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killerskillercaptain · 3 years ago

Text

Canceled lectures, pasta, and feline love

pairing : Levi Ackerman x Reader

synopsis : You study litterature and you're married to Levi, all your classes get canceled and you get to spend the night w/ your beloved husband.

warnings : nsfw

a/n : this fic has been sitting inside my drawer for a bit now, so i thought i'd publish it now or it will just get forgotten and fall into oblivion.

You put on your bomber jacket over your T-shirt, swung your messenger bag over your shoulder and headed out with an enthusiasm you could hardly hide : all your afternoon lectures have been canceled, you could go to Levi's appartement earlier and spend the entire afternoon and the entire night there, walking down the stairs of the college where you studied litterature, you brought up your left hand up and stared at the small glinting diamond on your wedding ring, and a smile, just as shiny as the rock appeared instantly on your face.

You and Levi had just gotten married, he felt he was ready and steady enough to balance his life, you, and your awful temperament, and basically everything in between.

You were in your last year in college and Levi was very supportive of your aspirations. Even though you were married, you still didn't live together in one place, it has been only two months since the ceremony, and you still had a lot of things to move out of your appartement, changing adresses and other small details that were taking way too much time to both your likings, the situation didn't but you two had to be patient.

You jumped out of the last step and landed on the nude concrete, heart fluttering like the one of a child. The sky was incredibly blue, not a single cloud around, the sun was warm and swimming in the clear blue, you noticed how stunning the details in the architecture of your building was, it was a beautiful day.

You literally thought that this day couldn't get any better.

Just when you reached the portails of your college, you heard your phone ringing, it was Levi.

"Hello ?" you singed into the device hoping your good mood will reach Levi on the other end of the line.

"Where are you brat ?" a masculine voice asked

He calls you brat even though there were only a few years separating you in age, you hated that nickname and that's exactly why he keeps on using it.

"So that you know who's in charge here" he told you once jokingly as both of you sat on a couch preparing for the wedding, but you knew Levi too well, and knew he wasn't entirely joking.

"I am actually heading out to your place sweetheart" you said smiling mischievously, since he was going to call you by the nickname you disliked the most, you were going to do the same, he hates it when you call him sweetheart. "I have good news, all my lectures have been canceled ! I am all yours today !" you finished.

"Well i called to tell you i was making your favorite dinner-"

"Pasta ?" you interrupted him overjoyed.

"Pasta" he confirmed.

"Oh Levi !"

"Yeah yeah just come home already, looks like you're having a really nice day huh ? some people really have it all..." he said sarcastically, and you being able withstand his stingy tongue and not be affected by it is probably one of the reasons he married you.

"But you have it all too Levi !" you said, a smile perceptible through your voice.

"I do ?"

"Yeah, you have me !" your laugh ringed through the air making its way through the phone, you were now walking down a really crowded road and some people turned around at your loud and joyful laugh.

"Hurry and come home already ! Your cat is annoying me he wants you ! and be careful when you cross the street idiot" The reason he said that is because he could hear the sudden honks that bursted all over, you yelping and someone in the distance shouting at you. Talking on the phone and crossing a street was never something you were good at.

"I'll be there in ten minutes..."

"Wonderful" he said in such an apathetic voice that you knew he was being sarcastic again.

but you weren't finished

"...sweetheart"

CLIC !

*****

Putting a bag filled with some ripe and red apples in front of his door,, you searched for your keys in your messenger bag and opened the door to what was your small heaven on earth, before you heard the familiar clicking sound you could hear your cat scratching the door, your feline companion really did miss you. You picked up the bag of fruits that your bought on your way and entered the quiet and minimalistic appartement. It smelled so clean, as usual, and some tea was being brewed, black tea probably. You took off your jacket and bag and laid them carefully on the arm of the grey -and incredibly comfortable couch- in the living room. The kitchen was at the left, separated from the room you were in by a big wooden furniture with shelves, and just when you were about to get in there, the man who was sarcastically teasing you on the phone appeared, wearing a black top, and black jeans, his hands tucked in his pockets.

"What's that ?" he asked pointing at the heavy bag.

"Apples, i know you love them!"

"Great"

"So you too can have a perfect day"

"I can't have any good day with this cat using me as his scratching tree" he said while the said cat jumped on the counter where you were washing the apples in the sink.

"Hello little guy, did you annoy Levi as i asked you too ?" you nuzzled your cat's head, the purring that started automatically had you smiling fondly.

You heard Levi shuffling your way and coming to stand next to you to watch you wash the fruits. He was just standing, but you were so comforted by his presence and his incredible warmth.

"How are you doing today ?" he asked, voice low and almost husky ?

The cat hopped on the floor and started going in circles around your leg while Levi's arm slowly made its way to your waist in such a caring and loving manner that it almost surprised you, making you look up at him, your faces were so close you could feel his breath on your nose.

He's been drinking tea you thought to yourself.

"I feel great" your words were sure joyful but your tone was a bit off, and Levi was quick to notice it.

"Why are you lying yo me ?"

"I am not lying to you, i really do feel great, it's just-"

You exhaled deeply. It's true you were as happy as someone could be, but you were also very overwhelmed by all the changes in your life happening all at once, the mariage, the moving out, the workload in college, this new life, you were the type of person to get easily stressed when overwhelmed, and your were grateful for a husband and a partner like Levi who made it seem like you could do it, no matter how hard and stressful it could get.

"Levi, you did absolutely nothing wrong, it's me, i'm a little bit stressed about everything. not because i don't want it, it's what i have always dreamed of, i'm just...well, stressed, you know me...

-"always stressed out about anything and everything." finished Levi, putting your final thoughts into words.

He looked at you with a very serious look while you rumbled about every little thing that has been bothering you, paying attention to every word you said, when you finished talking he nuzzled your neck just like a cat would do to comfort you. A small candid laugh slept through your lips at the gentle gesture.

-What's so funny ?

-I just realized you're just like a cat !

-Excuse me ?

-You hate having to socialize, you like to stay alone and only like my company or the one of only a few people...and just like a cat you know how to show love when someone needs it the most.

*******

Small candles lit up the small space of the living room, a bigger candle -that you insisted on buying not long ago only to realize later that it was ridiculously too big- was sitting down next to the couch casting soft hues on your naked bodies.

All the candles smelled so good.

They wrapped the room in a vanilla scented veil, keeping your bodies warm.

"Levi...i love you so much"

Your voice almost cracking half way through your sentence, you couldn't help being vulnerable tonight. You didn't have the time to eat that pasta Levi had been preparing all afternoon and that you've been waiting for all evening. When you were standing in front of that sink, going on about how hard it was for you to keep up, his arm around your waist slowly climbed up to rest on your shoulder and pull you closer, then the pulling closer became kissing your forehead, then kissing your forehead started to become not enough. All you remember is that you and your husband ended on the couch making out with a need you didn't even know was there, both of you had missed each other the whole day, Levi being so touchy with you earlier was a dead giveaway, he only touched you this much when he missed you.

You loved this couch it was so comfortable, soon you were making love, wrapped in a soft blanket Levi kept there for his reading nights alone, surrounded by the intoxicating smell of vanilla, yours and Levi's favorite scent to make love to.

His touches were passionate yet calculated, his eyes studying your curves painted by the dim light, he enjoyed looking at you covering your face with embrassement, kissing every inch of you.

The fluttering touches of your sweaty palms, your tangling sweet warm skins and your hot breaths mingling in the air between you two made you dizzy.

Today was such a good day you thought to yourself as you straddled Levi, positioning yourself on top of him, as soon as your most sacred and intimate parts found themselves again, Levi's breaths became erratic, slipping grunts here and there, telling you to move, go faster as he was entranced by everything about you.

He parted the two locks of hair covering your face like someone would part the curtains so the light would shine on them, and the suns in your eyes made him all too aware of how much you two loved each other.

He loved every inch of your body but also every inch of you, your mannerism, your happy mood that always seemed to rub off on him, your laugh, your joyful spirit, your boldness, the one you display when you take the lead in bed, just like you did right now.

Sweet moans soon filled the room, your head pulled back, mouth hanging open, you didn't bother cancealing anything, because anything that could show Levi how happy you were here and now was to be welcomed, to be expressed freely. Soon, sweet and lovely waves of pleasure washed all over you before you collapsed ontop of his now drenched chest, sighing at the drowsiness embracing you slowly.

-I guess it's too late to eat that pasta now.

-It's okey, i just had my other favorite meal.

-And what's that ? asked Levi with a half smile that made him look so handsome.

-You.

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dizzydennis · 4 years ago

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Sonic & Vector - Sonic Channel Cover Story [English Translation]

Translator note: Please understand that I am not fluent. I am doing this to get some language practice and to bring this fun story to other Sonic fans. Constructive criticism is fine, but please don’t be rude or overly criticize my translation efforts.

“Oh, Sonic! I see you’re active as usual, Mr. Lady-Killer!”

One afternoon, the clear blue sky washed over the chalk-white building of Apotos.

In the middle of the town plaza, Sonic was sitting on a pile of wreckage. This wreckage being Eggman’s robots. He was overwhelmed when he heard that voice shout at him. That strong voice belonged to the giant crocodile who was also an incredible private detective... Vector the Crocodile.

The town and the people within it had not yet calmed down from the trouble caused by Eggman’s robot attack. Sonic replied with a sigh while looking towards Vector.

“Lady-Killer, heh. That’s right. But I’m more hungry than attractive right now. The chilidog shop hasn’t reopened yet.”

“Hahaha, seems about right. I rushed over here as soon as I heard trouble going down, but it seems like things settled down without my help.”

As dusk came, a red hue covered the white city. After the chaos subsided, Sonic and Vector consulted with the townspeople who had gathered around. They were told that Apotos has been attacked by Eggman’s robots every couple days for the past few months, but nobody knew why.

Vector danced to Sonic’s side with a big smile. His passion was bubbling up inside too as he said “Now things are getting pretty interesting!”

“If you need somebody to solve this mystery, just leave it to Vector! Let’s just make this clear. The reward for solving this will be food and drinks! Everybody knows of my talents. Ain’t that right, Sonic?”

Since Sonic was brought up, the townspeople became struck with interest as they looked at the Blue Blur.

“What!? Well...uh... I guess he’s the best detective I know...”

Vector burst out in such a good mood that he didn’t notice Sonic mumbling,

“Although I don’t know of any other detectives...”

“Yeah! I’m the leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency and there’s no mystery that good ol’ Vector can’t solve!”

Sonic shrugged and chuckled bitterly. Anyway, the investigation into the Apotos attacks would soon begin.

Vector was in a good mood as he surveyed his surroundings in the morning.

While listening to Sonic, who followed with a blank expression, Vector grinned as he traced footprints left on the road by some mischievous robots.

After spending about half the day following these footprints, they ended up in front of a general store. Vector gave a mysterious look as he began to connect the dots.

“This shop smells funny ...the robots gross footprints cross right in front of this shop... Moreover, we heard that the attacks only occurred on clear days... and all the robots seemed like they were breaking at the seams... I got it!”

Vector’s eyes opened wide as he shouted,

“The chilidogs in this shop are so delicious that the robots can’t resist them!”

“WHAT!? How’d you come to that conclusion!?”

"It is a well-known fact among the locals that this here store, "Seagulls of the Waves," is secretly a chili dog store! On a clear day, customers even line up. Even a robot that could fall apart at any moment would be lured in by the smell and they’d stand here in this soil just to get a bite!"

“Robots don’t even eat. Did you forget that?”

“That’s exactly what Eggman wants you to think!”

Vector slipped past Sonic and threw his momentum into the door, swinging it open. He was greeted by the elderly shopkeeper.

“Ah, so it’s just a general store. Daily necessities, souvenirs, stones, antiques, and... look what we have here! A chili dog!”

Vector walked around the store, letting his mouth run to the flabbergasted shopkeeper. He suddenly noticed a dark stone by the window. He closed his eyes for a moment and while reaching for it, he grabbed the chilidog and started scarfing it down!

“What’a know! This ain’t half bad! So, the real culprit is you, Old Man!”

As expected, the elderly man got pretty angry and kicked Vector out of his shop. Vector dashed out into the town!

“Don’t try that nonsense again!”

“Oh, but my deductions...”

Nevertheless, Sonic was getting sick of Vector’s messy investigation skills, but then he something stuck out to him.

“Was it... just a ploy for him to steal it...”

The streets of Apotos shined blue beneath the moonlight. On a small hill overlooking the town, there was the faint figure of Vector with a delightfully devilish smile. It seemed like something was shining in his right hand.

Eggman’s robots began to show up. They were older models, broken and moving awkwardly, but they had their eyes et on Vector; he was seen as an enemy.

“Is it because of this little guy?”

In Vector’s hand was the stone he “borrowed” from the general store. Vector let out a strong cough and then belted out in a loud voice,

“Our story begins with the old man at the general store picking up this little fella! Sometimes, this little stone shimmers with pure energy with seven colors. It definitely seems like those robots are attracted to this thing.”

Dozens of robots made a circle around Vector and started to close in on him.

“I wonder if the signal this thing was sending out was attracting these old junkbots. On a clear day like today, perhaps they were able to detect it from far off? The real criminal of this case... is this... CHAOS EMERALD!?”

Vector raised the Chaos Emerald to the night sky with his right hand.

As if one cue, the robots moved in to attack Vector from every direction, but they were all wiped out in an instant cause in the wake of a blue afterimage.

Vector smiled as the robots were lifted up and exploded into nothingness. After a brief moment, Sonic appeared there without making a sound.

“After all that, the great Sonic appears! Seems you heard me then!”

“I’m just relieved that the stupid voice I heard wasn’t just some guy giving a soliloquy, but it was you, Vector!”

Sonic had quickly realized that Vector had “borrowed” the Chaos Emerald from the general store and, on his own, was following the detective crocodile. However, there were still things that Sonic didn’t understand.

“Why’d you just run off without explaining anything?”

“Well, if everybody in the town knew the source of these attacks, it’d cause a lot of trouble for that nice shopkeeper, right? My rewards were already decided, so what’s a little bit of shame on top of that. You know?”

“Phew,” Sonic whistled as he was impressed. Throughout it all, Vector was focused on solving the case.

“Now I get it,” Sonic muttered as he looked around and then said,

“But Vector... the people of this town are kind and understanding. Right, everyone?”

Sonic then gave a signal as he turned around to show the townspeople coming to the two heroes; the elderly shopkeeper too.

“The stone I had grabbed caused so much trouble to everyone...”

The townspeople replied, “Nobody in Apotos blames you for this!” “That’s right.” “We all think so too!”

There was so much compassion for the old man. However, Vector wanted to know the whole story,

“Why are all the townsfolk here!?”

Sonic quickly replied, “Sorry! The truth is... since you stole the Chaos Emerald from the general store, I told the nice man that I’d catch you and I brought them here.”

“Hey, hey! What kind of sick joke is this!?”

“Can’t you see this is how it happened? Well, just by chance, everything sort of worked out in front of everybody. So it’s all good!”

“Urgggh! (Give me a break. You told everybody about what I did.)”

Sonic was thinking about Vector’s future with the people of this town.

That’s right. Sonic was making sure that Vector was being taken care of. Even when faced with such a cool hero, Vector gave way to a bitter smile.

After all, Sonic would take care of the Chaos Emerald. Now the people of Apotos didn’t need to worry about being attacked by robots. They seemed overjoyed with his revelation.

That night, a feast was held to celebrate solving the case and to celebrate the heroes’ success. Sonic was very happy with his pile of chili dogs.

It turns out that for the first few minutes, Sonic was reluctant to be quiet, but after having reading the room, he could see Vector was being called "Detective" by everybody. It put the crocodile in a very good mood!

Involuntarily, the Vector’s overly excited tone popped out.

"Oh, my beloved fans! I am Vector, the leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency, and there’s no mystery that I can't solve!"

Sonic responded with a thumbs-up.

"You got it... Mr. Lady-Killer!"

#Sonic the Hedgehog #Vector the Crocodile #Sonic Heroes #Sonic Unleashed #Team Chaotix

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milf-harrington · 4 years ago

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hello Theo my beloved:) for the 101 ways to say ily… how about sixty-two with some platonic mai and sokka? <3

hello corey <3 i am as obsessed with ace!mai as you are with ace!yue so here you go:

"You look like something's bothering you... You can talk to me if you need to."

Mai was lounging on a deck chair a safe distance from the pool, red sarong draped over it to avoid making contact with anything possibly unpleasant, and a beach umbrella faithfully protecting her from the sun. She looked every bit the regal and wealthy girl he'd first met as she lifted her smoothie glass and sipped from the straw.

(It was twisted into the word 'bitch' because Sokka had given it to her on the premise that it would be funny and Mai had just wanted to drink her smoothie.)

When Sokka dropped into the chair next to her, dripping water everywhere and breathing a little hard after his splash fight with Katara, she didn't react, eyes hidden behind her sunglasses.

"You okay?" He asked, watching her critically. Mai paused for barely half a second before putting her cup down on the fold-able table Sokka had brought.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, an added rasp to her voice that made Sokka's eyebrows draw together.

"You look like something's bothering you." He commented, taking note of the rigid set to her shoulders and down turned lips. She sighed but didn't respond, still not looking at him as she surveyed the pool.

Sokka looked over to where Zuko and Azula were having some sort of aggressive water-based wrestling match that would most likely end in a lifeguard being needed, Toph sitting on the edge of the pool and goading them on despite not knowing who was winning. It was loud and lively, a mix of shrieking and laughter and definitely un-kid friendly language.

Beside him, Mai was quiet and still, still looking as regal as she always did, but lacking the presence.

"You can talk to me if you need to." He finally added on, turning back to look at her profile so she knew he was being serious. She held firm for another minute, her face blank, before something in her seemed to sag and her shoulders relaxed back against the chair.

"I think there's something wrong with me." She confessed. Sokka shot her a look, suddenly confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never really understood the whole 'ogling' thing before." Mai started, crossing one of her legs over the other, the only physical sign that she was bothered. "You know- girls giggling about licking abs or how good someone would be in bed. I thought it was all just movie-stuff, exaggerated for entertainment. It was unrealistic."

Sokka thought back to a conversation with Yue, years ago, when she still bleached her hair and didn't wear a black ring around her middle finger.

Mai pushed her sunglasses up, eyebrows furrowed in thought and eyeliner still artfully intact.

"And then Ty Lee was always talking about boys and to boys and making flirty comments about their bodies, and I thought it was all just a performance. She's always performing for crowds.

"But then it would just be us in my room, watching some movie from the 2000's, and she'd nudge me and make those same sly comments about bodies and sex, just like the characters in those movies always seemed to and I started realising that maybe it is normal. It's not just movie stuff." She pulled her knees up to her chest and Sokka wanted to wrap her in his arms.

Mai was quiet for a bit, looking down at her toes and picking at the black polish on them. Sokka stayed silent, waiting for her to keep going.

"I figured I'd ignore it. It wasn't really anything anyway, so what if it wasn't movie stuff? I didn't really care either way. But..."

"But?" He encouraged, briefly wishing he'd dried off a bit as a breeze chilled the water on his shoulders. And then he felt guilty for thinking about towels while Mai was having a possible sexuality crisis.

"But then today, it's been non stop. Azula and Ty Lee were talking about a lifeguards legs for 20 minutes. 20 minutes Sokka!" She turned to him then, eyes wide with exasperation.

Under normal circumstances he might have been fond of the obvious display of emotion, but he kept it to himself.

"I just- I don't get it." She muttered. "I know human bodies are cool and I've studied more than enough of them in my classes, but I don't get what makes them drool or blush worthy. I've seen four people look at you like you're something to be eaten just in this conversation alone, but when I look at you you're just -" she gestured to him weakly. "- Sokka.

"People talk about sexual attraction like it's expected, like everyone just gets it but I don't. And I always figured that was fine, because I didn't care but now- What if there is something wrong with me Sokka? I mean, I don't feel broken or-or wrong-"

"Mai there's nothing wrong with you." Sokka promised, internally deciding 'fuck it' and reaching out to grab her wrist, gently holding her hand. She looked at him warily.

"Okay, surprisingly I've had this conversation before! Well- not this conversation, it was a bit different, but it was essentially the same conversation but with someone else who has different experiences but ultimately I think it'll be the same conclusion."

Mai raised an eyebrow, appearing both unimpressed and intrigued. He sighed and reorganised his thoughts.

"You know Yue? She's asexual. Openly so, so I'm not betraying her trust or anything by telling you, so please don't stab me for that." He hurriedly added on when her hand had tightened it's hold on his.

"Asexual?" Mai repeated, turning her head to find Yue, who was balancing on Suki's shoulders. Apparently Zuko and Azula's wrestling match had turned into a chicken fight.

"Yeah. I could go get her if you want? I mean, I could explain it but it'd probably be better coming from her."

Mai thought about it, her hand still safely held in his while she stared across the pool, before nodding.

A bit later, when Sokka was trying to convince Zuko to reenact the lake scene from Dirty Dancing with him, he saw Yue pull Mai into a hug and smiled, waving off his boyfriends questioning gaze.

When they left, Mai rode shotgun in Sokka's car, the two of them discussing the uses of body farms as he drove her home while Katara grimaced and turned her music up to block them out.

#asks #that-was-anticlimactic #mutuals #mai #sokka #mai / sokka friendship #ace mai #asexual mai #ace yue #asexual yue #im so sorry if the ending is shit i couldn't figure out how i wanted to finish it sdjfs

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camthesolemnone · 3 years ago

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Hi, I have like, 4 more ideas that came to me while I was at work, so #1: horror movie. Medic and Heacy are in their cottage, and have just watched a horror movie of some kind before they go to bed, right? Yeah. BUT! As they get ready, something odd happens that sets them both on edge (turns out it's just one of the birds or something) but they end up scarred and not wanting to go to sleep

I changed this one a bit but the main idea remains in-tact. I’m sorry that this took so long to get out and that the ending is kinda shitty. I’m working on the other prompts you sent me alongside this one! Also, I don’t know if you saw the pinned message or not but requests are now closed, so please hold off on sending any more.

"Is leetle Scout asleep as well?" Heavy asked, sitting comfortably on the rec room couch.

Medic nodded and reached for the VHS tape sitting on the glass table in the middle of the room. A tiny smile graced the Russian's features.

"Is good, we have television all to our selves!"

"Ja, and don't expect to sleep tonight, Mikhail! Herr Engineer told me that this is one of the scariest movies he’s ever seen," Ludwig replied, holding up the tape for his partner to see.

Written across the label in black sharpie was the simple word, 'Halloween.' The label should have been difficult to read in the dark, but the Russian noticed how it almost seemed to radiate a burgundy light...must have been some crazy glow-in-the-dark marker Engineer had invented, he concluded. Heavy crossed his arms triumphantly and laughed.

"Do not count on it, Doktor! Heavy is not phased by baby horror films!”

“Oh, we’ll see about that!”

A moment of time was spent struggling to find out which remote went to which device, but eventually, the pair got the movie inside the VHS player and smiled excitedly as color flooded the screen. Ludwig left the room briefly to make popcorn and plopped down on the couch next to his lover to click “Play” on the title screen upon his return.

“If Doktor gets scared, you can hold onto me~” Mikhail teased, and Ludwig shoved his shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re 45 years old, liebe? Because right now, you sound like a lovestruck teenager!” The doctor shot, handing him the popcorn bowl.

“Well...” Heavy began, settling a massive arm around Medic’s shoulders, “One part of that statement is correct.”

Unsurprisingly, Heavy was correct about being immune to the movie’s horrors. Then again, Medic was also not affected by the film, so they took more pleasure in the plot and the acting then the actual scary moments.

Of course, Ludwig grew giddy when gore was involved.

“Hohoho! Look at all of that blood! If I was the killer in this scenario, I would collect it for future use,” he commented.

Heavy raised a questioning eyebrow and attempted to distract himself with the popcorn, but he soon came to the realization that there was nothing left but kernels. His German companion took to removing the bucket from his grasp and standing up.

“I need to use the bathroom, so I’ll take this back on the way,” the doctor stated, and the heavy weapons specialist nodded in response.

Mikhail was left all alone with the intensifying film in the dimly lit room. He would never admit it, but now that Ludwig was gone, he felt smaller. It wasn’t a feeling of fear but of slight unease; things would likely be alright for Heavy, but there was always a shred of uncertainty.

As time passed and the movie reached its climax, Heavy became more and more enthralled with the action, to the point where he forgot about Medic’s absence. His eyes were fixated on the glowing screen, his hands gripped tightly at the wool blanket surrounding him. Mikhail fell deep into the world of gruesome fantasy, and as a consequence, he nearly shot out of his seat at the sound of rapid footsteps and whisper-shouting coming from down the hall.

“Heavy! Oi, big guy!” Demoman said, urgency in his tone.

The Russian let his blanket drop to the floor and stared at the demolitions expert with confusion and anxiousness. The Scot all but captured his arm with both of his own and began dragging him down the hall as best as he could.

“Slow down, Tavish. What is this about?” Mikhail asked.

Demo turned his gaze back to his teammate.

“The Doc ‘s dead in the cludgie!”

Heavy’s eyes widened with shock, emotional pain, and fury towards whoever had committed such an act. Sure, Medic would respawn, but whoever had laid a finger on his beloved doctor was in for a beatdown. Unless it was an accident, in which case Mikhail would scold the German about being reckless.

The pair burst through the door to the community showers and the Russian nearly gasped at the sight. Ludwig laid unmoving in the center of the room with blood staining the front of his lab coat and the ground surrounding him. There was no weapon to be found, but in the corner of the room, with his back towards the door, sat a curled up, trembling, mumbling Scout.

Mikhail’s first thought was that Jeremy had committed this grisly murder, but Tavish put a hand out in front of his chest before he could progress. The Russian opted for whispering Medic’s name as a substitute.

“Scout! What the hell happened here!” Demo cried.

The young runner didn’t reply. He continued to rock back and forth, murmuring and wrapping his arms around himself. The Scot approached him cautiously, taking a calm, more concerned approach. Heavy followed.

“Aye, are you alright, mate?”

Demo reached out to put a hand on Scout’s shoulder, and a series of rapid events unfolded.

Scout’s entire body whipped around and stood up, and the Bostonian let out a high pitched, almost demonic screech. In his left hand was a knife stained in blood, Medic’s blood, and Heavy and Demo exhibited two very different reactions.

Demoman yelped and jumped back, going into flight mode. The massive Russian on the other hand, fearful for the lives of himself and his friend, took a strong step forward and lashed out at Jeremy’s face. One square punch to the jaw was enough to send the man flying across the communal bathroom and into the wall. He slumped over after the hit, out cold.

“What in the-! It was almost like that boy was possessed!” Demo shouted.

When Mikhail and Tavish’s hurried breathing finally began to slow, a new sound rang throughout the room: laughter.

Medic was rolling on the floor alive and well, laughing his ass off and further soiling his labcoat. Heavy gasped out a “Doktor!” at the man’s sudden revival while Demoman stood frozen.

“Hahaha! I can’t believe it! I just thought I’d have a bit of fun scaring you, liebe, but watching you knock out Scout was far more amusing!” The doctor exclaimed, rolling on his stomach and propping himself up on his elbows like a teenage girl lying on her bed while talking to a friend over the phone.

Demoman was the first to flare up.

“What?! So you’re saying this was all a prank?! You’re sick in the head, Medic!”

The Scot was tempted to slap him silly, but with Heavy in the room, that clearly wasn’t an option. With another frustrated grunt, he stomped off and back to bed.

Now it was Heavy’s turn.

“That was not funny, Ludwig! Heavy thought you were dead!” He scowled.

The doctor hauled himself off the ground and stood up straight, wiping some of the fake(?) blood on his hands off onto his lab coat.

“What’s there to worry about? Even if I had been stabbed, I would have just respawned, Mikhail.”

“I know, but...”

Medic’s expression dropped. His love had one massive paw gripping his opposite forearm and his face was distraught. He looked smaller, scared almost, and a tiny crack situated itself in the German’s heart. If he had known such an act would hurt Heavy so deeply, he wouldn’t have even thought about going through with it. There was also the issue of Scout. Ludwig relished the sight of the cocky, annoying Boston boy being beat up, but for once, he regretted roping him into his plans. The runner had been all too willing to help him with the scare, and Medic repaid him with his bear’s violence.

He sighed and shook his head at himself internally. Yes, his prank hadn’t been very rational, he concluded.

With slow, apologetic steps, Medic approached his partner and wrapped his arms around him gently, rubbing his broad back with one hand.

“Es tut mir leid, Heavy. This was all very foolish of me,” he admitted.

Heavy returned the embrace and buried his nose into his doctor’s hair, which smelled of blood and autumn leaves.

“You know it is because I do not like seeing you hurt, moya lyubov. Every time evil Spy kills you on battlefield, my blood boils. Would sacrifice myself a million times to keep you safe,” he murmured, and Ludwig’s heart cracked a little more.

His arms tightened around the giant with increased guilt. It pained him profoundly to see Mikhail die too.

“I love you, Heavy. From the bottom of my soul, I am truly sorry.”

The Russian moved one hand from the smaller man’s waist to cup his cheek protectively.

“I love you too, Doktor, but please, do not play with death. Someday, we will not get another life.”

The credits of the movie had long concluded by the time the two of them returned to the rec room. Medic was rather disappointed that he had missed the latter half of the film, but what made up for it was a soft kiss to his forehead and a set of teasing words given to him by his lover before being sent off to sleep.

“Next time, we watch psychological thriller, da? Less gore will give you less dangerous ideas,” Mikhail suggested, patting a hand on Ludwig’s shoulder.

The doctor laughed and gave him a sly smile that warded off his fears, allowed him to breathe normally again. He was still alive.

“I like the sound of that, but you’re making the popcorn!”

#tf2 #heavymedic #horror films #fanfiction

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strawberrylemonz · 4 years ago

Text

Accepted Invitation

Part 1

Part 2 [CURRENT]

Part 3

DT: @bargledblocks my beloved <3 and @snapdragonfirefly my beloved <3

“Chat, stop being dickheads.”

Kristin shook her head as she narrowed her eyes at Phil, who smiled at her.

“He gets that from you.”

“What? Never! He must have learned it from someone else!”

As the two playfully bickered, accusing each other of starting Tommy’s cursing habit, they failed to notice the guilty look that covered the twin’s expression. Ghostbur, not being able to read the atmosphere or situation, whispered in a loud manner.

“Heeeeeey, didn’t we teach him how to curse.”

“You two did what?”

“Nothing! Let’s move on!”

Tommy hummed as he happily navigated through the unfamiliar Portal Hub. He had heard stories of what it was like from his father and brothers, so he was more than excited to finally navigate through it himself. Look at him go! TommyInnit, the most badass adventurer around! He would be so cool, just like his family!

“What is he doing on the main server? Why is he walking around the Portal Hub?”

“I don’t know, but does it matter?”

“Of course it does-!”

“Does not.”

Just as he was about to enter a different section of the Portal Hub, the sound of a small peep caught his attention. Turning around with a smile, he held out his hand as he caught a baby chick, gently petting it with his finger.

“Hello, little guy. New god?”

“Yes, little chick, I am!”

“Did Clara and Mother lead you my way?”

“They did! They couldn’t help but say good things about you, so I just had to come and see you for myself! I hope I’m not going to stay this small forever.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get bigger the longer you stick around with me. Mother and Clara are already fully grown chickens, but there’s other deities who are still puffy chicks, like you.”

“Wonderful! Can I stay on your person?”

“Sure, why not? Here, just stay there.”

“Thank you, young chick.”

“Not a problem!”

“I’m sorry, gods?”

“Are you telling me that Tommy’s just as crazy as his family? I mean, come on, Chat? Voices? Obvious red flag-”

“That’s not very nice, Dream.”

Dream frowned and tried to cover his ears, doing his best to block out Ghostbur. Techno and Wilbur just sat in silence, watching the form of their brother as he happily interacted with his voices, with his chat. He seemed so much more in control than they ever were at his age. Overall, they were just shocked that he even had a chat, and they didn’t know. Watching the interaction, Ranboo voiced his observation.

“Hey, Tommy kinda has what Phil does.”

“What do you mean, Boo?”

“Phil has a bunch of crows that follow him around, Tommy has baby chicks. Kinda funny, if you ask me.”

Tommy smiled as he tucked the chick into his shirt pocket, happy to see the little fella content. Peering into his satchel, he smiled as he nodded to a small group of chicks huddled in there, peering up at him. Their peeps comforted him as he entered the new area, clutching the straps of both his backpack and satchel tightly in his grip. Mumbling as he studied the different portals, he couldn’t help but snort as familiar clucking caught his attention. Turning around, he waved as a clucking chicken ran to him, flapping into his arms.

“Hello, Mother.”

Quackity snorted, only to quickly move to cover his mouth. Kristin raised an eyebrow as she turned to face him, curiosity painting her face. Nervous laughter erupted from the man’s throat as he scratched the back of his neck, trying to explain.

“It’s just, seeing him call a chicken mother was kind of funny.”

Kristin laughed as she nodded in agreement, she and Clara sharing knowing looks.

“It is funny, yeah.”

The chicken clucked as she rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling in. Waiting as he held her close, he smiled as a red aura came off the chicken, forming a mass in front of him. Floating there, arms crossed, was Kristin. Humming as she looked around the area, she spoke up in a confident manner.

“Joining your Chat was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. Now I just need to track down your brothers and join their Chats, talk some sense into them during my free time.”

“Good to see you too, Mum.”

Kristin chuckled as she shook her head. Pressing her lips together, she gave her youngest son a pointed look.

“Now, Tommy, why are you here? You should be at home, with the others. The Hub is a big and unpredictable place, no nine year old should be wandering around here unsupervised.”

“But I’m not unsupervised, you’re here!”

Placing her hands on her hips, she shook her head as she sharpened her look, making the child avoid her gaze.

“I mean by someone who is physically there to watch you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter, Mum, I’m a Big Man!”

“I don’t doubt you are, but you still shouldn’t be here on your own. Here, let’s get you back to your father and brothers-”

“No!”

“Yelling at his mother, how rude!”

Niki shook her head in distaste as Jack nodded in agreement.

“She must have the will of thousands to deal with someone like Tommy.”

Kristin frowned at the statements being made behind her. It hurt her that the people her son admired and looked to spoke ill of him behind his back. What hurt her the most, however, was the lack of defense from her husband or sons. Instead, the defense came from someone else.

“Hey, leave the kid alone! Look at him, he’s just a child!”

“Quackity is right, Tommy’s nine here. Besides, if Kristin see’s something wrong with his tone, I’m sure she’d put him back in line.”

A satisfied hum came from Kristin as she smiled at Quackity and Ranboo, glad to see that some people had some sense in themselves.

Kristin frowned as she raised an eyebrow, tilting her head towards her youngest son. Tommy peered down at the chicken in his arms, ashamed. Sighing, he nodded as he looked back at her.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I just- I can’t go back.”

“Why not?”

“I hate being alone.”

The group watched as tears welled up in the child’s eye. They all felt a pinch of pain and hurt in their chests, frowning at how Tommy was feeling. Watching as he wiped his tears away with the chicken, they couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

“What do you mean by alone? I’m sure that if you just ask your brothers if you can join in sparring-”

“They left.”

“...What? What do you mean they left? What about your father? What did he say about this?”

“He left too. They all left me alone in the cottage. Something about being invited to a new server? They sent letters back home for me to read, but they stopped coming in two months ago. Dad and Techno started a nation, I think. The Antarctic Empire, or something. Wilbur started his own, but I think he’s allied with them? It got confusing after a while.”

“L’manburg wasn’t Wilbur’s first country?”

“Forget that, the anarchists started a country?!”

“Letters stopped two months ago? When did they leave you behind?”

“Um, I’m not sure? They left November twenty-second.”

“Wha- Tommy, it’s July fourth! They’ve been gone for almost seven months!

“Wow, really? It’s been that long? Huh, would you look at that! I’m a master survivor!”

“Ow!”

“I still don’t forgive you for that! How could you leave our son behind like that?! For seven months?!”

“Kristin-”

“Don’t, we’ll talk about this later.”

“And you’ve been alone all along? What about our sweet neighbors? Aren’t you best friends with that boy your age?”

“Tubbo went with his dad on a trip a few months back.”

“Schlatt took him on a trip? Huh, weird. And what about Lani?”

“What’s so surprising about that? I can be a loving and cool father, right Tubbo? Lani?”

The two siblings avoided the ram’s gaze, mumbling excuses so they did not need to reply.

“Adopted dad took her on a different trip after she got upset that Schlatt left her behind.”

“Well, count on Jordan to cheer his daughter up.”

“The Captain is cool like that, Mum.”

“You bet he is! Man, I need to go on a trip with him again. He’d love to meet Michael!”

“Knowing dad, he’s gonna freak after seeing that his only son is married and has a child.”

“I think you’re wrong, Lani, dad will be fiiiiiiiiiiinnnnne.”

“Whatever.”

“Well, where are you going, Tommy? Joining them on this new server?”

“I was, but I decided not to.”

“And why not?”

“I was invited to a different server! See?”

Kristin watched as Tommy reopened his satchel, greeting the chicks who napped inside. Carefully pulling out an envelope, he smiled as he pulled out the card. Presenting it to his mother with pride, Tommy giggled with glee as she read the name of the server.

“Dream SMP?”

“Yup! Started back in April, I think? I got the invite a month back, and I’ve been preparing to leave ever since! Isn’t that cool? Someone thinks I’m cool enough to join a server!”

Kristin studied the face of her son, watching as he happily rambled about his plans for the new server. He didn’t fool her, he never could. She knew that despite his excitement, he was lonely and scared. He didn’t want to be alone.

“You’re not going to make me go back to the cottage, are you?”

“You know what? I’ll follow you wherever you choose to go.”

“Really?!”

“Absolutely, my ray of sunshine.”

“Oh, thank you!”

Pure love and happiness filled everyone as Tommy held the chicken close to himself, ignoring the strange looks people gave him as he mumbled his thanks.

“He really loves you, doesn’t he?”

“As do I for him. If I could live every day outside of my realm, I’d be by my family’s side every day.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Now, let’s see this Dream SMP, okay?”

“M’kay!”

“You guys left Tommy all by himself when he was nine? Kinda wack, ngl.”

“Did you just verbally abbreviate “not going to lie” in real life?”

“That’s not the point, Sapnap.”

“I know, but still.”

Wilbur refused to speak or look at anyone. He didn’t know why the train brought him and the others here, but he knew that being sat with his family made him uncomfortable. Technoblade just sat beside his twin, messing with his hands as he silently thought things over. Peering at his parents and brother, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had been unfair towards his youngest brother. He didn’t regret doing what he did to L’manburg, the country deserved it. He didn’t regret a thing, no matter what Tommy said or did. He didn’t even know why the voices and his own consciousness felt uneasy by this all, nothing bad hadn’t even occurred yet! It was definitely uncomfortable to feel what Tommy was feeling during these events, but that was the only thing that truly explained his uneasiness.

He watched as his mother whispered to his father, her stare firm and strong. The ex-citizens of L’manburg all conversed with one another, sharing their observations so far. They all shared the same question, he knew this, but only one was brave enough to ask it. Watching as Drista made her way from Lani to Kristin, Techno watched with amusement.

“Excuse me? Mrs. Minecraft? Where is Tommy?”

“Oh, simple! None of us wanted him to revisit all these moments that may be uncomfortable for him, so he’s somewhere safe.”

Before anyone else could ask anything else, they were suddenly overwhelmed with excitement and joy. Turning around they watched as Tommy spawned into a new server, his mother’s chicken in his arms. Petting her head as he looked around, Tommy addressed his small following of chicks and chickens.

“Boys! Welcome to the Dream SMP!”

#The Reluctant Hero's Tale #The Reluctant Hero's Tale AU #Tommy is gremlin child pog

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sadachmesarthim · 4 years ago

Text

towers for your honeycomb chapter 3: no i do not condone underage drinking i just think it's a good plot devic-

content: the boys have One Beer Each™, peter both sets and completely ignores his own boundaries, author remembers the communion chapter from "how to read literature like a professor" and bastardizes it, both of them have anxiety but neither say anything about it, smoking

words: 2k song: outskirts of paradise - bad suns

Looking Tony in the eye was like staring at the sun. Peter could barely hold his gaze, always finding an excuse to turn away.

He was sat in front of the other man a few weeks later, sharing drinks and pizza at a new brewery down the road. It’d cost him his liquor license, and potentially a clean record, if anyone found out, but Richie (their most beloved regular) offered to let the pair try the latest house brew if they ever swung through.

Peter wasn’t one for beer, but he’d accepted Tony’s invite anyway.

He wasn’t entirely sure why. Since their fight, they’d worked all of maybe three hours together. No other shifts, they avoided each other at meetings, and neither were particularly willing to reach out off the clock and apologize.

It was like the world was screaming at them to stay away from each other.

Peter wasn’t sure he wanted to listen.

After his shift that morning, Peter found Tony outside, leaning up against the hood of his car & working through his second cigarette. He drummed on the side of his thigh, keeping his empty hand busy as he waited for Peter to come out. Tony jumped at the sight of him, tossing the half finished cig down a storm drain.

“You know those lead straight to the ocean, right?” There was more amusement than anger behind his words. Peter wasn’t entirely sure what Tony was up to, but he was too tired to start shit. He crossed to the passenger side of his car, tossing his belongings to the floor.

“Even if it didn’t go through the city’s filtration system – fuck the fish.” Peter rolled his eyes. Funny as he was, Tony always had to be contradictory.

“Don’t you have, like, a school of them on your shoulder?” Tony’s normally visible salmon tattoos were safely tucked away behind a denim jacket Peter’d never seen before.

“Irrelevant.” Peter rounded the hood and turned, facing the other man. “Did you need something or were you just here to argue about my town’s plumbing system?” He huffed the words out, arms crossing in front of his chest expectantly.

“I, uh…” He suddenly went silent. The ground crunched under Tony’s feet, gravel scraping asphalt under his shoes. They were a rattier pair he owned – more tape than sole, oil staining the canvas.

“I wanted to know if you’d come to lunch with me. Today. Like, right now?” He hesitated at the last few words, like he wasn’t sure he could say them out loud. “I, uh. I’m pretty sure I have some things to say to you, and Richie’s got some good stuff waiting for us at the Pub House…”

Peter was astounded. “Who are you, and what have you done with my Tony?” My Tony? What? “I- why should I trust you? I’m sure as hell not getting in a car with you.”

Tony’s face fell. A bit of- what, disappointment? flew across his face. Peter would’ve missed it had he not been staring, impatient for his answer. Tony, floundering at the rejection, couldn’t give him one.

“Okay, maybe- how about this. I’ll think about it. Give me five minutes to go wash up and I’ll be back.” He turned & headed inside, not waiting for a response.

The cool water felt good against his burning, salt-stained cheeks. Peter hadn’t realized just how tired he was – opens had always taken it out of him, and the early spring temperatures didn’t always prevent the stand from turning into a heater during rush hour.

The soap in the stand was always too fragrant for his taste, but it did the job – it felt good to wash away the day’s work and come back looking like a new man. He smoothed his eyebrows down and dried himself off, wetting his hair a bit as he finished.

He wound up with grind in it again, brushing it out with a comb he found in the first aid kit. One of these days he was going to have to start wearing hats to work. Shampooing his hair every single day was taking its toll on his curls, and he wasn’t a fan of burnt coffee smell.

Stepping back, he squinted into the warped mirror in front of him. Much better.

Back outside, Tony’d lit up his third cigarette of the day. The shakes’d largely abandoned him, allowing his anxiety to drift inward. The sticks only did so much – he missed the higher, stronger hit of his Suorin, but he was trying to quit (ironically enough).

He was actually able to finish this one by the time Peter made his way back outside, looking significantly better without $5 worth of product on his face.

“Okay, some rules.” He came up, stopping just short of Tony. “You’re paying for both of us. We leave whenever I want, without complaint. We go straight there and come straight back - it’s eight blocks, I don’t want any bullshit scenic routes.” His tone was firm – something Tony’d never encountered with him before.

“Yes. Yes, anything. Okay.”

Tony’s car was a lot nicer than Peter anticipated. He’d recently sold his truck, swapping it for a silver Mini Cooper instead. It was a pretty little thing, just up his alley.

It was also fucking obnoxious. He’d bought it with a modified exhaust and had plans to make it even louder. You could almost always hear him coming, little pop pop pops audible for quite a ways.

It was… less clean than Peter expected. Tony was always so well put together, so well-maintained - seeing stray gum wrappers and drink cups littered around the interior was almost jarring. He didn’t realize he was staring until Tony spoke up.

“She’s nice, isn’t she?” Peter nodded. He silently took in his new surroundings, nerves on fire. He’d never done well around strangers, in new places. His mind’d always screamed at him, danger unsafe bad run, overriding his sensibilities.

“Hey, are you good? I can take you back if you need.” They’d barely left the Outback parking lot.

“No- no, I think I’ll be okay. Just… not where I thought I’d end up when I woke up today, y’know?” Peter tried to laugh it off, but he’d always been pretty transparent.

Tony turned a corner, cutting back into the lot they just came from and turning the car off. “Seriously, Peter. If you don’t want to come to lunch with me just say so. I’ll take you back to your car and we can pretend it never happened.” Okay, seriously, who the fuck is this guy and what did he do with Tony?

“No, I- I think I’m okay. Seriously. Let’s just go and get it over with - I kinda want to hear you grovel anyway.” He settled further into his seat, failing to shake away the agitation.

The flatbread was actually really good. It was more of a hipster take on pizza - white sauce and pearl onions definitely making it stand out - but it wasn’t a bad lunch by any means.

The beer definitely wasn’t Peter’s favorite. He was barely sipping by, trying hard to keep a straight face as he swallowed. Damn Richie anyway.

It’d started off awkward enough - discussing where to sit, small talk about their week, the weather. It felt more like a bad first date than an apology, but-

“I really am sorry. For what happened in the fridge.”

Oh.

“Okay. Why?” Peter tightened the hand around his glass, bracing for Tony’s next words.

“I.. I was kind of an asshole when I was younger, too. I figured I could make a fresh start here with a brand new town of people that didn’t know or assume anything about me.

“I was doing okay for a little while, too, but I don’t know man I just.. something happened and I just- I don’t know why I’m a dick to you. But I’m trying not to be. This is that, like, ‘first step’, I guess?” Peter nodded along, attentive.

"So, I don't know. I'm sorry for being a dick to you at work. I'm sorry for being a dick to the girls. I shouldn't yell at you or drag your family into this bullshit - I'm sorry, Peter."

There it was again, that name. His first fucking name.

“I- thank you, Tony. It’s a start, and I certainly haven’t forgiven you, but… thank you. Seriously.” Tony sighed, shoulders visibly relaxing. Peter let go of his glass and wiped it off, standing and walking around to Tony’s side of the table.

“Okay then, time for a do-over! Hi, I’m Peter Parker. I’m 19 and I’ve worked at Outback North Espresso for a little over 9 months. What’s your name?” He stuck his hand out, waiting for Tony to make the next move.

Tony laughed, pushing his chair back and standing to meet the other teen. “Okay, uh, I’m Tony Stark, I’m 18, and I’ve worked at Outback for almost 6. Nice to re-meet you, Peter.” He shook Peter’s hand, awestruck at just how soft it was. He quickly steeled his face and sat back down, releasing Peter and allowing him to do the same.

Once he was sat back down at his side, Peter looked up, confused. “Wait, you’re still 18?”

Tony laughed. “Not for long. My birthday’s at the end of next month.”

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m older than you!”

Tony rolled his eyes. “That’s - it’s literally three months, that barely counts.”

Their debate lasted well into the afternoon, alongside several other discussions. Peter’s childhood in Richland, and what it was like growing up there. What Federal Way was like, and why Tony left. Peter could tell he was remaining intentionally vague, but didn’t push it.

Their beers were warm and the pizza was long gone by the time they abandoned their table. Tony guided him out the back, hand high on his arm.

Once they were back in the car, Peter’s anxiety returned. It was like he’d spent the last few hours speaking to a completely different person, and now that he was sitting mere inches from Tony…

He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t. He wasn’t… sure, exactly. What it was.

Tony spoke up when he noticed the tension in his passenger seat.

“Hey, we’ll get you back to your car soon, I promise. Eight blocks, remember?” His right hand made its way to Peter’s knee, digging soft circles into the denim. Just like in the fridge.

“Please don’t- don’t touch me. Without asking.” It came out harsher than intended.

“Okay, all good. No worries. We’re like, two minutes away.” Tony eased off the clutch, turning right out of the parking lot and onto the road. The windows rolled down and Peter let his head fall back in relief. Fresh air always helped him clear his head.

It really was a short drive - right turn, left turn, right turn - and they were back at Peter’s car. The doors unlocked, and he was out in an instant. A bit too fast to be respectful, if he was being honest, but he knew he needed out. Tony stopped him before he was able to get in his car.

“Hey, for real. Thank you for today. I’m sorry if it was too much.”

Peter looked over and down to meet his eyes. “I- yeah, of course. No, yeah, thank you. For the apology. I’m sorry I freaked out on you. But no this- it was good. Yeah. Thank you, Tony.”

He turned, unlocking the door and closing it before either could say anything else. After turning the key he sped off, without throwing even a glance behind him.

Tony watched as Peter peeled away, reaching for the box of Pall Malls in his cupholder. He lit one, shifting into first and heading in the opposite direction.

Not bad. Not good, but not bad.

lmk if u want on or off the tags list!

@snowstark @kaleidoscopeluli @parkerrbitch @carelessannie @bluestarker @longlivestarker

#starker #peter parker/tony stark #.mine #peter parker x tony stark #ironspider #coffee shop au #.text #.fic

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redrobbingabank · 4 years ago

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Reparations

I wrote a one shot that was fluffy. Nice and happy. My friend proceeds to go ‘i want to make this angsty’. I gave her a copy of the doc and she did. These are the two things that camoe out of it, yes hers is better I just wanted happiness. Anyway twenty notes and I’ll post the version where we talk on the doc while she worked and I do everything I can to make her life harder.

Mine:

“Slime, can you go get Foolish? I need advice on these blueprints,” Quackity called without looking up from the blueprints he was hunched over, hands pressed against the wood like if he applied enough pressure his energy would seep into the design. There were plans to build a new casino, and he had never been as good a builder as the totem god.

“Who’s Slime?” Quackity froze. He hadn’t heard that voice in months. He looked down to his side, where a pair of wedding rings were sitting on the table, and turned around.

Sapnap stood behind him, hands in the pockets of his hoodie. He’d taken his armor off, but his sword was still sheathed at his side and his headband was in its usual place on his head. He looked around the casino appreciatively. “Nice place you got here.”

“Well, it's not as good as a kingdom, but I tried,” Quackity said before he could stop himself. He crossed his arms defensively over his chest.

Sapnap’s smile turned into a grimace. His eyes slid down to the rings on the table. “Quackity… I came to apologize. I… we –– George and I thought… Kinoko was Karl’s idea. He said he was going to invite you. With everything that’s been happening, I should have checked. You’re always a part of anything we make.”

“Oh,” Quackity said quietly. “Wait… what’s going on with Karl?”

“I don’t know.” Sapnap frowned and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Something’s up with him and he won’t tell me what it is, but he keeps forgetting things.” It would be killing him to watch Karl hurting. The thought of it made Quackity’s heart twist painfully.

“Should we go check on him? Maybe I could try talking to him,” he offered.

“He’s been gone for a few days.”

Quackity sighed. They weren’t strangers to Karl’s disappearances, but for one to happen right when he might need help was infuriatingly inconvenient. “When he gets back, then.”

“Yeah. When he gets back.” Sapnap looked towards the casino’s skylight for a moment, then back at him. “Until then, wanna give me the tour?”

“Something in Quackity woke up. It was that feeling, that thrill he got from showing a new project that had done well to people he cared about. He wasn’t sure when it had gone away, but suddenly it was there again. He smiled. “Of course.”

Leading the way out of the casino, Quackity took a deep breath. He’d been inside too long. The sun reflecting off the sand made him blink quickly. Where to show Sapnap? He didn’t want him to see the wedding bridge, but the strip club felt stupid now that he thought of it. Then again, it was Sapnap. He’d probably think it was funny.

“Where do you wanna start?” he asked finally, turning back to his fiance.

Sapnap grinned. “How about there?” He nodded towards the strip club.

Quackity laughed, because he still knew Sapnap and from the look on his face, Sapnap still knew him. “Right this way, then.”

It didn’t take any time for things to return to the way they always were. Sapnap walked into the club, nodded approvingly, and said, “Quackity, I think the wedding’s off.” They cracked up, and the conversation flowed from there as Quackity led him around, explaining everything he’d had even a minor thought about in the design. Sapnap followed along, commenting like he was both a comedian and a reviewer with only good opinions.

“You really did an amazing job, Q,” he said as they stepped out of the elevator after looking at the tower.

How long had it been since someone told him he did a good job? Quackity couldn’t remember, and it was making it embarrassingly hard for him to talk. He smiled his thanks, and got out, “So where next?”

“Let’s go over there.” Sapnap gestured to the bridge.

“Oh. Alright.” Quackity led the way over more slowly than he had the other ones. They ascended the steps and stopped in the middle of the bridge. “So. This is kind of. An express marriage spot?”

Sapnap’s eyes widened. “Oh. Like, for people who get really drunk and want to make a dumb decision?”

“Well, I mean, I tried to make it pretty. Anyone could get married here, it’s not just for idiots.” Quackity shoved his hands in his pockets, staring holes into the ground. “Or maybe it is. I don’t know.” Maybe only idiots got married. Prime knew he’d learned love didn’t last long enough.

“Well, I’d get married here.” Quackity looked up. Sapnap was still there, watching him, smiling like he always did when he knew Quackity was doubting himself.

“Really?”

“Yeah! It’s gorgeous, Q.”

“Oh.” Quackity smiled.

“You wanna come back with me to Kinoko?” Sapnap asked. “I mean, I know you looked really busy working on that stuff before I came over, but ––”

“–– No, no, I’d love to go!” Quackity said quickly.

“I –– awesome.” Sapnap smiled. He clearly hadn’t expected Quackity to say yes. “It’s not that far from here.”

“Aww, you know I’d go to the ends of the earth for you, beloved.” Quackity put an arm around Sapnap, letting himself be led out of Las Nevadas.

“You stole Tubbo’s line.”

Quackity’s smile soured for half a second. He glanced at the outpost out of the corner of his eye. “Maybe I did. Maybe he stole it from me.”

Sapnap laughed, pulling him towards the main town. “Sure, sure.”

The outpost could wait. Maybe Tubbo really hadn’t meant anything bad with it. Quackity could have another talk with him tomorrow, to see if a real compromise could be made. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand Tubbo’s need for walls. For the first time in a while, he let it fade to the back of his mind as he followed his fiance to Kinoko.

Hers:

“Slime, can you go get Foolish? I need advice on these blueprints,” Quackity called without looking up, hands pressed against the wood like if he applied enough pressure his energy would seep into the design. There were plans to build another new casino, and he had never been as good a builder.

“Who’s Slime?”

Quackity froze. Impossible.

The creak of floorboards gave away shifting feet, and then, “Quackity?”

A cold shiver snaked through Quackity’s spine. He hadn’t heard that voice in months. He looked at his desk, burning holes with his eyes where a pair of wedding rings sat in the drawer, still encased in plush fabric at the bottom of an ocean of plans. Quackity never mustered up the courage to fling them into the real thing. He blinked, erasing the image from his mind, and turned around.

Sapnap stood behind him, hands in the pockets of his hoodie. As nonchalant as ever.

Quackity felt the hope he didn’t know he was holding fizzle. There would be no apology today.

Sapnap had taken his armor off, but his sword was still sheathed at his side and his headband was in its usual place on his head. He looked around the casino appreciatively. “Nice place you got here.”

“Well, it's not as good as a kingdom ––” Quackity spat before he could think better of it. He took as steady of a breath as he could. “–– But I tried,” He crossed his arms defensively over his chest.

Sapnap’s smile turned into a grimace. His eyes slid down to the rings on the table. “Quackity… I came to apologize.”

“Oh? How kind of you!”

Sapnap flinched. “I… we –– George and I thought…”

Sapnap stopped speaking the moment he realized Quackity wasn’t listening. The axe on the wall beckoned him. His fingers tingled with anticipation; how wonderful it would feel to put it through––

He shut his eyes, willing Sapnap to disappear so he could get on with his casino in his beautiful country that was all his own, now. His baby. The only love he could afford to have.

“Kinoko was Karl’s idea.”

Quackity can’t help himself. “Like that makes it any different?”

Sapnap scrambled for words. “He said he was going to invite you! With everything that’s been -- er -- happening, I should have checked.”

“George told me.”

“I -- what?”

“George told me. You didn’t invite me. Not even then.”

Sapnap took a step back, absorbing the information. Sputtering, practically.

“You’re trying to figure out when, right? When I knew. When you refused to show. I bet it’s making you sick.”

“Alex, that’s not how it happened, we ––”

“Don’t call me that!” Quackity practically hollered, palms screaming with the pain of his nails digging in his fist. He lowered his voice, repeating, “you don’t get to call me that.”

Sapnap blinks a few times, gaping like a fish. If Quackity’s not mistaken, he might be about to cry. Good. (The funny thing is, Quackity doesn’t feel any better.)

Quackity spins on his heel, pulling out his chair. “Whatever you came for, I don’t want it,” he says as he tries to focus his attention back on the blueprint. He doesn’t wait for an answer, too busy trying not to let his eyes burn. It all comes soaring back. As if Quackity could trick himself out of it.

Sapnap must still stand there, because finally, he whispers, “you’re always a part of anything we make.”

Quackity isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. It simply wasn’t true. Not anymore. Quackity keeps his eyes down, hoping his voice doesn’t come out as broken as he feels. “I wish I could believe that.”

Sapnap doesn’t leave, and Quackity, despite himself, can’t make him. He replays what Sapnap said, latching on to one detail.

“What’s going on with Karl?”

That, at least, seems to get him talking. “I don’t know.” Sapnap frowned and shifted his weight from foot to foot. The floorboards creak in turn, and Quackity remembers exactly how Sapnap used to be. A child that Quackity could never hate. “Something’s up with him and he won’t tell me what it is, but he keeps forgetting things.” It would be killing him to watch Karl hurting and not know. The thought of it made Quackity’s heart twist painfully.

“Should we go check on him? Maybe I could try talking to him,” he offered. More generously than they had been. Automatically, Quackity dreads seeing Karl’s face again, if it goes anything like this interaction.

“He’s been gone for a few days.”

Quackity sighed. They weren’t strangers to Karl’s disappearances, but for one to happen right when he might need help was infuriatingly inconvenient. “When he gets back, then.”

“Yeah. When he gets back.” His voice is uncharacteristically quiet, walking on eggshells. Quackity really wishes he would leave. He suddenly cannot stand to look at his face. His deceitful, ‘forgetful,’ impossibly warm and loving and beautiful, traitorous face. He couldn’t stand this imitation of his fiance in his home. What kind of fiance did what they did?

“Could you at least give me a tour?”

Under other circumstances, Quackity might have yelled some more. “Gladly.”

Instead, he focused on the feeling, that thrill he got from showing a new project that had done well to people he cared about. He wasn’t sure when it had gone away, but suddenly it was there again.

Leading the way out of the casino, Quackity took a deep breath. He’d been inside too long. The sun reflecting off the sand made him blink quickly. Where to show Sapnap? He didn’t want him to see the wedding bridge, nor the tower, and the strip club felt stupid now that he thought of it. Then again, it was Sapnap. He’d probably think it was funny.

“Where do you want to start?” he asked finally, turning back to his fiance. He refused to betray any emotion.

Sapnap grinned. (At least he tried to lighten the mood.) “How about there?” He nodded towards the strip club.

Quackity laughed despite himself. He still knew Sapnap and from the look on his face, Sapnap still knew him. You’re angry at him, remember? Quackity turned around too quickly. “Right this way.”

It almost, almost felt like they had returned to the way they always were. Sapnap walked into the club, nodded approvingly, and said, “Quackity, I think the wedding’s off.”

Quackity froze, if only for a split second. Joke or not, there it was. Sapnap must have noticed, but Quackity didn’t let him show it. He laughed, dissipating the tension as best he could. Sapnap mimicked him. Do I sound that pathetic?

The conversation flowed –– albeit arduously –– from there, as Quackity led him around his country explaining everything he’d had even a minor thought about in the design to avoid looking at Sapnap, avoid really talking to Sapnap. Sapnap followed along, commenting like he was both a comedian and a reviewer with only good opinions. It made Quackity want to strangle him less.

“You really did an amazing job, Q,” he said as they stepped out of the elevator after looking at the tower.

Quackity barely stopped himself from tripping on his feet. How long had it been since someone told him he did a good job? Quackity couldn’t remember, and it was making it embarrassingly hard for him to talk. He curtly smiled his thanks, and got out. “Where next?”

Sapnap gestured to the bridge. “Let’s go over there.”

Slowly, debating whether to show him or not, Quackity nodded. “Alright.” Quackity led the way over more slowly than he had the other ones. They ascended the steps and stopped in the middle of the bridge. “So. This is kind of––” Quackity said it fast “––An express marriage spot?”

Sapnap’s eyes widened. Quackity forced himself not to read into it. “Oh. Like, for people who get really drunk and want to make a dumb decision?”

Quackity didn’t care if he was being irrational. His anger was easier to humor than his logic. With a snappy tone, he defended, “I tried to make it pretty. Anyone could get married here –– it’s not just for idiots.” Quackity shoved his hands in his pockets, staring holes into the ground. Or maybe it is. I don’t know. Maybe only idiots got married. Prime knew Quackity had learned love didn’t last long enough. Or perhaps, it lasted too long and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

“Well, I’d get married here.”

Quackity looked up.

Sapnap was still there, watching him, smiling like he always did when he knew Quackity was doubting himself. It was becoming harder still to stay angry.

“Really?”

“Yeah! It’s gorgeous, Q.”

“Oh.” Quackity smiled.

“You wanna come back with me to Kinoko?” Sapnap asked.

There seemed to be no shortage of surprise for Quackity today. Maybe he had started to forget Sapnap’s tendencies.

When he didn’t answer, Sapnap filled the silence. “I mean, I know you looked really busy working on that stuff before I came over, but ––”

“–– No, no, I’d love to go!” Quackity said quickly. Love to go? Are you serious?

“I –– awesome.” Sapnap smiled. He clearly hadn’t expected Quackity to say yes. Neither had Quackity. “It’s not that far from here.”

Quackity furrowed his brow. “We’re going now?”

Sapnap shrugged. “Why not?”

“I, uh,” Quackity struggled. There was no excuse, really, except that he wasn’t quite sure if he could handle that right now.

Sapnap definitely noticed. “Please?”

Quackity sighed, burying his fear. Slowly, he tipped his head. “Lead the way, then.”

And strangely, irrationally, stupidly and for the first time in a while, Quackity felt like he was being led home.

#dream smp #dreamsmp #dream smp fanfiction #dream smp fic #dsmp #dsmp fanfic #dsmp fic #quackity #sapnap #karlnapity #las nevadas

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feralnumberfive · 4 years ago

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The Rewatch Academy: Episode 3 of Season 1

“Extra Ordinary”

I am in no way a good analyst so my little analysis and speculations probably sound a bit goofy or pretty wild and probably mean nothing at all. Everything I put into this post about each episode is purely what I noticed or thought, whether it's funny or serious. I will be making jokes, so please just leave it at that (in no way am I trying to make fun of an actor and or character!) I am also in no way saying I noticed this stuff first. This is just what I noticed while rewatching these episodes

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1x01 | 1x02 | 1x03 | 1x04 |

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☂ First off I’d like to say that this is one of my favorite episodes of this season. It’s just soooo good

☂ The second comic book in the window features the Televator from the actual comics, so that has to be canon in the show! Also at the time that that second comic came out, Five had already left since we don’t see him on the cover

☂ It’d be cool if they actually printed Vanya’s book for fans to read

☂ Well Diego isn’t wrong when he called Hazel and Cha Cha animals because of their masks

☂ Honestly I feel Vanya’s struggle with chair placement. I’ve fortunately had the luck of playing in all three clarinet chair placements, but 1st chair is challenging. I personally found each placement very fun to play, especially 3rd, and I hope Vanya does too! (why am I talking like she’s real)

☂ Hazel talks about people living ordinary lives, but didn’t he live like that too at one point? How does The Commission recruit people? If they get ordinary people, do they wipe their memories of their previous lives?

☂ “Let’s see’em get out from behind their desks, get their hands dirty for once.” Well Hazel, Five does indeed do this even though he only had a desk job for a day. Still, he got to experience both worlds

☂ My mind is blanking on this, but how did Five get that cut on his arm? Was it from a bullet wound at Gimbel’s?

☂ Five must have a high pain tolerance to stitch his own wound but his bandaid probably wouldn’t stick due to the wet blood he slapped it over. Five sweetie you need a cotton pad and gauze for that one

☂ Wait, you’re telling me that The Umbrella Academy boys’ top uniform consists of a tank top, a white dress shirt, a tie, a sweater vest, and then the blazer? Someone asked Reginald what he wanted for the uniforms and he just said “Yes.”

☂ Five: *puts hands in pockets only to immediately take them out*

☂ Aidan almost sounds like he has an accent when he says “I'm done funding your drug habit.”

☂ Five’s so soft talking to his wife

☂ No Leonard, your bread and butter is being a creep

☂ Also, he thinks wood carving is embarrassing? If someone came up to me and showed me something they carved out of wood I would be so jealous cause it’s such a neat form of art

☂ Leonard saying that he carved wood, and in that case wooden figures, when he was a kid is a slight foreshadow of all of his tampering with his Umbrella Academy figures. He can make wooden figures but he’s also destroyed a handful of the Hargreeves figures

☂ “Never really did like The Beatles.” Well sir you’ve made me dislike you even more

☂ Vanya asking Allison if her siblings wanted her at the family meeting bugs me a bit. I absolutely get that she was literally left out of anything and everything that had to do with her siblings when she was younger, but Allison just asked her to come back home for a family meeting. Allison wouldn't have walked around looking for Vanya only to tell her that they were having a family meeting and that she wasn’t actually invited. Allison is including her in on a family meeting but Vanya is just in a bit of disbelief that she’s being included

☂ Ah yes, the only PTSD flashback for Five we see in the show! He looks so scared when he snaps out of it. I believe it was somehow triggered by the kids (I could be wrong) but do you think Five sometimes panics when he looks at himself in the mirror now since his body is the same age it was when he got stuck? Also it’s very subtle but when Luther opens the door, Five slightly jerks/flinches back. I wish we would see more of this in the show since it’s one of his major traumas

☂ “Does it matter? It’s Klaus.” Ouch! Well Five I hope you know that your siblings are somewhat thinking the same thing since they believe that you’ve lost your mind and are practically an old man crying “Apocalypse!”

☂ Five does an ever so slight huff and smirk when Luther tells him that the meeting at the Academy is important. He finds it a little funny but so frustrating in his mind that Luther doesn’t know what’s truly important

☂ Also I love that Aidan has to turn to the side so that he can keep it together after Klaus talks about his chocolate pudding waxing. Either that or he’s portraying Five as being frustrated and in disbelief. Also this is the first time I’ve noticed that he says “Ay, ay ay...”

☂ “We’re all you have. And you know it.” Oh Luther, you’re failing to see that that’s why he’s acting like this right now. He’s all frantic and crazed about trying to stop the apocalypse so that he can protect and save all that he has

☂ Five certainly is mad at Luther during his mini lecture. He’s clenching his jaw tightly and when he first speaks he hisses out the words through gritted teeth. He even called Luther by his number. He’s very impatient at this point and doesn’t care for Luther’s act of attempting to be a leader

☂ This is their first, and certainly not last, time watching Klaus go by in front of them doing something he shouldn’t be doing

☂ “You haven’t been home in a long time, Vanya.” Sir you were also just on the moon for four years. Yeah Vanya was away for a long time but Grace easily could have changed too during the four years you were gone

☂ How sweet, even though Five hasn’t really been home they want to include him in on the family vote :]

☂ I’ve noticed that in S1 that David really mumbles his lines. A lot

☂ I wish we got more flashbacks of the younger Umbrellas

☂ Diego my beloved mama’s boy ♥️

☂ It’s confusing as to which country TUA takes place in, but it’s really not supposed to be a specific one. It’s portrayed as being in North America, but you can see behind Cha Cha when she gets out of the car at the Academy the flag of the RAF, which Canada would have at a monument since it’s a Commonwealth country. At the same time though Delores came from Gimbels, which was a department store chain across the U.S

☂ The light above Five’s portrait is slightly crooked, which probably means no one has really been paying attention to it

☂ It makes me nervous that Klaus wipes bubbles onto his face. It looks like he got some in his eyes

☂ Ugh I love the whole scene of Hazel and Cha Cha walking around the Academy with “We’re Through” playing

☂ Diego: *has knives but instead chooses to punch and hit Hazel to try to make him let go of Allison”

☂ A rope-a-dope is a boxing tactic of pretending to be trapped against the ropes, goading an opponent to throw tiring ineffective punches. Diego sweetie Hazel wasn’t even trying to get you off of him all he was doing was choking Allison. The only person who got tired was probably you

☂ What’s the point in Diego yelling “Luther, go!” if he’s already going 💀

☂ Luther was there immediately when Hazel attacked Vanya. That means that Luther heard Vanya and was going to go get her to safety

☂ I will never stop signing my praise for the entirety of the “Sinnerman” fight scene(s). It gives me chills every single time. Easily one of the best scenes in all of the show

☂ Klaus must really have his music blasting if he can’t hear the gun shots right next to him

☂ I’ve always wondered if Allison actually registered in her mind that “The boy” is Five when Cha Cha says that’s who they’re looking for. Either she does realize that’s Five, is simply just angry that those two are looking for a boy, or registers in her mind that it’s Five through his superhero codename even though Cha Cha’s not referring to him in that way

☂ Diego is full on just standing in the background watching Allison get beat up by Cha Cha 🕴

☂ I love Diego’s little hand flap when he gets hit in the hand fighting Cha Cha

☂ Okay so I make everything about Five, but the whole Cha Cha fight scene with Allison and then Diego kind of scares me. Cha Cha and Hazel are both amazing assassins (they’re both probably right below Five) and neither Allison nor Diego could stop her by themselves. Could you imagine Five fighting one of his siblings? Especially with his spatial jumps? We already got a glimpse of his true combat skills when he fights Lila in S2. What a scary little old man

☂ “Vanya, get out of here!” Again, wanting to make sure that Vanya is safe and gets away. He even tried to go look for her

☂ Something I don’t really get about the Hazel and Luther fight is why doesn’t Luther just overpower him? Luther has super strength and on top of that he has giant muscles due to the gorilla DNA. Shouldn’t he be able to beat Hazel to a pulp? Maybe we have to consider that Hazel might have been altered by The Commission to be stronger and more durable, but they haven’t mentioned that in the show

☂ “Ah, you gotta cut down on that fast food, soldier.” What are you talking about Diego he literally just got off the moon two days ago aflksjfdk

☂ So Luther was too injured to jump out of the way of the chandelier but was able to push it up off of himself? 🤔

☂ I personally think that Luther’s body design adaptation for the show is really cool and that they gave him the perfect amount of bulk without making him look ridiculous

☂ This has been pointed out before, but cross-stitch foreshadowing, baby

☂ Again, Diego my beloved mama’s boy ♥️

☂ Well at least Diego thought about Vanya dying before thinking about his siblings dying because of her. The latter is ironic!

☂ The clock above Luther’s mirror reads approximately 1:30 am. Hazel and Cha Cha didn’t want to wait until morning

☂ I wonder how different it would be if Five was present at the Academy when Hazel and Cha Cha attacked. He probably would have surrendered himself to them, but it's fun to entertain the idea that he would go apeshit if he knew that they were harming his family in order to find him

☂☂☂☂☂☂☂

Feel free to comment or reblog with things you have noticed too!

#tra #the rewatch academy #tua #the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #allison hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #number five #five hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #hazel and cha cha

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daydream-believin · 4 years ago

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The Never-Ending Roadtrip (kmart’s haunted)

Summary: (part 1) Reader has joined Douxie on the quest for Nari’s safety. He’ll need company. (part 2) - Missouri 1 (part 3)

Warnings: swearing, very light spooky?

Word Count: 2245

A/N: so we’ve established that Doux wasn’t the one who burnt the bookstore, but they don’t know that. look, have you been in a Kmart recently? its apocalyptic. also, you know that post about people repeating their default work greetings by accident? yeah

“Do you want me to split the bill or?” The waitress asked, not sure if the group at the table was a young couple and their child or just three college kids hanging out. It was kind of hard to tell. On one hand, that one kid was so small, wearing a little deer costume, and had been helped to order. The other two radiated the energy of an old married couple and talked mainly to each other. But on the other hand, college kids are just like that sometimes.

“Nah, I got it.”

“What? No. I’m paying for us.” Douxie insisted.

“I have the cash, Doux.” (Name) turned to the waitress. She put some honey in her voice. “Just bring us one bill, please.” The waitress nodded nervously before heading off.

“No. I don’t want you paying for too many things while we’re traveling. You’re unemployed.”

“And who’s fault is that Mr. Mephits-Are-Vulnerable-To-Fire? You fucking burned down the store and put us both out of work here.” Nari was squirming at the negative vibes going on. It helped that she didn’t exactly understand what was going on.

“It was magic fire!” Douxie interjected in outrage. He looked so cute when he got defensive.

“Yeah, okay, sure.” (Name) shook her head, looking up to the ceiling. She let out a huff, “look, I invited myself onto this trip, Douxie. I want to pull my own weight. You’re going to have to let me pay for something eventually.”

“We’ll see about that, Love,” he said as he grabbed the ticket from the waitress’s hands as quick as lightning, tucked his card in and gave it right back before (Name) could further protest.

“Ugh! FINE! Then I’m getting the tip.” She pulled out a tenner and slapped it onto the table. She glared right back into Douxie’s hazel eyes. He glared right back into hers with a matched intensity. Nari looked back and forth between the two and whimpered. (Name) broke the standoff to assure Nari that they weren’t actually angry at each other so she shouldn’t be worried. That seemed to ease the forest child a bit but not by too much. She could still feel the weird aura they were putting off.

“Okay! So here’s your check back and here’s that lox bagel you ordered to go.” The waitress handed (Name) a doggy bag.

(Name) took the bag gingerly. A big fake smile spread across her face as she was momentarily possessed by that good spirit of customer service. “Thank you! I hope your experience was spellbinding! Have a magical day!” (Name) said on autopilot in that high-pitched voice and winked exaggeratedly. It was like she was an NPC and her talk button had been accidentally pushed. The waitress laughed forcibly and scurried away to the kitchen. Douxie cracked up.

“You do know that when I told you to say all that stuff after ringing people up, I was hazing you, right?”

“Oh yes, I am completely aware, Doux. Did you think I’d not pick up on how ridiculous that sounds? But I still say it to spite you.”

He shook his head. “Of course.”

***

Archie scarfed down his bagel sandwich with almost disturbing speed. It was like watching the void consume, well, a bagel sandwich. It just disappeared. Down his furry maw and out of existence. Being a dragon works up an appetite, after all. (Name) was a bit baffled and asked him if she should go get him another bagel. He assured her that the one was just fine and said something about trying to catch some birds later. She leaned back on her elbows against the boat’s railing, trying and failing to not think about the details of that.

Douxie cleared his throat. “So,” He folded his hands together for emphasis, “Since the subject of money came up earlier, I think we should also discuss the topic of our accommodations.”

“Well, you two obviously cannot afford lodging every night.” Archie snarked, flicking his tail.

“Thank you, for that, Arch. No, I was thinking more along the lines of a tent.”

“A tent?” the cat asked incredulously.

“Oh, that could work.” (Name) pointed at Douxie animatedly, “keep us close to nature for Nari. And also could keep our possible property damage bills down. Good idea, Doux.”

“Thank you,” Douxie puffed up, “see Arch? Someone appreciates my ideas-”

“Wait. That’ll be a short-term solution. We’re just barely into September. It’s going to be much, much colder in about a month. By October it’ll be too cold to bear. Even if we all huddle together like penguins.”

Doux looked away to hide his blush at the suggestion. “That is a problem. Okay, um-”

“Maybe we could just cross that bridge when we get there? Who knows what could happen between now and then. We could find so temp work in a little town somewhere.” (Name) shrugged, smirking at Doux. She didn’t want to admit that ‘we could be dead by then’ was also definitely a possibility on the table, so she tried to further distract from that thought. “Maybe we’ll find a creepy abandoned cabin in the woods we can squat in. Maybe some nice trolls will take us in as novelty pets. Maybe my rich Aunty Josie could just suddenly die under some ‘mysterious circumstances’ and leave her lavish fortune to her beloved niece,” she smirked at Doux, “I dunno, just spit ballin’ here.”

“I’m electing to ignore that you just suggested we ice your aunt because you were onto something there.”

“I was?” Her tone was a mixture of sarcasm and disbelief.

“Yes! New Jersey!

“New Jersey?” The wheels turned. “Oh! New Jersey!”

Nari looked confused. “What is special about this ‘New Jersey’?” she asked

Both Douxie and (Name) turned to her, “Trolls.” They said in sync.

***

(Name) stood there with her hands in her pockets. Somehow this Kmart was still standing, out here in The-Middle-Of-Fucking-Nowhere, Missouri. She was standing here, in a Kmart. It might as well have been 1986. There was barely anything on the shelves. Half the shelves themselves were missing. The floor had a layer of grime to it, in spite of the wet floor sign along with the shiny patches that said that it had clearly been mopped recently. The air smelled like something (Name) couldn’t quite place, but it was nostalgic. A strange scent that took her back to her childhood. Or at least she thought it was her childhood. It had to have been. Taking deep breaths, she couldn’t quite get enough of it.

Continuing that vibe, a muzak 80’s tune played over the speakers. Funny enough, despite (Name)’s brain seeming to recognize that it was playing a song from the 80’s, she just couldn’t quite put her finger on it as to which. Every time she thought she’d figured it out, she’d hear a few notes that would somehow change her mind. It was a pop song at least, to narrow it down. It’d been going on for about six minutes now. Must be one of those extended tracks.

She’d ask Douxie what he thought the song was. She turned her attention to him and noticed he was still just staring at that same shelf like he had been for, what, ten minutes now? Even though this fucking Kmart barely had any shelving in it, by some miracle it not only had exactly what they were looking for but an entire aisle of them. How lucky was that.

Douxie was taking very careful consideration into this tent purchase. This was going to be their new home, after all. He just couldn’t decide which one was best. They all had fancy camping terms on the packages that meant nothing to him. He’d been trying to decipher the code. The secret outdoorsman code. Nari shifted uncomfortably in the basket.

“Hisirdoux, you should maybe, hurry this along?” She sounded strained.

But she was right. He should just pick one already. It’s all a gamble anyway. He decided on a dark green one that boasted a water-proof material. Good natural color, not easily spotted, and it wouldn’t soak through with rain. That should work well enough, he figured.

“I’ve hurried along. Sorry Nari.” He casually tossed the box into the cart next to her. She sniffed the box and nodded to him.

Now that they had their goal item, the quest party started for the checkouts. Douxie could have sworn that it had been on the side of the store they were in. They had passed it when they came in. Now it was completely across by the other door. Did he get turned around? Or maybe they did come in from that side of the store. He actually couldn’t remember.

As they walked, a few things caught (Name)’s eye. They passed a display of dark leafy plants in oddly shaped pots, a table stacked high with various books and a clearance sign, a knife case that had been left open, a candle display with a few that had already been lit and were dripping wax, a bargain bin of CDs, and lastly a sad box of no-longer-in-season pool noodles. There was a sale on bloodmeal apparently. Perfect for perking up those roses after the summer heat.

They arrived at the checkout after what felt like an endless journey. (Name) hadn’t noticed any other customers the entire time they had been there, and yet the line for the only check open had seven people in it. She grabbed a couple bags of red licorice from the impulse shelf to add to their cart while waiting.

Nari was really interested in that checker. (Name) took her in. The teen was taller than most and had very, very long blonde hair that cascaded down her back like a shiny golden waterfall. Her cheeks were slightly sunken in. Must be going through a diet phase. Poor girl.

The young woman was obviously not one for small talk. Name couldn’t blame her. Retail sucks. Her perfect red fingernails clicked against the keys of the register in a practiced beat. She turned around and told them their total in a bored monotone. As Douxie fiddled with his wallet and payed, (Name) found herself staring right into the cashier’s eyes. They were such a light icy blue, they were almost white. It was striking. (Name) was almost in a trance. It was broken as the cashier turned around swiftly to rip off the receipt off the machine, and, in an uncharacteristically cheery voice, told them to have a nice night. Night?

They returned the cart back to the stack, grabbing their one singular shopping bag and helping Nari out. Of course Nari could easily just jump out herself, but that wouldn’t be something a human child could do. They didn’t need to draw any unnecessary attention to themselves here. They made their way to the automatic sliding doors that lagged so that they didn’t open until you were standing right in front of them. This allowed Douxie time to catch a glimpse of the reflection in the glass. The reflection of the store was completely devoid of people. Not even the checker was at her station. He sucked in a breath. After walking through those first doors, he stopped. He took a moment to turn back. There she was, right where she should be, checking out another customer with three more in the line.

Douxie hurried along the doorway to catch up to (Name) and Nari. It was darker outside than he expected, and he was taken aback. He found them right outside the store, waiting for him. In one hand, (Name) was holding Nari’s, in the other, the plastic shopping bag. Her head was tipped up to the sky, transfixed by the moon. He came over, grabbing her shoulder as he pulled her along, in an attempt to urge her away from this place. She looked back at him, eyes wide with distress. He tried to convey that he understood with his eyes. All three of them instinctually knew not to say anything more why they were still in this parking lot.

It had barely been half past noon when they had started this little Kmart side quest. It was now at least seven by the looks of it. They had spent six and a half hours in a Kmart? How had they spent six and a half hours in a Kmart. There went their entire travel day. But no time to dwell on this, they needed to get back to Archie and the boat as soon as possible.

As they walked back towards the ship, (Name) and Douxie both took one of Nari’s hands so that she was in the middle, like how those couples walk with their children. The streetlights glared up at them in the slick pavement. Apparently, it had rained while they were in shopping limbo. Poor Arch. (Name) let out a puff of air.

“Well. That sure was something.”

Douxie nervously chuckled, “If we had stayed in there any longer, I think we might have died.” (Name) mirrored that nervous chuckle.

“Oh, no, dying would be much simpler than what would have happened to us.” Nari said sweetly, like what she was saying was somehow better. Nari liked being helpful. (Name) put on her best fake smile.

“Thank you, Nari.” She tried her best to sound as sincere as possible to spare the veggie lady’s feelings.

#douxie x reader #hisirdoux casperan x reader #douxie imagine #hisirdoux x reader #hisirdoux casperan #hisirdoux casperan imagine #douxie #toa douxie #toa wizards #my writing #the never ending roadtrip

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kyouxa · 5 years ago

Text

Diabolik lovers Chaos Lineage: Shu Sakamaki (Story 15)

In terms of the gameplay: The black choices lead up to a bad ending, the white choices lead up to a good ending. Please no reposting onto other sites, ask me before translating this into another language too!

Place: Scarlet mansion — Living room

Shu: I’m going to be the one ending this idiotic battle right now… !

Kino: It doesn’t matter if your younger brothers suddenly got their memories back or not, the situation won’t change anyway.

Isn‘t it already taking up all your strength to merely stand up with this magical spell on? How do you even think of fighting me in those circumstances?

Yui: (The magical barrier spell… this might really put Shu-san in a huge disadvantage right now)

(However, in this case Shu-san will undoubtedly… !)

Choices

1) Don’t worry, we’ll stay behind (white) ♡ ♡ ♡

2) Everyone’s going to be okay back here! (black)

— Don’t worry, we’ll stay behind♡

Yui: Don‘t worry Shu-san, we’ll stay behind you!

Subaru: Even if he might come up with a trick again, I’ll be there to have your back!

Ayato: Wrong! Yours truly would be the only one making a counterattack without fail!

Subaru: Hah!? Are you trying to complain about my plan!?

Laito: Ah, yes, yes. I don’t mind either of you supporting, as long as you actually help out.

Shu: Fufu… it’s surely not bad to hear you all being worried about me.

— Everyone’s going to be okay back here!

Yui: Shu-san! Now that everyone has their memories back, you can go against him problem-free!

Ayato: No need to worry about me here! Just keep fighting with all your strength!

Kanato: That‘s right. If you won’t be able to finish him off, I‘ll be the one to stab him with a fork and make fondue out of him in the end.

Reiji: Stop this. You will end up getting food poisoned after that.

Yui: (T-That‘s not even the real problem here!)

Shu: For real… those guys aren’t feeling nervous at all. However, I might end up being able to concentrate better knowing that.

end Choices

Kino: Every last one of you, you’re all seriously pissing me off!

*Kino throws dagger*

Shu: Ngh!

Kino: Hahaha! You can do no more than open your mouth anymore. With all your remaining strength you even tried removing the daggers I stabbed you with!

Shu: Yes… I was only waiting for this. Like this I have a weapon in order to throw it if I have to shut you up.

Further than that… I won’t let you have your desired ways any longer… !

*Shu throws dagger*

Kino: Agh!

*Shu runs to Kino*

Shu: Aghhh!

Kino: Kch!

Yui: (Shu-san tried slashing him with his sword!? They both ended up crossing swords with each other, it seems as if neither of them will give up…)

Kino: Nn, aghhh… !

Shu: While having this barrier around me… you didn’t get closer to me, because it would affect you too if you did, right?

If I caught up to you, you‘d have to experience the equal conditions as I am!

Kino: Kch… Ngh… just because you’re the eldest… doesn’t mean you’ve got the right to go back to your spoiled home...

I will never… lose to some cheap guy like you are...

Shu: ...I’ve got not a single idea of how you’ve lived your life until now. Neither am I interested in it, but...

I, myself, have also lived a life filled with regret until now—

But I won‘t give up on moving on so easily!

*Shu stabs Kino*

Kino: Aghhhh!

*Shu broke free*

Yui: The barrier is gone… !

Reiji: It appears as if the blockade could not bear the power of both of your strengths suddenly colliding.

Kino: Ngh… Kch…

Yui: (Nn, Kino-kun kneed down…)

Shu: This match has officially ended.

— Your Status (Black)

Place: Scarlet mansion — Living room

Yui: (At last the point of his sword captured Kino-kun)

(It‘s finally over. I’m really happy… that it’s done with this)

Reiji: ….. ? Does it smell burnt? No way—

Yui: Eh?

(Nn, h-he‘s lying… !)

No... the mansion is seriously burning… !

Ayato: Hah!? What does this mean!?

Kino: Maybe this is the work of those guys from the other families.

They set the fire in order to bury each and every one currently staying inside this mansion.

Yui: Such...

Kino: Hahaha! Serves you right! Now that all you beloved siblings are together in here, you might as well end up committing a family suicide!

Bye!

*Kino runs off*

Ayato: Don’t run away! Fuck, that guy… even at the end he got his righteousness.

Subaru: Hey, leaving him aside, we also somehow need to get out of here!

Reiji: We will leave this place this instant as well!

Kanato: Before that, go ahead and untie us from these ropes already!

Laito: Like this we wouldn’t be able to flee, even if we wanted to run away!

Shu: I know! Just stay still while I untie you from it.

Yui: I will help out too!

Place: Scarlet mansion — Hallway

Kanato: ….. !? The corridor is already covered in a sea of flames too… !?

Reiji: If we run through this etage in one go, we will be able to make it outside in time.

*they start running*

Shu: ….. !

Yui: Shu-san? What’s wrong?

Shu: I can’t go… not when I know Yuma is still inside here!

Yui: (..... ! He‘s right… we can’t leave Yuma-kun, who’s still laying in his room, behind like that…)

Shu: You must go ahead and escape with Reiji and the others together!

Yui: Shu-san!

*Shu runs off*

Yui: (I can‘t possibly let Shu-san go around alone as injured as that!)

I will go in there too… !

Reiji: Ngh… wait, both of you!

*ceiling collapses*

Reiji: ….. ! The roof tile… I cannot go any further anymore… !

Shu: Haa… Haa… shit, the flames are spreading way too fast… !

Ngh…

*Shu leans against wall*

Shu: Fuck… the wounds he made me suffer with are...

Yui: Shu-san!

Shu: ….. ! You, why are you… didn’t I tell you to go ahead with the others earlier!?

Yui: Even if you told me so, do you really think I’d be able to leave you alone in this sort of tough situation!? What if you may get burned… !?

Shu: You’re wrong… as for this...

Yui: (..... ! The wounds Kino-kun gave him in the fight started to bleed again...)

Shu-san… it’s completely absurd going through this with these wounds…

Shu: I’m a vampire, so I’m fine. I’d be able to simply survive this with my body, while you wouldn’t.

That’s why you should escape from here as long as you still can.

You know that I don’t want to lose anyone right in front of my eyes ever again… !

Yui: Shu-san...

After all, I… I‘m completely useless and can‘t do anything without you too, Shu-san...

So please hold onto my shoulder! Let‘s go in and get Yuma-kun out there together!

Shu: You...

Yui: You promised that we‘d never get separated again, didn’t you? We’ll go through this together, right?

Shu: Yes… you’re right.

Yui: Let’s go and get out of this house with everyone together then!

(The room Yuma-kun is laying in is nearby now… we need to get in there quickly)

Ahem... Ahem...

(Breathing is getting harder… but Yuma-kun is right on the other side of the door before us…)

*Yui opens door*

Yui: (It’s open! Yuma-kun!)

Shu: I’ll definitely...

Yui: Eh?

Shu: I’ll definitely never leave your side. After all, you’ll always stay near me… don’t forget that.

Yui: O-Of course. Why would I suddenly—

*ceiling collapses*

Yui: (The ceiling… the roof tiles are falling down!?)

Kyaaaaaaa!

Shu: ...Don’t worry. I promised it to you. I’ll protect you no matter what.

↳ Labyrinth END

— Your Status (White)

Place: Scarlet mansion — Living room

Kino: ...Nn! This is not over yet… kch.

Shu: You can‘t even stand properly anymore. Even if you did try moving any further, this sword would immediately pierce through your body.

Getting injured by one would only cause vampires to receive a fatal wound. But it‘s different if it goes through your heart.

Kino: ...Shit...

...I‘ve been defeated.

Yui: Kino-kun...

Ayato: Hooray! Shu won!

Subaru: Geez, what a way to make someone feel nervous.

Reiji: ...Well done.

Yui: (Shu-san… he won. We‘re safe now)

(I actually want to run up to him right away. But, for now—)

Shu-san… you were really cool out there.

Shu: ...I wasn‘t particularly trying to look like that.

It‘s only important to me that you‘re safe now.

Yui: Yes… thank you.

Monologue

We finally tied up Kino-kun, and he surprisingly didn‘t even try resisting.

While I was giving Shu-san some brief medical treatment, Reiji-san started to untie Ayato-kun and the others.

After finishing doing so, we decided to once again surrender Kino-kun and interrogate him about this situation.

But as we did that—

We figured he didn‘t know anything either.

Place: Scarlet mansion — Living room

Shu: Does that seriously mean you‘re not the responsible one who made up this world?

Kino: ...It‘s pretty different from that. But it was honestly quite funny to pretend being the mastermind and have you believe it.

I used to be no different from you guys. I was merely another victim who was brought along to this place.

If I was already stuck in this situation, why not use it as an advantage then?

Subaru: Looks like he‘s not the mastermind… but can we actually believe that guy‘s not lying to us?

Laito: He‘d get nowhere even if he was lying to us right now, wouldn‘t he?

Yui: Yes… it feels as even if he really was the mastermind who set up all of this, he probably wouldn‘t get arrested by us this easily.

Ayato: But you know, didn‘t he say he knew details about us beforehand already? Isn‘t this our first real meeting with him?

Even after my memories came back to me, this guy‘s still a mystery to me.

Yui: You‘re right… if Kino-kun really experienced the same as we did, wouldn‘t that mean his memories must‘ve gone insane too?

How have you returned to normal before tonight?

Kino: Why don‘t you search through my pocket and look for yourself?

Yui: Your pocket?

Reiji: Pardon me… this is...

Yui: ...Your smartphone?

Kino: I‘ll explain it to you. At the beginning I was the complete same as you guys, I‘ve lost all of my memories.

It wouldn‘t give me a signal at first, so I merely started playing around with it every now and then until I discovered something.

With the information I discovered, I was therefore able to get back to my usual self.

Yui: Eh, but despite that being our first meeting you seem to be really well informed about Shu-san‘s brothers and even Carla-san‘s sibling...

Kino: Yes, I was in fact planning on killing everyone here from the very beginning. For that reason I already did my preliminary investigation.

Subaru: That guy, he‘s really the most outrageous person I‘ve ever met...

Wouldn‘t it be better to get rid of him either way then?

Yui: Ah, please calm down.

Reiji: Well, you may be the same as us and not the main cause of this project… but does that therefore truly mean you are merely another participator in this game?

Kino: That summons it up nicely. It‘s exactly as you said. I‘m not the game master. I‘m just another player in this.

Ayato: Tch, what the? That doesn‘t make sense.

Kanato: It honestly doesn‘t matter anymore. If he continues irritating me, I‘ll simply cut him into pieces.

Yui: Ah, calm down!

(If Kino-kun is without doubt not the one causing everyone to lose their memories and lose their minds, who else is it… ?)

(I do have the feeling as if he has no reason to lie now that we‘re close to finishing this game… if so, who‘s the real mastermind?)

Kino: I‘m satisfied, you know. If you want to kill me, why not do it now?

Shu: ...I have no intention of doing that.

Ayato: Hah!? Why not!?

Subaru: Wasn‘t he the one who tried killing all of us!?

Kanato: If we leave him alone, he might go ahead and decide to do something again.

Laito: Wouldn‘t it honestly be better if we settle things now before he might go off trying to attack us again?

Shu: ...That‘s not the end of this talk yet. He has been in the same position as we were the entire time after all.

He surely had no intention of being manipulated, and only wanted to have his wish granted by that old man himself.

Just a little while ago, even we had similar thoughts. Someone killing somebody else wouldn‘t have been a surprise at this point.

Ayato: That‘s… um...

Shu: It would be wrong dealing with this guy. If we seriously want to bring this all to an end, we first of all have to grab our old man by the nape of his neck.

Laito: By any means, I‘m not willing to take this guy along.

But well, if our older brother decides to do so, I won‘t protest against it.

Subaru: Tch… I‘d be more refreshed if he died.

Yui: Shu-san...

Shu: Moreover, it doesn‘t matter if you hate each other by now.

Yui: I agree… it‘s now all about stopping brothers from trying to kill each other.

Shu: Exactly. It would get even more troublesome if we didn‘t… so we have to do this.

Reiji: We are having a poor endgame, as usual.

However, I do approve your opinion on this matter this time.

Shu: Heh, how rare. So miracles do happen.

Reiji: It appears like that. Be careful in case you bump into another one in the future.

Yui: (It really feels as if the tie between Shu-san and him has sort of untied itself for the first time in a while…)

Shu: ...What‘s it? What are you smiling for?

Yui: Don‘t worry, it‘s nothing to be concerned about.

(There actually were a lot of things I was able to smile about, despite being in this awful situation)

(It kind of feels as if everyone gained something out of being here… I almost have a certain feeling about that)

Kino: Haa… we haven‘t achieved anything.

Your face looks as if this case is closed for you, but the fight for becoming the supreme ruler isn‘t done yet, you know?

Yui: Nn, I know. The killing will only stop once all of them have their memories back… !

Laito: Have them regain their memories, hm? I should know since I was staying in the same mansion, but Carla doesn‘t even seem as if he wants to regain them.

In order to become the king, he even said he would kill his own siblings if it was necessary.

Kanato: Ruki wouldn‘t bother listening to us either. This man had such unpleasant manners of speaking, except when asking about the goal he has.

Shu: It‘s almost kind of a miracle these guys haven‘t even experienced their memories coming back even slightly. It might be difficult to get those guys out of here like that.

Reiji: They would have to come hither. Perhaps if we could persuade all of them, we could come up with a profitable plan...

Yui: Well then, why don‘t we try that… ?

Kino: Ahha, you‘re dawdling… as if they‘re indecisive people coming upon request like you guys.

Ayato: Hah!? What was that!?

Yui: Ayato-kun, calm down!

Kino-kun, do you know what we could do next then?

Kino: I do. Unlike you, I straightforwardly collected information about this place.

Those would be the results of my own investigations, but this surely must be a space created by someone. It seems to be a miniature garden that‘s built by magical powers.

Subaru: Miniature garden… ?

Yui: If I got this right, then this is supposed to be a closed space? Does that mean it‘s impossible to get out of here… ?

Kino: It would seem like it.

Kanato: This is not funny if it‘s supposed to be a joke. I certainly have no intention of overstaying longer in this space, and I will reject staying here.

Kino: I‘m probably not able to endure a life with only some sort of half-baked entertainment either. Therefore I‘m willing to tell you something.

We participated in this game in order to have a king being chosen. If so, there clearly must be some sort of method to get out of here, don‘t you think?

Yui: Nn, does that really mean there must be a way to get out of here?

Kino: I‘d say so. Only if my predictions are right, that is.

Shu: And what sort of method did you think of?

Kino: ...The legend of the sleeping beauty.

Yui: Eh… ?

Kino: The sleeping princess must be awaken with a kiss. Did you already forget about this legend?

Yui: I do remember it… but how is this supposed to help us?

Kino: Who knows? I might‘ve just looked too deep into it.

Yui: S-Such...

(The legend of the sleeping princess? Does he really mean the way the sleeping Eve was supposed to be woken up in the church?)

(If that‘s true, it‘s definitely worth investigating)

Shu: The sleeping princess… she was sleeping in the church, and supposed to be awaken with a kiss—

...Hey, we‘re heading to the church right away. Just you and me.

Yui: Eh, why so suddenly?

Shu: I think I‘ve came up with an idea. Reiji, I‘ll entrust these guys to you once again.

Reiji: Understood. Please be careful on your way there.

Shu: Let‘s go!

Yui: Y-Yes!

Place: Church — Inside

Yui: (This place has a calm atmosphere. It somehow feels as if it only has this sort of special feeling in here)

Shu: So this is the church...

Yui: Ah, this is the first time you‘ve come inside here, right? I mean, this is only the second time I came to this place too.

After I woke up in this world, everything started...

Shu: I know you already told me about that, but nobody woke you up with a kiss, right?

Yui: A-As I said, nobody did that. I woke up naturally, and after I did that Reiji-san and everyone else rushed in.

Shu: If that‘s the case, I‘ll immediately try out the value of your words.

Say, if all of us really had fake memories planted in our heads, and all of this only in order to have someone become the supreme ruler.

If it‘s really like that, wouldn‘t you say that‘s unnatural?

Yui: Eh? What exactly is unnatural?

Shu: If everything in this world was set up to be fake, why create a legend about a sleeping princess as a necessary motive?

Yui: Talking about this… how come people are able to fight for the supreme ruler position without even knowing this story?

There must be a specific reason for everyone to have transplanted these sorts of memories in their minds.

Shu: It was said that Eve would be sleeping in this church, and could only wake up by a kiss.

What if all of this is supposed to merely be a bad dream we have to wake up from like this?

Yui: Ah… !

Shu: It‘s worth trying it out. We have no choice but to try this method in order to get out of this place.

Yui: No, you‘re right… we won‘t be able to know for sure unless we try it out.

It‘s just as Kino-kun told us. The one who became the supreme ruler also became Adam… this is merely another fight to question if Adam and Eve will stay together.

As long as we can prove that the both of us were able to stay together, we will undoubtedly be able to end this fight.

Shu: If so, let‘s wake up.

*Shu comes closer*

Yui: (I can clearly see my reflection in Shu-san‘s eyes)

(He seriously has tender eyes… I can tell how loveable he is only by looking at his eyes—)

Shu: ...There‘s no particular need for soliloquy anymore. You‘re the only one able to hear me saying this after all.

Yui: Eh?

Shu: The role and responsibilities I bear as the eldest son, they‘ve been gravely troublesome to accept.

However, my body seemed as if it indelibly ingrained the fact that my way of life is for me to protect them as eldest brother.

I must‘ve understood it ever since I came here.

Good grief, how troublesome. It was awfully tiresome and difficult to protect them, although they gave off quite the speech.

Yui: That must‘ve been because Shu-san has a strong sense of responsibility. You tried to manage all of this by yourself.

But I‘m greatly willing to carry half of the burden you‘ve carried with you. From now on, the whole time...

*Shu blushes*

Shu: What, is this supposed to be a proposal? Isn‘t that kind of a thing supposed to come from the man?

Yui: Fufu… you can still say it.

Shu: Unless you tell me to do so, I‘d never let myself get separated from you either.

Continue staying near me after this. Whatever happens, come along with me.

Yui: Yes, of course… Shu-san.

Shu: Promise it… Yui.

*Shu kisses Yui*

#Diabolik Lovers #diabolik lovers translation #Shuu Sakamaki #sakamaki shu #Shu Sakamaki #diabolik lovers shu #shu sakamaki translation #diabolik lovers chaos lineage shu sakamaki translation #chaos lineage #diabolik lovers chaos lineage shu sakamaki #diabolik lovers chaos lineage shuu sakamaki #diabolik lovers chaos lineage shuu sakamaki translation #shuu sakamaki translation #diabolik lovers shuu sakamaki #translation

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cheri-translates · 5 years ago

Text

[CN] Victor’s R&S - Paradise on Earth (Eng Translation)

🍒This R&S (“世间桃源”) will not be released in EN or any server as it’s one of the cancelled R&S which came with the Dream Heart Lake gacha event!🍒

This is a full translation, so it’s highly recommended that you follow along with the narrator (i.e. our beloved Mr Mills) :>

Summary: This is Victor’s paradise on earth. It has delicacies, good wine, and stories.

Cancelled Victor R&S:

> flashback

> six out of seventeen

> so-called disparity

[ Chapter 1 ]

People of my generation believe in fate.

Whether I was led into the restaurant by the fragrance of wine while passing by along the street, or meeting the manager of Souvenir and becoming a part of it - these were likely destined to happen.

After retiring, I would frequently carry a set of keys with me and head out for a stroll. Sometimes, I’d look at what’s new in the shopping mall, and sometimes I’d do so purely because the weather was good - perhaps I was someone who just couldn’t remain idle.

It was also because of this reason that I walked into Souvenir that day. At first, I was enticed by the fragrance of wine; afterwards, it was because of my surprise towards the manager’s capriciousness.

Finally, it was because of the culmination of years of experience that I could remain here.

At this age, I never expected to meet a friend with such an interesting personality that gelled with mine despite our age differences.

I still remember when I walked in back then, following the fragrance of wine. I had even questioned if the restaurant was open to begin with. The entire restaurant was empty, and a man stood in the half-exposed kitchen, buried in work, looking as though he had just got a footing in life. Apart from the sound of wine being poured, the only things that could be heard in the empty area were my own footsteps. There were even echoes resounding because of the space.

Usually, I would turn around and leave if the staff didn’t attend to me, preventing me from embarrassing myself. However, on that day, such a thought didn’t cross my mind: Since I had already followed the scent of wine, I wouldn’t be satisfied until I enquired about it.

Hence, even to this day, I can still remember the first words I said to the manager.

[ Chapter 2 ]

Back then, I asked him this:

“Mister, how much is the wine?”

His answer naturally left a deep impression on me:

“An exorbitant price.”

He didn’t even lift his head when he said this, and his act of sealing the bottle didn't cease. If it were somebody else, they could have gotten angry in response to his arrogant attitude - it’s human nature.

However, I found this young man very interesting. If I were to put it in the popular lingo, I’d say that I saw the aura of an “artisan” in him. As such, I smiled and continued with another question:

“In that case, what is the asking price for this exorbitance?”

Hearing this, the man finally lifted up his head from his work.

He looked even younger than I imagined. His features were defined and regular. His expressionless face looked majestic and proud.

As compared to a restaurant, he’s more suited for politics or in the business world - Such an impression was evoked the moment one laid eyes on him, especially since he was wearing a well-fitted suit underneath his apron that day.

“That will depend...” after a short pause, the young manager changed his term of address, “it will depend on your worth.”

[Note] This part doesn’t translate well to English, but Victor basically starts off by addressing Mr Mills as “你” (which is used when talking to peers/someone younger), then changes it to “您” (used when talking to an elder/someone you respected). Both mean “you”, but they are of different formality :>

Even though he used a more respectful term of address, his face still lacked the signature smile frequently seen on service staff. The contrast of the young man piqued my interest, and a certain gut feeling surfaced - getting to know him wouldn’t be a bad thing.

And because of this gut feeling, I made a decision I never, ever regretted.

[ Chapter 3 ]

After working here for half a year, I still couldn’t make sense of the way this business was run. The opening hours depended on the boss’ mood. The “daily menu” depended on the ingredients that day, and the contents on the bill were plucked from the air.

When customers walk in, there was a 50% chance that they would get chased out, a 30% chance that the bill would leave them unpleased, and out of the remaining 20%, only 10% would become returning guests - and this percentage wasn’t guaranteed either.

I was uncertain if it was a coincidence or an inevitability, but out of the recurring customers, most of them were celebrities from various industries. Some looked familiar, especially that well-received celebrity who appeared frequently on television. Some of them I didn’t recognise.

What differed from my imagination was that the manager didn’t concern himself with celebrities like in other businesses. In contrast, he disliked those who came simply because they were celebrities... hmm, how should I put it? Those kinds of people who came here to take pictures more than to partake in delicacies. Because of this, he specially imposed a “no photography equipment allowed” rule.

I talked to the boss about this before.

“The ladies just wanted to record beautiful things in life - it shouldn’t count as breaking the rules, right?”

At that time, this was what the manager said while he was busy in the kitchen:

“They can go elsewhere to record the ‘beautiful things in life’. Souvenir doesn’t need their meagre contributions.”

When he spoke, the manager didn’t have a look of unhappiness or disdain. What I heard was him purely stating a truth, but I knew that in his heart, he didn’t like those customers. If such customers came to the door, he would rather close his restaurant.

“But, Manager, you also take pictures sometimes.”

Exactly because I had a sufficient understanding of the manager, I knew clearly that he wouldn’t lose his temper. This was why I’d take a risk sometimes - either challenging his authority as the manager, or deliberately putting him on the spot in the capacity of an elder. I just couldn’t help wanting to know what went through the mind of this young man, who was riddled with contradictions.

For someone my age, it was largely me being overly curious.

“...I take photos for the purposes of creating new dishes and adjusting the taste. As customers, all they need to do is eat.” The manager had always been taciturn, but his mind moved incredibly quickly. This is one point of him that I admired a lot.

Our interactions were mostly intended for exploring different approaches, so there were always circumstances where we would dispute or disagree.

“Honestly speaking, I also think the dishes are presented very well, so I can understand their feelings.” Most of the dishes in Souvenir have a certain optimal period when they are best tasting - that’s what the manager was most upset about. “If they eat immediately after taking photos, it shouldn't affect the tasting experience, right?”

“Real customers... cough.” As though he thought about something funny, the manager released a dry cough to conceal his sudden laughter. “Will feel regret after finishing their food, because they realise that they haven’t taken a picture. I hope Souvenir can leave behind such happy regret.”

Now that I think about it, it’s probably because we always uphold the same standard for delicacies, that the manager employed me.

After all, whether before or after I came, I never saw hiring notices pasted in the restaurant.

[ Chapter 4 ]

After working here for two years, I still couldn’t make sense of the way this business was run. However, the good thing was that I had become completely used to it.

Whether it was the way the manager and I interacted, or the circumstances of work - even though I was a service staff, the scope of my work was mostly that of an assistant. After all, the restaurant had very little business.

It was probably because the boss did whatever he wanted. No matter how good his cooking was, the business of the restaurant remained subpar, and it was a good thing he wasn’t concerned about the accounts. Whenever I gave him quarterly reports of the deficit accounts, he always looked well aware of the situation.

He would occasionally nod his head as a sign of acknowledgement. Sometimes, he would divert the topic to a new dish, and he would sometimes talk about an even more complex issue. For example, the definition of “winning and losing”, and what it meant to have an objective.

Whenever we talk about these matters, he would never put himself on a pedestal as a manager. No, it’s more like, when there are no customers around, he is never like a boss - or a big chef who is passionate about delicacies, or a modest member from the younger generation.

“This is what I think about the matter. I would like to hear your opinion.” When he said this, he furrowed his brows slightly out of habit, his gaze sincere and persistent.

I understand that one’s opinions tend to be one-sided and flawed, but I was still happy to have a member of the younger generation listen to what I had to say.

If I didn’t happen to hear the manager picking up a work-related call, I would have almost ignored his “other side” completely.

In those two years, I had only witnessed him answering a call in Souvenir once. Before, he would always set his phone on airplane mode at the door of the restaurant. But that time, it was probably a work call he had no choice but to answer.

Although I just happened to hear the contents of his conversation, the spacious and empty room had the tendency to amplify the volume of a person’s voice. Moreover, from his tone, this call probably didn't bring with it good news.

I turned up the faucet, hoping the sound of running water would drown out the conversation floating from the neighbouring room.

The voice sounded stern and cold, and in keeping with the first impression he gives others. But...

It wasn’t the young man I was familiar with.

[ Chapter 5 ]

The manager I was used to was someone who would hum while peeling off the shells of prawns, would be in daze as he stared at the dessert in the oven as it gradually took shape, and would open a bottle of fine wine when there’s no business in the restaurant to attend to, and share a meal while chatting with me.

However...

Just as the manager had never asked about my family, I was not overly curious about his “other side” or even more sides of him, unless he brought it up himself. It was comparable to how took over the task of washing the dishes from me after taking the call.

“Mr Mills... sorry, I brought my work matters into the restaurant.”

In response to his sudden apology, I couldn’t react at all--

It wasn’t because of the age difference. The manager had never made such a guarantee to me, nor was there any contract or agreement written in black and white that there was such a rule.

Although he said that he didn’t care about the restaurant’s performance, I could vaguely hazard a guess. But that was the first time I realised: This young man... perhaps he’s giving himself too much stress.

“Manager, you were suddenly so stern... I even thought I was going to get fired.” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood, reconcile my own emotions, and cushion the following words.

“If I get fired at this age, when the time comes and I meet my wife, she’d definitely laugh at me.”

That was the first time I brought up my own family. On that day, I saw the rare emotion called “curiosity” in the manager’s eyes. That night after work, the manager gave me a bottle of wine, and it had a packaging that I recognised.

“Does this mean... I have to sign on for another three years?” I cracked a joke, asking the manager how much this bottle of wine was “worth”.

But this young man, thirty years younger than I, had no intention of making a joke. He shook his head and told me seriously:

“Good wine accompanies good dishes. Even when alone, you have to live well.”

He said that this was not remuneration, but a suggestion.

This bottle of wine could be considered a quarterly award.

As of today, the three year contract has been fulfilled.

The last time I used that bottle of wine to ask a question, it wasn’t simply a joke.

As long as my body allows for it, I hope to welcome the next three years, and the three years after that...

Just like the name of the restaurant, every moment here is a souvenir worth cherishing.

Paradise on earth is not much.

To me, it’s like that.

Other cancelled R&S: here

Lucien’s cancelled R&S (by other user): here

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc victor #cncancelled #can't believe we didn't get a frame of Victor and Mr Mills together in the anime...#but no worries photoshop is here to save the day

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atemgirl94 · 4 years ago

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Time Traveler pt. 1

What would you do if you had been pulled back into the past? It wasn't just any past but it was your own past life where you had to live in it till you were sent back to your own time. Things may happen that in normal ways can't be undone, but if you were given a potion that everything that happens to you in your past life doesn't affect your present day self...what would you do?

I came to know this very well as I was an average girl or so I thought living in Cairo, Egypt. Dad invited his friends over from Japan to visit us in Egypt. Which is what led to my spiral into the past. I was just living my life like an ordinary teen unaware of the fate destiny had given me. My sisters always treated me like I was meant for more but they never said why.

Everyday was the same for the longes time till they came to visit. My dad went to the airport to get his friend and his friend's grandson. I told him we'd be at the hang out if he needed us. So I got my horse and met up with my sisters as we went on ahead.

"You seem on edge." Bre said

"I feel like something is coming." I said

"Something is coming, your future boyfriend someday." Nana Joked

"Not funny." I said

My sisters were everything to me as far as I thought I didn't need anyone else. We set the horses where they could eat and get free if they needed to. Not many would touch them but we always planned. I never expected what was coming in my life. That feeling was stronger today as we went hanged with my friends and I decided to go up on the stage.

Max's pov:

I am the father of four children, my oldest Aiden keeps his distance from my other children his sisters who are special in their own way. My 2nd oldest always looks out like something is coming and as a father I decide not to ask because I already know the answer to the question. She isn't sure what is coming but she can feel it.

Today she has been looking out more but today was my friend and colleagues visit. She went with her sisters to their favorite hang out by horse while I went to pick them up. As I saw them come out of the airport after I parked I offered to help them.

"Thank you, Nice to see you again Max." Solomon said shaking my hand

"And to you Solomon, this is your grandson?" I asked

"Yes, This is Yugi. Where are your children Max?" Solomon asked

"My daughters are at their favorite hang out and Aiden is off with his friends. Yugi, If you like I could drop you off where the girls are for you to meet them." I offered

"That would be nice." Yugi said

Yugi's pov: Mr. Petrova was a friend of Grandpa's but something was off with Yami. I could see him looking at Mr. Petrova like he recognized him for some reason. So Once in the car I decided to ask.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"He feels familiar. Something is coming and maybe we'll find the one for that bracelet." Yami said

"Right, Ishizu said you had a queen and that is how to find her." I said

The ride wasn't that long as before I knew it Mr. Petrova had stopped the car and I looked seeing the place. I carefully got up and thanked them before I walked in. The place was packed with teenagers and adults. I wondered how to find Mr. Petrova's daughters when I heard the sound of someone singing.

Yami and I looked towards the stage seeing a girl with brunette hair with purple highlights on the stage. She didn't seem very happy with her arms crossed over her chest and whoever she was looking at was the clear reason of the song she chose. A blonde haired male got up and she looked right at him.

"It can't be." Yami said beside me

"What?" I asked

"She looks familiar." Yami said

I looked at her seeing she was done with her song and going down the stairs. I saw the guy grab her arm and she turned faced him and pinned him to the ground without even trying. He seemed to like it but she went back to her table so I figured a way to get through but Yami took over for me.

Britt's pov:

I had just knocked Jake to the ground for the thousandth time in the time I've known him. He's so obsessive and annoying. I almost wish to be somewhere other than here. That thought I would regret soon enough but then I noticed someone approaching our table. He was tall, tri-color spikey hair and eyes I've dreamed of in my sleep.

"Hello" Nina siad

Nina, was a good friend and she was the one to talk first on strangers. The boy seemed unsure at first but he decided to speak.

"Hello, are you Mr. Petrova's daughters?" He asked

"We are." I said "and you are?" "I'm Yugi, he said I could meet you here." Yami said

I questioned if that was really his name as I was enjoying my drink but we offered to let him sit with us. We all talked and had drinks like soda and tea for those who wanted it. He seemed to open up and talk with us like everything was fine. I wanted a drink to go so I walked over seeing strange man in Robes as he approached me.

"Forgive me, but you have to fix the time line." He said

"Excuse me?" I asked

"You are the one, the one who was born the Nile Princess 5,000 yeas ago. The past is being threatened you must go back and fix what is being broken. Take your past life counterparts place after her death." The man said

I got my to go drink and looked at him like he was crazy. I wasn't no Queen and I didn't have a past life counterpart. He grabbed my wrist putting on a bracelet that I'd never seen before. As I felt pain shoot through me he took my to-go cup before I fell and held it. The pain was a test and I saw it glow on the eye as I relaxed.

Standing up I carefully got hold of my to-go cup as I checked to see if it'd been tampered with. I didn't see anything and I turned to walk away.

"You will fix the past, chosen Queen of the Pharaoh and take your place in your past life counter parts the moment she dies." The man said

"Pharaoh? I don't know any such thing." I said

"You're lying, you've sensed it coming for awhile." He said

I didn't want to admit anything so I went with everyone and we headed home. I walked with Yami talking to him as I had my drink. I took a sip as we walked and Heb nuzzled me. I thought it was odd but then I was still drinking the drink.

"Your horse, loyal companion." Yami said "Yes, he goes everywhere with me. I don't think he'd do well if I was gone." I said

"You enchant him." Yami said

"Enchant?" I asked

It was a weird to hear I enchant my horse but still there was more going on. So I was going to deal with it. Except for the fact that once I finished my drink and just before I fully made it home something opened pulling me back. I tried to hold on and Yami took my hand trying to hold onto me.

"Britt, hold on I'll save you." Yami said but then he saw the bracelet "It's you, you're the one I was looking for." "What are you talking about?" I asked as My hand started slipping

"The bracelet, you are the girl who fixed our past and was taken from me..." Yami said

I tried making sense of this but my hand slipped "Yugi!"

I saw him reach for me and my hand slipped from his and Heb stayed by him "Find me when you return!" Yami said

I didn't understand what was happening, what did he mean by fixing our past. I fell in the portal and I didn't know what was going to happen. All I knew was when I landed I was in sand and in front of a palace. I got up but it was only temporary as I was grabbed by guards and brought in the palace.

"Let me go." I said trying to fight but they were too strong as they made me kneel.

"Impossible." I heard that voice I'd heard tell me to find him when I returned and when I looked up I saw the same man only in royal clothing. He made a motion and the guards let me go.

I saw him walk towards me and he was taking in my facial features as he offered his hand to me. I hesitated but I put my hand in his none the less and yet he still looked at me.

"Same eyes, same hair, same skin tone." He said "tell me do you have a water drop birthmark?" "I..how did you know?" I asked

"It is you." He said then he took a look at my attire "and you have the same choice of style..only these clothes are strange." "You know me?" I asked

"Britt, it's not funny." He said then he put a hand under my chin and had me look at him and I didn't know what he was looking for but whatever it was he seemed disappointed. "You don't remember."

Britt how does he know I go by that nickname...and Yugi he said I'm the one to fix our past..but I have no idea what that means. Though the way he talked was like I've worn something similar before. I thought

"Pharaoh, are you saying this woman is our Queen incarnate?" A guard asked

"Indeed she is, but her memories have been locked." He said as he looked at me like I was expected to run and hug him. I didn't understand.

Before I could ask he led me away from the guards and I was going along with it just because there wasn't really anything else I could do. He seemed in thought as I walked beside him and I watched through a few things.

"Have we met in your time?" He asked

"Sort of.." I said as we walked "Aw man Heb is gonna go crazy without me." "Heb? You still have that horse." He said

That part was what surprised me that this Pharaoh knew my horse. Or at least he knew the name of my beloved horse. Which made no sense what so ever to me but he brought me to a room as he had me sit. I sat and noticed the bed was soft but as he was looking for something I noticed certain things about this room like for instance it was his!

Why did he bring me here? I thought

He pulled out a dress from where some things were hanging and he pushed me behind a thing to change without saying anything. I noticed he turned his back as I removed my jacket and everything else as I changed into the dress. It was two piece dress like my shirt and shorts and he was right it was my style. I noticed shoes of the era set where I could switch as I took a deep breath before changing and walked out.

"You may look." I said

When he turned to face me and his breath got caught in his thought I noticed something else. He was holding back tears in his eyes as I walked over and touched his cheek without thinking wiping the tears.

"Who has hurt you Pharaoh?" I asked

"My Queen, Brittania who liked to be called Britt. She was killed and I thought I'd never see her again until the next life but you're here." He said as he put a hand over mine "You are her. As my soul would know hers and her soul is your own. You are here for a reason Britt, even if you do not remember I want to help you. Starting with a proper introduction." He said

"Ok" I said

"I am the Pharaoh here, my name is Atem. What name is my lady given in her time?" Atem asked "and I am asking your full name." "Brittney, but I go by Britt." I said "And your family?" He asked

"Two sisters and a brother, loving parents, an annoying grandfather and the best five friends I could ask for." I said

"Bre and Nana? Akolm? Azeneth and Mirza? Maahes?" Atem said surprising me some.

"My sisters are named Bre and Nana. My brothers name is Aiden, my mother's name is Angela and my father's name is Max." I said as I sighed "but my grandfather is named Maahes."

Atem seemed to be thinking with that information as he paced a bit. Then he stopped and looked at me.

"the names are similar as is yours. Only more proving you are her." Atem said

I questioned a lot of things at the moment but then I heard the sound and a knock at the door. When I saw him open the door and he moved aside letting people inside as five girls rushed in hugging me. They looked just like my friends but I knew their names were not the same.

"Britt, we thought you were dead." Zahra said

"I'm sorry but uh I'm not your Britt." I said

The five girls backed up but looked at me in shocked as I did the best to stay calm. Atem cleared his throat getting their attention.

"She's the reincarnation of our Queen, from the future." Atem said

They were in shock but even I was in shock

#ygo characters #Ygo Ocs #ygo #yugioh fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #original story #time traveler #pharaoh atem #yami yugi x oc #yami yugi

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coolgreatwebsite · 4 years ago

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Cool Games I Finished In 2020 (In No Real Order)

Oh, hey! Right! I have a website! I’m like a week late on writing this, but what’s a week on top of an entire year of not writing, right? 2020 was... well, we all know what 2020 was. For me personally, it was simultaneously the best and worst year of my life. The worst in both ways you can probably assume and ways you definitely can’t (neither of which I’ll be getting into), and the best in ways I absolutely never would have guessed. That uncertain job I mentioned last year got very suddenly much more certain, at a much bigger company, for a much larger amount of money. That allowed me to get my own place, making my weird living situation much less weird. Still haven’t gotten the majority of my belongings off of the east coast, but if the entire world wasn’t currently fucked up by a global pandemic I’d have sorted all that out too. What I’m saying is that, for the third year in a row, my life has been a complete whirlwind that has left me very little time to get comfortable with any aspect of it. But I did manage to play more video games than I did last year! Which is perfect, because it’s once again time for another one of these. Here’s a bunch of cool games I experienced for the first time in 2020.

Astro’s Playroom (PlayStation 5, 2020)

My one word description of Astro's Playroom is "delightful". It's just an absolute goddamn delight. A total surprise too! Included with every PlayStation 5, Astro's Playroom is, in my opinion, one of the best pack-in games of all time.

First off, it's an incredible tech demo for the PS5's new DualSense controller. It was easy to brush off Sony's talk about the controller's haptic feedback and triggers as some Nintendo-style HD Rumble bullshit, but it really is incredibly cool once you get your hands on it. The game is obviously more than a tech demo though, or else it wouldn't be on here. It also just so happens to be an extremely solid and fun platformer on top of that. Astro controls exceptionally well and the levels are all well-designed and fun, even the gimmick vehicle ones designed to show off different features of the controller. It also has an oddly compelling speedrun mode, made all the more compelling by the PS5 notifying you when your friends beat your times and the ability to load into it within two seconds from anywhere on the console. But the biggest thing for me and, call me a mark, because I am, is that the game is an honestly incredible love letter to PlayStation history.

For the first time ever, Sony has pulled off a nostalgia piece without it ending up as embarrassing garbage in the vein of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. There's a Nintendo-like joyful reverence for all things PlayStation oozing out of every single corner of this game. There are so many nods and references and gags for literally every PlayStation thing of note throughout the the last 25 years, and then on top of that there's a whole heap more for the things that AREN'T of note that only hyperdorks like me would get! A sly reference to the ill-fated boomerang controller? Yep. A goof on the fat PS3's Spider-Man font? You betcha. A trophy you can earn by repeatedly punching a Sony Interactive Entertainment sign until it breaks and reveals the Sony Computer Entertainment sign it was slapped on top of? Yeah buddy. It's deep cuts all the way down, even up until the final boss which had me grinning like a total dipshit the entire time. The game is endlessly, effortlessly charming.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch, 2020)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the perfect game at the perfect time. That doesn't mean it's a perfect game, I actually have some issues with it, but it could not have released at a better time than when it did. It came out at the very very beginning of everyone going into lockdown due to the pandemic, and it was the biggest game in the world for a couple of months as a result. I played like 300 hours and that pales in comparison to the amount of time many others put into it.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the most different Animal Crossing game there's ever been, and I'm of two minds on it. Like, I loved the game, I played a ton of it, but it's lacking so much of the stuff that made me love Animal Crossing in the first place. The series has been slowly trending in this direction for a bit now, but it's not really a game that happens around you anymore. It's all about total player control. You select where everything goes, you customize every detail of everything to your liking, hell, you can even terraform the landmass to be exactly what you want. Your neighbors take a backseat in focus and end up as little more than decorations with limited dialogue and next to no quests associated with them. Series staples like Gyroids are missing in action. Facilities and services that have been around since Wild World aren't implemented. It's similar to past Animal Crossing games in a lot of ways, but on the whole it feels like a different thing.

But like I said, two minds. New Horizons strays from what I truly want from an Animal Crossing game, but I can't deny that the game as it is is a hell of a lot of fun. There's SO much you can do and SO many options, it's super addictive. Plus it implemented my long-requested feature of letting you effortlessly send mail to friends online! Too bad the actual online play is as cumbersome as ever.

In conclusion, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a land of contrasts. I'm kidding. It's good, but definitely missing something in a way where I can understand some people being disappointed in it. I had a ton of fun though, and I'm probably going to get back into it later in 2021.

Trials of Mana (Nintendo Switch, 2019)

Late in 2019, with the physical release of Collection of Mana for the Switch, I decided I was going to play through each game on it for the first time and finally find out what this whole Mana thing was about. I went into Final Fantasy Adventure (the first game in the Mana series, because every RPG had to be Final Fantasy back then) with zero expectations and found a totally serviceable little Zelda-like with light RPG elements. I enjoyed my time with it. I went into Secret of Mana with the expectation of it being a beloved classic and found the worst game I beat that year, hands down. That game fucking sucks. I get why it made an impression on people at the time, but it's just so so SO awful to play. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed. Honestly, I would have been disappointed even if I hadn't heard it was one of "the best games" for so long. It would have been a disappointing follow-up to Final Fantasy Adventure, a game that in and of itself isn't anything incredible. Secret of Mana is just that rotten.

I braced myself for more disappointment when (after a much needed vacation from the series) I started up Trials of Mana. This game had a reputation too, as a long-lost classic that never made it stateside. One of the best games on the Super Nintendo, criminally never released for western audiences! Like Secret of Mana before it, I'd heard nothing but effusive praise. Unlike Secret of Mana, however, I was very pleased to find out that Trials of Mana mostly lives up to the hype. From a gameplay standpoint, Trials is an improvement on Secret in almost every single way. It's not perfect. The menus are still kinda clunky, animations for things like magic and items are still frequently disruptive. But the main thing is it actually plays like a sensible video game designed by humans with brains. Attacking is responsive! Hitboxes aren't complete nonsense! You don't constantly get stunlocked to death! There are more answers to combat than casting the same spell for five straight minutes to kill your enemies before they get a chance to move! It's great!

On top of being an enjoyable video game to actually play, the presentation is top notch. Secret of Mana could be a pretty game with decent music in some spots, but Trials is consistently gorgeous and the soundtrack is across the board great instead of randomly having songs that sound like clown vomit. And while Trials of Mana doesn't have the deepest story in the world, it manages to avoid being completely paper-thin like Secret. The story actually kind of has a reason for being a bit straightforward, and the reason is that it has a really cool system where you pick your three playable characters from a pool of six. Each character has their own goals and storyline, some of which line up with other potential party members, some of which don't, and you'll even run into the characters you didn't choose as NPCs along the way. This and the relatively brisk pace of the game make it highly replayable.

I'm really glad that Trials of Mana made it over here in an official capacity, even if it was like 25 years late. It's as good as I expected Secret of Mana to be and singlehandedly saved my interest in seeing any more of the series. I'm aware the quality of what came after is very spotty, but I'll get to the rest eventually!

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PlayStation 4, 2020)

They (almost) did it. They (basically) pulled it off. They remade (a chunk of) Final Fantasy VII and (for the most part) didn't fuck it up. Ok, funny parentheticals aside, Final Fantasy VII Remake is astoundingly good coming off of over two decades of just absolutely dreadful post-FF7 sequels, side games, and movies.

Final Fantasy VII has been historically misremembered as this kind of miserable, angsty, brooding thing, both by fans and by the company that made it. FF7-branded media after FF7 itself is a minefield of changed personalities, embarrassing original characters, and monumentally lame stories. Final Fantasy VII Remake is the first post-FF7 anything that actually remembers the characters, setting, and plot of Final Fantasy VII and what made them memorable and special to people in the first place. Which isn't to say it's a slavish recreation! There's a ton of changes and additions, and I actually like almost all of them! Except for some really big stuff I'll touch on in a bit!

The combat in Final Fantasy VII Remake is great. I was super skeptical about it when the game was first announced, but they actually managed to make the blend of real-time action and turn-based RPG menuing fun and engaging. The characters all play super differently from each other too, which is a huge and welcome difference from the original game. The Materia system fits like a glove in this revamped combat system as well. The remixed music is good as hell, and the visuals are beautiful (outside of a couple of very specific spots that I'm kinda of surprised they haven't fixed in a patch yet). It's a well-executed package all around.

But alas, as always, there are negatives. For starters, this is only part one of the overall Final Fantasy VII Remake project. It goes up to the party leaving Midgar which, as you may or may not recall, is the first six hours of the original game. They compensated for this by fleshing the hell out of the Midgar section the game, ballooning the overall playtime to total of about 30-ish hours. The game feeling padded is a common complaint but for what it's worth, I didn't really feel it until the unnecessarily long final dungeon, There's also the previously mentioned and funny parenthetical'd changes and additions I don't like.

This is big time spoilers for this game so if you don't want that jump ahead to the next game on the list. The Whispers suck ass. Final Fantasy VII Remake should have been brave enough to be different without having to constantly derail everything in the most ham-fisted and intrusive way possible. You can have Jessie twist her ankle without making a spooky plot ghost trip her. I don't want to fight the physical manifestation of the game everyone thought they were getting as an end boss. If you're not doing a straight remake, that's fine, but have the fucking guts to stand by your artistic decisions without feeling the need to invent the lamest deus ex machina I've ever fucking seen. The last couple of hours of this game are 100% about the Whispers and are awful for it. It's a true testament to the strength of the rest of Final Fantasy VII Remake that this aspect didn't completely sour me on it. I can only hope that they stay dead and gone for good in the games yet to come and the remake can be different while standing on its own two feet.

I truly cannot wait for the next entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake project. I'm excited for Final Fantasy VII in a way I haven't been since the late 90s. I have a bit of trepidation that they could royally screw it up. I mean, they already got kinda close, as I said in my last paragraph. But they got so much right in this entry that, for the first time in decades, I'm willing to believe in Square Enix when it comes to Final Fantasy VII.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (PlayStation 4, 2020)

My one word description of 13 Sentinels is "fucking crazy". I realize that's two words, but shut up. A bizarre hybrid of visual novel, adventure game, and strategy RPG, 13 Sentinels not only makes that work, but makes it work incredibly well.

The story is fucking bonkers. It's told entirely non-linearly and is purposefully dense and confusing, but it does an amazing job of hooking you with a cast of likable characters and some impressively well-paced twists, made all the more impressive by the fact that you can tackle the story in basically whatever order you want. I'll say it again for those in the back, the story is Fucking Bonkers. Wherever you think it's going, it's not going. Where it is going is PLACES. Seriously, if you want a wild goddamn ride, this is the game for you. The presentation is also stunning. It's a drop dead gorgeous game with a really nice soundtrack. Easily Vanillaware's best looking game, which is saying something seeing as looking good is Vanillaware's whole deal.

If I had to levy one criticism against the game, it's that the strategy RPG portion is just kind of ok. It's enjoyable enough, it doesn't get in the way and there's not too much of it, but once it starts introducing armored versions of previous enemy types it's kind of done doing anything different. It is really good at getting people to out themselves as having no idea what tower defense is as a genre though!

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch, 2018)

I haven't really historically been a "Musou Guy". Not to say I've actively disliked them, they're just not something I've seeked out very often or played very much of. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition kinda turned me into a "Musou Guy" a little bit? It's good, surprisingly-less-mindless-than-you'd-think fun.

I actually super don't care about the Zelda branding. I think all the fanservice stuff is meh at best. What I do care about is that there's a ton of character variety and a metric shitload of content. There's so many different characters and weapons for those characters that all play differently from one another and SOOOOOO many levels to play. Like the story mode is, again, kinda meh, the real meat of the game is the Adventure mode and there's a ton of it. It's 8 different world maps, each based off a different Zelda game, with each square of the map containing a little mini-scenario with unique objectives and rewards. There has to be at least 1000 scenarios between all the maps. There's so much. And that's not even getting into some of the other side stuff like the challenge modes and the fairy raising. It's a crazy amount of game in this game.

And again, it's not as mindless as it'd seem. It's not really a game ABOUT destroying 5000 guys, it's an area control and resource management game where the 5000 guys are one of those resources. Knowing who to send where and when to fight who is way more important than pressing the XXX YYY XXX YYY on the more than one million troops.

I'd say that if you're even cursorily potentially maybe interested in a musou game, this is the one to try. And if you like it, it could literally be your forever game. A sequel came out recently too, and I'm looking forward to trying that out soon.

Phantasy Star Online 2 (Xbox One, 2020)

Phantasy Star Online 2 finally came stateside in the year 2020, eight years after its initial Japanese release and initial American cancellation. It's no Phantasy Star Online 1, but it is a really fun game in its own right provided you can find the willpower to break through its clunkiness and eight years of confusing poorly tutorialized free-to-play MMO cruft.

The main thing going for PSO2, and this is a major improvement from PSO1, is that the act of engaging in its combat is fun. The combat is just feels really really good. There's a bunch of different weapon types and classes, and once you find the ones that really click with you you're in for a good time, whether you're izuna dropping dudes with wire claws or literally doing air juggles and rainstorm from Devil May Cry with the dual machine guns.

The other stuff around that combat is weird. I generally like it, but it's weird. The story mode is one of the most bizarrely presented things I've ever seen. It apparently used to be something you'd seek out in the levels themselves, but presently it's just a list of scenes you pick from a menu and watch with next to no context until it makes you fight a boss sometimes. There's some weird moments in there that MIGHT have been cool if it were presented in literally any other way?

The systems and presentation are also way more... I dunno, pinball? Pachislot? In very stark contrast to how chill original Phantasy Star Online was, everything in PSO2 is designed in a way to maximize that flashy light bing bing wahoo you got ~*~RARE DROP CHANCE UP~*~ feeling. Which isn't to say I don't like flashy light bing bing wahoo, but it's a weird different thing.

Was it worth the wait? Yeah, sure! For me! This is another one that I played like 300 hours of! I haven't even seen half of it, I fell off right before Episode 4 released because it coincided with my move! I'm gonna go back and see all that shit! PSO2's fun! A different flavor of fun than the original, sure, but fun all the same. Another one that I'm glad finally made it over here.

Riichi Mahjong (A Table, 1924)

Holy shit I fucking did it I finally learned how to play Mahjong and it rules.

It started when I picked up Clubhouse Games for the Switch. I saw that it had Riichi Mahjong and something in my brain snapped. For whatever reason, I decided that this was the time I was going to rip the band-aid off and figure this shit out. It wasn't too dissimilar to the first time I decided to try eggs, but that's a different and much stupider story for a different time. I did the tutorial in Clubhouse Games, looked up some more basics and advice because the tutorial wasn't super amazing, and I kept playing while being aided by the game's nice helper features like the button that pulls up recommended hands. I kept playing and... sorta got it. I learned the basic rules, but none of the strategy. And then I stopped playing for a few months.

In that few months, for whatever reason, a decent amount of people I know had their brains snap the same way? Like a more-than-two amount of people I'm either friends with or following online also decided to learn Mahjong. I decided to get back on the horse and downloaded Mahjong Soul and I don't know whether it was perseverance or the power of anime babes, but this time I got it. I still refer to a sheet with all the hands and whether they work open or closed, and I'm by no means a master player, but I actually honest to god understand what I'm doing and it's an incredible feeling.

Mahjong has such a huge amount of what I like to call "Get That Ass" energy. It is the energy you feel when you get someone's ass. In Mahjong you are either constantly getting someone's ass or getting your ass gotten. Someone puts down the wrong tile and you fucking GET THEIR ASS DUDE! They're got!! They're a fucking idiot that put down the wrong thing and now you have their points!!! Or you draw what you need yourself and you're a brain genius all according to plan and everyone gives you points because you're so wise!!!! It's great!!!!!

Mahjong has long been one of those games where I'd say "I'll learn this someday" and never reeeeally actually try to learn, and I'm so glad I finally took the effort to because it's good as hell. And, truth be told, it wasn't THAT hard to learn? Like you can get to the point where I was where I didn't know the strategy fairly easily in my opinion, and once you do that It's just a matter of continuing to play to understand the rest. I highly recommended that you also go out and learn it if you similarly revel in getting that ass, it's so satisfying once you do.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PlayStation 4, 2020)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio took a big gamble with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. After seven games (more if you take spinoffs and remakes into consideration) they decided to focus on a new main character and, even more unexpectedly, they decided to change things up by turning the series into a turn-based JRPG. Their gamble paid off in spades. This is easily in my top 3 favorite Yakuza games.

The JRPG gameplay is surprisingly solid. There's definite room for improvement, but they nailed a bunch of it right out of the gate. Some mechanics are a little janky and I wish the job system was more fleshed out or just worked more like Final Fantasy V's, but they nailed one of the most important things and made the battles brisk and fun. It's a great foundation, especially for a team that's never attempted anything like this, and it's way more fun than the combat's been in any of the previous Dragon Engine games. I can't wait to see them iterate on it.

Everything else is top fuckin' notch. The music is great, the side content is fully fleshed out in a way it hasn't been since before they switched to the Dragon Engine, and I love the characters and story so much. Yakuza has a new main character in Ichiban Kasuga, and he's my son and I love him. Kiryu was great, and I love him too, but he was a bit of a passive protagonist. Stuff happened around him and he mostly just stoically reacted to it. Ichi is a much more active lead and it's great. He's a big lovable dope, and his tendency to keep an upbeat attitude and eagerness to leap into action is such a breath of fresh air. And it's not only Ichiban, since this is an RPG you have a whole party of characters and they're all great! Having them with you at all times bantering with each other and reacting to things is another great change of narrative pace, too.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon just straight up rules. As someone who has historically not been too much of a fan of the Dragon Engine games, it's simultaneously a refreshing new take on the series and a fantastic return to form. I can't wait for what comes next. Wherever Ichiban goes, I go.

Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Nintendo Switch, 2020)

After 23 years of Japanese PS1 exclusivity, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure finally got an English release this year for Nintendo Switch. I'm glad it did, because Moon isn't just the very definition of A Sebmal Game. It's the Sebmal Game missing link. In addition to being just a great video game, it helped me make a mental throughline for a bunch of games I love and a large part of my taste in video games.

To keep a long story short (seriously, I have a much much longer version of this saved in my drafts that I'll maybe finish someday), Moon turned out to be not the JRPG I assumed it was, given the title and basic story pitch, but a secret prequel to a game I love named Chulip. Moon's developer, Love-de-Lic, was formed by a handful of ex-Squaresoft employees, many of which worked on an extremely formative game I love named Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Love-de-Lic broke up in the year 2000 and its staff went on to form a bunch of different studios that ended up making a BUNCH of different games I love like Chibi-Robo, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Dandy Dungeon, and the aforementioned Chulip. These games, when you make the connection and line them up, all have a very distinct weirdness in common that makes perfect sense once you've realized many of the same people worked on them. Figuring this all out felt like snapping a piece of my brain back in place, and it was really crazy to come to understand exactly how much this studio that formed and disbanded decades before I'd even heard of them had impacted my tastes and, hell, my life.

So what is Moon, for those who don't innately understand what I mean by "a secret prequel to Chulip"? Moon is an adventure game where you explore a world with a day/night cycle, learn about that world's inhabitants, and eventually solve their problems. Think of it kind of like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, but if the sidequests were the entirety of the focus with no Groundhog Day time reset mechanic and none of the Zelda stuff like combat and dungeons. You play as a young boy who, after a late night JRPG binge session, is sucked into the world of the game he was just playing. Everything is off from the way it was portrayed while the boy was playing the game, though. The hero he had previously controlled is actually a silent menace, raiding peoples' houses for treasure and slaughtering every innocent animal that crosses his path in an endless quest for EXP. The townspeople seem more concerned with problems in their day-to-day lives than the supposed world threatening crisis outlined in the game's intro. It's up to you as the boy to investigate this world's mysteries, help the townsfolk, mend the damage the hero has done, and eventually restore love to a loveless world.

Speaking of love, I fucking loved Moon. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the music, I loved the way it looks (even though the Switch port is a little crusty in that basic emulator-y kinda way), I loved how constantly bizarre and surprising and funny it was. Like I said earlier, it's the very definition of a game made for me. It was essentially the progenitor of a long line of games made for me, and of games potentially made for me but I don't know yet because I haven't played them due to not understanding Japanese (UFO: A Day in the Life translation next please? Anyone from Onion Games reading this??). For as similar as Moon and Chulip are in their systems and pacing, I think I might actually like Moon better despite it coming earlier? It's not as full force maximum impact absurd as Chulip is, but it is a lot more playable and less obtuse once you get a grip on the time limit mechanic. You don't need a full strategy guide included in the instruction manual for Moon, and you don't need to exchange business cards with every single character to get information vital to finishing the game either.

I truly cannot recommend Moon enough if your taste in games ventures anywhere off the beaten path. Maybe this is a little conceited of me, but I assume if you're reading this article, let alone this far down into it, you relate to my video game opinions at least a little bit? You should play Moon. Everyone reading this sentence should play Moon. Moon: Remix RPG Adventure is my game of the year for the year 2020.

These games were also cool, I just had less to say about them:

Death Stranding (PlayStation 4, 2019): Death Stranding, much like Metal Gear Solid V, was a game I enjoyed for the gameplay and not much else. The story, characters, and writing were a huge disappointment for me, but man if I didn't enjoy lugging those boxes around and setting up my hellish cross-continental goon summer camp lookin' zipline network. Mr. Driller Drill Land (Nintendo Switch, 2020): I am a known Mr. Driller Enjoyer, and I enjoyed this Mr. Driller. Originally released for the Gamecube, Mr. Driller Drill Land is another long-time Japanese exclusive that finally came stateside this year and it's packed with new and novel twists on the Mr. Driller format. It looks super sharp, the music's great (also the credits music is the most impossibly out of place and extra as hell shit in the world and it's hilarious), and it's just a good ass time. The main campaign is pretty damn short, but if you're a post-game content kinda guy it has that and it's all super hard. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (PlayStation 4, 2020): They finally made another good new Tony Hawk game, and all it took was perfectly remaking two of the best old Tony Hawk games! Plays exactly like you remember it with the added benefit of the best mechanics from up to THUG1, looks great, packed full of content, even has most of the music alongside some mostly crappy new stuff. It's the full package as is, but I do hope they end up adding THPS3 to it eventually. Mad Rat Dead (Nintendo Switch, 2020): Mad Rat Dead was a pleasant surprise that I only picked up because I saw a couple of people on my Twitter timeline constantly talking about it. A fun and inventive platformer where all your actions need to be on beat with the music. The gameplay feels great (aside from some not so great performance issues on Switch), the soundtrack is fun, and it's got a real good style to it. Demon's Souls (PlayStation 5, 2020): I love Demon's Souls and this is Demon's Souls. It plays exactly the same with some minor quality of life changes. I don't agree with many of the artistic changes, but there's no denying it looks incredible on a technical level. If you want to play Demon's Souls again or for the first time, this is a perfectly valid and fun way to do so. Groove Coaster: Wai Wai Party!!!! (Nintendo Switch, 2019): Groove Coaster is one of my favorite rhythm games, and they finally made an acceptable at-home version with Wai Wai Party. It's not a perfect replication of the arcade game control-wise, I have some issues with the song choices, and the pricing is frankly fucking ridiculous if you're not a Groove Coaster maniac like I am, but the same ultra satisfying gameplay is all there. You can even play it vertically in handheld mode! Flip Griiiiiiiip!

And we're done! Phew! Honestly didn't realize I played that many good games until I typed all this out. Thanks as always for reading this far. I'm gonna try and get back to regularly posting Breviews this year at the very least. Honestly don't know if I'll get anything else up on here, but we'll see. Here's to hoping 2021 is a little bit less of a nightmare!

#article #Year Wrapup

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kpophours · 5 years ago

Text

A Piece of Heaven (M)

➵ SF9: Jaeyoon x fem. reader / one shot, college AU / fluff, smut / REQUESTED

➵ warnings: explicit mentions of sex, slight cursing

➵ word count: 4.4k

When Jaeyoon sees you for the first time, your hair looks like a birds nest, your face is blotchy and your eyes are glistening with unshed tears.

You're on the edge of a nervous breakdown, Inseong says, when your eyes focus on Jaeyoon with alarming force. “You can help me, right?”, you sound as if you're about to kill someone - that someone being Inseong, who has somehow managed to delete your entire research paper with just one click.

Jaeyoon smiles at you, trying to look more confident than he actually feels right now. He’s by no means a tech pro, but he knows his way around. “Let me see.”, he simply states, claiming the space beside you and taking the laptop from you. He notices your nervousness, hands fluttering around, fingers clenching and unclenching, grasping for something to hold onto.

“Another coffee, maybe?”, Inseong asks, voice tiny. You ignore him, biting your lips until you draw blood.

“Relax.”, Jaeyoon murmurs, shooting you a wink, “I can fix this.” Probably. But he doesn’t say the last part out loud.

You take in a deep breath and shake your head. “It… It’s just… This was so much work.” Your voice sounds tearful and Inseong’s face contorts into a guilty expression. “Jaeyoon is a pro. He’ll have it fixed in no time, don’t worry.”, he says soothingly, looking at his best friend with pleading eyes. But Jaeyoon is already deeply focused, trying to get into the backup system and save your thesis.

It takes him an hour and even then, not everything can be salvaged – only an earlier version with some mistakes still in it, but you're over the moon nevertheless. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou”, you repeat over and over again, making him flush.

“It was nothing.”

“You’re my lifesaver!”

“Really, it was-“

“Don’t you dare say nothing again! You saved my whole paper!”

“Well, not all of it-“

“Jaeyoon!”

He grins at you, dimples flashing. Now you're the one to blush. “Okay, okay. I am your lifesaver.“

„So I guess I was the hitman or what...”, Inseong murmurs, arms crossed over his chest, pouting.

You shoot him a dark look. “No, you’re just clumsy, old man.”

As a real thank you, you invite Jaeyoon over to the apartment you share with a friend to cook dinner for him and serve him drinks. That evening marks the beginning of a fast blossoming friendship, the both of you finding the other easy to talk to, sharing the same sense of humor and a lot of interests.

It doesn't take long for Jaeyoon to be unable to ignore the way his stomach flutters whenever he sets eyes on you. But he doesn’t know what to do about it – he talks to Inseong, but the slightly older man simply shrugs. “Just go for it. I don’t think she would be appalled by the idea of going out with you. Only shows what bad taste she possesses, but I’ve been telling you that for weeks now.”

Obviously, that isn't helpful at all.

Another friend, Youngbin, thinks about his advice for longer and definitely takes it more serious: “If you don’t want to tell her about your feelings, you should probably begin to feel her out a bit. Get more flirty, tease her a bit, see how she reacts. Depending on her reaction, you can ask her out.”

That proves to be more helpful and something Jaeyoon directly begins to put into practice, hoping you will notice his different behavior towards you.

Two weeks later, Jaeyoon stands in front of the cinema, almost freezing his toes off - winter has come earlier than expected this year. You aren't late (you never are), but he’s way too early this time.

Must be the nerves, he thinks.

Inseong had just laughed at him when he left way too early this evening. “Have fun waiting in the cold.”, his best friend had said, lazily waving at Jaeyoon who was already halfway out the door of their shared apartment.

“I thought being early is kind of my thing.”

Jaeyoon whirls around upon hearing the sound of his beloved sarcastic voice behind him. You are huddled into a long black coat and a thick scarf covering half of your face. On top your locks sits a knitted bobble hat and your cheeks are slightly red from the cold.

You look absolutely adorable.

“Sorry, I thought I’d give you a run for it.”, Jaeyoon teases, flashing his dimples at you and pulling you into his arms. You sigh and snuggle closer, pressing your nose into his jacket and inhale deeply. He’s more than glad he’s wearing such a thick jacket so you can’t feel his way too fast beating heart.

“What movie are we watching again?”, you ask, finally freeing yourself from the hug again, cheeks even redder now.

“Uh, it’s an arthouse movie.”

You raise both eyebrows. „You’re kidding.“

„I sure am.“ He laughs at your slightly disappointed expression - for some weird reason, you love arthouse movies - and boops your nose. “It’s a horror movie.”

At this, you light up again – you also love horror movies, something Jaeyoon will never understand, he simply hates those jump scares. “Ohh, is it the new one with the haunted mansion?”, you ask excitedly, dragging him with you into the warmth of the cinema, almost bouncing with joy at the prospect of two hours filled with horror.

“That’s the one.”

You grin up at him, bright eyes sparkling. „Nice! And don’t worry, I’ll protect you.“ At this, you pat his arm affectionately, the corners of your mouth curling into a slightly sarcastic smile. “Phew, thanks. I was worried already.”, Jaeyoon murmurs, rolling his eyes at you.

A few months ago - when you two had met up for your weekly movie night - you had finally managed to talk him into watching a horror movie with you. He had screamed at a particularly scary scene, something you didn’t let him hear the end of for weeks afterwards. You actually didn’t stop until he threatened to never watch any movie with you ever again – but still, even now, you seem unable to stop teasing him about it.

“I think I’ll take someone else to see the movie with me.”, Jaeyoon jokes, making you pout. You look way too cute when pouting, he thinks to himself, heart beating frantically in his chest.

“Nooo, I take it back. And I’ll buy the snacks!”, you quickly say, batting your lashes at him. He grins and slides one arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. “Deal.”

If only he knew how frantically your own heart beats inside your chest. You don’t know how to behave around him anymore, your crush getting more and more out of hand every time you see him.

How could you not fall for him? He's not only ridiculously handsome with those dark locks falling into his deep eyes, the cute dimples and one of the brightest smiles you've ever seen, but he's also kind, funny and intelligent. And lately he’s been way more touchy than before – something you haven’t been able to ignore. But what does it mean? Is it only wishful thinking on your part? Or does it mean more than friendship? You might go crazy if this uncertainty continues.

Restlessly, you chew on the mint gum in your mouth, the familiar taste calming you. Jaeyoon looks at you in a funny way, one eyebrow raised. His arm is still around you, making you more nervous than ever.

“What?”, you ask, almost defensively.

“What has that poor gum done to you?”, he asks jokingly and you laugh. “Oh, shut up, you idiot.” He grins, pulling you even closer and with him towards the snack bar. “What about the tickets?”, you inquire.

“Already got them.”

“Oh. Thanks? Well, then the snacks are definitely on me.“

“You’re the only snack I need.”, Jaeyoon deadpans, making your head whip around at him, your eyes getting rounder and even bigger with surprise. “I- what?” Your heart beats even faster now and you're beginning to feel slightly dizzy and light-headed.… And that bastard really has the audacity to wink at you, leaving you speechless.

Half an hour later, you are seated inside the dimly lit theatre and you're almost vibrating with anticipation in your seat while Jaeyoon beside you is almost (most definitely) regretting his decision to watch a horror movie. Nevertheless, he still manages to softly smile at your excitement - you're just too cute. “You really want to see that movie, huh?”, he asks in a hushed voice and you nod, not even looking at him but at the big screen in front of you. When the (unnecessarily scary) opening music begins to blare through the movie theatre, you finally sit back, quickly gazing at Jaeyoon, eyes soft. “Thank you.”

“What for?” One of his eyebrows is lifted in a questioning manner.

“For coming with me, even though you hate horror movies.”

He rolls his eyes, biting back a smile. “I don’t hate them, I’m just not as enthusiastic about them as you are.”

“Well, and you're a scaredy cat.”, you murmur almost inaudible, shushing him when he tries to argue against it – the movie is about to begin.

… It isn’t too horrible, the jump scares only get to Jaeyoon twice - you laugh at him both times, but offer your hand halfway through the movie. Maybe it isn’t too bad to be kind of a scaredy cat, he thinks to himself. He doesn’t let go of your hand, not even when the credits roll over the screen and you have to leave. He simply drags you with him, hand still securely held in his. He notices your blush though and thinks he might already have his answer: he doesn’t seem to be the only one with more-than-friendly-feelings.

“I’ll walk you home.”, he insists when you’re outside the cinema again.

“Walk? Are you crazy? It’s freezing! I’m going to order an Uber.“, you contradict him, already shivering thanks to the cold night air. Jaeyoon pouts at your words. “Don’t you want to spent more time with me?”, he asks playfully and you roll your eyes. “Of course I do. You’re obviously coming with me.” With that, you pull out your phone - all without letting go of his hand, he notices joyfully -, quickly ordering said Uber. It arrives about five minutes later and to get inside, you have to abandon your hand-holding, much to Jaeyoon’s distaste - and yours, too, but he obviously doesn’t know that.

Ten minutes later, you have arrived at your shared apartment. “Mina is out tonight. Something about babysitting her cousin’s children.”, you explain while opening the front door, hurrying Jaeyoon inside. You both sigh after being greeted by the warmth of your cozy apartment. “That’s much better.”, you murmur, getting rid of your boots, coat, scarf and hat. The black jeans and dark grey jumper are tight enough for him so see every curve of you, making him feel hot and needy.

God, he’s got it bad for you.

“Do you want something to drink? A hot cocoa maybe?”, you ask, looking at him with round, innocent eyes.

If only you knew what he was thinking about right now… You’d definitely be looking at him in an entirely different way.

“Uh, yeah, sounds great.”

Thankfully, you don’t notice his strange tone and simply retreat into the kitchen. The apartment you share with your close friend is cozy and big enough for two people living together. You both have your own room, a small shared living area and while the bathroom is pretty small and has no window, the kitchen is bright and quite big. You love the flat above anything, love having friends over for small dinner parties or movie nights. It’s your own little piece of Heaven.

But right now, with Jaeyoon following you into the kitchen, the apartment feels way too small and crowded - and more like a piece of Hell, you definitely feel way too hot right now. You try to busy yourself with making the promised hot cocoa, pointedly not looking at the handsome man standing in the doorway, following your every move with his dark eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that.”, you finally demand, turning around and glaring at him in a playful manner. He simply cocks one eyebrow. “Like what?”

“I don’t know… Just like that!“ The eloquence on your part is shocking. Jaeyoon only grins and takes a few steps towards you, so you have to look up at him. “I don’t think I can stop looking at you… like that.” He’s testing the waters now and it feels dangerous and exciting and he thinks he just has to kiss you, when-

“Oh no, the milk!”, you yell, turning around and just barely managing to save the splashing, almost boiling liquid from spilling all over the kitchen stove. “Ah fuck.”, you hiss, snatching back your hand – but too late, you have already burned yourself. “Fuckfuckfuck.”, you mutter, whining slightly and quickly holding the burned skin under some cold water.

“Are you okay?”, Jaeyoon asks worriedly, standing close behind you and peering over your shoulder.

“Yup. Just a small burn.” But your thick voice betrays you.

„Oh, love, you can be as clumsy as Inseong sometimes.“, he murmurs, and wraps one arm around your waist to pull you back against his broad chest. He feels your heart pound fast against his chest, mirroring his own racing heartbeat. Your pain seems forgotten all of the sudden and you feel lightheaded thanks to the close proximity to him.

“Hold it under for a bit longer.”, Jaeyoon murmurs into your ear, his honey voice making you shiver. He smiles, loving the reaction you‘re having. He props his chin on your shoulder, looking at the burn. “I think it’s better now.”, you finally say, voice a bit gruff. You‘re trembling slightly, quickly drying your hand with the kitchen towel and when you turn around - still in Jaeyoon’s arms -, you finally fully look at him.

God, you could get lost in those deep eyes.

“Do you know what would make me feel even better?”, you ask, raising one eyebrow, the corner of your mouth curving into a small smile. “Hm?”, Jaeyoon makes, his gaze dropping to your lips without being able to stop it.

“This.” And with that, you gather all your courage - even though you‘re by now pretty sure Jaeyoon is as into you as you are into him -, stand on your tiptoes, lock your hands behind his neck and press your lips against his.

Jaeyoon swears his heart just stops - it simply stops beating. And time stops as well.

Or at least it seems like it.

Before you can take a step back and break the kiss, both his arms lock securely behind your back, pulling your body even closer towards his own. What begins as a sweet, almost innocent kiss, quickly turns into something else - Jaeyoon sucks at your lower lip, tongue pressing against it and you finally let it slip into your mouth, softly moaning at the sensation of his tongue caressing your own.

He's an amazing kisser, you notice, already feeling lightheaded thanks to the lack of oxygen - but neither he nor you wants to break the kiss. Not yet, not after weeks of waiting. But finally, you do have to take a break and breathe, looking at each other with lust filled, slightly surprised eyes.

"I've been wanting to do that for weeks.", Jaeyoon finally blurts out, lips curling into your favorite smile, the one where his dimples are the deepest. You return it immediately. "Me too."

"Why have we wasted so much time, then?"

"I have no clue. But I think we have some catching up to do." Your eyes glimmer wickedly, before you press your lips to his again - not that he's complaining, quite the contrary. In between kisses, you murmur "Let's take this to my room.", walking out of the kitchen and through the hallway without breaking the kiss, bumping into the walls and your doorframe, but neither of you really notices.

Half an hour later, you’re laying on top of your already messy sheets, Jaeyoon hovering above you, sucking on your neck and slowly making his way down. "Jae.", you moan, when he sucks on a particularly sweet spot, "Pleeease." He grins at your pleading, hands roaming your sides under the jumper, dragging it upwards. "I want you out of this, now.", he demands, eyes dark. Your breath hitches at his tone, heat shooting through your whole body. Oh fuck.

You quickly manage to get out of your jumper, laying underneath him in your white lace bra and dark jeans. He licks his lips, breathing hard. He doesn't think he's ever seen anything or anyone more beautiful. "God, you're breathtaking.", he groans, feeling himself grow harder with every second.

"I think this should be fair and square.", you say in a hushed voice, looking up at him through your lashes, "Would you take off your shirt too, please?"

He groans again and you grin to herself, pleased with his response. "Who am I to say no to such a plea, my love?", Jaeyoon murmurs darkly, eyes continuing to roam your body while he lifts his shirt over his head, throwing it towards a corner of your dimly lit room.

"Fuck.", you stutter when you see his broad chest, the nicely defined abs and his toned arms. He grins wickedly at you, flexing his muscles a bit. "Oh, do you like what you see?", he almost purrs at your attention and you wet your lips, nodding quickly. "Kiss me.", you say, making him cock one eyebrow. "Please.", you quickly add, lashes fluttering.

Almost immediately, he dives back into kissing you, his hands sliding over your body, finally meeting behind your back to unclasp your bra. One of his hands brushes over one nipple, teasing you and you feel yourself grow slicker with every second. You can’t help but moan, hips bucking upwards to get at least some friction. Jaeyoon immediately draws back, lips curling into a smirk. “Someone is impatient.”

You groan at his teasing voice. “Yes, it’s me, I’m someone, I knooow.”, you whine, lips forming a slight pout. He really has the audacity to snort. “You’re cute when you’re pouting.”, he murmurs, gently tracing your lower lip with one finger. You use the chance to take the long digit into your mouth and suck, tongue swirling around it. His breath stutters and he locks eyes with you, pupils blown wide, gaze dark and hazy. He groans and before you know it, he has flipped you over, making you yelp in surprise, face being pressed into your pillow. He gently traces your back, goosebumps rising on your whole body. When his hands ghost over the outline of your ass, you suck in a deep breath, your whole body alert, sensitive to the smallest of his touches.

“How about we get rid of those jeans, mh?”, Jaeyoon asks in a dark voice and you nod, quickly wiggling free of them with his help. Left in nothing but your panties, you feel strangely vulnerable in front of him, especially because you’re unable to see his face thanks to your current position. His hands ghost over your calves, slowly working their way up and then, he parts your legs to give his hands access to more. You feel almost embarrassed when he feels the wetness covering the inside of your thighs, but when you feel him pause, breath hitching, followed by a dark groan, you immediately forget all about being embarrassed.

“Already so wet… and all for me.”, he murmurs, pressing a kiss against your shoulder, hot breath tickling your neck, making you squirm even more under his gentle touches. “Please.”, you whine, voice muffled thanks to pressing your face into one of your too many pillows.

“Patience, my love.” His fingers continue to draw patterns on the insides of your thighs, already so close to where you want them, but never quite there yet. Then, finally, he relents, pulling your panties aside, one long finger pushing deep inside you. You can’t help but moan at the sensation, the angle from behind feeling too good, too tight, too hot. You already feel like you’re about to tumble over the edge and he hasn’t even done anything to you, not really. He adds a second finger and your hands fist into the sheets, your breath becoming even more ragged. Slowly, with an almost torturous pace, he pumps his digits into you, making you clench around them. Then, he presses his thumb to your clit, gently circling the swollen bud until you’re a moaning mess, incoherent curses and prayers spilling from your lips. You’re so close now, whole body tightening, head spinning - you close your eyes, face contorting in pleasure when you finally shatter around Jaeyoon’s fingers, his name leaving your lips with a breathy moan. You almost don’t notice him gently flipping you over again so he can face you and press soft kisses on your cheeks, nose, forehead and lips, too blissed out to say or do anything. He grins when he sees your fucked out expression, taking his fingers into his mouth and sucking them clean while watching you with an almost predatory expression.

“That was… wow.”, you finally stutter, face flushing. You quickly pull him on top of you to hide your speechlessness, kissing him and tasting yourself on his tongue. He grins into the kiss, rocking his hips into yours and when you feel his bulge pressing into your core, you moan into his mouth.

“Is it my turn now?”, you ask breathlessly, tugging at Jaeyoon’s belt and beginning to palm his hard on over his jeans. He groans, letting his forehead rest against yours, dark eyes closing, losing himself to your touch. Then, suddenly, he snaps out of it and leans back. “No. I have waited too long for this and I have zero patience left.”, he answers, voice commanding all of the sudden and you immediately straighten at his tone. He stands up, beginning to open his belt before he halts, locking eyes with you again. He grins when he sees your expectant expression, tongue licking your lips to wet them again. Slowly, one after another - just to tease you -, he opens the buttons of his jeans, before tugging them down and stepping out of them. The front of his boxer briefs stretches thanks to his hard on pressing against it and you suck in a deep breath, clenching around nothing and unable to look away from his bulge. When he rids himself of the last piece of clothing, you groan.

He is just… perfect, his whole body is a masterpiece.

You stretch out your arms to pull Jaeyoon’s body on top of yours and he obliges, kissing you almost feverishly, his flushed body pressing into yours at all the right places like you were made for each other.

“Condom?” he finally murmurs against you lips and you simply gesture towards your night stand. A few seconds later, he positions himself in front of you, hovering above you and locking eyes with you. “You’re sure?”

You roll your eyes at him, smiling to yourself - it’s sweet that he asks, of course it is, but shouldn’t he have gathered that you more than definitely want this by now?!

When he sees your almost condescending expression, his eyes narrow and his jaw ticks. With one powerful thrust, he fills you and you gasp, reflexively grabbing his strong arms to hold onto. He lets you adjust for a few seconds, nestled deep inside you and you can’t help but clench around his thick length. He brushes your lips with his, gently biting down on your lower one. “You’re okay?” Now he’s the one sounding and looking quite condescending. You finally have the feeling to be able to breathe again and nod, giving him your okay to move inside you.

He looks pleased, kissing you feverishly, pulling almost all the way out before slamming his hips back into yours again. Setting an almost bruising pace, you quickly become a complete mess under him, gasping fuck and faster and - of course - Jaeyoon over and over again, Jaeyoon. His dark hair clings to his forehead, sweat beading at his temples, but he doesn’t seem to tire at all. When his thumb finally begins to circle your clit again, it doesn’t take long for you to shatter for the second time this night. He stifles your loud moan by sealing your mouth with his, his hips finally stuttering and after a few last thrusts, he groans as well, spilling into the condom and coming to a halt, almost squishing you when his body collapses on top of yours.

He presses feverish kisses on your naked shoulder and neck, before slipping his tongue into your mouth again. You pull him even closer, trying to express all your emotions through the kiss. When you break apart again, breathing heavily, he smiles at you, both dimples showing. You poke the left one and he laughs, catching your hand in his and softly kissing your knuckles. Then, he pulls out of you, gets rid of the condom and disappears down the hallway and into the bathroom. He comes back with a warm, wet washcloth and helps to clean you, before sliding between the bed sheets again, pulling you close to his body.

Your eyes are getting heavier with every second, your hair fanning out over the white pillows. Jaeyoon's fingers are dancing over your skin like butterflies, making you even sleepier. His dark eyes observe you, taking in your long lashes, the light shadows under your eyes, your slightly parted lips and the hickeys he left on your neck and further down on your body.

"Stop staring, it’s rude.", you finally murmur, humor lacing your words. Jaeyoon chuckles, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to your temple."I can't, you're too beautiful for that."

You snort, opening one eye, sparkling with humor. "You're such a flirt.", you tease softly, stretching both arms above your head and yawn. "Please don't leave tonight.", you finally whisper after snuggling closer again, "Please stay."

Jaeyoon smiles at that, dark eyes soft and warm. "Of course.", he murmurs against your lips, kissing you sweetly and stroking your bare back. You bury your head into his chest, sighing contently. He hums softly, kissing your temple again and sighs. "Your bed is truly a piece of Heaven.”, he says quietly and you giggle. “As are your arms.” He chuckles, wrapping his arms even more tightly around you.

Then, silence and darkness wash over the room - just seconds later, you're both out like a light.

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