#but there’s only a teensy bit of comfort heh | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ladylouoflothlorien · 5 years ago

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Hi lovely! Saw that requests were open and I LOVE your writing 🥺 Would it be okay to request a little Dwalin x Reader? They’ve recently been married and the company won’t shut up about them being the toughest warriors ever falling in love. She tells them she’s pregnant thinking it would shut them up but oh boy it doesn’t 😂 It’s okay if not gorgeous ♥️ just wondering ♥️♥️

AHHHHHHHHH Any excuse to write for my husband!Dwalin :} I hope you don’t mind, I’ve changed the request a teensy bit but i hope it still captures what you had in mind. ALSO I whipped this up really fast so if there are any mistakes I apologise but that’s just how it’s gonna be :’) I’m calling this... uh.. “Expecting in Erebor.” heh Words: 1812

The hour was late when Dwalin climbed into the bed he shared with his wife. You had gone to bed over an hour before, but he’d needed to wash from a rather gruelling day of training new recruits for the royal guard. Still, he wouldn’t trade his position as head of the guard of Erebor for the world – not even if he were offered the entire gold hoard Thror had managed to amass. Nor would he trade his position as husband, which was at least equally – if not more – important still. Carefully, so as not to wake you, he leaned over and placed a kiss on your forehead in a gesture so gentle that many wouldn’t have believed the bear of a dwarf could have been capable of it. You would have laughed at them; your husband Dwalin was the kindest, most considerate, most romantic person you have ever met.

Dwalin settled under the covers and curled a burly arm around your waist, and even in your sleep you nestled into the furnace-like heat he brought to the bed. In the blissful privacy of the dark room, he allowed himself to smile, and he thought back to the very first time he had met you.

An official visit to Erebor from Lord Elrond, the elf who had let the Company pass through his Halls without jail time, and was therefore welcomed warmly in memory of his own hospitality, but also a little stiffly – in memory of his being an elf. Naturally, Lord Elrond had not travelled from Rivendell to Erebor unaccompanied. He had brought a number of Elves, as well as a Handful of Men, much to the astonishment of the Dwarrow. The astonishment was heightened to amazement when it became known rather quickly that these men were Rangers, Rangers of the North.

You had been among them, dressed as any Ranger would. At least, that would have been the case if Lord Elrond had not insisted upon new outfits for all the Rangers who had accompanied him to Erebor. So in reality, your clothes looked rather cleaner and shinier than what you usually wore when wandering in the wilderness. Still, you had not been required to pay for the outfit so you had no issues with it.

The group had been shown around personally by King Thorin, and when they had reached the training grounds your attention was caught. The other rangers too – and many of the elves, though not as obviously – looked on with interest at the Dwarrow sparring there. You’d been so caught by the sight of a particular dwarf, all bulging muscles and dark tattoos, that you’d only caught the end of the conversation between Lord Elrond and King Thorin.

“A friendly duel, you say, your best fighter against mine?”

“It is an interesting proposition is it not, mellon nin?”

The King nodded, and barked out.

“Dwalin!”

Dwalin first set eyes on you that day. He was called from training by his King, and by the time he’d walked over you had been quietly asked by Lord Elrond to step forward also. He’d been told that the two of you were expected to duel, to see who was the better. Dwalin, who had never been beaten in single combat, had ample reason to feel confident, though he also knew not to underestimate his opponent. The dwarf hadn’t so much as bat an eyelid when it became obvious you were a woman, for female warriors among Dwarrow were only made scarce by their overall proportion of the population – only 1 in every 3 children born was a woman, after all – rather than any misguided ideas of which gender belonged in which roles.

The duel started slowly, the two warriors sizing up the other and their style of fighting. When Dwalin had figured you out a little, he’d had to start fighting more seriously, as it became clear you were certainly able to hold your own. As the fight had worn on, the crowd increased in size. To the onlookers at least, it eventually became clear that the two of you were at a stalemate, both incredibly skilled yet neither quite able to best the other. Many Dwarrow had started taking bets on how they thought the fight would end.

Dwalin, more exhausted by a fight than he had been in a long time, had let his guard slip long enough to let you get close to him. You’d pressed your advantage the only way you thought would actually work; you kissed him swiftly on the mouth, and your action so shocked him that he’d frozen just long enough for you to pin him to the mat and win the fight. He’d been in love with you from the moment you’d grinned victoriously down at him.

Your love story was one that Dwalin felt pride in and he wished to one day, Mahal willing, share it with any little pebbles the two of you might have. You felt pride in it too, but you rather wished the rest of Erebor would take a little less pride in it. Hardly a day went by when you did not hear of how you had stolen the heart of Dwalin, Erebor’s greatest warrior, with your quick blades and even quicker wit. When the two of you had finally married at the end of your courtship, you’d been shocked and rather flattered that you hadn’t been the only one crying tears of joy, but as your wedding faded into a fond memory you rather wished that Erebor’s citizens in general were less invested in your relationship.

There was something you hadn’t yet told Dwalin, for you’d only had it confirmed that morning. You were pregnant. You wanted to be able to raise your children free from any strange dwarvish romanticism that would undoubtedly shroud their existence if they were thought of merely as the blessed offspring of ‘Dwalin the Mighty’ and his fearsome wife. Perhaps it was hormones from this pregnancy that finally made you snap.

You were walking through the market, and you’d heard one too many barely hushed comments about the wonder of you and your husband for comfort, and enough was finally enough.

You climbed onto the nearest table and stomped your foot loudly over and over until you had the attention of all who were nearby.

“Now listen here all of you! I’ve heard quite enough whispered fantasies about my relationship with my husband for my likings, of how we’re both such fierce warriors that we must’ve been destined for each other, of how we’re the strongest pairing Mahal ever deigned to make, and much more! It was flattering at first, I’ll admit, but I’ve had quite enough of it now. I’ve got something to say to you all that I hope will get you to quit your jabbering about my relationship and mind your own business, because it’s rather important.”

You had a sudden cool flash of reason to cut through the overflowing irritation you’d had only moments before. If you told them you were pregnant, it was not likely to have the effect you hoped for in your anger. Still, you’d gotten the attention of over 100 Dwarrow, and it would be rather embarrassing to climb off the table without a great announcement now. You took a deep breath, wondering at your own stupidity, and sealed your own fate knowingly.

“Mahal bless me, I’m pregnant.”

Pandemonium broke out.

Unbeknownst to you, Balin had been part of the crowd that you’d called to attention at the market, and as soon as you’d screeched from the top of your lungs that you were expecting he’d all but sprinted to share the news with his little brother. When Dwalin had been informed that you, his wife, was with child, he’d squeaked a little, forgotten to breathe, turned red, and almost fainted. Once he had regained himself, he’d gripped his brother by the arms and brought their foreheads together as hard as he dared before sprinting off in the direction Balin had come from to find you.

Dwalin skidded into the market, what hair he had windswept and messier than ever, and his eyes honed in on you. You were sitting on a chair in the middle of the market, cradling a cup of something steaming, surrounded by Dwarrow of all shapes and sizes who seemed to be absolutely going out of their mind with excitement.

“A wonder, to be pregnant not a year after their wedding!”

“Tis truly a blessing from Mahal.”

“Ay, to reward their strength on the battlefield!”

Dwalin’s gaze was drawn to you, and for a split second it appeared to him that you were the only person in the whole market hall.

“Wife!”

His thickly accented voice carried across the hall enough to silence the chattering Dwarrow, for they could all tell to whom the voice belonged. You glanced up, eyes widening when you realised that someone must have gone to find your husband to tell him the news you’d neglected to tell him before announcing it to all of Erebor. The sea of bodies parted to let him pass, and he stormed over to where you were sitting, though by the time he reached you he verily was shaking. Dwalin kneeled gently in front of you, and someone unseen snatched your cup of tea so he could take your hands into his.

“By Durin’s beard… my beautiful wife, is it true? Are ye’…”

He couldn’t finish the question, but you squeezed his hands and answered him anyway.

“Yes love, I’m pregnant.”

The watching Dwarrow whooped and cheered as Dwalin wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and lifted you out of your chair, spinning you around – you had to bend your knees and tuck your legs up so they didn’t scrape the floor as he did, for you were taller than him, but the sentiment was all the same.

9 months later, as many Dwarrow as physically possible were crowded into the hallway outside where you were giving birth. Dwalin had initially been inside the room, but you’d screamed at everyone to get out and the only person who you’d been prevailed upon to let stay was the Dwarrow in charge of the birthing. Now, he was the only one in the hallway who had anything in the way of personal space, as the others had cleared a little space for him to nervously pace back and forth. You were certainly making your discomfort known; you were screaming so loudly you could probably heard as far off as Dale. All of a sudden the screaming stopped and there was silence. Everyone in the hallway held their breath. A second later, the door swung open and the healer poked his head into the hall.

“Dwalin! Get in ‘ere! Ye’ve got triplets!”

“TRIPLETS!?”

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jungshookz · 5 years ago

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ahhhHHHHHHHHH ANIMAL WHISPERER!TAE WHERE U HAVE A CAT THAT LIKES TO ESCAPE AND ONE DAY U CATCH TAE JUST CAUSALLY TALKING TO UR CAT AND UR LIKE ??????? BUT HES CUTE SO U LET IT SLIDE

🐱pairing; kim taehyung x reader

🐱genre; animalwhisperer!taehyung, cATS!!!, i don’t really know what genre this falls under but there’s a cute kitty involved sO fluff??

🐱wordcount; 3.7k

🐱what to expect; “you have the highest quality cat food sitting right in front of you and you haven’t even given it a lick.” “mew.”

🐱note; i had to scroll so far down to find this message aLso this is proof that no matter how long ago u sent in a request i a) have it written down because i cheRISH every request sent in and b) will probably get to it someday!! i thought this was a cute idea and i just wanted to write something silly so i hope it is at least somewhat entertaining!! also i’m not too sure what the original source of the gif is but i found it off this page :-)

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

“meatball! meat-“ you pause immediately when you realise you must look like a crazy person shouting ‘meatball’ up and down the block

you clear your throat when you notice someone a block and a bit ahead turn back to look at you

you turn to look over your shoulder before giving the stranger a shrug and an expression that hopefully translates to ‘i, too, have no idea what’s happening’ and not ‘i was the one screaming meatball because i’m INSANE’

the friendly smile drops from your face when the person turns back and you let out a little huff

where the friG is your cat

here is a quick history of how meatball rolled into your life (heh)

in your first year of university there was this event that took place during finals season

and you usually aren’t an event person just because you hate the idea of having to talk to other people and having to function like a normal human being

but this - well, you had never been to an event like this before

it was basically where little kittens were going to be brought in from adoption shelters and people would be able to play around with them as a form of relaxation and a de-stressor from the chaos of exams

your parents neVer let you keep a pet as a child and now that you were on your own you had to seize the opportunity to finally play with some kitties!!!

“hey hey-“ jungkook (he’s this guy that lives on your floor and he thought youR room was his room but luckily you cleared that up) ((also he won’t leave you alone so you guys are friends now?? apparenTly)) nudges your side and you turn to look at him

there are like six cats on him??????

there’s literally one trying to get on top of his head

“i’m drowning in-“

“if you say what i think you’re about to say, i’m going to kick your aSS-“

jungkook rolls his eyes playfully and you turn back to return your attention to the little kitty you were playing with

this one was the smallest one out of the whole group anD he’s the only brown one!!

and in your opinion he’s the cuTEst one

he’s a british shorthair kitten and he’s basically a tiny ball of FLUFF

if you had to describe the particular shade of brown then you’d have to say he’s kind of like a mix between dark and milk chocolate

anyways you’ve been playing around with him for the past 20 minutes (he likes swatting at your hand and nipping at your fingers) and you never thought you’d say this but you feel like you were meant to find this cat

or maybe it’s the stress from exams that’s making you think you have some kind of spiritual connection with a tiny kitten

either way you.,,. you feel like you.,.,. want to adopt this cat.,,

…and based on the thought that you and this cat were meant to find each other, the next thing you knew you were signing adoption papers and buying waY too many supplies for him

luckiLY pets are allowed in the dorms as long as they’re smol and not stinky and not going to disturb anyone

you got in a teensy (a lot) of trouble with your parents when you called them and told them that ‘yeah exams were fine and also i adopted a little kitten and i made this friend but he’s kind of weird so i’m not sure if i’m going to keep being friends with him-‘

your mom was piSSED but your dad couldn’t have cared less as long as the kitten didn’t disrupt your studies

so yeah

you got to keep the cat!

you also got to keep jungkook because he would come over every day just to play with the kitten

at first you wanted to be funny and give it human name

kevin

steven

maybe even albert

because you thought it’d be hilarious if someone asked you ‘so do you live alone?’ and you’d respond with ‘no i live with kevin’ and theN when they find out that kevin is a cat it’d be a hoOT

but then you thought about it for a little while longer and a little harder and you realised that it wasn’t going to make you seem funny

it was going to make you seem… lame

like veRy lame

so then you switched over to the generic cutesy names that only a 9 year old would be able to come up with

bean

cocoa

mocha

peanut

cinnamon

thinking about it now you were probably super hungry when you were in the midst of coming up with a name

what else did you come up with

buttons

mr. meow

mr. bean

killer

gus!

(gus was definitely at the top of the list because he kind of resembled the tubby little mouse from cinderella)

“are you enjoying dinner…. walnut?” you’ve been testing out names for the past fifteen minutes but so far nothing’s been sticking

“mew.”

“yeah, i don’t like that one either.” you mutter and scratch out the name on your notepad “…kitty?”

oh coMe on

F- for creativity AND F- for effort

no-name blinks up at you and you raise a hand in defense “don’t look at me like that. i’m desperate here!”

also

you’re sitting on the floor eating your dinner because you thought it’d make the kitty more comfortable

he actually hasn’t touched his food at all

he’s kind of just been poking at it with his nose but maybe he’s just not used to this brand of cat food?

you twirl some spaghetti around your fork slowly while keeping an eye on him

…

ok he’s still not making a move to eat anything

“you have the highest quality cat food sitting right in front of you and you haven’t even given it a lick.” your brows furrow in frustration and you drop your fork with a clank

“c’mon, look at that. yummy!” you reach over to push the bowl closer to him

“mew.”

you watch as he hops over his bowl before lifting a front leg and pawing at one of the meatballs on your plate

it rolls towards you and you stop it with your fork

“hey, that’s not for you.” you shake your head and nudge him away gently

luckily he’s pretty small so it doesn’t take you much effort to push him away

you keep holding your hand out as a barrier to keep him from getting to your plate as you use your fork to split up one of your meatballs

“mew.”

and then you notice how intensely he watches you as you bring the chunk of meat up to your mouth

you pause right as it touches your lips and his little tongue pokes out

you swing the fork side to side and watch as his eyes ping-pong back and forth

huh

“you are a very strange kitty.” you mutter under your breath as you watch him practically inhaling his cat food

after a loT of effort (and a lot of hand washing) you managed to shape his wet food into tiny little blobs that somewhat resemble meatballs

and once you presented that to him he immediately started to scarf it down as if he was starving

“little meatballs for a little meatball.” you snort as you pick at your dinner

and then you perk up

heY

how about meatball??

“hey, meatball-“

“mew.” he responds to that name almost immediately and tilts his head before licking his lips

well

there you go!

meatball is kind of a cute name

“…unbelievable that you rejected gus but you like meatball.”

anyways

that was almost three years ago which is crazy to think about

meatball has now grown into a chonky young man (his new year’s resolution is to drop a couple pounds) and he is 100% your bestest friend in the entire world

when he was younger he was a little more playful and a loT more out of control

he would scratch up your curtains and your couch and would hop up onto the kitchen counter while you were cooking which was verY dangerous

he would cry in the middle of the night for hours on end and he wouldn’t stop until you came out into the living room to sleep right next to his cage

when your friends came over he would hiss at them (jungkook still has a little scar on his cheek from that time he tried to kiss meatball and ended up getting swiPed at)

but now he’s a little gentleman!!!

and in some ways he acts like he’s the man of the house and his main purpose is to protect you even though you’ve tried to explain multiple times that the toaster is a friend and not an enemy

when you leave for classes he’ll make himself comfortable on the window sill and just chill there until you come back

when you’re cooking dinner he still hops up onto the counter but instead of coming near the stove he just lays down at the end and watches you

when you’re doing work he likes to sit on your lap and watch your fingers fly across the keyboard

and when you’re lying in bed he curls up on the pillow right next to you even though his perfectly good bed is waiting for him at the other side of the room

when you went through your first breakup you were a mess for the whole week in which you just couldn’t stop crying but the one thing you remember about that was that meatball did not leave your side for one second

he even insisted on chilling in the bathroom while you showered which you thought was kind of weird but he would scratch at the doors if you didn’t let him in lolz

but the one thing he hasn’t outgrown?

the fact that he escapes the apartment at least three times a week

somehow he figured out how to push the latch on the window?? and then he just hops out onto the fire escape?? and he’ll disappear for several hours?? and then he’ll come back and act like everything is fine??

the first time he did that you FREAKED out because you thought he was gone forever

you were in the middle of putting up ‘missing cat’ posters around the neighbourhood when you felt something swat at your ankle

and when you looked down

there he was

“where have you beEN????” you bend down to swOop meatball up and he mews before leaning forward to lick your nose

and after the first time you swore you would never let it happen again

but then it happened again

and again

and here you are

three years later

and it’s happening again

but this time it’s a little different

usually when he disappears he comes back within the same day

but he disappeared last night and now it’s the late afternoon of the neXt day and he still hasn’t come back

you left the window wide open overnight and you placed a dish of his favourite treats on the window sill which honestly was not a great idea because you attracted a lot of creepy crawlies that were certainly noT meatball

when you woke up this morning you saw a RAT poking at the food and you nearly had a heart attack because you thought it was going to jump into the apartment

luckily you spooked it off when you let out an ear-piercing scream that probably woke up the entire building

“do you think i should file a missing person report?” you let out a sigh as you slowly make your way down the block

you have your phone sandwiched in between your ear and your shoulder as you dig through your backpack to pull out meatball’s favourite squeaky mouse toy

“i think the cops would laugh at you if you filed a missing person report for your pet cat.” jungkook snorts in response

“but he’s been gone for like, a whole day!” you give the mouse two squeaks before pausing and taking a look around

nope

no sign of meatball

“i’m sure he’ll show up eventually like he always does. son of a- c’mon, man, we’re on the same team!!!!”

you caught jungkook at a bad time because he’s in the middle of a video game session but he stiLL picked up the phone because he thinks of himself as a good friend

which he is!

in fact you guys have never had any difficulties

…well

except that one time you guys got into a mini argument over something silly which then snowballed into a bigger fight (and to be honest you’re still not entirely sure what he was upset about but you feLt like you had done/said something wrong?? but you never asked him what it was?? because you didn’t want to upset him even further???) which then led to like three months of awkward tension and every time you talked to him it seemed like everything you said would offend him so you eventually just messaged him less and less and you were kind of bummed about it because it felt like he was distancing himself and that he didn’t want to be friends with you anymore and you had no idea how to make things go back to the way they were

but eventually you got over yourselves and made up and everything is FINE now

ahem

…what were you talking about again?

“but what if he doesn’t? …oh, god. what if he’s dead? the coyotes got to him. oh my god.”

“…i’m not even going to try and play along with tha-“

“oh my god, he’s here!” you nearly scream in excitement when you see meatball sitting at the front steps of the apartment building with a stranger “someone found him- i’ll call you back, kook-“

you hang up and shove your phone into your pocket before picking up the pace

“thank god, there you are!” you drop to your knees as soon as you get to the steps and usuaLLy meatball will happily pounce onto your lap but instead he hops up onto the stranger’s lap

okay

FINE

be like dat

>:-(

“thank you so much- “ you look over at the stranger and your eyes widen a little bit

woW

his hair is red

like RED red

but you know what

you are not one to judge

after all, you named your cat meatball

but if you look past the horrifically red hair

…he kinda cute

and then you realise you’ve been staring at his face for a suspiciously long period of time so you quickly snap yourself out of it

“where did you find him??” you reach over to pet the top of meatball’s head while the stranger continues to stroke down his back all the way to his tail

“he was actually on my fire escape. i have a cat too - her name is pearl - and i guess your little friend here has a crush!”

“oh, is that why you’ve been disappearing so much lately?” you coo gently and reach over to boop meatball’s nose

he purrs gently and his ear twitches

“thank you, by the way. for finding him-“

“i couldn’t have done it without him!” the stranger laughs lightly and scratches behind meatball’s ears

your brows knit together in confusion for a split second “what do you mean by that?”

“well, i asked him where he lived and he told me he lived here. he wasn’t sure which floor so i thought it’d be best if we just waited outside for you. i’m taehyung, by the way. you can also call me tae if you’d like. i’m a pet psychic and meatball here is quite the chatterbox!”

…

wha-

what did he just-

what?????

you didn’t catch his name because you’re stiLL processing what he just said to you

he asked meatball, your cat, where he lived.,,. and meatball, your cat, told him that he lived in the building???

and he’s like.,,. an animal whisperer?? or something??

what did he say his name was?

he’s cray?

…he sure is

no sane person would dye their hair elmo red and no sane person would talk about an animal as if they could communicate to humans

after a couple seconds of silence you immediately burst into laughter and you end up startling both meatball and elmo

“good one!” you wheeze and wipe a single tear from your eye “yeah, that was a good one. meatball toLD you that he lived in this building-“ you interrupt yourself when you burst into giggles again but you trail off slowly when you realise that you’re the only one laughing and that meatball and taehyung are both staring at you blankly

taehyung looks down at meatball and meatball looks back up at him before meowing

he immediately stifles a laugh before clearing his throat

wait a minute

what was that interaction

did meatball just talk smACK about you

“what was so funny??” you raise a brow and give meatball a little glare

“meatball apologised to me on your behalf.” taehyung scoops meatball up and hands him over to you

you take him gently and cradle him in your arms before leaning down to give the top of his head a little welcome back kiss

“apologised for wha-“

“for being a moron.”

your mouth immediately drops in offence and taehyung raises his hands in defence “his words, not mine!” he laughs lightly as he gets up from the steps and dusts the back of his jeans off

“how do you expect me to believe you? i could just as easily say i’m some kind of animal whisperer-“

“-pet psychic-“

“-and claim that i have the ability to communicate with meatball, too!” you lift meatball up so that you’re looking at him dead in the eyes “meatball, do you wanna take a nap or do you wanna get a snack?”

“mew.”

“and that means he wants to get a snack.” you huff smartly and neaRly miss the sight of taehyung rolling his eyes

he’s used to this mockery

usually people are meaner about it but uh

you’re just being an idiOT about it

(but like,,.,. in an oddly endearing kind of way.,,.,.)

“actually, he just wants to snuggle right now.” tae shrugs and your heart immediately melts in your chest

“…you do?” you look down at meatball and he leans up to lick your nose

:’)

“by the way, i don’t think i got your name?” taehyung holds the door open for you and you give a little nod to say thanks before stepping in

“oh, sorry about that! completely slipped my mind. i’m y/n.” you smile lightly and stick your hand out a little underneath meatball’s butt to shake taehyung’s hand

the two of you step onto the elevator “tenth floor, please.”

taehyung hits the button for the fifth floor and the tenth floor

wow

meatball really travelled down five fire escapes to get to his lady friend

he refuses to move when he’s lying on top of the remote for the TV but he’ll travel five flights of stairs

“so, y/n, we should probably get together for dinner sometime soon.” taehyung keeps his gaze forward as the elevator doors slide close

your eyes widen in surprise and you feel your cheeks heat up a little “wha- i’m sorry?”

“you know, for the cats.”

oh right

you forgot that taehyung was literally craZY

you snort and let out a little chuckle “for a second i thought you were asking me out to dinner, not my cat-“

“well, why not? we can have dinner in the living room while the cats get to know each other out on the balcony-“

“wait, you’re telling me we’re giving up the balcony to our cats?!” you gasp before shaking your head “aLSO what makes you think i’d wanna have dinner with you anyway??”

“cats have the ability to smell our pheromones, did you know that?” the elevator dings on the fifth floor and the doors slide open

“yeah, sure, but what does that have to do with anything?” you scoff as taehyung steps off

he turns around and you definitely don’t miss the way his eyes scan over you

,.,.ok but like that’s hot

you will nevER admit that watching him do that made your heart skip a beat

“it means that you don’t have to tell me that you want to have dinner with me, because your cat just told me that on your behalf.”

“mew.”

help me help you make your wishes come tru (aka send me a request)

drabble tag

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luthienebonyx · 4 years ago

Text

2020 Writing in Review

Total number of completed stories: Four (not counting tumblr ficlets and such)

Total word count: Somewhere in the region of 150k

Fandoms written in: Game of Thrones, Queen’s Thief - Megan Whalen Turner, and Friday’s Child - Georgette Heyer.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected? In 2019 I wrote almost 230k in seven months. I knew there was no way I’d be that prolific in 2020. As it turned out, I was right, but for the wrong reasons. I did start off the year writing at a slower pace than the last, but then 2020 happened to me in several different ways at once and I didn’t write at all for three months. But THEN I got my writing mojo back and wrote 50k between the beginning of November and the end of December so... I don’t know. It definitely wasn’t expected, whatever else you call it.

What’s your own favorite story of the year? There were two stories that I absolutely LOVED writing, and I can’t choose between them, so I’ll talk about both.

The first happened completely by accident. In October, I read all six of the Queen’s Thief novels by Megan Whalen Turner, and to my surprise the narrator of book 5 grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let up until I’d written a story for him. That ended up taking the whole of November, and became Twelve Days. It was a very different story from anything I’d written recently: first person, spare(ish) style, slash, and a very, VERY distinctive narrative voice. I think Chapter 9 was probably the best bit of writing I’d done in a while.

However, at the beginning of December I had finished Twelve Days, and so started work on That Greek Thing - which is the second story I want to talk about. It is for the novel Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer and is a story I’ve had in the back of my mind to write for literally twenty years. It also has a very distinctive narrative voice, but in a completely different way from Twelve Days. i’d wanted to write Heyer fic for years and never quite got up the nerve. This time, I finally wrote not just a Heyer fic, but this particular Heyer fic, and I loved every moment of writing it. Heyer’s style is very, VERY different from MWT’s, so it took me a little while to move mentally from one to the other, but once I got into the groove of it...

That Greek Thing wound up being 22k compared to Twelve Days’ 24k, but written in half the time. I mean, the fact that I was also writing the Heyer fic for Yuletide and so I was writing to a deadline also helped speed things along... But yeah, I’d been talking about writing that fic for 20 years, and I think it actually did turn out to be the story that I wanted it to be and hoped it would be.

Did you take any writing risks this year? I wrote slash for the first time in nine years (Twelve Days), and then I wrote another slash story (That Greek Thing) right after. Not a risk, exactly, but certainly a change from what I’ve been writing for a while now. I guess writing in first-person was a bit of a risk. I hadn’t done that in a very long time, and it was always possible that I could have fucked it up. I also wrote in a teensy fandom (Queen’s Thief) where I was completely unknown, and that’s always a bit of a risk in terms of getting people to engage with you.

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year? Hahaha. FINISH THINGS. First up, I need to finish my chill fest fic Doubt Truth to be a Liar. After that, there are my other four JB WIPs to see to. Once I get all of those sorted out, I will probably return to some profic projects that I started a few years ago.

Best story of the year? I’m not sure. It’s either Twelve Days or That Greek Thing, though. They’re so different that I honestly can’t say for sure which is better. I love the very angsty chapter in Twelve Days and I think it’s the best single bit of writing I’ve done in a while. Otoh, I love all the comedy in That Greek Thing, and the way some scenes go comedy-porn-comedy. Which is better? I don’t know, but I love them both.

Most popular story of the year? The Personal Touch, my JB physiotherapist modern AU. For some reason eight chapters of massages and sexual tension and wanking, followed by a sex scene that sprawled across two chapters, a semi-break-up and finally a happy ending appealed to a lot of readers. Ah, fandom. 😉

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Oh, easily, EASILY Twelve Days. Teensy fandom, unknown writer - there was never going to be a lot of notice shown. I’m pretty sure it’s the only story I’ve posted in 21 years of writing fanfic that had entire chapters that didn’t get a single comment.

Most fun story to write: That Greek Thing. I made myself laugh gleefully through most of it, and then the angst and hurt/comfort hit and I had even more fun!

Most unintentionally telling story: Heh. The Personal Touch for the physiotherapy stuff minus the sexual tension. I’ve been on a lot of treatment tables over the years...

Biggest disappointment: The usual one: that I have a finite amount of energy, so I can either do a reasonable amount of writing or do a reasonable amount of reading - but I can’t do both. So, once again, a lot of the stories that I really wanted to read went by the wayside.

Biggest surprise: That I wrote not one but two slash stories this year - and both of them featured intercrural sex. Not for the hell of it, either. Both stories needed it, but for very different reasons.

#memes #year in review #writing

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athyrabunlord · 7 years ago

Text

LLSHP 9 - Christmas Banquet

Arc1: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]

Arc2: [Chapter 8] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14]

Arc3: [Chapter 15 - Under The Black Lake (TBD)]

Interlude: [Carbonado (1)] [Carbonado (2)] [Of Feathers and Wind] [Delphinus (teaser blip)]

[Brief note about School Term] [other LLSHP AU stuff] [YohaMaRuby concept arts] [ChikaYouRiko concept arts] [KanaDiaMari concept arts] [Hogwarts Staff]

[FFN link] (finished the interludes!) [Pixiv Link]

A/N: (ง •̀_•́)ง Yup still keeping up this update schedule of 1 chapter every two weeks! Still slowly editing previous chapters though XD; Anyway, this feels more like a long filler chapter tbh, but it’s full of fun stuff! I enjoyed writing it, so I hope you’ll enjoy reading it too! Words: 8,073

Yoshiko grins at her reflection in the mirror.

How can anyone look so flawless? So utterly bewitching? How can such a perfect human being exist? Ah, no mere mortal could be this beautiful, that is the truth. She, the great Yohane, is a fallen angel after all!

For the umpteenth time, she smoothes the non-existent crinkles of her raven-black velvet dress, her silk gloves brushing over the grey ribbons and white frills. The dark magenta rose imprint along the hem only accentuates how majestic the wearer is.

She is so, so ready for the Christmas Banquet!

Chuckling huskily, she takes one step towards the grand ornate mirror and lightly touches its shiny surface. The last time she used a full-body mirror, the Mirror of Erised, she was filled with unpleasant sense of inferiority and downright confusion of her own identity. But now, this ordinary mirror shows her who she truly is, and she is pleased with herself.

Why desire to be a pristine angel, when her current self is even better?

All the challenges she's faced and the possibility of her soul being damaged only make her stronger.

That incident with the colony of Acromantula caused her to become wary of even the tiniest spiders for days, but since then she has been faring better in those practice duels against the older witches. Her improvement was the only reason why Dia lifted the tickling Jinx she set on Mari. Still, the blonde is banned from coffee and lemon pie until further notice, much to her horror. Taking pity on her, the rest of the group manages to convince Dia to disregard this rule just for tonight's feast.

The Christmas Banquet is an end of the first term celebration where esteemed guests from outside the school would attend as well. The astounding feast, prepared by House Elves and staff members together, is actually not the main attraction of this event.

The spotlight is the Yule Ball, which was originally part of the famed Tri-Wizard Tournament that used to take place between three magical schools. Nowadays, it is a ballroom dance competition that was started by some of the professors back when they were still students. Considering Hogwarts' long history, this is a fairly recent tradition that's been gaining popularity over the decades. The dancing pair not only have to be the best in their waltz, tango or other types, but also boost the flair of their performance with magic. Yoshiko heard rumors of explosive fireworks, dancing leprechauns and even actual storms in the past.

Chaotic, yet incredibly thrilling. What better way to end a term with a blast?

Of course, she did consider entering the competition and enrapture everyone in her fallen angel charm, but there is one teensy bitsy setback she just can't seem to overcome.

She's horrible at ballroom dancing.

And also, she has no partner.

Alright, not one but two setbacks in total. Her confident grin slips into a scowl. Before Hogwarts, she's been an avid follower of Muggle hip-pop, rock and rap, and she knows all the various choreography by heart.

However, ballroom dance is a whole different matter. Riko had been kind enough to try teaching her, but she's stepped on the older girl's feet one too many times. After she fled the Room of Requirement in mortification, it took Hanamaru and Ruby a lot of convincing for her to even attend the Banquet at all.

Yoshiko shakes her head. Her two best friends are correct - all she has to do is look pretty and enjoy herself. There's no need to force herself to waltz or whatever!

Now that her confidence has returned, she steps out of her room to join the rest of her Slytherin housemates so they can head down to the Great Hall together. Whispers of praises and even friendly greetings make her tilt her chin high. While she isn't particularly close to any of them, they've all been civil to her and respect her wish for privacy.

"Nice dress, Tsushima-san!"

"Ku ku ku, I made it myself! I hand-picked all the materials and accessories~"

"That is fascinating! And the ribbon in your hair matches everything so well."

"Oh and your earrings..."

Truth be told, Yoshiko is rather taken aback by all the attention she's been given. Is it because she's dressed all fancy and could probably pass for a noble Pureblood? Or, perhaps, they have truly acknowledged her as a true Slytherin seeing how her grades have improved leaps and bounds under Dia's tutelage? Yoshiko hasn't really paid much attention to her housemates the past few months, so focused on her training and spending time with her friends.

She makes a mental note to be nicer to them. It doesn't hurt to make more allies, especially amongst those who share the same House as her. She searches a crowd for a familiar face, and quietly asks a wizard nearby.

"Erm, does anyone know where Dia-san is?"

The Slytherin prefect, whose aristocratic features imply he must be from an ancient Pureblood family, informs her that Dia is currently with the staff and guests, as the Kurosawa's representative.

Yoshiko pouts. Since she does not have a 'date' or partner, so to speak, she is hoping that she could stick to Dia's side until they reach the Hall at least. Alas, it looks like she'll have to make it there on her own. The rest of her Housemates look like they have partners already, and she isn't comfortable with the idea of accompanying someone she isn't close with anyway.

She quietly trails after the other Slytherins, glad to be distracted from her thoughts by their praises and curious questions about her fashion. Hushed murmurs then reach her ears after they step out of the Dormitory, and she blinks in surprise when the people in front of her part ways to allow a familiar girl to get through.

Yoshiko can't help but whistle in wonder. "I almost didn't recognize you! I thought I'm supposed to meet up with you and Zuramaru just outside the Hall?"

Ruby smiles shyly, clearly uncomfortable at how every pair of eyes seem to be on her. The shorter girl is clad in a dress robe of ebony and ivory hue, though the cape is adorned with the Hufflepuff bronze. With her hair tied in a ponytail, she looks rather dashing yet retains her characteristic cute aura.

"Um, Hanamaru-chan said she'll meet up with us later… she's having some trouble with her outfit, but when I tried to stay and help, she asked me to pick you up," Ruby twitters. "Hehe, you look so pretty, Yoshiko-chan!"

"Hnff, of course, it's Yohane-sama you're speaking with." As someone who enjoys the spotlight, Yoshiko is starting to find all those whispered conversations around them disconcerting. "Let's go then?"

As if understanding her intention, Ruby nods and holds out her gloved hand in a chivalrous manner. It is at such moment that Yoshiko has to remind herself that, no matter how harmless and critter-like Ruby is, she is still a Kurosawa Pureblood who has a different upbringing than her. Either way, the gesture endears the shorter girl to her even more.

"Heh, it's like you're a knight in shiny armor-," Yoshiko's grin twitches. "Well, I probably shouldn't use the word 'shiny', ugh. But really, why the dress robe? You look really good in it but I'd expected you to wear a dress?"

"Oh, that was my plan but last night, I received a parcel from m-my family. This is the formal attire I used to wear back then during important events. See? These colors represent the Kurosawa family," Ruby's smile softens, prompting Yoshiko to gently squeeze her friend's hand in comfort. "It's the first mail I've received from them since the night we got Sorted. I see they're trying to reconcile with me, so of course I'm more than happy to try as well."

"That's good. I mean, they should've long accepted you but at least this is better than nothing. Although, the Hufflepuff color-?"

There's a mischievous twinkle in Ruby's green eyes. "Hehe, I modified it myself. I'm proud to be a Puff and I'll always be."

Yoshiko chuckles fondly at her friend. "And I'm proud of you, Ruby. How about Zuramaru though? Please don't tell me she's also in dress robes or some… high-class samurai outfit or something."

It may sound ridiculous though she has no problem imagining the brunette wearing that. Hanamaru does love literature, especially romance fiction set in certain historical periods. Or, she could be draped in fancy ribbons and flowy dresses, not knowing how to put it on, while murmuring 'mirai zura' in admiration.

Ah, Hanamaru will probably smack her if she says that to her face. She can try, Yoshiko smirks, tonight, the great Yohane shall not be tamed by a mere little demon's whims!

"You'll have to wait and see, Yoshiko-chan. I promised Hanamaru-chan not to say anything to you because she wants to see your reaction," Ruby's steps gain a bit of a bounce as they walk down the hallways.

Yoshiko doesn't get a chance to protest because a pair of familiar orange and silver pounce on Ruby the moment they round the corner. Unlike her, the Gryffindor duo is quite vocal about their adoration of the handsome little Hufflepuff.

"Piki!"

"As expected of our Ruby-chan!"

"A real noble! A real prince!"

"Look at the fabric, look at the design! It's the real deal! Ahhh do you mind if I borrow it tomorrow? For research?"

"Hehe, you and your costume obsession, You-chan~ Still, both of you look so ikemen~! Kya, aren't we lucky, Riko-chan?"

Yoshiko allows her gaze to sweep over the three Third-Years, amazed by their respective appearances. Riko has chosen a conservative gown of amaranth and wine hue that's decorated with sakura petals along the hem, a perfect outfit that matches the pretty wearer's personality. Simple and elegant, the Ravenclaw chuckles daintily at her friends' antics. No doubt the voted campus beauty will be surrounded by suitors vying for her hand in a dance.

Chika is as cheerful as always, though there is now an inexplicable grace added to her charisma. Her hair is straightened with the signature braid adorned with a white rose. As opposed to her usual bright colored clothes, she is wearing a dark indigo cocktail dress embellished with white satin belt. Admittedly, if it weren't for her familiar laughter and fawning over Ruby, Yoshiko would have thought she is a refined guest from some upper-class family!

"Ehehe~ You-chan styled my hair!" Chika twirls around and winks at Yoshiko, who grins back in spite of herself. Yup, that's still the spirited Beater alright. "Can't thank you enough, Captain Watanabe!"

"Ha ha, 'twas my honor, First Mate Takami!" You salutes back, this characteristic gesture now rather suave given her outfit. Unlike her buddy, the Seeker is dressed in a formal suit that is probably made from pricey material, judging from the way it gleams at just the right angle. The popular witch, combined with her attractive smile, will most likely be chased by her fanclub the whole night.

Noticing Yoshiko's questioning gaze, You chuckles heartily. "I was going to wear a dress too, but ahaha our Housemates kinda bullied Kanan-chan and I into wearing a suit… they prepared this outfit for me, and I can't resist! I'm so going to research the fabric and its origins later! I mean, look at this tie! The gradient color is so pretty!"

"Well, you both look quite nice. Are you each other's dates?" Yoshiko smirks. Even after witnessing the duo's impressive teamwork and display of powerful magic, her opinion of them as dunderheads hasn't changed. Nowadays though, it's more of an affectionate nickname than having any derisive connotation behind it.

"Nope," they reply simultaneously. "We're Sakurauchi-hime's escorts tonight!"

Riko, who is standing several paces behind them, squeaks in surprise when she's promptly sandwiched between the two. It looks comical really, if Yoshiko doesn't know the history behind the three. While the self-proclaimed bodyguards playfully tease their flustered friend and Ruby, two more witches join their gathering.

"My my, everyone looks so gorgeous~!"

Mari, for some reason, is also wearing a tailored suit, her usually wavy golden hair straightened for the occasion and styled at the back with a few emerald clips. Combined with the azure bowtie, dark jacket with peaked lapels, turquoise waistcoat and more, she is fully decked for the Ball. She would have passed for an European gentleman if it weren't for her generous chest area, which just couldn't seem to be hidden.

As if reading her thoughts as always, the blonde smirks at her and puffs out her bosom even more. Yoshiko despairingly glances down at her own and grumbles. "Hmnnff, don't you look excited for the feast."

"You bet I am! I'm dying for my precious lemons," Mari purrs sweetly as she tugs on her date's arm. Yoshiko is pretty sure the implication has flown over the others' heads, and she groans inwardly at the realization that she is corrupted enough to know the Ravenclaw's double meaning.

Mari's lovely date appears just as exasperated. The tall witch has long cascading indigo tresses as dark and flowing as the ocean itself. The gradient plum and purple color of her silken mermaid dress complements her hair and eyes, while the translucent violet shawl gives her an overall mystic quality. Although, she looks familiar for some reason.

"Kanan-chan! How could you! You were supposed to wear a suit with me!" You puffs up her cheeks in dismay.

Yoshiko's eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. Come again?

"Ahaha sorry You," that laidback tone of laughter definitely belongs to the Gryffindor Lions' Captain. "We flipped a coin and I lost, so I had to wear the dress."

Yoshiko could only stare.

"Oh oh oh~ You've ensnared the lil'kitty here in your charms, Kanan~" Giggling, Mari rests her chin on her partner's shoulder.

"What!? No! It's just that, I've never seen her without that whip of a ponytail!"

"She hisses~ Maybe she'll scratch too~"

Yoshiko indignantly snarls at the blonde, almost blurting out that she's the cat Animagus, not her, but manages to remember last minute that You and Chika are present too. Her irritation subsides a bit when the others also agree that they've never seen Kanan with her hair down either.

"Anyways, Kanan and I will so win the Ball this year! We've had four years of practice, it's our turn to finally shine!" Fire blazes in Mari's eyes, though her expression couldn't remain serious for long as a Cheshire grin breaks through.

"But how about your arm?" Yoshiko squints at Kanan's supposedly injured arm, which looks unblemished.

"Mari cast a glamor Charm on it, and for the duration of the dance, I can do this," the older witch taps her bracelet and momentarily reveals strings of magic that blend in with her hair. "This enables me to move my arm as per my thoughts."

"Remember not to overuse it." Riko clearly doesn't seem too happy that Kanan isn't letting her injured arm rest.

"Don't worry, Rikocchi~! That's why I'm the lead, yes?" Mari winks at her junior. "I'm wondering though, none of you are entering the competition?"

Chika waves her hand. "Welp, I'm interested, but not with you two as rivals! Besides, we're keeping Riko-chan away from nasty suitors! Also, protecting our Ruby-chan."

At this, the Gryffindor duo smothers the startled Hufflepuff in a hug. Yoshiko rolls her eyes. "How about this one? I still remember how scary your fanclub is, You-san."

You points to herself, blinking naively. "But I'm with Chika-chan and Riko-chan?"

"So? They'll still try to get to you. Since you don't have a partner, many will try to make you dance with them," Yoshiko explains as patiently as she could. Could this dummy be more dense?

"But Chika-chan and Riko-chan are my partners-?"

Yoshiko groans and facepalms.

"Did you hear that, Rikocchi? Just enjoy yourself tonight," Mari's voice is light and teasing, though Yoshiko could understand the underlying meaning. Riko does appear tense from all the affection You and Chika have been showering her with.

"But I-"

"No buts! Fallo e basta~ That means no Disillusion Charm either." Tutting, Mari holds up her finger like an older sister chiding an unreasonable sibling. "It's a banquet, a feast, a celebration! Come on, Dia must be dying to see our lovely faces inside the Hall already."

"It'll take a while before we can rescue her from those guests though," Kanan smiles as her partner leads her inside, followed by the playfully bickering You and Chika who take Riko by the arm on each side.

"We're gonna wait here for Zuramaru," Yoshiko calls out after them, determined to ignore her growling tummy at all the delicious aroma wafting towards her nose.

She glances at Ruby, whose hair is a tad disheveled from all the hugs she received earlier. She helpfully holds up a pouch mirror as the shorter girl fixes her bangs. "So? Who're you gonna dance with later? Chika-san? You-san?"

"E-Eh? But you said you're not going to dance right? Then I can't just leave you alone," Ruby says firmly.

"Oh I just assumed you gotta dance as a Kurosawa. I overheard from my Housemates that many of them are expected to dance, to present their family or something. Then again, you don't have to, since you're here as Ruby, simple as that."

Ruby returns her grin. "Well, I do want to dance with Hanamaru-chan and you, if you don't mind, Yoshiko-chan."

"... you saw how I stepped on Lily's foot didn't you? She was nice enough not to say anything but I'm sure she had to use potions to make the bruises go away."

"That's because you were under pressure. It'll just be us three, so you'll be fine!"

Yoshiko finds Ruby's smile infectious. "I just gotta do my Rubesty huh?"

"Yup! Starting right now!" Suddenly, the shorter girl turns her around and pushes with strength unexpected of her.

Yoshiko feels her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Hanamaru, who gives her a bashful little wave. The brunette is wearing a traditional kimono of amber and gold shades, extravagant in its floral motif and intricate designs fitting for festive occasions. Even then, the whole attire somehow emphasizes Hanamaru's unique aura of humility and serenity.

She is beautiful.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting zura… it's been a while, so it took me some time to on the obi," the brunette sticks out her tongue sheepishly, gesturing at the elaborate sienna sash around her midriff.

Yoshiko is still zoned out while the two Hufflepuffs giggle and fawn over each other's attire. She only snaps back to her senses when Hanamaru reaches up and prods her forehead.

"Ow! What did you think you were doing, you disrespectful little demon!"

"Because you weren't paying attention zura!"

"No, I'm over-paying attention, Bakamaru," Yoshiko mumbles in embarrassment, hoping her cheeks aren't red.

"Zura?"

"Nothing, and stop giggling already Ruby! Geez, what's with the little demons tonight. It's mutiny, I say!"

"Yoshiko-chan is easier to rile up tonight, ne, Ruby-chan?"

"Mari-san called her a kitty cat earlier, Hanamaru-chan~"

"Oooh, that fits her zura~"

"Grrrr, shorties don't get to talk." Miffed, Yoshiko ruffles their hair using her slightly-superior height, grinning in satisfaction at their protests. "Why the kimono though? You're gonna stand out since everyone's wearing western-style clothing."

"Not true zura. Professor Koizumi is wearing a kimono, so is Professor Sonoda," Hanamaru pouts, "Besides, I don't have any dresses zura, and it's what my grandma sent me when I Owled her that we're having a banquet."

Thank you thank you, may Satan bless your soul, Grandma Kunikida. Yoshiko chants in her head while outwardly appearing as nonchalant as possible. "Whatever. At least you're wearing contacts and not wearing those granny glasses. Let's go in already. I'm starving!"

"Me too," Hanamaru attaches herself to Ruby's offered arm, giggling. "Hehe, we're like your dates ne, Ruby-chan?"

In response, the dashing Hufflepuff bows to Yoshiko like a gentleman and holds out her other hand. The Slytherin rolls her eyes at their expectant gaze and curtsies before accepting it.

Though flustered, Yoshiko finds herself giggling with her friends as they enter the Great Hall together.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Again, that's Miss Ohara and Miss Matsuura with their spectacular performance. Please give them a round of applause!"

The Charms Professor has already used the Sonorous Charm to do announcements, but even then her voice is drowned by the student body's thunderous cheers. Yoshiko finds herself clapping just as hard as everyone else, amazed by what she has witnessed.

Magic really brings a simple ballroom dance to a whole new level, doesn't it?

The waltz started normally like ones Yoshiko had seen in older Muggle movies, with the two witches moving in tandem and in sync. Never would she imagine the jokester Mari and jockey Kanan to twirl and sway so gracefully along with classy music. They were obviously well-rehearsed, but their years of friendship probably enabled them to read each other's movement to make everything flow.

Then their pace picked up, morphing seamlessly to a tango while the sparks and whirls of fire lit up the center stage. With a mixture of levitation charms, aguamenti and most likely some advanced magic Yoshiko knew nothing of, a screen of water enveloped the pair like a dome. Mari and Kanan seemed to be competing, fervently swimming around the arena as conjured marine creatures, the seal and dolphin Patronus Charms, and Transfigured creatures joined their acrobatic dance.

Needless to say, they finished with a literal bang, glitters and all, skating down the icy slope which dissipated into cottony snow flakes.

Yoshiko has to admit, that is one shiny performance.

"Yup, I'm glad I didn't try to enter the competition, at least not this year!" Chika's eyes are practically sparkling. "I'd rather watch the performances! Hehe, and watch Riko-chan playing the piano of course."

The Ravenclaw is seen smiling behind her grand piano, surrounded by Elves and other student members of the orchestra. In a way, Riko is shielded from possible suitors and the majority of the audience's attention during the Yule Ball, which is probably why she accepted the position in the first place.

Yoshiko sips at her strawberry punch, thoroughly enjoying the banquet so far. After the mouth-watering Christmas feast, the long tables in the Great Hall were then rearranged to make space for the Yule Ball in the center. High tables full of desserts and drinks were lined up against the walls while attendees mingled and simply enjoyed the show. The translucent ceiling was charmed to show snowflakes gently drifting in the evening sky, even though it didn't snow at all today.

At the front, the usual staff tables have been replaced by round ones for the various guests. Ruby had discreetly pointed out to her two Muggleborn friends some of the important figures, such as Heads of certain Departments from the Ministry, representatives from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and even the illustrious wandmaker from Diagon Alley.

The Professors appear to be familiar with many of these guests, judging from the friendly and relaxed manner of their conversations. This encourages the older witches and wizards to introduce themselves and network among these influential people. Yoshiko notices many of her Slytherin Housemates already making impressions with the Ministry employees.

The most distinguished one is the Head Girl. As the Kurosawa heiress, Dia is dressed in full regalia of ebony and ivory, with the Slytherin cloak charmingly donned over her left shoulder. Various medals and trinkets decorate her garment, while her lustrous long hair, pulled in a fishtail braid, is draped elegantly over her right shoulder. With her austere demeanor and confident smile, she blends in well with the other adults. Yoshiko has almost mistaken her as a guest, a royalty even, and once again she is struck by the weight of being a Pureblood.

Dia isn't here just as herself, but as representative of her family.

Ruby appears antsy as well, unable to go help her older sister since they have to maintain the image of estranged sisters in public. They have no idea who the enemies are, and there is a possibility that they could be among the attendees right here in this very Hall.

Yoshiko downs her beverage and reaches for a different drink. Ruby's anxiousness is rubbing off of her, so she is relieved to see Mari and Kanan heading for the front. Surely, the two would rescue their friend as they had declared earlier. Oh, the pair has stopped to greet a bearded blond man. Judging from the familiar way they act and his uncanny Cheshire grin, he must be Mari's father. It's easy to forget that the quirky Ravenclaw came from a prestigious family too, since she doesn't act like one.

"Aren't you drinking too much zura?"

Yoshiko shakes her fingers at the frowning Hanamaru and takes another sip of her candy cane cocoa. She furrows her brows and puts the drink away before reaching for another one on the table, this time an eggnog coffee.

"Not this one either?" Ruby asks with an exasperated smile.

"Nope. At least, I don't feel any different," Yoshiko glares at the mug. "Just where could it be?"

Earlier, right before the Yule Ball, the Deputy Headmistress had announced that the Potion Professor prepared a surprise - the Felixis Felicis potion was randomly added to one of the many drinks. Yoshiko is determined to find that Liquid Luck. Being plagued by misfortune all her life, she wants to experience how it feels to not be unlucky for once, no matter how temporarily.

So far, no success.

"Maybe I should just go for those-"

"No," Hanamaru pulls at her arm before she could head for the cocktails and wine glasses on the other side. "You're still underage zura! Professor Sonoda stressed that it is for everyone, so they wouldn't have mixed the potion with drinks that aren't accessible to the younger students zura."

"Hnff, what would a mere Zuramaru know-"

"Oh, the next performance is starting!" Peacemaker as always, Ruby gestures at the center where another pair strolls through the floor just as confidently as Mari and Kanan did earlier. Since Yoshiko's feeling quite bloated, she decides to take her friend's advice to give up and enjoy the rest of the Yule Ball.

By the end, Yoshiko finds herself agreeing with Chika, that the competition is quite fierce. Mari and Kanan were good, but so were the others. It would probably be down to technicalities and the popular vote to determine which pair gets to be winners.

"Ok, so what now?" Yoshiko looks around the Hall, puzzled by how no one seems to be leaving. "Isn't the Banquet over?"

"Pfff, this is where the fun starts!" As if on cue, different sort of music starts playing and many students flood into the center stage to dance. Chika opens her arms dramatically. "Come on, who wants to start? Heh heh, Ruby-chan, how about you?"

"E-Eh? I-" The younger witch is gently but firmly pushed towards a confused Hanamaru, who is also nudged by a grinning You.

"Go on, enjoy yourselves!" The Gryffindors say in unison, which seems to give Ruby the courage she needs to ask the brunette for a dance. Both giggling, the Hufflepuffs enter the dance floor with their postures relaxed. This isn't like a performance where practically everyone is watching you, so the two girls are able to dance normally without such pressure.

Admittedly, they look adorable, and Ruby is a good lead! Chivalrously, she twirls the brunette around and her steps are unhurried for the latter to follow. Hanamaru's kimono sleeves twirl with her movements, the ribbon in her hair fluttering a bit as she try to match Ruby's pace. If only there's a camera!

An annoying prod to her side jostles her out of her observation. "What do you want?!"

"Don't you wanna dance too?" Chika pouts, one arm draped around her buddy You. "Come on, ya gotta save You-chan from her fangirls~"

Yoshiko peers over their shoulders and flinches at the sight of many witches staring their way, their bodies tense as if ready to spring into action the moment You steps away from the safety zone of expensive champagne glasses nearby. "And throw myself into a pack of rabid beasts? I think not!"

And besides, these dunderheads are quite transparent. They keep glancing at Riko's direction every few minutes, obviously waiting for the right moment to ask her for a dance. The Ravenclaw is currently occupied at the front, conversing with some of the Elven musicians.

"Yoshiko-chan, would you like to dance with me?"

"Ruby? You've finished dancing with Zuramaru?" Relieved to get away from the Gryffindors just for a while, Yoshiko hurriedly takes Ruby's offered hand.

"Oh, she's dancing with Kanan-san right now-"

"What?!"

Miffed, Yoshiko searches the crowd for the ridiculously tall-and-short pair. Indeed, the two are smiling brightly as Kanan attentively complements her movements with the younger girl. At least, the pair looks more like siblings than a couple, unlike the others around them. Gah, why is Bakamaru giggling so much? Is it really that fun!? What's with the blush?

Yoshiko takes a deep breath. Nope, she is so not jealous. The older Gryffindor has done a lot for them, and she's grateful for her help. Nuh-uh. Not jealous. Zen mode.

"I thought Kanan's supposed to be retrieving your sister from those guests?"

"Yup, Onee-chan's not trapped at the front anymore," Yoshiko follows Ruby's finger and sees Dia and Mari conversing on the side, surrounded by various prefects and students. It would be awhile before they could make their way to where Chika and You are. "Fine, whatever, let's get this started!"

"Okay, so first you- piki?!" Before Ruby could position them in the standard waltz stance, Yoshiko drags her friend around and twirls rather aggressively.

"Ku ku ku, I ain't gonna abide by silly ballroom rules! This is a free for all, Ruby! The music is kinda upbeat too, so I'm gonna do it my style!"

As much as she could in this dress anyway. It is really too bad she can't breakdance, or she's certain that she could impress many fellow students with her awesome techniques. Some of the Muggleborns are familiar with her moves and even cheer her on, while the Purebloods just stare at them blankly. There's curiosity in their eyes though, so Yoshiko happily pulls the squeaking Ruby along with her flow.

"That's pretty wicked, Yoshiko-chan, didn't know you could dance!" You is grinning while Chika welcomes an exhausted Ruby back to their midst. Yoshiko poses proudly, adrenaline rushing in her veins while a brilliant idea occurs to her.

Maybe she should ask Hanamaru for a dance?

She isn't given the opportunity to ask, for You excitedly pulls her onto the dance floor before she could react. Cold sweat trickles down Yoshiko's neck when she hears furious murmurs and disappointed grumbles from the pack of hungry wolves... no, fangirls.

You-san, you dense idiot! You're too close! Yoshiko couldn't help but blush when the older witch pulls her close, so close that their cheeks are practically touching. There are some screams or maybe cheers around them, she couldn't tell the difference, but out of instinct she clings to her partner as if this could save her from fangirls' wrath.

"Eheh, hang on~ Yousorou!"

"Wha- yeeeek!" Suddenly, You picks her up and throws her into the air!

She automatically tries to cover her fluttering dress, but she discovers that she doesn't have to. You must have conjured dancing feathers that hover around her, to block any viewers from seeing her underwear while she is airborne. Several brooms appear out of nowhere, and You tap-dances her way into the air, laughing and bowing as she approaches the slowly descending Yoshiko.

Strong arms easily catches her when You frog-leaps over the assembled tower of brooms. The athletic Gryffindor spins her around for several more paces before gently setting her back on her feet. The spectators' deafening applause overcomes the fangirls' protests as You rubs the back of her hair and hesitantly waves.

Yoshiko breathes raggedly, trying to comprehend what just happened as she leans against the older witch's shoulder.

"That was pretty good! Maybe we could refine it and enter the Ball next year- ow!"

Yoshiko scowls ferociously and smacks You's arm hard.

Again.

And again.

And once more.

"C-Chika-chan! She's punching me!"

"That's just a form of affection zura~"

"What-! Watch what you say, Bakamaru!"

Her ears feel like they are burning when she notices the rest of their group chuckling at their antics. At least, Hanamaru has returned from her dance with Kanan and is now stuffing her face with various desserts. Good, that's the Zuramaru she's used to. Be good and stay there. Keep feeding.

"That was amazing! What about it? Like You-chan said, you should form a duo, maybe called 'You & Angel?" Chika's previously tamed ahoge has sprung back up, swaying eagerly as the girl gives them a hug.

"No! And g-get off! I'm sweaty," Yoshiko pries the exuberant Gryffindors off of her person. Is this what Ruby feels all the time, being crowded by the baka duo? Although, it doesn't feel that bad, it's nice actually, because she can sense that the two witches are sincere in their hugs- no! The great Yohane shall not fall for their charm so easily!

She retreats to the side, huffing and puffing, and rummages through the tables for a drink she hasn't tried before. She glares at a glass of mikan juice, filled with pulp, for a good full minute. Taking a deep breath, she grabs the beverage and gulps down the content in noisy slurps.

Tearfully, she sticks out her tongue and waits for something to happen. Nope, other than a disagreeing tummy, she doesn't feel any special. Still no luck in finding that Felix Felicis potion. She glances back at her friends, noting that Chika and Hanamaru are now busy examining some sort of mikan dessert while Ruby happily eats a cup of pudding. Riko has finally joined them and is nibbling at a sandwich that You brought for her from another table. Kanan and Dia are several paces away, surrounded by admirers and younger students who must be taken by their respective outfits.

Hmn, where's that shiny cat Animagus?

She finds her answer a moment later when something reels her back onto the dance floor. Her vision is momentarily obscured by a top hat, which she scrambles to pull off. Half filled with annoyance and resignation, she blinks at the blonde witch holding out her gloved hand.

"Shall we dance~?"

Her lilting tone is a pitch lower than Yoshiko is used to, compelling her to accept the offer. Grinning, Mari begins to lead her around the other dancers, spinning her away and pulling her back at the right moment. Due to their height difference, Yoshiko is forced to peer up at the smirking witch, whose endowed bosom are rather distracting in an irritating way.

"Why do you want to dance with me anyway? Go back to your partner already." And keep that said partner away from Zuramaru, cheh.

"Why not? It's fun to dance with my cute little kouhai~ Besides, everyone's dancing, no?"

Yoshiko dares to glance around, noticing that Chika and Ruby have entered the center stage as well. You has somehow retrieved Kanan from Dia, who waves off her friend and is still occupied by the other students. It looks like the Gryffindor duo have failed or haven't tried asking Riko for a dance. Hanamaru is keeping Riko company as the two girls exchange accessories. True to her name, the sakura hairpin looks good on Hanamaru, while the saffron ribbon seems to make the hue of Riko's hair richer.

"Worried about Rikocchi, are we?"

"Well, yeah. Since that day with the Acromantulas, I've been watching her and the other two. It doesn't seem like Lily knows about the rumors, but those two bakas should be less obvious!"

"Hmm? Like how obvious you are towards Hanamaru-chan?"

"Yeah, exactly that! Wait what?! No! W-W-What are you talking about!"

Snickering, Mari tugs Yoshiko close and muffles her indignant shrieks against her coat. "Calm down~ Rikocchi is smart. She probably knows already, but doesn't want to believe it, understandably so."

"I see… what do we do then?"

"Now now, don't you worry about her. Just leave it to Kanan and I! We've got it worked out. You just focus on getting your girl~"

Mari smothers Yoshiko against her chest again before she could protest. "You'll see soon enough. It took a lot of convincing earlier, but Kanan and I cracked her down. There's no way Rikocchi would say no, teehee~"

Yoshiko scowls in the embrace and reluctantly relaxes. The hug does feel nice and comforting. While a part of her still doubts Mari due to her wacky ideas, she does agree that the senior is dependable whenever the occasion calls for it.

By the time they return to Riko and Hanamaru, the other pairs have finished their dance as well, while Dia has finally extracted herself from admirers. Yoshiko looks at every single one of her friends, pleased at this little bubble of nine. Her eyes meet Hanamaru's, and she freezes in self-consciousness. Puzzled, the brunette tilts her head and smiles adorably. A small splash of whipped cream is stuck to her puffed up cheek, which Yoshiko exasperatedly wipes away with a napkin.

"Aren't you eating too much, Butamaru?"

Frowning at the teasing nickname, Hanamaru punches Yoshiko's arm.

"Ow, that hurts!"

"Hnff, it'd better hurt zura!"

Yoshiko rolls her eyes. "Whatever, like you said, that's just a form of affection, ku ku ku~"

To her surprise, Hanamaru appears flustered and scoots away, placing a bewildered Ruby between them. Huh, that didn't go well. Time from Plan B.

"Okay, Yoshiko-chan, wish us luck," Chika and You suddenly whisper near her.

She hastily grabs hold of their arms before they could head towards Riko. "Wait, you're gonna go for it-?"

"Well, you're the only one we've told our little secret to, Yoshiko-chan," Chika fiddles with her fingers while You lets out a forceful chuckle. "Yeah, Chika-chan and I figure, it's now or never. We'll see which one of us Riko-chan picks, and we can move on."

"But-" Yoshiko helplessly glances at Mari, whose fiery eyes are focused elsewhere. Likewise, Kanan seems to be holding her breath, her expression intense as she stares in the same direction. Curious, Yoshiko and the two Gryffindors turn to look for what's holding their attention captive.

"Riko-san, may I have the pleasure of dancing with you?"

Dia's posture is slightly tense as she extends her hand towards the dazed girl. Riko's lips are parted in soundless surprise, her eyes wide as she glances between the gloved hand and Dia's earnest gaze. A pretty blush crawls up Riko's neck and cheeks as she daintily accepts the offer. Both smiling, one pleased and one coy, the pair slowly makes their way towards the dance floor. Many pairs of eyes are focused on them, most likely just as taken aback as Yoshiko is. She hasn't expected Dia to ask, or Riko to say yes.

Yet, looking at the two witches swaying to the gentle ballad, it somehow makes sense. They look like a match made in heaven, the way they seem absorbed in each other's presence. There's no need to concern themselves with unwanted attention, for they are already in their own world.

Yoshiko sighs quietly. In a way, she is envious. That's the kind of perfect scene she wants to appear to onlookers, with…

She glances at her friends, seeing how Hanamaru is just as mesmerized while Ruby looks happy for her older sister. Kanan and Mari exchange a quiet high-five, both grinning at how it turns out. Now, all that's left are the two possibly heartbroken duo.

Though disappointed, there is also something else in Chika and You's calm expressions. "Well, it's not like we have a chance against Dia-san anyway." "Yeah, it's not surprising that Riko-chan would accept."

Yoshiko scoffs and roughly pulls at Chika's arm, looping it around You's. The two witches blink at her innocently.

"Go on, go dance already. Don't mope here. Didn't you tell me to enjoy myself earlier? Now, it's your turn, both of you."

"Huh? With Chika-chan?" "With You-chan? Eeeh?"

"Shoo, off you go!" Their disbelief is actually heartrending to see, knowing what they used to be, so Yoshiko assertively pushes the two towards the dance floor. You nervously brushes through her hair while Chika awkwardly plays with her braid. After a few moments, their fingers finally interlace as characteristic smiles blossom upon their visage.

"Welp, just as she said, let's just enjoy ourselves, You-chan!"

"Yeah, wanna try an even more difficult stunt, Chika-chan?"

"Oho, you mean with more brooms and possible aquatic additions too, captain?"

"I knew you can read my mind, partner~ Let's consider this a prep for next year's Yule Ball!"

Like a proud parent, Yoshiko folds her arms and gazes after the pair until they blend in with the crowd. Matchmaking success! Whatever happens after is up to the two, but Yoshiko is confident that something good would bloom from this night.

"Hehe, they look cute together, don't they?" Ruby appears just as happy.

"All thanks to Yohane-sama!" Grinning, Yoshiko grabs a glass of water and pretends it's champagne. "Cheers, everyone!"

As they toast to many things, the clinks of glasses and laughter have re-ignited the rush of adrenaline she felt earlier. If the others could pair off so smoothly, surely it isn't that difficult to ask a certain brunette out for a simple dance?

Alas, as decreed by a fallen angel's misfortune, she misses her chance yet again. Hanamaru suddenly grimaces and excuses herself. "I-I need to go to the washroom zura-!"

Kanan blinks. "Oh, I'll go with y-"

"We need to stay to hear the announcement, for the winning pair of Yule Ball," Mari lightly taps on Yoshiko's shoulder. "If I recall correctly, you've drank a lot tonight, haven't you?"

"Y-Yeah, I did. I'll go with Zuramaru then. Ruby, you coming?" Though a little confused, she does agree it's better to go with company instead of alone. For some reason, Ruby shakes her head and makes a Rubesty pose.

"Huh? But-"

"Just go already, Yoshiko-chan!"

Still not understanding Ruby's encouraging smile, Yoshiko shrugs and hurries after Hanamaru. In contrast to the boisterous Great Hall and its glamorous decor, the corridors appears rather desolate and even sinister. Candles valiantly light up the path as she walks past some of the straggler students and into the courtyard. Her heels crunch quietly on the thin layer of frozen snow, leftover from days before, and her breath comes out in fleeting white puffs.

Hanamaru is standing in the middle of the garden, seemingly entranced by the bright quarter-moon and the glittering stars in the night canvas above.

"Hey, are you okay? I thought you're going to the washroom?" Yoshiko hesitantly approaches her friend.

"Hmm? Yoshiko-chan?" The brunette glances at her before returning her gaze towards the scenery. "I was… I felt quite dizzy earlier, so I thought it was something I ate zura."

"Pff, you did eat a lot…"

Hanamaru furrows her brows, though her expression relaxes a moment later. "Anyway, as it turns out, I just need some fresh air. I feel a lot better now zura."

"That's good at least. With the way you ran out earlier, I thought you were gonna hurl, heh," Yoshiko then slaps herself inwardly. She needs to stop making fun of the brunette or else she'll never be able to get that dance she wants!

Thankfully, Hanamaru seems to be too engrossed in this tranquil atmosphere to get upset. "What do you think, Yoshiko-chan? This feels like an illustration from storybooks zura. Isn't it beautiful?"

Yoshiko has always found nature to be otherworldly, an abstract concept to be admired and nothing more. The most she can do is immerse herself in the peace that nature offers. Yes, the icy snow appears to blanket the ground and any vegetation in an artistic manner. Yes, the cloudless sky allows the viewer to search among the constellations for possible shooting stars. Yes, the night breeze, while frigid, is also fresh and cleansing.

She glances at the smiling brunette by her side, savoring how the moonlight gently envelopes her form. "Yeah, beautiful."

"Right?" Hanamaru remains oblivious of her companion's gaze as she spreads her arms. "Sometimes I still can't believe it, being here in the world of magic and being able to use magic."

"Uh-huh, I'm with you on that. Hogwarts is… amazing." Yoshiko reaches out and gingerly takes hold of Hanamaru's hands, turning the shorter girl towards her.

Hogwarts never fails to take her breath away even though she has been here half a year already. From time to time, she would find herself admiring her surroundings, whether it is the Aviary, the towers, the forest, or even her own Dormitory. The ancient and austere magical presence makes her humble, makes her feel so incredibly tiny and insignificant.

But that was the same back in the Muggle world, wasn't it? She was just one of the many faces that passed by the shops, walked down the streets, and simply trudged through each day. She was unable to accomplish anything meaningful, and that had depressed her even though she carefully buried such feeling.

And so, this is the one difference between here and the Muggle world. Here at Hogwarts, she is given the ability to make a difference in people's lives and even her own, no matter how little it seems at first.

The adrenaline from before has calmed down to something soothing, like whispers of encouragement from Lady Luck herself.

"Well then, allow me to make this special scene even more fairytale-like."

"Zura?!"

Yoshiko gallantly tugs her companion against her, slipping her arm around the latter's waist. Due to the proximity, the shorter girl could only nestle her head against the crook of Yoshiko's neck.

"Dance with me, Hanamaru."

The brunette makes an incoherent mumble, her ears reddening. Yoshiko could feel Hanamaru's heartbeat against her, so she's certain that the latter could feel hers as well. Though embarrassed, she's also elated to have finally taken this step. Furthermore, unlike her previous experiences, she has not stepped on her partner's foot, has not lost her wits from unexpected movements, and has not carelessly taken control of the dance with her own style.

No, this is a simple slide and glide dance where the pair sways along the melody. The courtyard may be silent, but Yoshiko can clearly hear the music in her pounding heart.

"Y-Yoshiko-chan, you know how to waltz zura-?"

"Heh, the great Yohane learns fast. You're not bad yourself either."

"... I-I'm just following your lead," Hanamaru mutters shyly, leaning into their semi-embrace even more. Yoshiko stiffens and inadvertently stops the dance, with both of her arms wrapped around Hanamaru's waist to steady her.

Neither move from their position, enthralled by this mysterious ambience that encompassed them.

"So, pretty good year so far I'd say. We got to come here, learn magic-"

"- and I got reunited with you, and we've gained so many good friends zura."

"Right. Fantastic banquet, isn't it?"

"It is. Everything about today is… well, it's been magical zura."

Yoshiko nervously pulls away just a little so she could look at Hanamaru. The brunette's flushed cheeks probably mirror her own, encouraging her to do what her heart yearns.

"The perfect way to end the perfect night."

She leans down and smooches Hanamaru's cheek before backing away. The warmth and softness of the brunette's skin lingers on her lips, so tantalizing that she is tempted to kiss her again.

Should she push her luck? Is this too much?

Blushing, Hanamaru appears shell-shocked, staring at Yoshiko with wide, innocent eyes. Though mortified, Yoshiko returns the gaze earnestly to show that she isn't fooling around.

Hanamaru swallows hard, glancing to the right and then to the left while her arms remain loosely wrapped around Yoshiko's waist. As if making up her mind, she places one hand on the taller girl's shoulder and tiptoes.

Their lips meet chastely, once and again.

"Merry Christmas."

80 notes · View notes

athyrabunlord · 8 years ago

Text

Daydream [III]. Yohane

Reminder: This is based off of Daydream Warrior and this fanart I did Warning: Profanity, violence and sex. Ships: You>Chika>Kanan>Riko>?; with mentions of YouMari & KanaMari, and implied DiaYoshi & Maruby Words: 1,998

[I. Mari] [II. Chika] [III. Yohane] [IV. Kanan] [V. Dia] [VI. Hanamaru & Ruby] [VII. You] [VIII. Riko] [IX. ???]

III. Yohane

“Any hint of it has disappeared; my breath Rough and intense, the clues we follow”

You let out a ragged sigh and cracked her neck for that satisfying pop before surveying the chaos around her. She took a defiant step forward, smirking at the muffled crunch of shattered mirror shards beneath her shoes. Carelessly, she tossed the broken leg of a chair over the upturned sofa, allowing it to join the rest of its demolished brethren.

Hmm, was there anything else she hadn’t destroyed at this pathetic place?

Cold blue eyes swept the dilapidated warehouse but found only pieces of furniture that she had ripped apart. This was a hideout of a small gang she had defeated recently and, as most of the members were still hospitalized, she’s been coming and going as she pleased. The remnants of the thugs, after a few more encounters, finally learned to stay the fuck out of her way unless they wanted to be her living punchbags.

Which did happen once or twice.

You cracked her knuckles in mild disappointment. It just wasn’t as entertaining if she couldn’t sink her fists into flesh and bone. She’d prefer cuts and bruises over wooden splinters stuck in her hands. True annoyance, those prickly things. She’s already decorated the wall with fist-sized holes when she inadvertently, as well as deliberately, punched through those thin, wooden planks.

Her phone, purposefully placed at a corner so she wouldn’t smash it by accident, vibrated yet again. Whether it was Mari or Chika she cared not. All she knew was that she cannot face either of them yet, not when she was still in this state.

Or else she would do something she would regret.

Her fists itched again, as if complaining about the lack of thrill from her little destruction spree. It wasn’t enough. She felt nothing. She needed something, a proper outlet for that mess of emotions churning in her heart.

The phone buzzed once more. Perhaps she should go find Mari and fuck her senseless, or vice versa, whichever fit their mood. The older girl had no qualms about rough play, You knew that very well.

Meanwhile, Chika must be having fun with Kanan. Just a friends’ outing, nothing more, and You had vowed to be supportive since the day they went shopping.

So why, why did she feel worse than ever? Whatever clarity she had of the world around her disappeared. All that was left was the desire to hurt.

Kind of like when she first met Mari.

A movement at the corner of her eyes snapped her out of her daze. Instinctively, she moved towards the shadow and swung her fist. Her punch punctured the flimsy plank beside the newcomer’s head, and prevented the latter from escaping.

In spite of her vicious welcome, the dark-haired girl did not even flinch and that earned You’s respect. “You’re sulking here again, oh Lost One.”

You rolled her eyes and grunted as she pulled her hand out of the wooden board. She grimaced at the splinters that were stuck to her skin like porcupine quills, resigning herself to a tedious and frustrating period of picking them out later. The shorter girl merely tilted her head and spoke again in her distinctive, husky voice. “What is it that you look for?”

“What does it matter to you?” You snarled rather savagely, hoping her tone was enough to deter the other girl from asking more. “What are you doing here anyway, Yohane-chan?”

Yohane, if that was even her real name, shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know, but whenever I do find you, you always look like crap, no offense.”

“Don’t give me that no offense bullshit,” You paused and curled her other hand menacingly. “And I am offended. Any last words?”

“Ku ku ku, are you sure you’re ready for Yohane-sama’s breathtaking eulogy?”

Deadpanning, You was very aware of the fight draining out of her body. Exasperation. Complete and utter exasperation. She really didn’t know how to handle this eccentric girl.

Always, whenever she was in this destructive mindset, Yohane would show up and weird her out so that she no longer felt the need to break things. Well, there was that exception, the day she met Mari, but otherwise Yohane never failed to find her.

How did they become sort-of friends again? And she hasn’t seen Yohane for a while actually, not since…

Indeed, how long has it been?

Shaking her head, You began to work on her mutilated hand and sighed again when she noticed Yohane’s intrigued stare. “What? Never seen something like this before?”

“Who do you think I am? I’ve definitely seen stupid many times.”

“Why you little-” You exhaled deeply and shook her head again. Odd, a comment like that would’ve sent any other person into the hospital yet, when coming from Yohane, she only felt exasperation.

And a teensy bit of her agreed with the younger girl that, yes, what she did was stupid.

They didn’t exchange another line while You robotically bandaged her bleeding hand. Somewhat satisfied with her patch work, she looked up to find Yohane’s scornful frown. “What?”

“You’re going to break one of these days, y’know.”

“How observant,” You found herself smiling. “Maybe that’s my goal all along?”

“A stupid goal, that’s what it is. Have you always been that dumb, Watanabe You?”

“What if I am?” You growled, miffed about being lectured by a junior. “Seriously, why are you here?”

“Well, someone’s gotta keep an eye on Bakayou,” Yohane drawled condescendingly, and took a careful step back when You approached her with a dangerous scowl. “Calm down, little demon, you don’t want to be like her.”

Rage consumed her fleetingly and she almost reached for the younger girl’s neck. That surge of anger vanished as sudden as it came, and only left behind a phantom itch she had no access to. Irritated, she scratched her hair and retrieved her buzzing phone, stuffing it in her pocket without sparing it a glance.

“Aren’t you going to check it?”

“I don’t feel like it,” You muttered and stormed out of the warehouse, deeming it useless to stay any longer.

To her bemusement, Yohane followed silently as if she were a gliding ghost. She’d better not comment on it or else the self-proclaimed fallen angel would consider that a praise. She walked down the street, swerved into an alleyway, out onto the sidewalk, crossed an intersection and even jogged down a trail through the local park.

There was an inexplicably disquieting sensation as soon as she stepped into the area, and Yohane was still walking a careful distance behind her.

Groaning, You halted and whirled around. “Don’t you have better things to do? How long are you gonna follow me?”

“Until you open your eyes, duh,” Yohane said as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Ha? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, it’s You-san.”

Blinking, she turned to face the speaker and vaguely recognized her and her companion as Yohane’s friends. However, the two girls both wore sombre expressions as opposed to the friendly smiles as she remembered.

Hanamaru, the petite brunette, glanced at her up and down, her gaze lingering at her bandaged hand. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“And why is that? Why can’t I be here?” You thought she must have imagined the flicker of animosity in Hanamaru’s unreadable eyes.

“No reason. I’ve just never seen you around here, that’s all.” Hanamaru said flatly without her characteristic dialect. The pigtailed redhead, Ruby, nodded mutely and scooted a little closer to her friend.

The two girls appeared so harmless that You felt rather silly for being wary of them. She glanced at the silent Yohane and shrugged. “I didn’t even know I would end up at this park. I was trying to shake off your friend. Now that you’re here, go take her back.”

She shooed the black-haired girl towards them, and was mildly puzzled by the lack of retort when the latter obediently did as she were told. Hanamaru was still staring at You though, and her seemingly all-seeing eyes were quite unsettling.

“You’re here to see Riko-san, aren’t you?”

Surprised by the brunette’s words, You could only look between the three juniors. “Why would I-?”

“Kanan-chan was with her,” the younger girl added, “We saw them over there.”

Dread and anger slowly filled her mind. Wasn’t that accursed person supposed to be spending time with Chika? Sure, Chika knew about Kanan and Riko, but that didn’t mean she should endure being together with those two. You knew fully well how such torture was like.

Ruby tugged at Hanamaru’s sleeve, prompting the latter to sigh and pat her hand in a comforting manner. “Yes, Kanan-chan was here but she left already, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

You’s shoulders drooped in slight relief. Good, Chika wasn’t stood up. Fury quickly flooded her senses again though, as she pondered about Kanan’s actions. Mari and Riko and even Chika were all being played, weren’t they? And Hanamaru and Ruby, who probably didn’t know any better, were being involved somehow.

“I should really tell one of them about Mari-chan,” You whispered darkly and tried to regulate her breathing. “Heh, if Riko-chan knows about what they’ve been up to… well, that should finally wake Kanan the fuck up. She won’t get away with this.”

Just how many people were entangled in Kanan’s network of convoluted relationships? And to think, she claimed she loved Riko too…

“No, You-san,” Hanamaru’s voice was as clear as it was cold. “You’re the one who needs to wake up.”

Before You could snap a reply, she saw Yohane sadly shaking her head and pointing at her pocket. Her phone was vibrating again. All that negative emotion drained from her tense muscles and she decided to let it go.

“Perhaps,” she told the three girls curtly. “But I’m the one who gets to decide that.”

Without waiting for a response, she left the park in a hurry. Yohane didn’t follow her this time and, already, the calming effect of being in that peculiar girl’s presence was disappearing. It was only after she was several blocks away that she took out her phone from her pocket.

Ah, there were several texts from both Mari and Chika, as well as a missed call from the latter. You skimmed through the messages, which were more or less what she expected from those two. Mari wanted to meet up again, while Chika was saying how Kanan liked the music box and wanted to thank You too.

How nauseating.

Still, she was rather curious about the missed call, since Chika usually never called her. She tried returning the call but reached the voicemail.

Disgruntled, she re-dialed the number and couldn’t reach Chika this way either.

Again and again, she tried calling but Chika didn’t pick up her phone.

Worried now, You paced around the block as she went through a list of where her friend could be and wondered if she should just drop by her place. Chika could be home already and napping. You checked the time and nodded to herself. Sometimes Chika even slept the whole afternoon and only woke up in time for dinner.

But the whole situation still felt off. That eerie sensation since stepping foot into the park hasn’t faded.

After the umpteenth try, her call finally connected.

“Chika-chan? Geez, did you fall asleep or something? I tried calling you so many ti-”

You’s blood chilled upon hearing that wretched voice.

“Ah. Hey.”

“What the fuck are you doing, answering Chika-chan’s phone… where is she, what have you done to her?”

“What have I done to her…?” Kanan spoke slowly and emotionlessly. “Well, that’s exactly it.”

“Wha-?!”

“She can’t exactly answer you right now,” Kanan’s voice was so quiet as if she was far away from the speaker. You frantically pressed her ear against her phone, straining to listen for any clue of their whereabouts.

Was that the tick-tock from Chika’s clock? What was that other sound?

Then You heard it.

Chika’s shaky gasps, followed by a hitched cry.

#athyra writes #Daydream Warrior AU #youhane #maruby #mentions of youmari kanariko kanachika kanamari #goddam u orca #captain pls chill #yohane daredevil lawl #yeah maru really doesn't like you eh?#intense af chap coming up lmao #watanabe you #tsushima yohane

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