#during the main game things were chill but once everything settled down?

[fangaminghell]

What do Charlotte and Laura think of Suraya? OwO

Do they act as wingmen for her and Saphira?

YES DEFINITELY!!!

Essentially, they both think Suraya is great and are beyond happy that Saphira is letting someone in, let alone actually starting a relationship with them. However, they both give Suraya the " if you hurt our sister, we will destroy your" talk ( Laura is much more polite about it. Charlotte is not). But outside of that they wholeheartedly approve of Suraya! It helps that she's Leo sister lol.

They are definitely wingmen for the two. Charlotte is the more chaotic of the two, totally being obvious in trying to get the two alone together and just getting Saphira so red hgvgvnngjnjdddx.( Charlotte: Welp I gotta go....do something. You to have fun~....but not too much fun. Saphira: Charlotte.) Laura is much more subtle, but still pretty obvious. She likes asking the two to meet up for tea and conveniently having something else to do rendering them alone.

With Saphira specifically, the sisters are pretty much constantly hyping Saphira up to make a move, cause let's be honest, she has no idea what she's doing. Romance hasn't been something on her mind until Suraya came into her life, and she's absolutely stumbling her way through it. I think she underestimates how down bad she is lmao. Laura loved gushing about how romantic they are ( or can be) and has a bouquet of flowers tailored for Saphira when she decides to ask Suraya out properly ( I like to think Suraya was planning to ask her out on the same as Saphira was. Que cute little " you jerk, I was going to ask you out first!" Moment hgvhvgvgvcg.) Charlotte was definitely spying on them on their first date and roped Laura into it hgvhvgvgvcg.

Both Charlotte and Laura actually give Suraya little pointers on how to woe Saphira- her interests, habits, dislikes etc. Suraya is actually just as nervous as Saphira is here so said pointers are very much appreciated! Literally every interaction they have pre-dating would just have Charlotte and Laura in the background giving a thumbs up. To who? Probably both lol. They both need it.

[uwuwriting]

Boyfriend w/ Megumi, Itadori and Gojo

Request: hii I just read your jujutsu nightmares piece and oh my god I am indeed a very simple simp and your writing just makes my heart go uwu so may I maybe req a very soft, fluffy s/o for Megumi, Itadori Sato and maybe Sukuna if you write for him? I hope it's not too much, thank uu <3 - anonymous

I can’t get enough of the JJK content, I love them so much my heart can’t take it. Sadly I don’t write for Sukuna *I think I mention it in my rules but I’m not sure*, he pissed me off big time in the manga so yeah sorry about that. Really all the curses have kinda pissed me off but that’s a story for another day lmao. Love ya.💖💖💖

masterlist II rules

warnings: boyfriend things lol, fluff, maybe some angst sprinkled on top but not a lot. 

Fushiguro Megumi 

-Megumi reminds me of Suna from Haikyuu. 

-Like a lot. 

-He will put effort in the relationship of course but he won’t flaunt it around in everybody’s faces. 

-Yes he has a s/o and yes he is in love but in his book that should be mostly kept in between you two, no one else has to know. 

-So at first your relationship isn’t really acknowledged by the others. 

-It’s so subtle at casual that everyone around you thinks that you’re merely best friends and close to each other. 

-Only Makki knows that you two are a thing since she sees how you worry and take care of him after he has been injured. 

-It’s different from platonic concern and she knows what’s going on. 

-Plus she saw you steal a kiss one time and that sealed the deal. 

-Eventually the others figure it out and they are losing their shit, for completely different reasons though. 

-Nobara can’t believe Megumi got a s/o before she did. 

-Gojo is hurt because neither of you said anything and he has been trying to hook you up for the past two years now. 

-Itadori is just confused because he thought that you were like that to everyone. 

-Now PDA is non-existent with this one. 

-He doesn’t feel comfortable touching you in public even if it’s a small peck. 

-He prefers showing his love behind closed doors or through acts of service. 

-So expect to find multiple bentos waiting for you in the kitchen each morning or a hot bath on the ready when you come back from a long mission. 

-You are okay with the no PDA rule, your only request is that he at least hold your pinkie when you need it. 

-It grounds you and who is he to say no to that?

-During missions he doesn’t underestimate your strength and let’s you do your thing. 

-He only interferes when you ask for help or when he notices that you’re extremely overwhelmed. 

-He doesn’t smother you and you are eternally grateful for that. 

-Training sessions between the both of you are brutal. 

-Neither holds back and you're left a panting, sweating mess at the end, crawling to your respective rooms to change before you settle for a movie later that afternoon.

-If either of you gets injured it’s mama bear time. 

-You need to change your bandages? Megumi has already taken out the kit and all the essentials. 

-He needs to take some meds to calm the pain in his ribcage? You have the pills in hand. 

-He is a shy boy so even in private he hesitates to touch you. 

-Don’t get him wrong he loves holding you and feeling you close to him but he is also afraid he will make you uncomfortable or overstep. 

-So you will be the one initiating cuddle session during the first months of your relationship. 

-After a while he will simply pick you up and carry you to his bed for cuddles if he needs them without uttering a word the whole time. 

-Good morning/Goodnight kisses are a must. 

-It’s a ground rule that he follows religiously since day one. 

-It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple peck on his lips or a passionate kiss, he just wants to get a kiss before starting/ending the day. 

-Sleeps on his stomach with an arm always draped over your waist. 

-Isn’t really into the whole sleeping on each other thing but he won’t say no to being the big spoon or even better the little spoon. 

-He gets flustered when you kiss his knuckles or trace patterns on his palms. 

-He knows his hands are rough from all the training but after your touch they feel tender and gentle. 

-Prefers indoor dates rather than outdoor ones. 

-His favorite  is cooking dinner together and then cuddling on the couch *in hopes you won’t get interrupted by Gojo*.

-The only thing he dislikes about the whole relationship thing is the teasing he receives from Gojo. 

-He is ready to rip his ears off. 

-Boy has murder on his mind 24/7 and it is all directed to his mentor.

-Gojo noticed that Megumi had you as his wallpaper ONCE and now it’s game over for your boyfriend. 

-The thing is that you don’t get teased as much and he is *salty*. 

Itadori Yuuji

-He is such a lovable boy, how could you NOT fall in love with him?

-Your relationship is naturally effortless. 

-Everything flows so naturally and without even trying you two have formed such an unbreakable bond that not even Sukuna himself can tether even if he tried. 

-Many MANY spontaneous trips to the nearest convenience store at 3 am.

-Oh you are craving some popcorn? Well go on, get your shoes, we are going grocery shopping. 

-Won’t hesitate to do anything for you and when I say anything I mean it. 

-He ditched Gojo once because you had bad period pains and said you needed cuddles. 

-What cruel creature would he be if he denied his beautiful girlfriend her cuddles??? 

-Sukuna has cockblocked you two and has ruined your cuddles on multiple occasions. 

-From weird noises to rude comments to interrupting Yuuji’s thoughts with random shit. 

-Real party crasher. 

-Yuuji’s love language is touch mainly so expect a shit load of hugs and kisses. 

-Won’t let go of your hand while you are out in public. 

-If he can’t hold your hand he will place his palm in the small of your back or wrap his arm around your shoulders/waist. 

-It’s a physical need. 

-He has to be touching you at all times because that reminds him that you are truly here beside him and that you are okay. 

-The sorcerer's life has already taken a toll on his mentality and he hates leaving you alone so most of the time you go on conjoined missions. 

-Unlike Megumi he tries to protect you during fights by all means. 

-He doesn’t do it because he sees you as weak and in need of protection it’s just an instinct that he can’t control at all. 

-He will put himself in immense danger, taking all the blows just so you can leave the scene unscathed. 

-You have scolded him on his complete disregard of his own life and the tears that pooled in his eyes as he explained that his body moves on its own when he sees anything darting towards you, breaks your heart. 

-If you kiss the little marks under his eyes all his worries fly out the nearest window. 

-He forgets about everything around him, about the looming threat of his imminent execution, the only thing on his mind are your lips on his cheekbones and your thumbs rubbing circles on his cheeks. 

-If you pepper him in too many kisses he will begin his own assault by first tackling you to the floor or the bed and capturing you in a hug before the smooches begin. 

-He has a tendency to leave hickies on your neck which you struggle to cover each morning and you are always real close to glaring at him when he beams like the sun itself at you in the morning but your mild anger fades the moment his lips meet yours. 

-You have your suspicions that he knows what he is doing with that, he knows his kisses make you weak so he uses them to his advantage. 

-Will never admit it but it always places a small smirk on his lips every time you clutch his shirt for balance or rest your forehead on his shoulder to regain your composure. 

-An I love you a day is required for good vibes. 

-Won’t hesitate to shout it even in front of others, he just has no filter and no shame. 

-Makes you turn tomato red and he snickers. 

-Fuck him, literally. 

Gojo Satoru

-This fucking tease. 

-He has no chill!!!!!!

-How are you with him?!?!?!?!!

-My man fine af and he drinks his respect for y/n and y/n alone juice every morning. 

-That doesn’t mean though he won’t try to fluster you throughout the day. 

-It’s his main goal really. 

-Full blown make out sessions in the hallways of the school, ass smacks in front of others and trying to leave hickies on your neck during your lunch break. 

-It simultaneously pisses you off and turns you on so you can’t decide if you should smack him or jump his bones. 

-It’s a never ending debate and his chances of getting the quawk quawk 5000 are 50/50. 

-He respects your boundaries when you give him a sign that you really don’t want him to be like that on certain days. 

-He is a very observant individual in general so it’s not hard for him to take note of the signs of pure discomfort or awkwardness. 

-True he loves flustering you but the moment things get out of hand and you don’t feel okay with how he is acting, he is throwing his attitude out the window and becomes respectful Gojo in a flash. 

-Likes having his arm draped over your shoulder. 

-He is super tall so chances are he towers over you. 

-He has used you like an armrest several times which resulted to a trip to Shoko for a dislocated wrist/shoulder. 

-You make him bentos almost everyday and he waits for them like a lost puppy. 

-No matter the time, he doesn’t care if he is late, he will wait for you to make him a little bento to take with him. 

-Curses can wait, he needs to receive his first dose of y/n love of the day. 

-Brags to his student about you and to Nanami, much to the blonde’s dismay. 

-Talks everyone’s ear off. 

-He becomes super protective when an elder shows up or at the mere mention of them. 

-He will grasp your hand, keeping a firm grip as those pretentious fucks stare down at you. 

-They really don’t care about Sato’s happiness and they will never show you a fiber of respect despite being chosen by the strongest sorcerer. 

-You are not part of one of the three clans so you are worth nothing in their eyes. 

-Gojo hates them for that. 

-Deep rooted hatred that could turn into a mass murder if one of them call you a distraction or a slut one more time. 

-You are really grateful for him in those moments. 

-You are grateful in general but during those times when you are being bombared left and right with rude comments, he will remind everyone in the room that he doesn’t give a flying fuck about what they believe. 

-He fell in love with you because you are your beautiful self and not because you are a powerful sorcerer. 

-He wants to imagine your kids as a sign of your love and not as an item of power, as a weapon like many of these people see him. 

-He has ditched the elder meetings on many occasions just because he wasn’t in the mood of listening to their bullshit so he came home to you and spent the rest of his night cuddled up under the large comforter, watching a movie while peppering your shoulders with kisses. 

-Adores seeing you in his clothes. 

-They are so big on you that you wear them as dresses around the house. 

-He especially loves the sight of your bare legs peeking from underneath his black t-shirt. 

-99% of the time this ends up in you getting your guts rearranged. 

-Surprisingly remembers all the important dates and he makes it to as many dates as he can. 

-Being a sorcerer is difficult man, give him a break curses he has a date at 8 and he needs to get his formal glasses. 

-All in all he loves you to the moon and back and would do anything to keep you safe and next to him. 

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[knullanon]

Hey so I would like to request u know how anxious has the whole Dc yan fam well I would like to request just yan batfam, yan superfamily, yan green arrow, yan ra's al ghul, and yan lex luthor all platonic. But like how they met what makes them different if they kidnaped and how ya know. You don't have to do this if it's is to much

Your Friend

-🌹

omg thank you for sending in the request!!! here it is, sorry it wasn’t fast enough lmao!

The batfam

These bitches would find you probably on the street tbh. Like maybe it's on patrol, maybe they saw you while doing day to day activities, and honestly, I think Bruce would be the one to find you. Not to be cliche but i'm pretty sure he's the only one who would think “hmm. It's a child alone on the street. Adopt.” and then just take you.

They would totally take you during the night. You would probably just be walking down a street and they would just snatch you up. I don’t think they would knock you out just as they get you, but they would probably give you some kind of drug to “calm down”.

After you get settled in, it would be like a breeze. Nothing to worry about, food being delivered whenever, and you even got like, 12 kids to keep you company,

As for the ones who would bond with you immediately, it would definitely be Cass, Duke, Tim, Dick (obviously), and Jason (surprisingly).

The superfam

OOF- bitch you’re fucked. Jon probably saw you at school or walking home from school and he took a photo like “:D look! She's friend shaped!!” and almost immediately they would be like “well a new daughter wouldn’t hurt”.

To the kidnapping, either jon or clark would be the ones to get you, maybe even both. Maybe Jon would try to befriend you beforehand to gain your trust. Maybe even (yes i’m gonna include kon why bc i can) Kon would try to talk to you and gain your trust. Maybe meet you at a restaurant and be like “hello, my name is Kon, what’s yours?” If I remember correctly, Kon is sociable so he's obviously gonna be the one to talk more n stuff

After they got you, they probably gave you your own room and tbh I don’t think they would be very worried about you running away, because 1, they are on a farm who the fuck are you gonna call lmao, 2, they are fast. You’re not gonna get very far, and 3, they would act like you were always there. Like you were always a part of their family. And it's a really good act too. They are always honest, so it's not hard to fake their happiness. If you act confused, they’ll act like they need to bring you back to the doctor, as Lois says, “Did that concussion really do something else?”. These bitches WILL manipulate you.

As for the ones who would bond with you immediately… yeah, it’s all of them.

Green Arrow

Honestly pretty chill guy when you first meet him. It's at a coffee shop, and he's asking for a coffee. You give it to him and you’re really nice to him. He decides to go back, just for you. He meets you again and you’re kind of weirded out, but like, he's so nice! And he tips. He tips very well. 

Kidnapping you was a big ass plan he had and somehow it worked. He “hired'' someone into trying to rob you, he never said why, and it was so he could ruin that person's career. Then, he would swoop in to save your ass at the last minute. Then he would say, “Sorry I’m late” and beat the shit out of the guy. Then he would take you.

Since he's rich, he would like, pay for everything. You want some chips? Payed. You want oreos? Payed. You want to go home? Well, you can’t have that, but you can have some more food. I honestly think that he would try to emotionally manipulate you. Like, you were touch starved wherever you were from? Not on his watch. You don’t like the sound of doors slamming? He will make sure to softly close doors. Honestly he's like a normal dad except he won’t let you leave and is really protective.

He would definitely bond with you immediately because he's the one who kidnapped you lmao

Ra’s Al Ghul

Yeah you aren’t getting away from this asshole. He travels alot for “business” and he probably saw you walking with your friends and then he was like “oh my god its a child.” “Yes, it's a child, master, what about her?” “i must have her.” Then boom, new dad. Well, not yet, he would spy on you for a while, but  eventually he would have to come up with a plan to get you.

He would corner you in your house. It would look like someone trying to give a cat some food to bribe them but instead it’s an immortal cult leader and a young girl trying to get some dino nuggets. Will just shove you in a limo and act as though you are the center of the world. “Well of course you can sleep on the bed, who else is it for?” “You’re not a prisoner- well, no you can’t leave the mountain but you can watch the news.” “I will not tolerate this behavior young woman- you are already a young woman, yes, yes you are-”

Honestly like I said above, he would just totally act like a dumbass. His main instinct was to adopt but now it's like “shit what do i do.” he's kind of lenient with some things, and others he's not. Like oh, you forgot to close the cabinet after you got food, no deal, but then you leave the door open and he's like, “????? WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING??????? I’VE GIVEN EVERYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE EVER WANTED AND YET YOU STILL TRY TO LEAVE-” yeah it's a guessing game but other then that he's kinda normal with things.

Just because I like her so much, Talia would definitely bond with you immediately, no questions asked. Like when she heard her father had gotten a new kid she was like “goddamn it who is it now” and then she saw you and was like “i’ve only had ______ for a minute and 35 seconds, but if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.”

Lex Luthor

Once while watching the news he saw you walking about with your friends and so he tracked you down to find out where you lived and who you were with etc. He probably then realized that he liked you a lot, so then he was like “Mercy prepare a room for a teenage girl, I’m about to go get a daughter.” 

Kidnapping plan was genius, deadass just had a bunch of his men take you and hide any evidence. If your family asked or tried to report it, they would get paid off, and if they continued, then, well… 

He would most likely be busy for like 2/4 of the day, but he would always try to make time for bonding with you. When these little “bonding sessions” first started, he would sit in one corner while you would sit in the other. After a while he got closer, and closer, until he was able to sit next to you. In the dad lex fic I had written, the reader had gotten a concussion so they kinda forgot about what happened before they met Lex (they got it during the kidnapping if you’re wondering). He honestly believes he was your father and nothing can stop him from believing so.

Again, mercy would hate you at the beginning, but like after a month, she thought you were fine, and then after a while she would start to grow fond of you.

[carryonmywaywardcaptain]

Imagine...finding out there’s fanfic written about you--and even Charlie ships you with Dean

CarryOnCap’s Masterlist

Warnings: Fluff? Crack? A dramatic fanfic within a fanfic that I got carried away with haha.

A/N: This is kind of ridiculous, but I had fun with it! Also, I’ve never actually seen GoT but it seemed like a reasonable reference from what I’ve heard about it.

“Hey, look who I found!” Sam’s voice echoed through the War Room.

Dean glanced at you from across the table in the library, sharing your surprised expression as you both pushed your chairs away and stood. 

“‘Sup, bitches?” Charlie grinned, making her way up the steps toward you.

“Hey! We were expecting you guys to come in through the main door. We’ve been keeping an ear out.”

Charlie stepped into your outstretched arms and pulled you into a tight hug. “It was a spur of the moment decision, but I decided to stick around a day or two longer than planned! Sam said I could go ahead and park in the garage.”

She let go of you and turned to give Dean a hug too. He smiled softly with a look that was uniquely reserved for her, cradling the back of her head while she pressed her cheek against his.

“Good to see you, Charlie. You know you’re always welcome to stay as long as you want.”

An involuntary smile crept onto your face as you watched them. You couldn’t help the way your heart swelled at the low rumble in his voice when he said her name. There was an undeniable protectiveness in his tone when he spoke to her--the sister he’d never wanted, as he affectionately called her.

When you shifted your attention to her, you noticed she was watching you. Before you could decipher the knowing glint in her eye, she suddenly twisted out of his arms and glanced back and forth between you and Dean. She began swinging her arms awkwardly before opting to cross them over her chest.

“You okay?” Dean asked, furrowing his brow.

“Yeah! Of course...Totes chill...cooler than a pack of peppermints.” She bobbed her head and flashed a nervous smile, twisting her hair around her finger as she struggled to act nonchalant. “It’s just that I remembered something. A story I read a while back--completely random. Totally unrelated to anything--I mean, now I’m starting to ramble. Hah! So how’ve you guys been? Still saving the world from evil sons-of-bitches?” 

“Uh, yeah…” Sam answered, scrunching his eyebrows together. “We stay busy.”

“So what’s on the agenda tonight?” you piped up, changing the subject.

You were hoping to avoid swapping monster stories for a night. Charlie typically assumed the role of introducing you to popular and noteworthy fandoms during her visits to the bunker and, even if the boys weren’t as vocal, the three of you appreciated her knowledge of all things geeky and nerdy. 

“I was thinking Marvel. Y/N, you’re obviously well-versed in the MCU because of your obsession with Steve Rogers--and, you know, clearly you’ve got a thing for the strong, righteous, self-sacrificing hero type. Dean, you could stand to branch out from the Batman references and, Sam, you’ve got this whole Thor kind of vibe going on.”

While Sam and Dean began teasing each other and arguing over “Batman versus Thor,” you gaped at Charlie, wondering what she’d meant by her remark about you having a “type.” You couldn’t help feeling like she was trying to insinuate something, but you shrugged it off and decided maybe it was all in your head.

***

After getting Charlie settled into one of the extra bedrooms, the four of you settled into the Dean Cave and agreed to start with the first Captain America movie. 

Last Christmas, you and Sam had teamed up to surprise Dean with a couch for the Dean Cave. He had originally only had two La-Z-boy recliners and you’d found him fast asleep in the stiff old chairs on more than one occasion. Dean had been over the moon about the extra seating and the three of you had rearranged the furniture so the recliners were angled toward the tv on either side of the couch.

“Dibs on this side of the couch!” Charlie said, diving toward the furthest end from the door.

Although it was subtle, you knew there was still something off about the way Charlie studied all of you. There was definitely something on her mind she was trying to keep hidden from all of you.

“You know, we should probably have some snacks,” you said slowly. “Charlie, you want to come help me grab some stuff from the kitchen?”

“But I’m already comfy in my spot.” She frowned, wiggling her hips to make a point of sinking deeper into the spot she’d claimed on the couch. “Why don’t you have Dean help you?”

When you narrowed your eyes suspiciously, Sam cleared his throat. “Dean, why don’t I help you grab some snacks while Y/N and Charlie...catch up, er, whatever…”

You heard the boys leave the room and waited until their footsteps faded down the hall before you started interrogating her.

“Alright, Charlie--what the hell is going on with you?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” she muttered, scrolling through her phone.

“Bull. We lie for a living and I know there’s something you’re not telling us. So spill.”

“Fine,” she sighed. “Okay, so remember the Supernatural books by Carver Edlund?”

“Yeah…”

“The series obviously kind of had a cult following when it was in print, right? Well ever since the unpublished works got uploaded, the following has really taken off. Every once in a while a new one still pops up and the fans love them. And you’re in them now too!”

“I’m...what?”

“I mean it’s just insane and totally got sucked into it too. It’s brought on this whole new wave of fanfiction--”

“What’s fanfiction?” you cut in, struggling to keep up.

“It’s fiction made by the fans about the series. Sometimes they put themselves in the stories and write about working cases and fighting monsters with you guys--”

“Why would anyone want to pretend to do this crap with their lives?”

She stared at you for a moment and frowned. “Because you guys are heroes. I mean, yeah, there’s the whole depressing side of monsters and death and trauma and world-ending apocalypses--but you guys save people. You go on these exciting adventures of good versus evil and a lot of times you win. You save people. The fans really look up to all of you.”

Your gaze fell to the floor as you let her words sink in, but she didn’t give you long before she was rambling again.

“But that’s not even the best part! Everyone ships different OTPs--” she paused, noticing your puzzled expression “--uh, one true pairing… So everyone has a favorite couple they think are soulmates and belong together. There’s stories about Sam with Eileen or Jess, Dean with different people--you get the gist. Sometimes they even make up characters or do these ‘reader inserts’ and imagine themselves with the boys or you but, hands down, everyone’s favorite couple they want to end up together is you and Dean.”

“...what?” 

Your eyes grew wide. It was hard enough to wrap your mind around the fact that strangers who didn’t know you were a real person were reading about your life, but learning they imagined you in different relationships? You’d never admit it out loud, but had it bad for Dean. And hearing you weren’t the only one that wanted the two of you together...

“I’ve gone deep into the fic and I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner!” Charlie shook you from your thoughts. “You and Dean are perfect for each other. For serious. I usually stick to the fluffy stuff because, you know, your entire life is kind of angsty and I don’t like to read about you guys being in pain or, like, dying...again. Although I definitely have to admit I kind of stumbled into some of the smutty stuff and, wow, that was something else.”

You opened your mouth to ask more questions, but she kept rolling.

“Right, you probably don’t know what that means either. Fluff is the cute stuff that gives us all feels, angst is kind of just what it sounds like, and smut is, well...the sexy stuff.”

“You mean people out there in the world write about me and Dean…”

“Going at it like an episode of Game of Thrones? Oh yeah,” she responded, unlocking her phone. “Here. Here’s an example.”

Swallowing audibly, you took a seat next to her on the couch as she extended her phone toward you. Gnawing your bottom lip, you began reading the words on the screen:

Y/N took a deep breath, holding it in briefly before she exhaled and began walking toward Dean’s room. Ever since they returned from the hunt, Dean had hidden himself away in his room--no doubt blaming himself for everything that had gone wrong.

When she arrived at his door, she raised her hand to knock. She hesitated, almost retreating at the thought of him turning her away, but she had to try. She had to get through to him somehow.

She rapped her knuckles on the raw umber barrier and opened the door of Room 11 before he could tell her to go away. 

She spotted him leaning over the sink, staring at his reflection in the medicine cabinet on the wall. His jade eyes flickered to where she stood in the doorway, their reflection somewhat distorted by cracks that spiderwebbed from where he had struck the mirror.

Her heart seemed to drop into her stomach as she imagined him lashing out, knowing he punched the mirror because he hated the reflection staring back at him. Knowing he always carried the weight of the world on his shoulders when he didn’t need to.

Y/N carefully shut the door and locked it behind her--the click of the deadbolt deafening in the silence. Her eyes never left Dean, who refused to turn and face her. She inched toward him, closing the distance until she could reach out and touch him. Gently placing her hand on his shoulder, she guided him to turn away from the mirror. Still, he refused to meet her eyes.

“Dean…” she breathed, voice barely above a whisper as she cupped his face in her hands. “It’s not your fault.”

He squeezed his eyes closed, face contorting with grief and guilt. The ghosts of his past refused to let him go, but she was determined to make him believe that he was worthy, no matter the cost.

Curling a finger beneath his chin, she tilted his head up, waiting patiently for him to meet her gaze. When his dark green orbs finally met hers, she was surprised to see that they were full of longing and desire. They flickered to her lips, making her breath tremble under the intensity of his gaze. Time seemed to slow until it froze altogether.

Anticipation hung heavy in the air as they both struggled against their desire to maintain the friendship they’d always had and the desperate need to finally cross that line. To succumb to the magnetic pull that had always been evident between the two of them.

Dean swallowed thickly before suddenly rushing forward, crashing his lips to Y/N’s as he pulled her into a searing kiss. He wrapped his strong arms around her, trapping her to his chest, afraid it was all a dream and she would soon disappear. But she gladly melted into his embrace, feeling like she was finally returning home, to a place she’d spent her life searching for.

A moan slipped past her lips as he walked her backward, pressing her up against the wall. She gasped, feeling his--

“The snacks have arrived!”

You jumped in surprise, a small gasp of surprise escaping as the boys appeared with armloads of snacks. Confusion and worry painted Dean’s face as he surveyed your flustered expression. Between his scrutinizing gaze and the content you’d practically been caught reading, your cheeks grew warm. 

“Did I miss something?” Dean asked.

“Nope,” you responded much too quickly.

Charlie’s phone had fallen into your lap and, when she began cackling, you whipped your head in her direction and flung the phone at her thigh. You grimaced and the two of you had your own silent conversation as the boys spread the food across the bar Dean had built on the far wall.

“I was just telling Y/N how pumped I am about seeing my favorite OTP tonight,” she giggled.

“Your...what?”

Dean’s arm brushed yours as he plopped down on the other side of you. The accidental contact sent a wave of chills over your skin, making you shudder. You could feel his eyes on you again, but you refused to look at him.

“Oh, I’m so going down with this ship,” Charlie whispered under her breath before continuing in a louder voice. “Nothing--nevermind! Don’t mind me, just thinking out loud...”

“It says here an OTP means...one true pairing?” Your eyes grew wide as you looked to where Sam was reading his phone from where he sat in one of the recliners. “So, uh, ‘in the fandom realm, OTP refers to the coupling of characters--usually from the sci-fi or fantasy genres--by fans who think they make a great romantic duo and envision their lives together and share their imaginings with other fans.’”*

Charlie doubled over, beside herself with laughter. With your lips pressed into a firm line, you glanced at the boys to gauge their reactions. You knew there was no way they could possibly know what you and Charlie had been talking about, but that didn’t stop you from worrying about what Dean might think if he ever found out about the feelings you harbored for him. 

“So...you’re looking forward to Cap and his girl in the movie? I’m so freaking confused,” Dean grumbled.

“Yeah…” Sam agreed, making his way to the tv. “I’m just, uh...I’m gonna start the movie now.” 

“Good idea.” Charlie peered at you out of the corner of her eye. “Plenty of time to read and talk about all those ships later.”

Although you glared at her, trying to hide your amusement, nothing could deter the smug smile etched upon her face. As Sam turned the lights off and you settled in for another relaxing night with your favorite people, one thing was certain:

You were definitely going to have to take another look at that fanfiction.

CarryOnCap Crew (Forevers):

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[slimepuparibaba]

ChiLumi | The Battle of Golden House

Golden House was what screwed my feelings over the most, if I'm being completely honest here. It hurts so damn much.

I don't wanna get into too much of the nitty-gritty before we start but here are some FYIs.

Childe temporarily joined Lumine's team after their little outing in Liyue. His reasoning to the Fatui was that it was to squeeze out information--in reality, he just wanted to spend time with Lumine.

The team was compromised of most of the characters, except for Venti, Klee, Bennett, Mona, Keqing, Qiqi, Jean, Diluc, Ningguang, Zhongli, and Xinyan. This took place BEFORE the 1.2 update happened!

Kaeya, Chongyun, Xiangling, and Barbara were the least suspicious of Childe as they spent more time around him and knew of his feelings towards Lumine--they are also the main team members in this fight.

All this is based off of my gameplay in Genshin!

Leading Up to the Battle

Childe and Lumine were very close. Weeks had passed and Childe had gotten to the point where he would use "Lumine" more often instead of "Traveler" or "ojou-chan". Childe would also call Lumine "Aster" due to her favorite flower being a Windwheel Aster

Kaeya was also the closest to the two of them and gave advice to both Lumine and Childe on how they should court each other

However, Childe was eventually reminded that the good times can't last forever. After he hard that Lumine visited the Jade Chamber that floated above Liyue, he remembered that he wasn't here to chat. His initial goal was to bring back the gnosis.

The night before the fight, as the team rested at an inn on the way to Liyue, Childe, cloakee by the darkness of night, left the group. He ditched the weapons that Lumine gave to him as well as his artifacts. If he held onto them during their destined battle, he knew he wouldn't be able to fulfill his duty.

Childe hesitated to leave, and yet, with a heavy heart, he left the Inn behind and stationed the Fatui to mobilize in Liyue.

The next morning, Lumine was shattered to see that Childe was gone.

Confrontation

The group heard of the Fatui being mobilized as well as the Adepti and the Qixing about to throw down, and Zhongli gave Lumine the tip that Childe was behind it. She really wanted to be able to talk it out with Childe and convince him he didn't need to go this far, but Zhongli himself stated that "sometimes, they won't understand that until everything is said and done."

Lumine was ready to confront Childe, but her heart was shaking and she felt uneasy. The uneasiness began to settle in though when she and the rest of the group approched the Exuvia and heard Childe's chilling laughter echo throughout the empty hall.

Lumine, hoping to resolve this without fighting, tried to talk to him.

"Childe, you don't have to do this! Don't you remember all the fun times we had? All of us? You're one of us, Childe! You don't have to be their pawn!"

Deep inside, Childe agreed. He knew full well that Lumine had a point--that he was merely being used as a pawn and he could easily discarded. He wanted to join Lumine, but...

"Monsters like the Fatui cannot be saved."

That was all that ran through his mind.

He wanted to agree; god knows he did. What he wouldn't give to leave the Fatui, resign as a Harbinger, and join everyone on that team on their adventures and protect everyone that he ever loved.

But he just couldn't do that.

Childe knew that Lumine wouldn't give up, no matter what, and he kept battling within himself. Sadly, though, his "loyalty" to the Tsaritsa got the better of him.

"Shut up!"

Lumine fell silent, and the entire group watched as Childe began to call her out. It pained him to do so, but his loyalty to the Tsaritsa practically demanded that he continue with this farce.

He said many things he truly wished he didn't say, many things he wanted to take back. But he was too far in. He stopped calling Lumine by her name, instead only calling her "Traveler", trying to distance himself. He mocked Lumine, as well as everyone else, calling them naïve for trusting a Fatui, of all people. Deep down, he was happy they trusted him. He wasn't upset with them, but himself for doing this.

Childe was waiting for Lumine to retort--to fight back and say something, and it looked like she was about to...

...until he said he was simply toying with Lumine's feelings.

Lumine didn't want to take that at face value, and Childe didn't want her to either. But, as soon as he said that, even though he may not have meant it, she shed a single tear.

Kaeya intervened, stating that Childe went too far. The Harbinger knew that... he knew that all too well. But, time could not rewind. He had already done enough damage.

He convinced himself that there was no turning back. If he was to fulfill his duty as a vassal of the Tsaritsa, he needed Lumine to hate him. He needed to crush all the lingering feelings that were held between the two of them. He needed to be the villain.

With that, he challenged Lumine to a battle. And thus, the Battle of Golden House was set in motion.

Phase 1 and 2: Childe Unleashed

He was completely ready for Lumine to throw everything at him, but instead, she stood still, not moving. Her eyes were devoid of the hatred he was hoping to see. It was... empty.

Instead, Kaeya, Chongyun, Xiangling, and Barbara hopped in. Noelle shielded the rest of the party, Lisa and Amber comforting Lumine, who was silently weeping in heartbreak. Everyone looked upon Childe with hatred, wondering why he would do such a thing.

Xiangling would crash into Childe, crossing blades and questioning why he was doing this. She believed he was happy with them, so why did they have to fight?

Chongyun, too, was upset. He may have come late to the party, but he saw how easily Childe fit in. In fact, while Chongyun was trying to train to get on par with the rest of the team, Childe would help out.

Barbara was one of the only rational ones, and she sensed there was more to the story. She tried to talk it out with Childe, saying that he didn't have to do this and there was no real reason they had to fight. She knew that Childe wasn't happy with this either.

But it was Kaeya that completely lost it.

People say that Kaeya is one of the chiller, cooler people in all of Teyvat. But, make no mistake... Kaeya is scary when he gets angered. When you push the wrong buttons, he will show absolutely no mercy.

While the three main fighters were throwing questions at him, trying to persuade him to stop it, Kaeya threw himself into the battle without second thought. He asked no questions--he only snarled at the one he once saw Lumine happy with.

Kaeya was supportive of Childe and Lumine when he saw how happy she was with him and how Childe seemed to be the same way. Kaeya understood Lumine didn't have her brother there like she used to, and he understood that same feeling, so he swore to try and be the brother that the both of them didn't have at the moment. Lumine was practically his little sister.

So when Childe betrayed her, when he broke her heart, Kaeya was ready to go absolutely apeshit.

Throughout the battle, even when Childe reached Phase 2, Kaeya would be the one throwing blow after blow at the Harbinger. It wasn't just physical hits, either. It included emotional daggers.

The two men would argue constantly, Kaeya threatening Childe and Childe laughing in response, mocking him.

"She trusted you--no, WE trusted you! I let the fact that you're a Fatui go because I thought you had some piece of humanity in you!"

"Then that was YOUR mistake! You just had to believe a Fatui all because, what? Your "surrogate sister" fell in love? Haha, don't make me laugh! Just because you didn't have a brother for half your life doesn't mean you need to project yourself onto the Traveler and become hers!"

The more their blades crossed, the more enraged Kaeya became. However, a third blade came into play and threw Kaeya's sword out of his hands.

It was Lumine.

Phase 3: Tartaglia's Foul Legacy

Lumine was standing still, her sword at her side. She stared at Childe with no emotion showing on her face. This was it, Childe thought. She finally hates me.

Childe held up his weapon, but before he could strike Kaeya and Lumine, she blocked it with her anemo skill, her feet digging into the floor as her geo skill kept her in place. Kaeya lept away, and all that was left on the battlefield was Childe and Lumine.

A large explosion of light occurred, but Childe simply appeared on the Exuvia, ready to grab the Gnosis. But when he discovered it wasn't there, he didn't know what to think.

Lumine stood still, and Childe wanted to end it there. But part of him delusionally screamed "No!", and instead pinned the blame on her.

It felt like Childe was slowly being torn apart on the inside. He wanted to stop it, apologize to Lumine and run away with her and their friends, but he needed to fulfill his duties.

In the end, Childe listened to his head. He unleashed his Foul Legacy transformation and destroyed the flooring below everyone, sending them to the lower platform.

Kaeya was going to step in, but Lumine game him a look. It was as if to say "This is between me and him." So, Kaeya backed off and retreated to the rest of the group.

Lumine and Tartaglia simply stared at each other. Tartaglia expected for Lumine to say something, but no words were spoken. Instead, she immediately rushed towards him.

Tartaglia expected to block it, ready to stop her in her tracks. He was ready to take her head-on and see her full power...

...then she drew two blades made of water.

Tartaglia was in shock. Lumine pulled a surprising move... she was using his weapon! It stunned him, even amazed him, but for some reason, it also broke his heart. He left behind the weapons he used when with Lumine's team, not wanting to use them in fear that it would stop him from using his full potential, but here they were... being used against them.

It was after she pulled those weapons out that Tartaglia's moves grew slower.

Many speculated this was because Tartaglia's armor was heavier and using up most of his power. However, Barbara understood. She saw the look in Childe's eyes when Lumine entered the arena. He seemed prideful, but his eyes said different. He, just like Lumine, didn't want to do this.

Tartaglia was holding back.

Tartaglia and Lumine kept clashing. Their powers were equal to each other, and Lumine kept switching between using her blade and the weapons once used by Childe himself. Even still, no words were exchanged. There was no expression on Lumine's face. Within the Golden House, all that could be heard was the sounds of blades clashing, lightning striking, wind howling, and water crashing.

The two of them fought hard. In the end, both were one hit away from being knocked out and losing. Tartaglia had one charged attack he had been storing up and was ready to unleash it.

"If I use it, she will obviously dodge it... and then she can beat me. Then, she will hate me like she was destined to."

Tartaglia lifted his blade into the air and, using his Delusion, summoned a large amount of Electro energy. It wasn't undodgable--in fact, Lumine could just jump back and strike him and the fight would end there.

Just as he was about to strike, however, Lumine instead rushed towards Tartaglia, rushing right past him. Instead of dodging, she ran straight into the attack. Tartaglia was shocked, staring at the Traveler being pierced by the lightning. Just as she was struck, she whispered softly the only words she had spoken throughout the entire fiasco...

"...if I knew it would've come to this, I wish I never fell in love with you."

Lumine, at last, fell.

Fallen

Childe dropped his weapon, staring at Lumine's body as it hit the ground. She was knocked out cold. He reached out his arm, only for Barbara to rush in and throw her arms out to her side, as if forbidding Childe to touch her.

Memories of the times that they spent together flowed through his mind. He couldn't move. He felt paralyzed. He wanted to pick up Lumine and apologize, say it was all a joke and he just wanted to test her strength, but he couldn't do that. He glabced at her body, lying on the cold floor, and understood.

He did this to her.

This was all his fault.

The words that Lumine said kept repeating in his head, echoing and resounding, practically taunting him. Just as he was caught in a trance, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

Kaeya stabbed him through his armor.

Childe, his Foul Legacy transformation fading, then collapsed on the ground, returning back to normal.

Paimon and Kaeya confronted Childe, who expected Lumine to be the one to get upset with him instead of the Calvary Knight. The Fatui Harbinger looked at Lumine, who was being healed by both Diona and Barbara. He felt like saying sorry, but the angry looks from everyone told him one thing, and one thing only.

"You're a liar. You never could've been saved in the first place."

"Monsters can never be saved."

Childe, feeling he had nothing left, lifelessly continued forth with the plan that he had formulated weeks before he had joined Lumine. He was still waiting for her to wake up and hug him, beg him not to, or at least just try and stop him. He wanted someone to tell him that he could change.

But no one did.

With a heavy heart and a false smile on his face, he summoned Osial and escaped from the Golden House. He felt no reason to stay there...

He was now a lost cause.

Kaeya, still angered by Childe, wanted to chase after him, but a weary Lumine told him to worry about Liyue instead. Kaeya protested, saying they should nip the issue in the bud, but Barbara agreed.

Not only that, but she knew that Childe wanted them to stop Osial. She could tell... she saw it in the saddened look on his face.

Departure

The group, after fully healing, ventured to the Golden Chamber and fought against Osial alongside the adepti and the Qixing. They succeeded, naturally, with the Golden Chamber sadly sacrificed. The Qixing became the ruling power of Liyue, with the Adepti stepping down.

In the end, however, the mystery of the Gnosis and it's whereabouts still remained. Thus, the team ventured to the Northland Bank.

It was there that they saw Zhongli, Signora, and Childe.

Childe saw Lumine and was about to congratulate her, but Kaeya stood in the way, and Signora gave Childe a dirty look. He realized that, truly, what was done couldn't be undone. He had to continue lying through his teeth, just as he always did.

Childe made a false apology, saying that he truly was just a pawn and just doing his job. But, truth was that he meant to say that he didn't want to do it, and that he wanted Lumine to scold him and steal him away from the Fatui. Even then, though, Lumine didn't look him in the eye and fell silent.

The answers to the entire "Rex Lapis murder mystery" were solved, and Signora gained the Geo Archon's Gnosis. With that out of the way, Signora commanded Childe to head back to Snezhnaya with her. Reluctantly, he followed.

But, just before he could leave, he waited at the door and for Signora to keep walking just out of hearing distance. When she did, Childe turned around and looked Lumine in the eye. He gave a sad smile, and said one last sentence to her.

"...Lumine... I... really hope you didn't mean what you said back there..."

Lumine, taken aback, had no words to say. He responded to what she said back at the Golden House... did that mean that he...?

Before she could try and ask, Childe left, walking out of her sight, never looking back.

From then on, Childe and Lumine weren't reunited. All that remained with the both of them was the memories of the time they spent together before the fateful battle that tore them apart.

...that is, until Childe's Story Mission.

may i just say that this entire thing broke me

bruh. childe. Why did u do that

;;;

also the blows he made to kaeya's pride

like

"i know you and diluc aint close, dont go projecting on lumine"

fucking christ dude you needed LUMINE to hate you, not the fake pirate dude!

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Main Story Chapter 1-5: 命运的拐点 Destiny’s Turning Point Translation [3rd Beta Test]

*Light and Night Master-list is under WIP *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Game is slated for release this summer! (Estimated to be 8/8/21) *Beta Test’s main story tag will be #Dreams of Light and Night

MC: Uh oh, now I can't run.

I stood rooted to my spot, brain blanking out.

??: Why aren't you saying anything? Am I that terrifying?

I resisted the urge to nod in the heat of the moment, knowing that it wouldn’t do me any good to provoke him now. I lightly shook my head in response.

MC: ...I didn't see anything earlier.

??: Then why are you trying to escape?

His voice was calm and composed, much unlike my shaky one.

However, that soon changed. His voice took on a commanding tone, frigid and icy.

??: Turn around. Let's have a talk.

I recalled that in movies, no good ever came out of having seen the villain’s face. I shook my head once more.

??: Must I make you?

Following a chuckle, the hand removed itself from the door and hovered close to my face. His hand was so close that I could feel the chill radiating off his fingers.

There was a faintly discernible scent of black cedarwood handing in the air. My instincts screamed danger.

My heart jumped, for fear that he’d take things a step further. I abruptly whipped around to face him.

❖☆———————————★❖

A man was standing in front of me within arm’s reach, looking down at me with a playful expression on his face. His eyes were sharp, with something wild and dangerous flickering within its depths.

??: Now that's more like it.

He backed away a little, using his other hand to dangle the earring before my eyes,

❖☆———————————★❖

??: Did you lose this?

I frantically shook my head like how one would shake a rattle. Suddenly, I realized that something wasn’t quite right here. Why did he ask me if I’d lost it?

Is he testing me?

I tried my hardest to remain calm, holding tightly onto the phone I’d hidden behind my back as I felt around for the emergency call button.

??: ……

Who would have thought that he’d actually lean down, clasping onto my hand with a start. He slightly raised his eyes, fixing me with a calm look.

??: And what do you think you're doing?

MC: Nothing.

??: You suspect that I'm the one who stole it, yes?

MC: ……

??: Then how about you take a guess? What do you think will happen if you get in the way of my business?

I could tell that he was evidently trying to egg me on. I was already a nervous wreck from being completely seen through by him, and since he’d already caught me red-handed in the act, there wasn’t much sense in trying to hide it anymore.

MC: This earring was something an acquaintance of mine lost. My brooch has also gone missing.

MC: And I saw you in the corridor right before things started going missing!

The man raised his chin after a few seconds of silence, releasing his hold on me.

??: Give me your hand.

I didn't know what he intended to do with it, but neither did I have the courage to ask, so all I could do was to stick a hand out just like he asked.

He placed the earrings onto my awaiting palm and jabbed his finger behind him.

??: Take that and follow me.

I held onto the ruby earrings, stunned. The thought of running away and making my escape flashed to the forefront of my mind when I saw that he’d already proceeded a couple of steps forward.

The man turned back to look at me coldly, as if he was issuing a silent order to follow.

❖☆———————————★❖

With no other choice, all I could do was to hold tightly onto the earrings and follow him to the corner of the roof.

❖☆———————————★❖

There was a wooden box there, not the jewellery box or the apple box kind that were frequently used in the competition, but an old cube that had been hollowed out in the middle with a couple of scratches at the sides.

He pointed to the box, gesturing for me to look within.

Cautiously peeking into it, I saw a layer of hay spread out on the bottom of the box. It appears to be what looked like a bird's nest, with two bluish-purple feathers nestled within.

And the centre of this "nest" was filled with earrings, hairpins, rings… Heck, these were all the accessories we lost!

❖☆———————————★❖

MC: What are they all doing here!?

I whipped around to look at him in shock, forgetting my fear.

??: The thief hid it here. I found it.

??: Weren't you missing a brooch? Have fun looking.

Is he for real? Is he not making this up on the fly…? Does this mean that he's… really not the thief?

Almost as if he'd read my thoughts, the man shrugged his shoulders and stepped a couple of steps away, turning his gaze up towards the night sky. I remained wary as I bent down and sifted through the pile until I found my missing brooch. I gave it a thorough check.

❖☆———————————★❖

MC: Thank god. It's still in one piece…

??: Found it?

MC: Yeah.

The man moved away from the wall he had been leaning on, straightening up as he headed towards me. The heavy clouds finally moved away, revealing the moonlight that filtered down, illuminating his features.

He wore a look of indifference, his lips pressed into a thin line. He even had a great well-defined jawline.

❖☆———————————★❖

Suddenly, a memory flashed across my mind— The contestant that stood atop the highest point of the podium took off his helmet, looking towards the crowd below the stage.

Something clicked as the figure in front of me started associating itself with the image that An'an had once showed me. I widened my eyes incredulously.

❖☆———————————★❖

MC: No way! You're… Osborn!?

He stiffened for a while before his expression returned to his usual aloof one.

Osborn: You know of me? Looks like word of my name really travels.

...It's really him!?

I only found myself puzzled even more despite having gotten undeniable affirmation from him. I just couldn’t connect the idea that the well-known racer was actually the same guy suspiciously sneaking about on the rooftop at night with our lost items.

A multitude of questions filled my mind.

MC: How did you find them here? Even the police couldn't.

Osborn: Well, those two feathers there.

MC: This is…

Osborn: Feathers of a Purplite Bird. They like to gather shiny things and bring them back to their nest.

I suddenly recalled that I'd seen these exact same feathers inside my jewelry box. So… I was actually the one who'd misunderstood his intentions?

The realization hit me hard, followed by a bout of embarrassment. I wanted to say something to explain myself out of this awkward situation, but Osborn only smiled lightly at me.

The wind blew leisurely past the roof, bringing refreshing coolness along with it.

☆Light Choice: Trust him (Didn't select)

★Night Choice: Still feels a little sceptical 

MC: But it's so late now. What are you doing here? Besides, how did you know that we lost stuff?

Osborn: For someone so cowardly, you sure do have a load of questions.

Osborn: I'm no different from you. I'm still here because I'm looking for something I lost during rehearsals.

Osborn inclined his head, taking out a bracelet from his pocket.

It was a silver bracelet with a nameplate on it. It shook slightly as Osborn held it up,

The nameplate had a twin serpentine motif on the front, with some English words and numbers engraved at the back.

❖☆———————————★❖

I couldn’t help but to feel as if something was off about it, but there was no real need for me to be delving deeper into it. It was more important to focus on the upcoming competition.

MC: So, what do we do about the rest of the stuff?

Osborn: I've already informed the police, so the rest of the missing items should be returned in due time after they're done wrapping things up.

MC: Great. Then, seeing as how the issue has already been settled… I guess I'll better be going now.

I nodded to him before making a speedy escape towards the exit. However, the weight nestled in my palm reminded me of something that I’d overlooked. After giving it some thought, I halted and turned back around.

Osborn: What now? Can't bear to leave?

MC: I should put this brooch back. Else, the numbers won’t quite tally when the police do a count.

I placed the brooch back into the box and was just about to leave when my fingers accidentally brushed against the blueish-purple feathers. Suddenly, I was hit by an inexplicable wave of grief.

It was as if all my senses had dulled in a moment, All I heard was an odd, yet clear birdsong that made itself known to my ears, sad, forlorn, and speaking of immeasurable grief.

I hurriedly retracted my hand, suddenly feeling my senses revert to normal as I returned back to my body. Everything returned to normal, making what I’d just experienced seem naught but a brief trance of sorts.

MC: Do you hear something?

Osborn: Hear what?

He looked at me questioningly, seemingly not having heard the same thing I had.

MC: …Nothing. It must just be my imagination then.

I hesitantly made my way towards the door, mulling over the peculiar experience I just had while I opened the door. However, the door didn’t budge.

A chuckle sounded in my ears, carried along by the wind.

Osborn gave it a hard tug. It swung open with a loud clang.

Looks like the bolt had just gotten stuck.

Osborn: Looks like you're not only lacking in the courage department, but strength as well.

Osborn: You're welcome.

He looked me straight in the eye, a hint of a mirth flickering across his eyes.

MC: I've yet to even thank you…

Osborn: Oh? Come on then, I'm waiting.

MC: Thank. You. Very. Much.

I’d long since lost the fear I’d felt earlier. I met his gaze, biting out every word of thanks.

His attention had been starting to wander, his eyes moving elsewhere. However, he whipped back around upon hearing that, raising an eyebrow in question. I ignored him, dashing right downstairs.

It was only until the girl’s figure had disappeared down the stairs that Osborn shut the door to the roof.

A purple-coloured bird appeared under the covers of the night sky, letting out a shrill cry as it hovered mid-air.

It fluttered its wings, it’s entire body exuding inky black mist that seemed to devour everything in sight.

Osborn: Great to see you here. Now that spares me the trouble of having to go looking for you.

He raised a hand, deep blue flames erupting from his fingertips.

❖☆————— ⊹ Dreams of Light & Night⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Chapter 1-3) | Next Part: (Chapter 1-7)

[dissoluteways]

positions - Chapter III

❧

Chapter I / Chapter II / Chapter III

PAIRING: Hyuk/OC RATING: Explicit WARNINGS: Office AU. WORDCOUNT: 4195

Notes: AH YEAH SMUT THIS TIME! not full on smut, but smut. Next chapter is the last one. Enjoy guys! 

❧

By Monday, she was a bundle of nerves. It was hard not to overthink during the weekend. They did say they liked each other, and the kisses were so good she couldn’t stop thinking about it. He also kept texting her during the weekend, at some point during the day.

She was, however, a bit insecure about Sanghyuk still. She tried not to let it show too much, but by Monday she was still anxious.

He wasn’t there when she arrived. Somehow that was a relief.

Taking a deep breath, she settled in her office, taking off her coat and taking out her phone to check her messages. She looked out the window; it was really sunny that day and a little cool so she opened the window to let in some fresh air. 

She didn’t want to keep going over everything that happened too much, she was already nervous as it was, so she tried inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply to calm herself down. Everything was going to be fine, it was Sanghyuk after all, he hadn’t given her a reason not to trust him.

Lost in her thoughts as she was, she didn’t hear Sanghyuk coming up behind her. She just felt when he suddenly grabbed her hand and spinned her around. She yelped, surprised at the sudden movement until she was face to face with Sanghyuk, who was holding her waist and pressing their bodies together, and at that point she started blushing, with her heart in her chest beating way too fast to be considered healthy.

“Hey.” He said with a smirk, a touch smug.

“Hey…” Her voice was a bit sore, so she cleared her throat a bit before speaking again. “You scared me.”

“Did I?” He faked concern, but it was obvious he was amused about everything. “It wasn’t my intention.”

“What was the intention then?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Surprise you.”

She couldn’t reply when he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“And to give you that.”

God damn it, she wanted to keep him.

She was hoping to get more kisses, and by the way he was also looking at her, he probably had the same thing in mind. The phone interrupted them once again, making her jolt, and Sanghyuk looking less amused and more annoyed. She was starting to hate having a phone in the first place. 

Sanghyuk pulled away reluctantly and jogged to his desk to pick up the phone. 

“It’s HR, they wanna see you.”

She froze for a second, until she remembered the report she made the previous week. 

“I’ll be there right now.”

After conveying the message, Sanghyuk hung up. She started walking out of her office in a second, Sanghyuk following closely right after.

She was a bit nervous, but they told Jieun they would dismiss the guy. There wasn’t anything to worry about.

He must have sensed her anxiety, because when they arrived at HR and she was about to walk in to talk to the director alone, he patted her shoulder softly.

Jieun was right; they were dismissing that guy. They told her they couldn’t have two women in charge be harassed by anyone. She silently wondered if they could have any women actually be harassed, but she didn’t comment on that. 

“Your assistant, Han Sanghyuk.” She raised both eyebrows, when the director mentioned him. “He was really helpful. He seemed to have noticed everything right away.”

“That’s what I know.” She commented, not sure what else to say. 

“He didn’t want to damage your reputation.”

She looked at him, confused. 

“That’s what he said when I asked him why he didn’t report him earlier.”

Oh. She never really considered that.

She didn’t care about her reputation, she barely had one. But thinking about, it would look really bad to have someone flirt with her constantly, especially if they worked with her.

Touched, she bowed politely once the conversation was over before walking out. 

Sanghyuk was still there, sitting on a chair and shaking his leg. She smiled softly when he stood up as soon as he saw her.

“I heard something nice about you.” She commented once they were back at her office, checking to see if there was anyone close by before speaking.

“You did?”

“Yes.” She couldn’t help the smile on her face and how big it was when she slowly got closer to him.

“Whatever it was, I meant it.” He was grinning as well, but with a more playful look in his eyes.

She bit her lip when he slid his hand up her cheek before tugging her hair behind her ear. 

She hated it was Monday and there was work to do when all she wanted was look at him and kiss him and maybe even do more than that. 

They couldn’t stop stealing glances at each other throughout the day. It seemed that they couldn’t get a minute alone the entire day and she was upset, it was like the world was conspiring somehow.

When they left at the end of the day (finally), Sanghyuk put his arm around her shoulder almost as soon as they walked away from the building. She looked at him with wide eyes, then over her shoulder to see if anyone saw. 

“What are you doing?” She whispered, a little embarrassed.

“Just walking you home,” He was trying really hard not to even smile and look cool, but he wasn’t doing a good job.

She actually didn’t mind. They got to kiss when they reached her place, and it still felt like the first time once again; she wondered if it ever would feel any different. Hopefully it wouldn’t.

Sanghyuk tried to kiss her the next day just when she walked into the office, but she had to stop him, knowing well someone was walking into the office next door. The look on his face made her feel a little bad, but she pecked his lips once she made sure no one was going to walk in. 

It wasn’t her intention to make him feel bad, but he probably didn’t know. 

“It’s really not well looked upon to date a coworker.”

“But I’m not really a coworker.” He blinked.

“Don’t try to be smart.” She glared at him, and he broke into a smile. 

“Is it like, part of the rules of this company?”

“Well no…” 

“What is it, then?” Sanghyuk asked, confused.

“It’s just… frown upon…” She thought about it for a minute so to explain it better. “I think they are worried about abuse of power, especially when it’s lower ranges.”

He seemed to be thinking about it for a while before saying anything.

“So the problem would be if they see us.”

“I guess. It would be bad if someone were to find I’m fooling around with my assistant.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it, frowning. He spoke again after a moment.

“If someone were to find? The issue is getting caught?”

“Yes?” She blinked, he was basically repeating the same thing he already said before.

“Then,” Sanghyuk grinned mischievously. “We won’t.”

That smile sent chills down her spine. She gulped and said nothing. 

He was testing his luck when they walked out the building that day and they took just three steps away from the main entrance, before he pinched her butt. She turned to look at him, scandalized and covering her behind as her face turned red. Sanghyuk acted as if nothing had happened, and a small smile started tugging at his lips a few seconds later.

“Did you hear anything I just said earlier?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

She wanted to play and act mad, but she couldn’t when he started smiling. It was going to be hard hiding from everyone.

In any case it was starting to get fun, like a game of if they would get caught or not. She didn’t dare to do more than just a peck on the lips when they were in the office. But Sanghyuk noticed what she was doing, and he played around more than he should be allowed.

He walked into her office one day, and she looked at him curiously, expecting him to tell her something work-related, but he quickly walked towards her and grabbed her by the waist. She didn’t push him away or tell him to stop, she didn’t want to; but he never reached for her lips.

Sanghyuk only got close enough to press his lips to her cheek in an almost kiss, before dragging his lips down her jaw and stopping at her throat. She inhaled sharply, too stunned to push him away. She didn’t want him to stop, really, she wanted to know how far he was going to go, and how good it would feel.

His lips pressed against her neck before he softly scraped her skin with his teeth. She didn’t try to hide the moan that spilled from her mouth, and he seemed pleasantly surprised by her response. He bit down her neck and sucked; he was trying to leave a mark. And she wanted him to. She gasped when he repeated his previous play on the same spot, before he slid his tongue over her skin to soothe it. 

She tried to kiss him when he pulled away, but he dodged her lips swiftly, and stepped away, turning around to leave.

“What?!” She almost yelled, not really understanding what just happened. “What- Where are you going?!”

“Back to work.”

“But-”

“I’m sorry, you said we shouldn’t get caught.”

He didn’t say anything else before he actually walked out, and she couldn’t believe what just happened.

She couldn’t outsmart him in his teasing. She was still rather shy about initiating anything, but Sanghyuk seemed confident in himself and his effect on her, which he had every right to be because he did affect her quite easily. And he was getting bolder once he realized she basically was open to anything. She wouldn’t deny it, she would throw herself to a volcano if that tickled his pickle.

But he was going to pay her back, she’d figure it out somehow.

*

Hakyeon walked right into her office a couple of minutes before lunch time, just after she had dismissed Sanghyuk so he could have lunch earlier, and she eyed him curiously, wondering why he would let himself in so unceremoniously.

“Taekwoon told me he saw you and Sanghyuk.”

Her eyes opened, wide open, when those words settled in her brain. Saw them? Where? And what exactly were they doing?

“Um…” She tried to find the right words so she wouldn’t incriminate herself. “What?”

“He saw you two,” He replied, completely serious. “He told me Sanghyuk touched your ass?”

Shit. She covered her face with her hands as soon as she heard that, completely embarrassed that someone actually saw that. Especially Taekwoon. God knew the dude couldn’t keep any secret to himself.

“Hakyeon, I-”

“What’s going?” 

“I didn’t want to tell you yet, because I don’t know exactly what’s going on.” She replied, sincerely.

“What?” He looked more confused than ever. “Are you sleeping with him?”

“No, no! No-” She knew she wasn’t sleeping with him, but she might as well be because that’s where everything was leading towards. “We’re not sleeping together.”

He looked at her, expectantly. She sighed, gesturing for him to sit down.

“We kissed. We still just kiss.”

Hakyeon raised an eyebrow. 

“I swear. We just kissed.” She blushed. “It’s not like I don’t want to do more.”

“Must he have his hands on you at all times then?” He sighed, exasperated. “Remember that your jobs are at risk here.”

“I know, he was just playing…”

“With your butt?”

“Hey, you must play with Taekwoon’s butt all the time!” She fired back, as Hakyeon turned completely red. “Or he must play with yours, I don’t know how it is.”

“Don’t make this about me.” He tried rerouting the conversation back to her, totally ashamed. “Seriously though, what’s going on between you two?”

She looked down, flustered. 

“We like each other. At least he told me he likes me.” Her cheeks were hot, she imagined she must have been flushing profoundly. “I don’t really know what we are, to be honest.”

“He seems really interested in something more than just physical contact though.” He commented, looking at her fondly. “He walks you home every day, right?”

“I guess.”

She didn’t want to get her hopes up. Sanghyuk said he liked her, but they never talked more about whatever was going on. If she was honest, she was afraid he only wanted to just fool around, and nothing more. She didn’t want to be the one to bring up all those questions, so she settled with just enjoying what they were going through at that moment. It was still fun on its own.

“Just talk to him.” Hakyeon advised her, with a soft smile. “He seems to really like you.”

She returned his smile. She really adored him.

“You might want to cover that hickey you have on your neck, by the way.” He commented as he stood up and walked out of her office.

Blushing, she covered her neck with her hand, quickly going through her bag to find her foundation. 

Sanghyuk walked in, over an hour later, while she was standing in front of her desk, trying to tidy up her paperwork, but as soon as she felt his presence, she blurted out.

“Hakyeon knows.”

He stopped in his tracks, looking at her with wide eyes. She didn’t even have the chance to really see him, so she started blushing when she noticed he was wearing his workout clothes, with that incredibly deeply cut shirt. 

“He does?” He asked, voice emotionless. 

“Yeah…” She cleared her throat, blinking a few times and trying to only look at him in the eye. “Yeah, he came in earlier. Taekwoon saw us the other day.”

“He did?”

“Yes! He saw you touching my butt!” 

“Really?” He smiled, cocky.

“Yes!” She looked at him, questioning. “Why are you so calm about this?”

“It’s Taekwoon.” He replied, finally moving and walking closer towards her. “He will only tell Hakyeon-hyung about it.”

She frowned. He was right, Taekwoon wouldn’t snitch on them. But she was still a little worried someone else might have seen.

Any thought she could have had after that went out the window when Sanghyuk closed the space between them, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pressing her against his body. It was like colliding with a wall, her hands bracing her and she got to touch his chest, which was stronger than she expected. 

“Don’t worry,” He said, voice low. “We’ll be careful.”

“Do you know the meaning of that word?” She raised an eyebrow.

He didn’t answer. He leaned in and kissed her, sweet and hot, and she should have expected it, but she still melted a little inside. 

It was so brief, she barely got around to cup his face when he pulled away. She eyed him, confused, when he went to the door, and locked it. He lingered a little longer before turning to her, with a devious smile. 

Her face was completely hot, and she couldn’t help but gulp when he looked at her like that. When he approached her again, she considered asking him what was on his mind, yet at the same time, she was thrilled and only wanted to be surprised. 

Sanghyuk put his hands on her hips and pressed his body against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck when he kissed her, almost on instinct, like they belonged there, the only thing in her mind was having him close to her. It was gentle at first, just his lips slowly gliding over hers. His grip on her hips got tighter though, and she hummed, delighted, when he squeezed her flesh.

It was really hard to be in that position, pressed up against Sanghyuk’s body, and not feel heat rapidly blooming in her lower stomach. Especially when he bit her bottom lip, softly tugging at it. She moaned as he trailed his lips downwards, caressing her cheek then settling on her neck to nip at her skin. 

His actions had a purpose, and she noticed when he kept moving his hands up and down her sides, and pushing her body more towards the desk. She had to let go of his neck to support herself so she wouldn’t lose balance, her hands gripping the edge of the desk. 

She looked at him curiously when he pulled away again suddenly, and started taking off some of the stuff on her desk to the chair that was right beside them. Sanghyuk was trying to make space there for her to sit down somehow, and once she realized that she couldn’t help but giggle, covering her mouth with her hand. He eyed her once he got rid of most of the stuff, blushing a little. She never thought she would see him flush, it was incredibly adorable.

She yelped, surprised, when Sanghyuk picked her up and sat her down on the desk. He seemed totally pleased with the noise she made, smiling when he kissed her again. He was rough this time, all teeth and tongue, his hands resting on her thighs now as she spread them to make room for his body to settle in between them.

She couldn’t believe they were so blatantly making out like that in her office. Moreover, she didn’t care at all. She didn’t remember the last time she was so needy for someone. But all she could focus on was Sanghyuk, and his lips, and his body, and how much she wanted him.

Too distracted with Sanghyuk kissing her, she didn’t notice one of his hands sneaking over her skirt and between her legs until he pressed his palm over her panties. She moaned, loudly, breaking the kiss to look at him.

“Is this okay?” He whispered, staring back at her with soft eyes.

She didn’t believe he was actually asking her that, she appreciated the intention. She was obviously more than okay with whatever he wanted to do, so she nodded, bringing him for more kissing, hoping that was enough answer. 

Sanghyuk seemed to understand, pressing the palm of his hand again between her legs. She whined into his mouth, and he gladly swallowed down all the noises she was making while he worked her up. Every move of his hand had deliberate pressure, moving slowly in circles over her clothed core and making her legs twitch.

He pulled away, pushing her skirt all the way up. He stared deep into her eyes, gauging her reaction, when he hooked his fingers on her panties to drag them down. She could feel her face blushing under his gaze, a little embarrassed that he was paying so much attention to her response. When she didn’t say no, Sanghyuk took off her underwear, discarding it on the chair. 

It was a little awkward to be in that position, she wouldn’t feel like that if they were to be on a bed. But she was self conscious, knowing everything looked different when she was sitting up, and she knew Sanghyuk must have been really ripped underneath all his clothes. He didn’t comment on anything though, and she was relieved, trying to at least focus on what was currently about to happen.

He settled his hand where it previously was, this time pressing his thumb over her clit. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips, loud and unashamed, when he started drawing circles.

“Shhh, baby,” Sanghyuk murmured with a smirk adorning his face. “You don’t want anyone to hear, do you?”

Damn him. She didn’t have it in her to reply, at least not when he was caressing her between her legs. 

Covering her mouth with her hand, she closed her eyes as he kept on teasing her with his fingers. He started mouthing at her neck, holding her close while rubbing her clit. She held tight onto him, trying to somehow anchor herself and not let her body fall on the desk when the heat between her legs started pulsing.

Sanghyuk pulled away from her again, and she inevitably leaned back all the way on the desk, gasping when she landed. He smiled at her, cocky, and he grabbed her legs, pressing kisses to her knees, before kneeling down in front of her. She couldn’t hide her embarrassment at that moment, knowing well her face must have been red not only from the teasing, but now because Sanghyuk was basically face to face with her entrance. 

He stared at her, eyes dark, when he leaned in and stroked her folds with his tongue.

“Oh, fuck!” There was no way she could keep quiet, not when they were having sex (kind of) for the first time, and in her office of all places.

It seemed like an illusion they were doing that, at her office, in the middle of the day. For a second she thought she might be dreaming, it was still unbelievable they were even an item. But the moment Sanghyuk kissed her clit, she couldn’t think about anything anymore. Only him, and how good it felt what he was doing.

He pressed his thumb to her clit again, as he kept working on her entrance with his tongue; and she might as well lose her mind. He only started touching her for what felt like a few seconds, she knew it was longer than that; but she could feel that knot in her tummy getting tighter and hotter, her orgasm feeling just around the corner. 

Sanghyuk hummed as he kept licking her, his finger softly rubbing her. She really tried to muffle any kind of sound she might be making with her hand, she knew she was failing, muted moans spilling every now and then. He made a pleased noise, eyeing her intensely from between her legs. 

Her legs twitched with every one of his moves, and her stomach started tensing; she knew she was going to come soon. That seemed to be his purpose, keeping a steady pace of his finger and his tongue. 

“Sanghyuk, I’m-” She tried to warn him, but her voice was broken, it was like she couldn’t find the words, any words, her brain too flooded with pleasure to even finish an idea. 

He seemed to understand, his eyes still fixing on hers. With measured purpose, he lapped at her clit a couple of times before sealing his lips over it and sucking. 

That was all she needed before she let go. Closing her eyes tight, she could only see stars, and her entire body trembled, pleasure spreading through. Sanghyuk kept kissing her through her climax, and she moved her hips towards his face, riding her orgasm and whining after a few seconds, feeling a little overstimulated. 

With her eyes closed, she let her arms and legs fall, completely spent. She could feel Sanghyuk pressing kisses to her thighs, his hands holding her legs up and squeezing her skin softly. She opened her eyes when he was just above her, hovering over her body, his hand stroking her cheek and pushing her hair back.

Sanghyuk kissed her gently before she could even think of anything to say. He just pressed his lips against hers, but she felt all warm inside her chest, like she could melt and turn into a puddle of goo.

She figured he must have been hard as well, and she confirmed it when he pressed closer, and she felt his erection through his clothes, pressed against her leg. Wrapping one arm around his neck, still kissing him softly, she trailed her other hand between their bodies. 

She was surprised though, when Sanghyuk grabbed her wrist, and pushed it gently over her head, intertwining their fingers together. 

“But-” She started, confused.

“Don’t worry,” He commented, still pressing kisses to her lips. “This wasn’t for me.”

She didn’t complain, especially when he trailed his lips over her cheek and down her jaw. Somehow, she would have argued more, but he seemed okay and sincere with his decision when he pulled away and helped her sit up. 

In that second she could only focus on how much she adored him, his hair dishevelled and face flushed was beyond endearing. Sanghyuk picked up her underwear and he slid it up her legs as she stood up to make it easier for him, helping her put her skirt in place after he was done. 

She pulled him into a kiss, bringing him closer by the shirt, and he made a surprised noise. It was a greedy kiss, but she very much tried to transmit her adoration, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him close. She smiled, really happy, when he put his hands on her waist and started kissing her with even more passion than she did.

“Come to my place later?” She asked, quietly.

He seemed startled, looking into her eyes intensely for a hot minute.

“Okay.”

[the-regal-warrior]

Olympic Dreams Chapter Three

It’s here - it’s finally here!! And I’m so excited to share it with you. Huge shoutouts to @highqueenofelfhame and @nalgenewhore for putting up with my whining and getting me through this chapter. 

This is the last of what I like to refer to as the “intro chapters.”

Summary: Join all of our favorite characters from Throne of Glass as they take on the Olympics. And by everyone, I mean everyone. I literally have 14  main characters to work with. I might be in a little over my head. Watch as our characters experience life and relationships with the Olympic Games as their stage. 

Warnings: Language and smut, lovelies - you all know me by now.

.

Lorcan: 

Flopping down on the ground next to his bag, Lorcan pulled his phone out of the front pocket of his duffel. Upon flipping it so he could see the screen, he saw that Elide hadn’t answered his last text yet. She’d texted him last night once they’d both gotten back to their rooms, and they’d both been up later than they’d planned, just talking about nothing and getting to know one another. 

He’d fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation about his first Olympic Games, and he’d never been happier to wake up in the morning than he was when he saw a message from her just waiting for him. They’d picked up their train of thought like there hadn’t even been an interruption, and he was pretty impressed with himself. He didn’t exactly make friends easily - partially because he was fairly stoic and partially because he had what his teammates referred to as “resting bitch face” - so he was surprised at the ease with which the two of them were able to converse.

They’d talked as they both got ready for their day - apparently Lys had conditioning to do and Elide, as her coach, had to go with her to actually be a coach - and now he was sitting on the side of the field, slowly stretching out his legs while he waited for the rest of the team to show up. He had a habit of always being early because he liked the silence of the field and the stadium before everyone showed up and crowded him. 

Glancing up at the sound of a loud “whoop” echoing from the locker rooms, he saw that Fenrys and Connall were walking toward him. He barely had time to wave at them before his phone buzzed against his thigh. Looking at the screen, he had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from smiling when he saw it was Elide.

>> I can’t believe you were starry-eyed about your Olympic teammates during your first games. I wish I could have been there to see that.

<< Oh, it’s true - the other guys never let me forget it.

<< I’m sorry you couldn’t compete four years ago - I know that had to be hard for you.

>> It basically broke my heart, but I did what I had to.

Lorcan was debating how to respond to that since he knew that her injury was a sensitive subject - it had come up briefly the night before but she’d quickly changed the subject - but she sent him another text before he came up with anything.

>> How’s practice going so far?

<< We haven’t started yet - most of the team isn’t even here. But thing one and thing two just walked in, so my peace and quiet is gone.

>> Fenrys and Connall, then?

The sound of two duffel bags flopping onto the ground next to him pulled him out of his reverie just in time for him to realize he was smiling like an idiot at his phone. He tried to school his expression into a more neutral one before either of them noticed, but it appeared luck wasn’t on his side when he felt one of them ruffling his hair.

Tilting his head back, he saw Fenrys smirking down at him. “Well, well,” he started, flicking the tip of Lorcan’s nose, “someone certainly seems chipper this morning.”

“He certainly does,” Connall chimed in, throwing himself on the ground next to Lorcan and resting his head on his outstretched legs. “I think I even saw him smile.”

Fenrys chuckled, plopping down next to his brother. “You know, I think I saw that, too.”

“Both of you can fuck off,” Lorcan grumbled, leaning back until he was stretched out on his back. His teammates were his best friends, but he was still a fairly private person and he didn’t want to be bothered by all of their teasing just yet. 

The two of them continued to grumble quietly where they were sprawled on top of him - somehow Fenrys had spun himself around so he could rest his head on Lorcan’s legs as well - but he just closed his eyes and tuned them out, letting the early morning sun warm his face. 

He didn’t get to bask in the sun for long, however, before a shadow fell over his face. Cracking one eye open, he saw Vaughan staring down at him. He heard a rustling sound off to his left, and he turned his head to see Gavriel sitting himself down next to Fenrys, and giving him a questioning look as he just kept grumbling. 

Shifting his attention back to Vaughan, he saw that he too was giving the twins a confused look. “What’s with them?” he finally asked, folding himself to the ground by Lorcan’s chest.

“They’re being ridiculous,” Lorcan replied, huffing a breath when Vaughan leaned forward and dropped his head on his chest. Glancing down, he saw both Fenrys and Connall flipping him off. 

“Lor here,” Fenrys mumbled, “was very smiley when we got here this morning.”

Connall added, “yeah, smiley - towards his phone - and he won’t tell us why.”

“Is that so?” Gavriel chimed in, turning his questioning looks to Lorcan. “Not in a sharing mood?”

Vaughan nodded as best as he could with his chin resting against Lorcan’s sternum. “Yeah, Lor,” he whined, poking him in the side for emphasis. “Tell us what was so interesting about your phone that it made you smile.”

A new voice chimed in from behind him, and Lorcan groaned when he realized it was Rowan. “Ooo, a smiling Lorcan?” he questioned. “Could this have anything to do with a certain dark-haired diving coach?”

That caught Fen’s attention. “That’s right! You and Elide did seem very cozy in the pool last night.”

A chorus of “oooo” rang out from the other guys around him, and it took everything in him not to groan out loud. He’d forgotten that he’d had an audience when he was spending so much time with her last night, and he had a sinking suspicion that Rowan knew he’d given Elide his phone number. 

“I think you’re losing it boys,” he finally settled on. They continued speculating and grumbling good-naturedly, but he tried to ignore them.

“Come on, Lor.” That was Rowan, leaning down and hauling him into a sitting position by grabbing his shoulders, effectively toppling Vaughan onto the ground next to him. Lorcan felt fingers in his hair, and he realized that Rowan had started braiding his hair. It was a common sight among the six of them - they all had long hair, and they’d quickly found that braids were better for keeping it up for the duration of their games - and they used it as a bonding tool now. “Don’t you wanna tell us all about your pretty little lady friend?”

They all gave him expectant looks, and he shook his head at them when he felt Rowan secure his hair into a bun on the crown of his head. “Look boys, I don’t know what the fuck y’all are talking about. There’s nothing going on with Elide and me - nothing.”

Apparently Aedion had walked in while they were all focused on Lorcan, and now he was voicing his opinion on the matter. “That’s not what I saw last night.”

Lorcan heaved a sigh, already dreading the coming practice. It was going to be a long fucking day.

Chaol:

Rapping his knuckles against his best friend’s door, he lifted the bottom of his sleeveless t-shirt to wipe the lingering sweat from his forehead. He’d spent the morning in the weight room, although it had been a relatively easy workout. Since it was the day of the Opening Ceremonies, he and his coach, Brullo, had decided that it was a good day for a lighter workout. Even though the Ceremonies didn’t officially start until that evening, the athletes representing the teams had to show up later in the afternoon to get ready to support their countries when they were announced. 

“Hey, man,” Dorian greeted after he opened the door, ushering Chaol inside with a nod of his head. “Tough workout this morning?”

Shaking his head, Chaol flopped on his back on the bed. “Nah, it wasn’t too bad - took it easy since we have Opening Ceremonies later.”

“Will you get your sweaty ass off my bed?” Dorian chucked a pillow at him, laughing when it hit him square in the face. “I don’t care how easy your workout was, I don’t need you sweating all over my sheets.”

Chaol grumbled good-naturedly, but he did climb off the bed. “Fine, fine. Guess I’ll just sit on the floor.”

“Yeah, I guess you will.” Dorian gestured to the drawstring bag his friend had dropped just inside the door. “Or, better yet, you could just go shower, since I know you don’t plan on going to the Ceremonies like that.”

“Gods, we’ve been friends for too long.” Though he shot Dorian a withering glare, he did grab his bag and head for the bathroom. “Yrene’s on her way - try not to flirt with my girlfriend if she gets here before I’m done.” He had a habit of flirting without even knowing it, though he knew Dorian would never flirt with a girl who had a boyfriend. Not to mention whatever was going on between him and Manon… 

Chaol had just shut the door to the bathroom when he heard Dorian yell, “no promises!”

~*^*~

He’d just climbed out of the shower when he heard Dorian chuckling from outside the door. “What’s so funny out there?”

“Erm…” Dorian seemed to pause before he responded. “Nothing, really. I was just texting Aelin about her schedule and stuff.”

He could hear the hesitation in his voice, and Chaol knew it was because he was talking about Aelin. He’d dated her soon after the last games four years ago. Actually, they’d met during the Olympics, when she was seventeen and he was twenty. Their relationship had lasted for about nine months, and even though it hadn’t exactly ended well, it was a long time ago. 

“Chill, man,” he finally responded. “We broke up a long time ago - we were different people then. Besides, we’re sort of friends now.”

“When the hell did that happen?”

Chaol chuckled. “Officially? About two days ago. But honestly, I’m not really sure. I’d gotten over our break up long before I started dating Yrene, and then I actually ran into her two days ago when I was out on a run. We talked, and it was awkward, and then it… wasn’t? I don’t know, it was like before we started dating, when we were just friends. It was… a nice change.” 

He heard Dorian’s low whistle even through the door. “That’s a nice change.”

He’d finished getting dressed by then, and he was just getting ready to respond when he heard a knock on the door. Running the towel over his hair to get rid of any water droplets that were still clinging to the short strands, he heard his girlfriend’s familiar laugh echoing from the other side of the door. 

Tossing his towel on the rack, he pulled the door open just in time to see Dorian set Yrene back on her feet and release her from a hug - he always picked her up and spun her around whenever he saw her, and it never failed to make her laugh.

“Hey, baby,” he greeted, his lips pulling into a smile when she collapsed into a chair and groaned. “Sounds like someone had a rough morning.”

Yrene just rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. “Nah, just a boring one. The soccer team had practice this morning, which I was watching just to make sure nothing went wrong, but then I had to leave halfway through to go check on swim team practice.” Even though she grumbled, he knew she was ecstatic to be here. He and Dorian had both competed four years ago, but this was her first time at the Olympics. 

“Well,” he finally said, walking over and sprawling across her lap, which pulled a muffled grunt from her even as she wrapped her arms around him. “You came to the right place.” He kissed her forehead gently, smiling when he felt her relax against him.

“Indeed you did,” Dorian chimed in. “If you two can be bothered to remove yourselves from one another, the three of us can get lunch before the Ceremonies.”

“Which you’re going to love, by the way.” Chaol climbed off her lap and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “So, what do you say? Lunch and then more firsts for your Olympic journey?”

Laughing when she saw Dorian was nodding along with everything Chaol was saying, she nodded and let her boyfriend lead her out the door, linking her arm with Dorian’s. “Sounds like a plan, boys.”

Lysandra:

“This is amazing!” Lysandra knew she sounded like a little kid on Christmas morning, but she couldn’t help herself. Though this was her second Olympic Games, it was her first Opening Ceremonies. The diving preliminaries had been the day after them during the last games, so she hadn’t been able to go because she had her final round of training before the competition officially started. 

A massive smile stretching over her face, she bounced on her toes as she waited for Erilea to be announced. They were slowly making their way toward the entrance to the stadium where the Ceremonies were held, and she kept drumming on Aedion’s arm in excitement. “It’s almost time!” she squealed, tapping out a happy beat on his forearm before bouncing again.

Unfortunately, her bouncing was a little too enthusiastic, and she stumbled into Aedion just as he grabbed her hands to keep her from using him as her own personal drum kit. His grip was the only thing that kept her from toppling over when she rebounded off his chest, and he just shook his head at her. “It’s a good thing you’re so cute when you’re so excited.”

“Oh, you hush,” Lysandra chided, settling into him when he tucked her against his side. “Aelin told me all about how excited you were during the last Games.”

Chuckling at the glare she was giving him, he just knocked his forehead against hers briefly before gesturing to the entrance. “Yeah, well, you haven’t seen anything yet - get ready.”

She barely had time to blink before they were walking into the stadium, the announcer’s voice echoing through the massive structure. “And here come the athletes from Erilea!”

Lysandra giggled in excitement and clapped her hands together before following the example of her teammates and waving to the crowd. She couldn’t believe how many people were there, and she saw Erilean flags waving everywhere she looked. Letting out a soft “whoo” when she heard cheering from a group of fans on her right, she turned to face Aedion with a gleeful expression on her face. “This is… so much better than I ever thought.”

“Isn’t it?” he replied, gesturing to the smiling faces of all the athletes around them. “Being asked to represent your country at the Olympics is an honor, but this is still my favorite part. Getting to see the joy on everyone's faces as it all sinks in that they’re really here, that they’re representing their country on an international scale? Nothing beats that feeling.”

“It’s an awe-inspiring feeling,” Lysandra agreed, catching Elide’s smiling face out of the corner of her eye. “I forgot! It’s Elide’s first Olympics - I’ll be right back.” Weaving her way through the other members of the diving team, she quickly made her way to Elide’s side and wrapped an arm around the other girl’s shoulders. “Welcome to the Olympics, El,” she murmured.

“Oh, Lys!” she cried, turning to her with a happy expression and tear-filled eyes. “This is everything I’ve dreamed of. Being here… I never thought this would happen. Even though I’m not competing, I’m still representing my country… I’m representing Erilea at the Olympics!”

Lys couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her at the other girl’s tone, and pulled her into a hug even as they kept walking. She knew how much Elide had been looking forward to being able to compete before the injury, and she knew how crushed she was when that dream was shattered. But she was glad that Elide finally found her way to the Games, even more so because she’d get to share her journey. 

The two of them talked about how amazing it all was for a couple minutes before Lysandra noticed that Elide seemed to be limping slightly. She figured it was a combination of diving the day before and the way she’d tripped coming out of the pool. Though she knew Elide was more than capable of looking after herself, she still worried about her irritating her injury.

Just as she was about to ask if she was okay, she took notice of someone walking on Elide’s other side. Turning to see who it was, Lysandra had to stifle her gasp of surprise when she realized it was Lorcan.

Elide noticed him at the same time that Lysandra did, and the smile on her face seemed to grow even bigger, if that was possible. “Hey, Lorcan!” she greeted, bumping her hip against his.

“Hey,” he rumbled, his low voice someone still audible with all the noise. “Are you alright?”

Elide gave him a confused look, but when she saw that his gaze was directed at her ankle, she just nodded. “I’m okay. It’s just a little sore from getting so much use, and from diving and tripping yesterday.”

Lorcan just nodded, and looked like he wanted to say more when his teammates started calling for him. Elide gave her a look, and Lysandra nodded and gestured over her shoulder. “Go on - I’m gonna go find Aelin!”

As the two of them walked off, Lysandra noticed that Lorcan had wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Elide was leaning into him, grateful for the support. Deciding to wonder what that was all about later, she just turned and skipped to Aelin’s side, where she was surrounded by the rest of the gymnasts.

The two of them waved to the crowds together for a few moments, taking pictures and videos to document the moment, but eventually they split, Aelin going in search of Rowan and Lys looking for Aedion again. 

It only took her a handful of seconds to find him - he was with the Bane (the soccer team he played for in Erilea and most of his Olympic teammates), and they were a fairly difficult group of people to miss. Walking over to him, she wrapped an arm around his waist, curling into his side as he grinned down at her. She couldn’t help the way her heart fluttered every time she saw his grin. Though she had been the one to insist on a friends with benefits relationship, she was beginning to develop feelings for someone she had quickly found to be a best friend… and she didn’t know what to do about it. As conflicted as her emotions were, she still relished in getting to share this experience with him. 

She spent the rest of the walk around the stadium like that, his arm a comforting weight on her shoulders. As they rounded the final bend in the track, she caught a glimpse of Lorcan and Elide - and felt her mouth drop open. He was carrying her on his back, and Elide didn’t seem to mind the help at all. In fact, both of them were smiling, and Lorcan was nodding along as she talked into his ear.

Interesting.

Lysandra shook off the part of her that wanted to know more right away, knowing that there would be time for that later. For the moment, she’d just take in the experience with Aedion by her side.

Rowan:

Rowan walked out of the bathroom to see his girlfriend bending down to touch her toes - in nothing but a sports bra and thong. The sight of her stretching before bed wasn’t uncommon - in fact, it was probably one of the most expected things in his daily life. As a gymnast, she was constantly stretching and doing whatever she could to keep her joints and muscles loose. He’d learned early on in their relationship that she did an evening cool down - be it stretches or simple yoga poses - every night before bed.

However, she usually had on more than just her matching black undergarments. 

She must have heard the way his breath hitched in his throat, because she stood and looked at him over her shoulder. “It was too hot for clothes,” she stated, her lips twisting into a smirk.

“Aelin,” he breathed, eyes caught on the way the thin fabric of her thong disappeared between the very firm cheeks of her ass. “I think you just like to watch me suffer.”

“Maybe,” she murmured, reaching her arms over her head and stretching onto her toes, the added curve in her back pushing her ass even closer to him. “But if you’re going to give me a show, I figured you deserved one too.” She gestured to him for emphasis.

Though it was hard, he managed to tear his gaze from her tantalizing curves to glance down at himself. They’d come back from the Opening Ceremonies, both of them agreeing that it was time for bed. The day of the Ceremonies tended to be both exhilarating and exhausting for the athletes, and they both had full schedules for the Games. He’d gone into the bathroom, since he liked to shower before bed. It was something that helped calm his muscles at the end of the day - Aelin had her stretching and he had his warm showers. 

He’d walked into the room clad in only a pair of sweats that were slung low on his hips - standard sleeping attire for him - and it seemed his girlfriend was fascinated with his bare chest. “Well, I suppose fair is fair, love.”

She merely nodded, talking several steps in his direction until she was standing right in front of him. “I need you to help me stretch my legs,” she whispered, brushing her lips over his jaw.

“Is that so?” Rowan responded, his hands settling on her waist. “Well, your wish is my command, Fireheart.”

“You do love pleasing me, buzzard.” Pushing his shoulders until he started moving backward, she didn’t stop until his back was resting against the wall. “I just need you to stay right here,” she murmured, pulling herself out of his grasp. 

Rowan watched her as she took a step back from him, her gaze fixed on his left shoulder. She stared at him for a moment, and he was just about to ask what she was doing when she moved. Kicking her right leg just to his left, she lifted it until her ankle was hovering just over his shoulder. 

Aelin lowered her foot gently until it was resting against him - and then she leaned into the stretch. 

He groaned as her damp, barely covered folds came in contact with his quickly hardening length. Though he was trying to control himself - after all, if she truly wanted to stretch, he had no qualms helping her - but that went out the door when she began grinding against him.

“Seems like someone is in a teasing mood,” he all but growled, one hand coming to rest on her calf as it rested just below his shoulder. 

Aelin tried to play coy. “I don’t think I know what you’re talking about.”

He merely raised a brow at her - two could play at that game. Still gripping her leg with one hand, he worked the other between their bodies, sliding it down her stomach until he was cupping her slick heat. “That’s odd, because your wet little pussy sure seems to know what I’m talking about.” Leaning in until his lips were just brushing hers, Rowan pushed her thong aside and slid two fingers inside of her.

Gasping against his lips, Aelin couldn’t seem to help the way her hips rolled against his hand. He captured the moans that escaped her in a soul-shattering kiss, all teeth and tongues and gasping breaths, his fingers never stopped as he worked her toward what he decided then and there would be her first of many orgasms that night.

It seemed, however, that Aelin didn’t want to be the only one falling apart. As distracted as he was with watching the looks of pleasure shifting across her face when he wasn’t kissing her like her lips were the oxygen he needed to survive, he barely noticed her hand sliding down his chest. He only really felt it because she was scratching her nails over the defined muscles of his abdomen. 

Rowan had just started to work a third finger into her dripping walls when her hand dipped below the waistband of his sweats and wrapped around his hard, aching cock. “Is this all because of me, baby?” she teased, though her voice, needy and breathy as it was, fell just shy of that teasing tone. 

He just groaned and rocked his hips against her hand, thrusting his fingers against that spot inside of her for every pump of her hand along his length. And every time she swiped her thumb over the head of his cock, teasing the slit with just the lightest of touches, he pressed his thumb against her clit.

The room was filled with the sound of their groans, and he found that he was getting dangerously close to that edge. He could tell Aelin was getting close too, and though he wanted nothing more than to focus only on the feeling of her hand on him, he wanted to bring her over that edge with him before he took her to bed and worshipped her for as long as she wanted him to.

Yes, it certainly seemed that using their hands to bring each other into blissful oblivion was only the start to their night. 

.

Tags: @highqueenofelfhame @city-of-fae @musicmaam @throne-of-ashes-and-beauty @tacmc @tangledraysofsunshine @fo3v3r-a-day @impossiblescissorspeachpaper @nish247 @lordof-bloodshed @nalgenewhore @how-to-be-a-bad-ass-be-me @bookrebelwordwarrior @sleeping-and-books @faerie-queen-fireheart @photofeesh @belamoonbeam @julemmaes @mis-lil-red @thesirenwashere @tswaney17 @b00kworm @over300books @spyofthenightcourt @empress-ofbloodshed

As always, if you want to be added to or removed from my tag list, just let me know! And let me know what you thought - I really hope you all liked it!

[temporoom]

“Why” TPN ended so quickly ?

Theory and analysis of the authors and the reasons why the manga ended with a rushed final arc with a climax announced too long ago.

Hi. Yes, I know, you expected me to write a long post about my impressions on TPN. And you are right ! I shall do that ! But I’m not home right now, and I decided to do better.

My art history teacher was always suprised to see me caring so much about the context of some art piece rather that the piece itself. But as an artist myself, I know how the context can be so important and affect something. And TPN is no exception in that matter. That’s why, instead of directly talking about the fictional piece, I want to tak more about its authors and their mindset for the end of this manga.

Or more precisely… I want to talk about Posuka Demizu.

(Everything said in this post are only speculations, I don't pretend to know the Truth or to know the authors better than others, those are just analysis from what I could’ve guessed happened in Posuka Demizu’s life)

Credits to my older sister @machikurada​ for translating Posuka Demizu’s tweet in English.

Now, who is Posuka Demizu ? Posuka Demizu is (seemingly) a young japanese woman who worked as an illustrator for various people, such as book writers or even magazines. She has been spotted by Kaiu Shirai when searching for an artist for TPN when it was only him and his editor back then. She was working part-time at a cafe at the time, and immediately accepted to work as the illustrator for TPN once she read the script.

From interviews, her and Kaiu Shirai gets along, teasing and giving advices to each other from time to time. They trust each other enough to let the other work their imaginations in the best way to improve the manga. And it worked wonderfully for those 3 years of serialization.

Things started to go a bit more weirdly after a few years though. But it wasn’t Shirai’s fault, far from that. TPN has been an incredible way to be known for Posuka Demizu, she wasn’t just an underground illustrator anymore, but an actual mangaka. Publishing artbooks (though I don't think it was just TPN to be honest) and making exhibits of her artworks...

I bought her artbook in japanese/English (it was translated) a while ago. One sentence left a strong impression on me :

“I draw depending on my mindset, for example I drew a lot of motorbike illustrations since I bought my own motorcyle.”

(It’s not the exact sentence but as I said I’m not at home right now, I will edit the exact sentence once I’m back)

This sentence stood out to me because… It’s right. You can feel it in her art, she draws depending on her mindset. It’s not just ideas, it’s her feelings, it’s incredibly personal.

Since then, while I was following her twitter, I became more attentive to what she posted, because it wasn’t just art anymore… Posuka Demizu rarely talks about herself, her art is herself. She talks with her art. So you can guess why I wasn’t so surprised with the rush ending.

The final arc was announced at the beginning of September 2018. The climax, only in November 2019. 

Demizu already posted art often… maybe too often. Usually it even was original new art. Always something new each week, I was even joking that they weren’t giving her enough work to do with how much free time she seemed to have. But I was soon to regret ever joking about that.

She strated reposting her own art more often as the manga continued. She even got sick once. She… seemed tired. The original art she posted would become simpler each week, sometimes only small characters on a blank background, everything always with shades of grey. Something was wrong and I knew it. And then… The first post came.

A few months after the announcement of the climax. This doesn’t seem much to you, but the little boy in bed is one of Posuka Demizu’s OCs. He is surrounded by bunnies… Weirdly similar to Little Bernie. He seems tired, and theirs cardboard boxes. Then we get to another post.

“Carboard boxes piling up”

First thing in my mind : “Oh! She’s moving out !” It seems like so. But she wasn’t just moving out… It’s working AND Moving out. I also rememebered another interview when she said that she had more than 2000 pages in her drawers for TPN.

“Tonight I’m working overtime”

Seems clear enough for me. Also notice how the books are pilling up and taking over the picture ? How the character in the back seems tired ?

“I’ll make you a cup of tea, why don't you sit down?”

Next art. It seems she finally settled down in her new appartment with her other assistants. She is nor just working now but also chilling. You had no idea of how reassured I was when I saw this. I was so worried during the week that I was scared for her physical and mental health.

Demizu kept reposting her own art afterwards, but she seemed to feel overall better. Then…

This tweet arrived. What’s written in japanese here is aproximatively “I understand that feeling”. Any artist can tell that she is having an art block. At that point I knew.

I knew something had happened. 

She was tired, overwhelemed by her own work and manga. Tired of drawing. (I want to precise that she posted a lot of sad and melancholic art during that time)

She was coming to her breaking point.

A few months go by. She seemed to feel better again… But during that time the manga was rushed, people noticed that it was being made too quickly. And then the end arrived, good or bad… the side announcements made everything clearer for me.

They announced that Posuka Demizu would work as a character designer and concept artist for a video game that had nothing to do with TPN. But what does that have to do with anything ? Everything.

Soon after, the main characters for the game were announced… Designs had been made, concept art had been made… 

Posuka Demizu was working on BOTH the manga and the video game.

In an interview, she mentioned how she wanted to do all the backgrounds at first for the manga until she noticed how much work it represented. Posuka Demizu is terrible at noticing how much work somthing could take her. She LOVES drawing, she adds so many details TO DRAW MORE. 

The breakdown, the feeling of being overwhelmed… everything was because she has decided to work on two big projects at the same time. She most likely announced to the editor and Kaiu Shirai that she had accepted to work for this video game before those posts, hence why the climax announcement. But then couldn’t follow the rythm.

Kaiu Shirai and her gets along, I wrote it down earlier. So, he most likely went ahead to make her finish the manga earlier, all in order to keep her mental and physical health safe. Besides, she seemed more interested to work on something else than continue TPN without bein invested in it anymore. TPN was a way to get herself known… and it was time to let it go once and for all. 

So like the bird in a cage, Shirai accepted to set her free from TPN.

Of course, there’s still work to do, but now, she can focus more on a new project she will be invested as much in as she was at the beginning of TPN. 

As for her mental state now :

“Street view”

I think she is a bit sad to leave TPN still, but ready go on her own now… After all... The adventures continues.

[raindduks]

trio trouble

p a i r i n g :: shinwon x reader (kinda)

g e n r e :: angst, werewolf! au, suspense

w a r n i n g s :: major character death, alcohol, syringes,

s u m m a r y :: The moon shines brightly in the night sky, all but a sliver illuminating your path as you make your way through the brush. Briars constantly poke and rip at your stockings, a chilly breeze worming its way under your sweater and behind your ears. The air is crisp, tinged with the smell of dead leaves and foliage. Normally, you would be all about this.

Normally you aren’t running for your life. 

w o r d  c o u n t :: 4642

a / n :: cross posted on ao3, please check it out there as well! i have the same url on both!

The moon shines brightly in the night sky, all but a sliver illuminating your path as you make your way through the brush. Briars constantly poke and rip at your stockings, a chilly breeze worming its way under your sweater and behind your ears. The air is crisp, tinged with the smell of dead leaves and foliage. Normally, you would be all about this. 

Normally you aren’t running for your life.

The night didn’t start like this, in fact your friends had decided the best thing to do this Halloween would be to venture out to the abandoned mill on the outskirts of town and drink until the sun rose or you keeled over - whichever came first. You walked towards the mill, dressed head to toe in autumn colors and a themed sweater because it was cold outside and you were not about to freeze to death on Halloween. You carried a twelve pack of ale, happily moving towards your destination. You noticed that the others arrived before you, and a cheer went up as you approached.

Wooseok, already a little tipsy, shouted when he saw you approach - “YEAH! MORE BOOZE LETS GET IT!!” - and swiftly disarmed you of your goods, raising them above his head as he marched towards the stash of various beverages off to the side. Yuto and Hui looked up from where they were stationed by the fire, waving at you before returning to their conversation. Shinwon and Hongseok were watching a furious debate between Changgu and Jinho about something the younger had said about the older's “costume for the evening,” which was just Jinho in a beanie. Apparently, Changgu thought he had dressed up as a 7-year-old for the occasion. Hyunggu was passing around a bowl of candy, grinning all the while. Yanan stared into the bonfire, watching his marshmallows go up in just the right amount of flames. You grinned.  

The hours flew by in a haze of smores, sweets and - of course - shots. Hongseok and Jinho told scary stories around the fire with Yuto cowering behind Wooseok and Yanan. Each story was more ridiculous than the last, but that didn’t seem to matter to Yuto - if it’s remotely scary, it’s enough to send him running. You felt a pleasant buzz settle in just under your skin, negating the chill that had crept into the air. You shifted closer to Shinwon, the pair of you content to watch the show. As it got closer to midnight, you heard the man sitting next to you pipe up, 

“Why don’t we play a game of Truth or Dare?”

The group, a happy level of tipsy, agreed. Dares ranged from eating rum-soaked marshmallows and trying to jump the fire, with truths being anything from childhood memories to dirty little secrets. Wooseok turned to Hyunggu, “Alright, truth or dare?”

Hyunggu smiles, “Dare.”

Wooseok’s mouth crooked upwards, “I dare you to go into the basement.”

The color drained from Hyunggu’s face as the group egged him on. 

“I’ll even go with you. Gotta make sure you don’t chicken out,” Wooseok offered.

Yuto looked frantically between Wooseok and Hyunggu before quickly interjecting - “Me too!! I’ll go with them, too..” You’re pretty sure he didn’t want to be left at the mercy of Jinho and Hongseok who would try to scare him even more than he already was. 

You watched the trio disappear into the dark stairwell at the far end of the floor, shadows having long since enveloped their features. The conversation continued on. Minutes passed with no sign of the trio. Everything was fine, if not a little tense as you waited for your companions to return, until a blood curdling scream echoed through the mill. Everyone froze, looking at each other for answers. Hui was the first to stand, loudly proclaiming he was going to go down to check on them. One by one the group followed. 

The stairs creaked on the way down, but you could barely hear them over sounds of bones grinding on each other, low groans and broken screams growing ever louder the further down you went. Tension settled in the air and you felt yourself unintentionally creeping closer and closer to Shinwon. You clutched at the back of his shirt, desperate to ground yourself. He turned back to face you, and a small smile crossed his face. You felt some of your unease slip away into the darkness. 

You stepped into a large room at the bottom of the stairwell, eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. Once they did, you had to physically hold back your scream. The walls were bare concrete, lined with dusty boxes and peeling labels. Most strikingly, the room had a large upright operating table in the middle, complete with lights, stainless trays lined with various medical tools and a plethora of leather restraints. Upon one of these trays was a set of three syringes, two of which were already emptied. 

The third was currently being injected into a screaming and thrashing Hyunggu. 

Two hooded figures stood on either side of him, one forcing him back against the table as the other plunged the needle into your friend's neck. You locked eyes with him, paralyzed by his fear. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Hongseok move towards the table with a loud shout. The hooded figures turned his way, dropping everything they held before they sprinted out of a door on the opposite side of the room. Hongseok started to chase after them, with Changgu and Hui not far behind. Shinwon rushed to Hyunggu’s side, desperately trying to keep him cognizant while Yanan worked to undo the straps holding him to the table.

A growl echoed through the space, stopping everyone in their tracks. 

Out of the darkness stepped a large blond wolf with piercing amber eyes. He towered over Hongseok, staring down the man who looked poised to bolt. The wolf seemed neutral, content to stare down the man in front of it. The tense peace was shattered by Hyunggu’s groans, and the wolf turned his attention away from Hongseok to Shinwon who was cradling Hyunggu’s pale and flushed body. He moved towards them, but Hongseok quickly put himself in the wolf’s way once more. 

This did not make the wolf particularly happy. 

Suddenly, there was a dull thud echoing in the room as Hongseok collided with the boxes against the wall. He fell limp to the floor, and Hui rushed over to his side. You could see the faint rise and fall of his chest, which gave you a modicum of peace knowing he was still alive. During all the commotion, another wolf had stepped out of the shadows, growling lowly in his throat. This wolf was raven black, his fur taking on a navy sheen under the lights. The black wolf approached your side of the group, stalking towards you. You backed up until you hit the wall, breath shaky. Yanan stood next to you, looking frantically at the rapidly unraveling situation. Soon, a figure blocked your view. 

Jinho stood in between you and the wolf, eyes hard and resolved as he turned his head just enough to speak back to you.

“Get out of here.”     You were frozen in place, eyes locked with the beast. You couldn’t seem to move no matter how much your brain screamed at you to high tail it out of there. Luckily, Yanan did not need to be told twice. He forcefully grabbed your arm before dragging you back up the stairs. You stumbled over a few of the steps, legs still stiff from fear. You weren’t sure where you were going to go, or what was going to happen to you friends but you knew you needed to leave. You emerged onto the dusty main floor of the mill, constantly checking behind you as if you could see anything in the thick darkness. Barely there streams of moonlight filtered in through the windows, casting small pockets of light onto the floor. The fire the group created earlier had died down considerably, making the room seem impossibly dark. Yanan was unbothered by the lack of visibility, as he made a beeline for the exit, your hand securely wrapped in his.

“Come on, we’re almost outside,” His words are almost lost on you. 

 A sickening crunch echoed through the mill, and you felt bile rise up in your throat. You knew that couldn’t be anything good. Your mind raced through all the possibilities, and you could hardly keep your feet under you. You wanted to just collapse and cry, adrenaline exhausted and the cold worming its way in under your skin. How would you even get back? And what happens when you do? The wolves could probably track you wherever you went, and it’s not like the authorities are going to believe you. Who would? What would you even say? That two of your friends are missing, one of them was injected by two complete strangers hanging out in the basement of the old mill - oh, and the perpetrators ran away but before you could pursue you were stopped by two massive wolves? Anyone would think you’d lost it. 

Though something seemed…. strangely…. human about those wolves… 

You wrenched yourself out of Yanan’s grip at the exit, breathing heavily. He turned around, sorbet pink hair catching the moonlight and making him look almost ethereal. His expression was a mixture of confusion and exasperation. 

“What are you doing? We have to go!”

You shook your head frantically.

“We have to go back for them! Wooseok, Yuto, Kino… I think they’re-”

Before you could finish your sentence a growl sounded from behind you. You whip around, facing the decrepit building. A lithe white wolf, much smaller than the other two, padded through the doorway. His eyes are a bright blue, a complement to the deep crimson dripping from his maw. You instinctively started backing away as the wolf approached, hand outstretched behind you desperately searching for your companion. A bruised and bloodied Hui appeared in the doorway behind the wolf, making eye contact with you. His face twisted into one of surprise and then frustration. 

“What are you still doing here? Get to the car!”

The white wolf whipped around to face the new arrival, suddenly able to choose between meals. This time you don’t need Yanan to take your hand in order to start running towards the street where you all had parked. The two of you took off and Hui disappeared back into the darkness of the mill. You felt a rush of relief as you saw the cars come into view. Then, you felt your heart drop as you remembered that you left your purse and keys inside by the fire. You cursed under your breath. You could only hope that Yanan had driven here and still had his. 

It didn’t matter anyways as a large shadow burst out of the brush, cutting off your path. The two of you skidded to a halt as you came face to face with the large black wolf for the second time that night. The wolf paused for only a second before charging at you. You ran into the woods on instinct.

The moon sits high in the sky now, and your legs ache at the continued strain. Your outfit isn’t the best suited for running through the woods, and you weren’t exactly ready to run a marathon at the start of the night. You have no clue where you’re going or what will be around the corner, but you know you need to get back to safety somehow. 

If there even was any safety to be found from three massive wolves. 

You’re ready to collapse when you stumble over a large tree root, scraping yourself up even further as you hit the leaf-covered ground. A groan sounds from behind you, and you scramble to your knees in search of the source.

You strain your eyes to see a mess of wavy brown hair and broad shoulders leaning up against the side of a tree. You gasp, moving over to get a better look at Shinwon. He opens one eye, and his pain twisted face immediately softens into something more sweet. A gentle smile adorns his face as he looks so warmly at you as you panic in front of him, hands flitting around him as you check him for injuries. His previously cream sweater is torn and deep crimson marks adorn his chest and right arm, and his face is almost unrecognizable under all the dried blood. You move your gaze down further and freeze.

Your knees sit in a growing pool of blood, and it doesn’t take a genius to know that the mangled mess that was - is - his right leg is the source. Shinwon doesn’t take his gaze from you, instead opting to cup your face with his hand. You feel tears escaping from your eyes, mingling with the dirt and grime that had built up there. You let a sob escape you as you feel his thumb softly swipe across your cheek, his eyes just as gentle as they always are. You don’t need words to know what he’s feeling. You never have.

You shake your head once, maybe twice before turning into his hand, holding it in place and trying to memorize the feel. You choke out, “We - We n-need to- hic - to get out of here, I can, I can, I-”

Shinwon shakes his head and cuts you off. “They’ve already got their eyes set on me, and you’re not in any position to carry me out of here. Hongseok maybe,” His smile brightens as he forces a huff of laughter out of you. You can’t help it around him. He’s always able to lighten the mood, even in a time like this. He reaches into his pocket with his free hand and places a set of keys in your hands, carefully folding your fingers around the warm metal. You shake your head again, muttering a string of noes, as if the gravity of the situation finally hit you. Tears ran down in droves, obscuring your already limited vision. This can’t be happening. You’re going to get him out of here. You’ll find your friends and get them to come back and grab him, get him help. He’ll be fine, if maybe missing a leg. He’ll be alive. You can, you can, you can..

You can’t. 

You’re not strong enough to carry Shinwon out of the woods on your own on your best day, and certainly not after all you’ve been through. Hell, you aren’t even sure where you are right now. A sob rips itself from your throat, and then another. You bring both of your hands up to wrap around the one still against your cheek. Sobs wrack through your tired frame and you can vaguely hear him gently shushing you. You stay for a moment like that, memorizing the feel of his hand, his warmth, the gentle tone of his voice. Deep down you feel something break inside you and this moment flooding in to fill the cracks. A thin line of gold to repair something incredibly broken. You shift, touching your head to his shoulder instead, hand still held between yours. You take a few deep breaths. 

“Shinwon, I can’t just leave you here.” You lean back just enough to look him in the eyes and you catch a faint smile on his face. 

“You have to.” 

His eyes convey everything in that moment - love and acceptance and peace. That look tattoos itself onto the back of your brain, and you instinctively shake your head again. It feels hollow somehow. An empty protest. 

“No, I’ll bring Hongseok back and everyone else. We’ll get you out of here, I promise. Just keep yourself safe okay?”

He relents, the odd softness in his eyes more prominent now. “Okay.” Pause. “Okay. I’ll wait here. Take my keys; you’ll need to get to town somehow and it’s not like I can use them. You know which one is my car right? The red hatchback?”

You nod, grip tightening around the keys he gifted you earlier. “Yes, it has those stupid dice hanging from the rearview mirror.”

He huffs out a laugh. You cherish every second of it. “That’s the one. And they’re not stupid - they’re cool.” 

“Whatever you say.” 

He closes his eyes and leans back against the tree trunk, once more absorbed by the shadows and foliage. He sighs in either relief or acceptance - you couldn’t quite tell - the smile on his face relaxing for just a moment. Shinwon rolls his head to face you as his eyes struggle to reopen. 

The normal teasing quality to his voice is absent as he formulates his next words. 

“Take care, Y/N. I’ll… I’ll see you soon.” 

Your throat closes up and you can only nod. He removes his hand from yours, nothing more than a gentle tug that tells you to release him. He closes his eyes once more, his breaths coming slow and steady. You stand and you can feel the pins and needles coming in to make their home in your legs from kneeling for so long. The adrenaline has mostly worn off by now, and exhaustion takes its place as you try to force yourself to leave. You don’t want to. You feel every part of your soul telling you to figure something out. That this can’t be the end, that you can do it somehow. But the better part of yourself knows this is the only option. 

Good night, Shinwon. I’ll be back soon. I - There will be time later, I promise. I promise. 

You can’t bring yourself to say it, but you hope he knows. Knows all the words you’ve left unsaid, even now.  

It takes everything you have to turn away from him.

You don’t know how long it takes you to get out of the woods, but the moon is well into its journey by the time you emerge. Somehow you’ve managed to circle back around to the road leading towards the mill, albeit quite some distance away from where you started. A howl rips through the night air and you freeze in your tracks. Two more fire off in quick succession, and you relax. They appear to be from far off, so you can continue on your way for now. 

A pair of sweet brown eyes crosses your mind.

You don’t want to think about what they may be howling about. 

It is not lost on you, as you traverse the dimly lit road, that you are quite literally headed into the den of the beast. You could always turn around and try your luck walking home. Though, you’re not sure that you’ll ever be safe knowing what lives in the woods just outside of town. No, the car is your best bet. At least then you’d stand a chance of outrunning the damn things or hitting them hard enough to make a getaway. You grip the keys like a lifeline - hard enough to cut into your palm. You suppose they are a lifeline in a way. 

You don’t think much longer as two figures burst through the treeline into the light a distance away. One is holding the other up, an arm wrapped around the other’s midsection as they move forward in a sort of disjointed lockstep. Your body instinctively tenses, ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. One turns back to face you and you almost drop to your knees in relief. Changgu seems to be in a similar state. You pocket the keys as you hurry over to where they are, immediately placing your other arm under Changgu’s. You move Hongseok’s arm over your shoulders as gently as possible, trying to encourage him to lean into you as best he can. Sweat moistens his skin and through the rips in his shirt you see blackish purple bruises blooming across his torso. 

Hongseok struggles to open his eyes, but when he catches sight of you his lips twitch in a ghost of a smile. Your eyes flit over to Changgu, searching for something you’re not quite so sure you want to see. He shakes his head. Hongseok is injured - that much is certain - but it doesn’t appear to be life threatening as of now. He should get to a hospital soon; he must be exhausted from running so long. Changgu also looks worse for wear, with a thin sheen of sweat covering his skin. You don’t know how long he’s been half-carrying the larger man, but it can’t be too long or else he would be much more winded. Or not. Changgu is a lot stronger than you give him credit for. You could call him the strongest in the group if not for the man currently hanging between you. The three of you continue on your journey - silent for the most part. Neither of you wants to be the first to speak, to break the subtle understanding hanging in the air. You’ve seen some shit, and right now you just want to get out of this mess alive. 

Four or five street lights down, a small - distinctly human - figure stumbles out of the brush. Jinho notices you before you have a chance to call out to him. He runs over, taking his place next to you.

“I can take him for a bit if either of you get tired.” 

All you can muster is a curt nod of acknowledgement, and even then you stumble a little. Changgu forces you to stop, waiting for you to catch your breath.

“You should take a break.” You try to protest but Jinho inserts himself in your place, shouldering the weight of Hongseok with a grunt. Hongseok winces a bit as he shifts, his body a bit more lopsided due to the change in height. Jinho locks eyes with Changgu, nodding before continuing forward. You walk behind the trio, doing your best to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. By the time you make it back to the mill, it’s nearly sunrise. The sky is darker than black, and the stars seem to taunt you with their mirthful twinkling. You’ve rotated out carrying duty for Changgu, and your pace is significantly slower without him. Hongseok didn’t notice. 

As you approach the line of parked cars, you notice movement behind a black sedan. Hushed whispers float on the wind, 

“We have…… “

“Can’t leave yet…… “

“ No choice… car… ”

“ … OW!”

Changgu seems to recognize the welp, and calls out, 

“Yanan? Hui? Are you there?”

You watch Hui pop up from his hiding spot, eyes wide with relief as he spots the familiar faces. He rushes over to you, navy blue hair almost glimmering in the low light. Yanan approaches with him, quickly rotating out with Jinho for carrying Hongseok the rest of the way to the car, where you gently prop him against the side. Hongseok winces slightly as the cold metal hits his back, but his eyes don’t open. He needs to get to a hospital, and fast. Yanan slouches next to him, leaning his head against the door. You notice the deep crimson that stains the right side of his head and the collar of his sweatshirt. Yanan glances over at you and offers a smile. 

“I’m alright, don’t worry! It’s not as bad as it looks.”

You give him a look of disbelief, but don’t press the issue further. He is well enough to help carry a man twice his size, so that has to count for something. You turn your attention to the three men huddled nearby, 

    “What do you think they’re talking about?” 

    Yanan follows your gaze to the group and shrugs. “I don’t know, probably how to get out of here.”

    Your blood runs cold. “What do you mean?”     Yanan looks confused, “We have to leave? Did you forget there are three crazed wolves chasing after us?”

    “But they’re---I mean we can’t---They---” You struggle to find the right words. You aren’t sure your friends have put the pieces together yet, or if they’re simply more focused on survival at the moment. You deflate, your voice barely higher than a whisper, “But what if they’re our friends?”

    Yanan’s face softens and he affectionately pats your head. “They would want us to be safe.” 

He’s right.

    The trio come back over to the car. Hui speaks first. 

    “Okay, all of our stuff is still inside the mill, so if we want a chance at getting out of here we need to go back in there. But, we don’t know where Shinwon is and we don’t want to strand him here. No one’s seen him since we split up, and we don’t have time to wait -”

    You vaguely hear Jinho interrupt him and the pair start to argue back and forth, but you can’t really focus on the scene at hand when another swims across your vision. The memory of a hand pressing a pair of keys into your palm hits you so hard it nearly knocks you over. It’s been a few hours at best since you left Shinwon, but it felt a lifetime away. His final words block out the world around you, begging you to leave. Pleading for you to go on without him, no matter how hard it was. Without thinking, you fish the keys out of your pocket and hold them as carefully as you can in the palm of your hand. 

    You don’t notice it, but suddenly everyone is quiet. Their attention is focused solely on you. You gear yourself up to speak a few times, but each time the words die on your lips as helplessness takes over. Changgu is gentle when he catches hold of your wrist and asks,

    “Y/N, those are Shinwon’s keys, aren’t they?”

    You snap out of your reverie just enough to look into his eyes. The softness present there makes you choke back a sob - they really look so similar to his - brokenly nodding at him. Your mouth forms around the words you fail to say once more, until your tongue catches two:

    “I couldn’t..”

    Suddenly the eyes focused on your shift downwards, and Changgu nods. He takes the keys from you, face set in a determined line. 

    “We have to leave. Now.”

    No one tries to argue with him. In fact, they all exchange a glance and rise to their feet, wordlessly going about the motions. Jinho comes over to comfort your shellshocked frame. Yanan and Changgu work to lift the still breathing Hongseok to his feet. Hui takes the keys from Changgu and goes to find Shinwon’s car. You barely notice any of it. You’d been comforted by the idea that you could possibly go back, that Shinwon isn’t lost to you - not yet - and that there was still time. You deluded yourself into thinking that you weren’t the last person he would ever see, and that you would be able to get Hongseok, or Changgu, or anyone to help you bring him back. The rush of finding your friends was enough to push the thoughts of his gentle and desperate eyes to the sidelines, but not enough to completely erase them. 

    You were grateful as Jinho helped you to your feet and ushered you into the backseat of the red hatchback - “You know which one is my car right?” Of course I do, do you know how my heart soars every time I see that rust bucket? - sandwiched between Yanan and himself. Changgu squeezes into the trunk space since Hongseok occupies the front seat. Hui climbs in last, taking a moment to situate himself before looking in the rear-view mirror at you. 

    “Let’s get out of here.”

[analyzingadventure]

Psi: What we’ve learned so far (1-8)

Before we get into the actual thing, I wanna explain what this post is going to be about and why I’m writing it; if you’re not really interested in that you can skip ahead

On my first watch of Psi’s first 19 episodes, I’ve had this struggle with the series. To me it has often felt like the world of Psi feels empty and hollow, the characters shallow, and the pacing of the first arc has felt off, like the pace of the overall story going at a snail’s pace and little to nothing actually happening in each episode.

Now there’s three main elements that I think could be causing this impression on me. First, it’s the unavoidable comparison to Adventure, a series I am far too familiar with for my own good if we’re being honest, and a series where I could probably list off every imporant detail from each episode from sheer memory. Second, I often enjoy a series better on a rewatch, my first impressions tend to be incredibly luke-warm and because I’ve only experienced the story once, I don’t remember it quite as well as something I’ve seen at least a dozen times. So between these two factors, it is very possible that my first impression of Psi’s first 19 episodes has felt as negative as it did due to nostalgic overfamiliarity vs unfamiliar first impressions.

But there is that third factor too. It is entirely possible that Psi just isn’t written like Adventure (not nececarily better, more like “in a way that panders to me”), and my observations of it so far have been accurate

And really, I just want to get to the bottom of it. I want to try and figure out why Psi has felt the way it has to me so far, and that is why I’m going to make these posts (because this post is way too long already and I had to split it into two parts)

So what this is going to be is quite simple to be honest; like I mentioned above, I could probably list every major story element in Adventure for each episode from memory, where as with Psi I can’t do that. So in this post I am just going to rewatch each episode of Psi and write down what we learn about the series in each episode; what we learn about the world, the characters, the mechanics, the lore, the beings that live in it. This is mainly so that I can form a better, slightly more objective view of Psi in my mind instead of depending on the vague memory I have of it so far.

And yes, this is going to be just, mostly, me writing bullet point notes of obvious things we learn in each episode; not plot summaries or a timeline of key-events, just things we can “learn” from the episode. For example, while a Digimon evolving is a key-event, if we don’t learn anything new about the Digimon that relates to their backstory or personality, then it’s not worth mentioning, and will try to do my best to not repeat information that gets re-inforced through out different episodes. Also, this isn’t a critique of Psi’s writing

Also, I am going to do my best to write these from the perspective of “not knowing anything”, in the sense that I’m trying to parse out info and write it out like someone who knows nothing about Digimon would be able to get out of it. Also, I won’t nececarily write these in the order they happen in the episode, rather I might write what we learn from specific subjects in bulk (character establishment, world building, etc)

One last thing, I could possibly do this for Adventure later on, just for comparison’s sake, if I have the time, but first let’s just start with this.

Episode 1: Tokyo Digital Crisis

Opening Monologue doesn’t get too many points for what we learn from it as it is an opening monologue, stating kind of obvious stuff we’ll learn very fast, but none the less; it’s the year 2020, our world is connected by the Network, and in there live Digimon

Tachikawa Computer; minor foreshadowing for later

We're introduced to the main character Taichi, supporting cast Koushirou, getting a decent idea of their main personality traits (Taichi is friendly and very open, while Koushirou is polite, a little bit more withdrawn/closed) and briefly get to see Hikari (as well as Mama Yagami and Miiko)

Taichi is putting great effort into preparing for the summer camp; he’s the type of person who likes to plan ahead it seems. That said he can also rush into action without thinking if he’s worried enough/the situation is dire enough; this is elaborated when Taichi learns his family could be in danger, when he leaps in to catch the falling Koromon, or when he leaps into battle with Agumon

Taichi is surprisingly calm when realizing he’s been spirited away and sees a weird little disembodied pink head floating in space, only really appearing shock after a small dinosaur speaks to him; he sometimes needs a moment for everything to settle in before he even knows how to react

Taichi is more than willing to get physical beat up weird monsters

Koromon knows Taichi’s name, and Taichi somehow heard Koromon calling him; there’s a mysterious connection between these two

Agumon is more than happy to see Taichi, immidiately willing to both protect him and help him achieve his goals; Agumon seems to love Taichi unconditionally, despite only meeting him for the first time

We learn that one of the primary features of Digimon is their ability to evolve, Koromon evolving all the way to Greymon and the unnamed enemy’s (Algomon’s) evolutions being examples of this

There is a mysterious, unknown force in this universe, one that tends to manifest in the form of mysterious, glowing symbols (the Crests), that will appear in certain moments to certain people (our main characters), almost like it’s reacting to said people’s actions and/or feelings

Taichi and Koushirou are both granted mysterious devices, which we soon learn can be used for communication purposes as well as evolution, the devices coming from seemingly the same mysterious light/force as the symbols

Digimon causing issues within the Network have an immidiate effect in the electronics of the Human World, and the Digimon rampaging in the Network are willing to hurt and kill other Digimon too (not that many seem to be present there); they are an active threat to everyone but themselves and need to be dealt with

We see glimpses of other children who seem to have a 6th sense, reacting to Taichi’s actions (establishing the connection between the kids); foreshadowing

Taichi and Koushirou aren’t the only ones who have been sucked into this mess with Digimon, there’s another child within the Network as well, with his own Digimon along side hime

Episode 2: War Game

The villian of this Opening Arc, the Algomon, seems to act like a hivemind

Yamato is established as being distant and somewhat cold, seemingly uninterested in others as he’s more focused on other (more imporant?) things. He also seems to be more experienced in dealing with the Digital World/Digimon (in Taichi’s mind who wonders how experienced Yamato really is with Digimon). Despite how cold he seems from the outsite however, Yamato will quietly make plans and put them into motion, expecting others to catch on and follow up. His general unwillingless to intentionally and clearly team up is a character flaw for him though, it causes issues during battle and it’s something he struggles with. But he also worries about causing harm to Garurumon (and Greymon), so he does care for the well-being of others; all of this could suggest that Yamato is a tsundere

Greymon and Garurumon are established as knowing each other, implying they have a history

Greymon and Garurumon both tell the kids they can handle the rough plan; they’re comforting

The episode fleshes out the severity of the danger Digimon rampaging within the Network can cause; it can reach nuclear disaster leveks

We learn that Digimon can fuse

Feathers appear to Hikari and Takeru; foreshadowing for later. When the feathers touch their hands, mysterious symbols appear once more, implying a connection between them coming in contact with the feathers (and what they symbolize) and the fusion of Digimon

Episode 3: And to the Digital World

Taichi clearly loves his sister and takes good care of her

Hikari seems to know more than she lets on

A connection between Yamato and Takeru is established, as well as the fact that Yamato isn’t in Tokyo (at the moment at least)

Sora is established, us learning that she is a character much respected and liked by her classmate and that she and Taichi know each other really well (also we see an unnamed character fumbling comedically; foreshadowing for later)

When the danger was cleared, Taichi and Yamato were returned were they came from; whatever summoned them will also return them when their duty has been completed

A new mysterious threat is introduced to have been born, its birth causing massive power outtages and electrical issues

We see three lights fly through the gates of the Network, followed by three other lights;we learn that six children have been spirited away

We see the Digital World for the first time. Unlike the Network’s surreal, Tron-like landscapes with no sentient life in sight, nor water, clouds, plants or anything, the Digital World is alive and beautiful, though clearly fantastical based on the strange, arching mountains in the distance, and it’s fantastic, digital inhabitants

The fused Digimon is super duper strong and has some special powers that Greymon and Garurumon didn’t have; there’s a distinct difference in the level of power

Episode 4: Birdramon Soars

We get to know Sora a lot better in this episode, she could be described as being Just Really Cool; she seems to be super chill (not like “laid back”, more “cool”), taking in being thrown into a different world really well and calmly, not even surprised by the existence of Digimon aside from them being able to talk. Sora was also in the middle of buying supplies to get through the power outtages before getting summoned to the DW, so she’s come in well-prepared. Whether she went out to buy the supplies because she was requested to, or she did out of her own inniative, it does indicate she’s very responsible and trusthworthy. Much like Taichi too, Sora isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, being more than willing to come rescue Piyomon from the mouth of a giant mantis monster

Piyomon, scared out of her mind, doesn’t really do or say much for a long time, only clinging onto Sora for her dear life, until a calm washes over her as she seems to remember or recognise something; when Piyomon wakes up, she knows Sora’s name without ever being told it, much like how Agumon knew Taichi’s name, and Piyomon tells Sora she’s been waiting for her. Sora being present also brought confidence to Piyomon, inspiring her to be active instead of fleeing from danger, as she now has someone to protect.

We’re introduced to the kind Tentomon and his odd Osaka-accent; Tentomon, being more familiar with his home world, explained all sorts of things to Koushirou. Tentomon, much like a parent would, thanked Taichi “for looking after Koushirou”, indicating that while the two have only known each other for a short time, Tentomon is very fond of Koushirou, much like Agumon is of Taichi

We are introduced to an ominous silhouette, most likely a future villian

The DW lies within the deepest part of the Network, so the DW isn’t a separate world from the Network, just a specific section of it. Also, athough we had previously not seen Digimon the Net beyond the relevant characters Whamon being there do imply that some Digimon do indeed just like to hang out within the Network

Within the Digital World there are tablets and stone ruins of an ancient civilization, with text written on them; the Digivice react to the ancient texts, guiding the children to them and using the children as vessels, translate the message to them. The texts are instructions to guide the children, meaning whoever wrote them centuries ago, for-saw the coming of the children. At the mountain we see more ruins mysterious writings and ancient statues of winged figures. If it is a temple as Sora thinks, then that implies the existence of a religion that is or was worshipped in this world

Moving away from the lake, what we next see of the DW looks like a tropical paradise, with lots of lush jungles and forests with plants both familiar and strange. But through out the world there are these tiny visual “glitches” all around, small colorful lines and dots scattered through out, which give the world a subtle, artificial feel. There’s also a glittery rainbow mountain in the distance, further driving in the point that we aren’t in Japan anymore

We do learn that despite the world looking like a paradise, the Digimon do seem to hunt and eat each other for food; the aren’t many food sources then (like Meat Trees), or if there are, some Digimon ignore those for the Fresh Meat instead

The episode starts out kind of suggesting that maybe Sora ended up in the Digital World by accident, but as the episode progresses it gives out suggestions and hints that maybe Sora didn’t come by accident after all until she finally gets her Digivice. This is foreshadowing for the idea that none of the Children came by accident, they were brought there on purpose and for a reason.

We learn that while the kids can make the Digimon evolve, the Digimon will revert back once a danger is cleared

Episode 5: The Holy Digimon

Koushirou can remain calm even when swallowed by a Digimon, as long as he has his comfort item (tablet); foreshadowing for later

Koushirou can be a little bit shy, embarassed to repeat himself saying that maybe they were meant to meet

Tentomon really loves Koushirou

We learn that Orgemon (whose name we learn in this episode) can’t speak very clearly, which probably implies he’s not very smart; not all Digimon have the capacity to full-speech it seems

We see the super ominous silhouette of a yet unnamed villian sending orders to Orgemon; we have a hierachy, and this guy is at the top of it

We learn for sure that the kids are being specifically targetted and being tracked by the dark Digimon, the troops being lead by Orgemon and some small surveilance Digimon (SoundBirdmon) that can control other Digimon with the power of sound, as well as send messages between Digimon

The Holy Digimon tells us that the warriors that fought in the war long ago were reborn, Agumon, Piyomon and Tentomon being the reincarnations; the three take notice of specific Digimon in the Holy Digimon’s vision (themselves no doubt) and the sight brings them to tears; although they can’t remember anything, their souls/hearts can, and what they experienced must’ve been sad

Agumon doesn’t remember evolving into Omegamon, despite remembering meeting Taichi; this must imply that evolving to Omegamon was a blur even for him

There once was a large city in the location of the temple, with beautiful, artistic architecture; the former civilization here was truly prosperous

The rainbow glitter wasn’t as much of a mountain as it was a desert (or a mountain range, hard to tell which)

We learn that this land mass of unknown size (is it an island or is it a continent? Never stated) isn’t the only ones, there’s oceans at least one continent beyond it, its name being Cloud Continent

We see a small village in the middle of the forest, the houses looking sort of like hollowed out pumpkins with palm leaves coming from the top; while major civilization has crumbled in this post-apocalyptic Digital World, with most Digimon seeming to live on their own like, minding their own business, some Digimon do form communities

We learn the name of the Digivice

We learn that the statues at the temple are depictions of certain Holy Digimon, and that with the last of their powers they had left a message for the children from beyond the grave as they’ve passed a long time ago

The Holy Digimon had had a premonition that human children equipped with Digivices, also known as the Chosen Children, were “a power” that could surprass the natural law of evolution

It’s not quite explicit, but we are vaguely introduced to the evolution stages and their names (the natural law of evolution)

We gain confirmation that the feathers we have seen through out the series so far are indeed connected to the Holy Digimon

We learn that the Holy Digimon were ones that “governed the good of the Digital World”, most of them and the city that once stood in the place of the temple perishing in a great war between light and dark when dark Digimon disturbed the balance between the two.

The major parties on the side of light in that war were a great army of holy Digimon, eight special holy Digimon, six warriors and even Omegamon, who managed to vanquish the darkness at the cost of their own lives

We do learn that the six warriors turned into eggs, and are told that the Chosen Children would appear to guide the ressurected souls once the enemy would make a move once more

We learn that Taichi and co must go find the Holy Digimon of Light and Hope at the Cloud Continent as they will fight along side them against the dark Digimon

Although the Network is tightly connected to the Human World, the Digital World isn’t; disaster taking place there won’t affect the Human World. We also learn that monitoring the spread of dark in the Network is impossible to do from the Digital World

Episode 6: The Targeted Kingdom

We’re introduced to Mimi, the queen of Mimi Kingdom, the village we saw in the previous episode that she took over between being spirited away and Taichi’s group arriving.

Mimi, much like Sora is pretty cool with the situation she’s in. Ehile we do learn she was lonely after being stranded in the DW alone, after Palmon joined her side she’s been seemingly a-okay, not afraid at all of being (as far as she knows) the only human in a different world. In fact she is super into ensuring her kingdom remains peaceful and her underlings well-fed, as she has put great efforts into making sure Tuskmon don’t come and steal all the fruit the Tanemon live on. Mimi has a kind heart, and that she hates seeing others suffer.

We also learn the Tachikawa Industries we had heard about was her family’s, her grandpa being the chairman. Mimi’s grandpa must be important to her as hearing his words on video touched her, reminding Mimi she has to do what she can, which to her translated to taking care of her adorable underlings. Those same words later inspire her to leave her beloved kingdom behind to help the other kids

Palmon adores Mimi a lot, acting in a kind of enabling way, playing into and encouraging the whole Queen-thing just to make sure Mimi’s confortable and happy, feeling loved.

The Tanemon have a signaling system to pass messages on; whether this system was set up and taught to the Tanemon by Mimi or if they have invented it before Mimi took the kingdom over is unclear

Although Orgemon seems to lack intelligence based on his very basic speech, we do learn that he is a Digimon of honor, and losing his horn has gravely hurt his honor

This landmass does seem to be mostly forest as far as the eye can see (aside from the rainbow mountain range/dunes and the lake-area)

We learn time passes at a different rate between the Human World and Digital World, the DW being much faster, the time becoming more distorted the deeper into the Network you go (the Digivices somehow bypass the distortion to ensure communication happens at the same rate)

We see what a near-death Digimon looks like; colors washed out, glitching in and out a little, but evolution will instantly heal the Digimon from that near-death state back to full health  

Episode 7: That Boy is Kido Jyou

We learn Mimi likes tea and has been teaching Palmon how to make tea; she also seems to enjoy things that make her come off like she’s a KIND, LOVING pampered rich kid, as indicated by her cup and chair etc

We learn that Palmon was familiar with the area and was able to guide the kids to the ocean (something Agumon and Piyomon couldn’t do)

Jyou is so serious about passing his exams it’s kind of becoming an unhealthy obsession for him, to the point he might somewhat lash out and take his anger out by beating up trees and even self-harming. This kid, is super stressed out, the weight of his family’s achievements (everyone being doctors) really pushing him down. Due to this, he is super unwilling to go save the world, all that matters to him is making sure he can study and pass his exams so he can have a prosperous future. Jyou also doesn’t seem to like himself much, as he asks if Gomamon was disappointed by what his partner human was like

Jyou is studying for his exams, as he has priorities set straight and nothing will stop him from passing his tests, not even being spirited away into a different world all alone. While seeing other kids did make him somewhat glad, it was only because he assumed it meant there was a way out of this world so he could get back to his life.

Although Jyou said he wouldn’t participate in the world saving business, he did keep an eye Gomamon, and seeing him get hurt did send Jyou running; while Jyou tried to seem like he didn’t care, he did, a lot

Unlike Jyou, Gomamon is super willing to go save the world; if Jyou’s duty is to study, Gomamon’s duty is to save the world, and Gomamon would like it if Jyou realized they share their duties. Even without Jyou, Gomamon is willing to help as much as he can, even if he’s alone

Gomamon is super observant, seeing how and why Jyou is struggling, and he just wants to help Jyou too, Gomamon even “nursed Jyou” back to health after finding him passed out in the DW

We learn that Taichi, Sora and Jyou (as well as Koushirou) do go to the same school, its name being Musako Elementary

The hut we’ve seen was either built by Gomamon (which implies that Gomamon is super crafty), an unknown party or was always there; Jyou didn’t build it as he woke up inside it after Gomamon brought him there

In the Human World we see it is now evening, the kids having been spirited away sometime around noon-afternoon.

We do see that Jyou has spent at least one night in the DW, which could mean the other kids have as well, if not even more

Episode 8: The Children’s Attack

Ikkakumon is strong enough to swim across the ocean while carrying 4 kids and 3 Child Digimon

We learn Jyou gets motion sickness and that he can’t swim

Jyou is somewhat irritated and/or imidated by a kid 3 years younger than him having so much info and being more aware of the current situation, which ties into his need of trying to be in-control of the situation and lead the group; this leads to Jyou trying to be responsible and ensure everyone survives unharmed by surrendering to the enemy (his heart is in the right place)

We learn that Yamato has been on his own this whole time; considdering the other kids were brought to this world, scattered around a little, it is possible Yamato was brought directly onto the Cloud Continent

Yamato is charmed and touched by the other kids and the Digimon cheering him on and believing in him, despite him being so cold to them; he is super tsundere

The first thing we see of the Cloud Continent is a beach with high cliffs and a lone fortress guarding it. On the outside the enemy fortress looks like old and realistic (in the sense that you could probably find a fortress like this in our very real world), but is straight from a sci-fi movie; the enemies have access to some advanced technology

With this episode taking place over night, we are moving onto at least Day 3 (if not further)

We see the Black Miasma for the first time

[crystalwillow]

Hesitant

Pairing: Elijah Greene x Casey Valentine (F!MC)

A/N: Like myself, have you ever wondered what a blossoming romantic relationship with Elijah and Casey would be like? After talking it over in a group chat recently, I was inspired to take the leap and write a fiction about just that. I feel like there is going to be a lot of fluff and sweet love ahead. Enough to maybe rot your teeth and make you shed a few tears. So grab a snack, drink and a tissue or two. Maybe three. And settle down to take a sweet journey with two of our favourite residents as they realize they’re falling in love.

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It was another busy afternoon at Edenbrook, and a lot of the staffs pagers had just gone off, calling them to the ER for triage. Casey rushed towards the stairs seeing that the elevators were crowded. At the back of a long queue she saw one of her fellow residents, Elijah at the back, trying to wheel his way through the chaos. She stopped and her legs automatically turned round and carried her over.

“Okay people! Y’all who have legs and can use stairs shift it in that direction. We have doctors here that actually need to use the elevators!” she commanded loudly. Others looking at her in shock as she stopped beside Dr. Greene.

The other doctors knew she had a point and realized it would be quicker for them to take the stairs, so they hurried in that direction. Elijah smiled up at her as he wheeled himself forwards and pressed the button to call the elevator.

“Thanks Casey.”

“It was nothing. I didn’t just become a doctor to help out the people in the rooms who need our care.”

“Join me?” he asked as the elevator pinged and the doors opened. Smiling she stepped inside with him and hit the button for the ground floor.

“You know what sucks?” he asked.

“What?”

“We’re on dinner duty tonight.”

“Awesome. I’ve been wanting to cook this new pasta dish.”

Elijah smiled as he laughed, shaking his head lightly. “You can be real shameless.”

“And? So can you. When you want to be.” She replied as they headed towards the doors of the ER.

“Alright. Professional faces back on.”

“I shall see you after this Dr. Greene.”

“Copy that, Dr. Valentine.”

Casey giggled and then got straight to work at getting people’s symptoms and tagging them correctly. Though when she reached one patient, her heart dropped as she heard his voice.

“Not to sound rude, it’s extremely busy here. Please, talk.”

“I have a slight headache and a bunch of cuts and scrapes. My leg is also in extreme pain.”

Casey knew she had a job to do but she was frozen, scared to look up. It was just a coincidence, some dude had a vocal tone that was similar to her friend Bryce, she just hadn’t detected it yet.

“Casey?” Bryce said gently, wincing as he reached out to place his hand on her shoulder.

No. No. No. Damn it. It is her friend. Taking a brief moment to breathe, she turned her gaze up to him, only to gasp at the cuts and scrapes he had all over him. He smiled softly with an encouraging nod which seemed to give her enough strength to tag him correctly and move on. Once triage was complete, she waited for the other doctors to clear out before trying to leave herself. She looked at Bryce who was being seen to as she waited. As if he sensed her, he looked over and gave a smile as if to tell her he was going to be fine. She looked back at him, a sad frown etched on her face.

“I’m going to be fine Case. It’s looking like all I have is a broken leg.” He called out and smiled as he watched some happiness comeback into her being. As if some life had been put back in her with those few words. She waved and then filed out of the ER behind the last few doctors and headed back to her work.

--- That Evening ---

Casey and Elijah were at home, chilling on the couches with their gaming controllers in hand as they played Mario Kart. They were trash talking and nudging each other as they both had their competitive side starting to show.

“Haha! Eat my banana skin you stupid mushroom man! I’m going to win!” Casey exclaimed as she raced towards the finish line

“Oh yeah? Well why don’t you, eat my dust!” Elijah shouted as he used a mushroom to speed past her and cross the finish line in first place. “Hahaha! Yes! That’s what I’m talking about baby. First place! Out of nowhere.”

“Very slick Elijah. Very slick. Well done.” Casey congratulated with a smile as she placed her controller on the coffee table.

“Aw. Are we not going to do another race?” Elijah pouted

“I’d love to. But, we have dinner to cook.”

“You’re right... We should do that before the zombies return and have nothing. They’d eat us.”

“Exactly. After you.”

Elijah put his controller next to Casey’s and wheeled himself to the kitchen.

“So. Casey. You said something about a pasta dish?”

“Yeah. It’s a basic tomato and basil pasta but I want to try and put a twist to it. My own unique taste. Maybe then it could be referred to as the Casey Special.”

“Not fair! I’d know the secret too. It should be called the C&E!”

“Nope. E is what I call Ethan. During work hours it’s Dr. Ramsey, so when we hang out as friends if I say Ethan, he knows he’s in trouble.”

“Okay. Then how about... The Elijsey Special?”

“The Elijsey Special...” she pondered, looking at the sink before turning back to Elijah with a smile. “I like it.”

“Awesome! So what can I do to help?”

“How’s your experience in making a tomato and basil sauce?”

“I’m pretty good at that, believe it or not.”

“I wouldn’t doubt you for a second. Well, not when it comes to things like this. If you were to do something incredibly stupid on the other hand...”

“What? Like, I don’t know, run down the street screaming “I’m practically Taylor Swift. Watch!” then drop into a puddle, shouting the lyrics to Enchanted. Very passionately may I add.”

“That was one time Eli. And plus. Taylor Swift is one of the most powerful female figures in the entertainment industry. I was doing some promotion for her.”

“At 2am. Walking home from the bar?”

“I’ll have you know, Dr. Greene, All the best things happen with a bar, and 2am involved somehow.”

They shared a look and laugh as they continued cooking dinner. They were just plating up when the door opened and closed, a tired yet frustrated sigh following it.

“Worst. Day. EVER!”

Casey and Elijah shared a look of concern before heading out into the main area of the apartment, where they saw Sienna on the couch. Face buried in a cushion before she let out a frustrated scream. She didn’t seem to notice they were there as they shared a deeper concerned look. Things must be really bad for her to be screaming into cushions.

“Hey... Si?” Casey asked hesitantly.

“Is everything... okay?” Elijah added.

Sienna sat up and looked at them with a little bit of shock.

“Oh! Casey. Elijah. Hi.. I um, I forgot you were home first. I.. Sorry about... all that.”

“Don’t apologize for having feelings.” Casey said as she sat next to their friend

“Yeah. Everyone has them, and if you don’t let them out things get real ugly. Fast.”

“But you guys have never seen me like this before. It’s embarrassing.”

“That may be true. But Elijah and I just finished dinner. Why don’t we sit at the table. You can rant to us about everything that’s made today horrible and then afterwards we’ll watch some movies.”

“I’ll watch movies if we can finish with a Star Wars film.”

Sienna looked back and forth between her roommates, a small smile graced her delicate features.

“That... Sounds like exactly what I need actually. Do we have wine?”

“Only the best red money can buy to accompany a pasta dish.”

“You guys made pasta?!”

“Yup. And the tomato sauce was made by yours truly. So if it tastes amazing... It was all me.”

Casey laughed and playfully shoved Elijah’s shoulder as she passed him to the kitchen and put 3 plates on a tray, carrying it to the table. Elijah followed behind with the wine and the glasses, setting them out and pouring them all a glass as they settled into enjoy the meal. Sienna ate a mouthful of pasta, groaning in bliss.

“You guys. This is amazing.”

Casey and Elijah smiled at each other before turning back to their friend and accepting the compliment with a thanks, and together they all tucked in as Sienna ranted about her day. It sounded rough. She talked about how she had 2 patients die, charts getting mixed up when she knew she put them in the right places. And so much more that made her mood extremely valid. After the meal, just as Casey said, they all sat around the TV and watched movies. Sienna had made herself comfortable in a chair with her blanket. Elijah and Casey sat on the couch, Casey resting her head on Elijah’s shoulder. His heart racing at the close proximity and one question in particular raced through his mind. Does she like me too?

Elijah had liked Casey for a while but didn’t want to accidently blur the lines and ruin the good friendship they’d built. She wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him as she looked up and smiled at him. God, there it was. That sweet smile that matched the scent of her perfume perfectly. After a moment he looked down and smiled back at her as his arm naturally went round her shoulder, hugging her closer. A couple of movies passed before Sienna started falling asleep, saying goodnight to her roommates, and going to her bedroom. Jackie had made it home by now and was at the table eating her dinner. Casey and Elijah finished the movie they were watching and in that time Jackie had finished her food, disappearing to her room for the night as well. Casey sat up, stretching as the movie finished.

“I’m going to the toilet. Then I’ll grab us some more drinks and snacks so we can watch that Star Wars movie yeah?”

“Sounds great!”

Casey left to sort herself and everything out before coming back, cuddling on the couch with Elijah again. They were quite a way through the movie when Casey turned to look at Elijah after feeling his breathing change. She smiled softly and paused the movie, moving carefully to pick him up, turning round carrying him to his room to put him to bed. She then went back and cleared everything away, washed the dishes and was about to wheel Elijah’s chair to his room and leave it by his bed, when the door opened, and an extremely tired Aurora walked in.

“Hey.” Casey greeted softly.

“Hey.” Aurora smiled tiredly.

“Your dinner’s in the kitchen. Me and Elijah made tomato and basil pasta”

“Thanks. I’ll try to keep my eyes open long enough to eat it.”

The two chuckled, then Casey headed off with Elijah’s chair before going to bed herself. She had just closed her eyes when her phone rang. Groaning she answered it.

“This better be important because I just got into bed.”

“Casey... It’s Bryce. You need to come to the hospital. Now.”

Hearing the urgency in Bryce’s tone, she hung up and put her phone down. Grabbing the closest pair of sneakers, she slid her feet into them, tying the laces. Having only enough time to grab her phone and keys, before rushing out of the door. When she arrived at Edenbrook, she quickly found Bryce sitting in the main atrium with his leg in a cast and crutches beside him.

“What’s up?”

“It’s Dr. Ramsey.”

“What about him?”

“He’s in the ER going nuts!”

“Over what?”

“Nobody knows! He just stormed in and...” at a loss for words Bryce just gestured his hands.

“So why call me?”

“Dr. Banerji requested it. Not even he can calm Ethan down, and well he knows you and Ethan sort of.. just get each other.”

Sighing and pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes and rubbing, Casey sighed as she shook her head.

“I’ll see if I can help. But I’m not making any promises.”

Casey turned and headed to the ER walking through the door and was met with a wall of chaos and shouting. Looking around she found Ethan at the foot of a bed, yelling at a nurse to work faster. The nurse looked terrified as her hands trembled trying to get the IV line steady and positioned properly. Sighing she walked over and placed a gentle hand on his arm.

“Ethan.” She sighed sadly.

He turned and looked beside him but just shrugged Casey’s arm off. Too enraged over whatever it was to even speak back, he moved on. Casey sighed deeper knowing she’d have to bring out the theatrics.

“Ethan please.” She pleaded following him, sadness and desperation in her voice.

Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose he turned around. “What is it, Rookie?”

“Not here please. Somewhere... private.”

He looked down into her eyes that she had molded into perfect pools of sadness and confusion. He closed his own eyes for a brief moment, biting his lip before telling her to follow him. Together they walked towards the exit, nurses and doctors alike silently thanking her with subtle nods of their heads. They reached Ethan’s personal office and he shut the door behind them.

“What is it? What’s happened?” “That’s what I should be asking you Dr. Ramsey.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes you do. Why did you go into the ER and just start shouting. That isn’t you Ethan. Not even when your super stressed about a case do you do that.”

“Yeah, well. Maybe I’m not the amazing person you draw me up to be Casey.”

“What? Of course you are. Okay... so you have a prickly side. But so does everyone.”

“No they don’t Casey. Not like I do.”

“Ethan please. Sto-”

“NO CASEY. YOU STOP! STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME HAPPY. STOP TRYING TO SEE THE GOOD IN ME. JUST STOP TRYING WITH ME. WHILST YOU STILL HAVE THE FUCKING CHANCE!”

She was taken aback for a moment at his harsh tone towards her but as he continued shouting, her resolve hardened, and she punched him full force in both arms. He glared at her then continued shouting. She hated resorting to it, but she pulled her hand back and with a little jump to help boost her higher, she slapped him round the face. Leaving a handprint behind. Shocked, Ethan stopped talking almost immediately and stared at her.

“Fucking finally.” She retorts annoyed, rolling her eyes.

“Did you... Did you just JUMP to slap me?”

“So what if I did. You needed to shut the fuck up so you can listen.”

For about another hour, they sat and hashed out what was making Ethan so angry in that moment. At the end of it he was exhausted and yawning like a baby.

“You should get home Ethan. Get some sleep before tomorrow.”

“I guess so.” He said as he let out another yawn. “Let me drop you home though. You shouldn’t be walking alone at this time of night.

“Thanks.” Casey smiled sweetly and headed to the atrium to wait for him to change and come down.

“Ah! Dr. Valentine.”

Casey turned at the mention of her name and saw a brightly smiling but very tired eyed Dr. Banerji walking towards her.

“Dr. Valentine. Thank you for coming here so late. I know it’s a terrible inconvenience.”

“No. It’s no trouble at all. Anything for my friends.” she replied, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

“As a thank you, don’t worry about starting your next shift at 7am. Come in for 1pm. You need the rest you deserve, and it is late.”

“Oh, Dr. Banerji... I- I don’t know if I can...”

“Nonsense. I’ve already watched Ethan do this. I’m not letting you do it too. You’re going home and you’re going to rest. And by rest I mean sleep.”

Casey opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she saw Ethan coming over and just gave a smile and curt nod to Naveen. After saying goodbye’s and Naveen turning down a lift home from Ethan about 6 times, Casey left with her mentor and they headed to her apartment. Ethan parked on the curb and said one more thank you to Casey before they shared a hug, Casey heading inside. When she got to her room, she fell into her bed and went to sleep instantly.  

The next day it was close to 10:25am when Casey stumbled tiredly from her room, heading to the kitchen to get coffee before getting ready for work. She knew Naveen had said 1pm, but she was up earlier than that so she may as well head in as soon as she can.

“Casey?” Elijah questioned as he came out the kitchen with a drink of his own.

“Oh. Hey Eli” she smiled with a yawn.

“I thought you started at 7 today? You’re late.”

“No.” Casey shook her head. “I got called to the hospital last night after you fell asleep. Dr. Banerji all but ordered I go in for 1pm.”

Elijah chuckled. That sounded exactly like Naveen.

“In that case. Could we talk about something before you leave?”

“Could I get my coffee first?”

“Obviously. I’m not a monster”

Casey grinned and went into the kitchen, brewing herself a cup of coffee before joining Elijah on the couch they shared the previous night.

“So. What’s going on Dr. Greene?” she smiled, sipping her coffee

“Well... Are you good with feelings talk?”

“I talk with patients about them all the time. I’m all ears. Whatever it’s about.”

Elijah hesitated before sighing deeply, trouble clouding his eyes.

“The thing here is. It’s about you. And my feelings regarding you.”

“Oh. Have I done something to upset you? Was I supposed to remove your jeans before tucking you in?”

“So that’s how I got to my room. I thought I’d fell asleep elsewhere.” Elijah chuckled. “But no. it’s nothing bad.”

Casey sighed a breath of relief but then confusion crossed her face. “Then what is it?”

“I.... I think I should just come out and say it. I like you Casey. And not just as a friend. I like like you.”

Casey sat in stunned silence as she reveled in his admission. She too had felt something between them. She just wasn’t sure what it was, so never acted upon it beyond a friendship. Though she had no idea he felt the same way. If she even felt what he was feeling that is.

“Casey...”

“Hm? Oh yeah. I’m still here.”

“Are you... okay?”

“I’m fine.” She reassured and drank more of her coffee, watching as Elijah’s face fell.

“You don’t feel the same do you?”

“Elijah-”

“And I’ve just ruined our friendship by admitting my feelings.”

“No Elijah you ha-”

“This was stupid of me. Why would you want to date the guy in the wheelchair? When you can have any number of fully able bodied men at the hospital who could ta-”

“Elijah. Will you stop?!” Casey placed her mug back on the table and grabbed his hands, pulling herself closer to him. He stopped rambling and looked up into her eyes before grinning sheepishly.

“Sorry.” He apologized

“I... I feel something for you.”

“Y-you do?!”

“Yeah. I... just don’t know what it is.”

Elijah looked at their hands briefly before looking back up.

“Would you want to... go on a date?”

“I.... Yeah. I’d like that.” She smiled. Elijah smiled back at her, squeezing her hand lightly and she squeezed back.

“After my shift? I finish at 9:30, maybe we could make a last minute plan to do something?”

“How about I cook for us.”

“Elijah you cooked last night.”

“Not for the whole apartment. Just for us, silly.”

Casey smiled, blushing lightly at her early morning dumbness.

“Oh right. ... Of course.”

“Anything in particular?”

“Nope. You make the choices. I’ll just enjoy the meal, and the company.”

Elijah smiled at her one last time before they hugged and Casey got ready for work, heading out to catch the train across town. She arrived at Edenbrook and strolled up to the diagnostics office, she entered the room as the team was in the middle of a differential.

“Nice for you to finally join us, Dr. Valentine.” Ethan commented with a soft smile

“Sorry, Dr. Ramsey. I was on a train when you paged.”

The team gave her a baffled look before shrugging and getting back to work, filling Casey in. Nothing was going to bring her down. Well... unless something really tragic happened of course. But for now she was going to focus on work and her date with Elijah later that evening.

Later that night she was about to clock out when a nurse came running up to her.

“Dr. Valentine!”

She turned to them, fully alert.

“Sarah? What is it?”

“It’s Dr. Varma. Quick.”

Eyes widening she followed Sarah to where Jackie was leaning against the wall, hyperventilating and sweating profusely.

“Jackie?”

Casey looked on worriedly as Jackie could only spare a quick 1 second glance before looking at the floor again and passing out as she breathlessly said 2 words. “I’m..... fine....” then her world went black, Casey rushing to close the short distance between them before she hit the floor.

“Sarah I need you to find a spare bed asap. I’ll page for help.”

Nodding, Sarah rushed off in search of a free bed, whilst Casey paged Baz and Zaid for help. Within minutes the twin doctors were there as Sarah came back with a bed, stopping it beside Jackie and applying the breaks. Together Baz and Zaid lifted her onto the bed, making sure she was comfortable and covered with a blanket.

“Casey. What happened?” Baz asked

“I don’t know. I was about to clock out, then head off home to get ready for my date tonight. That’s when Sarah ran up to me, informing me something was wrong with Dr. Varma. I arrived on scene seconds later, she seemed to be having a panic attack. All I got from her were the words “I’m fine.” before she passed out.”

“Well clearly, she wasn’t fine!” Zaid snapped.

“Alright bro, calm down please. She isn’t a doctor right now. She’s a patient. We need to treat her as such.”

Zaid wiped his hands over his face with a sigh, knowing his brother was right. He turned to Casey and gave her a tight nod.

“We’ll take it from here. Don’t keep your date waiting. Go.”

Shocked, Casey left the room and the hospital before Zaid could change his mind. She got outside and quickly caught up with Bryce.

“Don’t tell me you actually went to work today.” She chuckled

He turned his head to her and gave a smile. “Of course I did! Not even a broken leg will stop these magic hands from saving lives. Give me a chair and I’m fine.”

Casey laughed brightly beside him as they stopped before parting ways.

“Never change Bryce Lahela. Never change.”

“I don’t plan on it.” He grinned.

Casey grinned back and then they said goodbye to each other and headed home. When she walked inside, Casey smelt something delicious but didn’t dare go to the kitchen and peak, so instead she headed straight to her room grabbing a towel, and getting in the shower instead to wash off the sweat and grime from the days work. After that she felt refreshed, and ready for her date night with Elijah. She opened her closet looking for something to wear, when that feeling settled in. She clutched her stomach and closed her eyes tightly trying to will the butterflies away, but she couldn’t. She was nervous and turning into a sweaty mess. She didn’t want to mess this up. She looked through her dresses, but they all seemed too professional for a date. So she turned to another section, skimming through when she gasped. She smiled at the navy blue jumpsuit with a gold waistbelt. “I forgot I had this.” she muttered to herself as she took it out and off the hanger. This is what she would wear. She put it on, done her hair and makeup then picked out a cute pair of sneakers to pair with the outfit. There was no way her feet would fit back into another pair of heels now. She sat on her bed picking up her phone as it dinged. She smiled when she saw a message from Jackie. Thank goodness she was going to be okay. She typed out a quick reply as a knock sounded on her door. Placing her phone on the bedside table, she opened the door to Elijah who was dressed in a dress shirt and tie, his regular jeans dressing the look down a little but still ensuring he looked somewhat formal. His jaw dropped as he drank in Casey’s appearance. She giggled a little as his eyes roamed her body in a show of adoration.

“Hi.” She smiled

“You’re absolutely gorgeous...”

In the moment of silence that followed, Casey blushed as Elijah continued to stare at her in awe. She cleared her throat briefly then resumed her smile.

“You look very handsome tonight.”

“Yeah... But compared to you... Ahem. Excuse me... Um, dinner’s ready.” He smiled shyly

“After you.” She smiled and followed him to their dining table where he had set up the cutest romantic scene she’d seen in a while.

“Oh! Elijah.. this is...”

“Is it too much?”

“No.” she said shaking her head. “It’s beautiful.”

Elijah grinned and helped Casey into her seat, plates of steaming hot food already at the table. It looked delicious. Chicken fillets, potatoes, vegetable, gravy. It was then Casey realized how hungry she was as her stomach growled loudly, causing a furious blush to spread up her neck and onto her cheeks.

“Uh.. sorry about that. I haven’t really stopped today..” she said shyly, and Elijah chuckled.

“It’s okay.” He reassured and they dug into the meal. After a few bites, Elijah spoke up again. “Is it okay?”

Casey nodded as she swallowed the bite she just took. “I’m not just saying this because we’re on a date. It’s delicious! The flavors are amazing!”

He grinned brightly at her comment and they finished the main dish.

“Dessert?” he asked, taking a sip of wine.

“Did you make some?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’d love some!” Casey smiled and Elijah took their plates to the kitchen and came back with two bowls of dessert, placing Casey’s in front of her first. She gasped when she saw what it was.

“Eli?!”

“Yeah?” he asked with a smile as he put his own bowl on the table.

“You... You remembered?” She said, choking on her emotion. Elijah just smiled with a nod in response, Casey leaning over the table and kissing his cheek making him freeze momentarily before smiling shyly and blushing as they dug into their chocolate cake and cream. The rest of the night went smoothly, conversation flowing freely. They quizzed each other on their medical knowledge during dessert, then moved to the couch where they told each other more about their home lives, and growing up. As the night drew to a close Elijah smiled at Casey.

“I guess I should walk you home.”

“How gentlemanly of you.” Casey grinned as she rose to her feet. Together they made their way to Casey’s room.

“Well...” She smiled, pointing to her bedroom door. “This is me.”

They came to a stop and smiled at each other.

“I had a wonderful time tonight Casey.”

“Me too. You’re a great guy Eli. Would you... want to do this again sometime?”

“Yes! ... I mean, yes. I’d love to do this again.”

Casey smiled brightly, bending down and giving him a kiss on the lips good night.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said softly opening her door.

“Y-yeah. See you tomorrow Case.”

He watched as Casey went into her room and shut the door. He stared at the closed door for a while as he touched his lips, still feeling hers present before smiling to himself.

“Goodnight Casey!” he called through the door, it opened again, and Casey poked her head out.

“Goodnight Elijah.” She replied with a smile then shut her door.

That night Elijah went to bed with a smile on his face, knowing he’d hit the jackpot and was now dating the most beautiful doctor at Edenbrook.

[almostkoo]

pairings: jung hoseok x oc

summary:  oc notices something strange about hoseok, their friend who’s normally upbeat and cheerful suddenly things start going left quickly in the middle of using a ouija board for fun with friends things get really weird really quick

word count: 2.0k

warnings: language, mentions of wine, a switchblade is mentioned a few times, demon possession 

authors note: fifth story!! of spooktober i hope you guys don’t mind i threw in one of my favorite kpop girlies, i love her so much. this is my first time in general really trying to write something “scary”, i hope i did well i didn’t want to overdo it! i hope you guys enjoy !

link to main masterlist

You, Hoseok, Jungkook and Nayeon stood outside the door leading to the basement of you and Hoseok’s shared house. Anxiety washed over your being and clung to you like a wet blanket. You couldn’t shake the fear that something bad was going to happen. Standing in the back of everything gave you a better view of everyone. Jungkook was dressed in all black (with the exception of his pink bunny slippers on his feet), Hoseok dressed in his pajamas and Nayeon dressed comfortably in an oversized shirt and joggers.

The impromptu “seance” that was about to be performed in the basement interrupted everyone. Nayeon and Hoseok who were in the middle of doing sheet masks and you in the kitchen pouring up refills of wine for everyone while Jungkook had disappeared moments before only to return with a ouija board.

Now here you were Jungkook with the ouija board tucked under one arm and his hand on the door knob waiting for everyone’s approval to open the door.

“Jungkook, why are we doing this?” Nayeon asked.

“Why not? Y/n and Hoseok say their house is haunted. What better time to investigate than at a slumber party with their friends? Especially during spooky season? The more the merrier!” He smiled.

“Our house isn’t haunted. Ghosts don’t exist, you clown. It’s probably old water pipes or some shit making all those weird noises.” You grumbled.

“Water pipes? Okay what about all the moaning Hoseok heard? Or the last time Nayeon was here and someone wrote in her lipstick on the bathroom mirror while she was showering?” Jungkook questioned. You sighed loudly to make a point on how exhausted you were with the back and forth discourse between you and Jungkook on whether or not the house was haunted.

“I feel like you want our house to be haunted.” you said.

“No but if it is you both need to get the hell out of dodge before shit starts getting real. The lipstick on the mirror would’ve been enough to send me flying out the house.”

“Same and I normally stay out of this whole ghost discussion but.. that’s really odd Y/n you can’t even lie.” Nayeon stated. You glanced over at Hoseok who was turned away from you, picking at the hem of his shirt. You and Hoseok had been living in your current home for three months and about two weeks into your stay things started getting extremely weird. From you finding him standing out on the balcony in the pouring rain, the weird arts and crafts figurines he would make and that one time you found him ready to take a bite out of a raw steak out the fridge.

But he passed that last one off as him being drunk.

You didn’t believe in ghosts or demons or really too much supernatural stuff. But the strange behaviors that Hoseok had been portraying alarmed you. You weren’t quite sure what exactly was going on. You hadn’t seen him smile in weeks and it was worrying.

“Fuck it. If we’re doing this can we go on and do it because I really wanna get back to my wine.” you whined. Jungkook opened the door, reaching for the light switch. Only to flick it and realize the light in the basement wasn’t working.

“How much weirder could this shit get.” you heard Jungkook mumble under his breath, fumbling in his pocket for his phone. You all slowly stepped down the stairs. Taking a look around the basement it was fairly empty except a pair of skis and other miscellaneous belongings split between you both.

Jungkook cleared a spot in the middle of the floor. The only light was from the small basement windows lining the walls.

“Do you not owe any candles or a lantern?” Jungkook asked.

“Hoseok has some of those boring non scented ones in the kitchen cabinet above the stove.” You glanced over at Nayeon who quickly started shaking her head and waving her hands.

“No. Hell no. Don’t make me go up there.”

“Nayeon please.”

“What if I run up there and then the spooky ghost haunting you gets me ?”

“It won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t. But like we haven’t been harmed yet.”

She stomped her feet. “If something happens I’m haunting everyone here.” Nayeon dashed up the steps. Hearing a little bit of shuffling before she came back carrying as many candles as she could.

“You’re lucky I remembered the lighter while I was up there because that trip wasn’t happening again.” You lit all of the candles before settling and sitting down. Hoseok, blank faced had already sat down as soon as you all made it down the steps scooted closer to you all.

“Alright let’s get it.” Jungkook took the ouija board out of its box, putting the planchette on the board. You eyes the box.

“A fucking ouija from mattel is supposed to potentially tell us if this house is haunted?” You questioned.

“Where did you get this from? Target?” Nayeon asked.

Jungkook sighed, scratching at the sides of his hair.

“And if I did? Where else would I get it from? Amazon? Jeff Bezos isn’t seeing a dime of my Starbucks checks” He scoffed “look I'm sure you know how this whole ouija thing is supposed to go. Just like in the movies two fingers on the planchette. We say hello and don’t finish until we say goodbye. No moving the planchette for fun. I will have a heart attack and Jeon Jungkook will no longer exist. Alright?” Jungkook stated. You and Nayeon nodded.

Placing your two fingers on the planchette, followed by everyone else. So it began.

“Hello. Hi spirits we have questions.” Jungkook said, looking around the room. Nayeon hit his arm. Jungkook gave a quizzical look.

“Is that really how you’re gonna ask the higher powers?” she asked.

“I don’t know how the fuck else to address them. Hi spirits. Are you there?” he questioned. You looked around the room, watching your friends facial expressions. The mild drunk feeling that was over you quickly made you sober up as the air seemed to get colder around you.

The planchette slowly started moving towards the top left corner, the small glass hovering above the “yes”.

“Before we continue. Is anyone fucking with me right now?” Jungkook mumbled.

“No I swear I’m not.” Nayeon stated.

“No.” You all looked at Hoseok who was staring at the board blank, as if he wasn’t looking at anything in the first place.

“I think he’s drunk. Maybe he had too much wine. You know he’s a lightweight.” Nayeon cracked, attempting to lighten the mood.

Hoseok lacked the permanent blush he seemed to have when he did drink too much. But the glossy look to his eyes still remained. You shrugged it off but the look he had was eerily similar to the one he had on the night you found him on the balcony.

“Ask another question, Jungkook.” you said.

“Okay umh. Let’s just get to it. Are there any spirits lingering in this house?” The temperature dropped, causing a slight shiver to escape Nayeon. The planchette jerked back and circled back around to “yes”.

“I’m gonna be sick.” Nayeon whispered. “Jungkook are you fucking with us?”

“What? No! I swear to the heavens I wouldn’t fuck with you guys on something like this! I’m not moving it.” he said, both sets of eyes laid on you.

“Now y’all both know good and well I don’t even believe in this shit why would I fuck with you with this?” You said, borderline offended at them.

“Because that’s what non believers always do.” Jungkook stated.

“I’m a non believer not an asshole. Keep asking it questions.” you grumbled.

Jungkook rolled his eyes. “Is there anything you want from this house?” The planchette pushed back, before slowly moving back to yes. You started sweating and the basement getting chillier by the second didn’t help as you tried to resist the full body chill that threatened to shake through you.

“What do you want?” The words left your mouth before you could stop them. The planchette moved slow once again, going from letter to letter. You, Nayeon and Jungkook looked on.

H-O-S-E-O-K

You heard Nayeon gasp from the side of you. While your jaw just parted. Jungkook froze in his spot, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.

“I don’t think I want to play this anymore.” Your eyes shot up to Hoseok, who looked at Jungkook with a wicked grin on his face.

“Uh Hobi. We can wrap up. But can you stop looking at me like that?” Jungkook said, a shake to his words.

Nayeon stared Hoseok down. “Something’s not right here.”

“What’s the matter, Nayeon? Aren’t we all playing a game?” Hoseok turned in her direction.

“Jungkook, wrap this shit up now.” You instructed, keeping your eyes on Hoseok. 

Before Jungkook could open his mouth, he suddenly flung backwards into the wall. The candles went out.

“I said I didn’t want to play anymore.” through the soft moonlight filtering through the windows you could see Hoseok stand up. You and Nayeon shuffled back against the wall. A few feet away from where Jungkook laid unconscious. Nayeon shuffled with her phone, the screen light illuminating her features. You could see the tears streaking her cheeks. The flashlight turned on shining on Hoseok; his soft brown eyes were now cold and empty, a black void.

“What the fuck are you?” Nayeon yelled, struggling to keep her cool.

“What do you think I am?” He questioned, stalking towards you.

“Stay the fuck away from us! I mean it!” You shouted. The fear you felt ran through your veins icy and cold. Making you want to curl up and wish the situation away.

Hoseok reached in his pocket, pulling out a small switchblade.

“I think it’s time to slice, I’m sorry I mean spice things up.”

You threw yourself in front of Nayeon, remaining firm despite her protests asking you to move.

“Aw isn’t this cute? You want to protect your friend.” Hoseok’s lips curved into his signature heart shaped smile. One that normally wanted your heart, filled you with even more dread than possible. That smile didn’t belong to him. It. Whatever was in your best friend.

Hoseok rolled his eyes, the smile dropping from his face as quick as it showed up. “I don’t even remember the last time I had friends.” He walked towards you and Nayeon, who’s hands gripped your shoulders. Preparing for the worst you closed your eyes.

Suddenly another voice filled the basement. You opened your eyes, there stood Jungkook your knight in shining armor. Well more like knight in plaid pajamas but attire was besides the point. You watched as Jungkook held his hands up muttering words in foreign language as Hoseok froze rigid, slowly lifting off the ground. The switchblade falling from his grip. A dark purple smoke escaped his mouth before shattering one of the glass windows. Hoseok’s body slumped to the ground and Jungkook dropped to his knees.

You got up running to Hoseok to check him out. Holding a finger up under his nose to feel soft air leave him. You draped yourself over him as he slowly stirred.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Jung Hoseok never in your life get possessed by a demon again. I’ve never been more fucking scared before.”

Hoseok looked at you confused as he sat up, rubbing at his head.

“I don’t even know what’s going on. Last thing I remember was trying to figure out where to hang my jackets in my closet.” He said. That must mean he was possessed for a while. You frowned at the thought.

Jungkook and Nayeon walked over to you. Jungkook wiping his bloody nose on the back of his sleeve.

“You mind sharing where you learned that neat little trick?” You asked.

“My grandfather is a priest. Stuff like that kinda runs in the family.” Jungkook tilted his head back pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Am I going to be fine?” Hoseok asked, fear laced in his words.

“Yeah you might just not remember the past few months. But that demon is gone. Sent back to where the foul bastard came from.” Jungkook said.

“I am literally never spending the night here ever again. Not even for a million dollars.” Nayeon said.

“That’s a lie you’ll be back.” You chuckled.

“Make it two and maybe I will.” She smiled.

[beni-draw-ikemen-please]

EYES NOSE LIPS CH 2

I’m sorry I didn’t put effort into world building and explaining how everyone looks >.< Idk, I just assumed you don’t really need to if you’re writing fan fiction. But, as I go along, I’ll try. Just so even if you don’t play the game, you’d still get a solid understanding of everything. I’ll also add notes at the end of the chapter~ 

Thank you so much for reading!

EYES NOSE LIPS

Chapter 2 

Asami could hear his voice. Faint and distant. “Kantokusei~!”  His voice approached with the cool breeze. 

At the same time, she could feel the vibration coming from her phone’s alarm. 

“Heeey~ It’s almost time to wake up~!” A lively voice called out to her, while a soft paw landed on her shoulder. Asami opened her eyes— her vision still light and blurry — but she could make out the bright colour of Ace’s hair and Grim’s mischievous smile. 

“Thanks for waking me…” Asami rubbed her eyes as she slowly pushed herself off the grass. She gently straightened her skirt down, dusting off bits of grass and dust. Just as they were about to leave the row of trees, Asami glanced back at the spot where she slept. Grim and Ace teased her unusual napping habits as they walked towards the main building towards the classrooms. Faintly remembering the scent of something that resembled lemongrass— or maybe, it was pine. 

She tilted her head trying to remember what she dreamt of during her short but deep nap; but her attempts were unsuccessful. All that was left was the tenderness on her lips. 

****

“Oh yeah, come to think of it. Did you owe Kingscholar-senpai money?” Deuce casually asked just as the teacher left. 

One more class to go and the day’s done. Asami could feel the cumulative stress of walking on eggshells and sleepless nights creeping up on her. 

Her eyes would sometimes blur, and it was becoming harder to concentrate during classes. 

Deuce leaned towards the table, his arms supported his chin as he turned towards the prefect. Worried eyes focusing on her. “You can borrow my notes, I didn’t think you were able to follow most of the things Trein-sensei was talking about today.” Deuce slid his notebook towards Asami with a smile. 

“Thanks, Deuce.” Asami continued to rub her eyes. They felt hot and irritated. Clearly from the lack of sleep. “I haven’t been sleeping much.” 

Asami tucked Deuce’s notebook into her bag. She suddenly remembered his initial question and turned to him tilting her head in confusion. Asami could feel her brows curling — confusion on her face obvious as she blinked, waiting for Deuce’s explanation. 

“Owe Leona-senpai…. Money?” She couldn’t recall ever asking Madol from anyone these past few days. For a moment, Asami could feel fear creeping up on the hairs of her back. “Did I?” she was becoming less and less confident about what she did and didn’t do in the previous days. 

Working at the Mostro Lounge, attending classes, making food and helping with Savanaclaw chores. It’s no wonder she would lose track of things. 

“You should’ve seen his face during lunch time. He stormed into the cafeteria looking for you.” Ace who was sitting in front, turned to face them, elbows resting in front of the prefect as he casually joined the conversation. 

“‘WHERE IS THE HERBIVORE WOMAN?!’ He said” Ace sighed a heavy breath, whilst rubbing his shoulders together for comfort after feeling the chilling weight of his terrible Leona impersonation. Leona scared the brains out of their leisurely lunch break without any warnings or greetings. The grumble of his voice and the way he rolled his eyes at them haunted him until afternoon classes. 

Asami’s eyes widened in interest. Her cheeks sporting a shy pink. 

“He… was looking for me?” 

Knowing that Leona Kingscholar was actually looking for her made Asami stand up and dash outside the classroom. But she came back after a second; putting her hands together in front of her as a gesture of thanks for lending her notes, Asami dashed once again. Thankfully, the last period was announced as a free period. Ace, Deuce, and Grim waved at her for good luck. 

She didn’t know why he was looking for her, but Asami ran towards the third years’ corridor to look for him with her heart pounding. Adrenaline filled her. Excitement? Impulse? Whatever dictated her legs to walk as fast as she could without running couldn’t be named at the moment. Whatever it was, whatever he needed, she wanted to hear it from him herself. Even if he was angry about something, Asami didn’t think she’d mind. 

Asami’s eyes were wide and curious with anticipation; like a toddler discovering what power crayons held for the very first time. What a curious little bird she was. Her curiosity slowly forming into excitement drew a smile on her face as she brisk walked towards the other side of the school main building. 

Just as she turned to the corner, her lack of focus and surplus of elation caused her to bump at something — rather, someone. Someone tall and bulky. 

Bumping her nose and just as she was about to fall, this someone grabbed her arm, preventing a hard fall on her back. Her eyes squinted with the sudden pain she felt on her nose and forehead. “I’m so sorry…” She whispered, slowly peeling her eyes open, the tall dark figure looked at her with a worried face. 

“Are you okay, Kantokusei?” Asami had to blink a few seconds for her eyes to settle on the tall figure in front of her. Jack helped her stand up straight and lowered his head to see if her face was injured. 

“Jack?” Asami was finally able to tell who she bumped into. “Thanks for catching me.” Asami rubbed her forearm gently after Jack released his tight grip. Better than her falling on the floor. 

Asami bowed in apology for bumping into him. It’s hard to believe that  a guy as big as Jack was also a freshman like her. They would often have classes together and because of her situation at Savanaclaw, they’ve gotten incredibly close during the past week. 

Asami looked at him embarrassed. Her head continued to bow in apology but Jack paid it no mind. He was more worried about her. 

Asami suddenly remembered why she was rushing and asked Jack if he’d seen the Savanaclaw dorm leader. Briefly mentioning that he was with them during the first few minutes of lunch break but he decided to go someplace else and haven’t seen him since. 

Asami’s Leona-hunting high wore off after the bump. And somehow, the feeling of exhaustion doubled even after she took a nap during lunch. Maybe, it was time to get a proper good night’s rest.

****

Even though the prefect and Grim were enrolled as one student, it still didn’t help that she couldn’t use magic. And to participate in almost all the classes, you needed to use magic. Most of the time Asami would have half of the homework load, and Grim would stay behind to attend extra classes along with Deuce and Ace. She’d usually spend most of her free time walking around the school, or helping the headmaster with paperwork, or reading in the library. 

Spells and herbal medicine piqued her interest. And even without any magical energy, she still enjoyed reading about them. Spells structure and ingredients were her favourite. She would often lend her notes to the rest of the guys in class. She liked feeling that she was useful.

They had about three days left before they could return to their dorm. Fortunately, Asami was able to finish almost everything on Azul’s to-do list. Errands throughout the day, working part time in Mostro Lounge, and delivering messages to students. She felt excited to go back to ‘normal’. 

What is normal? She thought to herself. She’d been feeling lethargic and exhausted, but at the same time, she’s also having a lot of fun spending time with everyone. Cooking for the residents of Savanaclaw, helping Ruggie with chores, spending time with Jack, and learning more about life in Night Raven College. 

Her new life now felt normal. It was as if staying in Leona’s room was now just as natural as going to class. Aside from the occasional growls, grunts and eye rolling, she’s picked up most of his habits and took mental notes. 

Things like, how he doesn’t wear neckties or a blazer. But his white shirt and yellow vest would always be freshly pressed. His accessories would often be lying around and would sometimes break because he doesn’t take them off even as he is about to sleep. Despite how he looks, his hair is actually really silky and soft. How he doesn’t eat his vegetables. And how, at the end of the day, when she’s just cleaning up around the kitchen, she would find the lunchbox she made for him empty, already washed and dry.  That bit — even if she knew there was a possibility Ruggie cleaned it— the small chance that Leona enjoyed what she made, made her smile. Through the days, she was able to slowly get used to him and his presence— something she’s been actively avoiding for the past week and a half. 

She noticed little things. Little things about him that made her chuckle. Little things that made her relax around him. But not everything. She missed on a few small points. 

Asami made it to the dorms alone as Grim was stuck with Crewel’s extra classes. Somehow the trio’s been the teacher’s favourite and they’ve been staying behind for extra classes almost daily. 

The Savanaclaw dorms are usually not that busy after school—empty even. Since most of the residents often have club activities after classes. Most of Savanaclaw are outgoing who really only stay at the dorms during meal times and during the nights. 

The empty hallways filled with greenery felt serene to Asami and she enjoyed walking along the stone halls. On the fourth floor, the last room by the lone corridor with the best view of the pool and the sunset, was Leona’s room.

Asami knocked twice to see if Leona was back in his room. But there was no response. 

The room was dark with orange lights peeking through the closed blinds. The veranda doors that were usually open to welcome in the breeze were closed. Asami didn’t bother turning the lights on and she sighed in relief to see the room empty. And quiet. It’s been a while since she had a room to herself. 

Asami felt the weight of her legs take her to sit on top of Leona’s bed. Her heavy eyelids somehow amplified the scent of the room. Leona’s scent. Thinking about how she’s staying in the same room as someone like him made her throat feel dry. Her skin tingled as she took a deep breath; running her hands on his sheets. Her heavy eyelids somehow gave her the courage to actually picture him in her head. His sleeping figure, his dark hair sprayed all over the pillows; his low mumbles and moans. His emerald eyes in the dark. Slowly, climbing up—

No.

She thought about how maybe, that’s the reason why she’d wake up and spend the night out in the lounge by the pool.

Just the thought of someone like Leona Kingscholar, sleeping in the same room, made her insides feel things she’s never felt before. Her chest felt heavy and Asami could hear her heart drumming through her ears. 

Leona-senpai…

She allowed herself to call out to him. Silently spelling his name with heavy sighs. 

But at that moment, as she took in a deep breath, her eyes felt too hot and her body was too heavy to even try and recognise the feeling inside her. With a long and satisfying yawn, she let herself relax on his bed. 

Asami felt her eyelids begging for a goodnight sleep. And for a moment, she stopped thinking about anything else, and she let herself fall asleep.  

The scent of Leona and his name cradled her to sleep. 

****

Leona Kingscholar could be categorised as one of the best students in Night Raven College. But his potential comes hand-in-hand with disinterest, and slothful behaviour that even caused him to repeat a year. 

Skipping too many classes and only taking the final exams, no matter how great a wizard you may be, wasn’t tolerated in NRC. He sat through half of Trein’s nagging after school and somehow made it alive. Ruggie was kind enough to excuse him out of the miserable lecture. 

“That was horrific… What a pain—” Leona rubbed the back of his ear with a gloved hand whilst Ruggie chuckled behind him. He was hungry but more than that, he was so sleepy he could pass out right there. 

Leona finally reached the door of his room as just as Ruggie was about to say something, at the same moment he opened the door, the two of them stopped when they saw Asami sleeping soundly on Leona’s bed. 

“Ara—” Ruggie scratched his head and chuckled a bit. “What should we do, Leona-san?” turning to the dark-haired prince, Ruggie offered to remove her. 

It was Leona’s bed after all. But Leona raised a gloved hand. For a moment, he was quiet. 

“Where’s the fur ball?” His eyes did not leave the sleeping figure. His voice was the lowest and quietest Ruggie had ever heard. For the first time in a long time, Leona Kingscholar was speaking ever so softly because someone else was asleep in his presence. That could only mean one thing, Ruggie thought. Leona Kingscholar himself, was being considerate. 

Ruggie whispered back, “Remedial Classes” His eyebrows curiously raised to see what the next words Leona would speak.  His eyes anticipating his response. 

“Ruggie... “ Leona spoke low and slow. His eyes glued to the sleeping figure on his bed. A heavy breath after every word. 

After a few seconds of silence, Leona entered the room silently whilst slowly closing the door. Just before he shut the door, his eyes turned to face Ruggie. 

“You stay with the raccoon tonight.” With that, the door shut, and Ruggie heard the lock click. Ruggie turned to leave and raised his hands in defeat. His eyebrows relax in relief. 

“At least, someone’s honest for once.” he chuckled a low chuckle and left the hallway leading to Leona’s room. 

*****

Now this was a familiar sight. Almost too familiar. 

Leona Kingscholar was a man of logic and reason — and he will be the first one to turn away from a difficult situation. But this was one of the few times he felt cornered and trapped. He sighed a deep sigh, an almost growl quietly escaping his lips.  He stood just by the door unmoving. His eyes examined the room, and then returned examining the sleeping figure that had caught him off guard. 

Asami was on her side; her hands relaxed in front of her face — however, half of her legs were still on the floor. Leona could tell she didn’t intend to sleep on his bed. She’d been avoiding him all week after all. He called out to her to see if she would respond. The softest and lowest voice he could try, “Oi…” With a raised eyebrow, Leona waited for a response. 

No luck. 

Leona calmed himself. He took quick breaths to relax the tension away. 

She’s just a girl. He thought to himself. Slowly walking towards the side of the bed. Leona looked at Asami’s sleeping figure. Dark faint circles hung above her cheeks and her face slightly flushed. The dark room grew darker as the sun continued to take away its orange glowy light. She was like a polished gem resting on the velvet sheets that was his bed. Nowhere were those carnelian eyes— but the sight of her; the contrast of her dark hair and long lashes on her pale skin, looked like there was a radiance that was only around her. Her breathing was the only thing audible in the room now. And Leona slowly let himself sit down beside the sleeping figure. Listening closely to her soft breaths. Allowing himself to become part of the scenery that was her. He could feel himself relax as he sat there. 

Slowly, he allowed himself to shift, and let his back lean on the head board; his one leg planted on the floor, while the other leg folded in front of him. His head leaned back a bit, but eyes never left Asami. He sighed, another heavy sigh as he watched her sleeping face. 

Her scent mixed with the comforting scent he had on his bed; the sheets smelled like him, the pillows smelled like him. But now, he has an intruder. An intruder he willingly let in. He found comfort in the rhythm of her breaths. He felt his tensed muscles relax at the sight of her. How the strands of her hair fell on her cheek, how her lips glistened at the remaining light that was left in his room. How her neck bared itself as her hair fell on the back of her collar. 

Leona Kingscholar was a man of logic and reason. But the next moments he did weren’t governed by logic nor reason and he didn’t bother identifying that force. 

With the softest movements and the quietest shift on the bed, Leona let his hands reach her. His gloved hand tracing her index finger ever so lightly, ever so softly and ever so quietly. Pulling his hand back, he waited to see if she would wake up. 

But after a few minutes, Leona made the conclusion that this girl was too tired to notice his presence. 

He felt himself gulp as he quietly removed his gloves and vest and threw them on the carpeted floor. Leona then slowly and very very carefully lifted Asami’s sleeping figure so she was lying properly on the bed. He found himself gently removing her indoor slippers, blazer and necktie, setting them aside neatly. 

Leona watched Asami’s sleeping figure like a predator in the night. 

Careful and deliberate—watchful. But there was gentleness there. Careful, intentional and for a moment, loving. With his arm supporting his head, he relaxed himself next to her. He took in deep breaths, memorising her scent; the scent of her hair— the same sweet scent of shampoo, hints of the sun, the faintest trail of sweat— the scent he could sniff from the littlest bare skin from the small of her neck. 

He wouldn’t admit it to himself, but there was a mighty need growing inside of him. Something urgent stuck in his throat. A want to be constantly around her grew inside Leona. 

For the first time, Leona gently placed his hand to cup her cheek with his bare hands. He could instantly feel the warmth through his fingertips. With each breath she took, he let his finger caress her face, with the gentlest touch, without making a sound. His finger in tune with her breaths, as if masking them so she wouldn’t notice. Masking them so she would stay asleep. Masking them so he could enjoy the sight of her. Leona found himself syncing with her breaths; his lion senses enveloped by this new presence— her presence. 

A predator completely enamored by his prey. His emerald eyes traced even the slight shift of her head to face him. 

How dare she, he thought to himself.

How dare you fall asleep on my bed — and make me feel this way. 

Leona cursed himself for choosing this predicament; his entire character seemed to just jump out the window when he saw her sleeping on his bed. He was not one to stick his nose in difficult situations. He took pride in being the best in avoiding them, in fact. For a moment, he felt his brain black out.

But he also knew better. 

With the quietest heavy sigh, he convinced himself to relax a little bit once more. But just as he finally did, Asami schooched herself closer to him, her face almost burying into his chest. Leona’s emerald eyes glimmered in interest. He didn’t notice it, but his cheeks turned into a deep blush. That blush on his cheeks was invisible in the darkness of the room, and will always be a secret only known by Asami’s sleeping face. And for him, how silly she scrunched her nose every now and then would be the secret he’d keep in return. 

As the night devoured the whole Savanaclaw dorm, Leona’s world can only be described by only one thing — her. Who would expect the genius, Leona Kingscholar, the second prince of the Savanna, would find himself trapped within a little girl’s sleeping grasp. Her hands tightly clinging on to his shirt. Leona didn’t want to allow it, he didn’t want to succumb — but that night already held too many secrets, what would adding one more do?

Leona held Asami tight — his hands now familiar with the shape of her neck, and the smallness of her shoulders. His hands found solace in the small of her back. He allowed himself, for the last time, to take in her scent. With a soft kiss towards her head, Leona Kingscholar felt a smirk on his face, as he inhaled her — as much as he could — for now, at the very least, before his eyes slowly drifted to a deep sleep. 

*****

“Hey…” A rasped and familiar voice lazily called out to her. Asami’s eyes fluttered open — her vision still white and blurry. The sun leaked from the window into the carpeted floor through the half-lifted blinds. Someone was standing near the bed. Bare chest, towel on their head. 

As her eyes settled as she rubbed them, the figure sat on the bed— the smell of shampoo and soap filling her senses. 

“Oi—”  

Asami was just about to greet them ‘good morning’ when she was jolted by her own realization that it was Leona Kingscholar who was sitting by the bed. His bed. No, she’s the one who is on his bed. 

Asami stood up nervously bowing her head in apology. A deep shade of pink filling her pale cheeks. “I- I’m so sorry, dorm leader….” Asami kept her head on a low bow. A scratchy and dry gulp filling her throat as she awaited her punishment, or at least a scowl — a growl. Something. 

She couldn’t recall preparing for bed, or making the futons, or waking up early to make lunch boxes and as she lowered her head to see if her futon was moved, she was surprised to see it untouched, while Leona’s bed was messed up. Leona didn’t say anything as he was busy drying his hair. 

But he stood up once more, and got a big fresh towel from his dresser. 

“You should get ready for school. Or you’ll be late too.” Leona faced away, the towel covering most of his face and head. But his shoulders hunched forward as his elbows rested on his knees. His voice was gentle — low and gentle. Asami bowed to take the towel and thanked Leona silently. 

But just as she was headed outside, to use the dorm showers, a low growl finally escaped Leona’s lips. 

“Where do you think you’re going?”  

Asami shrieked. Her shoulders suddenly tighten with the hitch in her breath. 

“It’ll be full after morning practice. You can use the shower here—” Leona’s eyes were closed, Asami could feel that he was relaxed. This was the first time she’s ever been alone with him, like this. But for a moment, she was relieved.

She nervously got ready for school.

Did they sleep together? 

Did he sleep somewhere else?

Please don’t tell me I made Leona-senpai sleep on the floor. 

Countless things ran inside Asami’s head as she tried to relax under the hot steamy water. She felt well-rested and invigorated. She’s been sleep-deprived and must have passed out while cleaning up the room. Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink as she listed the possibilities. 

Nothing was wrong with her body. No pain, no marks — nothing. 

Just as she closed her eyes to relax herself, she heard Leona’s voice from the other side of the shower curtain. 

“Hurry up — we’ll be late!” Leona growled his usual growl. But somehow, it feels nice to hear him like this. The first time she’s alone with Leona Kingscholar and they are both getting ready together. Asami’s nervousness was slowly replaced by an unnamed feeling—close to bliss— and it filled her chest. As she stepped out of the shower, she found a fresh set of shirt, skirt and a new blazer waiting for her. Asami checked to see if Leona was still around, and she was surprised to see the room empty. 

She got dressed, checked the time and went on her way. 

As she opened the door, she bumped into Leona who was standing just by the door. 

“It’s about damn time…” he scowled, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Let’s go” 

Leona walked and Asami followed a few steps behind. Her eyes examining the area, seemingly looking for something or someone. Leona noticed her head looking out to different directions and he sighed. “Everyone’s gone ahead. Your furball is with Ruggie and Jack.” He spoke slowly, a relaxed tone calming Asami’s worries. 

She felt nervous, but soon the nervousness melted away. Something about the way Leona spoke to her, the thoughtful way he waited for her to finish getting ready, and the assurance that Grim wasn’t left behind or lost made her smile. 

That moment gave her the courage to call out to him. 

“Leona-senpai…” Leona looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. Leona’s shoulders relaxed back as he stopped in his tracks. 

Asami bathed in all of Savanaclaw’s morning daylight and for a moment, Leona felt his eyes widened. He was stopped in his tracks, by this little girl. She looked as if she was shining. Her smile immobilised his frustrations and impatience. 

“Good morning.” She smiled, a light shade of pink tinting her face. Leona took a deep breath, and sighed all the almost-feelings out. But just as he turned to his heel to continue walking, Asami heard the lowest, gentlest “Good morning.” from him, and that was enough to give her enough energy to face the day. 

To be continued....

More Notes:

What is Madol?  - It’s like the in-game currency. ;)

Mostro Lounge? - This is a sort of café/lounge/bar area under the sea run by Azul and the Leech brothers. Because Asami can’t use her magic as collateral for making the deal with Azul, she handed over their dorm, the Ramshackle Dorm instead. She also works there part time after school~ >.< 

Night Raven College - the school of Magic

This work is also up on AO3 ~ My username is onibeni ^ ^

I’m working on Asami’s character sheet and I have a lot lot lot of Leona art coming so O A O I mostly post them on twitter :p beni_onibeni is my main account and beni_twist is my TW dump :p Thank you so much for reading! 

[artificialqueens]

Aloha, Part 1: Sand Angels (Bitney) - Veronica

A/N: An Undone sequel that probably makes more sense if you’ve read the main story, set during the holidays, while Bianca is still pregnant with Ruby. Here’s a link to the story on AQ and here’s a link to it on AO3.

Summary: Courtney and Bianca spend Christmas in Maui, discovering their new favorite spot.

(Thank you to @artificialpuddle for being an amazingly patient beta!!) 

TW: Discussion of past emotional abuse, trauma, and physical violence. (Side note: I know I said that these sequels would be fluffy, and they mostly are, but this is set before the end of the main story, so uh...we still got some major issues to work out.)

***

Bianca is exhausted by the time they wrap on season two of Silver Screens. She’s already embroiled in litigation with Jared’s family over exactly what’s happening with, not only his money, but their joint property. She’s considered giving up, just letting them win so that she can walk away, but ultimately, none of it is for her. Every time she looks down at her growing belly, she remembers who she’s fighting for, and it fuels her anger and her determination.

However, it’s draining. And she’s now almost six months pregnant, and the idea of flying to New Orleans for the holidays just sounds horrible. She knows that her family means well, but the constant checking up, the absolutely nonstop advice and questions, make it all worse.

After confiding all of these concerns to Bob, her therapist makes another suggestion: why not go somewhere else? A real vacation, just her and Courtney, somewhere they can truly get away from everything stressful and take some time for themselves?

She’s still not sure, but then she mentions the idea to Courtney, who is 200% on board, and by the end of the week, they’ve got flights to Maui, a hotel booked, and two weeks of pure, blissful lazing around time. Which all sounds wonderful in theory, but Bianca can’t help feeling a bit guilty about ditching her family.

However, the second her feet hit that white, powdery sand, she sighs in relief, turning to Courtney with a dimpled grin.

“Okay, you and Bob were right. Coming here was the right decision.”

Courtney leans forward to brush a gentle kiss against her lips.

“I suppose you don’t wanna race to the water,” she murmurs.

“I’ll race you when I’m not the size of a goddamn whale,” Bianca says, and Courtney giggles softly against her neck.

“Don’t even start, you know you’re perfect…”

A gentle tug pulls Bianca towards the ocean, which is warm and calm and as the waves lap against Bianca’s thighs, she starts to feel perfectly at ease.

“God, it’s beautiful…” Bianca sighs, staring out at the sparkling water.

“Sure is,” Courtney says, only she’s not looking at the scenery. Her eyes are fixated on Bianca’s face, watching her with a dreamy expression as a cool breeze blows her hair around.

Bianca tightens her grip on Courtney’s hand, trying to tell her without words how grateful she is, how lucky she feels. And Courtney seems to understand, pulling her close and wrapping her arms around her waist.

“Aloha…” she sings softly, and Bianca shakes her head, the smile on her face feeling permanent by now.

“Aloha yourself, cheeseball.”

***

Later, laying on a towel in the warm sand, Bianca sighs happily. She hasn’t been this relaxed in ages. Years, maybe. And the best part is that she has Courtney by her side, face tilted to the sun. She reaches languidly for her.

Courtney turns, gazing down at Bianca, and wraps a lock of still-damp dark brown hair around her finger.

“How are you feeling?” she asks softly, and Bianca smiles.

“Relieved...that we’re finally here.”

The past few months have been rough. Sometimes excruciatingly so. Courtney knows that no matter how hard Bianca tried to take things one day at a time, to not get so caught up in worrying about outcomes, that most of the time her mind was racing a mile a minute.

But now, there’s only the gentle breeze, the sound of rolling waves and the occasional bird, the fragrant air. It’s truly paradise, especially when Courtney’s lips find Bianca’s for a slow kiss, one hand resting on her belly.

“She’s kicking up a storm today,” Bianca says. “I guess we forgot to tell her that this is the chill zone.”

Courtney giggles, rubbing her belly in slow circles.

“Maybe she just heard how nice it is and wants to come join us.”

“You think she gets yelp reviews in there?” Bianca asks.

“Listen, this new generation is very technologically advanced. You have no idea.”

“That’s terrifying.” Bianca pulls Courtney in for another kiss, the baby kicking again.

“Wow, Dame Edna Del Rio really likes it here,” Courtney giggles.

“We both do. Thank you for suggesting this,” Bianca says, thumb stroking Courtney’s cheek lightly.

“All I want is for you to be happy…” Courtney tells her, seeking out her pulse point for another kiss that leaves her tingling.

And in that moment, Bianca is happy. Truly, deliriously happy.

It can’t last forever though--that feeling of perfect calm. The lovely bubble has to pop sometime. It does, of course, only a little while later, as they’re strolling on the beach hand in hand.

“I really worry about you sometimes,” Courtney admits, fingers laced with hers.

“You don’t have to worry.”

“But you’ve been through so much. You must have so much you need to deal with, and I just want you to know that you don’t have to do it alone.”

“I don’t want to spend all our time together talking about my stupid trauma,” Bianca says.

“I get that. But B, it doesn’t have to be all the time. Just sometimes. When you need to-”

“Can’t we just enjoy the fucking sunset?” Bianca groans. She stops, turning to face the water, watching the golden rays reflecting off the waves.

“Sure.” Courtney wraps her arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to her neck, letting Bianca lean back into her touch.

It goes on like that for a few days. Any time Courtney tries to get deep with her, Bianca deftly changes the subject, cajoles her to live in the moment, or simply distracts her with physical affection. After awhile, Courtney catches onto her game.

They’re snuggled in bed after a long and wonderful day--exploring the island in the morning, followed by a lively Christmas luau. Courtney’s fingers card gently through her hair. Bianca’s face is tucked into her neck, inhaling her, almost sinfully relaxed, when she brings it up again.

“B…”

“Mmm?”

“I’ve been thinking about Jared.”

Bianca’s eyes pop open, spine going rigid. That’s not the name she wants to hear right now.

“Do you ever like...miss him?”

“No.”

Bianca’s hands slide around Courtney’s waist, pulling her closer.

“It would be okay if you did, you know-”

“I know, but I don’t.”

“Sometimes I feel really guilty. Like maybe if I wasn’t around, you’d have...I don’t know.” Courtney sighed.  

“Stayed with him? Lived happily ever after? Are you fucking nuts?”

“No, of course not, but maybe it wouldn’t have ended in such a terrible way.”

“You know what would be more fun than this conversation?” Bianca asked, fingers digging into her waist. “You and me, fucking and then getting into that spa shower.”

“Bianca.”

“What?” Bianca’s lips have found her pulse point now, nibbling teasingly on her most sensitive spot.

“Just stop for a second,” Courtney says, wriggling away slightly. “I’m trying to talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

“I know, but you never want to talk about it, so-”

“Why can’t we just have sex instead?” Bianca whines, tugging on Courtney’s shorts. She purses her lips, giving her sexiest bedroom eyes. “I’ll make it worth your while…”

“Bianca! Stop.”

“Is this because I’m fat?”

Courtney rolls her eyes to the ceiling, seems to say a little prayer to herself before replying, “Do not even try that bullshit, you know damn well-”

“It is! I’m fat and hideous!” Bianca exclaims, hoisting herself off the bed, pacing around the room like a madwoman.

“B, come on, I’m serious…”

“So am I! I’m trying to fuck you, but all you want to do is talk, and-” Bianca stops. It’s the cheapest sort of deflection, the kind of game she used to play with Jared. Worse, it was the kind of game Jared used to play with her. Gaslighting.

The only upside, the only thing that prevents her from completely losing it, is that Courtney, for all her softness, is not buying one bit. Bianca suddenly feels as gross and hideous as she’s pretending to, all at once. Tears spilling down her cheeks.

Courtney waits, letting her have her little tantrum. When she finally returns to the bed, sinking down next to Courtney with her head in her hands, she feels fingers trailing gently up her spine.

A soft voice whispers, “I would love to know what you’re thinking right now, B. Really.”

Bianca looks up, her tear-stained cheeks blotchy, eyes red and swollen. She opens her mouth, but it still won’t come. Courtney takes her hands, kisses her fingers, keeps waiting.  

“I’m a terrible person,” Bianca finally says.  

Courtney has a pained expression on her face, like she’s doing everything she can to listen without arguing. She finally settles on, “Why do you think that?”

“Because I’m happy. I really am. And the more time goes by, the happier I am. He’s dead, and all I can think is...I’m fucking free. We’re free. This baby, she never has to know...”

Tears are falling faster now, blurring her vision. Courtney doesn’t say anything, just holds her for the longest time. When Bianca finally lifts her head, Courtney silently helps her to her feet, tugs her toward the door.

“Where are we going?” Bianca asks, but follows easily, wiping her eyes.

They’re both barefoot, walking down the stone path to the beach, powdery soft sand cool in the moonlight. The edge of the sky is still slightly glowing from the recently set sun, streaks of violet and dusty orange, the whole beach calm and beautiful, in that ethereal way where you can’t quite believe it’s real.

Courtney reaches the edge of the water and sits, helping Bianca down beside her. She stretches out her legs, letting the waves lick gently at her feet, tilting her face towards the sky, the glittering stars just beginning to appear.

“You’re not a terrible person, Bianca,” she finally says. “You’re just...a person.”

“And we’re all sinners? Is that it?”

“No. No, that’s not it at all. You’re a person, with flaws, but those flaws do not include a desire to hurt other people.”

“But I did.”

“You were just fighting for your life. Fighting for my life. The fact that we were even in that position--none of it was your fault. You’d worked so, so hard to avoid anything like it. I saw you.”

“Sometimes I worry that I’m...some kind of sociopath. Because I’m so glad he’s gone, and I...I can’t make myself feel anything different.” The tears are flowing freely down her cheeks again. Sometimes Bianca tries to fathom how she has any tears left about this, after the rivers and oceans she’s already cried. And this from someone who always described herself as ‘not really a big crier.’ Maybe a better description would be ‘generally out of touch with her emotions.’

“Do you think I’d be with you if you were violent? Dangerous?”

“I don’t know.”

“Look, I’m not saying you’re perfect. Nobody is. But every flaw, every little weird idiosyncrasy...all of that makes you who you are, and who you are…”

Courtney edges closer, taking Bianca’s chin and tilting it towards her.

“I love you so fucking much, B. And it’s not because I’m some kind of sadist. It’s because you make me…” Courtney bites her lip, a crease furrowing her brow.

“Frustrated?” Bianca tries to break the tension, as much as she can with tears still glistening on her cheeks, falling faster than she can wipe them away.

“No,” Courtney counters. “I mean, yes, sometimes, but also...hopeful. And appreciated. And challenged. And...so fucking happy.”

“Even tonight?”

“Yeah.”

“Even though I brought a whole world of chaos into your life?”

“Look at where we are.” Courtney gestures to their surroundings. “If you think I would trade away one second of this, of our lives right now, just to avoid some of that chaos, then...you don’t know me very well.”

Bianca swallows, looking at Courtney’s eyes burning bright in the moonlight, and she knows. She knows it’s true because she feels the same way. But she’s too mentally exhausted to explain how much she needed that reassurance. So instead, she finally just nods.

“Yeah.”

Courtney smiles and orders, “Lie back.”

“What? Why?”

“We’re gonna make sand angels.”

“Sand angels are not a thing, Courtney.”

“Yes they are! They’re a time-honored Australian Christmas tradition, just go with it.”

Bianca laughs softly, spreading her arms and legs, feeling ridiculous and childish and almost giddy. Not that she stops complaining.

“We’re too close to the water. They’re just gonna wash away, like, immediately.”

“Yeah, well…” Courtney gets up, drawing halos over first her own angel, and then Bianca’s, kneeling above her head, giving her an upside-down grin in the process. “That doesn’t mean they weren’t beautiful while they were here.”

“You’re so deep,” Bianca teases.

“I know, right? Sooooore deep. You’re very lucky.”

Bianca laughs, feels something akin to a knot unwinding in her chest, making her feel lighter. Younger. She sits up and spins around, grabbing Courtney’s face and pulling her in for a messy, slightly sandy and very salty kiss.

“I am.”

[flipomatic]

A New World Chapter 22: Training Camp Day 4

Author Note: While I was away, Roselia’s third band story was released. I read a summary, but it will not be influencing this fic in any way.

First Chapter Previous Chapter

_________________________________________________________

With only two members in the studio, the room was quiet. That suited Rinko just fine, as she needed to focus completely on the lyrics Yukina presented to her.

When Sayo told her that they would take the morning off practicing to work on writing a new song, Rinko had fully supported the idea. Now was the perfect time to do so, especially since they could record the song this week.

It turned out Yukina had rejected the board game last night to work on the lyrics, since she still needed to put the final touches on them. It was disappointing that she couldn’t play, but when Lisa returned and eagerly joined, the mood turned around.

The other three band members were upstairs this morning, though Rinko didn’t know what they were doing. They hadn’t decided yet when she left, and she couldn’t hear them from the studio. Sayo was going to help with the guitar parts once they had the base of the song done, which would probably be by tomorrow.

Now, with the band split up, it was time to create the song. When Yukina handed Rinko the lyrics, she admitted that she hadn’t been able to complete them until last night. Right now, here at the training camp, was the only time she could’ve written them.

The title line for the song was blank. The lyrics spoke of the unification of the band, they way that they came together to seek the top. Each member had a line during the second half of the verse, leading to them all singing together. The lines of the chorus carried a similar message, looking up and towards the future.

They were great lyrics. Rinko’s thoughts went to the song she’d been working on, playing the melody in her mind. She tried to slot the words in, but it wasn’t going to work. That melody didn’t quite fit these lyrics.

No, she would need to create something new.

Rinko looked up from the notebook, which was perched on a music stand behind her keyboard, eyes meeting Yukina’s. The singer had been watching her read with steady golden eyes, waiting for her reaction.

“D-do you have a tempo in mind?” Rinko asked, not giving her judgement yet on the lyrics.

Yukina’s forehead wrinkled as she thought of a reply. “On the faster side, I think over 180 would be best.” Most of their music was around that tempo, so it made sense. It also matched what Rinko expected; she was right to set aside her other melody.

She leaned forward to click on the metronome that was part of her keyboard, turning the dial up to 180 beats per minute. Rinko reviewed the lyrics again as she listened to it, toe tapping in half time.

Yukina had her hands together in her lap, finger tapping lightly with each beat. Her eyes were narrowed as she focused.

Rinko let the metronome play for a couple minutes, turning over a few potential melodies in her mind. When she glanced back at Yukina, the vocalist had a distinct gleam in her eye. It seemed like she had an idea. Rinko clicked the metronome off.

“How about this, in 4/4 time.”  Yukina didn’t wait, jumping right into presenting her idea. She sang a two measure phrase, much slower than the tempo they were just listening to. She sang in a major key signature, Rinko would need to ask exactly which one. It used a quarter note followed by half notes in the first measure, and then a syncopated rhythm in the second. The tune went up and down with each note, ending on a lower one.

Rinko played it on her keyboard, matching the notes Yukina sang as closely as she could. Yukina nodded, offering a tweak to one of the notes and clarifying the key signature. It sounded even better the second time.

“This could work... on the verses.” Rinko handed the lyric sheet back to Yukina, and then played the tune slowly multiple times in a row. Yukina joined on the second set, singing the portion where the band members counted off. It lined up well, and with a few more tweaks it would be perfect.

The pair stopped, with Rinko grabbing her blank sheet music to jot the phrase down.

Next, they modified it to fit the earlier part of the verse. It wasn’t quite as urgent, and didn’t need as many half notes. After that came the melody of the chorus, which called for a new tune. It could use some of the same notes as the verse, but needed to do a lot more lifting.

They tried a few different melodic lines until they found one that worked and matched well with the verses. It conveyed the emotion of the lyrics as well, lifting the notes and the band higher.

With those three core aspects decided, the two split up for half an hour to work independently. Yukina needed to decide how she would sing the song, while Rinko prepared the first rough draft of the melody on sheet music.

Rinko worked carefully on her task, connecting the portions together. The second verse and bridge would still need more foundation, but they were off to a good start. Maybe Sayo would want to help with the bridge, beyond writing just the guitar part for it. She made a mental note to ask her.

Rinko was able to finish the draft in the half hour designated, then prepared to play it with Yukina. They worked their way through the piece slowly, stopping every few measures to make corrections.

It was a good idea to write a new song; the band needed one. They would keep working until lunch, writing the rest of the melody and adding other instruments. The song was slowly coming together.

As she played, Rinko wondered what was going on upstairs.

______________________________________________________

Training camp was a great time to try new things. Ako truly believed that, from the bottom of her heart. So when Rinko and Yukina split off to work on a new song, that opened up a morning full of opportunities.

Though they couldn’t go far from the house, there was still so much they could do! They could play games or go on an adventure. This house must have had some secrets it was hiding, if Ako only looked close enough to find them. They could also bake, or perhaps compose a song of their own. That would really surprise Rinko and Yukina.

As the other two members went down to the studio, Ako proposed these ideas to Lisa and Sayo. She was excited, regardless of which one was chosen.

The three were standing in a circle in the kitchen, near the main table.

“It’s been a while since we baked together.” Sayo lifted one hand to her chin as she considered the idea. “Not since last fall.”

“Baking sounds like a great idea!” Lisa voiced her agreement. Both of them baked as a hobby, so it made sense that they would pick it.

Sayo frowned slightly. “It might help with the mood too.” Her eyes flicked towards the stairs leading to the studio.

“Yeah…” Lisa sighed, smile slipping away as her voice trailed off.

Ako wasn’t sure what they meant; the mood had been way better over the last couple days. “What should we make?” She wasn’t that familiar with baking. Sure, she’d eaten many a baked good in her time, but she didn’t have much experience making them. Despite that, she was eager to jump in and learn.

“How about cookies?” Sayo’s attention snapped to Ako as she replied, taking her phone out of her pocket and looking down at the screen. “There’s a new recipe I’ve been meaning to try.” She tapped multiple times on the screen.

A moment later Ako’s phone buzzed; Sayo had sent her the link. Lisa must’ve received it too, since she also looked at her phone. Ako opened the recipe and scrolled through it, skimming the ingredients list and directions. It was for sugar cookies, ones that could be cut into fun shapes.

“This looks doable.” Lisa commented as she did the same. “We might need a few more ingredients.”

Oh, that would be the adventure Ako was looking for. “Let’s go shopping!” She raised one fist in the air.

“We should.” Sayo stepped over to the fridge, opening it to look inside. “I’ll make a list of what we still need.” She started typing again on her phone.

Lisa stepped up next to her to peer inside. “We can make the frosting too, add confectioner’s sugar to the list.” Ako hadn’t heard of that, but it had the words sugar in it, so it was probably tasty.

“Alright.”

“Ooh, let’s get some food dye too.” Ako could already picture the cool cookies she’d make, in shape of bats or instruments. Colored frosting would make them even better.

Lisa shot back a thumbs up, stepping back from the fridge. She moved over to the cabinet, looking inside at the baking supplies available. Sayo followed a moment later. Ako didn’t know what they were looking for, so she waited right where she was.

A minute later, and they seemed satisfied with what they saw. Sayo led the way out of the kitchen and back to the front door, where they put their shoes on and ventured out into the world.

The market was only a ten minute walk from the house, a journey Ako had made already a few times. The trio walked there with ease, making small talk about the weather.

They quickly gathered the needed items once inside, which included the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and food dye, along with other ingredients.

Once they had bought everything, they walked back to the house. The bags were split between the three, with Ako carrying two of them.

Soon, they were re-entering the house and setting the ingredients down in the kitchen. Ako listened to see if she could hear the piano, since it had been a while since they got started downstairs, but the studio was too good at keeping sound in.

“We’ll start with the cookie dough, then make the frosting while it chills.” Lisa said, taking charge with her high-level baking knowledge. She washed her hands at the sink, which was probably a good idea. Sayo went next, followed by Ako.

“I’ll start mixing dry ingredients.” Sayo said after drying her hands. She took a large bowl out of the cupboard and settled at one of the counters.

“That means we have the wet ones.” Lisa took a smaller bowl from the same cupboard, moving to a counter away from Sayo. “Ako, can you grab a spatula?” She pointed to one of the drawers on the other side of the kitchen.

Of course she could do that! Ako stepped around the other two to reach the drawer, opening it to look for the desired object. Surprisingly, there were a few different colored spatulas to choose from, but she settled on a black one. At the other counter, Sayo was very carefully measuring the flour.

When Ako got back to Lisa, her friend had already gathered a few of the wet ingredients. “That’s perfect.” She said, eyeing the spatula Ako clenched in one fist. “I’ll add ingredients while you stir.”

“Sounds good!” Ako stepped in front of the bowl as Lisa moved to the side, plunging her spatula down inside it. There already was an egg cracked at the bottom, so Ako began to stir it. Each time her spatula scaped the side, she imagined the echo of a cymbal hit.

As she stirred, Lisa dropped in more ingredients. The vanilla was easy to mix in, while the butter was tougher. Ako kept at it, stirring the mixture firmly. This wasn’t so hard; she could totally do this! Soon, it had reached a consistent texture.

Lisa had been standing aside, and she leaned over the bowl to take a look. “Looks great Ako!” She then turned to Sayo. “Are the dry ingredients ready?”

There was a bit of white dust in Sayo’s hair, clinging to the ends of it. She was dumping one last teaspoon of powder into her mixture. “Just finished.” She picked the large bowl up, bringing it over the Lisa and Ako.

“Let’s combine them.” Lisa gestured for Ako to pass her the spatula, which she did as she stepped back from the bowl. With apparent ease, Lisa lifted the smaller bowl and poured the contents into the larger one. She then stuck the spatula inside and began to stir. Sayo took the smaller bowl to wash, while Ako moved closer to peer at the mixture.

“It already looks great.” Ako commented.

“They’re gonna be delicious.” Lisa stirred carefully, mixing the ingredients together. The dough was thick and clung to the spatula.

When Sayo finished washing the bowl, she looked in the cupboard again. Ako hopped over to see if she needed any help. Sayo emerged with a box of wax paper, which she unrolled onto one of the counters. “We’ll need two.” She said, tearing the first piece off and offering it to Ako.

Ako held it tightly as Sayo tore another one off, and soon both were ready. It was good timing, since Lisa was just about done mixing the dough. They brought the paper over to her counter, since the bowl was harder to move. Sayo gained a rolling pin along the way.

Ako marveled at how in sync Sayo and Lisa were in the kitchen. She knew they had baked together before, but it was still amazing to watch them work together.

“Ako, have you rolled dough before?” Lisa asked as she took the sheet of wax paper from the teen, spreading it on the table.

“Nope.” Ako replied honestly. She was eager to try.

“No better time to learn.” Lisa scooped some of the dough out with her hands, placing it on the wax paper. She only took about half of it out, before taking the second sheet from Sayo. It was placed on top of the dough, leaving it pressed between the two. “Sayo’ll guide you, she’s an expert.”

Sayo’s cheeks dusted pink at that, but she didn’t comment on it. “Let’s get started then.” She handed the rolling pin to Ako, showing her how to hold it on both sides. “Don’t press too hard. We’re aiming for one quarter inch, not completely flat.”

Ako grit her teeth in determination as she lowered the rolling pin down onto the dough pile. She slowly rolled over the top of it, carefully pushing it down.

“You can push a little harder.” Sayo was right by her side, watching her every move.

Ako did as instructed, applying more pressure to the dough. The rolling pin moved over it smoothly, steadily making it flatter and flatter. It was easy with the wax paper, since the pin couldn’t stick to the dough. She rolled rhythmically, two beats up and two beats back. A rhythm formed in her mind, around the movement of the pin.

Once she thought it was close, she stopped. Ako leaned over to look at the thickness, trying to decide if this was one quarter inch. She had no idea; it was super hard to tell.

Sayo had leaned down on the other side, checking the same thing. “A little more.” She said as her final judgement.

With just a few more sweeps of the rolling pin, the first half was done. Ako beamed as she lifted the rolling pin off, marveling at what they’d made. Behind her, Lisa had appeared with a baking sheet. She placed the tray next to it, removed the top wax paper layer, then flipped it expertly onto the tray. Once Lisa took the tray away, it was time to roll the rest of the dough.

“I’ll do the second half.” Sayo said as she started scooping the remaining dough onto the paper. “If you don’t mind washing the bowl.”

“I’m on it!” Once the dough was all out, Ako took the bowl over to the sink. It really was a large bowl, but she shouldn’t have too much trouble cleaning it.

By the time she was done, the front of her shirt was drenched and the second set of dough was ready. Lisa transferred it to a second baking sheet to put in the fridge with the other one.

“In an hour, we can cut them into shapes.” Lisa declared as she shut the fridge. “Let’s do the frosting for now.”

“What colors are we making?” Sayo asked, taking the food dye they’d bought out of the bag.

“Black and white for sure.” Ako wanted to make sure of it, so she could make cool bat cookies and a piano for Rinko.

“Blue and red too, if you’re alright with making four.” Lisa directed her words at Sayo.

“That’s fine, we’ll just divide it before we add the food dye.” Sayo retrieved the small bowl, the one Ako stirred the wet ingredients in before.

They soon had prepared all four colors of frosting, which Ako just had to sample to see if they tasted the same. Unsurprisingly, they did.

The cookie dough had chilled long enough by that point, so they cut it into shapes and then put it in the oven.

Ako watched through the tiny window as the cookies baked, eager to frost them. She was even more excited to see Rinko and Yukina’s reactions when they received them.

She hoped the song writing was going well downstairs.

________________________________________________________

Lisa carried the small bag carefully in her hand. The plastic was clear, showing the handmade goods inside.

Making cookies earlier had been a fantastic idea, exactly what Lisa needed. The recipe Sayo found was a good one; she would make some after training camp to give to Ai. That was a thought for later though.

For now, she had hoped that the band resyncing would improve Yukina’s mood, but so far it hadn’t been going that well. Over the last few days Yukina was still hard to talk to, even as the band thrived. They’d talked about music, of course, but outside of that it almost felt like Yukina was avoiding her. Even during rehearsal that afternoon, Yukina hardly looked her way. Perhaps she was still worried about the band, about what would happen after the training camp.

Tonight, with these cookies, Lisa hoped to change that. If Yukina refused to talk with her, the cookies were her way in. Even if their relationship wasn’t going to evolve, she would never allow their friendship to fall apart.

This led Lisa to where she was now, standing in the hallway of the rented house. Yukina had excused herself from the room a few minutes before, taking her headphones and notebook out to the main part of the house. Lisa watched her go, before deciding to follow. She took the bag of cookies with her, the ones she decorated specifically for Yukina.

As Lisa lurked in the hallway, watching Yukina as she sat at the main kitchen table, she felt hesitation creeping into her mind. Doubt, one of her worst enemies, whispered in her ear. Was it right to keep forcing Yukina to talk to her if she didn’t want to? It had to be her fault too, that their relationship was declining. Was this really for the best?

No, she shouldn’t think like that. Lisa snapped herself out of it, shaking her head firmly. Yukina valued their friendship as much as she did; she knew that. Even with everything that had changed, she was doing the right thing by trying to preserve it.

With that in mind, Lisa stepped out of the hallway and into the kitchen. Yukina had her eyes on her notebook, headphones over her ears. She was reading something as she listened, following along with her finger. It must’ve been the new song. Lisa sat across from her at the table and held the cookie bag out of sight underneath it. Yukina’s eyes slowly came up from the paper, locking on Lisa’s.

For a moment, Lisa just looked at her. Yukina, her best friend in the world, was holding her gaze with a mildly confused look. Her eyebrows came together slowly, silently asking a question.

“Do you have a minute?” Lisa asked rather than explaining, internally cringing at how awkward of a question that was.

Yukina nodded, lifting her headphones over her ears and setting them on the table. “Is something wrong?” Her voice was level.

“No, um, not really.” That wasn’t quite the truth, but Lisa didn’t want to continue the conversation down that path. “I just, wanted to talk to you.”

Yukina broke eye contact, looking at a spot over Lisa’s shoulder. “I see.” She said unhelpfully. She had closed herself off, as she so often did.

Lisa was undeterred. “How did song writing go today?”

“Rinko is very talented.” Was what Yukina said in reply, now directing her gaze back down to the notebook. She didn’t elaborate.

“Of course!” Lisa provided the energy for both of them. “She’s Roselia’s pianist after all.”

Yukina didn’t respond, instead fidgeting with the corner of her notebook.

Lisa watched her, took in every little motion. A minute passed, the tension in the air only growing. Usually they could sit in comfortable silence, but today neither was comfortable. Lisa had too much she needed to say. She just had to bring herself to say it.

“Is that all?” Yukina asked the question without looking up, her tone cold. Despite the chill to her words, there was a hint of insecurity. It pushed Lisa forward.

“No, it isn’t.” Lisa took a deep breath to center herself, her hand tightening on the bag. “You know I’m here for you, right? Don’t push me away.” She fought to keep her voice steady, to not let loose the emotions boiling beneath the surface. Gold eyes came back to hers, smoldering with unreadable sentiment. “Whether Roselia continues or not, I’ll stay by your side. No matter what happens, I will always be your friend.” That was a line full of mixed feelings. It hurt, to again admit that they would never be more than friends. It was also a relief, to finally express some of how she felt to Yukina.

Yukina’s expression flashed to something Lisa couldn’t quite place as she processed the words, mouth opening as if to speak. She inhaled, then exhaled without saying anything. Then, as if realizing something, Yukina’s expression snapped back to composed. It took her a few more seconds to reply. “I’m sorry I’ve been short with you.” She practically muttered; it was rare for her to apologize. Lisa’s heart throbbed in her chest. “I’ll remember that. I’m your friend too.”

That was all Lisa wanted. She felt tears welling up in her eyes with relief, but quickly rubbed them away with her free hand. Yukina looked alarmed and moved to stand, but Lisa waved for her to stay seated. She was so endearing when she tried to help. “I’m glad.” Lisa said, again wiping one forming tear.

“Do you need a tissue? I’ll get one.” Yukina offered, speaking faster than usual.

Lisa shook her head, already recovering. “No, I’m fine now.” It was still a lie, but much less of one than what she said before. The plastic bag crinkled between her fingers, reminding her of its presence. She still needed to give it to her. “I almost forgot; these are for you.” Lisa lifted the bag of cookies, reaching across the table to hold them out to Yukina.

Yukina’s golden eyes widened with surprise as she reached up to accept the bag. “Thank you.” She replied politely, tugging at the ribbon to open the plastic. Lisa could hear her inhale sharply when she saw what was inside.

These cookies were in the shape of small blue roses, with careful frosting work to match. The lines were done in black so that it was clear exactly what they were supposed to be. It had been a test of her frosting skills, but she thought they turned out well. Lisa made them while Ako and Sayo made tiny keyboard cookies.

Yukina’s expression softened as she carefully took one out of the bag, setting it on the table to get a better look at it. “I love them, they’re almost too good to eat.” She raised one eyebrow with the second half.

Lisa laughed at that, unable to resist Yukina’s jokes. “You’d better eat them.” She chuckled, drawing a smile from Yukina.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Yukina picked her headphones up from where they rested on the table. “Do you want to listen to the new song demo?”

That was an easy one. “Yes, for sure.” Lisa reached over to take the headphones, slipping them over her head. With a slight tug to extend them, they fit easily over her ears. Yukina moved over the lyrics as well, so Lisa could follow along. “Do you have a title yet?” Lisa asked before Yukina could start the music, noticing that there wasn’t one at the top of the page.

“No, not yet.” Yukina replied, then hit a button on her phone. The piano track played in Lisa’s ears, along with Yukina’s singing. It sounded slow, likely not at tempo. Even at the lower tempo, it carried a high level of energy.

Yukina’s voice sounded strong, carrying the song from start to finish. Lisa had always loved her singing, loved watching her perform. She’d always loved her, though she was trying to avoid that thought.

For now, as the song finished in her ears and Yukina slowly ate one of the blue rose cookies, they would continue to be best friends. They would continue to play in Roselia together.

For now, that was enough.

_________________________________________________________

End note: I listened to a metronome again for this.

I have decided the total chapter count, since I now know how many more training camp chapters there will be and how many chapters are planned after that. If I need to change it I will, but 30 is the anticipated final chapter count.

This chapter, and the mini arc as a whole, got away from me in a big way. Two more chapters then we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming. I hope you are still enjoying it, and thanks for reading!

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