#and so when sunset gets mad at flash at school he gets equally mad at her for not considering that timber's hurt by what happened and that

[smallcrystals]

when i get back into my eqg hyperfixation i will write the headcanon i have of timber walking all the way to flash’s house in the rain after he and twi break up, telling him at his door in the most broken voice ever that he didn’t know where else to go

[levihantrash]

Not Hange, But Zoe

For @levihanweek Aug 2021 Day 4 prompt: childhood (one-shot)

Summary: After the war, Levi gets to meet Zoe—Gabi and Falco’s new friend in school. A leap of faith comes in the form of a small child with an abundance of questions and acute compassion for a person they just met.

note: kind of fluffy kind of sad (a hopeful ending tho)

cross-posted on ao3 🤪

-----

For Gabi and Falco, returning to normalcy meant returning to school, in a part of the world that hadn’t been completely crushed by enormous, fiery giants. Strangely enough (to Levi), they decided to stay with him and Onyankopon for the time being.

“What’s your new friend’s name?”

Levi enjoys being a part of the children’s lives. They adapt more quickly and play with more abandon. Even when the weekly nightmares that bring them to huddle into his bed, he is more assuaged that the pain, with time on their side, will recede. Even if the memories never quite disappear, children don’t hold on to them with the steely desperation that many more adults do; afraid that without pain, they might have nothing left.

Falco hesitates, but Gabi barges in, overwhelmed with excitement and lacking inhibition. “Zoe! Their name is Zoe!”

“Zoe…?” Levi nearly stutters, grip tightening on the wheelchair armrests. Even Gabi registers his shock, faltering a little. Instead of keeping quiet, Gabi elaborates more, in hopes of soothing Levi’s inexplicable reaction.

“Zoe is so smart! I do a bit better than them at math, though they don’t seem to care about getting good grades.”

“Gabi I think Levi doesn’t want to—”

“It’s okay.” Levi stops Falco’s interruption with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Go on, Gabi.”

Spurred on by Levi’s go-ahead, Gabi goes on in detail. “Zoe has been reading a lot of history books lately, but the teachers won’t tell her where to find books about the war.”

“You know, the war we were in.” Gabi swallows, finding comfort by clenching Falco’s arm.

Falco chimes in with increased confidence. “I think Zoe would love to talk to you! They’ve been asking a lot of adults. Nobody wants to talk about the war… for good reason… I suppose.”

-----

Onyankopon sits across Levi at the dinner table, hearing what Levi had to say about his conversation with the two kids after they bid them good night.

“They want me to meet this kid called Zoe.”

“An unfortunate name…” Onyankopon muses sombrely.

“Who knows?” Levi contends, casting a quick glance at the tabletop where a photo of Hange Zoe sits. They had insisted on taking a picture together when they arrived at Marley. For the memories! To find out a camera works. An arm draped around Levi, they gave a peace sign as he stood stiffly, gazing sideways at the grinning commander. Levi remembers the flash of the new technology caused him to instinctively reach for the knife in his back pocket, before Hange promptly caught his hand in theirs.

“That’s the camera flash, Levi. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried,” Levi grumbled.

“Oh, I’m sure you weren’t. I just wanted to hold your hand.” Hange chuckled, about to let go of Levi’s hand before he clumsily squeezed back. A tense moment is shared, dissipating into a calm intertwining of fingers. A subtle smugness spread across Hange’s face.

“Very smooth.”

“You said you wanted to hold hands,” Levi said, unable to look at Hange.

“You’ve definitely got my hand in a choke-hold there.”

Loosening his grip, Levi mumbled a quick apology. Hange only got bolder, tucking Levi’s hand into their coat with what seemed like a practised gesture.

“Will you meet Zoe?” Onyankopon asks, dragging Levi back into reality.

“What do you think?” Levi often asks Onyankopon for advice.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Onyankopon says measuredly. “Even if it’s Gabi and Falco who are the ones asking. I know you have a soft spot for them.”

“Who says so?”

“You literally let Gabi manically push you around in the wheelchair on a bumpy grass patch and let Falco climb into your bed at night when he gets nightmares.”

“They’re kids. What’s the point of getting mad?”

“Exactly my point.”

Levi sighs, staring out of the window and the darkening sky. “I’ll meet them.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” Onyankopon says, remaining concerned.

-----

“Hi, I’m Zoe!” Dressed in a loose t-shirt and an equally loose pair of shorts, the bespectacled child thrusts out a hand in greeting. Gabi and Falco stand around them in anticipation of the long-awaited meeting (they waited a whole day).

“I’m Levi,” he says in kind, shaking the hand, quietly amused by the enthusiastic formality.

“What’s that?” Zoe points at Levi’s scarred eye. He lets out an unsteady breath. The sweat that has begun to accumulate at his pits tells him he isn’t sure if it had been a good idea to impulsively meet an uncanny reincarnation.

“Is it from the war?” Zoe helps him by asking more questions, seemingly not minding if they got responses or not. As though giving Levi a choice, a way out of the hard ones.

“Yes.”

Without missing a beat, Zoe pursues another train of thought.

“Gabi tells me I look like a commander that you used to know.” Zoe, for the first time in the whole exchange, almost looks nervous, shuffling between their two feet.

Maybe Falco and Gabi told them what happened. Words elude him if he were to try to explain anyway. For that, Levi is grateful for the straightforward manner of children.

Levi pulls out a photograph from his shirt pocket and hands it to Zoe. It’s a copy of the one back at home, printed in a smaller, carriable version.

“This is the commander. Hange.” He leaves out the surname, as Zoe observes the photograph of the two of them carefully.

“Did you two fight the war?” With that question, Levi confirms for himself that Gabi and Falco probably didn’t tell Zoe the whole story.

“Yes.”

“Did you win?”

There is a difficult, necessary silence that accompanies Zoe’s inquiry. “I don’t think anyone did.”

Zoe nods, eyeing the photograph again.

“Is that your best friend?”

Levi never quite thought about the nature of his relationship with Hange, so he pauses, eyes flickering towards the photograph—at the hand hidden in Hange’s coat.

“Like Gabi and Falco?” Zoe asks, making Falco blubber in denial, which he does so whenever someone associates him with Gabi as a pair.

“Yes.” Levi decides. The best of many friends.

“Your friend looks cool!” Zoe hands the photograph back to Levi, peering at him with wide-eyed intensity.

“Will you tell me more about the war?”

Placing his cheek on his palm, Levi bends closer to Zoe. “What would you like to know?”

-----

As the day draws to a close, Zoe still has questions. The sunset closes in on Levi and his small, attentive audience.

“Can I talk to you again tomorrow?”

Though fatigued, his body worn out from the unexpectedly long exertion, Levi finds himself agreeing.

“Yes.”

“One more question, please?”

Levi obliges.

“Do I remind you of Hange?” Zoe asks, a frown forming within the wrinkle between their eyebrows. Levi registers the suspicion, unable to figure out its source.

“Sometimes.”

“Which part?”

“Your curiosity,” Truthfully, there was not much he could garner from a one-day spontaneous meeting. Zoe’s curiosity, however, was blatantly obvious. Nonetheless, plenty of children are interested in many things—it was not anything special, Levi internally assures himself.

Zoe pouts slightly, a troubled expression now apparent. “But I’m not Hange. I’m Zoe.”

“I know,” Levi says unconvincingly.

“Do you miss them?”

Levi doesn��t answer the question, preferring to gaze over their shoulder.

“I’m not Hange. But do you want to be friends?”

Raising an eyebrow, Levi tries not to sound too sarcastic. “A kid like you wants to be my friend?”

“Gabi and Falco think you’re very cool. They also think you could do with more friends.” Falco has the decency to avoid eye contact, preferring the scenery of his shoes.

“You don’t go out that much!” Gabi says, hitting the nail on the coffin.

The familiarity of Zoe still stings him in the gut, where the similarities make it appear like the universe is playing an awful, blessed joke on Levi.

What did Hange tell all of them, that day in the sweltering sun?

Let’s meet them ourselves. If they don’t understand who we are, we just have to teach them.

“I don’t really fully understand who you are and why you look so sad. But I hope to learn more from you, Levi!”

A leap of faith comes in the form of a small child. A spunky, talkative child with an unsatiated thirst for knowledge and acute compassion for a depressed man they just met.

Straining his hip, Levi reaches out to ruffle Zoe’s wisps of stray hair, tightening the rubber band that kept their ponytail in place.

“We have a lot to learn from each other,” Levi says softly, allowing himself this leap. Only this once.

Zoe gives him the brightest of smiles, revealing an open, toothy grin.

[spidernerdsblog]

I Forgot That You Existed : Chapter Nine

A/N: Chapter nine is here. It’s showtime. Kind of a musical chapter. The concert part is completely based on Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour you can watch the concert for better visualization of that part. Only one more chapter to go before the epilogue. Hope you like this chapter. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

Pairing : Tom Holland × Singer reader

Summary : It's been more than five years since you and Tom have gone their own ways after a heartbreaking breakup which had left both of you shattered. Both of you thought that you were finally over with each other and were happy in your respective lives until you meet again at a reunion trip planned by your best friend and you realize you are still not done with each other.

Warnings : none

Mini Playlist : Are you ready for it, I did something bad, Gorgeous, Delicate, Shake it Off, Style, Love Story,You belong with me, This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things and Cornelia Street by Taylor Swift

After reading out the letter you let out a deep sigh you felt a little giddy as you shakily folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. You sat on the bed immersed in deep thought for how long you don't know. The words written in the letter were constantly reeling in your mind. You felt as if someone had placed a mirror in front of you and you can’t hide from your real self. You were snapped out of your train of thoughts when you heard Harry going off about something. You went out of your room and stood on the corridor upstairs holding on to the railing as you looked down to see everyone gathered. 

"What happened?" 

"Tom is not answering his phone, he said he would return by afternoon and it's almost evening now." Sam said. 

"I'm so done with his careless attitude, what does he think of himself?" Harry grumbled. You puckered your face thinking suddenly you remembered something. 

"Okay guys calm down I know where he could be." You went to your room to grab your bag and came down the stairs. 

"Don't worry I'll bring him back before dinner." You said before leaving. 

The cliff top was the only place you both used to go when you felt down. So you started to walk in that direction. The sun was setting and as you had guessed you could see him from a distance sitting there. You went to one of the stalls and bought two beers before going up to him. 

"I knew I would find you here." You said nonchalantly. Tom turned his head. 

"Oh.. Hey" 

"Why aren't you answering your phone? Everybody is worried for you." 

"Sorry didn't mean to bother anyone." 

"Here." You handed him a beer bottle. As you sat beside him, you clinked your bottles taking a sip you spoke. 

"So how are you doing?" 

"Fine I guess." 

"You wanna talk about it?" 

"No. " You scoff rolling your eyes and grabbed his jaw making him face you. 

"C'mon talk to me"

"There's nothing to talk about Y/N, I'm fine, really fine." You turned your gaze to the horizon letting out a deep breath. 

"Why did you let her go?" you said softly.

"Because that will be best for us." 

"But you were in love with each other." 

"Maybe. Or she was just in love and I was looking for a distraction which I had mistaken as love" 

"See nothing has ended Tom if you want I'll go talk to her and apologize for everything." 

"You don't need to do that, you haven't done anything to apologise. It was all my fault whatever happened today and six year ago I'm to be blamed. My insecurities made me indecisive. For the first time in these six years I have made the right decision." Tom ranted. 

"I'm sorry Y/N I'm really sorry for everything." You placed your hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Hey if you're to blame then I'm equally guilty too. Everyone told me to sort out our differences but I didn't. Moreover, I hid the truth about our baby from you and your family. I'm sorry too. And if I wouldn’t have come here in the first place none of this would happen." 

"By the way, sorry for ditching you today at the rehearsals."

"Though I was mad at you before but now it's okay." 

“Is it ok for you to drink cold stuff before your concerts doesn’t it affect the throat?”

“It’s absolutely fine mom. Plus I need it, you know, stress relief.”

"Hey you remember when we were in high school we sneaked out to go to that party our parents told us not to go and got really drunk and your parents caught us late at night when you were trying to get into your house through the window." 

"Oh that was a hell of a night and we got caught all because of Harrison who tripped on one of our flower pots in the backyard breaking it and waking up my parents." You scoffed. 

"Then my parents told both of your parents. And we all got a two hour lecture the next day with one month being grounded." 

"You and Haz always used to fight when we were younger." Tom chuckled

"Yeah because that div had an annoying habit to pull my hair. And you know how much I hate when someone touches my hair" 

"By the way I watched your recent movie it was really good." 

"Thanks" 

"Though I felt the intimate scenes were quite sloppy" you stick out your tongue and chuckle. Tom rolled his eyes.

“Because you weren't there princess I don't get the feel and passion unless it's you.” He winked. You rolled your eyes.

"Your new album really took me by surprise. I was left wondering where did my naive country girl go?" 

"Had to put some people in their place." You gave a sly grin. 

"That was hell of a comeback." 

"Sure it was.. Going by the words of the media, 'PHENOMENAL!', 'RECORD BREAKING!', 'SAVAGE!'." You both giggled. 

"I thought you didn't like my songs."

"Oh C'mon, you believe that?" 

"I haven't been here around six years. A lot of things have changed so who knows?" you shrugged. 

"This feels good... Us together having heart to heart conversations like old times." Tom said. You hummed lacing your fingers with Tom's, resting your head on his shoulder. 

"You sent the VIP passes to Mrs Nelson?" 

"How can I forget our little special guest."

"Vienna is such a sweet girl that reminds me of…" you stopped as memories of when you were going to be a mother flashed in front of you. 

"I don't know why I'm sharing this but we were going to have a girl." You mumbled placing your other hand on your belly. 

"You know the time when Destiny was inside me." You said fiddling with his fingers. 

"Destiny?"

"Yeah I had thought to name her Destiny. I know it's silly." You shrugged. 

"No it's actually cute." 

"Those were the most precious moments of my life. A tiny speck of life growing inside me that we made, accidentally though.” You gave a low laugh.

“Motherhood is a whole new feeling.She would have been the same age as Vienna and maybe we would have been celebrating her 5th birthday here." You said with a hardened gaze. 

"Sometimes I really feel she might have known that I'm going to be a horrible mother that's why she left me." 

"Hey don't you ever think like that you would have been the best mom." Tom said with a serious tone looking at you.

"Hmm.. I really missed you." You snuggled into him. 

"I missed you too." Tom pecked on your hairline. 

"So what did you actually miss about me?" 

"Umm.. let me think, I definitely missed the face you made after losing in golf. You were such a cry baby" you chuckled.

"You are never letting that go aren't you?"

"Nope" 

"Then I missed your half burnt pancakes." 

"I missed your soft curls and I mean it" you ruffled his hair with your hand. 

"I honestly hated your buzz cut. It was so depressing for me to see you without the curls I adore so much. I felt so angry on the Russos I thought of giving them an earful for why they made you cut your hair." 

"But I felt really good, no need for styling. And what about you? You also cut your hair short." You straightened yourself. 

"Hey! That's a bob cut that has nothing to do with your buzz cut. I atleast had hair on my head." You retorted. 

"Okay.. what other things you missed?" 

"I missed your unruly eyebrow" you brushed your thumb over his eyebrow. 

"I missed your crooked nose." You booped his nose with the tip of your index finger. 

''I missed your smile and your soft lips" your hand rested on his cheek. 

"And?" Tom said in a low voice your faces were inches apart as you breathed heavily.

" I..I" you stuttered as you glanced at his lips. Tom licked his lips watching you enigmatically. You cleared your throat and pulled away immediately. 

"Never mind what did you miss about me huh?" Tom was snapped out of his trance as he blinked his eyes a few times. 

"What did I miss?" 

"Uh.. I missed watching sunsets like this with you." 

"I missed the priority access to your new album and listening to them up close. You are still not going to tell me about the song you are going to sing in the end are you?"

"Nope you have to wait mister that's a surprise. Okay now continue" 

"Well I missed this adorable face, I missed these beautiful eyes which could read me like an open book, I missed this captivating smile which can light up my whole day, I missed you so much." He tucked in the loose strands of your hair flying in the sea breeze behind your ear. 

"Y/N I.. I" 

"No Tom, don't say those words. Don't make it harder for me to leave than it is already." 

"Then don't leave." Tom hold on to your hand. 

"We don't have a choice Tom." You got up. "Now come on let's go back before everyone gets even more stressed than they are already for us." 

Your heart crumbles under the weight of the fact that the love you share isn't enough for either of you. You could finally tell that you want to live your life with him. But you don't want to get carried away with the misconception of proclamation of love equates to a happily ever after. You know your realities are not aligning. 

Tom stood up and laced his fingers into yours. You smiled and gave a little squeeze to his hand as you both walked down the road hand in hand. 

Tom looked at you intently. He wanted to hold on to you tighter and believe that maybe this time things would work out as he had dreamed of once but he knew you had let go long before that. You are hurt and scared to fall in love again. And he is desperate to try and make you realize that your long lost love is still alive and wants to come back to you. You just need to open your arms and embrace it. 

"Here I brought back your brother safe and sound." You said reaching home. 

"Why do you have a phone if you're not going to answer it?" Harry scolded Tom. 

"Okay it was my fault I'm sorry." 

"Guys I have an announcement. As you know tomorrow is my concert so I have arranged VIP passes for you guys." Everyone cheered. 

………………….......

Next day went really fast as the time came for your concert. Thousands of people waiting on the ground just to get a glimpse of you and listen to your songs. Your heart was racing even after performing so many concerts the anticipation was killing you as you got ready looking into the mirror touching up your makeup for the one last time. 

"Y/N are you ready?" Tom said, his jaw dropped as you turned around. 

"Wooww! You.. You look ravishing." You giggled. 

"Thanks Tom." 

"Okay it is going to start in five minutes. Don't worry everything will be fine, I will be there backstage." 

"Tom, Tom, relax , you seem to be more stressed than me. I have done this before a lot of times. You just enjoy the show, I got this." 

The stage was set, the stadium was full, the crowd cheering at the top of their voice as the show began. 

Pre recorded song playing

Baby, let the games begin

Let the games begin

Let the games begin

Baby, let the games begin

Let the games begin

Let the games begin

The screen doors slide open as you enter the stage. Audience went crazy cheering loudly. You stood in the center and pulled down your hood of the jacket you were wearing and started singing.

“Knew he was a killer first time that I saw

 him loved and left haunted

But if he's a ghost, then I can be a 

phantom

Holdin' him for ransom

Some, some boys are tryin' too hard

He don't try at all, though

Younger than my exes but he act like such a man, so

I see nothing better, I keep him forever

Like a vendetta-ta

I-I-I see how this is gon' go

Touch me and you'll never be alone

I-Island breeze and lights down low

No one has to know

In the middle of the night, in my dreams

You should see the things we do, baby

In the middle of the night, in my dreams

I know I'm gonna be with you

So I take my time

Are you ready for it?

Me, I was a robber first time that he saw me ............”

You continued singing. After the song ended you paused to look at the whole stadium as the audience cheered loudly. You peeled off the jacket to reveal the bodysuit you were wearing. The notes for your next song started playing.

“I never trust a narcissist

But they love me

So I play 'em like a violin

And I make it look oh so easy

'Cause for every lie I tell them

They tell me three

This is how the world works

Now all he thinks about is me

I can feel the flames on my skin

Crimson red paint on my lips

If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing

I don't regret it one bit, 'cause he had it coming

They say I did something bad

Then why's it feel so good?

They say I did something bad

But why's it feel so good?

Most fun I ever had

And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could

It just felt so good, good”

Fireworks went off, it was spectacular to watch. 

"Holyy!! Shit!! Man she's literally a queen. Just look at her." Ed exclaimed. Everyone agreed to him as they all witnessed you in your full glory from the VIP seating area. 

“That’s my girl!!!” Zendaya exclaimed.

“I never trust a playboy

But they love me

So I fly him all around the world

And I let them think they saved me

They never see it comin'

What I do next

This is how the world works

You gotta leave before you get left

I can feel the flames on my skin

He says, "Don't throw away a good thing"

But if he drops my name, then I owe him nothin'

And if he spends my change, then he had it comin'

They say I did something bad

Then why's it feel so good?

They say I did something bad

But why's it feel so good?

Most fun I ever had

And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could

It just felt so good, good

It just felt so good”

(Loud cheers from the audience.)

"Well good evening Cornwall!! And welcome to the Reputation extended Stadium tour beach carnival concert." 

"You know guys I have been coming to this area since I was about 15 years old. So it's a good long history between us. And I want to say thank you for a few things. First of all having been to Cornwall as many times as I’ve been here, I know how many things are available for you to do on a Saturday night. You have lots of options and you decided to spend your Saturday evening with us. Thank you so much!!" Audience cheers loudly.

"You may have heard this. It’s a little known fact. This is the last night of the beach festival and my tour." audience cheering. 

"And so you decided not only to spend your Saturday night with us, but to come here and commemorate the last night of the festival. That is such a beautiful thing."

"Thank you for deciding all of those things tonight. I would even say it’s something even more than beautiful. It’s like a step above beautiful. What’s the word for that, Cornwall?"

Voice echoes "Gorgeous"

"That’s the one." You chuckle. 

Notes of Gorgeous playing

“You should take it as a compliment

That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk

You should think about the consequence

Of your magnetic field being a little too strong

And I got a boyfriend, he's older than us

He's in the club doing, I don't know what

You're so cool, it makes me hate you so much (I hate you so much)

Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine

You've ruined my life, by not being mine

You're so gorgeous

I can't say anything to your face

'Cause look at your face

And I'm so furious

At you for making me feel this way

But, what can I say?

You're gorgeous

You should take it as a compliment

That I'm talking to everyone here but you (but you, but you)

And you should think about the consequence

Of you touching my hand in the darkened room (dark room, dark room)

If you've got a girlfriend, I'm jealous of her

But if you're single that's honestly worse

'Cause you're so gorgeous it actually hurts

(Honey, it hurts)

Ocean blue eyes looking in mine

I feel like I might sink and drown and die”

You're so gorgeous

I can't say anything to your face

'Cause look at your face

And I'm so furious

At you for making me feel this way

But, what can I say?”

"And now Cornwall I would like to introduce you to the incredibly talented gorgeous women of the tour." 

"Make some noise!!!" the audience cheered. 

"For Jazz!, Maria!, Gracie!, Kamilah!, Jeslyn!, Melanie!, Nadine!, Stephanie!, Yoe!, Eliotte!" 

"And I'm Y/N." 

"Thanks for hanging out with us tonight!" 

You resumed singing. 

(Medley of Style, Love Story and You belong with me.) 

As the song ended the crowd erupted in cheers you looked up to the whole stadium smiling. You turned your back to the audience and strolled sensually and again turned around throwing your voice to a higher pitch.

“You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye

And I got that red lip, classic thing that you like (crowd screaming)

And when we go crashing down, we come back every time

'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style

You've got that long hair slick back, white t-shirt

And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt

And when we go crashing down, we come back every time

'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style

Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights

Long drive, could end in burning flames or paradise

Fade into view, oh,

It's been a while since I have even heard from you

(Heard from you)

And I should just tell you to leave 'cause I

Know exactly where it leads but I

Watch it go round and round each time”

''Cornwall will you please make some noise for my incredible band?!" crowd cheered. 

“We were both young when I first saw you

I close my eyes and the flashback starts

I'm standin' there

On a balcony in summer air

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns

See you make your way through the crowd

And say, "Hello"

Little did I know

That you were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

And I was cryin' on the staircase

Beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone

I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"

Chords of you belong with me playing......

“Oooooh, I remember you drivin' to my house

In the middle of the night

I'm the one who makes you laugh

When you know you're 'bout to cry

And I know your favorite songs

And you tell me 'bout your dreams

Think I know where you belong

Think I know it's with me

(audience cheering)

Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?

Been here all along, so why can't you see

You belong with me

"Let me see you jump!!" You jumped in your place singing, the audience jumped along with you too.

“Standin' by and waitin' at your back door

All this time, how could you not know, baby

You belong with me

You belong with me

You belong with me

Have you ever thought just maybe

You belong with me

You belong with me”

Loud cheering as you bowed and went backstage. 

"Man she could wage a war against the world just look at the crowd." Harry joked.

"Couldn't be more proud of her. She has come a long way" Harrison said

“I knew how much you love to sing that song” Tom quipped handing you a water bottle. 

“Fuck off!” Tom chuckled. You quickly slipped on to a new costume and went back to the stage. You performed a couple of songs from your album.

(soft notes playing in background) audience cheering

"I LOVE YOU Y/N!!!" A fan screamed. You smiled. 

"Are you having fun yet?" You listen to the audience scream yes.

"Oh good.. You know you may notice this…"

"Not sure if you  picked up on it yet I'm pretty sure you have, though. Have you noticed that you have a light up bracelet on your wrist?" the whole gallery got lit up as everyone raised their hands. 

"There they are." Crowd cheered. 

"So pretty." 

"Um… but that's not the only thing about them, the reason why I wanted to have those on the tour to make sure no matter what I would see every single one of you in these stadiums. So if you are on the top, top deck, last row and you think I can't see you that would be incorrect. I can see every one of you dancing, throwing your hands up in the air. And the top of that I can hear you… "

"It really seems you guys have memorised every single word to the songs and so not just singing them but like…." 

"Screaming them." 

"If I had to take a guess I would say one thing that probably everybody has in common I think I would say that one thing would be…" 

"That all like the feeling of finding something real like… you know finding real friendships, real love or somebody who really gets you or somebody who is really honest with you." 

"I think.. I think that's what we're really all looking for in life and…" 

"I think the things that can scare us the most in our lives are the things that we think will threaten the prospect of us finding something real. For ex- having a bad reputation in our mind would get in the way of you… Finding real friendship, real love, real acceptance, people you really fit in with because you think to yourself what if they've got the preconceived notion about me that they heard from gossips and rumors." 

You sang Delicate whilst you got up a hydraulic suspended stage. You waved to the crowd taking a tour of the whole stadium in it. As the song ended you were back again on the stage. 

"Allright Cornwall, I… just decided to go… A little exploring around to see… If you guys are having a good time back there." you walked around the stage.

"Are things fun back here? Alright well would you dance with me?! What do you say?!"

“I stay out too late, got nothin' in my brain

That's what people say, mmm hmm, that's what people say, mmm hmm

I go on too many dates, but I can't make 'em stay

At least that's what people say mmm mmm, that's what people say mmm mmm

But I keep cruising, can't stop, won't stop moving

It's like I got this music in my mind, sayin' it's gonna be alright

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play

And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off

Heartbreakers gonna break, break, break, break, break

And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off

I'll never miss a beat, I'm lightning on my feet

And that's what they don't see mmm mmm, that's what they don't see mmm mmm

I'm dancing on my own (dancing on my own), I'll make the moves up as I go (moves up as I go)

And that's what they don't know mmm mmm, that's what they don't know mmm mmm

But I keep cruising, can't stop, won't stop grooving

It's like I got this music in my mind saying it's gonna be alright

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play

And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate..........

You sang as you climbed up an elevated platform. 

Hey, hey, hey”

“Just think while you've been getting down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats in the world

You could have been getting down to this sick beat

My ex-man brought his new girlfriend

She's like "Oh my God", but I'm just gonna shake it

And to the fella over there with the hella good hair

Won't you come on over, baby, we can shake, shake, shake, yeah oh”

You were about to do a free fall as the dancers below raised their arms to catch you but you stopped. 

"Nah...No, one second. I don't care if this is a promotional concert, I'm not gonna jump off from here. Sometimes people can get bitten by snakes.. dangerous." The audience laughed. Tom facepalmed laughing at your antics in the back stage. You came down running from the elevated platform panting as you went to the centre and let out a high pitched shriek. 

“Yeeeeaaahhh!!!” 

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play

And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate me)

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off

Song fading away. You went for another costume change and came back with your guitar and addressed the crowd. 

"So you guys I was wondering if, um… If it would be all right with you if we just had a…

You were cut off by Joseph who came up to you and handed you a tissue bending down on his knee. 

"Thank you so much…" you took the tissue. "There's a.." 

"I feel like it's important to be honest with you guys. I have a tiny miniscule cold. Do not mind this.. This is just gonna be me blowing my nose. I'm gonna turn around and do it." 

You turned around and blew your nose. Then you hand over the tissue back to Joseph. 

"But I what.. I really think it was all good to take note of how Joseph presented me with the tissue. This is the best thing I have ever seen. Never in my lifetime has anyone presented me a tissue with such commitment."

"Umm so okay guys wanna talk to you about something. I propose the idea that we spend some time with just you and me and the guitar." 

"Is that alright with you?" 

"So one thing that you guys have always been.." 

"Really uh…" 

"Really not just supportive about but you've, um… Cause that sounds like you were understanding of it." 

"You've really encouraged me to experiment with my music and try different things, different sounds, try different instruments. "

"Um… you guys were always the ones pushing me to experiment and grow. And I really appreciate that." 

"Cause…" 

"I have had so much fun, switching up you know, styles of music, genres… um.."

"My relationship with you and how much we interact on social media platforms, at shows or at my house." 

Fans scream

"I am.." you chuckle

"I know from our conversations that you guys are so all about lyrics and all about feeling, all about whatever that the person you listen to is singing about what you happen to be going through, or did go through at some point in time, I.." 

"I think that's kind of all you care about when it comes to a song. So I've always written songs with the lyrics, the feeling and the melody in mind. That no matter whatever it took a turn after production be it pop or acoustic or whatever. I always wanted for a song to be able to be stripped back down and still be something that you liked and wanted to sing at the top of your lungs." 

"So before leaving I wanted to gift you guys something."

"You guys are going to be exclusively listening to an all new song from my upcoming unreleased album." 

The audience roared. 

You started playing the guitar and closed your eyes as you sang. 

“We were in the backseat

Drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar

"I rent a place on Cornelia Street"

I say casually in the car

We were a fresh page on the desk

Filling in the blanks as we go

As if the street lights pointed in an arrowhead

Leading us home”

You pour your heart out as you sing. 

“And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name

And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again”

Tom listened to the song carefully as he understood why you said it was a surprise. Because this song tells the story of you, him and the love you share. 

“Windows swung right open, autumn air

Jacket 'round my shoulders is yours

We bless the rains on Cornelia Street

Memorize the creaks in the floor

Back when we were card sharks, playing games

I thought you were leading me on

I packed my bags, left Cornelia Street

Before you even knew I was gone”

The memories of six years ago flashed in front of both of your eyes. The day when all went wrong, the day you parted ways and left. 

“But then you called, showed your hand

I turned around before I hit the tunnel

Sat on the roof, you and I

I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again”

You had tears in your eyes. 

“And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name (city screams your name)

Your voice went an octave higher. You want to bid adieu to this place as it only reminds you of him. The memories haunt you.

And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

You hold my hand on the street

Walk me back to that apartment

Years ago, we were just inside

Barefoot in the kitchen

Sacred new beginnings

That became my religion, listen”

You were transported to that time when you were together so in love with each other. Those lazy mornings you wearing one of his sweatshirts sitting on the kitchen counter looking at him making breakfast for you. So domestic it felt as you hoped to wake up to him like this everyday for your lifetime. 

“I hope I never lose you

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

Oh, never again

And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name

And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

I don't wanna lose you, hope it never ends

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

I don't wanna lose you, yeah

"I rent a place on Cornelia Street"

I say casually in the car”

You bowed in front of the audience smiling after the song ended.Tom wiped his tears as he watched you through the monitors in the backstage. 

Fans screamed in excitement. 

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things started playing in the background.

"Thank you so much for an incredible evening and an amazing tour. We love you." 

"Please give it up for the dancers!"

"Make some noise for the singers, Cornwall!"

You bowed

"Give it up for the band!" 

The whole team bowed in gratitude. You walked the lengths of the stage waving at the crowd and blowing air kisses. You ran to the other end waving and giving flying kisses. You went to the centre of the stage and bowed for one last time. As the stage descended, taking you down the stage as you waved goodbye and mouthed to the audience. 

"I love you guys"

As the show ended you went backstage and everyone hugged you and applauded for the marvelous show you put up, someone handed you a bottle of water to drink. But your eyes were searching for only one person and as you caught sight of him you ran to him. Tom was standing at a corner, arms crossed across his chest, smiling his eyes showed how much proud he was of you. You went and hugged him tightly. Tom gave a light peck on your cheek. 

"Darling, that was so good. Didn't know you were such a big star, you literally set the stage on fire." he said cupping your face. 

"Couldn't have done that without you. Thank you Tom. Love you so much. You kissed him on his cheek." Tom couldn't ignore the fact that unknowingly you told him you loved him. 

"Okay I'm going to get changed and join you at the little party the crew has thrown okay." You left. 

But Tom was in no mental condition to enjoy a party, not after listening to your confession. He felt time was slipping out of his hands as he could not hold you back. He straight away went home. 

You went to the hall where the party was arranged, you didn't find Tom there. 

"Hey Maria where's Tom?" 

"He went back" 

"Went back? Why?" 

"Don't know honey, you enjoy the party, this is all for you." You felt something was off. 

"Sorry Maria I need to leave too. You guys enjoy." 

Tom was the first one to return to the house. Others came back a while later. 

"Y/N just nailed it" Paddy chirped. 

"Can we have some dinner now? I'm starving" Tuwaine complained.

Everyone headed towards the kitchen as Harrison's eyes went to Tom. He was standing on the porch. He frowned and made his way towards him. 

"Hey man what's up?! The concert was damn good! Weren't you supposed to be with Y/N for the after party?" Harrison asked. Tom turned his eyes puffy red with tears. 

"Bro what's the matter?"

"Harrison I can't let her go, not this time." Tom sobbed. 

......................................

Taglist:To be added send me an ask I’ll be happy to add you in the following chapters.

@sleepybesson​ @sophs-library​ @spideyparkerstark​ @itstaskeen​ @milli86​ @biebsmylife95​ @quaksonhehe​ @hannahholland1811​ @awhollandx​ @joyleenl​  @greatpizzascissorstaco​ @tomhollandsotherpinkytoe​ @jjandreidsgirl​ @brighterthanthesunx​ @marvelpeters​ @panicattheeverywherekid​ @onewithnomightypowers​ @itsnotmeh24  @bitchinwpei @astridcommings @hollandprkr​  @hollandsobrien​ @timotayswriter​ @kiki-hines​ @casualprincess77​ @spideyth​ @perspectiveparker​ @thevelvetseries​

[theolddarkmachine]

Imaginary- Chapter Ten

Midoriya Izuku’s life was turned upside by fate.

Eri’s life was turned upside down by circumstance.

And Bakugou Katsuki is about to learn that even imaginary friends need to grow up.

Also on AO3

A/N: Sorry I missed last week, y’all. I ended up stuck here at my parents’ house longer than expected, and then this chapter gave me hell >.< I really like it now but boy lemme tell you, it was touch and go for a second there lol

******************************

Katsuki chews on his bottom lip as he follows behind the father daughter duo, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he watches the way their linked ones swing as they walked.

So far, so good, he thought, tracing their steps through the dimly lit room of the aquarium. When they’d pulled up at the parking lot after an hour of finesse and careful instruction on his part, he’d watched both Midoriyas as their eyes had lit up in equal measure at the sight of the attraction. That same excitement had still clung to them almost two hours in, and something about it made the pit of Katsuki’s stomach warm as he’d watched them walk together, lost in their own little world as they’d explored the different types of sea creatures.

“Daddy Izuku!” Eri says loudly, pulling Midoriya over toward the glass wall to their left. Katsuki swallows down a bite of laughter as he watches Midoriya stumble slightly as the small girl pulls him.

“What are these?” She asks excitedly, pointing at the school of brightly colored fish swirling behind the glass. Whirling around the water with their kaleidoscopic coloring, Katsuki watched as she looked up at them, eyes wide and mesmerized.

“Let’s see,” Midoriya says, making a show of leaning towards the lighted plaque beside the tank before making a loud aha! sound. “Mandarinfish!”

His voice is a quiet, gentle hum as he reads off the information to Eri, oblivious to the the watchful gaze on them.

Something shifted uncomfortably in Katsuki’s chest as he watched over them, coloring his emotions a strange, shimmering shade that rivaled that of the fish in the tank before he turned toward the wall opposite of the father daughter pair.

A fast, flickering flash of green caught his eye as he moves closer, watching as the small creature danced around a cluster of small, pearl-like eggs that dotted a large rock on the aquarium’s floor. Swaying before it was a bright yellow fish, doing its best to avoid the quick, jerking movements of the green fish as it continued to move back and forth between the yellow one and the eggs.

Flicking his gaze to the guide on the wall beside him, he quickly found the photo of the green fish, an apparent variation of a damselfish.

While a friendly fish, the Blue/Green Chromis is known for its protective nature over its eggs, he reads.

So that’s what this is about, Katsuki thinks to himself, turning back to watch the chromis as it continued its protective dance around its eggs as it kept its attention fixed on what was apparently a Yellow Tang.

The green fish pauses for a moment in its movements before rushing forward and butting the Tang and sending it sideways. Snorting loudly at the moment of obvious confusion as it rights itself, Katsuki shakes his head slightly.

Poor bastard, he thinks as he turns his sharply carve smile over his shoulder.

“Hey, Deku,” Katsuki calls out, feeling the rush of warmth through his veins as Midoriya immediately turns to look at him. In the short span of the week, he’d grown all too comfortable with how quick the green haired man would acknowledge him. It was altogether different from being seen by a charge, or his friends.

Pinned beneath Midoriya’s forest stare, it always felt as if he was truly being seen.

Light zings along his bones as he watches the duo move toward him, only turning after he hears Midoriya’s quiet hum at his back.

“Look at this little shit, fighting the hell out of this other little shit for it’s kids,” he points out as Midoriya settles in at his side, tucking Eri between the two of them. A small sound of awe escapes her as she leans into the bar that separates them from the tank’s glass.

“Remind you of anyone?” Katsuki laughs, cocking his head just enough to look at Midoriya. The blue light filtering through the water dances across Midoriya’s freckled face, painting him an ethereal color as his mouth cracks wide around a smile. It’s wide and all encompassing, pinching the corner of his eyes and causing Katsuki’s heart to stutter as he finds it aimed his way.

“How many times do I have to tell you sorry about that?” Midoriya asks, voice lilting with his mirth. The joyous tilt of his voice feels like a calculated attack that catches him sharply in the sternum as he rolls his eyes, using the opportunity to tear his stare away from Midoriya’s stupidly bright smile.

“As many as it takes to make me actually believe you, nerd,” he grinds out with a quick shrug. Midoriya’s laugh is barely a breath as it dances down his spine. Fixing his gaze on the fish before them, Katsuki watches as the two fish bob gently with the tank’s currents, attention fixated on each other before the yellow tang finally swims off.

Warmth wraps around his fingers as a small hand grabs his own, causing him to jump at the sudden contact. Looking down, he’s met by Eri’s ever bright smile.

“Can we see the penguins?” She asks up at him. The question is accompanied by an excited sound that urges Katsuki to flick his gaze upwards. Midoriya’s eyes sparkle in the same way as his daughter’s, and for once, the dark circles that seemed to plague his eyes and aged him didn’t seem to cling to his skin. A sharp pang ripples through him as he’s reminded that Midoriya was still just a young man.

“Well why are you looking at me for,” he growls without an real fire as he tilts his chin toward the exit of the room, “lead the way stupid Deku.”

“Kacchan, be nice,” Eri says in warning, giving his hand a small squeeze. Katsuki returns the gentle pressure as Midoriya starts to move, pulling their linked hands as he walks toward the hall marked with a small penguin silhouette.  

“Yeah, Kacchan,” Midoriya laughs, voice filled with teasing and danger as he turns his head just enough to fix his gaze over his shoulder, “be nice.”

Heat seeps and burns along the bridge of Katsuki’s cheekbones as his stare lingers for just a moment too long before Midoriya looks back to the hall before them.

Letting out a shaky breath, Katsuki grumbles under his breath as he lets Eri tug him along in their small human chain, eyes set on the broad expanse of Midoriya’s shoulders.

***

The bleeding watercolor of the sunset sky painted the backdrop for the park as Katsuki shoved the last corner of his sandwich in his mouth, eyes on Eri as she explains away something nonsensical to the large stuffed penguin at her side. Her excited hum had been a constant since they’d left the aquarium’s gift shop, both hands occupied by Katsuki’s and Midoriya’s while the latter had been regulated to stuffed penguin duty, not that he had seemed to mind.

Hell, Katsuki thinks that maybe if he hadn’t been there, he’d have walked out with a stuffed animal of his own if the way he’d lingered over over a stuffed yellow fish had been any indication.

“You sure you don’t want to go back and get that fish? I’m sure they would understand if you told them you were a 5-year-old stuck in a 26-year-old’s body,” Katsuki bites, raising a brow at Midoriya during a pause in Eri’s excited musings as she sips some of her melon soda.

“Shut up,” he replies, bumping his shoulder into Katsuki’s as his eyes roll upward towards the sky. His fist closes around the convenience store wrappers of their picnic meals, their sharp crackle loud in the calm quiet of the park.

“You’re just mad you aren’t any fun,” Midoriya continues, gaze flickering with the same look of challenge that Katsuki had become all too familiar with over the last couple of weeks. He had the air of a goody two shoe, but Midoriya Izuku had a bit of a mouth on him. One that always managed to say things in just the right way to get under his skin.

“Fuck you, fun is my job,” Katsuki growls, slamming his fist down on the table to emphasize his point. It makes his own drink wobble slightly with its force. Bringing a finger up to his chin, Midoriya’s look goes thoughtful for a moment as he taps it.

Katsuki counts one, two, three taps before he finds himself the object of his attention again.

“They must not pay you a lot then,” Midoriya says matter-of-fact, lips spread wide and grin far too toothy as if his quip is the best thing to ever be said. A bitter roll of annoyance and something else a bit warmer runs through Katsuki.

“Die,” he huffs, throwing a weak punch that Midoriya dodges with a bright laugh. Eyes slanting as Katsuki glares, he opens his mouth to say something else that will bite when Eri speaks up.

“What’s fuck?” She asks, curiosity making her gaze large and encompassing as she looks to her dad, who freezes with his eyes widened by shock. He doesn’t move for several breaths, and Katsuki swears he can see the gears as they churn furiously in his mind before he turns away from the small girl to fix him with a sharpened, accusatory stare.

A brusque crackling cackle lights the space between them as Katsuki shrugs.

“It’s a very bad word—” Midoriya starts, voice sounding choked as he tries to explain, only to be cut off.

“It’s an adult word, when you’re old enough, you can say it,” Katsuki says, authoritative yet gentle, as he slings the same quick shrug in Eri’s direction.

“Oh,” Eri replies simply, letting it go almost as soon as she’s brought it up. Turning back to her her penguin, she smiles as she brushes something off the top of its head. The heat of a stare warms his skin as he turns to see Midoriya’s bewildered look on him. Leaning his forearms into the table, he presses forward as he raises an eyebrow.

“You ever tell a kid something is bad?” Katsuki asks flatly. Confusion twists across Midoriya’s face before he shakes his head slowly, as if unsure where the question would lead.

“Amateur,” Katsuki admonishes. “You say something is bad, they automatically want to do it. Tell them they’ll be able to when they’re an adult, they’re fine.”

As he talks, he stabs at the table with a finger as emphasizing everything he says with the brutal assault on the plastic tabletop. The confusion slowly bleeds from Midoriya’s face, giving way to gentle amusement as he watches the assured way Katsuki talks.

“Is that so?” Midoriya says, tone bursting with unsaid humor as he props his elbow on the table and rests his cheek on his open palm. The pose sets Katsuki as the point of his focus, something he doesn’t miss as he tears his stare away, instead fixing it on the treeline that separates the park from the city streets.

“Damn well has to be if I say so,” he boasts, sitting up and puffing his chest out. Something molten drags down his spine as he hears the soft laugh that it earns him.

“Guess I can’t argue with that,” Midoriya hums. From the corner of his eye, Katsuki sees that he’s also turned his focus toward the trees, a small secretive smile curling the edges of his lips. A gentle ebb of something warm washes out from the center of his chest, before rolling down through his limbs and lighting the tips of his fingers and toes.

“Daddy Izuku,” Eri speaks up, stopping whatever comeback he might have come up, “can we get ice cream?”

“I think we can make that happen,” Midoriya nods after a brief pause, pushing to stand up from the picnic table. Eri mirrors the movement with a bit more bounce before reaching her small hand out for his.

“Want any?” He asks, throwing the question over his shoulder to Katsuki. He doesn’t really. Ice cream has never been something he much liked, or went out of his way to partake in. But there’s something about the soft curl of the question and the tempered stare on him, and he finds his mouth moving around words he doesn’t even think to say.

“Sure, surprise me.”

The upturned edge of his smile pushes higher, pressing a dimple into Midoriya’s cheek before he turned his face away.

“Watch Mr. Pingu!” Eri orders loudly with a point in his direction. Chuckling lowly, Katsuki gives her a sharp salute before the duo starts to walk toward the ice cream stand on the opposite end of the park from them.

With their backs to him, Katsuki can’t help but watch the way they walk together, hands still swinging back and forth as they’d done earlier in the day. The gentle golden light of the sun touches them both as he watches them, Eri gesturing wildly with her free hand as Midoriya’s head falls back with a booming laugh.

From here, they look like nothing less of a happy family, and for a brief shimmering moment, Katsuki wonders if that’s what everyone else sees when they see the three of them together.

A sudden aching bloom of something dark aches at the center of his chest as the fleeting thought disappears with the realization that no one else could see him. It’s a strange sensation, wholly new as Katsuki tries to remember how to breathe around the raw and jagged hole behind his sternum.

Longing, he would think, if he let himself imagine that there was something that Midoriyas had for him to long for.

Tsking loudly to himself, he pulls his focus from where the pair is grabbing the ice cream to look at the lifeless stare of the penguin across from him.

“The fuck are you looking at?” Katsuki growls, not expecting an answer and not getting one. “Yeah, I thought so.”

Quiet settles around the table in the same way as the fading sunlight, accompanying the purple shadows that begin to draw long across the plastic and his stuffed companion before the Midoriyas finally return.

A small paper bowl of pink ice cream lands in front of him with a soft sound, wobbling slightly as he looks up to to Midoriya’s smile. Nodding in silent thanks, Katsuki picks up the brightly colored spoon that’s stuffed in the dessert as Mirdoriya returns to his seat with his own cup of what looks like mint chocolate chip.

Taking a large scoop from the ice cream, Katsuki shoves it all in his mouth, letting the freezing burn as he swallows beat back the lingering ache that clings stubbornly to the space just to the right of his heart.

It tastes better than the bitter longing and his last memory of strawberry ice cream.

As they eat, the quiet still hangs over them, comfortable and companionable as they both watch Eri inspect the flowers just a few feet from the table, all the while licking her own ice cream cone.

“Thank you.”

It’s said lowly, so low that Katsuki might have missed it if it weren’t for the steady soundtrack of silence around them.

“For what?” He asks around the last gob of ice cream as he turns to look at the green haired man beside him. An open look of honesty meets his gaze as Midoriya gestures around them with his spoon.

“For all this,” he replies easily. “Eri loved it.”

Midoriya pauses then, holding Katsuki’s stare almost as if sizing him up before letting loose a breathy laugh. It trickles across Katsuki’s skin like a cooling rain.

“I loved it,” he finishes quickly, looking up through his lashes at him. “So, thank you.”

The words land so close to the hole in his chest, filling it until Katsuki is sure he might explode with it. It’s longing, but now it’s also something else as he keeps his gaze trained on Midoriya. It’s then that he sees the very last rays of the day as they catch the gemstone coloring of his eyes, making them glow as they etch the weight of their stare into him.

He feels it in his bones, that stare, and he swears it razes something in him, leaving behind a space that’s no longer his but the man’s before him.

Fighting against the sudden magnetism of Midoriya’s attention, Katsuki looks down at the melted remains of his ice cream.

“Shut up, nerd,” he grumbles, pushing the pink goo around with his spoon. “You have nothing to thank me for. Eri came up with most of it anyway.”

Midoriya laughs, this time more full bodied, and it shakes the table. Katsuki watches as the sound of it makes Eri look up and over to them curiously, one tiny brow up in question before she sees that he’s looking her way. Lifting a small hand, she waves, then makes a bright happy sound when he waves back.

“Thank you anyway,” Midoriya says after watching the exchange. Katsuki can hear the finality in it, so he doesn’t say anything at all, instead just nodding in reply as he carefully commits the moment to memory.

***************************

[talen77703]

“Overnight, I became a sun worshiper. Well, not overnight, you can’t see the sun at night. The next morning…” -George Carlin

Nicknames: Sunbathers, Stargazers

Most people know that the sun is vital for almost all life on earth (excluding certain sulphur-metabolising creatures at deep ocean depths), but Sunbathers really know it. The sun regulates, directly and indirectly, the activities and biology of every creature on Earth’s surface. To those who understand it, sunlight can be converted into energy. Those who do not respect its power get burned — literally. The sun does not have power; the sun is power.

On the other hand, the moon has just as much impact on the world’s life, with its tidal influence and romantic connections. Not to mention its clear statistical correllation with madness and insanity. It also reflects and reverses the light from the sun, bringing light to darkness, and can eclipse the sun, replacing light with darkness. Stargazers are just as attuned to the power of the moon as Sunbathers are to the sun.

Much like the East/West split between Cryptomancy, the schools of Heliomancy and Lunamancy approach the same focus from different directions. The schools can be hard to teach for reasons similar to Urbanomancy; the would-be adept must already have a strong connection with the moon or sun.

The Paradox of both schools is that an adept must choose an adherent to either the sun or moon, to light or darkness, but neither light nor darkness can exist by itself; both are required to tell where one ends and another begins. Similarly, the world as we know it would not exist without both the sun and moon.

Heliomancy Stats

Generate a Minor Charge: Watch the sun rise or set, from start to finish. You don’t need to stare directly at the sun itself, but you have to be aware of its progress the whole time. This means you can’t bring a book with you and just wait for the charge to come. (Music doesn’t seem to cause a problem.)

Generate a Significant Charge: Sig charges can only be acquired on days when the moon is new, the time when the lunar influence on the solar energy is minimized. You must watch the sun set as normal, then stay awake all night watching the stars, and finally watch the sun rise again the next morning. You don’t get minor charges for the sunset or sunrise, though. Once again, no reading. Music is fine.

Generate a Major Charge: Watch a lunar eclipse from beginning to end. It doesn’t have to be a total eclipse. No reading or music, this time.

Taboo: The sunbather’s connection to the energy of the sun is a careful balance not unlike the mental state of the Infomancer when carrying charges. On the other hand, the sun’s influence is not easily thrown aside. Artificial light sources cause the Heliomancer to lose charges, but not all at once; every minute of exposure to lit candles, electrical lights, flares, et cetera, cause one minor charge to dissipate uselessly (breaking up sig charges if necessary). Light exposure less than a minute long adds up over time, resulting in an eventual loss of a charge. The moon and stars, and the adepts’ own magickal lights, do not count as charge busters. Strangely enough, sunscreen doesn’t taboo the adept, but prevents the gathering of more charges until it has been completely removed from the skin; this can sometimes take a few days, depending on chemistry, physiology, and just how much of the stuff got on the sunbather’s skin.

Random Magick Domain: Light, heat, and energy are the most obvious elements, but the sun also has some symbolic connections to health and knowledge.

Heliomancy Blast Style: Fireballs. Naturally. Small spheroids of concentrated heat and light form near the caster and rocket towards the target. This blast can damage inanimate objects, but cannot harm immaterial beings like demons or entropics.

Charging Tips: Heliomancers can snag two minor charges a day provided they get up early. Sig charges are not as common, namely a once-a-month affair. Be sure to watch the calendar.

Starting Charges: A new Heliomancer starts out with no charges at all, so set your alarm early.

Heliomancy Minor Formula Spells

Good Morning Cost: 1 Minor Charge Effect: This spell instantly removes any penalties from sleep deprivation or exhaustion, similar to the Epideromancy Spell “Relentless Will”. The target is not exactly bright eyed and bushy tailed, but he or she can work and act without yawning or keeling over.

Sunburn Cost: 2 Minor Charges Effect: This is the Heliomancy Minor Blast. Fireballs form around the adept and rocket towards the target, and may even set the target on fire if the situation warrants it (target was soaked in gasoline, had some flammable hair gel, was wearing easily ignited fabrics, GM was bored… you get the idea). When determining fire damage, use the tens place die, then reduce it by one each round until it reaches zero (fire burns itself out) or the target extinguishes the fire (stop drop and roll, fire extinguisher, jump in the river, et cetera).

Clear as Day Cost: 2 Minor Charges Effect: The caster can get a single, yes-or-no answer to a question asked. Unless magick, avatars, or the Invisible Clergy are involved, that is. A yes typically takes the form of a feeling of extreme heat, while a no is a brief chill. These are basically “hot spots” and “cold spots” centered around the caster, and can be detected with electronic temperature sensors, not to mention anyone standing right next to the caster.

Daybreak Cost: 3 Minor Charges Effect: A small spheroid of light forms above the caster’s head, or in the caster’s hand. It’s bright enough to read by and lasts five minutes or until extinguished.

Blinded by the Light Cost: 5 Minor Charges Effect: There is a short but intense flash of light which blinds whoever looks at it. This is not permanent, but is bound to play hell with any attempt to fight effectively or drive. The caster is NOT immune to this blinding flash.

Heliomancy Significant Formula Spells

Sunspots Cost: 1 Significant Charge Effect: The caster is ground zero for a communications blackout. Anything using radio waves or microwave transmissions gets nothing but static until sundown or until the caster cancel’s the effect. When cast at night, it requires twice as many charges, and lasts until dawn. The radius of effect is equal to about fifty feet.

Solar Flare Cost: 1 Significant Charge Effect: This is the Significant Blast, and it always sets the target on fire unless the target is underwater or dressed up like a firefighter looking for trouble. Use the tens place die for fire damage, as with the minor blast.

Nice Tan Cost: 2 Significant Charges Effect: The target recovers wound points equal to the roll of the spell. They also inexplicably develop a good, even tan, but with tan lines equivalent to the outfit they were wearing the day before. There is no known explaination for this.

Apollo’s Vice Cost 3 Significant Charges Effect: This applies the greek sun god Apollo’s famous habit of chasing women and nymphs and so on to a single male target. This male ends up with a serious sexual appetite and the compulsion to gratify it immediately. Resisting the urge to mate with the closest female is a Rank-8 Self Challenge, possibly higher if the target prefers men. When used on women, however, it makes them inexplicably attractive to the opposite sex; the woman gains the skill “Sexually Alluring” at the level of her Soul Stat, and does not know it. In both cases, the effects last 12 hours.

Ozone What? Cost: 5 Significant Charges Effect: A very malevolent spell, this cause the target to instantly and spontaneously develop skin cancer; malignant melanoma. The tumors will not spread throughout the body, but they will grow until treated with radiation/chemotherapy, removed with surgery, cured with magick, or the death of the target. Whichever comes first.

Heliomancy Major Effects: Teleport to and from any spot on the globe where the sun is shining. Become the Human Torch for a day. Gain the ability to shine light from your eyes at will. Cause stable, sustainable thermonuclear reactions to occur in the privacy of your own home.

Lunamancy Stats

Generate a Minor Charge: Go out on any night where the moon is visible and watch the moon for one hour. One charge per night, no more no less.

Generate a Significant Charge: On a night when the moon is full, go out and watch it rise and/or set. It doesn’t matter where the sun is during the moonrise and moonset, so long as you watch the whole thing.

Generate a Major Charge: Watch a Solar Eclipse from beginning to end. Yes, you can use protective lenses or one of those pinhole boxes, so long as you watch the entire thing.

Taboo: The power of the Lunamancer is based upon the reflection and alteration of the sun’s energy, but the sun itself doesn’t disrupt this connection. Lack of a constant influx of energy causes charges to fade out. In other words, total darkness has the same effect on the stargazer as artificial light does to the sunbather. One minute of total darkness means one minor charge goes poof. Being out under the stars during a new moon can do it too, unless the adept has a flashlight/lantern on hand.

Lunamancy Blast Style: The Black of Night. The target is immediately struck blind for a number of rounds equal to the damage of the blast, and suffers damage in the form of instant, freezing cold. This can cause heart problems for some people, and the significant blast can have an effect similar to exposure to dry ice or liquid nitrogen. At the very least, there’s a chance of frostbite.

Random Magick Domain: Darkness and the night, especially, but also emotions and sanity.

Charging Tips: Lunamancers can get a charge each night that the moon is visible, and two significant charges the night the moon is full. Just don’t nod off.

Starting Charges: Lunamancers start with no charges whatsoever.

Lunamancy Minor Formula Spells:

On the Prowl Cost: 1 Minor Charge Effect: For the next five minutes, the caster has superior night vision and could theoretically read a book by starlight alone. This can mean shifts to Notice and possibly combat skills in the dark, but it does make the caster more vulnerable to things like flashes of light — the caster takes one die of damage and cannot see for at least six hours.

Dark Night Cost: 1 Minor Charge Effect: This is the minor blast.

Man in the Moon Cost: 2 Minor Charges Effect: The next time the target looks at the moon, they see a giant face on its surface… making faces at them. This is worth a Rank-9 Unnatural Check.

Isn’t it Romantic?: Cost: 3 Minor Charges Effect: The caster becomes a very attractive and dashing person, the type who says all the right things, until the sun comes up. In other words, he or she gains the skill “Master of Romance” at 50% (or at the level of the Soul Stat if it’s below 50). It doesn’t work at all during the day.

Twig Snap: Cost: 4 Minor Charges Effect: The target is struck by crippling paranoia coupled with panic, and must make a Stress Check against Isolation (Rank-7) to keep from freaking out.

Lunamancy Significant Formula Spells

Things That Go Bump: Cost: 2 Significant Charges Effect: When this spell is cast in dim light, or at least light with lots of shadow around it, a pack of Tenembrae are summoned and either chow down on the closest corpse or attack the living. The caster cannot control them.

Pitch Black: Cost: 1 Significant Charge Effect: This is the significant blast.

Tidal Influence: Cost: 2 Significant Charges Effect: The caster can either gain a temporary positive shift in one skill, or force a temporary negative shift in one skill on another person, lasting for six hours. This can affect any skill except magick schools, obsession skills, Avatar skills, or (for reasons unknown) General Education. The shift, be it positive or negative, is equal to the ten’s place of the roll to cast the spell; a success of 45% would mean a 40% shift. No shift can exceed 40%.

Howl of the Wolf: Cost: 3 Significant Charges Effect: For ten minutes, the stargazer can communicate with any non-insect animal, much like the Third Avatar Channel of the Savage. This can be used to stop hostilities (sometimes), and get information, but keep in mind that the spell does not allow control, and devoted and loyal pets may not believe you have their master’s best interests at heart.

Some Kind of Lunatic: Cost: 5 Significant Charges Effect: The caster puts some serious mental pressure on the target in the form of a stress check on whichever madness meter has the most failed notches. If the target makes the check, he gets no hardened notch. If he fails, then that entire gauge is failed marks, and the target is now officially out of his mind. Therapy can remove such failed notches as normal.

Lunamancy Major Effects: Cure (or cause) a mental aberration that therapy and/or medical science has been unable to help with. Instantly gain a skill dealing with stealth at the level of the governing stat. Cause a tidal wave or tsunami of epic proportions. Force somebody else to fall madly in love with you.

What You Hear: The Heliomancer and Lunamancer

Somewhere in Mexico City, there’s a pair of adepts, one being a sunbather and one being a stargazer, that are actually brother and sister. They’re waging a mystical family feud that’s gotten so far out of hand that the Sleepers have given up trying to stop them and are just covering the local news outlets. They’re also trying to ice every adept and avatar that tries to get in or out of the city to keep things stable. You may want to change vacation plans accordingly.

[hogwartselementumrp]

LUCILLA FAJKA is twenty-seven years old, an earth elemental, now works at GLADRAGS WIZARDINGWEAR and was home schooled in the town of Mayte.

                                            ❝ There was about her a wildness that flashed in her eyes. She was spoiled and beautiful and easily bored. She was either fiercely excited or cool and detached .

↳ MAGIC

Lucille’s element, natural talent with it and the control she has honed all work together to illustrate the whispers she loves to hear about herself. That girl can make the earth tremble with a sigh from her lips and flowers bloom from a gentle touch, blessed by contact with her. She can create or destroy equally, deciding on whim as she drifts along her way, and it’s by that aspect alone Lucille considers her element superior to the others. She’s been told time and again the idea that earth elementals are themselves gods and capable of creating life is blasphemous, and they are reaching out to nurture life that’s already there, but any time she holds a seed in her hands and watches it become a flower or touches a barren tree and focuses until she makes it produce fruit, she would swear she is Gaia herself. Never having met a spirit elemental or heard of any that weren’t myth, she believes her powers are the pinnacle of what wizardkind is capable of. Her element captures the majority of her attention, but she was a fair student in other areas of magic when she wasn’t more focused on her teacher. She does not possess any giftings in wand magic that could hold a candle to Emma’s transfiguration talent, but Lucille would laugh it off and ask who would want to play with sticks anyway when you can aspire to create a forest?

↳ BACKSTORY

Lucille was born with too many feelings for her skin to hold. That was the dramatic, romantic little girl’s self-diagnosis. She believed her twin, Emma, existed for her to share her feelings and impulses with when they could no longer be contained. This was Emma’s purpose, though Lucille would find others for her as they grew older, never thinking any more than she would be likely to say the words that she loved her sister, twin, counterpart of her soul, any less for viewing her primarily as something for her use. It was not that she would claim she’d do the same for Emma if she needed. She would explain with tranquil patience that Emma was born her complement, with very little big feelings of her own so she could be a receptacle for Lucille’s excess and made to be her shadow while she stood in the spotlight. That was simply how it worked, and Lucille would protect her poor, innocent sister against anyone who tried to force her into the seat of attention. She took the negative attention too, as she would remind Emma, not to be a martyr, but just to let her know every time she bore the wrath of their father. It was always for things she not Emma had done, and Lucille basked in screams and punishment as much as praise, but she made sure Emma appreciated how she kept Papa’s notice off her. It was the least she could do, and she was sure the scales would be evened one day.

Lucille’s chief aspiration in life when she was young was to find true love. No ordinary love like you saw every day, not even lasting love like she saw in her parents, but an epic love, even a love gone wrong. Perhaps, even especially a love gone wrong, because killing and dying for love made a much more compelling story than living for love in so many cases. Those were the stories that became immortal and were the most dramatic. Most lovesick teenagers imagined riding off into the sunset with a prince. Lucille daydreamed about loving so deeply that she threw herself into her king’s funeral pyre with her last words about the heat of the flames being more welcoming than the cold, cruel world without him written down and repeated by generations of equally lovesick girls. When she was a few months shy of nineteen and engaged to  a man from a family with higher standing than the social climbing Fajka parents, a man she liked quite well and who treated her as if she was the sun, but she hated for the narrative of it once pretending to love him passionately began to feel too false and demonized to her sister and others to justify hating him, she snuck out of Mayte for the first time, swearing her sister to secrecy and arranging to meet her at the edge of Mayte and have her stick her hand through the wards and pull her back in as none can return to Mayte on their own once leaving the town’s safety. 

She had no interest in the outside world any more than any other teenager shut up in the wizarding town out of time their whole lives did, and once she saw what a noisy, polluted, confusing, foul-blood infested place it was she had no love for it but the fear of getting caught and the thought of being a legend, coming and going as she pleased and holding court answering questions about the modern wizarding world few others knew anything about made it a sparkling experience. Then she met Simon.Simon she was sure was her destiny. The tallest man she had ever seen, he looked the part of epic hero, and he was kind and chivalrous to her but with harsh fire in his eyes that made her imagine him as the warrior king of her dreams that rushed into battle that would soak them both in blood as she coaxed him into talking about his work in the law and the cases he tried. He was a muggleborn but she forgot her prejudices in a moment as the son of her kind’s greatest enemies, the son of those who caused her people to run and hide for fear of being burned and overwhelmed, suddenly seemed like the greatest hero of all. Forbidden love. The oldest and most powerful tale there was.

All was beautiful for a time. Emma provided her with the way back to Mayte and cover when she went missing, sometimes even taking her place when she was supposed to have important plans that she abandoned to see Simon, and Simon was everything she wanted and he loved her. She was sure he loved her, until she saw the interest leave his eyes one day. She brought it back for a time, telling him stories of Mayte to make him understand what was so special about their story, but then she pushed too far. She told him about the marriage she was being forced into, making her fiance sound much worse than he was, and she begged him to marry her himself that day. She counted too strongly on the male ego urge to play rescuer and he pushed her away.She’d never been rejected before, and the sting of it, too sharp for her to even revel in, sent her reeling. She couldn’t process it. She became desperate in her attempts to win him back and he rejected her more firmly each time until she went mad with it for awhile, showing up when and where she wasn’t supposed to, at his sister’s school or on his doorstep in the middle of the night.

Not only did she alarm Simon into thinking she was a stalker, but, as she became more careless in leaving Mayte for her trips to see Simon, she forgot to cover her tracks as soundly and one day she was followed. She saw the wizard tailing her and made it back to Mayte before him, with only enough time to beg her sister to repay every time she took the heat off of her and switch clothes with her.The scandal of forbidden romance and dying for love turned out to be beautiful, thrilling concepts but terrifying realities Lucille couldn’t face at nineteen. 

Emma had less to lose. Her life didn’t sparkle. This way Emma would shine once and have a purpose.Dear Emma who lived for Lucille anyway. Switch with me she said. Please tell them it was you. You loved the muggle boy. You snuck out to see him. You’ve never done any wrong in your life. They’ll forgive you.Lucille succeeded in getting Emma to take her place and she would say, tears in her eyes and a blank expression behind, that it was the greatest regret of her life. Emma was banished, Lucille was told Simon and his entire family were killed for their crimes, and Lucille planned to commit suicide out of guilt. Of course, her note was not found and nobody came to stop her so she abandoned that idea in a huff.

Lucille got married, spitefully at first and then with smug smile on her face that she secured so easily for herself even after her sister’s scandal, the perfect, sunny life without conflict that would be other girls’ dreams even if the mundanity of it killed her soul. Boredom set in more harshly and she didn’t smile so brightly anymore, but she was happy enough and she would have stayed in Mayte forever and died slowly, one day at a time if it hadn’t been for her confessing her past to her husband one night after securing countless promises he’d love her until his last breath no matter what she did or said. She just needed someone to know just how masterful she’d been, getting away with it all, to hear of her great forbidden love, and to know of her sister’s sacrifice and honor her memory properly too of course.It was ancient history. It wasn’t supposed to matter, but it did to him. It made quite a difference in how he thought of her, even after eight years, to know she cuckolded him with a mud-dwelling witch burner and sold her sister out. He was furious, and she was shocked and thrilled to see such fire from him, but then it stopped being fun.There was an altercation and by morning Lucille was stepping outside the Mayte walls for the first time since nineteen and sending Lawrence Frisk, the first name she could think of, not knowing if her sister was alive or if she could face her,  her patronus to ask if he was alive, where he had settled, and if he knew of the fate of any other Mayte exiles, not that she claimed to be among that exile group. She was a runaway bride eight years late. Much prettier narrative.

↳ PERSONALITY TRAITS

» {+ positives} charming, passionate, witty

» {- negatives}  obsessive, short-range thinker, malefactorous

↳ BASICS

» BLOOD STATUS: pureblood

» ELEMENTAL POWER: earth

» AFFINITY LEVEL: high & not studious

» DATE OF BIRTH: 6th of June

» WAND: 9", willow, dragon heartstring, swishy

» FACECLAIM: Haley Bennett

LUCILLE FAJKA IS PLAYED BY BETH

[driveriteschool-blog]

GENERAL DRIVING TIPS

Something as quick and simple as putting on your seat belt or getting your windshield cleaned can mean the difference between life and death. Being aware of yourself and other drivers and practicing good road etiquette is equally important. Below are some tips to keep you mindful and safe.

Simple but Crucial

Obey the speed limits. Going too fast gives you less time to stop or react. Excess speed is one of the main causes of teenage accidents.

Always wear your seat belt – and make sure all passengers buckle up, too. Don’t try to fit more people in the car than you have seat belts for them to use.

Adjust your car’s head rest to a height behind your head – not your neck – to minimize whiplash in case you’re in an accident.

Make sure your windshield is clean. At sunrise and sunset, light reflecting off your dirty windshield can momentarily blind you from seeing what’s going on.

Experts now recommend that you hold the steering wheel at either 3 and 9 o’clock on the wheel, or even lower at 4 and 8 o’clock. If you’re in an accident and the airbags go off, you’ll be safer with your hands not flying into your face from the impact of the airbags.

Consider Other Drivers

Don’t drive like you own the road. Drive like you own the car.

Don’t make assumptions about what other drivers are going to do. The only thing you can assume about another driver with a turn signal on is that they have a turn signal on. He/she might not be turning at all, and just forgot to turn it off.

Watch out for aggressive drivers, and try to stay out of their way. They are the cause of a lot of accidents – especially on freeways.

Never pull out in front of anyone or swerve into someone else’s lane.

Constant Awareness

Make sure your car always has gas in it – don’t ride around with the gauge on empty.

If you’re in the country, watch out for deer and other animals.  If you see an animal approaching, slow down and flash your lights repeatedly. Dusk and dawn are particularly bad times for running into animals, so be on the lookout for them.

When light turns green, make sure intersection clears before you go.

Driving Around School

If you’re lucky enough to have your own car, that’s awesome! But it’s important to be mindful when driving around your school’s campus, or even just when parking there. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Always stop for school buses with flashing lights. The flashing lights mean that students are either getting on or off the bus, and may be crossing the street. Their safety depends on cars obeying this law.

Don’t park in fire lanes around the school. Not only will you probably get a ticket, but you could be blocking the area where a fire truck might need to par

Try to get to school five to ten minutes early, and leave five minutes late to avoid the mad dash into and out of the parking lot. Lots of accidents happen when people are rushing around.

Always watch for kids getting on and off school buses.

If your school lot has perpendicular spaces (not angled parking), park in a space you can pull straight out of instead of having to back out. Backing out in crowded lots is always tricky.

Don’t leave valuables like wallets, shoes, laptops, jackets, phones, or sports equipment in your car where they can be seen easily.