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themoonmunchkin · 3 years

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Don't look!

Pairing : Bakugo katsuki x gn!reader, Midoriya Izuku x gn!reader, Todoroki Shoto x gn!reader.

Genre : fluff

Warnings : insecure reader, cussing, savage deku?, kinda angsty but overall super fluffy ^3^

Synopsis : you're insecure about your side profile but they're having none of it.

Not gonna lie, he probably wouldn't even have known that this was an insecurity that people had.

So when you first start dating he wouldn't think much of it when you cover your nose while laughing or when you contour your jawline extra hard.

Until one day you start letting your thoughts get to you again, you think about how everyone around you have such a beautiful side profile.

You start wondering why Katsuki even bothers to be with someone as "ugly" as yourself, I mean has he seen his face.

But anyways you start distancing yourself from the world again, start hiding your face with your hair, have mental break downs in the night, refuse to take pictures and completely shut him out while thinking you're being subtle.

But no, no, no- my mans noticed...and he's currently having a full blown panic attack on the inside.

He's really worried at this point and starts thinking about what he's done wrong, he tries to talk to you but you're always making excuses and running away from him.

Now, he's had enough and so he quite literally barges into your dorm room and demands an explanation as he keeps shouting at you until....

.....he takes in your tear stained face with fresh tears forming at the corner of your eyes.

You were seated on the floor with a hand mirror clutched to your chest, the same one that you use to point out all your insecurities in, your phone is on the ground next to you with a picture of a model, her perfect side profile on display...the same one that you always compare yourself to.

Cue in a confused, angry and sad boom boom boy 😔.

Who the fuck had the audacity to make his baby cry hmm 🤬.

But then his anger vanishes just as it comes and before you knew it, he's shut the door behind him, quickly walks upto you, swoops you into his arms and cradles you in his lap.

"Ssshhh....its ok baby, I'm right here". Bakugo softly coos in your ear while running his fingers through your hair and letting his other hand rub your back. "Talk to me honey, what's wrong?"

You pull back a little and look up at him into his pain filled eyes that still hold so much love for you and that's when you tell him everything.

You tell him about how you've always hated your nose, how you've always wished you'd had a more chiseled jawline, how you've been bullied about your side profile by your peers and how you've never felt good enough.

He still doesn't get it because you're genuinely the most stunning person he's ever laid his eyes on, but understands how this is something that seriously bothers you and so he's gonna do everything in his powers to yeet those insecurities out.

Now Bakugo isn't one to lie or sugarcoat something, but he's also not someone who'll let you sit and hurt yourself like that.

He takes a deep breath, cups your cheeks in his hands and looks at you with the most earnest look on his face.

"Listen here baby, you're right maybe you don't have the most chiseled jawline or the sharpest nose out there-"

You winced at that a little but he was quick to speak again.

"I'm not done yet-" he closes his eyes and thinks for a second, words have never been his thing as he's someone who prefers actions instead but right now you needed more than just a kiss or a hug, you needed security and reassurance, so he takes in another deep breath and opens his eyes to look at you again.

"-just because you don't have those doesn't mean you're any less beautiful." He said with a smile as you curiously looked at him. You looked so damn cute to him all he wanted to do was pounce on you right then and there, but he held himself back for your sake and the next things he said made you fall in love with him even more.

"What you have suits your gorgeous fucking face, you don't have to change for any stupid extra and no one's opinion, not even yours is going to make me view you any differently or make me love you any less." He leaned in and gave you a chaste kiss on your lips that pretty much took your breath away and then he pulled back with a cute blush on his face.

"So from now on only listen to me okay and no matter what-" he kisses you again and pulls back a second time "-I will make you look at yourself the way I and so many other people look at you".

Now he's had his fair share of insecurities and he's had a lot of people call him "plain looking" (which I still don't understand how when he's got some of the rarest and most beautiful features) even then those words about his looks have never really got to him.

But when it comes to you, he immediately knows something's up with all those self-deprecating jokes you apparently find to be funny.

Doesn't question you cause he doesn't want to scare you away, also because he trusts you to come to him if something is wrong.

But alas you and your stubborn ass refused to seek help from anyone and instead you chose to cope with yourself by putting yourself down in the form of those awful "jokes".

You've always tried to get yourself to stop this, but it soon became more than a coping mechanism, it was the only way you could hold yourself up without wanting breaking into peices.

That was dangerous.

But it's ok! It's still all fine and dandy until one day everything changes and you realise that all that self-deprecation didn't do shit.

Its Sunday today and you and your boyfriend Izuku have been walking around the shopping plaza for a while now.

The two of you were on a date, but you were also on a hunt for the new all might merch that your boyfriend has been fangirling about since forever. So far there was no luck on your end but y'all weren't about to give up just yet.

"OMG! I think I see it in there!" Izuku squeals cutely while pointing at what looks like a moderately big comic store that had an emo cyber punk looking aesthetic to it.

*Gasp*..."OMG! I think I see it too!! Let's go!!" and with that you grabbed his hand and were dragging your blushy stuttering mess of a boyfriend towards the store. It was adorable how easily he got flustered even after how the two of you were almost half a year into dating.

The two of you finally reached the store and stepped in, there it was the brand new neon tinted holographic Allmight figuring with working layers. Izuku's eyes sparkled as he ran towards it and immediately snatched it off the shelf.

"Yay we finally got it!" You cheered as you walked over to him and gave him a high five. The two of you had bright smiles on your faces as you talked about the figuring and walked towards the counter to pay for it.

You looked towards the counter where a young girl who looked about your age was working as a cashier, she had this bored expression on her face until she saw your boyfriend and it immediately changed into something you could only call as a flirty expression.

"Hey there handsome~ what can I help you with today~" she said in a sultry tone and gave him a wink. You and izuku were both puzzled at the fact that she not only just openly flirted with your boyfriend but also completely ignored your existence.

"U-um....er....we just need this figuring please". Izuku placed the box covered figuring on the counter and was about to pull his hands back when she quickly grabbed them and cupped them with her own hands.

"You sure, how about I give you my number and we ditch this place to go get coffee."

"Um -uh no thank you, I have a s/o!"

"Hmm...I don't see them."

"Well I'm right here and maybe you'd have seen me if you'd stop flirting with your customers and did your job properly." You said and at this point you were seething because even though she knew you were right there, she hadn't spared you a glance and pretend like you were completely invisible.

"Oh, so that's who you are....I was wondering why such an ugly person would be hanging out with someone like him-" she pauses and looks into Izuku's eyes with a bored expression "-you need to raise your standards, I mean have you looked at how hideous their nose is or how ugly their face is."

The two of you froze. Sure You've always made fun of yourself before but this was the exact reason why. You've always told yourself that if you'd make fun of yourself, you'd be desensitized to what others say to you but it's only now you realize that no amount of preparation would ever be enough to handle the real thing.

Shame. Humiliation. Pain. Fear.....This is what you felt at the momen-

"How. Dare. You." You turned towards Izuku and for the first time ever you were met with the most terrifying expression on his face. His eyes were dark and he looked...mad....like really really mad and you froze, the cashier looked like she was about to cry with the look he was giving her.

"I don't know who you think you are but you had no need to say whatever you just said and you are wrong because they have the most gorgeous facial features ever." at this he turned to you and softened his eyes a bit, he reached for your hand and gave you a gentle squeeze.

"I promise you sweetheart, you will always be the most beautiful person in my life and no one can tell you otherwise-" he looked at the slack jawed cashier with disgust and pointed towards her "-not stupid people like her-" he looked back into your eyes like you were the only two people in the store and pointed towards himself "-not me and lastly never will you ever tell yourself those kinds of words again even as a joke, got it."

Always openly staring at you in the most respectful way ✨.

Even before y'all started dating he would always stare at you in secret, but hey! it's not his fault you were so irresistibly attractive all the time.

Uhm...so moving on, he is observant as heck especially when it comes to you but unfortunately he's just as oblivious T_T.

He's always noticed how you'd get shy and walk away whenever he'd stare at you for too long and genuinely thinks it's adorable at how bashful you get.

But truthfully.....you're mortified, paranoid even at how much he stares at you.

I mean yeah it's adorable to see him so whipped for you but you're always wondering if he's secretly bashing your side profile in his head and the thought makes you wince ever single time.

But you always tell yourself to not let your insecurities define Shoto or effect your relationship and besides Shoto isn't a cruel person, he'd never think of you that way.....right...?

Oh God, he's doing it again, he's staring at you and this time it truly is terrible because he is seated right beside you. The two of you are seated wooden chairs, side by side in the U.A. library.

Your textbooks and notebooks are spread out on the table in front of you. You're in a more secluded part of the library opting to study in a more private area and boy oh boy did Shoto take advantage of that.

"Shoto, could you please stop staring at me like that". You held your textbook upto your face and looked the other way.

"But I want to look at you". Shoto pouted slightly and furrowed his brows at your actions, he reached for your wrists and tried to pull them down and to much to your inconvenience, he succeeded.

You see, while you still had a bunch of work left to do, Shoto had finished about 15 minutes ago. You told him to go back to the dorms but instead of listening to you, he denied your offer and has been staring at you with the most unreadable expression on his face.

"Why can't I admire the one that I love the most". He slightly tilted his head towards the side and flashed you the most genuine smile. Damn him for being so adorable but that's not enough for your insecurities to go away.

"Because I'm ugly". You finally said softly with your head hung low and tears threatening to fall. You wanted to shrivel up in a corner and fade away for sounding so vulnerable but at the same time it felt so good to let your thoughts out.

"You're....what..." His eyes were wide and his jaw was set a slack. Now this took him by surprise, he had expected a lot of things but never once had he expected....that. He gently grabbed your chin and tilted your face to meet his. "Love, you're the most beautiful person I've ever met, why would you ever say that."

"Because I'm not beautiful, everyone has such a gorgeous face especially from their side. I don't and you don't have to lie to me to make feel better about myself. I know I'm ugly and I'll always be that....just let me accept that and be Shoto." You said with your voice slightly raised and shaky from the lump in your throat.

Shoto's eyes darkened a little and his grip on you tightened a little but not enough to hurt you. To even think that someone as precious as yourself could ever have such awful thoughts about yourself- how long have you been silently suffering like this all by yourself.

He cupped your cheeks with his hands and met your eyes with the most determined look on his face. "Darling, I don't know who said that to you or even if that's an inside voice but, I will absolutely never let you accept yourself this way."

"Everything about you is perfect, from those gorgeous eyes that i always get lost in," he kisses your eyes.

"-to that perfect nose that helps you breath so you could live by my side another," he kisses your nose.

"-to those delicate beckoning lips that I wish to kiss forever." he finally captures your lips in a breath taking kiss just to slowly release them and look at you.

"And besides, you know better than to call me a liar baby, you know that I would never lie when it comes to you so let's pack up for today and let me show you how much I love you and how utterly enticing you are."

#writing #fiction #reading #reader insert #headcanon #bnha x reader #mha bakugou #bakugou x reader #bnha todoroki #todoroki x reader #midoriya x reader #mha midoriya #midoriya fluff #midoriya headcanons #bakugou fluff #bakugou katsuki #todoroki shoto

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study-coffee-chicago · 3 years

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Country College (A Halstead Brothers + Halstead Sister Imagine; Part of AU-gust)

A/N: Thank you for reading! Remember to like/reblog and comment! I'm also donating all the proceeds that from my buy me a coffee account to Save The Children to help the children of Afghanistan. Buy me a coffee link here.

Also, here's the playlist of songs I listened to while writing this and some of these songs are actually mentioned in the imagine in case you guys wanted to listen while reading: Country College AU playlist.

I went on vacation and I swear, this entire imagine was based on stuff I did in Tennessee and country songs I listened to while there.

Anyway, enjoy!

"You got everything?" Jay asked you at six in the morning.

"For the last damn time, Jay, yes, I have everything," you answered as you jumped in the passenger seat of his truck and put your backpack at your feet and your tumbler of coffee in a cup holder.

"Jesus. I was just asking because I will not be turning this truck around," he said as he moved around the basket of snacks in the backseat so that the two of you could reach them easier. "Someone's cranky."

"Yes. When I finally got to sleep at 12:30 last night and had to wake up at 4:30, I'm gonna be cranky. Please tell me we're stopping for coffee."

"You already have coffee," Will said as he walked up to the truck. "Why do you need more?"

"Shut up. I know for a fact you drink way more coffee than I do, Mr. Med Student."

"Jesus, Jay. You sure you're gonna be able to put up with her for eight and a half hours?" Will asked.

"I dunno, man. Maybe I'll make her ride with you," he joked.

"Yeah, no way in hell that's happening," Will said.

"In all seriousness," Jay started, "stop for coffee in about an hour and a half?"

"Sounds good to me," you agreed.

"Same here. I only have to ditch you guys when we get like eight hours in," Will said.

"Gonna be weird not having you on the drive down, man," Jay mused.

"Yeah, but at least we can meet up at the rest stops and we'll be in the same state."

"Are we gonna go?" you asked. "If you two were just gonna talk, I could've slept for an extra ten minutes."

"Holy shit," Jay muttered. He turned to Will. "Guess we should get going then."

"Yeah, see you in an hour and a half. Don't piss off the driver too much, Y/N."

You rolled your eyes. "Goodbye, Will."

Will got in his car and Jay got in the driver's side of his truck.

"Eight and a half hour drive plus traffic," Jay started as you both pulled out of the driveway, "so how do want to split it up?"

"I'm tired and I wanna sleep and I don't want to drive through Knoxville because I have no idea where to go," you answered as you pulled your headphones out of your backpack.

"Okay, Miss Sassy Pants. You can drive in the middle, through Kentucky. Might hit traffic, but we'll hit traffic in Tennessee, too, so we'll both have to drive through it. Just please, do not crash my truck."

"Relax. I know how to drive. Just make sure Will stays on your ass the entire time so we don't lose each other."

***

"And, we're officially in Kentucky!" Jay announced. "Time to change the music. At the next rest stop, we'll pull over and go to the bathroom and grab some lunch."

"Jay! You can't be on your phone while you're driving!" you yelled as he reached for his phone in the cup holder, which was also acting as the GPS...even though Jay claimed he could get there without it.

"Y/N, I'm fine. I've done this for three years now. I think I know what I'm doing."

"If you say so."

He turned on a song you didn't know.

"Got a truck, get it lifted," Jay started to sing.

"The hell is this?" you asked.

"Country music. Gets changed from pop to country the second we cross the border into Kentucky. Now, shh. This is a good song. You'll like it. It's upbeat."

Jay drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and sang quietly to Redneck Be Like by Thomas Rhett as he drove while you listened. He was right. It was a pretty good song.

"All day in the sun, always havin' fun, always gettin' stuck in that muddy river. Always got a buzz, always double cup..."

"You'll know the next one," Jay promised.

"And you know this how?" you asked.

"Because it's on Tiktok. When we get there, Adam and Hailey are gonna have to teach you some southern culture."

"So, I'm gonna need a definition of southern culture."

"You'll see when you get there. Now listen. I know you know this part."

Yeah we fancy like Applebee's...

Jay was right: you did know this song. It was Fancy Like by Walker Hayes.

"On a date night," you sang along. "Got that Bourbon street steak..." Jay joined in. "With the Oreo shake. Get some whipped cream on the top, too. Two straws, one check, girl I got you. Yeah we Bougie like Natty in the styrofoam..."

Five minutes later, you pulled off to a rest stop with a McDonald's nearby. Jay and Will filled up their vehicles while you ran inside to go to the bathroom. Once you were inside McDonald's and at a table eating, you asked Will if it was true that he and Jay always changed it to country music when they crossed the border into Kentucky. Will said yes, so you knew you were in for a long car ride. Then, you and Jay switched so that you were now the one driving and you were off again.

***

Hours later, Will took a different exit to get to Nashville and gave you and Jay a salute to tell you goodbye when he changed lanes and then took the exit.

"Not long now," Jay told you. "You excited?"

"Yeah, but a little nervous," you replied.

"Oh, don't be nervous. They're all really nice. And you've already met Hailey, so that helps."

"Yeah, she was nice. She had a cute little southern accent, too."

"One of the many reasons I fell in love with her in the first place."

Before Jay left for a weekend last summer to meet Hailey halfway and then stay in a hotel for a weekend to spend time with her, he finally told you the story of how he and Hailey met.

"Hey, we're goin' to the marketplace," Adam said on the first weekend of their junior year. "You and Will up for it?"

"Uh, Will's studying like normal. I'm up for it. Kim coming, too?" Jay asked.

"I promised her ice cream, so yeah, she's comin'. Baby, you ready?" he yelled down the hall.

"I'm coming, Adam!" Kim yelled back and then walked out of the bathroom.

"Let's go and make some bad decisions," Adam stated, causing Jay and Kim to laugh.

"We can't even buy alcohol yet, you dummy," Kim said.

"I may be a dummy, but you love me." Then, Adam gave Kim a kiss on the cheek.

"Please stop before I puke," Jay said and made a gagging face.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Let's get outta here."

***

Kim was laughing at a horrible joke Adam made while he had his arm slung around him. He had taken off his signature cowboy hat and had let Kim wear it because she forgot her sunglasses. Adam said he felt naked without it on.

They were walking towards Kilwin's when Jay spotted it: a homeless guy next to a blonde who couldn't be more than college age.

"Man, look," Jay pointed.

The three walked faster.

"No, this is for my friend back at the dorm," the girl explained.

"Lady, I'm hungry. Can I please just have your leftovers?" the guy asked.

"I'm sorry you're hungry, but this is for my friend."

The guy reached for the food.

"Hey, that girl sits behind me in my women and the law class," Kim stated.

Jay, Adam, and Kim took off on a run.

"Hey, baby," Jay said and slung an arm around the girl. He leaned in close to her. "Just go with it," he whispered in her ear. "You got Anna's food?"

"Yeah," the girl said hesitantly. But then, she realized that this guy was trying to help her out. And, he was pretty sure that the girl with him sat in front of her in her women and the law class. "Yeah, I've got her food."

Jay raised an eyebrow at the guy and then looked at Adam as if asking the man to try the two of them.

"Alright, well y'all have a good night now," he said and then turned around and walked away.

Once the man was a few shops down, Jay took his arm off of her. "Sorry about that. Just thought you might need some help," he said.

"Was greatly appreciated, thank you, uh..."

"Jay."

"Jay, well I'm Hailey. Nice to meet you."

He didn't miss her cute little southern accent and he loved it.

"You getting ice cream?" he asked.

"No, I uh was just textin' my roommate to tell her I'd be back soon."

"Well, I-- we'd feel much better if you came into Kilwin's with us. Just so that creeper doesn't come back."

Hailey smiled and agreed.

Kim and Hailey started talking about their class while Adam and Jay ordered their ice cream. Then Kim ordered.

"You want anything, Hailey?" Jay asked.

"Oh no, I'm fine, thank you, though."

Jay nodded, but then turned to the worker. "And can I also get a single scoop of chocolate in a waffle cone, please?"

"Sure thing." As she scooped it out, Hailey looked at Jay and he just shrugged.

When they got to the cashier, Hailey pulled out some money and tried to hand it to Jay.

"I've got it," he said.

"But--"

"Hailey, it's fine. I can pay for a little ice cream."

She loved the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"Okay." She took her ice cream cone.

"Hey, Hailey," Kim began when they walked out of Kilwin's. "Do you have friends you need to meet up with?"

"No, I was just gonna head back to my dorm," she replied.

"Oh, did you drive?"

"No, I walked. It's only like a twenty-minute walk from the sophomore dorms."

"Well, after all that, I'm pretty sure we'd all feel more comfortable if you rode home with us."

"I don't know..." Hailey trailed off.

"Those dorms are only like five minutes away from the house we stay at. And, it's on our way there anyway. Please, just come with us."

Hailey sighed. It would be a lot faster than walking. "Okay."

Then, they finished their walk to Adam's truck and the two girls got in the backseat and the two boys got in the front.

And that is how Jay Halstead met the sweet Georgia peach that is Hailey Anne Upton.

***

Jay, Adam, Will, Kim, and Hailey were all at a sports bar one Saturday night in October. It was loud, it was rowdy, everyone was going crazy over the football game on tv, and Hailey was totally over it. And Jay noticed.

"Hey," Jay whispered from his seat next to her. "You wanna get outta here?"

She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "You'd wanna leave and not finish the game?"

In the past two months, Hailey had been spending a lot of time with Kim, and by default, she had been spending a lot of time with Adam, Jay, and Will. She will admit going over to their three-bedroom house they all rented together was a lot better than being stuck in her small dorm with her roommate. So, she went over there quite a bit to study with Kim. And, turns out she and Jay were both law studies majors, so they had a lot of the same classes, but they were in different sections, so they did a lot of studying together, too. And, she knew like most college boys, Jay loved his football. Not as much as Adam, but he watched it whenever one of his teams were playing. Which, was Chicago or Tennessee.

"Yeah," Jay started, "it's kinda loud in here anyway. And, it's just Tennessee playing. I'd be more likely to stay if the Bears were playing."

"Okay, let's get outta here. I know a great little diner we can go to for milkshakes. Pretty sure they're open until 11 and it's only 10, so we should be able to make it."

"Adam," Jay said over the game. Adam turned to face Jay. "Me and Hailey are gonna get out of here. I'll see you back at home."

"See you," Adam said and then turned back to his game.

"Guess we know where his loyalties lie," Hailey laughed.

The two of them stood up from their chairs at the table.

"You better get my friend home safe, Halstead!" Kim yelled.

"Yes ma'am," he said, borrowing a line from Adam. "You've got nothing to worry about."

Then, the two of them made their way out of the local sports bar and to Jay's truck.

***

"You've gotta be kiddin' me," Hailey said as the two of them walked up to the diner. "They're closed. Closed at 10 and not at 11. I'm really sorry, Jay."

"That's okay. Got anywhere else you wanna go? Or I can just take you back to your dorm if you want?" Jay suggested.

She sighed. "Just take me back I guess."

The two of them walked back to Jay's truck and got in. Hailey gasped at the song that was on the radio.

"What?" Jay asked, quickly turning to look at Hailey.

"This is my favorite song!"

Lights go down, wheels go around. I'm taking you home. Hoping for a slow song to come on the radio now.

Slow Dance in a Parking Lot by Jordan Davis continued to play through the speakers of Jay's truck.

"What's it about?" Jay asked.

"Slow dancing in a parking lot."

Jay listened to a few more lines and then decided to turn up the radio and jump out of the car.

"Jay, what are you--"

But he was already at her side of the car and pulled her door open.

"Dance with me?" he asked, sticking his hand out for her to take.

"What?" she laughed as a huge smile grew on her face.

"You said the song's about slow dancing in a parking lot and we're in an empty parking lot, so, why not recreate the song?"

Hailey laughed once more and shook her head and then grabbed Jay's hand. He helped her out of his truck and then she wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist and they swayed to the music.

"Slow dance with you. Spinning you round by the Walmart sign and moving our feet over the painted white lines. Getting close to you. Making the most of whatever we got, even if it's just slow dance in a parking lot," Hailey sang quietly.

"Spin," Jay said as he held his hand up.

"What?"

"Spinning you round just like the song says."

Hailey laughed and reached for his hand and did a spin.

"Beautiful," Jay complimented.

"Yeah, right. That's was probably the messiest spin known to man."

"Well, um, it was beautiful. You're beautiful, Hailey."

She was glad it was dark so that Jay couldn't see the heat that rose to her cheeks.

"You're somethin' else, but thank you." She rested her head on his chest as they swayed to the rhythm of the rest of the song.

The song ended and the broadcaster started talking.

"Can I kiss you?" Jay asked.

"What?" she pulled away from his chest.

"I asked if I could kiss you. Was that too much? You know what, just forget--"

"Yes, Jay, kiss me," Hailey smiled and then she and Jay both leaned in.

It was just a peck, but it was their first kiss and despite it being in a dark parking lot late at night, it was still magical.

"You know," Jay began once the quick kiss was over, "there's a Walmart across the street. What do you say we go grab pints of ice cream from there and then you can show me your favorite country songs?"

"I'd like that. Adam didn't show you enough?" she asked.

"I've only got like thirty I like. I need to expand my horizons."

"Okay, let's go."

They held hands in Walmart and then picked out their respective pints of ice cream. Then, they went back to the parking lot of the closed diner and Jay plugged in the aux, allowing Hailey to show him her favorite country songs while they ate their ice cream from the pint and even shared with each other.

Hailey knew nobody would have a first kiss story like that.

Then, at the beginning of the winter semester, Hailey's roommate decided not to live in the dorms anymore. Hailey couldn't afford to pay for a dorm all by herself, so Kim offered to let her stay with her, Jay, Adam, and Will. So, that's how she ended up living with her boyfriend and sharing a room with her best friend, Kim Burgess.

"We're here," Jay announced. "Well, actually, we're a few streets away, but that's one of the lecture halls on your right."

You looked out the window to see a big red and brown brick building with white pillars on the steps. There was also a white sign telling you what building this was.

"Wow," you said in awe. "It's like those old-fashioned colleges. I love it."

"Well, we'll give you a tour and help you find your classes sometime this weekend before classes start on Tuesday. That way, you aren't getting lost on the first day. But, we'll head to the house for now and get all unpacked."

"Sounds good to me."

Five minutes and a few back roads later, you pulled up to a simple two-story brick house.

"Alright, let's get our stuff out and get inside," Jay said.

You stepped out of the truck and started grabbing some stuff out of the back seat.

"I'll jump in the truck and hand you the suitcases. Think you can grab them when I hand them to you?"

You nodded.

"Halstead!" you heard someone shout and you and Jay both whipped your heads around to see Hailey and Adam walking out of the garage and toward the two of you. Adam, well who you assumed was Adam, was carrying two cowboy hats and he and Hailey each had one on themselves.

"Catch!" Adam said and threw one to Jay where he was standing in the box of the truck. Jay easily caught it and placed it on his head.

Adam walked over to you. "And one for you, darlin'," he said as he placed the hat on your head.

"Thank you," you said. "But I thought Kim was darlin'," you said. It'd make sense because if this guy was in fact Adam, then he and Kim were dating.

"You didn't tell her?" Hailey asked Jay.

"Didn't think there'd be a need to." Jay shrugged.

"Tell me what?" you asked.

"Well, Adam calls every girl darlin'," Jay explained. "It's just normal for him. And, down here, you're gonna get a lot of huns, sweeties, and sweethearts. A lot of waiters and waitresses do that here."

"And what do they call you two?" you asked, motioning to Jay and Adam.

"Sir," they said in unison.

"Oh, and you'll occasionally get a ma'am," Hailey added. "But, that one's rare because we don't look old enough to be called ma'am."

"Okay. And, uh, not to be rude, but what's with the cowboy hats?" you asked.

"It's a tradition we just started last year," Adam explained. "We unpack, wear cowboy hats, and drink moonshine. Oh, I'm Adam by the way, darlin'."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Y/N."

Jay handed you a suitcase and you set it on the ground. Then, you did the same thing with two more suitcases.

You grabbed your backpack from the front seat, your duffle bag from the back, and your two suitcases.

"Here, I can take those two for you," Adam said.

"Oh, okay," you said and then allowed him to take the two suitcases from you. So this is what Jay meant by southern hospitality since Adam was from Tennessee and all.

"Jay, lemme take your suitcase," Hailey said.

"Baby, I've got it," Jay argued as he jumped out of the box of his truck and closed the tailgate.

"The hell you do," she argued. "I see all your other stuff in the backseat and that basket of snacks you gotta carry in, too. Just lemme take your one suitcase."

"Let 'er take the suitcase, Halstead. Best to listen to your lady," Adam said.

"I like Adam already," you laughed.

He let go of one of the suitcases and tipped his hat. "Thank you, darlin'."

This caused all four of you to laugh and then you all went inside carrying both yours and Jay's stuff in one trip between the four of you.

***

"Shine in the fridge?" Jay asked after you and he had brought all your stuff to your room.

"Shine, Jay? How southern do you get when you're here?" you asked.

"Oh, he gets pretty southern, hun," Hailey said.

"See?" Jay asked as he pointed to Hailey. "Told you you'd get called hun."

"So, Adam's thing is darlin' and Hailey's is hun?" Hailey nodded. "And it's because you're from Georgia and he's from Tennessee?"

"That's right, darlin'," Adam confirmed and then turned back to Jay. "Yeah, shine's in the fridge. And Kim just texted and said she's on the way back with pizza."

"You got apple pie flavored shine?" Jay asked.

"Hang on. I'm just gonna grab 'em."

The three of you sat down on the bar stools at the counter and waited for Adam to pull them out.

"Alright," Adam started after he put the bottles of moonshine with sip lids on the counter. "We have peach for Miss Georgia Peach." He passed the peach bottle of moonshine to Hailey. "We've got apple pie shine for me and Jay. We've got strawberries and creme for Kim because that's her favorite." He turned to you. "And for you, I got you blackberry because it's not that high of a proof, so it's not that strong." He slid the jar to you.

"Nuh uh," Jay said quickly and grabbed the bottle.

"What the hell, Jay? Give it back! Adam said it's for me, not you!" you argued.

"Last I checked, you're only eighteen."

"Last I checked, Dad's not here. And I know for a fact you drank before you were 21, so pass me the blackberry shine, please."

"I'll take the first sip and then you can have it." He made sure the straw part was open and then he took a sip. "Adam, that shit's like a chaser compared to the apple pie one."

"I know. That's why I got 'er that one," Adam said.

You heard a door shut.

"Pizza's here!" Kim announced.

She walked into the kitchen with three boxes of pizza.

"I got us three pies," she said as she set them down on the counter. "We got one pepperoni and green olive, one supreme, and one meat lovers." She turned to you. "And you must be Y/N. I'm Kim. I see Adam already got you started on that Tennessee moonshine."

"Nice to meet you," you said. "You're from New York, right?"

"Yup, not New York City, though. More upstate."

"Of course she's from New York, Y/N!" Jay exclaimed. "Who else would call pizza a pie except for a true New Yorker?"

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks, Jay."

Jay raised his bottle of apple pie moonshine in a fake cheers and then took a sip.

"Now that's the strong shit I need to start off this semester right," he announced and then set the bottle down.

"Oh, and if your brother didn't tell you yet, he turns into a borderline alcoholic when he's at school," Kim told you.

You laughed. "He didn't tell me that, no."

"Better than being a caffeine addict like Kim and Hailey here," Jay argued.

"Shut up," Hailey said. "You know you're a caffeine addict during finals week just the rest of us."

"I was a caffeine addict in high school, so we'll see what happens," you shrugged.

Kim grabbed a stack of paper plates and set them on one of the pizza boxes. "Dig in. Oh, Y/N, did Adam get you the blackberry flavored moonshine?"

"He did. Haven't tried it yet because Jay has yet to give it back to me."

Kim quickly reached down and grabbed the jar of moonshine.

"Hey, Kim! She's only 18!" Jay protested.

"So? I know you drank an insane amount during your freshman year. So shut it." Kim popped open the sipping lid. "Taste."

You took a sip. It did taste like blackberry, but it was also sort of strong, but it didn't burn your throat that bad like you had read in books that alcohol did.

"This is actually pretty good."

"I know, right? And, me and Hailey will let you try ours when we help you unpack," Kim said. "But, do not try the kind the boys have because it's nasty."

"Baby, I don't know what you have against apple pie moonshine, but it's good," Adam said and then took a sip of his moonshine. Kim rolled her eyes. Adam leaned across the counter. "The New York in her is coming out, darlin'."

"Oh, shut up," Kim said and reached over to steal Adam's cowboy hat off his head.

"Baby, now I feel naked without it," Adam argued and tried to reach for the hat.

"Sucks for you. Now eat your pizza before it gets cold."

***

"Morning," Jay said when you walked into the kitchen the next morning. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. it's nice not having to share a room with anyone like you and Adam, and then Hailey and Kim have to. It was fun having them help me unpack last night, though," you said.

Last night, Kim and Hailey had helped you unpack and when you mentioned that you didn't really know any country music, Hailey pulled up all of her favorite country songs to play for you. You especially liked Girl in a Country Song by Maddie and Tae. They showed you the music video for that song and it was about how, in most country music videos, girls had to dress up in little skimpy outfits and have the boys just stare at them all day. So, in their music video, they changed the roles, and the guys had to dress in skimpy clothing in the music video. It was pretty funny and the song was catchy.

"Let me guess," Jay began, "Hailey showed you some good country music?"

"Yup. The songs she showed me were pretty good, pretty upbeat. Didn't sound like a cat being put in a blender like old-fashioned country, so I guess that's good."

"What do you have against old-fashioned country, darlin'?" Adam asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"I dunno." You shrugged. "Too slow for me and I just don't like the voices I guess."

"You know what we ought to do, Jay?" Adam asked and Jay raised his eyebrows, silently telling adam to continue. "We should show her all the songs that are mentioned in What's Your Country Song."

"Wait, wait. I think I know that one. I think Hailey played it for me last night. Is it the one that mentions Chatta- Chatta..."

"Chattahoochee?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, that funny word. What even is that anyway?"

"It's a river that runs through Georgia," Jay answered. "Pretty sure Hailey used to go tubing down it like we're gonna do today."

You furrowed your eyebrows. "We're going tubing? Like behind a boat?"

Adam laughed. "Christ, Jay! Do you tell her anything?"

"He doesn't," you answered. "So, explain, one of you."

"Alright, I'll do it," Jay said as he poured milk on top of a bowl of Raisin Bran. You looked at him intently. "What we do is, the first Saturday that we're all together before school starts, we go on tubes and float down the Tennessee River. We bring a cooler full of snacks, sandwiches, booze, and water, and a waterproof speaker and we just have a fun time. Oh, and this year, you're the DD."

"Me?" you asked as you pointed to yourself. Jay nodded. "But I don't know where to go! I haven't even been in Tennessee for a full 24 hours yet!"

"Kim's like the mom of the group," Adam supplied. "So she'll still be pretty lucid and could probably drive if she needs to. But, she'll at least be able to give you directions on how to get back here."

You sighed. "Good. That makes me feel a lot better."

"Where are the other two girls anyway?" Adam asked. "They're usually up a lot earlier than we are when we go on the river."

"I think they were a little buzzed last night," you said. "Might still be sleeping."

While you were unpacking, you took a few sips of your jar of blackberry moonshine, but not a lot. You'd never really drank before, much less drank moonshine and you didn't really feel like puking from being drunk or having a killer headache from a hangover...at least, that's what you thought happened from what you had read in books and seen in movies and tv shows. But, Kim and Hailey had each finished like a quarter of their jar, so they had been buzzed last night. They weren't drunk because they could still walk in a straight line and knew what they were talking about, but they did have little dopey smiles on their faces while they helped you unpack.

"She's right," Kim said as she and Hailey walked into the kitchen. Hailey's hair was wrapped in a towel, alerting you that she had just taken a shower. "Adam, can you grab me an Advil?" She took a seat on a stool and put her head in her hands. "My head is fucking killing me. I didn't even think I drank that much."

Adam laughed. "You do this every semester, baby. First shine of the year and you always drink a little too much." He handed her the pills and a cup of water and Kim quickly washed the pills down.

"I just need some coffee," Hailey announced.

"We know, you don't get hangover headaches," Kim groaned.

"Yeah, but I feel exhausted all day. Everyone goin' for coffee? I'll make a bigger pot if that's the case."

Everyone said yes and Hailey started on the coffee.

***

"Okay, we got the tubes, the speaker, swimsuits are on, we have the towels, cooler," Jay rattled off as the five of you sat in his truck. "Anyone double-check the cooler?"

"I did," Hailey said. "We got water, the same shine from last night, some white claws, the sandwiches me and Kim made for everyone, chips, and a few other snacks."

"And I threw in a little first aid kit with bandaids, alcohol swabs, Neosporin, and other stuff. And I've got the sunscreen, too," Kim said.

"See, what'd I tell you, darlin'?" Adam asked as he turned around from his spot in the passenger seat. "Kim's the mom of the group."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kim said. "It means I'm responsible and prepared."

"Those two would get so damn sunburned and dehydrated if it weren't for Kim," Hailey said as she pointed to Jay and Adam in the two front seats.

"Thanks, Hails," Jay replied sarcastically. "Real nice."

"You're welcome," she said with a smile.

You leaned your head against the window. You were supposed to get stuck in the middle, but seeing as you got car sick easily, Kim said she'd switch spots with you.

"You okay?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, just, Jay really needs to turn on the AC before I throw up from motion sickness and how damn hot it is in here."

"Least you got that cowboy hat to puke in if you need to," Jay laughed as he reached for the AC. "You better not puke in my tuck or you will be walking home."

Adam smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" Jay exclaimed and took one hand off the wheel and rubbed the back of his head. "The hell was that for?"

"Dude, be nice! Look at her!" Adam exclaimed.

Jay looked in the rearview mirror and saw you leaning your head against the window with your eyes closed and pinching your nose. You groaned.

"Here," Jay said and tossed you a blue bottle of Gatorade from his cup holder. "Drink this. Get you some hydration and electrolytes."

You took a few sips and then handed the bottle back to him. "Thanks."

"Mhm."

Kim moved the vents so that the AC was blowing on you more. "That help?"

"Little bit, thanks."

"Think you'll be good to go down the river?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, because then I won't be trapped in a hot box going sixty down the road!"

"She's right about that," Adam agreed. "You'll be lucky if you go five miles per hour, darlin'."

"Alright, so the motion sickness should stop. Thank God."

"Just rest your head against the window and listen to some country music," Jay said. "Speaking of that, who's controlling the music on the river?"

"I got it," Adam volunteered. "Everyone give me a song and I'll get the queue started."

***

You had been going down the river for about half an hour now and had finished a bottle of water and eaten a banana, too. You felt fine now. Adam was right, you were going slow enough that you didn't get sick, and you also weren't in the backseat of a truck.

"Hey, Kim," you started, "can you pass me my moonshine?"

"Mhm," she said. You guys had tied a cooler to a tube, which was then tied to Kim's tube. Because, the boys figured that between the five of you, she was the most responsible. They toyed with tying it to your tube because you probably wouldn't get shitfaced (like the boys most likely would) since you were underage, but you had never gone tubing down the Tennessee River before, so they decided on Kim. "Here, Hailey, hold my white claw."

She passed Hailey her drink and then maneuvered the cooler towards her, opened it, and handed you your moonshine.

"Thank you," you said and popped open the sip lid and took a sip. "Ahhh."

"Hey, drink it slow," Adam warned, turning towards you and practically yelling over the music. He and Jay were in front of the three of you girls so they could tell you if there were a ton of rocks coming or if it was super shallow coming up. "Heat makes getting drunk a lot easier because you keep drinking it because you're so thirsty."

"I don't think that's how it works, man, but whatever you say," Jay laughed.

Another song started.

"Hey!" you yelled. "I know this song!"

"Yeah, because it's old as hell," Jay laughed.

"Shut up! I like it!"

Baby you a song you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise. Down a back road, blowin' stop signs through the middle every little farm town with you.

"And this brand new Chevy with a lift kit, would look a hell of a lot better with you up in it. Baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise," the five of you sang Cruise by Florida Georgia Line while holding your drinks in pure happiness.

Because of this, you didn't notice Jay drifting off to the side toward the trees.

Jay let out a sinister laugh as he got closer. "C'mere, buddy, c'mere." The black snake stuck his tongue out and hissed. "Yeah, I know, you wanna scare Y/N, too." Jay held his hand out toward the snake. "I'm nice, I promise." The snake slithered and went up on Jay's hand and started up his arm. He turned once most of the snake was on him. He started using his other hand to paddle himself back toward the group. "Y/N!"

You turned and looked at him. You saw the snake on his arm and tears pricked your eyes. "No! No!" you shouted.

Snakes were your biggest fear and knowing that they were in the river that you were in right now was absolutely terrifying to you. And, with each paddle, Jay and the snake were coming closer and closer to you.

"Jay, please, please!"

Adam turned and looked at Jay and then back to you. "She scared of snakes?" You quickly nodded as tears ran down your face. "Jay! Stop! She's terrified!"

Jay laughed. "No!"

He was coming closer and closer to you.

Adam quickly paddled over to you and went in front of you. "I won't let it go near you, darlin', don't you worry."

"Uh huh," you said and grabbed onto Adam's arm in complete and utter terror.

Unknown to Jay, Hailey was making her way to him. But, she was behind him, so Jay couldn't see his girlfriend coming up behind him with her empty bottle of white claw raised high in the air.

He felt it before he heard her.

"Don't." Smack on the head with the empty can. "You." Another smack on the head with the empty can. "Do." Another smack on the head with the empty can. "That." Last smack on the head with the empty can.

"Ow!" Jay yelled. "Hails, stop!"

"Put the fuckin' snake back and stop scarin' the daylights outta your little sister or I will keep smackin' you, Jay!" Hailey told him.

"Fine, I'll put it back," he groaned.

"Hailey, keep that can raised above his head. If he tries to come back here, hit 'im again!" Adam yelled.

"You got it!" Hailey said. "Hear that baby? Your head is gonna come in contact with this 'ere empty white claw can again if you don't get a move on."

"I'm going, I'm going," Jay grumbled.

"Good, then you won't get smacked again."

"Just for all that," Adam started, "you wanna pick the next song, darlin'?"

"Can you play Better Dig Two by The Band Perry?" you asked. "That counts as country right?"

"Sure does, darlin'." He started messing with his phone. "Comin' right up."

"I told you on the day we wed, I was gonna love you 'til I's dead," you started to sing. "Made you wait 'til our weddin' night, that's the first and the last time I wear white."

"Snake's gone! Made sure he put it down and I even watched it slither away!" Hailey announced. "Put me in the ground, put me six foot down," Hailey joined in after she had finished yelling over part of the first verse.

"And, as for you, Jay," Adam started over the music and all of you singing. "You don't get to pick a song for the next hour."

"Son of a bitch," Jay muttered.

"Hey, you brought this one on yourself, buddy. So just sit back, relax, listen to our music choices, and enjoy your shine."

***

One week later

"And we're here!" Adam announced as the five of you pulled onto a long dirt driveway. "You ready to ride some horses, Y/N?"

"I dunno," you said. "I've never ridden a horse before."

"Oh, Adam'll make sure you're super safe," Kim reassured you.

"Okay, so whatever horse I ride won't buck me off?"

"Oh no," Adam said quickly, "we'll put Jay on Buck."

"Like hell you will!" Jay argued from the backseat.

Despite the studying the five of you had to do, you were at Adam's childhood home. Adam's parents had rented a cabin in North Carolina for the weekend since it was Labor Day weekend and needed someone to watch the five horses they owned.

His parents used to own a riding place with multiple horses, but since their kids got older, they stopped doing it because they were getting older and couldn't give the tours anymore. So, they sold most of their horses, left five so that their kids could ride them with their friends, but still kept the house and the land. Whenever Adam's parents went out of town, either he or his sister would come and stay over at their childhood home and take care of the horses. Seeing as his sister was married and just gave birth to a daughter, this left Adam. And, luckily for him, his parents were fine with some friends coming over to help Adam out.

"Relax, man," Adam began, "I'll ride Buck."

"Wait, is he called Buck because he bucks people off?" you asked.

"You would be completely right, darlin'. Which, would be the reason I'm riding him and neither of you four will be doing that."

Adam put the truck in park and you got out of the passenger seat. Yes, you had ridden in the front because Adam said you could because of your motion sickness. Jay wasn't too happy, but it was Adam's car, so therefore it was Adam's rules.

You got inside the house and it had two extra bedrooms, one of which was Adam's childhood room and had an extra twin bed in it for when his friends wanted to sleepover (Because, in Adam's words, it was only girls who shared beds at sleepovers and he said guys didn't do that, so that's why there was the extra bed). In his older sister's childhood room, there was a full-sized bed, so Hailey and Kim would share the bed and the boys said they'd move a couch into that same room for you to sleep on.

Adam opened the fridge once all of you had put your stuff in the rooms that would be yours for the weekend. "Ooooh, y'all, my mama left us some food!"

"Oh, he southern southern now," Kim laughed and walked over to the fridge. "What'd she make?"

"Let's see. We got fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread, gravy, biscuits, grits, tater salad, peaches that she canned herself, and apple pie. She must really miss me if she cooked this much!" Adam laughed after he rattled off the food his mom made for all of you.

"Mama's cookin', paper plate, and tater tater salad," you said, quoting a song Jay had played on the way down here that you had taken a liking to and had added it to a playlist and been listening to it a lot the past week.

"Did you just..." Adam trailed off.

"She did!" Jay exclaimed.

"Is it that hard to believe that I know more than two country songs, y'all?" you asked.

All four of them gasped.

"She's southern! She's southern, y'all!" Hailey yelled.

"What?" you asked as you looked around at your brother, his girlfriend, and his two friends in confusion.

"That was yer first y'all, hun!" Hailey told you and pulled you into a hug. "Yer a regular southern belle now."

"Next thing you know, girl's gonna be fallin' for cowboys," Adam said.

"Aw, hell nah," Jay said. "Ain't no way she's datin' a cowboy. No way."

"Shit, Jay just went southern southern, too," Adam laughed.

"What can I say, when my girl goes hella Georgia, I go hella Tennessee," Jay said.

"That made zero sense, baby, but okay," Hailey said. She turned to Adam. "When we ridin'?"

"We can go right now if you want. Everyone good with that?"

You all nodded and then Adam told all of you to put on your cowboy hats.

***

"This 'ere's Maddy," Adam said before he helped you onto the horse. You put your feet in the stirrups. "They feel good? You can reach 'em well?" he asked.

"Yeah," you told him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, darlin'." He turned to Jay, Hailey, and Kim. "You three remember how to get on the horses since we rode so much last year?"

"We're good," Jay said.

"Hey, baby?" Hailey asked and turned to Jay. He turned to look at her. "You think you can help me on 'im? Pretty sure Diablo's gotten a lot bigger since I rode 'im last."

"Yeah, sweetheart, I got that."

"Did he just..." you trailed off and looked at Kim.

"He did," she confirmed. "She turns into sweetheart around this time every year. Jay gets really southern after only being here a week. Might also have something to do with Adam calling me sweetheart sometimes and he just picks up on it."

Jay helped Hailey onto the huge horse named Diablo and then got on his horse. You were riding Maddy, Adam was riding Buck, Jay was riding Sinbad, Hailey was riding Diablo, and Kim was riding Atta'Boy.

"All y'all need to watch me now," Adam announced from the front. All four of you gave Adam all your attention. "Well, mostly Y/N because she's never ridden before." He paused. "To make your horse stop, just give the reins a little tug. To turn, hold the reins on your right side, and pull towards your right hip, like this." He demonstrated and pulled the reins like he told you and Buck's head turned to the right. "And turn left, do the same thing on the left side. To make them go, just flick the reins a little bit, but they're pretty well-trained, so you shouldn't need to do that. But, if they still won't go, give 'em a little kick. I promise you won't hurt 'em. But, most of all, keep at least one hand on the reins at all times. Oh, and they will try to eat on the trails, but they ain't supposed to, so try and get them to stop by pulling up on the reins if you can.

"Any questions? Everyone sure their stirrups and saddles are good?" Adam finished.

Everyone answered with a chorus of "yeses" and then the five of you were off...that was until Maddy decided she was hungry about a quarter-mile (400 meters) in.

And, to make matters worse, you were in the mountains (because everyone is in the mountains here) and Maddy was bringing you closer and closer to a small ravine.

You did not want to have the experience of trying to control your horse and deciding whether or not to jump off or not and possibly being rushed to the hospital.

"Maddy!" you yelled and tugged up on the reins. Nothing. "Maddy!"

"Pull hard!" Jay yelled from behind you.

"I am pulling, Jay!" you yelled back. "Come on, Maddy!"

Shit, she was still moving towards the edge and trying to eat more.

"Pull to the left!" Jay yelled. You pulled. Nothing. "All the way around! To your left hip!"

You did so and she moved. Finally.

"Now straighten out the reins," Jay told you. You did. "And give her a kick to move."

You did and she continued walking...this time with a huge branch and leaves hanging out of her mouth because she had gotten herself a nice little snack.

"What's with all the yellin'?" Adam asked as he turned his head around and had Buck slow down a little bit. Then, he saw Maddy. "Maddy stop to eat? She acts likes she's starvin', but I promise you she's not."

You kept going and then you started going down a hill.

"Lean forward when going down a hill," Adam yelled back to all of you, "and lean back when going up a hill."

You started going down the hill and kept trying to maneuver yourself so you were in the middle of the saddle. You felt like you were leaning too much to the right, so you kept trying to fix it, but with Maddy still walking, it was kind of hard.

You clenched your stomach muscles to try and pull yourself back to center, but it wasn't working. You tried to push up with your left foot because you were leaning to the right, but that wouldn't work either.

"Just hold on tight, Y/N," Jay told you. "Adam!" Jay yelled as you kept leaning to the right and pulled the reins a little harder to make sure that Maddy would stop.

"What?" Adam yelled back.

"We need a little help back here!"

Adam turned Buck around and he got halfway to you and stopped next to Hailey and Diablo.

"She's fallin' off, you big dummy! You gotta go!" Adam yelled. He flicked his reins. "C'mon, go!"

It was like Buck knew what was going on because the minute he lifted his head up and saw you trying to stay in the saddle, he started coming towards you.

"Buck, stay," Adam said sternly and jumped off him. He walked to your right side. "Now, I'm gonna push your saddle to the left and I need you to lean the same way, okay?"

"Lean to the left?" you asked.

"Yup," he confirmed. "One...two...three."

He pushed up and you leaned to the left, which allowed the saddle and you to be re-centered.

"Can you reach the stirrups okay, darlin'?" he asked. "Or do you need 'em a bit higher?"

"I think I need them a bit higher," you answered. "I thought they were fine, but I guess not."

"That's okay. That's what I'm here for. Take your right foot out."

You did as he said and then he adjusted the stirrups and helped you get your foot back in. Then, he did the same for the left foot.

While Adam was adjusting your left stirrup, Maddy was curious about what was in his first aid bag that was attached to Buck's saddle.

"I ain't got no treats in there, you fatty." He put his hand on Maddy's head. "There's nothin' in there for you. Get out." She started chewing on a drawstring that was on the bag. "Okay, I guess you can chew on that."

"So, to get her to turn, do I just pull like this?" you asked and showed Adam.

"Yes, but put your hand further down the reins when you do that. Works better like that."

"Okay, thanks."

"And, if she keeps tryin' to eat, pull up hard--but not too hard and far that you make her walk backward--and if that doesn't work, give her a quick kick. I promise you won't hurt this little fatty right here."

"Okay, awesome."

"You good?"

"I'm good," you confirmed.

"Okay, so if you ever need to adjust yourself, just grab this 'ere saddle horn." He put his hand on the stub on the front of the saddle. "And put two hands on it...unlike me, and then just push down with your foot on which side you want the saddle to go. Pretty simple."

"Okay, got it," you said.

Then, Adam jumped back on Buck and you were off again.

***

You and Kim were sitting up on the bed in Adam's older sister's childhood room that you were staying in and watching a dumb comedy when Adam poked his head into the room.

"Both you up?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kim answered. "Why?"

"Well, I want to go to the rope swing, and Jay and Hailey both fell asleep spooning while watching some shitty movie in the living room, so do you two wanna go? I'm bringing alcohol."

"Adam, it's like 11 o'clock at night!" Kim laughed. "We won't even be able to see the water!"

"Honey," Adam laughed. "I'll leave the headlights of my truck on! I'm not that stupid to have us jump in blind!" He paused. "You two in?"

"Sure," Kim agreed and then turned to you. "Y/N?"

"Why the hell not? I'm in college, let's go!"

"Alright, I'll let you two get changed and I'll grab the towels and the booze," Adam said.

"Adam, if you're the one driving, you cannot drink a ton!" Kim told him.

"I know! I'll just take like two shots and use moonshine as a chaser."

"You got more moonshine?" you asked.

"Holy hell, Adam," Kim agreed.

"Where do you two think I was the past hour? I went into town and grabbed a few flavors. and, I got both your flavors, too. So, y'all can't yell at me. Now, get changed so we can go before Jay and Hailey wake up and decide they want in on this, too."

***

"You good to sit in the back, Miss Car Sick?" Adam asked you.

"Yeah, you said it's only like a five minute drive, so I'll be fine. Thanks for asking, though," you answered.

"No problem, darlin'."

Then, the three of you were off to this rope swing to jump into a river in the middle of the night.

Five minutes later, Adam threw his car in park and left the radio and headlights on. The three of you got out and Adam grabbed the booze and shot glasses and then you followed him around to the back of his truck. He handed the stuff off to you and Kim to hold while he flipped his tailgate down. Then, he used the flashlight app of his phone to see as he poured each of you a shot of gummy bear flavored vodka.

"Cheers to late night decisions and possibly bad decisions!" Adam toasted.

The three of you clinked your shot glasses together and then took the shots.

"Shit. That was strong," you coughed.

"Chaser, chaser," Adam said as he flipped open the sip cap on the blackberry moonshine.

He handed it to you and you took a few sips.

"Compared to that shot, this moonshine tastes like nothin'," you said.

"See? Told you it had a low proof!" Adam exclaimed. "Now, do you two want me to go first so I can show you how it's done?"

"That might be a good idea, yeah," Kim agreed. "You've only brought me here during the day and it's been over a year, so yeah, you go first, cowboy."

"Oh, that reminds me." He took his signature cowboy hat off. "Hold this for me, will you, sweetheart?" He held the hat out to Kim and she took it from him. "Thank you. Now, watch and learn, ladies, watch and learn."

Kim laughed. "Whatever you say, babe, whatever you say."

Adam walked up to the edge of the river and waded in the water to grab the rope. You and Kim stood on the edge of the river and watched as Adam dragged the rope with him as he stood on a rock, which was right below the tree that the rope was tied to. Then, he cinched the rope between his feet and jumped up and swung forward.

"Yeehaw!" Adam yelled.

Then, after a few seconds, he let go of the rope and fell into the river.

The rope dangled back and forth until Adam grabbed it and dragged it in with him.

"Who's next?" he asked as he held the rope out.

"You wanna go, Kim?" you asked.

"You sure you don't wanna go before me?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go ahead," you said.

"You nervous, darlin'?" Adam asked you as he took his hat back from Kim and placed it on his head.

"A bit." You looked down at your feet. "Are there snakes in there?" you practically mumbled.

"Oh, darlin'," Adam said with a wave of his hand. "I can promise you that there's no snakes in there. You've never seen a snake in there have you, baby?" he asked Kim.

"Nope, no snakes. I promise. Now, I'll go, and then you gotta go because it's so much fun!"

Kim grabbed the rope and then made her way up onto the rock. She did the same thing that Adam did and soon it was your turn.

"I'm stealing your aux, babe," Kim said as she walked toward Adam's truck.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "I don't know why you can't just listen to the radio like we've been doing, but go ahead, baby."

Kim walked over to the truck and changed the input to aux and then quickly pulled up Spotify. From there, she pulled up the song Like A Lady by Lady A, formerly known as Lady Antebellum. She turned the volume all the way up on her phone, plugged it into the aux, and hit play.

"Lady!" came out of the speakers as well as the opening chords.

You gasped as Kim came running back to you and Adam.

"How'd you know this one of my favorite songs?" you asked.

Ever since Hailey had played it for you on your first night in Tennessee when you were unpacking and sippin' on moonshine, you loved this song. It was all about feeling like a lady while wearing jeans and drinking and being comfortable with yourself and not needing a man.

"Y/N, I follow you on Spotify. I can see what you listen to. Now, go get to it, lady!" Kim cheered.

You smiled and turned around. You walked to the rock and climbed up on it just before the chorus. You grabbed onto the rope.

"'Cause I feel like a lady," you sang loudly to the music. "Sippin' on tequila with my Levis on."

You clamped your feet around the rope and jumped.

You felt weightless for just about one second and then you let go of the rope and fell into the water with a splash.

The water wasn't freezing, it was a little cold, but it was still decently comfortable. You started swimming back to the shore and grabbed the rope when it swung back toward you.

"Hell yeah!" Adam yelled as he ran up to you and took the rope so you could pull yourself up onto the river bank. "You did awesome! Did you like it?"

"I loved it! Let's do it again!" you yelled.

"See?" Kim said. "I told you that you'd love it!"

"I propose a celebratory shot for Y/N's first time jumping off the rope swing!" Adam said and the three of you headed back to his truck to have more booze.

And that is how you learned that you didn't get hangover headaches like Kim, but got hella tired the next day just like Hailey. But, a little hangover (despite not being old enough to legally drink) was all worth it because of how much fun you, Kim, and Adam had.

***

Months later

"Welcome to Chocolate Moose, everybody!" Adam announced and fumbled with the lockbox to get the key.

Since it was exam season, there was a tradition that started during the winter semester of their sophomore year that was where they'd all go up to a cabin (each cabin had a name and yours was Chocolate Moose) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which was an hour away from school, to go study without the temptation of parties and the libraries that were packed as hell and barely had any seats open because everyone and their mama had decided to study there.

He unlocked the door and opened it.

You walked in and were in awe. When you walked in, you saw a small kitchen complete with a stove, oven, microwave, and pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups, mugs, and silverware stored in cabinets and drawers. There was also a small pantry to your right the minute you walked inside.

Off of the small kitchen were the living room and the dining area. There was a circular wooden table with six chairs and there was a tv and a couch that folded out into a bed. Right next to that was a bedroom with a bathroom, which also had its own tv in it.

And, if you walked to the end of the living room, there was a door that led to the first-floor deck that overlooked the Smoky Mountains. On the deck was a wooden table that matched the wood of the deck and six stools, so it would be a nice place to study or eat breakfast or sip coffee in the morning.

The stairs to go to the second floor were above the table (so the table was tucked beneath the second set of stairs). When you got up there, there was a pool table, a bubble hockey table, another couch that folded out into a bed, and a coffee table in front of said couch.

To the right of the couch and coffee table was a California king-sized bed with a trunk in front of it which held the bedding for the pull-out couches. Then, there was a dresser with a mirror to the side of the bed and a closet. There was also a full bathroom with a washer and dryer and a dressing table (so tons of counter space and two mirrors) upstairs as well.

And, there was another deck on the second floor. This one didn't have a full-sized table, but it did have two chairs with a small table between, and a small couch complete with a bunch of throw pillows on one end of the deck. This deck too overlooked the beauty that was the Smoky Mountains.

"Who's that?" you asked fifteen minutes later after you had finished touring the cabin and figuring out sleeping arrangements.

It had been decided that Adam and Kim would take the first-floor bedroom and that you'd take the pull-out couch on their floor. Hailey and Jay would sleep upstairs and you wondered why you couldn't take the upstairs couch like you wanted to because Jay was quick to tell you no.

You knew they weren't gonna try to do the nasty up there since there was no door shutting the upstairs off from the downstairs, so you had no idea why he wouldn't let you sleep on the pull-out couch upstairs.

"Who's that?" you asked again while looking out the kitchen window.

Then, you saw a head of red hair in the driver's seat and rushed out the door to where the person parked their car.

"Will!" you shouted as he got out of the car. "I missed you!" You wrinkled your nose at what he was wearing: a pair of blue scrubs.

"I drove here right after I got off a twelve-hour ED rotation," Will told you. "Hence the scrubs."

"I would give you a hug, but who knows what kinda bodily fluids have been on those."

"Good choice. We'll postpone the hug until after I take a quick shower and change."

Adam, Kim, and Jay came outside and said their hellos to Will, and Jay took Will's backpack, making a joke saying that it felt like he stuffed a ton of rocks in there.

So, now you knew why you couldn't sleep on the pull-out couch upstairs: Will was sleeping there.

***

"Fuck!" you yelled as you felt a bee sting you on the upper part of your left inner thigh.

"What?" Adam asked.

You, Adam, and Kim were outside at the table on the first-floor deck studying while Will was upstairs studying and Jay and Hailey were studying one of their law studies classes at the kitchen table together.

"The fuckin' bee stung me!"

"Well, you were swattin' at him, darlin'," Adam said, which earned him a smack to the arm from Kim.

"Because he was between my legs!" you argued. "What was I supposed to do? Let him fly up my shorts and sting me there? Oh hell no!"

You got up and walked inside.

"Will!" you shouted the minute you closed the door to the deck.

"Y/N! Keep it down!" Jay scolded. "We're trying to study!"

You had made it up the first set of stairs and leaned over the railing. "Well, I just strung by fuckin' bee, so I think I can yell a bit, Jay! Will!"

"What?" he said and ripped out his headphones when you got all the way upstairs. "Med school's no joke, you know!"

"Well, what do I put on a bee sting?" you huffed.

Will sighed. "Hold on. They asked me to be the one who brought the first aid kit and I'm glad I did."

He got up and then came back with a bottle of lotion.

"Put this on it. Should cool down the stinging. Tell me if it gets worse or starts itching."

"Okay, thanks."

You put it on and hoped it would be better soon.

***

Okay, so this bee sting wasn't getting better. It was actually getting worse.

It had been itchy all day and you were currently shaving your legs in your shower. You felt the place where the bee had stung you and it was swollen as if someone had shoved a disk the size of an Oreo in your leg at the place the bee had stung you.

You got out of the shower, got changed, and walked out of the bathroom where country music was blasting and Jay and Adam were playing a friendly (okay, so maybe not so friendly) game of pool.

"Hailey, is my bee sting supposed to be super itchy?" you asked as you sat down on the couch next to her.

She and everyone else was drinking one of their two allotted white claws. Yes, during finals week you had all decided there needed to be a daily cut-off for alcohol so that you could all get your shit done. And, it helped keep everyone accountable since everyone in the cabin was only having two per day...and you weren't spending a ton of money this weekend on alcohol.

"Um, none of mine have ever been," she said. "Will!" He turned to look at her from where he was sitting and intently watching the pool game...mostly to make sure neither Adam nor Jay cheated. "Her bee sting supposed to itch?"

"Not unless she's allergic to bees...and she's not." He stood up. "Go lay on the bed and let me take a look."

"Oh, fuck no! I am not letting my brother look there!"

"Y/N, I'm a med student. I've seen a helluva lot more than a bee sting on your inner thigh. You can even go put on some short spandex if that would make you more comfortable."

You currently had on loose-fitting shorts that you knew would fall back to expose what underwear you were wearing if you let Will take a look. "Actually, I think I'll go do that," you said.

You quickly grabbed a pair of spandex from your suitcase and went back into the bathroom and changed into them.

"Y'all check for a stinger?" Adam asked.

Will must've filled him in when you were changing your shorts.

"Shit," Will cursed. "I knew there was something I forgot to do."

"What kinda fuckin' doctor are you if you forget to check something like that?" you asked Will rhetorically. "Hailey, I'm gonna need that empty white claw bottle to smack Will over the head with like you did to Jay on the river."

"Sorry, hun," Hailey apologized. "I ain't finished with this 'ere can yet."

"I'll hit him!" Jay yelled, putting down his pool stick and grabbing his empty can.

He hit Will on the arm with the empty white claw can as hard as he possibly could.

"The fuck?" Will yelled. "Why'd you do that?"

"I dunno." Jay turned to Adam. "Why were we hitting Will, again?"

"Holy shit," Adam muttered to himself. "Because he forgot to check Y/N's bee sting to see if the stinger was still there."

"Oh, okay. That was stupid, Will."

You laid on the bed and let Will look at the spot the bee stung you. Then, he put on a pair of gloves and pulled out a pair of tweezers.

"Hailey?" he called. She looked up expectantly. "Can you come over here and hold up a flashlight? I think I found the stinger."

Hailey got up and turned on the flashlight on her phone and crouched down next to Will.

"That good?" she asked as she finished positioning the phone so the phone's flashlight was pointing directly at your bee sting.

"Yup." He looked up at you. "Now, I'm gonna put one of my hands above the bee sting, that way you won't be able to see the tweezers go in. Sound good?"

"Mhm. At least this is better than when Jay tried to attack me with a snake!"

Will laughed. "I bet."

Five minutes later, the stinger was out and Will told you to put Neosporin and a bandaid over it just so you didn't keep itching it because he told you the itchiness wouldn't go away immediately.

"I need a drink," you said after you were all done.

Hailey handed you a raspberry white claw from the mini-fridge next to the couch and you popped it open.

"Thanks," you said.

"You're welcome."

"Everyone shut up!" Adam yelled. "This is Jay and Hailey's song...well, they didn't exactly meet at a bar and Hailey wasn't drinking a white claw, but it was a Saturday and those two did ditch us. So, dance you two!"

They tried to object, but Adam dragged Jay over to Hailey and Kim pushed Hailey up off the couch and towards Jay.

"Sittin' over there in the corner, baby, I saw pretty red lips workin' on a white claw," you all sang along to Single Saturday Night by Cole Swindell. And, you'd be lying if you said that this song didn't remind you of the story that Jay had told you about the first time he took Hailey out when she was bored one Saturday night in a sports bar. "Shakin' to a little Shook Me All Night Long. And I thought, man, what a beautiful sight."

You smiled. Four months ago, there'd be no way you'd know this song. But, thanks to your brother's friends and his girlfriend, you knew so many more country songs. But, most of all, if your first semester of freshman year was any indication, you were going to have the time of your life going to college here in Tennessee.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! Again, please remember to like/reblog and comment because I love reading all your comments and seeing that you voted because that means you enjoyed reading the imagine! As always, if you want to be added to my taglist, just tell me and I’ll add you! Again, I am donating all my proceeds on buy me a coffee until the end of AU-gust to Save The Children to help the children in Afghanistan. Buy me a coffee here.

Taglist: @theambracer88 @virtualreader @kelelas-life @celyndavies @brookerz122493 @musicismyescape27 @anotherfan07 @thexplosivegirl@dreamingwithlens @xoxmariaxox @onechicago18 @iamasimpingh0e @i-like-sparkly-things @herecomesthewriterwitch @liampayne88

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comfyswitcherblanketfort · 4 years

Text

Snowed In

Y'all, the quarantine hit hard. This fic is 100% self serving but I'm posting it in case it makes anyone else feel better? To add some spicy self loathing to my day? who knows.

No legit pairings, a tiny bit of hinting angstiness, for the sake of form, Geralt x fem!reader

Warnings: defs big warning for anxiety and depression. I don't think there's anything else? Lmk if there is and I'll edit this.

__________

“Snowed in?” you repeated, having just packed everything up and saddled both Roach and your horse Beau.

Geralt nodded grimly, “We’ll just have to hope Jaskier hears of the weather before he tries to make it here. The mail carrier is refusing to ride the pass.”

You heaved your saddlebags down with a slightly over dramatic grunt before turning to face him, “Is it a passing storm or do they think it’s headed for us?”

He shrugged and began untacking Roach, “You’ll have to ask the innkeeper. I just heard from someone who was turned back.”

You both finished putting the horses back in their stalls, throwing a little extra hay over the side in case you didn’t want to face the cold after dinner. The innkeeper looked frantic, attempting to deal with about five angry customers, so you headed for the connected tavern instead. In your experience, bartenders knew more scuttlebutt anyway.

Surprisingly you two were the only ones in the bar. The pretty blonde poured the two of you a beer and slapped a loaf of bread down between you before you could utter a word of request. Something rather unusual since traveling with Geralt.

“How long do you think this will last?” you asked, handing the woman a couple of gold coins.

She shrugged, “Last year it was mild. Just a week I think? But the year before that the town was stuck for almost a month.”

“Hm- huh? What day is it?” you mumbled as Geralt shook you awake.

“Twenty-three. Get up.” He ordered. The process had become routine. The two of you were stuck in a rather small room together due to overcrowding and you weren’t handling the idle time very well.

Geralt seemed completely content to meditate by the fire and meticulously repair his armor for the rest of eternity. While you had quickly become catatonic.

You sat up only because you knew he would lift you out of the bed completely if you didn’t do it yourself, “Ah yes, what a beautiful day to feed the horses and drink our weight in ale.”

The sarcasm dripping from your voice only earned a stern look from your roommate. The inn had run out of the drinkable stuff last week and they were rationing little the piss water they had left.

You scratched at your hair, your hand recoiling at the feel of grease. There was nothing to do, the floor space between the bed and the fire was barely big enough for Geralt to sit cross-legged, let alone for you to do any sort of exercise to keep your mood up. Not that you would if you could anyway. Any motivation to keep some sort of normalcy had left your body around day ten. The innkeeper had let some guests spar in the lobby around day six but everyone scattered when you had attempted to join. Something about ‘the witcher’s girl’ and how ‘she might gut you out of habit’. People could be stupid, you weren’t a witcher any more than they were and even so, Geralt was calmer and more restrained than all of them combined.

So, embracing the numbness, you stayed in bed well into the afternoon and long after Geralt had left his side of the bed.

“Did I miss breakfast again?” you asked, not making a move to get any farther from your warm blankets.

Geralt nodded, pointing to the small table near the door where some bread, cheese, and dried meat sat waiting.

You picked at it for his benefit, though you hadn’t really been hungry for a few days now. The storm raging outside was just about as strong as the one raging through your hollow insides. This inaction, the unknowing, the vulnerability was killing you.

“Y/N, you need to eat more than the crumbs.” Geralt urged, moving to sit in the chair opposite to you.

“I tried.” You sighed, “Can’t I just lay back down?”

He shook his head, “No. You’re letting this consume you. You’re tougher than this.”

You scowled at him, wanting to throw the bread in his face, “Fuck you. Nothing bothers you.”

“Your behavior is bothering me.” he countered, staring at you with a mix of worry and annoyance.

“Well isn’t that touching.” You sighed in mock flattery. Abandoning any idea of food, you got up to sit by the fire, poking at it aggressively with an iron rod and making a point to face away from him.

“What in the spheres is your problem?” He growled.

“Being stuck here with nothing to do?” you offered, your tone reminiscent of the young spoiled princess the two of you had saved from a wraith a few months back.

“That’s not it. I know when you’re lying Y/N”

Your limbs felt like they might float away into the air if you didn’t curl up into a ball, “I don’t want to talk about it Geralt. I’m sorry for snapping. I just need a couple of minutes.”

“You’ve needed ‘a couple of minutes’ for the past two weeks. Time to talk.” he argued.

You snorted, “That’s rich coming from you. You didn’t tell me you’d been stabbed until right before you passed out in Temeria.”

“I’ve tried learning from my mistakes.” his tone was one of convincing the both of you, “What's bothering you? Really.”

“I don’t fucking know Geralt.” you hissed, getting very tired of his prying.

You heard him sit back and cross his arms, “Not good enough.”

You felt the words leave your throat before you could think of their meaning, spewing out with vitriol and fire, “I’m fucking tired. I’m tired of you telling me what to do. I’m tired of watching snow pile up out the damn window. I’m tired of the stupid couple that fucks all night next door. I’m tired of this worry that feels like it will rip me apart at any fucking moment from just not fucking knowing. I’m tired of worrying about Jaskier. I’m tired of worrying about the horses getting stocked up when there’s nothing I can do to help them. I’m tired of the glares from the other guests. I’m tired of feeling powerless. I’m tired of having no decent outlet for this anxious energy I’m stuck with. I’m tired of not knowing when this feeling will go away. And I’m absolutely fucking exhausted by the thought that it’s only been twenty-fucking-three days yet I feel I’ve been trapped here for a god-damned-eternity.”

The last sentence broke your resolve to stay angry. Upon pushing the last words from your lungs, you heaved a deep breath and let the sobs tear your chest apart, giving in to the hopelessness that had been building for weeks now.

You heard a shuffling that registered in the back of your mind as Geralt sitting behind you, but even so, you flinched when a hand rested on your shoulders. He scooped one hand under your knees and pulled you onto his lap, pulling a blanket from the bed and wrapping it around the two of you. He let you sob until the sobs turned to whimpers.

“I didn’t realize, I’m sorry Y/N” he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the top of your hair, sending a flood of warmth to your cheeks.

“You don’t need to be.” you croaked, leaning into his affection.

“I didn’t need to pry either.” He argued.

You just hummed in reply, too much of your energy spent on purging your system of those hideous sobs. You did make a noise of protest when he lifted you from his lap and set you beside him on the floor.

“Stay by the fire, I’ll be back.” He instructed, the tenderness of his voice surprising you.

Minutes later, as you were beginning to pull yourself back together, he returned with a terry cloth robe and what smelled like fresh jasmine soap. Without a word, he hoisted you into his arms and carried you across the room to the bathroom. He set you on your feet and handed you the robe and soap before turning his attention to the lever pump hanging over the ceramic tub.

“A bath?” You tried to bring your usual playful tone back to life and failed miserably.

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

You shook your head, “I’m just…” slightly disoriented? you finished the sentence in your head, not sure how to phrase it.

“Not used to anyone accommodating your emotions.” he finished, a knowing look in his eyes reminding you just how much he knew of isolation and pain.

As you nodded you had to mentally remind yourself you have to let people help you, that it’s okay to let people help you.

You didn’t bother waiting for him to leave before you peeled off your riding breeches. Melitele only knows how long you’d gone without changing them. You had more trouble unlacing the cinched waist blouse you’d been wearing the last four days. The restless tossing and turning you’d done instead of sleeping had it knotted four times over. When you’d finally rid yourself of every last thread the tub was full.

Geralt traced a sign in the water, sending ripples over the surface and steam up in the air, “Shouldn’t be too hot, but test it first.” He mumbled, making an effort not to stare at you too long.

It was rather hot but you had exposed yourself enough for one day. You took the hand he offered for balance and sank into the nearly scalding water without hesitation.

He knelt next to you, “If you wish to be alone-”

“No.” You interrupted, not having the courage to look up at him, “Please don’t go.” The words barely escaped your mouth, but Geralt heard them perfectly fine.

He wet a washcloth and lathered it with soap before handing it off to you. With the rest of the bar, he began washing your hair. At first, his hands were hesitant, as if he was afraid to hurt you. He paused when you gave up scrubbing the sweat and dirt from behind your knees, but only for a moment. You leaned into his touch, closing your eyes. His nails scratched at the base of your skull, coaxing a sigh from your lips. As he massaged the soap through the tangled mess he took his time with the tension in your temples, then the pressure points behind your ears, even working out the knots in your neck. You did your best not to moan, but a couple of gasps and pleased grunts may have slipped out. He rested a hand between your shoulders and guided you back, dipping your hair into the water to rid it of the froth he’d created.

You peeked up at him through your lashes. If he noticed he didn’t show it. His face was relaxed, almost serene, as he raked his fingers through your hair, gently tugging on the bigger tangles. You hadn’t ever taken the time to look at his eyes before, he seemed uncomfortable over them when you’d met so you left him alone about it. Looking at them now, you regretted it. They were a beautiful mix of honey, sunflowers, and glittering gold. And they were so kind. The idea that people spat at him when they recognized his eyes made your heart ache.

With a slight nudge from him, you sat back up, all the tension in your body having melted in the hot water or under his touch. You pulled your knees to your chest, resting your arms across them and your chin on your arms. The events of the day had you feeling like a child who’d gone too long without a nap being soothed back to sleep. If you were being honest with yourself you missed the feeling of safety that came with someone taking care of you.

Geralt brushed your favorite oils through your hair, doing his best not to pull through knots too roughly, but it was in the same bun for about four days.

You let your tired mind wander as you watched snow fall out the small port window above the tub. The comb had failed to detect any knots in your hair for some time but it seemed Geralt was just as lost in thought as you.

Eventually the water grew cold and you had to accept this couldn’t go on forever.

“I think I might need to get out soon.” you mumbled, inspecting your pruney fingers. Everything in you was telling you to stay. Stay in this safe place with your gentle guardian. But you knew if you didn’t get out soon you’d never warm up, fire or not. Not to mention you knew you were taking Geralt’s actions more to heart than they were meant. He simply felt guilty for pushing you too far.

That didn’t mean you wanted him gone though. You were more than happy to live the lie for a little while longer.

"I'll go check the horses." He offered, placing a towel and the robe within your reach.

"Thank you, Geralt. For not… I don't know? Laughing at me?" You refused to look at him, being vulnerable enough as you already were.

"Y/N…" he said your name like it meant something but you couldn't figure out what, "You never have to thank me. I owe you so much more than a hot bath and kind words."

You turned your head to argue but when you saw his expression the words died on your tongue. All you could offer in response was a small smile.

It seemed to be enough for him and he nodded before disappearing through the door, leaving you to ponder what he'd meant.

_________

Part 2 here!

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lgchunji · 4 years

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✧ .・゜゜hello, lgc admods!

chwe hunji and jin eunji’s leaf wants to say: “hey admods! i know this may look a little sudden and a little weird but by the time you see this, i’ve been going around asking all the members what they want to say to you guys to show their appreciation! i know admin e probably already told you, but i used to do theater for about two years and i volunteered my time. i probably worked fifteen-thirty hours a week at a theater and i did not get paid and barely was thanked but i always put in effort. i gave them one hundred percent of myself and, if i was lucky, i would get a five dollar starbucks gift card in return. i was so exhausted and even stopped writing because i could not handle how much of myself i was losing every day. i gave a hundred percent of myself away and got five percent back. now, though, with legacy, everything has been flipped! you guys put a hundred ten percent of yourselves into this amazingly fun and honestly complicated place and i feel like i never get to give back. i know the joy of it all is in watching people write together but for me, just having fun was not enough, i wanted to compile something together for you guys! you do so much for us so i thought it was time i give just a sliver of myself back to you. so! under the cut is a lot of people’s messages that i’ve gathered. a lot of members were unable to send in something in time so i do apologize that not everyone is here, but i added a space in the bottom for anyone and everyone who wants to add something at a later date, so admins and members, be sure to check that often! in the meantime, though, you guys are so amazing and this place already means so much to me, i really hope legacy can continue to grow and flourish beyond your guys’ dreams because you really deserve it! p.s. the below notes are not in any particular order of length or alphabetized, they’re just random C:”

han insoo’s al wants to say: “thank you for your kindness and dedication. you guys are troopers. i’m not very vocal about things publicly out of shyness but also bad experiences. i hope you guys know i appreciate to be here and that you guys have kept this up for so long despite the setbacks. it’s been a while since i felt comfy in a directory. much hugs and kithes!! thank you for being so open and welcoming!” kang yonghwa and choi daehyung’s muffin wants to say- "thank you so much for all of the hard work! legacy is not an easy rp to run with all these career branches and events going on. i appreciate all of the mods for making this rp extra special by celebrating birthdays, holidays and other occasions. I love you all muahhhhhh~" liu jiao and ok miyoung’s faye wants to say- “i disappeared from the rp scene for awhile and was kind of lost when it came to fitting back into everything. but joining legacy helped me along and i am so glad i decided to put my muse here. thank you to all the mods and for all of their hard word. i felt so welcomed by not only them, but the other members of the directory as well. so thank you for the lovely community you’ve brought together here. i am happy to say that legacy holds a special place in my heart.” yoon shinha and pongsak, tee's simone wants to say: “when i first joined legacy it was because i had some friends here and i had read about it a lot on twitter. i was nervous and scared, which is how i usually feel when joining a new place. working on my own points page from scratch was a first but i was proud of myself and i felt accomplished when i finished it. i joined as a connection and it gave me a boost when it came to plotting. everyone was so nice and welcoming and i honestly love that when joining a new directory. the events were many and i was both excited and scared at how many there were. even if i couldn't understand something i knew i could ask an admin or mod and would get a quick reply. i love how kind and supportive the staff is. i've been here for a few months now and i always recommend it to others. i know that no matter what, i can go to a staff member with a question and i don't need to feel stupid for asking something bc the staff are so helpful and understanding. the thought that goes into this roleplay and the events are amazing and i am honestly so amazed every time a new event gets posted. they give sufficient time frames for events and i know they try to make it as fair as possible. i honestly love it here and i love the hard work and the time that is put into legacy.” park taekyung and heo jane’s bobbi wants to say: “thank you for taking the time to create this awesome community! the time and effort you put into this rp is what makes it such a fun place and i hope that this post brings you just as much joy as you bring us! <3" mayura nana’s cc wants to say: “i’ve been on and off in the group, seeing the first time it opened and how hard working the admins were to coming back and seeing the amount of growth in just a few months. i truly appreciate all that you guys have done for your members, the patience and love you put into every little thing you do so everyone can develop and enjoy themselves. you guys make this rp fun and safe and i’m forever grateful to have found a true home for my muse. keep up the good work and i can’t wait to continue being here and witnessing even more love and growth from the team ❤️” park seojin, im hana and kang seyoon’s sara wants to say: “hello lovely team. it's been a great ride thus far and i'm so happy to have been here from the beginning to see the community grow. you've built a really nice and wholesome place here and it's been one of the best roleplays i've been in so far. it's hard running things but always remember that people love and respect you and so many of us are rooting for good things every day. you're human too and if you make a mistake, never beat yourself up over it. you keep things so much fun. truly nothing more i could ask of from a team. i’ve sent other messages in the past but there's really no limit to the praises and support i can offer to you guys. keep up the good work!! ♡♡” wu aaron and kim alex’s em (aka the awkward cookie) wants to say - "to the amazing admins of this rp, i haven't been here nearly as long as others but i really enjoy having my muses here! i love lgc so much and you're all amazing admins who work very hard to keep this place running with amazing events! keep up the great work and i can't wait to see what else you all have planned! (please torture alex as much as you can. xD) i don't think i've really talked to the admins here much but still, i love you all and everything you do! <3 please don't let any negative comments or reviews get to ya'll and just know you're all doing great!" choi jongsuk, son jieun, and kim jinah‘s jen wants to say - "@ the mod team from your resident meme! you guys know how much i love lgc. i'm not shy annoying y'all with compliments and praise. every sunday is a highlight because there is always something exciting being posted- be it just a date lottery update or new events; you never fail to surprise and spoil us all with fun and creative ideas! also the way you manage to keep things as fair as possible for everyone and still manage to not make anyone feel left out or left behind. the quick replies to any kind of questions are just so nice to see and it makes me personally not scared ever to ask anything at all no matter how stupid the question may be! i probably annoy y'all with how often i said this already but i love this rp. i love the graphics, the concept and the execution of it all. thank you for creating this amazing space for all of us to write and hopefully to many more years! true to my name i shall exit on a meme~" hwang subin and han allie’s nic wants to say - “hello admins!!! it's me, a nic. i know that i've said a lot of this in the past but to sum it all up, i love you guys!! thanks for giving me a place to feel a bit more comfortable when i don't feel that way in rp a lot lately. i love that you guys are always gracious and accepting of criticisms, questions, and critiques and i hope you continue to always be that way because i think it's important for rps to listen to their members. i also want you to know that you don't have to stand for rudely stated words just because you do that, either!! i appreciate the time you take to answer my questions, whether it be through the manager blog or through discord and for all the opportunities you've given my muses ( even if ONE of them might not be so grateful. i'm lookin at u subin ) so yeah ;u; i hope u all are having a lovely day, pls take care!!!” tsai sunisa, park sarang, and jung jihye’s the ghost rper wants to say - “number one, thank you for making legacy an rp! i'm having a lot of fun with all of muses! especially since it's given me a chance to bring muses i've played before alive in another rp. two, they're [the admins] awesome for all of the stuff they've managed to do for the group and how many options you have to be apart of the industry and do more background related stuff! third, just stay awesome and remember to put yourself before rp! since without ya'll we wouldn't be here!” min soyoun and kim jinseo‘s clara wants to say - "hi mods! thank you for making lgc a fun and safe haven for us. i appreciate the love, thought, and effort you all put in every single mission/event that happens in the roleplay. you guys are doing amazing!" kwon sihyun‘s shinobi wants to say - “thank you for making me feel welcome!” park iseul and ahn dohyun’s nine wants to say - “thank you so much for all your hard work! over the months i've been at lgc i've always felt like the admods have kept every single muse in mind when creating events and moulding the rp to fit the members. i've never felt as in love with an rp as i do now. keep up the good work, i can't wait to see the rp grow more and more!” choi max and im nari‘s jada wants to say - “hi there mods !!! i didn't want this whole appreciation to go by without saying some words of my own, so here i go ! when i joined legacy a few months back i was hesitant to even join, doubting that i'd want to stay to make it even past the next activity check. it was an act of pure impulse, but perhaps the best thing i could've done ! alongside the many great friends i've made along the way, if it was not for all the hard work you do, the roleplay would not be nearly as lively of a universe as we've all made it to be ! i always compliment legacy for the dedication you all clearly have to making it enjoyable - from events going on all the time, to in-character posts that liven the spectrum of our creativity, to your speedy responses and patience whenever we have trouble ! i think me and the rest of the members can agree that what you do makes us enjoy the roleplay even more, and we always will be appreciative of that !! i think you guys run the roleplay SO smoothly at times that we forget the hard work you put in and the bumps you might encounter along the way, but it's times like this that make me realize how much more we should thank you. because of the team behind it all, i've once again found my place in a roleplay that's made me feel at home, and always ready to write and have fun !! i'm extremely grateful for the passion you've shown us and i hope that i too can do my best to make sure your hard work pays off and give thanks ! i'm looking forward to writing with all of you and giving a voice to our muses for as long as i'm able to type, haha ! <33 “ ahn yeoreum’s kay wants to say - "my first experience with krp wasn't exactly the best. i didn't land myself in the most welcoming environment and was planning to never join another krp. but i took a chance in lgc and didn’t regret it. since day one, everyone has been so welcoming and i loved playing yeoreum here. the admods have worked so hard to make this such a nice environment to rp in and i love how well thought-out all the events and activities are. thank you so much, admods !! we are super lucky to have such a talented and hard-working team. <3″ ji haneul’s maddy wants to say - “to legacy admods uwu, thank you for your endless hard work! seeing how the community has grown over the last few months, as well as the tons of opportunities for character development has made my time here absolutely amazing. i just want to say how much i love the rp, and how inspiring it can be in churning my writing muses. keep up the good work, and i hope you guys would also be able to have as much fun as the work you've put in in maintaining the rp! take care, stay safe, and stay awesome >:D *flings plushies in your directions* ♡" lee seungjae’s fifi wants to say - "hello admods!!! i just wanted to say thank you for everything that you've done for lgc! i haven't been here long but everything about it is great and i can tell you've put in so much work to make it the great place that it is!" kang dana‘s jay wants to say - “thank you so much for working so hard on this roleplay and allowing all of our characters to develop however we like! i have never enjoyed a rp as much as this one <3" hwang jaerim and im hyunjin’s jia wants to say - "hello admod team, yall know im always here to bother u all with my weirdness and you guys are all great to talk to. i've been lucky enough to have been here since day 1 and to see this place flourish and see all the efforts you put into the rp, makes me glad to be here. thank you!!" oh max and park viggo’s lyn wants to say - "as one of those muns that has been in legacy from the very beginning, i've witnessed this rp grow and i can’t help but to feel extremely proud and happy for the admod team who works tirelessly to make sure that the progress isn’t only with the rp but genuinely with the muses within it. the admins take it into their own hands to celebrate the achievements that muses have obtained and put them on the spotlight, personally i've experienced screaming and getting emotionally overwhelmed with some of the mods at how happy and ecstatic i felt with some of the results for my muses. with that said i want to make it clear that my muses don’t always get what they want, when it happens, i do share some down time with said mods as well- not to complain but to just talk. the same happens vice versa, when the mods' muses don’t get a spot in future dreams or didn’t get the center of a group, or when they land a cf spot or has made progress by moving on a different path, i'm able to witness their reactions as muns as well- which quite frankly is humbling considering that it reminds me that their muns too and not just mods. essentially what i'm trying to say is that based on my experience and mine alone although i have no doubt i'm not the only one who feels this, clearly this post proves it, that the admod team is not just there to provide us with countless numbers of events or answer our endless amount of questions and woes with admirable patience or guide us in the right direction when we misplace a point or two in our submits, but rather to present us muns with a safe and progressive platform to comfortably establish and allow our muses to flourish in a highly entertaining environment. so thank you legacy team for your heartwarming and admirable work, i know this hasn’t been easy for you guys but hang in there, a lot of us got your backs ♡"

these are the folks who wanted to add something after this post was first published:

no one at the moment! if you want to say something to our lovely admins please either message them through the lgckrp askbox or, if you’re more shy, send me an IM or send it to lgchunji’s askbox with your message in quotations, which blogs you run, and your name/alias!

#lgckrp #( oof hope they see this lol )#✧ .・゜゜leaf talks

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rynhaswritersblock · 4 years

Text

locked out | p.p.

a/n: LARGELY INSPIRED BY "KEYS" BY @holland-ish !!!! her imagines are super cute so go check them out haha

summary: y/n can't remember to grab her keys, peter misses the old days with you, and may baked extra cookies

warnings: i'm mad at myself for writing this bc i want this really bad. also cussing. wouldn't be an imagine of mine without some COLOR!

+ + +

"shit," you mutter, flicking a strand of hair out of your face as you dig through your backpack, looking like a maniac as you rummage around your bag outside your apartment. you lose your temper and upturn the bag, its contents flying out and decorating the wooden floor of the hallway.

no keys.

a groan falls from your lips and you shove everything back into your bag with little care about organization, standing up and huffing as you stare at the door. the sound of the lock jiggling doesn't give as you harass the knob, cursing yourself for forgetting your keys the one time your parents went on an anniversary vacation.

you run through all your options: fire escape? no, your window was locked anyways. key under the mat? not with your superstitious father. the parkers?

you lean your head against the door as you stare at the one across the hallway, cute woven welcome mat you knew for a fact that may had created herself.

the parkers had lived in hallway 300 of queenswood apartment complex as long as your family had. you and peter grew up together, never necessarily best friends, but close enough to wrestle for fun and go off into your own world every time there'd be an "adult gathering." close enough to spark little hints of love between the two of you, the first crush that you never forget. aunt may was practically your second mom. nonetheless, as the story goes with all neighborhood kids, the two of you began to drift as you entered middle school, each becoming busier and more involved with extracurriculars.

it didn't mean you were completely distant, though. you were there when peter had just gotten his powers. literally- that trip to the museum was odd, to say the least. and you were the one hugging him along with may after his uncle ben had died, the shoulder to cry on that made him feel so weak yet so loved at the same time.

as high school came, so did less free time, but still the string between the two of you was never split. sometimes you'd leave for school at the same time and walk together, feeling a slightly awkward yet comfortable air between the two of you as you were jostled on the subway. you'd say hi in the hallways or at least give looks of acknowledgement, or share moments from across classes. especially this year, the two of you would go head to head in playful debates about interpretations of to kill a mockingbird. and, of course, may would constantly say hello every time she saw you, as well as tease peter after every said occasion, claiming that "y/n is still single and ready for you to make a move," which always elicited an annoyed and flustered groan from the boy.

you were still y/n and peter was still peter.

sucking in a breath, you take the few steps across the hallway, raising your hand and knocking gently on the door. your eyes widen when you realize you'd subconsciously knocked the pattern you and peter came up with as kids; a signal to each other that the other one wanted to play.

peter perks up. he gets off his bed, sticking his head out the doorway and peering over at the door. may, having also noticed the special knock, gives peter a smug look before walking over and opening the door. the sight of you makes peter quickly vanish from the doorway and run back to his bed in an attempt to act as if he totally didn't get a wave of excitement and curiosity over those few gentle knocks.

"y/n!" may smiles, opening her arms in a welcoming gesture, wrapping her arms around you just as she did every other time. "how are you? what brings you here?"

"hi," you laugh, a hint of anxiety lacing your voice. "i'm good, but i, uh, kinda forgot my keys and my parents don't get back until tomorrow morning."

may's eyebrows raise, her mouth forming an 'o'. she begins nodding.

"that's right- they went on their anniversary vacation!"

you chew on your lip and watch as she turns her head, glancing in the direction of peter's room. peter, laying on his bed and furiously scribbling physics notes, fails at his attempt to not eavesdrop.

"well, you're welcome to stay the night here," may lowers her voice with a grin. "i'm sure peter wouldn't mind having you in his room again."

you gasp slightly, laughing and hoping to god that peter didn't hear it, silently thanking god that he wasn't there to watch the roses bloom on your cheeks.

obviously, the boy's heightened powers deemed your hopes hopeless, his expression unknowingly matching yours as he drops his pencil. his face burns as he realizes that he'd likely be met with your face in a matter of seconds, and he frantically searches the bed for that godforsaken pencil.

"hi."

peter's head flies up, wide eyes meeting your familiar gaze. his face burns.

"hi."

you half-succeed in biting back a smile, slowly walking into the room and fiddling with your fingers. "my, uh, my parents are out of town until morning and i forgot my keys, so i-"

"right or left?"

in those three words, the tension flies away, your face lighting up with nostalgia and warmth. you drop your bag, flopping onto the bed next to peter as he adjusts himself in front of you. giddy smiles grow on your faces as you sit across each other, legs criss-cross.

right or left was a game the two of you came up with amidst one of the get-togethers your parents had when you both were six years old and both totally sucked at truth or dare. if you chose left, whoever lost had to do a dare, and if you chose right, the loser had to tell a truth.

you won most of the time.

"left," you say, letting out a giggle. peter laughs.

you always said left.

peter reaches out, grabbing your left hand with his, the two of you moving your hands back and forth between you.

"one, two, three, four-"

"five, six- hey!" peter whines, jumping up.

"gotcha!" you laugh, standing up and poking at the boy's shoulders. "okay, uh... oh! i got it!"

peter buries his face in his hands, sketchers anxiously tapping against the floor in anticipation.

"you have to go inside and get us both cookies!"

"but aunt may just made them! she hates when i eat them right away," peter complains. he flops his hands on his sides at your expression, arms folded across your chest as you make the most intimidating face your eight year-old self could muster. "fine, but only for you."

you let out a squeal as he playfully tugs your ponytail and runs over to the kitchen, satisfied look on his face as he comes back, mouth and hands stuffed with homemade chocolate chip cookies.

"ready?" peter asks. you nod.

the two of you begin counting, the boy stopping at five as you keep going, mouth falling agape and brows furrowing when you notice he had halted. "no fair!"

"so fair," peter says greedily. "okay. i dare you to go get us both cookies."

a slightly amused gasp leaves your mouth and you remember all the times you'd dare each other to do so; may would make cookies practically every week. "fresh batch?"

"yup! chocolate chip," peter replies cheekily, expectant look painting his face. "i'll be here."

you glare at him playfully before quietly slipping out of the room, trying to act stealthily in order to avoid getting (lovingly) scolded by may.

it was no use.

"i knew it!" the woman whispers. she has the brightest smile on her face as she waves a playful finger at you. "it always happens."

may parker knew more about you and peter than you and peter knew about yourselves. every time the two of you hung out, you'd always play right or left, and one of you would end up sneaking into the kitchen to steal a few cookies. the woman even started baking them more often in anticipation.

you deflate, sighing and giving her a defeated look. "i'm sorry, may-"

"it's nothing, honey. take 'em and tell the kid you didn't get caught," she winks, handing you a few, even stuffing one in your mouth. she smiles as you walk back to peter's room, looking back at her and giving her a nod of thanks.

peter picks at one of his scrap pieces of tech, bright grin tugging at the corners of his lips when he sees you. "get caught?"

you shake your head and shove a handful of the cookies at him. the boy grabs them with an excited face, shoving one into his mouth in its entirety. the look on his face is identical to the one your six year old self had become so smitten over.

+ + +

the hot gooey bite of bread, sauce, and cheese stings as it hits your mouth, a gasp exiting your lips as you pull the slice back.

"hot hot hot hot," you yelp, panting and sticking your tongue out to the cold new york air.

peter laughs at you and shoves at least half of his slice into his mouth while giving you a defiant look.

"they made yours first," you mutter.

it was just the same as it used to be.

when the neighborhood parties got boring, the two of you would sneak up to the roof of the building, giggling as you raced up the creaky fire escape. only a few stars were visible above the plethora of new york lights, but the sight of all the glowing building lights made up for it.

the two of you huddle together, legs swinging off the edge fearlessly and the smell of the pizzas may'd picked up radiating in the air around you.

"i missed this," peter sighs. you rest your head on his shoulder, the smell of him and his cologne making your stomach flutter.

"me too."

+ + +

kinda abrupt ending idk i was really struggling with it but i honestly feel like that's as good as it's gonna get lol

i miss the days when i could pump out imagines like it was NOTHING

i love y'all i hope ur staying safe <3

#peter parker #tom holland #peter parker imagines #marvel #mcu #spiderman #peter parker x reader #spiderman x reader #fanfic #fluff #writing #peter #parker #thomas holland

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theladyspooks · 4 years

Text

In Morte, Aerternitatis Ch. 1: Begin

New Orleans, LA 1995

Storm clouds bordered the edge of town, a distant rumbling threatening to disrupt the merry making taking place only days before Mardi Gras in the jubilant city of New Orleans. Anastasia Fyodorov drove her cerulean 1966 Ford Mustang through the cobblestone streets as the radio played softly in her ears.

Are you with me, New Orleans? Do ya hear me? This is the Kingfish coming to you at 96.2 FM. Anointed and appointed. Just three more days, Crescent City, three days until Lent. So let's have it, the merriment before the penance, and the feast before the fast! The Kingfish gonna keep y'all company all the way down. Hey, brothers and sisters, y'all know what "carnival" means in Latin? Well, the Kingfish went to the good schools, so he can tell you all about it. Carnival. Farewell to the flesh. That's what it means. I like that a lot! Farewell to the flesh. Yeah, you right. And farewell to all that floodin', as far as I'm concerned. That's right. Look at it. The banks of the mighty Mississippi are ready to spill their seed. Just look at that sky out there. It's ready to rain on us again. And the clouds? Well, now, brothers and sisters, they're not the only thing threatenin' the Crescent City. We're talking murder, mes amis. Or so we've heard before, the hook man, kerchunk. So when you pull on your costume and turn to admire yourself in the mirror, please keep those lips locked tight. Do not call his name.

Anya let out a chuckle before pulling onto a side street and switching the car off, her mind swam with thoughts of young teens daring to utter the infamous name all for a few bragging rights amongst their friends. True, her brother had always flirted with the idea of attempting the same, often trying to goade her into calling upon the vengeful spirit. Their mother, however, had taught her far better than to mess with anything associated with the supernatural. Better to let the dead stay that way, after all.

‘Speak of the Devil.’ She thought with a chuckle as she spotted a familiar face leaving her dance studio. She retreated from the car and locked it with a smirk.

“Missed me already, Vadim? What would your employees think of you leaving the brunch rush just to see your sister?” She teased.

“I’ll have you know that Doc has the rush handled just fine, thank you. Plus…” He reached behind his back and pulled a pair of keys out, “You forgot your studio keys at the bar.” He chuckled as Anya’s whole body untensed and she threw herself into his arms in gratitude.

“I know I give you so much shit, but I really have no idea what I’d do without you, moy brat.” No matter how long the siblings spent in America, their native tongue of Russian would always be a part of their lives.

“You’ll never have to worry about that, dushen'ka,” Vadim squeezed his sister fondly and relinquished the keys to her when she pulled back, “Now run along, your students await and Doc will be expecting me back soon.” He patted her cheek fondly and chuckled when she scrunched her face in mock annoyance.

“Okay, okay, enough touchy feely time. Get back to it and swing by the house later, I’ll cook you some gumbo and biscuits as a thank you.” She laughed and began walking to her studio keys firmly in hand as Vadim voiced his agreement at her offer, turning and making his own way back down town.

Anya unlocked the door and began to prepare for the day’s classes, the smell of last night's shoe chalk still fresh in the air to accompany her thoughts.

Vadim had always been an attentive older brother, even as far back she could remember from her time in Russia. Constantly watching out for her and being the responsible male figure in her life when their father could not. Not that it was their father’s fault, of course, what with his family’s safety to worry about.

Or so their mother had always told them.

It had only been five years since Elena Fyodorov’s passing at the hands of a car accident, but to Anya it truly felt like yesterday. No one was really at fault, a child had chosen the wrong time to wander out into the street in order to retrieve his ball and Elena had swerved to avoid hitting him. Unfortunately, the impact from colliding with a lone street pole was just enough to take her mother away instantly. After that, it was up to the Fyodorov twins to survive the world on their own with no mother and a seemingly absent father.

Life, however, was not entirely cruel to the Russian redheads. With the immense fortune their parents had bequeathed unto them both had flourished in their own respective professions, Vadim with a Russian New Orleans fusion restaurant and Anya with her own ballet studio for children and teens whose parents could not afford to send them to the bigger cities. Nothing gave her more happiness than being able to do what she loved while teaching others along the way. Was it the easiest craft in the world?

Absolutely not.

Being a ballerina meant long days into longer nights with a strict schedule that had one's body screaming for a hot bath. Anya didn’t want that to be what her students felt, she wanted them to enjoy what they did; to feel the emotion and passion that went into dancing. It was more than just movement; it was poetry, a story to tell, a-

“Mornin’ Miss Ani!”

Anya grasped her chest in surprise, turning to face the energetic voice with a smile.

“Yasmine! You nearly gave me a fright, sweetheart.” She pushed her hair back with a smile as the rest of the kids filed in through the door.

“Sorry Miss Ani! Wasn’t my intention, I swear!”

“I know, Sweetheart, I know. Don’t worry about it,” She smoothed the young teen’s baby hairs down, “Now go put your flats on and get ready for stretches.” Yasmine nodded and ran back to join her friends near their cubbies.

‘Just another day.’ Anya shook her head before joining her students.

_______________________________________

The evening was still light as Anya cleaned and organized the studio for the night, her muscles well used and ready for a shower. Well, a shower after she cooked dinner for herself and Vadim.

Normally the idea of cooking would be fine with her, perfect in fact what with how much she enjoyed it. As much as Vadim was the big chef of the family, she knew she could hold her own when it came to the comforts of the kitchen; often having to cook and care for her brother when he was sick or hungover from the previous night.

She wiped her hands on her leggings and slung her gym bag onto her shoulder, keys jingling in hand as she went to lock up for the night. Breathing in the warm New Orleans air at night was more refreshing than any shower she could dream up. It was refreshing and rejuvenating in ways that she couldn’t put into words after spending most of the day in the stuffy studio with a gaggle of energetic kids.

She turned the lock to the studio, ready to get in her car and head home.

“Anya?!” She turned to see a familiar truck pull up near her car.

“Annie? Paul? What are you two still doing over here, I thought you would’ve been home by now.” Her confusion only grew when Annie got out of the car and lightly jogged to her before hugging her tightly.

“Anya, it’s Ethan, the cops are keeping him in the station. I-” Anya hushed her gently, her hands softly running up and down her back as Paul too exited the vehicle. Her face must have held the question she had waiting on the tip of her tongue.

“Got a call from Annie today that Ethan was being held for- well, held for suspicion of murder on multiple counts.” Paul looked none too thrilled that a nice night with his wife was dashed by such a dark turn of events.

Anya had always admired the love shared between Annie and Paul, how effortlessly they floated around each other as if it was fate’s design. She couldn’t ever remember her father looking at her mother the way Paul looked at her best friend.

“Murder? Annie, what-” The blonde cut her off.

“I know it sounds crazy, but he didn’t do it! I know he’s been so off kilter since Daddy died, but he wouldn’t murder anyone Anya, he wouldn’t!”

“Hey, hey, take it easy Ann! No one here is saying that,” She held her shoulders, “Where is Ethan now?”

“Still being held in police custody, they’re convinced he murdered Purcell-”

“Purcell? Professor Philp Purcell, the man who wrote that Candyman book?”

“Yes, him and- and they’re trying to pin all the recent murders on Ethan, including Daddy!”

Now that made her pause. The death of Coleman Tarrant was heard throughout the entirety of Louisiana and no one was more devastated than Ethan. He’d been the one to discover Coleman in front of the hidden Candyman shrine in the old Tarrant ancestral estate. He’d been obsessed with the legend weeks before his death, often spending late nights at the bar of Vidam’s restaurant combing over notes and muttering to himself. Ethan had blamed himself, citing that if he’d found his father sooner that he could have saved him.

Nothing Annie nor her mother told Ethan would ever convince him otherwise it seemed. No, it was preposterous to think Ethan would ever harm his family let alone any human being, even one as arrogant as Philip Purcell.

“Is there anything we can do?” She knew there was little she could say to make this go away, but she could try. Annie shook her head and grasped Anya’s hands.

“Not right now, not until we can find something that could prove Ethan innocent to the murders,” She sighed as Paul came up alongside the both of them, “We were going to head back to my childhood home in the morning, try and find something that could help make sense of all this.”

“I can meet you both there if you need an extra hand? Only have a nightly pointe class tomorrow with the kids I need to be at.” Hell, she could even cancel that if it meant proving Ethan as innocent.

“That would be real fine, Anya,” Paul intercepted and wrapped his arms around both the young women’s shoulders, “But in the meantime, you’re welcome to come back to the bar for a drink on the house, think we could all use one after today.” She smiled at his kindness.

“You know on any normal day I’d never pass up free booze, but I promised Vadim I’d cook him a meal tonight. Now come on, group hug hm?” She laughed as Annie cracked a smile while Paul chuckled, squeezing both ladies equally.

“We’ll see you at the old plantation house in the morning then?” Annie inquired after pulling out of the hug.

“Of course, Ann” She hugged her best friend one last time before kissing Paul on the cheek, “Have one on me, Mister Manager.” Paul laughed and patted her back fondly.

“Don’t gotta tell me twice!” He laughed.

With one last wave, Anya trekked to her car; images of the clear night and legends dancing in her brain.

________________________________

The Fyodorov villa was old, but still big enough to accomodate a family of three or more. In the case of Anya and Vadim the latter couldn’t handle the absence of his mother enough to live there, opting to find his own estate nearby. Anya felt in a similar fashion to her brother yet slightly different.

The thought of her family home sitting in ruins or used as a vacant lot wasn’t something that thrilled her by any means. Their family had engraved too many memories, painted too much love within the walls of this estate for her to simply sell it to the highest bidder.

The decision to keep the villa came with a few opportunities to redecorate and make the space her own, keeping all of her mother’s prized possessions and their childhood memories stored in the attic for safe keeping. Gone were the emerald green walls and gold drapery, replaced by a celestial pink and cream velvet. Paintings of moon lit scenery and castles in a far away land lined the walls with various antiques and flowers accompanying marbles tables.

Some may call her sense of decorum tacky, almost old fashioned, but it reminded her of home; a fond memory that she never fully got to embrace.

Something she still desperately clung to.

While she kept everything light and airy throughout the estate, her own room was styled to fit a more romantic mood. Swathed in white lace drapery and painted a deep burgundy to offset her chestnut bed post, it’s arms reaching towards the ceiling while holding black velvet netting to encase her in her own dreams. Two shelves lined the walls and held her most favorite stories, some that she had enjoyed in childhood and others that stole her attention even now.

Of all the rooms in the villa, one that meant the world to her, one that she found herself in now was the little dance studio that she had gutted the basement for, one that was only accessible through the pulling of a blue book of poetry in a lone bookcase.

The room was modest in size, enough for one or two people to dance in comfortably in tandem and lit by an adjustable switch to set the right mood. One wall was lined with full body mirrors for her own self reflection and critique, the other bare with one or two chairs and an old record player..

This was her safe place, somewhere she could reflect and relax; a room to be whoever she wanted. Some days she pictured that she was an established ballerina still performing in Russia, other days she imagined herself as a princess dancing amongst dashing strangers and beautiful aristocrats.

Even now she could feel herself start to nod off into her imagin-

“Anya? Hellooooo? Earth to the grand duchess!”

She made two mistakes when constructing this room, telling Vadim how to find it and not making it sound proof.

With a sigh she turned off the lights and opened the passage back into the stairwell, smirking at the sight of her brother on the other side.

“You realize the food is on the table, right?” Her nose scrunched at his scoff.

“Well that’s all well and good, but I was under the impression I’d be dining with my sister. The one who made the meal?” He flicked her cheek and threw his arm over her shoulder, guiding her back upstairs.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit spacey since I got back, Ethan was arrested..” At her comment, Vadim’s head shot up in confusion, “Murder, evidently.”

“Bychit! You’re messing with me aren’t you?” Anya smiled wanly at his disbelief, “Well shit, you’re not...shit well- who’s the victim?”

“Philip Purcell.”

“The Candyman professor? Well I’ll be damned, Ethan’s dad used to mention him when he’d come to the bar. Something about the old codger not believing the myth after he told him to say the name five times in a mirror or something like that.”

“What, like Bloody Mary?” Anya chuckled as she dug into her meal.

“Sort of a Bloody Mary vibe with Phantom of the Opera thrown into the mix,” Anya stopped mid chew to look up in confusion as he continued, “I read Purcell’s book, Candyman was originally an artist named Daniel Robitaille who fell in love with a white woman from Southern society. After they were found out he was chased down and tortured by an angry mob, sawed off his painter’s hand and smeared honey all over him before the bees came”

“Jesus..” Anya put her hand over her mouth.

“You can guess what happened after that, surprised you haven’t heard the tale.”

“I know what Candyman is, I just never really knew anything about the man behind the myth.” She shrugged.

“Coleman was obsessed with it, told me the story and gave me a copy of Purcell’s book to read up on. As far as I could tell Ethan’s been depressed, but murder?” He shook his head and took a bite of his biscuit.

“Well, I’ll be seeing Annie and Paul in the morning. Maybe they’ll have more info by then.” She stood up and collected her dishes. Vadim quirked his head.

“Day trip?”

“Not exactly, Annie thinks there might be some clues back at the old Tarrant estate. You know, where they- where they found Coleman?” She hesitated and looked at Vadim, “The shrine.”

“Mm, spooky.” Vadim shivered, “Gonna leave the big bad boogeyman an offering?” He chuckled.

Anya stopped at the sink and hummed thoughtfully.

“You know? I just might.”

____________________________________

#candyman x oc #candyman #horror #slasher #daniel robitaille x oc #slasher fanfic #daniel robitaille

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praphit · 5 years

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BAMFs of 2019

Here's last year’s CHAMP -

THANOS

(Thanos: ”WTF did you just say?” #Mood)

Let's see if he made it back.

But, first, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions, as well as some people who were trying too hard:

Rey -

Of course she is a total BAMF. So, why isn't she on this list? 3 REASONS: 1) She looks like a racist ex that I once dated. How can someone who decided to date you (a black man) be racist? Did y'all see the movie "Get Out"? You didn't know that the story was based off one of my relationships did you? So, yeah, she ain't ever gettin on this list.

2) The force is cheating - their I said it.

3) This last movie sucked. This rap she did didn't help her cause.

ALSO - there’s this - her rapping. I repeat, she ain’t ever getting on this list.

Nic Cage - cuz he's Nic bleepin Cage

Cardi B - cuz she’s Cardi bleepin B

Hooded Justice - if only he had been in more episodes. A black man disguising himself in a hood, as well as white, to fight evil in his neighborhood, that the police force (of which he is a part of) refuses to stop. Hell yeah! I love "Watchmen".

Lupita! - her brilliantly scary performance in "Us" is def BAMF material.

The Rock - honestly, The Rock is so awesome, and has been for so long, that he needs to be extra awesome to make it.

Trying too Hard. Please STOP:

Batwoman -

I like Ruby, but she's like an elf. She's an elf model. It's not bad to be an elf model, but... If a villain in Gotham, let's say "Bane"

has me cornered, and Batwoman shows up to "rescue me", Imma start praying. He'd swing her around by that red hair of hers until her head pops off.

Rambo - He’s like 80! C’mon, Sly. Please STOP.

Dark Phoenix - a movie about her temper tantrum

Joker -

- not with all of that awkward dancing he was doing

NOW, finally, the top Bad Ass Muthas of 2019!

12) Greta -

Say what you will about climate change, but you can't deny her passion and dedication, and how inspiring it is (unless you're Prez Trump or Fox News) to see and hear a kid like her do her thing. I admit that her winning the honor of "Person of the Year" is too much. But, we all wish our kids would be this dedicated to what they believe is positive change. Plus, she has a kickass soundtrack. Gets me hyped every time!

11) Dave Chappelle

Back in the day, comedians used to be brought on stage, tasked with the difficult job of making a room full of different types of people laugh. Now, it's not just about the job of jokes, but you have to do so without offending anyone, and with clean living. When did we start holding a comedian's behavior to a higher standard than we do elected officials? Dave saw this, and kept doing what made him popular anyway. In a world where most comedians are running scared from difficult topics, Dave plunges right in. BAD ASS.

10) Linda Hamilton -

Old as bleep! We have what's-her-face here,

who is kinda badass herself, but despite being a badass cyborg (or whatever the hell she is), she still felt the need to ask for help from Linda bleepin Hamilton. LH traded her Hospice bingo card in for some guns and went to town on some machines! It'd be like if your home was being surrounded by aliens, and despite you having some fire power in your home and 911 at your disposal, everyone's first thought is to call grandma. That'd have to be one BAMF of a granny!

9) Masvidal -

Allow me to describe this brotha to y'all who might not know.

Some guy was talkin smack to Masvidal, and that guy got kneed in the face by Masvidal (fastest knock out in UFC history = 5 secs). Some guy was arrogant enough to say he was the baddest mofo around, and Masvidal scheduled a fight with this dude for a literal baddest mofo around belt. Plus, that same night of the fight, when he was talking to the media after he had won, he started mocking Conor McGregor, talkin bout Conor don't want none of this. He was talking trash, publicly, about Conor, while people were feeding him pizza. BADASS!

If there is ever a fork in the road, and on one side you see The Rock, Jason Statham, and Will Smith chasing after you, and the other you have Masvidal sitting down, eating a slice of pizza, you had better take your chances with the three action heroes over this BAMF.

8) Nunes -

If you don't know who she is, I wouldn't be surprised. The UFC botched her marketing before and after she fought and beat (badly) Ronda Rousey - yeah, RONDA ROUSEY; remember her? Nunes pretty much ended her career.

The UFC was so certain that Ronda was going to win, and so shocked when she lost, that they missed an opp to get behind a fighter who is better than Ronda (though mad respect for Ronda), and is currently holding TWO belts (first woman to do so). ALSO, she's the first openly gay UFC champ in history. She's so sweet too! - well, unless you're locked in the octagon with her, then she turns into a werewolf.

7) MANDO

I don't know about you, but all of this talk of teamwork from comic book movies can be a bit tiresome. The Avengers, The Justice League, The X-Men. Everybody wants to form a band. What happened to solo acts? What happened to lone rangers? People may say "There's no I in TEAM." Yeah, that's the prob! What about I?! Sometimes, you're Justin Timberlake, and the rest of the group is simply holding you back. That's Mando. He's Disney's updated (non-racist, unless you’re talkin drones) Lone Ranger. He doesn't need teamwork (maybe a weekly cameo, and a baby tag-along, but that's it!). He has beaten up gangs of robots, burnt people up, taken people out Jason Voorhees style, cut people in half, blown people up, blown off heads, BUT because it's Disney, we haven't seen any of that good stuff. He'd be higher on this list if they gave my man an R-rating.

6) Capt Marvel -

Captain Marvel is definitely the most powerful person on this list. She is probably also the fiercest person on this list. In Endgame, when she saw her black daddy (Nick Fury) on the screen, talkin bout Thanos snapped him away, and then something snapped inside of her, and she said "I'm going to go kill that mofo." The Avengers accompanied her, but I don't think she would have needed their help. She didn't really need their help in the final showdown with Thanos. He threw her aside, but you know she was coming back, until Tony got in her way. She is so fiery that it wouldn't surprise me if in her sequel, she goes back in time in order to rematch Thanos by herself, to prove her dominance. The reason that she's not higher on the list is because she's so damned destructive. She's just like The Hulk in the fact that she shows up to destroy everything. Now, she's a lot more focused than The Hulk, but she's so powerful that she does more damage. And she doesn't have much of a personality (so far), so it's hard to gauge her badassery of attitude, you know?? Like, if you're a villain, and you get in the way of a gorilla, that gorilla will destroy you in a very spectacularly badass way, but... it's a gorilla, you know??

I’M NOT CALLING HER A GORILLA. Don’t go snitching on me to her.

I just don’t know if she’s a hero or simply has anger management issues. Is she badass or too powerful not to do badass things?

Either way, RESPECT... or she'll come for that ass.

TIME FOR A BREAK -

Let’s break from all of this badassery with some cuteness

Look how cute it is - I CAN’T TAKE IT!

Ok, back to action.

5) Iron Man -

Look, Iron-Man started this shit! Who knows what would have become of the MCU had Robert Downey Jr. blew it. Tony Stark assembled the team (granted, he was partly the reason for the break-up), he gave us Spider-Man (with that suit) (he also gave us Ultron, but let's not get bogged down with details), he held his own against Thanos in "Infinity War",

Dr. Strange thought HIM worthy of saving, and no way time travel would have worked in "Endgame" without him. Plus, in the very end, he out-smarted Thanos, and countered Thanos' one-liner ("I am inevitable.") with his own ("And I... [five minutes later - I swear that's what it felt like] am Iron-Man.").

Paid the ultimate sacrifice. Hell yeah, he's on this list. I felt kinda bad for his wife. After IM3, she was barely around. And when Tony died, she was barely comforted... cuz nobody knew her. Oh, well.. she be aiight.

4) Thanos -

This dude saw his demise coming, and still went straight ahead towards the foes who cut his head off. BADASS! He was exceptionally crafty in playing The Avengers and blowing up their base. Then, he was just sitting around waiting for the main Avengers (Capt, Iron, and Fat Thor). He wanted to gloat a bit first. BADASS! And had Gamora not betrayed him, and had given him the gaunlet, he would have beaten The Avengers AGAIN!

He even died with a cool pose (he took a knee and got his "Thinking Man" on). BADASS!

3) Arya Stark -

This young lady scared the bleep out of me. She has my fear AND respect. I was actually scared for whomever her current target was... I was like "Run, fool! She gonna get ya! Damn, Arya, you didn't have to do them like that!"

Now, I know I talked about Ruby Rose being a ridiculous choice for Batwoman, but if Arya Stark left on a voyage to Gotham and became Batwoman, I'd buy that. I can see her killing Bane very slowly. This woman is a frickin psychopath, and I love it. She's fearless! She also went up against the top cheese of the white walkers. Y'all remember that badass move she had at the end!

YES! I only wish she had said something cool when she took him out, like... "You've been Starked." No, that's terrible, but something like that. I wish she was the one sitting on the throne, but they... you know... did what they did.

2) Capt America -

I think that it's fair to say that Capt America was the rock of The Avengers After the snap, he was the only one to keep his shit together; he actually worked to help others keep their shit together.

Meanwhile, Widow is crying in the dark every night while having a PB sandwich and bourbon dinner. And she just gave up on her hair.

Thor became an alcoholic.

And you could say Hulk was ok, but... was he?

I mean, that ain't right. This is avoidance behavior if I've ever seen it.

But, Capt kept it together. Then, that fight with Thanos at the end was one of, if not THE best one on one fight of the series. Using both Thor weapons, meaning he was both badass on a fighting level and a righteousness level - which ain't easy to accomplish. And when he straped tight his shield in that trailer, and gritted his teeth - hell yeah!

Chills. Capt to Thanos: You motha bleeper"

1) John Wick -

Three movies with no time in-between to shower, sleep, take a piss, brush his teeth, NOTHING! His life for the last few years (it seems like) has been running, lurking, hiding, beating ass.. and beating ass some more. Lord knows what this dude's kill count is up to. His nickname is "Baba Yaga" Have y'all seen what the actual Baba Yaga looks like?

Terrifying. And yet, not as terrifying as John Wick when he's angry at you.

The amount of endurance and focus that has gone into this long stint of murdering (only fueled by rage and a few shots of bourbon from time to time) is uncanny.

In JW3 he makes a guy eat a book (imagine what must be done to a person's jaw for that to happen), he gets shot, stabbed, hit my two cars (seconds within each other)... Nah, y'all ain't hear me! TWO CARS! The people in the cars were trying to kill him! He fought two super ninjas - like IP Man caliber, he beat up an army of soldiers, crawled through a desert, got shot by a friend who betrayed him, fell off of a building (bouncing around a few times before hitting the pavement), and was somehow still good to schedule a fourth movie after all of that - which I assume will pickup right there.

He doesn't have any superpowers (though you wouldn't know), but his tenacity is to be envied, and outdoes everyone else's on this list.

BAMF!!!

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ts-2020-olympics · 5 years

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EPISODE 1 - “My Legs Were Not Qwoperating” - Kathy (Part 1)

One world ! 24 other players ! I

I'm too old to be here but... it's happening! I made it on Tumblr Survivor mom! Determined to not be first boot!

Also I'm aligning with Jordan Pines because I love chaos and these newbies won't know what hit them

Well this is certainly something. I'm going to try out seeing who pms me without me saying anything. I'll pick up the activity tomorrow, so it doesn't really affect me, let's see if anyone takes the initiative so I don't have to. If I get dragged into a majority alliance then that's cool. I don't think that this group is great in terms of teamwork as of yet, but we'll see. There's so many tribes our chances of going to tribal are pretty slim, even if we suck. We're kindof underdogs, so sucking might not be excusable.

First day of surviving the Survivor survivorship...survivor. These forms are going to take some time to get used to, but I'll manage. Got conversations from Beck and Sammy so far - might scope the field, see what's out there. Or, I can lay low and do what I need to do for my team until merge hits.

i actually really like the people on my tribe and i'm excited because i have hopes for us. i've also made some nice friends so far and i'm hoping that pays off later but even if it doesn't i'm glad my first day in a skype survivor org has been positive! woo!

Fuck this complicated ass first challenge

youtube

Hello! Guess whose back? It me! Anyway, it’s been a fun first night. Things are going okay. I am worried a little bit about the One World mess, I don’t want to come off too social right now but at the same time I need to secure a good place. So here is the breakdown analysis of my tribe: Chris Stoner: hello ???? I didn’t know they let stoners into the Olympics, didn’t we drug test? I haven’t spoken to him much but we did play Crossroads together although not really together. Anyway, fun to see him. Don’t know if I’d work with him but I guess that’s to be determined. Karen: KARENNNNN! I wasn’t expecting to see them here but now that it’s happening I am very glad to have someone who I have worked with before around, and a solid foundation of working together. Right away I felt like I had someone who had my back and I hope I’m not misreading that, because Karen and I always seem to work together until a certain point. Hopefully we can work together longer than usual this time! Kevin: uhhh soooooo love Kevin but we don’t have the best track record? He was in Circle with me we had a little fight where I may have called him a racist for being mad at Asya anyway it SEEMS as though that’s not an issue anymore and I think we might be able to work something out. I don’t wanna have to vote Kevin out before Stoner or Tommy. Tommy: ok no offense to this man but he is so hard to talk to so far. Every conversation feels flat and even though we are talking about subjects I could go on about for a while, it feels like the convos are going nowhere. I feel like there’s a sort of slight bond between Karen, Kevin and I but then Tommy and Stoner are kind of...hopefully who they’d want to kill off first, I’m probably wildly misreading every situation rn. Outside of my tribe I’ve talked to Juls who I am going to take under my wing as my daughter and she will win this season if I don’t get to! I love her so much she reminds me of my old school Skype babies and I feel like a cool mom when I talk to her I’ve also talked to beck briefly, KING love him bc he’s dating Asya and I don’t necessarily want to bond based on that. I also know beck is a good as game player bc I’ve watched him play so......I’m gonna be nice and observant and maybe we can establish a threat/threat symbiotic relationship. I also talked to Jacob C. who I love so much and he and I have been comparing some notes. He’s already told me Sammy has an idol that he can only use for three rounds so heh heh heh. OH SPEAKING OF SAMMY I love that man he’s such a doll and I really hope we can work together if I get far. At this point I love this cast but I really feel like I am not gonna vibe with the newbies, they’re like very....quiet in the PM’s but loud in the one world chat? I find that backwards. I’m hoping the newbies I do like will be able to get rid of the newbies I don’t like so that when we merge the newbies I do like will help me get rid of the returnees I don’t wanna work with. That’s what we are manifesting, 2020 vision yeehaw.

Showmance, eh? I might play dumb, surprise them all later? I could play the role of disposable pawn while possibly orchestrating things behind the shadows. Could be a long, long shot, but it could work.

AAAAHHHHH IM HERE HI MOM IM ON TV IM SO EXCITED AND I CANT WAIT FOR EVERYTHING IM ALSO SCARED AS FUCK CUS EVERYONE KNOWS HOW THESE THINGS WORK AND I DONT

omg okay this is all so crazy i love it i can’t stop shaking AAAAHHH dhdkshHSJDHEVSJbokayOKAY so like i LOOOVE my tribe we’re the fuckin best tribe here cus we’re all so cool like we’re the FRIENDSHIP tribe and being able to make friends is a useful skill in this game like no offense but being the “dominant” tribe or “champions” tribe or whatever tbh it’s pretty unskinny bc that’s a target on you forever whereas my tribe we’re all friendly and trusting!! 💖💞 xoxo lets hold hands all the way to finale and have fun! 🌈✨

okay i forgot to talk about strategy lol anyways yeah I looOOOVve everyone on my tribe and that’s great but also sucks because there’s only 5 of us, it just takes 3 votes to send you out so I wish there was some oblivious cocky dick on our tribe we all could hate so we’d have an easy first vote like that guy Billy.. why is he on the respect tribe¿? anyways i love everyone but I think Will and I are becoming the closest we talked for a lil while last night yknow things got a little steamy 🥰😩 (you’ll have to pay for ts all access for that footage 😘) we bonded really well and I think for this first vote if we lose, Will and I are definitely gonna be voting together.

Alright, so here we are at the 2020 Olympics. I came in as a last minute replacement, so I feel like I have to prove myself more than some others who applied weeks before hand and made the cut. As well, got some past players, and past winners, which makes the competition stakes that much greater this season. Then, to top it all off, at the One World style camp, so can talk to everyone which is definitely a nice touch. Now, regards to my tribe, I honestly like the people on my tribe, and find that we're going to be a solid crew. Here is my actual impressions on my tribe mates thus far though: Beck - Probably one I recognize most, just due to being in a discord org vl with her, definitely seems like a friendly gal, and when time is right, I feel she could end up being my closest ally on the tribe Ben - Probably one so far who I have talked the most too, and I feel like we're connecting alright thus far, so going to keep building up a bond with him and his route could end up being as my first ally of these Olympics. Kathy - Haven't spoken one on one with her yet, just in the tribe chat somewhat and main chat, which she definitely seems like a cool person, and hoping to get to know her a bit better, but terms of this game, hard to say if we'll be on same side or not. Bailey - Speaking with her a little, but kind of same lines as Kathy currently with her, just not sure if Bailey will end up being an ally who will be with me, or someone who will be against me. Overall, time will tell how this game goes, but hopefully it goes well for me and I come out with at least something worth while.

HOLY SHIT I FOUND AN ADVANTAGE OH MY GOD!!!!! I GOT AN ADVANTAGE ON DAY FUCKIN TWO OF MY FIRST SURVIVOR EVERR HOLY SHIT!!!! okay so it says i can get an extra vote IF at the next tribal i decide to NOT vote and save that vote for later so i’d have an extra vote. Now the hard part is making my first tribal an easy vote so i can save my own.. hopefully i’ll be able to do this! i’m so scared ohmygod

okay i’m in a serious predicament... so I may not vote at the next tribal meaning there’s only 4 votes. While looking at the cast reveal i discovered something.. Nik is a drag queen, Eve also does drag as well... what if they applied together from some drag community or are bonding because of that. That’s 2 votes together already on a tribe of five.. that’s dangerous especially when I’m not allied with either of them! If they vote together and i don’t vote... they’d have half the votes already and may get rid of my ally Will! I’m hoping to god they don’t know each other but if they are aligned then Will or I could be out! I want this advantage but i don’t know if i can take it.... fuuUUUUCK

I’m really enjoying my tribe and I think that the people in this game are super awesome! However with that being said, I can definitely see who could potentially be an issue down the line and I’m keeping my eyes peeled for them!

whoa. this game is a lot. I managed to message everyone on day one because I just rely on my social abilities. I tried to be as relatable as possible to everyone but literally some people were dead fish. Some newbies have asked me for advice already and they said returners are intimidating so I said "I mean only the returners that won" hahah and they were like "oh yeah so true" sorry I threw y'all under the bus. But ummm kathy is playing and we are from the same hometown so I am hoping we end up on same tribe sometime soon. I love juls too!! OH AND JACOB IS MY RIDE OR DIE. we had a tribe call and I was so uncomfortable because I felt like I had nothing to add to the conversation. my fav 2 on my tribe are Jacob and Caeleb tho! umm okay last thing I searched for the idol....AND BIH ON DA FIRST TRY I GOT ONE BLSFSI only good for next three tribals I attend tho. I told Jacob. it was in a yellow condom. okay sorry this was very choppy I just wanted to get it all out.

This tribe seems to be working fine together, while I'm still terrified of losing, I think we stand a fighting shot. This cool little band of misfits would be a cool sight. I've kept my quiet for the first day, time to ramp things up just a tad. I've talked to Landen and I feel pretty alright about him, and given this tribe is as small as my will to life after playing QWOP, we only need one more! Landen's probably talking to everyone, so I just need to seal the deal with him. I think my challenge performance will suffice for being enough to keep me around, but I need a bit of a backup just in case. If we go to tribal, there's not a "stay UTR" option. It's either I'm in an alliance and I'm calling some shots, or I'm being (in)directly blindsided. But, I picked my strong suit in flash games for a reason fellas. The one world chat has quite a bit of activity. I'm quite and that's fine, if we swap I can readjust. If we go to tribal I'm sure I'll become just a tad more popular along with the other 9 that go. tldr:I'm winning duh

Ayo, tribe energy looking DOPE AS HELL BAY BAY! We all seem to be getting along pretty well, seeing as our communication during this challenge is pretty dope! No bad personalities in sight. I gotta wonder though, how nervous do I have to be? I know for a damn fact if I start talking more to these people they gon' be fallin' as hard as underage kids seeing the hottest girl in school enter their club. Thing is though, I'm fresh meat coming into this, so any pre existing relationships in this game are like dust mites to me. Can't see em' but GOD DAMN they annoy me. Nonetheless, I gotta work my magic in case we go to Tribal. I ain't letting anybody take out a rookie, especially a rookie who has somethin' to prove, and someone who at his best is the damn king of the world. See me work bay bay!

#zestypowerfuluniqueflavorfulhealthy #confessionals

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chemicalmagecraft · 5 years

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The Gamer Hero, Deku Chapter 13

A/N: Y'all I've been waiting for this ever since I thought of how this would go down.

To Chrono Phoenix: Yeah that would be the best course of action wouldn't it? Too bad even The Gamer has limitations...

xoxoxo

"Ah, crud," I said as I crashed into the water. I wasn't too concerned with the fall because of my high HP and almost-prestiged Physical Endurance, and swimming was probably really easy with water magic and an elemental. No, what was really concerning was that there was a villain with a shark mutation Quirk swimming menacingly toward me. Thankfully, Tsu came out of nowhere and kicked the guy before he could get too close. I think she was carrying Mineta like some sort of parcel too.

"Hey, Midoriya," she said despite being underwater, then grabbed me with her tongue. I was dragged with her to the surface, where she gently deposited me on a nearby boat. A second later, Mineta made a lewd comment to her and was thrown onto the boat next to me.

"Note to self, don't piss off Tsu," I thought. She climbed on board next. "Thanks for saving me, Tsu," I said.

She nodded. "Don't mention it. This is shaping up to be a bad day, kero," she understated.

"Yeah," I said. "I think that they planned this. One of the villains said All Might should be here, meaning they had our schedule. Maybe one of them snuck in when those reporters invaded," I theorized. Mineta and Tsu both suppressed a shudder.

"Yeah, but won't All Might get here to rescue us?" Mineta asked. "Aizawa-sensei said you could contact Yuuei!"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately, the party invite function has a range limit. I tried, but we're too far away for me to invite anyone at Yuuei to my party, which is what he was talking about," I explained. "Actually, though, I can do this." I cleared the party chat history, changed the party name to an explanation on what the party invite was, then sent invites to our classmates and teachers. Though I couldn't see them, Tsu and Mineta reacted to the boxes randomly appearing in front of them.

"What is this?" Mineta asked.

"Is this that 'party invite' thing you were talking about, Midoriya, kero?" Tsu asked.

"Yeah, just press 'yes' and you get in. There's a party chat function. Hang on, I'll put instructions in it for the others." I typed in some quick instructions as the others joined in, as well as the reason why I couldn't just summon All Might.

Kirishima Eijirou: Dude holy crap, this is awesome! Sucks that you can't just ring Yuuei, but I guess all Quirks have their limits.

I noticed that Thirteen and Iida weren't responding and Todoroki declined. I sent him another invite, but he just declined it again. I recalled his title, The Path to Isolation, and winced. I wasn't going to be able to add him, was I?

Deku: Does anyone know why Thirteen and Iida aren't joining? I'm starting to get a little concerned.

Uraraka Ochako: That warp bastard got Thirteen with their own Quirk and Iida's probably out of range. Don't worry about the warp guy, though. I have him.

I blinked. Even through the chat, I could tell she was angry. I hoped she didn't go overboard...

"Right, we need to fight our way out of here, right?" Tsu asked.

"What!? Why?" Mineta objected.

"Midoriya," Tsu said.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You have a healing spell, right? And beyond that, aren't you getting special lessons from Recovery Girl? Thirteen's down, so we need to get you over there ASAP, kero. Plus there's just the fact that they're probably going to attack soon."

"Yeah, hang on, I'm going to do something first." I opened up my status screen and, for the first time, used some of the points I'd accumulated over the course of having my Quirk. I only had to use ten, though.

By raising WIS above 100, two random skills have been created!

The skill 'Tactician' has been created through WIS rising above 100 and having INT above 80!

The skill 'Mantra' has been created through WIS rising above 100 and having the skill Enlightenment!

The skill 'Duality' has been created through WIS rising above 100!

It was an odd feeling. I felt... something shift in my mind, along with a my mana changing somehow. It was interesting to know that I could get extra skills for the hundred benchmark, plus the fact that they could be influenced by other factors. Before I could check out what they did, though...

"I'm tired of waiting!" one of the villains shouted, and a blade of water crashed into the boat, causing it to start sinking.

"AAAAAHHH!" Mineta started screaming and threw some of his head balls into the water. "I didn't think we'd actually be fighting villains so soon! I don't want to die!"

I slapped him. I don't know why, but I felt like it was the best course of action. It did get him to stop crying. "Mineta," I said sternly, putting my hands on his shoulders. "This isn't the time for panic. It's unfortunate that this happened, but we can't just wish ourselves out of this situation. I don't know why you decided to become a hero if you're so afraid to die, considering how high the mortality rate is, but I need you to stop whining and focus." I turned my attention to the villains. They were afraid of Mineta's balls, backing away from them. They didn't know what his Quirk was, and more likely than not ours as well. I noticed that even with just a glance, I could tell their emotional state, Quirks, and other information that I'd normally need to use Observe for. Why was that...

Tactician. It granted me enhanced critical thinking, decision-making, and thinking ability in general, but only in battle or other such high-stress scenarios. Not only that, but it synergized with Observe and Gamer's Mind to passively grant me any information I could find useful in my current situation. That... was a very good skill, and I could tell why it needed to have INT so high. Armed with the knowledge that I didn't even need to bring up the skill box to know what my new skills did, I used Tactician on them. With Mantra, all I could tell was that it was useless in my current situation because it had the exact opposite activation requirements as Tactician, most likely because it was useless in my current situation because it had the exact opposite activation requirements as Tactician, but Duality... Duality was exactly what I was hoping for. In addition to giving me a slight boost to elemental magic, it, as the name suggested, allowed me to combine any two primary elements to create secondary elements.

"I have an idea," I said, then looked at my hand. I combined fire and wind, and small sparks arced across my fingers. "Tsu, I need you to get Mineta out of here. And Mineta, I need you to throw as many of your hairballs as you can at the villains after I use my Limit Break. If all goes well, you shouldn't even have to aim that much." I stepped onto the railing, preemptively buffing myself and and activating Lightning Aura. Tactician immediately told me that Lightning Aura boosted movement speed, attack, STR, and DEX, and obviously let me generate electricity.

"What are you even doing, Midoriya!?" Mineta screamed.

"LIMIT BREAK!" I shouted, drawing on One For All and my newly-made lightning affinity. As I jumped from the railing, sparks arced from my clenched fist. I made sure to have Blaise and Halitus help make sure none of the villains were too hurt by the voltage after confirming they could collaborate to control lightning, plus have Rayne chipping in by purifying parts of the water to make some insulation so the lightning wouldn't go out of control. "THUNDER HAMMER!" I punched the air, shooting a lightning bolt combined with a Detroit Smash at the water. Thankfully, I saw that none of the villains were too badly hurt from the resulting electrified whirlpool, just incapacitated from the balls Mineta threw. From that alone, I jumped up five levels to twenty-eight, and got a few other notifications. Tsu's long tongue wrapped around my waist, plucking me out of the air.

"You okay, Midoriya?" Tsu asked once we landed in the shallows. "You said that Limit Break gives you backlash, kero."

I nodded. "Yeah, it stung a little and I need to wait a bit so I can recover my HP, but there aren't any villains around so I should be good."

"What do we do now?" Mineta asked nervously.

"I'd say we should go to the entrance, where Thirteen is," Tsu said, looking at what I assumed was the chat log.

"Actually," I said, then created a few glowing green orbs from my mana, then manifested my elementals to give them to them. "I think we should check out Aizawa first. I recently got a new firing mode for my Regeneration spell that lets me store the effect in an orb and only release it when it's broken. Hopefully that'll tide Thirteen off for a while, but Aizawa-sensei's probably starting to get tired by now..."

"You want to go where even more villains are!?" Mineta asked.

"Between Tsu's long tongue and hopefully water magic, your sticky balls that we've already proved are very good at stopping villains, and my magic, we should probably be able to pick off a few villains for Aizawa without getting dangerously close," I suggested. "Now let's go before something bad happens."

"Something else, you mean," Tsu said. "Kero."

xoxoxo

Kaminari screamed as he ran away from a villain. "Damnit, Kaminari!" Jirou yelled. "Why didn't you ask for any support gear!?"

"I didn't think about it, okay!"

"At least tell me you figured out how to use magic to help your Quirk!"

He dodged another attack. "How?"

Jirou sighed and blasted a soundwave straight from her jack at an enemy. Figuring out that sound was an element was a godsend for her. Not only could she do quicker shots from her jacks, but the sound magic was boosted by louder sounds, making her boot speakers devastating. "See, lightning is even more what I'd think of as a magical element than sound, so why shouldn't you be able to use lightning magic?" She stared at him dodging a bit more. "For now, though..." Jirou kicked the blonde generator into a villain, causing Kaminari to instinctively activate his Quirk. When he was touching a villain.

"Heck yeah!" Kaminari shouted as the villain was launched back from both the current and his own spasming muscles, taking out another villain. "Did you see that?"

"Cool," Jirou said. "Do it some more."

"I wish I could use magic with my Quirk," Yaoyorozu said, then took out a villain with a net. "Unfortunately, I haven't figured out any way to do that."

Jirou shrugged, then blasted a group of villains over with her speakers. "You ever seen Full Metal Alchemist?"

"No, I don't believe I have," Yaoyorozu said. "Why do you ask?"

"Dude, you should totally watch it!" Kaminari butted in. "It's an oldie but a goodie! Plus you'd probably like all that stuff with chemistry and stuff!"

"Hey," a villain shouted. "Stop talking about anime in the middle of a fight!"

"What I meant," Jirou continued, "was that the way you said your Quirk worked reminded me of the alchemy in it. You said your Quirk breaks down the lipids in your body and then lets you turn it into other stuff, right?"

"Yes?"

"Yeah, well the alchemists in FMA do their stuff by understanding, breaking down, and remaking matter into whatever shape they want, following the law of conservation of matter. Sound familiar?"

Yaoyorozu nodded. "Thank you. I doubt I'll be able to do it in the middle of battle, but it's definitely something to think about."

"Though yeah, you probably should watch it if you're gonna try to be an alchemist," Jirou said.

"Dude, I've got the whole thing on Blu-ray!" Kaminari shouted over electrifying another villain. "Brotherhood and the movies too! Let's watch it some time!"

"Thank you both," Yaoyorozu said. "Now, it's ready!" She hunched over and a giant blanket-like object burst from her, and I'm not making this up folks, Yaoyoreotard. Yaoyoreotard...

"What good's a blanket gonna do you guys?" one of the villains taunted.

"It's not a blanket!" Yaororozu responded. "It's an insulator!" She covered herself and Jirou fully. "Go, Kaminari!"

"Alright! Indiscriminate Discharge!" He dumped as much electricity as his Quirk could handle into the air, shocking all of the villains.

"Dang, this is a pretty big-" Jirou started to say as she lifted the insulator, then looked at Yaororozu and blushed. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CLOTHES!?"

"Sorry," Yaoyorozu said. "I had to make it under my costume, which broke it a little..."

"Don't look, Kaminari!" Jirou shouted at Kaminari through the opening in the insulator, hypocritically still looking.

"Whee~" Kaminari said, completely oblivious to both of them on account of his Quirk frying his brain.

xoxoxo

"And we're gonna cheese it if anyone even looks at us the wrong way, right?" Mineta asked.

"Yeah, that's the plan," I said. I handed them Speed Up orbs. "Crush these and you'll go faster." We watched Aizawa-sensei beat up a few of the villains before setting his sights on the leader, Shigaraki. He charged Shigaraki, trying to elbow him in the gut. Shigaraki caught his hand, though, and Aizawa-sensei's hair dropped. I felt a sense of foreboding, then saw Aizawa's sleeve start to disintegrate where Shigaraki was touching it. He jumped back, though I saw that some of his skin had also been destroyed. He kept fighting, though, even with what must have been unbearable pain. I called Halitus back over to me, now incorporeal, and gave him a Regen orb. Unfortunately they didn't stack, but getting just one over to Aizawa-sensei would help him a lot. I had Halitus slowly levitate the ball above the villains with air pressure and over to Aizawa-sensei. But before Halitus could get it over to him, though, that... thing, the Nomu, slammed his head into the ground hard enough that blood splattered out. Even with Gamer's Mind, I was sickened with how the Nomu crushed first his injured arm, then his uninjured arm. His screams were bloodcurdling. Before Nomu could kill him, though, the warp mist guy, Watanabe, teleported in.

"Shigaraki Tomura," he said.

"What is it, Kurogiri!" Shigaraki shouted back. I figured it would be about how Iida got out, and that this would distract Shigaraki and maybe even get the villains retreat, so I made Halitus break the Regeneration on Aizawa and was about to enter an Illusion Barrier, but Tactician and Sense Danger told me that would be a bad idea. Aizawa could wait, but...

"Well then, let's at least get some of the hunt targets before we retreat," Shigaraki said before he ran with surprising speed to us. I tried to jump up to fight him, but the water hindered me a bit. Before I could get Rayne to help me, though, what I feared the most happened.

Shigaraki placed his hand on Tsu's face.

We all froze in terror, but nothing seemed to be happening. Shigaraki laughed and looked back to Aizawa, who was staring at him. "You've got a high CON stat, huh? Damn, you're amazing." Before he could say anything else, though, I activated OFA and swung at him with an eight percent punch with lightning added into it. However, Nomu just seemed to appear in front of my punch, tanking the hit. I noticed, though, that the lighting seemed to bother it. "Heh. For a kid, your level's pretty dang high," Shigaraki said.

"What?" I thought. "Can he see my level? His Quirk is Disintegration, otherwise Aizawa wouldn't have been able to stop him. Actually, he said CON and not VIT, so I guess he's just a gamer, not a Gamer."

"Meh," he said. "I've got these two. Kill the boy, Nomu." Nomu reached for my head, and Shigaraki reached for Tsu and Mineta. I doubted Aizawa would be able to use his Quirk again, so I told all of my elementals to get him away from my friends. However, I still couldn't leave my elementals behind when entering an Illusion Barrier, so I didn't see how I could...

One skill. Tactician gave me the one skill I could use to get myself away from Nomu without forsaking the others. One skill that I'd only just got and didn't even have the time to test out, yet it was perfect for my situation. As with Air Aura, I let air mana saturate my body...

A skill has been created through special action! The skill 'Elemental Embodiment' has been created through Elemental Aura reaching MAX level!

...but this time took it one step further. Before the giant fist of the Nomu could close down on my head, it dissolved, along with the rest of my body, into the air itself.

"What the actual crap!? Is this kid an Heir of Breath?" Shigaraki asked after getting blown back by a combined effort of Rayne and Halitus and then seeing me avoid Nomu by becoming air. Interestingly enough, I could hear him perfectly fine despite not having ears.

I canceled Air Embodiment because it was actually a little on the expensive side. That being said, though, it was definitely a welcome tradeoff for complete immunity to both physical damage and one element, plus the logical weaknesses and resistances of whatever element I became. "Shigaraki Tomura," Watanabe, or Kurogiri, as Shigaraki called him, said. "I believe that that is Midoriya Izuku, the discoverer of magic. If I had to guess, his Quirk facilitates the use or development of magic somehow, meaning he has the potential to become even more dangerous to our goal than All Might." I gulped. Being overestimated by a villain with control over a giant monster with a level that I couldn't even see wasn't fun.

"Higher-level threat than All Might, eh? Yeah, I don't want that. Nomu, kill the hacker." The giant monster appeared before me at a speed that made me almost completely sure that that thing had a speed-raising power. In that instant, I had an idea. Instead of trying to run or dodge, I let the punch hit. My body was splattered across the ground, which was exactly what I was planning on.

Instead of painting the floor of the USJ red with my blood, all Nomu's punch really accomplished was soaking the floor, with the exception of a perfect circle around Aizawa-sensei and the area by the water with Mineta and Tsu in it thanks to Rayne, in water that I'd made sure contained the impurities of normal water. I'd heard of inexperienced hydrogenesis Quirk users trying to use their water to conduct electricity and failing because of the way their Quirks worked making only pure water, an insulator, before and made sure that that didn't happen. "Dammit, this kid has water magic, too!?" Shigaraki yelled. "This is bullshit!" The BGM my Quirk supplied me switched to something that I felt was really fitting for the situation, so I switched it to public. "Shit, does anyone else hear anime protagonist music or is it just me?" he asked.

My hand shot out of the puddles, and I pulled myself up from the water. I didn't really have to, but with magic like mine, a little showmanship every once in a while was fun. Nomu charged at me, but I combined air and water mana to form ice magic. I was locked into using water magic when Water Embodiment was in effect, but it seemed I could partially get around that to combine it with another element if at least part of me was still flesh and blood. "Ice Beam!" I intoned as a beam of cold shot from my hand, covering Nomu in a layer of ice that I was sure it'd break out of quickly. "That thing, Nomu, it was made to kill All Might, right?"

Inside I was screaming, but on the outside I kept a mask of calm to try and intimidate them as I pulled myself fully out of the water. "I noticed when I punched it, even though I'd upped my strength a lot it wasn't hurt by the force, but at the same time it was bothered by the electricity I added in. And just now, it didn't have a counter to my ice." The Nomu broke free through sheer physical strength, tearing chunks of frozen flesh off. I noticed the wounds appeared to be healing at an increased rate. "Aside from pure muscle, of course." I froze Nomu again. "So my guess is it was tailored to fight All Might, a pure physical fighter. Shock absorption, strength on All Might's level, super healing for if All Might did manage to land a blow, that about right? But you didn't even bother to give it much special defense aside from the healing, did you?"

"Dammit dammit dammit!" Shigaraki shouted. "How the hell did a little brat manage to figure out my anti-All Might weapon like that!? Let's kill him!"

I grinned as the music reached a peak. For the second time that day, I shouted the magic words. "LIMIT BREAK!" Lightning mana surrounded my body.

"And he's got a limit break too!? Fucking hell, this kid is OP!"

"LIGHTNING BARRAGE!" I shouted, then dissolved into pure electricity and entered the water to rush the Nomu. Electricity doesn't travel anywhere near the speed of light, but it does travel a lot faster than sound in a good conductor, so at close distance I might as well have teleported. When I exited the water I traveled a lot slower, but still definitely faster than I would have normally. Despite the fact that I was energy enough to travel as a current, I was able to hit Nomu with a lightning-fast barrage of OFA-enhanced punches, Lightning Embodiment mitigating the physical damage even from my own attacks.

Even though Nomu literally couldn't touch me, I arced away when it tried to punch at me, though more to deliver some relatively light punches to Shigaraki and Kurogiri than to actually dodge the attack. I was absolutely sure to not let them touch me, on account of how they might have been able to hurt me, and went back to Nomu. I picked up where I left off with my wild charge, stopping every few milliseconds or so to take down a few more villains before returning to Nomu, until my MP reached a little under half, at which point I retreated back to Aizawa and deactivated Lightning Embodiment. Keeping my eyes on the villains, I knelt down nest to him and started using Limit Break: Healing Hands on him, focusing on his vitals and eyes.

"Damn... fucking... hackers..." Shigaraki whined. Nomu wasn't moving, the parts where I hit it were smoking. As I watched, it fell face-first.

"That kid just took out Nomu, holy crap!" one of the villains shouted.

"Fuck this shit, let's get outta here!" another villain contributed. Before they could, though, the doors slammed open.

"NEVER FEAR," a voice that I'd never been happier to hear (and that's saying something) shouted, "FOR I AM HERE!" All Might, who just then I saw for the first time in his muscle form wearing anything but his trademark smile on his face, dramatically and literally ripped off his tie, then disappeared in a blur of speed. He incapacitated several of the villains without even slowing down and stopped in front of me. "Are you okay, young Midoriya?" he asked me.

"Running a little low on MP, but I'm more worried about Aizawa-sensei," I said, now focused more on healing him because I doubted the villains would even do anything with All Might there and Nomu down. "By the way, that steaming pile of monster there was supposed to be able to kill you. While it might have been able to give you some trouble earlier, it wasn't nearly as effective against two new skills I just got."

He grinned. "Good job, young Midoriya!" Then he addressed the villains. "Now, how about you boys stand down and save us all some trouble?"

"Kurogiri, it's Game Over," Shigaraki growled. "I don't care about the minions, just use Teleport on me." Kurogiri's mist enveloped Shigaraki before even All Might could do anything, and the both of them escaped.

"That fucker left us!" a villain said. "Now how are we supposed to get out of here!?

"I'll give you two choices, in handcuffs or on a stretcher!" All Might said. "I suggest the handcuffs, there's less bruising!"

Within moments, all of the villains stood down. With that, our disaster of a field trip came to a close.

xoxoxo

A/N: Il Vento D'oro what's that never heard of it.

JO! JO! (Golden Wind!) JO! JO! (Golden Wind!)

So yeah, secondary elements. They're a combination of two primary elements. You can probably guess how tertiary elements are formed. Though I'm saying this right now, it's actually a lot easier to break down compound elements than it is to combine individual elements, with the ultimate combination, the true element of limitless bullshit, only attainable by already having affinity for it or by being granted its power by one who already has it. Izuku's just a special little snowflake who gets things backwards.

Wait now I have to do the sports festival.

#The Gamer Hero Deku #Gamer Hero Deku #GHD CH13 #fanfiction #bnha fanfiction #bnha

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gremlinsae · 5 years

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Here is my @yoihomezine piece! Thank you to everyone who helped us raised $1649 for UNHCR!

My submission was a Yuri Plisetsky introspection piece. I hope y'all like it even though it's a bit angsty. 😅

Enjoy~

◇

Agape was difficult.

As Yuri exited the sit spin, he could feel his lungs burn with strain. Memorizing the elements was easy, but executing it made him realize that his senior debut was going to be on a level he never skated before. He was frustrated and Victor’s attitude was really grating on his nerves.

(The sting of Victor’s forgetfulness over the promise he made and his obvious pining over the pig even more so.)

Victor’s annoying clap reverberated against the rafters of Ice Castle, signaling for Yuri to stop mid-routine again. Victor stood on the ice, his stupid fake smile plastered on his face as he lectured Yuri about his supposed lack of feeling in On Love: Agape. Yuri swore that if Victor spouted some more philosophical whimsy about going to a temple he was going to take off one of his skates and chuck it at him.

“What does Agape mean to you?"

He actually put serious thought into the question, despite his abrasive answer and turning the question back on Victor himself. When Victor prattled on about some bullshit of agape being hard to define as it is a feeling, something intangible much like the love of God or a parent, Yuri scoffed at the idea.

In his fifteen years of life, he had never felt unconditional love from either.

Living with mom - Moscow, Russia

He had never known his father. By the time he was five years old, he understood that his father was out of the picture and never would be in it. It was up to him, and sometimes grandpa, to hold his mother’s hair back as she puked up that foul liquid she had been drinking all day; to rub her back as she sobbed and whimpered out half-assed apologies, yet still grabbing for the poison the next day like it was her lifeblood.

He started school smaller than the other kids, which was difficult enough without the concerned glances from his teachers and the visits to the counselor’s office where they would ask about what life was like at home. He never answered much. The school never intervened as there was no actual proof of abuse or neglect (and Yuri would never have defined it as such anyway) so they continued to let him take the school bus home where he’d find his mother sitting at the dining table with another drink, heavy bags under her eyes, as she fretted over the newest bill to arrive in the mail.

At seven years old, he had learned enough math to know they weren’t doing well - despite how hard his mother tried to hide it. Before he was born, she was ballerina with a bright future...until she got pregnant at seventeen. The damage to her reputation was harsh, but she managed to find a job as an instructor. The pay was meager, barely enough to support herself let alone a child, so she would eat less, go without, make sacrifices - all to make sure he had enough...the alcohol she abused was the only exception.

He never blamed her. Stress was high and inebriation was her only escape. He always felt guilty asking for anything, so to help out he would take quick, cold showers as to not run up the gas and water bills higher than they already were, shivering yet soldiering on. There were times where the power would go out, leaving the food in the fridge to rot and his mother to fret and overwork herself to try and make ends meet. At the end of each day, when she drank herself to an unconscious heap, he’d help her move from the dining room to her bedroom.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

It was difficult, but overall it wasn’t so bad. The winters were harsh in Moscow without heating, but at least they had each other and grandpa. There wasn’t much in the way of celebrating birthdays or holidays and it reached the point where he no longer asked - but even so, grandpa always made sure he had a decent pair of ice skates to practice in once he fell in love with the sport. He got through school like any other kid, ate enough that he wasn’t starving, and he got to ice skate after school every day for free. He had no complaints.

The best moments were when his mom was sober. It was hard to find her not drinking, the most excessive spells being at the end of the month when stress was high, but there were times few and far between where she would smile and spend her free time with him instead of at the bar or the dance studio. They would dance together and laugh, and on special occasions they would go to the animal shelter and cuddle with all of the kitties and she would promise that one day, when everything got better, she would adopt one for him.

It was hard, but he was happy. They were happy.

Until one afternoon he came home to find his mother, drunk and crying, with an eviction notice in her hand.

Hasetsu On Ice - Hasetsu, Kyushu, Japan

Leaving Ice Castle before the pig even finished his routine left a heavy weight in his stomach. Yuuko tried to cushion the blow somewhat, but he knew from the look on Victor’s face and that disgusting whistle at the beginning of Katsudon’s routine that he was fighting a losing battle.

Victor wasn’t coming back to Russia, and “Yurio” didn’t belong here.

He ignored the way his eyes burned as he said his last do svidanya to Yuuko, who had treated him with nothing but the kind of care and attention he wished he had received from his mother during his competitions and ice shows.

What he didn’t expect, as he was waiting in the terminal for his flight back to St. Petersburg, was to see his mother standing off to the side, waiting for him to notice her presence.

To say he was shocked was an understatement.

The bags under her eyes were less prominent, but she did not age well despite being only in her thirties. There was a certain heaviness in her features, the product of a lifetime of stress and addiction. Her smile was soft, her eyes bright, as if for the first time she was truly seeing him without the fog of inebriation.

“Your skate was lovely, Yura,” she began, her voice strained as if holding back tears. If he wasn’t so shocked, he would have corrected her - she had lost the right to call him by his diminutive years ago when she abandoned him. He was still trying to grasp that she was here, in Japan, and had watched his first performance of Agape.

A little too late, if you ask him, but yet he still paused, his saliva thick and his throat just slightly constricted from the overwhelming emotions waging war inside of him.

He didn’t stop her from sitting next to him, but the silence was uncomfortable.

A part of him wanted to rage - to demand answers, but even he knew that the situation was delicate. He never blamed her for the hardships of his life, no, and he knew that’s where most of her guilt came from. But the one question he never received answers for, the one that still made it difficult to look her in the eye, was why did she leave?

Why did she try so hard and sacrifice so much in order to support him in his early years if she was only going to abandon him later?

Did he even matter to her?

She let out a sigh, realizing that he had no intention of speaking with her. “I know there’s a lot I need to make up for,” she began, hesitating slightly as she twisted a handkerchief in her hands, “and I understand if you never forgive me, but I would like a chance to at least be here for you now, to support you in your career like I should have.” Her eyes began to water so she quickly dabbed them with the distressed handkerchief. “I won’t ask for anything else.”

The remainder of the trip home was silent. Yuri didn’t know how he felt about it, but as long as his mother didn’t distract him he would let her do whatever she wants.

But deep down, beyond the pain and anger, he felt a slight pang of nostalgia.

He had missed his mom.

Living with Nikolai - Moscow, Russia

Living with his grandpa started out great. He and his grandpa had always been close and the homemade pirozhki was a huge bonus. Winters were still harsh and the house was falling apart since his grandpa wasn’t exactly well off either, having been one of the victims of losing his job at the fall of the union, but he had enough for them to get by at least.

The hard part wasn’t living with grandpa…the hard part was watching his mother slowly wither away; overhearing the arguments his mother would get in with grandpa over her drinking, the angry voices and the shattering of liquor bottles as grandpa tried to convince her to get help and quit.

He pretended every morning that he didn’t hear a thing, but he knew grandpa saw through his facade. Grandpa always tried to make it up to him by getting him out of the house, usually to spend extra time at the skating rink, just so he didn’t have to watch his mother drink herself stupid or deal with the silence of her absence when she disappeared to who-knows-where.

He pretended he didn’t care. So what if his mom never showed up to watch him skate, to see him be chosen to participate in skating competitions and shows because he was getting better and better? So what if the house was now full of arguments and emotional breakdowns every other night?

He didn’t care.

He didn’t.

He kept skating with a single-minded focus. He would hear on the radio of Victor Nikiforov quickly becoming Russia’s living legend and he could feel the burn of determination, the desire to be the best skater of them all. He was only ten years old and he was already able to do jumps that kids in juniors were still struggling with and his spins were the best in his entire age group.

He would prove that he was strong.

He would.

As long as grandpa was able to show up to his competitions, he didn’t care if his mother never supported him.

The day his life changed forever was the day he was in a local competition at a small rink in Moscow. He had to take the bus - his grandpa complaining of back pains and his mother was too inebriated to drive - but he made it just on time. He didn’t have a fancy costume and his skates were in need of repair, but none of the other kids could top his skill, his flexibility, his choreography. He worked until his feet were bruised and bleeding and it was all worth it to have that golden medal placed around his neck.

As he stepped off the ice, he frantically looked for grandpa. Despite his back trouble, he promised he’d be there.

But he wasn’t.

It felt like his entire chest had caved in, crushed by the absence of the man he wanted to make proud. The excitement over his win was gone in an instant. He fought back tears, still continuing to look around to see if maybe, just maybe, he had missed his grandpa sitting farther away or...something…

An elderly man began to approach him, and for a brief moment he allowed himself to hope, but the old man wasn’t grandpa. His skin was tanned and he had significantly less hair on the top of his head. He didn’t walk with a limp and the square of his jaw was harsher, his eyes calculating.

The man held out his right arm to shake his hand. “Congratulations on gold, Yuri Plisetsky. My name is Yakov Feltsman.”

Rostelecom Cup - Moscow, Russia

Yuri tried to get through Agape, but the absence of grandpa left a sour taste in his mouth. His vision blurred and all he could feel was simmering contempt, not the lightness of the all-encompassing love he was supposed to demonstrate in the short program.

Victor and Yuuri yelling their support from the sidelines only enraged him further. He didn’t need them. It’s not like they meant it anyway.

No one ever did.

Yakov and Lilia tried to keep him grounded, but his focus was lost. He got through the skate with little to no error, but he knew he would have to over-perform in his free if he wanted to win and rub his victory in JJ’s smug face.

And when Victor had to suddenly return to Japan, leaving Katsudon to compete by himself...he felt pity.

It was strange feeling empathy towards the pig, but he knew the feeling of abandonment and he knew it well. Even though Victor’s absence was temporary, having a loved one leave in the middle of something that’s important to you always left a gaping hole behind. During practice the morning before the free skate, Yuuri was flubbing his jumps more so than usual.

He pretended he didn’t care.

...but he did.

Later on, Grandpa made up his absence to him with an entire bag of pirozhki. Grandpa was his inspiration for his Agape for this reason because even though he had disappointed him just as much as his mother did, he at least tried. He didn’t make excuses, he didn’t give senseless apologies and self-depreciating anecdotes. He just showed up once his back healed with a pile of pirozhki or some words of encouragement. Grandpa never doubted him, never underestimated his strength. He had faith that Yuri could overcome any obstacle and it was a relieving to have someone who didn’t dance around his emotions like he was a child.

The gift also gave him an idea to help cheer Katsudon up...just this once.

The free skate was hell, his whole body burning with exhaustion. He felt a searing pain in his right thigh that had him worried of a pulled muscle and a twitch in his left hip that made his entire leg shake, but he pulled it off and managed to make it into first with only JJ and Katsudon left. He was proud, and the smile on his grandpa’s face made him even more excited, and for once he felt confident enough to cheer Katsudon on…

JJ’s comment made him pause. So what if he low-key considered Katsudon a friend? At least he wasn’t as bad as Victor. Katsudon’s skate was still beautiful, despite his inconsistencies with the quad flip. He would never admit it to anyone, but if the pig had anything it was his step sequences and overall emotion in his choreography.

He tried to ignore it, to save face in front of JJ, but it was difficult to tear his eyes away.

Huh…

Katsudon and Victor really do love each other.

Living alone - St. Petersburg, Russia

The government sponsorship was a dream come true. He had been scouted as a potential candidate for the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics to represent Russia, and with it all came his own apartment in St. Petersburg and a coaching contract with the Yakov Feltsman.

The only contingent was that he must win most of his competitions. Yuri was just fine with that.

The summer after his first gold medal was spent in Yakov’s junior training camp. He had never taken formal ballet lessons before and yet he was still one of the best in the class - whispers of him being the next Victor Nikiforov began circling due to his natural talent. He took the praise, but he never lost sight of what was important.

Grandpa was unable to move to St. Petersburg, his health as well as his livelihood in Moscow preventing him, but his mother tagged along and for the first time in years he felt excited. It would be just like old times with her - only this time they had enough and she wouldn’t have to drink away her sorrows. They could start living the good life if Yuri continued to skate well and he knew he would. He was dominating in beginner competitions and he would be able to skate at the junior level in two years, the Youth Olympics in four, and seniors in five. The private sponsorships would start rolling in and he’d be set.

His mom wouldn’t have to worry about anything from now on. She had exhausted herself to be there for him, now it was his turn to take care of her.

...or so he thought.

He almost couldn’t believe it, but his mother actually drank more. There was never a time that she wasn’t drinking, even when she was sick and hungover. Yuri would leave early in the morning and his mother would be on the balcony, a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of liquor in the other. He would come home for lunch most days just to try and spend some time with her, but she would be gone...no note, no explanation, and she wouldn’t return until late in the evening.

It wasn’t until he was a little older that he realized the reason she always wore long sleeves wasn’t because she was cold. She kept it well hidden and out of his apartment, but it soon became obvious that alcohol was no longer her only vice.

The parts that hurt the most were the few times he did manage to run into her. She would avoid eye contact, keep her answers short, and he could see the shame in her body language yet she did nothing about it. The dark circles under her eyes were a permanent fixture, she was too thin, and she was always scratching at the marks down her arms. They would fight, yell and scream at each other similar to the way she did with grandpa, but he wasn’t patient like grandpa was.

It was always “I don't need therapy, Yura” or “It's nothing Yura, don't worry about me” until his temper would hit a breaking point. She'd make excuses, disregard how much damage she was doing to her body, the damage she was doing to him every time she left. She would cry and moan of how she was a terrible mother as if to make him feel sorry for her, to make him pity and put up with her self destruction all so she didn't have to take responsibility for her own actions.

Things were finally improving for them, why couldn’t she just try? Why would she actively work toward destroying everything they worked for? He was willing to take care of her, to give her the time to recover until she could go back to teaching dance again. None of it made sense to him and it made him inexplicably angry.

Why couldn’t she at least be happy for him? He had accomplished so much in a short amount of time and not once did she ever say that she was proud of him. In fact, with his success, she only seemed to become more disappointed, more distant…

The image of his mother became tarnished and their relationship strained. The last thing he heard from her before she disappeared was a handwritten note left on his coffee table.

I’m sorry.

Grand Prix Final - Barcelona, Spain

Yuri Plisetsky had the unforgettable eyes of a soldier.

The words echoed back at him at he lay in his hotel bed. Meeting Otabek was an interesting experience, considering he never had a friend around his age. Growing up, he was mostly ignored as he had a “bad attitude” - and later, he focused more on skating rather than socializing. It felt nice to finally find someone who took him seriously and genuinely wanted to be his friend.

Yet he also felt hesitation. He never talked to Otabek before and yet Otabek was able to see the parts of him that he usually kept guarded.

The vulnerability was scary.

Was that what he had been missing? He had loved ones that he kept close, but he never allowed himself to be vulnerable with them. With his mom, he put on a brave face for her so that she wouldn’t stress out more. With grandpa, he hid his disappointment because he knew it wasn’t his grandpa’s fault that his health was declining. Even with Victor and Yuuri, who he was close to regardless of his annoyance with them, he refused to show them the parts of himself he’d rather keep hidden. Victor had a habit of making light of the situation by teasing him, which made him even more hesitant to share. Katsudon was a bit better, listening without making the situation awkward or giving him unnecessary advice and pity, but he still struggled separating Katsudon from Victor that getting close to him felt awkward.

The engagement announcement still made him sick. Who got engaged so early in a relationship?

Those two were too sentimental, too hopeful…

Too lonely.

That’s the thought he had as he found Victor staring out at the sea the next morning. The sight of Victor’s defeated expression caught him off guard. His first instinct was to wipe that pathetic look off of Victor’s face so he kicked him until it disappeared.

Yuri didn’t pretend that he didn’t understand. Victor had been the top skater for Russia for longer than most people were in the sport. Dedicating your life to your craft always made it hard to make friends, spend time with family, process trauma...he turned and walked away quickly so Victor couldn’t see his momentary flash of empathy. He might understand, but it's no excuse to just give it up - to throw it all away.

Maybe what they all needed was balance.

“The ocean here reminds me of Hasetsu,” he commented dryly, giving voice to at least some of his thoughts. Victor smiled in response and something clicked into place.

Russia was no longer home for Victor. Victor found something in Hasetsu, in Yuuri, that gave him a sense of peace that skating never could.

Yuri walked away feeling more at war with himself. The last twenty-four hours gave him too much to process.

Living with mom was full of love, but there were too many empty promises and stress was always high. Living with grandpa was full of pirozhki and quality time with his family, but also full of anger and disappointment. Living on his own wasn’t what he had hoped, full of resentment and loneliness from his mother’s abandonment. Living with Yakov and Lilia was an experience, but it was purely professional and reeked of a broken home with their strained relationship from the divorce. He briefly thought of Yutopia Katsuki and Ice Castle, and while he didn’t consider Hasetsu a home he did feel more at ease around Katsudon’s friends and family - but being forgotten by Victor and his loss against Katsudon made his visit bitter.

The more Yuri thought about it, the more he wondered…

Where did he belong?

He carried the question with him as he prepared for the short program. He felt calm as he thought about everything, ignoring the skaters before him. He knew his grandpa was watching the live stream, as well as his mother who was living with grandpa again, and the Katsuki’s were having a viewing party according to Yuuko’s texts. He had the support of so many people, even his own competitors, and he thought of them all as he finally stepped out onto the ice.

His mind was blank, nothing but his feelings - the good, the bad, the old, the new - for his loved ones.

For three and a half minutes, he finally felt like he was home.

#yuri on ice #yoi #yuri plisetsky #yoi home zine #okaeri zine

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dp-pastandpresent · 5 years

Text

Past and Present: Chapter 4

"Mom, seriously, I would rather do this myself!"

Sam was sitting on her mom's frilly pink bed, trying to be patient.

"Oh come on Sammykins, no boy would want to see you in a dress that makes it look like you're going to a funeral."

'Just because YOU'D rather see me in pink…'

Sam had walked home with a little more perk after Dash had asked her to the dance. She knew it was just Dash, and that there was probably a motive behind it, but that didn't matter.

Unfortunately for her, her mother had noticed the perk and forced Sam to come clean.

And after seeing the dress Sam had intended to wear—well, that just wasn't going to work.

"I think I found it! I've been saving this dress for exactly this occasion!" her mom cheered as she walked out of her walk-in closet holding the most frilly, lacey, flowery, PINK dress Sam had ever seen.

'Oh, god, what have I gotten myself into?'

"Mom, seriously, I think any boy would rather see me in… a 'funeral' dress… than THAT," Sam commented as she got up and began to walk out the door.

"Well, I am not having my daughter go to a school dance dressed like she's mourning the dead," Mrs. Manson protested.

'I may have a real reason to mourn the dead pretty soon…'

"Geeze, I can hear you two all the way downstairs!"

Both ladies turned to look as Sam's grandmother rolled herself and her wheelchair into the room.

"Now, Pamela, as my daughter-in-law, I must say that you are pushing that girl way too far. You wonder why she does the things she does? It's because of the way you treat her."

'Go Grandma!'

"So you want her to go to the dance looking all black and somber?" Pamela asked rather rudely.

"I'm not saying that, but I do want her to have fun," Grandma finished.

There was no argument left: Sam had won, thanks to her grandma.

"Thank you SO much Grandma! I look amazing!"

Sam was in her own bathroom now, spending an unusual amount of time in front of the mirror, something she usually didn't do.

She had finally gotten to change into HER dress, which was purple and black with fishnet sleeves, and yes, lace.

Along with that she had applied a little bit of purple eye shadow and lipstick. The whole outfit had become complete when she added her green and black heels and fingerless gloves.

"Honey, any boy who doesn't go for you tonight would be out of his mind!" her grandma told her with a smile.

"Well, I guess I better be going. I can't be late…" Sam said skeptically as she headed towards the stairs.

"Just remember to have fun!"

Sam was supposed to meet Dash at the restaurant,which had her a little nervous as to whether he'd actually be there waiting for her.

He was.

He himself was in a tux with, to Sam's horror, a pink underlay.

"Hey, Sam. Wow! You look amazing!"

His eyes got rather big as he examined her.

"And you look… amazing… too," she choked out.

Sensing her awkward gaze, he quickly added, "I'm sorry that I don't match. It's just that I originally was going with Paulina, and her dress is pink, so…"

'He sounds genuinely sorry. Something must be up. Dash is NEVER this nice!'

"It's okay, I understand!" She stopped him halfway through his monologue.

"Well to make it up to you, I did get this."

He held out his hand and in it was a corsage of purple and black flowers.

Sam's mouth dropped open, it was beautiful. She quickly held out her arm to let Dash fasten it on.

"Wow, Dash, what else can I say? Thank you!"

"Ahhh, it's nothing really. Say, how 'bout we go inside?"

Dash had picked "Cow-a-bunga" as the location for their fancy night out, and while Sam had been initially worried, research had shown that they served salads. Still, any place that called itself "Cow-a-bunga" couldn't be all that nice.

She found herself laughing as Dash opened the door for her, only to find out that her guess was right. While not "The Nasty Burger," it wasn't a five-star by any means. People were sitting on top of barrels at picnic-like tables, munching on peanuts as the shells fell to the ground. Surrounding the main dining room was a fence, behind which, to Sam's horror, were live cows.

'I swear if Dash's steak is that fresh, I'm walking out.'

"Well Howdy, Y'all!" the hostess greeted as she showed them to their table in the back. "You two must be headed towards the dance! We've got a special spot just for you!" She winked at Sam, as if she thought they'd want alone time.

Yes she was on a date, and was heading to a dance, but the thought of kissing Dash made her want to vomit a bit.

Sam sat down and began looking at the menu, trying to find her ideal salad. Dash grabbed the peanut bucket and began throwing nuts into his mouth, shell and all. The look of disdain on Sam's face quickly stopped him, however.

"I hold the record for most peanuts shelled in my mouth!" he said as bits of nut spewed everywhere, including Sam's dress.

'Good for you…'

Somehow, the idea of not getting a word in with Dash didn't actually displease her though; what would they even talk about?

"What can I get ya'll tonight?" the overly perky waitress said as she approached the table. Sam opened her mouth to order a garden salad but before she could even say the g-sound, Dash chimed in.

"Two steaks, extra rare! With extra fries!"

Sam's eyes grew huge in horror, thinking back to the time that she and Tucker had visited the buffet and Tucker had eaten five rare steaks in one sitting.

"Dash… I… I mean… I can't—" she started to choke out, but the server was already gone.

'Guess I'll starve through the dance…'

Phantom couldn't bring himself to patrol. Not since seeing her. So instead, he found himself again at the music store.

'I wonder what kind of music she likes,' he thought, probably more often than anyone should.

He just couldn't keep her out of his mind; there was something about that girl and those EYES that reminded him of his life—if only he could figure it out.

Maybe he was just living in the past, but a nagging feeling in him knew there was more to it than just that. Almost as if when he looked at her, he saw himself.

She looked so lonely and sad , the way he himself had been feeling.

But he was a ghost! He couldn't feel emotions for a human girl, could he?

This was stuff he had contemplated all day, until finally his head hurt and he knew he needed to go for a fly, even if just to get some air.

'What have I gotten myself into? This is such a disaster.'

It had been about a half hour since they had entered the dance. In that time, Sam had had about fifteen glasses of punch, trying to make herself full after refusing to eat her steak, but was only succeeding in multiple trips to the bathroom.

They had yet to actually dance.

And Dash was beginning to get very impatient with his date.

"Come on, Sam! Why can't we dance?"

"Because THAT—" she pointed to the dance floor where all the girls were leaning backwards against all their partners, "is not dancing. That is a bunch of girls acting like prostitutes and showing their conformity," she concluded.

Dash just stood there like the light in the attic had just burned out.

"Soooo, are we EVER going to dance?"

It was as if fate had answered his question. The rap music had suddenly changed to a slow song: something you couldn't grind to.

'Finally! Rap music is getting sooo old.'

"Yes, how about now?" Sam said, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the dance floor.

It was apparent as soon as they started dancing that Dash had never slow danced before. They clunked around the floor like gorillas, until Sam finally stopped him and decided to lead instead.

"Okay, Dash, follow MY lead now. Trust me, this can work."

And it did; they began to move much more smoothly and actually flow with the music.

Sam was so busy enjoying herself for once that she didn't even notice they were dancing right next to Paulina and her date.

But Dash did.

Suddenly their dancing got chunkier again as Dash became distracted with Paulina.

"So, Sam, I'm really enjoying my night! We may have to go out again sometime!" he said loudly and not really to her.

"Ummm, yeah, sure?" Sam replied as she tried to keep dancing. It was getting pretty difficult.

'What is up with him?'

She was lost in her thoughts when he did it. He leaned over rather awkwardly and grabbed her head, pushing it towards him. The next thing she knew, his lips were smashed into hers and he wasn't even looking into her eyes, he was looking to his right.

'Whoa, hold on… what is going on?'

Struggling to breathe, she turned and looked too. He was staring at Paulina, who had stopped dancing and was standing with her arms crossed, probably trying to figure out why Dash would even want to kiss Sam.

'Oh. My. Gosh.'

Sam pulled away so fast, Dash actually had to struggle to keep his balance.

"DASH BAXTER!" she said loud enough to cause the rest of the dancers who weren't watching to start.

Dash's eyes got wide as he tried to figure out what he had done, but he couldn't.

"What?" was all he could muster up.

"Oh, you know what!" And that's all she said as she turned around and ran off, tears already coming from her eyes.

'He used me! That's the only reason I'm even here tonight—so he could get HER back! He's such a pathetic, over-buffed, brainless JOCK!'

'And you knew it Manson. The second he asked you knew! And yet you let him play with your brain like maybe, just maybe, he could show a little decency for once.’

She was so busy crying that she didn't even know where she was headed. All she knew was that she had found a door and gone through it.

Now she found herself on the gym roof, having awkwardly run up the stairs behind the door without looking back.

'Okay, so how did I end up here of all places?'

She walked over to the edge and looked down. It was rather high. In fact, if one fell, they'd get pretty hurt….

'No, Sam, don't even think about jumping.'

'But he's pathetic. YOU'RE PATHETIC!'

Her mind was fighting a losing war, and she just wanted it to shut up.

Unfortunately, there was really only one clear solution to that problem. She found herself looking down again. The ground didn't seem that far now. In fact, she could just take a step and she'd probably be safe, right?

'Sam Manson, don't YOU DARE!'

'This was supposed to be a good night and instead it's the worst. I just need it to end…'

'But not this way, and not now. There are other options.'

'Like what? Turning around and going back there?! I don't think so!'

One foot off the ledge. Sam was feeling dizzy. Her heart was beating fast. She couldn't breathe.

"No turning back now."

She looked down. The ground was right there; she could just take that second step and keep on walking.

Closing her eyes, she began to count out loud.

"One…."

"Two…"

"Three…"

Her second foot left the platform.

The night air helped his head; thoughts of the Fentons and that girl slowly dissipated as he flew faster and faster through the clouds. Looking down on the town, he could see the twinkle of city lights as the world reflected back the stars from above.

'Flying will always be my favorite.'

It had been a long day though, and Phantom was getting ready to call it quits. Slowing down, he thought about where he'd want to spend his night- he had yet to settle on an actual "home." But to his surprise, his thoughts were interrupted by a faint voice coming from the nearby high school.

"No turning back now."

Naturally, he was intrigued. Who would be at the high school at this hour?

Because he was a ghost, and a very curious one at that, he had to see what was going on.

Flying closer, he gasped.

It was HER. The girl he had been daydreaming about all day. There she was, all dressed up, standing with one foot off the edge of the gym roof.

She looked pale, and suddenly Phantom knew what must have happened. That boy from earlier was nothing but a creep, and it made him sick. He wanted to find that kid and knock him out.

He stopped. What was he thinking? This girl was in trouble and all he could do was think about hurting the boy. Pathetic.

Phantom wasn't used to confronting humans; besides those stupid reporters, he had never really done so. But he knew what he wanted to do.

He flew in closer, having made his decision. He was going to hover, watch over her, and if she decided to do what he thought she had planned, he'd move in.

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

He saw her second foot leave the rooftop and that was his cue.

She didn't feel the ground. Was she still falling? The roof hadn't been that high.

She felt the wind, like maybe she was falling sideways. Or maybe someone was holding her? Was this what death felt like? Was she dead? She had to know.

Opening her eyes, she let out a squeak of both shock and relief.

Phantom.

The mysterious ghost from the TV was carrying her. Flying with her. Taking her away from the dark hell that was the school.

'Did I just do what I think I did?'

'Did he just save me from doing what I think I did?'

'Is this all really happening?'

Whoever this boy was, he suddenly looked down and smiled. He seemed happy to see her awake. Safe.

"You really scared me for a moment," he said as she blinked back at him, too afraid to speak.

He could tell she was in shock. After all, attempting something like that would leave anyone in such a state, let alone that plus being saved by a flying ghost.

They needed to find somewhere to stop, talk, and figure out a plan. Preferably somewhere on the ground in case she wanted to attempt anything again.

He looked around, scanning the area for a park bench or empty yard, or really anywhere safe, until he finally found an abandoned playground.

"You're probably in shock, so you don't have to speak. But I'm going to stop and put you down. We need to talk."

#danny phantom #danny phantom fanfiction #fanfiction #phanfiction #sam manson #danny phantom fanfic

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godknowsivefalleninlove · 6 years

Text

Keeping Alive, pt 2

Hey, thanks for all the love on part one! I hope y'all enjoy this series, it's a lot of fun to write. Read part one here.

Warnings: there's a full sex scene in here, kids.

"Where is he?"

You stormed into the makeup room, where Lucy Boynton and the head makeup girl, Sarah, both watched you come in, holding a shoe box.

"I swear to God, I am going to strangle him. These boots are nearly seventy dollars!"

Both Lucy and Sarah looked at each other, then at you with raised eyebrows. Sarah cleared her throat.

"So, you're angry because-

"-The boy that you like-"

"-Clearly likes you back-"

"-And bought you boots he knew you'd love as a surprise?"

You were slightly confused, yet equally impressed that they could speak in unison, but ignored it to make your next point.

"I don't like him, first of all, and even if I did, he doesn't need to buy me seventy dollar boots!"

Sarah smirked, which annoyed you more. Lucy roller her eyes at her before turning back to you.

"Sure you don't. But what's wrong with getting something from someone who likes you?"

You sighed, sitting down next to them and placing your head in your hands.

"It's favoritism. If someone complains, we could get in trouble, or fired. And it's much less expensive to replace a PA than it is to replace a main actor."

Sarah winced.

"Right, forgot about that. But at least we only have about a month left of shooting, and then you're free to persue him, right?"

You sighed, giving up all petense of not having romantic feelings for him.

"That's what I'm scared of. What if he's only interested in me for now, but gets bored of me later?"

Lucy burst out laughing, and you glared fiercely at her.

"Okay, I'm sorry for laughing. But what guy buys seventy dollar boots for a girl he just wants to sleep with?"

I shrugged, secretly glad she'd understood what I meant so I wouldn't have to actually say it.

"I've never had a guy who can even afford seventy dollar boots interested in me. I don't know, maybe they all do."

Lucy laughed again.

"Trust me darling, as someone who can afford seventy dollar boots, they don't. Now, he's in his dressing room, so go thank him for the nice boots."

With that, she pulled you out of the chair, handed you the shoebox, led you to the door and practically shoved you out, Sarah waving behind her. You sighed and made your way to Ben's trailer, knocking in the special way he'd showed. The door swung open, and you were yanked inside.

"Oh, hello beautiful."

Ben grinned down at you before kissing you happily. You grinned and let him kiss you for a few minutes before stepping back and showing him the shoebox.

"Really? Isn't this a little much? , These are like seventy dollars, baby."

He laughed and lightly pecked you on the lips.

"Happy one month, love."

You laughed and tossed the shoebox on the table before kissing him again. He kissed you deeply, caressing your face before letting it wandered down to your neck, then your back, then down to your waist. He slapped your ass, and you pulled back from the kiss to laugh. He growled and picked you up, practically throwing you on his couch and climbing on top of you. He attacked your neck, biting and sucking his way down. His left hand traveled down to your pants, slipping it into your panties and lightly rubbing at your clit. His right hand started to unbutton your shirt before getting inpatient halfway through and ripping it off.

"You're so lucky I have extra clothes here." You moaned out.

He leaned up to whisper in your ear.

"You wanna know something? Those boots were only fourty dollars "

As he said that, he slipped a finger into your hole and started to pump it in and out. You moaned.

"I love... When you talk dirty... to me."

He chuckled darkly and removed his hand from your vagina. You started to protest, but he bit your left breast as he started to unbutton your pants. They were thrown on the ground, followed by your panties. His finger was back inside you with full force, quickly adding a second and then a third. He leaned up to whisper in your ear.

"Mmm, you're so wet for me, aren't you baby?"

You nodded, eyes closed in pleasure.

He started to kiss down your chest, your stomach, both hips, both thighs, before finally lowering himself to lick at your entrance lightly. You moved your hips, trying to get him to go deeper, but he grabbed your hips to keep you still. He slowly started to push his tounge in, and you groaned in impatience. He was going so slowly, and it was driving you mad.

"I swear to God, you have exactly five seconds to stop teasing me and to start eating me out before I possibly break your teeth."

Ben actually had the nerve to pull back to laugh.

"Alright, princess. No need to be pushy."

You rolled your eyes and pushed his head back towards your crotch.

"Just fucking eat me out, please and thank you."

He nodded, all business, and went to town. You threw your head back as he started to suck on your clit, almost hard enough for it to hurt. He licked all around before pushing his tounge into your hole and starting to tounge fuck you.

"Oh, fuck yes Ben. Right fucking there."

You cried out, holding on to his head as he continued to lick and suck and put his tounge to good use. He went back to sucking on your clit as he fingered you, clearly enjoying the noises you were making.

"Love, you sound absolutely beautiful morning my name like that. Do you feel good, baby?"

You nodded, clutching his hair.

"Fuck, Ben. Yes. And you're wearing entirely too much clothes."

You reached up to pull his shirt off, and he laughed as he stood up and got to work on his pants.

"I do believe you're right, love."

He turned towards you as soon as his pants were off, and you grabbed him and pulled him towards you by the waist. In a few seconds his underwear was on the floor, and you were licking his cock from base to tip. You sucked on the tip for a few seconds before slowly taking his cock in your mouth.

"Fuck, [Y/N]. That's a good girl."

You couldn't help but moan. Fuck him for using your praise kink against you. Meanwhile, he was leading your head to bob up and down.

"You're such a good girl, swallowing my cock like that."

You nodded. He moved away and offered you a hand.

"Come here, I want you to ride me."

You nodded, and the two of you switched places.

"You remember where the condoms and lube are, right.? Go get them, yeah? That's a good girl."

You nodded and hurried to the desk tucked in the corner, opened the second drawer on the left, and grabbed them before walking back over and kneeling in front of Ben. You opened the condom and rolled it onto his cock before opening the lube bottle and putting a generous amount on your hands and spreading it onto the condom. You'd teased him for having this stuff in his trailer the first time you guys had sex, calling him rather eager, but you'd be lying if you said it hadn't come in handy the few times you guys did have sex on set. You weren't a huge fan of it, but sometimes the two of you didn't feel like having to wait until you got back to a hotel room.

"Alright princess, I think you can-"

He grunted.

"-Climb on now."

You stood up and swung a leg over Ben before lowering yourself onto his cock. You hissed a little as it made it all the way in.

"You're so tight, baby."

You nodded, starting to rock your hips back and forth.

"Yeah, vaginas shrink back to normal size after sex."

He grinned at you.

"I guess you learn something- Ah- new every day."

You started to move faster, loving the sounds the two of you made together.

"You're such a good girl, riding me like that. You love riding me, don't you princess?"

"Fuck, yeah. I love it so much."

He grabbed your hair and pulled it before pounding into you.

"Fuck, Ben! Right fucking there oh my fucking god."

You moaned out. He suddenly picked you up and pressed you against the wall, you bouncing on his cock.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing, bouncing on my cock, calling out my name?"

You indeed were, digging your nails into his back.

"You're gonna look so beautiful with my cum splattered on your pretty little face. What a good, pretty girl."

"Fuck Ben, I'm gonna fucking cum soon."

He nodded and pushed you farther against the wall, allowing you to brace yourself before pounding into you hard and fast. You met his thrusts with your own, barely being able to think about anything but the orgasm pushing through as came, crying out and body shaking. Ben thrusted a few more times before pulling you off and setting you on your knees on the ground. He pulled the condom off and tossed it before giving his cock a few strokes before painting your face with his cum. You laughed a little, breathless, and he kissed you on the lips lightly.

"Do you want to shower now?"

You nodded, and he lightly slapped your ass.

"Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute."

You nodded again, and tried to get up but fell over, legs still slightly shaky. Ben chuckled and little.

"Need some help?"

You cleared your throat in and attempt to make words come out of your mouth.

"Yeah, please."

Without another thought, he swept you up bridal style and carried you to the bathroom, he sat you on the edge of the tub and started the water.

"Get up when you're ready, I'll be back in a sec."

He grabbed his bathrobe before closing the door behind him. After a few seconds, your legs had stopped shaking, and you were about to stand when you heard someone knock on his trailer door. You froze, wishing desperately you could turn the shower off to hear what was being said without looking suspicious. From the voice you could tell it was one of Ben's costars, Joe Mazello, but you couldn't at all tell what was being said. They talked for a few minutes before the door shut, and you quickly hopped in the shower before the bathroom door opened. Ben sighed before opening the curtain and stepping in behind you. He kissed you on the cheek.

"Want me to wash your back?"

You nodded and handed him the body wash. You heard him squirt some in his hands and rub it in before starting to massage it into your back. You sighed happily, relaxing under his hands as he worked his way down before wrapping his arms around your waist.

"Mmm, you look beautiful."

You turned around to look at him, and he kissed you. You pushed him off after a few seconds, laughing.

"Okay, let me do yours now."

He nodded and turned around, handing you the body wash.

"Anything you want, [Y/N]."

--------

After a shower, you got to work on some job searching until you were called to set to help pack up and move to the next one. You'd heard Brian and Roger were on set today, but they were nowhere to be found which disappointed you. Still, you worked hard and were happy to be dismissed, seeing as you were completely exhausted. You headed back to Ben's trailer to pick up your things. The two of you hadn't made any plans to do anything tonight, so you planned to go back to your hotel room, order some room service, and have a movie night. You reached his trailer just as he did, and he opened the door for you.

"Hey, I was just looking for you! What are you up to tonight?"

You smiled tiredly at him.

"Movie night in my hotel room."

He gave you that adorable smile.

"Room for one more?"

You nodded, and he grabbed your hand.

"There's one thing we need to do, and then we can leave."

You shrugged.

"Is it gonna take long? I'm kind of tired."

He shook his head, smile growing wider.

"It'll only take as long as you want it to. Though I think you'll want to stay a little longer than you think."

He laughed a little bit, and after you grabbed your bag he locked the door behind you and took your hand and the two of you headed towards where are large group of people were. One of them was Lucy, just the gal you wanted to see, under Rami's arms. Breaking off from Ben, you started to pull Lucy away.

"Need to borrow her for a quick sec, sorry Rami!"

The two of you ran off, giggling. Once you reached a quiet spot a little ways away, Lucy raised an eyebrow at you.

"So, a little birdie told me you took my advice to heart!"

"Oh, really?"

You asked, tilting your head to the right a bit.

She nodded as she struggled to not laugh.

"Poor Joe had a noise complaint!"

"Oh, god."

You covered your face, finally understanding why he'd come around earlier.

"So, what was it? A quick shag?"

She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Or are you a thing now?"

You sighed, finally facing that you'd actually have to start telling people the truth.

"Uh, actually we've been a thing for about a month now."

Lucy's mouth dropped into a perfect 'o'. And then she smacked you on the shoulder.

"You sly dog! Who else knows?"

You shook your head.

"Well, I don't know if Ben's told Joe, but you're the only person I've told. I think Rami might know?"

Lucy frowned.

"He's never mentioned a word of it to me."

You shrugged, not really bothered.

"Like I said, he might. Something about his eyes always makes me feel like he knows all of my secrets."

Lucy nodded in understanding. The two of you linked arms and headed back to the group, but was stopped halfway by Gwilym.

"Hey, Luce. I need to talk to [Y/N], do you mind going ahead of us?"

She nodded, raising an eyebrow, but continuing on anyway.

"Hey Gwil, what's up?"

He smiled.

"I was actually going to ask you the same thing. What are you up to tonight?"

"I'm doing a night in, actually. Ordering room service and having a movie night."

His eyes lit up.

"Hey, could I come?"

You grinned.

"Sure! The more the merrier! In fact, I should invite Joe, Lucy and Rami too, it'll be fun!"

His smile fell a bit.

"Oh, I actually meant just the two of us. You know, like a date."

The grin on your face froze. Oh god, why was this happening to you?

"Actually, about that-"

"Oh, there you are [Y/N]. You found Gwil too, wonderful."

Ben threw an arm over both your shoulders and led you back to the crowd, where two new people had joined-

Holy shit.

It was Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Ben handed you a bottle of water. You weren't sure where he got it from but he appreciated that he knew you needed it. You opened it and took a big sip as you moved closer to two of the men who had litterally been apart of your life since you were in the womb.

"Hey guys, this is the girl I've been talking about. Brian, Roger, this is [Y/N], my girlfriend."

That was the wrong time to have another sip of your water.

As you struggled to clear your lungs of water, several thoughts went through your mind.

'Please god, don't let me die in front of Brian and Roger.'

'Actually if I die here I won't have to deal with the aftermath of Ben telling people that without asking me first so please let me die.'

'Actually I don't want Ben feeling responsible for my death so please don't let me die.'

A rather strong slap on the back finally made you able to expel the water from your lungs, and you nearly collapsed in relief. Ben caught you and pulled you up, looking concerned, but you manage to look at Brian and Roger without making a further fool of yourself.

"Hi, I'm [Y/N]. I'm a huge fan."

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagine #bohemian rhapsody imagines #my fic

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artificialqueens · 6 years

Text

Hidden Secrets (Trixya) Chapter One - bigandbilky

Greeting earthlings my name is Serena and i suffer from Writer’s Block. BUT!! I wrote a lil sumting for y'all. It’s gonna be multiple chapters but idk how many lol. Anyway this is Trixya inspired by Marvel TV Series: Daredevil. (You don’t have to watch it, i’m not putting in major spoilers!) You can also read this at my AO3! Enjoy x Word count: 3010

Summary: Katya is a criminal and Trixie falls in love with her and gets tangled into Katya’s life.

Trixie propped her head on her hand as she stared out of the window of the tailor shop. Kim had set her up for an extra shift because the store was so busy. Clearly that was not the case. Over the whole day she had literally four costumers and they only came to pick up their custom garments. Trixie picked her pink polished nails out of boredom. Amy was in the back sorting out their new fabrics and Trixie was left in the front, watching people pass the shop without even looking up. You could easily spot the tourists, as they looked so lost in a big city like New York. People from New York knew where they were going, without looking up from their phones or other things they were occupied with.

A door behind Trixie opened and closed, a soft breeze of air flew across Trixie’s skin, leaving goosebumps on her arms. Trixie turned her head and focused on the person behind her. Kim stood behind her, hands in her pockets.

“How’s it going?” She asked, leaning against the counter. Trixie rolled her eyes.

“Oh yeah, so busy. People are coming in every second.” Trixie’s voice was dripping with sarcasm and Kim laughed. “Listen, I don’t know why you let me come in today. Cleary there isn’t much I can do, and I feel really useless.” Trixie sighed, and Kim shrugged.

“Don’t worry, we’re closing soon. It’s almost six.” Kim said and softly brushed over Trixie’s shoulder. “You want to grab dinner later? Maybe Amy can tag along.” Kim said, and Trixie nodded.

“That’d be great. I’m not in the mood to make my own diner.” Kim nodded.

“I’ll ask Amy.” Kim said and disappeared through the door again. Trixie turned her head back towards the windows and noticed someone was staring inside. Trixie smiled but raised an eyebrow. It was a woman with blonde hair, dark grey pant suit with a purple blouse, tucked underneath in her pants. Two men stood next to her, both looking the other way, almost as if they were bodyguards. Trixie sworn she’d seen that woman before, but she can’t recall from where. The woman turned around and walked away. Trixie glanced at the clock, signaling it was six and she stood up. She walked towards the door and turned around the sign to closed. The stuck the key in the key-hole and twisted it so the door was locked. Trixie did her usual routine, counted the register and stuffed it safely in the safe that stood in the back office. She grabbed her purse, coat and waited for Kim and Amy to show from the other side.

“Amy is already out. Turkey is sick, so she had to go home.” Kim said, Trixie immediately making a mental note she had to ask about Turkey, Amy’s cat, the next day. She nodded and they both left the store. Locking the back door behind them.

“What do you want to eat?” Kim asked, and Trixie shrugged. “Pizza?” Trixie smiled, and they started walking to their favorite little Italian restaurant. They reached the restaurant about ten minutes later. As they walked in, the owner greeted them and led them to their usual table, tucked away far in the back. Trixie order a plain cheese pizza and Kim got one with seafood. They were silently eating their pizza, when the door opened and closed right away. Trixie glanced up and saw the same blonde woman that stood in front of their shop earlier. Trixie shifted her gaze back to her pizza. The woman sat two tables away from the two and Trixie couldn’t help but listen to their conversation.

“I don’t care what you have to do. Just take care of the problem.” The woman spoke, voice thick with a foreign accent. Maybe European? Trixie looked back at Kim and opened her mouth to say something, but Kim’s phone ringing interrupted her. Kim stared at the caller ID. Trixie’s eyes followed Kim’s, landing on the lit-up phone. Naomi.

“You’re not going to pick up, are you?” Trixie said, slightly annoyed. Kim and Naomi had broken up two months ago, but Naomi still called her on a daily basis, probably begging Kim to take her back. Kim shrugged.

“It’s probably nothing.” Kim said and locked her phone. Not even two seconds later, Naomi called back. Trixie’s hand reached for the phone, but Kim smacked her hand away.

“I don’t need you to handle this for me. I’m a big girl.” Trixie knew that was a lie. She had known Kim for over ten years, and she knew goddamn well Kim can’t handle this on her own. But for now, she chose just to ignore this. The blonde woman stood up, and swiftly walked by, leaving the restaurant. The woman left behind a trail of expensive smelling perfume. Kim was telling things to Naomi, but Trixie chose to ignore them. The blonde woman kept creeping around in her head, the smell of her perfume lingering in her nostrils.

Trixie arrived back at her apartment about an hour later. She took most of her pizza home and Kim left to see how Amy and her cat were doing. Trixie took a brief shower and sat on the couch, feet tucked neatly beneath her. She flipped through the channels, landing on Catfish. Trixie had already seen every episode and every season of it, but she never stopped enjoying watching it. She was always fascinated by what people would do to get relationships, but also how to deal with personal issues or other things. Those episodes where everything went perfectly, and the people actually met them, made her heart melt. Trixie always wished something like that would happen to her. Not the catfish part of course, but finding someone and immediately falling for the person, know it was simply meant to be.

Trixie kept watching Catfish until some stupid other show came on, and she turned off the TV. She padded her way to her bedroom, switching off every light that was still on. She crawled under the covers and fell into a peaceful dream, focusing on the cars speeding by.

Trixie’s alarm was way too early. Yet another day at work, waiting for literally no one to show up. Trixie placed her blonde hair in a bun on her head and applied a small amount of make up to her face. She picked out some dark blue denim jeans with a pink t-shirt. The put on her black velvet Dr. Martens and walked to the kitchen. The brewed herself some coffee and quickly ate an apple. She poured the coffee into a travel mug and placed it on the counter. She got her coat from the hanger and place a thick scarf around her neck.

Trixie walked towards the shop, multiple people bumping into her, but she barely cared anymore. She had lived in New York for about four years and was honestly really used to people being in her way all the time. Trixie stared down at her watch as she was stopped by a red traffic light. She only had five minutes left or she was going to be late. She mentally cursed at the traffic light for being red so long. After what felt like an eternity, the light turned green and Trixie stormed over to the other side of the road. She practically ran the last few blocks to work and managed to be right on time.

She slid the key into the door and opened it. She noticed the lights weren’t on yet and the alarm started beeping. She typed in the alarm code and went to the office of the store. She carefully opened the safe and took out the register drawer. She heard the door open behind her, revealing Kim. She muttered a good morning and strutted off towards the little kitchen to make coffee for herself.

“Have you heard from Amy?” Trixie asked, as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Kim looked up and shook her head.

“Not yet but she would text me if she wasn’t able to come. Haven’t heard anything so I assume she’s coming in.” Kim said and as soon as she finished her sentence, the door opened and closed again. “Speak of the devil.” Kim joked as Amy walked towards them.

“Good morning. How’s Turkey?” Trixie asked, stepping aside so Amy could pass.

“He’s better now. At least keeping his food in his stomach. The vet said I had nothing to worry about.” Amy answered and gladly took the steaming mug of coffee Kim held out for her.

“That’s good,” Trixie said, and Amy smiled, sipping from her coffee. “Well I’ll open the store. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.” Trixie said and walked towards the front of the store. The placed the drawer in the register and walked towards the door to open it. She turned the sign to open and walked back towards the countertop. She rearranged some fabric patches they had in the showcase. Trixie looked up when she heard the doorbell jingle and saw someone stepping in.

“Welcome to Honeycomb Tailor shop. How can I help you?” Trixie said, probably in a way too friendly voice. Trixie let her eyes wonder through the shop, since the costumer didn’t reply to her friendly voice. She noticed there were two people waiting outside. Her gaze shifted back to the person standing in front of her. It took her only two seconds to realize it was the same mysterious woman that stood in front of the window a day earlier and the same person she had seen in her favorite Italian restaurant. Trixie swallowed hard.

“You do custom suits, yes?” The woman’s voice again thick with an accent. Trixie nodded slowly.

“Yes, we do. I’ll ask someone in here to help you.” Trixie said and smiled politely. The woman stared in her eyes.

“No no, you can do it.” The woman said, the accent seemed to have disappeared from her voice. Trixie stared at the woman, slightly raising her eyebrows. She never did a custom suit before, normally that’s something Kim would do.

“But, eh, I never did a custom suit before. My colleague specializes in it.” Trixie stammered, the woman seemed unbothered by her words.

“I’ll teach you. It’s not that hard.” A voice from behind said and Trixie spun around, Kim standing there with a smug look on her face. “Follow me this way.” Kim directed her voice to the woman. She walked out to the far-right corner of the shop, where a little platform was located. Kim mentioned for the blonde to step on it and gave Trixie her a measuring tape.

“First you measure the total height and write it down.” Kim instructed, and Trixie suddenly got nervous. Her hands trembled around the tape as the held it at the feet of the woman, slowly going upwards to the top of her head. Trixie was sure the blonde could feel her shaky breath on her neck.

“Five feet nine inches.” Trixie mumbled under her breath and Kim wrote it down.

“Now the shoulders.” Kim said, and Trixie carefully placed the tape around the blonde’s shoulders. Trixie was about to say the width of her shoulder, when she was interrupted.

“I haven’t fully introduced myself, have I?” The blonde said, perfectly white teeth showing in a big smile. “Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova. Katya for short.” Trixie tried to wrap her head around that name, but it was impossible for her to pronounce.

“Beatrice Mattel. Trixie for short.” She felt vulnerable for telling this strange woman her full name, but a tiny part of her also felt comfortable telling it.

“Trixie,” Katya softly mumbled under her breath. “How wide are my shoulders, doll?” Trixie shifted her gaze to Kim and swallowed down hard.

“Sixteen and a half inches.” Trixie said, and Kim scribbled it down, completely ignoring what just happened.

“Now the waist.” Trixie nodded and wrapped her arms around Katya’s waist. She held her breath while doing so and it was almost as if Katya did the same. Trixie could see Katya was tapping her foot lightly, obviously annoyed by how long it took for Trixie to measure her.

“Twenty-eight.” Trixie said.

“Legs.” Was all Kim said and continued to stare at Trixie. She carefully squatted down and placed the measuring tape at the sole of her heels. She let her fingers travel up towards her hip, the tape following along.

“Thirty-two inches,” Trixie said and stood back up. “Anything else?” Kim looked at her and wanted to say something.

“Yes, my breasts,” Katya said, staring at Trixie. “But I can just tell you that information. Thirty-four.” Kim scribbled it down and walked towards the fabric wall.

“Now all we have to do is pick a fabric and a blouse and we’re ready to make it for you.” Kim said, and Katya nodded. She stepped off the platform and walked towards the fabric wall. She carefully walked by, touching almost every fabric.

“This one.” Katya pointed at a dark grey fabric with a black and red plaid sewn into the grey. “For blouse, I’ll take this red satin. Now just send the bill to this address. I’ll pick everything up in two days.” Katya added and shoved a business card in to her hands. Kim nodded awkwardly and before she knew, Katya was gone, leaving the door bell jingle.

"Two days?” Kim nearly shouted, and Trixie flinched. “I can never make a full custom suit in two freaking days.” Kim sighed hard and left to the back, taking the fabrics with her.

“Let me know how much you need so I can make the bill!” Trixie yelled at her, but a door was slammed. Trixie walked back towards the counter and went back to staring out of the window. The scent of Katya’s perfume haunted her again.

The rest of the day slowly passed, and Kim allowed Trixie to go home earlier, because she wasn’t really needed. Amy could look after the front, while Kim made the suit. Trixie walked home, not in the mood to call an Uber and wait for it. On her way home, she stopped at the grocery store and picked out something she was going to make for dinner. When Trixie stood at the register to pay, a news flash came on the tiny TV hanging on the wall in the corner. Trixie didn’t mean to pay attention to it but in the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar blonde face on TV. Katya was surrounded by press and cameras. The man and woman that followed her around, stood next to her, arms crossed and faces on pokerface. None of the words that left Katya’s mouth went into Trixie’s head. But clearly, Katya was known in New York, or so she saw at the crowds that stood yards behind the press. People looked either supporting or not supporting.

“All I want is for New Yorkers to feel safe,” Katya said, pausing a second to look directly at the camera. “And I will do everything in my power to do so.”

So, Katya was someone political, maybe a congress woman. Trixie was confused but she kept staring at the TV. Trixie felt oddly attracted to the woman at this point. The look on her face was harsh, almost mean. Or rather angry. It was serious, and Trixie wasn’t used to it. As you know this woman, a voice in her head told her. But it did feel like that. When Katya walked into the store today, she looked harsh and serious. Something was bothering her. But her face softened when her eyes laid on her. Or maybe that was just Trixie’s imagination. Trixie was snapped out of her thoughts by the store clerk trying to get her attention for probably the past few minutes. Trixie blushed hard and handed him the money.

“Keep the change.” Trixie mumbled and walked out of the store. She continued her road back home, walking fast and maneuvering through the thick crowd of people. Trixie fumbled with her keys, her neighbor passing and staring at her weirdly. She mumbled a hi under her breath and stepped into her apartment. It was cold and dark. She flipped on some lights and walked towards the thermostat to turn on the heating a little bit. Trixie started preparing her food, her mind blank and not really thinking of anything.

Trixie sat at her small diner table, near the large window that was set in the middle of her living room. It wasn’t the best view, she must admit. But it was better than surrounding fields of corn, large trees and what not back in Wisconsin. Her mind wandered back in time, to the times she was a little girl. Playing outside with her dolls, not worrying about anything. She didn’t think of that very long, after it started reminding her of why she left in the first place. Her mind wandered back to the blonde and she was starting to get a little excited for when Katya would return to the store in two days.

Trixie remembered every tiny detail of Katya’s body. Slender legs tucked away under the soft grey of the pants that belonged to the pant suit she was wearing. Strong muscles, probably tan too, due to the tan she saw in her neck. Trixie was nervous around her, her breath hitched in her throat when she moved closer. She was almost scared that the actually had to measure her breasts. It was a relief she didn’t need to do that, but it also saddened her. She wanted to wrap her arms around the tiny waist the woman had, being able to find out what the width of her chest was. But she found anyway, without having to do it herself. Trixie’s stomach turned into a tight knot and she focused herself on something else, praying those two days went by fast.

#trixya #trixie mattel #katya zamolodchikova #kim chi #naomi smalls #shrinkle #bigandbilky #rpdr fanfiction #daredevil au #lesbian au #hidden secrets

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