#i wonder why they never dressed us up with the traditional local costumes i really and truly wonder why they didn't dress us up with those | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

atlafan · 4 years ago

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Costumes Galore - One Shot

a/n: this one was based off a few asked for my Halloween themed one shot requests. A lot of you wanted to something around a costume rental store, so I just made Harry the owner of that store! Feedback and reblogs are helpful, hope you enjoy! (not proofread)

Warnings: pining, smut, friends to lovers

Words: 8.7K

Don’t ask him how, but Harry is the owner of a costume rental shop. He was a business major in university, and with some luck and patience, he was able to take over the very shop he worked in as a teenager. Halloween was his busiest season, of course, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t doing well year round. He would give deals to the local schools and community theaters, and people who dressed as characters for parties would come see him. So, needless to say, business was steady. He often had big sales right after Halloween, and people would come in and clean him out.

Preparing for Halloween was his favorite thing to do. As soon as it was September 1st, he would transform his shop, pulling out tons of decorations, and putting out different bowls of candy. He liked making his customers happy, and everyone usually left satisfied. His changing rooms were comfortable and spotless, and he even set up backdrops in the lounge area for people to take Halloween pictures of their kids. People would come in to do that all year to save time and money. He was a smart business man. Harry did most of the work himself, he had a couple of teenagers that worked for him after school, but other than that it was all him. He didn’t mind, it gave him the control he needed over his shop, and he just didn’t have the money to pay someone for full-time help. He was only entering the fourth year of owning the place, after all.

Harry enjoyed the small traditions the downtown area had. Every year on October 30th, all of the shops would open their doors so kids could come trick or treat. It was a great way to give out pamphlets and coupons, while also getting to know the people that lived in the area. He loved kids, so when Harry was told about the tradition by his shop neighbor he got right on it, splurging for the king sized candy bars.

It was getting to be that time of year again, just about the end of September, his shop was looking good, and the Halloween crowds had slowly been trickling in and out. He was at the register when he heard the chime of the bell he keeps above the door to signal someone was coming in. It was a beautiful young woman, and she made Harry’s mouth run dry.

“Hello.” She says shyly as she walks up to the counter.

“Hi.” He swallows, and then smiles. “May I help you find something? Picking a costume up?” He moves to walk into the back door to see what reservations he had left for the day, but she stops him.

“No, um, I was wondering, actually, if you were hiring seasonally? I’m a grad student at the local university, and I could really use the extra cash before the holidays approach.”

“Oh.” He wasn’t expecting such a blunt and honest answer. “Well, I usually only hire high school students…it’s a bit easier to pay them under the table.”

“I don’t mind! I have another job at the university I get a pay stub for and all that, I really just need the extra money for the season. If you’re not hiring it’s okay, I can check with the other shops, I just figured since this is a costume shop you’d be getting really busy soon.”

“You figured correctly.” He sighs. “Do you have much experience in retail?”

“Oh, sure, tons! I worked in a grocery store when I was a teenager, so I know how to work a register, and then in undergrad I worked at an Old Navy, so I know how to fold clothes properly and check inventory.” She pulls a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket. “Here’s my resume, not the most professional way of showing it, but I brought it nonetheless.” She unfolds it and slides it on the counter towards him.

Harry takes it and furrows his brows as he reads it over. Seems like she was in her first year of grad school, but had graduated from her undergrad a couple of years ago. Her undergraduate degree was in social work, and it looks like she had been working in an office for a couple of years. Now she was going for a graduate degree in school counseling. She had plenty of experience, that wasn’t his worry, he just wasn’t sure he would be able to properly compensate her.

“My busiest hours during the season tend to be between 3 and 7PM, and then I’m swamped on Saturdays. How many hours a week do you think you could work?”

Her features soften as she perks up from his question.

“I’m honestly free by four most days, and Saturdays are no problem. Well, as long as I don’t have to be up at the crack of dawn.” She chuckles. “I’m no good early in the morning. I could do Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday if that works for you?”

“I wouldn’t be able to pay you more than ten dollars an hour, and you’d need to keep track of things on your own. I expect the honor system too, no trying to stiff me.”

“That’s perfect!” She was doing the math in her head. “Do you close right at seven? Would I stay after to close up?”

“Probably would need you here until eight. Saturday I’m open eleven to five, would need you here ten to six for that.”

She furrows her brows as she thinks about it. That would roughly come to about twenty hours a week, which was exactly what she was looking for. Then that would be $200 extra in her pocket a week, or $400 if he decides to pay her bi-weekly, and she wouldn’t have to worry about a dime of it coming out for taxes.

“Well, uh…”, she squints at his nametag, “Harry, I think we have a deal.” She smiles and extends her hand for him to shake. He takes it gently and smiles at her. “When can I start?”

“Why don’t you come in this Saturday around 9:30? I can go over everything with you without have to rush. There’s a little kitchen in the back and all that so feel free to leave food here if you feel like packing a lunch or snacks. I also keep a lot of snacks around.”

“Works for me.” She shrugs. “If you’re here until eight most days, what time do you usually open?”

“Around ten, I get here for nine.”

“Those are long days.”

“I don’t mind it, there’s always a lot to do.” It’s quiet between them for a moment.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to it. See you Saturday!” She beams.

“Wait, uh, the door will be locked when you get here, and I can’t just give you a key, barely know you.” He chuckles. “But here.” He grabs a business card and writes his cell phone number on it. “Just text me when you get here, and I’ll let you in.”

“Perfect.” She looks at the card. “Thanks, Mr. Styles.”

“Stick with Harry, we don’t need to be so formal.”

“Alright, thanks, Harry.”

Out the door she goes feeling way better than when she walked in. He wondered how close in age they might be, she had to be around the same age as him, if not only a year or so younger. It would be nice working with someone he could actually talk to. He likes the teenagers, but sometimes he just had no idea what they were talking about.

Saturday morning Y/N isn’t sure what to wear. Harry hadn’t said anything about a uniform, so she decides on a pair of khakis and a black polo to at least look the part of a retail worker. She tucks the shirt in to look professional, and to make sure she looked cute. She puts her hair up in a ponytail, and out the door she goes. She grabs a coffee from the shop across from Harry’s, and takes out her phone to text him.

Y/N: Good morning, Harry! It’s Y/N, I’m outside the shop 😊

She sips her warm drink as she waits for him to appear in the windows. She smiles as she sees him walking up, and he opens the door for her.

“Morning, Y/N.” He smiles, voice still a little gravelly from sleep. It makes her blush.

“Morning.” She nods as she walks in. “Oh…I should have asked you if you wanted a coffee.” She frowns at herself. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries, had mine a little while ago. I should’ve asked you if you wanted anything.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Anyways…”, he looks her up and down, “don’t feel like you need to dress so…well, I should have texted you about attire. Um, you can wear pretty much whatever you want. I just ask if you wear jeans that they’re not ripped, and if you wear leggings make sure you’re bum is covered. You never know what kind of old creeps might be coming in here to steal glances.” She nods at him and follows him behind the register and into the back room. “So this is where I keep reserved costumes. People will call ahead sometimes with their measurements and what they need.” He opens another door that leads into a breakroom. It was small kitchen with a slop sink, decent sized fridge, microwave, blender, toaster, and hot plate on the counters.

“I think you have every appliance known to man.” She laughs.

“Well, I can’t exactly have an oven in here, so I stalked up on other things. There’s some small pots if you feel like having pasta, that’s why I have the hot plate, you just need to remember to unplug it when you’re done. Turns out a lot of clothes are flammable, go figure.” His jokes makes her giggle, and he likes the sound of it. “And then through this door is the office. I have some lockers in here so you can hang your coat up, or put a bag away. Bring a lock if you feel like it, but I promise not to steal your things if you promise not to steal mine.”

“Promise.” She nods. “Where are the bathrooms?”

“In the back of the store along with the dressing rooms. We’ll get there in a moment. Every night I have a cleaning crew come in to make sure everything is spick and span, but accidents happen during the day sometimes so it’s on us to clean that up when it occurs.”

“No problem there. I used to clean the bathrooms at the grocery store all the time. Not my favorite thing to do, but I’m no stranger to it.”

He nods and then leads her back out to the register. He explains how he bookkeeps, and how important it is to save every receipt. Then he takes out what looks like a magazine that explains all of the types of costumes and accessories he keeps. He essentially had the shop on a grid system so everything was easy to find. She would need to learn this so she could properly help the customers. Then he leads her to the back of the store, shows her the dressings rooms and bathrooms, and then to the very back room where all of the storage was.

“Holy shit.” She says to herself. “You could get lost in here.” She swallows.

“You shouldn’t need to come back here too much. I usually have what people need out front, but sometimes you may need to snag some things from here. Mostly shoes.” He takes her back into the main area and into the office so they can sit. “I have cameras just about everywhere. Kids can sometimes pocket the costume jewelry. I have security codes for the doors as well, but I’ll always be here before you, so you won’t ever have to open, or close for that matter.”

“Okay.”

“What’s your class schedule like?”

“I have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, and then on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I go to a middle school for my practicum hours. I’m hoping to become an adjustment counselor, you know, helping students with more serious issues.”

“At the middle school level no less, wow.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Good for you.”

“Thanks.” She smiles.

“You said you had a job at the university too, how do you have the time for that?”

“Oh, I get a stipend as a TA.” She shrugs. “The classes I actually take are online, so I have plenty of time. This is just for the season anyways, so it’s fine.”

“Right.” He opens his desk drawer and slides a nametag towards her. “There you are, no you’re a proper employee.”

“Thank you.” She takes it and puts it on, her tongue slightly peeking out as she does so. “So, how do I get paid? Are you gonna sneak me an envelope every week?” She chuckles.

“That’s the plan, yeah. The pay period will be like Saturday to Saturday, so I’ll pay you on Fridays, sound good?”

“Sounds great! Thank you again. I’ve been budgeting just fine and making things work, but things add up during the holidays: dinners, gifts, parties, all that stuff, and I just wanted to have some extra cushion.”

“I think that’s really smart. It’s nice to see you don’t mind working hard.”

“How did you come to own a costume shop?”

“Worked here as a teenager, so after uni the old man was selling it and he took a chance on me. Been running it for four years now.”

“Shit, you’re really young to be doing all of this.” She looks at him wide eyed. “I still have to call my mom to ask her if I should separate my delicates from the rest of my wash, and here you are…owning and running a business.”

Harry swallows, and nods at her.

“Um, let me show you how the register works, and then we can open up.”

They get up and go back out front. He shows her the prices for everything that he keeps on a laminated sheet of paper. She listens to him intently, nodding along and taking mental notes.

It was a little slow in the beginning, so Harry has Y/N put away some costumes that people left in the dressing rooms. A small rush comes in right at noon, and they work together to get everyone settled.

“No, I wanna be Batman!” Y/N hears a small girl whale out at her father.

“But you’d look so pretty as Cinderella, honey.” He pleads with his daughter.

“Pardon me.” Y/N says. “We have tons of Batman costumes in girls sizes.” She smiles.

“You do?” He asks her.

“Sure! Lots of girls like dressing up like super heroes, and their costumes cover up a lot more, so it’s much more practical. She’ll stay warm and won’t trip over a long dress.” She leads them over to the area. “And she’ll still look plenty cute.”

“Alright.” He sighs with defeat. “Batman it is.”

“Yay!” The little girl exclaims as she snatches a costume off the rack.

Y/N looks over and sees that Harry was watching the interaction. He gives her a thumbs up, and goes back to the register. They take their lunch breaks at different times, and when the end of the day comes she lingers while he checks everything over at his desk.

“You can go, Y/N. Good first day.”

“I…well, this is sort of embarrassing, but I walked here because I live close by, but it’s raining…”

“Oh…you need a ride?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Her face flushes. “I can order an uber if you-“

“I don’t mind.” He gives her a soft smile. “Sit on the couch if you like, I’ve got a few things I need to finish up.”

She nods and does as he says. She scrolls through her apps on her phone while she waits for him. She hears him sigh, and he knuckles at his eyes before standing up.

“Alright, let’s go. Where do you live?”

“Just over at The Ledges.”

“No shit? I live there too.”

“Seriously?!” She stands. “Okay, now I don’t feel bad.” She chuckles.

“No need to feel bad regardless.” He puts his coat on, grabs his keys, and they head out. He double checks that the doors are locked, and they make their way to his car. He even opens the door for her. “What building are you in?”

“Five, you?”

“Three. Got a roommate or anything?”

“Yeah, I live with a girl in the same program as me. She’s nice enough, we’re still getting to know each other, but we like a lot of the same movies and music, so it’s been easy to hang out when we have time. What about you?” She tucks some loose strands of hair behind her ear. “Got a roommate?”

“Nope.” He says proudly. “Can finally afford to live on my own, which has been nice.”

“Doesn’t that get lonely, though?”

“Not really.” He shrugs. “Most of my time is spent at the shop talking to people all day, so I don’t really mind the quiet once I’m home.”

“Not even a pet to keep you company?”

“I’ve just learned to take care of myself properly, I don’t think I’m quite ready to keep another thing alive.” She laughs at that and it makes him smile.

“You’re really funny, you know that?” He pulls up to her building once he’s turned into the complex. “Thank you so much for the ride, I really appreciate it. I definitely would have caught a cold if I walked in that rain.”

“Anytime, seriously, don’t be afraid to ask.”

She nods and gets out. He makes sure she’s inside before making the turn to his own building.

Harry drove Y/N home most evenings. Her help was the best he’s had in a long time, maybe he could afford to hire her on like a regular employee…only if she wanted. She was personable with the customers, and he noticed she’d pick an accessory to wear during all of her shifts to get into the Halloween spirit. One day it was a tiara and a sash, another day it was cat ears, and another it was devil’s horns. Harry would mostly wear graphic tees with old movie posters on them. She thought it was cute. Y/N noticed how well Harry was with the customers too. The kids adored him, so it seemed.

It really didn’t take much for Y/N to develop a crush on Harry. From the moment she walked into his shop she thought he was handsome, but as she got to know him she realized his personality was just her type. She tried to be sneaky decipher whether he was seeing someone or not. There were no pictures of girls on his desk, other than a family photo of him, his mother, and sister. Harry wore a lot of rings, but nothing that screamed he was in a relationship or married. Surely he would mentioned it by now if he was, right? She even got a glimpse at his lock screen on his phone, and all it was, was a picture of a sunflower.

“Just ask him out, Y/N.” Her roommate, Ronnie, says to her one evening over wine and popcorn as they watch The Addams Family. “What do you have to lose?”

“My job.”

“You’re a seasonal employee. As soon as Halloween hits, you’re done there.”

“Not true, he asked me to stay through November. He has sales throughout November so people can buy costumes at a discount. Also, a ton of people come to get fitted for Santa costumes, so I’ll be there a bit longer than anticipated.” She takes a sip from her glass. “I think that if he liked me he would have made a move.”

“He could be thinking the exact same thing about you! And from what you’ve told me, he seems either too shy or too respectful to do something like that. I mean, you work for him, he wouldn’t want you to think he was harassing you.”

“Hm, I never thought of it like that.” She chews on her bottom lip. “Maybe…maybe I could ask him to dinner one night after work. That wouldn’t be totally weird, would it? He drives me home anyways…”

“I think that’s a great idea. Totally casual, off the cuff.”

“Exactly, like, smooth…cool.” She takes a bite of some popcorn. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Y/N, you wrangle middle school kids for half the week, asking a guy out should be a cakewalk.”

Saturday Y/N decides to wear a sweater dress over some leggings, and goes with a small witch’s hat that’s on a headband to add some flare to her look. Harry had given her a key since he trusted her, so she lets herself in. She goes right to the back to go say hello. Harry was in the kitchen finishing up his coffee.

“Morning.” He says to her.

“Morning.” She takes a deep breath. “Um, do you have plans tonight, like, after work?”

He furrows his brows as he thinks about it, taking one final sip of his coffee before rinsing his mug in the sink.

“Don’t think so, why?” He almost wished he had made something up. It was sort of lame to not have plans on a Saturday night, wasn’t it?

“Well, I was wondering if I could take you to dinner…” His eyes grow wide at her, so she back-peddles. “You know, as a thank you for being so great to me, and driving me home and stuff.”

“You…you don’t have to thank me for anything, Y/N. You’ve been the best temp I’ve ever hired.” He watches as she looks down at her feet. “But, um, dinner sounds good either way.”

“Really?” She perks up as she makes eye contact once again.

“Yeah, where were you thinking?”

“Nowhere special…do you like Mexican? We could go to Chipotle…” It sounded awful leaving her lips, but it was all she could really afford at the moment.

“I love it there, that sounds good.”

“Great.” She smiles and walks over to the coffee maker to pour herself some. She slips around him to get the creamer out of the fridge. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Harry was distracted all day. Y/N rarely wore dresses to work. Had she dressed up in hopes they’d be going out together later that evening. He looks down at himself, and he’s thankful he decided on a black jumper. Was this a date, or was this to be a casual dinner between two people who work together? He really couldn’t be sure. He thought Y/N was insanely attractive, she was lovely inside and out, but he was her boss so that made things a little…sticky for him. She was around the same age as him, so it wouldn’t be weird if they went out, and she was the one to initiate dinner. So it’s not like he was using any sort of position of power over her.

Around lunch time a boy that works at the coffee shop from across the street comes in. Harry greets him, and he says he’s looking for Y/N.

“She’s in the back on her break.” Harry says. “Do you want me to get her?”

“That’d be great.” The boy smiles.

“Hey, Y/N? There’s someone here to see you.”

“Oh?” She swallows the bite of veggie wrap and stands up to see who it is. “Hey, Charlie.” She smiles.

“Hi.” He smiles back at her. “I…I snagged you some of those chocolate chip cookie squares you like so much.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” She comes from around the counter to hug him. “That is so sweet, thank you.”

Harry’s jaw tenses as he tries not to pay attention. He was looking over receipts at the register, but he couldn’t help but be a little nosey.

“No problem.” He hands her the small bag. “Um, I know it’s last minute, but would you wanna catch a movie tonight?”

“Oh, that’s so nice of you to ask, but I actually already have dinner plans tonight, so I can’t.” She gives him a soft smile.

“Alright, another time, maybe?”

“Sure.” She nods, and then he makes his way out. She goes back behind the counter. “Harry, you have to try one of these, they’re so good, nice and chewy. I get them all the time.”

“Clearly.” He reaches into the bag to take one out. “You know, if you wanted to go out with him…you could have…”

“Why would I break our date that I literally just asked you to this morning to go out with someone else?” Ah, so it was a date, he thinks to himself as he bites off a piece of the cookie. “Good, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Charlie’s nice enough, but I don’t like him like that.”

Harry leaves the conversation as that when she goes back to finish her lunch. Did she like him like that? Was that it? Dinner couldn’t come soon enough.

The ride to Chipotle is comfortably quiet, the radio could be heard just over the rumble of the streets. Y/N bumps Harry with her hip when he tries to pay for their food, shoving her card into the chip insert. She told him to go grab a table in a snappy way that made him smirk, but he listened to her regardless. He finds a quieter table for two and sets their things down. She comes over with some napkins and sits down.

“You really didn’t have to pay for me.” He says.

“Try again.”

“Thank you.” He sighs.

“Much better.” She smirks and dives into her burrito bowl. “I see you went with the tacos, those are my second favorite.”

“I love tacos, obsessed with them really. I must make them for dinner twice a week.”

“Really?” She asks with a giggle.

“Only because I usually have leftovers. I try to meal prep and stuff like that.”

“Same here! Every Sunday I go to the market, and cook up a storm when I get back. Then it’s all done, and you don’t have to worry.”

“Exactly.” He smiles and takes a bite of his food. It was a little messy, but she didn’t seem to mind. “So, what made you wanna grab a bite tonight?”

She nearly chokes on her food, and she takes a sip of her water.

“Um…I…well…” She stops talking and just looks at him. “I just thought it might be nice to do something outside of work for a change. It’s nice sharing a meal with someone, you know?”

He nods at her and takes another bite of his food. He asks her questions about school, and how things were going balancing working at a middle school and being a TA. She explains that she’s very organized, so she hasn’t been terribly stressed. She was looking forward to her school’s winter break so she could just work at the middle school and not teach at the same time. They had lost track of time, sitting there for over an hour talking. He drives her to her building, and she lingers in his car for a moment.

“That was fun.” She says to him.

“Yeah…thanks again for paying.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Do…do you have plans on Halloween?”

“Aren’t we doing that trick or treat thing at the shop?”

“That’s the evening before.”

“Oh, right! Here I am telling you I’m organized and I can’t get my days straight.” She takes her phone out to look at her calendar. “I think Ronnie and I were planning to put a bowl of candy out in the hallway and watch movies…why?”

“Well, I have a party to go to…my mate Niall throws a Halloween party every year…would you like to come with me?”

Her eyes widen, and he feels like he’s made a mistake. Had he misinterpreted everything?

“That’s only a week away, where on earth am I going to get a costume on such short notice?” She looks at him seriously, and then she laughs.

“Good fucking thing I own a costume shop, or you’d be shit out of luck.” He laughs. “Is that a yes, then?”

“Yeah.” She smiles and leans over the console to give him a peck on the cheek. “See you Monday.” She gets out of the car, tummy full of butterflies, and goes inside her building.

Ronnie was thrilled for Y/N’s upcoming date, and didn’t mind her breaking her roommate date at all. When Monday rolls around, Y/N can’t wait to see Harry. He was running around when she got in, and he basically yelled at her to get busy. He texted her Sunday night to warn her that the week of Halloween was usually wild with last minute costume buyers. The two of them run around, and don’t close up until nearly nine.

“I can come in tomorrow and Thursday if you need me to.” She tells him as they walk to his car.

“I don’t want you to be stressed out.”

“I won’t be! I’ll be stressed knowing you’re doing all of that alone. Please, you don’t even need to pay me.”

“Y/N.” He chuckles as he drives her home. “Don’t be silly, I’ll pay you. You can come in if you need the extra hours.”

“Alright.” She nods. “Have you already decided on your costume?”

“I think while we’re at the store it would be fun to dress up as a witches?”

“Definitely, and for the party?”

“You…you wanna dress as a pair for that?”

“Well, we’re going as a pair, so I thought that would be fun…but we don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Okay.” He pulls up to her building and he turns to face her. “Niall’s dressing like Barney from the Flintstone’s and his girlfriend is gonna dress up like Betty, so I was wondering how you’d feel if we dressed like Fred and Wilma…”

“Do you have those costumes at the shop?”

“Yeah, in the back.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

“Really? Not too cliché?”

“Not at all, I think it could be fun.”

“Great, I can pull everything out for you tomorrow, and you can tell me how it all fits.”

It was a busy week, but worth it to see all of the little kids come by the shop. Y/N and Harry made quite the pair of witches. He had invited her back to his place for a movie after everything was all said and done. Tomorrow would be another busy day with the really last minute people, but he wasn’t worried about it.

“Right, so, make yourself at home. I’m just gonna get us some snacks. Can I get you anything to drink?” He says to her as he leads her inside his flat. “I’ve got water, soda, seltzer water…”

“Anything with alcohol in it?” She chuckles. “Long week, you know?”

“Oh, sure! I’ve got these pumpkin ciders you might like, they’re really good.”

“Sounds perfect. Do you need help with anything?”

“No, go sit.” He smiles, and she goes to make herself comfortable on his couch.

Her eyes scan over his living area, it was nicely decorated. He had some decals in the windows for Halloween, little black cats and pumpkins, it was cute. He comes in shortly with some cheese and crackers, and a couple of ciders.

“I threw some pizza rolls into the oven, thought this could hold us over for now.” He says as he sits.

“Good thinking, thank you. This is a nice place, just a one bedroom?”

“Mhm.” He smiles. “I like living here a lot, it’s the perfect location if I need to get to the shop quick.” They each take a sip of the cider as he grabs the TV remote. “You like it?”

“Yeah! It’s delicious. So, what are we watching?”

“How do you feel about Beetlejoice?”

“It’s one of my all-time favorites.”

“Thank god.” He says with relief. “It’s one of my favorites too. I don’t love super scary movies, but ones like these are fun.”

“I’m the same way. I don’t get that thrill other people do from being scared.”

He queues up the movie and presses play. She takes her sneakers off so she can sit with her feet under her, and he likes that she’s able to get so comfortable. He hears the ding from his oven timer and goes to retrieve the pizza rolls.

“They’re really hot, gotta let them sit. I don’t want you to bun yourself.” He grabs the blanket from the back of the couch. “Here, you look cold.” She smiles and takes the blanket from him, draping it over her legs. “Let me know when you want a refill too.”

“I will, thank you, Harry.”

He sits back on the couch and pops a cracker into his mouth. This was normal behavior him. He often doted on her in the shop. If she fell asleep at the table during her lunch break she’d miraculously wake up on the couch in the office, or with a blanket draped over her shoulders and the lights dimmed. He knew how tired she had to be, working so much. She didn’t mind it one bit. She was used to taking care of herself, it was sort of nice to let someone else take a turn.

“We can share if you want.” She speaks up as she sees him cross his arms over his body. “If you’re cold too.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s your blanket.” She chuckles, and places some of it over his legs. “There, all cozy.”

They devour the pizza rolls, and drink three cider’s each during the movie. They laugh at the funny parts, and are quiet during the more serious parts. She looks away a couple of times, and even squeezes his hand during one of the scarier scenes. They didn’t touch other than that, though. He didn’t want to make things awkward before the party.

“Oh, I love this part at the end with the football team.” She giggles and finishes her last drink. “I’m really glad we did this tonight.” She turns her body to look at him.

“Me too.” He stands up, and starts cleaning everything up. She follows him into the kitchen with the empty cans. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t mind.” She tosses them in the recycling bin he has next to the trash.

“I can walk you home if you want.”

“That’s okay, I think I can make it.”

“I really don’t mind.”

“Don’t be silly, Harry.”

“Will you…at least text me when you get back?”

“Sure.” She nods and gets her shoes and jacket on. He walks her to his door with his hands in his pockets.

“I can pick you up before work tomorrow if you like.”

“That I’ll definitely take you up on. It’s gonna be cold tomorrow, I think.” She throws her arms around him and kisses his cheek quickly. “Thanks for a nice night.”

“Bye.”

He sighs as she leaves, and sighs heavier as she makes her way out of the building. She gets inside her own flat and tells Ronnie everything.

“Shit! I forgot to text him!”

Y/N: so sorry, I got in like 10 min ago

Harry: no worries, glad you got in safe

Y/N: thanks again for a really nice night…you’re fun to watch movies with

Harry: you’re welcome, and so are you

“God, why does he have to be so sweet?”

“So, he really didn’t make any moves?”

“No.” She sighs. “We shared a blanket, but that was about it, and I was too nervous to do more than to touch his hand a couple of times.” She groans and sits down on the couch with a huff. “Like…are we dating? Just friends? I’d love to know.”

“You should ask him.”

“You can’t just ask that sort of thing!”

“Why not?!”

“Because it’s awkward. Ugh, I just had to go work for someone like him. Why couldn’t it have been some old lady?”

The work day goes by like normal. Y/N uses ladies room to get into her Wilma costume. Harry had given her an orange wig for the hair, and she got it up into a decent enough bun. The dress was really cute on her figure, and she felt good about it. She’d be cold, but only for the couple of minutes she’d be outside. Harry was waiting for her in the main area with his Fred costume. He was not wearing a wig.

“I’m pretty sure Fred Flinstone has black hair.” She runs a hand through his curls and his face flushes. “But I suppose this will do.”

“You look great, Y/N.”

“You think so?” She does an innocent twirl. “Not too skimpy?”

“Not at all.” He smiles.

They drive to Niall’s, and Y/N is welcome with open arms from the second they walk in. Everyone at the party had great costumes, and she was happy her and Harry went all out. There was music playing, plenty of snacks and drinks, and even a few games. People were playing beer-pong in the kitchen, others were playing some card games. There were some people dancing in the living area. Y/N wondered if some other grad students were mixed into the bunch.

“Want something to drink?” Harry asks her and she nods yes. He takes her by the hand and leads her to the drink cart in the kitchen. He looks at her with raised eyebrows.

“Vodka tonic, please.”

“Coming right up.” He makes two drinks, and hands her one. “Let me know if It’s too strong.”

“Mm.” She takes a sip. “It’s perfect.”

Much to her surprise, Harry keeps an arm around her shoulders for most of the night as they mingled with his friends. It was loose around her, but he was making it pretty clear to anyone else looking at them that she was spoken for. They didn’t drink too much, enough to have a healthy buzz, but not so much that Harry wouldn’t be able to drive later.

“Are you having fun?” He says into her ear. She looks up at him and nods yes. He smiles and goes back to the conversation he was having with Niall.

Y/N liked Harry’s friends. They were all really nice, and did their best to include her in the chit chat. It was a fun night. A little after midnight they decide to call it quits, and head out. Y/N takes the wig off and shakes her hair out the second they’re in the car.

“Man, that thing was itchy.” She runs a hand through her hair and looks at him. “What?” He was already looking at her.

“You’re…you’re just so…” He reaches for her and cups her cheeks in his large hands. They were barely an inch apart, and she could feel his breath fanning over her face. “I really want to kiss you.”

“Please.” She nods slightly, and then he does it.

His lips slot between hers, and her eyes flutter closed. His lips were soft, and he tasted like the mint from the gum he was chewing. Her hands move to the collar of his costume and she tugs him closer to her. He pulls away just as she was opening her mouth a little more, her lips moving towards him. His forehead presses to her.

“Fuck, I…I’ve wanted to do that since the day you walked into the shop, but-“

“Do you wanna go back to my place?”

He nods yes, and throws the car in drive, speeding to their complex. His hand rests on her thigh, squeezing it occasionally, reminding her that he was there and this was happening. He parks in one of the free spaces in front of her building, and gets out of the car. He jogs around the other side and opens her door for her. The air was cold, but the heat radiating between the two of them was scorching. He helps her out of the car, and his lips are on hers again. They shuffle to the main entrance, and she keys in. He’s about to push her up against the wall, but she pushes on his chest.

“Cameras.” She says against his lips, and she tugs him down the hall, and to the elevator.

He keeps his hands to himself while in the elevator, unsure of more cameras, but when she gets them to her door he puts his hands on her shoulders as he stands behind her.

“Is Ronnie home?” He whispers in her ear and goosebumps raise on her skin.

“N-no, she decided to visit some friends for the weekend.”

She keys into the apartment, and she just barely gets the door closed when she’s being pushed up against the wall. If she had the strength to pick him up and carry him to her room she would, but she can’t, so she just tugs on him to move further into the flat. His lips felt so good on hers, and she sucks his bottom lip into her mouth, causing him to groan against her. She finally gets him in her room, and she pushes him back onto her bed. She straddles him immediately, and his hands squeeze at her hips.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” He asks as he looks up at her. “It’s not too fast?”

“Consider it third date sex, I’m good with it if you are.” She reaches for the hem of her dress and lifts it off herself, revealing a white lace set of underwear. His hands slide up and down her sides.

“Third date, huh?” He smirks.

She leans down to kiss him.

“Chipotle.” Her teeth tug at his bottom lip and she lets it snap back. “The movie last night.” She sucks a mark into his neck, just under his earlobe. “And tonight.” She sits back up. “So, no, I don’t think this is too fast, do you?”

“No.”

He flips her over onto her back, and she giggles as he works to get his costume off. He hovers over her, and kisses down her neck. He mouths over her covered nipples and sucks on her through the fabric. Her hips buck up towards him as he continues working his way down her body. Her heart was about ready to beat out of her chest.

“Wh-what are you doing?” She asks just as his lips go right below her belly button.

“Uh…I was going to take your underwear off, if that’s alright.”

“And then what?”

“I’d love to have a taste of you, if you let me.”

“You really wanna do that? It…it doesn’t gross you out?”

“What’s gross about it?” He smirks. “This right here?” He cups her mound and she whimpers. “One of the greatest wonders of the world. So, can I?”

“Yes.”

He hooks his fingers into her panties, and he tugs them down her legs. He kisses on her hips as he opens her legs. He sucks on each of her lips before licking up her slit. He swirls his tongue around her clit, which was positively throbbing for him. He wraps her lips around the small bud and sucks. Her mouth falls open and her hands fly to his hair.

“Oh, fuck.” She moans.

He moans against her, and it just makes her pool between her legs even more him. He was really enjoying this, which was making her enjoy it even more than usual. It was usually a force with guys her age, but Harry had no problem with it. If she didn’t want to suck his dick before, she definitely did now.

Harry removes his mouth from, only for a moment, to suck his middle and ring fingers into his mouth. He slides them through her folds, and then carefully slips them inside her center. She gasps from the stretch at first, and then she feels like she’s melting into the bed. His mouth goes back to her clit while his fingers curl up inside her to pet against her front wall. Her hips start moving along with the rhythm of his fingers, chasing her release.

“Shit, Harry, ngh.” She was panting now.

Her legs move over his shoulders and her heels dig into his back. He groans against her as she falls apart underneath him. He works her through it, giving her clit slow licks as he pulls his fingers from her. He sucks his fingers into his mouth. They make eye contact, briefly, before she’s pinning him down, and she’s yanking his boxers off. Her eyes widen when she sees his length slap back against his lower tummy. She pecks his lips before getting situated between his legs.

Y/N licks up the underside of his hard length, and his head falls back. Her mouth wraps around his tip and she suckles on it before popping off. She spits into her hand and wraps it around him to pump him slowly. She cradles his balls and moves to suck and lick gently on them.

“Oh, dear god.” He moans. “Y/N, I’ll come if you keep doing that.”

“Do you wanna just fuck now? Wanna fuck me, Harry?” She pouts at him.

He was surprised by her. He nods at her, and she smirks at him. She gets up and takes her bra off while she walks into her bathroom to grab a condom. She tosses it to him as she knees back onto the bed. He rips it open and rolls it on, and he gets back on top of her. He rolls the head of his cock between her folds and around her clit before pushing inside her.

“Still sure? I can stop.”

“No, please, I want it, Harry.”

He smiles and continues to push inside her. She grits her teeth at the feeling. Once he’s all the way in he gives her a moment before slowly pulling back out. He sinks back inside her, and that’s when it starts to feel good. She was nice and tight around him, not that he really cared. He knew it would feel good because he liked her so much. He did wonder, though, when the last time someone had the privilege to stretch her out like this.

“You feel so fucking good.” He says and leans down to suck on her bottom lip. His hands move to knead her breasts, and she moans.

She wraps her legs around his waist to pull him even closer. She just want him to smother her. She moves her hips up to rock along with his, and she gasps when she feels him hit her g-spot.

“Fuck, just like that, don��t stop.”

“Yeah? Like that?”

“Fuck, Harry, yeah, keep going.”

He had per panting again, and her nails were scratching down his back. It felt good, though, to feel her just about breaking his skin because he’s making her feel so good. Her back arches off the bed as she comes undone again, and he presses hard inside her so she can really feel it. She thought maybe he had come too since he was pulling out, but he grips her hips and flips her onto her stomach. He pulls her back, spreads her apart, and pushes back inside her.

“Oh!” She gasps.

“This okay?” He grunts.

“More than okay, fuck.” She pushes back against him and he nearly chuckles.

Quick, deep strokes were entering her. Her bed was shaking, and her cheeks were straight up getting clapped. It was such a breath of fresh air to be with man who knew what to do with it. He grips the back of her neck to steady himself as his thrusts get sloppy.

“I’m gonna come.” He groans. “Shit, I’m gonna-“ He moans out as he spills into the condom.

He was so vocal, and she really liked that. He pulls out of her slowly, and takes the condom off.

“Trash is over there.” She breathes and points towards her desk. He nods and gets up to dispose of it. She gets up and waddles into her bathroom to use her toilet. When she comes back out he’s getting his boxers back on. “You, um, don’t need to leave if you don’t want to.”

“Normally I’d stay, but…” He runs a hand through his hair. “Sort of embarrassing to walk back tomorrow morning as Fred Flinstone.” He smirks.

“Right.” She nods as she throws on a bed shirt, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.

“But I could stay a little longer, lay with you a bit.”

“I don’t want you to be upset if you fall asleep.”

“I won’t be…suppose it would be funny.” He comes over to her and gives her a kiss on the forehead before going into her bathroom.

He gets into bed with once he’s done, and she snuggles up to his side, laying her head on his chest. Her fingers trace around his various tattoos. He rubs her back, and it lulls her to sleep.

The next morning she wakes up to an empty bed. Where he was laying wasn’t even warm so he must have left soon after she fell asleep. She sighs and takes a shower, washing her night away. She checks her phone, and smiles, all worry leaving her body.

Harry: slipped out after you fell asleep, hope you don’t think I’m one of those guys…I had a lot of fun, talk at work Monday?

Y/N: definitely don’t think you’re one of those guys…now lol yeah, let’s talk Monday

She sighs and sits at her desk to get some grading done. Or she was hopeful to get work done. The ache between her legs was proving to be pretty distracting.

Y/N takes a deep breath before walking into the shop Monday afternoon. There were plenty of customers buying discounted costumes, so Harry’s only able to smile at her as she slips into the backroom to hang her coat up.

“I guess…do you think he’ll still like this in a year?” The woman asks Harry.

“I’m not gonna like to you, he easily couldn’t, but if I know kids, they like to have options. If he ends up having a couple of parties to go to, he won’t want to wear the same costume to each event.”

“That’s true…alright, you’ve sold me, Harry.”

“Excellent! I’ll you ring you up.”

Y/N brushes behind Harry as he works the register. The whole evening was busy, so when he’s finally able to put the closed sign up, he’s relieved to see her sitting standing in the office.

“Hey.” He says to her.

“Hi.” She blushes.

His hands grip her hips and he effortlessly lifts her up onto the desk. He presses his forehead to hers.

“Y/N, I know we’ve become close, but I’ve been feeling conflicted because I’m also your boss, and the last thing I wanna do is take advantage of the situation.”

“Hey.” She says, cupping his cheeks so he’ll look at her. “We weren’t even at work…everything we’ve done has been outside of this place. You didn’t do anything wrong. Do you regret the other night?”

“No, not at all.” His hands rest on her thighs as he stands between her legs. He tucks some hair behind her ear. “I just don’t really know what to do here.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ll be working here much longer, just until the end of November, right?”

“Right.”

“So…do you wanna, like, keep dating? Going out and stuff?”

“I’d really like that. I want us to keep getting to know each other. I wish I had stayed the whole night the other night. I felt like such a dick for leaving.”

“Don’t, it’s fine. I would have done the same thing.” She smiles and then bites her bottom lip. “Besides, you’ll have plenty of other opportunities to sleepover.”

“I will?” He smiles.

She nods and he leans in to kiss her. Harry was a simple guy who owned a costume shop, and thanks to the girl in grad school he hired for the season, he made it through Halloween yet again. This time, instead of celebrating his profits with Niall down at the pub, he was kissing the very same girl that took his breath away when she walked in.

#harry styles #costumes galore #harry styles fic #harry styles ficrec #harry styles imagine #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles y/n #harry styles fluff #harry styles smut #friends to lovers #storeowner!harry

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amtwst-tls · 4 years ago

Text

Scary outfit Jade Personal Story Translation Part 2

Jade Scary Outfit Part 2

Would you please teach me?

Where the 2nd years all talk about the Halloween traditions back at their places.

Classroom

Jade: Would you mind teaching me about the many different ways you all celebrate Halloween?

Riddle: ...Halloween, huh.

Riddle: In my hometown, typically young children would gather in the plaza and hold a 'Fun Party.'

Jamil: Why do you sound so detached?

Riddle: That's because I've only ever attended it once. So I can't speak much about it.

Riddle: The one thing that left an impression on me was the 'Apple Bobbing.'

Floyd: Goldfish-chan, what's that...Apple....whatchamacallit? That sure sounds real tasty~

Riddle: It's a traditional game that is played in the Rose Kingdom.

Riddle: You fill a large tub with water, and some apples will be tossed in, floating on the surface, which you have to try and catch with your mouth. Of course, you can't use your hands for this.

Jade: That... certainly sounds like a game to be played on the surface.

Azul: Indeed, the moment one lets go of the apple under the sea, it would immediately try to rise to the surface.

Jade: I suppose chasing after the apple could be a game in itself.

Floyd: That actually sounds real interestin'~

Silver: However... is it even possible to catch an apple with one's mouth?

Riddle: They normally use smaller apples rather than the regular ones... but even then it can be difficult.

Jade: Children with bigger physique would have the better advantage in trying to capture the apple in their mouth.

Riddle: Certainly, one would need good jaw strength to match the size of their mouth as well.

Ruggie: In this school, Jade and Floyd definitely have the advantage here.

Ruggie: They're dang huge. With sharp teeth to boot.

Jade: Fufufu, I wonder about that. I would be too shy to open my mouth so wide with people staring at me...

Jade: And I just may not be able to catch the apple in time while bumbling around...

Floyd: I mean, how do ya even decide on who wins in this kinda game?

Riddle: According to our rules, I think the one who manages to catch an apple the quickest would be considered the winner.

Riddle: There are regions in the Land of Pyroxene that play this game as well.

Riddle: Cater said that in his hometown, the winner was decided by who got the most number of apples.

Riddle: I was never able to grasp the technique, and would end up drenched from head to toe...

Riddle: Thinking back on it now though, I suppose the result was never the important part.

Riddle: Having fun, laughing at each other as we all struggle to catch that apple... I think such joys are important.

Jade: Certainly, to be able to see Riddle-san desperately chasing after an apple with his mouth wide open would be quite amus-

Jade: -I mean, would be worth seeing, yes.

Riddle: Just what were you trying to imply...

Kalim: I get what you were trying to say Riddle! It's not about winning or losing, it's all about whether you had fun or not!

Riddle: Yes... that's right.

Kalim: It's kinda different from the Rose Kingdom, the Halloween over at our Land of Hot Sands is real fun too!

Jade: Oh? Does the Land of Hot Sands have it's own peculiar recreational activity as well?

Kalim: Nope! When you say Halloween in the Land of Hot Sands, we mean 'Feast'!

Kalim: That's because in our homeland, to spend time together as we enjoy a splendid feast is what we consider to be the most fun!

Kalim: That's why, when Halloween comes around, the tables are almost overflowing with all kinds of delicacies!

Jamil: We do this so the ghosts that come back can also eat to their heart's content.

Jamil: Sweet, salty spicy... from small appetizers to large platters, we prepare a wide variety of dishes.

Jamil: When Halloween is close, the kitchens are always on full overdrive from the meal prepping alone.

Jade: Someday I would love to feast my eyes on such a sumptuous dining table myself... Are there any staple dishes for the tradition?

Kalim: The star of the Halloween Feast... it's definitely gotta be that dish.

Kalim: What was it again? That dish we bake with vegetables and sauce...

Jamil: Who knows?

Kalim: Ah, your face tells me you know it. C'mon, it's that one! The one with potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes!!

Jade: Is it something like... a lasagna that had the pasta replaced with vegetables instead?

Kalim: Ahh that's actually pretty close to it. It's super delicious when freshly baked.

Azul: I see, it certainly sounds like a dish that would be popular with people who prefer a healthy diet.

Jade: Jamil-san, would you mind telling us the name of the dish?

Jamil: Ha... It's a local specialty called 'Moussaka.'

Kalim: Yeah that! That's the one!

Kalim: When we were younger, even if there was no banquet or feast going on, I'd still ask Jamil to cook it for me time to time!

Jamil: It was quite the mess back then... my parents, and even the other servants would always scold me, telling me that children shouldn't handle fire by themselves.

Kalim: Eh!? That happened??

Jamil: We were still in elementary school after all.

Jamil: It's not like I was already great at cooking from that age... It would've been a big problem if I accidentally set a fire.

Jamil: I can now understand why my parents and the people around me used to get angry whenever I tried.

Kalim: Oof... I'm really sorry about that.

Kalim: But the moussaka you cooked back then was also super delicious! I can still remember the taste...

Kalim: Talking about it got me hankering for it again. Jamil, you gotta make it for me soon!

Azul: I would like to request it as well. It may be a good addition to the Mostro Lounge menu....

Jamil: No.

Kalim: Aww, don't say that Jamil~

Jamil: Moussaka is a very time-consuming dish that needs a lot of ingredients to make, it even needs two kinds of sauces to be prepared for it

Jamil: I don't believe such a dish is a good fit for a cafe.

Jade: From the sounds of it, it seems to be a dish that requires an oven to bake it.

Jade: The oven back at the Lounge isn't quite big... it would be quite difficult to bake enough of it.

Azul: I'm sure there are a number of ways to increase the turnover rate if you cook it all in one big platter.

Ruggie: Octanivelle's the same as ever.

Jade: Fufu... I suppose we can have a nice, long discussion about this once I have tried Jamil's cooking myself.

Jamil: Wait, I never said that I would make it- ...sigh...

Silver: *snore*

Jamil: See, you've bored Silver to sleep while you were hyped up about making profits.

Jade: Oh my, this won't do. My apologies for derailing the conversation.

Jade: Excuse me for a moment, Silver-san, Would you please wake up?

Silver: ...ha! I apologize. You want to know the traditions of Halloween at the Valley of Thorns, was it.

Jade: Yes, if you would please.

Silver: Halloween... all I can remember is my fath- I mean, Lilia-senpai going all out on dressing up for the occasion.

Riddle: As I recall, both of you are from the same province.

Jade: I see, so even the people from the Valley of Thorns would have costumes... It seems to be a standard custom no matter where you are from on the surface.

Silver: Do merfolk not have costumes?

Jade: We do not have a habit of wearing clothes in the first place.

Jade: But it is precisely because of that fact that I find wearing the many different kind of clothes from the surface quite interesting. Silver: As a matter of fact, it is quite difficult to say that dressing up was a fun memory... I shudder even now when I recall it.

Floyd: Ehh~ Wasn't pancake devilfish-chan even smaller back then?

Silver: Oh, there is not much of a change in terms of appearance, however...

Silver: It was the one and only Halloween that I had seen Lilia-senpai in such a fearsome visage....

Jade: My, that does sound very curious indeed, since he prides himself on being quite cute, and it's hard to disagree.

Silver: Lilia-senpai's threatening demeanor when dressed up like that...

Silver: Sebek who had witnessed the horror with me was also trembling in fear...

Silver: The two of us were so afraid to fall asleep that we promised to stay up all night together.

Jade: Oh my, if I were to be exposed to such horror, I would surely let out a loud scream myself...

Floyd: Ehh~ What the heck, I wanna see that too~ We've been together since the day we were born and I haven't got 'ta see that even once!

Ruggie: So~? Did you both end up greetin' the dawn with tears?

Silver: No, I ended up falling asleep at some point.

Riddle: As I thought...

Silver: Apparently, Sebek had to hold off on going to the toilet the whole night, so the next morning he was angry at me and called me a traitor.

Ruggie: Wow~ Even Sebek had such a cute side to him huh.

Jamil: Well then Ruggie, how is Halloween over at your place?

Ruggie: Me? I don't think our Halloween over at the slums would make much of a reference for ya.

Jade: Now now, I find any and every aspect of culture on the surface to be interesting, so please do enlighten me.

Ruggie: Well, I don't mind tellin' ya, but don't go gettin' all weirded out after hearin' it...

Ruggie: "Trick or Treat" is where ya get pranked if ye don't hand out the candy yeah?

Ruggie: But back at my place, it ain't anythin' as cute as that.

Ruggie: If candy isn't handed over, you'd be marked until ye do... it's a 24 hour candy collectin' endurance event! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wow that was long, really long, I almost died but I did it for y’all ;-; Note: Jamil and Kalim actually call the dish “Munazzara” but I believe that is another term for ‘Moussaka’ in jpn, I changed it so it’s easier to place. Part 1 Part 3

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kuroopaisen · 4 years ago

Text

rascal. (bokuto koutarou)

➵ maybe pirates aren’t so bad, after all.

wc: 5.6k

warnings: f!reader, copious amounts of fluff, tomfoolery

a/n: rachel darling i remember you were the one to request pirates, so here it is! you’re an absolute sweetheart, and thank you for always popping into my inbox and being as lovely as you are! i hope you enjoy this! ren and remy, thank you so much for your help on this fic!

Inheriting your aunt’s tavern wasn’t exactly a blessing.

If anything, you planned to sell it off after a year or two. You were only going to work it for a year out of respect – it was giving you the opportunity to secure some sense of financial freedom, after all.

Not that it was the act of running a tavern that you were uncomfortable with. Not at all – you’d never had access to this much money before, and it was less gruelling work than that of the farm.

And it helped you stave off getting married for a few years – thank the gods.

The issue was one of reputation. Your aunt’s – no, your tavern – was known for playing host to patrons with less than sterling character. It was known for servicing ‘unscrupulous fellows,’ as your father had grumbled. In that very same breath, he’d told you that you had to take it – the money was too good to pass up.

So, you’d moved to this bustling port city, intent on making at least something during your first few months. You’d hoped that the reputation of your patrons was all hearsay; rumours spread by competitors, or maybe gullible travellers.

Unfortunately, your father was right.

Pirates. Pirates, everywhere. How your aunt had built up a client base composed primarily of these seaborne rogues, you weren’t sure.

But you were wise enough to keep your opinions to yourself. These men would be lining your pockets for the foreseeable future, after all.

Had you been scared, at first? Yes! Absolutely terrified! But you had to accustom yourself to it – and fast.

You even knew a few by name; regulars who always seemed to come in at least twice a month or so. Some came weekly, which always made you doubt just how much seafaring they actually did.

Some even brought you spoils from their ‘travels’. Goods like wheat and barley, mostly – stuff that you were wise enough to turn a blind eye to. Most of the time, you would just donate such things to the local orphanage. They had better use for such things, anyway.

You were sure that a few of them, blinded by their drunken haze, couldn’t actually tell the difference between you and your aunt. But it was no matter; whoever your aunt was, she was tough as nails. That wasn’t a surprise, though. She had left this place simply because she wanted to go travelling around the world. You wondered, more than once, if she’d actually run off with a pirate.

There was a certain group of regulars that confused you, though. Admittedly, you were quite fond of them, but you had no idea if they were pirates, or just some old chums. They always came in at least once a week, and they were never short on gold.

But they treated you well, and always made a habit of hanging around the bar.

Their leader was striking, a tall, muscular man with a pair of sparkling golden eyes and the world’s brightest smile. He certainly had the look of a pirate – that typical white shirt that revealed a little more of his chest than maybe it should, the sun-kissed skin, the sword slung around his waist.

But his personality only half fit the bill. Loud, gregarious, bold – but sensitive, childish, naïve.

And yet despite all that, you could tell that he was in charge. Things always seemed to come back to him, no matter what. Even if his stunning black-haired friend – likely the first mate, if they really were pirates – seemed to call most of the shots.

Not that it mattered, in the end. They paid up, and that was enough.

“So, what do you think of pirates?” This leader, who you’d surmised was called ‘Bokuto’, asked, tilting his head to the side. He looked a little like a bird.

A ripple of exasperation ran through his friends.

You laughed. “Why do you ask?”

“Rumour is they’re your main clientele.” Another one of the men – possibly called Konoha, if you remembered correctly – smirked at you from over his flagon.

“Ah,” you smiled, propping your elbows on the bar and resting your chin on folded hands. “It’s hard to tell these days.” You’d play the game, if you must.

“Huh?” The lot of them frowned at you; were they offended, maybe?

“I like my pirates traditional, see,” you sighed, adding a touch more exasperation than necessary. “You know; eyepatches, big feathery hats, peg legs… but nobody who comes through those doors looks the part.”

Konoha and some of the other men snorted, but Bokuto perked up.

“Wouldn’t pirates be bad for business?” Konoha raised an eyebrow at you. “Driving off other clients, and all that?”

You shrugged, biting your cheek. “What use is respectable clientele if they’re not willing to pay for an entire barrel of ale?”

Some of them laughed at that. What a relief; it meant they weren’t paying attention to the discomfort behind those words.

“I just wish they looked like pirates.” You shook your head, standing up to full height again. “If you’re going to be a pirate, you may as well dress like they do in all those romantic tales.”

“So you’re upset that they’re not meeting your personal tastes?” Konoha chuckled. “Isn’t it bad to ogle your clientele?”

“Well, they see no problem with ogling me, so I think it’s only fair,” you shrugged, waving a hand at him. You barely felt the sentiment, but you weren’t about to be vulnerable in front of a pirate.

A small racket erupted from the lot of them, a cacophony of responses that ranged from concern to amusement. You took the opportunity to turn away from them, a serene smile masking your face.

You liked those boys. You really did.

But it certainly felt remiss to befriend a group of pirates. Even if they did pay your bills.

✧ ✧

“Is he okay?” You asked, handing Akaashi two flagons.

“Hm?” Akaashi blinked, a small frown touching at the corners of his mouth.

“Your captain.” You nodded in the direction of the man in question. He was sitting on the other side of the tavern, very conspicuously not looking at you. That in itself was abnormal. But what really made it weird was the eyepatch. And the pointed leather hat adorned with an obnoxiously big feather. Those were both new additions to his get up.

“Oh,” Akaashi sighed, placing the flagons on the bar. “He’s fine.”

“But… his eye…”

“He’s still got both of them, don’t worry,” Akaashi said, shaking his head. “He thought he needed to change up his image.”

“Change up… his image?”

“He wanted to look more fearsome,” Akaashi deadpanned, his eyes flicking down. “More like a true pirate.”

You giggled at the thought. “So, you’re really pirates, then?”

“You already knew that,” Akaashi smiled softly.

He was the cleverest one, that was for sure.

Your eyes found their way back to Bokuto. He seemed to be struggling with his new costume, constantly readjusting the eyepatch and pushing the tip of the hat back up so it wouldn’t obstruct his vision. Occasionally, he would screw up his nose a bit. Not really the look of a fearsome pirate captain.

“I see he hasn’t sawed his leg off, though.” You bit back a smile.

Akaashi chuckled at that. “No, he’s not unreasonable enough for that.” He raised an eyebrow at you before turning to look at his captain. “He did some asking around. Got a good scope of all those romantic pirate stories you were talking about.”

“Really?” You scoffed. If this was his attempt to woo you, it surely was the most creative yet.

“Well, tell him that I don’t like my pirates reticent,” you smiled, winking at Akaashi. “I much prefer it when they talk to me.”

Akaashi laughed quietly, shaking his head. “Will do.”

Within five minutes, Bokuto was back at your bar, the eyepatch replaced by his typical brilliant smile. The hat remained a part of the ensemble, but you didn’t mind. You were quick to assure him that you preferred it that way.

✧ ✧

“Bokuto.”

“Yeah?”

“This is a terrible idea.”

“It’ll be fine!” Bokuto beamed at his first mate, scratching the underbelly of the parrot sitting on his shoulder. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you Birdmeat?”

The name ‘Birdmeat’ had come from the suggestion that Bokuto should name his parrot after his favourite food. He was the only one who failed to see the issue with it.

“I fail to see how a parrot is supposed to impress a woman,” Akaashi muttered.

“It’ll impress her because he can speak, duh,” Bokuto scoffed, as if he’d just said the most reasonable thing in the world. “Isn’t that right, boy?”

“Idiot!” The bird squawked, flapping its wings. “Idiot!”

Bokuto’s face fell. But for once, he let it slide. “Just you wait, Akaashi,” he beamed, pointing a finger at his first mate. “This will impress her.”

It did not, in fact, impress you.

“What if it shits?” You grimaced, gazing at the gaudily coloured bird with an expression that could only be described as thinly-veiled contempt.

“It… won’t.”

“It will.”

“Akaashi—”

He just shot Bokuto a look that said, ‘I told you so.’ The fact that it was empty of any malice or self-righteousness just made it more infuriating.

“I’d be… willing to let it slide if it was… restrained, somehow,” you said carefully, your mind running through all the possible ways this could go wrong.

It was just a bird. It couldn’t cause too much mayhem.

But, it belonged to Bokuto. The human manifestation of havoc.

And that made you nervous.

Bokuto nodded vigorously, turning to Akaashi. “We can manage that, right?”

“Uh.” Akaashi looked at you. There was something about his eyes that made it seem like he was apologising. “Do you have any rope?”

Five minutes and a lot of squawking later, and the parrot had a tenuous rope wrapped around it’s belly like a harness. You’d felt too bad about tying its wings or legs up, so you’d made Bokuto swear to not let go of the rope. He’d been resolute, promising that he’d be very mindful of his little companion.

Finally, it seemed, you could get back to business.

“One spiced mead, please!” Bokuto beamed, hands on his hips in some sort of pose.

You swallowed down a sigh. You’d be damned if this man wasn’t entertaining – perhaps even charming, in his own way – but by the gods did he give off the impression of a disaster waiting to happen.

Just go about your business, you thought to yourself. It’s fine, Bokuto’s got a grip on the rope. It’ll be fine.

“Here,” you sighed, placing the flagon on the bar in front of him.

In his enthusiasm, Bokuto used two hands to pick it up.

Two. Meaning one wasn’t holding the rope.

And Birdmeat knew.

Even Akaashi wasn’t fast enough.

It sprung off Bokuto’s shoulder, landing in his flagon with an undignified splash.

Bokuto shrieked, swatting at the parrot with one hand. Akaashi had dove head-first at the ground, missing the rope by a mere margin.

“Bokuto!” He yelled.

Bokuto flinched, realising a moment too late that he’d let go of the damn bird.

Birdmeat shot straight up, its wings flapping at full speed.

You should’ve trusted your instincts.

Chaos erupted.

“Akaashi!” Bokuto shrieked, flailing his hat in the air.

The man in question looked like he had just left this mortal plane. You had half a mind to join him.

The bird was still flapping around the tavern, squawking at the top of its little lungs.

The rest of Bokuto’s crew was on their feet, staring at the bird with some sense of dumbfounded resignation. A normal day for them, you supposed.

“That fuckin’ bird just shat in my ale!”

Oh no. Oh no.

Laughter erupted from one end of the tavern – likely that poor sod’s friends. But you didn’t have time to worry about that. You’d just give him a free drink or two later. Your main concern was stopping that little fucker from doing anything worse.

The last thing you wanted to do was try and calm a pirate who had bird shit running down his forehead.

How were you even supposed to catch a bird? Did you have a net?

Your other patrons had noticed by now, their expressions ranging from amusement to annoyance to anger. Multiple voices were crying out, but you couldn’t quite tell what any of them were saying. All you could do was watch the parrot fly higher and higher, the short leash of rope rising well out of reach.

The bird clattered onto one of the rafters, its claws skittering across the wood. You’d never get those scratches out.

“Idiot!” It squawked. “Idiot!”

You could’ve sworn it was looking at Bokuto.

“Do you have a plan?” You hissed, head whipping round to him.

Bokuto glanced at you sheepishly, his cheeks red as anything. “Maybe?”

Why did that make you feel worse?

“Akaashi…”

“Please don’t tell me…”

“It’s the only way…”

You looked between the two of them, frowning. “What? What are you planning?”

“Trust me,” Akaashi sighed. “You won’t like it.”

You didn’t.

Bokuto’s ‘plan’ was to prop Akaashi on his shoulders, hoping that would be high enough to reach that damn parrot’s leash. And admittedly, that wasn’t the worst plan. But this was Bokuto. Anything could go wrong.

Poor Akaashi looked like he knew that quite well.

You watched in horror as he stood himself on one of your stools, giving you an apologetic nod in the process. You stared at him, dumbfounded. Bokuto dashed forward, turning around so his back was facing his precariously balanced friend.

“Be careful,” Akaashi mumbled, swinging his legs over Bokuto’s awaiting shoulders.

Bokuto nodded with a grunt, clamping his hands over Akaashi’s knees as if to stabilise him. It certainly didn’t make you feel any more at ease.

This was a disaster waiting to happen. You just knew you were about to watch someone split their head open on the floor of your tavern.

The lumbering form of Akaashi-plus-Bokuto ambled towards Birdmeat, each wobbly step taken with great purpose.

You watched, rapt with horror as they inched closer to their target, one of Akaashi’s hands outstretched and the other planted on the top of Bokuto’s head.

Birdmeat cocked his head.

Akaashi leant forward, swiping at the air. He grabbed the rope, giving it a careful tug. Birdmeat flapped its wings, scrambling as it fell backwards off the scaffolding.

One more yank and it was against Akaashi’s chest, caged in by his arms.

A confused cheer rippled through his crewmates as they crowded around him.

You frowned as you watched them squabble amongst themselves for a bit, fingers pointing and voices raised as they disagreed over who should have to deal with the bird.

A hush set upon the tavern, each and every pair of eyes turned to the small gaggle of men bickering amongst themselves. You were sure that your patrons were just as worried as you were that they’d accidentally let it go in the midst of their bickering.

You weren’t about to let that happen.

“Get that damn thing out of here,” you grumbled, pointing at the door. A few more moments of bickering, and the bird had safely traded hands. One of the men, a shorter fellow you’d come to know as ‘Komi’ nodded, scampering out the door with the parrot safely clasped between his hands.

“I’m so sorry,” Bokuto mumbled, drawing his knees up to his chest.

This was their captain? This big, muscular behemoth of a man who was sitting on your tavern floor, curled up in a ball?

What kind of pirate crew was this?

“It’s… okay,” you sighed, pressing two fingers to your eyes. “Nobody got hurt, so…”

Bokuto braved a look at you, his golden eyes round and pitiful. Hell, even his hair seemed like it had deflated. How was that even possible?

“We’ll help you clean up,” Akaashi said, giving you a quick bow. “I deeply apologise for the commotion.”

You waved your hands at him, overwhelmed by the sudden formality. “No, no, it’s fine!”

Maybe you should’ve been angrier. Maybe you should’ve been more upset. But something about this was just… delightfully absurd. Nobody but Bokuto would’ve thought that this was a good idea. And it was nice to have some excitement that didn’t involve cutlasses for once.

“Just… just help me clean up, okay?” You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “Then we’ll call it even.”

A week later, a poster took pride of place above the bar. It read, in big, bold lettering: “ABSOLUTELY NO PARROTS, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. EVER.”

Akaashi had made it himself.

✧ ✧

Bokuto liked to think of himself as a well-mannered man despite his disreputable occupation.

He’d even tried to get Akaashi to market them better; something along the lines of ‘debonair,’ the whole ‘criminals, but with a conscience’ shtick. Akaashi had refused, calling it a waste of time – they were pirates after all, and regardless of how moral their conduct was, they were going to have a bad reputation.

But that didn’t stop Bokuto from trying his very best to be a rogue with a heart of gold.

And he was currently debating whether or not punching an asshole in the face challenged or reinforced that identity.

“Akaashi—”

“Don’t do it.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet!” Bokuto whined, pouting at his second-in-command.

“She’ll be mad at you if you start a fight,” Akaashi murmured, taking a sip of his ale.

Bokuto huffed, head whipping around to look at you again.

To anyone else, you looked unbothered; smiling like you usually did, laughing at each poor joke directed your way. But Bokuto could tell that something was off. That you were uncomfortable. And he didn’t like that one bit.

He’d been watching long enough to identify the source of your discomfort.

Some dude that he’d only seen a handful of times, but had seen enough to know that he distinctly didn’t like his aura.

“Akaashi, I’m gonna do it.”

“Don’t do it.”

“But he’s making her uncomfortable,” Bokuto whined, looking between Akaashi and the bar with a certain hint of desperation.

“Maybe you should ask her about it before doing anything brash,” Akaashi sighed, rubbing one of his temples with two fingers. “Walking up to some dude and punching him in the face isn’t a good way of impressing your crush.”

“I don’t have a crush!”

“Sure you don’t, Bokuto,” Akaashi said, taking another sip from his mug.

“Psst!”

You raised an eyebrow at him. Was he trying to be subtle? Because leaning the entire top half of his body over the bar wasn’t exactly understated.

“Yes?”

“If I started a fight with that dude, would you get mad at me?”

What? Your eyebrows shot up in shock, eyes growing wide. “Bokuto, what the fuck?”

“Not, like, a proper fight,” he mumbled, pouting. “Just, like… a warning.”

“A warning?” Why did he think that sounded any better?

“Like a territorial thing!”

You blinked. “Bokuto, what are you talking about?”

“Well, like… if he feels unwelcome here, he’s not gonna keep bothering you, right?” Bokuto asked, tilting his head at you. He always looked like a little owl when he did that, eyes big and round and far more innocent than they should be. Wasn’t he a pirate captain?

But there was something charming about his simple logic. And something touching about the fact he was this concerned.

“Look,” you sighed, reaching over and taking his hand. You didn’t miss how his entire face bloomed red, right up to his ears. “I appreciate the thought, but I’ll be okay.”

A thought crossed your mind. A foolish thought, really. But one you didn’t abhor.

You leant forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Bokuto looked like he’d ascended. His golden eyes were wider than you’d ever seen them, his mouth forming a tiny ‘o’ as he gaped at you.

You giggled, giving his hand a squeeze before letting it go. “I’ve got a sword out back anyway.”

Those words yanked Bokuto back down to earth.

“Wait, really?” For some reason, he couldn’t quite comprehend it. But the thought of you wielding a sword made him… feel things he was rather ashamed of.

You giggled, picking up a flagon and turning to one of the barrels lined up against the wall.

“I know how to use it, too.” You shot him a wink. “My father thought that’d be a pertinent skill for me to learn, seeing as I was moving all the way out here.”

“Right.” Bokuto nodded, almost a little too vigorously. “Right.”

“Enjoy the rest of your night,” you smiled, handing him the flagon. Spiced mead. His favourite.

You had to take his hand and wrap it around the handle, shocked and flustered as he was.

“Off you go,” you tutted, waving him towards his friends.

Somehow, he managed to walk all that way without tripping.

“Oh come on,” Konaha groaned, rolling his eyes.

Bokuto wasn’t looking at them. He couldn’t, really. All he could think about was you – about how pretty you were, how soft your lips had felt against his cheek, how you smelt like whiskey and cinnamon and freshly baked bread.

Gods, having a crush was hard.

✧ ✧

“Do you… like it?” Bokuto stood on the other side of the bar, cheeks flushed and hair dishevelled with intoxication.

You’d faced many things in your time as a tavern wench. You’d believed that it meant you’d be ready to face any kind of situation, no matter how bizarre or off-beat or unsettling it might be.

That was naïve of you.

Because as you stood in front of Bokuto, very expensive-looking necklace in hand, you didn’t know what to say.

“I…”

The necklace really was beautiful. It looked like a sapphire of some kind; a rich blue gem grafted into an oval. The faintest of glows emanated from it, adding an air of ethereal dignity that you didn’t quite know how to comprehend.

You were uncomfortably aware of your surroundings. Of the dingy walls, the rafters that definitely needed a touch-up or two, the general stink of sea and men and drink.

You were uncomfortably aware of yourself. Dressed in some prettied-up rags, your hair pulled out of your face with a strip of cloth, your entire body coated in a slick of sweat and dirt.

You shouldn’t be holding something this expensive. It was wrong.

Hell, you didn’t even know where this came from. You didn’t know how he’d gotten his hands on it.

“I can’t take it,” you said decisively, reaching for one of his hands.

He jumped, but the contact was enough to catch him off guard. You turned his palm upwards, placing the necklace in the centre and gently curling his fingers over it.

“It’s too… much,” you said, shaking your head. You tried to smile at him, but you knew there’d be a melancholic touch to it.

“I’m sorry,” he frowned, casting his eyes downwards. “I just… I wanted to say thank you. For putting up with u—with me.”

“If you want to say thank you,” you mused, crossing your arms over your chest. “How about you teach me to sword fight?”

He puffed out his cheeks as he pouted at you. You weren’t sure if he’d meant to do it or not. “I thought you said you knew how to use a sword.”

Those words had been seared into the back of his brain for the past two months.

“I mean—” You swallowed, straightening your shoulders. “I do, but not well…”

Bokuto blinked at you, completely unsure of what to say.

Did he want to spend more time with you? Absolutely.

“Okay.”

The word left his mouth before he’d run through all the options. Did he trust himself not to make a complete and utter fool of himself, should the two of you be alone? Absolutely not.

But when you smiled at him like that, maybe he didn’t mind the thought of humiliating himself.

✧ ✧

“It might be better if you held it with two hands,” Bokuto mused, his own cutlass falling to his side as he took a step closer to you.

You sighed, lowering your blade. “Right.”

Gods, you were tired.

Bokuto had made good on his agreement without complaint. If anything, he seemed a bit too enthusiastic about it. He’d shown up a good three hours before opening, and had launched into his lesson before you’d even had time to process what was going on. You hadn’t even had your sword at the ready.

But it had gone well, all things considered. So well that you’d insisted on doing it again.

This was now your fourth lesson. You had a lot to learn, and Bokuto certainly wasn’t a bad teacher; so long as you could wrap your head around what he was saying.

And usually, you’d be able to have a good time.

But today was different. Today, you couldn’t put up a veneer of joviality. There was too much to worry about.

“Hey, are you alright?” Bokuto pouted, tilting his head at you.

You flinched, drawn out of your own thoughts by his voice.

You hadn’t heard those words in a while. You hadn’t really had time to make friends in this port city, let alone find people who gave a damn about your well-being. You’d just been so busy, running the tavern. Its reputation hadn’t helped you in the social sphere, either. It was hard convincing people you were worth their time when you were known for supplying pirates with their ale. No, the only people who looked out for you were back home.

Like your poor father.

No. No, don’t.

It set upon you before you could stop it. The lump in your throat. The tremble in your hands. The burning at the corner of your eyes.

It took only a second for you to come undone.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Bokuto started, his sword clattering on the ground as his hands came up to clutch your shoulders. That was enough to shock you back to the moment at hand.

“I’m sorry!” You gasped, covering your face with your hands. Gods, this was embarrassing. What sort of tavern owner cried in front of her own damn customers?

“Don’t apologise!” He cooed. “You don’t have anything to apologise for!”

Oh, but you certainly did. Before your days running the tavern you might’ve completely broken down in front of him, dignity be damned. But you were much better at holding your composure now. Several months of serving pirates would do that to you.

“I’m…” You took a deep breath, clenching your fists. “Can we finish early for today? I’ve just got… a lot of things I’m dealing with right now.”

Bokuto gazed at you sadly, running gentle hands up and down your arms. “Of course.”

“Sorry to bother you,” you said, keeping your voice as stable as possible.

“You can… talk to me,” he murmured, squeezing your arms gently.

You looked up at him. You knew you shouldn’t. You knew you might regret it later.

But fuck, you needed to talk to someone.

“It’s just…” You swallowed, trying to ignore the tightness in your chest. “My father’s ill.”

“Oh.” Bokuto’s whole demeanour deflated. You closed your eyes, trying to block out the look on his face.

“And… and all the money I’m earning out here is being sent home for treatment,” you sighed. “They’ve even called in some mages to have a look at him, but that gets… expensive.”

“I can imagine,” Bokuto frowned, unsure of whether or not he should wrap his arms around you. Would that make it worse? Make it better?

“That’s not even taking into account the cost of running this place.” You bit your lip, gesturing to the tavern in question. “Or how expensive it is to subsidise my family. Mother’s income alone isn’t near enough to help them get by…”

You didn’t know why you were telling him all this. He didn’t need to hear all this.

“I’m sorry,” you swallowed, crossing your arms over your chest. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Hey now.” Bokuto shook his head, wrapping his arms around you and drawing you into his chest.

You flinched in surprise, but you didn’t move away. He was warm – and muscular. And it had been a long, long time since anyone had held you like this.

“I told you not to apologise, didn’t I?” He hummed, resting his chin on the top of your head. “It sounds like you’ve got a lot on your shoulders.”

You nodded weakly. Your arms were trapped between your body and his, but you really, really wanted to wrap them around his waist.

“You can just relax for now, okay?” He said, giving you a little squeeze. “Take a breather.”

He loosened his grip a bit. Just enough for you to manoeuvre your arms around his waist, pulling yourself closer to him.

He’d intended to let you go, fearing that this was all too much for you. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.

But no matter how fast his heart was beating, or how embarrassingly red the entire top half of his body must be, he wouldn’t deny you this moment.

Not if it might just help you smile.

✧ ✧

“Hey, hey, hey!”

That bright smile really did nothing but bring you relief, didn’t it?

“Hello, Bokuto,” you smiled, fighting off your exhaustion. It was about an hour or so until your official opening time, but you certainly wouldn’t begrudge his company.

He half-ran up to the bar, smile in tow. It hadn’t faded even a little bit since he’d opened the door.

“What’s got you so happy?” You chuckled, looking him up and down.

“Well,” he grinned, voice a little more theatrical than usual. “I spoke to the fellas.”

“Huh?”

“Hello,” Akaashi nodded.

You jumped. Where had he come from? Had he even walked through the front door? Or had you just been so distracted by Bokuto?

Oh, but you had something else to worry about.

A fat sack of coins, sitting on the table you’d just been cleaning.

“What’s this?” You frowned, looking between the two of them.

“I may have mentioned that you were… having a bit of financial trouble, and we decided that… we wanted to help in any way we could,” Bokuto mumbled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “So we went around to the other guys who come here and we asked them to throw in a little cash.”

Your eyes focused on the bag again. How much was there? You pulled the string at its neck with a trembling hand, daring a look inside.

Shit, were these all gold?

“I can’t take this.” You shook your head, holding your hands up like a shield. “It’s too—"

“Aha!” Bokuto pointed a finger at you, a triumphant grin on his face. “I knew you’d say that!”

You blinked at him.

“You see, this isn’t a gift! This is a combined tip from all of your patrons! Money given willingly, as a thanks for your service! So, you have no reason to feel bad about accepting it!”

You stared at him. Of course he’d come up with something like that.

“You deserve to be happy,” Bokuto said, cheeks flushed as he struggled to meet your gaze. “And… you’re not going to be happy if you’ve got all this stuff to worry about. So… so hopefully this’ll help.”

Your body moved before your mind did.

You weren’t sure how you cleared the distance between the two of you, but your arms were around his neck, pressing your body against his. The poor boy froze, both heart and mind doing backflips.

“Thank you, Bokuto,” you smiled, loosening your hold around his neck and moving back just enough to get a proper look at his face.

He looked like he was about to burn up, but he was beaming. Strange and chaotic and silly as he could be, you really were fond of him. Fond of the amusement he brought to any and all who interacted with him. Fond of the weird way he looked at things, so optimistic and kind. Fond of how he seemed to bring light with him whether he went.

You noticed, not without some amusement, that Akaashi was no longer in the room.

You could certainly take the hint.

Your hands came up to cup his face, and you marvelled at the look of tentative excitement in his eyes.

“You’re a bit like a typhoon,” you chuckled, gaze flicking from his eyes to his lips.

You didn’t miss the way his Adam’s apple bobbed.

“Is that… a bad thing?” He mumbled, hands absentmindedly finding their way to your waist.

“Not at all,” you smiled. You stood on your tiptoes, pressing your lips to his with the most chaste of kisses. You lingered for just a moment longer than necessary, revelling in the sharp little breath he took.

When you met his eyes again, there was a new glint in them. One you rather liked.

“Can you… do that again?”

You laughed, rubbing one of your thumbs over his cheek.

If you hadn’t inherited this den of rogues and rapscallions, this wonderful mess of a man wouldn’t have come crashing into your life. Life was a funny thing, wasn’t it? You’d been so ungrateful when you’d first arrived, and now look at you. Kissing a pirate. You could never have predicted it.

But maybe pirates weren’t so bad, after all.

#bokuto x reader #bokuto koutarou x reader #bokuto kotaro #bokuto kotaro x reader #bokuto imagine #haikyuu x reader #haikyuucreations #ew tags #anyway this was fun #boys being dumb #does it get any better

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svankmajerbaby · 4 years ago

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i was tagged by @punkenglishnerd - thank you very much, and i’m sorry for being so late!!!

🎃 Pumpkin: Favourite season? spring, because it’s my birthday... and usually the first days of spring are rainy, but then it’s sunny and not very hot yet, so i can dress in layers but i can still bask in the sunshine. i really like autumn too, because while at first it’s too hot to do anything, when it starts to cool down it’s a delight

👻 Ghost: Do you get scared easily? it really depends... for some reason gore doesn’t faze me much, and i’ve become kind of desensitized to a lot of typical horror stuff. but i’m terrified of r*pe scenes, they leave me very nervous and in general a lot of realistic horror, like abuse, torture and the like, gets me very anxious and stressed... i don’t know if i’d call that fear exactly, but if it does, then yeah, i’m a scaredy cat :^/

🎃 Candy Corn: What’s your favourite kind of candy? dark chocolate!! i love really bitter chocolate, or chocolate covered peanuts -that’s what i used to ask for when i went out with my family to the cinema

👻 Vampire: What is your favourite supernatural creature? any sort of manmade creature!!! i really like automata, frankenstein monsters, golems, creepy dolls... but i also love the concept and the symbolism of ghosts and haunted houses......

🎃 Witch: If you could have any superpower, what would it be? i really don’t know... there’s so much i’d like to do... i’d love to be able to speak any language, but i think it’s not really a superpower? since this is halloween themed, i’d have to say telekinesis (matilda was one of my favorite childhood books) and being able to shrink. i’d love to be small as a mouse and wander around the house

👻 Trick or treat: What was your favourite Halloween costume? i dressed as a witch several times!! we don’t celebrate halloween here in argentina, but still there were some birthdays or club parties which were kind of a replacement halloween celebration?? once i went as candy-skull-frida kahlo, and i still think that was my most complex costume... but i really loved dressing up as a witch when i was little, with my green and black striped socks and my witch hat and my long sleeved black top >:^)

🎃 Black cat: Are you superstitious? nah

👻 Ouija Board: If you could change your name, what would you change it to? i used to hate my name casandra, because everyone was called camila or martina or daniela or more “normal” names, and i thought mine was weird... but i still wanted to stand out, so i pretended my second name was miranda, for some reason?? and for some time i was convinced i should change my name to miranda. but after a few years ive grown to like my name, even if i think it does sound kinda pretentious (my parents gave it to me, so its not my fault!!). i’ve also grown to like the other name they would have given me, bruna, which at first i hated but now i kinda love?? maybe i’d change it to that. but i like my name, currently

🎃 Graveyard: Do you know any good scary stories? hmmm the only one that’s like, a scary story, is one i was obsessed with, that was in a book at my school library -i think it’s pretty well known -about the girl with the green ribbon tied around her neck, who has a boyfriend that asks her why she wears it, and she doesn’t say, until she’s in her deathbed and she tells him he can take her ribbon off and he does and the girl’s head falls off. that story lived in my head 24/7, along with actual short stories like the black cat, the telltale heart, the oval portrait, the masque of the red death... i considered metamorphosis by franz kafka a horror story, too, so i guess i’ll add it here. oh, i know!!!!!! one that i think a lot of people don’t know about. the feather pillow, by horacio quiroga. a young couple move to the countryside, and while the husband is away at work, the woman stay at home all the time. the woman falls ill, and the doctor tells her to stay in bed and rest. she gets worse and worse, and withers away. her husband worries but doesn’t know what is going on. the woman finally dies, and when the maid is about to clean the sheets, she notices that the pillow is extremely heavy. and then -she and the husband and the doctor realize -there was a tick, a blood-sucking bug inside the pillow, a typical goose tick that, when given time, can drain a whole person of all their blood it’s better the way the author wrote it, i think i’m selling it short

👻 Skeleton: Have you ever broken a bone? no, i never did anything that could lead to that {:^) when i was younger i climbed trees and played in parks and stuff, but i never played any sports that could make me break a bone... i did break my knee or something?? i can’t remember, but my knee was sort of displaced during a school camping trip in which i got out of the shower and slipped badly

🎃 Werewolf: What is your favourite urban legend? oooooo there’s a bunch from the local high-class cemetery, the Recoleta Cemetery (though i can’t remember any of them very well), where there’s a lot of great urban legends, most of them from the nineteenth or early twentieth century, like one of two star crossed lovers -a young woman who fell for a french soldier visiting argentina -and when he died in the battlefield, she died as well and haunts her grave ever since... or, well, the famous ones like whatever happened to evita’s corpse, which is kind of squicky but still sort of morbidly fascinating??

👻 Horror flick: Do you like scary movies? Boy Do I. i love frankenstein (1931), crimson peak (2015), corpse bride (2005), blood tea and red string (2006), cat people (1942), abominable dr phibes (1970), gaslight (1944), institute benjamenta (1995), little otik (2000), little shop of horrors (1986), picnic at hanging rock (1975), carrie (2013), a girl walks home alone at night (2014), the magic toyshop (1987), faust (1926), mildred pierce (1945), the devil’s backbone (2001), sleepy hollow (1999), the raven (1963), the fly (1958), cronos (1993), the man who laughs (1928), the babadook (2014), whatever happened to baby jane (1962), the cabinet of dr caligari (1920), aaaaand.... the night of the hunter (1955)

🎃 Haunted house: Would you prefer to live in the city or the country? city all the way. i need cinemas, and libraries, and theaters!!!!

👻 Zombie: Do you think that you could survive a zombie apocalypse? oh, no... i’d probably try to kill myself so i can keep myself from being bitten and hurting other people

🎃 Cauldron: What kind of potion would you make if you had the opportunity? some sort of health potion? i wish people didn’t die of perfectly preventable or curable diseases...

👻 Full moon: Do you prefer nighttime or daytime? daytime, particularly the afternoon

🎃 Corn maze: What is your favourite autumn activity? eating, basically; last autumn i spent it baking, i think. i can’t remember, by this point... we don’t have any particular “autumn traditions”, i think...

👻 Broomstick: What exciting places have you travelled to? i really enjoyed istanbul, with all the cats and the beautiful architecture, i’d like to go back ;_; but i also loved prague a lot, we went in winter and it was all snowy and lit at night and it was such a beautiful place... portugal was a surprise, i liked it a lot more than i expected!!! i miss edinburgh a lot, too, even if it’s a bit too stuffy for me, i still liked it.... and berlin, i think i was in berlin for too short a time. i loved the cinema museum so much, and everyone was so nice, and the city has so much fascinating history... and i also miss athens -again, i was surprised, and i spent very little time there, but everything, the ruins, the modern city, the people, everything was gorgeous and wonderful... and dublin!!!!! dublin was amazing!! i’ve travelled a lot. i want to keep travelling. this year my family and i were supposed to go to russia, and i’m still kinda eager to go.

thank you so much for tagging me!!!!!! and sorry again for taking so long... i’m tagging (only if you want to do it!) @saumenschliesel, @flowerb-0y, @jacobaco, @majorabbey, @thatqueerweirdo, @sbongebob, @buffoello, and whoever else would like to do it!! i really enjoyed answering these asks :^)

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oakensherwood · 5 years ago

Text

Some appreciation my longest standing special interest

Let’s stop and appreciate Robin Hood. Mostly because it is so very rare that I get a chance to stop and appreciate Robin Hood with other people. Being a self-professed amateur Robin Hood scholar is a pretty lonesome business most days. The BBC Robin Hood fandom has this beautiful and wonderful fandom tradition of dedicating April 26th to posting Robin Hood content. And every year, I get to enjoy an influx of Robin Hood content as people I follow year round join together post about this old, nostalgic, and pretty cheesy version of my favorite myth.

I don’t have any particularly special skill in making fandom content. But I thought I’d share a little bit about what makes Robin Hood as a story special to me, by sharing some truly fun and wonderful memories that I have had interacting with it and consuming Robin Hood media.

-When I was 5, I religiously checked out the Disney Robin Hood VHS from the library every other week. I was allowed to choose one VHS, so I would check out Robin Hood one week, return it the next and get a different movie, and then back to Robin Hood. On one of the weeks I was going to bring Robin Hood home again, my friend checked it out before I could. I was very upset, and cried.

-Around that same time, I wrote my name in a Robin Hood book I had from the library. “Because it was mine anyway.” Afterwards, my mother had to purchase the book, and then it really was mine.

-When I was 8, my friend and I had a little campfire in the woods behind her house, and we stayed out there for hours while she read “Children’s Classic” version of Pyle’s The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.

-Also when I was 8, I tried using our very slow dial-up to research the real Sherwood Forest and was appalled to read an alarmist report that the Major Oak was “dying” and wouldn’t last much longer. I burst into tears, and calculated how much money I needed to save to go to England so I could see it before it died.

-Between the ages of 12 and 16 I worked very hard on writing my own Robin Hood novel, and I worked that draft to death until it was a proud 53,000 words. I was so proud of it, that I printed off copies of each chapter as I finished them and gave one to all of my friends to read.

-In high school, my cousin Ann and I would watch the BBC series on a regular basis. We would go into the upstairs bedroom and marathon the DVDs together. I would make comments about this or that historical anachronism.

-I had a penpal who told me how she had actually visited the set with someone who helped choreograph the fight sequences, and how she had met most of the cast. I was incredibly jealous.

-At 16, I went to an archery summer camp and practiced archery day and night for a week. On the first day I wore just my wooden dog tag (from the BBC series, obviously), and I almost immediately found a friend who also enjoyed watching it.

-When I was 17, I made Marian’s green and orange dress with the folded down sleeves. It is her best costume, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. The way that costume moves. It’s excellent.

-The seniors of my high school marching band were meant to go on a trip, and when the band student president failed in his duties to get us tickets to a Broadway tour, I was put in charge. And I got us tickets to see a Robin Hood parody comedy at a community theater. I brought my cousin as my +1, and we had an absolute blast catching all the references to outside Robin Hood media.

-When I was 18, there was showing of the 1938 film with Errol Flynn in a local historical movie theater. Why I had never seen it before I don’t know. But I’m so pleased that my first time seeing it was on the big screen.

-In college, I became obsessed with collecting vintage and antique Robin Hood books. My collection is still growing.

-Last year, I wrote an email to the author of a particularly rare Robin Hood book that I could not find and was desperate to have. I asked if she possibly had a spare copy I could purchase from her. She wrote back, and proceeded to send it to me for free.

I hope all of you have a great time celebrating the small but passionate fandom for BBC Robin Hood. It has played a role in my enjoyment of the mythos, and I’m looking forward to reblogging some fun and wonderful content today! I’m sorry that my content is not quite on brand, but I wanted to share some love!

I would love if people replied or reblogged with some of their favorite memories, too! But no pressure.

#my gang to me 2020 #bbcrh #robin hood #bbc robin hood

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fictional-worlds-are-exquisite · 4 years ago

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thank you! i think you're genuinely the only person that has ever said they actually like the fact that my bathrobe is obnoxiously pink. and you're absolutely right, one of the things i like most about it is that it hurts people's eyes. i love it actually. if you ever celebrate halloween you should absolutely add your bathrobe to your costume. an amazing idea. since it has a mouse face on the hood it could be two costumes rolled into one - both a vampire and a mouse (if in the middle of the evening you get bored of one), which i think would be awesome. and you probably wouldn't get cold (is it cold in nz during halloween? because here it almost always is). we don't celebrate halloween in lithuania either though. which i'm a bit bummed about, because halloween sounds super fun. mostly because of the dressing up! but i did celebrate it once, when i was 11 or 12 maybe? me and a couple of friends decided it would be fun even if it's not really celebrated here. so we dressed up, even went trick ir treating (half the houses had no idea what was happening and also i pretty much froze to death because i was dressed as a dead bride and refused to put a coat on because then you couldn't see my dress) and also watched horror movies. 12 (or 11) year old me thought it was amazing.

oh yeah! i've broken a knife on 2 separate occasions i think. once i tried to get something out of between the blender's blades, used a knife and then accidentally turned the blender on (i'm so fucking glad it was a knife and not my fingers). so the tip of the knife broke off (the blender was ok tho). and the second time i have no idea how it happened. i was cutting up broccoli and the knife just fell apart??? i was so confused, because one second i'm holding a knife and the next it's just two pieces of a handle and the metal part, all separate. had fun explaining that to my dad. you sound pretty unlucky too! i mean, a cut every time you use a knife, but you don't even notice it at the time? i think it's just that knives are out to get us (it's my newest conspiracy theory). i actually get double vision too sometimes! mostly when i'm tired, but i just figured that it was because i have really bad eyesight

they definitely SHOULD teach about gender and sexuality in school. it's a really big problem that in a lot of places it's either not compulsory or not even in the curriculum. honestly, everything i know about sex ed or lgbtq+ i had to learn myself on the internet, because we only had one class when we were like 13 years old with a guest speaker and it was mostly biology and then a little bit about menstruation and pads for girls (i have no idea what they told boys because we were also separated). so sex ed definitely sucks a lot in my country and i bet it's the same in a lot of others, which makes me really mad

exactly!! it's so hard to tell whether i'm feeling romantic or platonic love sometimes! it's confusing. also i remember one time me and a couple of friends had a sleepover and the friend's, who was hosting, parents weren't home so we watched romance movies (scandalous i know). again we were maybe 12. and they kept going "oh he's so hot" and intensely watching the sex scenes. while i was looking away from the tv whenever sexy times were going on and commenting on how much i loved the house design and the garden. gee i wonder what that means. (still can't believe it took me this long to figure out i was ace)

the breakfast went very well though! it's so interesting how different traditions are everywhere. i hope your lunch and the rest of christmas day went well too! (also i forgot to ask last time, but what is boxing day? google says it's mostly a shopping holiday, is it that? we just call it the second day of christmas and it's pretty much the same as christmas day but there's no presents!) but yeah i hope you had fun with your extended family on boxing day!

having acid reflux sounds like it sucks. i love breakfast, it's my favourite meal of the day (when i don't have to rush that is) and i skip lunch a lot because i usually have no time for it (my schedule kinda sucks), so i usually try to have a bigger breakfast. but hey, peanut butter is good! so at least you can have something that tastes good for breakfast!

aaand i feel like this ask got away from me. sorry it's so long!

it’s because i have t a s t e. it may not be GOOD taste but it sure is...taste...and i am proud of it. and yes, i love the idea of adding my dressing gown to my costume specifically because it means i’m basically in my PJ’s. minimal effort. comfort to the max. living the dream. halfway through the night i’m tired of being the vampire no one invites in so i drop to my knees and start the mouse act. mice are good at getting in houses and getting to chocolate and such. the dream. also i absolutely would get bored of one costume within the space of a few hours knowing me, so that’s a plus. uhhhh halloween is october which is. mid-late spring so it really depends on the day. it might be a little cold, might be shorts weather. I rarely leave my house at night so I’m not an expert on nighttime temperatures sdflsdfjsd.

I used to wish we did Halloween here but that was mostly because I wanted lollies. Although I also liked playing dress up as a young kid so maybe very young me would’ve vibed with the costume aspect. I know there’s a photo of me when I was like, 5 and my best friend of the time dressed up as witches at some point, maybe we had our own little halloween. I also possibly had a halloween themed birthday party once as a kid? I remember the little gift bags having spooky things in them and also possibly a bat cake but my memory is too bad to remember for sure. aha that’s the problem here too, no one locally would ever think to buy lollies to give out so it’d just be like um. you can have an apple I guess? at least you had fun though! i respect the commitment to the costume despite the cold.

that is such a stressful story to read, i fear for your life. although i understand the knife breaking in that first scenario. that would be terrifying though. what if the blender launched it,,, nOPE. i’m very glad it wasn’t your fingers, that’s some horror movie shit. the second time is just,, it be like that sometimes. it was probably just waiting to happen. my parents have a cheese grater with a loose handle and it. falls off. every time. i dry it. with the dishes. and every time i fear for my life as the grating bit drops off towards my feet as i’m left holding the handle. i should expect it by now but i never do. I get scared every time it happens. knives are definitely out to get us, i fully support this conspiracy theory. oh yeah, tiredness doesn’t help with double vision. i kind of need bifocal glasses by now but I also don’t want bifocal glasses so i just suffer but I suspect having them would reduce the double vision. maybe. maybe not.

yup! i remember someone handing out tampons and pads at primary school, i assume after giving a talk about periods, idk. i do also remember a teacher pulling the girls aside and being like yo, this is what a period is, here’s a horror story about my daughter and a tampon, enjoy the trauma, go back to class. good times. we did actually get really comprehensive sex ed concerning most things at my high school but that is faaaarrr from the norm around here, clearly. although teenage boys are good at filling in gaps, in my experience. they’re like little sex encyclopedias that offer up information without you asking. i didn’t ACTUALLY want to know that but i do now, i guess, thanks michael.

dude. the ‘oh he’s so hot’ comments are so confusing. ‘hot’ is like a category of attractiveness that I’ve never understood. ‘isn’t he hot?’ what does that MEAN rebecca. i think i asked once if it meant like, attractive or good looking. and the person i asked was like, you know, hot. you just look at them and, you know- no i don’t know. what is this. i don’t think i’ve ever watched a sex scene with people my age though, generally i just zone out for them sdkfhskdfh. i feel like there’s definitely all these indicators when you look back like oh yeah, should’ve realised i was ace then, but it’s just. such a hard sexuality to figure out. not that other sexualities aren’t but you’ve got to figure out an absence of something when you don’t even know what the something feels like- it’s a challenge.

I’m glad it did! It is interesting, for sure. I’ve always been interested in how winter Christmas’s work. As a young kid I didn’t understand hemispheres...obviously...i was like 5...and i’d go out on Christmas morning to see if there was snow. and sometimes it’d be a bit chilly in the morning and I’d be like damn. we almost had some this year. it’s a shame our climate tends to be too hot for snow on christmas :// like no you tiny dumbass it’s summer you little idiot there will be no snow no matter what. everything ended up going super well here :). boxing day is basically just a shopping holiday, i don’t know if it has any significance in any other way, i’m sure it did at one point, but i know there’s always boxing day sales everywhere. I think it’s also a public holiday (?) to give people another day off work and that, but I could be wrong there. I know I also used to regularly go to the races (horse races) nearby that were always held on boxing day, it was like a 150 year old tradition or something until people in attendance started dropping and I think they finally shut it down a couple years back. I didn’t care all that much about the horses but they also had food and carnival-type rides and such for the kids which is why I loved it. also we tended to meet extended family there for a picnic lunch.

acid reflux is like the least of my problems sdfkjshdkf. it’s annoying but it’s pretty managed with medication, I have to watch certain foods and drinks but I’m used to it by now. I think it’s also what causes me to not be able to eat large amounts normally so I survive a lot on snacks and a reasonable sized dinner. works for me. but peanut butter is good! i’m glad i can have that! I used to also have vegemite but that’s a bit more of a push, it’s easier to stick with peanut butter.

also it’s fine!! my responses are always very long too sdfjhskdf.

#i got told i probably needed bifocals like #at LEAST 2 years ago #probably more #but realistically i'm probably too dumb to use them correctly i wouldn't look in the right place for close vision or whatever #i'd probably give myself a headache #also to this day i have never gone NEAR a tampon #the horror story gave me enough trauma thanks #anyway gonna go eat an ice cream sundae and suffer #might fuck around and make my lactose intolerance hate me haha #it'll be WORTH it #i say now #in an hour i'll be dying #it's fine #Anonymous

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b99fandomevents · 5 years ago

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Thank you to everyone who joined our Fall 2019 Fic Exchange!!! 🍁🍂

At this point in time, all fics have been submitted and are beautifully compiled under the cut by the amazing @amez-santiago. ♡ (If you don’t see your fic here or notice any errors, please let us know!)

Against The Cold | AO3

↝ by @thirteenbythirteen for @mashikkara

Five times Jake keeps Amy warm, and one time she returns the favor.

autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place | AO3

↝ by @storyinmyeyes for @amysantiagoisfone

Jake comes over to check on a "sick" Amy and they end up snuggling together on the couch during the first storm of Autumn.

call my bluff, call you ‘babe’ | AO3

↝ by @space-nougat for @b99peraltiago

"Look, Jake, I know I'm asking too much of you, but I'm desperate now and you're the only one left." "I'm desperate now and you're the only one left-title of your sex tape," he exclaimed quickly, then added, "But seriously though, what are you talking about?" "I need you to be my fake boyfriend for Thanksgiving." Or, Amy needs someone to pretend to be her boyfriend for a day. Jake is available.

Carnival: Trial by Fire | AO3

↝ by @vernonfielding for @vic-kovac

Amy takes Jake to the Santiago family's annual carnival -- and introduces her to every one of her seven brothers. Will their relationship survive??? (Yes. There is seriously no angst in here.)

Every day is magical when I'm with you | AO3

↝ by @sandylovesfandoms for @amazingsantiago

Jake and Amy go Halloween costume shopping with baby (in honour of peraltiago baby 2020)

falling in love with you again and again

↝ by @yaboring-yabasic for @stolethekey

corn maze/harvest festival and hot chocolate/amy being cold

Giving Thanks | AO3

↝ by @impossiblyizzy for @lesbianperaltas

Amy is worried about hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the squad, but Jake is there to help.

“I Figured You’d Need This”

↝ by @winnietherpooh for @viktorkrumn

Jake getting Amy hot beverages because she gets cold.

I call it magic when I'm with you | AO3

↝ by @letsperaltiago for @amyscascadingtabs

1. Halloween costume parties 2. Baking together (could be something Halloween-related or general fall coziness) 3. Peraltiago kids celebrating Halloween

i close my eyes, let it surround me | AO3

↝ by @stolethekey for @397bartonstreet

The flu is definitely messing with his brain, but a part of him never wants to be sick without her again. Maybe she could take care of him every time he’s sick or hurt or sad. Maybe he could take care of her, too. Maybe he wants the comfort she brings when she’s here. Maybe her coat could find a permanent place draped over his armchair. Maybe it could stay – and maybe she could stay – - jake gets sick. amy knits him a scarf.

i used to live alone before i knew you. | AO3

↝ by @lesbianperaltas for @winnietherpooh

They sit back on their couch, Amy getting comfortable, placing her feet in Jake’s lap and he just looks at her—she’s not looking at him—and he thinks of how he’s never really had a person before her. He had always used to come home from a long case with a pack of beer and he’d watch Die Hard alone. It never used to be a problem until everyone slowly started to couple off in his friend group, and even then it never really got to him until he got a glimpse of what it feels like to have someone to hang out with and actually like to be around with. It was like slowly over time his partnership with Amy had started to become something more. They were friends then—friends that hung out sometimes after work, and somewhere Jake wanted more than just being friends. He wanted everything that Amy could give him. (or, Jake and Amy, some polish food and hot cider.)

i'm cold as the wind blows (so hold me in your arms) | AO3

↝ by @fezzle for @chipmunksallshipklefan

There’s something about how defeated he looks that’s troubling her. His eyes keep shifting to the floor, and there’s a forlorn quality in his voice that makes her think there’s something deeper afflicting him. or Jake comes back from undercover. Only he's not the same.

i’m gomez you’re morticia i feel so happy when i’m witcha | AO3

↝ by @amazingsantiago for @outofinspo

the addams family wedding rap origin story.

in daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee (how about love?) | AO3

↝ by @exploding-snapple for @thirteenbythirteen

Rosa rolls her eyes. “Besides, I never drink coffee.” Gina lowers her phone and leans forward; her Twitter updates can wait. “Rosa Diaz, are you telling me that you’ve never had a Pumpkin Spice Latte?” (An AU where Rosa’s a Target Sales Associate and Gina’s a barista for the Starbucks inside.)

In which Amy and Rosa go on a road trip and eat pie, but Rosa doesn't know the whole truth | AO3

↝ by @viktorkrumn for @impossiblyizzy

Amy and Rosa go on a short trip upstate for one of Amy's cases. It's Thanksgiving weekend and it sounds like they're about to have a lot of fun, but Rosa gets the feeling that Amy's hiding something...

it’s you and me, there’s nothing like this | AO3

↝ by @amyscascadingtabs for @cheddar-the-dog

“I still don’t get the point of why you would pay someone to scare you,” Amy mutters, rubbing her arms and jumping up and down on the place to keep herself warm. “The real-life world is plenty terrifying. Climate change. Racism. US Politics. I could go on and on.” “Because it’s fun, and while the things you mentioned are hella scary, they make for awful costumes,” Jake pointed out, already shrugging off his leather jacket to drape it across her shoulders. “I mean, how would you even dress up as climate change?” (Jake and Amy, and a yearly Halloween tradition.)

keep you warm (wanna keep you all) | AO3

↝ by @johnny-and-dora for @sandylovesfandoms

(“Thermodynamic equilibrium.” She’d grinned as he’d offered to warm up her hands on a coffee date a million years ago. He’d never found a use for his hidden talent as a walking space heater before they started dating. Now, here, everything’s always too warm and completely off balance.) or, florida man really misses his girlfriend.

Lie With Me (And Forget the World) | AO3

↝ by @mashikkara for @ofbuttsandbombs

The morning after Haloveen.

Never tell me the odds | AO3

↝ by @kamekamelea for @fezzle

Amy and Jake's meet-cute at a Halloween party. Oh, and Amy is a Wookie.

Of Ghosts and Pumpkins | AO3

↝ by @jake-and-ames for @vernonfielding

“I’m Jake.” He has barely uttered the words when something brushes his arm and out of the corner of his eyes, he sees a shadow glide out of the room. Jake can’t help it; he lets out another high-pitched scream. Amy stifles a laugh beside him. “Okay, let’s get you out of here.” Or Jake vs. some ghosts and a children’s safety knife.

one love, one house (no shirt, no blouse) | AO3 [E]

↝ by @amydancepants-peralta for @kamekamelea

His lips travel up her torso, ever so gentle over the subtle bump, and when he reaches the peak he pauses, looking up at Amy with an indescribable look in his eyes. The hand in his hair stops, holding still within the coils as she looks back at him, holding his gaze before breaking the silence. “Babe?” He smiles, a sign of reassurance she holds more valuable than most peoples words, and shakes his head slightly. “Nothing. Just ...” he drops another kiss to her belly. “Wow.”

put your head on my shoulder (you and I will fall in love) | AO3

↝ by @vic-kovac for @letsperaltiago

(‘Aaaaaaaaaamy. Amy Santiago. Amy!’ She’s never, ever, been happier to hear Jake Peralta’s voice.) The squad visits the local fall festival; Jake and Amy encounter an endless corn maze, too much apple cider, and overdue confessions.

Safe as (Haunted) Houses | AO3

↝ by @vernonfielding for @vic-kovac

Amy and Jake chase a teenage car thief into a haunted house. And things get weird.

Scarlet Season | AO3

↝ by @ofbuttsandbombs for @meepmorpperaltiago

It's autumn and school has just begun, the weather is cooler, summer is long gone, Amy's always cold again, Jake is singing Sweater Weather, the kids just want to jump in puddles and leaves and generally make messes, and Karen and Roger decide to renew their vows.

sweater weather | AO3

↝ by @amydancepants-peralta for @kamekamelea

Her face burrows into the fabric of his sweater, chest expanding as she breathes him in, and Jake’s smile grows bigger at the sight. He can still remember their first night together, how amazing she looked with her head against his pillow, the tiniest of smiles on her face as she mumbled that it smelled of him. He knew he was a goner then, and he still is now.

tell me again (about how it hurts) | AO3

↝ by @cheddar-the-dog by @exploding-snapple

it’s Rosa’s first thanksgiving after coming out to her parents - it’s very angst loaded and centers mostly on Rosa’s journey of it all

The Adventures of the Santiago-Peralta family | AO3

↝ by @meepmorpperaltiago for @jake-and-ames

peraltiago baby finding a hedgehog and the squad pumpkin carving together

The Blanket | AO3

↝ by @amysantiagoisfone for @amydancepants-peralta

As Jake and Amy's relationship becomes more stable, they start to learn each other's annoying quirks and wonderful traits- which is just what Jake wanted to do this weekend.

The winner takes it all | AO3

↝ by @chipmunksallshipklefan for @yaboring-yabasic

“Heist! Heist! Heist!” she continues to chant as they wander around the neighbourhood, candy bags held tight as they adhere to Amy’s pre-made chart of whose doors they’re allowed to knock on. And Amy’s already worrying about the impending tantrum when Jake whispers, “We should put a little fake heist on for her.” And so they end up in the living room, Jake and Amy grinning widely at Mia, as Jake holds Mr Zebra up high and Amy declares, “The winner needs to find and hold onto Mr Zebra until the clock says three, do you remember what the number three looks like Mia?”

Untitled

↝ by @397bartonstreet for @johnny-and-dora

autumnal walk in the park

We Belong Together | AO3

↝ by @b99peraltiago for @storyinmyeyes

“In their two years and a half of relationship, it’s obviously not the first time they find themselves in such a situation – one of them making breakfast while the other joins them after waking up alone in bed –, but there’s something different about this particular morning. There’s a ring on Amy’s finger now, the promise of many similar mornings happening in their shared future shining bright against her skin.” (Post-5x04, the morning after The Proposal.)

Welcome to the party, pal! | AO3 [M]

↝ by @kamekamelea for @fezzle

Amy loses a bet to Gina and has to wear a Halloween costume of her choice. The night takes a surprising turn when Jake sees Amy all dressed up and can barely hold himself together.

when autumn leaves start to fall | AO3

↝ by @outofinspo for @space-nougat

Jake and Amy decide to go out on a cold Fall day to play with the fallen leaves

#b99 fic #b99fandomevents #fall 2019 fics #b99 fall 2019 fic exchange #shout out to sara for her awesome gif skills

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rpdrficexchange · 5 years ago

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New Traditions (Sashea) - Peridot

A/N: Merry Christmas folks! I wrote this for the lovely roza @leljaaa for the @rpdrficexchange 2019! Feel free to leave any feedback here or over at @artificialperidot :) Hope you enjoy!

To Roza: Merry Christmas darling! I’ve never written Sashea before but I gave it my best shot and I actually really enjoyed it! I hope you enjoy this little coffee shop au with a festive twist, and that you appreciate the little theatre references I just had to sneak in there for you. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas angel!

Shea’s heart was in her throat.

Fingernails dug into her thigh. A strong arm was held firmly around her waist, binding her like a rope. The words he said in her ear blurred into nothing.

This was it.

This was the last straw.

She was done. She had to leave. She was going to leave, right now.

She felt a kiss on her cheek as the hand around her waist clenched tighter.

Fuck no.

Shea pushed him off and slapped him in the face, and ran away as fast as she could.

She heard him call after her.

But there was no turning back now.

***

Sasha was one of very few odd people who actually didn’t mind working on Christmas.

Now don’t get her wrong, she still loved Christmas. She loved the coloured lights, buying gifts for others, the Christmas carols, even the cold weather - it reminded her of her home in Russia. And of course she missed spending Christmas with her loved ones, but she didn’t mind waiting just one more day to open her presents and eat her turkey. After all, that meant her family had two Christmas Days, and she didn’t mind missing out on one of them.

Christmas was actually one of Sasha’s busiest working days. She owned a quaint little café in the middle of New York City, and it was usually the only place open for miles on the 25th. Her café was her pride and joy. She was so happy to be able to create a safe space for everyone who entered through the door, and let them forget about the outside world for a little while. Each detail of the café had been hand chosen by her, from the books on the shelves along the walls to the different coffees and teas they served.

She had spent a few years (and probably too much money) designing it in her own vision. Clean, white walls with bookshelves, wooden counters, glass tables, low hanging neon coloured lights, and brightly coloured chairs, in magenta and bright yellow and electric blue. She wanted to create a comfortable, welcoming space for artists in New York like her, of which Sasha knew were many.

The colourful chairs had since been wrapped in silver tinsel, and the coloured lights set to reds and golds and greens to create a warm, festive atmosphere. Besides Sasha busily working behind the counter, the café was desolate, just as she had expected. She had a few loyal employees, but she would never expect them to work on Christmas, even for double the pay. And, she never expected anyone to come into the shop on Christmas either- even those who didn’t celebrate Christmas usually didn’t want to face the snow and ice. Though, Sasha still prepared the usual cakes and pastries if any customers did decide to brave the cold, as well as some festive treats (gingerbread and shortbread and Christmas cake) which she would likely bring home to her family at the end of the day, having remained untouched.

Instead of busily serving customers from behind the counter as she usually would, Sasha had a new task on Christmas, one that made missing the day with her family all worth it. Every December 25th she would spend her morning kneading and stirring and creating the most magical Christmas desserts and cookies and cakes, complete with fondant icing and Christmas decorations. Sasha wouldn’t necessarily call herself a baker, but she was most certainly creative, and so she made use of her creative streak to invent a multitude of new sweet creations, and had received some pretty great reviews in the past. She would use up all the ingredients she had in the café making as many treats as her brain could come up with, each new addition as delicious as the next.

Whilst they were in the oven, she’d start her next task- wrapping as many shoeboxes she could. The café collected empty shoeboxes from their customers from the beginning of November, and thanks to their generosity, easily over one hundred would be donated. Then, using a combination of customer donations and her own money, Sasha would buy gifts to put in each box – warm clothes and bath products and blankets and sweets and toys for children.

Once everything was wrapped and baked, Sasha would gather each present and dessert and load them into her car, before driving down to the local homeless shelter, where she would stay until midnight. She would hand out her gifts to all of those who gathered there for a warm meal, and serve her cakes and cookies and pastries, which everyone loved. She would talk to them and sing carols with them all evening, and had formed a close friendship with the staff and the homeless people over the years for her generosity.

She wanted to make sure that everyone had a good Christmas, and give back to the community that had done so much for her over the years.

And this Christmas was no exception.

Sasha was busily kneading a lump of dough for her mince pies with her flour covered hands and absentmindedly humming to ‘Hark the Herald’, when she heard the shop door open. She jumped a little in surprise, and turned her head sharply to see who was the source of the footsteps that were headed her way.

Sasha hadn’t expected anyone to come into the café on Christmas Day.

Especially not a woman dressed as an elf.

Especially not a women dressed as an elf who was crying her eyes out.

To say that Sasha didn’t know what to do would’ve been an understatement.

She approached the counter, her running mascara staining the green collar of her shirt with black smudges.

“Uh… can I get a black coffee, p-please?” the girl muttered in a weak, shaky voice, as if she was on the verge of crying again.

Sasha stood silently for a second, eyes wide with utter bewilderment. She could’ve laughed at the sight of the poor girl – she’d never seen an elf with such little Christmas spirit. But, that wasn’t Sasha’s nature, so instead she started making the beverage, giving her time to think about what to say.

She handed over the drink and collected the girl’s money with a small smile, trying desperately to comfort her but not having a clue how to. The girl muttered a quiet “thanks” and turned to leave the store.

Sasha knew she couldn’t just let her leave.

Not on Christmas.

“Hey,” Sasha called out, “how would you like some company while you drink that? We could sit a while, talk?”

The girl wiped a tear from her eye and smiled hopefully. “Um, okay. Thanks.”

***

The pair spent the next hour or so talking to each other, losing track of time. Sasha had laid a table and made two hot chocolates with marshmallows, one for her and one just in case her new companion wanted something sweeter than her coffee. Free of charge, of course.

Sasha learned that the girl’s name was Shea, and that she was originally from Chicago, but moved to New York 3 years ago to study fashion design at college.

Sasha could’ve said how ironic this was considering her Elf costume, but she bit her tongue.

Besides, Shea still looked pretty good in it regardless.

“Then, after I graduate, I wanna design costumes for Broadway shows,” Shea continued on.

“That’s awesome! I used to do loads of theatre when I was younger,” Sasha reminisced.

“Same! I was such a theatre kid!” Shea laughed fondly. “I played Heather Chandler when we did Heathers in my senior year of high school.”

“No way! Heathers is one of my favourites!”

“Me too!” Shea exclaimed. “Fuck, I got to see Falsettos with the original Broadway cast a few years ago and it was honestly the highlight of my life.”

Sasha’s jaw dropped. “I am so jealous!”

Shea laughed and looked down, her dimples and the creases by her eyes forming a beautiful picture that Sasha never wanted to unsee.

And there wasn’t a single tear in her eyes anymore. Shea’s sadness seemed to be forgotten, at least for now.

Sasha tried to convince herself that she was looking for traces of teardrops in Shea’s eyes, but who was she kidding. Shea has the most warm, welcoming eyes Sasha had ever seen, eyes that drew her in and sparkled under the Christmas tree lights and allowed Sasha to catch a glimpse of the fiery soul that lay behind them.

She couldn’t help but stare. Although she had just met Shea, she was sure that she wanted to stare into those eyes for more than just an hour.

Sasha shook herself back into reality, now quite aware that she had been staring for a little too long. Embarrassed, she quickly tried to draw attention away from her staring.

“So, Uh, what stopped you from pursuing the whole acting thing?”

Shea shrugged. “I don’t know… I always wanted to do it, but people kept telling me it was unrealistic.”

“People like…”

“Mainly my boyfriend,” Shea mumbled. “I mean, my ex-boyfriend now.”

“Ex-boyfriend?”

“Yeah, I…. I left him today, actually.”

“Is that you were upset earlier?” Sasha asked.

Shea bit her lip.“Sorta… I just felt bad doing it on Christmas.”

“Don’t feel bad! I’m sure he probably deserved it anyway,” Sasha said, shaking her head.

“Trust me, he did,” Shea scoffed. “He was a dickhead.”

Sasha smiled and met Shea’s eyes for a second, before she quickly glanced away. “Um, can I ask why? It’s totally okay if you don’t wanna talk about it and I get it if you-“

“No, no it’s fine, I’ll tell you, don’t worry,” Shea replied, a sad sort of smile forming on her lips. “In all honesty… he was a jerk. He would, um, try and control my life, and what I wore, and what I did and stuff. Even today he was being a control freak. We both work part time jobs at Macy’s, as Santa’s helpers, and I had booked the day off to spend Christmas with my family, and he was still working and he, uh, he wasn’t too pleased about me leaving him on Christmas. So, uh, he changed my work schedule to make sure I was working on Christmas and didn’t tell me.”

Sasha felt her heart rate quickening. Oh my God. “Fuck, really?”

“Yeah. At first I thought he just didn’t wanna spend Christmas without me, but really, he just wanted to show off to his friends who took their kids to see Santa Claus. He didn’t even get me a gift.”

“Shit,” Sasha said in disbelief. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s fine, I guess. I’m so done with him now though,” Shea said through gritted teeth. “I tried to talk to him earlier, to tell him how I was feeling, but he didn’t listen. He just started flirting, playing it off as if it was nothing. And then he was grabbing me, and I slapped him and ran off.”

“Fuck, Shea.” Sasha furrowed her brow and bit her lip until she tasted blood.

Shea pursed her lips and inhaled sharply. “I know, it was really fucking bad, Sasha. I’m never going back. I don’t wanna see him ever again.”

Sasha genuinely couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This girl had been through hell and back, and yet was still able to articulate everything so perfectly, and Sasha felt priveleged that she trusted her enough to tell her story.

Sasha wished she knew the right words to say. She wished she could rewind time, reverse what happened to Shea. She wished that she could make sure that it would never happen again. “You’re so brave for leaving him. So brave. I’m so proud of you.”

She saw tears start to well in Shea’s eyes, before her face crumpled and she allowed her emotions to come out. Sasha grabbed the girl’s hand across the table, squeezing it tightly and trying to show her how loved she was, how she didn’t deserve any of this shit.

Shea allowed the tears to flow, each wave of emotion overflowing her senses, until she calmed down and started to feel okay. She wasn’t sure why she had allowed herself to be so vulnerable in front of Sasha. Something about her made her feel safe.

Sasha’s fingers remained interlocked with hers as her breathing began to slow, and she saw a smile creep back her Shea’s face.

“Sorry,” Shea eventually murmured, “for getting upset and shit.”

“Don’t say sorry. Emotions are healthy,” Sasha smiled sympathetically.

A weak smile appeared on Shea’s face as her rising chest settled and she was back in control.

“Well, I guess if that shit never happened I never would’ve ended up coming here,” Shea chuckled, the final tear rolling silently down her cheek before being flicked away. “You’re the only place open on Christmas for miles. Except McDonald’s.”

“McDonald’s doesn’t count,” Sasha scoffed, a sarcastic eyebrow raised making Shea giggle.

“Shhh, Ronald will hear you!” Shea exclaimed, before the two found themselves in fits of laughter.

“Well, I’m certainly glad you came in,” Sasha smiled.

“I am too. I’m really glad I met you, Sasha.” Shea beamed, the twinkle of sadness in her eye fading to a spark of hope. Sasha stared for a little longer than she probably should have. It was so easy to lose herself in her kind eyes.

Snapping back to reality, Sasha quickly glanced down and cleared her throat. Damn it. Shea must have noticed her staring that time. She’d need to be more careful about that.

When she dared to glance back up, Shea’s eyes were waiting, staring back into hers. Fuck. There was something so special about this girl.

No. Sasha had only just met this girl, they barely knew each other, and she had just broken up with her boyfriend for Christ’s sake.

This wasn’t happening.

This was crazy.

But maybe, Sasha liked crazy.

Maybe it was the fire in Shea’s eyes, or her fingers still interlocked with Sasha’s, or even her dumb elf costume that gave Sasha the confidence to say what she said next.

“So, uh, if you have no plans for Christmas anymore, then maybe you could stick around and help me with a few things.”

Shea smiled. “I’d like that.”

***

The next few hours blurred into clouds of flour and the sweet smell of gingerbread, as if Shea had stepped into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for the first time. Sasha was grateful for the extra pair of hands around the café to help her prepare for the evening, but even more grateful for the company. Being with Shea was always exciting, always fun, and Sasha somehow felt at ease around her. The empty café was now renewed with a sense of Christmas spirit, with a cacophony of laughter and Christmas music and the whirring of whisks filling the air around the two. Shea’s terrible Christmas had been long forgotten, and instead filled with candy canes and sugar and sweetness.

Shea didn’t have a clue how to bake, so whilst Sasha handled the difficult parts, Shea was set the task of decorating the gingerbread men, which she did with glee – she gave each biscuit a name and a different outfit and told Sasha made-up stories about each cookie character, making the smaller girl giggle. There was something infectious about Sasha’s laughter. God, she was adorable.

Once Sasha had seemed their collection of baked goods satisfactory, they began on their next task - wrapping. Shea felt more in her element here, given her experience with fabric, and so set off on a mission to show Sasha how amazing her wrapping was. She covered her first shoebox with glittery gold paper and streams of ribbons and bows, as if the present was fit for Broadway itself. She proudly handed it over to Sasha with a nod, before glancing over at Sasha’s gifts. Each one was precisely wrapped with crisp, neat folds, tied up with a flourish of ribbon. Not to mention the fact that she had wrapped 7 boxes in the time it had taken Shea to wrap one.

Upon noticing Shea’s gawking, Sasha laughed time herself. “It’s all in the math. Wrapping is essentially geometry,” she said, curling a length of ribbon with her scissors. “I like your wrapping more though. It’s more fun!”

Shea smirked. Damn. Smart and nice? Did Sasha know how perfect she was?

Shea knew alright.

***

The sound of a chorus of voices singing ‘jingle bells’ poured out from the homeless shelter, which was buzzing with life and activity. It had been decorated in rainbow-coloured fairy lights, a beacon of hope and magic in an otherwise dark and cold December night.

The two girls walked through the double doors side by side, arms bundled with seemingly endless wrapped boxes and silver tins of desserts. They were greeted by friendly faces and handshakes and hugs from volunteers and homeless people alike, thanking them for contributing to their Christmas.

Shea was sure she hadn’t understood the meaning of Christmas until now.

They began handing out the gifts along each row, Sasha offering hugs to those she had gotten to know over the past few years. Seeing the genuine, heartfelt reactions of those who appreciated such simple gestures as shoeboxes and cakes made Shea’s heart soar. For the first time in a long time, she felt alive.

Maybe it was Sasha who made her feel alive.

She couldn’t really tell.

After an evening spent singing carols and eating Sasha’s Christmas desserts, the two left arm in arm.

“Hey Sasha,” Shea said. “Thank you for all of this. For saving me.”

Sasha beamed. “You make it so easy.”

And thus began Sasha’s brand new Christmas tradition.

She would still go down to the homeless shelter and bring her desserts and her gifts. Of course.

But now, she would bring Shea with her too.

And now, they both dressed as elves on Christmas.

#rpdr fic exchange #rpdr fanfiction #peridot #for roza #sashea #sasha velour #shea coulee #lesbian au #christmas au #coffee shop au #fluff #angst #TW mentions of abusive behaviour #submission #Posted Fics

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precuredaily · 5 years ago

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Precure Daily Halloween Special 2019

Episodes: SPC 37, HaCha 37, GPP Movie, MPC 38-39, KKPC 37, HUG 38, STPC 37 Dates watched: 30-31 October 2019 Original air dates: Sunday in October 1-2 weeks before Halloween, 2011 & 2016-2018, and the Saturday of Halloween, 2015

Is that little girl in the witch hat dressed as Akko from Little Witch Academia in a nod to her seiyuu, Han Megumi, playing Hime or is this just a coincidence? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

You may remember the PCD Christmas Special I did last year, where I watched every Precure Christmas episode and compared them to each other, charting the common elements and evolution in how they handle the subject. Well, I really love Halloween, but for a while, Japan didn’t celebrate it. It only started to catch on in the late 2000s and into the 2010s, and so despite several episodes of Precure airing on or near Halloween night over the years, the first time it was brought up in the franchise wasn’t until 2011′s Suite Precure. You can read more about how it became acceptable to celebrate and the ways in which the Japanese people enjoy themselves in this article, but the important takeaways are that Halloween events are more about food and festivities, and trick-or-treating is a highly organized activity, no going door-to-door.

At this point in the shows, all extra heroines have been introduced and the team is usually on the cusp of acquiring a new powerup. The villains have suffered significant losses and are preparing to pull out some form of trump card (this will facilitate the team getting their new attack). Typically, the monster of the week will be made from a Jack O’Lantern or some other Halloween decoration. In more recent years there’s been a tendency to explain what Halloween is about, but they don’t always do this. The biggest draw of a Halloween episode, though, in my opinion, is getting to see the characters in costumes. I’m going to briefly run down each Halloween episode (or movie) and then compare common elements at the end.

Note: At the time of writing, I am about 6 episodes behind in Star Twinkle Precure, did not wish to skip ahead for the purposes of this article, and didn’t have the time to catch up. I will add my thoughts on STPC 38 at a later date, and I will announce when I have done this via a reblog to @pcd-status. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Star Twinkle section added 12 Nov. 2019

Suite Precure 37 - “Wakuwaku! Everyone Transforms for Halloween!” Original air date: 30 October 2011

With Mephisto freed of his brainwashing, Falsetto takes charge of Trio the Minor and leads an attack on the girls. Ako has decided to stay in the human world, and the older girls take her to a Halloween celebration to brighten her spirits. Ako isn’t really enjoying herself, but some younger kids rope her into playing with them and that brightens her up. When Trio the Minor turn a pumpkin into a Negatone, they try to perform a new attack with Crescendo Tone: Precure Suite Session Ensemble Crescendo, but it falls apart, so Ako uses her invidual attacks while the older trio uses their group finisher. At the end, Falsetto sings an incomplete Melody of Sorrow to speed up Noise’s revival.

Costumes and references: Hibiki is dressed as a pirate, but specifically she resembles a genderbent Captain Marvelous, the red ranger from the contemporary Sentai series Gokaiger. Kanade is dressed as a pumpkin witch. Ellen is dressed as a black cat, an allusion to her true form, and Ako is a dressed as a princess, which she is. (not digging very deep for this)

HappinessCharge Precure 37 - “Big Bang, Defeated! An Unbelievably Strong Enemy Appears!” Original air date: 19 October 2014

Oresky, Namakelder, and Hosshiwa are all feeling weakened after taking the Happiness Big Bang attack, so Queen Mirage concludes they may not be useful to her anymore and prepares her next agent. Meanwhile in Pikarigaoka, Megumi encourages Blue to join them at the town’s Halloween festival, and he agrees. They all begin to share pumpkin cakes with each other, a local tradition. Seiji shares his with Megumi, Megumi eagerly shares hers with Blue, and the other girls look on from a distance as they recognize the love triangle unfolding in front of them. Oresky appears, trying to ruin the Halloween festival that makes people happy and attempting to prove his worth. He really wants to be the number one general in the Phantom Empire, as he feels that if he’s not first, he’s worthless and he doesn’t want to be replaced. The girls transform, and begin to persuade him that there’s enjoyment to be had in fun things, and it’s okay if you’re not first. They hit him with Happiness Big Bang and it begins to purify him, when suddenly an attack interrupts it. As the smoke clears, their new opponent is revealed to be a corrupted Cure Tender, Iona’s missing older sister.

Costumes and references: Megumi is wearing a Halloween-themed dress, orange with jack-o-lanterns on it. Hime is dressed as a princess, which much like with Ako, seems kind of low-effort since she’s an actual princess. Yuuko is dressed as a witch, and Iona is a fortune teller. Also, Blue is dressed as a vampire.

Go! Princess Precure: Go! Go!! Gorgeous Triple Feature Original release date: 31 October 2015

The Princess movie was experimental, being made of three shorter films: a chibi short with no dialog, a 50-minute traditional feature, and a 20-minute all CG adventure. The film leaned hard on its Halloween theming, with Pumpkins and Halloween being prominent motifs in all three parts. I’ll break them down individually.

Cure Flora and the Mysterious Mirror

This is a cute sketch where Cure Flora finds a fancy crown, puts it on, and accidentally startles some mischievous sprites on the other side of what she thinks is a mirror. They have the ability to transform, so they take on her appearance and mirror her, but they forget to duplicate the crown and eventually they begin to compete with the real Flora, doing tricks. She accidentally breaks the crown, so the sprites decide to transform into a special pumpkin outfit for her, just as the other girls come in. The 5-minute short uses a super deformed art style with all CG animation and has no dialog.

Costumes and references: Cure Flora’s pumpkin dress and hat.

The Pumpkin Kingdom’s Treasure

Haruka, Minami, Kirara, and Towa are transported to the wondrous Pumpkin Kingdom, where the royal chancellor Warp is hosting a Princess Contest to find a princess for the kingdom. Towa, being well-versed in evil schemes, smells a rat and is on edge. Haruka finds the true princess of the kingdom, Pumpururu, who is locked away, and learns that the Pumpkin King and Queen are under Warp’s control. Minami, Kirara, and Towa each win their rounds in the contest, but the former two are captured while Towa is able to avoid capture. Haruka participates, even managing to snap the monarchs out of the control. She transforms, frees the others from their capture, and Warp transforms to a giant monster. Pumpururu, the sprites, and the Precures’ strong feelings summon Halloween Dress Up Keys that the girls use to defeat Warp and save the Pumpkin Kingdom.

Costumes and references: The girls get special outfits to wear for the Princess Contest (not halloween themed), as well as Mode Elegant Halloween dresses that feature pumpkin flowers on them.

Precure and Leffy’s Wonder Night!

This is an episode-length feature using the CG animation style from the dance endings. Haruka discovers a doll on her desk, when she’s suddenly transported to the Pumpkingdom, already transformed, and the doll is now a girl named Leffy. Leffy tells the cures they need to defeat Night Pumpkin, who has taken over Pumpkingdom and stolen the daylight from them, making it always night. What follows is essentially an ongoing chase through the city to the top, where they fight and defeat Night Pumpkin and restore daylight to Pumpkingdom. Haruka is then transported back to her room, and the Leffy doll is gone. It’s worth noting that Leffy appeared as Pumpururu’s doll in the previous portion. The connection to this section of the film is unclear. Also, Minami, Kirara, and Towa do not appear in their civilian forms at all.

Costumes and references: Leffy isn’t overtly pumpkin themed, and nobody else gets any special forms in this one. However, there is a glorious moment where Flora accidentally bonks Night Pumpkin on the head.

a proud Precure tradition

Maho Girls Precure 38 - “Is it Sweet or Not? The Magic Pumpkin Festival!” Original air date: 23 October 2016

This isn’t explicitly a Halloween episode, because the Magic World doesn’t celebrate Halloween, but they have fall traditions that involve pumpkins and sweets so it counts. Their tradition is to chase a Pumpkin Bird that appears every year. It shoots candy from its mouth, and if it hits someone, they turn into a giant piece of candy. If you capture it, you get a special prize. One of the villains brings up the actually valid point that the creature may not like being chased and that’s why it runs, but Mofurun talks to it and finds out it just has a cavity. The girls transform into Topaz Style to fight Shakince in a creatively silly battle. When they beat him, Mofurun gets the credit for “capturing” the Pumpkin Bird and so she gets presented with its prize, which turns out to be a seed that grows into a tree which sprouts toothbrushes. I am not making that up.

Costumes and references: Mofurun gets a special orange and yellow dress to wear when she receives the prize but it’s never shown in closeup from the front. Also, there is a cameo appearance by Watanabe Mayu, who sings the insert song for the Maho Girls Movie that was in theaters around this time, and also served as the ending theme for episodes 38 and 39 (only on the TV version, on home release they use “Magic a la Domo”). She makes a special appearance as herself. Even better, in a flashback, she’s seen beside giant statues of Mipple and Mepple.

Maho Girls Precure 39 - “This is Halloween! Everyone, Smile!” Original air date: 30 October 2016

The girls from magic school come to visit the non-magic world and learn about Halloween! But Jun, Kay, and Emily have to be reminded, even when things seem bad, to not use magic to help out. The students of the non-magic world are running a crepe stand and the magic world students decide to chip in, and after being scolded for using their powers, they learn how to do things the old-fashioned way and appreciate the value of hard work. In the middle of all of this, Ha-chan changes costumes almost every scene. Benigyo is extremely confused by all the Halloween festivities and doesn’t understand what the girls want when they tell her to stop ruining it. They never do give her a proper explanation, but she summons a Donyokubaaru that blows air and the girls have to transform to Sapphire form to fight it off. There’s a small plot point about Mirai’s grandmother recognizing the magic school Headmaster from her own youth. At the end of the episode, it’s implied that Liko’s father has made a big breakthrough about relations between the magic and non-magic worlds, and more ancient powers. Kind of a disjointed episode.

Costumes and references: Mirai is dressed as Mofurun, Liko is dressed as a cat in an orange and purple dress, Mofurun is dressed as Cure Miracle, Chikurun is dressed as a bunny, and Ha-chan is dressed as:

an alicorn

a sarcophagus

a mummy

a sphinx

a UFO

and a thunder god (Raijin)

And just a cool thing I noticed, the final stage for the ending dance was updated with a Halloween theme. I’m really curious why, since they replaced the ending with “The Right Way to Use Magic” in the initial television broadcast of this episode, and I don’t think the Halloween version was seen in any previous or subsequent episodes.

Kirakira Precure a la Mode 37 - “Salut! Ciel is Going Back to France!?” Original air date: 22 October 2017

Ciel’s old boss, Madame Solaine, finds her and tries to get her to come back to Paris and work for her there, feeling that Ciel’s talent is wasted in this small town. Not wanting to admit that she initially came searching for her brother, and that she’s got responsibilities as a Precure, she tries to demonstrate what she likes about Ichigozaoka. Everybody is worried that Ciel is going to leave, and even lowkey encouraging her to do what’s best for her career, but she wants to stay. Ultimately she wins Madame Solaine over with a dish inspired by Ichika’s cooking style. Elisio is the antagonist of this episode but I honestly found the battle to be completely irrelevant. The most notable point for the villains is that Grave makes some kind of discovery at the end of the episode.

Costumes and references: Their costumes here are modifications to their patisserie uniforms. Ichika is a jack o’lantern, Himari is an angel, Aoi is a devil, Yukari is a cat (of course), Akira is a vampire, and Ciel is a witch.

HUGtto! Precure 38 - “Charged with Happiness! Happy Halloween!” Original air date: 28 October 2018

Hagukumi town is going to be hosting a Halloween Party, with Papple’s business providing food and entertainment. Daigan is tasked with food prep, but he gets frustrated with a very delicate task, and a visit from Bishin has him questioning his loyalties. The girls are ready to hit the town, and have even prepared costumes for Harry and Hugtan. They made a lot of costumes for Hugtan, in fact, but Ruru detects that she doesn’t really like any of them, so they ask her what she wants to be, and she responds “Pwecyua!” They set to work making her a Precure costume in short order, but an Oshimaida attack secretly requested by Daigan threatens the party. The girls transform and make a show of it to keep people’s spirits high, finishing the monster off with Cheerful Attack. Papple knows that Daigan was responsible and chides him for defecting, even momentarily, and informs him that everybody loved his food. Up at Beauty Harry, the girls finish Hugtan’s costume and show her to Harry, who briefly has a flash of Cure Tomorrow.

Costumes and references: Hana is a witch, Saaya is a lolita devil, Homare is a cowgirl, Emiru and Ruru are pirates, Harry is a werewolf (because he’s.... hairy, IDK if that was the joke), and Hugtan is dressed as Cure Yell. Foreshadowing ahoy!

Star☆Twinkle Precure 37 - “Cryptids Will Win! The Halloween Costume Contest” Original air date: 21 October 2019

Mihoshi Town is having a Halloween costume contest with prizes for best group, so everybody brings their A-game. Except Yuni, she takes the chance to walk around in her true Rainbownian form. Everybody is having fun and the girls get to explain Halloween to Yuni and Lala. Unfortunately, Kappard is hanging around, reminiscing about what happened to his planet, and he doesn’t like the festivities. Everyone thinks he’s just dressed as a sexy kappa and they want pictures with him, which annoys him even more, so he steals one arguing couple’s imagination and goes on the attack. In an effort to guide him away from all the people and hide their identities, when the girls transform, they claim to be the Mihoshi Stars and do a full Sentai roll call, finally settling the debate over Milky and Cosmo’s color designations. (I was probably one of the last people to maintain that Milky was blue by this point, tbh) They lead him away from the festivities and then try to talk him down, but all he can say is he doesn’t believe different species can live in harmony, that Lala and Yuni are living a lie by celebrating Earth customs, and he doesn’t understand this holiday at all, so they defeat him and return to the festival. Elena wins prizes as part of two different groups, but Kappard is declared the overall winner. Too bad he’s MIA. This episode doesn’t do much for the plot, but it does give a little backstory to Kappard, as we see that his planet got destroyed by a non-native species monopolizing all of their natural resources. Considering what we see of Eyewan and Tenjou in the next few episodes, it’s possible we’re aiming to redeem the villains. Hard to tell with an ongoing show.

Costumes and references: Hikaru is a yeti, Lala is a tsuchinoko, Madoka is a cat, Elena is a flower (with her family) and a cat (with Madoka and Yuni), Yuni is herself, Fuwa is a sheep I guess, and Prunce is the Michelin Man (TELL ME I’M WRONG).

Analysis

Halloween episodes, unlike Christmas episodes, don’t have as much of a running theme. Halloween is more of a dressing than an opportunity to explore feelings. The placement of these episodes in the series means that things are usually starting to ramp up, but none of them features a major conflict. In a few episodes, the fight with the villains felt downright inconsequential, while it was more meaningful in others. There was a trend in more recent years to explain the origins of Halloween, as a gathering of spirits, but otherwise there aren’t as many identifiable patterns or shifts in patterns as there were in the Christmas episodes, it’s mostly been “this is Halloween, have fun.” The Go Princess movie had the opportunity to make the most of their halloween theme, but instead they just focused on pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins without really diving into what makes Halloween as a holiday special or significant. It’s an alright movie but it’s a sour note on an excellent series that knew what it was doing. HappinessCharge probably utilized Halloween the best as a setting, using some Halloween traditions to create romantic tension, and I appreciated Maho Girls’s attempt to create a Halloween-ish fall holiday for a fictional culture, and then also bringing those people in to explore our Halloween. Since it’s a newer holiday for Precure to work with, only getting regular exposure since 2014, we might see them figure out more ways to spin Halloween in the future. Honestly I hope so, and I’ll be here to write about it for you.

Happy Halloween, everybody, and look forward to more Yes 5 coming soon. Hopefully I’ll finish that by the end of the year. Hopefully. (yeah not likely)

#Precure #Pretty Cure #Suite Precure #HappinessCharge Precure #Go! Princess Precure #Maho Girls Precure #Kirakira Precure a la Mode #HUGtto! Precure #Star Twinkle Precure #PCD Halloween

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jeonsduck · 5 years ago

Text

Everything Is Not What It Seems

A/N: First up for the Holidaze project is Haechan for Halloween! Yeah I know Halloween already passed but we’re doing it anyway!

Warnings: mentions of blood, demons, and witchcraft

“Haechan, sure you don’t want to come to the Halloween party with us? We could do matching outfits.” you tried again.

Haechan had been your boyfriend for a long time, and your best friend for even longer. You grew up on the same block, rode the same bus to school, and had even ended up at the same college together. And after all those years of friendship, you hadn’t spent a single holiday with Haechan. Sometimes on Easter or something he would come over and spend some time with your family, but things like Halloween and Christmas he always spent with his family, and only his family. Family was a bit of a loose term, because he was technically being raised by his two older cousins, Taeyong and Ten. Yeah it was weird, but what was weirder was the fact that you’d known Ten and Taeyong for nearly twenty years, and they never seemed to age a single day. Maybe they just had really good skincare routines or something.

This year you had kind of been hoping that after moving away to college (even though you were only in the next town over) that maybe Haechan would leave those traditions behind and you’d start spending the holidays together, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Ten and Taeyong are expecting me to come home, you know how they are. Besides, isn’t it a bit late to get a costume?” he explained.

“Well then why don’t I come home with you?” you offered and Haechan shook his head vehemently.

“No, they’ll freak out if I bring someone over, especially you.” he said.

“Hey, I have family back home too. Just drop me off at my place, I’ll visit my family, hand candy out to trick or treaters, see my pets. I could use a break from campus.”

Haechan smiled at that and knocked his head against yours affectionately.

“Yeah that sounds great. We can go get breakfast Sunday morning before we head back.”

“It’s a date.” You declared and Haechan chuckled before planting a quick kiss on your lips.

“I got class, but I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning around 10.” he says before walking off to hs lecture.

You sigh, you had really been hoping to spend Halloween with your boyfriend this year. Oh well. You take out your phone to text Mark and tell him and the others that neither you nor Haechan will be attending his frat’s Halloween party.

From: Marketh

He’s still going back home? What do Ten and Taeyong have that we don’t?

From: You

His allowance. I wonder what they do over there, because they don’t give out candy for trick or treaters.

From: Marketh

Maybe they’re super religious?

From: You

You’re the one that went to 12 years of vacation Bible school, not Haechan. Besides, have you met Ten and Tae? They’re superstitious, sure but not religious.

From: Marketh

You got me there.

From: Marketh

Lol, why don’t you sneak over tomorrow night and see what they’re doing?

From: You

Isn’t that like, stalking?

From: Marketh

….maybe, but it's for educational purposes so it’s ok.

You roll your eyes and put your phone away without replying. Maybe a little peek wouldn’t be too bad? Just to see what’s going on.

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

It’s 8:00 PM, you’re dressed like a cat burglar, and Haechan’s house is two lots away. It’s time to set your plan into action. Do you feel silly? Yes. Are you expecting to be caught? Also yes. But not before making an absolute fool of yourself trying to squeeze through the barely open window to Haechan’s bedroom. At least he still leaves it unlocked, even though you’re well past the days of sneaking into each other’s houses in the dead of night. Or in the process of passing, considering your current position. This would have been way easier without the salt piled up outside the window sill. You’d found it very weird, but brushed it off (quite literally) and continued with your object. Find out what Haechan and his cousins do on Halloween.

The first thing you notice is that all the lights in the house are off. Maybe a horror movie marathon? But Taeyong is a certified wuss so that’s unlikely. You continue to creep through the house slowly, trying to avoid all the squeaky spots in the house.

You finally see the others when you get to the living room. All of the furniture is moved out of the way, and the rug rolled out of the way. Tons of white candles cover nearly every surface, giving you enough flickering light to see what’s happening despite all the lights being off. There’s a large pentagram drawn on the living room floor is what smells overwhelmingly like blood. At each point of the star there’s another large white candle, illuminating the objects around the pentagram. Some herbs, some crystals and stones. A very sharp and ancient looking knife.

Ten, Taeyong, and Haecha are all there, hands clasped around the pentagram and chanting in a mysterious language you don’t recognize.

Their eyes are rolled back in their heads so you can only see the whites of them. Then the wind picks up in the room, like a small tornado is suddenly raging through the living room only. And Haechan is kind of just, levitating, as are a few random objects around him. One of which is a necklace with a glowing purple stone in the pendant. The whole room looks like a scene from a very weird and you’ve just about reached your limit with weird things happening when you feel… something behind you. You’re not sure what exactly, like a dark presence or just something wrong breathing down your neck.

You jump, spinning around to see a black shadow towering over you. It’s not quite human, but it’s not inhuman either, seemingly shifting between multiple forms before your eyes.

“Thanks for leaving the door open.” it says, flashing sharp teeth dripping what could either be tar or blood on the floor.

“How did it get through the barrier?”

“Y/N?”

When Ten and Haechan speak its overlapping and distorted, like you’re listening to twelve of them speak underwater. The shadow moves, like a glitch in reality at the same time Haechan pulls out another terrifying looking dagger. His eyes are still white and now glowing, as are his cousins’. It seems your brain can’t take anymore surprises and confusion, because you black out.

The next thing you know, you’re waking up on Haechan’s couch with your head in his lap. When you blink your eyes open he sighs in relief, and flicks you on the forehead.

“You idiot, why did you have to sneak in tonight of all nights?” he scolds.

You huff and sit up, though you regret it immediately when your head spins.

“Here, drink up.” Taeyong says, shuffling in from the kitchen.

He offers you a steaming mug of a liquid you can’t identify, and you squint at him suspiciously.

“Nightshade tea.” Haechan deadpans, flicking you on the forehead again.

“It’s apple cider.” Taeyong corrects.

“I’m not gonna start levitating too right?” you ask, but you accept the mug anyway.

“No, you’re not. Now drink the apple juice.” Haechan says, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

You take a small sip of the apple cider, and sure enough, it’s just spicy apple juice with a bit of an alcoholic kick. Good, you need a drink after what you just witnessed.

“So, what you guys are witches or something?” you ask, not expecting Ten’s answer.

“Survey says… yes! Good one, got it right on the first try.” he calls, coming back into the living room with some herbs on fire in his hand.

“I drove everything out, smudged the house, and re-established the barrier. We should be good now. Next time, don’t break the circle, kid.” Ten says, collapsing into his arm chair.

“What circle?” you asked, confused.

“The two pounds of salt on Haechan’s window sill. We need extra protection on Samhain, that’s when the real baddies come out to play. Like the little visitor we had.” Ten explained, accepting a mug from Taeyong as well.

“So wait, you are witches? And what’s the Samhain? Also, was that blood on your floor earlier?” you asked.

Your head was already hurting again.

“I’m going to sleep. Haechan, you’re dating them, you can explain everything. Goodnight.” Ten sighed, walking away to his bedroom.

“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” Taeyong said, also shuffling out of the room.

You turned to Haechan, motioning for him to explain. He sighed, leaning his head back against the couch. After gathering his thoughts for a moment he sat back up taking your hands in his.

“Yes, we are witches. We always have been. Samhain is basically Halloween, the divider between the living realm and the afterlife is really weak on today, so we have to put extra protections on the house to make sure spirits and demons don’t get in. And yes, that was blood on the blood, but in our defense, it’s pig’s blood and we got it from the local butcher.”

You sat there for a moment, soaking in the information. You’d known Haechan for years, hell he was your boyfriend. You’d never even suspected there was something like this going on. Yeah, Taeyong had a rather impressive spice cabinet and Ten’s room was kind of covered in weird drawings but it was Ten and Taeyong, so it’d be weirder if they didn’t.

“Do you guys do, bad things? To people? Like do you curse people.” you ventured.

Haechan sighed and shrugged.

“Sometimes. You know how petty Ten can get. Hell, he cursed Johnny last week for calling him short. Taeyong doesn’t like to, but he does occasionally. It’s not as bad as you think. Most curses are just annoyances. It’s not like we sick demon on people or something.” he continued and you nodded along.

“So what about you? Who have you cursed?” You pushed and Haechan laughed.

“Mostly Mark. Anytime he lost something semi-important it was probably my fault. And that guy Trevor from middle school who used to bully you.” he confessed.

You giggled at the mention of the last name, recalling the boy.

“Didn’t he end up pissing himself during standardized testing? Was that you?” you asked, and Haechan nodded, snickering behind his hand.

“Oh, my god that was you!” you realized and Haechan nodded.

“I felt kind of bad about it, but he deserved it.”

“What about me? Have you ever used magic on me?” you asked and Haechan smiled.

“Oh plenty. Luck charms, protection wards, sigils of safety.” he said waving his hand in dismissal, “remember that time you fell out of a tree and miraculously didn’t break anything? That was all me.” he boasted.

“And here I was thinking I just had outrageously strong bones.” you giggled.

Haechan laughed at that as well. Good. You weren’t too shaken or scared to laugh. This was going way better than he’d hoped.

“What about love spells? Have you ever used a love spell on anyone?” you asked.

Your voice sounded light, but Haechan could hear the underlying question. Had he ever used a love spell on you? Was your relationship fabricated?

“Y/N, magic can do a lot of things. But there’s a lot of things it can’t do. And make up love like ours is one thing it can’t do. Love spells are…. Pretty terrifying to say the least. The side effects they can have are dangerous and can be permanent. We don’t need something like that. What we have is real.” he explained.

You nodded, sighing out a breath of relief you didn’t even know you were holding.

“Oh, before I forget. I want you to wear this, and please, don’t ever take it off. I can put the pendant into a bracelet or something if you prefer, but you have to always wear it. I was going to tell you about the witch thing and give you this tomorrow over breakfast, but you never were very patient.”

Haechan fishes something out of his pocket, holding it up in the light. It’s the necklace from earlier. It’s a simple piece of jewelry, amethyst pendant on a silver chain. It’s the necklace that was glowing earlier. You stare at it in the light, holding your hand out for Haechan to hand it to you.

“What is it?”

“A protection amulet. Witches tend to attract magic, whether it’s good or bad. This will keep you safe from anything with malicious intent, whether it be a demon or another witch.” he says.

“There are other witches?” you ask, shocked.

Of course there would be others, but you had been so busy digesting the info Haechan was giving you that you hadn’t even thought about it.

“I think that’s enough witch talk for tonight. We can continue tomorrow over some blueberry waffles from our favorite diner, don’t you think?” Haechan says, standing up and stretching.

He holds a hand out to you which you accept, and he leads you back to his room. You still have some of your old clothes in his dresser, which he gives you to sleep in. He doesn’t bother flicking the lights off manually, just waving his hand and the room goes dark.

“Woah.”

Haechan chuckles at your admiration of his powers.

“Hey, can you read my palm?”

“No.”

“My face?”

“No.”

“What about my chakras?”

“What about we go to sleep?”

You huff, rollIng over so your back is to Haechan. He rolls his eyes at your little tantrum, draping an arm over your waist.

“I’ll do a tarot reading for you in the morning, now go to sleep.”

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

From: Marketh

So??? Read 7:39 AM

From: Marketh

What’d you find out? Read 8:12 AM

From: Marketh

Hello? Read 9:07 AM

From: Marketh

Y/N? Read 9:48 AM

From: Marketh

Have you seen my econ textbook? Read 11:35 AM

#haechan #donghyuck #lee donghyuck #nct haechan #nct 127 #nct dream #nct imagines #nct fanfic #haechan fanfic #haechan x reader #nct x reader

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xladyxfatex · 5 years ago

Text

Little Dove (Chapter Six)

To be honest it had taken Norman so long to find Nicole after she left set, not because he wasn't worried but because he needed to find the ring he'd use to propose tomorrow night. He knew she had big, over the top pieces, and that white gold was her favorite. With that in mind, he went to the jewelries. He saw saw three pieces but it was the fourth he knew she'd love. It was white gold, with a small princess cut diamond, on either side was one other diamond, bringing the total to three. When he told the jeweler that that was the ring he wanted he simply smiled and boxed it.

When he got back to the hotel he saw Nicole's car knowing she was back he rushed to his room to put the ring away before going down the hall to her room. Now he was holding her close, trailing his fingers down her side and just simply enjoying their time together. This, moments like this was what he wanted most, to just feel loved for who he is not what people see him as. He knew he was making the right decision to ask her to marry him. She loved him even through all the bullshit, flaws and shortcomings. She stood beside him, raised him up when he was down and never once told him he couldn't follow his dreams. She gave him strength to believe in himself, and he knew he did the same for her.

This life they were going to build, it would be done with honesty, communication, trust, and love. While he was busy fantasizing about the life they'd have Nicole was slowly falling asleep. She felt safe, wanted, loved, and warm. Norman had always been there ...well except for that one time in high school, but they made up months later, and hadn't had an issue like that since.

"Hey Nicole, you still awake?" Norman asked a very sleepy Nicole.

"Mmhmm, what's up hun?" She looked up with tired eyes, that found to be so adorable.

"Do you remember senior year in high school? When the life teacher had is imagine our perfect wedding?' Nicole couldn't help the fit of laughter that came from her. Oh she remembered alright.

"Haha I believe you dear Norman said your ideal wedding would take place in a bar with all you could eat wings and all you could drink beer." She broke out into another fit of laughter.

"But what was yours? And is it still your perfect wedding idea?" Norman sort of remembered hers but he wasn't sure if was still the same. Nicole gave a sigh.

"Yeah it's still my dream wedding…" She trailed off as she sat up fidgeting with her fingers before she spoke. "...ideal it would take place in a pumpkin patch, with Jack o lantern surrounding the path. It would be on Halloween night and all the guests would be in costumes. My hope is that I would dress as Sally and my Groom as Jack. After the ceremony we'd have a huge Halloween style party rather than a traditional gathering. To me that's simply perfect." Nicole smiled and her eyes sparkled. It was something she had always dreamed of ever since they first watched Nightmare Before Christmas. To be honest he loved her idea of the perfect wedding, it fit them both so perfectly. Norman smiled and kiss her softly.

"That sounds like a wonderful dream wedding." They continued to talk about random things for the next hour or so before parting ways for the night to get some sleep. Of course before he left he reminded her of their date tomorrow night to which she giggled and said she wouldn't forget.

Morning came faster than either would have liked. Nicole had a simple breakfast of fruit then headed to the gym. She knew she wouldn't be able to work out this evening since Norman had, had something planned. The rest of day was a whirl wind and blurry. After working she went to set, had to sign a non disclosure agreement, but unlike the first one, this was more detailed since she'd be more privy to the workings on set, and future setups.

Once that was completed she had to go to wardrobe for her fittings. Something she really was not enjoying. Finally she went to the make up/ special effects department, they were going to need to see how certain things looked on her in order to get her ready for filming. All these things had taken hours, she was already tired and not in the mood to do anything. But then she remembered the brief conversation she had with Andrew during lunch.

"So I heard Norman has something special planned for tonight? Any idea where he's taking you?" The glint in Andrew's eyes were clear as day he knew something but Nicole knew she'd never get it out of him. Tapping her chin she simply looked at him and said " Not a single clue just that I can dress as my normal self, no need for fancy clothes."

Andrew knew exactly what the plan was, and where Norman was taking Nicole. He had helped him plan this whole thing over a week ago when Norman first brought up the idea of proposing. "I'm sure where ever he takes you will be great. You've practically known each other your whole lives." He patted Nicole on the shoulder and left.

Yup, whatever tonight was there was no getting out of it. Finally returning to her suite, Nicole flopped on the couch. She had gotten a text telling her to be ready by 7:30pm for the outing, well it was only 3:23pm and since she didn't need to get all fancy, she was taking a nap. She set the alarm for 90 minutes and happily passed out.

Norman had left set and gone to the lake with Andrew to start setting things up. This lake was the first place Norman had brought Nicole the first time she came out to visit. Andrew grabbed the supplies from the trunk and began setting up all the while Norman looked to be in trance.

Norman wasn't doing well after his latest girlfriend had broken up with him. Kirkman needed him on his game and could not find away to make that happen. Andrew however had an idea, it was a risky one seeing as he had only met Norman's best friend once at a cast party back in New York, but fuck it was worth a shot. He'd take Norman's cell phone and tried to local the girls number, of course he didn't have in there by her name no that shit would be top easy. Instead a flood if text messages began coming in under the name "Little One", thinking back the girl herself sure was short, reading the messages Andrew came to the conclusion that "Little One" had to be Nicole, and by God he was praying he was right.

Pressing call on the name the line only rang once.

"Oh God Norman! Are you okay? Tell me what happened what can I do to help?" The girl sounded frantic and Andrew swallowed hard.

"Umm is this Nicole? Norman's best friend?" The line was silent seconds seemed like minutes but finally the girl replied.

"Yes, this is she, may I ask whom you are, why you have Norman's phone, and is he hurt I mean physically?" He could hear the girl choking up on the line. The friendship between these two must be something incredible.

"My name's Andrew Lincoln, I'm-" he was cut of by Nicole speaking

"Yes I know the name you're a co star with Norman on the show he's been on. It's a pleasure to speak with you, but how's he doing?"

"Nicole, he's not well we need him to get back to his old self at least while on screen. Can you give us any help?" Once again the line went silent. A soft sigh left her lips as she gently spoke " what airport is closest to where you guy are filming?"

Andrew gave the information, and Nicole made arrangements to fly out. She'd never gone to set with her best friend even though he always asked, and with this breakup she just hoped showing up would be okay. Andrew met her at the airport, she'd watch the show so she knew whom she was looking for. The drive to lot was a pain because she had been priorly cleared. When Kirkman came over and asked Andrew what the meaning of this was Andrew gently explained saying he was sure you'd be able to help. You were lead and told to stay in Norman's trailer which you did without question.

Finally showing up, angry with his performance, hurt by the breakup, Norman hadn't noticed Nicole sitting there analyzing his demeanor. Finally clearing her throat Norman's head shot up, ready to scream, but when he realized who was sitting there his eyes widen and walked towards her. Nicole held close whispering softly that things would be alright and she was her for the remainder for filming, she was here for him.

Pulling apart he excused himself to get cleaned up. Once finished and changed they decided to grab a bite and aimlessly drive around, since Nicole had never been to Georgia. That's how they discovered the lake. They spent hours there that first night talking about everything, Norman finally releasing all the pent up anger and sadness. Nicole just sat there holding him, rubbing soft circles on his back and stroking his hair. It was then he realized even more that Nicole was always his safe place, he didn't need to be strong or domineeringly, he could truly be himself.

Norman was brought out of the memories when Andrew snapped his fingers.

"You alright? You spaced out there for awhile." Looking around the place had been set up. A nice picnic blanket on the ground and lights hanging from the willow tree. A smile graced Norman's lips as he looked at everything. This was perfect, tonight would be perfect.

"Yeah man I'm fine, just remembering the first time I came here with Nicole." He fiddled with the velvet box in his pocket, nervous wasn't even close to what he was feeling. Andrew nodded and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"This is going to be wonderful, she'll say yes. You know she loves you, and not just what you are, she's been there your entire life, walked beside you, lifted you up, and has been the one unchanging constant. I'm just happy you finally got your head out of your ass to see it." Both men laughed as they went back to the car and to the hotel.

#norman reedus #norman reedus fanfic #norman reedus x oc #fluff #little dove

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moonfox281 · 6 years ago

Note

Now that we have a ninja canon AU, I can not help seeing Dick in a kimono or as a geisha, can you one day do a fic about this? I would totally love it!

*Writer note: Sorry for taking too long with this one. And sincerely appology to other anos that requested the same fic, I can only answer one. And great thank you to the wonderful @cherrymiko-art for asking for this*

Beauty Itself

(Word count: 8142)

To read on AO3

“When Bruce said the mission was in Japan, I had a different scene in mind.”

Dick darted his eyes around, watched the water flow through the bamboo pipe then drip down the tiny ceramic fountain. He didn’t like this, the door was covered in nothing but paper and weak wood, the room was too elegant and the number of weapons that could be produced from the items was strictly limited, and the silence, the haunting silence that assured a storm would come uninvited.

“Really? What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know, a ninja fight, samurai demons jumping out of nowhere, maybe some robots too.”

Jason snorted. “Come on, you think too much.”

Dick turned and looked at him. “It just− What are you wearing?”

“This? I thought for somebody who could speak Japanese since you were 12, you should know their traditional costume.”

“I know what a yukata looks like. But why are you wearing it?”

Jason shrugged, the edge of the fabric hanging on his wide shoulder. The colors brought out his eyes, matte black and thin strings of red, and they seemed to suit his attitude most of the time too. He let the obi hang loose and low, the hems were folded casually, not quite presentable if a formal meeting was required in this mission, but still, everything that was not presentable for formal occasions always suited Jason the best. Besides, Dick appreciated how the short sleeves showed his husband’s biceps.

“I figured if we’re here, why not enjoy it first. We don’t have to dip our hands right into the case the second we get here.” He sat down on the tatami that hugged the entire room, legs crossed. His face spoke that he was waiting for Dick to join him.

Dick refused to.

“This isn’t a vacation. Bruce signed us in because…”

“The underage slave ring leads here and we’re the only ones unoccupied?! Yeah, I know that. Which is why we’re gonna stay here, enjoy whatever this country offers us, while waiting for my intel.” Jason sighed and stood up, walking closer toward Dick.

“Your intel?” Dick asked, doubtfully.

“I’m a global kingpin, honey. I work with the yakuza, sooner or later, we’ll get a link, until then, let’s just relax.”

Dick knew Jason meant well when his arms slung around his waist and pulled him flush to his chest. Jason felt warm, he had always felt warm, and he didn’t wear anything underneath the yukata, almost half of his chest was out.

Dick knew the yukata was Jason’s way of saying he wanted to be out of costume for a couple of hours, which also meant he wanted Dick to be out of costume for a couple hours. That seemed too luxurious in Dick’s opinion, they were on a mission, a mission assigned by Bruce himself. They didn’t have time to waste, they could always enjoy this sometime else, when they were done being vigilante and off duty, which would probably be never, but still, not right now, not when there was a task to be done.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Jason said, when his hand came up to push Dick’s head to rest on the warm skin of his chest. “I know you’re anxious for some action, but here, locals talk, locals tell. There’s nothing two outsiders like us could do. Let the yakuza do their job, once they give me something, we’ll move.”

Jason was right, the best way to dig up some information around here was from the locals.

Jason pet his head lightly. He understood Dick tended to get tense, go overbroad on everything when the mission involved Bruce. Maybe Dick was truly the one that had problems with Bruce all along out of the two of them.

“Stop thinking.” Jason whispered into his hair. “You always think too much, it’s making me nervous.”

“Sorry.” Dick chirped.

“I don’t want you sorry, I want you relaxed.” Jason pulled away to look down on him. “If you’re uncomfortable…”

“No,” He said, too quickly. “It’s just strange, coming here and… not doing anything like this.”

This must have been the zillionth time Dick went to Japan, but still, none of the times he had the opportunity to even get a glimpse of relaxation. There was always a mission on hand, a goal to reach or a task to be done. And by the time everything was all wrapped up, it was time to move on to another place, with another mission to pursue.

Jason looked at him and understood. Marriage had turned him soft and open, but to be honest, Dick didn’t know if that was true. Jason had always been gentle towards him, and for him to open up like this, Dick didn’t know if it was that Jason was ready to share, or if he saw that Dick was now ready to accept what he was willing to share.

Dick didn’t know, he honestly didn’t know. From this point looking back, it was hard to not see himself as the root of every problem.

2 hours later, Jason’s intel came, a thirty something man dressed in a white suit with a big cigar in between his teeth. A nasty scar ran from his forehead down over the bridge of his nose, and as his hair was pulled back and gelled, Dick doubted the man was ashamed of it.

Dick looked at his hand when he reached out to shake Jason’s. Big rings, two callused fingers, a sign of regular use of a firearm, patchy knuckles showed a frequency of violence, but still, nothing missing.

This man wasn’t just a yakuza, he was an oyabun, the absolute head of a yakuza group. Dick was so having a conversation with Jason after this.

He sat down on the couch, flicking the tar of his cigar down in the nearby bonsai pot, and grinned at Dick. His eyes darted up and down, peeking through the hems of his newly changed yukata, publically stripping him with lust burning in his pupils.

Dick didn’t like this man.

“I didn’t know you brought company.” He spoke in Japanese, dragging the words out slow and decent. He must think Dick didn’t know the language on his tongue. He looked at Dick again before turning to Jason, grinning wolfishly. “I like your taste, very high-end.”

Jason just pulled a poker face. He must have been used to this kind of attitude while doing business with his men. “Eyes on the subject, Tobu. I asked you a favor.”

“Ah, straight to the point, and calling my name too. You’re never the polite one, Tengu.”

Tengu, a disruptive demon, a harbinger of war in Japanese mythology. The man must have worked with Jason long enough to witness what his wrath could bring.

The yakuza threw a paper file on the desk, crossed his leg over his knee and took a long drag of his cigar.

“Yakoshi’s group, big guys, one of the giants in the yakuza. Never liked them but business keeps me around with those bastards. They own around a dozen human trafficking rings all across the continent. Lately they joined a new industry, same resources, but more beneficial, dirtier too, even for our standards.”

It didn’t take much time to click. “Organ harvesting.”

The yakuza nodded. “They hooked up with a guy in Italy, who once distributed their supplies to purchasers, that guy’s dead now. So they’re looking for a new partner.”

Jason flicked through the file. Dick left the arm of the couch and went to sit next to Jason, peeking at the documents. Too many faces, a lot of information, no surprise if they were from such a large group. This shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes or so to memorize.

Jason’s hand wormed around to touch Dick’s waist, he was still digging his nose into the file, finding out who should be the main target, while rubbing little circles on Dick’s hipbone.

The yakuza watched. “Where did you get him?”

The question was obviously not for Dick.

“None of your business.” Jason casually answered.

“Come on, I did you a favor. At least tell me how much it costs to have a night with him.”

Jason looked up from the document, brows arched, face seeming unimpressed. “Put that thing away first.”

He meant the cigar. The yakuza huffed, brows drawn up in surprise. “This? Never thought you would say that one day.”

“Throw it out or I throw you out. He doesn’t like it.” He turned to Dick and switched to Romani. “Do you, my dear?”

Dick laughed. Gosh, his man knew how to romance, even in moments like this. He leaned forward to kiss the corner of Jason’s lips, only to have his husband push the back of his head for a deeper one.

The yakuza whistled when they pulled apart, the cigar missing from between his lips. “Alright, I’m turned on. Do I get a discount or not?”

“For you, sure, why not?” Jason shrugged.

“Spill, how much does it cost me?”

“Your dick.” Jason grinned, sharp teeth flashed.

The smug look slipped off the yakuza’s face. “Oh,” He suddenly seemed sheepish. “And that is with the discount?”

“Between your dick and your life, which one do you prefer?”

“Okay, so it’s a no. Shame though, a beauty like this should be shared around. I bet Yakoshi’s guys would think the same.” Dick understood that was this man’s way of warning Jason not to let Dick get involved in this mess.

Huh, so this man had a lot more to himself than he showed.

He eyed Dick again, up and down. This time Dick felt the arm slung around his waist tighten a little bit.

“Do you speak Japanese?”

This time, the question was directed at Dick. It went out in a Kansai accent, harder to catch even to some locals, harsher, quicker, a little deeper too. A test.

Dick smiled, hands coming up to rest on Jason’s shoulder, his chin rested on them.

“Only when I want to.” He purred.

The yakuza didn’t ask further after that.

Dick stayed on the couch while watching Jason part with the yakuza. They talked to each other at the door a lot more than at the table. The yakuza tried to lower his voice, now that he knew Dick understood everything.

“They meet at 6, tomorrow night. You know the location, I already booked you a place at their table. Try to act less like yourself, they don’t like partners they can’t control.”

“Alright, thanks for the help.” Jason grinned, already opening the door.

The yakuza turned back to look at Dick, before whispering to Jason.

“I’m serious, Tengu. If you refuse to share him with anyone, then he must be special. But if you’re planning to mess with these guys, I would suggest keeping him far away from this. They are not me, and organ trafficking is just one of the Yakoshi’s activities.”

Jason went silent after that.

“No.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Yes, but I know what’s on your mind, so no.” Jason deadpanned. His face didn’t show any sign that he could be moved.

“But‒”

“Didn’t you catch what I just said? No means no.” Jason didn’t waver for once, and just like that, he turned back to his current task. Sitting opposite him, Tobu glanced between them, seemingly amused.

“So, 10 members, 5 guards, and 3 outside?”

Tobu nodded. “Yep, 30-story condo, guards on every floor, the meeting will be on top. I told you, they’re a huge group, and far less honorable than they used to be.”

“They won’t talk easily, will they?”

“You wish. We’re yakuzas, we’d rather gut ourselves before letting anyone hurt the group. And even then, Oikawa doesn’t trust anyone. Even if you suddenly gain the magic to defeat all of his army, you think digging something out of him would be easy?!”

Dick watched them and bit the inside of his cheek. He had waited all night until today’s lunch to add in his opinion, had to break through the middle of his husband and the yakuza’s discussion on the attack plan to do it, and he didn’t plan to be discarded easily like that.

“Since when do you get to be in charge of this mission?” Dick voiced, frowning. Not what he should have said, but still, he was bordering on anger.

Jason didn’t seem amused either, his head snapped back and he stared at Dick. “What did‒In charge…? Is that what you fucking think? This isn’t about me taking the lead, this is about you. You think I was comfortable watching Tobu stare at you like that?”

Next to him, Tobu winced, eyes darting around to take in the heavy tension in the room, until he decided. “Okay, I’m out. Call me back in when you two are done.”

“No, you stay here.” Jason growled, and Tobu dropped right back to his place at the table, holding his hands up in surrender. He knew better than to test Jason’s temper.

Dick groaned, feeling beyond tired. When exactly did Jason form a problem about this, he had no idea. Dick only knew one day, undercover suddenly became a sore spot for Jason to mention.

“This is ridiculous, there are kids out there, waiting to be opened up and here we are, arguing over whether to pass up the opportunity to help them in the fastest way.”

Dick knew he had taken the wrong leap when Jason stormed over and stared down at him. He looked giant up this close, dangerous, like a direwolf ready to rip Dick’s throat out. It was fascinating how Jason could change from a loving, gentle husband to this creature in front of him when he felt the need to, in a matter of seconds.

“Listen here, I want to help the kids just as much as you do. I am pulling every connection I have on this land to help them.” Jason stepped forward, looming over Dick and forcing him to stumble back. “But don’t you ever think that the urgency of this mission means I would ever hand you out like bait. You said this is ridiculous, the only ridiculous thing is that you’re more than ready to throw yourself out like this.”

When Jason brought it to this point, no further discussion could be made. Dick knew when his husband had made up his mind, when even the strongest voice couldn’t change what he had set out.

But Dick was angry, this was their mission, not Jason’s. Their meant it included Dick’s part in this. He refused to sit tight like a toy and wait for Jason to go save the day. This wasn’t what Bruce would expect of him.

“Our relationship shouldn’t be the obstacle of progress. I’ve told you that countless times.” Dick grunted.

Jason snarled at him. “I said this is about YOU! You need to stop trying to impress him, you need to stop trying to prove yourself. You left us, you left me, wasn’t that enough? I refuse to let you sacrifice yourself in exchange for something you’ve already had.” His head dropped down, resting powerless on Dick’s shoulder. From the Tengu he was called to be, Jason turned tired, weak and hurt with a mere switch. “How could you do this to yourself, ready to let them have their way with you just to speed the process? Those people are not me, their hands aren’t meant to love you.”

Oh.

Oh. Dick blinked, once, twice, too damn amazed.

So that was what had been nagging him.

Behind Jason’s shoulder, Tobu sat tight cross-legged with a stupid toothy smile on his face. He seemed to take in their conversation as an entertaining performance in a theater.

“You two should sign up for a Japanese reality show. Believe me, there’re some girls here who would kill to see this.”

Jason growled low in his throat, and Dick shuddered, worse, the sound and scene only made Tobu snicker harder. Jason’s hands went down to hold Dick’s waist, pulling him flush to his chest, his head rubbed into that corner between his neck and shoulder like a needy cat, dropping feather kisses down on his skin.

When Tobu whistled, Jason snapped and pointed a gun that Dick had no idea he had strapped behind his back.

“One more word and I swear I’ll blow your head off.”

Tobu only shut up then.

Dick looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like a freaking clown. Jason’s friend, the yakuza Tobu had wandered around the room he was in, eyes darting toward him at every chance he had.

Dick sighed and ignored him, focusing on the eyeliner in his hand. He tried to remember the way he had seen Babs use it, the way Steph used it. It was hard to follow, and he poked himself in the eye, twice. It stung, and he had considered putting on the Hypnos lens, but then reframed himself, the point was for them to see his face, and nothing else. Tobu watched him, staring down at his painted lips, and took a moment before returning to his eyes.

“The kimono brings out your eyes.”

Dick touched the hem of the cloth. It felt nice, soft and silky, with hand-knitted details. Dick stared down at the gold phoenix spreading its wing on his chest, the cherry blossoms blooming on the sides, the gold strings running along the edges of the kimono, the mystic blue that drafted over the whole of his body, black glitters glowing at any movement underneath every seam line.

Jason’s money never disappointed.

Dick styled his hair, made it fall down the sides a little bit more. He put on earrings, wincing because of the newly pierced holes, and reached out for the other accessories when Tobu appeared behind his back, gently putting something on his head. It felt heavy, suspiciously heavy.

Through the reflection of the mirror, Dick saw the gold glittering under the light, tiny stones at the top shone different colors when his head moved. A gold halo.

Dick’s eyes widened.

“This is too much.” He turned, attempting to accuse Tobu when the yakuza shrugged and put his hands up, defending himself.

“Trust me.” He said.

Dick sighed while waiting by the door. The kimono felt heavy, dragging his upper body down, the belt hugging a little too tightly on the waist, not too uncomfortable, but would definitely leave some lines. The upper half of his chest was more or less exposed, as the collar of the cloth hung loosely on the edge of his shoulder. Nothing else was underneath, Dick anxiously thought as he touched the back of his upper thigh where he usual strapped his escrima. He didn’t like the feeling of this, but again, going undercover never did the best for his taste in fashion.

There was a bell, and Dick understood that was his cue to walk in. On his steps, he remembered the way Tobu tugged on his arm after he had finished getting ready, the way the yakuza eyed him from tip to toes, concern and uncertainty painted all over his face.

“I don’t like this.” Before Dick could comment, he added. “Not the look, I mean. You’re a work of art, don’t deny it. But if something happens, you need to bail right away. You’ll come back to me and let Tengu handle it himself.”

The man thought Dick couldn’t handle himself, thought Dick was just some pretty accessory Jason had picked up along the way and grew a short-term affection with. Well, whenever he stood next to Jason, people tended to think so and Dick let them. Instead of being chaotically controlled by pride, he made an advantage out of it.

When he walked in, the room fell into silence. Dick could feel the eyes shoot out for him like bullets from a machine gun. He remembered the steps, back straight, hips swaying, one leg upfront and crossed over the other, just enough to keep his line straight, and enough to expose a part of his bare legs, long, cleanly shaven, and all the way up to two third of his thighs. His shoulders hunched a little, showing the shoulder blades more, his hands folded upfront, so the sleeves slid down the sides of his path.

Dick blinked his hooded eyes, took a quick glance around the room. He felt like an idiot, but also recognized all the faces he had memorized just the night before.

He marched toward the middle, stopping at where he was sure everyone could get the best view of him. Dick spotted Jason at his 9 o’clock in a black yukata, the cloth hung loosely on his body to hide all the speciously powerful muscles underneath, a red cloth drafted over one shoulder down to his side. A dark look painted over his face as none of the attention was on him anymore, his mouth agape, eyes pinned on Dick in full surprise.

If Jason was amazed, then it should be a success.

“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise.” Someone, on his left, spoke. Grey hair, bright eyes, early forties. Oikawa Noiri, head of the Yakoshi’s group, the big grey wolf.

Bingo.

The man turned his gaze towards Jason, who had retreated to his casual character when all the attention was on Dick.

“When you said you brought along a small gift, I had a less colorful idea.” The yakuza smirked. His subordinates sat around chuckling at his words. He turned and eyed Dick again, up and down, stripping him with the lust burning through the bright brown pupils. “Do you speak Japanese, my dear?”

Despite the presence of his translator right next to him, Oikawa’s English was perfect, as expected.

“Not even a word, sir.”

“Oh, I doubt that.” Oikawa laughed, all teeth on display. He reminded Dick of an old wolf, dangerous just from looking from afar.

Smart man, really smart man.

Dick smiled and analyzed the man. His brows curved up, but the edge of his mouth dangled heavily. Oikawa had looked bored and tired before Dick walked in, his look was merely a breath of fresh air to change the man’s mood.

The yakuza looked interested, but not enough. Not revealing his ability would give Dick an advantage, people always let their guard down when underestimating someone, but Dick needed to gain his attention even more. He needed to get this man interested.

Dangerous men liked having their ego and temper tested.

“I had hoped you wouldn’t notice.” Dick switched to Japanese, speaking so fluently the brows of the other yakuza shot up close to their hairlines.

Oikawa grinned wolfishly, one of his leg uncrossed and came up, stamping the sole of his foot down on the edge of the zabuton. His finger came up and he called. “Pour the sake.”

Demanding, nothing new.

Dick walked over to his table, trying to mimick the flow of a fountain, he tried drawing all the gazes towards him if they had not already been.

He remembered the technique to pour out the traditional alcohol, had seen it countless times from the geishas. He knew how to make his movements graceful, knew how to keep himself addicting. He ignored the burning lust Oikawa was shooting at him, the way his legs moved to make more room for his crotch. No need to look, Dick already knew Jason was grinding his teeth from behind his shoulder.

Up this close to the enemy, in this disguise, Dick had had himself prepared, still he was caught off guard when a rough hand came up and harshly grabbed his chin, pulling his face up close.

“Hm, very beautiful.” Oikawa purred, breath stinking of sake, blowing on Dick’s skin. “Your eyes, they tempt me.”

Dick hoped Jason wouldn’t paralyze this guy for good after this.

The yakuza spoke slowly in Japanese. “I can make a fortune with these eyes.” He licked his lips. For a moment, Dick thought he would have been kissed. “But that would be a shame, taking them away from such beauty would be a sin. Who am I to ruin a work of art like this?”

Up this close, too close, Dick saw everything. The pores in his face, the edge of his wide grin, the blown pupils. And of course, up this close, Dick felt everything, the gun barrel poking out from the side of the yakuza’s hip, a tissue in his inner pocket, and something small, metal-like. When Oikawa pulled him closer and licked his cheek, Dick figured it out. A flash drive.

Bull’s eye.

Oikawa pulled back, and Dick faked a heavy sigh. He knew how to look like a shy, inviting mess. Without a word, Oikawa grabbed on Dick’s wrist and whisked him aside of the table. His hands were everywhere all of the sudden, resting on Dick’s hips and he pushed him to fall down to the side of his chest.

Dick felt urged to punch the bastard. He hated playing the mindless toy that anyone could grab and play with. Even the king of Gotham’s underworld had to kiss his feet if he wanted to sleep on a bed at night, who did this moron think he was?

The hand on his wrist left and squeezed a handful of Dick’s thigh, bringing it up to rest on the yakuza’s folded leg, the edge of the kimono slid down, exposing too much skin.

Now Dick wanted Jason to paralyze this guy for good.

God, marrying a mob boss did serious damage to his vigilante morals.

Still, that aside, Dick had a role to play, and a burner to take. He had spotted the form of the thing in the yakuza’s pocket. Get that too, and everything would be over.

Oikawa dipped his head down to whisper into Dick’s ear. “Be nice for me, and I’ll promise you pleasure.”

Jerk. Dick went with the flow anyway. He rubbed his cheek on the side of the yakuza’s neck, shook his breath just enough to make it sound lustful, hands wandering around the man’s chest. Oikawa wanted to show off his power to an outsider, which meant Jason. Dick could give him that. A sweet reward before the bitter penalty.

From this position, Dick could spot his husband, laughing idiotically with the other yakuzas. His brows slightly knitted together at the forehead, and the edge of his laugh seemed tense. His knuckles were white with the grip he had on his knees.

Underneath the disguise, Jason was furious.

“So, tell me, how many facilities do you have in the States?” Noiri asked Jason in Japanese, and let his translator do the job. An emperor’s ego.

“Many, and you can trust me on that. I have some connections in Europe too, in case you’re interested.” Jason laughed stupidly, the curve of his lips was lacking the usual predatory vibe. He was playing the underdog. It made Dick itch to slap him out of it. Undercover was never Jason’s strong point.

Noiri seemed interested. He turned to speak to his men, his hand still laid firmly on Dick’s hip. “How much cargo do we have left in Italy?”

“28 in Genoa, could be two containers. Meca died right when he was supposed to deliver.” His subordinate answered. From afar, Jason cocked his head aside and pulled a poker face, pretending he didn’t even understand a word, even when the man had written Dick a haiku for Valentine’s before.

Genoa, Meca. For two containers, there must be a warehouse. If the assets they were talking about were humans, living breathing humans, then the place must be far away from the other warehouses that grounded up around the port. Less eyes and ears, and easier to transport.

How many men with a last name of Meca were in Italy, how many could own a warehouse in Genoa, and how many could own a warehouse on the outskirts of Genoa. Their search range just narrowed down significantly.

“The more we drag it out, the worse it becomes. This foreigner is our only option at the moment.” Noiri’s man informed. His eyes glanced at Dick for a second, looking at his eyes and then the leg Noiri had dragged up on his. Dick understood when he frowned, not all men swung that way, even with how tempting he could look.

Noiri snorted and caught Dick’s chin with a hand, pulling it up to face him like he had read his subordinate’s mind. “Very well then, but keep a good chain on him. He’s a rabid dog, too eager to prove and not wise enough to win.”

On his other side, another henchman added in. “I don’t trust this man. He just came here, and we don’t know how deep his experience runs.”

Noiri huffed and as expected, turned down to look at Dick. “Oh, I trust this man’s experience.”

Jason had done his part well, now it’s time for Dick to do his.

The room was soon cleared out for only Noiri and his dirty intentions with Dick left behind. Dick got Jason’s dark gaze towards them when he was kindly invited out. Let’s just pray that the power of their comfy Crime Alley home’s couch would be able to stop Jason from bringing his wrath on the life of this yakuza.

When the room was just the two of them, Dick patiently waited while Noiri casually sipped on his sake.

“I heard that you’re a very dangerous man.” Dick started. A man full of ego like Noiri, waiting and baring his neck wouldn’t do the trick, this man craved something new, something for him to conquer.

Noiri only snorted back. “And are you scared of me?”

Dick looked at him, straight in the eyes. He knew no one could ignore when his eyes demanded attention.

He cocked his head and made himself appear innocent. “Should I be?”

Noiri’s eyes widened, then he huffed out a laugh.

Dick half grinned, this time for real. It was too easy, kingpins, they were all the same. Dick married one, it wasn’t too hard to manipulate another. They all found joy when their partners were full of mysteries.

“My eyes, you said they tempted you. Do you like the ocean, sir?”

Noiri looked at him, staying silent for a couple of seconds before huffing. “I’m starting to.” He put the cup down. “What about you?”

Dick smiled. “Very much, sir.”

Come on, talk.

“Is that so? Then you’ll enjoy the east coast of Japan.”

East coast, that would be where they should scan next.

Dick was suddenly pushed down not so gently. He felt himself puddled in the kimono, the collar sliding off one of his shoulders.

Noiri stood up and only then did Dick realized how big this man was. He was not Jason’s size, not many men could come close to Jason’s size. But Noiri was big, with a wide chest and hard abdomen. He knelt down, back straight and muscle tensed like the way of a samurai, his hands, strong and decisive, grabbing on Dick’s ankles and pulling him onto his lap.

“You have distracted me from the very first moment you walked in.” He purred into Dick’s ear, face suddenly too close. “Be nice to me, and I won’t sell you out in pieces like I’ve done to so many before.”

Rude, still, Dick had too much history with rude men already. All the attitudes were just to cover up their swelling egos. Besides, Dick doubted the weight of that threat. Noiri was the mastermind of a human trafficking ring, he understood the value of a body, and Dick understood his advantage.

Dick pulled Noiri’s tie off, and the hand came out to catch his wrist was exactly like his calculation. Dick stared back at the yakuza and blinked, acting innocent and hurt. He knew a man like Noiri wouldn’t normally take off his clothes while screwing someone, he knew he had pushed a button, but he also knew that he would be an exception.

Too much lust blinded the mind of even the wisest. Dick licked his lips, batted his lashes as he watched Noiri shrug off his clothes, leaving his pants on. Dick ran his hands on those thighs, searching for any devices left. Noiri only grinned back, too out his head to even doubt Dick’s little action for a slight.

He pulled on Dick’s hair, forcing his neck back and dug right in the juncture of his shoulder. Dick moaned when the bite stung his skin, legs scrambling up to tighten around the yakuza’s hip. His toes found the leather on the handle of a pistol there. Noiri kept on working around his neck, like a rabid dog he seemed determined to rip off a chunk of Dick’s neck.

Dick kept faking moans and little shudders, patiently waiting until Noiri was drunk on lust enough to follow his rules. The man took some time to mark Dick’s skin as if he was a dog craving to prove his new found territory. Jason would definitely be pissed about what the yakuza had left on Dick. So, the sooner he ended this game, the better chance Noiri had to be alive until he ended up in a cell in which he would serve around 150 years for all the crimes he had committed.

“Please,” Dick breathed, whispering right into Noiri’s ear. “Kiss me.”

Noiri’s eyes turned darker, his grin turned wicked, like he had dosed himself with a whole can of Joker’s gas. Letting go of Dick’s wrist, the man immediately dug his head even lower to bite on his earlobe.

“Oh baby, you and I are going to have so much fun from now on.”

Nothing else.

This time, Dick was sure this man had nothing else valuable for him. It was time to drop the blinds. Show time was over.

Dick curled his hands around Noiri’s neck, spreading his fingers in his hair. It was a slight grab at first, merely hurt and only turned the yakuza on further, but then Dick tugged hard.

Before a cry could come out, Noiri choked on his breath as Dick’s hand came up cutting right on his windpipe. Dick pulled the gun out from behind his back with his toes and threw it on the other side of the table. As expected, Noiri’s hands came scrambling to find the item behind his back, his eyes went furious when he realized it had gone missing.

With that hit, the yakuza wouldn’t be able to scream, and Dick only needed that. With his legs still wrapped around the man’s hips, he flipped them over, forehead smashing into Noiri’s and sending him down. He ripped the halo off his head and hammered it right down on Noiri’s neck to keep him in place. Jewelry or not, in his hand anything could be a weapon.

Too easy, the man was blinded by lust, and was caught by surprise. It wasn’t even a fight, but it was neat, and exactly what Dick had wanted it to be. Noiri went down and out cold, laying out on the floor like a puppet without strings.

The big wolf was down, now came the subordinates. They would soon get suspicious when the inside was too quiet. Two? No, maybe four. And that was just outside this room, who knew how many more men were guarding this facility. Dick could take four, but four with guns and a condition to not make a sound would be quite a challenge.

With the interference of Jason’s growing, over-paranoid, and overprotective gang, and Bruce’s growing crime fighting clan, night life in Gotham had been spontaneously boring lately.

Dick was dying for some fun.

“I told you this wasn’t a good idea!”

Tobu screamed as he shot another thug coming at them. Next to him, his henchmen were all putting up quite a good fight. Jason didn’t worry about them much, the bodies could be cleaned, excuses could be made, he could always blame all the dead bodies on Tobu. They were yakuzas after all.

“Oi, you go back to check on your little boy toy.” Tobu grunted when the floor was clear. He ripped another clip out from his pocket and loaded it.

“He can handle it.” Jason didn’t want to think about what Dick was dealing with right now.

“Hey, I’m not joking. If that was me, then fine. But he’s in there with Noiri, alone. Noiri is the kind of psycho you don’t want to lay your precious doll near.”

“He’s not a doll.” Jason grunted, landing an extra kick on the already downed thug nearby. “And he’s not a boy toy either.”

“Then that makes it worth checking on him even more.” Tobu suddenly grabbed his arm. “Tengu, I don’t like putting civilian in the middle of shit like this. But that boy, that boy is important to you, isn’t he?”

Haiz, Jason didn’t like showing his weaknesses to others, especially his partners. And Dick was by far his biggest weakness.

Boy, if that man told Jason to blow up a planet, he would probably ask which one.

It took too long for Jason to answer, and that was enough of a confirmation for Tobu. The guy huffed.

“Let’s go get him then.”

“Get who?”

Jason burst out a laugh. He shook his head, and even with his eyes down at his feet, he could still imagine Tobu’s stupid expression when Dick marched out from the end of the hall.

Dick looked like a mess, with two fully sheathed swords in both hands, one sleeve of the kimono, Jason vividly remembered getting massively angry about because Tobu had made it too well and suited Dick too much, was now torn and the collar slipped off his bare shoulder.

Dick threw the swords down and walked over. Next to Jason, Tobu’s jaw fell to the floor.

“How did you get out?”

Dick quirked his eyebrow. “I fought my way here.”

“Where’s Noiri?”

“Unconscious and tied up.”

Just as expected, Tobu’s face turned comical. “What?” He screamed.

Dick only shrugged and got close to Jason, hooking his arms around his neck. Jason gladly welcomed him into his embrace. It felt nice to smell his scent, feel his warmth and his body in his arms again.

“Did you clean all the top floors?” He asked.

“Yes, I did. You guys seem to have handled it pretty well down here.” Dick grinned back.

Jason noticed the eyes Tobu was giving him now. Jason enjoyed it when Dick flipped the table and redefined the order of this world. He never ceased to amaze anyone.

“A phone and a flash drive. Noiri didn’t trust anyone but himself, it only made it easier for me.”

No wonder Bruce always pushed Dick to go undercover. He knew how to make impossible tasks possible.

“I contacted B. He’s already sent Batwoman to Italy. The authorities have already circled the area. The kids will be released soon.”

Dick nodded, smiling. He liked it when missions went smoothly and without much casualty. Behind Jason’s back, Tobu’s men had already cleaned up what was left of the Yakoshi’s. He looked at Dick’s eyes, those ocean eyes that never seemed like they came from this mundane world.

“Let’s go home.”

Dick smiled back. He thought everything would have ended with Noiri behind the bars, he thought the mess they created would be enough to draw the authority’s attention. He didn’t know Tobu was the head of the third biggest organized crime group in Japan, didn’t know the police wouldn’t come because even they knew gang rivalry between the yakuzas was not their fight. Dick didn’t know that Tobu didn’t come here to just help, he came here to claim the victory they left and cross the name Yakoshi off the top of the list.

Jason was fine if Noiri landed on Tobu’s hand. For now, he only wanted to go home, after Tobu was done with him, Jason would get his take. A psycho that made interest from the sale of children’s organs didn’t deserve an easy death. And under that no matter how hard he tried to hide under the loose cover of the kimono on Dick’s shoulder, Jason could still see through it, the marks that rabid dog had left on his husband.

It had been a while since Jason last had a smoke. His tongue was dying for the taste of it, his fingers were literally trembling when holding the little paper stick. Dick would shout at him, probably wouldn’t let him kiss him until he rinsed off the smell for good.

He tapped the cigarette and watched the tar fall, still shimmering like a New Year’s bonfire.

“So, it took us a week to clean everything up. Nothing major, just a bit of paperwork and adjustment around the area, but all things considered next time you come by, I’ll be staying in a new place.”

Jason huffed, blowing out the smoke. “I can tell you’re enjoying it.”

“Oh hell, I am. I really owe you big this time, Tengu.”

Tengu. Jason liked the nickname, it reminded him every time of the time they met. Jason was in the middle of personal business, mining his knuckles with seven meathead bastards that busted his operation for small profit along the way. Tobu had just happened to be there and witnessed it all. The first thing he said when Jason noticed him, was “fuck”.

It must be because of the red hood, Jason had first thought, but throughout the time they worked together, Tobu had confessed. “It was partly the helmet, but just partly. When I first looked at you, with blood painting your clothes, bodies littering around in the snow, and your knuckles dripping with another’s blood, you immediately reminded me of that ancient demon that haunts wars and chaos.”

The nickname just came along since then.

“The cargo is already on the way. It should probably arrive at any minute now.”

Jason threw the cigarette down in the alley below, and took a quick look back into the bedroom.

“Good, how’s his condition?”

“Stable, didn’t break him too much since I got to leave all the best parts for you. I’ve heard you’re not very fond of his kind.”

“You’re not wrong.”

Tobu laughed, a short low sound that sounded like it came from an old man rather than his usual lively character.

“Anyway, how’s your little doll?”

“I told you, he’s not a doll.”

“He sure looks like one. My men took one look at him and just couldn’t fucking shut up all week. Keep your hands close on that one, Tengu. He sure is something, those Yakoshi guys he took down? None of them were dead, walking straight to jail with only bruises and broken bones and not even a fatal wound. Besides, I’ve never seen you look at anyone like that before, and that boy, with a face like that, in a world like this, you might lose him anytime without noticing.”

Jason looked back at the bedroom again, couldn’t see what was inside because of the one-way glass but still, he knew exactly where the bed was located, and where Dick was lying on the bed, probably had already rolled over on his side and curled into a tight ball.

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Alright, just called to report to you. Next time you come over, bring him along. He’s a real sight to‒”

Jason hung up and laughed alone when he looked up at the night sky. The clouds were heavy today, no stars, no moon. Still, Jason stared like he was expecting something.

“No shit.” He mumbled, and climbed back in.

In the bed, Dick had rolled onto his side, curling tight and hugging Jason’s pillow like it was his own belonging.

Jason smiled while walking over. He brushed Dick’s hair off his face, and felt a smile slowly forming on the corner of those fat lips.

“Don’t you dare kiss me with that chimney mouth.” Dick chuckled with his eyes still closed, wriggling himself deeper into the wrap of the comforter.

Jason kissed his hair anyway. Dick smelled sweet and clean, a different shower gel this time, different every time to be honest, but always the same scent. He always smelled like home, like Jason, and that alone untied the knots Jason didn’t know had been there in his head.

“Business?” Dick chirped, peaking open an eye to stare at him.

“Nah, it’s nothing. Just go back to sleep.”

He kissed Dick’s naked shoulder then went over to the bathroom. He just managed to wet the toothbrush when Beast followed and circled around his feet. The dog nudged on his legs a few times before leaving, probably going out to entertain Dick or something. Jason just hoped he still had a spot on the bed. King size or not, Dick always knew how to take over the whole damn thing.

A call came, and this time Jason didn’t even need to look at the screen to know whom it was from. He kicked the door closed and hit answer with the brush still in his mouth.

“You’ve got something for me?”

“A container. Big one, got Japanese on the tag. Is this what you’re expecting?”

He could barely hear Trevor’s voice. He heard his men yelling at each other, metal clicking and the sound of trucks.

“Hang on, we’re opening it‒Woah, what should we do with this?”

Trevor must have seen the cargo. Not an odd sight in this business, but still something.

“He’s from Japan,” Jason spit, then rinsed his mouth. “Has quite an abnormal job, makes profits out of poor kids.”

“What did the bastard do?” Trevor’s voice suddenly changed. That was what Jason liked about his men, they were all savages, but they were not that kind of savages.

“Depends on the request. Sometimes he sold them out at unique auctions, sometimes to the slave markets. And sometimes, to more customized orders, he sold pieces of them, organ transplants.”

Trevor went silent, and by the time Jason had dried his face, he only answered back. “Do you want him alive?”

Jason turned and stared at the door, on the other side, Dick was probably waiting for him. He could still remember the sight of him in that kimono, with fabric as blue as his eyes, and the gold halo nesting on top of his head.

Maybe Jason could ask him to wear it for him on some special night.

“There’s still one more thing.” Jason grabbed the phone, and headed to the door. “He touched Dick.”

On the other line, Trevor went silent again. This time it was longer. Jason drummed his fingers on the doorknob as he waited for a reply.

“Trevor?” He huffed, trying to hide the entertainment in his voice. He knew what his man was thinking, was already half grinning when the answer took this long to be dragged out.

“He touched Blue?!”

Ah, that was it. The rage. Trevor was one of his best men, it was so hard to drag that vivid anger out of him. Despite his look and his loose tongue, his right-hand man was not an easy man to piss off. But Jason knew Dick meant something special to his gang. Just imagine Jefferson’s expression when he heard the news.

“You know what to do.”

“Yes, sir. Goodnight, sir.”

Just like that, Trevor hung up. Jason huffed. Boy, wouldn’t it be a fun scene when he went to work the next morning.

He turned back to the room, and as expected, Dick was lazily playing with Beast on the edge of the bed. His head rested on his arm and he was clearly lying on Jason’s side.

“Come here boy.” Jason called, and Beast immediately dashed over his place like a rocket. Jesus, he just kept growing and growing every day. His dog must be the size of a fucking Siberian Tiger by now. Jason couldn’t count the time Beast got overexcited while playing in the park and literally knocked Dick off his feet.

“Go sleep in John’s room, big boy.”

On the bed, Dick had a shit eating grin directed at him.

“Did you brush your teeth, big boy?”

Oh hell, Dick would be his death, no doubt.

Jason crawled on the bed, towered over Dick, and planted his hands on both sides of his head.

“I did, my king. What else do you want me to do?”

Dick licked his lips; naked legs curling around his hips. “How about your husbandly duty?”

Oh hell yes.

“Gladly, your majesty.”

#jaydick #mob boss au #My writing #writing prompt #anonymous #japanese mob wife au #geisha #go check on cherry-miko art #she's amazing!

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belphegor1982 · 6 years ago

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Got tagged by @kikabennet!

when did you last sing to yourself?

Yesterday, since I’ve currently been awake for an hour and a half. Might have been either “Bonnie Portmore” or “Here’s a Health (To The Company)”. I’ve been putting a lot of shanties and pirates/sailing-related films soundtracks on to draw to (and hopefully write to) lately. (EDIT: Ooops - yep, wrote that yesterday around 11AM, so make that this afternoon; I hummed while I drew along with the first 3 Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks. It’s so darn hummable.)

if a crystal ball could tell you the truth about anything, what would you want to know?

Who was the Man in the Iron Mask!? (I know better than to ask personal/family truths :S Besides, I’m curious.)

(putting the rest under a cut...)

what is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

Being able to speak (mostly) and read/write English fluently.

what is the first happy memory that comes to mind, recent or otherwise?

When my mum was in the hospital with my newborn baby sister, my dad would take me see them, and before that we’d stop for ice cream and a ride on the merry-go-round. That’s what comes to mind when I read “first happy memory”.

if you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?

I’d go see my family and friends who live far away a lot more, and eat a lot more of my favourite things.

do you have a bucket list? if so, what are the top three things?

I don’t, really ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

describe a person close to your life in detail

The Best Beloved is tallish (1,77m - that’s… 5′10?), with dark brown hair, green eyes, skin that tans easily even in winter, and glasses. …and that’s as much detail as I’m comfortable putting.

do you feel you had a happy childhood?

On the whole, yes. Could’ve done without the bullying at school and the undermining of self-confidence at home, though.

when did you last cry in front of another person?

Don’t remember, so it must be at least a fortnight.

pick a person to stargaze with you and explain why you picked them

My dad, who used to sail with a compass. I don’t think he knows much about constellations, but he’s always willing to share memories, even if sometimes he doesn’t remember he’s told them multiple times.

would you ever have a deep conversation with a stranger and open up to them?

Probably. I shouldn’t, though. Strangers being by definition strangers, you never know where that information is going and how it might be used (possibly against you).

when was your last 3am conversation with someone, and who were they to you?

We both were tired and ended up going to bed around half past midnight, so no 3AM conversation, but my friend Sandrine last week.

if you were about to die, and you could only say one more sentence to one person, what would you say and to whom?

…I have no idea? I think I’d concentrate really hard on not dying :S

what is your opinion on brown eyes?

Why would it matter tho I have brown eyes and for the longest time I thought they were boring. It doesn’t help that brown hair and eyes are basically the default where I grew up/live. Then I grew up and moved on.

pick a quote and describe what it means to you personally

George Bernard Shaw’s “Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.” Life is complicated, all about balance between extremes and absolutes. Don’t trust people who tell you the world is grim and serious just because they are. And while getting the giggles at a funeral/wake is inappropriate, it doesn’t mean you’re heartless.

what would you title the autobiography of your life so far?

Wait, What

what would you do with one billion dollars?

I’d keep half a dozen millions for me (car and house debts), my family and my friends, and give the rest to social services, healthcare, and public services in general.

are you a very forgiving person? do you like being this way?

Ehhh… It’s complicated. I tend to hold grudges when I can remember why, but I rarely do something about it. On the whole I’m pretty “live and let live”.

would you describe yourself as more punk or pastel?

Neither, really. I’m too soft for punk, but pastel’s not really my thing either.

how do you feel about tattoos and piercings? explain

I’m too much of a wuss to even consider getting either, but they look great on other people. When I get a spot on my tongue I wonder how people with a tongue piercing manage to keep it, though. It’s very distracting.

do you wear a lot of makeup? why/why not?

As a rule, no, but if I work or if I’m invited somewhere I’ll throw on a bit of eyeliner and lipstick. (I should raid my makeup drawer, really, some of my lipstick cases are almost 20 years old and you should NOT do that.)

talk about a song/band/lyric that has affected your life in some way

In high school I saw a psychologist (junior high was NOT a happy time and the bad stuff just overflowed at one point) and went to an outpatient clinic every Wednesday. They had lots of activities, like painting on silk, various art stuff, and a band, and I loved that band. I was one of the only ones who’d request songs to sing in English. The guitarist introduced me to the Beatles’ “Something”, which I didn’t know, and to this day when I hear this lovely song I think of that guy who had a great smile, a great sense of humour and a great moustache (think George Harrison on Let It Be) who helped me get better.

list the concerts you have been to and talk about how they make you feel

Not to brag, but back in my uni days I did go to a number of them - K’s Choice, Coldplay, King Khan And His Shrines, M, Tom McRae are among the ones I remember. And a couple months ago I went to a rock concert with three bands one after the other. I love live music, it feels amazing. It courses through my body, makes me grin like a maniac, and want to jump and flail around just to vent the excess energy. And all this without a single drop of beer! (can’t stand the stuff :P)

who in the world would you most like to receive a letter from and what would you want it to say?

I’d love a letter from the national loto that says “here’s a giant check even though you haven’t scratched a ticket in years” :P More seriously, I LOVE receiving letters from my Internet friends.

do you have a desk/workspace and how is it organised/not organised?

I don’t really have a workspace. I have a desk, which has the desktop screen, keyboard, mouse/graphic tablet, and a whole lot of mess of papers, pens, boxes, and stuff. I can use either that desk or my laptop in my armchair.

what is your night time routine?

Finish watching the movie/tv show, look at Tumblr a bit (and/or stuff on the laptop, like TV Tropes), go to bed, read a bit on my Kindle, kiss the Best Beloved good night, switch off the lights, and try to sleep.

what’s one thing you don’t want your parents to know?

Anything about my intimate life, thanks.

if you had to dye your hair how would you dye/style it and why?

I experimented a bit with henna back in the day, but generally I just have haircuts (I have too little hair to risk harming it). I’d like some reddish highlights one day, though.

pick five people to go on an excursion with you. who would you pick and where would you go/what would you do?

Eehhh... I’d rather stay at home and chill :P Okay, I’d take the Best Beloved and my friends Melody, Nico, Sandrine, and Aldric, and head to Marquèze. (wish their website had an English version, it’d be better.) It’s an ecomuseum about local life in the early 1800s/early 1900s, with preserved traditional houses and people showing skills like dyeing fabric, shepherding, making flour (there’s a watermill) and all sorts of cakes and bread and snacks, and an entire day isn’t too much to visit everything.

name three wishes and why you wish for them

I wish:

I had a decently-paying job from home,

my friend Sandrine’s mum were/will be all right (don’t ask),

we had the house extension built already

what is the best halloween costume you have ever put together? if none, make one up

We didn’t have Halloween when I was growing up, it really only started to be a thing in earnest a decade or two ago. Although... One time when we lived in Bordeaux, the Best Beloved and I were invited to a housewarming party on Halloween, so people would wear costumes. I went as a witch, with a long black skirt, long-sleeve thing with black lace (-ish), long black and white wig, and of course black lipstick and lots of black around the eyes. The Best Beloved had made a cloak, a scythe of sorts with cardboard and foil, and had a scary death head mask on. We didn’t have a car and the friend lived in Saint-Médard (which is relevant), so we had to ask around the bus drivers for which bus went there.

So picture the two of us dressed as we were, mask and all, well after dark, asking around for the “S&M” bus. Yep :P (People stared at us during the ride, and unlike the Best Beloved, I didn’t have the luxury of a mask to hide my laughter...)

what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done while drunk or high?

The only time I got slightly tipsy I went a little pink and apparently talked a little louder than usual. I’ve never got drunk (too afraid of stomachache later) or high (it took my mum two heart attacks to quit smoking and I’m wondering if she hasn’t taken it up again, I can’t hold a cigarette, tobacco or otherwise).

what’s one thing you would never do for one million dollars?

Hurt people, probably. If I wouldn’t do it for ten dollars I wouldn’t do it for a million - if you agree to one or the other the rest is just haggling over price.

if you’re a boy, would you ever rock black nail polish? if you’re a girl, would you ever rock really really short hair?

I don’t think I have the right face shape for that - my face is too round, longer hair suits me better.

what’s your starbucks order, and who would you trust to order for you, if anyone?

I live 126 km (78 miles) from the nearest Starbucks, when I walk by one the queue is huge, and the prices are well beyond my range :> But I’d trust the Best Beloved. He’d still ask me, though.

what is the most important thing to you in your life right now?

Being happy and/or stress-free. Also the oncoming Papa Bear Awards nominations in a week and the Eurovision Song Context coming up in May :D

Tagging @radarsteddybear, @rose-of-pollux, @truxi-twice, @myrling-art, @iorvethscommando, and @toooldforthisbutstill! :o)

#about me

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lightrecon-blog · 7 years ago

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Off-Course. | Dulse & Steven [ Winter Event Thread ]

Winter Event Thread | @waywardstxne

Zossie had had one mission in mind for Dulse that day, uttered in three words that were accentuated by a flick of her wrist and her pointer finger waggling — “Just. Have. Fun!” The mission... seemed easy enough, but the moment he decided to commit this venture to a mission was, well, when it all fell apart. The issue being — Dulse had... a very hard time having ‘fun’ for most situations; with his mind rewired as it was, he found himself at the beck and call of the next mission Phyco gave to him.

He was a creature of objectives, rules, designations. Being told ‘just have fun’ just... wasn’t good enough. There needed to be a substance to this fun, something that would entail fun. Go to a theme park; go to the mall; watch a movie, but even then, it wasn’t that simple. What would he do at a theme park? What mall would he go to? What movie would he watch? These were never things that Dulse had decided on his own; frankly, the thought of having such an open-ended objective frightened him, especially when it seemed so pointless.

He wasn’t quite sure what ‘fun’ would entail, how he would go about achieving it, and why he was doing it at all. Now, Zossie claimed that it was to better help him acclimate to the Alolan lifestyle of laidback fun for all, but Dulse simply didn’t understand. And after being left on his own with those three little words, he found himself... quite panicked.

What if he wasn’t able to achieve this ‘fun’? What would he do then? Certainly, Dulse was used to open-ended missions; after all, the mission that brought him here to this Earth was simply the mission to ‘quell Necrozma,’ and even then he found himself quite flustered in situations where Zossie did not, when unexpected changes or curveballs were thrown their way. Only in those situations, his emotions swelled into standoffishness and anger — though, he still holds the belief that he was within reason to be so cross.

This, however... he had no excuse. No excuse but to look at the process of ‘having fun’ as seriously as possible. After all, in his state, Zossie was technically his superior — doubled by the agreement of Phyco that he “really did need to live a little bit,” he was at a loss. So if he was going to achieve this fun, he sought to do it in as efficient and accurate of a way as possible. He would not leave empty-handed, with work half-assed just to get it over with. He would do it, and he would do it thoroughly, which only lead to the belief that he would simply... thoroughly enjoy himself.

But that... is where he was wrong.

The more he attempted to find a singular thing that was ‘fun,’ the more he found himself failing his own mission. It was a conundrum, truly. He was supposed to be enjoying himself, but without a specific thing in mind, he found himself researching activities to do around Alola, which ate away at his ‘fun time’ since it was spent doing non-fun things ( at least, as far as he had gathered from Zossie’s disapproving tone ). He was like a child lost at a supermarket, desperately searching for his parent that would be the answer to his questions; like a student giving a speech and constantly having to look to his teacher for reassurance that he was, in fact, doing the right thing. And Zossie would only shake her head with puffy cheeks and he would quickly realize he was doing it all wrong.

He found himself more stressed than enjoyed, which, in turn, made him realize he was failing his mission further, which caused more stress. It was... a rabbit hole he did not expect to go down.

It came to the point where he was overanalyzing every aspect of ‘fun’ so much that Zossie sent him on his way outside of their hotel room, and he was stranded, all by himself, to figure out what it all meant. And boy... was he lost. So he sought to find his answers by means of the locals; after all, that was one aspect of it, wasn’t it? To seek to assimilate with the Alolan people? And what better way to learn what Alolans like than to... simply ask, and follow along with their traditions, and do what they do?

When he’d asked the question “What do you do around here for... ‘fun’?” he’d certainly said it in a different tone that wouldn’t warrant anyone thinking he was snide; perhaps a lost tourist — what, with him dressed head to toe and wearing a scarf in the middle of the Alolan heat — or someone uncultured with Alolan ways ( which, to be fair, was true ). It was here, from some of the few locals within Ula’ula Island, that he found out about an Alolan and Unovan tradition known as... Christmas.

Now, he wasn’t sure of the origins; no matter how much he prodded for research, he couldn’t find why. Well, he could, but it lead to places such as religion and faith — all things that he didn’t dare dabble into due to confusion of the concept of human-based faith as a whole — that ended up with one of these religions saints being bastardized into a fat red man who rides on... flying Sawsbuck, delivering presents to good children with the help of Deliberd in tow, and giving gifts and merriment so long as he is appeased with good behavior and... cookies.

Like he suspected, it was confusing enough to make his nose curl, and apparently his expression was vacant and foggy enough that the woman telling the lore to him realized that he was a goner. But needless to say, he found himself fascinated with how far human imagination can bring them — what, firstly with imagination creating belief, which in turn glorified this Saint Nicholas so much that he became separated from the concept of faith, and therein assimilated with the concepts of... warmth, cookies, mint, family, and gift-giving.

He found it all absolutely... fascinating, but it was not what he ( or Zossie, at least ) would consider fun. However, by the end of his conversation with the Alolan Christmas woman, she introduced him to the concept of sleigh riding, mimicking this grand tale of Santa Claus riding off on his horde of magically-flying Sawsbuck. Except this ride was within the realm of reality, so the Sawsbuck did not fly, and they were imported by a man who lived in Unova. Also there were... only two. The intended plan was for the two Pokemon to hike down a path on Mount Lanakila, starting with one of their tamers at the top, to one of their tamers at the bottom to relieve passengers.

This seemed well and good, and on Dulse’s part ( now appropriately dressed for the snowy weather up high ), he finally believed that something within the ‘seasonally-appropriate cheer’ would be able to warrant some of this ‘fun,’ but his lukewarm excitement was frozen over at the barker and his silly red pointed hat and fake white beard. “Sorry son, you need two people to ride on the sleigh ride!” with an exaggerated waggle of his two fingers in a V.

Dulse wasn’t sure what the necessity was for the costume or look, but nonetheless, he found himself disappointed, ready to start over from square one, or perhaps even dare to call this mission of ‘fun’ a failure. But he found himself in luck... of... sorts, anyway. That same boisterous-voiced ride-owner happened to give a very loud and nasally “Buuuuuuuuut, lucky for you, my good fellow, we have another person here who also didn’t have a ride! So what do you know; you have your sleigh ride partner after all!”

Dulse found himself... hesitant. Perhaps one of his most glaring weaknesses in terms of acclimating to human life in Alola was how painfully unsocial he was — and how little he was used to human interaction, or interaction of any kind, for that matter. But it wasn’t as though he had any option to put a word in edgewise ( him, or the unfortunate other single individual, for that matter ) before the man had both of the smalls of their backs in each hand, and pushed them together into the sleigh vehicle. Luckily for them both, there was plenty of space within it that Dulse was immediately able to scoot himself over to the far side.

The man before him, however, still seemed to be stilted in protest before the Santa impersonator spoke over him in a boomed voice, and had the two Sawsbuck already on their way down their path. With a large wave from the ride-owner, the two were off before even recognizing the situation they were randomly thrust into, and Dulse folded his arms over his chest uncomfortably, only looking edgewise at the man before him. He was well-dressed, to be sure, swaddled head to toe, and bearing silver hair, wrapped up in an overcoat as his breath ghosted out nervously. He wondered briefly what the man’s necessity was for wearing such layers, seeing as how there was no sun in sight to defend himself from. The man looked at his hands as well, not quite meeting Dulse’s eye, or even his direction.

Dulse did not blame him; after all, he was doing quite the same thing.

A few moments into their trek, and it was just the two of them now, far away from the fake-bearded man and the money Dulse had found himself giving him. He felt the need to cut through the silence, in some way, shape or form, so he finally cleared his throat. “I must ask you... are you having... um. Fun?”

#Off Course | waywardstxne #((why do i hc zossie as a more immature trucy wright))#((also im not saying dulse is an atheist or hates religion he literally just has no idea what to make of it))#ubr event

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overstalking · 8 years ago

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Another Wonderful Submission

Born From Dark Water

Based on the film ‘Song of the Sea’ and this ask: http://overstalking.tumblr.com/post/159215981404/genji-hanzo-and-zenyatta-with-a-selkie-so-how

The practice of self imposed solitude was a form of punishing himself just as much as it was for survival. Living the life of an exile and an assassin, he told himself that it was best not to allow any form of weakness like family or loved ones in his life that could only be exploited by his enemies later on. Anything that once resembled a chance of that, he either cut down or cast aside. Besides, a murderer like Hanzo Shimada had no right to hope for such things.

Once he and his brother Genji had reconciled along with fulfilling their duties at Overwatch, Hanzo fell into old habits despite his insistence to his brother that he had forgiven himself and moved on. That didn’t stop Genji from offering a place to stay in either Switzerland or Nepal should he need it; but being the proud man that he is, and not wanting to make his brother worry, Hanzo reassured him that he was fine and declined his offer every time.

During his travels, Hanzo found himself in a small safehouse on the edge of a small, craggy shore off the coast of Ireland. It was a small, drafty, stone cabin located where strong winds and thunderstorms occurred almost every other day, and isolated from the outside world… it was perfect. There, he found the time to live a quiet reclusive life with no burdens or responsibilities weighing him down and often spent his time meditating. Finding food was easy enough- given his skill with a bow and resourceful nature he sustained himself primarily on the abundant salmon from the nearby river, rabbit and deer in the forest, and a small garden for herbs and vegetables he grew just on the edge of the forest behind the house. The few times he would venture into the nearest town, which was miles away, it was to shop for supplies he otherwise couldn’t gather or create on his own. He only really socialized with the older locals who ran the shops, and that was limited to mainly small talk where he started to pick up Irish Gaelic.

Genji would send packages of small comforts from home on his birthday and around the winter holidays- large boxes of tea, a few bottles of saké, some other small treats and a handwritten letter along with a sparrow feather attached to a photo of him and either Zenyatta or Angela. It warmed Hanzo’s heart to know that his brother was doing well and thinking of him.

The rural countryside was rife with myths and tales of fae folk and other creatures from old times. At first, Hanzo chalked it up to superstitions and stories derived from old tradition much like that of gods and yōkai from his own homeland. He remembered a story his father told him once about the Namahage that would visit their castle and punish lazy or naughty children on New Year’s Eve so that he and his brother would behave. Once they grew older and realized that Namahage were just grown men dressed up in costumes, however, the tale lost its’ effect on them.

Still, he stuck around for the tales that the old shopkeepers would share after they would close their shops and go to the pub before heading home.

“You live in that little shack near the sea, is that right?”

“I do, yes.”

“Ah… so, lookin’ for a selkie bride, is it?”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t tell me ya haven’t heard the tale of the selkie?!”

“I have not.”

“Oh, fer the love of- Moira! Flaherty! Our Japanese friend here doesn’t know what a selkie is!”

“So? Leave him be, James. An’ don’t go fillin’ his head with some old stories!”

“Bah!” scoffed James, as he brushed his hand at them dismissively. The old man moved closer to Hanzo’s side of the table and leaned in, almost like a schoolchild about to tell a dark secret and whispered to him.

“Alright, here’s what you do, friend- you to the sea an’ shed seven tears into the water. Seven, no more no less. Once you do that, it’ll summon a selkie an’ then, you’ll have to steal her coat.”

“Why?”

“Because, once a selkie has lost their coat, she’ll have to agree to be your bride.”

James put his arm around Hanzo’s shoulder.

“Handsome young lad like you… doesn’t make much sense you don’t have at least someone in your life. Jus’ try it, son. An’ hey, if nothin’ happens, well then I’m just an old fool havin’ the craic!”

“Dad? C’mon it’s time to go.”, James’ daughter, Aoife approached the two at the table to bring her father home. She was a beautiful woman in her mid 30′s, and medium length red hair… She was also happily married with three children. She ran the flower shop and took care of her father after his wife died, and would always greet Hanzo with a courteous smile.

When the two leave out of earshot, Hanzo overhears Moira at the bar sigh while cleaning the bar.

“Poor old James… don’t go weeping in the ocean for a fairy tale, Hanzo; he just likes tellin’ stories. Gives him a reason to get out of the house since his wife’s died, you see. He’s pushin’ 95 this year now, an’ his mind’s goin’ downhill. So don’t mind it.”

It’s true that James was among the oldest residents in town and in declining health, so Hanzo brushed it aside as nothing more than a lonely old man telling a story. Then again, maybe it wasn’t all crazy- Hanzo and his brother both had power over ancient spirit dragons for god’s sake! Maybe this island had some forgotten magic of it’s own, after all.

The next couple days, Hanzo went on with his life and thought nothing about his old friends’ story. Then, he started to notice just how many seals would congregate on the rocks near his house; but he reasoned that it was most likely because of the abundant amount of fish and sunlight in that spot that was ideal for relaxing.

Then he thought more about what James had said- how ‘a handsome young lad like him’ truly has no one to share his life with. Hanzo never paid it any mind until someone brought it up. Genji was always more charming and likeable than him in their youth, so he just accepted that. He expected that he’d have to go along with an arranged marriage like his father, have some children, and live his life as the head of the clan. But life has a way of making other plans, since he had to cut his brother down after their father died, his entire world had fallen apart, and he had to find a way to start life all over again.

One day, after meditating on the beach, he stood up and walked closer to the ocean. The waves had started to lap at his feet and he stopped when he was about knee deep in the water. He thought about everything all at once- his brother, the clan, his parents, the life he left behind. For years he was hellbent on a constant search for redemption. And through it all, what did he have to show for it? For his sacrifice, his time in Overwatch? What will his legacy be?… Will anyone remember him when he’s gone? Would anyone accept and love him after all he’s done? Does he even deserve that?

The tears he didn’t even know he had been holding inside had started to fall.

One,

A sob

Two,

Three

He starts to weep

Four,

Five,

Then, finally… bawling

Six,

Seven

He falls to his knees and cries into his arm, hiding his shame from the rest of the world.

Once he calmed down, he made his way back to the cabin to go change out of his soaked clothes. He looked around and noticed that the seagulls and waves had gone quiet and that’s when saw something moving off to the side on the rocks nearby.

He saw a figure draped in what looked like a long, dark, iridescent, fur coat. He watched her as she shed and laid on top of it while she lounged on the rocks, with a content smile on her face and her naked body basking in the sunlight. She was the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

An all powerful sense of longing crashed into him like a tidal wave; he never wanted to get close to someone so much in his life. He doesn’t know what possessed him to walk over to her right then and there, throwing any sense of caution or apprehension to the wind. Once his footsteps hit the sand, she shot up and immediately turned to face him, clutching at the coat covering her body. He froze, and for the longest time they said nothing; just stared at each other, waiting for a response and wondering what the other’s one’s next move might be.

He was close enough now to get a good look at her- her hair was long, her skin was a cool tone, and her eyes were dark, clear, and blue like the ocean. He reached a hand out and slowly approached her. She lowered herself from her rock and started to walk towards him. He stepped back, almost afraid of her at first, then froze again. When she got close enough, she gently placed a hand on his cheek and traced her fingers along his jawline. He noticed that her skin felt cool to the touch and shivered when he felt her fingers travel down the sinews of his neck and along his collarbone. Through the fabric of his shirt, he could feel the gentle press of her palm over his heartbeat.

The lives of humans had piqued a deep curiosity in her. Each day they would meet at the same spot, and over time, they had begun to learn more about one another. He taught her how to use a bow, while she taught him how to swim and catch salmon with his hands. He told her all about his home and life on the surface. He even cast aside his fear of embarrassment and showed her the fisherman’s dance from his homeland, which amused her greatly.

The first time Hanzo invited her to his home, she tried saké for the first time. Much to her naivety, she drank too much too fast, and Hanzo soon followed. Before long, inhibitions were thrown aside, their faces glowed, and their bellies were full of laughter and warmth from the alcohol. They were sitting on the sofa by the fire when she climbed on top of him and softly brushed her lips against his, then wrapped her arms over his shoulders to hold him close. The kiss deepened and he held their bodies flush together, his hands taking in every curve, almost worried she might slip away if he let go.

“Stay with me… please.” he whispered into the crook of her neck

Her voice was filled with sorrow,

“I- I can’t.”

His kisses trailed down her collarbone to her sternum,

“You will never want for anything… I can take care of you.”

He paused to look up at her reverently, waiting for a reply,

“Please…”

She had a sad look in her eyes, and then perked up when she thought of an idea.

“A year. I will stay with you for a year. If I’m unhappy, by the time a year has passed, I go back to the sea.”

Hanzo shed tears of joy and wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her into another deep kiss,

“I guess I will have to make you happy, then…”

The legend says that selkies make great wives, but their hearts will always have a powerful longing for the sea. So in order to keep his new wife happy, he purchased the property along with the cottage on the shore where they had found each other. In the morning, he could find her wading in the shallow water looking up at the sky before dawn. This was her time, so he gave her space and stood in the doorway while they both watched the sun come up. During restless nights, she would lay his head down on her lap and sing songs to him while brushing her fingers through his hair as he drifted off to sleep. He fell more in love with her with every passing day.

He bought clothes for her- thick wool sweaters and coats to keep her warm, and light breathable yukatas for warmer days to wear around the house. She loved the intricate patterns of flowers and clouds that were dyed onto the fabric in vibrant colors of all shades; but her most favorite was a dark kimono he gifted her with water lilies that shone bright shades of blue, green, and purple in the black silk when pointed at the sunlight.

The first night they made love was filled with as much nervous but impassioned hesitation as one might expect. Hanzo trailed his warm hands to calm the gooseflesh creeping up on her shoulders and left soft kisses in his wake. She arched her back when his mouth found her breasts and he suckled and rolled his tongue against the small hardened peak and repeated his attention onto the other side. He moved down her body and nestled his head between her legs, holding her hips in place and taking his time. She combed through his air and let out a soft moan when his lips and tongue found the delicate bundle of nerves and brought her closer to the edge all while lavishing her with praises.

He crawled up between her legs and she turned him over so that she was on top of him. She straddled his hips, and teased him briefly by grinding him against her folds then he slowly moved inside. She rolled her hips against him in a slow rhythm, having complete control of the pace. He looked up at her adoringly, then flipped over and started becoming more wild and erratic with his thrusts. She arched up against him and dragged her nails down his back when he hit all the right spots. He held her body close and spread kisses up and down the crook of her neck, whispering soft praises and love into her ear. She cried out when she came and felt a warmth spread as he finished inside her.

Afterwards, they held each other and whispered sweet nothings while he inhaled the ocean’s scent in her hair as she nuzzled into his chest and her fingers traced the lines of his elaborate tattoo. Every night thereafter, he could taste the saltwater on her skin.

He tried burning the coat. Once; on a night after they had been arguing when he was sure that she would find it and run away. He threw it into the fire while she was sleeping, and a minute later he heard a godawful shriek of pain coming from upstairs. She was writhing on the bed and the skin on her arms had started turning a angry and violent red. He put two and two together and rushed back downstairs to pull the coat out and stomp out the fire. He never bothered asking for forgiveness, knowing in his heart he didn’t deserve it, so he expressed his apology through his actions: applying salve to the burns on her skin, dressing her wounds every day, and holding her close every night. From then on, he kept the coat folded neatly in a large lacquered box under the floorboards of the house and never lashed out at her again.

A few weeks later, she had started becoming nauseous at certain smells and vomiting. Hanzo was worried that it was a side effect of her being stuck on land for too long, thinking that she might need to return to the ocean or she’ll die. Turns out, it was morning sickness.

Hanzo was elated at the news, and so was she. They were going to start a family! He brought her into town to shop for baby clothes and furniture, never once leaving her side. James and Aoife were curious about his new wife, having never seen her before in their small tight knit community.

“Where are you from, dear?” Aoife asked innocently

“She’s a selkie, darlin’, I already told ya!”

“Hush, dad!”

James pulls Hanzo to the side while Aoife helped his wife pick out some baby clothes.

“So, it worked, did it?! I knew it! The stories couldn’t’ve all been shite! How’d you do it? How’s life been for her on the surface? She doing alright?”

“James, although we are friends, I would appreciate it if you did not ask such outlandish questions about my new wife. They were only stories, old friend, nothing more.”

Hanzo felt bad for dismissing his old friend, especially since he was right; and James was noticeably hurt by this.

“Alright. Y’know…”

His once jovial expression suddenly grew dark and a grave seriousness was brought out in his tone.

“I’m not mad, boy. My wife Fiona may be gone, but I know a selkie when I see one! Their home is the sea, you know; an’ bless you for living close by, but it’s not the same to them. Once I gave my wife back her coat, she was gone for seven years! But in life, my Fiona was happy and she could come and go to the sea as she chose. It wasn’t until our Aoife was in primary school that she saw her for the first time and decided to stay. You can’t keep her from her home like that without at least giving her a choice! I saw the red marks on her arms… If a selkie’s coat is harmed, they can feel it. Don’t tell me you tried to burn her coat, lad?!”

Hanzo didn’t like being confronted, and he could kill the old man right then and there if they weren’t out in public. The fact that this man knew more than he let on brought out old impulses in Hanzo of wanting to tie up loose ends and how he would do away with a ‘problem’ like this in his old life. But he was a new man now, a good one; and he didn’t want to risk losing the happy life that he was about to have with his wife and child. He only snapped out of his incensed rage when his wife walked over to them.

“Hanzo?”

He almost jolted when she touched his arm.

“Yes? What is it, love?”

“Aoife and I are done shopping. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, beloved; I’m fine.”, he reassured her as he kissed her forehead.

He put his arm around her shoulder and the two started walking to their car. When his wife was out of earshot, he quickly walked over to James while Aoife was talking on the phone to her husband. Hanzo leaned forward then shot a look at James with his eyes full of hatred, and gave him a warning:

“Don’t ever talk to me or my wife again.”

Soon enough, Hanzo and his wife had set up a makeshift nursery in their tiny home, filled with clothes, toys, a changing station, and a canopy crib surrounded by a painted mural of the ocean.

There was a hurricane on the night she went into labor. The contractions had started and she clutched onto her stomach. Because of the weather, it was impossible to bring her to the hospital or call a doctor. While Hanzo ran upstairs to get medicine and the bed ready for an impromptu at-home birth, she slowly staggered out of their home and into the storm.

“I’m sorry”

He ran after her. They got separated when a tree was struck by lightning and fell over, blocking his path. Once he found another way around, he frantically searched the woods and shore until her cries gave way to the sound of the howling wind and roaring thunder. He kept trying to call out to her until his throat was raw and he could no longer make out her footprints in the sand. And in his grief he fell to his knees; the howl he let out was not human.

When the storm cleared the next morning, his exhausted and disheveled body remained in place, too despondent from the night before. His gaze was downcast and empty, staring off into the horizon but focusing on nothing in particular. There was a sound of something lumbering towards him, but he paid it no mind. Then he felt a tug as a bull seal bit down and pulled at him on his pant leg. Once the seal got his attention it started moving its body like an excited dog towards inland, down to where the sea joins with the river. He stood up and decided to follow the creature as it dove back into the water and occasionally lifted its head to turn and make sure he was still following behind.

The seal led him to a grotto a few hundred feet from where he last saw her footprints wash away on the edge of the river. He crept into the small cave and there, laying on her side at the edge of the water, was his wife. Her hair clung to the shape of her form, the dark color giving off the impression of her coat and a small pool of blood gathered at her lower half that trailed down into the water. Her skin was sickly white and pale, and to his relief he saw that she was alive, but barely- her body shivering weakly from the cold.

He rushed over to her side and held her close, kissing her forehead and rocking her back and forth.

“I’m sorry… she needed… the water…”

“Shh shh shh it’s alright, I’m here…”

She turned around to face him and in her arms was their newborn daughter- contentedly nursing at her breast while wrapped up in her own little white fur coat.

#hanzo #yandere overwatch

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