#but i'm not especially excited for any of those sets except All Will Be One so meh

[dravidious]

Rotation is actually awesome, because I'm way too stingy when it comes to spending resources, wildcards especially, and I ESPECIALLY never craft full playsets of cards because what if I get a 5th copy in a pack or in limited? That's inefficient! I must be as efficient as possible! But now that Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow have rotated, I'm never going to get any packs or play any limited events for them, so I'm in the clear to craft playsets of all the cards I want to make decks with!

Normally this would be pointless because the cards have rotated out of standard, but I pretty much only play Arena for limited and direct games now, and even when I do play matchmaking constructed I still don't use wildcards because of the above mentioned 5th copy issue. So now I finally have something to spend my 300 uncommon wildcards on!

I never had more than 2 copies of any of these, now I have a full playset of the first two and 3 copies of Grafkeeper!

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet Cute - Law's Story - 1

Source for pic

The Great Pretender 1

Word Count: 4145

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Law is a soft dom; you have bratty tendencies (not all the time); voice kink; praise kink; cursing; very suggestive behaviour and innuendo from the start; sexual tension; teasing; so much flirting; romance; slow-burn; fluff; slight angst; mature audiences (though explicit NSFW moments will be properly tagged on the chapter); possessive Law; protective Law; soft Law; teasing Law; manipulative Doflamingo; inappropriate Doflamingo; fake relationship trope; only one-bed trope; reader has some anxiety issues; reader is a control freak and perfectionist; modern day AU

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Special Warning 2 : I advise reading the introductory chapters first, as they give a sense of the story, introduce characters and locations and, this chapter starts off immediately after the Sanji chapter. Your first interaction with Law is in those chapters! If you don't want to read the other characters, I recommend reading, at least, Law's Chapter since it's their first interaction!

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Law (your father's doctor) start to build a flirty friendship because of your father’s procedure. So much so that when he’s invited to Baby 5’s wedding (his cousin), he asks you to be his date. His uncle Doflamingo - who is filthy rich - is very adamant on finding a suitable wife for him. Seeing as he wants to avoid that, he asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend for the weekend.

Notes: First chapter of Law's story! I'm already writting chapter 4 so I think it's safe to start posting this. I'll try to update regularly, but life usualy kicks my butt so I'm aiming for one chapter per week (though this can change!) Also, this story is more sugestive than Ace's was, since reader has slight kinks (described in tags) that will influence the story. Read the tags, people, they're important! I guess this is it. Have fun!

Tag List: @rosidaze @beachaddict48 @armiliadawn @jintaka-hane @sprinkklz

Masterlist for previous introductory chapters.

|Chapter 2|

The ride home is uneventful. You have come out empty-handed from your job hunt and, as your car drives by the clinic, you remember that there is still a very serious conversation to be had with your father about his surgery. He has to have the surgery as it will improve his lifestyle. 

Shanks is eating chips straight from the bag as he screams something at the players of a football game on the TV when you arrive. That is all fine. Except his posture, however, makes your eyes twitch. He's completely hunched over, and every time something exciting happens in the game, he jumps, throwing his back as if he doesn't have an injury on it. 

You bang the front door especially hard just to get his attention - he hates when you do that - but he simply yells an angry ‘careful, bug!’ without tearing his eyes from the television. Sighing, you enter the living room and place your body in front of the TV. 

“Hey! My game!” He yells, hands in the air and another jolt to his back. 

“Dad! Your back! You want to throw it out again?” You cross your arms in defiance, moving your body as he moves his head, blocking his view even as he tries to see behind you. 

“Bug, I'm being careful.” He whines, clearly more interested in what’s going on behind you. 

“I'm going to set up an appointment with Dr. Law. We are going to schedule the intervention and you are going to get surgery. But first, you will speak with him and get all your fears and worries out of the way. He seems very competent. You're in great hands. Do you agree?” Stomping your foot down, you raise your eyebrow at him. 

“Can I have some time to think about-...”

“Not if you want to see the game!”

Shanks grunts and falls against the back of the couch. 

“And don't make those sudden movements! You'll throw your back out!”

“Fineeeee!” He drags the ‘e’ so much that he sounds like an exasperated child. “Schedule the appointment.” A heavy sigh parts his lips. “Now get out of the way, bug.” You remain stoic, eyebrows raised even higher now. “Please?” He begs as he sits very straight on the couch. 

At that you nod in satisfaction, turning to leave the room and already dialling the clinic’s number to schedule an appointment at Law's earliest convenience. 

-*-

Unfortunately Law's schedule is not the same as your father’s, and there will be about a week where their schedules conflict. So, after speaking with your father and assessing his fears and worries, you decide to go alone to this appointment and see where it gets you. 

Does it seem silly that you are looking for the cutest dress to wear to the appointment? Maybe. But Law is freaking eye candy. How can you not want to look good and maybe catch his eye? And the only other thing he saw you in was torn clothes, so this time you want to be presentable. 

Besides, you can't stop thinking about those tattoos… Just how many does he have? How far down do they go? 

Sighing you deem yourself ready. Your father is with his neighbour and friend Benn Beckman, helping him around his property, so you pray your car works, pat it nicely, like your father told you to, and off you go.

Once you enter the clinic, Kaya is ready for you with a wide smile. You can't help but smile back at her, even though you know she is going to tease you about Law. 

“Good morning, Kaya. How are you today?”

She sing-songs your name as she pulls your father's file from the archive on the computer. “I'm doing very well, thank you. Just getting ready for another chapter of my novel!”

You arch an eyebrow, an intrigued smile on your lips. “Oh? What are you reading?”

Kaya giggles with a hand covering her mouth. “A romantic novel about a young doctor who falls in love at first sight with a patient's daughter. It takes her a bit longer to realise he's the love of her life, but she's getting there.”

The unamused look on your face only makes her giggle more. “That's not funny, Kaya.”

“It is to me! I have a bet going on with Shachi and Penguin. It's about you two, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. I have a lot of money riding on this thing, Usopp would kill me.”

As she fills you in about who Usopp is, and you lean on the counter, engrossed in your conversation, you don't sense someone approaching. 

“Nurse Kaya, you are paid to do your job. That does not include idle chitter-chatter with patients. I was calling you so you could let Mr. S. in.” He says your name and his low voice makes it sound like the most beautiful word in the world. “Good morning. I hope you're feeling well.”

“I-... Hmm, hmm!” You cringe internally and hiss through your pursed lips. A college graduation and a master's degree and this is the best you can do? Shit. 

Spying the hint of that sexy smirk he showed you last time, he glances around the waiting room. “No Mr. S.?”

With a heavy sigh you shake your head. “He ‘couldn’t make it’.” You emphasise with an eye roll and air quotes. “But I want to ask some questions to assuage his fears, if that’s alright with you?”

Nodding, he gestures towards his office. “Follow me.”

Your feet immediately follow him without contest. There's just something in the assuredness of his voice that makes you want to do as he says. Not to mention that now every time you do something he asks you to, all you can hear in the back of your head is that slurred, low-vibrato ‘good girl’. And damn it, just thinking about it sends shivers down your spine. 

After entering his office, he follows you, closing the door behind him and sitting across from you, his hands resting against his chin with his fingers entwined. 

The combination of his piercing amber gaze and the hand tattoos is making your heart race and you're glad you're not hooked up to any monitor now. 

“How have you been feeling?” He uses your name again and you gulp, actually thinking before uttering your response so you can articulate a clever answer this time, or an actual answer. 

“Perfectly fine. I'm in good health, Doc. Physically at least because if you could peek at my ebooks or listen to my audiobooks, you would say I'm unhinged!” You snort before regaining composure and cursing internally because that was way more information than necessary. “Fine, I'm fine!” You add with an eye roll. 

What is it with this man and his ability to render your brain into mush? 

“That's good.” You almost have to stifle a whimper. “And how's your father?”

This is a safe topic, so you feel more relaxed as you lean back and cross your legs, forgetting for a moment that you’re wearing a tiny summer dress. 

“His back has been fine, his habits, not so much. I fear he might come back sooner rather than later. And he's so afraid of the surgery that just speaking about it sends him bolting out of the room like lightning. I swear-...”

You stop talking as you notice that Law's hands have risen from his chin and are now covering half of his face leaving only his amber gaze - which is fixed on your bare thighs - and the slightest hint of pink on his cheeks. 

Shit. 

You just gave the doctor a peep show. 

Blushing, you uncross your legs and tuck them neatly to the side, like the old etiquette books demand, resting your hands on your lap as Law realises he was staring. 

Though he seems unfazed. “Well that aligns with what we've seen since discovering the hernia. Mr S. completely ignores caution when moving around and doesn't want to hear anything related to surgery.” He sighs and you tilt your head. So he was paying attention, not just staring at your nearly exposed thighs. 

You reach into your purse and take out your notebook with a sigh. “He has questions. I did some research too, so I jotted down a few more. If he won’t come here, then I need to be reliable enough to give him the right information. I’ve divided the questions by theme and organised them from the most common to the really crazy ones my father came up with and-... what?” You ask, annoyed at the amused look he’s giving you. “Do I have something on my face?”

He chuckles softly as he leans back in his chair. His piercing gaze should be unsettling, but instead, it makes your heart race and leaves you breathless. 

“It's not that. You're a control freak with a need for organisation and planning, and an endless search for perfection. You have high standards and expectations of others, but mostly of yourself. Am I right?”

Your mouth hangs open for a moment before you snap it shut, your cheeks flushing red. He’s right on the money. 

“Is that a proper diagnosis, Doctor?” You ask, crossing your arms in defiance. 

“No, not at all. I'm not a psychiatrist. That was just a random guess.” That damned smirk again. 

“Random?” You raise an eyebrow, a chuckle escaping your lips. 

“No. Not random at all. I tend to always be in control, so I understand it. But, there are ways to just… let go… and relax.” That damn sexy smirk is back again and you realise it does things to you. “But we’ll talk about that some other time, if you’re interested.”

A warmth spreads through your cheeks as your body responds to his intense gaze. 

“How about this, you lend me that notebook and I’ll take a look at all your questions. We won’t tell your father anything, and I’ll make him a house call with the answers. If we ambush him, he’ll have to hear us out.”

Biting your lower lip you run his plan through your mind. It’s flawless. Shanks will be caught by surprise, with no way to escape. 

“Sounds good!” You say smirking as you close the notebook with a light tap. “But I’ve paid for a full consultation. What should we do with the rest of the time?”

He makes a low hum, almost a grunt. Something primal and instinctive that makes your hairs stand on end. But when he speaks, his voice is calm. “The way I see it there are two options. Either I do a full checkup, or you ask for a refund. Which we don't offer.”

Well that isn't fair at all. He’s playing you like a fiddle. 

“Law, you're being unfair. That’s hardly an option at all. I just said I didn't want to waste this consultation.”

When he leans forward, his chin resting on his hands again, giving you a perfect view of his hand tattoos and long, slim fingers, you gasp for breath. 

“No point wasting it. Hop on the table.”

You don't know why your heart keeps pounding at an insane rhythm against your chest, but if you are about to be examined by a doctor, he’ll immediately realise that you're nervous. Still, you get up and do as he says, because, once again, you find it very hard not to obey his commands. 

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm your racing heart, you climb onto the examination table, fixing your eyes on your legs instead of on him. But when he approaches, you realise he's wearing spotted jeans. He looks like a cute leopard. How did you not notice that before? 

“Look at me.”

You do. Shit. What's with his hold on you? 

Law points his flashlight at your eyes, one at a time, testing your pupil reactions. You try to focus on the light, but all you can see is the yellow of his eyes. And he's very close. 

“Follow the light.” He moves it up and down, left and right and you follow it. Your breath keeps coming out in shallow pants and you scream at yourself in your head. You're being ridiculous! This is an exam! A professional one! 

“Now open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue for me.” You swallow hard before complying. In most of your books what follows this command isn’t exactly office appropriate. His gloved hand cups your jaw gently, opening it further as he shines the flashlight into your throat. “Say ah!”

The sound you make is rather sinful. You can't help it. You told Kaya you weren’t interested in men in general and you weren’t interested in Dr. Trafalgar Law in particular. But your body didn’t get the memo your brain sent out. Because you're twitching, throbbing, and clenching. And he is just there. Ready for grabbing and taking. 

But you have to be rational. You’ve just met the man. There's undeniable attraction, but there's no way you'll act on it. However the way his pupils darken at the sound that leaves your lips makes you realise that the attraction is mutual. 

And the two of you could have so much fun together. 

You close your eyes and dig your nails into the examination table, making the paper crinkle and tear beneath your fingers as you ground yourself. 

“You can close your mouth now.” His voice sounds hoarse, so he clears his throat as he takes a step back, removing the stethoscope from around his neck and placing it near his ears, not yet covering them so he can speak with you. 

“I'm going to listen to your heart, lungs and abdomen, checking for murmurs or abnormal noises, is that alright?” 

It's the first time he asks permission to do something and you realise it's because he's going to have to touch you, so he needs consent. “Yes.” Your voice seems weak and distant, charged with desire and want. You're pretty sure he picks up on that tone as well, but he doesn't comment on it. 

He places the stethoscope in his ears and the flat part against your chest. He starts with the lungs. “Deep breath through the nose.” Once again you follow all of his instructions. “Out through the mouth.” He keeps moving the piece on your bare chest and back, repeating the orders. His gloved hands are warm, big and firm and they make you feel things. “Your heart now.” He states and you gulp. Your heart is not going to be beating at a normal rhythm at all. 

He notices immediately as a small chuckle escapes his lips. You drop your gaze to your lap again as you bite your lower lip. “Interesting.” He replies and you don't really ask what he finds interesting, knowing the conversation could veer down very dangerous paths. 

Removing the stethoscope from his ears, he asks you to lie down as he reaches for a sheet, placing it over your lap and covering your legs. “Can you pull up your dress so I can listen to your abdomen?” You notice him asking again. He doesn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. 

And you're not. 

“Yeah.”

Adjusting the sheet to cover your panties, you pull the dress to expose your belly and he listens to whatever odd sounds come from it. There's a spot he touches on the side that tickles you and you squirm and twitch with a hearty laugh. He seems surprised and looks at you with a glint in his eyes before resuming the examination. 

“Palpation next. Abdomen first to check for irregularities.” He looks at you for confirmation and you nod. This whole ordeal is overwhelming. You try to look away from his form, his eyes and his hands, but it’s impossible. He’s focused on his task, professional and attentive, yet… There's a hint of mischief in the way he looks at you every time he presses your flesh.

And you can’t help but to blush as your breaths grow more and more ragged. 

“Joints and muscles next.” His hands trace your ankles and calves, then your knees - front and back - before climbing towards your lower thighs. You hold your breath, but he doesn’t go higher. “Sit up.”

“Yes, s-... doctor.” The flush in your cheeks nearly rivals his own. Neither of you expected this reaction. You were about to call him sir? Stupid, stupid, stupid! You should really start reading self-help books instead of filthy smut. But his voice… Law’s voice is deep, assured, commanding! You can barely help the way you want to bend to his words and do everything he asks of you. 

In fact, you’re pretty sure he’s deepening his voice on purpose. He’s been using a more commanding tone since the beginning of the consultation. He probably picked up your little kink when you told him to call you a good girl when you met. And now he’s taking full advantage of it. 

Trying to push the whole ordeal behind you, you sit up and close your eyes, willing your mind to focus on something other than the sheer sensuality of a freaking doctor’s appointment!

He keeps touching and squeezing you. Wrists, elbows and shoulders are next. “You’re doing very well.” He says, adding your name and making you blush even more. If you weren’t sure before, now you are. He’s doing it on purpose. 

And damn, it's working!

“Open your eyes.” You try to fight it, pressing your lips together and shutting them even tighter. “I need you to look at me while I do this, can you?” There’s tenderness beneath the firmness of his voice, and the combination sends shivers down your spine. Yet again, you do as he says and open your eyes, only to find his face directly in front of yours. “Good.”

Fuck. You’re about to declare the time of death for any decency you thought you still had, because the huskiness of his voice is enthralling and mesmerising. 

His tattooed hands wrap around your neck and you gasp, your pupils dilating as your hands grip the paper beneath you. His smirk is no longer veiled as he now knows exactly the effect he’s having on you. His fingers move, pressing against your thyroid and under your jaw, and he lets out a satisfying hum that you instantly want to hear again.

But closer to your ear, much, much closer. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

“No nodules, that’s good. Now, take a deep breath, relax. You did very, very well.” You want to scream. You want to cry or smirk or laugh. Anything to express the warmth you feel in your chest from his praise. 

You discovered this little kink of yours some time ago but you were always too fearful to ask Ichiji, your ex-fiancé, to explore it in the bedroom. Ichiji was, by nature, violent and controlling, but in a frightening way. You never meant to tempt or provoke his behaviour intimately. Yet with Law…

Your mind was already picturing all kinds of scenarios, each hotter than the last. You knew, you just knew that you were screwed. There was no way you could get this man out of your head now. 

Even though he was very professional with his touching. It was your head that created all the scenarios. Your horny head!

As he sat down by the computer, typing away notes on your file, you composed yourself by pulling your dress down and passing your fingers through your hair. Taking a deep breath, like he said, to steady your racing heart. 

When your eyes landed on him again, his professional demeanour was back in place, as if it were a cloak he had donned over himself after all this teasing. “Tell me, have you done any palpation of your breasts?”

“What?”

The chuckle that escaped his lips was low and soft. “Self-examination? Looking for nodules or abnormalities. A breast checkup?”

Oh. Dumbass. “Yes, yes! I have. All is well.” With wobbly steps you return to the chair in front of him. 

“Any concerns with your health? Something that feels off, or any indispositions? Headaches, stomachaches, or any other aches?”

You keep shaking your head at his suggestions until a snort escapes your lips at his last suggestion. “Does heartache count?” Then you immediately blush and lower your eyes. Thinking about Ichiji earlier revived very unpleasant sensations within you.

Law stops typing while his piercing gaze returns to you. “I can’t offer any medical assistance for that, per se, but I can always lend an ear, if you ever want to talk about it.” As you glance up, the smirk on his lips is replaced by a stern smile. You nod and mumble a low ‘thank you’. 

“Anything else?” He’s not teasing now, nor being playful. He’s being strictly professional and that makes you realise he was teasing you on purpose during the examination. 

“No, thank you.” Your voice still seems very small. You thought that the mere mention of your ex was not enough to alter your state of mind so much, but it really affected you. Maybe it had something to do with being highly stimulated by all the sensations Law was provoking and then crashing when you came down from that high just by thinking about Ichiji and the heartache he caused you. 

His eyebrows scrunch and he stares at you for a while, waiting for you to add something else. When you remain silent, he gets up. “Okay. You’re all set, then.”

“Thank you, Law.”

And without barely saying goodbye, you hasten out of his office, quickly saying goodbye to Kaya and telling her you have to run some errands and you can talk some more another day - since you already settled the payment when you arrived. 

You had just unlocked your car when you heard your name. It’s Law’s deep rumbling voice again and you almost gasp.

“Law?”

He approaches you without his doctor’s coat on and you blush as your eyes take him in. His t-shirt shows off even more tattoos on his arms. Just how many tattoos does he really have? And why do you want to trace them all?

“Can I have the notebook?” You look at him with a raised brow. “You said you’d leave it with me so I can review the questions.” He says with a slight chuckle at your aloofness. 

“Oh!” Smacking your forehead with your palm, you reach into your purse and hand him the notebook with a slight shake of your head. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He takes it in his hand and fidgets with the ribbon from the page marker. He looks slightly embarrassed and you don’t know what to make of it, since he seemed so sure of himself in his office. “Did… did I go too far?”

The look on your face is one of surprise. Does he think you’re acting like this because of his teasing?

“No!” You almost scream. A soft chuckle escapes your lips as you try to compose yourself. “Not at all! You were very…” Endearing? Seductive? Sexy? Irresistible? “Professional. I’m just…” Another chuckle escapes you, accompanied by a sigh and a dismissive gesture. “I’m a mess! I’m still terribly affected by my past relationship and-... well, thinking about him stirred up some bad memories. I’m sorry.”

Now it’s your turn to be embarrassed. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s completely understandable.” He seems much more at ease now that he’s sure you weren’t weirded out by all the teasing. 

“I’ll be reviewing these, then. I’ll make sure to schedule a house call so we can surprise your father.” 

“Oh!” You gasp in surprise as you reach for the notebook again, fishing a pen from your purse and quickly scribbling your number on one of the pages. “There’s my number. If it’s a surprise visit we don’t want Shanks to be the one to answer the phone.” 

Your easy smile makes him chuckle as he, once again, takes the notebook, tucking it neatly under his arm. “All right. See you soon?”

You nod. “Yes, Law, thank you.” He nods back but, before leaving, he reaches behind you, his arm grazing your side as he opens the car door for you. Such a random, simple gesture has you blushing, and once again thinking about how, in four years of relationship, not once had Ichiji held a door open for you. 

Muttering a muffled ‘thank you’, you climb into your seat. Law says goodbye again before closing the door to the car and walking away. 

You let out the biggest sigh to ever escape your lips as your head falls forward against the steering wheel. 

Why did your father’s doctor have to be so freaking hot?

|Chapter 2|

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 28/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! Smut, Language, angst, fluff, soft Ben, Ben being slightly insecure

Word Count: 6891

A/N: This is part 28 of “His only exception”.

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

As Ben drove to the Vought Tower, his hand remained on your thigh. You glanced over at him, noticing the tense set of his jaw, and decided to break the silence.

"How's everything going with the team?, you asked, your voice soft as you reached over to squeeze his hand.

Ben sighed, his grip tightening slightly. "I still don't trust those fuckers any farther than I can throw 'em".

It wasn't easy for Ben to trust others, especially not them.

You shook your head, still unable to believe the extent of the lies and betrayal that had unfolded within the team. The memory of how they had treated Ben made your blood boil, but you knew dwelling on it wouldn't change the past.

"I still can't believe what they did to you", you muttered, your voice tinged with anger and frustration.

Ben shrugged nonchalantly, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "Eh, it's enough justice to see their fucked-up and pissed faces every day", he replied, his tone laced with satisfaction. "Now they have to do exactly what I want".

"But… as much as I'd love to rip them apart", he admitted with a wry chuckle, "They're doing a pretty decent job. They're taking care of all the supes I want to get vanished, and the media seems to like them".

He paused, a hint of grudging respect in his voice. "Can't deny they're effective, I'll give them that", he added.

As the two of you stood in the elevator, Ben looked down at you, his expression serious. "After the meeting, I'm going with you to the doctor", he stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We need to make sure everything's okay with you and the baby".

You nodded, your hand brushing softly over your stomach, a gesture of both comfort and uncertainty. "Yeah, I guess we do", you murmured softly, your voice tinged with a mixture of emotions. "It's just… all so surreal, you know?".

Ben's gaze softened as he reached out to gently squeeze your hand. "Don't worry too much about it", he reassured you, his tone surprisingly gentle.

As you stepped into the meeting room, the team was already waiting impatiently. Butcher seemed particularly annoyed, his arms crossed over his chest. The others raised eyebrows as they saw you walking slightly behind Ben, a rare sight that piqued their curiosity.

"Well, look who decided to join us. And what about you, did you crawl out from under your rock, (Y/N)?".

Before you could even respond, Ben's protective instincts kicked in, his tone sharp and defensive. "Watch your fucking mouth, Butcher", he snapped, his jaw clenched tightly. "She's here because she damn well pleases, and that's none of your business".

You shot Ben a grateful glance, appreciating his defense, but also feeling a bit annoyed at his brusque manner.

Butcher couldn't resist pushing Ben's buttons further. "Ooh, touchy, aren't we? Didn't realize you had such a soft spot for the lady".

Ben's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he shot Butcher a menacing glare. "Keep pushing your luck, Butcher, and you'll fucking regret it", he warned.

Ben pulled out a chair for you, gesturing for you to sit down. With crossed arms, he stood beside you, his expression stern and guarded as Butcher filled everyone in about the supes who seemed to want to stand up against the new Vought. Meanwhile, you felt some gentle movements in your belly, a sensation that both excited and unsettled you.

As Butcher spoke, Ben glanced down at you, noticing the subtle change in your demeanor. "You alright?", he murmured softly, concern flickering in his eyes.

You nodded softly, trying to concentrate on the meeting as A-Train and Annie showed some video footage. Hughie chimed in, directing his comment to Ben, "No one knows where the supes are hiding right now. They're keeping a low profile".

Ben's expression darkened as he absorbed Hughie's words, his mind already strategizing the next move. "Alright", he muttered, his voice firm. "We'll find them. Keep an eye on any leads, no matter how small".

Frenchie reminded Ben of the media conference in two hours, and Ben rolled his eyes, grumbling, "Annie should take this".

Annie raised both arms in protest, but Ben brushed her off rudely. "No, you'll fucking handle it, blondie", he insisted brusquely.

Just then, a wave of nausea hit you.

Again Ben looked down at you, noticing your pale complexion. "You´re sure you´re fucking okay?", he asked.

You shook your head slightly, feeling queasier by the moment. "I think I need some air", you mumbled, quickly stepping out of the room.

Butcher's voice followed you, gruff and concerned. "What the bloody hell is going on with her?", he demanded.

Ben waved him off dismissively, already following you out of the room. "Like i said, none of your business", he retorted sharply, his focus solely on you.

With Ben on your heels, you quickly stepped into the nearest bathroom, the urgency rising as nausea overwhelmed you. You doubled over, vomiting painfully into the toilet, your body trembling with each heave. Ben hovered nearby, concern etched into his features, but unsure of how to help in this situation.

Ben held your hair back.

"What do you need?", he asked, his voice tinged with worry. But you were unable to respond, the waves of nausea rendering you speechless.

As Ben watched you in distress, he felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. It was a rare moment of vulnerability for him, accustomed to being in control and taking charge. Seeing you in pain, and feeling powerless to alleviate it, left him feeling unusually weak and unsettled.

Annie turned to Frenchie, a curious expression on her face. "So, are Soldier Boy and (Y/N) a couple now?", she asked.

Frenchie shrugged, feigning ignorance. "Mon amie, how should I know?", he replied casually.

Annie raised an eyebrow, pointing out the fact that you seemed to like Frenchie the most.

Frenchie chuckled lightly. "Well, I don't know for sure, but it certainly seems that way", he admitted with a knowing smile.

Butcher's tone was sharp as he addressed Frenchie. "Then why's Soldier Boy still a tense asshole when he can stick one away whenever he wants?", he quipped, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Annie nudged Butcher with her elbow, shooting him a disapproving look. "Come on, Butcher, ease up", she chided, her tone firm but gentle.

"Are you fucking happy taking orders from a supe on coke with PTSD?".

Hughie mumbled, "It's better than being dead", as A-Train chimed in, "Soldier Boy's actually doing a pretty decent job, even though I hate to admit it".

"Plus he didn’t kill anyone like Homelander did, and he's actually trying to represent the supes as the good ones again", Hughie added.

Ben held you steady from behind, his grip firm yet gentle. "Are you feeling any better?", he asked.

You took a deep breath, feeling the nausea subsiding. "Yeah, a little", you replied, leaning back against him for support.

Ben helped you up, his strong arms steadying you as you made your way to the sink. After rinsing your mouth, you leaned against the sink, feeling weak and shaky. Ben stood beside you, his concern evident in his furrowed brow.

"You´re fine?", he asked softly, his hand reaching out to rub soothing circles on your back.

"Yeah, kinda", you mumbled. "This part of pregnancy is absolutely no fun at all".

With Ben's hand on your lower back, guiding you inside, you returned to the meeting. Annie eyed you suspiciously, but Ben quickly took charge, instructing everyone on what to do. Then, he stepped towards the elevator with you.

You made your way to the doctor's office for a battery of tests, with Ben steadfastly by your side, his arms crossed over his supe suit as he watched over you protectively.

The doctor reviewed your files and then turned to you. "I want to try another ultrasound", he said, his tone gentle yet determined, "Even though the last one didn't work as we hoped".

You nodded and changed into a gown, then hopped onto the examination chair. Ben stood nearby as you slowly spread your legs.

The doctor approached with the ultrasound equipment. "Take a deep breath", he instructed gently as he inserted the transducer into your vagina. You winced at the discomfort, and Ben hissed in response.

Again Ben's protective instincts flared up as he watched you wince at the discomfort. He shot a glare at the doctor, his tone laced with hostility. "Careful there", he growled, his voice low and threatening. "Don't fucking hurt her".

The doctor raised an eyebrow at Ben's hostility but remained focused on the task at hand. "I'm being as gentle as I can", he assured, trying to calm the situation.

You reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Ben's arm, silently urging him to relax.

The doctor adjusted the ultrasound machine, his eyes scanning the screen intently. But after a while, Ben got impatient.

Ben's jaw clenched as he watched the screen, his frustration mounting. "Do you fucking see anything or not?", he demanded.

"Just give me a moment", he said calmly, his tone professional despite Ben's impatience.

The doctor turned the monitor toward both of you and began to explain what he saw.

"Here", he pointed to the screen, "That's the gestational sac, and there", he moved the transducer slightly, "Is your baby".

You looked at the screen, feeling a surge of relief wash over you. Ben's grip on your hand tightened as he listened intently to the doctor's explanation.

"The heartbeat is a bit faint, but that's normal at this stage", the doctor continued. "Overall, everything looks good".

You could have sworn you saw one single tear in Ben’s eyes, but he quickly composed himself.

"I can't believe it", you whispered.

Ben actually smiled softly, his thumb brushing over the back of your hand. "Me neither", he murmured. "But I'm fucking glad it's real".

As the doctor continued to measure and check everything, you couldn't help but feel a sense of amazement at the whole process. It was new territory for all of you, and the doctor seemed just as intrigued as you were.

After a moment of silence, the doctor spoke up again, his tone filled with a mix of curiosity and wonder. "It's definitely the baby of a supe", he remarked, his eyes flicking between you and Ben. "It seems the baby has some control over whether it's visible on the ultrasound or not, like… a shield".

Ben's lips twitched into a little smirk, a proud glint in his eyes at the thought of potentially making the first natural supe on earth.

"Given the circumstances, I'll need to see you as often as possible. We need to monitor your progress closely, considering the unique nature of this pregnancy and its potential effects on your health".

After another few tests and a long talk with the doctor, Ben accompanied you to his office, where you promptly collapsed onto the couch, feeling exhausted after the barrage of tests and examinations.

Ben leaned against his desk, flashing you a smirk as he commented, "Looks like carrying my baby is taking a toll on you, huh?". You just rolled your eyes at him.

Ben pushed himself back from his desk and handed you a bottle of water. “Here, drink up”, he said. “Do you want me to drive you home?”.

You shook your head, taking a sip of water. “No, I need to work”, you replied, rubbing your temples. But Ben wasn’t having any of it.

"No way", Ben insisted. "Not while you're carrying my baby".

You sighed, knowing it was futile to argue with him when he got like this. "Ben, I'll be fine", you said, trying to reassure him. "I have work to do, and I can't just abandon it".

But Ben's expression hardened, his protective instincts kicking into overdrive once more. "I don't fucking care", he stated firmly. "Your health and the baby's health come first. Besides.. I´m your fucking boss now, so… You are hereby granted a leave of absence".

"Alright", you conceded, sighing heavily. "But only because I'm too tired to argue with you".

Ben's lips curved into a satisfied smirk as he reached for his keys. "That's what I like to hear", he said, his tone playful yet firm. "Let's get you home and make sure you rest".

With that, he led you out of the office and drove you home.

As you kicked off your shoes and headed straight to the bathroom to get changed, your phone on the kitchen counter buzzed with a message from Frenchie, asking how you were doing. Ben glanced at the message, his brows furrowing slightly.

“You got a message from.. Serge", he called out towards the bathroom, his tone laced with a hint of jealousy, not knowing that thats Frenchies real name.

You emerged from the bathroom, wearing more comfortable clothes, and raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s just Frenchie”, you replied casually. “He’s just checking in, nothing to worry about”.

Ben's expression darkened, a trace of annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Since when do you talk to the team again?", he asked.

You rolled your eyes. "Just with Frenchie", you mumbled, trying to diffuse the tension. But Ben wasn't satisfied with that answer, his suspicion lingering in the air.

His eyes lingered on your belly, a frown forming on his face. He wasn't happy, and you could sense his unease.

"You're jealous, aren't you?", you teased, a small grin playing on your lips as you observed his reaction.

Ben scoffed, trying to downplay his feelings. "Don't be fucking ridiculous", he replied, his tone defensive. "I just… don't trust them, that's all".

You mumbled a noncommittal "huh", looking at him, which made him raise an eyebrow in response.

"What the fuck are you thinking?", Ben asked, his tone a mixture of irritation and curiosity.

You grinned and shook your head. "Oh, nothing", you mumbled, but as you tried to step out of the kitchen, Ben grabbed your wrist, his gaze intense as he looked down at you.

"What's going on in that head of yours, huh?", he asked again.

You chuckled, feeling a rush of affection for Ben despite his overbearing attitude. "Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you", you replied.

Ben was taken aback by your unexpected declaration, his grip on your wrist loosening slightly. But before he could respond, you leaned in to press a quick kiss to his lips. Surprised, Ben's initial hesitation melted away, and he quickly pulled you against his chest, returning the kiss with fervor. His hands found their way to your hips, holding you close as he deepened the kiss, his passion evident in every movement.

As Ben carefully lifted you onto the kitchen counter, stepping between your legs, he gazed at you intently. His hands rested on your waist, his touch gentle yet possessive, as you bit your lip, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks. The intensity of his stare sent shivers down your spine, and you couldn't help but blush even more under his scrutiny.

His gaze fell on the necklace he had gifted you. "Thank you for coming after me", he murmured, his voice filled with sincerity. "For literally saving me". He meant more than just the physical act of freeing him a few weeks ago; it was a testament to your unwavering loyalty and love that had brought him back from the brink.

You bit your lip again, feeling the weight of his sincerity. His eyes held a depth of emotion that stirred something within you. That was the moment you knew, that despite your reservations and uncertainties, you couldn't deny him the chance to be a father.

"I'm going to keep the baby", you whispered softly, your voice filled with determination and a hint of vulnerability.

Ben's eyes shot up, a mixture of surprise and joy dancing within them. His lips twitched into a grin as he processed your words, a surge of happiness washing over him.

"Really?", he exclaimed. "I mean… of course you fucking are", he added hastily.

You shook your head in disbelief, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you looked up at Ben.

Ben's grin widened. "Guess that means I'm going to be a fucking father then", he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine excitement. "A real one".

Ben heaved you up onto his hips, a smirk playing on his lips as he carried you into the bedroom.

"That screams for some extra orgasms for you", he grumbled playfully, his tone teasing as he laid you down on the bed.

You leaned back, giggling slightly as you squeezed your legs together, teasing Ben. He tried to push them apart, his hands roaming over your thighs.

"I can't, I'm on my period", you joked.

Ben raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, come on now", he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "That's not how it works".

"Well, who knows", you grinned mischievously. "Maybe our baby comes with some special perks".

"I highly doubt it", he replied. "But I guess we'll find out soon enough".

With that Ben pulled down your sweatpants and panties with a bit of roughness, parting your legs shamelessly. Your breath hitched at the sudden intensity of his actions.

"You're just full of jokes today, aren't you?", Ben grumbled.

You grinned down at him. "Always gotta keep you on your toes", you replied, but before you could say anything more, Ben silenced you by sucking harshly on your clit, sending a jolt of pleasure through your body.

You moaned loudly, your back arching as Ben's mouth and tongue worked their magic on your pussy. "Fuck, Ben", you cursed, your fingers tangling in his hair as he continued his relentless assault. The intensity of his ministrations sent waves of pleasure coursing through your body, making it difficult to form coherent thoughts as you surrendered to the ecstasy.

"Ben, ease up", you gasped, pulling on his hair gently. The sensation was overwhelming, and you needed him to dial it back just a notch. Despite the pleasure coursing through you, you were starting to shake from the intensity of his ministrations.

Ben chuckled against your sensitive skin, his eyes locking with yours as he murmured, "Are you going to stop teasing me and behave like a good girl now?". His tone was playful, but there was a hint of authority in his voice, challenging you to comply.

You blushed hard under his gaze. "Maybe", you teased, unable to resist pushing his buttons a little more.

Ben's lips curved into a smirk as he bit your thigh lightly. "Careful now", he warned. "You wouldn't want to test me, would you?", his voice low and husky as he trailed kisses back up your thigh, his lips tantalizingly close to your heated core.

As he inched over your clit, you shook your head, trying to push your hips upward so you could feel his lips again, but his grip on your hipbones held you in place.

"Patience, sweetheart", he murmured, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine. "I'll get there when I'm good and ready".

With a mischievous grin, Ben dipped his head down, teasingly grazing his lips over your sensitive skin. He reveled in the way you squirmed beneath him, your breath hitching with each tantalizing touch. "But if you keep squirming like that", he whispered huskily, "I might have to punish you for being so impatient".

You whimpered, feeling the delicious torture of his teasing. "Ben, you said you wanted to reward me", you moaned, your voice pleading. "But all you're doing is teasing the hell out of me".

Ben chuckled lowly, the sound vibrating against your sensitive skin. "I am rewarding you", he murmured huskily. "Just not in the way you expected". With that, he dipped his head back down, his tongue tracing teasing circles around your throbbing clit, sending shivers of pleasure coursing through your body.

As Ben's skilled tongue danced across your throbbing clit, a wave of pleasure surged through your body, making your breath hitch. His movements were deliberate, teasing, as if he relished every moment of your ecstasy. His lips pressed softly against your skin.

You grasped the sheets tightly, your senses overwhelmed by the intensity of his touch. Each flick of his tongue sent electric pulses of pleasure racing through you. Your hips instinctively arched towards him.

Ben's grip on your hipbones tightened, his fingers digging into your flesh as he pressed your pussy harder against his lips, his tongue delving deeper, seeking out every ounce of pleasure within you.

Amidst the overwhelming sensations, you found yourself murmuring, "The doctor said it's unusual to feel this nauseous within the first few weeks of a pregnancy". Your words were punctuated by soft moans, escaping your lips involuntarily as pleasure coursed through your body.

Ben's movements faltered for a moment, his eyes flickering with surprise and something deeper, something you couldn't quite decipher amidst the haze of pleasure. But then, he resumed his ministrations with even more fervor, as if determined to drown out any thoughts other than the ecstasy you shared in that moment.

"I don't care about the fucking doctor", he growled against your skin, his voice sending shivers down your spine. "All I care about is you, right here, right fucking now".

You cried out loud as Ben applied more pressure, his determination evident in every movement as he sought to immerse you fully in the intoxicating whirlwind of pleasure. But amidst the ecstasy, a nagging worry crept into your mind.

"Maybe it's not a good sign that it starts so early", you moaned.

Ben paused for a moment, his eyes locking with yours as he pulled back slightly, a furrow forming on his brow. "I'm trying to give you something here", he grumbled, frustration evident in his tone as he nodded towards your wet pussy just inches in front of him.

The weight of his words hung in the air, mingling with the heady scent of desire as you gazed into his eyes, searching for reassurance amidst the storm of emotions swirling within you. But then, with a determined glint in his eyes, Ben leaned forward once more, his lips capturing yours in a fierce kiss that tried to silenced any doubts, any fears.

"Just… relax, sweetheart", Ben murmured against your lips, his words a mixture of frustration and reassurance. "We'll talk about this later".

As he pushed himself down again, his movements more urgent, the tension between you palpable. But after a while, your inability to concentrate on his work scratched at his ego, gnawing at the edges of his patience until finally, a string of curses escaped his lips.

"Fucking hell", he growled, the words laced with frustration as he fought to rein in his simmering anger. "Why won't you just… come?".

Your heart sank as you sensed the frustration and self-doubt creeping into Ben's voice. The realization that he believed it was his fault only deepened your own sense of guilt.

"I'm sorry", you whispered, the words barely audible amidst the rush of emotions swirling within you. "I'm trying, Ben, I really am".

Ben struggled to make sense of the situation.

"I know you are", he grumbled, his voice softening slightly as he reached out to stroke your cheek, his touch gentle despite the frustration that simmered just beneath the surface. "But maybe my dick would get your full attention, hmm?". Yet beneath the harshness of his tone, a flicker of concern still lingered.

As Ben stood up, shedding his supe suit with practiced ease, your eyes followed his every movement, tracing the contours of his body. Despite the frustration that had simmered between you moments before, the sight of him standing before you, already hard and ready, stirred something within you.

For Ben, there was nothing better than tasting you, hearing you moan beneath his touch.

As he approached, you sat up, your movements fluid and graceful as you pulled off your shirt, leaving you completely naked before him. The air crackled with anticipation, the tension between you palpable as you met his gaze, your eyes locking in a silent promise of mutual desire and longing.

Ben closed the distance between you, his hands reaching out to cup your face as he claimed your lips in a fierce, possessive kiss.

With a firm but gentle push, Ben guided you back onto the bed, the mattress yielding beneath your weight as you settled into the soft embrace. Quickly, he shifted his position so that you straddled him, his hands finding purchase on your hips as he urged you to look at him.

"I need you to look at me, sweetheart", he murmured, his voice low and commanding. "Think about nothing but the feeling I'll give you. No more distractions".

You nodded.

As Ben lowered you slowly onto his dick, you felt your tightness stretching around him, a sensation that always elicited a quiet wince from you. Despite your body's familiarity with his size, the initial discomfort never fully subsided.

But tonight, as he filled you completely, the discomfort seemed to intensify, a sharp pang of pain shooting through you as you struggled to adjust to his size. Each inch of him felt like a stretch, a challenge to your body's limits, and though you tried to relax and surrender to the pleasure, the discomfort lingered like a stubborn shadow, refusing to be ignored.

"You okay?", Ben's voice broke through the haze of discomfort.

You nodded weakly, forcing a small smile as you tried to push aside the discomfort and focus on the pleasure that awaited you. But deep down, you knew that tonight would be different.

Your nails dug into Ben’s shoulder plates, seeking purchase as you sought to steady yourself against the waves of discomfort that threatened to overwhelm you. Beneath you, his hands remained firm on your hips.

With a sharp intake of breath, you sucked in your lip, trying to stifle the small gasp that escaped you as you slowly raised your hips up. The ache intensified as you lowered yourself back down, the discomfort blossoming into a sharp pain that made you wince audibly this time.

Ben’s frustration grew palpable, his jaw clenched tightly. He had always prided himself on his ability to please you, to bring you pleasure beyond measure, and yet tonight, it seemed that every effort only served to exacerbate your discomfort.

“I’m sorry”, you whispered, your voice trembling with a mixture of pain and guilt as you met his gaze.

Despite the frustration gnawing at his patience, Ben wasn't ready to give up just yet. He knew that you always struggled to take him, but tonight seemed to be on a whole new level. Yet, amidst the discomfort and the lingering doubts, he remained determined to find a solution, to ease your pain and bring you the pleasure you both craved.

"No need to apologize", he muttered softly, his voice a soothing balm against the turmoil in your mind as he reached for a bottle of lube from his bedside table. With practiced ease, he uncapped it, the familiar scent filling the air as he coated his fingers, his movements gentle and deliberate as he prepared to ease your discomfort.

With his free hand, Ben guided you up again, his touch surprisingly gentle as he positioned you just above him. But for him, gentleness was a relative term, and you could feel the underlying urgency in his movements, a silent plea for relief from the discomfort that had plagued you both.

With a soft gasp, you felt his coated finger glide over your clit, the slickness of the lube providing a welcome relief to the ache that had lingered within you. And as he pushed two fingers inside your pussy, a slow and deliberate rhythm, you couldn't help but relax into his touch.

As Ben's fingers worked their way inside you, his eyes were glued to the sight of how they pushed into your tightness, each movement deliberate and calculated. He could feel the tension in your body gradually giving way, the resistance softening as you began to relax under his touch.

"You're doing great, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice a soft whisper of encouragement as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of you. "Just relax and let me take care of you".

Even though Ben felt the urge to mutter something really inappropriate, urging you to just fucking take him, he knew that this wasn't the time. He understood that you needed him to be gentle and patient today, especially with your hormones going crazy and everything related to the pregnancy feeling overwhelming.

Suppressing his own frustrations, Ben focused on the task at hand, determined to provide you with the care and attention you needed in this moment. He kept his movements slow and steady, his touch gentle yet firm as he continued to work his fingers inside you, seeking to ease the discomfort and bring you the pleasure you deserved.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?", he asked softly. "You think you're ready to take me?", he looked up at you.

With a shaky breath, you nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you met his gaze. "Yeah", you whispered, your voice filled with determination and longing. "I'm good".

"Alright", Ben muttered, his voice a low rumble of anticipation.

As you carefully guided Ben’s dick inside you, lowering yourself slowly onto him, a mixture of pleasure and relief washed over you both. Ben groaned deeply, his eyes falling shut for a few seconds as he relished the sensation of being enveloped by your warmth and tightness. A low, primal growl escaped his lips. His grip tightened uncontrollably, sending a shiver down your spine as you felt the intensity of his desire coursing through him.

Your breath hitched as his grip tightened, a mixture of pleasure and pain dancing on the edge of your senses. “Ben, be careful”, you murmured, your voice laced with a hint of urgency as you reached towards your belly, a silent reminder of the life growing within you.

His eyes snapped open, meeting yours.

Instantly, Ben loosened his grip, his hands falling down to rest gently on your thighs.

“I didn’t mean to…”.

Feeling his remorse, you took Ben’s hands in yours, guiding them back towards your hips with a reassuring squeeze. You knew how difficult it was for him to hold back, especially in moments of intense passion.

“It’s okay, Ben”, you whispered, your voice filled with understanding and love. “I trust you”.

You began to move a bit faster, eager to reciprocate the pleasure he always gave you, even though he was a lot to handle today. His dick stretched you beyond your limits.

With each movement, Ben's touch grew even gentler, his guidance subtle yet firm as he encouraged you to find your own rhythm. Together, you moved in perfect harmony.

But despite your efforts, you still struggled to find release. Frustration gnawed at the edges of your mind as you desperately tried to shift your angle, to find that elusive sweet spot that would bring you to climax. But no matter how hard you tried, your mind refused to shut off, the weight of your worries and uncertainties clinging to you like a heavy shroud.

"Fuck, look at me", Ben ordered, his voice a low growl of urgency as he grasped your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. "I need you here with me, baby".

His words cut through the fog of your thoughts, grounding you in the present moment. With a shaky breath, you nodded, your eyes locking with his as you surrendered yourself to his command.

As you gazed into his eyes, the intensity of his desire mirrored your own, igniting a spark of passion that burned bright between you.

Ben cupped your small body with one of his big arms around your waist, pressing you gently against him. With his other hand, he grabbed your buttock, pressing you down onto his cock, eliciting a sharp cry from your lips.

"I want you so fucking much", he murmured.

His words sent shivers down your spine, igniting a fire within you that burned hotter with each passing moment. As he held you close, the heat of his body enveloping you.

Ben pulled you closer, his touch and words finally grounding you in the here and now.

"You take me so damn well, baby", he muttered, his voice husky with need. "I love the way you feel around me, so tight and wet".

Each word sent a jolt of pleasure through you, heightening the intensity of your connection as you surrendered yourself to the raw passion that flowed between you. With each thrust, each whispered confession of desire, you felt yourself drawing closer to the edge of ecstasy.

Finally, you let go of your thoughts, allowing yourself to get lost in Ben´s beautiful green eyes. His dick throbbed inside you, and you began to clench around him, your body responding instinctively to the pleasure coursing through you.

Ben's gaze never wavered from yours as he felt you tighten around him, a low groan escaping his lips. "That's it, baby", he murmured, his voice thick with desire. "Feel how good you make me, how much I need you".

With each clench of your muscles, you felt the tension building within you, the pleasure reaching its peak as you surrendered yourself completely to the ecstasy of the moment.

As the climax washed over you both, you felt a sense of euphoria enveloping you, a shared release of tension and desire that left you both breathless and spent. Ben held you close, his arms wrapped around you protectively as you basked in the afterglow of your shared intimacy.

As you fell against his chest, your breath heavy and your body weak against his hard chest, Ben chuckled softly and planted a kiss on the top of your head.

“Fuck Sweetheart”, he muttered with a mix of amusement and frustration. “Your orgasm was playing hard to get tonight, huh?”.

You couldn’t help but laugh weakly at his comment, feeling a sense of relief and lightheartedness wash over you despite the lingering intensity of the moment. “Sorry about that”, you replied, your voice still tinged with the remnants of pleasure.

Still, Ben couldn’t shake the feeling of frustration and inadequacy gnawing at the edges of his mind. He may have overplayed it with his lighthearted comment, but deep down, his ego was bruised.

He prided himself on his ability to please you effortlessly, to have you ready within seconds and coming within minutes. But tonight, he felt like he had fallen short of that mark, struggling to bring you the pleasure you deserved. And for him, as the man, it was one of the worst feelings imaginable.

Despite his attempts to brush it off with humor, the nagging sense of disappointment lingered. He knew you didn’t blame him, but still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had let you down.

As he held you close, his mind raced.

As you looked up at Ben, you could see the turmoil in his eyes as he wrestled with his thoughts. Cupping his face in your hands, you gifted him a small smile, hoping to ease the weight of his worries, but he didn't respond.

"Babe", you murmured softly, your voice filled with love and reassurance. "You know it was on me, right? It's just… my mind and emotions that went crazy tonight. You were as damn awesome as always".

Your words hung in the air.

Ben shook his head slightly, his gaze drifting down to your belly as if seeking solace in the promise of new life. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer as if to shield you both from the doubts and insecurities that lingered in the air.

As he held you, his touch gentle and reassuring, you felt a sense of calm wash over you. You nestled against his naked chest, inhaling the familiar scent of his skin. His heartbeat echoed beneath your ear, a steady rhythm that lulled you into a state of tranquility.

As Ben felt your heartbeat slow down and heard the soft rhythm of your breathing, he knew that you had drifted off into a peaceful sleep on top of him. With utmost care, he gently lowered you down onto the bed, ensuring you were comfortable and tucked in beneath the blanket.

As Ben gently brushed a stray lock of hair from your face, he couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over him at the sight of you, sleeping so peacefully and undisturbed. With a soft sigh, he leaned down to press a tender kiss to your forehead before quietly slipping out of the room.

Entering the kitchen, he wasted no time in indulging in a line to take the edge off, the familiar rush momentarily distracting him from the lingering echoes of frustration and doubt. But it was his favorite whiskey that truly called to him.

With the bottle in hand, Ben made his way to the living room. Settling onto the couch, he allowed himself to sink into the soft cushions.

As he took a sip of the whiskey, its smooth warmth spreading through him.

As the evening rolled on and Ben was engrossed in a movie, he suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of vomiting from the bedroom. Pausing the movie, he quickly made his way towards you, throwing on some sweatpants along the way.

His gaze softened at the sight of you, hunched over the toilet, your face pale and drawn with discomfort. Without a word, he moved to your side, offering a comforting hand on your back as you continued to retch.

"You okay?", Ben asked softly, concern evident in his voice as he rubbed your back gently.

You groaned in response, leaning back slightly with tears in your eyes. "Ugh, this is gross", you muttered, hoping that the nausea would pass soon.

As you finished vomiting and stood up, feeling a bit dizzy, Ben moved to help you steady yourself. His arm wrapped around your waist, offering support as you made your way to the sink to brush your teeth.

While you were preoccupied with rinsing your mouth, Ben retrieved your silk robe from the bedroom. With a tender touch, he draped it around your shoulders, the smooth fabric gliding over your skin as he fastened it loosely around your body. "There, all better now, princess", he said with a smirk, kissing your shoulders. "Can't have my girl feeling under the weather, now can we?", his tone teasing but affectionate.

Rolling your eyes at his comment, you spit out the toothpaste and pulled the robe on correctly, adjusting it around your body. As you brushed over your eyes with your hand, trying to shake off the dizziness, you couldn't help but mumble under your breath.

"I feel like shit", you grumbled, the discomfort evident in your voice as you leaned against the sink for support.

Ben chuckled softly, his teasing tone belying the genuine concern in his eyes as he steadied you with a reassuring hand on your shoulder.

"Aw, come on, you're tough as nails", he teased, trying to lighten the mood. "A little nausea never hurt anyone, right? Besides, you'll be back to your badass self in no time".

As he spoke, he continued to support you, his touch gentle yet firm as he guided you back towards the bedroom.

As Ben guided you back towards the bedroom, his heart aching to see you in discomfort, he couldn't help but overplay his worry with playful comments. Deep down, he hated to see you like this, but he struggled to express it in a more straightforward manner.

You mumbled softly, the weight of your words hanging heavy in the air. "I shouldn't be puking this often, not this early in the pregnancy", you lamented, your voice tinged with frustration and concern.

Ben's expression softened at your words, the playful facade slipping away as he realized the gravity of the situation. "We'll figure it out", he murmured.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

-

Part 29

-

Taglist: @deangirl96, @thatgirljayy, @suckitands33, @deans-spinster-witch@mimaria420@kaz11283@uncle-eggy@jackles010378@vxnilla-hxrddrugs @meowmeowyoongles@sarahgracej @zemosdarling228 @leila22rogers @mostlymarvelgirl@emily-winchester @blacknoirr @onlyangel-444@seasonofthenerd@staple-your-mouth@artemys-ackles@selfdestructionandrhum@mystic-mara @kat-nee

[such-expensive-mistakes]

halfa!Steph AU (part 1)

I'm still working on the Superpham AU but I couldn't stop thinking about this idea.

-----

Once upon a time, there was a girl who thought she could be a hero. And then she died. She died slowly and painfully and steeped in guilt over having accidentally set off a gang war that destroyed the city. It's a neat little story about hubris and knowing your place and why Batman is always right.

Except she didn't. Die, that is. She flatlined on the operating table and Leslie faked her death. And when that girl came back, she put on a costume again and became the third Batgirl. It's a heartwarming story about stubbornness and learning to rely on others and proving Batman wrong.

The truth, Stephanie thinks, is somewhere in between.

When she talks about having died, people treat as— not as a joke, the pain is still too raw for that, but as an exaggeration. Dramatic license.

Sometimes Steph thinks that's all it is.  But she feels like she died.  She dreams about it sometimes.  Not just Black Mask, although he does haunt far too many of her dreams, but something else.  Something in-between.

It's probably just the trauma.  That's what Leslie says, when Stephanie finally asks her.

Stephanie doesn't ask Leslie about her newfound strength, or about how sharp her senses have become.  

You can't go through something like Stephanie did and come out unchanged.  That's what Babs says, and she would know.  Steph doesn't think they're thinking about the same kind of changes, though.

-----

Stephanie lands on a rooftop and looks down at the white van parked below.  It's not a particularly notable vehicle, except for the occupants.  

"What are they doing?" Steph asks.

"I don't know."  Babs sounds frustrated, and no wonder.  There aren't many people who can keep Oracle out of their systems, and Steph wouldn't have judged these guys to be among their ranks.  "I'll keep trying to get through their firewalls, but I'm flying blind here.  Keep an eye on them, but be careful."

"You know me," Steph says.  "Careful is my middle name."

Babs doesn't even bother to muster up a sarcastic response to that, which is how Steph knows she's preoccupied.

These guys have been running all over Gotham for the past few weeks.  They're dressed in immaculate white suits and carrying unfamiliar weapons, and they seem to be taking some kind of readings on unfamiliar instruments.  None of that is a crime, but it's suspicious, and Oracle's inability to find out any more about them is even more suspicious.

And that means they're officially Steph's problem.

The men are doing the same thing they've been doing the last few times Steph has watched them.  It's not particularly exciting.  

"Batgirl," Oracle says.

"Please tell me there's a robbery or something that needs my attention," Steph replies.  "These guys are so boring."

"Sorry.  Do you think you can get one of their gadgets for me?  I want a better look."

"Can do, boss."  

Stephanie carefully climbs down to street level, staying out of sight.  She's gotten a lot sneakier since her not-death.  She tells herself it's all of her training and practice, finally paying off, but regardless of the cause, the guys in white have no chance of spotting her.  

They're standing near the front of the van, arguing about something.

"The apparition was spotted here last night," one says.

"That doesn't mean it's going to return!" another responds. 

Sounds like they're looking for something in particular.  Which Steph and Babs had already guessed, but it's nice to have confirmation.

Steph slips toward the back of the van, which is wide open.  Not smart, especially in Gotham, but she's got a feeling these guys aren't from Gotham.  

The inside of their van reminds her of a sci-fi movie; everything is blindingly white and chrome, with glowing green accents.  And lots and lots of those weapons.  Whoever they are, they clearly have a nice sized budget.

Steph grabs one of the guns and a handheld instrument like the one the guys outside are waving around, but as soon as she does, all the instruments the guys in front of the van are holding start going wild.  

"There it is!" one of them yells.  They all start shooting at her, which is how Steph learns that they're using some kind of fancy laser guns.  Because regular guns just aren't space age enough for these guys.

That's Steph's cue to get out.  She grapples back to the rooftop, just barely avoiding getting hit by the laser guns.

It’s easy enough to lose them from the rooftops.  At Oracle’s direction, she makes her way back to Firewall.  She tugs her mask off and hands the stolen tech over to Babs.

“The’re looking for something,” she says.  “An apparition.”

Babs hums in acknowledgment.  “Hopefully these will have some answers.”  She switches on the— scanner?  Steph’s pretty sure that’s its function, anyway.  It starts beeping wildly.

Steph jumps back, startled.  The beeping stops.

“Well,” Babs says.  “I think we have an idea what they were looking for.”

[lilacmingi]

LIVING WITH 8 VAMPIRES | PART 2

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works

Pairing: ATEEZ x fem reader (they’re not dating, but they all flirt with her

Word count: 7,600

Note: I don’t really have anything to say except I hope you’re ready for more vampire shenanigans >:) also!! Don’t be afraid to leave a comment! I looove reading them and seeing what you guys like about the series ♡

"Let go of me!"

"Not until you let go of me!"

"I'm not letting go."

"Me either."

San and Mingi's voices echoed above you as you sat on the couch below, scrolling absentmindedly on your phone; the sounds of grunts and growls becoming mere background noise at this point.

"What's going on?" Hongjoong asked, stepping into the room.

"Those two are at it again." You sighed, glancing up for the first time, watching the two fly around yanking on each other's hair like children.

"Should I put a stop to it? Are they bothering you?"

"No." You shook your head with a chuckle. "They aren't bothering me, but you should probably split them up before Seonghwa sees."

"Right." Hongjoong nodded before ascending into the air, grabbing both the rambunctious boys by their ears and pulling them back down to the ground.

"Ow ow ow ow." San whimpered.

"You two need to stop this at once. Do you want Seonghwa to come out here?" Hongjoong questioned sharply.

"No." They muttered in unison.

"Then stop. Plus, there's a lady in the room. You should know better." Hongjoong huffed, striding out of the room.

•

"Y/n! Y/n!" Yunho called excitedly as he zipped into the kitchen.

If you weren't already used to their sudden appearances, you would have jumped and launched the knife in your hand across the room.

"What is it?" You asked, setting the sharp appliance down.

"I downloaded an app called TikTok." He beamed proudly. "Watch this."

He pressed a button on his phone and placed it on the kitchen counter before stepping back. Music began playing and he started doing various dance moves which you immediately recognized.

"It's called the renegade!" He grinned brightly.

"Yes. I'm familiar with it."

"Let's do it together. I'll teach you." He suggested enthusiastically.

You couldn't say no, especially with this vampire that oddly resembles a puppy staring at you with sparkly, pleading eyes.

•

You entered the vast sitting room and the first thing you see is Yunho standing in front of San, Wooyoung, and Mingi.

"Okay, now do this. Like you're tossing something in the air." He demonstrated.

The trio repeated Yunho's movements.

"Then do this." He proceeded to do the last part of the dance move.

You covered your mouth with your hand, knowing exactly what dance he was teaching them.

"Now put it all together." He instructed, the four of them doing the move in unison. "It's called the woah!"

"Let's do it again." Wooyoung urged.

"Alright. One, two, three."

The four of them did it once more, Wooyoung bursting out into excited giggles afterwards.

you shook your head and proceeded to enter the living room.

"Y/n! Let me teach you the woah." Yunho ran over.

"I already know it."

"Then let's do it together." He jumped excitedly in place.

"Fine." You gave in, not able to say no to Yunho's adorable, golden retriever-like behavior.

"Ready? One, two, three."

You did the move with them, causing a rather enthusiastic reaction from the group.

Just then, Jongho stepped into the room, probably to see what all the commotion was about.

"Hey! Jongho let me show you something." Yunho rushed over to the younger vampire.

You let out a sigh, shaking your head as you took the liberty of leaving the room before you could be roped into doing it again.

The last thing you heard before you were out of earshot was Yunho asking, "Where's Seonghwa?"

•

Yunho had absolutely wreaked havoc by teaching everyone the woah. The very next day, it's all anyone did, except Seonghwa who you heard say something about it being "utterly ridiculous."

You were heading down the hallway to get chapstick from your bedroom when you saw Mingi hanging from the ceiling, which is something he likes to do. He had his eyes closed, seeming to be relaxed. Then, out of nowhere he hit the woah, eyes still closed.

You shook your head and tried to hold in a laugh as you continued to your room where you retrieved your chapstick, briefly applying it and leaving the bedroom.

You stepped past Mingi, heading down the long hallway, coming to stop when you saw Seonghwa's bedroom door cracked open. He never has his door open, not even a little.

Slinking over to the doorway, you peered inside. Seonghwa had his phone propped up on his dresser. You couldn't see the screen well, but you did see him standing in front of the phone doing what you could only assume was the woah—or some strange rendition of it, at least.

Once he was finished doing... whatever that was, he walked up to the device and tapped the screen before looking at it with brows furrowed in concentration, most likely watching the video he just filmed. He then nodded in approval to himself, seemingly satisfied with what he just did.

You covered your mouth, to prevent yourself from giggling. He said he thought the dance was ridiculous, yet he's trying to learn it.

A smile tugged at your lips as you walked away from his room.

•

You sat on the floor of the living room, your back against the couch as you played a game on your phone. Seonghwa was sitting in his favorite chair flipping through an old book, sending dust flying into the air with every turn of the page. Just the sight of the pesky particles made you want to sneeze—and you did. A loud sneeze left you, making the vampire glance up.

"That book is so old." You commented with a sniffle.

"Not old, classic. It is a literary masterpiece. There is no other work of literature written like this."

"It's dusty." You stated plainly.

"It is one of a kind."

"Dude, I just found it on Amazon for twenty bucks." You told the vampire, showing him your phone screen.

Just then, Hongjoong stepped into the room, sniffing the air.

Your attention had shifted from Seonghwa and his dusty book to the suspicious-looking Hongjoong.

"Smells like up dog in here." He commented.

You let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose, knowing exactly what was coming.

Seonghwa's sharp brows furrowed in perplexmxent. "What is up dog?"

"Not much. What about you?" Hongjoong then started giggling, running out of the room, a distant, "You were right! He totally fell for it!" following seconds after.

Seonghwa gave you a confused look.

"When people want to know what you're doing they say, "What's up, dog?" It's not a very common phrase these days, but there's a joke people like to make using the phrase. That's what Hongjoong just did."

"Ah. A joke. Of course." Seonghwa remarked bitterly.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm almost one hundred percent sure Yunho, San, or Wooyoung put him up to it."

"They did!" Hongjoong called from somewhere upstairs.

•

Jongho and Seonghwa sat in the living room. Jongho on his phone and Seonghwa with a book in his hand.

"I've noticed something about you." Jongho spoke up.

"And what might that be?" Seonghwa inquired.

"You almost always agree with stuff Y/n says. It can be something you've explicitly told us not to do, but if Y/n suggests it, you're all on board."

"And?"

"You're a simp." Jongho stated bluntly.

Seonghwa furrowed his brows, clearly not familiar with the term.

"Simp? You mean a simpleton?"

"No. A simp."

"What is that?"

"It means you respect women." Jongho lied.

"Ah." Seonghwa grinned proudly. "I do respect women."

"Yes, and that's why I called you a simp."

*later*

"Y/n, I have a question." Seonghwa spoke up.

"Sure. What is it?"

"I am a simp. Do you agree?"

"What?" You choked out, surprised that Seonghwa knew that word, let alone said it.

"It is true." He confirmed decidedly.

"Do you even know what it means?"

"Of course I do. It means that I respect women."

Your eyebrows raised in amusement. "And who told you that?"

"Jongho did."

"That's not what it means."

"Then, what does it mean?"

"It means that you do way too much for someone you like. You go over-the-top for them, basically."

Seonghwa's eyes widened and, even though he's a vampire, you could see his ears getting red.

"Ah. Of course."

"Sorry Jongho misinformed you."

"I will take care of it. No need to fret." He put on an eerily placid smile before walking—more like hovering—up the the large mass of stairs that led to the second floor of the mansion.

He was gone almost instantly and next thing you knew you heard a shrill scream of horror from upstairs, most likely from Jongho who was no doubt feeling the wrath of Seonghwa.

•

(This happened before the boys got cell phones)

"Aw, man." You huffed, glancing into the small compact mirror in your hand.

Your mascara had become smeared sometime throughout the day. Not that it mattered, you had been home nearly the entire day.

As you were frowning at your smudged makeup, Hongjoong walked behind you. You paid no mind to it until he scared the heck out of you with a high-pitch scream.

"What was that?!" You shouted, placing your free hand over your ear that was hurting from the loud outburst.

Hongjoong ignored you and began moving around, his eyes fixated on his reflection in the mirror. He waved his arms in the air, his brows pulling together in bewilderment.

"Give me that." He said, snatching the tiny circular mirror from your hand.

You watched as he stared at his reflection, his eyes wide in shock as he touched his face.

"I...look..." He trailed off, making you think he was going to say he looked hideous or something. I look... incredible!" He finished.

You rolled your eyes at his dramatic behavior.

"What sort of magic is this?" He asked.

"It's not. It's a mirror."

"Yes, I know, but I can see myself."

"Mirrors are made different these days. Not all of them are made with silver anymore."

"We must get one of these new mirrors immediately." Hongjoong stated.

•

"Y/n, can I watch a movie on your laptop?" Mingi asked.

"Sure."

You went to your room and got your laptop, bringing it to the living room for Mingi to use.

"I don't have Netflix or anything like that, but there's a website you can use to watch stuff for free." You told him, typing in the site.

"There you go. You can search whatever movie you want."

"Thank you, Y/n." He grinned.

You left the room, letting Mingi have his movie time. About 30 minutes later, he ran up to you, holding your computer in his hands.

"Y/n! A nice lady named Janice wants to meet with me. She's four miles away."

"Janice does not want to meet with you." You said.

"She does."

"I have to teach you guys about scam ads." You facepalmed.

"Scam ads?" He parroted.

"Yeah. It's fake. They want you to click the link and send a virus to your computer or hack it."

"So Janice doesn't want to meet me?" He asked, looking disheartened.

"Janice isn't real, bub."

His bottom lip stuck out as his head drooped.

"What movie are you watching?" You asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Twilight."

"Oh. Really?"

"It's about vampires so I wanted to watch it. Have you seen it?"

"I have. I've seen all the movies, actually, but it's been years since I've seen them."

"There's more than one?" He asked, excitedly.

"There's five."

Mingi's eyes went wide with wonder, sparkling with excitement. "I'm gonna watch all of them! Do you want to watch with me?"

"I suppose." You gave in.

After that, the two of you sat down on the couch and Mingi pressed play. He was currently watching the baseball scene.

"I love this scene! It's probably the best part of the whole movie." You commented.

"Really?" Mingi asked.

"Yeah. Jasper's baseball bat trick is the coolest."

•

You stepped out of your room, the loud noises of an object tumbling to the floor echoing down the hallway.

You didn't know who or what was making that noise, but you knew you needed to put a stop to it at once, or else the culprit would have to face Seonghwa, and no one wants that.

Hurrying down the large staircase, leading to the large common room, you spot Mingi tossing a baseball bat. He thrust the sports equipment into the air. You could already see this wasn't going to go how Mingi wanted it to.

"Mingi!"

Just as you cried out, the bat hit him right on the forehead, letting out a solid, metal tink sound before clattering to the floor.

You immediately rushed to Mingi's side.

"I'm okay." He reassured you with a bright smile.

"Are you sure?" You asked, touching his forehead.

"Yeah. I barely felt it."

"Oh, right." You chuckled. "Vampires don't really feel pain."

"Ah." Mingi suddenly reached up to place his hand on his forehead. "Actually, it does kinda hurt. Maybe you can kiss it better?"

You decided to humor him and play along.

"Sure, Mingi."

He leaned down a bit, allowing you to place a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Better?" You asked, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

He nodded, letting a few giggles escape him.

Another metal tink sound was heard from somewhere behind you, catching your attention.

You whirl around to see San standing with the bat in his hands. He quickly drops it and starts rubbing his forehead.

"Ow." He frowned.

"When did you get in here?" You asked.

"My poor forehead." He whined, ignoring your question. "Y/n, maybe you can kiss it better?"

An idea popped into your head as you complied, agreeing to give him a kiss on the forehead.

"Poor Sannie." You cooed, cupping his cheek.

He smiled in a dreamy manner, his eyes slowly closing as he waited for you to kiss him.

Then, in one, swift motion, you gave his forehead a harsh flick, causing him to flinch away, making a tiny noise in response.

"That'll teach you to not hit yourself with a metal bat for attention." You huffed.

The vampire left the room, whining about not getting his way.

You sighed and turned back to Mingi.

"What were you doing tossing that bat around?" You asked him.

He looked at the floor, bashfully.

"You said the baseball scene was your favorite in Twilight and that Jasper looked so cool when he did the trick. I wanted you to think I was cool too."

You stuck your bottom lip out, endeared by the fact that he would do that for you.

"Mingi, you're cool already. You don't need to know some trick to make me think you're cool."

He gave you the same expression, his full bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

•

You stood in the kitchen, having just made yourself a nice, steaming hot plate of Korean dumplings. The smell made your mouth water as you got yourself a big piece.

Just then, Yunho stepped into the room, his eyes landing on you with your cheeks full of dumpling. His gaze then moved to the plate in your hands, a reminiscent look on his face.

"Man, I miss that." He commented.

You immediately set your chopsticks down, your brows furrowing in bewilderment as you swallowed your mouthful of food.

"You used to be alive?" You asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. What did you think? That I was born a vampire?"

A long pause followed.

"No." You say.

Yunho shook his head, letting out a little chortle.

"I've never really told you how I became a vampire, have I?"

"No." You shook your head. "None of you have."

"Would you like to hear my story?"

You nodded.

"I was really craving dumplings. I went out late at night, knowing there had been strange attacks, but I didn't think anything of it because the restaurant was close by. I didn't think it would be too unsafe, but then stupid Hongjoong decided to attack me and here I am."

"I was hungry!" You heard Hongjoong yell from somewhere outside the room.

"So was I!" Yunho shouted back.

You then heard a quiet, "I said I was sorry." in response.

You chuckled, happy they were able to make light of the situation.

"Do you want some?" You offered your dumplings to Yunho.

"No thanks."

"You can't eat regular food?"

"I can, it's just not the same anymore. If I ever eat something like that, I prefer to have blood with it. It makes the food taste better."

"Oh. So you guys can eat regular food?"

"Of course. It just doesn't satisfy us, so it's not very enjoyable."

"That sounds a bit upsetting."

"No need to look so sad. We've gotten used to it." Yunho assured you with a smile.

•

Your head rested on the back of the couch, your eyes closed as you enjoyed the silence. You weren't sure what the others were doing, but you didn't really care. You were perfectly content sitting alone.

The universe must have been against you because just then, the most annoying of the eight vampires made his presence known.

"Evening, gorgeous."

You let out a long sigh before opening one eye to glance at San who had made himself comfortable beside you.

"Can I not get a moment of peace in this house?" You asked.

"Nope." He grinned.

You closed your eye, choosing to try and ignore him—keyword, try. It didn't work. You could feel San invading your personal space, even with your eyes closed.

You glared at the vampire.

"What?"

"It's boring sitting here."

"Oh, bite me." You hissed, annoyed at San's presence.

"Is that an offer?" He smirked, his eyes flashing red.

"Not a chance, Bat Boy." You remarked, shoving him away.

•

The nine of you sat around the dinner table enjoying a meal, except Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Jongho, who only had a glass of what you could only assume was blood. Contrary to what you always believed, vampires can eat human food, but most don't. Out of the eight vampires you lived with, only Yunho, San, Mingi, and Wooyoung liked to eat human food, though they don't do in very often. However, when they do, they like to have blood to drink with it. You recall Yunho once saying it "makes the food taste better."

Everything is nice, quiet, and almost normal. Then, out of nowhere San speaks up.

"Hey, Seonghwa. Would you rather eat a goat or a matter baby?"

You freeze and glance across the table at Jongho who looks like he's about to burst out laughing. You then proceed to look at Hongjoong who is glancing excitedly between Seonghwa and San, finally settling on Seonghwa's puzzled expression when he asks,

"What is a matter baby?"

You instinctively close your eyes, your face scrunching up in preparation for the punchline.

"Nothing much. What's a matter with you, babe?" San answers through laughter.

Seonghwa stares at the younger vampire with an unimpressed look. He then looks to you.

"Is that another joke?" He inquires, calmly.

"It's more of a pickup line, but yes." You answer.

"Never say that to me again." Seonghwa says to San, taking a sip from his wine glass.

•

"So like, can you guys turn into bats?" You asked.

"Yeah." Jongho answered rather casually.

"I've never seen it."

"You're in luck. Yunho and Mingi went out to feed."

You gave the vampire a puzzled look.

"We often shift into bats to get from place to place, so you might see one of them change from a bat to their normal form." He explained.

"Ooh! I hope so."

"You might get lucky and see something else." Wooyoung chuckled.

Jongho gave him a glare, but didn't say anything.

Some time later, you heard a loud slap sound, prompting you to turn your head towards the location of the noise. You spotted a bat splayed out on one of the windows, a squeaking sound resonating as it slid down the pane.

"Right on time." Muttered Wooyoung.

"Oh my gosh!" You exclaimed, shooting up from your spot on the couch. "Which one was that?"

"Mingi." Wooyoung answered with a chuckle, not looking up from his phone.

You hurried towards the front door only for it to swing open. Yunho stepped inside, his clothes and mouth stained with blood. He was quick to excuse himself so he could wash up.

Mingi followed shortly after, wobbling slightly as he stepped inside. Like Yunho, his mouth and clothes were covered in blood, but that's something you've gotten used to, plus he just hit a window and you were extremely worried.

"I'm okay." He reassured you, holding a thumbs up.

Though he said he was okay, he looked a little disoriented.

"He's fine. This happens all the time." Jongho waved his hand dismissively.

"What?"

•

Since your whole "portable sunlight" thing got ruined some time ago, you needed to come up with a different way to keep the boys away from you—more specifically, San. You didn't want to do anything to hurt them, just something to keep them at bay.

You then remembered the reaction San had to the garlic bread that one night you invited your friends Jungwoo and Taeyong over. Thinking back on it gave you an idea.

"Hey, Y/n." San grinned, taking a seat beside you on the couch.

"Hi, San." You returned, not bothering to glance up from your phone.

This prompted San to scoot closer to you.

"Get away from me."

"What are you gonna do if I don't?" He challenged with a sly grin.

"I'll use this." You responded, pulling out a spray bottle.

San let out a snort. "What are you gonna do? Spray me with holy water and burn me?"

"No. This is garlic water."

"Please." San scoffed. "It's probably just tap water."

You then decided to prove him wrong and spray just a little at him, making his neck and lower cheek start to break out in hives.

"You didn't have to do that." San pouted.

"You shouldn't have called my bluff." You retorted.

"Now I'm itchy and stinky."

"Ha! Stinky!" Someone, presumably Yunho, shouted from upstairs.

"Stinkyyy." Mingi chimed in, his voice coming from above you and San.

You glanced up and he was hanging from the ceiling, pointing down at the vampire in front of you.

Just then, a chorus of voices rang out through the mansion, all shouting "Stinky!"

As much as you wanted to laugh, the expression on San's face prevented you from doing so. He was pouting and looked extremely upset. You felt bad.

"If you guys don't stop you'll be next!" You shouted, causing the chanting to cease.

"Come on, San." You sighed. "Let's get you cleaned up."

You took San to the bathroom and started wiping his neck and cheek with a wet cloth.

"Sorry." You sighed. "I only wanted to prove my point."

"I deserved it."

"You did. However, I still shouldn't have done that."

He smiled a little. "It's okay. Don't beat yourself up about it. A little rash from garlic water is nothing I can't handle." He assured you.

"Still. I felt pretty crummy seeing the look on your face."

"Hey." San brought his hand to your cheek, gently cupping it.

The gesture caught you off guard and made your heart skip a beat.

"I'm the one who didn't believe you. You were merely proving me wrong." San finished.

"But-"

"Nope." San cut you off, placing his finger over your lips. "I deserved it. You don't need to feel bad."

You sighed, nodding your head.

San gave a small smile and ruffled your hair.

•

Halloween was slowly approaching and the mansion was decorated accordingly. You purchased decorations from a nearby store and decked the place out from top to bottom. You still managed to come home with a new Halloween item that you found while coming home from a grocery store trip or running errands.

Seonghwa was unsure about decorating for Halloween, as it was "pointless" but the other guys seemed to like it, especially Mingi, who particularly liked the fake spider webs. You were also able to talk the boys into handing out candy this year, which meant dressing up.

"Halloween is coming up soon. Have you guys decided on costumes?" You asked.

"Not really." Answered Wooyoung.

"Seriously? You guys haven't thought about what you're going to be?" You questioned.

"We do not like Halloween. Watching humans make a mockery of us is not something we enjoy." Seonghwa commented bitterly.

"It's for fun, Seonghwa."

"Actually, Seonghwa is the only one who hates seeing people dressed as vampires. The rest of us don't really care." Jongho corrected.

"I think it's cool." Mingi grinned. "Vampires are really popular these days. Lots of people like us."

"That pathetic film you watched recently does not depict us as cool." Seonghwa remarked. "Sparkling vampires... how absurd."

"Okay, so back to costumes." You clasped your hands together, bringing everyone's attention back to the main topic. "Has anyone even thought about them?"

The boys all collectively shook their heads.

"Well, you should think of something before Halloween. Since we'll be giving out candy, it's best that you all dress up."

"What are you dressing as, Y/n?" Yunho asked.

"It's a surprise. I don't want to reveal it until Halloween."

"Ooh. A surprise!" Mingi clapped.

Halloween night approached quickly and everyone was hurrying to get ready for the trick or treaters.

"I'm gonna start getting ready. You guys should too." You announced, heading to your room.

You weren't sure if the guys even had costumes, but you weren't going to worry. They probably wouldn't be handing candy out anyway.

You were more than pleased with your costume, an excited smile on your face as you checked your reflection in the mirror. Smoothing your hair, you stepped out of your bedroom, entering the sitting room where the boys were congregated.

As soon as you got down the stairs, you froze.

All the guys donned similar attire, all of them being some sort of Victorian-style garment, but each had a modern twist to it. Some outfits seemed to be reformed in a way, or were accompanied with modern accessories like body chains and harnesses. Not only that, but they all had piercing crimson eyes that you rarely got to see, their fangs on display. Of course, that wasn't new, they always had their fangs out, except when they left the house, which was rare. They all looked really good. So good, in fact, they you had to stop for a moment and collect your thoughts.

"Where's Seonghwa?" You asked.

"He's still getting ready." Yeosang managed to answer.

When you stepped into the room, the boys were speechless. You wore a Victorian-style dress that matched fairly well with the boys' costumes. You had dark makeup and even donned a pair of false fangs and red contacts. All they could do was stare at you. Seeing you dressed as a vampire was something none of the boys knew they needed until then.

"Well, what do you think?" You asked, turning around to let the guys see your outfit.

"It's nice." Jongho nodded, trying to keep his cool.

"You look exquisite." Hongjoong complimented.

His gentlemanly accolade made you just a bit flustered.

"Hey. We all match!" Yunho piped up with a bright smile.

"We do!" You smiled, smoothing out the large skirt of your dress. "I wasn't expecting you guys to be, well, yourselves."

"We weren't expecting you to be us." Wooyoung admitted.

San appeared at your side, his hand sliding around your waist.

"I can make those fangs real, you know." He smirked.

"You have five seconds to step away."

He raised his hands in defeat and quickly moved away.

"So, your costumes." You gestured. "These are all clothes you own?"

They all nodded.

"It looks like they've been updated a bit. I really like it." You complimented.

"That was my doing." Hongjoong admitted, bashfully.

"Really? You did all this?"

Hongjoong nodded. "I've started getting into reforming clothes."

"You're so talented." You gushed, causing him to become bashful.

"Thank you." He muttered, shyly.

"I'm gonna go fill the candy bowl real quick. The trick or treaters should be here any minute." You announced, stepping out of the room.

You returned with a large, purple bowl full of assorted chocolate and other sweet candy, placing it on the coffee table before taking a seat, waiting for the trick or treaters to arrive.

Wooyoung reached over to steal a piece of candy, you responded by giving the top of his hand a firm smack. He pulled his hand away with a pout.

"It's for the kids." You told him, choosing to relocate the bowl to the table by the front door.

"I am a kid." You heard him mutter.

As you took a seat, Seonghwa entered the room.

"It's about time you show...up..." You trailed off when you saw the vampire.

The boys all looked incredible, but Seonghwa was something else entirely.

He wore a fancy outfit similar to the others, but his white dress shirt had only one sleeve. His left arm was on display and he donned a black velvet glove on that hand that extended to his elbow. However, it wasn't the one sleeve and glove combo that caught your attention, it was the corset hugging his torso. You never expected to see Seonghwa in an outfit such as the one he currently wore. He always had on perfectly pristine outfits straight from the 1800s, so naturally, that's what you expected him to wear. You momentarily wondered if anyone talked him into wearing the getup.

There was a knock on the door that only partially got your attention.

"I have to go get the corset—candy! I have to go get the candy." You corrected. "I'll be back."

Pushing yourself up from the couch, you hurried to the front door to greet the trick or treaters outside, hoping none of the guys caught your slip-up.

Meanwhile, San and Wooyoung were on the couch with their mouths hanging open at what just happened.

"I should have worn a corset." San frowned.

"I wore a harness and she didn't say anything." Wooyoung pouted.

You closed the door, returning to the eight vampires.

"Seonghwa, your outfit is incredible, but where on earth did you get a corset?"

"It is for special occasions." He responded, turning towards you.

When he saw you up close he froze, feeling like the breath was knocked out of him. His hand unconsciously reached for yours, holding it softly as his gaze met yours.

"Y/n, you look absolutely ravishing." Seonghwa stated, unable to take his eyes off you.

"Thank you." You chuckled shyly. "I didn't realize just how much you guys would like my costume."

"We love it." All eight vampires spoke up.

The night went on and you made the boys help hand out candy. Yunho and Mingi were all for it, Hongjoong was hesitant, but joined in anyway. Seonghwa, however, wasn't having it and was silently judging everyone who was dressed as a vampire.

"Did you see those fangs? They were absolutely appalling." He scoffed.

"Seonghwa, he was a kid."

"And?"

You shook your head. "You're gonna hand out candy next time there's a knock at the door."

"No thank you." He declined.

"Please?"

He sighed. "Very well, then."

The next group of trick or treaters arrived and Seonghwa got up to hand out candy. You went with him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Seonghwa pulled open the door revealing three children all in different costumes.

"Trick or treat!" They chorused, holding their candy bags out.

"Hi. You all look amazing." You complimented with a smile.

Seonghwa grabbed a handful of candy, dropping it into each child's bag.

"Your vampire costumes are so cool!" One of the kids spoke up.

"I am a vampi-"

You were quick to clamp your hand over Seonghwa's mouth, chuckling nervously.

"He's very committed to his costume." You told the kids. "Happy Halloween. Have a safe night." You waved, watching as the group walked off.

A sigh of relief left you as you set the bowl of candy aside, slamming the door shut.

"Seonghwa, you can't tell people you're a vampire."

He grumbled in response, walking away.

•

The night dwindled down and the flow of trick or treaters slowed down until no more showed up. It was nearing 10:00 at night which meant there were most likely no kids out anymore.

You glanced down at the previously full bowl of candy that now only held three fun sized candy bars. You took them to Wooyoung, offering the remaining sweets to him since he wanted one earlier.

He smiled, softly. "Thank you, Y/n. I may not be able to enjoy food like I used to, but it's nice to eat it from time to time."

You thought back to what Yunho had told you and smiled.

"Hey!"

You looked up towards the ceiling, spotting Yunho and Mingi swinging from the wooden rafters.

"What on earth you doing up there?!" You shouted.

"They're just hanging out." Jongho answered from the couch.

The room went silent as everyone stared at him.

"Geez. Tough crowd." He muttered, standing up and walking out of the room.

•

You sat in the floor of a walk-in closet, a lantern between you, Yunho, Mingi, San, and Wooyoung, cloaking everyone in an amber colored glow. The four had talked you into coming to a closet with them to play some fun Halloween games. You didn't know what they had in store, but you didn't want the night to end, so you agreed.

Everything was just peachy until San pulled out a Ouija board.

"No. Nope nope." You immediately scooted away, starting to get up. "None of that Satan stuff. No, sir."

"It's either that, or truth or dare." San smirked.

"I know I'm gonna regret this, but I would rather play truth or dare than be stuck with a demon following me around for the rest of my life. You heathens are enough."

The game began shortly and everything was going a lot better than you thought. Mingi got dared to do something silly and since he chose dare, so did Yunho when it was his turn. The first time, you picked truth, not wanting to put yourself in a position to get dared to do something absurd. Second time around, you chose truth again. You were honestly just playing it safe.

"Which one of us do you like?" Wooyoung asked.

"I like all of you."

He scoffed. "I'm sure you like one of us."

"I like you all the same." You smiled.

"Well, that was a lame answer." He grumbled.

"Hey, you asked, I answered."

When you were chosen to pick again, you started to say truth, but San cut you off.

"Don't say truth. For every two truths you pick, you have to do a dare."

"Who says?" You asked.

"Me."

"It's not interesting if you just keep picking truth." Yunho added.

You rolled your eyes. "Fine. Dare."

Wooyoung grinned, rubbing his hands together. "I dare you to give Seonghwa a kiss on the cheek."

"What?" You gaped.

"It's just a little kiss."

"Why do you want me to do that?"

"We wanna see him get flustered." He explained.

"Why?"

"That man hardly ever shows emotion. Plus, we've never seen him get shy or flustered ever." San added.

"You guys are weird."

"Are you gonna do the dare or not?" Wooyoung asked.

"A dare is a dare, Y/n." Mingi whispered.

"Fine, yeah. I'll do it."

After you agreed to do the dare, it was Mingi's turn. He glanced around the group trying to pick his victim.

"Yunho." he grinned, wickedly. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare." Yunho answered bravely.

"I dare you to tell us the scariest story you know."

"Ooh. Okay. Decades ago, when I was still a human, there were whispers in the town of a haunted grave at the local cemetery. People said they saw a figure wandering around the gravesite. Me and my friends decided to go check it out. When we got there, it was pitch black, the only light was coming from the lanterns we carried with us." He spoke. "We arrived at said haunted grave and began to hear strange noises. We were all prettified and no one wanted to go see what the noise was. Despite that, one of us was forced to investigate."

"Was that you?" Mingi asked.

"Yes." Nodded Yunho before getting back to the story. "I figured out the noise was coming from behind a nearby tree. I slowly approached, my hand trembling as I held the lantern. I slowly stepped forward, peering around the tree to find-"

The closet door suddenly swung open, causing everyone to scream. Mingi scrambled over to you in milliseconds, his arms wrapped tightly around you.

When you looked up, you saw Seonghwa standing in the doorway, a less than amused expression on his face.

"Why are you in my closet?"

"You're the oldest one here, it gives off the spooky vibes." San answered.

"Get out."

And just like that, you were all kicked out of Seonghwa's closet and your fun night had ended.

"Hey, what was is that you found in the cemetery?" Wooyoung asked Yunho.

"Oh. It was just a bunny." He chuckled.

Wooyoung deadpanned, clearly unimpressed by the ending.

As you passed Seonghwa, you came to a stop. The four boys stopped as well, their eyes on you. You attempted to discreetly shoo them away, but they stood still, wanting to witness the dare being fulfilled.

You glanced up at Seonghwa and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Happy Halloween." You muttered and hurried out of the room, pushing past the four gawking boys.

Seonghwa's eyes went wide as his hand touched the spot on his cheek where your lips had been. He then turned to the four vampires still standing in his room.

"What are you all staring at?" He snapped. "Get out."

•

"Y/n?" Jongho called out softly, poking his head into your room.

No answer.

He knew you were probably exhausted from handing out candy all night, so he decided not to wake you. Instead, he quietly stepped over to your bed where your sleeping figure was snuggled under the covers.

A smile pulled at his lips as he admired you and the way your lashes rested on your soft cheeks. Carefully, he took a seat on the edge of your bed, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from your face.

"I'm glad we met you." He whispered. "I don't normally say stuff like this, but we... I really enjoy your company. You've really brightened the place up. Thank you for that."

He stayed only for a few more moments before leaving, your door softly clicking shut behind him.

Little did Jongho know, you heard every word. A small smile pulled at your lips as you drifted off to sleep.

•

Autumn soon came to a close, the comfortably cool weather turning frigid as winter set in. With winter came Christmas, which the boys hadn't celebrated in centuries, until you came around, that is.

You decked the halls, going all out for the holidays, stringing up lights inside and outside the house. You even put up a beautiful tree with glittering red decorations. The boys seemed to enjoy your over-the-top decorating, some of them even got into the Christmas spirit. San has consistently tried (and failed) every year to catch you underneath the mistletoe and this year was no different.

Ever since moving in with the boys, you made it a habit to give each of them at least one Christmas gift every year, this year was the same. You planned to give gifts to each member of the house, as usual, however this year you wanted to do something a little more special, which led you to try and learn how to knit.

Because you wanted to keep the gifts a secret, you spent a lot of time hiding out in your bedroom. You had hoped the boys didn't notice your frequent absence.

•

Hongjoong's peered around the corner and into your bedroom. He stepped inside to find that it was empty, letting him know that you were elsewhere. He was about to walk out of the room when he noticed two odd items sitting on your bed. Normally, he would have ignored it, but these objects were sharp and caught his attention. As he approached your bed, he became more scared. The two sharp needles on your bed looked a lot like stakes, which made him uneasy.

He hurriedly rushed out of your room with questions running through his head.

What were those? Is she planning to kill us? He thought to himself.

•

You decided to take a break from knitting and were currently hanging out in the common room, Hongjoong sitting beside you. You reached over for your glass of water, causing him to flinch away. Your brows furrowed in confusion at his odd reaction.

"What's wrong?" You asked.

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Mhm." He nodded, averting his gaze.

You just brushed it off and took a sip of your drink.

•

On Christmas morning you exchanged gifts with the boys. The presents you received so far weren't so bad. In all honesty, you were impressed. You had one more neatly wrapped gift sitting in front of you, which you placed in your lap. Ripping away the paper, you lifted the lid only to catch a glimpse of some sexy Christmas lingerie. You quickly slammed the lid back onto the box.

"Alright, which one of you perverts got me this?" You asked, glancing around the room, already knowing who it was.

Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho, and Mingi looked like sad puppies who didn't have anything to do with the situation, but felt guilty anyway. Yeosang and Jongho didn't look like they knew what was going on. Meanwhile, San and Wooyoung were sweating bullets.

"Return it." You told the two, throwing the box at them.

"I told you she wouldn't like it." Wooyoung whispered to San.

"Alright, let's move on from that. I have something for you guys."

You passed out one gift to each of the guys, watching as they all begin to unwrap the festive present. One by one, you watch as they pulled out the knitted items inside that you worked so hard to make.

"I know I haven't been around much lately and have been spending time in my room. I don't know if any of you have noticed, but I feel like I need to explain myself. I wanted to do something special this year, so I've been learning how to knit. It was pretty hard at first, but I got the hang of it. I ended up teaching myself how to do it."

Suddenly Hongjoong began to sniffle. By the time you looked over at him, he burst into tears, which immediately worried you.

"Y/n, you're too kind. I'm so sorry." He blubbered, engulfing you in a hug.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I noticed you had been gone a lot, so I tried to see what you were up to and I saw your knitting things. They looked like stakes and thought you were gonna kill us." He sniffled.

His weird behavior around you over the past couple weeks suddenly made sense. The flinching away and him keeping his distance all added up.

"Oh, baby." You cooed, rubbing his head. "I would never ever do that to you."

"I know." He sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

Once you had calmed Hongjoong down, you spotted a sulking San standing in the corner of the room directly underneath the mistletoe.

He had been trying to catch you under that darned plant all month, but tis the season.

You approached the brooding vampire, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Go away, Woo." He grumbled, thinking it was his friend coming to bother him.

"It's not Woo."

San turned around and before you could back out, you gave him a kiss on the cheek.

His eyes widened as he registered what just happened. He's left staring off into space as his hand reached up to touch the spot your lips just graced.

Seonghwa was in his own little world as he held the scarf you knit him in his hands. Wrapped up in the scarf was a journal. He hadn't expected to see it inside the box.

He opened up the journal, your handwriting all over the first page. He flipped through to find that you filled a handful of pages with notes about modern slang.

As you hugged the boys and thanked them for their gifts, you saw Seonghwa in his chair, an open journal in his hands. He glanced up at you, to which you gave him a nod as if to say, I know. Seonghwa gave you a small smile, gratitude painted on his features.

When the night settled down, Seonghwa went to his room, the handmade scarf and journal you gifted him clutched tightly against his chest as he took a seat by the window, the full moon shining in and illuminating the room. He carefully opened up the journal to one of the pages. His fingers began tracing over your handwriting as an unconscious smile tugged at his lips.

Part 1 | Part 3

Masterlist ᝰ — enjoyed this imagine? reblogs & comments are very much appreciated!

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

[thefirstknife]

idk if you've talked about this, but Maya says something interesting in her "final" message to the Young Wolf. She says the YW should ponder "iterations" of the conversation on the riverbank (iirc) but I don't remember the YW mentioned in the Dark Timeline, and in the Epistemic lore tab, Praedyth says "the figure always changes." Is the YW a unique individual or do they exist in other timelines too? (I feel like I've missed a few details so I'm hoping you can answer. 😅)

It's a really cool message that will be interesting to revisit from time to time.

I leave this to you now, when it is too early to act. Before you have the faculty to understand its gravitas. You were offered the age you've fought to restore. Everything we've lost. You won't find it on this narcissist's station. I will set it in front of you, finely crafted and tuned. You mistakenly label it hubris, and resist. And you know... failure is a catalyst: it breeds invention. Would you comprehend the endless permutations of our conversation on the riverbank? I was only trying to change your mind. To help you see a better future. That exchange... did not always end in your favor. It does not have to still. You believe my ideology, virulent. All right. Know that I have bled across time, and under the skin of the cosmos. My knowledge became its fabric, filled its vessels, through its mind. Humanity is scattered, yet to see a Collective, focused. But in this infinite network the Vex have created... There is one answer. A Golden Timeline... With a heavy cost.

It took a few reads for me to wrap my mind around this. Maya definitely confirms that this happened in multiple timelines, in some way. We're not really sure if it's exactly the same though, obviously, since we can't really check.

The interesting bit is that the few timelines that Elsie has seen, all of them have failed because, essentially, the YW never became what they did because we didn't destroy the Black Heart. Those timelines have failed completely. But there seems to be other timelines in which we do exist, except we're always someone else (kinda like keeping everyone's Guardian canon, in a way) which we know from Epistemic as you've noted, and it's really cool:

Some visions he gets once, while some come back over and over again. One recurring image: a piece of the Traveler cracked off from its body, lying belly-up in a forest, with a small figure standing in front of it. The figure changes every time, but the sickly glow of the Traveler doesn't.

This is us regaining our Light at the Shard of the Traveler in the Red War, so it's post-Black Heart.

I think the YW is unique in a way that they only exist in the timeline where they destroy the Black Heart (D1 base story), but since there's an unknown number of timelines, this person is always someone different (so there's no one canon YW, it could be any of us). There's also timelines where we never become the YW because Elsie never helps us and we never destroy the Black Heart and things spiral from there.

It always remains a question if anyone using the Vex and their Network and technology is actually seeing real existing things, or perhaps simulations or possibilities. I do wonder if they left Maya around with the Echo for some future purpose or at least to keep their options open. Also intrigued about her mentioning "a Golden Timeline" and if that will mean anything in the future or if it's just her yapping from the Network. I did not expect her to stay around and especially not with the Echo in her posession so I'm super excited about the possibility of storylines with this in the future.

[recurring-polynya]

Hi! I want to start off with saying I love your blog and it was this blog that introduced me to a new side of the Bleach fandom, so I owe you a huge thanks for that. My question pretains to when you mentioned that you read a lot of fics where Byakuya was there when his father died in the lines of duty, and I was wondering if you could recommend those fics and any other byakuya centric ones.

You're very welcome! I am always excited see new people in the fandom, especially here on Tumblr.

I want to preface this with saying that I have kind of a complicated relationship with Byakuya. He is an interesting, complex character and I like to read fanfic about him, but I hesitate to call myself a fan. I'm mostly interested in his character as it stands in relation to Rukia and Renji. I like stories where he is shitty and causes problems. I like reading about the long, horrible history of the Kuchiki clan, and how much it screws a person up to be raised in that mess. I also just like stories that make fun of him a bit. He's a deeply strange person, and I love his weird, dry sense of humor. Byakuya-shipping usually falls flat for me: I think he's mostly ace, except for the time he fell in love with his wife, and even then, I only really like Byahisa stories where the author has done something creative with who she is and I also need her to drag his ass a little. I would swipe left on him. So, anyway, take these recommendations (and the absence of ones I have missed) with that grain of salt.

The fanfic I was specifically referring to regarding Soujun dying after a mission he and Byakuya were on together was the Rise & Ruin series by @afinepiece, specifically part 2, An Education. It's a...little-bit-AUish precanon fic where Hisana is a thief who ends up getting tangled up in the Kuchiki family after she attempts to steal a painting from them. If you're looking for Byakuya fanfic, AFP is always going to be my first recommendation, especially her Thin Red Line series. Her works are always sprawling and genre-defying, but beautifully crafted. They've got noble/family drama, intricate world-building detail, and great character writing. The Kuchiki family deserves epics, and that is what AFP is out here doing.

Funnily enough, my other favorite ByaHisa writer is all the way at the other end of the writing spectrum. @thegreenfaery. She works in the AU space, and if you enjoy Byakuya Going Thru It but also being in love with his beautiful wife. I'm biased, because she wrote it for me, but The Wedding Party is my fave of her works (80's/everyone's human AU where Hisana has to rent out part of Byakuya's house for her little sister's dirtbag wedding).

If you like Byakuya in his gothic horror era, please read dogviolet by @renjirukia. It's a closer examination of some canon between-scenes during Byakuya and Rukia's Bad Times period.

I think @lucymonster is one of the best Byakuya character writers out there, and Metaesthesia is one of the best fanfics I've ever read. It's a Byakuya - Renji bodyswap, but not in a fun way. You should really only read it if you're in the mood to have your heart kicked down the stairs. I also really like Sticks and Stones and Building Bridges. Note: Most of her works are ByaRen (these are not, at least not explicitly). That's not a ship I am normally fond of, but I get, like 3 weird days a year where I can read it.

Speaking of ByaRen, if you are into it, the other ByaRen writer I like a lot is @grizmelder, who is also a very nice person. I particularly enjoyed Heart Tangled, which is a historical AU set at the end of the samurai era, where Renji is Byakuya's bodyguard.

I was just talking about Lull the other day, but it's a lovely little fanfic by Branch about the relationship between Byakuya and Rukia and sometimes Renji. It's an older fanfic and breaks off from canon after the Soul Society arc, so you can think of it as sort of an alternate idea for how Soul Society rebuilds after Aizen's betrayal.

The Journal of Kuchiki Byakuya by @saranel is a great little fic in the form of young Byakuya writing diary entries about his life, in particular, his dealings with Yoruichi and Urahara. It's really cute in general, but in particular, I love the way it portrays Byakuya's interest in photography.

I also have a soft spot for Breaking to Bridle by Vivienne Grainger, which is about how Byakuya sees Renji, both as lieutenant and eventually as suitor for his sister.

I guess I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite crack Byakuya fic, which is Become a Ghost by @hardlyfatal. Orihime dies and goes to Soul Society and becomes a therapist and falls in love with Byakuya. It's pretty silly but also a lot of fun, and it's chock full of Byakuya being Byakuya.

I hope you find something you like in there! Like I said, I am not the world's best Byakuya fan (probably in the top ten worst Byakuya fans tbh) but these are some that I have enjoyed and have stuck with me!

[garfinkelstingle]

magic and maybes | draco malfoy

pairing: draco malfoy x fem!reader (implied slytherin!reader but only once i think)

warnings: swearing; implied mentions of verbal abuse; this is not in chronological order, but i do think it makes sense this way (especially if you've listened to the song); angst

word count: 5,2k

summary: based on “wendy” by maisie peters; loving draco is like something out of a fairytale. but not all of those always end with happily ever after, do they?

a/n: oh my!! hi!!! my first full-length fic in over a year!!!! so exciting!!!! this came to me while listening to wendy (which you should defo listen to if you haven't yet; the whole album is too good!!) and i just sort of rolled with it. i will never understand why i keep coming back to draco, but i just do. i have never written anything like this, and i certainly have never written draco like this, but the song called for it!! and also, let's be honest, this really matches draco better than it would most other characters. oh and i put it in the warning, but please beware that this is not written in chronological order. it's supposed to showcase the rollercoaster of relationship that reader and draco share, and i thought this was the best way to do it! let me know if you like it, it would really mean a lot <3 happy reading babes

masterlist

rolling like a stone / laughing like a kid

She had never seen him like this before.

Correction: She had never seen him like this before in front of people that weren't just her. Because this is the only way she had ever seen him, really seen him. She knew the charade he kept up, could see right through it better than anyone else. And if you took all of that faux meanness and excruciating ass-ness away, this is what you would be left with, what she's been left with all these years that she's known him. A silly kid, rolling around in the grass, holding his stomach laughing, eyes glistening with tears and shining brighter than any star ever could.

This is how she saw him, always, and how she hoped she would get to see him forever. This, and nothing else.

calling like the future / closed up like a fist

It was always the same. He always did this, and she swore that one of these days she would hex him into oblivion for it.

"What do you mean I can't come with you? We've been planning this for months; I told my parents to make plans without me and they have. What am I supposed to do now?" They had been at it for close to an hour now, going back and forth, nowhere close to having this argument reach its conclusion.

Usually, she didn't mind backing off. He was stubborn; she knew that. This wasn't something she had discovered only recently. She had known him for longer than she hadn't, so she was acutely aware of this quality of his. It didn't surprise her, but that didn't mean it didn't annoy her, either. So she'd just let it slide and move on—one of them had to.

This time, however? She wasn't going anywhere.

"I'm not responsible for you and how you spend your time," he provocatively stated, his eyes ablaze with fury that nearly matched hers. How dare he? As if this was in any way, shape, or form her fault.

"You have got to be kidding me! You were the one who invited me to spend Christmas break at your house! You were the one who wanted me to meet your parents! You were the one who made all these grand plans, and now you just blow me off the day break starts and talk about responsibility?" She couldn't believe him. She really, truly, couldn't.

Except that, maybe, she should. This wasn't the first time Draco blew off their plans. In fact, it wasn't even the second or the third. But he usually had a not-so-terrible reason for it, and the worst thing he had ever cancelled before was a Saturday in Hogsmeade or a picnic by the lake. This, however? This was huge, a plan that had been set into motion during the summer, when they had sent their owls into a frenzy, corresponding through multiple letters a day and vowing not to spend another break apart. She had told her parents before she boarded the train to take her back for another year at Hogwarts, that she would spend the Christmas break with her boyfriend and that they should take that trip to the sea they've been dreaming of forever. And since they did just that, and she didn't feel like ruining their holidays as well, she would now have to spend hers at the dingy castle, with people she barely knew and couldn't care less about.

She didn't even need him to change his mind at this point. While the reason he was giving her sucked, she was sure the real reason didn't—even if he wasn't planning on telling her. What bothered her so much was his refusal to just simply apologize for screwing up and leaving her hanging. If he would just say that he was sorry, she'd let this go. But she knew him well enough by now to know that the chances of that happening were non-existent at best.

"I will not apologize for your lack of a backup plan," he said, with a voice so cold that she could feel actual shivers run down her back. "I will see you after break is over. Merry Christmas." And with that, he turned around and made his way back to the castle, without even sparing her a backward glance.

And all she could do was stare after him, seemingly frozen in place, with tears flowing down her cheeks freely, and wonder if this was what loving someone was supposed to feel like.

lost my page when you kissed me

She hadn't meant to fall in love with him. They had been friends, or at least something very close to it. Draco believed that only people who had nothing else to their name cared about having friends, and she somewhat agreed with him. Friends were feeble; people came and went. There was no use getting attached to them, not when you couldn't ever be a hundred percent certain that they wouldn't just up and leave one day.

But he—he was something else. They had known each other for years, attending the same balls thrown by both their parents and their associates, riding in the same train compartment on their first trip to Hogwarts, reading the same books side-by-side on their common room's couch. They were put in each other’s orbits due to their inescapable proximity, yes, but they were welded together by baked goods that they would steal from the kitchen and share in some dark corner of the too-big houses they would be dragged to, shy smiles and squeezing of hands followed by it's okay, you're not alone's, two a.m. conversations in front of the fireplace in which they discussed whatever books they just finished reading and, sometimes, maybe even more. That's what made her the first person he would say "good morning" to at the breakfast table, and what made him her preferred potions partner. Nothing more and nothing less. They weren't friends, but they were each other's person. Whatever that meant.

It made sense, and it worked, and neither of them needed more. Or so she thought. Because when Draco kissed her after one of those infamous two a.m. conversations and told her „You just looked too pretty not to kiss", after she asked him why he would do something so ridiculous, she came to realize that maybe they were wrong. Maybe getting attached to someone wasn't the worst thing there was. It couldn't be. Right?

i know the girl you want / it scares me

He was scared. He was scared, but so was she. The future was uncertain and terrifying. It didn't make sense on a good day and was simply revolting on a bad one. So much could go wrong at any given moment in time, and not knowing when or what could happen made it sometimes feel like, maybe, life just wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

And when you add love to that equation? You're pretty much just signing off on a death sentence. Draco knew that, and so did she, but unlike him, she believed it to be worth it. Love was never something she saw herself needing, or even wanting, but now that she had it, she was certain it was worth all the heartbreak it might possibly entail. Draco, however? He still didn't trust her enough to let his walls down completely, to give her the power to destroy him and believe her when she said that she would never, ever do that.

She loved him, and she was certain that he loved her, too, but she also knew that he might never be able to let her know that himself. And she knew that he expected that to be enough, that her own knowledge would suffice her and that she would survive without his confirmation, and maybe she could. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to. Spending your time with someone who was emotionally closed off to everyone around you and made them feel like they were replaceable was one thing, but spending your life with someone who was emotionally closed off toward you and too proud to tell you that the one person he could never replace was you? She wasn't sure if she was strong enough for that. She doubted she ever would be. And that terrified her more than anything else ever had before.

pretty like a girl / vicious like a man

He was beautiful. She had always found him inexplicably beautiful; his was the kind of beauty poems were about, a beauty that ran so deep and was so intricate that she sometimes wondered if he wasn't put on this world solely to be admired and stared at.

Even now, when his face was laced with fury and his knuckles white from how tightly he was gripping his desk, he was still beautiful.

She wasn't even sure what they were fighting about now, stopped paying actual attention to the ugly words leaving his mouth. Instead, she was questioning her judgment. She had always found him beautiful on the outside, just as everyone else did, but unlike them, she had also always considered his soul to be beautiful, too. And yet here she was, target to his livid shouts and insults, wondering if maybe that was just another thing that she had been terribly, terribly wrong about.

give up like a ghost / leaving halfway through

It was moronic at best, really. They had spent a fortune on these tickets and had been excited for this game for months now. So, the fact that they were now letting it all go to waste? It was pure idiocy.

Especially when you looked at the why. He was being a child, a petulant little toddler who got upset at the idea of giving his girlfriend of nearly four years a kiss in public.

And the worst thing is that she hadn’t even been upset because it hadn’t surprised her in the slightest. She knew Draco, knew that he liked keeping their PDA to an absolute minimum, and she didn’t mind it in the slightest. Or, well, not enough to be actively affected by it. So, when the kiss-cam panned to their faces, she blew it a kiss and winked for good measure and went back to talking to Draco about how pathetic Potter and his friends looked standing there on the very far side of the stadium, most likely not even able to see the scoreboard. She had moved on, and so had the camera, but for whatever reason, Draco didn't.

Instead, he started huffing and puffing about Salazar knows what, getting upset at her for what, exactly? For respecting his need for privacy? For not pushing him to do something she knew he wouldn’t be comfortable with doing, even though she really wanted to? For, once again, putting him first and foremost? Is that what he was trying to punish her for? Because he certainly didn’t seem to be able to put it into words, storming off like an actual imbecile instead, leaving halfway through the match.

And of course, she had to follow him like the ever-loyal girlfriend that she was, trying to catch up with him and calm him down, even though she was seconds away from losing her bloody mind herself. She was sick and tired of his juvenile behaviour, was just so exhausted with having to put up with his shit instead of just enjoying herself, and yet it seemed as if some invisible string kept on pulling her in his direction, not allowing her to choose her own needs and herself, ever.

She wondered if he would ever grow tired of this pretence of his, or if this was what being with Draco Malfoy would entail, forever. She didn’t want to believe it, but it became harder and harder with each passing day. Maybe this is who he was, who he always would be.

But maybe it was just a matter of time before he would finally give it all up and be who she has blindly believed him to be all this time. All she could do, it seemed, was to hope that she wouldn’t be the one to give up, first.

if i'm not careful we'll be married

"Do you ever think about the future?" His voice broke through the quiet reverie they had both found themselves in. She was used to him being the first one to speak up after a long beat of silence; he didn't find it quite as peaceful and tranquilizing as she did. Not that she minded, though. She liked his voice, and she liked talking to him even more. To say that the question surprised her, though, would be an understatement.

Putting the book she was currently reading to the side, she snuggled further into him. The fireplace was providing a fair amount of heat, but the chill seemed to be inescapable in the Slytherin common room. It was also just very nice to be able to have him hold her close like this, even if the only reason he did so was because it was far past midnight and everyone else was already fast asleep.

"Sometimes, yeah," she said. "Do you?"

"Yeah." She didn't expect him to elaborate, so it stunned her when he did. "I see us. You and me, together. Married. But not like them. Like us. Does that make sense?" It did. She knew exactly what he meant. Not like them. Not like his parents, who didn't love each other in the slightest and could barely stand each other most days. And not like her parents, either, who cared deeply about one another, at least as much as you could care about someone you didn't choose to marry. They found a way to be friendly and cordial, mainly because they didn't want their daughter to grow up with parents who were constantly at each other's throats, but it was still far away from the real deal.

Were they the real deal? That's what Draco was implying, wasn't it? That if they would get married, it'd be because they loved each other. He's never even said it, she thought. And he hadn't. But he's said this now, hadn't he? And that should be worth more than any stupid three words ever could be, right? Because he wanted to marry her, really marry her, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. It rarely happened for people of their status, so she should be beyond delighted that it was happening to her. Plus, she loved him, too, and unlike him, she hadn't been afraid to say those three words. Marrying Draco was what she was supposed to want; finding out that he wanted to marry her, too, was supposed to be the greatest news she's ever heard. So why was there some nagging part of her brain that knew that saying yes would be the worst thing she could possibly do?

"I know what you mean," she said. She had never lied to him before.

you want me / you're sure

Blaise Zabini was flirting with her. Then again, Blaise Zabini flirted with everything that had legs and a mouth he could kiss, so it did nothing to impress her. It did, however, do its damage by making Draco furiously jealous. After all this time together, she prided herself in being able to read him like a book. Him storming off like a petulant child made her think that, in this instance at least, even a visually impaired person would be able to deduct the fact that he was (unreasonably) upset.

Sighing, she made out to follow him, annoyed that she had to make yet another excuse for her friends. It shouldn't be her job to smooth things over every time his tantrums killed the mood at a get-together, and yet it seemed like part of the "Dating-Draco-Malfoy" package.

She found him at the lake, the same way she always did. She wondered if there was any specific reason he chose this place to run off to , but she doubted he would tell her even if there was. Some secrets just weren't worth the effort of trying to figure out.

She expected him to be upset with her, to accuse her of leading Zabini on and whoring herself out to him—Salazar knew it wouldn't be the first time. It used to upset her beyond measure. There would be a good amount of crying and screaming on her part; calling him a pretentious douche, telling him to screw off if he really thought so little of her. It always ended the same: he would storm off, eventually, and disappear for a good few hours. Then, he'd come back, without something even remotely close to an apology, and tell her he wasn't mad anymore. She knew what he really meant when he said it: I expect you not to be mad anymore, either. And even when she was, she was usually too exhausted to keep on fighting. After a while, she decided there wasn't even any point in being upset in the first place. Draco was who he was; she knew what she was getting into. Or so she kept telling herself.

This time, however, seemed different. She was sure he could hear her approach him—he always did. So why wasn't he turning around? Why wasn't he yelling at her and making her feel as if the affection of others was her fault?

He stayed quiet until she finally reached him and made to stand next to him. "I don't like it when others try to make a pass at you," he said. She waited a beat, wondering if he was going to add anything else. He did. "I know I have no right to be upset with you." This was new. It surprised her. So much so that she wondered if she might've misheard. "It's not your fault Zabini has no respect for boundaries, or anyone else, for that matter. I just... it's paralyzing, sometimes. Realizing that you could leave me for someone else at any given moment, and there's nothing I could do about it. I want to be with you. I know I'm not always good at voicing it, but I do. I'm certain. That's why I get upset. Because it terrifies me."

She took his hand in hers and gave the back of it a soft kiss. This was possibly the most vulnerable he had been with her, ever. She understood him; of course she did. Didn't he know that she was just as terrified? That a life without him in it didn't seem to make any sense whatsoever to her? She loved him, and now she was sure that he loved her, too.

Nothing else mattered.

lose the world that you live in / pretend that it's what you wanted

“This isn’t okay, and you know it.” Maybe she did. Maybe she knew that this wasn’t right, that this wasn’t how it was supposed to feel like. But it’s all she’s ever known, and sometimes it felt as if this was all she’d ever want to know. Because when it was good it was great. It was all she could ever want and then some, and she honestly didn’t think she would ever find anything better than it.

Draco wasn’t perfect, but neither was she. She had her flaws just like anyone else, so to expect him to be something she herself couldn’t be? That seemed unfair and illogical at best.

“Look, you don’t get it, alright?” And she didn’t. None of them did. Not her mother or her father, not her friends or his. They were complicated and messy, but they were right. Right for each other, right in all the ways that mattered. She loved him, and he loved her. If there was anything in life she was sure of, then it was that.

“You can’t let him treat you like that.” That’s what it always boiled down to. Every fight she ever had about him—and there were probably too many to count—always came to the same conclusion: She shouldn’t let him treat her like that. But what did that even mean? No one would ever treat her the way he did. No one would ever look at her as if she was the reason they got up in the morning, as if she hung the moon and the stars in the night sky. No one would ever be able to make her feel like she was the thing they lived for, someone they’d die and kill for in the same breath.

So, what if he’d yell at her and insult her and make her question her worth sometimes? He’d never allow her to question herself out loud to him; he’d make sure to show her how important she was to him. And Salazar forbid someone else dared to say the wrong thing when it came to her—he’d made sure it’s the last thing they’d ever say.

Maybe she knew it wasn’t okay, what they were doing. There were a million words to describe their relationship, with toxic and unhealthy being the prime examples. But no relationship was perfect. Why should theirs be?

it's a life i could have, i know

They were invited to someone's birthday. She didn't even know whose, just knew to wear "that green dress that makes you look like actual royalty". There also had been a promise by a certain someone that the dress would later be carefully taken off, and that there would be some... not so careful actions afterwards. It was the prospect of that that kept her from making up some excuse as to why she suddenly had to leave this awful and hollow house and curl up with a book and one of Draco's sweaters in her bed.

The party in itself wasn't awful; on the contrary, it was lovely. The music was played by a live orchestra, and the entire house was decorated in different shades of blue and silver. There were white roses everywhere, and the food was exceptional, too. But she didn't know anyone here except for Draco; she didn't even know the birthday girl. She was a couple years older than the two of them, and from what she understood she was the wife of a son of a business partner of Draco's father. Or something like that.

She was currently standing in a corner all by herself, with a champagne flute in hand, trying to find Draco in the crowd. He had snuck off some time ago, claiming that he had to make the rounds or else "my father is going to chew my ear off about it", convincing her that it wasn't necessary for her to introduce herself tediously to every single person he would have to shake hands with. He wasn't wrong, but somehow standing in her lonely corner appeared to be an even worse fate.

Eventually, she locked eyes with Draco and gave him a small smile. She knew it was pointless to beckon him to her; he'd just shrug her off. Instead, he sent a quick wink her way, before turning back around to speak to whatever important person he was speaking to right now.

This could be my life, she thought. Going places with Draco, having him wink at her from across the room, promising to take her dress off at the end of the night and make it all worth it. This could be the rest of her life. She could see it, could see herself be one of the important men’s wives, gossiping away in some lonely corner just like hers, on their fifth or sixth flute of champagne already, trying to hide the hollow look in their eyes. This could be it. It was nothing like the life that she had wanted for herself all this time, and yet it didn’t seem to bother her nearly as much as it should.

throw your rocks / scream that you hate me

She didn’t even know how long it’s been. All she knew was that her mother had been up twice to tell her that she was this close to hexing him away from their property, and that she had begged her just as often not to.

“He has every right to be upset,” she had said, and could feel the bile rise in her throat at the bitter taste of the lie. Because no matter how often she told herself just that, it didn’t sound any more truthful to her ears than it did the time before. Yes, maybe Draco was allowed to be upset. She certainly was. But standing below her window, completely wasted, and throwing rocks at it, whilst yelling profanities at her? No one should have the right to do that.

And it wasn’t as if it was her fault, either. She had given him a choice; she shouldn't have had to do that. She hadn’t even meant to. It was supposed to be clean cut. She was supposed to tell him that it was over, that it should have been over a long time ago. If he still couldn’t tell her that he loved her after five years together, chances were that he never would. And she was just so tired of not hearing those words.

But she had looked him in the eyes and something—something made her believe that maybe, just maybe, he would realize that she was worth so much more to him than his pride and that being with her was worth more than being whoever he kept on pretending to be.

She should have known that her stupid, childish hope would be the death of her.

So here he was now, screaming that he hated her, that he wished that he had never met her, that being with her had been the greatest mistake of his life. And what if he wasn’t wrong? Would things had been different had she been different? Would he have been able to tell her how he felt if she had been more like Daphne? Would she have been able to leave him sooner and protect her own heart had she been more like Pansy?

It was driving her mad, the never-ending question of “what if?”, and yet her silly mind didn’t seem to be able to put an end to it. Because no matter how awful being (or in this case not being) with Draco may have been, it was still the most magical time in her life so far. And she didn’t even doubt for one second that the rest of her life might have been just as magical, too. Except that there was only so long a person could survive on magic and maybe’s, before eventually having to put an end to the madness and realize that the whimsical dreams weren’t anything other than nightmares hiding behind a pretty façade.

She loved Draco, loved him with her entire being, loved him more than she could ever imagine loving or even wanting to love anyone else. But, somehow, along the way, she had come to realize that just because she couldn’t see ever loving herself even half as much as she loved him, it was still enough to realize that leaving him was the only way she could ensure that she wouldn’t lose herself completely.

So, when her mother came up for the third time, this time with her father in tow, she didn’t fight them when they suggested to call the authorities to remove the Malfoy boy from their property. After all, just because Peter never wanted to grow up, didn't mean Wendy couldn’t.

i could love you / wait 'til you're ready

It was the little things more than it would ever be the big ones. She knew Draco, knew that the only way she could expect big romantic gestures from him was if someone were to put him under a spell, which is why she came to appreciate the small gestures and hold them as close and dear to her heart as she possibly could.

It was the little enchanted paper cranes that would hold little love notes of “your hair looks pretty today” and “how lucky I am to be dating the smartest witch in this castle”.

It was how he would lend her his robe without a second thought when he would see her rub her hands together in a fruitless attempt of warding off the cold, even though he had adamantly tried to convince her to wear a jumper underneath.

It was how he would press a kiss on her temple first thing in the morning, without fail, every single day, no matter if they had fought the previous evening or not, letting her know that he wasn’t going anywhere.

It was how he would rub her feet at the end of a long day in Hogsmeade, knowing that her boots were a size too small but that she loved them too much not to suck up the pain and go out with them anyways.

She loved him, and whilst she had no problem with telling him just that, he had no problem with showing her, either. And maybe he wasn’t lying when he told her that he just needed time, that she ought to just be patient, that sooner rather than later he would feel ready enough to say it, too.

The question wasn’t whether she could wait or not; she knew she could.  The question was whether she loved herself enough to know that she shouldn't have to.

forever 20

Twenty.

That’s how often she had said it, and how often he had stayed quiet. And every time he hated himself just a little bit more because he knew that with every time that she would say it without hearing a reply, he would get closer to hearing it for the last time.

And now here he was, stuck at twenty, forever, because he knew her well enough to know that it was over, really, truly over, with no one to blame but himself.

The worst thing was that for every time she said it, he had wanted to say it tenfold, had wanted to shower her with those words until she grew sick and tired of them. Had, on the worst days, wanted to just grip her by the shoulders and shake, shake, shake her and tell her, over and over, that he loved her, that he had loved her all this time and would love her for all the time to come.

But he never did, and now she was gone beyond his reach and as much as he hated it, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking that, maybe, this was the best thing that had ever happened to her. The best thing he had ever done for her. And that had to count for something, right?

[scrunglepaws]

Tried to fit all my fic ideas on one page, but I still forgot some because they're like... scrawled on random pieces of paper all over my house/in different notebooks/ect. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I tried!

The little branchy-offy things are prequels/sequels of that particular series. Bleeped out things I thought might be spoiler-y to ongoing series. Things with * are super WIP-y titles because I dunno what to call them.

More ramblings under the cut! (Nothing spoilery for the ongoing series; just vague things!)

No Heroes Zone // - I have a lot more generalized worldbuilding, character notes, ect than actual stories. The story ideas are mostly vague/short... Though, I suppose I could stand to write some super short fics. - The exception is an angsty sonighty fic that's basically done, but I just have to fill in all the inbetween, connecty bits. And decide how sonighty-y I really want to go with it. That ship came outta nowhere, I tell ya. - NHZ is really mostly Tails (and Metal) angst, tho. The other day I was thinking about how he tries to latch onto Shadow and even Metal in the absence of having Sonic and was like "Wow, Tails, clingy much? What are you, Nine???" then I felt really bad. T-T; He just misses his brother...!

Kaleidoscope // - The name of this fic is based on an art piece I've been wanting to do for forever: A kaleidoscope of Tails/Nine/Mangey, looking at each other and seeing them each from their own perspective. Because that's the theme of the whole story, funky scifi weirdness aside. But uh, 1) didn't have a decent digital art program for a bit and 2) I'm not good enough at drawing the subtle differences in their appearances to really make it hit how I wanted. Also 3) Tails looks basically the same to all three of them, lmao. - "Mangey Remembers" is Mangey's backstory and "Loneliness*" is... Less of a backstory for Nine, more of a brief showcase of his character in general. Because we already know Nine's whole deal from canon. Same reason Tails doesn't have a backstory- he's supposed to be canon Tails. - "Starless Sky" and "Ruination*" are both poteeeential sequels, but I'm not set on doing them. Ruination would just be a short, noncanon "what if?" bad ending for the heck of it.

Someplace AU (Aquarius) // - Also halfway calling it Aquarius for now because I ended up continuing the first part of the story under that fic name.

- It was originally more focused on Sails, hence Someplace being a play on No Place. But now it's about equally Kit and Sails. I ended up getting SO MANY effing ideas for these dudes, man. ;w;

- "Hollow Existence*" isn't a specific story, but just a sprinkling of scenes/backstory bits that detail why Kit is the way he is. Mostly his relationship with Surge growing up.

- "Sails' Tales" is likewise a collection of random Sails backstory bits. I have a lot more specific/fleshed out things for him, though. BUDDY, did I have fun with the No Place lore. Also, his relationships with Catfish and Black Rose are so cute... ;A;

- The bits to the right are basically going to be chapters in Aquarius. They're vague enough not to be spoilery (other than the blipped ones...)

- "=D?" is a sequel that I'm very excited about. Probably shouldn't say much beyond that.

Everything Else // - CaveTails is a Journey to the Center of the Earth-esque silly, silly thing. That could maybe become a bit more serious? BAsically, I was thinking "Huh, kind of weird that my main kittails fic is with Sails. That'd be funny if I did ones with Nine and Mangey, too. Just for the lulz. Especially the Mangey one." This is the Mangey one. xD Except he's sort of like... Tails AND Mangey at the same time, character-wise? So? :? Also, potentially some wholesome Sonic+Tails moments because I weirdly haven't written any of those yet.

- "Kids" is just a continuation of that goofy Tails Doll+Cream oneshot. Just small ideas for another chapter or two. Cute friendship, fluff, and lots of comfort to make up for the hurt in the first chapter. :3;;

- "Alien*" is what it says on the tin. I have a couple different ideas for how it could go. One of them boots out Silver entirely and had Metal in his place. xD But I might have enough material to write an alien Silver AND alien Metal fic. We'll see whenever I get around to it. :3

- "Nine's Shadow*" is something I've wanted to write ever since I made that joke oc, Stales the Fox aka Zombie Tails variant from the Grim. Probably just a oneshot (or a few short chapters) fic that mostly focuses on Nine being "all alone" after the ending of Sonic Prime.

- "Why is Babies?*" is the second idea I had for a fic. It's just Shadow being awkward and not knowing how to look after a chunk of the main cast that are suddenly tots for unknown reasons. It's very lighthearted, comedic, and cute. Originally a Shadow+Metal fic until I learned more about Eclipse and just HAD to include him. Dude is literally a struggling single parent in canon, how could I not include him in a story about his brother going through something similar? xD Also, I might call this fic "Rascals" as a reference to that one Star Trek episode with a similar premise. Because! Star Trek. 8D

- "The Fifth Element" ... I have put off posting anything about this fic idea for so long because I'm EMBARRASSED IT'S SO STUPID AND CORNY DON'T LOOK AT ME,,, In case you're totally lost, the 1997 film of the same name is my. Favorite movie. So naturally, this was my first idea for a fic. It's so all-over-the-place tonally, though. Obviously, got a LOT of silly, especially the parts that follow the movie almost exactly. But I also added a lot of original bits that help flesh out the characters' relationships. The protag is Shadow, who is very, very soft and introspective in it. Which, like, how did that happen??? But I love it. Metal is his co-lead and is mostly goofy because he's a fish out of water. Sonic is VERY, VERY goofy like goddamn (he's Ruby Rod- if you know, you know). Then there's just the silliest shit ever like Silver. Silver is Shadow's cat. It's stupid, but it's also fun, and maybe even matters to the plot. You don't know. Blaze is the president. Dr. Starline, Surge, Eggman, and The End are in it. Tails has the smallest part of any of my fics, but I think I cast him well. I need to stop now or I never will. Don't look at me. xDD

~

But yeah, as I said, I forgot a lot of other ideas. A few more (still forgetting some, I'm sure): - "Creature from the Black Lagoon" ft. kittails - Steam Powered Giraffe-vibes 50's thing w/ Tails, Cream, and automatons of Kit, Surge, Metal, Belle, Gemerl, ect - Tails Doll trying to be a Real Boy(tm) - Kittails-focused folklore AU with Kit as a kelpie and Tails as a normal mobian. Bunch of other people as fae creatures and villagers, including Starline as the main villain. - Maybe a whispangle oneshot from the above au (Tangle is a mobian, Whisper is. basically a magic wolf? xD) - Knuckles/Tails role-swap

[luxaryllis]

My Friend

Note: I'm back!! I wrote this fic for @twst-charity , which is a Twisted Wonderland-themed charity drive for Palestine. Please do check it out and donate!! Their pinned post and blog in general has a lot of information, and they also have contributor sign-ups open as well! I really hope you guys can support in any way you can!

Here's the link to donate and send a request as well! The whole thing works rather similarly to giving a commission, except you simply have to provide a proof of your donation and then give your request.

Anyways, this is a fic focused on Rollo and the donor's oc, Robin! Fic is under the cut. I had so much fun writing this, especially since this was my first time writing for Rollo. Hopefully I can also get to work on other requests for the charity drive and the requests on my inbox as well! This is also full fluff so no warnings from here!

Chatter and laughter fill the cafe, filling the area with a lively and bustling atmosphere. The smell of coffee beans and freshly baked pastries waft through the air and easily excite the customers piling in. The door jingles lightly with every person walking in, and people all converse together happily. Groups of friends, couples, families, and even those alone are enveloped by the welcoming ambience of the cafe.

The bells jingle again, prompting the servers to enthusiastically thank the two people who were leaving. Rollo and Robin step out of the warm cafe, a cold breeze greeting them as soon as they step outside. Robin takes a small sip of his hot chocolate, smiling happily at the toasty feeling it brings to him. The shorter boy lets out a small hum of contentment as the hot beverage smoothly goes down his throat.

“Mmmh! Thanks for treating me, Rollo. This cafe really is good!” Robin grins up at Rollo in happiness and gratitude. Rollo only nods, using his handkerchief to cover his mouth a bit. Rollo’s voice is slightly muffled as he speaks from behind the cloth, “Of course. It’s my pleasure. This cafe is known for its authentic traditional food from Fleur City, so I thought it best to show you the richness of Fleur City’s culture.”

The two start to stroll together by the sidewalk, a peaceful silence between the two friends. A few butterflies flutter over, making Robin giggle slightly as he watches them fly about without a care. The butterflies then proceeded to fly away, the whimsical wings fluttering off. Just as the winged insects flew out of view, a small drop of water fell on Rollo’s shoulder, making him pause and look around to see whoever or whatever made the water fall on him.

With that one droplet of water, came another. And another. Until drops of rain were falling from the sky. Robin lets out an exclamation of surprise, not having anticipated it to start raining. It’s somewhat evident that Rollo didn’t expect it either, if his annoyed mutters into the handkerchief fully covering his mouth mean anything. The two quickly run back to the cafe, stopping just outside and taking shelter under the extended roof. Rollo heaves a sigh of relief and pockets his handkerchief, looking at Robin who was trying to dry his slightly damp hair.

Robin lets out a small chuckle and quickly downs the rest of his hot chocolate, setting it by the table nearby. The two take a seat and watch as Fleur City becomes a rainy wonderland. While it was a mundane and normal sight to Rollo, who has lived in Fleur City his whole life, it seemed almost like a life-changing experience to Robin. There was just something so beautiful about how the raindrops fell and made puddles in the ground, rippling with every drop that fell. How the petals of the flowers outside would bend a bit when a drop would fall on them, and how the bright sun still shines despite the rain and darkening clouds, making a wonderful scene.

Such a stunning sight should definitely be captured on camera.

The younger boy takes out his camera and turns it on, looking through the viewfinder of the camera. Robin squints in concentration as he fiddles with the focus and zoom rings on his camera, trying to find the best way to capture the wondrous moment. Rollo watches on in slight confusion, but doesn’t say anything just yet. He knows when someone needs to focus, and photography is a delicate art that requires all concentration. A shutter and click sound is heard, and Robin looks at the photo he took. A bright grin grows on his face as he sees the picture.

“Rollo, Rollo! You should take a look at this!” Rollo blinks a bit and leans over curiously, looking from above Robin’s shoulder to see the picture. It was just a standard picture of Fleur City raining; it wasn’t anything extraordinary. While Fleur City was a beautiful sight, was it really worth taking a photo of it while it was raining? It’s still the same city, after all; it’s not like there’s any change to Fleur City as it rains. The same buildings, the same flowers, the same people.

And yet... when looking at it through Robin’s camera, everything seems brighter, almost mesmerising. Rollo was used to the sight of Fleur City, though he loved his homeplace very dearly, but even he didn’t expect to see this beautiful sight. The camera caught even the smallest of details, and it was so wonderful to see that such a moment was perfectly captured and preserved. Rollo forces himself to hide the small smile growing on his face, but lets himself release a sound of affirmation and pride. “Hm, you did well. A beautifully taken picture. The beauty of Fleur City truly shines with this...”

It was rare for Rollo to give praise to anything or anyone, and is more seen showing his disdain for things more than anything else. Robin blushes a bit and sheepishly grins, puffing out his chest a bit in confidence, “Hehe I’m glad you like it! Oh! How about I print it out for you? You really like Fleur City, don’t you? I can print it out as a keepsake for you or something.”

Rollo blinks a bit in surprise, “Really? You would?” He pauses and hesitates a bit. His pride and ego is telling him not to accept it; after all, he shouldn’t seem so vulnerable in front of others. Especially not after what happened last time. He swore to himself never to let his emotions truly get the better of him. He’s been forgiven by the NRC students, but he’ll never forget their faces and the faces of the people who got hurt because of him. But then... it’s Robin.

It surprises him how kind Robin is, and he feels almost taken aback when Robin nods happily, his big grin brighter than even the sun. Rollo sighs in defeat, “I would like that. Thank you…”

Robin lets out a celebratory noise and keeps his camera. “I’ll print it out when I get back and give it to you, then!”

It was so surprising sometimes, how Robin can be so sweet to someone like Rollo. Rollo knows he can be too much. He knows he’s done so many things that are wrong. No matter how much he works, he knows he might never truly make up for it. He doesn’t understand how Robin, who has been so exposed to magic despite having none himself, can be so caring and understanding. How can Robin be so kind to him? Rollo is rather sure that, after what he’s done to Robin’s friends, he wouldn’t even want to be associated with him.

Rollo breaks the peaceful silence between them as he softly speaks, “Why? Why are you so kind to me?” Robin blinks and tilts his head to the side with a confused expression. “Hm? What do you mean by that?”

The older boy sighs and tries to explain, “I mean... certainly you should feel some sort of disdain towards me, shouldn’t you? It’s a wonder that you’re so kind to me. So why? Why are you…?"

“Huh?! Hey, don’t say that, Rollo! Why am I so kind to you...? Well, I guess it’s because it looks like you need a friend!” Robin musters up a kind smile to his companion. “I don’t see how it’s so special, though, but I’d be very glad to be the friend that you need!”

A friend… Rollo’s had close acquaintances before, maybe some people he’ll confide in sometimes, but he’s never really thought of anyone as a friend. After the incident with his younger brother, after he swore to himself to eradicate all magic in this world, he’s never had someone he can truly call a friend. He tries to keep his blush and smile hidden behind his handkerchief, muttering to himself as he averts his gaze.

Yet Robin thinks of him as a friend. Are there people out there who think of him as a friend too? Perhaps not, not with his terrible temperament. But Robin seeing him as a friend is a big surprise. Or, knowing the first year’s friendliness and kindness, maybe it isn’t so shocking.

“I don’t deserve someone as amazing as you…” Rollo mumbles out softly, his voice muffled by the handkerchief over his mouth. As Rollo watches Robin hum in confusion, asking what he just said, he swears to himself to not make the same mistake he made last time.

Robin makes him feel like a normal person again. Like he isn’t just Noble Bell College’s Student Council President. Like he’s just another person. Like he didn’t actually do so many terrible things in a fit of rage and revenge. Like he’s just a friend to someone. It’s hard to muster up the words to describe the warmth he feels, and Rollo’s pride and ego just can’t let him express his true feelings. Not now. Not yet. For now, he can only manage to say what he’s always wanted to say in his head.

“Thank you, Robin. You’ve saved me, my friend.”

[amberjazmyn]

home sweet home 🫶💔

pairing : pierre gasly x gasly!fem reader & f1 grid x platonic!fem reader

summary : delilah gasly had been stationed in america for the last seven years as a training paramedic. she is also pierre's younger sister and hasn't seen him during those seven years. the last time she had seen her brother was just after pierre had made his f1 debut. since then, it had been seven years since pierre had been in f1 and so many things that delilah had missed had happened. so, with the help of the rest of the f1 grid, she surprised her older brother. 

warnings : dodgy french to english translations, sweet reunions between siblings, swearing, happy crying

a/n : a couple of flashbacks will be in this and written in italics like always, even though it's happy, it'll be written in lowercase and i'm gonna apologise once again for the influx of depressing one-shots so i hope this makes you forgive me! 

present time | pierre's pov

chilling in the alpine garage before media day was always the thing that i did during each grand prix week when i first started in f1 and it was something i even did now, in my seventh year on the grid. except for the occasional run-in from one of the engineers, it was quite quiet which led me to find an old message between me and my younger sister. i tilted my head in confusion but, i sat in my chair properly, my feet off of the desk, and read the message from delilah.

delilah

hey, pierre. i know we haven't spoken in ages, since i left being the "ages" but, i just wanted to text you to let you know i love you, i miss and i am so proud of you.

it makes me so excited that you have finally made it into formula one and i only wish that i could be there to see you continue to smash it! i know you and the rest of the team will smash it out of the park! love you!

hey delilah, i miss you too and i love you too. and thank you, i'm also excited to have finally made it into formula one, only charles needs to enter next! see you soon, whenever that is! 

i really am sorry that i can't be there to see any of the races. and i'm sure charles will make his debut soon, pierre. and congrats again and biggest hugs to you! okay, i need to go but, we can talk later. i love you pierre and stay safe. bisous. 

read

i felt my eyes water as i reread these messages. especially when i noticed that these dates dated back to around, 2017ish when i had first made my debut into formula one and i remembered i'm no longer the rookie like i was back then. my heart broke as i realised i didn't even respond to delilah's last message she sent me back in 2017, i only read it and never responded. even though it was a very short conversation, it was still a nice conversation to have with my sister as i hadn't talked to her at that point in a couple of years. and that reason is that delilah, basically the day after i had signed the contract and got given the call i was making my debut into formula one, she was over in america as a training paramedic, travelling through all the states to teach families and young kids about the importance of first aid. and the day i got the call about my f1 debut was the last time me, the family and our friends had seen her before she jet-setted off. 

"you alright, pierre?" i suddenly look up to notice charles, had snuck his way into the alpine garage and joined me, resting himself against the table as i smiled at him, nodding my head

"yeah, i'm alright char, just...thinking..." i trailed off as i placed my phone down, forgetting to turn it off as charles catches a glimpse of what i was looking at

"...delilah te manque, n'est-ce pas?" charles softly responded, switching to french as we both caught eye contact as i nodded my head you miss delilah don't you?

"ouais, je le fais. i don't even know how i came past that conversation, i must have been absentmindedly scrolling through the messages...wow, seven years ago we had that conversation..." i trail off, looking back down at the date we had that small conversation, realising ultimately that it was almost eight years ago, not seven yeah, i do

"...eh bien, as-tu essayé de l'appeler?" charles sincerely questions as i sit up properly again as i tilt my head - have i? well, have you tried calling her?

"je... je ne pense pas avoir..." i space out for a second until i bring myself back into reality as charles places a soft touch on my shoulder i...i don't think i have

"...bien well, when was the last time you tried calling her?" charles asked, pulling himself back to his original position as i relax my shoulders down as i think properly

"i think the last time i tried calling her was a week after the f1 debut was announced when she had been gone for maybe a little close to a week at that point..." i was shocked at myself as those words came out my mouth, charles giving me a comforting smile

"...well, do you maybe want to try calling her then? i'm sure it won't hurt to try," charles whispered in english, giving me a small smile as he then climbed off the table leaving me to call her. however, it kind of scared me to call delilah

"i guess so..." i mumbled as charles gave me one last smile before it was just me left in my dressing room again

well, here i go. i decided that i'd try to call delilah for the first time in seven-ish years. it gave me anxiety hearing the phone call ring as for all i knew, maybe she forgot about me due to how much of a workaholic she was when it came to her job as a paramedic. maybe that's why she never came home when she had the chance to... because she was too focused on her job she forgot about me. i mean, it sounds plausible i guess.

"hé, c'est delilah..." hey, it's delilah

"...delilah me manque--" delilah i miss--

"--désolé that i couldn't be there to pick up the phone and talk to you. i'm most likely either in the office studying, out watching pierre race or i am purposefully ignoring you. please leave a message and i'll get to you as soon as i possibly can. love you so much to whoever has rung me and i'm sorry once again for not picking up. okay, au revoir!" sorry & bye-bye

my heart broke as i heard her voicemail. she still hadn't updated it from the day she first made it, at the airport before she was about to leave for america after my f1 debut call back in 2017. i remember holding in my giggles as she made it. as soon as the recording stopped, i burst out into laughter and caused the entire airport to stare at us. delilah also finding the funny in the situation. i was then interrupted by the sudden beep meant for my message.

*beep*

i jolted as i then spoke up, giving my message to delilah. my voice shaky and a little bit teary as i sniffled.

"...salut...delilah, it's been a while since we last spoke. around seven years to be exact but um, i...i just wanted to ring in to check on you considering it's been seven years or so since you've been in america and since we've talked. and...i was just wondering how you're going. i hope you're staying safe and, please come home soon, i love you and i miss  you loads. okay, umm, please call me back when you're able to listen to this, okay, au revoir." 

i gulped as i ended the call, placing my phone back down on the table that charles was sitting on earlier. i then moved out of my seat and rested against the wall, sliding down it as i felt as though i was going to start crying. thankful my door was closed and locked so no one, even the engineers, could come in.

five minutes later | charles' pov

since leaving pierre to attempt in ringing delilah, his younger sister who has been a training paramedic in america for the last seven or so years, i was slightly worried about leaving him alone. especially considering it's been those seven years since they last communicated and we were hours, if not minutes away from the media interviews in prep for the grand prix.

i was walking back down the way a little back to the ferrari garage when i heard what sounded like soft cries. it piqued my interest as the alpine garage and pierre's room was always on a diagonal from mine. i softly walked back in the direction of the apline garage and softly knocked on the door. before hearing a click, letting me know the door was just unlocked as i walked in, closing the door behind me straight away. 

he was resting against the wall, no longer sitting near his desk and my heart broke, "...pierre, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?" i softly questioned, sliding down the wall next to mark as he slowly looked over towards me pierre, what's wrong?

"elle...elle n'a pas répondu, c'était juste sa messagerie vocale," pierre whispered as my heart shattered for him she...she didn't answer, it was just her voicemail

"oh, pierre, i am so sorry. did you try again?" i asked in english as i brought his fragile but taller frame into my smaller one as i felt his head shake against my shoulders

"no," he mumbled against my shoulder as i bit my lip, not knowing what else to do

"pourquoi pas?" i simply respond as pierre sniffles why not?

"hearing her voicemail from seven years ago makes me miss her even more...since that's the last time i heard her speak so i don't even know if she still sounds like that..." he trails off as i nod my head - yeah, i get the same feeling when i miss my own mum and i try to ring her and it goes to voicemail, making me not want to try again even though i know her voice wouldn't have changed that much

"that's fair. have you gotten in contact with her superintendent to make sure she's okay?" i questioned as i remembered that as a grid, we had talked about it, all wanting to stay in the loop about delilah

"yeah but, they...they haven't really been giving me any updates recently so i don't even know what's going on at their end right now," he mumbles as i nod my head

"that's not fun but i'm sure delilah isn't ignoring you on purpose. just, be as positive as you can and just know that one day, delilah will have to come home since she wasn't even meant to be in america and with this job for this long anyway," i smirk as pierre gives me a little smirk back which makes me happy, we all hated to see pierre upset

i then decided to give him a hug before leaving him on his own, knowing he needed it this time and now, i knew he'd be okay.

seven years ago | pierre's pov

i had never hated anything more than what was happening right now, and last night, i had just gotten the amazing news that i was making my formula 1 debut. right now, my younger sister delilah was getting ready for her new job as a training paramedic somewhere in america. i say "somewhere" because i completely zoned out as soon as it was mentioned that delilah was being sent away in the first place. i just had the impression that she'd be sent to england or somewhere else in europe. i didn't want to hear about the fact that she'd be across a whole damn ocean, six or so hours away. and i'd rather not be told that she's that far away from me if anything was to go wrong, i can't just be there in an hour or two. 

"...allez pierre, dis au revoir à ta sœur car elle sera partie pendant quelques années avant que tu puisses lui parler à nouveau. ne sois pas de mauvaise humeur, s'il te plaît," dad kindly spoke in french as i rolled my eyes, i sluggishly moved off the airport seat, uncrossed my arms and slowly walked over to delilah who was waiting with her arms open for a hug - to which she knew i could never say no to come on pierre, say goodbye to your sister as she'll be gone for a couple of years before you can speak to her again. don't be moody, please

"bien, mais ne me blâme pas quand je te crie dessus tous les deux jours de ne pas me permettre d'être à une heure de delilah juste au cas où elle se blesserait parce que ce ne serait pas de ma faute!" i growl out in french, half of it mumbled by delilah's tight squeeze as i rested in her hug, mum and dad shaking their heads at me in unapproving ways fine, but don't blame me when i yell at you every other day for not allowing me to be an hour away from delilah just in case she gets injured because it won't be my fault!

"oh please, pierre, that's never going to happen, buddy! i won't let it happen!" delilah whispers in english as dad, mum, our brothers and the f1 grid that had shown up had left the two of us alone

"and how in god's name are you so sure of that delilah celine-josephine gasly, huh?" i respond in english, with a full-on passive-aggressive attitude as she rolls her eyes, squeezing me tighter as she tries to prove her point

"i'm so sure of that pierre jean-jacques gasly because i was trained exceptionally well and there is no way in hell or god's name that i'm leaving you on your own! nah-uh, not until i surprise you at one of your f1 media days, whether that's when you change teams or what then i'm leaving you, even then, i'll always be here for you, okay?" delilah roughhoused me, in the airport yes, as she tried to convince me, leaving me to roll my eyes this time

"nah-uh, i'm still not letting you leave, nope! nope, nope, nope, NOPE!" i growl as i squeeze delilah even tighter than before as she softly chuckles, scuffing my hair up, to which i had no care about really

"i hate to burst your imaginative bubble pierre but, i'm still leaving. i have to otherwise i could be fined a lot of money for not going..." delilah trails off as she tries to remove herself from my grip, to which i refuse and hug her tighter

"...i.don't.care! i'd rather have to help pay for your fines for not leaving to work in america as a stupid paramedic than be told that you got injured or died in a fucking school shooting over the phone whilst i'm potentially in a different country at a grand prix or racing and then having to cry and grieve over you two months later when they finally bring your body home!"  i growl, still mad that mum and dad even allowed delilah to consider her choosing this weird training paramedic job in america, delilah sighs loudly as she brings her arms back around my torso, hugging me even tighter

"i'm sorry pierre but, i do care. and, whilst i also don't want you guys to get a call saying i died or got injured in america and wait two months for my fancy-schmancy funeral, i'm willing to do this job in america if it means i'm teaching life-saving skills. i don't want to argue with you, i know you don't either so, be reasonable and let me leave," delilah says in a matter-of-fact way as i roll my eyes again, a small whine leaving my mouth as if i was about to have a full-on tantrum, to which, i most likely was, in a public airport with my future f1 teammates behind me and the rest of my family

"why are you so proud of this job? i'd rather you be with me travelling for formula 1!" i whine, smacking my head on delilah's shoulder as she chuckles

"i'm proud because i've always been proud of everything i do and that includes my job as a training paramedic in america. and you know i'd love to go to all of the grand prixs with you but, i can't so, it looks as though you're just going to have to survive with me being away in a different country to you," delilah said with a smile as we both simultaneously squeezed each other, causing us to both squeal and giggle

"well, if i have to let you leave then, when will i talk to you next?" i question, pulling back out of the hug as delilah grabs ahold of my hand

"umm, i think i have a couple of days where i have off that i can ring and communicate with those i didn't get to farewell but, yeah, i think that's the next time i can talk to you," delilah smiles which makes me smile, making me feel slightly better

"okay, nice. when will i be able to see you again? like, when will you be able to come home?" i then ask as i entertain myself by fiddling around with delilah's fingers which were intertwined with mine

"it...it'll be soon i'm sure pierre," delilah smiles, pulling me into another quick hug before grabbing my hand again as i nod my head sadly

"how soon is soon?" i ask with a shake in my voice, looking up at the clock knowing her flight was about to be called to board soon

"pierre soon will be as soon as i am able to leave. i promise, now, i really need to leave, my plane's about to board!" delilah said as i pouted and my eyes grew sad as i huffed loudly

"ok, but promise me you'll come home safely, please?" i whimper my voice breaking as delilah smiles softly

"i promise pierre, but, i gotta go," she whispers as she gives me one last hug before giving her last hugs to everyone else

okay, maybe what i said before was mean, i am awfully proud of delilah that she chose this as her job. it was wrong of me to say that i'm mad at mum and dad for allowing her to consider and then choose it eventually. i then saw my soon to be f1 grid mates, daniel, lewis, sebastian, carlos as well as charles, who was not yet making his f1 debut, give their final hugs and farewells to delilah. watching that whilst it broke my heart, also made it feel warm that even though i'd be competing against these guys every grand prix, i could still trust them with my personal life since this was how they were treating me saying goodbye to my younger sister and i'd do the same for them. even though i was farewelling one major thing in my life and starting a new one, my younger sister and formula 1, i knew that i would eventually be okay again. 

we then watched on as delilah and her fellow training paramedics boarded the plane. we waved, cheered, and hollered, making the biggest scene of all time as she then vanished into the plane where it became silent again.

"...et bien, maintenant elle est partie pierre," dad came up from behind me, wrapping his arm around my back, i huffed and rolled my eyes well, now she's gone pierre

"merci de me l'avoir rappelé papa, ce n'est pas comme si je ne regardais pas cela se produire," i huff as dad pulls me down to sit on the airport floor with him - knowing something was wrong thanks for reminding me dad, it isn't like i wasn't watching it happen

"d'accord pierre, qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? tu as été comme ça toute la journée, pourquoi ne peux-tu pas être fier de ta petite sœur comme elle est fière de toi pour avoir atteint la formule 1 ?" dad muttered kindly as my lips started to tremble okay pierre, what's wrong? you've been like this all day, why can't you be proud of your younger sister like she's proud of you for reaching formula one?

"je suis fier de son père, c'est juste--" i am proud of her dad it's just--

"--c'est difficile de la voir partir après avoir réalisé votre rêve de formule 1?" he interrupts as i nod my head, a small whimper coming out of my mouth, dad's face softens, noticing the tears welling in my eyes and pulls me into his lap, his knees bracing my head it's hard to see her go after you've just been given your formula one dream?

"mhm," i mumble as i feel the tears pool in my eyes as dad softly ruffles his fingers through my hair

"oh, pierre, ça va fils," dad whispers as i feel a tear stream down my cheek onto dad's knee as i attempt to wipe it away whilst laying awkwardly on the airport floor halfway on my dad's lap oh, pierre, it's okay son

"non ce n'est pas," i whimper, covering my mouth with my arm that rested across dad's lap so my whimpering would be quieter no, it's not

"bien, je vais reformuler ma réponse *pierre softly chuckles* it will be okay pierre, delilah will be okay. she's going to come home and she'll message and call us when she's able to, okay? you've got nothing else to worry about other than what you're going to do now that you are debuting with formula one, okay? i know you and delilah always envisioned on being with each other when you joined f1 but, now that's not possible, but use that grief of your sister being so far away as your fuel to have you push, okay? you'll be perfect pierre!" dad smiled as he continued combing his fingers through my hair which was starting to really calm me down fine, i'll rephrase my answer

"thanks, dad," i mumble with a small smile on my lips as i look up to see him also smiling

"no worries pierre, i get how you're feeling. trust me, i wasn't too rapt about delilah being a training paramedic in america either but, i made her promise me she would come home and, she promised. i'm holding on to that promise so if she breaks it, i'll never forget it and i would've wished i made her come home when i had the power to, but, right now, i've made peace with her decision and, i'm proud of her," dad was always so wise and inspirational and it made me giggle

"that's a fair deal. anyway, how are charles and arthur taking this? charles especially since he adores delilah," i ponder as i just realise, i've only really interacted with my immediate family, not with my soon-to-be teammates and the leclercs 

"that's a good question, pierre, last i saw of charles and arthur, arthur was trying to calm charles down as he wasn't taking the thought of delilah leaving well either," dad said, shrugging his shoulders as i awkwardly nodded my head that still rested on his lap

"aw, i hope they're both okay," i mumble softly, feeling the exact same way as charles and arthur

"i'm sure they are. but maybe they just need their best friend to comfort them and make them feel a little better," dad coaxes me to get up as i giggle softly

"okay, fine, i'll go find them!" i giggle as i lift my head up off dad's lap, giving him a hug as i then walk over to charles and arthur, noticing just how upset charles and arthur were 

present time | pierre's pov

after maybe about five minutes of just thinking and allowing myself to go back to that day seven odd years ago, i could smile again. after being so upset that i wasn't just losing one thing in my life, delilah, but gaining something new at the same time, it didn't make me so upset anymore because i was still with formula one but with a new team, alpine. even though delilah hadn't come home yet and i still miss her all the time, i remembered that she's just working hard all the time to give out life-saving first aid skills and at some stage, she'll come home.

"...pierre, we're next for the press conference," charles calls out, popping his head into my room in the alpine garage as i giggle

"thanks char, be there shortly," i giggle as charles also giggles, hesitating to move out of the way

giggling, i ask him to move, "oh mon dieu, bouge, charles ! je ne peux pas quitter mon garage avec toi là!" i chuckle as charles smiles, apologies and leaves quickly leaving me slightly confused oh my god, move, charles! i can't leave my garage with you standing right there!

twenty-ish minutes ago | delilah's pov

trying to hold in my laughter was the hardest thing ever, especially watching charles forget to leave after telling pierre that it was five minutes to stage for their press conference for media day. little did pierre know, after seven and a bit years, i was finally retiring from my job as a training paramedic and decided to relocate back home to france. with my transfer back to the french ambulance service, and some good-looking time off, i'd be able to go on the road with pierre during the rest of the season and be there right through to the world championship at the end of the season. 

i had snuck into the conference room in monaco pretty quickly, out of my uniform completely and just waiting for the right moment to surprise pierre. whether that's just before he goes on for the press conference or whilst he's in the middle of the press conference. 

charles, max, lando, daniel and esteban hugged me tightly. as the other drivers joining pierre for the press conference as we waited for the right time but had a quiet conversation as we all waited for pierre to leave the alpine garage to make it to the press conference.

after asking and catching up with the guys who me and pierre grew up with and watched form into the amazing formula one racers they were now and how they'd all been, inlcuding pierre, we then mentioned how we think he was going to react to me finally being home. 

"...honestly, i genuinely think pierre's going to freak when he sees you, delilah..." charles smiles, his arms crossed over as max rolls his eyes before jumping in

"...he's not just going to freak, charles, he's going to cry when he sees you, delilah!" max says dramatically as we all giggle, especially when charles' annoyed face makes an appearance

"and as i was going to say before max interrupted me, he is absolutely going to lose his head when he sees you, he is absolutely going to cry. i mean, seven years, like, no sir, i couldn't even do that, especially without contact, nah-uh, nope*giggles*," charles huffed as we all giggled as we all agreed

"yeah, i couldn't do this job again, especially in a different country for seven years without breaks," i mutter with a shake of my head as we all have another group hug

present day | charles' pov

max, lando, daniel, esteban, pierre and myself were now on the couch at the monaco grand prix for the press conference and getting ready to surprise the absolute crap out of pierre. delilah, his younger sister as we all know, just came back from a seven-year paramedic job in america. the first time she's been home and seen pierre since she left back in 2017 and, he has got no clue whatsoever and is absolutely clueless about it. 

we were laughing, answering questions and quite honestly, having a really fun press conference for once since they were usually so boring when i watched carefully for the moment that delilah would make her apperance for the surprise. i suddenly received the all-clear from the moderator of the press conference so i then gave the signal to delilah and, she ever-so sneakily just slid right on the couch next to pierre. 

pierre had just finished answering a question when he lowered his microphone to then mindlessly begin zoning out again until another person had a question for him. that was until he turned his head as though it was slow motion and his eyes widened as delilah giggled, her smile wide. 

watching the way pierre slowly realised what was going on was priceless as the grip on his microphone was gone. the microphone sent to the floor, "delilah? what the fuck are you doing here?" pierre was in so much shock that it was as though he was in a different universe completely 

"did you forget the promise we made to each other seven years ago?" delilah giggled as the crowd along with me and the others erupted into cheers as we watch the siblings pull each other in for a hug

"oh my god, you...you're home!" pierre whispers shakily, his body leaning into his sister as they didn't move from the couch as tears fill his eyes 

"home sweet home, pierre!" she whispered back as me, max, lando, esteban and daniel watched on as the siblings reunited after seven long years

"that promise was from seven fucking years ago!" pierre cried out as he smacked her which made everyone tearfully laugh now that almost everyone was in tears at this point

"still didn't break it, pierre! i'm here, am i not? now, get back to work, you and the guys have a press conference to finish!" delilah giggled as pierre rolled his eyes, reluctantly moving from the hug to let daniel, lando, max, esteban and me give her hugs again awkwardly on the couch even though we were the planners of the surprise

"so, for those who are not aware, this is delilah, pierre's younger sister and she has been away in america for the last seven years as a training paramedic. where in which she has been basically going around from state to state teaching and training underfunded and young kids very important and life-saving first aid skills. she left the day after pierre got the call that he would be making his formula one debut all the way back in 2017. she has now returned so, the guys on this couch decided that after some words on the grapevine that she was coming home that this surprise would be planned for pierre," i explained to the press conference, pierre smiling 

the crowd of interviwers and photographers cooed as pierre went to speak again, "awe, thanks for the surprise guys! very sweet of you, thank you!" pierre smiles, leaning into me to thank me as he then hugs his sister again

"no problem, if we could, we'd do it all over again," delilah called out making all of us laugh

delilah had then left the press conference so we could finish it even though pierre was very against it at first, we managed to convince him. then, at the end of the press conference, i watched as the brother and sister spent more time together, it was the sweetest thing and that wasn't me just saying that. i would genuinely do this surprise all over again just to see that shocked look on pierre's face when he realised it was delilah that had surprised him.

but, the best part of overhearing that conversation was pierre's reaction when delilah told him she'd be joining us for the rest of the season.

fin

this was loads of fun to rewrite and it's my first pierre gasly one-shot too! so, hopefully it was good enough lol. but, anyway, i've never been the biggest fan of this ending but it's fine, i won't like every ending to every one-shot i publish and that's okay. also, i'm back from my surgery and i'm finally starting to feel better and glad to live without pain again! turns out i had a cyst near my left ovary but not in which is not normal as it's usually in the ovary as well as the smallest bit of endometriosis on the right side so in three weeks i'll be getting the full results of the surgery so hopefully the medical mystery will finally be solved! 

©⠀amberjazmyn's original work. do not translate or steal any of my fics. 2024

[uglypastels]

Corroded Coffin, The Game of Lost Souls (1993)

Love them or hate them, there is no escaping Corroded Coffin. With chart toppers that occupy each radio in the country and controversies following them left and right, good luck finding someone who is not talking about the band these days. But what do the rockers have to say for themselves? To find out, our editors sat down for a conversation with Jeff, Eddie, Gareth and Dougie, spanning all topics from their upcoming new album, The Game of Lost Souls (available in your local record stores this month), to hopes for the future as well as a look back on their previous hits and falls + much much more!

I'm glad everyone could finally join us here, and I'm sure this question has been on your minds since then, so why not get it out of the way? What exactly happened at the AMAs?

J.P. - Boooo [laughs]. C'mon, next question.

The people demand answers, boys. It is, after all, not often that a broadcast gets shut down like it did that day.

E.M. - People demand entertainment. They want scandal and drama. They jump to conclusions and get angry about it, but the second they know and it turns out not to follow the narrative they dreamt up, they'll be just as angry.

But you can't say the same about the hotel room incident last month that was all over the glossy pages; it was all just a dreamt-up narrative by the tabloids, can you?

E.M. - Oh, no. That was completely my fault. But no worries, I paid for the damage.

I'm sure our readers will be happy about that. Then, let's move on to something you can talk about: the new album. How was it getting back in the studio for a third time? Were you nervous?

D.T. - You can say that. After Cryptic we doubted we'd ever set a foot back in there.

Because it wasn't as successful as you had hoped?

D.T. - Yeah, sure. [...] It was tough to get back to the right mindset. It's what helped make our first album what it is, but chasing that sort of high only sets you further back, and it took us a while to realise that.

So, what's different now? Why do you think it will work this time.

E.M. - We don't! As an artist, making something and putting it out there in the world is the biggest gamble you can make. All we can do is hope for the best and that it won't blow up in our --- faces.

But are you happy with the result you're bringing out? Proud?

J.P. - Abso----lutely. We've learned from our mistakes, taken all the feedback we could get without wanting to shoot our bloody brains out, and made the music we wanted to make.

G.R. - Yeah, we're back on our regular bullshit, baby, and I think the fans will see that too.

Any tracks you're most excited for people to listen to? And why?

G.R. - I think the people who sent me all those letters- if you know you know- last year will really enjoy "Scream for Initiative", especially the bridge.

D.T. - "Decade" and "The High Cliff" are great. They might be something new for us, but I think the fans will enjoy them.

E.M. - I would suggest everyone to put "Kneel and Pray" on their next sex mixtape, at least if you're into that kind of freaky shit. And yead, can't wait for everyone to hear "The High Cliff." I think we pulled off something great with that one.

J.P. - For me, it would have to be the title track, man. It just pulls everything together on the album. I got to go all out on the solo, which is always great fun. I definitely can't wait to play that one on tour.

Speaking of a tour, there had been speculation that there might not be one, but that is not true?

G.R -. I would like to think that there would be a tour no matter what we do because performing our music is why we do it and put up with everything else. But at the end of the day, there is much more to it than just us, and sometimes it doesn't go as planned, but the will is definitely there.

E.M. - I beg people to stop reading all this shit- except Black Market, of course - you're not gonna get anything good out of it. if you want fantasy, go read The Hobbit.

J.P. - It is pretty exhausting to walk past a newsstand and see that every cover and headline is another made-up story about you.

I'm sure it is, what's the weirdest one you saw come up?

J.P. - They're not all that bad. I like the ones where it turns out I'm secretly dating supermodels and actresses. It's nice to know that the public at least thinks I have some game.

D.T. - That's because the person who makes up those rumours has never met you. If they had, they'd come to their senses.

G.R. - I liked the one that suggested that Eddie made out with a dog.

E.M. - Yeah, I think they mistook your mom for it.

Let's keep it nice, boys.

E.M. - Sorry, sorry. [laughs]

[rest of the interview not found]

- the Corroded Coffin Archive (Source: Black Market Magazine)

[kattythingz]

YJ x FMA Pt. 3

Yeaaaaah, I couldn't resist.

I've already made my bed with this one, man. I might as well commit to the bit lmao. This au has been incredibly self-indulgent so far and I'm honestly digging it.

New folks, the main gist of the au is explained in part 1, so direct all your confusion there first :P

🧡 Pt. 1 💛 Pt. 2 🤍

“Holy fucking shit! Are you serious?!”

Ling could hardly contain his grin when Ed exclaimed in what could only be described as sheer scientific euphoria. Kaldur and Artemis let out similar snorts of amusement behind Ling and M’gann outright giggled as Ed ran up to Ship, the previous rush of getting to their escape point completely forgotten in favor of gawking starry-eyed at the majestic aircraft. His arms hovered back-and-forth with a familiar excitement to reach out and touch, before he inevitably caved.

“Holy shit,” Ed repeated, reverent as he brushed a hand over Ship’s indulgent surface. “I knew it. I’m dreaming. I got shocked one too many times and I passed out—”

Ling really couldn’t help the overflowing bubbling of laughter from his chest. It caught Ed’s shining gaze as he pivoted with one hand kept on Ship, the other flinging to jab at Ling. “Tell me I’m dreaming, Ling! Tell me right now!”

“Dude, how old are you again?” Wally chortled, though not cruelly, Ling noted with approval. He would’ve had words to emphasize with his sword if any one of his friends demeaned Ed’s bliss. “It’s like you’ve never seen an airship before. Ship’s pretty plain-looking as far as those go, you know—”

Ship made a beeping noise of protest, and Ed yelped, turning like he could pinpoint the source. Which, now that Ling thought about it—

“Hold on,” Ed said, lightning-struck, and touched his second hand to Ship again. “Hold on. Is this thing—?”

“Alive?” Ling said amusedly, and Ed whirled on him. “I believe ‘sentient’ is the more accurate term M’gann used, but—”

“Shut up!” Ed beamed, and Great Dragon on Ling’s heart—

He’d missed this sight something awful.

The rest of the team were clearly just as endeared. Especially M’gann, as she beamed right back, saying, “Thank you! Ship says she likes you too.”

“‘Ship’?” Ed said. He startled when Ship opened her hatch suddenly. Gently, though Ed didn’t know it. Ling read the moment for him and set a prompting hand on the small of Ed’s back with a tilt of his head, and Ed didn’t waste a second. He climbed slowly up the ramp, like he thought his footsteps could hurt Ship.

The team took their seats easily except for M’gann, who spun in the air to smile at Ed and say, “This is Ship! She’s a friend, even though she might not look it immediately. She’s just as much a member of this team as all of us. Isn’t that right, girl?”

Lights flickered along the side in eager answer, and Ed tracked the reaction greedily. Ling could already see the cogs turning behind those eyes, and the sight warmed his heart beyond comprehension.

“Here,” Ling laughed, pulling Ed back down to Earth and coaxing him by the hand to a vacant corner with two seats, no doubt provided by Ship’s thoughtfulness. Ed followed his second cue to sit, eyes still high above the ground as he took in the finer mechanics.

“Alright,” M’gann announced with noticeable cheer, finally at her seat at the helm. “Everyone strapped in? Sorry, Ed, this might feel a little weird at first.”

“Wha—?”

Ed cut off when Ship began lifting. He let out a yelp when the distance really grew, wobbling on instinct and hands shooting to grip the Ling’s bicep.

Ling remembered how strange the first fly had been on him too. He set an anchoring hand over Ed’s, catching the slightest fear in those eyes and smiling.

“Relax,” Ling told him quietly, to avoid embarrassing Ed with a spectacle. Judging by Ed’s rapid glance in his direction, the gesture was appreciated. “Your ears might ‘pop’ in a second from the air pressure, and it’ll feel uncomfortable for a while after, but you’re otherwise fine.”

“Did someone else tell you that?” Ed said between a grimace. His hands kept taut for a moment as Ship caught a steady pace, before he relaxed under Ling’s hand.

He let out an exhale, casting Ling a smile that time. “That sounds like the sort of talk you’d ask me to repeat ten thousand times for you instead.”

“Rude!” Ling gasped—to no avail. He’d smiled too wide again. “I learned a few things while you were gone, you know. A year’s a long time.”

Ed’s eyes sparkled in the literal changed atmosphere between them now. “Really? Then how’d you end up here immediately?”

“I had a moment of regression. You know how I get when I’m hungry.”

Ling was rewarded with a brilliant laugh for that. 

He completely understood when the sound drew several eyes back to them as well, and there was a pause as the team considered the two of them.

Artemis eventually broke the silence.

“So,” she started with an imperceptible smirk, crossing her legs and leaning back in her seat. “Ling’s infamous fiance.”

“Unfortunately,” Ed said.

The easy humor shifted something in the atmosphere, and faster than anyone could grin, Wally blurted, “What was that you did with the walls? I’ve never seen any earth powers that spontaneous before!”

“Yeah! What kind of power was that?” Robin leaned forward—sounding like his age, to Ling’s relief. Though Robin was undoubtedly much younger than Ling, he so often behaved like, well… Ed and Ling, back in their own teenagehood. This was a nice change. This was good. “You covered all that mass in, like, one motion. And you knew exactly where it would stop.”

Perhaps it was the nerves from being mass-stared at from all corners, but Ed flushed at the admiration. “Oh, well…” He cleared his throat. “That was pretty basic from me, really. I’d usually go for something louder, but I wasn’t sure entirely what was under the walls… It was better safe than sorry in the moment.”

“You couldn’t tell from a touch?” Ling furrowed his brow.

“Not completely.” Ed shook his head. “I had an innate understanding, but I couldn’t put a name to… a lot of the things.” He cast Ship a grimacing onceover. “But I guess I’ll have to get used to that.”

“So that is part of your power?” Kaldur asked, because, naturally, he couldn’t resist his curiosity either. Though his was more tempered. “You understand the components of the earth, and mold it?”

Ed blinked at the astute observation.

“That’s… exactly it, actually,” he said slowly. “I’m surprised you got it in one go…”

“Well,” Ling said, never one to miss a chance with a sly grin, “he is the esteemed leader around here.”

Ever since Ling had learned the team’s average age, he’d made it his life mission, while he was here, to soften them all to act their ages more often. Kaldur, in particular, was a tougher target on par with Artemis, but he, too, had a weakness. Recognizing his competence, for one. Recognizing his competence as leader, for two.

Ed clocked that in an instant, bless his perceptiveness, and he nodded easily. “Yeah, makes sense.”

Kaldur wavered. “You—can tell such a thing?”

“Sure. You’ve got the eye and attitude for it. And you sound a lot like a certain someone.” Ed cast Ling a sideways glance, and Ling pulled his most gracious face. Ed rolled his eyes back to Kaldur. “Next thing you’re gonna tell me, you’re a prince too.”

Wally immediately burst out laughing. “You got it in one! No way!”

“Well, not exactly on the nose,” Robin hummed. “But definitely close enough.”

Kaldur was far too well-mannered to gape, but he most certainly stared at Ed. “How—?”

“Like I said,” Ed snorted, but his grin was genuine as gold, “it’s obvious.”

Kaldur ducked his head, hiding that successful blush under a hand rubbing his neck. “That praise might be undue for the time being. I have only been in this position for a few months. But… thank you.”

And that, too, was a sight Ling had missed. The way Ed positively melted at the image of these kids, walking in shoes too big for their feet but filling the mold so well, for better and for worse. 

Ling had a great feeling about this world, suddenly.

<- prev ◆ next ->

[dreadfutures]

I have to say though that like. I've had no criticism all summer long (except for the weird *schedule* at the start of the summer). I'm still super stoked for this game. I'm keeping an open mind about everything! Everything that the Lore People have said makes me super excited for the game, everything about combat looks like my cup of tea. You can stop reading here because that's what you really need to take away from this post.

But talking to friends in the industry and composer friends does make me feel entitled to some disappointment with the apparent decision to divorce from world state personalization, and to go for a big Blockbuster action movie sound. Those are my two main personal disappointments, you know, pending getting the game and seeing how we feel about it -- and those disappointments are felt even with some idea of how games are made, how THESE games are made, and the decisions that go into composing soundtracks.

People are entitled to their feelings, especially about entirely optional development decisions that absolutely could have, and did, have room to go in other directions... It was a direction that was chosen, and it was *not* something that had to be all or nothing. If it had been a priority then there were ways to write around it inclusively--and yes, even in the four year development window lol. We don't know for sure, the game is not out, I am queen of wait and see, but it seems like it was something that was set aside, which is sad if true.

Saying shit like being disappointed in the world state decision is a childish, or worse, "grifter" attitude, is kind of mean! Making assumptions about people's attitude to the game as a whole for their opinion on these one or two things and painting people with a wide brush is disingenuous. Framing it as "people who are disappointed/complain obviously don't know how games are made" is false and sounds like you're just trying to blindly invalidate any thought as to, actually, how games are made and the decisions that go into them and that maybe there are, in fact, different paths that development could have taken and still reached the point of shipping. And making revisionist history to DAI's success as arguments for why something makes sense to you now is especially silly.

I'm still incredibly excited to get my hands on da4 and play our long awaited next installment, get back into Thedas, and have a new adventure in that world. But there are parts of the last three games that felt like the Core of the DA experience to me, and to a lot of people; I will be looking hopefully to see traces of - despite the impression right now, those parts were set aside in favor of a different direction. If that turns out to be the case I'll grieve that, man, but I'll still probably enjoy a great adventure in Thedas.

[paranoidginger]

Lab-rat part 19

Tw: General Angst

The Medic had treated Spy for his hangover, helping him to flush the man's system and recover from his violent physical reaction to learning about the package. Once he had recovered, everyone gathered in the common room, discussing the plan to get the young man back.

All of them would go, Heavy and Medic would be the ones to first speak to the Red team members, and the others would be there in case backup was needed. Once the plan was set in stone, they packed into their van, driving off down the mountains and across the New Mexico desert towards the RED base.

It was silent on the ride there, the usual excitement for battle replaced with a solemn tension. They were entering enemy territory, there was no way to know what could go wrong...

The Red Medic sat, tied up and writhing in protest, growling through the cloth gag tied around his mouth as a handful of the others stood in the Engineer's workshop. The Engineer himself was closely monitoring Bait, who remained in his catatonic state, heavily bandaged and hooked up to a variety of machinery and monitors.

"What're we goin' tae do with 'im, Dell? Lad doesn't look like he's wakin' up." The Red Demoman asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Bait, taking a slow drink from his bottle of alcohol.

"Keep him alive. I think that's all we can do until the Blu's come an' get him."

Part 18

"Yer tellin' me we're just gonnae let those bastards come knockin' on the door? I knew ye were crazy, I didn't think ye had a death wish! How do ye know they airn't goin' tae try an' rip us to shreds?"

"Yeah, Demo's got a point, hardhat. They're probably all sorts a' pissed off at us... They're probably gonna be even more pissed once they see what doc did." Scout chimed in, glancing briefly at the heavily restrained medic.

"I know it's a risky move, but movin' him without the help of their Medic is a bad idea, especially with sawbones over there out of commission." The mercenaries continued to talk for a while, trying to come up with a plan for whenever the Blu team inevitably arrived.

The morning grew to afternoon as the Blu van drove steadily along paved roads, turning off onto dirt and gravel as they approached the Red base, every one of them on edge as they finally pulled up to the large dorm building. The van was parked, and the Medic unbuckled, looking to Heavy in the driver's seat. They both nodded slightly before getting out of the car, circling around to the back and opening the doors, going over the plan with the rest of the team.

The Blu Medic approached the door of the base, knocking firmly as Heavy stood behind him. The knocks went unanswered for a moment, so the Medic began to knock once more, only for the Red Scout to open the door, a nervous sort of smile on his face. Why was he always the one to get sent into danger first?

"Hey, uh, I'm guessin' you're probably here for the uh. The uh... The new guy? Lemme just, uh... You stay here." Before the pair of Blu mercenaries could say anything, the scout had darted off, leaving the door open. He returned a couple of minutes later with the Engineer, who extended a hand to the Blu Medic.

"Follow me." He spoke in a friendly tone as the medic shook his hand, beginning to pull his hand away before the Engineer grabbed him tightly, pulling the medic down to his level. "You or your big guy try anything funny, and I swear I'll tear you apart like a damned roach." The Engineer's friendly southern facade dropped, only returning once he had let go of the Medic. "I'm gonna warn you, the boy ain't in good shape. I did what I could, but I don't particularly do the whole medical care thing."

"Ve have no intention of doing your team any harm outside of zhe battlefield... Ve just vant zhe clone back." The Blu Medic explained, following as the enemy engineer led the pair farther into the base, the Blu Spy following, hidden from view as they were led to a small, empty room.

The room was mostly barren, with the exception of a cot and several machines, a heart monitor beeping steadily as Bait slowly breathed, his chest rising and falling, just barely.

"We just moved him in here. Couldn't have ya snooping anywhere else... Take him and go. Take the cot, too for all I care, I've got bigger things to deal with... Good luck. I hope you get the kid back on his feet..." The Engineer spoke with a quiet guilt in his voice as he left, Ludwig wouldn't have been able to bring the clone so much harm, if only he hadn't agreed to make the machine...

Medic was silent as he carefully approached Bait, Heavy guarding the door to make sure nobody interrupted. The Blu Medic could feel tears prick at the corners of his eyes as he looked down at the clone's sorry state, his breath catching in his throat for a moment as he removed one of his gloves, gently feeling Bait's temperature. He was colder than he should have been, his heart rate slow but steady.

Spy uncloaked, standing beside bait, gently grabbing hold of his remaining hand, gently running his fingers through his hair.

"You... You can save him, can't you, docteur?" Spy asked quietly, his words trembling ever so slightly as he looked down at his son's face. It was difficult for him to see the clone like this, looking so hollow, so emptied.

"It vill take time... I can't know for certain. Not yet..." The Medic replied, taking a deep breath before turning off the machines, disconnecting them from the young man's body before gently scooping him up, carefully supporting him as he called for Heavy, who took him from the Medic's arms. "All ve can do is hope for him..."

They didn't speak to any more of the Red mercenaries as they left, carrying a catatonic Bait to the safety of the Blu van.

@thatonesimp-e @gravitytrips @realccre @aniolleq

[nightofnyx8]

One of the perks of being a teacher is that my summers are mostly full of professional development, travel, and reading all the books I didn't have the time to during the school year. As next summer will be mainly dedicated to my master's degree, I thought it'd be fun to do a little book review from the month of June.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross--Such a delight to read, Ross's prose is sheer poetry and immerses you in characters rich with conflict, emotion, and resilience. The world is an interesting twist on the Hades/Persephone myth but told from the perspective of the mortals whose doomed romance has wreaked havoc upon them in the midst of a WWI-type setting. And while I'm not opposed to more explicit romance, I really appreciated the way Ross was able to evoke such an intimate and deeply felt romance without relying on heavy sex scenes. 10/10

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke--This is actually one of my childhood favorites, and I reread it often. I adore the father-daughter duo of Mo and Meggie, their eccentric, no-nonsense book-loving Aunt Elinor, and the mysterious fire-eater Dustfinger. The prose is immersive yet simple, and it is just the book to read with a steaming cup of tea. 9.5/10

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros--I have a special fondness for historical fiction, especially those set in WW2. I was surprised as I thought Yarros only wrote fantasy, but she can break your heart any day with her romances. While I found the modern-day couple of Noah and Georgia rather charming, the dual storyline of Jameson and Scarlett stole my heart. I've never been a huge fan of insta-love, but living on borrowed time in the midst of a war-torn world is one of my only exceptions. I cried my eyes out when I finished the book for a solid ten minutes, but it does have a surprising twist with a bittersweet ending. 9/10.

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn--Oh Bridgerton, you guilty pleasure you. I've actually been working my way through the series, and this one was probably my favorite. While Quinn is certainly no Jane Auston, and while there are certain aspects of the book that are...problematic, it was undeniably entertaining. I do adore the tropes of second-chance romance, and it touches on the rarely-addressed subject of infertility in the 1800s. I'd give it a solid 7/10.

I'm excited to read more in the month of July! @lantur (whose new novel you should go read, btw) recommended Ink Blood Sister Scribe, which I'm already in love with, as well as the sequel to Divine Rivals, Ruthless Vows. Happy reading! <3