#gotta wash the hoodie at some point but otherwise

[nicholasmillergf]

just gonna sleep with the plushie he won me and wear his clothes every day until he comes back

[lightsovermonaco]

His Good Sweater: Chapter 4

Masterlist

Thank you as always to my best friend and Beta reader @acollectionofficsandshit​ for putting up with me and my ramblings ♥

Word Count: 3.8k

Recommended song: "ily (I love you baby)" by Surf Mesa and Emilee

You'd never been more thankful that you kept a change of clothes in your car than you were after the race at Silverstone. You'd showered again, changing back into the sweaty tee and leggings. The clean emergency hoodie and jeans were a blessing, and casual enough for a night on the town.

Most of the crew had left, only a few poor souls pouring over race data or packing up essentials. James let you into the trailer yard this time without hesitation. "We really should just get you a key," He teases, "Sure would make my life easier."

Rolling your eyes, you give the tower of muscle a pitiful shove. He doesn't move an inch. "Thanks James. I'll ask Pierre to look into it."

A sudden wave of tiredness washes over you when you make it back to the trailer. You flip through the channels on the tiny television, settling on an analysis of the day’s race.

“And a brilliant drive from young Pierre Gasly, wasn’t it John?”

“I completely agree Martin. Gasly took advantage of every slip up by Mercedes and Red Bull and he has to be commended for that. Max made some rare mistakes and…”

You smile to yourself, their praise washing over you. Yawning, you curl up on Pierre's bed, the familiar smell of cedar lulling you into a light sleep in minutes.

**********

A gentle touch to your cheek wakes you some hours later. You crack your eyes open, greeted by a smile brighter than the stars in the night sky. You taste eternal sunshine on his lips when you kiss him, your soul sparking in response to his light.

"Good morning," He murmurs, thumb rubbing along your jaw. "Sleep well?"

You snuggle closer to him, eyes closing once more as you soak up the warmth. "Is it time to go out already?"

"It is. But we can stay here if you want to." He brushes a stray hair off your face. The gesture is so tender, if you didn’t know any better you’d never guess he could turn into the seasoned, take-no-shit racer you’d seen hours before. 

You shake your head. You couldn't let him miss out on celebrating his victory with his closest friends. Besides, you hadn't seen any of them for a span of time longer than a few minutes in months, and truth be told, you missed them all. 

Those boys had a knack for turning the simplest of outings into unforgettable adventures. You had been sworn to secrecy on numerous occasions after Pierre recounted drunken escapades that usually ended with Max sleeping somewhere preposterous, like a claw-footed bathtub in a fancy suite.

“Where are we going?” You ask sleepily. “Somewhere nearby?”

Pierre tugs you up until you’re sitting. He pulls you back against his chest, arms wrapping around you as he sets his chin on your shoulder. “Yeah. Maybe ten minutes away.”

You lean your full weight against him, admiring how perfectly your bodies slot together. “Can I leave my car here?”

“As long as you’re okay with it staying here until tomorrow, that’s fine.” He coaxes you to stand and presses a kiss to your temple as a reward. Your limbs are still heavy and uncooperative. Pierre winds an arm around your waist, supporting you and assuming the position of your rock as he always did.

"You don't sleep here," You state simply, looking at him for confirmation. He shakes his head.

"Wouldn't be enough room for two anyway." He gestures to the tiny twin sized bed and shrugs.

Your brow furrows. “Am I staying with you tonight?” You honestly had not considered it. The jet usually left early and you had assumed he would want to get as much rest as possible. But now that you had experienced waking up next to him, you realize how much you want his face to be the first thing you see when you open your eyes each morning.

“Of course you’re staying with me. I’m taking every second of your time that I can get.”

You bite your lip and lay your head on his shoulder. The idea of falling asleep in his arms was enough to shake any lingering sleepiness. “Okay.” Confident that you could hold yourself up, you step out of his grasp. “Ready.”

The few mechanics roaming about the grounds are enough to keep you cautious. You walk through the paddock a hair's breadth apart, although every nerve screams for you to touch him. Every time your arm grazes his, electricity ripples across your skin. All you want to do is hold his hand, but there’s enough prying eyes that you restrain the impulse.

You can tell he feels it too by the way his fingers curl and uncurl at his sides. And he's biting his cheek, you notice. A nervous habit of his and a clear indicator that he'd retreated inside his own head, likely contemplating if he'd truly deserved to win today or not.

Every few months his doubts crept in, the devil on his shoulder reminding him that Horner hadn't deemed him good enough to keep his seat at Red Bull after only a handful of races.

You'll never be as talented as them, is what you'd imagined it whispered. They're only here because they pity you. What makes you think you deserve a seat?

It couldn't be farther from the truth. Deep down, Pierre knew that. Driving in Formula 1 meant being under constant scrutiny from the public and sportscasters. Making an error meant debates about whether you were good enough and rumors about seat security.

There were no such errors today. You'd heard the commentary after the race; everyone was raving about his performance. Not one person had dared say he didn't deserve it.

Not wanting him to suffer alone, you subtly wrap your pinky finger around his. "You're okay," You say softly, his head whipping to you. "You deserved that trophy today. It was some of the best driving I've ever seen, everyone agrees. You deserve a trophy every time you get in that car. You'll always be my champion, even if the world tells you otherwise."

It takes a moment for it to sink in, but he nods and releases your pinkie. "You're my grounding rod," He says, lips curling in a knowing smile, and you can't hold back your laugh.

"Leave it to you to turn a romantic moment into a cheesy one." Instead of saying you're my rock like any normal person, he had to bring up the time you'd embarrassed yourself at the bar a year or so ago. He'd let you prattle on to poor Dan about building grounding rods of all things, and how you'd thought your professor's way of designing such a system was flawed. Pierre would never let you live that down, it seemed.

Max spots the two of you first, waving from where the boys had gathered outside Red Bull. “About time you showed up! We’ve been waiting for ten minutes!”

“She fell asleep,” Pierre says simply, his confidence back. “Takes her awhile to wake up.”

“Whatever, I’m just glad you’re here,” Daniel says, throwing an arm around your shoulders and tucking you tight to his side. You couldn’t help the broad smile creeping onto your face, twin to the aussie’s as you hug him back. 

“We missed you,” Charles says, falling into step beside you. “I never hear from you anymore!”

You grimace. It was true, while the three boys had texted you quite frequently the past few months, you had barely responded to them. You felt guilty about it, knowing they were taking time out of their packed schedules to catch up. But uni had been kicking your ass and the only one you’d found time for was Pierre. Looking back, you were glad he had been the exception.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” You say. “Lots of projects.”

“And that new internship,” Max points out. Your eyebrows flick up, gaze flicking to Pierre. You had been awarded an internship a month or so ago at a local engineering firm in London. It was only part time work, a few hours a week, but it was enough. The only one you had told was Pierre.

Pierre grins, the gesture a silent apology. “I may have spilled the beans.” 

You cut him a glare, the others laughing at your attempt at being intimidating. But you couldn’t turn away from him, not when he was looking at you with the same pride you had felt when he’d won earlier that day. 

“Uber’s here,” Charles announces, checking his phone.

“Where?” Daniel asks, and Charles indicates a black SUV parked at the curb. Daniel and Max exchange a look, shouting “Shotgun!” at the same time. Both boys break into a full sprint, feet pounding on the pavement. Daniel wins - barely, leaving Max and Charles to squeeze into the back seat.

Pierre follows you into the third row of seats, his hand immediately engulfing yours. Your stomach flips, glancing up to find a reassuring smile on his face. You could barely focus on what was said for the first half of the ride, hyperaware of the callouses rubbing your skin. The world around you erupts into color at the touch, completing the part of you that you’d never realized was missing. 

The remainder of the drive is filled with laughter, jokes, and plenty of selfies with the driver. It wasn’t every day one could brag about having four world class drivers in your car; you couldn’t blame the man for being excited.

By the time you arrive at the bar, your sides are already splitting with laughter. “First round is on you, Ricciardo,” Charles says, wagging a finger at him. “Punishment for bringing up the Abu Dhabi incident again!”

“Jokes on you, I was already planning on it!” He glances at you and winks. “Gotta congratulate the winner somehow, right?” Little did the Australian know, you had already congratulated Pierre a few hours ago, and you doubted that a few shots would outshine that performance. You hope the pink tinge that rises to your cheeks with the memory isn't obvious and you duck your head just in case.

A blast of air conditioning hits you as you all stumble into the bar. All eyes fell to you and the ragtag group of drivers when you entered, silence blanketing the patrons. The bartender slams a fist on the wooden bartop, rattling glasses and making you flinch.

“Been wonderin’ when you lot were gonna show your ugly mugs!”

Daniel, Max and Charles erupt into friendly laughter, shaking the man’s hand and making small talk. You look to Pierre for an explanation.

“Tradition,” He murmurs. The noise returned to a normal level around you, though you could feel the glances thrown your way. “We come here every year, but only if one of us wins at Silverstone. Been awhile since that happened.”

"Ah," You say, nodding dramatically. "Yes, very long time." Pierre grins, shaking his head.

"Who won this year?" The man - William, Pierre informs you- asks. He towered over you when you sat on the sticky bar stool, tall and lanky but well muscled and certainly not someone you would expect patrons to try disrespecting. He was already pouring five shots of a fine Irish Whiskey, waving Daniel off when he tried to start a tab. “My treat.”

Max claps a hand on Pierre's shoulder. "This one claimed the crown, for once!"

"Wey hey!" William says, passing out the shots. "Everyone else crash out or what?"

"You should watch the replay," You say, knocking Pierre's shoulder with your own. "It was amazing. The move he used to get past Max-" you bring your pinched fingers to your lips in a chef's kiss. "Gorgeous."

"Much to Max's despair," Charles adds, raising his shot. "To the underdog!"

You all echo the sentiment, the boys knocking back the strong alcohol with practiced ease. It didn't go down as smooth for you, burning your throat and making you wince.

Daniel laughs. "Not used to drinking with us anymore, huh?"

"Must have lost my edge," You say, the woody taste lingering in your mouth. "I'm sure it'll hit me hard in a half hour or so, too."

**********

Well, you weren't wrong about the alcohol hitting you like a punch to the gut. Two shots later and you were swaying like a sailor on his first excursion out to sea, Pierre's shoulder the only thing keeping you from toppling off the bar stool. 

Pierre's eyes were bright as the others poked fun at him, William joining in with a witty remark now and then. His laugh wrapped around you like a warm blanket, keeping you content and grounded.

"Hey Pierre," Daniel says at one point, "Don't look now but that table of girls has been obsessed with you all night."

Pierre, blitzed as he was, pays no attention to Dan's warning and turns around. A loopy grin was plastered on his face, turning back and shaking his head.

You may not have been able to think straight, but your stomach lurches. Instantly sobering slightly, you follow Dan's gaze to the indicated table to your left. Three beautiful women sat there, whispering behind their hands and clearly speaking about Pierre. One bit her lip and caught your eye, giggling. Her looks were universally attractive enough that she would be anyone’s type, Pierre included. The possessiveness in the gaze she raked over his body set your blood boiling. 

This… was not a scenario you wanted to play out. You didn't know if Pierre was ready to tell his friends about your relationship yet. You knew he wouldn't let any of those girls have the light of day, but he might let them fawn over him a little, just to protect your secret. And it would kill you, but you would have no choice but to let it happen.

"I'm good," Pierre says, sipping the beer he had been nursing all night.

"Come on mate," Max pushes, a wicked grin on his flushed face, "That blonde is so your type."

No she isn't.

You’re already staring up at Pierre when he turns to you. You have always worn your emotions on your sleeve for anyone to see, and it only got worse when mixed with alcohol. Pierre smiles softly, taking mercy on you. Slowly, he takes your hand and threads your fingers together before turning back to the boys.

"One of you can tell them I’m not interested. I already have my girl." 

Heart beating wildly, you scan your friends faces. They were all wide eyed and slack jawed, staring at your joined hands. Pierre gives your hand a gentle squeeze, reminding you to breathe. He read you like an open book, offering reassurance when you needed it most.

"It's about fucking time!" Daniel roars, breaking the tense silence. Your shoulders relax, grinning along with the others. Pierre beams at you, knocking your shoulder to say I told you so. 

"Does this mean I get a break from listening to you obsess over her every weekend?" Max asks, giving you a meaningful look. 

"Likely not," Pierre answers. "I'm still just as obsessed as before. Maybe more." Max pretends to gag, earning him a playful punch from Charles. God, it was so freeing for your relationship to be more open, even if it was just between your closest friends. 

"I'd just like to point out that I told you two this would happen years ago," Charles says matter of factly, pointing at Max and Dan. "Should've taken you up on that bet."

Your mouth hung open. "You were going to bet on us being a couple?"

"Oh come on," Max says, rolling his eyes. "We all knew it was coming eventually. We just didn't know when!"

Pink stains your cheeks, but Pierre laughs and leans in to kiss you. Remembering the girls behind you, you press a little closer to him. Under the guise of placing a kiss to his cheek, you meet the blonde's eyes and smile sweetly.

The woman preens, mouth twisting. Good. Pierre was yours, and now that he'd admitted it, you could let those girls know it. His hand slips to your thigh, squeezing hard. A clear warning that you were venturing into dangerous territory. You didn't care.

The alcohol in your veins makes you bold, and you want to drive your point home. They could look all they wanted, but he was coming home with you. You push the boundary farther and bite the soft skin of his neck just hard enough to leave a mark. Pierre's hiss finally makes you pull back and look up at him innocently.

"Get a room," Daniel teases with a wink. You smile at him, mumbling an insincere apology. Your point had been made. The arrogant smirk had been wiped from the woman’s face, replaced with a grimace. 

"I think it is time for us to get going," Pierre says, annoyance flashing across his face. Oh, you had stoked the fire and now you would have to face the consequences. 

"We're just getting started," Charles complains. Pierre slaps a few bills on the counter and gets up without responding. 

"Bye guys!" You call over your shoulder as Pierre drags you towards the door. They all wave back, Max's lower lip jutting out in a pout. Your eyes slid one more time to the blonde, who had her arms crossed over her chest. You give her a wicked, taunting grin and return her earlier wink.

Pierre halts so quickly that you run into him. “Why are we leaving?”

“You know why,” He growls, flagging down a cab. “You didn't like how she was looking at me, so you did something about it. You might not have noticed, but every man in that bar had their eyes on you. So I’m following your example and doing something about it.”

Your brow furrows. Pierre won’t meet your gaze, and your eyes fall to the purple mark on his neck. You didn’t like his tone; it bordered dangerously on anger. “Are you… Are you mad that I did that?”

Tears threaten to spill when he finally looks at you. God, you were a blubbering drunk.  When your lip wobbles, his anger fades and he sighs. “I’m not mad. I just… I didn’t think you’d want me flaunting our relationship yet. When you did this-” He gestures to his neck- “I could barely keep my hands off you. Not when I saw the guy walking up to you.”

You sniff, trying to conjure the image of the bar. “I didn’t notice anyone.”

“Yeah, cause I dragged you out here before he could say anything.” Pierre pulls his hood up and sighs. “Trying to catch a cab here is harder than overtaking Hamilton.”

You laugh harder than you should at the off-hand remark, following after him as he trudges down the sidewalk. “Why are you not drunk? I feel like you should be drunk. You won a race. They were feeding you shots one after another.”

“One of us had to be responsible and make sure we got home okay.” He smiles over his shoulder at you. “And I knew as soon as you had that first shot it would have to be me. Didn’t you notice me handing the shots to the other guys?”

“No,” You say, rubbing your eyes. “What about the boys? How are they gonna get home?” Pierre stops, forcing you to do the same. He tugs your hood up, makes sure his is secure enough to hide his face, and grabs your hand.

“I already told Seb to come round them up in an hour or so. They’ll be fine.”

You don’t respond, too busy trying to put one foot in front of the other and not fall on your face. It doesn’t help that your vision is a tad blurry. Finally you give up and whine, “How much further?”

“It’s right there,” He says, pointing at a towering glass building just across the street. “In five minutes, you can be tucked into a cozy, fluffy suite and you can rest all you want, my love.”

You hum at the words, warmth flooding your veins from more than the liquor. “I like that.”

“What, the building?” He asks, amused. He helps you cross the empty street, making sure you’re paying attention to where you’re going.

“Noooo, what you said,” You clarify, leaning on him as you try to navigate the handful of steps leading to the hotel.

He’s quiet until you reach the elevator. “My love,” He murmurs, and you grin up at him.

“Mon… mon coeur,” You manage to say, somehow pulling the French phrase out of the dregs of your memory. The words are slurred and you know that you absolutely botch the pronunciation, but the intent is clear. You may have lived in France since you were 18, but learning the language wasn’t a requirement when almost everyone knew english as well. But the two of you had spent many hours watching Pierre’s favorite french films over the years; some of it must have unintentionally rubbed off on you.

A disbelieving smile tugs at his lips. “How do you even know what that means?”

You shrug. “Just do.” The elevator doors open and you step out, Pierre following. You halt, not knowing which hall to take. You glance up at your companion for help, only to find him staring back at you. “What?”

He shakes his head and leads you down the corridor to his room. It's a spacious corner suite, with huge windows facing Silverstone that give him a perfect view of the track. You make for the window but Pierre’s hand on your wrist stops you.

“I don’t think so, it’s time for you to sleep.”

“But I just wanna see,” You protest weakly.

“Nice try. I know you. You’ll sit in front of that window for hours if I let you.”

You give in only because he was right. Cityscapes of any kind drew your attention like a moth to a flame. You pouted anyway, but let him take you to the bedroom. Gentle pressure on your shoulders had you sinking into the plush mattress, groaning at the luxurious softness. Pierre laughs as he helps you out of your shoes and jeans, leaving the hoodie.

Eyelids drooping, you climb under the covers Pierre had pulled back for you. He tucks you in and kisses your temple. You grab for him, tugging on his shirt until he stoops down and gives you a proper kiss. When he steps out of your grasp, you panic.

“Stay,” You mumble, fear bubbling in your chest. He had to stay, he couldn’t leave, not when you only had this one night left-

“I’m just taking off my shoes,” He assures you, his weight sliding in behind you to settle against your back. You sigh, moulding yourself to him as best you could. Being in his arms was somehow familiar, even if he’d never held you like this. It felt like home.

“Pierre?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

Pillowy soft lips press to the nape of your neck. “I love you too, mon coeur.”

Tagging: @flashcal

[lovemeleo]

Piercing Surprise

I had piercing prompts for the Cubs as well as Remus, so I thought I would combine them. We’ve got Finn getting his piercing with Remus, hope you don’t mind anon. These lovely characters and their story belong to Hazel (@lumosinlove)! The amazing fanart at the end of the fic also belongs to Haz with piercing modifications made by yours truly. I hope you all enjoy!

_____________________________________

Finn had never done anything super wild in his college days. Even now he was pretty straight-laced. 

Well.

As straight-laced as a bisexual polyamorous hockey player could be. 

Anyways. There was always something he had wanted to do but with college, and then the NHL, he could never find the time to do it. But now the season had just ended and he had a few months of free time. It was perfect.

He had been chatting with Loops at practice when it came up, just an offhand conversation. 

“When I was a PT, they were really picky about tattoos and piercings, which sucked cause I wanted both.” Remus had said as they tossed the medicine ball back and forth between them.

That had surprised Finn. A tattoo he could see, but Loops with a piercing was unexpected. “You want a piercing?” He asked.

Remus nodded, “Yeah, there’s one I really like called a vertical labret. Goes through the lower lip and comes out the bottom. I really like how it looked. Might go get after the season is over.” 

And that was how it started. Finn did a lot of research, looked into different piercings and healing time. After a while, he decided he wanted the same piercing. Remus had found them a very well recommended piercer and they had made appointments for the same day.

Now the day was here. They hadn’t told their boys where they were going, but honestly they were so into whatever game Nado and Kuny had just brought over, they could’ve walked out only wearing a jockstrap and the three boys wouldn’t have noticed. So they left the Cubhouse and made their way to the piercing place.

“Nervous?” Remus asked as they got out of the car, heading towards the shop.

Finn shrugged, fiddling with the bottom of the hoodie he was wearing. Probably Leo’s. “Little bit. But also excited.”

The shop felt welcoming from the moment they walked in. Felt more like a home than a piercing place. It helped put Finn at ease a bit. The lady at the front desk smiled as they walked in. She had a warm smile as she stood, leaning on the counter in front of her. 

“Hi there, boys, welcome to A Jab Well Done. I’m Fae. Do you have appointments?” She asked, as they walked up.

Remus nodded, “Yeah, Remus Lupin and Finn O’Hara. For the vertical labrets?” 

Eyes catching on the different piercings shown on the shelf, Finn went to go look. He was excited to pick out new jewelry to wear after it healed up. A pretty one with blue stone stuck out to him, but he’d get all that later on. 

“Alright, just need the both of you to fill out the paperwork and sign a waiver, then we’ll get started.” Fae explained, handing them both a couple of papers. 

They all moved to the waiting area, where a very comfy couch and a couple chairs were set up. Remus and Finn took the couch, while Fae sat in the chair across from them as they filled out the forms.

Fae sat back in the chair, fixing her hair into a bun, “So are these your first piercings?” She asked. Both boys nodded as they wrote, Finn looking up, “Yeah, I’m excited for it.”

She nodded with a smile, “Piercings are a lot of fun, as long as you take care of them properly. You both have nice lips for the vertical labret. I can tell that it’ll suit you.” “Thanks, I’ve been wanting it for a while so I can’t wait to see it.” Remus said as he finished up the forms. When both of them were finished, they handed over the papers to Fae who led them back to the piercing room.

Setting the papers down on the counter, Fae looked back at the pair, “Alright, so you guys are my only piercings for the next couple hours so I’ve got it mostly set up. Who wants to go first?” She asked as she washed her hands before pulling on some gloves.

“I’m gonna go first, if that’s alright.” Remus said, rubbing his hands together nervously. They trembled slightly but it was a nervous kind of excitement that vibrated through him.

Gesturing towards the chair, Fae had him sit down, setting a marker, an odd pair of tweezers and the needle. “We use a basic steel piercing for the first couple months of healing. You’re welcome to switch it out after it’s healed of course.” She explained before going on to let them know the process. Finn sat next to Remus, recording him so they could show Sirius later.

Gently holding Remus’s lip, she used the marker to place a small dot on the lower lip and then directly below it. “Alright, Remus. I’m going to use these tweezers to squeeze your lower lip, and then I’ll be pushing the needle up from the bottom mark, okay? I’m gonna ask you to take a deep breath, and then push the needle through when you let the breath out.”

Remus nodded, letting out a shaky breath, “Yeah, I’ve got it. Harzy, hold my hand.” He said, wiggling his fingers toward the redhead. Finn chuckled, holding onto Remus’s hand, “Alright, but if Cap comes after me, I’m telling him it was your idea.”

Fae smiled at the boy’s easy friendship, grabbing the tweezers and positioning them on Remus’s lip, “Alright, time for that deep breath we talked about, Remus.” She said as she positioned the needle on the bottom mark.

Closing his eyes, Remus took a deep breath before letting it out, feeling the sharp pain as the needle went through. Finn couldn’t help the gasp as he watched the needle go through. 

Fae slid the jewelry in as she pulled the needle out, screwing the little ball in on the top, “We use one that’s a little bigger to account for swelling.” She explained as she pulled away, smiling. “All done. Want to take a look?”

Remus took the mirror she held out, looking at his lip with a careful smile, “I love it. Oh my god, I really love it.” He said, looking between the mirror and Fae. “Thank you so much.” 

Nodding, Fae began to clean and sanitize all of her equipment, “Of course. I’ll explain all the aftercare when I’m done with Mr. O’Hara here, that way I don’t have to repeat it.” 

Remus moved out of the chair and took the recording phone, letting Finn take his spot, “You ready, Harz?” He asked as Finn let out a breath. 

“As I’ll ever be. You gotta hold my hand though, Loops. I held yours.” Finn pointed out, reaching for the other boy’s hand. 

Fae repeated the process, marking two dots on Finn’s lip before grabbing the lip with her tweezers, “You ready? Take that deep breath for me, Finn.” 

Finn closed his eyes, squeezing Remus’s hand as he inhaled deeply before letting out. It took a lot for him to not burst out with every curse word he knew, because fuck that hurt. 

“And you’re done.” Fae said as she fixed the piercing. 

Finn leaned forward to look in the mirror, unable to help the grin that spread on his face, “Fuck, that looks good.”

Letting out a laugh, Fae began cleaning everything up and explaining the aftercare. She gave them a packet that went over it as well as the cleaning solution for it.

She led the way back into the front area after they were done, smiling, “Well, boys, I’m so glad you like your piercings. If you have any problems or questions, feel free to call or email. And come back soon!”

After paying and profusely thanking Fae, they headed back out the door towards the car. “Think they noticed we’re gone yet?” Finn asked as they got back in the car.

Remus smirked as he buckled up, “Well, I sent Sirius a snapchat of the piercing shop sign with a smiley face. So I think they’ve got a good idea.”

Letting out a loud laugh, Finn started driving, “Oh, Loops, you fucking mastermind. Is that why they were blowing up our group chat?”

“Yeah, that’s probably why.” Remus murmured with a smirk as they pulled into the driveaway.

As they closed the car doors, three heads appeared in the front window, faces practically plastered to the glass.

Finn couldn’t help the small smirk that appeared on his face as they walked into the house, “Boys, we’re home.” The piercing caused a slight lisp to his words which made him snort to himself.

When they got to the living room, they were met with a hilarious sight. Kuny and Nado were walking out as they walked in. Their boys on the other hand were all standing behind the couch, as if they had been waiting by the window for them to get home.

Nado smiled, “They look good, boys.” 

“You send snap, now they stand watch. We go now.” Kuny muttered with a smile before they said their goodbyes, heading out the door.

Remus raised an eyebrow, smiling, “You guys alright?”

A sound that could only be equated to a whine came from Sirius whose eyes hadn’t left Remus’s lips. 

Logan made the first move, his hands coming up to hold Finn’s face, “You got your lip pierced? A-And you didn’t even tell us?” He muttered, his thumb coming to trace below the other boy’s lip.

Shrugging as he leaned into his boyfriend’s touch, Finn smiled gently, “Wanted it to be a surprise.” 

“Do they hurt?” Leo asked, face curious as he looked the new jewelry attached to Finn’s face. 

Remus pulled Sirius to him, smiling, “It’s a bit sore. But it’s fine otherwise.” 

Leaning down, Sirius pressed a soft kiss to the shorter boy’s cheek, “It suits you, mon loup.” He murmured.

“Looks so good, Harzy.” Leo said with a grin, intertwining his fingers with Finn’s. He never thought either of his boyfriends would have any piercings, but now that Finn had one. Well he was definitely a fan.

Finn smiled, trying not to bite his lip as was a habit for him, “Well, we recorded the whole thing if you want to see.”

“Oh yeah, Pads, Harzy held my hand and everything.” Remus said with a teasing smirk.

Gray eyes were quickly on the redhead who threw his hands up in defense, “No! No, don’t look at me like that! He asked me to, Cap! I was being a good friend!” 

“Three...Two…” As Sirius counted down, Finn was off running away as the captain hit one. Sirius took off after him, running throughout the house.

Remus laughed, watching as he heard the teasing fight between the two, a thud as Sirius caught up to Finn.

“It was a nice surprise, Loops. Even if you did make our boyfriend hold your hand.” Logan said with a grin, leaning into Leo’s chest.

Remus nodded, “Well, it’ll suck for at least six to eight weeks where we can’t kiss anyone.” He mentioned offhandedly. 

There was a pause before three voices chorused, “SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS?”

Yes, a long six to eight weeks indeed. 

[hanawrites404]

Journey

@oc-growth-and-development

(trigger warning : smoking, mention of death)

Another day, another restorative morning, as if nothing else can motivate me enough to finally cut my laze and start the new day already.

I got off my bed and my eyes instinctively gazed out the window beside me at the wall. As usual, there wasn't much outside, just the same trees and lawns you would find in any other neighbourhood, yet I never seem to get tired of looking at them over and over every time I wake up. It was like a part of my everyday morning ritual which I definitely shouldn't miss, and honestly, I was fine with it. I was not the type of person to actively look for spices in my life after all, and even if I start to crave for it someday, I just wait for it to come to me.

Otherwise, everything just gotta be restful, that's all I want, to be honest.

The water was pleasantly chill to bathe in, too, and so was the dawn's sea breeze swishing through the balcony as soon as the curtains were tucked out and the windows were pulled open. If anything warm right now, it was the brisk sun and the brimming cup of steaming café au lait thawing my bare arms and fingers as I stepped out to lean onto the grill of my terrace. My feet were bare as well, touching the cool tiles beneath them as I felt the tingling sensation through my nerves.

I was still in my pyjamas, my hair up in a bun and it was still seven. Other than some elder citizens walking outside to get the minty air rushing and stray cats and dogs yawning and stretching, the scene in front of me was almost deserted.

It all felt quiet, but it wasn't prickly. The birds were still tweeting, the bulk of leaves rustled in a shimmer, and I could even hear my sigh as I blew the hot vapour from my cup, my lips slowly savouring the coffee bit by bit. It was very peaceful, I liked it.

But unfortunately, it wasn't real.

"미스......미스.....일어나 미스!"

I jolted up from the unfamiliar voice presumably calling out for me. So it was all a dream? I wasn't enjoying a utopian morning at my balcony back in Miami?? But it all felt so real....from the taste of coffee to the warmth I felt of the drink. So it was all my imagination? Wow huh....looks like the power of my mind is going to be a mystery to me for a while. I never knew that my brain could fool me into believing that I was relaxing at my home, and not dozing off in a Korean tourist bus.

"Ugghmm...Huh?" Still groggy from my sleep, I blinked twice before looking outside the window of the bus. By the look of it, I think we had come to the final stop. Before letting out anything else from my mouth, I silently turned my gaze onto the one who broke my slumber, namely the bus conductor.

He is looking right at me. Come on, say something....!!

"U-Ummm...." I stumbled, my index slowly moving to point at the complex the bus had stopped near at.

"역???" I cringed as I tried to pronounce the exotic word. Fuck. I didn't expect my voice to crack right in front of the bus conductor. And before anyone raises a question, no. I don't know Korean. I just happened to memorize only the important words I might need to communicate during my journey to Korea. But while I was still at home I felt pretty confident in myself, what happened to me now? It wasn't unusual of me, I am a human after all and I get nervous at times too. Yet it was.... surprising.

Hmm...it must be the anxiety of being in an alien country where everything is different from what I am aware of and what I have experienced so far. Different ambience, different language, and different people. Very strange and foreign, to be frank. But fresh and young, like a bite of a ripe green apple.

Nevertheless, the conductor just laughed at me and patted my shoulder very strongly. Ouch but Woah, now I could see why he was hired as the conductor. Strong arms, sharp eyes, along with a charm of his own to make people at ease. Even to a 'lost' newcomer like me.

"Yes yes! 역! Correct! Wanna come out??" With a grin twinkling on his bright face, he stepped away to let me through. I felt more relaxed than before as soon as I heard English from him, and it was pretty fluent too.

A small relieved smile broke on my lips too as I grab hold of my guitar case and my backpack and get up. My legs had gotten a bit numb inside my boots from not moving them much throughout the ride, and my jacket was almost off my shoulders.

"감사합니다" I quickly muttered before adjusting everything on me and stepping out of the bus. I didn't want to stammer again and, even if I wasn't in a hurry, I still wanted to make sure I reach where I was called to at an early hand.

"Have a safe journey!" The conductor waved at me, and I gladly turned around to return the gesture before entering the lobby. After I had made it inside, I left my belongings at a convenient place and went to the bathroom to fix my face and clothes.

I had been travelling for almost twenty hours; An eighteen-hour flight and a two-hour bus. It was back-to-back, and hardly I had the time to refresh myself properly and smoke a bit, but now was my chance to do so before I carry on to reach my destination.

With the help of the large mirror on the wall, I first removed my contact lenses and then washed my face and combed my hair. It had grown pretty long. But I wasn't planning on cutting them any sooner. I also dusted my jacket and jeans off and straightened my t-shirt inside.

After I was sure everything had been set, I put my lenses back on and vaguely looked around the room, and finding no one except me, I quickly stand near the ventilator above me and light my cigarette. What I was doing right now poses a threat to my health and is illegal, but this was a guilty pleasure of mine. I admit it shamelessly because why not. I have nothing to lose. We all are gonna die one day, so it's better we make the most of our lives and I was just doing that. Nothing more, nothing less.

Just because I said I don't seek adventure vigorously, does not mean I don't have any thrill in my life at all. I do have it. Everyone has it. You just gotta make it interesting in your way, and that's how you gotta roll, champ.

Anyways, after a couple of puffs, I got disposed of the cigar and shooed off the smoke around me. It was only after everything seemed clear that I washed my life hands and dried them, then left the restroom and grabbed my luggage back before I started to stride again, to the reception counter.

After all the formalities were taken care of, I finally breathed the outside air of Korean afternoon. The sun was luminous and overhead, but the heat wasn't as severe as back in Miami. The number of clouds here are much more than there, or was it just for this particular day? I had no idea.

I am not a tourist here. I came here for a business trip, you can say. A man from here, a freelancing musical artist, had personally requested and invited me for a musical collaboration. The deal itself sounded quite intriguing, also with the fact that I'm half-Korean thanks to my father's lineage, yet ironically I have neither ever seen Korea with my own eyes nor I have witnessed its culture. Until today, that is.

So here I am now, strolling in the middle of the bustling city surrounded by college students touring around, laughing and talking with their classmates and munching on unique dishes and snacks I had never seen before. And while I was busy observing them, someone bumped into me, breaking my contact.

"Oh! 실례합니다!" It was a young blond guy, wearing a light blue hoodie with a couple of smiley badges pinned to his chest. He quickly bowed after apologizing and for briefly taking a glance at my face, hastily trots in the opposite direction. I eyed him, judging by his clothes and the books he was carrying in his arms, he looked like a college student. Hmm...no wonder why he was in a hurry. He must be late to class or something.

But anyway, I continued walking. That musical man had told me to wait near the back alley of a coffee shop that was close to the station. Hmm, that would be easy to locate. The coffee shop was right in front of me! Hah, how easy.

And so, without wasting any time, I ambled towards the cafè. It was a cute little shop, in my opinion. The smell of roasted coffee beans and bubbling creamy milk was evident in the atmosphere, and the colour scheme of the shop had pallettes of vanilla and caramel. It was like I had entered not a shop but inside a nestling coffee cup! Pretty cool, especially for someone who loves coffee like me.

Also, a bunch of customers were inside too. This place was not lonely at all. Some couples were on a date, singles who just want peace of mind with a complimentary cup of coffee, and business workers too! To be honest, I liked one of the employee's suits too. It was of a short brunette woman with glasses. She was kind of cute too. And by how she was still typing away rapidly on her phone even while on her break, tells how much of a busy woman she must be. Damn, God forbid that I ever be this much busy in my career.

Working even at breaks. Scary, in my opinion.

Needless to say, that wasn't why I was here for. The city was new to me so naturally, I would be curious, but business comes first in such a case. And in this case, it's my case. So bringing myself back to schedule, I leave to the back alley, waiting for that man so we could finally meet after talking through emails and phone calls.

But......what was that man's name again?

Ah....Zen.....

Hmm, weird name. But as someone who prefers to be called CJ than Catherine Joseph, I am no one to say so. Or even judge so.

Zen......I wonder what kind of person he would be in flesh. Same friendly and confident as the impression of him in my mind? Or just some different personality I never saw coming? Well, only time will tell that. But right now, we wait.

[jimlingss]

Sugar and Coffee [2]

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3

➜ Words: 2.2k

➜ Genres: 99.5% Fluff, 0.5% Angst, Pâtisserie school!AU

➜ Summary: It isn't hard to be a pâtisserie chef, but it's not a piece of cake either. It seems like for you in particular, life keeps throwing in one wrench after another. It always finds ways to make your sweets bitter. The cherry on top is Jeon Jungkook — a rival with a sensitive sweet tooth who always finds ways to complain about you.

cr.

“In this recipe, we’re using baking soda instead of baking powder. Why? Does anyone remember the reason when we talked about our recipe of mille-feuille?”   You’re twirling your pen in your hand, bored out of your mind while someone answers that baking soda doesn’t have the acid that baking powder would normally add and how baking soda has much stronger leavening power than baking powder.   Theory has never been your area of expertise. You’ve always preferred to do the actual baking and go through trial and error than learning through the textbook. So with your mind wandering and from fear of falling asleep, you pull out your phone to text Seokjin. He’s been answering your texts slower these days.   “Alright, next class we’ll put our hands to work in the kitchen. Don’t pack up yet! I got some emails asking about the midterm so I just wanted to answer those questions here! Yes, it will be a collaborative exam and you can re-make anything that we’ve learned thus far in the semester. Baking is all about working together, so before I leave, I’ll post who everyone’s partners are. Come down and take a look before you go.”   With the lecture finished, you pack up your belongings, shoving it all into your bag and swinging the strap over your shoulder to walk down the steps. It’s crowded already, but as people filter out, you’re able to get ahead to look at the paper.   And as luck would have — you’re partnered with Jeon Jungkook.   It’s outrageous. As if having the same internship for three months wasn’t enough, now he’s your midterm partner.   You spin around to the teacher, beelining straight to him. But Jeon Jungkook beats you to it.   “Is there a possible way I can switch my partner?”   “I second that.” For once, you back him up. It’s probably the only thing you can agree on.   Jungkook looks to you before redirecting his attention back at the man who has his brow quirked. “Is there a legitimate reason?”   “Umm….”   “Our schedules don’t align,” Jungkook lies without batting a lash.   “Yeah.” You nod. “He has classes when I don’t and uh, he’s working on different projects when I have work….”   “It would be more convenient if we had different partners.”   “Wow, you two figured out you have incompatible schedules a minute into finding out you’re partners? Well, I’m sure you two can work something out.” Mr. Chu smiles, overly positive in a way that irks you. “Things have a way of working themselves out.”   In these circumstances, you’re not too sure about that.   Jungkook swallows hard, finding whatever excuse he can. “I’m afraid Y/N won’t pull her weight.”   “Excuse me?!” You can’t believe he blatantly threw you under the bus in front of your face. “That’s completely untrue! He won’t be able to pull his weight.”   “We’re just incompatible partners.” Jungkook outright ignores you. “I am happy to work with anyone, Mr. Chu. Just not her. Park Jimin said he would be fine to switch his partner and work with me.” He hitches a thumb over his shoulder to his timid friend standing near the door who realizes he’s being talked about and gives a polite wave.   Yet, the teacher gives a long sigh. “Look, you two. I know there’s bad blood between you both but wouldn’t this be a great opportunity to overcome that like the adults that you are?”   “I—”   “Mr. Chu—”   “I’m sorry, but there won’t be any switching.” He shakes his head. “Often times, you can’t choose who you work with in the real world. You just have to get over it and be professional. Learn a two or thing from that. That’s the point of this midterm. If there are concerns about the project, then you can visit my office hours. Otherwise, you’ll be working together and that’s final.”   It’s official. You hate your fine pastries class — and it used to be your favourite too.   “Fuck. Fuck,” he’s muttering, kicking the gravel from underneath his feet. You approach him with crossed arms.   “You don’t have to keep saying it.”   “What? That this fucking sucks?”   “Look, I don’t like you anymore than you like me. You don’t have to make it harder than it needs to be.”   “Oh yeah? You want to make it less hard? How about you stop existing then.”   “Okay, fuck you, Johnson. Stop pouting like you’re fucking four years old. Are we going to talk about the project or do you want to flunk?”   “Stop calling me Johnson.”   “Or else what?”   Jungkook rolls his eyes. “You’re so childish.”   “I’m the childish one?” you scoff in disbelief. “I’m not the one practically throwing a tantrum.”   “Whatever. But what’s there to talk about? We’ll make carrot cake.”   “What the hell?” You’re appalled. He’s not even going to ask you? “No, we’ll make the charlotte royale.”   “No, you idiot.” He pinches the bridge of his nose.   You scoff again. This was absolutely unbelievable. It’s a shame that no one’s listening into this conversation — there’s no way you would be able to retell just how absurd this was. “Did you just call me an idiot?”   “Yes, carrot’s the easiest. We’ll get it done and over with.”   “I don’t want to get it done and over with.” You point right at him. “Unlike you, I care about my grades, okay? So what if it’s easy? It won’t get us the marks we need.”   “Since when did you care about your grades?”   “Okay, fuck off, Jeon.”   Having enough of him, you decide to walk away but Jungkook soon calls out after you. “Are you going to give me your phone number?”   You’re horrified enough to spin around and regard him with a disgusted expression. “What? No!”   “For the project, you dumbass. You think I’m asking because I want to know?”   You roll your eyes to the back of your skull and close the distance with three strides again. Surprisingly, the both of you civilly exchange contact information without ripping each other’s heads off but you don’t want to be with him longer than you need to. “When are we going to meet up? We should decide so I don’t have to text you.”   “I’m fine with whenever.”   “Tomorrow then.”   “Sure.”   You leave already texting Jin your grievances. He doesn’t answer since he’s so busy, but you’re ready to unload.   //   The next day comes too quickly.   The first person you see in the morning is the last person you ever want to see — and Jungkook isn’t amused either. He regards you with a lazy gaze, dark circles, oversized black hoodie and jeans that he probably picked up off his floor and put on after giving a good sniff.   Other partners are already in the kitchen figuring out their recipes, but you have yet to decide what to make. You swear the asshat is just disagreeing with you to make it harder and more miserable.   “What don’t you understand? What you’re asking for is too unreasonable.”   “Really? You think whipping meringue by hand is too difficult? Maybe you shouldn’t be baking then, Jeon.”   “It’s time consuming,” he groans and rubs his temple. “And it’s not worth it. If you want to spend your time doing something impressive than we should make something like fucking I don’t know, Napoleon cake and call it a day.”   “Okay, sounds good to me.”   “What? Actually?”   “I don’t see why not. You can make the puff pastry while I make the custard. We assemble together.”   “You make it sound easier than it’ll be, but fine. We can meet up tonight. What, don’t give me that look. It’s not like you’re busy. And spending time with your boyfriend doesn’t constitute as being busy. The sooner we get this done, the sooner it’s over.”   “Fine. How about eight?”   “Seven thirty. See you then.”   You’re exasperated. He’s a jerk. And you go on your way while shaking your head.   8:21 am. Y/N: still cant believe my luck   5:43 pm. Seokjin: Hey where are you?  5:44 pm. Seokjin: We should meet

Jungkook lives his life precariously. He is flexible and follows his instincts. That’s not to say he’s irresponsible, reckless or that he’s fickle. He’s adaptable and it’s the reason why he started baking anyways — a whim that he fell in love with. 

  Jungkook prefers to go with his gut feeling than plan every step of the way. And it’s his gut feeling that tells him you’re nothing but an absolute headache.   “Let me suck on your muffin.”   Yoongi’s expression dies, washing over into an impassive state. “Say that again, Kim, and I’ll never bring my extra muffins again.” Taehyung whines on the couch while Jimin laughs. Yoongi looks over at Jungkook. “Hey, want one, Kook?”   He tosses him a blueberry muffin anyhow but Jungkook chucks it at Hoseok who catches it in both hands, almost missing. “Nah. What time is it? I gotta go.”   “Where are you going on a Friday night at seven?”   “Ooh, it’s a date, isn’t it?” Taehyung grins. “What kind of girl?”   “Who is it?” Hoseok clarifies the question, cheek full of muffin. “I haven’t heard you talk about anyone ever.”   “He wishes.” Jimin giggles, have an inkling of where it was he was going.   “it’s not a date, dumbass. I have a meeting with my midterm project partner.”   “Damn,” Yoongi comments, biting into the muffin he baked earlier in class. “That’s rough.”   “His partner’s Y/N,” Jimin says with a sparkle in his eye, watching Jungkook get up from the couch.   Taehyung’s eyes bulge. They nearly fall out of their sockets and he wheezes, pounding his chest as part of the muffin stuck in his gullet. “You’re partners with that psycho bitch?”   “Yeah.” The youngest of all of them sighs. “I couldn’t change.”   Jungkook walks past, but Yoongi stops him, plopping a hand on his shoulder. The usually cold man seems sympathetic for once and holds up his muffin. “Are you sure you don’t want one?”   He dreads it — having to ditch his friends on a Friday night and the warmth of his dorm room. All in exchange for the chilly wind outside and the empty kitchens that’re eerie without souls inside them, just metal bowls and silver appliances. But Jungkook drags himself there anyway.    He’s ten minutes early since he’s not one to leave people waiting.    But when seven thirty eventually rolls around, you’re nowhere in sight.   7:34 pm. Jungkook: Are you coming or not   He waits for an additional twenty minutes, sitting on the stool, playing games on his phone. Then he realizes the time and gets started anyhow. The puff pastry always takes longer to make anyways. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t frustrated — Jungkook’s frankly pissed off and if you decided to ditch him, you’ll have one or two things coming, that’s for sure.   Jungkook beats two ounces of butter with a tablespoon of sugar. Then he folds in two beaten eggs, one tablespoon vinegar, cold water, three tablespoons of vodka, and salt. He folds in the two and a half cups of flour and forms a dough in his hands until it’s soft and pliable.    Right when he wraps the bowl in plastic and slides it into the fridge to chill for an hour, the door to the kitchen opens.   “You’re late.”   You’re not even dressed in an apron nor is your hair tied back like it’s supposed to be but he doesn’t comment.   “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you? It’s been an hour and I’m done my part.”   Silence.   You don’t respond. Jungkook scoffs.   It was a new low for you to give him the silent treatment when you’re the late one. Your head is downcasted, facing away from him, giving him the cold shoulder. You don’t spare him one glance as you go over to the fridge, pulling out eggs, sugar, flour, milk, vanilla beans, and butter.   You pour milk into the saucepan haphazardly and it splashes everywhere on the counter.   “Hey, watch it!”    Jungkook rips the carton away from your hands. He didn’t know you were this much of an amateur.   He watches you in mortification as you move to the flour bag, scooping out a whole cup instead of six tablespoons. He wonders if you had a stroke. “Y/N, you’re supposed to do the eggs next. What the hell is wrong with—”   You burst into tears.    Jungkook’s heart stutters. He pales. He freezes in place. He feels his entire body go rigid.    And his brain breaks.   …..   What.   Tears. Full on tears are streaming down your face. You’re wailing, covering your face with your floured hands and crying into them. Your entire frame shakes as devastation wrecks through your entire body. He’s never seen you look so small before. He’s never seen you cry.   Jungkook puts milk down, swallowing hard. He watches you with eyes as big as saucers. “I...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”   You sob. “J-Jin brok..e up w-with m...e.”

[starshine583]

Grumpy Beginnings

(here it is! the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Chapter one of “The Unbreaking” is officially out!! Enjoy!!!)

Phoenix gasped for air as he ran, his lungs aching at this point. You would think it would be easier to lose three guards in a forest like this.

“Power dampeners. They just had to have power dampeners.” He huffed, darting around trees and hopping over bushes. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if his black tennis shoe soles were worn through after this. Every other step he took seemed like his legs were about to give out. He needed a break or else his mission was going to fall to pieces much sooner than he preferred. 

Hoping to lose them, Phoenix made a sharp left turn, only to completely collide with another person. They both grunted, stumbling a few steps together, before Phoenix threw himself backwards and held his hand out to his side. As soon as he did, a black sword with a glowing blue lighting appeared in his hand, blue dust draping off of it for a second. Good to know his swords still worked.

The person he ran into gasped, and he looked up to see a girl staring at his sword with wide, purple eyes. 

“You have an enchanted sword?” She asked, curiosity and wonder filling her tone as she reached out to touch his weapon.

He pulled it back, studying her with a raised eyebrow. Black t-shirt that faded into a galaxy theme.. dark grey jeans.. black converse.. short, blonde hair with light grey streaks.. She didn’t look like she was working for them.

Phoenix relaxed slightly, only to tense up again when twigs snapped not too far from them.

Clasping his sword to his back, He ducked behind a tree and pressed his back against the trunk, periodically glancing around the trunk to check for guards. They couldn’t be far behind him now.

The girl gasped again when she saw him clasp his sword, and he winced. Too loud. They’re going to find him faster if she doesn’t shut up.

“You have two enchan-” 

Phoenix cut her off by clamping his hand over her mouth and lightly pushing her up against the tree. 

“Hush.” He whispered, sparing her a warning glance. That should be enough for her to understand the seriousness of the situation.

He then turned back to the noises, cautiously searching the trees for any sign of movement. Maybe he’d get lucky for once, and the guards would pass right by them. 

Yeah, right.

As Phoenix sifted through his mind for an escape plan, he felt a chill pass through his hand that was holding the stranger still.

His gaze flicked to her, only to see that she wasn’t against the tree anymore. Instead, she stood beside him glaring daggers. Her mouth and jawline were tinted with a light, swirling grey color, as if smoke had clouded over part of her face. After a few seconds, her features returned to normal, although her glare remained intact.

Now it was his turn to stare at her with fascination.

“You’re a Shadow Weaver..” He thought aloud.

Her glare faltered under his gaze, that didn’t stop her from chewing him out.

“Good to know you have eyes.” She retorted, voice acidic. “Now, I don’t know where you came from, but I don’t tolerate being ‘manhandled’. Kindly keep your hands to yourself. This is your first and last warning.” 

Phoenix blinked at her, then snorted. That’s so something a Shadow Weaver would say.

“Understood. What’s your name again?” He whispered curiously, a smirk lingering on his lips as he checked the surroundings again.

The girl crossed her arms, but huffed, “Leilah.” 

“Phoenix.” He replied simply, turning back to the trees. 

“What are you looking for anyway?” Leilah frowned, peaking around the tree as well.

She’d barely gotten the sentence out when a dart came flying through the woods straight for her chest.

Phoenix straightened in alarm as the dart went right through her, but Leilah didn’t seem affected. It only left swirls of grey that were similar to what was on her mouth earlier.

A wave of relief washed over him. Good. She was still in “Shadow Mode”.

“Not what. Who.” He answered, turning to see three large men stepped out of the bushes. Looks like they found him.

They held up their guns, and Phoenix held out his arms, feeling the weight of his two swords appearing in his hands. All three men fired at once. Phoenix dodged each of the darts as he ran towards the guards. Each of the men separated to get better angles. He threw his sword at the middle one, hitting the guard straight in the chest.

“Hey, careful! You’re gonna kill somebody!” Leilah shouted behind him. 

“That’s the idea.” Phoenix grunted, extending his hand once again for his other sword as he charged towards the next person. The sword teleported from the previous guards chest, back into Phoenix’s hand with no blood on it at all.

“Are you crazy?!” The Shadow Weaver cried as he charged for the other two.

“Depends on who you ask.” He remarked, striking a blow on one of the guards’ shoulders before kicking him into the tree. Phoenix then whirled around and sprinted towards the last guard. 

The man panicked, shooting as many darts towards Phoenix as possible. 

He simply used his swords to dodge them and, once close enough, knocked the gun out of his hand like the first guard. 

As he raised the sword to slice the guard through, a cloud of smoke appeared between them, before reforming into the girl he’d run into.

She held out her arms defensively. “I cannot allow you to-”

Unfortunately, Phoenix couldn’t react in time, and ended up running his sword straight through her waist.

Leilah gasped and jumped back, grey swirls sprawling across her waist. She’s lucky she stays translucent so much or else she would have died or been critically injured at least twice. 

The guard behind, however, had no such luck. He slumped to the ground a few seconds later, blood pooling onto the grass next to him.

Leilah stared at Phoenix with wide, horrified eyes, her gaze flicking between him and the guard as he casually clasped his sword to his back again.

“Did you have to kill them? You could have killed me! Why couldn’t we have just run?” She spouted out in one breath, kneeling beside the guard to check his pulse. Phoenix didn’t know why. Even if the guard wasn’t dead yet, the nearest hospital was a good few miles away, and Shadow Weavers can only teleport themselves if he remembered correctly.

“I’ve been doing that for the past half hour. If I didn’t kill them, they were going to keep chasing me until I was taken back to Scorch and Blizzard.” He was kind of on a blacklist at this point, to be honest.

Leilah’s entire body stiffened at the names.

Slowly, she turned back to face him, a whole new wave of terror plastered on her features.

“You.. you’re involved with the Samiya Twins?” She croaked.

Phoenix simply shrugged, plopping onto the ground next to her. After all of that running, he needed a break.

“Sort of? It’s a long story, but they took something that belongs to me. I want it back.”

Leilah didn’t respond, and he wasn’t sure if she didn’t hear him or was just ignoring him now. 

Before he could decide, she ripped her hand away from the guard and abruptly stood up.

“I have to go.” She said, barely above a whisper. “If I stay any longer, I might get a target on my back.” 

Her upper torso faded into a swirling smoke for a moment, then reformed with her wearing a deep purple jacket. 

She pulled up the hoodie and looked down at him with a frown. “I’d say it was nice to meet you, but.. you know.. It wasn’t.”

With that, she disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving Phoenix by himself.

He raised an eyebrow at the comment, but eventually shrugged it off and settled in the grass to stare up at the clear blue sky. There was no need to worry about some stranger in the woods. They’d probably never meet again, anyway. 

~~~~~~

Leilah stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets and muttered to herself as she walked towards the nearest shadow. She couldn’t believe she got herself into this mess. The Samiya twins, otherwise known as “Scorch” and “Blizzard”, are the most feared crime bosses within these cities. They’ve been famous world wide ever since the two worked together to make a fortress out of lava and ice, constantly steaming from the contradiction of temperatures.

The government has tried a few times to infiltrate the fortress and take them into custody, but the twins just morph the walls, eventually leading the raid parties back outside. Not to mention the fact that they practically have an army of “soldiers” at their disposal.

Lots of criminals, upon the rising of the Samiya Twins, gladly pledged themselves to their rule. Even other crime bosses pledged themselves to the Samiya sisters. Therefore, the dreaded twins soon had “friends” all around the globe. The only place they hadn’t gotten a hold of was her home, Amarok.

“And thank goodness for that.” Leilah sighed. Maybe this whole thing would blow over. If that boy- Phoenix -actually killed them, then no one would know she was in the woods with him. 

Her eyes light up when she finally found a big enough shadow next to a maple tree. Finally, she could go home and forget about this madness. 

Leilah walked over the shadow, standing in the exact center. Then, as if the ground suddenly gave way, she fell right through, leaving only a small cloud of smoke in her place.

-

Leilah landed on her back with a *thud*, forcing a grunt out of her.

“I really gotta work on those landings.” She grumbled to herself, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. You’d think falling on bedrock so many times would prompt her to practice.

Purple crystals glittered overhead, casting a hazy light over the glowing city of Amarok, otherwise known as the “Shadow Realm”. Of course she would manage to teleport outside city bounds.

Leilah pulled herself to her feet and brushed off her clothes, before starting the trek to the capitol building. She tried to avoid the larger rocks as best she could so she wouldn’t trip. Being at the center of the earth, there was no sunlight to help them see. They did use Emory crystals, which were ground into the rocks above and made to look like stars, but Leilah still struggled. She hasn’t gained full control of her night vision either. Maybe she should bring a flashlight with her next time?

Leilah had just reached the first set of buildings when a chill crawled up her spine. She paused mid step, scanning the streets and furrowing her eyebrows. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but something felt.. off. 

Fear gripped her heart when a series of screams suddenly pierced the air. 

That’s coming from Twila. She thought, breaking into a sprint. 

Twila, the capitol building of Amarok, could best be explained as a castle, similar to what the surface dwellers had. Usually, Shadow Weavers lounged around there all day long. Some would be climbing the towers and practicing their teleportation abilities. Others would be watching the crystals with someone special or debating politics inside. Right now, however, everyone was running away from it.

Leilah couldn’t see much as first, due to the crowds. They must have forgotten to teleport in their panic. She would have done so herself except she didn’t know what lay ahead of her.

Eventually, she managed to push through the crowd enough to see, only to wish she hadn’t.

A group of surface dwellers were marching towards the front gate of the castle, each holding guns.

But how did they get in? Leilah thought to herself in a panic. Only Shadow Weavers were able to enter Amarok, although they could bring someone with them if they wanted, but who would-

A figure appeared in a swirl of smoke in front of the posse, giving Leilah her answer.

Elowen, a renowned member of the council, was leading them.

Leilah tried to level her breathing. Her blood boiled, but her chest ached. How could someone betray their own kind like this? What could Elowen possibly gain?

She watched helplessly as they opened the front gates and walked inside. Why the capitol building? Surely, Elowen wouldn’t be stupid enough to think she could hold Twila for long. No, that couldn’t be it. Think! She was after something. Something important.. Something..

“The cosmo crystals..” Leilah gasped. They were after the cosmo crystals in the left wing. They had to be. Nothing else would be important enough for Elowen to bring surface dwellers here.

Leilah closed her eyes, teleporting to the front of the west wing. She couldn’t let any of the crystals get stolen. 

As soon as she arrived, Leilah came face to face with a group of Shadow Weavers who pointed spears at her immediately, nearly giving her a heart attack.

“Wait!” One of the women called out, stepping towards the front. Celeste, Leilah’s assigned Arwen. Arwens were basically guardians and mentors of younger Shadow Weavers. 

“Leilah, you shouldn’t be here.” Celeste cautioned, failing to hide the worry in her voice. They hadn’t been under attack in over a thousand years, and although they continued training throughout that time, no one can truly be ready for such situations.

“But I can help!” Leilah protested. There were only five council members there, and she counted at least ten people outside. They needed all of the help they could get.

“No, Leilah, it’s too dangerous. You need to-” 

“Well!”

The two were interrupted by Elowen’s voice echoing across the room, around ten soldiers halting behind her.

“I’m glad to see you all came to give me a warm welcome.” Her sweet smile twisted into a scowl. “Now step aside.”

Celeste moved in front of Leilah, gently pushing her back.

“Elowen Hearst. You have broken our most sacred law by intentionally bringing invaders into our land. It is with great regret that you are convicted of Treason and will be punished accordingly. You are no longer a member of the council and are sentenced to death. If you leave now, however, we will spare your life, but you can never return. What is your choice?” Her voice was strong and confident, her composure equally so. Leilah had always admired her for her bravery and wisdom.

Elowen, however, only laughed in her face. “You were always so full of pride, Celeste. No matter, you will fall just like everyone else in this room. And the bigger they are-” she held up a hand, causing the soldiers to ready their guns. “- the harder the fall.” Elowen finished with a devious smile, pointing straight at Celeste.

The soldiers fired at will, aiming for Celeste at first, then separating to different targets.

The Shadow Weavers charged towards them, thankful that the enemy’s bullets weren’t Amarok proof and went right through them. 

Unfortunately, Elowen had an Amarok spear, which would very much injure a Shadow Weaver whether in “shadow mode” or not.

“Gang up on them and shoot one while it’s fighting another! They can’t hit someone and be translucent at the same time!” The traitor ordered, keeping her eyes on Celeste. 

Of course, Celeste went straight for her, and their spears clashed together.

Leilah, completely ignoring Celeste’s instructions, ran into battle with the other Shadow weavers, determination coursing through her veins like liquid fire. Now that the men were closer, she noticed that their armor was similar to the men Phoenix fought in the forest. The guards that worked for Scorch and Blizzard.

Of course they would be the ones behind this. Leilah thought with a growl. They basically had the entire surface world at their feet. Why did they need Amarok too?

Leilah was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Celeste let out a painful cry. 

Her gaze snapped to her mentor, who was doubled over in pain. Elowen had gotten a blow to her side with the spear.

“No!” Leilah gasped, vainly reaching a hand towards her. 

Taking the opportunity, the guard she was fighting punched her in the stomach, picked her up, and threw her into another Shadow Weaver. Thankfully, the other four Shadow Weavers were still going strong, and the numbers had fallen in their favor. Not including Celeste, it was five to four.

While they were taking care of the last few guards, Elowen teleported to the middle of the room where a large tree stood. At first, one might mistake for a willow tree, but upon closer inspection, they’d notice that instead of leaves, the tree’s branches held grey colored crystals. Her people called it the Astral tree.

Leilah, once on her feet again, ran to Celeste’s side to help her.

“Are you okay? You’re bleeding.” She asked worriedly, kneeling next to her. 

Celeste was on her knees at this point as well, one hand cleaved to her side and the other firmly on the ground. Grey mist poured between her fingers, fading before it could reach the floor. 

“Leilah.. The crystal.. She can’t.. She can’t get them.. Don’t let her..” Celeste sputtered out with labored breaths.

Leilah’s eyes flicked to Elowen, who was already pulling on one of the crystals to shake it free.

“I-I’ll be back in a second. Don’t get any ideas about dying.” Leilah wanted her voice to be as strong as Celeste’s had been during the speech earlier, but it was only feeble and fearful.

Drawing in a deep breath, She closed her eyes and teleported right next to Elowen, kicking her in the stomach before she could react.

The former council member flew backwards, crashing onto the ground.

Leilah stepped forward, ready to continue the fight. To her relief, the other guards had just been finished off, so the other Shadow Weavers were there to help.

Silence swept over the room as they waited for Elowen’s next move.

Then, an eerie laughter came from the woman, sending a shiver through Leilah.

Slowly, Elowen pulled out her hand, waving the foggy crystal that she held.

“Thank you, my dear.” She said, her lips curling into a devious smile. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

Leilah gasped, her hands clasping over her mouth. The Shadow Weavers wasted no time pouncing on the woman, but it was too late. She had already disappeared, leaving a thin fog behind.

~~~~~~

Leilah sunk to the floor in disbelief. How.. how did this happen? Elowen had been right there. Right in their grasp, and she just.. got away.

She glanced around the room and saw that the other Shadow Weavers were just as distraught. It wasn’t until they heard Celeste cough that they turned their eyes from the empty place Elowen should have been.

Leilah was the first to rush over to her, followed by the rest of the council members.

“Celeste, I’m so sorry. I let her get away and I helped her get the crystal and It’s all my fault, I-”

Celeste placed a hand on her forearm.

“Don’t do that to yourself. It’s not your fault. Elowen’s the one that made the decision.” She soothed, graciously hiding the pain with her coaxing tone.

Tears stung the corner the corner of Leilah’s eyes, blurring her vision. 

“We need to put her into care, or else she won’t heal.” Sylvia advised, gesturing to another woman to help pick Celeste up.

“How is she going to heal without the crystal?” Leilah asked, standing with them as they picked up her mentor.

Celeste hissed with pain, but remained silent.

“We don’t know if that was Celeste’s crystal.”

“Either way, it’s the crystal of other Shadow Weavers. We’re going to go after it, right?”

“It was the only one taken and it was brought to the surface world already. The best thing we can do is place extra guards in the palace to protect the other crystals.”

Leilah faltered in her step, but quickly caught up to them. They were going to leave the crystal? 

“But what about the Shadow Weavers that belonged to that crystal?” 

She knew she was trying Sylvia’s patience, but this was a serious matter. If they didn’t get the cosmo crystal back, the Shadow Weavers that belonged to it wouldn’t have their core anymore. They wouldn’t be able to recharge their shadows, and thousands would die. The council can’t just “Let it be” or “take precautions for the other crystals”. 

“I’m not arguing about this Leilah. I’m a member of council, and you are not. It’s not your choice to make.”

“But-”

“Leilah, I said enough. The conversation is over.” Sylvie stated firmly, turning away to ignore anymore of Leilah’s attempts.

Leilah huffed, crossing her arms and lightly tapping her forefinger in thought. It wasn’t her choice to make? That was such a lie. Maybe Leilah couldn’t decide for all of Amarok, but she could certainly decide for herself. She refused to let thousands die simply because Sylvia was too scared to go to the surface world.

Unfortunately, Leilah still needed a plan. If Elowen was working with Scorch and Blizzard, she could be anywhere. Leilah’s read a few history books, but she needs more information than that. Someone who can guide her to the other locations that Elowen might be staying at. Someone who’s worked with the twins before..

A pair of glowing swords popped into her head, and she grimaced.

Oh, this was a bad idea.

This was absolutely a bad idea.

..but what other choice did she have?

Leilah shot a glance to the council members, who were all occupied with Celeste at the moment. What a terribly perfect opportunity.

She slowed her pace, lingering behind them until they rounded a corner. As soon as they were out of sight, she mentally slapped herself for making such stupid decisions, before disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

~~~~~~

Phoenix’s eyes fluttered open, his gaze met with green leaves swaying above him in the wind. He let out a groan as he stretched across the prickly, green grass, and sat up. A small patch of sunlight caught his eyes, making move slightly to the left to hide in the shade of the trees. How long had he been asleep?

He stood up, briefly checking his surroundings for anymore unwanted guests. The bodies were still where he left them, so that was a plus.

Phoenix casually walked over to the figures, searching their armor for cash. He never understood how someone, especially people without powers, could wear something made entirely out of ice. 

Because of his sword, there were several cracks in the icy armor, revealing a few layers of thermals underneath. 

“Still wouldn’t wear this thing.” He mumbled to himself, a satisfied grin crossing his lips when he found a wallet. There wasn’t much money in it, but at least he could get something for lunch. All of this fighting had made him hungry.

Phoenix stashed the wallet in his back pocket and stood up, staring down at the deceased guard. 

The eyes were still wide open and turned towards the sky, hollow and lifeless.

Phoenix sighed and reached down to close the guard’s eyes. Then he turned on his heel and traipsed off towards the edge of the woods.

Once there, he walked into the city, finding the nearest cafe he could. He didn’t want to spend too much time there since Scorch would most likely send scouts to find the missing guards. 

Tch, who am I kidding. She doesn’t care if her soldiers come back or not. 

If anything, She’d probably kill someone out of frustration rather than sending scouts after the guards. Nevertheless, Phoenix still wanted to keep this visit to half an hour. He needed to visit Zeke about this stupid dart injury.

He pulled out a chair and sat down at one of the tables on the patio. Thankfully, no one pointed out the swords still clasped to his back. 

This is why I love Bellmare. Phoenix thought to himself with a smirk.

After a few minutes, a waiter came and handed him a menu, then took his order for a drink and shuffled back inside. Phoenix barely started to look through the options when a familiar figure sat across from him.

“I wanna join you.” Leilah declared, crossing her arms.

“Cool. Do I get to know why?” Phoenix asked, not even looking up from his menu. It’s a tad strange that she came looking for him after her earlier comments, but Shadow Weavers were known for their fighting skills. If she wanted to “join him”, then he wouldn’t argue.

She hesitated, and he could feel her skeptical gaze.

“Well, like you, Scorch and Blizzard took something from me. I want it back.” 

He nodded absently, trying to decide between chicken tenders or a grilled cheese sandwich. Which one would he be able to eat faster?

“Alright, then,” Leilah spoke up again, “If we’re going to be partners, you’re going to have to answer some questions.”

Phoenix lowered his menu slightly to give her a flat look. “Weren’t you the one that wanted to partner up with me?”

“First question,” She began, completely ignoring his comment, “How old are you?” 

He rolled his eyes, answering anyway. “Just turned eighteen last week.” 

Why that mattered, Phoenix didn’t know.

“Happy late birthday. I’m seventeen, but I’m turning eighteen in a few months. What are your powers?”

“Teleportation.” Was there a point to this?

“Mine’s teleportation, translucence, and night vision.”

“What are we playing? Twenty questions?” Phoenix retorted, not fond of being barraged with questions.

“Last question,” Leilah continued, yet again ignoring Phoenix, “What did they take from you?” 

Phoenix tensed, though he kept his expression neutral. She wanted to know what they took?

The waitress came with his drinks just then, giving him a brief distraction. After taking his order for food, the waitress noticed Leilah, and took her order for a drink.

“You first.” Phoenix finally said, once the waitress left. 

Leilah blinked. “What?”

“You first.” He repeated. “Tell me what they took from you, and I’ll tell you what they took from me.” 

It was only fair. She’s the one that offered to partner up. If he was going to have to answer personal questions, it only made sense that she did the same.

Leilah pursed her lips. “If you must know, they took a cosmo crystal.”

“They what?”

Phoenix had never been to Amarok, but he’d read any books he could find on the city. One of which talked about special crystals called “Cosmo Crystals”. They created Shadow Weavers and acted as core to them. Taking one was like killing thousands of people while still thousands of kids at the same time. 

“Yes. Now, I’ve answered the question. Your turn.” She insisted, taking Phoenix from his thoughts.

He didn’t say anything at first, simply staring at her.

Then he shifted his gaze to the ground. 

“They took my dad.”

Leilah gasped, and Phoenix didn’t have to look at her to know that the familiar concern and sympathy was flashing in her eyes.

“I..I’m sorry.” Was all she ended up saying.

He shrugged, not too interested in being pitied by a stranger.

Conveniently, the waitress came back to give them their food, pulling their mind from the subject.

“Now, if you're done asking questions, I would like to eat and get going. We can’t be here when the scouts show up. Especially since we’re both targets now.” Phoenix remarked, taking a bite of his food.

“I’m satisfied.” Leilah smirked.

“Good, cause’ I probably wasn’t gonna answer anything else.” He replied flatly, his voice a bit muffled from the food.

Leilah snorted, then extended her hand.

“So..Partners?”

Phoenix stared down at her hand as he thought it over. He didn’t want anyone weighing him down, but having a partner could be helpful.. 

“Partners.” He agreed, shaking her hand.

Let’s hope he doesn’t regret this.

Tag List: @chrismarium @agumon1123 @luciferge @yue-caelum @persephonebutkore @constancetruggle @fanficaddict4ever @johnlockfeelz @imfreakingmagical @tinybrie @crazylittlemunchkin @zazzlejazzle @thewheezingbubbledragon

[epickendall]

The Summer of Del'goxoth part 6

In the town of Gravity falls, Wendy is in the Mystery Shack talking to Stan and Soos about the latest set of deadly pranks from the prankster.

"Men whoever pulling this pranks must have all time in the world to come up with these dangerous pranks," said Soos

"I know right last night the prankster put two large speakers in the middle of town play the song Call me maybe full blast for about an hours before someone turn them off *yawns*," said Wendy

"Oh yeah this morning the prankster put a flaming bag on the Mystery Shack doorsteps I stomp it out to find dog poop and a bunch thumbtacks on my shoes I wash the poop off those about three times," said Stan

"Disgusting!" said Soos

"Stan do you think Ford could help the police to stop whoever pulling these pranks?" said Wendy

"Maybe if he wasn't busy in his lab," said Stan

"With what?

"He says some mumbo jumbo about a weird paranormal present in Gravity Falls, so he trying to find what the cause of it,"

"Ghost isn't new in Gravity Falls Dipper told me a few years ago about that lumberjack ghost in the Northwest Mansion," said Soos

"Yeah but Ford says this is different come pair to that,"

After the three finish talking, they went with their own business as Wendy work behind the counter. Pacifica walks in the Mystery Shack texting on her phone smiling, Wendy and Pacifica had started to hang out with each other whenever the Pine twins were and weren’t in Gravity Falls.

“Hey Pacifica, are you texting Dipper?" said Wendy

Pacifica blushed she shove her phone into her pocket "No, why would I ever text that dork!"

"Your face says the otherwise,"

Pacifica try to get rid of her blushes "If you are done with your antics Wendy I got some news,"

"What's the news?"

"Two people just move in Gravity Falls,"

"Really who are they?"

"Don't know went to check them out?"

Wendy look around to see no customers in the Mystery Shack "I'm down,"

Wendy jump over the counter fellow Pacifica before Wendy leaves the Mystery Shack she yelled out "Soos I'm taking a 20-minute break," Wendy leaves the Mystery Shack with Pacifica.

Inside of a grey painted house was Danny in the living room looking at a mirror to look at his new Identity He had a blonde wig that covers his black hair Danny wore a red zip-up hoodie, blue jeans, black belt, black and white shoes, and a black beanie hat.

"This wig is a bit itchy," Danny thought he scratched his head

Washington comes down the stairs looking at the phone then at Danny "So Danny how liking your new look?"

"It's all right I guess,"

"Good now remember your new identity name and our backstory,"

"Yes, Washington I'm River Robertson and your my new stepdad Matt Robertson we come here to bond as my mom is in Mexico as a freelance photographer taking pictures of animals for a nature magazine,"

“Also remember to turn into Danny Phantom unless something big comes up,”

"Good now come to help me move my car into the garage,"

"By the way where the FBI get this house,"

"They pay off the family who leave here to go on family vacation across Europe for the summer,"

"People tax dollars at work,"

"That what makes America at it finest,"

Outside of the house on the other side of the street, Wendy and Pacifica watch Danny lift the open garage door, and Washington drive his car into the garage next to the driveway was a moving truck.

"They're a bit odd I wonder the relationship between them?" said Pacifica

"Probably they're a stepfamily,"

"Yeah probably, Wendy what you think about that blonde guy he looks around your age?"

Wendy look at the blonde guy she could've have sworn she saw him before, but she couldn't remember when saw the guy.

"I think the guy looks fine to me,"

"You should go to talk with him,"

"Why me not just us?"

"Because you make a better first impression than me,"

" your right about that,"

"Just go talk to him it’s like I’m telling to ask him out,"

"Fine Pacifica," Wendy go across the street to meet the new resident of Gravity Falls

Danny pulls down the garage door once Washington car was in the garage he turns his head for a second to see a what appears a gnome on the phone. Danny shakes his head; he turns his back around; he didn't see the gnome on the phone anymore.

"Must be my imagination," Danny thought

"Excuse me,"

Danny turns to see a red hair girl about his age wearing a blue cap with pine trees, a green flannel shirt, blue jeans, and muddy black boots.

"Hello,"

"My name is Wendy Corduroy I welcome you to the town of Gravity Falls," Wendy extend for a handshake

Danny shacks her hands "thanks, my name is River Robertson."

"So River why did you and that other guy in the ford mustang move here?"

"Oh, that's my new stepdad we're going stay here for a while to bond as my mom is Mexico taking photos of animals,"

"That sounds like your mom has an exciting job,"

"Yes, she does even on one of her job she met my new stepdad, Wendy, what's this town like?"

"Gravity Falls can be a bit boring but can be exciting at times,"

"How exciting?"

"I don't want to spoil things once look around the town but let just say you'll see things that on movies,"

"Okay then.."

"So if River if you don't have anything to do how about my friend and me," Wendy points to Pacifica "we can show you around the town,"

Washington opens the front door " River I need your help with the TV in the dining room," Washington close the door

"Sorry I gotta go, but I like to take you on that offer,"

"That's fine if you need me I'll be at shop call Mystery Shock not hard to miss,"

Wendy and Danny say their goodbyes Danny go back into his new home.

[determination-and-familiars]

Birthday Pranks

Frisk’s birthday is on April Fools Day

Under a read more because it’s over 1k words

Frisk never heard the set-up, never heard the hushed snickering, she didn’t even hear the sound of the rope snapping. She was in a deep, relaxed sleep when suddenly the splash of ice water shocked her awake with a yelp.

Leaping out of her now soaked bed, the human rushed passed the cackling plant to quickly change into some dry clothes.

Re-entering her room, Frisk crossed her arms and glared down at Flowey, who was still rolling on the floor laughing. He continued to giggle when Frisk gently scooped him up off the floor.

“Flowey Garcia! What the heck?!” That only made the plant giggle more. “Why- HOW- why did you do that?!”

“Oooh. Full name, someone’s mad!”

“You woke me up with a bucket of ice water!”

Flowey shrugged two of his vines, still rather amused. “Not my fault you were born on a prank day.”

Frisk pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long sigh. “How did you even do that?”

The little weed made a pointed side-glance to his tub of fertilizer and giggled out “Magic.”

Of course. Walking over to the tub, she set him back down into it. “Well, using magic you can either help me change the sheets, or we can tell mom. Which means no bacon today.”

All giggling died abruptly. He even gasped in pure horror. Flowey wasted no time in sinking his roots into the dirt in order to artificially grow them magically. Extending these now much longer and stronger roots, Flowey began peeling the drenched sheets off the bed.

Frisk pulled down dry sheets from her closet. As soon as the wet ones were piled on the floor, she pulled the dry fitted sheet over the bed, snapping the elastic corners down over the mattress. She fluttered the flat sheet over the top of the fitted one.

“I can still get bacon, right?”

Frisk chuckled slightly, reaching down and gently lifting Flowey out of the dirt. “I suppose. I never should have introduced you to that.”

After carrying Flowey downstairs, Frisk set him down – and he hurried to the kitchen – before walking over to the table where her phone was plugged in. Pulling up her contacts she selected Sans, typed out a quick message and sent it. She closed off her contacts and set the phone back down.

She’d finished just as Flowey scuttled out of the kitchen, multiple pieces of bacon sticking out of his mouth. He climbed up the side of the couch and settled on one of the soft cushions to finish crunching. “Mom’s making more, I guess you can have it,” Flowey said around mouthfuls.

“Oh how kind of you, I get to have some bacon too on my birthday?”

“I know, I’m always so nice.” Flowey couldn’t even say it with a straight face.

…

Later that day, Flowey was in one of his smaller flowerpots. Two of his vines were sticking out, holding onto a Switch controller. Frisk had the other controller. They were playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

“HA! Finally beat ya at something!”

Frisk snickered. “Statistically speaking it had to happen eventually. That’d just be really sad otherwise. ” The glare she received made her laugh a little more.

It was around then that Sans showed up. “heya kiddos. happy birthday, frisk.” He gave a greeting nod to Luna and Dante who were sitting at the table in the room.

Flowey made a disgruntled glare. “Friiiisk! Why-“

Frisk cut him off as she stood up from the couch, handing the Switch controller over to Sans. “Well, I thought you’d like to try and beat Sans. Texted him earlier.”

Flowey huffed and grumbled under his breath while Sans took a seat next to him on the couch.

“don’t worry bud, i won’t stay long.” Sans winked and Flowey groaned at the pun.

Flowey scrolled through the characters trying to find a tougher one. Sans sneakily passed Frisk the blue food dye she’d also asked for.

“oh, frisk. brought ya this.” Sans pulled a small container from one of his hoodie pockets.

Hiding the dye behind her back with one hand, Frisk took the container with her other. It looked like it was holding a piece of cake. “Thanks, Sans!”

And then the game started.

As per the aforementioned text, Sans made sure to put up a tough fight BUT to subtly let Flowey gain the upper hand. The accumulating scores went straight to Flowey’s ego. His attention was fully focused on both the game and taunting Sans.

“Hey Flowey, I’m gunna get some water. Want some?” Frisk asked.

“Wha? Uh. Yeah. Pour it in the dirt. I’m beating his ass!”

There was a throat clearing from the table. “Flowey. Language.”

“Sorry mom.”

Snickering, Frisk went to the kitchen and fetched two glasses of water. One, she poured a fair amount of the blue dye into. Heading back into the living room, Frisk poured the blue water into Flowey’s pot.

…

Although the dye was diluted, it didn’t take that long for Flowey’s roots to suck in the coloring. His bright yellow petals took on a blue hue.

Luna opened her mouth to say something, but Frisk shook her head, holding a finger up to her mouth.

Around that time, after letting Flowey win the first time, Sans made sure to beat him the second time.

“HEY!” Flowey turned to glare at Sans.

“don’t look so blue, you won the first round.”

Confusion washed over Flowey’s face. Blue wasn’t a color associated with anger. Why put emphasis on it?

Dante attempted to cover up a snicker. As did Frisk.

Flowey’s confusion only grew. He set down the controller. “What? What’s so funny?”

“Here, catch. And don’t worry, it’s not permanent.” Frisk said, tossing Flowey the small bottle of food dye.

Wrapping a vine around it and looking it over, Flowey’s eyes widened. Folding one of his petals in, he was able to see it had become a bright blue. “HEEEEYYY!” It came out sounding more like a whine rather than actually upset. He crossed his vines and pouted.

Sans patted Flowey on the head. The flower hissed. “easy there, bluebell.” Flowey hissed again, his eyes angry little slits. Sans spoke again, but quieter this time. “easy. frisk still needs to try that cake i brought her.” The skeleton winked.

Although he kept glaring, Flowey stopped hissing.

Sans stood up from the couch. “well i gotta go. enjoy that cake, frisk.”

The human seemed to have forgotten about that. “Oh yeah!” She’d left it in the kitchen. Going to get it, Frisk opened the container and took it out. “Flowey, wanna bite?”

“No! Probably put more food dye in it!”

Frisk shrugged and took a bite. She froze instantly and Sans chuckled. Taking it out of her mouth, she turned to Sans.

“what? i thought you liked sponge cake.”  Frisk deadpanned. Sans chuckled again, Flowey giggled. “you didn’t think i was only gunna prank violet over here, didja?”

Frisk sighed, though there was no denying that she was also chuckling a little. “No, I guess I shoulda seen that one coming.”

Sans gave Frisk a one-armed hug and Flowey another headpat before waving and shortcutting away.

There was a moment of silence and then Dante spoke. “How does he teleport like that?”

Both Frisk and Flowey shrugged.

“No one really knows how that Smiley Trashbag does anything.” He then turned to Frisk and pointed to his petals with a vine. “This better wear out.”

Frisk sat back down on the couch, laughing and ruffling said petals gently with one hand. “Don’t worry it will. Might take a couple days but it will.”

[elegant-phff]

Four.You Are Freaking Scarlet Witch

The Next Day

8:30 am

Alexandra Larsson

The sound of my alarm buzzed through my large bedroom.Groaning I rolled over,causing me to fall on the floor below with a loud thud."Godfuckingdamnit"I groaned."This is clearly why you shouldn't get drunk Alexandra!"I scolded myself.I had no plans of going clubbing the previous night.Unfortunately.three royals had different plans.Beatrice and Eugenie had arrived unexpectedly at my house and well,dragged me out of my bed and forced me to dress up and go out with them.According to them,I was still 'not over my sappy situation'.By that I believe they meant that I wasn't over Henry.Which is true in some aspects.I miss his charming smile which would make any girl swoon,how he'd cuddle with me after a day full of exhausting work schedule  and how he'd tell me he loved me and how he'd always be there for me.At the same time I was grateful to have found out about his tactics.I was Glad that I found out about all of his misdeeds before the wedding.It could have been worse.

The past two months I coped with my heartbreak in my own way.I buried myself in work.Thankfully I have six long months of filming Captain America:Civil War starting next month in Atlanta and Germany which would occupy my mind and I had busied myself by working out to get back in shape for the role.I have also decided to take up more charities than before.I joined  "The Trust Support","YoungMinds" and "Action For Happiness".In addition,I also became a UNICEF Ambassador and an UN spokeswoman.As much as hardwork it was,it kept me distracted and that's all that mattered.

I rubbed my eyes trying to get used to the awful brightness coming through my windows.I glanced at the bedside table and saw that it was 8:30 am.I threw the duvet off my body and slid on my slides.Tumbling to the bathroom,I almost had a heart attack when I saw myself in the mirror."Holy shit,I look like a fucking demon,"I screamed but quieting down as soon as my voice gave me a headache.I lazily washed my face and brushed my teeth because they stinked.I took a quick shower and stepped out of my walk-in closet wearing a oversized hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.Since I was too lazy to make myself anything good,I opted for cereal and a cup of hot coffee.As much as I loved some good English Tea,I loved coffee more than anything in this world.I could not live a day without some good Cold Brew from Starbucks.

After I finished my breakfast,I took a Paracetamol and I opened my phone to see a lot of missed calls and messages from unknown numbers."Shit,please don't tell me that I drunkenly gave unknown people my number,"I mumbled to myself.Opening the first message it read:

'HRLLLLLOORRR ISSA SKIPPPPYYYYYYYYYY'

I laughed and let out a 'dafuq',quickly I responded with a,"Hello to you too drunken Skip!I hope a hangover as enthusiastic as the text you sent is currently occurring to you-A very hungover Alexandra."

Instantly he responded with"Fuck of!"

I laughed and left him on seen as it seemed he didn't want to be bothered.Opening the next messages,I realized they were from Guy,Sam,Zara,Mike and a very enthusiastic Savannah who was not at all hungover unlike the rest of us.Opening the last text it read,"Pretty please tell me tihs is Alexandra THe Graet?!"I laughed as I would use this as my nickname sometimes."Depends on whose asking,"I replied.I waited a few seconds and when no response came I decided to leave it and get back to my day.

For the day I didn't have much planned but knowing that I would end up procrastinating I started working right away.I had to respond to all the emails that my assistant Theresa forwarded to me.I had to go through all the papers sent from UN and I had a Skype meeting with the CEO of YoungMind.Then I would head over to the gym to go through my daily workout.I hadn't received the script for CA:CW yet so I couldn't practice my lines.

I made myself some Cold Brew and tied my hair in a bun and sat down to respond to the emails.Halfway through the process my phone screen lights up indicating that I have a new notification.I glanced at my phone screen  and saw that it was from the last unknown number from the previous night.I guessed that it would be Liz or Harry from the group or a stranger that I ended up giving my number to.Hopefully,it wasn't a stranger and if it was they weren't going to snoop to the paparazzis.I slid my finger over the notification to open it,"Oh well,I am Henry the great then 🤴🏻"I smiled knowing that it was Harry and no stranger."I have honestly so many questions regarding your text Harry,"I replied.In a matter of a few seconds,he replies,"As away then!"I laugh at the unnecessary use of the exclamation point."First of all,What if I accidentally gave you the wrong number and the text was sent to the wrong person?You know,you could have revealed your identity to a fucking stranger!Secondly.Did you just steal my nickname?!!HOW DARE YOU?Thirdly,did u seriously just use a guy wearing a crown emoji?Also,petition for Apple to release a ginger guy emoji!"I replied."LANGUAGE!"He replied.I almost fell of my chairing laughing at the reference he made."Secondly,damn woman chill with your questions,"He texted again."You just told me to ask away..."I replied. "Okay...nevermind."He replied."Also did you just reference Captain America?!I didn't know you were a Marvel fan!"I replied excitedly.It would be fun to tease him about it."You have no idea how big of a fan Will and I are!"He texted back."Yeah!We were crazy comic fans in our childhood and we started watching the Avengers movies because of George's insistance."

"You know what I just realized?"He added."What?"I asked curiously."YOU ARE FREAKING SCARLET WITCH LIKE OMG I AM TALKING TO SCARLET WITCH RIGHT NOW,"I laughed at his excitement.He literally sounded like every Marvel fan I have ever encountered."How come you didn't notice it before?smh,plastic fan,"I decided to tease him a bit."WHAT???NO!!I am not a plastic fan!I just didn't realise it because in the movie you have long brown hair and brown eyes with a weird non British European accent and in irl you have short blonde hair and a British accent so it was very different and also I was drunk so...not my fault!!"He ranted."Damn chill out!I was just teasing ya 🤦🏼‍♀️."I responded."Oh okay,phew ya know I don't want your cast mates (aka RDJ,Evans,Paul Bettany AND PAUL RUDD ) to think that I was a fake fan :)"He replied."Damnn,I gotta tell everyone one that Prince Harry is a plastic fan next month ;)"I joked."HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT YALL START FILMING NEXT MONTH?!!!"I mentally slap myself because I wasn't suppose to say it."Shit,you were not suppose to know that.FUCK,don't tell anyone tho."I replied."Only in one condition,you tell me whose in which team ;)"

"Too bad haven't got the script yet!"

"Wait why?dont you guys start filming next week so don't you have to rehearse or something?"

"Yeah but Marvel is very secretive.We don't get the scripts for highly anticipated movies until the last moment."

"Damn I thought I was gonna be a exclusive marvel fan for the first time :("

"Lmao,you are a exclusive person Harry"

"Buzz feed quiz says otherwise"

"Omfg you are such a fanboy."

"What can I say,born and raised in comic ;)"

"Sure Jan"

I waited for is reply but it didn't come as soon as the previous texts.After a while he finally replied:

"HI ALEXA ITS KATE HERE,I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING US THREE IN BRUNCH NEXT WEEK?-Kate xx"

I laughed as all of a sudden Kate appeared in the middle of our conversation.She could have just texted me from her phone."Lmao,Kate is always hype when it comes to things including you 😂"I chuckled."What can I say?She is my number one fan.Also inform her that I am in,just tell her to text me the details earlier from HER phone."

"Smh I feel like a goddamn messenger."

"As you wish 😒"

"Okay I gotta go,Uncle duties calling me!"

"Have fun !"

Just liked that,I closed my phone and went back to doing work.

The entire day consisted of me being an adult.I replied to important mails,went through papers,online meetings and so on.It felt good to hangout with a few friends before I would be gone for a long period of time.

I couldn't wait to get to know these new friends a bit more.

[pluieenmars]

*2 - G h o s t

It was a rainy month, for the third time. She had been counting, clumsily striking a line in every calendar’s box every year, every month. Third year. Yet she still couldn’t figure out why she should cared anymore. First Sunday. She spent the rest of the day baking cookies, then two minutes of peaceful tea time with some decent books, the clock was ticking and crawling at the same time. She never knew was it her who keep dragging the day off of it’s hook, or was it the time. If she could feel almost none, then maybe it was what she had been desiring and struggling to grasp. The cookies were a bit overcooked, with blackened spots here and there she almost mistook it as the sprinkles and chocochips but the burnt scent told her otherwise. She tried to get a nice, warm slumber in between the threshing of heavy rain, and wild stormy clouds billowing around the tiny house, the tiny world she had formed all over again. She was almost alone considering the fact that her parents worshipped their jobs much more than the average parents would be, and it had it’s perks, like scattered used kitchen utensils, procrastinating concerning dirty plates, et cetera. But it most definitely held all the bad things at once, like the relentless brainstorming that constantly hammering her almost firm fortress. She kept herself busy to fill the empty gaps—sweeping the floor, lurking between the bookshelves, another sweeping the floor, learning the cracks on the wall, painting, avoiding any forms of writing, singing off-key and on, the order wasn’t always like that. Because once she rested for a bit, someone was ready to appear and always on the verge to claim her once more, she knew it better. The darkened eyebags and the evident hollow cheeks were often speaking much more than the words could do. She could never not being dramatic about those lurking shadows—sometime she was choked by memories and she gasped for air. “Why haven’t you gone home?” Her mother once asked, the second Sunday of the rainy month. Rain was being generous enough to allow her tracing the street with her worn out sneakers and thick hoodie in the early morning, some flower were starting to bloom and flourish out of nowhere, but she lamented those newborn flowers. They’d have been dead again by the time the next hurricane arrived, and she was silent for a moment longer, staring at nothing but the blossom. Her mother question had bewildered her for a second longer, her fingernails were polished with brown stains of brownies, she didn’t seem to care enough. “What do you mean, Ma, I am home.” She coughed because the weather had been shabby and even her Dad was starting to catch a cold. “I gotta finish the brownies, or else the taste would be anything but yummy.” I tried to point my smile at her and she smiled a bit back. _ _ _ _ She blamed the scrapbook. Sometimes, you were born petulant, or you were only cranky at some particular points, and some people go breakdown in tears whenever the rage was piling up too much it suffocated their heads, their blood vessels, their stomachs, their hands started to tremble and she could barely think. She had cried in silence at 2 A.M., and she knew she just [had] to call her therapist—her parents had been oblivious to it. So she called and her therapist’s words echoed inside her head for the next six, seven hours. – “Every one has their own limit of strength, and maybe yours is just about this heartbreak, but then it’s your decision to expand your limits or just get stuck right there, for no one knows how long. You can’t lose your demons, honey, you can only learn how to live above them.” The third Sunday of the month, she learned to stop drawing lines with red marker on the calendar, she decided to pack the previous calendars into a medium sized box and was ready to dump it all. The scrapbook smelled of memories, strong stench of the days behind and the particular someone who kept lurking behind her without her noticing. Somehow, she wanted to just befriend the shadow instead of spending her years cultivating a pointless resentment. Hatred is only eating you alive through your bones and flesh, to the extent that you feel like dying and not entirely living. Some nights, she reminisced the way he greeted her for the first time and those sugar coated words whispered in the gloomy nights. They had met, in the middle of summer, two years prior. “Hey, do I know you?” “We... were in the same group?” “Crap. Sorry. Yes, how—how are you?” They started with question marks sprawling in the end of those tiny sentences, awkward smiles and stammering speeches, and the days stampede like a herd of elephants, and she remembered how he had made her smile much brighter than before and showed her bunch of flourishing emotions. Of course, of course what they possessed was astounding and mesmerizing. She woke up alarmed. Her fingers had been trembling until she barked a cough and fetched a glass of water. She always woke up whenever the nightmare was getting to an end, it never let her finish. _ _ _ “Why don’t you just go out? Go somewhere with your friends, you’ve been around at home far too long.” Her mother was like a common mother, who’d get into her nerves because her daughter didn’t look content enough or colorful enough. She wouldn’t blame her; she had felt a bit dull and grayish about herself. “I have. I’m tired, Ma, how many times I’ve to tell you—” “Or why don’t you just. You know,” She was choosing words, “go back, even though the summer holiday isn’t over yet—” “Ma!” I’ve got it. I’ve finally reached the peak—the summit of my stalwart mountain, the pit of my chasm. It suddenly seemed as if the world had been stop moving and also her, and her mother, and her emotions, and her damned past lives and lovers, and she was a frail one, she was the lost one—and that moment hit her like a freight train, so hard, immensely painful and she turned the saucer she held into shards of broken ceramics. “I CAN’T, I can’t, it’s too painful and stop ordering me around, for God’s sake!” She ran, once again dodging from the ghosts from her past, from his fake laced words, from the whispers beneath. She didn’t know—maybe it was her final breakdown, maybe it was the leak of her dam, the water was finally breaking through the plastered cracks, nothing could barely contain it anymore. She stopped somewhere, in the meadow near the house’s backyard, silencing herself, muting the world. And she cried, in a total silence, she heard none. She might had clawed the dirt, because amongst the horrid muted noises, she smelled of blood and soil. She refused. She refused to be played by the shadows. The gauntlet emerging from her past lover—nothing particular, nothing out of common, only a piece of her that had been robbed away with no previous warnings, because nothing mattered more than sharing a piece of you but then they took it away with no guilt. It was not about her and the lover, or how cheesy love storylines ended, it had been all about her and herself all along, and she hadn’t noticed until that moment. The clouds started to assemble, gushes of cold wind cramming her lungs—it was about to rain. And she would let her ghosts get washed away with the rain too. _ _ _ That night she met the ghost once more—the ones with black surroundings encircling, hands were ever so gentle, persuading herself to the past lives. She remembered how he said "love, love, love" affectionately to her ears, and it wasn’t her fault that she admitted those, she succumbed and she approved. Then maybe, he was whispering it, right at that moment, to another girl, another name, another body she could never make out. The thoughts, however, easened up her pain. She faced the shadows. They were about to fade out, the glimmer of worn out candle almost vanished when she reached out, and grabbed it back—the moving haunting shadow she had feared, she would never, NEVER, going to go back to the old her, filling gaps with voiceless movements and dead soul. She had had enough. The shadow before her struggled, forcing it’s shivering arms off of her grip, cursing her loudly. She stood still, pulling forcefully, clambering to her bed. The candle lightened up the face. Her mouth gaped, she could never arrange the words. The shadow was her. Herself. She screamed at the real her, in excruciating pain, rendered her speechless and by the time she blinked, she shouted back: “I let go. I let it all go.” She hadn’t realized there were also real tears flowing down her cheeks, a catapult storming her stance. When it all turned into a silence, the night had felt lighter and easier, although she was still trembling. She let herself go, after a while of restraining herself entirely, imprisoned by the memories, letting all those mockings and snide remarks, letting her hatred towards someone she once loved dearly, she must not hate. And she breathed in a bit. Maybe Mama was right. This was probably not her only home anymore. Maybe where the past and the memories that laid down, that was home too. And all the while she had been rejecting her past, [herself] from encountering her real inner peace. Sometimes, the only escape from those demons is coming back to the demons themselves. That way, you could eventually rescue yourself and that's what matters. Suddenly, after all this time, she was ready to come h o m e. ------ Kepada: Mbak Zaragila Isi: Kalo baper, pegangan. Kalo ngga, hamdalah.

[juniperjoon]

Restless Minds || Yoongi x reader

Summary: Who would have guessed when you’d left your apartment that morning at 4am that you’d meet another wandering soul down at the end of a rotting wooden pier.

Genre: fluff, angst (if you squint really hard)

Word Count: 9.1k

Warnings: smoking, light swearing

Black waves washed over the shore in their never-ending dance of push and pull, sighing as they kissed the sand only to return to out to sea. Stars danced against a background of deep blue and indigo, mixed with the orange glow radiating from the city lights behind you. A gentle breeze had set in, the salty tang of the sea carried on its gusts. It wasn’t quite warm out, but the jacket around your shoulders kept the chill from seeping into your skin.

You’d settled on a bench out at the end of a pier that reached into the water like a long wooden arm. From that spot you silently observed the waves as they continued to flow against the sand, the swoosh of the water lulling your tense muscles into relaxation. 

You had no idea just how long you’d been seaside. It had to have been at least an hour, right? But with your phone sitting uselessly in your apartment, there was really no way to know. The only thing you’d bothered to grab before heading out was a lighter and cigarettes of a... different kind.

Sleep was like a stubborn child most nights, never coming when called. Last night was no exception. After several hours of fitful, half-assed rest, you’d finally given up. It was only 4am when you decided to head out, but it was either leave or go stir crazy. Since the latter was physically impossible without spontaneously combusting, you made do with the former.

You hadn’t necessarily intended to go to the beach, that was just where you’d happened to end up. You weren’t complaining though. Sea and sand and whispering wind beat laying in bed staring at the ceiling any day.

After a long while, as though after careful deliberation of whether or not you would actually do it, you tugged out the contents of your pocket. One flick of the lighter and a quick puff later, the end of the joint glowed to life in the surrounding darkness. Lungs now full of smoke, you allowed the familiar comfort of your buzz to wrap around you like a favorite sweater. The qualms within your mind were expelled at once. The smoke drifted past your lips on a contented sigh and disappeared into the night. You were about to take another pull off the joint when a voice quipped up behind you.

“Isn’t it a little early to be smoking?” it asked. Spooked, your head whipped around to see a young man with skin like cold marble as he stopped right behind the bench. Mint green sprigs of hair poked out from underneath a midnight blue beanie and an old zip-up clung to his slender frame. Curiosity swirled in depths of his eyes, which were so dark they appeared to be no more than glinting slivers of obsidian.

“Never,” you sarcastically shot back after a moment. As if to make a point, you took in a lungful of smoke while continuing to look directly at him. The boy didn’t answer, only chuckled. A faint smile ghosted the corners of his mouth. He rounded the bench and came to a stop right beside you, glancing down.

“Care if I join you?” he asked. You nodded absently before your attention turned back to the horizon. Hues of lavender had just started to peak out over the water. 

“Thanks,” he let out as he took the seat beside your own. He spoke from his chest, low and thoughtful and smooth like velvet. But there was a sort of aloofness to him. You got the impression he found more solace in his own company than in a room full of people. 

“Do you have another one of those, by chance?” he asked, indicating the joint in your hand. 

“Says the guy who was just criticizing me for smoking,” you laughed. Smirk forming across his face, the man ducked his head.

“Does that make me a hypocrite?” he mused. 

“Only a little,” you answered before offering up the case. He gratefully accepted it before he pulled the last joint free from the box and set it casually between his lips. The deftness with which his slender fingers handled the joint told you that he, too, was no stranger to taking comfort in THC’s calming embrace.

Thumb poised to flick the lighter to life, you held it out towards the man. The tiny orange flame that sprung forth sent soft, dancing rays of light across the his face, accentuating every fine detail. 

As he leaned forward to light his joint, you couldn’t help but notice the gentle sweep of his lips or the high cheekbones that seemed to reach towards the heavens. His honied complexion held a slight flush, emphasized by the glow of your lighter. He looked like a magnificent sculpture that belonged in an art museum, not on sitting on a bench on a rotting wooden pier so early in the morning.  His obsidian eyes caught yours as he studied you just as intently, causing your chest to pull tight. The boy leaned back and casually crossed one leg over the other as he took the first deep drag.

“I’m Yoongi, by the way,” he stated suddenly as his flicked his ashes off to the side. His head swung around lazily as the extended the hand not otherwise occupied towards you, slender fingers stretched in greeting. Even his hand looked like something that the gods had to have painstakingly carved into the finest stone.

“(Y/N),” you replied before accepting his outstretched hand. His fingers were cool to the touch, but they weren’t smooth. They were working hands. You found the juxtaposition of his callused fingers and his delicate features to be that much more intriguing.

Yoongi smiled. It was the kind of smile that barely graced his expression, but it still radiated a nearly palpable warmth. Almost involuntarily, you found that a smile of your own had made its way to your lips. In the warm, rosy glow that climbed ever so slowly over the horizon, you could see that Yoongi’s eyes were not truly cold shards. Rather, they were deep chestnut pools, the depths of which you couldn’t help but be lost.

Your hand retracted, as did his, and comfortable silence fell like a blanket over the both of you. The only audible sound was was that of the waves, their murmurs hushed as they continued to flirt with the sandy shore.

While the lull in conversation stretched on, the pale gray of morning eagerly broke into much prettier shade of lavender and pink. You couldn’t help but stare as morning chased the indigo of night across the sky. It was Yoongi who decided to break the silence.

“So, [Y/N], I gotta ask,” he began amid a wisp of smoke, “what brings you all the way out here at the ass crack of dawn?” Yoongi’s lips curled into an amused sort of smirk.

“I could ask you the same thing,” you mused, gaze still focused on the rising sun.

“That’s true, but believe I asked you first,” he jabbed, mischief winding itself into his grin.

“What is this,” you asked impishly, “middle school?”  

‘Eh’, Yoongi seemed to say as he shrugged. You pulled another hit from your joint, letting the smoke out before finally answering.

“Couldn’t really sleep last night," you told him. "Certainly couldn’t stay in my apartment much without exploding, either. So, here I am.” Another hit. Sympathy radiated in the nod of Yoongi's head.

"It sounds like you have a touch of insomnia, (Y/N),” he teased.

“Sounds about right,” you admitted satirically. 

“Restless soul?”

“Only always,” you sighed. Your attention flipped back to the young man on the other side of the bench “What about you? What’s your story?” 

Yoongi’s nose scrunched as he shrugged. “It’s about the same as yours. Tired as hell but can’t seem to fall asleep.”

“Well I’m glad I could at least offer some decent company,” you replied earnestly.

Silence fell over the two of you once again, and stretched on as morning bathed the world in light. In the distance, the first golden rays of true, honest sunshine poked over the horizon. You took one final hit of your joint before snuffing it out against the arm of the bench. 

“I do believe that’s my cue,” you stated, standing and stretching out your stiff limbs. In reality, though, the idea of going back home was unpleasant to say the least. At that moment, what you desired more than anything (right after staying at the edge of the ocean watching the sunrise forever), was a good, steaming cup of coffee. Not to mention you had the munchies like nobody’s business.

“Hey, there’s a little place downtown that sells the best chai lattes you will ever try,” you quipped to the man beside you. “Think I could talk you into coming with?”

Yoongi smirked. “An argument could be made,” he replied smugly. “Only if you let me pay. I owe you for that joint.”

“No objections here,” you shot back with a grin.

“Then what are we waiting for?”

Morning still had a ways to go before becoming noon by the time you walked into the tiny cafe, but the sun was certainly higher than it had been on the pier. Tiny bells chimed as you walked through the door, and you were greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of freshly brewed coffee beans and baked goods.

Two chai lattes and a half-dozen donuts later, the pair of you made your way to a table near the back of the shop to enjoy your wake and bake breakfast in peace. 

You pulled off your jacket, and Yoongi soon followed with his own hoodie to reveal a plain, white t-shirt underneath. The light fabric did nothing to mask all the sharp angles of his slender frame. You waited until you were both settled into your seats before speaking again.

“So, Yoongi, what do you do for a living,” you queried around a mouthful of sprinkles. Yoongi, who was already just about halfway through his first donut, shrugged nonchalantly. 

“Nothing special really,” he answered, words muffled by the pastry, though he swallowed before continuing. “I work for this little delivery company here in the city. Nine-to-five kind type deal. It’s mostly just a steady source of income while I work on the side hustle.”

“Which is?”

The man across from you sipped his coffee hesitantly. “I- uh- I’m an underground musician, believe it or not,” he said. “Rapping, writing, producing, the whole nine.” Nervously, he took another sip from the cup.

Normally you weren’t one to gawk, but the confession had your eyebrows nearly disappearing into your hairline. Suddenly, a whole new list of questions sprung to mind. The only thing that actually managed to escape was a soft ‘whoa’.

“That’s... incredible,” you breathed, thoughts barely strung into proper phrases. 

“I guess,” Yoongi returned. His ego swelled within his chest, if only fractionally, at the your praise, though it was more amusing than anything else. “It’s not a great way to make a living- that’s why I’ve got the delivery job- but music is just something I’ve always had a passion for.” 

“And here I am with a dead-end diner gig,” you laughed nervously. “But I guess we can’t all be music stars when we grow up.” Yoongi let out a breath of a chuckle.

"I wouldn’t really call myself a star. Not yet anyways,” he mused before grabbing a second donut from the box. “Hell, I haven’t even put out a full mixtape yet.” 

“To be fair, I can’t imagine making music is all that easy,” you offered, stuffing another bite of pastry into your mouth. Maybe it was just the paranoia setting in, but you could have sworn a few of the other patrons had sent disapproving glances your way. Eh, who cared if they did anyway, they were just jealous.

“You’d be right about that one,” Yoongi chuckled, bringing your attention back to the conversation. He leaned back in his chair a bit, a hand coming up to rub at his tired face. “Truth be told, I’ve just been so stuck in this rut lately. When I’m not working I’m either asleep at home or in the studio trying to finish putting together a real tracklist.” He counted off each of the options on his fingers before taking a long swig of latte as if it were washing down some of the bitterness hidden beneath his words. 

“Sounds vexing,” you said sympathetically before taking a sip of your own coffee.

“Understatement of the century,” Yoongi sighed. “The problem is that sometimes, even when all I want to do is write, I have no fucking clue what to write about, ya know? One person can only stare at a blank sheet of paper for so long before going insane.” 

“Maybe you just need a break,” you suggested. “Or some new inspiration.”

“Why do you think I was out at the beach at too-damn-early o’clock this morning?” he joked back. You raised your hands in defense.

“Hey, it’s none of my business how you live your life,” you shot back. Yoongi only laughed. He had an incredibly bright smile, you noticed almost in spite of yourself. It was the kind of contagious smile that lit up a room and made you feel about ten degrees warmer. You got the feeling not many were given the opportunity to see this laid back, open side of Yoongi; you were glad to be one of the privileged. 

Conversation was easy the rest of the morning. You talked about your plans to make it into a decent college so that you could make a future that didn’t involve working at the same diner forever, and Yoongi talked about his to one day make it big in the music scene. He told you of his friends that were also trying to get there with him, and how they all leaned on each other for support, and how he wished more than anything to see them all succeed. Honestly, hearing the passion with which he spoke of music and of his friends, you couldn’t help but wish the same for them. By the time the coffees were gone and only a few donuts remained in the box, it was nearly 11 o’clock. 

You were in no rush to go home though, and it seemed Yoongi wasn’t either. But the baristas were genuinely starting to give you dirty looks as you continued to take up oh-so-valuable space. Because of this, you finally asked the question that had been buzzing around the back of your mind for the past hour.

“Yoongi,” you began carefully, “where’s your studio?” Preoccupied with licking the frosting clean from his fingers, Yoongi looked up at you with the faintest air of shock. 

“My studio?” he queried. Yoongi shrugged before answering with, “There’s this little music store down the road from where I live. The lady that owns the place rents out a recording booth in the back. She usually lets me and the guys come in after hours. Why do you ask?” he finished, looking puzzled.

“Well,” you lead uncertainly, “I’d very much like to see it some time, if you’re okay with it that is. Obviously if it’s too much to ask-”

“Yes,” he stated simply. You froze, unsure of what he meant.

“I’m sorry?” 

Yoongi must have picked up on your hesitation, because his face quickly broke into a gummy smile. 

“I mean, yes, you can see it some time,” he explained. Even more dumbfounded, you continued to stare at him from across the table. 

“Really?” you breathed, unable to hide the grin that spread to match Yoongi’s. It almost felt like you were being gifted with something wonderful and were expecting someone to snatch it away. But no one did.

“Yeah, really,” Yoongi chuckled at your sudden excitement. “I need a fresh opinion on the songs anyways, not just someone to tell me they’re good because we’re friends.”

You shot him a tilted smirk, eyebrow raised.

“What, you wouldn’t consider us friends?” you teased, hand raised to your chest to feign indigence. “I mean, I know we only just met, but I smoked you up!”

“And I payed for breakfast,” Yoongi shot back evenly, though his eyes glimmered jovially. You rolled your eyes.

“Touche,” you conceded. After a moment you added, “What do you think? Should we get out of here and go visit that studio of yours?”

It was Yoongi’s turn to roll his eyes. 

“I don’t see why not,” he agreed. “Let’s go.”

With that, the two of you got up from the table and headed out the door and down the street. You knew that the path on which Yoongi lead you would bring you right back into the heart of the city, the same suffocating cage that had driven you to seek escape at the end of a rotting wooden pier in the first place. Something was different, though, like you had found a crucial part of an equation that you never would have realized was missing. You had found Yoongi, or rather, he had found you, sitting all alone on a bench before sunrise.

Occasionally the brush of your hand against his sent a shock of warmth rippling through your body, but mostly it let you know that you were not alone. You had found another wandering soul like yourself. With Yoongi by your side you knew that, even though you were headed back into the belly of the beast, you might not feel so trapped after all.

[dannisakrolite]

Journey of Adams body

It all has started two weeks ago.

Adam bought himself a gym-pass, and, as he used to think, that was enough for him to start changing to better. You know, Adam has never been skinny or fat, right in the middle. Normal. Just too normal.

After graduating from college and moving to his own little apartment he noticed that while he was running around and solving troubles with university, Adam completely forgot about his body. After the first night at his place Adam went to the bathroom, and in the big mirror he cought his reflection: absolutely ordinary body with little fat here and there. I mean, there was some definition in his shoulder zone, but nothing too special. Adam touched his little pecs, soft tiny gut, and decided for himself: "I must go to the gym".

As a distance-working programmer he had plenty of time and cash for that. Adam got so excited when he came to the sportstore to get all the things he needed. And, after all preparations, Adam finally came into that gorgeous-looking building called "MisterMuscle", and... Well, he wasn't ready for that.

His couch Daniel gave him no rest. Adam couldn't even remember Daniel's face after the gym session. His natural lazyness gave him no chance. Sweaty and tired, he sat there in the locker room, waiting for his heart to calm down. Being deep in his thoughts and depression, Adam didn't notice a guy in black shorts putting something in his backpack, something tiny, like pills. The mystery guy had a black hoodie, which could barely cover his enormous chest, but Adam was too busy to even shake his head. Man went outta gym, and after a few minutes so did Adam.

After a few hours he sat on his couch. Nothing could Make adam happy at that moment. He was sitting shirtless, gazing at his weak physical form. He would like to go to sleep, but accidentally noticed something shiny in the pocket of his backpack. "I don't remember these".

Pills were black, but in the golden package. They reminded Adams medicine's that he had to get in order to sleep well. Well, Addy thought that he just forgot them there. All he needed was a good, deep sleep, so he swallowed all 4 pills with milk, and went to bed.

Buy Morpheus didn't want to come. Adam was tossing and turning, desiring to...eat? He went to the fridge and in the matter of minutes finished his foods for tomorrow lunch. Nervous, he went to the bathroom. Adam washed his face, he could feel his body temperature rising. "Gotta call someone, it must have been da pills". He turned around and saw himself in the mirror. It couldn't be true. Adam touched his belly, and he could tell that it became...softer. He put his both hands on his gut and felt how it was rumbling. It started to become rounder, inch by inch. Adam had hard time holding his breath. It was scary, yet hot. His gut was ballooning with pure soft fat, growing and filling his arms. Adams chest started to change too. His plain nipple started to point towards. He put his hand on the right pec, no, its a titty now. Process accelerated. His body started to fatten faster. Pecs fell down, lying on Adams gut. He had to sit down on the bathroom, otherwise he would fall. His gut fell down between his legs. Adam wanted to grab his lovehandles, but his arms became too fat to reach them. All of the sudden he became a complete blob, immobile and soft, like balloon filled with water.

But this is just the beginning of Adams journey. Mystery man had more surprises to give.

[paradox-oflife]

q and a part 6 pls ignore

1. Who was your favourite teacher at school and why? My 9th grade Lit teacher. She was the kindest soul I’ve ever met.

2. Whats your favourite party game? I LOVE MAFIA. I’m not talking about basic mafia. You gotta play upgraded versions. I personally love playing one called One Night Ultimate Werewolf. I also like playing the law version which is made for super big groups - There’s police involved, and they choose the mafia. The person accused can hire lawyers who defend them. The police have to present their reasoning, and the lawyers have to figure out how to prove them wrong. God it’s basically Danganronpa isn’t it.

3. Is it acceptable or unacceptable to smack a child as form of discipline? Now this is controversial, and understandably so.  I personally would never hit my child and yell at them. But for other people, if it’s a light smack, like a pat, I guess it’s alright. But otherwise nothing harder than that.

4. Can a hetrosexual male ever wear pink? Um, yes??? Do what you want man.

5. Is it criminal to wear socks with sandals? Listen I’ve seen too many people wear these in public to the point where I’m numb to it.

6. If you were captain of a ship, what would you call it? Make it an obscure video game reference or an inside joke. 

7. If you were to join an emergency service which would it be? Probably the medical side of things, like an EMT. Or a firefighter. EMT’s go through a lot of pressure.

8. If you were to join one of the armed forced which would it be? Maybe coast guard. But I really would not want to join the military. I’m too sensitive. If people yell at me I’d probably cry lol. And there’s the colorblind test.

9. Whats the worst thing about being your gender? Periods. And the pain of child birth. Also how it’s scary to walk alone at night sometimes.

10. Whats the best thing about being your gender? Of course this doesn’t apply to everyone, but I feel like sometimes the friendships girls have are more emotional than boys.

11. If you swapped genders for a day how would you spend it? Honestly? Just observe my body. Not in a sexual manner but like, how does it feel like to not have boobs? How does it feel to have a dick???

12. If you were exiled what country would you choose as your new home? I’m moving back to New Zealand lol. I already have a passport and family there. Or maybe Canada if I don’t want a big culture difference

13. Have you ever made someone cry? Yeah :( Not through verbal attack though. I accidentally kicked a football into a girl’s face.

14. Have you ever starred in a school play? In the first elementary school I went to, it was mandatory to do a play. So yes. Three, actually.

15. Were you a member of any celebrity fanclub? Nope

16. Have you ever been a member of any other club? Yes! Animal Services and Protection, CSF (volunteering stuff), Martial Arts

17. If you could have a full scholarship to any university what would you choose to study? The university I’m going to rn

18. Whats been your greatest ever day? I have a lot. One of my favorites was going to an amusement park at the end of middle school. Had a blast.

19. What historical period would you like to live in if you could go back in time? Hmm... Maybe during the Age of Enlightment?

20. What would you bring along to an idillic picnic? My friends, no phones, music, and a sandwich.

21. Whats your favourite childrens story? Does Harry Potter count? I guess not really. When i was little I loved Geronimo Stilton LMAO

22. What movie ending really frustrated you? And how would you change it? The Mist. I mean, it frustrated me not because it was bad, but because it was so FRUSTRATING.

23. What three things do you think of most each day? Now we’re in quarantine, “I wonder how my friends are doing?” “What am I doing with my life?” “Will life be the same?”

24. What do you call your evening meal? Dinner Tea or Supper? Dinner

25. What do you call your after meal sweet? Pudding or Dessert? Dessert. I usually just have a fruit

26. If you had a warning label, what would yours say? “Warning! Certified Grade A Clown!”

27. Have you ever got sweet revenge on anyone? Can’t really think of one

28. Have you ever been to a live concert? aaaah no i really want to though

29. Have you ever been to see stand up comedy? It was a long time ago on a cruise. It was pretty funny :D

30. Have you ever needed stitches? Yup. If you observe closely, you can see a faint scar near my eye. If it was a bit more obvious I’d look like an anime villain lol

31. If you could invent brand new baby names what would they be? LMAO imagine naming your child like, Fire Emblem names. “Hi yes this is my baby, um, his name is Chrom”

32. Do your dreams ever tell you to do anything? I have the most bizarre dreams. They’re super vivid. They range from me summoning tornados, to me being killed in some Danganronpa world. I dreamed of a school shooting once and a couple days later some other school in my state had a shooting

33. Who's your favourite radio 1 DJ? I don’t really listen to radio lol

34. Whats the best way to your heart? Be a good person. Have good morals.

35.  Do you know your own mobile phone number off by heart? Um yes??? 

36. If you were a fashion designer, what style of clothing or accessories would you design? Just comfortable hoodies that don’t change when you wash it.

37. Do you ever laugh at things you shouldn't? I laugh when I’m nervous. Like I go like, “hahahawhat the hell”. I also laugh when I’m shocked.

38. Have you ever been in a submarine? Yes! But it wasn’t underwater.

39. Have you ever walked out of a cinema before the film was done? Nope. 

40. What song would you say best sums you up? Eeeh i can’t decide but Read my Mind by the Killers. Their music video. When he’s twitching his arms, but he’s acting like everything’s fine.

41. Do you have any old friends would wish you could meet up with again? Yeah :( I had a super super close friend from 4th grade and we slowly drifted apart. By the time of high school we just stopped. I want to be friends with her again :((( I really miss her

42. Whats your favourite Nursery Rhyme? Idk... ring around a rosy maybe just because the context of the lyrics lol

43. Do you prefer metric or imperial measurements? Of course I’d take metric over imperial, but I’m used to it by now.

44. Who's your favourite monarch of all time?Queen Elizabeth I

45. What was the last thing you ate? These Asian things called Zong Zi in Chinese. I’m pretty sure like every country has their own version of it lol/

46. Whats your favourite farmyard animal? I love baby chickens but cows for me I guess

47. If you could choose one celebrity to be the father/mother of your child who would it be? Just someone who’s caring. Tyler Joseph

48. What would you do if someone proposed to you tomorrow? If it’s someone I like, then I’d freak out. Because I’m way too young for it.

49. What are your 3 favourite internet sites? Reddit, youtube, and uh... tumblr or wikipedia. I use tumblr mobile way often

50. How high can you jump? Never measured but definitely not that high

51. Which fictional character do you wish was real? aw man i would say a character but then that would imply their universe exists

52. Who was your first crush? PHFFT IT WAS probably Marshall Lee from the genderbent episodes of Adventure Time.

53. Whats the greatest thing about being your nationality? The food

54. Whats the least greatest thing about being your nationality? Having to explain the difference between Taiwan and China. Like. It’s understandable.

55. Do you believe in destiny, fate or free will? I kinda correlate destiny with fate. It’s a bit paradoxical. We have free will to do whatever we want, but whatever choice you make will end up being your “destiny”

56. If you could talk to one species of animal which would it be? Dogs. They just seem so happy all the time. I want to tell my dog I love him so much.

57. If you had friends round what DVD's would you have to watch? Mean Girls, Heathers, Legally Blonde, or Daria

58. Do you like vanilla or chocolate? Vanilla>>> fight me

59. Are you a giver or a receiver? Both

60. Do you have any enemies? Yeah. Me.

61. Are you scared of needles? YES YES YES

62. How many piercings do you have? Nah I was going to get my ears pierced a while ago but something came up so ever since I’ve jsut haven’t gotten it done

63. Have you ever got majorly lost trying to get somewhere? yes it was scary. Had to use google maps because I have a terrible sense of direction

64. How fast can you say the alphabet? 4 seconds

65. Do you say "Zee" or "Zed" to describe the letter Z? Zee

66. What was the last thing to make you feel happy? My dog fell asleep at my feet and I couldn’t move for the past hour but I love him

67. What was the last thing to make you feel angry? A friend of mine. I love her and all but she takes a week to respond to my texts. And I’m tired of waiting.

68. You are walking to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss told you if you are late one more time you're fired. Do you save the dog? Okay realistically I immediately call animal control or the nearest vet or something. But in some alternate universe I’d take pictures as proof, grab the dog, then get it out.

69. Are you the kind of friend you'd want to have as a friend yourself? I perceive myself as a not so great person. But my friends perceive me as a good person. So yeah. i mean, I might not text first sometimes but if smoeone texted me I’d always respond asap!

70. Do you have any questions or queries about things you're just to scared or embarrassed to ask anyone about? Do my friends like me as much as I like them? I’m so scared of that

71. If you were a wrestler what would your stage name be? and what would your special move be called? Haha maybe like Paradoxical (yes thats my blizzard tag) I’d do something like a shihonage

72. Whats the most interesting thing you can see out of your nearest window? A cat

73. Do you think Barbie is a negative role model for young girls? There’s a lot of Barbie models out there. I don’t think they’re completely bad. But there’s negative things.

74. Have you ever needed an eye test? Don’t have glasses so no. But I might need some soon at the rate of time i spend on electronics

75. Do you find yourself attractive? No. I’m just. Average.

76. Can you roll your R's? Yes

77. What social class do you consider yourself or your family background to be in? Upper middle class

78. Do you know any magic tricks? I used to but I never execute them well enough to convince anyone lol

79. Whats the largest amount of money you've ever won? I ever won? Probably like, $100 lol

80. Whats the largest amount of money you've spent in one spree? $200, if we’re not talking necessities.

81. Whats the largest amount of money you've had to borrow off of a friend or family member? I don’t borrow money. But the most from a friend was like $20 maybe.

82. Have you ever been on a cable car? Yeah, San Francisco is known for that stuff. But I’ve only been on one like, twice.

83. Do you prefer Honey or Jam? Jam! But I like honey too.

84. Do you prefer the French or Germans? Uuuuh, French?

85. How fast can you get changed? Pretty damn fast, if we’re talking my normal outfit.

86. How fast do you type? Around 98 wpm

87. How fast can you run? I’m a decent sprinter. I got 12 seconds on a 100m dash.

88. Which is better, Mario or Sonic? Mario. But both are cool

89. Whats your favourite biscuit to dunk? (im assuming british biscuit but in that case idk)

90. Which would you rather have if you had to, a broken leg or a broken arm? Arm. I like walking around.

91. Do you read a daily newspaper? Nah

92. Do you watch the news on TV? Sometimes

93. Have you ever had anything published? Nope

94. Do you believe in love at first sight? Not really. I mean, Romeo and Juliet, and Frozen has warned us right

95. How many remote controls do you have in your house? Two.

96. Have you ever been in a hot tub or sauna? Yes, and it’s hella

97. Have you ever had chicken pox? Nope. Vaccines rock

98. Do you own a lava lamp? Nah, it seems cool but I’d be too mesmerized by it