#decided to go in a slightly different direction since i figured most people are doing ss burya fics

[notanactressyayy]

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡

pairing . Natasha Romanoff x fem! reader

summary . two girls with a pure heart and the will to do the best things in the world, but forced to do the one they would never dream of doing.

warnings . red room, suicidal thoughts (lmk if i have to add more.)

notes . i'm sick, got a really bad flu — and those are somehow the only times i get inspiration to write (also when depressed <3) this one goes through red room era, so both Nat and reader are little. english is not my first language (🇧🇷) so i apologize for any spelling errors.

divider credits: @iwonbin, @iluvrei

your 'parents' had left. they went to the store, so the house was all yours. Natasha was curled up on the corner of the couch, watching intently the movie playing on the television screen. her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, eyes narrowing at the screen. you could tell she wasn't watching the movie. she was paying attention to the actors performance, how they expressed their emotion, how they behaved in front of the cameras.

"you'd want to be an actress?" you ask softly, making her jump slightly, breaking her trance.

"maybe." she simply replies, shrugging her shoulders. she sighs and leans back against the backrest, grabbing the remote and fidgeting with it. "you?"

"i think it would be fun." you giggle, eyebrows raising as a bunch of little scenarios played on your head. "not necessarily a movie star. just.. be able to show people how i actually feel, you know?"

Natasha hums, a small smile tugging on her lips. it was the one job that was the complete opposite from your daily life — that was what being a spy was like, hide your emotions, hide from people, hide hide hide. from everything. absolutely no one knew you — neither you did, since you had to change identities every year or so.

"i think, you could do absolutely anything you ever want to do." she says, pointing her finger at you. "if you become an actress, i will be in your every premiere, watch all your interviews, and be the first one to buy the tickets for your movies,"

you laugh, playfully slapping her finger away. "you smartass,"

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

silence filled the house as everybody went to sleep, except for you and Natasha, of course. you always stayed awake late, even if one of the rules was go to sleep at 8:30pm. you both jumped out of bed quietly and hurried to open the blinds, so you could see the starry sky.

"do they really think we're asleep?" you inquire with a smirk, sitting down on the cold tile floor and patting the space between your legs.

Natasha sits down with you and carefully leans her weight against you, her head on your chest. "if you keep shouting like that they might figure it out."

you shake your head at her sarcasm and chuckle. your eyes drift to her hair, the pink strands illuminated by the moonlight. you carefully grab a few of them and begin braiding them. "when are you going to Ohio?"

and when she was about to relax, you ask the most inconvenient question in the most inconvenient time. why did you have to bring up that? Ohio was not a mission like this one — she'd meet other widows, future widows, you weren't gonna be there. and she didn't want to be away from you.

you notice how she stays silent, and decide not to push. you finish the two little braids on her short hair and coaxes her head back to your chest, arms wrapping around her.

"do you think," Natasha begins, quietly, as if this was a topic she'd like to avoid. she gulps, eyes locked on the twinkling stars. "do you think we would be happier if we weren't here?"

the question wasn't direct, but you understood perfectly. being a normal girl meant never being in the red room, which meant never meeting each other. that was a tough one, but the answer was obvious.

"yeah," you nod, shrugging, pondering. "you know, Natalia? i think that even if we were born in different families, somehow the universe would find a way for us to meet."

she smiles, feeling a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest. something rare. something that didn't happen often. it quickly faded, but she appreciated that. "i hope so. because right now? i'd throw myself down this window if i could."

"so would i," you chuckle humorlessly. the life of a widow would never end up with joy, you both knew what you were submitted to.

she shifts her body, pulling her head back a little to look in your eyes. she didn't have to speak for you to understand. gratitude, longing, pain. "moya malenkaya zvezdochka, (my little star),"

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

"we're leaving!" you yell, a smile on your face as you watched Natasha finish adjusting her white dress. she wore black chucks and her hair was down. out of every style she ever played, this was the one you most liked. dresses.

"where are you going?" your 'mom' asks, her smile widening as she sees her daughters all dressed up.

"just riding our bikes!" you answer, putting your hair up on a ponytail and putting your shoes on. "we're not going too far, promise!"

"okay! come back before five!" the woman answers as you run out of the house, grabbing your bikes and hopping on them.

"—back before five," Natasha mimicks her with a silly face and a high pitched voice, coaxing a laugh out of you. "we know mom. you tell us that every freaking day."

and with that, you both go pedalling to downtown, which was yes, a little too far from home. Italy was very beautiful, sunny, full of joyful people around. sometimes you hated that. Natasha suddenly stops as you pass through a little flower shop. it was tiny, and the grandpa behind the counter seemed kind.

"would Natalia like to receive a flower bouquet today?" you try a rough voice, which made her laugh. you hop out of the bike and run in the store.

"ciao, bambina! (hi, little one!)" the man exclaims, his happiness almost surprising you.

"hey!" you match his good humor and point at a colorful bouquet on a basket. "how much for these?"

"these are 50 euros, but for you, young lady, i can make.. 49!" he laughs, grabbing the bouquet and carefully handing it to you.

you raise an eyebrow at the joke, grabbing the coins from your pocket and placing them on the counter. after he counts everything, you don't even say goodbye before running to Natasha again.

"here you go, malyshka, (sweetheart)," you politely bow and hand her the flowers, feigning chivalry. it seemed stupid, but her smile seemed way too genuine for your liking.

she grabs the bouquet and smell the flowers, a small tear runs down her cheek, which she quickly wipes away. "thank you,"

you nod, a little heat creeping up your cheeks. you would never receive flowers, neither from a romantic partner, nor a relative — that was for sure, so you did it, even if it wasn't real.

oh, how much she wanted to say the three forbidden words right now.

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

it was raining, heavily.

the time was approaching. the time..

the time for the Sicily mission was almost over. general Dreykov, along with his soldiers would soon be there to retreat you, just like the police. it was always like that.

"come on!" Natasha calls, extending her hand for you as she steps out of the house. "we got to go,"

"gonna get a cold, Natalia," you laugh, grabbing her hand and stepping out as well. you immediately got drenched in water, shivering from the coldness.

"are you scared?" she mocks, shaking her head.

pink droplets of pink hair dye fell down the concrete ground, a colorful contrast of what it used to be. her hair would soon be blue. you didn't like that.

"where are we going?" you ask, running with Natasha as she took off the yard, leaving the household.

"anywhere," she yells back to you, running across the sidewalk, as you followed behind. you rolled your eyes slightly, shrugging.

as you ran, the cacophony of the city could soon be heard. probably your parents would realize you weren't home and call the cops or something. but that didn't matter. not when you were both trained spies. you found a small park — which was empty due the rain — and sat on one of the benches.

"i don't know if we'll meet again after this," you say quietly, finger traveling upwards to tuck a strand of pink behind her ear. "you're going to America. i'm returning to Asia. and the chance of us being paired up again is so small—"

"i love you," she interrupts, voice weak and almost tired. "gosh, i always wanted to tell you that."

your eyes widen, a mixture of foreign emotions filling your being at her confession. "i love you, too,"

"when we grow up, i'll marry you." she smiles, scooting closer. "and we'll live a happy life. we'll have a picket fence and a birdhouse. we'll have a cat and a dog and probably adopt a kid,"

tears run down your cheeks, blending with the rain droplets. you nod, wrapping your arms tightly around her neck, a hug she quickly returned.

"chertovski nespravedlivyy mir, (goddamn unfair world,)" you murmur against her skin, pulling back to look into her eyes.

"it is," she agrees, placing her palm on your cheek. "it's ironic. i'm glad you're here with me. but i don't want you to. i don't want either of us to be here."

"but we are," you whisper, taking a quick glance to the people around, seeing their gaze almost burning you. "that's how life is, i guess."

and with that, you and Natasha lost each other — having to cling to the memories, to the small comfort they brought.

because a widow never had a happy ending.

to be continued..?

[rinneroraito]

Candy Man

Seated at one of the benches, gripping my phone with both hands on my lap, my accessories clinking together as I fidgeted. Couples continued to walk past me, oblivious to anything else besides each other. I sighed.

February 14, 2016, 2:46 pm. Sunday at a park. And on Valentine's Day, nonetheless.

Forty-six minutes have passed since our scheduled time to meet. My “date” hasn’t arrived yet. He hasn’t responded to the message I sent him fifteen minutes ago. Nor to the other messages I sent him before I even got here. He hasn’t picked up my calls either, and it took all of my strength to try calling him, my hands shaking as I did. I figured I’d give him a little more time, he could have been in an emergency and had no time to answer me but..

No.

No… Face it Rinne. He bailed out on you. Stop making excuses for people. Why do you do this to yourself?

I stared into the crowd of people walking past me, not really focusing on anything, just gazing at nothing. The background fades into a blur as I entertain my thoughts and a hand comes up to my mouth on instinct, squeezing my cheeks together in an attempt to collect my thoughts.

What went wrong this time? Was I too forward? Did they actually come here, see me and decided I wasn’t worth the shot? Was it my outfit that looks nothing like what I wear on my personal social media? Was this experiment even worth it? That if I presented myself differently compared to my social media, I can gauge how interested they are to pursue a relationship with me? Wait, it’s reasonable, right? Not everyone even actually posts all of their pictures on the internet. And these are the usual clothes I wear when I feel like spending time and effort to look how I like… Why are they not here? I thought things were going well. We talked about and planned this date a week ago and…

Out of the blur of the background a heart-shaped lollipop meticulously held up by someone’s thumb and forefinger comes into view and I snap back into focus, not even realizing I’ve been staring into space, zoning out.

I blink a few times, looking up from the hand with which the candy extended out of and I see a young man wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans, with wide piercing dark eyes set on a pale face. His thick hair stuck out on the ends and it shifted ever so slightly as he leaned towards my direction. I was so taken aback by his motion that I just noticed how he had dark shadows under his eyes when I looked up at him again.

“Hi, I saw you staring and judging by the way you're holding on to your phone anticipating a reply, you look like you could use something sweet.”

My mouth hangs open as he speaks in an oddly monotonous cadence.

“I was- Pardon?”

“Sugar is known to boost one’s mood due to the fact that consuming it increases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates it. Please, I insist.” He reaches the candy out to me again, beckoning me to take it. I gingerly bring my hand up towards him to hold the candy by the stick. Once he was sure that I had a firm grip on it, he lets go and proceeds to take the space on the bench right beside me. But he doesn’t sit. He leaves his sneakers on the ground and brings his feet up on the bench, his knees pressed against his chest. Then, he takes something out of his pocket, another confectionery? Oh, fruit roll-ups. Strawberry fruit roll-ups. He daintily shreds the wrapper open using only his thumb and forefinger on each hand and proceeds to take a bite out of it.

I caught myself staring and tried to recover my senses by twirling the heart-shaped lollipop as I held it. “Um, thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome,” he answers while chewing. “There was a man giving them out to people who didn’t come with a date.”

“Ouch,” My brow furrows in pained amusement. “Adding salt to the wound, aren’t you?”

“Just stating the facts. Most people would have been offended by me pointing out their companionless state but you seem to be taking it well.”

Staring at the candy I received, I replied.

“What good would it do to me if I got offended by it? I’m already quite frustrated with today’s events, I don’t feel like entertaining another negative emotion.” I turn towards him and find him scanning me from head to toe, the fruit roll-up hanging by his lips as he chews the rest of it up to his mouth.

“I can see how your fashion sense could intimidate men with a lower IQ,” he speaks as he chews.  “You should filter your dating pool better.”

“Perceptive, I see. I guess I was being obvious,” I chuckled. “Trust me, it’s filtered enough. Although this time, I did try to cast my net a little wider by considering seeing someone recommended to me by a friend.”

“So, I am right. You got stood up by your date.”

A laugh escapes my lips as I turn to my side to look at him. “Yea, you are. And on Valentine’s Day of all days, too.”

“How very unfortunate. I suppose your date lacked the integrity to carry through the plans you’ve previously made and have agreed on.” He takes the rest of the fruit roll up out of the wrapper and pops it into his mouth. “If I may be bold, I’d say you’ve dodged a bullet.”

“I suppose I have. Hold up, I’m going to block them now.” I put the lollipop in my mouth so I could use both of my hands to scroll through my phone and block the guy. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I thought to myself. Oh wow, that’s a strong strawberry flavor.

“A good decision. I firmly believe that sincerity is essential between two people who plan to pursue a relationship with each other. If one cannot reciprocate nor hold themselves accountable for their errors, it’s just going to cause problems in the long run. It’s only rational.”

“It is, it is,” I say with the lollipop in my mouth, removing it so I could say more. “ Are you here just to see the sights? You don’t strike me as a person who has a date.” I teased.

“There’s plenty of limited-edition candy during the celebration of Valentine’s Day. I, for one, am fond of all the strawberry flavored confections and how they come in more interesting shapes. That is all.”

“You sure do like sweets, huh?” I looked at the heart shaped lollipop on my hand. “And yeah, you’re right,  there are more ways to spend Valentine’s Day than just going out on a date.”

He stared at me with his keen, dark eyes and even though they were quite intense, I couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Again, thank you for this! And uh, just to be clear, I wasn’t staring at you. I was zoning out.”

He seemed to be surprised with this confession, evident by the slight widening of his eyes, like he raised his eyebrows that were somehow… nonexistent? Huh…

“Oh, is that so? And here I thought you were staring at me out of your lonesomeness and jarring lack of confectionery despite it being Valentine’s. Forgive me for imposing and taking your time.”

“No, no! Don’t worry about it, in fact…”

The heart shaped candy glistens as I twirl the stick between my fingers, a smile playing on my lips as I purse them together before I continue my thought.

“This has, indeed, boosted my mood. Thank you so much.” I looked back at the strange, yet charming young man, beaming at him. His sharp eyes, accentuated with the shadows under them, seemed to relax as he stared at me in response, now with a thumb pressed to his lips.

“You know, it’s such a shame your date didn’t proceed with his decision to go out with you today. I would date you.”

The way he said something quite sweet in such a monotonous voice caused me to laugh, my shoulders bouncing in glee.

“Why thank you, but I think I’m gonna spend the rest of this day with a friend. I’m closing my dating book for now at least. Although…” I pressed the back of my fingers to my chin.

“I am compelled to give you something back for this lollipop.”

“You are? Hmm… I actually wouldn’t mind receiving anything of equal value.”

I twirled the heart-shaped lollipop between my fingers for a moment, thinking of what to give to him. Of course, giving him money would be weird and would make our encounter awfully transactional, so I figured I could do the next best thing.

Smoothing out my skirt I got up from my side of the bench and walked over to him. He kept his eyes trained on me the entire time, his thumb still pressed to his lips.

It was honestly adorable seeing his mostly impassive demeanor break slightly when I laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

When I pulled away, I realized my lipstick wasn’t as “transfer-proof” as advertised, leaving a bright red kiss mark on his pale cheek. He sits sort of frozen in place wide-eyed as he brings a hand up to where I kissed him.

“Oh, shoot, and it was supposed to be transfer-proof… Oh well, at least now you'll give everyone else who sees you today the impression that you weren't lonely on Valentine's,” I chuckled.

“Are you sure I can’t take you out to dinner?”

He asks, his expression seemingly more excited.

“It’s fine, really. Besides, I got a friend I have to call and demand an apology from since she was the one that recommended I go on a date with the guy.”

I bring my free hand up to my face, squeezing my cheeks together as I take a deep breath.

“You know, if things were different, I would go out with you.”

“You would?”

“Yea, I would. Maybe if we meet again next time.”

His eyes light up at my statement and as I was about to add more to what I just said, my phone rings.

“Oh shoot, that’s the friend I just mentioned. Anyway, thanks again for keeping me company.”

I smile and wave the candy at him before popping it into my mouth to answer my phone, walking away.

“Hikari,” I greeted the caller, taking the lollipop out of my mouth again to talk to the caller. 

“So I guess you found out he bailed on me?... You knew from the start??? Then-”

Resisting the urge to yell at the phone, I inhaled deeply then looked at the heart-shaped lollipop on my hand.

“You’re lucky there was someone kind enough to…”

My eyes widened as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

 “Oh holy shit, I never asked what his name was!”

By the time I turned around to look where I came from to at least get a glimpse of where he was headed, there was no trace of him. I had already walked a considerable distance, too. The caller’s voice snaps me back to the conversation and to the heart-shaped lollipop on my other hand.

“Sorry, I’m still here. Don’t worry,  I’ll tell you about a ‘Candy Man’ when we meet.”

[nevernonline]

could i have (ot13 if comfortable but if not 95z and/or 96z) reaction to 14th member!reader debuting in a famous girl group aswell as being in svt, and how they would react if reader was to perform a "sexy" song during an award show <3

hi!! thank yew sm for the rec! they ended up getting LONG im so sorry, so I did everyone thru hoshi for now. if you want the rest pls come back to me lol. please enjoy, I hope you like it!! xo.

svt reactions to member and their gg doing a sexy debut concept:

seungcheol: 

You decided to keep your new debut song as a secret from the rest of the boys. A little bit because you figured they’d roast you and a little bit because you were afraid of Seungcheol's reaction to the semi-skimpy outfit you were wearing. Behind the stage you caught a small glimpse of the monitor and noticed the members sitting just directly to the right of the performance stage, a perfect spot to see you in full view. Seungcheol was somewhat of an authority figure to you and ever since you could remember he was the one you wanted to impress the most. The sound of your in-ear kicked in and a stage direction came through it was time to take your place under the bright red lights donning the arena. Out of the corner of your eye you watched as he and the rest of the group clapped wildly while the music came over the speakers. You and your red lace tights, with a matching mini dress, and black garter began the carefully practiced movements. Seungcheol’s smile fell less and less as you continued your performance, not for the reason people thought, well maybe a little. He had never seen you like that, sexy and confident parading around in a dress that just slightly covered your butt. When the night was over you headed back to your room, he was sitting waiting for you outside. Just a subtle finger wave pulled you over to him and he confessed something through his clenched jaw. You looked too good for him to handle himself and that he wanted to be the only person who got to take you home, his jealousy got the better of him that night, but he knows now you only belonged to him.

jeonghan: 

When Jeonghan found out you were debuting in a new unit he felt a little welcome of the green monster inside of him, not because you were moving on or moving up, whatever, but because he wasn’t the one controlling all of your attention anymore. You made new friends, you were off spending all of your nights practicing, getting a new hairstyle, clothes, a new life almost. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been over the moon happy for you, but that he just missed you. The days before your debut showcase, you sent a text to all the members an invitation to come watch the show, everyone replied, besides Jeonghan. It was weird to you, like, you weren’t sure the exact reasons he wouldn’t respond. He was still posting on instagram, weverse, going to work with the rest of the boys, but avoiding you. When the day finally came you saw the smiling faces of twelve of your friends in the crowd, missing the prettiest face of them all. You took your marks lying down on the floor, feeling your adrenaline rushing in your veins. As the saxophone started your hips left their original position on the floor and your head raised up greeted with the familiar lips of Jeonghan, smirking in your face. You felt the blood in your body boil, forcing you to hit the sultry choreography even harder than you normally would. Essentially showing off for him, grinding your hips fully into the movement, never leaving his gaze. After the showcase was over you and your members were all in the greenroom celebrating, when a knock came onto the door. A bouquet of flowers with a small pink note sticking out of them. ‘Down for a private showcase and an apology? 8:00pm at my place. Please come.’ - JH.

joshua:

When it came to you Joshua was just a little awkward, he never knew how to relate to you, not that he didn’t want to, it was just that you were fundamentally different. The members were asked to react for your group's YouTube channel to your new music video to a new title track called ‘What would you do?’ The concept was based around a girl having too many options for her next boyfriend after her ex was too jealous to keep her around. The reactions from the rest of the group were explosive and loud as they watched you and your members flirting with different guys in outfits that left basically nothing to the imagination. There was a moment in the music video that had him side eyeing the group around him, cheering you on as you kissed a random extra on the mouth, before he stripped you of your button down t-shirt. The feeling in his stomach was something he never felt towards you before. Suddenly he felt like that video was a message, Joshua was always jealous of the amount of male attention you had gotten, especially from outside people who you didn’t even know. He always tried to protect you from the gaze of them or their advances towards you. He realized how much he related to your on screen boyfriend, the one who wasn’t sure how to handle their partner getting a little too much attention from other sources and not enough from them, but he never made it clear that he felt that way and it wasn’t fair that he could be so filled with envy when you’re just doing your job. When the black screen came on the laptop, you asked the seventeen members their thoughts, Joshua stayed pretty quiet, just agreeing with the praises from everyone else. As the room became more empty he took a chance to come over to you and tell you his own thoughts without the camera rolling or other ears listening in. He admitted his jealousy and the reasons why he has been awkward around you as of late. It’s because he wanted you badly, but he was too shy until now to say it. 

jun: 

You and Jun had been secretly dating for over a year, it was easy to do. I mean mostly everyone saw you together twenty-four-seven anyway. You’ve been best friends at the company since you both got your contracts. Two friends who didn’t speak each other's languages but were willing to learn and grow together. When you got the invitation to debut in a new group outside of him, he was ecstatic for you, celebrating all the hard work you both put in for many years. It wasn’t hard telling him everything about what you and the rest of the girls were practicing and working on, you constantly showed him clips and had him listen to recordings from your debut EP you had been working on. One night you and Jun were sitting on the floor of your dorm, looking through the work you both had to do for the coming days when he came across a new file of your dance practice. He spotted you right away, tight white tank top and short denim shorts, your long socks pulled up past your knees. Before pressing play he flipped the screen of the ipad toward you with a menacing look on his face, basically begging for you to come clean about this particular video. He knew the concept of your group was not childish like girl crush or high schoolers, but he didn’t expect it to be so, what did he call it? Dirty? You prompted him to press play and he did multiple times over.

soonyoung:

Soonyoung wasn't used to you asking for help, especially with dance. But when you called him for help he was happy to oblige you and give you any advice you needed, you booked out a studio space, a room with dark colored walls and sultry lighting, soonyoung had come before you to warm up and mess around with some choreography on his own. The padlock of the door buzzed, revealing you in an oversized hoodie covering the tight pair of shorts underneath. Your hair was down, you had no makeup on, but you were accompanied by the singular black bar chair you dragged in your hand behind you. “Soony, hi. Thank you for coming.” Soonyoung greeted you and ran up to your side, helping you with your bag and the ominous chair. “I’m shocked you needed my help.” You shake your head, knowing exactly where he was coming from, but he was your only hope of getting comfortable with your new concept. Someone brave and not shy when it came to performing. “Once you see what it is, maybe you’ll think differently.” The bright screen of your laptop ignited between you as you pressed play to watch your performance leader and the choreographer dancing a passionate partner dance, involving that very black chair the male had been confused about before. “You guys are doing this?” You just shook your head yes pressing pause on the rest of the video where your male counterpart will exit the stage. “If you don’t want to help it’s okay, I get it.” Soonyoung pressed himself up off the ground, and grabbed your hands indicating he was willing to help. “No, I do. Come on.” He remembered all the times you were shy of physical touch, except from him. As you worked on the dance you had gotten closer and closer, his hands rested on your lower back as you twirled your body around the chair, ending with a moment of you straddling his thighs before the ending of his part where he picks you up for a partner lift, holding your barely clothes butt in his hands. He couldn’t imagine you getting the opportunity to do this with anybody else, not to mention in front of a crowd of people and many more online. As your body slid it’s way down his and you tried to break contact to walk and stop the music, he couldn’t let go. 

[sensgrave]

"How the hell did cupid get bullets?"

I really appreciate the love I got on the prologue, and decided to add in some extra stuff to it rather than a timeskip. As I said, this is going to be a really slow burn.

Prologue 1 here.

Prologue part 2? - 1.3k, SFW - plans for reader x graves (though I may write side drabbles if desired), I'm hoping to try and ramp up the quality. MDNI, zero tolerance for minors being around - nothing particularly triggering, swearing I guess? I've indented dialogue to make it easier to read, since I figured colours would be a bit too distracting. Don't feed my work to AI, yadda yadda. Also I figured I'd start chucking a different gofundme per chapter in this section, just as a little fun positive thing. I've picked this one today.

You walk along the aisle, taking a seat that’s facing towards the closed cockpit. Buckling yourself in, you feel the vibrations of the cabin door slamming shut, the small ding of the seatbelt sign, and the rumble of the engine coming to life. Looking out below, you see the area you once called home become smaller and smaller. Trees turned to twigs as the plane slowly began to ascend into the sky.

You walk along the aisle, taking a seat that’s facing towards the closed cockpit. Buckling yourself in, you feel the vibrations of the cabin door slamming shut, the small ding of the seatbelt sign, and the rumble of the engine coming to life. Looking out below, you see the area you once called home become smaller and smaller. Trees turned to twigs as the plane slowly began to ascend into the sky. A short while later, you’re able to take off your seatbelt. Walking towards you was the only other passenger besides the pilot. The driver walks up to you, boasting a folder with a simple iconography, featuring a rook inside a spade. Really? Putting the pieces together, someone thought they were being clever and symbolic – but it came off kinda smug and pretentious. Despite that, it still felt slightly clever enough to briefly humour you.

“This is just some preparation that’s been organised for you. I’d suggest looking through it, it’s pretty much your itinerary for the next few days. Has a bit of extra paperwork too, if you chose to continue beyond the interview. Also, a rough layout of what areas are strictly relevant to you. Venturing into other places without the proper clearance is generally cause for alarm, and you’ll likely get your ass handed to you. If you’re lucky, it’ll be verbal – so I’d also suggest keeping that on you.”

What the fuck does he mean by THAT? Maybe it’s governmental work?

“Doesn’t it seem a bit silly to give me a map if it’s such a top secret layout?”

“You’re not a threat at this point in time.”

Ouch.

It was a feeling that could only be described as ‘ominous embarrassment’. This is the most you’ve spoken to the driver from earlier, and finally take in his appearance. Average height, with a lean build. There’s some medium length locks framing his face, parted down the middle. He looks down at you, with an expression so lacking you’d think he’d never experienced an emotion. Brown eyes, but he’s wearing clear contacts. You wonder how he’d look with glasses. As he speaks, you notice a slight stubble – and a pair of very neatly manicured brows furrowing in your direction.

“Well?”

Fuck. Wasn’t listening.

“Oh I agree completely.”

There we go, saved it.

“So, you agree you might have questions?”

Goddammit.

He lets out a small chuckle, eyes slightly crinkling at the corners with a faint hint of a smile. Thank god, he’s amused. Making a terrible first impression on the people around this company is not the way to go. Considering the perks so far, you find yourself increasingly nervous for the interview – the desire to actually be able to do your placement here grows, adding to the pressure. He’s in a basic black suit, with a slightly stuffy black tactical vest over the top. A small, embroidered strip of grey fabric sits across the left of his chest, reading ‘Smithstone 1-4’ just above his breast pocket. He takes a seat in the chair across from you. Finally coming back to earth again, you ponder on anything you might potentially want to know.

“So… what kind of deal is this? You guys working for the government?” – the most obvious question. He shifts slightly in his seat, answering with a simple “Something like that.”

Alright, not great in terms of detail – but it’s at least something. You press further.

“Why the big plane?”

“Boss uses it for a few things already, mostly meetings and other stuff. He figured it was simpler putting you in it, rather than dealing with anything commercial.” He answers, very matter-of-factly. “We’re not typically a first choice, so we don’t get many applicants. Most students have us as a backup, not as the main option. So forgive us, this is a little new for everyone involved.”

Huh.  job’s turned from creepy, back to intriguing.

“D’you like working here?” You wonder, figuring if he’s been put in charge of you, he’s probably a safe bet on getting a feel for this place.

“It’s good. Can’t complain. We’ve got great benefits, a decent salary, and a pretty good work-life balance. The only catch is the life part. You do get space to do stuff on your own time, but we’re all kind of restricted in how much movement we can make. You’ve typically gotta stay in the nearby area, and there’s not much around in most places we go. The work certainly tests you though.” It seems promising, the words sounding genuine. “Any more questions?”

This is another question I absolutely should’ve asked earlier. I hope it doesn’t sound rude.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh. Probably should’ve introduced myself. I’m Jessie, but we usually just go by last names. It’s not mandatory though, just how the vibe is.”

Jessie Smithstone, huh?

“Well, it’s been nice to meet you, Jessie.”

“Nice to meet you too.” He responds, running a hand through his hair. He figures it’s time to leave you to read through the folder on your own, accepting the hint to move to a different chair without you even noticing. Seems like the employees have pretty good instincts.

The documentation is some standard non-disclosure agreements, just not to talk about where you’re going, where you’re interviewing, what you’re interviewing for, not to discuss anything heard (or overhead) while you are present, and the potential ramifications for doing so. There is a footnote with these at least, ‘If you require assistance in understanding these, we do have legal advice available to help you go over this contract.’ – that’s nice at least. Care certainly has been put into fully understanding what you’re getting yourself into, but you’ve yet to be enlightened on what the fuck is this kind of company?

The rest of the documents is as Jessie said – a map labelled with any landmarks you may need to find your way across the large… building? It couldn’t really be called that. It’s almost like a compound. There are quite a few sections shaded off, with a key in the corner explaining that these sections are restricted. Each relevant point of interest is labelled with a star, and several paths are outlined between these sections – providing you a set of routes for wherever you needed to go and where you absolutely shouldn’t. An itinerary explains where you’ll be staying, in a small set of quarters, at the west wing of one of the buildings. You’ll be touching down, unpacking, and being given a tour before dinner. After that, you’ve got a few hours to do what you wish around the place – or choose to go to bed. The next day will be your interview, starting at midday – and deliberation will occur in the afternoon. You’ll be given the outcome on whether there’s a contract to potentially accept, or having to go home. You’ve still got the option of declining the contract, but that’s been put off the table. This could be the opportunity of a lifetime, and ‘No.’ isn’t an option for you. Not out of lack of choice, but out of want. The seatbelt fastening sign dings to life, as the pilot explains you’ll be landing shortly.

[silly-inky]

First meeting

So I've writien a short booigi fic to go along with this after, the first part of it is after the art, I hope you like it (^^)

The fic ⬇️

Word count: 2028

Mario decided to visit Island Delfino again despite what happened last time, Peach unfortunately wasn't able to come this time due a very full schedule, but this meant he could instead bring his amazing twin brother Luigi who declined last time because he didn't want to be stuck third wheeling the couples vacation. They are both looking forward to a much needed brake.

But unfortunately their bad luck strikes again, and who decides to go on a vacation at the same time to the same place? Why our dear scaly friend Bowser of course. Now this is also a vacation for him so although he's pissed he has to be around Mario and Luigi, he has no intention of doing any evil on his stay. This does not mean he suddenly turns into a more polite person however.

Mario wants to stay at the Casino this time round since he enjoys a good bit of gambling every now and then, and if he has Luigi with him, he at least has a good chance at winning in a few games of poker, and he is able to get himself a good discount from the owner himself for a fun battle last time and helping to deal with Bowser and his antics yet again.

Bowser was actually banned from most places on the island because of his troublemaking, including the Casino itself, but Bowser decided to Bully himself into the establishment. He was being rude and shouting at the poor workers, pushing through crowds and generally being a mennace, so after Mario and Luigi have situated themselves in their rooms, they decide to go down and deal with Bowser

Mario is much more direct and tells Bowser that he doesn't want to start a fight but he needs to stop being an ass to the workers and to quit scaring people off, Bowser with his infamously short tempor quickly looses his cool and deicides to start a fight anyways.

Luigi not wanting any of that to happen, grabs onto Bowser's tail before the Koopa can try and land a punch on Mario and spins him around. Not hard, but just enough to throw him off balance and ends up falling to floor. Luigi is now between him and Mario.

this has pissed Bowser off even more and now goes for Luigi, chasing after him. Luigi runs off with Bowser in hot pursuit, Mario tells the staff to get the bouncers while he chances after them, but Luigi and Bowser being the two faster ones out of the three, he struggles to keep up and falls behind.

After running around for a while, Luigi manages to slip into the restaurant area before Bowser could see where he went, in a panic Luigi slips into the first seemingly available booth he can find before Bowser comes in looking for him.

However, In his haste to get onto the slightly larger than normal seat, he didn’t notice the man who was sat across from him until he turned his head around when he figured he was in the clear for the moment.

Sat across from him was a very big man, no, not just big, he was a giant, he could have easily been as tall, if not taller than Princess Rosalina who was a proud 7’7. He was wide too, his sheer size was intimidating to say the least, but his appearance didn’t really play into that, he proudly wore a Hawaiian shirt completely open exposing his stomach and chest with two big gold chains hung around his neck.

His hair was long and half was loosely tied back in a bun, parts wrapping around his ears and framing his face, it was a lovely pale pink with streaks of white shining though.

On top of his head was a crown encrusted with lovely red gems which insinuated he was a royal from somewhere, but with how he was currently dressed, it didn’t exactly scream royalty to Luigi. But even with the mismatch of jewelry and clothes, the man somehow managed to pull it off the look.

His face somewhat reminded him of King Boo’s but his eyes where much different and surrounded by blue, not to mention he was happily out in the sunlight not looking uncomfortable at all with the lights. He looked to be a very laid back individual, although he did look to be just a little startled by his surprise visitor.

“Umm, heeeyyyy there..?? You doing alright my guy?” The man asked, a twinge of concern lacing his voice, it wasn’t as deep as Luigi was expecting, it was actually quite smooth and welcoming

“Oh my stars, I’m so sorry! I was trying to hide from someone and I didn’t relize anyone was sat here- I was in a bit of a rush! I-I’ll leave, I’m sorry for disturbing you sir-" luigi stumbled out an apology feeling mortified, but as he started to shift to get out of the seat, he was stopped by the other

"Woah! Slow down dude, just sit there for a minute okay? Take a breather. Are you alright?" the man reassured Luigi, gesturing to stay seated while he peared out to see if he could spot any culprit that could have been after this very distressed itallian

"I'm alright, just trying to hide, having to deal with that guy is a pain sometimes, I just wanted to relax for once.." Luigi sighed, calming down a bit

"Do I need to call security? when i deal with someone physically it can turn south pretty quick so that Amy not be the best option" the man nervously chuckled at his comment, scanning Luigi's face to try and get a read on him

"No no, I think it will be fine, I'm good at blending into crowds so I should be able to hide somewhat easily, but he's a guy that isn't exactly easy to throw out of places, I wouldn't trouble yourself about Sir, really. he'll calm down soon enough and head somewhere else"

"You'd be surprised with the guys we have to throw out of here, and second, no need for all this 'sir' stuff, you can just call me Sunny. But seriously if you need him gone, we'll make it happen, no matter how big this guy is" Sunny reassured

Sunny definitely suited the man, he seemed to be a big ball of sunshine, but again a bit informal for someone he assumed to be royal

".. How well do you think you'll be able to handle King Bowser?" Luigi asked nervously

"Seriously?! That guy is back again?? I thought I told the staff not to let that damn lizzard back in here after the last damn time, that Mario guy had to come in here and sort all of that out" Sunny complained, not seeming to be intimidated by the mention of Bowser at all

"Told the staff? Do you run a business here? And uhh.. Bowser sort of shoved his way in here, the staff didn't have much of a chance, me and my brother called him out for it along with some other things and he got cross with me" Luigi questioned

"A business? This whole place is my business, I'm the owner of the casino, and now he's being rude to my staff?? I'm going to teach him a lesson. Did he hurt you at all? He better not have! " he started to get up to search for Bowser

"No! Bowser didn't hurt me, not this time anyways, your staff are fine thankfully, he wasn't really causing much of an issue, and I'm sure your bouncers can handle it, plus my brother is here, I don't want you to get hurt Mr Sunny" Luigi grabbed a hold of the man's arm and pulled him back into the booth

The man wanted to argue back but stopped when he saw how distressed the other man was

"Alright... But you stay here until I know for certain he's gone alright? I'll tell the staff to keep me in the loop. But what is your brother going to do?? "

"Ah! Uhh- my brother- he's- my brother is Mario" Luigi struggled to get out what he wanted to say

"Mario is your brother?? It makes so much sense now, ha! I thought you looked familiar, you guys look so similar, you're much cuter tho" Sunny laughed

"So that would make you Luigi right? He told me about you last time, glad to finally be able to put a face to the name, he said you would freak out if you met me"

"Why would i freak out??" Luigi asked. A little flustered at the compliment. Why would he be scared of this guy?? Sure he was big but he didn't seem scary at all, in fact he was actually more nervous because he was a bit attracted to the man

"Well, you see I'm one of the King Boo's? I know I don't exactly look like a normal Boo, but I can assure you I am one" Sunny said slowly, trying to not freak Luigi out. From what Mario has heard last time, and what the other Kings have told him, Luigi doesn't do great around ghosts, to be fair, neither does Mario.

"Ah... " Luigi sat there for a moment, processing the information

He just looked between Sunny and the table gathering his composure, he was hoping with all his might that Sunny wasn't about to attack him with any hidden frames or lightning bolts or something.

"Well.. You don't seem evil..?" Luigi winced

"Pfft, of course not, I mean I know I don't exactly have the best morals and stuff, but I'm not going around trapping people in paintings, too much effort, I prefer to sit around and eat or just chill in the sun" Sunny replied

Luigi seemed relieved with that response. Sunny mostly spoke for the next few minutes, hoping to get Luigi to calm down and trust him while he got a few good jokes in, Luigi wasn't a big talker anyways unless it came to special interest of his.

"well I appreciate this, I haven't been able to sit down and rest all day, I'm so thirsty, thank you for letting me sit here with you again" sighed out

"don't mention it, I don't usually have people coming down to sit with me, it's a nice treat. Hey wait! I have an idea if your down?" He looked between his food which had been sat beside him this whole time, and Luigi

"an idea?" Luigi asked

"well if you want, we can share my smoothie? I always get a very large cause (Pat's stomach) yo mans likes to eat, but it's meant for the couples and all that crap, so they always give me an extra straw" Sunny chuckles as he reaches for the extra straw he put to the side

"really?? You wouldn't mind that? " Luigi sputtered, a bit flushed

"nah dude, don't worry I don't have any germs to contaminate the drink with" he chuckled "plus it ain't like I'm gonna starve (hands Luigi the straw) it's nice to actually be able to use it for once. Just between you and me, I think the staff here keep giving it to me thinking it'll incourage me to bring in a date

Luigi taking a sip of the smoothie "oh that's really good- wait, so do you think they will assume we are on a date??"

"pfft, who knows, maybe it'll turn into a real date, who am i to turn down a handsome guy who isn't scared to share a meal with me" Sunny winked

"well you haven't asked me out yet" Luigi nervously chuckled

well we are literally drinking from the same cup at the same time" he takes a sip while Luigi is doing so to to add emphasis "I mean, what else you want me to say? (gently grabs Luigi's hand) Luigi, would you like to turn this into a date~?" he laughs and let's go of Luigi's hand " I joke I joke" he smirks at the very flustered look on Luigi's face

---------------------------------------------

And that's all I have for now, I may make this into an actual fic, who knows ✨

@skulls-soul @brosif40

[lanitalay]

Supernatural

Azriel Supernatural AU x reader

Summary: In which you encounter a couple of hunters during a case. 

A/N: I've been rewatching supernatural and i just love it. This is based on the early seasons. Hopefully the ACOTAR and Supernatural fandoms overlap.

Warnings: mentions of blood and death, nothing descriptive.

wordcount: 1.7k

Masterlist

“It’s totally vampires, Az. Remember that nest we took out in Idaho? They did the same thing with their victims.” Azriel bites his lip recalling that hunt, it was in the top ten worst moments of his life. “I know you’re right but those things give me the creeps. The way their fangs just-” he gags thinking about the extra set of teeth. 

“You big baby, it's just teeth. What gets me is the decapitation. Ghosts are easy. Salt. Fire. But these suckers are a nasty job.” You look over your notes before asking “do you think Cass and Rhys could give us a hand? I think we’ll be outnumbered.” 

He shakes his head “we could call but last time we talked they were up to their necks on a vengeful spirit case. Get this, the bones are scattered in different places because the deceased couldn’t decide where to be buried.” You chuckle. “Those two always get caught up in something like that. What about Mor? Or Amren? I’ll call them just in case.” 

Two phone calls later and no back up to show for it. “That was a bust.” Azriel nudges your arm. “Hey, we can do this. We can figure out a way to take them out one at a time.” You sigh and lean your head against the window. Watching as endless fields blur into one another. “You’re right, wake me up when we get there will you?” Before he can say yes you’ve dozed off. 

The road to Texas was long and lonely for Azriel. You slept the whole way and he was forced to keep himself company with mindless humming and singing lyrics from songs he probably misremembers. You’re usually the dj, but he knows if he messes with your tapes he’s in deep shit. You arrive at the usual dingy motel at around midnight. 

“Hey, sleepy head, we’re here.” Az is careful not to startle you, slightly shaking your arm with a scarred hand to rouse you from sleep without setting off your hunter instincts. “I’m awake.” You mumble but don’t move to get out of the truck. “I’ll go get us a room, while you wake up.” A hum is the only response he gets. 

When he returns he sees you unloading the truck with a pep in your step. “We’re in 9.” Once you’ve settled in, it dawns on you that you took a six hour nap on the ride here. There’s no way you’ll be able to fall asleep now. “Az, you want something to eat?” He yawns “no thanks, I’m going to turn in for the night.” 

“Well I’m not tired. I’ll grab a bite at that bar across the street and come back.” You put on your jacket and make the short walk to the hole in the wall establishment that always seems to accompany the motels you frequent. “One beer and a burger, please.” It 's quiet. You assume that it’s because it’s Tuesday. Until you overhear the conversation from two guys at the bar. “Six people went missing and all of them were last seen here, Sammy, something’s up.” 

“I know, Dean, but we’ve been here a week and no one can point us in the right direction. Maybe they left.” Hunters, and by the sounds of it, they are on the same case.  The bartender sets a pint in front of you, when it’s in your hand you walk over. “Are you two looking for a vampire nest?” They seem to have a language of their own, exchanging a few glances before the one with blondish hair says “depends, who’s asking?”

“Y/n, my partner and I just got into town after hearing about six disappearances. Looks like you two got a head start.” You sit with them in a shadowy corner of the bar as they tell you about the roadblocks they’ve encountered. “Most of them came here without telling anybody they knew, they weren’t regulars.” The taller one with brown hair finishes. 

“So they were lured.” They nod. “It’s been quiet since we got here.” You finish the burger and wipe your fingers with the thinnest napkin you’ve ever seen. “They got six people in two weeks, that’s enough blood to keep a nest alive for a month.” But something’s off and you can tell they feel it too. “What were your names again?” 

“I’m Sam.” “I’m Dean.” No way.

 “Winchester?” They nod. 

“That’s crazy! I knew your father! It’s sort of how I got started in all of this actually-” you stop yourself, John is dead now and these were his sons “I’m sorry for your loss, he helped a lot of people.” Az is going to freak when you tell him. Dean swigs his beer and says “yeah well, that’s what happens when you make deals with devils.” 

It’s tense for a bit while you finish your beer “well, if you don’t mind it, my partner and I could help on the case. Four machetes are better than two. We’re staying right across the street. Room 9. See ya, boys.” 

The next morning you tell Azriel about your encounter. “I’m telling you Az, they seem nice enough. If we team up it will be safer.” He’s unsure, always wary of strangers. “I don’t know, y/n-” just then, a knock at the door. You check the peephole before opening it. “Hi guys, this is my partner Azriel. Az, this is Sam and that's Dean.” The brothers brought coffee, by the looks of it it’s from the prehistoric machine in the lobby. “We talked about it and we agreed, working together will speed things along.” 

“Az?” He sighs. “Fine.” 

“He’s chipper,” Dean quips. “He’s not a morning person,” you quickly defend. You were the only one allowed to comment on his crankiness. 

After a day of following dead ends, you sit with Dean at the same bar. Sam and Az are still trying to find something in the archives. “So what’s the deal with you and your partner?” 

“Why? Are you interested?” He chuckles. “Just curious, your room had two beds. Are you two not involved?” Maybe it was the whisky, but you said “not romantically.” 

“So he won’t be upset if I buy you another drink with the intention of getting in your pants?” You roll your eyes. “Your reputation precedes you, Winchester.” 

“My reputation as a hunter or a ladies’ man?”

“Your reputation as a shameless flirt.” He leans closer to you “is it working?” You laugh and push him off. “No.” 

“So there is something between you and Azriel. I bet he’s clueless. I’ve seen it time and again.” You keep nursing your glass. “I wouldn’t say he’s clueless. But you know how this job is. One second you’re here and the next… I think we both agree that it’s better if we don’t cross that line with each other.” 

“But you could cross that line with me.” He winks. “No, Dean. I don’t think I could.”

 He straightens away from you and sips his beer. “You said you met my dad?” 

“Oh, yes. It was years ago, I was a freshman in college and a vengeful spirit was wreaking havoc on the campus. John showed up right before the son of a bitch gutted me. After that it was hard to go back to classes, you know?” 

“And how did you meet Azriel?” 

“Az and I met in a bar like this one, he had been hunting with his friends for a while and I hustled them for gas money.” 

“You play pool?” You shake your head and try to keep a straight face as you say “I play fools, Dean.” 

When Azriel and Sam returned, he did not like what he saw. In truth, he was glad to see you were having fun but he hated seeing you having fun with someone else. It's not like he could complain. You both refused to cross that line. Sleeping next to each other every night, on different beds was not the whirlwind romance he wanted to give you. It wasn’t the life you deserved. But he stuck by your side because everytime he wanted to slow down, to stop, maybe go back to school, you refused. “There are monsters, Az and we save people. I can’t go back to sitting in a classroom only to end up working in an office.” He wanted domesticity. He wanted a routine. He wanted a lawn to mow and to barbecue on weekends. But more than that he wanted you. 

“She’s a keeper, Az.” Dean joked as you sunk the last ball in the socket. Azriel clenched his jaw, not liking the familiarity with which Dean nudged your shoulder. It had only been a day since you met and you were acting like you’d known each other for years. 

“You don’t have to sleep here if you don’t want to.” Your face scrunches in confusion at his tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“I’m sure you'd rather be with Dean right now.” 

“Azriel, don't be like that.” He shrugs “just saying, you two were making eyes at each other all day.” 

“We were not.” He doesn’t say anything else but there’s a tension that lingers. “I hate when you do this.” 

“I’m not doing anything.” 

“You’re picking a fight. You know I would never be with anyone else.” 

“You could.” 

“I don’t want to.” 

“Y/n-”

“I know Az, “the life’s too dangerous,” “we’d be more vulnerable,” “it just gives the bad guys ammunition.” I know the whole song and dance of why we can’t… I get it. But it makes me feel stupid when I could be out with someone who actually shows interest in me but I stay with you.” 

“I’m not holding you hostage, you can go if you want.” 

“You’re an idiot.” With a huff you storm out of the room. Not entirely sure where you’re going, you wander around the motel grounds for a while. Knocking on Dean’s door was an option, but you wanted to be alone. He was infuriating. Azriel knows which buttons to push and when. He does this every so often, picks a fight to create iciness between you. It makes temptation easier if you’re too mad at each other to give in, you suppose. 

It's past midnight, and the lights in room 9 are off. In your haste you forgot a key. You go to the lobby and are surprised to see an attendant. “Hi, I locked myself out of my room and my partner is asleep. Do you have a spare key by any chance?” 

“Of course, name and room number?” 

A click sounds from behind and you turn to see a man, turning the Open sign to Closed.  His neck is covered in scruff and bite marks. You look back at the attendant. The ledger, that weighs at least ten pounds, slams across your face. 

You wake up tied up and breathless in a windowless room. Six bloodied bodies surrounding you.

[isacksteban]

First Kiss (Race 2)

A strollonso AU where 18 year old rookie Lance Stroll falls helplessly in love with the notoriously mean world champion. (1.4k words, no warnings) [@v3lnys]

last part - masterlist - next part

Quali came to an end once again, the feeling slightly tamer than the first time as Lance pulled back into his side of the garage, Nico not far behind.

He was slightly disappointed he qualified p10 but it'll be fine as long as he can actually finish this race (and hopefully get points for the team this time.)

He heard Nico talking to his engineer on the other side of the garage and decided to go over, not having much to do on his side.

"Seriously, the wheels locked up like twice. You were watching and I know you noticed so the fact that you're ignoring the issues is bullshit-"

Maybe not the best time to stand around.

He decided instead of hanging around with Nico he'd just walk around the paddock, his race suit hanging by his hips as he walked by the other teams garages, seeing how busy everyone else on the paddock was. He could tell some people were quick to go home but he wasn't ever in a rush to get back to his hotel room, it was usually boring anyway.

"Ah, Lancito, I was just looking for you" There it is. The voice Lance looks forward to hearing as soon as the race week starts, and most likely the reason he decides to stay back as late as he does

"Nando, Hi" He flashed a smile at the long haired driver, stoping in his tracks so they could walk together

"Nando?" The shorter man echoed, catching up to Lance as they both continued walking, steps in sync as they made their way around the paddock

"Well, I figured it was only fair for me to give you a name since you gave me one" Lance nodded as he spoke, afraid the older man had a problem with it, it was quite childish, he wasn't sure why he even called him that, Fernando worked just fine, it was a silly nickname

"I like it, Sounds good coming from you." Fernando smiled up at Lance, wrapping an arm around his shoulder to pull him down to his level "Guess we are friends now, eh? Coworkers do not usually have special names for eachother"

Lance nodded again, he supposed Nando was right. He turned to look at him as he continued to speak, rambling about many things but all Lance could think about was how good he looked. He'd never really examined the Spaniard like he was doing now, sunglasses propped up on his head, holding his hair out of his face, it seemed like he had just shaved that morning, the shadow of his facial hair barely visible, his lips curved slightly upwards as he talked, his hair curling in every direction but somehow he made the messy look seem intentional

"What hotel do they have you staying at, Lancito?" Was the first thing Lance really heard after spending god knows how long just staring at Fernando. How embarrassing.

"Uhm- Mövenpick? I think, Otmar has my keycard somewhere." Lance hummed, having lost the keycard to the hotel in Bahrain Otmar had decided it was best to put Nico and Lance in the same room and "look after" Lances keycard until they headed back.

"Ah, I see. I didn't realize they'd put drivers in different hotels."

"If you miss my company so much you're welcome to come along, you know I get special priviliges because of my dad" Lance joked, at this point he was so used to people belittling him to just being his fathers son that he had started to do it as well

"Ah, don't say that Lancito" Fernando almost scolded him, moving his hand to tap the back of his head "You forget I'm world champion, I could buy another hotel ticket if I wanted to."

Lance laughed, nodding in agreement, there wasn't anything stopping Fernando from doing anything really, after he left the paddock he could go wherever, do whatever, it's not like he signed away his soul to F1 so moving hotels wouldn't be a big deal "I know, I know, but if you ever want free stuff, Mr. World Champion, you know who to ask" Lance hummed, taking his turn of having his arm around Fernandos shoulder "These are the perks of being friends with a nepotism baby"

"I'll take your word for it then" Fernando laughed, accepting the change of positions, it wasn't very comfortable reaching up to drape an arm around Lances shoulder anyways.

A comfortable silence fell over them, neither feeling the need to add anything more, it was odd, how well they had clicked. They got along better together than either of them did with their teammates but no one was complaining. Lance liked having someone to go to outside of the Racing Point garage and Fernando liked having someone he felt like this towards, whatever "this" was. They were snapped back to reality when Otmar finally found Lance

"God kid, I was looking for you. Nico's about to head back so I figured now was a good time to give you the key" He pulled out a think black card and handed it to Lance "Don't lose it this time, alright?" He asked, not letting to just yet.

"Alright, I'll attach it to my arm, okay?" Lance joked, turning back to Fernando "Think about it, really, if your hotel gets boring you're more than welcome at mine." He said before making his way out of the paddock, catching up to Nico so they could leave together

Odd was all Otmar thought, he didn't realize his driver had gotten so close to Fernando, he'd thought maybe it was just press, or maybe some plan the Spaniard had, but he had nothing to gain from staying late and just sitting next to him.

Lance tried not to be disappointed when night came and went and Fernando had decided not to come, it was silly, but a part of him was looking forward to seeing him outside of the paddock, outside of the blue and yellow.

They were so busy before the race that Lance hadn't even managed to catch a glimpse of the Spaniard let alone talk to him, before he knew it interviews were over and he was in his car, lined up in the fifth row, Nico barely behind him.

Fernando was right in saying Malaysia was going to treat him better, he had managed to make up three places and actually get points for his team in his second grand prix.

It felt great, even though it wasn't a podium like Fernando had gotten getting points waa a big deal for the rookie (driver and team).

The debrief went smoothly considering how both Nico and Lance finished the race with no major problems, as they gathered their things and the team started to leave the garage one by one Lance couldn't help but notice the blue in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and smiled when he confirmed it was in fact Fernando

"Good-" Lance started, trying to beat Fernando to congratulating eachother was proving to be difficult

"You did great, Lancito" Fernando commented, walking into the garage now that it was practically empty "Your overtakes are pretty decent for a nepotism baby, eh?"

Lance laughed, hitting Fernandos arm "Guess you did pretty good for a world champ then, huh?" It was nice, the banter they had, if anyone else joked with him jow Fernando does he was sure he'd take it the wrong way but with how Fernandos treated him since they met he had no doubt in his mind that every jab he made towards him was lighthearted.

"Any plans before Australia, Lancito?" Right, Lance had forgotten there wasn't another race for two weeks

"I'm not sure, I always end up somewhere though" He laughed, leaning on the counter behind him, using his hands to prop himself up "How about you, where are you going, Nando?"

"Me and Mark, Mark Webber, were planning on spending the break in Australia together"

Right, he forgot Fernando was close to Mark, the driver who's seat he took.

"Could you tell him I'm sorry?" Lance hesitated to speak, wondering if the Australian was mad at him for ending his career early

"He doesn't mind, trust me, if he wasn't okay with ending his career he would've signed with someone else." Fernando consoled the younger, patting his shoulder after he finished "Don't worry your pretty little head, alright?"

Lance laughed, shaking his head at the comment in efforts to ignore the pink tint covering his face "Alright, Nando."

[yandere-romanticaa]

Traveling around Liyue has been an experience which was beyond difficult to describe. The land was filled to the brim with various different kinds of areas to explore, food to try and people to talk to.

Your personal favorite became the endless sea of stories which the locals had, particularly about the adepti.

Many of them were some sort of protectors of certain areas, much like the one you were in. You listened carefully to the innkeeper as he told his tales in fables, each more mesmerizing than the previous one.

You didn't even notice the glowing eyes of the stranger in the crowd.

Emerald green eyes shined bright with curiosity as the hooded figure quietly sipped his tea. It's been a while since a foreigner stepped foot in his land, he thought to himself.

He wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

But he knew all too well how to feel about the stories which graced his ears. It took everything in his power to not spit his drink out in a fit of laughter - these humans! They get more ridiculous and preposterous each time he sees them!

The foreigner was probably the same as well. However, it was most amusing to see that overly excited expression on their face. The hooded figure stroked their chin in deep thought as they pondered on how the foreigner might feel on hearing those thousand year old tales from the original source.

Soon enough, a plan was formed but he could not help but to cringe a little at its simplicity. He figured he could do better but perhaps sometimes, simple is the way to go.

Like a shadow he sneaked his way towards your table and slipped on a note on it, the handwriting neat and a bit odd looking. It took you a little while to notice the note and were very surprised to see it. You picked it up and it read as follows:

"Greetings.

You seem to have a keen interest in these magnificent stories. And what a coincidence, I too happen to share the same passion."

With a sharp turn of your head, you put the letter back on the table and saw the mysterious man hanging about in the corner. A polite smile graced his lips as he raised his cup in the air, a silent greeting and acknowledgment towards you.

NOTE! Your choices matter! The choice you pick will ultimately decide the fate of this story!

With your thoughts regained, you continue to read the letter. In the corner of your eye, you can see the man is staring at you but it is hard to notice any physical features other than his otherworldly eyes.

"I am an expert in telling stories such as these, therefore if one is interested I will be more than happy to share my own."

You raise an eyebrow and turn once more towards the man, but he chuckles and gestures back to the letter.

"You need not fret for your safety, if that is what causes your concern. Plenty of Milileth guards patrol the area, therefore, you are free to shout if you feel threatened by my presence."

You let out a little sigh. For what it was worth, the man at least was aware of how odd the situation was. Curiosity filled your being as you continued on reading:

"Meet me at the top of that southwest mountain which is close to the inn around midnight.

I shall wait for you there."

As you finished reading, you placed down the parchment of paper back on the wooden table. You hoped to speak to the stranger face to face but as you turned in their direction, they were gone.

Whisked by the wind as some people liked to say.

With nothing else to do - while being thoroughly intrigued - you packed your bag and made your way towards the counter to pay. The worker stopped you, explaining that your meal was already paid upfront by a kind gentleman.

Huh, how sweet.

With a heavy bag and the fire of exploring carrying your legs, you set off towards the set meeting point. There were three main ways to go but were unsure which one to take.

(A/N - I need to make a separate post if I want to continue this as I want it to, oopsie)

[copperbadge]

If its not too personal could you talk about what was the inspiration for Michaelis? He's got a lot of depth to him, especially for what could have been a one off character in the background after Fete. Also the way he mourns but carries on really resonates with me in Jes.

Oh sure! I mean, on the one hand it is quite personal but it's a kind of personal I really enjoy sharing. :D Michaelis began life as the Standard Hallmark Parent -- you see them a lot in the movies, the parent who is

1. Kinda grouchy

2. Usually pushing their kid slightly too hard in slightly the wrong direction (with the best of intentions)

3. Often a widow/er

4. Practically a cameo designed to stress out the lead, but easily attractive enough that they could be romantic lead themselves in the sequel.

There are actually several Hallmark films where the over-sixty characters are either the supporting romance in a one-off film or the main romance of a sequel film. (The Wedding Veil films, which despite their flaws are actually very enjoyable, have a Michaelis-like character for the mother of the male lead in the first movie, and she then becomes the major supporting romantic lead in the fourth movie.)

By the time I got to Michaelis talking to Eddie at the end of the script for Fete, I'd grown to really like him. When I adapted the script to a novel, I liked him even more. I thought that I could do a sequel with him getting jolted out of himself a bit -- and I was encouraged by how many people liked him in the initial read through. The main inspirations for the actual plot of Infinite Jes were, one, Gregory jokingly suggesting he do a podcast, and two, Michaelis's defensive dismissal of Gregory's question about what he's done for companionship since Miranda passed.

Over the course of writing Infinite Jes, he came to be a collection of themes I've explored or wanted to explore, sometimes themes I knew I wasn't skilled enough to handle yet. The core of him is based on a professor I worked with as a student; the confidence that occasionally tips into arrogance, the keen intellect that likes to take things apart, the ability to look at some toxic family traits and decide "RIP but I'm different" and be a present, nurturing masculine figure, all come from that professor, who had a huge impact on me.

But I have also been fascinated for decades now by a certain kind of character in fiction, someone who has had a devastating loss and keeps going, even if they aren't driven by something like revenge. Profound grief is difficult and fascinating for me, and I finally felt capable of exploring that fully, perhaps because the pressure on romance novels is a bit lower at times.

And honestly, a lot of him is me, processing the fact that I am aging in fandom. I'm older (44) than the oldest person I knew in fandom (38) when I joined it at the age of 14. I have, for lack of a better word, a position in fandom, a status, that affords me certain perks and requires of me certain obligations. Not to call myself elected king of fandom ("I didn't vote for him!") but the duty I feel to fandom, both as a culture that raised me and a found family, is very similar.

Most of my characters contain some of me, but Michaelis and Jerry contain far more of me than most, perhaps because I'm in a place to do some reflection. Michaelis -- intelligent, experienced, hopefully a mentor, but also lonely and detached at times -- is who I'm coming to grips with being; Jerry, the charming fuckup with power but no real clue how to use it, who is doing his best to grow up a little later than a lot of his peers and figure out how disability fits into his identity, is who I still see myself as.

So yeah -- I find Michaelis incredibly fun and compelling to write for, and I think that's because I had hit a skill level in my work where I could combine a lot of tropes and themes into one character and use him to explore why I enjoy them so much. But he definitely began life as the Hallmark Widowed Dad. :D Well, there are worse origin stories.

[danganronpa96]

Why didn't Ayano kill Chapter 4, since well….Senpai is her motive and well, I think she'd figure out pretty quickly that it's Senpai without having to see it?

What if there was a triple kill Chapter 5? Like dynamics wise and the trial itself? (DR69)

How would Yoshi likely react to the death of Mario, assuming Mario had Yoshi had a pet and all that?

Would the idea that after the explosion, the little killing game in the church would actually somehow continue but turn into a full blown killing game in the city?

How would the participants had reacted if Yuri had committed a murder?

Also, the Smiling Friends artstyle you managed to a T. It's really good and Pim looks so cute in it.

What if the entire cast was just Yuri cloned 16 times. What if Kaidou and Yuri have survived? How do pets work in a world of anthropomorphic animals? How did the participants not freak out that there were two anthropomorphic animals? Why do I have so many questions?

Anyways um, York again, loved Chapter 4. Sorry for the horde of questions again.

Hello 101 questions /lh

1. This one is pretty obvious. Ayano made a promise to Luigi in chapter 3 she would try her hardest to get the trust of others and help them out. She even showcased this during the chapter 3 trial when she was being falsely accused with her secret exposed. Ayano went onto be distrusted regardless, but remained determined to keep herself in line. She knew her Senpai would be the focus of any motive featuring loved ones, but that wouldn’t stop her from her promise. After all, trying to kill a situation like this always pertained the possibility of herself dying, and in that scenario she would not be able to protect her Senpai at all.

2. I don’t know, it depends who would die. I could see Parappa getting involved somehow, but not anyone else (unless Ayano decided to go to the 5th floor too). So it’d either be Fluttershy/Parappa/Ayano or Fluttershy/Parappa/Brian. I think the trial would become more complex, but also since three bodies would leave three times as many clues behind… it could go either way.

3. The Yoshi would be very sad, but I’m sure Luigi would go onto adopt it for Mario.

4. Not really. That wasn’t what I was going for in the story. The whole ‘new killing game’ was just meant to be a cop out to a) introduce Matt into the gang and b) introduce Gumi and how I wanted to portray her character. But it does sound interesting regardless.

5. The majority of them wouldn’t be surprised. Natsuki would feel upset and betrayed Yuri went the full way with it. Although, I’m not sure she would consider it as most people would suspect her in a trial (unless this was before she revealed her philosophy).

6. Thank you!! I think I can draw Charlie a bit better than Pim but I’m happy to hear you liked how I drew him too ^^

7. a) The Yuri’s would be very freaked out. One would snap first but you can’t ask me to identify who because, you know, they all look the same.

b) Kaidou may do a similar thing I described in this post (and by that I just mean from the 3rd paragraph about the bandages and down, as a sign of maturing). Yuri on the other hand would become like a typical DR antagonist, who’d have some moments in the trials but ultimately tries to skew things in the wrong direction in order to help let the killer win.

c) You ask the Bojack Horseman universe the same thing because I have no idea. Or maybe ask the MLP universe because it works with Fluttershy. I guess it depends on the theme of animals (if they’re all different animals then no pets).

d) Well Hayasaka and Kurumada did get a bit concerned at Retsuko at first, but just went along to accept it come meeting Bojack (slightly) because they all woke up on an island with no recollection why at this point they could start levitating and assume it’s all one big group hallucination or social experiment.

e) man I don’t know holmes you tell me

Hello again! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed ch4!! And thanks for the assortment of questions lol

[whysamwhy123]

“Decide” for the wip ask thing!

Better late then never, so I'm finally getting to this now, thanks for sending this my way! As it happens, that word pops up in a lot of my WIPs, so brace yourself with a fuckton of snippets under the cut!

1)

(My most recent WIP and boy, is it a silly one. It's my flimsy excuse to write Fuckboy DG hitting on various members of the rosters, and striking out each time)

As he approaches her, Daniel tries to figure out what his opening line should be.

Hey, what's up, mommy? Your baby boy has arrived…

He’s one hundred percent sure that would work, obviously. But he decides to take a different approach.

2)

‘’You sure?’’

Hook’s back to squinting again. ‘’Why wouldn’t I be?’’

Orange decides to test his theory. ‘’I saw what’s going on with you and Brian.’’

Hook’s calm, I don’t give a shit demeanor breaks slightly. It’s only for a brief second, but Orange spots the glint in his eyes, the slight pursing of his lips, the tightening of his body language. He was right on the money.

‘’Yeah, it’s…whatever,’’ Hook says, trying to play it cool.

3)

‘’What is this?’’ he asks.

Hook wonders if that’s a trick question. His mind’s coming up blank though so he decides to answer literally. ‘’Uh. The sink?’’

‘’Oh, good, you know what that is,’’ Orange says. ‘’So, are you aware that most people use these things to clean dishes? Generally, after they’ve eaten and they’re all dirty, human beings will then wash them so that they can be used again. What a concept! Would you like to give it a try sometime?’’

(Sassy Bitch OC strikes again)

4)

‘’Bros before hoes,’’ Zay said, firm.

Daniel rolled his eyes. ‘’What, are we in high school?’’

‘’Nah, ‘cause you never had hoes in high school,’’ Zay grinned afterwards, earning himself a glare from Daniel.

Daniel decided not to correct Isiah and instead he looked back in Julia’s direction. God, she was so fucking hot. He had to have her - he just had to.

(I'm sure nothing bad could come of this. Nope, I'm sure nothing bad happens to Daniel in this fic, nothing whatsoever 🙂🙂🙂)

5)

(Disclaimer - Hook is high as a kite in this fic. Orange is not. Oh, the humanity...)

Orange decides to take a different approach. ‘’You know what would be really fun?’’

Hook legitimately gasps. ‘’What?!’’ he asks, looking up at him with those wide red eyes.

‘’If we went to bed. Right now.’’

Hook giggles. ‘’We are in bed…’’

‘’Then let’s get some sleep, huh?’’

Hook grins. ‘’Don’t wanna.’’

6)

Orange’s head slowly turns, his first movement since Hook dropped the bomb on him. Fear shoots ice through Hook’s veins. But when he meets his eyes, he doesn’t look mad. His face is weirdly neutral. But then the cracks start to show. A slight crease in his forehead. A grim, sad little glint in his eye. He opens his mouth but the only sound that comes out is a terse exhale. His mouth opens and closes a couple more times, as though he can’t decide what to say.

Hook braces himself for whatever’s about to happen.

(Uh oh, did Hook do something baaaaaaaad? Something he regrets? Something that would make his boyfriend upset?🙂🙂🙂)

7)

Eventually, Daniel decided he’d done enough, laid the groundwork as best as he could. So the next time he and Julia found themselves alone, he just straight up asked her if she wanted to head back to his hotel room later, after the show.

He didn’t know what he was expecting. But what Julia said in response - the request she made - left him completely stunned.

(This is, in fact, a different fic from the other Daniel/Julia snippet. But arguably both ideas are equally awful and embarrassing on my part 😬)

[kara-does-fandom]

Digivices and partner bonds.

Preface: In my digiverse, people can have multiple partners (3 is the common upper limit, but I havent decided if the true limit on partner digimon is 3 or if it can be as high as 5) Also, if you die in the digital world, your digivice sucks your data into it and sends out a distress signal so you can be found and 'revived' at various specialized locations, but you need to leave the digital world for a bit to ensure your Human world size recovers properly. Running idea is that Failure to be found in a week can result in the degredation of your data or furthers the risk that a soul or data eating/destroying digimon can find your digivice with you in it and that SEVERELY fucks up your IRL self, potentially to the point of coma or actual death. People either joke that the "if you die in the game you die in real life" thing is real or call the status of being sucked into your digivice as being "tomogachi'd"

Actual new lore idea/essay under the cut

All digivices help create the FIRST bond with some recognition in the potential digimon partner of the good bond potential, and younger digimon will jump towards it, while older, stronger, and/or higher stage digimon will be slower to follow up on this recognition, out of wanting to see how it goes first or the slightly jaded feeling that they have gotten this far without a human, and now this little piece of machinery says they should have one??

Im thinking the reason the Tomogachi thing was built into the Digivice is because it is also partially in the system as a device that helps take your body, soul, and mind's 'data' then uploads and converts it to a digital world friendly format. Since it helps with the "Upload yourself to the digital world" system, it therefore has some programs that can assess what your nature is. As the digital world is potentially very dangerous if you don't have a digimon to protect you, it sends out some sort of compatibility signal that digimon with compatible natures can sense. Some people's "batsignal beacon" is stronger than others but since its tied to the data of the human's soul its been pretty hard for hackers and researchers to figure out what makes this system work. Ultimately, there is a case to be made that the strength of the signal is somewhat tied to how urgent THAT human needs a buddy, whether due to a task they need to do in the digital world or because they are particularly vulnerable. The description of the first season digimon, esp Gatomon, describing an intense urge to go in that one direction, how someone is waiting for them there, seems to correlate with strong 'bat signals', which is also likely how the other digipartners knew to meet at that one spot On the other hand, capable people who can rough it, have more life experience, have settled into thier sense of self, and be fine on lone hikes in the human world (which is usually adults) give off less of a bat signal and more of a "Something or someone I want to know is around here" and then some form of recognition clicks when they turn the corner and see the human kinda in a "Oh, its you, the thing I was seeking is you" feeling Normal folk still have a homing beacon on them but much less urgent and its more of a desire to go to that area, but not URGENT. Most Digimon follow that desire anyway to see if they like the potential compatible human Since there are so many humans and so many digimon, its rarely ever going to be a SPECIFIC bond, unless there is Destiny afoot, but rather a 10 or 20 ish folks, digimon and human, who would all be compatible and make excellent partners, but its up to the digimon and human to see if it works out. Often, those different options relate to what clicks best and what digimon would help the human come into which potential and vice versa. Like how some people love playing tanks or healers in games but all healer and tank characters have thier own stats or fun abilities per game, so its still a matter of which Tank character goes best for you.

[shaunsummers]

Tek's Birthday!

"Dude...you're serious?" Rebel's smile only widens at all this suddenly being placed in her lap. It was also just delightful to hear Tek talk about anything nerdy; whether a short burst or full on tangent. Even if she didn't understand what every word meant. "Yeah, fuck it. Let's do it!" Like there was a reason not to at this point. Tek was confident in being able to handle the computer stuff that Rebel surely couldn't touch even if she tried; and she had. It made her feel like her head was going to explode.

"You're giving them far too much credit." Lilith asserts, idly draining the hot water into the sink. The wild parties of the past, oh, she remembered well. Chances were high for a fight, some slutty pair hooking up, something getting broken, etc. She was willing to put money on it. Actually, that was a great idea. "...I have a thought." Placing the pot aside, Lilith leans back against the counter as she taps her chin with the tip of her finger. "Why don't we place bets?"

While the change of subject was welcomed and relieving, Siren didn't want to end their impromptu conversation on an awkward note. In the background, however, she was still trying to process Beatrix's words. Shaun was only fifteen or sixteen when her and Ash were together, very young to go through anything she, herself, just walked out of. The fighting, manipulation, the constant need for dominance. Siren wasn't aware of her age, either, until they lived together. There was...one hell of a gap between those two. Thinking about it again now, with a sense of sobriety and distance, it curled at her stomach.

"You're offering your boob blunt?" Discarding the potential mind trap in earnest, Siren flashes her a smile in humor. "I'm honored." Still, she was already holding her pen but decides to have a small hit as an appetizer for what was surely a heavily packed joint. "So, how has the life of Beatrix been since graduating?" Steering the topic in a completely different direction was an easy choice. One that would hopefully clear the stiff air between them. Though, she was genuinely curious about her in general.

-------------------

"Of course I'm serious! I'm kinda surprised you haven't done it already!" Tek beams warmly, eagerly soaking in her excitement. "It may take me a minute to figure out how to set it up, but I can't start throwing your name around until school starts again, anyways! I'm sure the syntax is a bit different since it's coding visuals rather than physical output on a circuit board, but I'm sure it's gotta be similar. Just a sequence of formulas chaining together to do a thing, so if I figure out what those are, I can start slapping them together. And I'm sure existing code is out there somewhere, so I might not even have to do most of it from scratch, anyways..."

Tek finally surfaces from her brain vomit, catching a flash of Rebel's slightly glazed and confused look, and laughs bashfully. "...I'll figure it out. But yeah, I'm in!" She felt the sudden urge to hug Rebel in her enthusiasm. What was this, a quasi-business partnership? Of sorts? A handshake seemed gauche, at least for them. Meh, I'm doin' it! Tek leans forward with a big smile, scooping her close for a big squeeze. "It's a deal!"

"Bets?" Shaun laughs, folding her arms in curiosity. "On what, exactly?"

Quinn could already see where this was going, and hell yeah she wanted to be involved. "Like a fantasy football thing? Betting Kevin McHuge Pecs runs 300 yards? But instead, like, Rebel's slutty ass makes out with 3 people or Devin punches someone in the boob?"

"Take it while it's hot." Relaxing under the mitigated tension, Beatrix wastes no time striking the end of the blunt and letting that whole subject pass. "If your tolerance is low, be careful. I do not pack these lightly." She cricks a smile, the smell easily and strongly choking the patio air.

"I'm still living with my dad, but I go to Commonwealth in Richmond. In the business program. I hate it, but if we have to live in a capitalist shithole, I want a decent piece of the power." Beatrix exhales in humor, taking a hit of the sneaky cigar before passing it along. "Most of my classes are online, so I only go in two days a week. And on weekends, if I don't work. I do burlesque at Fallout. It's fun, and a little extra money since I'm only part time."

[pupkinpumpkin]

I'll be doing all my protags for this, plus a lil bit of my Rook for some

For reference: Elena Cousland, Tara Hawke, Marella Lavellan, and Carlotta Mercar

1. They all have stretch marks, Cousland and Lavellan specifically because they had kids, so they have some on the stomach and breasts. Hawke prolly has the most. She went through puberty at an early age so her body grew fast. I think Cousland and Lavellan are a bit insecure about it, but they both accept themselves and their bodies with time.

2. I have each of my DA protags have different talents. Cousland is good at dancing, Hawke can play a lot of different instruments, Lavellan can draw, and Rook is a great singer.

3. In order of best sense of direction to worst sense of direction: Lavellan, Cousland, Rook, Hawke. Lavellan has a great sense of direction since she was nomadic for years. Hawke is very confident and charismatic, so everyone assumes she can figure out where they are, but she will get lost two steps in. Aveline holds the map.

4. Cousland flirts a little with Leliana before fully committing to Alistair. Hawke sleeps with Isabela, but they leave it there. Lavellan flirts with Solas a little, but they decide to stay friends after the fade kiss and Lavellan also had a one sided crush on Cassandra

5. Cousland can share, Lavellan will give you all of her food, and Rook will do a little switch with you. You taste a bit of her food, she tastes a bit of yours, same with drinks. Hawke does not share. She will come at you with a blade if you try to eat her sandwich.

6. Rook and Lavellan actually really like puns, so they'd love it, Hawke respects puns, but they need to be good, so she'd just say it was 3/10 and move on. For Cousland, its 50/50. Some puns make her wheeze, others make her cringe, and only Alistair has a 100% success rate when it comes to puns.

7. Cousland and Lavellan wear a nightgown, Hawke wears a large t-shirt and pajama shorts, and Rook sleeps with a large t-shirt and underwear

8. Lavellan and Hawke would sacrifice themselves, Cousland would sacrifice someone else. "In death, sacrifice" doesn't necessarily need to apply to her.

9. I think everyone except Rook does the classic "shortening names" nicknames, though they vary on how often they use it. Hawke does nicknames the most, then Cousland, then Lavellan, who only does it to a few select people like Cassandra or Josephine. Rook will use all and every nickname. Like, I imagine if someone did something she disapproves of, she'd go, "Honey, sweetheart, pumpkin, sugarpop, angel cake, apple of my eye, my fire, my one desire, the beacon of all my hopes and dreams, what the FUCK is wrong with you?" She also has specialized nicknames for each companion.

10. Cousland says dear, love, honey, and, if she's teasing, she says my king. No matter what anyone says, Hawke romances Varric. She says love, occasionally lover, but if she is incredibly, and I mean INCREDIBLY drunk, she'll say Var-Bear. Lavellan says Vhenan and my love. Rook says mi amor, amore, and amatus.

11. Cousland: No scars to around 4. One on the cheek from an ogre, a slightly burnt ear from the arch demon, a scar going from her shoulder to her clavicle, which she does not remember how she got, and a long scar going vertically across her back from a surprise hit from a shriek.

Hawke: Two small scars, mostly nicks, on her right leg, to, like 20-30, with about half around her arms. Varric's made up some bombastic story for each one, but he and the other companions can usually tell which ones came from a fight and which ones came from herself.

Lavellan: She started off with a cut left ear, and, ignoring the missing arm, ended up with two extra scars. One from Adamant on the right side of her waist and the other from the battle at Haven from the jaw to the neck. She actually had a few more scars on her left arm and hand, but chopping off the arm got rid of those.

12. Cousland: She thought Witherfang, Bann Teagan, Isabela, and Riordan were pretty attractive

Hawke: The only people I can think of off the top of my head are The Arishok and Elegant

Lavellan thought Briala was cute but she wasn't about to get involved with Any of that

13. Not a weird habit necessarily, but Lavellan will tap her thumb, middle, and pointer finger together twice when she pronounces something wrong or performs a spell incorrectly as a mental note to herself.

14. Cousland does the classic breathe in and out along with flexing and unflexing her muscles, Hawke counts to 5 (One for each family member). After Bethany becomes a Grey Warden, this number changes to 8, for each companion plus Bethany. Lavellan starts muttering old stories or poems she was told as a child and Rook will hum or sing

15. Lavellan's the biggest lightweight, she doesn't even drink till Inquisition with Iron Bull. So Lavellan's the worst, then Cousland, then Rook, then Hawke. Lavellan is very happy and affectionate, and, if blackout drunk, she'll get really good at artificer activities. Cousland is also very affectionate. Rook is largely unaffected, but she's a bit more emotionally vulnerable and wistful. Hawke gets very reckless and loud, which is great for parties, but not great for drowning your sorrows after your family starts dropping like flies.

Bonus: I don't think I'd change my romance for DAO or DAI, but Sten and Cousland would be really fun, along with Cassandra and Lavellan. I romanced Anders in DA2, but I've become a Varric x Hawke supporter since then, so I personally headcanon that Varric and Hawke get together, but Varric lies to Cassandra about it so he can protect her

Hi! I'm bored so I made a buncha questions to answer about your HoF, Hawke, and/or Inquisitor

You can answer these with only your Hawke or maybe your whole crew of Dragon Age protagonists, the more the merrier

I'll be reblogging w my answers a bit later

1. Do any of your protagonists have stretch marks or gain them over time?

2. Are they good at a task or hobby? (Ex. Sewing, dancing, puzzles)

3. Do they have a good sense of direction?

4. Did they have a crush or flirt with any other companions before getting with their love interests?

5. How are they with sharing their food?

6. How would they react if someone said a really bad pun to them?

7. What clothes do they sleep in?

8. Would they rather sacrifice themselves to keep their loved ones safe or sacrifice someone else with a family to keep their loved ones safe?

9. Do they use nicknames/pet names for their friends?

10. Do they use nicknames/pet names for their love interest?

11. How many scars do they have now compared to the beginning of their adventure?

12. Were there any NPCs that they were kinda into or thought were attractive?

13. Any weird habits?

14. What do they do to calm down or focus?

15. How fast do they get drunk and how do they act when they get drunk?

Bonus:

If you could romance one of the unromancable companions or one of the NPCs, who would it be? Or would you stay with the person you've already romanced?

Bonus bonus: Any fun headcanons you have about your protagonist and their friends/loved ones?

[bevioletskies]

if you’re ever in my arms again

summary: Out of everything Ryunosuke expected to do as a defense attorney, traveling to a distant crime scene via overnight train wasn’t one of them. Sharing a bed with Kazuma on the way there wasn’t exactly what he’d anticipated, either.

word count: 4.4k | read on ao3

a/n: For @asoryuu-week​​, day two of seven (prompt: “only one bed”). This fic takes place post-Resolve; mild spoiler warning for Adventures and Resolve, where events may be alluded to but not described in detail. All names and honorifics are taken from the official localization, with the exception of Sherlock and Iris. Warning for brief mentions of blood.

Fic title is from the song If You’re Ever In My Arms Again by Peabo Bryson.

“Oi! ‘Oddo, are you even listenin’ to me, or is your ‘ead still up in them clouds?”

Ryunosuke ducked before Gina could thrust an accusatory finger in his direction - or simply just shove Toby in his face, something he wasn’t looking forward to happening again anytime soon despite the inherent adorableness of the little pup. “Sorry, what is it? What did I miss?”

“We’ve finally got our tickets, see,” Gina said, holding them up triumphantly, though she didn’t seem too happy about it. “But the Yard’s gone and made a bloomin’ mistake. They only booked us two beds, and last I checked, there was four of us!”

“...what,” Ryunosuke said, flatter this time.

Susato shot Ryunosuke an apologetic smile from where she was stood by their luggage, cradling Toby in her arms. “I’m afraid Gina is right, Mr Naruhodo. It seems our trip to Scotland will not be as comfortable as we’d hoped.” Her head bowed, somewhat disappointed. “I was very much looking forward to traveling in a sleeping car for the first time, too.”

“Oh, I think we’ll live,” Gina drawled with a flippant wave of her hand. “But I’ve got a bone to pick with that great detective, draggin’ us ‘alfway across the bloody world, and for wot - ”

“I’d think Tokyo is a little more ‘halfway across the world’ from London than Aberdeen, Inspector,” Ryunosuke reminded her. “And I must say, I still find it unbelievable that Mr Holmes and Iris made it all the way there without Miss Susato or myself noticing they were even gone. He really does have the strangest connections in the strangest places, doesn’t he?”

“As he should,” Susato said, nodding eagerly, her eyes considerably brighter than they had been a minute ago. It hadn’t escaped Ryunosuke’s attention that she’d tucked the latest issue of Randst Magazine in her sleeve just moments before they left Baker Street. “Ah, and there’s Kazuma-sama now! I knew he would make it on time.”

Ryunosuke turned on his heel, his heart in his throat at the sight of his best friend further down the platform, expertly navigating his way through the crowd. He rarely saw Kazuma in anything but his suspiciously tight uniform, so to see him dressed down in a shirt, vest, and slacks - with his sabre still on his hip, no less - was a welcome, if somewhat distracting sight. “My apologies for making you all wait,” Kazuma said once he’d joined them, offering them a short bow and a rueful smile. “I’d received a last-minute telegram from Lord van Zieks, asking if I could stop by the office before we left. I ignored it, of course.”

“Of course,” Ryunosuke echoed, trying not to snort. Despite their excellent working relationship, they never did quite see eye-to-eye even now. “Gina and Miss Susato were just telling me that Scotland Yard made a mistake when they made our reservations - two beds, not four.”

Kazuma’s brow furrowed, worrying at his bottom lip in a way that immediately drew Ryunosuke’s eyes to his mouth. “I see. So we’ll have to share, then?”

“I - oh. I didn’t even consider that,” Ryunosuke admitted, scratching the back of his neck. His face immediately warmed when he realized what it implied. “Wait, does that mean, er…”

“Me an’ Sooze, and you an’ Soggy, o’ course,” Gina said, rolling her eyes. “C’mon, ‘Oddo, you couldn’t ‘ave figured that out earlier?”

Kazuma let out a weary, irritable sigh. “Inspector Lestrade, please, my name is Asogi - ”

“Yeah, yeah, wotever,” Gina said, waving her hand yet again. “Fine, Mr Asogi, can we just get on with it already? My feet ‘urt.” Toby yipped in solidarity, his tail thumping eagerly against Susato’s cheek.

It wasn’t long before the train was fully boarded, with everyone settled comfortably in their compartments. The compartment itself was quite spacious, with enough room for the four of them to move about without constantly elbowing or kicking each other, though they had to be mindful of Toby and his habit of getting under their feet if he so pleased. The front half of the compartment had two long bench seats and a small table between them, allowing them to comfortably sit and talk. Ryunosuke’s eyes kept wandering towards the back half of the compartment where their beds were located, taking note of how narrow they were, how little space there was for two people to do anything but press right up against each other, arms and legs and bodies tangled together for comfort. He shivered at the thought, the kind of thought that could lead to other kinds of thoughts if he wasn’t careful.

“Ryunosuke?”

He turned, slightly startled by the sound of his given name. Out of everyone he knew and talked to regularly, between “Ryu” and “Mr Naruhodo”, “Naruhodo-san” and “‘Oddo”, Kazuma was still the only person who called him that. Despite it simply being his first name, nothing more, he found that there was a strange intimacy there, almost as if it were a private nickname all on its own. “I - yes, what is it?”

“Interesting,” Kazuma hummed with a sly smile from where he was seated opposite, one leg folded neatly over the other. “I see you’re just as distracted as Susato-san told me you were. Are you worried about the case?”

“No, nothing like that,” Ryunosuke replied, picking at the hem of his sleeve. “I simply just...didn’t get enough sleep last night. My mind seems to be wandering more than usual, almost as if it were already in Scotland all on its own.”

“Let’s hope the lull of the train will help you sleep, then. You’ll need to be well-rested if you want to do right by your client,” Kazuma said. Now it was his turn to look at the beds, continuing to hum as if he were in deep thought. “I’m not sure how we’ll fit, though. Susato-san and Inspector Lestrade are relatively small in stature, but you and I are...well…” He trailed off, gesturing wordlessly between the two of them. While neither of them were particularly tall, they were both more broad-shouldered than their respective frames would suggest.

“Maybe if...one of us were to sleep with their head at the foot of the bed?” Ryunosuke suggested feebly; it sounded ridiculous the moment it left his mouth. “Only that would leave one of us without a pillow, and both of us quite literally faced with feet.”

“Pillows are hardly a problem; we can just fold up one of our coats,” Kazuma said airily. “Though...now that I’m really looking at it, we might be fine as it is. We’ve shared a bed before, after all.”

“You ‘ave?” They both looked up to see Gina standing over them with a mouthful of biscuit and a stunned expression.

“Yes,” Kazuma said, his expression faltering very briefly. “We...on the SS Burya, when I had Ryunosuke hidden away in my cabin.”

Ryunosuke couldn’t help but smile bittersweetly at the memory, at how it felt like it had happened many lifetimes ago. He supposed for Kazuma, it felt like another life entirely. “You still remember those first two weeks, do you?”

“Of course,” Kazuma replied. His face was softer now, a little less poised, a little less composed. It was the sort of expression that Ryunosuke liked best, the ones where Kazuma looked more boyish, more free, or at least, that’s how he hoped Kazuma felt. Even now - or maybe especially now - he never knew exactly what Kazuma was thinking. “Inspector, did Ryunosuke ever tell you the story of how he came to be in Great Britain?”

“Once or twice, I think, but I’d like to ‘ear it from both of you, if I’m bein’ ‘onest,” Gina admitted, plopping down beside Ryunosuke and jostling him and his cup of tea in the process. “Go on, then, tell me all about it.”

_____

After spending the remainder of their day exchanging stories and laughter, their foggy London afternoon slowly but surely melted into a rather hazy evening, rendering all of them pleasantly sleepy by the time they were to turn in for the night. “I hope you won’t be too uncomfortable tonight, Naruhodo-san, Kazuma-sama,” Susato said with a sympathetic grimace. “At least neither of you are as tall as Mr Holmes or Lord van Zieks.”

“Yes, small miracles,” Ryunosuke drawled, shuddering. He often found Sherlock sleeping in the strangest of places in the strangest of positions at the strangest of times - halfway sprawled up the stairs with his pipe still in his mouth, face-down on the floor with his coat inexplicably draped over his prone form, draped artfully over the back of the couch with his arms spread wide - so he could only imagine what it would be like to share a bed with the man. He suddenly found himself feeling very sorry for Professor Mikotoba. “Goodnight, Susato-san.”

“And please feel free to wake us if you need anything from your luggage,” Kazuma added. “I’d rather not have something suddenly drop on my head in the middle of the night.”

“Yes, of course,” Susato promised with a gentle chuckle. “Good night, and sleep well.” She then bowed and drew the curtain that hung between the two beds, leaving Ryunosuke and Kazuma to themselves.

For a moment, an uncomfortable silence seemed to linger in the air, neither of them wanting to make the first move. Ryunosuke felt as if he had to hold his breath for some inexplicable reason, his face heating from the effort. Then, Kazuma smiled drowsily in Ryunosuke’s direction. “Let me guess - you’d like to be on the inside so you don’t risk falling off?”

“You know me so well,” Ryunosuke said, laughing awkwardly. Nodding, Kazuma moved aside so Ryunosuke could get into bed first, then extinguished the last of the compartment’s lights before crawling in after him. Ryunosuke swallowed a gasp the moment Kazuma moved in close; it was just as tight of a fit as he’d dreaded, what with Kazuma’s chest pressed against his back, Kazuma’s soft breath lingering near his ear, making the hairs on his arms prickle in discomfort. He was warm, too warm, smelling of ink and incense and tea, leaving Ryunosuke dizzy, almost overwhelmed.

“You’re shaking, Ryunosuke,” Kazuma murmured, his voice dangerously low. “Are you cold? I have an extra jumper in my luggage if you’re in need of a - ”

“No, no, I-I’m fine,” Ryunosuke said a little too quickly; he could barely hear himself over the rapid thumping of his own heart. “Well...g’night, Kazuma.”

Even in the darkness, he could sense Kazuma raising an eyebrow at the abrupt dismissal. “...yes, good night.”

The next few minutes felt like hours, where all Ryunosuke could do was listen to the sound of Kazuma’s breath slowly, but surely even out as he fell asleep. He envied Kazuma’s ability to drift off so quickly, especially in a situation like this. Usually, the gentle, rhythmic click-clack of the train tracks would’ve put him right to sleep, but all Ryunosuke could think about now was how solid Kazuma was, how firm he felt, his stomach pressed perfectly against the small of Ryunosuke’s back. He didn’t dare turn over to look, even with Kazuma fast asleep, knowing his barely feigned composure would fall apart in an instant.

Resigning himself to yet another restless night, Ryunosuke squirmed closer to the wall in the hopes that he could put at least a little distance between him and Kazuma, fruitless as his efforts might be. To his dismay, all he managed to do was move too quickly, accidentally smashing his nose against said wall, causing him to cry out in pain. “Ah!”

“Ryunosuke?” Kazuma had stirred instantly, albeit sleepily. “What happened, are you alright?”

“Fide,” Ryunosuke managed to say, clutching his face. To his horror, he felt the unmistakable rush of blood start to seep between the spread of his fingers. “I’m fide, I just - I got a liddle too close to the wall and hid my dose.”

“Well, you certainly don’t sound ‘fide’,” Kazuma sighed, yawning. He grabbed Ryunosuke by the shoulders without warning, hauling him upright. Then, he pulled a handkerchief out of seemingly nowhere and began to gingerly wipe Ryunosuke’s face. “Let’s clean you up first, then I’ll see if anything’s broken.”

“I’m sure it’s - ” But the words died on Ryunosuke’s lips the moment Kazuma’s other hand was on his face, tenderly cradling his jaw so he could hold him in place. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he could see Kazuma somewhat clearly, saw the concentrated furrow of his brow and the irritated pull of his mouth. “So...how does it look?”

“Bruised, naturally,” Kazuma replied with yet another disapproving sigh. “But nothing’s broken. You really need to be more careful, Ryunosuke. This is you clipping your ear with your bowstring all over again.”

“Yes, yes, nothing I haven’t heard before,” Ryunosuke grumbled. He then managed a small, apologetic smile. “...sorry for waking you, Kazuma.”

Kazuma’s expression softened. “It’s alright. I’d only been asleep for ten minutes; was I supposed to let you bleed out beside me?”

“You make it sound so dramatic. It was only a little bit of blood, nothing I couldn’t have taken care of myself,” Ryunosuke chuckled, his cheeks warming nonetheless. It was only then that he realized Kazuma was still holding him, their legs intertwined beneath them. Suddenly, he became very aware of each and every point of contact - Kazuma’s calloused fingers pressed along the underside of his jaw, Kazuma’s elbows grazing the tops of his legs, Kazuma’s knee pressed against the inside of his thigh - it felt like too much and not enough at the same time. Ryunosuke inwardly cursed himself for thinking of such things at a time like this, at a time when they were about to resume lying beside each other while trying their best not to touch. Or, he supposed, that was what he was trying not to do. Kazuma, on the other hand, was clearly unbothered, unaffected.

“Ryunosuke?”

“Hm?” Ryunosuke blinked. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“You really are absent-minded today, aren’t you?” Kazuma murmured, laughing softly, lifting his other hand to brush Ryunosuke’s hair out of his face. Ryunosuke shivered. “Is there anything I can do to help you sleep? If you need more tea, or maybe something to use as another blanket...”

“Oh, er...no, I’m alright,” Ryunosuke said, clumsily slipping out of Kazuma’s grasp with a sharp jerk of his head. “It’s, ah, very warm with both of us in here, so.”

Kazuma cocked his head, looking at him curiously. “Is it now?” Ryunosuke opened his mouth, then closed it; he wasn’t sure what to make of Kazuma’s soft, raspy voice, nor of his dark, inquisitive gaze. Then, Kazuma’s eyes seem to flicker downwards, lingering on Ryunosuke’s bottom lip. “Ryunosuke��”

Ryunosuke swallowed thickly. “We really should get to sleep, or else neither of us will be alert enough to take this case seriously.”

Kazuma went quiet for a moment, thinking. He leaned back onto his hands, his gaze drifting elsewhere. “Should I...sleep on the floor?” he asked; it was the most tentative he’d ever sounded.

“Wh...what?” Ryunosuke’s eyebrows furrowed. “No, I - why would you even ask that?”

“Because I’m clearly making you uncomfortable,” Kazuma said sharply, now sounding the complete opposite of how he’d been just moments ago. Even in the pitch black of the sleeping car, Ryunosuke could see how much his eyes had hardened, had narrowed to slits. “So naturally, I should sleep elsewhere.”

“But the floor, it’s…” Ryunosuke trailed off, unable to find the words he wanted to say. Once again, he found himself at a loss as to what Kazuma was really thinking. “And I’m not uncomfortable, just...warm. Please, Kazuma, don’t make yourself uncomfortable on my behalf.”

“And you shouldn’t make yourself uncomfortable on mine,” Kazuma retorted somewhat childishly, frowning. “For whatever reason, you obviously don’t want to be anywhere near me, so…”

“That’s not - ” Ryunosuke let out a frustrated groan; the conversation was starting to move too quickly for him, especially in his barely conscious state. It didn’t help that their surroundings were deathly quiet, save for the sound of Susato and Gina’s breathing and the click-clack of the train, leaving him with nothing but Kazuma’s piercing stare and his own too-loud thoughts. “Let’s just go back to sleep, alright? We have work to do, first thing in the morning.”

Still scowling, Kazuma lowered himself back down onto the mattress, his head hitting the pillow rather forcefully, with Ryunosuke following suit. He could practically feel Kazuma’s irritation rolling off his body in waves. For a moment, everything was silent, so silent that Ryunosuke worried that Kazuma was genuinely angry with him. Then, he spoke again. “...we weren’t like this on the SS Burya.”

Ryunosuke hesitated. Then, he turned over, bringing himself face-to-face with Kazuma. He looked wounded somehow, but Ryunosuke couldn’t quite fathom why. “Things were so...different, Kazuma. We were so different.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Kazuma’s voice had dropped to a barely-there whisper. “I told you, you...you never change.” Then, he visibly swallowed. “And that’s what I like about you.”

“Kazuma…” Ryunosuke only just managed to avert his gaze; he felt that if his eyes lingered on Kazuma’s any longer, things would start to feel decidedly more dangerous. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that…” Kazuma took a deep breath, then exhaled, warm air ghosting across Ryunosuke’s skin. “...that I still think about those conversations we shared, after I’d managed to convince you that no one would find out if you were to sleep in my bed. Things we’d never dared to talk about since.”

“For a good reason - many reasons, actually,” Ryunosuke reminded him with a wan smile. “We’d never found the right time.”

“What about now, hm?” Just like that, Kazuma’s hand was cupping his jaw again, his thumb lightly pressed against the corner of Ryunosuke’s mouth. “Or...am I right in thinking that you have changed, and you don’t want to talk about this anymore?”

“Is that really what you think?” Ryunosuke asked uncertainly, his heartbeat pulsing erratically in his throat. “Is that why you offered to sleep on the floor?”

“I certainly wouldn’t blame you for changing your mind,” Kazuma said wryly, though the bite in his voice didn’t quite match the resignation in his eyes. Ryunosuke hated that he was getting used to this, to this defeated expression that didn’t suit Kazuma one bit. “After all, I’m...I’m hardly the person you thought I was.”

“Perhaps.” Ryunosuke inched the slightest bit closer, clasping his hand over Kazuma’s. Kazuma’s breath hitched, surprised. “Or perhaps you’re still the same person I thought you were at your core. And just like you, I...I still think about those nights all the time. Those conversations we had, those memories we shared...Kazuma, even after everything that’s happened since then, I...I...I haven’t changed my mind.”

“Ryunosuke,” Kazuma murmured; he almost sounded afraid. His other hand was now pressed against Ryunosuke’s chest, fingers tangled in the fabric of his shirt, like he hadn’t yet decided whether to push him away or pull him right in. “You’re not saying…”

“Th-that’s exactly what I’m saying, yes.” Ryunosuke huffed out a quiet laugh. “My feelings for you never changed, even if we have.”

And then, as if his resolve had crumbled away entirely, Kazuma pulled Ryunosuke close, their lips crashing together rather violently, passionately, like they’d been waiting their entire lives to meet. Kazuma swallowed Ryunosuke’s gasp before he could let it escape, his fingers now tangled in Ryunosuke’s hair. It took Ryunosuke a moment to find his footing, his arms winding around Kazuma’s shoulders as he pulled him even closer, lips parting so he could deepen the kiss. Then, Kazuma shifted his body weight so he could turn them over, pinning Ryunosuke to the bed; their mouths only separated for a split second before colliding once more.

“Ryu,” Kazuma said breathlessly after some time; Ryunosuke couldn’t help but feel a little thrill go up his spine at the sight of Kazuma’s kiss-bitten mouth, illuminated by just a sliver of moonlight peeking in through the car window. “You’re so...you should really see yourself.”

Ryunosuke’s cheeks flushed, pleased. “I’d have to say the same to you,” he said softly, reaching up to trace his thumb across the fullness of Kazuma’s bottom lip. Kazuma’s mouth seemed to fall open automatically, his eyes darkening as it did. Ryunosuke shuddered again, his toes curling with anticipation, knowing exactly what that look was supposed to mean. “Kazuma…”

“I know, I know.” Kazuma half-collapsed into Ryunosuke’s side, his knee tucked between Ryunosuke’s thighs. He began running his fingers through Ryunosuke’s hair, gentler now. Slowly, but surely, the hungry look in his eyes started to soften into something a little sweeter. “If we were alone, then...but even so, perhaps it’s for the best that we take things slow. You’ve only been back in London for a few months, after all. We have time to...to have those conversations again.”

Ryunosuke offered him a hopeful smile. “As we should.” Still, he leaned back in to kiss him, more chastely this time, his hands slipping underneath the hem of Kazuma’s shirt so he could feel his warmth. Kazuma seemed to instinctively lean into his touch, the curve of his stomach fitting perfectly into Ryunosuke’s palm. “And here I was worried that you changed your mind, or that...that you might not have meant any of it in the first place.”

“Never,” Kazuma promised, squeezing Ryunosuke’s hip. “I swear on my honor, Ryunosuke, that I meant every last word.” Satisfied, Ryunosuke kissed him yet again before eventually pulling away with a yawn. Kazuma smirked, pinching him. “Have I worn you out that easily, then? Is this what the rest of our relationship is going to be like?”

“Quiet, you,” Ryunosuke chuckled, nudging him affectionately. Kazuma had to bite his lip to keep himself from bursting into laughter. “I really do mean it this time; we need to sleep. Gina and Susato-san will definitely notice if we’re both swaying on our feet.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” Kazuma said airily, wrapping his arms around Ryunosuke’s midsection, his face pressed into his neck. Ryunosuke let out a long, contented sigh, sinking into Kazuma’s embrace in return. A moment or two of comfortable silence soon settled over them, a moment that felt more like an hour, only this time, Ryunosuke would’ve liked to remain where he was for as long as he could. “How about now, partner, are you still too warm?”

“You’re terrible,” Ryunosuke informed him, grinning. “Don’t make me strike everything I’ve just said from the record.” He felt as if he were past the point of exhaustion now, his mind half-delirious, half-ecstatic, his body pliant and snug against Kazuma’s, like it was supposed to be there all along.

Beaming, clearly pleased with himself, Kazuma dropped one last kiss on Ryunosuke’s temple before settling back onto the pillow. “Good night, Ryunosuke.”

Ryunosuke’s eyelids fluttered shut, content. “Good night, Kazuma.”

_____

Hours later, Ryunosuke stirred from what felt like the deepest sleep he’d had in months, feeling rather groggy and sluggish, barely able to lift a finger more than an inch above the mattress at most. Yet, at the same time, he also felt safe, secure, likely because of the arms wrapped protectively around him, the legs that were intertwined with his, the head half-buried in his chest, with warm, slow, even breaths tickling the bare skin of Ryunosuke’s neck. It took Ryunosuke a moment to realize he also felt something wet, like someone had run a damp washcloth over his cheeks. Short of his nose bleeding again in the middle of the night and Kazuma cleaning him up without waking him, he couldn’t fathom why.

“Well, don’t you two look all cozied up, eh?” Ryunosuke looked up, blinking blearily into the early morning sun, to see Gina standing over him with a smug smirk that rivaled Kazuma’s, Toby in her arms as per usual, his little pink tongue lolling out of his mouth. He yipped happily the moment Ryunosuke looked at him; Ryunosuke, on the other hand, recoiled in realization. “Sleep well, ‘Oddo?”

“...yes, quite well, thank you,” Ryunosuke said, slowly pushing himself up into a seated position. “Miss Susato, could I trouble you to wet that cloth you’re holding so I can clean my face?”

Susato glanced over from where she was standing, currently in the midst of wiping down their teacups, brows furrowed in confusion. Then, she let out a tiny gasp upon seeing his face. “Oh, Mr Naruhodo! Your nose is all bruised! What happened, are you alright?”

“I’d...rather not talk about it,” Ryunosuke replied, wilting somewhat. With a reluctant nod, Susato poured a little bit of water onto the cloth, then handed it to him, her eyes softening when she noticed Kazuma still sleeping soundly behind Ryunosuke, one of his arms draped loosely across Ryunosuke’s lap.

“We’ve another hour before we arrive, if you’d like to lie down for a while longer,” Susato offered, looking at him pointedly. “Gina and I will be taking Toby for a walk, just up and down the train corridor.”

Ryunosuke smiled softly. “Thank you, Miss Susato. I think I’d like that a lot.” Minutes later, Susato, Gina, and Toby left their compartment - against Gina’s will, it seemed; she was clearly desperate to poke fun at Ryunosuke’s expense, but Susato practically dragged her out by her jacket collar - leaving Ryunosuke to settle back down onto the bed, having finally wiped the dog drool off his face. He turned onto his side so he could look at Kazuma, who, much to his dismay, really only ever looked truly at ease when he was asleep. Sighing, Ryunosuke brushed Kazuma’s hair out of his eyes, quietly admiring the length of his eyelashes, the softness of his skin. He found himself greatly preferring the gentle click-clack of the train over the lurching, creaking cacophony of the SS Burya.

Then, Kazuma blinked, stirring at Ryunosuke’s touch, his expression unusually vulnerable. “...Ryunosuke?”

“Go back to sleep, Kazuma,” Ryunosuke murmured. “We won’t be in Aberdeen for another hour or so.”

“I see.” Kazuma then lifted an arm, offering Ryunosuke a drowsy smile. “Come, then, I’d like my pillow back.”

“Is that all I am to you?” Ryunosuke teased, sinking back into Kazuma’s embrace once more with a happy hum. This time, it was he who laid his head against Kazuma’s chest, his grin softening at the sound of Kazuma’s steady heartbeat beneath his cheek.

Kazuma chuckled, then leaned down to kiss him sweetly. “Never, Ryunosuke. You’re...you’ve always been so, so much more.”

_____

a/n: Welcome to my second entry for Asoryuu Week 2021! I still believe absolutely no one when they say Ryunosuke was just in the wardrobe the entire time; you cannot convince me that Kazuma wouldn't insist on sharing the bed after all that fuss they made about not being able to open the locked cabin door from outside. As with any short(er) fic, I can totally see myself turning this into a full-blown case fic where they also solve a murder on the train à la Agatha Christie, but that probably won't happen until a long, long time from now, if ever.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Likes and reblogs would be much appreciated, and I hope you're all safe and healthy and doing well ❤️

[saltmannequin]

i didn’t know you could sing

Eddie Munson x fem!Reader

[2.1k] summary: you are performing at the hideouts open mic night to get the attention of your best friend Eddie, while he seems completely unenthused about you performing.

a/n: this is my first fic so please be nice! feel free to give feedback :))

-

Your heart pounded as you bounced back and forth on the balls of your feet. You stood nervously backstage, guitar ready and tuned, hugging your body. The microphone stood smack bang in the middle of the stage ready for you to perform. It was the first time you had ever performed to a crowd, opting to practise guitar in the confines of your bedroom. You had always been quite shy and reserved, keeping your guard up. Playing guitar wasn’t something you really wanted people to know about, as you doubted your abilities greatly and thought that if anyone were to ever hear you play, they would immediately hate it and make fun of you for years to come.

Your whole life revolved around music, your biggest dream as a child was being the next Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry or Joan Jett. You would talk endlessly about this to just about anyone who would listen, which was very few people. Most usually rolled their eyes and told you to think of something realistic, while others told you that you seemed far too shy to ever be a performer. So, eventually you stopped talking about it, not daring to ever share it with anyone.

It was Robin who had encouraged you to perform at the Hideout’s open mic night after coming over to your place a little earlier than intended and walking in on you strumming along to your Pretenders record, singing along. She practically begged you to perform and insisted that it would impress a certain long haired metalhead you were far too fond of. The idea of him seeing you on stage, performing, left you both excited and simultaneously wanting to throw up out of nervousness. After a long debate with your forever running brain, you decided to go. You told Robin that you were doing it because it could be fun, but she could see through you like glass, knowing that the major reason was because Eddie would be there to see you.

You had known Eddie ever since you had moved to Hawkins in the winter of 1983, both of you in Junior year. You became fast friends due to your similar music tastes and shared hatred of Mrs.Fitzgerald, your English teacher, who seemed to love berating the class just a little too much. You went on to graduate in 1985 alongside your other close friend Steve Harrington, while Eddie had to repeat his senior year. Another year passed and you got a job working in the town’s local record store, which you adored, while Eddie had to stay behind once again to retry senior year. He insisted that this year would be different and that he would finally get out of the hell that was Hawkins High.

You had an instant crush on him the moment you saw him. His brown doe eyes sparkled whenever he spoke to you and your heart did backflips any time he looked in your direction. Over the years, you figured that he didn’t feel the same about you as he never showed any interest in you beyond friendship, so you vowed to never tell him in order to keep the friendship going because, as much as you wished he would know how you felt, you couldn’t risk losing him over your unrequited love.

After hearing that you would be performing at the open mic night, Robin took it upon herself to invite along Nancy, Steve and Eddie. Everyone seemed shocked when they found out you would be performing, but seemed excited nonetheless. Steve patted your back, giving you a warm smile and cheer while Nancy applauded slightly and insisted that she help you pick an outfit for your set. Eddie, however, seemed a little wary of the news, only squinting his eyes

at you slightly and saying “I didn’t know you could sing.” You could say that his lack of enthusiasm didn’t hurt at all, but you would be lying to yourself.

The night finally came, and Nancy did an amazing job at dressing you up. She chose one of your favourite skirts, which was cut short enough to leave little to the imagination, a pair of black patterned tights and a band tee which, may or may not, had been Eddie’s at one point. You took control of your makeup, choosing your favourite shade of lipstick and a dark smokey eye, completing the look with a little bit of glitter on the inner corners of your eyes.

Nancy drove you both to the Hideout, picking a very over-excited Robin up on the way. You felt envious of her, wishing that you were just as excited as she was, however all you could think about was messing up in front of everyone and most importantly in front of Eddie.

The car ride was mostly silent, only the faint sounds of Blondie playing through Nancy’s cassette player, until the girl in the driver's seat spoke.

“Nervous?” Nancy asked.

“Is it that obvious?” You sighed, twiddling your fingers in your lap.

“Look, I’ve never heard you play so I can’t say much, but from what Robin has told me, you’re going to do great.”

“You are absolutely amazing, I wouldn’t have pressured you into this if I didn’t think you were good.” Robin chimed in.

“Thanks, guys.” You smiled slightly, feeling a little better from your friend’s compliments.

“Just walk onto that stage and show everyone how much of a rockstar you can be. Goodbye shy nerd who fell on top of Mrs.Click during lunch!” Robin exclaimed.

You let out a short exhale, cheeks reddening at the embarrassing memory of being so engrossed in one of Steven King’s novels to notice Jason’s foot in front of your own and subsequently toppling onto Mrs. Click. “Would you please stop bringing that up?”

As the MC announced your name, you knew there was no turning back now. Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you strode onto the stage. ‘So what if Eddie doesn’t like my set? I’m gonna have a blast.’ You thought to yourself.

The bright blue lights shone around you creating a serene ambience for your set. You had told the light technician your setlist, and he opted for a more whimsical mood in contrast to the extreme red lights of the angry punk girl band that had just played before you.

Scanning the crowd, you could see Robin, Nancy, Steve and Eddie all huddled around a table at the far end of the venue. They were all waving and smiling, Steve giving you a thumbs up and Robing whistling. Eddie, however, looked unamused and bored, like he would rather be anywhere else but watching you play.

You felt a pang in your heart and fully considered running off of the stage, but you felt something inside you make your feet stay planted on the floor. ‘Prove that you can do this and you will no longer be the shy loser everyone thinks you are.’ You wanted more than anything for people to see that you had promise, and you wanted to show Eddie that in fact you could sing, and you weren’t ashamed to prove it.

Your grip tightened on the neck of your guitar as you introduced yourself to the crowd and announced the first song of your set.

“This first song is called White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane.”

You allowed your fingers to work along the fretboard without a thought and after a while began swaying to your own performance, mimicking the crowd who were loving every moment of your time on stage.

You peered over at Eddie throughout the song, watching as his face went from uninterested to shocked and you smiled at the thought of proving him and subsequently everyone who ever told you that you couldn’t do this wrong.

-

Weaving your way through the crowd after your set, you felt your blood buzzing in your veins. Everyone seemed to love your set and you felt like you were glowing, thriving off of the adrenaline rush you received from the surreal experience. It almost felt too good to be true.

Nancy and Robin met you halfway, suffocating you with hugs and compliments. “Oh my god you were absolutely amazing!” Nancy squealed.

“I told you you could do this! You rocked!” Robin gave you a high five and another tight hug before grabbing your hand and leading you over to Steve and Eddie.

Steve gasped as soon as he saw you, screaming and grabbing your hand dramatically, which earned a few odd looks from people surrounding you both.

“Guys look it’s the world famous rockstar Y/N! Please give me your autograph! I'm your biggest fan!”

You laughed dryly. “Very funny Steve.”

He smiled before turning to Robin and Nancy, who were making their way over to the bar. You turned to look at Eddie, who was looking at you with that same sparkle in his eye.

“So rockstar, how did I do?” You nudged his arm playfully as he smiled softly and nudged you back.

“I should be calling you rockstar, not the other way around. You were awesome.”

You sighed a breath of relief. “Good to know.”

Neither of you said anything for a moment until you both spoke at the same time.

“I thought you-”

“You know I-”

You both chuckled at the awkwardness and Eddie motioned for you to speak first.

“I kind of thought you wouldn’t like my set...you know ‘cause you didn’t look all that excited to be here.”

Eddie looked down, almost as if he was nervous. You instantly felt bad for making it seem like he wasn’t being supportive of you, him always being the first person to cheer you on. After a moment, he responded.

“To tell you the truth...’was kinda bummed you didn’t tell me you sang, let alone played guitar. We always share everything with each other and you’re my best friend and it just hurt that you kept something from me.”

Guilt hit you like a freight train. He was right. He had shared so much of himself with you, never keeping secrets while you kept this from him.

“Eds I’m so sorry. I just...I’ve always been secretive about it you know? Never really thought I was good enough.” You laughed slightly to distract from the obvious insecurities you’d been hoarding. “It wasn’t ‘till Robin walked in on me playing that I thought I could do something like this and even then I was so worried people would hate it. I didn’t tell you ‘cause I thought you'd make fun of me since you're so good at guitar.”

Eddie stood there for a moment, unspeaking. He shuffled nervously and it was as if you could see the cogs turning in his brain.

“Y/N I’d never make fun of you. I think you're amazing, a-and you're so talented and kind and god after seeing you play it made my heart hurt ‘cause you're just so beautiful and you looked amazing up there I mean you’re like made for the stage you know?” He chuckled nervously as you just stood there, gawking.

“You think I’m beautiful?”

“Shit did I say that out loud? I mean yeah, you always have been, I've always thought that I just havent had the balls to say it ‘cause you know you're so gorgeous and I’m me and- I mean I don’t know I just- Yeah I think you’re beautiful.”

The familiar feeling of your heart practically break dancing in your chest returned and this time you didn’t ignore it.

Within the blink of an eye your lips were on Eddie’s. He went rigid for a moment, before melting into you and returning the kiss. One arm grabbed your waist, while the other cradled your face, pulling you impossibly closer to him. It was as if the world disappeared around you both and all you could feel was Eddie. He smelled like cheap cologne and cigarettes and tasted like beer and spearmint. His lips were soft and slotted perfectly between your own. You couldn’t get enough. Eventually, you both had to breathe. His hair tickled your face as you both pulled apart, gasping for air.

“Well I think we can all agree when I say that was long overdue.” Steve interrupted, giggling like a schoolgirl with Robin and Nancy behind him.

You turned to Eddie, beaming with joy. He returned your cheesy grin and squeezed your waist with his ring-adorned hand, that had not left since the kiss.

“Yes I think we can.” Eddie agreed, more to you than anyone else.

“So can I be one of your groupies?” He whispered into your ear just as the next band came onstage.