#but ya know she doesn’t swear; she loves to learn and explore; she uses her manners; and she's a very sweet kid

[v-tired-queer]

My goddaughter: *gets up from her spot and starts walking sway*

Me: Where are you going?

GD: *points out of the room*

Me: Can you use your words?

GD: Yeah! 😃

GD: *says nothing more and just walks away*

Me: . . .

[gisellelx]

I have just seen your response regarding the Cullen linguistics and when I thought I couldn't love it more, I quickly found your theory regarding their changing terminology. (Your mind is beautiful!!!)

By your own admision, you mentioned it would be reeeeally rare for Carlisle to swear. Do you have any ideas for what kind of behaviour causes each individual to curse?

(And not just, for eg, Bella's general existence)

You're so sweet, @youareonlyastory! My mind is actually dead at this time of year, so I've turned it to vampires for awhile to reboot it. 🥰

(Prev vampire linguistics post)

Some of the characters I've thought about more than others, but here are some observations.

Easy: Jasper and Emmett. Emmett is the only one who swears in canon (“Damn you’re a mess”), and if you extrapolate that there’s lots we don’t see in canon plus that dialogue != real speech, it’s a hop skip and a jump to these two swearing a lot. They are the ones who are the most like to get into it over nothing and suddenly get deep into a very mouthy exchange until someone notices Esme standing there, wide-eyed. She's heard it all by this point, but they still hang their heads and say "oops, sorry" when it's her listening. Jasper swears using more slang original to his era, but fuck, piss, damn, were all already quite common. Emmett is playful and outgoing and likely picks up new slang pretty readily, so he's more likely to use some of the newer constructions like flying fuck or fuckin 'a, or ADJ/ADV as fuck.

Also pretty easy: Edward. I really need to re-read [ETA: oooh that was an autocorrect error in the original post--it turned "reread" into "read" which are not the same thing. I've read that sucker, it's just painful to read it again.] Midnight Sun again just to be on top of it but I keep opening it and putting it down because that boy's head is hard to read. One gets the sense in the original saga that he's a bit stuck up but holy cow, when you’re in his POV it is painful how conceited he is. So Edward swears very little. He thinks casual swearing is beneath him. He swears when things are truly dire, like with the van. He occasionally trades a few words with his brothers and they treat him like a kitten who is hissing at them when he does.

Bella: grew up in peak fuck patois generation and should be a big f-bomb user. However, most of her language comes from the kinds of books she reads--she's a wallflower who hasn't spent much time hanging around her peers. So she knows the words, but doesn't use them very often, especially compared to other women her age. You get a bit of her annoyance with Lauren in the books, and to a lesser extent Jessica; even though she thinks of herself as uninteresting, she also thinks of some of her classmates as vapid. She's going to distance from them linguistically just like she does socially.

Rosalie: Thinks its unladylike and beneath her, much like Edward. She didn't swear as a human and pretended to be scandalized, and she doesn't do it much as a vampire. Emmett can coax her to play with it a little bit when she's hunting or working on cars. And I'm inclined to take an out-of-universe explanation that the Twilight saga was written by someone who doesn't herself swear much if at all, and was written at the beginning of the surge of YA, when people were much more circumspect about what kinds of language belonged in YA books, for the explanation why we don't see her ever think will you fuck off? to Edward in Midnight Sun. I imagine she swears at him in her head with some regularity.

Alice: Alice is hard. She's very fun loving, which means she's pretty likely to embrace new language. And she has no memory of who she was before, so she's not influenced by ideas of what she needed to be as a human, unlike Rosalie, who is still very much clinging to that high society debutante identity. She's much freer to explore. So my guess is she can get up to it with the boys, but probably doesn't usually.

Renesmee: Sounds like a GenZ-er. It drives everyone crazy. In addition to swearing, she uses things like sus and "girls gays and theys" and definitely went through a "yolo" phase. She's constantly trying to figure out where she fits, and trying on all the latest language is a big part of that.

Carlisle: swears with his sons, mostly over sports. Many of the newer terms don't even feel like swearing to him, so he thinks it's funny to try them out. There's a line in one of my short stories where I decided for writing purposes that the best narration was to just say "Carlisle cracked one far into right field and informed them both that they could do something to his genitals that left them with their mouths hanging open." I have a very clear idea of what it was that he said, though and it was shocking. Trash talking with his sons makes him feel young and light.

He swears in anger only when extremely exasperated, usually with Edward, and that's when you get the 17th century swears.

Esme: Largely does not swear. She is moderately amused when Carlisle trash-talks the boys, and just shakes her head disapprovingly at him. She's learned to use a little bit of language in bed, though it happens at intervals best measured in years. When she does, she and Carlisle both find it sexy.

Or is that "they find it sexy AF"? 😉

Thanks for the ask!

[mrsbrookegillespie]

+Perfect Harmony+ (Part One) Luke x Reader

Description: For Y/N Molina, it never came easy for her. The hardest part not being able to do the one thing she loved, creating music. With her cousin Julie joining a ghost band that she’s been secretly admiring for years, her all time crush not returning the same feelings, and having many untold secrets, something is bound to go wrong.

Warnings: ANGST, swearing, mention of suicidal thoughts, Ray not being that nice (I’m sorry Ray, we love you), mention of slight sexual harassment, mentions of death (duh), terrible writing, typos, and probably more that my brain can’t think of at the moment. 

After Writing All Of That I’m Questioning This Story, But I Do Love It So... Many Songs Will Be Featured, Feel Free To Listen To Them When They Come Up.

+Perfect Harmony+

For Y/N Molina life wasn’t easy. Her parents, one being the sister of Ray Molina, dropped her off in front of the Molina household at the age of fourteen before going off to explore the world. At the time she was upset about the situation, but it wasn’t surprising. Her parents never wanted a kid, she practically raised herself while they were in Greece eating seafood, and sipping at the finest wine, no doubt. “How are you doing?” Rose, her cousin Julie’s mom, asks. 

Y/N shrugs. “They’re never coming back, so I guess I’m going to be stuck on this couch for a while.” She actually grew quite fond of the sofa that pulled out into a bed.

“We’ll make you a room up in the loft,” Rose assures.

“So, we agree, my parents are…” Her voice fades off, inhaling through her nose.

“You know, this used to be the studio of a band.” Y/N tilts her head, looking at the older woman. “A rock band, I met them when they were going to play at The Orpheum--”

“The Orpheum?!” Y/N exclaims. “That’s amazing!” 

“They were, but they died that night.” Rose stands up, walking to a box. “This is some of their stuff.” She picks it up. “I’ve heard the music you listen to, and I think you would like them.” Setting down the box in front of Y/N, she wastes no time searching through it.

“Sunset Curve?” she questions, staring down at the logo printed on the shirt. “Cool name,” she compliments with a wide smile, setting the article of clothing in her lap. She picks up a picture showing four boys. “Were these them?” 

“Yes, that one was Bobby, he’s a flirt, Reggie, sweetie, Alex, very sassy--” Y/N giggles, “And Luke, he was the lead singer.” 

“He’s… Quite decent looking,” Y/N observes sheepishly.

“I knew you’d think so.” Rose ruffles her hair. “Listen to the CD, you never know…” 

“I will.” Y/N clutches the photo to her chest as Rose leaves. Hastily she picks up the CD that had the band's logo plastered on the plastic case. She gently places it in the player, waiting for the music to come through the speakers. And then, there it was. “They’re amazing.” She grabs the box again, pulling out an orange beanie, placing it on her head. 

By the end of the night she had searched the entire studio for more stuff, gathering it, trying things on, she stayed up ‘til sunrise listening, and trying to learn each and every one of their songs, painting each of the members on canvases, writing songs about the guitarist that even though died years ago, she couldn’t help but feel connected to. A crush on a dead guy, what’s better than that?

“Boo!” Luke poofs in next to Y/N who’s currently getting her textbooks out of her locker.

“God!” she shrieks. “You need to stop doing that to me, gonna give me a heart attack,” she mutters as her fellow classmates, and random people she had never met give her weird glances. “Make people think I’m crazy.” Luke opens his mouth to reply, but Y/N beats him to it. “Yes, Luke, I know ‘we’re all a little crazy’.”

He pouts. “Someone’s grumpy today.” He crosses his arms, leaning against the locker next to hers. “But, anyways! Do you know where Julie is?” 

And there Y/N’s heart was punched. “I mean, she has to be around here somewhere,” she answers, slamming the locker door. “Now, if you’d excuse me, I have to go to class.” She takes her time to turn around on her heels.

“You’re gonna be at band rehearsal before our performance, right?” he asks, making her stop.

Turning only the upper half of her body to look at him. “I think you forget I live in the studio.”

He lets out an airy chuckle. “Right.” He playfully rolls his eyes.

Unlike Julie she didn’t care if people thought she was crazy, for the number one reason being that people already thought that. Wacky, coocoo, freak, those were just some of the words people called her before her favorite band suddenly popped out of nowhere because Julie played their CD.

That always confused Y/N, why is that when she played the CD all that time ago they didn’t show up, but when Julie did, they did? She never mentioned her already known infatuation with the band, even though it most likely answers the question of why Julie and her can see the ghosts. “But, I’m grounded so…” She carelessly shrugs. “I’m stuck on party duty for the time being, so probably won’t be there for that, but I’ll be there for the actual performance.” Even though she would’ve done it anyway, Ray wanted Y/N to be more ‘supportive’.

“Oh.” His smile falters a little. “Cool, I’ll catch you later then.”

An awkward tension fills the air. “Yep.” She salutes towards him, walking off. 

Grounded. No phone, only can drive her car to school, and home. Y/N wasn’t even allowed to listen to her records which she’s collected over the course of three years. And it was for the reason that she's failing multiple classes, but Ray didn’t understand the struggle she’s going through.

Let’s rewind… When Rose died it left the whole Molina family broken. But, it also left another part of Y/N broken when music became Julie’s thing at that moment, Ray not allowing Y/N to even have a guitar in her room. She loved music, all she wanted to do was sing, play every instrument, write every song with any word that popped into her mind. Julie couldn’t even touch a piano until recently, and yet, it had to only be Julie’s thing. So, now Y/N has to just secretly write songs in her red notebook knowing they’ll never be used, and secretly play in the school’s band room before any student takes a foot into the building, while she watches her cousin and the guys become ‘Julie and the Phantoms’.

What does hurt her everyday, is not being able to do something she loves because they’re afraid of how it might affect someone else. But, if Julie really cared for her family member then she’d be happy for her, right? Not to mention the way Luke looks at Julie hurts a little too, the chemistry. No one can deny it. It’s not like she’s had a crush on him before they even met him as a ghost. No, the biggest crush that she’s ever had is totally not a dead guy, and no, she’s never in the past thought about killing herself in hope to meet him if there were an afterlife, which she guesses there is now. She’s sure he loves Julie not being an absolute mess for him, and he probably knows that Y/N’s in love with him and is trying to show her he doesn’t like her in the worst way possible. “Y/N!” she internally screams, hearing the familiar voice.

“Josh…” she drags out his name. Maybe she should just give him a chance? He gives her plenty of attention. She giggles to herself when the thought crosses her mind. That wasn’t funny. An inner voice replies. 

“Hey, I just… Wanted to see how you were doing, you know--just friend to friend.” 

“I actually have to go to class, so we’ll talk later, ‘kay?” She tries to turn around to leave, but Josh grabs her arm to pull her back.

“Class doesn’t start for another fifteen minutes,” he counters.

“Y/N!” Luke exclaims, poofing right next to Josh. “I still haven’t found Julie, are you sure you don’t know where she is?” He almost didn’t even notice the other boy that had also been fighting for Y/N’s attention.

“I like to get to class early,” Y/N replies to Josh. “And you haven’t seen Julie around here, have you?”

“I think I saw her in the dance room.” She gives Luke a pointed look. “You know, practicing for that dance thing.”

“Yeah!” Y/N responds, not even an ounce interested in this conversation. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she noticed Luke not leaving.

“Who’s this?” he asks.

“So, Josh, I really have to go,” she claims. “I’ll see ya around!” 

“Wait,” he starts. “Is this about when I tried to kiss you the other day?” Y/N tenses up, 

Luke’s jaw dropping slightly.

Followed by a wide smile. “Does Y/N have a boyfriend?!” he mocks. 

“No, well, yes, it is. We aren’t dating, Josh, it’s uncomfortable.” Josh huffs out. “That’s not a weird reason for why.” Y/N’s blood starts to boil.

“You should feel honored that someone would even want to kiss you, I mean your reputation here isn’t all too great, Y/N,” he states. 

“Goodbye, Josh.” She turns on her heels. 

Luke watches as she angrily walks away, glaring at Josh who obviously couldn’t see him. He turns slightly, glancing over his shoulder to see Julie by her locker. Giving Y/N one more glimpse he goes to do what he came here to do. 

Y/N sits at her desk, rereading over the words that she colorfully wrote in her journal. “You pretty thing, with pretty things inside,” she sings quietly. She slams the book closed when she finds herself getting annoyed by just how untalented she was. 

“I think that Nick guy has a crush on Julie,” Luke reports, once again magically appearing in front of her. He was taken aback when she didn’t react.

[hops-hunny]

Distance Makes the Heart Grow

CHAPTER 1

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Mafia Boss!Neville Longbottom x Reader

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 1.8k

Summary: (Y/n) lives a normal life. But that’s the issue, it’s normal, it’s plain, and it’s growing boring. Everyday she wishes for something, anything to spice up her life. But, when her old school friend (and crush) shows up at her bakery with a new look (and what looks like a new life), what will it bring for her? Will their puppy love grow? Will his big secret lead to the end of them or will it spark a new beginning?

Warnings: None for this chapter!

A/N: Nothing major happens in this chapter, this is sorta just like the beginning stages.

(Y/n) let out a load groan, hand searching aimlessly for the alarm clock on her side table. “Where is it?!” she continued to slap her hand around on her table, many objects falling to the floor before her hand finally landed on the right one, the rooster noises ceasing as her hand collided with the big snooze button. She rolled over, sighing as she stared at her speckled ceiling. “Perhaps I really should take the time to learn how to use the alarm on my phone.” it wasn’t that she was bad with technology persay. It’s just if it was produced after the year of 2008 you could forget it. Could you really blame her though? During all her years at Hogwarts, she had never made the switch her fellow classmates made with modern technology. Sure she had a smart phone but the only thing she could manage to do with it is call, text, and make notes in the notes app (something she had just recently learned as well).

Unwillingly, she crawled out of bed, stretching as she let out a large yawn, bones snapping and cracking like a New Year’s firework. She made her way to the bathroom, looking into the same mirror she always did, watching the light in the center flicker the same way as always. Life for (Y/n) was seemingly unchanging. Day after day, month after month, was spent exactly the same. She’d wake up, get ready for work, and then travel a few blocks down the street to open the bakery. Her bakery.

It wasn’t that (Y/n) didn’t enjoy what she did. She happened to enjoy her job very much. All her friends at Hogwart’s had encouraged her, giving her the push she need to travel the journey of opening her own business. It was something she had always wanted to do but her parents begged her not to. In their words they didn’t want ‘an over zealous and unrealistic’ daughter on ther hands. However, their rude words simply were fuel to the fire. During her 5th year, she began to busk tables at various shops in Hogsmeade. It was hard work, balancing long shifts at 3 different shops and still maintaining decent scores in each class. But, she knew if she couldn’t handle that then there was no way she’d be able to handle running a bakery. So day in and day out she’d work, and work, and work and by the end of her 7th year she had a decent amount of money saved up! 

The first issue had been finding a place in a good area that would gain traction and attention while the second one was finding someone willing to sell to someone fresh out of school with no prior business experience. She’d spoken to many people in various different places, some good, and some bad before she finally had been blessed with the chance of meeting Mary and her wife Denise. It was a miracle really. (Y/n) was short on the money, exponentially so however, Mary had sold to her anyways. She said she saw a passion in the girl that she hadn’t seen for a very long time and that it was something she wanted to help foster considering she had had her time to live her dreams and explore passions of her own. So with that, a handshape was exchanged for a beat up envolope filled with the entirety of the girl’s life savings. She had invested every nickel and dime she had ever earned into the place and she prayed it wouldn’t blow up in her face.

Which brought her to where she was today: a proud owner of a highly successful business. And of course, with great business comes a nice chunk of money which caught her parents’ attention. They had began to call her everyday but when that they didn’t work, they showed up at her shop unannounced. At first, she had felt warm inside. Her usual cold and distant parents had come to visit her! However, when they started crunching out numbers and percentages, that short lived happiness was replaced by irritation in which she quickly kicked them out, placing a charm on the building that when they’d attempt to enter (if they really, truly, had the balls to come back), their bodies would be flung right back onto the sidewalk into the heaping piles of trash on the city side walks. Now, (Y/n) was by no means wealthy, but she made a nice amount of money to be engaging in something she enjoyed so heavily, which is why she was confused where they had gotten the idea she had money to share with the main two people who were the cause of her insecurities. Plus, every extra dollar she had she put right back into the shop. Paying her workers, building maintenance, ingredients. She wasn’t a fan of having too much money, her family had shown her what that could cause (and how easily you could lose it all). 

Yet still sometimes she found herself wishing she could live the lavish lifestyle her parents once did. She mainly dreamed more so of the more engaging parts instead of the status and power that came with it. As she frosted various different cakes with thick buttercream, her mind would wonder to vivid imagery of beautiful hotel rooms, with breath taking views. Michelin five star meals, coated in delicious cream sauces. Endless adventure waiting to be discovered.

And yet here she was, sitting at a table as she stuffed her face with a raspberry marzipan cupcake. It was a Wednesday, first one of the month and as per usual, her and Twyla were set together, sampling cakes, chocolates, and other treats for the upcoming days. Wednesday had been the official day  they had chosen due to the slowed flow of people that would come in. (Y/n) liked to have a different theme each day of the week. The customers lived for it and she had massed a group of frequenters who came each day, wondering what the theme would be that day.

“You know boss, I’ve gotta say it. Working here and sampling all these cakes with you is giving me quite the ass!” Twyla said, turning around as she wiggled her ass in the girl’s face for emphasis. (Y/n) giggled, rolling her eyes as she swatted at the girl, missing as she jumped away from her last minute. “Hey! You gotta take me out to dinner first for that.”

“Just because we’re sampling cakes doesn’t mean that the store is closed! Anyone could walk in at any moment and would you really want that to be their first experience here?” she asked, eyes scanning the silver platter in front of them. She decided on the new dessert flavored chocolates she had been working on. Popping it into her mouth, she let out a moan of approval.

“I mean, I dont’ see why not! We’d definitely make a lot more money with a cake like mine!” the blue haired girl said, sitting down as she grabbed a chocolate as well. “Besides, I don’t think those little noises you’re making would help the scene.” she stated, snickering as the girl across from her tensed up.

“It-it’s not like that! The chocolate- it just- I just- ugh!” she stuttered out, huffing as she crossed her arms over her chest, pouting at the girl. “If you’re gonna keep being mean we can end this process. Just tell me what you think of the blueberry pie chocolate so I can know if we’re adding it to tomorrow’s spread.”

“Oh come on (Y/n) it’s good! Every first Wednesday we sit here, you overly critique yourself, then me and Tiana end up picking out our favorites for the next day!” Twyla was right, even their patterns for trying new things remained the same. (Y/n) wiped her messy hand on her aprons, sighing as she stood up to go back to her position behind the counter. Her employee followed, grabbing the platter to put back into the kitchen before joining her boss behind the counter.

“You’re right. I swear everyday is beginning to feel the same.” She opened her notepad, beginning to take inventory of the sweets they had in the display counter. “I’m grateful for everything I have, I really am. But sometimes I just wish I could have something, anything….”

“New?” the green eyed girl added, catching the (h/c) haired girl’s attention. She nodded, looking at the girl who had snuck a cookie out of the glass case. “I feel ya, girl. Everyday feels the same. Sometimes even when new people come in, I can already tell how they’re going to be. How they’ll act, what they’ll order, what method of payment they’ll use.” (Y/n) eyed the girl up, raising a brow.

“Are you sure you’re not just using legilimens?” she questioned, watching as the girl shifted on her feet, scratching the back of her neck.

“Okay so maybe I do sometimes. But a lot of the times I don’t! Like the other day this weird guy came in and- woah. (Y/n) I don’t wanna freak you out but I have a feeling those hotties in suits across the street are going to be walking in here soon.” Twyla said, in an uncharacteristically quiet tone. The shorter girl followed her friend’s gaze, looking out the glass doors across the street. Three unfamiliar men were crossing over, all in suits that she could only assume cost as much as four months of rent. However, the one in the middle really caught her eye.

Before she knew it, the bell chimed and the three of them made their way in. They looked very out of place in the brightly decorated shop. The one in the middle looked the most important, towering over the other two men. He had dark slicked back hair, an eyebrow piercing, and tattoos that were visible on his neck and hands (which had a few beautiful looking rings on them (none of which were a wedding band…)), yet his hazel eyes held a soft look to them. To his left was a redhead boy, freckles danced all along his face. His eyes were bloodshot from god knows what. He had tattoos as well (not as many as the middle man) and a few unique ear piercings. The guy to the hot tall guy’s right was attractive too but not nearly as serious looking as the other two. In fact, he was humming a song under his breath, a smile causing the tattoo on the right side of his face to crease. 

As she went to open her mouth to greet them, the man in the middle eye’s grew wide, his mouth gaping as he stared at her. He walked closer, examining her face closely which caused her to grow confused.

“I’m...I’m sorry. Do I know you?” she asked.

“(Y/n)?” she gasped at the sound of the familiar voice, her notepad and pen dropping from her hands. She made her way around the counter, staring up at the tall man.

“Neville?!”

NEXT||

TAGSLIST: @vayeya11 @pink-hufflepuff @clancyscookies @beewitchedlou @nevillelongbottomsgirlfriend @redpanda-poetry @vibingaesthetically

[sopxhiea]

Wicked

Alfie Solomons X Reader

Enemies to Lovers!

Warnings: Large age gap.

Summary: A year passes by where Y/N and Alfie manage to keep their relationship under wraps but unfortunate events chase the blissful nights.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

“You’re either with me or against me.”

He stayed the night.

The blinds are closed and so is the door to the large bedroom. There’s the quiet sounds of the maids roaming around but there’s silence in between the oak walls. The sheets are hot against the mattress while the open window welcomes a light breeze into the room through the blinds.

The sunlight manages to seep in through the closed blinds onto the large mattress. The day feels hot against your glistening skin, the room is filled with nothing but the heavy breaths of the bear of a man next to you. Blinking a few times, you try to move your body under his heavy grasp, his eyes shut as he’s lulled into a blissful night of sleep. There’s no movement from you until you’re sure he will not wake up any time soon.

With tiny and calculated movements, you manage to get out of his gentle grasp without waking him up. Your hand fixes the strap of your nightgown, putting it in its place on your shoulder while quietly getting up. You make your way to the bathroom, wearing barely anything while Alfie sleeps peacefully under your satin covers. You know he doesn’t like them but he puts up with the material if it means that he’ll have you by his side.

A year of keeping things under wraps: countless lies and appointments abandoned for the sake of seeing each other.

It might have been a mistake, you think, but it’s the best mistake you had the privilege of doing. Both businesses grew in the last year, making it harder for you to ignore the threats and insults thrown at your beloved jewish gangster in business meetings but you’d managed.

The rivalry grew with time. Your brother no longer found it useful to mask the distaste he had for Alfie and his business, there were no peace treaties anymore. It was just murders and threats. You learned to nod, to agree with whatever he would say about Alfie only to get in between his sheets that very same night.

You played the game very well.

Neither of you thought it would go this far. He’d told you he loved you, it took you two weeks to do the same. The nights were yours, you’d spend it doing anything and everything with him. There had been many late hours filled with your laugh as he cracked a silly joke about your brother.

Thomas knew. 

He knew Alfie a little better than Alfie was willing to admit but they were alike in many ways. He had caught Alfie’s flinches and small shifts when the talk came to be about your family’s business and when he saw the way you avoided talking about Alfie at all, the rest of the puzzle was easy to solve.

Alfie had threatened him at first, he’d promised to break Thomas’ skull in two if he ever said a word but Thomas was a family friend of yours, you knew he wasn’t going to snitch. But as loyal as Thomas was, he was also sly and he used the secret to his advantage, asking things from Alfie he wouldn’t comply with if it wasn’t for you.

The sound of heavy footsteps filled the room while you reacted to the sound from the open door of the bathroom you were currently washing your face in. He was awake at last, you glanced at his sleepy figure through the open door while he looked around for you.

A smile spread on his lips when he saw you glancing at him from the bathroom, a silly smile resided on your face.

He slowly moved inside the room, rising up from the bed once again and gathering his clothing you had ripped apart from his body last night. It had been two weeks since you saw the man since he was traveling for work and last night had been the build up of every second you spent thinking about him.

As he walked towards your standing figure in nothing but his underwear, you realised that you weren’t wearing much either. It wasn’t because you were embarrassed, he’d seen and explored every inch of you but he sometimes had you feeling like a teenager, like the time you’d first met him as a rosy cheeked girl.

“Mornin’.” he whispered before planting a kiss on your temple. You hummed, it was your way of greeting him while he started brushing his teeth. The scene was all too familiar to you.

You reached for the hair brush but Alfie was faster than you, gripping the wooden handle of the tool and telling you to go sit on the bed. It had been a ritual of sorts for the both of you, sometimes he’d brush your hair in the mornings, just because he liked to. There had been mornings where you’d massaged his back and legs, just because you wanted to.

It was his way of showing he cared.

He was very physical anyway, he’d been the most needy partner you’d had. It wasn’t like you had a lot of experience, you’d met him when you were a mere teenager and he had actually been the decorations of your lustful dreams up until you’d blossomed into a young woman. It was a full circle in your eyes.

You felt the gentle touch of the brush against your head while Alfie started talking. He had a lot to say, about everything. You didn’t mind, if anything it made you feel smarter since he was the one with all kinds of experience and you always learned something interesting.

You hummed as he spoke about this new deal he had, he was debating whether he could trust the guy or not.

“Is he the one from the East side?” you asked while he brushed a tangled part of your hair. It was particularly unruly in the morning.

“Yeah, he ‘s.” he spoke, voice gruff due to the early morning hour.

You let him ramble on.

----

It isn’t until you feel an overwhelming amount of joy that the reality checks in with you. The universe never favoured you, you conclude and let your brother’s words cut through your already seeping heart. Nothing seems fair as he stares at your defeated figure with a lady in his arm.

She’s not the one.

You know the likes of her, the kind of girl who’s mastered the art of getting a rich husband and living off of the already made fortune. You don’t have a problem with the whole scenario, it’s the opposite if anything. There’s no reason to bring down another woman and especially not a woman your brother seems set on marrying.

But she happens to be the daughter of the enemy.

No one would say anything to your brother Jack, you know. He has the words ‘male privilege’ written on his forehead, it’s evident in the way he walks and carries himself. He’s not used to being given orders, much like you but unlike how you were brought up, he had no scoldings from your dad. 

No harsh hours filled with business etiquette and no display of how you could potentially hurt a man’s skull while he was still conscious. He doesn’t know the ways of the dark world you grew up in, he’s not as sharp.

You shake your head, head throbbing with anger while he swears he’ll marry Suzanne, the daughter of one of the rivals your family’s business happens to have.

It’s not like you care about their arrangement, you want happiness for Jack no matter how thickheaded he is but you know if the tables were turned around and you were to bring Alfie, the enemy, in your arms that there would be sizeable problems. 

They’d give you blood whereas now, they’ll give Jack flowers.

Because he happens to be man, although the fact is arguable in your eyes.

“You can’t.” you break his sentence in the middle and push your own words forward instead. He blinks a few times and his voice gets louder as he practically shouts at you.

“I’ll do whatever I fucking want!” he screams through the walls, the sound doesn’t disturb you as you’re far too used to it but it seems as though the new bride is not.

“You were the one warning me about being careful around the enemy and now, you want to marry one?” you speak, trying to reason with him but you know he’s not the one to try to reason with. “How does that work, Jack?” your words are full of poison as you throw them at him, with all the force you can seem to muster.

“When the fuck did I say that?!” he shouts again, the snake eyed girl next to him jumps each time he talks.

“About all the times I said we should make truce with Alfie.” you don’t skip a beat when answering, this has been in your mind for the last year and you know you’re right. He knows it, too.

“But he’s a fucking monster! Suzanne is not even involved in the business!” he says, voice high due to how weak his argument is. 

“That you know of.” you speak once again, your answers are faster than Jack’s and it takes him a minute to answer back. You know this girl is smarter than him so you shoot her a look as to say “Really, him?”

As the door slams loudly, Jack knows you won’t be back anytime soon.

--------

“So he shouted at ya’, eh?”

You shake your head at the words. This was why you didn’t tell Alfie, he got distracted by your brother’s actions and the smallest of details. A sigh leaves your lips and you lean against the kitchen counter, hands gripping the marble material while he stares at you, worry floods his eyes.

“That’s not the point.” you say, your voice is a mere whisper as he caresses your shoulder. It’s his way of showing support.

You seem defeated.

It’s only normal, he figures. He knows everyone will shut their eyes as Jack gets married to the enemy but they would kill you and your beloved lover of you were to do the same. You would be extracted from your father’s will and there would be no empire to run, seeing as your brother was busy shagging the enemy.

But so were you.

“What do ya want to do then, hm?” Alfie asks as his hands find your arms, reassuring touches are his way of showing that he is there for you, and he is.

Alfie knows you won’t ask for his opinion on the matter, or about what you should do. He knows you’re far too stubborn to be persuaded to something you don’t want to and he trusts your judgement, too. He just asks out of curiosity.

“Would you support me if I chose to do something reckless?” you ask, the words leave your mouth before you can stop them. You don’t look at his eyes as he speaks not too long after, scared of the answer he may give.

“Define reckless.” he says, easy as that. 

You glare up at him, his broad shoulders tower above you as you stand in front of each other but your angry stare is enough to bring any man down. He clears his throat and tries to get a word in before you can speak but you’re fast, your feisty side throws the words at him.

“You’re either with me or against me.”

He chuckles and his finger caresses your cheek as he looks down at you. There’s a glint of amusement in his eyes, one you’re familiar with but this is no matter worth joking about.

“Only teasin’, luv.” he speaks, face inching closer to yours until his lips are in contact with yours.

You let him do his thing, his hands are soon to follow as they find your waist and bum. He dominates the kiss, erupting small mewls from you while his tongue clashes with yours. You see the darkness in his eyes when you break the kiss, he gives you a small peck before speaking. He nods at his own words as they leave his now plump lips.

“I’m always with you, yeah, all the fuckin’ way.”

------

The quiet before the storm has always been your favorite.

The inside of the chapel is filled with white flowers, indicating the ceremony is close. There’s lively chatter inside, a couple kids running around while the cars get ready to leave once the ceremony is over to go the family mansion.

You’ve mastered a plan. It’s got you and Alfie’s handprints all over it but that’s why it’s going to work.

There’s a plastered smile on your face, it’s the same one you use on family occasions when you have to see all kinds of relatives who happen to forget about you if it wasn’t for the money. Your dress reaches just a little below your knee, the satin material has a light blush color to match your cheeks.

The chapel slowly quiets down, the time for the ceremony comes closer with each passing second. You greet the Shelby family, Ada’s kisses reside on your cheeks while you ruffle through Karl’s hair. You don’t miss the way Thomas’ eyes look disappointed, Jack is marrying one of his rivals after all.

You sit through the whole ceremony, the smile stays on while you play the part of the happy little sister. Jack seems content with the lady in his arm but something tells you that he’ll toss her away after a couple years. 

When you reach the grand mansion your parents had given the both of you, you see Alfie’s car. He’s dressed sharply in a black suit, he looks different but in the best way possible. His hair is sleeked back, Cyril stands right next to him in an obedient manner while you inch closer.

He blinks a couple times, to make sure that he isn’t dreaming.

Your hands on his chest pull him back to life, he swears he just saw an angel. He usually sees you wear formal attire, things that are not too distracting or girly but seeing you in a light pink dress feels the same as putting a bullet through his old heart.

“Fuckin’ hell, luv.” he says, he doesn’t need to say much as you know the look he’s giving.

Your shoulders shake as you chuckle at his silliness. Your voice is filled with excitement while you return the gesture.

“Not too bad yourself, Mr. Solomons.” you speak, you know he gets riled up when you refer him with his last name and seeing as he’s mumbling something under his breath while looking at you from head to toe, it has not changed.

The big hall gets filled with people as minutes pass. The grand room overlooks the large garden, the tall window glasses that act as the wall on that side let the sunshine in. It’s a beautiful day. You check on the people around while you practically drag Alfie around.

There’s a look of terror in their eyes.

Everyone but Tommy’s eyes are filled with horror, even though your hand in Alfie’s is pretty self explanatory. They know your businesses do not go together, there has been tension ever since your father tried to make business with Alfie. The blame was on both sides, the people in this business were stubborn and both your father and Alfie had been thickheaded all those years back.

But you figured, it was only normal.

Jack was marrying the daughter of a known enemy of yours, someone he should not even contact with but now, he was all around her as they celebrated their happy day. It was only natural for you to show up with another enemy in your arm, it was your way of showing Jack that what you and Alfie had was the same arrangement with what he had with Suzanne.

The only difference was that you really loved Alfie, whereas Suzanne seemed to have other intentions.

You ignored the snarky comment your brother’s new wife made as Alfie appeared right next to you. You didn’t have your parents anymore and since no one was able to boss you around, this arrangement was no one’s business. You just needed to let Jack know and that would be it.

“What is he doin-” Jack started to speak but you shushed him with your words, everyone was listening to the conversation.

“I invited him.” you spoke, words loud and clear while you could see the glint of pride and amusement in Tommy’s eyes who was standing right behind Jack. “And he’ll be coming over a lot more.”

Jack was now furious. His little mind seemed to topple over with anger while Alfie stood next to you, nonchalant because he knew how this was going to play out.

“He can’t.” Jack breathed out and let go of his bride’s hand. They were directed at Alfie know. “He’s the fuckin’ enem-”

“Yes but you have no right to tell me that Alfie is the fucking enemy with her in your arm.” you spoke, words cold as ice as they cut through the silence of the crowd. No one moved a muscle as they waited for your brother to speak.

You were right.

It was only fair that you did whatever you wanted, seeing as Jack had been doing it all through his life.

You heard Alfie chuckle. Jack wasn’t going to say or do anything. He was not only scared of Alfie but anything that could arise conflict made him a sudden coward. You sighed as Alfie’s hand intertwined with yours, you murmured a small ‘congratulations’ to Suzanne and the next thing you knew Alfie was dragging you out of the place.

Just before he walked past Jack, Alfie grabbed a handful of his white shirt and pulled the lad to himself so he could hear things clearly. Alfie’s voice didn’t tremble as they met Jack’s ear.

“If you, yeah, do so much as to shout at her again, I’ll cut your fuckin’ balls meself.”

And the celebration carried on.

You got out with Alfie’s hand in yours, the secret was out now.

------

Tagging: @clairecrive  @parkbearum @sourirez  @vetseras​ @mollybegger-blog

a/n: may or may not be the last part and i had a huge block while writing this but would love to know what you thought of it?

[yanderecandystore]

Can we have the s/o in the old eldritch one get pregnant n stuff

Oh well, it seems like the antichrist will be born-

Well not literally, but kinda.

I think… That maybe I should warn y'all about some possible disasters.

Tags?/Tw??: size difference boo; curious eldritch boy; illusions; apocalyptic world; also mentions of other entities and some of the events that happened in A Bad Dream. Also I'm a dumbass who should have took some medicine instead of writing while having a headache.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Golden Years [Yandere!Eldritch x Pregnant!Reader - Short Fanfiction and possibly a follow-up story]:

It's been five years since the Earth's sky has been broken apart. The red clouds above form a connection to the other world that creatures like him came from. A portal, in a way.

To humanity, this was the end. But to them, it was the beginning of something.

Something interesting.

Not every single entity on Ibu's home was on Earth of course, it's a really small place for so many cosmic entities. And it is not like all of them have an interest in this small rock, only a few, like Ibu himself.

Always the curious one. Most would consider him naive, and possibly childish, if the "concept" of children was commonly known throughout his "brothers and sisters".

He was only a couple of stars old. 687 stars have been born and have died throughout his entire existence, to be exact. Which was pretty young compared to his "peers".

Not that they really cared about keeping up with their age, it was mostly used to devalue each other's nonsense. Someone around his age would be considered foolish regardless of what his morals and ethics were.

But he doesn't really care, he prefers to take his time and learn than pretend he knows everything in the universe. He enjoys being curious the way he is, is more fun to learn about things if you truthfully explore them.

And learning about humans while interpreting to be one is probably the best form of learning he could have ever found!

It's extremely exciting to him, in five years he has learned so much. He learned that humans fall easily into his illusions, that humans are small and easy to carry, that even if a human is in his illusion they won't notice the odd feelings of being high up or being held by bigger hands, oh! Humans are actually pretty warm, and that their living habitats are tiny but he can kinda squeeze himself in.

Which isn't the most comfortable thing, but he knows how to deal with it.

He learned that humans call each other by names depending on their relationship status and how much a human cares for them. He learned that humans are fragile, and that they like small things, and that they-

Oh, it's just so many things you know? He could keep going on, but it isn't exactly human like to point out obvious things like that.

You told him that. You've been really helpful with helping him understand your kind better.

His companions don't really agree with his actions. While he is playing "dollhouse" (he saw small humans doing this ritual of playing with inanimate objects and pretending to have an "a family", he found that so fascinating), his peers are doing more "fun things".

Like slaving humans, or executing humans, or trapping them in pocket dimensions, or adding them to their ever growing collection (like a friend of his who is obsessed with collecting life forms), or destroying everything and everyone that they meet in the way, like his sister!

She showed him a big wall the other day, it was bigger than any human, or even house. They both didn't understand the point of such obstacle. She said it probably took centuries to put it up. She simply smashed it down like it was nothing.

He doesn't know why she does these types of things, but she still finds enjoyment in doing them, so he would just let her have her fun.

She tried to convince him to give up on understanding you and just let loose, as humans would say.

But, he doesn't find it fun at all. He tried it once on a really annoying human, he thinks it was your mate.

He can't remember for sure. He tries to forget unpleasant things. Yet, he still remembers that day.

Could you stop it please? It's getting annoying.

There he was, the annoying human, and some others trying to… Hurt him? He doesn't understand what they were trying to do, whatever it was it wasn't as effective as they thought it was. They were clearly aiming at his eyes, but it only made them itchy.

You never stop, do you?

At that time he didn't remember that they couldn't understand him. He was getting angry, and it seemed normal to speak in his own language rather than communicating on yours.

"- Hey… What is happening love?" You asked him, poor thing, he wondered what you could possibly be seeing. Considering his illusions were really effective on you, he assumes that you were only seeing your husband and a bunch of pricks trying to hurt him.

In your eyes, he looks like your true husband, and your real husband feels like a stranger. It's all that he can do for now, interpret your old mate.

Also, love, you have some bad taste at picking partners, this little human seems a little too possessive, don't you agree?

Of course there are a couple of rebellious humans, trying to survive and fight for their freedom and what not. He really wishes he could care about them, but honestly, how can they expect to win a "war" that is not even happening?

It's not a fair fight anyway, so why bother so much? And also, they don't even know that the most important part of "killing" one of his kind is completely destroying their mask. Which is close to almost impossible.

Honestly, why even bother…

"- L-love? Are you okay?"

"- Yes, don't worry about it." He learned how to perfectly imitate the other human's voice. It's not exactly a difficult thing to do, especially for the likes of him, but hey, he thinks he deserves some praises for doing it.

Anyway, they thought that they could have a chance against him. And although he wasn't looking for a fight, he almost did kill them out of rage.

While holding you in one hand, he made his way towards the crowd shooting at him. One little slap to the ground was enough to shake it and unbalance them. It's kinda silly from his perspective.

How bothersome, if I take these would you stop?

He took and broke (although accidentally) the guns in his fingers. He was actually planning on studying them but, oh well, he can always ask you later about how they function.

Even when he already lost, your ex partner still tries to pick up a fight. It's taking every fiber of his being to not put this insufferable little creature into an everlasting nightmare in his pocket dimension. He picked the annoying one up, while the others were trying to pick some extra equipment they brought.

It wasn't so difficult to trade places with you, but if you keep acting foolish, I don't think you'll exist for too long.

Yelling, after cursing, after more yelling, some crying in the mix. Ibu can't be bothered right now, you two were just going back home.

Can't a being tall as a building go home with his tiny mate in peace? The world has already ended, so why bother stoping him from living his own immortal life?

"- She doesn't love you, and ya know that."

…

Oh.

…. Oh…

"- Excuse me?"

"- Oh! So you can speak now-" He yelled after hearing Ibu speak in his own language. That prick heard every bit of suffering that he put him through, yet-

"- Repeat." Ibu already knew what he said, he just needed to hear it, again...

"- What?" … Just to be sure…

"- Repeat." … That what he heard was correct...

"- … What if I don't?" … And that he had a free pass...

"- … What would your intestines look like if they were pulled from inside out?" … To lose his patience with this one.

It seemed like he could "let loose" this time around.

If only he had payed better attention at you instead of that insolent pest.

He had closed his hands a little too harshly at that moment. Even if it was unconsciously, the damage was already done.

He closed his hand, and accidentally (he swears it was an accident!) Broke one of your legs.

He dropped the other human at your sudden scream. The low sound of something breaking wasn't really reassuring.

I mean, two legs were broken that day, yours and your ex lover's. But he didn't care about the other one, so let's ignore his screams of agony-

To his sister, breaking one of your bones wasn't exactly the worst possible thing that could happen. Actually, if it was her the one holding you, she would probably do that intentionally.

As to her, it was fun to hurt humans like you. But to Ibu it wasn't, it was terrible! He really didn't mean to.

He was plagued by the sudden feeling of guilty overflowing him. It was probably the first time he ever felt like this. It was probably the first time he ever apologized for something.

I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry please shhhh I'm really sorry I'm sorry I'll fix it I'll fix it I'm sorry I'm sorry

Woah, that was… A terrible experience even remembering gives him headaches. And he shouldn't even have headaches! Stress can lead to his mask breaking.

That would be really unfortunate.

You didn't seem to remember what happened the day after, so he had to help you get better slowly. I guess another thing he learned in these five years was how to fix human bones.

But that was in the past, right? It didn't matter now, right?

Yeah… It didn't… Mattered.

Or it shouldn't. He never really relaxed after that incident.

Not only did he feel incapable of taking care of you, as he started thinking a simple blow of wind could make you fall. But he also felt on edge whenever he remembered those words.

" She doesn't love you."

That shouldn't have been so impactful as it was. Maybe he truly was too soft. He knows better than to listen to the delusions of that man.

He knows that you love him. He knows that! He really… He really hopes he knows that.

He really hopes it is true.

You started acting a little weird recently, he doesn't know how you're feeling and what you are thinking, so he started feeling like maybe you don't love him…

You normally made calls to your friends, although the telephone hasn't been functional since four years ago, since if you truly were interacting with other people there could be a chance of you breaking the illusion. You would tell them what was on your mind while you thought he wasn't listening.

You haven't written in your diary, you haven't made any recent notes on your phone or computer, and you haven't told him what you were hiding.

He wouldn't know how to react if you decided to get away from him. He would probably put you inside his pocket dimension, or probably take you to his own world.

No… That place is too dangerous. What can he do??

He was sitting on the sofa contemplating this last few weeks you've been acting differently. And that phrase keeps popping up in his mind, and is starting to make him sick.

And the thought of you being sad or mad at him from when he broke your leg is starting to eat him from inside.

What can he do-

"- Love? Are you okay?"

"- Oh, don't worry about it… I'm just thinking about some stuff."

"- Is it related to work?"

Oh yeah, "work", he kinda hides outside the house whenever you think he is at work. Even if he wanted to experience a job for the first time and know how humans function under social stress twenty two hours a day through five days, each every single week, there weren't any jobs available.

As more than a half of the population was gone or dead.

"- Yeah… It is." He learned how to deal with this type of question. He saw a lot of tv shows with you, and they all mentioned how jobs are essentially torture chambers that suck the energy out of humans in exchange of money.

Those shows weren't lying or exaggerating, right?

"- Well, I… I think you should relax, and maybe take a break, I never saw you taking a vacation, maybe this is a good time, love."

"- Yeah…. I would love to spend more time inside." Although he literally just watches you doing mundane things all day everyday, because to him all of those things are incredible and breathtaking.

"- I… I have something to tell you…" You seemed a little concerned, was something wrong?

"- What is it?"

"- H-here." You were worried that his reaction might be a little negative, or not as excited as you were. He works every single day, you feel like this type of surprise you probably make him worry more.

But then again, there wasn't really a way to keep this a secret. You're still wondering how hasn't he noticed your belly or your morning sickness, but you also didn't think it was because of pregnancy, so, I guess you're both equally naive?

He is looking at the pregnancy test, not knowing it's a pregnancy test or what pregnancy even is. So he doesn't really understand what it is until you say it out loud.

"- I'm going to have a baby, love."

He is still visibly confused.

"- A… Tiny human?"

"- Pfft, yes! Of course it's a tiny human. Oh gosh, how can you be silly in a time like this."

Yeah, he is a riot, isn't he?

Stars, help him understand what is happening, please.

"- That's kinda what I like about you, you know? You're funny, you never take anything too seriously." You tell him, being fully honest.

His presence feels comforting in a world so serious and dull.

He isn't aware of how to feel, he is confused and extremely excited about this revelation.

Would the baby be human? A hybrid of some form? Would it have his own features? Would it have a mask? Would giving birth to them possibly break the illusion?

He should consider all of the possibilities but… He is just, so happy! This the weirdest most confusing experience he ever had, yet he is absolutely delighted by this outcome.

He loves you so much, he really does, and he knows that now. He knows that this is a proof of love, that there is absolutely nothing that can separate you from him.

You two would be spinning around the living room, full cliche style.

Although, again, he doesn't really fit in the living room all that well. So he can't really do that, but you get the sentiment, right?

Stars, this is perfect, absolutely perfect.

"- I love you [Y/N]!"

"- I love you too, Cameron!"

It's been five years, and yet you kept saying the same name over and over again.

At first he didn't mind, it was a nice sounding name. But as time went on, being called by your ex's name is starting to become troublesome.

"- Maybe I can fix that later." Maybe he can drop the charade and give you one of his many names.

Having you call him "Ibu" would be so special to him.

"- Hun? What do you mean?"

Oh nothing, really.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[goutheswimqueen]

thoughts on free! s3? what do you think went wrong/right/what you wish it would’ve went etc

I could quite literally go on FOREVER about season 3 and y’know what you asked for it so I’m just gonna ramble until I feel good about it lmao.

Now first I have to say that I wholeheartedly love season 3 with the deepest passion in my bones. I genuinely didn’t think that we were ever going to GET a season 3 in the first place, so the fact that it exists is just... so meaningful to me as someone whose favorite franchise is Free! and someone whose life was saved by these dumbass swimmers. 

I will say that season 3 isn’t what I wanted from it. I wanted it to be centered on Nagisa, Rei, Gou, Sousuke, Ai, and Momo. I love Haru with my entire being but I really really REALLY wanted to see a series centered on the Iwatobi trio. They’re so underrated and I felt like they were lowkey sidelined in Eternal Summer so I wanted to see them shine and grow together in their third year. But of course Kyoani has just been setting them aside more and more as time has gone on so I feel like that was nothing but a hopeless dream lmao. I have a lot of headcanons and AUs about what went on with everyone who was still in Iwatobi while the rest of the gang was in Tokyo. The little bits that Kyoani gave us of them were beautiful, I will admit. Episode 11 is my FAVORITE episode of season 3. The fact that Rei WON A NATIONAL RACE??? Like, come on. I wish we could’ve seen the work that he put in to even be able to do that in the first place. That moment where he ponders what he’ll be doing after high school really gets to me too because I would love to know what the fuck he and the others are gonna do. I wish we could’ve seen the moments in their third year that led to whatever decisions they will make. I wanted to see the Iwatobi trio go through the absolute wringer together lmao. I wanted angst I wanted to see their journey that led them to where they are now. I wanted to see more of them growing with the new trio too. I wanted to learn more about Gou and Sousuke’s past through their interactions in her third year. If the season was longer I feel like they could’ve had it be half the Iwatobi arc and half the Tokyo arc, y’know what I mean?

Nonetheless, I love season 3 for what it was. I’m so beyond happy that they brought in Asahi, Ikuya, Natsuya, and Nao, you have no idea. The High Speed! characters hold such a special place in my heart. I wish Asahi would’ve had more of an arc/character development though, and I wish Nao was more included. I think Natsuya’s character arc was my favorite of the whole season. Seeing the trash traveling man that he had become and his interactions with Rin and Sousuke really stuck with me for some reason. And that line that he had when he was talking to Ikuya and fucking crying like, “a dream to fight for my strength and pride, plain and simple.” That shit fucked me up bro. We all meme about Natsuya a lot but I feel like there’s a lot of deeper shit there that’s yet to be explored. When we met Ryuuji I was genuinely convinced that he was Ikuya and Natsuya’s father because it would explain a lot about Natsuya’s behavior. A trash dad who wasn’t really there for his family and just kinda fucked off to travel the world training swimmers until he found one that met his expectations? That would’ve added so much to Natsuya and Ikuya’s background stories and their character arcs. Like can you imagine? Natsuya not initially going into professional swimming because the fact that his father LEFT to find a swimmer to train instead of training his own damn son because he didn’t see that potential in him??? Natsuya being inspired by Ikuya to work hard to prove their father wrong??????? Nao punching Ryuuji square in the nose the moment he sees him???????????? A fucking gold mine that Kyoani could’ve dove into, but no he’s related to Shizuru lmao. 

I could go on forever about Natsuya in season 3 cuz I just really, really loved his arc but I’m gonna keep rolling haha. Hiyori was probably the most unexpected thing from season 3 and I just... love him so much. Like his absolute snakey behavior gave me the same chills that that scene of Sousuke pushing Haru against a vending machine in episode 2 of Eternal Summer gave me. I LOVE that shit. The Free! antagonists just keep getting bitchier and bitchier lmao. I also relate to Hiyori on a deeper level. I too have been selfishly protective of my best friends in a way that... really just wasn’t the way to go. Like jeez Hiyori I understand how you feel but maybe let them talk to Ikuya at least once??? Chill with the possessiveness? Idk I know Hiyori is the source of a lot of discourse lol, but that’s just how I feel because of my own similar experiences with myself and others who’ve acted in a similar way. I do wish his beef at the other boys wasn’t solved by just fuckin... swimming with Haru lmfaoooooo. Like I wish they just would’ve added more to his conversation with Ikuya when he asked him to join the relay with him.

I was quite satisfied with Rin’s arc in season 3. It just like, made perfect sense to me I guess lmao. I know he wasn’t there much but I don’t know what else they could or should have done with him, if that makes sense. The fact that his coach is Ai’s uncle is just the best thing ever too lmao.

I was also very happy with Haru’s arc actually!! Seeing how much he has grown makes me feel like a proud mom. Ya boi is tired of the bullshit and the miscommunication haha. Of course I’ll always wish he didn’t go into pro swimming but alas, gotta deal with it I guess. I love his dynamic with Ryuuji and the way that he has dealt with pro swimming though. And his decision to go into the individual medley absolutely made me lose my mind. I didn’t know I needed to see him swim the other strokes until it happened and I just, I loved that so muchhh. 

I alsooooo enjoyed Ikuya’s arc. Seeing someone from your past again like that can 100% have that effect on you. I just kinda wish we understood more about like, why he just randomly faints while swimming sometimes? I feel like they didn’t solidly explain it? Cuz I don’t think it was always from overworking himself. Idk maybe I’m just a dumbass and remembering incorrectly.

Kisumi deserved better. YOU CAN’T TELL ME THIS BOY DOESN’T HAVE UNDERLYING ANGST THAT KYOANI HASN’T DELVED INTO. He gave us that line of “We’ll never make friends like the ones we had back then” and then him worrying about whether or not there was anything he could do to help with the Ikuya situation. This boy feels left out and you can’t tell me otherwise and it is 100% because of the fact that he’s not a swimmer. Someone give this boy a basketball team that he can experience that kind of bond with PLEASE. I AM BEGGING ON MY KNEES!!!

Makoto also deserved better. Like, okay, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved his arc with the kids and Nao and all that. I love his new dream. BUT!!! Kyoani has yet to go into depth with his insecurities with Haru. I’m still not over that damn dream he had on that bus. All we got in season 3 was Makoto’s aNGSTY looks when it came to his relationship with Haru lmao. GIVE MAKOTO A BIGGER ROLE AND A BIGGER ARC DAMMIT. He’s one of the most popular characters I’m surprised his angst hasn’t been touched on more. This dumbass just needs to stop holding things in i SWEAR TO GAWD.

I thought the inclusion of Albert was kinda weird, dunno what the point of him is aside from making Haru shake in his bones. Kinjou is definitely interesting. He scares me lmao, but I am here for that. Give us an antagonist who is just absolutely unhinged at this point LMAO. I have some headcanons about him too but I feel like the new movie coming up is going to crush my dreams soooo yeah.

Isuzu is a goddess. I’m so happy she’s finally here and she has a name and a FACE. We learned that the Mikoshiba bros had a sister before we even knew that Momo existed lmao (Sei mentioned her in a drama cd from season 1). I almost thought they were never going to give her to us but she’s here and she’s beautiful and she’s everything that I wanted her to be. I’m so happy she thinks Gou is cute and that GOU LIKES HER and I just ugh yes thank you so much Kyoani I never expected that we’d actually get this but I’m so happy we have it. I hope she goes to Hidaka Uni and gets to race Haru like she wanted haha. And I’m so happy we got to see her swim! Our first in-anime female swimmer with a name. I love her.

Speaking of FEMALE SWIMMERS. Sighhhhhh.... My biggest disappointment. Aki Yazaki. Where is she? We deserve her!! I promise we do!! She was SUCH an important character in the High Speed! novels and kyoani decided that she just doesn’t exist anymore lmao (biggest reason why I’m not the biggest fan of the Starting Days movie). At this point I’ve lost hope that she’ll ever be included in the anime, and it makes me so sad. I love her so much and there’s so much potential for an amazing beautiful story arc with her if she reunited with the boys. I don’t think we’re going to get a season 4, (the new movie is scaring me making me think it’s the end of the series with the way it’s been advertised...) but if we DID get one I imagine it beginning with Haru walking through a snowy day, huddling close to himself to shelter from the cold, when he passes by a tall figure and catches a glimpse of familiar caramel hair with a loose little braid peeking out from behind one ear and a large scarf that has gotten quite messed up over years of wear and tear, a memory clicks in his mind like a light switch and he stops in his tracks to turn around and let a long forgotten name slip from his lips: “Yazaki Aki?” ... cue opening sequence. LIKE WOULDN’T THAT BE SO AMAZING???????? I WOULD FUCKING SHIT MYSELF OKAY YOU DON’T UNDERSTANDDDD. Aki is one of my favorite characters I’m so mad she wasn’t in season 3. I’m also mad that Satomi Nii wasn’t there either like!!! She would make a great trio with Ikuya and Hiyori that’s all I’m sayinggggg. I would probably start crying if either of them showed up at some point like genuinely I would just be a mess sobbing on the floor. ALSO I FEEL LIKE GOU AND ISUZU WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM LIKE PLS GIVE ME THE GIRLS THAT WE DESERVE!!!

The art style of season 3 was pretty good. The only thing that bothered me about it was how fucking WIDE the characters’ shoulders were sometimes. Especially with the big bois like Makoto and Sousuke. Like please god no stop that. I’m always gonna miss the art style from season 1 tho, the crazy expressions n shit that were there were just too GOOD lmao. I feel like in season 3 they kind of attempted to bring that back but it just wasn’t executed the same and done to the same extent. R.I.P. the comedy from season 1, it will be forever missed.

I love the opening and ending themes, always. So fucking good. I’m so happy all the characters were included in the end theme animation sequence. I’ll never get over Gou and her BEAUTY.

ANYWAYS. Those are my thoughts in the general sense. Idk if I forgot anything because I have so many thoughts that’re all unorganized haha. If anyone wants me to talk in more detail about anything specific I am soooooo down! Thank you for sending in this ask, talking about this show makes me happy hehe.

[closer-stars]

Precious - Seonghwa (2)

Member: Seonghwa Genre: Drama and Horror for the most part Word Count: 7.3k  Requested: Yes Content: Seonghwa finds out what the fuck goes on. Slightly inspired by the fact they went to Spain. A lot of weird things happen. Mentions of body horror, food (it’s not a Stars work if there’s no food involved). Religious references. San is Protective of Seonghwa. Eden knows something that we don’t.  Note: Okay so Part 2 of Precious is here. I had to read about various Biblical references from academic papers, YA books I’ve grown up reading and some classic literature books I’ve had to read at one point. Some architecture readings, some history readings because I have a short attention span that wants to know everything. Things might not be accurate, history/biblical mythology wise but an Attempt was made. 

Part 1

The plans of going abroad to record their next album was a surprise for them, even more that this time it’s not going to be in the US. For the majority of the boys, this plan was met with excitement and curiosity. New places, new experiences and most importantly new food. Only Seonghwa met this idea with hesitance. Something about it didn’t sit right with him but did he really have a say in this? San noted his uneasiness at the news. “Hyung, is everything okay?” He asked in the midst of excited murmuring around them. The older’s eyes gaze over the other members and he found it better to keep his peace so he nods. 

“Yeah, I’m alright. Once we get back to our dorm we need to start packing.” He returned. “Also, don’t get lazy packing this time please? The last time you did, you forgot your toothbrush and toothpaste at home and we were already in America.” This was met with a small whine from the younger. 

“Okay okay! I’ll get started on it tonight.” San doesn’t press on his hyung’s discomfort. One way or another he does come clean about it. It was better to wait, he supposed. 

-------

Fast forward to a week later. They’re now in Spain. They’ve been assigned into their rooms. Instead of having Hongjoong or Yeosang as his roommate this time, it was San. Not that he didn’t mind it but it was a nice change, even if the younger teases him to no end. Since it’s their first day and everyone’s still clearly jet-lagged, their staff let the boys free for the first two days to get used to the change. 

The first day was quiet, as quiet as it can be with eight boys in a new city. Most of the time was spent getting their body clocks to fall in sync with the city’s life. Some of them went out on their own with some of their staff, exploring the shops. Others went and explored the restaurants, wondering where to eat for their next meal. Seonghwa opted to go and quiet down in a coffee shop, the spacious and antique interiors are complete opposite to the ones he knows back home. It’s a rare occurrence too to have San accompany him into a coffee shop, knowing him he usually opted to go around and buy clothes or trinkets to remember the trip. 

“Coffee? I thought you didn’t like coffee.” 

“I don’t like Americanos, San. My coffee’s just the usual mocha.” The older reasons with a pout. The younger giggling softly at the sight. 

“Alright, alright. I’ll just get the Americano and we can just split the strawberry cake you’ve been eyeing since we arrived.” 

The rest of their stay in the shop goes by smoothly, his mind distracted by the food in front of him and San excitedly gushing over the planning of their next album. “I wonder what Eden-hyung and Hongjoong-hyung have. I mean we know what this next one’s supposed to mean but song wise and choreo wise? Ugh, Hyung, I want to get back on stage soon.” San confesses and it makes Seonghwa wonder if his energy was from his itch to perform or from the coffee. Instead of saying anything, Seonghwa nods in empathy. He misses the stage too and he hopes that they’d be able to get back on it soon. 

It’s when the others found a quaint restaurant a few blocks away from their hotel that they realize that dinner was rolling in soon for them. San notices the message and the time. “Should we get going?” He asks, as he finishes the last of his coffee. Their cake long gone. 

The older male nods his head as he takes a few sips of his water. “Let’s go. We don’t know how long it would take the others to get back and knowing Wooyoung and Yeosang, those two get distracted along the way easily.” 

------

Seonghwa’s sleep for the night wasn’t terrifying but it wasn’t peaceful either. Every few hours he’d wake up disoriented, the images in his dreams nonsensical but at least he didn’t have any bout of sleep paralysis. It only takes a few minutes for him to get back to sleep but every time he does, he sees weird things. 

Colorful flames dance in front of his eyes, feathers of various birds falling into the flame, some unharmed, some turning into a crisp. It’s the first time he’s seen a flame so intensely blue that leaves some of the feathers safe from the damaging heat. He swears he could hear someone call his name somewhere, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the damaged feathers, too entranced by how it burns red, ashes of what was falling from the body until all that was left was a charred crisp of ashes. His name continues to be called, it’s when he feels a jolt that he’s pulled back into the waking world.  

“Seonghwa-hyung!” 

His eyes shoot open, immediately shutting them again from the glare of the morning sun. 

“Hyung, it’s 8AM. The breakfast is open for two more hours only.” San says as he fixes himself infront of the mirror. 

His hand roams across the expanse of his bed until he finds his phone. 7:45 AM. “Dammit, San. It’s only fifteen minutes before eight... “ He lies back in bed, rubbing his eyes as he tries to remember what he had just seen minutes before. “Wait, you’re awake before I am.”

San looks back at his hyung, hand on his hip. Mingi’s been rubbing off on him. “Glad you noticed! Mingi kept calling my phone to wake me up. We’re going around the city today while Hongjoong-hyung, Jongho and Eden-hyung finalize the guides.” 

A whine nearly slips from his lips, wanting to rather sleep in and do nothing all day. Another side of him reminds him that it was rare to get such an opportunity to just live and so he thinks. When he reaches for the phone, San asks what he’s doing. 

“Room service. By the time I finish showering, the food’s going to be here.” 

San stares at him for a few moments before groaning and throwing himself on the bed.

“Why didn’t I think of that… I could’ve gotten a few more minutes of sleep…”

-----

It was Yunho’s suggestion that they look around the city, see the history and the like. Considering that their leader, their maknae and Eden were in the studio, not too far from the hotel, it results in Seonghwa and Yunho being the heads of the group along with one manager as the rest of them sightsee.

“There’s this really cool park we saw yesterday but we didn’t get to go inside. There’s so many pretty stuff in there too!” Yunho explains, already looking at their map and leading the rest of the group. 

------

They arrive just outside the park. One that seems to be well known for having locals and tourists flock to for the history and scenery. Some of the boys try to read the name of where they were but San was the closest to the actual pronunciation. A quick translation: The Park of Pleasant Retreat. Seonghwa could see why from where they stood. People lounged around the greenery, taking in the warmth of the sun as they mingled with their loved ones. If Seonghwa squints a bit, he could even see a few people playing music under the shaded refuge of the trees. There even seems to be a body of water where people rowed small boats around, some lingering by the steps aged by natural forces and people who have come before them. 

The boys have already learned that if they act like they should be hidden, they’ll be noticed by the public. It’s because of Wooyoung that they decide to go and explore through this path. A part of him thinks back to Jongho who would’ve loved to see this place and take photos. Even if Seonghwa didn’t know the history that this park holds down to the details, he knew that it seems to hold a large piece of the country’s history judging by the architecture. Grandiose pillars, crowned at the top with designs that curled inwards, though the temple-like pathway looks pristine, it has definitely been colored and worn through time. His eyes take in the scenery, occasionally stopping to take a few photos. It was a good change of scenery he thought, away from the chaos of his daily life, everything felt serene and calming. He could see why people flock to this park. He notices that his members had slowed to a stop and their manager was about to get in between them and the stranger that has made their presence known to them. 

She looks like a local judging by her clothes and how she just seemed in her element. Seonghwa’s eyes study her features from where he stands: high cheekbones, pink lips that were adorned by a dainty cupid’s bow. Her almond shaped eyes were revealed after she rests her shades atop her head. Her skin, unblemished and unmarked, tanned by constant hours under the sun. She carries herself with so much poise, the male would’ve thought she was some sort of local celebrity. It was when she started to speak in Korean that they somewhat relaxed. “Hey, I’m just a local, I promise. My name’s Kayla. You guys just seemed like you would prefer getting the rundown of what this place is.” She explains as she brings out an ID to show to their manager and to the rest of them. “Also, I work as a local tour guide in my free time so…” She trails off with a shrug. The boys look to each other and under their breath they ask. 

“Should we?” Yunho mumbles as he eyes everyone.

“I mean we only have this day…” Yeosang points out, brushing through his hair that's starting to become a nuisance to his eyes.

“If she’s shady, we can just make an excuse and go.” Wooyoung adds.

“So yes?” 

They looked at each other one more time and figured: nothing to lose. They turn to their manager who has told them of their rules since Day 1: Don’t do anything stupid. To everyone, it wasn’t. To San and Seonghwa, it was bordering on stupid. 

So the rest of the boys agree, the minority: San and Seonghwa just letting them be and trailing behind the group. 

“Hyung, are you okay?” 

Seonghwa doesn’t register the younger’s question. Since the group was so busy discussing the opportunity, the male had been stuck in his thoughts. Those features were familiar but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Did he see her online somewhere? Hell, who was she even? It was impossible for him to have seen her in his dreams, he barely remembers what he dreams about nowadays. He should’ve taken a peek at the ID when he had the chance earlier. 

“Hyung.” San calls out again, bumping his elbow to the older and this brings him out of his reverie. 

“Huh? Yeah, sorry what? I was spacing out again, I think.” 

This time San lets out an exasperated sigh, much similar to the ones Seonghwa lets out when they act up. “I’m worried. You’ve been on edge since you heard we were going to come here for work.” He was right. The days leading up to this trip, he hasn’t been calm. His nights consisted of tossing and turning as he tries to get some peace. If none of those movements bring him that rest, he ends up doing the same home workout routines he sees San do until he feels exhaustion and considering that he’s an idol, it takes a long while until his body gives in to the comfort of his bed. So the older one lets out a soft groan, making sure no one hears it. 

“I don’t know. Something just doesn’t feel right.” He mumbles, opting to use dialect just to make sure she didn’t understand. How sure was he even that she wouldn’t understand him? “I had a nightmare… a few weeks or months prior to this and it’s just really weird.” He continues as the walk through the wide paths. For a moment, everyone gets distracted by a couple walking dogs they’ve never seen before. While he smiles at the sight of his members finding glee in the furry companions, he catches sight of the couple’s eyes and his blood runs cold: icy blue. It’s not like the eyes he had seen in his nightmare but these two carry a weight that made him think: it was better to stay in his side. He looks away immediately and opts to fix his attention to what the woman explains. 

“This park’s been known for their architecture. This park was commissioned roughly in the 1630s, constantly being expanded and improved upon by the Spanish monarchy. It was open to the public by the second half of 1800s and what you see people doing today, it was the same back then. I guess you can say not much has changed since then. Countless monuments and buildings have been made here over the centuries which you can see by the change in architectural and artistic design.” She explains. She gestures to a glass structure some meters ahead of them. “That over there was used as a winter garden for flowers that weren’t usually found in Spain, nowadays it’s for exhibitions and the like. Insanely pretty isn’t it?” She muses as some of the boys take a few shots as they get closer. A few moments of silence pass over them until she speaks up again. “Actually, there’s this monument I’d like you boys to see. No other place in the world has something like this. By any chance, is any of you easily scared?” 

That prompts the boys to gesture at Mingi, which he accepts with grace. “I’m not good with scary.” He explains with a bashful grin. He takes this cue to hold onto their manager, thus earning him a soft chuckle from the woman. As she sweeps her gaze across all of them, lingering for a moment or two at one particular man, she smiles. “I assure you that this isn’t too scary but it might be a little unnerving.” With a turn of heel, she leads them through another path, slowing down as they are greeted by a tall monument. 

At the foot of the monument are eight faces of beings no one can quite tell spouting out water from its respective orifices. The beings, so ambiguous, so odd it’s hard to look away from were unnerving upon a closer look. Seonghwa looked up at the top of the monument and he immediately knew: they needed to leave. At the top of the monument rests a statue, twisted in turmoil as he falls backwards. The fall clearly did not look like something the subject wished. The wings of the statue are somehow still outstretched, in a feeble attempt to protect the owner from further pain. While he couldn’t see the statue’s details closely, he could note that there were things that wrapped around its wrist and ankle. He could only guess that those were snakes or reptiles that looked just like the ones at the foot of the monument. 

“Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce to you the Fountain of the Fallen Angel.” She starts as she gestures to the anguished being on top. “It’s rather an oddly proud moment for us to be the only ones with a public monument dedicated to the Fallen Angel-- as far as I know that is. To start, this was inspired by John Milton’s book Paradise Lost. Nothing has been definite as to whether or not this fallen angel is Lucifer the Morningstar himself, falling from grace or just any other angel that has fallen but some do like to believe it is the Lucifer being depicted up there.” 

At the mention of the word star, Wooyoung teases Seonghwa. “Heh, don’t you call yourself a star too?” 

Yeosang raises his hand, just like an obedient boy in class. “Wait, why did he fall?” 

Before she could answer, San beats her to it. “Because of his pride isn’t it? That guy up there wanted to be as great as God and tried to make other angels rebel with him.” 

This pleases her. The way her lips curve into one of pride has Seonghwa’s skin crawl with discomfort. “That’s correct. Did you also know that this statue stands 666 feet above sea level?” She asks, only to further explain the math of where they stand, how tall the pillar this monument stands on, and how tall the statue is. It was a reasonable guess and considering what the statue was, the connection just seemed right. 

“On our eye level,” she continues. “We see eight different types of demons and other symbolisms related to the Bible.” she gestures to the eight different phases at the bottom. “This statue has seen a lot of things throughout history that if you have perfect eyesight, you can actually see some bullet holes on the body and wings. Those being remnants of the wars this land has experienced.” 

Everything about the statue made Seonghwa want to run, run far away from this place and head back home. The adrenaline starts to make his head pound, that he holds onto San’s forearm. 

“Hyung, are you-” 

“I’m fine. I just got lightheaded.” He mutters as he breathes in through his nose and out his mouth. The air didn’t seem as cooling as it did earlier anymore. No one takes pictures of this monument, the history surrounding it and the context behind the figure makes it too unsettling for any of them to hold a little piece of memory. 

As they walk away from that work of art, Wooyoung asks her. “Miss, are you religious? I hope I don’t come off as rude..” he mumbles a little embarrassed. 

“Dear, what makes you think of such?” 

“You just seemed like you knew a lot about that statue and its context…” 

So she hums in thoughts. “Your friend earlier, the one that answered your friend’s question. Is he also religious?” 

“He used to be.” 

“A wise decision.” She nods. “To answer your question, is being knowledgeable in one belief equivalent to being religious?”

Seonghwa wishes he didn’t hear that.

Wooyoung purses his lips, “I suppose not.. To be honest, you sounded like you believed in the stories.” 

Oh how Seonghwa wishes he could tell Yunho to make Wooyoung shut up. 

“Now tell me dear, Why should I believe in beings I have not seen in their flesh? The farthest we have seen of these beings are through art and the stories passed onto us.” 

It unnerves San how she talks in such riddles all of a sudden. 

Seonghwa’s phone rings all of a sudden and he has never felt more relief when he finds out it was Hongjoong. Everyone’s phones seem to ring at the same time. A group chat message. 

Yunho’s the first to read the message and his face falls for a moment only for an apologetic smile to quickly replace his pout. He turns to the lady, as he keeps his phone. “We’re really sorry but we have to go. Work’s calling for us.” He explains simply. 

“Oh? You guys are already working? But you look so young..” She notes, her eyes studying each of their features closely. 

“It’s okay we like what we’re doing anyways.” San says in return, his arm around Seonghwa was the only thing keeping the male steady as he tries his best to appear nonchalant. 

The lady’s bottom lip juts out at the abrupt ending to the tour. “Mhm, I suppose that’s more important isn’t it? Happiness.” No one knows if she’s talking to them or to herself so they take the cue to bid her goodbye. “Very well! I hope to see you boys soon, good luck with your work.” She gestures at the direction they came from just so they don’t get lost along the way. 

It’s only when they arrive at the same place where they started earlier that Seonghwa speaks up. “Let’s just make our way to the hotel then head to Hongjoong.” 

The guides were finished and all that was left was for them to record the songs.

-------

For the next few days of their stay, all they’ve done is practice and record the songs until Hongjoong and Eden were satisfied with the quality. Even with the troubles of the new equipment that came along the way, it was a relief to everyone to have finally finished the songs. All that was left was to decide on when the shooting and promotions will be. Seonghwa pats their leader’s back lightly. “You did well, Hongjoong.” He mumbles, throat a little worn from having pushed himself to reach a few notes that weren’t in his usual range. Hongjoong on the other hand hums in response. There was only so much he could do with what they have but if time allows, he would definitely ask for them to re-do some of their lines, maybe not here but back home. 

Eden tells everyone to call it a night after such a tiring and intense week, even forcing Hongjoong to not touch his music software for the night. Even with those words, they know better: Hongjoong would stop when he’s done solidifying all the ideas in his head. 

------

The entire week of recording and practicing had made Seonghwa forget about their tour guide and his sleep problems. The past few nights just being pure dreamless sleep, that or he forgets what his dreams were within the first few seconds of waking consciousness. Now that the week is over, he still hopes he could get the same dreamless sleep that wasn’t plagued by the stress of his work.

His eyes were closed by the time he throws his body onto his bed. 

He doesn’t feel the heavy weight on his chest this time, but he still can’t get his body to move. He hoped it wasn’t the same being that visits him now, he wasn’t sure if he should hope for a different being either. While on his side, he looks around, San’s sleeping body just a few feet away from him. It’s only when he looks by the door that he notices the being. Human looking just like the first one but with an air that carries pain masked by regality. 

“How has your stay been in our humble abode, Sir?” He asks, tone gravelly, as if his throat has been abused by cigars, alcohol and more. Seonghwa could barely make out the rest of his features from where he lays. He wants to answer but he doubts his own throat could do the same effort as the being that leans against the wall. “Oh don’t worry, you can speak around me. I suppose my sister had been rough on you the first few visits?” The stranger adds. He steps further into their room. Though spotless, the bottles of soda and packs of instant noodles are enough to tell him that these boys were not too far into their adulthood. 

At his words, Seonghwa opens his mouth. “How did you get into our room?” He mumbles, there’s still a restriction in his throat but better than the first time. Did all of whatever they are have the same sort of power? 

“Oh please, the sleep paralysis thing we do isn’t everyone’s. Just my family’s.” The unnamed male returns, reading Seonghwa’s mind. “Call me El, I’m sure you’ve met my sister, Kea. My bloodline is besides the point, I’ve come to visit to see how my people have treated you and your hm, group?” 

People? Seonghwa looks at the man once more, unsure of what he means, and fears if he were to explain any further. 

“What the fuck?”

Seonghwa’s eyes dart to his roommate, already sitting up on his bed. At his words, El looks at him and with a shit eating grin, he manages to stride across their room and out the window. A grandeur exit. While Seonghwa wasn’t able to see the male unfurl his wings, if he was indeed telling the truth, he wouldn’t be surprised if his wings looked anything like his aforementioned sister.

He regains the feeling and control in his body and sits up from his bed, San already contacting someone about what had happened. “So you saw what I saw?” Seonghwa asks, as San tries to contact someone in his phone. 

San uncharacteristically shushes the older once the recipient of the call picks up. “They’re here. One of them visited our room and talked to Seonghwa.” A few more minutes pass and San hangs up. “Hyung, I’ll explain later but we need to get everyone to wake up and head to the studio. Go get ready, I’ll wake up the others.” It’s rare to see San so steely and dark. Besides him, San was the next scariest person when angry so he does as he’s told. He kicks off the sheets and gets his clothes ready for what could be a long day. 

---------

“We need to go back.” Eden says, as he finally saves all their work into the hard drive. 

This shocks everyone, at least those who haven’t known what happened. Those being anyone that wasn’t Seonghwa and San. 

“We just got here, what’s wrong?” Yunho asks, sitting up from his spot on the couch. Hongjoong already had an idea of what was going on thanks to Eden, if his dark look is anything to go by. No other words were shared by the rest of the boys, but upon seeing Seonghwa, San and Hongjoong pack up their things from the studio without a word, they figured something was up. Hongjoong shoots them a look that tells them to start moving, any explanations will be done when they’re on the way back. 

They move back into the van, and even then nothing has been said. The air is stiff with tension, worry and confusion. Seonghwa’s face was unmoving but the lines of fear appear on his features. He looks out of the window, watching aged buildings blur past them. He wonders if any of these buildings house these odd beings as well. They might have, just not in the buildings he supposes. Wooyoung’s persistent nature of wanting to know what’s happening nearly has Hongjoong snap at the younger. It’s not until San places his hand on the leader’s shoulder that tells him to cut them slack. They don’t know, not yet at least. Seonghwa glances at the two share a conversation with loaded gazes. “Quit it, all of you. Once everything quiets down, I’ll explain.” he mumbles as he rubs his forehead, a weak attempt to smoothen out the stress that hasn’t left him since they’ve stepped foot into this country. 

It’s rare to have Seonghwa speak up like that. It’s all it takes for everyone to behave. 

They arrive in their hotel and immediately make their way to their respective rooms. San and Seonghwa speed to their room, packing everything they’ve brought out from their luggages and back inside. It only takes three hours, considering that they haven’t stayed too long in the country yet, to get everything back in. 

The older male is too busy in his head, making sure he hasn’t forgotten anything: passport, charger, wallet, among other valuables. It’s when San calls his name and tosses him his hat that he remembers that he’s going to need to keep his sight limited to what’s directly in front of him to keep him from losing his sanity. “We’ll get back safely.” San promises him. His luggage was already strapped and ready, much like his. It’s only then that he releases the breath he’s been holding since they were in the studio. 

“I hope so. I don’t think I can bear to see any of you in danger just because of me.” He says under his breath. They take one final look around their room and seeing that everything’s clean, they make their way out. The pair’s greeted by the other members already making their way towards the elevator. While the others only have hats or sunglasses covering their features, Seonghwa had to take both for safety. 

Eden was already at the reception, waiting for everyone. He looks at his phone, counting the hours from where they are to the airport, alone with their flight back. He needs to explain to Seonghwa especially what’s been happening to him. But to that, he wants to make sure there are no ears on the walls. The producer’s greeted by everyone and he already nods towards the doors. “Our rides are already waiting for us outside.”

“Rides?” Seonghwa repeats, the idea of splitting up didn’t feel right but at this point he wasn’t sure if these feelings are of paranoia or gut.

Eden glances over at the covered boy and a bit of his heart twists, he could only imagine the stress this boy was going through and being separated from the rest of his members probably was making it worse for him. “We’re too many plus our luggage but I made sure we’re with people we can trust so let’s go.” He doesn’t expound anymore as he strides out. 

The ride to the airport is quiet, and it’s the one of the rare times Seonghwa’s sleep was peaceful. His body slouched over, leaning against the younger. Throughout the entire stay in Spain, San hasn’t left the eldest’s side and it’s from there that the others figured that San knew something they didn’t know. 

Hongjoong’s the first one to speak up. “San-ah. What’s been happening?” His voice quiet to make sure he doesn’t disrupt his sleep. He should’ve noticed the bags under his eyes since they arrived. The younger looks over at the exhausted member and tries to find the right words at least for this moment. 

“There’s been something that’s been bothering him. It only got worse when we came here. We’ll explain when we’re back in Korea.” Who knew being knowledgeable in all those religious stories would be useful to him? 

The rest of the ride is quiet but no one else falls asleep. San gently rouses him awake. “Wake up, we’re here.” The older one groans at how his peace has slipped away and he’s greeted by the sight of his members jumping out of the car, to be greeted by their managers and staff who also had their luggages. San couldn’t help but chuckle softly as the other curses in discomfort as he stumbles out, rubbing the sleep off his eyes. 

It doesn’t take long until everyone’s by the boarding gate. Everything feels like a blur to Seonghwa. The nap in the car made him realize just how his body ached for some peace. As they fall into lines to get into the airplane, Seonghwa leans against the back of his manager, resting his forehead against his back. He craves for sleep, for an escape from all of this and to be frank, he doubted he’d be able to escape this hell he’s in. 

By the time he’s in his designated seat in the aircraft, he’s knocked out once more. He only manages to wake up when the stewardesses serve their meals. He doesn’t even bother with the fact all of them are in business class. He’s sandwiched by San and their manager and while he can probably talk about what’s been bothering him, he doesn’t trust anyone else. While his thoughts run amok, his eyelids feel heavy. His physical body needed rest but his mind wouldn’t let up, with a disgruntled huff he puts in one earphone, letting music be a distraction from his paranoia. It’s clockwork for the entire flight, sleep, eat, worry, sleep, repeat, until they land back in their motherland. 

It was a miracle nothing had happened during the flight. Seonghwa doubts he’d be able to forgive himself if anyone became a victim to his misery. The ride back home was quiet as well, no one expected their sudden return after the chaotic entrance into the airport a few days back. 

By the time they arrive at their agency, it was mid-day. Everyone feels the exhaustion slowly steep into their bodies but their need to understand what’s going on somehow keeps them awake. 

The eight boys file into the conference room, Eden following them into the room shortly after. “I’ll make this quick and bearable since you boys need to catch up on rest for the time being.” He starts. The producer’s eyes studies each boy, and can’t find it in himself to put them through another hectic meeting, not now at least. “Seonghwa’s been considered a hot topic among the fallen angels which I assume is what has been disturbing his sleep for who knows how long.” All eyes were on him now as he sighs. 

“San explained bits and pieces to me before I told all of you to pack up.” He doesn’t go into detail unless someone asks, out of pity over their exhausted conditions. “Simply put, someone, i’m presuming one of the fallen in Spain ended up finding out we were there too.” Eight pairs of eyes gaze at him, most of which were heavy in need of rest, one had fear and confusion mixed in their gaze, but everyone carried the question of ‘Why?’. So he sighs, “I wish I knew why but for now, I need all of you to be careful and keep an eye on each other.” He hands Seonghwa a gold necklace with a pendant that seemed to depict a holy figure, judging by the round band over their head. “You guys need to get rest first. Seonghwa, while I’m not sure of what we’re dealing with exactly, just wear that first for protection.” 

“Since when were you religious?” Seonghwa asks, as he studies the pendants. As far as he remembers, the producer was far from a man of faith.

“I’m not but because we’re dealing with fallen angels, we might as well make sure we’re on equal ground.” The adult reasons with a shake of his head. 

This cues him to look at the male, keeping the necklace in his pocket. “You know they exist but you don’t believe in them?” 

“Seonghwa, I know there’s a more powerful being above all of us. Even them, but I don’t know if they are really the God that they talk about.” 

There’s too many questions but Seonghwa shakes his head free of them. “We’ll get going, get some rest too, Hyung.” He reminds as he opens the door, letting everyone out first before him. 

-------

The feeling of being home doesn’t bring him as much comfort as it should and he’s not sure of how to process that. He didn’t want to sleep yet, even if he’s exhausted from the trip and stress, so he lets the other members wash up first before he does. As he waits, his fingers fiddle with the golden chain of his new necklace. He’s back trapped in his own thoughts with no answers to his questions. When he feels like he’s got some sort of direction, it splits into several directions trapping him in a web of ideas that make no sense. 

Mingi’s voice breaks him out of his thoughts, telling him that everyone else was finished. 

The hot water manages to calm him down even for a bit. The water beating against his back and shoulders softening all the knots that have formed over the past few months. Once he’s finished cleaning himself up, he finds himself able to breathe a little better with the loose clothing of his sleepwear. 

When he feels his body land against the worn comforter, he blacks out. The necklace laid underneath his pillow just for safekeeping. It’s worth a shot even if he doesn’t believe. 

When he opens his eyes, he feels the same weight again on his body. He’s gone past the point of scared, he’s tired. He just wants sleep, peace, a clear head to juggle his work and his personal life. He knows what’s next. Another of those fallen angels is somewhere in his room. His eyes dart from various points of the room, looking for the presence. 

There she is.

The same being from the first time. The same lady, only she looks like she finally knows what she was looking for. 

Once Seonghwa gets a better look, he realizes it’s the same lady when they were in Spain. Even in his inability to move, he wants to lunge and fight her. While he isn’t one to raise his hand on anyone, he was willing to throw that rule of his to the wind just to deal with her. Alas, he’s constricted to the bed. 

“How was your stay in Spain, dear Seonghwa?” she muses, knowing full well that he won’t be able to answer. “I see that you have people around you that know of what’s been happening.” she continues as she saunters to the unmoving male. 

He despises how his body feels so numb. 

“Who knew that what we would be looking for wasn’t an object?” Seonghwa stares at her, anger burning in his orbs. Not like he knew what she was on about, he didn’t even know how they existed or how they live. He feels her pointed nail drag across his skin, just below his neck. “You’d be useful to us, sweetheart.” Her voice felt like it was laced with honey, tempting him to submit to her. “Do you want fame, my star?” The endearment makes his skin crawl. “You’re a well known artist aren’t you? Wouldn’t you want the immortality of your name? I can guarantee that as well.” her nails dig into his skin as she speaks. “Or would you rather build an immense following? That’s something we can do for you too.” 

We? 

She stands up, smiling upon him. “Oh of course, you can’t speak.” She grabs his face, handling him roughly as she makes him look at him. “Dear, I know you’re powerless under my presence so I’ll offer you this until we meet again. Everything you want is yours, just as long as you submit to us.” Her nails dig into his skin once more and this time it’s starting to hurt. Her free hand trails down his back. “You won’t need the wings you’ve seen, you’ll have the throne right next to our leader.” With others, she leaves her mark, to prove that her visitation was no mere dream but a reality. That her words and promises were true to their ears, and that they’ve sworn an oath. As she was about to leave three parallel lines down his back, she feels her back burn. 

The same burn that she felt when she fell. 

So she lets out a pained shriek, letting go of the unmoving male and he lands back on his comforter like a discarded toy. He stares at her, questioning what had just happened. 

He sees what causes her pain. 

The feathers on her wings are singed. The feathers were slowly burning to a crisp until it reached the main body of her wings. The part of her wings that are closest to her skin are raw. As if someone had decided to peel off the top layer of skin in a swift manner. Her skin looked terrible, none of the horror films his members watch prepared him for such a scene. He doubted any film maker could come up with something so graphic and merciless. This is something beyond human comprehension. 

The painful screams are so raw, so real, it sends chills down his bones. While he’s aware of how capable the throat is in creating sounds that thrust the listener into the deepest emotions, the screams carried years, if not centuries, of pain and anger.  

Of all things that made him believe that there was something stronger out there, it was a fallen writhing in indescribable pain in front of his numb body. He didn’t know how she’s able to still stand, how she’s still conscious but all those are discarded when he meets her eyes.

It’s how she shoots icy daggers at him that makes him feel some sort of fear. 

Primal fear. 

“Just as powerful as the first bearer’s.” she hisses through pained sobs. That’s when he realizes she was indeed crying. Instead of transparent water that humans produce, her tears looked thicker, darker. 

It looked like blood. 

The two of them hear someone banging on his door, trying to budge it open. The lady-- the fallen takes her cue to escape. 

“Mark my words, Star. We will find a way, know that your peace is temporary.” With that, she slips through the same window. 

Somehow, Seonghwa believes those words. He worries how short lived his peace will be. 

As she leaves, he regains control of his body. San and Hongjoong manage to barge into the room, greeted by the sight of a pale Seonghwa. 

“What happened? We heard loud noises.” Hongjoong asks, then he spots the open window. “San, tell Eden we need to get this place reinforced.” The leader orders, as he shuts the window and locks it. 

The eldest sits up from his bed and for the first time in the months of disturbed sleep, paranoia and confusion, he weeps. He weeps the pressure and pain he’s kept to himself over the past few months. The two couldn’t do anything, too surprised to see him break down all of a sudden. The anger has ebbed away and given away for him to feel the other emotions that he has suppressed. 

No one knows how long it takes until Seonghwa manages to speak up. The other boys have woken up by the time he regains a bit of his composure. “The tour guide we had back in Spain, she’s one of them. The one who made me go for nights without sleep and anxiety.” He mumbles. He then recounts the first meeting, Hongjoong who was there but unaware wonders how they’re able to keep themselves from the eyes of others. The same question that Seonghwa poses for all of them. The way she manages to appear wherever she pleases, how he goes through sleep paralysis when she’s in the room as he sleeps. He tells them of her attempt to mark him, maybe as a warning to those who were in close proximity of him but just as he was about to feel the pain, she backs away, body twisting in pain. 

It’s San’s turn to pale at his recounting. “I’m going to ask if my dad’s free. I’m not letting him drive here but a call with Eden-hyung would do soon.” He brings out his phone again, already typing up a message for his father. 

“What for?” As far as everyone knew, his dad was just a pastor. 

“Besides Eden-hyung, he knows what we’re dealing with. I think he might know what got her acting like that too.” San explains, waiting for the small number 1 to disappear from his message.

“Do you know?” Seonghwa stares at San. Following that logic, he does know his fair share of religious practices and the like. 

“I think you got a mark. The name slips from my mind but it’s a strong mark and if I remember anything else, these fallen have a plan that they’ve been dealing with since their fall..” San trails off, keeping his phone for now, keeping his eyes trained on him. 

“What does that even have to do with me?” He knows he’s got some sort of connection but the details are nonexistent in his mind. 

“Hyung, I’m starting to think you’re going to be a vital piece to the safety of this world.”

[fae-fucker]

Review: There's Magic Between Us

by Jillian Maria

A diehard city girl, 16-year-old Lydia Barnes is reluctant to spend a week in her grandma’s small town. But hidden beneath Fairbrooke’s exterior of shoddy diners and empty farms, there’s a forest that calls to her. In it, she meets Eden: blunt, focused, and fascinating. She claims to be hunting fae treasure, and while Lydia laughs it off at first, it quickly becomes obvious that Eden’s not joking—magic is real. Lydia joins the treasure hunt, thrilled by all the things it offers her. Things like endless places in the forest to explore and a friendship with Eden that threatens to blossom into something more. But even as she throws herself into her new adventure, some questions linger. Why did her mom keep magic a secret? Why do most of the townspeople act like the forest is evil? It seems that, as much as Lydia would like to pretend otherwise, not everything in Fairbrooke is as bright and easy as a new crush…

I received a digital copy of the book in exchange for a review.

And here it is! Nearly a month late because I’m bad at time :)

But hey, that means the book is already out and you can go get it! Wee!

Also, here’s my review of Jillian Maria’s other book, The Songbird’s Refrain.

This review contains no spoilers aside from stuff that you can probably assume from the blurb, such as the existence of the fae and magic. Duh. Anyway, onward!

So, I’m gonna be straight with you fam, not that I can be anything else, but to spare any potential author their feelings and maybe prevent them from reading the review, not that that would happen, I hope:

This book was not for me.

Now, that doesn’t mean it was bad. Far from it, I think it’s pretty much exactly what it’s advertised as and anyone who thinks they might enjoy it will defo enjoy it. It’s a polished work of art that’s professionally written and presented, on par with and often above a lot of traditionally published stuff, and if you want a fluffy magical sapphic YA romance, this is for you.

But it wasn’t for me. Or, at least, I don’t think I’m the target audience. I enjoyed reading it, don’t get me wrong, but my enjoyment was always lukewarm, like I wasn’t quite getting the full experience. And that’s more on me than the book.

I won’t structure this review the way I usually do, mainly because I feel like my problems with the book are all intertwined and stem from the same source, which is ... I’m not sure? Genre? Target audience? Intent? All of the above?

The writing still carries the same sort of easy-to-read style that was present in The Songbird’s Refrain, though the main characters’ voices are obviously vastly different.

Overall, I liked the writing on a technical level, and I’m once again impressed with the author’s ability to avoid swear words, though Lydia is a bit more of a potty-mouth than Elizabeth was.

Lydia has a clear personality and voice, and one of my problems is that maybe it was a little too clear at times.

I know how that sounds, but it could be a side-effect of the book’s target audience being teens. Both Lydia and Eden have extremely defined and spelled-out character arcs. Lydia is too reckless and spontaneous and needs to chill, Eden is too chill and calculating and needs to let loose. A fine concept in theory, a good mirroring for a romance, but here, its execution feels a bit like a checklist? It’s basically spelled out for us how one influences the other, the character acknowledge their own flaws and at the end note how the other has changed them for the better, rounded them out. It didn’t feel very natural, and I thought it would’ve been better to leave that stuff implied since it was already pretty obvious.

It doesn’t help that both Lydia and Eden are far, far too mature for any sixteen-year-old I’ve ever met. They both recognize and acknowledge their feelings as irrational and apologize exactly for what they’ve done wrong, which sure, maybe is feel-good and a positive influence upon a teen reading this, but for me just felt a bit unrealistic. My favorite part of the book was when Lydia and Eden had a fight and Lydia stomped off all pissy and Eden refused to apologize later. It showed them being teens, individuals, idiots, flawed people who are growing up and learning to deal with their emotions. And then it’s somewhat undercut by them both having perfect apologies afterward where they know exactly what they did wrong just based on intuition? Like, complete with “here’s what I did wrong and why that was bad of me.” Idk, maybe JM was a better person as a teen than I was.

I really can’t say a lot about the other characters. The heroes of the story were all defined and had motivations and flaws of their own, while the antagonists were either a faceless mob, a faeceless mob (get it?), or just a dude who shows up in the last chapters and then is immediately dealt with. Compared to the antagonists in TSR, these guys felt a little underwhelming. They were set up from earlier in the story, of course, but their inclusion still felt a bit last-minute instead of a natural progression and integration into the fabric of the story.

And, again, I get it. This isn’t about the villains or that conflict. This is about the love story and the familial bonds and everything else comes after. Which is fine, but not something I personally found very compelling.

I think my favorite character was Eden, because she was cranky and awkward and flawed to a degree that felt right. She made mistakes but had her reasons, she was unlikable at times, and she felt grief and remorse.

I also liked Lydia’s mother, who, despite being in fear or pain for a lot of her on-page presence, still loved her daughter fiercely. She felt a lot like a real parent, even if her and Lydia’s relationship was a bit too saccharine for me to fully get behind.

Now let’s talk about the plot, or rather, the pacing, which was my other big problem with the book. The first third is very slow, my dudes. It may have contributed to why it took me so long to finish the book, a lot of it is just Lydia faffing about. The book is very light on magic stuff in the beginning, and it would’ve been fine if it didn’t do a whole 180 at the end and turned into a low-fantasy menacing mystery, complete with the vague threat of a human-fae war. I would’ve liked to have seen less Lydia and Eden faffing about and more of that magic plot, and while I understand that the focus of the first third was character-building, it still could’ve been done with a more balanced spread of plot vs character interaction.

But here’s where my personal tastes cloud my judgment. I’m not a young teen, so maybe I don’t see the value in more compassionate and understanding teen characters who could serve as role models. I’m not a WLW, so maybe I don’t see the value in two girls faffing about looking for a magic stick in the forest. I’m not a fluff-enjoyer (whatever the proper word for that is), so maybe the universally loving and positive characters just don’t land as well for me.

I can’t say that I hated this book, because I didn’t. In fact, I really enjoyed the latter half of it. I thought the fae were cool and interesting and felt disappointed there weren’t more of them in the story. Despite my grumbling, I do still appreciate what the book tried to do with the comfortable and loving family relationships between the characters and their relatives. I can see how this could help other readers and make them feel seen or perhaps soothe them when they don’t have the same thing in their lives.

I can see what this book was going for. I respect it, and I respect the work and effort and love put into it. It oozes from every word like a warm, sweet sludge.

But I’m covered in goop now. And my hands are all sticky.

This wasn’t for me. But maybe it can be for you. If you want to read a sweet, magical and well-written gay YA romance, this is for you. It was specifically made for you, made for someone who craves this but doesn’t see enough of it. This book is important for what it represents and for what it is. And I hope with all my heart you love it as much as it deserves to be loved, as much as it loves you for reading it.

[imaginedcreaderinsert]

❤I want to request the reader is apart of the royal army on Tameran and while in a battle she falls from space and she meets the boys and Kori. Jason and the reader fall in love, ya know, but they dont admit it because they are both stubborn babies. Kori gets news that Tameran is getting into another battle and before she admits her feelings to Jason she leaves. Years later Kori and the reader return and feeling are shared between Jason and reader. Lots of angst/fluff (love your work btw😘)

Summary: Explained in the ask itself……… Thought I took a small liberty. ¡ENJOY!

Word Count: 3574

TW: Fluff and angst. In that order. I choked up a bit in A CERTAIN PART.

People that asked to be tagged: @sarcasmismyfirstlove, @dora-the-grownup

A/N: Sorry that I took so long to write this thingy. I loved writing it and I love asks, but my mind is not in the right place, and hasn’t been due to the situation these last days. I have a bit of uni work still on my back and that has been stopping me from writing, but your comments and asks always lift me up, I swear!!! You are all so precious. I hope your lockdown is going better than mine and that your loves ones and you are all safe and healthy.

A chance —  Jason Todd x Reader

Some would say it’s a coincidence, but Tamaraneans don’t believe in these. Specially not at war, specially not in battle. Tamaran is at war, an ongoing civil war instigated by its own inhabitants against King Myand’r due to his own decision of enslaving her precious daughter, Koriand’r – Komand’r, Kori’s elder sister, is still leading the battle, wishing to take the throne. But they resist, they will hold long enough until they manage to arrange something. Koriand’r doesn’t have it too bad herself, she thinks to herself, sprawled on hot sun, next to a very very hot body. She slaps, jokingly, perhaps too harshly, Roy’s chest. It is slightly burnt, and that might be why he reacts the way he does, howling and feigning death. Kori doesn’t still get human humor, but she has time.

           She’s experimented with humans, has had her fair share of friends and lovers – amongst which Dick Grayson, Jason’s older brother, still remains, they think. Truth is sometimes she can’t even remember the tone of his voice, his pitch or his laugh. Some would say it’s sad, but it’s just not useful. Tamaraneans can be emotional, but they are warriors at their core. It won’t change, no matter how much sun the humans insist on taking, or how much time they insist on spending to rest after eating before entering the sea. She couldn’t care less, truthfully, but she likes to play by the rules.

           It never was (Y/N)’s forte, really. Maybe that’s why in her attempt of escaping, she changed routes to a place they never thought of following her into. After all, Earth was where the banished seemed to go. Who would think that such a prideful and honored warrior would end up there?

           She crashes into it harshly, though; there’s no elegance in her movements, or her landing when she falls into the water, to apparently never surge ever again. Koriand’r feels it under her skin even before she sees her, which she is not able to due to the speed which she falls into: Roy is paralyzed, and so is Jason, who was holding two drinks before stopping dead on his tracks at seeing the scene in front of him. The redhead and him are the first to react. She is out of the water in less than five minutes.

***

           She is beautiful and hot. Like, literally – she is burning as Jason checks her temperature for third time in a row. Kori instructed that no one should touch her as Tamaraneans possessed abilities tightly tied with the sun. It basically meant the more she received, the more chances there were that she would regain consciousness. It had been a while, but there was a feeling of restlessness in Jason’s chest since he had laid eyes on her. Maybe it was her deceiving beauty, softness (she was muscles and tough skin, there was no need of touching her to prove that up); or the waves of her still humid hair, her glistening lips. He knew it was lust, maybe more if not as much as he had felt when he had seen Kori for the first time. She was a unique beauty, with something different which had nothing to do with the physical: dreams died under her eyelids, restlessness in her fingers, which sometimes trembled. She had not muttered a thing, and yet Jason was entirely charmed by her. He didn’t quite believe in those things, but there was something that he would name as “aura” or “vibe” that he felt up from her. She oozed it, and Jason could not get his eyes off from her, which is maybe why he had offered to take Roy’s turn to watch her as well. Koriand’r was impressed to say the least, not expecting this from him at all. Maybe Roy. Not that they had anything serious going on, of course.

           “Myan…”. She mumbles, for first time; her voice is soft, dry. Jason shouts Kori’s name and asks for water as he gets closer to the bed the moment he sees her try to get up on her own. “No, no-“

           She almost evades his touch, wiggling out of it tiredly, but can’t, in the end. Jason admires her strength, her fluttering eyes that reveal a very intense color (typical of Tamareans, perphaps? Kori possess a similar one), and her furrowed brow, like a pouty kid which makes him laugh. She has to rest for some days, but in the third one, she is out of the bed and crouching on the sand.

           It takes him by surprise, carrying a small and humble breakfast as he was, to actually see her out of bed in big clothes and kissing Roy. He can only deduce it has been sudden, since his friend’s hands are paralyzed, hovering over her waist like still seeing where to land. The kiss deepens and only then he grasps her waist, which immediately seems to stop the motion. She squirms, almost pushes him to the sand, taking both by surprise. Is she not used to people caring, touching, or is she just sensitive there? By her slight blush and her bright eyes he can deduce it’s the later as he gets closer and helps his friend get up, as lowkey moody as he feels. What the hell? There is an explanation that doesn’t come until Kori is present and puts them up to date. “A way of learning”, she explains, to which she giggles when he sees Roy’s reaction, confused and mouth gaping. By the way he looks at her when they are having dinner on the beach, he can see he feels something for her. Good for him. That’s great.

***

He should be having a nice time, relaxing and gaining back strength from the last missions they had been involved in in their little exotic heaven, but he doesn’t. It bothers him more than he would admit that Roy seems to enjoy way too much her attention, which she returns, in small quantities. That, to Jason’s own disgust, pleases him – he should not be happy for his friend being rejected, but in a way Jason has been caring more for her. He did not expect something out of gratitude, nothing of the sort, but he thought she would notice.

And well, she does in the end.

They start slowly, with small thanks for breakfast, wandering on the beach, sometimes reading in silence when the sun is down, and the sky is purple. It bathes her darkened skin and she is gorgeous, but more than that, is getting to know her. She is so curious, so inquisitive about the little things and full of life. At times she seems to be on edge, specially with loud sounds, but she slowly gets used to them; Jason, from what Kori has told them, supposes that’s what war does to people. She has scars on her back, her thighs; her skin is hardened, proud badges of honor that she shows off with the little and short clothes she shares with Kori. They both have similar physiques, if anything she is slightly smaller, but they both have curves where they are supposed to, and are full of sharp edges, toned muscles and lean figures. Anyone would envy them.

           “… I know.”

           “Well then start acting out like it. Your people need you, I need you.” She pleads. Jason has never heard her plead, not even when they had a water fight with Roy, which ended up with Kori up his shoulders and (Y/N) up Roy’s. “You have been out too long, and as much as I start to get Earth’s charm-“

           “You understand? How so? Roy Harper? Jason Todd?”. Kori insinuates, making his own heart skip a beat, almost as if she knew he was listening, fruit on his hand, having stopped midtrack from paying (Y/N) a night visit, maybe after going for a walk in the beach.

           “Koriand’r, we have been holding out for too long. We need you back, I need you back. If that’s not enough, then I don’t know what I’m doing here. I should return home, I have a duty.”

           It feels like he’s going against time from that onwards. Roy and her seem to have “a night”, some hours out in the sand where they sit close to each other but without a touch between. Jason wonders what it is, as he observes them both from the balcony of their home, maybe trying to read lips – but they are in silence, content sighs leaving her mouth as they stare at the infinite ocean. They look further than they really are, and Jason cannot help but think they are wasting time. He is wasting time.

           He decides to kidnap her. It’s childish, quick and exhilarating in a sense – stealing her from his friend as they get lost in the fauna, giggling and hand in hand running. She is quick on her feet and had gotten up with ability, used to it almost, before running after him, Jason leading until they were deep into the nature of the island. They’ve never explored that area before, and they have been stupid. Too stupid.

           “There might be a hot source underneath this. It’s not dangerous, I promise”. He explains, slowly pulling her into the small lagoon they’ve encountered. It’s warm inside, not hot, but definitively a change from the water. She seems reluctant to enter. “Please? I… I heard you back there. With Kori.”

           That takes her by surprise, and she slowly concedes. They both get into the small lagoon, cascade not too far from where they are – still they manage to hear each other without shouting. The water covers both of them more or less to their hips. It’s stupid how incredibly gorgeous she is. He can’t stop staring, and he shouldn’t be that obvious. Jason has had her fair share of lovers, women mostly, and even if he knows this kind of things can work with some, she is Tamarean. Is it rude to stare?

           “What did you hear?”. She inquires, moving through the water, slowly the water rising as she gets deeper onto the water. She is grabbing Jason hand, taking him with her.

           “I just know you plan on going soon. You have an on-going war and you want Kori going home with you. She explained her situation to us. The bare minimum”. She doesn’t look at him as he talks, which makes him nervous. He has never been nervous around women, but there’s something on (Y/N) that makes him squirm at times. “I think you should do what you feel like doing.”

           “That’s very easy to say. But I’m not like that, I’m-“. She seems to falter, not be sure of what she wants to say. She frowns, almost annoyed at herself. “I’m bound by duty. Everyone is. I can’t fail them too.”

           “I would like you to stay”. He simply says, bold as ever. This time she does look at him – and her eyes are bright, full of emotion as Jason pulls her closer to his body. “I want you to stay here. With us.”

           >> And I know it’s too much to ask. I know you are bound by duty, and-I have had that. I was… Restricted, let’s say, by someone else a couple of years ago. Bound by my duty to a certain city, so I-I understand. I swear I do. But that did not make me happy, and I did not agree to how a certain someone handled things over. So I left, I met Roy, Kori, I joined a couple of groups and after I left again – and now, finally, I am happy. With you. You are – gorgeous in all senses. Don’t think just in the physical sense, please. Your inquisitive nature is fascinating to me, and the way you listen with your eyes when you look at me. You make me feel seen, heard and it has been really a long time since I’ve felt like that. I adore the scrunch of your nose when you don’t get something, and your playfulness. I see you too, (Y/N) – and the way you fight with us is dirty, is sassy. It says a lot about your character, and sincerely I love that. Your attitude, your morals, the way you are bound tom something else you firmly believe in, your freedom… I know it’s asking too much but stay. Please.

           There’s silence, but her eyes are filled with sorrow. She lets go of his hand and has to physically hug herself, both arms across her chest, as if to not fall into pieces. She feels like that too – for the first time heard, listened by someone else and not because of her military expertise, but because of who she is. Jason Todd, the strange human known as “Red”, has deliberately tried to get to know her better, get her involved in human customs and shared a couple of things with her without expecting anything in return. He has cared for her in a way that few people have done.

           “Jason-“. And he knows, once she turns around and looks at him, eyes full of hurt and angst. Jason hurries to her side, embracing her fully for first time and she sighs, almost desperately. She won’t cry, she tells herself, she commands to her own body as his warm body envelopes her in a way that no one has ever done. That hug is enough to break her in every little possible way.

           The horror, the hurt she has been carrying, Jason Todd can make it go away, even for a brief time. There was a dark time where she thought of herself as nothing more than a machine, a war one with the ultimate purpose of resisting… Which by no means feels like living. It’s barely scratching the surface. Jason Todd makes her feel alive, like she has finally taken the desperate breath of hair her lungs were aching for. Jason gives her the hope that there is something more besides war, the horror and trauma that comes with it; makes her feel like there’s something to come “home” to.

           But she won’t, she can’t. What if she breaks him? Tamaraneans love, when they do, for life. Losing their long-life partner can be fatal, and people can’t die because of heartbreak, but for their people, it weakens them, incredibly so. What if humans are the same? They are incredibly fragile in some aspects, and even if she knows that Jason Todd is an exception (from what he has let her know), she doesn’t want to think on what it would mean if she were to promise him something she won’t be able to accomplish.

           “Don’t say anything”. He mumbles into her hair, maybe knowing her answer. She grips him harder and doesn’t let go.

***

           She leaves the next morning. They have slept on her bed, have embrace each other tightly, still wet and cold – but there’s only warmth between their tangled bodies as he gets woken by her movements, as silent as he is sure she has tried to be.

           (Y/N) is not wearing her typical outfits, but rather an armor – it’s like silver, shiny and very resistant. It covers her most essential and dangerous zones, while still giving her some flexibility. Jason thinks he has never seen female strength so well represented.

           But this is not a show-off, not a runway try-out – Kori appears soon after, wearing a similar armor, slightly more jeweled, and signals her out. (Y/N), almost obediently, follows. But before leaving the room, leaving him behind, she grabs the frame, almost as if afraid to leave the room, her fingers slightly trembling. Is she scared? He hears her take a deep breath and go.

           Jason takes exactly five seconds to decide before he jumps off his balcony. The height is not crazy, but enough to make Kori shriek, as she sees him first, which makes (Y/N) immediately turn around. She grabs him, as their bodies almost clash and clench to each other, desperately. They feel like the last two people on Earth.

           “Please, try to come back.”

           “I will. I will try, I promise”. She nods, glassy eyes and nodding fervently.

           She commanded her body to not cry, but she has never been too good at following orders to start with.

***

           The conflict takes five years. Neither of them are allowed to write, or return briefly home. Koriand’r acts as commander, and (Y/N) is her second. Every thought they have is fixed on war and coming home – to different ones, apparently.

           In the five years they’ve fought, Jason Todd travels with Roy – he is still a mercenary, thank you very much, but becomes somewhat legal. They move here and there, and they never stay too long at any particular place – but they always have their holidays at the small island where they met her. They stay for a month in summer, longer than they’ve been at any place, just in the small hope she will come home someday, sometime. His anxiousness grows worse as years pass and doesn’t hear anything from either. Jason and Roy care deeply about Kori, but he can’t help but feel a bit empty without (Y/N). He hasn’t tried with anyone else, because no one else can catch his attention like she did. Maybe if he tried harder, he would, but he has no interest.

           He is fine on his own too. He has been like that for a long time.

***

           Kori appears first. Tired, fallen from the sky like a light bolt, it’s impossible to miss her. She cries when she embraces them both, perhaps too tired, too hurt from what she has seen and suffered from. They hug her tightly, but Jason quickly tries to ask about her, with her eyes. And she negates, sadly, before crying more into his shoulder.

           “I tried, but I couldn’t. She said it was the only way, and I trusted her. But then she blew up the place and… I didn’t know she stayed behind. I’m-I’m so sorry.” Jason hugs her tightly, his chin on her shoulder. He has been shot to the heart, and he can’t stop the tears that fall from his eyes.

***

           “Jason, dearest:

           I don’t have much time – I never have, honestly. I wished I could have found a better time to write you. At the start of the conflict, so you could know I didn’t die in the first weeks, like many did. Or that I was still alive – hurt but breathing, as I have been in these last few days. Instead, I am forced to write you in my probably last minutes on the universe. My people are worth fighting and dying for, Jason. I hope you will in time forgive me. I wish we could have met under different circumstances, that we could have lived on that small and precious island forever, frozen in time and covered in annoying sand days and nights to no end. I wish I could have met you sooner, on another timeline or alternative universe where I was not forced to make this decision, but it isn’t possible. Not in this life. Not here. You made me feel seen, and you reminded me that this war if worth fighting over so that my people will live, like I did when I was with you.

           Every day with you was worth living. I do not regret meeting you, just not being more sincere, honest. Love is probably too much of a strong word for us, but I’ve never felt like I do with you right now. I probably never will. I’m sorry I couldn’t try harder, but there was no other way. I love you, Jason Todd from Earth.

           Always yours,

           (Y/N).

***

           Jason feels frozen in time. He can’t feel, he is not sad – he knows he is, that something is empty, but he can’t feel that. Everything is numb. He reads and rereads the letter Kori gave him on her behalf every now and then, and he thinks he can hear her voice as he goes through it again and again, but when he looks up she is never there, and he is utterly lost. Roy helps, but Kori’s presence becomes somewhat bitter – he doesn’t blame her, but her absence helps, doing whatever she may be doing with all the free time she has now.

           There are days when he doesn’t have the power to get out of bed, but the lightning bolt that crosses Gotham, almost breaks the sky, makes him peak out of his sheets. There’s a commotion, shouts, and a violet sphere protecting something in the middle of the street. Roy is in, with his uniform, as Jason jumps out of bed. Could it-?

           He almost jumps out of the window, getting out from his safe house as quick as he can. Roy catches him up, mid-air, and lands them perfectly, Jason immediately pushing his way through the crowd until he gets there.

           Kori is protectively hovering a battered and unconscious figure, in the ground – she is clearly hurt and shows sign of starvation and torture. She would be unrecognizable if it weren’t for her eyes, which slowly blink up and adjusting to the change of scenery.

           It’s her. It’s her and that’s all that matters.

           They have a chance. One more chance.

[blackpoliglota]

🎶Música/Musique/音樂🎶

A friend of mine went on Instagram a few weeks ago and asked her mutuals for international music suggestions.  Naturally, ya neighborhood Black linguist right here responded immediately... despite seeing the post at about 4am her time in Madrid 😭  After having given my friend the lengthy (... or not-so-lengthy) list of artists I listen to on the daily, I decided to make a post about this!  So without further ado, here is my list of artists I listen to, as well as some of my favorite songs by them!  Album titles are in parentheses after the song titles.  And feel free to click on any song title you’d like to listen to!

SPANISH 🇵🇷🇨🇱🇨🇺

Calle 13 🇵🇷

I first came across Calle 13 through Shakira’s song “Gordita” from her album Sale El Sol waaaaaay back in 2010, but it wouldn’t be until my senior year in college (2019) when I started listening to their stuff.  Now I listen to literally ALL of their songs, but some of my favorites are:

“Latinoamerica” Feat. Totó La Momposina, Maria Rita y Susana baca (Entre Los Que Quieran)

“Digo Lo Que Pienso” (Entre Los Que Quieran)

“Muerte en Hawaii” (Entre Los Que Quieran)

“Todo Se Mueve” Feat. Seun Keti (Entre Los Que Quieran)

“El Aguante” (MultiViral)

“Multi_Viral” Feat. Kamilya Jubran, Tom Morello y Julian Assange (MultiViral)

“Cuando los Pies Besan el Piso” (MultiViral)

“Los Idiotas” (MultiViral)

“Perseguido” Feat. Biga Ranx (MultiViral)

“Que Lloren” (Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo)

“Gringo Latin Funk” (Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo)

“La Perla” Feat. Rubén Blades y La Chilinga (Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo)

“Fiesta de Locos” (Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo)

Residente 🇵🇷

One half of the act Calle 13, Residente made his solo career debut in 2017 with his self-titled album, the album that actually reintroduced me to Calle 13 in 2019.  Residente also has several released singles here and there, some of which being products of collaborations with Bad Bunny and others.  Here are some of my favorites from him:

“Guerra” (Residente)

“Apocalíptico” (Residente)

“Dagombas en Tamale” (Residente)

“Somos Anormales” (Residente)

“El Futuro Es Nuestro” (Residente)

“Bellacoso” Feat. Bad Bunny (Bellacoso - Single)

“Cántalo” w/ Ricky Martin y Bad Bunny (Cántalo - Single)

“René” (René - Single)

Danay Suárez 🇨🇺

In my last semester at my college I took a class called Afro-Latin History, a class I wish I found out about much sooner than I did.  That class seriously had me questioning my choice in major... IN MY LAST SEMESTER!!!  Seriously, EASILY one of the best classes I’ve taken in my entire life, no exaggeration.  ANYWAY (getting of topic, my bad 😅), in one class we were discussing a book called Negro Soy Yo (= Black I Am)  in which the author (Marc D. Perry) relates how hip-hop and rap are used to explore Cuba’s racial structure alignment and how it shifts along with the state’s change from a revolutionary socialist state to one functioning under capitalism.  Being inspired from such an interesting read, I decided to look for more Afro-Cuban musicians to listen to.  Next thing I know, I have Danay Suárez playing in my ear.  My favorite songs from her are:

”Closer Now” Feat. The Idan Raichel Project (Palabras Manuales)

“Integridad” Feat. Stephen Marley (Palabras Manuales)

“Yo Aprendi” (Polvo De La Humanidad)

“Las Bala” Feat. El B. (Palabras Manuales)

Ana Tijoux 🇨🇱

It’s thanks to 2 of my college friends that I learned about Ana Tijoux.  This Chilean rapera (= rapper) came to Scripps – one of the Claremont colleges; I went to Pomona – to give a talk about how she uses her music to communicate her political views (trash talking capitalism... my kind of political view) and to promote social justice, to keep it short and sweet.  These are my favorites from Ana Tijoux:

“1977” (1977)

“Somos Sur” Feat. Shadia Mansour (Vengo)

“Vengo” (Vengo)

“Antipatriarca” (Vengo)

“Creo en Ti” Feat. Juanito Ayala (Vengo)

“Oulala” (1977)

“Cacerolazo” (Cacerolazo - Single)

“Antifa Dance” (Antifa Dance - Single)

Ibeyi 🇨🇺(🇫🇷)

Now discovering Ibeyi happened completely randomly... through a targeted Facebook video placed on my timeline.  It was their music video of the song “Me Voy” featuring Mala Rodriguez that appeared.  No long story here: I watched it, became intrigued, looked them up to find that they’re *AFRO-CUBAN (and French) artists, became more intrigued, searched for and listened to more of their music, and ultimately fell in love with their sound.  The way their voices are so in sync with each other is ethereal; together they sound celestial!  Some of my favorites from them are:

“Me Voy” Feat. Mala Rodriguez (Ash)

“I Carried This for Years” (Ash)

“Deathless” Feat. Kamasi Washington (Ash)

“River” (Ibeyi)

“Behind the Curtain” (Ibeyi)

French 🇧🇪

Stromae 🇧🇪

I can’t exactly remember how I came across Stromae... I believe it was through a childhood friend of mine??  I know for a fact that she did mention him to me at some point before I started actually listening to his songs, but I’m not sure if it was via those conversations how I became motivated to give his music a try 🤔 Either way, I ended liking his music enough to listen to it constantly!  Here’s what kept me listening to Stromae:

“Papaoutai” (Racine Carrée)

OOOOOOOH I JUST REMEMBERED!!! 😃😃😃 It was through Pentatonix’s arrangement of his song “Papaoutai”!  I found myself loving their version and became curious of where they found this song to arrange.  Okay, back to the list:

“bâtard” (Racine Carrée)

“tous les mêmes” (Racine Carrée)

“carmen” (Racine Carrée)

“avf” (Racine Carrée)

“Dodo” (Cheese)

“Peace or Violence” (Cheese)

“Je Cours” (Cheese)

Portuguese 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

Flavia Coelho 🇧🇷

I can’t thank God (and app developers) enough for an app like Shazam; if it wasn’t for this magical app, I wouldn’t have found out about Flavia Coelho.  By pure circumstance, I heard her song “Na Favela” on the radio while taking an uber to somewhere while back in college (sometime during senior year) in Southern California (MAN do I miss being out there 😭).  Fast forward to right after graduation, where I find myself in New York City: I'm out here for my college’s glee club tour, for which we had evening performances and free time during the day.  One day, I decided to go running in Central Park, and part of my preparation for any run consists of finding the right music to run to.  Normally I go with fast-paced, up-beat, arrogant rap stuff, but decided that I wanted this run to be an easy-going, enjoyable one – a run in which I’m not trying to improve my pace.  “What better music to listen to than Flavia Coelho’s,” I think.  Plus, it gave me an excuse (and plenty of time) to listen to an artist I recently discovered at the time.  Thanks to the run, I found a few favorite songs by her:

“Na favela” (Sonho Real)

“Se ligue” (Sonho Real)

“Paraiso” (Sonho Real)

“Por Cima” (Mundo Meu)

“Quer Vadiar” (Sonho Real)

“Leidi” (Sonho Real)

“Pai de Santo” (Mundo Meu)

I couldn’t find a more aurally-polished version of the song on youtube, so apologies!

“O Dom” (Mundo Meu)

Sergio Mendes 🇧🇷

Ooooh the great Sergio Mendes.  To be completely honest, there’s not much I can say about him except that I know he’s one of Brazil’s greatest and world-renown musicians... and that I came across him through the Wii game Samba de Amigos.  I couldn’t tell y’all how bad I wanted that game when I was 11... GOOD LORDT, WHEN I was ELEVEN!?  GOODNESS, how time passes! 😱 ANYWAY, there was one song I always played on that game called “Magalenha”.  At the time I didn’t know it was a Sergio Mendes song – when I looked it up, the artist that kept coming up was someone named Bellini and Mendoça do Rio.  So what happens next?  Well of course I download the song (FOR FREE and illegally thanks to L*mew*re... rip) and conduct even further research on those two artists I first found.  All of this searching would ultimately lead me down a web hole that led me to Sergio Mendes.  I admittedly have not listened to enough of his stuff, but here are a few that I currently fancy:

“Fanfarra” Feat. Alceu Do Cavaco (Brasileiro)

“Magalenha” (Brasileiro)

“What is This?” (Brasileiro)

“Simbora” Feat. Carlinhos Brown (Magic)

“Samba de Roda” Feat. Aila Menezes & Gracinha Leporace (Magic)

“One Nation” Feat. Carlinhos Brown (Magic)

“Mas Que Nada” (Mas Que Nada)

Carlinhos Brown 🇧🇷

It’s thanks to Sergio that I came across Carlinhos Brown... now how exactly did I find out about Senhor (=Mr.) Brown through Senhor Mendes, I'm not sure; there were so many opportunities for this to have happened!  I mean, if you take a look at all of Sergio’s music, you’ll find LOADS of collaborations between him and Carlinhos Brown.  Also, bruh, I thought I loved Sergio’s stuff when I stumbled upon it... sorry Sergio, but my love for you doesn’t hold a candle to my LOVE for Carlinhos Brown!  Here are some of my favorites that I still listen to (and futilely try to dance the samba to... can someone teach me please??) on a regular basis:

“Afroascendente” (Marabô)

I couldn’t this song on youtube, so if y’all are subscribed to any music streaming services, look it up on there.  Apologies!

“Vidacarnaval” (Marabô)

“Carlito Marron” (Carlinhos Brown E Carlito Marron)

“Fofoqueira” (Mixturada Brasileira)

“Mixturação” Feat. Ivete Sangalo (Mixturada Brasileira)

“Ói Pra Cá” Feat. Filhos de Gandhy (Ói Pra Cá - Single)

“Mulemba Xangóla” in collaboration w/ Bonga & Marisa Monte (Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon)

“Ô Vida” Feat. Nina de Freitas (Rio 2: Music From The Motion Picture)

“Sapo Cai” Feat. Mikael Mutti (Rio: Music From The Motion Picture)

Emicida 🇧🇷

Another Afro-descended artist doing his thing, Emicida is one of my favorite types of artists: a conscious rapper.  I know this by looking up translations of his songs... cause ya girl ain’t got NO understanding of Portuguese to be listening to songs and be like “oooh that was clever!” like she does with Calle 13... BUT I’’L GET THERE, THIS I SWEAR!!!  Emicida is still fairly new to me; I found his stuff thanks to Ibeyi (from the Spanish section above).  Regardless, I still have few songs from him I listen to often:

“Libre” Feat. Ibeyi (AmarElo)

“Principia” Feat. Pastor Henrique Vieira, Fabiana Cozza & Pastoras do Rosário (AmarElo)

“Eminência Parda” Feat. Jé Santiago, Papillon & Dona Onete (AmarElo)

“AmarElo (Sample: Sujeito de Sorte - Belchior)” Feat. Majur & Pablo Vittar (AmarElo)

“Hacia El Amor” Feat. Ibeyi (Hacia El Amor - Single)

Japanese 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵

OOP, what’s that I hear?  It’s ANIME TIME!!!  LOL jk... BUT to be fair, I say this because literally all of the Japanese songs that I listen to come from a bunch of anime series I’ve seen throughout the past 10 years.  So yeah, get ready to experience a bit of my weeb years, heh heh.  I’m gonna categorize the songs by anime series title instead of by artist name:

Fullmetal Alchemist 🦾🙏🏾⚡️

“Melissa” by Porno Graffiti (Porno Graffiti’s Best Blues)

“Ready Steady Go!” by L’arc-En-Ciel (Smile)

“Rewrite” by Asian Kung-Fu Generation (Sol-fa)

“Period” by CHEMISTRY (Chemistry 2001-2011)

“Uso” by SID (SID 10th Anniversary BEST)

“Let It Out” by Miho Fukuhara

“Shunkan SENTIMENTAL” by Scandal (Temptation Box)

 Bleach 🗡💀

“*~Asterisk~” by Orange Range (Natural)

“D-tecnoLife” by UVERworld (Neo Sound Best)

“Ichirin no Hana” by High and Mighty Color

“Alones” by Aqua Times (Darekanochijoue)

“After Dark” by Asian Kung-Fu Generation (World World World)

“Chu-Bura” by Kelun (Kelun)

“Shoujo S” by Scandal (Scandal Show)

“Animarossa” by Prono Graffiti (Trigger)

“chAngE” by Miwa

“Ranbu no Melody” by SID (Ranbu No Melody)

“BLUE” by ViViD (INFINITY)

“Harukaze” by Scandal (Scandal)

“Tsumasaki” by ORESKABAND (ORESKABAND)

“Gallop” by Pe’zmoku

“Haruka Kanata” by UNLIMITS 

Soul Eater 💀🎃⛓🗡

“Resonance” by T.M. Revolution

“Papermoon” by Tommy heavely6

“I Wanna Be” by Stance Punks

“Bakusou Yume Uta” by Diggy-MO’ (DX 10th Anniversary All This Time 2008-2018)

“Strength.” by Abingdon Boys School (ABINGDON ROAD)

Kill La Kill 🗡✂️👙

“Sirius” by Eir Aoi

“Ambiguous” by GARNiDELiA (Ambiguous - Single)

“Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai” by Miku Sawai

“Sanbika” by Eir Aoi

Annnnd DONE!  Congrats on making it through this SUPER long post!  Again, this is some of the music in other languages I listen to on a regular basis; you can click on any of the song titles to listen to them in their entirety if you’d like.  Also, if any of y’all have any recommendations on what I should listen to – especially if it’s in Mandarin or French, considering a Mandarin section is nonexistent and the French section is just sad compared to the others 😭 –please reach out!  I’d love to hear what you guys listen to, so let’s start up a little music exchange, yeah?  Cool.  Here’s to finally finishing this post that’s taken me EONS to complete!

乾杯 (gān bēi)! 🥂

[cruelangelstheses]

with quiet courage

fandom: coraline rating: G characters: coraline, wybie words: 2.1k additional tags: canon compliant, post-canon, fluff, angst, mental health issues, character study description: years later, wybie gives coraline a gift. a/n: hi, this was written for the @ethereal-zine! i just thought it would be interesting to explore the long-term effects that the whole ordeal with the other world could have on coraline’s mental health. title from “with quiet courage” by larry daehn

read it on ao3

—

Something feels...wrong.

She can’t explain it, can’t even fully comprehend it herself, but the house feels different tonight, like it’s just waiting for the right moment to pounce. Every creak sends chills down her spine. This isn’t right.

Coraline glances out the kitchen window at their garden, but finds that she can’t really see it, despite the fact that the moon is close to full, last time she checked. She raises her gaze to the sky, squinting in confusion, and her heart nearly stops at what she sees: a shadow passing over the moon in the shape of a button, holes and all.

Gasping, Coraline pushes herself away from the window, every inch of her suddenly on high alert. That’s when she hears it: a familiar metallic skittering across the floor, a sound she knows all too well.

She bolts out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaping into her bedroom and slamming the door shut behind her. Her blood rushes in her ears.

It only gives her a few moments’ reprieve before she hears the skittering again, even closer and louder than before. Coraline backs away from the door, frantically searching her room for anything she could use as a weapon. She digs underneath her pillow for the pocketknife she bought in secret a year or two ago, but inexplicably, it’s nowhere to be found. Her heart nearly stops when she sees the hand crawl in from underneath.

The hand is severed at first, but from its wrist seems to grow an arm, a torso, another arm, all made out of needles. Coraline steels herself as the Beldam materializes before her eyes.

“You are my daughter,” she hisses, as something else appears in one of her hands. “You’re going to stay with me forever.”

In one hand, she holds another needle, already threaded. In the other is a gift box, and inside it sits a pair of black buttons.

“Hold still,” the Beldam continues. Coraline tries to move, to fight, to do anything, but her whole body is suddenly frozen. “This will only hurt a bit.” She takes a step forward, needle pointing at Coraline’s face, and then—

Coraline jolts awake and sits up rapidly, trying to catch her breath. The morning light streams through her bedroom window, a reminder of where she is: not the Other World, but the real one. Reaching under her pillow, she feels for her pocketknife. She is seventeen now, but still the events of her childhood plague her dreams.

She still has her stuffed animals. Most of the time, they sit on her shelf, watching over her like guardian angels, ensuring that danger doesn’t even make it through the doorway. Sometimes, though, on nights where the house creaks more than usual, on nights where Coraline swears she can feel a sinister gaze burning into her back, she grabs a few of them and sleeps with them in her bed, holding them tight against her chest, as if they will cast a bubble around her body that protects her from any harm. Sometimes she doesn’t even sleep, just lies awake in terror for hours on end. She’s far too old to sleep in her parents’ bed, but some nights, she tiptoes over to their bedroom and cracks the door open, just enough so she can see that they’re still there, safe and sound.

Coraline loves her parents, but they don’t completely understand everything. It’s not their fault; they have no memory of being kidnapped by the Beldam, and they weren’t witness to anything else that happened that fateful year. She tried to explain bits and pieces when she was younger, but they dismissed it as a child’s wild imagination or particularly vivid dreams, and she’s not sure she can really blame them. After all, it hardly sounds believable.

She’s made some other friends at her new school, and they’re wonderful, but none of them get it, either. They don’t understand why she cringes every time they point out the tiny door that leads to nowhere when they come over to her house. They don’t understand why buttons and dolls disturb her to this day, or why when she looks at a snow globe, it always takes her a moment to register that there is nothing frightening inside of it. “Something happened to me when I was a kid,” she told them once, to allay their concerns. “It was really scary. I could’ve died. So if I ever do something...weird, that’s probably why.” None of them questioned her, then, when she bought that pocketknife. If nothing else, she’s grateful for that.

Wybie and his grandmother are the only ones she can actually talk to about what happened, and she’s not going to come to them every single time she has a paranoid thought (which is, unfortunately, fairly often). Usually she can calm herself down, anyway; she just has to take deep breaths and remind herself that the key is gone, at the bottom of a bottomless well, and the Beldam can never open that godforsaken portal ever again.

It takes lying there for another ten minutes, eyes closed and focusing on nothing but the sound of her own breathing, for Coraline to finally muster up the energy to pull herself out of bed. At least it’s a Friday, she tells herself. She has to work a bit this weekend, but her job involves more stocking shelves than interacting with other people, so it’s still better than school.

It’s not that she hates school. She likes learning when it’s interesting, and she likes seeing her friends. It’s not even that she dislikes other people, because she doesn’t, really. Even people she thought were weird or annoying at first, like Wybie, have grown on her with time. It’s just that she fears she’ll have a flashback or a panic attack in the middle of class and embarrass herself. It’s happened before—in middle school she was branded a freak when a sewing project in her home economics class brought her to tears for reasons she didn’t know how to explain. Strangely enough, she feels safer in her neighborhood. It’s an environment she knows well, and as odd as her neighbors are, she trusts them to protect her, even if they might not be aware of it. She remembers Mr. Bobinsky’s warning not to go through the little door, and she remembers the adder stone given to her by Misses Spink and Forcible—and, of course, she remembers Wybie, who once called her crazy before he saw the Beldam’s severed hand for himself, before he helped her dispose of the key for good. Technically, he’s the one who found the Coraline doll that spied on her in the first place—a fact that she hates him for on her worst days—but she knows that he had no idea, and it doesn’t do any good to blame him. After all, even if he may have inadvertently introduced Coraline to the Other Mother, he also helped to defeat her.

While Coraline is choosing her outfit for the day, her phone buzzes: a text from Wybie. Hey Jonesy, it reads, meet me outside then. I got something for ya.

Coraline raises an eyebrow. That could mean anything. Still, she sends him a quick Ok and slips her clothes on. If it happens to be a slug or something, at least she can say her day got off to an interesting start.

Being writers, her parents don’t have to wake up as early as she does, so Coraline usually fixes her own breakfast—often something quick, like a muffin—and heads out the door. Today is no exception, her meal a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. It sort of makes her feel like a kid again, in a good way. Sitting alone at the kitchen table, Cheerios in her spoon, the sun rising over the foggy mountains, a feeling of quiet peace and even innocence settles over her like dust on a bookshelf. In this moment, there is no fear, no nightmares, no flashbacks. In this moment, she is not a teenager doing her best to survive even while her mind begs to differ. She is the little girl she once was, before she was forced to be brave in the face of true horror. The sky glows pink and orange, a phenomenon unknown to the Other World. She’s grown to appreciate daylight more since then.

Finally, Coraline vaults her backpack over her shoulder and pushes the front door open, saying a silent goodbye to her parents in her head. Sure enough, at the bottom of the hill, leaning up against the Pink Palace sign, is Wybie, who looks like he’s playing a game on his phone. When he hears the sound of her footsteps, he looks up and waves to her.

“You’re back,” she says once she’s close enough to him to talk without having to shout. For the past two weeks, Wybie has been on a school trip to Germany. (Coraline couldn’t go because she’s taking Spanish instead of German.) It’s pretty stupid for them to get back on a Friday and then have to go to regular school for one day, in her opinion, but that’s just how it worked out. “You said you have something for me?” She can’t help but wonder if it’s a souvenir of some sort. She’d joked about him getting her one, but she didn’t actually expect him to do it.

“Yeah,” Wybie says. As they start to walk down the path that leads to town and their school, he pulls something small out of his jeans pocket, holding it in both hands so she can’t see what it is. His voice sounds strangely solemn. “So, you know how you said Miss Spink and Miss Forcible gave you that stone that one time? The one with the hole in the middle?”

Coraline remembers it well: the adder stone that helped her find the ghost children’s eyes all those years ago. When she read up about them later on, she found that rocks with naturally occurring holes in them, called adder stones or hag stones, are said to have magical properties. One of them is the ability to see through a witch or fairy’s disguises or traps, but others include the prevention of nightmares and curing whooping cough.

Coraline certainly doesn’t have whooping cough, but she does have nightmares, and she’s already seen the power of an adder stone for herself. “Yeah,” she says slowly. “They’re pretty rare. The Other Mother destroyed the one I had.”

Wybie flashes her a little half-smile and opens his palms, revealing a round, grayish stone with a medium-sized hole in it. “We visited the north coast one day,” he says as she takes it from him, “and I just happened to stumble across it. Apparently that’s one of the places where they’re more common, in northern Germany.” He shrugs. “I saw it, and I knew I had to give it to you. Not like you’ll need to find any more ghost children’s eyes, but…”

Coraline holds the stone up to her eye, feeling an odd comfort when she looks through the hole, even though nothing seems different. Feeling a soft smile spread across her face, she slips the stone into her pocket and says, “Thank you, Wybie.” Then, to lighten the mood, she adds, “I guess taking German was a good decision after all.”

Wybie blows a raspberry at her. “Hey, who got to go to a foreign country? Not you.”

They banter back and forth like that for a while, but part of Coraline is still focused on the stone in her pocket and the thoughtfulness behind it. It’s so small, but both the stone and the gesture give her the burst of courage she needs to get through the rest of the day, the week, the month. It’s a different kind of courage from what she had to muster up to stop the Beldam. It’s subtler, quieter. It’s the courage of a girl who has seen real ugliness, who has felt the deepest and most primal sort of fear, who went through hell and came out alive but unsure where to go from there. How do you keep on going when you’ve been face to face with death?

The answer, she realizes, is simple: it takes courage. It might be the kind that only a few people can see, but it’s courage all the same.

[firenationember]

Destruction, Everywhere (OC Fic)

6/12

Authors note: I’m sorry to anyone who read the previous chapter 6 but I wasn’t please with the progression of the story. It’s better now! Expect more chapters soon! This chapter is basically just a filler; it takes place during The Firebending Masters and the beginning of The Boiling Rock episodes (Zukko and Sokka returning next chapter. This is still just a cute little Katara/Draya friendship blurb, hence the Katara gif choice. Also: every chapter following this one is longer I swear lol

Previous Chapters 

The day after Zuko and I talked in the alcove, he and Aang decided it was time to get to the bottom of Zuko’s disappearing bending. Toph suggested they look for the original firebenders, which led them to travel to Ancient Sun Warrior ruins in search of an answer. I begged them to let me join them, aching to learn more about firebending firsthand, but Zuko insisted it had to be the two of them. “You were lucky to find a way to coax your firebending out when it’s being stubborn. I won’t find an answer in water.” Zuko and I walked next to each other towards Appa, not wanting him leave without saying goodbye. I sighed before nodding. “I understand, it is your destiny to help the Avatar after all. For your honor!” I imitated Zuko when I said the last bit, throwing my fist in the air for dramatic effect. He rolled his eyes and laughed, smiling down at me. “My uncle once told me ‘Destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out, but if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday.’ We were actually here, in this Air temple, when he told me that. It was right after the Agni Kai when I first got banished. I still had the bandage on, and I was sure my destiny to capture the Avatar. When we lived in Ba Sing Se, he told me to ask myself ‘Who are you, and what do you want?’ and at the time I wasn’t sure. Maybe, I’m still not sure.” He chuckled and shakes his head. “All I know, is this is much better than any destiny I could’ve wished for.” He gestured to our friends before meeting my gaze, a soft smile dancing on his lips as he grabbed one of my hands. “I’m much happier than I thought possible.” I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as I heard Sokka clear his throat behind us. “I hate to break it to ya D, but your boyfriend has to leave with Aang soon if they want to get back in time to stay on schedule.” Zuko dropped my hand and we shuffled apart slightly, Zuko chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck. “For the last time Sokka, he’s not my boyfriend. It’s just nice to have another firebender on my side for once, something I know we all relate to.” Before I step away from Zuko, I turned to him. “Your uncle would be proud of you for finding your own destiny, and you can tell him all about it when we find him. Now go get your firebending in check, I miss having a firebending sparring partner. No offense Aang.” I say, looking over at Aang as he shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to fight you even if we were just sparring, Draya. Now let’s go, Zuko!” Aang burst himself up on Appa’s back with an explosion of air as Zuko climbed up the side. Zuko looked over and gave me a small wave as the monk boy yelled “yip, yip!” and they were off. “Don’t worry, your boyfriend will be back soon.” Sokka said, sliding up next to me. I sent a little burst of flames to his feet and he yelped, hopping up into the air. “No firebending Draya, it’s not fair!” I laughed as I walked away, hoping Aang and Zuko find what they’re looking for. When they got back, they were so excited to show us the newest firebending form they learned while exploring the ruins. We watched as they posed and formed a circle together, Katara and Sokka teasing them relentlessly at their “new dance”. “It’s a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old.” Zuko said, obviously annoyed at the Water Tribe siblings’ antics. “Oh yea? What’s your little form called?” Katara asked, mock dripping in her voice. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to help from laughing out loud when I saw Zuko’s angry face shift to one of slight embarrassment. “The Dancing Dragon…” the other 3 started laughing, Toph and Sokka bouncing jokes off each other. I walked over to Zuko, who was mumbling angrily to himself. He stopped to look over at me, smiling softly with a sigh of relief. “I’d love to learn this new firebending form, it looks like it could be useful...” I started, before being interrupted by a giggling Sokka. “Yea, at your wedding!” he said, walking up behind me and slapping his palm on my shoulder. Zuko’s smile fell into an annoyed scowl as I rolled my eyes. “First you call him my boyfriend, which he’s not, and now we’re getting married? Excuse me for wanting to learn an ancient firebending form. You wouldn’t understand, boomerang guy.” I said, crossing my arms across my chest as I turned to face Sokka, who was defensively yelling about his sword wielding. I knew he was a good fighter; it was just so fun to get him worked up sometimes.

The next night, Zuko tried to make tea for us around a fire. I watched as he walked over to Sokka, offering him a cup. The Water Tribe boy spoke to Zuko in a hushed tone, and I watched as they walked away. I wondered where they went off to, quickly forgetting about it when Toph sent a wave of rocks underneath me to get my attention. Sokka appeared before Zuko did, not too far behind him. Sokka give a rushed goodnight before stuffing his body into his sleeping bag, the others following suit after him. Zuko helped me clean up our mess a bit, putting out the fire, neither of us finding anything to say. I turned to face him, walking close enough so that only he could hear my words. “Is Sokka okay? He seemed moody all afternoon and right now he seemed almost annoyed about something.” I searched Zuko’s face for any sign of emotion, hoping to figure out his answer before he said anything. “He’s okay, just feeling overwhelmed. You know how Sokka gets.” He shrugged, his tone not at all convincing. Realizing I wouldn’t get more out of him, I nodded and wrapped my arms around his torso. His familiar warm scent made the hug even more comforting as he wrapped his strong arms around me. “Good night, Zuko.” I said, stepping back and walking towards my sleeping bag. “Good night, Draya.” He replied, smiling back at me as he continued to mess about with the fire. The expression he had on his face stuck with me, a mixture of concern and contemplation. It shouldn’t have surprised me when we woke up the next morning to find Zuko and Sokka gone, some less than convincing note left behind. “Need meat. Gone fishing. Back in a few days. -Sokka and Zuko. One more thing. Aang, practice your firebending while I’m gone. Do 20 sets of fire fists and 10 hop squats every time you hear a badger frog croak. -Zuko”. A badger frog croaked right after Katara read the letter, earning an exasperated sign from Aang. “Draya doesn’t have any firebending homework.” He said, starting his set of hop squats. I laughed slightly and shrugged. “I’m not training to be the Avatar.”

I was stretching in the sun, the heat wrapping around my body, as I got lost in my thoughts about what Zuko and Sokka could be getting up to. Katara pulled me from them as she called out my name to get my attention, motioning with her hand to go over. We walked towards each other and I couldn’t read the expression on her face. Annoyance? “Is everything okay Katara?” I asked, not sure what her expression meant. She shook her head in shock and scoffed, crossing her arms. “You’re asking me if everything’s okay, when you’re the one who’s basically been avoiding us since my brother left with Zuko?” I could tell she was trying to control the emotion in her voice. I sighed and shifted in place. “I didn’t realize I was avoiding everyone, I guess I’ve just been so lost in my thoughts and my training… I’m sorry.” I said as casually as possible, not wanting to go into much more detail. Her face softened before suddenly turning into a playful grin. “I see the way you look at Zuko, even though I question your judgement a little considering he’s such a jerk; is that what this is about? You like him and you’re sad he’s not here?” I looked at her, hoping my face showed just how confused I was. She laughed a little before continuing. “You guys did disappear for a while the other night…”, she waved her hand in front of her body before crossing her arms as she looked at me, obviously wanting an answer. I laughed a little, shocked at the quick change in her tone from angry to lighthearted teasing. “There’s nothing going on with Zuko, he’s my friend. Just like you, Sokka, Aang, and Toph. The other day, he was just there for me in a way nobody else ever has been. You know you’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had, one of the only ones really. Having Zuko around, finally another firebender who shares my view of the Fire Nation, has been indescribable. A feeling I’ve never had, not even with my own family.” I shrugged, smiling as I realized I could give her something a little more exciting; something I hoped would make up for the fact that I’ve been accidentally avoiding them. “He was my first crush though, when I was 9. I’d only met him once, and it was brief, but… I remember it clearly. My life changed a lot pretty suddenly after we met, so I forgot about my silly crush pretty fast.” I finally looked over at Katara, whose wide eyes lit up as she giddily brought her hands up to her face. “I knew it! A childhood crush is still a crush, Draya. Look, I don’t want to encourage a relationship with someone so untrustworthy, I mean I really think you can do better than someone who’s been so unreliable in the past. But, you two do look happy when you’re together. It’s safe to say he probably has a little crush on you too.” It was my turn to look at her with wide eyes as I scoffed at the idea, shaking my head. “Katara, we have much bigger things to worry about then childhood crushes. Like defeating the Firelord, you know, to save the world?” We both laughed and I felt the tension in the air dissolve. I realized it was wrong to shut my friends out like this, seeing Katara’s kind expression as she smiled at me. “Yes now, but you’re still human Draya. I’m just saying, you should follow those feelings. Or at the very least tell him, because… there’s no saying what’s going to happen the day of Sozin’s comet. Be honest with him sooner rather than later.” I nodded, knowing Katara was right. It’s not like I was going to listen to her advice, I can’t imagine telling Zuko he was my childhood crush. That doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy his company now, before everything changes, and we have to accept our futures. I smirk and turn to her, crossing my arms. “What about you? Do you have a little crush on anyone you’re thinking about talking to before the comet?” Katara’s smile dropped as a blush crept its way onto her face, and she looked away as she played with her hair. “What? No. What makes you say that? I think you’re right, we have bigger things to worry about right now. I just thought since Zuko’s here with us right now, you should take advantage of that because it’s not like he hasn’t betrayed us before...” Her voice became quieter as she spoke, and I could tell by the way she was looking everywhere but towards me that she hadn’t said it as quietly as she hoped. I sighed before replying. “You’re right, I just don’t think Zuko’s going to do that this time. He really wants to help Aang, he wants to help take down his father so the Fire Nation can finally be saved from his immoral ruling. He really has changed Katara, and he’s actually very kind. I hope maybe you can see that too, one day.” Katara rolled her eyes and breezed by my statement, locking an arm through mine as she stood up and guided me back towards the others, rambling on about not being afraid to talk to them in the future. I smiled as she spoke, happy that I admitted to someone how I felt about Zuko, even if I never told him.

Chapter 7

[mrneighbourlove]

Into the Darkness and Unknown: Ch 7. The Burden of Knowledge

‘My dear Revan. Are you well? I know you are still learning to read, but I do this for your future. Either you read this when I return, or if something unexpected happens to claim my life. Need not worry. Your father is mighty, but more so, he is careful. Omisha has been a vast and colourful country. The air is hot, and the jungles vast. I think someone with your imagination will come to like it if you ever explore its land yourself. However, to be honest, it is difficult to judge in the present if that is a possibility. The people of this land are opposed to humans, as of now. I hope to change that with time, and I know that it will be your generation who will no longer know of prejudice. I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, but the work I do is important. It is for your future as well as everyone else. This does not mean I don’t miss you. I hope to be home soon. I love you son.

- Your father Malik.’

~

A month and a half. A whole month and a half Leere and Malik found themselves in Omisha. Due to the attack, and unfortunately only three days into the trip, no communication could be sent to Hyrule due to Mother being paranoid information being intercepted by additional enemies. Bonegrinder needed time to recover, but neither had any idea it would take such a strenuous recovery.

Malik spent his time learning combative history of Omisha, sharing stories of Ganondorf and Link throughout the ages. Leere made herself getting comfortable knowing every villager she could. As a tease, she decided not to have sex with Blue and White’s younger sister, being catty that the doctor could wait. The poor woman couldn’t get Leere alone with her. Currently, she was playing with Solani, climbing up a tree. It seemed that her mother slowly eased up on letting Leere get closer.

“Solani, the secret to climbing tree’s for humans is balance.” The princess was carefully reaching for a piece of fruit near the top. “Steady your feet, reach up, aaaaand... got ya.”

Leere indeed snatched the fruit off the tree, but with a snap under her, the branch she was standing on broke, sending the princess plummeting to the ground. Other branches broke most of her fall, but she still hit the ground hard, having the wind knocked out her, the back of her skull ringing as loud as two brass cymbals smashing loudly in the coffins of her brain.

"SQUAWWWK!!!" Solani rushed over to the princess and looked slightly panicked. "You okay?!" Thanks to a spell that Mother had allowed her children to use, there was easy communication with the two visiting humans. "I told you that I could get it! I have wings! You are bound to fall and fall you did!"

"Why are humans so clumsy?" Sneha, her sister, rolled her eyes. "Trip, fall, repeat."

“Simple my dear girls, I wanted to show you the strength of tiny humans. Ow my fffuuu-reaking head.” Even in a dazed state, the woman was noble enough to not swear around kids. Leere felt the back of her head, frowning at the feel of blood. “Darn it. You kids ever see human blood before? Feels so gooey.”

"Only the ones that tried to kidnap us when we were chicks." Sneha spoke without filter, earning a jab from her sister. "Ow! What?! She asked!"

“I’m sure they got torn up good eh?” Leere cracked a smile, trying to stand. “Oh man. Doc might get her wish to have me alone in her office. Woooo, the earth is spinning.” The princess immediately fell on her ass. Appeared she was losing balance in her legs as much as she was losing balance in her filter. “Don’t suppose one of you wants to get some help while the other stays close?”

"I'll go get Nomusa, I'm faster than you." Sneha took to the sky while Solani waited with Leere. "I'll be sure to tell her that you got hurt being stupid."

"Don't call her stupid!" Solani huffed as her sister flew away. "Just because she hatched two minutes ahead of me, she thinks she knows everything."

Leere felt close enough to pull Solani close enough for an arm around the shoulder. Pretty sure after a month her mother wouldn’t treat her like Prometheus. “Well not stupid, but maybe climbing up the tree without a harness was a little dumb.”

"... well... a little, perhaps so." Solani agreed. "You humans don't have a defense against gravity like we do."

“Oh boy, that’s the truth right there. Lucky I didn’t go splat like a raspberry pie.”

"Next time, please leave the task of picking fruit to me." Solani asked Leere as an afterthought. "Are you going to go check on Bonegrinder today?"

“Yeah. Probably after I get myself checked out.” Leere sighed, giving the girl a half-hearted smile. “If things go well for him, I’ll probably be leaving.”

"Aww, you're not staying? It's been fun learning from you." Solani pouted a little. "Mama said to be careful. But you're not too bad. I think."

“You’re a pretty great kid Solani. But I got a home of my own to go back to. I’m sure my own mama is a bit worried how I’ve been doing all this time.” Leere gave the bird a light ruffle on the head. “How about this? Ask me anything on your mind.”

"It's not good to make your mom worry." Solani had to agree with Leere's reasoning. Her own mother worried enough. So, it was logical that human mother would worry too. "I guess... why aren't you with the other Mortuus? Why aren't you like... a bad guy? Why do you wanna be a good guy? ... I mean girl. Not guy."

“Well, I don’t remember them too much, but my birth parents were bad guys. They escaped to Hyrule with me when I was a young little thing. After being adopted by my new family, I wanted to help people like you Solani. I wanted to use my gifts to save lives, help other people feel safe.” Leere looked to the sun in the sky and smiled. “Maybe there are other good Mortuus, trapped in Malus. Maybe I’m the only one. Regardless, I’m going to do my best living a life where people can look into the shadows and still feel safe.”

"There's been a lot of bad Mortuus..." Solani said quietly, "A lot of bad humans too. Mama wonders if Mother is doing the right thing sometimes. Though, everyone knows that Bonegrinder's visions are never wrong. We have to have a little faith... but it's hard."

Leere silently nodded along to Solani. Maybe it was the dazed head and leaking blood, but the princess asked in an almost worrisome tone, “Do you think I’m a good human?”

"Yeah, I do." Solani nodded. "It's just... hard to think that there are some good ones out there when all we've ever known is bad."

“That’s called hope Solani. And if I can be the start to your list of good humans, that’s honour enough for me.” Leere grinned, giving the girl a light tickle on the stomach to get a laugh before her sister came back. The princess wondered if she really did make a difference to these people. She certainly hoped so. There was so much mistrust, so much secrecy in Omisha she had yet to crack.

Kiume broke the princess’ thoughts when he approached Leere and Solani. "I have news." The father of White and Blue told the princess. "Bonegrinder is awake."

“He is?!” Leere was so excited, that, when she tried to move, she forget her own injuries. She was quick to stumble back onto her but with Solani in hand. “Ow.”

"... Sneha also sent me to tell you to stay out of trees." Kiume then bent his eight legs to lean down to inspect Leere's head.

“I just reopened an old head wound. Not a great big deal.”

"You let me decide what is 'a great big deal' or not." Kiume was not the best healer, but he could mend an open wound. "There... might be a little tender for a few days."

“I’ve been knocked around by worse.”

"Would you like to go see Bonegrinder now? Or fetch Malik first?" Kiume informed the princess. "He's still a little woozy, so he's resting in Mother's nest. Though, she will allow you to see him. As long as he can slither and eat by the end of the day, he should be able to return with the two of you to Hyrule tomorrow."

“I’m sure Malik won’t mind continuing his journal on his own if seeing Bonegrinder doesn’t guarantee our departure. You don’t want to keep me in your care for a while first?”

"I'm quite confident you'll be all right. There's no brain matter leaking from your head." Kiume then arched his eyebrow. "Unless you're referring to the 'other' type of company, which should not be discussed in front of a chick."

"Hey! I'm almost ten! I'm practically grown up." Solani squawked with a huff and puff of her cheeks.

"Sure, sure."

“You’re the one who can’t stop batting those pretty eyes at me.” Leere patted Solani’s head. Her head was still woozy because she didn’t notice the obvious as of yet… “Advice kid. When a boy or girl does that to you, that means they like you. Bonus points if they stutter around you.”

"... boys? Ew." Solani was not exactly at that age where she thought of romance. "Boys are yuck. Why would I want a boy to like me?"

"You keep thinking that until you're about two hundred years old, kid”, the old spider chuckled.

"I'm not a kid!"

“Nomusa? Aren’t you a teenager hopelessly in love yourself?” Leere grinned mischievously towards to who she still believed was the young doctor. “Besides, what is a kid anyway? Who are we to judge? Solani can fly after all. That’s a pretty grown up thing for birds to do.”

"A 'kid' is someone who isn't old enough yet to learn how reproduction takes place."

"How what takes place?"

"See what I mean?"

“Ok. Point proven.” Leere paused when she saw Solani’s mother fly down with her sister. In her current position, she couldn’t exactly hide the fact she had an arm around her daughter getting heart to heart with her. “Oh. Hello there!”

"... it's time for lunch." Solani's mother, Syndia, was not exactly comfortable around humans. It was still taking a bit of getting used to since Mother decreed these two visitors were not to be harmed. She did not like it that her child wanted to hang around a... a Mortuus of all types of humans, but would not dare go against Mother. "Come, you need to eat, and you're still growing feathers."

"Mooooom, five more minutes?"

"No, it's ready now. Come along."

"Aww... okay, I'll see you later, Leere."

“Hey, it was good to hang out. In case we don’t get to say goodbye again before I leave... you’re a good kid. It was awesome to met you.” Leere gave Solani a warm hug. “I’ll be back for more than on visit to Omisha. Now go eat and do as your mother says.”

"Before you walk, I think you require a clear head." Kiume placed his large hand on top of Leere's skull and used his magic to clear her senses. "You have quite a knot there."

Leere waved goodbye before stretching out her limbs. Her head suddenly felt all the clearer. “Thanks, Nomusa. Don’t know what you missed the first time. Maybe I can-!!!” A deep sense of confusion rose up to her chest from her gut. “You’re not Nomusa.”

"... no. I am Kiume. My daughter is Nomusa." The elder healer crossed his arms. "Maybe we should wait until you got a little more clearer head."

“Oh wow. Did I make a move at you in her place?”

"Yes."

“…”

“…”

“…..”

“…..”

Leere took a deep gulp to swallow a sense of embarrassment wanting to crawl out. “Sorry about that. I’ll go see Bonegrinder now. Oh... maybe it’d be best to not tell Nomusa.”

"I figured you were not in your right mind since you prefer females instead of males, but I will take it as a compliment." Kiume gestured toward the Temple of Ruin. "Mother is waiting. You best go."

“Well, your daughters had to get their beauty from somewhere.” Leere took a few deep breaths before entering the temple. Since her emotional epilogue a month ago, Leere saw Mother only a few select times for check ins. In her time, Leere tried to study Echidnan language, explore the territory of the country, as well as grow a stronger relationship with as many monsters that felt safe around her. Seeing Mother at her throne, she bowed respectfully. “Greetings Mother. I was told Bonegrinder is finally feeling well?”

"Modoc is well enough to talk and move." Mother told Leere, looking rather tired. She had researched text after text to find a way to ensure that the deity inside the Anagari remained stable. The Echidnan leader had spent a majority of her magic and resources and was in dire need of rest herself. Yet, she could not slumber until she was sure everything was all right once more. "He is still... out of sorts. Do not be surprised if he says things which make no sense."

“I will be careful around him. Mother, are you well? You look fatigued.”

"I am simply tired, Leere. It is not easy using magic when you have none to spare." Mother admitted to the princess. "Yet, I have seen worse. Go visit with Modoc. Even if he is still confused, it will do him good to see a familiar face."

“Please take care not to strain yourself.” Leere gave her a kind glance before leaving to journey deeper into the temple.

Mother had constructed a new nest for Bonegrinder on the ground level. It was too difficult to carry his body up to the higher levels of the temple. So there he rested, on pillows and silk. His body had mended well, with a few new scars to boot, but his mind was still threading itself together after the strain.

Leere carefully journeyed close, placing a hand upon his chest to feel a heartbeat. “Bonegrinder? Are you awake?”

"Faces, faces, everywhere in places... hrm... another face..." Bonegrinder was murmuring to himself and his eyes were glazed. "When are you?"

“I’m Leere Dragmire. In my 40’s.” Leere looked down into those glazed, dazed eyes. “Who am I talking to?”

"He does not know if he's... Modoc... no, Bonegrinder... what about Prama? He barely knows, barely knows himself, but knows all..." The Anagari's tail flicked back and forth. "Who do you want to talk to, princess who desires answers? Part of him keeps you from knowledge, the other part thinks you should know."

Leere’s fists squeezed tightly, feeling so much older than she appeared. There were indeed answers she needed to have unearthed. “Can you tell me what is so important about the markings about my back? And do you believe Malus is truly dammed to hell?”

"Ah, curious little one..." The Anagari even sounded different than his usual self. "Malus used to be prosperous until their downfall. A downfall due to promises of power. You know power is so seductive, but can be so corruptible." He then elaborated. "I was there, I saw them turn from using their gifts to transport the souls to the afterlife, but then decided to manipulate them for their own purposes. Such was a cause for their damnation." His head then turned to look at her. "And you would be part of their plans, princess. Modoc wanted to ensure you were kept ignorant. Bonegrinder agreed. But I know you wish to have that knowledge. The knowledge that you are a piece of their ritual to bring back the entity of Chaos, incarnated as pure Tyranny. To bring forth corruption." He asked Leere. "Another reason why the Temple of Time scares you, beckons you and torments you... to show you what is a possibility to come."

Leere looked down at him, unsure what to say at first. It was one burden replaced by the next. She always knew that she was a failed sacrifice, yet now she knew what for. More so, there was always a danger of her forced purpose being fulfilled. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

"Modoc, Bonegrinder, your friend didn't want you to hurt further than you've already been hurt." He mused. "Figured it would be best to keep you in the dark so you would live the remainder of your days in normalcy... humans always want the usual. So boring... but it keeps the balance."

“I wanted the truth. Why couldn’t he- why couldn’t you give me that Modoc? I... what else are you hiding from me?” Leere’s voice fizzled to a whisper, her muscles relaxing from a sense of defeat.

"He would not tell you for he feared you would hate him. He is already facing blame from his creations," The Anagari's hazy eyes blinked slowly and then he said. "He earned your friendship and did not wish to lose it. One of the victims of Chaos' terrors, if he could spare even one, it would be a good deed done..."

“I don’t need secrets. I don’t need to be kept in the dark. I’m afraid of the dark after all.” A sad chuckle escaped her, her head falling down into her arms. “I need friends who can be honest with me. I need a light to rely on. If not you... than someone else.”

"Would you hate him for trying to protect you? He is, simply, a host." The Anagari then had a bit of a maniacal giggle. "Darkness and shadows bring nothing but dread, two can keep a secret if one is dead..."

Leere tilted her head, unimpressed by whatever was talking through Bonegrinder. “I am shadow. Now how about whatever entity you may be, take leave of Modoc’s body?”

"He cannot until Kaska comes to fetch him, princess. Just as does Dhakk and Chaos with their bodies, he has his. Surely you know the tales, Mother should have taught you well." He then asked with a tilted head. "Should he teach you the rhyme?"

“Wait. Dhakk? You speaking in third person like Bonegrinder, or the first? Which god does that make you?”

"Which do you think, princess? Snakes have a very bad reputation for having part in the end of the world..." He chuckled, partly rising from the bed. Bonegrinder's eyes were no longer hazy but now solid white. He was very clear that there were two souls within one body. The Anagari's eyes were usually redder than blood, but now, were the color of fallen snow. "Very clever of Kaska to manipulate the circumstances so my host would be just that. Somewhere no one would look for him. Someone who would be avoided due to fear to keep him safe. Until it is time for the final battle until Chaos, he will be unable to leave his host."

“I see a lot of destruction from your host...”

"He is a formidable creature and deadly shaman... what he does is not me. I am not him and he is not me."

“Cryptic. Like most higher beings I know.” Leere gripped his hand, looking deep into those white eyes. “I want my friend back please.”

"Why? So you can torment him further?" The deity was curious. "I still do not understand what draws you to him. My host is by no means a saint, but serves his purpose well. He has accepted his fate, yet still tries in his own way to benefit others. What has he ever done to benefit you? Didn't you say he brings forth much destruction? Hasn't he brought you misery? Why stay by his side?"

“He was a friend to me when I needed one. The destruction he brings is chosen by those who seek it. He saved my life. The misery I felt was inflicted on myself and by monsters in the dark. Now, tell me, exactly, what do you mean I torment him?” She aggressively grabbed him by the thin beard dangling from his chin. Leere didn’t know if she could truly intimidate a god, but she didn’t care.

"You truly do not know? He wants to save you from your impending fate," The deity then paused. "But knows he may not be able to do so. He lost his family and does not want to lose anyone else."

"That's not torment you sniveling being. That's concern. How dare you make me believe I'm a burden on him." Leere let go of his beard, patting down her pockets for chalk. Soon as she found an old broken piece, she started to get to work on drawing a circle around Bonegrinder.

"If you are trying to exorcise me, it won't work." The deity told the princess. "In time, you will see what I mean. For now, I will allow you your friend back. If you have more questions, I will be waiting... or you could ask Kasdeya. The mother of many will elaborate more so than I." He then told her. "Be grateful this snake cares for you, Leere. He took a hit for you, and we have been repairing ourselves for a long while."

Then he retreated to the recesses of the Anagari's body.

Leere paused her attempted exorcism. Throwing the chalk away, she sat down next to Bonegrinder until she heard his presence stir next to her. "Modoc?"

Once the deity had retreated into the recesses of Bonegrinder's mind, the Anagari squirmed. He was in agony. The pain would not subside. For all Mother's magic, she could not cure all that ailed him. Dark magic had its price and while light tried to battle it, he had to suffer the consequences. He looked so frail. "Tiny princess..." He tried to mask the discomfort from his voice. "He would have thought... you'd be home by now."

"Malik and I wanted to wait for you. We're a team." Although she smiled, and her hands were soft and kind as she held his, there was a sense of unease in her voice.

"Don't jest, tiny princess, you know that Malik hates this snake's guts." The Anagari said dryly, being a bit of a brat. "Still sore since he lost a fight and knows he would lose again and again."

"He has honour Modoc. He respects you enough to not abandon. He hasn't had any contact with his family for over a month now. Stop acting like a child." There was something about his brattish behaviour that seriously got under Leere's skin now.

"He is not Modoc!" Bonegrinder shouted so loud that dust shook from the stones. He jerked on the bedding and held his head so tightly, that his claws made it start to bleed. "He is not him! He is... he is... he doesn't know who he is!" He groaned and closed his eyes. "When is he! The visions, the memories, what is what, who is who, when is when, he can't stand it anymore! Let him forget! He wants to forget the screams, the bodies, the failure, the absolute failure! All this power and he can't save one fucking soul!" Sparks of magic filled the air. "Why did you tell her?! She had to know! She didn't, she doesn't, she won't---"

Mother quickly skittered around the corner and approached the nest. She held tightly to the Anagari, trying to ensure he would not have another outburst of celestial magic. It could harm everyone within the Temple or even outside of it if he was too agitated.

"Don't laugh as death passes you by, for you might be the next to die," Mother repeated the age old rhyme, trying to bring some sense of clarity back to the snake. "The grim reaper walks beside of thee, she comes for all, for you and me. What's next? Tell me what is next."

"Darkness and shadow bring nothing but dread, two can keep a secret if one is dead..."

"She... the grim reaper walks beside of thee..."

"Answer me!" Mother nearly shook him. "Don't let your mind crack again! You're here! You're with me! With your friend, Leere! You don't want to hurt her, right? Keep control!"

"He is... I am... who am I?"

"You are the shaman once known as Modoc, you call yourself Bonegrinder now. Why? Why do you call yourself that?"

"Because... because..." His eyes nearly rolled back into his head. "The bones of his enemies will be ground into dust... nothing left..."

"Good, good... tell me of your family..."

"Ngh... Kaksa... no... Akihara..."

"Your children."

"Osage and Ponca..."

"Your friends."

"Blue, White, Red, Black, Silver... such pretty colors."

"And the kid in the maze?"

"Hrm... tiny princess... so small.... so... so lost..." Bonegrinder emphasized the last word, looking heartbroken. "Mother, how can he help her if he cannot even save her?"

"It's okay, it's okay, she's right here... she's still alive."

"Alive... still alive..."

"That's right... sleep now. She's all right."

"Hrm-hmm..." Bonegrinder started to doze in Mother's arms. "So... tired..."

"Then sleep."

Once Bonegrinder had dozed off into sleep again, Mother's tense body relaxed with a deep sigh. "Oh thank Kaska..."

Leere watched the whole ordeal with dread, watching two massive slithering monsters shake back and forth all so one could keep the others emotions calm and in control. The temple stone shook for a few moments there. Finally feeling like she could take a breath, Leere leaned back against a stone pillar. "I don't even know what to think of that."

"I doubt he will recall any of this when he wakes again." Mother kept as still as a mouse while holding Bonegrinder. "When he's in pain, he barely remembers what happened or what he says. It's all like... a dream to him. That's as close as I can describe it." She looked so tired herself, but held strong. "Destroyer and Chaos are out there... Prama is here." She stroked Bonegrinder's long hair. "Prama is bitter for what has happened to him and has been separated from Kaksa for what feels like an eternity. Yet, he still protects us through Bonegrinder's eyes. While sullen and crass, Prama still looks for Kaksa and to us..." She then said, "Despite what you may believe or anyone else, he does have our interests at heart. At least that is one objective they both agree upon."

"What now? Is he going to sleep for another month?"

"The last time he was attacked by Chaos, he was asleep for nearly an entire year." Mother told Leere. "It would not be fair to keep you or Malik from your families any longer. When he is well, I will send him there. For now, if you wish to return to Hyrule, I will open a portal for you."

"What about his family within the Hive?"

"We will send word that he is in recovery still. They have faith in him." Mother then told Leere. "This is great a burden to know, Leere... if you wish to rid yourself of this knowledge, there are ways."

"... this." Mother held up her hand, magic forming in her palm. Yet, it aged her skin prematurely. "Pure life force. Prama is the Maker. His host can accept nothing else."

"Modoc complained about too much light in him."

"It hurts him sometimes, but I know naught of what else to do. This is the only solution which works." Mother's magic returned to her body. "I have tried many other ways. Perhaps he will wake sooner, perhaps not. For now, tell Malik that Bonegrinder is still unstable. The last thing your kingdom needs is the chance of a deity wiping it off the map."

"His body holds darkness within him... with all due respect Mother, I think you aid the spirit of the god inside him, but not Modoc himself. On that note, perhaps I can be of true assistance."

"I cannot allow you to use your magic upon him, Leere." Mother told the princess with a small shake of her head. "I am ancient and will live until you and yours are long gone. You are mortal with a select number of years left. Any unknown move could result in transference of your life energy... willing or not." She sighed and carefully laid Bonegrinder's head back on the pillows. "I aid the deity to save us all. I aid Modoc because he is my friend. Prama require light. Modoc uses darkness. Hence, he can use either type of magic. Yet, too much of one... and the scales are tipped."

"Two things you should know about me Mother. Most of the life I have has been taken other mortals to fuel my own youth. Stolen from criminals and murders. And I am all but willing." She placed a hand on Bonegrinder's chest, taking a deep breath. "You're right. He does need balance. But I can also see in those beautiful eyes of yours, despite proclaiming your superiority over mortals, there is fear in your mirrors to the soul. I believe you haven't been giving him that balance he needs due to your own fears. My own mother and father taught me that every source of light casts a shadow. Both must be embraced as they can't be separated. Please... trust me." Slowly, Leere channeled her stolen abundance of life energy, laced with shadow magic to fill the darkness Bonegrinder was missing.

Bonegrinder started to stir, grumbling curses, and Mother calmly removed Leere's hand from the Anagari. She was holding her breath. The Anagari then settled and returned to slumber. "We cannot have another outburst, for I have not the energy to contain him." Mother then told the princess. "And I never said I was superior. Just that I live much, much longer."

"Most people don't like being called mortals. Makes them feel like they are being talked down to someone with a god complex." Leere was very tired herself suddenly. She must have given him 5 years of life within the span of ten seconds; the Anagari was like a sponge. "I thought that would wake him... I'll go fetch Malik, and we will leave. Taken up enough of your time and hospitality as is."

"While you do wish to help, you cannot know everything for sure, Leere. Please be more cautious in the future." Mother covered Bonegrinder with a thick fur pelt before rising. "I will escort you to the exit."

"I know..."

________________________________________________________________

Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/190828059731/into-the-darkness-and-unknown-ch-6-poking-the

Next Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/190959464556/into-the-darkness-and-unknown-ch-8-connection-to

[phantomofsilence]

Title : Just Married

Warning : Curse words, violence . Personalised fic , requested.

Request

Basically Winter soldier/avenger Bucky falls in love with  one of the richest business men in the world spoiled daughter (me) duh 😂 , who was destined for a more socialite match, such as slick family friend(name of your choosing) they still get married against the wishes her friends and family and go to Europe for their honeymoon. Unfortunately for them, her parents send her ex-boyfriend (name of your choosing) to break up the happy marriage.Although they're some scenes from the movie i want them to be included if you don't mind?

Author’s Note : It was done for a while but tumblr wouldn’t let me post it. This fic is based on a movie Just Married, i hope you like it ! As always gifs are not mine, they are all of Google.

Sitting at the airport waiting for their flight Mara leaned her head on Bucky’s shoulder and allowed her mind to flash back from now to the moment they met. James Buchanan Barnes was a working-class man and Mara upper-class woman, they met when James accidentally hit Mara with a football. It seemed like from the very start the world was against them, Mara’s family opposed them claiming James was not the right man for Mara but despite it in few short months they got married. 

“Passports please.” 

Both James and Mara took out their passports and gave them to the man working at the customs control. ” Are you leaving with any fruit or vegetables over 10000 dollars?” 

Smirking up at the man Mara replied in a serious tone.” No. No, but my husband does have two pounds of hash hidden in his rectum.”

That joke resulted in James having a full body check or as he put it when he was finally allowed to board limping ‘the first sex that he had on his honeymoon was with a man named Santino’ which made Mara chuckle. 

Thinking back Mara knew she wasn’t being fully honest with James, as she didn’t tell James that she slept with Mark Prentiss, a childhood friend and her family’s friend, after she and James had started dating, but she wasn’t the only one with a secret, James didn’t tell Mara that he accidentally killed her dog. 

They flue to Europe for their honeymoon, and even attempted to consummate their marriage by joining the mile high club, but failed rather publicly. When they arrived at their classy hotel at the foot of the Alps they found that Mark had sent them a bottle of cognac “with love”, while James’s friend Sam had sent them a Thunderstruck A-200 sex toy. 

Stupidly James has tried to force the toy’s American plug into the European outlet and managed to shut down the entire village’s electricity. After a heated argument with the hotel owner James and Mara had to leave the hotel and pay a large bill to repair the power. 

As they were trying to find another hotel they crashed their undersized car into a snowbank, and got stuck until daylight and once again were unable to consummate their marriage. Fortunately they make their way to Venice, and stay at a pansion recommended by Mark’s father. The pansion turns out to be a wreck, but they tried to make the best of it but decide to check out when a cockroach crawls over James when they tried to have sex. 

Thank’s to Mara’s father’s financial help they manage to secure a far better Venetian hotel. After checking in Mara and James decide to go and explore but after a short period of time James got bored with it and left Mara, so he could get to a bar and watch sports. On her way to the hotel Mara runs into Mark, who is staying at their hotel on business. 

Upon returning to her room she initiated a conversation with James in which he revealed that he accidentally killed her dog, and she revealed she slept with Mark. After the confession both of them storm out of the hotel and each go their way. James went back to the bar, where he met an American tourist Wendy, and Mara went sightseeing, where Mark followed her. 

In the bar Wendy flirts and dances with James, who after he finds out that she wants to have sex with him escapes through a bathroom window. He returns to the hotel, only to learn from the maître d’ that Mara has gone out with Mark for the evening. James in his state decided to return to the bar, where Wendy joins him again. After a while James finds himself in his hotel room with a half naked Wendy who upon entering took her entire top of, as she tried to have sex with him James blurted out that he is married and is on his honeymoon, which prompts the girl to leave. 

On the other side of the city Mara got drunk so Mark takes her back to the hotel, and kisses her at the entrance, after which she slaps him and reminds him that she’s on her honeymoon but all James sees from the balcony is a kiss but not the slap.

“You slut!” James yelled out as Mara entered their room. 

“Excuse me?!” 

“You let him put his tongue down your throat, i saw it out the window!” James threw a glass he was holding, breaking it on a wall. Keeping her voice as calm as possible Mara replied.” Did you see me slap him, then?” 

“Ah, don’t give me that. Some part of you wants him. Just say it!” 

“Fine,I’m not gonna lie anymore. Certain things would be easier given his background. And a small part of me thought that i wanted it once, a very small part.” As she said it Mara walked past by James as he continued talking.

”Why would you invite him on our honeymoon?” 

“I didn’t invite him, i don’t know how he found us.” Mara said but James wasn’t pleased with her answer, thou she didn’t pay much attention to it as she saw a flash of red on a chair next to their bed.”Oh yeah, oh maybe it was magic. Peter is a warlock.” 

She got closer and picked it up to inspect it. A woman’s bra. A red woman’s bra. She turned towards James still holding the bra. At the site of the bra James temper calmed, he gestured towards the bra and with his voice cracking said.

”That’s yours.” The audacity! Thought Mara as she scoffed and hit him with the bra.” Yeah, sure. It matches perfect with my call girl panties!” 

“Okay, i met woman at a bar. Nothing happened.” 

“You picked up a total stranger at a bar, brought her to back our honeymoon suit and took of her disgusting red bra!” 

“Nothing happened, i swear.” 

“No, no, no, the bra just jumped of her naked breasts.” Said Mara and threw the bra at him, and moved passed him towards the table. 

“Mara…” 

“You sit there and make me feel guilty of a kiss. A kiss i didn’t want in the first place!’ After those words the anger in Bucky returned.“Don’t tell me you didn’t want it.You wanted it. I could see from the balcony, you wanted it!” 

Enraged without a thought Mara grabbed an object closest to her and threw it at James, the object happen to be a pretty large ashtray and it landed right on James’s face knocking him down to the ground. As it hit him, Mara grasped her face with her hands realizing what she did.

“I’m sorry.Oh my God.’’ She approached him and knelt next to him. “Son of a beatch! My scull is on fire!” As she went to access the damage a knock was heard. ” Who is it?” 

“Room service.” 

Mara rose from the floor and opened the door, On the other side was Mark,as soon as she saw him she tried to choose the door in his was telling him to leave, but he wouldn’t budge.” No, listen. I’m leaving, last chance. Come with me to Seattle.” 

“Hello, Mark! So glad you could join us. Welcome to the honeymoon from hell.” James rose up from the ground and was holding a fire poker, As Mark saw the fire poker in James’s hands he hid behind Mara who spread out her hands protecting Mark.

” What are you doing, James?” 

”I think it’s time for Mark and i to tango!” Using the fire poker James broke a lamp in front of him, Mara moved away from Mark towards the wall protecting herself from the glass shards. 

“See you have no future with this lunatic!” Yelled out Mark glaring at James.

”Shut up, Mark! Buck, you’re acting like a crazy person!” 

“Maybe it’s cuz i just got hit in a head with a ten pound ashtray!” 

“I gotta warn you, Barnes. I studied karate with a Chinese grand master.” 

“Yeah, well i hope he showed ya, how to put a fire poker out of your ass!” 

“James. Put the poker down.” Mara gestured towards the poker, while Mark took that to his advantage, pushing Mara in front of James as he bolted out of the room, James following right behind. 

As he descended down the stairs he ordered the receptionist to phone the police. As he reached the lobby James swung the fire poker repeatedly trying to hit Mark. 

“You sat at our wedding! You heard us take our wows! You still had the nerve to show up on our honeymoon, and try to have sex with my wife!” 

That fight was what led them to jail, still without consummating their marriage. It was Mark that bailed them out of jail, but the damage was already done, both James and Mara decided to return home alone. Right after they returned Mara moved out of their apartment and moved back to her parents home. 

James was crushed by her choice, he loved his wife and wanted her back, so he made a decision to try, one last time to win back the woman he loves. After talking to his mother who encourages him to try, James attempted to see Mara on her family’s estate, his friend Sam decides to join him for support but even after he rammed his car into the gate remains unsuccessful. Once last time. If she doesn’t want me, than I’ll leave. 

“Listen Yuan, Willie, whoever else is listening. You don’t want me to be with Mara and i can’t change that. In ten, twenty, forty years. i don’t know who we’re gonna be. I don’t know if I’m ever gonna be able to give her all of this.There are a million things that i don’t know. But there is one thing that i do. And that’s that i love Mara. And i am going to love her day in and day out for the rest of my life. Now will you please…please…open the gate so i can tell that to my wife.” 

James brokenhearted with tears in his eyes slumps against the side of his car defeat. She doesn’t want me. It’s over. Just as it seemed that all hope is lost the gate opens and James takes off running. After hearing the speech Mara opened the gate herself, her father stared at her and all she said was that she loves him.   

“Then go get him.” Her father said and Mara gave him a hug before taking of herself towards James, they both keep running until they meet outside of her house. They stopped and said hi to each other. Bucky was the first one to speak.   

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” 

“I miss you.” 

“I miss you too.” 

“I miss wreaking airplane bathrooms with you.” 

“I miss sleeping with you inside a snowball.” 

“Torching hotels in Europe.” 

“I miss doing time in prison with you.” 

“Do you wanna try to?” 

“Definitely.”

[thepastelyakuza]

Magic ways (Taiga Saejima x reader)

Chapter 1 : A kind gesture

With the help of your friend moving back into your “new” apartment, y’all went out to celebrate. Resting at your favorite izakaya. Luckily it’s not crowded at this time of night. While talking about old times with your friends, you can’t help but notice the lone patron at the end of the bar.

Y/f: your friends name

Warning: knives, cursing, and sexual harassment

Intro / Next

UPDATE:spellcheck,saejima not giving out his name, reader doesn't know the relation between saejima and majima, third person pov, adding and removing things

     “That should be the last of it.” y/f huffed. Exhausted from walking up and down the stairs all morning. Carefully placing the brown box next to the others that covered the floor of the tiny apartment. For being a small apartment, it has enough room for a bedroom and a tiny kitchen. Sure, it needs a little bit of TLC here and there. But it’s good enough against Champion District standards. Good enough for y/n, since she moved back from her home country. ”Five years.” she thought while putting away the dishes in the cupboard. Five years since she left Kamurocho. Five years of running away from her problems. Y/n would’ve stayed longer if she confront it head-on. Just the mere thought of it leave a bitter taste in her mouth. Shaking away the anxiety that crawled against her skin. Clouded her every thought. Beginning to suffocate. ”Deep breaths, y/n. Deep breaths.” Calming down before moving on to the next box. While away, she made it her personal goal to start over. A fresh start. Learning from her mistakes and grow from them. 

         Y/f and y/n spend half of the evening unpacking and organizing. Tossing the remaining pile of collapse boxes to the side.

”Thank you for coming all this way and helping me move.” turning towards her friend.

She really meant that. Without their help, y/n would still struggle on finding a place to live. They’ve been by your side every step of the way. Encourage y/n during your process of”rebirth”.

”No problem. Consider this as a housewarming gift.” giving y/n an over exaggerated curtsy.

Softly punch y/f arm while walking back to her room. ” I hope you have something cute to wear because we’re celebrating.”

”You know I always come prepared.” y/f smirked

.

      Club after club. Drinks after drinks. Y/f and y/n staggered through the neon lights of Kamurocho. Their laughter and the clacking of their heels blended within the bustling street. Walking through memory lane in their wavy state. Hoping to find the closest restaurant to soak up their alcohol. Resting under the nearest conbini.

” I’m going inside, need anything?” y/f placing their hand on y/n shoulder.

Looking up at the night sky, lost in her own thought” No, I’m good.” y/n hummed.

Y/f nods and walks inside with the chime from the door following behind them. Y/m smile as she continuing looking up at the beautiful night sky. The cool night breeze brush against her face. Even though she just came back to Kamurocho, she feel like everything going back to place. It’s not much but it’s a head start to reclaiming things that she once loved. Having her best friend by her side helped replace old memories with new ones. This could be a beautiful start of a long journey. Her deep thought was invaded by the chime of the door and voice of her friend. Looking back to see them with a bag in hand.

”what you get?”

”Oh, nothing. Just some water.” pulling the contents out of the bag.”At least it could help us sober up a little bit.”

she nod in agreement. Looking back at the neon night sky. Until y/n gasp loudly.”I know the perfect Izakaya that we should stop at!” turning back to y/f in excitement.”It’s not that far from here, I promise.” gleefully taking y/f hand. Dragging them along. Through twist and turns to streets to alleyways, all she could think about is praying that it’s still there. 

    They stopped in front of a small, hidden, traditional izakaya. A small row of red paper lanterns dangled from the ceiling. Cascading the white curtains with red hues. Y/f looks at y/n confused. Seeing the anticipation in her eyes. ”It still looks the same.” she thought.

”So…this the place?” with a concerned look on her face.

”Yup!!”y/n said cheerfully.

Both looking at each other. Filling the space with awkward silence.

”what!?”

”Nothing. Nothing.” y/f lifting their hands up in defense. ”I just didn’t think it would look like….this…”

Rolling her eyes. ”Come on. It’s fine. Trust me.” before dragging y/f inside.

       The savory aroma and the heat of the building washes over y/n. Y/n could swear that she can feel her mouth watering. One of the many things she missed while away from Kamurocho. Its large interior makes up for its small exterior. With the traditional decoration paired with the homey atmosphere, made y/n fall in love with it. Something that she can’t really put her finger on but still adore. Luckily, it’s not crowded at this time of night. Mostly old men, salaryman, or curious people that explore the allies would know about this place. Tonight, only a somber, built man at the bar and an unfamiliar cook. They walked at the far end of the bar.The young female cook walks over to the group.

”what can I get ya.”

Looking at the menu above her. ”I want the tempura udon and sh-” y/f was suddenly cut off by her friend.

”yakisoba!” (Y/F) chirped

” and she gets the yakisoba.” she chuckle.

With a nod, she started cooking. Y/f and y/n started small talk to pass the time. Commenting on how y/f almost got a date but the free drinks was totally worth it. As y/f retells her experience with the”hookup”, y/n went back to absorbing her surroundings. She can’t help but notice the man at the other end of the bar. His bear-like statue. His long black hair that used a veil to hide his melancholy expression. She can’t help but be enticed by him. Only to get cut by the sound of bowls clack against the countertop. Thanking the cook. Y/f already has their first bite. Moaning of enjoyment on how good the food taste.

Shaking her head.” Told you it was good.” she smirked. All y/n got from them was y/f furiously nodding their head in agreement and back to eating.” I wonder...” she thought.

”Excuse me, Miss.” raising your hand to catch her attention. She peeked over her shoulder to look at y/n. ”Does Hisao still work here?” she asked. Hoping she got the answer y/n was looking for.

”Hisao...” the young girl hummed. Before she could answer, a bearded man with a blue bandanna wrapped around his head peaked out from the main kitchen. Search for who called his name. Seeing y/n face cause him to race around the counter. 

”y/n-san!!” swooping Y/n in for a bear hug.He apologizes after letting her go. Introducing himself. He explained how they met years ago. Joking how y/n only know a smidget of Japanese when they first met. Not enough to save her own life.

”But you helped me out though!” she yelled in protest.

Crossing his arms,” I did. I did. How about this.” Searching through the cabinet to find the perfect alcohol for this occasion. Pulling out his best bottle of sake. Setting the glass cups on the bar.

 “ A round of drinks to celebrate?” Gesturing his cup towards y/n.

Y/n smiled. Taking the cup from Hisao hands. “Why not!”

“Hey Namiko, you joining in?” Hisao asked while pouring sake in each cup. Namiko declines while attending for the lone patron.

Raising his glass,” To y/n!!” The group raises their glass in return.

”Kanpai!!” they cheered. Clanking their cups together. Causing y/n to spilled her drink a litlle bit.

   Even though y/n try to focus on Hisao story, she can’t help but take small glances at the somber man. The more she look, the deeper her heart sank.

” I hope he’s okay.” she thought.

”Hey, I’m going to go to the restroom.”y/f slurred. Y/f been hammering drinks back to back.From the previous drinks from the club to now.

”Okay. We’re heading back home when you come out.” swirling her cup.

Watching y/f staggered into the bathroom. With one last look at the lone patron, y/n called Hisao over. Whispering in his ear while taking quick looks at the other end of the bar. Grinning ear to ear, Hisao nod at y/n and rush back into the kitchen.

“How long will it takes before I get caught? What I’m gonna do now? I can’t just lay low forever. They gonna find me eventually.” Been away for so long, how can he adjust to normal society. Everything that he learn from the outside life have been tarnished and transformed into the prison way of life. So many troublesome thoughts swirled around inside his mind. Making him fall deeper into the void. Hearing the phantom screams and gunshot in his head. For 25 years, it never went. No matter how hard he tries. It turned into an invisible tattoo on his soul just like the tiger on his back. Only he can really see it. His only way to numb the pain by soaking in cheap liquor. There was a light at the end of his mental tunnel. 

   The smell and the warmth of the chicken cutlet curry caress his face beneath him. Looking up confused. Wondering who bought this for him. He clearly remembers he didn’t order it or maybe his memory was so jaded enough to forget. Looking at the other end of the bar, a young lady catches his eye. She smiles and raised her glass towards him before looking back to her friend camimg out of the restroom. He nods before turns back to his meal. Taking his first bite. 

” It’s a start.” 

     ”Looks like I’m calling it a night.” passing her bowl and cup back Hisao. ” it’s nice to catch up again.” rummaging through her purse to find her wallet.

”Tell me about it.” he said with his arms crossed. Paired with his signature charismatic smile.

Pulling out her wallet to pay her tab. He waves y/n off. ”Don’t worry about it. It on the house.”

”you sure? I should pay,at least.” Being very persistent. It was always an ongoing battle between the two. With a sigh of defeat, y/n put her wallet back in her purse. Helping y/f off their chair, they bowed and thank him for the drinks. He wished the group  a safe walk back home before as they walk outside the door.

     On their way back home, y/n noticed that y/f started to get anxious and holding y/n sleeves tight.

”I think we’re being followed.” y/f whispered in her ear. Fearing that whoever behind could hear them. Y/n glanced behind to see two suspicious men in baggy clothes matching their footsteps. Y/n nod and decided to quicken up the pace. Only to suddenly crashed into a man in a suit. His chest was slightly bare. Decorated with fake jewelry. Have his cheap cologne invaded her nose, she recoil away from him. Y/n could’ve sworn that he appeared out of nowhere. Y/n apologize and quickly walk around him. Only to be blocked by him.

”What’s the rush sweetheart. Acting like something is chasing ya heel.” he smirked

Something about him gives y/n bad vibes. something is off. ”I’m just trying to go home.” still trying to avoid him.

He laughs loudly. ”Home!? The night is still young, baby.” he grabs her chin to up at him. ” How about you and your friend can have some fun with me. I can show you a thing or two.” His tongue slithers out. Making y/n flesh crawl. Not wanting to show weakness, she pushed his hands off her face.

”Hell. No.”

Pushing away from him. Holding y/f close to her who is slightly sober but not enough to protect themselves. It seems that he didn’t like no for an answer. Grabbing y/f arm, pulling them back which cause y/n to fall back to him. Surrounded by him and two stalkers from earlier.

Laughing menacing,” Bitch, I’m not gonna let you get a chance.” he growled.

”Fuck I should have known.” she thought. They were working together all along. Stalking on their next prey and we just happen to fall into their trap. Y/f holds y/n closely. Afraid of being snatched away from y/n. They carefully slide pepper spray in y/n hand as the gangman slowly surround them. As the two baggy stalkers got close to y/n, she quickly sprayed them. Punching the other thug in the face while he was distracted. Resulting him to pass out. As the ringleader looks back at his crew in disbelief, y/n grab y/f hand and dashed down the street. All she can here was footsteps and the ringleader calling her a bitch. Dodging through alleys, hoping that she could avoid them that way.

 “Just remember what he taught you.” repeating in her head.

Y/n didn’t care if her heels is gonna make her fall against the concrete ground. All she cared about is getting her friend back home safe. Y/n feel a lump in her throat as run into a dead end. Hearing that same menacing, gut-wrenching laugh behind.

”Shit….” 

Her gut was right. They caught up with them. Y/n pushed her friend behind to protect them. They continue to stalk towards them.

”You sure are a tough cunt to pull that off. Now.” pulling his knife. ”Let’s try this again.” dragging the knife against her chest and up against her cheeks. The cold blade sending shivers down her spine. Still not wanting to show fear. 

“ If you ever get in trouble, NEVER show that you are afraid.They will use it against you and eat you alive.”

One the many lesson he taught y/n before he left. y/n was grateful for that.There where days when she had to defend for herself. But tonight was not one of those days. 

Snapping back to reality as the ringleader hovers near y/n ear.

”The boss dog will sure take a liken to you. What’s the harm of having a taste, first? Right?” he hummed. He low voice vibrate against her neck.

”Boss dog?” she thought. Looking down at his suit collar to see a pin that stuck out like a sore thumb. ” It can’t be.” she whispered. Before y/n put two and two together, a wet sensation of a tongue dragged across the side of y/n neck. Closing her eyes in disgust. Holding y/f hands tight for comfort. Wishing this nightmare would end. Feeling his tongue suddenly disappear away from her neck. The sound of shoes scuffing and bodies slamming against the concrete. Y/n carefully open her eyes to see the yakuza’s bruised and passed out of the ground. Above them was the somber man from earlier. Feeling the weight being lifted off her shoulder.

”You guys alright?” he walked carefully toward them.

Y/n let y/f out of her grasp. Comforting them and repeatedly apologizing. Sure they shaken up a bit but they reassured y/n they was fine. With a sigh a relief, she  still feel guilty for bringing them to this mess. y/n look at her now swollen fist. Lost a few nails. Luckily they was fake but sure hurts like hell.

”Yeah, we’re alright.” facing his direction. Surprise to see to have not a scratch on him. He must be really that tough she thought. 

Completely bowing to him. ”Thank you for helping us out. I wouldn’t know what would happen to us if you hadn’t shown up.”

He nodded”You should be careful out here. Should’ve known that alleyways can be the death of ya.”

Y/n shameful look away,” Tell me about.”

”Hey, how about I walk y'all home. Treat it as payback from the meal from earlier.”

”That’s why you look so familiar!!” y/f shouts.

They both looked at y/f sudden realization. Y/n chuckled, trying to ease the tension in the atmosphere.

”Sure” walking out the alley. Getting a good distance away from the yakuzas. ” Before we continue, I need to know your name.” He raised an eyebrow. “For safety reason.” Seeing him become hesitant, you decide to break the ice.

”I’m y/n and this is y/f.” raising her eyebrow at him.

”Suzuki.”

”Good!!” she chirped” Now let’s get going.”

    Saejima falls behind while the duo takes lead. Giving them space but close enough to follow them. Surprised on how cheerful and talkative y/n and her friend are. Despite what happened earlier. Noticing how shes being aware of her surroundings.

”Hey, Suzuki” y/n looked over her shoulder

Suddenly getting dragged into the conversation. ”hmm.”

”How the food taste? Did it taste alright?”

Rubbing the back of his head. “It tastes alright. Thanks for the offer.”

Giving him a tender smile in response. Being taken aback, he quickly looks away.

”Good. That what I usually eat when I feel sad or not feeling well.”

”Well, it looks like you need to cheer up more.” y/f laugh while poking at y/n waist.

” You know what!?” y/n yelled in defense. Try to hide the smile that crept on her face.

Saejima can’t help but sigh and smile a little from the funny interaction between the two friends. Of course, not leaving him from the conversation. As the continued from their walk, a black car with tinted windows slowly stops next to them. As the backseat window rolled down, a voice emerged from the car. The voice belonging to his oath-brother. A voice she all too familiar of. Quickly hide behind Saejima. Having her back pressed against his as she faked a phone call.

”Eyy,need a ride back home?” Majima yelled out of the car window. Basically dangling outside the car.

”I’m good. Have to walk them back home.” gesturing the group behind him.

” How bout this, I drop everyone back home.” Majima looking over Saejima shoulder.

Y/f looks at y/n for a response. Shaking her head and mouthing the word no.

”No, we’re good.” y/f peaked out from behind.

With a nod between the brothers. “Guess I see you later.” saejima shrugged  while putting his hands in his pocket.

“Have fun with your new lady friends!!” He cooed before he crawled back inside his car.

Saejima shakes his head in disappointment while y/n try to blend into the darkness. Watching the black car drive away, y/n step out of her makeshift hiding spot. “Only a couple of blocks away.” she thought. Looking over the buildings

“Thank you walking for walking us back home. But I think we got it from here.” Y/n said with a long bow.

First time being out and already been shown respect. Something that he’s not used to. Putting his hands back inside his pockets. ” Don’t sweat it. Just get home safe. No alleys this time.”

she laughed softly. Making his heart skipped a beat.

” I promise.” she smiled. With a quick bow from y/n and her friend, she continue to walk. Only to look back to wave him goodbye. Watching the duo disappeared into the darkness, he hopes that they make it back home safely. All he could think about was that girl smile. Shaking away his thoughts. Walking back to the opposite direction.

 “It’s a start.”