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zipzin · 23 days

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Raya and the Last Dragon Rating: Teen Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Namaari/Raya Characters: Raya, Sisu, Namaari Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern, Rock Climbing, Crack, is it enemies if only one of them thinks that? Summary: No matter what Sisu says, Raya is not interested. I mean, sure, she has eyes, anyone can see how hot Namaari is, and how unfair it is for her muscles to be able to lift her so easily up these walls, but she’s annoying and rude and no, nothing’s going to happen. Ever.

Note: this fic uses a variety of rock climbing jargon throughout, so I've made a glossary related to the terms for any non-climbers out there.

Raya frowns at the wall bearing the V5 that might be the end of it all. If she didn’t top this today what even was the point of climbing? Deep in her heart, she knows she’s being facetious, but this stupid problem felt like the death of her and any motivation.

It was a V5 for fuck’s sake. She could do it. She’d done four V6s! Though honestly this probably should have been graded as a V8. Or they could keep it as a V5 with a notice that you needed to be a certain height. Could they grade based on height?

She rolls her shoulders and tries to relax her sore muscles. She could not figure out a beta to push past the crux without completely destroying the feeling in her arms. Dyno-ing was out of the question, she had to keep tension with her other arm or she’d slide down the wall like a wet rag, and she did not want to end up with a tweaked ankle.

Stupid crux. Stupid wall. Stupid climbing.

“Still determined to top this one?”

“Yeah,” Raya nods at Sisu and sighs, “I know I can, and it’s the last week.”

Sisu nods, “You know, we aren’t meant to top every boulder.”

“Speak for yourself.”

Sisu rolls her eyes, “Raya.”

“I know,” Raya sighs, “But I know I can do this one. Believe me.”

Sisu nods and sits with Raya as she stares. Maybe a figure four? No, that wouldn’t work, the hold was not good enough and would that even give her the reach?

“What’s dripping, dep la?” A voice echoes from behind them and Raya jerks back, frowning.

“Namaari,” Raya grunts.

“This one giving you problems?” Namaari gestures towards the wall. “I thought you could do V6s.”

“It was mislabeled, it’s a V8.” Raya shoots back.

Namaari raises her eyebrows as Sisu sighs next to her.

“Hmmm,” Namaari looks at it. “You don’t mind if I try it?”

“Go ahead, the mat is cushy enough for your hard head.”

Namaari chalks up her hands and takes a position at the start. Her hands flex and then she lifts up.

It was a power boulder, not Raya’s favorite, focusing mostly on pure strength, and she can’t help but admire the way Namaari’s arms bulge as she completes the first two moves. She stills on the hold Raya was stuck on, and Raya bites her lip to keep from smiling too widely, ignoring the heat of Sisu’s disapproving glare.

Namaari’s head tilts down, as if another foothold would magically appear, and then, Raya can see her arms and back straining, Namaari sticks out her leg and smears her foot into the wall. Raya sucks in a breath as Namaari reaches and grabs the next hold.

Raya barely watches as Namaari finishes the last move, just blinking as Namaari lands heavily on the mat, face contorted into a smirk.

“Not sure why you think it’s a V8, I just flashed it.”

“You fucking binturi.”

“Do you think I’m not good enough to flash a V8?”

“I hate you.”

Sisu sighs heavily beside her and Raya releases the hold she has on her chalk bag. Namaari grins and waves as she walks away.

She hates that Namaari could just do it. Hates her stupid muscles that can pull her up so easily, her extra length that can reach the stupid hold, she hates how good Namaari looks with her muscles straining and the stupid smirk on her unfortunately beautiful face.

But mostly, she hates that Namaari smearing had given her an idea for a new beta. And she hates it even more when she tops the problem by the end of the day.

Fucking Namaari.

As she leaves the gym, she can’t help but notice that Namaari is struggling with a V5 of her own on the slab wall. Raya looks at it for a minute, only turning away when she thinks Namaari might see her staring, and huffs out to her car.

At least she sent it before they changed that wall.

Raya hasn’t been climbing for long. Relatively speaking.

When Sisu announced she was leaving her old yoga studio, Raya had been overjoyed. She’d been telling her to quit for months, ever since her old manager left and the new one was prone to such niceties as posting the schedule a couple hours before the first shifts would start or demanding you bring in a doctor’s note when you were calling out sick. The worst had been when they were two hours down the road on a long weekend trip and she had started calling Sisu incessantly because Sisu was “missing” her shift despite Sisu asking for it off weeks ago.

Raya had turned the car back, mostly because Sisu looked like she was going to cry and she didn’t want to add to her stress (even if they were not going to get a refund), but had sat down with her later and told her she would help her find a new studio. Sisu had eventually found one herself, a month later, and Raya had found herself across from her for celebratory drinks after Sisu gave her notice and babbled about her new job.

“And I’m excited because it’s not just yoga there’s a gym and all the climbing stuff too and they said they’ll teach me about it.”

“Wait, climbing stuff?” Raya placed down her drink.

“Yeah, it’s a climbing gym.”

Raya frowned as her brain struggled to compute, “Like for adults?”

Sisu shrugged, “I’m pretty sure kids go too, but not like on their own.”

“How many adults go there?” Raya frowned.

“I don’t know, but it was pretty busy when I interviewed.”

“Really? Climbing? Like jungle gyms and stuff? Are there competitive monkey bars I’ve never heard of?”

Sisu stared at her for a long moment and then burst out laughing, “Oh Raya, no! Rock climbing! Up walls and stuff.”

“Oh,” Raya mumbled as her cheeks burned red. At college there’d been a rock climbing wall attached to the school gym, which had been cool she supposed, she’d never tried it. “There's a whole gym just for that?”

“Yeah,” Sisu said, “Though they offer yoga classes and they have some exercise equipment. Mostly free weights but I’m pretty sure there were some treadmills and stuff.”

“Huh.”

“I’ll show you when you come, you’ll come to one of my classes right?”

“Of course!” Raya agreed easily. It was practically a tradition for Raya to come to her first class at a new studio.

“Awesome! And I’ll see if you can join me when they try to teach me to climb.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Sisu said, “I mean, I’d rather have someone else there without a clue. And in case I need the hospital after breaking my leg.”

“Thanks,” Raya bit back a laugh.

And the rest was, well not history, but Raya had joined her for the training session and found it more fun than she ever could have guessed.

It helped, Raya knew, that she was good at it. Sure, she didn’t (and still doesn’t) know all the techniques, but the first problems she felt like she was born to climb (and then her hands had started to hurt, the skin feeling tender and rough anytime she tried to grip a hold. The route setter who was teaching them had insisted that if she came back enough times that would soon fade and instead she’d be feeling the tendons in her hands instead of the skin. It hadn’t been as encouraging as she thought he meant it to be, but he’d been right).

The route setter hadn’t been impressed, they were only on the baby of baby difficulties, but he’d remarked that she was one of the fastest he’d seen catch on (and she hoped that didn’t just reflect his abilities as a teacher). She was only half sure that he wasn’t just flattering her.

She’d learned that the climbing version of gym bros mostly consisted of shirtless guys who half yelled as they made difficult moves and seemed to think the best way to get someone's attention was to climb a hard problem right in front of them and not say a word.

So, Raya found herself with a membership pass that really felt too expensive to justify, even with Sisu’s friends and family discount, and started heading to the gym half the days of the week after work. It was her first time as an adult regularly exercising (which she didn’t want to think too hard about) and the bonuses of seeing Sisu most of the time were as good as the muscle definition she was slowly gaining.

And, she’d made some sorta friends.

There was Noi, practically a baby who Raya wasn’t sure should be allowed to climb without a spotter, but was somehow better than all of them. Buon, a nice teenager who had kindly requested her to spot him on a bat-hang problem and they had been friendly ever since. Tong, an older man who grew up climbing outside, but now his “bones and joints were catching up with him” and he preferred to climb where there was easier access to medical attention. Not that Raya had ever seen him need it. And of course, there was Namaari.

Namaari and her had met at an Intro to Technique class around Raya’s fourth month climbing and Raya had thought that they would be great friends.

And it had been great, Raya was certain that she’d made a new friend (one of her first as a full blown adult), until Namaari cut in front of her and beta sprayed one of her projects. She’d even smiled at Raya, like she didn’t know exactly what she was doing. Raya had refused to climb that one again, even though it would have been her first V4.

She’d heard of beta spraying of course, it was part of the the lingo that Sisu’s route setting coworker had given them, but she hadn’t experienced it until Namaari stood behind her with arms crossed and a petulant frown, demanding, “What?”

They hadn’t gotten along ever since.

And since then, maybe Raya hadn’t been the most polite (but she’d only admit that under oath), but it wasn’t like Namaari was so nice either. And so what if she was here earlier than she normally would be working on the slab she’d seen Namaari on.

It was just fair game.

She estimates she has about 30 minutes before Namaari arrives. She loves slab, the balancing and flexibility challenges her (and she hopes improves her technique) and didn’t beat her down like the power boulders Namaari favored. She was strong, yes, but those ones seemed to constantly destroy every little muscle she did and didn’t know she had. It’s like they were there just to mock her and her muscles.

This one looked tricky, the crimps were terrible and pretty chalked up, and one foothold halfway up looked like a surefire way to bang a knee into the wall and walk away with a bruised ego and kneecap. She’d hopped on it a couple times the last two sessions when Namaari hadn’t been around, but Namaari had shown up not long after and she hadn’t really gotten anywhere as she scurried to find a problem in the opposite direction.

The start wasn’t so bad, and Raya brushes her hands into her chalk bag as she lets out a breath. She knew she should try to plan each move before hopping on the wall, but she didn’t have the patience (or in her opinion, the skill). Hell, she was still learning to not rush into a problem and actually take a moment to look at where all the holds were and guess at a basic path and what the crux was.

Raya takes a deep breath, rolling her shoulders as she steps up, grabs the starting holds, and begins.

Oh.

Gravity deposits her on her butt and she stares at the sneakily slippery footholds. So maybe she shouldn’t have assumed that the start was easy just because she’d managed it last time. With a huff and a quick glance to make sure no one was waiting for the problem, she stands back up and approaches the holds.

It takes her two more tries to get the starting move, and then she flows through, concentrating on driving power to her toes. She balances and releases a breath, before falling to the left to get to the next hold.

She grins as she catches herself, adjusting her feet as she clings to the crimp that she knows she’ll be feeling in her fingers all tomorrow. She switches her feet, hopping slightly and digging in as if they could suddenly find more surface area on the hold.

And then she’s sliding.

Down.

She’s flat on her back and staring at the ceiling, blinking while her breath escapes in uneven puffs as her heart hammers against her chest.

She’s okay.

Nothing is screaming and she lifts her head and lets out a relieved sigh when she doesn’t see anyone staring at her. She half crawls away, scooting until there’s plenty of room between her and the wall, and clutches at her chest as she takes deep, even breaths. She didn’t hit the wall on the way down, her ankles feel fine, and the only thing pulsing is her heart. She focuses on breathing as she watches a climber on a V1 about twenty feet down the wall.

It feels crazy that she was in the exact same position a year and a half ago. She resists yelling something encouraging as the girl stares at the hold that’s within reach but requires her to switch feet, leaving one dangling without a place to put it, and watches as the girl slowly climbs back down.

Raya had started fairly fearless, she figured there were nice mats all around, and it wasn’t like it could be that dangerous or the gym would have been sued to bankruptcy. And then, about a month into climbing, within a span of a week, she’d seen one person on the ground, their foot bent unnaturally and she’d jumped from the top of the wall and banged her knee against her chest and her whole body had freaked out a little.

She hadn’t been hurt, just gotten a bruise on her chest that wasn’t even big enough to show off. But the next week everytime she made it past halfway and didn’t feel absolutely secure, her heart had pounded and her hands had sweat and she’d bailed on problem after problem.

Sisu had been the one who convinced her to spend a whole day practicing falling. Climb a little higher each time and just let go. It had helped, even if Raya felt like an idiot the whole time.

She still got nervous at the top, and on a couple routes that had dicey moves on the last holds, she just decided that her top was the holds before. Climbing was just for fun, she wasn’t going to do something that could get her seriously injured just for what, a little pride?

Raya stands and rolls her shoulders, trying to get relaxed. She can get to the crux, and, glancing at the clock, she still had plenty of time to figure it out. She hopes.

She walks to the bottom and carefully starts the problem again. Flowing through the lower moves easily and she grins as she gets to the place she fell. With a loud exhale, she drives her hips towards the wall as she lets go to grab the next hold, and pulls up her next foot to a crimpy handhold. It gives her just enough stability to drive upwards and reach the next.

With a pounding heart, she scrambles up the last two holds and whoops as she clutches the top of the wall. Raya drops down and grins.

She’s got this.

She looks back over at the girl on the V1 and grins as the girl makes it past the hold she’d stopped on and reaches for the finishing hold, clutching it with a smile of her own. Raya flashes her a thumbs up as she drops down, a thrilled flush to her, and then turns back to the problem.

She’ll do this one more time just to make sure she’s got it, and then she’ll work on some others. She doesn’t want to try it in front of Namaari today, her fingers are already aching a bit and she does want to give the underhang V6 another go, but this week, she’ll show Namaari exactly how it’s done.

Namaari doesn’t need to know it wasn’t a flash.

Two days later, Raya is trying to not stare at the door. She’s finished her own warmups and is half-heartedly working on the overhang that’s still haunting her, but she’s not trying that hard, mostly solidifying the first couple moves to keep her fingers relatively fresh.

“Who are you looking for?”

Sisu appears out of nowhere and Raya clutches her heart, “Sisu! I could have fallen if I was on the wall.”

“But you weren’t.”

“Don’t scare me like that.”

Sisu rolls her eyes. “Your crush walked in five minutes ago.”

“Namaari isn’t my crush!”

Sisu raises one eyebrow. “And yet you knew I was talking about Namaari.”

She skitters away with a grin and Raya clenches her fists. That damn, fuck, why was she friends with her again? She looks back at the overhang and watches a shirtless guy fall off on the second move. Fucking Sisu. And fucking Namaari.

She makes one more attempt before looking around the gym and finds Namaari warming up. She climbs down from a V1 and immediately moves on to a V2, and once she finishes that a V3. Raya watches as she hops down from that and then makes her way over the slab wall, and Raya whips her head back to overhang when she sees Namaari’s face turn towards her.

Just be cool, Raya thinks to herself, be cool and go over there in a few minutes after she tries it again. You can do it and no one will know you practiced it. She takes a minute to gather her things, fumbling uselessly with her chalk bag before she takes a deep breath and stands.

She watches as Namaari starts on the problem, and saunters over. She’s ten feet away when Namaari’s foot slips out from under her on a tiny foothold about a third of the way up the wall.

“Ouch,” Raya says, trying not to notice how nice Namaari looks on the ground.

“Raya,” Namaari says shortly.

“What is this?” Raya asks, “A V2?”

“Ha ha.” Namaari says shortly, her eyes darting to the tag that clearly states V6. “If you think it’s so easy why don’t you do it?”

“It’d be my pleasure,” Raya grins and as she turns away from Namaari’s stupid, binturi face. She grimaces once her face is hidden. My pleasure? Why the fuck did she say that?

Namaari scoots out of the way, “By all means.”

Raya makes it a production, wiping her shoes and bathing her hands in chalk. With another deep breath, she carefully grabs the starting holds and lifts herself up.

For a second, her body tries to fall, and Raya bites her lip as she reminds herself that she can do this. She’s done it twice already.

She reaches for the first hold, keeping her hips tight to the wall, and as her fingers dig into the crimp, her body remembers. Reaching and driving and grabbing and pulling, and she’s at the top of the wall, clutching it with both hands.

She turns her head slightly, smirking at the gobsmacked face of Namaari, and she drops, not bothering to downclimb at all.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a V2?” Namaari’s sitting and Raya looks down at her, hands on her hips.

“What? How? Did?” Namaari can’t form a complete sentence and Raya kneels down so they are face to face.

“Slab really isn’t your speed is it?”

“I, two weeks! You!” Namaari sputters.

Raya grins before standing and walking away, waving as she calls out, “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Eventually.”

She looks back one last time.

Namaari still hasn’t closed her mouth.

Raya plops down onto the mat, breathing heavily and her heart racing. She needs a break or she might tweak her wrist again. Or strain her tendons. She focuses on getting her breathing back to a manageable rate and gulps as she sees Namaari midway up a power boulder. Her body could be used in an anatomy class, each muscle proudly on display as Namaari shifted and reached.

Was it really fair for her to be wearing that tight of a tank top?

Raya pulls at her shirt, was it hot in here?

“You’re drooling.”

Raya slams her mouth closed and wipes fruitlessly at her chin, “Shut up Sisu.”

Sisu laughs beside her, “You checked!”

Raya huffs and crosses her arms, watching as Namaari locks herself into position.

God, she was thirsty.

Why didn’t she bring a water bottle? Raya fans herself and debates whether she should get up and drag herself to one of the water fountains.

“You know, if you asked I’m sure she’d top you!”

“Sisu!” Raya lets out a gasp of outrage, “I do not. I. That is not! Anything! NO!”

“Hmm your silence speaks volumes.”

“This isn’t silence! What part of that was silence?!”

Raya turns her head back to the wall just to see Namaari jumping down from the top. Fuck, she missed it.

“Raya, my dear friend, if you looked at me like that I would already be in your bed.” Sisu whispers into her ear.

“Sisu!” Raya yells and then hisses, “I do not want to fuck her!”

“So why don’t you ask her out?”

“Cause she’s a bitch!” Raya says, maybe a little too loud if the turned heads were any indication.

“That’s a lot of staring for disliking her. Besides you don’t need to like someone to fuck ‘em.”

“Just because Namaari is,” Raya waves her hand out.

“Hot.”

“An extremely capable climber.”

“Oh my god,” Sisu says, “Are you fucking with me?”

“What?!”

“You’re hopeless, okay? Just go over, get under her, away from here, and hopefully that will solve all your guys' weird tension.”

“We don’t have weird tension! I just don’t like her!”

Sisu just stares at her until she finally pats her on the shoulder, “Oh honey. Methinks this is too much protesting for the celibate.”

“I’m not celibate!” Raya hisses back, “It may have been a little while.”

“A little while,” Sisu mocks and Raya regrets ever telling Sisu anything about her (lack) of a sex life. “Come on, I’m sure she’s quite capable in things other than climbing.”

Raya pinches her nose, “Her skills aren’t even as good as mine.”

“Raya,” Sisu cackles, “You truly are a disaster lesbian.”

“Hey! That’s not! I meant climbing!”

Sisu just laughs.

“Shut up,” Raya stands. She’s rested enough.

“Oooh, Namaari started up again.”

Raya whips around so fast her hair smacks her in the face to see Namaari still sitting on the map, telegraphing moves as she stares up at the wall. Sisu’s bent over laughing and Raya storms off, flipping Sisu off behind her.

Raya struggles with the third move and drops to the mat with a sigh of frustration. She crawls, undignified, out of the way so other people could get on the wall and debates whether any of this was worth it.

She huffs as her eyes track Namaari, working on a problem across the gym that started with a tricky dyno. Raya swallows as Namaari’s back flexes and she wheels back and launches herself forward, flying through the air with slightly too much momentum as her hands grip at the hold and try to slow herself to no avail. She lands heavily onto the mat, a thump that she can hear from here.

Raya winces and stands, only to sit back down as Namaari sat up, clapping her hands in frustration. Tong helps her to her feet and nudges her shoulder that, from personal experience, Raya knows is always a little harder than he means it, and soon Namaari is chuckling at whatever he’s saying.

Raya just makes a note of the problem and turns back to her own.

So what if she’d been doing that these past three weeks. Making a special note of the boulder Namaari ended on and then figuring out how to do it in the time before Namaari arrived at the gym? And maybe leaving work early one day to have enough time on a really tricky V7 slab that had taken her a week to figure out (which had been only her second V7 that she’s ever topped)? And then finishing it right in front of Namaari’s face?

She would have stopped, if Namaari didn’t flash every power boulder that she was working on. And sure, Raya had seen Namaari top a V8 once, but she’d worked on that one basically since it was put up till the walls changed. So it wasn’t a surprise she could power through the V6’s that were the bane of her existence but it was still a V6 for fuck’s sake.

And she was the beta sprayer! It was only fair she had something to rub Namaari’s face into.

Last Friday, Raya watched as Namaari breezed through a V5 that Raya was pretty sure was impossible if you weren’t well over 6 feet.

It wasn’t like Raya was saying that she flashed the coordination problem that she’d seen Namaari try over and over again. She just wasn’t saying she hadn’t. It wasn’t her fault that Namaari assumed that she was.

Her eyes drift back to Namaari, pointing and talking through the holds with Tong, and it really was unfair how her arms looked just standing there. She wasn’t even flexing! Raya bit her lip and then dragged her eyes back to her own problem before Sisu could catch her.

Raya nods at Pengu as she checks in, looking around to try to find Sisu. She’d been here earlier during her usual time, but her manager had called about twenty minutes into the session and she’d had to go back to work. Sisu promised her drinks after her own shift ended, and after eating dinner, Raya had enough time that she figured she’d just fill the rest with a couple attempts of that stupid V7 while she waited for Sisu to get off.

Sisu is nowhere to be seen, so after she changes her shoes, she beelines to the V7 that was certainly going to make her lose her sanity.

“What the fuck?!”

Raya freezes as she sees Namaari halfway up, shaking out one of her arms as she looks up to the top of the wall. Namaari’s head whips around and her eyes widen as she sees her, and she drops down clumsily, face growing rapidly redder.

“Raya,” Her voice sounds weak and Raya marches right in front of her.

“You!” Raya points a finger at her, all the breath missing from her lungs.

“You’re here late,” Namaari says sheepishly.

“Were you working on my problem!” Raya demanded as she took a step closer. “When I wasn’t here?!”

“Um,” Namaari licks her lips, eyes darting everywhere but Raya’s face, “Yeah? But it’s not like you have ownership over the problems! Anyone can climb them!”

Raya shakes her head, “I know that! But what? You were going to pretend to flash it when I was here?”

“Uh,” Namaari’s voice stutters, “No?”

“That sounded like a question.”

Namaari lets out a heavy breath and closes her eyes. Raya stares at her for a moment, breathless for a different reason until Namaari opens her eyes again and shrugs, “Fine, maybe I was going to imply that, okay?”

“I can’t believe you,” Raya rears back and then pinches her nose, “Who do you think you are? Like what the hell?”

“Um.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Raya yells and turns away.

“I was just trying to keep up!” Namaari scrambles up and Raya hates her a little more as she is forced to minutely tilt her head up to look at her. “You kept flashing all of mine!”

“So what? You cheated and lied?!”

The room was silent and Raya suddenly felt the eyes of every single person in the climbing gym on them.

“Oh come on!” Sisu calls, “Raya you’ve been doing the exact same thing!”

Namaari’s eyebrows raise and Raya takes a step back. When had they gotten so close? “Sisu!”

Sisu stares at both of them with hands on her hips, “You’re both frauds working on the other’s problems when they aren’t here and pretending to flash them. It’s the weirdest form of flirting I’ve ever seen.”

“We aren’t flirting!”

“That’s not flirting!”

Namaari and Raya yell at the same time.

Sisu rolls her eyes, “Whatever, please skip to the part where you guys realize you’re being ridiculous and just k-”

“OKAY!” Raya cuts her off.

Namaari frowns between them. “You really do that?”

Raya’s mouth flutters open and closed. She sighs, “Yeah.”

They stare at each other until Namaari starts to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

Namaari could barely get the words out in between laughs, “We’re- so- stupid- doing- the- same thing!”

Raya finds herself joining Namaari’s contagious laughter, “I guess so.”

The few people around them give them a wide berth as they laugh. Raya wipes away a tear and shakes her head at Namaari, “You did it first!”

“Not on purpose!” Namaari held up her hands, “I had done that one earlier that day and I thought it would be funny. But then you kept flashing my projects and I wanted to keep up.”

“Oh,” Raya feels all the fight fall out of her, “Um. Well, then.”

They both avoided each other’s gaze. “I guess we could,” Raya says, “If you really wanted to. Climb together.”

“Um yeah,” Namaari rubs the back of her neck, “We could do that.”

“Great job lesbians,” Sisu said and Raya whips her head to find her still standing there looking much too amused, “I’m off in thirty!”

“I know!” Raya calls back and watches as she thankfully walks away.

Raya was prepared for an awkward climbing session after Sisu slinks off. Thirty minutes of them milling around together and trying to not smirk at the other’s mistakes and then they’d forget the whole thing had ever happened and maybe change their climbing schedules so they never saw each other again.

Instead, Namaari works on the V7 as Raya warms up and then takes a step back and allows Raya to climb and doesn't laugh when Raya can’t make it past the second move.

“Do you want advice?” Namaari hovers behind her after Raya has crawled away from the wall.

“No.” Raya grunts out.

Namaari nods and then makes her attempt, and Raya bites her tongue to keep from saying anything as Namaari goes double the distance and to what Raya was pretty sure is the crux. She hangs there, her arms bulging, and wow, it really was amazing close up, and Raya wishes she has her waterbottle and oh fuck, she’s looking back, she’s looking-

“Is my foot close to the foothold?”

Raya almost shakes herself, but squints behind the volume that blocks Namaari’s view and at her flailing foot about a whole foot under the next foothold.

“Not really, need to go about a foot up!”

Namaari grunts as she tries to bring her foot up, skipping it across the wall, and her knee hits the volume and her hips collapse and she falls.

“Ow,” Namaari grunts.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Namaari scoots away from the wall and shakes her limbs, “Just not as flexible as you are. I don’t think that is the right beta, not for me, but I figured I should try.”

Raya didn’t have anything to say to that.

And it continued, a comradery that she hadn’t truly had with anyone else. Tong was leagues above her technically, Boun focused on the few comp style boulders that Raya preferred to stay far away from, and Noi small and light enough that power basically meant nothing. She had forgotten how easy it was with Namaari, how they were both roughly the same skill level even if they liked different problems.

Though Raya could take or leave Namaari’s advice when she decided to hear it. There had been a memorable occasion where Namaari just shrugged and repeated, “Just grab it.” While Raya had almost torn her hair out.

Just grab it? Yeah, no shit she was trying to grab it.

And when Raya had snapped at her for beta-spraying she’d apologized and well, she didn’t need the kissy faces that Sisu made behind Namaari’s back, but it wasn’t like she was unaware of how fucking hot she was. It was a little unfair and made her feel drab in comparison. Especially since Namaari seemed blind to it all.

They were approaching friends now, a week and a half into this new arrangement, and Raya was trying to figure out how to ask her to hang out outside of climbing. Would Namaari think it was a date? Did she want it to be a date? Would their friendship work if they weren’t staring at holds and walls together? Would it be awkward? Would they actually have to change when they climbed because Raya was perfectly fine with staying just friends.

Even just climbing buddies would be okay.

Namaari was, well she was funny, Raya was annoyed to learn. She’d had glimpses of it before, but now she found herself laughing loud enough to scare Noi.

Raya was mostly regretting every life choice she was making, working on this problem (with its outward facing start), climbing with Namaari (had her tank tops gotten tighter? How was she supposed to think when all Raya could see were her arms?), Sisu’s wink she’d given her as she checked in when she informed her that Namaari was here early, did she mention this outward facing problem?

“You got this,” Namaari grins at her and flashes a thumbs up.

“Maybe if you turned around,” Raya grumbles.

“What?”

“Nothing!” Raya looks up and reaches for the first hold, as she contorts her body, slowly towards the wall. It’s tricky, and she’s too hot for this, already the chalk is almost purposeless on her hands as she leans to the left to get her foot on the sliver of a foothold.

The next move isn’t bad, almost a stabilizing one as she now faces the wall like normal, and she chances a glance down, back at Namaari.

Namaari’s grinning, and then her neck flexes and suddenly Raya is on her back and blinking up at the fluorescent gym lights.

“Raya!” Namaari crouches over her, “Are you alright?”

No, she isn’t, because Namaari is right above her and this was something out of a romance novel and- was it really hot in here?

“You’re all red,” Namaari leans closer.

Fuck it.

Raya leans up and kisses Namaari on the lips, hands tracing Namaari’s arms, and oh god, they are as hard as they look.

Her nerves are on fire. Her body shaking with an electric buzz underneath her skin. It’s a dream, it’s a promise her body cashed and her brain denied, and it’s happening right now. Namaari’s lips are soft on hers, and when she imagined this (not that she’d admit she did), she thought it would likely include one of them pinning each other to a wall.

Though she supposes the floor is a kind of wall.

Namaari breaks it, sitting up and looking down at her with deep, dark eyes that promise everything she tries to pretend she doesn’t want. “Hi,” she breathes out.

“Hi.” Raya stares at her, licking her lips.

“So you like me?” Namaari says.

“Um,” Raya’s brain is blank and the words swim in the air between them as her breath calms down and she tries to focus on something other than the delicious press of Namaari’s legs straddling her. When did that happen? “What?”

Namaari laughs and Raya blinks as it vibrates through her body. Has she ever heard Namaari laugh like that before? She could get addicted to the sound and she finds herself licking her lips again.

“I said, you like me?”

“Oh,” Raya breaks eye contact and feels her body flush even warmer, “Um, yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“You guess?” Namaari leans down so she’s whispering into her ear and Raya feels goosebumps break out all over her skin.

“Yeah,” Raya breathes out, “And I guess this means that you like me too.”

Namaari leans back, a wide smile on her face, “You could say that. I was flirting with you for so long that I was beginning to think that I missed my chance.”

“Wait,” Raya hits her on the shoulder, “Did you start doing my problems to get me to like you? Did you think that would work?”

“Well it did,” Namaari defends.

“It did not!”

Namaari lifts an eyebrow and stares at her and Raya has half a mind to bury her face in her hand.

“We can stop,” Namaari breathes out, “Pretend this never happened-”

“No,” Raya would hate the whine in her voice if she had the presence of mind.

Namaari presses another kiss to Raya’s lips. Like before, her brain goes empty as she focuses on the the taste, just a hint of salt and something earthy, the subtle press of lips that is driving her body wild, the-

“HEY! I’M HAPPY FOR YOU BUT YOU’RE IN PUBLIC.”

A chalk bag flies over them and Namaari jerks off of her while Raya covers her face in her hands.

“Sorry, Sisu!” Namaari calls.

“I’m not cleaning up after you fu-”

“SISU!” Raya screeches and sits up.

Sisu is grinning at them and then flashes a thumb’s up. Raya groans.

“Are you busy tonight?” Namaari whispers in her ear as she helps Raya stand.

Raya shakes her head, “My whole evenings wide open.”

“Me too,” she grins, “You want to figure out this problem? Or leave?”

Raya looks at the wall for a moment, but her brain is buzzing so loudly that she wasn’t even sure she could think about anything other than the woman beside her. She holds out a hand for Namaari to take, “Let’s go.”

“Yes, let’s go lesbians!”

“Shut up, Sisu!”

#rayaari #raya and the last dragon #my writing: rayaari #my writing: raya and the last dragon #my writing #mine

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zalrb · 1 year

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for the life of me, i do not understand how having someone share their own perspectives instead of just giving yours is rude. if anything it takes you off a pedestal because it's not just all about your opinion being the gospel truth and people relying on your opinion to become there's. it gets anons to come to their own conclusions as well as creating further engagement. anons often ask TO learn something for themselves too. it creates more of a dialogue with anons which to ME seems personable.

thank you! which is the whole point! i want to know what your thoughts are so we can discuss things in greater detail and so i can better understand the question or better understand what you're looking at that i might not be looking at and sometimes if it's a question before i explain my reasoning it's because i'm literally asking is this what the character meant or is this what the character meant so we can go through that thought process together. and i've explained this over and over so at this point it's just choosing to ignore the context because they just want me to be a condescending asshole and if they find me a condescending asshole, fine, but then don't interact with me, like i feel like i have to KEEP saying, no one is forced to be here or forced to read my opinions or forced to interact with me so interact with people you like interacting with! it's not hard!

and i'm not saying that i'm not sarcastic or flippant or facetious or frustrated in my responses at times because i am, but there's always a reason for that, i'm not just like that. if there is a pinned post in bold letters that says to look at the master lists before sending asks, if my header is about reading the master list, if it says in my blog description to please read my pinned masterlists, then it's safe to say that i've given fair warning that i would like people to go through the master lists before sending me asks. master lists that anons had been asking for for a very long time. master lists that took time to compile. master lists that have existed for three to five years.

so.

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majorbaby · 2 years

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i have always flinched at the use of the terms ‘supremacist’ in a facetious way to announce ones fannish preferences because i’ve basically only ever seen that word used when describing the ideological basis for systemic racism: white supremacy and its subscribers, white supremacists.

you’d be right to say that systemic misogyny (although i actually don’t see it called ‘systemic misogyny’ a whole lot even if that’s what it is) is a result of ‘male supremacy’ where that means a belief that men are superior to women but we don’t usually call it that, we commonly use ‘patriarchy’ or ‘toxic masculinity’ instead. in mentioning this, i mean to point out a pattern of re-appropriation of terms used to describe the oppression experienced specifically by racialized people for "harmless" purposes.

i’d been telling myself that i was being over sensitive and that no one meant anything by it and i still mostly believe the latter half. it’s true that ignoring and/or minimizing one’s own reactions to marginalization is both an inevitable consequence of being a underrepresented racialized person (or a woman, a queer person, a disabled person, a poor person or any intersections of these groups but this post is about being racialized) and also a frankly useful survival tactic... but it’s also true that i’m just more inclined to turn over rocks and look for the race angle. all of this had me thinking about writing this post and continuously coming to the conclusion that it wasn’t necessary or that i couldn’t really support it with facts.

but it turns out, I can:

supremacist, noun - plural, supremacists

1 an advocate or adherent of the supremacy of one group : a person who believes that one group of people as identified by their shared race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or religion is inherently superior to other groups and should have control over those other groups

2 WHITE SUPREMACIST

Synonyms: racialist, racist

perhaps using ‘supremacist’ colloquially, doesn’t share exactly the same weight as calling your s//b read/it of 7 million users, arr/pcmxstxrrxcx and thinking that is completely fine. The concept of the ‘master race’ was actually developed by the Nazis, but it’s been easily reappropriated as this harmless, cheeky name. I say “harmless” but i’m censoring the example because i have some concerns around that particular internet subculture. even in cases where it should be obvious why this is inappropriate, it’s still not seen as a problem. -- edit because I used the example of the term “master race”, I should’ve mentioned here that while all racialized people have their suffering minimized, jewish people are particularly hurt by this for lots of reasons that i can’t succinctly address here but i want to at least say that people being largely (7 million subs) unbothered by this is a result of a willfully ignorance and denial of the seriousness of antisemitism - this is a result of white supremacy but all non-jewish people, particularly in leftist spaces need to take responsibility for this and include jews in social justice movements. --

Maybe we think ‘supremacist’ is okay because it’s related to the words ‘supreme’ and ‘superior’, which have lots of benign uses:

(Lake Superior is so-named because it is the largest of the great lakes. A ‘Supreme Court’ is, in most cases, so-named because it has a higher level of authority than any of its counterparts that may exist in a particular region’s judiciary system. A Crunchwrap supreme is so-named because it’s marketed as being the answer to the question ‘hard or soft shell’ and therefore ‘the best of both worlds’ and also because it attempted to address the portability issues with tacos... burrito erasure if you ask me.)

i can’t account for every instance of the use of the word “supremacist” but i do think it’s worth mentioning that when i search the term ‘supremacist’ (not white supremacist, just supremacist) google images returns images of confederate flags, nazi imagery or anti-white supremacy protests. if i search the news i get the latest in white supremacist moves. and not that you absolutely must take my word for it, but i can’t really think of another way its commonly used.

i’m sure people have thrown this word around in other hobbyist spaces, i’m just talking about fandom because fandom is one of my hobbies. i’m also not calling anyone racist and i’m definitely not calling anyone a white supremacist for declaring themselves to be a pancake supremacist or an air sign supremacist in their bio - i realize you’re having fun and identifying a preference or a love of something - i would assume it’s the same energy as calling yourself a cat person or a coffee enthusiast. but still i flinch, and after looking into it further, i think ‘micro aggression’ might apply here.

#i thought this was a b@ wasp nest take and well it might be but not for the reasons i'd previously convinced myself of #wanted to make this rebloggable but unfortunately i am still haunted by gxmxrgxtx #tag later #antisemitism #nazi cw

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hiiraya · 4 years

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i like you (more than i thought i would) (rewrite)

masterlist

pairing: robin buckley x reader

words: ~2,101

warnings: mostly fluff and being a gay mess

requested: nope :p

a/n: we've reached 200 of you wonderful people following this blog!! thanks for taking time out of your days to read the mess i post ♡

“If you think I'm believing a single thing you just said to me, you're out of your mind.”

She said, shaking her head at the taller boy as she wiped the counter.

"I'm telling the truth!” He persisted, glancing around the room before leaning closer to her to whisper, "you know, she's gay too."

She only rolled her eyes in response, turning away from him to start sorting the returned vcr's that had come in.

It hadn’t been the first time Steve had tried to play a prank on her, and she was smart enough to know when she was being played with.

"Yeah, okay, dingus."

He huffs when she dismisses him again, throwing an old receipt that was laying around on the counter at her, sticking his tongue out like a child.

"Believe it or not, Buckley, it's true. My sister - my twin sister - is coming to have lunch with me today."

"I guess I'll believe it when I see it."

Even though she told him that she didn't believe him earlier that morning that he had a sister (a twin sister to be more exact), Robin had been on the lookout for the other Harrington sibling.

If she even did exist.

Imagining a more feminine version of Steve, she had to wonder if you two shared the same personality. If you were just as confident and outspoken as your counterpart, or if you were the complete opposite.

She didn't really know what to expect, but when the time finally came and you walked through the door, all expectations Robin had flown out the window.

While Steve's style was more casual with his plain t-shirts, light-washed denim jeans and thin bomber jacket (Robin swore she'd never seen him wear any other jacket) - you on the other hand, were the complete opposite of your brother.

There you were, wearing a black t-shirt with some rock band that Robin had never heard of before, paired with black jeans that were ripped at the knees. The worn leather jacket around your shoulders making you look so out of place, yet the air of confidence you had around you made it feel like you owned the place.

The similarities were there, it wasn't hard to see that you two were clearly siblings, but that didn't stop Robin from glancing back and forth between the two of you.

“You ready for lunch, Steve?” You questioned, pushing the sunglasses currently resting on your nose up to your hair as you walked to the counter where Steve and Robin currently were. ”I’m not waiting all day for you."

Your older brother tutted and shook his head, and Robin could only stand there in shock because no way were you two related.

Absolutely no way.

"I'm still older than you, Y/N/N," He chided you playfully, before turning to face her. "By the way, this is the Robin I was telling you about.”

You turned your gaze to her direction and nodded your head in acknowledgement of Robin’s presence. She said nothing as you rested your forearms on the counter, the action alone making her cheeks heat up because how can one sibling be so smooth and the other so hopeless?

Also, Steve had told you about her?

“First of all, you’re only older by 20 minutes,” You retorted, narrowing your eyes facetiously at your older brother.

"And secondly," You begin, turning your attention back to Robin (who at this point was still standing there with her jaw lax at the interactions between the two of you). "It's nice to meet you."

If you were shocked by Robin suddenly grabbing Steve by the arm and saying yeah, wow, okay, Steve can I talk to you for a second? you didn't show it, allowing your brother to be dragged away to what you assumed was the back room.

"That's your sister?"

Steve had the audacity to look smug, and if it wasn't for her having a mental panic she would've punched him in the arm to get rid of the smirk on his face.

"I told you she was real."

She could only huff in retaliation. He was right. He did tell her that you were real, but he forgot to mention just how much of a character you were.

Besides, wouldn't it be a little weird to be attracted to her co-worker/friend’s younger sister?

"Fine, she is real, but you didn't tell me she was--"

"The complete opposite of me?" The taller boy teased, thoroughly enjoying watching this flustered side of Robin come to light. "Wouldn’t have guessed that bad girls were your type, Robin."

If Robin wasn’t red before, she definitely was now.

"It’s not my fault your sister is hotter and has more game than you do, Harrington.”

Robin followed Steve back out to the front, still obviously flustered that Steve had easily called her out on her visible attraction towards you.

Unknowingly to her, the taller boy already had something planned up his sleeves.

“I’m ready to go for lunch, but I just have one question for you, Y/N/N," He says, clapping his hands together as he approached you.

"Are you free on Saturday?”

Robin watches you look up from where you had been sitting, eyebrows furrowing in question.

“Yeah, I guess? I’m going to be in town for a little while. Why?”

Instead of answering your question, Steve nodded before facing her, that annoying, knowing smirk back on his face.

"What about you, Robin?"

“Yeah?"

The two of you could only watch as Steve grinned, the expression on his face only making you more confused while Robin felt the heat in her cheeks rise once again as he made eye contact with her.

"Perfect! Unfortunately, I have a shift on Saturday, but you two have fun on your date.”

“Date?”

She expected you to refuse, after all, who accepts to go on a date with someone you've never met before?

She expected you to roll your eyes and berate your brother, Robin already imagining how you would tell Steve to stop playing around, I came here so we could get food.

Honestly, she expected you to do anything other than say yes.

But when you only shrug your shoulders, and turn to face Robin, you surprise both her and your brother by tilting your head to the side and smiling.

“I've never turned down a date with a pretty girl," You say, with a grin that could rival the sun (but Robin thinks she's a little biased when she thinks that). "What do you say, Robin?”

She looked at Steve (who merely winked at her, and she knows that he's deliberately playing match maker) before back to you.

It didn’t help that you weren’t bad to look at, scratch that, Robin knew she was attracted to you the moment you walked into the store.

One date couldn’t hurt right?

"I guess it's a date.”

I'm going to kill Steve.

She doesn't normally wake up with murder on her mind, but the fact that your date was only a few hours away, she couldn't help but blame the nerves on the person who had set up the whole thing.

As much as she wanted to call you throughout the week and cancel the date, very much regretting the fact that she agreed to this date without a second thought, she knew that Steve would talk her ear off about how she ditched his sister and frankly, she’d rather just get the date over and done with if it meant he would shut up.

So when you showed up at her door at exactly 6 o'clock and not a minute late, just like you told her, Robin tried to ignore the nerves that had been present ever since she woke up that morning.

“Hop on.” You told her while holding out a black helmet. You were still wearing that worn leather jacket (what was it about the Harrington's and never owning any other jacket?) that made her speechless the first time she saw you.

“You want me to get on that?”

She watched you glance down at the 1982 Triumph motorbike that you were currently straddling, before looking back at her with a raised brow.

“Yes? Come on, I’m won’t let anything happen to you.” You say, gesturing to the helmet again while you gave her a comforting smile.

You only smiled wider when she took a step further, helping her put the helmet on and securing it on her head. Robin hoped that you couldn't see the way her cheeks had heated up when your fingers brushed against the underside of her chin, but the way you were still watching her with an admiring smile on your features.

“I’m holding you to your word, Harrington.” She mumbled, taking your offered hand to help her get on the seat.

“Just keep your arms around me, and we’ll be there before you know it.” She heard you say while you position her arms around your waist.

She couldn't help but lean into you when you situated her arms around you, the closeness of your bodies making her heart race a little. For someone who looked so intimidating on the outside, the more she was around you the more she could see that it was just a façade.

"You cold, Buckley?”

She watches you secure your bike and put the helmets away, all while having a smirk on your face. If she ever doubted you and Steve were siblings before, the smirk definitely said it all.

The sun had gone down by the time you arrived, and it didn’t help that the wind whipping past while you were driving made it feel like Robin had just walked into a freezer.

"Shut up."

You let out a small laugh, but nevertheless you shrug off your jacket. Taking a few steps to stand by her side, draping the heavy fabric over her shoulders.

“There, now you won’t get cold.”

Robin swore she’d blushed more around you in the thirty minutes she'd spent with you than she had in her whole life.

She felt her pinkie brush against yours, and before she could think about whether or not you would think it was too forward of her if she were to hold your hand, you had already laced your fingers with hers, the warm of your palm tethering her to the moment.

“Rides first then food? That way we don’t throw up anything we eat.”

All she could do was nod and let you lead the way.

Maybe it was because you were Steve’s sister, or that she barely knew you that Robin doesn't want to admit just how much she doesn't want the day with you to end.

Maybe.

The blush that stained Robin’s cheeks from the moment you helped her put the helmet on refused to go away even after hours had passed since then.

As much as she tried to deny it, she loved being pampered by you during your time together.

The whole night you were there by her side. With you hand in hers, or on her side, or on her arm, you made sure that she knew that you were by her side the whole time.

For all your tough guise you liked to show, you sure weren't afraid of looking like a complete fool trying to win her a big bear in one of those impossible basketball games where the hoop is too small for the ball to fit in.

She liked you.

More than she'd liked to admit.

But she had to remind herself that you weren’t staying for long. That no matter how much fun she had with you, you wouldn’t be in Hawkins forever.

"Are you staying in Hawkins for long, Y/n?”

With her hand still in yours, she tightened her grip just a little while she met your eyes.

If you could hear the reluctance in her voice you didn’t show it, only squeezing her hand back in return.

"I wasn't planning on staying for long," You admit.

“I’ve never really been one to stay in one place for too long but something's telling me that maybe I should."

She could practically hear Steve already teasing her for being ‘lovesick’ for his sister, but with the way you were looking at her now - with such warmth, like whatever was budding between you two was something that you wanted to last.

"You should."

If the smile you gave her, told her anything, it was that she wanted this to last too.

#robin buckley x reader #robin buckley imagine #robin buckley x harrington!reader #stranger things imagine #my state's back in lockdown for 3 days #so now i have time to write and post #hopefully open requests once i finish all the rewrites #which should be soon

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caneannabelle · 3 years

Text

ok hi guys. it’s been a while. i wrote this analysis back when Mag 187 aka Checking Out aka The One Where Helen Dies first came out and literally ever since i’ve posted it i’ve wanted to redo it because it feels. lacking. listen if there’s one thing i hate it’s incomplete media analysis and i must right my wrongs lest i be forced to look upon myself and crumble from within. that being said, i’ve been putting off this rewrite for a long long time bc Life Gets Weird. tldr this was written over the course of several months so i apologize for inconsistent quality. anyways let’s get into it!

part one: recap!

it’s been a while! let’s just go over what happened. the scene i wanna focus on in particular is this one:

VICTIM

You’ve got to help me!

ARCHIVIST

[Angrily] Don’t touch me!

[THE ARCHIVIST PULLS AWAY, AS THE VICTIM FALLS AND IS CRYING]

HELEN

Oopsie. Not so easy, is it? Keeping up your humanity?

(187).

that being said i’m gonna be kind of all over the place but! i do think that’s a good jumping off point.

part two (part one): disparaging everyone’s problematic fav

in my original post my point was that in reflexively reacting to a victim with disgust and anger jon inadvertently reveals the nature of his dedication to helping victims as ego driven, especially because this line is directly preceded by him asserting his moral high ground over helen as being a “protector” as opposed to her indulgence in destruction. what i’m saying is homeboy has a savior complex. honestly there’s a lot of evidence to support that claim but i think the most obvious example would be jordan kennedy. like.

JORDAN

…Yeah. But wrong. Sick.

What did you do to me?

ARCHIVIST

I helped you.

JORDAN

Helped me? I don’t feel right, I, I just – Ah! No I don’t – argh! I don’t want this!

(184). to be clear it’s an action with a good intent! he just wants to help someone who once helped him! BUT it also demonstrates a lack of conscious empathy. i feel like i don’t have to argue this since jordan Literally vocally said he didn’t want this several times throughout the scene but the point remains that while jon’s intent is good the actual application of his saviourism removes the autonomy of those he affects. i’m not gonna touch on the “is it objectively immoral to become an oppressor for the sake of self preservation while existing within an extreme system in which all are oppressed regardless of your individual status” query mostly because i do not have the brainpower available rn to come to my own conclusion about systems of power and the way they’re represented in tma (which is a whole other rant tbh) but jon DOES rob jordan of the ability to come to his own conclusion in this debate and make his own choice, thereby removing his autonomy. you know. autonomy. free will. the thing that is central to jon’s internal conflicts. huh.

anyways i NEED to stress that i’m not saying that he’s the same as jonah or the web or even annabelle (although annabelle is a victim. no i don’t take constructive criticism). i just want to point out that his actions reflect a lack of understanding. while he’s able to empathize with the pain others experience and is eternally hyper- aware of it he is unable to view that pain through any lense besides his own and uses it in his cycle of self pity and blame, minimizing it at any point possible in the quickest way and Not prioritizing the wishes of the victim but instead the efficiency in decreasing his own guilt. anyways back to 187- both the victim and jordan are treated as props by jon (and helen) and once they serve their purpose in reaffirming the two’s sense of self are cast aside and ignored. ok from here i’m gonna get conceptual and self indulgent bc it’s my analysis and i get to bring up vague convoluted philosophy.

part two (part two): part two

let’s talk about the distortion for a sec. i refuse to believe helen and michael were both completely gone and it was just the distortion piloting their visage, mostly because… like that’s not what the text would indicate

HELEN

Michael isn’t me. Not now.

ARCHIVIST

What happened?

HELEN

He got… distracted. Let feelings that shouldn’t have been his overwhelm me.

Lost my way.

(101). it’s heavily implied that there was SOME remainder of michael in there, even if the being wasn’t him. maybe i’m way off base here but the way i interpreted the implosion of michael was that it was driven by his inability to maintain the repressed resentment and anger he had for gertrude. like it’s pretty clear that some warped version of michael’s feelings were trapped inside of the distortion and i’d go as far as to say that they were integral to his formation as it. i’m gonna operate on the assumption that michael and helen are two separate beings here for a sec even though we know they’re not. As opposed to michael’s resentment for the archivist, helen actively sought refuge in the institute and from the small amount we saw of her Pre-Distortion it seems like her paranoia is internally directed. i think you could even say that while michael was caught in an eternal battle with the concept of connection, helen is caught in a battle with the concept of self. the point is that she thinks of jon in a less “The Archivist” sense and more as just That Guy who she had an intense connection with that one time.

ARCHIVIST

So… S-so what do you want?

HELEN

I don’t know. Helen liked you, so… there’s a lot to consider. But I will help you leave.

(101). i would also like to point out that helen’s emergence as the distortion coincides with jon coming to terms with his identity as the archivist. parallels, baby! SO helen is a newly formed being that is grappling with the concept of her own existence and jon is reevaluating his understanding of identity as he comes to terms with the fact that he is turning into the thing he’s fighting against and this is all happening at the same time. live laugh love. stay with me here, i promise i’ll get back to 187. Throughout seasons 4 and 5 helen attempts to validate her own moral decisions via jon who she once saw herself in. conversely, jon sees both an image of what he could become AND arguably a representation of his past failure in her.

ARCHIVIST

It did. I think… I mean, you remember how I was back then, how paranoid. The Not!Sasha was there, and I could sense something wasn’t right, but I just couldn’t place it. It left me a suspicious wreck. Then when Helen Richardson came in, it seemed like… she was in the same place I was, but worse, further along. I thought, maybe if I could help her, that would mean… maybe I wasn’t beyond help?

(188). helen and jon lie at opposite ends of the same spectrum. both of them derive pleasure from the suffering of others

HELEN

Oh, John! This existence can be wonderful, if you just let it.

ARCHIVIST

[Sadly] I know.

(187). needless to say that a LOT of jon's arc and the themes surrounding him focus on the concept of autonomy and addiction and i think it'd be fair to say that this component is an aspect of that. repressing these qualities is both a way of reaffirming his control and also just.. him trying to be what he perceives as Good, and season 5 is the point at which this comes to the forefront of his character- particularly the line between what is intrinsic and what he truly has control over. a battle of the concept of the self, if you will. while the two share similar traits, jon is intensely moralistic while helen indulges in a twisted sense of hedonism and both are fueled by an inability to expand their viewpoint. helen fully immerses herself within these qualities and intentionally blinds herself to any concepts of morality (indulgence), and jon actively pushes back on this as hard as he can and follows black and white moral framework (repression). this means that in order for their relationship to function he must either accept her, choosing to let go in his personal battle with autonomy OR she must break out of her worldview and conform to standards of human morality which goes against her own nature.

part three: questions i do not have the answer to

so. what does it all mean. WELL. 187 is the boiling point of all this tension. we know that helen relies on jon to validate her sense of self and we know that jon sees himself in helen, both past and present

HELEN

But that doesn’t make any sense. You barely met her. You had half an hour together, and she spent most of that ranting about mazes! She was positively delirious with paranoia!

ARCHIVIST

True. But as you’ll recall, I was pretty paranoid myself at that point.

HELEN

So what? You saw yourself in her? A sad reflection? A possible future?

(187). I’d argue that 187 is demonstrative of jon’s inability to either fall into complete indulgence in intrinsic values that lack moral validity vs. maintain and image of self that does not conflict with the values he attempts to uphold in order to find internal satisfaction and yes both of those concepts are inherently egocentric as he bases his moral judgement on what he can justify to himself instead of what can be calculated via empathy. however. paired with the alternative (helen). is that BAD. is it inherently selfish to do what you perceive as good in order to feed your own savior complex? and if so, is it inherently selfish to indulge in destructive qualities as to not delude yourself? is honesty vs deception a black and white question? if not, where does helen even fall? in not deluding herself does she achieve a moral high ground? IS she deluding herself by denying the potential to be facetiously benevolent at the detriment of both her personal enjoyment and her honesty? does helen even posses the capability to repress her violent qualities? if she doesn't, does she have any autonomy? if she and jon are both inherently selfish and intentionally resistant to introspection, what makes them different? i do not have answers but i do think the text is meant to invoke these questions. i mean,

MICHAEL (STATEMENT)

There was a great evil, she said, and Michael was going to help her fight it. Am I evil, Archivist? Is a thing evil when it simply obeys its own nature? When it embodies its nature? When that nature is created by those which revile it? Perhaps Gertrude believed so. Michael certainly did. He believed everything she told him.

(101).

part 5: conclusion

so once again. what does it all mean. well! even post helen’s death jon continues to fight for autonomy and preserve his moral worldview so. i think that probably indicates something good.

MARTIN

Huh. She couldn’t help what she was, I guess.

ARCHIVIST

She didn’t even try.

(188). i honestly don’t have a thesis i just find it incredibly interesting how the themes surrounding these two intersect and play off of each other. anyways looping back to 187 i do think in a broad sense jon killing helen is representative of him choosing to stick by his convictions and keep fighting. i don’t have any good way to end this but thanks for sticking around during my self indulgent rambling!

#also apropos of nothing but #this scene reminds me of a clive barker story #truly that has nothing to do w this analysis i just wanted to throw this in the tags #anyways! hope this makes sense #i had a friend who’s never listened to tma read over this to make sure that it’s coherent #and she said it was fine so.. alice ty #this was fun! i have lots of Thoughts on tma and i should write them more often #the magnus archives #mag 187 #jonathan sims #the archivist #helen richardson #helen distortion #michael shelley #tma meta #the distortion #the spiral #tma

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ahkaahshi · 4 years

Text

the long way home [miya atsumu x reader]

pairing: miya atsumu x fem reader

genre: fluff

warning(s): a swear word or two

word count: 2k

overview: the times when you and atsumu get to walk back from school together are few and far between, so, whenever you get the chance to have each other’s company, you take the long way home. while all of these walks are special, this one ends up being more so than the others.

As students pour through the front gates of Inarizaki High, desperate to get home after a long week filled with seemingly endless days of mind-numbing lessons, you stand in solidarity at the base of a large tree just outside the entrance. While the shade of its long, twisted branches and green leaves provides you some protection from the warmth of the sun’s rays, there’s a chill in the air indicative of springtime that nudges you into the light every now and then. You tentatively press a button on your phone to bring its screen to life.

Where the hell is he? I swear, if he’s talking to those freakin’ fangirls again, I’m gonna--

"Looks like someone’s gettin’ antsy.”

A facetious comment stated by a familiar voice interrupts your thought and brings your attention to your friend as he saunters towards you with a smug grin on his face. You drop your phone back into a small pocket in your bag and roll your (e/c) eyes at him, feigning denial even though he’d hit the nail on the head, as per usual. It was quite annoying how perceptive he was since he had such a backhanded way of letting people know he was onto them.

“I don’t really like being around here for longer than I’m required to be, ‘Tsumu,” you mumble, gaze traveling upwards to meet his when he comes to a halt in front of you.

With a dismissive wave of the hand, he says, “I know, I know. Here, have some of my drink as a peace offerin’.”

You glance at the half-full bottle of soda he extends towards you and shake your head. “Gross. I don’t want your leftovers.”

“That’s a shame,” he sighs and twists off the cap, “’cuz it was meant for ya in the first place, but I got thirsty ‘n drank some of it.”

Cocking your head, you rebut, “So, it’s a shame that I turned down a drink you bought for me but ended up drinking yourself?”

He nods at you as he takes a gratuitous swig, making his Adam’s apple bob beneath the tender skin on his neck with each swallow. You must have a look of longing in your eyes without even knowing it, since he removes his lips from the mouth of the bottle with a small pop and dangles it in front of you tauntingly. You hesitate before reaching for it and taking a sip.

His honey-colored gaze remains on you for a long moment before he turns it away to look down the busy sidewalks and streets stretching in either direction. A small chuckle bubbles in his throat upon hearing you fail to stifle a hiccup that slips out of your mouth from the carbonation. Though you know his amusement will be followed by a snide remark of some sort, you can’t hide the smile that spreads across your lips.

This time, however, he spares you the grief and instead suggests, “Hey, I thought ya were itchin’ ta get outta here, (f/n). C’mon, let’s take the long way home. We got a lot ta catch up on.”

Wordlessly, you agree with a nod and fall into step beside him once he begins walking away, starting your indirect journey back to your houses. As the two of you exchange stories about gossip circulating around the school, volleyball practices, and the strange, new teacher who’d just been hired, a familiar sense of comfort washes over you, relieving some of the tension you hadn’t even realized you’d been holding.

It was a feeling that you could derive from very few people, but you seemed to feel it the most whenever you were with your longtime friend, Atsumu. You’re unsure of what exactly it is about him that always brings these feelings of security and ease. Maybe it’s knowing you can talk to him about anything as a result of his familiarity and closeness to you. Maybe it’s the lighthearted nature of your conversation and the warmth of his tone that feels like a serenade after a long day of listening to teachers drone on and on about mundane subjects.

Or, maybe it’s that same thought that’s occurred to you multiple times only to be shunned and shoved into the deepest recesses of your mind the instant it resurfaces--as if even having it in the first place was too dangerous. You want to assure yourself that it’s nothing more than a silly, pipe dream that would fade soon enough, but it was getting harder to ignore each time it made itself known. And, it seemed to grow stronger with distance such as that you’d had from him this week due to your busy schedules.

You don’t even notice that your train of thoughts has led you off course until Atsumu brings you back to the station with a nudge. Suddenly, everything snaps back into focus.

You’re standing in front of the corner store that’s become yours and Atsumu’s old haunt after visiting it time and time again on your after-school adventures through town. To your right, his steady gaze is fixed on you and his thick eyebrows are furrowed in confusion.

He asks, “What’s up? I think I lost ya somewhere along the way here.”

“O-Oh, nothing,” you answer aloud, plastering a smile on your face and making a beeline to the front door of the shop.

Except for the fact that I might be in love with you, your inner voice continues. As you admit this in your mind, acknowledging the feeling rather than rejecting it, you feel the skin on your face prickle with heat.

He’s far from convinced, and he’s at the door in a flash so he can stare down at you inquisitively while you shuffle inside. “Somethin’s up with ya. Don’t know what, but yer actin’ funny all of a sudden,” he murmurs. You swear he’s trying to see into your mind with that laser-focused gaze of his, and you worry that if he keeps it up, you might just confess to him right then and there in the--you take a quick glance around--chip aisle.

“It’s really nothing, ‘Tsumu,” you lie with a dismissive wave of the hand. Before he can grill you on the subject, you quickly change it. “So, what’re we getting from here?”

He leans closer to you as he reaches past you to grab a bag of chips rather than asking you to move and says, "I dunno. Just wanted some snacks. Mind grabbin' a candy bar?"

"Am I gonna be the one paying for it?" you deadpan, crossing your arms in front of your chest and raising a brow at him in spite of the redness threatening to bloom across your cheeks.

He scoffs, “’Course not, princess. I got it.”

You’re quick to turn on your heels and march over to the candy bars another aisle over to keep him from seeing how affected you are by his comment. After taking a moment to calm your racing heart and gather yourself, you join him at the cash register so he can pay for his bounty of snacks. You thank him when he wordlessly drops a small bag of gummy candies into your hand.

He seems to have forgotten your flustered reaction earlier, since he starts yammering on about a fight that he and Osamu got into over who has the best quirk in BNHA, much to your relief.

You should know it’s naive to think he’s moved past it, however, since he never passes up the opportunity to tease you. As the two of you bask in the warmth of the sun on a bench in a nearby park, he brings it up once more.

“So, now that you’ve finished the candy I bought for ya, how ‘bout you answer a li’l question for me in exchange for my kindness?” he suggests, giving your arm a prod with his elbow. The mischievous smile he wears as he moves his head closer to yours makes your heart flutter in your chest.

“I should’ve known that shit wasn’t free,” you sigh, “Whaddya wanna know?”

His grin widens. “You’ve got a crush on someone, don’tcha?” You make no response, so he throws his arm around your shoulders and gives your body a shake, causing your head to sway back and forth. “C’mon! We don’t keep secrets from each other! Who is it?”

“It’s nobody, ‘Tsumu,” you whine as you give him a playful nudge when he moves closer.

He runs his hand through his golden hair and mentions, “Well, that’s a cryin’ shame, since there’s someone who has a crush on you.”

Your response is instantaneous: “Who?!”

“Me.”

The silence that befalls the two of you is deafening in spite of the environmental sounds surrounding you. He watches you expectantly, gaze steady and demeanor exuding confidence, as per usual. After a few seconds pass, you release a rather loud laugh that you try to stifle with your hands.

“You almost had me there,” you manage to speak between heaving breaths.

His air of confidence crumbles instantly, and his face turns bright red. “H-Huh?” he stammers.

“Oh, come on! There’s no way you can expect me to believe that given how much you love taunting me.”

“(F/n)...”

“Nice try!”

He reaches out towards you and places his hand on your shoulder, putting an end to your fits of laughter. When you look into his eyes the color of fresh honey once more, he’s wearing an expression so serious that it almost shocks you--since it was one he usually reserved for volleyball matches. Your heart instantly drops into your stomach and any ounce of amusement you’d previously felt evaporates instantly.

“That wasn’t a joke... was it?” you utter stupidly.

He shakes his head. “I really like ya. Hell, I think I might even be in love with ya.”

Even though the response you should give--and that you’d been waiting to give--is glaringly obvious, you remain in an awestricken silence. During this time, he fidgets nervously and averts his gaze to look down at his slightly scuffed, black dress shoes. His face is growing redder with each second that passes. Feeling his hand retreat from your shoulder instinctively makes you grab it and hold it in your own to keep him from putting more distance between the two of you.

“’Tsumu,” you begin after taking a deep breath to summon your confidence, “I think I’m in love with you too.”

There’s a pause as you each take a second to let the words sink in, but his fingers intertwine with yours and give the back of your hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance. Your eyes travel from where your connected hands rest on your knee up to his once more as he wonders, “So... wanna give this a try, then? I think ya owe me at least one date after the way ya reacted when I confessed jus’ now. Damn near stopped my heart.”

With a giggle and a bright smile that sets his heart racing, you agree. “I guess I could let you take me out on a date.”

Instead of retorting with a smart comment, he wraps an arm around your back and pulls you into a tight embrace, as if he’s been waiting forever to hold you close to him. He nestles his face in amongst your (h/l), (h/c) hair as you press yours into his neck. You collectively let out a small sigh of relief as you enjoy one another’s warmth for another, peaceful moment before pulling away.

There are many questions to be answered, but the first that’s asked echoes from his mouth. “Wanna hang out at my practices every now ‘nd then so we can take the long way home from school together more often?”

Your lips form another, enthusiastic grin as you say, “I would love to.”

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heywejustheretohavefum · 4 years

Text

Attachment - Chapter One

- to clarify, you are an adult in this story. also, im sorry my writing is so bad and that i have not proofread this very thoroughly, but hell, this isnt my job and i dont have to be good at it -

word count : 1.5k

warnings : none, i think

From the start, your relationship with Master Skywalker was unorthodox. Yet the bond you shared was a strong one, though it started strangely.

He had been showing you to your quarters after your fateful meeting with the Jedi Counsel. After the excitement of the day, you were more than ready to take a much needed rest; the emotions which you had ignored rising up through you. It seemed as if your new master sensed this, as he didn’t attempt to make conversation. It was you who talked first.

“I killed him,” you said. (e/c) eyes still staring at the floor, you didn’t notice his clear blue gaze settle onto your bowed head. “The man who killed my mother.” Though you paused, as if to allow him to say something in response to your confession, Anakin stayed quiet. What could he say? ‘Me too’? For he had done the same thing on Tatooine on that awful day when his mother was taken from him.

“I didn’t have to…I did it because I wanted to,” you looked up at him this time, your soft eyes staring into his steelier ones. You both stopped, standing still in the middle of the halls of the Jedi Temple. It was a moment of understanding, and the way your (h/c) locks cradled your face made Anakin feel calmer than he ever had before.

Yet as your bond grew brighter, Anakin and Padmé’s slowly dimmed. He was given six weeks leave from the war in order to train his new padawan, which he had originally planned to spend with his wife as well. Yet as the days drifted by, he found himself wanting to leave your side left. By the third week, he had stopped sleeping in the secret apartment he and Padmé had shared. The Chosen One didn’t understand it; how he had longed for Padmé only weeks ago and now had no desire to see her.

Perhaps it was you. Or more specifically, the fact that you knew of his and Senator Amidala’s forbidden relationship. Anakin still didn’t understand how you found out about them.

You had been early for your training, as always. Master Skywalker, though he tried, could never get to the training room before you. And as always, you were meditating upon his arrival; Anakin swore he had never met a Jedi who enjoyed meditating more than you.

“I thought Jedi weren’t allowed to have attachments,” your voice was soft and just as lovely as ever when you spoke to him, your eyes meeting his own.

“We’re not,” Anakin responded with a classic smirk gracing his handsome face.

“Then how come you're married to Senator Amidala?” You didn’t expect your question to be answered, clearly, as you stood up from your cross-legged position on the floor.

Your master’s head whipped up, following your movements as you walked to get a training staff to practice with. “I...H-how do you know? About Padmé and me?”

(e/c) eyes stare down at the dueling staff, giving it a gentle twirl in your hand. “I don’t know. I just...knew,” you paused, turning to look at him again. “And it’s ‘Padmé and I’, not ‘Padmé and me’.”

But was it really just the simple anxiety of having another person know of them? Anakin wasn’t so sure. After yet another fight with Padmé, he had gone to the only person who he could vent to - you, which then led to a late night sparring session.

Elegant blue clashes with the brilliant emerald green of your own saber. Over and over again they collide in blinding fury; both fighters stay on equal footing until Master Skywalker slashes unexpectedly at your shins. Just in time, you jump, landing with practiced grace on the hilt of his weapon. Twisting his wrists to angle the glowing blade up into your back, Anakin swings again. Jumping over his head, you dodge the fiery cerulean sword before wrapping your legs around his throat. Your master falls backwards from the unexpected shift in weight. The wind is knocked out of you as you crash onto the ground, but a second later you find the strength to summon the saber which had fallen from your master’s hand. You swiftly straddle him, and with a saber dangerously close to both sides of his throat, Anakin concedes to you.

“That was quite the impressive fight,” Obi-Wan Kenobi says. The bearded man had been secretly watching your entire battle with his former padawan; he’s impressed by your dexterity and skill after only a few months of training.

“Thank you, Master Kenobi,” you say, bowing to him.

“How does it feel to be beaten by your padawan, Anakin?” He asks with a smirk which only widens as he sees Anakin’s frown deepen.

“You should know very well what that’s like, my former master,” Anakin retorts. You laugh sweetly, snorting slightly as you try desperately to breathe between giggle fits. Both blue-eyed men watch as you chortle with softened expressions.

“Master Skywalker’s only mad because he hasn’t won against me in a week,” you declare proudly, twisting around to face Obi-Wan. “Even if it’s probably only because I know his fighting style so well by now.”

“Well then, would you care for more of a challenge?” Master Kenobi asks, noticing but ignoring his former padawan’s glare; the bright smile you offer him being far more captaving.

“It would be an honor, Master Kenobi.”

The fight was a long one, both of you being skilled fighters despite your short time training with a lightsaber. It ended with you yielding after being pinned against the wall by the older man with a saber at your throat. Anakin watches with resentment as Obi-Wan steps away from you, allowing you to move away from the wall.

“You certainly do have a strange fighting style, padawan,” the bearded man comments; your style was different from other Jedi - instead of relying solely on your lightsaber like most, you used it as a distraction to try and get in more physical attacks in order to disarm your opponent. He guesses it was due to what you learned before arriving at the Jedi Temple.

Sliding your lightsaber back into place, you smile up at Kenobi. “I’m not sure if that’s meant as a compliment or an insult, master,” you say in amusement. Obi-Wan finds the sparkle in your eyes as you meet his own intoxicating, and shocked, he looks away.

The Chosen One glares at his former master, a grimace etched into his handsome features. He doesn’t understand the feeling of boiling resentment in his gut, nor why he wants to shove Obi-Wan across the room - anything to get him away from you. “It’s late,” he says, hopefully without any annoyance he felt evident in his voice. The way you look up at him, almost shocked as if you forgot about him, only serves to aggravate him more. “I’ll walk you to bed (n/n).” It wasn’t often that your master used his nickname for you in front of others, and you silently wonder why he does now. You decide it’s because he’s more comfortable around Obi-Wan than any other Jedi.

“No need, Anakin, I can accompany your padawan to their chambers. You should keep training if you hope to beat your apprentice again,” Master Kenobi responds with a smug grin, his azure eyes slyly glancing at his former padawan.

“But they are my apprentice, Obi-Wan. I really must insist on walking them myself.” For a few moments their eyes met, both men waiting for the other to back off. After some seconds of tension, two sets of blue eyes break way from each other and to your giggling figure.

“Boys, boys, you’re both pretty,” you say facetiously, rolling your (e/c) eyes at their antics. “You can both take me to bed.” Both men stammer, a heavy blush on their faces as they stutter vehement denials of what you insinuated. Nevertheless, once you walk out the door, both follow behind you quickly in order to catch up.

In the halls, one on either side, you three chatter on about nothing in particular - missions and tales of their heroics being the men’s favorite thing to talk about as they subconsciously try to one up each other. “In the end I destroyed 42 droids, even without my lightsaber,” Anakin brags, glancing down to see your reaction.

“Really? Because I seem to remember having to save you as you hid behind a rock,” Obi-Wan corrects him, smiling when you laugh at the two boy’s banter. The bearded man easily avoids the foot Anakin puts out to try and trip him as pay-back.

“Well,” you start, stopping in front of your bedroom, “this is me! Thank you both for walking me back, masters.” You bow to the knights respectfully.

“It was nothing, young one,” Master Kenobi responds.

“Yeah, no problem at all (n/n).”

一

The two men, left alone in the hallway outside your room, stare at the door you had just walked into. “Remember, Anakin,” Obi-Wan starts, “Jedi aren’t allowed to have attachments.” His voice is even, thanks to a great deal of effort on his part. With tense shoulders and a frown that settled on his face once you were out of sight, he looks over to his former padawan.

“Are you reminding me, or yourself?” Anakin says coldly.

#yandere star wars x reader #yandere star wars #yandere x you #yandere x reader #yandere #star wars x reader

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writingsfromstarfleet · 4 years

Text

I Never Hated You - Odo X Reader

A/N: Hello! This is a request for the ever awesome @cat-with-a-keyboard I do hope you enjoy it! Same goes for you lot too, I hope you all like it, apologies for how long it is, I cannot for the life of me ever figure out where to end a story, I go on forever haha :’) x

"Why does everything blow up in my face, Julian?" you sighed, taking a sip of your drink.

"Figuratively or literally?" he asked, jokingly trying to lighten your mood. A deep sarcastic remark came from behind you. Knowing who it was, you didn't bother so much as to turn around.

"Maybe if you spent more time focusing on your job and less time with Doctor Bashir then perhaps you'd have succeeded."

All you were trying to do was vent out your frustrations of an experiment in engineering not going to plan with Julian over a drink, and Odo just had to comment. Always, without fail, he'd have some form of quip or a jab at you where he could.

"Must you always be like this?" you asked, boredom and exasperation lacing your words. Every single day he did this, every single day he'd have something to say, and you were at your wits end with it all.

"Only for as long as you continue to fail at doing your job correctly." He huffed and walked away; you were seething. Everything about the way he was irritated you to no end. Snapped out of your thoughts by a hand coming to rest on your shoulder, you breathed out to calm yourself down.

"Lovers quarrels, there's something there with you two, I just know it. I'll be at your wedding one day" Julian commented, the smug smile he always wore and his eyes lit up with mischief. That look, however was met with a less than approving stare from you. You huffed incredulously.

"Or a funeral if he carries on."

You'd spent the rest of your day going about your daily tasks with ease, you were thankful it was one of your relatively stress free days. Though you couldn't help but mull over Julian's words back in Quarks, try as you might.

What did he mean by that? Couldn't he see that you and Odo despised each other, that you couldn't even be in the same room without a fight? You'd wondered if you had missed something, or wondered just what Julian saw that you didn't. Your mind wandered to Odo. He wasn't a bad looking guy, and he could be nice, at least to others, from what you saw. His intelligence and dedication to his job were obvious.

'What am I doing?' You thought as you mentally slapped yourself. You were supposed to hate him, you were chalk and cheese, fought like cat and dog. Yet, here you were, thinking of him as though you were anything but. Shaking yourself out of your thoughts, you went about your business and pushed it out of your mind.

Odo was in Quarks, as always, keeping a close eye on the Ferengi. His usual. However, Odo found himself distracted too, by thoughts of you from earlier in the day. If he was honest with himself, he didn't know why he acted the way he did toward you. You were smart, a fool could see that. Odo couldn't deny that he found you to be rather beautiful too, despite the incessant need you seemed to have to argue with him. Catching himself in his thoughts, he huffed aloud and continued on his day, patrolling the Promenade, having given up spying on Quark.

A couple of days had passed and neither of you had seen the other, your work keeping you locked in the engineering room, determined to get your experiment right. Odo was lying to himself if he said he didn't miss you, though he tried his best convince himself it was the argument he missed.

It wasn't until you were given an away mission together, albeit a small and quick one, that you came together for the first time in around a week.

"Not with Odo! / Not with Y/N!" You both protested at the same time to Commander Sisko, who just rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You're going, and you're going together. I need you both to be on top form to finish this, we need to know what's going on down there. Your arguing and petty bickering won't get anybody anywhere. Dismissed."

Sitting in the shuttle, aggressive silence filling the small space, you pushed buttons with a facetiousness unlike yourself. You were doing it to make a statement. Odo wasn't stupid, he knew, and he retaliated with banging around on his side of the shuttle.

"This won't get us anywhere, like Commander Sisko said, so stop acting like a child" you remarked, finally cracking under the anger and the sullen atmosphere.

"Stop being so petulant yourself then and things might change" came his reply, monotone and unmoved. You felt your anger boil up, mainly because he hadn't so much as looked up to answer you.

"Why do you have to act like this all the time? What exactly have I ever done to you to make you hate me?" Your question was met with a silence that, for whatever reason, hurt you. You weren't sure as to why it hurt to hear nothing from him, but you brushed it off as your shuttle started to beep, bringing your attention to the fact that the engines were failing. The last thing you needed was to be stranded on some strange planet with Odo.

So, you were stuck on some strange planet with Odo. Not your finest moment. It was awkward and tense, neither of you civil enough to put your pride aside and actually try to sort the situation out. The planet was derelict, it hadn't ever seen such a thing as an inhabitant, and to top it all off it was absolutely freezing. Finally having had enough, you begrudgingly swallowed your pride and spoke to Odo.

"What do you propose we do then?" He spun around to face you, an unreadable expression present on his face, as though he didn't actually know himself what to do.

"So you can be civil then?" he retorted, met with a more than aggrieved expression from yourself, silently telling him that now was not the time nor were you in the mood for it. He continued. "In all seriousness, I am unsure. The communications system isn't working, and neither are the control panels in the shuttle. I say we wait it out for now and try again later."

"For once, I find myself agreeing with you."

You had begun to walk off, failing to notice the eye roll you had received from the constable. He followed you nonetheless and sat down with you in a little cave you'd found, somewhat out of the way of the wind and snow. Lighting a fire, you sat beside him, though you kept some distance. Should he ask, you'd put it down to the climate and the fact you were cold, though deep down you knew it was because part of you wanted to be closer to him.

The weather began to pick up, and you found you had curled closer to Odo than he probably was comfortable with, and more than your sensible half was comfortable with, too. To your surprise he hadn't complained thus far. Starting to feel the bite of the cold the later it got, you shivered and wrapped yourself in your coat a little more, that little bit of pride left in you refused to move any closer to Odo than you already were.

Odo was looking off into the small fire you'd made, though he felt you shiver regardless. Conflicted, part of him wanted to hug you, at least to make you feel some sense of warmth, but his proper and proud side told him not to; he didn't want you knowing how he thought of you, he was sure you wouldn't feel the same. Deciding to ignore his better half and so you wouldn't die from the cold, he pulled you to him and wrapped his arms around you, your head coming to rest on his chest. You moulded to him perfectly, as though you were always meant to be there.

Shocked, you looked up at him slightly, and he glanced down at you, your eyes meeting for a brief moment. You'd never properly noticed his eyes before, but they were a pretty shade of blue. Leaning up a little more, you placed a hesitant but quick kiss on his cheek, and you felt him tense slightly.

"Thank you, Odo." Your voice was quiet, had it not been deathly silent around you, he may not have heard it at all. He tightened his arms around you as you shifted so that you could look at him properly. "I know we don't see eye to eye, and we always argue, and I'm also pretty sure you hate me, but I appreciate what you've done for me here. You didn't have to do-" Your words were cut short by Odo placing his lips onto yours. The kiss was short and sweet, but it told you everything you needed to know and wanted to hear.

"I never hated you. Get some rest, Y/N." His voice was quiet and caring, far from the usual biting tone he used with you, and still in shock you laid back down into his side with your head buried in his neck. Odo himself was shocked, he wasn't sure of what came over him or what had made him do such a thing. More so, however, he was happy you felt the same.

That was how you stayed, together and content; your last thought before drifting off to sleep, however, was just how smug Julian was going to be when you got back. The last thing you wanted to do was tell him he was right, but by the gods, he was right.

#star trek imagine #star trek #star trek deep space nine #star trek ds9 #deep space nine #ds9 #odo #odo x reader #odo imagine #x reader #imagine

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dlamp-dictator · 4 years

Text

Let Me Tell You About Tsubaki Yayoi

Tsubaki Yayoi was not the firstborn child of her generation, but merely the first to survive.

The Yayoi family is a family of nobles. One of the twelve great ruling families of the NOL known as the Duodecim, is a family known for their preservation of bloodline and strong views in purity of lineage, as this purity and bloodline has led to the family having many strong and elite users of Ars Magus, magic through scientific means. As such, Yayoi children aren’t so much born as they are bred, with only the skilled and talented users of Ars Magus being allowed to bear children for the family. This practice has made the Yayoi family with a small but highly elite family of soldiers and warriors extremely skilled in both martial and magical capabilities.

However, this gift turned into a curse.

As the pool of suitable mates shrank, the family only grew smaller and smaller. In desperation, they went to inbreeding. And like many noble families of this practice, health deficiencies and low birthrates were abound. Many of Tsubaki’s siblings had perished long before she was born due to their fragile bodies. However, Tsubaki was different. Strong, healthy, and a capable user of Ars Magus. A miracle child, and she was beloved, cherished, and spoiled as if she was the first born. But despite this treatment Tsubaki didn’t grow up bratty or arrogant. She was kind, learned young woman with high moral and sense of justice. And of those morals was only one real rule she was told to keep with her.

To obey the Imperator, the leader of the world government, without question.

But before her days as military officer began, before she even entered the military academy, she was still a sheltered child. A sheltered child with only her family, her teachers, and her fellow nobles to keep her company. At least, until she met someone new.

A boy, Jin Kisaragi. Not only a fellow heir of his family, but one of the few people that tolerated Tsubaki, despite his cold and conceited personality. It was in this chanced meeting, and one Jin had tried to shrug off, but the young and tenacious Tsubaki had forced the young man to open up to her, and the two became close, as close as siblings would. Granted, this bond was more due to Tsubaki’s stubbornness and childish clinging to a brother figure than her charisma, but within her then-tiny world of only family and officials, Jin was the closest thing she had to a friend at the time, even something close to crush as well, if a childish one.

And throughout her childhood Tsubaki was raised as any noblewoman would be. She was studious in both martial and literary arts, she was taught etiquette and manners befitting a lady of her stature, she was turned into an influential and beloved member of upper society, a noblewoman of the highest caliber.

And like all young girls, Tsubaki had a fun and rowdy school days. She attended school, she made friends, she lived carefree, with only her duties as a student council member being her main stressors. And there she made met Noel Vermillion and Makoto Nanaya. One a shy girl who could barely speak a sentence without stuttering, the other a bombastic and excitable firebrand whose bestial looks contrasted her carefree nature. Though it took a lot to get Noel out of her shy shell and to get Makoto to look beyond Tsubaki’s title and lineage, the three were soon inseparable friends. And these two were another set of people that opened Tsubaki’s small world.

But the good times never really last.

After graduating the military academy, Tsubaki was placed in the Wings of Justice, a branch of the government that is not officially on paper. A secret task force, specially tailored to punishes criminals both within and outside the government without question as a secret police. As a woman raised to follow the will of Imperator without question, this was a well enough position for Tsubaki. It’d be a chance to distribute justice to those that the public couldn’t see or learn about lest a panic happen. It’d let her crush traitors and enemies of the state both within and out of the NOL. It could be a noble way to uphold her justice.

However, the Wings of Justice are often seen as garbage disposal units due to their nature of cleaning up problems and rebels, and treated coldly by most of the military.

And in this group, she was tasked to kill her best friends.

Jin Kisaragi, now a seasoned war hero and practically her brother, had deserted the military for personal glory. Noel, one of the first friends she made outside of her family ties, had assisted a world-class terrorist. Due to these acts, they both had to be purged for the greater good and to keep the NOL’s reputation as a force for good intact.

This was devastating. Not only had her brother deserted, but her best friend had aided a criminal of the highest order. There had to be some explanation, right? This had to be some sort of misunderstanding, right?

Right?

...

....

...

Alas, a mission is a mission. But who knows? Maybe Tsubaki can get Jin to explain himself in a way that makes sense. Maybe the intelligence on Noel was wrong or mishandled. Jin is a Major, a war hero. There’s no way he’d desert the army, much less to pursue personal glory at the drop of a hat. Jin was many things, but a glory hound and violent person was neither of them. And Noel? The poor girl shook like a leaf when having to talk to friends, let alone a terrorist, let alone save him. And besides, she was the secretary of Jin. If anything, she was probably trying to save Jin in the crossfire. This... this had to be a massive misunderstanding. She could go to Kagutsuchi, get things cleared up, report to the nearest military branch, and get this all squared away.

But... just in case...

Izayoi, an ancient garb and weapon of Tsubaki’s family. A weapon that can steal the light of both opponent and user alike, and grant its wielder control over light. It was the one thing she had that could put her on equal footing with the war hero Jin and the mystically talented Noel. Even if it costs her sight and life. But that wouldn’t happen. It was just... insurance. Just in case. Worse case scenario only. An argument might spark, sure, especially with Jin, but the chances of her actually crossing swords was just impossible.

It wasn’t going to happen right?

Right?

...

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Never meant to be.

Her brother was a traitor, just a selfish man after his own goals by his own means. Her best friend shouldn’t have even existed in the first place and took Tsubaki’s place by her brother’s side. And in the end, her belief meant nothing. Her justice meant nothing. Her life meant nothing. What could she do? What could she believe in? What was right? What was justice?

“Tsubaki Yayoi... Fall not into darkness. For I shall be your light.”

So... Why Talk About This

I’ve had Tsubaki on my mind a lot recently. I was watching some Continuum Shift storylines and Tsubaki’s always hits me. I like Tsubaki a lot, both as a character in the game and as a character in the story. Her being in the Blazblue world does a lot to ground a lot of the overly complicated lore in the world. It shows that the Duodecim is an actual noble family with rules, a public face, and has people that within that need to not act like self-centered asshole and do whatever they want, Jin. It shows that the NOL is an actual military government with standards that needs its soldiers acting in a proper manner, and will eliminate them if they cause too much of a fuss. It shows that all these special weapons deal quite the toll on people’s psyche and wellbeing for the power they give. Much like how Makoto’s existence shows how hard it is for normal people in the Blazblue universe to have a decent life, much like how Kagura’s existence shows that there is political turmoil within the Duodecim, Tsubaki’s existence shows the more noble side of the NOL and the duties they have to uphold for the sake of keeping the fractured peace as a world government.

And then Chronophantasma happened and ruined everything.

Okay, I’m being somewhat facetious here, but Chronophantasma did start the trend of ignoring everyone that wasn’t directly related to Ragna’s story. I’ll save my discussion on that for another day, but in just terms of Tsubaki...

The Izayoi was revealed to be an anti-Observer weapon, hard-countering Rachel, Amane, Noel, and arguably beings like Tagamahara. This is not discussed or utilized further beyond mentioning it.

Izayoi has the ability of Immortal Breaker, which can kill extremely powerful beings like Rachel, Terumi, Amane, and essentially anyone save for Izanami, Jin, and Hakumen. This is only discussed and utilized once to my memory.

With Jin as injured as he is in Central Friction, the Power of Order -basically the strongest plot armor in Blazblue canon- is slowly transferred over Tsubaki as she’s the next best fit for... y’know, Peacekeeper of the Planet’s Will to Maintain Order. She essentially becomes an SMT Order-Aligned protagonist and this is barely mentioned to my memory.

I could go on, but this is a celebration of Tsubaki’s character, not a critique/whining about post-Continuum Shift’s story progression. Anyway, I like Tsubaki. Quite a bit. If we ever get another mainline Blazblue title I really hope to see her in it.

But for now, I’ve got a few more drafts to finish up, so I’ll see you all later.

#blazblue #your dictator is speaking

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ampleappleamble · 4 years

Text

Pillars of Eternity: Anthem Infinitum

Chapter 6: Bonds

"She's the real thing, isn't she?"

Aloth looked up from his grimoire at the blond man, startled. Until now, Edér had seemed content to ignore him for the most part, more interested in discussing recent Dyrwoodan history and Eothasian theology with their orlan directress. Not that Aloth minded. After all, the less attention drawn to himself, the better. And it was always a boon to be up to date on current events. And to practice his eavesdropping.

But now that Axa had excused herself from their campsite temporarily (facetiously citing "urgent business" to attend to in the bushes), the folk man turned his attention to Aloth. He thrust his bristly, blond chin toward the scrub brush nearby, gesturing into the darkness beyond the campfire, where Axa had walked off a few minutes prior.

"That girl's really a Watcher." He shook his head, his expression filled with wonder. "I was maybe expectin' a cipher with an inflated ego at best. But far as I can tell, she's bonafide."

"It would appear so," Aloth replied after a beat, remaining as carefully neutral as he could. "I must admit, I had my doubts at first. Even suspicions-- albeit slight-- that she may simply be losing her mind, hallucinating and so forth. But the more we see her use her... unique abilities, the more her assertions are corroborated by the real world, the more undeniable the truth becomes: she is a Watcher."

Edér smiled crookedly at the elf, eyeing him curiously. "...Right. That's, uh, what I meant, more or less."

Ye sound a right fuckin' twat, lad.

Aloth bit the inside of his mouth until he tasted blood.

An awkward silence descended over the two men, Edér propping his chin on his fist and gazing into the fire, lost in thought. Aloth stared into his open grimoire, but found he could not focus to read.

"I knew somethin' was up with Perly and Ingroed. And Nonton," Edér murmured, shaking his head and furrowing his brow. "Just couldn't quite figure out what. But the temple..." He sighed, heavy with melancholy. "Black bones, what a mess. Wish someone like her'd have showed up a few weeks back. ...Few years back."

And although Aloth knew he should at least try to be amicable, he found himself too consumed by his own thoughts to engage the farmer further. Instead, he politely pretended to listen while he ruminated over the day's events.

---

It had started with a few simple tasks. Edér had led the three of them around town, asking if any favors needed doing in exchange for coin and supplies to get to Caed Nua. The villagers seemed surprised and delighted to actually have help with their problems for once, and the three of them had taken to their work with vigor, reuniting a stolen shipment with the town blacksmith and the inn's cook with his stove and cauldron in a single afternoon. They had been on their way back to town yet again, spirits high, when Axa had remembered the hunter she'd met the other day, the bear who'd killed his companion.

"What do you think, lads?" she'd asked, hands on her hips as she stared into the mouth of the cave. "Shall we nip this one in the bud?" She had turned to Edér, her expression cautious and grave. "It killed your neighbor, Edér. How long before it happens again?"

The three kith had come to a consensus quickly, and advanced upon the bear's den, weapons drawn. The beast was slain easily enough, and Edér identified the kith body in the cave as that of his neighbor, Perly. But of course it wasn't as simple as all that.

Aloth had seen her first, had had to elbow Edér in the side to get him to take notice. Just like before, at the tree, Axa had stood above the dead man in the cave, transfixed by something invisible to her two companions. They had traded concerned looks briefly before turning their attention back to her, waiting for the little woman's episode to end.

Thankfully, it didn't last nearly as long as the one before had, but when she snapped back to awareness and turned to face them, Aloth had felt his heart dip into his stomach. She looked like a woman just told about her husband's infidelity. So much for high spirits.

"We're heading back into town, now," she'd said quietly. "Edér. Tell me everything you know about Nonton, Ingroed, and Perly."

He did.

---

And then... she had let them go.

Honestly, that was what had surprised Edér the most: despite her quick-tempered, no-nonsense attitude, she was remarkably softhearted when the situation allowed. She had showed little hesitation dispatching other kith, as he had observed during their skirmishes with bandits. But when she'd pressed the couple of conspirators, they'd confessed, and when they'd explained, she'd listened. When they'd asked her to accept their meager savings in exchange for her silence, she'd pushed the coinpurse away.

"No. No one should have to live in fear like that," she'd declared, her gaze fixed on the fading bruise on the woman's face. "...And everyone deserves a second chance. You take that coin and start your lives anew."

A memory of Elafa brushed against his thoughts, but only for a second.

Edér couldn't remember the last time he'd seen anyone in Gilded Vale shed tears of joy, and the memory of Ingroed wiping her tears away as she followed Nonton brought a slight smile to his lips even now as he stared into the fire.

"Well... I have always heard that orlans are intense and emotional. And that's exactly how I'd describe her. Just... not in the way I expected, I guess." The folk man could tell Aloth had only been half listening, but he'd pressed on anyway, talking as much to himself as to the elf. "She even stayed her hand against Wirtan, after what he did. Don't know if I could, if it'd just been me there with him alone. She ain't from Gilded Vale, though, of course. So... maybe it's just me."

Now Edér fell silent all of a sudden, and Aloth glanced up at him. Wirtan. The priests in the cellar. He shuddered, and felt a pang of sympathy for the Eothasian across from him.

And she not only stayed her hand. She let him go, too.

---

"You lied to me, Wirtan."

The gaunt, wiry man had squirmed under Axa's scrutiny, trembled and stammered as he explained himself. She was at least two heads shorter than him, but her fervor, her quiet, indignant fury had had the same effect as though she had towered over him.

But then, the desiccated corpses strapped to her back-- that she'd insisted on carrying back herself-- lent her a certain authority, too.

But once again, she did not come out swinging, the way your typical Dyrwoodan might. She'd asked him why he did what he had done, and she had listened. And he'd told her everything: how he'd tried to warn them, how he'd tried to help them hide. How he'd abandoned them to their fate, terrified of his Lord's retribution.

"So you killed them," Edér had snarled. "Or you may as well have. You never thought to tell anyone? Try to get some folks together to save 'em?"

"Sure, and get the whole lot of us executed," Wirtan had snapped back, clutching at his bloody wound and glowering at the Eothasian. "I'm sure the Scattered God would love yet another martyr."

"At least then you could have died with some honor left to your name," Edér had retorted hotly, "instead of having to live as the murderin' coward you are--"

"Edér. Please."

She'd turned toward him, her hand raised in a bid for peace, and everyone had looked to her, awaiting her judgment.

"He's right, Wirtan. You are a coward. But... lesser circumstances have made cowards of stronger kith than you. And you cannot undo what you've done, now."

She'd forced the bundled remains of the priests into his arms, looking hard into his eyes.

"The question isn't whether you can make it up to them. You can't. The question is: can you do right by them the best you're able to now? Can you live a better life, be a better man than you've been?"

He could try.

---

Bold, blunt, irascible. Not fond of liars. But... conscionable. Kind at heart, quick to forgive. Aloth was starting to notice a pattern in the little woman's behavior, one that might prove very beneficial to him.

Sure, she were tailor-made fer ye, laddie! Now see if she fits in yer lap nice 'n snug--

He slapped himself in the face, drawing an odd look from Edér.

"Damned horseflies." Aloth smiled blithely back at him, and the farmer cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing, turning his attention back to the campfire.

Yes. After all he'd seen, after his careful deliberations, this arrangement, Aloth had decided, was his best prospect: following a stranger to a castle because she could talk to the dead. It felt like a bad joke, but then, so did most of his life when he really thought about it.

And if she can lead me to some sort of punchline without managing to get me killed, I'll be better off than I was when she found me. He could feel his conviction solidify in his chest, in his stomach. They would reach Caed Nua tomorrow afternoon, and then--

"Think Maerwald'll know what t' do for us?" Aloth jumped a bit at Edér's voice. "I haven't heard any news out of Caed Nua in, oh, years. Don't even really know if he's still there."

The elf gave the folk a polite smile. "I certainly hope so. Otherwise, we might be in for some difficult nights. I've been informed of-- and witnessed first-hand-- the difficulties Watchers sometimes have sleeping."

He looked at the wizard as if for the first time. "Y' know," Edér murmured, "I never even considered I'd still be followin' her after we met up with Maerwald. But now that I think of it..."

"You'll not be rid of me that easily, I'm afraid." Axa's reappearance was sudden, but not startling. Chanter training, Aloth imagined, easing the surprise with her soft, dulcet tones while still ensuring she was heard. "But I promise to try to keep my nightmares to a minimum."

The farmer grinned broadly at the little woman. "There y'are. Nightmares, huh? I been there."

Goan, lad, ask 'er dae she e'er dream o' bouncin' li'e a coney in a elf lad's arms--

"Shut up," he hissed, turning his quickly reddening face away from the orlan, realizing his error when he saw Edér's dumbstruck expression.

Axa's voice was soft and low and even. "...Sorry, come again?"

---

#pillars of eternity #fanfic #fanfiction #poe anthem infinitum #watcher #watcher axa #eder #aloth #this chapter threw me through a plate glass window #worth it tho

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here4theheartbreak · 5 years

Text

The Fairy Garden (NamKook)

AO3 Link Here!

Relationships: Jungkook x Namjoon Genre(s): fluff Rating: General Audiences (G)

Tags: fluff, fairy AU, fairy!Jungkook, fairy!Jimin, werewolf!Taehyung, getting togeher, first kiss

Summary: When Namjoon opened The Fairy Garden, the last customer he expected was an actual fairy. Word Count: ~10.9k

Running his own business was Namjoon’s dream. It wasn’t until he was a teenager, and discovered the true joy of nature and growth and all things green, that he realized running a natural business was his destiny.

Starting hadn’t been easy. His parents thought he was crazy, his friends rolled their eyes. But Namjoon proved them wrong. He was the proud solo owner of The Fairy Garden, an organic store selling herbs, supplements, plants, and gardening tools.

Some months were slower than others, but the business had a good client base, a great online presence, and word of mouth was always positive. Namjoon went out of his way for his clientele, and it showed. Whenever someone new came in the story was the same. So and so said I should come here for any of my garden needs. Can you help?

So when the tall, muscular boy with a streak of rainbow gradient in his black hair walked in with an obscenely bright pink flower in a pot, Namjoon barely blinked.

“Can you help me? I heard you can help plants.”

“I can sure try,” Namjoon said. He pushed some magazines and papers to the side of the counter. “What’s going on?”

“She’s really sick. She won’t eat anything and she hasn’t bloomed in days.”

Namjoon scowled. He took the plant from the boy, turning it in his hands. “What… Is this?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never seen a flower like this, do you know its name?”

“Sure, we call her Serendipity.”

“No, I mean..” Namjoon set the plant down, scratching his forehead. “Like the breed.”

“Oh, she’s a Faun Spit.”

“Fawn… Spit?”

The boy nodded. “Mhm. Do you think you can help her?”

Namjoon looked at the plant. It seemed like it had shrunk a half inch even in the few minutes they were speaking. “I’ve never worked with one of these before, but I can certainly give it a shot. No promises though.”

The boy beamed brightly, and Namjoon felt his heart skip a beat. He’d never seen a more brilliant smile. “Great! Thank you.”

“What’s your name?”

“Jungkook.”

“And number?”

Jungkook laughed a little. “I don’t have a phone. Why would I?”

“Well, I- I mean — It’s 2020. Doesn’t, everyone?”

“Humans maybe.” Jungkook wrinkled his nose, showing his front teeth in a cute smile. “Humans are weird. Even with the sight, you’re all so silly.”

Namjoon blinked owlishly. He adjusted his glasses. “Well, I need to contact you - if the plant gets better, or worse.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll come by in a few days to check.”

Namjoon shrugged. “Suit yourself. Anything else I can help with?”

“No… I’d be so grateful if you could save her… She’s my favorite girl,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll certainly try.”

He nodded. He stroked the flower’s leaves gently for a moment before nodding and hurrying toward the door.

“Wait, is it poisonous?” Namjoon called after.

“Not if you don’t get her spit in your mouth.” Jungkook said. He hurried out before Namjoon could question him further, leaving the shop owner staring baffled at the door.

***

Namjoon poked his head over the stack of books on his desk when the door to his room opened. He did have an apartment, but most nights he was at the shop so late it made no sense to go home, so he set up a room in the basement. More than once his friends had made various Little Shop of Horrors jokes, and given his current predicament with this strange plant, he was starting to worry a little himself.

“Joon?”

“Over here,” Namjoon called. Yoongi waved. “What’s with the bookstore?”

“This plant. I’ve never seen it before and I can’t find it any books.”

“Oh no.”

“What?” Namjoon looked up, taking in Yoongi’s panicked expression.

“Where did you get that strange and interesting plant?”

“Well, I was in the shop and—“

“Was there a total eclipse of the sun?” Yoongi pressed, his mouth curving up into a grin.

“No, I—“ The connection hit Namjoon then and he scowled, picking up a pair of pruning shears from the desk. “You know these are sharp, right? I will stab you.”

“Sorry, Seymour. Just too good to pass up,” Yoongi teased. He didn’t flinch even when Namjoon jabbed the shears toward him in a mock threat. “Anyway, so where did you get this thing?”

“A man came into my shop today with it. Real weird kid, really handsome…”

“That so?” Yoongi smirked. He shook his head. “So what’s wrong with it?”

“Sick. It’s wilted even more in just the few hours I’ve had it. But I don’t know where to begin treating it. The soil is damp so I know it’s not too little water — But it doesn’t seem the right type of plant to survive in a desert or even dry environment. Based on the colors and petals I’d say it’s something tropical, so hot and wet are kinda the go to.”

“Aren’t they everyone’s go to?”

“You’re a pig, thank you,” Namjoon said, waving his hand. “So I don’t know.”

“Well - What did the plant in that movie end up needing?”

“You know damn well what it needed. Blood.” Namjoon hesitated, glancing at the shears on his desk. “Blood…”

“You aren’t gonna cut yourself on a plant, you fool,” Yoongi scolded, yanking the shears off the desk.

“No, of course not. But iron. What if the soil itself is the problem?”

“How would you check that?”

“Easy enough.” Namjoon rose, circling around Yoongi to dig around a few shelves. Yoongi approached the plant, picking it up. “It looks like a neon pink like... that weird bug eating plant you have upstairs. If you ask me.”

Namjoon glanced over, scowling. “Bug eating—You mean my sundew?”

“Is that what it is? The one that always looks wet.”

“Yeah – Why do you figure?”

“Well the flowers. I know the real attraction is the leaf stuff that closes up, but it’s got those pretty little flowers. If those were bigger and leathery like this one, they’d look close. Especially if you folded them up a little like a bud thing.”

Namjoon circled back to Yoongi, taking the plant and examining it closer. “You know… You’re actually right. I wonder if this plant is carnivorous.”

“How can you tell?”

“Feed it a bug, mostly. The boy did tell me not to get any of its ‘spit’ in my mouth. I thought he was being facetious, but now I’m wondering if he meant whatever it gives off to consume its prey.”

“Its spit? Dude… That kid sounds like a freak.”

Namjoon shrugged. He sat back at his desk, grabbing a magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers to peek closer at the plant’s leaves. “What did you come by for, by the way?” He asked, brows creased as he examined the plant.

“Just to check up on you. You weren’t home so I figured you’d be here.”

“I’m okay—Did you think something was wrong?”

“Funny feeling.” Yoongi sat down across from him, shoving a few books out of the way to place his elbows on the desk. “How are you anyway, Joonie?”

“Eh. One day at a time. Arguing with my parents again.”

“Over what?”

“The usual. This shop. They hate that it’s successful, by any standards. I’m not rolling in the money so they consider it a failure.”

“I feel like that’s just how their generation is. Mine are the same.”

“You make a ton with your photography,” Namjoon argued, poking at a leaf with the blunted tip of the tweezers. He made a small noise when it curled weakly around the metal. “And you figured out the plant’s species, at least – So that narrows my search for a fix.”

“I make some. Most of what I make goes back into the business – cameras and software and development tools, as well as marketing. I make enough, but I’m not living easy. It’s why I do the vet stuff.”

“You do the vet stuff because you’re a giant softie for animals and you just won’t admit it, Min Yoongi.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m just gonna leave if you’re gonna go around insulting me like this.”

Namjoon huffed without really responding, flipping through one of his books. “Either way though, I’m fine. This plant is gonna give me grey hair if I can’t save it though.”

“Hm. Why?”

Namjoon hesitated, fingers twitching above the page. He scowled at the book, and then turned the look to Yoongi. “I don’t know.”

“You’re passionate about flowers but not like this. So maybe it’s the boy that brought you the flower.”

“Most definitely not. I don’t flirt with my customers.”

“You ever seen him before?”

Namjoon shook his head, rising to gather something from the shelves.

“Did he pay in advance?”

“Of course not,” Namjoon said, standing on his tip toes to grab a jar.

“So then he’s not a customer yet. What did he look like?”

Namjoon didn’t bother to hide the small smile on his face as he sat back down with the jars. “Tall, broad… Longish hair, dark but this wild streak of rainbow, I’ve never see hair dyed so bright. Big brown eyes and this smile that… I don’t even know how to describe it. It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“You’ve got it bad.”

“Do not. I’m not dating one right now.”

“Might be, if you get the balls to ask out plant boy when he comes back for this one.”

Namjoon opted to ignore Yoongi this time, focusing instead on the plant. He heard Yoongi rise, barely sparing a glance as he flopped down on his bed, intending to make himself comfortable until Namjoon was finished. Not that he minded; Yoongi was Namjoon’s best friend, and had been since high school. They had done everything together and stayed close even into adulthood despite their very different career paths. They had come out to one another at sixteen, and even shared a first kiss on an attempted date – but realized that their affection was no more than brotherly when it was by far the most awkward experience of either’s life.

Namjoon didn’t have the heart to tell Yoongi that that had been his only actual date, even now eight years later. Sure, he’d had one night stands but, dates… Never. As he worked, his mind wandered to the strange boy. Jungkook. He had such a cute smile, and a bright gaze that was almost otherworldly. What would happen if Namjoon did ask him out. Aside from being beaten to a bloody pulp if the guy was straight, of course. But the rainbow in his hair… And just the general feeling that Namjoon got from him. Safety.

“I’ll ask him out,” he finally mumbled.

“What?” Yoongi’s voice was thick with sleepiness; Namjoon realized he’d likely been sitting in silence far longer than he realized.

“I’m going to ask Jungkook out when he comes back.”

“Tell me how it goes. I’m sleeping here.”

“Leave room in the bed for me,” Namjoon said. He got a grunt in a response, but Yoongi rolled over to one side of the bed, burying himself under the blankets. Namjoon continued to work until he could keep his eyes open no longer.

***

It took three days for Jungkook to wander back into the shop looking for his plant. When he did, Namjoon was sitting at the counter, filling out the upcoming month’s order form.

“Did you—”

“Jungkook!” Namjoon beamed. “I’m glad you came by. Great news.”

“You saved her?”

Namjoon hopped off the stool. He hurried to the nearby window, tripping over a stray cord and barely keeping his balance. He plucked the plant from the sill and turned, holding it out. “Good as new.”

“What was wrong?” Jungkook asked, hurrying over with a bright grin on his face. Namjoon smiled crookedly himself, drinking in how perfect that expression was.

“Just bad soil, mostly. I transplanted her into some healthy soil, and added some fertilizer and food. She’s carnivorous, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Make sure you supplement her diet too. Catching dinner in the wild is easy for carnivorous plants, but in captivity, we gotta help them out a little. Spiders or beetles if you don’t want to do too much feeding, I know it can be gross.”

Jungkook nodded eagerly, holding the pot close to him. “I can’t thank you enough. What do I pay you?”

“Uh… Oh it’s, twenty-five. But… I’d be willing to call it even if..” Namjoon froze then, his voice sticking in his throat. Was he really about to do this?

Jungkook tilted his head, his eyes bright and curious, focused entirely on Namjoon. The bright streak in his hair had changed, still a rainbow, but a more pastel gradient now that complimented the dark of his eyes in a stunning way. “If what?” Jungkook pressed.

“If you’d—A date,” Namjoon mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re asking me on a date?”

“I am.”

Jungkook bit his lip, glancing Namjoon head to toe. “I’ve never dated your kind before.”

“My—My kind?”

Jungkook laughed then – a peal of high, wild laughter that took Namjoon’s breath and made his heart skip a beat.

“Sure,” Jungkook said. “But you gotta pick the place. I don’t any human places to eat.”

“Human?” Namjoon scratched the back of his head. “Sure. You have anything you don’t eat?”

“Hm. Nope. I’ll eat anything. Bit of a scavenger. When?”

“Tonight? Six?”

“I’ll be here.”

Namjoon nodded. Jungkook leaned forward, placing a kiss against his cheek that was far more delicate than expected. Namjoon gasped, the edges of his vision fading a little. He barely focused enough to wave as Jungkook skipped out of the shop, flower in his arms.

Namjoon was surprised when Jungkook rushed back into the shop only three hours later. His cheeks were pink from exertion, his hair mussed.

“Jungkook? Are you okay?”

“Do you have wolfsbane?”

“Wolfsbane? Why?” Namjoon scrambled to his feet, circling around the counter.

“I need it.”

“Jungkook, that plant is poison.”

“Not to me. Not to my kind, please, do you? Dried, powdered, fresh – doesn’t matter.”

“I might. Maybe. But you have got to be careful with this stuff, Jungkook. Do you know what it can do?”

“I know it can save my friend.”

Namjoon scowled. “You—Jungkook, you’re sounding a bit manic.”

“You don’t have the sight do you?” Jungkook asked. His mouth turned down into a scowl. “You are just a human.”

“Well yeah, so are you. What are you talking about?”

“Wolfsbane. I don’t have time for this.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a handful of paper money, dropping it on the counter. “Here, you humans ask for this. Please.”

Namjoon sighed. He nodded and hurried into a back room, donning gloves and shuffling through some of his more dangerous plants. He normally kept a few on hand; there were some collectors that often wanted fresh products or ones to crossbreed. Finding the rich, purple flowers, he snagged the pot and rose. He grabbed an extra set of gloves and headed back out, placing the pot on the counter and holding the gloves out to Jungkook.

Jungkook made a face of annoyance, his mouth in a fine line and his eyes narrowing. He batted the gloves out of the way and reached out, plucking one bud from the plant bare handed.

“Jungkook!” Namjoon cried, panic knotting his stomach.

Jungkook dropped the bud into a small jar, sealing it and pocketing it. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt the plant, it’ll regrow.”

“I’m not worried about the plant, you fool, you’re going to get poisoned!” Namjoon reached for Jungkook’s hand.

“No, I won’t. I’m not human.”

“Wh—”

“I have to go; my friend needs me. I’ll see you tonight.” Jungkook rushed out. Namjoon chased after him, smacking his hand painfully off the door as he yanked it open. He looked left and right, but could find no sign of which direction his strange suitor had gone in.

The next few hours were spent in peace in the sense of the shop, only a few customers, regulars, and no serious plant related crises. But Namjoon was a wreck. He kept replaying Jungkook’s actions and words – grabbing the poisonous plant with no care, ‘I’m not human’, ‘you don’t have the sight’. What the hell did any of that mean? Namjoon wondered if Jungkook would arrive for their date, or if he’d see on the news a young man with pastel rainbow streaked hair was in the ER due to Aconite poisoning. Would he be held responsible? Would he be charged? The cameras in the shop would show he tried to hand Jungkook gloves. Surely he couldn’t be held accountable – he warned him. The worry devolved into anxiety as the clock ticked closer to closing time. At five he closed shop and hurried home, showering and changing before heading back.

Just as the clock struck six, a knock sounded at the door. Namjoon perked his head up immediately, beaming when he saw Jungkook’s face through the window. He scrambled to his feet, opening the door and stepping out into the evening.

“You made it.”

Jungkook tilted his head. “Of course I did. I owe you a debt.”

“That’s… The only reason you came?” Namjoon asked, a twinge of guilt and self-doubt twisting his stomach into uncomfortable little knots.

Jungkook shrugged in response. Namjoon felt any shred of excitement that was building deflate.

“Oh… Well, I’m… I’m sorry, then. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.” He backed up a little toward the door. “Look, you overpaid me today for that flower. Why don’t we just call that payment for the plant too. You don’t need to do this.”

Jungkook furrowed his brows, his lips pushing out in a small pout. “Why not? I thought we were gonna go eat?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to do this if you’re just doing it because you feel like you have to. That’s not what I wanted.”

“But I’m hungry.”

Namjoon blinked at Jungkook’s response. He tilted his own head a little, as if looking at Jungkook’s face from a different angle would answer what the hell was up with this strange young man he’d somehow found himself involved in.

“Who are you?” Namjoon asked.

“Jungkook? Who are you?”

“No… You… There’s something about you. What is it?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You say such weird things. And today with the wolfsbane.” He pointed to Jungkook’s hand. “That plant is toxic. You should be sick. But you’re fine.”

“I already told you, I’m not human.”

“That’s what I mean, Jungkook. What are you? Are you crazy? You look human.”

Jungkook smiled softly. He reached out, touching Namjoon’s cheek. “Humans are so sweet. But their minds are limited. I didn’t mean to get you involved. I was mistaken – I thought you knew about us.”

“Us? Jungkook, please. I feel like I’m going crazy.”

“You’re not. You just know things you shouldn’t.”

“Stop!” Namjoon snapped, and Jungkook startled, shying back. Namjoon took a steadying breath, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell, I just—You need to stop speaking in riddle. Please, I can’t handle this. I’m sorry.” Namjoon turned, fishing for the keys to the shop to let himself back in.

“Wait,” Jungkook said softly.

“I didn’t mean to make you come out like this,” Namjoon mumbled, struggling to get the key in the slot. His hands were shaking.

“Please wait, Namjoon. I don’t want you to go. You were so kind to me. I didn’t mean to scare you. I… I was like this because I thought you knew what I was. I’m bad at what I am. I always have been. Everyone thinks I’m a failure and now when they find out I revealed us to a human, I—I’ll be a laughing stock. But you were still so nice and I’m sorry I’ve scared you. I was excited about our date. I’ve never been on a date with someone at all… Not just never a human. Please don’t leave.”

Namjoon hesitated as Jungkook spoke, staring at the keys in his hand. He looked over his shoulder, meeting Jungkook’s large, pleading eyes. In the setting sun, they looked far brighter than they’d been in the store, almost amber colored.

“What you are.” Namjoon turned, crossing his arms. “Tell me what you are.”

Jungkook hung his head. “Well, I’m a fairy.”

Namjoon stared at Jungkook. The punchline would come any moment now, he was sure. When Jungkook remained quiet and stoic, his eyes wide as he searched Namjoon’s face, Namjoon blinked.

“What?”

“A fairy. You asked, I answered.”

“But—No, you—Fairies aren’t real.”

“Yes, they are. I’m one.”

“You’re like six feet tall. And you don’t have wings.”

“Well, I do. But I can hide them. They’re far too big to have out and about in the world. Plus, can you imagine what the humans would say? And not all fairies are tiny, that’s just a myth. You humans come up with some pretty silly stuff.”

“You’re insane.”

“Not really. A little crazy, probably, from all the fairy dust, but, not insane.”

Namjoon shook his head, backing up against the door of the shop. “Fairies aren’t real.”

“Well…” Jungkook shrugged. “You’re standing in front of one, so… How do you explain that?”

“You’re lying.”

“I can’t lie. Curse of my kind.”

“Bullshit.”

“I really can’t. Ask me something a human would lie about.”

“I—” Namjoon went quiet, unsure. “I have no idea.”

“Anything.”

“Wh.. Do you cry during movies?”

“Regularly. Something harder than that. That’s nothing to lie about.”

“I have no idea!” Namjoon cried. “You could be lying about anything. How do you prove you aren’t?”

“Should I show you my wings then? Unlock the door. I don’t want another human to see.”

“No, this is nuts. Just… Go.” Namjoon turned, his heart pounding a mile a minute. He unlocked the shop and rushed in, pushing the door closed before Jungkook could enter. Jungkook stood outside, looking at Namjoon through the glass.

“Please,” he mouthed. Namjoon swallowed hard. He shook head.

“Go away.” He locked the door and hurried down the stairs, fear and nerves clouding his mind.

Namjoon didn’t leave the small work room downstairs until the next morning when it was time to open the shop. He rubbed his tired eyes as he climbed the steps, having barely slept. The things Jungkook had said weighed so heavily on him. The boy had to be mentally ill – there was no such thing as fairies. But he’d spoken with such conviction. And he seemed so normal otherwise.

Namjoon went to the door to unlock it, and did a double take. Jungkook was sitting cross legged by the door, his chin to his chest as he dozed. He was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, implying he had not moved from the spot. Namjoon yanked open the door, startling Jungkook.

“What the hell?!”

“You’re back.” Jungkook rose, trying to straighten his wrinkled shirt. “I was waiting for you.”

“It’s morning!”

“That’s fine. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Well now I’m just worried.” Namjoon dragged Jungkook inside. “It was cold last night.”

“I don’t feel the cold the same way.”

“Don’t start that shit again.”

“We’re inside. I’ll show you them.”

Namjoon bit back a sigh. Maybe if he humored the kid, he’d let him get some help. “Fine, you can show me, but when you do, then it’s time for you to go. A doctor maybe, or the hospital…”

“Why would I need a hospital?”

“Jungkook – You don’t have wings. You’re… Something’s… Going on.” He tapped his own temple for emphasis. Jungkook only grinned.

“You’ll see. Just wait.”

Namjoon crossed his arms, nodding. “Fine. Show me these wings.”

Jungkook’s nose crinkled. He glanced out the window at the quiet street. Seeming satisfied, he shook his shoulders loose and took a deep breath. Namjoon cocked an eyebrow, wondering what was supposed to happen. Before he could consider saying a word, a breeze shifted through the shop, ruffling his hair and clothes. In front of him, Jungkook seemed to shimmer for a moment before settling. Same black clothes, tousled hair with a streak of rainbow, same crinkly smile… But new was the set of green and blue wings, extending at least a foot above Jungkook’s head and down to his knees. They were heavy looking, thick like the skin of a bat, but at the same time sheer, Namjoon could see the shop through some spots when they shifted. Jungkook’s eyes had changed too – into a bright amber color, vibrant and very inhuman.

He stumbled backwards, tripping over his feet and landing on his ass. Jungkook gasped, moving forward. The wings caught a little air, lifting his feet from the ground for a second. He crouched, looking at Namjoon worriedly. “Are you alright?”

“You—Those are wings!”

Jungkook smiled. “Well, I said I had them. I told you, I can’t lie. Do you like them?”

Namjoon reached one shaking hand up, touching Jungkook’s shoulder first. He extended his arm further, brushing his fingers over one of the wings. It was silky smooth, like the petals of a rose. The wing twitched under Namjoon’s touch and Jungkook giggled a little. Namjoon yanked his hand back.

“It’s okay,” Jungkook said. “They’re just sensitive. It tickles. You can touch them.”

“I’m dreaming.”

Jungkook reached out and pinched Namjoon’s cheek. He hissed in pain. “Ow! What was that for!”

“Aren’t people supposed to pinch themselves to prove they aren’t dreaming? It’s real.” Jungkook rose and tugged Namjoon up, going almost nose to nose with him. “I’m a fairy, Namjoon, just like I said. I’m sorry I got you mixed up. Your shop… It’s the Fairy Garden. I just… I assumed you were a human that could feel our… Presence.”

“Presence?”

“The sight. Like.. Some humans can sense we’re not human and build stuff like this for us. I’ve always been kind of a crappy fairy – I’m not surprised I couldn’t tell right away that you were just a normal human. Are you okay?”

Namjoon frowned a little, his brows furrowed. “No. I mean… I think I’m in shock… I—I don’t want to believe you but…” He touched the wing lightly again, and Jungkook gasped a little this time, stepping closer to Namjoon.

“But this is… I’m feeling this, it’s real.”

Jungkook nodded slowly. “I’m real.”

“So what now?” Namjoon asked. “Do I—Is it safe for me to know?”

“Would anyone you know believe you if you told them? Would you tell them?”

“My best friend maybe… But he’d never believe me.”

“Then it’s safe… But… Namjoon, I still owe you that date.”

Namjoon laughed a little. He let his hand drop. “You should put those away – I could get customers at any second. We’ll talk.”

“Hm… Yes.” Jungkook stepped back. Again, his body seemed to shimmer in front of Namjoon’s eyes, and suddenly the wings were gone.

Namjoon blinked. He circled around Jungkook, touching his back. “Where do they go?”

“They’re just… Away.”

“So am I like… Walking through them or something?”

“No. It’s kind of like folding them up like a bird? But they shrink a little. Lift my shirt up.”

“What?”

“Just do it.” Jungkook reached back and grabbed the hem of his shirt. Namjoon sighed but obeyed, gasping. Jungkook’s back was tattooed with the same intricate designs on his wings, the colors vibrant on his tanned skin.

“Wow…”

“That’s where they go.”

“I—I don’t know how to process this.”

Jungkook turned and smiled, setting his hands on Namjoon’s shoulders. “You can ask me anything, okay?”

“Are you—I mean you’re this… How?”

“I was born, same as you. Just my parents were fairies. We’ve been around for ages, as long as humans – longer probably. We’ve always lived among you guys, you just don’t notice.”

“What do you do?”

“What do you mean?”

Namjoon shook his head. He walked over to the counter and began to set up for the morning. “I mean, in the stories fairies are either good and help or they’re tricksters. So what is it? What magic do you have?”

“Hm, well, we can’t lie. We can fly. We are very good with plants, normally – But I’m not so good… We help the other supernatural creatures among us.”

“Others?”

“Wolves, shapeshifters, chimera, even some lost demons and spirits… All sorts.”

“That’s not all real…”

“Why do think I needed the wolfsbane, Namjoon?” Jungkook went over to the counter and leaned on it. “My best friend’s a werewolf.”

“Isn’t wolfsbane supposed to kill those?”

“That’s a legend. And a bad one. It helps the sick ones. See, he got stuck in his last turn. We can’t figure out why. He can’t shift back, but the problem is if he stays as a wolf too long… He’ll be stuck forever and lose his humanity.”

“That sounds… Awful.”

“It is. The wolfsbane staves off that final shift. But either way. We’re helpers. We also help humans that seek us out, for a price… And I guess sometimes we scare humans who are trying to help.” He smiled almost shyly then, and Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck.

“Sorry I flipped out. This is so much.”

“I get it. But I wasn’t lying when I said I did want that date. I want to get to know you, Namjoon. Even if you are a human. You feel nice to be around.”

“You… Feel nice too,” Namjoon admitted, surprising himself. “But won’t your… People be mad? You dating a human?”

“Nah. I’m not a very good fairy, like I said. They wouldn’t be surprised. So… Can we try that date again?”

Namjoon smiled softly. “I’d like that… Yes.”

“Tonight?”

“Deal. Six.”

“Okay… But… I have something happening tonight with my people. How about I take you?”

“What? No. I’m—Jungkook, I couldn’t.”

“Why not? Are you scared of us?”

“A little.”

“Don’t be. The only ones you gotta worry about are the gnomes, and they won’t be there. Just my family. It’s sorta a tea party.”

Namjoon chuckled. “A fairy tea party?”

“We’re quite fond of them. And we make amazing food. Please?”

Namjoon looked down at the counter, trying to weigh his choices. Jungkook was… So endearing and now that he knew he wasn’t insane, he really did want to try this. But… Fairies. He sighed. “What do I wear?”

Jungkook grinned. “Casual. But good shoes, we’ll be going into the woods. I’ll pick you up at six.” He leaned over the counter. Instead of pecking Namjoon’s cheek, this time he pressed their lips together.

Namjoon gasped, his heart picking up three speeds. Jungkook pulled back much too quickly, and Namjoon chased his mouth for a second, blinking dumbly. Jungkook smiled.

“Wow…” He bit his lip. “That was nice…”

“Yeah…” Namjoon swallowed hard. “Normally that comes after the date.”

“Hm. But I wanted to know what you tasted like. I’ll see you tonight.” He grinned and hurried out, throwing a glance – and an accompanying laugh – behind him as he did.

Namjoon was twice as nervous as he got ready for dinner that night. The initial failed date notwithstanding, Namjoon had no clue what he was in for with the fairy tea party. He could still feel Jungkook’s mouth on his own though, even hours later, and he longed to not only feel that kiss again… But hopefully get to know the boy that had given it.

As with the night before, Jungkook was right on time, this time wearing a bright, fluffy sweater that Namjoon instantly wanted to cuddle against to see if it was as soft as it looked. He beamed when Namjoon stepped out of the shop.

“Not gonna run from me this time, right?”

“No. I’ve been looking forward to this all day. Are there any customs or… Anything I need to know?”

“Not really. Don’t touch anyone’s wings but mine, we’re all pretty sensitive about our wings. Oh, and there’ll be a few other kinds of beings there… Try not to stare too much, okay?”

“Will there be other humans?”

Jungkook nodded. “Mhm, my Jiminie has a boyfriend who’s a human. He’ll be there. And probably a few others that are close with us. So you won’t be the only one.” Jungkook took Namjoon’s hand and led him down the sidewalk.

“So how far away is this place?”

“Right here.” Jungkook waved his hand in front of them.

“I… Am not seeing anything but the street.”

“Trust me?”

“Well, you did show your wings to me. I guess I owe you trust for that.”

“Good. Hold my hand tight.”

Namjoon scowled but did as Jungkook requested. Jungkook nodded and stepped forward. The air around them seemed to get heavier and tighter, squeezing the breath from Namjoon’s lungs. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to breathe. Jungkook’s grip tightened, seeming to pull him through the compression, and then it released.

Namjoon dragged in a deep breath, surprised to smell the rich scent of pine and dirt. He opened his eyes, looking around. The sun was still setting, casting a hazy orange glow through a multitude of rich green trees. The ground was littered with blossoms that Namjoon had never seen before, all colors and shades he could imagine. “How—”

“Magic. Welcome to my home. Stay close okay? These woods play tricks on humans. It’s not quite the forests you’re used to.”

“That’s terrifying.”

“Don’t worry.” Jungkook smiled. “You’re safe with me.”

Namjoon nodded, looking around with wide eyes as Jungkook led him down a dirt path. Everything was so vibrant, he was smelling scents he’d never smelled before, the flowers were nearly calling his name. More than once Jungkook needed to tug his hand to keep him from straying toward various bursts of blossoms.

“Can you show me around? These flowers… They’re amazing.” Namjoon said softly.

“Sure. Later, okay? We don’t wanna be late. I’ll take you to all my favorite spots.”

He turned down the path and pushed back a heavy layer of leaves. Namjoon gasped. The woods seemed to open completely into an open field. Despite the setting sun in the rest of the woods, this area was as vibrant as high noon. Tables of various colors were filled with a whole assortment of individuals. There were lot of winged people, fairies like Jungkook, Namjoon assumed. Some looked human, others had ears like wolves or cats, or large antlers like deer. A few children rushed around, flowers in their hair and their skin dark from the sun. A wolf too big to be real was stretched out on the grass, lapping at its front paw.

When Jungkook pulled them into the field, a shorter, slender man with silver hair and a pair of vibrant yellow and white wings raced up to them. His wings flapped sporadically, giving him the appearance of floating on the air as he ran.

“Jungkookie!” He grabbed Jungkook and spun him in a hug. “You came! When you didn’t come home last night we were worried. Were you with…” The boy met Namjoon’s wide eyes. His own were a vibrant blue, startling and icy. “This is the human?”

“Yes. This is Namjoon.”

The boy tilted his head. “You look scared. You’re not…”

“He doesn’t have the sight… I messed up. But he’s understanding.”

The boy nodded. He stuck out his hand. “My name is Jimin.”

“Nice to meet you,” Namjoon said. He shook his hand, still looking around.

“It’s a lot to take in, huh?”

Namjoon nodded.

“Well you’re safe here. My boyfriend is over there.” He pointed to a man dressed in bright colors from head to toe. His hair was a deep brown. “He’s human too. You two might get along. His name is Hoseok. He’s a dancer. What do you do?”

“Flowers.”

“He saved Serendipity,” Jungkook said, taking Namjoon’s hand. He looked over, startled to see that Jungkook’s wings were once again on full display.

“Ah, that was you. She’s doing amazingly now that you worked on her. Thank you. She’s mine,” Jimin said.

“Oh! My honor. Do you grow many flowers?”

“Just a few.”

“I’d love to see them sometime. I really enjoy flowers and this place – I’ve never seen these types of blossoms before.”

“Of course not, they’re from our realm. Humans don’t get to see this unless we let them.” Jimin smiled. “Enjoy yourself. Everything here is safe for humans as well as us, and there are no predators as long as you stay within the field. Don’t go into the woods without one of us or one of the wolves.”

Namjoon nodded his understanding. He watched Jimin walk – more float – off toward Hoseok.

“He’s quite kind.”

“He is. He’s my best friend. Are you hungry?” Jungkook led Namjoon around, introducing him to various individuals and giving him bites of some of the sweetest food Namjoon had ever had the pleasure of tasting. They finally settled at a table, plates filled with various treats and mugs of warm tea that tasted of honey and sweet and rich.

“Is that your wolf friend?” Namjoon asked, motioning to the large wolf he’d noticed when they first came to the field.

“No, that’s Taemin. He’s a wolf, but not my close friend. He just prefers his wolf form. My friend is Taehyung. He’s too sick to come.”

“What do you guys figure is wrong?”

“We’re wondering if it might actually be something human. He was playing in the human’s forests last shift. Sometimes when wolves or other shifters catch diseases that they can only have in animal form, they’re stuck that way until it starts to pass. It’s just been a while and... We’re worried it won’t pass this time.”

Namjoon bit his lip. “This is going to sound strange. But… My best friend is a vet tech. Do you want him to take a look at your friend?”

Jungkook’s eyes widened. “You think he’d do it?”

“Well… He might be kinda freaked out about it being a big ass wolf but… Yeah, I mean, we could say your friend is like, I don’t know, your pet.”

“Taehyung would kill me.”

“Better than finding out werewolves exist, right?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes up, then chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. Is he… Friendly? Like you?”

“He tries to be some tough guy but he’s sweet. We’ve been friends since we were little. Can your friend move around, or would we have to bring him here?”

“Let me talk to Jimin.” Jungkook rose and hurried toward where Jimin was chatting with a group of shifters. Namjoon watched him go, unable to keep the smile from his face.

Jimin glanced over at Namjoon while the two talked, nodding at whatever Jungkook was saying. He pulled a face of concern, shaking his head. Jungkook shrugged, placing his hands on his hips. Namjoon chuckled a little.

“You like him don’t you?” Namjoon startled, looking up at the man that had addressed him. It was Jimin’s boyfriend, Hoseok.

“What?”

“Jungkook. You haven’t taken your eyes off him.”

“He’s… Yeah. I like him.”

Hoseok sat down across from Namjoon. “Dating their kind is hard, you need to know that.”

“How do you mean?”

“They talk in riddles, they’re impossible to understand sometimes. And they aren’t the best with emotions. Because they can’t lie, they aren’t used to being subtle. They say what’s on their mind. Sometimes it hurts – even if they’re well intentioned.”

Namjoon nodded. “I get that. The riddles definitely. I – He had me so confused the first time we met.”

“I bet. Jimin said you don’t have the sight?”

“Nope. Before Jungkook walked into my shop I thought fairies and wolves and all this,” he waved his hand, “was just the stuff of fairytales. Fiction.”

“There is such a world out there that we don’t know. It’s terrifying and amazing.”

“Is it… This is a strange question but, do they… Feel the same things we do?”

“Oh yeah. Love, sex, intimacy – it’s all the same. Jimin and I are regular old boyfriends most of the time, until we’re here. Then it’s like… Well, look around. Neither of us fit in. You can pick out the humans easy. It’s like there’s this dullness about us. We don’t belong.”

Namjoon looked around, noticing for the first time what Hoseok was saying. He could pick the humans out even without the animal features or wings. They were just less bright.

“Does it… I mean Jimin, he loves you still right?”

“Oh yeah. He does. I trust him wholly. It’s just something that weighs on you a bit, the longer you date one. Just be prepared for that.”

“Of course. Thank you for the advice.”

Jungkook approached, settling in his empty spot. “Scaring him off, Hobi?”

“Never. Warning him about the flirty, flighty nature of you fae boys.” Hoseok thumbed Jungkook’s nose playfully.

Jungkook laughed. “So Jimin thinks we will be okay to bring Tae to your world. It’s safer for ours if we don’t bring in more humans than necessary. No offense to your friend, but…”

“Oh, no I get it. Trust and safety. But you say world like – We’re still on Earth, right?”

“Sorta. It’s like…” Jungkook picked up a sandwich and turned it so the side was facing Namjoon. “The whole sandwich is Earth. This bottom slice is your world. What you see. Where your shop is, where we met. And then… Our world.” He pointed to the top slice. “What you’re in now. Humans can’t get through the filling, so they just assume the bottom slice is all there is. Fairies, shifters – anyone with supernatural blood like us, we can. So we see both. And we can pull humans through it, like I did with you.”

“Why can you guys get through it?”

“Well, we made it.”

Namjoon cocked an eyebrow.

“Magic. It’s all magic. And magic comes from – largely – fairies. Our ancestors, at least. Either way, we’ll pull Tae through to your shop – You have that downstairs area right? Could he stay there while your friend looks at him?”

“Sure, I have a bed down there, he can rest in it.”

“Good. Jimin and I can bring him tonight.”

“Tonight? I should call Yoongi…” Namjoon fished his cell phone out of his pocket, scowling when it didn’t turn on.

“Oh, that doesn’t work here,” Jungkook said, laughing. “Don’t worry – you can call him when you get back. You’ll have a few hours before we get Taehyung through.”

“Should I go back now?”

“Do you want to?”

Namjoon looked around for a moment. “No. But…” He moved a little closer to Jungkook. “I do want to kinda make this more of a date.”

“How do you mean?”

“I want to get to know you. Let you get to know me.”

Jungkook grinned broadly. “Sure. You have my undivided attention.”

Namjoon reached out, touching Jungkook’s hand. He hesitated for a moment before diving in, asking everything from Jungkook’s favorite color and animal to how he grew up. He listened intently to each answer, giving his own in response. Knowing Jungkook couldn’t lie was both comforting and unnerving; he felt like he couldn’t leave things out either, no matter how embarrassing. But Jungkook never teased or taunted, only listened with the same rapt attention and asked questions here and there.

The two talked for what felt like hours. Namjoon was vaguely aware of others around them, milling about, music playing, laughter and some dancing, but their attention remained on one another. Jungkook was by far the most interesting person he’d ever met. And it wasn’t the otherworldliness of him or the general magic – it was just Jungkook. Even the most mundane of stories, Namjoon loved them all. The crinkle of Jungkook’s nose, the way he barked out the most un-fairy-like laughter when he really found something funny, the way he’d shake his head, hair falling over his bright eyes.

As the party wound down, Namjoon knew he had no choice, really. During a quiet, peaceful lull in the conversation, he leaned forward, catching Jungkook’s mouth in a gentle kiss. Jungkook inhaled quickly, his lips curving up into a small smile. Namjoon felt Jungkook’s hands cup his cheeks before he deepened the kiss. Their tongues brushed together, almost timidly, and Jungkook giggled against his mouth. He pulled back, pressing their foreheads together.

“I like kissing you.”

Namjoon chuckled. He reached up, holding lightly to Jungkook’s wrists, hands still on his cheeks. “I like kissing you too.”

“We should do that more often.”

“I agree.” Namjoon leaned in, brushing their lips together once more.

“Hate to break up the party,” Jimin said, clapping Jungkook on the shoulder. “You guys should head back and call his human friend. I’ll start getting Tae ready to move.”

Jungkook rose. “I’m gonna say bye to some friends real quick. Meet you in a second.” He bounced off toward a group.

Jimin smiled, his eyes narrowing. “He likes you.”

“I like him too,” Namjoon admitted. “This is all so… New. I’m still not sure what to make of it, but… I know I like him, and I want to make things work with him.”

“Jungkook is special to all of us,” Jimin said, the threat clear in his voice.

“I believe that. I won’t hurt him.”

“Don’t. The thing about fairies… We’re not all Tinkerbell and glitter dust. We can be dangerous.”

Namjoon met Jimin’s gaze, rising. “I believe that. And I expect no less. If you care as much about him as you say you do, I fully expect you to protect him with everything you have. I’d like to – someday – be able to say the same.”

Jimin’s mouth thinned, searching Namjoon’s face. “I hate that humans can lie. I never trust you.”

“You’re dating a human.”

“And it took me a long time to trust him.”

“Then you’ll grow to trust me, I hope. Perhaps helping your friend will be step one in that.”

“Hm.” Jimin nodded. “Maybe.” He tilted his head a little, smiling then. “You two are cute together. I’ll give you that.”

Namjoon grinned crookedly. “Thanks.”

Jungkook slid up to them, wrapping an arm around Namjoon’s middle. “Ready?”

“As ever.” He nodded to Jimin. “See you shortly?”

“Yes.”

They walked back into the forest, now nearly pitch black, save for the splinters of moonlight filtering through the trees. They walked in silence, fingers twined. Namjoon felt like eyes were watching from every direction – and something about the way Jungkook’s hand squeezed around his own told him maybe he wasn’t so off with that theory. But they made it to the space they’d entered from easily, and Jungkook didn’t need to warn Namjoon to hold tight this time.

The cold air of the night smacked him in the face, the stink of the city rising and erasing almost all but a whisper of the sweet woods he’d just been in. He released Jungkook’s hand and dug out his phone, dialing Yoongi.

“What?”

“Hello to you too, grump. I have a favor to ask you.” Namjoon heard a shuffling on the other end of the line.

“Whatcha need?”

“Can you bring your vet kit and get to my shop? About… An hour?” Namjoon looked to Jungkook, who nodded in agreement.

“My vet—Why?”

“Well… Remember that boy? With the weird plant?”

“Uh-huh…”

“He’s got a pet. A dog. Who is sick. But he can’t really afford vet fees if it ends up being nothing, so I figured maybe… You could take a look? See if he needs to take him to the vet clinic or if it’ll pass on its own?”

“Namjoon…” Yoongi sighed heavily. “Is it up to date on its shots?”

“Uh, hold on… Shots?” Jungkook furrowed his brow.

“I have no idea what can be passed to his kind in that form,” Jungkook admitted, shrugging.

“We aren’t sure. He… Recently got the dog.”

“Alright. Well, I’ll bring along some simple vaccines just in case. Can’t hurt. I’ll be there in a while. Bring him downstairs, hope you don’t mind dog hair on your bed.”

“Not a problem. Thank you for this, Yoongi.”

“Just doing my part to make sure you get laid. Saving innocent boy’s puppies generally helps that.”

“Asshole.”

Yoongi laughed as he hung up, and Namjoon nodded. “Okay, you can tell Jimin to bring him. I’ll leave the shop unlocked and wait upstairs for you guys.”

Jungkook shouldered his way into the shop first, holding the door open for the lumbering honey colored canine. Namjoon gasped audibly, his stomach twisting into a nauseous fear.

“Tha—That’s a big wolf.”

The wolf in question tilted his head, sitting back. He whimpered, nosing Jungkook’s side.

“This is Taehyung.”

Jimin entered, shutting the door behind them. “Where can he rest? Walking tires him out so much lately.”

“Right down these stairs. If he can’t make it… The three of us could probably carry him?” Namjoon offered, though he wasn’t very keen on the idea of carrying a giant wolf – Jungkook’s friend or not. He was far bigger than the other that Namjoon had seen at the party, but even he could tell the animal – boy – wasn’t feeling well.

“Should I grab the wolfsbane plant?”

“No, too much won’t help him any.” Jungkook followed Namjoon to the door, heading down first. He turned, walking slowly backwards to watch as Taehyung began down the stairs.

Jimin held back, looking at Namjoon. “I want to thank you for this. I know it’s probably a bit of a risk.”

“Well, worst thing that happens is Yoongi tells everyone. Nobody would believe him.”

“I suppose not. But still. We’re all worried about Tae.”

“I get it. If I were in your place I’d want to do anything I could for my best friend.”

“And who is your best friend?”

Namjoon smiled. “Yoongi. The man who – I hope – can help yours.”

Jimin nodded. He set a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder and headed down the stairs. They got Taehyung settled onto the bed as best they could, and Jimin gave Jungkook a hug. “I’m going to head back. I’ll return in a while – see if there’s any change.”

“If it’s an emergency I’ll come for you,” Jungkook agreed.

Namjoon walked Jimin out before settling back behind the counter to await Yoongi’s arrival.

When he did show up, Namjoon blocked the steps. “First, a warning. It’s a big animal.”

“It’s a dog, I’ve dealt with big dogs.”

“Well… Kinda.”

“Namjoon…” The threat was clear in Yoongi’s voice, his eyes narrowing. “What did you get me into?”

“It’s a dog. As in, it’s a furry, four-legged creature of the canine variety.”

“There’s a but coming.”

“It’s… Less of a domesticus and more of a lupus.”

“A wolf?” Yoongi sputtered. “You have a fucking wolf in your flower shop?”

“He’s tame.”

“Yeah, they all are until they bite your fucking head off, what does that kid have a wolf for?”

“His cousins had him. He got him a few days ago,” Namjoon lied smoothly as Jungkook came up the stairs. He smiled sheepishly at Yoongi. “I’m Jungkook. I know it’s a lot to ask, but please. He’s family.”

Yoongi sighed heavily. “Well my shots will do no good if it’s a pure wolf. But I’ll see if I can figure out what’s wrong with him. I’m more used to working on, you know, fluffy poodles.”

Jungkook smiled sheepishly. “He’s about as aggressive as one, if that helps?”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” Yoongi pushed past Namjoon, following Jungkook down the steps.

He gasped visibly when he saw Taehyung on the bed. “Holy shit, that’s a big wolf.”

“You know, everyone seems to say that,” Jungkook agreed, going over and stroking Taehyung’s soft ear.

“He’s huge.” Yoongi circled around and crouched, putting his hand up to Taehyung’s nose. “Hey, buddy. So, I’m Yoongi. I’m gonna poke and prod for a bit to see what’s got you sick. I would really, really appreciate it if you didn’t eat me, okay?”

Taehyung made a soft whuffing noise, pressing his nose against Yoongi’s palm. He chuckled and scratched his muzzle. “Atta boy. Don’t feel good, huh? We’ll see if we can get you fixed up without any of those nasty vet clinics. I know they’re scary. And they don’t like treating pups like you anyway. Maybe afraid you’ll scare their kittens.” As he spoke, he opened his bag, pulling out various instruments.

“How long has he been like this, Jungkook?”

“Few days. Since the last full moon.”

“What was he doing before he got sick?”

“Playing. Outside.”

“Fenced yard?”

“Nah, woods.”

Yoongi nodded. He lifted Taehyung’s lip and chuckled. “Oh my, what big teeth you have. All the better to eat me with, huh?”

Taehyung sneezed, and Yoongi grimaced, wiping his hand. “Gross, dude.”

He grabbed Taehyung’s back leg lightly, shifting it up. The movement earned a whine and a warning growl.

“Okay, okay… Settle down.” Yoongi stroked over his side slowly. “Give me a few with him, if you would? You could help Namjoon fetch some water, some gauze, and one of those microscopes I’ve seen him use for some of his plant things.”

Namjoon helped Jungkook with the things Yoongi had requested, watching Yoongi and Taehyung as best he could. Yoongi shouted questions across the shop every now and then about Taehyung’s diet, exercise, and other information, and Jungkook answered honestly, skirting the truth with an ease that surprised even Namjoon at times.

Finally, Yoongi rose, pulling a syringe from his bag. “I gotta get blood, and I don’t want my arm bitten off.”

“What can we do?” Namjoon asked.

“Try to distract him. I know it’s not super great of a choice but I want someone holding his head and keeping him calm. Wolves are strong but he’s sick, so… Hopefully no one gets their face ripped off.”

Jungkook chuckled. He scratched Taehyung’s ear. “He won’t bite me. He’s a big boy, can handle a little needle stick. I’ll stay by his face.”

“Okay. Joonie, I need you to help me with holding his back leg okay? I’ve done this a ton, but not on a dog this size.”

Namjoon nodded. “Just tell me what to do.”

Yoongi motioned around his back. “Kneel behind him and you’ll be holding his thigh. Hold on and I’ll show you in a second.”

Yoongi pulled out a pair of scissors. He stroked Taehyung’s side gently, soothing him as he trimmed away a bit of fur on his leg. “This is only gonna sting for a second, okay, buddy?” He spoke softly feeling around for the vein he was looking for. He grabbed Namjoon’s hands. “Grab here, hold firm and do not let him pull back.”

He patted Taehyung’s side again. “Quick stick then I promise we’ll find a nice treat for you, okay, big boy? Gonna figure out how to make you better.” He inserted the needle as he spoke, wincing when Taehyung whined.

Namjoon grunted, working to keep Taehyung’s leg still as Yoongi drew the blood. He finished, quickly pressing a piece of gauze over it. “Jungkook, wrap that up.”

He moved away, but not before offering Taehyung a scratch. “Good patient.”

“What are you doing?” Namjoon asked, watching Yoongi go to the table to set up the microsocope.

“Well, if he has what I think he has, I should see it in his blood.”

“And if he does?”

“Depends. There’s about four things I think I might see. Each one varying degrees of bad or good. Give me like ten minutes of silence while I figure it out.”

Namjoon went over to Jungkook, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Do you want to go upstairs, or stay?”

“I might make noise, I should go upstairs. Come with me?”

Namjoon rose, watching Jungkook press a kiss to Taehyung’s furry head. “Be right back. Rest, buddy.”

Once upstairs, Jungkook curled against Namjoon, wrapping his arms around him. “Your friend is very kind.”

Namjoon smiled. “He really is. He and I have been close forever. What about you and Taehyung?”

“Pretty much the same. We’ve always been together, with Jimin.”

“Yoongi will find a fix.”

“I trust that.” Jungkook walked away, leaning on the window sill. He looked up at the night sky, sighing softly.

With the moonlight filtering in on his face, Jungkook looked every bit the otherworldly creature he was. His shaggy hair, still streaked with pastel, hung over his face in wild curls. His damp lips were parted, just enough to breathe a soft thread of condensation onto the window, and the pale light highlighted the glow of his rosy cheeks. Though his wings were hidden, Namjoon could almost picture them, splayed and fluttering, lifting Jungkook’s heels from the ground as he gazed off into the stars.

“Jungkook—” Namjoon whispered, his heart pounding a mile a minute. He took a few steps toward Jungkook, almost afraid to break the serene beauty of the scene in front of him.

Yoongi’s piercing shout did that for him.

Both men turned, racing for the stairs and down them. Namjoon missed a step, sliding down the final few as he gripped the guardrail. Jungkook leapt over him without difficulty.

“Taehyung!”

In Namjoon’s bed, where the wolf had previously been laying, was a tall, slender boy. He was entirely nude and shivering, his hair curly and shaggy, the same rich honey of the wolf’s fur.

Yoongi was on the floor a few feet away, his mouthing hanging open as he motioned wildly at the bed. “He—Wolf—I—”

Namjoon rose, putting both hands up. “Yoongi, take a breath.”

“No fucking way!” Yoongi scrambled to his feet, backing up. “What the hell is happening?!”

“You need to calm down. I’ll explain everything,” Namjoon said, approaching his friend slowly.

“Why are you not freaking out?!”

“Because I knew he was a human. Sort of.”

“He was a dog!”

“I was a wolf,” Taehyung stuttered. Jungkook had wrapped him in one of Namjoon’s blankets and was rubbing his shoulders quickly to warm him up.

“Wh— Joonie,” Yoongi whined, panic crossing his features.

“He’s a werewolf, Yoongi.”

“What? You’re playing some prank on me.”

“Why don’t we have a drink… You and I need to talk about some stuff, okay?”

“I—No, this—” Yoongi shook his head. He put his fists to his temples, screwing his eyes shut.

“Should we go?” Jungkook asked softly.

“No. You should stay. I might need your help, explaining. And we still don’t know what was wrong with Taehyung,” Namjoon said. “Just give me a minute.”

He went forward, grabbing Yoongi’s wrists. He brought his fists down and gave Yoongi a shake. “Look at me.”

When Yoongi opened his eyes, focusing on Namjoon, Namjoon smiled. “You aren’t going crazy. I thought the same thing. Okay? But this is real. Listen to me, Yoongi. Do you trust me?”

“You’re my best friend.”

“Do you trust me?”

Yoongi drew in a shaky breath. He nodded. Namjoon nodded as well.

“Then listen. This. Is. Real. On the bed. The wolf you were dealing with. He is still there.”

“But—”

“Shh. He is still there. He’s just a man. His name is Taehyung.”

“How?”

“He’s a werewolf.”

“Joon—”

Namjoon shook his head. “The boy I am dating. The one sitting with him. He is a fairy.”

Yoongi laughed nervously. “Not very nice.”

“Well, jokes are a good sign. Do you want to see his wings?”

“This is a joke.”

“Afraid not. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but we hoped you wouldn’t find out. We didn’t know Taehyung would shift, he’s be stuck in his wolf for a few days because he was sick. We needed a vet. You were the only one I could think of that I could trust.”

“He’s—A were… Werewolf.”

“Yes.” “Will—He won’t—” Yoongi looked over Namjoon’s shoulder at the two on the bed. “I need that drink now.”

Namjoon stepped back, hurrying to his small fridge. He withdrew a beer and opened it, passing it to Yoongi. “Want one, Jungkook?” Jungkook nodded. “Taehyung?”

“I— The medicine?” Taehyung said softly. His voice was deep and rich, with a raspy quality that Namjoon found absolutely mesmerizing.

“Right – Yoongi. What did you give him?”

“An antibiotic.”

“Can he drink?”

“Well, it’s not advised but one beer won’t hurt him.” Namjoon took two bottles, passing them to Jungkook. He took one of his own and settled in a chair near the bed. Slowly, Yoongi stepped over, sitting in the desk chair nearby. He continued to watch Taehyung, his eyes wide even as the four sipped in silence.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Taehyung finally whispered. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know I was going to shift, but when I started – I can’t stop it. I feel like I hit you – Did I hurt you?”

“No. I jumped back. You just scared me,” Yoongi said softly.

“So what did he have?” Jungkook asked.

“He still has it. But a month of antibiotics should clear it for the most part. It’s called anaplasmosis. I’d guess he got it from a tick bite while he was in the woods. It’s sort of like Lyme disease – He may have it forever, but it won’t bug him, probably. If it does, it’s pretty easy to get rid of with the medicine. I happened to have some in my bag, so I thought I’d give him a dose. It starts working pretty quick, so I didn’t bother waiting.”

“I guess once it hit his blood stream, the shift happened,” Jungkook said.

“So you’re a werewolf,” Yoongi said. “And he’s a fairy. But he’s huge.”

“Hey,” Jungkook said, pouting.

“Not all fairies are tiny,” Namjoon explained, meeting Jungkook’s gaze. “He’s quite beautiful when he’s got his wings out.”

“He can fly?”

Jungkook nodded, his chin jutting out in defiance. “You bet I can. And I can curse you, so don’t be mean.”

Yoongi chuckled a little. “Cute… And you…” He looked at Taehyung. “What is it, were you bit, or? Does silver hurt?”

“Nah. I was born like this. Most of us are. The biting is a wives tale made up by humans. So is the silver thing. We do turn on the moons, but we’re not some vicious killing machines. And we can shift freely, normally. But I was stuck. I’d guess because of the bite.”

“Well, you’re okay now. I’ll have to check your blood in a few days, or if you… Get sick again or shift, or… Something.”

“Right… Is the medicine okay for me to take in this form?”

“Sure, I’ll have to change the dose – You’re smaller as a human.” Yoongi chuckled. “But you should stay here for the night, let me keep an eye on you.”

Namjoon looked over, his eyebrows raised. “Excuse me, that’s my bed.”

“You have an apartment.”

“So you want to stay here with the werewolf.”

“I’m not gonna eat him,” Taehyung complained, pouting a little.

Jungkook giggled. “No, but he might lick you.” He teased. Taehyung elbowed him.

“Well, if you do stay, we should find you some clothes. You might fit into something I have,” Namjoon offered. He rose and padded over to a bag in the corner. “They’re probably wrinkled, I keep them when I stay here instead of going back to the apartment, but…” He fished out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, bringing them to Taehyung. “That way you’re not naked in front of a stranger at least.”

“He’s not a stranger.” Taehyung grinned at Yoongi, his smile bright and boxy. “He saved me.”

Yoongi smiled sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Just… Doing my job.”

Namjoon looked between the two and rolled his eyes. “So. I’m going to go home. Jungkook? You’re welcome to stay. Or… If you want to go home with me… Not for that. I mean, unless you want to—But I’m not—”

Jungkook rose, pressing a kiss to Namjoon’s mouth to silence him. He smiled. “You talk a lot. I’ll come home with you.”

He looked back at Taehyung. “You gonna be okay here?”

Taehyung was watching Yoongi, and barely nodded. “Oh, I’m fine.”

“And you?” Namjoon judged Yoongi’s foot with his own. Yoongi nodded. He was doing his best to look anywhere but at Taehyung, but the pink in his cheeks was giving him away.

“See you two in the morning. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Namjoon called, heading up the stairs.

When they reached the top, Jungkook giggled. “They’re going to kiss,” he said softly.

“Oh, I know it. They might do a lot more than that from the way Yoongi was looking… Once Taehyung feels better.”

Jungkook took Namjoon’s hand. “Do you want to do more than kiss me someday?”

Namjoon smiled softly, meeting Jungkook’s gaze. He nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to.”

“Hm… You should show me your apartment.”

Namjoon’s heart may have stopped for a second. It kickstarted again as soon as Jungkook’s lips brushed his own. “Come on.” He tugged him toward the door. Namjoon smiled crookedly, following helplessly. He locked up the door to The Fairy Garden, and had never been more glad he’d followed his calling. It led him to the man of his dreams, and a world he had never imagined.

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classysassy9791 · 4 years

Text

Sometimes its the quieter moments that speak the loudest. A story of love, laughter, and friendship carried through the years during the most wonderful season of all. Full of fluff and Christmas cheer. Interconnecting One-shots.

Fandom: Inuyasha Genre: Romance/Friendship Pairings: InuKag, MirSan, SessKagu Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l Ch. 5 l

Chapter 6: My Only Wish (This Year) (part 2 of 2) Word Count: 2230 Can also be found here

Inuyasha knew he was blushing.

He wasn’t entirely sure as to why – maybe it was from his confusion, the warmth of the fire, or perhaps the inkling thought in the back of his mind that he couldn’t quite admit to – but he could feel the blush creep up his neck and flush his cheeks.

Brown eyes nervously blinked up at him. It took a few moments for her answer to sink in. He watched her curl her hands tighter around her cup of hot chocolate as he furrowed his brows, not really sure how to respond.

“Kagome, what do you mean—“

“Come on, Kagome!” Sango suddenly appeared beside them, effectively drawing their attention. She laughed and pulled eagerly on Kagome’s arm. “Shippo’s here!”

Sending Inuyasha a wavering glance, Kagome hesitantly stood and granted Sango with a shaky smile. “It’s about time,” she offered facetiously, allowing Sango to pull her away.

That was nearly an hour ago. Kagome’s answer played over and over again in his mind. Inuyasha’s eyes were drawn across the room to where she laughed with Sango and Shippo about something, throwing her head back as her obsidian hair shined under the lights of the tree.

Her answer had left him baffled.

“Dude, you’re killing my Christmas spirit,” Miroku said as he sauntered up to him, clapping a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder and grinning up at him. “You look constipated.”

“I’m thinking,” he grumbled in return.

“Ah, that explains it.”

Inuyasha shrugged off his hand. “You’re one to talk.”

Taking note of his friend’s odd behavior, Miroku followed his gaze to where Kagome and Sango stood. “The girls look beautiful tonight, don’t they?”

It was true, but Inuyasha only had eyes for one girl that evening. Kagome had her hair pinned back by a glittery star barrette, and she wore a long beige cardigan sweater coupled with some Christmas leggings. “Uh, yeah,” Inuyasha agreed, clearing his throat.

Miroku took a sip of his eggnog. “Something on your mind?”

Heat seared his cheeks as Inuyasha slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks, wondering if he should really confide in Miroku. After all, the lecher never took anything seriously and would probably laugh at him. But as Miroku continued to wait patiently, and considering Inuyasha had no one else to talk to about it, he finally relented and sighed, running a hand over the back of his neck.

“I asked Kagome what she wanted for Christmas.”

“And?”

“She said ‘you’.”

Miroku chuckled and shook his head. “Me?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “No, not you, stupid. ‘You’. As in me.”

He stopped mid-sip and raised his brows. “Oh.”

“’Oh’.” Amber eyes glared at him incredulously. “That’s all you got for me?”

“What would you like me to say?”

He shrugged. “I don’t get it. What did she mean by that?”

Miroku grinned. “Inuyasha, she meant that she wants you for Christmas. As in, she wants to date you.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened and his throat ran dry. “D-Date me?”

“Yeah. She wants you to take her out, hold hands with her, kiss her… you know.”

A pit formed in the pit of his stomach as the burning realization that Kagome wanted him – him of all people – sank in. “I… Uh… What am I supposed to do?”

“Ah, my poor man. That is the question to end all questions.” He placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “But only you can answer that. Do you want to date her, too?”

Inuyasha thought about it, reflecting on his relationship with Kagome. He had never really given dating her much thought, because Kagome was always simply there. She had always been nearby, immersing herself in his life anyways possible. But wasn’t that what best friends were supposed to do? Wasn’t it all just them being really good friends?

“I-I don’t know.”

Miroku shrugged. “Not many men do. But think of it this way – if another man came along and swept her off her feet, would you be okay with that?”

No. Definitely not.

“Miroku, my boy! Come here!” a drunk Mushin called from across the room.

Miroku lifted his glass in acknowledgement before returning his attention to Inuyasha. “Just don’t lead her along. Give her an answer, and soon.”

Left to his thoughts, Inuyasha turned back to watching Kagome as she laughed beneath the Christmas tree, her eyes shining like starlight.

It had always been easy with Kagome. He never had to think about what he said or what he did, because she didn’t care. She never judged him. But now he felt his throat tighten and his heartbeat quicken. He suddenly felt like the only thing that would come out of his mouth would be word vomit.

Well, crap.

ACS

The evening had quickly gone from bad to worse.

Kagome nibbled on her thumbnail nervously as she stood by the front windows, watching the snow cover the street in white. Confessing to Inuyasha about her feelings had never been on her agenda that evening – or ever for that matter. It had unintentionally slipped out, and now she would give anything to take it back.

The way he looked at her made her internally groan. He looked at her as if she had grown a second head! Was it that much of a shock that she had fallen for her best friend? That she had fallen for him?”

“So stupid,” she quietly berated herself.

How could she have been so careless? Developing feelings for Inuyasha had been a dangerous thing to begin with. After all, if he didn’t feel the same way, their relationship would alter forever. She wasn’t sure if they would be able to share the carefree relationship again that they had up until now.

Her feelings hung like the proverbial elephant in the room, and God she didn’t want to deal with that.

Can you say awkward?

But… Kagome couldn’t deny that she felt a weight had been lifted off her chest. She had fallen for him a couple of years before and had never done anything about it. Part of her always wondered if he felt the same, or if her feelings were simply one-sided.

Now, her secret was out, and the ball was in his court. Whatever happened, she would deal with it. If he rejected her, it would be okay. She would grant him a smile, and years from now they would be able to laugh about the little ‘puppy love’ she once had for him.

Suddenly, Inuyasha’s reflection appeared in the window, and Kagome stiffened, her eyes growing wide. He furrowed his brows, watching as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Her reaction made him nervous, but after a moment, her shoulders relaxed the slightest. “Look, Inuyasha,” she said smoothly.

He followed her gaze. “It’s snowing,” he replied lamely.

She hummed her agreement. “It’s going to be a white Christmas.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms, taking note of her empty hands. “No hot chocolate?” he asked, surprised.

Kagome still refused to look at him. “Ran out. Sango went to get more.”

“Hn.”

They fell into an awkward silence, watching the blizzard coat the world in white. He could feel Kagome’s anxiety coming off her in waves. Finally, she cleared her throat and said, “I should see what’s taking Sango so long,” as she turned to leave.

“Wait.”

His words made her pause.

He shifted his feet nervously. “Did you mean it?”

Kagome worried her bottom lip before exhaling a shaky breath. He glanced down at her, watching the array of emotions across her face, and she closed her eyes. “What if I did?” she whispered meekly.

His heart felt like it was beating right out of his chest.

As the silence dragged on, she swallowed her nerves. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head with a humorless laugh. “This was silly. Forget I said anything. We can just go back to being best friends and pretend as if this never happened—“

He suddenly took her hand in his, cutting her off, and pulled her to him.

“Ask me.”

She quickly spun around, turning wide eyes on him – finally looking at him. “W-What?”

Looking into her eyes made his courage suddenly disappear, no longer a lion, but a small mouse. Now he understood why she had avoided him. He tried to ignore the pit in his stomach as he worked to form words. It was now or never. “Ask me what I want for Christmas.”

She wrung her hands together apprehensively. “Inuyasha, I don’t think—“

“Just ask me,” he demanded gruffly, flushing pink.

Kagome sighed deeply and stepped closer to him, tightening her hand around his. “Okay. What do you want for Christmas, Inuyasha?”

He lifted his hand and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, listening as her breath caught. “You,” he whispered, amber eyes flickering between hers. “I didn’t know it until now, but it’s you, Kagome.”

Speechless, Kagome stared up at him, unsure if she heard him correctly. He ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek, waiting with bated breath for her to say something – anything – that would calm his racing heart.

So enthralled with each other, Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t hear their friends approach. Sango returned with some hot chocolate, with Miroku in tow, and they happened upon the couple staring deep into each other’s eyes.

Sango suddenly stopped short, all laughter gone, as Miroku ran into her with an audible “oof”.

“What was that for?” he grumbled, expertly steadying his cups of cooca, making sure not to spill a drop. “I almost—“

“Shh,” she quieted him, nodding with her head in Kagome and Inuyasha’s direction. “Look.”

Miroku followed her gaze, his eyes lighting up with amusement at seeing their friend’s position, and grinned mischievously. “Ah, seems as though Inuyasha finally manned up.”

The brunette raised a brow quizzically. “Meaning?”

He ignored her, instead calling out to them with, “You have to kiss!”

His voice effectively caught them unaware, bringing them back down to earth, as they turned startled eyes on the newcomers. Realizing what he said, Kagome turned bright red, hands flying to her cheeks to hide her blush. “Wh-What?!”

Using one hand holding a mug of hot chocolate, Miroku grinned and pointed above them. “Mistletoe,” he explained. “You’re standing beneath mistletoe. Tradition says you have to kiss.”

Sango’s mouth dropped open. “Miroku!” she hissed. “They don’t have to—“

“Ah, but it’s tradition, dear,” he said with a smug smile.

Inuyasha and Kagome gazed upward, blushing profusely, and sure enough there hung a bough of mistletoe.

“Whoever stuck that mistletoe up is a real jerk,” Kagome mumbled, folding her arms over her chest.

Fidgeting with his shirt collar, Inuyasha shot Miroku a glare. “Oh, I have an idea,” he grumbled, as Miroku attempted to hide his snickering. Shaking his head with a sigh, he followed up with, “Well, guess we should get it over with.”

Panicking, Kagome waved her hands in front of her in protest. “Ah, we… uh… we really don’t have to,” she tried to tell Inuyasha, still not over his confession only moments earlier.

He averted his gaze to the window, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah… but, uh, it’s tradition, right?”

He knew Miroku would never let him hear the end of this one.

Brown eyes flickered up to him with surprise. “Yeah, but traditions change.” Kagome was attempting to give him a way out – and perhaps herself, too – because although she had fantasized about kissing Inuyasha, she was not prepared to actually, well, kiss him.

Inuyasha took a step closer to her and watched as she squeezed her eyes shut, keeping her head down and her arms wrapped tightly around herself. He thought back on the years he spent with Kagome. She had done more for him than he could ever hope for, and then some.

He recalled a frigid Christmas Eve only a year ago, where she sat wrapped beneath a blanket beside him in front of the fire. She would never know how much that night meant to him, simply having her there in that big empty house. Perhaps that’s when he knew his feelings for her had grown. He just never acknowledged it.

Because that’s when he knew for sure Kagome loved him in some way. She always figured out what he needed and gave it to him – without asking.

Placing his hand beneath her chin, Inuyasha guided her gaze to his own. Her wide eyes were full of panic, with a hint of excitement, but warm like hot chocolate on a cold, winter night.

“Some traditions should stay the same.”

He placed his lips gently upon hers, and the rest of the room fell away. He kissed her slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. His hand rested below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. It was just a simple chaste kiss, but an explosion of warmth filled him from the tips of his ears to the tips of his toes.

Slowly, Inuyasha pulled away, resting his forehead against hers to steady himself. His breath came short and his head spun. He could barely form a coherent thought as he watched her eyes slowly open in a daze. He smiled softly down at her.

“Merry Christmas, Kagome.”

#inuyasha #kagome #inukag #fanfiction #inuyasha fanfiction #inukag fanfiction #my fanfiction #sassy stays classy #a christmas story

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