#i probably haven't answered all your questions but when it comes to music i never really know where to start ;;;;;;;

[stormyoceans]

Happy sleepover saturday🌌

Have a nice day Monica!🌸 Tell me, what kind of music do you like? What about musical genres? Do you have certain songs for different moods? Which songs evoked a variety of strong emotions in you?

A song from me for you:

The Yawning Grave by Lord Huron

Take care of yourself!🌸

what a beautifully haunting and hauntingly beautiful song that is!!!!!! it's both so calming yet terrifying when you actually focus on the lyrics, and the vocals are simply wonderful. the only song by lord huron i was familiar with was the night we met, but after this i think i really need to take the time to listen to their discography because i feel like i would love it, so thank you for sharing it with me!!!!!!!

i always have a bit of a hard time answering music related questions because i feel like i don't have very specific tastes when it comes to it? i do tend to lean towards indie and folk as genres most of the times, but i also go through a lot of different phases. i spent a couple of months last year listening to nu metal exclusively while now im very into instrumental music, especially classical and jazz. so yeah, idk ;;;;;;

i do have my go to artists tho!!!! i love queen because they're my brother's ultimate favorites and he played for years in a tribute band so i grew up with their songs and know them by heart. the national are what i listen to when im sad and i just need to.. feel my emotions, if that makes sense. like im picking myself up and going on with my life in a sec but first let me put on baby we'll be fine and wallow in those feelings for a while. also florence and the machine, hozier, the amazing devil, dirt poor robins, and the crane wives are on my daily playlist!!!!

this is pretty much it, i think ;;;;;;;;

[writing-for-life]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN DREAM'S HAIR USED TO BE WHITE!! oh my god. i just saw your post about killala and i have now perished. thanks for breaking my heart.

but also hi!! i'm relatively new to the fandom and it's a great place to be. i haven't finished reading all the comics yet but i'm curious to know:

what do you think are the main differences between TV!Dream and Comics!Dream? i've heard so many people claiming that he is incapable of changing, for instance, and though the show does convey his overall rigidity pretty well, i'm not getting the vibe that he's immutable.

also!! it's clear that he feels a lot. which is always funny to me when the corinthian is like yo, try this and maybe you'll feel something for a change but like. he does!!! or i get the impression that he does. he probably feels too much if anything?? all of it simmering just beneath the surface, barely contained. how would you personally analyze his relationship with his own emotions?

i hope all of this is coherent enough for you to answer lmao, i saw your post about enjoying being asked sandman questions two seconds after i woke up and barged into your inbox. hope you have a lovely day!

Thanks so much for the ask, and welcome if you’re new(ish) to the fandom! 🤗

I’m sorry I broke your heart—much more heartbreak to come I fear if you haven’t read the comics yet, so I’ll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.

I am one of those people who believes the differences between comics!Dream and show!Dream are actually not as big as they are made out to be where it matters, and you will definitely find people who disagree. At the end of the day, we all read it through our own lens and will never be fully objective about it.

The main difference I see is that they filed off the rough edges of the comics a bit to make a new audience sympathise more. It’s very hard to do that with a character who is basically in full arsehole mode for most of the first 40 issues or so, and even then only slowly begins to come out of it (although we can obviously see glimmers of what lies below the surface at the beginning of the comics, too, but it’s far more subtle than in the show). I’ve worked in musical theatre for a over decade of my life and understand a bit about bringing the written word to stage/screen, and some things simply don’t translate well from book to stage/screen, and you have to change it. So my personal opinion is we get a more sympathetic Morpheus and certain changes so the audience can do exactly that—sympathise off the bat. You will lose an audience pretty quickly if they don’t care about the protagonist and the universe he moves in, and you can’t be as nuanced about it as you can be in a written work. We’re talking about streaming services thinking about profits here, even if people don’t want to hear it.

Also: The more you sympathise with a character, the deeper the emotional investment and the more you feel, even if it hurts.

Having said this, I don’t think Morpheus is incapable of change, and I never got where that idea comes from. His biggest flaw is that he believes he cannot change (and even he has moments when he admits he might have). In the introduction to Endless Nights, Neil Gaiman says that he was once asked to describe The Sandman in twenty-five words or less, and famously, it was this (you might have heard it):

“The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision.”

And I think some people might have wrongly taken that for an either/or thing. I don’t want to say too much at this point because I don’t know how much you know (if you’d like spoilers or already know how it ends, let me know, I’ll happily expand on it). Only so much:

He is capable of change, also in the comics. Very obviously so. But just like he denies he has his own story (which also isn’t true), he denies he can change. Or at least he thinks he perhaps cannot change enough (it’s actually hard to write about this without giving everything away, help! 🙈).

As for his feelings: He does feel, but again, it is something he pushes down and will deny himself. Until it bursts to the surface and breaks through, and when that happens, it’s usually with, well, let’s say varying results, and that’s putting it mildly. Personally, I’d say he has problems relating to his feelings, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel. Quite the opposite in my view. He holds the collective unconscious—all unprocessed feelings and whatever else floats around in that collective mess, and it’s exactly what he says to the Corinthian in that famous scene: he needs to keep a lid on it and keep that lid firmly closed so all of it doesn’t consume him. But that also means denying himself the feelings that are linked to his own personhood (if you want to call it that). There’s Dream of the Endless, and then there’s Morpheus. And while they’re one and the same and inseparable, Morpheus is also the “point of view”. The character, the person, if you will. And deep down, he craves that personhood so badly. Out of all the Endless, he is the only one who basically collects names because they mean having something beyond his function, which is also mirrored in what he tells Death in “The Sound of her Wings”: he wants something more. He is the only one whose realm is populated with sentient beings (yes, I know Despair has rats, but I think you get my drift). He is desperately lonely and struggles with it. He seeks connection yet denies it to himself. That’s not someone who doesn’t feel.

I don’t know if this answers your questions at all—I was doing the wild “spoiler-free” dance 🤣 But please let me know if you want me to go a bit deeper, I love talking about this stuff.

You can also have a look at my metas if you haven’t already. The headers pretty much explain what they’re about and what spoiler-level to expect, but none of them are truly spoiler-free I guess:

Again, thanks so much for encroaching on my inbox, and feel free to follow up if anything was left unanswered.

@dreamaturgy ask answered

[thequeenofsastiel]

Rewatching season 1 and I'm STILL furious that they not only had Lestat almost kill Louis, but they ruined their first flight together. For those who haven't read the books, it's at the end of Queen of the Damned. Lestat had only just acquired the power, and had never flown of his own power before. He chose to have his first flight with Louis. I'll transcribe it, for those who want to read it:

I kissed him suddenly, thrilled by the warmth of him, the soft pliant feel of his near human skin. God, how I hated the whiteness of my fingers touching him, fingers that could have crushed him now effortlessly. I wondered if he even guessed.

There was so much I wanted to say to him, to ask him. Yet I couldn't find the words really, or a way to begin. He had always had so many questions; and now he had his answers, more answers perhaps than he could have ever wanted; and what had this done to his soul? Stupidly I stared at him. How perfect he seemed to me as he stood there waiting with such kindness and such patience. And then, like a fool, I came out with it.

"Do you love me now?" I asked.

He smiled; oh, it was excruciating to see his face soften and brighten simultaneously when he smiled. "Yes," he said.

"Want to go on a little adventure?" My heart was thudding suddenly. It would be so grand if--"Want to break the new rules?"

"What in the world do you mean?" he whispered.

I started laughing, in a low feverish fashion; it felt so good. Laughing and watching the subtle little changes in his face. I really had him worried now. And the truth was, I didn't know if I could do it. Without her. What if I plunged like Icarus--?

"Oh, come now, Louis," I said. "Just a little adventure. I promise, I have no designs this time on Western civilization, or even on the attentions of two million rock music fans. I was thinking of something small, really. Something, well, a little mischievous. And rather elegant. I mean, I've been awfully good for the last two months, don't you think?"

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Are you with me or not?"

He gave another little shake of his head again. But it wasn't a No. He was pondering. He ran his fingers back through his hair. Such fine black hair. The first thing I'd ever noticed about him--well, after his green eyes, that is--was his black hair. No, all that's a lie. It was his expression; the passion and the innocence and the delicacy of conscience. I just loved it!

"When does this little adventure begin?"

"Now," I said. "You have four seconds to make up your mind."

"Lestat, it's almost dawn."

"It's almost dawn here," I answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Louis, put yourself in my hands. Look, if I can't pull it off, you won't really be hurt. Well, not that much. Game? Make up your mind, I want to be off now."

He didn't say anything. He was looking at me, and so affectionately that I could hardly stand it.

"Yes or no."

"I'm probably going to regret this, but...."

"Agreed then." I reached out and placed my hands firmly on his arms and I lifted him high off his feet. He was flabbergasted, looking down at me. It was as if he weighed nothing. I set him down.

"Mon dieu," he whispered.

Well, what was I waiting for? If I didn't try it, I'd never find out. There came a dark, dull moment of pain again; of remembering her; of us rising together. I let it slowly slip away.

I swung my arm around his waist. Upwards now. I lifted my right hand, but that wasn't even necessary. We were climbing on the wind that fast.

The cemetery was spinning down there, a tiny sprawling toy of itself with little bits of white scattered all over under the dark trees.

I could hear his astonished gasp in my ear.

"Lestat!"

"Put your arm around my neck," I said. "Hold on tight. We're going west, of course, and then north, and we're going a very long distance, and maybe we'll drift for a while. The sun won't set where we're going for some time."

The wind was ice cold. I should have thought of that, that he'd suffer from it; but he gave no sign. He was merely gazing upwards as we pierced the great snowy mist of the clouds.

When he saw the stars, I felt him tense against me; his face was perfectly smooth and serene; and if he was weeping the wind was carrying it away. Whatever fear he'd felt was gone now, utterly; he was lost as he looked upward; as the dome of heaven came down around us, and the moon shone full on the endless thickening plain of whiteness below.

No need to tell him what to observe, or what to remember. He always knew such things. Years ago, when I'd done the dark magic on him, I hadn't had to tell him anything; he had savored the smallest aspects of it all on his own. And later he'd said I'd failed to guide him. Didn't he know how unnecessary that had always been?

But I was drifting now, mentally and physically; feeling him a snug yet weightless thing against me; just the pure presence of Louis, Louis belonging to me, and with me. And no burden at all.

That's one of my favorite scenes in the whole series, and I just wanted to share it. I hope y'all got as much enjoyment out of it as I did.

[x-reader-theater]

Unexpected Meetings

summary: You meet someone in a boba shop and hit it off.

pairing: Corpse Husband x Gender Neutral Reader

category: Gen

word count: 939

warnings: none

a/n: people still like Corpse, right?

"God I love Boba," you say quietly to yourself as you deftly and expertly push the straw from its sheath and professionally stab it into the cup. You take a long sip and sigh in contentment, eyes closing as you enjoy the taste. "Yup. Just as good as the reviews said."

You sit in the little boba shop, sipping your drink and enjoying the warm spring air in San Diego. It wasn't too hot, and while you've never been to San Diego before, you're so glad that it hasn't been as hot as people said it could get. 

While this particular shop had good reviews, it's very very quiet today, barely anyone having come in during your rest in the shop. 

The small bell above the door rings and one of the employees comes out from the back of the shop. You're sipping your boba as you notice a very, very pretty guy wearing a black face mask, an eye patch, and more alternative and, you might even say, emo, clothing walks in. His very curly hair is hanging over the top of his face and even though most of his face is obscured, you know he's insanely attractive already. Just your type. The music is playing a little too loud to hear him order but you keep your eyes on him as you do, admiring all the little details of hus outfit. When he turns back around, and chuckles as you see the hoodie he's wearing. 

"I like your hoodie!" You shout over the slightly too loud music, leaning towards the guy so he can hopefully hear you. Evidently he does because turns and gives you a nod. You think he may have even thanked you but you didn't hear anything. "It's Corpse Husband, right?" 

The man freezes in place and you frown slightly but try not to show any concern or anything. Maybe he's just not used to people talking to him. You get it. 

"Uh, what?" the guy asks, louder this time so you can hear him. His voice is incredibly low, bass-y, so you now understand why you couldn't hear him over the music before. Longer waves means more time to travel means harder to hear. 

You point to his hoodie. "It's a Corpse Husband hoodie, right?"

He looks down and grabs one of the ties that's dangling from the bottom of the hood. "Uh, yeah, yeah it is," he says. You grin at him before taking another sip of your drink. "You uh, you know him?" 

The man steps closer to you to talk, presumably so you can hear him better over the music. You shrug. "I watched him during the pandemic, yaknow when there was nothing to watch but content creators, but I haven't in a while. I have a friend who's kinda… obsessed with him? But honestly, whatever works for her," you say with a slight laugh. "You kinda sound like him, yaknow? You probably do, you have the hoodie. Unless it's a partner's that you took it from?" You pause before realizing you just couldn't keep your mouth shut and you quickly backtrack, saying, "Sorry, sorry I keep talking, you don't have to answer any of my questions." 

You chuckle nervously and scratch the back of your head, looking away as you sip your drink. You're so nervous because of how attractive he is you can hardly think. 

You look back at him, seeing that he's still just staring at you, but before he can say anything, you see the employee holding the man's drink and you point behind him. "Uh, I think your drink's ready," you say, awkwardly. 

He turns around and graciously accepts the drink. You smile at him when he turns around and raise your hand to give him a wave, expecting him to leave the shop, but instead he sits back down as the employee goes into the back once more. 

"This is my hoodie," he answers, and you stare at him wide eyed, before grinning. 

The two of you chat for a few minutes, finding an easy rhythm even with your anxiety at talking to such an attractive guy. Eventually though, he says he has to go. 

"I was actually supposed to be home like, 15 minutes ago…" he trails off. 

Your eyes go wide and you smile brightly. "Oh! Well I don't want to keep you any longer then!" 

You see his one uncovered eye crinkle and you assume he's smiling underneath his mask as he says, "I-I enjoyed… talking to you, today." 

Your smile turns warm. "I enjoyed it too. Maybe…" 

You trail off and the man leans in a little and asks, "Yes?" 

"Maybe-maybe we could, do it again? Sometime?" you ask, nervousness making your voice stutter. 

The man nods. "Yeah-yeah I'd-I'd like that," he replies, seemingly just as nervous. 

The two of you stare at one another for a time, before you exclaim, "Oh!" and pull out your phone which you finally remember owning, and open it up to the contacts, handing it over for him to input his name and number. "Uh, for next time," you say, feeling your cheeks heat in anxiety and self consciousness. 

He quickly puts his number in and sets your phone on the table in front of you before giving a quick, "Text me, okay?" and he scurries out of the boba shop. 

You nod at his retreating form and grab your phone, and when you look down at the contact, you almost choke on your own saliva. 

"Corpse Husband 🖤"

"Holy shit," you mutter to yourself as you take a disbelieving sip of your boba. 

[formosusiniquis]

Price of Fame

Written for @steddieangstyaugust Day 31: I'm not going to beg you to love me

T | WC: 1044 | No Archive Warnings Apply; Break up, No Makeup; Hurt No Comfort

AO3

It had been grueling, that's what Eddie thinks he's supposed to say. Blood, sweat, and tears. They got big by being lucky, the humble answer. They had been in the right place at the right time after working their asses off and now they're bigger than the biggest. Corroded Coffin is a household name used in the same sentences as Metallica and Sabbath.

And the honest answers to those interview questions about success, he always knew they fucking would be. It was a foregone conclusion in his mind, everyone else just had to catch up. They worked for it, blood and sweat that part probably is true. But what is it they always say? If you love what you do you never work a day in your life, Eddie thinks there's some truth to that too.

It's hard being on the road. But they got big and they stay big by touring, so Jeff wracks up a nasty bill at every hotel they manage to get calling the wife back home, Gareth keeps a girlfriend in every state, and he doesn't know what Freak's deal is. But the perk of being queer as a three dollar bill, Eddie can spend his nine months a year on the road and come back to Steve like nothing's changed. It's different with guys, with them. Cause Steve gets it, he's always been their biggest supporter. He knows the music comes first, the guys are Eddie's family, and he doesn't complain or ask for anything more than the time Eddie is able to give him.

It'll be a longer stretch at home this time, nearly a month, and Eddie is pushing open the door to the apartment he keeps for Steve already thinking about all the ways they can spend the time.

All to trip over a bag in the floor. Dropping his behind him with a thump, the old army surplus duffle that's been as faithful to him as his boyfriend hitting the ground with a smack that brings the man of the hour out from the bedroom. He's got another bag over his shoulder, something expensive looking and stylish that Eddie wonders if he bought.

“Did I forget to tell you I was coming home?”

“Well it wouldn't be the first time,” Steve's voice is sharp and clipped. Face pinched in a way that conjures memories of his mother, the one time Eddie met her.

“If you've got a trip with Robin planned change it, I'll only-”

“Be in town for a few days?” Steve asks. “So I should keep putting my life on hold for the few minutes that you can pencil me in? Change my plans because you've blown into town and just like always Eddie Munson's plans are more important than anyone else's.”

“I thought you'd be happy to see me?”

The question brings a quiet like the eye of the storm, he can already feel the whipping wind starting to push back in around him, smell the ozone in the air; but those words halt everything for a second.

Then Steve breaks.

“I am happy, Eddie,” there's a wet shine in his eye and he knows better than to think Steve is going to give him the satisfaction of letting a single one fall. “That's the worst part. I'm happy every time you walk through the door but I can't fucking survive only being happy one week out of every nine.”

A DM at heart, he can't stand a problem that no one will bring a solution to. Spits the way he would when Gareth would bitch about combat balance, “Then fu-”

“Call a hotel you haven't left the number to?” Steve is vicious, stealing the satisfaction of the curse from between his still pursed lips. “I spent my whole fucking childhood doing that, and I'm not doing it anymore. I-”

He looks down at his feet, at Eddie's, the sprawl of the pristine leather suitcase he moved in with years ago, his grandfather's Eddie remembers. Rather, he remembers the fond way Steve had talked about it.

“I'm done,” he says more to the kicked over luggage than he does to the man he is leaving. “I'm gonna stay at Robin's, she's waiting.”

Desperation claws at the back of Eddie's throat, but what makes it out is his father. “You can't leave.”

Fury lurks at the bottom of the water in Steve's red rimmed eyes. An anger Eddie can feel as they snap to his. “Why not? There's no prenup, no lawyers to get involved. I can walk right out the door you're standing in the way of and you can keep on being Eddie Munson, mysterious bachelor of Corroded Coffin.”

“There is no me without you,” he tries, but even saying it he can hear how it rings hollow off the barren hallway walls.

Steve likes to yell, likes to get loud, has told Eddie it's the only way he could make sure that there was life in the big empty house he grew up in was to make sure he could hear his bouncing off the walls. So he's ready to be yelled at. Ready for whatever Steve wants to scream in his face before they move back into the kitchen or to the bedroom where they'll find normal again.

So he almost doesn't hear the whispered way his relationship slips away. “I'm not going to beg you to love me. I can't do that again.”

“Steve, no, Stevie I do. I do love you. Of course I love you, all of this is for you. All of everything is for you, we can work this out. Just stay.” He begs, babbles, pleads as Steve moves with a silent assuredness close enough to pick up his bag.

“Goodbye, Eddie, I really am so proud of you.” Sincerity rings through in every word, just like he can feel that bittersweet love in Steve's last kiss to the corner of his mouth.

The door clicks shut between them and Eddie is alone. Alone holding the scraps of a broken heart he won't be able to write a song about and with an answer he can't give to his least favorite interview question. What's been the cost of your meteoric rise to fame?

[devastatinglygreen]

I really like hearing your opinion on the things the fandom is hung up on and I haven't seen you say anything yet so I wanted to know what you thought of Colin's entrapment comment?

ohhhh interesting (and thank you tho i am sure you will regret it). i am here to provide 24/7 personalized hot takes so don't worry i will bother everyone with my opinion.

why do i, personally, think he said it? aside from being hurt? i sort of have a very nebulous idea of it that i noticed on a rewatch (yes i will rewatch this season consistently, it's now my among my favorite comfort tv shows along with 2005's p&p (which is a movie i know), that one season of friends, that flea market show i hate (don't ask), and the entirety of bob's burgers) but colin has no idea penelope loves him until episode 6 so it's connected to that.

i am very sorry you were brave enough to ask me a question and now have to read all the nonsense below. god speed.

like, he's flying blind and after the carriage (insert pitbull music...and fingers here) he's pretty insecure that's he's moving a lot faster than she is. it's unsettling to be head over ass in love and feel like you're not worthy of it and then not even be sure where the other person is. that penelope doesn't reciprocate when he first says it to her is noticeable but he moves on so quickly you can sort of assume he doesn't want to give her a chance to, like he's scared of the answer if he asks.

colin waxes poetic about love, about penelope, etc all through eps 5 and 6. he's consumed by it and to be fair, they were on different wavelengths in part 1. she was trying to let him go and move past him and he was stumbling and staring and wanting to die with wanting her while she was like, "hey this guy you hate for no reason likes me, isn't that cool?" and it's pretty fresh for him so i would think something like that lingers.

when she tells him she loves him in ep 6, he's happy. and relieved. i also think he's been expecting bad news (which, you know. it, uh, will be later) so it's a relief to hear that they're on the same page but, and this stuck out to me the first time i heard it, she says she loved him while pretending to be his friend. she corrects herself because of course she was actually his friend but she loved him underneath of it all as well but penelope isn't always the best with words when on the spot and it takes her a moment to calm down and gather her thoughts. the relief (and guilt of him not knowing/reciprocating) is very obvious in the moment and i think he was thrilled to hear that she loved him back.

which leads us to the LW fight. which makes him question if he ever knew her at all. he does, of course he does, but she's been this secret second person who has written about him, his family, her best friend, and her own family for years. penelope's intentions are never malicious when it comes to protecting the people she loves but the execution can leave a fair bit to be desired. she doesn't lie but she isn't always kind, either.

so you have this man beyond in love with a woman he doesn't think he can trust who just admitted she'd loved him for years. it's easy to live in that hurt and anger and assume the worst of someone when they've just betrayed your trust so deeply. it would probably be easy to feel manipulated. i don't think him questioning her motives is beyond the realm of possibility but i do think penelope is better than me because if i get accused of something i didn't do i would act up something fierce (see this is why my husband had to marry me, he had to keep me from terrorizing the rest of the population with my dramatics. a hero of our times, really).

anyways, what i mean is, i think it's easy to ignore the lead up to that betrayal as an audience since we know penelope's anguish and hurt over what she's done but colin has no idea and it's very fresh for him so it's easy to lash out and think everything had a motive. penelope as LW is very calculating and pointed. i think it's smart of her, actually, to continually tell him she loves him and not constantly poke at the argument. she's not giving him anything else to hold up and use against her after the fact. she's very frank and open even when they have their argument in the street.

this idea he has of LW is this hurtful, manipulative person playing with people's lives. like, LW would entrap him but penelope wouldn't so it's easy to hate one and love the other and i think his inability to bring them together as one person could play into that dynamic of feeling insecure of what her intentions were. you can sort of see each time he breaks because he knows penelope loves him but he steps back each time he's reminded of LW and how it comes between them.

something i also think plays out in his inability to communicate effectively and how deeply his self-loathing goes into his jealousy of her success and how he's incapable of being intimate with penelope until he's in a better headspace. he loves penelope. he wants to marry her and be with her and live a life with her but there's a 3rd person in his marriage in his mind and what does one do with all of that when you're so firmly penelope-sexual you're staring at the walls in a brothel when you're still single? idk man.

just remember if you're sorry for having read this, i am sorrier for having written it. except for the penelope-sexual part. that's still funny to me.

[mybworlds]

Bittersweet

CHAPTER 1

status: ongoing

pairing: joel miller x f!reader

summary: your life is full of 'must'. You live with your overprotective mother who controls every aspect of your life. You have a dream, to write romance novels, but love - real love - you haven't found yet. Your mother has even decided what you must do in your free time: play music. One day, however, when you go to your music teacher's house, you will have an unexpected encounter and from that day on things change…

rating: 18+ explicit (minors, DNI)

Before to start... Hello people, I know there are other two ff that I already started, but I dreamt this new idea for my new ff. So I decided to write it down it. So here we are. If you want to let me know what you think about it I'd be glad to read you.

No offence pls, if you dislike it go away :)

Thanks @vase-of-lilies for the banner

You always dreamed of doing something special, of being the person who would make a difference in the world….

So you hoped.

You hoped to become a great writer of romance novels, and you hoped to instill hope in the hearts of young people not to give up in the face of love and the possible obstacles that may arise.

But not all dreams come true.

In fact, you ended up working in a small bar on the outskirts of your town, surrounded by the many stories of the many diners who populate the place during the daytime or evening hours--depending on the shifts. These stories are the most different, and cannot help but feed your wild imagination.

In the evening, when you are not on shift, you write dozens and dozens of stories on your computer: some are shorts, some are very long and have happy endings, some less. It depends on your mood and how you imagine certain events you've witnessed or heard will end.

"I'm home!"

Your mother has just returned from a nearly seventy-two-hour shift at the hospital, she works in emergency medicine, and - since your father died (or at least she always said) - when she's not at home, you have to do everything, housework and bar work, grocery shopping, paying bills.

"Hi, Mom."

You absentmindedly greet her by putting down your computer glasses and crinkling your eyes in exhaustion.

"Did you buy groceries?"

The usual string of questions starts, to which you always answer with a distracted yes. You are almost 30 years old, but sometimes you feel like you are 40s or even 50s. Sometimes you think you would just like to enjoy youth, to be carefree, light-hearted, you would like to be free even to make mistakes, and instead you feel caged in this life. In a life where the only rule is you must.

"So you're okay with that?" your mother suddenly asks, making you get your feet back on the ground.

"What?" you ask confused.

"You might even listen to me for once!" blurts out Mom.

"I just got distracted for a second!" you exclaim trying to catch up.

Mom snorts, "I asked you if you were free tomorrow for your guitar lesson."

Ah yes, the exhilarating guitar lessons!

Mom, ever since Dad left (but she always said it was as if he was dead), has demanded that you take piano lessons first and guitar lessons later, like your father. You can't understand your mother, sometimes she seems to hate your father, sometimes she doesn't.

About love, you've always wanted it to be forever. Maybe it's just some romantic bullshit you always watched in movies or read in books, but you want to believe that there really exists out there for you, someone who is willing to love you for a lifetime. Too bad you haven't found anyone so far who is willing to love you the same way you love, to want you the way you want!

Going back to your guitar lessons, your teacher is a bit of a peculiar guy, a bit of a loner, a lover of many things and one opposed to the other. He's -- you don't know exactly how to define him. You've never been able to decipher him. He seems gruff, but at the same time he has a good side and probably deep down sweet.

Very deep down.

"Yes, don't worry." Mom, ever since he left, has become overprotective in some ways with you, has demanded to control you even though you are not so young anymore, wants to know what you read, what you see, what you do. It may seem normal, perhaps, for a mom to try to get to know what her child does, but not the way she does. If you are evasive for one reason for another, she becomes a hound, suffocating almost. Once she even demanded to read a chat you created with friends fearing that you might be in touch with a man much older than you, and instead she found herself a chat where you were exchanging sometimes funny and sometimes even private messages with some of your close friends from school, which even embarrassed you, but mom justified herself by saying she was doing it for you. She even banned you from driving for fear that you might have a car accident! You have a driver's license, but your mother won't even let you drive around town. She always has to be the one to drive you. These manias of hers are suffocating!

"Good. Do you have money to pay for it?" she asks you.

"Yes, don't worry," you reply, going to prepare dinner.

"We have to be very punctual or I'll be late for the hospital," she informs you.

"Do you have another night?" you ask her "It will be the fifth time in a month! But didn't there used to be shifts once even in the hospital?" you ask again as you prepare some pasta.

"Yes, but -- you know, there are only a few of us and then there are even more emergencies than usual."

You follow your mother with your eyes as you see her typing on her cell phone. Your mother sometimes looks like the young woman and you look like the mom.

What an unfair life!

The next day your life flows as usual, you get up very early, make coffee bringing it also to your mother, go to shower, get dressed and go to work.

At the café there is the usual hustle and bustle, who wants coffee, who wants a croissant, who wants a slice of pizza, who wants something else. You don't have a moment to yourself. Only when it's almost lunchtime now, you stop and go to the back of the store to eat your sandwich and smoke. Yes, you smoke. The only real transgression in your life. If your mother found out she would probably kill you, but you don't care smoking makes you feel good and maybe it makes you feel good because it's a decision you made, not because it was forced on you.

You rub one temple and look toward the road covered with a hint of snow. You wonder what you would have been doing by now if you had not been there with your mother, if maybe you were busy in college or maybe in pursuing some master's degree, you wonder who you might have been if you had dared to live your life to the fullest.

In the afternoon, your mother - after making sure you are dressed appropriately, that you have sheet music and whatnot - drops you off in front of your teacher's building.

The latter lives on the top of seven floors, it's practically a penthouse, it's beautiful place. Being with him -- a little less so.

When you knock, you are about to greet him, but a completely different man from your teacher appears in front of you. He is tall, much taller than your teacher and you, curly brown hair, dark eyes, a look that is at first grim, then curious, defined jaw line and curved nose. He is perhaps 40 years old.

You stand open-mouthed, thinking you had the wrong house for a moment, then realizing it's the right address.

"I was looking for Mr. Miller," you say.

"In person." he replies.

"Tommy Miller," you say.

"I'm his brother." he says again.

You are about to say something, but he is the one who interrupts you by asking if you are his student and calling your name, you nod in confusion.

"My brother had to leave yesterday morning. He told me you were coming and to wait for you to let you know." he clarifies by placing his hands on his hips.

He is incredibly muscular; you have never seen a man like him. He hits you right away.

"I see. Then -- I'll go." ready to leave.

You make to turn your back to him "Did Mommy tell you not to talk to strangers?" he asks making you turn back to him "I saw you get out of your mother's car." he adds noticing your confused look.

"What did you say?" you ask in annoyance.

You see him smirking and cross his arms "Are you afraid the big bad wolf will eat you?"

You wrinkle your forehead "First, I don't even know who you are." you say moving a couple of steps closer to him "And second…"

"Joel." he introduces himself by extending his hand.

"You're creepy -- Joel," you say looking first at his hand and then at his face.

"You, on the other hand, are shy." he notes looking at you and running his gaze over your figure. No one has ever looked at you like this. Making your skin warmed. "Yes, you are a shy little one." he adds, smiling and making wrinkles appear on the sides of his eyes.

"Your brother is definitely nicer," you say.

Lie. Tommy has always been very much on his own.

He just bends his head to the side, "Funny, people always told me I'm the nice one of the Miller brothers."

Gotcha.

"Well, maybe they never really knew you!"

"And you in less than a minute figured out who am I?" he asks, leaving you speechless.

No, you know very well that you cannot judge anyone in less than a minute. If someone had judged you in less than a minute they probably would have dismissed you as an ordinary young woman, lacking dreams of her own, trivial.

Perhaps the same thing applies to the man in front of you, Joel Miller.

[burntheedges-updates]

Preview: Over Again

pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

This is my updates-only blog! Follow me at @burntheedges

summary: you fell in love with Joel Miller in Austin, Texas, in 2001, but you thought you lost him in 2003 when the world turned upside down. now it's 2024, and you find the surprise of your life waiting for you in Jackson, Wyoming.

or, 5 times you and Joel fell deeper in love, on both sides of the apocalypse

a/n: this is an excerpt from a longer fic that is almost finished! check back soon (or follow) for the full fic. I haven't written anything in like 15 years, and Joel Miller dragged me back in. sharing this as part of the Pedro Pascal cinematic universe discord server event! join us!

warnings: 18+, minors DNI in this excerpt - banter, a little bit of pining, but mostly fluff. reader is 26, Joel is 33 (at this time - picture him just like he looks in that gif ^^). for the full fic - a teensy bit of angst (plus the angst of thinking the other person is dead for 20 years (apocalypse)), cursing, wall sex, will add the full list once I have it... I’m trying to have a reader with as little description as possible (in this excerpt they’re a person with hair) but please let me know if you see anything I should change.

wordcount: 2300 (for this preview)

Main post & chapter list | chapter 1 | ao3

Austin, TX, Spring 2001

On Sunday, you changed your outfit 5 times before telling yourself to get a grip and putting back on the first thing you had pulled out of your closet, 45 minutes before. Joel had seen literally all of these clothes before, he’d lived next door to you for 6 months. Get it together. You looked at yourself in the mirror, messed with your hair one last time, and then forced yourself to leave the bathroom and head downstairs. 

In the kitchen, you glanced at the clock – 5:54pm – and picked up the cookies you baked that morning, heading next door to the Millers’. 

You knocked on the door, and after a few moments with no response you knocked again. Odd. You put your ear to the door and heard music, and Sarah laughing. You tried the door and realized it was unlocked. 

As you crossed the threshold you called out, “Millers? Anyone home?” Inside you could more clearly hear the music coming from the backyard, so you left the cookies in the kitchen and headed towards the back door.

You found the backdoor open, and you could hear Sarah laugh again as you moved closer. “Dad come on, you stepped on my toes!”

“Sarah Miller, I raised you not to tell lies.” Joel sounded out of breath, but he was laughing as he said it.

“Well, that’s definitely a lie if I ever heard one.” Tommy jumped out of the way as Joel steered Sarah right into him in retaliation. You leaned in the doorway, smiling as you watched Joel lead Sarah around the yard to Rie y Llora. They hadn’t noticed you yet. 

“Celia Cruz, huh?”

All three Millers turned at your question, all three smiling at you. It was a little overwhelming, as always, to have the attention of all three at once. Sarah elbowed her dad lightly and laughed, saying, “She’s Abuela's favorite.” Joel rolled his eyes. “It’s good music to learn to,” he muttered, clearly not for the first time. 

“It looks to me like Sarah already knows what she’s doing.” You smiled at the look he shot your way.

“Ha! See, dad?”

“Sure, baby girl. Why don’t you go take Uncle Tommy for a spin, since you know what you’re doing.” With that, Joel spun Sarah towards Tommy, who caught her easily and started leading her around the yard. You laughed, and then looked back towards Joel. He was watching you with that half smile that always gave you goosebumps. 

“Do you know how to dance, darlin’?”

“In a club? Sure. Like that? No way.” 

He grinned at your answer. “Want to learn?” He held his hand out, guiding you towards him once you placed your hand in his. 

“I’ve never danced like this before. I’ll probably stomp all over your feet.” Joel placed your right hand on his shoulder, and took your left hand in his right.

“You let me worry about where our feet go. I’ll show you the basics and then you just follow me.” And over the next 15 minutes, that’s exactly what he did. 

Soon you found yourself slowly moving around the yard to Lambada, definitely slower than the music called for. At some point Tommy and Sarah went inside to work on finishing dinner, but you barely noticed. You were focusing on keeping up with Joel. 

Just as you started to feel a little bit confident, a slow song that you didn’t know started to play. Joel slowed the two of you as well, starting to sway in place instead of moving around so much. He pulled you a little closer with his left hand around your waist.

Catching your breath, and taking your focus off of your feet, you asked, “what brought this on? I don’t think I’ve ever come over to find y’all mid-dance-lesson before.”

“Sarah’s got that school dance coming up and she’s a bit nervous.” He laughed, shaking his head. “I tried to tell her I only know how to do this and a few of those line dances they do in the clubs Tommy goes to. Not whatever dancing they’ll be doing — probably closer to your club dancing.” He winked at you, and you held on a little tighter to his shoulder. “But then she reminded me that her cousin’s party is coming up, anyway, and they will definitely be dancing just like this. So, we were practicing.”

“Cousin?” You asked, confused. Tommy didn’t have kids, and you were pretty sure there were no other Miller siblings.

“Ah, technically it’s my cousin’s kid, on my mom’s side. Easier to just say cousin.” He shrugged. You nodded. 

“Well, you did a good job teaching me. Bet that’ll be a fun party.”

You realized at that point that you had slowly swayed in the direction of the trees along the back of the yard. You were under the shade of one of the trees, partially out of view from the house. You'd moved closer together as the dance slowed and you found yourself with your right hand on his neck, fingertips almost touching his hairline. Your eyes darted from his arms, holding you securely, to his shoulders, flexing under his shirt, up to his face. 

You looked up to find Joel was looking right back at you. “See something you like, darlin’?” He smirked. You felt a rush of warmth towards your face, but you weren’t really embarrassed. You felt like your whole body was tingling, like you were heading towards something you’d been hoping for for months. Like you were racing forward and up ahead there was a cliff you might fall off of, but you’d fall together. Like the fall was the point, the destination. Your breath caught in your throat. “Maybe I do, neighbor.” He grinned in response, tugging you just a bit closer. Any closer and you’d feel him pressed against you everywhere. 

“I know I do.”

“What?” You’d lost track of the conversation. His proximity was going to your head. 

“See something I like.” As he responded, he let go of your hand and brought his right hand up to cup your face. You saw him glance from your eyes to your mouth and in response, you pressed closer, winding your right hand into his hair. Joel leaned in, and you barely felt the touch of his lips to yours, when the back door opened and Tommy shouted, “dinner’s ready, love birds! Get in here!”

Joel groaned as he stepped away from you, resting his hands on your shoulders. “I guess we should head inside.” As he said it, he lifted one hand to trace his fingertips along your cheekbone before running his hand lightly over your hair. “Stick around after dinner? I’d like another dance.” You smile as he reaches down to take your hand and lead you toward the house, walking backwards and keeping his eyes trained on yours. 

“Smooth moves, Miller. Save some for later.”

He’s still smiling, but suddenly you feel the intent in his gaze, more focused than even a moment ago. “Oh darlin’, don’t worry. For you, I got plenty more.”

—-

Dinner with the Millers was always fun, and this occasion was no different. Tommy and Sarah teased Joel mercilessly, and he got them right back, though he was always a little softer with Sarah. 

You talked and joked over dinner, noting Joel had made one of your favorites - pepper chicken - and he winked at you when you thanked him for it. After dinner Sarah rushed upstairs to talk to a friend on the phone as Tommy headed out the door (“to do some real dancing, y'all should come out sometime”). You were left with Joel in the kitchen, clearing the table together and starting in on the dishes. 

“You don’t have to help with that, I can get it.” You bumped your hip against his as he slid in next to you at the sink.

“It’s no bother, Joel. Let me help.” He smiled at you, softly, and nodded, picking up the towel to dry the dishes. 

You worked quietly together, sometimes recalling a joke from dinner, but you were mostly just enjoying the quiet moment. As soon as you handed him the last dish he set it aside, still wet, to take your hand and lead you back outside. He switched the music back on, low, as you passed the boombox.

As he stepped into the yard, Joel turned and pulled you back into his arms, into the slow dance stance you had only just left before dinner. But this time he pulled you close from the start, tucking you up against him and smoothing his hand across your lower back. “Well hello there, darlin’. Fancy meeting you here.”

You smiled, and rolled your eyes a little. “Hey, cowboy.” You let your fingertips play with his hair along his neck. You noticed a light shiver in his shoulders as you did. “Joel, are you ticklish?” 

“No, and you better not let on to Sarah that you wondered anything of the sort.” He glared at you playfully as he said it, spinning you a little into a new spot in the yard. You laugh, winded, even though you'd barely moved. 

“Hmm, seems like information that would be worth quite a bit to some people around here.” You brushed your fingers lightly across his hairline again, and he squirmed again in response. 

He hid a smile, pulling you in so he could whisper directly into your left ear. “But darlin’, if you keep my secret, I’ll make it worth your while.” It was your turn to shiver. “Oh? How so?” You’d never heard your own voice so breathless. 

He chuckled, and raised his left hand from your hip to your jaw, tilting your head to the right as he tucked his face into the left side of your neck. He ran his lips lightly from your shoulder to your jaw, sending prickles down your spine as you inhaled sharply. He kissed you, lightly, right at the hinge of your jaw, and then on your cheek, and then his mouth met yours, softly, barely there and then with gentle pressure. He pulled away after only a moment, and you met his eyes in a daze. His gaze was dark, and you felt like you were moving through molasses. Everything was slow, and soft, and heady. You felt like you were floating and Joel’s hands on you – your cheek, your left hand – were the only things keeping you tethered.

Joel murmured your name. “Let me take you out.”

“When?” Your reply fell from your lips so quickly it made him smile, and you smiled back, unashamed. 

“Friday? Sarah’s got a sleepover.” He smoothed his thumb over your cheekbone. “We can go dancing, show off these moves.” You laughed. 

“Joel, I’ve barely got 1, maybe 2 moves. You sure we don’t need another dance lesson before we take this show on the road?”

He huffed a laugh, and spun you a little. “Just follow along with me, darlin’, I won’t let you stumble.”

You bit your lip, and nodded. “Friday.”

“Friday,” he agreed, pulling you in again. As his lips met yours again, you wondered how you were going to wait 5 days for this. Joel pulled himself away with a small groan, resting his forehead against yours. “We should stop before we get too carried away, with Sarah home.” You nodded. 

You danced a bit more, finishing out the last couple of tracks on the CD. Joel kept his forehead against yours at first, and then tucked your head into his chest, resting his cheek on top of your head, slowly swaying as the last song trailed off into quiet.

You didn’t want to let go quite yet, and it seemed Joel didn’t either, as neither of you moved. You could feel your happiness at finally taking the leap together glowing in your chest – from dancing around each other to an actual dance, the months of flirting had finally gotten you somewhere. But you couldn’t help but wonder.

“Joel? Why now?” You asked it softly, face still tucked into his chest. He hummed lowly in response before pulling back to meet your eyes. He regarded you silently for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. 

“I think we both felt it, from that first day. You were — you are — the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I knew I wanted you, but I wanted something real. I haven’t dated anyone in a long, long time. I wanted to take it slow, and get to know you first. But darlin’, I realized the other day, when you were here with Sarah, that maybe there’s a line between taking it slow and just being afraid, and I was flirting with it. And I’d rather be flirting with you.” He grinned as you rolled your eyes a little bit at his joke. “I’ve been afraid, for a long time, of letting someone in when it’s not just me I have to worry about. But Sarah loves you.”

“And I love her, Joel. That girl is special.” He smiled, and nodded. “I know you do. And she’s been teasing me about asking you out for months.”

“Oh yeah? Well you should know better than to ignore her advice, Joel.” 

He sighed, long-suffering, and nodded. “I know it.”

Joel started to head towards the house, right hand reaching for your left. You felt a little shaky, like you really had been floating for the last half hour. As you approached the front door, he squeezed your hand and pulled you into another hug. “I’ll see you Friday, darlin’.”

“You sure will, cowboy.” He smiled and pulled you in for another kiss. 

“Now get, before we get any bad ideas.” You laughed, and headed out the door he opened for you. “Night, darlin’.”

“See you Friday, Joel.”

—

a/n: follow for the whole fic! coming soon :)

[bump1nthen1ght]

Out of The Woods (Epilogue: Part 2)

Pairing: M! Werewolf x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Domestic Life, Established Relationship

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1797 words

Summary: Nothing says love better then an impromptu living room dance party

(AKA a fun snippet of you and Heath's life)

A/N: The fluffy piece won second in the poll and I already has this in the works so I hope y'all enjoy!!

ALSO

Recommended listening: Bet On It from High School Musical 2

(which if you haven't seen this scene, do yourself a favor and watch it lol)

In a weird way, Heath being a werewolf didn’t come up too often in your house.

It was probably because many of his wolf traits had become normal to your everyday routine. His long hair, his shaggy tail, and even his wolf form assimilated into your isolated farm-life with very little issue.

(And with the hunters off your back and most townsfolk none the wiser, it could stay that way)

It was only when he’d ask you a pop culture question everyone should know, or ate the steaks you had bought raw as a midnight snack, or forgot how your air conditioning work, that you were reminded of it. How long had Heath lived as an “other”, detached from society and other people? You very rarely broached the subject, knowing how he would get quiet and bristle at the thought of the past. Of living on his own, on the edge.

So you’d answer his simple questions, let him gnaw on some bones, and let him tell you when he needed to. It was better that way.

You’re watching a movie one night, not a terribly good one, where the main character gets dragged to a club by her friends. They’re convincing her she needs to ‘live a little’, forcing her out of her comfort zone and onto the crowded, sweaty dance floor. The scene is dark and not very well lit, the background music not properly mixed and drowing out most of the audio. Though you guess thats pretty accurate to the club experience.

“Do people actually do that?”

Heath asks, head laid in your lap as you play with his hair.

“Do what?”

“Go to…that.” He points at the scene, eyes scrunched up at the jarring lights and mass amounts of people. “Go to a crowded place in the dark and dance? Why not go somewhere with some room? This place looks like a fucking nightmare.”

You laugh, watching as the clumsy main character dives and dances between egregiously grinding couples.

“It definitely can be, but people seem to love it.” You twirl a finger through Heath’s hair, only paying half-attention to the clunky dialogue. “And it can be nice once in a while, especially if you’ve got a good group of friends.” You chuckle. “Me and my college buddies would sometimes get wasted before hand, go and dance for an hour or two, then come back and get in our pj’s and watch a movie. I prefer clubs in short bursts; they can be kind of exhilarating, but exhausting.”

Heath hums, pressing his head into your palm when you scratch behind his ear. It makes you smile, but not before seeing the slightly melancholy look on his eye.

You look up at the screen. Now the main character is thoroughly drunk, holed up in the bathroom with her friends and laughing her ass off. They all dance terribly, cracking jokes and hugging each other the way drunk people do. They’ve all got big smiles on their face, even in the grimy bathroom.

Heath has gone quiet, your hands still running through his hair. He sighs.

You weren’t a big club person anymore, but you do remember loving that time of your life. Sure, you’re shitty knees and early bedtime weren’t great for it now and you’re sure you left those clubs wondering why anybody does that on the regular, but you had still been able to do it. To knock it off the checklist, even just to say it wasn’t for you.

You don’t think Heath ever did. Never was able to be that careless, joyful, and deliriously young.

“This movie sucks ass.”

Now that’s more like Heath.

—

The look on Heath’s face lingers with you for the rest of the night and into the morning, enough to remind you when you both sit down to watch something again the next night.

“How about we don’t watch a movie tonight?”

Heath turns his head up from his tub of popcorn, quirking his brow.

“Oh, did you wanna play some video games?”

“No…” You look at the dimmer switch not too far from the couch. Its right next to your back porch door, adorned with some fairy lights you hung up and proceeded to never use. That, combined with the never used bluetooth speaker above your fireplace, gives you an idea.

You hop up from the couch, queing up a certain song in your phone before flicking the dimmer and the fairy lights. The low light makes Heath’s wolf eyes shine, his ears flicking as he readjusts to his surroundings. With a little beep from the speaker, you set down your phone and jog in front of Heath, letting the song start. His ears swivel again, looking up at you like the adorable puppy he can be.

“Isn't this that song from that movie a couple nights ago?”

“Yeah!” You bop to the beat, shimmying your shoulders to the heavy drum beat intro. “Don’t pretend you didn’t like it. I heard you humming it in the shower yesterday morning. Now come on!” You grab and pull at Heath’s hand, even knowing he’s far too big for you to make him budge. “Come dance with me! Everybody’s always talking at me-”

Heath rolls his eyes, but you can tell he enjoys your discordant singing.

“Everybody’s trying to get in my head. I wanna listen to my own heart talkin’. I wanna listen to my own heart talking. I need to count on myself instead. Did you ever-”

With a dramatic pout om his face, Heath chuckles and sits up, grabbing your hand as you sing into a pretend microphone. But you’re still doing most of the dancing, shaking your hips back and forth. You wiggle your eyebrows and try to encourage him to move.

“What exactly should I do?”

“Just…” you wiggle your fingers, “let your body roll with the music. Let it consume you.” Hands still interlocked, you begin to sway Heath’s arms back and forth. He gets some of the idea, bobbing his head. Your shoulder movements become exaggerated, trying to look as ridiculous as possibke to encourage Heath to loosen up.

“I’m not gonna stop, that’s who I am. I’ll give it all I got, that is my plan.” Heath laughs at your flailing arms, beginning to shimmy his shoulders like you are. You mime the dramatic facial expressions of Zac Efron, gesturing to Heath to join you in singing. He rolls his eyes, but starts mutter-singing anyway. You didn’t expect him to know all the lyrics, but he’s actually hitting all the words with you.

I knew he liked High School Musical 2.

You pull Heath out to the middle of the living room, giving you more space to add some footwork as the chorus hits. You yank Heath’s arms back and forth and shake your hips, which only makes Heath laugh more.

“-you know you can bet on it, bet on it, bet on it, bet on me!”

You let loose one hand and stretch out to the side on the long note, when Heath pulls you back toward him for a spin. You giggle uncontrollably, singing louder and louder, squealing when Heath dips you. He nuzzles your nose and gets a peck to the lips in return.

You hop up, throwing your hand to your forehead when the dramatic slow part begins. He rolls his eye again, but you can see him nodding along.

“It’s no good at all, to see yourself and not recognize your face-” Heath hops in with the backing “oohs”. You point an exaggerated finger. “Out on my own, it’s such a scary place.” You’re cut off when Heath pulls you into his chest, wrapping his arms around your waist. But you’re even more gobsmacked when he sings the next part, in earnest.

“The answers are all inside of me. All I gotta do-” His voice is surprisingly melodic, deep but not flat or even off-pitch. “-is believe.”

The natural pause in the music would be the perfect time to sneak in a romantic kiss, but you’re both caught up in the performance now. You both turn to look at an inaginary camera when the music drops, arms now locked as if dancing ballroom.

“I’m not gonna stop, not gonna stop till I get my shot.” Moving across the living room with messy footwork, you two belt the chorus. Heath draws you down for another dip when the long note of “-bet on meee” hits. It’s silly, but you do feel like a pop star.

From the outside you’re sure you look absolutely insane. Just two adults flailing and dancing around their living room as speakers blast. If you had neighbors, they’d definitely complain or be calling the cops by now.

But right now, its just you and Heath. Dancing together, hearts pounding, with big smiles and stupid amounts of giggling. Just a pocket of your life, all sweet and your own.

The song slowly fades out, leaving to lean over and shamefully realize how out of breath you are.

God, I need to start hiking or something. This is embarassing

Heath, with his wolf stamina, is not even breathing heavy and catches you in a hug, peppering your cheek with kisses. He bounces on his heels and practically throws you down on the couch, his tail wagging behind him. He snuggles into your neck, blowing raspberries into your skin and making you laugh.

Still letting your heart slow down, you exhale and look at Heath.

“So….how’d you like you’re first dance party?”

“I liked it!” Heath pants, a big stupid smile one his face. “More than I thought I would. You being so terrible at dancing really helped.” You gasp, playfully smacking his shoulder. He blows another rapsberry into your neck, the pleqsant rumble in his chest. After a coupe more play hits and giggles, Heath relaxes into your arms. “I’ve…never really done anything like that before. It was nice.”

“Well, I’m happy to be your first.” You run a couple fingers through Heath's hair, stopping to scratch at the base of his wolf ears. He nuzzles even deeper. “And if you ever feel the need to dance party again, just let me know.”

The two of you sit like that awhile, as you often do. Just basking in each other's warmth, soaking in the skin contact.

You can’t wait to spend more firsts with him.

[strawberryfairi]

Back When I Knew You

“I loved you then…back when I knew you”

Synopsis: 💎 When your old high school best friend, and admittedly, first love randomly shows up at your door one morning after a bit over ten years apart, your memories of him that you once locked away comes flooding back. Are you open to hearing him out after all this time? (In other words…will you take your man back or nah?)

♕Pairings: Kazutora X Black Fem Reader🤎 🛑Content: 18+, Eventual smut, Some grief, Some angst ~Crossposted On: Wattpad ONLY ~Updating WEEKLY

w.c 3.9k💠

Next | Chapters Masterlist

CHAPTER 1: WRONG DOOR

There's probably not a single person in this world that hasn't experienced what you have.

Especially, when there's a person in your life that has a special place in your heart that's no longer there. You live off the memories, those sweet moments that as time passes, begin to feel like a dream you struggle to hold on to. The memories blur together sometimes, but the feelings attached never die. For some, even the arguments and moments where you couldn't stand them become precious too. That's you. Now at twenty five, you've quite obviously moved on, not letting the lingering thoughts and questions get to you too much.

Today is Saturday, a gloomy weekend, but a weekend nonetheless. This entire week had been nothing but light rain and cloudy skies, as a hurricane was passing along the coast a ways from where you live. It was transition season, that phase where we adjust from summer to autumn. Remnants of the previous season fade out, leaving behind crisp air, cold breezes, and longer nights. It's the morning, so you go in the kitchen to start your usual home routine.

You begin with the dishes, quickly getting to work on those and finishing in no time, then set the kettle on the stove to make some decaf coffee. You haven't been much of a coffee drinker ever, but sometimes you get so hooked on the flavor for a while that you can't help but make some a few days in a row. Heart palpitations made coffee an issue for you, along with other caffeinated drinks, but a few cups of decaf couldn't hurt. The kitchen is connected to the living room, which has a nice sized flat screen tv. You turn on Spotify through the tv, deciding to start the morning extremely tranquil with some chillhop and lo-fi music.

Sometimes there's mornings where you know exactly what you want to eat for breakfast, and other times, like today, it's nothing but a question mark. As you stood in the kitchen sifting through breakfast ideas, a few gentle knocks catches your attention over the music. Your brows furrow. It's not usual someone comes to your apartment without first telling you in advance.

You prepared yourself to open the door and tell the person they have the wrong door, as it's normal sometimes for people to confuse their friend or family member's apartment number for another. "One second!" You called out in an unintentionally sing-songy way. You still had on your pajama shorts set and light pink satin bonnet on, but answered the door nonetheless. It's your place anyways. You opened the door a crack, giving the person on the other side a small smile, speaking with a soft and kind tone of voice.

"Hi, I-

Whatever sentence you had come up with in your head instantly evaporated. You stood completely frozen, heart racing. The door was only open just a bit, but you immediately recognized the face in front of you.

He stood there, eyes wide, lips slightly parted just like you. You blinked rapidly as nine thousand different emotions and thoughts coursed through you.

"Hey, it's-...it's been a while." His tone was so soft, so cautious.

His voice was just the same, but much deeper now. He still has the same big eyes, tiger tattoo, and earring just like before, too. It was highly overwhelming..and very confusing. You felt like you were looking at a ghost, a mirage, or some sort of mythical creature in front of you. Suddenly, every memory of the past became crystal clear, as if it all happened just months ago as opposed to years. Everything that you locked away came surging back like a wave you had your back towards, colliding with you and taking you under in just seconds.

Flashback

10 Years Ago

Moving to Japan was an odd experience to say the least. After your father cheated on your mom, she decided that was the last straw with him, and took you and just up and moved to Japan. She's always loved Japan ever since you all went on a two and a half week long vacation when you were too young to even remember. Your older brother of five years has been off to college for some years now back in the states, playing basketball while studying undergrad in business communications.

As for you, it's about three months into the school year in Japan.

"Morning!" Your friend Yumi called out in a sing-song tone.

"Heeey!" You and your other mutual friend Asuka sang back, smiling brightly with a small wave. Yumi made her way over to the both of you, her expression looking as if she had been waiting to tell us something all night.

"Guys! I have something crazy to tell you!" She beams right on cue. This was a regular occurence with her. She was your teapot and you two were gladly her cups, taking in whatever gossip she had to say with excitement every single time, without fail.

"What? Another cute boy passed you by on your way home from school again?" You teased. Asuka and you giggled lightly at Yumi's reaction, a cute pout and narrowed eyes.

"No! But it is about a boy, though!" She started, her tone lowering so others around us walking towards the same school wouldn't hear. "So, I heard these other girls talking yesterday on the way home from school saying some boy at our school is in a gang! But then! They were also saying he's like super hot, like, smokin' hot." She finishes with a wide, mischievous grin.

"Smokin' hot?" You raised an amused brow. "Just as smokin' hot as that dude that sits in front of you in history?" You chuckled.

"Ahhhh, Harada-kun." She swooned before turning serious again. "Well, I've never actually seen this guy myself, but I don't think those girls would talk about a delinquent so openly like that unless he really was attractive." She smiled wide.

"At our school though? If he's at our school wouldn't we have seen him by now? He must not be that cute if we've never noticed." Asuka chimed in, her expression clearly showing she didn't believe Yumi.

"Exactly! That's literally what I was thinking." You add. Yumi tsk's to herself, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Well see that's the thing, since he's a delinquent it's not too often he shows up to school. We'll have to just wait until there's some kind of commotion about 'em, I guess." She shrugs nonchalantly.

You scrunched your face up, not really buying this whole mysterious, hot, gang boy thing right along with Asuka. This could very well be just another case of the rumor mill. There's always some talk about gang boys this and gang boys that, but who knows at this point which stuff is actually true?

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

At school, you don't necessarily call yourself popular, but you are pretty well known. You stand out like a sore thumb anyways having big afro textured hair, dark brown skin, and an American accent as heavy as an expensive fur coat. Some admired your uniqueness while others, usually some of the girls, looked at you with distaste and jealousy. Attention from guys was never an issue for you as it was always someone who wanted to "try you out". Aside from the fuckboy type, there were also some sweethearts that just genuinely liked you, but usually they were always too afraid to make a move. So you moved through high school life fairly unbothered, sticking to the friends you do have and trying to keep your grades as high as possible.

The day went on as usual, pretty boring, and absolutely zero sign of a "smokin' hot gang boy" as Yumi mentioned earlier that morning. Math was annoying and confusing, history was interesting, and music was the best part of the day, same as always.

But it wasn't until the late evening, while on your way home from purchasing a few items your mom had asked you to pick up from the nearby grocery store, that things started to get...intriguing.

"Oi! What's a cute lil thing like you doing out by yourself?"

The voice of a guy, seemingly college aged, made your heart practically stop. Unfortunately, you were quite used to this. Guys always loved to hit on girls when they were alone and vulnerable. Usually you and your friends walk together for as long as y'all can manage before having to part ways after school. They were no longer with you to help ward off the guy trying to make an advance.

"I'm just heading home." You respond, keeping your voice composed yet slightly stern so he understood clearly that you weren't down for any games tonight.

"Oh yeah? How 'bout I walk with you? Make sure nobody else comes to try and steal you away from me." He suggested smugly, grinning down at you. This guy was tall, and looked at you with nothing but lust.

"Oh, no thank you; I'll be alright-

"Come oooon, don't be like that, sweetheart! You could come with me; it'll be fun." He reached out for your arm holding the plastic grocery bag.

Your heart started racing. Now this wasn't normal, not usual in the slightest. You were used to guys approaching you and being persistent, but never have you experienced a guy continue to come onto you so aggressively even though you've already declined. Your eyes widened, trying to remain calm as best as you can. Freaking out definitely won't help deescalate a situation like this. The man could be drunk or armed for all you know.

"Please, let go. I don't wanna go with you, ok?" You asserted, keeping your shaky voice as stable as possible. He chuckled dryly, pulling you by the arm, the force was so strong you lost your balance. Your head came right into contact with his chest as his other arm wrapped around your waist. Your grocery bag fell out of your hand in result, some items spilling out unceremoniously.

"Why you fightin' so hard? High school girls like you always wanna-

"Stop! Let go!" You trembled, using your free hand to push yourself away from him by the chest. By this point you were starting to hyperventilate, fear of being raped or kidnapped overtaking your mind. Your eyes searched around the area, hoping maybe someone was around to see or even hear what was happening and come through on your behalf.

"I don't wanna go with you!" You cry out in English, voice cracking as involuntary tears welled up in your eyes. A fight or flight response kicked in within you, causing you to become way more forceful with trying to get out of his grip. He grunted in frustration, holding you tighter while backing you up into an alleyway behind a corner store. Noises of struggle blended with small sobs and cries as you struggled.

This was it, he was definitely going to rape you.

Your heart could barely keep up with the way you were hyperventilating, causing it to work overtime to make sure blood was pumping and enough oxygen flowed through you. If you kept up like this, you'd surely pass out. The grocery bag was long gone, abandoned somewhere on the vacant sidewalk. The older man shoved you to the ground, causing your head to make contact roughly. One small scream was all that you could get out before he quickly slapped a hand over your mouth, the other making quick work to yank your uniform open. Buttons popped off, flying in multiple directions, one even hitting him in the face in the process. You squirmed and flailed all over, aiming to knee him in the family jewels, but it seemed he was used to this kind of fight.

With everything in you, you didn't wanna give up. This wouldn't go down without a fight from you, but with the way this was going everything you attempted was futile against this older, much stronger man.

You squeezed your eyes closed, wondering what you did for this to happen to you.

"Don't worry baby, I'll make you feel so-

The man's words were cut short, the sound of a grunt and heavy thud filled your ears. Your eyes flew open, taking in what happened. Instead of one, now there were two guys here, one standing over the other. It was a boy who seemed to be more closer to your age. With a small gasp, you lift to a sitting position and scramble backwards until your back hit the cold, stone wall of the corner store.

You watched the scene unfold, utterly shaken up. The two got into a pretty one-sided fight. The college dude seemed like such a strong and forceful guy until this other boy showed up. Now it's as if he's never fought at all. Your supposed savior was beating the absolute shit out of the other dude. His punches were clean, and looked to have some genuine technique behind them. Grunts and cries of pain left the offender as he took punch after punch.

Once the older guy was knocked to the ground by a right hook from your savior, he stomped onto his chest multiple times, knocking the wind out of him instantly. At first a sense of relief and gratitude had washed over you when he showed up, but now, it was starting to look a little scary. He wasn't stopping at all, and the look on his face was beyond menacing. He didn't even say a word this whole time, just pulled up and immediately started throwing hands. You were afraid if he kept this up, he'd break that man's sternum or something; maybe kill 'em.

Eventually, he finally stopped, seeming to come back to his senses at the sound of your fearful whimpers. He stared down at the beaten and battered man, squatting over him and grabbing a fistful of his bloodied shirt.

"Let me catch you pull some shit like this in my sight again-

"I-I'm sorry! I-

He was quickly cut off by an abrupt, swift punch straight to his already bloodied nose, making his head snap backwards. You jumped, turning away and covering your face with your trembling hands as the man hollered out in pain for probably the hundredth time.

"-I'll break your arms, you got me?"

The older man swallowed, nodding his head frantically in fear. It was so crazy how the tables had turned. The once confident looking man was just reduced to a whimpering, apologetic mess within minutes by a seemingly fellow high schooler.

"Get your punk ass outta here." He commanded, abruptly letting go of his shirt, making the man plop back onto the ground roughly. Was his threat even eligible to be considered mercy after the way he just ruined him like that? Honestly, you didn't really care, because you were too busy teetering on the edge of an intense panic attack and/or just full on passing out.

The beaten man scrambled to his feet, wincing in pain as he scurried out of the way while clutching his nose and left side, long gone into the night. Your savior walked up to you, his expression softening just a bit. It didn't do much to take away from his intimidating presence though, as he was splattered with blood along his face and once fully white bomber jacket, and his fists might as well have been dipped in red paint. He looked freaking terrifying!

Involuntarily your body trembled harder, a part of you didn't trust him as he could very well kill you with those hands.

"Here." He uttered softly, extending a bloody hand to you. You didn't move an inch, only looking at his hand with a jumble of emotions. It seemed he realized how 'tainted' his hand was, quickly wiping it on his black shirt under the bomber jacket he wore, then extended it back out to you. It was an appreciated move even though it did nothing but just smear the blood around his hand. Hesitantly, you placed your hand onto his larger one, letting him gently stand you up on your feet.

Suddenly, you became oddly hyperaware of the way you probably looked right now, feeling self-conscious about it. Without a doubt your hair was an absolute mess, that one you knew for sure, and your clothes...

Your top...

The top that man ripped open...

It seemed you both realized at the same time that the majority of your buttons were missing, exposing a black lace bra with a little fuchsia pink bow and jewel hanging off it right in the center. You gasped, ripping your hand away from him as you held you shirt closed with both hands.

"Sorry! I uhh, didn't see anything." He lied, quite obviously. You kept quiet, too embarrassed and overall overwhelmed at everything that just happened in such a short amount of time.

"Could I..walk you home?" He offered, making sure to keep his eyes up on your face and nowhere else. You nod, standing there a bit dumbly, waiting for him to show the way as if he knew where you lived.

Oh right, he doesn't.

Your shaky legs finally dragged their way across the ground, walking past your savior and heading towards the sidewalk. He followed after you, going and picking up the groceries you had left behind earlier.

"Thank you", You finally mumbled, shyly, "For helping me." 💎

Somehow, he actually managed to get you to open up a bit as you walked home together. He was actually very sweet, and you both even discovered you go to the same school.

"I've never seen you before." You both mutter at the same time, causing a little laugh to come from you.

"Well, I moved here last year, it hasn't been that long at this school. What grade are you in?" You asked curiously.

"Grade? I'm a third year." He replied, slightly amused that you said grade instead of year. You were still getting used to all the nuances of Japanese culture.

"Oh yeah, I meant year."

Admittedly, the more you spoke to him and looked past the blood stains, he was really cute..like, really really cute. His eyes are a pretty light, honey brown and he has a really adorable beauty mark right under his right eye.

He has an overall bad boy look for sure, but he's so nice and has a kind voice, and he surprisingly makes you smile even though you just had a highly traumatic, intensive therapy worthy experience. You were grateful nonetheless, had he not been there who knows what state you'd be in now.

"Umm, so, what's your name?" You asked shyly, trying to keep the small conversation going. He seemed to react as if he just now realized neither of you exchanged names. Your home was just two blocks away at this point, so you couldn't part ways with him without at least getting his name.

"I'm Kazutora-

"Huh?!" You cut in dumbly. You must've not heard him right. His name sounded like the whole Japanese alphabet to you. He chuckled, making his earring he wore kind of jingle like a Christmas sleigh bell.

"Kazu..tora." He sounded out slowly. You said his lengthy name a few times, getting used to the sound. After a while it kinda grew on you, you thought the name actually sounded cool. You finally introduce yourself, telling him your name which you ended up also having to sound out for him as it isn't a Japanese name, of course.

"So, you're American?" He asked politely, a cute, charming smile on his face.

"Mhmm, from the east coast!" You nod proudly.

Kazutora honestly found you really cute, with that heavy accent and big, fluffy hair, and those brown doe eyes you have. After finding out you both go to the same school, it seemed like for the first time he finally had some motivation to even go, and be there on time at that. He decided he'd show up tomorrow, maybe he'd be able to surprise you in the hallways as he'd pass you by. You were busy talking about something, probably about where you're from specifically in the states, but he was completely tuned out from all that. It was like he could hear you but it wasn't completely registering as he was too busy just watching you.

He took in what he could of you without looking like a creep, his eyes roaming from your coily hair to your curly eyelashes, then your plump dual-toned lips. He noticed your bottom lip was a deep reddish-pink, while the top was a nude brown shade, very different from what he's used to seeing. Another stark contrast was just how plump they really were compared to what he's always seen, and that cute little gap in the center where your top and bottom lips meet was doing something for him. It made your lips look constantly parted slightly, a flirty look that captivated his eyes and held them there.

"You heard me?"

He snapped out of his trance, blinking once blankly while his ears tuned into the sound of your voice.

"Oh, I didn't hear you. What was that?" He said, trying to play off the fact that he was definitely staring at you. "I said have you ever been to the states?"

"Oh no, never. I've never been to any other country before." He shrugged plainly.

You frowned a bit at that. Your mom always taught you that traveling is extremely important and something not many people have a chance to do, so you should always be grateful for the places you've been to. "Well maybe one day you'll be able to travel places! I think traveling's really special 'cause my mom-...."

Once again Kazutora tuned out a little, still hearing you but his own thoughts were much louder. You tend to go off talking about things often, it's already the second time in just a few seconds you've gone on a little ramble about something you care about. He decided it was pretty cute rather than annoying. You're an intriguing girl to him, and even though you've met in a rather wild circumstance, he wanted to know more about you.

"Oh, this is my place here." You mutter softly, pulling him once again out of his own little world. He hummed in response, giving a small nod. "Thanks again for saving me, I was really scared, but I'm glad you came through." You added, going in cautiously and giving him a gentle hug regardless of the bloodstains all over him.

Kazutora's eyes widened, completely taken off guard that you're hugging him. He wasn't sure at all how to respond for a moment, his mind completely blank. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around you, patting your back in a way that he felt would be comforting. "Don't worry about it." He smiled softly. You both pulled away, his eyes averted as your hands went back to keeping your shirt closed.

"Ahh, I hope my mom doesn't see me looking like this. I gotta go, but hopefully I'll see you around?" You smile shyly, fiddling a bit with your top.

Little did you know Kazutora was planning for you to see him again much sooner than you were probably thinking. "Yeah, for sure!" He chuckled, amused at the cute way your face lit up.

"Ok! Well, bye!" You waved, heading off to your front door with a wide smile.

Kazutora placed his hands in his pockets, walking backwards so he could see you head inside. He'll have to figure out where he put his school uniforms once he gets home now.

[positivelyholland]

You're Not Sorry II

PLEASE GO READ PART 1 FIRST

pairing: harry styles x daughter!reader

genre: hurt/comfort

warnings: fight with a parent, tell me if i missed anything else

summary: after a week of tension between you and your dad, Harry ultimately comes to his senses 7 days after saying the terrible words he did

A/N OMG ITS FINALLY HERE!!!

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

1 week. 7 days. 168 hours. You haven't talked to your dad since his last blow up a week ago. And the thing is, he hasn't talked to you either. You figured his lack of apology proves he meant all the terrible things he said to you that day. 

It hurt like hell at first, you'll admit that. But eventually, you realized through the help of your amazing mother and friends that made you realize he's just not worth your time. If he's gonna act like that and still call himself your dad then might as well not let it bother you. 

Harry on the other hand, has been the complete opposite of content the past week. He was really stressed when he said those awful words to you, although he's aware that there's no good enough excuse for what he said.

 All he wants is to apologize and beg for your forgiveness to be able to give his daughter a hug. Although he figured you wouldn't want to talk to him so he didn't push your boundaries. However, while his words weren't necessarily affecting you too much at the moment, all you wanted was a hug from your dad. 

At the end of the day, all these problems would be solved by the word “sorry” coming out of Harry’s mouth, and you both knew that. 

So here we are, a week later. After a week of no contact between the father-daughter pair, Harry decided it was time to face you along with dealing with his mistakes. 

Taking a deep breath, Harry walks up the stairs to your room where you were currently blasting music from. He hesitantly knocks on your door, resulting in you pausing your music and letting out a loud groan before stomping over to your door. 

When you opened the door and were met face to face with your dad (aka the last person you were expecting to be knocking on your door), your facial expressions exposed how much surprise you were experiencing. 

Harry's heart broke at the shock in your face. Did you really not expect him to ever apologize? And your honest answer to that question was no. You were convinced he wasn't ever going to come to his senses and realize how terrible he was to you that day. 

But here he is. Awkwardly standing at your door, looking miserable due to how much he had been beating himself up lately. 

“Can I come in? I have some things I need to say” 

Harry’s voice was small and shy, you almost didn't hear it. You nodded your head in response and opened your door wider for him, before going over to sit on your bed. You patted the spot next to you, signaling for him to sit by you. 

Harry cautiously moves into your room and slowly sits to the spot next to you on your bed. The room is dead silent for a few long, excruciating minutes before he eventually speaks up. 

“I’m gonna start by saying I love you so much, don't you ever forget that. I know I haven't been very good at showing it lately but my love for my daughter is unconditional and will never change. I’ve been terrible to you lately and I hope we can move past this one day, but I understand if you never ever forgive me because I wouldn't forgive myself but-”

“Dad!! It's ok. I forgive you and I love you too” You interrupted his rambling because if you didn't it probably wouldn't have stopped for hours. 

“Wait really? Just like that?” Harry's face was a mix of surprise and so much love and appreciation for his incredible daughter.

“Of course, you're my dad. I love you too and everyone makes mistakes” you answered like it was no big deal. 

Harry made no response other than taking you into his arms and embracing you like he never has before. Hugging your dad was such an important thing to you, and being in his arms was something you wouldn't trade for the world. All your worries were washed away the second you felt his fatherly touch. 

“I love you dad”

“I love you so much y/n. Don't you ever forget that”

[hoonsuniverse]

The Feeling When (TFW)

09 - insufferable

jaeyun leaned back in his chair, surrounded by his close-knit group of guy friends at their favorite hangout spot. the atmosphere was quiet and calm and the aroma of freshly rolled blunts filled the air. jaeyun took a hit, trying to calm the storm brewing inside him.

"so, what's eating you today, jaeyun?" heeseung asked, raising an eyebrow as jaeyun passed him the blunt.

jaeyun sighed deeply. "it’s y/n again. i swear, she's like a magnet for trouble. every time I see her, I just want to—"

"dude, relax," jongseong interrupted, grinning. "you've been saying this for months. what did she do now?"

jaeyun rolled his eyes. "she acts like she owns the world. always strutting around like she's better than everyone else. And she's so damn competitive!"

heeseung chuckled knowingly. "ah, so she’s always on your mind huh?"

"it’s not that. never that." jaeyun insisted. "it’s like... every encounter with her is a battle. she challenges everything I say, argues over the smallest things. its exhausting”

"don’t you do the same?" sunghoon questioned, nudging jaeyun playfully.

jaeyun scoffed. "yeah, right. more like she's determined to make my life difficult."

"or maybe you secretly still like her," jongseong suggested with a smirk.

jaeyun shot him a glare. "absolutely not. she’s infuriating."

across town, in a cozy café with a distinctly feminine vibe, y/n was venting to her girlfriends over cups of herbal tea. they sat huddled together, their laughter mingling with the soft background music.

"i cannot stand jaeyun," y/n declared, crossing her arms, whilst reminiscing the hangout from the past weekend. “he’s the most insufferable guy i’ve ever met."

gaeul raised an eyebrow. "wow, that bad, huh? what did he do this time?"

y/n sighed dramatically. "everything! he’s so arrogant, always acting like he knows everything. and he's so competitive, i swear he sees me as his personal rival in life."

"every time I see him, he manages to push all my buttons. I don't understand how anyone can stand being around him."

"he probably still likes you," yizhuo teased, nudging y/n teasingly.

y/n rolled her eyes. "please, spare me. if that's his new way of showing affection, i’d rather pass."

"he does seem to get under your skin a lot," gaeul observed with a grin. "maybe there's more to it than you think."

y/n shook her head adamantly. "no way. jaeyun sim and i are like oil and water. we just don't mix."

back at the guys' hangout, jaeyun was still fuming over y/n.

"i just wish she'd disappear," jaeyun muttered, staring into his coffee as if it held all the answers.

"come on, jaeyun," heeseung said gently. "she can't be that bad."

"you haven't seen her in action," jaeyun replied darkly. "she’s a force to be reckoned with."

"but you've got to admit, she's pretty smart," sunghoon pointed out. "and she's got that charm."

jaeyun shook his head firmly. "not falling for it. she’s trouble, mark my words."

meanwhile, y/n was still venting to her friends, her frustration evident.

"i just wish he'd stop being such a know-it-all," y/n sighed, twirling the end of her ponytail absentmindedly. "it’s like he enjoys getting on my nerves."

"he’s got a cute smile, though," yizhuo teased, earning an exasperated groan from Y/N.

"his smile is the least of his problems," y/n retorted. "he’s impossible."

as weeks turned into months, jaeyun and y/n's mutual disdain seemed to deepen. each meeting seemed to reignite their simmering animosity, with sharp words and competitive banter becoming the norm.

a/n : i’m getting slower w updates 😔

taglist : @enhaslxt @ghostiiess @dreamiestay @faithnsstuff @jakeslucifer @thvvcut

[littlest-w01f]

Down Bad

Feyre x Tamlin

For @feylinweek

Music fic Masterlist

MAIN MASTERLIST

Day 7: Free Day

Summary: Feyre and Tamlin fell for each other faster than they wanted to

Cw: Amarantha (Also I forgot how to add Cws... is that a Cw...?)

A/N: Trying to get back into writing but exams are close so will probably not post much anytime soon, really wanted to do something for Feylin week since I couldn't for Tamlin and Nesta ones. Also trying out this new thing I'm gonna name "Music fic" so do let me know if you like this :)

Tell me I was the chosen one

Feyre sighed, pressing her hands in her face as the carriage moved, she was fighting tears when he yelled his love for her. Her heart racing faster than the horses pulling the carriage. She wanted to yell back she loved him, that she'd never felt love quite like she had with him, that she'd never felt loved before him. But the words got caught in her throat, eyes getting teary.

Tamlin watched her go, put her above him, she would be safe in the mortal realm, he'd never thought he could feel so strongly for a human, that it was strong enough to abandon his mission to save his people. Tamlin put the life of the mortal he loved before his entire court, before the entirety of Prythian.

Showed me that this world is bigger than us

Then sent me back where I came from

Feyre passed out from her tears, waking up while the carriage crossed the wall, she kept looking back, hoping Tamlin had changed his mind and was behind her. She called out his name, but he didn't show. He'd let her go.

A new place that she would now call her house came into view, because she had left her home back in Spring.

For a moment, I knew cosmic love

Tamlin would've laughed at himself, had he known he would be in his mother's garden, crying over a human girl, shoulders shaking as his tears nourished the soil where the roses blossomed brighter. The Tamlin that cursed and berated Amarantha would've laughed at him for falling for a girl who killed his friend. He was meant to make her fall in love with him, not fall for her himself.

But he had fallen, and fallen hard, more than he'd ever loved any female, he had loved this one human girl. He didn't hear Lucien approach him carefully till he was in his friend's arms, fist tightening around a rose hard enough to make him bleed from the thorns and for the stem to break.

Feyre was numb as Elain hugged her tight, asking her all kinds of questions about their aunt, a lie Tamlin had them all believing, she gave her quick answers, eyes unfocused. Though she didn't miss the look that Nesta was giving her, it wasn't the usual look she had seen many times, she was sure this was the first time she had seen concern from her eldest sister.

She was numb as she asked to be excused and made her way to her new room, way less grand than it had been in the Spring manor, her face unable to even crack a smile at the canvases and paints that were set on the corner of her room.

Everything comes out teenage petulance

"Feyre, you need to eat something." Nesta sighed from the doorway to her room as she walked in, eyes on the plate of food that one of the maids had left for Feyre, the food completely untouched.

Feyre was lying on her side, her back away from Nesta, "I'm not hungry..." She barely whispered.

"You haven't been hungry for almost 12 hours." Nesta pointed out, sitting on the bed beside her sister.

The sisters sat in silence, for the first time in their lives the silence between them was comforting. But Feyre didn't reply, didn't talk.

"I might just die, it would make no difference"

Tamlin groaned, forced to kneel before Amarantha, head bowed, cringing at the way she felt his hair, trying to not show it.

"Rhysand told me you found a human..." Amarantha tutted, nails scratching his shoulder, "What a dumb girl you must have found, which one of your males did she kill...?" She mocked him with her questions.

"Where is she?" Tamlin gasped as in a second, Amarantha gripped his throat tight, anger in her eyes, "Where is Clare Beddor?"

Tamlin didn't let himself seem relaxed, Feyre hadn't told Rhysand her real name, he wouldn't tell her a thing, not speak, or make a sound.

"Beat him till he talks." Amarantha threw him to her guards, and walked out of the dungeon she kept him in.

Down bad, wakin' up in blood

Starin' at the sky, come back and pick me up

Tamlin woke up covered in bruises, broken bones healing slow, he was on his back, his body in pain. He hadn't broken, hadn't given her the satisfaction of seeing him broken.

He wouldn't, for Feyre, he would be strong. He could find a way to still keep her safe, knowing Amarantha's forces were out in the mortal lands searching for a girl named Clare Beddor. He'd never tell them a thing. They'd have to kill him for it.

Fuck it if I can't have us

I might just not get up, I might stay

Feyre lay in Elain's gardens, every flower seemed to remind her of Tamlin, feeling closer to him near the fauna. She couldn't help but wonder what might happen to her Tamlin under the blight, how he might be suffering. Her hand trailed one of Elain's roses, "I love you, thorns and all." Tamlin's voice echoed in her head.

A tear fell from her eye, she missed him too much, and her heart ached for him. She had to go back to Spring, go back in his arms.

They'll say I'm nuts if I talk about

The existence of you

Feyre kept the life she lived with Tamlin to herself, there was no one she could tell who might understand. She was meant to hate Faeries, but she fell in love with one. Her human heart had loved Tamlin with every inch of it.

Who could she tell? That her heart belonged to a Fae, that even if she was back in with her family she missed the two Fae she had lived with for the past months terribly.

She hadn't said a word till Nesta had revealed she knew of what actually happened to her. Feyre had unveiled everything to her in an instant. Every feeling she had in her heart, she had spilled.

For a moment, I was heavenstruck

Tamlin held his breath as Feyre stood before him, before Amarantha, in front of everyone Under the Mountian, declaring her love for him. Feyre had come to save the male she loved.

Their eyes met and Tamlin hid every emotion that came across his face, he wanted to beg her to run away, to not fall into Amarantha's trap and save herself.

But Feyre was adamant about saving Tamlin, like he had her. She would take on anything that was in store for her.

How dare you think it's romantic

Leaving me safe and stranded

They were finally alone after months, just the two of them, holding their breath, there was so much they wanted to ask each other, 'Why did you try to save me?' 'Why are you here to save me?'.

But neither asked a thing as they melted in a kiss, if this was their only moment, they would spend it close, in each other's warmth, in love.

'Cause fuck it, I was in love

{General taglist - @nox-ceur @lilah-asteria @paleidiot}

[fragmentofmemories]

Since you reblogged that post about how it's ok to send you questions & statements 👀 I'll try asking a few!

a) do you draw traditionally ? if yes what's your favourite medium ?

b) do you have a favourite Touhou-related track/song ? or any recommendations ?

c) is there any voice actor you especially like ? (from any country)

d) is there a specific character or media you really like but don't make fancontent of (for whatever reason) ?

Feel free to only answer to the questions that interests you btw~

I feel like most of these answers are going to be boring because I'm somewhat neutral on these (lol), but I'll try anyway--

a) The answer is... Not really! I spent my earliest drawing years (2019-2020) using a sketchbook and whatever stationery I had. Nothing really professional or creative, just me practicing for the first time.

Which is to say I haven't drawn traditionally in a long while. As soon as I got my first and current tablet, I switched fully to Digital.

Although, that's part of the reason why I want to buy a new tablet with a screen (I don't really know what those are called).

It's not traditional, obviously, but I feel like it'd help me improve my drawing skills further. Also I need to switch my old tablet.

Don't ask me for any pre-2021 drawings btw. Besides being very low quality, I just don't feel like talking about them.

---

b) If you haven't listened to the Cafe de Touhou albums before, I'd definitely recommend those! There's 8 of them, each one themed after a different game, but they're all great.

As for official tracks, I can't say I have many favorites, but if I were to pick a few:

This might be a hot take of sorts, but music is probably the aspect that interests me the least about Touhou. By no means I'm saying it's bad, obviously. I'm just saying that, compared to the characters, gameplay, worldbuilding and everything else the series offers, the music never interested me as much.

---

c) VAs are something I haven't payed much attention to, unless it's someone very prominent in the field and you can immediately tell "Oh they hired X again for this character".

I'm guessing Johnny Yong Bosch comes to mind first when it comes to VAs, just because he tends to voice my favorites (lol). He's the current voice of Zero (Mega Man), and he also voiced P4 Hero (Persona 4), and Lelouch vi Britannia (Code Geass, also my favorite performance of his).

Meme answer, but I'd also like to add Carlos Villega for being the Latin American voice for Hisoka in 1999 Hunter X Hunter. I say it's a meme because, for some reason, he was given a French accent in that version and I can't think of him without it as a result.

1999 HxH's Latin American dub didn't age very well, but it's nostalgic to me nonetheless.

---

d)

Since I'm pretty much in a Castlevania mood rn, I have to wonder why haven't I drawn Shanoa yet?

She's one of my favorite protagonists ever (if not my favorite), her character is tragic and incredibly well written, and her design is just plain elegant.

Yet, I never stopped to think "I should draw her next", for some unknown reason. Perhaps in my spare time, while I'm taking a break off ODG, maybe?

Besides her, there are other characters I really like yet never drew before, which is to say Leif and Shanna (Fire Emblem), Kasumi Todoh (Art of Fighting) and Rei Reiho (Devil Summoner)

Lastly there's my non EO/CoH DRPG parties (I.E currently Labyrinth of Zangetsu and Stranger of Sword City). Drawing six characters at once takes a long time...

[brideofdiscord-rewritten]

Bride of Discord Chapter 8: the gift

Fluttershy's usual nightmare was interrupted by a Booming, familiar voice: "STAY AWAY FROM HER OR SHALL THEE BE SMITTEN BY MY WRATH."

The draconequus then vanished and a certain blue alicorn appeared before her in the darkness.

"Princess Luna?" she gasped.

"is thee alright, Fluttershy?" the princess inquired.

"Yes. Thank you, but…I heard you could enter dreams, but how come you haven't shown up before?"

"Apologies, for I have many subjects. It was very inconsiderate of me not to have rid your head of that creature before. But Fluttershy, your friends worry about you. Has he been cruel to you in any way?"

"Well, not exactly, but…"

"Yes?"

She gulped. "He…he wants me to love him."

Luna's eyes widened ever so lightly. "Pardon?"

"You see, I…I convinced him to postpone the wedding, but he wants me to love him first."

"thou hast loved many creatures, but none of our own intelligence. Can thou love this creature?"

"He's…not so bad…"

"Fluttershy, he is a deceitful creature!"

"But…he already has me…"

"I mean not to keep thou paranoid. But do not let simple acts of gifts or compliments be misidentified ad compassion. thou needn't love him because he loves thee."

Luna's image began to shift. It became blurred. "You're waking! I must go!"

"Tell my friends I'm okay!" Fluttershy shouted. "Tell them…"

She didn't get to finish as the sunlight had awoken her. She checked the squiggly handed clock on the wall. It was seven in the morning. At some point in her weeping yesterday, she had fallen asleep. Had she really been asleep for that long?

There was a knock at her door. She didn't need to ask who it was.

"Come in?"

As she had figured, it was Discord who opened the door, a wide grin upon his face.

"Good morning, my beauteous bride!" he chimed. "You certainly were tired to have slept the whole day! Well, now that you're up, how about some breakfast?"

"Um, sure?"

Honestly, she really wanted something to eat, but did not want to spend more time with Discord. I don't wanna be rude, of course i should Give him a chance! she told herself. After all, he's probably not used to being nice to ponies.

With a snap of his fingers, she was seated at the table. Discord materialized behind her.

"What would my lovely fiancé like this morning? Pancakes? Toast? Muffins?"

"Um, pancakes would be…"

A stack of pancakes appeared in front of her before she could finish her sentence

"I trust you slept well?" he inquired.

"Yes," she fibbed.

"And the bed? Was it comfortable enough?"

"Oh, yes, very."

He leaned his face toward her. "I have a gift for you."

He opened his paw and summoned a jade bracelet. Fluttershy looked at it unsurely as he slid it on her hoof.

"It's…lovely.

"Well, it's nothing compared to you."

His head rested on top of her's, before she pushed him off rather quaintly.

The next few days blurred into themselves. It was monotonous. Cold. Or warm if she wanted it. Or snowy. Does the queen want flax seed? Does she want music, or gems, or towels or dresses?! Now does she love him? Or now? Or now? Click! It's me! You have to give me what I want and even then you'll never see the others! Click! Creeeaaaak, tromp, poof!

One day, she absolutely refused to come out of her room. It wasn't until the afternoon that Discord attempted to lure her out.

"Oh, Fluttershy!" he called. "Your knight in shining armor doth hath arrived! Or something."

She opened the door slightly to see the draconequus in a suit of gold armor, holding a bouquet of roses upside down. When he noticed this error, he quickly corrected it. Fluttershy just slammed the door without a second glance. Discord frowned, but kept his cool.

"Come now, my dear. You've been in there all day."

"Go away!" she screamed.

He clenched his teeth as he made the armor and flowers disappear. "I've been patient with you, pony, but you really don't want to make me angry!"

"Go ahead! Get angry! Every night you ask me the same question and I will always give the same answer! It's still no!"

"Come out here, right now!" he bellowed.

There was a pause, and then a soft, but defiant, "No."

"You can't stay in there forever!"

"Oh, yes I can! I have an endless supply of food in here! NONE OF IT IS LOVE."

"I really should have rethought putting that microwave in," he muttered, face palming himself

He took a deep breath. Play it cool, Discord. He spoke in a softer voice.

"Will you come out?"

"No!"

He grunted, but then tried a different tactic. "Will you come out, please?"

"No, thank you!"

He erupted like a volcano. "You come out here this instant!"

"I won't! And you can't make me! Bleeeegghhhh!" She blew raspberries. He thought he even heard a giggle behind the mahogany.

"Have you forgotten who I am?!"

With a snap of his fingers, she was out in front of the door. He used his index finger to levitate the engagement ring around her neck, lifting her in the process.

"You promised yourself to me," he growled, pointing toward the ring, "and you are going to be my wife, love me or not!

Seeing his dark expression, Fluttershy was truly afraid of him at this moment, but she stayed strong and glared back at him. "Fine! Marry me then! Don't wait for me to love you! Because there is no way in this world I could ever JUST RANDOMLY fall in LOVE!"

"Oh, is that so?! Well, let's stop wasting time then! We'll be married first thing in the morning, whether you like it or not!"

As he released his magic from her, she crossed her hooves and turned away.

"That's it, missy! Go to your room!"

"You're not my mother!"

"well I'm your husband! so get used to my orders!"

"Well, I'm your future wife, so get used to my complaints!"

"Whatever! We're still getting married tomorrow, so ha!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

She slammed the door angrily. Then she rushed to her bed. She wanted so desperately to cry, but she felt to powerful to do so. her giggling turned into sobbing. Golly, what am I becoming in here!?

"Oh, that pony!" Discord grunted.

Then he heard the pony's weeping and his anger faded. He hadn't meant to make her cry, but none of this was working! He covered his ears, trying to block out her whining as he teleported to his bedroom.

His angel and devil appeared, in their ridiculous glory.

"What will it take?!" he cursed.

"Lots of whining and crying," the devil muttered.

"Precisely!"

"Give her time," the angel advised. "You did take away her friends and freedom after all."

"But she agreed to it!"

"So what's the point in making her fall in love with you?" the reflection inquired. "Why is that the plan? Do you have a plan?"

"Of course I do! Did you not hear me earlier?!"

"I mean I think that pony's turned you soft!"

Discord blinked and then growled. "Soft?! You're calling me, the Master of Chaos, soft?!"

"He's got a point, you been being sappy." the devil agreed.

"You're not supposed to agree with them!" Discord exclaimed.

"Come now, even I know you're not perfect."

The draconequus cried out and stomped his foot, which made the sound of thousands of glasses shattering. Then realization hit him.

"Why am I talking to you?" he asked as he flicked the angel and devil off his shoulders. "You're all me! I can't take advice from myself! I need to ask some pony else."

He tapped his chin until he came up with an idea.

Zecora was shocked to open her door and find the Lord of Chaos standing there.

"Hello, neighbor!" he waved. His usual wear, (that being nothing,) was now replaced with a nice red knit sweater. Underneath was a fancy button-down, a colorful tie, and navy slacks. A puppet was on his hand.

Her mouth was open, but she could get no words out

"You're not still mad about me turning your hut upside-down, are you?" he asked as he invited himself in. "It was nothing personal, just chaos.

"Um…" Zecora stammered.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, so here's the deal. I hear you're good at giving advice. Am I right?" The zebra nodded absent mindedly. "Well, I need it! And if you tell any pony about this, I'll turn you into an acorn to feed to the squirrels!"

"Alright!" She cleared her throat. "No frights! come Sit down at peace with me, I will fix us up some tea!

"Not much of a tea drinker. I prefer a bit of eggnog. Maybe with nutmeg!"

But he sat down anyway. Zecora seated herself across from him.

"Now what do you think I can do? Can I fix this thing for you?"

Discord put his head in his hands and sighed. "It's my fiancé, Fluttershy! I'm sure you've heard of our engagement…"

"thought the grapevine, perhaps I've heard... Or maybe it was a little bird."

"Yes, well…she's not exactly…happy."

"You did take her from her friends, so it was expected her happiness would end-"

"That's what my shoulder angel said!" Zecora blinked at him. "Never mind. But I've swallowed my dignity to please this woman! I've given her all the luxury and comfort a pony could want and she doesn't give so much as a smile! She just sits in her room and cries!" He looked pleadingly at the zebra. "What am I doing wrong?"

"I can help you, keep yourself calm. Reach out and let me hold your palm." He reached out and she held it in her hooves.

"did she tell you anything of sorts, to tell you why she cut you out short?"

"she keeps telling me that everything I give her can't make her love me! Is that gold digging? If you give somepony something, they love you because you gave them something happy!"

"Fluttershy sees past your love-bomb, no e of these gifts solves her qualms."

He tugged his paw away. "Quit talking in riddles! That's my job! How do I make Fluttershy happy?"

"to solve your blindness, you must act with kindness."

He stared at her. "Come again?"

"Fluttershy is not won by wealth and jewels. Kindness and consideration will be your tools. Learn of her interests, her pleasures, her joys, and use them for love instead of your ploys."

"Okay, okay! So how do I do this…kind thing?"

"simple pleasures will not do. It has to come from the heart of you."

"I've given her gifts!"

"Something that compliments her personality. Not just something from brutality."

"Something she vibes with?" He paused to think. His claw tapped his face. "Well, she doesn't really do anything other than play with animals and admire boring plants…" His face lit up. "Wait a minute. That's it!" He turned to the zebra. "You're good! You're welcome at my castle any time!"

After he had vanished, Zecora shook her head with a laugh. "Oh, if only he were to know where this endeavor was going to go." She then went back to her egg cleanse.

Why would I ever know what to do? I repeated what she said back to you!

Meanwhile, Spike and Applejack were trying to keep Fluttershy's animals under control.

"Y'all come back here, ya varmints!" she shouted at beavers as they hauled away a tree they had recently cut down.

"Angel, I have to finish fluffing your tail!" Spike called as he chased after the white rabbit that had hair curlers in his tail.

"Spike, help me round up these chickens!"

"I'm kind of busy here!"

He grabbed hold of Angel, who gave him a hard kick in the snout. Of course, he was built for hard tasks, and remained resilient.

"I thought you were supposed to be good with takin' care of critters," Applejack said.

"Yeah," Spike grunted as he lost his grip on the bunny. "Maybe when there are six of them at a time, not six hundred! What about you? Don't you raise animals for a living?

"My animals are trained and stay in their pens. Wynona, get those weasels out of the coop!"

"How does Fluttershy handle these guys?! I wish they would all just disappear!"

As he said that, a white flash caused the animals to vanish from sight. All that was left was Applejack, Spike and Wynona.

"I didn't mean that literally."

"What in tarnation?" the pony gasped. "Where'd they get off to?"

Suddenly, Spike burped up a letter. When he opened it, he raised an eyebrow.

"This isn't from the princess."

"Let me see." As Applejack read the note, her eyes widened.

"Well, I'll be damned."

The tears would not stop. After hearing that she would be married to that monster tomorrow, the waterworks had broken loose.

She should run away, she had thought, but Fluttershy knew that breaking her promise would give Discord the freedom of taking over Equestria. Besides, he could bring her back with the snap of his fingers.

He didn't mean it. His face softened when you started to cry. But he has no right!... I feel a little sorry too. He's a monster, but-

A light knock on her door startled her. "Fluttershy?"

She buried her face in her pillow. "Go away!"

Outside, Discord silently cursed, but then took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say I'm…s-s-s…"

"What?" Fluttershy choked, lifting her head.

"I'm s-s-s-sorry!"

This caught her attention. This must have been his first time saying that word.

"I didn't realize how upset this deal would make you…"

"Yes, you did!" she snapped.

"Okay, I did! I just ignored that fact. You see…I don't know how to…act in these kinds of situations. I'm sorry I lost my temper with you earlier, but…can you at least give me a chance to make it up to you?"

She paused. "Well…"

"You don't have to marry me tomorrow."

He waited patiently. After a while, she opened the door and looked up at him.

"What is it?"

He grinned a little. "I have something to show you, but first, close your eyes!"

She raised an eyebrow at him, but complied. He waved a paw in front of her to check that she could not see. Smiling excitedly, he took her front hooves and led her to the door leading outside.

Fluttershy did not know what to expect. She was surprised by how tenderly he was holding her hooves. She had to flap her wings to keep her balance, but his touch assured her that if she fell over, he would catch her. She felt a breeze as they went outside. She took a deep breath, as this was her first amount of fresh air in days.

"Can I open them?" she asked

He led her forward a little more, then gently let go of her hooves and whispered in her ear. "Alright. Now."

She opened her eyes and gasped. Surrounding her were acres of plants and flowers of all species and colors. There was an especially large patch of tulips, her favorite. Running about were hundreds of animals, many she recognized from home, but others from elsewhere. She saw kangaroos, toucans, and many more. Everything was vibrant, colorful, the kind of things you would never expect to see in the Everfree Forest. She also noticed they were still floating on the floating ground, but this garden had been added to the clump of earth.

"I brought all your little friends from home," Discord said. "I also brought a few others I thought you would be interested in. Do you like the tulips? I know they're your favorite. I also made a gazebo." He pointed towards it. "You know, in case you want to sit in the shade. Otherwise, there are big trees." He led her to a glimmering pond. "And look, a home for your ducks and fish, also good for swimming. I even put a bridge!"

Her silence made him frown. Then his ears drooped. She hated it. He knew the food dispenser was too much.

"I…" Fluttershy stammered, still staring at the scene. "I…I don't know what to say."

"A thank you would be nice," Discord muttered sadly.

Suddenly, the pegasus did something unexpected. She attacked him around the waist with a hug. The draconequus perked up his ears, tensed his body and widened his eyes at her touch. No pony had ever looked at him as she did. him like this before, let alone hugged him. Such a touch was new and strange…and pleasant.

"This is the most wonderful thing any pony has ever done for me!" she exclaimed. "Thank you! I love it so much!"

He looked down at the pony and saw what he had been hoping to see for the past few days: a smile. A true, happy smile that made her beautiful face even more beautiful. Her crows feet were pronounced, wrapping along her cheeks until two circles of pure enjoyment enraptured her smile.

He felt a tug in his chest, as his heart started beating, perhaps for the first time in millennia. It beat even faster as the pony's face nuzzled into his fur.

Slowly, and hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her small frame, and muttered, "You're welcome."

Fluttershy pulled away as she heard a squeak and let out another gasp.

"Angel! I thought I'd never see you again!"

Discord watched as she flew to her beloved bunny. Other animals surrounded her, delighted to see her. He could not take his eyes off her. That pony, that kind, gentle, beautiful little pony. Her teal eyes sparkled with joy, her pink mane flowed in the mild breeze and her excited voice was like a tingling bell. His heart pounded faster with every second he watched her, until it was about ready to leap out of his chest.

What was this strange sensation developing inside him? He did not know what it was, but it caused a big smile to spread across his face.

In the Ponyville library, Twilight read the message they had received:

"Dear ponies, do not look for animals. They are at my place, with their owner. Your unfriendly neighborhood Discord."

Rainbow Dash looked at the note. "Why did he use letters from magazines?"

"To hide his identity!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Oh, but he signed his name, and…we know who he is, because he has Fluttershy…"

"Why would Discord take the animals for Fluttershy?" Rarity questioned

Applejack glanced at rarity. "Ponies will do anything to please the ones they love."

"Discord? Love?" Rainbow Dash laughed. "That's a hoot!" But she hovered tightly knit as she felt the mare's gaze turn to her. As she looked towards her, the mare turned her face away, hidden in her hat.

She admired her built structure and fluffy hoof fur as the others spoke.

"Doesn't this break the deal?" the dragon inquired. "I mean he can't use his magic outside of the forest, right?"

Twilight exchanged a glance with Applejack before answering, "I think we can make an exception for this one."

[kraefishh]

RAINE

Multiples of 5, + #23 + Bonus question of your choosing.

*cracks knuckles* yeah alright

i'm answering #23 first and the rest will be under the cut just for the sake of knowing how long this post is probably going to get. SO!!

#23. Favorite picture of this character?

if we want just pictures of Raine alone-- THESE TWO IMAGES IN PARTICULAR THANK YOU VERY MUCH. both are by Dana Terrace. the Link one in particular makes me lose my MIND and if you haven't seen it before i needed you to see it now.

moving on to the other questions~~

#5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Just about every time i listen to tongues & teeth by the crane wives i think about them..... namely this animatic. that is the only one i can think of at the moment.

.

#10. Could you be best friends with this character?

Probably not best friends??? But I do think we'd get along quite well!! I had a habit of making friends with just about all of my teachers and Raine is very much... mentor esc. I mean they did teach, at one point. Point stands! As someone who is very musically inclined, we would simply bond over that.

They are also the kind of person you can sit in silence with for HOURS and it not be awkward. Sure we would probably have music playing, but their company is not inherently prone to chaos without an external push for it.

.

#15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Okay well this question was literally just an excuse for me to talk about Raeda, I see. I even went out of my way to include Raine-only pictures!! [dramatic sigh] I guess I'll just have to include my thoughts.

Ahem-- Raeda. It's... That's obvious, if you know me at all. Eda is my favorite Owl House character. And I knew before even starting the show itself that I was going to get attached to Raine. You put in a character who is musically inclined, a nerd, a genuine person and was best friends with your favorite character?? Yeah of course I was going to love them together.

Hell I made a fankid for them. Two fankids, actually. I haven't done that shit in years. I made a playlist for them 3 days after my friend and I finished the show entirely. That was a new record. I went several months with songs in my back pocket about a separate ship before making the playlist.

They make me feel so normal.

.

#20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

OH HANDS DOWN DARIUS. Those two were obviously the two that sat in the back of the class silently judging everyone. Like I love all of the Hagsquad equally (Eda, Lilith, Raine, Darius, Alador, Odalia(?)) but there's something about those two making fun of each other in all of the... few SPEAKING SCENES they share that really got to me.

Those two single-handedly came up with a plan to take down their corrupt government (With obviously the help of Eber, I can't forget Eber). Even if they happened to misunderstand each others' goals during their times as Coven Heads for most of it, I think they had that mutual understanding of hatred towards their situation.

.

#25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

Like I said in #15, I walked into the show already knowing who they were, at least vaguely. I knew they were Eda's ex and I knew that they meant well. And already knew that they weren't inherently evil.

Coming out of watching it, holy SHIT THEY CAN'T CATCH A BREAK, CAN THEY???? NEVER ONCE DID THE CREW GIVE RAINE WHISPERS A FUCKING BREAK, HUH?? GOOD LORD.

I love them so very dearly they are genuinely one of the most powerful characters in the entire show and I live by that statement. What a fucking power move they pulled just about every time we saw them.

'Them's The Breaks, Kid' solidified my growing love for them. They're so silly but they could break your fucking bones, and I respect that.