#it makes everyone think there's an extra state in the us that belongs to their own country

[scootingaround12]

To go with my idea of Brad being an augmented human and his hiding it from star fleet;

So it’s pretty clear Williams going to be a villain this season and it got me thinking about a scenario where the days saved the rifts are closed etc and William is arrested for his crimes.

William who just like Brad is an augmented human and before had reason to keep this hidden but now it’s definitely something he’d tell Starfleet about to get Brad also discharged and arrested. Definitely a if I’m going down I’m taking you with me scenario.

Also I’m thinking about Brad celebrating with everyone of the Cerritos after everything when a bunch of high ranking starfleet members come up and immediately arrest Brad in front of everyone stating his crime as being an augmented human who hid his identity in order to join starfleet.

Everyone’s pretty much ready to riot and throw down then and there, except for Brad himself who while definitely upset also looks calm and resolute almost.

He tells it’s true that he’s an augmented human that hid it all these years and that he’s sorry he’s lied to everyone. He always figured he’d be found out one day and yeah no way was William gonna keep their secret after everything, still it was nice while it lasted.

Cue a whole drama where Brad has a trial, all sorts of people are brought in as character witnesses and the Cerritos fights tooth and nail to get Brad free and back into starfleet.

Also Mariner is 100% freaking out about the idea of Brad in jail by himself (the others are also freaked out but mariner extra so) and thinks he’s probably been sold for a pack of cigarettes already.

Brad is actually having an ok time though, like he’s definitely not thrilled but compared to some of the missions and alien jails they’ve been to earth prison is pretty chill.

So Brad gets released and is reinstated as a junior lieutenant and a the rule stating that augmented humans can’t join starfleet is removed.

Brad and the gang expect everything to just go back to normal on the ship, but there’s definitely some stigma around augmented humans and the fact he kept it hidden for so long that affects peoples opinions on him.

Some of its mild like Jack Ransom asking him if he has any cool augmented stuff like extra strength, endurance and brain power (he doesn’t). He even makes a few comments on missions about Brad being built differently and using those augmented abilities to help them (it’s annoying at best and offensive at worst)

Doctor T’ana now that she has access to brads actual genetic code and health is kinda horrified by what she finds, since his DNA is constantly falling apart and fixing itself resulting in all kind of health problems. She starts him a strict regime of supplements and vitamins etc and asks him all sorts of questions about past health stuff and doctors (she looked ready to kill someone when Brad mentioned he didn’t really ever go to the doctor as a kid since his parents where worried about his illegal augment status being found out).

There’s also a number of starfleet officers who almost seem to be scared of Brad, whispering about how you can’t trust augmented humans that Brad must be hiding his true self like William was and that one day he’ll just snap.

There’s also a more vocal angry group who spew all sorts of hateful things about how brads an unnatural freak and that he and other augmented humans don’t belong in starfleet to anyone that will listen.

[scpoversimplified]

SCP 1328 - 51st State of Mind

effect that makes maps think other countries have an extra state, located in the US. people think they live there and will arrive there very quickly by way of chasm.

[yanderenightmare]

Bakugou Katsuki x darling

TW: omegaverse, possessiveness, light bullying

part 2

gn reader

Just thinking about how Alpha Beta Omega classes were always the worst. How the teacher would speak about an Alpha's strength and charisma, a Beta's sense of loyalty, and, of course, all of an Omega's weaknesses. 

It didn’t help that you were the only Omega in school. It also didn’t help that your class featured the only Alpha in school too.

All your life, it’s been a myriad of bullying. Katsuki would be at the helm, all the Betas behind him, eagerly following his every move – then you – trod over in the process. 

“You’re an Omega. You know that means you’re stupid, right?” He’d laugh – his canines gleaming in his grin.

“And weak – Katsuki, don’t forget weak!” His friends would add, hyping him up – making his smile ever sharper.

“Yeah! – stupid, weak, slow, and tiny.” You’d be pushed to the dirt, shadowed by his form, gleaming with pride, blocking out the sun. “Heh- sounds like something that belongs beneath a boot.”

All those classes, all those lessons. It’s not really the teacher’s fault. She’d tried using the most unbiased language she could. She’d only been stating facts – but still… couldn’t they have waited until all of you were a little older to tell everyone all the reasons you were different from them?

Granted. The lessons progressed into different territory when you got older. Talking about pheromones and instincts and mating and breeding – how Omega’s fall prey to something called ruts and heats – and how vulnerable they are when they’re caught in it. 

You were burning with embarrassment in your seat – feeling feverish from the toll of it – knowing how all this new information was going to be like fuel to fire – how Katsuki was going to use it for all it was worth.

You dared glance over at him – sitting by the window – he had an elbow propped on the desk and his head resting in the palm it supported. It didn’t seem like he was paying attention – his face turned away, looking outside instead. You couldn’t tell whether he was listening. You hoped he wasn’t.

But if you’d looked extra close, you’d see the beat red blush on his ear and cheeks.

To your pleasant surprise, Bakugou didn't approach you at all after that. You thought for sure he’d mock you, but it seemed that maybe… he’d grown out of it, perhaps? Either way, you were happy to think he’d forgotten all about you.

If only you knew he was on a mission to ignore you. You hadn’t noticed, too humiliated by the things being said about the nature of Omegas to have listened to what the teacher said about Alphas – and all their strange possessive habits – their need to mark their mate with bites and scent and-

He shuddered.

It’s a complete surprise. He can’t believe all these years he’s wanted you like that. But ever since you were kids, he’s been imprinting on you – chasing you, biting you, coveting you. It’s so embarrassing he can’t believe it. Is this really the reason you piss him off so much?

He knows it is – now; that one look at you has him blushing and his pants tight in the crotch. Fuck – do you even know? Have you known all along?

No… you’re acting like nothing’s amiss. Chatting up extras with an oblivious smile on your face – acting like you don’t belong to him.

How’s he going to keep you in check when you’re going to different schools by next term? How’s he gonna keep others away from you? Shit- what if there are other alphas at the school you’re going to? What if-

Fuck! His chest is pounding so hard and fast it hurts. He’s going to lose you…

You’re trembling – on the verge of tears – when he drags you off behind the school on graduation day.

His face was in his normal scowl.

He hasn’t bothered you all year – why, what-

“You’re gonna wear this at your new school, or you’re not gonna go.” He mutters – his fist shoving a ball of black fabric into your stomach – not hard, but enough to make you flinch. “Don’t wash it. Bring it back to me, and I’ll give you a new one.”

Your brows furrow.

“Every week. Or else I’ll hunt you down.”

He takes a step closer – you yelp as your back hits the wall, then whimper when his nose brushes along your hairline – his breaths hot.

“This’ll let every extra know you already belong to me.”

When he walks away, back in a slouch and hands shoved down his pant pockets – you unravel the mess of black in your hands – revealing a skull-print plastered on a large hoodie.

It smells like Kachan.

part 2

[wannaeatramyeon]

Meeting Yamazaki Shingen for the First Time: Sleepless Nights

G/N. 1.7k strangers to~. Soft. Arranged marriage trope. Masterlists

Disappointing, you've heard people say about you. Disobedient.

Troublemaker, should be seen and not heard, your mother chides you while your father just looks on with resentment, as if he couldn't believe they could have created such an insolent child.

In exchange for being the black sheep of your family, you're offered, kicking and screaming, to Yamazaki Shingen. Trading your life and freedom to elevate your family's name and standing.

If you can't be a filial offspring and make your parents proud, the least you can be is useful.

To everyone's surprise, the Yamazaki clan accepts.

.

.

With relief, you realise there isn't going to be a wedding night.

This isn’t a marriage. You're only one of many. No-one has been deemed worthy enough to sit by Shingen's side as the head of the family. This doesn't bother you.

Nor the fact that you have not seen the man you have been allegedly sold off to and you quietly count your blessings.

Instead, you're treated as an extra pair of hands, almost a servant. Spending your days helping out around the household with any chores and errands as they see fit. It's hard, gruelling work.

You collapse every night in your futon out of exhaustion and sleep takes no time at all.

It's still a better life than you had before.

.

.

Though the routine might be growing familiar, it's still a stranger's home and a strange room and a strange futon that you're lying on.

Tonight, the strangeness of your situation overwhelms.

You miss your old room, the softness of your old pillow on your skin, the smell of your own belongings.

Tonight, sleep is nowhere to be found.

.

.

You're greeted by a silhouette sitting in the courtyard.

Outlined by the moonlight, size more monster than human. Although in any other circumstances you might feel fear, this is the Yamazaki home, you think. No-one, not even monsters, would dare trespass.

You find your own space to sit in. You wonder if he even knows you're here or if this is two strangers letting the silence grow comfortable between them.

"Who are you?" comes his voice, and the peace breaks. It's low, almost a growl.

It takes you a moment to realise you didn't dream it and you tell him your name.

"I can't sleep." you add and you hear a sharp exhale of amusement.

He doesn't volunteer any information about himself and you don't ask.

Nevertheless, it's a kindred spirit, you decide. Someone else suffering from sleep evading them.

He continues to sit, still as a rock, and you join him. Breath deepening and eyelids growing heavier by the second. Your head drops forward, jolting you awake and you take your leave.

.

.

In the morning and for several weeks after, you're not sure if the man had been conjured up by your imagination.

If in your sleep-induced haze, your mind created someone you could relate to, no matter how trivial the bond.

You search but don't see anyone in the Yamazaki family that could look like him.

You almost mistake Shintaro for him, the Vice President who has been courteous if a little cold, except in your blurred memories you think the stranger has wild long hair.

.

.

Over time, you forget about him. Someone that could either be a figment of your imagination or as real as the floor you’re currently scrubbing.

You let your daily tasks wash over you. Following instructions without argument and keeping to yourself.

Your hands grow calloused and energy drains.

A state of overtiredness finally overwhelms you.

Where you can feel the fatigue deep in your bones, your body hovering in a state between conscious and unconscious, moving in a haze, yet your mind is alive and wired and sleep won't take no matter how much you toss and turn.

.

.

He’s there again.

But as the days grow, the nights are no longer as dark as it was and you can make out more of his features.

Your brain didn’t deceive you. His form is as large as you remembered, maybe larger. A good few heads taller than you and powerfully muscled. Hair long, like a sheet of darkness past his shoulders. 

“Evening,” you say as a way of greeting, your voice carrying in the quiet night breeze. His head snaps to yours, though you can’t make out his face.

You feel his gaze on you as you sit, folding your legs under you.

You close your eyes, enjoying the silence. Feeling the warm air on your skin and caressing your hair. No longer as frigid or cool as it was when you first stepped foot into the Yamazaki clan.

“Another sleepless night,” he says. You don’t know whether it’s a question for you or a confession of sorts for him.

In the end, you echo him, agreeing with the sentiment. “Another sleepless night.”

.

.

Curiosity keeps you awake rather than exhaustion or anxiety or insomnia the next night, wondering if the man is still there sitting like a lonely statue.

Your mind leads you fully this time. 

At dusk, you carefully slide the door behind you as your feet pad onto the soft grass, brain and body awake.

He’s there. In the same spot, in the same position.

It’s even lighter tonight, and you can see his features. His black eyes, the startling white irises, the emptiness in his gaze.

You do as you have done before, sitting down a few metres away. 

“Why are you here?” he asks, tone inquisitive. Your footsteps and movement have given you away. You’re much more alert, less sluggish, no longer moving as if in a dream state and he has noticed.

“I wondered if you were here every night.” You tell him, opting for honesty.

The silence stretches as you wait for his answer. Eventually you hear-

“Yes.”

.

.

The twilight meetings become routine. Only a handful of words are exchanged on a given night, if any at all.

Yet you have come to think of him as the guardian of your slumber. Some nights you drift off as soon as your head hits your pillow, and when morning comes, you feel a pang of guilt for not joining your companion.

He never comments on it, though you think his eyes are a little warmer whenever he sees you again.

.

.

At the change of seasons, when the day grows hot and sticky, you are summoned to Yamazaki Shingen’s quarters.

You had allowed yourself to forget that you are only in this household to be used for breeding potential, no better than livestock. 

Disregarded that the dowry the Yamazaki clan paid for you was too high a price for a simple servant and became so accustomed to your daily chores, pretended this day would never come.

At sundown, the head housekeeper, a crotchety old woman guides you to your doom.

You would have considered escaping if she wasn’t flanked by bodyguards, two men with matching severe expressions. You would have considered asking for help if your only companion, the person you have sort of befriended, was nowhere to be found in the courtyard.

“Master Shingen has been dissatisfied. He hasn’t been with anyone in months,” the housekeeper says, subdued and not breaking pace. She gives you a look as if that is your problem to solve. “The elders are getting worried.”

Good, you want to snap back. Let them be worried. Let this stupid clan die off.

Just as you’re about to say something you would no doubt regret, she stops abruptly in front of an oversized door. You almost careen into the back of her but the bodyguard’s hands shoot out and steady you.

“I’m fine,” you hiss, shoving their hands off you.

“Now in you go,” she rolls her eyes at your outburst, opening the door and pushing you in with her talons, “And do behave.”

.

.

Shit shit shit.

The room is almost pitch black, only illuminated by a sliver of moonlight through the windows.

Adrenaline courses through your body and you desperately will your eyes to adjust to the darkness, even as they dart around fruitlessly, looking for a weapon, for anything-

When you sense another presence in the room with you and you stop moving.

“What are you doing?” comes his voice.

Your breath hitches. 

It’s one that you have only heard sparingly but have nevertheless looked forward to hearing again. A figure you have sought out night after night.

“Is-Is that you?” 

A chuckle from the shadows. “Yes.”

Could this really be him? “Y-Yamazaki Shingen?” You stammer, a literal shot in the dark. 

“Yes,” he replies and you feel your legs almost buckle out beneath you. “Come closer.”

Incredulous at this twist of fate, you carefully make your way towards the centre of the room. Your eyes, at long last, are able to pick out the silhouette sitting on the bed, and that there is a bed. 

Does he expect... Does he want you to-?

“No,” he cuts in like he’s able to read your thoughts. “I want your company. Like you did mine.”

His white irises are practically glowing, boring into you.

“Another sleepless night?” you ask tentatively. Groping for an olive branch, for that connection.

“Another sleepless night,” Shingen agrees, and everything finally falls into place.

.

.

Like all those nights before, Shingen is a man of few words. He observes you as you try to find comfort in his space, in a room completely unfamiliar to you.

He finds a strange companionship, ease in your presence. You don’t ask for anything from him, and in return, he doesn’t ask for anything from you.

Except, well - this.

And only this. He has no intentions of forcing what you do not want to give.

As you lay your head down next to his, a small smile of relief on your face that things have surprisingly worked out, Shingen, to his own surprise finds that he’s smiling back.

For the first time in a long time, he falls asleep in his own bed. 

He falls asleep easily tonight and every night thereafter - to the sound of your breathing, and the warmth of your body next to his.

[simplyholl]

Under The Stars

Summary: A beautiful night in nature leads to some fun.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F. Reader

Warnings: Smut. 18+ ONLY. Minors DNI. Established relationship. Fingering.

See My Masterlist Here

You had been looking forward to this trip all month. Tony reserved a camping spot for all the Avengers. He said it would be good for everyone to get some fresh air. As spoiled as he is, you figured he meant you were going glamping. You imagined lavish tents with mattresses and air conditioning.

When you and the rest of the team arrived, you were surprised that Tony only had sleeping bags and regular tents for each of you. You all had to pair up, Tony and Pepper, Sam and Steve, Bruce and Natasha, Scott and Clint, Wanda and Vision, Thor and Loki, and you and your boyfriend, Bucky.

Tony gave the boys tent duty. You, Wanda, Natasha, and Pepper sat in your chairs by the lake enjoying a few drinks while watching. The tents put up a good fight against Earth’s mightiest heroes. Scott assembled his and Clint’s in just a few minutes. He explained that he used to go camping all the time as a kid. The others weren’t so lucky. Thor snapped one of the poles almost immediately. Loki stood watching in disgust, his arms folded across his chest.

Sam was trying to put it together while Steve silently read the instructions. Vision finished his right after Scott. Bruce pushed his glasses up on his nose as he read the instructions then did each step. Bucky looked around at the others trying to mimic what they were doing. Tony gave Scott ten dollars to assemble his. When everyone was finally finished, Pepper got out the picnic baskets she packed.

You all spread out on the blankets you brought. You were happy to get a break from all the hustle and bustle of New York. You and Bucky shared the small cake Pepper placed in each basket. You couldn’t wait until it got dark. The stars were what you had looked forward to the most.

It was a lot cooler at night than during the day. You were thankful you brought an extra blanket. You covered yourself and Bucky, laying on his chest as you stargazed. The team talked about the beautiful night sky. Everyone was laughing and talking amongst themselves.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day.” Bucky whispers in your ear, his hand laying on your stomach. “We’ve been together all day.” You smile back. You realize what he means when he hooks his fingers under the waistband of your panties. “We can’t do that here.” You say quietly, trying not to catch anyone’s attention.

“Guess you’ll have to be quiet then.” He smirks, moving his hand lower. You look towards the others, but they weren't paying attention to you. They were too entranced with the beautiful night sky. Bucky dips two fingers inside, curling them perfectly. You clench around them, checking again to make sure your teammates don't see you.

"They aren't payin' attention to us, babe. Relax." He swirls the rough pad of his thumb against your clit, your vision blurs around the edges. "Already?" Bucky smirks, pumping his thick digits in and out of you. You never lasted long with him. He knew your body like it was his own, and to him it was. You belonged to him in every sense of the word.

His cold, vibranium hand grips your thigh, pulling your legs apart as he works his fingers faster, his thumb swirling in tandem. You were so close just from feeling his metal hand so close to your softest parts. Bucky never touched you with it during sex. He was still afraid a small part of when he was the Winter Soldier lurked somewhere deep inside him. So there was no way he would risk hurting you when he was in his most fragile state.

He lost control when he was intimate with you. He held himself back just in case something happened. "Bucky, please touch me with it." You beg, quietly, reaching for the back of his neck. His brows furrow as realization sinks in. "I can't, angel. What if i hurt you?"

"I trust you." You whisper. That statement alone destroyed all his hesitation. His icy fingers replaced his warm digits. You shiver from the contrast. "You like when I touch you with this? My sweet baby, she thinks she could handle it rough." You whine, eyes widening when you realize you were loud.

Bucky covers your mouth with his free hand, slipping his finger in your mouth, his thumb stroking your cheek. You suck your arousal off his finger. He's never been like this with you before. He was always so gentle. You loved this new side of him. His vibranium thumb swipes your clit as he whispers against your ear. "When we get home, I'll fuck you so hard, you won't be able to walk for a week. You'd like that wouldn't you?"

You cum around his metal fingers, his hand over your mouth barely conceals your cry. He lets you ride your orgasm out, flesh hand leaving your mouth, and smoothing down your hair. "You did so good for me." He praises, placing a kiss to your forehead. "Can we make it through one outing without someone fucking? What are we lovesick teenagers?! At least wait until you're in the damn tent!" Tony yells. You and Bucky smile at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Sorry!" You both shout.

Tags

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[doberbutts]

Hi! I've met three dobes in my life so far and I definitely see the protective aspect. The dobe belonging to a friend did the whole 'BARK BARK person in the house!' routine. But she was doing her 'job' and I respect that. I think people fail to realise not every breed is going to fit what they want in a dog, and investing in a protective, guarding breed comes with adjustments that if they can't make they shouldn't own that particular dog.

What's funny too is that Fenris is hideously friendly. Like. I joke that his breeder sent me a golden retriever in a doberman suit because he is sooooooo so so social. His suspicion and his sharpness are forever at odds with his desire to be friends with everyone. He's not even mad about the decoy, he's happy because he gets to play his favorite game (BITING YOU BITING YOU BITING YOU) with someone he likes that's proven to know how to play this game and make it extra fun and not complain when he bites too hard.

But then he reminds me that he is really a doberman, when he says BOW WOW WOW at someone who lunges at me as I walk by, or someone who comes running from across the parking lot at us. Suspicious and vaguely threatening behavior is Not Friendly and so he matches that energy.

Maybe it's not what Dobermann had in mind. But I think this is an easier dog to live with than my barky lungey Skoll who wanted to maul every last person he saw. And I think in today's world, Fenris is an asset (people who perform vaguely threatening behavior back up when dog barks at them) while Skoll is a liability (he WILL bite someone for no reason).

But anyway. This like I said it what frustrates me when people say purebred people only care about aesthetic. I'm a purebred people. I have exclusively purebred dogs right now. And I want my doberman to be protective. I think it's a worse opinion to state that every breed has to be the same companion-only temperament (because then that truly just turns breed into aesthetic) than it is to say that the breed should act like the breed they are.

So someone that responds with "I don't want a protective dog" - sorry, then what you want isn't a doberman. Because even my incredibly friendly and social dog is still protective. He's very safe for strangers to touch and interact with- and people at club are always delighted when he decides to hop into someone's lap to lick all over their face when released from a stay- but also he sees someone approach my front door and issues a challenge. The decoy hits me on the arm and he latches on to the man's leg with a roar.

[achaoticeternal]

𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺

beefy!bucky barnes X teacher!reader word count: 550  (drabble) summary: christmas/holiday drabble - Bucky picks you up from school on the last day before winter break a/n: i attempted to make this little holiday drabble as gender and religion inclusive as possible. no gender, identity, or religion is specifically stated in the fic, so anyone can enjoy it! no use of y/n warnings: fluff. kids?

The final dismissal bell rings, signaling the start of winter break for kids and teachers alike. All your students were frantically packing away all of their winter art projects and homework so that they could officially spend the next week awaiting Santa Claus or at least to spend time at home with their families.

“Alright kiddos! Have a happy holidays and I’ll see everyone when we get back from winter break. Stay warm!” You waved them all out of the classroom as you picked up your own bags to lock up your classroom for the next two weeks. 

Once you picked up all your belongings, you followed after the stragglers to redirect them to the car pick up line. It was your last carline duty and at least you got to say goodbye to all your students and their parents. Even though the winter weather was nipping at your nose, the thought of a relaxing holiday break with your fiancé, Bucky, and your cat, Alpine, kept you warm. 

“Goodbye! Goodbye!” You waved to each car as they drove off onto the snowy Brooklyn street. There were only a handful of children and vehicles left, and as the kids climbed into their parent’s car, you saw a familiar black SUV pull into the pick up line.

“It looks like Prince Charming has pulled up to whisk you away from the cold,” A colleague of yours teased. You giggled as you could see him and Alpine through the windshield of your shared vehicle. 

Once Bucky had pulled up close enough, you climbed into your carriage to be whisked away as your peers waved goodbye. As you settled in your seat and removed extra winter wear, Alpine climbed comfortably into your lap to welcome you. 

“Thanks for picking me up, Buck! I know its not ideal, but I don’t trust anything when it’s snowing this hard.”

“It’s no problem, love,” He chuckled, placing his righthand on your thigh, “I don’t think that its snowed like this or has been this cold since I was a kid.”

“Well that was a hundred years ago, give or take,” You teased him.

“Y’know,” he simply responded, before moving on, “I’m surprised your face didn’t flush or that you don’t have goose bumps! It’s well below freezing!”

“Well, I’ve got a secret weapon that keeps me from freeing solid.”

Bucky turned into the driveway of your apartment complex just outside the building and parked the SUV, “And what would that secret weapon be?”

“I’ve got my love to keep me warm,” you winked at him and pressed a kiss to Alpine’s little head. You earned a meow and another warm chuckle in response.

“Get upstairs, you cheesy goof! I’ve got hot chocolate and my favorite holiday movie waiting for us.”

“Bucky, Die Hard isn’t a holiday movie - you are the only person who thinks that it is,” he rolled his eyes, and Alpine purred against the warmth of your chest, “Even the cat agrees.”

“Sure, because the cat knows so much about movies,” His nose scrunched as the two of you stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, Bucky pressed a kiss to the temple of your head, “I’m just glad I get to have you all to myself for two weeks.”

[writing-in-the-impala]

Secret Smokes (Part 4)

Pairing: Teacher! Remus Lupin x Reader

Series Summary: When the reader bumps into the new DADA professor on the bridge in Hogwarts she begins to build a friendship with him all thanks to their shared feeling of not belonging and love for muggle cigarettes. Their friendship blooms while they both fight internal battles deciding what is wrong and what is right leading to a lot of fluff, angst, flirting and a rollercoaster of emotions.

Warnings: Swearing, Drinking, teacher-student relationship (but like it’s all legal chill), SLOWburn we’re in for a long ride

Word Count: 3307

A/N: I know I always say I love you all, but I am blown away by all your support on each chapter. Comments are appreciated I love hearing your thoughts, it helps guide me in what direction to take the story! Anyway get ready we're starting to get a bit angsty in this chapter....

 | SERIES MASTER LIST (All chapters) |

Previous Chapter, Part 4, Next Chapter

Over the weekend you and the twins did manage to go to Hogsmeade you didn't really need anything for your prank but it was nice to get out of Hogwarts for a bit. You walked around and browsed the shops, making a stop at Honeydukes for some tiny black pepper imps, fragile sugar-spun quills and exploding bonbons. The twins assured you all of this would be useful for future pranks. Before heading back to the castle Fred suggested a quick stop at the Three Broom Sticks and all of you thought it was a great idea. You sat down at a corner table that you loved as it gave you a view of the whole place, you could gossip about all the people there especially teachers. After ordering your drinks you saw a familiar face walk in "Guys looks it's Lupin with the library lady." Fred mentioned.

"Irma Pince?" You questioned maybe slightly too loudly as you watched them walk in, at this moment Lupin's eyes met yours and he gave you a gentle, distant, smile to acknowledge your presence. He held the door for her like a gentleman, pulled the chair out for her before sitting down, very old fashioned you thought. Your eyes didn't leave them until George began to speak again.

"Do you think they're on a date?" George asked.

"Surely not." You answered too quickly.

"What if they know about our prank." You whispered.

"Even if they did why would they out of all people meet here just them to discuss it." George questioned you.

"Maybe Lupin found out and he wants to warn her." You tried to think of any reason apart form a date why he would bring her here.

"Find out from who? There's no chance. It's definitely a date." Fred stated.

"Y/N is just jealous." George stated.

"Who doesn't have the hots for Lupin? We're all jealous." Fred said jokingly.

Your eyes were glued to the pair as Lupin ordered a drink for the two of them, your eyes once again met his and you immediately diverted your gaze to the glass in front of you. "I think we should make the prank bigger." You blurted out.

"Now you're talking. What are you thinking?" Fred asked.

"I don't know, we hex the whole library somehow make everyone who entered there regret it." You didn't know where this sudden hate and anger towards the library came from but the twins enjoyed scheming and you began devising a plan to make it a better, bigger prank. You kept gazing towards Lupin throughout the conversation watching his interaction, he seemed happy, they spent the whole time chatting or maybe discussing. He was dressed more casually then usual, in a shirt and sweater over it but he didn't looks like he dressed up just like he wanted to be more comfortable, you hated yourself for analysing him so much but you struggled to look away. When you were leaving you didn't notice him looking at you the same way and thinking the same thoughts about you.

The weekend ended a bit too quickly and you were back to sitting in classrooms all day waiting for the day to finish, you nearly forgot about your extra DADA lesson in the afternoon but Lupin sent you an owl during breakfast with a reminder. You made your way to his class after a very boring positions lesson with conflicted feelings, you didn't want to do extra lessons but at least it was with him. You knocked on the door gently and heard a soft "come in" from inside. All the desks were already moved against the wall leaving a large open space, Lupin was sitting at his desk at the front of the room grading some papers it seemed he greeted you with a warm smile. "Glad to see you didn't bail Miss L/N."

"I would've forgotten if it wasn't for your owl if I'm being honest." You admitted.

"How was your weekend?" Lupin asked politely. "Uneventful, it went by quicker than expected. Yours?" Lupin sorted the stack of papers he had putting it to the side. "Mine was pleasant, I had a meeting with Irma Pince I'm trying to get more muggle books introduced into the library taking, inspiration from you actually, I think not only will it help muggle born students feel more at home I think it'll be good for everyone to have some diversity." Great so you caused them to have a date, you thought to yourself.... Or maybe it wasn't a date at all just a professional meeting. "And how's that going?" You asked. "Horribly, she's a stubborn old woman stuck in her ways. But I think with a little more convincing I might succeed. We'll see." He said honestly.

"So how does this work? Do you give me spells to practice I do them and then that's it?" You wanted to change the topic. "I thought we'd focus on your weaknesses," Lupin stood up and walked in front of the desk leaning on it. His tie was loose and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. "I am aware that the practical side is a weakness of yours now two core thing I want to cover with you before Christmas is your Patronus charm and your defensive spells, starting with the latter." 

Lupin began by turning on the record player with music he then began teaching you the hand movements and starting to talk to you about posture and how you should be acting during casting these spells, at moments he got quite close to you even once holding your arm from behind to help you figure out the movement, the feeling of his chest pressed against your back and his arm on your hand send shivers through you making you feel a bit hot and bothered. By the end of your hour with Lupin you wanted to stay in the room keep going because you were enjoying yourself and the fun dynamic. He was gentle and helpful and really cared about helping you. He expressed that these spells aren't just for your exams but rather to protect you navigating the wizarding world. After the hour was up you thanked Lupin for the lesson and left the room with a quick "see you later."

After dinner you headed straight for the bridge to meet Lupin, he wasn't there when you arrived and you began to think he won't show today but he did walking up with his hand in his trouser pockets and a soft look on his face. "You know Y/N you don't have to come here to meet me everyday especially after I've just forced you to spend some of your evening with my in my classroom." He stood next to you leaning over the side but looking at you, not lighting a cigarette. "You make it sound like it's torture to spend time with you profesor." He laughed at your comment. "Besides this isn't like spending time with a teacher this is Lupin not the same guy who teaches DADA." You continued. "How so? What's the big difference?" He pushed.

"Well this guy encourages bad behaviour, he's a good laugh, he encouraged me to actually care about school." You began. "That last one sounds like something a teacher would do." Lupin interrupted.

"That's true, but it's different. Can I tell you something honestly?" You asked vulnerable and Lupin gave you a go on nod. "I see you, as in you who I meet right here as someone I can trust and call a good friend. I feel like your someone I can really trust in, don't get me wrong I have friends but I feel like you understand me in a different way, you understand everything I struggled with over the last few years at Hogwarts the isolation, the-"

"Y/N..." Lupin interrupted. "Sorry I got a bit too deep, I probably shouldn't have said anything." You said in embarrassment. "No Y/N, I appreciate every word. And I appreciate your honesty, if we're both being honest right now I agree completely. It's my first time teaching here and it's weird all my old teachers are now my colleagues and now I'm the old guy do you know how soul crushing that is? I felt so alone moving here all my friends have turned into people I can only see on weekends as I'm stuck on school grounds. But you were someone who decided to speak to me like a human not like a profesor or like a past student and it was so refreshing. Although I don't think I've ever smoked this much in my life." He laughed to himself. "We're both losers." You replied laughing. "What are your friends like?" You asked honestly. Lupin began telling you about Harry's parents and about Sirius Black and how they were school friends and now they're the most important people in his life. He talked openly about missing them but knowing that working at Hogwarts had given him opportunities he wouldn't have had anywhere else. Around 10pm Lupin checked his watch and realised he's kept you up with his stories past curfew, this was the moment you realised you had a prank to pull so you said goodbye to Lupin and made your way back to see the twins.

The twins were both sitting in the common room on one of the sofas as soon as you walked in they both jumped up. "We've been waiting for you." They said in unison. "You need to stop flirting with boys all night we have work to do Y/N." Fred stated. "Everything is ready we've got Harry's invisibility cloak we just need the map." George reached his arm out and you handed him the map. Around midnight you set off towards the library, once you were inside it was completely empty it was pretty cool to be there in the middle of the night, you straight away began jinxing the books it took a while to do all of them but thinking of new ways you can jinx each book made it a little bit more fun. You were maybe making a bit too much noise as you noticed on the map Filch was walking towards you. The three of you quickly jumped under the cloak of invisibility and went left the library, Filch ran past you and went into the library "Students out of bed." He shouted as he ran into the library but then he saw no one you wanted to laugh but you kept silent as you began to walk back to the Gryffindor dorm rooms. You heard Filch's voice complaining out loud behind you approaching you as your turned the corner, you were moving very slowly as you were trying to stay completely covered as you walked down the corridor. "What's wrong Filch?" You heard a familiar voice coming towards you from the opposite direction.

"Students out of bed profesor, they're hiding in the library." Filch said standing right next to you. Now Lupin was standing so close that if you breathed to loudly you were sure he'd hear. The three of you froze the twins shut their eyes probably to avoid laughing you stood there watching. "Now Filch why would students sneak around at this time of night to go to the library?" Lupin asked amused, it felt like he could see right through the cloak of invisibility.

"I could hear their voices." Filch replied.

"Okay." He looked right where you were standing almost making eye contact with you. "Let go check Filch come on." He said and they walked away from you and you felt like you could finally breathe, you ah the twins practically ran back to the dorm as sons as they were out of sight. When you returned, you began laughing about how you nearly got caught thankful that you didn't.

The next day at lunchtime is when the announcement came about your prank profesor McGonagall was the one to break the news "it has come to our attention that last night a group of students decided to jinx the library, now if anyone knows any information about this we urge you to come forwards..." she began her speech. Throughout the whole speech it felt like Lupin was staring at you and the twins. "Do you think he knows?" You asked them on your way out the hall.

"How could he?" George began. "We were under the cloak the whole time there's no way." Fred finished. You went on with your day and luckily no one knew it was you and the twins who pulled off the prank, every teacher would remind the class after the lesson that the library is closed and to come forward with any information during your DADA lesson you felt like Lupin was acting a bit different you didn't know if your conversation with him last night caused it or if he knew about the prank. During his own speech about how the library is closed it felt like his eyes were glued to you, you were confident he knew somehow. That evening he didn't show up to the bridge, you checked a marauders map and he wasn't in Hogwarts at all you felt wrong checking the map but you wanted to know if he went to the bridge after you left.

The next day after your lessons you had your DADA extra session, you went to the class like last time and just as before when you entered the tables were all moved to the side of the classroom. Lupin was sitting behind his desk as before and looked up to you to greet you "Good afternoon Y/N." He simply said.

"Afternoon Professor." You replied he was wearing his shirt properly buttoned up and his tie all the way up a lot more profesional looking than last time. "Today we'll be working on counter-jinxes as I believe you've already mastered jinxes let's see if you can counter them." He stated pulling out a pile of books onto the table, books from the library... "Luckily we have a lot of jinxed books that some students gracefully prepared for us." He handed you the pile of books. "So you want me to remove the jinxes this feels more like detention than tutoring." You felt annoyed at how he was treating you suddenly. "Why would you get detention unless you were the one who jinxed these books, no I don't want you to remove those jinxes I want you to open the books and use a counter jinx to protect yourself from whatever the books have to offer."

"But how am I meant to do that? I don't even know what will come out of them." You were scared of some of the things that the twins may have made the books do. "That's the point, that's the challenge." Lupin said. "You're not making this easy when I have no idea what to do, all I know is how to remove the jinx all together." You stayed in annoyance. He took a book, opened it and preformed a counter-jinx. "See that easy, now imagine you're in the library and you open a book a jinx comes out how do you defend yourself." He hands you a book and you look at it, it's one that you had jinxed so you knew what to expect and knew what spell to preform. Lupin seemed shocked at how well you did he probably wanted you to fail. "Not many people can think of a specific counter jinx before seeing what the book is jinxed with you know." He said simply. "I'm a faster learner." You replied and Lupin handed you a book on Herbology. "Very well, again." This one you didn't know the jinx so you opened the book slowly but you still didn't manage to use the correct counter jinx and you got completely covered in dirt and leaves. Lupin couldn't hold in his laugh at your state and you laughed along with him. "Okay now the first thing you need to know about counter jinxes-"

"Hold on you just wanted me to get jinxed before you began to teach me?" You questioned. "If you're going to jinx a book at least be able to protect yourself from it." He winked at you after saying it. "I didn't jinx this book." You began to wipe all the dirt off your face and Lupin handed you a tissue. "No but you jinxed that one." He pointed to the first book you opened. "You can't possibly know that."

"All I want to know is why Y/N? Because the way I see it is I tell you I'm trying to get muggle books into the library and that very night you and the Weasley twins go in and jinx every single book. No don't deny it, I was already sure that I sensed you there, and with how you knew what was in that book you provided it. Now believe me I appreciate the commitment to getting every, single, book. However I was doing something to try and help you and instead you decided to completely jeopardise it. If Pince ever finds out you were part of the efforts there will never be a muggle book allowed in the school even less so the library do you understand?" You had never seen Lupin so annoyed.

"Profesor, I'm sorry. I truly am, I don't know if it'll make you feel any better but this had nothing to do with you or Pince. I didn't even consider how this would affect you we just thought it would be funny and a great first prank of the year. We had this planned before, when we saw you in the pub with Pince we thought you had somehow found out and you were warning her and then we decided you couldn't know and that you guys are on a date" Lupin nearly chocked on the cup of tea he was drinking when you said the last part. "Me and her? On a date? Look I've made some odd romantic choices in life but I have some level of standards. Thank you for your apology Y/N, I may have taken it a bit personally especially after our conversation on Monday night, now let's begin before we spend the whole hour talking. So to perform a counter jinx..." There was no more mention of your prank and no more mention of anything personal profesor Lupin mode was on and he was back into teaching you still shared a few moments of laughing and a few jokes especially when you were victim to jinxed books but apart from that it was purely professional. When the lesson finished Lupin informed you that he is cancelling Fridays session as he will be away over the next few days he apologised and you simply replied with, "so no smokes on the bridge?" His facial expression became soft and he gave you a smile. "Unfortunately you'll have to wait until I'm back dear." He winked and then looked mortified with his own words as he opened the door for you it was as if he said that last word by accident he quickly continued with. "Have a lovely rest of the evening Y/N." and that was the last time you saw him for a few days, it was because of the full moon. You had already figured out after the first few months that whenever the full moon was approaching he wouldn't come to the bridge and then after the full moon he would get Snape to cover his lessons. You should've known straight away when he said he sensed you it meant he could smell you or even hear you from a distance that's why he knew that it was you hidden under the cloak of invisibility.

NEXT CHAPTER | More stuff I wrote

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[gunilslaugh]

Gone Mad Pt.2

Lee Jooyeon Summary: Naturally after finding out who Jooyeon really is you tried to avoid him, but Jooyeon had other plans. (non-idol au) WC:~1k Warning:none

part 1 part 3 epilogue!

photo not mine credits to owner.

Safe to say that you stayed away from your little spot in the woods after your last encounter with Jooyeon. You had no clue what to do now. Reasonably you should turn him in, but what if he came after you for it? Even if you reported anonymously Jooyeon knows that they don’t know what he looks like, but you do. Maybe it’s your paranoia, but you're pretty sure he could put the pieces together. As morally wrong as it is to not turn in a murderer, you don’t want to risk your life at the cost of it either. So really what were you supposed to do?

“Ow,” you let out a hiss as you prick yourself with the sewing needle.

“Are you ok?” your colleague asked you. 

“Yeah I just pricked myself,” you dismissed. 

“Again? That’s the third time today,” she states. 

“I know. I’m a bit distracted today,” you say. 

“What’s wrong?” She comes over taking a seat next to you. 

“It's just I…it’s nothing.” you shook your head and went to pick up your work again, but your colleague placed her hand over it, guiding it back down to the table. 

“It’s clearly not. You’ve been acting off these past couple of days. I'm worried about you,” she expressed. You think to yourself for a moment. You can’t possibly tell her about Jooyeon, you can’t involve her in this mess. 

“I saw a wanted poster,” you tell her. 

“A wanted poster?” She urged you to continue. 

“A wanted poster for killing a knight…The same one that used to come in here and bother me,” you revealed. Your colleague’s' eyes widened. 

“He’s dead? He was murdered?” she asked in disbelief. You nodded. “We joked about killing him, but someone actually did it?” The weight of what happened started to set in. Again you nodded, not being able to find words. “Well, what did the person on the poster look like? We should keep an eye out for them.” 

“That’s the thing,” you sigh. “The guy on the poster could easily be half of the guys in this village.” 

“So they have no clue who did it?” she sighs. Everyone else has no clue, but you know exactly who did it. It feels like a boulder is sitting on your chest. “Should we tell the owner? Certainly she wouldn’t make us work so late when there’s a murder on the loose.” she suggested. 

“We can try, but remember she told us the only reason we shouldn’t turn up to work is if all our fingers are missing?” you brought up. 

“....Well it’s not like we are asking to leave early, just to leave by sunset,” she pointed. 

Your boss said that you can leave work when your work is done. That seemed to work out most days. However, today when she told you about the order of a new dress only an hour before sunset, it didn’t work out too well. 

“You can go home,” you told your colleague as you saw the sun starting to head down. 

“What about you?” She looks at you with concern. It’s fine I know the murderer. 

“I’ll be ok. You know I don’t live that far away,” you reassured her. 

“Are you sure? I can stay. We could go back together,” she offered. 

“And give either of our parents a heart attack when one of us doesn’t come home?” you say. Your colleague sighs. She knows that you're right, but she still feels reluctant to leave you. 

“Please be safe. Take some extra sharp needles with you when you leave,” she tells you. 

“I will,” you state.

The moon had taken the sun’s place long ago by the time you stitched the final detail onto the dress. You do feel a bit nervous as you walk out of the shop in the darkness of night. It’s fine. You reassure yourself. There is no way that Jooyeon-

“Y/n!” Please no, you prayed. “Y/n!” The voice calls for you again. The voice that belongs to none other than Jooyeon. You turn your head to see Jooyeon very quickly approaching you. “You haven’t been to our spot in so long. Are you avoiding me?” he questioned. You swallowed nervously, because yes you were very much avoiding him. 

“No. Why would I do that? I’ve been busy with work. You can see I just got off.” You raised your hand to gesture to the closed doors of the shop you worked at. 

“What happened to your hand?” Jooyeon quickly caught your hand in his and looked at you with sad eyes. 

“I pricked it. It’s not a big deal.” You tried to pull your hand from his, but he wouldn’t let go that easily. 

“You shouldn’t be getting hurt,” he said, running his fingers over the injured parts of your hand. 

“It’s fine, Jooyeon. Every seamstress pricks themselves from time to time.” This time you successfully pull your hand out of his. 

“You’re really not avoiding me though right? I was worried that you were after finding out about me. That you thought I was mad like everyone else,” he tells you. 

“Well, I do think you are a little coocoo,” you chuckled nervously. 

“Even if I am. It’s all their fault anyway.” A dark look took over Jooyeon’s face. 

“Their fault?” you asked cautiously. 

“The knights, that’s why I’m getting rid of them.” he tells you.

“What did they do?” You know that you probably shouldn’t pry into it, but your curiosity was getting the better of you.

“I used to work in the palace, but they ruined everything,” he told you. His answer only built your curiosity. You couldn’t imagine Jooyeon working in the palace.

“You’re curious about it aren’t you? Let’s go to our spot. I’ll tell you my story.” He goes to grab your hand again. 

“But it’s late,” your apprehensiveness kicked back in. 

“It’s ok. You’re with me.” He smiled at you, grabbing your hand and leading you along the way. 

Jooyeon literally told you that everyone else thinks that he has gone mad. Not to mention that even if he didn’t say that you know exactly what he’s capable of, so why does his hand holding yours make you feel safe?

part 1 part 3 epilogue!

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[sanjisboyfie]

๑ keep safe : robin and [name] make a good team! (22)

one piece x male reader

the frost, 

it looks like dust

settled on the world.

after everyone's been long gone.

『 prev 』

when they reached jaya island, it was a shock to all of the crew at the state of the island. it seemed as if there were pirates freely roaming the entire town. [name] decided to stay back on the ship. he usually loved going on adventures with luffy on new islands, but he still wanted to talk more with robin.

the captain didn’t seem pleased with this answer, though, huffing and puffing in annoyance.

“what?! come on, [naame]! just come with us! let’s go! let’s go!!!”

[name] sighed at the incessant yelling, but shook his head, “just go ahead, luffy, i’ll maybe go walking around later? just go ahead, find more information,”

“bu-but!”

“luffy, let’s go already! i need to drill it into your head that you can’t go around fighting people,” nami chided in, dragging luffy by his ear and off of the ship. the captain grunted at the pain, but [name] ignored it and instead went to find robin.

as zoro, nami, and luffy got off of the ship, [name] went to find robin. she was already awaiting him, though, a pleasant smile on her face.

“are you ready? where are we going?” he asked eagerly, holding his arm out to her for her to take. she seemed taken aback for a moment at the gesture, but she hooked her arm with his. the two hopped off of the ship (before sanji could realize and stop them) and walked through the main center.

”well, i need to buy clothes because i can’t keep taking nami’s clothes,” robin chuckled behind her hand, looking at the boutiques. then she turned slightly more serious, “i think some more information is also needed, just in case.”

[name] hummed in agreement, having a feeling that even though nami was with them — luffy and zoro were going to get side tracked and not find any information.

so they walked through the town, [name] dutifully taking ahold of robin’s shopping bags. he was used to carrying all the belongings on shopping trips anyway thanks to nami, so he didn’t complain at all.

“wow! robin, purple is your color!” [name] said stars in his eyes, “you look really pretty,”

she chuckled at his compliment, thanking him quietly as she looked in the mirror. the only thing missing was an accessory. as if reading her mind, [name] took a hat off of the rack nearby and plopped it onto her head. with a proud grin, he announced that her look was complete.

“you look cool!” he said, a thumbs up being thrown right in front of robin’s face.

“thanks, i’ll wear this one now and buy extra clothes for our journeys,” she said, going back to change into her previously worn clothes so she could properly pay for the outfit she was wearing. when they finally did pay, though, she changed right away and now wore the purple two piece.

“wait! they have a food stand! robin, robin, let’s go! let’s go!” he excitedly said, dragging her by the wrist to the small place. they had a counter and stools set up so that patrons could just eat outside. inside the small shack, there was a chef who was preparing noodles. “do you want anything, robin?”

“i would like an order of gyoza,” she said simply, looking at the man behind the counter. he gave her a polite smile and then turned to the man for his order.

“an order of spicy tonkatsu ramen please! and then three more orders of gyoza! oh! and pork buns, please and thank you!”

the chef looked taken aback by the mass amounts of food they were ordering and got to work right away.

“do you have enough beri to pay for this meal, [name]?” robin gently asked, making the man frantically turn to his wallet. he used his figure to hide him shuffling through his belongings, as if he were embarassed. but then he turned to her with a wide grin and a thumbs up.

“don’t worry about it, robin! i’ve got just enough!” he said, beckoning her to take a seat, “let’s sit back and relax and then we can get more information! did you know there’s a saying that, before any big adventure you need to eat to your heart’s content!”

robin decided to take his word for it and took a seat next to him, resting her cheek on her hand as she observed him eagerly waiting for food.

“so, how did you meet luffy?” she asked after looking at him for a few seconds.

“i’ve been stuck with him since we were kids,” [name] grinned, “grew up on the same island, along with two others,”

robin hummed in interest, “and one of those was portgas d. ace?”

“mhm!!”

“you know, i was surprised to see you on board their ship at whiskey peak. all of our intel pointed to you simply residing in whiskey peak, not being apart of the straw hat crew. that was certainly a shock when you were on board,” [name] grinned sheepishly at robin, scratching the back of his head in embarassment.

then he bowed his head ever so slightly, “i’m sorry for threatening you that day!”

this only incited laughter from her, “no, it’s alright. what’s in the past is in the past,” then there was a pause before she continued, “speaking of, what do you plan on doing when the past catches up to you, [name]?”

“i intend on fighting,” [name] easily answered, as if he knew she would ask that question, “i’m not letting myself get seperated from luffy, and now the others, ever again.”

she looked at him, a complex expression on her face. she was amused with how confident [name] was in declaring his battle with whoever chased him. but deep down, she also felt doubt in his abilities. the enemies [name] has, it was a wonder if he would really be able to fight them all off.

“this includes you, too.” he said, breaking her out of her train of thought, “i’m not stupid, i know that we both have our enemies — who are looking for us, wanting to kill us.”

he turned his body to her, shocking her slightly with how serious and heartfelt he seemed to be. his eyes were dead set on staring right into her soul and his shoulders were squared, as if he were trying to impose on her by seeming intimidating — another thing he was doing to show how serious he was.

“i’ll kill anyone that tries ruining luffy’s crew,” [name] said with an unimpressed look on his face, “since you’re now apart of the crew — no matter who comes for you, i’ll fight them,”

she got over her shock in a couple of seconds, smiling softly, “there will be no need for that,” was her only response, making [name] deflate in confusion. just as he was about to question her, though, four orders of gyoza were placed on the counter in front of them.

[name] got knocked out of his confused stupor and instead jumped at the sight of the food. robin slid over the one plate for herself and began eating in a very reserved manner whilst [name] seemed to be scarfing down as much food as possible, acting as if it would run away.

an interesting thing [name] did, though, was whenever robin would finish eating one gyoza, the man would place another on her plate without questions. as if he was replenishing her food after each consumption.

“[name], i think you’ve given away more food than eaten,” she said, looking at him as he continued shoving food into his mouth. “please, i’m already full enough, you don’t have-”

“but it’s too good not to share! it’s crispy, i like when my gyoza is crispy!” he said, stars in his eyes as he swallowed down his food. his eyes sparkled as he showed her a gyoza dumpling on the end of his chopsticks, “take one more!”

she was going to refuse, but seeing him smile so innocently in his offering made her take the gyoza into her mouth, nodding to him in thanks. she covered her mouth with her hand, chewing slowly as she watched [name] devour the rest of his food.

the pork buns came out next and [name] tried to get her to eat one of them, but she adamantly refused — especially since she could see how eager he was to eat them. and when he finished eating the beginning dishes, they continued in small conversation.

“i’m still confused, though,” [name] hummed, wiping the crumbs off of his face with a napkin, “why did you want to join luffy’s crew?”

“there was nowhere else for me to go,” robin simply answered, “as i said when i first came on board, i had no more reason to be in alabasta and you guys were the perfect way to get out.”

“so what do you want to achieve now that you’re on the crew?” [name] inquired, “hm, actually, i don’t care.”

she blinked several times before tilting her head in interest, just as she was going to ask what he meant by that, he cut her off, “what you do now doesn’t really matter because the crew is all here to support you. whatever your dream is — go for it!! i’m here to make sure everyone is able to achieve their dreams!”

[name] was truly remarkable, was robin’s takeaway. just as that thought passed through her mind, she watched him slurp noodles down at inhuman speeds and drink the broth from the bowl as if he hadn’t just eaten a big enough meal for a family of four.

“oh! while we are here, old man! do you know anything about a sky island?” [name] brashly asked the chef, whose expression turned into one of shock the moment the question left his lips. “so? do you?”

robin carefully watched the reaction, already predicting what he might have said in response.

“i don’t know anything about sky islands!” the old man shouted, seemingly scared of the question. “if you really want answers to those questions, go bother someone in the bar! but only if you want to seek some sort of trouble! things like sky islands aren’t real, they don’t exist! and it’d be best to watch what you say about them next time!”

[name] blinked owlishly at the sudden hostility, swallowing the broth in one big gulp and standing up from his seat, “well, thanks, old man! here! this should be enough!” a couple of beri were thrown onto the desk, as well as some gold coins and then robin and [name] left the restaurant.

“he was so angry for no reason,” [name] said in a childish tone, “couldn’t have been more rude!”

robin chuckled, shrugging her shoulders, “we were able to get something out of him though — including a good meal. can’t really complain,”

“hm, i guess. thanks to him, now we can properly get some information, since i’m all full!” [name] turned into the nearest pub, which seemed to be one of many on the street, and robin followed in after him. without waiting another second, he shouted, “give us information on sky island!”

everyone in the bar stilled, looking at [name] and robin with wide eyes. and then, as if they were on a cue of some sort, they all started howlishly laughing. [name] frowned, not enjoying the feeling of being laughed at and looked at robin, as if non-verbally asking if it was alright to beat them up.

she didn’t acknowledge his gaze, simply walking up to a table and looking down at the patron, “you look like you would know something. is there any information you can give us on sky island?”

the man gulped, feeling intimidated by her piercing blue eyes. however, he answered in a rude tone, “no! that crap isn’t even real! it’s all just dreams odd people like yourselves like to make up!”

another chorus of laughter and then the man continued on to talk directly to robin, “how about you quit wasting your time with that kid back there and join us instead? we won’t make you chase dead dreams,” he grinned devilishly, bringing a hand up to touch robin’s waist.

[name], who was standing right over robin’s shoulder, eyed the limb in disinterest and then looked to robin. as he assumed, she easily took care of it. a hand had sprouted from the table, right in front of the man, and grabbed him by the collar to slam his face into the wood.

with an unimpressed gaze, she beckoned him to answer the question once more. he was now obviously scared, his voice shaking. everyone around them was put into an alarmed state, standing up with their weapons drawn as they threatened the two of them.

“unhand him now! or else there will be blood shed!!”

“don’t mess with us, woman! we don’t care if you’re a woman, we’ll beat you up!!”

[name] groaned at the threats, waving his hand and making their bodies still, “don’t be so quick to violence! guys, you just need to answer our simple question.”

seeing as the scene was now getting more tense, the bartender stepped in with a piece of paper in his hand, “i don’t want you two causing my business anymore trouble! take this with you and make do with it whatever you want! don’t make me force you guys out of here!”

a piece of paper fluttered in front of [name]’s vision and he grabbed it quickly to examine it, “what’s this supposed to be?”

“a map of this island! there’s a guy that might be able to tell you what you want to hear. montblanc cricket! he’s a freak and outcast! raving on about the same thing you guys are, unattainable dreams! now get the hell out of here!”

robin gently guided [name] to walk out of the bar with her, finally releasing the poor man she was holding hostage. but as she was dragging [name] off, he was still steadily glaring at all the patrons that were looking at them as if they were crazy.

“assholes,” he said under his breath, looking at the map with squinted eyes.

“at least we have a lead, it sounds like the people in this town are used to questions about the sky islands. and because of that, they’ve begun hating the idea of it ever being real — so they ridicule those that are coming in and asking for more information,” robin analyzed, making [name] roll his eyes. not at her words, but at the point she was making.

“how childish,” he groaned, finding the entire town they were in less facisnating now and more annoying, “well, whatever, let’s just get back to merry. hopefully, luffy, nami, and zoro are alright,”

and opposite to what he had hoped, the three of them were rather shaken up. or, it’d be more appropriate to say: luffy and zoro were beaten up to a pulp while nami was simmering in anger that was enough to scare chopper into his “guard point.”

“how could you just let those guys beat you up?” [name] sighed, sitting in front of luffy and examining his injuries. the captain pouted, not liking the tone [name] was taking with him.

“you wouldn’t get it,” luffy retorted, a carefree smile on his face, “they don’t matter anyway,”

“still, you and zoro took a beating for, what looks like, no reason.”

“quit babying us, it wasn’t even that bad — the guys were weak.”

[name] rolled his eyes, looking to nami for answers, but instead the woman was looking at him in fury, “this is all your guys’ fault!” she pointed two fingers at him and robin, “this all happened because you started talking about that sky island — especially you [name]! i can’t forgive you!”

feeling the heat of nami’s anger literally radiating off of her, [name] took a step back with a placid smile, “i don’t know what you mean by that…but i’m sorry, i think!!”

“if it doesn’t exist, i’m sending both of you to the graves!”

behind nami’s screaming figure was chopper jumping into the ocean out of fear. zoro quickly followed after him.

usopp butted in, looking in between [name] and robin, “ahh, leave her alone for now! or, better yet, just don’t get close to her!”

“well, let’s turn the frown right upside down, nami!” [name] exclaimed, jumping onto the upper deck and pressing his pointer fingers into the corners of her mouth, “because me and robin have some great news! it’s gonna make your entire day!”

nami’s eye twitched as she allowed [name] to force her mouth into an uncomfortable smile. and she spoke through gritted teeth, “what could you possibly do to make this situation better?”

“ooh! a treasure map!” luffy shouted in excitement, making [name] turn his head to see robin used her powers in showing off what they had found.

and since [name]’s e/c eyes were no longer watching nami, she used that to her advantage and placed a heavy slap on his cheek. but he just smiled as he rubbed the now sore cheek, giving her a thumbs up, “see? do you feel better?!”

“shut up, moron!” she growled in annoyance, stomping off and going to look at the map herself.

no matter how helpful or reliable [name] has proved himself to be, he will always be such a reckless, hardheaded, acting before thinking dumbass! nami thought to herself.

robin explained the significance of the map and what it would lead the crew to. due to how effective she was in getting information, sanji twirled over to her and proposed making her coffee as a reward. [name] heard him and ran over, latching onto him.

“make me some too! make me some too!!!” he shouted in the chef’s ear, who only looked at him in grand annoyance.

“fine! fine, get off me already so i can make it,” sanji said, throwing [name] off of his shoulder and stomping into the kitchen. as he was walking in, rolling up his sleeves, he was audibly complaining about [name]’s request and how demanding he was.

and as [name] waited, he decided to hang out on the deck with usopp, chopper, and luffy. it was all relatively calm as their course was now off of the rambunctious part of the island, but they still managed to run into some trouble.

it looked like a monkey, again, but [name] wasn’t really listening to all he was saying. he only really began paying attention when the creature started screaming into some sort of mic.

the sonar waves it produced were harming merry, a lot. he grit his teeth, jumping into action and running to the repaired portion of the ship and holding onto the wood so it wouldn’t fly away.

the rest of the crew worked on how to get away from the sonar waves while he was desperately holding merry together.

“this poor ship! holy shit, when will she catch a break?” [name] cursed under his breath, stomping his foot down on a wooden plank to stop it from flying out from right under him.

when they were finally a safe distance away, the crew all joined in repairing the damage. sanji sauntered out of the kitchen, telling [name] the excuse he had for not repairing the ship, “a chef’s hands should not be sullied by disgusting work like this, there’s fault for injury everywhere you look,”

“just say you don’t know how to do these tasks and be on your way,” [name] teased, taking a loud sip of the coffee.

”be more mannerly when drinking! i don’t wanna hear your disgusting slurping!” sanji shouted, stomping away from [name] and going to deliver the coffee to robin.

with the cup resting by [name]’s side, he continued hammering on new wooden planks onto merry. he was working on the mast with zoro, who was using iron plates to reinforce the ship.

“merry has taken a lot of damage. isn’t it about time we replace her?” zoro asked gruffly, working hard in getting the iron to form to the shape of the mast.

this comment made usopp turn around in anger and shout about how ungrateful zoro was, “don’t you know where we got this ship?! you were there, you know how important this ship is!!”

[name] peaked around the cylindrical mast and tilted his head, “where’d you guys get merry?”

usopp puffed out his chest in pride, “a dear friend of mine gave it to us as a gift after i, the great captain usopp, saved my home village from a terrible crew of pirates. i was the one that singlehandedly defeated all of them and so she gave us going merry as a thank you, and parting gift!”

“wow! so luffy defeated all of them?” [name] asked, knocking his hand against his open palm.

“do you not listen when people are talking?! i just said i am the one that did all the fighting and winning!!” usopp cried out in great offense.

“oh! right, so what i said — luffy defeated all of them?” [name] repeated, this time a smirk on his lips as he saw usopp about to charge at him with his hammer.

his assumptions were corrected and now he was running in circles around the mast, laughing as he saw usopp violently swinging around the hammer. suddenly, he skidded to a stop and tackled usopp to the ground by his waist.

“prepare for death, liar!!” he shouted, a mischevious smile on his face. usopp, who accepted his fate, rested still on the ground as if he were already dead. and just as [name] was going to slam down the hammer onto usopp’s face (he wasn’t really going to, but it would have been hilarious), zoro stepped in and kicked [name] in the face.

“can you just focus for once and not fool around?!” the greenhead shouted in annoyance, teeth and eyes sharpened in anger.

“now you, stupid marimo, prepare for death!” [name] said, jumping off of usopp and onto zoro. the two fell to the ground in a wrestling match, the h/c haired man laughing in joy whilst zoro was cursing him out.

and as the two continued on fighting, luffy reassured usopp that they wouldn’t be replacing merry — she was a crew member as well! but just as he finished saying that, he completely wrecked one of her repaired walls and sent the bits and pieces of wood falling into the ocean.

the only thing that broke up zoro and [name]’s fighting was nami, who announced to the rest of the crew that their journey was finished and they were arriving at their destination.

“and you two — stop trying to kill each other already!”

zoro’s hair was all messed up and his face was sweating, the clothes on his torso ripped and torn. [name]’s face was sporting a couple of bruises and he too was having trouble gaining his breath back. at nami’s comment, they backed off of one another, but were still glaring daggers at each other.

“wow!! so cool!!” luffy, usopp, and chopper cried out at the same time.

in front of them was an enormous castle, but [name] squinted his eyes at it in suspicion.

”guys, that’s not a real castle, it’s just a painted wooden cutout to look like one,” his sentence single handedly crushed their dreams, causing luffy to shout in disappointment and chopper to drop his jaw at how easily he was fooled.

“this guy seems like a cheapskate,” sanji said while blowing out a puff of smoke. [name] came bounding over with a mischevious grin and sanji sighed before he placed the stick to rest inside [name]’s lips. and he gently pulled it away when the man blew out his own smoke.

“did you see that, sanji? i did a ring!”

“why are you doing childish tricks with this, idiot?” sanji scolded, looking at [name] in disapproval, “hold on — is that why my packs are running out faster than usual? you’re stealing some to practice stupid shapes?!”

“what- no! i would never do that!!” [name] said, so obviously lying with the way guilt was painted right across his face.

“at least be less obvious about it!” sanji shouted, shoving the cigarette into [name]’s mouth by a means of choking him.

and just like that, as [name] and zoro’s fight ended, sanji and [name]’s started. the two were now colorfully cursing each other out, taking drags of the cigarette in between each insult.

after the crew all jumped off of the ship and onto land, they all decided to investigate the terrain. [name] made a taunting face at sanji before rushing off with chopper.

[name] watched in amusement as chopper turned into his bigger form and started digging, in search of nami’s gold. he was sitting on a cut up trunk of a tree, cheering on chopper’s activity as a means of encouraging him.

“oh, this is a picture book!” nami said, a sort of childlike glee in her voice as she picked it up, “it’s called “noland the liar!””

“ha! that’s a good title! what a cool story idea,” usopp praised, a look of pride on his face — as if he were the one who wrote the book.

“noland the liar?” sanji said, his interest piqued at the familiar title.

“you know it, sanji-kun? but it says it was published in the north blue,” nami commented, eyebrows furrowed.

“yeah, i was born in the north blue! haven’t i told you guys?” sanji grinned, looking at the book with a glint in his eyes.

“that’s a cute expression, sanji,” [name] commented before turning to the book in interest as well. the said blonde began cursing [name] out for even saying such a thing to him, but the words were drowned out anyway. “wait, i’ve seen this book too,”

“what? are you from the north blue too? i thought you guys were from the east blue, this is news to me,” usopp asked in confusion, hands on his hips as he tilted his head in thought.

“no, i’m not from the north blue,” a fond smile graced [name]’s features as he took the book from nami and flipped through the pages, “but i had a dear friend that was from there — he even had a copy of this book! that’s why i recognize it,”

“wow! you have friends all the way in the north blue!” usopp said in astonishment.

“well, i don’t know if i met him in the north blue, but he’s definitely not there anymore. he’s a pirate himself, he had the copy on his ship,” [name] shrugged, looking at the child book and smiling at the memories.

“wait?! you sailed with another pirate crew before us?!” nami shouted in disbelief, eyes wide as she invaded [name]’s personal space.

”only for a couple of months! it wasn’t the biggest deal!” [name] laughed, patting her cheek, “nami, i’m all yours now so you don’t have to worry about my past,” he playfully winked at her, making her face of curiosity turn into that of flusterment.

”why are you talking as if i care about that?!”

“because you did! i could tell!” he teased her, enjoying the way her face was turning red.

“i was just curious, you asshole! you should have stayed with that pirate crew maybe, then i wouldn’t have to be dealing with your dumbass!”

[name] feigned being hurt, clutching his chest and slamming his hand down on the table, “oh, dearest nami, don’t say such rude things! you wound my heart!”

“i hope those wounds kill you then!”

“how painful it is to hear these words leave your mouth!”

“keel over and die already!”

nami glared at him through her eyelashes before turning her head away to ignore him and his carefree laughter. as she began reading the storybook, [name] walked over to join luffy. he had already read most of the book, anyway, so he wasn’t super interested.

he pressed down on the strawhat on luffy’s head, gaining a smile from his captain who welcomingly invited him to crouch beside him. so he did without complaint, throwing an arm around luffy’s shoulders.

“are you excited, luffy?” [name] asked, pinching the rubber boy’s side.

“yeah! what do you think they have on the sky island?! oh, do you think they have very yummy food!” stars were now in luffy’s eyes.

but [name] could only pout, “i don’t know, but what if they don’t have seafood! that’s gonna be a pain,”

“just eat meat then!”

“but seafood is the best!”

“no, meat is!”

“seafood is!”

the both of them were too distracted in arguing with one another that they didn’t realize that a pair of hands had sprouted from underneath the water. and that same pair of hands pulled them down into the ocean, drowning them in seawater.

[name] made sure to grab onto luffy before they were submerged completely, cursing himself for letting his guard down and glared at the figure that was now walking onto land whilst they were sinking in the water.

he made sure his grip on luffy didn’t loosen one bit as he kicked his feet underneath him, internally cursing the mystery figure out in his head.

-

[ .ᐟ ] mc smokes more of sanji’s cigarettes so that the blonde doesnt get to smoke as much, mc is concerned for sanji’s health. + also thinking about sanji watching [name] smoke and waiting till hes done before pulling the cigarette away … cuz he was still holding it … idk there might b smth wrong w me but guys wow thats so romantic!!!!!!! (nicotine addiction is real do not smoke guys)

[ .ᐟ ] this was so fun to write, little moments sprinkled in with almost everyone ugh my heart <33

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taglist (lmk if u want to be tagged ! <3 :

@skullr0se, @strawberrii-tea, @triangulartriangles, @anotherlovefool, @haratatsu, @sinmp, @3v37773, @taru-nami, @disc0dild0s, @boredwithlifeatthispoint, @kaulitzer, @cheetosins @notplutos, @whotdefak

[howdoesagrapewrites]

𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚

Cw: fluff, poly!fem!reader x Pavitr Prabhakar x Gayatri Singh

Part two: Y/N and Gayatri meet Gwen, Miles and Hobie

>You were Gayatri's best friend

>Have you ever seen those two girls who cannot be separated for the life of them? The ones that do every school project together? The ones that feed each other at lunch while giggling? The ones that are always wearing matching bff necklaces or rings? Ok, those best friends

>And everyone knew you and Gayatri were a package deal, if she made a new friend, they were your friend too, if you made one, it was hers too, if someone gave the other weird vibes, then you would minimize contact with them

>You were attached at the hip since middle school

>You remember the first time you decided to put makeup on, you took your mom's makeup kit and Gayatri used all the knowledge she gathered from 2010's youTube makeup tutorials to apply it on you, you did the same. It looked patchy, you didn't powder, and used awful toned shades, but it was enough for you and for her (every photo belonging to that time period has been purposefully destroyed)

>Your friendship with Gayatri always seemed perfectly normal to you, it was all just girls being girls, admiring her for afar, loving her (platonically!!!111!!!11!!!!) more than anything you've ever known, feeling at home when she hugged you and you could smell her hair, thinking no one else in this world could understand you like she does, getting mad when boys flirted with her (they're not good enough for your friend!!!)

>just girls being girls

>"I'm glad you didn't go out with Akshay, he looks nice, but I heard he's a flirt" Gayatri stated while putting on mascara in the school bathroom, you mindlessly fixed your hair

>There had been a handful of boys who would leave notes in your lockers, or timidly offer to walk one of you home, but most often than not, they were met with rejection, from picky excuses, to the classic "my dad won't let me date"

>It happened a couple times, but the boyfriends wouldn't last more than a week before you simply decided there was no spark, and ran to each other's house to gossip about it

>"I'm giving up on boys, none of them understand me, or treat me that good, they're so weird" Gayatri complained and paused to bring another spoonful of kulfi to her mouth "You make me feel better than any boy anyway, maybe you're my prince charming" she laughed angelically, bright eyes and her lips glossed over with some lipstick and some remains of the frozen treat you were sharing. That happened some time ago, and even though she laughed, she didn't accept anyone else after that, but she was just joking, right?

>You were sure there wasn't a force in the universe that could separate you from your best friend, even her family loved you as one of their own, there was nothing to be done

>Until you locked eyes with a guy that bumped into you in the hallways

>You stared at him and heard him mutter an apology, but you were too busy scanning all his features to register what was happening

>The mystery boy was a transfer student that started going to your class

>His name was Pavitr, and you would sometimes speak to him, he lived closer to you than Gayatri did, so after you got to her house in the walk after school, there was a solid 10 minutes you had alone with Pavitr

>He was so energetic and joyful, you didn't want to admit you liked him, but there was only so much hotness in you cheeks one could attribute to the spring sun in Mumbattan

>Gayatri was friends with him too, he was just as happy go-lucky as he was with you, you liked that he didn't make neither of you feel excluded from conversations or inside jokes, would he be the same way if you two ever got to date?

>The fantasy of dating Pavitr felt weird, incomplete, you couldn't leave your bestie behind like that! Yes, friends get in relationships, but you weren't just friends, you were best friends forever, super extra duper close friends, soulmate friends!

>But your fantasies came crushing down when she told you "Pavitr's so cute, you know? He's so different from the others, I think I like him, like, like-like him"

>Pavitr Prabhakar was off limits now, you shouldn't even look at him now

>You wouldn't throw the most important friendship you've ever had out of the window for a boy, even if that boy was pretty, the prettiest, and he was kind, and funny, and outgoing, and could light up the whole city with a smile

>sucks to be you, I guess

>a few weeks after that, they started dating, and you wanted to be happy for them, you wanted to be SO BADLY HAPPY, but you felt abandoned, jealous, and so sad

>You had to admit an ugly feeling always boiled in your stomach when Gayatri went on a date, or someone was clearly head over heels for her, but that was because they weren't good enough

>But Pavitr was good enough, he was the best guy, the only man you'd ever trust to date your friend, but the feeling remained

>a little less angry and more sad, but still remained

>They were still close to you, invited you to all their dates, that they would call group hangouts, but you could tell were dates

>At first it was fun, but you always lowered your gaze or pretend to do something else when they hugged, or kissed

>After every kiss, they would both exchange a look with you, but then look away and say something to break the ice, by their eyes, you could tell they were ashamed or saddened, maybe they didn't want to leave you behind and pitied you

>So you stopped going out with them when it clearly was a date, only showing up if there was more people, or if you saw them individually

>"wanna go to the movies w us tomorrow? :)" -Gayatri

>"too busy:/ got homework to catch up on" -you

>"dw luv, I can go your to place and help you w it" -Gayatri

>"ur a bad influence, I'll get distracted" -you

>"true" -Gayatri

>No, you didn't have homework, but seeing your crush and you best friend being cheesy was not the weekend plan you were looking forward to

>When you walked next to Pav, you were stiff and quiet instead of your normal self, he was your friend, but it felt so bad when you could hear your heart beating faster for a boy who was taken, taken by your favorite person in the world

>"I hope Gayatri got better from her allergies, I haven't seen her since last week" Pav said, hoping to break the ice

>"Didn't you go to the movies on Saturday?" You questioned

>"Oh, you couldn't go, it's not the same if it's not the three of us" he answered like it was the most natural thing in the world

>Was really your third wheeling so great to them that they cancelled a date because you weren't there?

>You thought about that for weeks, and wondered how many times it happened since you started to avoid them

>Today Gayatri behaved weird, no one else noticed, but you knew her like the back of your hand,

>She told you she needed you to go to her house after school, it was important

>You didn't push the subject, since she clearly wanted to discuss it in privacy

>A million possibilities ran through you head as you walked to her house, you were scared

>When you came into her room, Pavitr was there, why didn't she tell you? You thought it was a rude thing to do, but she was clearly in distress so you tried to not be so quick to judge

> You sat next to her on the bed, and saw how both of them interchanged nervous looks, Gayatri started speaking, not as nervous as her boyfriend, but still

>"I- I got something to tell you, well, I have a- Pavitr has a crush on you"

>"...What?!" You looked so offended right now, A crush? On you? On someone else? When he was dating the prettiest most amazing girl in the world?! If you were dating Gayatri you would never, ever-

>"It's okay! It's not like that, I like you too!" Her voice interrumpted your mental rambling. Ok, this got way more confusing "I knew I loved you, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship, and when I started liking Pavitr I thought it was over, that we'd go back to being friends, but it felt awkward when you weren't around, and it felt like cheating when we spent time alone"

> Pavitr started "Gayatri is really so amazing, and I love her so much, but I love you so much too, and I thought it wasn't right to her, so I wanted to break up, but she had the same issue. I guess the thing we want to say is, would you give us a chance?" He flashed that charming smile to you, and paired with Gayatri's love-filled gaze, you almost melted

>Of course you liked her, you were so oblivious, that explains literally everything you have ever questioned about your dynamic with her, but maybe you were scared too

>"I'd love to" you shyly responded and held their hands

>Maybe not all relationships have just two wheels, maybe tricycles are thrice as fun

[heartofspells]

on the etiquette of fandom respect

I'm not sure why I'm doing this, really. We've all seen those other posts that circulate around (or the vast majority of us have, at least from my notice) discussing things like negativity towards creators and proper etiquette when it comes to commenting and bookmarking and sharing another person's work. It always seems to fly in one ear and out the other, yet here I am, preparing to write an essay, mainly because I don't think we should ever stop saying it in the hopes of improvement.

Let's start this with bookmarks on AO3, because it seems like people either forget, they don't know, or possibly they simply do not care. Bookmarks can be seen by creators. Meaning they can see your tags, your bookmark collections, and your bookmark comments. There are numerous creators who enjoy going through the bookmarks on their works to see these things, because it's extra insight into why someone liked or even loved that creation, most times. There are also, in my experience, a lot of people who bookmark works and do not comment, so again, it gives the creator that extra special boost to keep doing what they're doing, to create more.

Leaving personal rating scores for a work, downgrading comments, or, in all honesty, opinions on what you did not like in the work is unkind. No one is coming to attack how you choose to keep track of your bookmarks, but please remember these are PUBLIC unless otherwise chosen by you. You can, however, make private bookmarks that only you can view. Even the creators cannot see these beyond a number of how many bookmarks a work collectively has. If you have a rating system or opinions on a work that could even remotely be construed as unkind, please make your bookmarks private. It's incredibly simple. There is a checkbox to select.

Now onto comments and the etiquette behind it. No one is forcing you to comment. While it is appreciated by all creators, it isn't a requirement. Creators love hearing from everyone who views their work. Comments bolster creators, encourage them to continue creating if they love doing it, which most creators do. But if the only thing you can think to say is something demeaning, criticizing, or has no bearing on the work you just viewed, it's probably better not to say anything at all. If you have questions, ask them. Creators love talking about their works, typically. Most will jump at the chance for a discussion. But this does not give anyone the right to ask accusatory questions that degrade a person's work. Also, leaving a comment about any work that blatantly goes against the very obviously stated tags/warnings, or leaving a comment that is short and brief and really doesn't make any sort of reference to the work itself is rude, plain and simple. Do not do that.

You are not being asked to leave a novel behind in your comment (though that's almost always appreciated to a massive extent). Leave a few kind words about liking or loving the work, because just something as simple as "loved this!" goes a long way as encouragement. If you have the time or something specific, tell the creator about a part you liked. They'll adore you for it. But again, none of it is a requirement. All creators ask for is a bit of common sense and respect from people in exchange for what they've created. Basic rule of thumb: ask yourself if you made something you were proud of and showed it to someone, would you be happy or hurt by the comment you're about to leave?

Lastly, let's discuss credit. It's seen a lot, and pretty much everywhere now. Someone finds artwork or a fic or maybe even a simple quote from a work they enjoy, and they repost it with no credit, not even a title (in regards to fics). No reference back to the creator at all. Stop gatekeeping works that do not belong to you. You do not own those works. They have been shared with you, nothing more. By transferring them or even a piece of them somewhere else without proper credit, you are not only removing someone else's ability to properly view this work without directly asking what it's from (if they ask at all, which most do not), you are taking that potential encouragement away from the creator and making them feel worthless.

These works, whatever they may be, were created for you. You may try to argue that they were shared in a public forum, and the creator should understand that by doing so, they're opening themselves up to potential criticism, theft, and even bullying. And you would be right, creators are fully aware of this. But here's the thing: these works, at least in a fandom setting, are being created for FREE. A person is taking time out of their life to make this wonderful thing, and they are offering it humbly solely for the pleasure of doing it, to bring you pleasure.

And you might even argue that creators are not making these things for you, but for the world. But aren't you part of the world? Did you find and are you reading/viewing/listening to these works? If so, then yes, they were created for you, with you in mind. All creators ask for in return, literally the only thing, is some basic human kindness and decency, because creators are not required to share anymore than you're required to comment or spread their works around.

Some creators have thicker skins than others, but keep going as we have been, and one day, the content you love so much might be gone. It's already beginning to disappear for lesser things. Don't be the reason it continues.

[otherworldlygate]

Once again it's Regal appreciation hour by which I mean day by which I mean year by which I mean lifetime.

I was very much prepared to not write any fanfiction this year, but I cannot divorce myself from how awesome my favorite Symphonia blorbos are and so I am writing yet another stupid fanfic. I feel feral about these characters in general but Raine gets quite a lot of attention (because she's wonderful, obviously) so I don't want to focus on her too much. Regal, on the other hand, has been underappreciated in the ToS fandom since the game's release day, so I must advocate for him.

I've been RPing as him for the last year or so, and together my RP partner and I have written about 320,000 words of a story. I'm having a blast, and a big part of that is because Regal is, despite the flaws in the storytelling of ToS as a whole surrounding him (and how all of the Tethe'alla characters kind of fall flat), a rather well-conceived and implemented character. Yeah, his clothes are dumb (I'm happy to retcon that outfit with zero regrets) and the game blows through his story at such a breakneck pace he doesn't get the space or the arc he deserves (he should have taken his shackles off as part of his 'sacrifice' to fight the angels), but he is a genuinely fascinating character who feels, just like many of the others do, as if he belongs very specifically in the world he was created for.

I know a lot of people like to write him as this sad sack of shit just absolutely lost in the grief sauce (see the part about how he didn't get the arc he deserved), but I think that's a mistake. See, the biggest bump in the road for Regal was his lack of understanding of what was happening and why. When you think about it, he was faced with having to kill Alicia seemingly out of nowhere. Like one day he's just minding his business and the next Alicia is gone and very quickly after that she's a monster trying to kill him AND HE HAS NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON. He has no answers. All he knows is that he killed her, and his autistic* brain latches onto that detail because it's all he has.

You have to think, too, about the fact that the game gives him nobody. His parents are dead. George, the only person even remotely close to Regal--someone he's known his *whole life*--betrayed him. (George didn't mean for things to go Like That and he's sorry he did it, but HE STILL DID IT.) Regal doesn't have friends and the extra material makes it clear that he was literally raised, specifically by his father, to be a workaholic. Do you think anyone came to see him in prison? He fought in a coliseum for his life for YEARS. He was on friendly terms with some of the other inmates but the guy had eight years to just sit there and get stuck in the loop of knowing he killed the one person he'd let himself get even remotely close to.

Which is something else people always downplay for some reason. The shit with Alicia isn't just "guy is sad because he killed his girlfriend." It's very much, "guy was born and bred to take on the family legacy" except in this case the family legacy is a company, an island, a noble bloodline, and also the absolutely insane idea that work and profit is all that matters. Everyone else is out to get you. Keep the workers dissatisfied but keep them hooked just enough that they'll never leave. Take no time for fun or friends or merriment. Everything in your life is a business transaction. Don't ever forget it. It's us vs. them. You're alone and you have to make this your entire life or it'll all fall to pieces and it will be your fault.

The drama cd in particular really honed in on that way of being raised and it makes his entire character make complete sense. At a relatively young age his father died and he ended up on top (though it's stated he had to work as a CEO before he was elected via a board to the position of President). Having no other guidelines other than what he was taught--and what George himself adhered to--Regal followed that path...until he ended up miserable, because, despite the way he was raised, he's a goddamn empath**.

After literal YEARS of occasionally running into Alicia and talking to her, he starts forming a connection to her--which is important because he's never allowed himself to do this before. And at one point he realizes he doesn't even know her name...which comes as a surprise to him...and brings with it shame. After this, he starts living for himself. He listens to his employees--something his father never did. He starts enacting rules to protect his employees, particularly from things that would hurt them in the field, because part of what was making him so miserable was wrestling with the empathy of their terrible working conditions on top of just hearing his father's manta repeating itself in his head all the time.

I cannot stress enough how important this is. Alicia, despite being a love interest and someone he was interested in seriously dating and perhaps someday marrying (the details of their relationship are never known but it's almost more tragic if they were just starting to be serious), WAS STILL HIS EMPLOYEE.

He was supposed to protect his employees. He was doing so much to ensure his employees would be safe. And then he killed Alicia.

Alicia, the one person he allowed himself to get close to.

Now, consider the fact that he was raised as a tool and not a beloved son; he was not allowed to have friends and not allowed to make merry. He was under his father's thumb until his father's untimely death--a death, by the way, that only surprised him with its suddenness; he did not grieve that man!! Regal, as a 25-year-old man, had ZERO coping mechanisms. All he had was the truth he was raised under and the fact that he went against that truth AND WAS NOW BEING PUNISHED FOR IT. How can someone like this think of anything except that they are the reason George was put in a position where he had to get rid of Alicia? That the only reason Alicia was experimented on and turned into a monster was because of her connection to Regal?

IT MAKES ME FEEL SO FERAL!!!

The events of the game open his eyes to the ACTUAL truth, to what actually happened AND WHY IT HAPPENED TO ALICIA. In the end he learns he had NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. If he had not befriended and started falling for Alicia, she still would have died--it's just, if she hadn't had a more direct connection to Regal, who knows where she might have met her end. Alone, forgotten? At least someone knew her as she was; at least someone can tell Presea the kind of person her sister was.

The ToS fandom has always loved joking about how Regal's just into punishment as a kink or whatever (and I'll never forgive the shitty non-canon-in-my-heart sequel for leaning so hard into that angle, fuck you fuck you fuck you) but let's be serious about it for a hot second. Yes, I think learning this information puts him on a better path, but you can't erase 8 years of self-loathing and fear instantly. Did you guys really think this man would just forget about the darkest years of his life and start frolicking in fields of flowers?

The trauma he's endured goes so much deeper than "I killed the person I loved," and boiling it down to that really does the character a disservice. The "born for a specific purpose, not allowed to exist outside of that purpose" bit is also given to Colette and Zelos, but while their role is being a sacrifice whose only use is dying or procreating to continue the line to have more sacrifices (absolutely also traumatizing btw), Regal's situation feels a lot more like indoctrinated religion and, very specifically (and no I am not kidding), religious trauma. Again, he endured that very controlled lifestyle complete with a mantra from birth into his early 20s, and the MOMENT he broke away from it too far, his life came crashing down around him in a very painful and traumatizing way.

Now, you might think the religious trauma parallel is unfounded, if not also the indoctrinated religion aspect of it, it could just as easily be a parallel for an abusive and controlling relationship, right down to the betrayal from someone who is supposed to have your best interests at heart the moment you step outside of that control to the feelings of shame and self-loathing and "you did this to yourself."

So whenever I see people joking about what a sad sack of shit he is or whatever, I'm just astounded, especially if it's coming from someone who loves literally any other character in the game. Like, you'll definitely have your blorbos, and I totally understand if Regal just ain't it for you, but I find it really disconcerting that someone might find (for example) Yuan's trauma deeply meaningful but see Regal's as stupid or silly.

I'm pretty sure I started this post to talk about how easy it is for me to RP as Regal because he's just such a great character to sink into and write about, particularly because I like to imagine that, starting in the post-game, he deeply regrets some of the choices he's made in his life, and, rather than lean into the things that have already transpired, he seeks to do what he can to better the world around him with the resources and power that he has.

It's like the ultimate fuck-you to the way his father raised him. He's not wasting the skills he's developed, but he's also not using them to hurt people or for personal or Lezareno profit.

I think most of us love writing about characters who have to work through their trauma, but there's an extra layer here that I particularly enjoy with Regal. With Raine I'm all about her inability to trust easily and her struggle to feel truly comfortable around other people, but with Regal I think it's maybe specifically related to the fact that he has had a lot handed to him that he didn't necessarily want, and his self-sacrificing nature lends itself to him feeling obligated to take it. I fully believe Regal would be happier and better off stepping away from Lezareno and from his family's toxic ass legacy*** (or at least not working it full-time as the acting President) but I can't ignore the fact that...these things are all he has and all he knows. So writing about him attempting to get back into the swing of things, maybe struggling to find time for himself, falling into workaholic patterns by mistake, learning to set boundaries between his private life and his job...all while not being fully satisfied and finding more fulfillment in charity work and other pursuits, just makes him feel like a very well-rounded character. Like...it's believable that he would continue to work a job he didn't particularly love specifically because not only does he not know anything else, but he knows with this position of power he can make a lot of things happen that would be impossible if he just twiddled his thumbs on the sidelines--like financial assistance going to Palmacosta, or his duties as a nobleman to try to get better laws passed in Tethe'alla, etc.

This was a pretty clumsily-written post and for that I am truly sorry. I've just been absolutely insane lately thinking about Regal and I had to get some of why I think he's such a wonderful character out into the world.

:)

*this is just my headcanon but a lot about Regal screams autism to me.

**this is canon as far as I'm concerned. I wrote him this way far before I ever heard the drama cd, and the drama cd just solidified it for me tenfold.

***there's a scene in the hotel with Lloyd I think where Regal says his family's legacy on Altamira started when Tethe'alla flipped over to being a flourishing world last, which means they were in a position of power great enough to build an empire on Altamira already at that time (800+ years ago). I don't want to get into how awful this probably was or how evil the family was because I think you can all imagine that for yourselves. Also, nobody ever mentions the fact that Regal is the last of his family line, but it's a very convenient built-in control tactic to guilt someone into doing as they're told or risk bringing shame to a family that's been going strong and unbroken for over 1,000 years.

[lyranova]

Lies, Puns, and the Wishing Tree

Hiya everyone! So instead of working on requests today…I decided to be self indulgent 🤭. This oneshot mainly focuses on Next Gens with brief mentions of a couple of canon characters, and I tried my best to include as many as possible but mainly focused on a few (If you want, you’re more than welcome to say what your next gens would be doing during the star festival 🥰). I hope you all enjoy~!

OC List: Leon, Cyra, and Nora belong to @thoughtfullyrainynightmare , Noureen Heinry and Natalia belong to @kalolasfantasyworld , Dawn Dusk and Vivian belong to @loosesodamarble , Avalinia, Nymphie, and Mikhail belong to @koneko-pi Zoisite belongs to @faewraithsworld and Hikari, Hana, and Einar belong to @eme-eleff !

Word Count: 3,532

Warnings: None

————

“ Oh my, don’t you look handsome,” Zera Cassia said as she looked at her eldest son, Alistar, who was currently looking at himself in a full length mirror.

“ Gotta hot date?” She asked him playfully, and watched as his face turned bright red.

“ No, I don’t have a ‘hot date’,” He told her after he cleared his throat. “ I’m going to the Star Festival with some of the others to hang out.”

“ I see,” Zera walked up to him, turned him towards her, and began to fix his shirt and Golden Dawn robes. “ I take it Hikari’s going to be there as well?”

Alistar cleared his throat and turned away as his face turned red again.

“ Of course she is, she’s part of our friend group too…” He told her softly, and his mother smirked.

“ Ah, so that’s why you’re dressing extra nice tonight, to impress Hikari.” She told him teasingly.

“ N-No!” He denied with a shake of his head. “ I wanted to dress nicely for the Star Ceremony, since it would be unbefitting for the Captain of the Golden Dawn to dress shabbily.” He told her, she nodded quickly.

“ Uh-huh, I see, I see. So this has absolutely nothing to do with Hikari?” She asked with a raised brow.

“ None at all.”

“ Then why are you wearing the Spider Lily pin she gave you for your birthday?” Zera asked curiously, and instantly Alistar’s hand shot up to try and conceal the pin.

She wasn’t supposed to see that…

As he opened his mouth to explain another voice chimed in.

“ Dear, are you trying to play matchmaker with our son and his best friend?” Alistar’s father, William Vangeance, asked as he walked into his eldest child’s room.

Zera turned towards her husband.

“ Maybe~!” She told him playfully, a bright smile working its way onto her face. “ If I was, can you really blame me? I mean; they would be soo cute together!”

“ You just want an excuse to be in-law’s with the Yami’s.” William stated matter of factly, and his wife shook her head.

“ Nu-uh, although that is a bonus now that I think about it,” She muttered in thought, making both Alistar and William sigh and shake their heads. “ But that isn’t why I want them to be together!”

“ I just…I see how happy the two of you are when you’re around each orher, how much you both care for one another, and it makes me want to see you together.” She admitted softly, her eyes moving to the floor shyly.

“ You realize that friends can be happy and care for one another like Hikari and I do, right?” Alistar asked her, and Zera looked up at him.

“ I know that! It’s just that I think you two would be much better as a couple than just friends!” She told him as she crossed her arms and pouted.

Alistar sighed, he knew his mother had the best of intentions when she was being pushy like this. All she wanted for her children was for them to be happy, healthy, and to have all the best things in the world.

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“ I appreciate your concern, mother, I really do,” He told her softly as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “ But Hikari and I are just close friends and nothing more; I care about her as a friend would, not as a boyfriend would. There’s absolutely no romantic feelings between us.”

“ Really?” She asked skeptically as she leaned forward to inspect her eldest son’s face.

“ Really.” He confirmed with a nod, and Zera hummed.

“ So; if Hikari were to meet someone else tonight, fall in love with them, and start dating them, you would have absolutely no problem with that?” She asked curiously, her head tilting slightly.

Alistar suddenly felt a sharp pang in his chest at her question. This was the second time someone had asked him that, the first one being his other friend Leonidas Vermillion, who asked him something similar during one of their outings at a mixer a few weeks ago…

“ If that were to happen,” He began slowly. “ Then I would be happy for her. After all, doesn’t everyone deserve to fall in love and be happy?” He asked as his most charming smile, or his mask as he liked to call it, slipped onto his face.

As the lie left his lips, he couldn’t help but feel sick. If that were to happen, he would be devastated. He loved Hikari, and had for a long time. But he had always been too afraid to say anything to her about it; he valued her friendship, and didn’t want it to be affected negatively if something were to happen and they broke up.

So he’s kept his feelings to himself for over 12 years…

Zera’s eyes narrowed, a skeptical look in them as she studied his face. Eventually she closed her eyes and released a defeated sigh.

“ Fine, fine, you win,” She told him as she raised her hands in defeat. “ I’m going to go see if your siblings are ready.”

Zera walked away, but stopped when she stood beside William and said: “ See if you can convince him to confess to Hikari tonight!” before walking out of the room.

Alistar and William looked at each other as the room fell silent.

“ She means well.” William explained softly, and his son nodded.

“ I know.”

“ She’s just worried about you and your happiness.”

“ I know, and I appreciate it,” Alistar said with a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. “ I just wish she wouldn’t worry so much about me; she has four other kids she should worry about too.”

“ She does worry about them,” William told him as he crossed his arms. “ But not as much as she worries about you.”

“ Because unlike my siblings I’m special and her favorite?” Alistar asked jokingly, and his father chuckled.

“ Exactly,” William replied, making his son laugh as well.

It was a well known fact that Zera, while genuinely loving all of her children, was especially partial to Alistar since the two of them had nearly died when she gave birth to him. She worried about him more, spoiled him a bit more, loved him just a bit more…

He was her favorite.

“ Do,” William began hesitantly as the room fell silent again. “ Do you really not have feelings for Hikari?”

Alistar looked at his father quietly for a moment, before nodding.

“ I don’t have feelings for her, we’re just good friends,” Alistar lied, his usual, charming smile appearing on his face.

William nodded slowly.

“ Alright, I just thought I would ask,” He said before turning around. “ I’ll let you finish getting ready.” He added as he walked out of the room, leaving his son standing there by himself.

As soon as the door clicked shur Alistar let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding and his hand reached up to rub the back of his head again.

This really sucked!

———

“ Alright everyone, are you ready to go?” Zera asked her children as they stood before her.

“ Yes!”

“ Now remember; have fun, be safe, and don’t do anything I would do,” She instructed them. “ And if you do, make sure to use protection!”

Her children groaned.

“ What? I’m so sorry that I don’t want any grandchildren right now!” She told them while throwing a pointed look at her second oldest child, Sebastian.

“ Why are you looking at me like that?!” He exclaimed.

“ Because out of all my children you would be the one most likely to make me a grandmother before I’m ready!” She pointed out, her blue eyes narrowing at him.

“ Do you have no faith in me?” He asked, his tone sounding hurt even though he really wasn’t.

“ None.” She replied bluntly, making the other chuckle.

“ So I know we’re supposed to wear condoms and take potions if we decide to have sex with someone,” Daisy began as she raised her hand. “ But what about if we decide to hold hands? Should we use protection then?”

The room chuckled, knowing fully well that Daisy was joking with her question.

“ Oh, in that situation you must certainly use protection,” Zera told her, playing along.

Sunni, Daisy’s twin, suddenly raised her hand.

“ What kind of protection should we use if we decide to kiss someone?” She asked, and William’s eyes instantly narrowed.

“ You’re too young to be kissing,” He told her sternly, and his gaze shifted as another hand shot up.

“ Am I allowed to kiss someone?” Mavis, the youngest, asked innocently.

William quickly shook his head.

“ No. You’re way too young to be kissing anyone!”

“ But I’m sixteen?” She pointed out, and Sunni nodded.

“ Yeah, and Daisy and I are eighteen!” Sebastain nodded.

“ Exactly, they’re all of age now, dad!” He pointed out. “ Since Clover’s majority age is fifteen Mavis could easily go out and get married without needing anyone’s permission-.”

The rest of the sentence died in Sebastian’s throat as he saw the glare his parents were giving him.

“ Anyway,” Daisy interrupted with a clap of her hands. “ We should get going before we’re late!”

“ Alright, be careful and watch out for each other!” Zera instructed her children as she gave them all a kiss on the cheek.

“ We’ll meet at the Ceremony, right?” He asked his children, and they all nodded.

“ Right!”

The Vangeance children bid their parents goodbye and left the Golden Dawn base to head to Kikka for the Star Festival.

———-

At the Star Festival

As soon as the Vangeance siblings arrived in Kikka they split up to find their respective friend groups.

Alistar walked along the stone streets, passing by various food and item stalls as he did. Usually Hikari was working at the Black Bulls food stall with her father Captain Yami, but this year he decided to give her the night off so she could hang out with her friends.

It had been a surprise, but not an unpleasant one.

As he maneuvered through the crowd and his gaze drifted to the various stalls, his mind began to wander. It was odd that Captain Yami would give Hikari the night off, and it was odd how pushy his mother was about having him confess to her…he frowned; were the two of them trying to get him and Hikari together?!

Alistar quickly shook that thought from his mind. There was no way they would be doing that; especially Captain Yami. He would rather crush Alistar’s skull with his bare hand before he would ever allow them to date; especially after what happened that night.

He shuddered as the terrible, and embarrassing memory, from a few weeks ago resurfaced. How could he ever dream of confessing to Hikari after that?!

“ Alistar! Over here!” A familiar voice that always made his heart flutter shouted, and he slowly turned to see the girl he was just thinking about standing there.

Hikari waved her hands above her head and waved him over to the picnic table she and the others were sitting at.

He smiled his usual smile and gave a small wave as he walked over to them.

“ You’re late,” Leon Vermillion said as he took a sip of his drink. Alistar sat down across from him.

“ My apologies,” He apologized, using his formal voice. “ But leaving the base with my siblings was like trying to herd a bunch of cats.”

Leon chuckled.

“ I can only imagine,” He took another sip. “ I assume your mother gave you the usual ‘protection’ speech?”

“ Always.” The pair chuckled.

“ Your mother seems very…adamant about SexEd,” Noureen Silva said as he crossed his arms. “ She should host a seminar or something.”

“ Ooh she should, and my mom could help her!” Avalinia Silva said brightly from beside him.

“ I think all of our moms would pitch in and help her!” Dawn Faust agreed.

“ But wouldn’t it be embarrassing for our moms to be teaching our friends and peers the do’s and don'ts of sex?” Zoisite Ideale asked as he leaned back in his seat.

“ Would you prefer our dads to be the ones to teach it?” Hikari asked curiously, making everyone shudder.

That would not end well if their dads were the ones to teach it…

“ By the way,” Alistar began, quickly changing the subject. “ Where are the others? I thought they’d be joining us.”

“ Cyra is on a date with Dusk,” Leon explained. “ So I thought it would be best to give them some space.”

“ Heinry and Natalia are off playing in the fun houses,” Noureen said simply. “ But I’ll be meeting up with them later.”

“ Nymphie is off doing her own thing, and Mikhail is on a date with his princess.” Avalinia told him with a giggle.

“ My siblings are all kind of scattered around the place,” Dawn said with a laugh. “ Vivian was here earlier waiting for you, but I told her you’d see her after the ceremony so she went off on an adventure with Nora and Kito.”

“ Einar and Hana are with my parents, so we’ll probably see them later!” Hikari said with a bright smile.

Alistar nodded, and the conversation between the children continued to flow with various topics being discussed; including which squad they all thought would get the most stars.

“ It’s obviously going to be the Black Bulls!” Hikari said proudly, and Noureen scoffed.

“ Didn’t your squad just lose a handful of stars due to the destruction you caused near the Heart border?” Noureen pointed out as his eyes narrowed.

“ Hey we only lost two stars because of that,” She pointed out in irritation. “ And if you think your squad’s going to rank above ours you’re delusional!”

“ I think you’re the delusional one here!”

As Alistar watched the two go back and forth in amusement, he suddenly felt someone kick him under the table. He turned to see who it was and saw Leon giving him a serious look.

He leaned forward and Alistar did the same.

“ What’s up?”

“ Are you going to confess to Hikari tonight?” Leon asked quietly, and Alistar’s eyes widened.

What was with everyone wanting him to confess to Hikari tonight?!

“ Are you and my mother in cahoots or something?” Alistar asked quietly, his blue eyes narrowing.

Leon frowned.

“ What? No,” He said in confusion. “ Why would we be in cahoots?”

“ Because you’re both asking me if I plan on confessing to Hikari tonight, and it’s really suspicious!” He told him, and Leon hummed.

“ Well, tonight does seem like the perfect time to do it,” He said to Alistar as he hummed in thought. “ Your mother and I were probably just thinking the same thing.”

Alistar sighed and shook his head before taking a sip of his drink.

“ But you didn’t answer my question,” Leon pointed out quietly. “ Are you going to confess to her or not?”

Alistar hummed in thought as his blue eyes gazed down into his cup, staring at the swirling contents as he tried to decide what to do…

“ I don’t know,” He admitted softly. “ Maybe…we’ll see how tonight goes? If everything feels right, then I will, and if it doesn’t then…I’ll wait.”

Leon nodded slowly before he set his own cup down onto the table.

“ That sounds like a good plan, but I wouldn’t wait too long,” Leon said as he gave his friend a very serious look. “ You never know when someone will come by and try to snatch her up.”

Alistar smirked a bit.

“ What? Are you planning on trying to ask her out?” He joked, and Leon’s eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“ Absolutely not. I already have someone,” He told Alistar, who chuckled in response. “ Besides, even if I didn’t have someone, I still wouldn’t be that big of a jerk.”

Alistar smiled, nodded, and raised his glass.

“ Well, if it helps, I wouldn’t do that to you either.” He told him, and Leon chuckled before smiling and clanking his glass against Alistar’s.

“ Noted.”

“ What’re you two talking about?!” Hikari suddenly asked as she leaned over towards them, the boys instantly dropped their glasses and turned to her.

“ Puns!” They shouted in surprise, making Hikari blink.

“ Huh?”

“ Hey Leon; What do you call an alligator in a vest?” Alistar asked, and Leon shrugged.

“ I don’t know, what?”

“ An investigator.”

Leon burst into laughter.

“ Hey Alistar; Why did the scarecrow get an award?” Leon asked, and Alistar shook his head.

“ Why?”

“ Because he was outstanding in his field.”

Alistar burst into laughter, and Leon followed suit.

The other children at the table groaned.

“ I shouldn’t have asked!” Hikari muttered as she rested her head against the table.

Leon and Alistar looked at each other as a sigh of relief escaped them. Who would have thought making puns would save their lives?

————

After the children talked for a little longer they all decided to split up and explore the Festival.

As usual Hikari and Alistar paired up together, and the two walked around and explored all the things the festival had to offer.

They played games, ate food, walked around, and chatted about all the things that had happened since they last saw each other. Everything was normal between them.

But in the back of Alistar’s mind he couldn’t stop thinking about what his mother and Leon said; they were right in saying he was running out of time to confess, and they were also right that she could meet someone new tonight and fall in love with them…

“ Come on!” Hikari’s excited voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat when she suddenly grabbed his hand and dragged him towards a tree with lanterns and papers hanging from it.

Alistar stared at the tree, was this new? He had never seen it here before…

“ It’s a wishing tree! Papa told me about it yesterday and I wanted to come check it out.” Hikari told him as she let go of his hand, making his heart sink a bit.

“ A wishing tree?” He asked in confusion. She nodded, walked over to where papers and quills were sitting and grabbed some before bringing it back to him.

“ Yeah! You write your wishes down on these pieces of paper, and then you hang them on the tree!” She explained as she handed it to him before writing her own wish down.

“ That’s it?”

“ That’s it!”

Alistar nodded slowly, and as he stared down at the piece of paper his mind began to race as he tried to think of what to wish for.

He glanced up at Hikari. A soft smile appeared on his face as he watched her brows furrow in concentration, her tongue sticking out just slightly as she wrote, and the satisfied smile that appeared on her face as she finished writing down her wish.

He looked back down at his paper, and began to write down his wish.

As he finished he followed her to the tree and hung his wish right beside her’s.

“ Aren’t we a little too old to be making wishes?” Alistar asked playfully, and Hikari pouted before giving him a slight glare.

“ You’re never too old to make wishes,” She told him. “ Uncle Asta said so.”

Alistar chuckled, and Hikari grinned.

The pair stood together quietly, their gazes on the large tree as it swayed slightly in the wind. But soon his gaze drifted over to Hikari.

As the warm light of the lanterns drifted over her features, as the wind slightly shifted her beautiful brown hair, he couldn’t help but wonder; is now the time? Should he confess now?

“ So, what did you wish for?” She suddenly asked as she turned towards him, her blue eyes shining brighter than the moon, and her smile more dazzling than the stars in the sky.

Yeah, now was the perfect time.

“ My wish…is to hold you close and never let you go…” He said softly, his face turning slightly red.

“ Huh?”

As she stared at him in surprise and confusion, Alistar could hear his heart drumming in his ears, and could feel it pounding against his chest while he waited for her answer.

But much to his surprise…she suddenly began to laugh.

“ That’s a good one! You scared me there for a second.” Hikari laughed as she slapped him repeatedly on the shoulder.

She…thought it was a joke?

As he opened his mouth to correct her she suddenly grabbed his hand again.

“ Y’know you shouldn’t make jokes like that though,” She told him mock-seriously. “ Otherwise your girlfriend might get the wrong idea!”

Alistar blinked at her as her words sunk in.

His…what?!

“ Hikari-!” He began, raising his hands and waving them quickly, he needed to clear up whatever…misunderstanding this was! But she cut him off.

“ Don’t worry I won’t say anything,” Hikari told him. “ What happens between bodyguards, stays between bodyguards.” She added before grabbing his hand again.

“ C’mon the ceremony’s about to start!”

As Hikari began to drag Alistar away from the tree he couldn’t help but wonder; why did she think he had a girlfriend, and how did his soft-confession go so wrong?!

————

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!

[nyashykyunnie]

(tw: some of the contents have self-harm)

WHAT IF WHAT IF Kiwoo in an isekai type of story whereas he actually used to be an overworked and abandoned child and one dy he does from over-exhaustion and starvation.

And true to fashion isekai sht he wakes up as a baby being craddled by a goddess(Hae-in) and there is this very handsome man staring at him(The devil himself: Sung Jinwoo). And he is just utterly confused and lost and there is another baby beside him. So Kiwoo grows up a bit detached from everyone, but make no mistake he absolutely LOVES his family, he's just shy and feeling guilty over the fact that he stole the real "Sung Kiwoo's." spotlight and rightful heir so he spends majorty of his time compensating Jinhae by being the goodest son he can be and being very overprotective of Suho (he's the real ki-woo anyway, he just thinks he stole someone's spot). He has high grades but not higher than Suho because he doesn't want Suho to feel inferior to him.

As i've said before, KIWOO IS A WEAK INTELLECT IN ACADEMICS, so he puts in extra hardwork in his studies inside his room and often had lot of mental breakdowns in his room because studying maths and sciences for him are so hard because of his weak comprehension and he is absolutely terrified of asking for help from anyone because he doesn't wanna feel like a burden to anyone because he is afraid that if he shows weakness they will abandon him (He has ptsd from previous life). Kiwoo is absolutely paranoid of making mistakes and because of the fact that he doesn't voice out his stress it leads to a bit of self-destructive habits.

Kiwoo nibbles on his fingertips until they bleed, he picks on the skin of his legs that is not just simple BUT HE ABSOLUTELY DIGS HIS OWN SKIN. He paces a lot frantically too when he's overly-stressed. Kiwoo doesnt have any scars because well, he is a Monarch in pure blood so he has the abnormal regenerative factors of healing. So his self-destructive habits just get worse and worse until he explodes one day because of the sheer stress his academics his putting him through and the fact that his 'Monarch' side terrified him so much because he is new to ALL of this. Necromancy? Itarim? Monarchs? Shadows? Awakened? It was eating at Kiwoo's mental state until he just had a panic attack from raiding a gate because he got so horrified that he cant find Suho anywhere.

Luckily enough, Jinwoo stepped in time and snapped him out of him in the gentlest way possible. He calmed his son down and asked him to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Jinwoo had always known about Kiwoo's self-harm, and most especially the fact that Kiwoo has 'memories of his past life'. So Jinwoo assured him: "You are my son, my baby, my blood runs thick on you just as it does to your older brother. I gave you the name 'Sung Kiwoo' and you 'are' Kiwoo. No one else. But 'Kiwoo'. And son, I know its hard but you have to stop this, you're more than you could ever possibly know. You belong here, it is your birthright. You never stole 'Anything' from anyone, this position is yours and yours on;y. You hear me?" And that day, it was the first time Jinwoo saw his youngest child become an actual 'child'. He sobbed loudly in wild abandon, he was having a crucial moment of catharsis. The pent up anger, sadness, jealousy, the depression— Kiwoo just screamed it out through his sobs. And boy did it relieve Jinwoo that Kiwoo let his guard down. He knew deep inside Kiwoo was a child at heart, he could see it with that way Kiwoo acted in their various family trips.

He saw the way this child of his lit up whenever they went to parks, to buildings for kids, to beaches where he innocently picks up seashells and seaglass, and most especially the Aquarium Park.

Jinwoo sighed in relief that finally, FINALLY, Kiwoo wasn't going to shut them out anymore

im SO SORRY I JUST CANT SHUT UP ABT KIWOO I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS ABT HIM I LOVE HIM OKAY

[nohara-rin-dot-mp3]

the story ends like this: there is no other way. that is how all stories end.

- - -

obito had kakashi promise to take care of her, but that was just because he didn't know her. kushina did, too, but that was because she thought that rin was like her, when really rin isn't like anything at all. minato had made him promise too and that extra-didn't-count because he was just doing it because he thought giving kakashi something to work for would make kakashi happy. he never did anything for the person he though rin was. he never-

- - -

and the thing is that rin could do it quieter. she has to go- she doesn't have to do it like this. even in the face of absolute un-being, there are choices, and rin is making a bad one.

- - -

it would be cruel to bring it up at a time like this, and so of course rin does.

minato does not correct her, because nohara rin, the individual, does not know better. she should not know the details of hatake sakumo's death. it is an innocuous comment, and it flows off her tongue like water, and kakashi flinches.

how childish. if her parents killed themselves, she wouldn't care at all.

- - -

she creeps along the branches, and she does not feel like she belongs, because she does not. wind rustles her hair. water pounds in her blood. kakashi dances closer and closer.

- - -

obito dies, and everyone realizes what rin has known all along- everyone's born to die. this is the point- the rot and the mourning. this is what it all leads up to.

strange that they hadn't learned yet.

at the funeral, someone drones on amd on about the afterlife. rin knows better than to believe a word of it.

- - -

feet on the edge of the branch, she tips forward, and everything rushes by her so, so, quickly, but she's not scared.

- - -

she leans over the mirror, panting and panting and panting as her fingers scramble across the edges of her face. there is no line- nothing to indicate her mask. she is safe. her disguise is intact.

someone knocks on the bathroom door. rin bites down a quiet, wounded noise and runs her fingers along the pattern again. her skin feels raw, but she is careful not to use her nails, and every time she checks in the mirror, she looks the same as always.

- - -

and as the lightning flashes towards her, she sees-

- - -

"basically," rin says, and the words taste too-sweet on her tongue. "i want to protect my precious people."

"who are these people," minato does not ask. "why do you pretend at all, if you do not care? what are you scared of?"

"that's good," he says instead. as if any of that could ever cross his mind.

anyways, she's not scared of dying. she's not scared of losing people. she's not scared of endings, so she can't be scared of anything at all.

- - -

kakashi reaches through her chest, and it's like the sun crashing through the earth. she stumbles back- chokes on copper- can't quite manage to peel her masks back-

there is a hole in her chest. rin falls to the ground, eagle-sprawled, belly up, like a small child star gazing. there has always been a hole. it doesn't even hurt.

kakashi breaks. she watches, detached, and-

- - -

it's raining. lightning jumps across the sky.

"are you scared?" obito asks, because he is, and he doesn't want to be alone.

"not of this," rin replies.

"of what, then?" obito tilts his head.

"someone finding out," rin says.

"finding out what," obito frowns, and then she wakes up from the nightmare.

- - -

dying is easy. she was born to die- no. she was born dead. she is returning to her natural state.

it doesn't hurt.

at least she got to choose a little bit of the ending, she thinks, as the world swims farther away. at least she left scratch marks on her way out.

nohara rin dies. many people are very sad about it. the girl who was pretending to be her dies too, but no one thought to check her pulse. it's probably for the best. if they had found the body, they might have known-