when he was born or even RJ when he learned of him.

However, I think when Rick shared with Michonne how he had to accept that Judith wasn’t his so that he could keep her alive, I personally interpret that as Rick saying he knew he was going to love this child as his own and he needed to be able to do that under the reality of the situation rather than having to pretend she’s his blood in order for him to love her.

I think Rick didn’t want to feel like the whole reason I’m loving her and raising her is because I’m ignoring her parentage - he needed to accept that he could wholeheartedly love her as his daughter even with knowing her origins. And he likens that to the Negan situation because he’s saying we have to be able to accept living under this Negan reign rather than only being able to go on if we’re in denial of the reality. 

When Lori was pregnant with Judith, Rick had already been committed to raising this baby while deep down knowing she was Shane and Lori’s child. I think realizing he’d now be raising this newborn in an apocalypse without her mother was a very difficult thing to process after Lori didn’t make it. (Fortunately, Judith’s mother Michonne was quickly on her way). It’s completely human for Rick to have felt a bit aggrieved by the responsibility placed on his shoulders because the two people closest to him were disloyal. Having negative feelings attached to that betrayal makes complete sense.

But from everything we’ve seen of Rick, I feel like one; he chose not to view Judith as a negative representation of two people he loved but as a representation of the positive. His relationship with Shane and Lori crashed and burned in the end, but they were still people Rick sincerely cared about and once they were gone I think Rick ultimately chose to see Judith as the bit of good in them remaining.

And two; we know Rick is someone who fully commits once he decides someone is family. So I think when he holds Judith in that prison, he decides that Judith is his daughter and he never looked back nor held resentment toward her or having to raise her.

Yes, he felt an obligation to Judith but not because she was his burden - because she was his baby. And I think he definitely treated her as such throughout all the seasons.

TWD didn’t give Rick and Judith much screen time so I think the lack of “I love you” remarks just had to do with it not being shown rather than it not being felt. Similar to how Rick and Michonne only said “I love you” once in TWD despite it being very clear that it’s something they said to each other often (which I love that TOWL pretty much confirmed this with the way Rick stayed saying I love you in his letters.).

In TOWL, Rick had individual phone images made of Judith (again, I’d so love to hear how Rick described Judith and Michonne to the portraitist because I just know how he spoke of them would have been really loving and heartfelt), and when he reunites with Michonne the first word out of his mouth is Judith. He loved and missed Judith deeply, and I always feel like the reason Judith came up less while Rick was away was largely because it was just too painful as a parent to think about his little girl and not know if she was okay or even alive.

He knew Judith was with Michonne so that probably gave him some hope that she was still here, but also kids don’t tend to fare well in their world so even just the “what if…” about something bad happening to Judith was probably too much to even think about for long. I think he asks specifically if she’s alive first because of that. And then I always love his response when Michonne says she’s okay and he repeats it and gets choked up upon finally knowing that his daughter is okay. That meant something immense to him to hear that Judith was doing well. 

And afterward, he again wants to confirm that Judith is okay rather than just alive.

I know I always tend to lean toward thinking Rick and Michonne take the high road or have emotionally mature responses in the various scenarios presented but that’s largely because I genuinely think that’s the type of commendable noble character they both have. Even in all the complexity of their humanness and difficult emotions, I think their heart for others ultimately is what prevails.

So to more succinctly answer the question - I don’t think Rick holds resentment or loves Judith out of obligation. And if anything, Judith played a part in saving Rick. I think about that one scene where Rick is reading Carl’s letter while watching Michonne and Judith below. The staging of that is very intentional because as Rick has to come to terms with losing such a core part of his heart in Carl, he’s able to look down and see that two instrumental parts of his heart are still here.

And if Rick could be asked, I feel he’d say Michonne and Judith are what saved him after that loss and they along with RJ now are what make life worth living. 

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Thank you @passthechloroform for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

The High Priest's voice, his smile... they make my body stiffen for some reason I can't understand.

His words, his demeanor, his gentle manner... it's not like he's done anything to harm me. In fact, he's a "good person" who treats me with kindness and consideration.

Perhaps it's rude of me to even feel this sense of unease, but...

High Priest: Emma, if you'd like, why not listen to my sermon?

Even now, after our second encounter, a jarring sensation lingers in my heart.

Emma: A sermon... you say?

High Priest: Yes. My role is to spread the teachings of the Moon's incarnation and guide the people to happiness.

High Priest: To that end, I regularly open the castle and personally show the path to enlightenment.

The High Priest's smile is endlessly merciful, and his desire to bring happiness to the people seems genuine.

High Priest: Tonight happens to be the day I invite people in and impart my teachings.

High Priest: As you are from a foreign land, Emma, there is much you likely don't know about our God.

High Priest: Why not take this opportunity to learn?

High Priest: If you feel uneasy attending alone, you are welcome to come with the guests from Rhodolite.

High Priest: They themselves expressed their desire to participate in this gathering.

(Clavis and Luke are attending too, which means...)

(Perhaps they suspect there's some connection between the High Priest's gathering and the Three Country Alliance.)

(I can't deny I'm curious. I also want to know more about the Living God...)

(But is the High Priest's invitation truly out of goodwill?)

(Am I just overthinking things by suspecting he has an ulterior motive?)

Silvio: Hey, you alright?

Silvio's voice cuts through my swirling thoughts.

Silvio: Didn't the God ask you to do some shopping?

Silvio: You better buy what you need and get back quickly, or he'll get annoyed.

(That's right, the errands!)

The list of errands Azel gave me is still in my pocket.

It's like a talisman – remembering its presence calms my heart.

(Come to think of it...)

*earlier*

Azel: If a suspicious old man approaches you, ignore him.

Azel: If you give in to his sweet talk out of the goodness of your heart, only ruin awaits you.

*back to present*

Emma: I apologize. Although I appreciate the invitation...

I place my hand over my pocket, feeling the paper within as I shake my head.

High Priest: Please don't mind. If you become interested, you can speak with me anytime.

High Priest: You are a special person to the Living God, Emma. If you have any requests, please don't hesitate to call upon me.

High Priest: All is according to the will of the Living God.

Without any coercion, the High Priest departs, his smile unwavering.

The several men following him seem to be his guards, and there's something imposing about their presence.

Silvio: ...Somethin' about that guy seems fishy.

Silvio watches the High Priest's retreating figure with a suspicious gaze, one that clearly indicates his dislike.

Silvio: I wouldn't wanna do business with that sort.

Kate: Why is that?

Silvio: Because I don't think we'd be able to understand each other.

Silvio: It's just a merchant's intuition, but you sensed something too, right?

Emma: ...I can't quite put it into words...

Silvio: Your gut feeling is usually right. Based on past experiences, you just sense that "something's off." Both you and I.

(If that's true...)

(What exactly is it about the High Priest that's different from other people?)

-

Azel: You're late.

By the time I finished my errands in town and returned to the temple, the sun had completely set.

The God who greets me looks displeased, holding out his hand with a frown.

(It seems Azel wasn't waiting for me, but for the items from my errands.)

When I hand him the things I bought in town, Azel turns on his heel without even checking the contents.

Azel: I don't know where you were dawdling, but next time, come back before the sun sets.

(Oh no, I completely forgot about dinner!)

Emma: I'm sorry, I'll hurry and make it.

Azel: Huh?

Emma: ...Eh?

Emma: I thought you were pressuring me to hurry up and make dinner...

Azel: ...Ah, yes, that's right.

Azel: To think you would let a God go hungry, you have some nerve, you debt-ridden slave.

(What was with that strange pause just now...?)

Azel: Don't just stand there with that stupid look on your face, hurry up and make it! Make it now, I'm starving!

Emma: If you're going to talk to me like that, I'll make you a simple meal.

Azel: ..............

(This awkward silence...)

-

The moment I step into the kitchen as usual, I realize the reason for the God's awkward expression.

Emma: This is...

Azel: Oh my, when did this happen?

Azel: Perhaps someone broke into the temple. It's a suspicious object, unfit for consumption.

Azel: Let's just feed it to the camels.

Emma: No, don't!

I grab Azel from behind with all my might, stopping him from reaching for the tagine.

The kitchen is already filled with the appetizing aroma of spices, and inside the pot in question is a finished stew.

(It's a very avant-garde, or rather, unconventional presentation...)

Vegetables and meat, uncut by a knife, are crammed whole into the pot.

It seems like it would be difficult to even take the ingredients out because they're so tightly packed together, but still--

Emma: It looks delicious.

My stomach growls at the smell of spices tickling my nose.

Azel: Are you really going to eat a suspicious object made by who-knows-who?

Emma: I know who made it.

Emma: ...Because your clothes smell like spices, Prince Azel.

When I bring my nose closer, Azel's expression changes into something too scary to show a child.

Azel: Is it just your imagination?

Emma: That's a shame. I wanted to try your cooking, Prince Azel...

Azel: You don't mean that.

Emma: I'm being serious.

Emma: Food made by someone else always tastes better than what I make myself.

Emma: To a greater or lesser extent, home cooking always has care put into it.

Azel: Stop it, I'm getting goosebumps.

Emma: Besides...

Emma: If you foresaw my entire day, Prince Azel, you must have known I would come home tired, right?

Emma: That's why you cooked– Ouch!

Azel: Such unsightly conceit.

Pinching my cheeks tightly, Azel furrows his brow even more.

Azel: Listen, you were taking so long to come back that I got impatient and made it myself.

Azel: Before you proudly show off your pathetic deductions, first show me the sincerity of offering me a late fee.

(He says that, but...)

There are two plates set on the table.

Judging from the amount of stew, it's obvious that Azel made enough for me as well.

(If he was just hungry, there'd be no need to prepare a portion for me.)

(The more time I spend with him, the more his flaws as a bad-tempered God seem to show.)

(I don't know why he won't honestly admit his good intentions...)

(But in the end, there's no doubt that he's a "good-natured" God.)

Emma: ...I'm sorry.

Azel: I didn't tell you to apologize. I told you to give me money.

Emma: No, not that apology, but the one from before...

Emma: When you said "come back before the sun sets," thinking about it now, maybe you were genuinely worried about me--

Emma: Ouch ouch ouch!

Azel: Why would I worry about you?

Azel: It's just inconvenient for me not to have an errand runner.

He avoids my gaze with his mystical eyes in an unnatural way.

Emma: I'll p-pretend that's how it is.

(I was so tired before returning to the temple, but now it's all blown away.)

Azel, with his grumpy face, releases my cheeks, serves only his portion of the stew onto a plate, and takes a seat.

As he opens his book as usual, I also put my portion on a plate and sit next to him.

Emma: Thank you for the food.

Emma: ...Mmm, delicious!

(Maybe it's because it's simmered only with various spices and steam... the flavor is deep and addictive.)

The taste is so good that it overrides the difficulty of eating it, and my cheeks loosen in satisfaction.

Emma: Meat, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas, olives... I see...

Azel: I'm telling you, don't try to copy it.

Emma: Is it a secret recipe that can't be taken outside?

Azel: No, it's a common Tanzanite dish.

Azel: But if you're going to make it, make sure to cut the ingredients properly. It's annoying how difficult it is to eat.

Emma: Then you should have cut them... This kitchen has knives, right?

Azel: ...I cut my finger with one before.

Emma: Ah...

(For Azel, who hates blood, knives must have become a trauma.)

(Maybe that's why he always asks me to cook.)

Still, I catch a glimpse of his kindness in the fact that he cooked for me, and my cheeks loosen even more.

Azel: ...You irreverent girl.

Emma: I didn't say anything.

Azel: Your face is noisy.

Azel: You have no faith in God.

Emma: Maybe so.

Emma: ...That's probably why the High Priest called out to me.

Azel gives a mischievous smile, as if he knew everything from the beginning.

Azel: You were invited to that phony gathering, weren't you?

Emma: Phony?

Azel: What else could it be but phony, going around preaching teachings I never gave?

(Azel seems to detest the High Priest's activities.)

(...Come to think of it, it's strange, isn't it? Tanzanite has its own God.)

(And yet, it's not the God himself who's preaching his teachings.)

Emma: What exactly is this "phony gathering" like?

Azel: What else is there besides preaching the teachings of God?

Azel: Why do you doubt it?

Emma: It seems Clavis and Luke are attending too.

Azel: ...Ah.

With just those few words, Azel seemed to understand everything.

Azel: If you're curious, you can ask those two instead of me.

Azel: They'll tell you everything.

Azel: And unless you're fools, you'll realize...

Azel: That this country is all a dream, a castle built on sand, founded on illusion.

––Meanwhile, at Tanzanite Castle.

The castle, usually enveloped in sacred silence, is filled with a passionate clamor.

The assembled people proceed down a long corridor, being sucked into a spacious hall at the end.

At the edge of the crowd, neatly arranged by the castle servants, two men lean towards each other.

Clavis: It seems both the rich and the poor alike come to receive the teachings of God?

Luke: Doesn't look like there are any tourists.

Clavis: It's probably a show exclusively for their own citizens.

Luke: Nothing suspicious so far.

Clavis: Haha, as if there would be anything suspicious at a sacred gathering of God.

Clavis: But if you wish, I wouldn't mind personally turning this into an amusing theme park--

Luke: ...Stop having fun and do your job properly.

Clavis: ...Wh-what...?

Clavis: To think the day would come when I'd be told to work by that embodiment of sloth, Luke...

Luke: You're annoying...

Clavis: But you've really been full of motivation since coming to Tanzanite?

Clavis: Or rather, you seem to be "searching for something"...

Luke: ...

Clavis: Haha, come now, I'm not so uncouth as to pry into my little brother's private affairs.

Clavis: Big brother Clavis is always on your side. If there's something you want to do, go ahead and do it.

Clavis: However, monopolizing the pleasure is forbidden. Let's share the fun with your brother, shall we?

Luke: ...No thanks.

With a cough that sounds like spitting, the waves of clamor gradually recede.

Standing at the podium set up at the front of the hall is a gentle saint.

Clavis: Now then––it seems it's time to ascertain the truth of "that rumor."

The thick, luxurious doors of the hall close, trapping the air inside.

High Priest: My devout followers, thank you for gathering here tonight.

Luke: ...What is this?

Clavis: What's wrong?

Luke: ...Don't you smell something?

Clavis: Smell...?

Clavis: Ah, it seems to be that.

Clavis's golden eyes indicate censers placed as if hidden in the shadows of the pillars.

Placed at regular intervals, their fragrance gradually dominates the enclosed space.

High Priest: The great Moon's incarnation of our country generously bestows its blessings upon us.

High Priest: That the people of Tanzanite can cherish life, savor joy, enjoy comfort, and revere love...

High Priest: It can be said that it's all thanks to the Living God.

High Priest: However, there is a prophecy left behind by the first Living God long ago.

Luke: Hey, Clavis... this.

Clavis: Hmm...

High Priest: We must overcome this sorrowful prophecy and show absolute loyalty and trust to the Living God.

High Priest: We must not repay the divine grace with enmity.

High Priest: Now is the time, after a thousand years, to overcome the trial left by the first Living God.

Luke: ...What do we do?

Clavis: Of course...

Amidst the fervent crowd, the pleasure-loving prince takes out an ominous vial from his pocket.

Clavis: Let's have some fun.

-

The next day––

(I'm so tired.)

I've been running around the vast temple with cleaning tools, but finally, my exhaustion reaches its limit, and I collapse onto the stairs.

(And it's all because of that demanding God...)

*earlier this morning*

Azel: I'd like you to do a thorough cleaning today. From corner to corner.

Emma: I have to go on errands for the owner...

Azel: Here, these are the cleaning tools. Allow me to bestow them upon you.

Emma: But my work--

Azel: Oh my, did the debtor say something?

Azel: If you intend to repay with your body, you shouldn't be able to refuse my request, right?

Emma: .................

Azel: Don't forget that you have no right to choose right now. Keep polishing until I say it's good enough.

*back to present*

(No matter how many times I clean, he finds fault like a malicious mother-in-law...!)

Unlike yesterday's mercifulness, today's Azel is ruthless.

(Could this be his revenge for me teasing him yesterday?)

(...I wanted to go to town.)

With a sigh, I look up at the ceiling––and in doing so, I happen to catch sight of the dimly lit corridor on the left.

*flashback*

Azel: The right side has been mostly renovated, so there's no problem, but the left side has partially collapsed.

Azel: If you're ever walking around here, never go to the left side.

Azel: If you happen to go in there––

Emma: ...If I do?

Azel: Hehe.

*back to present*

(...Just looking at the corridor, it seems to be well-maintained.)

Since I've been told it's off-limits, I don't intend to go in, but I can't deny my curiosity about what lies in the depths of that darkness.

(Is it really just unfinished renovations, or is there something else––)

Azel: Emma.

Emma: ...!

Even though I haven't done anything wrong, I end up standing up.

Azel: Were you thinking about something shameful?

Emma: N-no... I was just going to start cleaning again after my break!

Azel: I don't care about that.

(Even though it was Azel who told me to polish thoroughly.)

(...Hmm?)

Emma: It's noisy outside.

(I can hear people's voices.)

(And they sound quite urgent...)

Azel: In that case, let me show you something interesting as a reward for cleaning.

.

.

.

Chapter 13 His Side Story

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[fangsforiris]

Character Facts~!

Character Select: Christa

Someone asked me about some info on Christa in a Disc. Server so I’ll post what I stated in that server here!! Lmk if I did mistake some information as this was all off the top of my head at the time (not to mention it was like 2 AM).

Info…!

• Christa is the first cousin to Karlheinz and Richter

• She’s known for her beauty, highly revered in vampiric high society and was the epitome of beauty.

• She was known as the “White Rose” because of her incomparable appearance; docile, pure, & porcelain.

• She prided herself on her beauty and purity.

• After Karlheinz had done what he did—it made her inconsolable as she found herself to be both “dirty” and “unclean” — a direct dichotomy towards her pure and perfect stature and persona.

• This is how she developed her personality disorder as a result of the trauma she faced.

• She saw Karlheinz as an older brother—often referring to him as “Ni-sama”

• She has a hard time remembering/reconciling faces—that’s why she mistakes Subaru for Karlheinz at times.

• Her personality disorder is why she’s so frantic and shifty—causing Subaru much dismay within his childhood to tend to her “fragile nerves” and broken mind.

• It’s also how Subaru got good at anticipating her moods and walking on egg shells with emotionally troubled individuals.

• She caused immense trauma towards Subaru psychologically as in her bouts of anger and anguish—when she thought Subaru was actually Karlheinz—she’d curse/damn him and state that he was an “impure stain” and “should kill her or himself to save the world from such sin”

• Constantly saw Subaru as a mark of her own impurity—a sin.

• In her moments of “goodness” she would sometimes call Subaru “Ni-sama”—in thinking he was Karlheinz.

• Christa enjoys seeing/visiting Subaru whenever she’s in a good mood.

• She owns the silver dagger (able to kill/maim vampires) that Subaru later gives to Yui.

• She gave that dagger to Subaru for the sole reason of killing her or himself (if he was too much of a coward to kill her—she stated he should rid the world of sin by killing himself).

• Christa is the reason why Subaru has a major distrust in women and why he has immense suicidal tendencies and self-loathing.

• Christa’s marking/signature is a white rose—for the obvious of what she was known for and her liking towards the flower

• It’s why the Sakamaki garden’s are filled with white roses—because Subaru keeps and tends to it regularly as an homage to his mother.

• Christa is the only wife still alive as Subaru hasn’t been able to work up the courage to kill her—feeling too much anguish and guilt to do so.

• Christa resides in the Vampire King’s Castle in Makai (the demon world)

• This is where she’s under surveillance by Karlheinz/living with Karlheinz.

• On a night out in the garden, Christa attempted to kill Subaru before attempting to use his hands (taking away the dagger that was once in her own) to maim her.

• This would fail as Karlheinz would restrain her later on.

• Christa and Cordelia often get into arguments about who Karlheinz “truly” loves—and with Cordelia’s combative nature and Christa’s instability—it always ends in dysfunction.

• Christa and Cordelia never had a great relationship.

• Beatrix and Christa’s relationship is never stated—but we can assume that Beatrix never attempted to push any boundaries or buttons of Christa’s due to the latters’ unstable reactions.

[minikoko-a]

hi !! Was wondering if I could request some hc’s on conforting Mel after the absolute hectic act 2 of season 2? I haven’t fully finished it but oml invisible hand give her a BREAK !!

hiii, of course!

and definitely agree! Mel deserves a break and more of what happened to her.

hope you like it!

thank you for your request! <3

these hcs can be seen both platonically and romantically, kinda short.

headcanons of you comforting Mel Medarda after act 2

you searched every corner and you entered several doors only to find her missing, a few days had passed and there was still no trace of her.

the darkness of your room embraced your body, which was somewhat cold despite the sheets that covered you. but the sound of your front door knocking woke you up almost immediately. with your body feeling heavy from sleep, you got up, tying the straps of your robe that covered your pajamas to make way to go down your stairs and go straight to the door.

taking the door handle you managed to see a woman with a white robe covering her, you opened your eyes somewhat frightened until her voice, that voice, was unrecognizable to you.

"(y/n)"

"Mel, oh god, come in!"

your voice sounded quite relieved and agitated at the sight of her.

despite everything that happened and that trap where she was imprisoned for a short time, still maintained her firm stance.

she told you what happened with Elora.

after telling you, both remained silent while she touched your face.

"i want to feel you, i want to know that you are here with me and this is not an illusion"

you always told her over and over again "i'm here" "i'm listening to you" "i'm feeling you" "are you feeling me?" and you didn't mind repeating it to her.

she told you everything she saw in the trap of the black rose, the illusion, and how they called her sister.

you were able to see a more sensitive and personal part of her, more than you already knew her.

her voice broke but you never left her side.

the hot water dripped from her skin, your gaze couldn't stop analyzing the golden tattoos that were now part of her, the water only wet her body from the chest to feet and with her hands took a little of the water wetting her neck and face and the foam managed to cover her body a little.

the silence was comforting, not uncomfortable. your figure was sitting on the side of the bathtub, ensuring that Mel felt as comfortable as possible.

"thank you so much, really"

she said in a low tone of voice with a small smile on her lips.

she definitely asked for your help.

until you gave her an update on how things were in Piltover and Zaun.

and now she was going to do everything possible to ensure that you didn't get involved in anything about the war.

she already lost her friend, she doesn't want to lose a person so loved by her: you.

"please, whatever you do, please don't get involved" "but you asked me-" "before you told me how much this has advanced"

she doesn't want to lose someone else :(

after finishing the bath, you gave her some time alone while she dried herself and put on her clothes, while you sat on your bed somewhat agitated by all the information you knew thanks to Mel.

if you were already feeling like your head was spinning, you couldn't imagine how Mel was feeling.

you were still immersed in your thoughts while feeling a weight behind you, her hands were now on your shoulder while she crawled across the bed and took a seat next to you.

"people say that in a war you will always lose, no matter which side you are on, but you will always lose something or someone"

your head turned slightly to her side, her gaze had softened a bit but one thing you could be sure of was that it was no longer the same.

"with all this and this new... power that i have"

she paused briefly.

"the only thing that i have clear right now is that i don't want to lose more and especially someone like you."

her words made you remember when you first met, you were an inventor just on the rise and you created a bond with Mel.

a warm and closer one.

now the two of you were lying in your big bed, that was previously cold and just you and was now warm with mel next to you.

you didn't even mind about going to bed and sleeping in separate beds or one in the living room and the other in the bedroom.

you both felt alone, you both needed each other.

the two of you were in a fetal position looking at each other, you both smiled weakly.

the eyelashes of both looked at each other, you closed your eyes and before sleeping, you whispered a few words:

"good night, Mel, love you"

Mel didn't answer, you heard the sheets move and her breathing near to you. her lips touched the skin of your forehead placing a kiss.

hours passed and your body naturally began to respond to wake up, opening your eyes little by little you noticed that the other side of the bed was empty.

"she left"

you said in a low, sleepy voice but there was concern in your words.

she was gone and now all you hoped for was not to lose her.