#and why is she so strong she saved my butt so many times already

[meownotgood]

you're playing bg3!!!! do you have your sights set on anyone yet... :3

yes!! I just started act 2 but I don't know yet, I can't decide because I like everyone bahaha... I think gale and karlach are my favorites so far, they are both such sweethearts.... 🥹 but wyll and astarion... I have my eyes on them too because they are so handsome... I'll just have to see where the journey takes me lmaoooo

[soft-persephone]

A Fresh Start 2

Mother’s Milk x Fem!Reader

T // WC: 1.7k // pool day fun and one iffy convo // pt. 1

“TT, it’s going to be fun,” Momo did her best to comfort you, taking your hand she walked to in the to the entrance of the public pool.”

“What if no one likes me?” You grumbled. “I’m not as parenty as the other adults.”

The loss of your brother showed up in more ways then one in your life. The way the grief can creak into the everyday folds of your knew life with Momo was challenging, and on top of it all, you had to learn how to be a good parent on the fly.

The transition from fun aunt to mother figure had been challenging. Especially, when discipline had to come out to play. Momo wasn’t a bad kid, but she had been through a lot and her emotions ran all over the place, depending on the day.

So far, this summer has been such a relief for you both. As she relocated after her suspension, it was honestly a blessing in disguise. There was a community around the school district your brother was zoned for that you never knew was there. Momo made some new friends that she seems to love more and they loved her equally as much.

But youngest like a poser, that you’re pretending. You were constantly comparing yourself to other parents. What worse lace could exist for you to continue this new horrible tradition than a day at the pool.

The wholes are side of your swimsuit and how scrappy it was despite being a one piece felt too much, not at all something a mom would wear. You tugged the sleeves of the knitted wholey cover up you were wearing over your hands. It was made to give a dramatic end sleeve effect. Like very chic sweater paws.

“If you stay on your best behavior, you’ll have nothing to worry about.” Momo beamed up at you.

Despite being very cute, you took her bag off her shoulder with narrowed eyes.

“Go play.” You said in a deadpan tone.

“But what did i—“

“Now! Go play with your friends. Don’t make me tell you again.”

She huffed before giggling as Janine was already running towards her. Her soaking wet curls shining in the sun.

You whined as they started squealing at one another before skipping off.

“Hey!” A voice stopped them from your side, “don’t run around here or you’ll fall and bust your head open!”

You smiled your best polite smile.

“Someone’s looking rather fancy for a public outing at the pool.” Sheila looked at you over her shades.”

“What can I say,” you smiled, “I dress to impress.”

Being in with a group of parents really had its perks. They saved you a set and it was nice and cozy. Not too much sun and not too much shade.

“Hey hey,” look who it is.” Sheila introduced and everyone called out to you from their chairs.

“Someone’s looking all special!”

All the moms oohhhed and ahhed in appreciation.

You swallowed ignoring how hot your face felt.

“Hi.” You waved with a smile as you took your seat.

“Hey, I’m Monique.” She took of her shades, “Janine’s Mom.”

“Oh my god Hi,” you instantly perked up. “I’ve heard your name a lot over the last week.”

Janine and Momo exchanged numbers which were actually your number and Monique’s number, so you’ve only heard her voice several, several times, as she said, hold on let me get Janine.

“It’s nice to put a voice to a face.”

“Likewise.” You nodded with a smile and pulled your book out of your bag, just in case.

“What is it that you do again?”

It was nice to be able to talk about something like work and not.. your brother or how hard the transition is with Monice coming to live with you.

“Lawyer, started out with the criminal justice stuff and somehow ended up in the corporate conglomerate stuff, representing companies as they do who fuck knows with whatever they and such.”

“You know more than me, so I will not ask too many questions.” You both laughed.

“Heeheehee,” a strong voice mocked you from above, blocking the sun.

“You held a hand over your eyes and waved with the other. “Hey.”

“Don’t hey me and get your butt out here in this pool.”

“Why.” You scoffed and clipped the shades from your shirt, putting them on.

“We take turns chaperoning the kids.” He crossed his arms.

“Marvin please, give her a break. She just got here. It’s probably Sheila’s turn.”

He stormed off with a groan and waved Janine off.

“Sheila’s not getting in the pool is she?”

Monique tapped her nose with a smile and you laughed.

45 minuets or maybe one glorious hour into your book. A little voice broke your focus.

“TT can I have $20.”

“Why do you need $20.” You turned the page of your book not looking up.

“Because of the concession stand.” She huffed, giving her eight year old logic.

“But I packed you something.” You fake pouted back, grabbing the cooler bag.

“I mean, I brought these grapes,” you pulled them out and put them back in the bag, rummaging some more, “I cut up some strawberries and other fruit, making sure there were no stems or nasty bits because you hate that,” you put them back in the bag, “and then, I woke up extra early and made those ham and cheese balls you love so much.” You sighed dramatically.

“I packed all your favorites, but if you want to eat soggy fries drenched in a weird cheese sauce, I guess I can give you the money.” You put your hand in your purse.

“No-I’ll-take-these-thanks!” She eagerly snatched the goodies out of the bag, running off to be eat with her friends.

Victory.

You went back to your book.

“Nice one.” Monique said to you over her kindle.

You both read in silence.

Monique was pretty swell. She was the easiest to be around compared to the other mom’s.

“Thank you for the other day,” you were about to ask her for what but she explained further, “for keeping Marvin out of trouble at the cookout.”

“What.” You laughed. “I didn’t do anything. We just talked for a bit.”

She smiled at you.

“Marvin doesn’t just talk for a bit.” She went back to her book.

You were about to say something. To get some more answers, confront her, ask her to give it to you straight or interpret what she was implying, but Marvin plopped down between you both.

“Water.” He huffed.

Crushing the water bottle loudly in his hands, he pulled at the fabric of your cover up with his other hand.

“You need to take this off and get in the pool. It’s your turn.”

“Why do I have to go?” You smacked his hand away.

“If I have to drag you into the water I will.” He pointedly looked at you, “I already had to drag Sheila out there and I’m willing to drag you in too.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Fine.”

The water wasn’t too bad, the screaming kids not so much. But it was nice to see Marvin be around the kids.

“My turn!” A boy that was more hair than boy squealed as Marvin dunked him under the water and refused to let him go as he thrashed around for a minuet. He came above the surface of the water with a gapped grin, one of his front teeth missing.

He swam away back to his friends in glee.

“What a fun game.” You tried to be sarcastic but your grin was too wide and you were already laughing.

“You never went to the pool as a kid?” He splashed water on you.

You slammed the surface of the water back with both hands, getting way more water on him.

“Of course I did!”

“Well, I apologize if you don’t seem like the type, Ms Bougie.”

“I like to take care of myself, and I was raised by a woman who liked to take care of herself and her family. She had standards and she raised me with standards.” You defended. “Why is that a crime?”

He looked down at you with a smile, less mirthful than before.

“It’s not.”

Despite the chill from the water and the slight breeze every few minuets a warmth started to spread throughout you.

“When,” he started and quickly stopped, looking away from you for a second before putting a hand into a fist and pushing into the palm of the other. “You don’t have someone at home who takes care of you?”

“If that’s your way of masking if I have a boyfriend,” you started carefully, “then no.”

He looked at you as if he didn’t believe you. You would have laughed if it wasn’t sort of sweet.

“I did.”

His eyebrows rose, but he showed no other sign of suprise. Nodding in some sort of appreciation is what you guess what the nod meant.

“He doesn’t help you take care of Momo?”

“He left because of Momo.”

You started floating in the water, giving half of your attention to mindlessly floating in the water with a sigh.

He followed suit, crouching down in the pool, letting his legs flow at a bent angle so he could be at the same eye level as you.

“If he’s willing to leave you like that, with all your going through,” he locked eyes with you, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

You nodded giving him a silent thank you.

He made a step towards you.

“I just—“

“Daddy!” Janine jumped in her dads arms. Her face pulled taunt with a frown and her bottom lip sticking out.

“TT” Momo solemnly swam to you.

She rubbed her eyes as you pulled her into your arms.

“You tired?” You looked over to see Marvin murmur comforting words in Janine’s ear.

You gave him an apologetic smile.

He gave one back and made his way to the steps of the pool to take Janine home.

You kissed Momo on the head.

“Time to go home kiddo,” you moved her hair to the side to see her face. She was already fast asleep in your arms, giving her a light kiss on the head, you made your way out the pool.

[chiskz]

▶️ 돼끼 GYM (DWAEKKI GYM) #1 & #2 | [SKZ-CODE] EP.29 & EP.30

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1.2k

♡taglist: @g4m3girl , @smh-anon , @neohyxn , @stealanity

《 ♡ 》

[ xxx ] - editors' notes

♡ intro

Changbin tries to motivate the members to come in. Chichi is standing next to Hyunjin, making a little ponytail. „But can we not come at all?!" She exclaims laughing. [ members really want to go home! ]

Changbin hugs the members in greeting, then pre-checking the condition of their bodies. When he hugs Chichi, he pulls away surprised.

"What? Her grip is really strong! I hardly felt the difference between her and Bang Chan!”

Chichi smiles embarrassed, the editors add a cute teddy bear sound. [ Bang Chan Junior?! ]

It's time to measure members’ biceps. Changbin wraps the measure around Ichi's arm.

"What?"

"What?" The other members immediately stand by, interrupting the previous activities. Ichi looks surprised too.

"37cm."

Han and Felix sit down slowly. "How much?!"

"How is that even possible?!"

Chichi tilts her head like a listening puppy. "I exercise too!" [ the members never cease to surprise each other ]

Han doesn't believe it and for the rest of the measurement he stands with Chichi in the background comparing their shoulders, the girl continuing to giggle, covering her face.

♡ InBody Test

Changbin holds Chichi's results in hands.

"She really is made of muscles." Chan says, looking over Changbin's shoulder. Changbin nods.

"But there could be more body fat though."

"Then feed me better!" She exclaimed at once as a joke.

"I should start cooking for you then." Minho says and Felix nods.

„Me too.” [ CHICHI, the most spoiled fake maknae ]

♡ Flexibility Test

"Chichi gets banned from this at start!" Han exclaimed, pointing accusingly at her. "Who would win against past ballerina?!"

"Is it my fault?!" She called out in reply as she stood up and she and Han pretend to start a fight. Felix grabs her by the arms and pulls her away, laughing.

"It's Chichi who will be the judge then!" Changbin called. [ a worthy successor to coach dwaekki! ]

"But let her judge by doing the split anyway!" Said Minho, and Chichi gave him a terrified look. "Let her suffer with us!" [ one for all, all for one… ]

So, Chichi watched members’ matches all the while doing splits on the floor. Seungmin walked over to her and patted her head.

"Don't worry. You were always short anyway." [ dwaekki gym or chichi roast? ]

♡ Planks

Minho took several breaks during it, so he unofficially failed the task. Of course, he couldn't be alone in this. When Chichi was doing an exercise with Hyunjin, Minho sat on her and she fell to the floor in surprise, and she started to hit the floor as a sign that she was giving up. [ someone save this baby tiger... ] / [ "why is everyone bullying me today?!" ]

Fortunately, both were great at jumping rope, so further sabotage was unnecessary.

While Han is jumping (or trying to) on a rope, Chichi and Seungmin in the background are trying to get on one of the machines (which of course could not be physically climbed, but who will stop them?). During one of the close-ups of Jisung, a loud bang is heard in the background. In the next shot, Chichi and Seungmin are already sitting with the others, next to each other, holding back their laugh.

♡ Beginner or Advanced?

Chichi was placed in the Advanced group even though Minho, Hyunjin and Jeongin were in favor of putting her in the Beginner group. [ bullying Chichi continues… ]

♡ Beginner Level Training

As Seungmin, Changbin, and Felix do demonstrative squats, Chichi sits down with Hyunjin on one of the treadmills behind them.

"This is a better view than in a fruit shop!" She exclaimed in delight, Hyunjin laughs loudly and claps. [ what is she talking about? are butts like watermelons or melons? too many questions... ]

Chichi watches Minho and tries to do a squat, deliberately falling to the floor in the process.

"Coach, can you help me too?" She asks, pouting out her lower lip pleadingly.

"You don't need help!" Changbin called, gesticulating. "We all know you don't need help! You don't even belong to this group, get out!”

Chichi lowers her head pretending to be sad and leaves the room. [ failing to get attention from the coach ]

* EP.30 *

Han and Chichi dance tango in the background, doing a million unnecessary pirouettes. Changbin speaks about each member.

"Chichi."

Chichi immediately runs over and stands to attention, pretending that she wasn't fooling around earlier at all.

"Chichi exercises regularly, right?"

"Right."

"And she trained regularly in the past as well, right?"

"Right."

"That's why you should all follow her as example."

The editors used the teddy bear sound again as Chichi smiles sheepishly, puffing out her cheeks slightly. Han and Jeongin pretend to have a cough, in the intervals of which "nerd" and "teacher's pet" is heard.

♡ Bench Press

Chichi massages Jeongin in the background as soon as he finishes his barbell warm-up, then unfazed, she does hers. When after the warm-up it was time for real weights, Chichi lay down on the bench, pouting and puffing her cheeks slightly in thought.

"60kg? 60kg…”

"Too much?" Chan asked immediately.

"Not at all!" she laughed. [ don't underestimate the spirit of the tiger! ]

Changbin glances at Chan, then back at her.

"80kg?"

"Mhm. Let's make it 80kg."

So Chan adds weights and stands behind the bench where her head was to belay her while Changbin stood over her with his legs spread apart, with her lying on the bench between his legs. Chichi flushed her cheeks, laughing nervously.

"Yeah, I feel much safer now!"

Changbin lowered his head immediately, his blush and small cute smile were not visible on the camera.

♡ Deadlifting

"I do not like this." Chichi laughs lightly as she stands next to Jeongin and rubs her wrists. "It's a bit too boring for me."

After advices from Felix, it was her turn. She took the right position and moved her eyebrows significantly towards Chan, who immediately understood what was going on, with a smile. He added weights again and in this exercise Chichi also lifted 80kg. Changbin belayed her while standing behind her, but he looked away from time to time, pressing his lips into a thin line [ even coach dwaekki was speechless? but why? ]

♡ Squats

"I love squats." Chichi starts jumping in place like a rabbit. "That was my specialty!" She exclaims happily, the editors put a squeaking sound under her jumps [ advanced group seems a bit livelier! ]

Chichi walks over to the barbell and assumes the position, glancing behind her back at the other members. "What? Won't you cover my butt?!"

"No."

"No. There is no need." Han announced and along with Jeongin and Chan they sat down behind her to get a better view. [ Stray Perverts? ]

♡ Eating & Drinking

Changbin hands a shake to Seungmin and Chichi sitting next to him. After unwrapping her gym gifts, she and Han play volleyball in the background with a massage ball [ some kids have short attention spans... ]

"My New Year goal?" Chichi thinks for a moment. “I would love to get back into doing barbell squats. I forgot how much joy it gives me. I focused on other exercises and neglected them a bit. I would like to go back to them and beat my previous record of 95 kg.”

"I'll help you." Changbin replied as soon as Chichi finished speaking.

Chichi covers her face with her hair immedietely [ coach dwaekki, always ready to help! ]

《 ♡ 》

[inkstainedhandswithrings]

TBB s3 ep4 Thoughts!!!

Oooohh starting off strong

Omega immediately wanting to go back because “it’s right”

Crosshair wanting to keep moving, not because he’s scared of going back but because he understands that he can’t help anyone if he’s dead

Ah there he is. The bitch. The Hemcock.

I wanna say Nala Sa deserves to be in prison but idk I’m starting to feel for her

Pretty sure she won’t survive the season though

IM SORRY THAT SHOT WHERE THE COAT IS HANGING OVER THAT POWER LINE???

is that,,,, a reference to yanno,,, shoes hanging from a power line?

hahahahahahah poncho stormtroopers

“You’re the one who wanted to bring… the hound.”

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH

YOUR HONOUR I LOVE THEM

best duo this show has given us

If Hunter was the hesitant but willing dad, Crosshair is the exasperated older brother that was forced to bring his younger sister to the party he was invited to an now has to spent all night watching her

Ey not cool Omega. Someone was using that jacket to advertise their business

“See, isn’t this better?” “No.” “Ugh.”

HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHA

“I could take out half of them before they even know what happened” 😳😳

Yeah, I believe you sir

Damn fuck how many more clone crushes will I have to be burdened with

Jesus Christ

“That went well” “Stow it”

THEM

YOUR HONOUR

THEM!!!

Scottish Robot ahhahahahahaha

Say what you will about Crosshair, when that dude sat down across from Omega he was ready for a FIGHT

big ol’ softie <3

“You or your dad”

Glad Hunter wasn’t there to hear that

Or Crosshair for that matter

Both would’ve blown their cover

Tbh Crosshair makes a fair point about leaving while they can. The planet is filled with Empirials and they are running out of time

But he also hasn’t been part of a team in a while and maybe he’s forgotten some of what that entails too

Either way, loving how “selfless” and “selfish” are meeting in this ep

“I’ll do it your way BUT I WOULD LIKE THE RECORD TO REFECT THAT I DONT WIKE IT!”

Crosshair giving Omega a boost to get over the wall I’m crying

“Shouldn’t we free the other animals too?” “Don’t push it.”

HE IS MY SOULMATE (based on sarcasm. I am vegetarian and I would free those animal friendos in a heartbeat)

The extra head shake and eye roll at that question too, he is already so done I can’t hahahahahahahah

“I hope your take-offs are better than your landings” “we’re about to find out”

Aaaaaaand that just reminded me that Tech was the one who taught her to fly

🥲🥲🥲🥲

That fucking shriek when the stormtrooper got blasted by the engine hahahahahaha

Ohohoh altered batch theme after take off? Okayokayokay I see you👀

Jesus Christ, Crosshair trying to prepare Omega for the very real possibility that Hunter and Wrecker are dead?

Like I know it seems cruel and defeatist but it’s actually kind in a way

Managing expectations in order to save her from a worse fall out

FUCK I THOUGHT I’D HAVE TO WAIT TILL NEXT EPISODE FOR THEM REUNION

JESUS

AAAAAAHHHHH

“We crossed the galaxy four times looking for you”

SIR

I AM QUACKING

why did Hunter’s appearance suddenly piss me off

Like Wrecker had a cute line and Hunter had to walk up like

“Um, five actually”

Like idk it felt like he was taking over the moment (which makes sense because he’s her dad but still it just sounded awkward)

EXCUSE ME??? I BEG YOUR BIGGEST PARDON??

Omega just explained that she only got off that planet AND survived so far thanks to Crosshair and all they can do is look all bitchy butt-hurt

Like I expected this from Hunter but why isn’t Wrecker hugging him?

Bc they went looking for Cross before, I thought we were past the straight up hate?

Love how stoically Cross is taking it though

I have to admit, so far this is one of my all time favourites. The comedic timing, the very real story line, the confrontation of previously opposed characters? Wonderful. But the pièce de résistance? Crosshair’s character description rings true again. “Severe and unyielding” Tech had said. I’ve rambled about this a lot recently, but the boiled down version is that when Crosshair commits to something, he commits all the way. Like how he committed to the Empire so hard that he hunted down his brothers. Or when he finally decided the Empire was a bunch of shitbags and shot officer shitbag (I forget his name) in the face. He has now decided to commit to Omega, for whatever reason. And it shows. Because even when she tells him to go, he’s literally only a minute behind her. He lets her employ her own strategies despite his preference and experience. He’s ready to beat up Captain Dickhead (did they even give him a name?) for sitting down across from her. He tells her to get into the ship first while he lays down cover fire.

Crosshair’s next “severe and unyielding” decision is Omega’s safety. And I couldn’t be more excited to see where it goes!

AND I cannot believe how much I suddenly like his character. I was so disinterested in him for like s1 and maybe 90% of s2 but now I am more interested in what becomes of him than I am in what the deal is with Omega’s M-count.

I’m saying it now. These seasons hyper focuses are: Rex, Echo and Crosshair (in that order) (for now, we’ll see)

Thanks to everyone who sat through that, have a good day/night/whatever, friend!

[sleekervae]

The Neighbour [4.3]

Masterlist

A/N: Thanks again for your patience, everyone! Doing my best to keep my head up and the inspiration flowing

DM to be tagged

@boxofsparklingmuses @sinmatic @mndsxarts @rottingerotic @liilliiana

--

The last time Eva had seen Theo, he was ten years old. A lanky, pasty little thing with shaggy hair and big sunken eyes, just like his dad. But he had his mother's nose, her strong bone structure, and it was clear to anyone that the pair were related. He was a bit taller now, still lanky, and he resembled something of a wet rat as he sat in the damp mud. He looked up at her with just as much surprise that she found him.

"Theo?" she wondered allowed.

He sighed quietly, "Hi Eva," he mumbled.

"What're you doing out here?" she asked.

The young boy shrugged listlessly, "I don't know. I didn't feel like sitting in there," he replied.

Eva wasn't sure what had come over her, but she could look into that boy's eyes and recognize the fear within him; whether it be for their mom or generally being in this house. He was probably no stranger to how his parents got together, considering how brash she had reacted at her graduation. He was hiding out here just like she had been.

"... Do you wanna come sit under the awning? It'll be a bit drier," she offered.

"I'm okay," he shook his head.

Eva sighed to herself, "Then, can I sit with you?"

He glanced at her again, surprised this time, but he agreed anyway. He moved over so she could sit. The roots and dirt were damp and sludgy beneath her, and she tried to sit on the actual tree as much as possible to save her jeans. Nonetheless, she sat with the young tween in silence at first, just listening to the rain patter in the grass.

"I understand why you're out here, you know," she said, "I know this is all really scary, and you probably love your mom a lot. But you know... I just saw her, she looks... she looks okay," she wasn't sure why she was trying to comfort this boy, but hell, she wasn't a monster.

"I know, I talked to her last night," he mumbled.

"So, why are you out here? Too many grown ups in one room?" she tried to joke.

Theo shrugged, staring at her with dark blue eyes that almost matched her shade, "I thought you wouldn't want to see me," he admitted.

"What?" though she wished she didn't know the answer.

"Well, after your graduation, and you yelled at mom and you just didn't even acknowledge us. I thought you might hate us -- or me, I guess," he explained, "And you know, she was sick and you weren't picking up her calls and whatever..."

Guilt riddled up her spine, she ought to have known the consequences of her actions would come back to bite her in the butt. Eva shook her head.

"Theo, my problems with my -- with our mom are between us. They have nothing to do with you, I swear," she assured.

"Then why were you so mean to me and my dad?" he asked.

"Because I was really angry. And that's not a good excuse," she sighed, already feeling her hair becoming damp and heavy, "But I shouldn't have taken it out on you and your dad, I admit it. You did nothing to warrant any of this. But you also have to understand that our mom did something really hurtful, not just to my dad but to me and my siblings,"

Theo nodded, "Your sister said you're not talking to your mom,"

"Yeah, I haven't," Eva admitted, "I have this theory that every problem that I have, and every person who pisses me off, I can just uproot myself and cut them off with no consequence. I was building a new life in California without truly realizing how my leaving affected my family,"

Theo was quiet for a little while, his eyes stayed averted to the soggy grass, it almost seemed as though Eva wasn't sitting beside him. All she could hear was the rain battering down around them and she tried to rub at her arms to ward off the chills racing up her body. Theo sighed softly, then.

"I wish I could run away," he said.

"Why?" Eva asked.

He shook his head, staring out into space, "I just do,"

"Is it because of all of this hospital stuff?"

"... I think my parents are gonna' get a divorce,"

Eva certainly hadn't been expecting that. She stared hard at the teenager, processing her disbelief, "What?"

"Dad caught mom on the phone with some guy she works with and I heard them fighting about it," he explained, "She promised over and over that she wouldn't talk to him again, but then I caught her on the phone again and she made me promise up and down not to tell dad. I mean, if this wasn't as big a deal as she said, she wouldn't make me swear not to tell, right?"

A sickening sensation of deja vu overwhelmed her, "Oh my God," she muttered, "Stupid bitch,"

Theo looked to her tentatively, "That's what happened to you, right? She left your dad for mine?"

Eva shook her head; if she didn't need to throw up before, she certainly did now. What hurt more was that Theo was around her age when the first cycle happened, and she knew what was coming for this kid. He didn't deserve her anger, but he certainly didn't deserve their mother's infidel tendencies.

"Yeah, it kinda' happened like that," she nodded, "You never told your dad?"

"She got sick before I could," Theo replied, "And it didn't seem like a good time. I hate what she did, but I don't want her to die. Is that wrong?"

"No. At the end of the day she's still your mom," Eva sighed, "But she had no right to put that responsibility on you. That's bullshit -- sorry,"

"It's fine. She had no right to do that to you, either," he said, "Do you still love her?"

The simple answer was no, because she hadn't spoken to her in years. However, she had secured a flight home within weeks to come and help her, knowing fully well she didn't have to do that. Despite how flighty her mother was, she was still her mom, she still loved her. And that was the fucking worst.

"I do," she sighed, "I don't want to, but she's still my mom. And I guess I had to come back and face her at some point," she nudged him gently with her shoulder, "You know, we could go in and face her together?"

Theo glanced at her with unease, "Do I have to talk to her about the other guy?"

"No. Not yet," she replied, "But we're just going to worry about the things that we can control," she stood up and dusted the mud off her pants, holding out her hand to him, "You ready?"

With a little hesitation at first, Theo reached for Eva's hand and she pulled him to his feet. She was startled to find her had reached her height now, he was only a little thing last she saw him. But then he did get his height from his dad, that much was clear. They shared the same nose, cheekbones, and the same stormy shade of blue eyes.

"Let's go,"

On the sunnier side of the coast, Pluto had slumped himself under the window, trying to get some sleep amongst the noise. Pepper was beside him, curled up and not giving much a care for what was going on around them. Remington was none the wiser, feeling a pulsing pressure at the forefront of his head as he stared blankly at the piano keys.

"I give up," he grumbled, "Let's cancel the album and fuck off the Maldives for a while,"

Chris rolled his eyes at his desk, spinning around in his chair, "C'mon man, you can't think that way. We've done a lot of work, already!"

"He's just frustrated," Sebastian sighed from the couch, "We can move on to another track for now,"

"Until we loop back to this one and stall out again," Emerson replied, leaning over his drum set.

Chris was baffled in his seat, his long legs splayed out across the floor, "I can't believe what I'm hearing. You guys are burned out already?"

"To be fair, Seb is cooking all of Thanksgiving dinner," Remington said, glaring at his big brother, "And he's not letting us help,"

"Do you even know how to stuff a turkey? Or make the stuffing for turkey?" Sebastian replied.

"We would if you wanted to teach us," Emerson said.

"That involves you getting up before eleven," Sebastian shot back.

"Okay, I've heard enough," Chris stood up, waving at the boys, "I know you guys are probably stressed, you're tired, there's still a lot going on. But don't let go of why we're doing this," he grabbed Remington's notebook, "This song is the pinnacle for what this album will look like, it has parts of each of you chopped up and sautéed together like a nice osso bucco!"

Sebastian cocked a brow, "You don't chop up osso bucco," he pointed out.

"You know what I mean. C'mon," he pointed to Remington and Emerson, "Emerson, get on the piano. Remington, go to the mic. Sebastian, set the metronome,"

The boys switched accordingly, Emerson getting comfy at the piano and Remington standing behind the mic set. He jumped up and down a few times, trying to get himself back into the zone.

"Now listen to me," Chris took him by the shoulders, "Clear your mind, everything is good right now. Focus on what this piece of music represents to you. Don't force it, just let it go," Chris was right, they had worked too damn hard to burn out now.

So Remington was patient, listening to Emerson break into the beginning chords in time with the metronome. The sample was a beautiful bar of notes he'd compiled and slaved over for nearly half a decade, and he was proud of his and his brothers' composition of it. He tried to relax, taking Chris' advice to think about what this song meant to him, what it meant to his brothers, his mom, their fans, and Eva, of course.

“Am I being ridiculous?” she asked. 

“No,” he replied swiftly, “If it was me I’d be uncomfortable, too. But you have been so brave up to this point, if you just – close your eyes, take some deep breathes, you’ll be alright,”

God, he missed her so much. He knew that she was okay though, and if she was here she'd be filling him with as much encouragement as she could; she'd probably have a few unique ideas of her own, too. The more he thought about it, the closer the pre-chorus came to its edge, there was this reinvigoration that flooded through Remington, and as he opened his mouth the next line came out so naturally...

"Close your eyes and exit life tonight You'll be just fine, you'll be alright It's time we start escaping Fever dream, the lights are fading"

Emerson kept playing, riffing off of what he could from his brother's improv, though it was hard for him to not lose his concentration. Sebastian and Chris were sitting back in awe as he sang, and Chris was so happy he'd remembered to record the voice note for their archives. Every word and riff sounded so fluid, just as though it was all meant for that particular song.

It was perfect.

"Take my hand to Neverland, you'll see We can be free, we can be anything Just you and me Fever dream, the lights are fading"

The piano came to a sharp close but Emerson stayed on the bench, his dreary eyes blown wide. Sebastian was sat back in complete disbelief, feeling as though he'd found the missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle he'd lost long ago. And Chris had his hands tangled in his crazy mop of hair, completely blown away at the damn bursting to letting the breakthrough overwhelm them all.

Remington pulled the headset off, looking at each of the guys tentatively. None of them had said a word up until that point.

"... Was that okay?" he asked.

Chris didn't say a word at first; instead he got to his feet, strided over to the younger singer, took him by the shoulders and placed a sloppy, wet kiss on his cheek.

"That was brilliant. Fucking brilliant!" he exclaimed, "You fucking did it, Remington!"

Relieved but still unsure, Remington looked to his brothers for their opinion.

"Fucking sick," Emerson gaped.

"Where did that come from?" Sebastian asked, "It's taken us months to get a chorus!"

"I don't know," Remington shrugged, "I just relaxed and it came so naturally,"

Chris slapped him on the back, "That is exactly what Oprah calls an 'ah ha' moment. Beautiful! Hold on, lemme' get the voice note!" and he went to grab his phone.

"We can fix up the guitar riff for the chorus but I think it's perfect," Sebastian nodded.

"Should we do it again?" Remington asked.

"Absolutely, this time take it from the chorus and just let it flow into the next verse," Chris directed.

An incredible weight had been lifted off of Remington's shoulders as the band spent the afternoon working and redrafting their anthemic new masterpiece.

None of them were the wiser to Pluto sniffing around the front yard, having slipped his limber body out of the open window without anyone noticing. He was sniffing around the bushes, picking up on the small rodents and bugs that had passed by, or the occasional big dog that had stopped to mark their territory on the street.

The pale tabby, ever so curious, crawled out between the fence and found himself in the middle of the sidewalk. He looked up across the street, registering enough to know that the building across from his was where he lived. He also noted the little bird sitting up on the balcony, minding his own business...

Pepper meanwhile had woken up from her brief nap, rolling over and perplexed to find Pluto wasn't beside her. She could smell his scent above her, locking her gaze to the window and she knew what the tabby had done.

Her piercing, high pitched bark echoed through the house, over and over again. Emerson called for her to quiet down but Pepper was unrelenting. She ran over to the humans, barking over and over again and trying to crawl up Emerson's leg for attention. He picked her up to coddle her but she still wouldn't relent, trying to squirm away.

"What's wrong with her?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't know, I've never seen her like this," Emerson replied, setting her down. Pepper took off in the direction of the window and doubled back, zipping back and forth over and over again on her tiny legs.

"Is she trying to get us to follow her?" Chris asked.

Remington chuckled, "She's having her Lassie moment. What is it, girl? Is Timmy stuck in the well?"

Pepper kept barking, so Emerson decided to indulge her. They followed the teacup Pomeranian towards the front window and she tried to crawl up on her hind legs, attempting to crawl up to the window.

"Does she want to go outside?" Chris suggested.

Emerson opened the door for her and Pepper darted out, continuing to bark and jump at the gate. As he walked out, Remington suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Pluto; he hadn't seen him in a while.

He looked up at Eva's complex and put two and two together, "Fuck, Pluto ran away,"

Remington darted out of the yard before it could register with the other guys, though they followed him none the less. He knew Pluto missed Eva, and the damn cat probably figured he would find her at her loft. God forbid anything happened to Pluto.

"Pluto!" he called as he ran into the courtyard, "Pluto!" the guys called out with him, with Sebastian throwing in a "Here pussy!" time and again.

But then they heard it, a deep, sharp hissing followed by frantic shouting and a bird furiously chirping.

"You get away from my bird you little murderer!" Candace had appeared on her terrace, swinging a broom at Pluto as he balanced on Eva's railing. Her next swing smacked across the cat and sent him flying off the terrace, and Remington was helpless to watch as he plummeted into the bushes below with a blood curdling yowl.

Remington dove in after him, not caring for the brambles poking and scratching his arms open as he searched desperately for Pluto, "Holy shit! Pluto! Pluto! Where are you, boy?" Emerson followed him to try and help.

Chris was at a loss for words, trying to wrap his head around how the fuck they got from an 'ah ha' moment to crazy bird lady, while Sebastian stared up at Candace in shock and he started screaming at her, "What the fuck, lady! Are you fucking nuts!"

Candace peered over her terrace and she shouted back, "I told that girl! I told her to keep her cat away from my bird or there would be consequences!"

"He wasn't even on your balcony!" Sebastian shouted back, "He was just trying to go home!"

Candace waved the broom around, her hair curlers flying loose as she screamed, "He was trying to eat my precious little bird! And you're all trespassing!" Sebastian and Chris jumped back just as she hurled the broom at them. Remington and Emerson shuddered at the sudden impact behind them. But Remington moved back another bramble branch, and there he found poor Pluto struggling to get to his feet. Neighbours meanwhile began to poke their heads out, curious and alarmed to the commotion outside.

"Shit," Remington was careful to pull Pluto out without doing much more damage. He was covered in dirt and pieces of bramble and his ears twitched up and down, he curled up into Remington's chest but his claws flexed in and out, one of his front paws were curled up underneath him. Remington's panic went into hyperdrive.

"Is he okay?" Chris asked, both him and Sebastian staying a foot out of the courtyard.

"He hurt his leg," he huffed.

"I guess cats don't always land on their feet, then," Emerson muttered.

They all jumped when they heard a sharp smash behind them. Candace had thrown a terra cotta pot them and she continued to yell and cuss, "Get that fucking fleabag out of here!" and she hurled another pot at them. They all jumped back.

"Holy fuck! She's crazy!" Emerson gaped.

Sebastian scoffed, "Yeah, and she just tried to attack us on public property!" he called up to her.

"You all get out of here or I'll call the cops!" Candace screamed.

"Don't worry! The cops will be called, alright!" Sebastian snapped back.

"Forget the cops!" Remington exclaimed, "We gotta' get Pluto to a vet!"

Eva's hand shook as she grasped the door handle, pushing her way in and Theo followed sheepishly behind her. The whispered conversation came to a halt and both of their dads turned in their seats, unsure and skeptical as they found their rain-drenched kids in the threshold.

"Dear God, what happened to you two?" Eva's father asked.

"It's very clear what happened to them, Ivan," Julian replied.

Eva sniffled into her sleeve, biting her tongue from remarking with snark. Instead she took a deep breath as she stood before them, her eyes narrowing at the tablet sitting propped against her father's books. Her mother was still on screen tied up in tubes and bathed in bright light, a slimmer version of whom she once was.

"Can I have a minute with her?" she asked the fathers. They both looked to each other unsure, with Ivan turning to the tablet for Lydia's approval. Eva refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Is that okay with you?"

"Of course," Lydia nodded.

Julian began to stand, "Alright, we'll give you a --"

"Don't bother," Eva took the tablet off the table, "We'll be in your study, Dad,"

Her father watched her, trying to keep the fretfulness off his face as Eva disappeared down the hallway, he grimaced in his seat as he heard the door to his study close.

Julian turned to his son, "What did you two talk about out there?"

Theo simply shook his head, his soaked hair swinging from side to side, "Nothing much,"

In the closed confines of the study, the first thing that hit Eva was the smell of hot paper out of the printer, mingled with the bitter stench of her dad's humidifier for his cigars. She sat in his chair and placed the tablet on the desk, staring at the pixelated visage of her mother. Lydia smiled endearingly at her.

"Hi Eva," she spoke tentatively.

Eva took another deep breath, "Hi,"

"It's been too long," she mired, "You look beautiful!"

"Thanks. How long have you been... sick?" Eva asked slowly.

Lydia shrugged, "About a year. It only got super bad the last few months. I appreciate you coming out, Eva,"

"Suppose I had to come home at some point," Eva replied, "I just didn't think you'd be in the city when I had,"

"I haven't been flying -- for obvious reasons," Lydia chuckled, "Did you see Theo?"

"Yeah, we talked," she nodded, "He was sitting out in the rain,"

Lydia's eyes went wide, "Well dear God, what was he doing that for?"

"He's scared for one. His mom is dying," Eva pointed out.

"Oh please, I'm not dying," she replied, reaching up to fix her hair. Eva noted how she wasn't looking at her so much as she was watching her own appearance in the box in the corner.

"You're not dying?" Eva popped a brow, "Because Dad certainly made it seem like the opposite when he called me,"

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Huh. Leave it to Ivan to over exaggerate this stuff,"

"They might have to cut me open to give you my kidney. You call that exaggerating?" she scoffed.

"I call it proof that you still love your mother," Lydia replied.

"Of course I still love you," Eva grumbled, "Whether or not I like you is a different story altogether,"

"Eva please, you honestly still can't be mad about this. It's been ten years,"

She sloughed it off as though she was a kid with a bad report card and being nagged by her parent to do better. She was so blasé about everything, and despite it all Eva tried to keep her cool.

"It hasn't been ten years for Theo. His own personal hell might be starting," she snapped back.

"What are you talking about?" Lydia asked.

"You know what I'm talking about. You're having another affair, Lydia," Eva confronted her outright, doing her best to keep her voice low. Her anger however was boiling steadily in her gut.

Lydia seemed taken aback, doing her all to collect her composure from the outburst, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on Lydia. Of all the people you wanna' play dumb with, don't pick me," Eva huffed, "Theo told me about the other guy. What does he do for the airline, another pilot?"

"Eva, you're being ridiculous. And stop calling me 'Lydia', I'm your mother," Lydia replied sharply.

"My mother?" she scoffed back, "My mother would've at least have the decency to call and ask me if she could bring her second family to my college graduation,"

"Your father said it was fine," she argued.

Eva's fists clenched, "Because like it or not, Dad still loves you! For the life of me I don't understand why!" she exclaimed.

"Your father and I still have a lot of mutual respect for each other," Lydia replied hastily, in the background there was an incessant beeping that grew quicker and quicker in beat.

"If you had any respect for Dad then you would've left him first, then started the affair with Julian," Eva countered, "And you clearly don't have any respect or regard for him because you're doing it again. I'm not an idiot Lydia, and neither is your son!"

"Okay, okay, enough of this!" Lydia snapped, "I am in the hospital with kidney failure for God sake, I don't want to talk about this with you!"

Before Eva could refute a nurse came over to Lydia, clearly having set off whatever device she was hooked up to to track and calm her heart rate. She assured the nurse she was fine, smiling graciously at her.

"I'm just talking to my daughter, this is her," she panned the camera towards the nurse, dressed up in full gown, mask, and gloves. She barely flitted a glance Eva's way as she readjusted settings on the machine and went off to her next duty.

Eva was appalled. Her mother was hooked up to machines of all sorts, trying to defend her own disgusting actions and meanwhile was showing off her kid to some random nurse who -- very clearly -- couldn't give two shits.

"Are you okay?" Eva asked as the camera focused back on Lydia.

"No, you're setting my heart monitor off," she groaned, "Why don't you pass the tablet back to your Dad?"

"No, I mean are you okay psychologically?" Eva asked.

"Well, of course I am! I've been locked up here for weeks now, practically surrounded by Armageddon. You'll forgive me if I'm a little testy," Lydia shook her head, "Evalina, think of me what you will but I am still your mom. I did everything I could to be a good mother to you, Greg, and Magda. And course I still love and respect your dad, you think if I didn't you would be here?"

"Excuse me?" Eva narrowed her eyes at her.

"You are a refined, beautiful, intelligent young woman. You clearly inherited it all from me," Lydia began to smile, it wasn't comforting so much as she began to creep Eva out, "I remember everyone we'd pass on the streets, they'd stop and gush about how beautiful you are; how you looked so much like me,"

Eva skidded back in her chair, feeling as though the tablet was a lecherous black hole that was threatening to suck her into whatever delusion Lydia had entered.

"Okay, Lydia --"

"Wait, wait Eva. I know we've had our differences, but even you have to admit I was a good mother, right?" she wasn't sure Lydia was asking her or assuring herself.

"What?" Eva gawked.

"I was a good mother to you kids. I took care of you, put food on the table, helped dress you and take you to school when I could," she replied.

"You fucking left us, Lydia," Eva gaped, blinking back the tears that were starting to spring, "There's divorced parents and then there's just not showing up for your weekend with the kids,"

"I know, I know. But I won't make those mistakes with Theo," she seemed to sure as she spoke, "I told Theo how it would be, and I promised him I'm not going anywhere. And thanks to you, I can keep that promise,"

Eva wasn't sure whether Lydia was purely delusional or her narcissism truly knew no bounds. A sharp shiver raced up her spine, recognizing that trying to reason with this woman was as fruitless now as it had been years ago.

Like floodgates, the inner recesses of her brain opened up and Eva could remember all the same conversation Lydia had with her, just as the affair with Julian was starting. She would promise and assure each of her kids that no matter what happened, she loved them all and would always be there for them. She remembered so clearly the way her father beat himself up after she left, sending himself and the siblings in a deep, spiralling depression.

"If you love that boy as much as you claim you do, then you'll be honest with your husband. The one you ditched us for to go be with," Eva said, trying to will her backbone to stay composed against her.

Lydia seemed to be looking right through her as she refuted, "What did Theo say to you?"

"He said enough," Eva assured her, "You need to be honest with them, Lydia. What you couldn't give me, you could at least give to Theo,"

"I have been honest with Theo," she assured, "He is going to be just fine. Just like you've been,"

Eva shook her head, "Have I been fine, though?"

"Of course you have! You have your own business, you moved to California, apparently you're dating some rockstar, too," Lydia scoffed at that, "You better be careful with him, famous people don't tend to be the most committed,"

Eva spoke before her brain could catch up, though if anyone had asked her, she couldn't even feign regret, "Like pilots, right?"

[flightnight]

I didn't care about Fontaine a bit after seeing the new region trailer before 4.0, but the actual story changed my opinion completely. I didn't care about Natlan either, but now I care even less.

So here is a list of my problems with Natlan in no particular order:

Story.

It's a boring, simplistic story of defeating some generic evil by fighting it, made to seem more complicated by introducing countless meaningless magical mcguffins and vaguely defined magical powers the characters suddenly have now because the story demands it. It's still possible that the writers have a twist prepared that'll make the story good. But I think they already revealed all their twists (Mavuika being from the past and Capitano being good)

As far as I understand, one of the main conflicts in the story so far has been whether to save the nation's memories recorded in a supernatural way but risk the people or to sacrifice these records to save the people. Why is the former option presented as the correct one??? If you as a nation have a problem remembering your past yourselves without any supernatural means, then maybe write things down??? Or make a movie! Why is your nation's treasured history stored in some mumbo-jumbo? Aren't your people strong enough to keep their history themselves? Aren't people's lives more important? Especially when half of the previous nation's main stories were about moving on and doing things the new, better way.

Natlan also features the most useless and uninformative cutscene ever (Mavuika fighting Capitano). What did it tell us? That the Archon of War is strong and doesn't shy away from a fight? Duh. That Capitano is aggressive and unreasonable? It turned out to be a lie. I mean, it looks cool, but you can have a cutscene that looks cool but also tells us something new about the characters. 

What else? An Archon willing to die for their people? Fontaine already did it. A Fatui harbinger actually trying to help the country? Fontaine already did it. The rank-and-file Fatui members helping locals and asking us not to tell anybody? Fontaine already did it.

If you thought what is happening to children in Foutaine is bad (well, it's still bad and needs addressing), how about Natlan with its death cult where children are expected to fight and die? (Kachina mentioned that she participated in that competition many times already. She looks like she's 6 max. Did she start when she was a toddler? And then she, a child, just died. Probably a bloody, painful, violent death. But never mind; she was brought back to life, so it's fine! No help needed)

And if you thought attacking people of Sumeru, who just peacefully play cards and dance, felt bad, how about attacking Natlanians by possessing their pets? Imagine your beloved family labrador suddenly goes crazy and starts mauling the family members. And the only way to stop it is to kill them.

Characters.

The skin color controversy aside, Natlan features the worst female character designs - Chasca and Mavuika.

How is it possible to make a slim, well-endowed anime lady's skin-tight latex costume look so boring and unattractive? What have they done to her silhouette? Silhouette is one of the most important things in character design. It's the first thing we subconsciously perceive. And, considering that the backgrounds are mostly light in this game, only the dark parts of her costume read as a silhouette:

That's what I see first every time I see her. And the round spiky pattern on her butt only distorts her silhouette more.

And what's the deal with the zipper that goes all the way from her chest to her back? I don't want to think about how her lady parts feel, considering that she seemingly doesn't wear any underwear.

But also, A BIKE??? They cared so little about the cultures they supposedly based Natlan on that they decided to use our generic modern human things as the main visual theme.

And the bell sleeves just look out of place in this biker-inspired outfit.

And the worst male character design, Ororon. I mean, how many clashing things can you stuff into one character design? Let's see, there is a bat, a peacock, and a wolf ear. Let's also put some lightning bolts, or nobody'll realize that he's an electro character. Let's add some eyes here and there. We also want him to have a cool hood, but only half a hood because we want at least one wolf ear to be visible. Different color eyes. Multicolored hair. Tattoo on his face. A different style and color tattoos on his arms. He'll also have a built-in glider. Considering that he's a quiet and introspective farmer in a fantasy game, let's base him on Batman, a biker, and a moody emo/goth teen from the early 00s. Oh, and since he's named after an African deity, let's make him as white as possible.

If you had asked a 9-year-old me to create an OC, even I would have created something more reasonable.

Character's personalities.

Everybody (with 3 exceptions) has the same personality. A generically good person who's prepared to die for Natlan. I mean, nearly all of them have either died already at least once or declared their willingness to die. There is nothing wrong with being a good person; most characters in this game are, but all other characters are "a good person, but also…" with some unique trait following that makes them uniquely interesting.

(Zhongli is a good person, but he's also old and tired and has trust in his people. Ninnguang is a good person, but she also loves wealth and power. Altaitham is a good person, but he also just wants to be left alone. And so on).

Mavuika, in particular, feels like just a boring version of Ceasar from zzz (she's a strong, beloved, and respected leader; her people adore her and worry about her; she's willing to die for her people; she drives a bike. Literally Ceasar. But boring)

The 3 exceptions are Ororon, who has a "but also…", Capitano who hasn't yet expressed his willingness to die for Natlan, and Citlali, who's a piece of shit for how she treats Ororon. Their whole relationship is her nagging (often while drunk) him for everything he does and him apologizing. Is it supposed to be a running joke? Her whole personality has been this cruel joke so far. Annd he obviously knows that if he tries to explain himself or talk back (the way she deserves), It'll only get worse. So the only thing he's left to do is to endlessly apologize.

I don't understand, is he supposed to be a teen? Then cut him some slack! Is he supposed to be an adult? Then treat him like an adult.

And the worst thing is that she knows what she's doing. During the last event, when she realizes that we can hear her berating him, she panics. Not because she realizes that she's wrong, but because she thinks that it'll make her look bad. Yes, hide your abuse from others. Gaslighting 101.

By the way, my favorite character is currently Kachina's chieftain, who saw two suspicious strangers (us) with a child and immediately came to help.

But on the bright side, Natlan features the best line in the game so far. The award goes to Mavuika for "Why don't I recognize you? Ah, it must be the mask." Genius! Well done, Mavuika! Yes, masks tend to do this!

[tangledmovielove]

Why I Love Tangled and Why the Series Ruined It

Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, the animated TV series that followed Disney’s 2010 film Tangled, was meant to be a continuation of the beloved story of Rapunzel, Flynn, and the kingdom of Corona. And yet, for me, the series felt like an absolute betrayal of everything I loved about the original movie. As a fan of Tangled and someone who deeply values the story of love, sacrifice, and personal growth, I want to explain why the series, in my eyes, ruined the magic that the movie created.

The Magic of the Original Tangled

There’s something uniquely enchanting about Tangled that sets it apart from many other Disney movies. It’s not just the stunning visuals or the catchy songs—it’s the deep emotional connection between Rapunzel and Flynn, the romance that builds as they come to know each other, and the strength of their mutual love.

The movie’s final act, where Rapunzel chooses to sacrifice her freedom to save Flynn, is one of the most profound and beautiful moments of selfless love in Disney history. Flynn, in turn, sacrifices his own life for her, showing a depth of character growth from his former, selfish ways. Their love is not just a fantasy—it’s grounded in the reality of the choices they make for each other.

What makes Tangled so special to me is that it embodies the idea of love as something pure, something that doesn’t need to be complicated or tainted by unnecessary delays or misunderstandings. By the end of the film, Rapunzel and Flynn have gone through trials and tribulations, and they have come to understand that love—true love—deserves commitment. And the beautiful proposal Flynn offers, symbolizes the beginning of their happily ever after. It’s a powerful message: love is real, and it deserves to be celebrated, even if it comes with the responsibility of marriage.

The Series: A Broken Continuation of the Story

Then came the TV series. Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure takes the familiar characters from the movie and explores new adventures, but what it did to Rapunzel and Flynn’s relationship—particularly with regard to marriage—left me absolutely heartbroken.

First and foremost, the series presents a fundamentally different view of love and commitment. While Tangled portrayed marriage as a natural and beautiful progression of their love, the series turns it into something that Rapunzel fears and is reluctant to embrace. It paints the idea that marriage is a “prison,” something that will somehow stifle her freedom and keep her from pursuing her own dreams. This notion is not only a contradiction to the original movie’s message, but it also feels completely out of place in the world of Tangled, where Rapunzel is shown to be a strong, independent woman who has already taken control of her destiny by breaking free from the tower.

What bothers me most is how Rapunzel rejects Flynn’s proposal in the series—not once, but several times—because she doesn’t want to be “tied down.” This completely undermines the emotional arc they went through in the movie. In Tangled, Rapunzel already proved her love for Flynn when she sacrificed everything to save him. By that point in their relationship, marriage would be the next natural step. The idea that she would reject him or delay their commitment feels forced and out of place. It not only contradicts the movie’s message but also disrespects the time period in which the story is set, where marriage was a key part of a relationship’s legitimacy and security.

Moreover, Flynn, a character who started out selfish but grew into a loving and committed man in the movie, is completely sidelined in the series. His character is reduced to being the butt of jokes, often ridiculed and even treated poorly by Rapunzel. It feels like the series takes everything I loved about Flynn—the charming, selfless rogue—and turns him into a secondary character whose needs and feelings are brushed aside in favor of Rapunzel’s supposed personal journey.

The Real Message: Why I Disagree with the Series’ Portrayal of Love

The series tries to paint itself as a more “modern” interpretation of love, but in doing so, it damages the very essence of what makes love beautiful and meaningful. In real life, relationships require commitment, mutual understanding, and sometimes compromise. When you love someone deeply, you want to build a future with them, not push them away because of a vague fear of losing your independence.

What the series gets wrong is its assumption that commitment means losing freedom. In reality, true love and commitment—whether in marriage or not—bring two people closer together, creating a partnership built on trust, respect, and shared dreams. The idea that Rapunzel would hesitate or reject Flynn’s proposal, especially after everything they’ve been through, sends the wrong message. It implies that love is fleeting, that it’s something that should be doubted or questioned just because two people have been together for a while. But that’s not what love is.

The original Tangled movie showed us that love can be a source of freedom, not something that confines you. It’s about sharing your life with someone who supports you and loves you for who you are. It’s not about fearing the responsibilities of that commitment. When Flynn offers Rapunzel his hand in marriage at the end of the film, it represents their future together, not a loss of freedom, but a beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

Why I Still Love Tangled

Despite my frustrations with the series, my love for Tangled will never waver. The film remains one of the most heartwarming, beautiful love stories in modern animation. It’s a timeless tale about two people from very different worlds coming together, learning about themselves, and finding a love that defies the odds.

I still see Rapunzel as a strong, independent character, just as she was in the original movie. She’s not defined by her relationship with Flynn, but their love is a key part of who she is. And even though the series may have changed the dynamic between them, I choose to remember the movie as the true continuation of their story. I choose to believe that they got married shortly after the movie, living happily ever after as they deserved.

Ultimately, Tangled reminds us that love is real, and it deserves to be celebrated. That’s why, in my heart, I continue to see the movie as the true, canonical ending to Rapunzel and Flynn’s story. The series may have tried to take them in a different direction, but I refuse to let that spoil the magic of what came before.

Conclusion

For anyone who feels the way I do about Tangled and the series, I encourage you to hold on to what you love. Whether it’s the original film or a different version of the story, you deserve to enjoy the things that resonate with you. For me, that’s the movie’s message of love and commitment—a message that I wish Disney had stayed true to.

[montyywritess]

pet loss. ive already flooded my other socials w this grief so i have nowhere else to put ittt. there's legit nothing happy under the readmore as a warning. sheer vent post. was going to just draft it but i need to TALK about her.

my brain just has broken. it's only been a day so i know the pain is nowhere near over. truthfully, i think i could be in my 50s or 60s and still cry about my baby girl.

i just hate that the waves seem so strong and from nowhere too. i can just be talking about nothing even related to losing my dog, and i'll feel bad for laughing. i'll feel bad for feeling any joy. because it's not TRUE joy. because i know my true happiness was when i was going on walks with her, or cuddling her on the couch. or when she tapped my hand for more attention.

i feel like there's been an injustice, how a dog so loving and sweet had to die. and why did the world have to keep on going without her.

14 years of my life is such a long time when im not even 30 yet. and she's loved me during all of them. quite literally at my worst, she's seen me through it all. and she HAS. she wasn't just a dog that was 'there.' my babs was so observant, so in tune with everything i did. she followed me like a shadow. she knew when i was sad, she knew when i needed cheering up.

when i first moved away from home at 17. every triumph and every low point, she was there.

what's crazy is i didn't even need to train her? for anything. she never once had an accident in the house, until towards the end of her life. i showed her once, pee outside. and she did it ever since. i didn't need to train her on or off a lead. she knew. she just KNEW. she stayed by my side if we went on walks alone. the furthest she'd ever go was a few paces ahead, and then she'd stop to check i was still there. she'd only ever trot away further if i was with other people, but then she'd bound on back to us to make sure we were still together. she never was aggressive in the slightest. she was patient with everybody. as i went on to welcome cats and other dogs into our lives, she SHOWED THEM THE ROPES. she welcomed them too. she taught our other dog lola basically everything too, as we rescued lols from a neglectful situation, she didn't even know how to play with toys, but baby showed her. baby was and is the definition of perfection.

i even remember when she had her head buried in some tall grass, a HUGEE mastiff came running on over to her. she was still sniffing away. and then he said hi by sniffing her butt. she didn't even jump. she slowly lifted her head out of the grass and gave him a ??? look. like he was a peasant disturbing her.

babs absolutely made everybody fall in love with her whoever met her. even people who hate chihuahuas. "i never knew they were like this?" ALL of them said it.

there's only been two times in her life that she showed a mean streak and that was protecting me from people who meant me harm. despite her size, she was willing to hurt herself to save me. obviously i didn't let that happen but the fact she was willing to, meant everything.

she slept with me every night, tucked herself in the crook of my knees and we'd be like book ends. sometimes i'd wake up with her head on my pillow, tucked in the covers like she was a human.

there was something magical about her, that i've never had with any other dog. not even dogs i've owned or fostered. like she'd been on this earth before. so wise and kind.

i have SO many beautiful memories of her i've ordered a huge journal where i will start writing them as they come to me, so they can be remembered forever because i'm terrified of forgetting them.

but now i have one horrible memory that wont leave me and thats of her taking her last breath in my arms. i couldn't stop telling her thank you, and telling her it was okay. but its burned into my brain and i feel sick. i can't sleep because of it. i know that i owed it to her to be there, to make sure she wasn't wondering where i was. because she would have. i owed it to our bond and the 14 years of her always being there for me. but fuck, it's awful.

all of this feels so fucking wrong. i dont think i was supposed to be here without her and now im just stuck. now the rest of my life, she won't be there. it's not fair.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

There are so many things I could say to this but I'm not wasting a couple hours trying to convince the local Edelstan mindset, so I'll make this brief since I'm not even sure why you're replying to me when we're clearly never going to agree and because this reblog exists solely for the sake of arguing instead of letting people just talk about what they like freely:

Having crestless people who are strong and capable gave commoners hope. That's important. It means people don't need a Crest to get those positions.

Dimitri doesn't need to end the nobility. It's not corrupt in Faerghus the way it is in Adrestia (save for the western side that is influenced by Agarthans and is actively an issue in AG that is being dealt with, and somewhat Leicester (inb4 someone says Rodrigue is corrupt lmfao). Also, Edelgard never actually dismantled the nobility. In fact, it stays in tact and all her friends keep her positions. Welcome to CF and its ending cards.

^ You can't use Crests as an excuse here because you just said Miklan being in power doesn't mean squat.

Dimitri wants reforms too, but the difference is that he's working on them and not preparing for war for two years. He also knows not to rush those reforms because Lambert already did that and literally lost his head for it. It's called learning from mistakes of the past, not inaction. If slow progress is what it takes, that's what it takes. If it takes war without even an attempt at diplomacy, that's a problem.

^ Edelgard's issues are Adrestia's issues and she's acting like those problems are all of Fodlan's when they're not. All she wants is to conquer Fodlan like the emperor's before her, and this is factually stated by her in the game and Duke Aegir in AG (that all previous emperors had this exact same goal that she actively regularly states in her own routes) on the latter.

Rhea is fighting for the humans in Fodlan. Oh, sorry, should she be fighting for the entire world? Edelgard doesn't do that either. In fact, she refers to Fodlan alone as "the world". And no, Rhea's not fighting for Adrestia, because they're literally fucking waging war against her and trying to kill her! Same with Leicester in GW/SB, so why should she?

This is clearly all just regurgitation of a Dimitri and Rhea hater who can't cope with people not agreeing with their Edel-chan. I was discussing things amongst my mutuals and followers, so no idea why you just had to butt in to argue at us. Oh no, how dare we discuss our thoughts with each other! Gotta get the local Edelstan in as soon as someone talks highly of Dimitri, because Dimitri BaD no matter he does, and all he can ever be is jelaous of Edel-chan! Man could hand out candy on Halloween to the kids and people would call him evil for feeding them carbs.

Let people have a good conversation together. If you don't like it, keep scrolling. Do you see me going into pro Edelgard posts to argue that she's wrong? No. You know why? Because I'm sick of the arguing and negativity that surrounds her, and this post was to discuss aspects of AG.

Evidently you saw people enjoying AG's content and Dimitri's content and had to butt in because it was too pro Dimitri for you. I don't go into pro Edelgard posts because I don't like her. I don't go into pro Edelgard posts to go in there and tell everyone how strange and wrong they are. If you don't like Dimitri or his storyline/AG's storyline, don't butt into pro AG/Dimitri posts.

Like, seriously? Common courtesy. Don't bring in your character negativity to try to uplift another character (especially a character that the people in the conversation clearly don't enjoy) when the people involved in the discussion are clearly enjoying the content you don't like.

And don't even try to spin this as "wow I can't give my opinions". There's a time and place, and butting into people's conversations to tell them they're wrong and that their views are "strange" simply because you don't agree with them is a dick move. All I see you doing is handpicking pro Dimitri and pro Rhea fans and arguing at them when they say anything positive about those characters on their own blogs, in their own spaces. Oh no, how daaare someone like those characters and not Edelgard! Better argue with them!

And don't even try to say "but I found random's posts in the tags!" Even if you did, my post was a reblog, so it wouldn't show up in any public tags. You went out of your way to argue with me because I like a character you don't and dislike a character you like, evidently couldn't wrap your head around that, and had to argue. I know you've been doing this to other Dimitri and Rhea fans.

Literally y'all like I was over here discussing my love for Miklan and his place in the story and this person gotta be like Dimitri BaD.

It's wild how FE fans can't even just be... FE fans anymore. We're not even safe in our spaces anymore to talk about what we love. As soon as you play Houses and like a particular character, that's it. Suddenly it's a free for all where you're automatically involved in discourse because you've played the game and have posted about characters you like from that game.

I'm having a really hard time fathoming how some people consider SB to be a righteous/heroic route or a route where we're the good guys. The route where:

You invade two independent nations under the pretence of "saving their citizens from oppression" (though I guess you can't be oppressed anymore if you're dead lol) even though Her Majestic Hypocrisy repeats a bunch of times that she's in for conquest and that she'd obliterate anyone who stands in her way.

The cast keeps victim-blaming the invaded parties for *checks note* defending their countries. 

The death toll is the highest. You have to kill Ingrid, Rodrigue, Gustave and Sylvain. And you can also kill Ashe, Mercedes (btw, if she dies, the cutscene where Dimitri and Dedue grieve changes slightly, which is nice), Annette, Shamir, Ignatz, Raphael and Marianne (how does Margrave Edmund feel about Claude's alliance with the empire knowing his daughter was killed by its army?). 

IIRC, this is the only route where you conscript merchants into the imperial army. No wonder the empire has the biggest army.

Based Rhea who, despite being hunted, still thinks about the safety of the continent first in the final chapter. It's hilarious how characters like Edespot or Clyde harp on about how Rhea is the big bad, and in the few scenes you have with her, she's just kind? Anyway. Rhea based.

In the C support conversation - which happens right after Felix got seriously injured and Sylvain got killed- there's this bit where Dimitri is like "I don't know if I can talk with like everything is normal, so many have died already" and Edespot's response is basically "yeah I don't see it that way. Let's agree to disagree". Also, I believe she wonders if she shouldn't just kill Clyde and Dimitri once they're out. Even though Clyde is her ally at the moment. You bet on the wrong lord, Clyde... 

I probably forgot a few stuff, but... oh well.

To be honest,

The only things I like about Supreme Bullshit are :

Its ending! Supreme Leader and Barney (well, at least they throw a sword?) being sitting ducks while Rhea steals the show, and sacrifices herself in an epic shonen scene to get rid of the real threat, aka showing that unlike someone, she knows how to prioritize, and it ends up in an explosion. It matches the ending of the F-Zero anime (at 0.48!), Rhea/Falcon rushes to deal a blow (a Falcon punch and a Seiros strike I guess?) to their mortal enemy, there is a giant explosion, and both Rhea/Falcon fade away in a blinding light. Too bad the Supreme Bullshit BGM is eons away from "Searching to the Truth" :(

The reveal that Rhea kept the keys to the sekrit passages in the Imperial Palace - or Rhea knows more about Enbarr and its castle than the current Emperor and her aides...

Doro's paralogue being incredibly tone deaf about, uh, soldiers being "too busy" by the Mittelfrank troupe, that they can't basically protect the dancers/performers from bandits, when the paralogue happens in an area that is expressedly supposed to be full of soldiers!

If starts align in a certain way, it's the only route in Nopes where Clout dies!

Leopold! He's like Victarion Greyjoy, only if he was taken seriously. But we, as players, know better! Also he's a living retcon, from having a major cichol crest to gift to his son because he fought well (and not to, say, Big B or even Ferdie) a sacred weapon despite the route being all about muhritocracy!

Supreme Leader plans and plays with the cards she has in her hand - from trying to get good PR to get rid of people (Varley sr) by pitting them against her next target (the CoS)!

An entire game full of new Supreme Replies (tm)!

For shippers around, it has a Cathmir scene where everyone knows Shamir will prioritize Catherine's life over her allegeance! too bad this is a Supreme Leader route, so no, Shamir won't fucking try to kill her for blackmailing her and can even kill Catherine herself later on....

That's not a lot lol, and most of it are breadcrumbs because for the proper plot...

Yeah, it kinds of sucks.

Supreme Bullshit is even more tone deaf with the War and its realities than Tru Piss (and that's a feat!), Ferdie being completely, uh, off the mark about everything (invading lands and rekting people, and then saying those people's fears are only in their heads! Pal, one of the first missions in the SB exclusive chapters is to rout refugees??? + the nonsense about the Kingdom having more crested generals, when data shows the Empire has more crested peeps than the Kingdom!), Caspar being turned in the worst version of himself who dgaf anymore about protecting "innocents" and "justice", and, uh, everything with Monica.

Victim blaming is the norm with Fodlan games, but yeah, it really feels odd that suddenly, in the Zahras chapters, Dimitri's all "okay" when his closest friends either died or were grievly injured and the game proceeds as it does when, come on, why wouldn't Dimitri kill her the second they're out of the Zahras verse??

I really disliked how Supreme Bullshit yeeted Ionius from Adrestia, or how it didn't explore in more depth the Insurrection of the Seven, especially since we side with Leopold'n'Waldemar against Ludwig, who used to be allies! Also, as far as I remember, no one mentions anything about Arundel, why he ran away to the Kingdom with a young Supreme Leader and how he changed when he returned, or something?

If Ludwig is pushed by Supreme Leader, reciting her Dad's words, as the one who led the insurrection and the experiments on her, why the fuck no one else mentions them, as Leopold and Waldemar were on Aegir's side back then? They don't even mention "Arundel" participating, like, Volkhard sides against Ionius and hides his niece, but 3 months later, he returns and offers her as a guinea pig?

As is the norm with the Supreme Leader routes, the "truth" isn't what we're looking for, because we know Supreme Leader pushes a narrative she will follow to reach her goals, but where Tru Piss gave hints here and there about her narrative being, uh, rubish, we have no clues here, and Leopold prefers to flash his loincloth than giving us anything meaningful about that incident.

When you compare them to Matthias and Rodrigue (and Gilbert?) who often mention Lambert "back in the days", it's more and more obvious that... we're not supposed to ask questions in Supreme Bullshit, and just go with the flow.

And it ends with a high five.

I'd say it deviates less from Tru Piss than Golden Shower does from Verdant Winds, but it's an "expected disappointment".

That's why my only higlights are not plot relevant (save for the Captain Falcon - Rhea parallel) - because we know the plot will never deliver something meaningful in a Supreme Leader route.

[i-luv-queen]

The Queen of all Cosmos has so much character, and I am tired of people acting like she doesn’t!!

The Queen is never talked about, and it hurts my soul.

She’s been there since the very beginning. She was in the very first concept featuring the Katamari characters, Action Drive.

This original concept may remind you of Princess Peach, which I can agree with. However, just like her, we know she is more than a “damsel in distress”. She is powerful while being feminine!

She’s extremely strong, and very fierce. I’m really glad We ♥️ Katamari states that she is feared by The King, especially with the prior knowledge that he was too lazy to save his own wife.

Yes, we know she’s a little ditzy, but that makes her even more charming.

Her description on the original Katamari Damacy website reads:

“Prince's gentle mother. She's dreamy, but she's also determined. Her favorite food is gratin. She always carries it with her. She married the king for love. Her Height: Bigger than a prince, smaller than the king.”

This is not the only time she has been shown to be a daydreamer. In We ♥️ Katamari, one of the credits stage quotes reads:

“All the fans look so happy ♥️ They’re all rolled up in a Katamari, after all. That was another one of my ideas. Isn’t it dreamy?

We can infer she has a creative side and a good imagination. This could be why she doesn’t speak much, possibly. Once again, her We ♥️ Katamari description says: “She has little trouble coming up with delicious dinner menus these days”. We have seen her bake and cook amazing foods!

Just look at that! Isn’t your mouth watering?

After more research, I had initially concluded she was built around the Japanese housewife stereotype, “shufu”. However, the Katamari series already has many stereotypical housewives, such as Mizue Hoshino, Fussy mom, etc. The Queen contains many traits of “shufu”, such as: Cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, and obsessing over TV dramas. However, she is not submissive to her husband. Usually, the stereotype shows the wife serving her overworked husband, while he complains about his work. Instead, The Queen encourages her husband to help around the house. For example, in A Song for the King of Kings, the King mentions “The lovely Queen scolded us about the way we fold laundry”, most likely due to his royal upbringing. He states in a Tweet that his job in the castle is to “press start on the washing machine”, which isn’t much, but goes to show his laziness. Being a housewife in Japan is sometimes regarded as lazy, but in reality, these women do so much work. Katamari portrays this when you realize the King takes all the credit for The Prince’s work, when he barely does anything. The Queen, however, cooks for her family, does the laundry, and scolds the King when he gets out of hands. She does more work than him, so why should she wipe his butt from doing no work? The Queen’s humble origins are a good contrast to the King’s laziness.

The Queen being able to put The King in his place is inspirational to me. An enormous being, capable of destroying galaxies, is afraid of this pink, sweet lady. I do believe sometimes The Queen is petty with the things that upset her. For example, when the King accidentally ruined the laundry when a frog jumped on it, she didn’t talk to him for a few days. However, it makes you think about the interactions we don’t see. The Queen goes through a lot, having to deal with her husband.

Sometimes, I interpret their interactions as the forms of tough love. The King’s appearance consists of cold, gray skin and a muscular build. But the Queen appears as a pink, soft, kind lady. The King uses emotional manipulation, gaslighting, and physical abuse as a punishment for The Prince. I, including many others, are very opposed to this. However, The Queen may scold her husband, but she doesn’t actually try to hurt him. They care about each other. The Queen’s design is plastered in hearts, and is described to be loving and kind. She’s not perfect, but she does care. The King also cares, but his abusive tendencies are incredibly toxic. With this, I interpret them as love being stronger than hate. The Queen, a woman covered in hearts, is able to make an abusive King cower in fear. I think that’s really interesting. Notice how The Queen has never hurt the Prince (at least intentionally)? This says a lot about her. She’s a no-BS lady. She’s feminine, beautiful, but also doesn’t take her husband’s BS. I regard her as a feminist icon.

BONUS! The Queen’s cookies are considered the “tastiest thing in the world” by the We ♥️ Katamari manual.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

An Angel and A Demon ~ Pyramid Head x Reader

Update 2: My laptop restarted when I was in the middle of writing this, and trust me when I say it, I am positively pissed off, and I want to end my days, that's how bad of a day this was.

And I didn't leave the house.

That says a lot about today...

Update 1: But, without further ado, I was half-way writing this story, and I received this ask, and let me tell you...

helloooo, i absolutely adored the fanfics you wrote about kazan and danny🥺 could i request one where pyramid head is just really whipped for and in love with the survivor! reader but he doesnt know how to announce it to them so he brings her random ,,gifts" in and outside the trials and protecting her bc well, im pretty sure he cant speak so he doesnt really have any other options on how to express his feelings??

I live for it.

Bless you for sending me this, it's the reason I'm still sane right now.

I love you, baby-cakes.

Update 3: I want to kill myself so bad. Just smash my head on a wall until it explodes or sth. I was so happy with how this imagine turned out, only fuck fucking tumblr to just fucking delete EVERYTHING just as I was about to put the last gif and hit POST NOW.

--------

For the 5th time writing this :

FUCKMEDADDY - but this time - FUCKMYBRAINSOUTPLEASEIWANNADIE

Thanks.

-------

Hell - What was that place, anyway?

Some would describe it as an infinite ocean of flames and lava, where it's eternally melting-hot, and a bunch of hooved, horned, tailed red demons torture you with acid, with their red pitch forks, or boil you alive in their cauldron for soup. Or maybe you just get tortured by Stalin, who knows?

But never would have anyone thought that 'Hell' could look so...Normal. Well, normal in a very demolished, desolate, ravished way, but still...Normal, by human standards. Albeit, the never-ending loop of madness, anguish, agony and desperation of getting killed in different gruesome ways or fleeing for their lives and feeling a myriad of emotions pumping adrenaline through their veins so badly that their anxiety-meter skyrocketed to abnormal levels.

All this darkness, this hatred, this...Everything...It changed all the survivors. They became selfish, stubborn, rude, some even went as far as to sacrifice their fellow survivors in trials, just so they could survive. It was a complete mayhem that defied all kinds of reason, normality, morality or even ethics. Everyone became devoid of any laws that used to bind them to their humane sides, and now, you weren't sure if the killers were saner than the survivors or not.

But even in this abyss where you couldn't even see your hand in front of your very eyes, there was a little star - A beautiful angel radiating brightness and warmth, someone who was somehow able to guide everyone's straying souls with her benevolence.

In reality, she was merely a survivor, not the little lantern from an angler fish's head, but she treated everyone with such an untainted kindness...It was beautiful, and yet, unrequited for most parts. Everyone was still putting their own lives above all - And who could condemn them? - Perhaps their cowardice, for the girl preferred to save her fellow survivors as much as possible, even if that oftentimes assured her place on the hook, to be a sacrificial lamb for the Entity.

On the other hand, she rarely ended up on the hook - Most killers prefer to kill her themselves, instead of letting her become pray for the horrible Entity who tortured so many of them for refusing to cooperate - The Trapper, Evan MacMillan - He knew the best, with those hooks digging into his flesh, impossible to extract. He was the first to protect this girl. It wasn't much, but if he had to, he'd rather give her a swift, painless death, than seeing her without that serene, angelic smile on her face, as the Entity feeds on the last bits of her soul's beauty, the last parts of her humanity.

The other Killers were confused at the Trapper's actions, but little by little, they began to understand why this girl was so precious and special - And this domino effect hit Rin Yamaoka next, with Y/N stopping in the middle of a chase and taking off her jacket, just as Rin was about to butcher her with her katana, and she smiled, extending it to her. 'You must be cold' she said, realising that the Spirit was merely wearing a few bandages, not even her school uniform, or her kimono.

The ghost girl was shaken up by this, and told the others at the killer camp, but they just shrugged it off - Rin was a little girl who faced close to no kindness, they weren't surprised she was so taken aback by such a feat. That is, until Adiris, in a particularly terrible day, when everyone at the camp was staying away from her, as her profane censer wasn't able to cover the stench of rotting flesh - Y/N came over, taking out a small yet elegant glass bottle with pink liquid on it, spraying some on her - And now, The Plague smelled of roses and vanilla - 'You can come to me for perfume whenever you want, I always carry some with me!' she grinned at the Babylonian High Priestess, before leaving back to the survivor's camp site, leaving the ancient God symbol to stare with her mouth agape at the girl.

These words began to spread, and it was no surprise when the killers saw Susie clinging and begging her Legion friends to spare Y/N, for she was there to hug away her worries more than once, to tell her sweet words, to play with her hair and play the guitar whatever songs she wanted to hear, to get reminded of her home - She was so home sick that she freaked out, but now she was better, thanks to Y/N - 'I know you miss home, but sometimes, home is where your best friends are, and all three of them are here!' she tried to encourage the cute pink-haired girl who could only squeal and hug her new friend.

Even Ghostface wasn't exempt from falling to her charms, and they would often take silly selfies and mess around, making fun of the old horror movie tropes and doing lots of puns and pranks - So much that she even got his trust to be told about the Danny/Jed thing, and how he began his killer profession - 'You're a very talented photographer, Danny! You deserved all that recognition you got, both as a journalist, and as a killer!'

And very soon, Y/N found herself in the crushing arms of an overprotective Anna, humming her mother's lullaby together with walking through the forest, Y/N making flower crows for all the female killers at the camp site, and little by little, she somehow managed to worm her way under everyone's skins.

Y/N was the survivor with the highest survivability percentage, and maybe the Entity sometimes got pissed off, but at least she still got killed sometimes, so who cares? Well, that was soon to change as soon as a new Killer was added to this sick game - Pyramid Head, the terror of Silent Hill, as Cheryl, the new Survivor, called him - or The Executioner, as he was known now. He was ruthless, merciless, grotesque - He had his own criteria of killing, his own moral compass, ethics, conscience and understanding of the concept of life and death. Nothing that could compare to the visions of humans, clearly - Everything was gravitating around Divine Retribution and Justice, but the from the outside, he was nothing but a killing machine.

He would kill everyone and anyone that crosses his path, without fail.

Y/N felt like her fortune ended completely the second she found herself in the new, overly cramped map, with Pyramid Head as the killer - She couldn't help but run around like a spazzic meerkat, trying to find and fix as many generators as possible, without having to get face to face with the walking hazard...

Only to run past a stuck Pyramid Head.

Slowly backtracing her steps, she saw the mountain of a man with his metal pyramid stuck in the frames a low window which he tried to walk over. He was trashing like a raged bull trying to attack a matador, but it was clear he was getting nowhere with this.

"H-Hey, u-uhm...Need some help?" she asked in a soft, careful voice, almost like a meek cat trying to test the waters, but in return, he started groaning even louder from the wrath he wanted to unleash upon the whole world. "Okay, uhm...I think I saw a can of vaseline in one of the chests around. I'll go fetch it and I'll come back for you. Don't move." she said, only to then realise how horrible that sounded, considering the situation, and it only seemed to anger the killer. "...I'm sorry, ignore me, I'm an idiot." she slapped herself pretty harshly before bolting out of there trying to find the chest.

However, Y/N cursed herself for not having perfectly memorised the whole map by heart already, since she found the vaseline can after the 3rd chest, and then, it took quite a while to find the bloody window that got the killer stuck - And by the time she got there, she was dead tired. "Okay, I'm here, I found the vaseline! Let's try to get you out of here." Y/N muttered as she put her feet on the low window pane to get to his level. "If it's not too much trouble, could you please hold onto me? I can't balance myself with both hands occupied, and I'd rather not fall." she explained as she opened the vaseline can, only to shiver as she felt two big, strong hands getting a firm grip on her hips. It was almost...Endearing, were she not too busy trying to get the killer unstuck. She kept massaging the metal edge, trying to push and pull, also praying to whatever deity that existed in her human world that she had her tetanus shot done on time - Until finally, she was able to get hear a loud screech, like a pop, and the killer got unstuck, and in the process, he stumbled backwards, while Y/N fell down on her butt.

"Ouchie..." she muttered, rubbing her back and sides to take away the pain surging through her body. "Are you okay?" she asked, almost intuitively, without realising it at first, until she heart a low grunt that brought her back to reality. "O-Oh...! You have glass shards stuck in your side! And you're bleeding too! Hold up, let me help." she hurried to his side, while the killer merely stiffened, feeling her delicate, slender fingers tracing his body, while he heaved and slouched his shoulders from the repressed wrath. "It may sting a bit, and I'm really sorry, but I promise it will be better soon." her voice was so motherly and warm, which also resonated in her actions, as she gingerly took a water bottle and imbued some tissues with it, to wipe away the blood smearing down his skin as she extracted the glass shards, and then..."This is grandma's marigold ointment. It's really good, and it smells nice." she explained as she carefully smeared a thick layer of the yellow ointment on the biggest wounds, while the little ones were covered by smiley-flower patterned plasters. They were cute, and colourful, and they never failed to make her smile. "Okay, there we go, all better! I hope you'll feel better very soon!" her voice got a tiny bit more cheerful and upbeat.

It made the Killer think about a trillion things, as he stepped in front of her, towering over her like the Empire states building next to a smiling pomeranian. What was with this girl? Why did she help a killer? And why did he feel so...Warm inside? He could sense a foreign kind of luminosity, a naivite and innocence that he only witnessed in children and animals. This woman in front of him was untainted by the darkness and evil of the world.

It didn't matter how many hardships she's been through, or how much sadness she had to endure - Her soul remained as pure as any snowdrop, as the first snow of winter, as the fleece of a baby lamb who let out its first 'meeeeh' to its mamma sheep.

He couldn't allow this human to be maimed in any way - Not by the world, not by the Entity, and certainly not by him. - Screw the Entity, Pyramind Head kills by his own rules, and now, he was blessed to be faced with a human who bore no real hatred for her peers, or for the world, despite the horrible situation she was thrown into.

He didn't understand, obviously, especially as he remembered the myriad of abominations that lurked through Silent Hill, all of them created by the torment of humans - The very torment that distorted their own reality, which resulted in him needing to solve the purpose as The Executioner - Eradicating the world of all evil.

"Th-This sword is so heavy...H-How can you carry this around like that...?! Your muscles must be so strained and sore...Y-You really need a massage, I'm sure." she stuttered as she tried to lift the much taller and heavier sword from the ground, only for the brute to simply bend and pick it up with extreme ease, putting the girl to shame with her complete lack of strength. "Hehe...You're really strong. I'm embarrassed now." she chuckled softly, scratching the back of her neck.

Before she could leave or do anything else, Pyramid Head picked her up by the throat, careful not to hurt her or restrict her air intake - I mean, how else was he supposed to carry her so he wouldn't hurt her with his metal head or sword? - and it was pretty clear she didn't feel any malevolence from him, as she clinged on his forearm, trying to keep herself up, only to be dumped on top of the hatch, as the killer pointed towards it, so she would leave.

"O-Oh...! Thank you so much! You're really kind! I really appreciate this...I-I know it probably doesn't matter much to you, since you'll be doing this over and over again with all the survivors...But I really appreciate you for your kind gesture, and I appreciate you for being so nice with me. Thank you. Take care!" her dazzling smile lit the whole place up, but he couldn't talk, nor could he tell her how he should be the one thanking her for showing him that, despite the hundreds and thousands of years he had to roam the 'Earth' and execute the injust, miracles still existed.

As soon as she reached the survivor's camp, everyone cheered for her, asking how in the world could she have escaped the wrath of the butcher. "Oh, but he wasn't that bad. In fact, he's much more humane than I anticipated! I think he has a beautiful, blooming heart!" okay, she's lost it - the other survivors thought - but even so, she's always been a bit...Out of it, so who cares?

It took quite a while for the other three survivors to reach the camp, all bloody, in fact, like the new killer, who dragged himself with the same menace to the Killers' camp. "How the hell did you manage to survive?!" they yelled at her in utter shock, seeing that she got out of there unscratched. "Oh, you see...I found the hatch." she shrugged simply, not wanting to give away that the person who massacred those three was a soft one and he basically threw her down the hatch to her safety.

As she took a twig to roast a marshmallows, she noticed how Pyramid Head was standing much farther away from the rest of the killers - She knew that silent killers were bound to stay away from the more obnoxious one, remembering how Michael Myers almost killed Ghostface and The Legion at least a dozen times - But this time...He seemed kinda...Lonely? So Y/N took the matters into her own hands, roasted another marshmallow in another twig, and when it was done, she went to the killer's camp, calling out the lonely one's name - She has no idea why, but he actually followed her, pushing her further deep into the forest, until he was sure nobody was going to hear, see or interrupt them...

"Hey. You seemed pretty lonely out there...I thought you could use a friend. Thank you again for what you did at the trial...Here, this is a marshmallow. I don't think you've had many before...Cheryl told me of that horrible place you had to live in...So I hope this will make your day a bit better!" Y/N extended one of her hands towards him, so he could take the marshmallow - And a long, black tongue erupted from underneath the pyramid, snatching away the fluffy marshmallow and gulping it in one go.

What the hell was he turning into?

A towering man built of pure muscle, wrath and divine justice, with a pyramid representing the evil of humanity burdening his body, and a sword taller and heavier than the average human being constantly dragged in one of his hand...He now was a slave to a cute, innocent girl who was putting flower plasters on his minuscule wounds that would heal in a heartbeat regardless - He saved this girl who was now offering his these soft, squishy things that tasted overly sugarly, just like her upbeat and cheerful personality - If he could eat her, he was sure she would taste even sweeter than this - A sickish kind of sweet, that is.

She was indeed a beautiful angel in this tragic hell. But he didn't wait to snatch the second marshmallow either.

"Ah...! You liked it, didn't you? Well...Next time, I promise I'll give you more!" she grinned at him the same way a princess would to her chivalrous knight who saved her. The since he couldn't talk, silence took over them - It wasn't an uncomfortable one, per se, but it made it feel as if the conversation was over. "W-Well...I'll guess I'll see you around! Take care and I hope to see you again soon!" she waved cutely, trying to turn around back to her camp, only to feel a rough hand on her shoulder, turning her around and urging her to stop and wait for him and he went deep into the forest, leaving her alone and undefended by the potential malevolent forces of the forest.

When he returned, however, he stepped right in front of her, creating the perfect shade as he towered over her - Then he kneeled in front of her, so he would reach her eye sight, then he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and put a beautiful pink flower - As pink as the blush that started creeping on her face - He wanted to see her luminous face better, to highlight her dazzling smile and her glimmering eyes as the warm, silver light of the mother moon caressed her face.

Y/N felt her heart picking up the pace - It was beating so much faster than ever before - But this time, it wasn't out of fear or anything negative...It was something good. Something she never felt in her life, especially with her human acquaintances from back home. None was as chivalrous and gentle with her as this butcher of tormented souls - The bringer of justice, the merciless Executioner who was supposed to end the life of every living being that would cross his path.

It was insane how every Yin finds its Yang, even if that comes in the form of a little lamb of a small, frail girl, and a huge abomination of a brute man who knows nothing but death, bloodshed and carnage. It was truly crazy how opposites attract, and here she was, holding the killers large hands and gingerly putting them on her face, leaning into his touch - She felt safer now than ever in her life - Now, in the arms of an ancient killer.

An Angel and A Demon brought together in a perfect union.

As she leaned down, she touched the metal of the pyramid where she anticipated his forehead would be with her own forehead, and closing her eyes, she finally felt herself calming down. There was no need for words, actions spoke louder than anything, and she appreciated it...She appreciated him.

"Thank you." she whispered to him, knowing that yes, even though nobody else would hear it anyway, it was much more intimate than anything she ever experienced.

She was hooked.

Hope you liked my completely shameless pun, I couldn't stop it, especially after the pain I went through trying to write this...3 freaking times.

Yay.

[nev3rfound]

glass : b.b

after a messy breakup with your boyfriend, you can’t help but be a tad bit reckless during a mission leaving bucky to help pick up the pieces and learn why you’re acting the way you are. (2.5k) 

warnings: mentions of blood, violence, wounds, breakups 

masterlist / permanent taglist / etsy shop - requests open!

(everything on my blog is my own writing. if it is shared on another page or website without being credited, it has not been approved to be shared by me. all rights reserved.)

also hi, we’re almost at 5k which is amazing and i’m planning a little giveaway! sorry if i’ve been quiet this week, i have been hooked with the ‘shatter me’ series and i can’t get enough lmao. but i do have more pieces in the works :)

Sitting in the Quinjet, you could barely register what Tony was saying as the words that were practically spat at you last night circulated your thoughts.

“Y/n?” You flinch at the call of your name, breaking you from the trance-like state you were in.

Steve smiles warmly as he takes the seat beside you as prying eyes watch closely, noting the change in your mood the moment you boarded the jet.

“Sorry,” You mutter to Steve. “late night.”

Nodding in response, Steve glances over to a concerned Bucky whose brows remain knitted together. Usually, you would sit with Bucky, joke around with him and Sam about all sorts. Yet today, you boarded the jet and sat alone, closing your eyes and blocked everyone out.

“Tell me ‘bout it.” Steve playfully huffs, trying to incite some form of reaction, but you remain silent. “Listen, if you wanna talk,”

“Thanks, Steve.” You cut him off, forcing your lips upward. “I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

With that being his cue to leave you be, Steve shakes his head to Bucky as he wanders back toward Tony, organising the final details of the plan before you land.

“Okay team, descending now, arriving in less than ten.” Tony announces, ensuring he has everyone's attention- including yours. “So, Cap, you and Romanoff will head straight for the side entrance whilst Wilson and Barnes take the back. I want Y/L/N and Barton to head for the hostages.” Tony explains, watching as you all nod along.

“And what will you be doing, Tony?” Steve asks as he picks his shield up.

“I will be with Wanda,” Tony states as Wanda playfully salutes. “on standby in case something goes wrong.”

“Not that it will.” Wanda comments but quirks a brow to Sam who holds his hands up in defence.

“That was a one-time thing, witchy.” Sam retorts, causing Tony to roll his eyes once again at the team's antics.

“Anyway, get ready.” Tony finishes before retreating toward the pilot whilst everyone gathers their weapons.

Whilst grabbing your gun and placing it into your holster, you notice the small bruise forming on your wrist as your sleeve rises slightly. You quickly tug on it, thinking nothing of it as you reach for the set of knives you usually carry.

Yet Bucky noticed, it was impossible for Bucky to not notice the smallest of details about you. His heart ached at the sight. You’re known for being clumsy and would often laugh about the matter. If you got a bruise, you’d joke about it, explain how this one happened in another idiotic motion as opposed to hiding it.

“You ready for this one, Y/n?” Clint speaks up as he appears by your side, counting his arrows as you tighten your grip on your favourite knife, causing your knuckles to lighten in colour.

“As I’ll ever be.” You remark as the Quinjet door opens and you all walk out, splitting up into different directions.

*

It wasn’t supposed to happen, you weren’t prepared enough as a team for what you encountered inside the building.

You reached the hostages and quickly untied them. They thanked you senselessly whilst Clint remained on guard, keeping a close eye on the door as you helped them to their feet.

“Who are you?” One man speaks up, his voice hoarse as he grips your arms for dear life.

“We’re the Avengers.” You softly tell the man, watching as the fear in his expression lightens, and he starts to laugh maniacally in your face.

Trying to prise yourself from his grasp, his nails dig into your skin. “You made a mistake coming here.” He states, breaking his gaze from you momentarily, giving you a chance to slam your foot into his.

With the man's grip easing, you snap yourself from his embrace and hit him with the butt of your gun. He falls to the ground, and you raise your gun to everyone else in the room.

“Who else is a plant?” You ask, looking at all of the terrified faces staring back at you. “Who else?!” You repeat yourself, adrenaline rushing through you before you fire your gun into the ceiling as they all jump.

Clint whips his head around, evidently shocked having never seen you react this way before. “Y/n,” He speaks up, but you ignore him, keeping your attention fixated on the ‘hostages’ before you.

“No one, Ma’am.” A little girl announces as she releases her mother's hand, stepping toward you. She looks up at you with her bright brown eyes and holds her hand out. “Are you here to save us?” She questions.

Kneeling down in front of the girl, you smile softly, your cool exterior melting. “Yes, and you’re all going to be okay, I promise.” You tell her, breaking your gaze as you look around at everyone else.

“Y/n, now.” Clint states as you rise to your feet, holding your hand out to the little girl who gladly accepts.

“Okay, follow me, you’ll all be safe if you stay close.” You explain to the dozen hostages who huddle together, following behind you and Clint.

“Tony? We have them, there was a plant, tell the others.” Clint speaks through the comms as he walks ahead, his bow at the ready in case anyone else lingers in the corridors.

Glancing over your shoulder, you check to ensure the hostages are still with you. Whilst your head is turned, you hear Clint groan and fall to the ground with a thud.

“Clint?” You rush forward whilst the hostages remain still. Holding your gun up, you turn the corner, catching sight of a man stood with his gun aimed at Clint’s unconscious body. “Corridor seven, ground floor.” You speak up, hoping someone hears you through the comms.

The man before you smirks as his gun is now aimed at you whilst you mirror his actions, not daring to let your hands shake as his words ring through your ears.

“You really think that’s a wise move?” He asks, removing the safety from his gun.

“I’m not one to go down without a fight.” You state, hearing a collection of footsteps echo behind the man as a glint of metal flashes across your eyes.

The man's focus shifts to behind you, but his gun remains trained to you. “Ah, I see we have a friend.” He chuckles and you can feel your heart rate increasing as the little girl stands by your side.

“She has us.” The girl states, standing tall as the hostages emerge and gather behind you.

Sighing under his breath, the man clicks his tongue. “Well, this is sweet and all, but you’re not making it out of here alive.” He scoffs, lowering his gun to the little girl.

Everything plays too quickly for Bucky’s liking as he runs toward the man, his arms outstretched and fists clenched.

Upon watching the man pull back the trigger, you force the little girl back, feeling the impact of the bullet hit your stomach. Another shot rings through your ears, but you’re already down on the ground, curled up.

Bucky steps over the man's body, not caring to step in the blood that pools around his head as he rushes toward you.

“Hey, doll, stay awake for me, okay?” Bucky pleads, brushing your hair out of your face as he glances down, noticing your fingers are coated in crimson. “Sam, get Tony, now!” He yells, picking you up in his arms as both Steve and Natasha appear, taking in the sight before them.

Bucky looks over to Steve, and he doesn’t need to say anything. “Go, we’ll handle it.” Steve nods to Bucky as you hang in his arms, eyes barely open.

Rushing past the hostages who stare with wide eyes, Bucky keeps his on you. “Come on, Y/n,” Bucky mutters as the cool breeze hits his face, feeling you move in his arms and bury your face into his chest.

“I’m cold,” You mumble tiredly, barely able to keep your eyes open as they droop heavily. “just five minutes.”

“No, don’t you dare,” Bucky firmly tells you as the Quinjet comes into view, the sight of worry evident in Wanda’s expression as she meets Bucky halfway, guiding him into the jet.

“What happened?” Wanda asks as Bucky places you down on the ground, reaching for the medical supplies on board with urgency, ripping out various weapons and mechanical items until he finds some form of bandages.

“She tried to save a little girl,” Bucky sighs as Wanda cradles your head, her fingers hovering over your temples as a red glow forms whilst Bucky applies pressure to the wounds, watching as they soak instantly from your blood. “we, we have to go, now!” He yells to Wanda who barely flinches.

“Tony? Can you handle this?” Wanda questions through the comms.

“Just get Y/n back, we’ll sort this out.” Tony responds, trying to hide the fear in his tone for the younger Avenger, one he can’t help but view as a daughter in many respects.

“She wants to be strong,” Wanda whispers, hearing your thoughts as you drift further and further away from consciousness. “but she’s scared. I, I can hear his voice.” Wanda trails off as Bucky tenses up, knowing exactly who she means.

Bucky can feel his heartbreaking as the Quinjet flies through the air at an accelerated rate back to the compound.

“Oh Y/n, you’ve got so much coming for you,” Bucky takes one of your hands in his, gripping it tightly as he focuses on your face, the light disappearing from your complexion. “don’t go, not now, doll.”

*

Lying in your own bed, you remain in a deep sleep whilst Bucky hovers by your bedside. Ever since you were brought back and cleared, he insisted you’d feel more comfortable in your own room.

“Anything?” Wanda speaks up, peering in your doorway as your chest rises and falls rhythmically. Bucky shakes his head in response, aware of Wanda approaching your bed as she perches on the edge, her fingertips dancing over your head.

Wanda quickly pulls her hand away, the red wisps disappearing as she avoids Bucky’s cold gaze. “What is it?”

“I’m not sure,” Wanda mutters, moving your hair out of your face. “but something happened before the mission, something to do with him.” Wanda sighs. “I just, I can’t tell what it was.” She explains as Bucky keeps a straight face, unable to take his eyes off the various bruises now exposed on your skin, the cuts and scars forming alongside them.

“She’s always been agile on missions, even if she’s clumsy.” Bucky breathes out, uncrossing his arms from his chest. “But she’s careful, she’s always careful.” He repeats to himself, wondering why you’d risk yourself like that when it could’ve been avoided.

“I had to,” You mumble, your eyes now beginning to open as you look up to your two friends, forcing your lips upwards. “did I miss much?”

A chuckle escapes Wanda as she looks over to Bucky, seeing the concern in his face refusing to ease. “I’m sure Bucky will fill you in.” Wanda tells you as she touches your hand before heading to the door. “It’s good to see you awake, Y/n/n.” She smiles at you whilst Bucky slowly moves closer to your bed, his legs leaning against the frame.

“So,” You sigh, still feeling your muscles burning beneath the covers on top of you. “is everyone safe?”

Trying to hold back the scoff building, Bucky simply nods.

“Good,” You nod to yourself, a sense of relief crossing your system. “I’m glad it worked out.”

“Worked out?” Bucky snaps, noting your eyes widening as you struggle to sit upright without wincing. “No, don’t try and move,” His voice softens momentarily, forcing you to remain still. “Y/n, you think almost dying is a mission ‘working out', really?” He huffs loudly.

“Look, the hostages are safe, the team holding them was taken care of so yes, Bucky, I do think it worked out.” You bark back, your tone rising.

“God, you’re an idiot sometimes.” Bucky remarks, turning away from you as you look down at your lap.

“Max said that too,” You mumble.

Turning on his heels, Bucky focuses on you closely. “He said what?”

It was no secret Bucky wasn’t the fondest of your now ex-boyfriend, Max. He tolerated him for your sake, not wanting to lose your best friend in the midst of a relationship. But Max was never the most understanding, and this is just another reason Bucky mentally adds to his list of why Max was a lousy boyfriend.

“Forget it,” You brush it off, refusing to meet Bucky’s cold blue eyes. “it was nothing, I went to get the last of my things the other night and, and we had an argument.”

“What did he say to you, Y/n?” Bucky persists as he now sits down on your bed, his hands remaining in his own lap as you play with yours, fidgeting.

“He said I’m too fragile for my own good,” You admit, hearing his bitter words ringing through your head. “that I’m weak, and I shouldn’t even be an Avenger.”

Bucky can feel his blood boiling, the list in his mind becoming mere shreds of paper as he imagines what he’ll do to Max if he sees him again.

“And maybe I am, he said I’m broken goods,” You add, lifting the sheets from your body to reveal the stitching in your skin where the bullet was. “what difference does one more scar make?”

“You don’t believe him, do you doll?” Bucky asks sadly, afraid he already knows the answer.

Your prolonged silence only causes Bucky’s heart to sink further into his chest.

“Y/n,” Bucky speaks up, taking your hand in his. “you’re not broken goods, you’re not made of glass that shatters easily.” He explains, unable to meet your teary gaze. “You’re one of the strongest, most selfless people I’ve ever met, you’re not fragile, doll.” He rubs his thumb over the top of your hand, avoiding the fresh scuffs lacing your knuckles.

“You think so?” You whisper as tears fall down your cheeks before you can stop them.

Now catching your eyes, Bucky smiles softly. “I do, Y/n.” He admits, watching you struggle to shuffle in your bed as you force back a whimper.

Patting the spot beside you, Bucky raises a brow. “Will you stay, Bucky, please?” You whisper, too afraid of your own voice.

“As long as you know you’re worth so much more than him, Y/n, okay?” Bucky asks as he lifts his arm up, wrapping it around you as you curl up into his chest. “You deserve the world, doll.” He mutters, feeling your grip around his waist loosen as your breathing softens. “And I promise to show you someday.”

Bucky brushes his lips across your forehead as light snores leave your lips, unaware of the promise Bucky has made to you and intends to keep it.  

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[justanobsessedfangirl]

The Sacrifice Part 1 - The Maze Runner Minho Imagine

Request from @elizabeth-brown hey when your requests will be open can you do 'the maze runner' one with minho. where one day when new greenie was coming up he had letter with him. on it there was written that if they sacrificed y/n they would let everyone out. so keepers decided to vote. most of them voted 'yes' so without any emotions Alby kick y/n into the maze. then minho realized his feelings. y/n survived the maze and WCKED took her. after one year she escaped WCKED and ran into the scorch. Minho missed her miserably. y/n searched the safe heaven. and when Group A searched safe heaven they saw y/n and she was so mad. you can end it however you want either she forgives them or not. and please tag me

Masterlist

Part 2

Warning: Some mature language

Author’s Note: Thanks for waiting! I changed up the request a little (I think?) but there will probably be a part 2 so I can do the stuff outside the Glade. Hope you like it! Also, I know it seems like my requests aren’t open because I take forever to post, but I swear they are. :)

Word Count: 4.6k

The Box came up every month like clockwork. Half an hour before its arrival, a blaring alarm would sound. Gladers would trickle in from the Gardens, the Med-jack Hut, the Homestead, and gather around the hole. Those who had requested items would push their way to the front. Others lingered around the edges, hoping for a glimpse of the new Greenie.

“Maybe it’ll be another girl,” they’d whisper.

“Maybe it’ll be another shank,” their friends would whisper back, and the boys would shove each other and laugh and make jokes until the Box slotted into place and the roof slid away, revealing the Glade’s next victim.

You were an unnatural fit to the routine. You’d disrupted it right from the beginning, with your arrival as the first female Glader. Now, months later, you still hadn’t formed many strong bonds. It was hard when you were rarely in the Glade during the day, spending most of your hours mapping the Maze. No one was directly cruel when you had a day off, but it was clear that this was a brotherhood, and you did not meet the requirements. You were an “other.” You were a girl. You were something to be looked at and talked about but you weren’t necessarily someone.

You didn’t feel like an outsider when you ran with Minho. He treated you like a person. Like a friend. So did Newt, although your time with him was limited to bonfires, where you drank Gally’s moonshine and talked.

Just the memories of those nights made you feel warm, even as you stood apart from the boys around the Box and prayed for another girl to appear. You stood on your tiptoes and tried to peer over the crowd. Through gaps and over heads, you caught a glimpse of a boy in the Box. He was younger than you, probably younger than most of the people in the Glade, with curly brown hair, round pink cheeks, and wide, fear-filled eyes. 

Alby jumped down into the Box. Laughter rose from the crowd as the young Greenie backpedaled so wildly that he tripped over his feet and slammed onto his butt. Next to you, a group of Gladers jeered. You frowned at them, watching their smiles slip into sneers. They looked away from you. Inside the Box, the Greenie cried, “Please don’t hurt me!” His already high, youthful voice was pitched even higher with terror.

You felt a stab in your chest. He sounded so young, so alone, so scared. Taking a step forward, you came to the edge of a thick knot of Gladers. They catcalled and hollered and cackled, slapping each other on the backs. One noticed you and quickly jerked away like you were contagious.

Cheeks burning, you stepped back again. You gave the crowd one last look, heard the Greenie blubber one last time, and headed for the Homestead, where there was no one to make you feel unwelcome or weak for feeling sympathy for the new Greenie.

Besides, you thought bitterly, they might make fun of him now, but he’ll still be one of them.

A few Gladers saw you go; most were focused on the Greenie, who Alby was trying to coax to his side of the Box, where someone had dropped a length of rope. 

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Alby said. Impatience wore thin on his voice. “Just come over here.”

The Greenie stayed curled in a ball in the middle of the Box.

Alby shook his head. Turning to the pair of boys above him, he lowered his voice and said, “Do you think Y/N could try to get him out?”

The Gladers looked at each other.

“Isn’t she running today?” one asked.

“I haven’t seen her all day,” the other added.

Alby frowned. “Fine,” he sighed, “we’ll do it the hard way.”

At that, the two Gladers joined Alby in the Box. The Greenie’s eyes bulged as they approached. He tried to scoot back. In seconds, the pair was on him, lifting him as easily as if he weighed nothing. They toted him to the rope.

The Greenie gasped. “Wait! Wait! I dropped it!”

Alby waved the boys on before they could stop. “I’ll get it.” While the Gladers hoisted the Greenie out, Alby walked to the center of the Box. Laying on the metal floor was a card of paper, pristinely white save for the 10 grimy fingerprints of the crying Greenie. Alby knelt, picked it up, flipped it over, and froze.

It seemed like an eternity before he stood again. Around him, the Gladers still talked and laughed. Around him, the Gladers still thought they were following their routine.

Holding the note in his hand, Alby commanded, “Gathering in the Homestead. Now.” After a beat of silence, he added, “If Y/N’s here, bring her.”

The Glade burst into a flurry of activity. Boys scrambled, yelling the news. Their Keepers chastised them and handed out work orders like candy. Feeling brave and uninhibited and a little frenzied, Gladers complained and groaned and manhandled each other and ran. The new Greenie was handed off to a Builder, then a Slicer, then rescued by a Gardener. A pack of Gladers took off for the Homestead.

You’d barely made it inside before your moment of alone time was shattered. The boys whooped and hollered and shouted as they sprinted toward you.

“Gathering!”

“You have to go!”

“Alby called for a Gathering!

Their voices came at you like bullets, one after another after another. Your questions fell on deaf ears. “Why a Gathering? Now? Did you say I have to go?”

They kept talking to each other, ignoring you even as they pushed you farther inside, pushed you toward the meeting room, pushed you like you couldn’t even walk by yourself. You shoved away from them and entered the room on your own two shaky feet. Only a few of the Gladers followed, taking their seats as Keepers.

With a sick sludge of anxiety swirling in your stomach, you looked around the room. You’d never been to a Gathering before, although you’d listened to Minho complain about how boring they were many times. The room was small, the only furniture a crudely made table surrounded by twelve seats, one for each Keeper plus Alby and Newt. There was no seat for you. You were not supposed to be here.

“Clint, what’s going on?”

The Keeper of the Med-jacks looked up at the sound of your voice. He’d been staring at the tabletop, tracing his finger along the wood grain. His hands were thin, his fingers long, and they held a delicate strength, accustomed to wrapping wounds and sewing stitches. “Alby called a Gathering,” Clint said.

“Yeah, I figured that part out. Why? And why am I here?” You tried to keep your emotions under control. Clint didn’t need to know you were a little annoyed, a little angry, a little worried. Clint and the growing mob of Keepers filing into the room didn’t need to know you were scared.

Clint looked to the head of the table. Two empty chairs sat waiting. “Alby didn’t explain much. I think it was something to do with the Greenie.”

“The Greenie?” you asked, just as someone gave you a harsh nudge to the side. You whipped around and found yourself staring up at Gally.

“Don’t block the doorway,” he snapped. Before you could reply, Gally was walking past you, settling into the seat closest to the head of the table.

Most of the chairs were filled now. Some Keepers looked at you, others talked with their neighbors, and a few, like Clint, seemed like they’d rather be anywhere else but here. You lingered by the door. After a couple of minutes, Alby and Newt entered together.

You knew something was wrong immediately. Alby’s face, stoic at the best of times, was downright grim, like he’d just witnessed a terrible crime against humanity. Newt wouldn’t even lift his eyes to yours. His skin had taken on a pallor, pale white tinged with sickly green.

“Alby-”

Alby interrupted you. “Where’s Minho?”

You weren’t sure if he was asking you or the Keepers, but you answered anyway. “He’s running. What’s going-”

Cursing under his breath, Alby strode to the head of the table. “Someone got the schedules mixed up,” he fumed. “They thought you were running today. Minho is supposed to be here.”

“Maybe we should wait-”

“This can’t wait, Newt. You know that.” Alby shot Newt’s suggestion down before it even had time to breathe. “Y/N, take Minho’s seat. And someone shut the door.”

You didn’t like the way Alby was barking out orders or the way Newt had slumped into his seat like an admonished puppy. The whole world was off-kilter, just slightly, but enough that you felt nauseous and hyper-aware. Clint was still picking at the table. Winston was sitting next to Gally, who was staring daggers at you, and Zart, who had his arms crossed and was sitting straight in his chair, looked disgusted at something Doug, the Keeper of the Sloppers, had just said. Frypan was the one to get up and close the door, giving you a reassuring smile as he walked. You slowly made your way around the table to the only empty chair. It was across from Gally, right next to the side that Alby and Newt sat behind. 

Newt flinched away from you as you sat. Alby eyed you, waiting, waiting, waiting, and, finally, with the door closed and you perched on Minho’s chair, ready to bolt, he said, “We’re holding a Gathering because of this.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “The new Greenie was holding it.”

Down the table, Winston smirked. “Is that why he was crying? Poor thing can’t read?”

You frowned. One of the Keepers, Billy, chuckled lightly.

Alby ignored them and continued, “It’s a note from the Creators.” A few murmurs arose; Alby didn’t speak until it was silent again. “It says,” he cleared his throat and, next to him, Newt looked as if he might puke. “It says, ‘The Glade is failing. Show you can follow instructions and you will be released.’” Alby paused.

Unlike before, the Keepers stayed quiet. You were on the edge of your seat, listening with bated breath, like all of the others. Maybe the instructions involved finding something in the Maze? You knew you could help with that, and maybe Alby knew it too, and that’s why he’d made you attend the Gathering. You could nearly taste the freedom on your lips. Under the table, your legs shook with excitement, energy, adrenaline -- everything that made you feel alive. What would life be like outside the Glade? 

“Tell them the instructions, Alby,” Newt whispered, voice strained.

Your hopeful heartbeat faltered.

Alby’s eyes flicked up from the paper, met yours, and shot back down.

Something like dread filled your chest.

“‘Show you can follow instructions and you will be released,’” Alby repeated. He drew a deep breath before continuing. “Sacrifice Y/N to the Maze. Tonight.’”

One second passed. Inside that second, there was an eternity, an infinity, a lifetime. Your lifetime. Every limb of your body became paralyzed. You felt liquid. You felt insubstantial and invisible, only you were the farthest thing from invisible, because every single person in the room, all ten Keepers and Alby and Newt, even Newt, who wouldn’t meet your eyes before because he’d already condemned you to death, was staring.

And then the room roared.

“They’re lying!”

“That’s insane!”

“They can’t ask us to do that!”

“We can’t trust them!”

“I’m not doing that!”

“What if it’s true?”

The last voice, soft, barely audible, silenced everyone.

You stared at Gally, jaw dropped. “What?” You could barely speak above a whisper. Your vocal cords were constricting, choking you. Every breath felt like your last.

Gally’s gaze stayed on the letter in Alby’s hands. His eyes were glazed and his whole demeanor, normally stubborn and stand-offish, had shifted into quiet contemplation. “What if it’s true?” he murmured. “What if this is our way out? What if this is what we’ve been waiting for?”

The other Keepers began to speak. Instead of ardent protestations, you heard questions. So many questions and no definitive answers, except for Gally’s. The room spun around you, swirling, swirling, swirling. Your skin was flushed and cold and sweating and freezing all at the same time.

“He might be right,” you heard.

In an instant, you shot to your feet. The chair that Minho should have been sitting in clattered to the floor, silencing the Keepers. “Guys, this-this is insane,” you pleaded. Every face was a blur, a smear, no distinguishable people anywhere. You didn’t know a single boy in this room. “The Creators have never asked us to do something like this. They locked us in here! They-they...they put monsters in the Maze to kill us!”

“Maybe not to kill us.” Billy, the Keeper of the Baggers, was a boy of few words. He never seemed to have much to say, maybe because he’d gotten used to such solitary work. Most of the time, the only Gladers he was around were dead. “Maybe the monsters are there to kill you.”

Panicked tears burned in the corners of your eyes. Gally was nodding. So was Winston. Too many of them were nodding or looking down, pretending they didn’t have a say, hope gleaming in their eyes and betraying their thoughts.

You turned to your leaders. “Alby, this can’t--we can’t--”

“We’re going to vote on it.”

You switched tactics. “Newt. Newt, please, please look at me. This is crazy. We can get out without doing this, we can--I’ll run more and we’ll...we’ll figure something out, just, please, don’t--please just look at me.”

Newt slowly lifted his head. In the background, the Keepers talked, rising from their seats, growing more animated, more determined. Unshed tears glimmered in Newt’s eyes. “Y/N,” he said, and in your name you heard an apology. “This could be our only chance.”

“It can’t be.” You moved forward, desperate. “It can’t be our only chance, we’ll figure something out, I know we can, we just need to--” You were babbling and stepping closer and your hands reached out to grab his arms, to shake him, to knock some sense into all of them, and then Alby’s low, commanding voice rang out, ordering everyone to sit, and you were left standing, crying, terrified, and so, so, so alone.

“If anyone wants to see the note, there.” Alby dropped it onto the table. Across from you, Gally picked it up, scanned it, and passed it to the boy next to him, Winston. From Winston to Billy to Clint to Frypan to Ozzy to Doug to Zart to Leon. To you. With trembling hands, you held the note, saw the words, tried to read them and make sense of them, only nothing made sense at all.

Sacrifice Y/N to the Maze. Sacrifice Y/N. Sacrifice sacrifice sacrifice.

The more you repeated it in your head, the less real it sounded. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be happening.

“We have to make a decision,” Alby said.

Lungs squeezing painfully, you tried to speak. No words came out.

“I think it’s obvious,” Gally said. “Everything changed as soon as she got here. Now the Creators want us to do something, so we should do it.” He sounded more certain the more he spoke, his voice and words building to a persuasive, powerful crescendo.

“We could get out,” Winston added eagerly.

Clint pushed back his chair and slowly rose to his feet. He looked uncomfortable being the center of attention. One of his hands stayed on the table, scrambling for support. “I think it’s important,” he said, “that we think this through and give it the weight it deserves. This is someone’s life we’re talking about.”

It’s my life, you wanted to scream. I’ve tried to be a part of your group! I’m a Glader!

Clint continued. “But we also have to think about everyone else, too. I’m sorry, Y/N, I really am. But your sacrifice could mean that everyone else here can live.” Clint sunk back into his seat. “My vote is to obey the Creators.”

“Clint--” You were drowned out by Gally and Winston and Billy agreeing, formally voting to kill you. Gally nodded down at Ozzy, the Keeper of the Bricknicks, and then Ozzy said, “I vote to obey the Creators too.”

Leon agreed next. Leon, the Keeper of the Maps, who you’d spoken to nearly every day since becoming a Runner. Leon, who you’d sometimes traded jokes with and complimented for his drawing skills. Leon, who, after voting, said, “I’ve spent all of my time in the Glade trying to get out,” like it was an explanation you wanted to hear. Like it would mean it was okay for them to throw your life away. He wouldn’t look at you, still standing, half-slumped against the table as your legs wobbled with each vote that damned you to being ripped apart by Grievers.

“Guys, please,” you said, or you thought you said, but maybe they didn’t hear because now Frypan was standing up.

“I haven’t seen a Griever up close, I don’t know what it’s like in the Maze, and I don’t know what it’s like to patch up people who have done all of that. I know that Y/N’s a Glader. That’s all I need. I vote no.” Frypan nodded at you and sat back down, his normally easy-going face creased in deep thought.

One voice. One against six. But one was all you needed; one gave you a shot of strength, enough for you to straighten up, to open your mouth, to instead hear Doug say, “I haven’t done any of that either but I know that I don’t want to spend another goddamn minute in this Glade. I vote yes.”

The room spun. You looked down at your hands, found them in your lap, realized you were sitting but couldn’t remember ever doing so. Everything was slipping through your fingers so fast, too fast, impossibly fast.

Seven.

“My vote doesn’t matter much now,” Zart began, his words ponderous and slow. “But I vote no.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, as if daring anyone to question him.

Gally turned his attention to Alby and Newt instead. “So we’re doing it?”

Alby frowned. Newt buried his face in his hands. You thought you might pass out.

“Seven is a majority. It doesn’t matter our votes,” Alby said. “Or Minho’s.”

“Or mine.” The table turned to you. “I don’t get a say in any of this? It’s my life.” You knew your voice was too high-pitched, too warbled, too girlish to be taken seriously. You swallowed and it came out even more panicked. “You can’t just kill me with a one-vote difference, you can’t just--”

“It wouldn’t be a one-vote difference. I vote to obey the Creators.” Alby stared unwaveringly at you. “Newt agreed before the Gathering. That makes it nine to four, assuming Minho would vote not to obey.”

“Why?” It came out strangled and mangled and desperate.

“For the Glade,” Alby responded.

Newt suddenly looked up, shaking his head. “No, no, I take my vote back. I vote no. We can’t do this, Alby.”

“Eight to five. The majority says to obey. It happens tonight.”

“Alby--” “Alby, please,” You and Newt protested together, but Alby’s voice boomed over both of yours. “Gathering over. Gally, Winston, take Y/N to the Pit until tonight.”

Newt stood up too fast and stumbled, nearly crashing into the table. “We can’t put her in the Pit!”

The sound of arguing and chairs being pushed back washed over you, filling your ears with white noise. Chills raced up and down your spine, sending a clamminess to your hands and feet. You were going to die. You were going to be torn apart by Grievers, the very monsters you’d spent so much time running away from. It was almost ironic, really, and you almost laughed until you realized it was a sob, until you realized there were tears streaming down your face and there were two sets of hands grabbing you by the arms and hoisting you up and leading you out of the room and down the hall, practically dragging you for all of the good your feet did. And then you were in the doorway of a dark, windowless room, and Newt was standing in front of you. He enveloped you in a hug, spewing apologies about the vote and the room and your fate. All too soon, he pulled away. You saw his brown eyes and tear-streaked face. You saw the door close. You saw darkness.

You sagged to the floor and cried.

Hours passed. The room had no windows for you to watch the sun move across the sky, silently counting down to the end of your life. You had tried a few times to shove the door open,  but you only succeeded in bursting out between two strong Gladers. After the first time, they were ready for any attempt of yours to sprint past. Sometimes their voices would seep through the cracks in the wood. Apologies and excuses and pleas for you to please, just please, do this one thing for the Glade and help them all survive.

Part of you thought they were right. What if your sole purpose was to be a sacrifice? But then you thought of Minho and running and laughing and the few flickering memories you had from before the Glade, of an older couple smiling at you or the warm feeling of being loved, and you remembered how it felt to be alive. And you knew that it wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair, for anyone but you to get to decide your death.

Your time alone helped you think. It helped you settle yourself, calm your mind, and dry your tears. But as soon as the door opened and you saw the sunlight fading from the hallway, all of your carefully planned entreaties faded from your lips. Your throat went dry with impending doom.

“It’s time. Alby’s waiting by the Maze,” one of the Gladers said. You didn’t even know who he was. Why hadn’t you gotten closer to him? To all of them? Maybe if you hadn’t been so solitary, maybe you could have...or they could have...or maybe...

“What’s your name?” you heard yourself ask as the guards flanked you down the hall.

He gave you a look of confusion. “Rob.”

“Rob,” you repeated. Rob led the way outside. You glanced over your shoulder at the other Glader. “What about you?”

“I’m David,” the one behind you answered. He hastened to walk beside you. David had stubby legs, two of his steps matching one of yours. You picked up your pace. Rob matched it easily; David lagged.

Over the Glade, the sun was nearly below the horizon. Gladers milled about but kept their distance from you, trying not to stare at the doomed prisoner. It was like you were already dead. And no one cared.

The wall loomed high above you, growing as your entourage got closer and closer. Huddled near one of the entrances was a group of Gladers. When you neared a hundred feet away from them, you slowed. David followed suit immediately. Rob’s lengthy strides shortened.

“David, Rob,” you addressed them by name, not looking at either even as they faced you. “Thanks for walking with me.” Then you bolted for the Maze.

David had no chance of catching up to you, Rob was just stunned enough to give you the head start you needed, and the group of Gladers only shouted as you closed the distance to the door.

My choice, the pounding of your feet seemed to shout. My choice. My life. You may have been minutes away from death, but you had never felt so alive. Adrenaline flooded your body. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. All of the cold fear had been replaced by the warmth of energy. One last choice, you thought. The open door called to you. 20 feet. 5 feet. You’d just crossed the entrance when one voice made itself known above the crowd.

“Y/N!”

Every muscle tensed, you spun around to see Minho sprinting after you, the group of Gladers following, none as fast as your partner. He crashed into you with the tightest hug of your life. Your body reacted before your mind knew how; you hugged him back.

“I couldn’t let you go without seeing you,” Minho blurted, his lips an inch from your ear. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t…” he trailed off. Loosening his hold, he pulled back enough to see your face. He stared at you like he wanted to memorize you. “I’m going with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I am, Y/N, I can’t let you do this yourself. With two of us we could--”

“Die. We’d both die.” You pulled him close again, burying your head back in the crook of his neck, hating the fear in his eyes. You’d wanted your last memory of him to be a smile, not this.

He spoke more softly now. “If we had supplies, I bet we could do it. I’ll raid the kitchen, the Med-jack Hut, bring us weapons. We could find the way out. You don’t have to die. You can’t die.”

You wanted him to stop talking, because you couldn’t extinguish the little flame of hope blooming in your chest if he kept feeding it. “Minho-”

Minho cut you off. “You can do this, Y/N. You’re fast, faster than me, and a hell of a lot smarter than all of these shanks combined. Survive the night. Survive the night and I can bring you supplies tomorrow.” His voice had an edge to it, a fierce desperation you’d never heard from Minho. Inside his encouragement, he was pleading with you. “Fuck, Y/N, please survive the night. Meet me at the intersection past the west door when the sun rises. I fell there the first time we ran together, remember? I said it was because you ran funny and it made me lose concentration but it was actually because you looked so beautiful in the sunrise that I couldn’t think.” He took a deep breath. Your heart beat too quickly, running on hope and support and maybe a little bit of love. When Minho spoke again, his voice was solemn, “I’ll find you, I swear to God. We’ll figure it out together. We’ll get out together.”

“I’ll survive.” You were lying. “I’ll try.” Was that another lie? Everything was moving too quickly.

Alby’s voice stopped you from thinking any further. “It’s time,” he intoned. 

From your place in Minho’s arms, you saw that the group of Gladers, composed mostly of Keepers, had surrounded you in a semicircle. The way forward was blocked; your only way out was the Maze.

You and Minho separated slowly. Behind you, the Maze rumbled. Still, Minho held your hand in his, looking physically pained. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, hoping, desperate, pleading. 

You nodded.

Minho shook his head. “Please say it back, Y/N. Please.”

You glanced at the door starting to close, then at Alby, who stared hard-eyed at you and motioned for the Gladers to press in. You couldn’t find Newt in the crowd. Minho’s hand was heavy and warm in yours. Comforting.

With your last moments in the Glade, you darted close to Minho, pressed your lips to his cheek, and then slipped away from him, entering the Maze. The door thudded closed behind you. The sun had set. You were alone.

[muffindaddystyles]

prompt 1 with older brothers best friends!harry 👀

1. “Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.”

8. “I said stop staring at me.”

23. “I have a name and it’s not sweetheart.”

Third wheeling could never be fun. Not when you’re basically not even a wheel but an invisible person on a vacation watching couples kiss and yada yada.

“For fuck's sake.” Y/N grumbles changing a side snatching the blanket that got stuck under her and sandwiches her face into a pillow when she hears the steel roof atop her creak furiously accompanied by high pitched obnoxious moans.

Y/N's brother brought her along to their Italy trip, his wife’s bestfriend and his own bestfriend tagged along too leaving only Y/N to grump about their wild sex rendezvous.

She’s sleepless, homesick and probably about to get a stomach bug for living in yacht for four days atleast!

What’s so fun about jiggling in your sleep? None perhaps and the waves crashing at night that threatens you to swallow you down to the pit of ocean --- my pal, nothing is entertaining about it. Atleast for Y/N. She’s more of a hill station going person with her pup Frankenstein that oogles out from his small globe like window, comfy in his lil bag that Y/N moves around on her shoulders everywhere.

When the fracas of whatever’s taking place up doesn’t comes to halt, Y/N had enough, she isn’t very versed in coping with such situations since her dorm-mate is very nice.

So, she’s throwing the lid away to pop her head through the square like space and spreads her elbows up the roof, “Aish.” She immediately covers her eyes upon the sight of his brother and his wife doing it.

Their expressions comically panicked as they embarrassingly scrambles to clutch the flimsy sheets over them.

“Who does it all naked under an open sky?” She squeaks out, feeling her pulse tick and she peeks out towards the darkness from the slight gap of her fingers which are barely helping her avoid the scene that’d haunt her for life.

“Them bunnies and monkeys, ‘n many of our kind, Sweetheart.” She rolls her eyes at the familiarity of deep slow rumble that’s a bit slurred, probably from the Tequila they took with them. The voice never fails to froth bubbles in Y/N's tummy and it always involuntarily makes her nails dig into her palms.

Harry and Tina’s bestfriend went out to roam around Italy, or they told so and Albeit Y/N very well knows their intentions were more to exploring the city she didn’t butt in.

“I’ve a name and it’s not, Sweetheart.” She dismisses him with a grumble and his smirk shines through the shadow aggravating Y/N to an extreme she slips down shutting the door (like lid) at the them.

Harry Styles. Y/N's brother’s bestfriend. He’s everything Y/N loathes about. Bright green eyes, silken features and that dopey pearlish smile that makes everyone fall in love with him in nano-seconds.

To Y/N. He is an incubus. A witch that allures people without even knowing.

He’s a narcissistic asshole and Y/N's bad boy dream, unfortunately.

She hates herself for having a puppy crush on him for years now.

That friggin, Asshole.

He’s with everyone but her. It seems as if he’s getting stung by bees upon the mere closeness between them. A lamb ready to bite her down his stomach if she steps a foot near him.

At the moment when she’s sitting with her knees pressed to her chest, swollen eyes and puffy lips from not getting sleep last night.

She’s really hating that Harry looks so hot from the swim he just took as he dries himself sitting opposite to her. The droplets twinkling on his tanned thick body, his trunks wrinkled and bunched up into his thighs baring the tiger tattoo on front, his hair wet and oh so fucking tug-able – Y/N feels like Rachel from friends thinking all of that.

“Stop staring,” She mutters out loud when he wouldn’t stop licking the saltiness from his pink bottom lip keeping his intense gaze on her.

“What did y'say?” He pretends that we too engulfed in something else.

“I said stop staring at me.” Y/N grits. It’s annoying because it’s making her belly feel funny and loopy.

“The hills behind y'are just s'admirable.” He elevates his shoulders a bit panicked from inside and Y/N forced herself to not to twitch her eye when his chest muscles flexes due to his action.

Bamboozled she takes a glance from her shoulder to where he diverted his sight once she caught him. Her nose scrunched up and chin butted in disgust at the scenery, “That’s literally a heap of dead fishes!”

“Better than starin’ into a dead soul.” His lips down turned into a careless grimace and Y/N gasps out loud pushing the strands of her hair sticking to all of her face because of the breeze gush, “Why would you say that!?”

“’Cos you’re so mauve, that’s why?” He just wants to take a piss out of her. Nobody’s around and he’s finally getting time to talk to her even if it just to sit cross legged on her nerves and sip tea.

He’s actually lying. He thinks she’s more than mauve. She’s all those colours that usually macarons have, all those hues that butterflies wings have and all those tinctures that one find in gems then keep them safe.

She’s the colour he misses in his life.

“And you’re so fucking blue!” She grumbles and that slithered a deep wicked smile on Harry’s lips, “Like this deep ocean yer afraid of?” Her eyes widens at that and she almost lunges on her knees.

How did he know? Ofcourse, he'd. He’s everywhere. In every damn picture of wherever they went for recreation.

“I’m not.” She scoffs, her tone inconvenient and hazy as she shrinks into herself.

“Then take a dip,” She wishes that she could wipe that beautiful stupid smirk off his gorgeous stupidly lame face.

“Kiss my ass.” She spat out throwing a cushion towards him that lands on his lap, “I’d love to.” He barks out a laugh that rings through the waves.

“You’re such a stinky asshole.” She hits him with another that dumps against his chest, “Ow!” He feigns hurt with ridiculous comical expressions and throws the cushion back towards her which she successfully dodges, but, it falls behind her into the water.

“Shit.” She complains ducking around the edge of the yacht and stretches her arm to the plausible extent to grab the floating cushion.

Though when the tips of her toes leaves the seat she was on and she’s bending too much for her own sake Harry’s standing upright, “Hey stop —-" But. It’s too late as with a high pitched squeaky shriek Y/N's rolling first and falling into the water leaving Harry frozen for a second.

Panic chokes her throat and she moves her limbs around everywhere splashing water vigorously. Mouth gasping for oxygen but all that comes is salty water filling her mouth and lungs too, maybe as she sinks deeper and deeper.

“Fuck, Y/N!!” He shouts out jumping to save her immediately knowing she doesn’t know how to swim and he’s wrapping his palm around her neck and pulling her from her waist to himself under the water as she watches him with frightened fading eyes.

He comes back to surface quickly and presses her to his chest. She too clings to him for dear life feeling herself drift into a state of unconsciousness and hard to breath while he grabs the deck and lifts her with himself to it.

He doesn’t risk a chance and lays her limp body down and clasps his hands together pushing them against where her heat beats feebly, winces when she spurts out water painfully.

“Baby...fuck.” He pats her soaked pale cheek anxiously when she still remains unresponsive to him, breathing wearily so he does what has to be done.

He grabbed her chin, squished her cheeks making her lips pucker out and wrapped his mouth around hers sucking the water out and spat it out once his mouth was full.

His eyes slip shuts and he slumps with relief when Y/N coughs out loudly into his chest and he brings her into him murmuring assurance into her wet hair.

“You’re okay darling,” His whisper wavers from the trembling of his lips and his fingers divots into her softest of skin when he hugs her tightly, “’M sorry ‘s me fault, Sweets.” He rubs the bridge of his nose to take the sniff of her scent to calm him down and she shakes her head unable to talk, hands bunched up against his tummy.

“You should rest, yeah?” His gaze soft with care and it’s baffling for Y/N that he ever had this side too. Before, she could be on her feet he slipped his strong arms under her and hoists her up and into him without any trouble.

If Y/N wouldn’t be feeling very droopy and breathless she sure would have fought with him, maybe blushed and hid her face into his neck but she’s already knocking out in his arms from the stingy feeling in her eyes that made her super duper sleepy.

..

Clouds. Y/N's merged into them and they cover every inch of Y/N, wait where am I? She feels real nice comforted around with such warm bedding and she sure knows it’s not hers. The blurry sight infront of her is enough to aware her and a perfectly calloused hand comes rubbing her shoulder when she tries to sit up.

“Not heaven, o'summat.” He chuckles airily. His smile small and a tad awkward, he’s changed into another pair of trunks that are yellow and his upper half now sadly is covered from a blue tee.

“How you feelin'?” Y/N let his question fly over her head and stutters out loudly, “Why you being s'nice to me now?” It etches a frown on his face but soon it vanishes into an expression that Y/N couldn’t pick point.

“You’ve always been such a meanie...” She murmurs glumly. White sheets tangling around her torso as she moves infront of him – their knees touching.

“I umm –-...like you, I guess?” He has never been this nervous and jumblish with words.

“You guess?” She asks and scared that he missed up he rushes out to hold her and to make her believe that his feelings are true.

“No, no! I’m sure. I like you very much.” That puts Y/N into silence where she stares the gleaming jewels onto his fingers and ponders over what he said.

Harry Styles. Her first kiss. Her very first candy love crush and her dream of bad boy actually likes her back.

She tries to ignore the party poppers going inside her body and the drums of happiness rolling around her heart.

“But ... Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy,” She doesn’t meet his eyes smoothing out the crinkles of sheets and her palm halts immediately when Harry hooks his thumb under her chin and raises it gaze lovingly into her eyes with sincerity, “Just ‘cos I stole yer first kiss?”

He laughs out sweetly when she bobs her head vigorously, “C’mon we were just sixteen! I’d have made sure to tell y'to keep it safe fo’ your precious person if I knew back then.” His pupils gleaming with hope and a tinge of eagerness.

The next thing she said with a slight bubbly pout caught Harry off-guard and in awe that how to process what she said with so much liability and vulnerability.

“But you’re my precious person!!”

“Yeah, baby?” He grins with a dimple tutting in and grabs her small cold hands to pull her closer to him.

The sweet name shies Y/N away and Harry thinks she couldn’t be more endearing as he takes her soft looking puffy face in the warm embrace of his hands and bops their noses together.

“Then g’na make sure ‘m your last.” He murmurs feathering his lips to the corner of her mouth that flutters her eyelids like butterflies and she pants out for more with a sweet whine, “Shit. You’re still very candy like since I last kissed ye'.” He giggles stroking his thumb up her cheek and takes a lick of her jutted bottom lip.

“Harry....” She complains tugging his weary shirt, “Yes me baby?” He quips out with those fake surprised eyes he makes with raised brows and puppy gaze.

“Kiss me alre –—,” He's swallowing her words down with the tender smush of his lips against hers in a kiss that’s slow and comforting at first, hearing onto the noises that she creates from tasting him and it deepens into something ardent and red when Harry pulls her over his thighs and guides her arms around his neck.

Their foreheads comes touching. Their hearts in sync and beside eachother. Their tongues loving on eachother.

“Dunno if I could ever stop.” He whispers breaking the knot of spit that connects their mouths with the stroke of his thumb against her shinning lip and pecks that spot twice.

“Then don’t.” Y/N looses her brain cells and only butterflies to whoosh into her skull as she grabs his jaw never letting him go and kisses him harder and rougher this time.

She’s gonna be in oh so much love with this bad boy that’s such a softie for her and she knows that there’s no going back.

[restlessfandoming]

“family holiday” (pt. 1) (chilumi fic)

[SPOILERS FROM 1.1 STORY QUESTS]

Lumine finally arrives in Snezhnaya and takes Childe’s offer of visiting his home (mansion). 

(some domestic fluff uwu) 

lots of ppl have been asking for more and i love that! tysm for the encouragement and support <3 sorry this took so long to upload, i am trying very hard for all you lovelies ;__; 

also this is being split into two parts bc it is a bit longer than my other fics...but i swear im writing part 2 as fast as i can!! i just wanted to post this now so i wouldn’t keep you lovelies waiting <3

[Fic Masterlist]

“family holiday” (pt 1)

“Lumineeeeee!” Teucer shouted as she walked through the door of Childe’s home. He tackled her into a hug. 

“Well hello to you too, Teucer,” Lumine greeted back. Just as energetic as I remembered… 

“Hey! Paimon’s here too!” Paimon crossed her arms. 

Teucer broke his hug and waved energetically at Paimon. “Hi, Lumine’s toy!”

Paimon’s jaw dropped, ready to go on a rant, but Teucer already turned his attention away. 

“Big brother!” he cheered, tackling Childe into a hug as well. 

“Teucer!” Childe said enthusiastically, picking him up and slinging the little boy over his shoulder before swinging him around. Teucer erupted into gleeful giggles. 

“Big brother? Is that you?” a soft voice called. Coming down the grand stairs was a little girl who looked exactly like Childe and Teucer, her long brown hair tied in a half-up crown braid, her large blue eyes like innocent doe eyes. She looked about eight. Behind her, another sibling came trudging down the stairs, scowling, his hair appearing more ginger than the rest of the family; his face had a splattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, more prominent than Teucer’s. He was a bit older, around 11. 

Childe set Teucer down, and smiled. “Tonia,” he greeted her, gentler. He got down on one knee, and Tonia ran down the steps—her white dress flowing behind her—and jumped into his open arms. 

“It’s been too long!” she said, her voice muffled by Childe’s shoulder. 

He laughed. “It certainly has, princess.” He looked to the last sibling still standing by the stairs. “Come on, Anthon. Come here.”

Anthon let out an exasperate huff, but still made his way to his older brother, and joined Tonia in their embrace. “We don’t have to make such a big deal out of this,” he grumbled, though his arms tightening around his brother betrayed his attitude. 

“Looks like we’ve been sidelined,” Paimon muttered. 

Lumine tilted her head. “It’s kind of nice to see though…” 

Anthon’s eyes flickered to her. “Who are you?”

Tonia broke from the hug, ducking under Childe’s arms to look at Lumine, while still gripping tightly to his jacket. 

Teucer bounced over to the traveler, and placed his hands proudly on his hips. “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Lumine!”

Tonia gasped and skipped over to her, her eyes bright. “Lumine?! Like from the letters?” Teucer nodded enthusiastically. 

Childe stood and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yup, the one and only. This is her first time in Snezhnaya, so everyone be on your best behavior.” He gave Anthon a look, to which Anthon crossed his arms. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Tonia and Anthon,” Lumine said. “Your brothers have told me a lot about you two.”

Tonia smiled shyly and peered at Lumine’s face. “Woooow,” she whispered in wonderment. “You really are just as pretty as he said!” 

Lumine felt a shock to her system. Childe told them I was pretty?

Childe let out a nervous laugh, quickly scooping Tonia off the ground and ruffling her hair. “Very funny, Tonia! Why don’t we decide on dinner plans, hmm?” 

Paimon, after grumbling in the corner about being ignored, perked straight up. “Food?”

“Let’s celebrate brother and Lumine coming home! We should go to the bestest restaurant in the city!” Teucer suggested. 

“You don’t want to eat brother’s cooking?” Tonia asked, a bit of sadness tinged in her voice. 

“I think that’s a great idea, Teucer,” Childe said. He patted Tonia’s head. “How about we eat dinner at the restaurant, then we can come home and I’ll make you your favorite cake?” 

“Yay!” Tonia cheered, jumping from Childe’s arms, and joining Teucer in celebration. 

“Anthon? What would you like to do?” Childe asked. 

He shrugged. “Whatever sounds good to me.” 

“Then it’s settled! Let’s all go get ready then, okay?” Childe said. The children all ran up the stairs, and soon the foyer was quiet once more. The Harbinger let out a heavy sigh. 

“Whew! They’re a handful!” Paimon said. 

Lumine nodded. “How do they even survive while you’re away?”

Childe chuckled. “Year round I have a dedicated staff of servants and maids to look after them and the house.” (Mansion, Lumine thought.) “I gave them the weekend off while I’m back.”

“You can handle all three of them?” Lumine asked. 

“Oh? You don’t think I’m capable?” 

“I just can’t imagine you as a child raising type,” she said, recalling their various battles together. How bloodthirsty he could get. 

“The battlefield is different,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. He glanced at the stairs. “I’ve been raising my siblings since we were little.” 

No parents? She thought of her and Aether. On their own for as long as she could remember, having to explore and learn alone. Except she and Aether were twins; she never had to look after a younger sibling—let alone three. 

“Ready!” Teucer announced, bouncing down the stairs. 

Childe crossed his arms. “Just your hat? Where are your gloves? Coat? Boots?” 

Teucer giggled. “Oops! I forgot!” He raced back up the stairs. 

“And you?” he asked, turning to Lumine. “You don’t look ready either.”

“I was okay on the journey here,” she answered. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

He shook his head. “It’s almost dark now. Snezhnayan nights are freezing, even more so during this time.”

“Ahh...well...we didn’t really pack...anything…,” Paimon said sheepishly. 

“Paimon I expected, but you, Lumine?” 

The traveler crossed her arms. “I’ve been a bit busy.” 

He scoffed. “Right, right. Well, we can’t have you freezing to death in the street. I’m sure there’s extra coats around here,” he said, heading up the stairs. “Come with me.”

“Oooo, Lumine, they’re probably super expensive and fluffy! Let’s go!” Paimon said, flying after Childe. Lumine rolled her eyes and followed. 

The three passed by the children’s rooms, all clothes being thrown around and excited chatter, before coming to a large door at the end of the hall. Childe’s room. He opened the door and they entered. 

It was a grand room—octangular in shape with huge windows and a tall ceiling—large, spacious, and empty save for a large bed, standing wardrobe, and side tables. There was a fine film of dusting covering all the surfaces, and the bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in for a long time. The colors were sparse, only grays, whites, blacks, and the occasional red accent. 

Childe opened the doors to the wardrobe, revealing an assortment of heavy winter coats. He pulled one out and held it out for Lumine. “I think this coat is a little older—probably the smallest one I have.” 

She put it on, the sleeves running a bit long to her fingertips, the feathered hood obscuring her face up to her nose. Childe laughed, and she stuck her tongue out at him after pulling the hood down. Despite it being old, she could still pick up a faint scent of Childe: a smell remnant of ocean waves and sandy beaches. Unexpectedly pleasant...

“If that’s too big, she can have one of my coats!” Tonia said from the doorway.  

“That is very nice of you to offer, Tonia,” Childe said. “But I think your coats might be too small.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well, we’re all ready now, brother!”

The family—plus Lumine and Paimon—gathered back in the foyer with everyone bundled in their coats, hats, and gloves. And then they were on the way to the restaurant. 

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

“Lumine, look!” Teucer said, pointing at a large pond. “There are so many fishes!”

They were waiting to be seated in the restaurant lobby. A large, grandiose building, with marbled floors, vaulted ceilings, and gold furniture. There was a large pond in the middle—a miniature waterfall flowed into it. 

Too extravagant, Lumine thought. And I thought Liyue was expensive...

“Do you think we could take some fish home to eat?” Paimon asked, peering into the pond. 

Lumine gave her a deadpan expression. “Go ahead. I’ve always wanted to see how Snezhnayans deal out punishment.”

“On second thought, nevermind…”

Tonia pulled on Childe’s jacket. “Can we go to the toy store after this?”

“Toy store! Toy store! Toy store!” Teucer chanted. 

“Yes, yes, of course,” Childe said. The two children cheered. 

“They’re always so loud,” Anthon grumbled from his seat next to Lumine. 

“They’re just excited your brother is back,” Lumine said. “Aren’t you excited also?”

“I guess…” He looked at her. “Why are you here anyways?”

How do I explain that I’m on a quest to find my brother after we were banished from our journeys by an unknown god? “I want to meet all the gods of Teyvat.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, right. That’s impossible.”

“Actually I’ve been quite successful,” she told him. “I’ve already met a few.”

“Really?” His brows were furrowed. “What’re they like?”

Venti: drunk. Zhongli: broke. “They’re...interesting. Very powerful.”

Childe walked over to them. “Is he bothering you?” he asked Lumine. 

“She was just telling me she’s met some of the gods of Teyvat. Is that true?” he asked, scrutinizing. 

“Very much so. She’s quite strong, so don’t get on her bad side.” He gave Anthon a wink. 

“Strong enough to beat you, brother?” 

“Of course,” Lumine said, standing up. “I’ve beat your brother before.” 

“Paimon can confirm that! We kicked his butt!” 

For the first time, Anthon’s eyes seemed to light up. “You did? How?”

Childe chuckled through gritted teeth, disguised as a strained smile. “Now, now, Anthon; you seem like you want me to be beaten.”

Anthon frowned. “No, I didn’t mean that.”

“Sir? Your table is ready,” a waiter said, approaching the family. 

As Childe went to wrangle up the younger kids, Lumine stayed behind and tapped on Anthon’s shoulder. 

“Hey,” she whispered. “Why do you want to beat your brother so bad?”

Anthon shook his head. “You guys have it wrong. I don’t want to beat my brother…” His pale face flushed a bit red. “I just...I want to be stronger than him. So he doesn’t have to work so hard to protect us…” He stopped and watched his siblings sit around the table in the distance. “He shouldn’t be the only one protecting us. I can see it’s really hard work for just him. I want to be strong enough to protect him, Tonia, and Teucer also.”

Lumine’s heart warmed at Anthon’s love for his family. She missed Aether a little more. “I’ll help you.” She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I know what it’s like, wanting to protect a sibling.” She then gave him a teasing smile. “Plus, I’ve already beaten your brother, right?” 

“Right!” He had a little smile as well. “And he’s the strongest person I know! Well...I guess that person would be you now, right?”

Tonia came marching up to the two. “Come onnnnn, let’s go eat!” She grabbed both Lumine and Anthon’s hands and dragged them to the table. 

Afterwards, the family enjoyed an exquisite meal, and were all stuffed full of expensive foods and cheerful laughter. (The children were amazed at how much both Lumine and Paimon could scarf down.) 

The children, very quickly after finishing their meal, practically teleported to the toy store. As the children ran through the store, Lumine and Childe took the moment of rest, silently watching over them. (Paimon had retreated back into her world to recover from the feast.)

“I don’t know how you do it,” Lumine said. “I had a hard enough time with just Teucer in Liyue.”

“It’s not easy,” Childe confessed. He looked at his siblings softly. “But when I see them smiling and happy...despite everything bad in the world? I think it’s all worth it.”

How nice… His love for his family definitely matched her love for Aether. Something we have in common. She found herself enjoying this time with Childe, and his family, more enjoyable than any time she had been adventuring. It was almost like...she was...back home…

Soon enough, everyone was lined up, toys all selected and ready for purchase. Teucer tiredly tugged on Lumine’s coat, then silently held his hands up. At first, Lumine blinked, not understanding. 

“Teucer, just ask her to pick you up,” Anthon said. 

“That’s okay,” she said, pulling Teucer up off the ground—now understanding—and placing him on her hip. I think this is how you carry a kid? She didn’t have much experience with kids, save for the few she had met while in Teyvat. And those kids are far from normal... She let out a little sigh of relief when Teucer relaxed, laying his head on her shoulder. 

“Are you tired too, Tonia?” Childe asked. She shook her head, tightening her grip on his hand, clutching a doll in the other. Teucer was hugging a hilichurl stuffed animal, and Anthon held an action figure of a Lawachurl.

Upon reaching the toy seller, the old woman at the counter smiled at Childe and Lumine. “You two have such beautiful children,” she said. 

Lumine almost dropped Teucer. What?! 

“Though I have to say, they do take after their father quite a bit,” she remarked. “A shame, seeing as the mother is so beautiful.” 

Before Lumine could explain, Childe spoke. “Yes, what a shame indeed—I completely agree,” he said while smiling. 

...WHAT?!

[part two]

[plainbrunettelbl]

(A) Half Octopus Shota Aizawa x (O) GN Reader Inky Tentacles

Word count: 3876

Warnings: Attempted murder. 

Title: (A) Half Octopus Shota Aizawa x (O) GN Reader Inky Tentacles 

Summary: You get thrown overboard and an Alpha with inky black tentacles and hair to match saves you. 

(Gif not mine) (Sho when you give him attitude the first scene.) 

💤-You had thought it would be the best week of your life. 

💤-You had just gotten married to a charming Alpha and you were supposed to spend the week on an island in honeymoon bliss. The thought of hanging out on the sand with your mate made your heart warm. 

💤-If only you found out about your Alpha’s evil intent. 

💤-The three months of courting and spontaneous proposal and here you were. Getting sea-sick on a boat in the middle of nowhere. There were only three people on board. 

💤-You, your Alpha, and the captain. 

💤-It was supposed to be a romantic boat ride to watch a pod of dolphins but you spent half the time with your head over the side of the boat. 

💤-“Alpha, I think we should go back. I’m not feeling too good.” You sadly crooned, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. 

💤-“Aw, are you sure we can’t wait it out? I know how much you love dolphins. Just think about how you will get to see them jumping around and hearing their little trills. We are almost there after all.” They soothed, rubbing your back. 

💤-You don’t remember telling them that you liked dolphins. You felt bad that they had planned this and you were ruining their thoughtful gift. 

💤-“Yeah, I can tough it out.” You croaked, giving them a shaky smile. 

💤-“Great.” They smiled. 

💤-If only you were able to distinguish the darkness in their smile. 

***

💤-One second you were leaning over the boat once more and the next you felt a forceful bump from behind and you went headfirst into the cerulean colored water. 

💤-Your chirps of surprise mixed with the sounds of the lapping water. 

💤-“Alpha! Help! I’ve fallen overboard.” You cried, thrashing in the water. 

💤-You weren’t a strong swimmer. At that moment you regret agreeing with your Alpha in foregoing a life jacket. They had convinced you that it would look weird in all of the pictures you would take. 

💤-You realized now it was just a lie to make sure you sank to the bottom of the ocean. 

💤-Your Alpha merely smirked at you as the Captain pulled away. Leaving you stranded in the middle of the ocean. You didn’t bother holding back your sobs and whimpers. Your arms were getting tired and it hadn’t even been ten minutes since your Alpha ditched you. 

💤-You heard a small splashing sound a few feet away from you. 

💤-“Who’s there? If you’re a shark, please go away! I’m already having a terrible day.” You cried, frantically splashing your arms in the water. 

💤-“Not a shark.” A deep voice uttered. 

💤-You yelped and turned in their direction. A male, with black hair and eyes, peered over at you. 

💤-“What are you doing here?” You stuttered, your brain not comprehending why there would be a man swimming out here.  

💤-“Fishing.” He calmly said, moving a little closer to you. 

💤-“This far out?” You felt yourself inching towards him as well. Underneath the strong smell of sea salt, you smelled the familiar scent of an Alpha. Your Omega was eager to seek comfort in the Alpha. 

💤-Don’t you think Alpha’s should be on our shit list right now? You reprimanded, glaring at your love-struck Omega.  

💤-Not this Alpha, he smells safe. She crooned, giving the Alpha heart eyes. 

💤-“What are you doing this far out?” He lifted a brow, sending you a questioning look. 

💤-“Sunbathing.” You flatly stated, glaring at him. You were in no mood to talk to an Alpha. Being thrown overboard by one would do that. 

💤-“Well, I’ll leave you to it then.” He deadpanned, making like he was gonna swim away. 

💤-“No, wait!” You chirped, quickly swimming onto him and latching on. 

💤-His muscled arms wrapped around you, pulling you into him. Your tired legs were quick to wrap around him as well. Your feet felt something soft brush against them. 

💤-One of your hands reached down and pulled the thing up. 

💤-“Tentacle.” You uttered, staring at the black tentacle in disbelief. You looked down and saw eight others along with it. 

💤-Your brain was done with the stress of the day. Your vision went fuzzy and then you went slack in the arms of the black-haired Alpha. 

***

💤-You woke up on soft sand, your hands scrunching in the white grains. 

💤-“Good, you’re up.” A voice called, their tone soothing. 

💤-You rolled your head to the left and saw the same man from before resting his arms on the flat rocks near the water. It looked like you were in a cave of sorts. The water sparkled a brilliant turquoise, much lighter than the deep cerulean of the ocean. 

💤-“Hi.” You mumbled your limbs felt heavy and weak. 

💤-“I can hear your empty stomach from here.” He rumbled, his inky eyes noticing your weakened state. 

💤-You saw his inky tentacles swish in the water behind him. You sat up in a hurry, shuffling on your butt away from him.  

💤-“Don’t eat me! I won’t taste good.” You cried, looking around for a rock to throw at him. 

💤-He merely sighed at your fear. 

💤-“If I wanted to eat you, I would have done it when you were passed out.” He drawled, leaning his head on his arms. “I wouldn’t have saved you from drowning either.” 

💤-You blinked at his words, thinking them over.

💤-True, he could have left you stranded in the ocean, but instead, he swam you to land. 

💤-“Oh... sorry.” Your voice was small. 

💤-“It’s okay. I’m used to it.” He tilted his head back observing your meek frame. 

💤-Your stomach decided to make itself known. The whale sounds bouncing off the cave walls. You felt your cheek warm. 

💤-“I got enough fish for both of us. I already ate my share.” He stated, pointing a finger to the big pile of fish a few feet away from you. 

💤-Their dead eyes staring at you. You suddenly felt green, your eyes darting away from the scaly pile. 

💤-“I think I’ll pass.” You cringed, holding your knees to your chest. 

💤-“Omega, you need to eat.” The inky-haired Alpha reprimanded, his eyes narrowing. 

💤-You sat straighter, his words calling at your Omega. She wanted to obey but the smell of raw fish was too much for her as well. 

💤-“I can’t, Alpha. I can’t eat raw fish.” You tucked your head down. 

💤-“How else do you eat it?” He questioned, leaning forward a bit, your sweet smell was making his tentacle shiver in delight. 

💤-His species didn’t have many females, and the ones that he has come across were very aggressive. They only have two things on their mind, mating and dominating. 

💤-They were very possessive of their space and couldn’t handle a male around them for long. He guessed that was why his species was slowly dying out. A small voice in his head told him that Omegas like you would help solve the problem. 

💤-No. You were meant for land, just as he was for water. He would take care of you until the upcoming storm passes and then he would drop you off near a local beach. 

💤-“Cooked. Well, I guess there is sushi, but it’s bad to eat it raw in case of parasites.” You formed, resting your chin on your knees. 

💤-He stared at you in confusion. 

💤-“What’s that?” He rumbled, frustrated that your differences were already showing. 

💤-“It’s when you cook it on the oven.” You replied, looking around at the cave and realizing there would be no pan-searing happening anytime soon. “Or over a fire.” 

💤-“What’s fire?” He questioned, his brain not connecting the word with anything. 

💤-You offered a quick explanation of the flickering element. 

💤-“Oh, so you need wood. I can go find some driftwood.” He pushed away from the edge of the water, getting ready to dive under the water and swim through the tunnel connecting his cave to the sea. 

💤-“It kinda has to be dry.” You said, unraveling yourself from your legs and standing up. You spotted a small entrance to the cave. You would have to crouch a bit to get out but at least you would be able to find firewood. 

💤-“I’ll go get some.” You wiped off the sand from your clothes and headed over. 

💤-“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if it is dangerous?” His eyes held slight panic, the thought of not being able to see you. 

💤-What if you made a run for it? What if you went away and never came back? His strong arms lifted himself from the water.

💤-“I’ll come with you.” He stated, trying to get all of his tentacles on land. 

💤-You watched him struggle to find his balance on the slippery sand. You felt yourself slightly shiver looking at his huge form, seeing just how big and intimidating he was. 

💤-An Alpha indeed. 

💤-“Don’t worry about it! You stay here. I’ll be quick.” You encouraged, pointing him towards the pile of fish. 

💤-“If you can skin those and gut them I would be grateful.” You tried to persuade him using his caretaker instincts against him.  

💤-He realized he wouldn’t be much help on land away and conceded, dutifully going over to the pile and getting to work. You nodded and went out. You came back quickly, not wanting to worry the poor Alpha. 

💤-Once you walked back in the inky-haired male sent you a tiny smile before going back to his task. He made sure not a single scale was left. 

💤-You dropped the firewood down onto the sandy floor before going around the cave, picking up rocks to put around the fireplace. You got it the fireplace settled but the part of lighting the fire was more difficult than you thought. 

💤-“Ugh! I can’t get it.” You whined, tossing the sticks down. 

💤-You had been rubbing them for five minutes and not a single strand smoke greeted you. 

💤-“What are you trying to do?” The quiet Alpha asked, looking up from his task of gutting. 

💤-“Making fire, or at least trying to.” You grumbled, glaring at the useless sticks. 

💤-“Can I help?” He moved to your side, picking up the sticks. 

💤-You showed him what to do and soon enough a small flame graced the cave. Your eyes take in the flickering flame. Your Omega was happily purring. 

💤-See, he’s a great Alpha. He can make fire. She cooed, eyeing up his strong arms. 

💤-Don’t go all cave-women on me. You hissed, not willing to admit you were also impressed with his fire-making skills. 

💤-He winced against the heat. Since he was done with the fish he slipped back into the water. His body sighing in relief as the cool water hydrated his skin and tentacles. 

💤-You got to work on cooking the fish, soon enough you had two wonderfully grilled pieces of fish. You looked over at him and offered a piece to him. The face he made after eating it was priceless. 

💤-It was like the face of a baby who was given a lemon for the first time. 

💤-“I guess you are not a fan.” You giggled, chewing on your unseasoned fish. 

💤-“I’ll stick to raw.” He shook his head. 

***

💤-It had been two days since your Alpha tried to kill you. Shota had told you that he wouldn’t be able to take you to civilization just yet. A big storm was coming and it would be hard to get you to shore with the rough waves it brought. 

💤-You had spent the days in the water with Shota or on the island collecting firewood and coconuts. You had yet to find freshwater so coconuts had been your main source of water. 

💤-You had a rough time opening them but Shota was quick to excellently crack them open. Your Omega was all too pleased to point out, once again, about what a great Alpha he was. 

💤-“I made this for you.” You held up a hair tie that you had made. You spent the day weaving it together. Sho had been gone most of the day so it was easy to surprise him with it. 

💤-He looked at the hair tie in awe. You had added tiny shells to it to make it more pretty. 

💤-It was clearly a mating gift, or at least he thought so. First, you shared a bit of your food with him, something only mates did, and then you made him a courting gift. 

💤-Now all that was left was for you to solidify your interest in him by touching his gills. Something that you unknowingly did not even ten minutes after you gifted him the hair tie. 

💤-“Let me comb your hair a bit. It looks like a rats nest.” You chuckled, sitting on the edge of the pool, with your legs dipped in the water. 

💤-He was hesitant to turn his back to you. It was a big taboo with his kind. You never turned your back on anyone outside of your pod. “Come on. I don’t bite.” 

💤-He slotted his shoulders between your legs. He didn’t relax until he felt your fingers weave their way into his knotted hair. You felt his chest rumble at your soothing touch. 

💤-“I figured it must be difficult to see when you're swimming.” You hummed, enjoying the way his obsidian locks felt like silk.

💤-You tied back his hair once all of his knots were untangled, you swept back the few strands that escaped from the tie, unknowingly tracing his gills. Shota shot out of your grasp, flustered at your bold actions. 

💤-“I’ll go get us dinner.” He stuttered, quickly swimming out of the cave. 

💤-“But you just came back from fishing?” You said, surprised at his abrupt departure. 

💤-He was gone before you could even finish your sentence. 

***

💤-“Thank you for the crab, Shota.” You hummed, cracking open the scarlet leg. 

💤-“No problem, there were a bunch of them not too far from the cave.” He leaned against the rocks. His eyes not quite meeting yours. He fibbed a bit, he had to swim quite the distance to get them. 

💤-He was just happy to give you something that you wanted. You had mentioned the pointy little creatures and he was all too eager to see a smile on your face. The cute little chirps you made while biting into the sweet meat struck him right in his three hearts. 

💤-Ever since your fingers grazed against his gills he had been more affectionate. 

💤-You usually slept near the fire at night but you would somehow wake up near the pool wrapped up in his tentacles. He was even more worried when you left the cave for any reason. 

💤-He particularly didn’t like it when you bathed away from him. He knew about the dangers of the ocean so he was more on edge to leave you in it by yourself. He had also taken to bringing you back beautiful shells and rocks. 

💤-Shota was hesitant to tell you that the storm receded and he could take you back now. It didn’t matter, you were courting, basically mates at this point. 

💤-“Shota....” You trailed off, your eyes not able to meet his. 

💤-“Yes, Omega?” He rumbled, he picked up on your scent, it was uneasy. 

💤-“I was wondering when we were gonna go back to shore.” You asked, flitting your eyes over to him. 

💤-“Back to shore?” The words felt itchy against his throat. His tentacles coiling in the water, wishing to hold you close in his arms. You can’t leave if you are tangled in his limbs. 

💤-“Well, I need to get back. I don’t know how long my back can handle sleeping on sand another night.” You rubbed your aching back. “I miss curling up in bed, warm tea, and reading books.” 

💤-Each word was like shark's teeth ripping into him. He supposed he would miss the waves of the sea if he was on land. You both were still too different. His Alpha was howling in his head. 

💤-She can’t leave! She is ours! He howled. 

💤-Ours or not. She needs somewhere better to live. Shota sadly argued. Our cave wasn’t suited for a human Omega. 

💤-Wait a damn minute. That blond still owes me a favor. He thought, not believing he didn’t think of him sooner. 

💤-Yeah! Make that Beta build our Omega a home. His Alpha yipped. 

💤-“I know a friend who has a place around here,” Shota said, happy that you wouldn’t be leaving him anytime soon. 

💤-The Alpha didn’t waste any time pulling you into the water and swimming you to his friend’s beach house. 

***

💤-“What do you mean you want me to build her a house!” The blond’s eyes widened, he stared at his friend in shock. 

💤-“You make her a house on your island so she can stay here,” Shota explained again, you would think he was talking about the weather with how calm he was being. 

💤-He was glad you were using the blond’s shower. He didn’t want you around for his annoying yelling. 

💤-“I can’t just build a house for an Omega you found in the sea! Next thing I know I’ll have to build an apartment complex.” The blonde huffed, running his hand through his long hair. 

💤-“No apartment complex. I want a house for my Omega.” The dark-haired male glared, angry that the blond would even suggest he would stray from his Omega. He wouldn’t even consider it. 

💤-Plus, It’s not like the sea was filled with unmated Omegas after all. 

💤-“Your Omega? Like your bonded Omega?” The blond lifted a brow, not quite sure his ears were working properly.  

💤-“Yes. My Omega. My forever mate.” The Alpha rumbled his chest warming at his words. 

💤-“Mmm. I suppose I can see what I can do. It might take a couple of weeks though? Are you fine with her staying here with me?” Hizashi questioned, knowing the Alpha male well. 

💤-The Alpha growled at him. 

💤-“You stay on your side of the house and I won’t have a problem.” He glowered, lunging slightly out of the water to intimidate him a bit. 

💤-“Woah, there big guy! No need to threaten me. I’ll be on my best behavior.” The blond backed away from the patio’s edge. 

💤-The patio was flush against the sea. A perfect spot for the millionaire to lounge out in his speedo. 

💤-“Good. I’ll consider your debt paid.” Shota hummed, eyeing your freshly showered form making your way over. 

💤-“Wow, you have a great shower Hizashi.” You beamed, rubbing a towel to your wet hair. 

💤-“Thank you. Please be sure to help yourself to some food. I doubt this guy had anything besides fish in his little damp cave.” The blond teased, making sure to move a safe distance away from the male in the water. 

💤-“Thank you!” You chirped, making yourself at home in his kitchen.

💤-Shota enjoyed the bright smile on your face as you threw a meal together. He did get a little concerned when you brought out a knife to chop vegetables but you seemed comfortable with the blade so that calmed him some. 

💤-He was content in leaning over the patio’s edge, happy that you were happy. He felt like he could be here, watching you from the water’s edge, for the rest of his life. 

***

💤-Two weeks later and the little beach house on the other side of the island was built. You almost didn’t believe it when Shota swam you to it. 

💤-“This is mine?” You gasped looking at the wooden beach house. It looked like it cost an arm and a leg to make. 

💤-“Yup, Hizashi owed me a favor. He got drunk one night and decided to go night fishing. I saved the dumb fool from a hungry shark and brought him back home.” He rolled his eyes at the blonde’s antics. 

💤-“But why?” You asked, wondering why he used his debt to make you a house. 

💤-Surely he knew you would have to go back to your old life sometime soon. During you stay with Zashi’s house you had informed him of your previous Alpha’s actions. The billionaire was all too pleased to put the Alpha behind bars. It took a while for the police to investigate so you were invited to stay with him while everything was sorted out. 

💤-They kept the fact that you were alive a secret from the public. They wanted the Alpha to think he got away with it.  

💤-The Alpha was claiming you both were on the boat when the storm came and knocked you overboard. That they tried to get to you but you were too far away and they got separated from you. 

💤-It wasn’t until the captain of the boat folded and told them what had happened, that the Alpha was finally cuffed and sent to prison. 

💤-“Because we’re courting obviously.” The black-haired Alpha stated, his eyes lovingly connected with yours.  

💤-His three hearts truly beat for you. 

💤-“Courting? Since when?” You leaned back, surprised at his words. 

💤-“Since you gave me a courting gift and touched my gills.” He said, perplexed by your reaction.

💤-“I don’t remember touching your gills?” You tilted your head to the side trying to recall if you ever did. 

💤-“When you would put my hair up. You would always touch them. Did you not mean to?” His voice grew small as he realized you didn’t know what the touch would mean. 

💤-“I didn’t mean to.” You said, your heart picking up. Did he think you were courting the entire time? 

💤-“What about my courting gifts? You accepted them.” He pushed, nervously swimming forward.

💤-“Your seashells and rocks? I didn’t think they meant anything.” You mumbled, your eyes looking down in your lap. 

💤-You didn’t think he would be interested in you that way. You were a human after all. Didn’t he want to be with someone his kind? It wasn’t like you hadn’t thought of spending the rest of your days with him but you never truly accepted the fact that it could be a reality. 

💤-“Oh.” He sank into the water, his nose submerged. 

💤-The action made you think he was about to swim away and you would never see him again. You nearly broke the poor man’s neck jumping on top of him the way you did. 

💤-“Wait! I didn’t say I wouldn’t court you.” You exclaimed, holding onto him tight.

💤-“Really?” He breathed, the light in his eyes flickering again. 

💤-“Yes! I’ll be sure to make you an actual courting gift. Though I’m having a difficult time thinking about what it should be. I usually gave my other Alphas a crocheted scarf.” You blinked, realizing the man had no use for one.

💤-“Other Alphas.” He growled, his tentacles squeezing you possessively.  

💤-“Don’t worry about them. They are long gone. You are the only Alpha I’m thinking about now.” You hummed, pecking him lightly on the lips. 

💤-You felt a spark shoot down your spine at the small touch. 

💤-The pleasant purr that came out of his chest made you giggle. 

💤-“More.” He purred, leaning forwards. 

💤-“Anything for you Alpha.” You said, leaning forward to meet him. 

I mean there could be a few more Omegas stranded at sea. Who knows. 🤷‍♀️ Lol I almost didn’t post this so I hope you like it! Please be sure to leave a note and tell me your thoughts on this AU.