#but also hmm the sisters seem to think shes the key to something and im thinking that i was

[ankhisms]

have i mentioned that i love rinne so much. i love rinne

[madebyrolo]

Holding me and holding back pt.3

⚘.

She/her

Rafe Cameron x pouge reader

summary: Kook vs pouge still exists on the mainland.

obx master list (find mini series here!)

─── ʚɞ ⋅ ᯓᡣ𐭩 ⋅ ୨୧ ───

As you finished doing your hair Rafe finally arrives back from breakfast.

“Good morning princess” Rafe says as he enters the room with just keys.

“Hey babe, where’s breakfast?” You ask as you place a kiss on his cheek in search of your jewelry.

“Change of plans, had the little altercation with Maybank. Thought we go out mainland.” He says with a guilty smile.

You sigh “What happened?”

“Well I was getting coffee and jj happened to be working in the cafe. I order your signature iced cameral macchiato 3 creamers and when I went to go pick it up jj said “hmm got the same coffee order as y/n. are you wearing her black lace pantees too?” hes lucky i didn’t punch him.”

“Rafe come on we talked about this.”

“How does he know what panties you wear? I bough those for you?” He asked as his tounge swiped his lips.

“Rafe we’ve spent days at the chateau and he just probably saw them with my laundry or something calm down” you say putting on a gold necklace.

“You’re right. beside he couldn’t even get in your pants if he wanted too.” He chuckled as he went into the bathroom.

“Oh and I threw the drink at him.”

“RAFE!”

𐙚 -time skip- 𐙚

You and Rafe are sitting on the ferry, hand in hand with matching outfits he insisted on wearing.

“Remember the time when we went to Charlotte too see The Weeknd?” Rafe said looking at you.

“Yeah it was really fun, though it was hard to cover up to the pouges” you say scrunching your face as the sun hit it.

“Ugh why do they get suspicious of your happiness?” He playful rolled his eyes.

“Maybe it’s the fact that they all work 3 jobs a week to survive and I went on a thousand dollar trip for ‘funsies’ but hashtag idk Rafe.” you blanky stated.

“I bet jj had a lot to say”

“Oh the mouth on that boy- wait Rafe enough with the jj jealousy!l

“Not jealous.” He said not even convincing himself.

“What is it then. Love? Obsession?” You joke

“Okay fine jealously…” he said under his breath

“Aww Rafe Cameron’s a bitch??” You gasp dramatically.

“Okay whatever, besides im on the date with you right now”

“Yeah well now believe it.”you go in for a kiss.

“Oh by the way Sarah is on mainland shopping so she’s gonna meet us for brunch.” Rafe said as He pulled away.

“Wait so I’m official meeting your sister?” Your eyebrows furrowed.

“Duh you’re my girlfriend”

Hearing him say it had butterflies going crazy in your stomach.

“And you already met my parents, and wheez. I’m surprised she hasn’t said anything to Sarah” he said with a small smile.

“You don’t think she’ll like hate me?”

“Why would she hate you?”

“ you know kook, pouge, you practillay started the so called war yourself.”

“Well you're different” Rafe said pushing hair behind your hair.

His comment left you confused, but you just brushed it off.

“Also her and Kiara have some beef. I don’t know what went down but she they don't seem to hide their hatred. ”you say worried.

“And if she hates kie, how do you think she’s gonna react to meeting her bestfriend?” You began hugging yourself in a comforting manner.

“i know how Sarah gets with their drama or whatever, but if you get caught in the crossfire I’ll be there to put it out.” Rafe wrapped a arm around you.

You sat in his embrace trying to save this memory. This is the Rafe you knew.

 ੈ𑁍༘⋆

As you guys exit the ferry, Rafe has a Uber waiting already.

“Okay so we’re doing brunch, then a little sight seeing and shopping. And if all goes well maybe with Sarah.” He said opening the car door falling you in.

“Hopefully with a full stomach it’ll be less intimidating.” You say putting your seatbelt on.

“Giving the fact you both love shopping, and annoying me, the odds may be in your favor.”

“Ha ha very funny” you side eye him.

“In fact I don’t love shopping, you just fueled an addiction.”

“Call me your sugar daddy”

“Oh I will.”

Soon enough you guys arrive to the restaurant.

As you guys enter the restaurant you sit a table. The waiter hands 2 menus, soon asking for a third. You order a waters for now until Sarah arrives.

“So you think we can hit up Victor secret for a new set? Because jj seen my hopefully now old ones” you said with a fake grimace.

“I’ll buy you as many as you want if we can burn all the ones he’s seen.” He said looking through the menu.

“So why today am i meeting Sarah?” you ask Rafe taking a gulp of your water.

“Why not? Besides plans were ruined cause of your friends.” he smirked

His comment pissed you off a bit. You hate when he talks shit about the pouges, your best friends.

“Maybe if you didn't assualt them we wouldn't have a problem.” you scoff

“They don't know a ounce of respect, so why should I?” Rafe crossed his arms

“Because your a good person Rafe” you put down your glass.

“So you're agreeing with me, they terrible people?” he says

“Not even a little bit. I'm just saying be the bigger person.”

“I mean I got the big dick so I pretty much am-”

“I’m gonna head to the bathroom I’ll be right back.” You cut him off, sliding your now empty water glass.

You get up walking around the back to the restroom.

As you wash your hands you pull your phone and check the messages you’ve gotten practically spammed with.

──────────────────────

⌞ Pope hitting the Dougie. ⌝

────────────────────────────────────

9:38am

What does the j stand for: Rafe just threw coffee in my face😍

Kiki do you love me: omg what!?

Johnathan: wow can’t tell if should laugh or ?

What does the j stand for: why is there a or.

Hope 🥺: Since I’m a good person I won’t be laughing in this group chat.

Kiki do you love me: I see him giggling at the table while im working at the wreck.

What does the j stand for: wow okay I see where I stand in this friendship 🕳️ 🚶🏼‍♂️

Johnathan: he did say group chat…

Kiki do you love me: what even happened ?

Hope 🥺: open his mouth ♡ hearted by 2 people

What does the j stand for: to sum it all up I called him a sissy because he had the same coffee order as y/n

Johnathan: LMFAOOO

Kiki do you love me: wow okay that’s kinda funny 😭

Hope 🥺:ohh now I want a iced caramel macchiato

Johnathan: that’s like the most basic order jj. I’m gonna laugh because you yourself in that position.

What does the j stand for: no but like he even got the extra 3 creamers….

Kiki do you love me: y/n has good coffee orders you can’t blame her 🤷🏽‍♀️

Hope 🥺: omg Twinem!!

Johnathan: okay pope has been too funny and it’s only 8am

10:07am

What does the j stand for: I quit before I could get fired 🤞🏼

Johnathan: you lasted 2 months. That’s the longest you held a job!!!

Kiki do you love me: woohh the bear minimum !!

Hope 🥺: how’d you know you would get fired

What does the j stand for: it’s Rafe.

Johnathan: I’m assuming you’re coming over?

What does the j stand for: yes master.

Kiki do you love me: count me and pope in. I’m gonna try to leave early then I’ll pick him up.

What does the j stand for: y/n you in?

Kiki so you love me: is she even alive, she hasn’t texted all morning.

Hope 🥺: so that’s why the birds are singing

Johnathan: you’re killing me pope.

12:34pm

What does the j stand for: y/n wya.

Kiki do you love me: I swear if ur still sleeping…

Hope 🥺: hate to admit it but kinda want you here. Jjs yapping away

Johnathan: #missingyou 🩷🩷

Hope 🥺: #wakeup

💬

God you completely forgot about the pouges.

What do you tell them? This is like your 6th trip to the mainland, they’re gonna start to get suspicious.

Y/n: I had to go with my mom to see my aunt sorry guys :(

Perf.

Hope 🥺: I thought you went last week?

Damn you pope.

Y/n: she’s old pope.

Now that isn’t a lie.

You put your phone away, quickly recollecting yourself in the mirror and heading back out.

As you walk towards the table you see the second blonde Cameron.

Ohh things just got real.

Rafe spots you soon getting up before you can reach the table.

“So Sarah I want you to meet y/n, my girlfriend.” He said with a genuine smile.

He wraps he arm around your waist as she also gets up.

She looks you up and down, analyzing you like an fbi angent.

“Hey Sarah. It’s nice to meet you.” You say breaking the ice. Very cold ice.

“Nice to meet you too y/n” she said reaching her hand out for a handshake.

You took it, her grip somewhat firm but you couldn’t help but notice how aware she was.

“so let’s sit! I’m starving the ferry ride was long!” Rafe said trying to ease the tension.

“Oh the menu looks good” Rafe says examining it thoroughly.

“Rafe we’ve been here before” Sarah say looking up at him through her menu.

The waitress comes up with a notepad before Rafe can argue back.

“Welcome to sunny kitchen, my names Anne I will be your server for today. What can I get started for you?” The waiter said in fake happiness.

“Ice cameral macchito.” You and Sarah both say in unison.

“Oh sorry you go first” Sarah smiles

“Uh ice cameral macchiato with 3 creams” you tell the waitress

“Same for me” Sarah says

“I’ll take an orange juice” Rafe says as the waitress writes it all down.

“Alright I’ll be back with your drinks!”

“Didn’t know you guys had the same coffee order” Rafe spoke up.

“Cameral macchiatos are literally my babies.” You say throwing your head back

“Ugh they’re so good I made our dad buy me whole coffee set up. Expreso machine, the syrups everything.” Sarah agrees

“Ive noticed, I love making rafe make me one. It's like playing barista”

“You force me.” Rafe hits you with the menu

You both giggle at the annoyance of Rafe. So far so good.

“So what are you thinking of getting?” You ask Sarah.

“Hmm maybe like the sunny platter, how about you?”

“Chicken and waffles, they have the best waffles here I swear, there so fluffy.” You smile at her.

Ice starting to melt.

“I think I’m gonna get a salad.” Rafe joked putting the teacher's finger in front of his lips.

You guys all giggle as the waitress comes and drops off your drinks.

“Are you guys ready to order?”

you guys order tator-tots for appetizers and you out in your orders. You guys have been chating away, you and Sarah not had one bad interaction so far.

“Wait so Rafe accidentally knocked on your parent's window thinking it was yours?” Sarah asked completely losing it.

“Yes and it was like 2 am too, he was waiting and my dad went outside and chased him with a bat” you guys are in a laughing fit while Rafe is sitting arms crossed.

“Glad you guys find my trama funny. It was terrifying it was pitch black and all I can hear is his screaming” he said rolling his eyes.

“don’t try sneak out at 2am maybe?” Sarah commented.

“He was wearing all back too, he genuinely looked like he was gonna cause a home invasion!”

The waitress soon brought your plates.

“Here’s the chicken and waffles, sunny platter, and sunny side. Enjoy your meal!”

You all began to dig in, sharing small comments about the food being absolutely amazing.

“Why can’t there be food like this on the banks” you say practically moaning.

“Honestly I would pay for a sunny kitchen franchise” Rafe agreed

“we need to do this more” Sarah smiled at you.

We now have a watered down caramel macchiato. Wooh!! 

Soon you guys are walking around town, window shopping, photo ops, small talk.

You and Sarah and hitting it off, you guys like the same music, clothes, coffee order.

Rafe is glad your guys are getting along and you were too.

“I wanna find a cute sundress, my mom’s forces me to go to church with my grandma and I want to at least look cute before she stuffs me into floral hell.” You say walking into a boutique.

“Get whatever you want, all on me.”’Rafe says planting a kiss on your head.

“I’ll seat here, you girls go crazy.” He says sitting on the small couch.

“Since you’re getting a dress I guess have to get a dress. I don’t wanna be the weirdo who doesn’t get a dress you know?” Sarah jokes are you began flipping through racks.

As you go through dress after dress, you feel vibrations coming for your phone. You know it’s the pouges but you refuse to check. You feel bad for ditching them for the Cameron’s and it doesn’t help that you’re dress shopping with Sarah. You were just doing the same with Kie.

“Y/n this would look so good on you!” Sarah said showing you a blue floral bustier sun dress.

“Oh my god that’s so cute!” You say grabbing it.

Soon you guys are both in the dressing room showing your items giving each other a fashion show.

“You think this tops cute” you ask Sarah looking in the mirror.

“Yeah it’s cute and casual, you can wear it anywhere.” She answered.

“What about this skirt?” Sarah asks adjusting the length.

“If you dont get it I will.” You comment.

“Are you girls done it’s been like almost 2 hours?” Rafe yells from the dressing room entrance.

“Rafe if you want us counting your girlfriend, to look cute, you should shut up.” Sarah tells him earning giggles from you.

“We should hurry up though it’s getting late and I don’t wanna miss the ferry like last time. It was hard making up an excuse to the pouges.” You say changing back into your regular clothes waiting for Sarah to finish up.

“I don’t understand how you can be friend with them” Sarah tells you leaving the dressing room.

“That’s what Rafe says too. Were like sardines, always together.” You smile to yourself.

“What do they think about you and Rafe?” She asks.

“Uh they don’t actually know.” You say putting your things on the counter.

Soon Rafe takes a notice goes up to the counter to begin to pay. You and Sarah sit on the couch counting your conversation.

“Why haven't you told them?” she asked.

“Because I know they’ll freak. They don’t exactly like the your family let alone any kook. Jj and Rafe were at each other throats all the time and I know you and Kiara have your history.” A flat smile forms on your lips.

“Honestly why do you care what they think? If you’re happy they should accept that”

“I know but we’ve been with each other since diapers, knowing they could throw our entire friendship away just because of a boy doesn’t make it any easier,” you say looking at Rafe.

“Honestly y/n I’ve seen the way you and Rafe have an effect on each other, that’s actual love. I know we’ve just met not even 4 hours ago but you're respectful, caring, and kind, like one of the most genuine persons I’ve known. If the pouges throw you to the side of the road just because of my bother they don’t seem like the perfect people you paint them to be.” She says

“And with Kiara, what happened is she called the cops on my party after I didn’t invite her. I know it was wrong of me but she didn’t have the right to ruin my birthday. I think she was and is a very shellfish person, and if you think that’s the way they would treat you just because you’re in love that makes them all shellfish.” Sarah says with kind eyes.

“If I can be honest with you Sarah, I think you’re right. I’m just scared to admit it. I know it’s wrong for me to say it but sometimes I can’t help but to think if I were to grow up on the other side how different I would be. Me and Pope are the only ones who actually think about our future while the rest think about the moment. They wanna do fun spontaneous things but I want to at least have a safety plan.”

Is what you would’ve said to her. But all that came out of your mouth was

“you don’t know them like I do”

Soon Rafe comes up drowning in shopping bags.

“A little help wouldn’t hurt,” he says trying to balance 10 bags.

You all are sitting in the ferry, you and Rafe are sitting together while Sarah on a different side. Rafe is scrolling on his phone while you’re looking into the harbor.

You get up to find Sarah, you couldn’t let the day end without having one last conversation.

“Hey Sarah” you greet as she looks up from her phone.

“Hey y/n” she smiles

“I just want to say it was spending the day with you. You’re really cool and like the best and worst person to shop with” you both giggle “and I wanna thank you for listening to me, I gunesilly like the advice you gave me. I can admit I’m scared of confronting them and we both have a good idea of what would happen if I do, but I just can’t help but feel torn between these two worlds.” You confess.

“Do you love Rafe?” She asks

“I’m mean we’ve been seeing eachother for like almost 5 months, it’s too soon-”

“Do you love Rafe?” She asks one more time.

“Yes” you sigh “But please don’t say anything-”

“Im not going too. But if you love him you should be with him. It’s not them who are kissing Rafe it’s you.”

“Yeah you’re right. They should be happy for me, I’m always there when jj survives night surfing or when Kiara ‘got her revenge’.” you and Sarah smile

“But if all goes wrong you got Rafe and me. i can agree today has been a wonderful day and if there is more of this in the future.”

“Enough with me, I've heard you have a little thing with Topper huh? Spill!” you asked Sarah who had faint blush on her cheeks.

“Well i guess you can say we're official, Topper’s sweet and kind. He's not like the others who always want more.” she said playing with her fingers.

“Aww you're blushing!”

“Whatever, but sometimes he just feels like, i dont know. Clingy?”

“Oh tell me about it, the first month with Rafe he wouldn't keep his hands off of me, always spamming me with stupid memes” you began blushing.

“But once time passed we got more comfortable, our friendship grew. he was and is my best friend now. Sometimes we fight like friends too but at the end of the day we still have each other”

“I want what you and Rafe have, i hate to admit it but I'm jealous of him. Never repeat those words to anyone.” she pointed her finger at You “You guys are like perfect!” she groaned

“I wouldn't say perfect but maybe with time you and Topper will be your perfect.”

“Yeah but, i dont know. Like he's great and all but-” she made a face no boy would understand but only a girl would.

“You just don't want it with him.” you finish for her.

“Oh god, am I a bad person?” she says laying her head on the ship wall.

“No no, you just know what you want. If you lead him on that's a mess you don't wanna clean up.”

You looked at Sarah and she had a very unfaithful look.

“But you never know, maybe one day you'll feel something that makes sense you know? Like he's the one.”

“With topper?”

“With anyone. I knew it with your brother when he randomly picked me up and surprised me with the perfect date. He got my favorite flowers, went to my favorite dinner, he for everything write and I didn't tell him a thing.”

“So he just knew”

“Yeah, he knew” just as you finished, you turned too see Rafe walking up to you guys.

“There's my girl,” he says placing a kiss on your forehead and handing you a Cherry Coke he got from a vending machine.

“Ugh that is what I mean!” Sarah complains

“Just give it time, you don't have to worry about love right now you're just 16. ‘Got your whole life ahead of you. It can be now, next year, hell even next week.” you sat giving her a hopeful smile.

“What is she whining about now?” Rafe jerks his head towards his sister.

“Boy stuff” Rafe fakes gagged.

You and Sarah shared a small side hug.

You guys sat together the whole ride back

Never in your life, did you expect to be this close to the Camerons.

Sarah was refreshing, she wasn't silently judging, she understood your jokes, she cared about what you had to say, didn't laugh or call you a pussy for showing your emotions. You both were excited for back to school season (for the shopping only though) and even planned study dates. all the guilt washed away.

Sarah was now one of your closest friends, spilling deep secrets, cracking jokes, endless selfies.

Now you guys are in Rafe's truck, he's driving you home with the gifts he got you and your mom (obviously she loves him)

You get out of the truck, Rafe following behind grabbing your bags. Before you shut your door Sarah says goodbye.

“Remember sleepover next weekend alright? Don't let Rafe take you away.” she smiles as you say your goodbyes and shit the door.

Rafe puts the bags in your room also saying his goodbyes and hello to your parents.

You slide into your duvet covers, scrolling through your massages and finally replying to your friends after such a good day, even meeting your new best friend.

Who knows? Maybe next week you and Sarah will be buying matching jewelry. Let's just hope the pouges dont get suspicious.

─── ʚɞ ⋅ ᯓᡣ𐭩 ⋅ ୨୧ ──

Part three :))

Thanks for the love on this story <33

excuse any typos

[maletofujoshi]

i dont really know what to think of shaman village, or specifically of marika's actions there or her relationship to that place. i think identifying early marika as acting in vengeance/grief is about as misguided as viewing the shattering as an emotional response to the death of godwyn. it denies so much further context for the sake of, well, an "easy" narrative about a woman acting with obsession over family. that's not really true of her- & honestly im pretty sure its a take motivated by misogynistic assumptions of women- but it also gets incoherent fast- like did she only love godwyn, and only her shaman relatives? that'd have to be true if the previous propositions are true and it'd be stupid. but like...

what do these private, performative actions mean?

bathing her village in the gentle light of gold, the only expression of kindness devoid of order marika makes, towards literally no one. is this defiant?

reminded a bit of this, weirdly. this is a point where the erdtree is of no physical use, beyond not giving sap to being actively destructive in its burial-in-ash of everyone under it, yet it still stands tall due to its "golden" supreme nature. the shamans are still obviously present and prominent despite their mixture with criminals in the sainting process. is this marika saying "We are yet Golden Ones." or something? hmm, i'm not sure about that.

the offering of a braid is another action... the offering of a lock of hair means a lot in various traditions, though generally as some kind of memento-memory thing... the other case in game where we see a gift of hair is rennala to her sister rellana,

here this is like. a gift signifying her lineage to someone who is otherwise abandoning that lineage, its like a declaration of "you will always be my sister, we will always share this hair"... marika doesn't seem to be doing the same thing, this is not a gift to someone leaving, it is an offering as she leaves. is she leaving her memory there? feels kinda notable that its her left braid that she's leaving behind also... will think about this stuff more later.

another key detail here is radagon, imo. the fire giants, who he shares a curse with, and their fell god haunt the sagas of the hornsent. what is going on there. marika's hair is important, yet in the dlc story trailer- marika is shown with mini braids and free flowing hair, from behind... is that radagon?

[bingoboingobongo]

my kaleidoscope thoughts/review

(spoilers under the cut. also im still shocked so this shit makes no sense)

holy shit holy shit HOLY SHIT WHAT TJE FYCK HOLY SHJT OHMFG HOLY SHIT KALEIDOSCOPE IS A FUCKING PRODIGY WHAT THE FYCK THAG SHIT ALTERED MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY WTF WTF WTF HELP OMFG IM IN SHOCK I XANT WHAY BELP MDNSJSJJS NO FUCKING WAY THAY WAS FUCKING INSANE WHAT THE FUCK NUGGETS SHIT BALLS LOLOLAPOOLAZA WAS THAT WHAT THE FUCK IK IN AWE GIANCARLO ESPOSITIO SERVES AS DUCKING ALWAYS GOLY MOLY BAJJSJSJS SOMEONE CALL TJE FUCMING COPS WHAT OMG I NEED TI BREATHE WHAT?????? EBVRLEPQICOJSJSJD

holy shit okay so um Jesus Christ I'm fucking fahahsh that was easily the best experience I've ever had omg that's giving money heist a run for their money holy crap okay um

alright so ngl when i heard the concept of showing episodes in random order I was hyped and i wanted it to be hype but tbh i kinda expected it to be ass and omfg damn this show was so good wtf. that being said, the episodes in random order didn't exactly have much impact on the story but it was a fun idea and i liked it in the end. at first i was worried, especially when i got to the after the heist episodes (which showed right before the white episode for me) bc in my mind i was like okay but like ik the outcome so like what's the point but damn was i wrong bc oml the twists Jesus Christ that shit had me in a damn pretzel.

alright so like my thought process. So i saw the pink episode right before the white one, and first can I just say that even tho i didn't like bob im glad he got to see his pink sand beaches even tho it was technically blood but whatever. anyways omfg tho did judy ditch Stan? I think so idek anyways that's irrelevant rn. okay so i was literally devastated when ava died i love her but also it definitely wasn't as bad as money heist so I'll live. BHT OMFG LEO'S DEATH BRUH I THOUGHT RJ KILLED HIM BUT IT WAS SALAS' SON BRAD?????? WTF THAT SHIT CAME OUT SO OUT OF LEFT FIEKD OMG JSHSJSJS

like i saw the shirt and i was like hmm that's kinda a nerdy shirt it seems like something rj might wear. AND THEN IT WAS BRAD TJE SON WEARING IT IN THE WHITE EPISODE. AND THEN RJ FUCKING DIED AND THEN IT WAS JUDY THAT FUCKING KILLED HIM BUT THEN SHE SORTA KILLED BOB LIKE WHAT THE FUCK OMG MY BRAIN MY JAW WAS LIKE GONE LIKE OMGJSSJJSJS

like ngl in the beginning I wasn't vibing with judy but then she killed rj and i really wasn't vibing BUT THEN SHE KILLED BOB AND MAYBE I WAS VIBING????

omfg and THEN HANNAH CAME IN AND HIT CARLOS AND THEN TOOK ALL THE MONEY LIKE WHAT JSJSJS AND LIKE IK ITS FIR THE BEST BECAUSE THE CREW PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED BY THE TRIPLETS IF SHE DIDN'T BUT GAWD DAMN LIKE I WAS LOW-KEY HIGHKEY SAD LIKE TF

OMG AND THE FUCKING FEDEX GUY BRUHHSHAJS AND HER SISTER BRJSJSJS IM LITERALLY NSJSJSJSN WHAT

also her hair and her black suit in that one outfit remind me of natasha Romanoff so bad omfg

KSJSJJSJS AND THEN BOB USED THE PEN HE STOLE TO SAVE HIMSELF BITCH THIS SHIT WAS LIKE TWNETY BAZILLION CHEKHOV'S GUNS

IT WAS CHEKHOV'S FUCKING GUN RANGE TF LIKE OMG IM ACTUALLY IN LOVE SHOUT OUT TO ERIC GARCIA OR ERIC GARZA MAN I DONT REMEMBER TOJR LASY NAME BUT THIS SHIT SLAPPED GOD DAWM EXPECTATION FUCKING EXCEEDED BEHWJAJSJJSJSJSJS

holy shit holy shit AND WHEN THE FUCKING MACAU AD WENT OFF DAMN KUDOS TO AVA BC I WOJLD HAVE BURST OJT LAUGHING JESUS CHRISR TNO IT WAS SO GOOD

ngl tho idek if it actually randomizes the order u watch it in i started out with the jail episode with stan and ray tho so idk tell me if u guys get anything different

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

We Were Something, Don’t You Think So? [Chapter 2: The Middle Of Nowhere]

You are a Russian Grand Duchess in a time of revolution. Ben Hardy is a British government official tasked with smuggling you across Europe. You hate each other.

This is a work of fiction loosely inspired by the events of the Russian Revolution (1917-1923) and the downfall of the Romanov family. Many creative liberties were taken. No offense is meant to any actual people. Thank you for reading! :)

Song inspiration: “the 1” by Taylor Swift.

Chapter warnings: Lots of shouting, if you never learned about the Russian Revolution then here's your mini crash course, references to historical stuff like violence and disease, Kroshka the mule emerges as the only emotionally stable character.

Word count: 4.1k.

Link to chapter list (and all my writing): HERE.

Please let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist! 💜

Taglist: @imtheinvisiblequeen @okilover02 @adrenaline-roulette @youngpastafanmug @m-1234 @tensecondvacation @deacyblues @haileymorelikestupid @rogerfuckintaylor @yourlocalmusicalprostitute @im-an-adult-ish @someforeigntragedy @mo-whore

I wake up feeling harder, as if sleeping on the ground with all its stones and cool indifference has taught my spine to straighten, to endure. This is a welcome revelation. I will need to be resilient, for my family and for myself. I also wake determined to set things right with my rescuer. I am a perfectly charming person, Mother and Papa have always said so; I’m not painfully shy like Olga, or aloof like Tati, or rather dull like Maria, and I certainly don’t run around putting frogs in people’s shoes like Anastasia. I make for excellent company. Surely Ben will realize this and we will become inseparable travel companions.

Outside in the overcast brisk morning air, Ben is already busy tacking the mule. He glances over and tosses me an apple. It bounces out of my floundering hands and rolls off into the woods. This is not an auspicious start to the day.

“You’ll still have to eat that,” Ben says. “There’s no extra food. I was only able to ask for as much as I could justify needing myself.”

“Right.” I go fetch the apple—rummaging around in leaves and sticks and shrubs—and take a bite, even though it’s bruised and definitely tastes like dirt. I beam at Ben triumphantly. I am tough! I am daring! I am enchanting! I can pull my own weight on this journey!

Ben doesn’t seem to notice. He pats the mule’s thick brown neck and smiles fondly at her. “How are we feeling this morning, Kroshka? Hmm? Who’s a lovely mule? Who’s going to take us all the way to the Trans-Siberian Railroad without even one measly word of complaint? That’s right, you are! Yes you are!” He lands a smacking kiss on the velvety grey fur of her muzzle.

I attempt polite conversation; more than that, I endeavor to learn about my dashing yet evasive rescuer. “So, tell me Ben, have you worked for Sir Buchanan long?”

“Four years,” Ben replies curtly.

“And you are…” I think of his notebook. “A…writer of some sort for him…?”

“I’m his press attaché.”

“Ah.” I recognize the French word for ‘attach,’ but not its meaning in the context of employment with an ambassador. “I can’t say I know what that entails.”

“I handle Sir Buchanan’s relations with the Russian newspapers. Drafting statements and briefing him on local opinions and the like. And since his health has declined, I find myself delivering some of his particularly confidential correspondence.”

“Oh, I see. And he could spare you for this mission? It seems like a burden that would be better carried by a man with military or exploratory experience.”

“My Russian is passable. And I can tolerate rougher conditions than most.” He points to a pile of clothes he’s laid out on a tree stump. “Those are for you. There’s a stream out that way.” He flicks a thumb towards the east. “Get ready however you need to, but be prepared to leave in fifteen minutes.”

I examine the clothing: plain and practical undergarments, a heavy wool sweater, stockings, boots, and something unexpected. I hold them up with clammy hands. “These are…” I swallow noisily. “Trousers.”

“Yes. They’re travel attire. Comfortable and easy to maneuver in if we need to move quickly.”

“I’ve never worn trousers before.”

“I thought you were amenable to a…a…what did you call it? An adventure. A grand adventure.” He says this melodramatically, like there’s some humor in it. Like he’s mocking me.

“I suppose I am,” I mutter, still scrutinizing the trousers.

“Fifteen minutes,” Ben reminds me sternly. Then he begins to disassemble the tent.

I trudge off through the woods until I find the stream. I clean myself with ice-cold water, drink it down until my teeth ache, change out of my nightgown and into these strange new clothes—Trousers! Mother would lock me in church for a month!—and gaze up into the cloudy, pastel blue sky that peeks between the fingers of the trees. It is very still here, and cold, and deathly quiet. I try to remember the last time I was truly alone, without Mother or Papa or my siblings or servants or guards within shouting distance. There is none that I can remember; perhaps there is none at all. Out here in the Siberian wilderness I feel unmoored from civilization, diminutive, vulnerable, peculiarly inconsequential. I decide I don’t like being alone. By the time I return to our campsite, Ben is ready and waiting beside the loaded cart. His right hand is resting on a clunky metal monster with ‘Olivetti’ written on it.

“I’m a press attaché,” he says with a mischievous grin. “And you’re a typist.”

“A what?”

“You work for Sir Buchanan’s office as a typist. That’s our story, anyway. You came along to assist me during my audience with the former tsar, and now we’re traveling back to Sir Buchanan’s headquarters in Saint Petersburg. So if anyone happens to ask, that’s what you are to tell them. Oh, and you’re British. Your English sounds clean enough.”

“Alright,” I reply, still gaping at the metal monster like a black box with gnashing fangs. “But what is that?”

Ben’s jaw falls open. “You don’t…?” Then he rubs his forehead, sighing deeply. “Jesus Christ. You’ve never used a typewriter. Of course you haven’t. Great. Fantastic.”

“We always write by hand. My penmanship is flawless, Mother saw to that.” She’s still battling with Anastasia, but that’s a war that may go on as long as the one between the sun and the moon.

“Okay. Okay. This works out, actually. Because I’m not going to entertain you all day. So here is your assignment.” Ben slaps the back of what he tells me is a typewriter, and then waves for me to come closer. He reaches into the pocket of his coat and produces a British passport. Every line is filled out except for the name. He slides the paper into the machine and makes some bewildering adjustments. “So, you insert the paper, set the carriage—that’s this roller-type piece here—and type.” He taps forcefully on the keys until two words appear in the blank reserved for the passport holder’s name: Lana Brinkley.

“That’s me?” I ask doubtfully.

Ben smirks, amused. “That’s you.”

“So you could have given me a better name if you wanted to!”

“But then how would you learn humility?” He removes the fraudulent passport, shakes the paper until it dries, folds it into a neat little square, and slips it back into his coat pocket. “If you’re typing a longer message, the typewriter will ding when you’ve reached the end of each line. Then you use the lever to move the paper down, reset the carriage, and resume typing.”

I nod, but without much confidence. This seems complicated.

“You said you wanted a carriage,” Ben teases.

“Yes, one with magnificent draft horses and velvet seats and preferably no less than two servants. Not…whatever that is.”

“Well, if you’re going to pass for a typist, I’m afraid you must learn to type.” He finds me a stack of blank paper in his collection of bags and trunks, and then climbs into the front of the cart as I get into the back. The trousers, I hate to admit to myself, do make it easier to move around, although I’m not sure I approve of how much they accentuate the shape of my body. The thought of Ben looking at me in them gives me a plunging sort of feeling that is half-mortification and half-thrill…not that he has exhibited any interest at all. “Before we go any farther, do you have anything with you that I don’t know about?”

He means things like the heirlooms I have squirreled away in the large steamer trunk: the jewels sewn into my dress, the photograph. I can sense that he wouldn’t want me to have them, although I’m not sure why. In any case, I have no intention of giving them up. The jewels are the only thing of value that I have to trade if we find ourselves in a desperate situation. The photograph is the only string left that connects me back to my family, my home. “No,” I reply primly.

“Good.” He whistles at the mule and she tugs us through the trees and out onto the dirt road that leads, eventually, to the train station. As we ride joltingly along, the creaky cart wheels bumping over every rock and mound and muddy trough, I practice my typing: very slowly at first, and with only my index fingers. I read aloud as I go, gradually picking up speed.

“There once was a German princess born in the Duchy of Hesse. She was very beautiful but very shy. She had a wonderful talent for playing piano, but would run and hide if anyone asked her to perform in public. One day, when she was attending the wedding of her sister, the princess met a prince from a distant kingdom. They were only children, but they instantly knew they had found true love. They snuck off together and carved their names into a window pane. Over the years, each conspired to marry the other. They refused many suitors and wrote each other hundreds of letters. His family did not approve of the princess’s religion and lack of charisma; her family did not approve of the prince’s distant and troubled nation. But at last it became apparent to all that no earthly forces could keep the couple apart. Ten years after their first meeting, the prince and princess were finally married. And they lived joyously and peacefully in each other’s service for the rest of their days.”

Ben lights one of his hand-rolled cigarettes. The smoke doesn’t bother me; on the contrary, it reminds me of Papa smoking his pipe in his study, in the garden, as he read to us by the fireplace, as he danced with Mother in ballrooms back when she could still dance. It reminds me of home. “I’m not sure if you’ll ever give Shakespeare a run for his money, but I’ll admit I’m marginally entertained.”

I smile to myself, sentimental warmth rising in my face. “It’s Papa and Mother’s story.”

“Huh. I didn’t know your people were allowed to marry for love.”

By ‘your people,’ he seems to mean royalty, and there is some derision in his deep voice. “Well, surely duty must come first. But when love can accompany it, that’s a happy coincidence.”

“And what if duty compels you to marry a man who is, say, cruel? Or dreadfully boring? Or in love with another woman? Or who closely resembles a mole-rat?”

I resume my typing with a new exercise. For each letter of the alphabet, I type a French word that begins with it. “I don’t think that sort of thing happens very often.”

“But if it did.”

I shrug, not especially enjoying this topic of discussion. “Then duty comes first, as I said. But I believe most royal couples are perfectly content. At least nine out of every ten.”

“That many!” Ben marvels sarcastically. “Have you ever considered that your own personal experience, as pleasant as it may be, could be coloring your perception of how the world works?”

I ignore him and continue my typing. Attaché for A, bisou for B, croissant for C, doux for D…

After a moment, Ben says: “You aren’t going to regale me with another fairytale? I’m devastated.”

“I’m busy practicing my French now. Please don’t intrude.”

“You speak French as well as Russian and English?” He sounds impressed; for a split second anyway, just long enough for me to catch it like a firefly in my fist.

“And Italian, and Latin. And I’ve just started on Japanese.”

“But no German? That seems like it would be an easier beast to slay.”

“I’ve always purposefully avoided learning it, even though Mother’s family is German. I never envisioned myself marrying a German. I figured Maria could take that bullet. She doesn’t care, she’d marry anyone who could give her a castle and ten babies and a bulldog or two. I would say she was a milkmaid in a past life, but Mother’s heart would stop dead if she thought I subscribed to reincarnation.”

“Not fond of Germans?” Ben asks. “Well, who can blame you. Half the world isn’t fond of them at the moment.”

“I suppose they weren’t so awful before the Great War. But they’re rather boorish, aren’t they? They always sound like they’re angry. Like someone just stole their horse and they’re screaming at them from the front porch to come back or else.” I smile dreamily as I type. “I’ve always fancied the thought of marrying a prince from a glamorous, romantic kingdom. Maybe Italy or Greece. There has even been talk of me marrying Uncle George’s eldest son David. He’s rather beguiling. Tall and slim. Clear blue eyes like a lake. And he’s going to be the king of the British Empire one day, you know. We could holiday together in beautiful, sunny colonies like the Bahamas.”

“You’re still as important as all that? Important enough to make a marriage of that political significance, I mean.” Ben glances back at me and lifts one thick, dark, inquisitive eyebrow. “Seeing as your family doesn’t have a kingdom anymore.”

This is an insensitive thing for him to say. I frown down at the typewriter. “A wife almost always assumes the kingdom of her husband, so why should she require her own? She needs only sound breeding and a suitable temperament. And besides, we might yet return one day.”

Ben twists all the way around to stare at me, the reigns falling out of his hands. Fortunately, the mule seems to know her own way around. “I’m sorry, what?”

“It has been a brutal few years. The Great War, the supply shortages, the bad harvests…the people are frustrated, and understandably so. They lashed out blindly, at those who didn’t deserve it, at us. But the dust will clear. And when it does, I think the Russian people will come to their senses and realize that they want us back. That they need us.”

“Are you insane?” Ben snaps. “Are you utterly brainless? What’s floating around in that skull besides fiction and languages you’ll never use once you’re married off to some prince who only sees you as a broodmare?”

“How dare you! You can’t speak to me like this—!”

“For years, for a bloody decade, Sir Buchanan warned your father about what was coming. He tried to get him to moderate his views, to give the people more voice in government, to stop murdering them when they protested. And when none of that worked and the end was apparent, Sir Buchanan tried to convince your father to abdicate long before he did. Don’t you understand?! None of this needed to happen! Your family could have fled to Britain years ago, before the animosity against your father spread like wildfire across the globe, and Russia could have established their own parliament like Britain’s and negotiated a peace treaty to stay out of the war and none of us would be here now if not for your father’s selfish, pointless obstinacy—!”

“My father is a good man,” I choke out as hot, furious tears burn in my eyes.

“And he was a terrible ruler!” Ben shoots back like artillery. “He ordered protesters to be butchered, he sent untrained boys to die in some other country’s war, he clung to the throne for no one’s benefit but his own—”

“And what about my benefit?” I demand, still weeping, feeling monstrously like a child. “What about my mother’s and my sisters’ and Alexei’s? He must have feared for our futures if we were dethroned and left without any resources, any security, anyplace to call home—”

“He did you no favors,” Ben says harshly. “Half the country—the country that you obviously have not even a rudimentary understanding of—are moderates scrambling to secure the Provisional Government and disentangle themselves from the war while still somehow preserving their dignity and that of the millions of dead soldiers Russia has already laid on the altar. The other half are trying to instigate a wholesale communist revolution. There is no one, no one, who wants the tsar back. And you better pray to God that the communists don’t manage to seize power before King George gets your family out, or your father just might be guillotined on the steps of Saint Basil’s Cathedral.”

I bolt to my feet unsteadily, grip the side of the lurching cart, and leap out onto the dirt road.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Ben shouts after me.

I take off sprinting down the road, the wind whipping my face, sobbing as I run beneath the shadows of trees until my lungs are columns of flames and my legs feel wobbly and boneless. I can hear the pounding of the mule’s hooves approaching, the hurtling of wooden wheels, the slapping of leather reins. I am forced to slow to a vigorous march as my body betrays me, wheezing and aching and as ineffectual as a woman is so often assumed to be. The salacious trousers have come in handy once again. Who would have guessed.

Ben pulls up alongside me, reining in the mule to match my pace. “Hey! Get back in the cart!”

“I’ll walk the rest of the way to the railroad station.”

“It’s 200 more kilometers!”

“See you there.”

Now Ben jumps out of the cart. The mule, perplexed but not rattled, comes to a halt and waits in the middle of the road with her long ears angled in opposite directions. Ben rushes in front of me and leans down until we’re at eye-level, breathing heavily. I can smell smoke on him, and something else too: maybe cologne, maybe soap, maybe aftershave, maybe just the scent of a man in his prime. His lips are pink and full and soft-looking, I notice, as if for the first time. His cheeks are irritated and red from the wind; the ruthlessness of the climate here doesn’t agree with him. It is the only way in which I am stronger than he is. His green eyes are wide and blazing. “Get. In. The. Cart.”

“No,” I whisper, tears all over my face.

“You can’t just run off like that,” he pleads, less angry now. “Where are you going to go? There’s nothing out here except trees and…I don’t know…probably bears and wolves and maybe even Siberian tigers. You can’t get ripped apart by wild animals. Don’t you want to make it to London? To argue for your family’s liberation? They could find no fiercer advocate than you, of that I am convinced.”

“How would you possibly protect me from a bear?”

Ben unbuttons his coat and pulls up his white wool sweater to show me a pistol tucked into the holster clipped to his belt. “Just in case,” he says, smirking crookedly, lowering his sweater again. “Now I am keeping no secrets from you, and you are harboring none from me. We’re even.”

I nod, sniffling, thinking of my jewels and photograph hidden in the steamer trunk. My words are so strained I can barely hear them myself, my hands are trembling; hell, I’m trembling all over. The possibility is unimaginable. “Do you really think they’re going to kill Papa?”

Ben sighs, shaking his head. “No, I don’t,” he replies gently. “I think the Provisional Government will be able to keep the communists in check for now. I think they will leap at the opportunity to ship the former tsar off to Britain without the potential controversy of a trial and execution. And I also think we should get back in the cart and keep moving now.”

“I’m sorry your boss gave you this assignment and now you have to risk your life for a family that you evidently hate,” I lash out like a cornered animal, hissing and brandishing its glinting claws. “For a grand duchess that you hate. This must be an awful inconvenience for you.”

“It’s rather more complicated than that,” Ben says. “There’s some opportunity in it as well.”

Of course: his leather-bound notebook full of observations, his scrawled recollections to one day build into a famed article about our journey. An article full of what he truly thinks about me. I feel suddenly, violently nauseous. I feel horrified.

What happened to the grand adventure that I imagined? Where did it go?

And all at once, I can’t even remember how I pictured this journey unfolding; I can’t conjure up some rose-colored vision of me and Ben falling into an effortless friendship, flirting lightly and innocently, discovering new corners of the earth together, parting ways in London as lifelong confidants. Now I can only see Papa as he murmurs folktales older than Christianity with candlelight dancing on his smiling face, as he chases me and my sisters around the gardens with outstretched arms and sparkling eyes, as he carries Alexei from one room to the next when my brother’s joints are inflamed and excruciating and useless, as he never unburdens his mind to his wife or children but spends long afternoons chopping wood as the sun sinks into the west and the lines in his pale face grow deeper.

He couldn’t be responsible for bloodshed, for mercilessness. He’s not that kind of man. He’s never been that kind of man.

“We really should keep moving,” Ben prompts.

“Fine,” I fling back as I shove by him. I mop my tears away with the sleeve of my wool sweater, climb into the back of the wooden cart, and sit as far as I can from Ben with my bent knees hugged to my chest. I stare silently off into the forest as the mule drags us towards the Trans-Siberian Railroad, towards Moscow and Saint Petersburg and the Baltic Sea and London, towards the conclusion of this tenuous partnership and the redemption of my family. I am looking forward to soon never having to see Benjamin Hardy again, and yet I’m also not; and this is a difficult paradox to put into words of any language.

We don’t stop until it’s almost dusk. Ben hops down from the cart, leads the mule off the road by her bridle (and gives her an encouraging scratch on the forelock when she hesitates), and begins to set up camp in a small clearing encircled by heaps of frost grass. Dinner is loaves of bread again—even more tough and dry than yesterday—and metallic-tasting water from canteens. Dessert is a hand-rolled cigarette for Ben and a handful of honeyberries I found in the bushes for me. And when Ben grapples with the tent, I come over to help him with it just to prove I can.

Ben builds a fire, and we sit wordlessly on opposite sides of it with the reflections of flames in our eyes. Ben jots down today’s thoughts in his notebook, every so often glancing off into nowhere and tapping his chin thoughtfully with the end of his pen, biting his full lower lip absentmindedly as he sifts through the ocean of word in his head to fish out the right one. Meanwhile, I read my copy of Tarzan of the Apes. I stumble across a few English terms I don’t know—quixotic, cartography, constellations, ruminate—but I don’t ask Ben about them.

After a long time, when the moon and stars have emerged bright and ancient in the night sky, Ben closes his notebook and watches me. At first I ignore him. And then, eventually, I can’t anymore.

“What?” I ask irritably, keeping my place in Tarzan of the Apes with my pinky finger, which is nearly numb from the cold.

Ben’s words are calm, restrained, painstakingly chosen. Firelight is fierce and bloody on his face. “I had two infant brothers die of pneumonia, a perfectly preventable illness had they had access to good doctors and proper nutrition and a warm dry home, which they did not. I had a sister die in childbirth because there was no midwife available to attend to her. I have had friends come home from the war with limbs or half their faces missing, a fate which I myself am spared only because of my employment with Sir Buchanan. You have no idea what the world has been through while you were off playing board games and reading novels in greenhouses and lounging on lakeshores with your idyllic little family. You have no idea what life is like for the rest of us. And perhaps that’s not your fault, and it is unjust of me to resent you for it, and I must learn to temper this wrath I’ve been carrying around in my chest since childhood. But it’s still true.”

He stands, clutching his notebook with hands that are red from the savage Siberian wind, and vanishes into the tent.

[talas-starlight]

Scarred Spirits - zuko x fem!reader (pt.6)

SUMMARY: Y/n has been tailing Azula since Omashu and struggles to carry out her mission while protecting what matters most (AHAHAH THIS WAS THE WORST SUMMARY EVER IM SORRY)

WORD COUNT: 4k (uh wow this is my longest piece ever and i- AHAHA)

WARNINGS: panic attacks, fighting, swearing, angst? Tbh if you’ve made it this far in the series nothing new I think (lmk if I forgot anything)

KEY: *** = flashback && italic = internal dialogue

PREVIOUS PARTS: part 1  /   part 2   /  part 3  /  part 4  /  part 5

MASTERLIST: Here!

The cool breeze swept through the palanquin as Azula sat assuredly, ruling everything she passed. “Okay girls, Father has sent word that the machinery and our wonderful new pets will meet up with us soon to chase down the Avatar until he’s too exhausted to even think anymore! Then, we’ll be off to capture Zuzu and Uncle! Victory will be ours.”

“That sounds extremely boring.” Grumbling as if Mai had so much more better things to do with her time.

“Hmm, I have to disagree Mai. What would be more fun than making them feel like there’s no escape but having to fight which they would inevitably fail at trying to win because they’re tired beyond repair!! It will be such a sweet victory.” Letting out a small laugh that sounded nothing but maniacal to you, Mai didn’t say another word as Ty Lee giddily nodded in approval.

Now, that is a tragic sight to see despite how understandably so.

Azula, Ty Lee and Mai have been planning how to hunt down the additional target from the moment they all stepped out of Omashu. Yet, based on that recent encounter, it was more so Azula rather than anyone else. Luckily enough, you were able to stay out of sight the entire time, and nothing requiring you to intervene has occurred. It was only a matter of time before that lucky streak broke.

After much contemplation and sleepless nights since the third anniversary, along with recent events, Zuko finally came to a conclusion. Approaching his uncle with great certainty, he finally let out what has been on his mind.

“Uncle, I thought a lot about what you said.”

“You did? Good, good.”

“It’s helped me realise something.” Letting out a deep breath, getting to the point came quite easily to him, especially since Iroh’s back was still faced towards him.

“We no longer have anything to gain by travelling together. I need to find my own way.”

Not wanting to stay for any of Iroh’s possible rebuttals, he silently reached for his belongings that he had pre-packed for the occasion and turned to make his solo journey into the forest. As he began to walk further into the woods on his own, Iroh knew he wouldn’t turn back for him, so he did the first thing he could think of to aid his nephew if he couldn’t physically be there for him.

“Wait!” Rushing over Iroh grabbed the Ostrich Horse and gave him to Zuko- for someone who has barely been exposed to the real world, he knew his nephew couldn’t do entirely on his own. Even if the animal couldn’t properly speak with him.

Accepting his uncles’ gesture, he climbed on top ready to get on with his own mission of sorts. On his own, Zuko would finally have the chance to do something he never had time to consider until now; find you.

Looking out onto the horizon, the giant, ugly piece of machinery continued to charge its way towards a hopeless group of young teenagers. “Despite how much I hate that girl, I will admit, her determination is unparalleled.”

“Eerrnngggghhhhh!”

“You can say that again.”

It had been approximately three days since Azula received her new toy, and she spent every single minute catching up with the Avatar. To your relief, she seems to have finally caught sight of him, and hopefully, this would also mean that you might finally be able to stop tailing her. In the past three days, you haven’t managed to catch a single minute of sleep or a break, and while this was something you have experienced before, you were sure that your ride was more than ready to collapse at any second.

In all honesty, when a Fire Nation hawk landed near your campsite four days earlier, the last thing you expected was word that you would be receiving assistance for your mission. Not once before had this occurred since you’ve been entirely left to your own devices. You supposed it was because the stakes were too high this round.

***

Y/N.

I am pleased to hear that my daughter is able to catch sight of the Avatar and his assistants in crime against my great nation. While I am sure you are clearly focused on your task with ensuring Azula succeeds in bringing my disgraceful relatives back to the palace, you must extend your attention towards the new targets as well. Regarding my son and brother, I was disappointed when I heard word that they got away since I made it perfectly clear that you must finish the job. On this occasion, I will take the benefit of the doubt since it would be too suspicious if you completed the mission on Azula’s first attempt.

I have dispatched 3 mongoose lizards for Azula and her company. A fourth will be on its way for your use, as it is paramount that you do not let her fail whatsoever.

I have taken the precious and personal time out of my day to write and send this letter so that word does not reach my daughter of your mission. Let this also be a reminder of the possible bounty on your head if you choose to fail. I am sure the pitiful state of your body is enough of a reminder of what I can do to you.

Regardless of your past services to me, remember this is the ultimate test of your loyalty to your nation and me.

Your Fire Lord, Ozai.

Despite informing you that help that was on its way, you spent the rest of the night in a state of turmoil. Talk about having a way with words.

How in Spirits name did that stupid bird find me?! It flew away quickly too so I guess I don’t need to send anything back but… What am I really doing here?

Ozai seems to have some way of finding me so clearly, I can’t run away. Yet, I’m not going to allow him to take anyone back to the Capital…

Frozen in your thoughts, your focus stayed fixated on the fire you ignited earlier in the night.

Fuck I wish I could talk to her. She’d know the right thing to say, and everything would be okay again.

Roughly tugging at your braided hair, you held your legs to your chest desperately trying to clear your head. Stop, don’t think about her too.

Oblivious to any concept of time, when the first rays of yellow and orange peak over the horizon, your mind instantly enters a state of calm. Almost as if it were able to strengthen you from your core. Although while the problem remained, with a stronger mindset, you forced yourself to accept that you were just going to have to work it out further down the line. At this rate with Azula’s split focus, you weren’t even sure if you would have to take care of the Avatar or Zuko first.

***

Funnily enough, it seemed that fate decided you would have to deal with both at the same time since Zuko has caught sight of Azula and friends and now you were tailing both him and his sister. How convenient.

I wonder where Iroh is? Didn’t he get away with Zuko when they ran off the ship?

After keeping out of sight through every moment Azula came even remotely close to Aang, you decided to follow her when she separated from Mai and Ty Lee. But before you entered the area to keep an eye on everything from afar, you noticed Zuko on his Ostrich Horse as if he was waiting for the right moment to interfere.

“Be careful Zuko.”

Whipping around at a speed that could give him whiplash, his face instantly turned into nothing short of a scowl when he recognised your voice.

“You again?! Whoever you are, you need to get away from me. Leave. Me. Alone!”

Attempting and failing to take a step closer to him as he steers his horse a few steps back. “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m just trying to protect you, that’s all I want to do. If I could have it my way, you’d be far away from this place; away from Azula. You can’t trust her. This isn’t right, and you should be somewhere that could give you a fresh start, like Ba Sing Se.”

“As if you would know anything about Azula or why I’m here! I need to regain my honour, and I’m doing the right thing! Stop trying to meddle with my life when your role in it is completely insignificant!”

An indignant sigh passes through your lips. “Fine. Just be careful. Please.”

Scowling at you once more Zuko tugs the reigns on his ostrich horse to take him further into the abandoned village. You try not to let his anger get to you, but at this point, you’re unsure if you’re more upset or annoyed with his attitude. Sighing under your mask, you do a quick check that all of your weapons are strapped in place since it seems that this interaction isn’t about to end peacefully.

“Let’s do this.”

Hopping off your new lizard friend, you stealthy broke through one of the broken windows of a nearby building, ensuring that you were staying out of sight.

Ah, it seems he wasn’t wasting any time.

“Back off Azula. He’s mine.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

As the three of them got into their fighting stances, you almost wanted to jump in right then and there to help Aang. The sight of his painfully dark under circles was too much of an indicator that this fight wasn’t going to be an easy one.

Making the first move, Azula strikes her blue fire towards Zuko. Luckily enough for him, he was able to deflect it with his own. Observing the fight take place before you, it eventually gravitates further away, leaving you to only listen to what is occurring from your hidden spot.

I wonder how long until I’ll have to step in. With both Zuko and Azula on the offence, it’s clear that one of them is going to get hurt. Something tells me it’s not going to be Azula either. If only he fought smarter rather than harder.

What. A. Pity.

Soon enough, your suspicions were confirmed when you heard Zuko let out an angered scream, followed by a loud crash. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t let out a small snicker at that.

As Aang comes back into view, you scan around for an exit knowing that if you stay where you are, you’ll get caught. Yet when you make your move to run, half of the roof is swiped off clean, causing him to plummet towards the ground. Abandoning any thought, you sprint back to where he’s about to land, quickly catching him.

Stunned that there was another person in a building, Aang frantically looked around, trying to identify who it was that caught him. Eventually, he noticed your eyes peering through some of the broken wooden ceiling around him, your black mask confirming that it was you. “Woah! What…? Oh spirits, it’s you!”

Eye’s widening at how fast he managed to work out that it was you, you desperately tried to dig yourself into the wreckage as you felt Azulas fire coming closer. “Shhh! She’s coming.”

“What? How do you know-?”

As Azula saunters into the building, her infamous smirk adorning her face. Wordlessly lighting up the room's perimeter in flames, Aang begins to struggle against the piece of wood on top of him, consequently crushing you further from under him.

Letting out a small grunt, you scold him under your breath, “stay calm.”

Your inner peace y/n.

Just as Azula raised her right hand to strike, you closed your eyes, imagining a moment you felt at peace. A moment that made you forget all of the chaos your created in the world.

***

Cold, smooth fingertips tenderly reached out towards you, instinctively making your lungs tightly squeeze together as she brushed the hair out of your eyes. The delicate giggle emitting from her pink stained lips was enough for you to lose all sense of constraint as you take a small step towards her. Hesitantly as you stare that the ground, you take her hand in yours, stroking the back of it with your thumb. The action is so small yet feels so loud in your chest because this is as close as its ever gotten.

Just when you’re about to pull it away completely, terrified that you’ve gone too far, her other hand reaches up, lifting your chin ever so softly as she makes you look at her.

“It’s funny y/n, because even though I’ve lived here my whole life, I’ve never seen snow look quite as beautiful as it does in your hair.”

***

When you reopen them, the heat of your fire runs its way through your veins and your fingertips. The fallen remains all around you burst away, freeing yourself and Aang from its constrains. Seeing your golden fire of pure energy light up the room, Azula is stunned into place, instantly recognising it from the day she visited your cell all those years ago. Glowing golden, eyes peering into the deepest parts of her, it's unnerving how the unusual feeling sinks into her bones. Yet, her moments of distraction leave her as Katara reaches the entryway whipping her arm with water.

Complete rage fills Azula’s body. Not only had she been wholly blindsided by your presence, but she also lost focus. And Azula never loses focus.

Whirling around, she strikes at Katara, sending her running out into the open. Needing to make up for her prior incompetence, Azula runs after her.

“Woah! How did you do that?! That was so cool.”

“There’s no time; you need to go out there and help your friends. Never underestimate that princess.”

Aang’s amazement towards how you freed both of you from the crushing weight of the ceiling faltered as he noticed your choice of words.

“Come with me. Please. I need you.”

Sensing the certainty of his decision, you brushed off some ash from your clothing, wordlessly making your way out of the building.

I’m going to regret this.

With Aang following closely behind, you both join Sokka and Katara, and they face Azula, ready to corner her. Yet she wasn’t giving up just yet. Sending her fire with precision, she takes turns in having a shot at each of you. Luckily enough, you were all able to hold your own.

Backing away slowly, you can tell she thinks that she’s almost about to get a proper hold of the entire situation. But to your greatest joy, she falls flat on her face.

“I thought you guys could use a little help.”

This must be Aangs new earth bending teacher.

“Thanks.” Did Katara just smile?!

Not wasting the opportunity that came with their small distraction, she makes a run for an ally as an escape. Although, once again, she is faced with another hurdle being Iroh, ultimately allowing all seven of you to finally corner her.

In true fashion, she doesn’t allow it to bother her one bit, “well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together.”

Taking in everyone one by one, she pauses when her eyes lock with yours. “Even you. Pathetic scum, it seems you still haven’t learnt your lesson. I always told father we should have disposed of you from the moment we caught you.” With that comment, you see Zuko glance towards you in your peripheral vision. This is nowhere near the time right now coal brain.

“I’m done.” Raising her arms in surrender, you almost want to laugh. Do these people seriously believe Azula right now?

“I know when I’m beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honour.” Standing before everyone, you instinctively fixate yourself on her, searching for a microexpression to indicate what she’s really about to do.  Her smug smile clearly shows that she’ll most likely attack. But who?

By the time she decides on her target, it’s too late. Sending a direct stream of fire towards Iroh, Zuko lets out a horrified scream, instinctively setting off everyone to attack with their element, or weapon in Sokkas case. You on the other hand, rushed to Iroh’s side knowing that the others were more than capable on their own.

As he lays passed out on the ground, panic slowly swarms in your chest. Fuck, another person is dying because of me! I literally saw her focus on him!

Placing your hands on his chest, you let out a deep breath trying to remember a trick you learned on a mission a while back when you got a deep cut to your side. Focusing on him and his faint heartbeat, despite being a bit shaky, you were able to use your fire, providing him with enough energy to bring his breathing to a steady rate. But the moment was short-lived when you heard an explosion go off, giving Zuko the opportunity to get to his uncle's side, and in turn, shove you away from him.

“Get off him! You’re always in the way! Arghhhh!”

Haistly scrambling to your feet, you stand beside Sokka, understanding that it’s best you try not to help him right now. Katara, on the other hand, didn’t seem to share those feelings with you.

“Zuko, I can help.”

“LEAVE!” as he strikes towards you and everyone else, you stumbled backwards. Memories of a similar flame being struck towards you by his father felt like something inside you snapped. While not directly hitting you, the heat radiating down upon you caused your head to spin, and vision to blur.

It seemed that despite training with fire for the past three years, the action coming from him sent you down a spiral incomparable to anything else.

i-I can’t... I’m…

The earth bender girl immediately sensing what was happening to you didn’t hesitate, “Sokka! Grab her! Quickly, we need to go to Appa.”

“What?! Why me!”

“Shut up!! Her heart rate is literally through the roof right now. We need to help her! Can’t you see her shaking right in front of you?!”

Finally taking a good look at your trembling form, Sokka was too stunned to move.

Aang immediately agreeing with Toph, nudges him before setting off in the direction of Appa. “Sokka, NOW!”

Snapping out of his panicked, frozen state, he rushes towards you, scooping you up into his arms.

“Oh Spirits, I am so so sorry if I’m invading your personal space right now. Please, I’m so sorry. It’ll only be until we reach Appa, okay? I’m so…”

Fisting the cloth of his shirt, you shake your head. “It’s o-okay.” Pushing your face into his chest, you try to regulate your breathing in time with his heartbeat. Something was so unexplainably comfortable about having someone hold you that all of the memories of Ozai burning you, began to make its way back into the depths of your mind. So comforting, that at some point between the village and Appa, you passed out.

When you awoke again, you were high up in the clouds with the sun high in the air. How long was I out?

Deciding to sit upright, the first thing you see is the Water Tribe siblings and the earth kingdom girl facing you.

At first, you thought Toph was about to speak up, yet it seemed that Katara’s suspicions of you beat her to the punch. “Don’t think of moving too fast or trying anything! You're cornered now.”

Your eyebrows raised at that. “Alright, then. How would you like me?”

Upon, hearing your voice Aang physically perked up, completely beaming that you were awake. Without a second thought, he trusted that Appa would be able to fly for a bit on his own, making his way to all of you.

“I’m so glad that you’re okay! I was really worried about you.” Taking his place next to Katara, you were shocked at the stark contrast between his attitude towards you, and hers. It’s like he genuinely cares. Well… I guess that makes sense considering he’s an Air Nomad. Oh spirits, does this mean he’s going to pay even more attention to me than when we first met?!

“Uh… thanks. I appreciate it, but you really didn’t have to.”

“No, of course I did! Plus, I’m grateful that you helped me out with Azula! It’s the least we could do. Right guys?” Still having his glowing smile, he turns to his friends, and it seemed that the only one who truly looked indifferent with the entire matter was the earth kingdom girl who just nodded.

“Thanks, Toph!” Finally, a name.

Once again, Katara was displeased, “yeah whatever. If she’s going to stay with us, she’s going to have to tell us who she is. Don’t think we didn’t hear what Azula said back there about you. You need to explain what she meant by that. How does she know you, and what do you have to do with the Fire Lord?!”

At those questions, you weren’t too happy either, “I don’t want to stay with you! I just need to leave and find Azula again.”

For the first time since you woke up, Sokka decided to say something. “Why would you ever want to do that?! Why do you keep wanting to go back to her when you keep getting separated?! If you ask me it’s clearly a sign that you should stay away because she’s completely insane! She even knows you followed her and everything, so she’s going to have her guard up.”

“You don’t understand. If I don’t get back to Azula, people are going to get hurt. I’ve literally saved your lives on two occasions just by tailing her. Now, think about all of the people she can harm when no one’s watching. I’m also a threat to all of your destinies by being here.”

Uncomfortable with the tension that’s been building at an alarming rate, Aang moves so that he’s sitting in between you and the other three. “Okay, I understand, but could you please explain why you’re a threat by being here? You need to stay safe too, your life matters just as much as everyone else’s and even though you’ve proven yourself more than capable of protecting yourself, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be safe if you go to her and I can't let you go knowing your life is at risk.”

“Aang, there are always risks. Spirits, all four of you are at risk, but you know that it's for the greater good to end this war.”

He shakes his head. “It’s not the same. We have each other; we look after each other. You don’t have that. Please. You don’t have to tell us everything now. I understand since we’ve only met once before, but I promise no matter what it will all be okay and you can be apart of our team. Our family.”

On that note, you hesitated. A family?

No. The spirits have made it clear enough that a family is not in my cards.

“That sounds great, but I don’t think it’ll work out.”

Sokka lets out a frustrated groan, “What? Of course, it will! I know I’m not your biggest fan, but it's clear you’re just as against the Fire Nation as the rest of us!”

Looking around at all of their faces, you can tell that even though Sokka and mainly Katara, still clearly have their reservations about you, they understand where Aang is coming from. Heck, if it meant that they had another person on their side and against Azula and the Fire Nation, that was already a win. You almost felt guilty when you saw their horrified faces as you revealed the truth.

“It won’t work because I’m the Fire Lords personal assassin.”

 taglist: @slythergirlimagines​​ @mangoberry43​​ @eridanuswave​​ @whiskeywinter89​​​ @kaylove12​​ @simplyfandomish​​ @khaleesi-of-assassins​ @callums-keith​ @ilovespideyyy​ @calciumcow​ @blackhood5sos​ @nnon-it-up​ @lozzybowe​ @scarletemeterio​ @reclusive-chicken-nugget​ @simpinforsukka​ @chewymoustachio​ @tiffy119​ @sokkassuki​ @spearbatty​

a/n: hehe hiya friends!! Thanks for reading hehe I hope you enjoyed!! Lelel lmk your thoughts or any predictions for what you think is guna happen next hehe

alsoooo did anyone spot my lil inserts for our second lead? AHAHAHAHAHA

don’t fear either!! Zuko will learn eventually hehehe

but anyway i would love to hear from all of you if you have any feedback as well :))

[lotustories]

Define: Love

Pairing: jungkook x f. Reader

Type: fluff, angst, possible smut

Warnings: rude behavior, vulgar language, and mentions of sexual activity, sexual harassment, and mentions of non consensual activity

Chapter Navigation

Chapter 5

You were off the next two days, so you haven’t had a chance to take jungkook the camera. It sat there on your work desk, the blue bag with a tiny bow, and the apology card sticking out the top. Sunday nights always dragged, you had no plans, and you were bored beyond point. 5:50pm the clocks bright red numbers blurred your vision.

You: hey, V. jungkook working today?

no reply.

V: yes! We are slammed. Would you mind coming in?

a part of you got happy they asked, but you couldn’t tell if it was because you were bored or because jungkook was working. You changed quickly and grabbed the bag sitting on your desk. You quickly headed to the diner. Your hair bouncing as you practically sped to it. When you walked in, Jungkook’s eyes immediately met yours as he held the notepad in his hand. You couldn’t tell if he was relieved to help with the customers or just happy to see you.

You quickly clocked in and placed his gift in the back room. Attending to the customers as quickly as you could. “Thank you for coming in! Don’t know why we’re so slammed.” V ran food to the tables, you holding a tray of empty dishes. “Hey, baby.” A hand traveled your waist, pulling your attention away from V. “Why don’t you bring me some more rounds.” You looked down the table to the other boys laughing as the man continued to pull you closer. “Can you please not touch me.” You tried pulling away but he only blocked your exit. “How many times am I going to have to throw you out for harrashing her?” Jungkook pulled you out of the mans grasp. “You are really starting to annoy me.” The other kid stood up, his face inches away from jungkooks, but he stood his ground. “You must have a problem with consent.” Jungkook cocked his eyebrow. The kid snorting. “She didn’t say no.” Jungkook looked like he wanted to hit him then and there. “Asking you to not touch her,” jungkook paused, fake thinking. “Hmm, sounds like a no to me.” He lowered his voice. “Now, leave and do not come back.” The kid stepped closer to jungkook, his faces so close they were practically touching. “Make me.” You noticed jungkooks fists clenched and you step in front of them. “Come on, it’s not worth it.” The kid immediately pressed himself against you, mocking jungkook. “Yeah, She is fine.” Jungkook gently pushed you out of the way and body slammed the kid so fast to the ground you were shocked at how quickly he moved. He pinned him down, his arm against his neck. “Let me explain a few things for you because you don’t seem to get it.” Jungkook pushed down more, the kid below him struggling to move. “When a girl tells you no, that means no.” He held the boys hand down. “When she says do not touch me, you don’t fucking touch her.” His face inching closer. “Learn how to respect women, you piece of shit.” Jungkook lifted himself off the kid, the kid gasping for breathe as his friends helped him up. “Next time you come in, I am reporting you to my brother.” V shouted, the kids eyes narrowed. “like I care.” He scoffed and they raised their brow. “You should, I doubt the dean would be pleased to know his students are breaking the sexual harassment policies.” His eyes widened a bit and then he rolled his eyes as he walked out with his group of friends.

Jungkook had disappeared and V asked you to go check on him. You wandered the back for minutes before you found him in the main office. “Hey,” You whispered, jungkook looking up from the floor and then back down. “You okay?” You sat beside him, at first he moved as if to get up and leave but he remained seated. “Yeah, you?” You shrugged, unsure of how to respond. “You know, you don’t have to shield me everytime someone is gross.” You whispered and he sighed. “I have a sister, I wouldn’t want it happening to her.” The room was silent for a minute before you remembered the camera. “Wait here!” You jumped up, jungkook alert and confused. “What?” He questioned, his body starting to lift itself off the floor. You went to the corner of the room, moving clothing around until the blue bag was exposed. “Here.” You handed it to him. Jungkook furrowed his brows, reaching his hand out slowly to grab it. “What’s this?” You didn’t answer, he opened it and you could see his expression change from confused to a rested look. “My camera?” He pulled it out, the card falling to the ground.

“Im really sorry, I broke your camera. I know you’re not a fan of me, but I hope you accept my apology. I really am sorry.”

Jungkook read it, folding the card back up and placing it in the bag along with his camera. “I do.” He looked up, his eyes meeting yours. There was something different about them. Different than how he normally looks at you. “You do?” jungkook stopping you before you could say ‘what’ “forgive you.” He finished. “but not because you paid for my camera.” He put it on the desk. “oh?” You answered confused, jungkook looked away. His eyes trailing for the words to say. “You-“ he swallowed. “You’re not like I thought.” His brows furrowed. “You’re actually decent.” He sighed and you resisted smiling. “hey, guys. V wants you to help close.” Someone opened the door, both your attention turning to the opened door. “Yeah, of course.” You left quickly. Your face heated for some reason. “He okay?” V nodded as she walked past you. “Yes, he is good.” You smiled, wiping down the counters as they smiled in relief. “Im sorry you are always getting harassed here. I’ll do more to make sure these boys do not bother any one.” V grabbed the cups and tossed them in jungkooks bus box. “Our muscle here will also always protect you.” V cheered, jungkook bit down his smile, his face turning red as he headed toward the kitchen. “It’s getting late, go ahead and clock out.” V shrugged, your head perking up at the offer. You accepted and quickly clocked out, running into jungkook in your way out. “Oh, sorry.” You giggled. “I need to work on my coordination.” He laughed before walking past you to clock out. You noticed the gift bag in his hands, fiddling with the band as he stood there watching you. “Do you want me to walk you home?” He cleared his throat. Taken by surpise you nod. “Is it on your way?” You asked and he shrugged. “Could be, I don’t know where you live.” He laughed softly, walking past you to leave. You followed quietly behind as V shouts their goodbye to you both.

The sky was cloudy, but the campus was lit well. Your body shivering and your arms fuming with goosebumps as you stepped out. “why is it so cold?” You whispered, rubbing your arm to rid yourself of the bumps. “Here.” Jungkook handed you his pullover. “Oh?” You grabbed it, his attention to the front of you as you slipped it on. Your nose immediately filling with his scent. The walk was quiet and it was a little awkward, but you eventually arrived at your building. Jungkook held opened the door, motioning for you to enter. “What room number are you in?” He cleared his throat, heading toward the elevator. “218.” You pushed the button before he could. His smile widening in your peripheral vision. “where is your dorm?” You turned your head around, realizing that he walked you all the way and still has to walk back to his. “Across campus.” Your eyes widening as you stopped in front of your door. “gguk, why would you walk me all the way home?” You inserted your keys into the slot, jungkook shrugging. “I owe you.” He lifted the camera. “It was too much, I appreciate you fixing it.” You smiled, leaning against your door as you gazed up at him. “I broke it, and I know it means a lot to you.” Jungkook only looked down at his feet. “so, um.” he licked his lips, as if trying to gain courage to speak. “these past few weeks, I’ve been getting to know you.” He cleared his throat. “you’re not what I assumed, so I want to apologize for being an asshole.” he lifted his bag. “I owe you for this. It was 2,000.” He laughed and you furrowed your eyebrows. “He charged me 1,500.” You gasped softly and he laughed. “Im still grateful.” you opened your dorm door and turned back to him. “thank you for walking me home,” you both stood there awkwardly. “Hey, are you and Jimin a thing?” He blurted, his eyes staring at you intently. “like a couple?” You furrowed your brows, confused and he nodded. “no, we are friends.” You answered and he nodded again. “can I do something?” He asked quietly and you furrowed your brows as you cocked your head to the side. “yes?” You whispered and seconds later his lips were on yours. Taking you by surpise your eyes widened and then closed. Your stomach filling with butterflies as he pulled you closer. Jungkook began to pull away, but you instinctively pulled him back. A small moan escaped his lips as your bodies entered your dorm. You could feel him sticking his hand out to drop his camera, you immediately pulled away out of breathe. “Don’t you fucking drop it.” You growled, jungkook giggling as he placed it on the couch. You pulled him back in and his hands trailed down your back to your ass. You could feel him gripping as he lifted you up and pulled you as close as he could. “Why do you smell so fucking good?” He moaned, his lips trailing down your neck, biting the skin making you moan in pleasure. “why do you feel so fucking good?” Your head fell back as he nibbled on your skin. Jungkook gently placed you on the bed. Before touching you further, he stood above you. “Do you want to do this?” You looked at him confused. “You are on my bed at 12:55 am, and you are asking if I want to have sex with you?” He rolled his eyes. “Yes, im asking.” He said sarcastically. “yes, gguk. I want you to fuck me.” His lips pulled up in the corner. Smirking as he leaned back down. “That is all I needed to hear.” He pressed his lips to yours once again. His hands swiftly sliding under your shirt to remove your shirt and his sweater in a second. Your eyes widening at the talent. “Practice much?” He smiled. Removing his shirt on his own. He possessed a body that you wouldn’t think possible. Your hands trailing his abs as he kneeled over you. “Do you have a condom?” You whispered, jungkook froze while on top of you. “You don’t?” You shook your head, he giggled and pulled away. “No condom, no sex.” He turned to you. His sculpted body making you fake pout. “Such a honorable man.” You joked, and jungkook only rolled to get off the bed. “No,” you pulled him softly back to you. “Stay.”

Jungkook stared for a moment before removing his jeans and lying back down. “I can’t sleep in jeans.” He mumbled before sneaking under the cover. “I have class at 8.” You cuddled against his body, he laughed and peeked down at you. “I am in your class.” Your face burrying into his chest as you hid your embarrassment. You heard soft snores, peaking up to find jungkook already asleep. Maybe it was a good thing you didn’t have sex, you actually liked him.

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Hmm, I've been seeing lots of ft next generation stuff and now im curious. What are your head cannons on the ft next generation children, like their names, personality and all that stuff (nalu, gruvia, gale, fraxus, stingue and any others)? >> if you're bothered typing them of course ;; -CutieAnon [hope I'm not disturbing you!! 💞💞]

yeah, cutie pie!!!! i love next gen hcs and characters!!!!! some of them are canonical, or drawn by mashima-san as a non-canonical but kinda canon character - and some are completely made up uwu

nalu!!

canonically, their kid is a pinkie baby girl named Nashi!!! i don't know if she has a canon magic type >\\\< I've done a hc ask on her and I'll try and link it!!!

i also think nashi would have a younger brother and sister (twins) - the girl has sorta splotches of both pink and blonde in her hair. she's named gureiza (like gray and erza uwu) and uses lava magic!!! she's an oc i created and gave to my neechan, @trinityizlazy!!!!!

the son is just blonde, with Natsu's eyes!! he uses Lucy's celestial keys 💕💕💕💕

fraxus

they don't have a canon kid, my hc for them is that they have a daughter who looks just like evergreen (she's the surrogate) with a lightning strike birthmark on her necc!!! her name is clover, and she uses solid script magic like levy and can fly like evergreen!!!!

jerza

wendy the smaller no i will not elaborate

gajevy

have two actual canonical children (as in they're in the story), yaje and shutora, who are twins!!! idk what their magic type is but i hc them as shutora having gajeel's and yaje having levy's!!!!!

stingue

they have a son named ruki or something similar (haven't chosen yet) who looks a little like laxus - you know, blonde, square jaw, but he still wears twink clothes like sting, with a cape like rogue. he has metal-make magic!!! i know that's not canonically a thing, but it sounds like it could be, soooo...

ruki has a little sister, nenayo, who's got long black hair and kind red eyes, but slightly darker skin with a lot of freckles and blemishes. she's hella sweet, with a permanent smile and dimples!!! she's a little bit of a nerd and has solid script: oriental, like that fella in tenroujima!!!

gruvia

they have a canon-non-canon kid (see my icon, he's there with nashi) who i think is called storm!! he doesn't have an official name but the fandom seems to accept his name as that. in my opinion he'd use the same magic as juvia 💕💕

thank you for the ask, it's a really good one!!! I'm sorry it's so long - I'll put it all in the faq later, when I'm no longer on mobile 💕💕💕

[toothpastecanyon]

We Walk Like Humans Do, Chapter 2

The Transcendence has been, on the whole, a good thing for magical creatures... for the ones that walked on two legs and fit in doorways, at least. Lacie has other problems to overcome before she can live in the big city.

Thanks to @feferipeixes for help editing this chapter! Go check out their awesome stuff!

See most updated version on Archive of Our Own.

________________________________________________________________

               Oh, my stars. Alcor hasn’t laughed this hard in lifetimes.

Chapter 2 of Wizard Animago’s Not-So-Secret Spellbook - Everything You Already Knew About Transfiguration and Literally Nothing Else

Hi, I’m 18Lacie5 and I wrote another chapter for you humans. Everyone was really confused on my last post and seemed to think it was a joke, so I’ll start out by answering the five most common questions you had.

1 - Yes, I am a basilisk.

2 - No, I am not the basilisk from Harry Potter.

3 - No, I do not live in the Chamber of Secrets from Harry Potter.

4 - No, I am not the horcrux snake from Harry Potter.

5 - No, I am not in any way related to Harry Potter.

Are we all on the same page now? Good, because holy shit some of you really missed the point here. I got a visit from one of you with a replica of Gryffindor’s sword, and that was so annoying I didn’t even feel bad killing him - like dude, all that tells me is I KNOW you read my post about not coming down here, and then decided to come down here anyway ‘cause fuck me, right?

(The sword wasn’t even that good. It was made of cheap plastic, snapped like a spine.)

Anyway, despite all this the last post was fun to write, so I’m doing it again. Also it seems like the number of visits from treasure hunters has gone down since I posted, though it’s hard to tell. There’s not really a consistent number from year to year, and the day I start keeping a deathcount is the day I give up on life and buy a mirror to see if I can kill myself with my own reflection.

For science, you know?

               Alcor’s read the entire blog by now and it’s just perfect. The snark, the sarcasm, the casual disregard towards human lives that could only have been written by an ancient and powerful being - it’s hilarious!   And the spell entries… man, he could listen to Lacie tear apart someone’s Latin any day of the decade. If only she could come to some of his summons; she’d have so much material to work with there.

               With a chuckle, Alcor looks up and glances around the darkness of the Mindscape. He needs to show this to someone. But who? Mizar? She’s only a year into the current reincarnation… hmm, she might be a little too young to understand it. Lucy Ann’s somewhere around; he probes for her, and finds her - dammit - during naptime at some kindergarten in Portland.

               Anyone else?

               …

               No one else.

               There’s absolutely no one else in his life right now. That’s… that’s a fun reminder.

               He sighs, and sits back on the fabric of reality. Maybe some cultists’ll summon him; he could read them a blog post, see if they laugh. That’d be fun, right?

               Al narrows his eyes at the great nothingness before him. It’d be something, at least.

               ...You know, he can feel a little tug now.

               A weak one, just one summoner, and no circle. That confuses him at first - even the real amateurs usually manage to scribble out some sort of rounded shape - and when he looks closer, he sees it’s holding one of his summoning cards, holding it in its… hand?

               No, not quite a hand, and Alcor jolts right up as he realises shit that’s Lacie trying to call him, shit he didn’t think she’d call him back so soon! How long did he keep her waiting? It’s been a couple hours - shit!

               Alcor tessers over to her in an instant, his mouth already open and spilling apologies: “Oh my stars Lacie, I am so sorry for the delay! I got distracted and I didn’t think you’d call back so soon so I wasn’t watching as closely as I-”

               A deep, rumbling growl cuts him off. It’s a deafening sound, coming from a creature lounging on a pile of bones and gold with teeth the size of Alcor’s entire body; he can’t help but cringe at that. He takes a deep breath, remind himself that he’s an all-powerful demon who definitely doesn’t need to be scared of some mere mortal… even if she is pretty scary for a mortal.

               You know, relatively speaking. He isn’t scared, he just thinks she’s scarier than, like, a human.  Like a human from that pile of human skeletons she’s smashed into the wall. Yeah, that’s not scary at all. That wouldn’t kill him… looks like it would hurt, though.

               He double checked he isn’t standing near that spellbook she’s bound to, right?

               Just as he’s thinking this, Lacie lets out another even louder growl, and he jumps back with an undignified yelp.

               “Hey, whoa, Lacie!” Alcor watches her head shift to the side. “Lacie? Hello?”

               She doesn’t reply, and he looks to her face for an answer. He sees one of her eyes now: it’s closed?

               Closed.

               The realisation washes over him as she lets out another slow, rumbling snore.

               “Oh. You’re… you’re just sleeping, aren’t you. Duh.” He straightens, and casts a glance around the room as he fixes his tie and straightens his hat. “Glad no one noticed that… Lacie?”

               She doesn’t stir, and Alcor makes a face. He’s never turned up to a summons  and had the summoner fall asleep; would she want him to wake her up? Her dreams feel pretty peaceful to him, and even though that thing - is that a giant laptop? - she’s using as a pillow doesn’t look particularly comfy, it doesn’t seem to bother her in the slightest.

               Yeah, it looks like he should just let her call him back… but there is something. Embedded in her sluggish thoughts, he can feel a sort of drive, a sort of desperation, and that makes him hesitate. He looks for her tail, and spots it still wrapped around his summoning card, still squeezing it in a death grip.

               Alcor frowns. He watches her snore one more time, then makes up his mind. With a deep breath, he reaches out and prods at her thoughts; they immediately begin to stir. He prods again, and Lacie lets out a grunt. Her eyelid cracks open, and she drags a sleepy glare across the room.

               Her gaze meets his, and he feels pain, pain in his soul, his soul feels like it’s being pushed out through his ears ow ow OW- and he recoils, unable to bear it for a second longer.

               Wow, he thinks, that really is potent. What on earth makes it so powerful?

               Before he can wonder about that, there’s a noise. Gold coins clink against each other as Lacie jerks up, blinking hard, panic flashing in her aura. Alcor holds up his hands.

               “Hey, hey, it’s just me!” He looks down as she fixes her eyes on him. “Sorry if you, uh, didn’t want to be woken up, I just thought… you know, you called me, and… what are you doing?”

               She’s cast the summoning card aside and is now wiggling the touchpad on her laptop. He cocks his head.

               “Whoa, I’ve never seen a laptop that big. Where on Earth did you buy that?”

               Lacie doesn’t acknowledge his question. She starts typing something, and he floats closer to see her login screen.

               “18Lacie5. Heh, I like your username.” He watches her click on the password box and slowly, painstakingly jab each key with her tail. “E… Y… E… What? Why are you looking at me like- oh. Oh, I’m so sorry!”

               There’s a faint snort from Lacie as he turns away. His cheeks redden.

               “Sorry, I forget hu- uh, mortals? Mortals tend to like their privacy on stuff… it’s kind of useless since Al-V can hack into pretty much any computer on earth - um, the Alcor Virus, that’s Alvie.” He hears the typing stop, and suddenly wishes he’d chosen literally any other topic in the world. “Um, not that I would make him hack into your computer! I’m just saying he could, and he probably has already… um, I just made him to get rid of Twin Souls though, you’re fine! O-or you should be fine - you don’t, by any chance, happen to like Twin Souls, do you? It’s, um, this book - well it’s a movie now but it was a book - and Mizar - who is my sister by the way - well, that’s why I hate it, because it has my sister and I, umm…ugh, sorry, it’s gross, my sister and I, we’re- huh?”

               A low hiss makes him look back, and he sees Lacie - ow - staring right at him. She gestures to the screen, which has a word document open on it with big, bold letters.

               “Oh, you want me to read that?” He floats closer, and frowns as he reads the first line:

               Im pretending 2 type rite now 2 see how long u wil ramble 4 wtf youre still going and now twin souls no nono why r u explaning i actually cant take the awkwardnes i got 2 stop u

               Alcor blinks, then shoots her a dirty look. The noise coming out of her now sounds an awful lot like snickering.

               “Wha- I was just-! I just wanted to clarify the hacking thing I said, I-!” The snickering gets louder, and he rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I guess I’m a little rusty at small talk, very funny. I’d like to see how awkward you’d be if the only practice you could get is on a bunch of cultists in basements. They’re not exactly social butterflies either, you know!”

               Lacie just keeps laughing, and Alcor… well, he puts on a show of crossing his arms and heaving a long-suffering sigh, but he’s fighting a smile.

               It’s strangely nice, being here. Lacie’s strangely nice to be around; she already feels - and he has to remind himself he’s only met her twice - almost like a friend? Maybe he just has a low bar these days, but he hears her laughter, and… it’s just very, very nice. Nice in a way that’s hard to describe.

               Nice in a way he hasn’t felt for a while.

               The feeling lingers even after Lacie’s chuckling dies off, and he’s still smiling as he watches her reach for the laptop again. She jabs the down arrow a couple times, and some more, better punctuated text comes into view.

               I have revised the terms of our deal, it starts, and Alcor clears his throat, squares his shoulders, tries to get himself back into business mode. He reads on: and I would like to exchange the human bones that are currently in my room for a human disguise I am capable of putting on and taking off at will.

               He raises an eyebrow as he reaches the end. This is not the deal he was expecting to make. A human disguise… he can tell she’s no demonologist, that’s for sure; there’s so many interpretations of that, so many wonderful ways to tw͏is͡t her̡ ̵w̢or̵d̸s ͏a͟g̢ai͘n̸st͠ ̢h͝er-

               No. He shakes his head to clear it of his worst instincts, but they won’t leave, not in the presence of such an enticing deal. Suddenly, he’s glad he doesn’t have to look her in the eyes right now; he trains them on the ground instead, and starts to speak.

               “So, um… when you’re saying a ‘human disguise’, what do you mean by that?” He can’t see her face, but he can see a bolt of frustration flash across her aura. “Huh? What’s- oh right, can’t talk, uh… well, do you want me to make an actual, convincing disguise? You know, instead of, like, a wig and some sunglasses?”

               Lacie nods vigourously. He watches her tap the caps key and add ‘CONVINCING’ before the human disguise bit. A part of him screams at all the opportunities he’s giving up - willingly! - but he forces a smile and nods.

               “Cool, I can do that. I’ve made a few humans before- human bodies, that is, not… um.” Alcor coughs. “Anyway, I can give you a convincing human form for those bones of yours. How does that sound?”

               She taps the screen.

               “What…? Oh, yes, I’ll make it so you can switch back and forth at will. Good catch. Now, do we have a d̕e͇̪͍̜̻̪͘a̙̻̬̦͔ͅl̲̝͓͔?”

               He doesn’t extend a hand to shake, but blue sparks spurt from his fingertips as he watches Lacie mull it over. Her aura fizzles with nervous energy, but it only takes a couple seconds for her to tamp it down and give him a firm nod. The rush of a newly made deal makes his grin go wide; he tries not to let it go too wide as he claps his hands together.

               “Alrighty, then,” he says, rubbing them until those sparks turn into a full-blown fire. “One meatsuit coming right up!”

               He extends a hand to the pile of bones in the corner of the room, and with a flick of the wrist he rips the energy from them all  and absorbs it. The sacrifice warms him like a good meal, and he turns back to Lacie, ready to put that newly-gained power to use.

               He steps back and sizes her up with his hands, a gesture that makes her aura simmer with uncertainty. She makes a low, nervous sound, and he waves her away.

               “It’s alright, I just… need to remember how big a human is, how much I need to squish you down... Got it!!” Alcor readies his fingers to snap. “Okay, I’ve only done this on myself before, so there might be some kinks I haven’t thought of! Don’t worry, though, I’ll probably be able to fix them!”

               Before Lacie could respond, he snaps his fingers, and his magic rushes around her like a cloud. Skin forms over scales, hair grows over horns, and the figure that remains when it disperses is unmistakably human.

               It’s also falling to the ground from the height of Lacie’s head, and oh shit catch her catch her catch her - he freezes her momentum a couple inches from the ground then lets her plop, safely but definitely not gracefully, into a puddle.

               “Oh, my stars! Are you okay?” Heart pounding in his chest, he dashes over. “I am so sorry about that fall, how are you- ow, okay , I’m gonna need to get you some sunglasses or something - how are you feeling? Here, let me help you up!”

               He extends a hand, and Lacie… just stares at it.

               Just stares at him, not moving, and he can feel panic flaring up in her aura as she can’t move, oh stars she’s so tiny right now and she can’t move oh fuck-

               Alcor blinks. “Oh, right. Um, don’t panic-”

               Don’t panic??? DON’T PANIC??? FUCK THIS SHE’S LIKE FIVE INCHES TALL RIGHT NOW AND SHE CAN’T FUCKING MOVE OH MY STARS WHY DID SHE DO THIS TO HERSELF THIS IS THE STUPIDEST FUCKING IDEA SHE’S EVER HAD IN HER LIFE-

               “Lacie? Take a deep breath… Lacie? Lacie!” He cringes when Lacie’s eyes fix on him again. “Okay, um, I can see this is… a little stressful for you?”

               She nods vigourously.

               “Alright, um… don’t worry, I made it easy for you to change back! You just, y’know, gotta think of yourself being a basilisk again - or is it pronounced ‘battle-isk’? ‘Bas-til-isk’? Heh, that’s a weird word, I’ve only ever seen it written down-”

               Lacie ditches her human disguise as fast as she could, shooting back out to her original form and cutting Alcor off mid-tangent. He jumps back, watching relief flood through her aura as she could move again, thank the stars she could actually move and everything’s normal sized again… fuck, everything’s normal sized again. She wasted her deal!

               The relief’s spiking up into another panic, and Alcor clears his throat. “Alright, so that deal didn’t go to plan. No worries! I can’t exactly do refunds, but you’ve still got plenty of good stuff to sacrifice in here! Doesn’t bother me if this takes a few tries, heh.”

               But that doesn’t calm Lacie in the slightest, because now she has to think of another deal, her mind’s blank, she’s got nothing! But she’ll fall asleep if she makes Alcor leave again… maybe she will have to go for that deal.

               It’s hard to read her thoughts when they go quiet, but Alcor definitely picks up something about that deal as they’re retreating into a murky bubble of disappointment. He sees how she hangs her head at the idea, then lugs her laptop over to her, begins to peck away at the keys.

               He sees that, and frowns. “Hey, uh,” he starts, and right away her eyes dart over to him. “If you don’t want to make a new deal, I’m sure we could make this one work?”

               Lacie cocks her head.

               “I mean, I’ve been… I know a thing or two about being in a human body. It’s been a while, but maybe I could… y’know, show you the ropes?”

               She doesn’t say a word. The silence stretches, and Alcor laughs nervously.

               “I-if you want. I mean, it’s been a while, but maybe I could show you enough to get around? I did technically promise your disguise would be ‘convincing’, so a couple human lessons should be easy enough to fit in, without… without another deal... um, I don’t know if you like this idea or you want me to stop talking? If you do that’s fine, I can do another deal, just give me a-”

               There’s a sort of fwoomp sound, and the coils and coils of Lacie’s body seem to twist out of existence. At the same time, a human takes shape where her head was, and falls right into Alcor’s arms before he has time to blink.

               “-a sign?” He finishes, and stares down at her. She stares right back, and he’d admire the steely resolve, the carefully-controlled fear in her gaze a whole lot longer if it didn’t make his soul want to push itself out through his ears.

               “Oh, Okay. Wow, you’re, um… diving right in, huh?”

               Lacie gives her closest approximation to a human smile, and Alcor’s caught off guard by how quickly he finds himself grinning back. An actual, genuine grin stretches across his face for the first time in too long, and he chuckles.

               “Alright, Lacie, I like your gumption!” He summons a pair of sunglasses, and sticks them over her eyes. “Let’s get humaning!”

________________________________________________________________

               Humaning. Lacie had taught herself many human things over the years; she’d taught herself to read, to type, to write - heck, she’d even managed to summon a demon (and in proper human tradition, had made a poorly thought-out deal with it.) She was no novice in learning how to human.

               Maybe that’s why she thought the whole human form was a good idea. She was great at humaning! She’d taught herself so many of their skills, educated herself on so many of their customs, she was able to pass as one of them online… sometimes, it really didn’t feel like she was all that different from them.

               After all, if she could read like a human and write like a human and think like a human, how hard could it be to walk around like one, too?

               …

               As it turns out, hard.

               Very, very hard.

               Duh.

               Everything, everything is different in a human body. Sure, she thought having arms and legs would take some getting used to, but how about all this hair? How about her cramped little mouth and her stubby tongue? How about her skin? Her skin is stupidly sensitive without scales; when she was lying on the stone, she could feel every little bump in it, could feel water soaking her, making her shiver - and shivering, ugh! What an awful sensation! Even though Alcor’s got her propped her up in a chair now, her skin won’t stop whining to her that, gasp, the fabric’s a little itchy!

               Whoop de fucking do, skin. Hopefully she grows a thicker one soon enough, because this is driving her crazy.  She’s laughing at the Lacie of a couple hours ago who thought she’d just be able to stand up and walk out of the sewers, and oh, speaking of walking ?

               Hah! Try moving them at all!

               Lacie’s been without these strange appendages all her life, and moving them would be like a human trying to nod with a second head they’ve just sprouted - sometimes she’ll get lucky and hit upon whatever bundle of nerves is controlling each of these limbs, and after two hours of Alcor’s patient coaching she can make them twitch on a somewhat consistent basis, but she’s not getting anywhere fast with them any time soon.

               She can only lie here, with her blunt teeth, with her papery skin, with her useless limbs…

               Helpless.

               Absolutely helpless.

               Alcor looms over her whenever he stands up… and that scares her more than she thought it would. Everything looms over her in this form; the - she called it little - pile of treasure she sleeps on now seems like a great mountain, the ceiling she often bangs her head on is higher still, impossibly high. She sees her spellbook resting on its lecturn, and it’s about the same size as her now; she remembers how tiny it once seemed, and- OH FUCK WHAT’S GOING- oh, she’s shivering again.

               Lacie frowns at that, and she lets out a noise that’s weirdly squeaky in this throat, and Alcor taps her shoulder.

               (And she feels that, holy shit skin it’s literally just a hand)

               “...need to take a break?” He’s asking. Frowning. “Lacie?”

               She nods, quickly, and he takes the sunglasses off her face before scooting back. Closing her eyes, she thinks of being a basilisk again, and all these alien sensations fall away with a flood of relief. Lacie is herself again; she takes a long moment to savour it, to lounge across her sleeping pile, to listen to her scales scratch against the stone floor, to open an eye and see Alcor as a tiny figure in her field of vision.

               “That looks comfy.” He says. He’s grinning, but she can barely make that out. “Darn, I should’ve moved the chair, too.”

               The chair? She lifts her body, and finds the chair she’d been sitting on, crushed beneath the weight of her coils. With a little chuckle, she sweeps it out from under her, marvelling at how tiny it is - how tiny she was.

               Alcor laughs, too. “Sheesh, you flattened it. I think it’ll be easier to make a new chair.”

               Laying her head on the ground, she lets out a lazy snort.

               “…um, when you’re ready, I mean.” He adds. “Or we can stop, if you’re tired? I can-”

               She heaves herself up. Ugh, she is tired - it creeps up on her. She can’t sleep though, not when she’s so close, so fucking close to getting out of here.

               “Oh, okay… are you sure? We’ve been at this a while, I really don’t mind taking a break…”

               Lacie tugs at that mental link in the back of her mind, and feels herself switch back into human form again. Unlike switching the other way, this form greets her not with a flood of relief, but with a host of silly little complaints: her back hurts, the stone’s not comfy on her face, it’s cold, she’s wet, on and on and on and she just wants it all to shut up… but, she will admit, there is one thing she likes.

               Alcor hoists her up on one of those tiny little chairs she’d been laughing at just a second ago, and she stares at him, and she feels awake.

               Completely awake.

               She can’t remember the last time her head’s felt this clear, and it’s a pity she has to spend half her human time fidgeting in a seat because otherwise it’d be amazing. Is this really how bad the energy situation had gotten down here? Wow, she really needed to get out of here, and fast.

               “Hey, Lacie?” Alcor’s saying something, and she looks over at him. “So I know you said - or, uh, indicated, anyway - that you didn’t want a break…”

               He pauses expectantly, and then, seeming to realise she isn’t going to follow it up with a ‘Yes?’ clears his throat.

               “Right. Well, I kind of would. Like a break. If that’s okay with you.”

               Lacie blinks.

               “You know, we’ve been doing this for a while, and I’m thinking maybe we could do something else? You know, it could be something fun! It could be something like, um, like… oh, do you play Scrabble?”

               She shakes her head.

               “No? Oh, I guess that was a longshot… how bout chess? I know there’s like, online chess… no?” He frowns at her continued head-shaking. “Alright, well… What do you do for fun down here?”

               Lacie thinks on that for a moment, then turns her head towards the laptop.

               “Oh, your laptop? Nice, nice.” He grins at her. “I love your blog.”

               Wait, her blog? He’s read that? He likes that? The surprise must be showing on her face, because Alcor starts laughing.

               “Yeah, it’s hilarious! I was actually so caught up reading it, I didn’t realise you were summoning me! I love just how sarcastic it is! It’s amazing!”

               Lacie blinks. Is he… gushing? Is Alcor the Dreambender gushing about her blog?

               Is this her life?

               “Man,” he rambles on. “that joke about a killcount, that was great. I just don’t get why it’s not more popular!  Humans, they just don’t have any taste… they’re, heh, they’re too busy reading Harry Potter, amirite?”

               He nudges her like he’s made some kind of clever reference, and she snorts at him. Okay, wow, demon or not, this guy really is an absolute plonker. She loves it.

               “Haha, yeah! They’ve been, uh, playing Quidditch too much to read your stuff! Yeah! Or they’ve been, um… making swords? Making- I should stop now, shouldn’t I.”

               With a big dumb grin on her face, she nods.

               “Yep, that was getting out of hand.” Alcor rubs his neck. “I just wanted to say I really liked it a lot. It was funny.”

               Lacie’s grin got even bigger.

               “So, uh, you really have been down here all your life, huh? Dealing with treasure hunters-” He chuckles when she rolls her eyes. “Hah, I can imagine that’s not fun! Yeah... so, uh, have you ever been outside?”

               She shakes her head. Maybe before she was old enough to remember, but that was a long, long time ago. Alcor makes a face at that.

               “Yeah, yeesh. No wonder you want to get out of here, no wonder…”

               He trails off, and Lacie watches his eyes go distant for a second before a thought seems to strike him; he blinks, frowns, then, slowly, he starts to grin. He turns to her again, and she raises an eyebrow at the shine in his eyes.

               “Hey, Lacie,” He says. “Want me to take you on a little tour?”

[comicteaparty]

May 23rd, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on May 23rd, 2019, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! Our final Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Maiden of the Machine by Caitlin Like~! (https://maidenmachine.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

i think my favorite scene so far is when elizabeth and victor decide to sleep together. part in for its serious drama. theres so many questions about victor created from just the visuals, and then theres the stakes at hand of elizabeth's reputation. but then, there is also a good balance of comic relief to a degree since victor told her to ask no questions and she asks the one question that he probably didnt see coming. all around it was a pretty satisfactor culmination of their relationship so far at a juncture that felt natural.

another scene i really enjoyed was the ball scene where victor and eric are having a chat about elizabeth and then elizabeth and victor have a passionate liason. im mostly a fan cause of the dramatic convo. cause theres a deep and terrible sense that both characters truly know what their risking, what the situation is, and how they still are into each other. plus, its all very tense cause it just takes one person being in the wrong place at the wrong time to blow their cover.

honestly i think itd be accurate to say all my favorite scenes are with elizabeth and victor. romance is one of those genres i can struggle with, because theres always something missing. but oh man do i love the romance in this comic. there is nothing more i want than to see then elizabeth and victor finding a way to be together in spite society trying to kick that down at every turn.

i will give a special shout out to the scene where eric, abhaya, milo, and the cousin are meeting to discuss the affairs of the estate. i just like it because it basically shows all the characters' worst sides. abhaya is brash and reckless, milo is just kind of there, and eric is a greedy mofo. and whats worse is literally none of them thought to bring elizabeth. they may have their excuses of protecting her...but part of me still thinks thats a super dick move and shows even abhaya just kind of views elizabeth more as a pawn than a person. but all in all, nothing like money and estates to show off everyone's worst traits. it is very true to life, and i can respect that.

another non-victor/elizabeth scene i respect is the scene where elizabeth is out dress shopping and eric is like here i got you these dresses. just cause i knew eric was kind of a creep, but ho boy, he dialed the creep up to number 11 on a 10 meter scale. but at the same time, i think that really helped to erase all sympathy i might have had for him. thus paving the way for me to not really feel guilty on elizabeth's behalf for her trespasses against him.

mathtans

Hello, I made it... unfortunately this is a rather bad week, I only made it through the first two chapters.

RebelVampire

i also like scenes with west in them. cause I like that between all the people around Victor, West seems the most honest in a scoundrel sort of way. Which that is basically what I like about him in every scene. He causes trouble and pushes the limits, but at the same time hes always at least pretty upfront about his intentions.

thats unfortunate cause its a great comic, but glad to see you anyway math!

mathtans

Which kind of sucks, I like the whole concept of the kick ass ladies. Even the pirates.

Maybe I'll find time to read more in the background.

The bit I liked most of what I read I think was back in the first chapter, when Elizabeth makes the callback to when she got out of the ropes at the very start of the story. It was a nice subtle detail which I found very clever.

I'm not at your bits yet but I can see how the Elizabeth/Victor thing is being set up. Also there seems to be some question of whether Abhaya likes him... or possibly other ladies? I may be reading my own interests into that.

RebelVampire

you may be reading your own interests but later on there is a female character i ship abhaya with atm

so there is that

i dont think youve met her yet tho

mathtans

Also, yeah, the whole estate thing creates an interesting dynamic. That was a clever way of using the period to generate conflicts.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. A large focus of the comic is on Elizabeth and Victor’s relationship. At the end of the day, do you think the two will find a way to be together? If so, how will they get over the scandal Elizabeth would face and the fact those around Victor want him to marry a titled woman? If you don’t believe they’ll find a way to stay together, what will stop them? Further, given the most recent events, how will Eric Wollstonecraft play a role in the future of their love story? How does the narration framing seen where Elizabeth is addressing her potential son affect your opinion? How do you think that future came about, and how soon will it come to pass? Last, what do you think of their relationship in terms of Elizabeth wanting to make her own choices in life?

mathtans

I ship Abhaya with everyone.

RebelVampire

yeah i have to say if theres one thing i appreciate its combination of progressive themes while at the same time acknowledging that the period was not the friendliest towards these things

especially in regards to how elizabeth is treated since her only purpose apparently to everyone is to get hitched to a titled guy

and i mean

thats depressing

yet also true to the period

even though we get to see elizabeth take a journey and reject those social conventions

in regards to the current question, i am choosing not to think about whether in the long term elizabeth and victor will get together for the rest of their lives. because if they dont i will cry but i could see this realistically being the case given the tone of the narration. cause that...does not sound like an elizabeth who lives in eternal happiness.

mathtans

Back, sorry. Yeah, I'm usually not much of one for period pieces, but I like the narrative viewpoint. Also, pretty neat airships.

There was the point where she talked about leaving Victor behind back in Chapter 1 (I don't recall the exact circumstances) but I wondered if it was because he causes her heartache, or just because it make their lives more complicated.

Incidentally, the first thing I thought of with the name "Lovelace" was Lady Ada Lovelace. The mathematician. Not sure if that was an intentional reference to another well regarded woman.

RebelVampire

i love period pieces but i think the steampunk aspects help twist it enough to make it a bit more unique.

mathtans

(I don't think the time frames synch up but I don't recall when the comic takes place...)

Oh, it's definitely unique. I like the gadget aspect too.

RebelVampire

i would not be surprised if the name choice was purposeful. if only because the comic has lots of strong ladies. i doubt well see any real historical figures though.

i appreciate that the comic actually kind of starts off with the airship escapade

cause it really showcases the ways in which their world differs

where you get airships

and sky pirates

mathtans

That's a good point. Helps with the world building before we get down into some of the classic period issues.

RebelVampire

yes. and i also kind of like it starts off more action-y. not that there isnt action bits later mind you. but more i think it helps set up the main conflict while tying in the romance. because it makes it so the romance isnt some forced subplot. rather its kind of integral and has as much to do with the whole highjacking as the rest of the story. since later on youll see that elizabeth's proximity to victor keeps bring that part of the story into the limelight

mathtans

That's a good point, in terms of tying things together. Also possibly sets up a key antagonist (or at least revenge plot) in that burned pirate lady.

RebelVampire

she does come back

i will spoil that much

mathtans

I figured she had to some time, whether it was by the present updates or not.

I've resumed reading a bit in the background. Seems like both the Watson ladies are doing their best to get arrested. ^.^

RebelVampire

well at least Abhaya is.

cause Abhaya is a risk taker who puts herself in many situations where people are gonna stop and stare

mathtans

Well, yes. But Elizabeth also seems to be taking risks where Victor is concerned. Or at least stepping out of her comfort zone.

Certain people have certain effects on us I guess.

RebelVampire

nah thats true. I just think Elizabeth just takes more social risks. Like not the kind that are gonna get her arrested, but more the kind that are gonna get her socially shunned.

whereas Abhaya is the punch one who is gonna get charged with assault

mathtans

That seems like a valid viewpoint. It fits with their personalities when we saw them in their youth.

The cutting back and forth between the two sisters in Chapter 3 is well done.

RebelVampire

yeah in general i like the PoV switching of the comic. because every scene is pretty well-chosen and advances the plot in some manner. and it lets us see others parts of the comic developing. cause later on you do get to see more of victor without elizabeth some and get to go "hmm" to all that hes up to.

mathtans

Ha! I like Chapter 3, page 31, where all the dialogue seems to fade out as Victor touches her. Cute.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Besides romance, there is a larger plot posing real and deadly danger to the characters. Who do you think the Angel is? What are the Angel’s goals, and why is she excessively targeting Victor? Further, what do you think the source of her power is? Also, what does have kidnapping people like Ambrose have to do with her goals? Alternatively, is Ambrose there of his own free will (and if so, why)? Considering Abhaya is being sought by Amabel for help, what do you think Abhaya will do? Will Abhaya be able to uncover more of the truth, or is Abhaya just going to get herself into more trouble? How will Abhaya’s involvement affect Elizabeth and herself? Last, can Amabel be trusted, or is it possible she’ll abandon Abhaya when Abhaya might need her?

spoiler Amabel is who I ship Abhaya with

mathtans

Related to those questions, I do wonder a bit if Victor has a sordid past or something. Like maybe his empire wasn't entirely built on the up-and-up... with his knowledge or possibly without it. So there could be a reason there for him to be targeted.

I've looked on the character page and I approve this ship.

RebelVampire

oh yeah. Victor is 100% definitely a scoundrel. There is one scenes that really hints at this, but even before that i agree with you. Victor is not on the up and up entirely. I don't think he made his fortune without cracking a few skulls.

although idk if this is what makes him a target persay

or maybe it oes

but more in the way hes done the forbidden when it comes to tech

mathtans

Was he totally aware of the repercussions of whatever he did though? Because the people around him seem to like to keep him in the dark.

brb

RebelVampire

im sure he knew the repercussions. the people around him are more about keeping him in the dark about romantic matters. cause as was implied by one of the questions later on you find out the main thing ppl arent telling victor is that elizabeth is just there to open him up to the idea of marriage so he can marry a titled lady

cause everyone is all about those titles

In regards to the current question while you're away, I think Abhaya will help Amabel and get herself caught and get into a whole mess of trouble that for once, Elizabeth will have to break her out of. But I think it'll be a dual sword cause I do think Elizabeth's relationship to both Abhaya and Victor is gonna put her in the crosshairs. cause like, what an easy way to get Victor to show up. Get Elizabeth, tell Victor you'll never see her again if you don't show up.

as for the angel's goals, I feel shes on a path of vengence against the entire world, but particularly victor cause hes high up there in the industrialist chain

and knows something she doesnt and that she needs to bring her plans to fruition

mathtans

Back. Okay, that does make sense, darn titles.

Interesting, this Angel talk. I wonder if it's the same "angel" we see in the title card for Chapter 2?

Sounds like you think it's not personal, the Angel's path, merely that Victor is a convenient figurehead.

RebelVampire

i mean the angel is kind of the one from the title card. those are her wings for sure, though she doesnt look quite like that the one time you meet her

it could be personal, but i feel like the angel just has bigger fish to fry

from the impression i got from her

since shes kidnapping a ton of ppl

and you dont need to kidnap ppl to your cause if all youre doing is hunting down some industrialist

who almost got caught

if not for abhaya and elizabeth

mathtans

Ah, so she's the one behind the disappearances then.

(Still reading in the background.)

RebelVampire

yes. i mean its pretty implied but you get confirmation later that yes its her. though you can definitely speculate on the why

cause i have no clue

shes still enigmatic

mathtans

Looking for a husband? ^.^

RebelVampire

shes reading the wrong romance advice book

when elizabeth and her meet, elizabeth will point her in the right direction

and the angel is like "oh wait so youre not supposed to kidnap them? huh?"

mathtans

And then we ship Angel and Elizabeth.

RebelVampire

no. ill ship Abhaya and Angel

Elizabeth and Victor are the OTP

i said but then was like "nah id totally ship Elizabeth with West"

mathtans

Heh. That's fair, they are the main couple. Though West is an interesting guy, just needs to learn social cues.

RebelVampire

nah thats why west is amazing

he doesnt know social cues

and is awkward

yet helpful

and hes the only dude of victor's who seems to be in elizabeth's corner

mathtans

Right. I think it was said that he's not used to the lifestyle?

RebelVampire

yes that is what he said

which makes me want a side chapter just about what he did before he came to victor

cause i dont feel like victor would just hire some rando. he must of seen something in west

mathtans

Maybe he took pity on the guy, something about the scar.

RebelVampire

that could be cause victor understands the burden of scars

or something like that

whereas i just think west's scar gives him character

QUESTION 4. Mixed in with the present drama is a lot of unsolved past drama. Who do you think Victor really is? What do you think happened to Victor based on Milo’s story that he was telling Abhaya? How do you think Victor managed to overcome this to become the person he is today? Also, what do you make of the room Victor seemed to have sealed off in his house? Besides Victor, there is also a lot of drama between Jules, Abhaya, and Milo. What do you think happened between the three of them that managed to damage their relationship forever? Will spending more time together heal their wounds, or is it impossible at this point? Further, what was Jules up to the whole time he was away with Victor? Last, what do you think Jules’ goals were for introducing Elizabeth and Victor, and why does he seem immensely conflicted about her presence?

mathtans

Sorry, biab

RebelVampire

kay

I think Victor was some fellow servant kid who was Jules' only friend after Jules got sent away. And then Victor almost died. Although I'm changing my previous speculations. Maybe the Angel is more literal and she literally showed up, saved Victor with tech with the promise to return, and then left. So now shes back for her comeuppance. Meanwhile, Victor decided technology was great and he needed to bring it to the world cause it was what would keep him alive and save others.

as for the three, at this juncture it seems pretty heavily implied Milo and Jules were in a relationship and that Milo called off the wedding to Abhaya cause he didnt want to live a lie in regards to how he felt about Jules. Regardless of the what, while Milo i feel will legitimately forgive and forget, I dont feel Abhaya or Jules will. Abhaya cause she doesnt seem the type to ever forgive ever. And to just hold onto her hatred and seethe. Jules in the meantime I think wont forgive until he gets revenge in some way. Cause the two probably betrayed his trust big time and he kind of got the most screwed over by what happened

i think Jules wanted them to meet for the exact reason that the others implied: they want Victor to warm up to the idea of women so he can get married. However, I feel Jules now feels like a jerk who is taking out his anger at Abhaya on Elizabeth who had 0% to do with what happened between the three. and yet he knows hes in too deep to turn back now.

mathtans

Could be that Victor was initially poor... in fact maybe he married into the company somehow? Could the Angel be his wife? o.o

I wondered about Milo and Jules. My initial thought had been that Abhaya had called off the engagement though, so that's an interesting other look at things.

Jules and Elizabeth were close too, back in the day. One wonders if he's that good at seeing how things play out long term.

RebelVampire

nah its definitely his company. but victor was probably poor. if only cause everyone calls him new money. so it means he has no predecessor parent who made their fortune.

Jules strikes me more as the type who things hes great at planning but really, really, really isnt

and then tons of consequences come about that he has to accept and deal with

mathtans

That makes sense and could explain the sympathy for West too, maybe he knows West even though it doesn't necessarily go both ways.

Yeah, Jules seems to think he's got everything well in hand but he doesn't seem to account for the human factor.

Made it to the end of Chapter 4/Act 1 now. Apparently the Angel kidnaps people to literally graft wings onto her spine. Ouch.

Interesting callback to Victor's wounded leg though.

RebelVampire

i think even more than the human factor, Jules is just bad at making plan Bs for when things do go wrong. then panics and makes bad decisions

like not telling victor the factory is in danger

mathtans

Maybe that thing that Victor has in the factory is a time machine. Turns out he's actually from the future, he brought back all the technology and that's why the Angel is after him, she thinks it's stolen.

You're not wrong there, about Jules.

RebelVampire

ya know...i can support this time traveler theory. i mean it doesnt quite fit considering flashbacks

but id 100% buy victor built a time machine

cause why not

victor is amazing

mathtans

Maybe his company is corrupt because they're still trying to get the patents.

RebelVampire

i mean

its a company

so its probably corrupt to some degree regardless

mathtans

That's also a good point.

RebelVampire

i mean i can point out the fact they want victor to marry a titled lady to be a form of corruption. cause thats just marrying someone to advance your social standing for the business

mathtans

I guess we're near the end... haven't said anything about the art yet. I suppose I like the shading, and I thought the sound effect use was clever.

Need someone to star in the commercials.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my wife loves this new device I call a roomba."

RebelVampire

i really love the clothes. i mean theyre simple, and yet all seem to fit within the period that this comic is trying to go for

but if they get a roomba what are the house wives supposed to do

not sit at home cooking and cleaning all day?

also about the art, i really love the steampunk designs. you can definitely tell the steampunk inspiration in them, yet theyre really unique and not really like any steampunk ive seen before

and i can for sure appreciate uniqueness

mathtans

Yeah, that's true. And there was that neat detail of the corset being laced up the front, I wouldn't have thought of that.

Uniqueness is good. I wonder what the machine connection will end up being.

With the whole "maiden of the machine" thing there. (Won't be a roomba, after all.)

RebelVampire

ah thats a good point as well. i loved that detail about the maid being able to tell elizabeth didnt have a maid

mathtans

Maybe Elizabeth gets upgraded too.

RebelVampire

the comic was about the angel all along

and the angel's victory

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up our final Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Caitlin Like, as well, for making Maiden of the Machine. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Caitlin Like’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: https://maidenmachine.com/

Caitlin Like’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CaitlinLike

Caitlin Like’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/caitlike

Caitlin Like’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlike

[canislupus-exe]

HI ITS VIV HI, you know me but: im 5'2 (for now) and i have a half shaved head witch is also blue. i love space, i love tranquility, activism, passion, CUDDLES, self-expression is very important and in a relationship, i would probably be slightly clingy. id also be cuddly and comforting, maybe even too loving that they feel slightly suffocated (its happened to me before). i like a balance between deep tranquility and intense passion. FIND ME A BAE BOO XOXOXOXOXOX (lol did i do this right?)

I ship you with…

Phil Lester!

Phil was obviously the more joyful of him and Dan. He had a smile on his face almost 24/7 and he was just generally a smiley person. That’s why, when he met you, one of his favorite YouTubers, he was so happy. You were also very familiar with him totally not because you’ve had an internet crush on him forever though. You talked for a little while, but then when he realized you were holding up the Starbucks line, you parted ways. Not before exchanging number, of course.

When you two were just friends, you guys platonically cuddled a lot. Even though you both had crushes on each other, he knew you did it with everyone so he didn’t think much of it. He wanted to though. He wanted to think you were cuddling him because you liked him just as much as he liked you. He didn’t know it, but you did like him just as much, if not more.

He loved how passionate you were about things. He could listen to you talk for hours. But along with your enthusiasm, he also loved how peaceful you could be. Just being in each others presence was great sometimes. No need to say anything, just to sit with your head laying on his shoulders and not giving another care.

His favorite memory of you definitely had to be when he asked you out. You were so incredibly happy that you actually screamed. For the first weeks of you dating, you barely let him out of your sight, which he was okay with. He found it adorable that you were so clingy.

You sighed quietly, staring at the clock on the wall as the seconds ticked by. A frown was etched onto your face as you waited for Phil to get back from the store. He had only been gone for about 15 minutes but you were already anxiously awaiting his return.

You could hear the door opened and you sat up. You ran into the living room, smiling wide as you watched Phil enter and hang his keys up.

“You’re home!” You shouted happily, rushing over to him and hugging him. He stumbled back slightly before laughing. Even though you were so small, you always seemed to bring him off balance.

“ I wasn’t even gone for that long.” He replied, kissing the top of your head.

“I know. I just missed you.” You said, still not letting go. He smiled before wrapping his arms around you.

“I missed you too, love.”

Lance McClain!

When Lance first saw you, he didn’t know what to think. You were a human, that much was obvious, but why you were millions of miles from earth, he couldn’t tell. Yet, you were a female so he did what was expected. You felt really flattered that he was flirting with you, and he was surprised that you didn’t reject him.

You were taken back to the Castle of Lions and to say Lance was excited was an understatement. Human girls were scarce in space, so finding one who didn’t think he was childish was exhilarating. At first, his flirting was kind of meaningless, but the more he got to know you, the more depth it had. He found that he actually really liked you.

He started really noticing things about you after this. He noticed how much you could talk about the stars. He noticed how passionate you were when you did. He noticed how much positivity you put into the world and how cute you looked when you laughed. Just everything about you seemed to make his heart beat out of his chest.

He wanted to get to know you more. He wanted to know the small things and the big things. He wanted to know all of it. He also wanted to call you his girlfriend and when the whole space battle thing was over, he wanted to introduce you to his family. But he had to get to know more. That was first on the list.

There was a quiet knock on your door, causing you to pause your music and shout for them to come in. Your door slid open and you saw Lance, leaning on the frame with a small smile. You sat up and returned the smile.

“Hey.” You said.

“Hey. What’re you up to?” He asked. You sighed quietly.

“Just looking for my friends.” You replied, gazing at your hands somberly.

“Your friends?” He inquired, sitting next to you. You glanced at him before smiling again.

“Yeah. Three ;) of my friends left the Garrison one night to check out some suspicious activity and they… They never came back. I haven’t stopped looking for them since.” You replied, trying to keep your smile solid. Lance frowned.

“I’m sorry to hear that. What about your family though? Don’t you ever miss them?” He asked. You pursed your lips.

“Lance, there’s lots you don’t know about me or my family.” You replied, trying your best to sound nonchalant and not odd. Lance thought for a second before deciding to take his shot.

“Well, I’d like to. Know more about you, I mean.” He said. You raised your eyebrows.

“Really?” You asked. He laughed quietly.

“Really.”

Mabel Pines!

It was no surprise to anyone that you and Mabel were friends. Hell, you two were practically the same person. You were both very passionate and loved cuddles. You both had annoying brothers and a love for space. It was like you guys were made to be best friends. Well, that’s what everyone else thought. You knew you were meant to be so much more.

Mabel loved touching your hair. It was one of her favorite things about you. Other than absolutely everything, of course. She loved how it wasn’t “the norm”. Not very many girls had half shaved blue hair and that’s what really made Mabel love it. You were one of a kind.

Both you and Mabel were very clingy, so it was a happy middle agreement that either barely left the sight of the other. I mean, you guys were so in love that neither of you minded. In fact, you were glad this was the way it was. It might sound cheesy or cliche but she truly did make you feel those stupid butterflies.

You sighed quietly, snuggling your face into Mabel’s sweater. You tightened your arms around her, moving your mouth so you could be heard.

“Hey Dipper.” You said,

“What do you want?” He asked, not taking his eyes off his book.

“Can you get me some Pit Cola?” You asked.

“Get it yourself.” He replied. You frowned.

“But I’m comfyyyyyy.” You replied, snuggling further into Mabel. Dipper glanced at you and his sister before rolling his eyes,

“Fine.” He grumbled, setting down the journal and walking out.

“You know, I could’ve just gotten it with my… GRAPPLING HOOK!” Mabel shouted, pulling out her great uncle’s gift from seemingly nowhere.

“Babe, your grappling hook can’t do everything.” You replied.

“Can too.” She replied. You sighed.

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

And…

Brendon Urie!

When he first met you, he thought you were absolutely stunning. From your out of norm hair to your small stature, he just felt something with you he didn’t feel with anyone else. He didn’t really think it was love at first, but as he got to know you more, he realized you didn’t often feel the urge to kiss your friend. After he came to that conclusion, it was like everything was put into perspective.

What he was feeling wasn’t what you feel for a friend. No. What he was feeling was what love felt like. The pleasant wretching in his stomach when he looked at you, the smile that automatically fell on his face when he heard your name, the heat rushing to his face when he heard you laugh. All of it was his love for you.

His plan to tell you wasn’t exactly the best, but it was good enough for him. He planned on having a simple movie night and during a boring scene to casually admit his undying love for you. See? I told you it wasn’t the best. Far from it, actually.

You sighed contently, leaning your head on Brendon’s shoulder. You watched as the scene began to fall, your eyes beginning to become droopy.

“Hey (Y/n),” Brendon asked.

“Hmm?” You mumbled, snuggling farther under the blanket.

“I love you.” He said. You smiled.

“I love you too.” You replied. He sighed quietly.

“No, I mean like I really love you. Like I want you to be my girlfriend love you.” He said, adjusting his position.

“I know Brendon.”

“So… You will be my girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“Sick.”

[danceyreagan]

Isaiah Jesus~ First Date

gif not mine. Beta’d by @black-john-lennon

Here it is guys 2085 words of pure Isaiah and Mona

First Meeting  Second Meeting Third Meeting  Backstory  Backstory pt II

Part Four.  Moodboards.

Isaiah’s heartbeat nearly beat out of his chest. After speaking with Finn about the conversation with Mona in the jewelry store he reported everything back to Isaiah. “She likes you mate, I’m sure of it. It’s your job she doesn't like.” Finn also went on to inform him about the women he slept with at Mona’s work. Isaiah cursed himself, but wasn’t too surprised, he had terrible luck when it came to Mona and trying to win her over. Unsure of what to do next, he figured it was best to ask his father for advice.

“How’d you get mom to go out with you?” Isaiah asked his father late that night when returned home from preaching.

“I showed her respect and treated her like she was different, special even. If you want a woman to believe she’s important to you, you can’t treat her like anyone else on the street.”

That’s how he found himself, walking into Mona’s job, a single yellow chrysanthemum in hand, heart beating a mile a minute. His blood ran cold with nerves, his hands were clammy. He was prepared to make himself look foolish just for the prospect of a date. Taking His father's words quite literally, he opted for the less popular but equally beautiful flower because they were his mother's favorite, and the so often decorated his home as a child.

Entering the tailors, Isaiah spotted Mona sitting towards the back, fast at work on her sewing machine. He took a second to admire the sight. Her eyebrows furrowed, deep in concentration as she passed the garment through the needle. God was she beautiful.

“Isaiah?”  he heard a voice call from behind. He turned around to find Lucy, one of he poor unfortunate women he had the pleasure of sharing a lustful evening with.

 “Can I help you?” she asked.  Isaiah felt a twinge of guilt remembering how he ignored her after their night together.

“May I please have a word with Mona?” rolling her eyes Lucy walked past Isaiah up to Mona and whispered in her ear. She looked up and straight at the counter where she met eyes with Isaiah and smiled.

“Is everything alright? How are Tabby and Jeremiah?” Mona was genuinely concerned, she was sure something tragic happened. Why else would he come to her job,

Isaiah’s heart was in his stomach, and he was aware of six pairs of very sharp eyes staring daggers at them. He abruptly he shoved the flower in her hand and blurted his words out so quickly they came out as a jumble of sounds that were barely comprehensible.

“I was wondering if you would like you to go on a date with me on Saturday?” He gave her an awkward smile,snatched his hat off his head and turned his hat in his hands.  Mona’s bit her lip to try to keep her laughter in, but there was no hope. Her shoulders began to shake and her eyes watered, and before Isaiah had time to react she let out a deep guttural laugh.

“Im sorry, what?” She asked through her laughter.

Isaiah knew there was a chance for her to say no, but to flat out laugh in his face was just rude. He wanted to disappear. The floor could swallow him whole and take him to an eternity hellfire and that  would still be better than this.

“What’s so funny?” “

“You! You should see your face” Mona attempted to recreate the scene but she was laughing too hard. Isaiah couldn't help but smile to himself. The sound of her laughter was his favorite sound in the world.

“Stop laughing” he said trying himself to keep from laughing.

“Okay” Mona straightened up, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Sorry.”

“So?” He asked nerves still getting the better of him.

“So...yes. I’ll go on a date with you Isaiah Jesus”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The date was planned and Isaiah was ready. He was aware a lavish night on the town in some swanky club was not Mona’s scene. Besides, he wanted to have a quiet outing where he could conduct a real conversation. When he learned from his sister that Mona had never been on a horse, he arranged a date at Arrow House. With Tommy’s blessings and keys to the stables, he planned a short horseback ride to a small pond where they would have a picnic. Polly assisted by making the sandwiches. She was proud, it was more than her whore groping son and nephews ever asked from her.

“My God, you must really like her” She said as she packed the basket with sandwiches.

“Thank God you're not like my Michael. I’ll be dead in the ground before he ever settles down”

She made her way to the liquor cabinet and handed him a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

“For your nerves.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you scared?” Isaiah asked as he opened the stable door for her.

She looked beautiful. She wore a grey riding suit she borrowed from Tabby that Isaiah had seen a million times. However, on Mona it looked brand new.  She managed to make the semi cheap fabric look like it cost top dollar and her brown skin and eyes seemed to glow in the sunlight. The wind kicked up at just right moments allowing her short hair to billow behind her. Isaiah found himself mesmerized by her beauty with each passing moment.

She gave a tight lipped smile and slight nod in response.

“A bit yeah”

“You’ll be fine. I promise. Butterscotch here,won't hurt you.” He said motioning to the light brown horse with a white stripe running down his long face. The horse brayed and huffed as he led him out of the stable on to the open grounds of Arrow House.

“Take your left leg and place it here. He instructed pointing to the bottom of the saddle.

“As you pull yourself up swing your right leg up and over the saddle.”

Mona did as she was told and mounted the horse with ease. Isaiah went on to instruct Mona on how to direct the horse using the reigns. She was great at following instructions, and such a natural that he wondered if she was lying about this being her first time.

“You’re a natural” Isaiah encouraged as he looked up at Mona with a smile.

“I just have a good instructor,” she smiled back making eye contact with him. It dawned on her, this was the most time she had ever spent with him. It was second nature. She felt comfortable and safe. Besides, her nerves about the horse, she was completely comfortable in his presence.

Although Mona was doing a wonderful job, he still waited 15 minutes before mounting his horse and leading her to the picnic. Instead he walked side by side with her and butterscotch giving her instruction until she assured him she was confident enough to lead the horse on her own.

Once on his horse dark grey horse Storm, he instructed Mona to follow him. They rode around the grassy knoll for another 20 minutes before he led her to the pond where the picnic was set up.

“What’s all this?” Mona asked, she really was not expecting more. The lesson and horse riding was enough for her. She was pleasantly surprised at the thought and efforts he put forth to show her a good time.

Next to the pond was a large green quilt that was spread open on the grass. There was a woven basket and a bottle of champagne, two plates, and two champagne flutes placed on the edge. But to top everything off there was a single yellow chrysanthemum in a vase in the center of the blanket.

“Do you like it?” Isaiah asked cautiously.

As he dismounted Storm and tied his reigns to a branch. He made his way over to butterscotch taking the reins from Mona and giving her instruction on how to get down. Standing close enough behind her to catch her in case she lost balance.

Mona walked over to the set up, taking note of each item before turning to Isaiah who was watching her with anticipation.

“Yeah. it looks nice. Haven't tasted the food yet, so I'm not completely sure.” She smiled at him letting him know it was a joke.

“I went through all this trouble to poison you with sandwiches. You’ve figured me out” he said sarcastically.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mona was currently sat across from Isaiah wiping her tears from her eyes, clutching her side as he told an embarrassing story from his childhood. It involved him trying to hop a fence and splitting his pants right down the ass crack when him and Finn were trying to leave school early when he were thirteen. Isaiah couldn’t help but think how he wouldn't mind hearing that sound every day for the rest of his life. He was ok telling humiliating stories and embarrassing himself, if it meant he could see her smile. The way the corners of her eyes and nose wrinkled, with that extra sparkle in her eyes was enough for him to propose marriage there on the spot.

“You really do have the worst luck” mona laughed out finally composing herself. She was having a good time. A great time. Isaiah was not his jo, she learned that today. . He was a nice man. A gentleman, who so far treated her the way she knew she deserved. As the laughter subsided, they sat there for a few seconds staring each other in the eyes. Noting the awkward silence start build Mona decided it was her turn to try and make Isaiah laugh.

“Wanna hear a joke?”

Isaiah smiled and nodded. “Yeah, okay”

“What did the ocean say to the other ocean?”

“Hmm...dont know”

“Nothing, they just waved” Mona could barely get the words out over her laughter and Isaiah just sat there. Watching her laugh at her terrible joke. She had such a strong laugh. It was like it started all that way from the soles of her feet. She looked up noticing he was just smiling.

“What?” She asked,confused

“Nothing.”

Wanna hear another?

“Sure”

“Why do they put fences in front of graveyards?”

“Why?”

“Because people are dying to get in”

He turned his nose up in horror.

“Ah, thats just wrong”  he couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that Mona was clearly tickled by her own terrible jokes. Right then a strong gust of wind kicked up, knocking over the empty glasses.

“It's getting cold. Come on, lets head back” he said standing up and reaching his hand out to pull Mona up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I had a great time.” Mona said making her way to her front door with Isaiah quick on her heels.

“You sound surprised”

“I am a bit yeah, I heard about you. Isaiah Jesus. loves to show women a great time.”

Isaiah felt the sting right in his chest as his heart fell to his stomach. And he looked down at his feet with a frown on his face.

“Sorry.” It was meant to be a joke, but it came out harsher than she expected.

“Well I was going to ask you for another date but I don't think I will now.”

“What makes you think I’d say yes?” She asked smiling and raising her eyebrows at him in question.

“Well you just said you had a great time.”

“I might have just been saving your feelings. Wouldn't want to make you cry and all that.”

“The date wasn't as bad as your jokes”

“Now you're being mean. My jokes were funny.”

Isaiah raised his hands in surrender. “Ok. Ok. It's just nice to know you're not perfect.”

“What do you mean? Of course I’m perfect.” She pushed his shoulder playfully, in response.

“So, how about it?”

“That depends”

“On what?”

“If you ask me nicely.”

“Mona, My Dearest , would you do me the honor of having dinner with me next Friday? He took a beat before he started up again.  I” promise I’ll laugh at your jokes.”

“Hmm.” Mona made show of her contemplation by tapping her finger to her chin. Then she surprised both herself and Isaiah and leaned forward and kissing him on the cheek, and turned to enter her home looking back once more with a smile on her face.

“Yes”

Isaiah smiled to himself as he turned to walk to his car.

“I’m gonna marry her” 

@allaboutjoecole  @twistedrunes @thewanderingblinder  @pb-bonniegold

Feedback is Always Welcome! Inbox Open. 

[untaemedqueen]

Please Take Care of Us > k.th

Chapter 14.

Jin hyung wakes up and looks over at me as the plane starts to descend. "I hope Odeng and Eomuk are okay." He says and I look over at him pausing my music. "Byungchan will take care of them. I'm sure they're okay." I say and he nods. I look over at Yuna as my ears pop. I grunt holding my ears and I hear a whine from the front. Jimin sits up immediately and looks around her seat. He doesn't have any sisters and I overheard him talking to Jungkook about how he wants to protect Yuna like his own sister. "Please fasten your seatbelts." The stewardess says walking through the 1st class cabin. "Go ahead. Fasten it." I hear Jimin say. She grabs his hand and looks behind to him. He fastens his seatbelt and holds her hand in the aisle. I put my seatbelt on and stare at her through the gap. She looks totally scared. I fold my arms and look up at the ceiling. I want to go over and hold her and tell her it'll be okay. Jooheon is there for that... I scoff and put my headphones back in. Jimin will take care of Yuna. No doubt.

We step off the plane and Yuna looks at us all. "Let's go collect our bags." She says. As the doors open for us to leave the Gate, screams erupt as we step out. Yuna goes wide-eyed and ushers us to the side while we wait for security. The fans were endless. I smile and wave at them. Japan ARMY always gives us such a good reception. Monbebe's were mixed in with our fans and they all looked happy and excited. "Taehyung!" I hear from the crowd and look around before smiling and waving. "Let's go." Yuna says with Jimin hot on her trail. The security walk behind us and as we walk a hand reaches out and grabs Yuna pulling her into the crowd. "YUNA!" Jimin screams trying to grab her hand. "YUNA!" I scream looking for her. All the girls and screams completely hide her from us. Airport security push people moving them to find her and I stand frozen with my eyes open wide trying to see her. "Fuck." Yoongi says stepping forward going to look for her and Monsta X's manager pulls him back. A circle forms in the sea of people and security bend down. Security start running away towards someone and Yuna is escorted back to us with scratches on her neck and on her hands. She runs to me and I hug her tightly before examining her neck. "A guy just grabbed me and tried to take me with him!" She says wildly, obviously frightened. I take off my bomber jacket and sling it over her shoulders. "Some girls tried to stop him but ended up scratching me when he ran away." She says starting to cry. I lift the jacket over her head and pull her close to me. "I'm here. It's okay." I whisper to her and she clutches onto my waist. "Let's get our stuff and go to the hotel." Monsta X's manager say behind us and we all turn to him and nod. "We are going to the same place." He says, "Find that man. Arrest him." Jimin yells in Japanese before we start walking. We wave at the fans once more before walking to baggage claim. Yuna is crying into my chest. "I know, it's scary." Jooheon walks next to us and rubs her back. I look over at him and look back straight. I shouldn't be selfish in this situation. "Why does everything always happen to me?" Yuna whine wiping her eyes. We get to baggage claim and grab our bags quickly before security takes us to the VIP Lounge as we wait for our car. I grab Yuna's backpack and open it as she sits down. I grab a tissue from the side table and wipe her eyes before grabbing her cosmetics bag. I pull out her CC Cream and a disposable sponge and apply some to her face since her tears made her makeup streaky. She sniffles and look down at me as I sit in front of her. "I'm sorry I didn't grab you faster." I whisper to her. She shakes her head and looks around at everyone. "I'm sorry." She says loudly. Everyone shakes their heads and comforts her. "It was scary." Monsta X's manager says and she nods. "I'm a horrible manager." She says as I fix her eyeliner. I turn her face to look at me. "You are doing a good job." I say to her and she frowns. "Your cars have arrived." A security guard says in Japanese and we nod and stand up. "The cars are here." I tell her as she looks around confused. "Oh." She says before standing. I put her cosmetics pouch away and she grabs her backpack. "Let's get out of here." She says before clearing her throat. I put my jacket over her shoulders again and we walk out with more security then we had at the beginning. Once we start walking Yuna takes off the jacket and looks around. "That's the guy!" She says pointing at a man in a black jacket with sunglasses and a face mask on. A security runs and grabs him. He stares in Yuna's direction and Yoongi and Namjoon cover her with their bodies as I pull her close to me. "Put your head down." I say staring at the guy. Disgusting pig. Minhyuk walks behind her with Wonho and she's gone from his sight. "Don't worry." I say before Jimin stands next to her and grabs her hand. "You're safe." He says as she dips her head lower. "Fuck you!" Jooheon yells and gets a hand over his mouth from his manger. "Jooheon!" The manager scolds and he saunters off next to Jimin. Let's get to the hotel...

We get out of the car and Yuna seems to have composed herself during the ride. She steps out without a word and waits for us all to get out. "See you guys later." She says as Monsta X gets out of their car. They wave, "See you later." Minhyuk says happily. Does she have plans with them later? I get out and grab my luggage out of the big trunk as well as Yuna's luggage. We start to walk inside and she walks towards the walk in desk. "Hi, checking in." She says with a small smile. "Welcome! Can I have your names?" Yuna relays our names pointing to us individually and the older lady looks at the computer confused. "Are you their manager?" She asks looking from Yuna to the screen. "Yes, she is. Im Byung Chan couldn't make it." Namjoon hyung says from the back. "I see. One second please." The hostess says before picking up the phone. She starts speaking Japanese and Yuna looks lost and also worried. Namjoon steps forward since he knows the most Japanese. I look at the lady confused. She sets down the phone and smiles back at us. "There's 4 rooms for this party. There seems to have been a mistake." She says nervously, Yuna looks at Namjoon hyung and tilts her head and he translates. "I have to share a room with one of you?!" She says confused. He nods. "Who's Yuna sharing a room with?" I look back at the hostess and smile making eye contact and point at myself secretly. She looks at me and then back at the computer before clicking something. "Kim Taehyung." She says before looking back up. Yuna looks over at me quickly and I smile. "Roomie." I say over to her. She stares at me before looking at Namjoon. "Ask her for another room!" She says quickly pushing his shoulder. I frown as Namjoon asks the hostess. She looks at me and I give her a serious face. Please read this face correctly. I plead silently. "Unfortunately, we have no other rooms currently." She says and I stifle a smile by biting my lip. Namjoon tells Yuna and she whines. "Fine." She mutters before folding her arms. Why, is sharing a room with me torture or something? The hostess gives us our room key cards and smiles. "Have a nice stay." She says before smiling at me. "Arigato!" I say loudly. She winks at me before sitting back down at the front desk. "705." I say to Yuna as we walk towards the elevator. She nods before looking at everyone else. "I'm with Yoongi." Namjoon says, "I'm with Jin hyung." Hoseok says with a smile. "I'm with the maknae." Jimin says shoving Jungkook. Yuna smiles at them, "It's only for a few days anyway!" She says before looking at me. She look back down and her cheeks turn a little red. Was she thinking of this morning? I couldn't wait to do that to her! The look on her face was so priceless. She really looked so shocked. We step into an elevator and go up to the 7th floor. Jungkook and Jimin's room was next door to ours. "Let's do a Vlive tomorrow night." Jimin says and I nod, "Sounds fun to me! What should we do today?" I ask as we stand in front of our doors in the hallway. "Let's get settled and then get food. We can plan stuff in a few hours. It's only 8 a.m." Namjoon says before looking at Yuna. "Manager? Is that okay?" She nods and shrugs before grabbing her neck and grunting. "Let's meet back up in a few hours." She says, "I'm going to take a nap." Yoongi hyung says entering his room first. Yuna enters the room and I follow behind her. She sets her suitcase aside and then jumps on the bed before looking at me. "No funny business." She says sternly wagging her finger at me. I smile and set my bag down. "No funny business manager-nim." I say before going and sitting down next to her. "Can I clean your cuts for you?" I ask, she hesitates before grabbing my arm. "I can do it." She says quickly as I get up. I grab a hand towel and wet it with warm water in the bathroom before walking to her. "Let me see." I say to her. She lifts her head high and I run the towel over her neck. She whines and grips my wrist. "It's almost over." I whisper and she grunts again. I clean some dried blood off her neck and then grab her hand gently. "Fucking asshole, grabbing you like that." I mutter and she looks at me surprised. "Yes, Kim Taehyung has the ability to curse too." I say petting her hair. "Don't do it! It doesn't match you." She says shaking her hand at me. I start to rub the towel on her hand and look at her eyes. She cried so much the past few hours and she drank alcohol so her face was puffy. She looked like a puffy otter. Cute. She isn't the first western girl I've thought was beautiful but she is the first one I can get to know and all of her charms and sides are beautiful. "Yuna." I whisper and she looks up at me. "Hmm?" She asks tilting her head to the side and I smile widely. Come to me. "Nothing." I say booping her nose and standing. "All done." I say walking back to the bathroom. I'll be in this room with Yuna for 4 days. Almost all full week! I clap happily throwing the towel into the hamper. I look in the mirror and fix my hair before walking back out to Yuna. "Which bed do you want?" She asks laying down on the bed next to the window. "Whichever one you don't want." I say sitting on the opposite bed. Yuna phone starts ringing and she raises an eyebrow. "Hello? Byung Chan oppa!" She says and I lay on my side and stare at her. "Wait. Wait. Wait." She says before sitting up. I put my hand under my chin and smile while looking at her. "Let me write it down or I'll forget." She says before laughing. She grabs a notepad and a pen from the bedside table and looks over at me. "What're you doing?" She mouths and I shrug and continue to smile at her. She rolls her eyes with a laugh. "Go ahead oppa." She says laying down on her stomach. I peak over at the notepad and she's writing in English. "Okay. So what do I do when they arrive?" She asks before flippig onto her back quickly. "Oh...They're here already. So what do I do? Mmmm." She mutters staring at the ceiling. She huffs out. "Just get better so you can come over here and save me!" She says with a laugh. "So when they go to do a rehearsal?" Just staring at her is giving me energy. We have the whole day, I wonder what we will do with our day. "Okay. I'll go downstairs and greet them." She says standing up. I look up at her and she's already putting on her shoes. "Mmmm. Okay." She says before hanging up. "I'll be back." She says grabbing her key card. "Where are you going?" I ask disappointed. "I have to go make sure all the people that are helping with the concert get their rooms okay. Plus our security guards." She opens the door and waves a bit before leaving. "Now I'm alone." I pout and look over at the closet. I'll hang up our clothes while I wait. I grab her suitcase and open it up and everything was scattered. "Aigo. So messy." I say with a laugh before grabbing hangers from the closet. I hang up her stuff before grabbing my suitcase. I hang my stuff up next to hers and stare at the closet. Our styles are so different. Anything she wears, she looks good. She has a variety of clothing from loose, swag clothing to black tight fitting clothes with leather and studs. She looks good in everything. I sigh and place our shoes in the closet before closing it. That took all of 10 minutes... Now what? I grab her cosmetics bag and mine and walk over to the bathroom. The bathroom counters were large enough for both of our bags. I set up both of our stuff and put the clay mask jar I put on her yesterday in front of her stuff. Although the jar is expensive I want Yuna to have nice skin. I want her to be as radiant as she is inside. I clap my hands satisfied and stand in the bathroom. We'll wake up together and sleep next to each other. We can watch t.v. together. Play games together... I smile at the thought. I wonder how long Yuna is going to take downstairs. I walk out of the bathroom and jump on the bed. "BORING." I yell grabbing my phone. I unlock my phone and stare at the screen. I'll start a Vlive. I turn on Vlive and sit there with a smile on my face fixing my hair. "Everyone! Shall I play you all some music?" I ask before grabbing my speaker. "Everyone. Please come into my Vlive." I say happily. I grab my speaker and turn it on before thinking. If Yuna comes in the room it'll be a big problem. "Let's go visit, Jimin!" I say getting up quickly. 15,000 in the Vlive already. I grab my hotel key card and rush out of the room. "Shall we see what Jimin and Jungkook are up too?" I ask walking to their door. I knock loudly. "ARMY is here!" I cheer in the hallway. Jimin answers the door and smiles. "A Vlive already?" He asks walking into the room. "Everyone we just got to Japan for our Interim concert Japan series!" Jungkook says laying on his bed. "Has everyone eaten?" I ask looking at the screen. 100,000. "There is 100,000 ARMY's watching us." I say and Jimin looks at the camera. "Oh! So nice!" He says clapping. "We will do another Vlive tomorrow too." Jungkook says sitting up. I read some of the comments. "Yoongi hyung is sleeping." I say answering a fan. "Shall we play music?" Jimin asks grabbing Jungkook's bluetooth speaker. "What do we plan to do on our off day?" I ask reading a comment. "Sleep and eat and play games and maybe shop." Jungkook says quickly. I nod and give a half smile. When will Yuna come back upstairs... Jimin turns on our song dimple and I smile at him. Yuna has one small dimple on the left side of her cheek when she gives a small smile. It's really cute. Jimin jumps up on the bed with his legs tucked underneath him. "Are our Japanese fans excited?!" He yells turning up the music. I laugh and lay back on the bed before looking around. Although Yuna and I's room is identical the vibes are totally different. I hear talking in the hallway. "Everyone! We will continue a vlive tomorrow night! Stay tuned." I say before looking at the other guys. "Bye everyone! We will see you tomorrow!" Jimin says waving. "Jungkook. Say goodbye." Jimin says jumping on Jungkook. "Bye!" Jungkook yells waving and pushing Jimin off him. I close my phone and smile at them. "Don't do anything dirty to my sister." Jimin says sitting up quickly. "I'm not a dirty person!" I say shoving him. He looks at me seriously. "Hold yourself back, Taehyung." He says wagging his finger. "I'm not going to do anything." I say holding my hands up defensively. Jungkook just looks up at me. "She's like a dream. We want to have her but we can't. We want to protect her and call her ours but we can't. We can only watch her from afar and never have her. Don't break your promise!" Jungkook says seriously. I know that Jungkook has a lot of love in his heart for her. We promised last night that we would all protect her as a group and not go for her individually. I nod to him. "I know." I mutter before getting up. "You know how much she means to all of us." Jimin says folding his arms. Will you continuously scold me like a child? "Ya! I said okay." I say annoyed. "You say okay. But then you'll see her and forget." Jimin says. My best friend really knows me well. "I won't forget." I say to them walking towards the door. "Promise me!" Jungkook says loudly and I turn back to him. "Yes. Kookie, I promise." I say before opening the door. I step into the hallway and Yuna is pointing to a few rooms for the staff that are doing the set for the concert. They nod to her and I enter our room. I lay on my bed and sigh. "T.V." I mutter before turning on the television. When will Yuna come back in the room?! I flip through the channels. Our Japanese classes did me some good but not enough. I leave on a Japanese daytime drama as the door opens. Act cool Taehyung. I look over at Yuna. "Is everything okay?" I ask her and she smiles with a nod. She walks past my bed and throws herself down on her bed. "Are you excited to be in Japan?" I ask her muting the t.v. She looks over at me. "I am but after this morning I don't really want to go outside." She says before looking at the ceiling. I nod and sigh. "I'll look out for you more." I say before sitting up. She gets up and grabs her phone. My phone vibrates and I look down. Let's meet in the hallway for 11. I open the group chat and send a thumbs up emoticon and she laughs. "Isn't it boring to be in hotel rooms all the time and you can't go anywhere?" She asks looking around. "We go out sometimes. At like 2 in the morning." I say to her and she looks at me wide-eyed. "I'll be asleep." She says and I smile. I can't wait to see her sleeping figure when I wake up. She grabs her backpack and pulls out her gaming laptop. "What else did you bring?" I ask and she hands me her bag. She brought her Switch too. "We can play it later." She says and I nod happily. "I wanna play games with you." I say clapping. She laughs and opens her laptop. I jump onto her bed and sit next to her as she opens up her gaming account. "Some of my games don't work in Korea. Maybe they'll work here." She says looking at me. She looks down at how close we are moves away from me a small bit. I smirk and move next to her and she looks up at me before moving away again. I laugh and move next to her. She moves again and she starts to fall off the bed with a yelp. I grab her waist and pull her to me before grabbing her laptop. "Taehyung!" She says hitting my shoulder and I smirk and move over a bit giving her room. "That's not nice." She mutters grabbing her laptop. "What kind of games do you like?" I ask changing the subject. "Relaxing games, collecting games. I can play Overwatch too and LOL. I like both relaxing and FPS games." She says grabbing her cordless mouse. I look down at her and she opens up a relaxing game. "It's so cute!" I say looking at her pixeled character. She smiles and starts to collect wood and rocks on the screen. I lay back and watch her play. It's entertaining all on its own. "So if I collect these then I can sell them or store them to make stuff to make me more money." She says happily before looking at me. She's so excited over this game, I can't help but smile. So this is the type of person she is. This is what she likes. "Did you bring your laptop?" She asks me and I nod. "It's not a gaming laptop though." I mutter and she looks at me. "You must be bored." She says sadly. I shake my head. "No! I like to watch you play." She looks at me unconvinced. "Want to play my Switch?" "Do what you want to do. You had a rough morning." I say ruffling her hair. She frowns and saves her game. "Let's play my Switch." She shuts her laptop and puts it off to the side. "Okay!" I say happily. I grab her backpack and she pulls out the Switch and a bunch of wires. "I'll plug them in." I say grabbing the wires and walking to the t.v. Yuna puts the Switch on the base and claps her hands expectantly. I push the t.v. and plug in the wires before looking at Yuna. She jumps up on the bed and grabs the remote. "Oh...what?" She mutters looking at the remote. I peak over. "It's all in Kanji." She says with a pout looking up at me. "Cute." I whisper before grabbing the remote. I push the Input button and change the channel on the tv. "That should be good." I say sitting back onto Yuna's bed. I grab the Bluetooth speaker and start to play some classical music. "You sleep with this music on all night?" Yuna asks turning on the Switch. I nod. "It stimulates your brain while you sleep." I say and she gives me an impressed look. "Kim Taehyung!" She says impressed giving me a thumbs up. I smile widely at her compliment and grab one of the Switch remotes. "Shall we race?" She asks hovering over Mario Kart. "Oh yes!" I yell happily wiggling my body on the bed to fix my positioning. We start picking our characters I select Toad and Yuna frowns. "Do you like Toad?" I ask her and she shrugs, "Him and Princess Daisy." She says selecting Princess Daisy. "In advance, I apologize for my anger, aggression and my cursing." She says bowing her head. I laugh and bow back. "I'm very quiet. I'm a man on a mission." I say and she laughs. She shows me the buttons to play and I nod listening. "Are you ready?" She says jumping her body up and down excitedly. I look over at her and my heart floods with joy. "Yes!" I say happily. "I won't go easy on you!" She wags her finger in my face and I grab her hand. "As expected." I whisper and she laughs. "Let's go go go!" She says pressing Start. I rub my hands together and grab the remote. "It's so small." I mutter as the timer counts down. She leans forward watching the right side of the t.v. As the race kicks off I shoot out of the gate right behind Yuna. "Oh yes!" She says happily. I stare at the screen turning at a corner. The item boxes are coming up after a large ramp. Yuna shoots out in front and grabs a box. I grab one and she holds her position in 4th. I'm hot on her trail travelling almost next to her. "Go away!" She yells with a laugh. She zooms past Mario and I follow behind her. "Bye~" She says cutely. I throw my Banana item behind me and grab another box. Before I know it Yuna is in 1st place. My box was a blue shell... She's going to get mad. "OH FIRST!" She screams happily and I throw the blue shell. "NO! NO! NO!" She whines loudly. "YA KIM TAEHYUNG!" She screams pushing me and I laugh. "Sorry Yuna." I say laughing as I push past her to 1st. I finish the second lap and head to the finish line before ink hits the screen. "I can't see!" I whine and Yuna shoves me off the bed. "YA YUNA!" I yell plopping on the floor. She laughs quietly. "I'm in 3rd!" She whines before giving me a blue shell right before the finish line. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!" I yell looking over at her. She smirks and looks over at me sticking her tongue out. "Cheater!" I yell and she laughs. We both finish in 5th and 6th and I look at her. "We could have done better." She says simply and I look at her wide eyed. "You totally sabotaged me!" I yell flailing my arms around. "You sabotaged me!" She yells back jumping up on the bed into a kneeling position. "Another game?" I ask her and she nods happily picking a new course. "No funny business." I say getting up and sitting on my bed. Oh, it's on. "I won't be brought down so easily this time." She says cracking her knuckles. The race starts and I push out in front of her and she clicks her teeth. "Aish." She mutters as we drive over a bridge. Right before she's off the bridge Donkey Kong knocks her into the water. "WHAT THE FUCK. YOU PIECE OF SHIT! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT! WAH! TAE DID YOU SEE THAT SHIT?! IS HE CRAZY!" She screams and our door opens. "What is going on?!" Jimin yells from the doorway. We don't even turn to look at him. Yuna hits me with a red shell. "YUNA!" I yell throwing a pillow from behind me at her. She gets hit and just laughs. "Bye!" She says before flying into first place. I grip the controller and yell out before feeling my bed dip. "Aha! You were playing games?!" Jungkook says next to me and I nod still staring at the screen. I get into second and she shoots another turtle shell at me which barely misses. "You're being too much." I say looking at her briefly before looking back at my screen. The door opens again and I hear all the hyungs voices. "I can't sleep because our Yuna is screaming so loud." Yoongi hyung says yawning. Jimin jumps off my bed onto Yuna's and sits behind her. "We're almost done." She says before Jimin puts his chin on her shoulder. "Jimin, I love you but get off me. This is serious business." She says making him laugh. He takes his chin off and pouts. Yoongi jumps over my bed and lays down on Yuna's bed. "Go Yuna!" Jin cheers loudly. She takes a short cut and ends up at the finish line way before me. She turns to me with a brimming smile. She passes the controller to Jungkook and he smiles widely. I finally finish the race and shrug. "At least I'm second." I say, "You heard it. Taetae will always be second to me." Yuna says looking around at everyone. I roll my eyes and laugh. "Yuna has sense bringing some fun games!" Jin says sitting down in one of the two arm chairs next to the t.v. Namjoon hyung sits in the opposite chair and stretches out his legs. Jimin puts his chin back on Yuna's shoulder. I pass the controller to Jin and he smiles at me before moving the chair to look directly at the screen. "It's 10 a.m." Namjoon looks at Yuna and she nods putting her head on Jimins. "What do you want to eat?" Yuna asks as Yoongi hyung closes his eyes. "Tonkatsu." Yoongi mutters before turning onto his side. Yuna looks down at him and puts a pillow on his face. "Manager-nim! I want to go shopping." Hoseok hyung says from next to me. Yuna turns her head and looks at him struggling to see because of Jimin. "Minnie." She mutters and he switches shoulders before laughing. "Where do you want to go shopping?" Yuna asks him. Hobi hyung is interrupted by Jin hyungs piercing yell. "JEON JUNGKOOK!" Jin yells and Jungkook just laughs. "Hyung, get better at games." Jungkook retorts smirking. "I just want to shop more." Hobi responds shrugging. "When we go grab food, we can go shopping a bit. We have security so I feel better. They said when we go out to knock on their hotel door and they'll come with us." Yuna explains combing her fingers through her hair. "Let's just go to a Japanese restaurant nearby. Yuna is afraid to be outside." I say to them all and they all nod. "It's okay guys. Don't worry." Yuna says and Namjoon shakss his head. "We are looking out for you too. I agree with Tae." Everyone nods but Yoongi who's fallen asleep. "We'll leave at 11." Yuna says before laying back. Jimin lays back too and looks at her before smiling. "Shall we have a drink later?" He whispers to her and she smiles brightly. "Oh yes Jimin-ssi. We shall."

After a while of playing Mario Kart everyone went back to their rooms to get ready apart from Jimin and Yoongi who was still asleep on Yuna's bed. Jimin and I were sitting next to each other on my bed while Yuna went into the bathroom to get ready. We were sitting there before the bathroom door swings open and Yuna comes out without any makeup on. "Taetae, thank you for putting up my clothes and putting out my cosmetics. I didn't say it earlier." Yuna says with a smile. "You're welcome." I say as she walks back into the bathroom. There was a big, long mirror on the wall that could see into the bathroom if the door wasn't closed. Yuna kept the door open as she starts to wash her face. She grabs her phone and starts playing Dimple. "I call you illegirl." She sings while scrubbing her face. She has a pretty singing voice. "Is that an angel?" Yoongi asks quietly with his eyes still closed and a smile on his face. "Hyung." Jimin says with a laugh. Jimin and I stare through the mirror as Yuna sways to the music before rinsing her face. "That dimple is illegal. Illegal." She sing before drying her face. She applies lotion and Jimin looks at me. "We are being a bit creepy, aren't we?" Jimin whispers in my ear and I shrug. Yuna starts singing more and Jimin starts swaying with her voice. "Her voice is nice!" He whispers swept up in her music. "Was it a mistake made by an angel?" She sings fanning her face. She starts to do her eye makeup. She's so fast at it. Before we know it she is doing her eyeliner. As the song ends, First Love comes on by Yoongi hyung. She starts to nod her head finishing her eyeliner and she grabs something else. "I remember that moment, way taller than my height." She raps and Yoongi opens his eyes and sits up. I look over at him and smile. She starts rapping all the words looking in the mirror while putting on CC Cream. "I feel so nice mom, I feel so nice. I played the piano wherever my hands took me." She raps tapping her face with a foundation brush. I look at Yoongi again and he looks pleased. She puts on some lip tint and dances looking in the mirror. She brushes her hair and dances in the small space grooving to the beat of the song. She spins in place and Jimin looks over at me impressed. She shuts off the light in the bathroom and grabs her phone. Me and Jimin turn to each other and make it seem like we weren't looking and Yoongi hyung lays back down. Yuna steps out and runs and jumps next to Yoongi. "Silly." He says looking up at her with sleepy eyes. What a nonchalant hyung. She sits next to him and pulls out her phone. "Let's get back quickly so we can drink." She says with a laugh. Jimin nods. "Yeah, for sure." What will a drunk Yuna be like if she's my roommate?

[bobcathoneybee]

i think i already knew. i just wonder when it started. a bunch of other questions came to mind after we hung up. but of course he’s not going to share details, and wasn’t sure if i wanted to know, but i had a feeling, esp after the NYE plans comment. i also noticed that he has this look on his face in one of the screen grabs. like one of those fleeting subconscious facial expressions that came to the surface for just a little bit. easier to read with screenshots. 

keep personal finances to self; anything with money to self really. that’s key. many ppl can come out of the woodwork if they know too much. 

pls be safe. you know how a lot of ppl are with... being/claiming they’re being “safe”

-----

-is that my scarf (that i got you)? YES! i wore it on sunday, but you didn’t notice. how were the cookies? the strawberry one was really good, what was the other one, wasn’t sure what it was bc the flavor was a little light.

in no particular order, as i was about to get off the phone to finish dinner. and no wonder he didn’t immediately go to the microwave when the food was initially heated through.

-i wanted to talk to you about something. it’s not something we’ve really discussed after we broke up so i’m not sure how you would feel about it. im sort of seeing someone.i didnt know if you wanted to know or if you didnt want to know or how this would affect our friendship. what i wrote in the card is true. you’re my best friend and the best person in my life. what about gio?! i duno what to do with him, he even moved down to florida!

-we’ve always worked so well together. you get me. you’re the only one i still talk to as often as i do. *thinking (until she replaces me). that’s bc you’re the grumpier version of me! LOL i guess that is true

-i think i sort of knew tho, especially after you made the comment about not having to tell me anything when i asked (about the friend group it was), like whoa okay i’ll back off...was not expecting that reaction from you. yeah i realized that i probably should tell you

-i dont talk to any of them like that, we’re also not as close and i dont keep in contact with them, one bc shes married and that would be weird. I didnt speak to her much after we broke up. didn’t you wish each other happy birthdays and holidays stuff? they let you know they’re moving or their sister got married, the major life events? yeah

-after this past year, my intent was to eventually get back together. what i want to know if that’s even a possibility (or if that door is completed closed). i think there could be a possibility, but i dont want that to prevent you from seeing other ppl and figuring out what you want. 

-look, i’m probably going to be alone at 65 okay? don’t you think you’re just making it a self-fulfilling prophecy? yes, but still. 

-you dont even like people! i know! you dont know how exhilarating it is to just shut off your phone for the weekend and not talk to anyone. yeah, but now you’re going to make time for her. *pause, that’s true

-i didn’t want to feel guilty about not telling you and not being upfront about it. i respect you too much not to give you a heads up. i want us to meet ppl and figure out what we want or dont want. i dont know if this is going to go anywhere; it’s been slow-moving but i wanted to let you know. 

-i wasn’t sure if i wanted to tell you bc i didn’t want to see you cry. 

-you know you would say things like i’ll stop smoking WHEN i have kids (not if, when). i know i had to work through that myself too (about not having kids or getting married). i know but with all the weddings and kids the last few years... i think you needed to figure out what you wanted.

-it’s actually kinda hard dating (her) sometimes, it’s not the same. bc you can’t have chicken feet around her? LOL yes

-you just understand me so well. but i also dont want you to think i was using you to help me with measurement plans (for pitches) LOL. (this kid helps me with so much too.)

-you introduced me to new things all the time! you didn’t even like going to these places. i always grumble bc we have to leave the house but i still go when you suggest new places to check out (bc theyre usually always good!)

-i thought you were dating already. huh how do you mean? from the boat noodles comment. when i asked you about how you heard about it, you said some guy. LOL oh it’s bc i didnt know what it was and wanted to know if you knew/had it before. so did you go get it? no! it’s in astoria, why would i go to astoria?! was he asian? yes. it was one date. they’re so good! i shouldve had my mom make you some (when we were still dating) *side eye lollll sheeesh i tacked on that date with another appt i had in the city and it was on the way home! OH 

-in case you’re on a date and such, i wouldn’t want to be calling you all the time. lollll my dates are probably on weekends, when you dont talk to me... oh that’s true

-how did you guys meet? app? NO i would never put my pictures up there. okay i’m assuming neighbor friend during one of your brunch gatherings. (assuming she’s brunch girl as nickname or something brunch related). don’t you have friends (who can introduce you to ppl)? NO everyone has a SO and we don’t go out bc covid, we’re on apps! it’s just A LOT of talking. i’m literally trying to pick the best of the bunch at this point. ah i was afraid you’d say that (picking among the bunch)

-ALSO THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KNIVES! (superstition) OMG YES IT DOES. i purchased a knife set for jacob back then too bc his knives sucked and look what happened! LOL do you replace his actual name with jacob now? YES bc it’s funnier!

-you just need to lower your standards back down bc i’m the anomaly in your dataset! i’m wayyy up there at 1000, but the norm/avg is prob way down there so you’ll need to adjust. are you padding yourself up?! YES! but i’m awesome! it always happens that way. sheesh. 

-ugh now i feel tied to my job even more. after the last big purchase? yeah. are you having buyer’s remorse? YES!

-my head hurts so much. it’s not as bad as yesterday when i felt like i had to go to the hospital. i was thinking about calling an ambulance. omg did you do the head squeeze?! that didn’t work at all! it felt like a large knife repeatedly stabbing my head. you know that area i press on behind your neck at the base of your head/skull, that area between your neck tendons and the one going up the sides, press on both points and push upward. i think you need to lift your head a bit from your neck *POP POP do you hear that?! IS THAT A KNOT?! ugh the massage place around the corner hasn’t opened. i think they’re done. it’s the only one i trust bc my mom went there so  i know for sure they dont offer happy endings. LOL i dont think they do that where you are

-you should go see cindy. your health should be the one thing you prioritize this year. does she make house calls? yes she does. sometimes goes to brooklyn and used to go to UWS for friends. i wasn’t sure if you wanted me to stop seeing her (bc she’s your friend and our PT). i would never make you do that. shes the only one who seems to help you. besides, her office is closing, the guy is being sued for not paying rent... oh what?! yeah but try to see her twice a week, i’m not sure max once a week (once a month) is really doing anything for you.

-do you think i can just get surgery to fix this? LOL no! she said you weren’t a good candidate! see her more often. but she says what i’m doing now is more preventative (so it doesn’t get worse). it might be fixed. my mom’s PT/tui na people made that ball (from using mobile phones) behind her neck go away. try to see her twice a week! your health is very important.

-should i take another advil or aleve? what did you take first? advil, then take another advil. i mean i took it at 10am this morning. oh! okay then you can switch to aleve. hmm 2016 or 2018? can i still take it? probably, it’s less effective tho. okay i’ll take 2018. 

-ive been taking heart burn meds. what are you lying down immediately after you eat again? ...noooo....? uh huh. you are, aren’t you”? either on the chaise or the bed? ..no..... if you’re gonna do that at least wait 30 mins and lay on your left side bc you know the of the stomach right? there’s that cup to the left for the acid to stay in so it doesn’t potentially open up the end of the esophagus iike when you lay on your right? ... maybe you should look this up on google! LOL other ppl don’t eat as much as i do! it won’t work! just try! ok fine.  

-it’s been awhile (since we broke up) and so i think it’s time. im here if there’s anything you’d want to share (about anyone you’re dating), we can always talk about it. *thinking sheesh why would i want to tell you that (it’ll make you even better for her). 

-i meant it when i said i’ll always be here for you

-i miss you a lot. i love you. *even tho i didnt say it back during FT, was still in some level of shock, i love you too. 

[amandasarmada]

Deleted Scene - “Summer’s Cauldron”

This is a deleted scene from the latest chapter of Summer’s Cauldron, for those curious about what Tina was getting up to when Newt arrives.  It also features a slightly extended version of the prologue, to help set the scene.

NOTE - it is very important that you read the official chapter first, otherwise you’re going to get huge spoilers and the chapter will be ruined for you. :/ No bueno.

From Chapter 8, “The Presidential Palace”

Tina had always been good at not being noticed.  She'd first realized it as a child, picking up on the tendency of friends and relatives to always gravitate toward Queenie, while passing over her - it had hurt her, at first, but rather than wallowing over the fact, she'd chosen instead to embrace it, even managing to channel this trait into a fairly lucrative career.  It wasn't ideal, of course, but - Tina was a pragmatist.  She had her talents, turning heads just wasn't one of them.

So it was with some surprise that Tina studied her reflection, carefully considering the woman staring back at her.  The face in the mirror wore far more makeup than she was accustomed to, but as Tina contemplated the results, she had to admit the effort had been worth it.  Her large, carefully done-up eyes seemed to radiate heat, and the remnants of her summer tan gave her a lovely glow, complementing nicely with the burgundy of her lipstick.

But it was the dress that set her apart. It was new, and vital to her plans for tonight.  Deep red and almost impossibly soft, it hung low on her body, revealing planes and curves she normally kept well-covered.  Queenie had altered it specially for her, and it fit as well as any piece of clothing could.

She wasn't usually much for getting so dolled up, generally content with a single dab of lipstick and perhaps some mascara for special occasions – short skirts and gobs of makeup were usually uncomfortable and impractical, and she didn't like feeling like she was on display.

Things were different tonight.  She wanted to be on display.  She was determined to make something happen tonight, for better or for worse.

Newt was leaving again in just under a month, and Tina knew she had a very limited window of opportunity in which to make her wishes a reality – and she planned to seize it.  The time had come to be bold, she'd decided – and her dress was certainly that, she thought dryly.

“Oh, Teenie!”  

Queenie was standing in the doorway, watching her admiringly.  “You're a knockout!”

Tina grinned, turning so her sister could get the full effect.  

Queenie giggled, shaking her head.  “Newt's gonna sink through the floor when he gets a loada you,” she whispered, looking absolutely thrilled at the thought.  Tina flashed her another smile, her confidence mounting as she gave herself another hard look in the mirror.  If ever she had a shot with Newt, it had to be tonight.  She couldn't remember a time she'd looked better.  If she could just keep up this bravado, she might, might, actually be able to initiate something – the key was to stay focused, to stay positive.  There could be no allowing herself to crawl into her shell tonight.  She had to think of it like a job – like being undercover.  She was playing a character, that was all.

Tina took a deep breath, steeling herself as she slipped on her shoes. Show time.

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

The wine was sour on her lips, as it always was.  Tina sighed, throwing another dejected glance around the hall.  

It was half past eight, over forty-five minutes after Newt was supposed to meet her at the gate, and instead of dancing or laughing or taking a walk along the grounds as she'd imagined they'd be doing about now, she was sitting alone in a corner, sipping clumsily at a glass of wine.  Typical.

Tina immediately felt guilty.  Newt probably had a very, very good reason for not showing up.  Perhaps one of his creatures had fallen ill again, or maybe he'd encountered some sort of trouble with the baby unicorn.  In fact, it might actually be a good idea for her to go and see if he needed help - maybe she was being the inconsiderate one, not thinking to check on him already.

Or maybe Newt had simply forgotten, Tina thought morosely.  She was hardly the type to get men's blood pumping; she knew this about herself.  She'd made an incredible effort tonight, but she supposed she'd been kidding herself, thinking it would make much difference.

Tina took another long sip of wine, finishing off the glass.

And yet – a quiet little voice interrupted, with an air of someone who refused to accept the obvious – Newt had kissed her.  Sort of.  Tina closed her eyes, retreating back to the memory of Newt's lips on hers.  It had been over so fast.  Had it been an accident? Did he regret it?  It was hard to tell; he'd been as courteous as ever, but he also hadn't done anything to suggest what had happened. She knew it probably hadn't been intentional – he'd been kissing her cheek, and then brushed her lips - just barely, and just for a moment.  But it had been haunting her for over a week now.

Tina sighed, accepting a passing house-elf's offer of a refill.  It was her fourth, she was pretty sure, and she probably ought to slow down, but it was the only thing keeping her misery at bay.  The alcohol buzzed pleasantly in her system, making the world seem just a little bit brighter.

“Excuse me. Miss Goldstein?”

Tina glanced up, her eyes glassy.  A rather handsome member of the MLE was standing before her, looking charmingly nervous as he surveyed her. Dennis D'angelo, she remembered.  She didn't know him well – he'd been three or four years above her in school – but she'd consulted with him on a few cases, and he always smiled at her in the hall.

“Denny. Nice to see you again,” she said, offering him a polite smile. “Are you enjoying the party?”

“Oh, you know.  Beats pushin' paperwork,” he said lightly, hovering beside the table.  “What about you?  Havin' a good time?”

Tina shrugged, doing her best to not look too miserable.  It must have worked, because Denny grinned at her.  “Say Tina, you know this one?”

Tina hesitated for a moment, slightly confused.  “One what?”

Denny blushed, tipping his head toward the dance floor.  “This song.  I thought you might wanna...”

“...Oh.” Tina paused, biting her lip.  Denny was a nice guy, and it must be pushing nine by now.  If Newt really wasn't coming – and it seemed like he wasn't – she might as well try to take her mind off things. She was certainly in no hurry to go home and face Queenie, and sitting alone in the corner drinking her way through a barrel of wine wasn't doing her any good.  She mustered a smile, allowing him to help her to her feet.  “Sure, Denny, that's sweet of you.”

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

“Atta girl, Tina.  You're doing great!”

Tina chuckled, shaking her head.  Denny was being polite – she knew the steps well enough, thanks to Queenie, but her timing was off, and she was having trouble keeping her balance.  Her own fault, of course.

“You're quite the Oliver Twist yourself,” she said breathlessly, stumbling a bit as the song picked up speed.

Denny smiled, spinning her.  He was an excellent dancer, but she doubted Fred Astaire himself could have lifted her mood tonight.  She threw a glance toward the door, unable to help herself.

“Everything alright?”

“Hmm?”

Tina started, looking at him curiously.  

Denny smiled, looking a little sad.  “What's his name?”

“...Who?” she said quickly, a little too innocently.

Denny's eyes were understanding.  “Tina, you musta looked at that door ten times since we got out here.”

Tina paused, her heart sinking.  Denny shook his head, still smiling. “Don't feel bad.  I'm glad you've got somebody.”

She looked away, biting back a wry smile.  “The problem is, it seems I don't.”

“He late?”

“Only by about an hour.”

Denny winced, looking sympathetic.  “Something probably came up.  And if not, give 'im the axe, and don't give it another thought.  You can do better.”

Tina managed a feeble laugh.  “Thanks.”

Denny squeezed her hand.  “I'm sure he'll have a good excuse.  A fella'd have to be a real sap, to toss aside a dame like you.”  Denny paused.  “This guy nice to you?  When he's not skipping out on dates, I mean?”

“He's a doll,” Tina assured him.  Her voice was quiet; she thought she could feel a headache coming on.  “He brought me to Atlantisity for my birthday.”

“See? That's pretty snazzy,” Denny agreed, looking impressed.

Tina smirked, lost in memories of the past weekend.  “...and he gave me a unicorn,” she added, as casually as she could manage.

Denny's eyes widened, and they both chuckled.  “Well, ah.  I can't say I'd be able to compete with that.” He shook his head, his voice growing gentler.  “Seriously, Goldstein.  I'm sure you twos'll work it out.”

The song was beginning to wind down; about time, too.  She was starting to feel a little sick from all the bouncing around.

“I hope your fella shows up soon,” Denny added, leading her back to the banquet area.  “And if not, and you get lonely, you come and find me, you hear?  Just 'cuz your guy got held up, ain't no reason you gotta be sittin' all alone, unless you really wanna.”

Tina smiled, her first real smile in almost an hour.  “Thanks,” she said gratefully, squeezing his hand.  Denny winked at her, heading back in the direction he'd approached from, and Tina continued on, already looking forward to finishing her drink.

She paused, coming to a halt.  She'd just spotted a very familiar face, gazing at her from among the crowd.

[yeolnope]

corrupt pt. 1 - dirtycop!jaebum

moodboard by me

wordcount: 2,700

Finding out your brother was a dirty cop was hard enough, but trying to deny his even dirtier partners effect on you was even harder.

warnings: illegal activities, swearing

--

The rain was relentless. You shivered violently, wrapping your arms around yourself in a feeble attempt to conserve the heat rapidly exiting your body as the downpour soaked through all the layers of your clothing.  

The rain streamed down your face and blurred your vision, making your perspective of the world something similar to a Monet painting. You knew the shivering wasn’t due to the cold, fear had numbed you to the presently unforgiving outside elements, you knew you were quaking in terror.

You stood in a deadly triangle, Jaebum pointing the sleek silver of his handgun towards your prone forehead, Yugeom having the cruel mouth of his own gun directed at Jaebum’s heart.

‘Y/N, I hope you realize how silly of an idea it was for you to follow us here, hmm?’, Jaebum’s stern voice was clear over the roar of the rain.

You nodded, your tears dancing with the rain, running down your cheeks, not being able to look anywhere but on the trigger, which he rested his prone pointer finger on. This was surreal, just a day ago you were struck with the thought that your brother’s recent distant behavior may have been due to him becoming depressed, not a fucking dirty cop with an even dirtier partner.  

You saw the slightest quiver out of the corner of your eyes; Yugeom was struggling to point the gun towards his partner. When he first started he would go on and on about how much he admired his elder, how cool Jaebum was, how much he’d be able to learn about being a detective from Jaebum. You hadn’t seen that vibrant glint in your baby brother's eyes for a long, long time, the last time he seemed so passionate from something was when he became a police officer, but that was years ago, your brother had changed.

------------------

Earlier today you decided you wanted to talk to him, but you were aware he worked long hours, what harm could be done if you dropped by the police station and had a quick word to check in and see if he was fine?

The lights of a vibrant city were just beginning to blink on sporadically as you approached the station. Coincidentally, as you rounded the street corner and stepped on the first of four steps up to the glass sliding door with an emblem on the middle, Yugeom was walking out of those same doors.

You smiled at him brightly and nodded to the man directly behind him, his partner in fighting crime, Jaebum. Yugeom’s eyebrows rose, nearly lost in the hair that fell across his forehead stylishly.

‘Y/N, why are you here’ he said nervously as Jaebum stepped around him and continued on down the road, you thought he almost expected your younger brother to follow him. You were just as shocked at the neither warm nor particularly icy reception he gave you, as shocked as he was to see you.

‘I just came to check if you were alright’, Jaebum was quickly disappearing down the street, Yugeom turning his head every few seconds, obviously agitated his partner was traveling further away from him.

He didn’t want to speak to you, the thought made your head drop down, your chin hitting your sternum. ‘But if you need to leave, we can talk later’ you quickly continued on, trying to sound as upbeat as possible at Yugeoms lack of enthusiasm.

He gave you a sad smile, ‘I’ll call you tomorrow at around lunch time and we can chat then, but now I gotta go, duty calls!’ he said, not even finishing that sentence before he was running off.

You wanted to follow him, wanted to know what was so important his rude ass of a partner couldn’t even stop and wait for your brother to finish talking to you. What was so important your brother couldn’t even give you a hug or a proper hello. So, besides your gut telling you, perhaps you shouldn’t follow the two police officers, you followed the two police officers.

They must have walked through the city for miles because you found yourself ducking behind cargo containers at the shipyard. They stopped at a black one, you crouched, using your arms to brace yourself against a red one two rows behind them. Yugeom produced a key and unlocked the contained, swinging both of the doors open. Jaebum stepped inside, coming out moments later with two large long briefcases in tow, the length of them maybe spanning half of the length of his leg.

They shut and locked the door, walking further down to the waterfront where there was a clearing of just bare concrete that spanned a few meters before a short drop to the ocean. That’s when the first drops of rain began to fall; the drops made trails down your face and ran their chilly fingers down your back. Yet, you were intrigued now, so you pushed on, following them until you stopped at the closest container to the clearing. You made sure you crouched in a shadow, giving them still the slimmest chance to see you, but allowing you relative safety to snoop.

Another man stood there with Jaebum and Yugeom, indicating toward the older police officers hands. He nodded and opened the large briefcase to show an array of guns, each different sized arranged neatly in different compartments but all deadly, you gasped in shock. As you were watching the trade happening, money being put in JB’s hand whilst he handed over the case a pair of strong arms circled your chest and pulled you off the floor so your legs dangled inches from the surface. Fight or flight kicked in as you screamed and struggled everything is brought into laser focus in front of your eyes as you thrashed your head around. The flecks of rust on the container you were hiding behind, the sunspots on your attackers' arms and the fact you may die. The mysterious man barked something in Chinese and he surged forward into the open. In front of your shocked brother and his bemused partner, who muttered something in Chinese to the man he was trading with. He pulled out a gun and nodded at my captor, who unceremoniously dumped me on the ground and escaped with the guns.

Jaebums gun was directed at me. I blanched as I stood up slowly, his guns position on my forehead moving with me, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I heard movement to my right and saw out of the corner of my eye that Yugeom had also drawn his gun and it had its gaze on Jaebum.  

---------------

‘She’ll keep her mouth shut’ he pleaded, you could imagine the look on his face right now. His eyes slightly squinted, head coming forward whilst his shoulders tilted up a bit, you remember when you had just learned to drive, this was the look you always got from him when he wanted you to taxi him somewhere.

‘How do you know that?’ he snapped back at the younger man, thrusting his gun out to clarify his murderous intentions, his eyes filling with an inhuman rage. You didn’t know Jaebum very well but you had previously thought he was okay. He attended a few family dinners at the beginning of him and Yugeoms partnership when Yugeom had first become a detective. You had even been to a few staff parties where you two had shared some witty banter. This was a side of Jaebum you never knew existed.

'She's my goddamn sister JB! I assure you’ His voice went a few octaves lower and his eyes grew darker, ‘I will step out of line if you even touch a hair on her head' he laughed humorlessly, ‘We’re cops as well, it's not like the higher-ups will believe her over us, think rationally’ he used his other hand to point to his temple, ‘she's my closest family’

In response, a sick smile found it's way onto JB’s annoyingly handsome face, ‘I know exactly what we can do to ensure she won't tell anyone’ he said, shifting his weight from one leg to another, lowering his gun for half a second. This was my chance, you thought to yourself; you would run to a nearby container and hide behind it as you called the police.

That thought was forced out of your head as he raised his gun again and strolled towards you, putting his other hand casually in his trouser pocket. He circled you, much like a predator circling his prey and ended up directly behind you, so close you could feel his nose skim the corner of your ear as he took a breath in.

You could hear the smile in his voice as he breathed in your ear, ‘just as long as you remain silent…anything you say can and will be used against you’ there was a pause and you took in a breath in response to what he said next, ‘along with perhaps a whip, or some hog ties, so I advise keeping that pretty mouth shut, understood?’, he trailed his hand along your jawline for effect and a different chill ran down your spine. Letting out a shaky breath, you replied with a clipped, ‘yes, understood’.  

He finally moved away to Yugeom and stood beside him, crossing his strong-looking arms across his chest, ‘It looks like we have a new helper Yugie’. Your brother rolled his eyes and scoffed, ‘You don’t honestly think I would agree to drag my sister into this, do you, Jae?’. The older man raised a single eyebrow, ‘Unless you want her pretty little head to remain on her body, yes. Let's go’.

A sick look overtook both you and your brothers’ faces and you both quickly scuttled after him, putty in his hands. You refused to look at your brother, you hadn’t had time to reflect on your brother's hand in this, this…you didn’t even know what to call it, this corruption? Yet, you thought he was better than that.

‘Im sorry’ a sullen voice suddenly said beside you as you passed massive container after massive container. ‘Sorry doesn’t unbreak the law’ you spat out under your breath, being careful the man leading you two away from the scene of the crime didn’t hear you berate your brother.

Yugeom grabbed your arm, effectively stopping you, ‘you shouldn’t have…’ you immediately yanked your arm out of his grasp and continued on walking, not willing to get into Jaebum’s bad any more than you already were by not following his orders to follow him. ‘I shouldn’t have what?’ and laughed ironically and swiped the soaking hair that was flopping into your face. ‘I shouldn’t have been concerned about the little brother I adored not contacting me recently?’ you hair was falling into your face again you smoothed it violently against the top of your scalp with a frustrated huff.

You walked closer to Yugeom, who looked remorseful, thank god he had remorse and wasn’t like his partner. ‘You are the one who is in the wrong here, Yugeom’ you said with as much venom you could muster with a whisper, ‘Apologies for giving a shit, I am so sorry brother’. As you spat the last word you stormed ahead of him to where Jaebum was waiting at his car, leaning on it casually. He pulled out a cigarette and lit the tip, the stick begins to glow a steady orange when he took his first deep drag, sliding the lighter back into his black jeans’ front pocket.

The front lights of a silver Mercedes sedan behind Jaebum’s Lexus flashed for a second indicating it as being unlocked, you knew Yugie could never afford this with what he was supposed to be earning. Something else also didn’t ring right, ‘You guy’s walked here, right?’, Yugeom drifted past you to his car, ‘they didn’t only pay us in money’ he said offhandedly as he rounded the shiny new car and opened the passenger door. Despite the deep, sinking, dirty feeling you had. You went to follow your brother but Jaebum made a disapproving noise, which caused you to stop and peer at him. You let out a silent ‘huff’, you were eager to get out of the rain.

A sick smile found it's way onto Jaebum’s annoyingly handsome face as he threw his finished cigarette, opening his passenger door with a flourish, you're hopping in with me dear, you need to convince me you won’t be telling anyone about tonight’s happening’s’. You looked over at Yugeom but he was already in his car and you couldn’t see through the tinted windows. Completely defeated you knew you had to get into the man’s car.

Slowly but steadily, you made your way to Jaebums car, brushing past him and getting a good whiff of his intoxicating, woody, scent. When you were safely seated in the new smelling car, he slammed the door behind you, making you jump. Half a second later he was in the driver’s seat, starting the cars’ engine and pulling away.

When you were on the freeway, speeding towards god-knows-where, you felt a warm hand on the middle of your thigh. Your head shot to Jaebum, seeing he was smiling to himself, eyes on the road. ‘You’re really gonna need to show me how sorry you are and how much you want to make it up to me’. He said, turning his head to leer at you, whilst his hand traveled up your thigh, getting dangerously close to a very private area.

Why did you want him to move those few inches further?

THANK YOU FOR READING XXXXX