#and paired w she he and gaming? unstoppable

[uhzuku]

it has been many hours friends. how r u all

[whereismymindnow]

Twin Hearts Chapter 4

Author's Note: A little flashback to how Pia was daggered. The twins have a small squabble. xD

Oh, and please don’t comment about her being daggered. This whole fic came from a dream I had and so the idea of her being daggered may not suit some people, but witchcraft can do weird and wonderful things. So don’t take it personally if you disagree with this (as some people did, quite rudely, previously) as I literally had zero ideas apart from her waking up to start with and this is the best I can come up with. Thank you! Hope you enjoy this update.

Now I’m going to disappear just as quickly as I arrived before you start throwing things at me for length of time in between chapter updates… I swear, one day I shall catch up and give you frequent updates.

Pairing: Niklaus Mikaelson x Twin!Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ due to mature, darker themes. Twincest. Smut. Strong language. Death. Miscarriage. Murder. Vampire/Hybrid violence. Please read responsibly.

If this work is found anywhere other than Tumblr (@whereismymindnow) or Archive of Our Own (Mikki19) then it has been posted without my permission.

Twin Hearts Masterlist

---

Chapter 4: Daggered

"I cannot give up! Our very nature has been taken from us! How can I stop when I am so close to breaking the curse?" Elijah heaved out a sigh as he heard Niklaus' angry shout fill the house. He moved to stand at the top of the stairs and watched as the twins fought... again. Pia launched a vase at her brother with a hiss.

"It is breaking you! I don't even recognise you anymore! You are not the other half of my heart." Both siblings flinched and rubbed at their chests, but neither would back down. Pia was exhausted by the drama that the doppelganger had brought to the house, and Klaus was so close to realising his destiny that he couldn't stop. He didn't understand why his twin wasn't as passionate as he was about this.

"I am still the man you love, but I want to be more. We are meant to be the Original Hybrids. We were born to be unstoppable. I will not let a foolish human girl get in the way of that!"

"A foolish human girl? Ha! Do not forget that I saw the way you looked at her. It was like watching you fawn over Tatia all over again!" Pia spat out in disgust. She had tried to be friends with Katerina. Hell, she had even had a dress made especially for the girl, but it had ended the same way as it had centuries ago. The little brunette had taken one look at her brothers and tried to make it a game. Pia wanted to find her just so that she could have the pleasure of staining Kit’s perfect olive skin red with blood.

"I had to keep her here! You saw how she was. Flirting and playing games are the only things she knows how to do properly." Pia took a step back and shook her head in disbelief.

"How can you not understand that that is how it began with Tatia?! You and Elijah made it a point to play with the girl, and now we are cursed by her! Once again the silly doppelganger bitch has the upperhand!" Her shoulders dropped as she found her anger could no longer mask her hurt. This was too much. All too much. "If you wish to chase her and destroy everything she holds dear, then so be it... but do not expect me to just idly wait for you to be satisfied. I will not have a part in this." Klaus vamped over to his sister and held her by her upper arms.

"We are so close. We have felt broken for so long. We have felt our wolves howl and claw at our skin every full moon as they beg to break free... Why are you asking me to stop now?"

"Because you have gone mad with your need to break the curse. Every day you are so angry and hateful. The only time I have seen you smile this month was because she was under our roof. If breaking the curse means that we have to become this fractured, then I no longer wish to do it."

"...w- we have waited centuries..." Klaus muttered as he stared at his twin in disbelief. Pia exhaled and brought a shaking hand to cup his cheek.

"I am not stopping you. I just can't stand by and watch it destroy you. I refuse to have my life revolve around that girl for a moment longer. Find her if you must but you will find me gone before you return.”

“I am doing this for us!” Neither of them were backing down this time. The twins had had fights before, but the fury that floated in the air was thick like fog. Rebekah had left to go to the library in order of find a bit of quiet, but her ears picked up on each angry word and she found herself standing at the top of the stairs, watching in case one of her siblings did something foolish. Niklaus was beginning to reach the end of his patience with Pia; his rage taking over and clouding his judgement. He just didn’t understand why she wanted him to stop. He was doing this for them both! “You keep talking like we’re so different!”

Pia shook her head in response and let out a bitter laugh. “We are! You have become so cruel and malicious since you found out about Katerina's change. Forget about her! Another doppelganger will be created so that we can break the curse.”

“I want to make her pay for her actions.” He grit his teeth as Pia once again tried to turn her back on him.

“I know that, but don’t you see what is happening? You are losing your mind. You are becoming some kind of monster that I do not even recognise anymore!”

“YOU ARE JUST AS BROKEN AS ME!” His roar echoed through the manor as his grip tightened on his twin’s arms; Pia began to wince and bite her lip as her bones started to crumble beneath his hands, not that he noticed as he was blinded by his rage. So, Pia decided to tell him the truth. He needed to hear the truth for once. She was sick of lying and trying to make him feel better about everything he does.

“This obsession is turning you into Mikael! You are becoming like the person you hate!” Pia didn’t have a chance to recognise the relief of his grip being removed from her arms as she flew through the air and her head met the wall behind her. A loud crack rang out through the room as her skull hit the hard surface. She was dazed for a few moments before her wound repaired itself and she stood once again. “Just let the Petrova girl go!” Rebekah covered her mouth with her hand and stepped down a few stairs to get closer to them, but Elijah quickly grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her from getting closer. They both knew that this was becoming a little more intense than the twins’ previous fights.

“She has taken away our one chance of becoming unstoppable. She has taken away our chance of being whole!”

“So?! Aren’t you content as you are now? You have all of your family surrounding you but you are still blinded by your hatred!”

“I want vengeance!” It was those three words that broke her. She was exhausted and didn’t care to repeat herself another time. Pia’s shoulders dropped as she shook her head at the state of her beloved.

“I can’t do this anymore, Niko… I’m hurting, but you don’t seem to care.” Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to regain her emotions. She was so sick of crying, but she couldn’t let her anger get the better of her either. The servants within the house were still skittish from the last time she slaughtered five of them in one of her rages. Pia took a deep breath and cleared her throat. If she were human still, then she would have complained about a headache by now. “I’ve had enough.” The thought of her trying to leave was all it took for Niklaus’ fury to boil over. He flashed forward and gripped either side of her head.

“You can’t leave me.” He hissed in Pia’s ear before wrenching his hands backwards and snapping her neck. Niklaus caught her limp form as she crumbled to the floor.

“No!” Rebekah vamped down the stairs and stared at her brother as he cradled Pia’s body in his arms. “You’ve hurt her again. Do you even understand what you are doing?” She quickly walked forward in an effort to grab her sister’s body but in seconds found herself hitting the wall opposite her.

“You will not take her from me, Rebekah. She is mine.” Niklaus stood in front of his twin’s form and bared his fangs at his sister. The youngest Mikaelson knew better than to try and fight her brother when his Alpha male side revealed itself; she slowly stood and straightened out the bottom of her dress before making eye contact with Niklaus.

“Nik, I just wanted to lay her down upstairs. She would not want to wake upon the hard floor, would she?” Rebekah waited a few moments and then steadily moved forwards. Niklaus let out a growl when he felt that she had overstepped an invisible boundary.

“I will take her.” He kept a close eye on his sibling and knelt down next to his twin. His eyes flickered between the two girls as he gently wrapped his other half in his arms. “Do not touch her.” Rebekah nodded as his growls continued to permeate through the air each time he felt her get too near as they walked to the chambers that Pia resided in; she mostly shared a room with Nik, but their recent fighting had made her seek solace in a separate chamber to his. Elijah followed at a distance, sharing a tight-lipped smile with Rebekah.

The family were used to this strange situation by now; for centuries the pair of them would have their moments in which their pack instincts would show and they would stake their claim on the other. It was always in moments of madness, their wolves would shine through and ensure that anyone nearby understood that they belonged to each other.

With as much as care as he could manage, Niklaus gently placed Pia onto her bedsheets and stroked the side of her face. He felt Elijah’s presence enter the room and looked up. For some reason when Pia had requested her own chambers, she had picked the ones that had been closest to Elijah’s. Perhaps she thought she would be safer since he listened to Elijah more than anyone else, Niklaus pondered as he felt the burning glare coming from his older brother.

“Leave, Niklaus. You have done enough.” Elijah stepped aside and waited for the room to be vacated before quietly shutting the door. “I heard your fight-”

“I think the whole world heard them.” Rebekah remarked sarcastically.

“-and you need to be careful, brother. Do you wish for Pia to hate you rather than love you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then contemplate this: are you prepared to lose her because of Katerina? You will destroy her slowly if you carry on along this path.” He gave one last look at his brother before offering his arm to Rebekah and leading her back to the library.

Niklaus watched after his siblings and made up his mind. He knew exactly how to overcome this.

----

“Are you sure that this shall work? I will not accept failure.” Klaus’ blue eyes bore into the witch before him.

“Yes, Master. The blood in your veins runs through Mistress Pia’s as well. You are twins; you are mates. Your hearts are one and the same.” Thalia ran her fingers over the edge of the knife before looking back up at her master. “I believe that I can overpower the magic of the blade and ensure that you can put Mistress into a deep sleep. I just need your blood to finish the spell.”

“If this harms her in anyway… well, I don’t believe I need to finish that sentence.” Klaus took the blade from the witch and raised his brow as she started to speak again.

“Master, you must trust me. I would do nothing to hurt Mistress Pia. She was the one that rescued me when I was about to be put to death. I owe her my life.” Thalia placed her hand over her heart and bent her head forwards in a show of obedience.

“Indeed. You have until the end of the night to complete the spell. I want to be able to subdue her whilst she sleeps… I do not wish for her to be scared when it happens.” Niklaus ran his gaze over the grimoire in front of him and sighed. “She must be daggered before she has a chance to flee. She cannot abandon me.” He muttered to himself before sending another glance at the witch and running the blade over his arm. The witch quickly put a bowl underneath the cut to catch his blood.

This better work, Klaus uttered in his mind. His complete distrust of others made this so very difficult. He felt like a million bugs were crawling under his skin as he thought of how he was currently putting his sister’s life in someone else’s hands. Anything to do with Pia made him feel incredibly vulnerable; without her he was nothing more than the monster that people made him out to be. Pia was his one and only. He needed her to be safe.

---

Pia paced around her room and bit at her nail, not even noticing when it began to bleed. The servant in the room stayed still so as to not antagonise her into doing something to him. Petyr knew better than to interrupt the lady of the house when she was like this. He had once attempted to ask her what was upsetting her - the scar above his brow was the only answer she gave.

Pia knew something was happening; she could feel it. She’d locked herself in her chambers and only opened the door to let the servant or Rebekah inside.  There was something in the air and it was unsettling. Niklaus repeatedly tried to speak with her but she wasn’t listening. An uncomfortable ache began in her neck whenever she thought of her twin. He’d snapped her neck. He’d disabled her because his ego wouldn’t allow for him to actually listen to her words. Her foot kicked out and a loud crash echoed throughout the room as a chair smashed into pieces after hitting the wall.

“Niklaus, what are you doing?!” It had to be him. He had to be planning something! She could feel the spark of magic that made the air feel like it was smothering her. Was he going to kill her? Was he plotting some way to harm her so that she couldn’t leave him? No, he wouldn’t do that… would he? All was quiet in the manor as the voices carried on echoing within her mind. Was she being unreasonable? Maybe she could help find Katerina and end this once and for all. She wasn't prepared to lose her brother once again because of the actions of one of those almond-eyed girls. “What is he up to? He’s doing something against me, I know he is.” She muttered and dragged her hands through her hair with a low growl. “He’s plotting against me. He must be. He-”

It was then in the silence a noise disturbed her thoughts.

Thump thump.

Her head cocked to the side so sharply that a loud crack echoed through the room. That familiar burn in her gums made her snarl.

Thump thump.

Her fangs descended as the heartbeat continued to destroy her peace. She flicked her tongue over her fangs and hissed quietly. Her mind had melted completely into that of her hunting instinct. Pia was no longer there.

Thump thump.

Petyr had heard the 'click' and knew right then that his life was moments away from ending. In an effort to conceal his fear he shut his eyes tight and clenched his fists. He didn’t want to see her coming at him.

Thump thump.

Thump-

Her body flew across the room and her fangs ripped into his neck. Petyr's mouth opened in a silent scream as she tore through his skin. The blood poured down her face as she focused on making the annoying sound stop. She let out a low moan of satisfaction as the thick, hot blood entered her mouth. Her fangs shredded his skin like thin parchment as she needlessly released her bite only to clamp down once again. The monster within her, the infamous Snow White Killer, was only a few mouthfuls away from being awakened. A few moments later, and all was silent once more. As though she had woken up from a dream, her hands released the limp corpse. The dull sound of him hitting the wooden floorboards made Pia open her eyes in shock; black veins slowly receded as she came back to her senses. She stared down at the boy at her feet in disbelief; she’d lost control again.

“Pia?” A gentle voice came from her left. She slowly turned to see Rebekah looking at her with wide eyes. Pia’s curls seemed wilder than ever as the ends of her hair were stained red; blood ran down her face and tainted the blue nightdress she wore. Rebekah didn’t step forward and held her hands up in defence as she saw Pia’s unwavering gaze. She’d only met the darkness within her sister once, and she wasn’t in a hurry to repeat that encounter.

Pia blinked hard and shook her head. “It’s me… it’s me…” She breathed as her sister looked at her in horror. “I- I’m okay.” Pia could feel the need to release the monster but fought the urge just as Elijah had told her to. “It’s me.” She murmured again, as though reminding herself that she was in control. Her head dropped to avoid the look of fear in Rebekah’s eyes.

"Oh, Pea..." Rebekah gently stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her small sister before calling out for Elijah. Their eldest brother entered the room looking grim. He'd been close to Pia's room and had heard the awful growls she had made whilst draining her victim. The similarities between her and Niklaus were becoming quickly apparent. Niklaus was a monster hiding behind a dimpled smile, whilst Pia's small stature made her look like a feeble, young lady and hid the animal that was trapped inside of her.

"I shall take care of it." He rolled the boy up in the sheets of Pia's bed and removed the body. Niklaus was waiting near the end of the hallway; Elijah glanced at his brother and shook his head before continuing past him. He was what was causing his little sister to behave like this. Niklaus needed to change his ways and fast. There had been too many bloodbaths caused by the twins as of late. They were drawing more attention than ever.

----

The sun had set hours ago and now the moon lit up the hallway as it shined through the windows. It was time.

Niklaus carefully pushed the door and was happy to see that Pia hadn't locked it after Petyr's body had been taken away. The door didn't make a sound; almost as though it knew how unhappy its master would be should it wake the girl on the bed. Pia sighed in her sleep but stayed unconscious as Niklaus moved closer to her. She'd cleaned the blood from her face and was wearing a new nightgown. A smile came to Klaus' face as he brushed a stray curl off her cheek. Pia had never looked so innocent; her youthful face was clear of the emotions that had plagued her the entire day. He gently kissed her soft cheek as he removed the dagger from its sheath.

"I'm sorry..." Niklaus muttered. It didn't look different from the other daggers, but he prayed that this would work. She needed to be safe and protected. She was too stubborn to listen to his rules and understand his motives. This is the only way, he repeated in his head as he leant forwards and placed both hands on the blade. The tip of the dagger hovered between her breasts as Niklaus faltered. This was his twin. This was his mate. She was his everything and yet he was going to put her to sleep for God only knows how long. What if something happened to him and he didn't have the chance to tell anyone where she was? What if she stayed asleep until the end of time? What if that witch had betrayed him and had done something so that Pia would die the moment the blade pierced her skin? His head snapped up as he heard Bekah's door open.

This is the only way!

Niklaus took a deep breath and raised his arms. Pia's eyes snapped open and her body jolted upwards as the blade entered her chest. She made eye contact with her lover and seemed to choke on her words before her skin began to turn grey. Her lids fluttered shut and her body became limp.

"Pia- Nik!" Rebekah raced over to her sister and her eyes widened at seeing the dagger in her chest. "How- what- Nik?!" Rebekah was speechless and tears filled her eyes as she looked up at her brother from the bed. Her back hit the ground as Niklaus threw her away from his twin.

"It is the only way, Rebekah. She needs to be safe from him whilst I break the curse." His sister tried to get closer to Pia to pull the dagger from her body, but Niklaus once again pushed her back.

"How did you even manage to neutralise her? The daggers don't work on either of you!"

"I know a witch who did a spell for me."

"It was Thalia, wasn't it? She betrayed Pia!" Rebekah stormed out of the room and left Niklaus with their sister's body. Niklaus presented a fine silk ribbon from behind his back and began to tie the hair back from Pia's face. Her lips were cold and stiff as he brushed his mouth against hers before climbing onto the bed. He brought his twin's body against his and rested his chin on top of her head. This was the last time he would hold her for some time, and he wasn't about to waste a second. As Klaus began to relax with Pia, Rebekah broke into the witch's chambers in another wing of the house. She snapped her neck within seconds and stood over her body with a sad smile. Tears ran down her cheeks as she collapsed to her nears with a sob.

Meanwhile, Elijah sat in his study and nursed a goblet of wine. The regular frown formed on his face as he noticed a second heartbeat had ceased. "We are death." He murmured into the silence and took another sip of his drink. How much more could his family go through before they broke?

----

Niklaus sat in silence; the fire crackled in the background and candles flickered in the room. He was sat against the headboard of his bed in nothing more than his breeches; the bodies of three drained maids littered his floor but he didn’t have the energy to remove them. Pia was hidden in a place that only he knew of but he felt a million times worse than he had before. Was he happy that she was safe from Mikael? Yes. Was he happy that she had to be isolated and on her own? No.

He let out a deep sigh and wiped his chin with a handkerchief to get rid of the blood staining his mouth. When had life become so complicated? This family had gone through so many more downs than ups - even before they were turned into vampires - that it was becoming harder to see a positive outcome for them all. He rubbed his thumb over the locket in his hand; inside was a small portrait of his twin but he found it too painful to look at. Merely holding it gave him a bit of comfort though as it made him feel as though she was close to him still. “Oh, Pia… I need you so much.” He felt heartbroken. He may have neutralised Pia, but it was never something he wanted. It just needed to be done. Had she gone through with her plan to leave then she would have put herself in danger and Niklaus couldn’t allow that.

“Nik?” Rebekah poked her head around the door and looked at her brother. She was still angry, but being on Niklaus’ bad side wouldn’t help her to persuade him to wake up Pia or reveal her location. The girl shut the door behind her and sat on the edge of his bed. “Can I sit with you?” Niklaus didn’t say yes, but him not throwing her out immediately told Rebekah what she needed to know. She climbed up onto the bed and sat beside him. Her hand went over his that grasped the locket and she squeezed lightly. Her eyes were glassy as she blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over.

“I can’t wake her up, Rebekah.” He already knew her motive for coming in here.

“Why?”

“You know why.” Klaus replied sharply.

“Mikael.”

“Yes. I do not wish for her to be daggered. I’ve never wished to be apart from her, but if she left, then there’s no telling what Mikael would do to her if he found her. It is so much safer for her to be asleep until Mikael is taken care of.” Rebekah nodded gently and sighed. She wasn’t going to get him to agree right now and so decided to try and make him think of happier times.

“Do you remember your 15th birthday?”

“Of course, I do.” How could he forget? He didn’t care to remember a lot of his past life, but that night himself and Pia had promised themselves to each other. No matter if someone somehow managed to get between then, they would always belong to each other at heart.

“I only remember Pia sneaking out of our bedroom before returning a little while later. It was obvious as to what had occurred between the pair of you, but I couldn’t bring myself to judge either of you. I’d never seen you so happy.”

Nik & Pia’s 15th Nameday. 995AD

“Pia.” A smile grew on her face as his voice called out to her. She quickly wrapped her blanket around her and crept outside. The door shut with a small click which made her freeze. When she heard no movement from within the longhouse she released a sigh of relief. “Pia!” A hand smothered her shocked scream and familiar laughter filled her ears. Niklaus kept his hand over her mouth and led her to a secluded area just a few minutes away from the house. Once she was free she fought to hide her smile and hit him on the shoulder. He grabbed her hand and tugged her forwards gently with a grin. Their lips met in a soft kiss that said more than words ever would and left their hearts pounding. Pia bit her lip and looked up at the boy that shared her nameday.

“Happy nameday, Niko.”

“Happy nameday, Pia.”

Their lips met once more; their mouths moulded together perfectly. It was like they had been created for each other. As his tongue massaged hers she ran her fingers through his hair slowly. She could touch him all day and not get bored. He was everything to her. Nik slowly peppered kisses down the side of her neck making her sigh with pleasure. He carefully pulled the blanket from her shoulders and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her as close to him as he could. No matter how much he held her to him, she was never close enough. It was though he wished to consume her.

 “Niko…” She breathed against his cheek in excitement. They had snuck out of the house before, but this was different. Something was different between them. The boy moved away slightly and straightened the blanket on the floor before sitting on it. He patted the space next to him with a cheeky grin. Pia looked around paranoid, but once she saw there was no movement around them she settled down on the woollen sheet.

“Pia, I love you so much. I want you to remember that no matter what happens.”

“Niko, nothing would ever make stop loving you. We are going to be together forever. I can feel it. I shall never stop being yours.” He pecked her lips once more in agreement. A squeak left her as he pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. His hand rubbed the top of her thigh and he snuck his hand beneath her nightgown before looking up at her.

“I know we are not married or betrothed, but I want to have you all to myself. I cannot imagine a life where you belong to another.”

Pia was breathless. This was everything she’d ever dreamt of. “I am yours.”

He gave her a grin before slowly inching his hands up her thigh. Pia stiffened slightly which made Niklaus pause.

“Are you sure about this, my love?” Oh, she wanted him so much, but Pia couldn’t say it; the blush lit up her face as though her blood was on fire and her throat seemed to close up so that she couldn’t reply. Niklaus reluctantly tried to move his hand away so Pia made the quick decision to roll her hips forward. A gasp left her lips as his fingers tickled between her thighs.

“Niko, I love you.” She muttered against his lips as they fell backwards.

“And I you.” He replied as he gently rolled them over so that his body was between her legs. Pia began to convulse as his fingers continued their movements against her sensitive skin; she quickly moved a hand over her mouth to smother her cry of pleasure as she climaxed. A light sheen of sweat covered her body as Niklaus helped her undress. He followed suit and they spent a few moments to gaze at each other’s forms. They had seen their naked bodies before, but this situation made it feel like it was the first time. “This will hurt a little.” Niklaus warned her quietly.

 “I don’t mind. I want to be yours… only yours.” She gave him a nod and took in a deep breath. Nik held his length in his hand and gently prodded at her opening. He moved forward steadily and bit the inside of his cheek as Pia’s eyes clenched shut in discomfort. His movement stopped when he was fully sheathed and lowered himself so he was closer to her. He kissed her cheeks and forehead, whispering sweet words until she opened her eyes and gave him a small smile in encouragement. Pia dug her nails into Niko’s arms as he pressed gentle kisses to her neck to help her relax a little more.

“Relax, Pia… you need to try and relax…” He murmured softly into her ear. Pia nodded and focused on the boy above her; he gave her a dimpled smile that made her heart melt. That look could make even the coldest of winters warm. Niklaus captured her mouth with his and gave her a hard, possessive kiss as he felt her ease around him. Her leg moved to wrap around his waist and she rocked her hips to encourage him to move.

“That’s my good girl.” He whispered against her lips as he began to thrust into her slowly. “My beautiful, little Pia…”

Niklaus smiled as he remembered that night. It had been the perfect birthday as far as he was concerned.

“Is she somewhere warm and safe?”

“Of course. You know she hated the cold. I will make it up to her, I promise. She is my forever.”

“We will all make it up to her.” Rebekah commented as she knew that none of them would be able find her if Niklaus had hidden her away from the world.

“You won’t try to find her?”

“I cannot promise that I won’t try. It may take me centuries, but I will not give up. I merely hope that you will not let her suffer for too long, dear brother. It will destroy you as much as it will destroy her if you are parted for too long.” They slowly settled into a comfortable silence; Rebekah watched one of the candles that lit the room whilst Niklaus twirled a strand of his sister’s hair. Niklaus could feel that his sister had more to say and so kept quiet until she finally spoke again. “I’m not going to say this to hurt you, but I just need you to understand, Nik.” Rebekah slowly sat up and stared into her brother’s eyes. “You have always been upset about being chosen last which is why you make the choices that you do. You have never realised that there is one person that never put you behind anyone else. Pia always put you first; no matter what you had done.”

“Then why did she try to leave me?” Bekah leant forward and wiped the stray tear that had fallen from his eye with a frown.

“She did not want to see you destroy yourself. She couldn’t see you lose yourself to this madness and she felt it was her only choice.”

“She said that to you?”

“Yes.”

“Pia, are you alright?” Rebekah entered her sister’s chambers and shut the door firmly behind her.

“No, I’m not. How many times is he going to hurt one of us just because we do something that he doesn’t like?” The girl slumped on her bed and Rebekah lied down on the other side. The pair stared at each other and held hands.

“Do you remember the promise that we made to each other?”

“Always and forever doesn’t seem like an option right now.”

“Don’t say that.” Rebekah whispered and held tighter onto Pia’s hand as though she would slip away in that moment.

“How can we all stay together when Niko doesn’t trust any of us?”

“He loves you so much, Pea.”

“I know that. I know he does, but I will not see him lose to the darkness that is taking over him. He kissed her to try and keep her here!”

“He’s an idiot.” The girls breathed out a laugh in agreement. Klaus was certainly an idiot at times. “He’s just upset that the curse still has a hold over the both of you and has become desperate. After all this time, he was so close to breaking it, and then the Petrova girl outsmarted him.”

“I hate the curse as well. I was so happy when I thought it was over! It was going to be a new start for all of us; Mikael would never stand a chance against us if Nik and I had been able to break the curse… but I am prepared to stay as I am - even when I can feel my wolf scratch away inside of me - because I love our family more than anything. No matter how much pain Nik causes Katerina, we both know that it shall never be enough.” Rebekah couldn’t stop the tears that poured down her cheeks; her family was breaking apart right in front of her eyes and she could do nothing! “Oh, Bekah…” Pia felt the older sister in her emerge and immediately wrapped Rebekah up in her arms. She pressed her against her chest and kissed the top of her head gently.

“Please, do not leave us!”

“Rebekah, you know that I would not stay away for long. I just need some space before my love for Niko becomes poisoned by his anger. I love you all too much to part from you.”

“Do you promise that you will only leave for a little while?” Her voice sounded so small that Pia’s grip tightened around her younger sister. Rebekah felt relief, but she had never felt so vulnerable. Pia may have been Nik’s twin, but she was her only sister and meant so much to her. They were best friends.

“Rebekah, look at me.” Pia cupped her sister’s face and wiped away the last few teardrops that ruined her pretty face. “I will not stray far and I will not be away for long. We are family and we will always be there for one another. Elijah is independent and the most controlled out of us all, but he still needs me to help reason with Nik when he becomes manic. Kol… well, Kol just needs me since I stand up for him when no one else will. You, my sweet sister, need me so that you aren’t surrounded by men… and Niko? He holds my heart as I hold his.”

“She wasn’t going to abandon us?” Niklaus felt so foolish for thinking that she would just run away.

“I thought that she was going to, but she explained everything and it made so much sense. She only wished to remove herself from the situation so that she could save her love for you.”

“I have ruined us.” Rebekah didn’t agree or disagree with him. There was nothing she could say that would make the situation any better. “Rebekah, she will stay neutralised for as long as she needs to be protected from Mikael. I swear to you that Pia is safe.”

“I trust you, Nik.” She didn’t know if she completely meant her words, but Rebekah knew that her brother needed to hear them right now.

“One day it will all be different. Mikael will be gone and our family will stand above all others.”

“Always and forever, right?”

“Always and forever.”

No matter how many times that you told me you wanted to leave No matter how many breaths that you took, you still couldn't breathe No matter how many nights that you lied wide awake to the sound of the poison rain Where did you go? Where did you go? Where did you go? Tell me would you kill to save for a life? Tell me would you kill to prove you're right? Crash, crash, burn let it all burn This hurricane's chasing us all underground ---Hurricane by 30 Seconds to Mars---

[fridayfirefly]

Cowboy Like Me

Read Cowboy Like Me on AO3

Masterlist

Written for Maribat March Day 5 - Last Time

Now I know, I'm never gonna love again

Marinette was a terrible sentimentalist. After such a bad breakup it might have been cathartic to tear up the pictures of them, but Marinette just couldn't do it. No, she could bring herself to destroy the evidence of her six-year relationship. Marinette kept all the pictures, all the movie tickets, all the handwritten notes and put them in a shoebox at the top of her closet, somewhere that she couldn't reach without the help of a stepstool. Maybe the pads of her fingers could brush against the smooth cardboard if she stood on her tiptoes. But Marinette could never open it again. Inside that shoebox were the memories of being in love, kept safe, locked away, just out of reach.

As Marinette boarded the plane, she looked back on everything that had gone wrong. Though the cause of all the destruction in her life was uncertain, Marinette could pinpoint the effects exactly. There were a few things Marinette knew for certain: Marinette would never fall in love again, the city Marinette once loved now only held bad memories, and once the plane took off, Marinette would say goodbye to Paris for the last time.

Never wanted love, just a fancy car

The socialite scene of Gotham was dreadfully boring in the winter, Marinette learned. The weather was so brutal that anyone who could afford a second house in Key West or Malibu left as soon as the first snow-fall hit. Marinette stayed inside her penthouse apartment for weeks, designing her wardrobe for the next few months. It had been so long since she had been able to design for herself, without input from anyone else. It was freeing, to work with the colors, the patterns, the styles that she wanted. Marinette had forgotten what freedom felt like. For so long, she had worked for the whims of others, crafting to someone else's design.

Marinette made her first friend two weeks after the move. Silver St. Cloud was Marinette's neighbor in the apartment to the left. Silver was a model and influencer, and a self-proclaimed expert on all of the rich single men in Gotham. Upon their first meeting, Silver offered to show Marinette around Gotham and introduce her to the socialite scene. Marinette, hesitant but hopeful, accepted.

"Bruce Wayne is the best that Gotham has to offer," said Silver as they leave Starbucks, lattes in hand. "But there are plenty of men who are worth your attention - women too, if that's what you prefer."

"Bruce Wayne is the best?"

Silver nodded. "The Waynes have owned this city for as long as Gotham has been on a map. I wouldn't set your sights on him completely, though. Bruce Wayne doesn't date anyone, not even a former member of Kitty Section."

Kitty Section was known around the world, the biggest band to come out of France in the last decade. Their songs topped charts. Their albums won awards. Their well-crafted image of reclusive, mysterious artists led to a media sensation over the members of Kitty Section. Everyone wanted to know them - Luka Couffaine and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the lead vocalists whose relationship enchanted their fans. Rose Lavillant, the backing vocalist and keyboardist, and Juleka Couffaine, the bass guitarist, who were unashamed of their love for each other. Ivan Bruel, the mysterious drummer who had the name Mylène carved into his drumsticks. They were famous. They were at the top of their game. They were unstoppable.

Marinette ruined it all when she left the band. Her split had been big news, exposing a dark side of Kitty Section that their fans were never supposed to see. But after their breakup, Marinette quickly realized that she never loved music. She loved Luka, and once that love faded away, she loved nothing.

"I guess I'll find someone else," said Marinette, but it was a lie. There was Luka Couffaine, and after that, there was no one else. She might be able to love fancy dresses and expensive cars, but Marinette would never love a person again, not the way she loved Luka. When it came to love (deep, true love, not just the infatuations of childhood) Luka was her first time, Luka was her only time, and Luka would be her last time.

Perched in the dark, telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear

Marinette quickly learned the art of charming everyone she met, either through her impressive resume (founding member of Kitty Section) or through her newfound ability to flirt. It turns out, once you turn off your feelings it becomes very easy to pretend that you can still love.

Marinette and Silver became thick as thieves. The girls became a popular pair, charming every birthday brunch and charity dinner. For Silver, it was all about networking. As she explained to Marinette, "I'm trying to create a brand. I'm trying to turn my own name into something that can be sold, and for that, I need connections.

For Marinette, it was something to do. As long as she used her money wisely, Marinette had enough saved to comfortably live out the rest of her days. The real problem came in finding something to pass the time. Marinette rarely felt joy in living her life, the way she used to back when she was a child, the bright-eyed girl who aspired to be a designer. Now, everything from charming a billionaire to designing a new dress felt like a chore.

"Come meet Bruce Wayne," urged Silver as she grabbed Marinette's hand. "He just got back from Nepal. It's his first time in Gotham in six months. He skipped his own New Year's Gala to go soul-searching in the Himalayas. It's my job tonight to convince him to stay in town for longer than a week."

There was a determination to Silver's voice. From everything she had heard about Bruce Wayne, Marinette doubted that Silver could make him change his ways. However, that wouldn't stop Marinette from helping her new-found friend.

Silver's whole body-language changed, shifting from a determined march to a delicate float as she made her way over to a dark-haired man in a well-fitted tux. "Hello, Bruce. It's so nice to see you again."

"Silver." Bruce acknowledged her, sounding bored. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was the lead singer of Kitty Section before the band split up a few months ago."

"Kitty Section... I might have heard of them before. The band was... French?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes. All the members were born and raised in Paris. Have you heard of any of our music?

"I'm certain now that I have. It was very... commercial."

Marinette ought to have slapped him across the face right then and there. Not only was commercial not a compliment, but it also wasn't even true. It was the biggest criticism of Kitty Section, their reticence to work with popular music trends. Despite her overwhelming desire to assault the most wealthy and influential man in the ballroom, Marinette instead steeled her face and gave Bruce a pleasant smile. "Thank you. So what do you do for a living, Mister Wayne."

"I travel."

Marinette resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He spoke two words to her. The conversation was anything but interesting. "How interesting. Have you ever been to Paris?"

"I'm not a tourist, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I travel to much more interesting places."

Marinette officially gave up on the conversation. She would let Silver (who looked to be itching to have her turn to talk to Bruce) try and fix the train-wreck of a conversation that Bruce created. "You sound like a man with a lot of stories to tell. I hope you can tell me them over lunch someday."

"Perhaps."

Marinette gave Bruce her politest smile. "I have to excuse myself. Silver, why don't you tell Bruce about your new sponsorship from Lululemon."

Silver lit up. "Oh, you have to hear about this email I got last week. It was amazing, it's so good for my brand..."

Marinette walked away, letting her distaste towards Bruce leave her. Secretly, a little part of her hoped that Bruce would leave Gotham, as he was well-known for doing. Though Silver was her friend, Marinette didn't think she could pretend to like Bruce.

"He's intolerable, isn't he?" joked a voice from beside Marinette.

Marinette turned to face the stranger, a beautiful woman, taller than Marinette by quite a few inches, with dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. She wore a dress of royal blue silk, so elegant it reminded Marinette of the sort of thing she always dreamed of making. "Who?"

"Bruce Wayne. Who else would it be?"

Marinette let out a quiet laugh. "He is quite unpleasant. I take it you know him."

"I accompanied him on some of his travels. Bruce is a good friend of mine, but these parties tend to bring out the worst in him. He hates this city and he especially hates the wealthy of this city." The woman grabbed a glass of wine off of a server's tray and handed it to Marinette, who gratefully took it.

"Then I doubt Silver will have any luck convincing him to stay." Marinette tried to keep the satisfaction out of her tone, but the woman laughed anyways, an indication that it didn't work.

"You're quite funny..." The woman paused for an introduction.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And you are?"

"Diana-"

The sound of shattering glass interrupted Diana's introduction. The crowd started to get frantic, and Marinette was pushed one way while Diana was pushed the other. The glass of wine was knocked out of Marinette's hand, staining the fabric of her dress. Marinette struggled to stay on her feet, desperate to not twist an ankle in her four-inch heels.

"Listen up!" shouted an oddly-dressed man. "You're all going to listen to me, and no one will get hurt."

Marinette had a very odd feeling that this would be a moment she remembered for the rest of her life.

Never thought I'd meet you here. It could be love

"They're calling him a supervillain. Apparently, his name is The Riddler," reported Marinette, looking up from her phone, where she was reading about the events of the night before.

Silver glanced up from her seat on the sofa across the room where she was painting her nails a delicate shade of pink. "It's about time Gotham got its own supervillain. Metropolis has had Superman and all the villains that follow him around for years."

Marinette snorted out a laugh. "You think that a supervillain is a good thing?"

"Sure. It means that Gotham will be getting a superhero of its own soon." Silver brightened up. "Plus, the hostage situation from last night meant that I got to spend a whole two hours with Bruce."

Marinette groaned. "I can't believe that you two are going on a date. Bruce Wayne is one of the most insufferable men I've ever met."

"It's not a date. Bruce specified it as just dinner between friends. You should come too, Marinette. I'm sure that once you spend some time with Bruce you'll warm up to him."

Marinette gave Silver a skeptical look. "You want me to come with you on your date with Bruce?"

"Again, it's not a date. Bruce said that he would be bringing one of his friends along as well."

Marinette finally understood Silver's intentions. "You want me to come with you so that I can partner up with Bruce's friend, and you can get some alone time with Bruce."

"Well it doesn't sound very nice when you put it that way," huffed Silver.

Marinette giggled. "I love devious plans. We'll just have to make it look natural."

It took a little time to get all the details, but Marinette and Silver got their plan in order. Silver would arrive first and meet Bruce and his friend. Marinette would arrive later, strike up a one-on-one conversation with Bruce's friend, and spend the night engaging Bruce's friend in conversation so that Silver could flirt with Bruce. Marinette's only concern about the evening was that Bruce's friend would be just as unbearable to talk to as Bruce himself.

The restaurant that Bruce picked out was very fancy, but Marinette didn't mind. It allowed her to wear her new dress, a pale blue and silver creation meant to mimic the shimmering quality of ice. Marinette thought it might be a little too experimental for the old-fashioned Gotham society, but Silver approved of it, and Marinette trusted her friend.

As soon as Marinette walked through the doors her eyes caught sight of Silver's white-blonde hair. Then she noticed Bruce sitting beside her friend, his eyes trained on Silver with an odd intensity. Finally, Marinette noticed Bruce's friend. She was shocked to see that it was Diana, the very woman that Marinette had met at yesterday's gala, the very woman whose introduction was interrupted by the untimely arrival of the Riddler. For a second, Marinette was shocked into stillness. The chaos of the night before had overshadowed her meeting with Diana to the extent that Marinette had forgotten how very charmed she had been by Diana. Now, it seemed Marinette had the perfect opportunity to get to know the charismatic woman from the night before.

"Marinette," the surprise in Diana's tone told Marinette that she was just as blind-sighted by their meeting.

"Hello, Diana. Fancy meeting you here," said Marinette with a smile.

Bruce raised one eyebrow. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We met last night," explained Diana. "I wanted to let her knew that you aren't usually so insufferable."

Bruce looked affronted. "I wasn't insufferable."

"You lied about having listened to Kitty Section," piped up Marinette. "There are a lot of valid criticisms of Kitty Section. However, our music being too commercial is not one of them."

Bruce had the decency to look guilty. "I apologize, then. I'll make sure to take the time to give your music a real listen."

For Silver's sake, Marinette was willing to forgive him. "Maybe next time you can give me some real criticism."

Bruce nodded graciously. "I'll do that."

Diana took that moment to bring back up their introduction the night before. "So Marinette, I don't believe we got the chance to finish our introductions last night. I'm Diana Prince, newly a curator at Gotham's Art and History Museum."

"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, former member of Kitty Section, currently taking a soul-searching sabbatical."

"Soul-searching for what?" asked Diana.

"I suppose I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. When I was younger I was so passionate about fashion. I made my own clothes, entered my creations into design contests, spent years creating a portfolio. I'm trying to rediscover that passion."

"Maybe you could show me your designs some time," offered Diana.

"I would like that," agreed Marinette.

"Actually," chimed in Silver, "Marinette made the dress she's wearing right now."

"Really? I would have assumed that it was professionally made. It's a gorgeous dress," praised Diana.

Marinette blushed, a warm fluttery feeling stirring deep within her. The rest of the night passed in a blur, with Marinette hanging on Diana's every word. It was easy to talk to Diana. She was so naturally charming that Marinette couldn't help but enjoy herself. As the evening winded down, Marinette felt only regret that they would have to part so soon.

As Marinette stood outside the restaurant, waiting for a taxi, she felt Diana's hand settle on her shoulder. It had been a while since Marinette had felt such an intimate touch. "I had a nice time talking to you tonight." The feel of Diana's fingers gently trailing down Marinette's arms was almost more than Marinette, touch-starved and hungry for more, could bear.

Marinette smiled. "I did too. I hope to see more of you."

"I'm sure you will." Marinette took comfort in the certainty in Diana's voice.

And in the back of her mind, Marinette began to rethink her policy of never falling in love again. Something about Diana made Marinette think that Luka wouldn't be her last time after all.

And the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up

Marinette could not believe he did this. After everything they had been through together, Marinette's one final request to Luka was that he not release a song about their breakup. But there it was, top of the charts, the lead single of Luka's new solo album, Different Cities. And if it wasn't bad enough that Luka broke the only promise she asked him to keep, included in the song was a snippet of the last voicemail she sent to him. She left it for him weeks after they broke up, as an explanation to him, to let him know she was leaving Gotham.

In the last few seconds of the song, Marinette's voice is hesitant as she speaks. "I know that you wanted me to stay so that we could work things out, but I don't think that our relationship is fixable. So I guess I'm calling to tell you that I give up. I'm leaving Paris next Friday. I've already bought the plane ticket. You can't change my mind. Goodbye, Luka."

It was the rawest emotion Marinette had shown since the breakup, and Luka exploited it for his own gain.

Marinette spent the day joylessly deleting emails from various news outlets begging her to tell her side of the story. As if she would give Luka the satisfaction of giving free publicity. Everyone loved drama, so Marinette was going to make her reaction - or lack of reaction, in this case - as boring as possible.

Every time her phone rang, Marinette ignored it. The voicemails started to stack up, and eventually, Marinette found herself going through them one-by-one. One from Alya, letting Marinette know that she was there for her when she wanted to talk. One from Adrien, more joking in tone, trying to cheer Marinette up. One from Ivan, directly threatening to punch Luka in the face if Marinette wanted it (and that was the only voicemail that actually brought her spirits up). One from Juleka, an apology.

In the voicemail, Juleka's voice was rough, like she had been crying. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I begged Luka not to release it, but he wouldn't listen to me. He said- he- he said-" Juleka broke off into a sob, and Marinette couldn't help but sniffle along with her. "I can hardly recognize him anymore. Rose and I aren't on speaking terms with him now. He's no longer my brother."

Marinette wished that she could pick up the phone and tell Juleka that it was okay to forgive Luka, but Marinette couldn't. The wound was still fresh, still bleeding out.

One step forward, one steps back. Two days after Marinette considered the idea of loving again, and she was right back where she started - in too much pain to even consider friendship, let alone love.

Speak of the devil, Marinette's phone rang, Diana's name lighting up on the screen. Part of her wanted to throw her phone across the room and curl up under her blankets. The other parts of her answered the call. "Hello?" spoke Marinette, wiping away the moisture at the corner of her eyes.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Diana's voice was soft. It was the most comforting thing Marinette had ever heard.

"Not really. I can't decide if I want to punch Luka in the face or if it would hurt too much to ever see him again."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Marinette sighed. "I met Luka when I was fourteen. He was my classmate Juleka's older brother. Luka had his own band, so all the girls in our class thought that Luka was so cool, but he mostly ignored us. Then one day his backing vocalist got bronchitis and he needed someone to fill in. I was a soloist for the school chorus, so I volunteered. Luka was hesitant to let me join his band until he heard me sing. He told me I had the voice of an angel. Two days later he kissed me, and I fell in love with him so hard and so fast I didn't have a chance to consider if he was really the one."

Marinette took a deep breath, then continued, "It was a whirlwind after that. We started dating. We started a new band and named it Kitty Section. We started writing songs together. The weird part was, he never asked how I felt about any of it. He never asked me if I wanted to date him, he never asked if I wanted to join the band, he always assumed that I wanted what he wanted."

"And what did you want?" asked Diana.

"Back then, I thought I wanted a future with Luka. Now, I guess I just want to feel passion again. I've felt so empty since I left him."

"You might feel better with some company. Do you want me to come over to your place?"

Marinette looked around at her empty apartment, at the way the shadows filled the room, at the way seemed to lurk in every corner. "Sure."

"You could show me some of those designs you were telling me about the other day," suggested Diana.

Marinette glanced over at her sketchbook, which had laid empty for months. "That sounds good."

As she hung up the phone, Marinette realized that talking to Diana had made her feel a bit better. The knife wound that Luka had left in her heart had begun to close up at the edges. Marinette took a deep breath and picked up her sketchbook. If she wanted to rediscover her passion, she needed to work for it.

Now you hang from my lips, like the Gardens of Babylon

Marinette let out an appreciative noise as Diana re-entered the room, modeling one of Marinette's creations. "Give me a little spin."

Diana turned herself around, letting the red fabric swirl around her legs. Something about the way that the dress looked on Diana made it so much prettier in Marinette's eyes. Suddenly the fabric wasn't just red, it was carmine. The dress wasn't just being worn, it was being modeled. It didn't just move, it flowed. "It's a gorgeous dress," complimented Diana as she looked over her shoulder at the mirror behind her to admire it.

"It is nice, isn't it." Marinette had been so caught up in her head she had forgotten to truly admire her creation. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. "You should keep it. One of Bruce's charity galas is coming up in a few weeks. You could wear it there."

"I couldn't," protested Diana.

Marinette shook her head. "It looks best on you. I could never pull off such a vibrant shade of red." There was a second part to the sentence that was left unspoken. If Marinette made the dress knowing that it wouldn't look good on her, she must have made it for another reason. She must have made it with Diana in mind.

Diana smiled, seeming to have caught those unspoken words. "Well if I'm going to wear the dress, you'll have to put up with me gushing about how talented you are all night long."

Marinette flushed. "It's no big deal. It's just a dress."

"It's not just a dress. It's your passion." There was truth in Diana's words that Marinette couldn't deny. It was so much more than a dress. It was the passion for design that Diana had helped her rediscover. It was the newfound friendship with Diana that chased away the loneliness and despair that had taken over her life. It was the glimmer of hope for a future with Diana.

Takes one to know one, you're a cowboy like me

Diana looked beyond gorgeous in that carmine dress. Marinette could keep her eyes off of her as they mingled around the ballroom. Marinette's dress was nice, made with the same passion that Marinette had in her younger years, but it paled in comparison to Diana. However, Diana made up for this disparity by gleefully explaining that Marinette was the creator of the dress every time it was complimented. By the end of the night, Marinette had spent so much time blushing over compliments that she worried her face would become permanently flushed.

The gala was a complete success for everyone involved. The charity, which happened to benefit Gotham Child Protective Services, raised twice their goal amount. Marinette got to spend time with Diana. Even Silver had spent the night looking very pleased with herself, her hand resting on Bruce's forearm as they walked through the ballroom together.

As the night winded down, Marinette and Diana found themselves walking out of Wayne Manor towards Diana's car. Diana had offered to drive Marinette there and back, and Marinette had eagerly accepted. Marinette hated driving in Gotham, as Gotham was known for its aggressive drivers and high rates of automobile accidents.

Marinette sat down in the passenger seat with a sigh, kicking off her heels. "Tonight was nice."

"It was nice," Diana agreed. "We'll have to attend galas together more often."

"You just want an excuse to get your hands on another one of my dresses," teased Marinette.

Diana laughed. "I wouldn't say no to another dress. But really, Bruce's rich friends are much more bearable when I have someone to make fun of them afterward with."

Marinette shuddered. "And to think I thought that Bruce was bad. His friends are intolerable. I never want to talk about golf again in my life."

The two women chatted as they drove through the dark streets of Gotham, back to Marinette's apartment.

"Thanks for driving me home," said Marinette as the car pulled up in front of her apartment building.

"It was no problem." Diana hesitated, before continuing. "I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Dinner sounds good," Marinette replied, strapping her shoes back on.

"I'm asking for this to be a date." Diana finished.

Marinette looked up at her, surprised. Her friendship with Diana had been so easy that Marinette had forgotten that it could be anything else. She had half a mind to decline, to stay in the familiar, but that little bit of hope in her heart urged Marinette to take a leap of faith and accept. "I would like that. What time will you pick me up?"

Diana smiled, her whole face lighting up. "How does six sound?"

Marinette smiled back, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years. "Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow."

And as Marinette got ready for bed, she realized that all of the sadness that lingered in her heart since the breakup had gone away. All that was left for her to feel was hope for the future.

@maribatmarch-2k21

[wreckofawriter]

Kid

Pairing: Oliver Wood x Reader

Word Count: 3,600

Warnings: None, swearing

Summary: Being the kid of Puddlemore United means that all the team mates see you as one, and in Oliver's case that means the girl he fell in love with does too

A/n: Ok in love this idea, but I'm pretty sure I butchered it. Any way reader is like 22, Oliver is 19 and reader moved from America to play for Puddlemore.

Oliver could feel his heart racing far too fast for comfort. His face was flushed with excitement and nerves. He could see his breath in the air and feel the chilled wind fill his lungs as he puffed in and out. 

And then he could see her. The quaffle was stuck under her arm as she ducked around a streak of blue. She was going to make it to him. 

His senses heightened a stern look of concentration finding a home on his features. She was close now. But he knew what was going to happen. She had done it twice already. She was much better at shooting right than left. She would make to shoot left, lastsecond changing her course.

So he did the same, jerking left before racing towards the other hoop. He could see you out of the corner of his eye awaiting for his pass. 

She did just as predicted. Oliver moved left before speeding to the right hoop hitting the quaffle with his broom towards you. You caught it easily sending him a grateful smile before darting the other way. 

Oliver watched you go in amazement, a small smile finding his lips as he watched you dodge the other team with ease. A slight sigh escaped his lips the world around you falling away. 

"Wood!" Willams shouted bringing the boys attention back. "Keep your head in the game! We can't afford to lose." 

You didn't.

Puddlemore United was now in the Britsh and Irish league finals. Oliver had reached the ground before you and you had flown straight into him tackling him to the ground with a hug. 

"Yes Oli!" You shouted as the crowd around you cheered, "You're amazing!" 

Oliver's face was set aflame by your touch, his heart beating so quickly he though it might fall from his chest. 

"Amazing Kid!" You laughed before standing to go congratulate the others. 

The nickname you used stabbed through him like a shard of glass and he felt his heart sink in attempts to avoid it.

He stood up brushing off his uniform and grabbing his broom as he watched you jump on to the back of Benjy with a sharp pain of envy. 

"At least their the same age." He mumbled to himself their win suddenly meaning nothing as the overwhelming reality of his desperate love life became obvious. 

"You know your only three years apart." 

Oliver jumped turning beside him to see Jocelid Wadcock, their seeker, beside him. 

The boy scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably attempting to avoid her persistent eye contact, "I'm sorry who are you talking about?"

Jocelid rolled her eyes smiling, "We all know you have a thing for y/l/n." 

Oliver felt his face heat up again, "W-what?" He swallowed harshly. 

"Please Wood, it's so obvious that the fans even picked up on it, and their denser than bricks." 

Oliver dropped his act in sudden fear "Does she know?!" Panic edged from his voice in an uncomfortable wave as the pair slowly made their way back to the changing room. 

"No, no, of course not." Jocelid laughed, "Y/n may be one of the smartest girls I've ever known, but she's even more dense than the fans, especially with feelings." 

"Thank Merlin." The Keeper breathed out in relief.

"Just tell her soon, she wouldn't believe any of us." 

"Ok- wait. What?!" 

Jocelid laughed before speeding up and  leaving Oliver behind. 

"I'm telling you this is a great idea." You huffed, "it's been so long since we've had a break." 

"Y/n you know if you go anywhere there are going to be fanboys following you around like lost puppies." Your manager Deverill explained. 

"What if we go to a muggle bar?" You questioned hopefully.

The manager sighed. You had been pestering him about a celebration since before you had even won, and you were very prisitant. 

"Please?" You widen your eyes, pouting your lips and raising your eyebrows. 

Oliver who had been behind Deverill choked on his water at the adorable pout that had taken you visage. 

Deverill sighed, "Fine." 

You squealed loudly leaping into a hug. 

"But." 

Your excitement stopped just as quickly as it started. 

"Oliver can't drink." 

"What?! We could just pretend he's 21, a simple flick of the wand an-" 

"Uh-uh." Deverill shook his head, "I can not have the golden boy of our team getting caught drinking under age." 

"But-" 

"Its okay y/n." Oliver cut in, "I don't need to drink anyway, I've got you to entertain me." 

"You sure Oli?" You asked.

"I'm sure." He grinned back encouragingly.

"You're the best Kid." You smiled standing on your toes and ruffling his hair. 

Oliver felt his heart clench at the everlasting nickname, casting his eyes downward to avoid your gaze. 

You didn't seem to notice, bouncing away to spread the good news.

Oliver was the third to arrive. He didn't know why, but an overwhelming sense of nerves flowed through him like a river through its bed. 

The truth was you had never really hung out outside of quidditch related events. No one on the team had. So the idea of just going to a bar with you seemed nerve wracking. 

He sat down at a booth already occupied by Willams and Jocelid. He made small talk mostly talking about past matches or upcoming ones. Soon others arrived and Oliver occupied himself by glancing nervously at the door. 

Jocelid who was seated beside him glanced at his bouncing leg and bit back a smirk. "You okay Wood?" 

"Um what? Oh yeah I'm fine." He lied eyes turning quickly towards the doors as he heard them open. 

"Ahhh." Jocelid sighed, "I understand now. Your nervous to see y/n." 

"What- I'm- No-" He tried to formulate a sentence, but the words wouldn't fall into place as they normally would. He bit his tongue angrily, pausing before taking a breath and attempting to cool his cheeks which seemed to have been light aflame. "Why does she call me Kid?" He finally managed.

Just then the door swung open and your giggle graced his ears. 

Jocelid smiled, "Because you let her." And with that she stood to greet you. 

Oliver huffed turning to face you. His breath caught in his throat when his eyes locked with your deep y/e/c eyes. 

You were adorned in a simple peach dress who's loose skirt fell just above your knees, a denim jacket on your shoulders as you stood an extra 3 inches off the ground because of your matching wedges. 

"Hey Kid!" You yelled across the small room bouncing just as easily over to him in your heeled shoes as you would in sneakers. 

Jocelid glanced at him silently begging him to say something. 

"H-hey." He stumbled lightly over his words, blushing as you ruffled his hair. 

"Look!" You exclaimed, "I don't have to stand on my toes to do this anymore, I should wear these all the time."

Oliver was sure, if you touched his cheeks you would have burnt your finger. His heart was erratic and he couldn't breathe properly. It was like your intoxicating scent had caused him an allergic response.

"Wow Oli, your hair is so soft." You mumbled quietly, completely intrigued by the smooth texture of his brown locks. 

Oliver almost fainted, he attempted to open his mouth to thank you but found his lips had been glued shut by some unknown force. 

Your eyes dropped from his head to his to his soft brown eyes. Your piercing gaze froze the poor boy and he gasped quietly as if the air had been sucked from his lungs. 

Y/e/c started into brown for just a moment too long and Oliver fought the incredible urge to glance down at your lips. He lost. His eyes flicked downwards, a peach lipstick stained your lips, which bore a small smile, they looked so smooth, so soft, so kissable. His mind clouded with thoughts of how they would feel, on his own, how they would feel grazing his skin. 

He tore his eyes back upward to meet your own, which seemed to hold a new emotion he was much less accustomed to. He flushed brightly still unable to tear his gaze from yours. 

"Partner up people they've got a pool table!" Benjy bellowed from the other room and you both suddenly realized you weren't alone in the world. 

You squealed one excitement, suddenly back to your usual hyperactive self. "Awesome! Oli, you can be my partner." 

"What the hell is a pool doing in a bar?" He asked, attempting to move on from the moment you had shared as easily as you had seemed to.

"No silly, a pool table." You giggled snatching Oliver's hand and dragging towards a second warmly lit room. "Its a game, you'll like it." 

"Oh." He mumbled feeling quite stupid. 

Oliver was unsurprisingly amazing at pool. He had never even touch a pool cue before yet once you showed him how to do it. He was unstoppable. 

"What the hell Oliver." Adams huffed half impressed half aggravated as the keeper sunk his fourth ball in a row. 

You on the other hand, who had worked through three martinez and was working on a fourth, screeched with joy. Jumping from the table you were seated on stumbling. 

Oliver cursed dropping his cue and rushing towards you catching you before you hit the ground. 

You were unfazed by the close call and instead wrapped your arms around his neck snuggling in as close to him as possible. "Your amazing Kid!" You yelled into his chest. 

"This tournament is a bust" Adam's complained, "Wood and America are unstoppable, even when one of them is piss drunk." 

"I am not piss drunk!" You exclaimed pushing Oliver away from you as if to prove it. Unfortunately you tripped again swearing, "I'll just take off my shoes." You slurred bending down to do so. 

A series of whistles and calls came from the bar as you did so. Oliver gave the men who sat there a confused glance before tracing their eyes which now lay on your half exposed ass. 

"Fuck y/n!" He cursed scrambling over to you and turning you around, "How about you sit down on the booth and I'll take off your shoes?" He offered turning his head to glare at the men sitting at the bar. 

Some just rolled their eyes, one flipped him off. Oliver's anger strengthened, he lead you over to the booth. 

"I can do it Kid." You mumbled. 

Oliver felt his hair stand on end as you let the nickname he hated so much slip past your lips. Jocelids words echoed in his head. Because you let her. It's not like he handed youhis nickname along with his heart, they just seemed to go hand and hand, "Its fine it's faster if I do it." He sighed as he slipped off your wedges. 

"That's what she said." You giggled.

Oliver smiled softly helping you back to your feet. "You good?" He asked. 

"Great." You laughed, bouncing away from him. 

"Hey!" Willams yelled excitedly, "What if we had America and Kid play each other?" 

There was a chorus of agreements throughout the small room. 

"Don't call me that" Oliver huffed. 

"Why not U.S over their gets to?" He smirked. 

"You see he's not in love with you though." Adams cut in. 

"I am not-" he sighed deeply, "Whatever, it's not very fair, y/n's smashed." 

"So she's kicking our asses." Jocelid chimed. 

"Yeah your not scared of me are you Oli?" You questioned suddenly appearing beside him. 

"Alright fine, just don't get mad when it's a short game." He shrugged. Grabbing his cue from the ground and heading to the table. 

"I do intend it to be short." You smirked. 

"Alright love birds let's stop with the pathetic attempt of trash talk and get to the game." Benjy cut in handing you your cue as Oliver reset the table. 

Behind you you could hear arrangement of bets being made, "I need a coffee." You murmured. 

"On it." Jocelid spoke, "I've got 20 gallons on you y/n/n I don't intend to lose." 

"Twenty!" Oliver shouted from across the table. 

"Oh yeah Kid. You haven't seen this girl play yet, she's gonna wipe the floor with you." 

"Don't call me-" 

"Yeah, yeah I know." She scoffed before darting out the door. 

"You wanna break?" You offered attempting to clear your head. 

"Sure." Oliver shrugged again. He bent over the table and you almost choked as a strange realization hit you. Oliver was hot. You had always known he was cute, but now as his blue button up shirt stretched over his muscular shoulders you began to take in the reality of his physical form. 

Of course being pretty drunk you didn't keep this to yourself, "Damn Kid when'd you get hot?" 

Your words processed through Oliver's brain just as he shot and he was in such shook his grip slipped and the break couldn't even qualify as such. 

Oliver couldn't have cared less about the game anymore, "W-what did you just say?" 

"Nothin' your just hot." 

Flames erupted onto the boys cheeks as you shrugged. 

"My turn!" You gasped excitedly moving on completely from your conversation.  

Oliver stayed where he stood staring at the spot which you had occupied moments before, trying to calm his heart which was racing uncontrollably.

"Don't let the girl get in your head!" Willams shouted from the booth. 

Oliver snapped back to reality shaking his head lightly and switching his gaze back to you. 

You bent over the table carefully closing one eye and setting up your shot. Oliver tried not to be distracted by the way the tip of your tongue poked from between your lips, or the way the short dress you were wearing revealed your upper thighs as you bent to align your shot.

The clink of the cue hitting the other balls brought him back and he watched as two stripes fell onto their place. 

You sat back up smirking. "That's how it's done." 

Oliver smiled looking down, "It's your shot again." He chuckled.

"Oh right!" You exclaimed before walking back around the table. 

It went back and forth for a while, you still ahead two balls, Oliver caught up quick but once you go some coffee in you you managed to keep a lead. 

You still weren't yourself though. You found yourself watching Oliver with a close interest. You found yourself wondering what he looks like without that button up on. It didn't help when you passed closely by him and you suddenly caught a whiff of his cologne. Alcohol was nothing next to the intoxicating scent he emitted. You suddenly found yourself edging towards him. You shook your head as another crude thoughts filled your brain. 

"I have got to stop drinking." You mumbled.

The game ended as intense as pool gets. Both of you were down to nothing but the eight ball. You had lost your lead when Oliver had "fallen" (pushed by Willams) onto you right before the shot. You were given another one but you couldn't seem to focus. 

You swore watching where the cue landed, it was a ridiculous shot and you growled in frustration. You contemplated your best move before sighing and muttering a defeated, "Fuck it." Under your breath. 

You lined up your shot, biting your lip and shooting. The 8 bounced off of the felt across from it and thunked lightly into the bottom right corner. 

You cheered Jocelid laughed running and hugging you as Willams cursed. You pulled from your hug and turned towards Oliver. 

He suddenly looked so different, not like a kid, but a man. He was smiling slightly. "Good game y/n." He spoke sticking out his hand. 

"Good game Kid." You responded, taking his hand in yours. 

You almost jumped at the electricity that seemed to transfer from the touch. Oliver looked unfazed.

You expected the strange feeling to wear off, they would be gone and a hangover would replace them, but that wasn't the case. You had gone to practice that day with a headache and a fluttering feeling in your stomach. Practice helped clear your mind as you focused on nothing but the quaffle. 

After practice was a different story. You landed easily on the ground, a breath of air releasing you as your feet came in contact with the ground. You had decided to take an extra hour to work on maneuvers, considering your last game you had had some pretty close calls with bludgers. 

You walked into the locker rooms expecting it to be empty, but your eyes went wide when you say it wasn't. 

Your broom clattered to the floor, a hot rush climbing to your cheeks. Your heart thumped loudly rattling your ribcage as wings took flight in your stomach, making you want to vomit. 

Oliver stood in front of you bright red, his hair dripping as a white towel was wrapped around his waist. You traced his chest, slamming your eyes shut once you realised what you were doing. 

"Oh Merlin, I-Im so sorry, I was just, and I thought it was empty, so sorry again Kid." The nickname left your lips feeling funny, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.

Oliver's expression of embarrassment seemed to be captured lightly by frustration. 

"Why do you call me that?" He asked.

You tilted your head in confusion attempting to keep your eyes at his own.

"Kid. Why do you call me Kid?" He repeated.

"Umm I," you paused unsure of your answer, "You're younger than me, it's just a nickname." 

"I'm only three years younger than you." He had taken a step towards you and now it was becoming far more difficult to keep your eyes above his neck. "I'm not just some kid." 

"I know Oli," You blushed eyes flicking down then up quickly.

Oliver groaned through his teeth, "I don't think that you have ever called me by name either." Frustration had oberwhenemed his embarrassment and it was as if he had forgotten the emotion entirely. How come you couldn't just see him as a person? Why were you so insistent that he was a kid?  Was he truly that juvenile?

You weren't sure what to say, Oliver had now come closer to you and you quickly realized that his infatuaing scent was not cologne but his shampoo. And now his hair damp freshly washed, he smelled of it so strongly your head spun. You stumbled for a sentence, but you seemed to choke miserably on your own hot embarrassment. Finally you scenes, "I didn't m-mean to make you seem weak or childish in front of the team, it was just a nickname." 

Oliver chuckled biting his lower lip, "I don't care what they think." He explained 

"Then?-" 

"Because I care what you think." He whispered. 

You resisted the urge to shudder, your stomach was doing flips and you weren't sure if you wanted to run straight at the keeper or far away from him. 

"What is it going to take to change the way you think of me? He asked, his voice was deep and husky. He was now so close you could have reached out and touched him. Your heart was either beating so fast, its beats were inaudible or had stopped completely.

"What's it going to take?" 

Apparently that was all it took. You couldn't handle it anymore, whether he meant to or not he was driving you completely insane. You were sure your mind would have melted if you had been held under that tension for even a moment longer. You took as step forward grabbing the nape of his neck and slamming his lips onto yours. 

Fireworks didn't explode, fire didn't rage, sparks didn't fly. Quite the opposite happened. All of that tension and frustration was suddenly released and the world went still. 

Nothing existed but you and him, your hands tracing down his bare chest as you bit lightly on his lip. He moaned and you took it as an opportunity to slide your tongue between his lips. His taste was overwhelming, mint and sweat mixed making you crave more. His hands closed around your waist tightly, his heart finally beating at a normal speed as you stood in his arms. 

You pulled apart gasping for air, your lips swollen. A light blush took your features and Oliver couldn't help but feel his heart soar at the sight.

Now as frustration drained from his body as blood would from a wound, embarrassment found its place. He suddenly became very aware of his lack of clothing, and you hand which still rested lightly on his chest felt white hot. 

His own cheeks flushed brightly taking a step back and scratching the back of his neck, "I ummm, uhh, I'm sorry, I didn't-" His search for a sentence was cut short as you lightly placed your hand on his arm. 

"You know your kinda stupid right?" You giggled. 

Oliver felt a fresh wave of red coat his cheek in a wave of heat. 

"I kissed you dumbass, what do you have to apologize for?" 

"Umm, I just-" Oliver suddenly felt trapped, you had kissed him? Why couldn't he seem to process that? 

"Well are you gonna kiss me this time or  do I have to do it again?" You smirked. 

Oliver couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face as he leaned forward and reconnected your lips. 

Taglist:

@accio-rogers

@roslea

@k3nz-doodl3

Masterlist

[powerosewaterpuff]

so i was having mary and john grayson feels bc i always do ofc, and i decided well if i can’t find any other fics and headcanonns? imma make them myself hehe soo enjoy ! (heads up tho, it’s a l o t hehe)

Mary Grayson

-cannot cook, she is absolutely a w f u l at it but oh my god she loves watching john cook. she even follows him around, writing in a little journal about all the different recipes and steps, bc she is d e t e r m i n d to be able to make something other then cereal

-she always lets dick attempt to braid her hair, and even though it might come out looking bumpy and uneven, she couldn’t care less bc the smile on her sons face is priceless

- loves the summer, basking in the sun on a wide beach is her ideal happy place, because the winter reminds her a little too much of memories she wishes she could suppress

-she always sticks her tongue out just a bit when she’s focused on something, john still blushes when he sees that

-isn’t an avid reader, but she could watch johns facial expressions as he rereads the same twist in his favourite novel for the rest of her life

-she has a small array of ear piercings, which include three piercings on each lobe and upper lobe (the first she had received when she was a baby, and it had been her grandmothers idea), then she has a helix hoop piercing on each ear with a little stud underneath the hoop of the right ear. (Dick loves them, and always had a habit of fiddling with them even as a baby.)

-her laugh could be described as, (as courtesy of john grayson), “the sound of wind chimes billowing against the breeze, and then she starts snortin—Hey! It’s the truth, what do you want me to lie, mary?”

-dick most definitely inherited her eyelashes, long, dark and curled. she also tends to argue that he got her humour too, but john adamantly defends his honour as, “the most hilarious human being to walk the earth, and dick most definitely got my sense of humour, e x c u s e you, mariam.”

-she is infinitely glad that her and john have a very equal parenting system, without one person needing to be the primary disciplinarian as they work as a united front. (except when john and dick come inside the trailer, dragging in mounds of dirt from a flimsy soccer game. then? shes usually the disciplinary one then, shooing them to go take a shower and telling them that they needed to make sure every i n c h of dirt is out of the trailer before she’s done her afternoon stretches.)

-she’s a very bold and opinionated person, but stubbornly independent with a strong moral system and a fierce temper. she isn’t accustomed to asking for help, and is always expecting to be disappointed or let down. she’s always waiting for the catch to come into play, with john though? it never did

-the second dick gives her his puppy dog eyes, it’s over. she’ll give up the cookies she’s hidden in the top shelf, she’ll give him the biggest hug, she’ll practically do anything, and mary thinks john is the exact same.

-her gut instincts are scarily right, to the point where her best friend, the magicians assistant, is convinced she’s a psychic of some sort.

- the day she met john, she had heard about a young circus boy about her age coming to live with his great aunt in her neighborhood, but hadn’t really paid it any mind.

-it wasn’t until one neighbourhood party, that she locked eyes with a pair of vibrant blue eyes with a deeply rooted fire within them. it gave her a shock of adrenaline, and excitement, the same thing she felt when she was about to go on stage as a ballerina or about to face the uneven bars as a gymnast. it wasn’t a nervous bout of a adrenaline, it was a calming rush, one that filled her bones with a thrill beyond all compare. (Little did she know, the second john had locked eyes with a pair of lively green eyes, he had found what he was looking for.)

- mary was a natural born contortionist, with a flexibility she acquired from years of ballet as well as gymnastics. learning how to work the trapeze was a whole other thing though, as it was a little odd to adjust at first. she loved johns freedom and wild nature while soaring through the air though, a lot more then she loved the rigidness of her own form. (john disagreed vehemently, the way mary moved was like she was one with the air and the air was one with her, and he admits that was she an incredibly quick learner.)

-will always watch cartoons with dick, whether it be The Simpsons one evening or Tom & Jeremy the next.

-johns singing is her favourite thing ever, she always begs him to sing her to sleep and some nights, when john feels a deep rooted knot tug at his chest, mary is sweetly singing, “here comes the sun,” by the beatles in his ear

-her and johns go to song to get dick to sleep is, “little bird, little bird,” by elizabeth mitchell. she always changes the last bird, a whip-poor-well, to a robin bird. it’s a little offbeat but she thinks dick likes it. (dick loves it.)

-has an unparalleled amount of energy, and is always bursting with exuberance, the only one who can really challenge her on that is dick. both of them are absolute adrenaline junkies.

-has an insatiable love for period dramas, it is her absolutely guilty pleasure and will be found watching tapes of her favourite show in the living room at like 3am

-she loves the smell of burning wood and loves sitting outside of summer nights, taking in the sounds of the cicadas and the cold breeze.

-she is absolutely exasperated with her sons ability to make friends with injured woodland animals, it was adorable and absolutely darling to an extent, but oh my god if she had to handle one more skunk with a broken leg or a fox with its leg stuck to a wooden post, she would consider barricading the circus.

-(she loves buying matching clothing for her family and her, but what she loves the most is dressing john and dick up to match, she has a whole box filled with those pictures, which would be perfect blackmail material once dick was in his teens.)

John Grayson

-is one of the most laid back human beings, he always has a lazy smile and gentle mischief twinkling in his eyes. (but fuck with his family and see what happens, he dares you.)

-his eyes are practically identical to dicks, in every shape, way and form. but dicks have an unstoppable light in them, that his just don’t have but he’s so happy they do.

-loves to overspray his cologne just to irritate mary, her scrunched up nose his absolutely adorable. (but he still couldn’t get why she didn’t like that cologne, it was fucking amazing)

-curses like an absolute sailor, and mary isn’t any better but she’s far better at censoring herself. john has had to slap a hand around his mouth a few times to avoid having to explain the word, “shit,” to dick.

-christmas is his favourite time of the year without a doubt, and loves to be curled up on his worn couch with a novel in hand in front for a fire.

-is an avid prankster, but if you confront him about it, he’ll give you a trademarked Grayson smile, and tilt his head to the side questioningly.

-his laugh is like (as courtesy of mary grayson), “a crash of waves, refreshing and loud with a distinct clarity, and then he starts to w h e e z—Hey! it’s the truth! I thought you were against lying, huh?”

-he’s ticklish, and his brother along with his wife and son take advantage of that way too much.

-dick is legit attached to this mans hip 24/7, like if you see john strolling around the circus there is a 94% chance that dick is either riding on his shoulders or settled comfortably on his hip.

-the day he met mary, he had felt a little out of place and stilted at this neighbourhood party. but he sucked it in bc anything was better then going back to his home, so he took a shaky breathe and tried to converse with his great aunts friends, until the music started and he locked eyes with a pair of lively green eyes, and he had found exactly what he was a looking for. a fleeting purpose that could so easily slip between his finger tips but the thrill to latch onto it was expanding in his chest. and he realized that if he didn’t march right on over there and talk to this girl, he would’ve lost something he didn’t even knew he could lose.

- playing guitar had always been a little bit of a therapeutic thing, because even though he tried to be practicing their act every single minute of his day, there were times where he needed to sit under a tree with his son curled in his lap, his leather jacket draped on him. the love of his life and the afterlife curled up next to him, with his blistered fingers from dealing with ropes all day strumming the guitar.

-the biggest elvis presley, beatles and rat pack fan in the world. he also loves louis armstrong as well as nat king cole. (he grew up with this music as his first big introduction to north american music as well as culture.)

-open communication and emotions are a big thing for him, he never wants anything to be misinterpreted and he tries his hardest to make sure neither him nor mary ever go to sleep angry with one another. they argue a decent amount, bc they both have wild tempers (johns is a flame that’s difficult to light but once it does he’ll have a vicious tongue of a temper, and mary’s is a quick lighter that can be easily put out but for the time that it burns holy shit she’s scary,) but they always work things out by talking to one another at the dinner table.

-this man lives and breathes sarcasm, to the point where people never really know if he’s being sarcastic or not (mary does, and it annoys him to no end.)

-always playing with his hair, or he’s playing with mary’s or dick’s. it’s become a little of a nervous habit for him, but also a way to relax.

-was always insecure about how short and scrawny he was as a kid, even now once he’s filled into pure muscle and but still a little short compared to others. however, he uses his body to his advtange though, he can easily be the strong man of the act, and can easily balance both dick and mary with one hand. he’s immensely proud of that, and shows it off as much as he can.

-just to annoy mary, he’ll slowly lift his son up and they’ll give the exact same puppy dog eyes and pout. mary will legit do anything they want (he wasn’t ready for mary to come in one day, blinking her beautiful green eyes and pouting, with dick settled on her hip doing the exact same thing as they ask for chocolate pancakes one morning. it’s fair to say he sprinted out of bed and straight to the kitchen.)

-despises hunting for sport and guns, his father owned an array of hunting guns that were always proudly polished and hung on the walls of their trailer. john fucking hated it, and was about to blow a fuse when one of the circus members decided to take dick on a hunting trip without asking. (he held dick close that night as he cried bc he didn’t understand why they had shot the deer when it looked so happy.)

-is the absolutle biggest crybaby when it comes to Heidi (the book) and has rewatched Kiki’s Delivery Service with dick like 30 times? he cries every time ( “mARY SHES SO SAD OH MY GOD AND SHE DOESNT UNDERSTAND J I J I ANYMOREEEE.”) (“sEE GRANDFATHER DOES CARE AND THE SYMBOLISM MARY THE SYMBOLISM.”)

-loves looking up at the stars, and liked to memorize their names as well as patterns as a kid. he was overjoyed to share this with dick, as they lay down on the roof of their circus caravan, point out constellations and tell their stories (dick would always perch himself on the tallest skyscraper in gotham, on a clear summer evening, just to get a one glance at the stars at again before the smog rolls in. he swears he saw cassiopeia once, but maybe he was just wishing he did. )

-is equally stressed by dick’s unprecedented love of making friends with the most random things, is also stressed because his son is this tiny kid who keeps getting himself stuck in bushes then runs home, covered in thorns but still has the biggest smile. john is usually on first aid duty, and he just knows that his kid would run into the sun exploding with a bright smile plastered on his face.

[nol-overwatch]

Overwatch and Among Us Part 2

So I may be a little addicted to Among Us, and before I knew it I made these prompts for all the characters playing this game.

You can read Part 1 here.

Characters in this prompt: D.va, Doomfist, Echo, Genji and Hanzo.

D.va | Hana Song

As Crewmate:

Hana hates being the Crewmate. She’s the type to leave the game when she sees she’s not Impostor.

Nevertheless, there will be times she’ll stay when she’s playing with friends or fans, and will even stream the game on her streaming platform (racking up to a good five hundred thousand views as well).

“I swear to god it’s either Jamison or McCree. They’re acting waaaaay too sus, chat.”

Hana trusts Soldier a little too much.

“Huh? What do you mean it’s the old man? Psh, it’s not him I saw him do ta-- WHAT THE HELL IT IS THE OLD MAN!”

She doesn’t really vouch for anyone’s innocence without proof, but she knows a liar when she hears one.

And she’ll scream on her mic when she sees the Impostor in the act, and spam match chat with ineligible, caps lock ASDFGHJKL’s.

As Impostor:

Now THIS is what Hana wants to play as.

She can be especially good at this too. She can do all the killing, the sabotaging, and the lying with ease.

Pair her up with either Brig, Lucio and, weirdly enough, Hanzo, and they’ll be an unstoppable force.

If her duo made a mistake, she can cover up for them as long as they don’t expose her as well.

If Soldier is a Crewmate, she’ll make sure to kill him first because she knows how easily he can guess its her.

“Let’s get that W, chat!”

Doomfist | Akande Ogundimu

As Crewmate:

It’s actually very difficult to have Doomfist as a Crewmate, because people suspect him ALL THE TIME.

It’s also very rare for him to play this game; with running Talon, doing missions and probably throwing people off the roof, if you see him in-game prepare to be intimidated a lot.

Even so, he’s calm and collected; he’ll do his tasks efficiently, and will sometimes hangout in admin to check where everyone’s gone to.

If you are the Impostor and you vented, pray that Doomfist wasn’t on admin or else; he’ll smoke you out smoothly and efficiently.

So if you’re the Imp, try to kill him first for some easy wins.

If Sombra is in his game, instant doubt.

Nevermind, he doubts everyone; Talon or Overwatch, even if he saw them do tasks.

Most likely to get booted out of the airlock by the Imps for being scarily good at accusations.

As Impostor:

Literally one hit k.o’s his victims aka: appearing from out of nowhere by getting out of a vent and then killing immediately.

Doomfist doesn’t kill a lot of victims per round. He sabotages to make sure nobody will discover his kills until there were like, two disasters happening in the same time. He’s also the type to self-report after nobody’s discovered the body for a long time.

Be careful with his lies. You might be playing into his trap without knowing, and in the end he’ll always try to come out on top, kicking the skeptics out and killing those naive fools.

Works well with his Talon colleagues, but will have difficulty if his partner Imp is from Overwatch. He also has no problem kicking his partner Imp out the airlock once they’re suspicious to the main crew.

He’s the type to sabotage Reactor a lot.

Echo

As Crewmate:

Incredibly efficient with finishing tasks; her particular favorite place to do tasks are Weapons and Navi.

While she figures out tasks faster than the average person, she doesn’t actually know who to trust until they claim during emergency meetings that they were doing tasks. She doesn’t understand some of the slang such as ‘doing shields’ or ‘garbage’.

If she sees the Imp in the act of venting, she’ll not-so-innocently corner Impostors during meetings.

“Hey, McCree, how did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“You went inside the vent, that was really cool.”

Of course she knows the mechanics of the game, she just finds it funny seeing and hearing the reactions coming from her fellow crewmates.

Because of this, she’s most likely to offer useful information on Imps instead of defending someone.

As Impostor:

Echo doesn’t kill, but she can be scary with sabotaging. That is why she’ll need an aggressive partner to do all the killing, while keeping the crewmates away from the bodies. McCree comes to mind, even Pharah or Winston.

She can’t really fake her tasks well, thus getting her booted out early in the game, but be warned. With her as a ghost she can freely sabotage facilities and lock doors to help her fellow Imp.

You would want her to be the last Imp if you’re a Crewmate, otherwise it would feel kinda annoying to lose to her as the only survivor.

Genji Shimada

As Crewmate:

Speedy boi coming up. He’ll actually request at the very beginning (not healing, thank god) to crank up the movement speed if it’s not to his liking. He and Lucio became fast friends because of this.

He used to spend a lot of time fooling around when he was younger so games aren’t a problem to him; it’s just that team games are little difficult for him to comprehend.

His baseless accusations often make him lose rather than win.

“I think it’s McCree.”

“Why do you think so, Genji?”

“He’s taking too long with the card swipe thing.”

Also he follows Hanzo a lot, causing Hanzo to sus him and eventually vote him out.

If Hanzo is an Imp, he won’t believe it until he’s killed someone right in front of him.

All in all, not a useful Crewmate, but he’s hilarious nonetheless.

As Impostor:

One of those players you’d immediately know it’s the Impostor with the way he’s acting i.e not doing tasks, waiting for players to disperse groups.

If Mercy and/or Zenyatta is in his game, he’ll kill them either first or last, there’s no in between. 

He doesn’t actually know how to deal with Hanzo if he’s a Crewmate. The dude straight up doubts anything Genji does lmfao.

Either way, if he wants to win, all he needs to do is either kill Hanzo first, or make sure to beat the game with sabotage.

Would sometimes dance in front of the camera if he knows somebody’s there watching (and usually that’s Hanzo).

He works best with Zenyatta, as they watch each other’s backs well.

Hanzo Shimada

As Crewmate:

He doesn’t believe in teaming up, but if he sees someone doing their tasks he’ll vouch for their innocence when suspected.

The Security Guy: the first thing he’ll do is go to cams to check on everyone else. This sometimes gets him killed, as he’s often alone, but he knows that people can guess who’s the Imp and who’s not just from this simple thing.

He’s the type to make 10000iq questions such as: “Before I reveal the location of the body, I’d just like to ask everyone’s locations NOW.”

If Imps want to win, they need to kill Hanzo first.

He is suspicious of Genji all the time, and it doesn’t help that he follows him all the time, Crewmate or Imposter.

As Impostor:

Precision and perfection, a known creed in the Shimada household, and Hanzo upholds those ideas precisely and perfectly. He’s the least expected person in the group to be Impostor with how clean his actions are, as well as his expertise on assassinating and lying cultivated throughout most of his years.

As someone who checks on cams a lot, he often kills around the leftmost area of the map, where the vents connect for him to hide in.

He surprisingly works well with Hana as an Imp; with a bloodthirsty gamer girl who leaves bodies left and right, Hanzo can provide some reasonable-sounding lies to deflect suspicions pointed towards her. Another capable partner is Widowmaker.

He’s wary of Genji and won’t think twice about murdering him (again), but then people would know it’s him so he ignores him completely, or at least, pin the blame on him to kick him out.

[patchwork-panda]

If A Moment Is All We Are (39/?)

AO3 link HERE (due to formatting errors on tumblr, clicking the link is recommended)

S1, OP2

Music 1

“Okay... the oil should be hot enough now.”

Kyouka moved her hand away from the top of the uncovered pan and turned towards me. She nodded, her blue eyes serious.

“Go ahead.”

Swallowing nervously, I nodded back.

“Okay. Here I go...”

“ You’ve got this, Kusunoki- san! ” Atsushi cried, cheering me on from behind a splatter screen as I slowly tilted the bowl of beaten egg mixture over the pan. “ I believe in you!”

But the moment the egg hit the oil and started to fry, he ducked back down behind the screen to hide.

Ignoring him, I kept my eyes on the omelette sizzling in the pan, determined not to let this one burn like the last two had.

“Good,” Kyouka said quietly, peering at the stovetop from behind my elbow.

So she was hiding too...

“Now leave it alone and let it cook. Once it looks solid enough— ”

She turned towards the sink, where the charred remains of a ruined square pan lay smoldering in the sink. I shrank in on myself as she glared up at me.

“You can start rolling it. I’ll be keeping a closer eye on you this time. ”

Sweating a little and smiling weakly, I nodded again.

“Yes, ma’am...”

I went back to staring at the omelette, praying that I wouldn’t ruin this one like the others. It was already seven in the morning. I had barely managed to get the rice balls done correctly as it was. If I kept going like this, there was no way I would have Kunikida’s bento lunch done in time for our day together!

And then...!

Inwardly, I squirmed.

My entire plan would be ruined...!

I sighed.

Just two days ago, I had felt unstoppable. It was a week after I’d closed Professor Matsuyama’s case. Every last report had been finally turned in. My entire backlog gone. Even Dazai had seemed unusually focused for the past several days and I’d managed to finish every last piece of work unbothered for the first time since, well, ever. I’d just been packing up for the day and getting ready to go home to play video games when Yosano called out to me from her side of the room...

“Kyou-chan!”

I looked up from my bag as Yosano approached.

“Come with me for a second.”

And without waiting for me to even give a response, she grabbed the back of my shirt and literally started dragging me away.

“ Yosano-sensei!” I yelped as she tore me away from my desk. “ What are you doing —?!”

“Just hush up and come here.”

And that’s when we passed the infirmary. I quickly realized I was not about to be dissected and stopped struggling immediately.

I nervously met her glance.

“Uh... Where are we going?”

“Somewhere we’re not goin g to be overheard,” she replied casually.

Her purple eyes twinkled as she glanced down at me and I was abruptly and involuntarily reminded of Dazai .

“I’m giving you a special assignment ...”

And as we arrived at the conference room at last, she opened the door and shoved me in. I heard the subtle click of the lock behind me as I got up and dusted myself off.

“This is a secret assignment,” Yosano said, turning to face me. “And it comes straight from the President himself. So make sure you don’t breathe a word of this to anyone else, okay?”

At that, my ears perked up.

“A secret assignment?” I sputtered, rounding on her, my eyes huge. “From P-President Fukuzawa?!”

W-what kind of special assignment would President Fukuzawa give someone like me?!

And why was it secret?!

W as it s omething massive ly important or particularly special?! But if that were the case, why not hand it to Kunikida or Dazai or someone far more competent than me?!

“Calm down, Kyou-chan,” Yosano said quickly, raising her black-gloved hands up in an appeasing gesture. “It’s nothing big or scary. It’s actually quite simple.”

She paused to think for a second.

She frowned.

“Okay, maybe not that simple, but we do think it’s a job you’re well-suited for. We were originally going to give it to Dazai but then we realized it really was better to ask you.”

Huh?

I blinked.

They were asking me to do an assignment in Dazai’s stead?

“What’s the assignment?” I asked, confused.

“ We need you...” Yosano said, taking a deep breath in.

Her face turned deadly serious.

“To distract Kunikida.”

My jaw hit the floor.

“HUH?!!”

“ He hasn’t taken a day off in almost a full year,” Yosano sighed, rubbing her temple with one black-gloved hand. “He’s been pretty stressed out the last couple days thanks to his latest big-shot client and his blood pressure lately’s been through the roof.”

She shook her head, her dark hair flying about her face.

“It’s way too high for someone his age. If this keeps up, he’ll keel over and drop dead before Dazai does!”

I balked.

I didn’t know a thing about medical science, but if Yosano was saying this... Just how bad was Kunikida’s stress?!

“Oh, but don’t worry!” Yosano said quickly, correctly recognizing the look on my face. “He’ll be okay. As long as he learns to relax a little more and take his breaks when he needs to, I think he’ll live a long, healthy life! Probably.”

Not entirely convinced, I nodded slowly.

“So, here’s the thing,” she continued, understanding that she now had my full attention. “The president is forcing— I mean, asking Kunikida to take a day off. Next week. For his health. Now, normally, Kunikida will follow any order the president gives but for something like this, we’re not sure if he’ll be able to do it on his own .”

She frowned.

“You see, he likes to plan things out to the letter and we’re concerned that he’ll find a way to sneak some work in here or there. Either that or overplan his day to the point where it’s not relaxing any more. So!”

She jabbed her finger at me.

“That’s where you come in,” she declared. “Your job is to make sure Kunikida Doppo spends the whole day relaxing, even if it kills him!”

WHAT?!

“It’s just for one day,” Yosano elaborated. “You just finished up a big case and it seems like you got through your entire backlog just now. So, we’re asking you to do it because you could probably use a short break yourself.”

She beamed.

“ That means you’re getting the day off too!”

Ah...

I felt a grim smile come to my face.

So that meant they weren’t paying me to do any of this...

“ We’re counting on you, Kyou-chan,” Yosano said, clapping her hand on my shoulder. “ If it’s you, I know you’ll be able to help. But...”

She tightened her grip on my shoulder and I felt an instinctive rush of fear.

“If he comes anywhere within a five-hundred meter radius of this office ,” she declared, grinning maniacally.

Even though she was carrying no weapons, I could picture the shine of her cleaver held at the ready above my head.

“ It’ll be on your head...”

Shuddering at the memory, I kept my focus on the thin layer of egg cooking in the pan in front of me.

So that’s why I was here.

My job, as it was forced on me, was to accompany Kunikida for the day and make sure he didn’t try to do any work. While Yosano had said something to the effect of “break his cell phone if you have to,” I had no plans to do anything of the sort.

I had a much better idea...

I felt a tiny grin coming to my face as I saw the egg begin to puff up in the pan.

If I wanted to keep Kunikida away from the office for an entire day, then what better way to do so than with a nice day out on the town? It wouldn’t be a date exactly, but there couldn’t be any harm in, say, taking Kunikida out to a bunch of places that I thought he might like? Or getting up early to make him a bento box lunch from scratch, so he wouldn’t want to go back to the Uzumaki Cafe? Or in dressing up a little nicer than usual since I was going to be spending an entire day with him?

It’s what his ideal woman would do, right?

Picking up my chopsticks, I started rolling up the egg.

Thinking back on it, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. I was already thinking about confessing to Kunikida by the end of this week. What better way to do it than after a day like this?

And maybe...

I felt my cheeks warm as I poured in the second layer of egg.

Maybe today would go so well that he would consider returning my feelings, or at least giving me a chance...!

I just had to make sure everything went according to plan.

“Kusunoki-san!”

Atsushi was suddenly at my shoulder, his duochrome eyes wide. I realized he had lowered the splatter screen “shield.”

“I think you’re actually doing it!”

I tried not to take offense.

“Thanks...”

“No, really!” he said, pausing to sniff the air.

I thought I saw him wipe away a fleck of drool, his golden eyes bright as he eyed the growing log of egg in the pan.

“It looks great!”

“Want the first slice, then?” I asked, surprising even myself.

Atsushi stared at me.

“R-really?” he blurted out. “Is that okay? I mean you’re going to all this trouble for Kunikida-sa—”

His question was cut short by Kyouka elbowing him in the stomach.

“Really,” I said, nodding as I transferred the cooked tamagoyaki out of the pan and onto a bamboo sushi rolling mat.

Taking care not to burn my hands, I finished compacting the egg log and cut him a slice. As I held it out to Atsushi , who gleefully took it from me with a pair of chopsticks he produced out of nowhere, I was suddenly reminded of the last time I’d tried feeding a stray cat outside the ADA building.

The tiger-boy grinned and opened his mouth.

“Itadakimasu!”

He took a bite.

I was sweating. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears as I watched the boy in front of me gleefully chew. Then, he swallowed.

“ It’s good!” he exclaimed, shooting me an excited look . “It’s actually really good!”

He quickly scarfed down the rest of his egg.

“I think Kunikida-san would be happy to eat something like this.”

I clapped my egg-covered hands over my mouth.

“Really!?” I squeaked, hardly believing his words. “You really mean that?!”

“Yes, really!”

I wasn’t sure who looked more excited—Atsushi or me.

“In fact...!”

He stepped up to the chopping board, where the rest of the tamagoyaki lay steaming on its thin plastic surface.

“Let me show you something.”

Picking up the knife, Atsushi cut off a thick slice and laid it down on the board.

“If you cut this slice in half diagonally,” he said cheerfully, demonstrating as I watched, “and then place the two halves together like this...”

He laid it out on the board with a grin.

“Y ou can make a heart!”

“ H -h eart-shaped tamagoyaki ...” I stuttered, staring at it.

For Kunikida’s bento?!

My face instantly burst into flame.

Atsushi nodded.

“Yeah, it’s really cute and I think it would be perfect for your da —OW!”

He doubled over, groaning in pain as Kyouka elbowed him in the stomach again.

“Kusunoki-san.”

Shoving her roommate aside, Kyouka stepped forward. She presented me with the nearly completed bento box, the rest of the foods we’d finished cooking this morning neatly nestled alongside a bed of freshly cooked rice.

“Love is a woman’s battle,” she said, her blue eyes bright.

She held up the box.

“Good luck!!”

“Kyouka-chan...!” I whispered.

I was actually tearing up. I couldn’t help it ! Seeing her there next to me, in her cute little apron, with her hair tied up and the purest smile on her face— I was about to step forward and envelop her in a crushing hug when I realized she was holding onto the lunch boxes I’d worked so hard to prepare. Coughing a little, I dropped into as low of a bow as I could manage.

“Thank you!! Thank you so much!”

“It’s nothing,” Kyouka mumbled quickly, her cheeks reddening in an adorable blush. “I only hope I was a suitable teacher.”

You were, you were!” I sniffled, wiping my eyes. “I’ll return the favor someday, I promise—”

“You don’t have to do that,” Kyouka said quickly. “Just...”

And as one, we turned to the sink, where the pile of dirty dishes had grown to the size of a small tower. I was instantly reminded of the moldering dishes that had collected in Tayama Katai’s sink.

I grimaced as Kyouka quietly mumbled her request:

“Just help me wash the dishes before you go.”

“Alright, then. I’m off!”

Tucking the finished set of bento boxes into the cute little bag I’d specifically chosen for this occasion, I hoisted the thick strap over my shoulder and turned to face my hosts.

“Thank you so much for everything today, Atsushi-kun, Kyouka-chan! I won’t forget this, I swear!”

“Don’t worry about it, Kusunoki-san!” Atsushi said quickly, ushering me towards the door. “You’ve already thanked us enough. Just hurry up and get going or you’re going to be late!”

“It’ll be okay, Atsushi-kun!” I declared, taking out the tiny notepad I’d bought just for today (green, just like Kunikida’s!) and flipping it open to show him my plans. “I have everything completely planned out. The next bus doesn’t arrive for another ten minutes. And if I miss this bus—”

I flipped to the next memo.

“Then I can just run to the nearest train station, take the next train and run to get the meeting location on time! And if that doesn’t work, I’ll just call a taxi—”

“Oh my God,” Atsushi whispered, his face color changing to an unsettling shade of blue as he stared at my itinerary, “you really do have it all planned out. As expected of someone tasked with distracting Kunikida-san all day... it’s almost too much...”

I blinked at him.

“Is it...?”

“Kusunoki-san?”

Drying a dish in her tiny hands, Kyouka emerged from the kitchen area.

“Good luck,” she said, her blue eyes bright. “I hope it goes well!” “‘Goes well?’” Atsushi repeated, looking confused. “What does that mean—”

“D-Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled awkwardly, my face going pink. “Anyway, I’ll see you guys tomorrow! Have a nice day at work!”

And with that, I grabbed the doorknob and let myself out into the hallway, Atsushi and Kyouka following me as far as the foyer to see me off.

“You too, Kusunoki-san!” Atsushi called after me as I headed down the hall, waving. “Have a nice day!”

Breathing a sigh of relief as the door closed at last, I took my notepad back out and held it in front of me.

“Is it really too much?” I mumbled, scanning down the list of things I’d planned to do.

8:00 am: meet Kunikida at the park by the ADA dorms.

8:02 am: small talk

8:06 am: walk from the park to a nearby coffee shop

8:09 am: order coffee

8:19 am: spend time at the coffee shop

9:01 am: leave coffee shop

9:11 am: arrive at bookstore on next street

9:31 am: leave bookstore

9:32 am: window shop (?)

9:48 am: head to train station

9:50 am: board train

10:13 am: get off train

10:17 am: arrive at Yokohama Marine Tower

10:41 am: leave Yokohama Marine Tower

10:46 am: arrive at Yamashita Park

10:47 am: look at the flowers (10 min per flower bed!)

12:30 pm: Lunch break

1:34 pm: leave Yamashita Park

1:43 pm: Walk around Chinatown.

2:14 pm: leave Chinatown

“...”

I stopped walking down the hallway to stare at the list.

Compared to Kunikida’s notebook, this really didn’t seem that unmanageable...

But then again...

I made a face as I kept scrolling through the next couple pages of memos.

Maybe Atsushi was right and it really was a little ambitious.

I forgot to schedule in bathroom breaks...

“Will thirty minutes really be enough at the bookstore?” I mumbled to myself as I resumed walking. “Maybe I shouldn’t drink that much coffee...”

Bookstores, museums, bento lunch at the park, stationary stores and fishing...

I felt an odd twinge in my chest as I scrolled through the list. I’d worked really hard to put together this schedule, even staying up a little later than usual so that I could research every location. Everything that was on here was here for a reason. Some, like the bookstore, were there because I either thought or heard that Kunikida had an interest in them. Others, like the trip to Yamashita Park, were there because I’d heard...

I felt my face warm as I stared at the flower I’d drawn next to the kanji.

Because I’d heard that they were good date spots...

I lowered the notebook with a small, wistful sigh.

I’d planned everything out to the letter, even copied the kind of scheduling I thought Kunikida might approve of, even though it had nearly killed me to do so.

And I did it because...

My fingers tightened around the notebook.

I wanted Kunikida to like me. I really, really wanted him to like me and I was willing to do anything it took if it meant that he might begin to see me the way I saw him...

Even if it was just a slim possibility.

Feeling strangely determined, I stuffed the notebook into my pocket and proceeded down the hall.

If I could just hear those four little words... If I could just hear Kunikida Doppo say to me once, “I like you, too...”

Then it would all be worth it.

But just as I came to the end of the sunlit hall, I thought I saw something flashing on the wall to my right. I stopped in my tracks.

“Huh?”

Blinking, I took a step towards it.

It was a name plate: a square of shiny, rectangular glass, under which was a small card bearing the name of the occupant within.

My eyes widened.

“Dazai... Osamu.”

I nearly dropped the bag.

Here?

Dazai lived here?

I felt something strange passing through my body as I stood there staring at the name plate, the glass shining as brightly in the morning sun as the full moon had that unusually wintry night...

“You don’t have to say yes right away, Kusunoki-san.”

I took a step forward, towards the door.

“Take your time, think about it. Just know that if you ever change your mind, you’ll know where to find me.”

Standing there beside me at the wrought-metal gates, Dazai paused for a moment and thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

“Actually, maybe you don’t. I should probably give you my number.”

My cell phone, buried deep in my coat pocket, clunked softly against my thigh as I took another couple steps towards Dazai’s front door.

Text received. My burner cell buzzed noisily in my jacket and, pocketing his own device, Dazai smiled.

The name plate was right in front of me, the kanji neat and dark upon the white paper card within.

“My apartment’s not very far from here. If you ever need anything, anything at all...”

I reached out.

Dazai winked, his grin as cheerful as ever.

“Just give me a call. I promise...”

My fingers came to a rest on the name plate, just below Dazai’s name.

“I’ll be right over.”

So...

I bit my lip.

This is what he meant when he said he lived nearby...

Dazai, like Atsushi and Kyouka, lived at the company dorm, just one short train ride away from my apartment.

He was only two doors down and I’d been making quite the racket this morning when I was cooking—or rather, failing at cooking.

How much had he heard? Did he know why I was cooking at Atsushi and Kyouka’s apartment?

My fingers lingered on the name plate.

Should I talk to him? Tell him I was only here because I’d been given a special assignment? That I was going to be out all day today because of it?

My fingers curled in on themselves, like a fist against the name plate.

Should I tell him that I was planning to confess to Kunikida today?

I brought my folded fingers to my chest and sighed.

No. I shouldn’t say anything. Knowing Dazai, he’d probably take this as an excuse to mess with me or derail my plans or something to that effect.

Besides, he probably wasn’t even home...

I stared at the door.

But then, where would he be? It wasn’t like him to come to the Agency early so that he could get a head start on the workday.

I stood before the door, my left hand curled into a fist against my chest, my right curled around the bag of bento boxes.

Maybe I should just say hi. Just real quick. He is still one of my mentors, after all...

Slowly, I lifted my hand towards the door.

Suddenly, someone kicked a door open down the hall with an ear-shattering BANG. Startled, I jumped and moved away from the door just in time to see Atsushi coming through the door with a large trash bag in his hands.

“Kusunoki-san, you’re still here?” Atsushi called, gawping at me with his big golden eyes. “Don’t you have a bus to catch?!”

Behind him, Kyouka quickly poked her head out the open door.

“What are you doing?” she yelled, brandishing a cooking knife at me, her blue eyes sharp. “Get going, right now!”

“Yes, ma’am!” I shrieked, throwing my hands in the air like a thief who’d just been caught.

And before she could throw the knife at me, I sprinted down the stairs, nearly tripping over my own feet as I made it out of the courtyard. As if on cue, the bus pulled in to the bus stop just as I arrived at the loading zone and I quickly followed the rest of the morning commuters inside.

Luckily for me, it was relatively empty and I was able to find a seat by one of the windows on the right side. Taking care not to jostle the bento boxes too much, I sat down, breathing a sigh of relief only when the bus began to crawl down the street.

But as I took out my mirror to check my reflection, to make sure my makeup was still in decent condition, I caught sight of the Agency apartment complex, in the distance, with its corrugated red roof and pale, softly streaked walls. I watched quietly as the corner room on the second floor, the room I’d been standing in front of not two minutes ago, slowly grew smaller and faded into the distance.

With a heavy creaking and groaning of wheels, the bus turned the corner.

Dazai’s apartment disappeared from sight.

To the gods out there who kept me alive long enough to see this day...

I paused at the edge of the sidewalk, just outside the park, unable to take another step forward, for fear of ruining the perfect image in front of me: Kunikida Doppo, sitting on a park bench on the hill, his tall figure bathed in the warm glow of the morning light, his dirty-blonde hair shining like finespun gold.

Kunikida-san... sitting there waiting for me...!

I seriously thought I was going to cry.

Thank you...

Kunikida-san... He always looked so handsome and well-put-together when he was at the office, with his broad shoulders and long legs, sitting at his desk in his beige vest and slacks.

But today...

I felt my cheeks warm as I quietly observed him from afar.

Today, I got to see him in a way that I’d never seen him before. Today, Kunikida was dressed in casual wear. Well, sort of. That navy blue blazer had clearly been tailored to fit his body (and it did. Very well, actually) and those brown shoes on his feet were just a little on the fancy side, but he was still sitting there on that bench wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. I watched as he crossed and uncrossed his long, slim legs, his beautiful, sage-colored eyes never leaving the pages of his little green notebook.

He looked great.

Grinning stupidly to myself, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, getting ready to snap a photo. I knew I probably looked like some kind of a creep, but I had to commemorate this moment. How often was the lighting as perfect as the subject? Maybe if he agreed to be my boyfriend (a girl could dream, couldn’t she?), he might forgive me and we’d have a good laugh about it.

But just as I had him all lined up in the viewfinder, Kunikida looked up and spotted me from across the way. His gray-green eyes met mine through the screen and I actually threw my phone into the air in shock.

“K-Kunikida-san!” I stammered, trying at once to both regain my composure and catch my phone. “G-Good morning! Were you waiting long?”

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than I thought I heard the “snap” of the photo being taken.

Shit. Had he heard?!

I hurried to stuff it away in my pocket before Kunikida could notice.

“No, not really,” Kunikida said politely.

Rising from the bench, he tucked his notebook into a hidden pocket of his blazer and walked towards me. Behind him, the morning sun framed his golden hair like a halo, the gray tone of his eyes softening into something more vibrant and green.

“Don’t worry.”

Stopping just before me on the path, he inclined his head in greeting.

“I only just arrived.”

Ahh...

How many times had I dreamed of having this exact conversation with him? The customary pleasantries exchanged when you finally meet up for a date?

I’m so happy I could die ...!

Suddenly spotting the colorful little bag hanging at my side, Kunikida raised an eyebrow and gestured towards it.

“Hey...” he said slowly. “Is the pattern on that canvas bag actually just a bunch of Pikach—”

“Ah, would you look at the time!” I cried, pulling my own miniature notebook out of my pocket and flipping to the appropriate page. “We should really get going if we want to get to the cafe on time!”

I jerked around and robotically made for the street, the heels of my shoes clicking awkwardly against the sidewalk as I moved.

“We’ve got a busy schedule today, you know!”

Kunikida blinked at me.

“‘Busy schedule?’” he repeated, sounding surprised.

Had I said the magic words? Was he going to be pleased?

I nodded, suddenly filled with a renewed sense of determination.

“Yeah!” I said, briefly lifting my notebook up to show him. “I’ve got our entire day planned out right here in this little notebook. So, Kunikida-san!”

I turned and shot him a grin over my shoulder.

“Please leave everything to me.”

I’ll make sure you have the most relaxing day ever!

For a moment, Kunikida grew quiet. I watched as the handsome, blonde detective slowly looked from the notebook to me. Finally, he nodded, a tiny smile gracing his features.

“Sounds good,” he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Lead the way, Kusunoki-kun.”

Smiling, I pulled open my maps and turned back towards the street.

“Yes, sir!”

Atsushi-kun was right...

Wobbling a little on my feet, I collapsed against the inner wall of the observation deck of the Yokohama Marine Tower.

My schedule really was too ambitious...

When I’d first gotten the idea to distract Kunikida by taking him out for a day of fun around Yokohama, I’d thought my task would be relatively straightforward. I figured, as long as I did the research and put in the time necessary to craft a perfect schedule, I would succeed. Little did I know how wrong I was.

Things went off the rails almost as soon as we’d left the park.

Our first stop was a local coffee shop. I’d specifically chosen this cafe because Shimeko told me that they were famous for their Caffe Americano’s, Kunikida’s go-to drink at the Uzumaki Cafe. I could already smell the coffee from down the street and in my excitement, I turned to look at Kunikida, hoping to see that he was just as excited as I was. But just when I was about to open my mouth to talk, I was interrupted by the sound of Kunikida’s cell phone ringing.

Before I could stop him, he reached into his pocket and picked it up.

“Hello?” he answered, his tone professional.

He frowned.

“Ah. Yeah. Yes, I understand.”

He nodded.

“Rest assured, I’ll have it done by noon tomorrow. Alright, then.”

He hung up, pocketed his phone and took out his little green notebook. Without slowing his pace or looking up at the street ahead, Kunikida took out a familiar black fountain pen from inside his blazer and wrote something down. I waited apprehensively for the scratching of the pen to subside before asking my question.

“Uh... Kunikida-san?”

“Hm?”

He glanced down at me, his gray-green eyes calm.

“Yes, Kusunoki-kun?”

I tried not to make a face.

“...what are you doing?”

“Writing myself a reminder,” Kunikida replied, tucking his notebook back into his blazer. “That was a client I’d just picked up a few days ago. He wants me to follow up on a report.”

“Is... is that what you were doing?” I asked, sweat dripping down my temple. “Are you trying to—”

“Oh, don’t worry, Kusunoki-kun,” Kunikida replied crisply, glancing back up ahead at the road. “This isn’t technically work. Yosano-sensei told me everything, so please rest assured, I will do everything in my power to relax.”

But I could already see the way his hand twitched in his pocket, wrapping around his phone.

“R-right...”

I tried to put a smile on my face as the cafe came into view.

“I understand. As long as you’re not actually doing any work and you stay relaxed, okay?”

For both our sakes—Yosano really seemed like she meant it when she said it would “be on my head.”

But little did I know my troubles were only beginning.

“It’s not technically work.” But it wasn’t “technically” fun, either.

When we got to the cafe, I was forced to watch as Kunikida grilled the barista on everything from the beans they used to the temperature of the roast, only giving up when the terrified young man offered to give him a discount on his order in place of divulging trade secrets. I was too embarrassed to step in and say anything, much less be seen with him (or worse, asked to take responsibility as his kohai), so I just stood there quietly in the back and waited for my latte and chocolate croissant until it was over. As soon as it was, I ushered Kunikida out with the promise of a nice quiet stroll in the park, all plans of staying for a pleasant chat in the small, but atmospheric shop gone.

I could never show my face in that cafe again.

Luckily, the park was relatively empty and we were able to find another bench to sit on pretty quickly. I was half-wondering if it would be too much to offer him a bite of my croissant (wouldn’t me taking a bite after be an indirect kiss?! Could I really be so bold?!) when I looked to my right and realized he was writing in his notebook again.

“Kunikida-san...” I asked dully. “What are you doing?”

“Taking notes,” Kunikida replied. “I managed to figure out a few things from my conversation with the barista.”

“...About coffee?”

Kunikida paused for a moment.

“Not quite,” he said. “Something he said reminded me of a case I was working on last week and I think I might have a new lead to give to the police officers working with me. I thought I’d write it down before I forgot.”

He closed his notebook and picked up his drink.

“Besides,” he said, taking a sip. “It’s good to wait a few minutes after exercising to enjoy food or beverages like this. It’s better for your stomach.”

“Right...”

And on and on it went.

When we got to the bookstore for the poetry event, the first poet was late. It seemed he was nursing a hangover and so, Kunikida just had to take him aside to lecture him on his professionalism. Surprisingly though, the drunkard actually thanked Kunikida for verbally tearing him a new one and we left the shop with a couple of free copies of the man’s most recently published work.

I wasn’t sure if I could say anything or not because this “technically” wasn’t work either (and I wasn’t going to say no to free books).

Then, when we were walking on the street to do some window shopping (I was secretly hoping to take Kunikida to a nearby stationary store I’d discovered), we heard a piercing shriek. A woman was being robbed in broad daylight right in front of us! At once, Kunikida sprang into action, chasing down the thief and leveling him with a flying kick to the back. Then, while my mentor was using his Ability to produce a set of handcuffs to secure the thief, I got the woman’s purse back and stayed with her until she calmed down. It was only after the police arrived that I realized I had been pulled into Kunikida’s workaholic antics this time.

I slapped my hands over my face and groaned.

Well... At least Yosano didn’t say I had to refrain from doing anything work-related... Not verbatim, anyway. But how was I supposed to just stand aside and do nothing when I was a member of the Armed Detective Agency, myself?

Several people walked away from me as I tightened my grip over my face and heard my groan change into a soft, pained whine.

Perhaps Yosano was right. If I spent enough time with Kunikida, perhaps I would turn into a four-eyed workhorse as well. My vision was already getting fuzzier than before. But that was probably from the stress...

Letting out one final sigh, I peered through my fingers at the large, slanted windows ahead, watching tiredly as Kunikida leaned against the railing and gazed out across Yokohama Bay, his expression placid as he watched the ships go by.

Well...

I felt my cheeks warm as I saw a tiny smile cross his face.

At least one of us seems pretty relaxed right now.

Smiling softly, I hoisted my bag over my shoulder and walked towards him.

“Enjoying the view?”

“Yeah.”

Kunikida nodded, the smile never leaving his face.

“It’s really something when the weather’s nice,” he said, still staring out across the water. “I’ve been up here before but never on a day like this.”

I faltered.

“You’ve been here before?”

Kunikida nodded again.

“I have,” he said, his gray-green eyes flicking down to me. “Shortly after I joined the Agency. Ranpo-san insisted on coming up to see the view and, well...”

He chuckled softly.

“I think you know how he is with directions.”

I made a face.

“Yeah. I remember.”

Hoping to chase away the flashbacks of the stressful day I’d spent in Edogawa’s company, I turned towards the window as well, my smile only returning when I spotted the Yokohama Bay Bridge in the distance, shining like a beacon in the harbor.

Kunikida was right.

It really was a beautiful view...

“By the way, Kusunoki-kun...?”

“Hm?”

I glanced back up.

Huh?

Kunikida was looking at me. Directly at me. In a way I wasn’t quite sure he’d ever looked at me before.

I felt my heart begin to race as he tilted his head slightly, his expression pensive.

“Something I noticed earlier,” he said haltingly.

His gray-green eyes raked up and down my form and at once, I felt my face grow warm. Kunikida rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and spoke.

“You seem a little taller than usual today,” he pointed out, glancing back down at my shoes.

His eyebrows drew together.

“Do you normally wear heels on your days off?”

“Oh. Uh...”

I tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear and smiled shyly up at him.

“Not... really,” I mumbled, looking away.

Even though I’d chosen reasonably short heels, it was that much harder to look at him when our faces were a lot closer together than before.

“I used to,” I answered truthfully, “back when I was still a student...”

I trailed off for a moment as a distant memory slowly resurfaced in the back of my mind—a memory of being dragged down the streets of Motomachi by an old friend.

A memory from “before.”

I closed my eyes and breathed out.

“You see... I had this friend,” I recalled, smiling softly. “She was a part-time model—always insisted we both look our best whenever we went out into the city. You know, because ‘we were young’ and ‘why not.’”

I glanced down at my shoes, a pair of reasonably tall wedge heels I’d picked out on that very shopping trip.

“And that usually meant wearing heels...”

I leaned forward and propped my arms up on the railing, staring out the window at the shining, blue waves.

“I think I last saw her a year ago but it feels like it’s been much longer...”

I grew quiet and dropped my gaze, my eyes following the lines of a couple of sailboats as they slowly drifted in towards the pier. I felt, rather than heard, Kunikida falling silent beside me.

“I see,” he murmured, after a pause.

For a moment, we just stood there, staring out across the harbor together and solemnly watching the ships go by. As time slowly passed, I heard Kunikida’s soft exhale from somewhere near my left and I thought heard him mumbling something under his breath. His voice was soft.

“It really does, doesn’t it...?”

I blinked.

“Kunikida-san?”

And as I lifted my face to look at him, Kunikida glanced down at me and rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. Then, he dropped his hand.

“Kusunoki. Come here for a second.”

I balked.

“Huh?”

And before I knew what was happening, Kunikida suddenly took my hand.

Kuni/Kyou Theme

He quietly pulled me away from the bay-facing windows.

I instantly went red.

“Kunikida-san?!” I sputtered, stumbling after him as we made for the opposite side of the observation tower. “W-where are we going?”

“I have something I want to show you,” the tall detective replied, without glancing back. “Follow me.”

Falling silent, I followed, trailing after him like an obedient puppy as we walked around the center section of the observation deck.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his broad back.

This was nothing like the time he’d saved me from Akutagawa at the art gallery...

Back then, his hand had been around my wrist, his grip as strong as an iron vise, the air around us filled with smoke and dust and fear. Today, his hand was wrapped loosely around mine, his fingers curling softly around my palm, his touch radiating warmth and tenderness. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think his hand was maybe just a touch sweaty.

But that didn’t make sense.

I felt something stirring in my chest as Kunikida led me past a rather cozy-looking couple, walking hand in hand towards the bay-facing windows.

If Kunikida’s hand was just a little sweaty while he was holding mine... wouldn’t that mean he was a little nervous...?

And if he was a little nervous...

I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest as a crazy thought crossed my mind.

Wouldn’t that mean that Kunikida might possibly like me back?

But before I could figure out if it was my hand that was sweaty or his, Kunikida stopped walking and let go.

My palm tingled.

“Over there,” Kunikida said, guiding me towards a specific window.

He pushed me forward by the back of my shoulder and pointed to a spot in the distance.

“Take a look at that spot to the southwest. Do you see something familiar?”

“Something familiar?” I repeated, curious.

Kunikida nodded as I walked forwards, towards the windows.

Putting my hands on the railing, I leaned forward, squinting ahead into the distance. Then, I spotted a familiar red-brick building in the midst of a forest of gray and white.

I gasped.

“It’s the Agency!”

“It is,” Kunikida said proudly, striding forward to stand next to me. “I still remember the day I first saw it here, after I’d just joined.”

He glanced down at me, looking pleased with himself.

“Ranpo-san challenged me to look for it. Said that the first person to spot it got free drinks from the vending machine from the losers. He won easily, of course, but we didn’t really mind. As you can see, not much has changed since then.”

“No kidding,” I laughed, taking a step back.

Smiling, I looked up at my mentor.

“Kunikida-san. Thank you.”

This time, it was Kunikida’s turn to blink.

“For what?” he asked, looking amused. “Showing you this?”

“For always taking such good care of me,” I said, quickly looking back at the ADA building as my face grew even warmer. “A-and for showing me this.”

There was a pause. And then, I heard a quiet laugh.

Shocked, I whipped my head to the side just in time to see Kunikida put his hand over his mouth. He quickly coughed and looked away, cheeks going pink.

“Actually, Kusunoki,” he said quietly, “I should be thanking you. Yosano-sensei told me you volunteered to help take my mind off of work today and I can tell you’re putting in a lot of effort.”

He glanced back at me, his smile growing just a touch sheepish.

“You’ve really come a long way since the day you started with us, haven’t you?” Kunikida asked, his gray-green eyes warm.

I...

I thought back to everything that had happened since I was first rescued by Dazai and Kunikida. I thought about the Entrance Exam, dodging Kyouka and parrying Yasha Shirayuki with a pair of office scissors as my handcuffs finally broke. I thought about the serial kidnapping case, the Tanedas sitting in the interrogation room as I backed away, my chair clattering loudly in the cold, empty room. I thought about pulling Edogawa out of the pot in the ground in the collapsed house. Dazai patting my head in the office, warm sunlight streaming in. Akutagawa, chasing me around the parking garage as I ran for my life, a single plastic lighter gripped tightly in my hand. Professor Matsuyama and his wife, each visiting the grave of their beloved friend, confessing their perceived sins to me, a complete and total stranger.

I swallowed dryly.

“I guess I have...” I mumbled quietly.

A warm hand descended on my shoulder.

Kunikida nodded. He looked proud.

“You did well... Kusunoki.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Was this it?

I felt my grip tighten on my bag. My hands felt clammy with nerves.

Was this the moment? We still had half the day to go and I hadn’t even given him the lunchbox but...

This mood...

I felt my lips part.

Everything suddenly felt just right.

“Kunikida-san...”

“Hm?”

He still hadn’t taken his hand off my shoulder.

“I...”

I steeled myself.

Here goes nothing...!

“I...!”

Something suddenly chimed loudly in the gloom. I froze.

“Uh, what’s that noise?” Kunikida asked.

His hand slid off my shoulder as my pocket continued to ring.

Shit.

As quick as I could, I jammed my hand deep into my pocket and seized my phone. The ringing stopped at once.

“It’s my alarm,” I mumbled, embarrassed.

I couldn’t look him in the eye.

“I, uh...”

I squirmed.

“I set this alarm for lunch hour,” I said, tugging the strap of my brightly colored bag a little higher over my shoulder. “It seems we weren’t able to stick to the schedule, what with everything that happened.”

“Oh...”

Kunikida suddenly went red.

“I’m... I’m so sorry, Kusunoki-kun!” he groaned, slapping one large hand over his face. “For someone like me to be unable to stick to a proper schedule—and a schedule my kohai set up for me on a day like this...!”

Grimacing like he was physically in pain, Kunikida took his hand off his face and bent forward at a perfect ninety-degree angle bow.

“Please forgive me!”

“I-it’s really nothing!” I stammered, also going red.

I waved my hands in front of him in an attempt to get him to snap out of it.

“P-please, Kunikida-san... Please get up, people are going to stare...!”

“You’re right,” he exclaimed, instantly straightening up. “Causing a ruckus in public would bring shame to the Agency!”

Pushing his glasses up his nose, he turned away from the windows and swiftly walked towards the elevators.

“Come, Kusunoki-kun, let’s go have lunch. I promise, from now on, I will do whatever it takes to stick to your schedule.”

“Y-you don’t have to be that strict with it,” I stammered, chasing after him as he headed for the center of the room.

Crap. Should I have been more strict with it?!

“It’s okay! As long as you’re relaxing...!”

“I appreciate your flexibility,” Kunikida said, shooting me a curt, professional nod as I caught up to him. “Once again, you have my thanks.”

And as the light above the elevator doors lit up at last, Kunikida suddenly turned to me and cleared his throat.

“By the way...”

I looked up and instantly flinched. Kunikida had suddenly gone as white as a sheet.

“Do you mind not telling Yosano-sensei about the thief we stopped earlier?” he asked. “She said that if she caught me doing any kind of work today on my ‘day off,’ she was going to dissect me in a way that would ensure I would never have any problems with my body again.”

I instantly went rigid, my thoughts going straight to the memory of Yosano raising her machete above my head.

I swallowed nervously and shot him a watery grin.

“Y-you got it.”

Kunikida breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, Kusunoki. I owe you one.”

But I shook my head.

“Don’t worry, Kunikida-san,” I told him as the elevator doors opened.

I followed him inside and grinned up at him as the doors finally closed.

“I won’t say a word.”

[rckbell]

slow burn

pairing: ed/winry rating: k+? (i dont remember how this works) summary: a slow burn is fine, but winry wonders if he’ll ever catch on (post-promised day)

a/n: ha,,, hahaha im back. look i’ve been listening to a LOT of kacey musgraves in addition to my fmab rewatching hence... a lot of feelings. i’m quite rusty at this, but i’d appreciate any feedback! feel free to slide into my inbox, but as always, thanks for reading :) enjoy!~

Winry Rockbell was aflame, and completely puzzled. 

Her life had never been particularly average, by any standard. But, she had managed to sand down and smooth out her life, as admittedly tumultuous as it has been, as much as possible. Always moving, constantly working, relentlessly good-natured. She carried her scars proudly but never allowed them to weigh her down. Her life was a vast web of hardship and trauma, though intertwined with tight bonds and fierce strength. She always managed to keep going.

Perhaps that was why it was so peculiar to her when she noticed a definite shift. Her life up to that point had been just so that things - bad things - usually occured in a raging storm, coming and destroying the constants in her life and transforming everything into a variable. She was used to a definitive, clear, breaking point, an event, a day; a war, a death; something to concretely signal that things would not be what they once were.

Thus, when she found herself considering Edward as more than her childhood friend, her feisty customer, her headstrong ally, it understandably took her a moment to process.

She regarded the brothers exiting the train platform in Central City, and as her locomotive chugged away, she couldn’t help but ponder when and how he had become... she didn’t even know how to shape it in her mind. He was never in her perphiary by any sense, but here he was taking center stage, carelessly flicking at embers beginning to burn in her heart. How long, she wondered, had this flame been growing?

She shrugged, slightly annoyed not at her new disposition, but at what to do next. As focal as he may have been, she decided, she could not (nor did she want to) devote all her time and energy to daydreaming and fantasizing. Moreover, as time passed, she came to understand how much of a liability she could be, when dangled as a hostage at Briggs. So she’d carry on, acutely aware of her feelings, but equally as cognizant of her budding priorities in Rush Valley. After all, she’d be no good if she sat at home fretting about his fate all day. Days were spent with brief interludes but him, about Al, about them, but she chose not to dwell. She decided she was alright. A slow burn was just fine. She’d store it in her pocket, letting the embers grow as time progressed. She’d let them strike when, and more importantly if the time was right.

When she encountered an admittedly taller Ed in Resembool just before the Promised Day, she’d been reminded of how deeply she cared for him. She’d lashed out, unapologetically, when confronted with the uncertainty of the day to come, and he’d bitten back, doing little to quell her anxiety. In the end, he rescinded his earlier words, and assured her that they’d be back. She swore on an apple pie that’d happen.

It was certainly hard to keep faith when she collapsed to the kitchen floor, her life force sinking beneath her and her soul being dragged beyond her reach, but when she’d regained consciousness after what had really been an hour but felt like some odd years, she knew they had done something right. The proof came two months later when she greeted her two boys, almost all flesh and wholly alive. She entangled them in her arms and was content to never again let go.

Amidst the genuine craziness of their homecoming, she’d been able to tame her heart well-enough. After all, she’d gotten more than her fair share of practice.

But soon enough, she felt the heat. She felt it when she’d catch Ed’s golden eyes on her. She’d acknowledge him quickly, offering him a quiet smirk before he darted away from her, face flushing. She felt it when, one night spent stargazing, she carefully rested her head into onto Ed’s shoulder as though it were the most normal thing in the world. He, of course, completely froze like a popsicle, but after 10 or so minutes, his posture loosened. She felt it when she casually entangled her hand with his on a walk to the market. Albeit, it was much more enjoyable once his hand stopped sweating profusely.

She especially felt it at Solstice Festival that June, when she’d ardently persuaded him into joined her in a dance. After a moment of sputtering (“W-Win, I can’t - I’ve got two left feet I - Oh, c’mon you know Granny and Al will give me hell...”) he’d tentatively placed one hand on her waist and the other in hers. To the gentle strumming of a guitar, she’d set her head gently against his chest where she’d heard his heart rate going in double time to the beat. As the music swelled and faded into crickets, she’d gingerly given him a kiss on his beet-red cheek.

This was how their summer progressed, small steps until they grew more and more normal, followed by another bound forward. Little, defining moments, like she was used to, encompassing one large shift. She was alright with the slow burn, but, geez for the prodigal, overly-confident, hell, even annoying Fullmetal Alchemist, she wondered when he’d catch on (if ever). 

She got her answer with the arrival of fall. Carved pumpkins and warm cider marked the end of a summer’s harvest, and unmistakable new territory.

The moment the leaves began to fall from nearby trees, Al was unstoppable.

“Brother! Winry!” He exclaimed one particularly fruitful afternoon. “We have to go play outside!” 

Winry smiled from her book; his joy was jubilant. How could she deny him this simple pleasure? “I’m in,” she grinned.

Ed snorted, “Isn’t it a little kiddish? Plus I just raked them all up.”

Winry and Al rolled their eyes, “Perfect for jumping in, then!” They countered. Ed moaned, but couldn’t help but loosen up once Al began frolicking happily among the seasons colors.

The three jumped about, tossing the foliage into the air and kicking piles at each other. It was Winry’s idea to begin a friendly game of tag, but knowing the Elrics, it did not remain light-hearted for long.

Al was “it” and pondering his choices carefully. Ed was panting about 35 yards to his right, Winry 10 yards closer to his left. 

Al made a run for Winry, who immediately yelped and dashed towards Ed with a smirk. The elder brother hadn’t been paying quite enough attention; Winry darted behind Ed. nAl grasped the hem of Ed’s hoodie and breathlessly hollered, “You’re it, Brother!”

Ed fumed, “Damn it, Winry! I’m not your bait!” But the blonde was already spiriting away, blonde ponytail bobbing and unmistakable laughter chiming in the wind. She turned around to flash him a wicked smile that made this tongue go dry.

Without a second thought, Ed ran after her. He chased her around the yard in circles, completely missing his worn-out brother secede for a water break and head back inside. 

For a moment they both stopped, about 20 yards apart. Both breathing heavy, Ed resting his arms on his legs. God, he was out of shape after a summer off. They caught their breath, both staring at each other intently. Ed could feel his heart practically thumping out of his chest, something he attributed to the intense game and less to the ever-intoxicating woman he was grasping at. He flashed her a look she couldn’t quite decipher before lunging after her.

Winry whipped around, laughing and trying to evade him. Winry ran in a zig-zag, trying to ward Ed off, but he had years of combat training on her. She shrieked as he closed the distance between them, closing his hand around her forearm.

In one fluid motion, he spun her around to face him,, stopping their forward motion and pressing her directly onto him. He became acutely aware of many things in one moment. Her sweet breath was sticky on his face, reminding him they were a hair’s length apart. His grip on her remained tight. Her blue eyes were wide with surprise, delight, and... was that anticipation? Her chest moved against his as they both struggled to normalize their respiratory systems, though he reminded, with Winry this close to him, there was little chance of that.

A summer flashed before him, a summer of stolen moments, chaste touches, nights spent together. Of course, she had taken the lead, him attempting to follow behind but continutely he allowed himself to be surprised by her. Their relationship, he remembered, was a long, drawn-out burn, but now more than ever, the distance seemed to be closing. 

She spoke him out of his reverie, “Ed?” Her voice was patient, even beckoning.

Damn it all.

He pressed his lips into hers without a second thought. Pounding heart and swirling thoughts aside, all he could do was melt. She smiled against him, slipping free of his grasp and holding his face between her hands while his hands dropped to her hips, trying desperately to eliminate any remaining space between them. Tentatively, he moved his lips against hers trying to block his heartbeat in his eardrums. She responded positively, teasing him with her tongue and snaking her arms around his neck.

After an eternity that was somehow not long enough, they break, breath as uneven as when they began. Her eyes met his and she laughed at his flushed complexion. “Finally,” she breathed and he grimaced.

“S-sorry, I was just...” he stammered “I w-was. Look, I’ve never-”. She rolled her eyes, briefly kissing him once more and he forgot his momentary embarrassment, lost in the burn that is Winry Rockbell.

She relinquished, untangling herself and opting instead to slip her hand into his as she dragged him towards the house. He blinked a few times, following her blindly before she whipped around to offer him one more dazzling smile. “It’s okay,” she admitted, nuzzling her head into his neck. “I’m alright with a slow burn.”

“We’ve got time,” he concured. She hummed in agreement.

“And you’ve got a lot to learn,” she teased, letting go of him and sprinting toward the porch steps.

Ed frowned, completely miffed. “H-hey, what’s that supposed to mean! Win, come back here!”

It wouldn’t be the last time he tried to catch up with her, but at least now he was closer than ever.

[mystech-master]

Ragna in the other BBTAG worlds

I asked a while ago for ideas as to where Ragna could end up post-CF as his “retirement” world, I’ve gotten like 3 suggestions; Bleach (mainly to pair him with Kukaku Shiba, but given everything else happening in that world he’ll have no chill there), Animal Crossing, and Mario Galaxy (on the Comet Observatory with Rosalina and the Lumas)

but today, I want to take a look at how he’d fare living in the worlds presented to us in BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. Just for the hell of it:

Long post bellow

Persona: if Ragna were to end up living in the Persona world thing might be difficult at first, he grew up in the middle of nowhere and the woods and lived in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future, so there will be a bit of a culture shock. But if Akihiko can run around shirtless then this world will be fine with someone like Ragna. I think he might end up working with the Shadow Operatives, hey he was raised to fight so may as well put his supernatural power and fighting ability to use against the Shadows right? I mean the Kirijo group managed to make an identity for Aigis when she attended Gekkoukan High in P3, so they could make Ragna have an identity. Since the dude has Son Goku levels of education I ‘d find it funny if Mitsuru put his ass through some kind of education program or something. I mean it is never too late to get an education and I’m sure there are many real-life examples of people who couldn’t go to school for some reason or another. Also, I’ve said this before, Ragna might give of serious “Shinjiro” vibes to the Shadow Operatives, so they might be able to navigate his personality a bit better. Mitsuru can be the cool-headed one w/o being a bitch like Rachel, Akihiko would make a good sparring partner, he’ll treat Aigis and Labrys right since he treats the Murakumos like people, Yukari is pretty normal compared to most of them and can also get annoyed by their antics so Ragna might like her (he enjoys the company of average/normal people since they aren’t too zany for his tastes), Ken is pretty mature for his age, but Junpei might get on his nerves. But also, if Ragna enters around P4 Arena time, then if he stays there a few years he could be present for the Persona 5 story, and THAT would be a fun setting to play in with Ragna.

Under Night In-Birth: it being a modern world won’t be too much of an issue, like with Persona there’ll be some culture shock but lots of the people there are also kind of weirdoes. If he ends up with the main good guys (Hyde, Linne, Waldstein, and Vatista) we can just add another guy bumming around Hyde’s house.  Helping train Hyde, spar with Wald, cook for Linne (give her actual good food and she’ll be worshiping you I bet), and Vatista May remind him of Lambda so he’d be chill around her. But another idea could be him being a mercenary like Gordeau, like maybe the two becoming friendly rivals or something (I just liked how chill he was with Ragna in BBTAG’s story oka, sue me). Also, I could totally see Hilda trying to recruit Ragna into Amnesia because she hears about him being the SS-Class criminal trying to take down the keepers of the order of his world, much like how she is trying to do to Licht Kreis, she tries to get a little flirty with him, but Ragna declines b/c 1. When he was taking on the N.O.L. he was doing it for revenge, Hilda is just doing it for shits and giggles (10 points to whoever gets that reference), 2. Ragna can totally sense danger coming to from this chick, and 3. the dude is at least smart enough not to stick his dick in crazy. He and Merkava would have an interesting conversation, Merkava being a beast with a man within, and Ragna being a man with a beast within.

RWBY: Okay this might depend on where in the timeline he’s put (Pre-Volume 3 like in BBTAG, or Pre-Volume 6 like what I’ve been thinking of), but let’s stick with the Beacon arc-like in BBTAG. The current state of the world is: Cinder and her team are in disguise as Haven students, Roman is arrested, everyone thinks the threat is gone and that the Breach was the big plan, but the Ozluminati know better and are just trying to keep the peace. Ragna is a very aggressive person and easily angered, not a good thing when dealing with Grimm, which are attracted to negative emotions. Also, may I remind you that the Grimm have no souls, and thus are immune to Ragna's Soul Eater power drive which is partially what has allowed him to be such a dangerous threat in his world. In fact, his power is WAY more suitable for fighting people, considering the Huntsmen and Huntresses powers come from their Aura which comes from their soul. Like, he just grabs them and watches that Aura meter just drop FAST. Also, I’m not sure if he’d even be able to gain Aura and a Semblance himself with the Azure Grimoire also fucking his soul up. Ironwood might just say to kill/imprison this guy before he becomes a threat while Ozpin might try and be a bit more diplomatic if he at least hears about his nicer exploits (maybe from Ruby). And no, I do not know how his Soul Eater power could be used on the Maiden Powers or Ozpin’s reincarnating soul. MAYBE it could be used to kill Salem by consuming HER immortal soul instead of just physically killing her, but I do not know if it could be used to rip the Maiden Powers out of their hosts. He and Qrow might talk about their shitty lives but when Qrow offers him a drink Ragna declines b.c Ragna’s Azure Grimoire healing factor also works on toxins (seen in the Variable Heart manga where he shrugs of Shiori’s poison), also I think Ragna views Alchohol as a bitch’s way of dealing with problems. A fight between him and Raven would be interesting also, like them giving each other lectures about family: Ragna giving Raven shit for abandoning Yang (who I assume he might bond with), while Raven says that he has no right to talk about family considering the state of HIS.

There’s probably a lot more that could happen but I can’t think of anything else atm.

I’ll be skipping Arcana Heart since A. I barely know jack fuck about that series (the second game isn't even localized), B. the main powerset in that game seems to only go to girls, which leads to C. there are NO male characters, not even side NPCs, so Ragna would stick out WAY too much.

Senran Kagura: Much like Arcana Heart I don’t know much but I looked through character descriptions and some basic plot summaries here and there (mostly from TVTropes so please forgive me if I fuck something up, which I will) , so I at least get the BASIC gist of things going on. The only place I could think of Ragna going is him looking after or palling around with the Homura Crimson Squad. He isn’t one to join some big organization (the Good Ninja side won’t accept him after his MASSIVE body count in his world, and the Hebijo guys are way too intense), and depending on the timeline he could either help protect the Crimson Squad from the Hebijo team out to kill them for deserting, or he also likes to be independent and train/fight his own way. He could help Homura train for her next fight with her rival Asuka (plus she’ll be a fan of his meat cooking). He might try to get Yomi to add some more variety to her food instead of bean sprouts (cue fight). Hikage might freak him out since she looks like almost a female Hazama/Terumi, but she also struggles with socializing and likes to cook for her friends so after the initial awkwardness they might get along. Mirai hates being ignored so this might cause some annoyance to Ragna, but she’s also a bully victim. I could see him being annoyed by her but then later sees her getting picked on and his big-brother instinct kicks in and he helps, then they gain a sort of understanding. Haruka is the real beast here, the dominatrix sadist scientist who wants to make people her dolls, so Ragna might need to step up a bit to keep her under control (like I said I only know the bare minimum, she might not actually be that bad post-character development but I don’t know). Finally, just for the sake of it, I’m not too sure where on the power scale Ragna would fall in the SK universe. The most powerful person there is Sayuri/Jasmine, with I think Rin and Daidōji both sharing the second strongest spot. I’ll say Ragna is around Daidōji and Rin’s level because Sayuri/Jasmine would most likely be like Jubei level. Also because the power scaling in Blazblue is absurd so comparing the Shinobi (of whom only a few have unique powers) to the Blazblue cast (who have magical weapons and reality-fucking powers) is kind of unfair, plus it gives Ragna a sort of cap so he won’t be too unstoppable in this world. Finally, not too keen on shipping. I’ve been using the “half your age plus seven” rule of dating so to not make things weird, Ragna is 22 in my HC and the minimum age is 18 (lots of people say once your over 18 you can date whoever you want that’s older, but........no), but while a few girls in SK are 18 they are still in high school (the birthdays and ages don’t match up with their school years, and that angers me) so.....no, he just has a big brother instinct for the Crimson Squad.

I’ll also skip Akatsuki Blitzkampf b/c A. Like Arcana Heart above I barely know the story, and B. What little I have seen of the story isn’t.......much. Story Isn’t exactly a big factor in this series.

Lemme know what you guys think Ragna would get up to in these other worlds. I might add to this if another series is added to BBTAG.

[tickleraptorss]

Alright ya DORK. Tell us abt your Sword Game headcannons

👀 IM JUST GONNA DUMP HEADCANONS FOR THE WHOLE XENOBLADE PARTY BC HE IS A SMALL MAN IF YALL DONT MIND

shulk

easily the most ticklish of the entire party. also easily the most lee of the party.

he has a really squeaky laugh when you get to his super bad spots!! also just a very generally happy-sounding laugh. it’s so pure

he curls up and blushes so much when u tickle him. he crinkles his nose nd stuff nd it’s just v pure

his worst spots are his tummy, under his arms and his feets!! he’s also particularly ticklish on his lower ribs.... 

he is ticklish literally everywhere. you could tickle his like. elbows. and he’d be laughing

reyn LOVES tickling shulk. he loves shulk’s laugh so much that he’ll take almost every opportunity to tickle him. 

in fact, the entire party likes tickling him. shulk’s sad a lot so the other party members like to cheer him up with tickles :)

or they just tickle him bc. they can.

shulk doesn’t ler very often. he can only tickle reyn bc if he tried to go for anyone else he’d regret it immediately

he does more of that. observational teasing. stuff like “oh, you’re really ticklish here, huh?” 

although with reyn he uses teases like “c’mon, i know you wanna laugh! where’s that bright smile of yours, hm?~”

he once tried to get revenge on fiora. that went  horribly

sometimes he’ll get visions of tickle attacks from the party and he. can’t really do anything about it. thanks for nothing, monado

just. a very tickly boy

reyn

he’s very ticklish, especially on his belly. but don’t tell anyone or he’ll kill you

he’s mostly a ler, well, he prefers being a ler anyway

anyone who isn’t shulk can challenge him and win pretty easily bc he’s so damn ticklish

his laugh is so cackly and it’s also full of snorts!! a lot of protesting and blushing too bc he’s big embarrassed 

he just kinda collapses when you tickle him. his instinct is to curl in on himself and try to keep himself from laughing but he’s. very bad at that. 

also. he wears a crop top. you are Asking for tickles young man

yes you show off your cool six pack but is it worth it (its not)

he’s very weak to cutesy/childish teasing,, it makes him v embarrassed bc he’s supposed to be a tough man but he’s just Dying at shulk whispering “tickle tickle~” in his ear ghdjkfg

raspberries are his ultimate weakness he can’t stand them. shulk uses that to his advantage. 

as a ler, reyn is very silly!!! he loves playful wrestling and pinning his lee down nd just. going to town

he also loves tickl games. like he’ll have the lee try to keep their arms up while he tickls them nd stuff like that. or see how long they can last without laughing. Bro we are Tickle Games

he tickles shulk the most often, obviously. he’ll try and sneak up on the others sometimes, but that backfires on him 90% of the time.

while he’s cuddling with shulk sometimes he’ll just softly tickle him to see him curl up and giggle nd he thinks it’s super adorable (bc it is) 

fiora

the ultimate ler of the party. she’s an unstoppable force. 

you cannot tickle her and get away with it. hell, even if you try within about 10 seconds you will be on the receiving end

she’s teasy as hell, and she’s got the perfect voice for it too. if you’ve heard her voice you’ll know what i mean

she adores using those childish teases. the stuff like ‘kitchy kitchy koo~’ and she calls herself the tickle monster nd stuff and A

she tickles e v e r y o n e. no one is safe. she is a literal tickle monster

you can’t run from her bc she’ll chase you. you can’t hide bc she’ll find you. she’s a very determined ler and if she decides you deserve to be tickled, she’s not stopping until it happens

if she sees one of the party members sulking she’ll just waltz right up behind them, poke them in the sides and give them a lil warning

sometimes there’s no warning at all and she just straight up starts tickling them out of seemingly nowhere

“i heard someone could use a visit from the tickle monster~” fIORA STOP YOU’RE GOING TO KILL ALL OF THEM

she probably tickles melia the most often bc she wuvs making her birb gf smile!!

she’s rarely a lee. if she ever does get tickled it’s bc she let you do it

melia’s rly the only one who gets to tickle fiora.

lmao one time reyn and shulk teamed up to get revenge on fiora and despite it being 2v1 uh. Fiora easily won that battle

this is longer than i wanted but listen i fuckign love one (1) gal

sharla

def more of a ler and the least ticklish out of everyone in the party. 

she has Big Sister energy 

she’s rly playful like reyn!! she doesn’t do games like reyn does but she just has a v playful energy when she tickles

she has tons of experience from tickling juju (her lil bro!) so she Knowes how to deal w squirmy lees

she’s also very strong, so she can pin her lee down pretty easily

she’s rly close to fiora and melia. she’s like their cool adoptive big sister. squad goals.

sometimes she nd fiora team up to cheer up melia when she’s feeling sad!!!

she also likes tickling reyn bc the way he reacts to tickling is just super funny to her.

she doesn’t tease all that much tbh, but she’ll laugh along with her lee!! 

she’ll comment on the lee’s laugh sometimes too, especially if it’s squeaky (bye shulk)

it’s hard to challenge her bc she isn’t all that ticklish, but she’s got a select few bad spots.

her legs are mostly p bad, with w her knees being the worst spot.

she cannot handle knee squeezes she will probably die and then kill you with her..... gun that heals people

her laugh is surprisingly loud for how Not Ticklish she is. maybe it’s bc she’s not rly used to it? it’s a mystery!

she  might kick you so maybe don’t... tickle her for too long.

dunban

despite being fiora’s older brother he falls victim to her attacks very often.

he’s a true switch probably, mainly bc fiora tickles him so often. 

he likes to tickl reyn nd shulk a lot bc he’s like their SUPER RAD OLDER BROTHER

he used to be a very good ler, but now that he can only use one arm, he’s lost a bit of his skill

he has no problem with taking shulk and reyn down a few notches, however he cannot defeat his sister anymore

he constantly tries to get back at fiora for all the times she’s tickled him but he’s just in denial that she’s become a more threatening tickle monster than him :(

but he’s proud of fiora for being Feared for that

he’s like “i taught her well :)”

he’s a lot more ticklish than he seems

his worst spots are his ribs and leggies!! he’s not too good at fighting his attacker off though because he. can only use one arm

he has a more gruffy laugh. doesn’t really squeak all that much unless you manage to catch him off guard

dunban is cool and also he looks like alucard from castlevania lol

melia

is it birb time? i think it’s birb time

didn’t really know what tickling rly was before she met shulk and co. like, she knew of it but that was the extent of her knowledge.

it wasn’t until she met fiora that she found out that she was, indeed, very ticklish.

her worst spots are her neck and ears, and probably around her shoulders too!

going for her neck makes her scrunch her shoulders up nd hide her face behind her wings its so cute

speaking of which, her wings are also very ticklish!! gently stroking them will make her giggle

she has a like. musical laugh. it’s v melodical?? idk how to describe it it’s just Very Pretty and fiora adores it

melia would be more of a ler if she wasn’t dating the world’s greatest tickle monster

she tickles shulk quite often, actually! fiora usually watches from the sidelines and tells her which spots are the most effective.

melly’s an observational teaser. she usually doesn’t mean to be teasy, but her tone makes it come across as such

over time she eventually learned how to be good at teasing from fiora and she’s almost as unstoppable as fiora.

keyword: almost

she’s still pretty weak

she just tends to curl up when tickled. she doesn’t rly fight back all that much bc she thinks its kinda fun!!

riki

local party dad and is canonically covered in feathers

he’s v ler!! but like,, in a cool dad way. he tickles the others when they’re down so that they can feel a lil better

he’s just a big ol fluffball who loves seeing his adopted children happy and smiling!

he technically has two pairs of hands - his lil stubby ones and his big ol ear hands!! he can tickle with both at the same time

when the other party members are holding him if he notices that they’re sad he’ll go “>:3c its time for tickles!”

he just kinda pounces on the others when he tickles them. they can’t really fight him bc he’s so small and agile

riki is also ticklish!! he has a v ticklish tummy

tickling him will make him let out these lil purr-like giggles and its v pure. 

riki doesn’t mind being tickled! if it makes the others happy, then he’s happy too!!!

psst... his ears are also mega ticklish

when he teases he’ll mostly go for the Cursed phrases bc he’s so used to using those on his kids!! it’s only natural he’d do the same for his new Adopted children

[queencamellia]

Daily Life of the Midfords

A/N: This was originally written for @wife-of-queens-watchdog for the @faustianexchange (make sure to join this next year!), but I switched prompts midway for a sweet Cielizzy fic. I stumbled upon this again and decided to finish it lol. :3

Timeline: Sometime after the Public School arc & before the Green Witch arc.

Victorian England particularly stresses the importance of social etiquette. “One must always conduct themselves in such a behavior befitting of one’s class,” one of his mother’s friends once told Edward, patting his cheek with her gaudy pink fan. “You’re a good, proper boy. Nothing like my rascal of a son.”

The Midfords, to the majority of Victorian elite, are always kind, cordial, and charming despite their superior monetary status. Their manners are impeccable, and their comments rarely elicit any sort of resentment or dislike. They are, as many whisper, the shining example of true Victorian nobles.

“How proper she is,” they whisper of Francis Midford, unbeknowning of the calculating nature and mild distaste behind the former Phantomhive’s cordial compliments. “A good wife that has done her duty in raising two marvellous children.”

“How sweet and delicate she is,” they whisper of Elizabeth Midford, unaware of the steel warrior underneath the dimpled smiles, the swords beneath her petticoats, and even the loyal knight underneath her princess-like conduct. “She would make a nice and docile wife for my son.”

“How strong he is,” they whisper of Alexis Midford, ignorant of his father’s true strength (his heart) and fooled by his genial and lighthearted nature. “He is our knight.”

“How kind he is,” they whisper of Edward himself, oblivious of the ruthless measures he can (will) take for the sake of his family. “He will make England proud, someday.”

Edward is aware of all of these whispers, but follows his parents’ precedent and feigns ignorance anyways. Although it’s considered more of an “unrefined” American game, his father once taught him how to play poker. Edward knows better than to reveal his cards before the game’s over.

He is sitting ramrod-straight in front of an ornate rosewood table. Placed in front of him is the possibly the most traditional of English breakfasts: back bacon, eggs, British sausage, and various fried vegetables. To his right is a servant perched over the coffee table, pouring another cup of coffee for his father. Edward’s father always drinks coffee at breakfast, to his mother’s everlasting annoyance.

It’s relaxing to be around his family again. Their presence is comforting; it helps Edward cope with what would forever be known as the “incident” amongst Edward and his fellow Weston College prefects. Ciel had told him that he wouldn’t turn out like the former Weston prefects, pointing out Edward’s guilty conscience as evidence. Unfortunately, his cousin’s words weren’t enough to assuage Edward’s fears.

I could’ve ended up like them. I would have acted just as blindly, just as recklessly, and definitely just as foolish if Ciel hadn’t revealed the truth. Edward’s realization that day had shaken him to his very foundation, but spending time with his family drives away his fears. His family is his anchor: his mother’s stern looks and sister’s bright countenance ground him.

“We forgot to congratulate you,” his father says suddenly, setting down his coffee mug, “...about your promotion to prefect.”

There are many words left unsaid. Edward is certain that his parents know there is more to the story. Ciel’s presence at the boarding school definitely fueled their suspicions.

“Sir?” Edward asks immediately, then flushes a bright red. It’s nearly instinctual to call older men ‘sir’ thanks to Weston’s strict protocols. “Thank you, Father,” he amends, fixtating his gaze on his plate awkwardly. He thought himself past the phase of teenage gangliness, but he supposes he is wrong. It’s somewhat humiliating; Edward Midford is supposed to be strong and bold, not diffident and gauche.

He stabs at a slice of bacon with his fork, a feeble attempt at distracting himself from the awkward atmosphere that has enveloped the dining room. Alexis Midford, for all of his strengths, has never been one to talk about feelings: that role had always been allotted to Lizzy.

Speaking of his sister, Lizzy is beaming at the pair, most likely pleased that they are on slightly better terms. After being defeated by Ciel in the cricket match, Edward’s father hadn’t been angry with him, per say, but Edward’s been unable to look at his father properly in the eye since, despite his father’s multiple talks about how failure makes one stronger.

His sister clears her throat, catching their family’s attention and eliciting a stern look from their mother. “One of the servants brought to my attention that there’s a new comedy showing at St. James’ Theatre.”

“Lady Windermere’s Fan?” Their father asks, his face breaking out into an attractive grin that Edward knows he has inherited. “Why,  I was just talking to Viscount Arbuthnott of the matter.”

“It sounds horribly improper,” Francis sniffs. “A man running off to have a love affair with his wife’s mother, for shame.”

“You mean you wouldn’t attempt to elope with our dear Ciel?” Their father teases, his comment instantly infuriating his wife.

“Alexis!” she rebukes sharply, but when their father lays a hand down gently on hers, her sharp look softens. Edward and Lizzy exchange uncomfortable looks as their parents gaze at each other with sickeningly sweet adoration. Edward briefly wonders how the prudish aristocrats would react if they witnessed such...well, as Lizzy says, “lovey-dovey” exchanges between his parents.

To Edward’s immense relief, Lizzy clears her throat, cutting off their parents’ blatant adoration of each other and drawing their attention to her. “Mother, Father? I was hoping to attend the play with a few...friends.”

Their mother has always been quick-witted, immediately noting Lizzy’s aversion of aforementioned friends’ names. “Of whom are you speaking of, Lizzy?”

“W-well, Ciel will be there,” Lizzy says brightly. She’s oblivious of the way their parents’ eyes sharpen. “And I have kept a healthy correspondence with several of the boys we’ve met at Weston during the cricket tournament.”

“So they’re all boys?” Alexis demands, managing to sound both like a British knight and like an overprotective, clingy father at the same time.

“Well, Earl Grey and Earl Phipps should be attending,” Lizzy responds cheerfully. “Don’t fret so much, Father! They can keep an eye on us.”

The mention of Double Charles definitely does not comfort Alexis Midford in the slightest way. “More boys?”

“...Nina may accompany me,” Lizzy suggests meekly, sensing both Edward’s and his father’s growing consternation. Her offer doesn’t assuage Edward’s suspicions (he’s not going to let a bunch of little punks hang around his precious little sister, dammit), but their father relaxes. Lizzy senses her opening and pounces. “I’ve really been looking forward to this outing, Father,” she insists emphatically, pulling all stops -- pleading eyes, pursed lips, and all. “May I please go?”

Their father visibly wilts as he acquiesces, “Take Paula and invite one of your female companions along.”

“Father!” Edward protests immediately, but his sister is already out of her seat.

Beaming, she hurries over to their father, pressing kisses to both of his cheeks and giving him an affectionate hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squeals, emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. “Oh, this will be so much fun!” She then turns to Edward, staring at him innocently. “Is something the matter, big brother?”

He can’t bear to extinguish the light in her eyes. “Nothing,” he grinds out. “When do you plan to attend the theatre?”

“Tomorrow evening,” Lizzy admits, giving her brother an affectionate pat on the shoulder and pressing a kiss to her mother’s cheek before bounding off to her room, dismissing herself from their meal. Lizzy has always been an unstoppable whirlwind of surprises, but this time he still needs a few more minutes to process exactly what had occurred.

“...Edward,” Francis says, taking a sip of tea.

His mother’s voice is cold, commanding, and undoubtedly Phantomhive. Edward unconsciously straightens his spine. “Yes, Mother?” His heart pounds with hope that they will grant him permission. Alexis is giving her a similar hopeful expression.

Francis Midford nee Phantomhive gives him a slow, serious look. “...make sure you watch over sister.”

Edward beams. Parental approval granted. “Of course!”

“Is your brother not coming?”

Lizzy blinks, then turns around with a half-upturned smile. “Earl Grey,” she greets, curtsying. The formal gesture irritates the Queen’s butler, judging by the prevalent scowl on his face. “Unfortunately, my brother had prior arrangements,” she says regretfully. Although she loves Edward Midford to the moon and back, she doesn’t want him to use his precious vacation time chaperoning her to a play. Edward never likes such productions, anyways.

Earl Grey gives her a measured look, his silver eyes darting to her left where other nobles are engaging in conversation. “Hm. Is that so?” he mutters mainly to himself, shrugging and shoving his hands in his pockets. “Well, his loss. Wilde’s works are usually decent.”

Lizzy visibly perks up. “You read Wilde’s works?”

“His poems, mostly.”

Lizzy brightens.

(Disguised as Cheslock’s nonexistent cousin, Edward laughs along with some of his companions’ jokes as he glares daggers at Earl Grey for being so close to his little sister. For Heaven’s sake, where was that man’s propriety? Nobody needed to be that close to discuss literature, dammit--)

“Oh, good evening, Earl Phipps,” Lizzy chirps, skipping over to the other silver-haired noble.

“Lady Midford,” Phipps greets, bowing his head in respect.

Lizzy giggles and swats at his arm with a fan. “Lady Midford is my mother. Please, just call me ‘Lizzy.’”

“As you wish, Lady Lizzy. Please, just call me Phipps.”

(Edward glowers. How dare such a man act so casually with his little sister!)

“Cieeeeeeeeeel!”

“Lizzy!” Ciel groans, prying her off. She purposefully slackens her grip so he can push her off and frowns at him.

“Aren’t you happy to see your cute fiance?” comes Grey’s voice, amused and almost accusing.

“Cute?” Lizzy repeats, indignant as she places a hand on her hips and flips her hair, the epitome of grace. Obviously. “I’ll have you know, earl, that I am pretty and beautiful. Ciel’s cute.”

Ciel squawks, turning red. “Elizabeth,” Ciel hisses, cheeks burning. “Enough.”

“I mean, look at his smile! Oh, and his ears are so red. Ne, ne, Ciel? I have a new outfit in mind that would suit you well.”

“Are there ruffles?”

“...no…”

“Ribbons?”

“...no…”

“Frills.”

“...maybe a little…” Lizzy pouts. “You’re no fun. Come on, Ciel: let’s enjoy the play to its fullest!”

“I didn’t want to come to the play,” grumbles Ciel. His eyes, however, speak differently.

(Cheslock has to physically restrain Edward from approaching the pair to pummel Ciel to the ground for speaking so callously to his precious little sister.)

“Mother! Father!” Lizzy flies into the sitting room, shrieking in a rather unladylike way. Her parents indulge her, regardless, and hold out their arms for a group hug. “The play was amazing,” she babbled. “We must attend it together, sometime. I think you will enjoy it, Mother. The actors were perfect for their roles. Oh, where’s Edward?”

“Here, Lizzy,” Edward says, appearing in the doorway. Her brother smiles gently at her and ruffles her hair as she launches forward to give him a hug. “So you liked the play? Did any of those ruffians try to pull anything on you?”

“Honestly, brother,” Lizzy huffs, giggling. “You worry too much. I almost thought that you’d come to whisk me away during intermission.”

Edward twitches. “And have you miss the second act? I think not,” he laughs. Her brother is much too considerate and kind, but Lizzy doesn’t mind. If anyone tries to cross their family and spit on his kindness, her sabres are ready.

“I would’ve liked to have Ciel come for dinner, but everyone seemed like they were in a hurry to leave,” Lizzy pouts. Unbeknownst to her, Edward gives a nod towards their parents and mouths “mission accomplished” behind her back. “Dinner after a play sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

“How about this, then? We’ll all go see a play of your choice at the week’s end,” their father suggests genially. “Family is important, and we should do something together before Edward leaves for Weston.”

“Yes!” Lizzy cheers, embracing their father wholeheartedly.

Edward laughs, glancing to his side to look at his mother. Although she portrays herself as a cold woman, he can easily discern her telltale signs of contentedness.

“Happy, mother?” Edward asks quietly as they watch the raucous father-daughter duo laugh and chatter.

Francis Midford exhales, a genuine smile curving across her lips. “Of course.”

[darkdevasofdestruction]

W-WELL...*coughs* well please do what you want 😂😂

Right away,dear~Kimiko Jones x Jacob FryeRaven/Kangee x Connor KenwayKitsune x Altair

———-

Raven and Kitsune were both lying on the fluffy carpet,bored out of their mind,and listening to Lana del Rey songs in the dark room and singing along,seductively.

Kitsu:Hey,cuz?Raven:Hm?Kitsu:*giggles*Remember your first kiss?Raven:*snorts*Could I not?Kitsu:T'was funny,huh?Raven:Great circumstances.Kitsu:*winks*Bet that was the best kiss you’ve ever had.Raven:And the only one.Kitsu:Eh?!You and Connor didn’t kiss yet?Raven:Did you and Altaïr?Kitsu:*chuckles*Got me,cuz.Raven:I don’t really mind,y'know.I’m ace.Kitsu:Ye,but I want to get that dumb Arab!I need to see his reactions!He’s always so stoic and conposed,it’s pissing me off!Raven:*smirks*Get Malik to flirt with you.Maybe he’ll get jealous.Kitsu:N I C E !Raven:Need help?I mean,I could seduce you right now,but I’m not sure it’ll be as effective.Kitsu:*giggles*I wonder if Connor would get jealous~?Raven:*shakes head*Nah…He’d think I’m not interested in him and back off.Kitsu:Pity.Maybe I can get him to make the 1st step~?Raven:I’m not desperate,Kitsu.Now let’s go see how we can talk to Malik…and stop having sexual fantasies while listening to West Coast.Kitsu:But it’s making me feel so high and nice!Raven:Yeah,I get you.Kitsu:Like the high feeling too,huh~?Raven:Otherwise I wouldn’t listen while tipsy and smoking a joint.Kitsu:Fair point.Let’s go~!

They both left the room and found Malik sitting alone on the couch with Ezio,playing video games.

Raven:Just the men I was looking for.Ezio:Mia bella,ciao~!Raven:I’ve a…favour to ask of you.Ezio:And that is?Raven:I need Malik to flirt with Kitsune and make Altair jealous.

They both cheered in shock and agreed,letting Kitsu stay between them both,with Malik’s arm draped around her,and her legs resting over his lap.They both held a seductive smirk.Just as Raven giggled in amusement,Kim strutted to the living room,looking annoyed.

Raven:Hey,Kim,wanna prank J.J. and have Ezio flirt with you until he becomes J.J.Jealous?Kim:*shocked*Wait what?Raven:Kitsu’s already having her plan unfold.It’s your turn.Kim:Hellz ye!That smug bastard deserves it!Raven:Then get to the Casa Nova and let the plan flourish.

She started jumping excitedly and jumped clumsily next to Ezio,throwing her legs over his,but less classy,like Kitsu,and more playful,and started giggling and making jokes with said Italian.

——-

Seeing her plan growing,she puts Lana’s hot songs to boom around the room loud and clear,to set up the mood.She left the room,to go back to her room,when she met up with Connor,who was engrossed in a book and didn’t notice her,bumping into her.

Connor:Kangee,I’m sorry,I wasn’t paying attention.Raven:Don’t worry,it’s fine.What were you reading?Connor:Oh,the title says ‘Lord if the rings’.It’s the first volume.Raven:*smirks*You went to my room,dear~?Connor:*nods*I was looking for you.Raven:Oh~?Then let’s return and see what you wish to tell me.

They returned to her dim-lit room,that still had a strong sweet scent from the many lit scented candles in the room,and Lana’s songs weren’t helping either.She sat on the bed and pat the spot next to her making him sit next to her.He seemed oddly flustered and more awkward than usual.She took his hand and intertwined their fingers together and looked at him with a soft smile.

Raven:So,what was it you wanted to tell me?Connor:I uh…the Frye boy…he asked me something when we were alone…he asked me to ask you a favour,actually.Raven:*surprised*Eh?What does he need?Is it about Kim?Connor:*nods*It is.Raven:*smirks*Oh,I know very well what it is,then~.Connor:Then,should I tell him something?Raven:No,don’t bother.Let’s just say…I already helped him.Connor:How?Did you use your shamanism powers?Raven:*giggles*Maybe~?Connor:You’re truly remarkable.Raven:*bites lip*Did you ask him something too,darling~?Connor:*shocked*H-How did you…?Raven:*gets closer to him*I’m a powerful Shaman,remember?Our feelings are connected.I feel what you feel,Connor~.Now,is there something you wish to say,dear?Connor:Um…I’m…not good at understanding feelings.Raven:But are you good at showing them~?

By this time,the girl could no longer hide her smirk upon seeing her unofficial lover be so innocently awkward and flustered.She wanted to push the subject as much as she could,seeing how much she could tease him until he gave in.

Connor:Kangee…you…remind me of a young lioness,prowling and spying her pray.Raven:Are you the pray,Connor~?Connor:I may be.Raven:Are you afraid,Connor~?Connor:If it’s you,then I am not.Raven:And what are you going to do?Run away?Connor:Perhaps not.Perhaps,you should run,before it’s too late.Raven:And why should I?Connor:Because the pray is not as helpless as it seems to be.Raven:Then,what are you going to do?Fight back?Connor:Would you wish for that to happen?Raven:Purrhaps~.

With a devilish feline smirk still on her face,she purred the last word dangerously low in his ear,which made him lose sense of his calm and collected nature,and gave in to his feelings.One hand on her waist,pulling her closer to him,and the other on her face,feeling her pale,delicate skin and,her hands both around his neck,they both closed their eyes and indulged in a soft,gentle kiss…the kiss that they’ve been longing for since the very beginning.She used her slender fingers to untie his pony tail,then pushed him back on the bed,staring lovingly deep into each other’s deep dark eyes that held nothing but passion.He held a permanent gentle smile,as she let her hair drape over his face,then playfully meow-ed and softly bit his lip.He held her close to him,embracing her warmly,playing with her hair and humming

Connor:Kangee,I should tell you something.Raven:Yes,Connor?Connor:Konoronhkwa,Kangee.Konoronhkwa.Raven:*chuckles*I love you too,Connor.Even if it’s not going to be for a long time and even if you won’t return,I still will.Now and forever.Connor:Now and forever.I will make sure to return.Nothing will keep me away from you.Raven:*smirks*Maybe only a young lioness.Connor:*chuckles*I’ve killed enough to know I’ll survive.Raven:Uh~.So dangerous,please don’t kill me.Connor:Won’t dream of it.

—-

Meanwhile, the 2 pairs of pranksters were actually enjoying the (partially) fake flirting.That is,until a certain British man came and got shocked at the display in front of him.He was scared that the Italian might have charmed his crush and he couldn’t let that happen!HE is the Unstoppable Jacob Frye!HE is the Master Prankster!And most important-HE loves Kim!He started making a strate-…Ha,nice joke.Don’t make it again.Jacob and plans?Grandma and the rifle.Ha.That’s Evie,not him.What he did was strut up to them confidently,with the best mischievous smirk,and cleared his throat.

Jacob:Hey Kimi~!Kim:Yes,J.J.~?Jacob:Wanna prank Altair?Kim:Hmmm…I dunno…I was having a nice conversation here…Jacob:*puppy face*C'mooon,Kimi~!You can have a nice conversation with me too,while we annoy that guy!Y'know you want it~!Kim:Hmm…fine,you got me!Leggo,British Frye!Jacob:My Lady~.

He kissed her hand and pulled her towards the kitchen,where Altair was enjoying a cup of coffee.He whispered the plan in her ear,making her shiver at the closeness and the intensity of his sexy baritone voice,which made her bite her lip and blush a bit.He hid around the outer corner of the room,while she carried out the prank,making the Arab’s coffee explode all over him,making him angry and chase the giggly girl.(Un)fortunately for her,she skipped to make the turn around the corner just as Jacob came out of his hiding spot,which resulted in a collision and Kim on top of Jacob,kissing.When they realized what was happening they both gasped in surprise and embarrassment,while Altair simply smirked and chuckled,going to change into clean clothes.

The redness on their cheeks was easily highlighted due to their pale skin,which made it all the more adorable in each other’s eyes,but it was too difficult for the troublemakers to utter any word,apart from incoherent apologies.

Getting a burst of confidence,he smirked faintly and put a hand at the back of her head,and kissed her again playfully,then gazed at her flustered face,enjoying every bit of it,then hugged her tightly.The girl was a blushing mess,so embarrassed that she almost fainted.

Jacob:Oh,toots,didn’t know you had a crush on me~!Kim:Shut up,you smug bastard!Jacob:By the likes of it,I think you sooo did~!Kim:Shut up!Don’t be silly!Jacob:There you weren’t trying to make me jealous,toots?Kim:Eh…eh…Eh?!Jacob:*winks*A little Italian bird told me.Kim:*gasps*That jerk,Auditore!!I’ll kill him!Jacob:Naaah,toots.If it weren’t for him,we wouldn’t be together.Kim:To-Together?Jacob:Oh yeah,right,I forgot to ask.Will you be my eternal pranking companion,toots~?Kim:But I’m the Pranking Master!Jacob:You’re the Pranking Queen,and I’m the King.YOUR King.Kim:Let’s see if you deserve that title,kid.Jacob:Kid?!I’m older than you!Kim:*sticks tongue out*Not by much.Jacob:*pouts*C'mon,toots!Prank time!

With glee sparkling in her eyes,she jolted up and ran to get her pranking kit.Behind her,Jacob held a smug smirk on his face,happy with his accomplishment.That damn girl made his heart skip a beat everytime he saw her.This love has surely taken its toll on him.

—–

In the meantime,Kitsune and Malik forgot they were supposed to flirt,and just discussed Assassin missions in each country and era,their huge differences and they talked and talked,until Malik sighed.

Malik:I don’t think that idiot can get jealous.Kitsu:Oh riiiiight.I totally forgot why I came here.It’s too great talking to you.Malik:*chuckles*I know I’m great,little fox,but we’ll have to see how we can get that bastard see you.Kitsu:*shrugs*I could just sneak up on him and strike.Malik:That could work.Good luck,Foxy.Kitsu:*winks*I don’t need it.I make my own luck.

She silently and swiftly made her way to Altair’s room and saw the door half open.She knew it was time to strike.Being small and thin,she managed to get through the door without opening it further,and she saw the Arab in cause was going to throw the shirt in the laundry basket.She quickly hid under the bed and tried to study his moving pattern.That is until,instead of getting out of the room,he went to bed,to watch TV.The girl silently jaw-dropped annoyed,having to stay hidden,till she came with a brilliant idea.She used the sheathe of her katana to touch his foot,grabbing his attention.Once.Twice.Thrice.Until she finally managed to gain his attention,by making him stand up and look under the bed-Only to find nothing underneathe.The fox girl was,unbeknownst to him,on his bed,ready to strike.And she did,by jumping on him as soon as he raised up,making him stumble backwards in shock,with the knife to his attacker’s throat,whilst he himself had a dagger to their throat.The girl giggled,drawing back her dagger and sheathing it,as the man rolled his eyes,letting his knife drop to the floor.

Altair:What are you doing here.Kitsu:I got bore~d.You?Altair:It’s my room.I don’t remember inviting you here.Kitsu:*smirks*Memory loss?Altair:Not in the slightest.Kitsu:Such a pity~Altair:None at all.Kitsu:You’re hurting me,Altair.Deeply.Deeper than the Mariana Trench.Altair:I’d add salt if I could.Kitsu:You’re salty enough.Altair:Huh?Kitsu:Oops~.Modern expression.Nevermind~!Altair:Can you get off now?Kitsu:What,you don’t have enough strength to carry a 40 kilo girl?

He didn’t even blink and he took the girl just like Rafiki took Simba,then put her down,all while she was holding the most confused face.

Kitsu:How mean!Altair:Says the one invading my privacy.Kitsu:It’s not nice to talk like that to short people!Altair:And what would you expect me to do?Kitsu:On your knees,bitch.Altair:You wish.

The girl clicked her tongue,then jumped again in him,this time circling his torso with her legs,and resting her hands on his shoulders,looking at him from above and smirking.

Kitsu:Who’s the tall one now,huh?Altair:Still me.

He sighed and went to the bed,lowering her on it,then looked at her again.

Kitsu:How rude.Altair:You know what else is rude?Kitsu:You?Altair:You,teasing me.Kitsu:Eh?

He then got on the other side of the bed and put his hands on her face,slowly leaning down to kiss her.Needless to say,she was shocked,but she giggled,and while kissing him,she stole his Assassin necklace and bolted out of the room,with him on her tail,cursing in Arabic.She quickly climbed a tree outside and jumped from branch to branch.Soon enough,Altair made his was to the small forest and started looking around for the giggly girl,who striked again.She jumped down on a lower branch,then she swung down,and kissed Altair Spiderman-like.Then,she let go and started slowly dangling her fire hair around.

Kitsu:*smirks*By fire,be purged,bitch.Altair:If it’s your fire,I’d get purged every damn day.Kitsu:Oh my,since when are you such a charmer?Altair:Fate has brought me a gift to be cherished.Kitsu:A gift that you don’t want to hug and keep close?Altair:Come here.

He gently put his hands in her waist,and as she let herself fall off the branch,he caught her holding her bridal style.

Kitsu:Not bad~.Altair:I know.

With that,she threw her arms arounds his neck and started kissing him playfully,nibbling on his scar from time to time and teasing him.

With that all 3 ships have officially sailed.

[clarenecessities]

12/10/17

Went to the end of quarter party for Emma's class despite not being in the program, enjoyed myself immensely Spent the first half desperately scouring the internet for a screenshot of a particular TDF villain but eventually resigned myself to just getting my own when we got home (which I did). Played some fun party games & learned a lot of intimate details about people's lives, most notably that Kaitlyn, who I knew possessed a long list of ailments, happens to also have spina bifida! So that's cool, not so much for her but like. Cool that we found each other ✌🏻️idt I've ever met somebody else who has it, let alone somebody im already friends with. Also he left leg is fucked in the same way my right leg is fucked, so together we have a fully functioning pair a' gams! We're unstoppable Oh and I... may or may not be related to her fiancé, which would be both very unlikely statistically speaking & pretty unfortunate bc I don't like him? He doesn't treat her v well imo. I don't want a shitty brother. She's gonna check w him so I guess we'll find out :/ I have to say, this is not how I imagined my schrodinger's sibling/s thing would resolve itself

[saribells]

92 Truths Tag Game

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 92 truths about you. At the end choose people to be tagged.

I was tagged by @monstermashpotato  thank you!!!! ;)   

Last: 

Last drink: water! stay hydrated! 

Last phone call: Dalay

Last text message: Dalay XD

Last song you listened to: ammm Lianne La Havas - Unstoppable i think??

Last time i cried: I don´t remember, could happen any time tho 

Have you ever: que? no he hecho nada malo, o si? XD

Dated someone twice: nope

Been cheated on: nope

Kissed someone and regretted it: nope, I haven't had my first kiss yet  

Lost someone special: yeah

Been depressed: yesssss

Been drunk and thrown up: nope, I don´t like to drink

In the past year have you: been more good on school...

Made a new friend: yeah!

Fallen out of love: no

Laughed until you cried: my life XD

Met someone who changed you: Maybe

Found out who your true friends are: I have always know

Found out someone was talking about you: I know everything...;)

General:

How many people on tumblr do you know in real life: none

Do you have any pets: A lovely cat!! and a lovebird and the faster turtle I have ever seen

Do you want to change your name: nah

What time did you wake up this morning: 6:00 I blame you school!!

What were you doing last night: homework like always 

Name something you cannot wait for: Halloween and December... for obvious reason of course XD  

Have you talked to a person named Tom: Tomas cuenta??

Whats getting on your nerves rn: homework, ya me tiene hasta la!!.....

Blood type: O+

Nickname: Saris, Sari, Beth, Morra 

Relationship status: single but happy XD

Zodiac sign: Capricorn!

Pronouns: she/her

Favorite show: I don´t watch a lot of shows but I think is Gravity Falls

College: 2 years more to be there I guess??

Hair colour: dark brunette (it´s that a hair color??)

Do you have a crush on someone: nope

What do you like about yourself: everything!!!!! I don`t know XD

First: 

First surgery: never had one

First piercing: never had one

First sport you joined: volley ball!

First vacation: USA!

First pair of sneakers: I can’t possibly remember that XD

Eating: I don`t know, I didn´t like baby food

Drinking: probably milk?

I’m about to: do homework, and cry while doing it!

Listening to:  W. E. Soundtrack- Abel Korzeniowski

Want kids: maybe

Get married: maybe

Career: hopefully an actress or an archaeologist 

Which is better: 

Lips or eyes: both are good

Hugs or kisses: both! but more hugs!!

Shorter or taller:I like tols

Older or younger: older

Romantic or spontaneous: both are good

Sensitive or loud: sensitive plsss

Hook up or relationship: relationship

Troublemaker or hesitant: who knows? ;)

Have you ever: 

Kissed a stranger: nope

Drank hard liquor: yes

Lost glasses/contacts: I don´t use glasses or contacts

Sex on first date: common I haven´t even kissed someone XD

Broken someones heart: maybe... I do not know, and I´m sorry if I did 

Been arrested: nope, but it´s my dream 

Turned someone down: yeah

Fallen for a friend: nope

Do you believe: 

In yourself: sometimes, but yeah why not? could be fun!

Miracles: maybe

Love at first sight: yeah?

Heaven: maybe

Santa Claus: nope, es el ñiñito Dios aqui XD

Time to tag!!!!

@hoebi-wan @emmirak16 @waterlilyrose @thegirlwholived119 @coroarchenland @nessababy0612 @pupperbell @hhfirebubbles @skneez

And of course if you don´t want to it´s totally fine, I just thought it did be nice. 

[4yourexcitement]

10 years ago today we were introduced to a rag tag group of losers who, with a song in their hearts, were just looking for a place to belong as they made their way through high school in Nowhereville, Ohio. We met a young teacher trying to rediscover his passion for teaching. We came across your usual high school jocks and cheerleaders, we had our first run-in with a slightly scary, slightly crazy cheerleading coach, and we heard that iconic song for the first time closing out the episode.

Yes today marks 10 years since Glee’s pilot aired. How little we knew then the impact this show about a high school glee club that was littered with song and dance numbers that ran the gamut from top 40 pop to rap to classic rock to Broadway staples would have on our lives. And it’s not just our lives that it changed, it also changed the TV landscape… bringing musicals back to TV, opening up mainstream TV to LGBT issues, and raising awareness of issues from the value of arts education to texting and driving.

Let’s take a look at where the cast are now.

Dianna Agron – Quinn Fabray

Credit: FOX

Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images North America

Dianna became a household name as the Queen Bee head cheerleader Quinn Fabray with the seemingly picture perfect life… little did we know from that very first episode. Following her character’s high school graduation at the end of season 3, Dianna only appeared in a handful of episodes for the rest of Glee’s run. Since landing Glee, Dianna has had a number of film roles. They include The Hunters (2011), I Am Number Four (2011), The Family (2013), Zipper (2015), Bare (2015), and The Crash (2017). She also made her London theatre debut as Dahlia in the play McQueen in 2015. Dianna married Mumford & Sons’ Winston Marshall in 2016.

Chris Colfer – Kurt Hummel

Credit: FOX

Credit: Chris Colfer/Instagram

Chris was a cherub-faced 19-year-old when Ryan Murphy created the role of Kurt Hummel for him and just like his character, Chris is not taking ‘no’ for an answer and forging his own career as a storyteller. Chris won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the fashion-forward countertenor in 2011. During the Glee 2011 hiatus, Chris wrote and starred in the film Struck by Lightning. Chris adapted the film’s script into a novel, which was published in November 2012. While working on the Struck and during breaks in the Glee Live! in Concert! tour through North America, the UK and Ireland, Chris was working on his draft for The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, the first in his fantasy children’s series and earning him his first New York Times Bestseller’s list entry. The novel has spawned five sequels, two picture books and a couple of companion books, not to mention a number of other Bestseller’s list entries. It was announced last year that the first book was being adapted for film. Chris will not only serve as writer and executive producer, but will also make his directorial debut on the project. He also released his second Young Adult novel – Stranger than Fanfiction – in 2017. Although his writing has kept Chris largely busy since Glee wrapped, he has had a guest spot on Hot in Cleveland and guest starred in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.

Jane Lynch – Sue Sylvester

Credit: FOX

Credit: Andrew Toth/WireImage

When Glee debuted 10 years ago, Jane Lynch was probably the best-known cast member. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in cheer coach and Will Schuester/Glee club antagonist Sue Sylvester. Jane had some of the best one-liners throughout the series, with many still littering social media today. From 2013, Jane has hosted NBC’s game show Hollywood Game Night (on which a number of her Glee castmates have appeared) for which she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Host in 2018. That same year was also nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor for her role in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Jane executive produced and starred in the comedy web series Dropping the Soap, earning an Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series Emmy nomination for her performance. Her autobiography, Happy Accidents was published in 2011, and Jane returned to the stage, making her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan for a limited engagement in 2013 in the Annie revivial and touring her cabaret show, See Jane Sing, which debuted in 2015.

Jayma Mays – Emma Pilsbury

Credit: FOX

Credit: NBC

Jayma played the germaphobe McKinley High guidance counselor, who always had a motivational leaflet on hand for any occasion. Her infatuation with Will Schuester provided her with much angst in the first few seasons, but her patience and long-suffering was finally rewarded, notwithstanding her runaway bride escapade. Jayma starred alongside Neil Patrick Harris in the two Smurf movies and had lead roles in the TV series The Millers (2013-2015) and Trial & Error (2017-2018). Jayma and husband Adam Campbell welcomed their son, Jude in August 2016.

Kevin McHale – Artie Abrams

Credit: FOX

Credit: Roc Nation

Former boy band member, Kevin took on the role of wheelchair bound Artie Abrams. Since Glee wrapped in 2015, Kevin spent some time in the UK hosting the comedy panel show Virtually Famous for its first three seasons. He also played supporting roles in the independent film Boychoir and the docudrama miniseries When We Rise, which detailed the history of US LGBT rights advocacy from the 1970s to the 2010s. On the music front, Kevin joined fellow Glee star Darren Criss in Katy Perry’s celeb-filled video for her 2011 hit “Last Friday Night “(T.G.I.F.)” and has recently my working on new solo work, with his song “Help Me Now” released at the end of March. Kevin can also be heard every Thursday with best friend and Glee co-star Jenna Ushkowitz on their podcast Showmance – part of the Ladygang Network, of which fellow co-star Becca Tobin is co-creator of.

Lea Michele – Rachel Berry

Credit: FOX

Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Lea starred as the Broadway-obsessed, New Directions-lead diva, Rachel Berry. Following Glee’s end, Lea joined Ryan Murphy’s new Fox comedy horror series, Scream Queens. Lea played Hester Ulrich for the show’s two seasons. In 2017 she starred as Valentina Barella in ABC’s ill-fated sitcom The Mayor, which despite positive critical acclaim, was cancelled after one season. Lea made her feature film debut in 2011’s New Year’s Eve. Lea has released two studio albums: Louder (2014) and Places (2017), and has recently teased work beginning on a new album. She promoted Places in 2017 with the mini tour An Intimate Evening with Lea Michele, which took her to nine cities in the US as well as Toronto, Canada and London, UK. She teamed up with fellow Glee-alum Darren Criss for the LM/DC Tour in 2018, which saw the pair perform across North America, the UK and Ireland. Lea has also penned two books: the New York Times Bestseller Brunette Ambition and You First: Journal Your Way to Your Best Life. Lea married president of clothing brand AYR, Zandy Reich earlier this year.

Cory Monteith – Finn Hudson

Credit: FOX

Credit: rederick M. Brown/Getty Image

Cory played the lovable giant Finn Hudson, McKinley’s star quarterback who also slayed it on the drums and could nail any classic rock song. While working on Glee, Canadian native starred in Monte Carlo and Sisters & Brothers, both were released in 2011. Cory made no secret of his struggles with addiction, both before and during Glee. Cory was found dead in a Vancouver hotel in July 2013. His two films, All The Wrong Reasons and McCanick were released posthumously. The cast and crew paid tribute to both Cory and Finn in the season 5 episode, “The Quarterback”.

Matthew Morrison – Will Schuester

Credit: FOX

Credit: Getty Images

The role of McKinley High’s inept Spanish teacher who revives the glee club was played by Matthew Morrison. Matt released his first solo studio album in 2011. The self-titled album was followed up in 2013 with the release of Where It All Began, a collection of Broadway standards. Matt also starred in The Muppets (2011) and the film adaptation of bestselling book, What To Expect When You’re Expecting (2012). Matt returned to the Broadway stage in 2015, performing the title role of J.M. Barrie in the new musical Finding Neverland. The role earned him two Broadway.com Audience Awards: Favorite Actor in a Musical and Favorite Onstage Pair (with Laura Michelle Kelly). He has had recurring roles on The Good Wife and Grey’s Anatomy and earlier this year, Matt was one of the dance captain’s in BBC One’s The Greatest Dancer. He married Renee Puente in 2014. The couple welcomed their first child, Revel in 2017.

Amber Riley – Mercedes Jones

Credit: FOX

Credit: Getty Images North America

With a killer set of pipes and a huge dose of diva, Amber Riley played the unstoppable Mercedes Jones. Amber put her years of Glee dance training to use, taking out the Mirror Ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars. She starred as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, in NBC’s live performance of The Wiz in 2015. Amber then came across to London and made her West End debut as Effie White in Dreamgirls, a role that won her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2017. Later that year she was a judge on BBC One’s musical talent show Let It Shine. She also joined forces with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson as Leading Ladies. They released their first album, Songs from the Stage at the end of 2017.

Mark Salling – Noah “Puck” Puckerman

Credit: FOX

Credit: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

Mark played McKinley’s resident “badass” Puck. A bully who has been in and out of juvie, he’s Finn Hudson’s best friend and teammate on the football team, however, this doesn’t stop him from knocking up Finn’s girlfriend Quinn. But this relationship does bring him to the New Directions as a way to be closer to Quinn. Mark released the studio album Pipe Dreams in 2010 where it received modest success reaching 29 on the US Indie chart. In 2013 Mark was accused of sexual battery, which was settled out of court. He was later arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. He died by suicide in January 2018 before he was sentenced.

Jenna Ushkowitz – Tina Cohen-Chang

Credit: FOX

Credit: Jenna Ushkowitz/Twitter

Jenna starred as the stuttering emo/goth Tina Cohen-Chang, though both of these attributes didn’t last beyond the first two seasons. Jenna released an autobiography, Choosing Glee in 2013. She returned to the stage in 2015 and 2016 as Julia Sullivan in The Wedding Singer in Pittsburgh and in a limited run as Dawn Williams in Broadway’s Waitress, respectively. Jenna has also turned to producing. She executive produced the documentary Twinsters in 2015, which premiered at the South by Southwest festival and she won her first Tony last year for her work as a producer on the Once on This Island musical revival. In 2016 Jenna founded the At Will Radio podcast network with Will Malnati. She hosted the podcast Infinite Positivities. More recently she has joined Glee best friend and costar Kevin McHale as co-hosts of the Ladygang Network podcast Showmance. Jenna also founded Kindred: The Foundation for Adoption with fellow adoptee Samantha Futerman.

Heather Morris – Brittany Pierce

Credit: FOX

Credit: Drop The Mic

In what was only meant to be a background role, Heather Morris so endeared ditzy cheerleader Brittany Pierce to the fans and the Glee writers that she quickly became a series regular. Heather provided the voice of Katie in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and has starred in Spring Breakers (2013), Most Likely to Die (2015) and Folk Hero & Funny Guy (2016). Heather appeared in the 2017 season of Dancing with the Stars, being eliminated in the sixth week of the competition. Heather gave birth to her son, Elijah with Taylor Hubbell in 2013. Heather and Taylor were married in 2015 and welcomed their second son, Owen in 2016.

Naya Rivera – Santana Lopez

Credit: FOX

Credit: Watch What Happens Live

The third member of the Unholy Trinity, Naya starred as Latino spitfire Santana Lopez. Naya made her feature film debut in 2014 in the horror film At the Devil’s Door. She had a recurring role in the third season of Devious Maids (2015) and has starred in the YouTube Red series Step Up: High Water (2018-). Naya signed with Columbia Records in 2011 to produce a solo album. Her single “Sorry”, featuring then-boyfriend and rapper Big Sean was released in 2013, though the album was never produced. Naya has also published a memoir: Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up. Naya married Ryan Dorsey in 2014. They have a son, Josey, who was born in 2015. Naya and Ryan eventually divorced in 2018.

Harry Shum Jr. – Mike Chang

Credit: FOX

Credit: Getty Images

The dancing jock with a surprising voice, Harry starred as Mike Chang. Known for most of the first season as “Other Asian”, it was his relationship with Tina from the second season that brought Mike into the heart of the glee club and their fans. Harry was involved in a number of web series during Glee’s run, including Step Up 3-D and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Since Glee he has starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny and the hit 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians. He is best known for his role as the warlock Magnus Bane in the Freeform/Netflix series Shadowhunters, which ran from 2016 and the series finale airing earlier this month. Personally Harry married actress/dancer Shelby Rabara in 2015. The couple’s first child, Xia, was born earlier this year.

Chord Overstreet – Sam Evans

Credit: FOX

Credit: Chord Overstreet/Instagram

Chord joined the cast early on in season 2 as transfer student Sam Evans. While Chord starred as Nick in the 2015 film 4th Man Out, he has largely focused on his music career since Glee wrapped. In 2016, Chord toured with Glee season 5 recurring guest Demi Levato and Nick Jonas, opening a series of their Future Now Tour dates. He released a series of singles between 2016 and 2017, along with his debut EP Tree House Tapes in mid 2017. In 2018, he created alt-pop-rock group Overstreet. They released singles “Wasted Time” and “Carried Away” Last month they debuted new song “All Nighter” and their debut album Man on the Moon is due out later this year. They are currently touring around the US at selected cities.

Darren Criss – Blaine Anderson

Credit: FOX

Credit: Danny Moloshok/Invisionfor the Television Academy/AP Images

With a failed audition for Finn Hudson behind him, Darren Criss was cast as rival glee club Dalton Academy’s lead singer, Blaine Anderson, in season 2’s sixth episode, “Never Been Kissed”. Initially a short guest stint as a role model-type character for Kurt, the chemistry between Darren and Chris Colfer and the fan response to both Darren and his debut song “Teenage Dream” soon saw him join the regular cast. Darren made his Broadway debut in a three week stint as J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in January 2012. He went straight from Glee into rehearsals for Broadway’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, taking the stage for 12-weeks in 2015. He reprised the role for the San Francisco and LA legs of the US tour in 2016. He has starred in the films Girl Most Likely (2012) and the upcoming WWII drama Midway. The film All You Ever Wished For, which was filmed straight after his first Hedwig run and received limited cinema release, will be available on DVD from next month. Darren teamed up with Ryan Murphy again as Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, a role which won him a slew of awards in the past award season including the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG for Best Actor in a Limited Series.

  Darren’s first solo tour, Listen Up, played to sold out venues in Glee’s 2013 summer hiatus. He formed the band Computer Games with his brother Chuck last year. They released their debut EP Lost Boys Life and played a few concerts around the US and in Mexico. They are set to release some new tracks over the next few months. Darren released his second solo EP Homework at the end of 2017. He toured with co-star Lea Michele throughout 2018 as well as performed intimate solo sets in London and Sydney. Darren realised a long-held dream in 2015, with the launch of Elsie Fest – a Broadway and pop music festival. The festival has been held annually in New York City. Darren married long-time girlfriend Mia Swier earlier this year. They opened the piano bar Tramp Stamp Granny’s in LA last year.

Honorable Mentions

Guest star Grant Gustin (Warbler Sebastian Smythe – 2011-2013) has gone on to star as Barry Allen/The Flash in The CW’s The Flash and other Arrowverse shows. Melissa Benoist (Marley Rose – 2012-2014) currently appears as Kara Danvers/Supergirl in The CW’s Supergirl and other Arrowverse shows. Becca Tobin (Kitty Wilde – 2012-2015) has starred in a number of Hallmark movies and created the podcast Ladygang with Keltie Knight and Jac Vanek. This has spawned an E! TV series and podcast network. The ladies are about to embark on a limited tour of the US.

4YE Glee 10 Years On: What Have The Cast Been Up To Since Glee Wrapped? 10 years ago today we were introduced to a rag tag group of losers who, with a song in their hearts, were just looking for a place to belong as they made their way through high school in Nowhereville, Ohio.

[black-emporium-exchange]

Return of the Pinch Hits

Hello nuglets! We have three (count ‘em, THREE) new pinch hits that need a new home. Can you help out? EDIT: ALL CLAIMED!!

Pinch Hit #1  CLAIMED

Female Hawke/Isabela/Merrill, Fanart, Fanfiction 

Zevran Arainai/Fenris, Fanart, Fanfiction

Male Hawke/Varric Tethras, Fanart, Fanfiction

Isabela/Josephine Montilyet, Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Brosca/Sten, Fanart, Fanfiction

Cassandra Pentaghast/Leliana, Fanart, Fanfiction

Pinch Hit #2 CLAIMED

Male Hawke/Varric Tethras, Fanart, Fanfiction

Gerav/Varric Tethras, Fanfiction

Maevaris Tilani/Vivienne, Fanfiction

Female Hawke/Original Abusive Templars, Fanart, Fanfiction

Female Hawke/Original Qunari Character(s), Fanart, Fanfiction 

Anora Mac Tir/Female Aeducan, Fanfiction

Dorian Pavus/Fenris, Fanfiction

Anders/Morrigan, Fanfiction

Thorold Tethras/Maevaris Tilani, Fanart, Fanfiction 

Pinch Hit #3  CLAIMED

Female Amell/Leliana, Leliana/Female Surana, Fanfiction 

Female Adaar/Lace Harding, Fanart, Fanfiction 

Aveline Vallen/Isabela, Fanart, Fanfiction 

Female Trevelyan/Leliana, Female Lavellan/Leliana, Fanfiction 

Cassandra Pentaghast/Leliana, Fanfiction 

Lace Harding/Josephine Montilyet, Fanart, Fanfiction 

Cassandra Pentaghast/Female Trevelyan, Female Lavellan/Cassandra Pentaghast, Fanart, Fanfiction

Additional details below the cut.

Pinch Hit #1

Letter: n/a

REQUEST 1: Female Hawke/Isabela/Merrill | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Fluff only, please! I'd love to see them having a fun time at the Hanged Man!

No rape mention or incest please! As for DA-specific things: please don't have Hawke/Fen/Varric agree w/ Anders or have romance w/ him. In fact, if you want to pretend like Anders doesn't exist, that's ideal for me! Please no slavery/slavery AUs, torture, or abusive relationships of any kind, especially when writing Fenris! Also, please no Fenris pining for Hawke - if they aren't endgame, that is. And sexy!Merrill is Not My Thing.

REQUEST 2: Zevran Arainai/Fenris | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

No smut, please! I want to see happy Fenris! I'm a big fan of domestic! AUs :)

No rape mention or incest please! As for DA-specific things: please don't have Hawke/Fen/Varric agree w/ Anders or have romance w/ him. In fact, if you want to pretend like Anders doesn't exist, that's ideal for me! Please no slavery/slavery AUs, torture, or abusive relationships of any kind, especially when writing Fenris! Also, please no Fenris pining for Hawke - if they aren't endgame, that is. And sexy!Merrill is Not My Thing.

REQUEST 3: Male Hawke/Varric Tethras | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Happy with angst or fluff, but would love a happy ending! Something many years post-fade? Or some flirting spawned from Varric's stories?

No rape mention or incest please! As for DA-specific things: please don't have Hawke/Fen/Varric agree w/ Anders or have romance w/ him. In fact, if you want to pretend like Anders doesn't exist, that's ideal for me! Please no slavery/slavery AUs, torture, or abusive relationships of any kind, especially when writing Fenris! Also, please no Fenris pining for Hawke - if they aren't endgame, that is. And sexy!Merrill is Not My Thing.

REQUEST 4: Isabela/Josephine Montilyet | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Fluff, please! I have a feeling Is/Josephine might not get along... at first, that is ;) aka, give me that Slow Burn.

No rape mention or incest please! As for DA-specific things: please don't have Hawke/Fen/Varric agree w/ Anders or have romance w/ him. In fact, if you want to pretend like Anders doesn't exist, that's ideal for me! Please no slavery/slavery AUs, torture, or abusive relationships of any kind, especially when writing Fenris! Also, please no Fenris pining for Hawke - if they aren't endgame, that is. And sexy!Merrill is Not My Thing.

REQUEST 5: Female Brosca/Sten | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

No smut, please! Love fluff, angst, slow burns, and mutual respect. And happy endings!

No rape mention or incest please! As for DA-specific things: please don't have Hawke/Fen/Varric agree w/ Anders or have romance w/ him. In fact, if you want to pretend like Anders doesn't exist, that's ideal for me! Please no slavery/slavery AUs, torture, or abusive relationships of any kind, especially when writing Fenris! Also, please no Fenris pining for Hawke - if they aren't endgame, that is. And sexy!Merrill is Not My Thing.

REQUEST 6: Cassandra Pentaghast/Leliana | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Prompt: Varric's stories lead to Cass/Lel showing their goofy romantic sides!

No rape mention or incest please! As for DA-specific things: please don't have Hawke/Fen/Varric agree w/ Anders or have romance w/ him. In fact, if you want to pretend like Anders doesn't exist, that's ideal for me! Please no slavery/slavery AUs, torture, or abusive relationships of any kind, especially when writing Fenris! Also, please no Fenris pining for Hawke - if they aren't endgame, that is. And sexy!Merrill is Not My Thing.

Pinch Hit #2

Letter: http://kmfillz.dreamwidth.org/2017/09/25/

REQUEST 1: Male Hawke/Varric Tethras | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

* Fic

Any trope, any rating. Pining, angst, humor, smut, h/c, huddling for warmth, bed sharing, undercover as a couple, undercover as master/slave, marriage of convenience, sex pollen, fuck or die, bets, drinking games...

DNW: established relationship, Varric rivalry, unhappy or bittersweet endings, poly, futurefic, vilifying Bianca Davri, AUs (except Modern Thedas), 2nd person POV.

* Art

Any style, any rating, as long as it's unambiguously shippy. Fluff, humor, smut all welcome. In smutty art, prefer if Varric tops.

DNW: AUs, anything sad.

REQUEST 2: Gerav/Varric Tethras | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

There's more to this story than Varric told Leliana.

Could take place pre-Bianca Davri, post-Bianca Davri, or as part of a Bianca Davri/Gerav/Varric OT3.

DNW: AUs, infidelity, vilifying Bianca Davri, 2nd person POV.

REQUEST 3: Maevaris Tilani/Vivienne | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

What happens when two powerful women from different societies who have fought their way to the top despite detractors meet? Verbal sparring in the Winter Palace? Magical sparring in the courtyards of Skyhold? Flirting at the spa? Sex on the Sunburst Throne?

DNW transphobia, dysphoria or mourning as major story elements. DNW 2nd person POV or main character death.

REQUEST 4: Female Hawke/Original Abusive Templars, Female Hawke/Original Qunari Character(s) | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Noncon smut, please.

* Apostate Hawke (or a Hawke who has been concealing her apostate sister) has finally been caught red-handed by the Templars, and they are making an example of her. (Templars of either or both genders welcome. Named Templar characters welcome.)

* When Hawke fails to turn over the Tome/Isabela, the Arishok sentences her to an unusual punishment.

DNW 2nd person POV. DNW snuff, maiming, or Tranquillity. Default Hawke preferred.

REQUEST 5: Anora Mac Tir/Female Aeducan | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

I can imagine dozens of different angles on this pairing, and I like them all. Aeducan could be shrewd or gullible, kindhearted or cut-throat, honest or two-faced, stern or soft-spoken, etc., etc. However you interpret this pairing, I'm more interested in how the relationship or rendezvous began than in observing an already established relationship.

A few ideas:

- Perhaps Aeducan admires Queen Anora's deviousness, as a former cut-throat noble herself, and together they form an unstoppable team that turns romantic.

- Perhaps Aeducan has persuaded the Queen that marriage to the sister of the King of Orzammar would be more useful than marrying someone who could sire an heir.

- Perhaps Anora shows up at Fort Drakon herself to rescue the Warden -- or to taunt her.

- Perhaps Queen Anora vacations in Amaranthine, to the delight (or dismay) of the Warden-Commander.

- Perhaps Alistair sits on the throne, and Aeducan visits the defeated former queen in prison.

- Perhaps Alistair was supposed to be sole king but died fighting the archdemon, and now Aeducan has to work with the woman she previously helped dethrone.

DNW 2nd person POV, poly, or main character death. Noncon is OK.

REQUEST 6: Dorian Pavus/Fenris | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

There is no way these two would trust each other the first time they met. They are both prickly as fuck and proud, and Dorian is just about everything Fenris hates. They both ran away from abuse in Tevinter, but Dorian has a very different and much rosier view of his home country, to say the least.

If they can get past that initial dislike of each other, I think they'd get along splendidly, but getting past first impressions and early missteps would be no small hurdle. I am all about watching them navigate that thorny maze.

DNW: 2nd person POV, asexual headcanons, infidelity, unhappy endings.

REQUEST 7: Anders/Morrigan | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

I'd love to see these two arrogant mages trying to one-up each other over who can be more bitter about their crappy upbringing.

There are a number of different ways they could meet. For example, Anders bumping into a fellow acquaintance of the Warden when she's passing through Kirkwall, Morrigan finding a bedraggled fugitive in Orlais, and so on.

DNW 2nd person POV.

REQUEST 8: Thorold Tethras/Maevaris Tilani | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

The magister and the dwarf. We don't know a lot about Mae, let alone about her dwarven husband (was his last name even Tethras? Was he exiled to the surface after Andvar's crime, or was he a member of Ambassadoria in good standing?). How did they meet? How did they fall in love? What was a day in their life together like?

DNW transphobia, dysphoria or mourning as major story elements. DNW 2nd person POV.

Pinch Hit #3

Letter: n/a

REQUEST 1: Female Amell/Leliana, Leliana/Female Surana | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Any Warden is good! I'd love something of Leliana trying to deal with the Warden's realization she has to sacrifice herself to kill the Archdemon. Can be in-canon or extend post-canon; Warden can survive or not. Maybe the outcome has an impact on the person Leliana evolves into after DA:O? That said, absolutely any and all Leliana character development stuff is welcome -- maybe focusing on how she evolves away from the person who was taken in by Marjolaine, or the person who took refuge in that Lothering Chantry, or how she deals with being in Ferelden and reconciles that with how she remembers her Ferelden mother.

REQUEST 2: Female Adaar/Lace Harding | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Tag says it all. Write me the romance Harding should've had with the Inquisitor, make size a thing. Sex or romance or both, sex welcome but not necessary, no non-con or dubcon please. If you want more inspo, for some reason I've got this thing about the Deep Roads -- maybe Adaar takes Harding for all she's worth against those cold stone walls and Harding is sure glad she's a surface dwarf but her ancestors would've been proud, or something.

REQUEST 3: Aveline Vallen/Isabela | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

I'd love filthy, throwdown sex for this. Ideally a gradual seduction where Aveline is highly stubborn, shooting down every pass Isabela makes, but Isabela catches her blushing at something she says and slowly chips away at her resolve until Isabela's eating her out on her Captain's desk, or something. I'm not actually particular on how you end it but slowly take Aveline's figurative armor off with flirtation, please.

REQUEST 4: Female Trevelyan/Leliana, Female Lavellan/Leliana | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Man, I was so disappointed when Leliana wasn't romancable in DA:I. Any Inquisitor is fine. Make Leliana hardened or not -- I just really love Leliana, and exploring her character is really the most important thing here. An interesting idea is to investigate how the Inquisitor's remembrance of Leliana's torture in the "a year in the future" flash-forward, if you side with the mages, affects Inq's relationship with her. Does she tell Leliana about it? Does she keep it a secret but still think of it? Another option: how do Leliana and Inq deal with distance while she's always out and about and Leliana's stuck at Skyhold?

REQUEST 5: Cassandra Pentaghast/Leliana | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

I love love love the idea that these two got reeeeally close as the left and right hands of the Divine. Whether they slept together once in a fit of passion and never spoke of it for years; whether one blamed the other for the Divine's death or for not protecting her; whether sexual tension merely boiled under the surface for years upon years and they never spoke of it until one furious argument in the Inquisition years and the dam finally broke. Some sex would be ideal but okay to hand-wave it! Some plot and background to facilitate pining, please. I just want that burning passion and their belief and faith and desire to serve to undercurrent the whole thing. No noncon.

REQUEST 6: Lace Harding/Josephine Montilyet | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

This can kind of be anything! I love Josephine deeply and Harding just as much, I bet they're both frustrated at how they're constantly running around and exchange letters constantly updating each other on gossip and so forth. It can evolve into a romance over time, or it can be smutty, but a bit of plot as well please -- getting to know each other and so on. No dubcon or non-con please. Art can be anything.

REQUEST 7: Cassandra Pentaghast/Female Trevelyan, Female Lavellan/Cassandra Pentaghast | Fanart | Fanfiction

PROMPT:

Any Inq will do! A plotty pining fic would be beyond welcome, but so would something focused on smut. A bit of plot to facilitate the pining preferred. Bonus for focusing on Cassandra's pining, especially while they're on the road or in a meeting, but Inq pining is good too. Bringing Cassandra's pride over her sense of discipline into it is good too. No dubcon or non-con please. For art, blushing Cassandra would be really cool.