#i fully expect this to get like 2 or 3 notes but eh

[deathandthemaiden23]

Hey y'all I know there's like maybe 3 people left in this fandom but I made a video meme about death and now im forcing you all to watch it clockwork orange-style via the ludovico technique

[robocatfan]

An angry summary of Speak the Ocean by Rebecca Enzor -Part 4

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Preface 2

We get another in-universe training manual. This time it’s about how to handle a mer arrival.

It tells us that the tank should be cleaned and cycled for a week - which as stated before, should actually be for 2-8 weeks! - before they set out to hunt a mer, and that all equipment like the tanks and cranes should be inspected and ready to use by then.

It also notes that the mer will be drugged with quinaldine - a chemical used for the transportation of which (guess I did learn something useful from this book, huh) - for transport, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be any less dangerous.

Next, it talks about the transportation procedure, which involves lifting the mer from the boat with the dock crane and placing them in the transport tank with the head and arms facing back (“back” as in down? The opposite direction? Eh, who knows?) all while an employee keeps watch.

It also warns (in all caps) to not let the creature sit under the sun since that will cause it to foam from shock.

Once that part of the process is done, a vet is called for a simple visual examination of the mer. Seriously, that’s all they are allowed to do - they can’t even place their hands near its tank! One wonders how these mers don’t end up sick more often.

Anyway, when that’s done, the net should be hooked once again to the crane and slowly lowered into the holding tank, since dropping them so suddenly into colder waters can also cause them to foam from shock. Understandable, but considering how cold the waters of their natural habitat can get, they might be able to handle the temperature just fine.

And once the mer is fully inside and the net is removed, the lights should be dimmed and one of two fish should be thrown into the water to slow the mer to eat and recover once the effects of the quinaldine (which may last for about one or two days) wear off.

Lastly, if the mer shows aggression or dates to be just a tiny bit noisy, the electroshocker ™ should be used until they are under control.

Once again, no wonder these guys act so aggressive towards people :v.

Chapter 6- Finn

We are back to Finn’s perspective as he notes how crowded the dock behind Oceanica is (it doesn’t really feel that way, really) when the hunting boat arrives with the mer. He also notes the fishermen had to venture way out to find it (explaining why they were in the supposedly safe hunting zone in the previous chapter), and that the last day was filled with preparations, including that of the tanks he and Jen (mostly Jen) cleaned the week prior.

When the net lifts the creature (Erie) out of the boat, he and Jen are surprised upon seeing the dolphin (aka Niku) she’s hugging, since that’s proof that the theory that both species have a symbiotic relationship is true, as well as the stories the fishermen told about dolphins helping the mers steer away from boats.

And yet we never get to see any of that in the previous chapters- much less them being successful in it, considering the big amount of darkened shells.

The pair is lowered into a ten feet long and 3 feet wide transport tank that’s barely big enough for them, and while Delmara argues with the fishermen about the price for their catch - since she doesn’t want to pay them extra for the dolphin, Finn and Jen step for a closer look.

Finn then sees that the mer has the same hair color that the mer his dad found (aka the queen), and his first thought is that he knows exactly how to make her his. Ew.

But before that he remarks that she’s probably as young as their previous arrival, showing Jen that one can determine a mer’s age by how vibrant the tips of their fins are, and that the color fades with age. And when Jen comments that she’d expected the mer to be actively trying to slaughter everyone (most likely due to Finn’s constant, incessant warnings), he repeats what the training manual said about sedating the creatures.

As Delmara’s discussion continues (with Finn telling us in two sentences what they are doing instead of actually showing it), Jen suggests that, instead of separating the dolphin from the mer, they could have them perform together since that would draw in more people.

And though he notes that there’s something calculating in her gaze as she says that, that’s all it takes for Finn to be convinced by her idea and go up to talk to Delmara.

At first she dismisses him since she’s too busy cursing out the fishermen, but he manages to voice the suggestion and insists on it when she tries to refuse due to lacking a husbandry license for cetaceans. (but not before he mentally compares the woman who’s been essentially his mentor for the past few years to a Chihuahua.) Since they don’t have much time to decide due to the risk of the mer foaming under the sun, Finn persists.

And when Delmara still doesn’t relent even after he reminds her that she’d promised him a mer, notes that Jen could help due to having studied marine biology in university (but shouldn’t she already know that since, you know, she hired her in the first place?) and that someone needs to take over when he comes back to school (which I hope refers to college/ university, because this grown ass man surely has graduated by now) in August, Finn pulls out his trump card: a colored sketch he’d found in his dad’s office of the mermaid he’d discovered, which just so happens to resemble the once currently in their transport tank.

This finally is enough to sway Delmara to keep the dolphin and give the mer to him, but she warns him that he only has until the end of summer to make a profit. Finn’s mood is not affected by this: in fact, he’s so happy that he picks up and twirls Jen around when he goes to tell her the news. And since she came up with the idea in the first place, he’s making her his assistant.

She’s dismayed by this, and when she remarks at the apparent nepotism when Finn reminds her he’s friends with Delmara’s nephew, he notes that “he has a lot of responses to that, but most of them would get him smacked”, so they instead focus on moving the transport tank. Yes, them - not any of the supposed “many” employees that are crowding the dock.

Yeah, in spite of this place having enough workers to completely crowd the dock- some of whom could have done this task - it feels emptier than a bag of chips due to the fact that the only people we see doing or interacting with anything are the named characters. The others just exist to fill up space I guess.

Anyway, after reiterating that the tank is too small for the pair, Finn and Jen bring it to the holding tank room. As he calls the veterinarian over, Finn notes that while the mer is cowering instead of scrutinizing them like the rest of her kind (and that will make her easier to work with), her dolphin companion is actively attempting to protect her.

Since it’s also obscuring her from view, the vet tells Finn to hold it down- which he somehow manages to do, and then somehow gets a large cut from it a sentence later.

And I’m like ?????????

Someone please tell me how this even works, because how?!

Anyway after the vet finishes his checkup (which is not elaborated upon, to the point that there’s not even a remark about the literal tail injury!), and casually paying no mind to the large cut on his forearm after cleaning it up (which is never brought up again), Finn helps Jen crank the net up. And he notes that the mer gasps- gasps, a sound associated normally with humans - when the net lifts, but he doesn’t even think about it.

As they are slowly placing the net in the normal tanks and the mer tries to get her gills in the water (shouldn’t it be her mouth since that’s where the water enters her body?) Serge comes over, and upon seeing the creature’s hair color, suggests calling her Neon.

Jen corrects him and says that they should call her Dotty due to resembling a dottyback or royal gamma instead, and while Finn is in “nerd love” at her knowledge of reef fish, he rather go by their normal periodic table naming conventions. So after a couple of suggestions (including Cadmium, which they give to the dolphin due to being a male name), they decide to call the mer Iodine.

And once the pair is fully lowered, the group prepares to “separate these elements”. And while Jen grimaces and wonders if it’s necessary as Serge goes for the electroshocker ™ ( not before Finn warns him to not poke his mer like a jellyfish) Finn, in full corporate mode and unwilling to screw up his chance, tells her that not only will it make them easier to wake with, but allowing them to be together once they are performing will be “a good incentive to get them working. A treat for cooperating.”

… alright then.

While Jen isn’t fully convinced, she relents and everyone gets into position.

Chapter 7- Erie

After they are fully inside the tank, Erie - who’s still clinging to her guard- is surprised at the strangeness of their new surroundings and confused when the net starts to gather below them.

Niku is also confused (and Erie almost casually notes that she tasted the blood from his attack on the landfolk), but tells her to stay calm and not give the landfolk a reason to hurt her.

Just then a “loop” (aka the electroshocker ™ ) enters the water and the net shifts. And before Erie can ask what’s going on, they are both electrocuted.

As expected it hurts like hell, to the point that Erie feels like her body is burning and when it ends, they both end up floating belly up like the mers in chapter 4. And before either can recover, the net separates them.

The next five paragraphs are spent with Erie panicking, screaming and begging for her guard not to leave her as she tries to reach him through the ropes - and while he’s tense enough that she fears he might beach himself in an attempt to attack the landfolk, he just swims around and tells her he doesn’t know what to do instead of doing anything useful to save her like pulling at the net.

Eventually she’s completely lifted from the water, leaving him out of her reach and sight, only able to huff water at her.

As soon as she’s dropped into a different body of water, Erie screams for Niku and tries to reach him, but it’s blocked from doing so by a barrier that’s keeping them separated. And though she’s unable to hear him due to not being in the same space, she takes comfort in the fact that she can still see him.

Well, until one of the landfolk (aka Finn) steps between them, which causes her to back up and look at the surface in fear of the loop, and when she looks back at him, the creep smiles at her possessively. Once again, ew.

The next paragraph is spent describing how he - “a creature out of her nightmares” - looks from her perspective, with her noting his snail-like skin, the different colors of his “two tails” ( the term the text this time uses to describe the legs. Why didn’t it use that earlier instead of outright referring to them as legs?) and the large bump where his nostrils are. Once again, just like the advisor.

… you can probably guess what the author is intending to say with all of these constant reminders.

Anyway, she hears him say something she’s unable to understand before there’s a splash that she first assumes it’s the loop, but it’s instead the result of a dead fish thrown at the water, which confuses her immensely.

She then waits until the landfolk leaves to inspect the barrier, noting it’s mostly uniform and has few anomalies, including a thing resembling a tube worm (aka the tubes connecting the tanks) that connects their enclosure, but she can’t - doesn’t even try, really - figure out a way through.

So Erie only stares at Niku helplessly until her adrenaline fades and she curls up at the bottom of the enclosure, exhausted.

[fraudulent-cheese]

OK SO I'VE WATCHED EPISODES 2 TO 4 OF SEASON 2 OF TOTAL DRAMA 2023

MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!!!!

I think these episodes were... fine. I think the third might've been the best one overall, i liked the challenge and it was pretty fun; especially seeing MK fucking cheating and the team's reactions. i think Ripper not interacting with his team is good actually, because he's funnier on his own or when he's crushing on Axel.

SPEAKING OF WHICH: i didn't expect for Ripaxel to win me over... at all? But i think it's pretty cute actually! I think it's funny seeing Ripper crushing on the girl that spent the entire previous episode trying to commit violence on him. He's ridiculous when trying to impress her in episode 2, their interactions in episode 3 were also fun (they managed to make a fart joke plot relevant! how??) and i really enjoy how in episode 4 the dude went out of his way to make something she'd like (the little poem he made her!). I REALLY don't think Ripper's interested at all in poetry so i think it's cute :D ALSO THEY'RE STILL IN THE GAME SO WE MIGHT SEE MORE FROM THEM. MAYBE IT'LL FULLY CONVINCE ME!! Honestly i think it could've been worse! Could've been a whole lot worse! She could've been kissing Chase. That's all im saying.

What i do know is that Priya x Caleb is NOT gonna convince me. I genuinly do not care it's insane. they are just here to be straight and i don't think they'll convince me. (especially since im pretty sure Caleb just wants an alliance)

Fellas... we might be getting Rajbow divorce. Or at least an actual conflict in their relationship that they'll need to work throughout the season; i really hope they don't split up but also they might just split up over this and i am NOT READY.

I'll go over the eliminations + challenges before i go over my favorite aspect of these episodes: Chase getting booted second is amazing. Glad he's not here anymore and im glad Emma got to take her revenge on his dumbass. Im more mixted on Millie being kicked off this early? sure she wasn't gonna last until the end but the conflict between her team just felt! so! forced! Guys, Damien's alive, and he's FINE NEXT EPISODE CAN YOU GUYS CALM THE FUCK DOWN??? I know it was a breach of trust but she did it to win the challenge and it WORKED! And she got booted for it! Emma getting eliminated this early also kinda stings, especially the remarks about her gut feelings being wrong (but then they were right so like,,, what is your point). I do think her not being as good at reading people as she thought is a good conflict but i don't like how it's excecuted.

As for challenges: I think a straight up basketball one would've been cool (take notes, season rewritters!), but the basketball slides was pretty fun too. The sticky sap one is really fun too, it's got plenty of potential. the one in episode 4 is real eh, i would've preferred a straight up would you rather with a lie detector maybe? but oh well!

what i did like tho? MKULIA!!! I LOVE THEM BEING FRIENDS!!! THEY ARE FLERTING SM

THEY'RE JUST BE GAY DO CRIME OMGGGG THEY BETTER FUCKING KISS I SWEAR TO GOD

I WILL SIMPLY COMMIT CRIMES IF THEY DONT END UP BEING CANON

im exaggerating obviously but FR!!! They are canon to me!!! I fucking hope MK doesn't immediatly get eliminated in episode 5 because if she does i will cry

OK! LETS HOPE I DIDNT JINX ANYTHING BY SAYING THESE WORDS!

[booksandwords]

Cut & Run by Lucy Felthouse

Series: The Dreadnoughts #2 Read time: 2 Days Rating: 3/5 Stars

The Quote: Christ, that cannae be good, can it? Yer settled down tae a quiet life in the country after years of chaos, and the first lass ye meet that truly floats yer boat and she’s likely tae bring endless barrels of steaming, red-hot, stinking shit tae ye doorstep—whether she means tae or not. Talk about karma. — Joshua Greig

Warnings: None of Note

I honestly appreciate the ending of Cut and Run. It is a perfect cliffhanger if entirely unexpected. There is nothing to indicate this option was there. But I love it as a writing choice, assuming that it is used well in Safe and Sound. The plot feels like a typical middle act in a military-style subplot. The weaker party, anticipating an attack, barricades, prepares defences and looks for the enemy's potential weaknesses. I do like the choice of villain, simple, easy and an obvious motive. For a reverse harem that makes a lot of sense, writers need to be careful of the balance between plot and characters.

On the developments in the characters. I want to slap Chastain upside the head and ask him what in the name of all things good he thought he was doing at the end of Search and Rescue. Chastain is just frustrating to me and the way he ends up with Kim was just ugh for me. Hard and fast, something just the like side of hate sex has never been my thing. There isn't much development with Tay and Josh, they accept so much about their new circumstances with grace. Though there are flashes of a more serious side to Taylor. The more I see of Jota the more they remind me of Ezra and Aiden from Michaela Haze's Blood Sugar (a reverse harem I fully recommend to those who appreciate emotional romance btw). Given the execution intimacy with Jota and Chastain it does make me wonder what is in mind for Aiden. His personality type leaves plenty of space for options. I did have a realisation about Kim though. Did we know where in her family tree the money had come from? We do now and it wasn't who I expected. She is a mystery. We know more about them than her. That is a problem in a way it makes me wonder what ammunition is missing, and what could be used against her in the future. But her characterisation does make it easier for readers to window the world.

Have some quotes I liked (this gets out of control a little).

“And what am I supposed tae do, eh? Just sit here, twiddling my thumbs? Waiting by the phone like a fucking golf widow?” — Okay as you can guess by my love for Josh in the quotes I have a serious love for him in this book. Also, I adore this line so much. (Josh)

“We need badass, brainy, computer whizz, scientist Kim. Not doom and gloom Kim.” — I love how Jota build up Kim's confidence. (Taylor)

Can’t blame the lad, really. She might be a bit prickly at times, but she’s pretty enough, and insanely smart. — So it's lines like this that make me think there was a better way to bring Chastain and Kim together. Intelligence is his thing, something Kim has in spades. When I read this line I hoped that he was going to watch her work and have level of scientific and military competence do it for him. Not what we got. I'm sorry I keep coming back to it. (Chastain)

 “No, no,” Joshua replied, holding his hands up in surrender, “there’s no’ a scratch on her, mate. Or if there is, it was there beforehand and nothin’ tae do wi’ me. We didnae drive it there—though Taylor did lift yer keys just in case the alarm went off and we needed tae silence it.” The glower softened to a frown. “So what have you…?” As he trailed off, realisation took over his features, and he actually smiled. “Bloody hell, you carried it, didn’t you?” Looks like the show’s over. — The above popcorn gif is directly related to this exchange. I adore Josh and his superstrength and what he can do with it. (Joshua, Chastain and Kim)

“Smith?” Chastain barked. “That you?” “Of course it’s me,” came the irritable response. “Who else would be answering my bloody phone?” — Do not piss off the overworked and exhausted ER doctor. This is just oddly amusing though. I didn't expect it. (Chastain and Aidan)

And, God help her, she didn’t want it to be. Does this mean I have some kind of male harem now? — Kim and her realisations made me laugh. (Kim)

“Aye, I’m great, thanks. Had the time o’ my life whizzing down here just now. Wi’ no passengers, so tae speak, I can go at whatever speed I want tae—though I have tae be careful on uneven surfaces. Dinnae want tae trip. It’s fucking mental. I’m buzzing!” Aidan chuckled. “I can tell. You look like you’re high or something.” “Maybe I am.” — I cannot imagine Tay high... This made me laugh though, it's a perfect visual for what Taylor looks like after running between London and Greig & Greig Outdoor Pursuits Centre, which remains their base. (Taylor and Aidan)

The 3⭐ rating is due mostly to the scene between Kim and Chastain, they go from zero to one hundred in about two seconds. It feels clunky to me and I think there was a much better way for their attraction to play out. Chastain is attracted to intelligence, something Kim has in spades. If Chastain had been her last bed partner (not uncommon given he is the default leader) their attraction could have felt more comfortable and lasting rather than a flash in the pan. That said it cannot be denied that as the execution of their present chemistry, the way they can brush each other up the wrong way, hard, fast and ruthless on a kitchen countertop does work well. Just not for me.

[odekiisu]

Basic Guide to Clone Trooper Armour

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a hard time keeping the terms for various parts of clone armour straight in my mind. So, I decided to make this Guide To Armour, to make my life easier for those times I’m drawing or writing stuff and need to reference what this, that or the other piece is called, how it’s put on or taken off. (I’ve also tried to include/come up with some casual or slang terms for some parts because you cannot seriously expect these guys to use the Right Proper Terminology for everything all of the time.)

This is based on the Clone Wars cartoons, because that’s what I know best. Also, this is just the standard armour of regular troopers; if y’all want something about the possible additions/variations that you could have then lmk and I’ll see what I can put together I guess?

Note: a lot of this terminology is taken from medieval knights’ armour. Many terms are originally French; alternative names provided where possible. I did do a bit of research on medieval plate armour, which is the closest thing I can think of to clone armour, but I am by no means an expert so if you have any input or corrections feel free to @ me. Likewise, if you’ve cosplayed as a clone trooper or stormtrooper, I’d very much like to hear about your experience wearing this stuff, how it moves and how it might be similar or different to the “real thing” so to speak.

Figure 1: Clone trooper armour, front view. Kix got chosen for this because he’s a vain little bastard and loves to be painted. (ETA: this diagram now comes with a second, funnier version.)

(long post under cut)

Figure 2: Back view of armour.

According to Wookieepedia: The armour is produced on Kamino and has UV spectrum markings visible to Kaminoans. It is made of plastoid-alloy composite, and the plates are attached to the bodysuit via magnatomic gription panels. In general, Phase II armour is lighter, stronger and more ergonomic than Phase I, which has been described as heavy and uncomfortable (Wookieepedia also says that it weighs ‘just under forty kilograms’ which sounds like way too much but eh, I’ll roll with it.)

Body glove/bodysuit – the stuff worn under the armour. Provides thermoregulation, some level of protection from things like blasterfire, vacuum, etc. AKA: blacks.

Helmet – The Bucket. Stuffed full of various tech: tracking device, display screen, comlink… Phase I helmets also have life support capabilities, while Phase II helmets do not, requiring an external oxygen supply*. Helmet crest contains comlink antenna. AKA: bucket, I think Rex once called them sun-bonnets, etc… this is the piece likely to have the most slang terms associated with it. Go wild.

* this is according to Wookieepedia; I’m a bit sceptical but I haven’t yet seen the episode it refers to. I headcanon that Phase II is capable of limited life support for emergency situations, but extended missions require external respirators.

Cuirass – there is some conflicting information on whether this refers to just the front chest armour or both front and back. If both, it consists of breastplate and backplate, joined at the sides and shoulders. Shoulder connections appear to be different for Phase I and Phase II: Phase I has a separate piece covering the shoulder seam, implying that it can be opened, whereas Phase II looks like it has an integrated flexible band; it may or may not be possible to disconnect. Either way, the front and back pieces must be able to separate in order to get the whole thing on.

Plackart – belly piece, wraps around the back to protect kidneys as well. Probably flexible to some extent, has been seen to slide down under belt, as demonstrated by Jesse in Figure 3. Might also have to have at least one open-able seam in it in order for troopers to get into it efficiently.

Figure 3: I have no idea how the lower edge of this isn’t stabbing him in the crotch, but *shrug*.

Spaulder/shoulder bell – also known as pauldrons irl, but that term refers to a different item this context (the pauldrons that commanders, captains and ARC troopers wear), so I feel like it might be better to differentiate between them with different terms to avoid confusion. That’s just my opinion though, you feel free to do as you wish.

Rerebrace – bicep plate. Phase I has cutouts in the back to fit pointy elbows (see below); Phase II does not.

Couter – elbow plate. Pointy elbows in Phase I, unpointy elbows in Phase II, as shown on Figure 4. In Phase I appear to be attached to vambraces in the animated version, Phase II is more mobile. I admit, I’m not a huge fan of this word, I kinda prefer elbow plates.

Figure 4: Phase I and II elbows. Am I getting way too into this that it’s gotten to the point of studying clone elbows? *shrug* who knows.

Vambrace – forearm armour. Has wrist-mounted comlink (see below).

Gauntlet plate – covers back of hand. The 212th absolutely calls these “droid-punchers”, no you cannot convince me otherwise. I think I’ve seen fanon that some troopers sharpen the front edge of this plate to do more damage when punching. Decide for yourself if plastoid alloy would do more damage to the metal of a droid’s chassis if sharpened or unsharpened (and therefore sturdier).

Codpiece/crotch plate – covers the front hip and crotch area. Possible slang term, courtesy of @mockingjay34​: cockblock

Skidplate – covers butt and back hip. A lot of troopers probably just call this piece their shebs, and once again you cannot convince me otherwise. Note that in the clone wars cartoon, Phase I armour is triangular in the back and has a sort of erm… diaper shape, in that the codpiece and skidplate are connected in the crotch (I cannot imagine that being comfortable in any situation, but then again, I have Thicc™ Thighs. Do clones have thigh gaps? Also, I would not want to get pinched by the armour joint between crotch and thigh plates).

Figure 5: Sniper Butts! (Featuring Echo and Fives in quite possibly the only comfortable position in this armour.)

In Phase II the crotch and butt pieces are separated, which sounds a lot more sensible, as well as having better butt coverage – think cheeky panties vs full briefs.

Figure 6: Hardcase kindly demonstrating the new crotch plate alongside some significant gaps in his armour… please get yourself some bigger shoulder bells my dude!

I’d imagine that, given the amount of time these guys spend fully armoured, there should be some way of conveniently opening some of this up or removing individual plates for practical reasons (and if any particular trooper wanted to use this feature for… other things, well, that’s their own business).

Cuisse/Thigh plate – covers thighs. Phase I and II have different shapes in the back to account for skidplate shape, with Phase II having significantly less coverage in the upper thigh/butt area, but I guess better range of motion.

Figure 7: Troopers Hardcase and Dogma demonstrating the Butt Cutouts, or Buttouts.

Poleyn/knee plate/knee pad – important for maintaining kneecap integrity. Like elbow plates, appears to be integrated into greaves in Phase I, but moving freely in Phase II.

Greaves – cover shins, nothing fancy.

Boots – boots. Do not appear to be armoured, are soft enough to bend your toes for walking/kneeling/whatever you need bendy toes for.

Belt pouches/boxes/compartments – A place to keep your stuff when out & about. I’m assuming this is a Pocket Substitute. Clones deserve pockets too!

Comlink – Generally four large square buttons and one smaller one (live action has more buttons). They also have comlinks in their helmets. Wookieepedia mentioned that they used wrist comms in the show so that the audience could clearly see when characters were talking to each other. Possibly used for long-range communication, whereas the ones in the buckets could be for shorter range?

Life support/those box things on their back – I have no idea what they’re actually called but these also have different designs for Phase I and II. On stormtroopers they contain a power pack and a small oxygen supply, and I guess it’s reasonable to assume that they have the same life support function for clone troopers. Also read somewhere that they have comlink scanner for long-range communication?

Thermal detonator – why would they all have bombs on their back? Seems unsafe. Also I don’t think I’ve ever seen one used? Idk. These things confuse me.

[yostresswritinggirl]

Abandoned By The Altar

Part 2; When you grow older.

Vibe Here

A timeline oriented story focused on your once perfect childhood relationship as Diluc’s bride to be, soon becoming estranged after the death of his father and his neglect. You only wish now that he looks at you the same way he did when you heard you were supposed to be together forever when you were young.

Pairings -> Diluc x Reader, Kaeya x Reader if you squint (All young at the first parts)

Word Count -> 8170

Themes -> Initial Fluff, Angst, Fluff again

Series -> #Bonafide Specials (100 followers event) Part 1 Part 3

Warnings -> Character Death, Slightly suggestive themes

Diluc's heart almost leaped to his throat when he had finally seen you, found you, now conversing with the new member of the family his father had adopted just yesterday. Kaeya, was his name. He looked peculiar, and older than him too.

Despite your spritely aura, he noticed his now brother still wary and even tensed at your presence, so the younger boy finally made his way over. The training sword bouncing against his hip with every step, he made his way next to you, offering a smile as he gestured to the blunette. "I see you've met Kaeya, he's my new brother, he entered the house yesterday."

Your lively eyes that was wide with happiness from finally seeing Diluc now held a hint of wonder as it landed on Kaeya, a toothy grin presenting itself on your face. The blunette can't help but blink, "Hello there, big bro Kaeya! I'm (Y/N), my mother and father are good friends with Master Crepus!"

You offered a handshake and he took it only a second late, handshake light yet tight. "Oh! I'm also Diluc's financee." Fiancée, Diluc corrected again as your hands part from each other. "Yeah, that."

Kaeya's only visible eye suddenly flew wide open as he chokes on air. Did he hear that right? These two children in front of him, years younger than him, already fated to marry in the future. What kind of customs does Mondstadt had, he warily thought in the back of his mind as he watches you two interact.

What a sad life it must be to be forced to something like that so early, he thought to himself before he saw you reach out to Diluc's hand. And the redhead, upon noticing this started to remove his used and dirtied glove, before catching your outstretched hand easily.

Kaeya only watched with an uneasy smile. He supposed this is something he needs to get used to if he wants to stay.

And oh boy, it's not something he's gonna get used to easily, the skeptic boy thought as he found himself getting dragged around by the Winery by you. You were touring him around and inside to places he had yet to see, entering rooms that normal people probably had no access to. You knew the Winery as if you had a map on you, and he supposed he expected this much if you were that close to his... brother.

"Were you," the innocence of your eyes as you whipped your head up to look at him hurt his heart over how in contrast it was with his, "forced to be together with Diluc?"

You let out a scandalous gasp on which Kaeya had to stop himself from snorting. "Why, no! I'm the one who even asked him about it," his snort turned into that weird sound again. "He's my bestest friend and I want nothing more than to be by his side always!"

F-Friend? God, Kaeya's head had been experiencing a numbing headache lately.

With his desire to be part of the Knights of Favonius, Diluc had more often than not, neglected giving you attention so often that it was a stark contrast to the closeness you two had before. And on days where he held his training sword, he'd realize just how he missed you and your imposing hugs.

But he wanted- no- needed to get stronger. He was blessed by the Gods with a Vision, and the weak are meant to be protected, and he can't let himself be the useless person he had been the day you were on the brink of death. Even if you hid it perfectly well and brushed aside the incident when you came to, he noticed how the veins in your hand were a more prominent shade of blue now.

How your fingertips get easily cold and how you always clung to the warmth his hand gives off as a result of his Vision.

When Kaeya asked about you, about his Vision, about his ambitions— he complied almost instantly, like a valve opened fully, all the answers Kaeya was seeking flowed out seamlessly like running water.

As the oldest out of you three, despite the fact that you'd all only knew each other for three days, Kaeya had already felt the urge to protect and be there whenever Diluc had busied himself with his justified training. He'd watch your lips turn into a pout as your redhead drag himself back outside with his sword and Kaeya would then distract you from your disappointment.

Crepus had been witness to this grand scheme for a while now, relieved that his new son had at least started coping with the new environment and interactions. But your presence had always astounded the people around you, and comforted those the same age as you. Despite being on the road and barely making lasting friendships, it was a mystery how you managed to entrance people like that.

"Diluc is just pursuing his dreams," the redhead, your uncle, started as he sat next to you by the benches. Boar Princess, he noted as you closed the book you were reading, opting to look up at him with those doe eyes again. "I know you must feel lonely, having to wait for him and everything. But he's doing it for you too, to protect you."

Your eyelids drooped in the implications and your lips pursed into a pout as you turned back to watch Diluc spar with his instructor. You sighed again before whispering under your breath, "But aren't we supposed to be together forever..."

You felt a big hand ruffle your hair, making you whine on how messy it was now. How old were you again? 11 years? Eh, should be enough. "Sweet (Y/N), being Diluc's fiancée doesn't mean you need to be around him everytime," he started talking about your promise and that had finally drawn your full attention. "You have your own life, Diluc has his path to be a knight. Sometimes what you want doesn't go the same was as he wants, and the same goes for him to you. But in the end you still are together, and still treasure each other."

The thought of having a daughter never really passed the man's mind in his whole life, he mused as he watched your beaded eyes fleet back to Diluc, before once again finding itself to Crepus with a firmer resolve. You wanted to learn more and it's time you finally understand the gravity of your promise.

Crepus placed down his cup of grape juice and turned to you on the bench. "You know your mother and father and how they're together, right?" A soft nod. "You two will be just like that, in the future together. Not always together but always end up coming back to each other, because your parents love each other always. Do you want to be with Diluc that way? Do you love and support him like that?"

Your button nose cutely scrunched up in contemplation and shortly gave him a vigorous nod with a wide grin. He grins back. "Good, thank you, I'm sure that Diluc too would support you in your dreams."

As if he had a sixth sense, the young master Diluc felt as if his name was being mentioned in important business as his eyes passes over the bench where you two reside. Sensing the distraction, his instructor finally allowed him a break, and the first thing he did was jog over to the two of you, "Father, (Y/N)." He watched you as you scrambled to climb down the bench, hurriedly taking off his dirtied glove to assist you down.

Crepus once again hid his smile behind his drink as he watched you bound over to him, the same fire in your eyes as you placed your hands on the child's shoulderd firmly. "Diluc, I love you!" You loudly declared before smashing your lips to his— Crepus spits his grape juice. "I'll support your dreams to the end-! Ahhhh, Diluc fainted! Uncle, HELP!"

The young master woke up a few hours later to you crying over and over, saying sorry for 'breaking him again.' Crepus and your parents were by the side, your mother's horrified face concealed by her hand after hearing what you've done.

Oh dear, the Ragnvindr thought to himself, my son is a sub.

Ever since that day, the people around you have started preparing you for your future of refinement and adulthood. You were no Vision-wielder unlike Diluc, and your handling swords were nothing to boast about. Your parents are businessmen and as their only child it would be you that will be inheriting and operating the work that they had built up, and so naturally that was the route you had to pick.

Your tutoring and Diluc's continuous training to get into Ordo Favonius made it hard for you both to spend more time with each other. Toys were replaced by books and swords, garden of Cecilias changed to libraries and training dummies.

Crepus, as a father and an uncle, alternates his time between you two. At times he'd be the one sparring with his child and grating the principles of knighthood to him, and on rare occasions that you were there, he walks you around as he talks about the wine industry and the operations of his business. Both of you started growing, separately, but there was a similar flame representing your spirit within both of your eyes.

Diluc entered the ranks of the Knights when he was 14, and Crepus was overwhelmed by the achievement his son finally reached, of the dream he once had when he was a child. In that same age range, you've also ended up making a name for yourself as the youngest business entrepreneur and economic scholar, your name and prodigy reached past Liyue...

And in your hands lay a perfectly white envelope enclosed with the insignia of Sumeru. The Academia invites you into a scholarship program once you turned 18.

Your whole family rejoiced at the recognition and the opportunity and you wept in tears of happiness. Finally, your young mind cried, you were finally something worthy to be next to Diluc instead of a normal person that can't be blessed by the Gods.

A party had been in order for both milestones, and more prestigious individuals from all over Teyvat were present. Something came up before the party that forced you to be late once again, and Diluc realized just how long you hadn't seen each other, more so spent time with each other. Kaeya stood next to him before nudging him with an elbow slightly, "What's got you so worried, brother? You shouldn't frown on your own party."

At the remark, Diluc stood straighter and fixed his frown. Why is it now that he was reminded of your promises and dwindled time? In the back of his mind, he realized just how much at fault he was for being neglectful. The spark you two had felt estranged and distant, feeling as tho things won't come back to the way they were.

The Court Marshal's booming voice suddenly announced your family name and the hall turned silent as everyone lifted their gaze to the grand entrance. Your bedazzled self stood there in your ombre dress, short sleeve matched with elbow gloves, and a resin Cecilia hairpiece holds itself on the crown of your head.

Diluc and Kaeya, and several other boys in the crowd gasped at your regal aura. Was this really YOU? The same girl that spit a grape on his hand/complimented a stranger's eyepatch? You stood with the poise of a refined woman and your face enlightened with a subtle artificial blush. Gone was your toothy grin and replaced with respectful smile as you made your way through the crowd.

Suddenly the nervousness came crashing back to the knight and he scrambled to pick himself up as the distance between you two shortened.

"Master Diluc," you curtsied and he inwardly doubled over at the formality, finding it almost detesting. "I'm glad to meet you again."

"(Y/N)," he bowed with a hand on his chest. "You don't need to be so formal."

The respectful smile on your face turned into a full-blown grin, the one he was used to, as you barreled towards him for a hug. Purely due to instincts and conditioning, Diluc was quick to catch you into his arms to reciprocate the hug. Disappointed gasps and whines echoed through the hall at the display, but they stood there in awe as they watched, for the rare sight of the young master's genuine smile was there for all to see.

As you two first danced the night away, it was finally brought onto everyone the fact that young master Diluc and young mistress (Y/N) were already fated together.

The ballroom parted to give way to you two as you chatted the missed times together, falling easily into steps while updating each other of the things you had done. It's true, you two may had gone your separate ways and lost time but in the end, you'll find yourself in each other's embrace.

The darkness of the knight embraces the winery as crystalflies dance by the vines and the surrounding grassland. The freshly signed contract made its way in between the pages of the personal journal before it was pushed into the luggage together with the packed clothes.

There was a thick silence in the room as Diluc continued watching with his lips tight, leaning against the doorframe. A tension was obvious, but it wasn't between you two, but it was also against you two.

Tomorrow at high noon marks your official departure to Sumeru now that you had finished your secondary education, at the prime age of 18. All things necessary had been prepared, a convoy of knights to guide you until you reach past the border of the continent, and in that security is Kaeya. Cavalry Captain Diluc had matters to work on in the capital, it was not his official job to officiate your leave. Even if he wanted to.

It was one of the instances, of the many, that being a knight had pulled him away from you.

"Something's on your mind, I can feel it," Diluc snapped out of his thoughts when he felt the ghost of your fingertips brush away the hair framing his face, cupping both of his cheeks like you've always done. He takes one into his hand, squeezing it lightly as he offers a small smile.

"So are you, your hands are trembling," and indeed they were. You huffed at being caught but recovered, pulling him into your room and on to your bed. There were numerous times when you'd sleep together on the same bed when you missed each other; you were both 8 that time, now you laid there as 18 years olds. The implications had him gulp while you seemed unbothered.

"Four years," you recounted as you flopped back on your mattress, the room you took for yourself in the winery ever since you arrived 10 years ago. "Maybe lesser, depending on how well I do."

"You'll do good," he assured as he kicked off his boots and climbed next to you, now laying on his side to face you. Your eyes fluttered shut with a sigh and he couldn't hell but blush at the way your eyebrows scrunched together with your pursed lips, "I believe in you."

"It's the longest we'll be separated, you can easily find another girl that would bother you enough to get you to marry her." You both snorted at the idea, before laughing in harmony at the joke.

"Mmm, I should be saying that to you. Scholars and prestigious men attend the Academia, they can easily sweep you away with their wits," he bit back and you laughed at the idea. How funny the predicament is, joking about getting stolen the same day you finally signed your arranged marriage contract.

Talks about anything and everything blew the night away easily. Diluc can see in your eyes that the nerves within you wouldn't let you sleep, and keeping him locked in constant conversation would prevent him from leaving. He entertained you this much, uncharacteristically chatty, as if repaying the four years that will go by without each other. And at the back of Diluc's mind, his worry of losing you in those four years started to manifest and cloud his thoughts into a fairly sensible doubt.

"Lulu!" He yelped as he felt a sudden bite on his cheek, reflexively pushing you down by the shoulders under him to suppress the assault. He was strong, you'd forgotten this new fact. As you laid sprawled under him as heavy breathing mixed in between.

You gripped the wrists of his hands that now stands next to your head to keep him there. His eyes were wide yet bashful. You called out to him again and it was almost a whine, asking him to tell you what's in his mind, what's worrying him and distracting him like this.

And he spilled all his insecurities, for every word that slipped past his lips, his heart relaxes while his eyes clenches. Somewhere in the middle of his rant, you had his cheeks captured in your palms again, to swipe at the tears that passes by. He worked his ass off to become a knight so he can protect you but you will be too far for his claymore to reach you, he wouldn't be there to hold your hand so you don't go off on your own and wonder to somewhere dangerous. And he wouldn't be there to bring you into his arms to remind that he exists, the one and only person meant to be for you.

Diluc doesn't know when he started falling in love, he doesn't know when he started wanting your company as a lover. But he knows there would be men that would look at you the way he does, easily captivated by your aura and your beauty. And if they were to take your hand, he wouldn't know. He wouldn't know when he had lost you, if he had lost you already.

Diluc was an honest man to you, and he was honest when he said he was scared to lose you.

"I belong to you," you started as your fingers softly pats his cute reddened cheeks. "And only you. I'll get a ring and don it on my hand to let the world know, I'll write letters to you as many times as I can so you'll know I'm still alive and yours." You pulled him closer, foreheads touching each other, as you stared at the red windows to his soul. He nods in agreement, slightly assured.

"I want to stay here tonight," somehow you urged the words out of him so easily everytime. The introverted boy you once knew stood on his own feet now, proudly, "Just so I don't forget you easily."

"I won't let you forget me at all," Diluc froze from taking off his vest when he saw you with a mischievous glint in your eyes, "Not after tonight." Oh boy.

It was the devil's hour when you twirled a strand of his untied hair, wild and curly, around your finger. Luscious and thick, silky yet unkempt. "Don't cut your hair," you mumbled as you leaned against his bare chest, sending a smile as you tilt your head up to see him chuckle, "It looks better long, I want it extra long when I come back!" He mumbles his agreement against the crown of your head.

When the sun rose high in the sky and the caravan was set to go, many of the servants of the Winery had expressed their congratulations and their good lucks to your new milestone. Your parents were more worried than not knowing their only child, nomad at heart, shall venture the world alone for four years away from them. You were crying angrily at how they made it so sentimental, forcing the waterworks out of you.

Crepus had already given his goodbyes and stood to the side with Diluc before the clock struck exactly 4 PM. The man's vigilant eyes however did not miss the fact that you and Diluc seem to lack the necessary sleep to power through the day, even tho half of it is already gone. How they grow up so fast.

When you found yourself bounding over to Diluc one last time, he took your hand ever so gently, still coming into terms of your departure. You only hum idly as he stares at your bare hands, before suddenly he presented two silver rings of infinity. You had to stop yourself from gasping aloud, "A promise ring, so that everyone in Sumeru knows there's someone waiting for you back home already." His red gaze averted to the side in fluster, gingerly sliding the band to your ring finger as he did the other to his own.

Home. Yes, Mond is now your home, and specifically next to him is where you belong. You shared your last kiss before Kaeya had finally called for the carriage to start ascending, on the dot. You peeked out of the carriage one last time as you waved your goodbyes to everyone, the silver band catching the light of the sun as it shines with promise.

Diluc wished goodbyes to you that day. And as he turns to his father to board their own horseback and carriage, he ends up losing two people on the same day.

Dearest Diluc,

I hope this letter finds you well. The Academia had been very accommodating ever since I arrived, there are a lot of people here from all over Teyvat, just like you had thought! I felt quite lonely and inferior when I entered but I've gained nice companions along the way and things became easy. With my exposure to our families' businesses, studies were actually easier than I expected them to be. There's been talks with the professors of me being accelerated half a year with my progress, it seems four years may not be accurate.

I've also gained myself a senior, a really kind and intelligent upperclassmen. His name is Cyno, a nice gentleman. He's been teaching me on weapon mastery since he's really good with a polearm. You use a Claymore, right? If I come back wielding a polearm, I want to spar! But don't worry about him, he knows of our betrothal and his boundaries.

How's being the captain there? I hope Uncle Crepus and Kaeya are doing well with you mostly in Mond's city now. It seems the Academia doesn't really receive letters for 'security reasons' hence why I haven't received any of your letters. But no matter, I'm sure you're doing far better than I am, you're much stronger and capable now afterall! Make sure to take care of yourself always, get some breaks and eat your meals! I don't want to see you so skinny and weak when I get back!

Forever Yours,

(Y/N)

There is bliss in ignorance. As you fold up the letter into the envelope, the door to your room echoes a knock before it softly opens to reveal your upperclassman. His gaze falls on the envelope on your hand in silent question to which you return with a smile and a nod, standing up from your study table as you followed Cyno out of the dormitories to the Academia's post office.

It had been a year since you left Mondstadt, a year since you've last seen Diluc, and a year since Crepus had died. Your parents, not wanting you to be distracted by the loss and dent your studies over such matters, opted to refrain from informing you of the grave news. It has also been a year since you started writing letters to Diluc and never received a reply.

"Time will go by quickly, and you'll be back before you know it," the Sumeru denizen beside you reassured you of your lack of correspondence and you offered a smile at his niceties. It doesn't worry you that Diluc wasn't able to contact you like so, you only wish that he was able to receive your little notes so he's reminded to take care of himself.

Yet as you pass the envelope to the postman, there was still an uneasy feeling on the back of your mind. You turn around with a curious hum, calmly and slowly scanning the grounds of the Academia before walking once again to catch up with your senior, clutching the silver ring close to your chest as you fell back into idle chatter.

Once you've disappeared behind the doors of your next class, a lone man stands straight on one of the tower's roof. The warm wind of Sumeru washes by him in a force enough to whisk away his hood, but he did not care. He did not care over the way his red hair spills all over his shoulders as it danced with the wind.

Diluc only heaved a sigh before leaping back into the shadows on his last day in the desert nation, finding no proper clue and heading to the next nation over. But not before stealing a freshly folded letter from the shelf of a certain post office.

Two years. Two years. Sumeru Academia sent you off on graduation with both striking awe and somber disappointment. After losing the prodigy Lisa, they were now losing you, the now renowned master practitioner of economics. You did so well, SO WELL in fact, that your four years stay ended in just two because of your numerous acceleration as a year in you're already conversing with the modern founders of the practice.

They wanted you to stay longer but you've had your fair share of knowledge and waiting. Everyone knew of your relationship predicament, understanding where you're coming from, yet to leave another prodigy to Mondstadt. It was unnerving for them, but your smile had been nothing but reassuring. You comforted those with the promise of correspondence and accommodation, if they so wish to find time and pass by Mondstadt in the future.

And hence you find yourself in Dawn Winery, your luggage and naginata as your only companion. You barged in like nobody's business and started looking around for anyone- Kaeya, Uncle Crepus, Diluc- yet no one showed up. Servants are scarce and almost non-existent, you were confused beyond comprehension.

A set of footsteps echoed behind you and you twisted around in excitement, only to see one of the higher attendants you still remember, Elzer. "M-Mistress (Y/N)! Y-You're ali- you're here!" You cocked your head to the side, unsure of how to take his slip up.

Ah, right, priorities. "Have you seen where anyone is? Kaeya, Master Crepus, Diluc? I passed by here first since it's on the way but I can't find anyone!" The gravity of the change gnawed at you from the pit of your stomach, and you nibbled at your bottom lip at the flash of emotions that passed his face.

"We're unsure where Master Diluc is currently, but Master Kaeya is in Mondstadt-" A lead! Diluc must be patrolling somewhere in the city anyways so you bolted out of the mansion, thanking the man before he can finish answering all your questions. As you left so loudly, in your wake the other servants were now aware of your presence, and the feeling of dread revives in the Winery.

Two years must have gone by longer than you expected it to be, this thought passed you as you went through the main gates of the City of Freedom. The knights that were usually on guard are those you've never seen before, and the people around you barely spared you a glance with no recognition. Even the ones stationed at the entrance of the Ordo Favonius HQ were completely new when you went over to ask.

"Have you seen- do you know where the uhm," you paused in remembrance, "The Cavalry Captain. Do you know where he is?" With how new they were, you figured Diluc would be known by his title instead.

One of them nods and pointed at the Cathedral, "Yes, Ma'am. He's just finished an expedition and are conversing with the healers in the church." Finally, an exact location! You thanked them and flew off once again.

And so you found yourself in front of the altar of the anemo archon, alone in the completely silent establishment. There were no whispers to guide you or people to tell you where he is, it was too quiet, and you were turning helpless. Offering your bow to the statue you turned to walk back down the aisle, only to see a familar figure staring at you as if you were a ghost haunting-

"(Y/N)?" You gasped and ran towards him.

"Kaeya! You're here!" You embraced him softly, careful of the confusing clothing and the hanging polearm on your back. He embraced you just the same, a hearty laugh masking the nervousness on the back of his throat.

"Aren't you supposed to come home two years later?" Kaeya inquired as he stepped back from the hug, suddenly smirking, "Or are you telling me you ran away from school?"

You smacked his arm with a whine at such a preposterous accusation, harder than you'd intended as you heard him wince. Oh goodness, your training with Cyno really made you strong. "Ahhh, no, no! I finished early because I was too good ahah, who would've thought!" The blunette let out a rare snort on that of which only spurred on your laughter.

The familiarity of another had eased the tension on your shoulders as you conversed freely about everything that had transpired for you, how things had been and- you've realized now just how tired you were from the long travel you'd gone through even tho you were used to such lifestyle when you were young.

After things had died down, you finally asked, "Where's Diluc?" And the twinkle of lax delight hardened at the question. He took a few seconds to start as his eye shifted left and right, and your knees were shaking from the implications-

And then he finally told you everything. The death of Crepus. Diluc giving up his Vision. Him disappearing for two year, without return. All the disaster that had happened the moment you left.

Your legs gave out as your knees hit the floor painfully, it will probably bruise later but you couldn't get yourself to care. If you hadn't left that day, would it have gone differently? Would you be able to make him stay? You should have been there to comfort him, to be by his side and yet-

Please tell me you're joking, you cried out so desperately to Kaeya who dropped down to gather you into his arms. But you knew better than that, he knew you knew better than that, so he didn't answer. And the altar behind you listened to the echoed screams and cries of a maiden abandoned by grief and love.

And Kaeya stayed for as long as you needed him to be. And in the back of his mind, a bitterness bit—

That should have been Diluc, holding you and comforting you.

That should be him, showing you where Crepus Ragnvindr's gravestone lies to pay your respects.

That should have been him who stayed.

It had been almost two years now since you've gone back to Mondstadt, almost four years since Diluc disappeared, together with him he took away your hopes and promises. The talk about your arranged marriage had become taboo to the people who still knows, but they don't comment on the ring that still lingered around your finger.

Besides finally taking over the business in Mondstadt (your parents had established one in Fontaine while you were away) and being pursued by scholars all over the world, you've been dealing with the pain silently and alone. Numbing soon. Every passing day with no news of him claws at the idea of him being alive even, and the thought sickens you to death.

It was one of those nights when you couldn't sleep and had decided to stroll around the city during the dead of the night to clear your head. Your parents had sent you a letter of recall to Fontaine, asking you to leave the business to the managers. They didn't exactly put it into words, but you knew your parents better than anyone: you should stop hoping he'd return, was what they wanted to say.

You rubbed your forearm as you continued your walk. It must have been your time with Sumeru that made you so vulnerable to the cold now, was your thought process as another chilly wind passed by you. And then you heard it—

An echoed cackle and a crackle of icicles.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood straight as you stumbled to the side, narrowly missing a flying icicle. Thank goodness Sumeru Academia required combats class, you thought as you darted straight through the alleys, the Abyss Mage hot on pursuit. This was the worst time to leave your freaking polearm at your house, you screamed at yourself as you vaulted over empty crates before coming out of another street.

“Look out!” A gruff voice shouted as a sudden wall of black? fire manifested behind you. You heard the icicle melting as it touched the wall and dissipated with it, revealing a figure cloaked in pure black. Back turned to you, the Abyss Mage continued its assault which was now focused on the intruder. And their clash started just like that.

You hopped back when another barrage of icicle rain was summoned. This guy had a Vision(?) but it was something you’ve never seen before, nor had encountered in your classes about the elements. You can’t leave him now, not like this, and so you picked up a slab of wood from a broken crate. Abyss mages have shields yes, you need to break that.

Without a moment’s hesitation, you leaped over the ledge that’s in level with the floating enemy (again, thanks for the acrobatic lessons) and brought down the hard wood over the mage’s head. It produced a sickening crunch as the shield broke under pressure as well as fall through and hit it square in the head! It dropped back to the floor momentarily, and it made you aware that you two were plummeting to the ground.

You pulled your limbs close and braced for impact- “Shit, I got you.” You felt something cold and thin wrap around your body before it guided you to the cloaked person’s awaiting arms, stumbling a bit at the weight. You grunted at the inertia before you met eyes with orbs of red within a shadow, it looked at you widely behind an owl mask(?) and you looked back with a squint. Who?

Your little moment was interrupted when the Abyss Mage started rising from the ground again, slightly swaying from the blow you hit it with earlier. In alarm, you quickly placed your feet down to stand, the chains around you easily slinking away back to the person’s cloak. The man then stands in front of you protectively, cursing under his breath, “You need to leave, it’s too dangerous.” There was a weird strain in his voice now.

This made you scoff, so loud and offended, that you felt the man be taken aback by your response. “You can’t even disable the shield in time,” you ignored the way he seemingly cringed back to this cloak as you stood next to him, slab of wood at the ready, “Don’t worry about me, I had lessons.” Now it was his turn to scoff but relented anyways, as if he knew well enough that you’re not falling back easily.

Batarangs flew from his cloak as it hit the Abyss on the arms and chest, screeching in pain at the unexpected attack. You rushed over and clubbed his hand that held the staff, kicking it far away when it was dropped. A chain then latches around its waist as it was pulled to the cloaked man, who delivered a quick kick to its stomach when it neared, sending it crashing to the wall.

That was so... exciting! You gasped at the thrill of the fight, slightly hopping and clapping at yourself as you smiled at the stranger with the widest grin you had mustered ever since you came back. His gait was tense when walked up to you, past you, in front of you as he looked around for any onlookers or dwellers of the night that had witnessed the commotion. “That was really cool, what kind of power was that? You look like you’ve done this multiple times before.”

You heard the most subtlest sigh when you were sure you whisked away his attention, slowly he turns to his side but not sparing you a direct view. From what you can tell, he wore a LOT of black under that black cloak. “You shouldn’t have stayed,” he started with a sigh as he finally turned to you fully, “Who knows what could have happened-”

“WATCH OUT!” You shoved him by the shoulder as you threw your slab with a force so mighty it broke the face of the mage, immediately disintegrating into ashes and dissipating with the wind. Under you your companion grunted from the pain of being thrown to the floor, and when he looked up, he was scrambling to catch you again.

The icicle impaled through your thigh coaxed out and coated with blood as dark spots danced on your vision from the pain and blood loss. The man pulled you up against his chest, hushed whispers of panic begging you to stay awake as he was wary of the shrapnel still in you.

But you were stubborn. And so you fainted.

The next day when you awoken in your bed, the night before would have easily been passed off as a fever dream if not for the bandaged injury on your leg that had you immobilized for days. When the citizens of Mond finally got a hold of you and asked about the incident, you gave them as much information as you could about your hero,

“He was an unknown hero that appeared at the dark of the night.”

Days passed by and you heard rumors in passing of the one named Darknight Hero. The name made you facepalm.

The faithful day happened three weeks after the encounter with the "Darknight Hero" when you finally recovered from your injury, able to walk around and do your daily rounds of work and deliver the paperwork of the margins of the sales and cost-effectiveness of your family's business in connection to Angel's Share. You had prepared so many documents all hailing from your numerous studies in the Academia, graphs and studies of the data Elzer had expertly combined for you lay in your arms in a bundle of folders.

The tower had to be carried by two hands, and you grunted as you bumped your bottom against the thick door of the tavern, using your hip to swing it open with mighty force. "Ugh, Charles, here's all the economic reports I finally finished after three week-" if not for the man himself, the floor of the tavern would have turned into a sea of papers as your fingers trembled and slackened at the sight.

His towering build, the thick main of red hair, it's all him. The moment the weight from your arms departed, you immediately stumbled over to him, eyes wide and mouth open to call out to him, "Diluc-!" But he flinched away from you instead of meeting you halfway through. And that slight movement halted you in your tracks, eyes wide with horror and pain from the rejection.

Diluc's eyes widened at the change, his gaze passing at Charles before back at you, reluctantly gesturing at your bandaged thigh he spoke, "You should be careful with that injury, don't want it to open up." His voice had a rough edge to it now, deeper yet still veiled with velvety smoothness.

"You're here," your disappointment from earlier was changed from the enlightenment of the situation. His jaw tightened at the sight of the tears that started falling from your eyes, "You're alive!"

Forced away by Charles with the promise of taking over the tavern for the day, you and Diluc took a stroll around the city. Enthusiastic of catching up, you talked endlessly about your years in the Academia and the last two years that you had stayed in Mondstadt before his arrival. Yet opposite of your upbeat chatter, Diluc stayed silent and forward-looking, offering only nods and grunts in between your pauses that asks him if he was still listening. Everytime your hand brushed his when you walked too close, he'd immediately pull his hand back and step away from your personal space.

It was a one-sided conversation. And it ended quickly as it had started.

You stood now at the stairs of the cathedral, overlooking the imposing statue of the Anemo archon. Your location made you remember something, and you opened up another topic, "Your brother, Kaeya told me about what happened four years ago." His apathetic gaze suddenly turned cold as his shoulders tensed. "Diluc, I'm sorry for what happened and-"

"He's not my brother, (Y/N)," you've never thought there would come a day when you'd hear such venom come from his sweet lips. Nor the cold glare that was now in full view, directed at you, "And you shouldn't go around trusting that guy, he's nothing but trouble."

The lump now stuck in your throat prevented you from responding, but you figured you didn't have the chance to do so anyways. As Diluc had ended his warning, he turned away and started walking back to the direction of the tavern, muttering something about work needed to be done.

You tried to reach for his hand before he could have gone too far, but you froze a few seconds away- and then he was gone, out of your grasp, leaving you alone at the steps of the cathedral without a look to spare.

Your cradled your hand to your chest as you felt your eyes water again, the overwhelming distance now opening the truth in your gaping heart as you wept in silence: The promise ring was missing from his hand.

Days had gone by after that where you sat in the background in idle wait, observing as subtle as you can be, hovering around him. The Diluc that you once knew was different from the Diluc who disappeared for four years, and the differences screamed at your face at every one you picked up:

His soft gaze now seems hardened and hooded, as cold as the cryo slimes and as deep as the ocean floor. Whenever you look at them, you always feel as tho he was years away, in a place unreachable. Even when they fall on you, there's a hidden emotion behind them, but they never once softened at the sight of you.

Around his hands were thick gloves of either pure red or another black-red variant. They were rough and never off, hot and grazed with years of use. It was different, so different from the white ones you had gifted him on his birthday. You placed a grape on his palm once and giggled at the memory, expecting him to look at you with recollection, but he only stared at the grape before shaking his head. And he turns away from you to get back at his work.

Diluc's hair was longer than you've ever seen before. It reached past the middle of his back when it had only grew by the shoulder when you've last seen it. It was fluffier and wilder, held up by a ponytail that you can't even see past the thickness. You loved running your hand through it before and Diluc had always felt at ease when you do that; you reached your hand out to touch the ends of his long hair, but he immediately turned to you before you could even feel it on the edge of your fingertips, caught by the cold squint of his eyes. No matter how many attempts, he always managed to stop you.

Another thing that had changed was his wardrobe. There were barely traces of the white knight aesthetic he had when you were still young, no, now he felt shrouded in the darkness of the knight. Made to blend with the shadows, he dons all black besides his undershirt. He resembles no trace of the knight he once was when you look at him.

The last detail you hated the most was the way he had been... secretive to you, and anyone in general. For this reason alone, you barely visited the Winery now, only coming there for business purposes or to converse with the servants that still remembered you. Whenever other matters were to be discussed, you're almost immediately ushered out by one of his men, no questions asked. This had became so commonplace that you started seeing yourself out the moment the air felt unwelcoming.

The more you notice, the more you felt farther away from the Diluc you knew. But this was the same man you loved, and still love. The grief had changed him, the disappearance had changed him, but nothing can change the fact that he was the same person that held your hand when it felt cold.

Speaking of, you clutched the hand you spoke of as you felt the breeze pass by you. The sea of Cecilias danced with an orchestrated flutter, as if singing to you in music of their petals grazing one another. Ah, you realized, this was the same exact place you first met Diluc.

"Is your hand cold again?" He spoke from the table under the gazebo where you delivered the perfectly arranged document. This time you dealt with the matter of tax revenue and compiled the business proposals of those that had attended the party he hosted with the seneschal.

You simply nodded and he sighed. The disappointment breaking your heart into a million pieces, "You should know by now to wear gloves or long sleeves whenever you're out. You must have gotten lackluster due to the climate of Sumeru, you should fix that."

You felt the tears bite at your eyes painfully again. As of recently, you've been crying a lot more than you had ever been in your life. And yet these ones flowed with ease, without a hiccup or a sob, almost liberating. "I'll be leaving for Fontaine tomorrow," the shuffling of the papers stopped behind you, "Flint will be handling the management of the franchise here, I've taught him the necessary computations so you can trust the reports he'll give to the Winery. Mother and father wants me to focus on the expansion of the business, after all."

There was a moment of silence before the shuffling began again and with that pushed the final sword into your heart. You bowed your head, smiling to the Cecilias that caught your tears in their petals, "Thank you for everything, make sure you take good care of yourself, okay?" You didn't know if you were talking to the Cecilias or Diluc.

But you felt lighter than ever, as if the last chain that pulled you down were finally broken.

And you took a small step, and then another, bigger one this time. For the first time since you're back to the city, you finally breathed in relief and without restraints.

Soon you were making distance and you were finally ready to go,

until a gloved hand pulled you back. Your gasp caught into your throat as your head whipped to stare at him, his eyes just as wide as yours. "What," he breathed out helplessly and you've noticed how short his breathing was, did he chase you? "What do you mean? You're not leaving forever, right?"

Forever. You felt the warmth of the gloved ones in your hand squeeze as you saw a faint light return in the depths of his glossy eyes, and you felt it—

The reassurance of your promise, as you squeezed back—

Underneath his thick gloves, red and black, you've finally noticed—

If he hadn't finally let his hand find yours, you wouldn't have felt the ring hidden underneath the cloth.

You beamed at him with eyes full of adoration and pure hope, of a grin pearly white that it almost shone as it caught the sun, he felt burned by it— but before he could escape, he was tackled to the ground with loud laughter.

@boxofteenageideas @creation-magician @your-local-venti-simp @indigodreamtime47

[gintamatranslations]

3Z Ginpachi Sensei: Funky Monkey Teachers - Lecture 3 “Playing Doctor as adults is not the same as playing Doctor as children”  - Chapter 1

This is the first chapter of lecture 3 titled "Playing Doctor as adults is not the same as playing Doctor as children"

Disclaimers:

1) No reposting on your own blogs or copying of the translation text itself.

2) If you can afford it, please buy the official releases in japanese. If you want more content, you need to support through buying the products!

3) I do not own anything related to the Gintama franchise. This is a fan translation and I do not gain financial profit from it.

4) Mistakes and mistranslations might happen a lot. I am learning japanese for barely a year now. I try to translate the japanese text into a logical english structure, but that is hard with my limited knowledge

Chapter Masterlist here

(Translator note: GinTsu action let’s go!!)

There was a man who could only be seen as a suspicious person. 

He had long, carelessly grown hair and he was wearing some kind of pointedly designed sunglasses.

Such a man was standing under a tree planted behind the gym.

No, he wasn't just standing there, he was constantly reaching for a certain branch.

When looking at the branch, you could see that there was a white piece of cloth stuck to it and he was reaching for it. The triangular white cloth did not look like pants at all. 

―but at this point of his observation, Sakata Ginpachi, who was on his way to the school building in the morning, decided that the man was a suspicious person..

Ginpachi, who had gone through the back gate instead of the main gate and headed for the back of the gym as a shortcut, spotted the man.

The man ― to tell the truth, actually appeared in the manga as the Toyako Hermit, but here at Gintama High School, such achievements are irrelevant.

A man who is not a member of the faculty of Gintama High School is reaching behind the gym in the morning for what appears to be a pair of pants caught on a tree branch.

More importantly, there was also a large black bag under the man's feet.

‘Panty thief,’ Ginpachi thought.

He also thought there probably was a lot of underwear in that bag, so he called out to him.

He was suspicious, so of course didn’t speak kindly to him.

“Oi, what the fuck are you doing?”

The Toyako Hermit's shoulders quivered, and he looked back at Ginpachi. The frightened look on his face deepened Ginpachi's suspicion.

“You Panty thief!”

“Eh? No, You’re wr - “ He was about to say, "I'm sorry," when Ginpachi started to furiously run towards the Hermit.

Arrest of a suspicious person → His reputation goes up → He gets a reward bonus, right? 

It was a simple chart that led him to this action.

Seeing Ginpachi's sudden attack, the Toyako Hermit fled in a panic and his escape was faster than he had expected.

“Hey, Wait!” Ginpachi yelled.

Just around the corner from the gym, a teacher appeared.

Nice timing for a female teacher wearing a white coat and a miniskirt! 

"Tsukuyo! Get him! He's a pervert!” Ginpachi shouted to Tsukuyo.

Tsukuyo didn’t say anything, but she understood and made a move. 

She quickly stepped in front of the fleeing man, grabbed him by the wrist, and threw him violently to the ground. When Hermit was slammed into the ground with a thud, he simply fainted.

"Ah, yeah! You did it!" Ginpachi said, stopping by Hermit's side. The Toyako Hermit stretched out on the ground, his eyes white and fully unconscious.

“That man, ..who is this person?” Tsukuyo asked. 

“A panty thief,” Ginpachi replied and smiled, pointing to the spot where the Toyako Hermit had been standing earlier.

"See how those pants are stuck on that tree branch over there? He was reaching for it."

"Uh, are those ......really pants?" Just when Tsukuyo was looking at him doubtfully, the wind picked up. The white cloth, which had been caught on the branch, was blown into the air.

"Oh, ......?" Ginpachi lifted one eyebrow.

The cloth that flew in the air was not pants by any means, but just a handkerchief.

Actually, there is a big difference between a pair of pants and a handkerchief.

"Ginpachi, are ya sure yer not just making hasty assumptions?" Tsukuyo said. 

No. ...... No, no ......," Ginpachi said, gulping. “Don't jump to conclusions. You can't be too optimistic, because when I called out to him, he freaked out and ran away."

Yer had just simply taken him by surprise, hadn’t ya? The reason why he ran away might be ‘cause you tried to attack him without even questioning him,” she said and Ginpachi couldn't argue with her.

However, it has not yet been determined that Tsukuyo’s theory was correct.

"No, no, no, no, he's a pervert. There's bag’s probably full of underwear!”

"If yer so sure, why don't ya check it out?" Tsukuyo said and Ginpachi went to get the black bag that seemed to belong to the Toyako Hermit. Tsukuyo and him opened it together. 

What came out was a white coat, a stethoscope, and something that looked like a penlight - in short, a set of medical instruments used by doctors.

“I knew it,” Ginpachi smirked and nodded. “This guy was a pervert who liked to dress up as doctors. Yea, you were right to beat him up.”

“No, ......,” Tsukuyo said in a calm voice. “He's not a cosplayer, he's a real doctor, isn't he?

“Eh, for real?!”

“Aaah ...... What day is it, by the way?” 

Ginpachi replied, and Tsukuyo nodded.

"Hmm, no doubt about it. This man’s a real doctor. Because today’s the day of the physical examination and health checkup,” Tsukuyo said and pulled out a printed sheet from her skirt pocket.

The printout was a monthly schedule for the staff, and today's column was indeed labeled as "Third Grade Physical and Health Examination’. Next month, Gintama High School was scheduled to have a sports festival. The purpose of today's physical and health checkup was to check the health of the students before the sports festival.

“Apparently, this man was an officially hired doctor from our school.,” Tsukuyo continued. 

“An officially hired…,” Ginpachi muttered and looked back at the Toyako Hermit stretched out on the ground. He wasn't dead, but he also didn’t show any signs of waking up.

But then again, if this guy doesn't get up, of course the physical examination won’t take place. It was inevitable that there would be an uproar, "What's going on, why hasn't the doctor come?”

That was not good.

This was a very bad situation.

He mistook him for a suspicious person and she knocked him unconscious by violently throwing him. ...... They won’t get away with it. 

Ginpachi took out a cigarette from the pocket of his lab coat, put one in and lit it. Then, after exhaling the first smoke, he said:

"......Tsukuyo. You're doing a terrible job.”

“What?”

"How dare you violently injure a doctor who came for a checkup without even bothering to confirm his identity?"

“Ginpachi…”

“I know what you're going to say. You're going to apologize to the principal and you want me to come with you, right?

“Ginpachi…”

“Don't worry about it. It's just a collegial(/friendship) thing. You're the one who's to blame, but I'll follow up with you to make sure your crime is as light as possible.”

“Ginpachi…”

"Well, let's get on with it. Let's go to the principal's office right away. Confess your crimes.” and as he turned on his heel and started to walk away, two kunai pierced the back of Ginpachi's head with a thud.

"Wait a minute," Tsukuyo's voice said.

No, no, no, you're the one who has to wait!" Ginpachi shouts as he pulls out the kunai stuck in the back of his head.

"Tsukuyo, do you realize we're in a teacher's setting? You should at least use chalk or something!"

"I don't care about the settings right now. Do ya understand the situation? How dare ya to blame me for yer sins?"

"No, I don't give a shit. You're the one who threw him over."

“Ya the one who told me to get him!”

“I told you to get him, but I didn't tell you to throw him over your shoulder and knock him out!"

“If it weren't for yer terrible misjudgment, none of this would have happened in the first place!”

"But it's not just my fault, is it? Isn't it about seven to three parts your fault too?" Ginpachi said in a softer voice.

“Ya think a third is my fault?”

"Hmm. I mean, you're the seven." Just after saying that, Ginpachi was hit by countless kunai and pinned to the wall of the gym.

...... umm, relax, Tsukki," Ginpachi said with a pale face. (Note: he says the exact same thing as in that one scene in Courtesan of a Nation Arc … Un, ochitsuite, tsukkī)

“Well, if I'm the seven, can we at least work together on a plan? The doctor who was called in for a checkup was mistakenly knocked unconscious. ...... I think this is pretty bad, don't you?”

[inevitably-johnlocked]

A Little LOKI Theory Post

*SPOILERS FOR LOKI E1-3 BELOW CUT*

I am loathe to admit that I love the new LOKI TV series, mainly because of the Mobius/Loki dynamic, the interesting sci-fi plot, and just... I so far surprisingly like every episode. This was the show I had such low expectations for, because I didn’t really like LOKI – I felt he was the Moriarty of the MCU, overused when they didn’t need him, and making me annoyed by an actor I love.

EXCEPT I’m also a sucker for character-driven, psychoanalysis stories, like all these D+ Marvel shows are, and it’s leaving me super shocked about me liking characters I didn’t before. I’m fully invested in all these characters now.

I think the only reasom I really wanted to see this show for was because it ties directly into the next Dr. Strange movie, so YEAH, I’m in love multiverse and time travel things, so it was inevitable that I would enjoy this show, I think.

AND of course, I’ve theories and speculations because there’s a lot to work with, and I LOVE stories like these, so I decided I would take some time out and stretch out my meta-writing grey cells. And I wanted somewhere to have my theories/ideas written out before they come to fruition, because DAMNIT I have headcanons and hopes and dreams.

So here we go, spoilers below cut. Please note I know nothing about the comics aside from what other theorists and reviewers have mentioned:

The TVA are “the bad guys” but I think it goes deeper than that... Like the whole Timekeeper thing is really sus. I think it’s only one Timekeeper, who is Kang the Conqueror, who maintains the Sacred Timeline to ensure that he stays in power to PREVENT the Multiverse War which I think he knows happened to stop him. I also think Renslayer is behind all of this suspicious thing; I learned that in the comics Renslayer is a love interest for Kang, so like........... SUS.

AND I think Multiverse War they talked about in the beginning of the show IS the Multiverse War they’re ABOUT TO HAVE. This is a show about non-linear time, and there’s hints about multiverses in the next Spiderman, and Dr Strange is LITERALLY called “Multiverse of Madness”. Wild Theory: Maybe Doctor Strange IS one of the Time Keepers following the Multiverse War.

Loki initially wants to learn the enchanting that Sylvie does for his own selfish gain, and I think he was lying about breaking the TempPad so he would force her to open up. HOWEVER, I think he had a sudden change of heart after learning about the TVA’s Variant Staff; we already see him sort of fond of both Mobius and remembers Casey’s name, so I feel like that he will end up using this knowledge he gained very differently.

Further on this point, they established in Ep 3 that TVA agents / staff need actual real memories to “manipulate” them. So, I think Loki will use this power he learned from Sylvie (I mean, she explained to him how to do it, and this show is really good at using the “Chekov’s guns” given to us) to bring Mobius to “his side”, and TOGETHER they take down the TVA and make it what it should be. Mobius is very dedicated to the TVA, so I really do forsee that it will be Loki “freeing” Mobius as the catalyst to swaying to siding with Loki until the end. He’s a good man with a big heart for humanity, so I think he will totally side with freeing everyone else.

On that note, I think the reason Mobius is fascinated with the nineties is because he’s a variant jetskiier pulled from the nineties. I suspect in his original timeline he probably had a jetski accident and died, but in the Variant timeline, he survived, and out of pity I think Renslayer “saved” him and recruited him. The TVA wiped his memories after he couldn’t cope with the fact that he was SUPPOSED to die.

ALSO still on Mobius, I think every time he keeps questioning too much, he gets his memory wiped, which would explain why he never remembers leaving the cup stains on Renslayer’s table.

I think there’s more to Miss Minutes than meets the eye. Another theory I had was that she was similar to VIKI in iRobot, essentially running the company to her programmed “laws” after the TimeKeepers passed on. So like there’s no TimeKeepers at all, but there was at one time, and Miss Minutes was left to her own devices.

Another theory similar to this, is the Doctor Who episode, The Long Game, where everyone wants to be promoted to “Floor 500″ because it’s rumoured to be a paradise and is the top floor no one has ever returned from; It turns out it’s run by an alien that feeds on the human or something similar, and the people who went to the top floor ended up frozen husks of who they were. Not saying it’s this exact thing, but more the idea that everyone thinks what’s upstairs is a magical wonderful benevolent corporation looking out for what’s best for everyone, but instead it’s one evil thing doing stuff for their own purpose. Eh.

Another rogue theory: Mobius IS a Loki variant, which is why he’s obsessed with Loki himself, knows Loki better than Loki knows himself, and either knows and omitted it, or DOESN’T know but naturally is intrigued by the Loki Variant and him always finding out the truth is WHY his memory keeps getting wiped, and why everyone is always squeamish about having a Loki around. Mobius mentioned that Loki is the one Variant they have stopped more Lokis than any other Variant....

On that thought: IF Lokis are the most common Variant they capture, I think a LOT of the TVA are Loki Variants, trapped in the forms they were presenting as when they were brought in, and because magic doesn’t work in the TVA, they CAN’T turn off the glamour, had their memories wiped, and in turn could now be Codenamed Casey, or Mobius, or B15........ An abstract theory, but I think it’s interesting.

And another, since I learned that it is in the comics: Mobius is a clone drone. This one saddens me and I really hope he’s not. Because I love Mobius.

I think Sylvie was a Variant who worked for the TVA, but somehow had an awakening and wants to free everyone else... the only thing against this theory is her seeming surprised that her magic stopped working when she arrived at the TVA. If she was an agent, she would know that magic doesn’t work within the TVA.

And I think this series will inevitably – if the rumours of a Season 2 are true – have the Mobius / Loki dynamic solving Time Crimes... a.... Holmes and Watson if you will. :D HAHHA.

So yeah. This list will change obviously for the next 3 weeks, and I had a lot of fun with this so I will probably keep it up.

Some things I hope happen by the end:

A giant “probably not going to happen because this is Disney”: I hope they pay-off the “bisexual” confirmation by the end of this... highkey with Mobius (damn it I ship them okay), but lowkey just even a passing remark about anyone LOL. I really ship Lokius, okay. I need this dynamic in the MCU

PLEASE DON’T KILL CASEY, we love Casey. #FREECASEY

I’ll be really honest here, I will effing GROAN and be a not-happy Steph if they do the ship that I think they’re gonna do: Sylvie x Loki. Which is weird to me that Disney would be okay with self-love, but the OBVIOUS initial dynamic of Loki x Mobius is too much, “look we gave you bisexual Loki, aren’t you happy enough??” Just. I dunno. It’s weird / a pet peeve of mine that a lot of online reviewers are bitching about “woke” Disney the one time they ACTUALLY FINALLY let a title character say they’re queer, but are all “UWU SYLVIE AND LOKI ARE GONNA GET TOGETHER BECAUSE LOKI LOVES HIMSELF UWU”. Even though Loki spent legit more screen time with Mobius, and literally did everything he told Sylvie that he wouldn’t do around people he doesn’t trust around Mobius ALREADY?? It’s like they already forgot about the first two eps. LEGIT the whole dagger=love metaphor LITERALLY happened in the previous two episodes, but alright chiefs. Anyway. Sorry, it’s stupid to be bothered by it. 

We’re gonna get that heart wrench moment that the other two shows had, and I TRULY BELIEVE it’s gonna be between Loki and Mobius when Loki tells / shows Mobius the truth. LOOK I JUST WANT MORE OF THEM OKAY. And I need my heart ripping moment in this show within the next two eps LOL. We got one in WandaVision. We got one in FATWS. GIVE ME ONE IN LOKI. MAKE ME LIKE LOKI.

Anyway, so that’s my rambling. Thanks for taking time out to read all this. I miss theorizing, and this show is perfect for me to do it. I’m not AS good at these shows as I was with Sherlock, but it’s still fun, because it’s new and my brain is full of headcanons and idea things. I’ll write again after Ep 4, I think. <3 Thank you lovelies for letting me do this!

[fandomscombine]

Exploding Stink Bomb

Platonic!Weasley Twins x Reader

BG: Chaos ensues when the twins steal your latest prank invention. How much worse could it be when innocent people are caught in the mess?

WC:1744

Entry for @feetoffthetable​ 's 500 writing challenge. A week late I know-sorry! Cause I lost the initial draft. (Note: Do NOT trust auto save that much) So I had to rewrite it.

The prompts are taken from Random Prompts List No. 4 and No.11. (Are in bold in the text)

4. “…Are they dead?” “I don’t know! Why don’t you ask them!”

11. “You’re being remarkably calm about this.” “Thanks, it’s the shock. Give me fifteen minutes, the screaming will happen.”

>>>MASTERLIST<<<

Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Y/n L/n, also known as 'The Pranksters Trio' of modern day Hogwarts.

It is the winter of senior year, and your stress levels are increasing by the day. NEWTS are to be held in a couple of months and you have managed to procrastinate completing your mock papers. At this rate, you would get a passing grade but in all honesty you know that wouldn’t cut it, you know your abilities. If you actually put effort in your subjects you can bump a level up.

You've made a deal with your parents that if you had completed your practice papers, you could spend the last week of the Christmas holiday with the Weasleys.

Which you are; 3 days in, 4 days left till school.

'What your parents don't know won't hurt them...' You mumble to yourself as you stir the bubbling green mixture clockwise.

See you haven't finished the potions assignment yet. Your parents thought you did last week, but in reality what you were working on was a little fantastic smelling concoction that could contribute to the twins' upcoming new joke shop merchandise lineup!

During the journey to King’s Cross, Fred had come up to you and asked if you could help brainstorm a new product that would blow people's minds away. Of course you agreed, a multitude of ideas already brewing, you would do anything to help out your friends.

That night, it was all you could think about. Naturally you are itching to get started, before the thought flies away. Pushing your potions textbook aside, you got to work. It took 18 hours of no sleep but it paid off. The product was now in your hands.

A shiny burgundy shimmering marble-like sphere. The final product was smaller than the blueprint- the amount of ingredients you had on hand in your muggle household were limited- you do a mental note on raiding the potions supply closet once back in school for dragon hide.

But when you do finally have all the resources, the sphere should be the size of a baseball.

For now, at 30% of the ideal size, this mini test sphere could stink up a small bedroom. Which is enough to do damage but also has a small enough impact that you fix if anything were to go wrong.

BAM! You knew the quiet was too good to last.

“y/n/n, my dear!” Greeted Fred, waltzing into Ginny’s room.

“Are you--” George placed his hand on the door, stopping it from slamming back to his face. “Oi! Why’d you have to kick the door so hard? You could have ruined my handsome face!” He shouted to his twin.

Dropping your quill back into the ink bottle you sighed. “Nooo, how many times do I have to tell you? I’ll be finished when I’m finished. Most likely tomorrow, the earliest.”

“Why can’t you just let US test it though?” voiced George.

“Because I came up with it and it’s the only one we’ve got!” You reasoned. “I wanna see it when it explodes!”

Right then, the boys’ eyes lit up.

“IT EXPLODES?!?!?” They exclaimed in union.

“SHIT!” It was too late to cover it up. The secret is out.

The twins shared a look, you don’t really believe in twin telepathy but in the case of your 2 best friends and mischief, they almost always are on the same page.

You are sent flying sideways off your chair and hit the air mattress. “Offph! George! Let….me….go!” With all your might, you try to push George off you but to no avail. The muscles built up during quidditch training are to his advantage.

In the other side of the room, Fred is rummaging through your trunk, eagerly looking for the mysterious and highly sought after invention.

Although he may not know what it looks like, Fred is still one of your accomplices in sneaking prank items to school, meaning he and Geroge know all the secret compartments in your trunk. As do you with their trunks.

This setup made sense, it was a precautionary method devised so that in a matter of incoming danger or when suspected of something, the others could easily get rid of any incriminating evidence.

The system is perfect! Well expect now when it backfired on you.

“AHA GOT IT!”

Your face snaps to the direction of the voice. Cursing internally, right there, raised high above Fred’s head is the prized Exploding Stink Bomb.

“WICKED!” cried George. While the twins are reveling in their success, you took the chance to push George off you and launch towards Fred.

While George was caught off guard, Fred had the few seconds in which you got up to process what was happening and sprinted towards the door.

“IMMA GET YOU FRED!”

“LET’S SEE THAT SMALL LEGS!”

“GOT YA! AHHHHH--” One moment you had your hand on Fred’s shoulder, next you felt a tug on your waist. “GEORGE LET. ME. GO”

“No can do y/n/n.”

His hold wasn’t enough to hurt you, but it was certainly tighter. “Learned from your earlier mistake eh” You teased.

“Just caught me off guard” George reasoned.

Fred walking backwards, bids his farewell. “See you Suckers!” He shouted, taking a bow. With that he disappears round the corner.

A THUD.

“Ginny!”

You and George shared a look of confusion, what was going on?

Arriving at the scene, you are not surprised to see a sneering Ginny.

“That’s what you get for going in my room!”

What you’re more surprised to see is a frantic Fred. You knew that Ginny is fully capable of being terrifying but this was all in good fun right?

Slowly George walked up to his brother. “Freddie what’s wrong?”

“The ball… it slipped”

Eyes wide, your heart starts to beat faster. “Where��?”

You barely had gotten the question out, the answer is given.

As if on cue, you hear shouts coming from your right, Ron’s room.

Ginny being the closest, beats all of you to the door. When it opened, you catch the faint bit of purple smoke before it completely clears away, no other evidence of the stink ball in sight-you smile at the result, hard work does pay off.

‘Now is not a time to be happy y/n’ you told yourself. Your gaze reached the unconscious bodies on the two beds. “Well that’s…..uhh... new...”

Here are 4 guilty looking teenagers looking at the scene of the crime.

Ginny gingerly poked Ron’s side, keeping a fair distance away just in case he jolts back. “…Are they dead?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know! Why don’t you ask them!” George paused his pacing to point his finger at both you and Fred.

“Hey! I am not the one you had thrown the stink bomb into the room!” You said defensively. “Besides I told you to test it when I’m ready! BUT NOOOO… you two wanted it now WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT’S FULL CAPACITY AND RESTRICTIONS!”

“I…..I…” When George couldn’t come up with a come back, he changed tactics. Turning to Fred he challenges. “You’re being remarkably calm about this.”

Fred, who was still standing rooted at the entryway, replied. “Thanks, it’s the shock. Give me fifteen minutes, the screaming will happen.”

“What the heck happened anyway?” asked Ginny.

“Yea, I thought it was just a stink bomb that could explode!” added George.

“It is just an exploding stink bomb!”

“Then why are they unconscious?” George’s panic becomes more evident as in addition to his pacing, his voice is now an octave higher.

“I think that the stink bomb was too powerful for such a small room.” Sighing, you gestured to the closed windows. “There’s no adequate ventilation too. Must have cause them to inhale a larger concentration”

“How long will they be out?”

“I don’t know Ginny…really.” You shrug. “It could be hours, one to two at best.”

“TWO HOURS?!?” The twins say in union despite one clearly in utter distress while the other scarily unmoving.

Fred gripped his hair, placed his head in between his thighs and let out a scream that could rival a lion.

George now having lost hope of his brother functioning, took charge. “Mum is gonna be back any second now. What are we gonna do?”

“Well, first…we’re gonna check the boy’s condition again for progress” You suggest, dragging Ginny to check on hair while you check on Ron.

“Then..we’re gonna say..”

“GOT YA!” You 4 shout, finger guns at the ready.

“Wait.. WHAT?!!?? WHAT’S HAPPENING?” George looks at Harry and Ron- who are surprisingly alright and laughing their heads off, to you and GInny looking very smug.

Fred tilts his red face up to the commotion.

“YOU JUST GOT PRANKED! SAY CHESSE!” You announced, indicating to Ginny with the camera.

“Cheeseee” murmured the twins in defeat.

~

“How’d you do it?”

You knew that they would be back with questions. You keep them on the edge as you finish up your potions essay.

"You lot are predictable."

"Predictable?" George scoffed.

Tidying up the study table you continue "Mhhhmmm hmmm. Predicted that you would test it out on Ron, knew that you would try to steal it from me cause you both are very impatient- especially you Fred."

"Heyy!"

"But how did you wake up Harry and Ron?" Piped George. "We shook them but they were still unconscious!"

"Ah George ever the curious. It's simple really." You lay on the bed with hands behind your head, enjoying this moment of outsmarted the boys. "Your siblings were all very tired of been pranked so when we saw an opportunity to have you taste of your own medicine we grab them chance."

You glance at them.

"The time of you setting off the stink bomb is unknown but we were ready. I've made a nose blocker chewing gum while I was tinkering with the foul smell of the stink bomb."

"No sense of smell, no effect." stated Fred.

"Exactly, the rest I'd just improv and acting! The boys weren't actually unconscious, just a temporary numbing spell which Ginny and I reversed when we checked on them."

Sitting back up, you continued.

"What I didn't predict was how crazy you with react. I've never seen you two gone off the rails scared shirtless like that before." You admitted. "Priceless."

"And now you have a photo of it" grumbled George.

"And video too!"

"WHAT?"

Taglist [All/General]: @gruffle1

HP Taglist: @onlyfreds

[evakuality]

Mia, episode five

1.  One thing Druck is super good at is these aesthetic shots.  This whole opening bit reminds me of the scene with Amira when she’s praying in her room.  Lots of beautiful shots of the room, curtains and stuff, which are just super pretty with a few hints of colour.  I dunno, this is just an aesthetic I like and I appreciate that Druck caters to me.  Mia is so cute, too!  Like both the way she looks and also how kind she is.  She still doesn’t really like Alex a lot (though you could see in that montage from the previous night that she’s warming up to him) but she still feels like she should leave things looking nice.  These little post-it notes are sort of cute too, and you can see that she thinks they’re sweet.  I don’t like this Bjorn though.

2.  Interesting that we get a clip specifically one week later.  I have no idea how that must have felt while this was live, and I’m really glad that I didn’t have to live through these long gaps in any of the things I did watch in real time.  This one was reasonably low key though, so maybe the wait wasn’t as agonising.  If you didn’t know who Bjorn is (I’m assuming the Niko character) then nothing in the last couple of clips would have felt all that alarming.  But Mia’s so flirty here - that one conversation at his house must have really charmed her.  Pity we didn’t really get to hear a lot of it because he still hasn’t charmed me!!  And actually that ‘show a montage of how things are going while a song and/or other conversation plays overtop’ is a huge thing Druck does, I think.  I feel like in some cases (Matteo and David after their first pool kiss moment, for example, or Hanna and Jonas breaking up) work quite well.  But here, I think we needed to hear more of Alex to actually believe that Mia would be this flirty with him.  For me, this is too big a turnaround from her very cold manner with him at the piano and an actual proper look at that conversation might have helped.  But also, I am super biased because William and so maybe a more reasonable person might like it okay.  This bit with Linn is weird.  Genuinely creepy, and I’m not sure why they’re setting her up to feel like this.  Maybe some sort of hint of the creepiness to come with Bjorn (I’m assuming it’s coming, anyway).

3.  I don’t get this bit with all the pictures at the school.  I assume it will become obvious later but I’m not sure what exactly they were trying to do with this.  You’d think they run the risk of having the whole Abi chaker clan thing shut down - if this happened in my school there’d be so much trouble.  A groups of kids once put post-its all over one teacher’s room and they got in SO much trouble for it, and that wasn’t obscene like this is.  This thing here seems so targeted at the Abi thing, using their plan specifically, that it feels like someone outside the group wants them not to be allowed to run their theme.  Or someone in the group who wants a different motto maybe.  I don’t know, but it feels very mean and very specifically directed at this group of people.

4.  Hmmm, I’m with Leonie on this one.  I’d be giving Carlos the super evil stare too.  It may be ‘funny’ to some of these people, but given that there are younger kids at this school (I assume, right?  They still have classes running for the smaller ones at the end of Matteo’s season, allowing their prank to go ahead) this is sure to go down really badly with the school itself.  I’m rolling my eyes at the ones who are outraged that the school is considering reporting it - what did they expect?  Also, surely they can figure out who was doing it - people were literally throwing handfuls of the pictures over the stairs.  Surely they could work out who it is.  It’s pretty clear that Alex still thinks this is funny and I’m losing patience with him.  Every time it seems like maybe he’s getting less gross he goes and acts like this again.  Bleh.  I’m not often rooting for Leonie and feeling for her, but wow today I really am.  This is shitty and she has a right to be angry.

5.  Ew, Alex, why are you stalking Mia again?  She’s made it pretty clear she’s not happy with you.  Turning up out of the blue like a creep isn’t a good way to go about winning her over again.  His ‘we were drunk, what can you do?’ is so... stupid???  They’ve lost money from this, the school is really angry, they could easily have some pretty bad consequences and he’s all ‘meh, it was a drunken prank’?  I know money isn’t an issue for him, but there are issues here beyond the money.  I’m also kind of annoyed that everyone keeps suggesting she’s upset because she’s jealous.  I’ll be really annoyed if the show carries on this way - this isn’t just a silly little prank, and people have every right to be angry and annoyed.  Diminishing it to jealousy isn’t cool.  Is Leonie also jealous?  The people who are angry and upset they’re being blamed and their money has been taken?

6.  I do love scenes where the whole girl squad is together.  They make me happy and I miss seeing them together so much.  But OMG, Alex is blackmailing Mia again????  I mean I guess it worked the first time so why wouldn’t he?  But this is seriously shitty behaviour.  Honestly, in clip one I was mildly starting to warm to him with the post-its and all, but he’s managed to speed run right back into ‘asshole’ category.  This was the problem in the og as well - William was such an asshole, that in order to make him likeable, we had to see a much more genuinely villainous character.  Alex is still super dislikeable and so we need someone ‘worse’ to make him look palatable, which I assume is coming.  We’re halfway through - we should like him by now.  I dunno.  Maybe some people do?  But he still has done nothing to make me think he’s nice or someone who Mia might be attracted to.

7.  Oh a long Friday clip?  Almost half the episode?  I guess it’s going to be a rough one for Mia then.  More reflections again - her whole face in the mirror now, but it’s surrounded by graffiti.  I’m always fascinated by the way mirrors and reflections work, and it’s fun to see Mia slightly obscured in her mirrors even now.  It’s not as disjointed as it was at the start but it’s not a fully clear reflection either.  I may not like the way Noora/Mia’s story goes but I do like some of these things which show the progress.

8.  I feel kind of sorry for Jonas, because that break up wasn’t his choice.  But seriously, he seems to be blaming this on Hanna a bit and like ????? He chose to make her feel small and unworthy through her whole season.  She’s allowed to try to figure herself out outside of him and his wants and needs.  Eh, I know he’s hurting and all, but that’s actually his issue and he shouldn’t be pushing it on her.

9.  This scene with Mia and Alex bothers me.  He still seems to have no idea why she might find his actions (selfish and self-serving and filled with blackmail) offputting.  ‘I fixed it, so we should totally be together now’ is such an immature and childish take on this.  These types of guys need to grow up and learn that they can’t just buy and/or coerce their way into whatever they want.  I like the way they decide to have Kiki walk past just as Mia has to choose whether to say she doesn’t want Alex or not.  It adds a poignancy to it and Mia obviously chooses to stick by her friends.  I do wish it felt more conflicting, like if Alex genuinely had changed or had shown he has depth or something it would be a bigger ‘wow she’s rejecting him for her friend’ but instead he’s still such an unpleasant character that I don’t care.

10.  I’m not sure why Mia does the brushing off of the makeup - I feel like it made more sense when Noora did it (I mean I watched it once a very long time ago so who knows, but my memory is that it was her way of trying to reject being ‘pretty’ and having guys liking her because it was messing her up).  With Mia, I don’t understand.  Someone help me out?

11.  I still don’t get what Mia sees in Alex.  Again, I know I have a really big bias against him because of William and I know it was always going to be tough for him to be someone I care about.  But even so, this feels like a huge whiplash when she says of course she likes him.  I’d get it if we’d seen any of his development, but every time he took a mini step forward he shoved himself right back into dislikeable territory.  Once again, I mourn the actual conversation between Mia and Alex.  This all feels far too fast, and the fact that this is suggesting his blackmail is all good is very worrying.  All the post-it notes in the world can’t make me think he’s nice enough to want to kiss.

Overall, I didn’t really like this one.  I feel like the pacing is still off; I don’t believe the speed at which Mia has fallen for him and honestly it hasn’t been very long since Kiki was with Alex and had her heart broken.  The fact that Mia even saw her and told him she doesn’t like him only to turn around immediately and change her mind is strange to me.  Mia has always come across as a caring person who tries to do the right thing and help out her friends.  That she has apparently no qualms at this point is difficult for me.  They’re acting the hell out of this, but I can’t buy it.  Unfortunately.  Sadly, because this is based on a very flawed original, I don’t think it’s going to make me enjoy these two.  There are things that I’m interested in seeing as we go forward but most of those have zero to do with Alex.

[link4eva]

Kiro’s Victory and Defeat Date Translation [CN]

Hi, y’all! I just have a couple notes just before you begin reading. I don’t actually know any Chinese so this translation was done through the power of Google Translate. Also, thanks to @cheesy09 and @keliosyfan​ for looking it over! ありがとう！��

The translation below contains spoilers for a date that hasn’t been released in the ENG server yet so please don’t look below the cut if you don’t want to be spoiled.

You can read the call that comes with this date here!

Hope you enjoy!~

*Spoilers for future content below!*

On a rare sunny day, I opened all the windows in the house for some fresh air.

The wind gently fluttered the curtains, bringing in a hint of the coolness of spring.

Looking at the two tickets sitting on the table, I walked over and put them in my wallet one by one.

Just recently, Kiro and I learned that an expert street dancer from abroad was coming to Loveland City to have a “strength exchange” in an underground workshop.

The moment our eyes met, Kiro and I smiled in harmony and immediately booked two tickets.

Suddenly, there was a familiar-sounding knock on the door that interrupted my thoughts.

Before the answer was completely formed in my heart, I had already made up my mind.

As soon as I opened the door, a dazzling golden colour appeared before my eyes.

Kiro: Miss Chips!  

The person standing in front of me flashed me a bright and brilliant smile which made me laugh to myself.

MC: Why did you come so early? Didn’t you say that I will see you at night? 

Kiro pouted his lips, pretending to be dissatisfied, and patted my face quickly.

Kiro: Well, that’s a simple question to answer.

Kiro: Of course it was because I missed you. So, I showed up in advance. 

That bright, smiling face made me lose my train of thought for a moment.

Suddenly, his eyes glanced behind me, showing an unexpected expression.

Kiro: But, behind you, Miss Chips….

Before he finished speaking, I seemed to remember something and hurriedly rushed to the living room to put away the game controllers scattered on the floor.

MC: It’s nothing. You didn’t see anything! 

Kiro: I clearly saw everything!

Kiro: The messy living room, the controllers on the floor, and the dark circles under Miss Chips’ eyes….

Kiro pushed up his non-existent glasses with a serious face, analyzing every “clue” in front of him.

Kiro: So, according to my speculation, the truth is that--

Kiro: Miss Chips pulled an all-nighter last night playing games. 

Hearing Kiro figure out the answer, I couldn’t help but whisper to myself.

MC: I didn’t mean to stay up that late but this game was kicking my butt.

Seeing Kiro’s confused face, I sighed and decided to confess the truth.

MC: Actually, last night, I was practising the fighting game we played together last time.

MC: Last time, I hadn’t played much and the experience wasn’t the best.

MC: So, I thought about practicing in secret. I thought it would be a lot more interesting when we played together next time.

Kiro’s eyes were surprised. He stared at the controller on the ground.

Kiro: Practicing by yourself isn’t as effective as playing with another person.

As soon as he stopped talking, he stepped forward, holding my gaze firmly in his.

Kiro: So, let me join in. 

Kiro: My cute and hard-working Miss Chips~ 

[Second Part]

As soon as I brought over the fully charged controller, Kiro sat down on the couch with me in his arms.

MC: Eh, do you want to play like this?

I turned my head to meet Kiro’s eyes but didn’t expect to be held even tighter.

Kiro: Don’t we always play like this? 

Kiro: Is Miss Chips still not used to it?

MC: But we are playing as opponents in this fighting game….

MC: It’s too hard to play this close!

Kiro: Is this too close? 

Kiro: What about this? 

As he asked this, he nuzzled his head lightly into my neck, his face pressed against mine.

When he became even closer, the tips of my ears began to burn uncontrollably.

MC: This is even closer than before!

The next second, he leaned back contentedly on the couch with a satisfied smile, his arms still encircling me.

Kiro: Are you ready?

Kiro: Remember, I don’t show mercy to my subordinates!

After Kiro pressed the start button, the TV entered the countdown phase.

3, 2, 1--

The living room was silent for a bit aside from the sounds of the game from the TV and the mashing of buttons.

Although I couldn’t see Kiro’s expression behind me, his state seemed to match those of the characters on screen.

The perfectly-executed combo and roundhouse kick instantly reduced my health bar by a lot.

I couldn’t help but hold my breath, hold the controller tightly and get more serious.

Although I may be at a disadvantage, probably because of all the practice the past few days, I didn’t panic.

At the same time, the combo moves that I had been waiting to use also swiftly responded at the same time.

Soon, our health bars were equal. The drawn-out battle made me want to win even more.

MC: Look at me!

Kiro: Miss Chips, be careful~ 

Suddenly, Kiro’s character shot up into the sky, a precursor to an even bigger move.

I immediately sounded the alarm in my head and quickly hid the moment his character fell.

Kiro: Nice! 

Although I enjoyed hearing his praise, I didn’t dare take it lightly.

I held my breath and walked towards Kiro’s character, like a cheetah lurking quietly before hunting.

Suddenly, Kiro’s moves finally showed a small opening, and I quickly followed the moves that I had practiced hard over the past few days. 

After triggering a series of critical strikes, his character instantly fell to the ground. A big “WIN” flashed on the screen.

I raised my hands happily but Kiro turned my body to face him and pitched my cheeks lightly. His eyes were full of joy.

MC: Yay!!! 

Kiro: Miss Chips is amazing!

MC: Phew, if it weren’t for all those “make-up classes” every day recently, I’m afraid today would be another miserable defeat~

Kiro: MC’s desire to win is very strong!

MC: So is yours! You are on so many leaderboards for so many games! 

Kiro held his chin pretentiously and blinked. 

Kiro: This can’t be compared with the desire to win!

Kiro: As for me, I was just adhering to the principle of “perfect clearance”. So naturally, I ranked first.

MC: What you said just now….Makes me wonder if you just let me win.

I squinted my eyes and slowly approached him. He waved his hand quickly.

Kiro: I didn’t. If you lose, you lose, but….

Kiro: If I only lose to you, I will be willing. 

He looked straight at me, his blue eyes gleaming.

And in such gleaming eyes, only me is reflected in them at this moment.

I nestled my body in his arms again and shook the controller.

MC: Well, should we play another round?

Kiro: Yeah, let’s play some more before we go out!

I pressed the start button excitedly and we both sat up slightly, looking at the game screen with full concentration.

When night fell, we reluctantly put down our controllers, took the tickets and prepared to go out.

(Cut to the warehouse)

After nearly an hour’s drive, we came to a warehouse in a remote suburb.

I looked back at Kiro, who was already wearing a baseball cap and helped him to lower the brim of his hat with worry.

Kiro: Don’t worry, I won’t be recognized.

Kiro: Let’s go in. 

[Third Part]

Unexpectedly, there are some warehouse buildings outside. But, there is something special when you walk in.

The graffiti all over the wall shows the unique atmosphere here. The young people’s swaying to the rhythm synced perfectly with the beat.

Looking around, dozens of circles surrounded by people are scattered in various places of the warehouse. Cheers and chants also oscillated in it.

Looking around, I saw a passerby who was about to bump into me….

Kiro quickly stretched out his hand in front of me and blocked me. The passerby paused after bumping into Kiro’s arm and then walked past us.

MC: There are a lot of people here, and it seems that the expert street dancer isn’t here yet….

Kiro: Then let’s go to the side and wait for a while, alright?

I nodded and followed him to a place with fewer people.

After sitting for a bit, I didn’t expect to see several young women looking at Kiro.

I was shocked. No one would recognize Kiro, right?

Seeing the gazes of the young women continuously cast towards Kiro, I silently stepped forward and blocked his figure.

While I was thinking about countermeasures quickly, one of the men with dreadlocks had already walked in front of Kiro.

Man with dreadlocks: Hey, buddy. Seeing you up closer, is this your first time coming?

The brim of the hat blocked most of Kiro’s face, his blue eyes were also hidden in the darkness.

The brief silence made the man with dreadlocks frown. He twisted his neck and it cracked.

Man with dreadlocks: There are a lot of people who bought tickets just to have fun here. It’s really unpleasant.

Man with dreadlocks: If I’m wrong, you’re welcome to use your strength to let a few of our brothers have fun.

As the man with dreadlocks said this, his companions quietly surrounded us in a circle.

Just when I thought I was ready to stay silent again, Kiro raised his chin and said,

Kiro: These words don’t sound very inviting. 

I don’t know if he was deliberately concealing his identity but Kiro’s voice was much deeper than usual.

Man with dreadlocks: Oh, I have seen people like you a lot, you are just afraid of losing~

Man with dreadlocks: After all, your girlfriend is watching. Wouldn’t your image in her heart be greatly damaged if you lose?

MC: You….

I couldn’t help but prepare to fight back and Kiro gave out a soft laugh beside me. 

Kiro: It seems you didn’t understand what I said.

Man with dreadlocks: What?

Kiro’s lips raised up to make a shallow arc and slowly walked in front of the man.

Kiro: In this case, I also have my own rules.

Kiro: If you really want to “communicate”, should we place a bet?

The flickering neon lights made Kiro’s face light up. He gave off a dangerous aura.

I don’t know if they noticed Kiro’s faint provocation. The faces of the group of people became a little timid.

Man with dreadlocks: Hmph, that’s crazy!

Before he could finish speaking, one of them leaned close towards his ear while looking at Kiro at the same time.

Man: Brother, why do I feel like the more I look at this person’s face, the more he looks like Kiro?

As soon as he asked, the man with dreadlocks suddenly raised his head and laughed.

Man with dreadlocks: Him? You should go to the hospital to see the eye doctor.

Man: ….

Man with dreadlocks: Besides, even if it is, how strong can a star be? All that praise is for nothing.

Those harsh words kept echoing in my ears. My worries were gradually replaced with anger.

I can’t help but think back to the way Kiro was immersed in practice and creation for countless days and nights. 

The work is polished over and over again. He only wants to show the best side of himself to everyone.

Thinking of this, I took a deep breath and couldn’t help refuting it.

MC: Do you think you can wipe out all their efforts with just one sentence? 

I had been silent this whole time. I couldn’t help but stun the people around me.

MC: They will never be defeated by prejudice.

The man with dreadlocks suddenly laughed and shook his head helplessly.

Man with dreadlocks: Another girl who’s been brainwashed by celebrities….

He wanted to say something more when a cold voice sounded in the air.

Kiro: Enough nonsense.  

I followed the voice and found that Kiro had reached the center of the open space. He raised his chin and ignored the person in front of him.

Kiro: What are you waiting for? 

[Fourth Part]

The rules for the dance battle are simpler than I imagined. There are no restrictions for either party. The people around the scene will be the “judges”, and the side with the louder voices wins the game.

Man with dreadlocks: Brother, it’s not too late to admit defeat, you know?

Kiro shrugged indifferently as if he didn’t care about the mockery of the other party.

Kiro: Before we start, let’s decide on the “trophies” for both sides.

Man with dreadlocks: Raise the stakes all you want, you can’t win anyway.

Kiro: In that case….

Kiro stopped in the middle of speaking as if thinking of some interesting idea. He slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

Kiro: After I get the CALL, you’re gonna have to admit really loudly that you love Kiro so that everyone in the building can hear you. How about it?

The man with dreadlocks was stunned as if he hadn’t expected it. I quickly smirked and asked,

MC: Isn’t that a little much? 

Man with dreadlocks: How can I do that! I don’t know how to CALL. We need to change one thing. 

Kiro ignored his opponent, lowered his head, and leaned towards me.

Kiro: Could I ask Miss Chips to do a demonstration of CALL?

Kiro: It’s also considered cheering for me.

His voice is as soft as a feather, slowly brushing my ears.

My body temperature rose uncontrollably and I blushed as I met his gaze.

There was a little bit of starlight hidden in those blue eyes and the corners of his lips rose slightly to form a little devilish smile.

Kiro winked, my mind trembled, and I nodded subconsciously. 

MC: The friend who doesn’t know how to CALL, let me teach you.

I glanced at the man with dreadlocks, took a deep breath, shaped my hands into a horn, and shouted out loudly.

MC: Kiro, I will love you my whole life! And I will not regret it!!  

My heart beats like a drum with every word.

Those shouts that had been hidden in my heart for a long time had finally poured out at this moment.

This is what I’ve always wanted to do. But, I rarely seem to be able to do it in public….

My voice caused many people to look sideways. I gradually recovered and hid behind Kiro.

Kiro: Thank you, Miss Chips. I can hear you clearly.

Kiro’s words floated past my ears and were soon drowned out by the surrounding music.

The man with dreadlocks walked to the center and made a provocative gesture to the sky to indicate the beginning of the dance battle.

He immediately began to move, and after a series of smooth waves, he drew a lot of voices from the surrounding crowd.

The rhythm became faster and faster and he finally landed on the ground with a somersault, raising his eyebrows at us with disdain.

Kiro glanced disapprovingly and then turned to face me.

Kiro: Look after this hat for me.

Before I could respond, he pulled up his sweater and hat and walked towards the center stage step-by-step, with an unclear look.

The surrounding lights are still flickering and dimming, adding a little mystery to the atmosphere at this moment.

Kiro stood in the middle of the crowd with his head down. He raised his head when the music in the background dropped the bass.

In the next second, Kiro fell straight to one side and just when I thought he was about to lose his center of gravity….

He steadily caught himself with one hand on the ground. He took advantage of the momentum to lift his feet in the air to cross and freeze, his flying necklace also crossing a beautiful parabola.

I couldn’t help holding my breath, my eyes swept across the smooth body lines and messy golden hair subconsciously. 

In the end, I couldn’t look away from those azure blue eyes. They were a very determined pair of eyes.

He, at this moment, is completely different from when I was nestled in his arms that morning, making it hard to concentrate.

Suddenly, the music seemed to make things difficult for Kiro on purpose, and the rhythm suddenly became crazy and rapid.

He didn’t look the slightest bit worried. He followed the variation of the beat to improvise one brilliant move after another.

Every movement is sonorous and powerful but light at the same time. There was no sense of heaviness.

The atmosphere on the scene became more and more intense. The force of the crowd kept pushing me out until I was gradually pushed out altogether.

As I tried to squeeze back in, cheers sounded around me.

I jumped up anxiously, vaguely seeing a familiar pair of arms raised high.

The result of the dance battle seems to be obvious and I can’t help but want to eagerly witness the moment of his victory.

MC: Let me in!

My voice was instantly overwhelmed and there were many voices in my ears that wanted to compete with Kiro.

Just when I was getting a little anxious, someone held my hand tightly and the noise around me stopped instantly.

Kiro: It’s okay to compete with me, one by one.

Kiro: But, my person should have the best viewing position, right?

A cold voice sounded in the crowd. At the same time, my vision gradually widened.

Kiro: Miss Chips, keep looking at me. 

MC: OK!

Even though I was a little shy to be watched by everyone, I stood not far away from him, a warm feeling filling my heart.

People who wanted to compete came up one after another and then slipped away amidst the sounds of the crowd.

Until the end, no one dared to step up, only the undulating admiration remained.

As time passed, the crowd didn’t seem to be as crowded as before. They were quietly spreading out.

Seeing that Kiro’s hair was stuck to his forehead because of sweat, I took out a tissue and wiped it.

MC: Obviously you are a person with a strong desire to win, But this morning, you pretended to be a pig and eat a tiger in front of me.*

*So I had to google this phrase here and it’s an idiom. It’s basically saying that Kiro acted weaker than he actually is in order for his opponent to lower their defense against him.   

Kiro: Because the situation is different.

Although Kiro tried his best to cover it, he was still slightly out of breath.

MC: Different?

Kiro: Well, because in front of MC, I don’t need to strive for perfection in everything.

Kiro: Being with you makes me happy and helps me relax.

Kiro: But just now, everyone was looking at us. I had only one thought at that time.

Kiro looked at me seriously, his eyes brighter than ever.

Kiro: In front of the person I like, I don’t want to lose. 

Kiro: I can’t lose.

As soon as his voice fell, my heart skipped a beat, my hand that was gradually moving stopped.

The sweetness and emotion in my heart were repeatedly intertwined. I looked at him and couldn’t speak for a moment.

Kiro leaned over, his line of sight aimed right towards my lips.

Kiro: Since I won, will I be rewarded by Miss Chips?

Kiro: Such as….

Without waiting for him to finish, I quickly gave him a peck on the lips, blushed and “escaped from the scene”.

Kiro: Wait, just that? Is that it?

Kiro’s voice came from behind. I snickered and continued to run forward.

I didn’t tell him, in fact, that I didn’t care about winning or losing.

Because in my heart, Kiro will always be the best and irreplaceable person.

But seeing him win the game for me, I secretly smiled in my heart and just let him have this moment.

He’s always handsome no matter what. *Phrasing was a little weird here so I hope I interpreted this right lol* 

[End]

[amerrierworld]

Babysitter (pt 9)

Thor (Ragnarok) - fanfiction

Pt 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 

Summary: A Loki interlude.

Characters: Hela, Loki

Word Count: 2,111

Warnings: Idk, swearing?

Loki was incredibly annoyed at the current situation. 

He’d woken up on a random, clunky spaceship with a pounding head and a bruised neck. He remembered the world going blank and being quite certain that he’d been dead until, frustratingly so, his lungs gasped for the most painful breath he’d ever taken. 

A janky pirate ship had snatched him from floating in space amongst the debris, stripped him of his armour -no doubt to sell or melt down into other knick knacks- and left him in the back amongst the cargo. They’d presumed he was dead, so when he had woken up, they had a bit of a shock. 

Not a word was comprehensible, Loki couldn't understand whatever gibberish language they spoke, so he ignored them and shuffled to their food supply. That got him a whack on his back from a whip and a kick to the back of the knees. 

Trying to take back his armour also earned him a few bruises. They didn’t seem very dangerous, but quite a nuisance. 

Amongst the cargo he found familiar debris that struck an icy chord inside Loki. There were piles of Asgardian clothing- ripped and filthy, but Asgardian nonetheless. Bags with very few belongings, and metal scraps of the ship they had been on. 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the remainder of the ship of refugees was probably lost. When the pirates began to beat him again for rummaging through their stuff, a rusty old pipe amongst the stolen goods helped quiet them down immensely. 

With his kidnappers knocked out, Loki scarfed down what measly rations they had and set course for Earth at light speed -well, the closest speed they got to light speed which was more like a quick paced jog. 

He tied up the crew and tossed them in the back, and lounged in the cockpit as the ship traveled on autopilot, picking scraps of food from between his teeth. 

Communications on this ship were absolute garbage, he concluded. There was barely any signal and he couldn’t figure out where the closest planet was. So, he took a nap, ate some more food, and tried not to think too much about the harrowing experience of Thanos choking him to death.

Hours later, they entered a very familiar atmosphere. Loki let the ship crash-land, grabbed a bag of few supplies and hopped out just before they hit the ground. 

He marched on through the thicket of trees where they landed. Angry shouts that were no doubt curse words echoed from the smoking ship as he left them behind and tried to gather his bearings. 

An old cabin was the first building he saw. With a rusty dagger at the ready, he inspected the home around the back, looking for a vehicle he could take, something to get him moving faster than his legs, when suddenly a high pitched shriek nearly shattered his eardrums.

A young girl, no older than six, was staring at him with big brown eyes. Rain boots covered in mud, an aged stuffy in her hands. Loki put his finger to his lips, dreading that he was going to have to kill the girl before she gave him away or screamed bloody murder. 

“Daddy! There’s an Avenger in the yard!” she sped off towards a shed, where there was a light on inside. Loki’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. Whatever outcome he was expecting, this was by far the worst. 

“I’m not- fuck.”

He shoved the dagger away and out of sight and stomped towards the shed, fuming with annoyance. He was about to go off at the man for letting his daughter talk to random strangers and how he certainly was not an Avenger, but the man in question had a large saw in hand and about 200 pounds of muscle to carry, so he snapped his mouth shut. 

“Oh, hello there,” he said, his daughter bouncing about the workshop. “What brings one of you all the way out here?”

“And where exactly is out here?” Loki asked.

“Canada! What, you superheroes never been to Canada before? Always hanging around New York, eh? Are you taking a trip or something?”

“No. I, uh, crash-landed here.”

“From space?” the girl piped up, gawking.

“Yes, from space,” Loki said through gritted teeth. “Fighting angry aliens.”

“I told you, Daddy! He’s a hero!”

“I bet you’re trying to find your way to America, then? Lord knows why, there’s all kinds of weird things happening around town nowadays.”

“What do you mean?”

“Half the world’s gone! Poof! Just like that, some alien business I bet.”

“Are you going to save us from them?” his daughter asked again. Loki sighed.

“I’ll try my best. Now, can you please show me how to get to New York as fast as possible?”

The lumberjack’s husband took Loki and his daughter in his jeep and drove a merry long way to the nearest airport. On the way, the little girl asked him all sorts of questions about the Avengers, that he could only half-answer.

“Is it true Thor is super powerful?”

“Well. He's not that powerful. He just uses a hammer. Anyone with a hammer can use it as a weapon and suddenly be considered powerful.”

“I wish I had a super powerful hammer. Then my brothers would stop teasing me so much.”

“Hey,” her second father softly scolded.

“They’re mean!”

“Sibling feuds? I know the feeling,” Loki muttered.

“Do you have siblings, Mr. Avenger?”

“Sure do,” he smiled wryly. “Absolute bullies.”

“Me too!”

“Hey now, let our guest settle down a bit,” her dad said. “She gets a little excited around new people, so sorry.”

“It’s no problem.”

“The local airport’s just up here. It’ll take you to Detroit, and then you gotta get a connection flight to New York.”

“Thank you,” Loki said, genuinely.

“Why are you going to New York, Mr. Avenger?”

“To find my siblings,” Loki sighed. “At least, one of them should still be there.”

“But they’re mean to you?”

“Yeah,” Loki pondered as the car came to a stop. “But they’re family. I suppose.”

-

A few cunning lies and disguises later, Loki was suddenly landing in New York, amidst chaos. It had been a few days since he’d woken up, and apparently a few days since what they call the ‘Blip’. Humans clearly don’t like having their realities altered. 

Your home was abandoned. Alfred didn't even greet Loki at the door, and no amount of pulling and prying opened it for him. The lights were off, and he feared the worst.

It wasn’t until he was in the streets and overhead muttering about some crazy goth lady terrorizing a nearby street that Loki thought he had finally found something.  

He marched down the street until, to his surprise, he found Hela sitting hunched on the side walk, scowling and daring anyone to come close to her. She looked incredibly tired and disheveled, but her eyes were clear and angry, and recognized her idiot brother immediately. 

“What the hell brought you back here?” Hela snarled. 

“A toddler’s wisdom, if you’ll believe it,” Loki said, ignoring her glare as he sat down next to her. 

“You look like shit.”

“Thanks. So do you.”

Hela grumbled. 

“Have you eaten?”

“Since when did you become Mother? I don't need your help.”

“Really?” Loki picked up a filthy scoop from a pile of three ice cream tubs that were fully devoured. He dangled it from his fingertips for a moment, pulling a face. “I think you do.”

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

“Glad to see you too, sister.”

Silence. Hela really did look like shit, Loki noted. Her hair was mussed, and there were rips and broken pieces in her armour, reminiscent of the time they’d met. She had to be weak not to bother fixing it with her powers, or was just too preoccupied to even think to fix it. 

“Where’s Y/N?” Loki asked. 

“Beats me.”

“Did you kill her?”

Hela’s eyes snapped to his, a sudden fire in them. “How dare you say that?”

“Well, her home is abandoned and no one answered the door, and you’re here  cowering like a criminal. One makes conclusions.”

Something changed in her expression, and she turned her body to face him. “Abandoned?”

Loki frowned, “yes. Didn't you know?”

“No- I.. I’ve been here, the last time I saw her...” 

Hela jumped to her feet, nearly kicking Loki in the process. “That bastard, he took her, didn’t he? Him and his awful, forsaken pieces of shit he calls friends.”

“Who?”

“Our darling brother,” she spat. “He came in and- and threatened me, and then took her from me.”

She paced in front of him, green fire trailing behind her heels, hot with anger. She had expected you to come find her, take her back to your home, make her feel safe. But when you never came she had assumed you had abandoned her. Now, knowing Thor had taken you instead, filled her with rage.

“Where does your little posse hang out, hm? Some supposed secret lair? A great big castle in the sky?”

Loki blinked at her, at her sudden outbursts, at the scared glances from passerbys, and didn’t know what to say.

“Fine then, I’ll get her myself,” she growled, turning away from him. 

Loki nearly let her walk away, let her walk into whatever doom she was getting  herself into, but with a groan and a mad realization, he knew she was the only one he could rely on right now.

“Wait,” he said, reluctantly, hurrying after her and grabbing her arm. “You can’t just go running off. Tell me what happened.”

Hela spat at his feet. “I don’t need to tell you anything.”

“You care about her, don't you? Y/N? Why else would you want to ‘rescue’ her from our brother?”

“Be silent,” she hissed.

“No, no, I’m right, aren’t I? You care for her, but you messed up, and now you have no one on your side. That’s why you left, and that’s why Thor had to take her.”

Hela yanked her arm away before Loki could see her face, but he knew what she felt; remorse, and loss. 

“Tell me.”

And so, reluctantly, knowing she had no other choice, Hela sat him down, this time on an actual park bench rather than the ground. She told him what had happened, how her mistrust had turned to affection for you, and how Thanos had destroyed everything in the end, and how the Avengers had fought her out of fear.

“I know the feeling,” Loki agreed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, watching an elderly lady feed a bunch of pigeons as if nothing drastic had happened to the world the past few days. 

“And now I don't know where she is, and she probably hates me, but who am I to blame her for that?”

“If I know anything about Y/N, is that she cares about everyone, but it takes a lot more to win her love. She doesn’t hate you. She’s just afraid. I mean, you did after all break her window and run off into nowhere.”

Hela stayed quiet, made an annoyed sound in her throat, and looked away.

“I’m starving, how did you get all that ice-cream? Why not an actual meal? Or were you just eating your feelings?”

“Y/N doesn’t like it when I kill people, so it was either massacre the street or steal their dairy products,” Hela bristled. 

“Fair enough.”

“Now what, hm? You come out here, seemingly from the dead, chastise me for messing up, and now judge my diet? What do you really want, Loki?”

“Not sure, to be perfectly honest,” Loki said. “I thought I was dead, and then I wasn’t. Frankly, my priorities are shifting.”

“And what is your current priority?”

“Getting you back to Y/N so you stop moping around and fix this.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?”

Loki grinned, standing up. His armour shimmered and regained its full glamour; horned helmet and deep green cloak. 

“Taking notes from me, are we?” Hela grumbled. Loki glared at her.

“I was wearing this look long before you got here. Now, get up, we’re going to infiltrate the Avengers and give you your romantic happily-ever-after so you stop being such a pain in everyone’s neck.”

“You think we’ll just be able to get in? You really are as mad as Father was.”

“I’ve broken into quite a few places over the years, I’ll have you know. I’m the God of Mischief after all.”

“Am I supposed to be impressed?” Hela stood, her own armour strengthening again. 

“Shut it.”

A/N: Loki is not dead! I know he’s technically alive in an alternate universe or whatever.. but I wanted the Odin Trio to be together sooooo here we are. Let me know what you think!!

taglist: @midnight-lestrange​​ @cheerfullyvenomous​ @germansarechill​@gaylorrds @amii-nyc​ @waitingfortheendtocome​ @novakitten0901​@marvels-writings​ 

[stillbandofbrothersthirsty]

As Far As Friends Go

Chapter 10 (Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9)

 Nixon - April 1944

There was a fresh energy about Emily, a lightness in her step that had never been there before. Nixon first noticed it that Monday morning when she trotted into the intelligence room with a box of what looked like handicraft materials.

“Good morning,” she said in a sing-song voice. Her smile seemed brighter against her red lips.

“‘Morning,” Nixon responded. Emily looked particularly nice that day, Nixon noted. Her hair seemed bouncier, shinier, and her legs looked as nice as ever in those black heels and nylons. This was all objectively speaking of course. She was a new woman and her renewed energy showed magnetically. Nixon wasn’t the only one to notice either; he didn’t miss the creeping eyes of other staff members doing their best to sneak a glance at Emily.

“Nix,” the voice of Dick Winters interrupted his train of thought. Nixon dropped the report he was meant to be reading and looked up at his lean, copper haired friend.

“What?”

“We’re both needed in Colonel Sink’s office.”

“Right,” Nixon stood up from his desk, his chair shifting loudly behind him.

The remainder of the day passed in monotonous agony as Nixon was pulled from one meeting to another to trainings and back again with only quick trips back to the intelligence office to grab a file or notes. At each brief return, Nixon found Emily poised at her desk, dead focused on the slowly growing stack of aerial photos on her desk. Curiosity lined with envy poked at him. She seemed so invested in what she was doing surely it was more interesting than what he had been doing all day. He felt like a carrier pigeon bringing information and requests back and forth between intelligence staff, officers, and the war department. Where was the challenge in that?

By the time evening came all Nixon wanted was to drop into bed with a drink. He had promised Welsh that he would meet him for a drink, a promise he now regretted making. The man was quartered at a house in town and it was far too easy for him to slip away to the pub, and since Nixon had privileges that the enlisted men didn’t (and because Winters didn’t drink), Welsh often invited Nixon to be his casual drinking buddy. Nixon didn’t have the same energy for the pub crowds as Welsh did. On more than one occasion he stood his friend up, and this evening was looking like it was about to be one of those times.

Nixon slumped down onto the twin bed in his tight box room and that was it, he wasn’t getting up. He lay there, head barely propped up on the pillow, lacking the energy to even pull his boots off. This wasn’t the same exhaustion he had felt during his training at Toccoa. His body was strong, in fact it felt over-rested, restless. He found himself wishing for that physical fatigue he had once known. Things had grown stale for him at Aldbourne. Generally speaking, he enjoyed the work and he did it well. But recently Nixon felt under stimulated.

Things in his personal life had also become stagnant. His letters home were predictable and polite. He wasn’t lacking in fraternity camaraderie thanks to his friendships with Winters and Welsh and now Emily. He fully considered her a friend, and one he was grateful to know. Yet, Nixon felt himself wanting since the drama of their strained association had ended.

With combat on the horizon, he was conscious of not jinxing the relative peace he was experiencing. But a part of him, deep down, feared his own potential recklessness. He knew himself well enough to suspect that he may just do something that his rational self would regret later if this boredom continued.

Perhaps he should go out for that drink with Welsh, at least for the opportunity to burn off some frustrated energy. Barely lifting his head from the pillow, Nixon tipped a bit of liquor from his flask down his throat as he debated with himself.

His thoughts were interrupted by the gentlest knock at his door. Nixon lifted his head in surprise, he wasn’t expecting anyone.

“Lew? You in there?” A voice murmured through the wooden door.

“Yeah,” Nixon whispered louder back, “come in,” he said as an afterthought.

Slowly, the door was eased open and Emily slipped quickly inside. She was dressed in slacks and a dark blouse tied up loosely around her waist. Although it was late evening and her face looked clean of makeup she still sported her bold red lipstick. She grinned naughtily, obviously feeling rebellious for being in his room at such an hour.

“Emily?” Nixon couldn’t say he wasn’t a little surprised, “what’re you doing here?”

From behind her back Emily produced an open bottle of red wine and a deck of playing cards.

“What do you say?” she smiled charmingly, “up for a little gin?”


Nixon raised an eyebrow, “I hope you mean the game and not that you have gin in that stoppered bottle of yours.”



“Don’t be silly! Do you mind?” Emily flopped down on the foot of his bed without waiting for permission. “I’m afraid the wine won’t be up to your usual standard. If I’m being completely honest, it wasn’t very expensive.”

“You always assume me a snob.” Nixon took the bottle from her to check out the label.

“Well, you are kind of a snob. Vat 69 exclusively?”



“I drink beer.”

“As a supporting act,” Emily said.

Nixon chuckled and handed the bottle back to her, “you don’t know much about whiskey do you?”

“See! That’s something a snob would say!”

“I could be worse.”

“True,” Emily conceded, “you’re a snob but at least you’re not condescending. I’ve met a few guys like that.”

“Notre Dame men?”

“Harvard, I’ve recently met them.”

“Good thing I went to Yale.”

“Oh yes, good thing!” Emily teased.

“Anyways,” Nixon continued, “you may be surprised to know that Vat 69 isn’t the smoothest of whiskeys. Just happens to be my personal preference.” 


Emily eyed him, he could see that she wanted to say something but was holding back.



“What?” he pried.

“Nothing!” Her voice clearly revealed she didn’t actually mean nothing.

“Tell me.”

Emily chewed on her lip then smiled hesitantly, “do all alcoholics have preferences?”



Nixon rolled his eyes, “I’m only an alcoholic if it becomes a problem.”

“If?” Emily wrestled the cork from her wine bottle.


“Has my work performance been slipping, Miss Rooney? Do you have some feedback you would like to offer?”

Emily took a swig from the bottle. Nixon could see the tint of ox blood red blossom between her cherry lips before she swallowed. “Not at all Captain.” 



Nixon’s mouth twisted in distaste and he gestured for her to pass the bottle. She took another drink before handing it over, “actually,” she said smacking her lips, “I did have a question - or actually something I wanted to share - from when I was looking over a few of those surveillance pictures. I noticed that there was this hedge, or like fence, or something in a place that isn’t showing up on the topographers’ maps. I think that may change or impact whatever’s in the works.”

Nixon nodded thoughtfully, “okay, good to know. We can go over it in more detail tomorrow or next time we’re both in the office. But enough shop talk, why are you here again?”



Emily held up the deck of cards triumphantly, “gin! Want to play? Or am I interrupting plans?” she asked suddenly timid.

Nixon thought about Welsh at the pub. Eh, he probably made some new buddies to drink with, Nixon wasn’t worried. He still felt tired but looking at Emily perched on the end of his bed, he wasn’t about to kick her out. It’s not like he would be sleeping if she left anyways. The most tragic irony of his current state was that his restless exhaustion had made an insomniac out of him.

“Not at all, let’s play.”


Light seemed to radiate off of her smile in the dimmed room. She tucked her legs under her and dealt the cards. Nixon took another drink of wine, feeling his frustration abate, at least for the night.

Nixon’s workload continued to increase over the next couple of days. He was run ragged by a laundry list of tasks. Although the tasks felt menial, there was the sensation that things were coming to a head. He had known that something big was in the works for a while now. Since he handed those first photos over to Emily he was prepared for what was most likely their invasion of the continent. Finally, it seemed as if it was going to happen.

The intelligence office had been instructed to begin constructing sand tables; miniature, but lifelike maps of the terrain where the allies intended to invade. In a meeting with the higher-ups, Nixon had been instructed not to divulge the location for the impending invasion to anyone. The point of invasion was on a need-to-know basis. The sand tables could be constructed based off of the provided information without having to reveal the actual location. According to Colonel Sink, Emily and other S-2s were to simply be artists for the time being.

Nixon had barely found the time to relay construction instructions to Emily before he was whisked off to another meeting. Ergo, he hadn’t found the time to review the issue she had brought up to him the other night; an inconsistency with the aerial photos and topographical maps.

“Sir,” Emily stood up from her desk when he ducked in to visit his desk one day, “I need to talk to you.”


Nixon ignored her, focused on his task. He was only there to collect some reports.

“Nixon, sir,” Emily skittered over to his desk. “Sir, I need to show you these photos I pieced together. Remember? I mentioned the other night-,”

“Not now Emily,” Nixon grumbled as he rifled through his papers.


“Nixon, please it’s important. I think you should know before you proceed any further with whatever is being planned.”

“You can show me later.”

“I could, yes sir, but I think you should know that the topographical maps may not be completely accurate. They’ll need to be altered which means any strategic planning may need changing which I would hate for everyone to have to revise. It would be better to start with the correct information-,”

“Emily! Please!” Nixon finally found the reports he was after. He exited the room quickly with Emily on his heels, her black pumps tip-tapping irritatingly across the wood and carpets of the manor.

“Lewis, I wanted to show you days ago, take a look at these, really quick,” she stuffed the photos under his chin. Nixon snatched them out of her hand exasperatedly, “what?” he demanded.

She was struggling slightly to keep pace with him but managed to point out a row of hedges, thick and wide, that bordered the far right of one photo and the far left of another. Side by side, the photos formed a clear picture. If Emily hadn’t pointed out the hedge, Nixon may have assumed that the dense shrubbery was blurred photo ink.

“Where is this?”


“It appears to be a large hedgerow right near Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. In fact, it appears to be one of the largest in the area. Sir, it’s not on the topographers’ maps and in my opinion a hedgerow of this size should be included on those maps. It could offer strategic cover for almost the whole battalion. Even possibly an opportune place to set up a rendezvous point? Assuming the Germans aren’t encroaching on that position.” Emily’s voice didn’t waver. She was confident in her work.

“How do you know this is Sainte-Marie-du-Mont?” Nixon kept his voice neutral. Of course he knew that Operation Overlord intended to drop the Airborne into Normandy, but Emily shouldn’t have been the wiser.

Emily returned his suspicious gaze with an emotionless one. There was no hint as to how she discovered the intended invasion point. “I know my maps, sir,” she said.

Nixon couldn’t help the corner of his mouth turning up slightly. “Thanks for sharing this with me, Miss Rooney. Nice work. I’ll be sure to pass the information along.”

[dangermousie]

1. That’s quite a kiss for a proper, serious historical. But then I suppose you don’t hire a Taiwanese star if you want really bad kissing.

2. Vic Chou was my first ever drama crush as he was the ML of my first ever drama Mars (still one of my all time faves.) Back in 2006, before some tumblr users were probably even born, I read the manga, wanted to see if there was an anime and discovered there was a live action instead. I found it and the rest is history. If someone told 2006 me that 15 years later I’d be swooning over him as a future Song emperor...eh why not?

3. I find it interesting how they stick a somewhat cliche fairy tale romance into a pretty serious period drama only to turn it inside out in a very dark way. If this wasn’t a situation where we know Liu Er eventually becomes Dowager Empress and dies of old age, I’d be up for the narrative contained in the first episode because it has such a lovely dark tinge. I am not even talking about the fact that Zhao Heng is love’s young dream to her but not a great husband to his actual wife - she has just given birth to a son and heir and secured him a place as the Crown Prince and while he is unfailingly proper and polite to her, he has zero warmth towards her or hesitation to bring a new wife in when she’s barely recovered from childbirth. (Though it’s probably a very realistic set-up when he and his official wife were an arranged marriage; propriety is the most you can expect - to wish for love and warmth, let alone monogamy, is a pipe dream.)  No, I am talking how it’s sort of a fairy tale set up. She is a peasant girl who fishes out a bona fide royal prince out of the river.

And not just any royal prince, but a gorgeous one to boot (I have never found someone who looks like that in a river, dammit!)

And she, a peasant girl from Shu (and one that already gave birth too though I believe miscarried, but definitely no pristine high born virgin) wins his heart.

And he brings her with him to the capital and not just that but literally asks the Emperor for the permission to make her a wife.

And is loving and devoted and sweet and spends all his free time with her.

Sure, he already has an official wife (and possibly concubines) but it’s a polygamous society so Liu Er has seriously hit the fairy tale jackpot. I did crack up like mad when he tells her this though:

“Yeah, we will be together forever. You, me, my wife, and all my concubines.”

Anyway, so far this is basically Song Dynasty Cinderella. Except his child gets stabbed in her care and of course the Emperor condemns her to death and despite the Prince’s pleading she is given a cup of poisonous wine and that’s the end for her (or not since we know it’s ep 1.) Because a peasant girl with no family or backing would not walk into a happy fairy tale with a handsome prince but get tripped by one of a million dangers in the capital...and I love that.

The pacing of ep 1 was all over the place btw. I know this is 61 eps but I am wondering if it was cut down even further from 70 or 80 and they just cut down in the beginning. Because we are thrown in medias res which is fine even if my knowledge of the Song Dynasty is basically wikipedia-based; if this was a show set in medieval Russia or England or France of Italy, I wouldn’t be as lost as I am. The medias res thing I actually like. But also the amount of stuff ep 1 cowers is something we normally get a dozen eps for - we get the earthquake, the Emperor picking a Crown Prince, the secret that the Emperor killed his brother, our ML going to walk, getting caught in an earthquake, being presumed dead, being saved, falling for FL, bringing her back, his baby being assassinated and FL drinking poisoned wine. I mean - that’s more plot than entire actual dramas have! The actors are all excellent, the cinematography is beautiful, and honestly even one ep and with such a pace I already see them as fully living and breathing people which is very impressive, but it feels like a survey course or maybe a Cliffs’ Notes version. I really hope this is sort of the prologue and the pace calms down - otherwise they are gonna be able to cover the entire Song Dynasty in 61 eps with room left over.

[daydream-hobii]

Flowers & Weeds | Prequel to Roses & Thorns | Chapter 2

Genre: Prequel to Roses & Thorns; Poly!AU; Hybrid!AU; Fluff & Angst

Pairing: BTS x Female!Reader; Alpaca!Seokjin, Panther!Yoongi, Fox!Hoseok, Wolf!Namjoon, Bear!Jimin, Tiger!Taehyung, Bunny!Jungkook

Summary: Before Y/n rehabilitated hybrids, she was just an average rich daughter of a well-known hybrid breeder. She was also someone who didn’t want hybrids in her life, she didn’t like how they had to have an owner when really, they were more human than animals. When the government starts threatening her, she decides to get one to make them start. That’s what changes everything.

Warning: Mentions of Mental & Physical Abuse, Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Thoughts; High Suggestions of Smut; Future Mentions of Attempted Suicides; Read with Caution~ <3

Word Count: 1,370

Connected Series: Roses & Thorns

// Previous // Next //

Author’s Note: Welcome to Chapter 2! I hope you like it!! ^_^

        A couple weeks after adopting Taehyung, it was rare that I ever saw him. For the first week, he was non-existent. I was so worried, I’d start bringing his food up to his room and setting it in front of the door.

       Slowly, I’d see him examining rooms, but he’d become so frightened when he’d see me, he’d run back to his room. This morning was no different, I was making breakfast in my pajamas, making sure to set Taehyung’s on a tray for his room. When I turned, I jumped, looking at the tiger hybrid. I scolded myself, watching his nervous appearance. I expected him to run away, but he didn’t…. I smiled softly, pushing his tray across the island for him and turning back.

       I continued to make my own breakfast, smiling when I heard the scuffle of a chair moving. He was staying with me…. I finished my own plate, turning and watching him slowly eat his food. I set my plate down, beginning to eat in silence. If he wanted to talk to me, I’m sure he would. It wasn’t long before he opened his mouth.

       “Why are you alone…?” He whispered, making me look at him. His voice was hoarse, he hadn’t talked in a while.

       “Well, I’m too young,” I replied with a smile. “I haven’t really met anyone to be with, so here I am….”

       “How… how do you have this house?” He asked, slightly louder. His tail twitched behind him, eyes filled with curiosity, but also guard.

       “Well,” I started, frowning. “My father was an incredibly rich man. An incredibly horrid man…. He started a bank account for me when I was younger, and it all became mine when I turned 18.”

       “Oh…” He whispered, looking back down at his food and eating.

       “Do you like your room?” I asked, making him look at me. “Everything is alright, right…?”

       “Oh, yes,” He replied, again, a bit louder than before. “It’s all so wonderful Mistress… eh… I mean, Y/n.” He flashed an extremely small smile, before looking at his plate shyly.

       “Would you like to go shopping…?” I asked, making him look up from his eyelashes, surprised. “I mean… I know you don’t have a lot, and you don’t have much clothing. I could take you to the Hybrid Outlet Mall…?”

       “Um… sure,” He whispered. “Miss?” I moved my head to the side, looking at him as he looked up, straight in the face. “Why are you being so nice to me?” This was the most confident thing he’s said to me, and it caught me off guard.

       “Why wouldn’t I be…?” I replied, making him frown. “Taehyung, I see you as a person. I see you as my equal, not my pet. This world is a dark place where no one is kind to one another, and I don’t intend to do you any harm.”

       We continued to eat in silence, and once we finished, he stood to take his plate to the sink. He cautiously took my plate, washing both plates and placing them in the dishwasher. I thanked him, and we stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, staring at each other.

       “I’ve never had a bed,” He admitted, looking towards the entrance of the kitchen, which led to the living room. “I’ve never even had a room…. The bed was… weird on my back for a bit. I don’t think I was used to it…. I have never slept as good as I do here in my life….”

       I seemed frozen, stunned that he opened up so much. It showed me a little flash of his life, and my heart broke for him. What on Earth had he gone through…? I sighed, nodding my head and turning, grabbing my keys. He wore pajamas, which were much nicer than his clothing, and decided to wear them. We walked out the door, going to my car and getting in to go to the mall.

       We first went into the hybrid accessories store, where we bought a collar and leash. I let him pick his colors, as well as what seemed most comfortable. The law required he be on a leash unless in an off leash hybrid park, how absurd. I was surprised to see him choose grey, but I bought them. I carefully clipped it onto him, his skin flinched under my soft touch, making me frown.

       We went to a multitude of stores, and I saw multiple hybrids of all kinds. There were very few who looked happy, maybe three or four, the rest looked like… robots…. My heart was heavy as I hadn’t been in a hybrid mall since I was young. 

       Every store we were in, Taehyung would get so excited. I could tell he was holding himself back, but a little glimpse in his eyes showed just how thrilled he was. He would pick so many clothes, and try them on and show me. I giggled at his reactions, some were perfect, some were a definite no. I noticed he was a very tasteful and fashionable person, he loved so many name brands, and I was happy to provide them.

       Once we were all finished, we each carried multiple bags. They were filled with all sorts of things, clothing, toys, decorations, posters. Everything! As we began walking to my car, his mood seemed to shift. He was tense, almost nervous. I felt his hand brush mine a couple times and, eventually, his pinky latched with my own. I smile to myself, not fully holding his hand as to let him breathe. He was still so nervous, I didn’t want to ruin any progress he may have. 

       Taehyung stopped at a store, staring in the window with almost heart eyes. I stopped, looking at him confused before following his gaze. It was an incredibly fancy laptop, one that was a lot of money. It looked like a gaming laptop, making me move my head to the side. I let go of his leash, telling him to wait. I went inside, quickly bought it, and walked back out with the box. Others seemed to be staring at him, and us, awkwardly. I bit my lip, I shouldn’t have left him…. He was too stunned to care, however, and stared at me in shock. I smiled, grabbing his leash once more and walking out and to my car, where we returned home.

       Later, we were in his room together, and I was hanging up his clothes. He was decorating his room with everything he had gotten, and had his fancy laptop box on the desk saved for last. I hadn’t seen him this happy yet, and it filled my heart with joy. He was so sweet, and excitable, it was such a nice side to see.

       “Alright, looks like we’re all done,” I said with the flash of a smile. He nodded, sitting on his bed. “I’m exhausted, I think I’m going to go to bed, okay?”

       “Okay,” He replied. “Can I set up my laptop…?”

       “Tae, you don’t need to ask my permission,” I said with a smile. “You can do whatever you like in the home. You’re safe here.” He nodded, making me smile.

       I walked to the door, opening it and walking out, but before I closed it, he called my name. I turned to him, looking at him curiously. He hesitated, before flashed a small smile.

       “Thank you…” He whispered, only making me smile large. “for everything.”

       “You’re welcome, Tae,” I whispered back. “Now, get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

       I shut the door, walking up to my bedroom. I bit my lip, noticing I had a bubbly feeling in my heart. I didn’t expect to feel this way with a hybrid, but a realization was rolling through my brain. Taehyung was so broken, so sad, so alone… and now, he’s safe. I wanted to help more hybrids, I wanted to save them. That’s what my life purpose is, I just know it. With this in mind, I finished my nightly routine, crawling into bed. I planned on doing my research tomorrow, to understand the length I could do to help hybrids.

[krsnbgirl]

Fly High! || Kageyama x Fem!Reader || Part 11

Summary: You wake up to find Kageyama delivering the food that the rest of the managers reserved for you. While eating, you get to see the rare side of soft Kageyama and the small time frame you have with each other, it shows that both of your walls are slowly coming down. Then after having a late start to the day, the boys show how much they’ve missed you and as the day goes on, some priceless moments are finally captured through your infamous Polaroid. 

Pairing: Kageyama Tobio x Fem!Reader

Genre: Rom-Com, Slice of Life, Sports, Fluff

Warnings: Light Cursing

Word Count: ~2.9k

Taglist:  @misnmatchedsox​ @monviemoo​ @love-beyond-words​ @bbecc-a​ @live-2-fangirl​ @2busyfangirling​ @ifeelblueming​ @tobiosbbyghorl​ @vanillakylee​

Author’s Notes: Happy December everyone! Sorry for the late update, I wanted to spend some time away from social media and completely be immersed in spending time with my family over the holidays. But now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s back to regular weekly updates until Christmas comes around, hahaha This week’s chapter feels like a filler and a bit on the shorter side. I just wanted to get something out for y’all because I noticed it’s been maybe two weeks since the last update? ^^; Sorry about that~ As always, the story is crossposted/updated on AO3! Hope all of you lovelies have been staying safe and taking care of yourselves, love you guys! Taglist is still open <3

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 5.5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8 || Part 9 || Part 10 || Part 11 || Part 12 || Masterlist

Kageyama sighed as he eyed the bento box in his hand. It was packed and given to him by Shimizu once he followed her, Sugawara, and Daichi into the kitchen when everyone parted ways. After the food was ready to be delivered, the boys slapped his shoulders in encouragement and he watched the third years leave him to fetch the laundry baskets. ‘I...somehow feel...as if everyone was in on this…’ He thought to himself as he entered the girls’ building and towards the classroom that had its door slightly ajar. 

“Sorry for the intrusion…” he said softly as he slid the door open and made his way inside. 

He scanned the room and noticed the small bundle of blankets in the corner across from him. Making his way over, his gaze softened once he stopped next to the sleeping figure. You were curled up in a small ball with your arms tucked into your chest. Your phone was next to you with one of your playlists on its screen and he quietly kneeled down next to you. Without knowing, he began to admire your features. Kageyama thought you looked more peaceful with your face relaxed. You looked more innocent compared to your usual expression with your eyebrows scrunched up in focus or the permanent scowl you directed at them during games. He reached out and touched your forehead, sighing in relief to find out that you didn’t have any temperature. 

Setting your meal next to him, he frowned as he tried to figure out the best way to wake you up. Nishinoya warned that if you didn’t get enough rest, you’d be cranky and probably lash out at him. If he was too soft on you, then you wouldn’t feel a thing because you were a heavy sleeper. With a sigh, he followed his gut and leaned over you. He didn’t know how to deal with waking up a girl so Kageyama decided to go with the soft approach. His mind flashed to your exhausted look on your face from the night before and pursed his lips. With the chance to sleep in, he hoped that it helped you feel a lot better after taking care of the team. Sitting on his knees, he rested his weight on his left arm and gently shook your shoulder with his right hand. 

“(Y/N), it’s time to wake up. Shimizu-senpai asked me to bring you food.” 

He waited for a couple of seconds for you to respond, but without any movement, he decided to shake you a little harder. 

“Oi, you shorty. Wake up,” he said louder. 

You groaned and swatted his hand away from you. “Five more minutes mom, I don’t feel good…” 

“This girl-Oi, little miss sleepy head. Wake up or else I’m going to kill you.” Kageyama hissed as his patience wore thin when he saw you turn over and hug the blanket tighter. With a blank expression, he gave up trying to be gentle and began to relentlessly shake your shoulder. 

“Hnng…wha…?” you murmured sleepily and now aware of someone shaking you awake. “What in the…”  

Kageyama paused and watched you sleepily rub your eyes. It was a rare sight to see you with your walls down while he waited for you to fully wake up. With your hair slightly disheveled and a small pout on your lips, Kageyama quickly sat back on his knees and looked away. ‘Am I even allowed to see her like this?’ 

You mentally tried to gather your thoughts as your surroundings became more clear to you. Annoyance started to bubble up inside you from being woken up so harshly. There was still a light ache in your head and mentally decided to lash out at whoever decided to disturb your peace. Pushing yourself up to your elbows, you glared at the person and Kageyama immediately gulped when he met your gaze. He immediately shifted his gaze elsewhere and waited for you to say something. You were surprised to find that it was Kageyama next to you rather than Nishinoya and immediately relaxed your features. 

“Tobio?” you asked sleepily. 

He turned back to you and you sat up, mentally cheering that your body didn’t feel as heavy as before. You turned your body to face him and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at training right now?” you asked tiredly and reached for your water bottle. 

“I would be, but someone took too long to wake up,” he grumbled and shoved the bento box into your lap.

You choked on your water and smiled sheepishly when you put down the bottle. “Sorry, waking up is pretty hard for me if I don’t have a set time to be up.”

“Shimizu-senpai told me to give that to you.” he nodded towards the food sitting in your lap. 

You smiled when you opened it and let out a happy sound. “She remembered that I liked my rice with egg. It’s always my go-to for breakfast.” 

He watched as you quickly added the soy sauce and furikake seasoning on top before mixing the raw egg and its toppings with the rice. As he watched you dig into the food, he relaxed when he noticed that your energy was slowly coming back.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked.

You swallowed the food you were eating and looked up in thought. “A little better, I might try to freshen myself up to see if that helps.” 

“...so you’re not going to be there today?” Kageyama asked as he changed his sitting position. He leaned against his hands behind him and his legs were crisscrossed in front of him. He thoughtfully looked at you and tried to imagine what training would be like without you there to give him critiques or yell at the rest of the team.

You shrugged and said, “We’ll see. I might rest until you guys finish lunch. Then by the afternoon, if I’m feeling better, I’ll see you guys at the gym...hopefully.” 

He sighed then glanced at the clock and you smiled at him, thankful that he took some time to check up on you. Your gaze followed his and realized that the practice matches were about to start. 

“You better hurry or else Coach Ukai will yell at you.” 

Kageyama grunted and stood up from his position. Straightening out his practice clothes, he lightly bonked you on the head before making his way towards the door. You watched as he lazily waved at you. 

“Says the one that’s currently sick. Take better care of yourself, baka.” 

With a laugh, you nodded and he walked away. Your gaze softened and smiled to yourself while biting the tip of your chopsticks. It surprised you that Kageyama was the one to bring you the meal you missed and was probably forced to. Even if that was the case, you were glad to see that he didn’t seem as closed off as before. As you finished up your food, you knew that one more nap and a shower would bring you back to normal. So once you put the bento to the side, you chugged the rest of your water then grabbed what you needed before heading towards the showers to finally kick start your day. 

-- 

“(Y/N)-chan, welcome back!” Kaori greeted you when you walked into the kitchen. 

You smiled at the managers who were finishing up with cutting watermelons for all the boys at the camp. The other girls were happy to see that you were back to being your energetic self after seeing the drastic change in your personality just a couple hours prior. 

“I hope there wasn’t too much chaos while I was gone for the first half.” you said and bowed to them before straightening back up and sheepishly rubbed your neck.

“Nah, but your boys have been losing. Although, their spirits don’t seem to die either way.” One of the managers from Shinzen informed you.

You shrugged and walked to where Shimizu and Yachi were cutting some and immediately began to help them out. 

“It was to be expected, haha. We’re trying a lot of new and different things so it’s just a matter of getting it in their bodies.” 

“How are you feeling, (Y/N)-chan?” Shimizu asked. 

“I feel better. The food was amazing this morning, by the way. I’ve been drinking a lot of water and sports drinks once I was completely awake too.” you chirped and gave her a cheeky smile. 

“That’s good, the boys were worried about you this morning.” Yachi chimed in. 

“Eh? Really?” 

Shimizu nodded and passed you a tray that was filled with the last of the watermelon. “They were down at first, but they wanted to train even harder today to show you that they’ve been working hard.” 

“I’m assuming they’re doing it for some extra praise?” you smirked. 

The others nodded and the three of you laughed while you made your way towards the gym. You giggled behind the rest of the girls as the manager from Ubugawa announced that they’ll be given watermelon during their break. You peeked behind Shimizu’s shoulders to find the Karasuno boys out of breath. A part of you was worried because of how many times they’ve been running up the hill, but another part was glad to see that they were pushing themselves to be at their very best. All of the boys made their way outside as the managers stood by the door so they could take one on their way out. You stood at the end of the line and waited to see who would spot you first. 

“EH?! (Y/N)-CHAN!” Hinata exclaimed when his eyes landed on you. 

With that saying, the rest of the boys zeroed in on you and before you knew it, they were racing towards you with bright smiles. 

“We missed you!” Daichi said and ruffled your hair before grabbing a slice. 

“It was a little quiet without you reprimanding Kageyama and Hinata for their antics during breakfast this morning.” Sugawara chuckled. 

“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, (Y/N)-chan.” Asahi smiled. 

After the three boys left, Nishinoya, Tanaka, Ennoshita, and the rest of the second years went up to you for their share. 

“Glad to see you’re up and running, (Y/N)-chan.” Nishinoya grinned and squeezed your cheek. 

“What can I say? You know how I can be sometimes and hey- stop that hurts y’know?” you huffed and swatted his hand away as he laughed and grabbed his slice before walking away to find a spot to sit. 

“Did you enjoy your little breakfast delivery?” Tanaka snickered and wriggled his eyebrows at you. 

With a slight kick at his ankle, he winced and you smiled innocently. “Did you know that Shimizu-senpai is out of your league? Don’t test me today, Ryu-nii.” 

He laughed and turned towards Nishinoya before walking off. “Oi, she totally enjoyed her morning!” Turning back to you, he clicked his tongue and pointed finger guns at you, “Don’t worry about that, I’m completely aware of that kid. I’m gonna make her fall in love with me either way.” 

“I’m sorry for that, (Y/N)-chan. But we are glad to see that you’re doing okay.” Ennoshita said. 

“Of course, I can’t let Shimizu-senpai and Yachi-chan do all the work when it comes to you guys.” you smiled and you immediately rolled your eyes when you saw who was next. 

“Oh, so you didn’t die?” Tsukishima snickered while he grabbed one before immediately walking away. 

You raised your fist at him and mentally cursed him in your mind for being such a smartass. ’Just you wait until I beat your ass when I get a chance to spike a ball past you, you salty prick.’ 

“Why this mother-” 

“Don’t mind him, (Y/N)-chan. But I hope you’re feeling better.” Yamaguchi said hurriedly with a sheepish smile before getting his slice, trying to catch up to the blonde. 

“Glad to see you’re doing a lot better. I missed seeing you this morning.” Hinata smiled before making his way towards Kenma and Lev on the hill after being pushed out of the way when he made your presence known. 

“Are you sure you should be doing this?” Kageyama asked as he took the last slice and bit into it. 

You shrugged and held the tray to your side. “I mean I feel fine and if it makes you relax, I’ll take it easy today.” 

He narrowed his eyes at you and you held out your pinky in response. “Pinky promise.”

With a sigh, he reluctantly linked his pinky with yours, still doubting that you were at your best.  You simply gave him a playful salute and smirked. “I won’t let you down.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.” he grumbled before walking off. 

‘It’s like he’s trying his hardest not to show that he cares.’ You laughed to yourself before walking back to the kitchen to refill your tray with more watermelon.

--

“Oh? You brought it out, huh?” Yachi smiled when her eyes landed on the Polaroid camera you brought along to one of the practice matches later in the day.

You smiled as you set it down beside your things on the bench. You quickly put your hair up in a bun and began to fill it with a new packet of film. 

“I figured I could show the boys how hard they’ve been looking with some action shots.” 

“It’s true, this is the most motivated I’ve seen them. It’s quite scary because collisions like the one that happened yesterday could happen again. If that happens, then those types of accidents can lead to major injuries if they’re not careful.” Shimizu added while looking over their notes to summarize their current statistics.

You hummed in agreement and as the boys filed out of the gym for their punishment, you knew it was the perfect time to get some candids of the boys. You stood by the door as they stretched their legs and took one of the third years together. Then when the boys reached the top, you took one of all their silhouettes standing together. And once they slowly made their way down the hill, you smiled to yourself as you managed to get one of Nishinoya jumping onto Tanaka’s back. The flash took them by surprise and Nishinoya smiled widely. 

“You brought the camera!” he grinned and jumped off of Tanaka. 

Walking up to you, he snatched it from you and smiled cheekily while playfully shaking it. “My turn to take some pictures.” 

Without getting a word out from you, he ran away and you could only sigh in disbelief. ‘He really never runs out of energy, huh?’ 

You looked back towards the hill to see that most of them were about to come back and hurriedly picked up the bottles of water Shimizu set against the wall near the entrance. Grabbing as many as you could, you began to hand it out to the rest of the boys. 

“Good work today, you guys!” you cheered as they grabbed their bottles and tried to catch their breath.. 

A chorus of ‘thank you’ surrounded you and you pouted once Daichi ruffled your hair. 

“What do I always say about the hair?” you whined. 

“Not to touch it, but we still do because of that reaction of yours” Asahi chuckled and smiled in thanks as he grabbed his bottle from you. 

You turned around as they walked past you, slowly making their way into the gym, and someone tapped your on the shoulder. You smiled to see that it was Kageyama. He tiredly wiped his face with his towel and you held out his water bottle. 

“Good job today, Tobio.” you said while he wrapped his towel around his neck. 

“Thanks.” he murmured and grabbed the other end of his bottle. You rocked on your heels as you waited for him to compose himself and took a sip of his water. 

“Do you mind if we practice after dinner?” he asked as he looked down at you with a hint of a smile on his face. 

You shook your head and said, “I don’t mind as long as you’re down for a rematch.” 

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh? Someone doesn’t like to lose.”

With a cheeky smile, you shoved his bottle towards his chest and said, “I need to get my revenge on the prodigy y’know?” 

“AHAHA I GOT IT! TANAKA I REALLY I GOT THAT!” Nishinoya exclaimed. 

The two of you snapped your heads to the right to find Nishinoya holding your Polaroid in his hands with Tanaka standing behind him, laughing his head off. Kageyama just blinked, still trying to process what happened, as you stomped over to them. Snatching the camera out of their hands, you plucked whatever pictures Nishinoya took out of his hands.

“Stop fooling around, you shitheads!” you yelled and jabbed both of them in the stomach. 

They fell to the ground in pain but burst out laughing once more. “It was too cute not to capture! We never get to see soft Kageyama!” 

“Shut up right now Yu-nii.” you hissed. 

“C’mon you can’t deny it once you see the photo.” Tanaka added. 

Sugawara called out for them to come back inside and you sighed to yourself as you shuffled through the photos. Tanaka and Nishinoya nudged your sides when they passed you, still trying to tease you as much as they could. You snickered when Sugawara slapped the back of their heads before turning your attention back to the photos in your hands. One was a selca of Nishinoya and Tanaka, another was of Tsukishima flipping off the camera with Yamaguchi simply not knowing what to do in the background, another was of the third years smiling widely at the camera, the second to last one was of Hinata flashing a wide smile and holding up a ‘V,’ and the last one was of you and Kageyama. 

You bit your lip while you tried to stop yourself from smiling so widely. Nishinoya had caught the moment of you and Kageyama smirking and smiling at each other. Kageyama’s facial expression was the closest anyone would see to him for smiling and there was a joyful look in his eyes. Meanwhile you were looking up at him with your dimple showing and you knew you had let your emotions show too quickly. ‘I guess Yu-nii can be useful with that camera sometimes.’ you thought to yourself before putting all of the pictures into your bag and made your way towards the kitchen to help with dinner.