#i've been struggling with how to make my voice heard or what kind of impression to leave

[fellthemarvelous]

Deny. Defend. Depose.

It is clear to those of us that live in America, the only people we truly have on our side are ourselves. The ruling class has made it clear we don't matter to them.

Luigi Mangione was arrested and happened to have every single piece of evidence on him that law enforcement was looking for, including the parts for the ghost gun, inside his backpack (that he also got rid of in Central Park containing the Monopoly money???). Either he was trying to get caught or that evidence was planted. And when he was being forcefully pushed into the jail, he hollered back to the press about "injustice" and "being an insult to the intelligence of American citizens and our lived experiences."

The people have now turned against corporate America and the CEOs and billionaires are fucking terrified. Nothing the news stations are saying to us are changing our minds. The American people have finally united over this issue and there is no going back for us. Whoever did kill Brian Thompson (and theories abound on the game The Adjuster is playing because no one plays Monopoly alone) exposed the very real divide that exists between every day citizens and the extremely wealthy. Things were easier for them to control when they were able to divide us, but now that we are aware of how uncertain our future is in America and seeing just how little we matter to the people who take our money, we have realized that we have more in common with each other than the people who control every aspect of our lives. We are waking up.

There isn't one person in this country who hasn't been a victim to the predatory scam that is private health insurance. Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in America, and many of us are one ambulance ride or hospital stay away from homelessness. We all know people who have died because the insurance company denied them the treatment they needed or waited until it was too late for an approval of a medical claim to matter anymore.

Recently, I decided to be tested for autism and ADHD. Not life-threatening or anything, but my life is still in shambles and I want to know if I'm going untreated for something else. Before being tested though, I was informed that the insurance company (Aetna) has said that they were going to cover the full cost of the testing I was having (which was six hours of testing by the way). She even made sure several times that they were, in fact, going to cover it in full and they said yes.

The same day that Brian Thompson, CEO of another horrible healthcare company, was murdered in broad daylight, I received a call from that doctor's office with the woman telling me that Aetna was now telling her they never agreed to cover my testing and that they are going to bill me for $1600 (where the hell am I supposed to get that?) and she is fighting them, but considering our lives don't matter to the people who tell us what healthcare we are and are not allowed to receive, I don't think they will feel compelled to change their minds because they are bloodsucking parasites who only care about lining their pockets while I don't even have $6 lying around, let alone $1600!!

Corporate America leeches off our taxes. They take and take and take and we see nothing in return. They raise prices on insurance coverage and then deny us the very coverage that we pay for. They poison our food, price gouge our poisoned food, and then force us to pay for the treatment we get when the food makes us sick. Corporate America profits off of our hard work, our taxes, our health, our lives, our deaths.

I don't know if this will reach a larger audience or not, but I wanted to talk about it on Tumblr because this platform seems to be a crossroads for every type of creative soul. I initially brought up this idea on TikTok earlier, but I want to see if it can get traction in other places as well since I have fewer than 3,000 followers on TikTok (and I have seen a small few express interest in my idea in the hours since I posted the video.)

We're busy being lectured by politicians and the news media because while they are clutching their pearls at what happened to Brian Thompson, the rest of us do not give one single flying fuck about what happened to him. As CEO of a for-profit health insurance company, he signed off on denied claims and death for those of us who struggle to make it from one day to the next. The sicker you are, the poorer you are, the more they force you to struggle and pay. The love to deny coverage because regardless of whether we live or die, they already have the money we are forced to pay them.

I don't condone murder at all, but I also don't care that he was murdered because he was guilty of murdering so many more people in this country through legal means because it's profitable. The CEOs are scared and there are wanted posters with their names and faces popping up in places. Every CEO of every healthcare company is guilty of murdering Americans and they continue to go unpunished for it because "it's just business".

So (if you've read this far) all of this previous rambling is to say that I keep thinking about how I want to make an impression. I want to continue upsetting the billionaires and the CEOs because corporate America is full of murderers who are legally allowed to decide whether we live or die based on which outcome will give them more money.

I have thought about the idea of creating a wall/constructing a wall somewhere as an art piece or something (making a statement) that will somehow honor the memory of people who died because insurance denied them care.

I know I definitely want it to say something along the lines of "In memory of those murdered by for-profit healthcare systems in corporate America". Something blatant. Loud. Something they are forced to look at every single day. Somehow. The wall could have images of those who are gone, or names of the person who died with the name of the insurance company responsible for their death underneath. Just something to make it clear that we see them for what they are. Something to avenge those who were sacrificed so billionaires and CEOS and shareholders could brag about record profits. Something that shows the whole world that American citizens are waking up to who the real monsters are.

The Adjuster (whoever he is or is not) has fanned the flames of revolution in America. He managed to unite us in a way I can't even recall before. It's not over. We know what happened to Brian Thompson was just the beginning, and corporate America only just now realized how much we actually hate them. A single shooter has sparked an awakening in America that is starting to snowball into something much bigger.

So if there is anyone out there who might be interested in collaborating on something like this, please let me know. I know we are all tired and demoralized and we have no money. I want to make a statement though, and I love doing that through art or writing. Collaborating with other people who have been through this same shit will also probably help us unite even more.

This is a watershed moment in American history.

In the words of Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight,

"There is a future for us. One where we're all free. But it's up to us to make it happen."

[chubbypotatoepie]

Lily’s War (Chapter 5)

Summary: SOE Agent Lily Darlington is unexpectedly demoted from her position and offered a life changing opportunity to become the first female Paratrooper in US history?

Pairing: TBD - The suspense is part of the fun, no?

Warnings: Mentions of violence, language

A/N: Chapter 5!

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Camp Toccoa, 1942.

The drizzle outside had turned the Toccoa countryside into a muddy mess. Inside the crowded bunkhouse, the air was thick with a mix of cigarette smoke and the pungent aroma of wet wool. The men of Easy Company lounged on their bunks, nursing their aliments, exhausted from a day of drills and exercises, their ears still ringing from Sobel’s screeching. The incident at the combat drill was still fresh in everyone's minds, the men sat on their cots, eyeing each other with a mix of confusion and suspicion, their usual gambling and shit-talking pushed aside for the evening. Only Luz seemed genuinely impressed, nursing his jaw where he had taken an accidental elbow from Randleman during the scuffle.

"What the hell just happened out there?" Joe Toye grumbled, fighting his lighter for a flame as he sat on his bunk, his wet hair dripping onto his shoulders.

"No idea. But Lieb sure got his ass handed to him," Perconte added, throwing Toye a pack of matches as he passed, still trying to process what he'd witnessed.

Guarnere, ever the cynic, rolled his eyes. “Ain’t no way I just watched some dame outfight Liebgott. Makes no fuckin’ sense.” 

Cobb, unnoticed in the doorway, listened intently. He had a habit of lurking around other bunkhouses, craving a sense of camaraderie he struggled to find in his own. His eyes, ever watchful, focused on the animated discussion as he puffed away on a cigarette.

Webster, unlaced his boots and kicked them to the side before glancing over at Luz, sat half on, half off his cot shuffling a pack of cards, grinning to himself like a Cheshire Cat. “Well you’re best friends with the girl Luz, care to enlighten us on what just went down.” 

Luz looked up at the men staring in his direction. “What the hell should I know?” He said shrugging his shoulders. Webster was right that he was friends with Redcoat, but as for what just took place, he was just as baffled as the rest of the men. 

Randleman chuckled, taking a drag from his cigarette. ‘All I know is that Girl’s got some moves. Reminds me of a wildcat, unpredictable, shifty.” 

“Alright country boy, All I’m saying is I ain’t never seen a dame fight like that, taking down Liebgott like he was a rag doll,” Gaurnere mumbled. 

Malarkey, nursing a bruised ego after being taken down himself, scoffed, "Yeah, but how does a girl like her learn to fight like that? Ain't natural, if you ask me.”

Cobb, seizing the opportunity to contribute to the conversation, spoke up from the doorway. "I heard she's almost outshooting Shifty. What kind of girl can shoot like that?” The mention of her marksmanship prowess added another layer of intrigue to the already mysterious woman. The men exchanged puzzled glances, each grappling with their theories about her background and abilities.

“Yeah, and where the hell d'you hear that?” Toye replied, his eyes rolling in disbelief, barely looking in Cobbs's direction. 

“Spiers.” He replied, matter of factly. “Maybe she’s a German spy, sent to sabotage us from the inside,” Cobb suggested, his voice low and conspiratorial.

The room fell silent as the suggestion hung in the air. The men exchanged uneasy glances, the idea taking root in their minds.

"A spy? Jeez, Cobb, that's a bit far-fetched," Malarkey scoffed. 

"Think about it," Cobb insisted. "She just shows up out of nowhere, none of us know a damn thing about her. Almost outshooting Shifty, Liebgott getting his ass handed to him?”

"I've been shooting since I was a kid, and she was giving me a run for my money,” Shifty mentioned, shuffling his hands in his lap. “But I’m not saying she’s a spy or anything.” He shot his hands up in defense. 

The bunkhouse was filled with a charged atmosphere, discomfort and suspicion swirling like a storm. 

"Maybe she's some kind of martial arts expert," Perconte suggested, trying to rationalize what they had witnessed. "You know, like those Japs with their karate stuff.”

The tension was broken by Jonny Martin shoulder passing Cobb as he made his way into the bunkhouse, giving him a shifty look as he passed, soaked through from the rain.

 “Who died?” He said pointedly, uncomfortable by the silence from the usually rambunctious group.

“Liebgott’s dignity.” Cobb scoffed from behind him.

Martin’s eyebrows raised in response. “Yeah, I just came from that way, had to help hold Liebgott down while they popped his arm back in. Could hear Sobel chewing her out from a mile off. He said shaking his head at the thought. 

As the conversation lingered, Cobb slipped away from the doorframe, leaving the men to contemplate the enigma that had entered their ranks. In the world of war, where every secret held potential danger, the bunkhouse at Camp Toccoa became a hub of suspicion and curiosity, its occupants unwittingly drawn into a web of unanswered questions about the girl who had just proven herself more than a match for Liebgott.

— -

The flickering light from the film projector cast shadows on the walls of the dimly lit hut as the men gathered for an evening of official training films lecturing the men on the importance of hygiene. The echoes of Liebgott's disgruntled mumbles still lingered in the air, the atmosphere around the men was tense, a mixture of confusion accompanied by an undercurrent of suspicion surrounding the outsider. The War Department’s attempt at a Nickelodeon droned on as Lily sat amongst the rabble, her eyes rolling at the notion that grown men needed instruction on basic cleanliness, her expression one of amused bewilderment. 

As the film extolled the virtues of regular showers, Lily couldn't help but mutter under her breath to Luz, “This is ridiculous. What’s next, a tutorial on how to tie their boots?” 

Luz chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. "You'd be surprised what some of these guys need to be reminded of.”

Their hushed conversation didn't escape the notice of Cobb, who sat in the row behind. Always on the lookout for an opportunity to needle Lily, he leaned in between the pair and smirked, "Well, Redcoat, maybe some folks need these lessons more than others. I've never seen you in the showers, you know.”

She turned slowly to face the man. ”Perhaps that's because I like to keep an air of mystery, Cobb. I’d rather run Currahee with Sobel strapped to my back than have to shower within ten feet of you.” Her eyes squinting as she smirked to match him. 

Cobb's face reddened in embarrassment, and he retorted, "You think you're clever, don't you? Just wait till you're out there in the real action, sweetheart.” He said, folding his arms as he slunk back into his seat. Dissatisfied with the exchange, Cobb grumbled to Toye, "She's always got some smart-ass comment.” 

A sshhh was aimed at Cobb from further down the row, his head whipped back and forth to find the culprit. “I’m just saying, I ain't ever seen her in the showers.” He voiced to an uninterested Toye again.

Shifty sighed, lighting up a cigarette before he answered the man. "You see, Cobb, Sobel don’t let her shower with the rest of us. Makes her wait until the coast is clear.” 

Cobb's annoyance deepened. "What? Why does she get special treatment?”

“Why the hell do you care?” Toye responded, not even bothering to look in Cobb’s direction, seemingly more interested in the virtues of regular sock changes over the small man’s problem. Sensing his wall, Cobb whispered something to Liebgott, still nursing his shoulder as he replied, muttering something unintelligible, and the conversation moved on as the training film continued to play. Unbeknownst to Lily, whispers circulated among those who had overheard the conversation. Lily, caught in the crossfire of prejudice and resentment, became the unwitting target of a brewing storm within the ranks. The shadows of contention stretched across the hut, setting the stage for a night that would test the fragile bonds of brotherhood.

— - 

The bathhouse at Camp Toccoa was a modest structure, a refuge for the trainees to wash away the grime of the day and the bruises of training. Lily stood alone in the quiet, having waited patiently for the usual post-training rush to subside. The air was thick with the lingering scent of soap and damp towels. She couldn't help but smirk at the thought that, perhaps, the men had indeed learned something from the training film, given that they had taken double their usual time in the showers, accompanied by the water fogging over and dripping from the unending row of mirrors.

She surveyed her reflection in the foggy mirror, her eyes drawn to the bruises adorning her face like paint. A particularly nasty shiner, courtesy of Liebgott's unyielding fist during the hand-to-hand combat drill, dominated the canvas. She sighed, tracing her fingers across the swollen skin, wincing as she met the peak, not broken-thank God, but not great either. Her hands moved up to the braided bun that sat at the nape of her neck, eager to relive the tension headache stemming from it. The pins holding it in place dinged on the sink as she shook out her long hair, allowing it to fall around her shoulders. Lily threaded her fingers through the dark brunette strands, massaging her scalp as she went. It had been tempting once or twice to cut it short and mimic the men in that regard, hell it would make her life a lot easier, however, she couldn’t quite bring herself to reach for the clippers. 

She pushed herself off the sink and made her way over to the shower, her body ached to stand under the hot water and wash the day away. The showers had become some sort of sanctuary for her. Sobel’s attempt at keeping her at arm's length from the men was playing to her benefit. It was the only place in the entire camp where she could be alone, a space to think, to remind herself why she joined, she craved the solace it provided. 

She hung her towel on the hook outside the stall, reaching in to turn the hot water on before stepping in and allowing the hot stream to drench her body, the rhythmic patter of droplets echoed in the tiled hut, a stark contrast to the eerie silence that hung in the air. Lily couldn’t remember a time she had showered without her PT uniform still on - a precautionary measure, better to be safe than sorry she thought. She watched as the water blended her shirt with her skin, her underwear with her dirt-speckled legs. As she placed her head back beneath the water, she sensed a shift in the air - a subtle change that pricked at her instincts, unable to shake the feeling that something was amiss. 

She halted, her breath shallow, straining to hear any out-of-place noise. The air seemed to thicken as the steam filled the hut, she could barely make out the muted sound of a boot squeaking on the tile floor. Before she could react, a sudden blow shot through the shower curtain and struck her side, knocking her against the shower wall. Lily gasped, pain shooting through her ribs. The dim light blurred through the shower curtain barely revealing two dark figures closing in on her. Dread set in as she realized she had been followed. The tension that had lingered since she arrived had erupted into something more sinister. The echoes of their footsteps mixed with the rhythmic pounding of the water against the tiles, created a disorienting symphony of violence. She could feel the oppressive confinement of the bathhouse closing in around her, her training instincts drowned out by the brutal reality of the ambush.

The second blow came quickly, a fist struck the side of her head, the force knocking her back against the cold, tiled wall. Lily gasped for air, her ribs protesting the impact. Before she could recover, another blow landed, this time to her stomach, doubling her over. The shadows seemed to close in, the scent of soap mixing with the metallic tang of blood. The main instigator, a burly soldier, led the charge. His accomplice, hesitant but spurred on by misplaced loyalty, flanked him. As they closed in, Lily's muscles tensed.

In the disorganized struggle, Lily managed to dodge the next blow, sliding further down the wall and jutting out her right leg from where she was slumped over, connecting with the right assailant's midsection as he moved in. However, before she could capitalize on the momentary advantage, the reality of her outnumbered position became painfully clear as her attackers overpowered her, grabbing her and hauling her out of the stall. As Lily’s abdomen took another blow, recognition flashed across the face of one of her assailants, followed by shock.

"You didn't say it was the girl!" He hissed, his initial aggression giving way to disbelief as his grip on the girl loosened. 

The main assailant didn’t hesitate with his next blow, his fist connecting with the bruise already given to her that day by Liebgott, unfazed by the soldier's protest.

Cornered and outnumbered, Lily attempted to fight back with every ounce of strength she could muster. Yet, the confined space of the bathhouse restricted her movements, turning the struggle into a nightmarish dance where every move felt like a step closer to defeat. A vicious blow to her leg sunk Lily to the floor, her knees giving out beneath her. As the blows rained down, Lily's fingers groped for anything that could turn the tide. A boot, a towel, anything. Her heart stopped as her eyes landed on a speck of glitter, her fingers erratically slapped the floor in search, until they closed around what felt like an accidentally discarded razor under the sink, its cool metal offering a fleeting sense of hope. In a desperate bid for survival, Lily flung her body over, her arm carving through the air looking for her assailants. A guttural cry mixed with the sounds of struggle emanated from behind her as she slashed back, a momentary disruption in the violent ballet. However, the respite was short-lived. Her victim, blinded by rage, retaliated with a singular savage blow that sent Lily crashing against the hard, tiled shower wall. The impact reverberated through her skull, and the world blurred into a disorienting mosaic of pain and darkness. As Lily's consciousness waned, the bathhouse echoed with the retreating footsteps of the men, leaving only the oppressive silence of betrayal and brutality. The steam lingered like a shroud over the scene, and the shadows, now stained with the taste of vengeance, swallowed the fallen girl in a world where loyalty had been twisted into something unrecognizable.

— - 

“You ain’t got no poker face Perconte.” George Luz jeered, leaning back on his stool as he tossed another coin onto the growing pile. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, radio-boy.” He replied, checking his cards for the third time. “I’m gonna take all your money, and then your girls tonight at the bar.”

“Sure about that, but you’re down an ace and you’ve got two 7’s & a 4 so I don’t know how you’re planning on turning that around.” 

“What the hell!? You’re cheating!” Perconte erupted, throwing his cards onto the cot as he shot up from his seat.

“I can see your cards in the window reflection dumbass.” Luz laughed, leaning back on his chair, puffing away at a lucky strike. 

The commotion caught the attention of Martin, the tip of his rifle glinting in the dim light, who shot a stern look at the bickering duo. “Shut up already, would ya? You got loud mouths on you.” He grumbled, trying to maintain focus on his polishing. Toye, lounging on his bunk, engrossed in a comic book added, “Yeah, I’m trying to read here, take your damn argument outside.”

The barracks erupted into chaos as insults flew across the room. Amidst the turmoil, the bunkhouse door swung open, almost unnoticed. Perconte, ready to fire back at Toye, fell silent, his gaze fixed on a young figure making her way up into the bunkhouse. 

“What the hell?” Perconte whispered, one arm still pointed at Toye, the other gripping the bed frame he had been attempting to climb over, perched half on, half off the ground. 

The room fell into a hush as the battered figure passed by them. Dripping wet, she silently made her way toward her cot at the rear of the bunkhouse, her eyes fixed forward, ignoring the confused and pained expressions on the faces of the men as she passed. 

Liebgott’s trademark smirk vanished as his eyes fell upon the injuries that marred Lily’s face and body. “Jesus Christ.” Escaped from his lips before he even realized it.

She locked eyes with him as she passed, sending a shiver through him. Her eyes were haunting, both bloodshot red, the left curtained by a deep purple crescent-shaped bruise that was split open at the tip, and a wet trail of blood oozed its way down her reddened cheek. Joe’s eyes trailed a droplet of blood as it fell from a jaunty slit in her eyebrow. She made no attempt to blink it away, staring into him as it pooled into her wet lashes. 

He felt his breath hitch as she stopped at the base of his cot, his hands tensed in his pockets and his usual smirk was nowhere to be seen. It was only seconds, perhaps just one, perhaps it was two, but to Joe, it felt like hours, his eyes scanned her as he waited. Her clothes were soaked through, with both water and blood. It clung to her figure like a whisper, revealing the lines of her body, her arms, her chest, her waist. His eyes dropped, fixing on an unsettling mark, a vivid testament to her encounter. A red-orange bloodstain, once bold and intense, now transformed into a disconcerting hue as it mingled with the damp fabric, it betrayed a muted vibrancy, creating an unappealing palette of rusty tones against the stark white backdrop of her shirt, telling a silent story. She couldn’t help but feel uneasy as his eyes took in the spectacle before him, the silence between them disturbed by the slow drip of her diluted blood onto the floorboards between them. His eyes moved up to meet hers, noticing the staggered rise and fall of her chest as she breathed through her pain. She took one last look up at the man, before walking back towards her bunk. 

An uncomfortable tension hung in the air as the subsequent moments unfolded with disquieting ease. The room bore witness to a palpable weight, settling like a thick fog, as the men, observed in silent contemplation. The battered girl, a resilient figure despite her injuries, delicately moved to slide off her jump boots at the bedside. As she gingerly bent over, a wince etched across her face, George Luz felt the urge to move, to say something. Yet, his words remained unspoken, caught in his throat, as he watched in wide-eyed confusion. 

“Luz” Her voice broke through the silence, grabbing the attention of every man in the room. 

“Luz” She repeated, herself, her voice strained as she stared at the radioman. 

“Uh, yeah, yeah, what do you need?” He hesitated, taking in a deep breath as he waited for her reply. 

“A shirt.”

“Um, yeah, I’ve got you, I can do that.” Luz pushed past Perconte and started riffling through his trunk in search of a clean shirt, muttering to himself as he did. Once secured, he stood up, his eyes meeting those of Bull Randleman’s both seemingly searching each other’s for a level of understanding of what they were seeing. With a head jerk from Bull, he walked over to the girl, placing it on the bed next to her, watching her peel off her shirt, a sharp intake of breath escaped her as it moved over her fresh wound.

As the shirt slid away, it revealed an intricate tapestry of marks. The men traced their path, some fresh, some seemingly older. As the extent of her wounds emerged, the atmosphere bore witness to a sobering reality. The air seemed to tighten with a peculiar mix of discomfort, shame, and sudden awareness. The men found their eyes trailing down her body, landing at the large pronounced scar on her abdomen, Luz could feel his heartbeat in his hands as he stood next to her. The fusion of her wounds and the unveiling of her femininity momentarily disrupted their comfort, and a sense of collective venerability permeated the room. 

The hallowed silence lingered, pregnant with unspoken thoughts and emotions, as the men grappled not solely with the reality of her injuries, but with the realization that beneath the uniform and the battlefield they were to share, there existed a woman with an intricate narrative - a narrative that now unfolded before them, leaving them suspended in a moment where the boundaries between soldier and woman, ally and stranger, blurred into an uneasy alliance of shared humanity. 

Randleman was the first to move, exchanging a glance with Guarnere, a silent understanding passed between them. They rose from their seats across the bunkhouse simultaneously, their expressions almost unreadable, a mix of concern and an underlying anger that simmered just beneath the surface. Lily, still standing by her bunk, felt the weight of their intrigue as they approached her. 

Bull, jaw clenched, spoke first. “You gonna tell us what this is?” His head loomed over hers, the perspective making her feel even smaller than usual. 

Lily sniffed in response, her eyes focused on finding the opening to the shirt. “I’m fine.” She replied, her head fixed downwards. Her voice held a fragile quality, desperately trying to maintain a facade of indifference. 

“Don’t look fine to me.” Guarnere cut in, his fists tightening in his pockets.

Lily remained stoic, silent. The room, buzzing with tension, held its breath as the trio engaged in a silent dance of unspoken words and palpable discomfort. 

“Then I fell.” She said halfheartedly, pulling the fresh shirt over her battered frame. The crisp white cotton was marked instantly by her wounds. 

“Like fuck you fell.” Guarnere moved closer to her, only to be stopped by a hand on his chest. 

“Go get Doc Bill,” Martin said pointedly, ignoring the look from the fired-up man, anger etched across his face. “Roe,” Martin spoke again, pointedly. 

Bull seized the opportunity before she could speak, “Roe’s gotta take a look at you. No arguments.” Lily’s resistance wavered as Bull’s stern gaze bore into hers. “If you won’t go willingly, I will pick you up and take you there myself, little bird.” His voice left no room for negotiation. 

Lily’s body was beginning to feel the weight of her injuries as she stood there, the adrenaline fading away. She wiped away at a trail of blood as it threatened to trickle into her eye, wincing at the bruise it lay against. Bull Randleman’s determination seemed unwavering, his gaze drilling into her. Finally, with a resigned nod, she gave in. The room’s oppressive silence persisted, only broken by the shuffling of feet and the sound of Martin issuing orders. 

— - 

The journey to the medical bay was solemn, tension and anger hung thick in the air. Bull reached out a supportive arm as they left sight of the bunkhouse, holding onto the girl with a tight grip. They walked silently, her steps slow and uneven, each footstep resonating with the gravity of the situation. 

She couldn’t help but wipe the trail of blood that was escaping her nose multiple times during the walk, her fingers staining a deeper shade of crimson each time. The mounting physical pain, combined with the emotional gravity had left her in a sweat of weary resignation. Yet, she remained quiet, occasionally glancing at the faces of the men escorting her, each carrying their own blend of anger and concern. 

Tag list:

@shakespear-picaso-lovechild @icantdecideofthename @this-harl0t-shant-be-unalive @weird-obsessed-girl

[flabby-flattie-fatties]

Can Eve tease a certain bunny secretary for her weight gain?

(Uffff, it's been a bit since I wrote something, but I'll do my best!)

The wind howled outside as the night brought with it a big storm. Aurora both loved and hated this kind of weather; in a way, it was quite relaxing and peaceful, however, on the other, it did mean that most of the electrical equipment at the HQ had malfunctioned, so she had to stay at home and take the day off. It was nice, yeah, but it annoyed her to no end that she had to take more time away from her research.

She laid down in bed, resting as best as she could, rubbing her stuffed gut after having nothing to do all day but indulge in the snacks that kept mysteriously showing up at her door.

She decided to close her eyes for a second, but then she heard the sounds of broken glasses in the kitchen. She tried to grab her wand, but she was simply too full to make such quick movements. She panicked as she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps inching closer and closer. With heavy determination, she grabbed her wand and shotout a blast of magic, one that hit nothing but her wall.

She looked around her room... It still looked the same, had she imagined it all? She still kept the wand close to her chest, but she slowly started to relax once more.

"Huhuhu, I never expected to find myself such a lovely Vastaya~”

A voice called out, making the poor bunny girl almost jump, her poor belly groaning in discomfort.

She quickly grabbed her wand and aimed, but there was nothing around.

She suddenly felt an immense pain on her legs, she watched a bulge under her covers grew larger, and larger, and larger; the bed sinking lower to the floor as the pressure on her legs was starting to become painful.

With a shaky hand, she slowly started to lift the covers... Only to find nothing there.

“Oh, your gluttony is simply delicious~”

She suddenly felt a pair of meaty hands exploring her body, her chest, her belly, her hips, they felt cold and lifeless, it was similar to a spirit but... Way more evil.

“W-Who are you" she managed to ask, her hands still shaking as they held her wand.

“Me? Oh, I've had so many names I kind of lost track. But the most common one is Evelynn; oh, but darling, I feel like I have known you all your life, please, call me Eve~"

Barely able to look behind her, Aurora could make out the shape of a purple woman, her face looked round and puffy, accompanied by a heavy double chin. Her body was obese beyond belief, it was a miracle she could move as fast as she could.

“What do you want... Eve?" She asked, taking aim at her body, with a target so big, there's no way she could miss.

“What do I want? Hmmm, excellent question. Well, I want you, or rather, more of you, my little bunny~"

Aurora fired but somehow missed. As she hopped out of bed, she noticed there wasn't anything there, in fact, Eve had somehow moved to the other side of her room.

“Impressive, isn't it? Trust me, I'm delighted by how weight affects people. How they struggle to move their bodies, so slow, so laboured, feeling so... Vulnerable, oh, sometimes I make myself feel like that, it's... So erotic. However, if I want to, I can be as light as a feather~" she smirked as the lights went out for a second, only for her to be standing on top of Aurora the next instant, barely even affecting her.

“What are you?" The bunny girl asked, still holding onto her wand.

“Me? I'm a demon, I thought that much was obvious. I used to feed off of pain and misery, oh, but one day I tasted gluttony. Oh, the delight I felt that night, I can almost still taste it. And you, my dear, have a gluttony that called me here.”

“G-Gluttony?”

“Don't be shy my dear, look at how you have grown in the last few months~ these round squishy cheeks, oh, they are even starting to bounce a little as you talk~

This perky chest, well, used to be perky, now it's starting to grow soft; bras are a pain aren't they dear? And you still don't have to deal with some of these~" Eve said as she shifted her body shape and her chest grew tenthfold

“Mmmm, this doughy belly, pushing out your clothes, so packed with treats and snacks, yet still so doughy. Oh, and let's not forget these meaty hips~ they say bunnies reproduce a lot, and trust me, you definitely have the child-bearing hips for it"

Eve said as she continued to rub her body, poking, jiggling, groping, kneading, licking her rolls as she slowly lifted her coat.

“S-Stop! I don't know who you are, but I'm sure there are better vessels of gluttony than me"

Eve smirked as the lights went out again. When they came back on, Aurora was in her bed with Eve laying on top of her, hands caressing her plump body while she shoveled treat after treat in her mouth

“There are indeed better vessels, but you have something I love. You deny your fate, you assure yourself that you won't be getting as fat as your bosses, that you will uncover the truth and save everyone. You have such high hopes, yet you still drown in gluttony.

Every treat you eat drowns you further. Every donut, every cupcake, every cookie, every slice of cake. All of it pushes you further over the edge. You're already such a greedy piggy, yet you scream that you aren't, you deny your fate, you tell yourself you will lose it, but that won't happen, will it?”

Eve said, caressing her cheek, leaning in to kiss her plushy lips, hands caressing her doughy hips. Aurora just couldn't resist; and worst of all, after each kiss, she could feel her body growing larger, fatter, heavier, more and more lethargic, each kiss made her be more and more at the mercy of her demon, all until she could barely see anything that wasn't Eve, just a wall of meat in every direction.

Gasping and sweating, Aurora took out her covers... It was all a dream, she was still the same plump bunny she had been the last few weeks... However, it all felt so real.

She stood up from her bed to wash her face, however, as she looked at herself on the mirror, she her face was completely covered with kisses. What really made her skin turn pale, was that the color of the lipstick was purple.

[fleshengine]

Woah you look really good on your tummy Tuesday post, how long have you been on HRT and when did you start if it's okay to ask? :0

:P that's a lil personal but I'll talk about it, my story's kind of unique so I think people should hear it. Also this was originally just one giant block of brain-dump text but I decided to split it up a lil, you're welcome.

I've been really trans since I was a kid. Like my sister used to dress me up in her clothes and princess outfits and stuff and parade me around while calling me a feminine version of my name. Which sounds like bullying but like I loved it, so... I also did the classic "play a game and make your player character a girl" thing that a lot of transfems do. I played Halo Reach with my dad (love him btw) and would make my custom Noble Six a woman. There was a bunch of other little things like that, but you get the gist. I also used to pretend to be a girl and got groomed on omegle but that's a different story.

So I came out when I was like 13 or something and my parents were that kind of supportive where they use your pronouns but want you to wait a year before getting on hormones. So I think I was like 14-15ish when I finally got on E (because when we started it then took a while to get on it horray for fucking bone scans). In the time between I came out and finally got a histreline implant and E my voice dropped a ton and my shoulders filled out and I grew a fucken adam's apple. I was on sublingual pills for a couple months but they sort of gave me massive mood swings and I turned into a giant bitch so my parents and I decided I should switch to patches.

Pills gave me a decent amount of breast growth and it was pretty awesome but patches slowed that down. (I didn't really notice at the time but nerve remapping also happened and now my dick doesn't work right lol.) It's probably something with my skin or whatever, but patches just did not work for me and while I was on them I saw very very little development. It didn't help that they were an absolute pain in the ass, would get sticky and leave gunk on me and also come off in the shower sometimes. I've heard they work for some people but they were not the right fit for me. It doesn't help that during that time I started to struggle a lot with internalized transmisogyny and also a sort of... trauma based aversion to femininity?

So I made the kind of stupid decision to just... quit E and detransition to be nonbinary. No hate to people who detransition, or enbies, it was just me being a dumb kid again. Thing was I still had a histreline implant in me keeping me from producing T, and I actually got it replaced during this time, so I just had no growth hormone in me. I was Very Androgynous and it was pretty cool to ask people what they thought my agab was. When I met my current roomy and his partner apparently they had an argument where they disagreed on my agab. Which tickled me pink when I learned about it months later. Anyway it really should've been a hint to me that it always pleased me immensely when people thought I was born a girl. Like... I'm genuinely impressed at how unperceptive younger me was about that. You poor little idiot, you like it when people pick up on your feminine traits, go back on E.

It wasn't until the last bit of my second year of college that I started using they/she, I had finally gotten a group of Very Queer friends who supported me and I guess I felt that experimentation would be okay. I also ummm... started being active here on tumblr? Surrounding myself with weird transfems helped me feel more normal about being a weird transfem. So like... thanks girlies :). From there it was a pretty quick pipeline from they/she to she/they to she/her to she/they/it. Honestly the it thing didn't really start as a trans thing, I had a dnd character (that I later realized was a Identity Crisis Character) that went by it/its exclusively and my dm started using it with me outside of dnd and my brain liked it.

Anyway, after some quick phone calls and blood tests and bullshit I got back on E in December of 2023 and I've been on since then. I'm doing injections now and even though they're a little scary I really like them. Oh I also got my histreline implant taken out and I'm on spironolactone now which is fun. Maybe it's because I'm an adult but I find the mood swings lessened as well as the headaches. I've also noticed a decent amount of growth since I started as well as more nerve remapping and I finally have those puffy nips everyone talks about all the time. Currently I think most of the growth is going to making my tits wider as opposed to adding depth, which is fine with me. I really want to get on progesterone so they can grow nice and big, but my old doc said it was a bad idea and we should wait for the early structuring to finish because starting prog too early can cause nip deformities. My new doc has no comment because I haven't talked to her yet lmao.

Anyway that's where I am rn. Got my E raised again a couple weeks ago >:) Thanks for asking, sorry if this is rambly. My journey of self discovery had an entire death and rebirth like I'm a hero or some shit.

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

I'm taking you up on giving a bts solo album review. We disagree frequently but I think that's nice haha.

6) Jack in the Box - I really really hate putting this here because this was one of two albums that I was really pleasantly surprised and gripped by on the first listen. Part of that was probably because it was the first one out, but especially More was just way different from what I was expecting which made the whole thing exciting. I think some of the albums ended up being slightly underwhelming (in comparison to how surprised I was by the sound of JitB, not in that it wasn't a good listening experience) because they sounded how I expected them to sound. Still, this just isn't my music preference, and there are a few songs that I consistently skip. It's harkening back to a particular era of hip hop that is just not my thing, but from what I've heard from people who do enjoy that style, it was impressively done, which is unsurprising because the rap line especially are such devoted students of hip hop. Additionally, imo, I don't find the lyrics that are trying to discuss broader feelings or social issues particularly compelling - for example, equal sign is nice and all but I kind of find the chorus cringey? But it's not so different from other themes that bts has had, so maybe all of those songs sound cringe in korean and I just don't know. I guess in summary I'd say that I had a really exciting first listen to the album but don't listen to it that frequently anymore. (Fav song: Arson)

5) Golden - Sorry, I know you love it! This isn't because I dislike the songs, but there is a higher percentage of songs that I don't particularly care for and tend to skip. Jungkook sounds beautiful throughout, as always, and he can make anything sound good, but I just struggle to connect with the album. I think part of my experience with golden was just so tainted by me not being that excited about this direction and a lot of the songs just not feeling like jungkook. (In contrast, even though tae didn't write anything in layover, it still managed to feel like him, in the same way that Standing Next to You feels like jungkook but some of the other songs don't.) I think because of this issue connecting with it, the album as a whole doesn't come to mind as often as others do. Because there were more songs in a style that I like, I can listen to it happily, but there are still some songs that I find kind of boring and even jungkook's voice can't pull me through. The fact that it's jungkook singing them, and bc he was so earnest in the way he approached them and has such a beautiful voice, honestly saved a lot of the songs that would have been mid and forgettable without him. It's hard for me to rank it higher bc of that - then it would feel like I'd be ranking jungkook as a singer rather than ranking the album. A lot of the songs are going to end up on a diverse set of gp playlists though, so it will have a lot of longevity. (Fav song: Closer to You and 3D ft. Justin Timberlake)

4) Layover - The next three shuffle around a bit for me for different reasons. On the one hand, it seems weird to put layover here because I think it's pretty immaculate in how gorgeous and bite-sized it is. The concept and the mvs were all very well done, and tae's voice is my personal favorite voice in the group. (Jungkook's technically a better singer, but I find tae's voice very soothing, and thankfully he prefers to sing songs like that. I also really enjoy the warbly quality to his voice - it oddly reminds me of some opera singers I've heard.) I thought tae conveyed the emotions of the songs really well, and they're the type of songs that you don't need to know the language at all to feel them. It was also short enough and had enough variety that I don't get bored listening to it all the way through, even though the songs have a similar quality to them, which is something I was afraid of. On the other hand, even though I know I just said I don't get bored listening to it, I can see how people would, and it's so much like the songs he's released before. Like mono, it's an album I think of only at certain times, which is fine and probably not a reason to rank it low lol. I somehow manage to think it's not boring while still being one-note, so idk if that makes sense oops. (Fav song: love me again)

3) Face - (Me trying to adjust for my jimin bias lol) This and JitB were the albums that I had the most pleasantly surprised initial reaction to. I wasn't sure what to expect here, and I really wasn't expecting set me free pt. 2 or face-off. The concept of facing yourself is pretty on the nose, but I enjoyed the order and direction of the album, and I thought the choice he made with the interlude 'diving in' to the internal struggles he's been carrying (even though it was long) made the album concept come together for me. I didn't find the songs confusing like you did, maybe because I spent an inordinate amount of time dissecting them, and it was the kind of personal insight that I was hoping to get in chapter 2 from all of the members. That said, certain sounds in the album can get a bit grating after too many listens, and there are a lot of hard elements, sonically, that were included which generally pair well with jimin's voice, which has a bit of an edge to it bc of it's higher, thinner tone and bc it tends sharp, that need a bit of buffer. I guess that's me saying I wish it was a bit longer, maybe between alone and set me free pt. 2. But this is getting nitpicky so I'll stop lol. Lyrically, it's not as good as the next two, but still a good effort from the member that I think is the weakest lyricist (sorry jimin). Like crazy is a pop queen and it's my favorite title track from bts or an individual member in a while. I know it's not a classic top-40 pop hit, but that's just not my listening interest. (Fav song: face-off)

2) D-Day - I both agree and disagree with you about D-Day. I think D-Day's hard-hitting songs are inferior to previous agust D songs, but I think the softer songs are superior to his previous ones. I read a tweet once that opined that namjoon is the best at talking about love while yoongi is the best at talking about relationships, and I tend to agree. I felt a lot of catharsis in listening to the album and in getting into the lyrics, though I tend to split the album up in my mind between D-Day to Huh?! and then Amygdala with the rest. Haegeum and Huh?! are both good, but I thought D-Day was kind of a throw-away for the sake of having an exciting song. The emotional heart is clearly with the rest of the songs. Even though the lyrics in Amygdala are so specific to yoongi it's hard to relate to the verses, the chorus has such an emotional impact that I don't mind. As for the rest of the album, I think it's yoongi's best lyricism to date. I love the verses in people pt. 2 especially. Also, I really am growing to love when yoongi sings. I know it's not like he's the best singer in the world, but I like the choices that he made about when to do it and it's probably my favorite part of D-Day. (Fav song: Life Goes On)

1 ) Indigo - I LOVE this album. It probably should be one of the ones that I said that I was pleasantly surprised by because I didn't expect the upbeat, danceable songs, but namjoon making good songs isn't really that much of a surprise at this point. I also thought mono was a great album (talk about catharsis) but I don't find myself comparing mono and indigo that much because they're so different to me. (I think it's much easier to compare the agust D trilogy, especially bc they follow a similar pattern.) Maybe namjoon and I are just operating on the same wavelength recently, but I really connected with this album, and I think he does a great job at explaining really interior, personal emotions. Like the tweet I mentioned in my section on D-Day, while yoongi is better at explaining relationships, namjoon is better at explaining a particular emotion. Somehow, even though there aren't that many lyrics in forg_tful and it's a deceptively simple song, he managed to convey it so well. Even though the order should have felt like it was going all over the place, it just made sense to me as I listened to it. He also picked great collabs. The only slight miss, which I think he knew was a risk, was picking Wildflower, which has lyrics and a mv that are so specific to him, as the title track - since he did that, I think he should have released Still Life earlier. However, he knew he was picking a 4+ min song as his title track, so I don't want to say it was a misstep when he knowingly made it presumably so that the could put out this personal album exactly as he wanted it to be consumed. All in all, I thought the album was excellent. (Fav songs - no. 2 and all day)

If you read this all, thank you haha.

I read it all! Thanks for sharing!

I mostly agree about JITB. I like More and Arson a lot. I also get what you mean about Golden. A lot of songs are mid, and I didn't care for them at first and still don't love them. But because I love Jungkook's voice I listen to them a lot. Truthfully I still can't hear Jungkook in the album aside from SNTY and maybe Seven and 3D. But I guess it's hard to reconcile pre-Seven Jungkook with post-Seven Jungkook. However, imo every solo album has a lot of mid songs. In Jungkook's case, I love his voice enough to listen to them.

Layover and Face are very short so I listen to them sometimes when I don't feel like listening to my Golden playlist. I used to like Slow Dancing a lot, but now like it less. I think Layover's songs are kind of forgettable but the album is too short to be boring. I kind of disagree about the emotional aspect of it. V in general has a soulful voice, and Layover was what I expected from him. I don't think any of the songs packed the emotional impact of Sweet Night, his Hug cover, or Spring Day. I also listen to Face without listening to the songs, if that makes sense? When an album flows well and the songs have a similar vibe, it's easy to listen to it without noticing the different songs? I only really tune in for LC and SMF Pt. 2. More than half of the songs in Layover and Face are mid imo, but not in a bad way. Golden is certainly much more mid and cliché. And Face has two interludes which I can't appreciate. Maybe if I dived deeper into the lyrics...

Indigo is nice but the other day I listened to it and was a bit disappointed in the album. Personally, I think RM is incredibly smart but I don't enjoy his lyrics much. I usually don't like it when he writes or sings in English, and his poetic and abstract lyrics aren't to my taste. I fail to properly appreciate his music because of it. I think my favorite songs of his are collabs, Persona, and a few songs in Mono.

I kinda disagree about D-Day. The hard hitting songs did hit less hard than in previous albums, but imo the same can be said for the soft songs with the exception of Amygdala and Snooze, which are like a kick to the stomach. I found D-Day's lyrics a bit repetitive. I actually don't love it when Suga writes about relationships. He shines when he writes about himself imo.

Anyway, thanks for the ask! And for reading my thoughts 😊

[demonslayedher]

You know how the pillars view each other? In the same format, how would they view the six Kamaboko even if they haven’t met them canonically (like Rengoku and Genya)? Kanae as well (I need more on Kanae, can you tell?)

Water Pillar-sama:

K.T.: As I expected, he showed promise and succeeded at Sensei's training. He'll make an excellent heir to Sensei's legacy and uphold the Water Pillar position. Wait, Hi-no-what?

K.N.: She really does love humans from the bottom of her heart. I'm always impressed with her. I hope things work out for her.

A.Z.: Talks back too much, makes a lot of excuses. I don’t believe he was struck by lightning.

H.I.: Never knows what he's getting himself into, dives in head first anyway. I wonder if that's how the the pig head thing started.

T.K.: She keeps her cool under pressure. For as much as Kochou is always bugging me to talk more, she should pester her Tsuguko more.

S.G.: I feel bad for him, I can tell he's struggling to communicate with his brother. The gun is a bit inelegant.

Flame Pillar-sama:

K.T.: Some occasional lapses in judgment, but he is quickly maturing. A very sincere boy and hard worker. I want him as my Tsuguko!

K.N.: Regrettable that's she's a demon, but that makes no difference in that she puts her life on the line to protect humans. That makes her a proud Corp member in my book!

A.Z.: Very polished and effective technique! Excellent use of Thunder Breath speed!

H.I.: Brave and a flexible thinker! Follows directions well!

T.K.: A very talented Tsuguko! Very quiet!! I've never heard her voice!

S.G.: He can't use Breaths but the gun is very impressive! He won't be held back, that's a good trait! But should hold back his temper and not injure innocent people!

Insect Pillar-sama:

K.T.: He's a hard worker with a chipper personality, I like him a lot. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether he's dense or perceptive.

K.N.: It took a while for me to relax around her, but she's really grown on me. She's curious and very gentle, whether for a human or a demon.

A.Z.: He's stronger than he thinks he is, if he's in the right mindset. It would be quieter around here if he stayed in that mindset more often. Stealing food is one thing but stealing my goldfish is another.

H.I.: I'm proud of his progress in adapting to living among humans. His unusual upbringing gives him a creative way of thinking which is kind of cute. I wish he wouldn't wear that hairy boar head though.

T.K.: It's hard to have to be her master now instead of a sister figure to her. Either way, I hope I can do my best in raising her to be her own person.

S.G.: He's shy and anxious, but once he opens up he can be very sweet. I'm glad he forced his way into Himejima-san's care, I think Himejima-san likes his company.

Flower Pillar-sama:

K.T.: I felt so relieved to meet him, like I had been waiting to find someone I relate to like him for a very long time. He's a very good influence on Kanao, too.

K.N.: It's a joy to finally befriend a demon at all, but she is a joy to be around in the first place. I'm sure everyone would have wanted to befriend her when she was human.

A.Z.: So energetic! He doesn't always let on when he's feeling sad, and he does his best to be strong even when it's hard.

H.I.: Such a gruff exterior for a warm and fuzzy child underneath. Sometimes it's like you can almost see a warm and fuzzy atmosphere around him.

T.K.: So cute, such big eyes, I love her so much! It'll still take her some time, but I'm sure she'll recover her heart and her smile one day.

S.G.: He's so much like his brother, it's cute. I hope they'll find a way to get along someday, it's sad to see them like this.

Sound Pillar-sama:

K.T.: Disappointing. Would have expected someone carrying a demon around to be more flamboyant.

K.N.: Resisting eating Shinazugawa was one of the more interesting things I've seen a demon do. Kinda drab.

A.Z.: Annoying as hell. Flashy hair. Good technique. Can work with this.

H.I.: He's a freak. Kinda gross.

T.K.: Drab. No personality. Clingy.

S.G.: Eating demons is a super flashy power! I want to see more of that!

Mist Pillar-sama:

K.T.: Yappy like a little dog.

K.N.: Something weird about that kid. What was it...

A.Z.: Buzzes around like a big yellow bumblebee. Eyes bug out like runny egg yolks.

H.I.: Honey badger.

T.K.: Big staring eyes. Floats there like a goldfish with shiny scales.

S.G.: Hisses like a stray cat. Taken home by the Rock Pillar like a stray cat.

Love Pillar-sama:

K.T.: I'm rooting so hard for him! He's got so much potential and he always keeps his chin up! I'm glad we're friends!

K.N.: So, so, so cute!! I want to take her home and have her be like one of my own little sisters! Unlike my sisters, she can stand up to my tickling!

A.Z.: His yellow hair is so translucent and pretty!! And he's really powerful! A little uncomfortable to be around though.

H.I.: I've never met anyone more flexible than me, he's amazing!!! He tried to eat my pets during Pillar Training, though, that's a problem.

T.K.: She's so pretty and sweet! It's so nice to see her growing up and thinking about what things she likes more!

S.G.: So big and strong!! I think he's taller than Shinazugawa-san! I hope they make friends again, Genya-kun is a sweetheart!

Wind Pillar-sama:

K.T.: I'd rather not be around this kid. Thinks he can pull sunshine out of his ass to make demons all get along or shit.

K.N.: I should hate her for being a demon, but it was pretty chilling how she resisted Marechi. (Seems he won't admit he has some respect for her.)

A.Z.: Not only is he an annoying dumbass, but he's a simp for a demon. Idiot.

H.I.: This one's pretty okay. Can take anything anyone dishes at him.

T.K.: She's alright. So quiet that sometimes I don’t even notice she's there. The coin thing is sweet but also kind of dumb.

S.G.: I don’t know who you're talking about.

Rock Pillar-sama:

K.T.: He's endured a lot of tragedy, yet he remains too idealistic. His resolve has never been tested.

K.N.: I dread the day she'll disappoint Oyakata-sama.

A.Z.: Maybe good at heart, but his will is weak. Very loud.

H.I.: Brash. Will get himself killed someday in a stupid way. Namu Amida Butsu.

T.K.: Shinobu is always worried about her. She seems to like Kamado.

S.G.: Too earnest and stubborn for me to leave be. He still has a ways to go, but he's matured a lot. I worry what eating demons will do to him.

Snake Pillar-sama:

K.T.: I hate him. He got me in trouble with Oyakata-sama and he acts all annoying and close with Kanroji. No, I will not elaborate.

K.N.: I hate her. The fact that she's a female demon makes my skin crawl even more.

A.Z.: I hate him. He's a brainless twat who would throw all his savings away if a woman asked him to.

H.I.: I hate him. He cheated at my training by using those gross bendy arms.

T.K.: Kaburamaru likes her. She's quiet and I don’t mind her.

S.G.: I respect his efforts, but swordsmen who can't use Breaths should stay out of the way. If he were a Kakushi maybe he and Shinazugawa would have a chance to get along. (Snake-sama seems to overestimate how friendly we are with Wind-sama.)

[captains-simp]

Wanda Maximoff ~ Fake It Till You Make It

Wanda version of this fic as requested by @yeetus-thyself

7.7k words

Warnings: shitty family and homophobia

[ masterlist ]

Buy me a coffee ☕

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Pleeaasse, Wan" You pouted once again. You had been begging Wanda for the favour for an hour now; her stubborness was proving hard to overcome.

"I'm busy." Wanda said, her accent strong as she walked around her appartment to collect things for her next mission.

"But will you be busy on the 10th?" You asked from the couch where you watched her disappear into various rooms as she talked.

"I thought you said it was a few days." Wanda quipped, seemingly only giving you half her attention.

"It is." You confirmed with some hope.

"So I'd need to clear my schedule for more than just the 10th." You huffed and rested your head on the back of couch.

"Yes you would. I'm sure Natasha can manage without you for a few days."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." She muttered.

"Please, Wan." You tried. "I need a win." Wanda stopped by the kitchen counter and gave you a long, considering look. You had long given up on your puppy dog eyes and instead copied her expression as you chewed on your bottom lip.

"I'll think about it." Wanda finally said before grabbing something from the cupboard. It was the best response you had gotten all night and you knew you wouldn't get anything more. So you accepted it and hoped for the best.

Your parents had invited you to their cabin for a few days just like they did every year. It was a beautiful place. You could spend your whole visit in the forest along the back. Or swimming in the clear lake that was a short walk away. The cabin itself was the cosiest place you had ever been and had been where some of your best memories had happened as a kid.

As you got older things changed. Being around your family, especially your parents, wasn't as enjoyable. They had high expectations for their children, expectations that your siblings had met without a problem but ones that you had struggled with. You enjoyed your life. You had the kind of relationships you had always hoped for, you loved your job and you had the perfect balance of the two. But you could never shake the feeling that you had failed.

Your brother was a surgeon who always told you all stories of the lives he saved and the close calls he had swooped in to save people from. One of your sisters was some hot shot lawyer who had done great things like help people wrongly convicted but still put dangerous people back on the street. And your other sister was the CEO of an energy company that you never quite understood. They even all had equally successful partners who loved to talk about themselves as much as your siblings did. You didn't have any of that. But you did have Wanda.

Knowing the Avengers was the only thing about you your family took interest in. They were always subtly hinting at wanting to meet your friends. But you knew the Avengers had to endure enough fan service and didn't want to push your family onto them, especially with how annoying they all were.

However as your family's unrealistic expectations reached their all time high you were sure you wouldn't be able to handle another trip with them without a win, and you were far too petty to take the moral high ground and just not go. Not to mention that was a huge part of you that was dying to see what the Wanda girlfriend experience would entail. Yep, that was what you were asking of Wanda. To pretend to be your partner for the duration of the trip.

You knew it wasn't a smart choice. That if Wanda agreed your crush on her could get out of hand. You knew you would end up getting too caught up in the act. You could have, no - should have - asked Natasha or Yelena or even Carol if she was around. But your family knew you were the closest with Wanda and she would be the one it felt the most natural with, and the most believable. At least, that was what you told Wanda.

"When are you going?" You asked, changing the subject in hopes that Wanda wouldn't suddenly conclude she didn't want to do it (then you really would have to ask one of the others).

"Tomorrow." She answered, keeping her focused tone.

"When will you be back?" You attempted to keep the concern out of your voice but the glance the redhead gave you told you you hadn't done a good job.

"The day after." She said, softer this time. You nodded as you looked down at your lap and tried not to think about everything that could possibly go wrong on her mission.

"Be safe." Wanda strolled over to you and placed her hand gently ontop of yours and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Always."

*

"Got any plans Saturday night?" Natasha smirked knowingly at her friend as they preped for their mission.

"No." Wanda replied as she adjusted her earpiece.

"Nothing with y/n then?" Nat asked, partly genuinely but mostly knowing Wanda would still say no.

"Nope." She said again, biting the inside of her cheek in consideration before speaking again. "Not this Saturday."

Natasha raised an eyebrow in surprise and interest. Wanda rarely made any kind of special plans with you as you would always hang out casual and it was never anything fancy or different. She had always wanted to though.

"Plans for another time?" Nat continued as she double checked her pack.

"Maybe, I'm still thinking about it." The redhead turned fully to her friend at her words, confused at why Wanda was hesitant to spend time with you. "She wants me to go to the cabin with her and her family." Nat had heard all about the infamous cabin and your family.

"That sounds fun." Nat nodded. The cabin sounded fun. Your family did not.

"As her girlfriend." Nat's eyes widened excitedly but before she could speak Wanda clarified. "Her pretend girlfriend."

Nat paused and looked as though she was going to speak for several seconds until she stuck to just giving a confused look.

"Yeah." Wanda sighed. "Thinks it would seem impressive." Wanda had tried not to be hurt over that. She knew you weren't just friends with her to show her off to people, because you never did. But it hurt her to think the only time you could see her in a romantic way was when you were pretending.

"Well," Nat muttered as she adjusted the zip along the front of her catsuit. "Fake it till you make it." It was Wanda's turn to give Nat a questioning look. "Maybe it'll be an eye opener for her."

"You think I should do it?" She asked, fully open to hearing and accepting her friend and mentor's advice in that area.

"Definelty." Nat confirmed. She wasn't sure about it for the reasons she said though. Wanda's crush on you was obvious to everyone except you, just as it was vice versa.

*

You had been overjoyed when Wanda told you she would come with you to the cabin and play along as your girlfriend. She had told you when she came back from her mission, in fact it was the first thing she said after she had let herself into your appartment. It was never really brought up after that, but you couldn't deny you were incredibly anxious on the week leading up to the visit.

On the drive up to the cabin you and Wanda stayed in a comfortable silence most of the time, clearly both lost in thought. You had the radio on for background noise more than anything else, but you would occasionally lightly tap the steering wheel if there was a tune you recognised, oblivious to Wanda's acknowledging smiles.

"So what's the plan?" Wanda asked as she looked at you expectantly. Right, of course the Avenger wanted a strategy.

"Keep things simple, I guess. They know how we met already so we can just say at some point we took things a step further than friendship." Wanda didn't seem convinced at the simplicity of that. "Look they're not going to want to hear about us, not much at least. They prefer the sound of their own voices, they'll be trying to impress you is all."

"Impress me?" Wanda asked.

"Yeah, hope you warm up to them so one day they can invite you to their snobby parties." Wanda chuckled her heart warming laugh as she glanced out of the window, knowing there was a lot of truth to what you said.

"And what are those like?" She enquired curiously.

"I wouldn't know, I've never been invited." You said simply. You had gotten over that a long time ago, gotten used to being forgotten. Wanda clearly hadn't though.

"It will be an honour to turn them down." Wanda said. You shook your head and smiled at her. That did sound pretty nice.

When the cabin came into sight between the trees your nerves spiked. You figited in your seat and bit your lip when you saw some of your family gathered outside, their attention instantly on you. You shot Wanda a quick smile which she returned before you got out of the car.

"Y/n! So nice of you to come." You mum said as her eyes flickered to Wanda more than you. She opened her arms for the shortiest hug in human history before turning to Wanda. "You must be Wanda, we've heard so much." You mum insisted as she brought the redhead in for a hug too. She raised her eyebrows at you over your mum's shoulder and you bite back a laugh.

The others came over to greet you and mainly Wanda in a rush, overwhelming both of you.

"You two will be in the upstairs bedroom on the left." Your mum told you as you went to grab your bags. You did a double take, convinced you had heard her wrong. That was the best room in the house. A big difference from being in the small room in the basement every other time you had been there.

"First one on the left." Your dad confirmed. There was no way your parents were going to be in the basement so you wondered who else had been moved around but didn't ask, knowing whoever it was wasn't going to be happy.

You and Wanda made your way up to the room and you couldn't help but smile at the sight of the spacious room and the door you knew led to your en suite.

"That was...a lot." Wanda summarised as she said her bag under the bed.

"I would tell you it gets better but I don't want to get your hopes up." You sighed as you got a couple of things out.

"It's just a few days." Wanda said despite the fact you should have been assuring her.

"Yeah." You nodded and stared down at the floor. "Now c'mon." You suddenly said as you took ahold of Wanda's hand and laced your fingers together. You missed the startled blush that crept onto her cheeks when you turned around.

Your family were sat outside whispering amongst themselves when you returned. Their interested gaze fell to your entwined hands in an instant.

"So you work with the Avengers?" Your brother, Dalton, said as soon as you both sat down.

"I do, I'm one myself." Wanda said as she continued to hold onto your hand.

"Must be crazy, what are they like?" He enquired.

"They're good." Wanda said simply. Everyone clearly expected something more but Wanda pretended not to notice making you smile.

"I almost did business with Stark once, decided against it in the end." Claire announced proudly. You and Wanda exchanged knowing glances. Stark had told you all about his encounter with your sister, it definetly wasn't her turning him down.

"I was invited to one of his parties." Anna said quickly. "I was busy that night unfortunately."

Bull. Shit.

"Yes I remember working with Doctor Strange when he was still in the medical profession." You gave Wanda an I-told-you-so look as your family erupted into conversation over who had the most contact with the heroes. That had to be a new record of how quickly they started talking about themselves.

They continued like that until your mum called everyone in for dinner. The food smelt undeniably amazing as you took your place at the table next to Wanda and eyed the dishes infront of you. Your parents efforts to impress the redhead weren't all that bad.

Your family continued to catch up and and you and Wanda half listened as you ate. They were all doing as well for themselves as ever and still hadn't learnt any modesty.

Although you were proud of your siblings for what they had all achieved, Wanda had contained four potentially devastating bombs from going off in the space of half an hour a week before but she wasn't going to bring that up anytime soon. Eventually though, the attention turned to you to bring you out of your silence.

"And you're still working in that little café, y/n?" Your mum asked curiously.

"I own it, mum." You corrected quietly as you stabbed some pieces on your plate.

"Ah yes, quite the contrast though, isn't it. Between you two." She said as she pointed at you and Wanda with her fork. You didn't say anything to that because you felt there really wasn't anything to say in response. It wasn't like you hadn't thought that exact thing every now and then.

"The team loves it." Wanda said suddenly making everyone, including you, look at her in slight surprise from speaking up. It hadn't taken your family long to learn Wabda wasn't much of a talker, not to them anyway. You couldn't get her to shut up half the time. "At least one of us goes everyday. If we're lucky we all can. Nothing beats it." She defended simply before turning back to her food to show she wasn't going to say anymore. You smiled down at your plate at her words and the truth of them.

No one said anything in response, clearly shocked from this new information until Dalton spoke up.

"But doesn't Stark like fancy, top of the line, restaurants? I can't imagine him in some random coffee shop, no offence sis." He nodded towards you though you knew he didn't mean it. He couldn't let you have just one win.

"That random coffee shop has catered some of Stark's parties. Not that many though." A smug smile crept onto Dalton's face as he opened his mouth to make a snarky remark but Wanda cut him down again. "Because y/n's invited to the rest as a guest and a close friend." Your family stared at you with open mouths.

"You've been invited to Stark's parties?!" Anna exclaimed. In your defence, your family never wanted to hear about your life so you never got the chance to tell them anything.

"It's not really my crowd." You shrugged. "I just go to hang out with them after." Dalton's jaw clenched in annoyance and he didn't say anything for the rest of dinner. It was only really your mum who kept talking. Telling everyone about her latest travels that fell on death ears.

It was certainly a first for your family.

When everyone had finished their food you and Wanda excused yourselves and said goodnight before retiring to your room. Wanda shut the door gently as you collapsed onto the bed on your back and glared at the ceiling. The redhead shuffled around quietly to get her toothbrush and toothpaste and some other things you weren't really paying attention to and went into the bathroom.

When she came back out she was in her bedclothes and lifted your feet off the floor to turn you so you could fully lay on the bed. You smiled at her weakly.

"You should go get changed." Wanda said as she got her laptop out her bag. "Then you can pick a movie." She announced when she had gotten under the covers and started her laptop. You smiled more and nodded.

You tried not to think about your family and everything they had said at dinner as you got changed but it proved difficult. Everything they had said echoed around in your head but most of all you couldn't shake the disregarding ways they said it. It was as though you could do no right with them. Maybe they would never be proud no matter what you did.

You placed your toothbrush back I'm the holder and rinsed your mouth before heading back into the bedroom to an awaiting Wanda.

You got under the covers next to her and rested your head on her shoulder as you glanced at the Netflix screen and pointed to one of the comedy movies.

About ten minutes into the movie Wanda spoke. "You okay?" She whispered as she continued to look at the screen although that wasn't where her focus was.

"Yeah." You whispered back.

"You can talk to me." She said after a second." You moved your head away so you could see Wanda clearly.

"I'm so glad you're here." You said honestly. She smiled and nodded as her eyes searched yours.

"I'm glad I'm here too." You knew Wanda wasn't glad she had to spend the time with your family. She was glad that she could support you despite their efforts to bring you down. You were incredibly lucky to have her.

You rested your head back on her shoulder and neither of you spoke for the rest of the movie. Or the rest of the night. You must have fallen asleep about half an hour in.

*

Wanda was one of the most intimate people you had ever met. It was mainly something she aimed towards you and Natasha but didn't refrain from comforting others and giving hugs to anyone who would take one. She never held back at all with you, as far as you knew. But when you woke up and couldn't tell where your limbs started and Wanda's ended, you were still surprised to find yourselves like that. Butterflies flew around in your stomach in a way you knew was dangerous but couldn't help but love.

You were resting your head on her rising chest and had your arm slung across her stomach. Your legs were tangled together and her arms were holding onto your waist. A warmth spread through you and you decided to settle back into her hold and closed your eyes with a content smile.

You had about ten minutes to enjoy that before Wanda woke up. You could feel the moment she realized you were so close, she physically froze. You waited in anticipation for something for several moments until your friend very slowly unhooked her legs and guided your body to lay against the mattress and pillows as she slipped out of bed towards the bathroom.

You sighed when you heard the door close and rubbed your eyes slowly, knowing you should get up but wishing more than anything that you could return to how you woke up.

"Morning." Wanda croaked when she left the bathroom and saw you sitting up in bed.

"Morning." You said back with a smile and tried not to focus on how ridiculously attractive her voice sounded.

You gathered some random clothes into a bundle and went into the bathroom to change again and brush your teeth. When you came out Wanda was pulling her shirt over her head and gave you a generous view of her toned stomach. That training with Natasha really was paying off. Your face heated up when you saw it and you turned away to pretend you hadn't seen when Wanda noticed you.

"Don't make a sound." Wanda warned. You glanced up at her with some confusion. "I don't think your family's awake yet, that means we get the kitchen to ourselves." She grinned and you did too.

You and Wanda had gotten so used to getting up early for your jobs you forgot other people would still be sleeping. It was hard to break out of the habit but it proved useful.

The pair of you made a quick breakfast and ate it outside thanks to the warm weather even at that time. But soon enough your parents came downstairs and ruined the peaceful atmosphere with the clanging of pots and loud convosations.

You wandered around the side of the house and saw the old table tennis table that bad been folded away years ago and hadn't been set up since. You went over and started setting it up when Wanda joined you and eyed the table with a glimmer of mischief.

The redhead wasn't all that competitive, in fact you were pretty sure she let other people win games on the regular to make them feel better about themselves. But there was an undeniable spark of mischief in her eyes when she saw the table.

"You played this before?" You asked convosationally.

"I have." She said as you both automatically took up your positions of opposite ends of the table.

"Me too." You said confidently. "A lot." Wanda hummed in acknowledgment and swivelled her bat in her hand and stood ready. You smiled at her seriousness for the game.

You served surprisingly well for someone who hadn't played in a few years and Wanda was able to hit it back with ease. Once you had developed a steady pace you started hitting the ball more daringly to Wanda who was caught off guard before she started doing the same.

The moment you missed the ball a small smile tugged at the corner of Wanda's lips, her celebration was short lived when you suddenly sent the ball back her way until it was too late.

"That wasn't fair!" She exclaimed childishly.

"That was tables tennis." You said seriously but started smiling again.

Wanda huffed dramatically and flipped you off as she trudged back to the table and served the ball with force. You managed to send it back but took a step away from the table in caution.

You continued like that for a while. The competition tension rising as you picked up the pace, one of you occasionally getting a point before the other evened it out.

At one point you were vaguely aware of Dalton sauntering over to see what you were doing and arched his brow at the sight of the table.

"We still have this thing?" He questioned and you hummed quietly in response, too focused on the game.

"Hey Claire! Get over here, we're playing table tennis." You rolled your eyes at the intrusive and could sense Wanda refraining from doing the same until an idea popped into your head.

You caught the ball in your hand and smiled at Wanda's protests as you moved round to her side of the table just as your sister came out.

"I didn't even know we still had this." Claire laughed as she picked up another bat from the box.

"Maybe we should take it back with us." Wanda whispered to you and you bit your lip to contain your smile because yes, yes you should.

Inevitably, your siblings sucked at table tennis. You had suspected as much you just never thought they would be as bad as they were. They missed almost every hit and everytime they did they got increasingly angry, which meant they ended up flaring their arms around like idiots. It was a memory you would be sure to treasure.

"Stupid game" and "probably broken" kept echoing across the table until your siblings finally stormed off to throw a tantrum.

The rest of the day went by quietly. You and Wanda sat by the lake for most of the afternoon to enjoy the sun and heat. You reveled in the most recent memories of your siblings embarrassment and had to keep hushing down to childish whispered whenever one of them was nearby.

Surprisingly, dinner went by peacefully too.

You weren't asked anymore questions at the table. Instead, your family were content with talking about their upcoming plans between stealing glances at you and Wanda that the redhead never failed to notice.

The pair of you slipped off to your room the first moment you got and easily fell into bed besides one another. Wanda picked out a DVD from her bag of an old Sokovian show she used to watch as a child and had you hooked on as well as teaching you the language.

She settled down beside you and within the first few scenes she wrapped an arm around your shoulder so you could sink into her further like she did sometimes when you watched things together. You were barely paying attention to the series after that.

Despite trying to keep your focus on understanding what was happening in scenes of the show, you couldn't help but want to melt under the warmth of your best friend. You hoped it was something you got to experience more, you felt safer than you ever had in Wanda's arms.

Little did you know that having you in her arms was the most comforting feeling Wanda ever experienced and she always tried to do it as little as possible to refrain from falling for you more. It never worked.

*

You had thought waking up in Wanda's arms the morning before had been the best thing to awake to. But that day when you woke up not only were your legs tangled together again but the redhead was slowly stroking your hair while your head rested on her chest.

It was a gradual gesture that maintained a perfect rhythm and made you want to fall back asleep. But you were afraid you would mistake it for a dream later on. No, it was definitely real.

Luckily, your head was already tilted upwards slightly so when you secretly opened your eyes to risk a peek at your friend you saw her staring out the window as though she was in a trance. She was clearly so deep in thought she hadn't noticed you wake up, you had never seen her like it. But the feeling was too good to ignore, too compelling.

Soon enough, you found yourself drifting off back to sleep.

*

When you woke up again Wanda was gone. Her absence left an emptiness you knew wasn't good for you. As the days of your visit went on your fake relationship with Wanda was going to effect you even more when it was over.

Over...you couldn't think about that.

Once you got up and got changed you found Wanda in the kitchen looking at the news on her phone as she sipped her coffee.

"Morning, honey." You grinned. Wanda blushed slightly into her coffee, something you thought was undeniably adorable.

"Morning yourself." She tried to play off smoothly making you grin more.

You made breakfast for you both just as your mum came into the kitchen and greeted you both with an overplayed smile, already talking to Wanda about an upcoming party that she should go to. Wanda mumbled something about a busy schedule as you managed to whisp her away outside with your food.

Eventually, you and Wanda became bored with sitting around in the house when you had such amazing surroundings on your doorstep. You declared that you were going on a walk with the redhead and left before any of your family could invite themselves to go with you. Especially as you had told your friend to wear her swimwear underneath her clothing as you had a surprise for her.

You made a point of holding Wanda's hand as you left and once you were far away from the house went to take it back only for her to hold on tighter.

"You never know where they could be lurking." She joked as an excuse, so you starting swinging your arms playfully as to assure her you wanted your hands to stay linked together too.

You spent hours in those woods and was thankful for having a spy best friend who of course knew to pack the essentials like food and drinks so you could stay away from the house as long as you wanted.

The redhead brought so much you were able to have a small picnic on top of a hill that overlooked the large lake that stretched out all the way back to the house. You remembered thinking up stories as to explain the strange shape and curves to it as a child.

"It's beautiful here." Wanda said as she picked some grapes from the bunch between you.

"It is." You agreed with a fond smile.

"I used to want to live in a place like this." She muttered, sparking your interest.

"In the woods?" You asked curiously and she nodded.

"I thought I could retire to the woods and get a small cabin and I could grow my own food and that was all I needed." You hummed with a smile as you studied Wanda's features.

"Sounds lonely." You thought aloud.

"I'd have a cat." She said simply making you laugh. "I never used to think that but now when it crosses my mind and I picture that life... I picture someone else there with me." You knew she was imagining it as she spoke and you wished you could see exactly what it was she wanted.

"We could always downgrade the holiday house." You half joked as you nodded in the vague direction of the house. "Make it a simple cabin."

"We?" Wanda asked hopefully, the emotion clear before she had a chance to conceal it.

"There's no one I'd rather run away and live in the forest with." You joked although there was a lot of truth to your words. The redhead considered you for a while before smiling and nodded as though she had reached her own internal conclusion.

"Come on." You said suddenly as you stood up and dusted yourself off.

"You want to go back?" Wanda asked and you grinned.

"I'm going to show you that surprise." You declared and packed the remaining food away. Wanda did the same, eager to see the surprise you kept secret the whole way.

It was quite a way back to the house. The whole time Wanda kept asking more questions about it but you wouldn't say. She could only make guesses based on the swim wear which should have left only a few options, non of which she got right.

Finally, you arrived where you wanted to and grinned at Wabda before starting towards the edge. The redhead frowned as she watched you approach the ledge and became worried when she invisioned the steep slope that didn't always lead to water straight down. If you were to fall... your friend didn't have to wait long to see that. You slipped along the edge and disappeared from her view as she gave a startled cry and sprinted towards the edge and knelt over with wide eyes, expecting to see something that could haunt her forever but instead she saw you on a wide ledge but seven feet below her.

To your left was part of the ledge that had been dug into randomly and acted as perfect aid to get back into the woods above.

"Come down here." You beckoned as you starter to take your top off. Wanda's eyes widened more and quickly turned around and dropped down next to you steadily.

She glanced over the side of the small ledge to glance at the fifty foot drop into the water. There was nothing in the way to fall onto but there was no telling how deep that water was.

"You can't go in like that." You laughed as you kicked off your shorts and pushed them to the side.

Wanda's face heated up at the sight of you in your y/f/c bikini as you assessed the view. But even in her flustered state she was able to put it all together.

"You want to jump down there?" She exclaimed making you laugh.

"I've done it tones of times." You assured. "It's fun."

"It's a death wish! What if the waters not deep enough?" She questioned making you laugh more.

"Are you scared, Wan?" You teased as you took a step towards her making her avert her eyes from your form. She scoffed to play it off.

"Of course not." You hummed in faux belief.

"Well then I'll see you down there." You grinned and took a couple of steps back until your feet were no longer on the platform and you were plummeting down towards the water where you landed with a splash.

Wanda held her breath as she waited for you to resurface for a few agonising seconds. When you did with a gasp and started kicking around frantically to keep yourself afloat with your built up adrenaline the redhead sighed in relief and started taking off her own shorts and shirt and placed them next to your things.

You've jumped from higher. She told herself as she rocked on her feet. And you have powers! She argued back before she shoved those thoughts aside and threw herself off the ledge and into the water below. You laughed as she came back up and pushed her hair away from her way. You swam closer to her and saw her wide smile.

"Fuck." Wanda whispered with a laugh as she looked back up from where you had both come.

"Told you it was fun." You teased as you tried not to focus on the low cut on her bikini bra.

"Yeah yeah." She laughed and paused when she looked past you and saw you were surprisingly close to the house. She could see the outline of your family sat outside.

"They're looking." Wanda muttered. You could tell by the look on her face who she was talking about. It wasn't like there was anyone else around either.

"Do you think they've caught on?" You asked nervously as you stared at Wanda's brown eyes to stop you looking at your family.

"Maybe..." She considered and glanced around. "It's not like we've been acting like that much of a couple." You scoffed at that.

"At home everyone assumes we're dating and the one time we need it be believable it isn't." You rolled your eyes but couldn't help the smile.

"I know." Wanda laughed for a second but then paused. "Then let's give them something believable." She gently placed both her hands on your waist and pulled you slowly towards her. You let her guide you and took extra notice of the water droplets across her face. You almost trembled when your bare stomachs pressed together in the water lightly.

Wanda's soft hands left your waist and gripped your thighs to pull you up to wrap your legs around her own waist. You couldn't help but giggle at the gesture as you wrapped your arms around the redhead's neck and held onto her waist with your legs in a lock.

"Can I?" Wanda whispered when she lifted your chin with her finger and her other hand came round the back of your neck.

"Just shut up and kiss me." You demanded with a playful smile and leaned in to do it yourself.

You smiled into the kiss and felt Wanda do the same. It was everything you had ever imagined it to be. Her lips were soft and fell into place perfectly against your own as they moved together. Your mind was hazey and your stomach was doing flips at the realisation that you were actually kissing your long time crush. You forced yourself to remember that it was all a show. That Wanda didn't mean it. But she put on a believable act and kissed passionately, even slipping her tongue through your parter lips to explore your mouth further.

When she eventually pulled away you rested your foreheads together to catch your breath and grinned as you closed your eyes.

"You're a really good kisser." You blurted out making Wanda chuckle.

"Not too bad yourself." She teased.

"I hope not, we're gonna have to do that again." You smiled and instantly realized that sounded like a confession you desperetly wished you could claim. "You know because...Once probably wasn't enough to make it entirely believable." You rambled and Wanda nodded somewhat stiffly and let your legs drop back down. You wanted to say something to her, anything but it was all stuck on the tip of your tongue.

Just as you opened your mouth to speak, a small murmurarion of starlings flew across the lake, some of them skimming the water then gaining height again as they got closer to you and Wanda. You both ducked instinctively as they flew over your heads and off towards the forest again as you watched them in awe until they disappeared. You glanced up at the sky and noticed the sun had gone behind a cloud, ableing you to continue looking up at the other birds higher up.

You kicked your legs up slightly so you could lay on your back and outstretch your arms to keep you afloat in the water so you could stare up at the sky without hurting your neck.

You didn't realise Wanda mimicked you until her hands brushed against yours. She withdrew it as soon as you touched and went to murmmer an apology but you smiled and held onto her hand as you both lay watching the birds.

Neither of you had to say anything. It was a comfortable and peaceful silence that was occasionally filled with birds chirping or the sound of a calm breeze. Of all the things you expected to feel on that trip, relaxed was not one of them.

You stayed like that for a while until you were both snapped out of your daydreams by the distant yell that declared dinner. Well, you had to go back to them eventually.

Both of you took your time swimming back to dry land and only felt a shiver when you left the water and the breeze hit you. Wanda spotted and reached the towels before you and wrapped yours around you tightly. You thanked her with a small blush as you both sauntered up to the house where the mouthwatering smell of a barbecue greeted you. Your dad was leaning over it while shooing your brother away as he tried to offer his 'help'.

You and Wanda went inside to change swiftly and came back outside as the food was being placed on plates and your mum finished setting up the buffet. Everyone starter helping themselves and you piled as much food as you could onto the plate. You parents had asked what food Wanda liked and when you gave them a brief list you added in a few things you knew you both loved.

"You gonna eat all that?" Anna asked as she eyed all the food on your plate. Guilt and insecurities washed over you until Wanda purposefully grabbed a large handful of small sausage rolls and put them on her plate that was piled with a considerable amount more food than your own. You smiled at the reassuring gesture as she sat down with a satisfied grin on her face when she saw Anna close her mouth to stay quiet.

"Thanks." You whispered to her as you sat down.

"If you don't eat all that I will." She declared. You were pretty sure she went back for seconds.

Instead of disappearing back to your room like you did the previous nights, you and Wanda stayed with your family for a while after dinner. It wasn't to do with their company, more the mesmerising fire in the firepit you all sat around. You were cuddled up into Wanda's side with a blanket over both of you as you stared at the flames, smiling at their small flickers and dances.

"So Wanda," one of your sisters began, "are any of the other Avengers...you know." She nodded her head in the direction of you both.

Oh boy you though.

"I don't think it's my place to say." Wanda said because yes, a lot of the Avengers were queer.

"Oh come on, you can tell us." Anna encouraged as she sat forward eagerly.

"I could, but I'm not going to." Wanda continued to defy.

"Lay off it guys." You mumbled but was ignored. Your family took it in turns saying her teammates names in hopes of sparking a reaction, clearly forgetting they were facing someone who had been trained by Natasha Romanoff.

"Stark!" Claire said but was instantly shut down by the others.

"He's married!" Dalton objected.

"Could still be bi though." Claire tried but Dalton just scoffed.

"I suppose there's going to be more surprises."

"What does that mean?" Wanda asked with narrowed eyes, feeling protective of her teammates. Dalton met her gaze with his own challenging one.

"I just never thought one of the Avengers would be a dyke." You felt Wanda stiffen as you all held your breath. There was no way to tell what was going through the redhead's mind, especially as after all those years of friendship you still didn't even know what team she batted for. She was an ally at least, but would she see this as her battle to fight?

Upon getting no reaction, Dalton continued. "It makes sense why you'd hang out with y/n though, we always knew something was wrong with her but-"

"That's enough." Your mum snapped with a guilty expression she failed to mask. You swallowed hard and moved to get up, deciding you had heard enough.

"Then you're idiots." Wanda stated as she glared daggers at your brother while you sunk down.

"I'll have you know I have a doctorate-"

"Your idiots." She repeated. "There's nothing wrong with y/n, which is impressive considering she's grown up around you lot." You looked at your friend in awe as she continued.

"She's the most amazing person I've ever known, including any of the Avengers. She's everything that you're not and I'm lucky to call her my girlfriend. It doesn't matter what any of you think of her, I love her and I always will." She declared as shot daggers at each individual family member who had fallen silent. She took your hand and pulled you up from your seat to take you inside.

You couldn't get her saying she loved you out of your head. You reminded yourself over and over again on the way to your room that it was just an act. That the redhead was making her point. But God, how you wished it was real.

She was so gentle with you as she guided you through the house. When you got to your room and broke down sobbing she held you on the bed for a long time until your cries turned to sniffles. The thing was, you weren't sure what you were crying over. Sure, what Dalton had said had hurt. As did the confirmation that your whole family had always looked down on you. But you had known that was the case for a long time, you had moved on from it.

Instead, you may have being crying over what you didn't know and didn't have. How much of what Wanda said was true? It was all based off of something that wasn't real. What if she saw you the same way your family did?

When you stopped crying you became aware of Wanda gently stroking your hair as she rested her head on yours and held you close to her. You remembered the memories you had accumulated over the past few days with her. The kisses, the hand holding, the nights together, how she stood up for you like no one ever had. You loved her so much.

"I think we should go tomorrow." Wanda mumbled and you nodded into her shoulder.

"I'm not going to leave you though, you know that right? You can stay at mine and we'll watch more of those crappy American movies you like." She mocked lightly making you chuckle against her. "Whatever you want."

"I just want you." You said honestly. You knew you shouldn't have said that, but you were too emotionally drained to care.

"I just want you too, y/n." You pulled away from the redhead to look at her clearly.

"I don't think you know what I mean." You sniffed and she smiled at you fondly.

"I mean what I said earlier, around the fire." Your eyes widened slightly and you held your breath.

"It was all an act though." You whispered and Wanda chuckled as she exhaled sharply.

"No y/n." "I think I am inlove with you." She said as she took ahold of your hand and searched your face for any signs of a reaction to her confession.

"Me?" You questioned, not quite believing it.

"Yes you, idiot." You smiled and sighed in relief, not being able to find the words to express your overflowing happiness and numerous other emotions you couldn't quite pinpoint. You let go of Wanda's hand and brought them both up to cup her cheeks. You had done a lot more handholding than kissing in the previous few days. It needed to be evened out.

You closed the gap between you and kissed Wanda with just as much passion as you had in the lake, except all hesitation and questions were gone. Because you knew she loved you. Oh God she loved you. You grinned into the kiss at the thought and felt her hand fall to your hip while the other caressed the side of your neck in the most gentle manner you had ever seen from her.

When you eventually pulled away you rested your forehead against hers, a smile still playing on both your lips.

"Told you we'd have to do that again." You said and and laughed. "I love you too."

"Well I hoped that wasn't a pity kiss." She joked and you smacked her arm playfully.

"It definetly was not and I'll prove it to you by taking you on a date when we get back." You promised as you sat back to look at her clearly.

"Oh yeah?" She asked with a playful smirk and leaned over so her face was inches away from yours.

"Yeah." You said back.

"Well until then, my real girlfriend should definetly just keep kissing me." She said as she pushed you down gently and kissed you again. You smiled against her gleefully.

"Your girlfriend would love to."

[sylverstorms]

Mother Miranda x Lawyer!Oc ----Tilted Scales

Hello guys :) This is another commission I wrote for the amazing, wonderful @saltwatereulogies

Your support has been insane, I can't thank you enough. Hope you enjoy the story ❣

Three days.

That is how long you've been in the village, after years of studying abroad, before everything turns to shit.

As you slowly blink focus back into your eyes, you try to clear the haze from your mind. It feels as though you've collided with a truck. Your body hurts, your wrists protest in their iron cuffs, stuck to the wall as they are, having supported your weight while you were unconscious.

Desperately, you try to recollect the events that led you here...

A grey sky. A bleak day. One moment you were making coffee for your mother, excited to be able to sit down with her in the mornings again... and the next you heard the echo of screams.

Overcome by adrenaline, you bolted out of your house, only to witness a scene straight from a nightmare; humanoid monsters ripping villagers apart, cries and blood and animalistic growls all blending together into one mad mix.

And before you could even warn your mother...

Damn it all, what the fuck happened!

You suddenly struggle against your bonds, hard enough to rattle your whole frame. Your wrists burn from the grind against metal, but you don't care–

“Stop that. It is pointless and you will only injure yourself.” A cold voice, strangely familiar, says from far to your right.

You peer deep into the shadows, searching for the only other person in the empty room... until you see her. A mask advances on you, gold and shaped like a crow's visage, then wings folded into a cloak come into view.

You would be a fool to not recognize her. The local saint. The village's prophet. The very 'saint' your mother prayed to, for your safe return, all these years. Mother Miranda.

The sound of her heels bounces off the walls until she comes to stand directly in front of you. Looking past the openings of her mask now, you realize....

This isn't possible.

She hasn't aged a day. Not a single day, since you left the village. The years should show around her deadly blue eyes, somewhere, and yet they don't.

“I see you remember me...” she says, while you're still trying to find your voice. “Miss Warren.”

“What is going on? Mother Miranda, what happened to the village?!” you demand.

Her expression shows nothing. “The village is in need of... renovation.” she speaks, even, regal. “Repopulation, even.”

You stare at her with wide eyes.

“Now, don't give me that look. You would not be here if you weren't of the ones I chose to keep.” she continues. “You see, from now on, every single person in my domain will make themselves useful in some way, or they will be replaced. And you... you have been abroad studying law for a while now, yes?”

“I... yes.” you reply, still not fully having wrapped your mind around your situation.

“Excellent. What I need from you is simple. You will make the village independent from the state’s taxes as a religious organization... and you will keep foreign investors out from that point onward.”

What... what part of that is simple?!

“Do that for me and in return I guarantee your mother and you will go back to your house safe and sound. You will have no shortage of Lei for as long as you live, Miss Warren.” Miranda promises.

But it is not the sweet part of the deal your mind stays glued to. “And if...” you gulp. “If I can't work around the law to do that...?”

Miranda blinks slowly at you, like you shouldn't even ask such a basic question. Like the answer is obvious.

“Well. Then I have no further use for either of you.”

It is in this moment that it dawns on you.

This woman is no angel and no saint.

She is a devil.

-

-

You spend countless sleepless nights pouring over every single paragraph, every little opening or ambiguity in the law you can use to free the village of taxes.

To keep your mother in the dark about this, you work in the office Mother Miranda has provided for you, in her very stronghold.

Although technically it's her home, you don't see her nearly as much as you initially thought. She is gone throughout the day and returns late at night, not even sparing you a glance before heading for her chambers, at the upper sections of the building.

The days she does come into your office to inquire on your progress are few and far-between, your conversations always short and cold.

This evening is different.

“How is your work coming along, Miss Warren?” the prophetess asks with her aggravatingly nice accent, seating herself like a queen on the chair in front of your desk.

Your eyes are tired, but you force them on hers, through the mask obscuring her face. “I think I've got it. I'll be sending the necessary papers tomorrow and the answer shouldn't take longer than a month.”

“Very good.” she nods, a miniscule curve to her lips.

Icy eyes then drop to the wine in the whiskey glass at the corner of the desk. You think she will make a comment about drinking at work, but instead she says;

“Pour me a glass, will you?”

You will your hands steady as you comply, then carefully slide her drink over.

Miranda takes her mask with claw-shrouded fingers... and soundnessly sets it on the wooden surface. Then she pushes the veil at her hair back, shaking long, platinum locks free.

You do a double take you hope she doesn't notice. Because what the actual fuck.

You didn't think her hair was that long, or that straight, or that it would fall over her shoulders like she's staring in a shampoo ad. You didn't think her lips were shaped like a cupid's bow or that her skin was this flawless and radiant.

The helplessly lesbian part of you could begrudgingly admit she was beautiful before... but now you arrive to the painful realization she's drop-dead gorgeous.

“So. I've heard you won cases others would describe as impossible.” she begins.

“Nothing's impossible. You just need to know where to look.” you reply. Law is your comfort zone and she is not that far above you here. “But how do you know that?”

“I have my sources.”

"Nobody truly leaves this village, huh.”

“Not without my consent, no. But I knew you'd come back.” At your slight frown, she elaborates, “You would never leave your mother behind.”

She's right. There was a whole world of opportunities waiting for you out there and yet... here you are.

“Good work, so far. You can take the next two days off. Your eyes could use the rest, Miss Warren.” Miranda speaks, finishing her wine.

“Sarah.” you say. 'Miss Warren' is for clients and she is your boss.

Miranda's lips give a slight quirk that may or may not be a trick of the light.

“I know.” she replies and exits the room, long hair billowing behind her back.

-

-

The taxes were only the first challenge. Now that the village is free of them, investors are flying in circles around it like vultures over meat.

In the meantime, Miranda comes to talk to you more frequently.

Lately, it seems she has more free time. You wish that was a good thing, but...

“So... are you like... going to stay here?” You ask after reading the same sentence five times to make sense of it, because her gaze on you is distracting as fuck.

“I'm not getting in the way of your work.” she says. You want to argue she is, but can't quite do that in a way that won't get you killed.

“I'm simply not used to working with company. Isn't this boring for you?”

“No, actually. I find it interesting, even though science is my field of expertise.” she answers. “And the way you take notes is… amusing.”

You try not to blush as you look down at your notebook, filled with different colored markers and post-it squares with tiny stick figures pointing to the more important paragraphs. You have been doing this for so long to sort out information you didn't even realize you were keeping it up in her presence.

“What is this supposed to be?” she asks with a small smile, the first of its kind you've seen.

To your horror, her clawed pointer aims at a particularly silly doodle, barely the size of a pencil's eraser.

“A... bird.” you grimace like you've been stabbed.

“Ah, of course.” Miranda holds back a chuckle but you can tell she's dying to make a comment.

Studying becomes hell for the rest of the time she's there with you, those sharp eyes picking apart every little move you make. At the same time, though, the hours you spend with her make you realize...

She's not a saint, though she may look like one. She's not completely a devil, either, even if she may act as one, at times.

She's human.

-

-

Miranda shares nothing about herself when you chat, but she seems to like it when you speak about your time abroad and all the things that left an impression on you there.

Your conversation over wine is cut short, however, when you receive a call from a number you learned means nothing but trouble, lately.

“Sorry, I have to take this.” you tell her.

The one calling you is none other than this month's rival lawyer, trying to dispute your claim over the land for his own boss. He's lost to you before, so it's also personal, but you are confident you have cornered them good with the latest papers you sent them...

And you are proven correct, when, a few seconds later, he is all faux polite on the other line, resorting to offering you money for you to withdraw your arguments.

Miranda comes to stand next to you, listening in to what he's saying.

The problem with that is, the second her arm brushes yours and you catch a whiff of her perfume –which always lingers in your office long after she's left— youare the one who stops listening to him.

Your attention flies to other things, like the inches she has on you, the exact color of her pale blonde hair, the little glint of victory in her stunning eyes.

Oh, no. God, no...

You know what this is, the feeling in the pit of your stomach. Alarm bells go off in the back of your head, as though your own mind is telling your body how foolish it's being.

There isn't a worse thing you can do to yourself than be attracted to Miranda.

-

-

Over time, familiarity with the prophetess brings higher levels of difficulty into your 'try to ignore your crush on her' game.

Miranda joins your side and leans over your shoulder, sometimes, to peer down at what you're doing. You don't move and don't breathe until she's within a safe distance again.

Then there are the wayward 'reward' touches, when you turn another investor away from the village. She may pat your back or leave her hand on your shoulder, or even scratch your nape with her claws as a job well done.

You hope your poker face hides the fact you feel her touch on you for far longer than you should, after she's gone.

Tonight, the situation is the toughest it's ever been for you.

There is a rainstorm going on outside; the waterdrops are tapping against the windows of your office as though they're trying to break it. Miranda has pulled her chair next to you so you can talk easier, without having to shout over the cacophony.

“And basically the judge's decision was that—”

You are interrupted by a blinding flash of lighting, during which your mind lets you know the stronghold is easily the tallest structure in it's vicinity—

When thunder cracks down the sky and strikes the building, you nearly scream. Your body tenses and you jump; but Miranda's hands come to your biceps and hold you steady, against herself and your desk.

Another flash comes before you really have time to think about your proximity. She covers your ears with her palms before the thunderclap can send you into overdrive again.

“You are with me and you're scared of a little thunder?” she teases when things quiet down and your heartbeat eases.

It's true; Miranda is the more terrifying force of nature. At the same time, however...

You feel oddly safe to be this close to her.

“Well... I'm not scared right now...” you quietly admit.

Her pointer comes underneath your chin and lifts it so you are looking straight into her hypnotic blue eyes. How is this color even real...

“And why is that?” Miranda asks, her wings coming around you both. They're curtains of black, cutting out some of the storm's sounds.

You want nothing more in this moment than to run your fingers through each individual feather.

You lick your lips. That's...not a question you can answer if you want the balance in your arrangement with her to remain.

Perhaps, though, the scales have tilted for you long ago. You just haven't been brave enough to admit it.

You have the courage to face it now when she leans down and covers your lips with hers, warm in a manner you never imagined she could be.

Her wings pull tighter around you and your mouths slide more firmly together. Lipbalm and creamy lipstick mix, tongues brush, tasting of wine. You are shaking so bad on the inside from how much you want this, more of this, the rumbling of the thunder be damned.

Miranda's palm cups your flaming cheek when she pulls back, perfectly composed and staring at you with a little smirk in place.

You dare to turn a little, lay a tiny kiss on the inside of her wrist, beyond her rings and accessories.

You aren't very fond of storms, but...

You willingly walk right into the eye of this one.

[nostalgebraist]

Thank you for this. Some (spoiler-free) reactions:

I think this is ultimately why I stuck with Almost Nowhere despite struggling to follow many aspects of the plot (while I lost too much motivation only a dozen or so chapters into HPMoR): I felt like I was being taken somewhere and was able to enjoy where it was taking me. The whole novel felt like a slightly surreal dream and an escape to a far vaster space than the one I inhabit in real life.

This is exactly what I was aiming for, so it's good to hear I hit the mark! A lot of my favorite books feel this way, and it's an effect I strive to produce in my own writing.

Almost Nowhere is the most cerebral fiction-writing I've ever read [...] Almost Nowhere, on the other hand, took me on a vast, sweeping journey, where an even greater proportion [relative to HPMoR] of the scenes carry a colder, more dispassionately intellectual ambience, where moments of raw emotional intimacy are rather few and far between but are far better written when they do occur.

While I don't exactly find this reaction surprising, it's interestingly different from how the book feels to me.

There's a lot of emotion in AN. Some of the pivotal plot points involve emotionally-driven decisions; we spend a lot of time watching the characters and wallowing in their angsts and anxieties; and in the later parts of the story there's simply a lot of ranting, rhapsodizing, emotional dialogue of all kinds.

But I might have a distorted impression of how much this shapes the feel of the story for ordinary readers, for reasons like:

I have the luxury of totally understanding what's happening when it happens, which the reader generally doesn't (and shouldn't). If a scene doesn't entirely make sense except in light of later information, that takes you out of the moment.

The story contains a lot of descriptions of emotion, but that's not the same thing as emotional immediacy for the reader. Like everything else in AN, this stuff is always partially hidden behind some sort of smokescreen; you're always made to feel like you're peering in on something alien, something we can't take at face value, something that is "not for us" (as the refrain in the book goes).

And I made this connection the most during Part 2 of Almost Nowhere, recalling that the fictional novel TNC is explained to have a sort of middle "lucid section" made of vignettes which mostly consist of coherent dialog but in which the characters have different relationships than they did at the outset (i.e. in TNC the two main characters who were siblings now appear to be married). I felt sort of drawn toward experiencing the journey that TNC would take me along, particularly the middle lucid section part just consisting of little dialog scenes, and I felt like in a way I got some version of that through Part 2 of Almost Nowhere.

That's pretty cool! I had not made that connection before. Glad I could give you an unexpectedly "reading TNC"-like experience.

The idea that we eventually get to see the characters get together and write the book that we are now reading doesn't seem original to this work of fiction, but I can't think precisely where I've seen it anywhere else, and it was fun. Rob's ability, as shown (to a milder extent) in The Northern Caves to be able to speak and write in very distinct character voices is impressive and maximally showcased here.

Thanks.

Although it wasn't my only reference point, all of the talking-to-the-reader stuff in AN was most directly inspired by the Terra Ignota series. Of particular note is the fact that I read the final book in that series in late 2021, right around the time I started getting serious about AN and dramatically increased my writing pace. As a result, that book heavily influenced AN in a lot of ways.

Azad was a pleasure to read and I had to enjoy the scenes where he was present or narrating

It's funny, Azad has been very divisive.

I've heard multiple people say Azad was their favorite character. And I've heard multiple other people -- roughly the same number of people, I think -- say he's their least favorite element of the book, in some cases even having trouble finishing it specifically because they hated him so much.

(In a way, this is the most flattering outcome from my perspective. If no one loathed Azad except some of his fellow characters, I would be worried I didn't make him loathe-able enough.)

My brief, vague, scattered review of Almost Nowhere

Welp, I finished it, all 1079 pages of it. (Really 1077 pages with the first and last essentially acting as a front and back cover.) As the book is of an unwieldy length and I don't have much time or brainpower at the moment, this post is going to comment on just some aspects of it. Also, as I never managed to gain anything close to mastery of exactly how the plot worked, most of this is going to be vague and avoid discussions of the plot events, character decisions or traits, or anything that specific really. I think a couple of people wrote spoilery reviews; I don't feel very capable of this (nor of giving a very good description of the novel to someone else at a level of concreteness that they would reasonable expect.)

So, I would say no concrete spoilers to follow, and only a couple of quite vague ones.

I noted this in other posts written while I was in the midst of the novel, but I have to say it again because it's one of the most pertinent parts of my experience reading this: Almost Nowhere is the most cerebral fiction-writing I've ever read (with the possible exception of the few chapters of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality that I've read), on just about every level including narrative style, plot mechanics, and the ideas and themes explored -- there are even occasional fictional-scientific lectures inserted from time to time (which I found quite enjoyable actually)! More generally, the writing just screams of sheer IQ points both on the part of the author and on the part of the expected audience, in the use of a dazzling vocabulary as much as the elaborate plot and fictional-scientific situations one has to keep track of the characters being in. (It's interesting to note, though, that the cast of characters is actually quite modest, perhaps the fewest I've ever seen for a novel of this size: the complexity of the plot doesn't arise from a complexity of relationships among characters but from a distorted timeline and an array of alternate-reality situations.)

For this reason, I can't help but continue to compare this work to what I've read of Eliezer Yudkowsky, who similarly exudes sheer IQ and writes with an unabashedly cerebral style. Rob (the author, Tumblr-user Nostalgebraist) may not care much for the comparison, since as far as I know he doesn't align himself with Yudkowsky's rationalist movement or consider himself particularly in sympathy with Yudkowsky's worldview. But, while I have very little experience with Yudkowsky's fiction-writing (the main thing I've read of his is the Sequences), my impression is that their fiction is extremely different, that Yudkowsky's fiction comes across as just a transparent "mouthpiece" for his rationalist views and ideas, and that Yudkowsky has far less talent for fictional narrative. HPMoR (or what I've read of it) gives me an interesting plot and characters and makes me think about rationalist-y ideas in a direct, easy-to-follow way. Truly emotional non-cerebralness is actually pretty frequent in HPMoR but conveyed in a way I recall finding rather awkward. Almost Nowhere, on the other hand, took me on a vast, sweeping journey, where an even greater proportion of the scenes carry a colder, more dispassionately intellectual ambience, where moments of raw emotional intimacy are rather few and far between but are far better written when they do occur.

I think this is ultimately why I stuck with Almost Nowhere despite struggling to follow many aspects of the plot (while I lost too much motivation only a dozen or so chapters into HPMoR): I felt like I was being taken somewhere and was able to enjoy where it was taking me. The whole novel felt like a slightly surreal dream and an escape to a far vaster space than the one I inhabit in real life. Perhaps the feeling of being in a dream enabled my brain not to particularly care about precisely following the intricacies of the plot, as tends to be one's brain state in dreams. Of course, I shouldn't leave this as an implied "excuse" for not doing a good job of following: among the main reasons were intellectual fatigue from the general nature and business of the rest of my life, being a bit too rushed to get through the novel so that I can move to the rest of my reading list, general mental laziness, and, well, a dash of general mental ineptitude I suppose.

Specifically, what I struggled throughout to follow was some of the timeline shenanigans and that paths carved out within them by various individual characters, as well as recalling characters' experiences and motives at different times, and just generally keeping track of the scifi mechanics. I also had a tendency to glaze over some of dense dialogs that were more... I hate to keep using the word cerebral but don't know how else to characterize them... or that were more technical or jargon-filled or sounding like computer coding. Regarding the scifi mechanics, I did enjoy the occasional lengthy "lessons" delivered by characters and mostly followed their teachings but had a tendency to forget many of the finer (but still important) points later on -- for instance, Sylvie's big fictionally-written-lesson chapter at the end was really fun reading and I followed the interesting ideas going on but (even though it was near the end) did have trouble remembering everything in it pretty shortly afterwards.

The fictional-scientific mechanics themselves made for a very interesting elaborate thought experiment, and for the most part they made a lot of sense, as in, some hypothetical universe could work under these mechanics. I'm not sure that keeping vague links between different paths among alternate realities in the form of dreams or nostalgium doesn't seem like a bit of a cheat, but I'd have to think over it more deeply before deciding that, and I liked how it played in the story. I was a bit taken aback near the beginning about the role of Maryam Mirzakhani's fictional-scientific discoveries since as far as I knew Mirzakhani never worked on such things, but I much later realized that the earlier parts of the novel were written when she was still alive and young and potentially able to make discoveries of that nature in the then-future (for those who don't know, she tragically died in the late 2010's at age 40, partway through the writing of Almost Nowhere and shortly after becoming the first woman to get the Fields Medal).

As I've mentioned, the cast of distinguishable characters is very modest for such a huge novel. The characterization of each is on the subtle side, and to some extent I don't think I ever truly got to understand the deepest layers of Grant and Cordelia because I didn't put in the right amount of effort. I expect the only two which are memorable enough to stick with me for years when I look back on reading this are Azad and Sylvie. Azad was a pleasure to read and I had to enjoy the scenes where he was present or narrating -- interestingly he has one major Bad Moment around the middle of the novel in which he behaves in a certain way that earns him a ton of criticism at the time, and then after all the fuss is made it all seems to sort of get forgotten about. I don't know what I'm really supposed to think of him ultimately, but I'll miss his beautifully intellectual soul. Sylvie's scenes, in contrast, are a bit grating to read, but I suspect they're supposed to be. In a way, I know even less how I should feel about him than about Azad: his deepest biases and motives frequently seemed to exist in an occasionally-clashing tension. The bleak cacophony surrounding him is punctuated with sharp humor that I appreciate: he's a bit of dark vortex but he's also such a good boy.

The idea that we eventually get to see the characters get together and write the book that we are now reading doesn't seem original to this work of fiction, but I can't think precisely where I've seen it anywhere else, and it was fun. Rob's ability, as shown (to a milder extent) in The Northern Caves to be able to speak and write in very distinct character voices is impressive and maximally showcased here.

The novel, as Rob pointed out in one of his posts about it, comes with three distinct parts, the second of which distinguishes itself by having chapters numbered in Arabic numerals with chapter titles and is built of scenes with an entirely different flow. This second part was easily my favorite to read and felt more like surreal and placidly dreamlike escapism than any other area of the book. I don't know if anyone else has made comparisons between the fictional-novel-within-the-fiction-novel The Northern Caves (Rob's novel called The Northern Caves is the only other of his that I've read -- and liked a lot -- and its plot revolves around a bizarrely opaque thousand-plus-page novel of the same title), but I couldn't help being reminded of my conception of the fictional novel TNC throughout Almost Nowhere (also a thousand-plus-paged rather difficult novel, with surreal aspects to the narrative and layer upon layer of meaning, even if it doesn't devolve into apparent nonsense partway through). And I made this connection the most during Part 2 of Almost Nowhere, recalling that the fictional novel TNC is explained to have a sort of middle "lucid section" made of vignettes which mostly consist of coherent dialog but in which the characters have different relationships than they did at the outset (i.e. in TNC the two main characters who were siblings now appear to be married). I felt sort of drawn toward experiencing the journey that TNC would take me along, particularly the middle lucid section part just consisting of little dialog scenes, and I felt like in a way I got some version of that through Part 2 of Almost Nowhere.

(This is the most spoilery I'll get:) The final chapter of the novel ends on the point of view of the character who I had forgotten (but soon realized) was the one the very first chapter began on. It felt only fitting to go back to the first part of the first chapter and skim it, to close the loop (so to speak). I was almost never actually emotionally moved by Almost Nowhere exactly, but with the ending-looped-back-to-the-beginning it came close.

I remember when the novel was first finished this past summer, Nostalgebraist made a post discussing the finished product a bit, and I ran into one or two effortposts by other people discussing how they felt about the plot and characters. I didn't want to spoil them at the time, and I didn't want to look for them just after finishing before I wrote my own thing (this post), but I'd like to find them now and would appreciate anyone pointing me to them (I can probably find the Nostalgebraist posts easily enough).

Anyway, it's impressive work Rob, congrats on finishing such a hefty project, and thanks for giving me a unique fiction-reading experience I'll never forget!

[pod95]

Pairing: Finn Balor X reader

Word Count: 2152

Warnings: Smutt (implied)

Description: A/n you and your best friend Becky Lynch are sharing a hotel room together, but when her boyfriend Seth Rollins sneaks in, you are left with no choice but to sleep in his room with the guy you hate, Finn Balor.

A/N This is part of a series of one shots I am doing. You can read this and the others on my Wattpad, AO3 and FanFiction pages.

Room Swap

"Name please," the receptionist asked as you searched through your purse for your ID.

"Y/l/n. It should be a twin room."

"Ah yes, here you are," she turned to the board behind and picked out a key card. You're in room 412."

"Thanks!" you take the key card off of her and return to Becky, who was waiting with your luggage in the lobby.

"Everything all sorted, roomie?" Becky asked, thumbing through a magazine.

"Yeah I can't wait. Ever since you got with Seth we never get to bunk together. It's gonna be like old times!"

"I just hope you're ready for a wild night of stuffing our faces with room service and bingeing bad horror movies," she winked and giggled.

"Ooft sounds like a hot date," you teased her.

"Speaking of hot..." Becky gestured to the lobby entrance where her boyfriend Seth Rollins was bringing in his luggage. He made his way over to you and beamed when he saw Becky.

"Damn, you're beautiful. Can I get your number?" he teased.

"Sorry, I have a boyfriend. He's super buff and macho and could probably kick your ass," she retorted, planting a loving kiss on his cheek. Seth wrapped his arms around her waist as you smiled at how happy you were that your friend found someone who truly loved her.

"Are you sure you wanna spend the night with y/n? I mean I love Finn but we could have a LOT of fun in a room together..." Seth cooed, kissing Beckys neck.

"Hey, Rollins! Stop making moves on my woman. You get every other night with her. Go near her, and I'll chop that dick off!" you threatened playfully.

"Fine, Jeez!" he laughed, "We really need to get you a boyfriend."

You shuddered at the words. You had been secretly seeing someone, but broke it off a couple of weeks ago and you were starting to lose hope of ever finding a decent guy.

"You know, Finn is still single..." Becky prompted.

"Ugh no way!" you retched, "not even if he was the last man on Earth."

"Finn's a great guy! I really don't get why you hate him so much..." Seth shook his head.

"Where do I start? He's cocky and narcissistic, he thinks he's God's gift to women, he's always bragging about how many girls he's been with. Yeah sure, he's hot, but he knows it. Besides, he's a jerk to me whenever we're together."

"Y/n, you haven't even given him a chance. I reckon if you spent some time alone with him, you'd see all the good parts of him!" Seth enthused.

"He wears very tight trunks in the ring, I've already seen WAY more parts of him than I'm comfortable with."

"Aww, y/n, I'm flattered you spend your free time thinking about me in tight trunks!" came an Irish accent from behind you. You groaned internally.

"I wouldn't be... You missed the part where I called you cocky and narcissistic." you jeered, smirking at Finn.

"It's not cocky if you can back it up love," he winked, and you hated yourself for finding him so attractive.

"Right, sure. Guys like you are all talk."

"Oh one night alone with me, and you'd never want to leave," he went to brush a hair from your face, giggling mischievously as you swatted it away. "I could prove it to you tonight if you want."

"Oh my god, why are all the men in my life trying to ruin our night together? Go find some other woman to disappoint, Balor! She's mine tonight," Becky scolded him. "Y/n, we should go to our room before these Jackasses get in the way."

Becky stood up, kissed Seth affectionately and grabbed her luggage. You followed her leave, grabbing your things and saying goodbye to Seth.

"What no goodbye kiss for me?" Finn hollered is you set off towards the elevator, cackling at the middle finger you were now responding with.

When you got to the room, Becky kicked her shoes off and dove onto a bed. You changed into a tank top and some leggings as she looked through the room service menu.

"I'm gonna get some lobster. What do you want?"

"Ooh very fancy. I'll have the same."

You spent the evening pigging out on fancy room service and making fun of terrible movies before eventually feeling too tired to stay awake and nodding off halfway through the second movie.

Just as you'd fallen asleep, you were awoken by a noise. You weren't sure what it was at first, it sounded kind of wet. Then you heard a soft moan coming from the bed next to you and you looked over to see a huge lump under the covers of Beckys bed. Groaning, you turned your bedside lamp on.

"Really guys? I'm trying to sleep here..." you protested.

"Oh shit, sorry y/n. I'll just go." a naked Seth peeked out from under the covers, his hair messy and his voice breathless.

"No, it's fine just... Give me your key card. I'll sleep in your room."

"Really? Sure, it's in my pants. Thanks y/n, you're the best." Seth said, before retreating back under the covers, much to the delight of a giggling Becky.

You hastily retrieved the key card (room 426) from his discarded pants and made your escape.

As you stormed down the hall to where Seth and Finn were staying, you muttered under your breath. You knew that Becky and Seth were a couple, but do they have no boundaries? You arrived at room 426 and knocked on the door. Despite having the key, you didn't want to just barge into the room unannounced.

A shirtless Finn opened the door. He blinked in surprise upon seeing you, before smiling cockily.

"I see you decided to take me up on my offer earlier," he purred, leaning coolly against the doorframe.

"No chance in hell. Seth and Becky are 'getting busy', and as close as we are, I REALLY don't wanna see her O face so... Seth said I could crash here. Sorry to disappoint you," you shoved past, struggling to keep your eyes off of his impressive torso.

"Alright but I should warn you... I sleep naked," Finn beamed at you, amused by the look of horror that crossed your face.

"Whatever just... You stay in your bed, I'll stay in mine and we should get through the night without me beating you to death!" you smiled sweetly back at him.

"Oh come on. I'm just messing with you," he chuckled, grabbing a towel from the wardrobe. "I'm gonna take a shower, TV remote is there. Make yourself at home."

Finn disappeared into the bathroom and shortly after, you heard the gushing of the shower. For a moment, you imagined the water cascading down Finn's abs and trickling down his body. Disgusted with yourself for imagining such things, you shook the thought from your mind and turned on the TV.

Eventually, Finn emerged from the shower, and you were surprised to see him wearing a pair of shorts and a vest. You stared at him for a moment, still confused.

"Is there a problem?" he asks, snapping you out of your stupor.

"No! Not at all... You're just such a playboy, I'm surprised you're wearing actual clothes and not a towel that's far too small for you," you challenged him, secretly disappointed by the reality.

"Contrary to what you might think about me, I'm not a sex pest. I may be cocky and full of myself, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to make you uncomfortable." annoyed, Finn collapsed into his bed, refusing to make eye contact with you.

"Finn... I'm sorry. I'm being a jerk. Honestly, thanks for letting me stay here. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"Well... You can buy me pizza. I like pepperoni and stuffed crust please!" He grinned cheekily and you couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Pizza, for Mr Abs? What about all those carbs?" you teased him, picking up the menu from the desk.

"Well, you really upset me and now I'm eating my feelings," Finn pouted adorably at you, giggling when you threw a pillow at him.

You and Finn went back and forth teasing each other until the pizza arrived, when Finn jumped up excitedly and rushed to the door to collect it.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Finn asked, sitting at the end of his bed and tucking into his Pizza.

"Sure," you started flicking through the movie channels. "Oooh, Toy Story!"

You lay back, occasionally eyeing up Finns pizza. Your stomach gave you away and let out a thunderous growl, as you held a pillow over it, trying to muffle the sound.

"Do you want some?" Finn tempted you, patting an empty space on the bed next to him. Nodding enthusiastically, you accepted the invitation and grabbed a slice.

The room fell quiet apart from the sound of you and Finn happily tucking in to the pizza.

"So are you feeling any better?" Finn asked, grabbing another slice.

"Better? What do you mean?"

"Well you seemed angry earlier. It must be frustrating never getting to see Becky," Finn prompted, giving you a look of genuine sympathy. You were surprised that he had picked up on it. You usually had a bad attitude around him anyway, so it was impressive that he could tell you were more upset than usual.

"I was at first, but I get it. They're a couple, they wanna spend time together. If I had a boyfriend, I'd be the same, " you confessed.

"So what happened with that guy you were seeing?" Finn asked, the hint of a smile on his lips.

"Oh that didn't go anywhere. Wait, how did you know about that?"

"Oh... I guess... Becky might have mentioned it..." Finn stammered, unusually flustered.

"Becky didn't know..." you eyed him suspiciously. Finn paused, thinking for a moment before sighing.

"OK fine..." he shuffled nervously. "A couple of weeks ago, I was outside your locker room and I heard you on the phone to him."

"And why exactly were you lurking outside my locker room, Mr Balor?" you teased him, amused by this vulnerable version of Finn.

"Well, I was planning on asking you to dinner," he quickly reverted back to his usual, charismatic self.

Speechless and somewhat embarrassed, you grabbed another slice of pizza and continued watching the movie. You're cheeks felt hot, and you could still feel Finns eyes on you. But even so, you couldn't help but feel surprised by how comfortable you were around Finn.

After several minutes, you dared to glance back at him. The glance escalated, and soon you found yourself examining his features in great detail. He really was incredibly attractive. Your attention moved from his dark hair towards his mesmerising blue eyes, twinkling with delight as he watched the movie, down his strong cheekbones to where an adorable, boyish smile perfectly complimented the rest of his face. As he turned towards you and caught you staring, every instinct told you to avert your eyes, but you just couldn't.

His eyes locked onto yours, holding your gaze as you felt your heart rate increasing. He smirked, pleased with himself for having caught you staring at him. Unblinking, he looked you up and down, licking his lips seductively. Bashful, you turned away, not wanting him to see you blush. Finn reached out a hand to stroke your reddening cheek.

Your skin tingled, as you nuzzled against his hand. Finn let out a low, victorious chuckle and cupped your other cheek in his hand, turning it to face him. You stared at his lips for just a moment before closing the distance between your face and his, stopping just before his lips. You closed your eyes, smiled to yourself, and pressed your lips to his. It was gentle and nervous at first, but as your hunger for him grew, the kiss became more passionate. You let out a small moan when he gently nibbled your lower lip. He pulled away, breathless, eyeing you intensely.

"If this goes much further... I won't be able to stop myself. Are you OK with that?" Finn asked, stroking your cheek. You nodded, never breaking eye contact. Finn smiled roguishly.

"Perfect." Finn grinned, tangling his fingers in your hair and devouring your lips, as you made a silent reminder to thank Seth and Becky

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, and if you want a part 2 at some point in the future 😊

[alj4890]

All Through the Night

A Choices: The Royal Romance Dark AU

@gkittylove99​ ​​ @krsnlove​ ​ @kingliam2019​ ​ @texaskitten30​ ​ @yourmajesty09​ ​ @mom2000aggie​ ​ @ofpixelsandscribbles​ ​ @twinkleallnight​ ​ @lodberg​ ​ @twinkleallnight​ ​ @amandablink​ ​ @neotericthemis​ ​  @mm2305​ ​ @sfb123​ ​ @iufilms​​​ ​ ​ @tessa-liam​ @busywoman​​

Masterlist

Catch up here with Prologue and Part 1

Part 2

Fydelia...

"Madeleine dear, have you seen the lost book of Aurelia?" Regina called out when she noticed the countess passing by. "There were some notes in there that I think can be useful for Maxwell."

"No mam." Madeleine stepped into their library.

The walls were covered with a variety of the history of the five kingdoms and the mysterious sixth. Madeleine had spent years studying every single myth in the hopes of finding hints of cures and such for the ailments of her people. Her usually sharp gaze softened at the faded leather spines. They had been her source of comfort long before Regina arrived.

When her parents were alive they rarely spared their daughter a single glance. As long as she was quiet, well behaved, and properly attired; they expected little else from her. She had been their disappointment. Her father had hoped for a son while her mother hoped to never have a child.

She did not feel grief when they died. In fact, she had rarely felt any emotion until Regina took over her care. Through her cousin's encouragement and treating her with kindness, Madeleine began to understand happiness and contentment.

She also began to long for love.

The stories she read about the great love Queen Kenna shared with Dominic had made her begin to daydream about her finding someone of her own. She rather liked the idea that the creatures of the Dark Kingdom fell in love instantly. It certainly took all the guess work out of he loves me, he loves me not.

Though Regina was a kind and nurturing soul, Madeleine wanted something more.

And she had found it one afternoon with the banished prince of the Dark Kingdom.

**************

A year ago, the capital of Cordonia...

Madeleine ran down the sidewalk as a torrential downpour began. Being lost in thought, she had wandered away from the market place without paying attention. Townhomes with small parks and cottages with flower gardens dotted the quiet neighborhood.

"Oh!" Madeleine slid down, landing not only upon her left ankle, but also in a puddle.

She closed her eyes at the painful throbbing. Tears began to intermingled with the rain falling upon her face. She tried to standup but ended right back in the puddle.

For the life of her, she couldn't think of a single spell that she could use to help herself. It was part curse and actually a blessing to others that a witch could rarely use magic to improve their own circumstances. Other than being able to take potions to improve their physical health, most spells could only be used for someone else.

If she had asked Regina to come with her for a visit to the capital, then she could have healed Madeleine easily. She probably knew a spell offhand to immediately dry her clothes. But then again, Regina was the most powerful out of their coven.

She attempted to stand once more, only for a cry of frustration mixed with agony to slip out.

She could hear footsteps rushing towards her from behind.

She turned her head and saw a man. Her lips parted at how handsome he was. His drenched clothing revealed what was a definite muscular body. His blonde hair had darkened from the rain. But his eyes...they were the most intense blue she had ever seen.

"Are you badly hurt?" He asked.

She nodded. "It's my ankle. Either a bolt of lightening struck when I fell or I definitely heard a definite pop."

Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather.

He kicked open the wrought iron gate and ran with her into his townhome.

"There's a light switch behind you." He waited for her to find it then continued on into his living room. "Here." He set her down on the couch. I'll try to find you something dry to put on and then we'll have a look at that ankle."

Her lips parted then closed as he dashed upstairs. She took advantage of her solitude to study what was clearly the home of a bachelor. Her eyes touched on the masculine décor of oversized leather furniture and no pictures on the walls. There no trinkets of any sort nor any type of color to add to the brandy colored leather and beige walls.

She turned her attention back to her ankle and winced when she tried to rotate her foot.

"That will teach you not to do that again."

Madeleine jumped at the sound of his voice tinged with amusement.

He handed her a towel then knelt beside her. Using another towel, he dried her foot and leg after removing her shoe.

"Thank you, um..." She bit down on her bottom lip when his fingers gently pressed around the swollen area.

"Leo." He looked up at her. "And who might you be?"

"Madeleine." She sucked in a painful gasp when he lifted her foot.

"Madeleine," he shook his head, "I believe it is just a bad sprain."

She slumped back in relief at that news. "I think so too."

He took off his shirt off and pulled a dry one on.

Her parted lips at the sight brought a grin to his face.

"If we're going to get you an x-ray just to make sure nothing is broken, then you'll have to stay in your dress." His eyes roamed over her petite figure. "I don't have anything that will work for you out in public."

"Yes, of course." She lowered her eyes. "Thank you for your assistance. I'm certain I would still be sitting in the puddle if you hadn't come by."

"I saw you slip down from my bedroom window." He scooped her up once more and carried her out to his garage. "Don't worry Lady Madeleine, we'll have you fixed up in no time."

Her head jerked up. "How do you know I'm a noble?"

He paused then shrugged. "With your beauty and the way you speak, it seemed likely that you were one." He set her in the passenger seat of his car. "Then again," he winked at her, "perhaps I was hoping to be your knight in shining armor."

Her pale skin flared with color from his flirting.

Leo chuckled at the sight then patted her hand.

After taking her to a nearby emergency care clinic, he then drove her back to her hotel.

He carried her and her crutches to her room despite her arguments that she could manage now that she had something to lean on.

"You shouldn't trouble yourself, Mr.--"

"Leo." He insisted. "And it is no trouble at all, I assure you." He set her down on a chair. "So, what brings you to the capital?"

"Nothing in particular." She lowered her eyes. "I had a few council meetings to attend and then I decided to stay over for a few days."

Leo nodded. "Wanted to get away?"

"Yes." Madeleine twisted the hem of her skirt. "I shouldn't feel this way. My life is filled with responsibilities that I actually enjoy handling." She lowered her eyes. "But sometimes..."

"It isn't enough." He smiled at her. "I've been there."

"You have?"

"Of course." He stretched his legs out and took a deep breath. "Though, I think the worst thing that can happen to someone is to have those very responsibilities that they thrive on taken away."

He bent down when he saw her struggle to prop her foot up on a small table. Before she could utter the words that he needn't feel like he had to keep helping her, he had slid it over closer.

"Thank you." She smiled shyly at him. "If you don't mind my prying, what responsibilities do you have?"

His easy smile dimmed. "Ah, none."

Her eyes widened. "But you seem to understand --"

"Like I said," he got up and went to stand at her window. "Nothing is worse than being denied what you are made for."

"What were you made for?" She prodded.

He glanced at her from over his shoulder with a smirk. "Me? To be king."

Her eyes widened with realization. The infamous handsome looks. The chivalry. The recognition of her nobility.

"You're the Dark King's son." She whispered in disbelief.

He turned to fully face her. "And you're The Guardian's ward, the very one she gave up being queen for."

Madeleine swallowed nervously. "I--I'm sorry you lost your kingdom." She gripped her hands together in her lap. "I heard about your father naming Liam as heir."

A brief flash of anger appeared in his blue eyes. "Yes, it seems that my embarrassment of not being a vampire extends to all areas of Cordonia."

"No!" She lifted her hand toward him as if to try and comfort him. "It isn't anything you could control." Her brow furrowed. "I'm certain you would have been an excellent king."

He returned to his chair. "Do you?"

She nodded. "I've always had a gift of, well...of sensing a person's true nature."

"Sounds impressive." Leo reached for her hand. "And what do you sense with me?"

Madeleine bit down on her bottom lip. "I can't quite find the words, but I sense great things in your future." A blush formed on her cheeks as she locked eyes with him. "And that I am somehow tied to your destiny."

He lifted her hand to his lips. "I think you're right."

***************

It had to have been fate for their paths to cross. The young man had been wandering Europe in search for a place he could belong.

"Once I saw you," Leo told her late one night, "I knew I had finally found the right place."

She had lost her heart to him. His stories of not being loved by his father matched her own, especially in being considered a great disappointment. She had not been born a boy and he had not been born a vampire.

There was little either could do about it.

Leo admitted that he had gone in search of a vampire in Sweden to try and turn him. Something though went wrong when he was given the Vampire's kiss. He did not change. He had remained in his mortal form even after completing the procedure by drinking from the Chalice.

There was no increase of strength. There was no vulnerability to the sun. There was nothing new or different about him.

Only further frustration and heartache.

Madeleine kept their encounters to herself. It wasn't that she didn't trust Regina. She simply didn't trust what she might say to Constantine.

The King continued to invite Regina to visit. He understood her reasons for refusing his marriage proposal but he refused to never see her again. Since she was in love with him too, she went each time he called for her.

Madeleine didn't approve of their relationship, yet she also kept this thought to herself. She had seen as a child the effect speaking one's mind had on others and she never wanted anyone to know her plans or opinions.

But then she began to sneak away to see Leo.

He had been the first person she had actually opened up to. His charm and confidence seemed to spill over and infect her with an openness she never knew she possessed.

Leo was interested in everything about her, especially her knowledge of spells and potions. For nearly a year, he marveled at her intelligence and encouraged her to dig further to find ways to push magic to its very limit.

Then one night, he shared a dream he had recently had.

"You and I were the King and Queen of the Dark Kingdom." His blue eyes flashed with emotion as he gazed off into the distance. "The people were overjoyed to have the true heir back within the fold."

"We were married?" She asked.

"We were." He squeezed her tight, drawing a startled gasp from her lips. "Everything was how it was meant to be for me. I had claimed the black crown for my own."

"What about your father and Liam?"

He turned toward her. Images from his dream of their ashes floating about his feet brought a slight smile to his lips.

"They weren't there."

"Did you feel in the dream that they approved?"

"Of course." He replied. "I have no doubt they finally saw my true strength."

"You would be an excellent ruler, my love." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "No one has as big a heart like you."

With her head pressed to his chest, he softly agreed. "Yes, I believe I would be just the ruler this country needs."

As the months passed, he fed her little by little tidbits of stories he claimed he had heard. The creatures of the Dark Kingdom were miserable. They were being ill treated by their once beloved monarch.

"I can't stand the thought of any of them suffering." He paced back and forth before her.

"Of course you can't." She replied. "I wish there was something we could do."

His steps faltered. Turning toward her, his sharp eyes filled with tears.

"Do you truly wish you could help them, Maddie?"

"I do." She reached for his hands. "It seems so wrong to be given these magical powers and not use them in some way to help your people."

He smiled warmly at her. She had stopped referring to the people of the Dark Kingdom as monsters. It had taken a long time to get her to do so, but he knew it would all be well worth it in the end.

Leo sat down before her. "If anyone can find a way for us to take our rightful place, it is you," he pressed a kiss to her hands, "my love."

Madeleine blushed at his faith in her. She loved that he saw her as no one else did. How could she not spend every single spare moment she had in pursuit of a way for him?

"I'll try, darling." She vowed. "I'll do everything within my power to return what is rightfully yours."

He captured her lips in a ravenous kiss.

**************

Now...

"I received your message." Leo climbed the trellis to Madeleine's balcony. "Did you find something?"

"I think I have." She showed him the lost book of Aurelia. "It is taking me a while to decipher, but I believe that what you need will be in here."

He stared at the book that might possibly hold his future.

"For instance," she opened it to the third chapter, "a witch held a vampire hostage to discover where their super strength and mind powers originate from."

His eyes narrowed on the crude symbols meant to be letters of the ancient Aurelian language.

"And you believe you will find a way to destroy Father's powers?" He asked.

"No." She gently placed her arm around his waist. "I believe I will find a way to give you those same powers without the vampiric nature."

His eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"I am." She smiled up at him. "What will your first act as king be?"

He returned her smile. "After naming you queen, it will be to heal our fractured kingdom once and for all."

****************

That same evening, near a bustling market place in the capital...

"Lady Hana?"

Hana spun around and smiled. "Lord Beaumont?"

"Maxwell, please." He grinned at her. "It's nice to meet you."

She shook his hand then gestured to the lady beside her. "This my best friend and business partner, Riley Brooks."

"Hi." Riley shook his hand. "Hana said that you would be our tour guide."

"Well," he slipped his hands in his pockets while summoning his charming façade, "I don't like to brag but I do know all the best places to see in Cordonia."

"Great!" Hana relaxed some. "We have quite the list prepared of what we want to see most."

"Oh?" His eyes widened when she handed him a notebook. "Wow. You, uh, you weren't kidding."

"We're vloggers." Riley explained. "Our subscribers depend on us to be thorough with the places we travel to."

"Then you've got the right kind of tour guide." He hesitated when he came to Riley's section. "Interested in the supernatural?"

"Yep." Riley laughed. "You wouldn't think it of us," she nudged a giggle out of Hana, "but we have a lot of fun exploring the creepy."

"Not that we have ever come across a ghost or creature of the night." Hana added. "But we refuse to give up."

"I see." Maxwell mumbled. He looked up at them with a grin. "I'm a fraidy cat myself."

"That's okay." Riley shrugged. "It won't be the first time Hana and I have to venture into the unknown alone."

"She means supposed haunted houses and woods." Hana added with a chuckle.

"But that's not all I want to see." Riley pointed at another section of her list. "Night clubs and historical spots are another part I want to spend time on."

Maxwell shut the binder. "How about for your first venture into Cordonia's nightlife we go dancing?" He flashed another dimpled grin. "No need to spook you on the first night here."

"Sounds good to me." Riley replied when Hana tilted her head in agreement. "Lead the way."

******************

"Why did we come here of all places?" Drake grumbled.

"I sent Leo a message to meet us here for a drink." Liam sat down at one of the bar's balcony chairs. "He hasn't replied but I am still hopeful he will show up."

He had always enjoyed this particular bar simply for its view. The bustling marketplace of Cordonia's capital was the perfect place to people watch.

It was one of his favorite past times and he usually came by himself. Tonight though, he had dragged Drake and Sherry along while forcing Rashad to promise to meet up with them once he concluded a business dinner.

"Here we go." Sherry set some glasses down. "One whiskey for Mr. Grumpypants."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I meant Sir Grumpypants." She teased. "One scotch for Liam." She sat down between them, "...and one--" her eyes began to glow as she zeroed in on an all too familiar figure down in the crowd.

"Sherry?" Drake poked her when she stilled.

"What is it?" Liam became alarmed by her fury forming.

Her eyes narrowed to mere slits. "He wouldn't dare!"

Sparks shot off from her hands as she shoved her chair back.

"Sherry!" Liam grasped her arm to try to calm her down before her emotions gave away what she was. He believed though that he should be able to alter the few patron’s memory here yet he hoped it wouldn't come to that."

"Who are you--" Drake's jaw spasmed as he tried to remain under control. He finally saw what she had seen. "It's that damn Beaumont!"

Liam turned to scan the crowd. He noticed the hunter walking with a lady on each arm. His brow furrowed at the strange sight. He knew Sherry had secured for the most part a future with him, and yet he was out with two--

Liam sucked in a strangled breath. The lady on his left had lifted her face to look at the upper level bars and restaurants. Her deep brown eyes met his and she smiled before continuing on her study of her surroundings.

Sherry jerked her arm out of his grasp. "I'm going to burn off some pieces of his body for this!"

Drake didn't bother to help stop her, hoping she would indeed hurt the man.

Liam shook himself out of the haze seeing the strange woman had caused. "Wait!" He took off after his relative. "Sherry!"

Drake heaved a groan, downed his drink, and begrudgingly followed in their wake.

******************

"...and if you are looking for the latest fashions, Hana, this store has a direct from Paris line--"

Maxwell took a step back when Sherry appeared before them.

Hana and Riley looked first at the furious woman then at his shocked face in curiosity.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sherry hissed.

Maxwell swallowed uneasily. "Will, uh, will you ladies excuse me a moment?"

"Sure." Riley replied as he grasped the mystery woman's hand.

He released it with a yelp as if touching her had hurt.

"Is something wrong?" Hana asked.

Maxwell shook his scalded hand. "No."

"That's what you deserve." Sherry muttered for his ears only. "How could you--

"Ladies, allow me to introduce Lady Sherry Alcantar." Maxwell bit out. His blue eyes seemed to spark with a fire of his own as he gazed upon the woman. "My love, this is Lady Hana Lee and Ms. Riley Brooks of New York. Lady Hana's mother is an old friend of my family who asked me to show them around."

Sherry's eyes narrowed somewhat. She was slightly mollified in hearing him call her his love, but that still gave him no right to escort two disgustingly beautiful women around Cordonia at night.

"It's nice to meet you." Riley held her hand out. "Maxwell told us all about you on the way here. I'm so glad we have a face to put to the name he says in every other sentence."

Sherry took a deep breath to cool her fiery temper. She shook her hand with a sincere smile. "It's nice to meet you both."

Hana smiled warmly at her while describing their work. "Lady Sherry, perhaps we could question you about some of the places we hope to capture on film.

The two friends shared a significant glance when Maxwell and Sherry merely stared at one another.

"If you don't mind, I would love to go in there and look around." Hana gestured toward the shop. "I can already see some dresses that I think would be perfect for our videos."

"We'll be back in a few." Riley added, winking at Sherry on her way inside. “I’m sure Maxwell would prefer staying out here with you than be stuck shopping with us.”

Sherry took a deep breath once they were gone. "Why are you really out with them?"

"I received a call the other night from Hana's mother." He explained. "She heard about Liam's search for a bride."

"Her mother knows about the Dark Kingdom?" Sherry couldn't hide her surprise. It was rare to find anyone today who actually believed that the stories were true.

"Yes, she is from one of Cordonia's minor houses." Maxwell sighed. "She doesn't want her daughter to be the next Dark Queen."

Sherry tried to control her temper. Nothing sparked it like someone denying the sweetest, most gentle man she knew a chance at happiness. She clinched her fists when she felt the heat move over her body.

"Sherry?" Maxwell took a cautious step forward. "You're overheating." He tried to take her in his arms, wincing at how hot she felt.

Her eyes flashed as she glared at him. "I know."

He let her go. "I'm sorry, honey."

The unexpected apology and endearment was what instantly cooled her. "You're what?"

"I know how important Liam is to you." He added, running his hands down his face. "But, I doubt this will be then only lady I'm tasked with protecting from him."

"Liam deserves a chance at finding his mate as much as anyone else. Maybe even more so." Sherry argued. She raised her eyes to his. "If you would spend time with him, then you would see what kind of man he is." She looked back into the shop at the two new ladies. "Maybe then you wouldn't take on jobs like this."

Maxwell hated seeing her so down and knowing he was partly responsible. He reached out and took her in his arms, cuddling her close. He dropped a kiss on top of her head.

“I know you want me to meet him. I’ll try to do so one day.” He tried to fight how wrong that felt saying aloud. “But for the moment, I can’t take a chance on Liam meeting Hana.”

“Why did you accept this?” She asked. “You've never taken on bodyguard duty before.”

"Hana's family offered incentives that I needed to help with Bertrand's healing." He rested his cheek against her head when he felt her arms wrap around him. "I didn't think about how it would affect Liam or you. I just knew I couldn't pass up this opportunity for my brother.”

Sherry lifted her head and gently kissed him. "I understand." A rueful smile formed on her lips. "And I apologize for blowing up at you earlier. When I saw you with two highly attractive women and clearly having the time of your life, something in me just snapped."

"You know, you ruined me for anyone else." His dimpled grin appeared. "I could be out with a dozen so called gorgeous women and all I would notice is that they aren't you."

She beamed at him. "Really?"

"Really."

When silence fell between them again, Maxwell exaggerated clearing his throat. He cocked an eyebrow when Sherry looked up at him.

"You ruined me too." She admitted.

"I better have." He grinned once more when he heard her laugh. "Just so there is no misunderstanding, I have to spend the next few weeks with Hana and Riley." He nudged Sherry's chin up. "I want you to come with us as much as you would like."

"You do?"

He nodded.

"I suppose I could find the time." She teased. With a sigh she looked up at the bar. "I should probably head back up there."

"Where?"

"I was up there having a drink with Liam and Drake." She pointed toward the empty balcony. "I wonder where they went."

"Liam's here?!" Maxwell let her go and rushed over to the shop window. He breathed a touch easier when he saw Hana critically studying a dress Riley had tried on.

He then scanned the crowd. His hand immediately went to his side, causing him to curse aloud when he remembered he had not brought his sword. He had left it behind to keep the illusion of a fun, party lord intact.

He really needed to start carrying a hidden dagger like Olivia kept insisting.

Sherry folded her arms while watching him revert into hunter mode. "Max? You know Liam would never harm them."

He narrowed his eyes as he searched for the Dark Prince and his right hand man.

He glanced at the lady beside him when he heard her deep sigh.

"Let me see where he disappeared to and I'll try and get him out of here."

"What was he doing down here anyway?" He asked.

"Oh." Sherry bit down on her bottom lip. "He recently found out that Leo is back in Cordonia and invited him to meet us for a drink."

"Leo's here too?!" Maxwell briefly closed his eyes. "I've got both of Constantine's sons converging on the very spot where I bring the woman I'm supposed to protect from that family."

Sherry rolled her eyes. "Stop panicking. I don't think Leo will show."

Maxwell noticed the bitterness in her tone. "He’s still not speaking to any of you?"

"Nope." Sherry wrapped her arms around his waist when he placed his arm back around her shoulders to try and comfort her. "No one in our kingdom has heard a word from him since Liam was named heir."

Maxwell pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I'm sorry--"

She jumped when her phone vibrated. 

"What's wrong?" Maxwell asked when her brow furrowed.

"Liam has gone to the palace. He said he needs to talk to Olivia." She sighed. "I guess Leo really is going to ignore us." She looked up at Maxwell. "You can rest easy in your job this evening, Lord Beaumont."

He hugged her close against his side. "You want to come with us? Riley wants to check out the nightlife here and I offered to take them to one of the clubs."

"A night club, huh?" She laughed. "It might actually seem like a date if I did come along."

Her heart melted at how bashful he suddenly seemed over the reminder that they had yet to have an actual date.

"I guess I have dropped the ball on that."

"It's hard to find the time when you're guarding the border nearly every night." She reminded him.

"We'll have our date one day." He promised.

"I'm fine with our nights at the border."

"You deserve better." Maxwell kissed her once more. "I'll make it up to you."

Sherry's lips parted to reassure him, only to pause when Riley and Hana came out of the store.

"Ready?" He asked them, summoning his fun loving persona once more.

"Please get us out of here." Riley pleaded playfully. "I think I actually heard my bank account cry after buying these." She held up the garment bags.

Hana laughed while keeping her own purchases off the ground. "Perhaps we should call it a night since we ended up buying so much. Is there any chance you can show us more tomorrow?"

Sherry could feel the tension in his body ease completely at the notion of putting these two safely away from the night.

"Sure." He looked down at the lady in his arms. "Sherry and I were just deciding on the places to show you these next few weeks."

"That's wonderful!" Hana beamed at the new lady. "We are grateful for all the help we can get."

While Riley and Hana began to eagerly question Sherry on her favorite restaurants and things to do, Maxwell guided them out of the market place, all while keeping a lookout for any sign of Liam.

***************

"Why are we going to see her again?" Drake grumbled. "Isn't it bad enough we had to see a Beaumont tonight? Now you want to add a Nevarkis to the evening's entertainment."

Liam ignored him as his jumbled thoughts focused in on one fact: he had actually seen the woman he knew to be his mate.

When he chased after Sherry, he had decided to hang back in the shadows. Knowing that the hunter his relative had lost her heart to would not be comfortable with his presence, he decided to remain far enough that he could intercede if Sherry's temper caused any problems.

Plus he hoped to hear more about the woman Maxwell was escorting.

Ms. Riley Brooks of New York. 

He not only had overheard her name but also where she was from. He was able to see her more clearly in the lights from the nearby shops. Her beauty and the sound of her voice stirred something he had never felt when looking upon any other person.

She had to be the one. There was no other explanation to his reaction to just the sight of her.

Then he heard the reason Maxwell was with them.

The Dark Prince could not have cared less about the lady named Hana. But his job to protect her was going to make Liam's courtship of Riley difficult. He knew he would need some help if he was to get her away from her friend and Maxwell.

He couldn't ask Sherry to manipulate Maxwell into time alone with Riley. It didn't seem right to use the love between them in such a manner.

While frustration grew, he overheard the fact that Hana's mother was a Cordonian noble.

And he finally knew who could help him.

"Wait here." Liam ordered when they reached the palace gates. "I want Olivia in a good mood when I ask for her help. Seeing you, sadly, will not accomplish that."

"You're asking for her help?”  Drake asked. “In what?"

"I'll tell you everything once the plan is in motion." He promised.

"But--" Drake rolled his eyes when Liam vanished. Within a second, he saw him climbing into the queen's window of her study.

"Good luck." He mumbled as he settled in for a long wait.

******************

"Hold on." Olivia raised her hands. "You want me to invite you and these Americans to my masquerade ball?" Her eyes widened. "Are you insane?!" She got up from her desk and began to pace. "Liam, my guards are trained to find and destroy any vampire who dares to enter the palace during such events!"

"I won't touch a single drop of blood that night and my manners will fit right in with the rest of the nobility." He explained. "Plus with wearing a mask, no one will recognize me."

"Why here?" Olivia asked. "Can't you do whatever you vampires do when you find your mate without involving me or my home?"

Liam leaned against the edge of her desk. "Because of Maxwell and Sherry."

"Maxwell and Sherry? What does my most trusted monster hunter and one of your dragons have to do with this?"

Liam's brow furrowed. "Hasn't he told you that he is Sherry's recognized mate?"

"Maxwell is a dragon's mate? Maxwell Beaumont?!" Oliva sat down in a chair completely stunned by this news.

"I can't believe he didn't tell you." Liam hoped he hadn't ruined anything by revealing this.

"Maxwell owes me nothing, especially when it concerns his private life." Olivia quickly explained. "If anything, it is me and Cordonia that owe him for all his years of service." A wiry smile flirted about her lips at the irony of it all. "A renowned monster hunter and a monster in love and destined for one another. Poor Maxwell. That had to be a shock."

"You know, you really are a nice person." Liam grinned and sat across from her. "That's why I knew as a little boy that we were destined to be friends."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Back to your request. Why will my ball not only help you but also keep Sherry and Maxwell out of it?"

"Because Maxwell will be forced to come along once you invite Lady Hana and Riley. And if I'm here--"

"Yes, but my head of security knows your name and what you are." Olivia stressed again. "I can't have him see your name on the guest list and--"

"But I will simply be company with the Duke of Domvallier." Liam explained. "Rashad's duchy is technically Cordonian, as you well know. Since only a rare handful know that Rashad and Sherry are dragons, I assumed your head of security would think it was a myth too."

Olivia nodded. "That's true. Bastien believes that the only creatures of the Dark Kingdom are vampires."

Liam's smile grew. "I can be a business associate of Rashad's. While Maxwell is keeping an eye on Hana and distracted with Sherry, I can then meet Riley under easier circumstances."

Seeing his excitement, she knew she couldn't refuse him.

"You're the only one who can do this for me." Liam added. "Plus, you're one of the few I can trust with this."

"Geez. Why not whip out those mind powers of yours while you're at it?" She grumbled.

Shaking her head over how easily she was ready to help him, she couldn't help but return his smile. "Fine. I'll send invitations to Rashad for the three of you and for Lady Hana and company."

Liam scooped her up out of her chair before she could blink and hugged her tight.

"Thank you!" He bowed and kissed her hand. "I knew I could count on you."

"Uh huh." She waved towards her window. "Now get out of here before I change my mind."

He winked at her and did as she said. "I'll see you at the Masquerade Ball, your majesty."

She walked over to the window and watched him disappear through the gate. Her smile dimmed as she thought of the report she had been reviewing when he appeared in her private study.

Olivia wondered if she should have told Liam about his brother's secret meetings with the Countess of Fydelia. There could only be one reason he had recently become so close to the witch. Leo must be searching for a way to gain the power he had been denied since birth.

Deciding to keep a close eye on the banished prince, she planned on telling Liam once she had more information. He was so happy with finding his mate that she couldn't stand the thought of taking that away from him with this news.

"Damn it." Olivia muttered. "Liam really is my best friend."

Somehow a Nevarkis had developed a love for a Rhys.

*Character moodboard for Madeleine and Leo*

[itsuki-minamy]

WONDERFUL SCHOOL DAYS: MY PRECIOUS RED

CHAPTER 5: WINTER

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: skyflyinginaction

* Gakuen K (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

In the end, the feeling of discomfort was unexpectedly terrible and she was unable to recover to the point where she could walk home. Although Fushimi's hands had helped her, she was so shocked that she was forced to undergo an examination and she went to the hospital that day.

The next day, after a medical examination, she returned to the girls' dormitory.

(Oh, just, because everyone is taking classes.), she thought.

However, although there should have been no abnormalities at the time of the exam, she had a fever at noon and she stopped going to school that day.

She knew what the reason was, probably from Yata's words.

She believed it was because those words were stuck in her chest and she was worried. In other words, it was something spiritual.

Because it was the first time Yata had yelled at her like that.

She was surprised by the word "betrayal" and that Yata thought that of her.

She didn't know why, of course he was hurt, and maybe he was angry. Because, Yata, he just said that and left the hospital room without hearing her excuse.

But at the same time, Yata's face at that moment couldn't get out of her head.

More than that, she didn't understand why. She thought he was hurt.

His face burned at the back of her eyes and it was very painful.

Actually, it was the opposite, but she still felt that she had hurt Yata.

Is it because he was worried and distraught? By the time Kukuri came to visit her at the end of school, her fever had risen higher and exceeded 38 degrees. Even the next morning, she did not come down. She apparently caught a cold since she was weak.

She had no choice but to go to the hospital the next day while she fluttered about.

She got a drip and a Chinese herbal medicine for the fever.

Anyway, she was bored alone in the room that day and tried to sleep. She had a hard time eating the yogurt that Kukuri bought for her and she took the medicine.

But the next morning, after all, the fever didn't go down.

(Oh, it's the third day. I want to go to school soon.), she thought.

She was impatient, but her body couldn't bear it.

"It doesn't work; it doesn't work..."

She coughed, looked at the ceiling and sighed.

Her body was hot and heavy. It was difficult to even turn around.

She couldn't go to school in that situation. She knew that going there would only cause annoyance and worry.

"Ah…"

She looked up at the ceiling and pursed her lips tightly.

She hated herself as a person.

Being alone in a quiet room reminded her of all the extra things.

This also happened last year, she was alone in the room.

Scared of herself as a "monster", she locked herself in her room. Other than that, she didn't know what to do.

She hugged herself trembling and stared at the wall. Also in the morning, even during the day and at night.

"......"

She wanted to go to school and laugh with Kukuri and Neko.

She also wanted to go to the "HOMRA" bar, and play with everyone in the red club.

She was alone, and she did not like being alone.

"Yata-kun..."

She coughed out the name on her chest. She wanted to see Yata.

She hurt the back of her nose.

Even if she said that, she still remembered what Yata said. She wanted to see him, but she knew he was upset.

Why? He was hurt, he was sad and angry, but she wanted to see him.

She didn't know why, but Yata doubted her.

Was she "betraying" Yata? Why? Why didn't she think that was never the case?

For Yata, how long have you been together since spring?

Did he join her with a sense of duty because of the injury he caused?

She gently clenched her back teeth and covered her eyes with both hands.

Even if she knew it was different, she thought so herself.

Because if not, do you think it is a "betrayal"? Although they are friends!

(Yata-kun, you said that even I was your friend, right?), she thought.

Or was it not good for her like that?

"......"

Thinking that, she shook her head.

She did not doubt him. She just wanted to say, why was she thinking only of Yata?

There were many other things to think about. For example, who locked her up in that place? What was the purpose of it?

Was she also an object of disgust and fear? Because she was as strange a Strain as she was in the previous school?

"Ah...!"

It was disconcerting and sad. Even if she knew she couldn't be helped, it hurt.

But why? After all, the thought immediately returned to Yata.

She thought of various things and she wanted to see him after all.

(Oh, I want to see Yata-kun and talk.), she thought she.

Even now, she wanted to see Yata above all else.

It was at that moment that she heard a clear pounding sound. That surprised her and she opened her eyes.

Looking at the alarm clock next to the bed, it was almost 12 o'clock.

Yes. In other words, it was definitely the time when both students and teachers were in school.

Eh? Who would it be at that time?

"……?"

The moment she wondered and looked around her, called her a second time.

Involuntarily it was impressive.

After all, the sound of knocking was not coming from the door.

When she struggled to get up, she moved to the window, dragging her heavy body.

Then when she moved the curtains and looked out onto the balcony,

"…?!"

Eh?

What she saw from the window was a black school uniform and a boy with auburn hair.

She opened her mouth in amazement, and hurriedly opened the window curtains.

"Yes, Yata-kun?"

It was Yata who was crouched on the balcony to avoid the gaze of the public.

Without a doubt, Yata.

"Uh..."

"Why are you here?! What happened to the school?"

"You have decided to skip it, right?"

Yata blushed and walked away.

"Well, if you think about it, it's true... Isn't that a lie?! Really, Yata-kun?"

"......"

It was too much, she did not immediately accept the reality that she had in front of her and she was confused.

She couldn't believe it, Yata went to the girls' dorm.

"I can enter?"

For her, that she had no choice but to be just a flower, the illusion came carefully.

She took a deep breath and said, "Okay, come in.", and opened the window wider.

"You were in bed."

"But…"

"You have a fever, right?"

Yata kicked off his shoes and walked in, saying that bluntly.

"Yes, I heard."

"Whose?"

"Kamamoto... and Yukizome."

"I see."

She wanted to see him, but she was still hurt and frustrated, so she couldn't speak well.

When she closed her mouth, Yata was also uncomfortable, and as he looked away from her, he coughed, "Would you like to go back to bed?"

"Mmm..."

She thought it was not a place to be stubborn, so she went to bed quietly, Yata sat cross-legged next to her and looked at her anxiously.

Her favorite, Yata's eyes.

Straightforward, hot, and unwavering, but kind.

"Are you okay?"

With that one word, her heart warmed enough that it was painful.

Oh, Yata. Anxious and overprotective. He always rushed first and protected her. The usual Yata.

Yata was next to her. She was so happy that she was about to burst into tears.

Oh, no. It wasn't just that. That was not the norm.

Finally, she realized. Being by his side was already an irreplaceable miracle, but for that it was painful.

Because he said that?

She bit her back teeth and looked at Yata.

"It is bad!"

Then Yata gritted his teeth, painfully distorted her face, and the next moment he sat on the ground. This was the second time for Yata.

Yata's strong voice echoed. She was concerned that they could hear it from outside.

It was the same as that time.

The first day of transfer. Just like Yata, who sat across from her.

He hit his forehead and screamed more.

"You can hit me until you feel like it!"

Eh?!

"Well, I won't do that."

She was surprised by the words, she hastily got up and shook her head.

"Oh, get up and you will fall!"

"Then stop doing that."

"Okay, but…!"

"They haven't asked you to do that, right?"

Perhaps Yata was surprised, he raised his head vigorously.

His eyes that pierced her harbored burning flames.

There was something she came up with with devotion.

Oh, how many times had those eyes saved her?

She liked her, she loved Yata's eyes.

"I want to hear the story, but they haven't asked me to sit down, much less hit me. Ok?"

"But..."

"If you stop, I'll lie down quietly."

"......"

When she said "Hey?", he thought it was not a place to be stubborn. Yata reluctantly crossed his legs. She was relieved and she went back to bed.

"It is bad…"

"You were in the hospital, right?"

"Ah…"

"Let me know..."

Yata painfully distorted his face and looked down.

After being silent for a while, he said, "I'm not going to make an excuse.", and slowly parted his lips.

"Saru was my best friend from high school."

"……!"

She gasped at the unexpected words.

She widened her eyes and looked at Yata, who was still face down.

Was Fushimi-kun his best friend?

There was no reason for him to lie. Yata couldn't lie.

But now they didn't see each other as friends.

"Are you a traitor too?"

Yata's piercing scream echoed through the hospital.

Finally, she was surprised at the unnaturalness of the words.

That was all. At that moment, Yata said "you too", "traitor", for the second time.

It was a word that would never come out unless someone had betrayed him in the past.

"Obviously, he was by my side. It was natural to be by my side. He was a partner and an ally. Truly, always, always together."

"Yata-kun..."

"Since then, I've been longing for Mikoto-san. Both Kusanagi-san and Totsuka-san. I wanted to go to his side and get closer. When I went to high school, I would definitely enter Homura. Both..."

Yata clenched his fist tightly.

"That's right, I entered high school, I entered Homura, but when the summer break was over, he left the club without permission and went straight to the blue club..."

"......"

"It was an unprecedented story in the red club and the blue club, and a big uproar. I didn't understand, and I rushed inside. But the monkey…! He couldn't even speak about the reason!"

He hit the ground with his fist. He shrugged.

"He just laughed to look down, nothing more..."

"......"

"I still don't understand the meaning. I don't understand it and that's why I'm angry..."

"Yata-kun..."

"Why did you betray me? I was far away. But is he your partner? The best is... Homura!"

He felt sad that he couldn't finish his thoughts with every word.

"It's important... I feel like everything was denied..."

"Yata-kun..."

"I heard that you should have gone to help with the class preparations, but you were with the Monkey in that place, and then you were taken away in an ambulance. I thought..."

Yata raised his head and looked at her painfully distorting his face.

"It's bad. You and the Monkey are different..."

He shook his head in a voice that squeezed the wound.

Yata hadn't figured it out at all, which was why he felt frustrated and dejected.

She felt that she could understand that frustrating feeling.

And she understood well the fear of suddenly losing something important.

Once suddenly she lost everything that was important to her.

"......"

(I see. That's Yata-kun's trauma.), she thought.

Perhaps he was very worried, that is why he lacked calm.

At the time, even Fushimi, who contacted her, didn't know what had happened. So they all were told only two things: "she was with Fushimi in an unpopular place" and "she got injured in an accident there."

Then it was impossible not to be suspicious. Especially if there was a trauma.

She could understand words with that feeling.

Finally, when she understood everything, she was relieved to breathe.

(I see. Oh, that was good. That was it.), she thought.

Yata did not doubt her or hate her.

"I said a terrible word and left the hospital room, but I immediately regretted it. Kusanagi-san scolded me. They all did. I thought I would apologize soon, but you had a fever and you were resting..."

Yata began to babble again.

"I thought I would wait until you were okay, but yesterday and today you were the same, so… in other words…"

"I made you worry..."

"That is not a good story."

Still, Yata went to the women's dormitory.

Not just to apologize. Perhaps he was very concerned about her body.

The gentle and eager Yata. Even in the case of a burn, he protected her in an overprotective way.

She smiled when she saw her left hand, which had been completely healed.

"Well, I think it's a story."

"Eh…?"

Yes. That was a good story.

Because at that moment, Yata remembered him at the hospital, right? The sadness when Fushimi left. Anger and suffering. The feeling of loss.

That's why he took it out on her.

So, huh? Why did she remind him of that? Isn't it because she thought she was like Fushimi?

It was natural to be by his side. It was very important. She didn't want to lose him.

That is why she was terrified and distraught.

She hears that.

Was that a convenient interpretation for her? Excessive shyness?

No. She could take a hundred steps and it would still be fine. Still, she was happy!

(I'm happy, Yata-kun. I'm glad I can feel relieved from the bottom of my heart.), she thought.

Because he didn't suspect her. She was not untrustworthy. He did not dislike her.

Yata was still the kind and dear Yata.

"Ah…"

(That's what makes me happy!), she thought.

When she took her hands off the futon, she picked up Yata's clothes.

"Uh..."

"Forgive me. I'm not angry. It was sad and it hurt, but most of all, I didn't understand the meaning. I'm glad you spoke..."

"I…"

"So, huh? Yata-kun... If I recover, will we play again...?"

Yata raised his face.

"Eh…?"

"Ah, play?"

"Of course. But that's..."

Yata got confused and shook his head.

She knew what he meant, because it was about Yata.

That was not compensation. Did he mean that?

But Yata, once again, they haven't asked him to pay, right?

Nothing has been done.

"Yata-kun. I will not leave, I will not betray you, because I no longer want to lose someone important to me. Remember that. I also lost everything once."

"That is to say…"

"Is it okay to be by my side? I want to be by your side... will you let me stay?"

"Ah…"

Yata's face was distorted as if he was crying.

Is it because he didn't want her to see him ​that way? Yata quickly grabbed the hat and lowered it to hide his eyes from her.

"Obviously...!"

She pretended not to know that the little voice was shaking.

How long had it been? For a long time, they were silent.

She fell silent and they remained together, almost motionless.

Oddly, the silence didn't bother her. However, the time passed peacefully.

She thought that the moment when nothing happened was very important.

She reached for Yata's clothes again, drowsy from the warm light.

"About Fushimi-kun…"

When she put on her clothes, Yata rolled his shoulders.

The line of sight that followed seemed terribly awkward. With confidence, just with that, she could see how much that case affected Yata's heart.

She hoped it would be resolved one day, anyway.

She thought that the important thing was not there. It was not necessary for him to understand. He didn't have to go back to normal. She thought it would be fine. Well, Yata's ideal might be to go back to the old relationship.

However, he was still trapped alone not knowing anything. She wishes he could get out of that situation. She thought that only that was different. That alone would be enough to save Yata.

"Do not give up."

"......!"

Speak clearly. She couldn't say anything more and fell silent.

As if Yata always did that, so did she.

"Don't give up, it's not good."

(Don't stop understanding each other. Even if it's painful, never give up.), she thought.

Kamamoto, Suoh, Kusanagi, Totsuka, and they were all next to him.

The moment it surrenders, it will break. It will never be like before.

She gave up and escaped earlier.

"Please don't make my mistake, Yata-kun."

"Ah!"

At her words, Yata distorted his face and moved his mouth as if he was about to start crying.

But no words came out.

The way he was, he bit down on his back teeth and lowered his head again.

"Stop saying that."

A terribly small voice. When she twisted her neck, Yata stared at her.

Her eyes were warm without fluctuation, and her heart made a loud noise.

"I'll tell you appropriately..."

"Yata-kun?"

"Get well soon."

Yata's soft words, which reddened her face, struck her gently.

"Did you eat at noon?"

After that, she was silent for a while and thought about each one of them, but suddenly Yata looked at the clock on the wall and said that.

"Oh, by the way... I haven't eaten..."

"Are you hungry? Should I do something?"

"I want to eat fried rice."

"Eh?"

When he remembered that he did it earlier, Yata opened his eyes.

"It's good for when you feel bad."

"The one you made earlier was delicious."

"I'll do it if you can eat it... But what about the ingredients?"

"Oh, it might not be possible."

She meant, what was in the fridge? For the past two days, she had only eaten yogurt and jelly, which Kukuri brought for her.

When she said that, Yata moved to the front of the refrigerator and looked at it.

"Seriously, there is almost nothing. Yogurt, jam and fruit. And eggs and cold rice?"

Having said that, when he took off his school uniform, Yata looked at her and gave his usual awkward smile.

"Turn it into egg porridge. I'll go back to making fried rice when you're okay."

His words made it even more painful. The hot feelings seemed to push her chest up.

The hot egg porridge made by Yata was delicious.

She had no appetite until a little while ago, but it seemed to be written on her stomach.

She was happy, and her smile naturally overflowed.

"Thank you, I am happy."

"I will do it anytime."

When she thanked him while she smiled, Yata blushed.

"Get well soon."

"Yes, of course."

Yata gave her an awkward smile.

It was like a miracle.

She realized that happiness was such a thing.

She smiled back and chewed on the wonderful "every day."

The next day, she was completely relieved and she went to school for the first time in a long time.

"Saya-chan! You finally came!"

Kukuri-chan! Sorry for worrying you! Thanks for everything!"

She jumped onto Kukuri's chest with both hands spread.

"Konohana-san, are you okay?"

"Isn't it better to rest still?"

"Gohan. Are you okay?"

"Shiro-kun, Yatogami-kun, Neko-chan! I'm fine! Sorry for worrying you!"

When she smiled, everyone breathed like they were relieved.

"I heard this year's cold is bad."

"But I feel like I hear that every year, with a fever."

In pollen season, you hear every year how many times more pollen flies than last year, right?

"But this is credible, because my man from the festival is resting."

(Huh? Festival man?), she thought.

They all point to the window at the same time.

Kamamoto was sitting there alone. Eh? That person?!

When she told everyone, "I'm sorry.", she ran over to Kamamoto.

"Good morning, Kamamoto-kun!"

"Oh, yeah. Is your body okay?"

"Yes. Sorry to worry you. What about Yata-kun?"

"He has a fever and is resting. He caught a cold."

Well, that was... too many thoughts went through her head and she suddenly screamed.

"Oh, that's right. I got infected and infected him."

She looked up and blocked for a moment, then looked at Kamamoto, who seemed bored alone, and tilted her head.

"I want to go see him after school, can you help me sneak into the men's dorm?"

"What? Good, but... Yata-san, he will jump."

"Eh? He will jump and he will be happy?"

"Does not mean that."

She wondered if she was being impatient and going too fast. She wondered if he would turn bright red and flutter.

She knew the way of him to act.

She smiled and clenched her fist.

"No problem, I like that side of Yata-kun!"

Also, she was very happy with yesterday's visit, and she was relieved to understand the situation for which he apologized, but because of that she felt that she wanted to give back because they hurt him in vain.

"I will gladly take you, Konohana-san."

"Thanks!"

So, at night, with the help of Kamamoto, she unknowingly visited Yata's room.

Yata, who screamed, closed the door saying, "Wait two minutes, wait a minute!", but she couldn't wait quietly in the hallway of the men's dorm, they might discover her in the first place.

If he had a fever and was trying to get rid of her, it was outrageous. It wasn't a joke, so she pushes the door aside...

Then, the "superhuman strength" activated well, and when she opened the door, she pushed Yata, who stood with a bright red face, into the room and it was worth taking care of him.

The school festival was only two weeks away.

In order to enjoy the preparation together, they had to be cured as soon as possible.

++++++++++

"What? Christmas party?"

"Yes. I wonder if the red club will do anything for Christmas."

Yata and Kamamoto looked at each other when she said that while closing their PDA.

The school festival was the most enjoyable, including the preparation period. It was too much fun.

Preparing for a class show and preparing a position at the red club. She was very busy at the same time, she wasn't saying she wasn't in trouble, but even now, she remembered having fun. Not only her, everyone smiled and had fun.

Yes, she smiled herself, although the case of being trapped in the warehouse was not solved.

She was afraid to think that malicious intent was hidden somewhere. She couldn't help but be afraid, but Yata was there.

She was sometimes too busy to find the criminal, but thank you all, she thought it was not so much.

When it came to festivals, the red part was still going strong. The post was a great success. On the first day, the prepared quantity ran out early. She significantly increased the number from the next day, but they were all sold out.

After the school festival, it was grandly opened at the "HOMRA" bar.

It was fun.

However, after having fun, the "student book" always arrives.

The scope of the final test had been announced and the preparation period began.

As usual, if they got a red point, they would be banned, so this time too, the red club will work as one to pass the test. By the way, they were heading to the library.

"Let's go quickly, Konohana-san."

"Eh? Yes? I heard from Kukuri-chan that the Christmas party is organized by the Silver Club, right?"

"Oh, that's right. Is that what they're doing at the Himmelreich?"

"Yes. That's right. Would you like to go with me? You were surprised. The Silver club has an airship. Every year, we have a Christmas party in that airship."

"Oh. At the moment, the organizer is supposed to be the Silver club that owns Himmelreich, but the student council and the Blue club are really in charge. The participants are the Silver club and the Blue club, the student council, students. generals invited by its members and general students who won the lottery. Some teachers. It's a lot of people and it seems to be great every year. The food is amazing and luxurious."

Perhaps Kamamoto's interest was at the end, because he was so strong.

"Last year we had a Christmas party."

"Oh, after all? That's true. You said you had a Halloween party too."

"I see. Then let's reject it.", she thought. It was a bit disappointing, but she would like to participate in the Red club area.

When she said that, Kamamoto frowned, "Okay?"

"…? It's okay?"

"You can't do it with the intention of participating, I think you'd be an ant going there, right?"

"Eh? Aren't you exaggerating? I haven't decided yet or something. Okay, but I'd like to participate with the Red club."

"That would be nice. I see. It's Christmas. We'll be there. So, I should avoid the red dot anyway. I can't be a hub."

"That's right. Good luck. Christmas without you would be boring."

"That's right. Let's do our best, Yata-san."

Kamamoto looked at Yata.

But Yata didn't answer that... that is, didn't he ask? While he was thinking of something, he coughed, "Yes. Christmas. Let's do that at Christmas."

She and Kamamoto looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Yata-kun?"

"Yata-san?"

"What?! What is it?"

What was that line?

"I'm thinking about it. What's wrong with you?"

"Hmmm, nothing!"

Yata shook his head with the feeling that it was all "yes".

When that happened, she was irritated.

When she looks at Yata, she smiled.

"Well then. What are we going to do at Christmas?"

"What?! I don't understand! I don't know anything!"

"Yes. I agree. So, tell us what you were thinking now."

"Nothing!"

"Yes. I understand that. That's why I'm translating ..."

"Konohana-san, please forgive me in that area..."

Kamamoto sighed and put his hand on her shoulder.

And in that moment…

"Check it out..."

A secret voice crept into her ears.

She suddenly stopped and looked around her as if that voice invited her.

Down the hall. The boys who were listening shook their shoulders and ran off the moment their gazes met.

"……?"

When he turned his neck, Kamamoto coughed, "Now...".

"Do you know them?"

"A little. It's bad. I remembered what I was doing."

"Eh?"

Kamamoto took out the PDA.

"Yata-san. I'll be back first."

"Eh?"

"Konohana-san. See you later."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. See you later."

When she waved her hand, Kamamoto also turned around and ran back the way he came from.

She turned her eyebrows and looked back at Yata.

"What happened?"

"Let's go."

Yata turned around.

"Mainly, I'll find it."

Some days after. She checks it out when she to see Totsuka at the Purchasing Department at noon. So after all, it looked like there would be a Christmas party at the Red club this year too.

"There is also Konohana-san. There is no reason not to."

"Uh, I'm happy! Great!"

When she laughed and clapped her hands, Totsuka patted her head and said "Okay."

"At that time, I think I can give you good news. I look forward to it."

(Good news? What will it be? And did he say it now?), she thought, but interpreted it as a small Christmas present.

With excitement in her chest, she gave Totsuka a big smile again.

"Yes! I'm looking forward to it!"

++++++++++

Bar "HOMRA".

The interior, which was always elegant and calm, was decorated in Christmas colors and was very beautiful.

The Christmas lily, which was large enough to look up, was pure white. The hanging ornaments were all white. However, only the large tied ribbon was crimson. It was terribly vivid to the eyes.

The lively Christmas song was playing in the store.

Kusanagi made a lot of English-style Christmas cookies, and they all got together.

This was her first time, but unlike Japanese cookies, English cookies had decoration on both sides. And the one with the middle cylinder was the winner. He had a paper crown, various items, and a sheet of paper with Christmas cards and jokes.

They played with it while saying something, enjoying the Christmas food from Kusanagi's hands, they played, talked, laughed and talked more.

Of course, no one was out of place with a red dot.

The Red club always tries its best to play. She thought they all worked hard to play.

She felt that he was appreciating the time he could spend with her friends and she liked seeing them all like this. She was glad to be a part of it.

What was a bit concerning is that Yata was a bit quiet. He was always at the center of the confusion.

He seemed like he was not eating well.

But when she said that to Kamamoto, he said, "Okay. Don't worry. No, pretend you don't know. He's nervous."

"Saya-chan, are you eating?"

"Yes! I ate a lot! The meatloaf was too tasty! Kusanagi-san's food is too tasty. I can't doubt it. Oh, I'm getting fat..."

"Yes. We're going to get a little fat."

"What the heck! I absolutely hate it!"

"Ah! Do you want to go home for the New Year’s holidays? Are you coming to eat osechi and ozoni? The store itself is closed, but hey, these guys are definitely coming."

"Of course. I will come."

"It doesn't matter what you cry. Do it right."

Kusanagi laughed and hit her with a pop.

"What? Are you making Konohana-san cry, Kusanagi-san?"

Totsuka smiled and sat down next to her.

"That is correct. It is a tremendous temptation."

"Eh? Don't be bad. Kusanagi-san."

"As a man, it is natural to persuade a pretty girl. There is no reason to complain."

Kusanagi laughed like a bad boy and left.

After saying goodbye with a smile, Totsuka squeezed his face.

"You know what? Konohana-san. About that matter…"

"That matter?"

"You were harassed before the school festival. You were trapped in the warehouse, right? We found the criminal."

"Eh?!"

She gasped at the unexpected words that she didn't expect.

She yelled a bit and looked at Totsuka seriously.

"Eh? The criminal?"

"Yes. Kamamoto noticed and contacted me. So, with the help of Fushimi, the email they sent you was rescued from the broken PDA at a later date. We also found out that it was sent from a PC."

"……!"

"I questioned the boy and confirmed everyone involved in the mischief."

"Ah…"

"Who was he?"

But before he answered that question, Totsuka put his index finger to his lips and sealed them. When he opened his eyes, Totsuka smiled and shook his head.

"I'll come back to that later. At the moment, you got a lot of attention from the Red club."

"......"

"For that? It's a reason."

Totsuka smiled like he was in a little trouble.

"Because it's a red dot in the red part."

"Eh?!"

The unexpected words surprised her.

The only red dot of the Red club, then?

"You said you wanted to join the club, but you couldn't. You didn't choose. You were very sad, you wanted to join a club, you wanted to get closer to the members, but that didn't come true. You didn't. We didn't have a female member, so he was convinced you couldn't get in because you were a woman until spring. But you got in. The first female member of all time. Surrounded by longing and sheltered people. He was jealous, frustrated, so, he talks to his friends, and it seems like they were getting excited."

"......"

"He didn't mean to hurt you. He wanted to annoy you a bit. That's all. He was shocked when an ambulance came. He said he was sorry. But he was jealous."

"Actually…"

"Kamamoto remembered. Last year, the boy wanted to join the Red club in addition to himself. So the other day when I saw the boy's eyes on Konohana-san, I thought maybe that was it."

"So you were correct?"

"Yes. I also saw his face and remembered. It is true that he wanted to join the club last year, but he couldn't take King's hand."

"……!"

In the spring, Totsuka said it was a rite of passage.

She remembered the hand he showed her, shining Homura's flame.

"Is that all? He thought it was unreasonable. He seemed to interpret that he was rejected because he was pointed out that he could not do it. So I thought, 'he was not chosen'. But no, we do not do that. Kamamoto also said to the boy: 'But Konohana-san didn't even doubt it'."

Totsuka laughed.

"Yes. That was the decisive thing that differentiated Konohana-san from him. It didn't matter if Konohana-san was a Strain or something. Konohana-san trusted us. That made the difference."

"Senpai..."

"You will finally ask a question."

After Totsuka looked at her, he softened his eyes from her.

"Do you want to know about that child? If you want to know, I will tell you the class and the name. Will he also be punished? If Konohana-san wants, he will be punished."

"What punishment?"

When she took a breath at the harsh words, Totsuka simply said, "It's natural."

"He hurt you."

"But!"

"At least I think Konohana-san and Fushimi have the right to punish him."

"......"

But that was...

Reflectively, she shook her head.

No, it wasn't right. She understood that what Totsuka said was also correct, but...

"It bothers you?"

"Yes!"

Totsuka's words were very important.

"I don't like it. It's not about having rights or anything like that."

"You don't want to punish him? Did you have that goal?"

"Yes, but..."

She really understood that person's feeling of envy.

Totsuka smiled at the words.

"I think I can do anything if you don't want to lose this place. No. I can do it."

That was why this was an irreplaceable place for her.

"This place is the 'best' to spend time with my friends."

Thus, she could understand the feelings that he painfully yearned for.

With a pong, one hand rested on her head.

Looking back, Kusanagi's mischievous smile was there.

Everyone laughed as she looked around her.

Suoh was also looking at her sideways.

And the moment her eyes met, Yata showed an awkward smile.

His dedicated, straight line of sight was unbreakable.

Her chest warmed.

That was all. She had a "miracle". She couldn't help but be a little jealous. Rather it could be natural. Because actually, this place is the "best" to spend time with friends.

She smiled a little and looked back at Totsuka.

"I don't have to know the class or the name. I don't want any punishment. If he won't do it anymore, that's fine. That's enough."

"Yes, then I will tell him."

Totsuka laughed softly.

She, too, smiled back at him with a warm feeling.

Outside the window, pure white snow flew in the indigo sky.

"It's okay?"

"It's okay!"

Yata replied with a loud voice that made the volume adjustment stupid.

She instinctively looked at the choked attitude he had when he was on the red side.

A night road with white snow.

As expected, Christmas had arrived. The illuminations were gorgeous and there was still no sign of sleeping in the city.

The way home from the party. Two people were walking down the path to the bedroom.

"Eh? Kamamoto-kun? Oh, Kamamoto-kun stayed at the bar because he helped clean it up."

"He told you to help him too, right? There, he was forced to chase you, saying, "It's okay because it's okay"."

After leaving the store, Yata kept quiet and looked more serious than during the party, and when she was worried about it she asked, "Are you okay?"

Well, if he could make such a strong voice, it would be really fine.

(But what happened? He was really weird today, right? Is there something that worries him? Oh, but Kamamoto-kun said he was nervous, right? Something... Oh! Maybe's the new headmaster of the red club? Will Totsuka announce it at the beginning of the year? Is that it?), thinking about that, she was walking at the time.

Yata stopped suddenly.

When he looked back, wondering, Yata looked at her for a moment and then fell silent, then opened his mouth as if he had decided something.

"I'll only say it once!"

"Eh? Oh, yeah."

She wondered what it was.

As she bowed his head, she was still searching and obediently waiting for Yata's words. This was also the "only time" that he did not come easily.

He could make his face turn bright red and scratch his head, or he could swim his eyes blazing, or suddenly pass out in agony. Just do that or nothing.

(Oh, Yata-kun? Is it snowing? It's really cold though.), she thought.

But somehow she couldn't say "make it faster" so she silently waited for the words.

How long should she wait? When it was colder and harder to stand silently, Yata finally looked directly at her. It was like a challenge.

His eyes with hot flames caught her.

"I like you...!"

"Ah...!"

A shaky and hazy voice seemed to have been desperately squeezed out.

But it pierced her heart more vividly than any word she had ever heard.

She involuntarily held her mouth with her hand.

She got those words from Yata, who was extremely shy... she got it... There was no question.

It was inspiring and so hot her chest ached. Of course, her face was almost on fire. She could no longer feel the cold. That margin had vanished somewhere.

"Ah...!"

The tears were overflowing.

And it was Yata who was scared. When he yelled, "Wow!", her eyes shed tears.

"Wow, too bad! I made you cry..."

"It's different. Not bad. I'm sorry..."

She had no more words.

She knew he was misunderstood, but she couldn't hold back the tears and covered her face with both hands.

"Ah!"

She was very happy.

It was a miracle to her, she was a "monster" a year ago.

The more painful it was, the hotter her chest became. The joy that filled her took her breath away. She was going to drown. She was so happy that it made her want to scream.

It's not that he was anxious, overprotective, and unreliable, but that he was compassionate, masculine, direct, big, and kind.

He always ran to her first, or he would walk away in shame.

Yata, who ran in front of everyone, was the coolest and most trusted. But he couldn't speak well to girls, and he would soon turn bright red and get embarrassed.

With Yata everything was fun, interesting, warm and very comfortable.

"Ah!"

His carefree smile was nice, but she also loved to see him laugh in a complicated and awkward way.

Since the spring, Yata was in everyone's memory of her.

(Oh, that's right. I can understand a little about the feeling of wanting to harass. If Yata-kun was stolen from me, I might even harass him. Because I don't want to leave him, or this place where everyone is.), she thought.

"Ah…"

"Well don't cry. Don't cry. I wonder..."

Yata's voice that seemed to be in trouble made her laugh.

"What? Hey..."

"Ah... it's true..."

He didn't even know why she was crying. She also liked that side of Yata.

She wiped away her tears, laughed and said it.

Just a few words, but they were important words.

"I like you too!"

"......!"

"I understand that I am so happy and crying..."

"Ah…"

At that moment, he hugged her so tightly that she couldn't breathe.

"Ah! I'm so happy, I will die of happiness...!"

"That's my line, Yata-kun."

She was too happy, she was scared, because she had more than a "miracle".

Was it really good? She could be happy.

She thought so, but she could no longer put that happiness aside.

She couldn't even imagine a life without Yata.

She silently felt Yata's body temperature, with great happiness.

However, for a time, he took such a bold action. Yata seemed to have returned to himself immediately, and the next moment, he screamed again and released her.

He apologized for a while saying "Wow, too bad!", but she didn't want him to apologize for that.

It was brief, which is why she found it disappointing.

Although she frowned, Yata's carefree and innocent smile couldn't be followed by a grumpy face, she relaxed and laughed.

"Hurrah!"

Yata held his fist with a bright smile before her.

"It was the best Christmas present!"

Yata's words suddenly exploded.

(But that's my line. A gift that's more than a "miracle", thank you!), she thought.

"First visit of the year to a shrine. Come on."

"Yes."

"Let's go to HOMRA to eat New Year's dishes."

"Yes."

"There are no special events in January, but let's play a lot with everyone."

"Yes."

Yata stepped forward holding her hand. The answer was short, she was nervous.

But that was enough to warm her heart.

She laughed and looked up at the indigo sky with white snow.

"If it stacks up, I want to have a snowball fight."

"Okay."

"Ok, let's go."

He takes out the PDA and check the time.

"I guess they got mad."

"Ah…"

Yata sighed.

The time for the bedroom curfew was past, Yata sighed, but he didn't seem to be in a hurry.

She was very happy about it. Because it was Christmas, and she still wanted to be with him.

When she laughed, she felt terribly happy and held Yata's hand.

[sometipsygnostalgic]

When'd you get into Adventure Time the first time, and how'd it happen? Been thinking of giving it a watch (especially after all the good stuff that's been said of Obsidian and, admittedly, all the stuff I've seen you post and reblog), and it got me curious

This is like my favourite story, and it is the only good one I remember from being a teenager (life from back then has been super foggy since I moved out of my mum's but it is all good now):

When I was 15 I made a new friend who wanted to write a comic about Teen Titans with me as the artist, TT being my second-favourite childhood show after DBZ.

I started bingewatching Teen Titans because I now had a computer and was able to do so. I learnt about the voice actors.

Starfire was played by Hynden Walch. I learnt that Hynden's latest role was Princess Bubblegum on Adventure Time. I checked it out on wikipedia. It seemed kind of cartoony for me.

One thing that caught my eye is when the wikipedia page said PB "may have had a past relationship" with Marceline, the vampire girl with the really pretty hair. I was confused by this, and rationalised it to myself as they must have had a history as friends or enemies. It didn't say what kind of relationship and I thought there was no chance of it meaning "romantic".

For the time being, I didn't look into AT further.

A couple months pass. After several months of tension, I get a text while in school telling me that my dad was breaking up with his fiance, and I would need to move back into my mother's place immediately. This was smack bang when I was about to start my GCSE exams - the timing couldn't be worse. My mother's house is a shit hive and I went between having a tiny box room to myself or sharing a messy bedroom with my sister and mother. There were no standards for hygeine and there wasn't a stable supply of food.

I decide to finish my binge watch of Teen Titans. I spend all day doing this every day. I rewatched it once I was done. It was what I did to cope.

At the same time, my Teen Titans comic friend confides in me. She tells me she thinks she might be a lesbian, and she is scared her parents will reject her. I sympathise deeply. At the time, I was waist deep in the closet to the point I couldnt accept certain things about myself either, but having a friend come out to me made me reconsider LGBT matters.

I looked on deviantart and saw some art for "RaeStar". I thought it was wrong to ship them (I shipped RobStar hardcore) but, well, the art was so cute. Their interactions were healthy and sweet. It was nice. This became my low key first gay ship.

Then, I start bingeing RebelTaxi's Teen Titans video reviews.

Once I am dry on Teen Titans content, I see RebelTaxi did a review on Fionna and Cake, and on Ryan North's Issue #2 of the Adventure Time comic.

The first video, Fionna and Cake, was appealing to me. The show had an amazing art style, and a decent sense of humor. I loved that they did something for the fans, making a genderbent fanfic episode based on popular fan characters. It was unprecedented and very post modern.

....But it was the SECOND video that made me take a very sudden interest in the show.

RebelTaxi was referring to a scene with PB and Marcy in the bottom of the Lich's bag. There is a joke where Marcy turns into a tentacle monster. RebelTaxi always makes hentai jokes when tentacle monsters are involved, but he interpreted this scene as referencing the characters' "lesbian undertones".

...Wait, WHAT? Hynden Walch's character and the pretty vampire have Lesbian Undertones?!?! Haven't I heard this somewhere before?!?!

A quick google search of "Adventure Time Lesbian Undertones" later, I discover the Mathematical! Controversy - how an episode with some incredible songwriting seemed to imply they had been girlfriends in the past who have residual feelings for each other. A podcast had been made by the producers fangirling about this possibility, but it was taken down, and the director fired. Nobody had outright said the subtext was not there, but they said they didn't want the podcast to sound like word of god. There had been a lot of upset in the gay community over this. Oh, by the way, there's a gay community of cartoon fans who really ship PB/Marcy.

With a combination of everything, from how my friend had just come out to me and was struggling with homophobia, to how I was a Hynden Walch fan, to how the show had already impressed me with what little I'd seen, I became IMMEDIATELY invested in finding out as much as possible about these potential LGBT characters and their relationship.

So I checked out a ton of Adventure Time videos on youtube. I checked the vids that had Marceline's backstory in, vids with funny moments from PB and all the other characters, I checked Deviantart for fanart where I made my first engagements with the fandom's gay community, I checked the Wiki talk pages to get ALL of the discourse. It changed who I was basically overnight.

I decided Adventure Time was a fun show with clever writing, and absolutely worth my attention. During the break for exams, I binge watched it all day, and then I would cram for my GCSEs between midnight and 3am on the day of the exam. I was addicted!

When I caught up, Goliad aired. This was the first ep to come out with me being in the fandom.

At the time, even though Hynden had drawn me to the show, Marceline was the character I was most invested in. She had the amazing backstory and music and character design. PB was fun, but there was relatively nothing to her character.

Oh boy, that ALL CHANGED with Goliad! People were intensely debating what the episode was saying about her. Is she a good person, a bad person? Why was she so troubled in the episode's opening, and why was Goliad corrupted?

Discourse only escalated with Princess Cookie. The top post on the wikia was "Is Princess Bubblegum evil?"

Thinking about her character was so interesting for me. These two episodes made me realise PB was a character with her own internal battles, who was struggling with the responsibility to do what was right for her people vs what is the Right Thing, with her own psychological wellbeing caught in the middle. My interpretation of Goliad was that PB was a naturally neutral person who had decided to be good, whereas Goliad had been corrupted by Jake's anger, and this contrasted with Finn who was a pure good person. The Princess Cookie episode reinforced my ideas, because she was doing something that was neither objectively good or bad but was a result of her own morality, and it went against Jake's morality. The idea of the "good guys" having such different values was so engaging, and they managed to come around at the end, with baby-snaps being submitted to rehabilitation.

Princess Cookie was also the first episode where PB was shown to be an adult while a currently adult character was a child. Either candy people age quickly, or - more likely - Pb is keeping her age a mystery. After thinking about this, I opened up a page on the wiki forums saying "Is Princess Bubblegum Old?"

This is what sealed my position in the fandom. I became a well known regular of the community after that, on Wikia and then Tumblr. It was my first fandom. So many good memories of theories, debates, analysis and fanart, the satisfaction of my theories being confirmed in season 5 onwards.

The most important thing to me, about engaging with the AT community, was how those initial interactions around the LGBT content were the groundwork for me being comfortable coming out of the closet. If it wasn’t for that, if it wasn’t for speaking specifically to Thisfreemind and Illeity about how gay relationships are perfectly fine and healthy for kids to see, and no less clean than straight relationships, I might be a person with far more conservative views today, and I might have fallen out with several of my closeted friends over internalized homophobia.  

I would have also probably failed high school. My grades improved drastically over the next year, because my online community life had made me happier.  It was comfort and stability during a difficult couple of years. 

[somersetmummy]

(A/N): This fic takes place immediately following book 1 chapter 11 (after being rescued by Sam from Sofia's closet). Not going to lie, I originally posted this monster fic (7000+ words) on Wattpad as a whole (my first fic, I didn’t know better!) so I’ve taken the opportunity to re-write and condense but thought it read better as two parts. 

Series/Pairing: The Nanny Affair (M!Sam Dalton x MC Katie Hide) 

Original characters - all property of PB: Katie Hide (MC), Sam Dalton, Mason & Mickey Dalton, Jenny Blake, Robin Flores (Part Two only)

New characters: (Present in Part Two) Serena-Rose Warren, Tessa Finch, Lucinda Hansen 

Rating/Content warning: 18+ Light sexual language

Word Count: 1880

Summary: Driving home together, Nanny Katie Hide and her boss Sam Dalton get a little hot and steamy after she receives an offer of a night out with the girls. 

Find Part Two here.

Part One -

The companionable silence within the car provides a stark contrast to the chaos of rush hour on the streets outside. Sam leisurely meanders through the traffic seemingly taking care not to rush the journey, enjoying a rare opportunity for the two of them to steal a fleeting moment to themselves. With their fingers laced together resting on his thigh, as his other commands control of the steering wheel, she steals a lingering glance in his direction relishing in the flutters which catch in her stomach as he notices her watching him. His lips curl into a comfortable smile in reply of her unspoken affection and it takes all his might to keep his eyes on the road.  

In the footwell below her feet the distant hum of a phone, neglected in her bag, buzzing faintly to itself punctuates the quiet once again, as it has been for the last ten minutes. Tired of being ignored, the buzzing transforms into a piercing ring causing its owner to startle and refocus. Untangling her fingers from Sam's she reaches down to collect it, her frustration at being interrupted quickly forgotten when she sees her friend's name on the home screen.  

"Finally!! So you are alive!" Jenny squeals down the phone without restraint.  The smirk on Sam's face is unmissable as he recognises the shrill voice on the other end of the phone. Katie returns his glance with an eye roll of her own as she braces herself for an interrogation.

"Ok, ok I get it, I'm here now. What's up?"

"You need to ask that gorgeous boss of yours to give you Friday night off, we're taking you out and I won't take no for an answer! It's about time we had a girls night, we've barely seen you since you've been living it up with that sex god."

Katie winces hoping Sam hadn't heard that last bit, subtlety was never Jenny's strong suit. She knows she doesn't need to consider her answer, just thinking of how much she's missed her friends the last few months sparks a pang of guilt deep in heart. A night free from the drama of fiancés, stolen glances and torturous longing sounds perfect.

"That actually sounds great Jen, I'll try my best to come. Aren't we pushing it to get a spot at any of the good places though if we're leaving it this late..."

Jenny scoffs, feigning disbelief that Katie would think she didn’t already have a master plan. If she wasn’t her best friend she’d feel a little insulted.

"You don't think I'm already all over that?! And I mean literally, I've got Josh on the case for us and I definitely got all over that!" 

The smugness in her voice carries her words and Katie can't help but giggle as she pictures how her unabashedly forward friend would've convinced her current flavour of the month Joshua Demarco, to use his connections to get them access to the hottest new bar in town. She'd no doubt that while a few flutters of eyelashes and some kind words would have sufficed, it was more likely that Jen would have insisted on giving him something more in return. And that something would most definitely not have been PG. 

As the more outgoing and vocal half of their partnership, Jenny has always had a way of charming everybody she meets, her connection with people is effortless, something which Katie finds both admirable and terrifying. 

While some could argue that Katie too could charm and impress people effortlessly, she is undoubtedly more comfortable in the background, observing and understanding how things work before weighing in. She notices the details, picking up on key points of conversation, getting to know people on a personal level and drawing on their connections to help assert herself. Jen needed to be visible at all times, she was like the sun, drawing people in to her warmth and reflecting her own energy back at them in return. 

"I'll leave it with you then Jen, just text me with the details and I'll see if I can make it. And I don't mean the steamy details of you and Josh, you can save those to share with me over cocktails!" Sam's intensely brooding gaze falls upon her, no doubt trying to glue together the pieces of conversation he'd just overheard. She turns to him realising he probably already suspects there’s a further story to be told. They’d not yet shared much about their lives beyond the penthouse but he’d heard enough to know that she could be easily influenced by her impulsive friend. 

"Jen I'd better go, speak soon."

Returning the phone to the depths of her bag, she catches Sam's eye, his expression warm but curious, clearly waiting for her to elaborate.

"Would you mind if I took the night off on Friday? Jen's asked if I can meet her and some friends, we haven't seen each other for ages...."

Unsure where the feeling comes from, the urge to say more rushes over her like a wave crashing on the shore. It’s the same as the feeling of nervousness she had that night a few weeks ago at the diner, almost like first date nerves. Perhaps, she realises,  they’ve resurfaced because her whole life has been tangled with his for the last few months, she's not really sure how to break out of it and step back into her own, or whether he'll let her. 

"Obviously I'll make sure I get the boys dinner sorted, the place tidy, laundry done and get them to bed before I head out....and I won't stay out late, I wouldn't want to cause any disruption....unless you've got any pressing work or meetings which means you'll be home late... I can cancel, I know it's short notice..."

"Woah, who are you, Cinderella?!"

The mirth in his tone instantly relaxes her as she realises he's only teasing. While attempting, and failing, to look defiant her nose inevitably crinkles, unable to contain the laughter bubbling to the surface at the silliness of her outburst. He leans over gently resting his hand on her knee to placate her, stroking her delicate skin with his thumb.

"Of course you should go out with your friends."

"Really?"

"Definitely." He continues, "as much as I would love to keep you to myself I know that you have a life of your own to live too and you, more than anyone, deserve to go out and enjoy yourself."

Sweeping his hand into her own, she gracefully brings it to her lips, tickling featherlight kisses along his knuckles.

"Thank you....but I don't know that you'd really want me to let my hair down if you knew how our girls nights usually play out..."

A wicked smile casts on her lips as she looks at him from under her long eyelashes, she continues to caress his hand, her lips teasing his skin with every word. He struggles to keep his eyes on the road, his mind racing with the many possible indiscretions which he imagines could take place on girls night, especially with Jenny at the helm. The visions in his mind entrance him and he can't decide whether he wishes he was part of them, or that she wasn't.

"I see, a bit of an every man for himself situation is it?!" 

He pulls her hand over to his lap where he secures it on his thigh under his own. His hope that by keeping his hand on hers he can keep her grounded to him before losing her to the inhibitions of the impending night out.

"Let's just say it'll be a hot mess of short skirts, high heels, cocktails and getting sweaty on the dance floor."

Realising that the car has come to a stop at a red light she turns to Sam looking him straight in the eye as she slides her hand brazenly up his thigh. She can feel his pants straining to contain what's growing within them while his chest visibly rises and falls more rapidly, struggling to control the pulsing hunger running through him. 

"But don't worry, we usually only break a few hearts".

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he launches across the centre console, holding her head in his hands and devouring her mouth with his hungry wet lips. She lets herself fall deeply into his kiss, smiling against him as she thinks to herself that she should ask for time off more often.

The light turns to green and then red again, disgruntled drivers behind sounding their horns in annoyance as the immaculate silver Audi blocks their path, but neither occupant notices as they loose themselves in one another.

Her gentle hands press against Sam's muscular chest, marvelling in the ripples beneath her fingers, before sliding them up into his hair pulling him deeper into the kiss. He keeps one hand firmly at the back of her neck, anchoring her to him while the other roams down the curves of her body, his thumb tweaking a now erect nipple before grasping at her hip.

Intruding on their entanglement, the sound of the in-car phone system echoes around the plush detailing of the car, with 'Home' appearing on the display. Breaking apart in surprise, they finally catch a breath. Sam rests his forehead intimately against hers as he gives the voice command to answer the call and Mason's innocent voice pours out of the speakers.

"Hey dad, are you gonna be home soon? We're staaarving." It's impossible for Katie not to break into a smile as she thinks about the boys at home with Carter, no doubt teaching him all sorts of tricks which she'd never let them get away with. Sam notices her thoughtful smile and matches it with his own as their minds work as one imaging the same scene. Their eyes once again meet as they resign themselves to the intimate moment being lost, instead committing it to memory to recall again when the urge to immerse themselves in thoughts of each other inevitably come to call.

"Yeah buddy, I've just picked up Katie and we're heading home now."

The smile in Mason's voice is evident as his tone becomes more upbeat. 

"Oh great, Katie's with you?...Hey Katie!"

"We missed you today, why'd you have to spend the day with Suck...I mean with Sofia anyways?!" Mickey interrupts, his fear of missing out pushing him to insert himself in the conversation.

Sam and Katie stifle their giggles at Mickey's slip of the tongue, aware of the microphone above their heads. Sam places a soft kiss on Katie's forehead before pulling away begrudgingly as she in turn adjusts her position, smoothing over her now crumpled skirt. 

"Hi boys, I missed you too. I was just helping her with some grown up work stuff, definitely not as fun as a day with you monkeys though.”

Much to the relief of the drivers behind them, Sam's already breezing through the now green light towards the penthouse, this time with more urgency as the sky above begins to melt into dusk.  

"How about your dad and I pick up some pizza on our way back...."

Without even a moments hesitation the twins excited voices burst through the speakers once again.

"Score!"

Tag List:  @shewillreadyou @txemrn @silma-words @thefrenchiemama @secretaryunpaid @sfb123 @fanjessfic

[firemblem-fics]

Running With the Wolves [1]

preview | >>

-> Yuri Leclarc x Fem!Reader

-> Modern!Au | Gang!Au | Enemies to Lovers

-> Word Count: ~3.3k

-> Warnings: Violence, Blood, Cursing, Weapons

-> Summary: You were just a normal college student, trying to find her way in a new place. You didn’t mean to get caught up in the wrong crowd. You just wanted coffee, but now you’re running with the wolves.

-> A/N: SURPRISE I POSTED IT EARLY ! thanks to my lovely beta readers for helping me revise and edit this chapter to make it better! i’m still in a writing mental block but i think this is one step closer to getting out of it! so, please enjoy (again)! also, all characters are aged up (21+)! also y’all should reblog this so it gets out more 🥺

send me an ask if you’d like to be on the taglist!

"Fuck- She's losing too much blood, Boss, she's not gonna make it!"

"No, no. She's going to make it- I'll make sure of it. Stay alive!"

Your vision was dark and blurry- you couldn't quite see anything. You could only make out a few silhouettes hovering above you, each one rushing around and yelling frantically. You couldn't count how many were there. Your vision kept doubling and it was hard to discern one person from three. Focusing just caused things to get worse.

"Someone put pressure on the damn wound! She certainly won't make it if you all keep messing around."

It was only now that you noticed a sharp pain radiating from your chest, right below your ribs. You gasped loudly and coughed. It hurt worse than the throbbing that already coursed through your head. Your body burned.

Trying to look down, you saw a rag soaked in blood. Hands with bright nails pressed down on your wound to slow the flow, but it didn't seem to be helping. You started feeling dizzy and laid back again, clenching your eyes tight as nausea engulfed you.

"No, keep your eyes open, Y/N, dammit! Wake up!"

Slowly, the pain began fading, as did your view of the people above you and their voices. You could still barely hear the voice crying, sobbing out your name. Whoever they were, they were crushed.

"Wake up!"

Was that voice finally fading away too?

"Wake up!"

No- it was getting louder.

"Wake up!"

"Ellie, what the fuck do you want?" You groaned, rolling over on your bed.

Your roommate bounced on her knees, making your bed creak loudly. "What do you mean? It's like 10am, your class is at 11. Don’t talk to me with that tone of voice."

"Fuck me."

"Absolutely not, baby." Ellie smacked a pillow beside you and got up. "Get ready!" She went to her own room, leaving you to your own devices.

When you applied for an apartment roommate, Ellie was certainly not the one you were expecting. You would've preferred a chill, laid-back, person. Instead, Eleonora Yumizuru walked into your life (and apartment) and practically made herself at home. She didn't judge you from transferring so far away from your old home for your last year of college, claiming that "home roots don't mean shit when it comes to making it in the real world".

She had the right to say such a thing, having moved to Fodlan from another country in her youth. She was able to understand the occasional homesickness and help you cope as you adjusted to Fodlan life. She understood you like the back of her hand from the moment you met and you did the same for her.

Really, you had to let her move in. She’d probably have stayed even if you rejected her.

She was the complete opposite of what you were looking for- overconfident, stubborn, loud- but she grew on you and easily became your best friend. There was just something about the bubbly, blue-eyed, blonde-bobbed bitch that hooked you.

She had certainly hooked other people as well, but thank God her bedroom is on the other side of the apartment. Her social skills and magnetic personality worked for platonic friends and acquaintances as well. Ellie was constantly bringing over friends, allowing you to expand your own circle. She was heaven-sent for a newbie like you.

You sat up from your bed, yawning and stretching. Trudging to your bathroom, you rolled your eyes as the infamous Taylor Swift blared through Ellie's speakers, "Shake it Off" shaking the entire apartment. Nothing against T. Swift, but sometimes she was not the first thing you want to hear when you wake up. At least not at max volume. Ignoring the song switching to "You Belong With Me" -another banger from Swift herself, but really "Teardrops on My Guitar” was your favorite- you finished getting ready and lazed into Ellie's room.

"I've got class 'till late today." You sat on her bed. "Do you want me to pick up dinner? It’ll let me explore the area."

"Oh, please do. You need to get out more. But where?"

You shrugged. "There's really only like two good food places here. Golden Pizza and Blue Lion Buffet. Your choice."

Ellie thought for a moment. "I went to the buffet with my little friend Touma the other day... so pizza! I just can't choose a side in their little spat."

"Spat?" You tilted your head.

"Goodness, Y/N! I know you're a little new here, but you haven't even heard of the shit that goes on between those restaurant owners?"

Shaking your head, you stayed silent for her to continue.

"The owners of Blue Lion Buffet, Eagle's Freezery, and Golden Pizza are all huge rivals. I heard they were all close, but went their separate ways. All the owners' kids are our age, too. They go to Fodlan Uni, but I don't know who they are." She smiled. "I am an esteemed woman with an upcoming high status. Who would I be to take sides? I prefer to cater to them all."

You could only nod, hiding a smirk at Ellie’s infatuation of fame. A huge restaurant rivalry. How funny. "What about that little cafe on the corner? What's it called? Café des Loups?"

"They're pretty neutral, just some college dropouts trying to make some money. I think they’re gonna get involved eventually- every restaurant’s been dragged into their drama at least once."

You nodded, standing up and messing with your apartment keys. "I'll keep that in mind. Bye, Ellie!"

"Bye! I better see some pizza later!" She called as you made your way out of the apartment, now playing "I Knew You Were Trouble".

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

College was honestly a scam.

You sat in the classes for two hours at a time, for what? You were paying thousands of dollars to be talked at by old dusty men who made you fall asleep faster than trying to read their overpriced textbooks. You paid thousands to nap at a desk.

Unfortunately for you, though, your thousand dollar desk nap was interrupted by a tapping on the surface. You huffed and looked up, coming face to face with a pair of soft, orange eyes. They radiated kindness and just looking into them seemed to lift your mood immediately.

"Hey, you need to wake up for this part. The professor said there's gonna be a quiz on this section tomorrow."

You shot up, looking back at your professor. Blushing embarrassedly, you smiled at the boy. "Thank you..."

"Ferdinand." He drew his bottom lip in between his teeth, as if to conceal his smile, before giving up and returning yours just as brightly.

As you faced forward to Professor Hanneman, as you were pretty sure his name was- or was it Ham Man? You didn’t care enough to know- you were now struggling with two distractions. One, the weight of your eyelids as they threatened to pull you back into dreamland. Two, Ferdinand.

You kept glancing at him, taking in his complexion. He must have come to class late, since you didn't see him before. Or maybe he was on time- you did fall asleep quite early into the lecture.

You were eyeing his carefully sculpted jawline, dotted with subtle stubble that connected to sideburns and led up to clean, silky, orange hair. You wished to run your fingers through it-

"Y/N, this is the second time I've seen you not paying attention." You jumped nearly three feet in the air. "Next time, I'll have to ask you to leave my class since you are obviously taking it as a joke."

"I-I'm not joking! Sorry!" You stuttered, finally finding a reason to keep your attention on the lecture. You did look away once, just to glare at Ferdinand, who only winked and chuckled at your misfortune.

Class was eventually over and you sighed, finally loosening up from forcing yourself to pay attention. You packed your notebook and laptop and swung your backpack on, getting ready to leave the room before a voice called to you.

You turned back. "Ferdinand?"

"I was simply wondering where your next class was. I can walk you to it, if you'd like." Said boy walked quickly towards you, holding himself with a nearly-perfect posture. You felt anxious- he was trying to make himself seem like a gentleman, but you still felt a little unnerved.

"Oh, um, sure! It's not for another fifteen minutes, but it is across campus."

Ferdinand's grin seemed to get larger, making his eyes crinkle at the edges. "How wonderful! That little café is down there and I've been meaning to check it out anyways. It works out perfectly."

"Uh, yeah." You laughed nervously. This was the first time a boy had taken interest in you- or was he really interested? Maybe he's just being nice-

"Also, before I forget. May I get your number? I'd like to talk to such a gorgeous woman like you a little more."

Oh, he was so interested. You had to make yourself breathe again as you handed him your phone to let him put his number in. He gave it back to you and you noticed a heart and a smiley face emoticon next to his contact name. Your heart fluttered at the sight of the emojis and you felt your cheeks heat up a bit. Ferdinand gave you a sweet smile before holding the door open for you, letting you lead the way to your next class.

On the way to the building, Ferdinand spent the time asking you questions and getting to know you better. He had scratched basically the entire surface of you, save for the secrets that new people shouldn't know, and the same could be said for you. Ferdinand was definitely a polished and refined man. He made quite the impression on you.

"What are you doing after classes?" You asked, hoping to invite him for pizza at your apartment.

"Ah, I've got work!" He smiled sheepishly. He definitely caught onto your hopes...

"Really? Where? Maybe after, you could stop by for some Golden Pizza-"

"Actually, I work at the Eagles Freezery." He was tense, suddenly. "So I really shouldn't. Rivalry and all of that, you know?"

You were a little confused, actually. "Why would that prevent you from hanging out for a bit? You didn't buy it, I did. Plus I thought the rivalry was only between the buffet and the pizza place?”

"It's- it's a loyalty thing. It’s between all three of us.”

"It's a restaurant. How loyal could you possibly be to a dumb little ice cream parlor-"

"It's more than that!" Ferdinand snapped his mouth closed, suddenly making himself quiet after his angry outburst. "Listen, I cannot and will not eat there, look at it, talk about it, or do literally anything about it. Please, just understand that."

"Uh, yeah." You nervously readjusted your backpack on your shoulder. "I- I should get to class now. I'll see you later, Ferdinand."

"Goodbye, I'll message you after work!" With that, he sent you a wink and a smile and turned, going about his own day with the most carefree pep in his step. As if nothing ever happened. You, on the other hand, could not have been more confused. Ferdinand seemed unpredictable when it came to his moods. He was comforting and kind, yet was so… upset when you insulted the parlor. It was a restaurant. Why did he get so worked up about it? Maybe Ellie was right about it being such a big deal.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“I just ordered! Go, go, I’m starving!”

Not even five minutes after you got out of your last class, Ellie was calling to remind you about dinner. You were still slightly unnerved from your encounter with Ferdinand, but you agreed to pick it up and would never hear the end of it if you didn’t do something as simple as takeout.

Golden Pizza was only about two blocks away and you stayed on the phone with your roommate the entire time, only saying goodbye as you walked in the establishment. The restaurant was very nice, the honey yellow walls and the glow of the wood-fired oven making the ambience warm and welcoming. You didn’t wait long in the line, soon coming up to meet a boy about your age with a glimmering emerald gaze and a smile just as bright at the front counter.

“Hi!” The boy- Claude, according to his nametag- greeted, “How can I help you?”

“I’m just picking up an order for Eleonora Yumizuru.”

Claude nodded and typed a few things into a computer at the counter. “I know Ellie! She and I had Stats together before she dropped out to pursue her acting career. She’s certainly something.”

“Oh, definitely. I’m her roommate.” Speaking of the devil, your phone vibrated in your pocket. It was a message from her. “She actually just messaged me. Wants me to bring her a dumb little lemonade from that cafe.”

Claude laughed, “You can go and get it now, if you’d like. Your pizza will be a few more minutes. Ellie set the time for your pickup for later, so you’re actually ten minutes early.”

You thanked him and left, walking to the cafe. You took your time, observing the shops around you. Across the street from Golden Pizza stood the Blue Lion Buffet. You smiled to yourself- what a cliche to have rivals across from each other. Beside the pizza parlor was another food shop, the Eagles Freezery. You thought about Ferdinand- he said he was working today. Maybe you could drop by and- No. No, Y/N. Go get your lemonade and go.

A soft bell chimed as you opened the door. You saw four people in cafe uniforms, going about their day as you approached the register.

“Welcome to our humble abode!”

“Constance, that’s only used for a home.”

You shyly waved at the so-called Constance and the pink-haired girl who corrected her. Cafe des Loups- or Cafe of Wolves- was a quaint place, quiet and not crowded, kind of like an off-brand Starbucks. Dim lights adorned the high black ceiling, illuminating the shop just enough for a comforting ambience. There was a mural of a rainforest painted on the wall to the opposite of the counter with comfortable tables and lounging areas. If you could, you’d probably waste the day away lounging around. It was the perfect environment for an introvert like you.

At this shop, a large dark-haired man controlled the register instead of Claude. As you approached the register, you noticed that he wasn’t wearing a nametag, but you had a small urge to call him Bigfoot.

“Hey! What can I get ‘cha?”

You scoured the menu. “Just two pink lemonades is fine-”

“Oh! Good choice!” Constance interrupted you, coming to stand beside the man. “Yuri-bird over there makes the best sweet lemonades!”

You followed her gaze over to a man who was sitting on a stool, slouched down and leaning his head on his hand. He stretched and stood up. “Thank God, we haven’t had many customers all day. I was starting to think we lost our appeal.”

“Of course we have not!” Constance replied. She turned to you, but you couldn’t tell whether she was still talking to Yuri or you. Maybe it was neither. “Not when someone as handsome as Yuri is making the drinks and my attractive self is greeting the customers!”

“Hey! I’m just as much of a visual as the boss-man.” The taller man joined in after taking your money. “We’re all pretty nice looking. Especially this little lady ordering~”

You blushed a bit. “Oh, please, I’m nothing special-”

“Nothing special?” Constance laid her hand against her chest. “You’re wonderful! Almost on the same level as me. Isn’t that right, Yuri-birdie?”

Yuri looked up from making your drinks, his analytical eyes seemingly boring holes into you. You shuddered, feeling like he could tell your deepest and darkest secrets from just looking at you. He shrugged, going back to the lemonades.

“She’s alright, I suppose.”

“You suppose? Yuri, that’s rude-”

Hapi was midway through lecturing the purple-haired man when the door to the shop chimed open and a rather large group came in. Yuri looked up and suddenly stood alert, as did the other three workers. In the group, you saw a familiar head of orange hair and orange eyes met yours. Your face screwed up into confusion.

“Ferdinand?”

“Don’t say anything.” The leader of the group, a short, white-haired girl snarled. “Are you a new… worker here?”

“Wh- you just told me not to say anything.”

Slowly, Yuri and the other three came up beside you, standing slightly in front. Your heart nearly stopped- you were in the middle of something you definitely weren’t supposed to be in and your sass had gotten on their bad side already. The white-haired girl scrutinized the five of you, her lavender eyes piercing holes through whatever facade of confidence you had tried to put up. You could feel yourself literally wither under her gaze, even more than you did when Yuri looked at you.

“What do you want, Edelgard?” Yuri put his hands on his hip, one fiddling with something under his shirt.

“I want your loyalty.”

Yuri snorted. “You aren’t in charge.”

“I’m not? Hm. Tell that to my father after he stepped down. I’m the leader now- the emperor, if you will.” Edelgard sighed heavily. “I have no time for more conversation if you won’t comply. Hubert, deal with them.”

The terrifying man who you assumed was Hubert suddenly reached in his coat and pulled out a handgun, aiming it at the five of you. Yuri quickly retaliated and pulled one of his own, throwing it at Constance before grabbing your wrist and running to the back. A loud gunshot rang through the air as you and Yuri continued to run. You both dodged around coffee shop equipment and he dragged you through a labyrinth that they considered the back of the store.

As you were running, Yuri pulled you to a sharp right turn and your arm scraped against a metal machine in your way. You hissed in pain and looked down at it, seeing a large wound going down your shoulder to your elbow. It was starting to bleed rather quickly, but you had no time to worry about it. You’d have time to tend to it if you survived.

“What’s happening?”

“No time to explain. Quick, hide!”

Yuri pushed you against the wall in between two larger cabinets and stood in front, grabbing yet another gun from his other hip. He cocked it, listening for the ruckus of the fight in the main room to make its way towards your location. You were shaking like a leaf, grabbing tightly onto your wounded arm and smearing blood all over your fingers and your clothes. You breathed heavily, trying to calm yourself at least a little- was this why Ferdinand had been so defensive over the Eagles Freezery? What kind of restaurant rivalry would constitute attempted murder? And wasn’t this cafe uninvolved anyways? You didn't have time to ponder any more questions as a loud crash echoed through the room. Yuri lifted his gun and began to speak lowly, not taking his eyes off of the door.

“When I say run, go out the back door and get in the black car back there. Don’t go home- one of them will find you.”

A gunshot rang through the air and Constance, Balthus, and Hapi burst through the doors, running towards you all. Yuri turned to you as the three of them caught up to him, pulling out their own weapons again as Edelgard began yelling.

“Run!”

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taglist: @fairyblue-alchemist @emperor-pizza @flavoredmilktea @fe3h-random-writing-and-stuff @mifuyuyu @blviddyd @laurexlance @atomicchocolatecookie @mapesandoval @local-goth-lilz

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[finn-ray-nal-beads]

I missed the post about wanting to delete things, but that won't stop me running my mouth.

You were one of the very first people here to reach out to me, make me feel seen here, supported, like I had any value.

I see you selflessly do the same for so many people and I know they appreciate it and get that beautiful hit of serotonin and affection when your name pops up.

I've seen you and your beautiful family and I can tell how much love you give them.

Your writing is lovely and unique and so you, there's nobody out there with your voice.

And I can completely understand wanting to get out of here - I'm feeling the same thing - but you would definitely be missed and I would be the first to miss you.

From what we've shared and talked about, I can see you are strong, smart, caring, generous, funny, loving and kind, and the big tragedy of life is that people like that go around doubting themselves while villains bulldoze through life and give us the impression that there's something wrong with us, that we're the idiots.

I hope you feel as strong and good and beautiful as you are soon, my love ❤️❤️🤗🤗

@in-silks-and-flesh-and-leather i literally am at a complete loss for this lexi..

you have been NOTHING but a great person inside and out and your courage and confidence is so astounding.. i only WISH i was half as talented and amazing as you.

i really am very much in an anxiety self hate cloud about things not only on here but in my life.. and there’s not really a reason for it unfortunately other than it’s my own self telling me demeaning and degrading things..

it’s very hard to switch off and i constantly battle with my presence in any situation and question whether or not people like or hate me and most of the time i assume the latter.. only because i’m geared to think and distrust everyone and everything and i believe wholeheartedly that i don’t deserve love or support even though i try to spread it like wildfire around me..

my relationship with myself is very volatile and i know it’s something i have to work on.. and it’s a process. fortunately this fandom has really helped me overcome a lot of my insecurities as well as produce ones that i never knew i had in the process..

seeing all of you send in these messages makes me feel so good and so bad at the same time it’s so hard to wrap my head around the fact that anyone even likes me..

i feel superbly dramatic and very exposed at the moment but it’s something i have been struggling with since december of 2020 in conjunction with happenings and drama surrounding this fandom.. but i know things will ebb and flow and get back to a dull roar.. eventually.. for now i’m just going to be anxious and paranoid and there’s really nothing i can do about it..

the love messages i feel so hard and the support is just unfathomable..

i love you my sweet friend and i am always so excited to read your writings and hear your opinions.. but most of all i love how so selfless you are in commenting and making people feel so appreciated and heard in this community.. you are truly something so unique and special and i am so humbled and grateful to call you a friend 💓