#i have a full day of drawing ahead of me lol wish me luck

[onesnoopyaday]

Snoopy #46

16/11/2024

[leynaeithnea]

Literally taking notes as I read your reply so I can remember everything I want to say to you akdmmsan ( also my fingers also hurt from refreshing Tumblr, waiting for your reply aaah)

First of all sorry for making you type so much but actually I'm not that sorry bc I'm having the time of my life talking to you, also I really like your takes and seeing your perspective on stuff (I will now proceed to tell you what I think about what you said , I swear I am sorry but I can't help it, it's the voiceeees)

2. I never stopped to think about the implications of the others joining in the song bc they are seeing Odysseus getting closer to the wall and on the brink of doing something so unforgivable that they have to wonder, should we consider him a monster? Where do we draw the line ? Kskdkd good shit

3. I 100% agree about full speed ahead, I LOVE IT and sing it to myself all the time, 4.we do need more polities , and I also adore the "stay back" part and whenever I sing it I do this silly thing where I pretend to have a sword and I use it to threaten the lotus eaters that are surrounding me ( is it silly? Yes. Do I have the time of my life being this silly? Also yes ). And I totally understand the Ody appreciation because the tragedy in his story and the way he tries to overcome all the obstacles only to realize he is a pawn of the gods anyway jajsnsnsnnjakam and how all this fighting and struggling changed him so much he became unrecognizable but somehow at the core he's still the same aaaahh 6. Agree on anything and everything you say at this point bc "there's been a misunderstanding" scratches my brain so good. 7. I'm so happy for you I wish I could pick up even half of the motifs and stuff Jay always talks about, after his explanations I'm always like "mmmh yes yes I get it (<- does NOTget it for the life of her )" 8. Hands down my favorite 10/10, I am also not 100% sold on the new version bc I am just so used to the old one but I like a lot how Athena says "don't "in this one , she feels more surprised (?),like she didn't think she HAD to warn him not to do smth this reckless, don't know how to explain it lol. AND the silence that screams "oooh you really fucked up" after Odysseus revelas his name and address is UNMATCHED , chills every time. Also the fact that in the whole musical this is the first time we hear his name is just amazing. Keeps me up at night 9.again , seeing your take on things is so good !! In this song Athena is confused by humans and how they process their emotions?? Akksks how did I not see it?? 11. I adore this one but now it's so hard to listen to it and not be haunted by mutiny

Sorry again for dumping all of this here lol, also if you want I would adore a part two for the other sagas but literally no pressure :))

BY THE GODS THANK YOUUUU OMxjdkdksks mfjfjdjsFUSJDS THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO ME DONT APOLOGIZE FOR INFO DUMPING I LOVE IT

AND YES part 2 is to come, I stopped at luck runs out yesterday because Keep your friends close has soooo many parts that I love, its one of my favorites

Also yesss Luck Runs Out really hits different now, loveeee how it sets up mutinity in the motifs so good okay I might only finish Ocean Saga in this one bc SO MUCH TO SAY but i would be honored to do this maybe saga by saga with some asks or smth idk rjsjsjs

Ok

12. Keep friends Close

"Great wind god aelus" kicks just the right way again

"Hahahaha i am the wind" Omg the melody and music in this song is so gooood so floaty and airy its big joy, aelus playfulness and the whole first part of the song is so goooodd ALSO WINIOKS "sometimes killing is a must" - "what??"

And then it shifts to the crew where i love the voice acting of the whole scene up until "we'll try" AND THEN my favorite part: Odysseus tries to stay awake

For 9 days Ive sayed wide awake, trying to make it home with no storm or tidal wave, I remain unapposed the bag is still closed and Im getting closer to youuu (penelope) i cant wait to make some new memories (telemachus) time for me to be the father i never was (just keep your eyes open) why are my eyes and my heart and soul so heavy? (Just keep your eyes open) I keep on trying to embrage you both why wont you let me?? (Just keep your eyes open) so much has changed but im the same YES IM THE SAMMEEE (just keep your eyes open) -> FIRST TIME WE HEAR TELEMACHUS BTW IM SO EXCITED FOR HIM

ALSO THEY ALMOST REACHED ITHIKA IF EURY HADNT OPENED THE BAG---- THEY WERE WITHIN SIGHT, HIS MOM COULDVE SEEN THE SHIPS

So, yeah this whole part? So good, and then penelope wakes him and he wakes up to the storm and the "NooOOooooO" is so niceee ans THEN "ODYSSEUS OF ITHICA, DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" WE LOVE POSEIDON HIS VOICEEEE

13. Ruthlessness

Danger motif (ehehe) the -sei-don in the chant in the beginning I think, madbe the po-sei im not sure

STEVENS GRIT IN HIS VOICE ITS SO GOOD like either mortius or casper said it but he literally sounds like he just gurgled salt water fr, And hes SO SASSY

"it isnt very often that i get pissed of" ....i feel like you dont have s very realistic selfimage Poseidon

"Ive been so gracious" hits right too, so good

"The cyclops youve maee blind, is mine" - No

Love how the theme of Ruthnessless finially gets spoken out directly and literally thrown into his face I ALSO LOVE HOW EVERY ANIMATOR PORTRAYS THIS SCENE AS POSEIDON BEATING UP ODYSSEUS LIKE GUDJDKSKSKSJSJ hell yes anyway

"You are the worst kind of good cause youre not even great" THE music in this moment, the drop and the how it picks up again fhsjdjskaja

Also not Ody not even apologizing smh smh

"If you jusr killed my son, But NooOooouu" SASSY SEIDON gjdjfjwj hes so pissed he didnt kill polyphemus :[ (jkjkjkrks)

Then the whole part with

RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY UPON OUR- CAPITAIN

RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY UPON OUR- CAPITAIN

(Also those lines asding up to 11, for the 11 ships ody looses there oml)

I love "the line between naivetë and hopefullness is almost invisible" its such a cool quote

And then the pause into "Die."

THE CALL BACK TO "when does a ripple become a tidal wave" of jusr a man Omg I LOVE just a man call backs and the disbelieve and horror in "what have you done" and Poseidons calm response, and then THE WINDBAG and "Remember Me" omggrttt yes def two of th3 best songs in the musical so far

Edit:

OH AND I FORGOT THE ACTING?? THE SWORD? YES PLS, i acted out the whole musical so far on a whim with a friend a few days ago and it was the best things in my life fr, acting for the win i also tend to act these things out by myself ghjjdg

Edit 2: Circe saga next!

[blackidyll]

hello! a couple of months ago (I think) I sent you an incredibly long ask about neo twewy lol, so I was thinking that the site might have swallowed it...did you receive it?

hi anon! (twewy anon? hiii!!)

sorry for the late reply, it's hectic times at work at the moment, but i haven't seen anything recently! so unfortunately i think it might have been swallowed up by tumblr's usual brokenness? last i heard from you (well, from twewy anon) was when you just finished the main story. argh it really sucks when you write a long comment and it just disappears into the ether, i hope you can remember what you wrote!

i'm kinda... not very far along since where i was during the winter holidays (still working on week 2 akgj;aljgkajg it's slow going) but i did! get through the big plot twist in week 2! [obligatory spoiler tag!!! although i think everyone and their cat has finished neo twewy ahead of me by now] and can i say i absolutely did NOT in a million years imagine Beat popping up in the Game again. i mean i suspected that it wasn't Neku a couple of days in (i also did notice that the supposed Neku's hair was blonde while original TWEWY Neku's hair was more orange-y-ish, but i also thought maybe... no bleach or hair dye while on the run in the UG, maybe?). but then Beat was all YOYOYO and i just hollered at my computer for a good five minutes, i was just so taken off guard by it. to be honest i was sort of spoilered for Joshua's identity in the original game (although not his motives) so i think i didn't get the full impact of his reveal, whereas this time the surprise of Beat's appearance totally worked on me. i love the games so much the twists are just so great lmao.

(but also WHERE IS NEKU WHERE IS HE).

ngl though, i am loving older!Beat in this game. i think the stakes were higher in the original game where he was so concerned about Rhyme so he's freaking out all the time, but here he's just so zen and mouths off everyone giving absolutely no shits and i love his conversations with Uzuki and Kariya. i do like that it's implied that he was also looking for Neku, but also it's fascinating to me that the Twister gang are all playing the game alive. because in the original game Kariya said that playing the game alive means they have more power at hand to draw on. and also, someone is out there recruiting players for the game (again), with a specialized player pin to boot...

anyway i'm still slowly working my way through the game and dodging spoilers left and right! a lot of people have stopped the embargo on spoilers (very fair, it's been nine months) but i'm trying hard! to go into things as blind as possible! wish me luck!

[hetacon]

Prom Queen: Chapter 4

First || Previous || Next

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Word Count: 1,800

Pairings: Endgame Prinxiety, Platonic LAMP, more could be included at a later point

Warning: Swearing, small food mention, let me know if there’s anything I missed!

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Summary: “Hey Virgil, tell us about yourself, yeah?” one of the girls asked, the guy she was just talking with fixing his gaze on to Virgil too.

(Make sure to read all the way to the end if you want my thoughts so far! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist for this story, my art, or writing! Enjoy the chapter!)

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Virgil started to spend more time with the popular kids after they got back to school, something he never thought would be happening. They were gossipy and didn’t really appeal to Virgil as overall people but Roman was their friend so he started to get to know them for the sake of his best friend. He didn’t even really know them honestly, they almost never talked about themselves or their interests or anything in terms of personal information, the conversations almost consistently focused on the drama going around the school that day. There was something new every time they went over. For a solid month, he and Roman would go chat for a minute or two before going off to find Patton and Logan.

That was actually what they were just doing that day when one of Roman’s friends got Virgil’s attention.

“Hey Virgil, tell us about yourself, yeah?” one of the girls asked, the guy she was just talking with fixing his gaze on to Virgil too.

Virgil looked over to Madison if he remembered correctly, trying to hide most of his shock at the fact that she even addressed him. Not many of Roman’s friends acknowledged him much when they would go over but Virgil guessed they’d taken some interest in him. He had been coming over with Roman for quite a good while now, it figures they’d notice his presence at some point. He had to respond quick though, this chance couldn’t go to waste. “Uh, ok, what do you want to know?”

“What kind of music do you listen to?” Well, an odd question to start off with.

Virgil shrugged a bit. “Eh, just what everyone else listens to, you know? Not really anything in particular. It’s not like I really look for songs to listen to by anyone specific.”

Roman nudged him with a snort. “Since when has this ever been the case? If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you’re emo through and through,” he said, a certain fondness to his look. Virgil bumped his shoulder with a laugh back, fixing him with a playful glare.

“And what if I can like things that you don’t expect of me, huh?” Virgil asked with a slight tease. Roman simply raised an eyebrow but shrugged, letting the argument go without much more of a struggle. Roman wasn’t wrong though, he still listened to everything that he had before, none of it had changed despite what he said. Definitely none of what people usually listened to. He was never one to follow trends with music or otherwise and Roman unfortunately knew that.

“Do you do anything interesting?” one of the people joining the conversation asked.

“Things here and there, not exactly much. School is a drag, takes up way too much of my time to actually let me focus on anything even remotely interesting,” Virgil said calmly, trying to look casual. He hoped it was working, he felt like a nervous wreck. With a few laughs and a “Fuck yeah it is!” he mustered up the courage to add in, “I draw if that counts for anything.”

“Oh yeah? Mind if we take a look?”

Virgil nodded and rummaged through his bag, finding a leather bound book. This one happened to be his more serious one, he had another that was far more personal stashed away. Only Roman, Patton, and Logan ever saw that one, and not even in its full entirety. The personal one had gotten a lot more use than the one currently in his hands. Virgil slid the book over the table and he watched as it was opened to a page of really messy scribbles in the shape of a distraught person’s face. He’d remembered drawing that one, he was in the middle of history sophomore year having a panic attack but was too nervous to ask to step outside.

“Woah, this is cool man,” Tyler said as he looked over it, others nodding in agreement. They proceeded to flip through the pages for a bit while they took turns asking him more questions.

With so much talk, Virgil noticed Roman jump up suddenly, tugging at Virgil’s sleeve frantically. “Pat and Specs!” he explained before packing up his things frantically. “So sorry guys, I need to talk to them before we have to go to class! I’ll catch up with you tomorrow!” he shouted out as he started speed walking, Virgil in tow. Virgil barely managed to collect up his stuff before he was at Roman’s side, seeing the slightest crease between Roman’s eyebrows. As relieved as Virgil was to be away from all of the questions and potential judgement, he noticed Roman was in a big rush. He couldn’t really place why.

“Hey, you uh.. You ok? What’s up?” Virgil asked, relieved as Roman slowed down a little as they turned a corner.

“I just want to get to Pat and Specs, they’re our friends you know?” Roman asked with a bit of an edge before sighing. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect you to uh.. Hit it off so much with them, I usually just say a quick hello really,” he explained.

“Really? You think so?” Virgil really hoped he was impressing the popular kids, they were Roman’s friends after all. If he was having luck with them, he wasn’t going to lose Roman that easily. He couldn’t possibly do that, not when he’d already put so much at risk.

“Yeah but anyone who doesn’t like you how you are is insane,” Roman said lowly. Virgil thought he saw Roman’s jaw clench for a second but he quickly looked ahead of them as Roman glanced over.

Virgil was tackled in a hug by Patton, causing him to smile as he hugged back. He didn’t smile for long though as the bell rang, causing Roman to sigh. He looked over, laughing a little awkwardly. “Ha, sorry Ro, didn’t mean to make us so late.”

Roman shrugged. “It’s ok, just means we’ll have to get here as soon as possible tomorrow!” With that, he and Logan started to talk as they headed to class together.

Virgil watched as Roman walked away from him and Patton and he frowned slightly before Patton was nudging his shoulder and nodding his head to the direction of their classes.

Virgil nodded back and started walking, burying his hands deep into his pockets. He really wished he had his usual hoodie to pull over his head and hide from the world. His bangs would have to do, giving him a good look at the sickeningly sweet pink he’d decided on a month prior. Who let him do that again?

“Hey, you ok?” Patton asked, silently offering Virgil a cookie. Snickerdoodle today, Virgil would’ve usually loved it.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Virgil told him. “I’m not hungry, thanks though.”

Patton looked at him with a worried look for a second before sighing, taking a bite of the cookie himself. “Alright Virge, if you say so. Who knows, maybe some rest is all you need, make sure you go easy on yourself!”

Virgil agreed, looking ahead of them.

He went home that day and went through the motions in a haze, glad when he finally got out of his disgustingly bright outfit. He stared blankly at the wall when he got a text from Roman.

“Hey, sorry I was so tense where we left things off.. I promise you didn’t do anything, that was all me.”

“What was up with that?” Virgil texted back.

Roman’s response took a minute before it popped up on Virgil’s screen. “I don’t know, I just didn’t expect them to really take such an interest in you. They can be a bit... Stuffy. Like, all the time, I much prefer hanging out with you, Pat, and Specs.”

“I mean, they’re your friends right? They asked me questions, I answered.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Some of your answers surprised me though lol, you are truly a dark and stormy knight after all!”

“Hey, I’m allowed to expand my tastes, aren’t I? You got me into some of your dumb musicals after all.”

“They are not dumb, take that back you jerk!”

Virgil snorted, hugging his pillow to his chest as he typed out another message. “Oh yeah? Make me, you pompous thespian drama queen.”

“I just might!”

Before Virgil could respond, Roman shot him a quick text reading “Shit, GTG, I need to run a few scenes before I sleep! Until tomorrow~!”

“Go chase your dreams of ‘professional make believe’ as Logan would say, night.”

As an afterthought, Virgil tacked on a red heart before blushing harshly, cursing into his hands. He really did that, no taking that one back now was there?

Either way, check in time. Roman was still his friend, they just had a normal conversation like two human beings ought to be able to have. While he seemed a little off-put by some of the changes Virgil was talking about, he didn’t seem to take it as a serious offense so a plus there. The clothes were horrible, Virgil still hated his hair, but he was doing this for Roman so he’d suck it up. Roman’s friends were starting to like him, they liked his art so that was good. Luckily they latched on to something he couldn’t lie about.

Just as Virgil was about to go to bed, another notification popped up on his phone, this time from an unknown number. Virgil stared at it for moment, his brow furrowed. He opened it though and read it.

“Hey Virgil, this is Madison! Got ur number from Roman’s phone lol, hope u don’t mind sweetie!”

Well, he kind of did mind but putting that aside-

“Hi, did you need anything?”

“Not rn but I might! Just wanted to have ur number just in case. Anyways, I’m going to bed, see u tomorrow!”

Virgil nodded to himself before he got one more text.

“BTW loveeeee ur artwork, keep up the good work bby!”

This was certainly... Bizarre. He didn’t expect to ever have the number of a popular girl in his phone but he never knew high school would be this insane. He’d survive this though, for Roman if nothing else. And if not, he just might lose Roman forever and never be able to forget about it for as long as he lives! Ok, breathe Virgil, breathe...

Things would work out, Virgil was going to make sure they did or die trying. Nobody, Roman included, could think to stop him now.

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More Prom Queen content huh? Anyways hey hey hey guys! How’d you like the newest chapter?

To be honest, I’m not sure how to feel about this one. I feel like all of my writings sound like they’re in an echo chamber. Like as if the events are completely isolated and don’t fit into an expansive narrative and existence. I have no idea if that makes a bit of sense, it might just be my depression tbh? It’s been kicking my butt more than usual.

But Virgil is finally getting noticed by the popular kids, woohoo! This obviously can’t go wrong! We shall see what Virgil will be getting up to with time!

As always, feel free to leave comments or send me asks and whatnot if you want to talk with me about the story! I’d love to hear from you guys!

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Taglist: @artissijules, @virgils-paranoia, @its-the-cat-queen, @myyoutubecorner, @marshmallow-the-panda, @anotheregofanficblog, @tssidesfamily, @shapa-likes-art, @isabelle-stars, @falsemood, @katlikethesword

[onthepageoftears]

The Tale of Two Bards (Jaskier x Bard!Reader)// Witcher

A/N: We love our dumb bard!! Also this is a gender neutral reader!! :D

Request: @haade-s​ Would I be able to request a Jaskier x bard!reader where whenever they meet up (which is a lot) they sing together & split the coin but they're also very casual lovers. Like they say they love each other & have very casual PDA (resting his chin on her shoulder while talking and her pecking his cheek) & while it's odd for Geralt he does like seeing them both happy. Idk where you'd want to take it plot wise but I've been craving crazy in love Jaskier 💖💖💖 thanks!!

Warnings: flufffff, drinking?? mentions of love lol

Words: 1,446

Please Don’t Plagiarize My Work!

The night was anything but quiet. The people in the tavern yelled with a mix of joy and disappointment as you and Jaskier walked out of the crowd together, smiles wide on your faces. Any time the two of you met up, it was like a spark ignited. Your hearts swelled, but so did your minds — you two were the perfect duo, coming up with songs practically on the spot and singing them together that same night. People came from towns near and far just to see the two of you perform together, to spread your talent and lather the crowds with lyrics that would be stuck in their heads for days — if not weeks — after hearing them.

Something was so precious about you two bards — the way your eyes met as soon as you saw the other, the way you smashed each other into a warm embrace, the lingering touches as you went to work on some music. Of course, neither of you noticed it, at least not until you separated once again.

You and Jaskier were going through your earnings of the night. You always earned more when you sang together, and neither of you was complaining. You leaned your head against your fellow Bard’s shoulder, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“If only you sang with me more often. You help draw in such a big crowd.” You felt Jaskier’s rumbling voice as he spoke.

“I’m truly flattered. Really. But you must see it’s you who draws the crowds.”

You pursed your lips, then shrugged. “Okay, it’s me.” You smiled cheekily and lifted your head from his shoulder. His smile was weak, eyes glazed over.

You poked him in the chest. “Chin up. We just had a wonderful show!”

“I know. And we were supposed to have another tomorrow.”

You faltered. “Were?” Jaskier looked away, so you moved in front of his gaze. “You aren’t leaving tomorrow, are you?”

“No. Tonight.”

“But…why?”

“Geralt says there’s a vampire a couple towns over. It’s a great opportunity for a song.” Jaskier brightened up, put his hands to the sky to paint the title: “‘Blood Sucking Bastard’. Or…‘Fiend’. Well, I’m still working on the details.”

You nodded and smiled. This would be a great opportunity for Jaskier. He loved going on these adventures and coming back to sing you the song he wrote, to get your feedback and have the two of you sing it together. But your stomach churned at the thought of him leaving again, and so soon. He noticed.

“I’ll be back in a week or two, at most. You’ll be in Velen by then, right?” He walked over to you and placed his hands on your shoulders. His touch calmed you down, helped you manage a smile.

“Right. I wish you well on your journey, Jaskier.” You leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek, then patted the spot that you kissed. “If you die, I will still perform your songs for you.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll miss you too.”

—

The next night went by quickly; you performed alone, and though the crowd was sad Jaskier wasn’t accompanying you, they still enjoyed the performance. However, you couldn’t say that you did. Your mind was preoccupied, mostly on the Bard. You missed him more than you had before, or, more than you’ve noticed before. His bright blue eyes, his playful smile, the way his touch made your skin heat up at contact. He could be frustrating at times, but his undying loyalty and charms always made up for the dumb things he could sometimes say.

And now, as you sat at the bar after your show, you had the biggest urge to get up and run after him, to tell him you didn’t want to have to say goodbye again, that you wanted to wake up every day and see his face, to hear his voice. And that urge had always been there, whenever Jaskier left. It wouldn’t go away no matter how much you drank, or sang with other people, or moved to other towns. That urge could be lethal if not treated soon; so finally, you decided to feed it. You got up, grabbed your cloak and lute, and ran in towards the town that Jaskier had mentioned the other night.

—

Jaskier had been jabbering on about you nonstop since he left. Geralt was used to his constant talking, but this was getting unbearable. ‘Y/N’s eyes, and Y/N’s voice, and the way Y/N bites their lip before they laugh’. He didn’t know why, but Jaskier was even more annoying about Y/N than he had been on any of their other trips. It was like now, tonight, his brain was clouded by everything Y/N.

“I’m telling you Geralt, Y/N is possibly the best bard I’ve met.”

“Over yourself?”

“Of course.” Jaskier frowned.

Geralt sighed. “Then you should tell Y/N that.”

“I have.” Jaskier rolled his eyes at Geralt’s ignorance. 

Geralt grunted. “You care about Y/n.”

Jaskier scoffed. “Quite obviously.”

“No. You care more than you think.”

Jaskier stopped in his tracks, letting Geralt walk Roach slightly ahead. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you love Y/N, Jaskier.”

“Love…like, in love?” Geralt only blinked from atop a now stationary Roach, leaving Jaskier to shake his head in disbelief. “Me, in love with Y/N? Well, it’s plausible, sure. But does Y/N-“

“Yes.” Geralt would’ve had an easier time knocking the bard out and throwing him over his horse. Instead, he waited for Jaskier to finish his rambling and come to the obvious conclusion.

“I have to find Y/N. Now.“ Jaskier turned on his heal, ready to run all the way to Velen. 

Geralt grunted and steered Roach beside the bard. He patted the spot behind him and nodded to Jaskier. “Might as well get there faster.” 

Jaskier was surprised but didn’t linger on the details. Geralt letting him on Roach was a big deal, but finding Y/N was bigger.

—

You didn’t know how you got this far on your own. With only a lute on your back and a small knife in your hand, you trekked the dirt roads and hoped you’d run into Jaskier and Geralt. 

What would you tell him? That you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him? That was a bit forward. Maybe you would tell him that you missed him, just to test the waters. Yeah, that could work.

You were mulling this over when you heard the sound of hooves — you jolted yourself from the middle of the road and stood near a bush, hoping the person would leave you be. You hadn’t had any bad luck yet, and you weren’t about to let some random person hurt you, not after you had gotten this far. But soon, you recognized the figure who sat on his noble steed — it was Geralt, no doubt, with Jaskier actually sitting right behind him.

You jumped from your spot and waved your hands in the air, causing them to slow to a stop.

“Y/N?” Jaskier frowned from atop of Roach. He jumped down from the horse, surprise etched on his face. Geralt took the liberty of walking past the two of you, giving you some privacy.

Before Jaskier could process your presence, you were wrapping him in a tight hug. “Funny seeing you here,” you mumbled into his jacket.

Jaskier held you tighter. “What are you doing in the middle of nowhere? Are you hurt?”

You pulled away from him, only slightly. “I missed you.”

“That’s hardly a reason to put yourself in danger.” Jaskier frowned, but still held a smile on his face. He looked down at you and brushed a hand along the side of your face, wiping some dirt that resided. You leaned into his touch and bit your lip, then smiled.

“It was worth it.” You shrugged, still holding onto Jaskier’s arms. Before you could pull away, he used the hand that was on your cheek to bring you closer; his lips met the corner of your mouth, which wasn’t an unusual occurrence. But you frowned, and instead of letting him go, you gripped his neck and met him with a full on kiss, one that was long overdue.

As soon as you two parted, Jaskier searched your face. He smiled brightly and pulled you back into his chest, where you laughed.

“We need to write a song.” He said, exasperated. You chuckled and pulled from his grip, holding his hands in your own.

“About?”

He smiled wider. “True love. Called...’The Tale of Two Bards’.”

[theoriginalladya]

5, 8, 20, 37 for the writer asks?

from this list

5. Share one of your strengths.

Plotting.  Give me a niblet of an idea and I can plot the hell out of it into a full blown story, possibly a series! lol  I love plotting, actually.  I just wish writing was as easy in the end! :)

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Oh wow.  Let me see here ...  Not exactly short, but this comes from Destiny’s Hand, the ME2 story for ShepShep, chapter called “Look Good for Dead” where Jane goes to see Wrex.

(also going under cut because this got loooooong! lol

“You humans,” he muttered as he walked back over to retake his seat.  “Always trying to hide what can be so clearly seen.”

Jane remained where she was for a minute or two before following suit.  She didn’t bother to ask him what he meant – that was clear enough.  Instead, she opted to pick at one of his earlier comments.  “So, you think I’m with Cerberus too?”

The krogan leader shrugged.  “You have their ship; you have their people – does it really matter beyond that?”

The ‘chair,’ such as it was, allowed Jane to sit in a manner where she could draw one knee up to her chest so she could rest her arms against it as she eyed him.  “You don’t care, then?”

“I have concerns,” he admitted, “but I know you.”  His deep, reverberating chuckle started again.  “No other human ever stood up to me like you did on Virmire.”

Jane blinked, startled by that remark.  “Really?”

The krogan’s head bobbed once before his eyes narrowed and he gave her a menacing look.  This lasted only a moment or two, however, until he sat back and laughed again.  “See?  You aren’t intimidated.”

Jane opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it just as quickly when she realized she didn’t have a response.  He couldn’t be serious, could he?  “Wrex …?”

He watched her closely as she struggled.  “You don’t see it, do you?” he asked.

“See what?”

Head still shaking, he said, “You wound me, Shepard.  Then again, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you intimidated by anyone.”

Jane blinked again.  “I’m … not sure that I ever have been,” she replied.  Frowning, she stared over at him for a moment.  “Though, I seem to recall you giving a good effort the day we met on the Citadel.”

This time the krogan leader’s laughter was open and loud, a barking echo throughout the room.  “You see what I mean?”  He sighed and sat back.  “That’s how I know you are you.  You don’t back down from anyone.  And, if rumors are to be believed, you headbutt like a true krogan.”

Jane gasped, her eyes widening.  “You heard about that?”

“Shaman told me himself.”  He gave her a toothy grin.  “You’re the first human to impress him that much.”

Why am I so proud of it?  I fucking LOVE WREX and writing him is such a challenge at times, but this chapter ended up coming so easily to me, I couldn’t believe it.  I could ‘snippet’ the whole damned chapter for you I’m that proud of it, and that’s saying something because I’m so proud of that whole series, let alone the story itself.  

I remember going into that chapter feeling intimidated at the thought of writing his voice.  I stared at a blank page for almost TWO WEEKS before I finally started writing it.  And once I started, once those first words were down .. the rest just flowed.  And the dialogue - omg, dialogue isn’t always easy for me.  Sometimes it is, but most of the time it’s like pulling teeth.  Still, occasionally I hit a Zen zone, and that chapter was one of them.  The relationship between Jane and Wrex in it is just ... it’s beautiful.  

Here’s another snippet from that chapter - none of them can be short because one thing just flows into another into another, and I just ... AAAHHHHH!!!

Lifting her head, she turned to find him watching her intently.  “Just say the word, Shepard,” he rumbled, “and I’ll send a squad of Urdnot warriors to shake some sense back into him.”

Jane sat still as a mouse; her eyes wide.  “Wrex …?”  His name escaped as a bare whisper.

He folded his arms across his broad expanse of a chest and nodded once firmly.  “Don’t think I won’t do it, either.”

A hesitant smile twitched at the left corner of her lips even as a few tears leaked from her eyes.  Sniffling softly, she murmured his name again, this time in appreciation.

His expression shifted to a scowl.  “I’m trying to help you here, Shepard!”

Laughter managed to work its way into the mix as Jane swiped her hands across her face.  “I know you are, you bellowing bulk, and I can’t thank you enough for it!” she shouted right back at him.  Lowering her hands, she returned the scowl as best she could, nodding at him once.  “I … appreciate it, I really do, but I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Wrex moved his hands to her shoulders.  “You don’t want him back?”

Jane shrugged.  “I do, but I want him back because he wants to be back,” she explained.  “Forcing him back doesn’t help either of us.”  She sighed, her smile curving just a tick more up on the left side.  “But I appreciate that you want to help me.  I really do.”

“Bah!”  His scowl deepened and he yanked his arms away, turning to stalk across the room.  When he returned a couple of minutes later, he had two more cups of Ryncol in his hand.  “You have done more to help me and the krogan than anyone else ever has,” he insisted.  “And rumor has it, the Reapers are going to try again.”

Jane stiffened, her eyes focused on the pouring liquid even as dread filled the pit of her stomach.  “You – you heard about that, too?”

“Common sense,” he said as he handed one cup to her.  “We might have defeated Sovereign, but he was only one.  A scout.  Scouts are sent ahead of the main forces to report back what they find.  Since Sovereign won’t be reporting back, logic says those who sent him have to follow.”  Glittering eyes, as if anticipating the fight, focused on her.  “If we’re going to have to face more of those bastards and find a way to win, we need you leading the way.”

Jane’s breath caught in her lungs as the full impact of his words hit her.  He believes me!  “Wrex …”

The war leader sighed again, shaking his head.  “And if you’re going to do that, you need to have your head on right,” he bellowed, cutting her off again.  “That means you and your husband back together so you can focus on more important things …”

Jane’s lips twitched.  “Like saving the krogan?” she asked.

“Impudent pup!”  His scowl faded in the next second and he chuckled.  Lifting his cup, he amended, “Maybe helping the krogan save the galaxy.  Again.”

Jane’s lips formed a full-fledged grin now.  “I see.”  Her eyes dropped to the cup in her hand.  “So … what are we drinking to this time?”

“You really don’t want me to send a squad or two after him?”

A bittersweet ache worked its way through Jane.  “No,” she managed after a long moment, “I really don’t.  But … thank you.”  She lifted her head to find him nodding once at her.  “Really, Wrex.  No one has ever offered –.”

He swiped his free hand between them.  “And it’s doubtful you’ll ever get that kind of an offer again,” he groused.  “Especially, if you don’t quit the mushy stuff!”

Her head slanted slightly to the left, Jane asked, “Would it get you off Tuchanka and back into the fight?”

“Hah!”

Jane lifted her cup, eyeing it closely.  There appeared to be about the same amount of liquid in it as before.  Pulling together her last threads of bravery, she raised it in his direction.  “To … Clan Urdnot,” she said, smiling, “and their leader.”

Wrex lifted his, knocking it against hers.  “To Commander Shepard,” he corrected, “who at heart is Clan Urdnot.”

See what I mean???

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

Home alone, no cats or kids, music playing, a pot of hot tea that STAYS hot as long as I need it and all the time in the world to just sit and write ....

Or, alternatively, a notebook and pen and wherever I get an idea.  I’m not picky. :P  Seriously, I can write almost anywhere.  I’ve learned to tune things out or listen to music on my phone if I have to drown it out.  I’ve had more luck sitting in McAlister’s on lunch and writing most of a chapter than at home sometimes.  (not of late, though, sadly)

37. Talk about your current wips.

I KNOW WHY YOU ASKED THIS ONE!  HAHAHAHA

Okay, so ... I have a LOT of WIPs at the moment, and I just had a couple more Shepards end up on my doorstep, putting me at a solid #100 on my spreadsheet.  Beyond that, I have a number of Dragon Age WIPs, plus some original fics going.  One of these days, I’ll finish something! lol  Too many ideas, not enough time!!!

So ... a specific WIP ... Hmm ... Well, let me just say that the Biotic Pinball Wizard group - collection of WIPs over there, I swear! lol - is one of the most interesting ones I’ve come up with.  Writing the Reaper War from a perspective of being on Earth?!  What was I thinking????  (oh, that’s right, Anderson’s little visits in game inspired me :P )  I’m really enjoying the challenge.  Funny enough, this one isn’t as plotted through as most of my fics are.  There just wasn’t enough time, plus it’s so complex, I’ve relied a lot on my inspiration throughout Nano this year to help expand it - and it’s coming along quite nicely, to be honest.  I have a number of chapters partly/mostly written.  I have been able to flesh out some plot points that desperately needed it, plus develop the antagonist side of things (beyond just the Reapers).  Characters are falling into place.  Honestly, while more challenging than I originally intended for this year’s Nano to be, it’s been well worth it and I look forward to continuing with the story even beyond Monday’s finishing point!  Having Shepard, Kaidan, James and Kandra together as my core group of personalities has worked really well, too.

[portals-to-a-new-world]

Shattered Glass

Who?: John Kennex x Reader

What?: YN and John fight, forcing both of them to realize some truths neither were willing to admit. 

Word Count: 4724

Warnings: Angst, Intrusive Thoughts, Self-Image Struggles, Portrayals of Depression and Anxiety, Language, Smut, Unprotected Sex (wrap it before you tap it, y’all), Semi-Public Sex, Fluff 

A/n: Hey y’all! This started out as a therapy fic for me after I’d had a bad day at work and just sort of snowballed lol. I’d just like to reiterate that this has portrayals of negative self image and anxiety/depression so please don’t put yourself at risk if that’s going to trigger you. I’d like to give yet another shoutout to the absolutely brilliant @bakerstreethound​, without whom this story couldn’t have happened. She kept me sane during the beginning and has been the bestest friend and partner anyone could ask for. Ace, I really don’t know what I’d do without you 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Finally, I’m not tagging in this one, simply because I’m currently trying to work out a way to organize my tags so that people only get tagged in what they want to be :). Keep an eye out for a post soon with further details, peaches. Oh just one more thing, I’ve been seeing a lot of blogs having their works reposted on other sites without permission, and I’d like to establish here that I do not give anyone permission to repost my works. I’m on AO3 under the same username, but any other sites are not me. 

Rough days were standard in your line of work. You'd think that after 3 years in the industry, the last 5 months of which being spent with your current employer, would have you used to the stress. Then again, you weren't sure anyone could get used to the bitch of a co-worker who was causing 80% of your issues. You were higher up in the company than her, but because she'd been with them longer, she seemed to think she could order you around. Going to your bosses achieved nothing, as she was apparently "invaluable" to the company, and didn't bother listening to them anyway. It wasn't a big deal at first, just one of those "ignore them, and they'll go away" situations, but as time progressed it got increasingly worse. Today you were forced to endure her screaming insults and ranting at you about a mistake your partner had made. Your day only seemed to get worse from there, and by the time you got off, you were about ready to blow a fuse. 4 bouts of road rage and a spilled coffee later, and you finally walked through the door to your apartment, slamming it shut behind you. John's head poked around the corner from the kitchen, noodles hanging from his lips. "Jesus. Is the door still standing?" He asked once he'd swallowed. You just huffed in response. He raised an eyebrow as you walked past without giving your usual greeting in the form of a kiss. "Hello to you, too, then." He mumbled. You waved your hand sarcastically over your shoulder.

"Hey," You said. John's concern was written all over his face as he followed you into the living room. He spoke as you plopped onto the couch, placing your head in your hands.

"I'd ask if you're okay, but clearly you're not so-"

"Sorry, Detective, but you must be losing your touch because I'm fine." You said, looking up to offer a strained smile, which was met with a skeptical eyebrow raise.

"Uh-huh, and Richard's being promoted to captain. Don't bullshit me, (Y/N/N). What's wrong?" He placed a hand on your shoulder as he finished. You shrugged it off and stood to your feet, ignoring the incredulous look on his face at your actions.

"I said I'm fine, John. Just let it go." You turned to walk away, but his hand shot out to grab ahold of your wrist. You tried to tug it free, which only served to draw him to his feet. He pinned your arm against his chest, pulling you in close. "Let me go." You said as you continued to struggle against him. Any other time you'd've found being pinned against such a handsome bastard incredibly sexy, in fact, that's probably why he did it in the first place. The notion was like throwing a match onto gasoline, igniting the rage that had been simmering under the surface into a full-on blaze.

"What the hell's gotten into you??" He demanded.

"I told you to fucking let it go, Kennex. In fact, you might as well go ahead and leave altogether, cause I'm not in the mood to fuck you tonight." He dropped your wrist as if scalded and took two steps back to search your face in angry disbelief before replying.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" You threw your hands in the air in exasperation.

"Oh, come on! I'm not stupid, John. There was never going to be anything serious between us. You're not capable of trusting, let alone loving, anyone after Anna, and even if you were, you'd never choose me." He opened his mouth to reply, but you cut him off. "No, you wouldn't. Put me in a line up with every woman you've ever been attracted to, and the differences are fucking painfully obvious." You took a deep breath before continuing. "I was not, and never will be, anything more to you than convenient, no matter how much I love you. Okay? So, you don't have to pretend to fucking care anymore, John."

"How dare you! I can't believe I'm standing here listening to this bullshit; matter of fact," He paused and gestured as if an idea just occurred to him. "I'm not going to!" He stormed over to his coat and yanked it off the counter before throwing it on. He stopped momentarily to look back at you, mouth open to speak before sighing roughly in frustration. "Fuck this." Without another word, he was going out your door, slamming it so hard behind him that the pictures on the wall fell and crashed on the floor. In a single moment, everything in you shattered like glass. You collapsed in a heap as sobs began to rip through your chest. It's for the best. He would have left eventually, anyway. Why would he want to stay with a useless, disgusting, pathetic thing like you? God, you can't even handle the basic stress of everyday problems, while he's out there still doing his job after everything he's been through. I mean, how weak can you be?? No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't stop the thoughts from invading your mind. Each one cut deeper than the last until you were numb. Eventually you stood to your feet, drained and feeling hopeless. Your body moved on autopilot, carrying you through your nightly routine and into bed. You slept in fits and starts, nightmares plaguing nearly every second. When your body finally gave in to the utter exhaustion, a tiny part of you had hoped that you would wake up to find it'd all been a dream. Most of you didn't want to wake up at all, though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unfortunately, neither part of you got its wish. You did indeed wake up, and you woke up to an empty bed. Your heart broke as you realized just how badly you'd fucked up. You didn't have time to dwell on your failures, though, as your phone was ringing, and upon answering, you discovered you were over an hour late for work. You shot up out of bed and quickly threw some clothes on, rushing through your morning essentials. As you stepped out of your front door, you looked up and saw dark storm clouds rolling in. You flipped through the radio in your car and found out that the storms were supposed to last through the rest of the week. At least the weather matched how you felt inside. Unsurprisingly, your problematic co-worker was standing ready to lay into you the moment you stepped through the doors. It took every ounce of what little strength you had left not to break down right then and there. By some stroke of luck, she was called away by your bosses, and you quickly took off to your desk. Your day was almost typical, until around 2 pm, your phone buzzed with an incoming text. Your heart stopped as you looked at the name on the screen. John. Your hands were shaking as you unlocked the phone to read the message.

Come by my place when you get off. We need to have a serious talk. 

All of your fears came crashing down on you at once, punching through your chest like a bullet. You stumbled your way into the bathroom and latched onto the sink edge to anchor yourself. So this really was it. He was breaking up with you. Your hand flew up to press against your chest as the ache there blossomed into raw agony. At least he had the decency to do it in person. He could have just ghosted you. You continued to rub your chest as you typed out a simple 'okay' in response. A quick glance at the time revealed that you still had three hours left in your shift. You took a few deep breaths and splashed some cool water on your face. The last thing you needed was for someone to ask "what's wrong" and you end up breaking down in front of God and everyone. After you managed to calm down enough to return to your desk, time seemed to slow down, until the remaining three hours felt like twelve. You'd also discovered that you'd left your rain jacket at John's the last time you'd spent the night. Still, most of your body was numb by then anyway, so it didn't really matter as you stepped out into what had to be a freezing downpour at the end of your shift. In all honesty you were grateful for the numbness. You almost certainly would have never been able to drive had it not been for the near void that threatened to consume you as you drove through the crowded city. When you pulled up into the driveway, some of the emptiness cleared away, leaving panic in your chest and your whole body shivering as you sprinted to the door. You hardly registered John opening the door and pulling you inside. Your focus was locked on to the way his face moved while he spoke, committed to memorizing every detail while you still had the chance. Your gaze had fallen to his perfectly plump lips when you realized he was saying your name.

"Y/n, can you hear me, sweetheart?" You shook your head to clear some of the fog from your mind. Might as well get it over with.

"Yeah-" You cleared your throat. "Yeah, I can hear you. When do you wanna come by and get your stuff? Or would you rather me just drop it off here for you?" Confusion flooded his features as you finished.

"What are you talking about? Why would I need my stuff back?" Damn, was he so done with you that he didn't even want his stuff back? You dropped your eyes, knowing that you wouldn't be able to hold his gaze without breaking down completely.

"You're breaking up with me, right?" You cursed silently as tears began to stream down your face. Gentle fingers pressed up beneath your chin to tilt your face back up.

"You haven't listened to a word I've said, have you?" You didn't respond, too caught up in the softness of his eyes, and he didn't bother waiting for one anyway. "I said I shouldn't have walked out on you last night. I had some excuse about being tired, but the truth is I was afraid because you were right. I didn't think I would ever be able to love anyone again after Anna." Your heart clenched and the tears began to fall even harder as breathing became difficult. Had you been watching his face, you would have seen the heartache ooze across his features as he watched you break down in front of him. As it were, your gaze had fallen back to the floor, and you jumped when his hand moved up to cradle your face softly. "I was so pissed at myself, and at you for being right, that it wasn't until this morning when I woke up without you in my arms, and it hurt that I realized just how wrong we both had been. You're wrong about me never choosing you. You're smart and kind, and so beautiful you take my breath away when you walk into a room." You hiccupped and fell apart as you processed what he was saying to you. He rushed to pull you into his arms as your knees threatened to give out, and just held you until you could breathe again. He pulled back far enough to look you in the eyes before he continued speaking. "And I was wrong. Because I do love you, and I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out." You gasped deeply and threw your arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry too. I never should have taken out my frustrations about work on you."

"It's alright. Do you wanna talk about it?" Part of you still felt stupid about the reason for your outburst, but you felt so safe in his embrace that you found yourself nodding in affirmation. He placed a kiss on the top of your head and let you go. The sudden lack of his warmth sent shivers up your spine.

"Jesus. Why's it so cold in here?" You asked, rubbing your arms. He reached out and took your hand with a grin.

"Part of your surprise." He said with a wink. "Come on. I'll show you." You followed him around the corner and into the main room. You came to a stop as your eyes fell on the mounds of blankets and pillows arranged on the floor. He turned to look back when you stopped, and he seemed disappointed when you just looked at him in confusion. "You mentioned a while back that you loved the sound of the rain on the roof here. I'd figured-" He cringed slightly as he stumbled over his words. "Well, I mean I'd hoped-" He began to rub the back of his neck nervously before he continued. "I'd hoped that we'd be able to work things out, so I went ahead and got everything set up. Since they're calling for the storms to last for so long and all." Deciding to put him out of his misery, you stepped forward and pulled him down into a kiss. All the tension left his body as your lips connected, and you couldn't help but grin as you broke apart.

"I promise to not tell Dorian that you're secretly a big ol teddy bear who remembers tiny details about his girlfriend." You joked. John rolled his eyes, but still had a small smile on his face as he pulled you back in for another kiss. Despite his closeness, another chill ran down your spine, reminding you of your original query. "Doesn't explain why it's so flippin cold in here, though." He looked at you and gestured as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's a pillow fort. And you've got the internal body temperature of a small space heater. I'd really prefer to not sweat my ass off." He said. You bit your lip to hide your grin as you nodded gravely before replying.

"That would be a tragedy." He also was fighting a smirk as he slightly tilted his head in agreement.

"Exactly. My ass is a national treasure," He said. You giggled and let your smile finally breakthrough as he gestured in a 'come hither' motion. You began to worry your bottom lip between your teeth as you stepped forward. He reached over and pulled the soaking wet towel from your shoulders, surprise in his eyes as if something had just occurred to him. You stepped forward in concern as his eyes seemed to zone out and darken.

"John? What's wrong?" He seemed to snap out of his trance, and he cleared his throat before gesturing to your body.

"Your shirt. It's soaked. You're gonna catch a cold." You followed his gaze to your chest to discover that his eyes had not darkened in anger or frustration, but in lust. He was right, your shirt was absolutely dripping wet. It was also white. Ah.

"Would you prefer me to take it off?" You joked. A smirk emerged on his lips, sending a shudder through you that had nothing to do with the cold. He nodded and closed the distance between you.

"Purely in the interest of your health, of course," He said lowly. You tilted your head in mock defeat and began undoing the buttons of your shirt slowly.

"Well, I'm sure you know best, Detective." You barely made it half-way down the line before his lips were crashing into yours and his hands taking over to speed through the remaining buttons. He paused before he could push the garment off of your shoulders.

"Is this- I mean I don't want to assume- Or make you think I'm only after-" You cut him off with another kiss and shrugged out of the sleeves. He still seemed hesitant, right up until you nipped at his bottom lip. He huffed out a breathless growl before returning the favor, his hands landing on your bare waist to pull you into him. He swiped his tongue across your lip in a silent request for entrance, which you happily granted. Your hands moved to grip at his shoulders while his own began an exploration of your body, sliding up your spine and across your stomach before dropping from your skin entirely. You whined at the loss of contact, but he quickly made up for it by reaching down and pulling his shirt over his head. He leaned back down and placed a soft kiss on your lips. "Just making things even," He murmured against you. His hands found your hips as he led you to the center of the room without breaking the kiss, but it was his turn to grunt in surprise when you gently pushed him down on the pillows. "What-" He stopped when your hands moved to play with the clasp of your bra.

"We're not even yet, Detective." You said coyly. You barely got the garment off before he was tugging you down on top of him and into another breathtaking kiss. A moan escaped your lips as he nibbled your ear, trailing kisses down your neck. You brought a finger up to his mouth, stopping his assault. "We're not done yet, detective." You were smirking and trailing your hands across every bit of his skin you could reach, but you were partly just trying to hide the way you were trembling at having him so close. Another part was just reassuring itself that he was really there, not believing that he was finally truly yours, that you had the broken-hearted detective beneath you. It all felt like a dream until he ground up against you and whispered in your ear.

"Please, (Y/n)," He didn't even finish his sentence before you were climbing off of him to quickly remove your pants and underwear. He followed your lead and, to your surprise, pulled you back down on top of him once he'd finished. You uttered a whimper as he brushed up against your soaked folds, but it turned into a full-fledged whine as he slowly guided you down onto his length. He cursed and his eyes fluttered closed once he was fully sheathed inside you. You both took a moment to breathe and adjust to the sensation, and he finally looked at you when his hands began to guide your hips. "I love you." You leaned down to claim his lips again, tears threatening to fall at the words you'd never thought you'd hear him say. 

"I love you too." You said, pulling back to meet his gaze once again. Such a small declaration, yet it made every movement, every touch, feel different. It was slow and passionate, so contrary to the fast and rough pace that was the norm with John. You couldn't bring yourself to look away from his deep hazel eyes, full of love and adoration, as you moved in perfect sync together. He rose with every fall, hitting so deep inside you that you knew you'd be feeling him for weeks. Your hips began to stutter as the sensations threatened to overwhelm you, and without missing a beat John flipped the two of you. A yelp escaped your kiss swollen lips as his nimble fingers slipped between the two of you to rub deliciously at your clit, and you could feel yourself rapidly approaching your orgasm. "John- please- don't stop!" He seemed more than happy to oblige, maneuvering to thrust impossibly deeper as his lips found your ear once again.

"You gonna cum for me, beautiful? I-" Whatever sweet nothing he had planned to say was choked off into a moan as your orgasm hit you. Your walls clamping down around him dragging him over the edge with you as he worked you through until you were whining with oversensitivity. He finally slid out of you and quickly retrieved a towel to clean you up. When he'd finished, he laid back down beside you and wrapped an arm around you, resting your head on his chest. You hummed in contentment as he began to stroke your hair, nearly drifting off before an idea occurred to you.

"John?" You mumbled against his chest.

"Yeah?"

"Do you still have any of that hot chocolate mix I gave you?" A small laugh rumbled in his chest as he responded.

"Yeah. You want some?" You lifted your head up to smile sweetly and nod your head.

"Yes, please!" John shook his head with a smile and placed a quick kiss to your temple before extracting himself from your embrace. You booed when he slid his boxers back on, earning another grin, this time accompanied by a wink before he headed off into the kitchen. Amongst the quiet, you finally registered the sounds of the rain still hammering against the building, the constant drumming a soothing backdrop to the cozy situation you found yourself in. You stood and slid back into your panties before moving to stand in front of the window. You also grabbed one of the blankets to protect against the chill that pervaded the air around the glass. Looking out, you could barely make out the disturbances the rain made to the surface of the water through the darkness, and yet you still found yourself mesmerized by the beauty of the view. You were drawn out of your reverie when John's voice sounded out behind you. "So, tell me about work. Is that woman causing problems again? What's her name, Kar-" He said as he entered the room. When his voice cut off you looked over your shoulder to find him staring at you with wonder in his eyes. You quickly looked out the window to see what he was staring at but couldn't spot anything particularly special.

"What are you looking at?" You asked, turning back right as he walked over to you. He didn't respond; instead, his hands found their way inside your blanket to grab your hips and push you back against the window. Mild panic set in before he finally spoke up. "John?"

"You're so beautiful." He said, dropping his head to kiss along your neck. You huffed in disbelief and reached up to push against his shoulders.

"You're crazy," Your pressing did little to dissuade him from his task, and you couldn't help but smile as he continued to mutter praises into your skin. "John," You chuckled as he continued to nuzzle into your neck. "Stop it, you're fogging up the glass," Your protests were growing half-hearted though, as his hands began to wander, and his lips trailed softly over your skin.

"And?" He questioned, pulling you back enough that your blanket fell to the floor before moving back forward so you were pressed against the icy cold glass. You yelped at the shock the temperature difference gave your system, trying to shove him back and pull him closer for warmth at the same time, both to no avail.

"I was enjoying the view," You said, breathlessly in a last-ditch attempt to persuade him. He pulled back to look you in the eyes before he responded.

"I've got a much better one right in front of me." His lips found yours and you melted against him. The kiss bordered on desperate, almost as if he was afraid you'd disappear. His hands left a trail of goosebumps behind as the heat of his skin emphasized the chill in the air, sliding up your arms and down your back before moving to play with the skin just beneath your waistband. A whine left you as he dipped his fingers inside to tease at your lips, sliding around and deftly avoiding everywhere you wanted him. Just as you were about to pull back and tell him to stop teasing, he thrust two fingers deep inside you, drawing a surprised gasp from you. "So wet for me," He mumbled against your lips as he began to thrust his fingers inside you. Each pass brushed up against your g spot until you were practically seeing stars and begging him for more. Suddenly, his fingers were gone, and you opened your eyes to find him licking your juices off of them. You let out a desperate whine.

"John, please, please fuck me." You said, reaching out to palm him through his boxers. His hand grabbed your wrist before you could touch him, though, and he spun you around. 

"As the lady wishes." He leaned in and said against your ear. He reached down and pulled himself free from his boxers. John didn't bother to remove your own underwear, instead just sliding them to the side before slowly working his length inside you. You groaned in relief as he began to thrust slowly, pulling out and pushing back in to make sure you were ready. His cock dragged perfectly against every sensitive spot you had, sending pleasure shooting through your body and making your toes curl. Seeming satisfied with your preparedness he began to pick up his pace, hitting deeper inside you with every push. You yelped as his fingers found your nipples, tweaking and pulling on the sensitive buds as you moaned out his name. A hand left your skin and reached up to swipe across the glass, revealing your reflection. "Look. Do you see how fucking gorgeous you are? So beautiful, and mine." He nipped at the skin beneath your ear as his hand moved down your front to rub harsh circles on your clit. You threw your head back against his shoulder, eyes falling shut at the added sensation, but a sharp bite made them shoot open again. "Eyes open, baby girl. I want you to watch as I make you fall apart around me." Your eyes found his in the reflection, and you moaned at the way his pupils were blown wide with lust.

"Please, John, I need more-" You gasped deeply as his thrusts began to pick up speed, knocking you up onto your toes and forcing you to throw your hands up against the glass for support. Your reflection revealed how utterly wrecked you were, and the sight sent you flying over the edge with a scream of John's name. He buried his face in your neck as he continued to thrust, chasing his own release and prolonging yours as you gasped and sputtered, unable to form words thanks to the electric waves of pleasure flowing through you. Just when you thought you couldn't handle anymore, John's thrusts faltered, and he came with a deep groan. He rested his forehead on your shoulder as he waited for his breathing to return to normal, mumbling 'I love you's and pressing kisses into your heated skin. Out of nowhere tears began to flow down your cheeks, a quiet sob escaping you. John immediately noticed, and carefully pulled out of you before turning you around to run his hands over you in concern.

"(Y/n), what's wrong? I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm so sorry, sweetheart-" The panic in his voice made the tears come harder, and you struggled to voice what was happening.

"No, you didn't hurt me-" You hiccupped. "I just- don't deserve you." Confusion crossed his face as he processed what you were telling him.

"What? You-" He seemed to come to a decision, and he went and grabbed his phone, quickly pulling up the dial pad. "Here. Call your work and tell them you're taking the rest of the week off. If they ask why then tell them police business."

"What? John, I can't just-" 

"You've got tons of time off saved up, right?" He cut you off, still holding the phone out.

"Well yes, but-"

"Then, by law, they can't stop you from taking it." You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, trying to control your breathing and stop the tears.

"Why are you doing this?" You asked, finally looking up at him.

"Because I want to spend the next 5 days showing you just how amazing you are." He said, so confident, so resolute, that you found yourself reaching out to grab the phone. 

[ofstoriesandstardust]

Lmao hi... Just saw your prompt list and I was wondering if you could write an imagine with Draco Malfoy with prompts 7,13,14,20,23,41&63. Ik they're a lot and they're pretty angsty so if you don't wanna I'll understand lol. x

A/N: Hi guys! Long-time no write. I’ve been on a Harry Potter binge lately so I dug through my requests to try and find this so I’d have something Harry Potter related to write. I hope you guys enjoy and make sure to request if you want! (pssst, if you want to request something, I’m more likely to write if it’s HP related.) Also, your House is not specified, so basically whatever House you belong to. 

Word count: 2,603

Warnings: Angstttttttt, like four swear words

Prompts: #7: “Choose me or lose me. I’m not a backup plan and I’m definitely not a second choice.”

#13: “No matter how good your heart is, eventually you have to start treating people the way they treat you.”

#14: “I am sorry I have trust issues, but when you give someone everything and they throw it away, something inside of you breaks.” 

#20: “You changed.” 

#23: “You know what sucks? Being the one who always cares more.”

#41: “I will not let you undermine my worth.”

#63: “I wish you were dead.”  

What Once Was

Your POV

All summer you had agonized over coming back to Hogwarts. With the recent return of You-Know-Who, your parents had practically refused to let you go back, saying you were unsafe in the place you loved so much. You had begged and pleaded with your parents, wanting nothing more than to pursue your education and rejoin your friends and boyfriend, Draco Malfoy. Eventually, they wore down and relented but by the time they agreed to let you return in the fall, you were unsure if the return was the right choice. You took solace in the fact that your friends were facing the same argument with their parents, but your boyfriend had been pulling further and further away from you, as letters became fewer and farther in between. When he did write, the contents of letters became small, and the wording took a rather abrupt turn from the affectionate tone his writing usually had to a cold, distant tone. You figured he was having a particularly hard summer, what with his father going to Azkaban and the very public trial that had preceded it. You had offered your support, but he refused to talk about his feelings with you or really anything that was occurring in his life. You held out hope that once you returned to the school to start your sixth year, things would return to normal and Draco would share all the things he had been withholding from you. As you waved goodbye to your parents on Platform 9 ¾, your hopeful eyes searched for the pale boy with the platinum blonde hair. Unable to spot him, you trudged onto the train and headed towards the compartment the Slytherin Prince and his buddies usually occupied. By sheer luck, there he sat, staring out at the quickly moving scenery as Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle, all sat around and chatted, presumably about their summer vacations. You cleared your throat to make your presence known. All heads turned to you, but the only one who truly mattered took a few moments to draw his view away from the window. He briefly glanced at you and turned back to the window. Blaise gave you a sympathetic smile and offered you a hug. You accepted, and as you were hugging Blaise he whispered into your ear, “Don’t take it to heart, he’s been in a foul mood all morning.” You nodded against his shoulder, still unable to figure out why your boyfriend was working so hard to stay so distant. He pulled away and offered you another smile, for which you were grateful for. Blaise was the only one from Draco’s group that you truly considered a friend. “How was your summer holiday?” 

You shrugged in your response. “It was alright. Mum and Dad almost didn’t let me come back.” Blaise raised his eyebrows. “Anyways, I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I’m gonna go find my friends.” You stated in a rush, desperate to get away from the uncomfortable feeling settling in the pit of your stomach. You waved goodbye to the group and exited the Slytherin area of the train. You walked further down the hall in an attempt to find a friendly face or someone from your house. Anyone who would take your mind of the storm currently raging through it. You stumbled upon the compartment where Griffyindors Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Ginny Weasley, and Neville Longbottom sat. You noted Dean’s arm around Ginny and could only imagine the tantrum Ron would be throwing if he saw them. You opened the door. “Mind if I sit in here?” They all shook their heads and Neville and Seamus made room for you to sit down in between them. You graciously accepted. 

“How was your summer holiday (Y/N)?” Ginny asked, offering you a friendly smile. You shrugged. 

“Fairly awful. Mum and Dad said I shouldn’t be coming back to Hogwarts; that it wasn’t safe anymore.” You retold, pulling a knee up to your chest, trying to get comfortable for the long ride that ahead of you. 

“Mum said the same thing. Said we had no business going back. Ron and I had to practically beg her for weeks to convince it was safe here.” Ginny told you, leaning into Dean’s side. 

You let out a chuckle. “Sounds familiar. So you guys are together now?” You asked as your eyes moved between Ginny and Dean. Ginny blushed as she nodded, looking down at her lap. “So how big of a fit did Ron throw when he found out?” At that, the entire compartment burst into laughter and thus began the rest of the train ride, filled with laughter and jokes that made you momentarily forget the gray cloud hanging over the train, particularly the one hanging over a one Draco Malfoy. 

-

Throughout the feast and Sorting ceremony, your boyfriend had disappeared. As much as you tried, you could not find him at the Slytherin table. You signed yourself to eating and participating in the conversation surrounding you half-heartedly.  Towards the end of the meal, you watched from your seat as a couple of moments after Draco entered the Great Hall, Harry and Luna followed, Harry sporting a fresh bloody nose. You had a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as you realized Draco was probably the one who gave him that. After the feast, you tried to catch your boyfriend before he took off for the dungeons but Draco left the Great Hall and disappeared into the sea of students before you were even able to get close to him. You sighed and headed towards your House, wanting to get away from people as quickly as possible. The next few weeks went about the same way, despite the fact that you shared most of your classes with Draco. He seemed hardly focused in class, very on edge and mind clearly in a different world. You watched him at meals, you know, when he actually decided to show, and he was cold and distant, uninterested in the going-ons of the castle. He was clearly losing weight and the dark circles under his eyes only seemed to grow larger by the day. As time went on though, your concern evolved into anger. Why was he doing this? Why was he shutting you out? Did the last two years mean absolutely nothing to him? You began to take his distance personally. If he didn’t have enough balls to break up with you to your face (because why else would he act like this??), you were going to let him know that you had had enough. The trick was just now to catch him alone. Or to get him to talk to you at all. It was the end of October before you were able to get him alone. It was the day of the Halloween feast, and while the entire castle was downstairs buzzing with joy, all you wanted was to crawl into bed. You had a god awful day and the last thing you wanted to do was be surrounded by others at the feast. You headed in the direction of your Common Room when you caught him. He was exiting the fourth-floor boy’s lavatory, rubbing his eyes furiously. As much anger as you had, some of it seemed to ebb away at the disheveled sight of him. “Draco?” You called out to him. He brought his gaze to you and actually stopped. As you reached him, you reached for his hand. He pulled away as if your touch stung him. Your heart fell, as the thoughts of the end of your love clouded your brain. “Draco what’s going on with us? What’s going on with you?” He shrugged, refusing to make eye contact with you. “Draco, love, I want to be here for you, but I can’t if you won’t open up to me.” He again chose to remain silent. Your anger quickly filled you again. “Well, you know what, Draco Malfoy, I’m done being treated like this. Choose me or lose me. I’m not a backup plan and I’m definitely not a second choice. It’s time you made the choice about where we stand because I’m not doing this anymore.” You stated harshly and quickly spun on your heel towards to Great Hall, wanting to put as much distance as possible between you and the boy who was tearing you apart. 

-

As you entered the Great Hall the next morning, you spotted Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Harry had pulled you aside just a few days prior to ask about Draco but you had no answers to give. None of your friends were currently in the Great Hall, and you wanted to stay as far away from the Slytherin table as possible. As you neared the trio, their attention shifted from their conversation to you. “Do you mind if I sit here?” They shook their heads and Ron scooted over to make room for you next to him. 

“Everything alright?” Hermione questioned with a look full of concern on her face. You shook your head. 

“Just needed a friendly face is all.” Harry nodded and gave you a smile as they turned back to the discussion of the latest Potions assignment. You lost yourself in your bowl of cereal as you thought of the events from the previous night. You were so distracted that your brain barely registered someone sitting down next to you. You looked up to see Blaise Zabini looking extremely displeased. 

“What the hell did you say to Draco last night?” He asked you angrily. 

“Why does it matter to you?” You shot back. 

“It matters to me because he’s my friend and he’s your boyfriend-” Blaise started but you cut him off. 

“Maybe it’s hard for you to understand in that pea-sized brain of yours Zabini, but Draco Malfoy hasn’t given me the time of day in five months and most certainly doesn’t act like he’s my boyfriend. I am sorry I have trust issues, but when you give someone everything and they throw it away, something inside of you breaks. So no, I’m not sorry for what I said to him. I deserve a whole hell of a lot better than what he’s been giving me lately. For the last two years, I have defended him, gone to bat for him, being endlessly loyal to him, sometimes to my own detriment and he treats me like the dirt under his feet. I refuse to be treated that way. Not anymore, not ever again.” By the time you were done speaking, you were hyper-aware of the looks you were gathering from other tables. Blaise lowered his voice. 

“(Y/N), you made him cry.” The comment took you aback but only for a moment. 

“Good.” You hissed, standing up from the table. “Maybe now he’ll actually start giving a damn about me.” As you turned your back on Blaise, you saw Draco standing a few feet away from you. You paused only for a second and then promptly shoved past him and out of the Great Hall. 

-

That night, the halls of the castle seemed empty as you made your way out of the library. You had stayed to study until Madam Pince had nearly kicked you out. You had a big Ancient Runes test tomorrow, and on top of it being your hardest class, you felt so unprepared what with the events of the last 24 hours. You let out a yawn when you suddenly felt yourself being pulled into an empty classroom. You nearly panicked and raised your wand as you saw Draco standing there. His eyes looked bloodshot and he looked more exhausted and disheveled than you had ever seen anyone else. He looked as if he was the mere remains of the person he once was. He ran his hands through his hair, once, twice, three times. You watched him fall apart, not knowing how to feel. “What happened to us?” He asked, voice barely above a whisper. You shrugged and sucked a breath in through your teeth. 

“You changed.” He let out a whimper at your response. For the first time in months, he looked at you. You felt a surge of emotion. Now that after all these months you finally had his attention and you were going to let him know exactly what you had been thinking. “You changed Draco. I don’t know what you want me to say to you. You pulled away and treated me like shit. You’ve barely spoken to me since last term.” 

“You don’t understand, I had to-”

“Bullshit. You just didn’t want me anymore.”

“That’s not true-” 

“Yes it is Draco!” You exclaimed. A silence fell over the both of you and you took a few deep breaths to try and calm yourself as tears came to your eyes. “You know what sucks? Being the one who always cares more. I’m so sick and tired of being the one who cares in this relationship. I have been endlessly loyal to you, I stood up for you, I have lost friends because of my devotion to you and this is what I get in return?” Draco remained quiet. “I will not let you undermine my worth. I refuse to. I am a damn good person and an even better girlfriend and you don’t deserve me.” Draco’s face contorted in pain as you spoke. 

“You’re right, I don’t deserve you. I just love you so much, I just had to.” 

“You love me so much that you just had to treat me like garbage? Right because that makes so much sense-”

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” He screamed and you winced and took a couple of steps back. A couple of tears slipped down his face. He reached for your hand. You flinched but did not pull away. “You don’t understand, I had to. I had to protect you. I had to protect you from him.” 

“Draco, what- what are you talking about?” Shakily, he pulled his hand from yours and lifted his sleeve. As the fabric was moved away, you saw something you wished you hadn’t. One look at the mark that had caused so much pain, grief, and death, a mark that represented all the evil and darkness within the world and-

“I wish you were dead.”

-

As you sat at the Burrow over the Christmas holiday, you watched the Weasley family and chat and enjoy the cheer. You watched as the twins showed off a new product to Ginny as Ron turned to you. “Hey (Y/N), what ever did end up happening between you and Malfoy?” You thought back to that night, his anguished cries that haunted you as you left the classroom. You stared into the fire as you thought about what to say. Ultimately you just shrugged. 

“We broke up.” You said simply. The attention shifted from the joke product to you. 

“How come?” Hermione asked softly. You shook your head and swallowed your tears. 

“No matter how good your heart is, eventually you have to start treating people the way they treat you.” Silence fell across the room as Tonks and Remus studied you fiercely. “I don’t want to talk about it.” You stated, standing up. You pushed past the twins, escaping to the front porch. You sat down and looked up at the stars. You wiped away the invisible tears on your face. As you thought of the boy you once loved, you did not know he was looking out at the same stars thinking of the girl who once loved him.

[arguedquill1226]

Hollowed Heroes

chapter one (18+, MINORS DO NOT READ)

Summary: BuckyBarnes x FemaleReader-you have a unpolished past but you want a true chance at doing good in the world, to redeem yourself. Oh! And you happen to live and work with the Avengers sense the fall of shield while doing it... everything changes one day when Steve brings home a stray. What can the future hold for you and the team? Will this change the dynamic of missions? Will this stray be the answer to some of your darkest secret? Only time will tell...

Word count: 2,790ish

Taglines: 18+, Marvel AU, angst, explicit language, cursing (more to come as it gets deeper into the story)

Notes: Hi everyone! This is my first ever post of AU Marvel fanfic so please be gentle LOL...in short I've flipped some of the canon facts around like Sam and Steve got really close while shield is still in operation but age of Ultron happened before the triskelion incident in DC. So the facts are still the same but flipped or altered to work for my AU timeline. I'll try to fill in the differences as we go along with the fanfic, but I'mma Bebe writer so bare with me and my terrible grammar and punctuation XD so I apologize ahead of time! Also I do my own photo edits but I get a lot of the pictures of of Pinterest so all the credit goes to the OG poster of those pics...Happy reading & Hope y'all enjoy!

PS. I post from a mobile device so sorry for filling your feed and no keep reading option ����

Updated on January 22, 2021

••••••••••

Chapter one-

First Impressions…

Tired and your eyes are burning. You casually lean against the wall with your knee bent and foot pushed on a piece of industrial paneling in an open debriefing room surrounded by soft sunlight and windows. It’s fairly early in the morning and you’re zoning out looking at the rich wooden floor while Tony drowns on for what felt like the 10th time on how you and Nat’s night op went and what the information you gathered meant for the “big picture.”

You had completely understood the gist of what he was trying to explain the first time he went over it. But when he gets on a roll with an audience, you know better than to interrupt him or let your sarcasm get the best of you. You and Nat were beat but the others had shown up late to the debrief so you just thought about getting out of your gear and hitting the rack for a few. The room was fairly quiet, with only Tony talking. So it wasn't hard to hear down the corridor a heavy set of metal doors close calmly with an mild echo…a side effect of having such wide open spaces on the operations level of the Avengers compound.

The noise had jarred you out of your dazed thought patterns. When you looked up, it had dawned on you that not everyone you'd had expected to see was in the meeting.

Steve.......where is Steve? Was your initial thought.

You and Steve had gotten close over the last 10 months sense Nat had brought you into the fold a little while before S.H.I.E.L.D fell. About as close as him a Nat. Sam had always joked with you 3 about being “the three musketeers” on ops. But you didn’t care because it was all in fun and was kind of true. You all had your particular skill sets, but also some skills that we’re similar. So it was easy to fall into step with each other.

It was then, you could hear hushed voices right outside the door frame to the room. Within seconds Steve and another man obscured slightly behind his right shoulder had entered, quietly sliding over to lean on the opposite wall from you hoping to not interrupt Tony you had guessed. He'd seemed to notice you following their movements with curious eyes and gave you a kind nod that you returned with a saw smile.

You glanced over quickly at the stranger. He was about as tall as Steve but thicker with broader shoulders. Dark, unkempt hair came down to his jawline obscuring his main features along with the black ball cap he was donning. He wore an Army green utility jacket over a light blue plaid shirt, denim jeans with boots. Dressed very mundane, perhaps too much. What struck you as especially odd was the fact that he was wearing black leather gloves out of season for upstate New York. It was early autumn, still fairly warm outside.

Steve had backed out of this last mission with you and Nat to deal with what he would only describe as a “personal matter,” so you started to wonder if this man had anything to do with that. Steve had explained how he had full confidence in you two to handle a simple stakeout/smash and grab on our own. So neither of you pressed him for more info and wished him luck.

A few seconds later, Tony had finished and everyone was content with all the information given and was about to stand when Tony, being snarky, acknowledged Steve finally showing up to the meeting.

“So nice of you to join us, we were helpless without you Cap!” Tony stated while waving his finger at our fearless leader dripping with sarcasm.

“Sorry Tony, I was hoping to be here earlier to talk to you.” He said a little unsure of Tony’s reaction to the stranger he glanced back at.

At that action, Tony seemed to register something in his memory. Possibly something him and Steve had discussed in private you wondered. Possibly something about this strange man who seem to be fairly familiar to you but you couldn't place him…By this time, everyone but Nat and Sam was staring back at Steve and the stranger waiting for an explanation. Those two seem to know something you and the others didn't. Nat looked at you out of the corner of your eye.

Who was he?...you wondered.

•••••••••••••••

He was nervous walking through the double doors in the corridor leading to a room that he could hear some guy rambling on, the voice sounded vaguely familiar. Looking back at the exit while the doors echoed shut behind them, Steve assured him that he wouldn’t let anything get out of hand and would explain everything to the group who may not understand or be upset that he had found the man Steve new long ago and was bringing him home like some lost pup...which Bucky hated to think of it like that but the man was damn determined and stubborn for him to come back with him. Bucky knew this team was established to do good in the world but he didn’t know if his presence would upset their carefully built dynamic.

Steve had left 3 weeks ago on a solo op that he was quiet about any details to most of the team but Sam and Tony knew. And Nat guessed it when she had seen the three in an incognito meeting disgusting details on a large timeline display of information Friday, Tony’s helpful A.I., had up about the ghost from more than just Steve’s past. Even with how close Steve, Nat and You are…you all have your individual secrets and knowledge that hasn’t come up in conversation. And Steve didn’t know that you had your own run in with the man he was about to walk through the door with right now. But Nat did know, but choose to not tell you this fact and may be regretting it that the moment. But it wasn’t her secret to tell Steve so how was she supposed to explain to him that not everyone may be okay with this.

Nat had warned Steve once at the cemetery when she gave him a copy of the file from Kiev. But she did it again a second time that evening. Before he and Sam left to find his oldest friend. He had promised to take what she said to heart and to not push Bucky or the others into anything they weren’t comfortable with. But they left anyways. Sam had returned alone 8 days after they left and only would say “it went as well as could be expected and Steve (more likely, Bucky) just needed some more time.”

In that time away, the boys found Bucky on a tip from the Smithsonian video feeds and CCTV which of course Bucky didn’t know was a thing. So it wasn’t hard to track him down and they found him in a seedy motel living on stolen credit cards, junk food from gas stations and a few random notebooks looking so lost. They had only left a note on the door to his room, letting Bucky know they wouldn’t bother him. But they added a phone number and that they could help him learn about his past, if he wanted. He thought about it for days before he called the man from the museum exhibition, the one everyone called ‘Captain America.’ He was starting to remember flashes of memories and feelings over the last few months away from Hydra's grasp, but couldn’t seem to make sense of them on his own. So he said, “fuck it!” And met the two men he recognized from that awful day in Washington DC.

•••••••••••••

They did help but his mind was far from perfect and he felt like an exposed nerve walking through the door to the room.

Fuck, so many people!

So he ducked his head and stayed near Steve. Even though he only knew the man for a few short weeks, he felt like he could trust Steve unconditionally which wasn’t a feeling he was used to. He recognized the guy talking as the famous Tony Stark or aka ‘Ironman.’ He was grateful when Tony didn’t really draw attention to him directly and chose instead to pick on Steve.

Bucky took the opportunity to scan the room. An old habit from all the Hydra training or maybe from howling commando days. That wasn’t clear to him yet. He seen some faces that were confused or apprehensive. Two he recognized to be Sam and a girl he thought was named Natalia, he’d hoped she didn’t completely want to shoot him for what he tried to do to her in DC and whatever else he may have done. She didn’t look upset though. She looked unsure, then glanced to a quiet girl he hadn’t noticed until he followed Nat’s eye line.

It was you, a beautiful girl nonchalantly leaning on the wall in a “back of the class” kind of way. With long, YC hair that was a bit wild from the long night and deep YC eyes with messy black smoky eyeshadow that resembled war paint. Dressed in all black, holsters and straps. She wasn’t like Natalia dressed in a sleek look though, more apocalyptic and organic. Weathered Moto pants, combat boots and a loose fitted, faded black tank top that had a worn group of holes reminiscent of bird shot where your utility belt buckle rubs against the material. Your jacket discarded on the floor haphazardly by your feet. Almost familiar to someone or something he’d seen before…wait………..yes……definitely someone………..shit… and the memory slips away…

Bucky was completely stunned by how beautiful you are. But he didn’t want to seem like a creep so he kept his glance short before looking back at Natalia and Sam. He had completely ignored what Steve was saying to his friends, being stuck in his thoughts when he heard Tony say,

“This is James Barnes everybody. Don’t be afraid to say ‘Hi' and remember to show him to his room later, will ya Cap?”

“He prefers Bucky actually,” Steve says nodding his head to the rest of the group “and I will. Thanks again for understanding Tony.”

By this time, Vis, Wanda, Tony, Maria, Rhodey and Clint began filling out of the door past Steve and Bucky with quick greetings and smiles in a hurry to get to their priorities for the day…whatever those were. You found yourself smiling and wanting to giggle at the thought of Clint’s main mission probably being to eat the last donuts in the kitchen of the compound, when you realized Nat had walked up to you and Sam had joined Barnes and Steve by the door. Nat was obviously trying to block his view of you for some reason. As good as she was executing a distraction, she should’ve known better as that was one of your many skill sets too.

That’s when you realized Barnes kept his head coy but was glancing at you periodically over Nat’s shoulder. It wasn’t hard to see because you were slightly taller than Nat so she couldn’t really block him from looking your way. It struck you differently than it usually does when someone stares at you. Normally, you cringe and feel awkward in a personal setting with someone staring at you. But this time it’s like his eyes are drawing you into a trap. His eyes…holy fuck, you hadn’t noticed his eyes. Before they were hidden under the bill of his hat but now they’re looking directly into yours and they’re the brightest slate blue color. You easily spot them from over 15 feet away.

Nat notices your eye contact and she scoops up your jacket and shoves it lightly to your chest. You grab it while she simultaneously hooks her elbow around yours and leads you out of the room. On your way by the three men, she smiles and says,

“see you boys at the gym later.”

Bucky follows you and Nat’s path with his eyes as you hang a left leading into the section that has the hanger bay on your right heading to the elevators on the left that will take you up to the living quarters. He turns back to Sam and Steve to find them looking at him.

“Don’t worry, YourNickName isn’t anyone you need to worry about. She’s actually really cool.” Sam says with a smug smile on his face like he noticed something.

Bucky repeated, “YNN?”

“Ya, it’s short for YFirstN. She’s been working with us for a while now but she’s still kind of the new here too. Now, how about a tour?” Steve added.

Bucky nodded in agreement and they walked out of the room heading in the same direction as you two did. Hoping he may run into you again while Sam and Steve kept pointing out what different sections of the compound were used for.

•••••••••••••

After you and Nat we're a little ways away from the debriefing room, she started some small talk about how nice a hot shower would feel right now and you agreed wholeheartedly. But stepping into the elevator, you couldn't shake the feeling that you wanted to go back and properly say hi to the new guy Bucky and welcome Steve back.

Nat told you with a smile sensing your thoughts, “don't worry, we will see Steve later at the gym. And later for movie night. You know how Tony gets if we don't show up for his events, we should catch up on our sleep now so we're not late.”

You giggle, “events?... It’s a movie Nat.”

“Ya, but Rogers is back and brought Barnes with him so now he’s going to go overboard and really make it a picture show.”

“Yep…agreed. It’ll be a whole thang now!” you say over exaggeratedly with you hands and jacket waving back and forth while rolling your eyes. “Hopefully he doesn’t plan on showing anything Charles Chaplin for our sakes!” you yell jokingly while turning away and jogging down the hall. You hear Nat belly laugh before you both duck into your rooms for some much needed R&R.

It doesn’t take you long to peel your gear off and start the shower. It starts to whistle due to the steaming hot water shooting out of the head while you bun your hair on the top of your head and flop your towel over the rod. Ready for the inevitable soap in your eye somehow because you’re secretly a total klutz. You turn the water down a tad and start your music on your phone and jump in while you start to sing along.

You’re clean and relaxed in no time at all so you shut off the shower and hop out, throw on a tank and shorts and turn the music down a bit. When you walk out of the bathroom you hear a familiar voice pass by your door. It’s Steve saying, “and your room is right here, mine’s just down the hall and Sam’s is around the corner if you need anything.”

A door in the hall latches softly, then…… silence. You open your door to hopefully catch Cap before he runs off and he’s already in front of your door. His hand up looking prepared to knock and eyebrows raised with a smile on his face when he sees you.

“Hey!” he boasts.

“Hey you!” you reach for a quick hug and he gladly accepts. “We all missed you.”

“Well I’m back now. So you don’t need to anymore. Listen, can I ask you a favor?” he asks with a grin.

“Of course!”

“I hope you don’t mind but…uh…I gave Bucky the room next to yours. And I know you don’t really know him…or anything…I guess what I’m asking is, if you see him out and about can you help make him feel welcome…I figured sense you’re still kind of new maybe…” He tries to explain while rubbing the back of his neck and looking shy.

But you hold up your hand to stop his awkwardness and say, ”yeah, of course Steve. Anything for ya.”

“That great, thanks YN, you rock!” he says beaming.

“Not a prob. Now unless you have any better uses for my bed you’d like to personally show me?” you tease with a sarcastically sultry expression to see if he blushes.

“Uhhh…I…” he totally does.

“That’s what I thought,” you giggle and shoo him off. “I’m hitting the rack, night Stevie!”

“But it’s day!” he jokes as he head down the hall as you shut your door.

You climb into bed thoroughly enjoying the thought of how your sense of humor and Steve’s reservoir of pent-up 1940s sass effortlessly fits together. Within seconds of getting comfy and turning off your tunes, you’re out.

Chapter Two coming soon... Masterlist here

***if you liked this please feel free to let me know with a *reblog or ask* thanks so much for reading!!!

[maxattack-powell]

The Freshman 1-5

Book 1 - 5 Chapter 5: Game Day

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit.

Basically, I wanted to include certain things that weren’t really full fic size worthy, adding to the story. However, I did add some full size fic moments also… some are included in cannon chapters, some are their own full chapters in between. I wanted to see MC and Chris through their freshman year… with more angst, fluff, sweetness, real life and overall detail. So, if you like that pairing then you’ll be satisfied, otherwise sorry James & Kaitlyn fans lol. I even added some parts from Chris’s POV, so that we have a chance to see what he’s thinking, knowing what she experienced.

There will be ADULT and/or NSFW moments in certain chapters - this is a warning lol. I will try my best to make it obvious as it occurs…

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

 ~MC~

A few days later... As MC, Tyler and Zack stand up, Professor Atiyah raises her voice over the increasing noise created by students beginning to leave the lecture class. "...I'll expect those problem sets completed and emailed to me by Friday." Zack frowns and gags towards the others. "Ugh. Who knew college was going to be so much work." Tyler stares at Zack like he's crazy, giving him a euphoric look. "Are you kidding me? I can't wait to get started!" MC shakes her head at them both. "Maybe we could form a little study group. That would make the work more fun." She wiggles her eyebrows at Zack, trying to reassure him. Tyler let's out a small gasp before forming two excited fists. "Stuuuuudy buuuuudiiies!" He barely finishes before turning somewhat somber, his expression dropping into a frown. "I wish I hadn't just said that so enthusiastically." "Have I ever told you his adoringly nerdy you are?" Zack grabs Tyler's face with both hands. "Study buddies it is."

As they exit the lecture hall they run across Abbie, who was also walking back to the suite after her class. Tyler instantly looks distracted. "I'm uh... gonna go catch up to her. Talk to you guys later, okay?" He doesn't even wait for a response before taking off, leaving MC and Zack alone together. Zack smiles wistfully at the friends ahead of them. "Aww. He's like a puppy in love with another puppy. Speaking of which, how are things with you and Chris?" He raises an eyebrow knowingly. "I... I don't know what you're talking about." MC stammers. "Oh really..." He deadpans. "Zack... ugh, okay. So we... we kinda kissed. And, there's been some other stuff..." She sees his eyes widen with shock, and realizing what he was thinking she quickly corrects herself. “Wait, no! Not like that… I mean…” She huffs, blowing her hair out of her eyes. "Wow. You work fast. I figured it would take you two at least a week before hooking up." He laughs. "Zack! I said it was just a kiss!" She thumps him on the arm and he dramatically overacts as if it was permanently damaged. "The worst part is, I have to talk to Chris for Professor Vazquez's assignment… he wants to know more about college football life.” She sighs, “It's going to be so awkward." She groans as she runs her hand through her bangs. Zack waves her off with a snort. "Oh, don't be such a baby. I'm sure he'll be eager to see you. Very eager." "Zack..." Her lips draw into a very thin line. "Fine. I'll stop teasing you." MC let's outs huge breath as he relents. "For now." He grins at her, earning a scowl in return. "But just be honest with me for a second. How do you feel about Chris?" "Chris?" Looking at Zack to gauge how serious he being, and seeing that he's actually concerned about her, she sighs in defeat. "I have feelings for him. I suppose." She gives him a mixed grimace-smile. "I knew it! In that case, you should be happy to have an excuse to talk to him in detail..." He looks at her pointedly. "I guess you have a point..." Her face warms at the thought of extended private time with Chris. "Of course I do. It's best to learn this about me now: I'm always right." He grabs her hand and suddenly changes their path, dragging her in the complete opposite direction of their dorm.

"Now come on! Chris should be in the middle of practice. You can watch him in action and then ask him a few questions about life as a football player. And in the meantime I can make sure you don't embarrass yourself." He winks at her. "How thoughtful of you..." She sticks her tongue out at him. After a few minutes walking across campus, they arrive at the stadium and find the team on the field, running drills. "Oh wow... Look at Captain America over there by the sideline." Zack gushes. MC follows his line of sight to see a tall handsome upperclassman, his hands on his hips, barking out instructions to the players on the field. "Wait... I recognize that face. It's Darren Taylor! He's our school's starting quarterback!" Confused, MC searches the field, looking for Chris. "I thought Chris was our quarterback." "Is that what he told you?" Zack tilts his head at her. "Well, no. Not exactly. He didn't specify, actually." She continues looking for Chris among all the practice jerseys. Zack nods. "Chris is only a freshman. He's our backup..." MC frowns, partially at his statement and partially because she still hasn't found the player in question. "I don't see Chris around... maybe I should ask Darren a few questions about football life."

Zack just shrugs, either agreeing or completely indifferent. MC takes one last glance around for Chris before she walks up to Darren, finding him chatting with a pair of all too familiar girls. Becca turns to glare at MC as she approaches the small group. "What are you doing here?" She almost spits out. "Breathing? Existing?" MC gives her an overly sweet smile laced with sarcasm, standing her ground. Becca rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Well, go exist somewhere else. Madison and I are having a deep conversation with Darren." She punctuates her statement with a click of her tongue. Madison, in her typical friendly fashion, chimes in. "He was just telling us about how to handle getting tackled..." She turns back to Darren. "Maybe you could show me your technique later, Darren. I'm super curious."

If it was anyone other than Madison, MC would swear she was flirting, hard. But seeing how it was Madison, chances were she actually was curious, innocently so. Darren, oblivious if it was flirtatious, grins and nods. "It's all about squaring your hips and getting low to the ground." He begins to motion with his hands and somewhat with his body, partially demonstrating for them. "Sounds like fun!" Madison clasps her hands together and jumps a little with excitement. MC takes the opportunity to interrupt. "Actually... I was sort of hoping I could ask Darren a few questions. For a project, you know?" He stands up straight and turns, giving her a big smile as he waves her over to join in. "Go right ahead, new girl. Don't be shy."

MC can instantly tell he's a genuinely nice guy, unlike a few football players she had know at her high school. Not all were rude, by any means. One if her best friends had dated one for a short period of time, but a few had reputations that made her avoid them. Now at Hartfeld, she could honestly say she knew of at least two that were very sweet. The thought made her look around again briefly for Chris, who she unfortunately still couldn't locate.

Turning back to Darren she gives a small smile. "I want to ask… is it hard to balance football and school?" He laughs loudly, almost catching the girls off guard. "It's not easy! I always try to take a lighter load during the fall quarter since I'm so busy playing ball." His face changes from a smile to a smirk. "And I’m not going to lie. Football life has its... perks. I know this life won't last forever, I want to enjoy myself while I can." He grins brightly. MC can't help but smile back. "How's the team's chemistry?" Darren turns his eyes to the field, slowly taking it all in. "I love these guys. They are like my brothers. There's a good energy this year... everyone just seems... happy." Zack chimes in with a somewhat sad voice while looking down the field. "Not everyone on the team seems so happy-go-lucky..."

He gestures towards a bench at the far end of the field, where Chris is sitting by himself, his head hanging low. MC takes note of his overall demeanor, his slumped shoulders, defeated expression across his face. He really does look absolutely unhappy. "I'll go talk to him... see how he's doing." As she turns from the group to walk towards Chris, Becca snorts. "Good luck. He's super moody. He wouldn't even talk to me... and I'm me!" She throws both her hands on her hips with an obvious attitude.

MC struggles not to roll her eyes or make a face, instead ignoring the comment and quickly making her way to Chris. Chris shifts while still looking down at his feet, his expression lightening slightly as he realizes that someone is approaching.

MC takes a seat next to him on the bench. "Hey there... you doing okay?" She says softly. He looks up at her, a little startled, clearly expecting someone else - maybe a teammate, or possibly even Becca again. "Oh, MC!" His body relaxes a little. "I'm solid, just a little winded from all the drills." He motions towards the activity on the field, forcing a weak smile. "Really? It doesn't have anything to do with your current bench warmer status?" She gives him a friendly smile, trying to lighten his mood while letting him know she was there if he wanted to talk about it. He lets out a small rough laugh and shakes his head, turning his gaze to hold hers. "You can see right through me." He reaches over and covers her hand with his own as it lays on her knee.

She smiles at the warm contact, happy to see him connecting with her after his dismissive expression moments before.

He breaks his eyes away again, ruffling up his hair before throwing his hand back down between his legs in frustration. "It's just... I knew I'd be on the bench behind Darren, but I wasn't really prepared for the reality of it." He balls both hands into fists, clenching them tight.

"I can't stand the idea of not being able to help my teammates get a win, you know?" He sighs as the tension finally leaves his body. "All through high school, I lived for Friday nights. That rush of adrenaline as our team sprinted out onto the field... nothing even comes close." A huge smile crosses his face as he reminisces. MC doesn't say a word, she just watches him as he takes a trip down memory lane. She knows he needs support right now and was pleased she could be there for him. "I just feel like... if I'm not on the field, then who am I?" He gets quiet as he asks the theoretical question. The broken expression on his face makes her chest tighten. She places her hand on his uniformed knee, causing him to tear his eyes from the field to focus on her touch. His gaze lingers there for a moment, staring at her hand, before looking back up to her face as she gives his knee a small squeeze. "You're Chris!" MC exclaims with unblinking enthusiasm. Chris holds her eyes for a moment before he matches her smile, his eyes crinkling at her words. "I guess I am." He reaches out and takes her hand, squeezing it gently while staring deep into her eyes. "You know... I think I'm starting to feel a little better." Still looking at her with intensity, he takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to say something more but is suddenly interrupted. Logan’s deep voice booms from halfway down the field. "Chris! Coach is asking for you, ready to get in some reps?" Chris throws his other hand up, signaling to Logan that he received the message. He turns back to MC, his smile now authentic and solid. "Looks like I'm up. See you later, MC." He squeezes her hand before letting it slip out of his as he stands up. She stands up as well, giving him a little wave. "Sure thing. Good luck out there!" He flashes her a toothy grin as he takes off at a sprint. Zack walks up to her with his arms folded across his chest. "So how's our golden boy?" "Feeling less than golden, I think." She frowns slightly, looking down to where Chris is now talking with the coach. "Sounds like it's up to us to cheer him up. Don't worry. We'll think of something." Zack pats her on the back as he sits down next to her. She leans her head on his shoulder as they hang out for a time, watching the team practice for a bit. After a while, they quietly slip off the field and head back to the dorm, ready to meet back up with Tyler.

Slow Hands (original that fits in this timeline)

Later that week, the night before the big game, MC, Tyler and Zack are sitting at the table in the kitchen, studying. Tyler groans in frustration. "This problem set is actually harder than I thought!" Zack takes the opportunity to enthusiastically respond. "That's why you need... Stuuuuudy Buuuuuddies!" Tyler frowns at Zack. "You're never going to let me forget saying that, are you…”

Zack laughs and shakes his head, receiving a snort from Tyler.

As the three of them study, Abbie walks past, heading for the living room. "I'll be sitting in front of my laptop waiting for the new episode of 'The Crown and the Flame' if anyone needs me." She flashes them an excited smile. Tyler's mouth drops open in shock. Zack lightly elbows him, trying to jar him back to the present. "So, Tyler. What are you waiting for?" "What are you talking about?" He tries to brush it off, failing. Zack rolls his eyes and lowers his voice to Tyler. "You and Abbie! When are you going to ask her out?" Tylers face pales. "Ask her out?! No way. I'd just embarrass myself. Right, MC?" He turns to her, a desperate look on his face. Zack shakes his head, feeling he's losing the battle with Tyler's stubbornness, this time leaning in to whisper into MC’s ear. "Maybe you should go talk to her, MC. You've got the female connection... Spend some time with Abbie, talk to her about your, and I know you can help get them together!" MC nods."Tyler... let me talk to Abbie...maybe I can feel her out." Zack smiles. "Girl recon. I love it!" Tyler lets out a huge breath of air. "I owe you one, MC." After finishing another problem few minutes later. MC gets up and heads over to Abbie. "Hey Abbie! I'm coming down with a serious case of cabin fever. Want to head out and get some air?" Abbie looks at her laptop briefly. "Eh, sure. 'The Crown and the Flame' isn't on for another half hour... I've got some time to kill." She gets up from the couch and joins MC. "Great. Let's go for a walk through the quad." As they both head out the door, Tyler and Zack each give MC a smile and thumbs up. She gives them a small smile, playful eye roll and head shake in response.

When she and Abbie get down to the ground floor and make their way onto the main pathway, MC begins to probe. "So... I didn't know you were that into that much fantasy stuff." "I guess I have pretty eclectic tastes... I try not to judge things by standards or cool or nerdy, just... do I like it, you know?" Abbie shrugs. Worried she came across offensive while just trying to make conversation, MC startles. "Oh! Of course! Speaking of, uh, stuff you like... what do you think of nerdy guys?" "I don't know... I'm not exactly sure what kind of guys I like." She makes a face and shrugs again, this time more hesitant. "Oh! So... you're more into girls?" Now MC was confused. She could swear Abbie and Tyler had been giving each other long looks and stealing glances. Abbie laughs, realizing she wasn't being clear. "No... I mean... I'm pretty sure I'm not into girls either. I guess... I'm just a little confused about what I want." She sighs and pulls at one of her curls.

"Huh, do you have like, a celebrity crush?" MC flashes her a cheesey smile. Abbie thinks for a moment before responding. "Not really... honestly, I think if I ever fall for someone, it'll be because of his personality." She suddenly looks down at her feet as she walks, mild embarrassment crossing her face. "The thing is... I've never fallen in love. So... I don't know what it'll take to make that happen." "Maybe you just haven't met the right guy yet. Ooooor, maybe you have." MC pauses her walk. Abbie suddenly looks up to MC and stops in her tracks. "What's that supposed to mean?" "I'm talking about Tyler." She raises her eyebrow, expecting Abbie to catch on. "Tyler huh? I hadn't even considered dating him." She tilts her head and looks thoughtful. MC's face falls. "Really? Harsh." Abbie covers her mouth with her hand, back-peddling quickly. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just... he's barely said two words to me. Is almost like he's scared to talk to me." She frowns. "So... what do you think you'd do if he did ask you out?" MC prods.

"Honestly?" Abbie rubs her temple. "I have no idea." "Well... just think about it, I guess. You never know what might happen." MC purses her lips into a thin line, hiding her smile as she begins walking again.

The corner of Abbie's lips curl slightly before vanishing quickly. "I'll think about it... I guess... I barely know who I am. Much less who I want to date." "Sometimes... I think life has a way of forcing us to decide who we are. Like... we only find out who we are when a crucial moment arrives." MC nods to herself.

"In that case... I guess I'm just waiting for my moment." Abbie takes a deep breath. They continue to chat for a while as they work their way around the central part of campus. Eventually they make their way back to the suite to find Tyler and Zack still studying. Abbie waves at them as she walks past. "See you guys later. I'll be in my room." She swings by the living room table and grabs her laptop. As soon as she's gone, MC turns towards the guys. "Okay... so, Abbie and I just had an interesting conversation." She gushes, eager to enlighten Tyler.

Zack leans up on the table, interest piqued. "Tell. Us. Everything." MC quietly begins covering her conversation with Abbie. Ten minutes later... Tyler, his face still holding a mild trace of shock, finally shakes his head to come out of it. "Wow... that's a lot to process. But at least it sounds like I might have a shot! Thanks, MC." Zack nudges Tyler. "So... when are you going to ask her out?" "Tell you what. I promise I'll make a move... by the end of the quarter." Tyler holds out his hand, delivering his offer.

"Interesting. How's this for a deal... you ask out Abbie... and I'll promise to ask out Brandon too." Zack holds out his hand for Tyler to shake. Tyler looks at Zack's hand then, his face. "I'm pretty sure you were going to do that anyway." Zack pulls his hand back and throws them both in the air. "Guilty as charged!" He laughs and cheers for himself. "See? Flirty is easy for you." Tyler snorts at Zack. "Flirting is never easy..." Zack rolls his eyes. "Tell you what. Well make a pact, by the end of the quarter, we'll both make a move." Tyler nods towards Zack, extending his hand first this time.

Zack agrees and shakes his hand, before turning to MC. "What about you, MC? Want in on the deal?" "Guys... I promise to ask out... someone." She wasn't ready to tell them more details about her current feelings. Besides, it seemed like things were getting more complicated every day. There was no need to start rumors in case things didn't work out like she thought they might. Zack raised his eyebrow at her, tilting his chin up and studying her. "Keeping your options open... I like it." Tyler grins. "It's a pact!"

 Coffee Break

(original that fits into this timeline)

 The next day, Chris' first game of his freshman year.

MC enters the suite as Chris is about to leave, causing them to almost run into each other, similar to their first meeting. "Oh, hey MC." He gives her a brief faint smile.

She smiles at him as she shifts out of his way. "Ready for the big game?"

His shoulders drop slightly. "Yeah... ready to keep the bench nice and warm." He forces a smile as he adjusts his bag high on his shoulder, moving past her, out the door. He doesn't say anything else, just keeps going, his head hanging slightly lower than normal.

MC frowns and sighs. She was hoping that their pep talk earlier in the week would last longer than it apparently had. She really wanted to think of something to cheer him up.

As he gets further away, Kaitlyn walks up to MC. "Looks like someone's got his shoulder pads in a twist. What's up with him?" They both watch him as he turns the corner and disappears. "I think he just needs a boost... he's not used to playing backup." MC tugs on a strand of hair. "Then let's remind him how awesome he is!" Kaitlyn's excitement is contagious, making MC wonder what she has in mind. "Assemble the housemates! It's time to launch Operation Fanclub! We're going to need five poster boards, a ten-pack of colored markers, and some body paint!" At the phrase ‘body paint’ MC's eyes go wide. "What are you planning?" "You'll see!" Kaitlyn takes off into the suite. A few hours later at the game... MC screams loudly. "Go CHRIS!" She holds up a sign reading 'Chris is Number One!' Tyler looks appalled. "I can't believe you convinced me to paint an 'R' on my stomach." He lifts the hem of his shirt, scratching around the edge of the dried paint. Abbie closes her eyes and sighs as she shakes her head in agreement. "I hear you. I want it noted that I'm only doing this for Chris's sake." As the team runs out onto the field, MC spots Chris near the front, making her instantly smile.

Kaitlyn also notices his jersey and grabs everyone's attention. "Here he comes! Shirts off, everyone!" MC lightly blushes and takes a deep breath, pushing her anxiety aside. They were here for Chris, and he needed to know it. She takes off her shirt to reveal a big red 'C' on her stomach. Kaitlyn follows with her 'H', Tyler has his 'R' and Abbie and Zack follow with their respective 'I' and 'S' letters. The whole group brilliantly spells out 'C-H-R-I-S' in red paint across everyone's stomachs. Embracing the energy around her, MC cheers loudly, hoping that Chris will hear them. "Woo hoo! Go Chris!" She sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles loudly. Hearing his name and MC’s cattle calling whistle, Chris begins to look around, confused. His eyes finally find the source of his fan club and his mouth falls open. As he looks across them all, he laughs. His eyes moves back towards MC and stay there.

"Oh... wow." He rubs his cheek and smiles hard. "Thanks guys." He yells up to them in the stands. They all witness his joy and high five their accomplishment. The game is about to begin, so Chris waves to everyone and takes a seat on the bench. Not too far from their group, MC notices Becca and Madison cheering. Becca seems perky, staring at Chris as she cheers. "Looking good, Knights!" Madison bounces up and down next to her. "We love you Darren!"

Darren runs out on the field, taking his place at the center of their huddle. Kaitlyn whoops and hollers next to MC. "Go Knights!" After the kickoff, the offense takes the field. Darren barks out orders to the team. "Omaha! Fifty-two black!" In the first quarter, the Knights dominate. Logan’s voice booms as he makes a touchdown. "Check out my endzone dance!" Unfortunately, they seem to lose focus in the second quarter. Logan frowns and huffs as he yells. "Another fumble... seriously?" He sounds beyond frustrated, throwing his hands up in the air. Kaitlyn's shoulders slump next to MC, her earlier enthusiasm long gone. "Come on, Knights..." Zack cups his hands around his mouth and yells. "Do the thing with the ball!" Halftime finds the score tied at 21-21.

"Who knew sports would be so stressful?" Abbie pouts, wringing her hands together, intently watching the field. As the game winds to a close, Hartfeld is down 24-21 with only a minute left to play. Darren rallies the team, trying to pump them up. "Let's do this, Knights! We can still wing this thing!" He drops back, looking for an opening. Tyler gasps. "Holy crap! They're blitzing!" The opposing team rushes Darren in a sudden charge, taking him down in a vicious sack. "My ankle!" Darren yells out, rolling on his back and clutching at his right ankle. Abbie cringes. "I definitely heard something snap... I think I'm going to be sick." She covers her eyes and shakes her head feveriously. Tyler fumes. "How is that even legal?!" Everyone watches in stunned silence as Darren is carted off the field. MC covers her mouth with both hands. "Oh no..." Zack shakes his head, his shoulders slumping. "Poor Darren... I hope he gets better soon." Kaitlyn sighs. "In the meantime, we've got a few seconds left to play." MC nods as realization hits her. "It's next man up... and that man is Chris!" He runs onto the field, taking Darren's place and MC turns towards her friends. "Come on guys! Let's get the crowd fired up! Go Knights!!" Kaitlyn jumps up and yells. "Yeeeeeah!" "Go Chris!" MC shouts Chris's name, and the crowd joins in. His face is serious, all business as he takes control. "Okay... let's do this. For Darren!"

The next play starts. Chris drops back, looking for an opening... Logan beats on his chest pads. "Hey, rookie! I'm open!" Chris purses his lips at the nickname and hesitates briefly before throwing the ball to Logan. Logan easily snatches it out of the air, Chris’s aim perfect. He runs the remaining few yards and crosses into the end zone. "Touchdown baby!" Tyler's mouth drops open. "What a throw!" Kaitlyn claps and jumps next to MC, grabbing onto her shoulders. "That's our boy!"

MC can't help but smile at everyone's excitement, but she doesn't take her eyes off of Chris. Hes beaming as his teammates all run to him and praise him for his last minute clutch throw. He’s laughing and smiling, making MC proud. He suddenly turns towards the stands, searching for his friends. When his eyes land on MC he flashes her a huge smile. Her grin grows and she claps for him as she nods.

The crowd eventually starts to die down, the players already inside the locker room to change and clean up from the game. After the big win celebration in the stadium, MC and the others head outside the gates to wait for Chris. Zack suddenly perks up, pointing towards the locker room exit. "There he is!" Kaitlyn starts cheering for him. "Woo hoo! That's our superstar!" She high fives Chris as he joins their circle. Chris is still pumped from the night's events. "Hey, guys! Thanks so much for being there for me today." He lets out a light, happy laugh.

"Of course! You're..." MC takes a deep breath as his eyes lock on hers. "...our friend."

Chris sucks in a breath and steps towards her. "MC, I..." He’s is suddenly interrupted as Becca and Madison approach him. Madison is gushing. "Wow. That home run on sixth and long? Completely amazing." Chris frowns. "I can't even begin to tell you how wrong that sentence was..." Becca rolls her eyes at her friend. "The point Madison is trying to make is, you need to come celebrate your victory with us." Logan walks up just then, patting Chris on the back. "You should listen to them, bro. Kappa Phi Sigma house parties are epic. The whole team is going! And that definitely has to include our new quarterback!" Chris is glowing at the attention and energy from the win. He turns and looks at MC, a smile spreading across his face as he answers them. "Sure... I'd love to come. As long as my friends are invited too." Becca clicks her tongue. "You mean that bunch of..." She begins, her face twisted in an ugly manner, but she checks herself, not waiting to cause an issue with Chris. "Uh, I mean... of course they're invited." She plasters on a huge fake smile. Chris doesn't seem to notice her shift in mood and nods at them. "Sounds like fun. I'll see you there." He begins to turn towards MC, almost as if he's about to grab her hand, causing her pulse to quicken.

However, Becca doesn't let him move too far, grabbing onto his arm, basically tugging him back towards her. "No way. I'm not letting you out of my sight. You're coming with me." Chris is somewhat stunned by her forcefulness, but not wanting to alienate anyone he lets her tug at him until she feels confident with the distance she's created. "Uh... I guess I'll see you there, guys!" He turns to his friends and gives an apologetic smile, waving at the group. Becca then takes him by the hand and begins leading him toward the Kappa house across the quad on sorority row. Kaitlyn's face finds the familiar expression it tends to have when Becca is around. "Aggressive much? Sheesh." She snorts. Zack sighs. "I hate to say it, but I think our boy needs to be rescued, those girls looked like trouble." Kaitlyn perks up, her recent crazy demeanor returning. "So... now it's time for Operation Rescue Chris from the Evil Sorority Girl?" Tyler looks at Chris’s retreating form, surrounded with new friends and nice looking girls. "Maybe he doesn't want to be rescued?" Abbie makes a face at Tyler. "Trust me. He does." Everyone turns to look at MC, who's face makes her opinion clear. "We need to rescue him... Chris deserves better than that." She sighs, no longer able to ride the fence or pretend around all of her friends. "I'm not sure what's going on... but I definitely can't sit back and watch a good friend end up under the spell of a girl like that." Her nose scrunches in disgust. Kaitlyn fist pumps. "Game on! Kappa party, here we come!"

[inkstainedfanfics]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Kelly, ahhhh happy birthday! I’m sorry this is so close to midnight lol so it may be one of the last birthday wishes you receive, but I hope you had an amazing day filled with laughs and cheers and happiness. I wanted to give you a small something as a gift, and I figured what would work better than a little bit of writing? So happy birthday, @fantasticnewtimagines​. Thank you for always being a small corner of positivity here and for being the most awesome person. Ily and hope you had a day as fantastic as you are <3

You drag your feet into the back room of the restaurant, tiles squeaking with each step you take to the window. You’re grateful for the final streaks of red in the sky that mark the end of your unplanned shift. Granny called only an hour into your day of relaxation, begging you to come in because Red was too sick to work and it was the premiere of the new dinner special. “I know it’s your birthday, dearie, but I could really use the help.” Only a couple of minutes left before you can escape.

The sun’s set by the time you slink into the humid summer night. The air’s thick with a promise of rain, and, by the way the grey clouds in the sky are climbing on one another, you wouldn’t be surprised if the sky broke open before you managed the five-block walk to your house. Though you know he has a night out with the boys planned, you shoot Killian a quick ‘I’m off work’ text before starting forward with your head ducked. The last thing you want is to be dragged into some conversation by anyone in the town, not when you can at least salvage some of the night by warming up a slice of cake in the microwave and dropping some ice cream on top of it.

Miraculously, you make it to your front door just as the first droplets are breaking open against the concrete: your first bit of luck today. Sighing, you reach forward to grab the handle. Your feet are sore, your back hurts, and you’re ready to just fall in bed and mourn the loss of your day off, but you stumble forward when the handle jerks away from you. The whole door blows open for a moment, then it slowly swings back toward you. It bounces against its frame, making a gentle click that you can hardly hear over the grumble of thunder in the distance. The door’s open, ajar, left unlocked for anyone to get in.

Fear freezes you in place, though some small part of you is just annoyed. Of course this would happen. The whole day has been a mess; your alarm clock went off early, you were called into work on your first day off in months, you reek of chicken gravy and alcohol, and now, as you’re stuck outside in the quickly growing storm, someone’s broken into your house. All you wanted was one day to spend at home, with only Killian, watching dumb movies, eating all the junk food you could muster up from the depths of your pantry, and just relaxing. But no, every single plan had to be ruined. Every single damn one, and now you won’t even get to see your boyfriend on your own birthday. How the hell did that happen?

The anger of it all, the loss of the day, the unfairness of your life, is a tide in your chest, rising until it washes over your fear and you grit your teeth and push the door open, stepping inside. If there’s a burglar in here, he can deal with you.

Swiping a nearby umbrella from its useless place on a hook, you creep forward into the house.

The living room is empty, as are the bathroom and the mud room. The storm pounds away at the window, and the gusts of wind blow the front door open wider and wider, nearly slamming it against the wall. You only have so much time, you know, until the potential burglar finds you. Lips sealed shut, barely breathing, you creep around the house, stopping in the corner before you pull the door to the kitchen open.

A soft bang comes from the other side of the door, followed quickly by a muffled curse. You jump at the noise, but that reaction is nothing compared to the leap you take when the front door finally slams into the wall. The bang could probably be heard anywhere in the house, which means the burglar will expect someone.

A shot of fear streaks through your chest, sending your heart pounding and your hands sweating, and you wonder if you should’ve called Killian, should have asked him to come check the place with you, but it’s too late. Whoever’s here is going to find you. You’ve seen too many horror films to try backing away now.

Sucking in a deep breath, you draw up whatever anger you have left, eyes darting to the doorknob when it starts to turn, and lift your weapon.

“Get out of my house!” You scream as you squeeze your eyes shut, praying the neighbors heard, that they’ll help. You swing the umbrella, glad to hear it crack victoriously against the intruder, followed quickly by a sharp cry.

“Bloody hell! What are you doing?”

“Get out of my house!” You cry again, smacking him over and over on the arm, knowing as you do that it isn’t helping at all.

“Aye, I will if you really don’t want me here.” The voice is injured, though faintly amused, and accented in an unmistakable way.

You pause your assault, the familiarity of the voice washing over you. No, it can’t be… “Killian?” You question, lowering the umbrella and opening your eyes.

He laughs, now fully amused, and rubs his arm. “D’you treat everyone like that on your birthday, or am I the lucky one?”

You loose a long breath. “What are you doing here?”

“I was here to help celebrate what’s left of your birthday, though it seems I’ve more use as a punching bag.”

You tap the tip of the umbrella against the floor; a quick beat to distract you from the embarrassment creeping up your throat. “I, um, I’m sorry. I thought you were busy tonight.”

“I was: finishing this surprise for you.” He shoves his hand in his pocket, gesturing toward the room behind him with his hook. “I think it turned out quite well.”

You crane your head to peer over him. The room’s awash in the warm reds and oranges of candles, the smell of cranberries and roast beef and stew waft from the room, earning a soft rumble from your empty stomach, one that makes Killian chuckle as he steps to your side and wraps an arm around your waist, and bright flowers dot the room, a full bouquet of them stuck in the center of the table in an elegant design, set next to gorgeous china plates.

“Killian,” you breathe out, stress melting from your shoulders at the sight, “you did all this?”

“With some help, yes.”

“This is amazing.” The umbrella clatters to the floor as you intertwine your fingers with Killian’s.

He smiles, kissing the top of your head. “I am quite amazing, aye. But this isn’t yours yet.”

You strain to twist around and see him. “What?”

“I’ve other ideas first, plans in place. After all,” he pinches your shirt between two fingers, “you can’t wear this filthy rag into the dining room, not when I’ve dressed so fancy for you.”

And he’s right about dressing up; he’s quite the sight in his leather jacket, the top button of the shirt under it unbuttoned so a bit of chest hair can peek out. his messy hair and eyes shining with mischief only add to the look of carefree arrogance he seems to effortlessly achieve. A bit of stubble covers his chin, a thin layer that will scratch you the second you try to kiss him, a small perk to dating a pirate that doesn’t believe in shaving often. The entire outfit, everything together, has you weak in the knees. You take it all in one final time before nodding.

“Fine,” you relent, “I’ll go change.” It would be nice to get out of your work uniform and into something not drenched in sweat and food.

You step away, but Killian grabs your arm as you start toward the stairs. “Not so fast, love. There’s no need to go up there.” He pauses, thinking, before grinning and adding, “yet.”

“My clothes are up there.”

He jerks his chin toward the bathroom door. “I’ve ran a bath for you and set some clothes out. Though if you doubt the advice of someone that can look as devilishly handsome as I, then go ahead.”

You narrow your eyes at him, though you’re giddy at the thought of everything he’s readied. Killian rarely goes all out for such occasions. “What else do you have planned?”

He takes a deep breath, pretending to ponder the question as he stares into the room behind you. “Oh, I don’t know. I thought perhaps a massage would be in order, then watching whatever moving picture you’d like.”

“Movie, Killian. They’re called movies.”

He shrugs, stepping toward you, sending your heart into overdrive yet again. “Whatever you say, my love.”

You roll your eyes as he wraps his arm back around your waist, tugging you against him so the tip of your nose brushes his. “It’s not my choice, you know. The name, I mean.”

“No?” Killian’s head tilts the slightest. “You know what my choice is? Unrelated to moving pictures, that is.”

You catch your breath as his eyes travel to your lips then back to your gaze, a teasing gesture he knows drives you crazy. “I have no idea.” You manage to murmur, your own gaze tracing down his nose and to his mouth.

“You, of course.”

Then he kisses you, lips so light on your own you wonder if you imagined it. You might’ve believed you had, in fact, if it weren’t for the rough scratch of his stubble, if it weren’t for the way his hand slides up your back to tangle in the hair at the base of your neck, if it weren’t for the soft sigh he releases when he pulls away. A wave of butterflies and nerves crash through you stomach as you savor the kiss for another moment.

Your eyes flutter back open to see him staring at you, cocky smirk back on his face where it always is. “There’s plenty more of that tonight, love, but you should bathe first. I’m not inclined to spend my night kissing… what is that? Tuna?”

You step back, swatting at his chest. “Chicken gravy, thank you very much. And thank you for ruining the moment.”

“Aye, my pleasure, love. Now hurry up before the food gets cold.”

You do as he says, slipping into the bathroom only to gasp in surprise again. The room’s filled with a soft melody, one you instantly begin humming to yourself. So Killian bothered to figure out CD players for you, hm? And a sweet, lilac scent fills the air courtesy of the candle in the center of the room. A bottle of red wine and a glass are next to the bath, as is a fluffy grey robe and a change of clothes.

You sigh at the sight of the steam curling off the water. A hot bath will melt the final knots in your back, and a night with Killian, eating and watching movies and just goofing around, is in the works.

Smiling, you shut the door behind you. It may have started late, but maybe this birthday won’t be so bad.

[moirica]

Aoi Shouta LIVE 2017 WONDER lab. ~prism~ Part 1: Osaka

Warning – While I did my best to talk about what happened in the live, this is hella personal. I did my best to put my experience into words here and because of that it’s probably more personal than it needed to be.

I can finally post about WONDER lab. ~prism~ now! We were told to keep the secrets until after the Tokyo show and so even though I am writing this the Monday after the Osaka event, you’ll be seeing this after they are both done. Stay tuned for my report on Tokyo! Also, go check out @aishiteruitsumo6 because I am sure her post will be even better than mine (and have more pictures lol)!

Buying the goods

This was a whole experience in itself I have to say. This was my first big event that I have been to but I have learned from the other times. Get there early and be ready to wait. Ironically, it turned out that almost nothing seemed to sell out at the Osaka even except the badge gatchas and the pink wristbands. Some would argue the badges are worth it though. I do wish I had bought a few more. I’ll stop before I get too far ahead of myself.

So even though our seats were apart I went to the live with @aishiteruitsumo6 We met up the night before at the hotel in Osaka. I decided to stay there so that I could be there early rather than commute in the morning. By meeting there the night before I mean more like 1am. It wasn't the brightest idea in hindsight but excitement can do wonders. It was also a capsule hotel so I can officially check that off my list of things to do in Japan.

We were out of the hotel just after 6am and walked the ten or so minutes over to the venue. There was already quite a long line. Thankfully we were able to join @aishiteruitsumo6’s friend who had arrived earlier. Then we settled in for a few hours wait. The goods weren’t supposed to open until 11am after all. An important thing to note if you do decide to go super early like this, either go with friends or make sure that you buy food/go to the washroom before you line up. If you’re with friends then you are in luck because they can hold your spot while you stand in line for the bathroom for an hour. Oh, and bring a small chair or mat to sit on.

They actually opened up the goods earlier than 11am. I’m not sure exactly when they did open it but we were a few rows into the snaking line before it started moving and we actually reached the theatre doors at around 11am. The goods buying was actually a pretty fast process once you were inside. They had several small lines and it went pretty fast. I spent much more than I should have but I love all of it.

After the main good buying section they had the badge gatcha machines in another room. You need 500 yen coins for the machine, though they have staff that will exchange money. After buying so much I tried to limit myself by only buying 4 gatchas but I do regret it now. I kind of want the full set of ten.

After buying the good there was quite a crowd still in the park outside trading around the different badges. I managed to trade away a few doubles for the ones I really liked. If I buy anything in Tokyo it will probably be more badges.

Break time

So because of lining up so early we were also finished quite early as well. After we finished trading around badges we headed back to the hotel to rearrange our bags before buying some food. Then it was back to the park to wait until the start.

This bit felt super long because at this point I was absolutely exhausted. We’d only had a few hours of sleep and part of me really, really wished I was staying the night again because then maybe I would have had a hotel to go nap in for a few hours. Alas, we powered through.

This part was actually one of my favorite parts of the day because I got to see a lot of the friends that I have made from going to Shoutan’s events. I got to meet the girls I met at Smile Mermaid, yay for more foreign fans, and I got to met some of the wonderful girls I met in line at the Natsu Tama summer event. It was so nice to get to see everyone again, even though everyone else's Japanese skills put mine to complete shame.

The most surprising part of this time before was that just when they had started to let people into the theatre, we were moving towards the back of the line and we were stopped by a camera man who was filming things for the ‘Make a Lab’ video on the dvd and he wanted to interview us. WAIT, WHAT? This was both really cool and also daunting as hell. The camera man also spoke like super quietly and we could barely hear his questions. He was asking things like where we were from, where did we know Shouta from, what was our favorite song, things like that. I definitely struggled with this interview because of my Japanese skill level but I did my best. I don’t know if they will end up using any of it but keep an eye out I guess?

The Live

After that finished we quickly joined the lien and entered the venue. This was the part where we parted ways for now. My seat was on the first floor but the very back row. While it was further away than I would have liked, because we all want to be those girls in the front row and you know it, it was still a pretty good view. I was also at the very back so I didn't have to worry about blocking someone's view unintentionally and there was a rail I could hang my coat on.

As a quick note I don’t remember everything that was said nor am I completely sure I remember the order of songs right. Even right after I felt like I was forgetting the order and maybe even a song or two. If Tokyo ends up being exactly the same I hope I’ll remember better.

After a few minutes of getting my things together and my penlight ready the show was about to begin. The video was super cute with the artist Shouta theme. It showed him in an art studio and ended with him designing his first costume that then sort of magically became real. His outfit was super cool, a classic Shoutan costume. I am terrible at describing clothes so I’ll forgo it for now. You’ll see pictures soon enough.

The opening song was ‘north star’ which I got super excited for as it is one of my favorite songs and I hadn't heard him sing it live yet. This was followed up by ‘DDD’ and then ‘Zessei Stargate’. It was really fun to watch the colors of the lights change with the different songs. After these songs he took a break and there was a mini talk bit where he welcomed us talked about how this was his first time doing a one man live in Osaka. He sang ‘Innocent’ next and then the dancers came out and he changed his outfit slightly, losing the long flowing hip pieces, and then he sang ‘Unlimited’.

He was gone again after this and there was a new video. This time artist Shoutan was drawing the ocean and he ended up drawing Marina’s tail. Marina was the mermaid he played in Smile Mermaid.

Then he was out in his new costume. This time it was a mix between Marina and his Kaguya look. A kimono like top with flows hakama pants and a wig with longer hair. He was very beautiful. He sang ‘Endless Song’ first and then I believe it was ‘Ai no Sasameki Goto’ and then ‘Sora wa Tomei na Chikai’. I am not to sure on those two as one of them I didn't know and I am not completely sure if I remember right about the other one. They were all very beautiful songs though. They also did this really cool effect on the stage that made it look like he was inside a kind of cage in one of the songs.

After those songs he came down from the upper part of the stage and there was another short talk where he introduced some band members and showed off his new outfit. He was quite cute and funny in this section because he told us to ‘remember that he’s really a boy’ despite his costume. I wonder if he got some comments to the contrary after playing Marina. After that he closed out this section with ‘Murasaki’ and ‘Ai Uta’.

The video that came next was the dancer and band introduction video. It was pretty cute, with artist Shouta writing their names on the screen. After this video his new song ‘Run!! Run!!’ came on and he ran out with his dancers. They were all dressed in sporty clothes, shorts and t-shirts and hoodies kind of look, and had blue and yellow pom-poms. Shoutan had a big 29 on his shirt. Watching him dance to this actually made me like the song a lot more than I initially had. Kind of like ‘Summer Dreamin’’ at the summer event. That new song will probably forever remind me of ~prism~ more than any other.

After ‘Run!! Run!!’ he sang ‘Start!’ which was also really fun to hear live. I didn't recognize it at first. I’d only heard it once back at the free mini live for ‘S’ album release. There was another talk section after this with some banter with the band members. He also pointed out the 29 on his shirt and that it was his age. He mentioned that this year his would be 30 and called himself an ‘ojisan’ which was vehemently opposed to by the fans. For those that might not know, ‘ojisan’ means uncle in Japanese but is also used as a type of Mr. kind of word, generally for middle aged men. Don’t worry Shoutan I’m sure you’ll stay ‘oniichan’ for a few years longer.

Then he jumped into ‘Zutto…’ and I almost melted because it’s my favorite song. Like there are a lot of songs I like but that one is at the top. It was really cute too because he actually changed how he pronounced one part of the song into the local Osaka-ben. I didn't notice it at the time but my Japanese friends pointed it out after the show. He jumped into ‘Touch to take toriko’ after, which is another of my favorite songs. This is also the one with the flag dance and it was super fun to get to dance to with everyone. I’m still kind of shaky on the second half of the dance. I need to practice more before Tokyo.

There was another artist Shouta video afterwords. This one showed him designing another costume and then taking a nap. While he napped his price costume from the Budokan live passed it’s magic to the prince outfit that he just designed.

Before we knew it he was out in his new prince outfit. He looked so cool and beautiful in it. It had the red color like the one from the ~prism~ photos but without all the medals. I think it had blue in the centre as well and a small black cape against one shoulder in the back. He then sang the ballad version of ‘Nanji no Kotodama’. This was really pretty cause he sang on the steps and it was very prince-like. The he came down and jumped right into ‘Himitsu no Kuchizduke’ and the ‘S’. These are both super exciting songs and are really fun to sing along to. They are really good for the fans too.

He was super tried after these two songs, definitely breathing a little hard. He was super cute too cause he said something along the lines of just being a human and all. He really works so hard for all of us. I don’t remember much of this talk portion besides that but we were all surprised when he said that it was almost the end of the live. It felt like it had only just started.

He finished off the main section of the live with his new songs ‘Checkmate’ and ‘flower’. He danced to both of them and they were definitely some of my favorite songs to see and listen to. Then he was gone again and it was kind of sad.

The Live wasn't quite over yet though. Everyone started chanting ‘Shoutan! Shoutan!’ It went on for a lot longer than I thought it would but eventually he came back out in the live tshirt and with an octopus hat on for some reason. The cute dork.

The encore started off with a kind of medley song that mixed ‘Shot of LOVE’, ‘True Hearts’, and ‘Summer Dreamin’’ together. In the background they displayed all the postcards with messages that people had sent in. I have to say that the art on some of them was really amazing. Japanese people have like amazing art skills. There was a bit more of a chat after the first songs and then he closed off the live with ‘Melodia’.

After the show

Thankfully, after the show was done I was able to meet up with all of my friends again. It was great to get to talk about the show and everything that had happened. Even though I was super tired by this point I still had an amazing time. We ended up going out for food afterwords and then taking the last train home. I am really happy that I got to see some of the same people again because we definitely became closer friends because of it. 

That’s all there is for WONDER lab. ~prism~ Osaka. Tune in to part 2 for the Tokyo Show!!!