#in fact it almost might be better to be a little harsher than normal

[cats-in-the-clouds]

i fear there are few things worse than having a friend with paper-thin skin who easily spirals into self-hatred and deprecation at the slightest inconvenience to them and can never be consoled… who is also genuinely mean and inconsiderate as a result of spending the majority of their time focusing on themselves in such a negative vicious cycle and needs to be gently admonished except you know full well if you do so they are just going to jump down even deeper into the pit of despair and not even listen. so you can neither say anything they don’t like nor cut ties with them lest they wail and lament that you really have secretly hated them all along and they guess they’re just a bad person etc etc the only action you are allowed to perform toward them is to continue giving them ceaseless validation that they won’t even absorb in an attempt to either console them in one of their fits or to satisfy the massive ego they pretend to have even though it’s clear as day they really just hate themselves and don’t realize that that’s a form of selfishness too

[yooils]

RUIN MY PLANS ! sae itoshi x manager! reader. fluff.

☆彡– really, he should have known better than to let someone in so easily– now you've ruined his plans and stained your muddy footprints all over his heart.

part two is out now!

even in the beginning, it was always just sae and soccer.

(wrong. there was also rin– who used to idolized him as one would a celebrity, and his supportive parents– who sent him snacks and supportive notes when he was abroad.)

nevertheless, there really was no one in the small world of sae itoshi; hidden beneath the bitter guise of frigid thunder and even icier storms– until you first came in as his own brand new manager, (slightly naive) smile differing strikingly from his indifferent countenance.

you've unsolicitedly trampled all over his once-tranquil paradise over the years, sae thinks, because now he can't imagine a future without you– it makes his skin crawl and it feels sickening. how mediocre of him.

and just as sae starts to slowly accept the unfamiliar whirlwind of emotions in his life after denying his feelings for so long, his fragile world collapses again.

"i'm going to resign soon."

oh.

sae's heart sinks to his stomach. he feels like his whole world is falling apart– just like in the movies– and he's infuriated. resentment always came easily to sae, after all; but the fact that it's you makes his stomach churn.

(you, who unexpectedly won a place in his life with your lukewarm anecdotes, stupid laughter and reckless work habits. really, he should have known better than to let someone in so easily– now you've ruined his plans and stained your muddy footprints all over his heart.)

the soft music thrumming through the speakers of an expensive restaurant fuels his rage even more, and you're still sitting there nonchalantly– calm and composed, expression showing no signs of discomfort nor awkwardness.

and it really pisses him off.

he's treated you so well over the years too; trying to be on his best behaviour on his interviews with the press (read: not walking off); listening half-heartedly to your ramblings on how to increase his popularity (though he couldn't care less); and even going so far as to mind his language sometimes.

upon further reflection, maybe he really was the jerk here.

but in contrast to his internal turmoil, sae's demeanour remains tepid save for the slight furrow of his eyebrows. "huh? what's wrong with you?"

it comes out a lot harsher than intended.

you've known sae long enough to read his minuscule body language, and that the slight wince at his own words mean that he's a little apologetic– not that his ego would have ever allowed him to admit it. (if anything, it makes you realise that you've stayed in this job too long for your liking.)

–it's absolutely unhealthy to be around him for so long, you affirm to yourself. that's why you're resigning after six gruelling years.

the way you shift in your chair almost makes him worry.

"it's nothing big, i just want to start a normal life." you respond, albeit tentatively. "maybe cut off travelling around for a bit, have a less stressful job, get a partner–"

he scoffs at that. (it's not due to jealousy, definitely.) "you could do that even while being a manager; it's just a little busier than a normal life. plus, it's not too stressful, is it?"

you work more than 17 hours on busy days– even answering his spur of the moment midnight calls. as much as an eye candy as sae is, you don't think your heart can handle him much longer despite how unaffected you look.

(little did you know, he would've long cut back on the immense workload if you had so much as mentioned it– he would have gone beyond limits to keep you by his side, because you're the only constant in his world of football. and he likes that.)

"i suppose so– i guess settling back into Japan might make dating a lot easier, as well as stop my parent's nagging." you sigh. "they're constantly pestering me on when i'll get married."

sae's had his share of flings in europe before– so he has no idea why his heart races so fast at the mere thought of a reckless idea.

"so date me."

you choke. his face stays stoic, utterly contradicting to the way he swallows thickly– he really is a mess. now he's ruined every single healthy relationship he's ever had in his life.

and never in your life did you think you would get to hear sae itoshi ask you out, even if it was just for his own benefit. "it won't hinder with your work, and it'll be easy to convince your parents, won't it?"

you hate how persuasive he is.

(that night, you end up making a decision that might just cost you more than your sappy feelings.)

1.8.23

[comfortscripts]

I don't want to snog him {Fred W.}

Plot - George has enlisted you to help him win over Angelina but unknown to you, his plan also might have something to do with getting Fred to admit his feelings for you.

Requested? Yes/No

Warnings - Jealousy (Not sure if that’s a warning though), a quick kiss and not fully proofread so I am sorry in advance

Word Count - 1.3k

"Y/N, just the person I was looking for" George Weasley announced as he waltzed into the common room, spotting you bundled up in the window seat with some muggle book Hermione lent you.

"Oh no, what have you gone and done now?" You say.

George only asks for your help for 2 reasons; Firstly, when he has forgotten to do his Transfiguration homework or secondly, when him and Fred have a prank they need help executing.

He smiles whilst squeezing his tall-self next to you in the window, before looking up with the widest smile you've seen.

"Well my dear Y/N, I have a proposition for you" He says throwing an arm over your shoulder before continuing. "As you know, the Hogsmeade trip is coming up and I am in need of your assistance with getting a certain witch to go with me"

You see, Hogwarts is normally a place of studies and magic but due to the upcoming Hogsmeade trip, all that matters to the Hogwarts witches and wizards is who is going with who.

Two of those swooning fools go by the names of George Weasley and Angelina Johnson. Both of them want to go with each other but are too nervous to ask.

Y/N couldn't say they didn't care about going to Hogsmeade but they weren't going half as crazy as everyone else. Elaborate schemes, sneaky way of finding out who likes who just left broken heart filled halls. Why would Y/N submit themselves to any of that? But that didn't mean you couldn't help you best friends get together.

"Aww Little Georgie has a crush" You say squishing his cheeks between your fingers. "Of course I'll help and if it is any consolation, Angie has a thing for you as well"

George blushes when he realised you knew exactly who he was talking about but quickly played it off with a grin.

'If only you knew that this plan involved your love life as well' He thought before starting to explain the plan.

The plan was simple, you talk George up to Angelina whilst also feeding George information about her likes, her schedule and her current feelings towards him.

The part of the plan George failed to mention was the part where his less attractive twin brother gets incredibly jealous over how close you and George are. One thing to know about the Weasley siblings is that they all get very jealous, due to always having to share everything with their siblings. Fred and Ron were definitely the worst at coping with their jealous side which was exactly what George was counting on.

And with dear Freddie secretly harbouring the largest crush on a certain Y/N, seeing them get friendlier with George will certainly get Freddie to react and expose his feelings.

As it got closer to the Hogsmeade trip, the plan was fully in action. Y/N was constantly nudging Angelina in the direction of George, slowly pushing her to truly accept her feelings for him. But whilst that plan was working oh so amazingly, George's operation 'Get Freddie to stop being a wuss about his feelings' was going even better.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, Freddie had been hearing all of the compliments and praising of his twin. Each word was like an extra ounce of jealousy on his shoulders. In Fred's mind, Y/N was just fawning over George in the way he wished Y/N would fawn over him.

The final straw came the Thursday before the trip. Y/N was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Angelina, Katie, George and Fred, all talking about the upcoming trip.

"So George, who are you going to Hogsmeade with?" Y/N asks with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, obviously a hint to ask Angie.

"It's funny you ask actually because I was hoping to ask someone special today" George responded with his eyes practically making heart-shapes towards the seat next to you which was occupied by your best friend, Angelina.

Unfortunately, Fred miscalculated where his brother was looking and read it as George making heart eyes towards Y/N. With a quick mutter of goodbye, Fred stood up from the table and stomped away like a toddler having a tantrum.

Y/N watched Fred walk away and wondered what the hell just happened. From the corner of their eye, they saw George looking like he was about to go after his brother. Y/N couldn't let that happen for two reasons, firstly George would miss his chance to ask Angie and secondly, Y/N wanted to be able to comfort the boy she had been infatuated with since third year.

"I'm going to go and make sure he is alright" You say standing up from the table and heading off in the same direction the older Weasley twin did. You knew exactly where he would be.

Approaching the black lake, you saw a certain lanky ginger pacing by the lake. He was clearly angry, you could tell by the way he was cracking his fingers on his right hand over and over again. That was his tell.

"Freddie?" You called out softly, snapping the Weasley out of his jealous trance and stopping him in his tracks.

"What do you want? Came to tell me that you will be off snogging my brother this weekend?" He sneered.

His response caused a sea of emotion to rise within you. Anger, hurt, confusion just to name a few. Why did he think that? Why is he being so rude? Why would he even care?

"Excuse me? I am not planning on doing anything of the sort with your brother but even if I was, it is none of your business" You retorted in a slightly harsher tone than you wanted.

Fred turned to you and just stared before something seemed to snap.

"Except for the fact that it is my business if the person I have been in love with since I was 14 decides to go off and do who knows what with my twin brother?" He marches slowly towards you whilst he goes on his little rant. "So yeah, I am pissed off and it's not like you or him even cared that you have been stabbing my heart all week. You and your stupid compliments towards him or silly hints about going to Hogsmeade but what is worse is that he knows how I felt and he just let you"

Fred stops in front of you and takes a breath, almost to refill his ammo before finishing his speech. "So I guess that you two deserve each other."

Fred looks into your eyes one last time before turning away to head back towards Hogwarts.

Y/N stands in shock. The boy they have been dreaming about since they were a dorky tween had confessed his love. But like an idiot, Y/N just stood there without professing their love. Y/N had always been shy but this is a matter of losing Freddie, their Freddie. Quickly they turned towards the fleeting image of the Weasley boy and shouted.

"I love you Fred Weasley"

Fred halts at the confession and turns to see if it was just a figment of his imagination but he saw them making their way towards where he stood.

"Fred, I have been helping George ask Angelina out, not fawning over him. He is a friend and Godric knows I don't want to snog him. You are the person I want to be complimenting and giggling with. You are the person I want to go on Hogsmeade trips with where we drink so much butterbeer, we feel sick." Finally reaching the shocked boy, you look up at him.

"You are the one I want to love and be loved by, if you'll let me?"

Instead of a response to your question, you feel a pair of warm lips meet yours, a taste of cinnamon and cherry tarts invades your senses. You know what magic feels like but this, this was the stuff that muggles write about and now you finally understood why.

Eventually Fred pulled away, much to your dismay, and as a small smirk graced his pale face he asked "So fancy going to Hogsmeade together, my love?

[sungie]

hello love so excited to see your req box open☺️❤️ could you possibly do jealous megumi or inumaki when they see you talking to your ex?

a/n: ahhh hello!! <3 omg thank u for requesting i had a lot of fun writing this one // AJKJD;AJFD it’s so funny to me bc normally i don’t like jealous people blame my aquarius BUT um ,,, say less ,, mayhaps jealous fushiguro would be okay  

(*ﾉ▽ﾉ)

masterlist

[𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐢]

“Can I ask you something?” 

Fushiguro’s voice is unusually strained. His words sound strung around the edges, yet there’s still something strangely vulnerable about what he's implying.

“What’s up?” Despite your nonchalance, you’re relieved he's broken the silence.  It was clear something was wrong ever since he'd closed himself off, an irritated frown pulling at his lips.  When you originally asked him about it, he shrugged it off as being tired, but you knew Fushiguro. It was obvious that he'd only responded to you out of polite necessity.

There's a brief pause as he struggles to find the right way to go about this. And then he's sighing, his gaze setting in resolve. "Who was that?"

You turn, casting your gaze toward the retreating figure. He's upset about that?

Fushiguro shifts in his stance.

"Oh," you blink, "you don't have to worry about it."

It's clear Fushiguro doesn't like your answer, and he glowers at his feet. "They seemed to know you well."

You can't help the amused breath of air that leaves your mouth. If you didn't know any better, you'd think Fushiguro were jealous. There's a bitter tinge to his voice, one that's all too clearly matched with his prickly attitude. You're not quite sure how Fushiguro manages to appear extremely disconnected while also obviously upset.

"I guess so." You chew on your lip, gauging his reaction. "They're my ex."

Fushiguro’s head snaps up. His eyes widen, disappointment quickly clouding over his expression. And then as quickly as it comes, a practiced stillness glides across his features and erases any trace of emotion, carefully preserving a mild, disinterested facade. "Oh."

You stifle a laugh. "Oh?'

Fushiguro sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. He leans his head against the wall in exasperation. "They still like you." The moment the words leave his mouth, he scrunches his face like the very thought leaves a bitter aftertaste, citrine and unwelcome. "It's so obvious."

"They don't."

"They do."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because they made a fool of themselves," Fushguro sends a pointed look your way, almost as if you're the one he's irritated with. "Like, they'd do anything to get your attention."

"Fushiguro," you start.

"It's so stupid," he mumbles, dropping his gaze, "it's just like how I"--

You tilt your head. "How you?"

His mouth parts in realization, and he sighs. "Forget it. It doesn't matter." He sticks his hands in his pockets, lips drawn to the side as he processes. It's something you've seen him do often.

Except, you're not expecting to witness regret flicker across his face. It's gone as soon as you see it.

"Would you?" When he looks back at you, a trace of desperation fills his voice.

It's almost as if your next words hold the answer to some long, puzzled over question that only he knows the words to.

"Would I what?"

"Go back," Fushiguro mumbles. "Would you go back to them if you could?"

"No."

Fushiguro blinks. "You didn't even think about it."

“I don’t need to think about it.”

"They'd take you back," he says helplessly.

"Do you want me to?" You tease, shaking your head. "I don't have feelings for them."

Fushiguro can't look away. It's at this moment where it seems as if there's no disconnection between what he's saying and what he's expressing.

"So, I still have a chance." It's murmured softly, phrased so delicately that it feels like a question and a realization all at once. You're not even sure if he intended for you to hear it.

"I told you, Megumi. You don't have to worry."

As soon as you say it, Fushiguro flushes. It's not just his ears--his entire face. "I'm not worried," he mutters hotly, assuming a haughty expression and turning away. "I don't know why you'd think that."

[𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞]

Inumaki’s upset.  His violet eyes turn perfectly dead-pan with no trace of the gleeful recognition that normally lights across his expression whenever he meets your gaze.  Neither is there any trace of indifference.  In fact, upset might be an understatement.  He looks furious. 

It started off as a pout when he met your eyes from across the grounds.  He’d waved, arm thrown over his head in an exaggerated sort of way.  He’d tilted his head, too, physically whining about why you couldn’t finish up and join him and the others already. 

That was before your sparring partner slammed their polearm into your stomach, sending you sprawling to the ground.  It’s harsher than supposed to be, and you cough, clutching your ribs.  You’re not hurt, it just stings a little. 

It was then that you’d risked a glance at Inumaki, and witnessed every fluctuation of emotion that crossed his face.  Even from here, it’s easy to tell exactly how angry he is.  And judging from his reaction, you’re all too aware that he’s finally noticed who the person is that just violated sparring rules.  

Inumaki’s usual reaction when you fall during training is that of amusement.  He likes to tease you, as long as you’re not seriously hurt, especially since he knows that everyone means well. 

But this is very different. 

You grimace, trying to somehow communicate that it's fine, but --

“Konbu.” 

It’s the rudest greeting you’ve ever heard from him.  And it’s directed at the person sparring against you.  

“Toge,” you hiss, “go away.” 

Inumaki turns his gaze to you.  His eyes soften, and he crouches down next to you, tilting his head to the side.  “Salmon?”  He presses a hand against yours, the one clutching your side.  

Are you okay?

You nod, gratefully accepting the other hand he offers to help you stand.

Except, when you try to resume training, Inumaki doesn’t let go.  His hand remains slipped into yours, and he even interlocks your fingers with his for good measure.  His hand is trembling. 

“Inumaki.” 

He meets your gaze quickly, stopping himself from stepping forward.  And then his anger defuses, and he sighs, tugging at your arm.  He gestures toward the tree a few distances away, the same one you usually relax at with everyone in-between meals, missions, training, whatever. 

You shake your head. 

Even though you can’t see his mouth, you know he’s pouting.  Except this time it’s not just out of wanting to spend time with you.  It’s a childish pout, an angry pout, and you’re all too aware of what it means.

He doesn’t understand why you're letting your ex get away with this.

But it’s when you pry his hand off yours, that Inumaki glowers at you. 

He wraps his arms around your waist, gentle enough to avoid pressing against your ribs, and he pushes you away from the sparring grounds.  And more importantly, away from your ex who he visibly bristles at.

“Stop, we’re not finished --”

“Salmon, salmon,” Inumaki mumbles in sympathy, but even you can detect the obvious glee behind his voice, as he presses his cheek against yours. 

You want to smack him. 

He lets go when you’ve reached where he wants to go, and he gazes at you with bright eyes.

“You didn't have to do that, you know.” 

Inumaki looks at you blankly.  A sarcastic eyebrow raises. 

You sigh, already knowing why it bothers him so much.  “I’m still mad at you.” 

Inumaki just shrugs, tugging at blades of grass and letting them blow away in the wind.  He rests his head atop your lap, gazing at the leaves breezing back and forth.

[writing-in-april]

A hair’s breadth

Javier Peña x Female Reader

Summary: Javier and Reader can’t help but be at each others throats. Javier gets fed up with the teasing one night.

A/N: Hey everyone! Here’s my nineteenth fic for my 30 fics in 30 days!!! Sorry this is out late- I had a job interview!! (I got the job! 🥳) This is based off of this and this request! There’s not as much Spanish in this one- though one day soon I want to try to write all the dialogue for Javier in Spanish- (I am trying to learn how to be better at it im just very nervous I’ll get it all wrong 🙃) Please feel free to drop me a message in my inbox here (I promise I don’t bite) Thank you for reading and hope y’all enjoy!

Warnings: 18+, Smut, Protected Sex (wrap it up especially with Javier lol), Fingering, Hate fucking, Public sex (who’s surprised), Hair pulling, Choking, Mirror sex

Main Masterlist Word Count: 1.9k

“Do that again I dare you.” Javier had you pushed up against the wall of his apartment, with his hand around your throat. How you had gotten in this position was as a result of one of your regular fights you often had with him.

This time it had been over something even more petty than the last time. You honestly couldn’t remember exactly what had started it. It had been something to do with some obscure line in the paperwork you were filling out while over at his apartment late at night past embassy hours. What had been a small issue then turned into a full blown argument, snapping and yelling at each other until it reached its peak.

Javier knew that he shouldn’t have said that just by the look on his face while he had a hand around your throat. You had slapped him after a misogynistic comment, which then had him slamming you up against the wall.

“Fuck you!” You yelled, but did not move to get out of his grip. He was about to respond with probably another biting comment when you were both interrupted.

You both looked over to his front door when there was incessant knocking, which was probably only from one person. “Hey Javi! Do you or Y/N want to go out for a drink tonight?” Steve’s voice being shouted through the walls confirmed the source of the knocks. You were glad his door was closed, otherwise this would've been an awkward situation to explain to your coworker.

Javier looked back at you one last time with a hard look on his face; it was a normal occurrence for you to receive that type of look from him. You smiled despite his hand around your throat as you had gotten what you had wanted, you had succeeded in riling him up.

Steve knocked again, this time a little harsher. He didn’t look away this time, eyes narrowing in on you further, like he was trying to decide if he should release you from his clutches. Though, it wasn’t that you were completely helpless, you could force him off of you if you wanted. But, you wanted to see what he would do.

“Are you going to answer him?” You goaded, biting your lip when you finished speaking, eagerly waiting for his response. No verbal comment came from him, instead he released the hold he had on your neck. You slumped a little, not out of pain as his hold hadn’t been that tight, you had just been surprised when he released you so quickly.

“Lo siento…” Was mumbled under Javier’s breath. You wondered if he meant for you to hear it or if he said it only to ease his conscience.

Javier walked over to the door to swing it open with you in tow, luckily already recovered somewhat from his hand around your throat. Steve jumped slightly when Javier opened it forcefully, then smiling when you both responded to his question, albeit gruffly, “Yeah, sure.”

—-

Javier clenched his fist hard while you took a drink, smirking into the glass was the only indication that you knew exactly what you were doing. You had spruced yourself up a bit to go to the bar, slipping on a dress you had just bought recently and putting on a pair of high heels. As soon as you had appeared back downstairs where Steve and Javier had been waiting for you his jaw had clenched hard, just like his fist was doing right now.

You were sat at the edge of the booth you had all congregated in, Javier was right across from me and Steve was by the window absentmindedly drinking a beer. He didn’t notice how you were sat slightly to the side, inching the dress you wore higher just to see Javier’s fist clench more.

“I’m surprised you guys were actually working together without me there.” Steve scratched at his jaw. We both pretended to partially focus back on him for a moment, Javier’s fist dropped much to my disappointment.

You glanced over at him then giving him one of the biggest lies you’ve ever told, “We’ve found a way to- resolve our differences.”

Javier took an angry gulp of whiskey, somehow it was possible that he was now even more pissed off at you then before. He opened his mouth to probably say something backhanded as usual, but Steve steamrolled him unintentionally, “Well- I’m glad, the office is kinda painful to be in when y’all are having one of your arguments.”

“Well hopefully we won’t bother you anymore.” Javier finally got a word in and it was just as snippy as expected.

You then downed the rest of your drink in one gulp, a little tipsy now from the few drinks you’d had so far. A dull thud from you setting the glass down on the table was swallowed by the noises of the other customers and employees around you. You got up, fed up with getting only little responses from him, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

—-

“Javier what are you doing?” You asked incredulously when he entered the women’s restroom, but weren’t given an answer. You didn’t pull away when he pulled you close, dipping his head to suck a hickey on the underside of your jaw. You only keened into his touch, you may have hated him, but it did feel amazing. Your teasing had worked

“I told Steve I was going to the bathroom too.” Giving a quick summary before continuing his assault on your skin, “You drive me absolutely crazy.” He spitefully said into your skin in between sucking and biting your collarbone. You didn’t care enough to respond, he knew you felt the same. In a flash he pulled your dress off of your head, exposing all of you except what was covered by your bra and underwear.

When he then gripped his fingers around the fabric of your panties and ripped them off, you gasped in anger. He then ran his fingers through your folds, stopping at your clit to run small circles into it. You were still angry about the ruined panties on the floor, and the fact that with just a few touches he was proving why everyone fell at his feet after they slept with them. “I liked those!”

“You seem to like this too.” His fingers sped up their movements, alternating between hard and light pressure. Your orgasm was building embarrassingly quickly, you almost wanted to hold it back so Javier didn’t get a big head. It felt too good though, and you didn’t have a lot of time.

You were both a hair’s breadth away from getting caught, Javier’s fingers continued their movements with no thought. Steve was drunk, he might even be asleep right now. But, one wrong move and he’d hear Javier fucking you in the bathroom.

“Javier!” You shouted, not thinking about the volume, when he pulled his fingers away from you just as you were about to fall off the edge. He then brought his wet fingers to his lips, sucking off any evidence of your arousal. It was hard to be mad when he looked so hot doing that, even though your clit was throbbing now.

“Need to fuck you now- this’ll take too long if we wait for you.” You wanted to snap at him again, his comment flippant and somewhat rude. That was until he pulled his cock out of his pants, already hard just for you. Your mind switched gears after that.

“Condom?” He grunted in response to your question, then pulled one out of his wallet. You were about to ask how long it had been in there, but with the rate he fucks, you doubted it had been there for long.

Once he slipped it on he commanded, “Bend over.” You scoffed, about to retort that you’d never bend over for him. But, Javier beat you to the punch, “I won’t ask again, I’ll leave you here naked and dripping.” You shuddered at that, your arousal was too much to ignore. So, you let him have one victory, hopping off the counter to bend over.

You caught sight of your disheveled state in the mirror, your legs buckling a little because of it. You already looked completely ruined by him, and he hadn’t done much besides fingering you. Javier must have caught you staring at yourself, and him if you were being honest, wrapping his hand around your hair to push you closer to the mirror. “¿Que? You like watching yourself? You like getting fucked while Steve and everybody else could hear you?”

You tried to nod your head, but with his firm grip on your hair while he began to sink into you, all you could do was moan. Once you realized that you were most definitely being too loud you stopped yourself making any noise by biting your lip hard. When the front of Javier’s thighs hit the back of yours he leaned forward to whisper angrily in your ear, “Yeah- you do like this.”

His pace was rough, but not sloppy, quick thrusts that had your ass rippling from the force. This was going to be a quick and dirty fuck, Steve would soon come looking for us if we didn’t get our orgasms over and done with. Besides, all you were looking for was a release, being with Javier for more time than was necessary just sounded like a punishment. Despite the pace he was keeping up, he still managed to keep your head right where he wanted it, looking directly in the mirror.

Your orgasm was building up again, even faster than before since you were already sensitive. At one point when your eyes began to roll back as you got closer Javier snapped that you should keep your eyes open.

“Come on, cum.” He growled out once he noticed how close you were, “Cum while Steve is out there- wondering where we went.”

Your eyes rolled into the back of your head at that, your orgasm crashing over you. Javier reached his own peak while you were riding out your own, filling the condom, gripping your hair and hip hard as he did.

Once your highs had abated he pulled out of you with a groan, quickly tying off the condom while you were still bent over and recovering with gasped breaths.

“Hey Javier?” You asked right as he began to turn around to go, letting you put your clothes back on and clean up in peace.

“¿Sì?” He turned around to face you again, looking much more put back together than you were with your makeup still smudged. You had the remnants of the panties he had ripped off of you dangling on your finger.

You wrapped your other hand around his belt he put back on, pulling him back closer to you so you were both chest to chest. You then stuffed the scrap of torn fabric into the front pocket of his jeans until they were completely hidden.

“Now you get to sit right next to Steve while they’re in your pocket.” He gulped a little and you gave one last remark before turning back to clean up your makeup, “And, you’ve got to pay for a new pair, I liked those.”

Though he boiled your blood as you walked back to the table where he had joined Steve back at you realized you were only a hairs breadth away from not hating him.

Ask Me Anything

—-

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[jekde04]

Cuddle Buddies

For Gruvia Week 2021: Day 2 - Warmth

Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 4

Pairing: Gruvia (Gray Fullbuster & Juvia Lockser)

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Genre: Romance

Word Count: 2,355 words

Summary: Gray doesn’t cuddle. But special circumstances *cough-Juvia-cough* might change his mind.

You may also read it on FanFiction.net and AO3! Check out my master list for other Gruvia fics.

Gray Fullbuster does not cuddle.

He'd like to say it was because he was an ice mage – he had a low tolerance for heat, regardless of whether it was coming from the blazing sun or another's warm embrace. It was just how he was made.

But the truth was, even if he weren't an ice mage, he still couldn't see the appeal of having someone's sticky, sweaty body squashed against him. How it can even be remotely considered comforting was beyond him.

He could pat you on the back, ruffle the hair on your head, and even sit beside you – but definitely no hugs.

Except if he absolutely had to.

Like, if it was a matter of life and, well, severe hypothermia.

And so, it was because of this that Gray found himself in one of the beds in the infirmary, cuddling with Juvia Lockser.

Whether he wanted to or not was already out of the question. After all, it was his fault that it had come to this, and he had no choice but to provide her with his body heat until her temperature rose back to normal.

"Feeling better?" Gray asked, absently stroking the soft locks of Juvia's hair as he held her close.

"Y-yes, Gray-sama. Thank you," she mumbled, her breath tickling the crook of his neck, sending shivers down his bare back.

Despite this, Gray didn't budge from his position. It wasn't because he was actually enjoying this. In fact, he could feel beads of sticky sweat forming on his forehead, neck, and chest. He was just worried that Juvia still hadn't fully recovered, that was all. After all, Juvia could be so stupidly selfless a lot of times, saying she was okay even when she clearly wasn't. He knew her enough by now to see right through her.

"Are you sure? You're still shivering," he whispered. Instinctively, he pressed her body closer to him, willing his warmth to transfer to her.

He felt Juvia push against him a little so she could look up at him. Her face was still pale, although he could see a little pink blooming on her cheeks. She also managed to give him one of her bright smiles without her teeth chattering.

"Yes. Juvia's really fine now." She moved her hands from his chest to his face, cupping his cheeks. Instantly, he felt warmth course up his face, though he wasn't sure if it was because of Juvia's hands or... something else. "See? Juvia's hands are warm now, thanks to Gray-sama."

He averted his eyes from her, feeling both bashful and guilty. "Don't be stupid. It's also because of me that you almost froze to death."

Juvia laughed softly. "Gray-sama is so dramatic! It was just part of training. Juvia will get used to it, don't worry."

After Gray discovered that he could actually use Juvia's water body as his weapon of ice destruction, the two of them wasted no time training their newfound spells. At first, everything worked the way they wanted it to, until Juvia started experiencing hypothermic bouts right after training. They eventually figured out that frequent use of Gray's ice magic on Juvia's water body made it difficult for her to control her body temperature.

They were already practicing the new spells for three days straight when Juvia had her first hypothermic episode. Gray could still remember how proud he felt after flawlessly executing Juvia Hammer when he noticed that it took some time for Juvia to reform her physical body. And when she finally did, all color drained from his face as a deathly pale Juvia reached out to him before collapsing, his reflexes activating just in time to catch her before her solid body hit the ground. His heart drummed wildly as he saw icicles clinging to her blue hair, her usual red lips now devoid of any color, her body shivering uncontrollably.

For a moment, Gray was transported back to that chilling snowstorm all over again, holding a lifeless Juvia in his arms. His blood ran cold.

He shook off the memory and carried Juvia to the guild's infirmary as fast as he could. The moment he placed Juvia on the bed, Wendy was already by their side, doing everything she could to raise the water mage's dangerously low temperature. Wendy mentioned something about using body heat to defrost Juvia quickly, and Gray wasted no time taking off the freezing woman's coat and enveloping her corseted body in his embrace.

Looking back, he thought he probably wasn't the best choice to provide body heat, but the thought of someone else holding Juvia was... well, he'd rather not think about it.

Someone must have called for Porlyusica because the next thing Gray remembered was the old lady checking up on Juvia, lauding Wendy's efforts, and telling him to continue what he was doing.

"Her water body is slowly heating her up, so she's going to be fine," the healer had said. "You can continue training your new spells so her body gets used to it, but don't be stupid and overdo it," she added, glaring at Gray.

After that incident, Gray was extremely hesitant to continue training the new spells. But Juvia was adamant about pushing through, claiming that it would be good for her to develop a resistance to cold as well.

Gray eventually relented, on one condition: that he would help her raise her temperature quickly with his body heat.

At first, Juvia couldn't believe her ears. Did Gray-sama just offer to hug Juvia of his own free will? But when Gray repeated his request while looking straight into her eyes and without blushing the tiniest bit, Juvia's confusion turned to bubbling happiness. She launched herself at Gray, muttering, "Gray-sama can cuddle with Juvia all he wants. We can start now!" It was only then that it hit Gray how incredibly embarrassing his request was, and he instantly turned a bright shade of red as Juvia continued clinging to him.

And so, cuddling after training became a routine for them, the afternoons spent sharing a bed at the infirmary becoming a common occurrence. All reluctance Gray had at the beginning was instantly erased every time Juvia would transform back to her physical body, trembling from the cold and seeking the warmth of his body. It wasn't as bad as that first time when Juvia looked as pale as a ghost – they were careful not to overtrain – but it still alarmed Gray enough to make him not want to let Juvia stray from his embrace for at least an hour until he could feel her body's warmth mixing with his.

"Still, you know you can always ask me to stop the training anytime, right?" Gray asked, staring at her intently. "I'm serious, Juvia. I don't want you overdoing things, saying you're okay when you're not. Promise me you won't lie to me about these things."

He was ready for her to tease him about how worried he was for her, but Juvia just gave him a sweet smile. She pinched his cheeks, earning a groan from the ice mage. "Juvia promises. Now, stop worrying so much. She's really fine now."

Gray sighed and loosened his hold on Juvia. She extracted herself from his grip, and Gray felt the loss of her body right away.

Juvia sat up from the bed and straightened her clothes. She looked back at Gray.

"Let's try again tomorrow?"

"As long as you're fine."

He would always be there to help her, anyway.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Juvia Geyser!"

Activating her Sierra form, Juvia absorbed Gray's magic, causing her water body to shoot up like a geyser. Sharp spikes hit the tree branch they were targeting, breaking it in a clean sweep. Juvia then melted into a puddle and reformed her normal body.

"Nice, Juvia!" Gray grinned, running towards her. He was about to hug her like he usually did when she stopped him with a firm hand on his bare chest.

"Juvia's okay now, Gray-sama. It took her a while, but she can normalize her body temperature quickly now." She smiled from ear to ear.

Gray frowned, studying her for any sign of hypothermia. "Are you sure?" He touched her forehead underneath her bangs. "If you're cold, then –"

"Juvia appreciates Gray-sama's kindness, but really, she's fine," she reassured him.

"But Porlyusica said we should –"

" – keep training so Juvia can get used to it," she finished for him. "And now, Juvia has gotten used to it, so Gray-sama has nothing to worry about!"

After a pause, he answered, "Alright. Whatever." He started walking back to the guild when Juvia called out to him.

"Gray-sama?"

"What?" It came out harsher than he intended, and he caught the concern in Juvia's expression.

"Is Gray-sama mad at Juvia?"

No, he wanted to reply, because really, his mind was relieved that Juvia was fine. They could finally train using their full powers and without that cloud of worry hovering over him. He could stop going easy on her and go back to the way it was. They no longer had to waste hours of precious time just staying in bed, holding each other.

It was all good.

But why does he feel... angry? Why couldn't he stop himself from balling his fists and gritting his teeth from frustration?

Why did it feel so wrong?

Juvia's warm hand on his tensed shoulders shook Gray out of his reverie.

"Gray-sama shouldn't be mad at himself for freezing Juvia. It wasn't your fault," Juvia said softly. "You didn't have to go out of your way to help Juvia –"

"That's the problem!" Gray snapped, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "You always think you're a bother when you're not. You always think about others first without thinking about yourself and your needs! Tell me, have I ever complained about helping you, Juvia?"

She stared at him, confusion written all over her face. Finally, she spoke. "You didn't, Gray-sama. But Juvia didn't want to impose herself because she knew that Gray-sama's not the cuddling type –"

"The hell I'm not, but I want to!" he exclaimed before he could even think of his words. "It's not that I feel responsible for what happened to you, but either way, I want to take care of you. I want you to rely on me when you need to – no, not just when you need to, but whenever you want to. All the time if that's what you want. Do you get me?"

Juvia opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again. Gray's words finally caught up with him, and he felt blood rush to his cheeks. He fought the urge to freeze Juvia and run away to where his feelings won't catch up with him.

After a few moments of wishing that the earth would swallow him whole, Juvia broke the awkward silence. "Is this Gray-sama's way of telling Juvia that he's okay with being cuddle buddies?"

"Cuddle... buddies? That's not... that's... what?" Things just kept getting more and more embarrassing.

Juvia stepped closer to him so that they were mere inches away from each other. Unlike Gray, she didn't seem the least bit bashful when she explained, "Juvia feels like it's Gray-sama's way of saying he'd like to continue hugging Juvia, frozen or not. Is Juvia right?"

"Ye – no," Gray stuttered.

"No? Gray-sama doesn't want to hug Juvia?"

"No – I mean, yes! Uhm, what I want to say is, I don't mind it... if you want... not that I want to, but you – it's up to you! Whatever you want!" Gray finished, losing his cool every second. Tsk, he thought, why did she have to be so blunt about it?

Juvia just stared at him, obviously trying to decipher his jumble of words. Gray took the opportunity to redeem himself. "But you're okay now, right? You're not bluffing?"

Juvia shook her head.

"Okay, in that case..." Gray let himself trail off as he motioned back to the guild. He couldn't wait to go home, have a nice, cold shower, and just forget all the cheesy things he said today. Tomorrow was another day.

He turned around, picked up his discarded shirt, and wore it. He was about to walk off when he felt Juvia's arms circle him from behind, her warm and curvy body pressed against his back.

"Juvia... wants to hug Gray-sama," she whispered, every word a warm breath against his shoulder blade. "She's no longer freezing, but if Gray-sama meant what he said... she wants to rely on Gray-sama even when she doesn't need to. Just because she wants to."

Sometimes, he couldn't help but marvel at how Juvia could totally get him, even when he couldn't properly put his feelings into words. He smiled as he felt warmth spread all over his body.

Gray loosened Juvia's hands so that he could turn around and hug her properly. One of his arms wrapped around her head and the other one around her waist. He buried his head on her hair.

"I meant what I said," he said softly, inhaling the sweet scent of petrichor in Juvia's hair. He felt Juvia's arms tighten around him.

They stayed like that for a few beats before Juvia looked up with a smirk and said, "If Gray-sama wants a hug from Juvia so badly, he should just have said so."

Gray turned red and was about to deny it when he stopped himself. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but their after-training cuddling sessions had become a routine he wasn't willing to let go of yet.

"Shut up."

Juvia gasped as Gray swiftly carried her, bridal style, and walked to a nearby shade. He set her down with her back against the tree trunk and sat beside her. He put his arms around her and held her close to him.

"Gray-sama?"

"Hm?"

"Cuddling is nice, isn't it?"

For the record, Gray still hated cuddling. But if Juvia was his cuddle buddy...

"I guess... it's not that bad," he whispered as he rested his head on top of hers, hiding his flaming cheeks.

A/N: I honestly had a hard time thinking of a story for this prompt because I just wrote Winter Warmth a couple of months ago, but I’m glad I was able to come up with another (fluffy) idea for literally the same prompt. Just so you know, it might take a while for me to post the next update, but I’ll complete Gruvia Week 2021, I promise. 😊

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

Idk about you but that trope where a giant gets angry and accidentally scares a tiny and feels bad abt it afterwards makes me go absolutely feral,,

So, originally, I was planning for this scene to be in a future chapter of This Is Nothing Like The Disney Star Wars Trilogy, but I could never really think of a full story arc around it, even though I still really really really love this idea. In any case, if I happen to brainstorm a better plot and find a way to squeeze this in I might edit it into the main story, otherwise enjoy some classic Giant Catboi and Twink Solider fearplay >:3c

--

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!?”

As expected, the little one did not respond to his rhetorical question, though his tone certainly helped snap it out of its previous stupor as it released its death grip on his shirt in favor of squirming as soon as the bedroom door slid shut behind him. His aggravation at the situation was clear as day even without the usual language and cultural barrier that impeded any sort of deeper relationship Edix tried to form with the human. Red ears were still folded back against his curls and his shoulders tense, the stiff posture traveling down to his hands were they gripped the earthling to his chest perhaps just a touch more tightly than usual, not that it prevented it from trying to push and wriggle itself out of his overprotective hold.

Fuck no, he wasn’t ready to let it go yet, not when flecks of blood were still smeared against his knuckles as a result of an impromptu rescue mission. The satisfying snap of cartilage under his fist after one good sucker punch to Talan’s smug face still echoed in his mind, blood gushing from the surely broken nose while the biologist stumbled backwards into the shelves. Edix wondered if he would be reprimanded for that by the directors later, or if Talan would be too proud to report the ass kicking, maybe even taking the lesson to heart to not fuck with his things in the future. And yes, that included trying to vivisect his sweet little pet.

How was I supposed to know the stray belonged to you? He had asked with sarcastic innocence, as if the human in question hadn’t been seen with Edix a thousand times before, and wasn’t drenched in his scent, and didn’t have his ID code printed on the back of its little suit, Maybe if you weren’t such a wuss and actually put it on a shorter leash-

Asshole. He was lucky Edix’s only goal at the moment was to get the little one off the table and back to the appropriate sector rather than rip Talan to shreds with his own tools. A taste of his own medicine, perhaps. Still, he admittedly did have a point about the human, what with how much it would run off and get lost and damn near killed. He simply couldn’t figure out what was so terrible about staying in his company that the little one would risk injury and mutilation in a foreign environment as opposed to the safety and comfort he so desperately tried to provide for it. They might have had a bit of a rocky start, sure, but stars above that was far in the past now. There’s nothing either of them can do to change the facts so why not accept things as they are and make some type of effort to be happy in this new life? By all accounts, Edix was a great owner!

And yet, the little one still fought him every step of the way. Even now, having just saved it from a fate of having its tiny organs sliced while it was wide awake, it made it known it did not want to be near him anymore. It might have been clinging to him the entire walk back to the bedroom, but it must have remembered it was supposed to be oblivious to the notion of genuine love and safety because now it started to stutter out little squeaks on top of struggling. Normally, Edix adored any and all of the sounds it made, especially when it was directly trying to talk to him which only served to give him the mental image of a pup mindlessly babbling before they managed their first few words. This time, however, it only worsened his irritation.

“Stop.” He ordered, which the human somewhat complied with, though it probably had more to do with his harsher tone and the fact that he was already lowering his hand towards the bed to set it down. As soon as it was free of his hold, it scrambled back, looking at him with those wide brown eyes that were full of so much fear it made him sick. Why did it have to be so afraid of him? What could he have possibly done that even now, almost a cycle later, it was still overtly wary of his intentions. All he ever did was care for it. Feed it, pet it, cuddle it, protect it, and still nothing was good enough!

With a tired sigh, he rubbed his hand down his face and resisted the urge to tug at his hair. “I just don’t understand,” he pleaded, begging some cosmic being out there to suddenly grant the little one the power to understand what he was saying, “what can I possibly do to prove to you that I’m not going to hurt you? I’m trying to keep you alive and it’s like...I don’t know, you resent me for that or something!”

The sweet thing looked more confused at his words than anything, but he could tell his body language and voice were making it uneasy. The human was used to soft words and purrs and slow movements, rarely any agitation in his being. After a beat of silence marked by an intense stare down, Edix gave up on hoping the earthling would miraculously explain itself and open up to sharing its thoughts on the matter. He reached for it and it instinctively back up, flinching when a growl rumbled in his throat in response.

“Stop running,” it was a fruitless endeavor, but like hell if he wouldn’t stop trying. That was how new pups learned how to understand a language anyways, wasn’t it? To repeat certain words over and over until they got the idea? Maybe that’s all he needed to do here, maybe by now it already knew the Venandi words for no, stop, be good, and so on. He reached for it again and it did the same thing as last time, always sure to stay just out of the most convenient reach. Not that it mattered how much it inched away seeing how it was trapped on the bed with Edix directly in front of it, but it was the principal of the matter.

And it was then that something inside him snapped. Something primal as a result of dealing with an unruly pup far too long for his nerves to handle at this moment. He wasn’t even aware of his actions, belatedly realizing how he pounced on the bed in a flash, the human scrambling to get away but only having enough time to turn around before being roughly pinned on its stomach against the mattress. His teeth were bared and pressed tightly against its back, fangs scraping against the layers of its clothes to no doubt bruise the tender flesh underneath, though thankfully they didn’t break the skin. A loud growl reverberated though its entire body, shaking it to its core.

“Enough.” He hissed against its back, keeping his teeth pressed into its skinny frame for a moment longer before pulling away. The second he did, his glare softened, all the anger he felt gone in an instant as soon as he saw the sight underneath him.

The poor thing was absolutely petrified.

It was probably the worst it’s ever been scared, arguably. Not even the first time they met, when it had so gracefully tumbled down that hill and landed face first in front of him, compared to the level of fear that radiated off it. A split-second thought had Edix wondering if he had legitimately scared it to death. Soon enough, though, he was able to pick up the minute tremors that shook through it, almost like an aftershock of the warning that it felt more than heard. It was pale, baby face devoid of color not unlike that time before when it had been sick with fever. But its eyes...those sweet little doe eyes he loved so much were wide and wet with a sheen of tears that refused to fall, locked in a blank stare straight ahead towards the wall and refusing to look at him.

A small, choked hiccup made its body twitch every couple of breaths, but it refused to open its mouth to allow any of these sniffles to turn into cries. Shit, it refused to move at all, too terrified of Edix’s threat display that if it did anything he didn’t like there would be dire consequences to pay. He supposed it worked exactly as intended, in that case. It was still, it was quiet, it was technically obeying him after he just forced it to behave via alternative punishment. That didn’t change the fact that he felt absolutely, terribly, extremely awful about what he just did.

It was just a pup, as he always said, regardless of what Ylva would tell him about human adolescence and such. It didn’t know any better, it had never been raised in these situations before and needed much longer than a measly cycle to unlearn all of its prey behaviors it needed to survive on its home planet. Besides, it wasn’t that it didn’t fully know that it was perfectly safe with Edix, it was smart enough to know he was at the very least the safest option when presented with any other Venandi. Edix had been upset, and it knew he was upset, so of course it would want to avoid a potentially hostile predator before-

--before it snatched the little one in its teeth.

Fuck, fuck, he was an idiot. Maybe he wasn’t as cut out for this as he thought, not like Ylva who was the very essence of motherhood. No. Now wasn’t the time for self doubts and pity, not when the human was in such a state. Slowly, hands cupped around its shaking form, mindful to make sure his fingers were in its view so it wouldn’t be any more startled when he lifted it up, not that he was completely sure it was actually seeing anything in front of it. The little one hardly reacted to the movement, laying limp when he pressed it against his chest and moved to sit up against the headboard of the bed in a similar fashion to what he had done the first night the poor thing was on the ship.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s okay,” he whispered to it, rubbing his thumb along the curve of its back just how it liked whenever it dozed, “you’re okay, we’re fine, it’s okay to cry. I’m sorry I scared you, I’m so sorry.”

Normally in these types of instances, he’d be purring and shushing the little sweetheart until he was able to get it down for a nap, but he had little confidence that any other types of chest vibrations would have its usual effect of making the human drowsy currently. When it finally started blinking again, the tears that had welled up ran freely down its cheeks, quickly biting down on its wobbling lip to prevent any sobs from escaping and get it in trouble for misbehaving. He softly clicked his tongue at it and cooed, anything to put it at ease with a softer demeanor. “I know, honey, I know. I won’t ever do that again, I promise."

Well, if nothing else, at least the little one’s apprehension of him wasn’t unfounded anymore, much to his dismay.

[ruewrites]

Sky Full of Stars

AO3

Ship: Solomon/Asmo, Diavolo/Lucifer

Word Count: 2675

Warning: None

A/N: Happy Day 7 of Solodeus Week! I decided to combine both of the prompts Stars and Soulmates for today. I had a lot of fun participating and I hope that you all enjoyed! I loved seeing other people's work as well. I hope that this is something that continued to grow in the future! Comments are appreciated!

The posters had been hanging around RAD for months at this point. Tonight, shooting stars would fill the dark Devildom sky. All the students were buzzing about it and the rumor mill was running over time. Who asked out who? Did she really get rejected? Did he really think he had a chance? Did they make things official? Asmo made it his job to know all of the gossip. He had participated in his fair share when it came to rejections. It wasn’t his fault that he was beautiful and that people threw themselves at him because of it!

However, his rejections were coming a little harsher today than they had in days past. And that was due to the fact that the one person he actually wanted to ask him out hadn’t even made a move yet. He’d been pulling out all the stops too! He was spending extra time on his hair, did his make up extra special, and dropped a significant amount of grim on his nails. Yet Solomon seemed completely dense as to what Asmo was angling for.

Tonight was supposed to be a night of romance, the most romantic event of the century even! And he’d be damned if he was going to be left out of it all. What would people say if he, the Avatar of Lust himself, didn’t have a date to the star shower? It would be absolutely humiliating! But he didn’t want just anyone, he wanted Solomon.

Now here he was.

On the last day of classes before the big event.

And Solomon still hadn’t asked him.

Solomon had been locked away in the library, barely even responding to Asmo’s texts if at all. He hadn’t even bothered to have a decent conversation with him! But that wouldn’t stop him. It couldn’t stop him. He was going to spend the most romantic night of his life, with Solomon, alone at the star shower.

At least, that was the plan, until Lucifer gathered them all into the living room.

“What?” Asmo heard his own voice ring in chorus with his brothers.

Lucifer let out a sigh, “Lord Diavolo wants us all to meet so we can enjoy the stars together and before any of you can ask, no, you can’t get out of it. This is a mandatory event that we all will be attending together.”

Normally, Asmo would love attending one of Lord Diavolo’s little parties, but this wasn’t one of those normal times. So much for him having a romantic night alone with Solomon under the stars. Now he would be spending this wonderful night alone with his brothers.

To make matters worse, he had no doubt that Diavolo would be showering Lucifer with affection all night. Even if Lucifer was flustered and trying to change the subject, it would still be completely unfair. Asmo should be getting attention like that from Solomon. Instead he’d be watching Diavolo fawn over Lucifer all night and contemplating how he was going to explain that he hadn’t had a date.

He was a little more than crestfallen walking into the palace. He was more than prepared to wallow in his own pity the whole night until a familiar voice caressed his ear.

“-I mean, are you sure Barbatos?”

“Most certainly. I’d bet almost anything on it.”

Asmo’s head shot up. Solomon was deep in a conversation with Barbatos, the two didn’t seem to notice that the brothers had walked in yet. He would have gone over to him, but Asmo was completely caught off guard. By the time his mind had processed the situation before him, more figures were already greeting them.

“Oh, Simeon,” Lucifer said, “I didn’t realize you all would be here too.”

“Lord Diavolo thought it would be a wonderful idea if we all got together to enjoy the stars together. Luke was really excited to see them, and I thought it sounded like a marvelous idea.”

By the time Asmo looked back, both Solomon and Barbatos were gone.

***

So far, the night was going exactly how Asmo predicted it would. Lord Diavolo had whisked Lucifer away, not allowing him escape from whatever ministrations he had planned. Solomon should be paying attention to him like that now. He should be lavishing him in endless praise and adoration. Instead he was off who knows where with another one of their pact mates most likely. He slumped down into his seat, picking at whatever food was currently sitting in front of him. He wasn’t interested in eating. He wasn’t interested in doing too much of anything really.

“Asmodeus?” he hadn’t even realized Simeon sliding into the chair next to him, “Are you quite alright?”

Asmo looked at him for a moment before returning his attention to… whatever it was on his plate. “Oh just peachy. I love my partner ignoring me. All week. Not inviting me out to gaze at the beautiful stars falling from the sky. Like every other couple at RAD. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

Was he being passive aggressive?

Yes.

Simeon cleared his throat and shifted in the seat next to him ever so slightly. He seemed a little taken aback by Asmo’s response. “Well, that uh… Certainly sounds like… Something,” how ironic it was that a writer was struggling to find his words, “In any case, would you like to accompany me?”

Asmodeus stopped playing with the food on his plate and slowly turned to Simeon with a raised eyebrow. “Accompany you?” he repeated, “Where?”

“Oh, you know… Around.”

This had to be one of the most painfully awkward conversations that he had ever had in his entire life if not the most painful. Simeon was still fidgeting in his seat and adjusting the high collar on his neck. He looked over to Lucifer’s blushing face as Diavolo rattled off yet another list of praises to him. Asmo couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he didn’t need to. His feelings would still be the same.

It was Solomon’s own fault that he wasn’t spending time with him.

“Alright then,” Asmo stood from his seat with a little more force than what was necessary, “Let’s go somewhere.”

***

Simeon led Asmo away from the crowd and down the long halls of the palace. Eventually they were in the palace gardens. And then they went deeper, and deeper, and deeper. If the castle hadn’t been so tall, Asmo surely would have lost sight of it. They walked for a little while longer in silence until they came to a wrought iron gate. To Asmo’s surprise, Barbatos was standing next to that gate.

“Good evening Asmodeus. Enjoying yourself so far?” he asked.

“Well, I- … No.”

“I see. Well I hope your night gets better,” he moved so that he was in front of the gate, and in one swift motion and a click of the lock it was open, “At this point we both will be leaving. Do enjoy yourself.”

Asmodeus was confused. Actually, confused may have been a severe understatement. But he still walked through, even as the door clicked shut behind him.

Beautiful flowers dotted the bushes on either side of him. The hedge walls twisted and turned leading him down the path under the light of the moon. Slowly, the trail widened leading him up a hill, and the scene certainly took him by surprise.

Solomon was there, a telescope behind him as he fidgeted with what Asmo assumed were last minute details. There was a blanket, a basket, and flowers in a vase in the center. At the sound of his footsteps, Solomon lifted his head and a smile spread across his face. Quickly he stood and made his way down to meet Asmo halfway. His arms were out wide for him but instead of running and embracing him, Asmo stopped right in front of him with his hands on his hips.

“Excuse me. Exactly what were you thinking?” Asmo asked.

Solomon stopped and blinked once, twice. “I- What?”

“You heard me,” Asmo huffed and leaned back, “You. Didn’t. Ask. Me. To. Come. Out. With. You. Tonight. I’d been waiting for you too since the posters came out Solomon! And you just never did! Do you have any idea how many people kept trying to get me to go with them? How many people I turned down? I just-” He let out a groan of frustration, throwing his hands onto his face. A small part of him was relieved, but he was also incredibly frustrated.

“Well, I mean, Diavolo was planning on asking all of us to come so,” Solomon gestured to the scene behind him, “I figured we’d both be here anyways.”

“I didn’t know that!” Asmo exclaimed, “Lucifer didn’t tell us! We were going until Friday! And he didn’t seem to know that all of you were even going to be here! I just-! Do you have any idea how much stress you caused me? If I get wrinkles I will hunt you down.”

Solomon laughed and put a hand on the small of Asmo’s back, leading him up to the blanket. “I apologize Asmodeus, I didn’t realize,” he stopped and took ahold of Asmo’s hands, kneeling on the ground and tugging him to follow, “I got so caught up in preparing all of this that the idea you might want me to ask slipped my mind. I figured it was a given we’d spend the night together.”

Oh. Oh Solomon was smooth with his tongue. Of course he was, he could be when he wanted to be. He could either be smooth and sexy or a complete fool who loved to make Asmo laugh. And what could he say? Whatever he was doing was absolutely working. He followed him down onto the blanket and folded his knees behind him.

“Look up,” Solomon said, pulling Asmo close and looking up at the sky, “You can see a couple, they just started not too long ago. You can see them from here, the telescope is just in case we want to get a closer look.”

Asmo nodded and snuggled closer to Solomon. He was quiet for a moment before speaking, “Did you really spend all your time planning this?”

“Well most of the time,” Solomon asked, “I did have to sleep at some point you know.”

Asmo snorted and elbowed his side. Solomon’s response was to bury his nose into Asmo’s hair.

The stars started to pick up in the sky. They started coming in twos, then threes, until the entire sky was lit up with their beauty. Neither one of them spoke, instead they stared up at the beauty above them and relished in each other's company.

“You know, I never really believed in the concept of soulmates,” Solomon said, his hand running up and down Asmo’s arm, “The idea never really seemed plausible to me. I mean one person being out there for everyone? Everyone in all three realms? It seemed far-fetched really. But then-”

“But then?”

“I met you,” Solomon’s voice was soft, adoring. It made Asmo feel warm, “And my perspective changed. I thought, perhaps it could be possible. I used to think of humans alone when I thought of soulmates. One human for one human. But perhaps, soulmates could be a human and a demon.”

Solomon kissed the top of his head and relaxed once again into his embrace. Asmo mulled over his words.

Soulmates.

Did he believe in soulmates?

The idea was incredibly romantic, but what truly was a soulmate?

Asmo turned his attention away from the sky to stare at Solomon. He took in his features, his eyes, his cheek bones, his strong jawline, his nose. All of them were seared into Asmo’s mind, and when he thought about them, his heart fluttered. He knew the unconditional love that came with Solomon, and every little thing about him always brought him back to that fact. Every little moment they shared, every kiss, every breath was intertwined with a silent ‘I love you’, a silent promise.

What they had together was an unspoken promise, something that just was and always would be.

Under the starlight, Asmo moved to look up at Solomon. No words were spoken between them. They moved closer together.

Under the starlight they were one.

One body.

One mind.

One single soul adrift out at sea.

Every touch lit Asmo ablaze, every little movement struck him deep within his core, every kiss on his skin was a mark on a well memorized road map.

It wasn’t till long after the display had finished, that the two of them were making their way back to the castle still all too tangled up in eachother, but also trying to fix their clothes. Asmo knew that Lucifer knew as soon as he stepped inside. His brother took one look at both him and Solomon, taking note of their clothing and narrowed his eyes.

Oh Asmo could already hear the lecture that he'd brought upon himself, and he could only imagine what choice words Lucifer had in store for Solomon. Lucifer didn’t like the relationship, but he also didn’t know Solomon like Asmo did. He offered Lucifer a little wave before taking Solomon’s arm and walking off to a table together.

“Before I forget, I have one more thing for you,” Solomon said, pushing Asmo’s chair in, “I just-”

Asmo felt Solomon slip something into both of his ears, and when he sat down, he held up his D.D.D. so that Asmo could see. Two of the most gorgeous earrings Asmo had ever seen now rested gently in his ears. They sparkled and glittered down from the studs in his ears. And the studs… They had a moving image in them, a scene that looked oh so familiar.

“I had the telescope set up for another reason aside from getting a closer look at the stars.” Solomon started, “I wanted you to have that scene with you forever. I’d been working on a spell to capture it the moment I learned this was going to happen.”

“I love it,” Asmo breathed, gently touching the earrings as he admired them in Solomon’s camera. Solomon grabbed his hand once again and squeezed.

Soulmates.

Maybe Asmo did believe in the word after all.

He didn’t care who was around them or who saw. Asmo leaned in and kissed Solomon’s lips. He could already see his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning red, Solomon didn’t pull away. Instead he ran his hands up and down Asmo’s arms, indulging his partner in the kiss.

Asmo had never been happier than when he’d been with Solomon.

Soulmates.

Solomon always made his days.

Soulmates.

He filled his skies full of stars.

Soulmates.

It was hard not to see stars when he was with him.

Soulmates.

The word continued to ring out in Asmo’s mind. Perhaps Solomon had been made for him. Perhaps this had been planned from the beginning. But he didn’t care, because either way, Solomon was his, and he was Solomon’s

When they pulled away from the kiss, Asmo swore he saw thousands of shooting stars in Solomon’s eyes. Thousands of his wishes were constantly being fulfilled by the man before him. He leaned into Solomon’s arms from his chair, resting his head on his chest and letting the gentle thump of his heartbeat lull him into a sense of security. Solomon’s hands roamed over his body, visiting places he had long visited before.

Soulmates.

This human was his, and he would always be his.

If anyone from the newspaper club was here, they could take all the pictures that their little hearts could desire. Everyone he turned down should know the wonderful man that deserved him. They could all say what they wanted, but it didn’t matter, because Solomon held his heart and he held Solomon’s.

Solomon lit up his sky with stars, and in the end, that was all that mattered.

[wordupcomics]

Hahaha I found the part where Tobey talks funny, does the boy who terrorized Fair City as a kid say it with his robots? Hahaha sorry! was the first thing I imagined, I would like to see Tobey's way of teaching good to his children or "going the right way" and not as his example but the example of his mother Becky. Although I have this question ... does Tobey feel like an exemplary father?

Posting this answer on Christmas Eve (not because it’s Christmas related all, this is just when I have time to type this up lol) so merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates!

Thanks for the question!

To answer this, it's important to note that Tobey has a great fear of his children being like him in terms of behavior. Because of this, he goes through great lengths to prevent this. One of lengths he's gone through will be revealed in the next batch.

Tobey is far more stict about morality with Theo and Julie than Becky is. Becky knows exactly what it's like to grow up with very strict rules of morality, Bob wouldn't let her be a super hero without those expectations, but because she has experienced this, she's more willing to be flexible with the kids. They are just kids, they are still learning. Yes, they need to be taught right from wrong, but Becky understands that moral mistakes are learning experiences for the kids, and that neither kid ever has any mal intent. Meanwhile Tobey sees things more as "there's right, and there's wrong, and I expect you to do right." And of course Tobey doesn't think either kid ever has mal intent either, but Tobey sees immoral behavior from his kids as a snap in judgement rather than simply a misunderstanding of right and wrong. Tobey, therefore, is quick to make clear that he expects far better behavior from the kids when they mess up, whereas Becky is more willing to take time to listen to their thought process and work through that. Tobey also tends to lean towards sticter and harsher punishments than Becky. Fun fact, despite Tobey and Bob being pretty at odds with each other, Bob will be more likely to agree with Tobey's first choice of punishment than Becky's mere metephorical slap on the wrist.

As for if Tobey feels like an exemplary father...well okay to be fair, every parent has moments were they don't feel like they are good parents, it's just kinda part of the deal, just like everyone has moments where they worry if they are a good person. That being said, Tobey does tend to have these worries a bit more than is probably considered normal. Above I stated that Tobey fears his children being too much like he was, but there is one thing that he fears more: That he's not as good a person as he hopes he is. And this fear plays a direct role to the former fear. Tobey's worries that his children will fall down dark paths has little to do how he feels his kids are as people—heaven knows Tobey thinks very highly of his kids and if he were to base his predictions for them soley on who they are as people, he wouldn't be worried about them at all. His kids are good, kind people and he damn well knows it. His worry that Theo and Julie might stray down a darker path stems soley from Tobey being worried that he himself is not a good person, that's he's faking it to the point that he's even convinced himself of it, and that his parenting will reflect that. Tobey knows his kids are good people, and therefore the only thing that could send them on a bad path is his role as their father, because, well, they certainly wouldn't get any dark thoughts or behaviors from their mother! However in bascially every other department of parenting, I think Tobey has mostly been pretty proud of himself. Julie and Theo are happy, healthy, well rounded, get along with almost everyone, and have loving and healthy relationships with each other, both parents and extended family. Tobey may not always feel like a amazing father, but he does feel that he and Becky are an amazing team of parents. They compensate for each other's flaws pretty well,work well together, and usually know when to get help.

However, after this next batch of pages, Tobey will spend the rest of "Return to Fair City" feeling like a pretty shitty parent

[bunnirs]

Scarlet Crossroads:

Chapter One: 113

Next

Scarlet Crossroads Masterlist

Running away was almost second nature to you by now.

Maybe running was a harsher word than what was needed. Well, for better word, avoiding seemed to fit your situation better. You didn’t run because you were scared, no, you had nothing to be scared of. You just didn’t like to take responsibility over the fact that you were a monster.

It was no secret that you were dangerous. You walked around with your head held low, your expression hidden from everyone. They couldn’t tell what the hell you were thinking, but your aura gave them a hint, and they didn’t want to know.

Your aura was immense. Almost suffocating to those who got too close. Your hair was kept behind a bandanna, seeing as even the slightest strand would distract you. You wanted complete control over your body, and getting aggravated over one tiny baby hair seemed a bit much.

You could say the bandanna was kin to one that one of your ‘partners’ had, though you didn’t like to admit it. In fact, anything that reminded you of them seemed to set you in a bad mood.

As if your thoughts betrayed you, that was the only thing you could think about.

The Phantom Troupe were people you had known since birth. They stood in as the family you never had. In a way, you even had a brother, who just happened to be the leader of said troupe. To your relief, you weren’t blood related, but blood never really mattered between the troupe. You all were stuck together. Like glue.

You felt a large amount of guilt over the subject. They gave you everything, and yet, you couldn’t stand to be near them. You never had the freedom you wished for. They always stuck to you like dogs, their attention almost unbearable.

Chrollo Lucilfer was to blame for this. Your brother, the infamous leader of the Spiders, seemed to think you couldn’t handle yourself. In all honesty, you could. You had one of the strongest abilities compared to those of the troupe, and since you weren’t a member, they seemed to trap you inside their web. They used you for missions sometimes, finding your power quite fitting. You hated it. You weren’t some pet for them to use.

They liked to say you had a rebellious streak. You’d leave, they’d send someone after you, and you’d come home. You were nothing but a rebellious teenager in their minds.. and it pissed you off.

You couldn’t stay mad at them though. You were the youngest, and happened to be their boss's little sister. They worried and cared for you, that much was obvious. But them treating you like a baby? That got old quick.

You didn’t want to be seen as a child. You wanted to be seen as an equal. You were just as strong, just as dangerous, but they didn’t seem to notice. No, they just didn’t seem to care.

It was all bullshit though, and it made you chuckle darkly to yourself.

The familiar ding of a bell brought you back from your inner turmoil, and your eyes focused on the small screen in the elevator. It read ‘B-100’, most likely standing for “Basement 100”, but with your state of unsettlement, you could be wrong. But of course, you weren’t.

The screeching of the doors could be compared to that of cats on a black board. Maybe it was your sensitive ears, but it was painful as it shook the elevator as a whole. You gritted your teeth, your eyes rolling as you grew annoyed with yourself.

You didn’t know why you were so angry, but you were. This whole situation fucking sucked.

The real reason behind you taking the Hunter exam? You wanted a license so you could go somewhere so far, the troupe couldn’t bring you back. Maybe they wouldn’t be able to find you. That would be too good to be true though.

The bandanna on your head felt heavy, almost like the guilt that seemed to turn within your stomach. Maybe leaving them forever was too harsh. Maybe you’d visit, just for old times sake. While you, Chrollo, and the Troupe had your fair share of disagreements, you still were a family right?

Goddamn why was it so hard to make a decision?

Maybe because they decided all of yours for you.

No. You needed to get used to working alone. You needed a break from them. You couldn’t depend on them for answers. You would most likely outlive them.

Keyword of that statement? Most likely.

Your aura had failed to calm down, roughly thanks to your realization of helplessness. The dark red aura had transformed into shapes that resembled spikes, clearly influenced by your mood.

The elevator seemed to finally open all the way, making the aura suddenly shoot in all directions, disappearing. The trip down felt like hours, and it seems being trapped in a small room didn’t help.

The cold air hit you, and that made a chill run up your arms, settling at your spine. You breathed out, taking your first step off the elevator.

Before you could even get through, you bumped into something.. or maybe even someone?

Stepping back a little, you saw who fell victim to your lack of awareness. Standing multiple feet below you was a small green man, his name tag reading ‘Beans’. Who in their right mind would name their son Beans? Certainly no one with standards.

“Hello, my name is Secretary Beans! Please, take this number and put it on. Thank you and Good Luck.” It seems with that, the short jelly bean of a man waddled away, a tag now left in your hands.

He left before you could thank him. You mentally thanked him, not really feeling up to making conversation, especially with someone who’s name made you want to cry.

Now back on topic, you looked back down to the tag in your hands, studying its content. It read ‘113’. How peculiar. It seems with new found curiosity, you decided to step through the elevator again. Hopefully nothing would stop you this time, fearing that the elevator would crush you alive.

As your shoe met the cold, dull concrete, the aura of another seemed to catch your attention. Standing only a few meters away from you was the owner of said aura, and the mere shock was enough to send you into orbit.

Why the hell was he here? Did Chrollo send him to watch you? No, was it to stop you from taking the exam? You couldn’t fathom an answer good enough it seems.

So why was Hisoka Morow, Troupe Member number 4, standing in front of you?

“What a coincidence in seeing you here… Y/N.” His signature grin struck something within you, and you broke out into a coughing fit.

How you’d love to wipe that smug grin off his face.

Truth is, you knew about Hisoka’s quarrel with your brother… and yet, you didn’t mind. Maybe it was the fact that you had a mutual liking to each other, or the fact that you wanted to see what your brother looked like with a broken nose.

Of course you wouldn’t allow your brother to actually get killed. There’s no way you’d allow that. But in hindsight, there’s no way he’d be defeated. He’s too strong for that.

Whatever it was between you and Hisoka, you didn’t like it. It was almost as if you and him were the same.

What a load of shit though. You and him? The same? Just the idea of that made you laugh.

Hisoka seemed shocked at your distant gaze, the dull laugh leaving your throat sent shivers up his spine. “Oh? What’s so funny?”

You snapped out of it, looking at him with narrowed eyes. “You look like an idiot.” You grimaced, looking at his choice in clothes. “What are you supposed to be? A roly poly?”

“Oh I’m truly devastated. Not even the darkest cloud could compare to the depression that just hit me.” Hisoka teased, his smile widening, his long fingernail poking into your forearm. You were sure if he pressed any harder, he’d break skin.

“You’re getting off on this.. aren’t you?” You stated, your voice holding a certain calmness that certainly didn’t fit the situation at all.

“Oh how low of you to expect such a thing from me? Your dear friend, might I even say, family?” He removed his finger, a card slipping into his vacant fingers. The sound of paper cutting through air would’ve startled you if you were a normal person, but to your dismay, you weren’t normal.

“Gross.” You muttered, catching a stray card that had just flown towards your face. This man was truly testing your patience. Could he let you get away from the elevator at least? “No way in hell are we family.” You said sternly, a growl almost forming in your throat.

“So you’d settle on friends then?” Hisoka smirked, his eyes narrowing as his eyes trailed down your form.

“No.” You grumbled, pushing past him. “You’re more like a fly if anything. Annoying, loud, and stupid.”

“Oh how you wound me.” He faked a frown, his eyes crinkling up as his nose scrunched, his tongue grazing over his lips as he flipped a card in his hand. “Do try not to die alright? Chrollo would be very disappointed you know.”

“Is that anything new?” You pondered, but you were already too far ahead for him to answer, much less hear you.

The truth was clear as day, if you continued to live like this, you wouldn’t outlive the troupe at all. Which is why, you’d get your license, show it to the troupe, and leave.

You immediately concluded those thoughts, now emptying them from your mind. Dwindling on something so far in the future seemed like a waste of energy, and you really needed that right now. It seems you have an exam to plow through.

SOOWEE MAMA HERE’S CHAPTER ONE OF MY LONG KURAPIKA X READER UMMMMM 

JUST TY GUYS SO MUCH FOR CHEERING ME ON AND SUPPORTING ME!! i FEEL LIKE THIS ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR Y’ALL BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET THIS OUT FOR YOU OMG OMG OMG

FUN FACTS:

 THE BANDANNA Y/N IS WEARING IS THE SAME TYPE OF BANDANNA FEITAN WEARS AROUND HIS MOUTH. Ever since Y/N was little, she’d try to steal and wear Feitan’s bandanna, so he got her a matching one. (He stole it of course but it’s the thought that counts)

Y/N’s badge number is 113 for a reason! If you look up Chrollo’s actual theme song, you will notice that it is called “1/13″. I also made sure this number wasn’t used by any of the important characters in the Hunter Exam!! So it checks out!!

Y/N is also aware about Hisoka being a fake member! Seeing as she’s not an actual troupe member, she sees no right in outing him. Besides she finds it funny omlllll.

Y/N is 17 years of age!!! She’s a literal teen so she will not be in any sort of ship with Hisoka/Illumi/Feitan/Ect. 

THANKS AGAIN OMG OMG OMG ILY

[k7l4d4]

Midnight Striga: Fairy Tail/Owl House Cross Fic Episode 7 Part 1

Hello all, today I bring you my adaptation of Lost In Language, through the world of Midnight Striga! Everybody Clap Your Hands!!

“So then,” Luz casually stated, looking over the stacks before her. “You want me to return these books for you, eh?” She glanced over at King and Eda, the two doing their best to follow her instructions in gathering their mana. King was admittedly doing better, and it honestly had nothing to do with him having more experience with Human Style Magic (she should think about getting that name trademarked). Eda just so severely chafed against any and every attempt to define what she could or couldn’t do that whenever she tried to focus and meditate, she would squirm, and growl, and complain. If it weren’t so utterly Eda, Luz would’ve found it exhausting.

“Yup.” Eda tersely replied, forcing herself to keep her eyes closed and her mind centered; it wasn’t going too well. Feeling her will waiver, Eda cracked an eye open, and just barely kept her eyes from snapping open incredulously; King was absolutely focused, a visible aura of energy surrounding him, resembling grey-colored rings rippling off his form. Screwing her face up, Eda did her best to center herself, “Those have been sitting around enough that I’ll probably need to do some sweet talking the next time I go back, and it gets you out of the way while King and I practice.” It came out harsher than she intended, but Eda was dead set on figuring this out with as little help as possible. The fact that King was somehow rocking at this just made that determination stronger.

Luz snorted good-naturedly; she completely understood where Eda was coming from, and didn’t begrudge her for it. “Alright then. It gives me a chance to see what passes for quiet entertainment around this place, and maybe find something new to read. Heck, I might even get a chance to organize my collection of… ‘borrowed’ books and scrolls!” She casually detailed, slinging her pack over her shoulders, the stack of books swiftly stored within. She shook her head in amusement at Eda’s answering grunt, walking for the door. Opening it, she noticed Hooty’s odd smile; following his downward gaze, she instantly spotted what had caught his eye. While a bit confused as to why he hadn’t tried to eat it, Luz hunkered down, pulling the note placed on top of the basket left on their doorstep. “‘Take care of my child till morning. Yi yi.”

“Nope, not happening. Babies are awful, and I’m busy trying to figure this whole, *Shudders* meditation thing out.” Eda groaned, not wanting to deal with the new interruption.

Luz rolled her eyes, but continued reading, a smirk crossing her face as she did so. “‘You will be handsomely rewarded. X-O-X-O-X-O-X. Bat Queen.’” She knew there was no chance of Eda saying no now, her love of rewards was too strong. Plus, the canny witch had more of a soft-spot than she was willing to admit.

“The Bat Queen!? The most influential and wealthy demon on the Isles?!?” Eda demanded, twisting around to look in Luz’s direction. Glancing around briefly, she huffed, pulling herself to her feet, and strolled over. Taking the basket, she glanced inside, seeing a baby inside. “Ugh, now I can’t say no! If I do, BQ will have my head on a platter, and for once it won’t be while I’m alive. Aw well, at least kids are easy- Why are you speed walking away!?” She demanded, even as Luz booked it before the fireworks started, laughing her head off. Glancing down, Eda was caught off guard as the baby burst into screaming, startling the prematurely aged Witch. “Gah! How are you so loud!?” She demanded, completely unprepared to deal with the noise. Glancing back, her eyes widened in shock. “And how are you not affected by this!?” She shouted at King, still meditating away.

Luz chuckled to herself, a slight skip in her step as she wandered through town. Eda was definitely in for a rude awakening, though Luz herself had once made the same mistake when she had to babysit kids, and she could honestly look back at that moment and laugh at herself over it. Glancing around, she idly noted the whispered mutters surrounding her, the way that parents pulled their kids aside as she walked past, though this time they weren’t as blatantly fearful of her presence at least, just more… hesitant. Luz shrugged, unwilling to begrudge the mild shift in treatment, as even a slight improvement was still an improvement.

“Luz!” Gus’ voice called out. Glancing ahead, she was pleasantly surprised to see Gus and Willow waving her over. Cheering up slightly, she hurried her pace, closing the distance between them. Reaching out, she pulled the two into a one-armed hug, smirking at their embarrassment at the affection. “Ah, please let go!” Gus comically begged, feet dangling below him. With a smirk, Luz released her grip, Willow stumbling slightly while Gus plopped to the ground.

“Please don’t do that so suddenly.” Willow said flatly, a look of good-humored warning in her eyes, prompting a chuckling Luz to raise her hands in surrender.

“Okay, okay, just a little joke.” Luz said calmly, lowering her arms, idly noting the increased fervor of the whispers and mutters around them. Tuning them out, she asked, “So, what are you guys doing in town?”

“Eh, Principal Bump has been having teachers give out more combat-based homework, and we decided to find somewhere we could practice in peace.” Willow replied, giving a shrug.

“Cool. I’m looking for the library to return Eda’s overdue books.” Luz stated, patting the pack on her shoulder.

Gus beamed. “We can show you where it is!” He shouted exuberantly, prompting Luz and Willow to trade amused looks at their friend’s eager nature. Shaking their heads, Willow and Gus casually followed behind Gus as he ran up ahead. “Come on!” he called.

As they walked forward, Luz’s attention was drawn by a figure ranting to a small crowd nearby. She slowed, Gus and Willow pulling up next to her.

“And I’m saying that this is ridiculous!” The figure shouted, scaly head scrunched up in outrage. He glanced over his muttering audience. “How can we honestly say we trust the Emperor’s Coven when they let themselves get slaughtered by those damn humans!?” He shouted, a small smirk playing across his face at the sounds of agreement started cutting through the crowd.

“But they couldn’t have known the humans would’ve attacked!” One brave fellow called out, only to reel back at the glare the speaker up front sent his way.

“That shouldn’t matter! The Emperor’s Coven say they’re the best of the best, but they got butchered like Beast Demons!” The speaker rebuked, flames barking out of his throat. “They say they can protect us, but they can’t even protect themselves! They say they’re the strongest, the best, but they’re just a bunch of thugs and goons! Look at their leader, she had to cheat her way to where she got!! How can we trust them to keep us safe from those monsters!?” The rumbles of discontent and agreement at his words grew louder, the speaker basking in it all.

Gus and Willow exchanged nervous glances, while Luz just watched on, an inscrutable look on her face. “We should get moving.” Luz finally said, quickly walking away, the two Witches nodding in agreement, following after. None noticed as the speaker followed them with his eyes as the guards forcibly started breaking up the crowd, the audience noticeably less frightened about it as they normally would be, with a few even glaring at the guards openly. The speaker glanced at his nascent flock. It wasn’t much… but it was a start. He smirked.

King easily tuned out the shouts and screams around him. It wasn’t hard, seeing as he was screaming himself raw inside his own mind. In his mind’s eye, he glared hatefully at that damn pig who had dared to humiliate him. He was a King, no matter what anyone said, and a King protected their own. He had failed to protect his own; he had failed to help Eda. He growled internally, sinking into a stew of resentment. Luz had given him a gift, a way to regain his power and prestige as a fierce and powerful ruler, and he had been squandering it. He… felt small, weak, helpless like nothing else had managed.

Breathing deep, he felt the magic building, pooling in his throat, his lungs. He racked his brain, forcing it to recall more details from the book Luz had shown him, her words and lessons.

“So, what can I do with this?” He asked, glancing up at a smirking Luz.

Luz kicked back, leaning against the wall. ‘I honestly can’t say, really. At its most basic, that book will let you solidify sound and attack with it, but how far it can go is up to you.” She stated matter of factly, even as King squealed in rage.

“That tells me nothing!” He shouted, stomping his foot. He flipped through the book, eyes glazing at the words and odd depictions.

Luz shrugged, unconcerned. “Sorry, but magic is a personal journey. Education can give you a place to start, and a way to profit off of it traditionally, but to truly wield magic, you have to figure out what you want to do with it, and go from there.” She finished, clapping him lightly on his back, walking away.

“Hmph! What do I want? I want to be a powerful ruler, to make others bow before me!” He shouted, slamming the book down. “If I can use my magic to bring my enemies to my knees, I need nothing else!”

‘Making others bow didn’t work the way I wanted it to.’ He grunted internally, shaking off his reverie. Forcing himself to calm down, he recalled his fight, if you could call it that, with that annoying pig. He had left himself wide open, and nearly suffocated when the jerk bum rushed him. He could almost taste the idea on the tip of his tongue, could see the pictures from the book shifting into something new, something that would be able to wipe that smug little sneer off that pompous prick’s face.

He was a King, nothing would EVER change that. And he would not fail again. He forbid it.

“Late.” A librarian droned, passing Eda’s books through a magic circle. “Late.” He grabs the last one, quickly flipping through it. “Coffee, grass and bloodstains?” He glanced at Luz almost balefully. “These are Eda’s, aren’t they?”

“That was a wild night.” Luz sheepishly admitted. The librarian sighed, pulling out a scroll.

“I’ll just put it on her tab.” He muttered, quickly writing it down. “Just to let you know, we’ll be closing up early today for the Wailing Star meteor shower.”

Luz cocked an eyebrow, intrigued. “Wailing Star, eh? I’m gonna need to look that up. And speaking of Eda’s tab,” She pulled out a sack of assorted treasures she had… ‘borrowed’ over the year, “do you think I can pay some of it off with this?” She asked.

Blinking in surprise, the librarian quickly schooled his features, easily moving through the contents of the bag, sorting them with a clinical and considerate eye. Without missing a beat, he pulled the scroll with Eda’s tab listed on it, moving down and striking off bits and pieces as he scanned each jewel and bit of jewelry in the bag. Finishing, he sent the scroll away, giving Luz a grudging grin. “That should cover about four ninths of Eda’s tab. Thanks for that, not many people pay their tabs, and I can’t remember that last time anyone thought Eda would ever clear out part of hers. Keep your nose clean, kid.” And with that, he walked off, Luz heading into the library proper a second later.

She glanced about, and noted how similar, yet different, it was from the libraries back home. The kids were sitting at desks with crystal balls in front of them, which Luz had begun equating to Archive Terminals and Lacrima Receivers back home, scrolling through whatever mundane bit caught their eye, with a few seeming to actually be working on scholastic details.

Ducking quickly, Luz just barely avoided being brained by a flying book, grumbling at the unnecessarily dangerous methods the Isles used for almost everything. Spotting a nice table, she plopped herself down, sighing to herself. Without any form of prompting, she quickly pulled out the reference texts she would be using when she finally started her job, carefully monitoring each and every volume, eyes roaming the texts for damage.

“Man, I wish Gus and Willow didn’t have to head off.” She sighed. Technically, they said they didn’t want to spend their day in a den of nerdiness for fun. She just laughed, understanding not everyone would have similar interests as her. Carefully arranging her texts, she stood up, heading over to the stacks for anything that could be of use for explaining her subject matter to her students, and wasn’t THAT still a weird thought!

Casually leaning forward, she grasped a book, “Basics of Bile: A Studying Tool for Understanding Magic,” only for another hand to grab it at the same time.

“I believe my hand touched the book first.” A male voice said next to her. Turning, she shot the Witch boy an unimpressed look. A surly gaze stared back from tired looking red eyes, blond hair swept back, a small scar on his cheek. He cocked an eyebrow, a note of frustration entering his voice, “Are you just gonna stare, or are you gonna let go?” He challenged.

Luz blinked, stumbling back slightly. “Oh, I am so sorry.” She blustered, internally kicking herself. Normally, when she was analyzing someone, it was during a fight or from a distance. She had forgotten how off putting it was up close for others. “Just… looking into the basics, you know?” She shrugged.

The boy scoffed. “Yeah right. Considering what you did at the Covention, I doubt you need brushing up on the basics, particularly of magic you can’t use.” He marched off, throwing one last glare her way, an almost envious look in his eyes. “If you’re gonna lie, at least plan it out a little.”

“But I wasn’t-!” She started, only to trail off as he rounded a corner. “Lying. Ugh!” She groaned. Hopefully, she’d never see that guy again. He already got on her nerves.

[blackjack-15]

Hunting For Some Buried Story — Thoughts on: Ransom of the Seven Ships (RAN)

Previous Metas: SCK/SCK2, STFD, MHM, TRT, FIN, SSH, DOG, CAR, DDI, SHA, CUR, CLK, TRN, DAN, CRE, ICE, CRY, VEN, HAU

Hello and welcome to a Nancy Drew meta series! 30 metas, 30 Nancy Drew Games that I’m comfortable with doing meta about. Hot takes, cold takes, and just Takes will abound, but one thing’s for sure: they’ll all be longer than I mean them to be.

Each meta will have different distinct sections: an Introduction, an exploration of the Title, an explanation of the Mystery, a run-through of the Suspects. Then, I’ll tackle some of my favorite and least favorite things about the game, and finish it off with ideas on how to improve it. Like with all of the Odd Games, there will be a section between The Intro and The Title called The Weird Stuff, where I go into what makes this game stand out as a little strange.

If any game requires an extra section or two, they’ll be listed in the paragraph above, along with links to previous metas.

These metas are not spoiler free, though I’ll list any games/media that they might spoil here: RAN; STFD; mention of FIN; GTH; mention of SPY.

The Intro:

We’re two-thirds of the way through the meta series officially (yay for meta #20!), and what a way to cap off that marker: with the last of the Odd Games.

And my land, how Odd it is. And that’s ignoring that in August of 2020, this game was very quietly discontinued — speculated to be because of the…well, pseudo-brownface in the game.

Oh yeah, we’re starting with that little bomb.

Before we truly begin, however, let me state one fact: the controversies over this game do not make it any more interesting, unfortunately. I don’t know how a game can be both this objectively bad and this objectively boring as a mystery, but RAN is an example of many, many impossible feats in the video game industry (boring yet bad, controversial yet uninteresting, finicky yet sluggish in controls, so it might as well begin as it means to go on.

I’m also stating here for the record that I’m not really going to focus on the social aspect of this game; it’s always been out of the scope of these metas to focus on current events or social issues, and race is such a hot button issue that no matter what anyone says, someone gets mad. Besides that, it’s really not an interesting tack to take with this meta, not when there’s so many things to talk about regarding RAN as a game and/or as a mystery. If you came into this meta expecting a breakdown as it relates to any social issues, this might not be the meta for you.

If you came for a beat-down on RAN, however, you’re in the right place. Get comfy.

Ransom of the Seven Ships had all the pieces in place to make it a great game; we’ve got Bess and George in the (weird, plasticky) flesh, a fascinating and beautiful location, a historical background based in Spanish exploration, the Age of Piracy, and treasure hunting…all of these are great, honestly, and it’s part of what makes RAN so offensively bad — it could have been really great.

Instead of a wonderful game based around pirate treasure, however, Nancy plays games with monkeys, drives on the world’s slowest golf cart, and trusts the only other person on the entire freaking island when he says he didn’t kidnap her friend. Even though he is the ONLY OTHER PERSON ON THE FREAKING ISLAND.

This game is based off of a Nancy Drew mystery entitled “The Broken Anchor”, which actually is fairly close to the plot of the game — the girls win a contest (though in this case it’s one they didn’t even enter) to go to the Bahamas, Nancy arrives (with Carson) and can’t contact Bess or George, there’s a mysterious treasure, etc. etc. In part, I think, RAN’s problems come from following the book too closely, as there’s really very little to the plot of the book. Game plots necessarily have to have a little more meat to them, as you can’t spend the whole time with Nancy pontificating on the scenery or food (as she is wont to do), and RAN is missing a lot of meat.

Specifically, the meat that it’s missing is any suspects at all. Like I said, there’s only one other person (other than Nancy, Bess, and George) on the island, and it’s ‘Johnny Rolle’ — a self-professed fisherman and loner who’s boat has been wrecked by the monkeys.

There are way too many effing monkeys in this game, side note. How I wish the monkeys were a side note.

Nancy, despite her normal M.O when a kidnapping of a friend has taken place, just kinda rolls with his story and accepts it, digging pointless holes in the sand while he definitely has Bess trapped. And then there’s the weirdness with the monkeys trying to kill her as she scales a sheer cliff wall.

Honestly, if I go any more into it, I’m just going to end up tearing it apart piece by piece, and that’s for the Fix section. So let’s move on to the specific things that make this game truly the capstone of the Odd Games.

The Weird Stuff:

This game is, first and foremost, a story about personal revenge — or, at least, that’s the big takeaway, no matter what HER actually intended for it to be about. After being busted by Nancy (and Lillian, and Ralph, but he apparently doesn’t care about them), Dwayne sat in prison stewing over his ignominious defeat at the hands of a teenaged sleuth until he heard about the supposed treasure on Dread Isle. His greed for the treasure combined with his hatred of Nancy began to fester together, culminating in a slightly complex but ultimately stupid plan to get both money and revenge.

This is a motivation unlike any we’ve encountered. Sure, a handful of Nancy Drew villains have sworn their revenge on Nancy (most notably at this point in the series Helena from VEN), but no one has actually done it — until Dwayne.

This should have made the whole game feel intensely personal — and indeed, bringing back tokens and things from Nancy’s past cases and locations should have built to that. However, the game never really comes to a fever pitch of a feeling of someone is watching Nancy and actively hates her, even though it makes a few attempts. More than any other game, Nancy should have been scared here — and it’s odd that she isn’t.

The second odd thing here is the returning villain. I don’t think this is a bad thing at all — I love the idea of a returning villain — but I do think it was a mistake to pick Dwayne Powers. At this point in the series, STFD was hardly a well-known game, and was generally unplayable due to technological advances.

Yes, later STFD would get a bit of a sprucing up and become playable again (and this game, funnily enough, would be relegated to the ‘unplayable’ pile — Dwayne never can win, I guess), but that didn’t matter at the time that RAN was coming out.

There were several better choices — VEN’s Helena, SHA’s Shorty, DOG’s Emily (who had already received a mention recently in DAN) — so why go with Dwayne? Did they pick him on purpose because no one would suspect (or rather, remember) him? Was he the most obscure villain they could think of? Mitch Dillon (who never appeared really) from SCK would have been an equally obscure but somehow more frightening choice. I’m really at a loss to figure out why they chose Dwayne, of all people.

The third thing that makes this game odd is the lack of suspects. Sure, they give a hat-tip to the Gibsons perhaps being hidden on the island (which, let’s just say, they shouldn’t have — never use as a red herring something that would have made the game so much better), but Dwayne/Johnny really is the only suspect.

I have no idea if they were rushed, if they thought that his different identities counted as extra suspects, or if they just wanted to try something different with this game, but it in no way worked. It’s so mind-bogglingly simple to figure out who kidnapped Bess that it makes Nancy look like she’s quite a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

The last Odd thing that I’ll hang on is how incredibly out-of-character Nancy is in this game. We’ve only seen Nancy work kidnapping (or supposed kidnapping) cases a few times in the series as a whole — FIN’s Maya, RAN’s Bess, and GTH’s Jessalyn — but in both FIN and GTH Nancy takes them very seriously, being harsher and more impatient with less time for people’s lies and stories than she usually is, and really feeling the pressure of the clock.

It makes sense; even discounting the Missing Mom trauma that sits deep within Nancy, the first 48 hours of a kidnapping are basically the only window that she has, statistically speaking, to find the victim still alive and okay. She nearly flies off the handle at the suspects in FIN, and digs uncomfortably deep even at very touchy subjects in GTH.

It then stands to reason that, with FIN in the past and GTH in the future, that Nancy would react similarly in this case. Bess is one of Nancy’s best friends, and the friend that we’re shown most often (think of the flashback in SPY; Bess is the one who comes over after Kate and Carson’s fight) around Nancy, like in CRY.

You’d think that, in the face of Bess’ unambiguous kidnapping, that Nancy would be raising hell — contacting anyone she could, taking no prisoners, ripping Dwayne’s tarp down, turning the island upside down, etc. — but instead, she’s calm, almost relaxed, spending time playing games with monkeys and driving aimlessly around the island.

It honestly makes no sense that she’s like this. This is one of a small handful of games where Nancy is deeply, personally invested, where she has a quick running clock, and where the stakes are deadly yet somewhat unknown.

Nancy comes into this with no background, no contacts, no ability to really look things up, and no help — George’s meager efforts do not count — and yet she acts like there are really no stakes. It doesn’t make me dislike her, it doesn’t make me fold that into her characterization — it just makes me say “wow, the writing is really bad here, huh”.

The Title:

Ransom of the Seven Ships is an amazing title; there’s really no getting around this fact. And for the bare bones of the game, it’s more than a suitable title. You’ve got the word ‘ransom’ doing double duty — meaning both treasure and the price to return someone who’s been kidnapped — you’ve got the ships indicating pirate treasure, and that also tells us we’re probably on an island.

Honestly, this is a far better title than this game really deserved (which is half the reason for this meta: turning the game into something that deserves its title). It’s certainly far better than “The Broken Anchor”, its source material, while keeping a pirate-y nature about it. While it’s a little different than most Nancy Drew games’ titles have been up to this point — as they’re usually “The (Adjective) Noun of Location” or “The Adjective Noun”, that’s not a bad thing at all.

This title really does make me sad with how wonderful it is. It deserved so much better. Same with Ship of Shadows, which is also boss.

The Mystery:

Having won an all-expense paid vacation to Dread Isle in the Bahamas (which should have been their first clue that something hinky was afoot), Bess invites Nancy and George along with her. Nancy arrives the day after the cousins, having stayed for a later flight because of a prior engagement with Carson, and is greeted by a frantic George who tells her that Bess has been kidnapped, that the owners of the resort – the Gibsons — aren’t there, and that she’s been worried sick.

  Nancy, naturally, senses something Amiss, and sets off to explore the islands, beginning from the pink sand beach where Bess’ water powered golf cart (yes, I know) is still sitting. She discovers Bess’ shoe next to the only other person on the island — a fisherman named Johnny Rolle from Jamaica — and sets off to explore the rest of the island.

Along the way she finds notes from Bess’ kidnappers, instructions on digging for treasure, twisting island paths, and monkeys. So many friggin monkeys. All of whom Nancy must appease in order to progress in her hunt for one of her oldest friends.

Yeah.

As a mystery…well, what is there really to say about the mystery? It should have been over the second Nancy found Bess’ shoe right outside Dwayne’s camp where a Suspicious Tarp Just Big Enough To Hide the Body of a Young Adult was hanging. An intelligent way to draw it out would be to have Nancy discover Bess there, but for Dwayne to pull a fast one on her and trap her below…but this isn’t the fix section, so let’s just move on past that.

If you weren’t going to add in any new characters or suspects, it might be best to have this game flip from a whodunnit to a howdunnit/howcatchem after the first third; as it is (aka since I’m going to add far more characters in The Fix section), we’ll move right along to the suspect in question himself.

The Suspects:

Yes, I know that this part should just be “The Suspect”.

Believe me, I know.

Wearing a whole cornucopia of masks, Johnny Rolle — aka John E. Poole — is an Australian accountant, hiding from ‘bad clients’ by painting himself brown and adopting a horrible (and horribly stereotypical) Jamaican accent. Nancy discovers his ‘true’ identity by finding an ID with his name on it while he’s still in the ‘Johnny’ disguise. Of course, this ‘true identity’ isn’t his true identity as all…

Dwayne Powers —aka Owen W. Spayder — is sitting underneath the bad wig, bandana, brownface, and horrible accents, and is voiced in this go-around by HER’s chameleon of many voices, good ol’ JVS. After hearing about Dread Isle’s rumors of treasure and their monkey research lab shutting down from a volunteer at his prison (yes, we’re already way too complicated for this game), Dwayne started planning to get the treasure and get revenge on Nancy at the same time.

As the culprit…man is Dwayne horrible. He’s so stupid that it really kills me that Nancy actually falls for his act, because it makes her even stupider. It’s not a good plan, it’s not well thought out, it’s not even a complete plan — it relies on too many unknowables. What if Nancy and George had just stormed his camp and found Bess? What if Nancy figured out it was him? Like, I know Dwayne is an egotist, but this is just dumb.

Before I eviscerate any more, let’s just move on to the few good things in this game.

The Favorite:

The best thing about RAN (other than its music, which as always is super good) is honestly its location. Dread Isle is beautifully and uniquely rendered, and doesn’t look like any other game with the pink-sand beaches, beautiful horizon line, and foliage all befitting a Bahamian resort.

I also like the idea of a returning culprit; while it wasn’t handled well here, I do think it’s a great idea as quite a few culprits have promised revenge on Nancy at the end of their games. Do I think it would have been better if it was Helena, who promised revenge only 2 games ago, rather than going back 18 games to a game that most hadn’t played due to lack of availability? Of course; but the idea behind it was sound.

I don’t have a favorite puzzle or favorite moment; even Dwayne’s dramatic reveal is ruined by the fact that Nancy is at all surprised that he was wearing a disguise and, once again, that the only other person on the island was responsible for kidnapping her friend.

The Un-Favorite:

As far as this section goes…there’s a lot that I don’t like, but there are a few things that stand out more than the rest as truly un-favorite.

My least favorite thing about this game, as you might be able to guess, is that it makes Nancy seem so stupid. We’ve had 19 games of Nancy (mostly; this meta series does go over the exceptions) figuring out clues, chasing bad guys, and solving puzzles without breaking a sweat, and then for this game she’s fooled by some makeup, a wig, and a bad accent? At least in STFD Dwayne put some effort into his work; this is just sad, and it’s even sadder that Nancy falls for it.

My least favorite moment in the game is probably the first conversation with ‘Johnny’. Nancy finds Bess’ shoe, gets strung up in a trap, and then believes that the guy sitting a few feet away is innocent and telling the truth? It’s a moment that truly sets up what a crap shoot this game is about to become, and that alone is enough to make it my least favorite.

My least favorite puzzle is anything to do with the monkeys; playing games with them, scaling the cliff, talking to them, talking about them — literally anything. I don’t like monkeys on a good day, but to have so many puzzles in the game revolve around playing their stupid little games with them? Not a good thing at all. Especially since getting around the island (and, of course, the monkeys live quite far away from anything else on the island) is so aggravatingly slow and clunky — it makes everything feel like a total slog.

The Fix:

So how would I fix Ransom of the Seven Ships?

My gosh, just remake the game.

More seriously, there are quite a few things that I would do in order to make playing through RAN a little more enjoyable and a lot more story-driven (and in line with Nancy and George’s characters). As always, I’m trying to keep this as close to the actual game as possible with few or no huge changes, so Dwayne will still be our culprit, Bess will still have won his giveaway, and Dread Isle will still be the spot of El Toro’s treasure.

The first thing I would do is get rid of Dwayne’s brownface/first disguise, and have him be the Australian accountant named John E. Poole, running from Bad News clients who he didn’t allow to cheat come tax day. That sets him up as a good guy to begin with (if a little foolish to cross such powerful clients), and gives a reason why he’s not staying at the resort (he’s trying to hide and not leave a paper/money trail at the same time). He should be staying in a little homemade hut, not with a Suspicious Tarp Obviously Hiding Bess, as he would have had to been on the island for a while to perfect his disguise (and seem trustworthy to the people at the resort).

I would also have the game take place on Nancy’s 19th birthday; if we assume she was barely 18 at the time of STFD, that makes it about a year that he would have been plotting and escaping and setting up this contest and such. It also makes sense as to why Nancy would have a banquet-thing with Carson and why Bess invited her and George — it’s a fabulous birthday party trip, even for the well-off Nancy Drew. That would also add to her anger — this was a great present that Bess (and George) gave her, and Dwayne has just straight-up ruined it.

Another change that would help the atmosphere is to have at least half the game take place at night. I would have the game take place over roughly two days — it ends the night of the second day — so that you can see the island at night. A lot of the demands made by ‘the kidnappers’ should be done at night — treasure digging, in particular — so as to not be more disruptive to the island than a missing persons case would already be.

Of course, one of the biggest things to do would be to add more suspects.

The Gibsons — both of them — should definitely be there at the resort. I’d have one half of the couple be in the resort during the day, and the other at night, so Nancy can interact with them both differently and have different tasks/discussions with them. Perhaps Mrs. Gibson is an expert on the island’s ‘lore’ — El Toro’s treasure and stuff — while Mr. Gibson is more up on island life and is the law enforcement liaison for the island (who can effectively deputize Nancy to help with the search for Bess).

I would also add one other guest who was supposed to check out right before the first note from the kidnappers came in, and is now stuck on the island until the case is solved. What I’d probably do is make them a Secret Australian (to contrast with Dwayne’s fake Australian accent) — sporting an English accent due to a posh upbringing and studying in England for most of their school life, living in England somewhere (maybe near Blackmoor Manor for a cool Easter egg) — who is Very Grumpy about this and thinks Bess ran off to explore and just got lost. I’d probably make them unhelpful to the last — even when Bess is found and had definitely been kidnapped, to just shrug it off and to board the plane to get home as quickly as possible.

The last person I’d add in is someone working the desk — specifically, an older teenager who is very cagey about themselves and how they know what they know, but who seems to know a lot more than they let on. This person would, of course, end up being a member of ATAC, and once Nancy figures it out, would be able to connect you with help from the Hardy Boys. This ATAC member would be scoping out the Gibsons for evidence of getting guests under false pretenses, but would ultimately change their suspicions to Dwayne and help Nancy and George catch him. Through this ATAC teen, the Hardy Boys could use outside information to give Nancy information about monkeys, the island, treasure, El Toro, and anything else that she encounters, as well as spread their feelers out about the Gibsons, the other guest, and John E. Poole.

I would of course want to improve the tone, which would be helped by having more people on the island — Nancy should feel scared that Bess disappeared with this many people around, and it should feel personal. As the game goes on, even with the added help, the walls should feel like they’re closing in. I would include way more second chances, traps, threatening notes, maybe even recordings of Bess screaming or scared or in pain — something that might push the rating to E+ because, quite frankly, the situation calls for it.

Mechanically, I would put way less focus on the monkeys; they really shouldn’t control everything on the island. Keeping them for a minigame and location is cool, but they definitely shouldn’t have their place of prominence in the game.

I would also remove the fact that you can control George. Out of all the games where I think controlling people other than Nancy would be great, this is not one of them. As worried as Nancy should be, this is George’s cousin — practically her sister, from how close their families are and how much time they spend together — and George would probably be in a State. Sure, she can help with some of the tech stuff, but the player definitely shouldn’t be playing as her in this game. It just feels forced, and it’s not necessary.

Would these changes make RAN a fantastic, award-winning game? No, honestly, they wouldn’t. In order to do that, you’d probably have to scrap the game entirely and start over with even barer bones. But I do think it would help to make it at least better and more playable, and I think that’s a win. Let RAN be remembered for its returning villain and its kidnapping plot, not for being the game that everyone skips during a replay of the series.

[starkerintheparker]

starker reclist - PWP

What better way to celebrate RDJ’s bday than spreading some pwp love, amirite :D I decided to just share these without the usual commentary because there are only so many ways to praise hot smut and I’m not that well versed in English lol. Some fics are plottier, some are porn with feels, others are unapologetic filth. Suffice to say they are all sublime and top notch wanking material, 10/10 recommend. Please mind the tags and stay safe. Happy meals! 😈

Last updated: April 25th, 2020. All new additions will be marked with ***

• a little bit scandalous by @paspleurer (3k, completed)

Summary: “What do you think about dessert? I’m thinking the creme brulee, but—”

“You could eat my ass,” says Peter. "After you've already come inside of it."

Tony sets the menu down on the table with jarring force.

• A Special Love by @darker-soft-starker (completed) 

Summary: “You know - the thing where I tell you that I’m too old to be kissed on the lips,” Peter answers, reaching out linking their hands together over the gearstick. "Where I tell you none of the other fathers kiss their sons like we do and isn’t it weird?”

Author’s warning: Incest roleplay (no actual incest), semi-public sex, exhibitionism, public foreplay, armour kink, slight incidental daddy kink, nff. 

• Babysitter (AU) by @readysetstarker (5.4k, completed)

Summary: Tony was desperate. Ten minutes before he was supposed to leave for work, brushing his daughter’s hair in the bathroom and promising her a fun day at the zoo with her babysitter (he had already paid for the tickets online, the receipt for them sitting on the counter), he had gotten the call that she wouldn’t be showing up. He needed to be at work to negotiate a deal with investors, they needed him there, but she had been adamant about not showing up and hung up on him mid-plea.

• Ballerina!Peter and Construction worker!Tony (AU) by @starkerforlife6969 (completed) Part 2 is winterironspider

Author’s warnings: mild dub con (super mild, Peter turns out to be a mega-slut and we love it), innocent peter, feminisation, multiple orgasms, rimming, mild cock warming, mild cock-slapping. 

• Berries and Cream by @stfustucky (5k, completed)

Summary: There's no way in hell they're going to fit all the Avengers into two cars, not unless Peter sits on Tony's lap. And there's no way in hell Tony is going to survive the ride all the way back to the tower unless Peter stops squirming like that. Unfortunately for Tony, Peter doesn't seem inclined to sit very still tonight. Whoops.

• Breaking Character (AU) by @cagestark (8k, completed)

Summary: Tony Stark, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and spy for SHIELD. Working with another SHIELD spy, the infamous Spider, he will take down an infamous human trafficking ring in New York. But the act they have to put on will demand more from Tony than he ever thought he'd have to give. Not that he minds.

• Bruisable and Sweet by @bloomblood (completed)

Summary: Tony has a meal in Peter’s humble, college dormitory bed.

• Captured (AU) by @areluctantsblog (1k, completed)

Summary: In another a universe, reluctant as he may be, Peter Parker has to find out that being Spider-Man inevitably means being a celebrity, too. As far as he’s concerned, the only good thing resulting from this is that from time to time he gets the chance to lay eyes on the fashion industry’s most handsome face, that of photographer Tony Stark’s. When one day Peter is sent on a photo-shoot with the living legend, things take an interesting turn.

• Coming Untouched by @starker-stories (4k, completed)

Summary: 

“So, is it true?”

“Which thing? I presume you stood there, outside the door, eavesdropping on our entire conversation,” Peter said, miffed.

“That you can make yourself come without touching yourself even once during your… session?”’

• Context Clues (A/B/O) by Anonymous (8k, completed) 

Summary: Peter is crying. Those had been FRIDAY's exact words, and the reason Tony had run upstairs and bypassed the privacy lock on the kid's door. Context is kind of everything.

• Desperado (AU) by @starkercrossedlovers (completed) 

Summary:  Desperado Tony come to town and takes Peter with him when he goes.

• Drabbles by @starkerforlife6969 (290k, ongoing)

Summary: These are all starkerforlife6969’s tumblr drabbles/stories in one collection, aside from the Mafia Boss One. Mostly starker, but there will be winterspider and spidershield and spiderstrange.

• Eight Stops (to make you mine) (A/B/O) by @starkerkeyz and @the-mad-starker (9k, completed) 

Summary: He clutches onto the alpha's forearm and gives Tony another nip, harsher with his spiked up desires. "Eight stops," he tells the alpha, "that's all the time we got. Think that's enough…?" They can only have a quickie but Peter thinks it just might be the best sex he's ever going to get. He gives the alpha's cock another squeeze, trying to convince him to say yes. "Plenty." Tony unbuckles Peter's pants one handed, smirking against pale skin. He rubs his stubble into the omega's lightly bitten scent gland just to rile him up.

• From Across the Bar by @readysetstarker (3k, completed)

Summary: Tony took a slow sip and listened to a pair of new broadcasters talk about upcoming sports games and a player’s most recent scandal about steroid use. He couldn’t have cared less, personally, but there was nothing else on and he wasn’t really here to watch television. Not if the cute brunette trying to scope him out without being noticed had anything to say about it. 

• From Thy Bounty by @ibby-writes and feyrelay (30k, completed)

Summary: Tony’s eyes are always dark, but now there's almost no iris left. He looks hollowed out. There’s something terribly hungry there, despite the feast they've filled themselves on.

• Further Assistance by @learned-foot (4k, completed)

Summary: Besides, it would be unethical not to tell Peter what he saw, right? He’s pretty sure that would violate some sort of boundary. And if the kid wants to go down the path of creative experimentation, it’s kind of Tony’s duty to make sure he does it safely. He basically has to help.

• half doomed and you’re semi sweet by noctiphany (2k, completed) underage

Summary: “Peter,” Tony says, his tone flat, and Peter shudders. “Peter,” Tony says again, impatient and with a hint of threat. “I’m waiting.

• Heal Me by Mezzymet (7k, completed)

Summary: His love for the man probably bordered on hero worship but....you could love someone and not be in love with them. Obviously.

• I could be your whore, Mr. Stark by @stfustucky (10k, completed)

Summary: Peter needs a cover story for his shady behavior as Spidey, and half the school thinks he's an escort anyways, so Peter just leans into the rumors. Tony, being the good friend and teammate that he is, agrees to corroborate the cover story by letting everyone think Peter is his own personal slut. 

• Indulge Me by @learned-foot (370 words, completed)

Summary: Peter likes it best when Mr. Stark is rough and taking. Read it together with Under Someone Else.

• Jealousy is Ugly (Except When It's Not) by @yadds (4k, completed) 

Summary: Peter has a boyfriend. Tony can't stand it. 

• Kinktober 2019 by @readysetstarker (38k, completed)

The whole list is amazing, my personal favorites are the glorious upskirt/semi public sex (ch 6). the  breathtaking mirror sex (ch 7) and the sweet praise kink (ch 9).

• Just a little bit, just enough by @bitter-lemon-water (25k, completed)

Summary: So somewhere in between devastation, uncertainty, fear and disconcertment—Peter settles. Alternatively: Tony pulls. (Peter lets him.) (Peter wants him to.)

• Just Listen to Me by LeafyGreenQueen773 (3k, completed)

Summary: After the spider bite, Peter's senses are “dialed to eleven”. That includes in bed. Peter talks Tony through what feels best to him. 

• Later for later by @unsettledink (15k, completed) sex pollen, top!Peter 

Summary: “You,” Peter says, again, mouthing at Tony's skin. “I want you. I trust you. This is a terrible, terrible idea, Tony knows. The worst. And yeah he's normally all for terrible ideas, but this is… no. (The one where Peter gets hit with a sex drug, and Tony is not prepared for this shit.)

• Me, You & A Tattoo by @starkeristheendgame (4k, completed)

Summary: Peter gets Tony's name tattooed on his ass after a not-bet with MJ. Really, it was just a matter of time before Tony found out.

• Morning (A/B/O) by @starkerstarkerstarker (completed)

Summary: Peter’s breath hitches, eyes on him like he expected him to do more, but when he doesn’t, when all he does is lift a brow, he frowns, his bottom lip pushing out. “If you want something, princess, go ahead.”

• No Control by @paspleurer (500 words, completed)

Summary: Mr. Stark’s conditions are simple— no touching himself, and no talking. And Peter wants to be good, he really does— but his senses make it so hard.

• Paint my Body Gold by @spidey-stuff (14 k, completed)

Summary: Tony is desperate to rid himself of his inappropriate attraction before the last barrier holding him back crumbles as Peter's 18th birthday rapidly approaches.

• Perfect by @learned-foot (639 words, completed)

Summary: There are a lot of things that should make Peter embarrassed right now, starting with the fact that the first time Mr. Stark kissed him—about half an hour ago, though it feels like another world—he came in his pants within seconds.

• Peter in Heat (A/B/O) by @starkerforlife6969 (completed)

Summary:  Peter’s presenting and Tony knows exactly how to take care of him.

• Red Light District series (AU) by @starker-stories (17k, ongoing)

Summary: Everyone knows that Tony Stark is a playboy who has dozens of women passing through his life and through his bed. What everyone doesn't know is that Tony Stark is deeply closeted, longing for something he can't ever have -- a life and a love with another man.

• Reversal by @learned-foot (4k, completed)

Summary: Sometimes, Tony is the one who needs to be praised.

• Still Use Work by @learned-foot (6.5k, completed)

Summary: Peter has a problem. Tony attempts to solve it. To be helpful, obviously. That’s the only reason.

• Sweet for me, my Honeybee by garbagesinboy (10k, completed)

Summary: Peter's got a sweet tooth, and Tony's got a problem. In which Peter Parker consumes way more sugar than the average human ever should, and Tony Stark suffers many many boners.

• Tremolo by @lilsoshie and @marvlouse (4k, completed)

Summary: “You’re gonna ride me,” Tony decides, easing his fingers free and cherishing the unhappy whine the move inspires. “Up, come on.” 

“Tony,” Peter says, a complaint, an exhausted plea.

• The Third Idea by @cagestark (12k, completed)

Summary: Tony walks in on Peter jerking off twice in one week, and realizes that his lover needs a little more from him. So he gives him less; a week without cumming should do it.

• This fire is out of control by feyrelay (2k, completed) sex pollen

Summary: There's really not enough room in their hiding spot to fuck, but Peter's temperature is rising from whatever they've been given, and Tony-Well, Tony's determined.

• Once Upon a Time, there was a Sloshed Bunny and a Guilty Man by @starkerchemistry (completed) 

Summary: drunk!Peter dirty talks Tony on the phone. 

• Up to Eleven by TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsG (15k, completed)

Summary: He watches those five minutes. Watches them again, and again. Tries to tell himself that he’s seeing something other than what FRIDAY is showing him.

• wasn’t built in a day by orphan_account (7k, completed) dubcon

Summary: Peter files “massive hard-on for Tony Stark” under “things I can’t tell Aunt May.” It’s tied at the top of the list with “I’m Spider-Man” and “I’m responsible for Uncle Ben’s death.”

• Weird by tuesday (2k, completed)

Summary: It wasn't weird, okay? A lot of people wanted to have sex with the Iron Man armor. A lot. There were entire forums and Instagram and Twitter accounts dedicated to it. There had been internet wars fought solely over which Mark was the sexiest. There was endless speculation over whether Tony Stark was among their number and whether and how he actually had outfitted one of the armors with the ability to make good on all that sleek, sexy promise.

It wasn't weird.

"It's a little weird," Tony said.

• what’s the point of a clear raincoat with no hood? by CarnivalGoldfish (7k, completed) 

Summary: Tony buys Peter clothes because he likes Peter wearing what he bought him. Peter realizes this is not normal.

*** when the world has dealt its cards by thisismydesignn (3k, completed) underage

Summary: Tony Stark has never claimed to be a role model, let alone a good influence. Case in point...

• You Learn Something New Every Day by @sbiderslut (4k, completed)

Summary: This man looks right at them and remarks, happily unaware of the kiloliter can of worms he just RPG-ed wide open, “The bond between you and Mr. Parker is truly remarkable, Tony. You could practically be father and son.”

• Your Eyes Only by tuesday (4k, completed)

Summary: It was an accident. Tony did not, as a rule, check up on Peter these days, and while he had kept the monitoring programs, they were there in case of emergency.

[sasha-r-blog]

A Promising Encounter

Timing: A few months back

Parties: @professorbcampbell and @sasha-r-blog

Location: University campus cafe

Summary: Sasha’s advisor sets up a meeting between her and Professor Campbell to discuss her academic career. Ben sees promise in her. 

Content: Allusions to manipulation 

“I think it would be good for you to meet with one of the faculty mentors. It doesn’t have to be a regular occurrence, but if you try it you might find something of value. Maybe ideas for ways to get involved on campus, or suggestions of ways to make your major feel more worthwhile to you. Or maybe a way to take a more interdisciplinary approach to your academic career. A lot of students find branching out helps them to get a fuller experience at the university. I’ll put in an appointment for you with one of them. I wouldn’t want you to go into your second semester still not feeling settled when there are options that may help.”

Sasha gripped the shoulder strap of her school bag so tight her knuckles were turning white. Why had she agreed to this? She could have just said no to her advisor and wouldn’t have had to deal with any of this today. But now she was standing near the entrance of the on campus cafe, halfway to a panic attack. She could have just said no, but instead she just sat there across from her advisor as she droned on at her, nodding like an idiot at being signed up for this when she really wanted nothing to do with it. It wasn’t like her advisor’s suggestion was dumb, it was just that now Sasha had to walk into public space on campus and meet with a stranger that she couldn’t even remember the name of. Professor Candle or Combbull or something.

She took a shaky breath. She probably looked like a weirdo for lingering at the entrance, foot tapping and sweating under her sweater. It was hard to tell if she was imagining the people leaving giving her weird glances and giggling, but she quickly rushed in after they passed. It wasn’t even that crowded, no rush of students grabbing coffee and bagels between classes at the moment. But there was still a decent amount of seats filled, mostly people chatting with each other or working alone on their laptops. Oh great, right, she didn’t even know what this professor looked like. Sasha awkwardly walked over to the side, avoiding the questioning glance of the barista who was probably expecting her to order something. This was the worst. Either this guy was waiting for her here and she was just looking around like an idiot, or he hadn’t even arrived yet and Sasha was still looking around like an idiot. Maybe she’d be lucky today and the professor messed up his schedule and couldn’t even make it. She’d give it 10 minutes. That was fair right? Then after that she was legally allowed to bail.

Looking at his watch, Ben shut off his computer and pulled on his wool overcoat. The beginnings of snow had started to drift down on the campus, which was a bit of a nuisance. Ice and freezing temperatures complicated his affairs. But, Yule was nearly upon them and he was looking forward to gathering with the rest of his family to celebrate the occasion with hot chocolate and human sacrifices. Maybe his sister in law would break out the mulled wine-- that would be a treat. Ben took his time as he walked towards the campus coffee shop. He was in no hurry to meet this new student. He’d looked up her records when one of the advisors had asked if he had any availability in his schedule to meet with a “brilliant but flounder” student. Of course, how could he say no? Smiling at one of his former TA’s as he walked across the campus, Ben sighed. Computer science majors, logical to a fault typically. He doubted he would have much luck with this one, but who knew.

Walking into the coffee shop, he glanced around and saw a fidgeting young girl in the corner. Sasha. That must be her. With a warm smile on his face, Ben offered a polite wave. “Sasha Rodriguez, correct?” He asked, “Apologies for the delay, a lecture ran long. I’m Professor Campbell, but please, call me Ben.”

Unfortunately, within three minutes of Sasha’s countdown to leave, a man walked into the coffee shop and greeted her. Great. Well, yeah, actually great in the sense that she didn’t have to awkwardly stand here anymore unsure who she was supposed to meet. Sarcastic “great” at the fact that she wasn’t getting out of this social interaction any time soon.

“Hi, yes, that’s me,” Sasha said, giving a small wave toward the professor before realizing that was probably unnecessary and dumb. “My advisor said we were supposed to meet for a mentoring...thing. I guess we should sit down somewhere?”

Luckily the area Sasha had tucked herself into while waiting had a free table only a few feet away. Sasha took her backpack off and sat down, half wanting to keep it on her lap, it’s weight somehow comforting. But she decided against it. This would just be talking, which didn’t exactly make her feel any better, but reminding herself that talking to someone new wouldn’t kill her was important. Most shy kids she knew growing up were at least teacher’s pets to balance out the lack of friends, but she had never even managed that. Peers, teachers, strangers, all fair game for her nerves. But she could handle talking to him for a bit. At least her anxiety was easing a little now that she didn’t have to wonder about the unknown of when and who she was meeting. With a nod, Ben gestured for her to grab a table. “That sounds like a wise idea. You hold tight, I’ll get us some coffee.” He said and left to go to the barista. With his trademark smile, Ben ordered an americano and a drip coffee and collected the drinks at the end of the bar. “I wasn’t sure what you preferred, so I thought it’d be safest to go with a black coffee.” He said, setting the mug in front of the girl. “So. Sasha. It’s good to meet you-- please, don’t think of this as any kind of interview or lecture or anything like that. I’m here to act as a sort of liaison between you and the faculty here. And, to offer you a warm White Crest welcome. Go Moose!” Ben said with a very “ra-ra” gesture of his hand. It was an act, crafted over the years to inspire confidence and ease the nerves of some of the more anxiety ridden students. “How are you finding the university so far?”

Sasha nodded, watching as Professor Campbell, or Ben she guessed, ordered the drinks. Right, probably best to actually drink coffee at the coffee shop. It was a campus location, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t get annoyed looks if they spent time here without ordering something.

As Ben handed her the drink Sasha mumbled out a quick thanks, taking a sip before remembering to respond with more. “Um, yeah, black coffee’s fine. That’s what I usually have.” Adding milk would have just made her stomach mad at her, and adding sugar didn’t really seem to do anything to the taste. She wasn’t really sure why people added it in the first place. Taking another sip, she realized how sorely she needed the coffee. Maybe that’s part of why she was so on edge. Sasha hadn’t been a big coffee drinker before coming to college, but it was quickly becoming a staple with all her late night patrols as The Claw. She read once that coffee could actually make people more anxious or something, but right now it was giving her stressed and tired brain a much needed jolt.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling slightly at the little “ra ra” hand gesture. She hadn’t been sure what to expect, but she was glad that Ben didn’t seem like some of the other professors she had met this semester; harsh gazes and even harsher deadline, rambling so fast Sasha couldn’t keep up, or dully reading off their lesson plans and then slipping away after the class as if they had never even existed.

“It's going alright so far, I think. I’m not doing the best in some of my classes but, um, I don’t know, I guess otherwise things are fine.” That was the thing, what did Sasha do besides classes? She had barely gotten to know anyone on campus, peer or otherwise. She had managed to avoid almost every campus event out of tiredness or busyness or anxiety. It wasn’t like she was in any clubs either. Sasha tapped her fingers across the side mug. She really must look like a loser for that, but then again, that wasn’t exactly a surprising turn of events. She had The Claw, that’s what she did, so why did she need to try to do stuff on campus besides not flunk out?

“I don’t really do much here.”

“Excellent. And, you’re quite welcome.” He said with an encouraging nod. Regarding the girl over the rim of his coffee mug, Ben took careful stock of her body language, her general demeanor. She seemed nervous, but that was normal amongst the new undergraduate students, even the ones that claimed to be adjusting well. Ben took a sip from his cup as she quietly explained her situation. Struggling in class, an advisor mandated meeting with one of the mentor teachers to ease her into the life of collegiate life? How interesting. Interesting indeed. “I think there’s always a certain amount of an adjustment period to be expected with grades,” Ben said, because that’s what the understanding professor would say. That’s what someone who didn’t expect greatness from his students would say. “So I wouldn’t let that bother you very much, as long as you’re enjoying the classes you’re  in. College is a transitionary period, there are always going to be bumps in the road whenever these things happen.”

She tapped her fingers on the mug-- an irritating habit that Ben ignored. Hopefully someone would be able to drill that out of her, it wasn’t very polite. “What about extracurriculars? Are you living on campus? Have you gotten to know some of your classmates? There are all sorts of clubs offered by the student body, I know more than a few students who have found their niche in one club or another.”

“Yeah, classes are good. I like them.” It wasn’t a complete lie, Sasha didn’t hate her classes. But whatever she thought she was good at when it came to math and coding and tech didn’t apply much here. And when it did it was the basic stuff in classes that made her eyes glaze over and excuse herself to the “bathroom” just to walk up and down the hallway to wake herself up.

She nodded along to what Ben said about it being a transitionary period, but as he continued on with more questions she froze up a bit. “Um...not really. I mean I don’t really do much on campus. I’ve seen flyers around and I know they have activity fairs and stuff like that, but I’ve never gone.” Sasha nervously picked at a hangnail. Boy, the flap of skin sure was way more interesting than looking back at this professor who was probably exasperated at her lack of involvement. “I live on campus, so I know I don’t really have an excuse, but like I said, I don’t really do anything here. I just sort of do my own thing. Alone.”

“What classes are your favorite?” Ben asked conversationally, leaning back in his chair, one leg folding over the other as he watched the girl with an appraising eye. “I’m sure you must enjoy our coding classes-- I’ll admit, I’m not very familiar with the faculty in that department, but I’ve heard good things from some of the other students I mentor. They’re on the engineering track, though, I’m not sure if you’d have much overlap with them.” He said.

Noticing the sudden “deer in the headlights” expression on her face, Ben noted to ease up on the questions. Some students thrived off them, Sasha clearly wasn’t one of those. Fair enough, he could work with that. “That’s perfectly alright-- college can be incredibly overwhelming when you first arrive.” He said, tone gentle. He watched her pick at her nails with increasing distaste. Disgusting. But, he didn’t let the annoyance show on his face. Instead, he cast a sympathetic smile in her direction. “And there’s nothing wrong with being alone. That said, college is a time for meeting people, making friends. I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you this, so I’m apologizing in advance for sounding like a cliche. But, some of the best friends I’ve had I met in college. You’ll never know who you’ll meet unless you put yourself out there.” He said with an encouraging nod.

Sasha hadn’t expected the professor to seem so casual about her lack of involvement, though she supposed that wasn’t that surprising. In her anxiety she thought maybe this meeting was some last ditch faculty intervention thing where Ben would shake his head and tsk tsk at her and explain how Sasha was going to ruin her college experience by being so much of a loner.

Her shoulders eased slightly, more tension leaving as she reminded herself that this was just a meeting with some random professor and even if he gave her a list of clubs it wasn’t like he could force her to go. She had been in college long enough now that she knew, for better or for worse, if she didn’t want to do something like go to class or take a professor’s advice she didn’t have to. But it was nice that Ben didn’t seem like the type so far to be a jerk about it.

“I mean, I like this one class, Scientific Simulation and Modeling. It is for one of my Gen Eds but it fits into my whole major and the professor makes it pretty fun. We were mostly doing simulations for regional ecology and wildlife population stuff, and that was kinda cool. I’ve really only taken math and computer classes this semester. I know I need to do all the other Gen Eds but besides English 101 I haven’t really thought about what to do for that. I haven’t looked into engineering classes, but I’m sure some of them might overlap with what I need.”

Still, even if Ben was being nice, Sasha couldn’t help but wonder how much he really cared about her major or anything else she was saying . He apparently wasn’t part of the department most of her classes were in, and Sasha assumed most professors didn’t spend time outside of their own academic circle. But Ben seemed to watch intently in a way that made Sasha feel like maybe he was actually interested in listening, even if she decided to ramble on about the model the class worked on for trout populations in the local rivers or how she was kinda proud she got an A on her last Trig test when she had been hovering around a C all semester. She wasn’t going to though, even she didn’t care that much about her classes to talk about specifics. And she knew painfully well if she did talk too long about her interest most people just thought she was weird.

“I’ve never really been away from home or alone so I guess it is pretty weird to get used to. Alone without my parents I mean. But I mostly hung out by myself back home too so that isn’t really much of a change. I uh, I mean, I hear that a lot, the whole thing about making close friends in college. I’m sure it is true for most people but...”

God, she must sound like such a sad sack. After she took another sip of coffee she tried her best to change the subject.

“But I haven’t really had luck. Anyway, uh, what department do you teach in then?”

Ben barely paid attention as she rattled on and on about whatever silly little class had captured her interest. It seemed like some kind of scientific class, one he was entirely unfamiliar with. Which hardly made her the ideal candidate for his little club-- hardly any of his carefully cultivated minds were on the science track. But, she could be useful yet. Hrv’Shtooooor didn’t care how long it took him to find fresh blood, only that he did. Smiling and nodding at the appropriate intervals, Ben took a sip from his coffee cup. “Have you talked to the professor at all about other courses they teach? I know more than a few of my own students helped settle on their degree tracks because of influential teachers. Not--” He added with a deliberately rueful smile, “only myself, of course. But, that could be a good starting point as far as finding common interests with others or exploring new paths.”

“People take things at their own pace.” Ben said with an assured nod. So she was a loner. Interesting, very interesting. That boded well. The desperate and the lonely made for easy targets, though the science minded had always been a harder nut for him to crack. He relished a challenge, though. At her question, he cast her a polite smile as she settled back in his chair, one leg folded over the other. “I’m a Professor of the Classics, so I’m with the School of Arts and Sciences. Not classic literature, mind you,” He said lightly, though the misconception continually irked him. As if he cared about Bronte, Austen, Fitzgerald, or any of the rest of their ilk. “I teach Greek and Roman antiquity. Politics, philosophy, history, literature, and so on. It’s a dull field, but I find it quite enjoyable.”

“I probably should, I barely know what my plan for next semester is. But I guess if a professor teaches one good class hopefully their other ones are good too.” Again, she should probably put more thought into this, considering how much she was paying for school. But maybe Ben was right. Going at her own pace, figuring it out bit by bit, couldn’t be that much of a disaster, right? She hadn’t flunked out her first semester, she couldn’t be that bad.

“So would the classics include myths and things like that?” Politics and philosophy sounded like an easy way for Sasha to fall asleep instantly in class. But myths were kinda cool. She never really looked a whole lot into it, but a lot of those greek heroes felt like old timey superheroes. She sure as hell wasn’t going to mention that to the professor though. There had to be a limit to how kind he could be, and she doubted comparing years of studies to comic books was going to make him happy.

“I don’t really know if I really get a lot of that stuff, but it sounds cool. It covers a lot of stuff it sounds like.” She was surprised he was calling his own field dull, it made her reflexively want to disagree, even if half of what he listed did sound boring to her. Maybe it was just the idea that someone could spend years doing something and people would still think it wasn’t worth much. It made her vaguely sad. She knew first hand that it sucked to care about something a lot when plenty of others didn’t.

“That’s the spirit.” Ben said with an approving smile and gestured grandly with his cup. “A positive mindset is a valuable thing. College is all about experiences. And everyone has their own way of going about things. But, it never hurts to venture out a bit, dip your toes in the water, that sort of thing. This school is a small one, all things considered, but I’m sure you’ll find professors-- and peers-- who suit you best.” He said with a kind expression on his face. And he would do his best to steer her towards his own little niche. If she got away, so be it. But, he was a patient man and so was his Lord.

Myths. Of course, that was all anyone could ever talk about. But, he supposed it was easy to be enamored with the stories of ancient times when you didn’t know that some of the so-called myths were alive and well. Nodding, Ben bridged his fingers together, “Yes, we cover the various mythos surrounding both Greek and Roman society, though I typically focus on how they were indicative of the times in which they were written and the religious importance they held.” Leaning forward, he said in a conspiratorial whisper, “But, between you and me? My segment on Hercules is one of my favorite sections. Next to Gilgamesh, he’s one of the greatest heroes in history.” Ben said with a nod.

“Ah, you’re very kind. But, I’ve spent too many hours at conferences led by geriatric old fogeys to delude myself into thinking that what I teach is “cool”.” Ben said, making air quotes with a modest shrug. “That said, it’s my field of choice and I’m always very pleased to see the new generation of historians who are interested in preserving antiquity the way I do.” He said before glancing casually at his watch, a throw away gesture to see how observant she was. Was she the type to notice the subtlety of others actions? Or would she gloss over it?

It would be nice if what Ben said was true, if Sasha could connect with people at the college and feel a bit more at home. Maybe she was just being pessimistic. It wasn’t like she never took risks. Climbing onto icy rooftops and chasing down bad guys wasn’t what most people would call playing it safe. So why was it so hard to just talk to people in comparison?

“I think heroes and stuff like that reflect a lot of things.” Sasha winced slightly at her own words. She wished she could say it in a way that sounded smarter, but she agreed with him. The people others looked up to and wrote about, even if they weren’t real...well, they usually said something about the person who was writing about them, about what they wished for, who they wanted to be. “Are you teaching any classes about that stuff soon? I...honestly I’ve not really thought about my schedule much but maybe I could take one.” At the very least it might fill a history gen-ed or something. There wasn’t harm in trying.

Sasha smiled at Ben talking about not being cool. Sasha wasn’t sure any professor could be “cool” but at least he was complaining about the old-timey professors rather than being one himself. As he spoke Sasha caught him glancing at his watch. Crap, how long had they been sitting here talking? Sasha glanced over at the clock on the nearby wall, worried that looking at her phone would seem rude. She was surprised by how much time had passed. If it felt like just a few minutes ago she was halfway to bailing out of this meeting in the first place out of nerves. “Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to talk so long.”

Ben regarded the girl with an appraising nod. Heroes, hm? Perhaps she was just one of the innumerable students who were obsessed with the Marvel movies that had trickled out of Hollywood over the past decade. But, it was her body language that interested her more. She seemed hesitant, self-critical, anxious. As though her own words couldn’t stand on their own. Interesting. Very, very interesting. With another winning smile, Ben let out a chuckle, “As luck would have it, I am.” It was one of his most popular courses with the undergraduates, how could he not offer it? The course had pulled in more than a few of his most recent… disciples. “I have a course on Greek and Roman literature that focuses quite extensively on the heroes-- and villains-- of myth.” He said earnestly. “It’s open to most degree tracts, but don’t quote me on that. I’m not as familiar with course requirements as I should be.”

Ah, she noticed. Observant, anxious, eager to please, and apologetic. Very good, very good indeed. With a warm smile, Ben stood up and held out a hand for a firm handshake. “No, no, believe me, the pleasure was all mine. I enjoy being able to talk to promising young students like yourself. And do mean that,” He said as he pulled his jacket back on, preparing to walk back out into the wintery street. “You have a lot of potential, Sasha. Don’t let minor setbacks hold you back from that.” With that, Ben strode out of the coffee shop a satisfied expression on his face as he left. Sasha Rodriguez. What a promising young woman indeed.

[ghost-ghost-baby]

Scales pt. 4a //yan!bakusquad fantasy au//

a/n: im so fuckin sorr this took so long lol, it was actually written but life was too crazy to edit/post. i had to make this angsty so it wouldnt turn out horny

Pt. 5

warnings: swearing, mature themes? mentions of past abuse/trauma

Things felt weirdly normal when you woke up, and despite the memories that flashed through your head you kept your cool. You needed to be logical, it was the only way you’d be able to get out of here alive. Denki was in your arms when you finally opened your eyes, and a weight lifted from your chest. Oh thank gods you were together. That made things easier. The room was… undoubtedly luxurious, Shigaraki sure knew how to play nice when he wanted. Horror shot through you when you saw the iron collar clamped around Denki’s neck. Fuck, you knew what that was. you’d seen it used before, and Denki wasn’t going to be able to help with it on. You’d need a diamond to get it off, unless you could get the key. Fucking Shigaraki, he’d be here soon to gloat. The fucker loved nothing more than being validated for what he’d done.

“I didn’t appreciate your little stunt.” Shigaraki finally showed his face, and your eyes narrowed as you stared at him from the bed.

“If you were bored you should have just told me. I thought you liked the solitude while I was busy, but obviously I was wrong.” He took a seat next to you and your skin crawled, had he gotten crazier? “But that’s all in the past now, and you have your own pet to keep you entertained.” Oh yeah he absolutely lost it while you were gone. You stayed silent as you watched his fingers trail over your leg to Denki’s sleeping form next to you. The threat was clear despite him staying silent. If you tried anything, he’d take it out on Denki.

“Thank you.” You had to force the words out, any feelings you had right now didn’t matter. You just needed to keep Denki safe, and that meant keeping Shigaraki happy until you could get away. It worked, his chapped lips stretched into a grin as he made himself comfortable besides you, showing no intention of leaving any time soon.

“They did WHAT?” Katsuki flung his sword across the room, the metal sending up a puff of feathers when it hit the bed. He’d just gotten back from a war meeting, and this was the first thing he had to hear?

“How dare that dry ass motherfucker send his cronies here, I’ll get Y/n and Denki back myself.” He snarled, and Hanta had to jump on him before he could leave .

“Katsuki, calm down, if you go rushing in it’ll only make the situation worse.” Mina crouched down, making sure she was in the blondes line of sight so he had no choice but to listen.

“Yeah man, Izuku can help, right?” Hanta added, still pinning Katsuki down. 

“And Shoto too, we have allies Katsuki, we don’t have to just rush in.” Mina glanced at Kiri, who nodded in agreement despite the fact he wanted nothing more than to bolt to wherever you were. He just needed to make sure you were safe. At least Denki was with you, the two of you could take care of each other for the time being, and it would be enough that the bond wouldn’t hurt anyone.

“Fine, get them here, now! We need to do this quickly!” Katsuki gave in with a snarl, the more people he had to crush that extra, the better.

Fingers tapping your thigh made you jump, and you dropped the book in your hands as you turned to Denki. He’d just been…dozing, barely waking up to eat and drink.

“Oh, you’re awake. How do you feel?”

“Weird, kinda out of it… where are we?” Gold eyes darted around the room, horror growing in them with every passing second. “What happened to Mina?” Denki was starting to panic, and you had to grab his hand to make him look at you.

“She got away, I sent her back to Katsuki so she could get help.” You soothed, hand smoothing over his hair. “You know what they're like, I'm sure they're planning something right now.” He didn't look convinced, and you wondered how he hasn't noticed the iron around his neck.

“Why can't we just break out?”

“If there's a sure opportunity for us to escape I'll take it, but you can't fight with the collar on, and I can't get it off while we're here.” You grabbed his wrists to stop him tearing at it, there was no use.

“Don't try to use your powers, okay? I'm not sure what it'll do, but the ones I've had have never been good. Your powers will activate the selected gem, and depending on that the collar will do something. I don’t want to risk it.”

“How do you know all this?” Denki squinted at you, and you dropped his arms, hands folding in your lap as you thought about how to explain that.

“I um, always had a talent for magic, my teachers kept track and when I graduated Shigaraki noticed and I uh… didn’t exactly go along with him at first, so he chose a… harsher…? Way for me to learn and fit into his… role for me.” The words stuck in your throat on the way up, you never thought you’d have to tell anyone that.

“I know it might be… a lot, and I promise I’ll tell you everything when we get out of here, but you need to trust me, okay Denki?” You couldn't look at him, your whole plan needed him, you couldn’t leave him here alone.

“Okay Y/n, but I’ll hold you to that promise.” You couldn’t help startle when Denki surged forward, nuzzling your neck and wrapping his arms around your waist. This wasn’t the reaction you expected, he went along so easily?

“O-Okay, just follow my lead, he needs to let his guard down and I… know how to do that.”

“The meeting was awful, honestly that scum are lucky I have you to calm me down… so I don’t have to resort to more extreme methods.” You’d tuned out most of Shigaraki’s rant, Denki had fallen asleep and you didn’t see the point in waking him for this. The king had his head in your lap, your fingers carding through his hair with a familiarity you hated. Shigaraki turned so he was facing you, one hand coming up to caress your cheek and you were lucky he was delusional enough to think the shudder that ran through you was good.

“Hmm? What happened this time?” You forced the words out, pretending to care really fucking sucked. His answer was lost as Denki started to stir next to you, oh god why’d he have to wake up now? He was gonna say something bad and it’d be over for the both of you. Shigaraki was still mumbling on while your eyes were fixed on Denki, humming your acknowledgment at the appropriate intervals so he’d think you cared.

“I swear it’d be better if I just ripped their heads off, then I could just stay here with you.” These words were mumbled into your skin,, Shigaraki going from laying in your lap to straddling you and hiding his face in your neck before you could do anything to stop him. You hated when he got like this, it could last for days if he was feeling particularly insecure or clingy.

“But then you’d have nobody to do what needs to be done, and you’d be spending even less time here.” Denki spoke and your heart stopped, oh god oh god ohgod. Shigsraki pulled back to look at the blonde, eyebrows raised as he considered that option.

“You have a point.” The king shrugged before he went back to your neck as if nobody had spoken, lips brushing against your skin as he grew bolder. Unease surged through you at the contact, the force of it through the bond almost made Denki transform, but he remembered you needed him to be good so you could get them out of here, and so he settled for buying his face in your thighs. He really hoped you knew what you were doing, and that the others were planning something. A knock at the door had your heart jumping into your throat, and after a growled answer from Shigaraki, Dabi entered the room. His voice was bored as ever while he spoke, something about needing Shigaraki back in the war room because their scouts had spotted something. A grunt left the king as he started to get up, unable to stop himself nipping at your neck before he pulled away, the red already blooming had him satisfied enough to slink over to Dabi and, in turn, leave you and Denki alone again.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry this is all my fault-“ your anxiety took over the second the door closed, throat clogging up and tears clouding your vision. Kiri should have just left you to die, then none of them would be in this mess.

“C’mon, you’re okay, come back to me now.” Denki pulled your chest to his, forcing your breathing to follow his as he focused on calming you down. Your eyes slowly came back into focus, gold was the only thing you could see for a moment before Denki pulled back.

“Is that better?” His hand brushed the tears off your face, a comforting smile on his face. How could he look so angelic in this situation?

“Yeah, sorry about that.” You wiped your nose, humiliation setting in as you realised how pathetic you must look, you needed to be stronger if you were going to get out of here alive.

“There’s nothing to apologise for, this is a tough situation.” Denki shrugged, he didn’t want to pressure you into talking about your past, but something big had obviously happened. Your unease was still flooding through the bond, easily alerting Denki to the fact you weren’t fine, worse, you were lying to him about it. He just wanted to help. Maybe he should try and distract you? Opting to cheer you up any way he could, Denki cuddled into your side, making sure he was monitoring how you felt though the bond. Your gaze shifted as the blonde rubbed over your skin, making a noise you could only describe as a croon while his face nuzzled against your neck. The noise was… weirdly comforting, and it wasn’t long before you felt some of the anxiety leaving you. Denki was over the moon, you were responding so well! His crooning picked up at how happy he was, and you let your head rest on his shoulder, your own hands finding his and intertwining with them. You were almost asleep when the door opening had you jumping awake, Denki slowly blinking as he figured out what had spooked you. Confusion was all that remained when you saw Dabi there, Shigaraki nowhere to be seen as he closed the door behind him.

“I talked to Shoto, I’m gonna help you out.”

“Dabi agreed to help us, but in return he wants Shigaraki alive, for himself. It’s the best chance we have, he’s the kings right hand.” Shoto deadpanned, completely unbothered by the snarling warrior being held back by Kirishima next to him.

“I wanna rip that bastard to shreds, fuck Dabi, we can do this without him.” Katsuki finally managed to get out after he’d been calmed down, a task that took several minutes.

“It’d take longer, you really want to sacrifice Y/n and Denki so you can kill someone?” Hanta had to help hold Katsuki back at that remark from Shoto.

“Katsu, Shoto’s right, our priority needs to be getting them quickly, not killing Shigaraki.” Mina placed her hand on Katsuki’s shoulder, the thing that finally calmed him down enough to mumble out a fine and get on with the actual planning.

“Finally, now what we’re going to do is cause a distraction on the battlefield, during which Dabi will knock out Shigaraki and get Denki and Yn to a safe destination we’ll go to after the battle. Now, onto the details…”

“You’re what? No way, it’s a trap right? Shigaraki is testing my loyalty? I’m not falling for something like this again.” You shook your head as you paced the room, Denki still sitting on the bed and Dabi lounging on a chair next to the desk. It was exactly the kind of thing that bastard would do.

“Bakugo told me to tell Denki about the dandelions.” Dabi ignored your rant, instead turning to Denki and raising his eyebrows at the blonde. Lower lip between his teeth, The blonde slunk over to you, grabbing your hand tightly before he spoke.

“It’s not a trap, Y/n, he’s telling the truth.”

“You don’t know that, what if they captured someone that told him?” You hissed, eyes darting over to the nonchalant figure in the chair.

“Hey, you asked me to trust you before, I need you to trust me now. Okay?” He presses a kiss to your cheek when he was finished, and despite your best efforts that smile got to you, made you relax and squeeze his hand.

“I-Fuck. Okay, I trust you.”

Taglist under the cut (let me know if there are any problems/you want to be added)

@averydrearydiana@wolfygecko@baby-snart@ssnaketongue@that-one-piece-oftrash@emilysimaginesblog@generousdigitalartartghost@slowly-gently@toffee1812@izzys-complete-insanity@sexisquid@icecreamguru03@tessamarie22@peculiar-faerie@lunaralpha270@max7500@graduatedmelon@everstrange1@saltytocrusade@dark-side-blog2@tinyspacesaurus@shimyshimyagustd@teacaku@shinethesensational@yooalicee@radnickeltoadbat@superrllama@trinshappyplaces@kai-iaa@mini-kunoichi-universe@estellegladiolus@kirapholia@lemonmaim@skylerstorm2@phantomfunguschild@naked-canadians@meaper112@cute-cotton-tail@xxnatashahicksxx @elektraeriseros@alpacalunches@a-mistake-tbh@evienorville@kirapholia@lemonmaim

@skylerstorm2@naked-canadians@degenerate-yandere@cute-cotton-tail@xxnatashahicksxx@artificially-chill@brbgettingchocolates@redvelevetdog@zaboomanyoom@alpacalunches@bad-boquet-of-emotions@tokyohealth@okthensherlock@imlosingmyshit@smallangrynerd@cherry-mariss@frostfox382

[smalltowndetective]

Love Like You-Part 19

Hope you guys enjoy! 

Links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18

Ao3 Link for all of them together

Title: Love Like You: Part 19

Pairing: Adam and Thea

Words: 3.7k

Series Summary:  Adam was used to pushing her away, but Thea had stuck by his side anyway. This time he may have finally done it, and now is in the danger of losing her forever

Part Summary: Adam arrives at the scene, his worse fears seeming to come true Tags: @sosolenoo @lilyoffandoms @ihavethemindofamaster @anotherbeingsworld @zizzlekwum

The entire drive over could have been considered a form of torture.

               The building that Thea, Felix, and Mason went to was a few hours out of the way, and Adam could feel himself getting more and more nervous.

               What if we are too late?

               Adam looked over to Nate, who looked about just as lost as he felt, his hands were out of his pockets, but he was wringing them together like he had never seen him do before.

               Part of him wanted to ask him if it was indeed too late, in order to try and get his normal reassuring answer and allow it to comfort him, but he was not sure if Nate could even convince himself at the moment, much less him as well.

               His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he continued to drive in an attempt to stop his hands from shaking, but it did nothing for the pit of worry that had not left his stomach.

               Where could Thea be?

               He gave a long shaky breath at the thought of her, the image of her heartbroken blue eyes overwhelming him, but he pushed it away.

               She’s going to be alright.

               She has to be.

               The three of them should have never been on that mission in the first place, and now there was a chance he could lose them all.

               I can’t let that happen, I can’t.

               “I think we need to call the Agency”, Nate suddenly spoke.

               “What?”, he asked at the sudden statement, “Why?”

               “We still don’t know what we are walking into”, he explained, “I understand not wanting to wait for backup, but we might need it. At least this way, there may be some help coming”

               “Okay”, he nodded, too distracted to fight him on it, not that he disagreed with it either.

               He got out his phone, and fiddled with it for a few minutes before he finally made the call, and Adam was barely paying attention to what he was saying, letting it all wash over him.

               It’s all going to turn out fine. It has to.

               “Alright, thank you”, he heard Nate say as he hung up the phone, and he turned back to him, “There should be a good few people coming”

               “Sounds good”, he said simply.

               “They aren’t very happy about us leaving without telling anyone”, he continued.

               “We’ll worry about that later”, Adam countered, with a harsher tone then he intended, “The circumstances demanded it”

               “I’m not trying to argue with you on this”, he replied, “I’m just letting you know”

               He gave a weak nod, and Nate looked like he wanted to say something else, but he heard him sigh, and he slouched back in the passenger seat.

               “Do you think everything will turn out okay?”, he finally got the nerve to ask, and his chest tightened at the way that he gave a weak shrug at that.

               “I really don’t know”, he muttered, “And I really wish I did”

               Adam tried to ignore the way that it made him even more anxious, and he tried to strengthen his resolve, squaring his shoulders as he did so.

               There has to be some hope.

               They were about a mile away from their destination when he started to smell smoke.

               Smoke?

               “Any idea where that could be from?”, Nate asked, having noticed it as well.

               “Not near us, no”, he said, his voice trailing off as he had a moment of realization.

               It can’t possibly be…

               You don’t know for sure yet, don’t think about this now.

               But it was not long before the sight of flames could be seen, towering over the surroundings, and Adam could feel his heart pound.

               No, please no.

               The place where they had been directed to, to which the person who told them about it said it was a tall red brick building, was completely engulfed in flames, part of the roof already having caved in, and there was no sign of it stopping.

               He slammed on the brakes and turned off the car in a hurry, and almost sprinting out of the car, Nate hot on his heels.

               The air around seemed to be radiate heat, and being closer to the smoke just made it harder and harder to breathe.

               But it was hardly what he was worried about.

               We’re too late.

               “They’re gone”, he managed to choke out, trying to hide back the wave of emotion in his voice, “He said they would be gone when we got here and- “

               “If they are still alive, we’ll find them”, Nate said, but from the shaky tone in his voice, he was unsure of the outlook himself.

               Still alive.

               Adam got the sudden urge to fall to the ground, and he just managed to keep himself standing, trying to breathe a deep breath to keep his composure.

               Not here. I can’t fall apart here.

               “I’m sure all three of them are alive”, Nate quickly added, as if he just realized what he had said.

               “You don’t know that”, he felt himself whisper, and it took a little to realize that he had spoken it aloud.

               I can’t lose her, I can’t.

               Not like this. I don’t think I can take it.

               “Maybe there is something around here that could give us an idea where they went?”, Nate asked, but he was not sure whether he had just said it to try and make him feel better.

               “The fire has probably taken anything that was left”, he said, even as much as he wanted to deny it and agree with him, “And I doubt the trappers left anything important behind”.

               He gave a shaky sigh, a sense of urgency filling his voice, “There is not much for us to do while we wait for the Agency. If there is anything, we need to find it”

               Adam could not argue with that, even with the sinking feeling that the both of them would not find anything.

               Thea’s last memory of you is going to be the words you should have, for once, taken back.

               “This was a mistake”

               He shook his head in an attempt to get that out of his head.

               It’s not going to be. I’m not going to accept that.

               The two of them started to make their way closer to the front of the building, and a sudden yell made them both turn around

               “Περίμενε!”

               The voice was in a language that he recognized being Greek, but he knew next to nothing about it, and he saw a dryad, her dark green hair falling in messy clumps around her face, the leaves in her hair a sickly yellow. Her white dress was tattered, and her almost green-tinted skin was covered in dirt.

               Adam looked to Nate, as if asking him what to do, and he stepped forward, saying something back to her in Greek.

               The two of them talked for a bit, and he could feel his stomach tighten as he watched his face fall as she continued to talk, and it was starting to put him on edge.

               “What did she say?”, he finally asked, not able to hold it back any longer.

               “She said that three people helped her get out”, he answered, an audible shake in his voice, “And the trappers left them behind after the fire”

               Please, no.

               Before Nate could try and talk him out of it, he ran off, frantically searching for any sign of any of them.

               Did they get trapped inside?

               He knew that Felix and Mason would probably turn out okay if they did, providing how much they were weakened before, but Thea.

               She can’t be dead, she can’t.

               Adam tried to swallow down the sob in his throat, his eyes starting to sting, but he was not sure if that was from the smoke from the still raging fire or the tears that were threatening to spill, but as he made his way around the building, his steps quickening and hardly thinking straight, he saw a figure on the ground.

               And he could feel his heart fall to his feet as he realized who it was.

               Thea

               He was full on sprinting now, and even with the roaring sound in his ears, he found the sound of her heartbeat, weak, but still there.

               Oh, thank God.

               The relief did not last long as he realized that he was not conscious, and her breathing came out weak and ragged.

               Adam dropped down to his knees next to her, and before he even knew what was he was doing, he picked her up, letting her head rest against her arm, almost cradling her, and he finally got a good look at her.

               It was not till then that he realized just how tiny Thea was. She was almost a full foot shorter than him, but she never had seemed so small until this moment, being almost dwarfed by his broad arms, her right ankle bent in an unnatural position. Her yellow sweater and blue jeans were covered in soot and dirt, scratches and cuts covering about every visible inch of her skin. Her dark chocolate brown hair fell in uneven clumps, full of tangles, and her face, while also covered in dirt, had clear line of tears that ran down her checks, and he could feel his chest tighten at the sight of it.

               He knew he should have left to try and find Nate, but he stayed put, almost marveling at the fact that she was here at all, and he moved his hand to brush her hair out of her face, and even with it covered in soot, it was still surprisingly soft.

               “Thea”, he whispered, not sure if she could even hear him, but not caring in the slightest about that. He left out a shaky breath, and he then pleaded, “Please wake up. Please”

               I’m not strong enough to lose you.

               I don’t think I could take it.

               “I have so much I need to say to you”, he continued, his voice getting more and more unsteady at the minute, “I need you Thea. I don’t think I could go on without you”

               I love you.

               Before Adam could even realize what, he was doing, he moved his head down to rest his forehead on his, it feeling almost feverish from how warm it was, and he tried to concentrate on her heartbeat.

               “I’m so sorry”, he choked out, closing his eyes as he said it to keep himself from crying, “I’m sorry I’m not what you deserve”

               He let out another shaky breath, and he heard a hacking cough that was not his own, and he moved his head back as he slowly watched Thea’s Atlantic blue eyes flutter open.

               “Adam?”, she weakly said, her eyes seeming to be fighting to stay open, “Is it- really you?”

               “It’s me”, he replied, relief filling his whole being with a rush, and he was unable to keep a smile off his face.

               Her eyebrows then furrowed in worry, “Do you know where Felix and Mason are?”

               “I don’t”, he admitted, almost forgetting all about them, “But I’m sure there fine. They would be able to get out of there”

               She weakly nodded, and he saw her eyes threatening to close again.

               “Hey”, he said gently, “Eyes on me, okay?”

               I need to see your eyes. I have to.

               Thea gave a weak laugh, “I’m trying. It’s just getting harder”

               “I’m not leaving”, he said resolutely, “You are going to get out of this, alright?”

               You have to.

               “I’m going to be by your side until the end”, he said, and he felt his heart pound at the thought that this might be the end, “I promise”

               “Adam”, she softly whispered, and he continued,

               “Once we all get back, maybe I’ll take you to see the fireworks again”

               And maybe, I’ll actually kiss you this time like I should have done.

               She gave a weak smile, “I’d really like that. But Adam?”

               “Yes?”

               “I’m so sorry”, Thea said, giving a cough as she said it, and he tightened his grip on her in response.

               “You have nothing to apologize for”, he assured her, “I should be telling saying that to you”

               “I should have- “, she began, but he gently shushed her.

               “None of what happened is your fault, do you understand me?”

               He paused before continuing, saying the words that he should have said a long time ago, “You are more than I could ever deserve”

               Adam watched her eyes grow wide, and she opened her mouth to say something, before biting her lip in order to stop it from spilling out and he got the nerve to move his hand back through her hair, which he felt her exhale from the touch.

               “I mean that”, he affirmed, “I’m not lying to you”

               Her breath caught, and he swore he could see the start of new tears at the edge of her eyes, but she gave him another small smile, but as she did so, her eyelids were starting to grow heavy again.

               “Please hold on”, he pleaded, “Please”

               I still need you.

               “I’m- really glad you’re here”, she whispered.

               “I wouldn’t be anywhere else”, he reassured her.

               Thea weakly moved her hand to rest on top of his, her hand somehow still freezing, and it sent goosebumps over his skin.

               But her eyes closed, and this time, she was not fighting to open them up again, and her head rolled over to lean on his chest.

               “Thea”, Adam said quietly, but it was not long before his voice came to almost pleading yell, “Thea! Please come back!”

               Please don’t leave me.

               Her eyes did not open again, and her ragged breathing and weak heartbeat rang loud in his ears.

               He could feel his eyes start to sting with unshed tears, and he gripped Thea tighter, bringing her closer to him.

               “I can’t take losing you”, he whispered, finally saying what he had only said in his head, “I know I can’t”

               Adam moved his head closer to hers, and he finally said the three little words that he had only said in his head for so long.

               “I love you Thea. I love you”

  ��            He looked back at her, almost as if saying it would make her wake up again, but she did not stir again.

               “I said it”, he breathed out, “I said it. Please wake back up. Please”

               Without knowing what else he could do, feeling like he was trapped in a nightmare, knowing that he should try and find Nate, but he felt frozen to his spot.

               He moved his head back forward, and he gave her a gentle kiss at the top of her forehead, and even though it tasted of ash, he hardly cared.

               “Adam!”

               A familiar voice made him turn, and it was only then that he realized that the fire had died off, and while there will still remnants of it there, most of the building that could be burned had already been completely destroyed.

               He saw Felix and Mason, looking a little worse for wear but otherwise alright, running up to him, two people behind him he did not recognize, but guessed they were some of the trapper’s prisoners.

               “It’s so good to see you”, Felix laughed out, but he could hear true relief in his voice, but as his face fell to Thea, he could see his amber eyes fill in worry.

               “Get Nate”, was all that he could choke out.

               Mason gave a nod, and he went off, the two prisoners behind him, and Felix came over to kneel down next to them.

               “Is she okay?”, he asked, moving his gaze to Adam.

               I don’t know.

               He could not bring himself to answer that, becoming more and more fearful that this would be his last moment with her.

               “Thea’s tough”, Felix said, but as he went on, it was more of like he was trying to convince himself, “She’ll make it through just fine”

               Will she?

               She has to.

               He put his arm on his shoulder when he did not say anything, and even though he tensed at the touch, he did not try to pull away.

               “She saved us, you know”, Felix continued, “It was her that got out first, and then she got us out. We told her to go ahead of us in order to get one prisoner out while Mason and I got the other two, but we should not have separated”

               His voice faltered, “It’s our fault. Thea was against us splitting up. We should have listened to her”.

               “It’s not”, Adam quietly said, speaking for the first time since he came over here.

               You guys should have never been on this mission in the first place.

               And you never would have been if that kiss never happened.

               He looked back at Thea, trying to keep himself together as he looked at her, praying that she would pull through.

               Please don’t take away the only light I have.

               Felix looked a bit awed that he had even said anything in the first place, and he continued, “You’ll figure it out, Adam. Everything regarding this, and everything afterwards”

               He then took a breath before continuing, “I wish I knew how to help you more”

               You’ve helped me more then you could ever know.

               “You do help”, he said simply, never taking his eyes off Thea, watching closely the gentle rise and fall of her chest, hoping that he would not have to see it stop.

               Before he could say anything else, he saw Nate running up to the both of them.

               “Mason told me what happened”, he said breathlessly, and then he looked down at Thea, and back at Adam, “Are you okay?”

               “Why wouldn’t I be?”, he almost scoffed out, seeming like a ridiculous question to him given Thea the way the she was.

               “We need to get her to the Agency”, he said, ignoring the harshness of his original statement, “You need to move”

               And even though walking felt like he was walking through cement, he got up anyway, taking Thea up with him, her almost seeming to weigh nothing at all, and he gently tried to keep her head leaning against his chest and not flopping to the other side away from him.

               Nate gave him a nod, and he started making his way back, his steps quickening as he did so, and he quickened his own in response, Felix close behind the both of them.

               It did take the group of them long to catch up with Mason, who was standing next to the trapper’s prisoners, and he saw the dryad that had originally came up to him and Nate perk up as they did so, asking a question to him in Greek.

               He answered back, but from the worry lines on his face, she had asked about Thea, and he could feel his chest tighten at the thought, grasping her firmer than he already was.

               “The Agency should be here soon”, Nate said in English, “You won’t have to wait long”

               I really hope we don’t.

               Mason came walking up to him, his grey eyes filled with the rare look of obvious worry.

               “Did she wake up at all?”, he asked him.

               “She did”, Adam muttered, never taking his eyes off of her, “We talked for a little bit before she passed out again”.

               “That’s a good sign, you know”, Mason said, “She’ll pull through”

               God, I hope so.

               But as he thought that, as if some true twist of fate, he heard her heartbeat get even slower, and from the look in Mason’s eyes, he had heard it to.

               Please don’t leave me behind Thea.

               He knelt back to the ground, and it was like he was unable to stay still, rocking them both, and he realized exactly what he must do.

               I made a promise to stay with her. I’m not going to breaking the last promise I could ever give her.

               I’ve already hurt her enough.

               The next few minutes were a blur for Adam, and he was not sure just how long it was. It could have been hours for all that he knew. Everyone else was watching the road for any sign of the Agency, but it was hardly what he was worried about.

               “You mean everything to me”, he choked out, and at that moment, he did not care who heard.

               You are everything.

               Everything that I’ll never be, and everything that I don’t deserve.

               “Commanding Agent”, said a voice suddenly that he did not recognize, “You need to let her go”

               “No”, he growled, almost against his will.

               I’m not leaving her.

               And if this was indeed her last moments, he was not going to let her go alone.

               I’m staying by her until the end.

               She deserves that much, for all that I’ve failed to give her.

               “Adam, you need to”, Nate’s gentle voice broke in, and he sighed, “They’ll be able to help her”

               “I’m not letting her go”, he said, barely aware of what he was even saying.

               Nate looked to the Agency paramedic, “Is there any possibly he can stay with her?”

               They shrugged, “He can”

               He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he finally relented, gently laying her down on the ground as if she was the precious thing in the world.

               Adam grabbed her limp hand, and he entwinned their fingers together, his hand almost completely covering her small one.

               “Commanding Agent”, he heard someone say again.

               He looked up, to see one of the paramedics, Thea’s locket in his hands. The locket that for as long as he had known her, was always around her neck. Adam did not know the significance of it, but he did know it was incredibly important to her

               “I think you should hang onto this”, they said, moving to place it in his free hand, and he could find no reason to argue against it.

               Adam ran his hands over it, as he had seen Thea do a million times, the metal smooth and warm to the touch. It was a piece of her, and it was almost strange to not see it where it usually was.

               It was not something that he felt like he deserved to hold on to, but he closed his hand around it anyway as the paramedic moved away.

               Please hold on for a little bit longer, Thea

               I still need you.

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