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marshmallowprotection · 2 years

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Mystic Messenger Summer Title

Okay! You guys know the deal! A photo comes out and then I talk about how that makes me feel and what I can pull out of the photo. Well, unless you’re new here in which case, I say, hello! I’m your resident chatterbox that likes to put things to the surface that may stand out to me as a detail that someone else might not be able to notice for whatever reason. I’m excited to show the photo and talk about all the things I noticed!

Here’s the Summer Title! I was able to find one with nice quality which helps me out immensely in trying to pick apart the details that I’m looking at. So, let’s take a gander at the photo and then talk about everything that we see piece by piece while I cry my eyes out. This is a Mint Eye focused photo which means that it’s a marketed photo to included Rika, V, and Ray/Unknown.

The first thing that I noticed was something that I don’t think I joked about on my post but I thought about in my head! Which is, “Hey, wouldn’t it be fucking funny as hell if the RFA were the fish?” I gotta stop joking about that stuff to myself... it always happens. What I didn’t expect was that Saeran and V would be included in those fish but they are! They’re not connected to the RFA, but they’re floating in the water just as close. The one key factor is that Rika isn’t there.

Rika is only represented by herself in the boat. She has disconnected herself to the RFA and to everyone... she’s gazing back at everyone longingly but there’s no chance for her to go back because she made her choice and she will commit to that choice no matter what. You can tell she’s thinking about that as she sits above the surface watching longingly as Unknown comes to capture the RFA to force them back into her life.

That’s what she does. She wants to lure them in and take them from V so that she proves her point, saves them, and leaves V to suffer. That’s the context of her revenge in Casual/Deep Story. She wants to make him hurt like she’s hurt, and the way she assumes best is to destroy everything and make them stay in her heart forever... twisting them with elixir so they never leave and she never has to fear losing family ever again.

But, she’s so lost by the time CS/DP comes around that her original plan gets lost to her emotions and she loses herself... which is why you only see her force her hand on the family dream in Another Story. She’s still got an idea of what it is that she wants at that point, and it hasn’t just become a plot of revenge to make V bleed until he’s run dry.

It’s sad in most ways... but, I actually really like how Rika was drawn her because it plays homage to that idea. This is Savior Rika, this is the Rika that you meet in the Secret Endings face to face... the Rika that wants to make V bleed and suffer because that’s all she wants now. She has no reason to want him back... just to want to shove him in a basement and keep him alive enough to experience what she has and that’s “watching your family live happily while you suffer in silence.”

Now, if we look over at V, it’s telling of him to be in this spot. He’s watching... and even in his own life, he seems to be a spectator. He watches and doesn’t involve himself when he needs to do it. He’s always behind the camera and for better or worse, this describes him as someone who watches the fire and wants to do the best he can... but he hesitates, and he has to watch instead to document the big, bad, hurt that’s coming for his loved ones. You can see it written all over his face in this, too.

He’s tired.

He’s exhausted.

He’s on the edge of breaking down.

This is Secret Ending V, to me. The V who does what Rika asks and agrees to take you back to Mint Eye, foolishly assuming he can beg for Rika to destroy him instead of the others. He knows there’s no chance she’ll spare the others just to make him bleed, too, but he still tries this. He burns himself when it comes to the situation with Rika so often. We see it every time he gets close to her and he has the opportunity to make things right but he just kicks himself.

He’ll become Icarus to her Sun if he has to do it and it’s always painful to watch. He’ll fail not only himself but those around him when he hesitates.

Behind his camera is nothing but a man who gives up before he even tries, and it’s hard to see. But, you can see the fish is looking at him and looking at the RFA as if to say “will you let this continue or will you say something?”

And now we’re onto my lovely Unknown. You know I’m excited to talk about him since it’s been forever since we’ve seen his face! I love all of the Saeran’s. I do, I really do, but Unknown and Ray are my favorites so being able to see them will be what makes me happy every time. You can see his intention in this photo and we all know what he wants. He wants to destroy the RFA, give them to Rika, and then torture Saeyoung and Jihyun for everything they’ve done.

You know that he is determined to be able to capture them because the faster that he does that, the faster that he's able to get his revenge. It doesn't matter what happens to them in the end, he could care less. He doesn't have a grudge against any of them. It's not like he hates any of the members of the RFA that aren't the ones already mentioned.

Unknown needs them to do what he says so Rika gets what she wants… then he gets what he desires most of all. It's just the way The Story Goes. They have to go down before he can get what he wants. So, they're going to get captured and he doesn't care what gets in his way. They’re going to fail either way, and he will taste victory eventually... it’s just a matter of time and he’s happy to make the group suffer if it means they go down.

I think the painful part about seeing this is that the fish that's looking at him is a representation of that part deep inside of him that you think is destroyed.

That part of him that was once a child that didn't want to hurt anybody and just wanted to believe that he could be saved. There is still a part of him that is that child but it is so varied underneath malice, manipulation, and elixir that it's hard to see that person. That's one of the most complex things about his character. It's this fact that you can see he's suffered so much to get to where he is, but all he ever wanted was for somebody to save him.

He never did get saved. His brother never did come back to save him. So, as far as he knows, this is the only way that things can be. I think why they chose a clown fish isn't just to rag on him. It's more so that he's been disillusioned with transformation and lies. I feel like there's also an argument where it's talking about that says that he feels like he was a fool, or a clown*fish* for believing that his brother would ever come back for him.

He does insult his childhood self for believing that his brother would ever come back very often. The expression that the fish has on its face seems to say that it's not happy about what he's doing and I feel like it's a testament to the fact that his childhood self would not like what he's doing. There are some other theories about that but I will get to it in a second. I just need to make this joke.

In conclusion, can you believe this man is a clownfish?

Saeyoung is an octopus. Jumin looks like an Angelfish. I can’t tell what Jaehee, or Yoosung are, but they’re probably in a similar family to the fish that Jumin is. I can’t tell for sure what Zen is, either. There’s a lot of fish in the sea so it’s not the clearest thing to guess! I’d love to hear what you guys think about it, though! I’m sure someone else spotted the right fish... but it seems like the RFA is about to go into Rika’s giant tank!

And this is the RFA, as you can see. The eye colors were what matched with the situation so I knew right off the bat. Take a good look at them because this is the very subtle way of telling us that the RFA are fishies. It’s interesting that they did this because I don’t know if the fish are symbolic to their personality or whatever, and while I know a lot about marine life...

I can’t tell if it’s aesthetic, temperament, or what have you leading their choice to draw them as certain fish!

Jaehee looks like... “Are you seeing this shit?” Yoosung looks on the edge of angry and fearful. “Is this allowed? Is this allowed?” Jumin is checked out of this situation and is happily swimming away. Zen is unaware like usual and totally checked out because he’s a beast who can handle it and... hm. I’ll get to Seven in a second because I just noticed this in the background. Hey, Rika’s a jellyfish! She’s disconnected from everyone in the photo which only adds to my theory of being separated and how that plays out. She stings if you get too close... ouch. That’s rough, buddy.

As I'm writing this, I got a better photo for us to look at that!

Unless Saeyoung is the clownfish... the eyes are golden... I believed the golden eyes was the clue for Saeran’s existence and connection to his twin but I had a lot more time to think on it! While it makes more sense for him to be the octopus because you can see that Unknown is coming directly for him in this photo unlike him going for the fish that are that much closer...

@rfaromance made a good point to me yesterday when we were very much gushing about what it could be! The octopus does not have a canon eye color and the MC is never going to be drawn with a face. It is a blank slate and that means that the octopus could be us, the player!. It might be misdirection that it is colored red to make us think that it's Seven like that so soon, or it could be the implication that this is the MC for Saeyoung... and that's why they're red...

Which would 100% explain why Unknown would be going for them directly. Take the MC, take over the RFA. It’s not a complicated theme since it’s what he does every time. The clownfish has golden eyes... but the octopus has little lashes on their eye... and and I do believe that this artist did slip in that style for the MC on the drawings where they’ve given MC eyes. The lashes are a bit longer in this specific style.

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literaphobe · 3 years

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I don’t think I can pick between the horse, parrot, or axolotl one of which is my favorite. They’re all so good.

the ‘minecraft, but my friend is a _______’ series rated according to how much i like them:

minecraft, but my friend is a dog:

dog!dream flip flopped between :D and >:( every 5 seconds n it was beautiful to watch

one second he’s cuddling w a minecraft puppy and going ‘baby 🥺’ the next moment he is viciously attacking george n attempting to murder him in frustration from how much damage he took because of george’s accidental hits. next moment he is sheepishly apologizing because george made him sit down and won’t let him back up until he behaved. and in the moment after that he tells george if i were ur actual dog i would have bitten you by now :/ (??????????)

i love the game mechanics of george being able to freeze dream so that dream can’t move n the ability to teleport dream to george when he’s too far away. v cute. fun balance of dream needing george to save him but also him being able to help him and also be so silly and goofy.

shoutout to the ‘RIP dog Dream :(‘ subtitle when they failed the challenge. 10/10

minecraft, but my friend is a parrot:

dream going BAKAWK n repeating everything george said my beloved. my minecraft youtuber is so annoying 😍

him going ‘my strategy to survive? well im a parrot so :) if anyone comes i can just go BLRRRRRRR’ stole my entire heart

him pretending he needed to eat and letting george feed him only to go JK xD and fly away. so many things about dream were so endearing n funny in this video

i am a big fan of him calling a wolf a ‘woof’ and also his harry potter messenger owl bit. when he sang that i will lead the way parody about being a parrot…. that changed the landscape as we know it :( he is a silly little birdie :( my little wackadoodle :(

also funnily enough this is the only friend is a mob video where they actually beat the game LMAO 12/10

minecraft, but my friend is a horse:

i love the running bit of dream badly mimicking the animals he’s meant to play. also a big enjoyer of him seeing another mob and going omg MY BROTHER…. MY UNCLE…. MY FAMILY….. and like giving names to all the other horses. he is so adorable

dream riding a boat as a horse and singing about it….. he is a disney animal princess. i love him. he is Silly. he is Whimsical. he sang so much more and even reprised songs from the last video. he Galloped. he Yelled. he made Incomprehensible Noises

‘the skeleton could Not touch this 😌’ proceeding him singing can’t touch this as he juked mobs was truly something

‘it’s dinner time and ur papa bird give me the worms! BLURPBLURBLURPBLURVBLURPVLUR’ changed me as a person

shoutout to ‘🎶we’re going on a trip my enderman friend, we’re going to the end, me and my enderman friend :D🎶’ my little parody song writer <3

idk why dream was so quotable but big love for him saying ‘i’m not a communist it’s not OUR food :/ sharing is caring but i don’t CARE >:(‘

george hitting an mlg horse on dream n them joking about how dream experienced what the horse in manhunt experienced n how much his back hurt was. JDJSJDJDJ

when they did risky horse parkour as part of their ‘victory lap’ and george told dream ‘i want you to get the last hit 🥺’ only for horse!dream to DIE trying and george stared in disbelief before killing the dragon w one axe hit….. a masterpiece. 15/10

minecraft, but my friend is an axolotl:

im sorry but george using facecam in this video really boosts the experience. they r getting SO many points for this alone

dream popping up going AHHH :D is SO cute but george thinking dream was green is fucking HILARIOUS. the fact that he didn’t even KNOW throughout the whole editing process because he BEGGED dream to edit it but he said no. so neither of them knew until the video was posted

dream finding other axolotls and going my brothers 🥺 my sisters 🥺 my uncle 🥺 why does he always find his uncle. why is he so cute

‘you’ll never find me >:) [gets found instantly] STOP :(‘ hits so hard

‘you need to Protect me :)’ completely destroyed me :( im trying so hard not to quote the whole video. im very in love w this video

every time they found a glow squid…. dream’s excitement…. him not wanting to kill it at first…. ‘it INKED 🥺’

dream’s whole ‘omg there’s DIAMONDS… oh nvm that’s not diamonds. it’s the glow thingy. There’s Iron!! there’s a creeper. get the creeper. i need food. im on one heart. i need food!!’ journey that led to george calling him Bad and him saying Take It Back :( was everything to me

the clown music playing. them finding actual diamonds and dream falling into the water and getting attacked and crying for george to save him as he escaped into a tiny Hole was so incredibly BABY :( why was he so baby this whole video :( everything he said was chock full of 🥺🥺🥺

him finding out he could only eat fish and not meat :( him going no 🥺 yeah 🥺 yum 🥺

his silly AXOLOTL SONG :( followed by him taking damage from lack of water n them SCREAMING DJDJS every time george scolded him for hitting mobs and had to save him and dream was all thank you… THANK YOU :( please why did i think it was a good idea to watch this. why is it so endearing

george nagging dream to be careful in the fortress as he went ‘im exploring! im exploring! :D HOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOOHOO’

dream being a silly little navigator who very clearly didn’t know where he was going as george complained n he insisted repeatedly that george follow him…. <3333

‘look just tell me that i’m good :( tell me i did a good job :(‘ —> them going back to the overworld n him saying ‘just give it to me raw’ —> ‘what’d you say you said u were gonna say something :/‘ ‘you… you did good dream’ ‘yay :D’ i am on the floor. please i cannot take this anymore

dream going im stuck in a pool 😔 and george teasing him about needing help before saving him… them racing w george in a boat and dream swimming as an axolotl…

dream punching him into the end and being so excited to beat the game only for the video to end super abruptly because dream fell 😍 JDJSJDJ 48283828372737/10

#ask #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #mcyt #this is so long im sorry #welcome to me test running a concept that i was gonna use for a post about manhunt #where i rate all the manhunts out of 10 too #askplus

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lisinfleur · 3 years

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Misunderstood

The request:

Universe | Vikings Pairing | Ivar x Reader Info | Viking Age AU, requested by anon for 5CW Ivar II, posted for HTGI Event Words | 1415 ⁑ Warnings: Ivar’s self ableism again.

When you were dragged back to that hall, you were sure that, more than your father's image, you destroyed your husband's pride.

Putting a maid in his bed on his bridal night and running away the way you did was definitely not the smartest of your plans. But what could you do?

Entering that corridor like a dog brought back to its owner seemed better than ending up like a tattered doll, shared by her husband with all his brothers and the gods know who else.

So, although escorted by the men of Kattegat, you entered that room with your head held high, ready to face the consequences of your attempt to get rid of that cruel destiny.

"So, this is the woman who was supposed to be behind the veil of that over-covering dress in my marriage ceremony..."

That wasn't the voice you were expecting to hear.

Your husband would surely be the elder one! Your father said you would sit beside a king!

Who would be the king among the sons of Ragnar if not the elder one alive, Ubbe Ragnarsson, the sharer?

"I would have been pleased. Perhaps, if you'd chosen to be gentler, I would have spared you from the night by my side once it seems to be a nightmare in your eyes."

No!

The younger one walked forward, speaking imposingly. His sharp blue eyes freezing yours as he approached.

"But you chose to flee..." he said, standing in front of you.

Making regret fill your veins instead of blood, spreading like a cold sensation when you were able to read the deception inside his blues.

"I thought..." You gasped with the words.

Your eyes oscillated from him to Ubbe's figure, resting bothered beside the throne, leaned against a pillar as if the whole scene wasn't his business.

Ivar has not lost that detail. His eyes followed her gaze, trying to understand why, suddenly, the determined woman who entered her salon was shaking on her legs, exuding nervousness through her pores.

You watched as he followed your eyes towards Ubbe, curiously looking at you before he frowned, surprised.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

His voice sounded a little shrill, making you lose your composure even more than the discovery of your big mistake had done a few seconds earlier.

"I didn't know! I ... My dad told me ... I ..." You gasped again.

And this time, even Ubbe moved away from the pillar. Thoughts of him doing the obvious math of how absurd and surprising that moment was.

He'd calmed his younger brother when the discovery of your plan, but part of him had been hurt by Ivar's acid words about your decision.

What woman would do it differently under the obligation to marry a cripple like him?

However, it seemed that his younger brother was wrong for what could be the first time since he could remember.

"Did you think you would marry me?" he said.

Making it even more outrageous for you with that sarcastic smile on his lips.

Once again, you straightened your posture, looking at him on top of your arrogance as a woman proud enough to face her actions.

"I would rather die dry and shame my family than put myself under a womanizer like you, Prince Ubbe!" you answered.

Making his lips curve a little more, opening his smile when Ivar took a step back, and your father squeaked like a dying squirrel struck by your words.

"Mighty Odin! What did I do to deserve this curse?" he cried. "Forgive my daughter, Prince Ubbe, she ..." he began with his usual conversation about how you were as crazy as your mother was.

Of course... Because facing men or spitting out the truth, however crude, was crazy! It had to be!

You rolled your eyes.

"I am not a sharer, nor a doll to be shared!" you cut your father, maintaining your position concerning Ubbe, irritated his smile was bigger and bigger as you spoke. "I'm not going to submit to stupid games to your satisfaction, and I don't see what's so funny about what I'm saying, Prince!" you raised your tone when Ubbe couldn't help giggling.

"Well, brother," he said, not looking at you but at Ivar, whose eyes were fixated on you, surprised by your statements. "It looks like she didn't leave because of you, after all," the elder one giggled again.

And there it was again: your posture was completely destabilized by the realization of your grotesque error.

Your fiancé was neither Ubbe nor Hvitserk - another one you knew: he would follow his brother wherever the eldest went!

But you had tried to deceive Ivar, The Boneless. Just the most brilliant mind of its time! Just the only one among the children of Ragnar that you had sworn to accept without reservation.

"That's it?" Ivar asked, still shocked by the realization of what was really going on before his naked eyes. "Did you think your fiancé was Ubbe and were you trying to refuse my brother?"

You bowed your head, defeated.

"Gods!" your father exclaimed again. "What a shame!"

"If you only knew ..." Ivar started.

His eyes on yours like sharp blades, certainly ready to see clearly any lie in your next words.

"If you had known that I was the man you were going to marry, what would you have done?"

You lifted your head, looking him straight in the eye.

Your answer came so direct and clear that it was impossible to doubt your conviction.

"I would have been late for our ceremony, as I certainly wouldn't have been able to finish in time all the sacrifices I believe the gods would deserve for their benevolence regarding my destiny, my lord."

It was easy to see that your answer shocked him.

"Did you... Want to marry me? Were you refusing Ubbe on my behalf?"

"What's so surprising about that?" you asked, confused by his reaction. "Forgive me, my lord, but what has Prince Ubbe done with his life besides becoming famous for sharing his wives like toys? There is nothing about him to do in the halls of history, except the things he did under your brilliancy, my lord. You, on the other hand..." you said.

Feeling your cheeks slightly warm as you spoke.

"Your achievements are counted as legends wherever our steps can reach. How you've won York not once, but twice from the hands of the same Christian king that your plans bent to his knees. How could I not be flattered to be the chosen one of the man who defeated the untouchable Björn Ironside?"

"With my indispensable help," Ubbe finally spoke, feeling slightly diminished in his ego by your words.

A manifestation that you almost completely ignored.

As if Ivar the Boneless was not going to find a way to win that war whether Ubbe had turned against his older brother to help him or not! The news said that he was already winning even when all the brothers were against him!

You could bet that Aslaug's two eldest sons had only changed sides in the face of the obvious defeat!

"I think the first ceremony was worthless, and I believe that we can ignore this shameful moment in the history of our alliance if my father-in-law agrees to fund a new ceremony, so my fianceé and I can celebrate our wedding with real vows and in the right way this time. No more mistakes," Ivar said.

Almost blaming your father for the mistake you made.

On second thought... If he hadn't kept that secret about who he was engaged to...

"Oh, without a doubt!" said your father. "But allow me to introduce you to my second daughter. She is more like me than Y/N, who took after her mother."

You crossed your arms, ready to defend yourself against that absurdity.

But it was your future husband who touched your chin, smiling with satisfaction.

"I like this one. And I don't accept alliances if I'm not sure that my wedding will be with Y/N. By the way, no more veils." he completed, stroking your chin. "I want to be sure that I am marrying the woman I want this time."

You smiled. His eyes were full of satisfaction this time.

Your manner had somehow captivated him, and your smile followed the increase of his on his lips.

What was a terrible marriage had just become a dream for you.

And you definitely wouldn't miss your wedding a second time.

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#history vikings #imagine vikings #ivar #ivar the boneless #ivar imagine #ivar x reader #ivar ragnarsson #ivar lothbrok #ivar's heathen army #sister wives #HTGI #shot

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more-stuff-of-pi · 3 years

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I’ll Fight For You

a/n: lmao i swear i’m fine, just needed good ol’ kiri to assist me in a v self-indulgent fic. also, sorry for taking forever to write something yoinks

notes: did i read through this after i wrote it? nope. we’re fucking rolling with the audacity of not even a single ounce of beta-ing. requests are open :) find my masterlist here

pairing: kirishima eijirou x fem!reader | genre: angst (w/happy ending) / hurt/comfort | warnings: abusive mother (mental/verbal), a father who doesn’t intervene | word count: 2,018

Your boyfriend was practically vibrating with nerves as he adjusted his hair in the mirror. It was artfully piled on top of his head, his dark roots making a sharp contrast against the vibrant red.

“Ei,” you smiled, “you’re gonna be fine.”

He worried his sharp teeth against his bottom lip, frowning all the while. “But what if they--?”

“They’re going to love you, Ei. Probably even more than they love me,” you joke, coming up behind Eijirou’s monstrously large form. Hero work had been both kind and harsh on him but he made it look effortlessly good. You gently slid your arms around his waist as you angled yourself so that you could still eye his reflection.

“I’m just… worried, is all.”

You cock your eyebrow. “About what, Ei?”

He incredulously meets your gaze through the mirror. “What do you mean, about what?!”

It dawns on you a little bit. “Oh, well, she’s not going to be mean to you, Ei. She knows how to play nice when it counts. And you, good sir, count.”

“That’s not as reassuring as it is worrying, you know.”

“My mother is just a little intense, babe, it’s nothing I’m not used to. Like I said, she knows how to tone it down in front of others. I’m sure tonight will be fine. I probably just exaggerate everytime I whine about her, so she’s probably not even half as bad as I make her sound,” you shrug, leaning more into Eijirou’s side.

“Baby,” he sighs, twisting a little to look directly at you, no mirror this time. His eyes are sad yet firm as if wishing you to understand that there’s no need to defend yourself with him.

You squeeze him tighter before letting go and walking to the door. “C’mon, we’ll be late if we don’t leave now.”

❁

You always forget that you don’t really ever exaggerate your mother’s behavior towards you until you’re around her again. Everything as far as introducing your boyfriend to your parents has been going incredibly smoothly. Your dad enthusiastically engaged Eijirou in hero stories, talking about Red Riot’s most recent media appearance where he was dressed in pajamas and carrying tubs of various ice creams you both had wanted to try when he dropped everything to prevent a construction beam from falling on clueless bystanders. Only one tub of ice cream had survived and luck had it that it was your least favorite flavor combination. Your mother praised Eijirou for his success and his coupling good looks at which she winked, making your boyfriend flush both at the phrase and the uncomfortable comments your mother directed at him. You winced at that, having forgotten to prepare him for the habitual talent your mother had of sexualizing anything, especially if it would ‘embarrass’ her child.

Your mother had made off handed comments throughout the whole night that you seemed to be the only one to pick up on. Your dad might have noticed a few but, as usual, he only looked at you apologetically, never interrupting his wife to stand up for you.

As much as you loved both of your parents and as much as they had their good moments, this fucking sucked.

“--not that she’s any good with that quirk of hers, of course,” your mother snickered as she brought the glass to her lips. You had become a good actor over the years in order to avoid your mother’s bullying over your ‘sensitiveness’, but something about her dismissing your hard work always immediately dismantled whatever mask you had thrown on. To cover what you know must be a crestfallen look, you give a laugh, something that could be called half-hearted at best. Your eyes remained trained on your food. “Oh come on, Y/n, that was funny.”

You chuckled again, hoping to force some genuineness into it. “Yeah--”

“No, it wasn’t,” Eijirou immediately cuts you off, voice straining with anger. You felt your face drain of blood as you noticed how tightly he was gripping his chopsticks. He was fuming. You don’t think you’d ever seen him angry before. The thought scared you. “That was just mean.”

Your mother quirked an unimpressed, subtly pissed brow at your boyfriend. “Don’t be sensitive, Eijirou. House rules: if it’s mean but funny, it’s okay.”

“As long as you get a laugh from it, it’s okay to abuse your child?” He spits at her like venom.

Your mother sets her glass down, eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?”

“You heard--”

You slap a hand over Eijirou’s bicep, squeezing so hard you wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up bruising. “It’s fine! Nothing I’m used to! I grew up on the ‘if it’s mean but funny’ rule, so it’s fine.”

The look he gave you was of incredulous anger. “No, it is not--!”

“Please, Ei. Please, just--,” you averted your eyes, ashamed of your own familiar defeat. “Just sit.”

Shamefully, you slide back into your seat, nervously smoothing out a napkin back onto your lap. Eijirou still stood beside you, staring daggers at your mother who effortlessly returned it. His fists were balled, the veins in his hands flexing with the effort of restraining himself. His jaw snapped shut with an audible clamp as he resolved himself to sitting back down.

Your dad clears his throat, more so than necessary as if the harder he did it, the better he could dissipate the tension. “Done, everyone?” No one answers him. He takes that as the go ahead to begin clearing dishes, desperately jumping at the opportunity to escape your mother’s impending tantrum. You loved your dad very much but, god, he was nothing if not a coward, always leaving you to fight your own battles. You don’t think you’ve ever won.

Your mother returns her cold attention to you, the ice starting to thicken and your mother’s hollow kindness starting to retreat along with her patience. “What are you even doing to help train your quirk, sweetie?”

Taken aback, you met her gaze. “W-what do you mean?”

“I mean, I don’t ever see you doing anything at all to help. You do realize that training takes work, right? What does it take? It takes--,” your mother trailed off, flourishing both hands to motion for you to finish the sentence.

“Effort--”

“Effort!” She clapped with your word. “It takes effort! And I only want the best for you, sweetheart, which is why I’m just asking what you’re doing. From where I stand, it doesn’t look like you’re doing anything at all to help improve yourself! As your mother, your concerned mother, I’m just looking out for you, sweetheart.”

Your mind is reeling at her words. You so badly want to defend yourself, assert all of the effort that you have painstakingly put in-- but you are reminded of the precise way your mother is able to leech any ounce of power or confidence from you. You would think that was her quirk if you didn’t know any better. “Mom, I am putting effort in, I train almost everyday--”

“Do you really?” Her voice drips with venomous shock. “It certainly doesn’t look like you do,” she gestures vaguely at you, eyeing your body with a vulture’s gaze. “Maybe you should consider morning and night. Oh! And a diet change, too. You know, since the popular heroes have a specific look to them and I just want to make sure that you can fit that. Since it’s your dream to be a popular hero. Like I said, you have to be willing to put in the effort. Oh, sweetie, don’t look at me like that. You know the difficult position I’m in! Trying to encourage you and help you achieve your dreams while not seeming too enthusiastic. You’re putting that stress on me, sweetie, I’m only trying to help.”

It really was incredible how quickly your mother could erase any confidence you had. Normally, you would stand beaming, more than happy to assert yourself and stand up for yourself and others. All it took was a couple words from your mother, and you turned into a dog with its head down and its tail between its legs, fearful of its master.

Your gut sank and hatred swirled throughout your body for both yourself and her as you once again let her have power over you. “You’re right. Sorry, Mom--”

“Do you know where your daughter ranks as a hero?”

Stunned, you both glanced at Eijirou, having almost completely forgotten that he was there. Throughout her tirade, you had felt a tragically familiar loneliness, used to having to defend yourself when no one, not even your other family members, would. Used to always submitting and used to the shame that always accompanied your forced silence.

“What?” She spat.

“I asked if you knew your daughter’s ranking. I just was wondering, is all. It would make sense if you weren’t aware that she ranks in the top 30 since you were asking about the effort she puts in. I would think that that accomplishment -- at such a young age, too, might I add -- was evidence enough of the countless hours, blood, sweat, and tears that she has poured into this. The effort she’s painstakingly put in. You’re right that being a hero is her dream, and she’s a damn good one, too. Saved my life more than once with ‘that quirk of hers’,” he sneered bitterly. “And, on top of that, she’s so beautiful through and through that sometimes it’s all I can do to stare at her in awe. Your thinly veiled shaming of her appearance is never the result of a mother’s so-called difficult situation, only the result of your own insecurities.”

Eijirou suddenly stands, having finally had more than enough for one night. “The only gratitude I will ever have towards you is for bringing this wonderful woman into this world. I hope one day you’ll actually realize how amazing your daughter is and how proud of her you ought to be. Because I am. I am so incredibly proud of her and her accomplishments and the results of her efforts.”

“And who’s to say that I’m not proud of her, Eijirou?”

He scoffs. Eijirou, the kindest, most patient man you know, scoffs in your mother’s face. “Haven’t you ever heard that actions speak louder than words?”

Your mother gapes up at him, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. In that moment, she resembles a fish and you couldn’t be more pleased with that comparison.

“He’s right, mom.” You rise to join him. “I know you love me. I have no choice but to believe it because I think it would destroy me if I didn’t. But maybe someday I won’t constantly have to defend myself to you and you’ll accept the things I say without dismissing them. You always say you admire me most for my assertiveness but you shut me down anytime I use it to stand up for myself against you. And that makes you nothing but a hypocrite.” You stare her down, reveling in the confidence Eijirou gives you in this thing against your mother. For the first time, you are not alone as you fight this battle. For the first time, you have help. And for the first time, you feel like you’ve won. “Now if you’ll excuse us.”

You take Eijirou’s hand and lead him out of the house, leaving your parents to stare after you in shock. As soon as you make it out, cold air hits you like a slap in the face that harshly wakes you from a daze.

“Holy shit, Ei, did I just stand up to my mom?”

He laughs and squeezes your hand. “It was pretty manly, too.” You laugh breathlessly, still in disbelief as you push your other fist against his arm. “And you know,” he continues, “that I’m the best judge of that.”

“That must mean a lot,” you grin, swinging your linked hands between you as you walk further from your parents’ home, feeling the fullness of a good meal and a battle won.

taglist: @samwrights, @mayaoliviee, @luluwiie, @gigglyparker (i thought i would tag you since you commented on the draft that i posted of this, hope you don’t mind <3)

#i'll fight for you #kirishima eijirou x reader #kirishima x reader #bnha x reader #hurt/comfort #abusive mother tw #tw abusive mother #mha x reader #bro this fic lowkey fvcking sucks lmao so sorry that this is the first thing you see from me in a while #like it just feels really rushed which it probably is but it's incredibly self-indulgent and it fulfills my purposes so it's good enough #for me that is

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madswritingvoid · 3 years

Text

Say You’re Sorry

Pairing: Max Phillips x f!reader

Words: 3k (oops haha)

Warnings: SMUT. 18+ only. Oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, p in v sex, fingering, swearing, slight choking, first time writing smut should probably be a warning itself, sexism, Max Phillips is a warning probably.

You knew it was a bad idea. Well, actually, no you didn’t. Not fully. The voice in your head was just screaming at you to stop - there were other ways to get his attention. Other ways to make Max feel bad for what he did during the Synersavers presentation that didn’t require you stooping this low. Fuck it, you figured, if he can go around and do whatever he wants to get his way then so can I.

Fixing your hair and outfit in the mirror one last time, you went back into the office looking for the desk you usually avoid like the plague. Max Phillips, fuck you.

Earlier That Day

“So you see, Mr. Jacobson, our third quarter projections have us coming in on top by two million dollars and the fourth quarter is looking even better. I mean really champ, if these numbers were anymore amazing they’d be as hot as your associate there in that fetching skirt,” Max winks at the woman taking meeting minutes for your potential new client, causing her skin to blotch, “fucking unreal. Pardon my French,” he finishes, earning a big laugh from the CEO of Synersavers, the new bullshit placebo pill that was supposed to alter the brain’s natural neural pathways to promote synergy. You weren’t sure what dreams synergy was helping pathetic humans to achieve, but it meant a bonus if they signed on so you made sure that PowerPoint presentation was the best slides of your career.

You scoff, worried that if you roll your eyes they’ll get stuck. You know Max Phillips was quite the charmer, you knew better than anyone in the office. This past year saw him go from being just your hot vampire boss you had a crush on, to your hot vampire boss that was now your boyfriend.

While you never made an official statement to your coworkers, you quietly signed the papers Amanda in HR needed signed and let the sound of you screaming Max’s name in his office while he was balls deep inside you let the rest of your coworkers know of your relationship. Overall, Max was a great boyfriend. Better than expected even - attentive, caring, protective to a fault, all while still being that loveable (?) piece of shit frat boy extraordinaire he had been at the beginning.

You knew he still had to lay on the charm to close sales from time to time, never actually violating your relationship in any way, but after the fight you had this morning you didn’t think flirting with the only person in the meeting who did not actually control whether or not this partnership was going to happen right in front of you was the best move.

“Mr. Phillips,” Jacobson says, once again only acknowledging Max and completely ignoring you as he had been for the entire presentation, “you got quite the silver tongue. But I like that about ya, I think you get what our product is all about and I wanna make this partnership work. I’m surprised your presentation is as good as it was, because if you’ll pardon my French, if my secretary looked as delicious as yours does I’d be too busy fucking her left, right, and centre to even think about the fourth quarter anything!” He laughs and claps Max on the shoulder and you tense up, sure that Max is going to say something. Not even because he’s your boyfriend, but because he landed the sale and doesn’t have to be as sleazy as this dickhead is.

“See that’s where you’re wrong Jacobson, it’s almost like I’m working double to avoid her. Just doesn’t get the mojo flowing, y’know? Maybe we should switch, what do you think sweetheart?” He looks over at the still flustered secretary, “Come on and work for me and we’ll work on some new ways of making synergy happen,” he wags his eyebrows and you’re surprised this poor woman hasn’t slid right off her seat. You’re stunned. Even as Mr. Jacobson laughs and brings a laughing Max into some sort of capitalist bro hug, you can’t bring yourself to move. It isn’t until you hear the squeak of the wheels from the chair Mr. Jacobson’s secretary was sitting against the shitty meeting room carpet that you snap back to the present and shut everything down. By the time you finish everyone is long gone, leaving you to stew in your rage.

A hesitant knock on the meeting room door makes you jump as you’re met with a sheepish looking Evan in the doorway. You were never a big fan of Evan when you started, kind of thought he was a wimp but he was nice enough. After getting with Max and learning their shared history, you couldn’t stand Evan, but were able to be far more professional when needed until Max.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was still in here after Max and the Synersavers people left,” he shrugged. “What the fuck do you mean Max left with them?” You asked through clenched teeth. Scratching the back of his neck nervously, Evan took a deep breath before telling you, “yeah, um. They left for a late liquid lunch from what it sounded like, Max said you would be too busy learning how to make a paper clip bracelet to join them… Sorry, he’s such an asshole. You don’t deserve that, especially not from that bastard,” He couldn’t meet your eyes. Even though he still tried to tell you to leave Max every single day, you appreciate him being there this time.

There were many things you could be mean to Evan for, but deep down you knew he didn’t deserve the wrath of your anger this time.

Later That Afternoon

After taking the elevator up to the office to mentally cleanse his mind from that mindless lunch with that absolute creep Jacobson, Max was trying to come up with the best apology for you. He knew he didn’t have to be so forward flirting with that secretary, what the fuck was her name anyways, in order to win the sexist CEO over. But he was feeling petty after your fight while you were getting ready for work he figured it wouldn’t hurt to remind you that many other women find him quite the catch.

“You’re lying! You have to be lying!! There’s no way that happened oh my god,” Max stops dead in his tracks as he hears your giggles from inside the office. “It is! I totally saw Tim practising the dance moves the day after that Kelly Clarkson concert in the men’s washroom. I didn’t even know she had dancers, but from what I saw it really must have been a hell of a show,” Evan says as you throw your head back and let out another over-the-top cackle. You’re sitting on top of Evan’s desk, resting your hand on his shoulder as he sits in between your open legs, clearly enjoying the attention.

You’re hamming it up, he knows that, he knows that’s not what your real laugh sounds like - the laugh he gets to hear when he really does something that you like. He knows you don’t mean it but he’s immediately flooded with anger and guilt. He obviously didn’t realize how much the day had taken a toll on you and now you must be really mad if you’re going to Evan to get back at him.

“Oh my god Evan that’s too funny,” you giggle and place a hand on his shoulder, “you just made my day! I won’t tell Tim anything, it’ll be our little secret,” you wink. Evan’s blush deepens at the touch, maybe you weren’t so bad after all and if Max (and Amanda at this point) didn’t look out he would maybe ask you out for a drink sometime soon. Bring you back to the land of the living.

Deciding he’s absolutely had enough, Max quietly comes up behind Evan and slaps both hands on his shoulders after seeing you move yours back to your lap, causing him to freeze and let out a little squeak. “Slugger, I’m sure whatever’s going on here is just too funny, but didn’t I ask you to finish up that presentation for tomorrow’s meeting with NuevaWeight?” he pouts, “I really thought you were taking this job seriously buddy, but maybe I should just get Andrew to take over…”

“N-no Max, sorry. Yeah the presentation is almost done, it’ll be ready before the end of the day,” Evan stammers. Max finally meets your eyes and smirks, “and you can meet me in my office. Apparently you think you can stop doing your job and distracting my employees.”

You can’t even speak, your jaw set and eyes burning from the absolute rage you feel right now. Yeah you’ll meet him in his office, but it won’t be so he can lecture you about whatever bullshit he’s already thought of. “Of course Mr. Phillips, meet you there,” you manage to snap back, calmly making your way to his office. Anyone walking by you immediately gets out of your way, your anger coming off in waves making your undead coworkers shiver.

Clapping Evan on the shoulder one more time, Max saunters over to his office, ready to make you beg for his forgiveness after that little stunt. As soon as he opens his office door he realizes that won’t be happening.

You’re sitting in his chair, legs propped up on his desk in a way that makes your skirt ride up and expose more thigh than what HR might deem office appropriate. “Ah, Mr. Phillips, so nice of you to make it,” you smirk. “Sweets, I think there must be some sort of misunderstandi-'' you cut him off with a dark look and stand up. Walking up to him you close his office door and push him against it, “No champ,” you sneer, “I think you’re confused here. I’m not the one who decided to be a very, very bad boy by flirting with someone else and insulting me in front of new clients.” Chest to chest, your hand slithers up to grab Max’s throat. Even though he is a vampire who could toss you around like a ragdoll, you know he’s letting you be in control. He likes it.

“While you were out entertaining I’ve been thinking about what I could do to make you really sorry, baby. You were already on thin ice from this morning, but now you’re drowning,” you squeeze a little harder on his throat making his eyes roll back. “What are you gonna do? I’m so sorry,” he whispers. You take a moment, just looking into those eyes you love so much, before answering.

“Maybe I’ll sit on your cock. Let you fill my pussy up but not let you cum, because only good boys get to come, you know that Maxie. Maybe I’ll just use you like my own walking, talking dildo. If I’m so replaceable you won’t mind not getting to fill me up? Right?” You smirk again as he whines, his hands clenching because all he wants to do is make you feel good now.

“You wanna run that mouth, Phillips? You wanna make everything think you’re so fucking special when I know you’re really just a scared little vamp, huh?” You say with a pout. Grabbing his hair, you force his head up so you can look right into his eyes that are now almost completely black from lust. “Come on big shot, if you wanna be a big boy then you gotta show me that mouth can do something other than just spew bullshit, slugger.”

That’s all the permission he needs. He hoists you up in his arms and thanks to vampire speed you’re now sat on his leather couch, skirt up around your waist, underwear ripped clean off, fully exposed to his hungry eyes. “Baby, I’m so sorry,” he pouts, “let me make you feel good. I just want you-” You’ve heard enough, pushing him down so his mouth finally reaches your core. Moaning at finally tasting you, Max wastes no time taking your clit and sucking hard, already teasing your entrance with one of his long fingers.

“Y-Yes Max, fuck! Be a good boy and make me cum just like this,” you moan and clench around the finger inside of you, knowing you’re absolutely dripping onto the couch underneath you. He adds a second, then a third, making you arch your back until you’re almost sitting up from how good he’s fucking you with his hands. His mouth doesn’t stop, sucking and licking, spelling out his apologies against your body. Knowing you’re close, he starts focusing on that spot inside of you that drives you wild.

“Oh! Oh, Maxie yes. Such a g-good boy,” you pant, meeting his hand thrust for thrust trying to reach your high, “make me feel so good please please please baby I’m right there, I-” you can’t finish that sentence as your vision goes white and all you can do is let out a strangled moan that sounds like his name.

Once your legs start shaking you pull both of you up, undoing his belt and pushing him onto the couch so you can straddle his waist. You wrap a hand around his neck and start nipping at the area, rocking your soaked pussy along his aching cock that was now free from the confines of his dress pants a few times before sinking down on him. A wicked grin stretches across your face as his moans get louder. He chokes when he feels you gush around him, not expecting you to come again so soon but you were still sensitive from his mouth, the hair above his cock rubbing deliciously against your clit, but you wanted more still.

Picking up the pace, you squeeze around his throat again and start taunting him, “You gonna replace me baby? Yeah? You gonna find a pussy that takes you this good? Be my guest. Go right now and find something better, or show me how goddamn sorry you are.”

Granting him permission to take over, Max flips you on your back, making sure your head is supported by one of the couch cushions. He immediately wraps your legs around his waist, angling one leg to let him sink even deep inside of you, your moans mixing together as you both revel in the feeling of him finally being inside of you. Wanting to prove himself he wastes no time pulling out just to start slamming back into you.

You moan and clench around him, making him hiss and he doesn’t let up. Watching him disappear inside of you over and over again, he starts babbling his apologies. “N-Never baby. Could never replace you. Never gonna find a pu-pussy this fucking good. Look at you, so perfect, so so perfect taking my cock like that. I’m sorry. You’re so good. I don’t deserve it, it’s- fuck it’s so fucking good. Best pussy of all time,” he moans as you clamp down on him, your third orgasm ripping through you.

“Yes - yes Max, that’s fucking r-right. I’m the best pussy you’ll ever have,” you moan again from being so full. You know he’s sorry so you decide to let him finish after all. Taking your hands off his shoulders, you start tangling your fingers in his hair and bring his face close to your so your lips are almost touching, “you did so good Maxie,” you coo, “you cock made me feel so fucking good I know you’re sorry now.” He shudders at your words but keeps his steady pace, trying to make you cum again, still holding back his own impending orgasm. “Thank you baby, ‘m so so sorry, I love you and I just wanna be good for you-” “shhh shhh Maxie, I know I know. You did good baby, now show me how good you are and cum inside of me.”

That’s all he needs.

Something between a groan and growl comes deep from within Max as he finally lets go, pushing himself as far as he can inside of you as he starts painting your walls. Coming down from his high, he nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck as you start peppering him with kisses wherever you can reach, carding your fingers through his hair.

“I’m really sorry baby,” you hear him mumble into your neck, “I love you.” He kisses along your throat and you hum, moving your head to give him more access. “I know Max, I love you too. I forgive you. But try that again and I’ll cut your dick off in front of the whole office,” you laugh.

He chuckles too, continuing to shower you with love. “As much as I want to stay right here forever baby, let’s go home and I can keep showing you how sorry I am,” he suggests, wiggling his eyebrows to earn a giggle from you, “sounds good Maxie, you’re lucky I’m just sooooo forgiving.”

Untangling from each other and making yourselves as presentable as you care to be, you leave the office hand-in-hand, ready to see what the rest of the night has in store.

#max phillips #max phillips x reader #max phillips x y/n #max phillips x you #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal imagines #bloodsucking bastards

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jaggedwolf · 3 years

Text

air support, we need you (or: tscosi 2x09)

some bomb dropping, ofc, spoilers below duh

same game, top three things i had feelings ‘bout in reverse order

3. time skip time! Everyone could use a bit of a breather, even if it can’t live up to Arkady’s goat farm dreams

I thought all the planet assignments made sense, even if the completionist in me wanted it to differ more from the split that had already happened this season

ok ok the shipper in me was 50-50 but we’ll address that later

2. my man park!! is back!!!

Showing up with an anti-aircraft missile launcher as a wedding gift. I kept joking that Park would keep up his finale trend of showing up as a surprise being cool (as cool as Park can be anw), and thought it wouldn’t happen till it did!

and him also quietly saying the defector wasn’t Shelly....Park...are you going to talk about this...

narrowly avoided extended crew singing for the third time, will he keep up this success rate?

I would take a mini-episode that just followed Park in the second half of the season (Park: I am an independent man who needs no crew)

1. Arkady attacking Krejjh because she thinks they’re an enemy, AND then McCabe pulling a gun on her to make sure she didn’t run away. Bro. Bro, that shit was a direct hit to the id. Do I even have words for how good that was

Knowing what was about to happen as soon as Arkady said “You” in that tone of voice, ugh

Krejjh saying Arkady instead of First Mate Patel in desperation, and then brushing it off with a :D after

But god, McCabe. They’ve been so compelling this season, and yeah, maybe they’re approaching everything like a nail with the hammer they’ve got that shoots bullets, but the point is, it fuckin works

Arkady buys the threat (the promise of her crew’s safety?) more than she buys Krejjh’s reassurances

(though reading the transcript, Krejjh specifically telling Arkady “Science Officer Liu will never forgive you”, not “forgive us”, is excellent too)

“the only authority figures yet to disappoint me” / “I’m not an authority figure” / “you don’t get to decide that” is just like. embedded in my mind. just McCabe going no, you don’t get to run verbally either.

Do you ever think about how Arkady and McCabe had like, different kinds of fucked up childhoods compared to the rest of the crew. Like obviously McCabe ending up an agent so young and the stuff about their family suggests a pretty secure background, but it feels like the IGR and Dwarnian war starting when they were 12 gives them a kind of cynicism that meshes well with Arkady’s, in a way that’s distinct from how Arkady and Violet’s morbidness mesh, or Arkady and Sana’s pragmatism

ok more character feels under the cut

don’t scandalize the grandparents

A married man!

Impressed he made it through the season with no baddies wrecking his oxygen

Always ready to point out that Arkady is actually as much of a nerd as he is

AKA I didn’t realize it was a Mozart reference till he said so. Arkady defies the jock-nerd chart

okay who of Arkady or Krejjh is gonna tell him about MMA fight outside, or did they do a whole team debrief. For Arkady’s sake I’m hoping not the latter, though I guess everyone else would like an explanation for McCabe’s gun-pointing??

likes solving problems without guns, would prefer solving them by FLYING SPACESHIPS

Krejjh watches McCabe’s gun strategy work on Arkady and goes “do you folks really live like this?? why???”

I do love that their first thought on what to do next is to run a bunch of supplies around, probably between human populations that are going to be a wary at seeing a dwarnian show up. (Eat it, Eejjhgreb)

Kinda wonder if their feelings about getting choked out by their buddy are in fact more complicated than “it’s chill dude, please don’t do something stupid”

The cutest vow

who needs to calm down your crewmates with annoying words when you can just point a gun at them

Seriously where is the human-dwarnian war AU where it lasts longer or happens later where McCabe is the baby sniper posted to Arkady’s unit and they squabble a bunch (and perhaps kiss? When I wrote my third ever ficlet for this fandom never did I anticipate actually being interested in that)

what % of their Mirzakhani choice was thinking “what if Arkady tries to run from the goat farm and no one’s around to point a gun at her” jk jk

Their exclusion of Park from authority figures that didn’t disappoint them is fascinating. Is it that he left hoping for Shelly when it probably wasn’t her, or that he isn’t an authority figure anymore, a combination there of?

Or worst of all, is it that when he didn’t kill Krejjh back in 1x10, that really was a disappointment, no matter how much it might’ve been mixed with relief, and you can’t undo that moment?

What if they and Park talked. But I don’t think Park is going to goat planet, so that seems unlikely.

Their apology to Sana for heightened Martineau security! And Sana reiterating the profound gratefulness bit, gah

mostly read other people’s words and yet sparked consideration of two different OT3s, her power.

you know what, everyone deciding Sana is the best person to read words makes complete sense

There was one specific moment this episode that sent my mind into a tizzy about V/A/S, and it was Arkady going FINE GO ASK THE CAPTAIN THEN at how firm Violet was that Tripathi would be the one driving her, not Arkady.

I need you to understand that my V/A/S OT3 opinions are such that my shipping feels were more set off by that than Sana and Violet telling Arkady they were proud of her for choosing goat planet or whatever, like I don’t even know what dynamic was so captured by that argument, rip at Arkady having to be systems apart from them again

Though ofc my heart was buoyed by Sana’s earnest “Kady, you do more than that”, I want these two to go do a job together again, I miss that

To shift gears, I cannot believe “Lenny” started out as Sana being absolutely furious at the people threatening her crew and has ended up a teasing in-joke between her and Park, my Sana/Park shipping feels were very content. (When does Sana learn that Park didn’t get to hear the long list of fake crimes the Rumor crew specifically confessed to Lenny? This must be fixed. Tell him about the diamonds!)

Campbell said “Park, let me show you where we’ve been sleeping.” and my brain went. Wait. This is actually a good OT3?? Park is already unnerved by Sana’s earnest captaining, he should get unnerved by Campbell’s default magnanimity, please consider this

this is also where I point out that all these major characters have very convenient names for indicating ships solely via letters. V/A! B/K! S/P/C! This may solve my ot3 tagging problem...

get off that cotton candy boat, vi

Haha I loved that line from Doc Robinson she’s so no-nonsense, love Violet agreeing to work with her

Doc also said menders and I thought about this post again and also the team split and ahhh

But no, I very much liked Violet gently crushing Arkady’s goat farm dreams, and the two of them awkwardly discussing the very awkward stage things are at while still getting a feel for how the other operates

These nerds are trying and I’m still fond of them

at some point I was gonna make fun of Vi for not being able to drive before realising 1. she probably didn’t want to deprive the others of a vehicle 2. that would be incredibly hypocritical of me

wait does the igr have excellent public transport when they aren’t bombing it i take back every bad thing i’ve said abou-

*ahem* same question about the MMA fight debrief I had for Brian, it would be so funny if the situation was so rushed that like, Arkady+McCabe explain to Brian on the farm and Krejjh has to tackle everyone else

tick, tock, walking bomb, when it stops, nobody knows

arkady is so whumpable, and this show knows it

Redundant, but love how terrified of herself she is after hurting Krejjh and how strangely reassured she is by McCabe’s gun antics. And how she doesn’t like thinking of herself as an authority figure on the ship even though she literally is as First Mate

is ready to monologue about all major life events and the crew frickin knows it

is trying to help herself and stuff, still grumbling about it. in worse shape this season than last - probably all the constant discussion of the inevitable war just kept building stuff up and she kept ignoring it because haha who wants to deal with this prickly mess of a person haha

did i mention she’s the best

hope she gets her full goat farm dream one day, even if it’s not on actual goat farm

#tscosi #tscosi spoilers #jaggedwolf rambles #real rambling times yikes #mine #tscosi reviews

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gunterfan1992 · 4 years

Text

Interview with Half Shy (the songwriter of “Monster”)

For the last few months, I’ve been collecting information for a second edition of Exploring the Land of Ooo that will also cover the production of Distant Lands. This means that I’ve started to look into the new songs that we have been graced with this year, and this of course includes “Monster,” the beautiful track from the masterpiece that is “Obsidian”. And so I reached out to the song’s writer, Half Shy, who was kind enough to chat with me via email about the songwriting process!

(Photo courtesy of Half Shy)

In many ways, Half Shy is living the creative Adventure Time fan’s dream: She got asked by Adam Muto himself to write a song for “Obsidian” after he heard her music through Bandcamp! (I’ve dabbled in fan music before, and the fact that someone from the show might listen to it just blows my mind.) What an opportunity; I am so excited for her!

Since a second edition of my book won’t be coming out until after all the Distant Lands episodes air, I thought it would be best to share my Half Shy interview now. Read on for the fascinating behind the scenes story of how Half Shy and “Monster” came to be..

GunterFan: What is your origin story? How did you get involved in music, and how did the Half Shy project come to be?

Half Shy: I’ve been making music pretty quietly since I was in high school with a keyboard and guitar. I played one or two shows a year after college when I could find a friend or my brother to get up on stage with me, but I don’t really have that performer gene in me naturally. I get too much in my head and forget what the lyrics are to the song I wrote, or what the next chord is. Total brain freeze. So that whole experience is a bit of a mental drain. It’s something I think I’d like to dig into and figure out, but right now I’m really enjoying the time writing.

Even playing a song for my friends I still get pretty nervous. That’s where the name Half Shy comes from. I’ve always been interested in making things that by their nature draw a bit of a spotlight, but at the same time, I am just really quite nervous about the attention.

I recorded my first songs under my old name Hey V Kay in my bedroom and started putting them up online one at a time. When I got enough I thought about packaging it up into an album, but then got really distracted by learning how to fix up motorcycles and going to automotive tech school. When I eventually got back around to it I named the album Gut Wrenching.

After a few years I realized that I didn’t want the day-in-day-out life of a mechanic, I just wanted to know how to fix cars for myself and to have that knowledge in my back pocket. I got back into making music but grew frustrated at the process of writing and recording songs. I felt like I wasn’t able to capture the ideas I had in my head. Like trying to draw on your computer with a mouse. Doable, but it’s not going to come out like you’d hoped.

So these last couple of years I’ve focused more on learning the technical aspect of it, from the initial ideas and lyrics, to the recording and mixing. During that process I put out Bedroom Visionaries, and while writing I happened upon the name Half Shy in an old Thesaurus which felt instantly right. Learning all of that has been fun, I even went as far as to create my own book to solidify a daily writing routine (lyricworkbook.com). All that has been a bit of a tangent from actually making much music though. I should be getting my books in December from the press so I’m really looking forward to getting back into making more music instead of dealing with printing presses, setting up websites, and sourcing ribbon suppliers.

GF: What is the story behind "Monster"? How did the show get in contact with you?

HS: I keep a log of “Song Starters” with neat things I’ve heard in the world, and I would look through it every now and then and notice just how many came from Adventure Time. Eventually I thought well, I have to make a song about this show that just keeps breaking my heart. It was around the time I was nearly done with the first [Adventure Time-inspired] song “In My Element” that I got an email from Bandcamp saying “someone bought your album (Bedroom Visionaries).”

I get maybe one or two of these a month at most so I love to go in and say hi to the person and say thanks, be curious about who they are, [and] what they’re all about. Turns out it was Adam Muto, the executive producer of the show. (I asked and he has no idea how he happened upon my stuff. He guessed that I must have tagged something #adventuretime and he just happened to see it.) So I sent him an email saying, “Hey wow thanks for checking out my tunes. Also... holy crap you’ve made the best show I have ever seen in my life.” [I] played it real cool like. After finishing up writing my second [Adventure Time-inspired] song “Betty” I couldn’t help but fangirl real hard [and I sent him another message saying], “I’m sorry this is probably awkward, but I really love your show and I wrote these songs about it.” He was incredibly kind and shared them with his Twitter Universe, and a while after that I got a random email from him saying basically, “Hey, I’m working on this thing I can’t talk about, would you be interested?” I was like… well you know I’m pretty busy working at a sign shop so I’m gonna have to pass on this once in a lifetime opportunity (J/K. Obviously I fan-girl squealed and said yes immediately).

We chatted a bit about what the project was going to be and the direction. He mentioned there [would be] two Marceline songs in the special, [and he asked if I] would I be interested in giving the love song a try? Trying real hard to suppress my instant imposter syndrome I was like, “Yea, totally I’d be into giving that a shot!” So I read through the story and loved the idea of the dragon mirrored in Marceline, thinking through how they’ve both built up a protective shell, how she grew tough for a reason, but now she can open up and be vulnerable with PB.

From there I wrote the initial demo with the first two verses mostly intact and we went back and forth a few times editing it down into the final version. I recorded the final parts for the show in my little home studio in Seattle.

GS: When you were writing the song, what emotions, thoughts, or ideas were you channeling? Was there any sort of memory of event that you were trying to artistically "catch" or "recreate" with the lyrics or music?

HS: As far as channeling an emotion, generally I’d say just the experience of existing as a human. It can be so hard to open up and be vulnerable. I can remember that feeling even as a young kid—getting really excited about something and having someone completely trash it or look at you like, “Why are you so interested in that? It’s dumb.” [It causes us to grow] a little more weary to share ourselves because we know that hurt and embarrassment. The pain of being misunderstood is something I think a lot of us can relate to. Then having to decide whether to keep sharing those vulnerable parts of yourself or think, “They’re just not going to get it, I’m going to get hurt, so why bother?” and then stop putting yourself out there. You lose a lot with that thick armor though. You might feel protected, but you’re not feeling a whole lot of anything else other than the weight and chafing of it (I had a whole lot of armor-related metaphors that I didn't end up using.).

I struggle with this in songwriting too. I’m not the bolt-of-lightning type. There are pages and pages of cliches, total garbage, bad jokes, and cheesy lines that I have to get through in order to get to something that I am excited to put out there into the world: “Here I did this thing, I know it’s a little (this or that), but I made it... What do you think?” It’s hard to open yourself up to hearing the other end of that question.

I filled about 5 little pocket notebooks just thinking through the story, ideas, and trying to get this song right. I wanted it to feel familiar and honor the past songs of the show ([e.g.,] using the ukulele and referencing a few of the familiar chords from “I’m Just Your Problem”) but also be pretty open and vulnerable and different for [Marceline]. [I wanted to] show that she’s going through some tough emotions but also figuring herself out and growing.

GF: I feel like “Monster” is, at its core, an ode to the “Bubbline” ship. How do you feel about your song being intimately connected to one of the most famous LGBTQ+ relationships in animation? Do you have any general thoughts on Marcy and PB, Bubbline, etc.?

HS: Oh, I’m a total fan girl of Bubbline. The whole story of how Rebecca Sugar and Muto slowly morphed it into this deeper relationship is just great. As a part of the LGBTQ community myself it really means so much to see the representation of characters like yourself portrayed in an intelligent way. Growing up I was too young to fully understand what was going on but I saw Ellen getting cancelled, and [I] heard people around me saying they’d never watch her show again after she came out. That stuff sinks in as a kid and so to have these characters who are not only intelligent, but funny, complex, and unapologetically strong who also happen to be queer is really great. I love that the story here isn’t about their orientation, but that they’re people struggling with how to be open and vulnerable in a relationship.

It feels like something sci-fi and animated shows do so well—to show that ridiculousness of limiting who a person should and shouldn’t love. Marceline is a 1000+ year old half-demon/vampire and PB was born from the Mothergum of an apocalyptic radioactive world, but you’re going to get hung up on them loving each other? It sort of brings it into perspective in a really interesting way.

GF: Do you have any other thoughts about the experience that you'd like to share?

HS: Just how lucky, thankful, and honored I feel to be a part of my favorite show, writing a song for one of my favorite characters. It’s also incredibly cool how the people on the show are so willing to connect and collaborate with their fandom. Everyone [on the production crew] was very open and a real joy to work with.

I’d like to give a huge “Thank you!” to Half Shy for agreeing to participate in this interview; she really was quite amiable! If you’d like to hear more of her music, check out her website and her Bandcamp. You can also follow her on Instragram here and on Twitter here. And of course, here is Half Shy’s awesome video of “Monster”.

#adventure time #atimers #adventure time distant lands #atdl #half shy #monster #bubbline #marceline #marceline the vampire queen #bubblegum #princess bubblegum #pb #adam muto #interview

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maplecornia · 3 years

Text

chapter 21

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱: 3.72K

𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: You watched them from the sidelines ever since you were a young teenage girl. Now you’re grown up, they’ve returned after 2 long years and everything has changed. What happens when you pull back the mask and find the darkness within? What happens when you see that they’re broken?

𝔞/𝔫: in regards to the banner above...yes tae if i also looked like you i would want to kiss myself too

Some people are connected.

Aren't they?

When you meet them, it’s as though something clicks. Something inside that tells you some unimaginable being has brought you together. A hidden string tying you to the other, drawing you slowly across the universe just to meet each other.

And once you’re connected…

Do you ever really let go of them?

Groaning, Taeyhung turns over in his bed for the thousandth time.

Why is this so hard?

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he lies on his back, sheets and comforter scattered, as he stares up at the ceiling. Glaring up at it with his eyebrows furrowed tightly together, he purses his lip into a pout, his jaw set defiantly.

“This is your fault.” He mutters underneath his breath, before running his hand absentmindedly through the tangled locks of his hair. “I don’t know how...but all of this is your fault.”

When the ceiling doesn’t answer him, he gives it a look before rolling out of bed, not really caring if he brings the covers along with him. As they fall from the tangles around his body, and rest safely on the floor, he catches the reflection of his eyes in the full-length mirror he keeps expertly held on the sliding door which hides his clothes closet. Biting his lip, he hesitates a bit before heading over to the mirror and taking his reflection in.

He’s grown a bit taller...perhaps half an inch. Don’t worry Namjoon hyung, one day I’ll be as tall as you. Though he smirks a bit at the thought, it quickly vanishes as his gaze travels to more points in his reflection. His dark glazed eyes, his mess of curls resting on his head, his slightly pale lips. Almost despondent, he pulls aside the already halfway buttoned down shirt and presses his fingers against his stomach. He smiles back to when all that was there was a soft belly. When he didn’t care as much.

When did he start caring?

Was it when he saw everything that ARMYs felt about him? When he realized just how double sided they could be? Was it when he realized that they really did care what he showed them? That if he showed them who he really was…

They would just walk away?

He knows he probably shouldn’t have read those comments, that he shouldn't have seen what some people have said...but did they forget that he could see everything they said?

Did they forget how much he gave...how much he sacrificed for them?

And when he shows them all of him…

The good and the bad…

"Kim Taehyung seems a bit rude…

He doesn’t care at all about BTS.

You think he needs them? If he were given a chance he would just leave.

Kim Taehyung is too moody. He’s happy one moment but sad the next.

Don’t you think fame has changed him? He seems so cocky.

What’s wrong with Kim Taehyung lately? Doesn’t he seem depressed?

Honestly, if I had to put my money on it, he’d be the first one to leave.

He’s so untalented.

BTS is filled with a group of 6 very talented, beautiful, and handsome young men. And then there’s the roach called Kim Taehyung.

Why doesn’t Kim Taehyung just leave? If you’re really bored with everything by now, why don’t you just leave?

Do us a favor and stop pretending.

Just leave."

Taehyung winces at the overwhelming amount of bad memories slamming into his inner consciousness. He tries to forget them, but every time he looks in the mirror, he can see them reflected back at him. As though they were burned deep into his skin. As though the sign of hard muscle beneath his fingertips is a scar he can’t escape.

The only thing he can remember, the only thing he can think about when he sees himself, is what they have molded him into.

The beautiful, the perfect sculpture which they call V.

Defiantly, flames burning in his eyes, he meets his gaze in the mirror. Anger and hurt mixing together into one painful chaos inside his chest, his gaze darkens before he swings back his fist and rams it deep into the mirror. As the glass shatters and sharp, iridescent pieces dig maliciously into his skin, he breathes heavily and glares up at his broken reflection. Into the dull dim hue of his hazelnut haze.

Eyes which have changed from bright beautiful saucers that could only see the sky...

To a gap of emptiness which cannot be filled.

Reflecting the cold abyss he feels in his own heart.

As thick blood begins to numbingly ooze from the cuts in his skin, he hardly flinches. The iron taste playing sinisterly on his lips, he can’t help but relish in the pain. Is this what he deserves? Is this what they want now that he’s not who he was before? Now that he’s grown, changed even the slightest bit? He almost wants to push his fist deeper into the glass, deepen the pain, all to distract him from the roar in his ears.

The constant screaming inside his mind.

He did everything they wanted him to do. He smiled for them, hid the inner part of him screaming, brushed away any hateful comments, any people who hurt him, and laughed through all the pain. He became a bigger person and grew.

He did it all for them.

He did it all for the sake of BTS.

Because he loved ARMY. Because he loved his hyungs.

Because this was his dream.

He became the man they all wanted.

He became V.

So why?

Why is it the moment he starts to let go of the mask, the moment he starts to become himself in front of their eyes...

Why do they turn against him as though he had never existed in the first place?

As though they didn’t beg him to hide.

As though all his efforts…

Meant nothing after all.

The worst part of it all…

Was that he let go for them.

Because he wasn’t willing to say goodbye.

The soft ring of his alarm breaks him out of his thoughts and his hand falls to his side as he turns to the sound. Sighing, he runs his hand through his tangled mess of hair picking up a tissue on the way to his dresser, and wiping off the thin trails of blood the cuts brought forth. In the back of his mind, he scoffs at the fact that that’s the third mirror he’s broken this week. Perhaps he needs a break. Looking up at the ceiling, he takes a deep breath.

A break from myself.

Picking up the phone he quickly dismisses the alarm, and finds himself staring at the lock screen in dismay.

To this day, Taehyung still uses the Galaxy BTS phone made especially for them and ARMY. Jimin absolutely loved the thing, and Taehyung treasures it with a quiet wonder. When he finally moved everything from his old phone to this one, he used it daily, even if it wasn’t always in front of the cameras. Back then when they had to leave for a while, looking at it gave him strength to go on. To head back to them. To see ARMY again.

Looking at it now, he wonders if it’s actually real.

If the love ARMY gives them…

Isn’t all just a lie.

When the phone buzzes suddenly, Taehyung lets out a small yelp, fumbling as his phone flies halfway in the air. Luckily, he’s able to catch it before it falls. Letting out a small breath of relief, he checks the random message that has popped up on his lock screen, peering to see who it belongs to.

Eyes widening, he nearly drops his phone again.

Stumbling to catch it, he falls on top of his pile of sheets and blankets, but thankfully the phone falls in his outstretched hands securely.

It's you.

Why is it always you?

Shocked, he slowly unlocks the phone, opening your little message. As it pulls up on his screen, he softly smiles.

Good morning, Mr. Pan.

It's such a simple message. Such short, sweet words said out of consideration and kindness. You sent it as a second thought, somehow knowing that he might need a smile after the amount of trouble he must have gotten in yesterday. He doesn't know this. All he knows is that a mere mention from you has made everything all right again.

It clears his mind, allows him to focus, saves him from the darkness continuing to choke him in its hold.

He picks up his phone and presses a button, before holding it up to his ear. It rings into the dead silence for a couple of seconds, making Taehyung a bit nervous. For a moment, he doesn't know if you're going to pick up, but once he hears the familiar click and the steady sound of your breathing, he can feel a rush of relief spreading through his body and leaving nothing but happiness.

"Hello?" You nearly whisper, a bit in shock. He can hear it over the phone and, sitting up, he doesn't notice as the gorgeous smile grows.

It’s funny how he didn’t realize until he heard your voice, that his head and his mind was filled with thoughts of you.

On the other line, you smile softly, finding the same truth.

Was it only yesterday that your dream came true?

He finally did it. He spoke to you.

Things should be over right?

But you find yourselves wanting…

More.

"Good morning." He teases in response to your recent message and you have to refrain yourself from groaning in embarrassment. "Did you sleep well?"

Hearing his innocent voice and the deep lure to it so early in the morning makes you wonder if you're dreaming. Smiling on the other line, you cup your hands around your phone, pulling it close to your cheek and smile, unable to stop the happy pink hue from creeping onto your rosy cheeks.

"Yes." You reply, a bit of excitement creeping into your voice from the giddy fact that you’re talking to him. "I slept like a baby...what about you?"

You decide to keep from him the fact that you hardly slept last night. Your constant nightmares and terrors of panic scared you. They made you afraid, thinking that if you closed your eyes, you would once more be lost in a deep sleep. Trapped in the hidden corners of your mind.

He smiles on the other line a bit sadly, deciding to keep the fact that he didn't sleep half the night to himself, lost in the whirlpool of hateful comments and slurs towards him. Towards BTS. He decides to hide the truth that the only thing that was able to let him sleep that night was the sight of your phone number held tightly within his hands.

"Yeah...yeah I slept alright." He says, unable to mask the catch in his voice. Your eyes widening in concern, you open your mouth to ask if he's alright, but he quickly clears his throat and changes the topic.

“How’s your ankle?” Even though you know he asked the question to change the subject, you can't help but wince.

Your ankle hasn’t shown much improvement.

The swelling has gone down and you're able to stand on it, but every time you try to walk, numb pain still courses up your veins. It's still pretty bruised, but what is there that you can do? You've already slipped on an ice pack, wrapping it carefully around your ankle to prepare you for the day, but you know it's going to be quite the uncomfortable ride.

You hesitate, pondering whether or not to tell him this, but he continues on the other line.

“Yen?” The way he whispers your name makes you melt inside. So concerned and full of worry, you wonder if you truly deserve this small blessing. The blessing to know someone like him. “Are you okay? Does it still hurt?”

The blessing to be able to speak to him.

Smiling, you shake your head before responding, slightly struck speechless.

“Yes, I’m fine...your ice pack yesterday really helped so I’m all ready to head to work today. Don't worry, I’m fully prepared with an ice pack of my own in case the bruise starts to bother me…” You start rambling, trying to reassure him that everything will be fine, while on the other line, his eyes go wide with protective anger.

You’re doing it again.

Forcing yourself to continue, when you should be looking to take care of yourself.

Not the other way around.

“No.” He says interrupting your slight tangent, and you flinch, pausing and your grip clenching tightly around the phone. You knew this would happen. You knew that he would be upset. That’s why you shouldn’t have said anything. Somehow, this frustrates you. You know it shouldn’t, after all he’s just looking after you, but you can take care of yourself. You aren’t some damsel in distress that needs saving.

Trying hard to forget what you’d rather not remember, you sigh, massaging your temple.

“Taehyung, I’m fine. I really am--”

“I don't believe you. And even if you were telling the truth, you should at least rest it for a day at least! Do you want to worsen it because you decided to push yourself?” Shocked at his sincere and concerned tone, you really don't know what to say. You know he’s right, but you can’t help but feel that if you listen to him, if you rest easy for just today, you’ll be letting someone down.

Namjoon is waiting for you.

He doesn’t know that your ankle is bruised, nor that you could sprain or quite possibly break it if you try to come into work today. But you’ve already been late once before. Today was supposed to be your first official day on the job. He was counting on you to be there.

Hoping that he’d be able to rely on you.

You can’t help but feel that if you decide to stay...that you'd be letting him down.

You don’t want to let him down.

You can’t let him down.

Glancing down at your ankle, you grimace a bit as you bitterly smile.

This is just a minor bump in the road isn’t it? All you're doing is offering a small sacrifice so that you can be there for him. So that you can carry out your job, your obligation as his manager. He should know that you will always be there to help. Isn’t that what a manager should do? You have a duty, an obligation...a simple bruise shouldn’t get in the way of that. After all the ways you let him down yesterday, and the kind way he treated you in spite of that...isn’t that the least you can do? You can afford to give something in return...after all he’s given you already.

Yes...this is nothing…

Taehyung wouldn’t understand…

Right?

Taking a deep breath, you respond to him.

“Taehyung, I really appreciate your concern but…”

“If you say you’re fine I am going to come to your apartment and force you back into your bed.” He replies so steadily and sternly that it’s hard for you to conceal your burst of laughter. He hears, however and grows a tiny bit offended, not willing to admit that the sound of your laughter brought a little bit more light into his clouded mind.

“You think I’m joking?!” He shouts on the other line, and you can’t keep it back anymore, your laughter spilling over and melodiously carrying itself through the line and into Taehyung’s small, scattered room. He smiles at the fact that he was able to make you laugh, although it wasn’t his intention. That just like that...you were able to make everything seem alright again. It’s almost as though a mere smile from you, a simple laugh escaping from your lips…

Makes the world a little bit brighter to him.

“I-I’m sorry…!” You manage to gasp out between your small fits of giggles. “It’s just the thought of you walking over here all angry and trying to force me back in bed…” You break off at the end, your sweet melodic laugh ringing high in the air once more, and he can’t help but crack a smile, eventually laughing along with you. After a moment, once the laughter subsides, each of you glance toward the phone as though that would help you see the other's face, or at least imagine it as though you were standing right next to each other.

Taehyung smiles a bit before glancing away and closing his eyes in serenity.

“Yen?” he murmurs softly, his eyes opening a fraction of an inch as he stares into the distance, almost imagining your smiling face right in front of him. At the sound of him saying your name once more, your eyes flash towards the phone, a bit surprised. It takes you a moment, but you eventually answer, a small smile growing on your lips.

“Yes?” you respond, your hands once more finding themselves cupping around the phone almost as if you held onto it a little bit tighter he would magically stay with you just a little bit longer. Offer you this comfort for just a bit more.

Is that too much to ask?

You know it is and yet you can’t help yourself from wishing for it.

Wishing that you had...more.

“I want you to know that I’m saying this with the best interests for you in mind.” He answers, and your brow crinkles a bit, wondering what he’s going to do this time. Taking a deep breath, he ponders whether or not to say the words, but he decides to do it anyway. Your safety is the most important after all.

“Don’t come to work today. Please stay home, and take care of yourself. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Startled, you open your mouth to answer, to refuse the kind request, to let him know that you’re going to head to work anyway, but he’s already hung up the phone, leaving you dumbfounded. Your heart pacing a million miles per hour, his last few words lingering in your mind.

I don’t want to see you get hurt.

“Who gave you the right?” you murmur softly, your hands rising furiously to hide the growing hot blush against your cheeks against your will. The hot tears that begin to push against your eyes, threatening to escape out of the cage you have held them in for so long.

“Who told you to care so much about me?”

Taehyung, after hanging up the phone, has completely forgotten about everything else but you. He smiles a bit sheepishly at the cheesy things he’s said and stares at the empty screen where your profile pic rests, safe in his contacts. He can’t help but wonder how you do it.

How with a few simple words…

You make everything okay again.

Turning to his closet, he starts to pull out a couple of clothes to wear that day, as he dials a number on his phone. Once it starts to ring, he places it on his dresser, putting it on speaker phone so he can hear the clear annoyed voice that answers, no doubt being distracted from an important source of work.

“What is it, Taehyung?” he snaps, tired and worn-out, and Tae smiles at the familiar greeting, as he pulls off his shirt, avoiding the cracked mirror beside him.

“Nice to talk to you too, Namjoonie. How's the album coming?” He responds playfully, and Namjoon on the other line can't help but smile. He adores that nickname, and it definitely puts him in a better mood. Just like Taehyung knew it would. Turning back to the screen of the computer, Namjoon can't help but sigh. There’s a whole lot of work to be made with the album...and such little time to do it in.

“Well...it’d go a lot faster without interruptions like this. What is it Taehyung-ah? This better not be a prank call or something for a Vlive…” Namjoon begins, his tone warning and Tae can’t help but laugh. He shakes his head, pulling down his pajama pants, and deciding to replace them with plain blue jeans. They don’t really have dance practice planned today, just a bunch of meetings and preparations for the album...maybe even a photo shoot.

“You know I try to stay away from Vlive’s nowadays.” Tae replies, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but failing miserably. At the comment, Namjoon can’t help but feel a stab of pity and regret. He knows that it’s a sensitive topic for Tae now...especially with what happened the last time Taehyung held a Vlive….he shouldn’t have mentioned it so soon.

“No it's not...Namjoon it’s about Yen.” Tae explains, and at the mention of your name, Namjoon sits straight in his chair, work forgotten, and mind focusing on you.

“What? Is she okay? Did something happen? Is she--” Voice heavily decorated with worry, Tae has to bite back the laugh that threatens to be released. Is this how he sounded to you? No wonder you started laughing at him. Smiling softly at how open and kind Namjoons heart is, Tae shakes his head once more, pulling on a grey hoodie.

“Actually I wanted to talk to you about that.” Tae replies, as he pulls on his socks, and rummages for his jean jacket. Namjoon waits a bit impatiently on the other line, trying his best to be polite and wait for Taehyung to finish. Once he finds it, Tae lets out a small cry of victory before looping his arms through it and finishing his look. Picking up the phone as he grabs a plain white mask and heads for the door, Taehyung smiles slightly at his victory.

Try to refuse staying home after this, my Wendy.

Just as RM opens his mouth to demand a straight answer from him, Taehyung replies, leaving behind the mess he had made just moments before untouched and forgotten.

“Namjoon...could you do a favor for me?”

𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢: this chapter was kind of sad...

chapter 22 here

check the Infinite Stars masterlist for more chapters

check my BTS masterlist for other BTS content

check out my masterlist for other kpop fanfics

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trashcatsnark · 3 years

Note

NGL I love how much you have embraced the silverv stuff here - its so nice to read. I submit for consideration, Rogue notices the tattoo while on the disaster date and both Johnny and V play it off as a joke and holy shit poor rogue stuck in a room with two morons.

Also - V getting dressed for that date and realizing they just MIGHT be a little jealous with a side of some thoughts of "Oh God Johnny Would NEVER Feel That Way About Me Gotta Bury This Deep So He Doesn't Know"

Johnny notices the anxiety but is very dense about the cause.

Oh hell yeah, I have fully embraced it and this ship; I was writing SilverV porn before the game came out, like I knew what my ship for this game was gonna be from the second I saw gifs of

“You’re a dick, Johnny”

“And you’re a cunt, so maybe we’ll fit together after all.”

That banter sealed my fate and I’m fairly sure I had named and created my V then wrote porn of her with Johnny literally a week later. The devil works hard, but my brainrot works harder and faster.

Spoilers!

Okay, so I’ve thought a lot about that date in both a silverv context (and largely how it fits with my V, Aidan and her fic) I’ll try to stay general though.

Firstly, I whole heartedly believe Rogue sees through their bullshit. Not only is she just good at that, but Johnny even states she has MRE’s (?) and can see through people, like her eyes can pick up on signs of lying. And usually, thats not an issue for when V talks to her, but when she asks about Johnny and their relationship with him. Its a mess. And when Rogue asks Johnny about it, its a mess.

And when Rogue notices the tattoo it’s like Oh... I get it . And Johnny is of course like, “hahaha, yeah I thought that’d be so funny, the kid hates it.” But Rogue isn’t stupid, she knows a lovey dovey heart with their names, something that looks like someone doodled it on their third grade notebook about their crush, is not really typical of Johnny’s “joking” She knows that if Johnny is not really the kind of guy to hahahaha its so funny to make it look like we love each other; he’d be more likely to get a dick tattooed on V’s arm if it was just to mess with them. For gods sake, look how many people didn’t pick “the other one” because they were convinced it was gonna be a dick. That’s a Johnny just trying to fuck with someone move. So, she doesn’t buy it, but doesn’t push it...with him.

She asks V about and of course they play it off as “Yeah, Johnny thought it’d be funny, what a fucking asshole, its so fucking dumb, I totally fuckin hate it.”

“So, why not get it removed?”

“Uhhhhhhhhhhh, well you see what had happened was, um, I, just uhhhh, never been enough time, I guess yeahhhhhh.”

Cause lets face it, in cyberpunk universe, getting a tattoo removed should be easy. If you can get blades in your arms and can have a completely newly reconstructed body in like an afternoon; you can get a tattoo removed in like twenty minutes. So, V still keeping it, says volumes about how they really feel.

Now, V’s jealousy and the date.

I do absolutely agree that any anxiety or ill feeling V might have up until the date; Johnny is gonna feel, but not realize where it’s coming from. I think if anything, he’s gonna chalk it up to V being anxious about giving him control again and he’s gonna be like worried that maybe V doesn’t trust him as much as they let on.

And I do think a V who has feelings for Johnny, would not be able to help feeling some jealousy regarding Rogue and Johnny. Just because jealousy is natural thing to feel and while you can debate if they were ever a good or healthy couple, you can’t debate they shared very real feelings for one another. And I think a lot of V’s jealousy would come from just how much Johnny seems to first think of/go to Rogue. When he needed to save Alt, first person he turned to, Rogue. When he wanted to bomb Arasaka tower (going by his memory of it and ignoring that the event was probably actually planned by Morgan Blackhand), who’d he go to? Rogue. When he becomes determined to get Smasher, who is he determined to get him with, Rogue. When he first decides to atone for his past mistakes, who’s the first person he wants to make up with, Rogue. When at the rooftop, who does he want to go grab to help him save V, Rogue.

If you got feelings for someone, that’d hurt, I think it’s impossible for that not to spark some jealousy. And V if anything is also mad at themselves for having those feelings, because they like Rogue, she’s a badass, a legend, they respect the hell out of her. And of course they have feelings for Johnny and they wanna help him make shit right and they wanna give him a chance to enjoy himself. But this stupid reptilian part of their brain is screaming but i want to be the first person he goes to, the first person he thinks about, which they know is also stupid cause for fucks sake the man literally lives in their brain, they’re as close as two people can be and literally when Johnny has the power to go to someone for something, he can’t go to V because they’re reduced to sleeping essentially until Johnny hands back the reigns. Yet, feelings aren’t aren’t always, rational, sadly.

And to Johnny’s credit, he probably doesn’t even give it that much thought. Rogue is a badass, someone he cares for, someone he can depend on and someone he hurt really badly. The two people he can and always has been able to depend on the most (other than Alt prior to her death) have been Kerry and Rogue. And, bless his heart, the fuck is Kerry gonna do? Kerry ain’t a merc, Kerry isn’t gonna bust into Arasaka Tower or plant a bomb. Kerry doesn’t have the connection to Smasher. So, of course, Rogue is gonna be his go to. And in terms of making things up to people...he literally cannot really do much to make things up to V, not the way he can for Rogue or Kerry. Cause, when him and V are both conscious, he can’t do much beyond touch and talk to them. Hell, even with Rogue and Kerry, he relies mostly on V to help him do anything. Even with people he can interact with and do something for; V is doing all the nitty gritty work for him. V drives Rogue to the theater, V breaks into the theater, V gets the projector going. V breaks into Kerry’s house, V disables the security. V gets in contact with Nancy. V gets Nancy out of Totentanz in one piece.

Which probably if V actually thought about it critically, does mean he’s going to them and relying on them more than Rogue, but they’d probably dismiss it out of it being for necessity and not because he cares about them and feels he an depend on them.

Anyhow, Johnny would probably love to do some nice gesture to make up for his bender to V, hell they probably were the first person he wanted to make things up since they are his catalyst for changing. But what feasibly can he do for them? Anything he’d want to do with/for them, would just be asking V go do this thing and i’ll also be here. Anything that would put them in public interacting is out, unless they want MaxTac called on V for looking cyberpsychotic. He can’t even do an at home date, because he can’t cook (engram or not) and he can’t buy them anything nice he has no money and also doesn’t technically exist. He could try to do so sneakily while he’s in control...but he’d be using V’s money so they might as well just buy it for themselves. he can play music for them,,. but that doesn’t seem too special and more than a little egotistical to think it’ll make V feel better about what he did... So... all he can really do, is prove he’s worth trusting by being on his best behavior and more importantly do what he can to save V’s life.

Then there’s the date. And as usual, I have some opinions and feelings about a thing. Like, okay, I’ve seen some people (aka Gamer Bros on Twitter) being like, Rogue is Johnny’s girl. Wanting to date either of them is wrong because they like each other. (then you also get the BUT ALT crowd, but rants for another day.) And I can’t help but ask, did we play the same date? Their entire date is about how they’re both desperately clinging to the past. Rogue is trying to reclaim 2013-2023 Rogue and Johnny just wanting for a night to feel like the world and his place in it haven’t been completely rearranged. And it ends with Rogue telling him, she is not that girl anymore, she can’t pretend to be, and frankly she doesn’t want to anymore. She wishes she could be, wishes she was still that tall haired street punk who’d never dream of working with corps or being a fixer, but she’s not. Her and Johnny are no longer the same people who met back in to 2010’s. Doesn’t mean they don’t care about one another and doesn’t mean what feelings they had weren’t real or important; but they’re just not those people anymore. Rogue more so than Johnny since he’s freshly on the course of change.

Something else in regards to the date, that I think is important to talk about and how it relates to silverv and its something I personally have very conflicting feelings about. The fact that Johnny can initiate some physical intimacy with Rogue. See, I have never chosen the option to kiss Rogue during the date and actually did not learn until relatively recently, that if that choice is made it goes a biiit further than a kiss. I have watched the scene now.

And god I have mixed feelingssss. Like, I get it, but I’m not sure I like it. And I know full well, my silverv bias impacts my feelings on the matter, it’s be disingenuous to say otherwise. But I don’t think the ship is purely my reason for having these feelings. But at the end of the day, its all opinions. So, I get from a character perspective that Johnny and Rogue are trying so hard to reclaim their past and what they use to have that they get caught up in trying do what they would do if this was the 2010’s. And Johnny’s relationships as we’ve seen are very physical, sexual chemistry and attraction are major factors in his relationships because he kept things very superficial most of the time. He even says part of the issue with his relationship with Rogue is at the time he didn’t realize he could let her see the true him and still hid behind walls, kept things at a distance. So, the idea that’d they fall back into the old habit of trying to just be physical and ignore their feelings, isn’t out of character.

However, and Johnny even seems to acknowledge this issue when Rogue interrupts it, they’re doing this with V’s body. V...who did not consent to sexual contact. They consented to a date and while one could logic that this would mean everything a date could entail up to and including physical intimacy; I would argue that that is something that would need further conversation to have clear consent. And like again, this might come down to boundaries and personal feelings. Because I go back to the bender and what’s been interesting to me is too see different opinions on it; some people weren’t actually bothered at all by Johnny’s bender in V’s body, some people were bothered by the drugs and alcohol specifically cause their V is straight edge. Me, personally, it was the sexual content and the endangering of V’s life. Like, it was mostly funny and oh yeah, I expected that it’s bad but eh I’ll move on, to me, until he started getting sexual with people in V’s body. Like that to me is not just crossing the line, it’s catapulting over it.

And like I said, Johnny even responds to Rogue’s “this isn’t fair” with “what, you mean it’s not fair to V?” which she says she meant it isn’t fair to Johnny. (Which viscerally upset because you nearly used V’s body for sexual gratification without their consent and you’re worried about Johnny, which tbf Rogue has no way of knowing what V has and hasn’t consented to, so its not on her but that was my knee jerk thought). So, he has some awareness that maybe that was a bad move.

And yeah, it definitely to me and my V would be a very bad move (unless he explicitly talked to them beforehand and got consent). And in general, it made me feel like, dude, you just promised you’d be better and not break V’s trust but again not a day later you’re nearly using them to have sex. It felt like a backslide, which isn’t necessarily unrealistic, cause change and growth is not always linear, people can commit to changing themselves and still fuck up and not get it right; in fact it’s rare for them not to have any sort of backsliding or repeating of mistakes.

Again, I will also give credit that he could have been assuming that given V consented to the date, they assumed or were cool with their being physical intimacy between him and Rogue. He also generally, might not have really planned for it to happen, because I don’t think Johnny plans a lot of anything. It very well might have just sort of happened. Also, V doesn’t clearly communicate if the sexual component was an issue in the bender. All V really seems to have an issue with in game is the very general thing of; he misled them and used them. So, he might have assumed that wasn’t ever an issue. And hell, if you wanna go full meta, the player is technically the one who makes that choice and V is largely an avatar for the player, so that alone could be seen as whether or not V would/does consent.

But, from a story perspective, removing the player choice element. I think how that’s handled would have a huge impact on silverv and where it goes from there.

Because if V and Johnny did talk about consent prior and V did consent while having feelings for Johnny, god I’d have to imagine they’d still feel pretty hurt, but feel it’s irrational to feel that way and have put their own feelings aside because clearly Johnny cares about and wants Rogue and they should ruin what could be his one chance to make things right.

If there like in game was no talk of consent and Johnny ends up kissing and touching on Rogue and V finds out or has memories of it surface,that could be devastating for them. Not only from their own feelings for Johnny, but this since of betrayal and hurt. Was the oil field conversation just a lie? A manipulation? V might feel like they were used; that Johnny never gave a shit about them or how they feel. And Johnny would have to deal with the realization that intentionally or not; he earned back V’s trust just to destroy it again. He fucked up again, he ruined everything again, he got his second chance and destroyed it…. And he doesn’t know how, if he can, or if he should bother trying to ask for a third. In general, I do think, V would come out of the date assuming (naturally so) that Johnny really only has romantic feelings towards Rogue, that they’re just a friend at best, a host to be used at worse. I even in my own universe with my V have them after everything is better, everyones got a body, expects Johnny to start pursing Rogue and trying to swallow their own feelings and be a supportive friend, try to encourage and push him to do it and Johnny’s just like please stop, Rogue is this close to murdering us both.

I was gonna add more funny stuff to this and include a shitposty interaction he has with my V over them dressing up for the date and shit, BUT HOLY FUCK THIS GOT LONG AND SAD????? I’M SO SORRY.

#cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #johnny silverhand #silverv #cyberpunk 2077 spoilers #ieiwi

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dialovers-translations · 4 years

Text

Diabolik Lovers GRAND EDITION for Switch ;; More, Blood ー Yuma Ecstasy [10]

ー The scene starts in Yui’s bedroom

Yui: Hm...

( They get plenty of sunlight as well as fertilizer. I’ve been watering them frequently as well. )

They just won’t bloom, huh? ...These roses.

ー Yuma enters her room

Yuma: Yo, I’m comin’ in.

Yui: ...Yuma-kun. There’s no point in saying that after you’ve already entered the room.

( I said he learnt to knock, but it’s still a 50-50 whether he will or not. Seems like we’re still far away from the 100%... )

Yuma: The fuck? Is it bad if I suddenly enter yer room or somethin’?

Yui: Of course. I could be in the middle of changing, for example...

Yuma: Hah. Whatcha still sayin’? I’ve seen much worse!

Yui: I-I don’t remember ever showing you something like that though!?

Yuma: Really? You’re really up there when ya show me yer dreamy expression after I kiss ya tho?

That sorta stuff turns me on way more than seein’ ya half-naked;

Yui: ( I haven’t made that kind of face! ...I think. )

ー Yuma steps closer

Yuma: Should I trigger that expression again, huh?

Yui: N-No!

( Or rather, he’s too close...! )

Yuma: Fuckin’ dull.

ー He steps back

Yuma: Whatever. Right now, these badboys come first anyway.

Yui: You mean the roses? ...What are you gonna do?

Yuma: Don’t look at me like that. I won’t destroy them again.

Come on, hand them over. The whole pot. If you’re curious, ya can follow me;

Yui: ...?

ー The scene shifts to the garden

Yui: Ah...The vegetable garden is back to normal.

Yuma: Aah? Ya hadn’t noticed? It got fixed up yesterday.

Yui: I had no idea...

Selection

→ Why is it fixed? (S)

Yui: How did it go back to normal...?

Yuma: Ah?

Yui: I mean, it was such a mess, I figured it was beyond saving. Yet it’s as good as new...

Y-You didn’t do it, right?

Yuma: Oi, ya lil’ shit.

Yui: You did!?

Yuma: Well duh!?

→ Could it be, did you fix it? (M)

Yui: Could it be...You fixed it up?

Yuma: Well duh.

The vegetables did nothin’ wrong after all. ...Neither did ya. Yet I treated ya like shit.

Yui: ( Yuma-kun... )

I see...! Good job. I’m sure it was a lot of work?

Yuma: Well...Yeah.

Anyway, who cares ‘bout that. We gotta make sure these get better.

Yui: You’re gonna plant the roses here again?

Yuma: This is the best spot to watch the sky after all.

...There we go, this should do.

Yui: I hope they’ll bloom.

Yuma: ...Yeah.

...

... I felt like I’d still have some hope left, if these guys were to bloom.

Yui: Eh?

Yuma: Do ya know why I chose red roses to mourn their deaths?

Yui: Because your comrades like that color, maybe?

Yuma: Hehe. No way. They were the type of people who’d come across flowers and first of all decide whether they are edible or not, ya know?

There was this one idiot who stole some rose seeds, mistakin’ it for food.

Boss found that too funny, he decided to plant them partially as a joke.

But nobody had looked after flowers before, so they didn’t even sprout, let alone bloom.

Back then, that was the end of it...But shortly after, I saw this sugar shaped like roses.

Yui: ( Sugar shaped like roses...? )

Yuma: When I realized that was supposed to sprout from those seeds...I wanted to see the real thing, and show it to those guys as well.

That being said, I’m pretty sure they would have told me they’d rather see food than some stupid flowers. Ya could say I’m doin’ this just out of my own selfish desire.

But well...I thought that maybe they’d still feel happy to be able to view these from up there, even if just to kill some time.

Yui: ( I see... )

Yuma: If they bloomed...I felt like I could still succeed at doin’ something a second time ‘round, even after already failin’ once.

But they just won’t. Seems like life isn’t that easy, even as a Vampire.

Yui: What is your hope...?

Yuma: ...I guess it’s what ya would call a dream.

Yui: Dream?

Yuma: You’re aware that yer blood is special, right?

Yui: Yeah...It’s blood which flows from Cordelia’s heart after all, so it’s different from a regular human’s, isn’t it?

Yuma: Exactly. And that blood holds the power to awaken Adam.

Yui: Adam?

Yuma: The one and only man who can give birth to a new humankind. His female counterpart is Eve. ...In other words, you.

That bein’ said, I don’t get the details either. I’m just repeatin’ what I was told by that man.

In short, it means that the guy ya pick gains amazin’ powers.

Capable of changin’ the world, get it?

Yui: ...Is that why I was brought here?

Yuma: Yeah. If not, one of those Sakamaki bastards would have become Adam. We wanted to prevent that from happenin’.

Yui: Did you want to become Adam too?

Yuma: ...Guess so.

I don’t give a damn ‘bout power or rulin’ the world.

But if I became Adam, I thought that I could win ‘gainst those filthy rich guys and change Boss’ wish of changing the world in his place.

...But, unfortunately for Boss, seems like I’m not fit to become Adam.

Yui: Eh? How come...?

Yuma: I just know somehow. I’ve tried my very hardest so far but...I guess it’s ‘bout time I stop strugglin’ in vain.

I even became a Vampire and took on someone else’s bruden, but look at me now. I bet they’re laughin’ at me from up there.

Yui: ...That’s not true.

Yuma: Aah?

Yui: I don’t know your Boss or other comrades, so I can’t put it into words very well.

But I don’t think you have to become Adam to fulfill your Boss’ dream.

Yuma: ...I wonder.

Yui: Besides, Eve is the one who choses her Adam, right? In other words, me?

In that case...You might still have a chance?

Yuma: ...You...

Hah...Look at ya bein’ all cheeky for a Sow!

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyah...!

ー He holds her close

Yui: ( His face is right in front of me...! )

Yuma: Seems like Eve-sama thinks she can get away with everything now, huh?

If I’ve got a chance...Should I suck yer blood right away? Ahn?

Yui: Right here...!?

Yuma: Don’t worry. I’ll make sure our precious little Eve-sama doesn’t get any dirt on her. See, if I do thisーー

ー He lifts her into the air

*Rustle*

Yui: Hyaah!

–> If you are playing the Limited V edition or the Grand Edition, little black roses will appear on the screen. If you click on them, you get an extra line of dialogue.

“Come on. Hold on tighter. Do ya want me to drop ya?”

Yuma: If I carry ya like this, ya won’t get dirty, right?

In return, ya better hold on tight or you’ll fall, ‘kay?

Yui: Y-Yuma-kun, it’s embarrassing.

Yuma: Aahn? Whatcha gettin’ all flustered ‘bout still?

Yui: But, this looks as if you’re carrying a small child...

Yuma: What? Would ya have liked it better if I threw ya over my shoulder like usual? I don’t like how hard it is to suck yer blood like that tho.

Yui: T-Then, at least carry me sideways. It’s really embarrassing when we’re facing each other like this...

Yuma: It’s ‘cause you’re letting yer weird fantasies run wild, no? If ya don’t like it, close yer eyes then. ...I’m bitin’ now.

ー Yuma bites her

–> If you are playing the Limited V edition or the Grand Edition, little black roses will appear on the screen. If you click on them, you get an extra line of dialogue.

“Whatcha touchin’ my hair for...? Haahn? It’s softer than ya expected? Heh...Shut up, idiot.”

“Despite bein’ embarrassed, ya seem to be enjoying it tho...?”

Yui: Nn...

Yuma: ...Nn...

Yui: ( How strange...It doesn’t...hurt... )

Yuma: ...It really is easy to suck yer blood when there’s so much of yer neck exposed in front of me. You’re hella small, so I always have a hard time usually.

Nn...Nn...

*Rustle*

Yuma: Nn...Oi, you’re loosenin’ yer grip. Do ya wanna fall down? Aah?

Yui: But...

Yuma: Hah...Ya sure are a handful, Sow. Come on, I’ll keep ya firmly locked in my arms.

Because before bein’ Eve...You’re my toy.

So even if I can’t become Adam...I won’t let ya go, Sow.

Monologue

At his low voice which held just the slightest bit of warmth,

and the words he whispered in my ears,

my heart thumped loudly.

How could the word ‘Sow’,

actually sound like the sweetest confession of love (愛の言葉)?

It made me chuckle slightly,

but inside my chest ーー this heart which pumps Eve’s (イブ) blood,

most definitely skipped a beat at his words.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

→ LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

<- [ Ecstasy 09 ] [ Ecstasy Epilogue ] ->

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #yuma mukami #more blood #diabolik lovers translation #mbyumaecstasy10

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vampiresuns · 4 years

Text

The Stories Of Dead Kings | Prologue, Part 3

✴︎ THE STORIES OF DEAD KINGS ✴︎

4.5k words. In which the Palace continues to bring out things long ago buried within Anatole, the investigation commences and he makes an unlikely friend. CWs: Memory loss, death penalty.

You can read the rest of Anatole’s apprentice timeline series here.

Antu did not like the white dogs. A shame, because Anatole loved that breed — he had only seen pictures of it, drawings in books and a couple of paintings, but he thought it was a fantastic one all the same. They looked so funky and given his preference for raccoons, it was no surprise he favoured fuzzy, slightly funny looking but beautiful animals. He’d pet them later.

Antu liked the voice that called to Anatole even less. While he didn’t like it either, Antu reacted with a viciousness Anatole had never seen before.

Stay back! You’re not wanted! He threatened, his voice echoing in Anatole’s mind as he bared his teeth at the open air.

No! We don’t like it in there! You can’t make us go!

With the dogs pulling him through his clothes upstairs, he had to hold onto Antu for dear life, fearing his familiar would launch himself at the dogs. It made him a blur of hands, fur and hair.

“Ouch, Antupillán, don’t scratch me!”

As soon as they’re in the dark hallway, the dogs vanished, but Antu did not seem any more calm. Still in Anatole’s arms but ready to jump if needed, he was still growling at nothing and every time Anatole tried to make an advance, trying to walk down the hall to explore the room by the end of it, Antu tried to bite his hands.

“Fine, fine, fine, Antupillán, you win.”

When the ghostly voice purred behind them, Antu climbed over his shoulder before Antole could stop him. Of course his raccoon threw himself at an apparition, because demanding fair trials out of the Countess of Vesuvia wasn’t excitement enough for the furball he had for a familiar.

✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎

Anatole tried very hard not to growl at Portia when she brought him breakfast, but the Palace kept hours that were too early, even for him, who had become a relatively early riser out of habit — waking up at dawn was too much, what had happened to seven AM? At least she had come with coffee, coffee he chugged while he listened carefully at her.

He had no clue about how to feel about the clothes, though the shirt was a dream come true. Cross-tied and with a V neck opening, big bishop sleeves, and matching, deep emerald green pants and a sleeveless long coat. The coat had a gold embroidered trim, and it reached his ankles, It would flutter deliciously as he walked down the hallways, the clack of the black boots with a golden plate shoe tip against the marbled floors.

Everything was miraculously his size; he didn’t still comprehend nor trust the Countess’ motives for giving him clothes, especially when he had brought his own. Anatole might not have a personal tailor, but he was very dedicated and careful about his clothing. He always strived to be well dressed, so what was the reason for it? Ease him after his opinions last-night? That felt too much like trying to buy him into the Countess' good side. However, while it was true he didn’t know how to feel about her, he felt it was unfair to automatically assume the worst. This required further analysis.

Portia left his room and he looked at the clothes with a sigh. He examined for a minute longer as he ate another pastry. He looked at Antu, who was still pretending to be an angel after jumping from his arms to fight a ghost out of all things.

He was eating some grapes.

It’s pretty.

“We don’t accept gifts from people we don’t trust.”

Who’s we?

“Oh, is that how it is?”

You have never been very good at lying to yourself.

“And you’re awfully insightful this morning, huh?”

Antupillán continued eating his grapes, this time in silence. He had a point, Anatole supposed. It was a gorgeous outfit but he hadn’t been lying to himself when he said he didn’t accept gifts from people he didn’t trust, and after last night, he wasn’t sure he was on the best terms with the Countess, even if she did seem civil enough afterwards. He couldn’t wear this, even if he really, really wanted to. It would be wrong, it would betray his principles, it would—

It would have to do because when he turned to check where he had left his clothes, he realised the Palace’s staff had taken all of them to laundry them. When Portia had mentioned that, he had assumed they’d only take the clothes he was wearing last night.

“Fuckers.”

He hated people rummaging through his stuff. He was very, very close to deciding to throw all caution and professionalism to the winds and be contrarian as could be. It was a bad idea, but there was a part inside himself which had been kept dormant for the most part. That part made him want to remind people he wasn’t trapped somewhere with them, they were trapped somewhere with him.

Perhaps another time.

✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎ ✴︎

The Palace’s library was one of the most gorgeous places he had ever set a foot in. From its doors to its high shelves, with the high windows with stained glass and the plants, Anatole wished he had the entire day to get lost in it, explore every section, even the ones he wasn’t interested in. He wanted to ask why was the library locked up under so many keys, but he didn’t know if he’d get an answer, or if Portia knew, or if the Countess would be up to more of his really incisive questions about things she would deem out of Anatole’s range of incumbency.

If you asked him, Libraries should be public.

Despite how they left things last night, the Countess seemed to be in a great mood, complimenting his looks and treating him amiably. Anatole detected no deception nor flattery in her words; it threw him off for reasons he didn’t have the time to decode right now. Perhaps he had become too used to people shading half a light on things for reasons bigger than Anatole himself, perhaps the reason was another. It’d have to wait to be pried into.

“You told me you read.”

“Constantly, as long as my brain lets me.”

Silence fell between them. Well, this was starting to get awkward.

“Thank you,” the Countess said.

“What for?”

“You are very genuine,” she said. Anatole didn’t know what to do with that. Taking his silence as encouragement, the Countess continued. “Reading is a wonderful gift, shared by all citizens where I come from, but it’s woefully uncommon here.”

He hummed, squinting back at the Countess. He took a sharp breath as he made himself count to ten. He had felt the same need to speak without knowing what he would say as before, but this time he could anticipate it would be something angry. He didn’t need to know where these things were coming from to know he was about to ask the Countess whose fault was that, and then he’d be really, really done for.

He kept his mouth shut this time — Antu biting him softly (but strongly enough to make him hiss) helped. Time and place. He was better than this, he was taught better than this.

Wait, what? Taught what? By whom?

“Concentrate, for fuck’s sake,” he muttered between his teeth.

“Did you say something?”

“That this is truly a wonderful collection.”

“Anatole… you are my guest, if you wish to return here, you need only ask. But for the moment I would have your undivided attention here.”

There was something deeply intimate about prying into someone organisational systems. How they cluttered, why they cluttered, the organisation methods employed, the thought process behind it and what you could infer of it by looking. The way documents were studied and how and where notes were taken. In that sense, Dr. Devorak’s desk teemed with information.

It might have felt like prying a little too deep into him, but Anatole thought it was a fair exchange after he broke into his house. An eye for an eye wasn’t the best justice system, but hey, a little pettiness couldn’t hurt, besides, investigating the murder was his job now.

His musings were tampered by the mention of Asra working for the palace during the Red Plague. He didn’t remember living through it, though he had always assumed he must’ve been present for it, given their earliest memory was of a post-plague Vesuvia. It had ravaged everything. Plagues were like wars, they seldom discriminated. Not that Anatole knew of war beyond books. If that wasn’t the case this was, once again, nor the time or place to second-guess himself.

Do you know what an explosion sounds like, Asra?

After promising the Countess he would meet her for dinner, he set himself to work. Anatole loved few things more than a good puzzle without a solution, and once he grew determined he did nothing half-ways.

Lacing his fingers together, he stretched them, a waft of satisfaction dawning over him as his joints cracked.

“Let’s figure you out, Julian ‘Magic Cards’, hm?”

He didn’t expect his search to lead him back into the city, but with Antu in tow he’s determined to follow the trace his magic had cast into its streets. Vesuvia was a wild thing, a glimmering thing in the lowlights of dusk making Anatole wonder why hadn’t he insisted in seeing more of it, wondering how much memories of it could he be missing. What used to be his favourite spots? His favourite streets? His favourite garden?

He wasn’t one to dwell in the past, living in the past was no way of living, but that didn’t mean the past didn’t matter. He just wanted to be able to reclaim it, to say ‘this is mine, this took me where I am today, this made me myself, just like who I am today will make me the myself of tomorrow’. He looked at the past not with wistfulness but searching for an explanation.

The area he found himself in was crowded, urbanistically speaking, shabby, probably in need of repair, and while he didn’t stop chasing that trace something in his heart (and his temple) pulsed. Something unknown and caged, something which begged to be let out, something he couldn’t make out what it was. He hated not knowing, he was getting tired of getting all these feelings, these knowledge, these looks and these visions without any sort of explanation. This time he didn’t file it away for later, and yet whatever he felt, eluded him.

The word he was looking for and failed to find was Love. A word which would continue to escape him for a little longer, as Julian Devorak himself manifested out of an open door. Finally, he thought, throwing hypothesis and chasing them was starting to give him results.

Falling into a barrel and stepping on Antu’s tail were unforeseen outcomes. So was falling face first into Julian’s chest after he helped him out of the barrel, both of them looking at each other like deers startled by light.

After Julian let him go, he held Antu, petting him as a way to apologise for stepping on him by accident.

“I have a name, you know? Shopkeep isn’t it,” he said as he looked at the Rowdy Raven’s sign.

“Dare I ask what brings you to this neck of the woods, Not-Named-Shopkeep?”

Anatole caught himself smiling, but as he tried and failed to find a way to explain what had happened the smile faded from his face. Words eluded him and he had to admit he was very grateful for Julian taking it in stride. Because how could he explain any of this without giving away his new-found position? Or at all? He couldn’t find it in him to articulate such a thing — not to mention the glint in Julian’s eye as he turned to him was much more exciting.

It tied neatly to the trace of Anatole’s magic, like a master key he had been desperately looking for.

“Rumour has it you’re working for the Palace,” Julian sneered. “What happened to not being a snitch? I’m sure— well, by now— you’ve heard some interesting stories about me.”

“As interesting as you’re prone to not explaining yourself, though both of those might be gross understatements. And I take great offence in you thinking I’m a snitch. Don’t you think that had I told anyone you’d already be found?”

“I’m very slippery and you don’t know where to find me.”

“I found you now.”

“By accident I’m sure, not to say you aren’t talented and magnificent and all those things the rumours say… but you haven’t heard my side of the story.”

“Julian?”

“Yes?”

“Stop assuming the first thing about me and how I do things, will you, sweetheart?”

Julian’s cheeks went as red as his hair. Anatole let out a pained whine. Wherever that had come from, Anatole didn’t want to know and he expected it to not come forward again. He apologised; Julian, having composed himself, thought teasing him was a good idea but Anatole levelled a look at him that convinced him otherwise.

He sighed. Julian was right: he’d only heard things from the Palace and muddled rumours. A wanted poster was a statement of capture, not an absolute truth and it was obvious to him there was some sort of power imbalance playing against the doctor. So when Julian said he could get him a drink, to get the story and to pay him what he owes him from the reading, Anatole found it difficult to say no.

“I don’t usually accept trading payments unless previously discussed, or the party is in need, but you know what? I think I’m willing to do an exception for you.”

“Oh, please, you work for the Palace now, I think you’re set on the money.”

“You know, I haven’t discussed fees and wages with the Countess, do you think we’d be cell mates if I did?”

Julian laughed. One drink couldn’t hurt, right?

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The flurry that erupted after the caw of the Raven would be etched into Anatole’s mind forever, becoming part of his daydreams unsanctioned. It was the kind of chaos which brought the familiar thump of an inconclusive memory. The Doctor might not have told him his part of the story, Anatole was well aware, but he did give him some insight into his circles and his person. Not anyone who was wanted by the Palace would shield the Palace’s investigator in the shadows so they didn’t get in trouble for hanging out with said wanted person.

As he vanished after an awkward and unfinished thank-you-for-not-being-a-snitch, Anatole turned to make his way back to the Palace, only to be met with Ludovico, who introduced himself and tried not to stare at him while he hailed a carriage for Anatole.

Anatole paid no mind to the staring. Whether it’s leftover staring from the day before, or staring driven by having found him in such an odd quarter of the City, he chose to ignore it. His apology for summoning a carriage for him despite him being the one who said it was a bad idea to leave the Countess waiting, was another thing altogether.

It was true Anatole didn’t particularly enjoy carriage rides, but why would a Palace guard would know such a thing? Did it have to do with how he felt yesterday when crossing the gates? As he stepped into the carriage he tried not to think about it, afraid he’d overthink his way into a migraine.

Relieved as he realised he was in time for dinner, Anatole took in the exquisite smells of what is definitely too much food. He was too hungry to think about the quantity for now, perhaps he could inquire about it after he ate something.

His appetite seemed to hold itself back at the mention of the Courtiers, almost evaporating altogether. He still forced himself to eat, he needed it after such a day in the City, while he listened with rapt attention to the Countess' words. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin before taking a drink from his cup, doing the same afterwards. That he didn’t have any issue distinguishing the cutlery from one another somehow didn’t call to his attention like his next words did.

“I know, and I promise you I’ll be careful.”

“You already know my Courtiers?”

“Oh no, no such thing it’s just—”

“One can never second-guess one’s intuition, is it not right Anatole?”

For the first time in two days, when he smiled at the Countess it was genuine. “Exactly.”

Just like he knew the painting, the gardens, that other version of himself walking through them and his opinions on subjects which required more education than the one he thought he had, he somehow knew the Court — being equal times prepared to brace himself for meeting it, and unprepared for whatever he may find.

He knew deep inside he could trust the Countess to have his back on that, however. It’s the way the word ‘Courtiers’ felt from her mouth: she didn’t trust them.

The mention of Julian’s hanging brought him back from wherever place of commodity his mind had gone into. The faraway look in the Countess’ eyes almost eluded him. Almost.

“Countess…”

“I am thinking about what you said last night, Anatole, but I expect you to understand I must seek to tend to my people’s needs.”

“And you think they need executions?”

“I think they need to see justice done.”

While restricted and mild, Anatole couldn’t help to look at her with some semblance of disappointment, his unspoken question dancing between them.: And is this justice? Is justice confession and punishment?

She truly must’ve given it a thought to not react with the same impetu as last night. Instead she changed the topic with a weary sigh, claiming such were tomorrow’s matters and stating having questions for him — not of his day, like Anatole had feared, but of himself. Being surprised at the change of disposition the Countess had shown today didn’t cover it. Bewilderment might.

At the mention of friendship, bewilderment fell short too. Sensing his apprehension, she smiled at him invitingly, jovially, exposing her hands to him in a gesture of trust.

“I am afraid I do not have many friends, nor know enough people who fear not my position in order for them to tell me what their true opinions are.”

Anatole sighed. “Countess, I do not wish to antagonise you when I say those things, I find it hard to help it, that is all. I’d like to think if I was in such a position the responsibility was so heavy I needed council, I would wish it was sincere. It’s not up to us how history remembers us but that doesn’t mean we have no choice in the matter. I believe our choices make us who we are, whichever those choices might be.”

“You are awfully impertinent,” the Countess said with a playful tone, “which must surely give you an advantage at life.”

Anatole laughed with his mouth open, his head thrown back. “No, but it does give me a strong personality. Tell me Countess, what do you wish to know about me?”

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Out of all the things he found about the Countess, perhaps finding out she too understood the feeling of homesickness for a place you could no longer return to — because one couldn’t or one didn’t wish to — was the least expected out of them all. Anatole knew he had been born in Bgraz, Balkovia, but that’s all he remembered of his hometown. He didn’t even remember how he had ended up in Vesuvia, though the more he thought about it, the more he suspected he had some kind of relation to the City beyond his deceased Aunt having a shop there.

He didn’t tell the Countess as much, not even sure of how to word it aloud but it was refreshing to find someone with whom he could talk about these things.

The night was welcoming and cool. The stars were visible in the inky night sky, making Anatole wonder how they would look in Balkovia, that unknown homeland he couldn’t remember. The Countess’ words about Anatole not being quite like she had imagined him, or the intrigue she felt towards him pulled him away from his thoughts.

Anatole wondered if she, like Julian, was also a victim of the rumour mill. Word in town was she was a tyrant, yet she didn’t seem malicious — malice was something Anatole’s language filter picked up with incredible ease and it left a feeling in him hard to ignore. It didn’t just make him immediately stand on edge, it also felt like tarr on one’s skin. Hot, icky and venomous. The Countess felt lost, not malicious. Someone with good intentions and not enough turn out, as he had previously felt.

“Tell me, Anatole… Why did you come to the Palace? Why did you agree to help me?”

“I believe I said it was a matter of justice, last night.”

“You did, but when I asked you to come, you didn’t know what for.”

She got him there. The offer of trust from the Countess would not last if he wasn’t honest with her — perhaps if he was, he would be able to convince her to reconsider the way in which the Devorak affair was being conducted.

The answer was obvious, wasn’t it?

“Because it felt right. I knew that whichever answers I’ve been seeking, I would find them here.” Anatole existed in the liminal space between his heart and his head. They were extensions of one another. Living a full life required both.

When the Countess asked him if he had any questions for her, reassuring him he could speak freely, Anatole already knew what to ask and in his defence, the Countess shouldn’t have taken it as a vague question, because it wasn’t. The claim was just an excuse to elude the topic; the stage they were in, of whatever it was she, him and whatever else bigger than them had sent in motion was looking at them in the eye and avoidance would help exactly no one.

“You know I mean the murder investigation. The Count has been dead for years, so why now?”

“Ah, that is a right question to ask. Vesuvia is in dire need of help. Order needs to be restored… and I am in the unique position to restore it. However, I intend to lead by example, not fear. I must show the city I am capable. I have so many plans for Vesuvia. I was to see this city flourish… Perhaps you’ll be able to help me with those plans, Anatole. I could use more competent people on my side...”

Her loneliness was heavy, almost too heavy, the feeling pouring into her speech and threatening to cover Anatole under a heavy blanket, merge with his own unattended loneliness and trap him in place forever. Seen and unseen, craving connection and something more he couldn’t name nor grab, no matter how hard he tried to.

“It’s funny,” Anatole said, a knot in his throat. “I did not expect you to be as lonely as I am. I never allow myself to admit it out loud, let alone in front of someone else. Yet here I am.”

“You already know I won’t do things whatever way. I want to find justice, and I do not believe justice lies in a hanging. You are right, your position is unique, but it’s also risky,” Anatole paused to take the Countess hands in his. His next words came from the same unknown place as they did all those times he felt compelled to speak, though they were much kinder this time: “When we know something is not right, we do not settle. People like us, whatever that means, were not thrusted into the world to settle. Power wielded without reason, without justice, without kindness, without knowing the subject you must serve will always lack. I will not tell you what to do, you are capable enough, Countess, to figure that out on your own, but I will tell you this, as a friend: truth is the only thing worthy to be built on, and when we find that truth we plant ourselves in front of whomever dares us to move and we say they move. The truth can’t lead you astray, as unpalatable or hard to accept as it might sometimes be.”

Out of all the things he expects the Countess to tell him that he’s sweet is not one of them. He’ll take it.

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Just between you and me… I think Count Lucio had a lot of enemies, too. Alone in his bedroom, having returned from exploring and chatting around with her, Portia’s words swirled around him, letters formed by a light orange haze, forming and evaporating in front of his eyes. Portia’s words came from rumours but they were enough to cast reasonable doubt about what might have transpired that night. It was kind of her to look after Anatole, so the least he could do was to take her words to heart.

Originated in rumours or not, Portia was right.

Going out with her was as strange as it was enlightening. He was sure the Chef, Hestion, had said something to Portia along the lines of how he expected Anatole to remember his way around the kitchen, only he had called him ‘Secretary Radošević’. Perhaps it had something to do with the investigation, but it made Anatole feel odd.

The servants in the Veranda had been very welcoming, but almost too welcoming and he was sure he had caught a couple of them speaking about him —not as if this was his first time in the Palace, but as if this was him returning to it. Speaking of returning, someone had congratulated him for becoming the main investigator for the case and how it was nice to have him back. Ignoring the way his vision splotched as best as he could, Anatole had only thanked them and turned back to Portia feeling lost and ill.

Normally, Anatole paid no mind to out of place comments. If someone demanded something of him he couldn’t remember, he tried to remove himself from the situation as fast as possible, but these felt different, the words staying with him even though his and Portia’s nightly adventures had finished.

What weighed him down the most, though, was the Countess wanting him to join them for the announcement tomorrow. It made sense, but he had a terrible feeling about it.

Antupillán was nowhere to be found. Anatole hoped that he had a good reason to be missing at a time like this.

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twoidiotwriters1 · 3 years

Text

Written In The Stars CXXXIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Shit’s going down again -Danny

Words: 5,603

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Closure’ -by Vancouver Sleep Clinic ft. Drew Love

Chapter Thirty-One: A New Plan.

Mel was writing down the answers to her History of Magic exam, eager to go back to her tower and have a good nap for the rest of the day.

It was then that the feeling spread in her chest, a terrible dread that didn't belong to her. She looked up and around, and her eyes landed on Harry, who had his face hidden behind both hands and was squirming in his seat. Suddenly, her forehead stung and the boy screamed, his body falling limp on the ground.

She turned around with her eyes tearing up in pain, holding onto the edge of the table she tried to stand up, but Professor Tofty walked past and helped Harry up before she could even get on her feet.

Mel was sitting sideways on her chair, pondering whether to abandon her examination or forget about it until she was able to leave. She wanted to go, but she knew that Harry would get upset, probably arguing about ruining her good grades. So headache and all, she finished the last questions of her exam.

"Harry!" Hermione spotted the boy. "What happened? Are you all right? Are you ill?"

"Where have you been?" Ron asked.

Harry was just coming down from the staircase. "Come with me— Come on, I've got to tell you something..."

He took them to an empty classroom and closed the door as soon as they walked in. His back hit against it and he looked at them with wide eyes.

"Voldemort's got Sirius."

"What?"

"How d'you — ?"

"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

"But — but where? How?" Hermione asked in shock.

"I dunno how— But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven... He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there... He's torturing him... Says he'll end by killing him..."

"Wait, hang on, you shouldn't be able to know all that! Harry, you promised you'd practice!"

"Yeah well, you see it was of use not to. Now, how're we going to get there?"

"G-get there?" Ron paled.

"Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius!"

"But — Harry..."

"What? What?" said Harry.

"Harry," Hermione started, "er... how... how did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realizing he was there?"

"How do I know? The question is how we're going to get in there!"

"But... Harry, think about this, it's five o'clock in the afternoon... The Ministry of Magic must be full of workers... How would Voldemort and Sirius have got in without being seen? Harry... they're probably the two most wanted wizards in the world... You think they could get into a building full of Aurors undetected?"

"'Mione's right," Mel frowned. "Think about my mother, Sirius wouldn't leave her side just like that!"

"I dunno, Voldemort used an Invisibility Cloak or something! And what if it was Emily the one who left the house? You know how stubborn she is, what if Sirius went after her and they got the two of them? Anyway, the Department of Mysteries has always been completely empty whenever I've been —"

"You've never been there, Harry," said Hermione. "You've dreamed about the place, that's all."

"They're not normal dreams!" Harry took a step forward and faced Hermione with an angry stare, Mel immediately stood between them. "How d'you explain Ron's dad then, what was all that about, how come I knew what had happened to him?"

"He's got a point..."

"But this is just — just so unlikely! Harry, how on earth could Voldemort have got hold of Sirius when he's been in Grimmauld Place all the time?"

"Sirius might've cracked and just wanted some fresh air," said Ron. "He's been desperate to get out of that house for ages — And with the baby coming... I don't blame him if he's looking for space."

"Mum said they got into a fight during the first weeks," Mel said, starting to feel worried. "She said Sirius wanted to get more involved now that she couldn't, said he wanted to make sure his kid would be safe... No, but this is the same woman that gave up on magic to raise us for a whole decade, she would know how to deal with Sirius' temper."

"And why on earth would Voldemort want to use Sirius to get the weapon, or whatever the thing is?"

"I dunno, there could be loads of reasons! Maybe Sirius is just someone Voldemort doesn't care about seeing hurt —"

"You know what, I've just thought of something," said Ron. "Sirius's brother was a Death Eater, wasn't he? Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon!"

"Yeah — and that's why Dumbledore's been so keen to keep Sirius locked up all the time!" said Harry.

"Look, I'm sorry," said Hermione, "but neither of you are making sense, and we've got no proof for any of this, no proof Voldemort and Sirius are even there —"

"Hermione, Harry's seen them!"

"Okay, I've just got to say this..."

"What?"

"You... This isn't a criticism, Harry! But you do... sort of... I mean — don't you think you've got a bit of a — a — saving-people-thing?"

Mel grimaced and walked away, pushing the hair out of her face in frustration.

"And what's that supposed to mean, a 'saving-people-thing'?" Harry asked in a tense voice.

"Well... you... I mean... last year, for instance... in the lake... during the Tournament... you shouldn't have... I mean, you didn't need to save that little Delacour girl... You got a bit... carried away... I mean, it was really great of you and everything," She continued to hear Hermione as she paced around the room, trying to think. "Everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do —"

"That's funny," Harry replied, "because I definitely remember Ron saying I'd wasted time acting the hero... Is that what you think this is? You reckon I want to act the hero again?"

"No, no, no! That's not what I mean at all!"

"Well, spit out what you've got to say, because we're wasting time here!"

"I'm trying to say — Voldemort knows you, Harry! He took Ginny down into the Chamber of Secrets to lure you there, it's the kind of thing he does, he knows you're the — the sort of person who'd go to Sirius's aid! What if he's just trying to get you into the Department of Myst — ?"

"Hermione, it doesn't matter if he's done it to get me there or not — they've taken McGonagall to St. Mungo's, there isn't anyone left from the Order at Hogwarts who we can tell, and if we don't go, Sirius is dead!"

"But Harry — what if your dream was — was just that, a dream?"

"If it had been just a dream then my scar wouldn't have hurt! Mel!" Harry called.

"What?"

"Did you feel it?"

"Feeling things only tells me that what happened to you was real, nothing else..." She said, eyes fixed on the window.

Harry growled loudly behind her, Mel kept didn't move.

Mel wanted to support him, she really did because she understood why he was scared, she was scared too, but there was no reason why Sirius would be outside... none at all...

"You don't get it! I'm not having nightmares, I'm not just dreaming! What d'you think all the Occlumency was for, why d'you think Dumbledore wanted me prevented from seeing these things? Because they're REAL, Hermione — Sirius is trapped — I've seen him — Voldemort's got him, and no one else knows, and that means we're the only ones who can save him, and if you don't want to do it, fine, but I'm going, understand? And if I remember rightly, you didn't have a problem with my saving-people-thing when it was you I was saving from the dementors, or when it was your sister I was saving from the basilisk —"

"I never said I had a problem!" said Ron.

"But Harry, you've just said it," said Hermione. "Dumbledore wanted you to learn to shut these things out of your mind, if you'd done Occlumency properly you'd never have seen this —"

"IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN —"

"Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind!"

"WELL, I EXPECT HE'D SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF HE KNEW WHAT I'D JUST —"

The squeaking sound of the door opening caused her to turn back, there stood Ginny and Luna.

"Hi," said Ginny. "We recognized Harry's voice — what are you yelling about?"

"Never you mind," said Harry stiffly.

"There's no need to take that tone with me," She replied in a cold voice. "I was only wondering whether I could help."

"Well, you can't."

"You're being rather rude, you know," said Luna.

He swore, his eyes landed on Mel, who had her back turned to them and was looking at the window with her arms crossed, deep in thought.

"Are you going to stand there all day? Sirius is practically your stepfather and you're not even worried!"

"Wow, Harry," She replied sarcastically, moving to look at him over her shoulder. "You can read minds now? I didn't know you could guess exactly how I'm feeling. Stop being a bloody prat! I'm trying to think!"

"And why is it taking so long? I thought you were smart," He asked angrily.

"Maybe because you can stop screaming, you utter—"

"Wait," said Hermione. "Wait... Harry, the girls can help."

Mel and Harry stopped arguing and stared at her.

"Listen, we need to establish whether Sirius really has left headquarters —"

"I've told you, I saw —"

"Harry, I'm begging you, please! Please let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London — if we find out he's not there then I swear I won't try and stop you, I'll come, I'll d-do whatever it takes to try and save him —"

"Sirius is being tortured NOW! We haven't got time to waste —"

"But if this is a trick of V-Voldemort's — Harry, we've got to check, we've got to —"

"How? How're we going to check?"

"We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him," said Hermione. "We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts, and that's where we can use Ginny and Luna."

"Yeah, we'll do it," Ginny said immediately, though she still had no idea of what was happening.

"When you say 'Sirius,' are you talking about Stubby Boardman?"

"Not now, Luna," Mel said, the gears in her head finally starting to work. "I can send a message to Erick, he can help — he helped the twins last time..."

"Okay," Harry replied roughly, "Okay, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you, otherwise I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now —"

"The Department of Mysteries?" said Luna. "But how are you going to get there?"

Harry ignored her, Mel did too, but only because she was busy writing down the message for Erick.

"Right," said Hermione. "Right... well... One of us has to go and find Umbridge and — and send her off in the wrong direction, keep her away from her office. They could tell her — I don't know — that Peeves is up to something awful as usual..."

"I'll do it," said Ron. "I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department or something, it's miles away from her office. Come to think of it, I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him on the way..."

"No need, Erick could trash it and he'd just have to find a way to bring Peeves into the scene."

"Okay— Now, we need to keep students away from her office while we force entry, or some Slytherin's bound to go and tip her off..."

"Luna and I can stand at either end of the corridor," said Ginny, "and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garroting Gas. Fred and George were planning to do it before they left."

"Okay... well then, Harry, you, Mel and I will be under the Invisibility Cloak, and we'll sneak into the office and you can talk to Sirius —"

"He's not there, Hermione!"

"I mean, you can — can check whether Sirius is at home or not while I keep watch, I don't think you should be in there alone, Lee's already proved the window's a weak spot, sending those nifflers through it."

"I... okay, thanks."

"Right, well, even if we do all of that, I don't think we're going to be able to bank on more than five minutes," said Hermione, "not with Filch and the wretched Inquisitorial Squad floating around."

"Erick can keep that lot busy too, let me just..." She wrote on her watch another note saying 'keep the I.S. away' and sent it, hoping he'd gotten enough time to read the first before it vanished.

"Five minutes'll be enough," Harry nodded. "C'mon, let's go —"

"Now?" said Hermione.

"Of course now! What did you think, we're going to wait until after dinner or something? Hermione, Sirius is being tortured right now!"

"I — oh all right! You go and get the Invisibility Cloak and we'll meet you at the end of Umbridge's corridor, okay?"

The watch on her hand warmed up and she opened it with shaky hands, his reply was simply: 'ON IT.'

"Okay, let's go..."

Mel stood next to the door, that way she could see Harry, but also hear what was happening outside the office.

"Sirius? Sirius, are you there?" The boy shouted. "Who's there?"

Mel heard a distant and low voice, for a moment she almost felt relieved, but then Harry asked another question.

"Where's Sirius, Kreacher? Where's he gone? ...Where's he gone, Kreacher? I'm warning you! What about Lupin? — Mad-Eye? Any of them, are any of them here?"

There was another long pause, Harry's shoulders tensed.

"Where has Sirius gone?" He yelled. "Kreacher, has he gone to the Department of Mysteries? Why did he leave Emily alone with the baby?"

She walked up to Harry, but then the door opened and a flash of red hit her, Hermione went next, they both fell sideways. Umbridge walked up to Harry and grabbed him by the hair, pulling him away from the fire harshly. Harry coughed and blinked, someone lifted Mel up.

"You think," She bent Harry's neck further and Mel felt the sting on the back of her head, "that after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge? I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish boy. Take his wand! Their wands too..."

Malfoy walked up to her and took her wand, he did the same with Hermione, who was now caged against the wall by Bulstrode. She looked over her shoulder and found Erick staring down at her with a scowl, his grip tight on her arms.

"I want to know why you are in my office," said Umbridge.

"I was — trying to get my Firebolt!" Harry choked.

"Liar. Your Firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons, as you very well know, Potter. You had your head in my fire. With whom have you been communicating?"

"No one —" Harry tried to pull away, only inflicting more pain on himself. Mel yelped at the sensation.

"Liar!" Umbridge threw him to the desk.

"STOP!" Mel shouted, trying to get away from Erick.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," He warned her.

Mel fixed her gaze on Malfoy, who was having the time of his life. Several Slytherins entered the office, they had Ron, Ginny, Luna, and for some reason, Neville. They were all gagged. Mel felt a cold sense of outrage when she looked at her friends. This was no way to treat students!

"Got 'em all," said Warrington. "That one tried to stop me taking her," he pointed at Neville and Ginny, "so I brought him along too."

"Good, good," said Umbridge. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?" She looked at Mel with a smile. "And Dumbledore-free as well."

Mel growled, fighting against her captor.

"So, Potter. You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr Filch having just informed me so. Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone..."

"You bloody cow —!" Erick tightened the grip on her wrists to stop her from digging a deeper grave.

"It's none of your business who I talk to," Harry spat.

"Very well," Umbridge said sweetly. "Very well, Mr Potter... I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco — fetch Professor Snape."

Mel fell on the same realization as Harry at the same time. They had forgotten about Snape. He was a member of the Order!

She was pissed at the fact that all her friends presented terrible injuries, she could've gathered enough energy to cause one of her bursts of magic, but she knew that wasn't the best idea. What would she do afterwards? Nothing. She could do nothing.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Snape arrived five minutes later and looked around the group unimpressed.

"Ah, Professor Snape! Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter and Dumbledore. Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

"You can make some more, can't you?"

"Certainly. It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month? A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really? Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."

Erick, taking advantage of the fact that everyone's was paying more attention to the adults in the middle of the room, pulled her closer and whispered in her ear.

"I was on my way to get Peeves when Umbridge sent for me... What's going on?"

Mel clenched her jaw and turned her head slightly to the right.

"He saw Sirius... he's in trouble."

"I wish to interrogate him!" Umbridge was shouting now. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"Define trouble," Erick requested.

"They got him," She groaned. "Could you move your hand? You're hurting me—"

"That's the point," He said.

"I have already told you," said Snape, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter — and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did — I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling..."

"You are on probation!" Professor Umbridge yelled. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"

Snape turned to leave.

"He's got Padfoot!" Harry blurted out. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

"Padfoot?" Umbridge's eyes went wide. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

"I have no idea. Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job."

He left, closing the door behind him.

"Very well... Very well... I am left with no alternative... This is more than a matter of school discipline... This is an issue of Ministry security... Yes... yes..."

Mel didn't like the madness on the woman's face. She stopped fighting and stared attentively, waiting to see what she'd do.

"You are forcing me, Potter... I do not want to, but sometimes circumstances justify the cause... I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice... The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue."

"What?" Mel spat.

"No! Professor Umbridge — it's illegal," Hermione started, but the woman had her wand up. "The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!"

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him. He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same..."

"It was you?" Harry asked in incredulity. "You sent the dementors after me?"

Mel's anger was eating her up, she wanted to rip things apart.

"Somebody had to act! They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it... Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today, though, not now..."

"If you touch him I swear I'll kill you!" Mel yelled.

"Cruc —"

"NO!" Hermione yelled as well. "No — Harry — Mel, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" yelled Harry.

"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's... what's the point..?"

"What are you on?" Mel growled. "Shut up!"

"Well, well, well!" said Umbridge. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

Ron tried to speak through his gag, but it was useless. Ginny was staring at their friend in disbelief, Neville as well.

"I'm — I'm sorry everyone," said Hermione. "But — I can't stand it —"

Mel couldn't believe it, Hermione had never acted this way!

Hermione would never act this way...

"That's right, that's right, girl! Now then... with whom was Potter communicating just now?" She pulled Hermione away from the wall and sat her on a chair.

"Well," Hermione sobbed, but there were no real tears on her face. "He was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore..."

If any of the Slytherins there had known the group better, they would've noticed the sudden change in their behaviour once they realized she was lying.

"Dumbledore? You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

"Well... no! We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head —"

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!"

"But — but we needed to tell him something important!"

"Yes? What was it you wanted to tell him?"

"We... we wanted to tell him it's r-ready!"

Mel guessed she could help her friend by causing more noise and therefore keeping Umbridge's mind busy.

"You traitor!" She shrieked making everyone jump. "How dare you tell my uncle's secrets to her! He trusted you!"

"What's ready?" Umbridge pulled Hermione's gaze away from Mel's. "What's ready, girl?"

"The... the weapon."

"Weapon? Weapon? You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-y-yes, but he had to leave before it was finished and n-n-now we've finished it for him, and we c-c-can't find him t-t-to tell him! He was supposed to teach Mel how to use it!"

"Stop it!" Mel tried to move away from Erick, but she didn't actually pull that hard.

"What kind of weapon is it?" asked Umbridge with urgency.

"We don't r-r-really understand it... We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do..."

"Lead me to the weapon."

"I'm not showing... them," said Hermione right away, looking around the room.

"It is not for you to set conditions."

"Fine! Fine... let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right — oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to s-sort you out! I bet Flint could learn to use it in less than a day!"

Most of the Slytherins stared at the boy who was holding Mel, they had the same hungry expression.

"All right, dear, let's make it just you and me... and we'll take Potter too, shall we? The Dumbledore girl can stay here. Get up, now —"

"Professor," said Malfoy promptly, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after —"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone? In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these escape."

"All right," groaned Malfoy.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," said Umbridge at Harry and Hermione. "Lead on..."

They were left in the middle of thick, heavy silence. Malfoy walked around the room and started to make fun of her friends.

Ten minutes passed, Erick spoke to her in a barely audible whisper.

"What was that?"

"Gave us time," Mel replied, her gaze fixed on her shoes.

"You think they'll need help?"

"Dunno."

"I need a real answer," Erick urged her. "Yes or no."

"Why?"

"If Sirius is in trouble I don't want to sit and do nothing," He responded. "Yes or no?"

Mel looked around: Six against four, counting Erick on their side. However, if he were to help, they'd have a solid five-five situation, being far more skilled wizards and witches.

"Yes."

Erick gave her his wand without letting go.

"Let's do it."

"Oi! Ferret!" Mel called. "Why don't you come here so I can kick you properly? I'm the only one who hasn't beaten the shit out of you — I need to change that."

Malfoy's face twisted into a sneer.

"I wouldn't run my mouth if I were you, nutter. Especially now, wandless and all, with no Professor to watch over what we're doing... not that Umbridge cares about you..."

"Why don't you come here and hit me then? Scared you're not good enough? I mean, you have my wand — What, can't you beat a girl?"

"Shut her up, Flint," Malfoy said with disinterest.

"Just ignore her," He replied.

"You know plenty about ignoring people, don't you Malfoy?" She smirked. "Your father does that to you all year long —"

"I said shut up!"

The second he was close enough, Erick let go of her and she raised his wand yelling 'Depulso!'

Malfoy crashed against the desk. She flicked Erick's wand and her own came up flying, Erick snatched his and stunned Warrington. Ron pulled the gag out of his mouth and grabbed his own wand.

"You're supposed to be on our side!" Malfoy demanded angrily.

Erick tilted his head, "I got bored and I don't like you."

A string of stunning spells and fighting sounds surrounded them. In less than two minutes, every Slytherin (except for Erick) was unconscious, Malfoy had some disgusting slime covering his face.

"I reckon your reputation as Slytherin's prince is over," Mel commented.

"This is more important than a bloody title," He replied.

"Now you sound like a normal bloke!" Ron said, happily patting the boy's shoulder as he walked past. "I just saw Harry and Hermione enter the forest, we should move."

They were just reaching the edge when they heard Hermione's voice coming closer.

"Well, we can't do anything without wands... Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

"Yeah, we were just wondering that," said Ron.

Harry and Hermione came into view, covered in something that looked alarmingly similar to blood.

"So," Ron offered Harry his wand, which he took in shock, "had any ideas?"

"How did you get away?" asked Harry.

"Mel taunted Malfoy and he fell for it — Erick had given her his wand. After that a couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx — But Ginny was best, she finished Malfoy — Bat-Bogey Hex — it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things. Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest out of the window and followed. What've you done with Umbridge?"

"She got carried away...By a herd of centaurs."

"And they left you behind?" asked Ginny.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp," said Harry.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna and Erick asked.

"Hagrid's little brother," said Ron. "Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or — ?"

"Yes," said Harry, "and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

"What about my mum?"

"Kreacher said she couldn't go to the kitchen, the baby had been crying the whole night and she was sleeping," He replied. "Said that Sirius had left behind her back."

"The baby's born?" Mel felt someone squeezing her shoulder and looked up to meet Erick's sympathetic gaze.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna replied matter-of-factly.

"Okay," Harry started, "first of all, 'we' aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron's the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so —"

"I've got a broom!" said Ginny.

"Yeah, but you're not coming," said Ron.

"Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!"

"You're too —"

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Sorcerer's Stone, and it's because of me Malfoy's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking him —"

"Yeah, but —"

"We were all in the D.A. together," said Neville determinedly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real — or was that all just a game or something?"

"No — of course it wasn't —"

"Then we should come too. We want to help."

"That's right," said Luna.

Harry looked back at Ron in exasperation.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," He said at last, "because we still don't know how to get there —"

"I thought we'd settled that?" said Luna. "We're flying!"

"Look," Ron said harshly, "you might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we —"

"There are other ways of flying than with broomsticks."

"I s'pose we're going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?"

"The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can't fly, but they can, and Hagrid says they're very good at finding places their riders are looking for."

Mel looked back at the empty space Luna was staring at.

"I suppose there's a Thestral there," She said, swallowing a groan.

"Yes!" Harry approached the trees and started to pat the air.

"Is it those mad horse things?" asked Ron. "Those ones you can't see unless you've watched someone snuff it?"

"You have such a way with words, Ronnie," Mel muttered.

"Yeah," Harry replied distractedly.

"How many?"

"Just two."

"Well, we need four," said Hermione.

"Five, Hermione," said Ginny.

"Excuse me?" Erick frowned. "We need six!"

"I think there are eight of us, actually," said Luna.

"Don't be stupid, we can't all go!" Harry exclaimed. "Look, you four, you're not involved in this, you're not — What are you doing here, Flint?"

"I blew my cover," The boy shrugged. "If I stay I'll be attacked by a bunch of angry Slytherins. If I go with you I might get killed, but at least it'll be worth it."

Neville, Ginny and Luna all talked at the same time, Harry raised a hand to stop them.

"Okay, fine, it's your choice," Harry said curtly. "But unless we can find more thestrals you're not going to be able —"

"Oh, more of them will come," said Ginny.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because in case you hadn't noticed, you and Hermione are both covered in blood, and we know Hagrid lures thestrals with raw meat, so that's probably why these two turned up in the first place..."

"That's blood?" Mel gawked. "What on earth happened back there?"

"Okay, then!" Harry said brightly. "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you three and she'll attract more thestrals —"

"I'm not staying behind!" said Hermione.

"There's no need," said Luna. "Look, here come more now... You two must really smell..."

"All right," Harry groaned, "pick one and get on, then."

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee

#twoidiots writing #hp fanfic #Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter xoc #WITT fic

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7wanderingpaws · 4 years

Text

He Loves Love (1/3)

Pairing: Baekhyun x reader

Genre: singer AU (no Exo)

Words: 5.6K

Warnings: none

A/N: I got such a good feedback for He Loves Love (a drabble) - I recommend reading it first - and plus a request to actually write the story about the lovers and how they got together so I did it! This is the first part out of TWO... I hope I fulfilled the expectations. Please let me know what you think, it helps immensely... Thank you and you look pretty today! 💕

This was requested by lovely @shesdreaminginoverdose I hope you will like it! And thank you! 🌹😊

Masterlist

1<<< 2<<<

The plastic chair you were sitting on came in very handy since your feet were killing you. The café you were currently in was a famous one, hidden away in the tangles of small streets in Sinsa-dong, where the life of Seoul was bustling with lively, young energy that you should have been able to relate to but it had been a bit difficult recently. It might have been the amount of assignments combined with the internship you managed to land- although you were not sure how.

“It is interesting,” mumbled Hyeri seated across from you, who, would become your senior at the magazine. “I would never say you have an inch of fashion sense if I were to just look at you.” She didn't look up from the printed text of your blog posts and various stories you managed to get out to the world through indie publications. Wearing an expensive set of sunglasses, there was no chance you would be able to see the sharpness of her eyes. “It is just so... “ she shook her head slightly, searching for the correct word to describe your fashion sense. “Plain.”

Sucking your lips inside your mouth, you nodded slowly although she wasn't paying attention to your physical being, her head still set low, hawk eyes skimming through every word you typed out.

A couple of more seconds passed by without any words spoken, when she suddenly looked up, startling you for a heartbeat. “You also don't say much.”

“I didn't think there is any correct answer I could give you.”

“Well, your senior is talking to you. You should acknowledge their words.” You noticed a frown on her forehead, her eyebrows that were dark with a generous help of a pencil, were scrunched upwards. Her face must have been very pretty, the heavy red lipstick said it, too. Confidence. Authority.

“Sometimes staying silent is better than saying something unworthy,” you replied calmly, giving her a slight uplift of your lips. They were becoming rather dry, not having a lip balm as you left your teeny-tiny one-room apartment in a rush, scared of not arriving on time. Seoul transportation could be sometimes quite nerve-wrecking.

Hyeri reciprocated the tiny smile, but it didn't give you an inch of reassurance. “Alright, good.” She slammed the document shut, reaching for her iced-americano. Carefully pursing her lips, she drank through the straw so that her lipstick wouldn't be ruined. “Let's go to the office, shall we?” Chairs screeched on the floor and you followed her click-click with your tump-tump.

When you started the work, it was crazy because wow, you made it into one of the best fashion magazines in Korea! But continuing to work there was slowly killing you... until you met him.

Those simple yet somehow powerful words he uttered to you…

I will wait for you until you make it.

The feeling he left inside of you was like a tattoo that should have been temporary, just like it happens in any random first-time meetings with people you don't know. They might charm you and the effect might last for a day or two, sometimes a bit more. But in this case, you could not get the look out of your mind. He was tattooed on your eyelids, and he seemed to constantly talk into your ear.

I will wait until you make it.

Naturally, you were trying to shut the intrusive chain of thoughts out, telling yourself that it was ridiculous. C'mon, we were talking about a famous singer - a very famous singer. For him to reach such popularity meant to not only have crazy talent but also crazy amount of charm which seemed to work absolute wonders to you and to your mind. It wasn't helping that after the meeting, you followed his activities and looked up interviews, trying to decode his personality through videos and his body-language. Because if there was one thing people underestimated - it was the power of body language. But his was pure, honest, well-mannered and completely controlled, with some dangerous flirting and body movements that made your head spin for a bit, totally affected by him, seeing him even with your eyes closed.

You scoffed out loud, unconsciously, as you were transcribing an interview Hyeri did earlier in the morning with Twice. Not realising your colleagues were giving you a questioning look, you typed away what the interviewee was replying, the volume in your ear a bit too loud.

Huh… He wouldn't even remember you, let alone wait 'till you “make it” as he so confidently said. These superstars… They thought they could just say something they thought sounds cool but it actually didn't.

It definitely was not the reason you found yourself listening to his latest album as you were going through the minutes of the meeting that just finished. You were supposed to bring them to the editor-in-chief in an hour.

You could manage to do all the work in one hour.

Only if his voice wouldn't have been so distracting.

Why was it so distracting?

Maybe you were just starstruck. After all, he was someone that you knew about before ever applying to university and making it to a magazine. He was the singer hanging on the walls of horny teenage girls and, let's be honest, many young adults and adults… Who would dislike him, right?

“Ah, Baekhyun,” mumbled Hyeri with a sigh once you were walking up the stairs of the office building after THE meeting with Baekhyun, the singer. “He is a dangerous one. Always a gentleman, though.”

“Why is he dangerous for being a gentleman?” you asked matter-of-factly. Seriously. People should pay more attention to what they were saying and whether it made sense or not. Just like she could have thought twice before saying whether you were good or bad in front of him just now… Why would she give two damns about your feelings being hurt while also belittling you in front of a major celeb… If only people paid a little bit more attention.

Hyeri smirked, stepping on the first floor in front of the golden elevators. She pressed the button to call one, now turning to you. The sunglasses she liked to wear so much, as you learned, were leisurely holding her hair back as they were resting as a headband on her head. “He is a sweet dream,” she said, calling your name to make sure you are listening. “Working with him is probably more pleasurable than it should be, but then… You just know he isn't a gentleman only to you. He is the same to each of us.”

You frowned, still having his face, his eyes set on you vividly in your brain. Hyeri looked like him a lot if you didn't focus enough. “You know you don't make sense, my dear senior.”

“Yah!” she shouted, making you jump but you smiled right away. “Don't act like you aren't even a little bit phased by meeting him just now. He looked gorgeous. Plus, it was your first-time meeting someone of his calibre.”

“So will you finish what you were saying before?” you asked nonchalantly, definitely not letting her know that you were out of it because him, too. You didn't want to follow the crowds he was obviously so used to have him follow.

“I meant,” she started again, just when you heard a ding! of the elevator. You walked in, pressing the 24th floor. “No girl seems to be special to him.”

Shrugging, you pursed your lips. “Well, you do realise you are not part of his world, right? He isn't here to make us feel special nor to help us to stand out. That is our job. To make him special.”

Of course no one would dislike him. The editor ladies were swooning, always bringing up his name during the meetings as a proposal for the cover of the magazine of the upcoming issue. You typed his name the most when writing the minutes of the meetings. They all wanted him, but he did not want to be wanted always.

Hence his appearance once in a while.

Hence you saw him again after almost one year and a half for the first time since your first meeting with him. Coming with a new album that had yet to be released, your editing staff was hot on their feet, running errands, picking up calls and making new ones, because our magazine definitely had to be the first one to book such a luxurious star.

“Good news for you,” started Hyeri as she was passing by your cubicle, her heels loud, her hair bouncy, her sunglasses tucked sensually in the sharp V cut opening of her Gucci shirt. “Your first participation in the creative process.” She propped up on the edge of your desk, and you turned in your chair to face her. She gave you a mischievous smile. “You shall be able to finally prove to Baekhyun that you made it and that he didn't wait for nothing.”

Your eyebrows shot up fast, your reflexes faster than your brain trying to keep your emotions at bay. But wait… did she just say… “Why do you remember those words?” you asked, dumbfounded.

She gave you a funny look. “Why do you ask me that when I just told you some privileged news? If this whole shot goes well, you sure can expect some sweet promotion.”

Swallowing, your eyes were wandering around, trying to process information. It was ridiculous she would remember some words that weren't even directed towards her. But hey, goodness gracious, were you just assigned to participate in the creative process of his promotion in your magazine? “Will I get to interview?”

Hyeri's lips twitched, only the left corner of her mouth raising. Naive child, she must have thought. “No way. The writer has been already assigned. You aren't close enough yet,” was her reply, standing up now. “The meeting is at six.” She gave a quick look at her golden wrist watch. “You have three hours to help your looks and charm off his pants,” she gave you wink and left.

“Hey!” you shouted after her, grabbing a pencil, ready to throw it at her. “Why would I-” you stopped, when you saw she just laughed loudly without even looking at you. “Woah!” you breathed out, “I don't even care about charming him!” Calming down, you sat back down properly, mulling over her words. “I finally get to be part of something,” you sighed, talking to your wildly beating heart to stop it.

Just why was it beating so fast?

It was not because of him.

It was not.

You remember wearing this lush white sweater you had to actually tie around your body unless you wanted to flash some skin or worse… a breast. So you tied it very tightly, and took a breath before heading to the meeting room a bit earlier to prepare the documents for the participants. Thankfully, there weren't many. It was the singer's team, you, the writer and, well, the editor-in-chief, because who would want to miss a meeting with such a popular singer?

You entered the meeting room which had a lovely view of the city that was about to be consumed by darkness, yielding to the city lights that always gave you a sense of excitement, a sense of liveliness. And so as you placed neatly each document in front of each seat, you could hear some movement on the corridor, hinting that it was about to go down.

You turned to the glass wall and saw two men with faces you did not recognize until they let in the first person that was behind them. And just then, you made eye contact with him for the second time in your life. His hair dark, bare face and simple clothing combined in dark colours made him so… normal.

But your heart was reacting like it just saw something completely abnormal and it was going nuts because your breath got caught in your throat as you felt a foreign pull towards him. It was because he a famous personality, nothing else…

He smiled.

Wow.

That was a beautiful smile. And did you just sense a hint of acknowledgement on his face? There was no way he could possibly remember you. This wasn't a drama.

But… then…

He uttered your name.

It rolled of his tongue as if he has had always muttered it before, just like to his old friend that he met for the first time in a long time.

Baekhyun, the singer, was walking to you now, and once again, he spoke your name before saying: “We came a bit earlier, I hope that is okay with you.” Stopping right in front of you, you had one document left in your hand which was meant for you. Without realizing, you were bowing to him, hugging the chunk of papers to your chest as you stole a glance at his managers, quickly bowing to them as well.

“Of course it is, Baekhyun ssi,” you said, bowing again before straightening up and stealing a glance at him to see an entertained look on his face.

Few more heartbeats passed, before he said, not even turning: “You guys can go, the rest of the team will come later. I want to just wait here.”

Was he telling his managers to leave? While looking at you the entire time?

Just like that, they gave you a polite nod before leaving.

Before any uncomfortable silence could take over, you quickly rushed to say: “Please, have a seat! I prepared the documents for you over here. What would you like to drink?” you started, trying not to stutter in his powerful presence and trying to escape his searching gaze.

He breathed out a deep chuckle, causing goosebumps to raise on your back all the way up to your neck. You pushed the chair he was meant to sit on and waited till he finally moved. Ignoring your questions, he spoke: “So you made it, I see.” He started walking, but once again stopped just in front of you, not taking a seat. “You also developed a better fashion style as I observe.”

As I observe.

Blinking at him a few times in slight confusion, you eventually moved out of the way, feeling uncomfortable at his intimate approach to you. You should be both polite to each other and kind of have it awkward.

The fact that he actually talked to you as if he knew you for the entirety of that one year and a half that you didn't see each other (and it wasn't like you were on a “you are my friend” terms… you were strangers. He was a singer for god's sake) was giving you the chills. Plus, the terrible, annoying butterflies in your stomach were giving you the need to vomit.

You decided not to answer his observations.“I guess water will do it for you,” you replied politely, turning to him just in front of the door, ready to leave.

“What makes you think that?” he smirked as he was making himself comfortable on the chair by sliding down a bit, resting his elbows on the arm rests. You bit your lip.

“You look tired, Baekhyun ssi. That is my observation,” you replied matter-of-factly, giving him a kind smile and feeling like a cheeky girl for playing with his words.

He was looking at you without answering before he sighed, nodding once. “Water will be perfect... Thank you.”

As you were rushing back with the tray with water and some snacks you didn't have time to prepare, you already heard voices coming out from the meeting room, your editor-in-chief already present. Of course, you wouldn't even thought about eavesdropping. It was an official meeting that you were included in, after all. But the next words, including your own name, made you stop abruptly.

“She is doing very well, Baekhyun ssi,” you heard your editor-in-chief say. You could sense she was smiling, given her tone was so relaxed and light unlike her heavy voice she used when she was in her authority mode with her editors. “But I do have to say that if it weren't for your kind word for her, she might have not made it into our staff.”

Oh dear heavens. No way. This wasn't real, right?

He was the reason you made it into the magazine? He actually gave a word in for you to be accepted? The worst was, that if it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here, chasing your dreams, being already half-way done. This could only mean you weren't good enough on your own… Or was it?

The tray with snacks and water for the singer started to shake slightly as you felt tension rising in your body. Trying to calm your mind, you quickly breathed in and out a few times, attempting to control the sudden outburst of emotions. It was difficult when you still had to face them and sit through an entire meeting with them and you were to propose ideas that might not be good enough because you just weren't good enough on your own without some influential person's help...

You were brought back to planet Earth when Baekhyun, the singer, hummed in reply, the noise giving you a terrible, terrible shock. You wanted to hear that one again. “I am glad. Before you arrived, she was very professional and already tried her best at making me feel comfortable,” he spoke as if there was any need to add more. “She works hard.”

“I do not doubt that,” replied the editor-in-chief.

Before they would wonder what took you so long, you literally thundered into the room, cheerful but very plastic smile plastered on your face as you not so gently put down the tray on the table and with a shaky hand handed the singer his water. Not daring to look at him once, you gave a polite nod to your editor-in-chief who gave you a close-lipped smile before she motioned with her head for you to sit down next to her, facing the main subject of the meeting.

Him.

The singer.

Whose eyes were on you the instant you dared to look at him. You didn't miss the seriousness as the meeting officially started, the three of you along with the managers sitting a bit on the side, going through each page you so carefully prepared. With pictures, ideas and various possible photoshoot spots you provided in the documents, you sure did gain a sudden wave of confidence, just like when you first submitted the ideas to the editor-in-chief. This time, you could be confident and believe in yourself. What you heard before about the singer taking any kind of part of you getting an offer from the magazine to join them did not matter - or so you were trying to persuade your troubled heart. Because, after all, it was you and your hard work - your journalistic worth that kept you there and eventually landed you a spot right opposite the main actor of your entire story. Byun Baekhyun.

On the first day out of two intensive shooting days, you were extremely busy and kind of overwhelmed with the amount of work and the control you suddenly possesed. The editor-in-chief's words kept popping up in your head as you commanded the filming team at 4am about what to put where and discussing the possible angles of the photos with the director of photography.

“This is a great chance for you to experience and understand the hard-work of the people around a photoshoot. I know you love writing, but for you to really understand the process behind interviews and the main subject, you need to first work hard around it.”

You remembered taking the editor-in-chief's words seriously, and you still did, but it was tiring. Also, the superstar was supposed to arrive at 5am and you were not ready to face him in this situation. After the first meeting back in the magazine headquarters, the electric waves you kept feeling were so out of place, you were utterly ashamed about the direction of your thoughts and feelings about him. Because he was just it - a superstar whose main job was to charm people, and preferably, sing well since he was a singer after all.

“Good morning,” your train of thoughts was interrupted by a gentle voice from behind. You were in the storage room where all the props were ready to be used once it was their time to shine.

Turning around, you looked at a freshly looking Baekhyun, the singer, who was standing in the doorway to the storage room. Simple dark jeans, a long hoodie with his dark hair over his eyes... he might have looked like someone that came out of the shower and needed to feel comfy. Not like you gave it much thought.

Letting your eyes drop behind him, you noticed he didn't have anyone around as you expected. There was literally never a time he wasn't being followed, or led somewhere by managers or whatever staff was at hand. “Ah, you arrived, Baekhyun ssi,” you smiled politely, bowing as you were holding some boxes with fresh flowers that arrived just a little bit ago. Looking into his eyes, you squeezed your lips even tighter, feeling now the familiar shakiness you felt whenever he was anywhere near you. Or more like whenever you knew his presence was somewhere near you. It could be anywhere in the building, really. By now, you didn't even have to see him to get the effect. He was effortlessly affecting you without being physically with you. “How come you arrived early? I bet you could have used some more time to sleep.” You moved towards the doorway where he was stood, wanting to leave the storage room as the flowers were needed at the main set.

He wasn't moving, though. Instead, waiting for you to stand in front of him so he could look down on you with a cheeky smile, he said: “I wanted to come earlier to make sure I understand the concept we are shooting today.”

You looked up at him, lifting the boxes slightly in your grip to ease the weight. “Then what was the meeting for, hm?” you challenged, puffing out some air. Baekhyun took the boxes from you, which you didn't let go of. “No way, Baekhyun ssi. That is my job. Please go prepare for the shoot in the A2 room. It's just down the corner.”

He smirked, pressing on the boxes so you would let go, which you unconsciously did. “I might have not paid proper attention during the meeting.”

“Well, you were tired, it's understandable.”

He kept on looking at you without talking. Then, he hummed. That hum you heard before the meeting. The hum that seemed to have a certain effect on your heart. “Yeah, that too.” He took a breath, his answer somehow distant. “How is the work? Did you have too much on your plate for this photoshoot?”

“Yeah, actually, I really need to work now-”

“Just five minutes. You can spare five minutes for me, right?” he asked quickly, putting the boxes down between the two of you, as if there wasn't really an option to say no. Because it was him, you did not have an option to say no.

You nodded curtly. “Sure. Five minutes.”

He laughed quietly, which felt strangely intimate. “So, will you answer my question now?”

“Baekhyun ssi,” you started, tucking some messy hair behind your ear, “this is a job that requires me to do this. I love it. The craze, the overtime, the pressure, the fact that not a single day is the same. I should probably thank you, shouldn't I?”

Well, that last sentence wasn't supposed to come out. You really didn't mean to start on this topic now, when you had little time and you also weren't intending on letting him know that you knew about him giving a word in for you. He probably didn't want you to know.

“Thank me?” he asked, slight frown in his eyes. “Why would you want to thank me?”

Now it was your turn to look at him without replying right away. Carefully looking at his features, you were trying to see through him, except there wasn't much to mull over, because his features and expression were genuine. You licked your lips once you noticed his wandering stare - it was fast, but still noticeable. He was standing in front of you, after all. Your hair, your forehead, slowly sliding down your nose before making a quick, but very memorable stop at your unmoving lips before meeting your gaze. “Because you are the first cover of the magazine I get to work on.”

“Oh, what an honour then,” he chuckled, his confusion all cleared up now. “I just wanted to let you know that,” he paused, licking his lips as he dropped his gaze for a bit, making you go breathless in the meantime. He raised his eyes back up to yours. “That I am proud of how far you came. It is always nice to see that hard work pays off.”

“Thank you,” you murmured. “I appreciate your words. Although, I would like to ask - and I apologize if I will come off as rude, but I prefer things being straightforward - why do you treat me this way?”

“Treat you what way exactly?”

“This,” you motioned with your hands at the boxes he put down, him blocking the doorway so you couldn't leave. “You are being kind. And your approach towards me… It is all just…” you shook your head, frustrated for the lack of vocabulary, “do you do this to all the meaningless interns you meet?”

“There is no such position as meaningless intern,” he shot back. “Plus, you are not an intern anymore. And yes, I do like to treat my staff with kindness.”

“No, that is not what I meant. What is this all about?”

He shrugged, amused at your tiny outburst. “So I like you. What is wrong with that?”

You went silent. Speechless. All you could do was just stare at him with wide eyes, your jaw slightly hanging open. The conversation certainly took a very different turn.

“What?” he laughed cockily when he didn't get a reply, crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought you liked things straightforward?”

You heart was about to jump out of your ribcage, and he dared to laugh at this situation? He dared to use your own words? God, this dude really had some courage.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, suddenly quiet as he took the tiniest of steps forward. To you. “You seem surprised.”

“Y-you… Y-you are actually asking me why I look at you like this?” you almost shrieked, causing him to sober up and shush you quickly, moving his hand up, his finger on your lips. Your eyes widened even more, moving your head back. “What do you think you are doing, Baekhyun ssi?”

“I'm doing straightforward business with you,” he explained matter-of-factly, “and you are ruining it.”

“This isn't funny.”

“I am not trying to be funny. For once.”

“I'm sorry but-” you shook your head frantically, bending in your waist to pick up the boxes, “this is a joke. I don't have time for this. I also don't have time for this bullying.”

“Bullying?” he gasped, standing in the middle of the doorframe so that you wouldn't be able to escape. He was genuinely surprised and, was that hurt you saw in his eyes? Disbelief perhaps?

You straightened up, giving him a strict look. “I am not going to become your puppet, Byun Baekhyun ssi. I'm disappointed. Liking someone based on their looks…” you mumbled the last sentence, scoffing and eventually dropping your gaze, to give him an attitude. Hopefully, he would realise you weren't one to be played with.

Despite all of that, you… oh, you were dizzy with emotions swirling around in your bloodstream. His words could actually influence the chemistry of your body. Magnificent. And he just freaking admitted he liked you. You had no idea based on what exactly, but he did.

“You aren't attracted to people?” he questioned, amused. “When you first see them... You can even feel them.” He went silent for a bit, and you felt each and every touch of his gaze on your face. Eventually, he spoke your name softly. “Look at me. Please.” When you didn't comply, stubborn, he spoke even softer. “I'm sorry if I went overboard. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. And I definitely didn't want to make you feel like you were bullied. God, no. Never. ” Now, you looked up at him, paying attention. “I just couldn't help myself. There is something about you…” he murmured, letting his gaze drink in your facial features. He shook his head gently. “I apologize. And know that I am looking forward to working with you on this one.”

“You don't even know me.”

“Hm?”

You licked your lips. “You don't even know me. I am nobody to you. It doesn't make any sense to me.” Stubbornly, you were trying to give him a way out, to cancel what he admitted.

Yes. You were a nobody to him. And everything that was happening right now was surreal, abnormal and just plain ridiculous for you. A world-wide famous singer who liked an intern/editor and was proud of how far she came because, it was all thanks to him you were there in the first place.

No. It was just nonsense. Surely, he was just making things up. And because you might have been too starstruck by him, an obvious effect, you were feeling this pull towards him you couldn't quite describe. But then again, it most probably was a natural effect of famous people.

He shook his head, plucking the bubble you were in. “I don't have to know you to see that you came so far. I met you when you were starting, and now, here you are.” He smiled.

Just in that moment, somebody called your name and you and Baekhyun exchanged looks. Seeing that he was truly sorry about making you feel uncomfortable, you gave him a polite smile and a nod with your head. Before taking your leave, you spilled him the contents of the photoshoot in a speed of light (since that was why he initiated a conversation with you in the first place, right?), ending it with a simple, but direct: “Then I will see you on the set.”

It was difficult working on the set with Baekhyun, the singer, when you were so aware of how he seemed to feel about you. As much and as aggressively as you were trying to deny his words and his little confession to you, you couldn't help but notice that, indeed, your eyes met much more than it was acceptable. Nobody noticed. Yet. Nobody was supposed to, anyway - and they mustn't - notice. That was your opinion. But when he was giving you the gorgeous, going-to-your-knees smiles and outright cocky, flirty remarks whenever you were directing the shoot, you couldn't help but give a small smile, or a silent laugh.

Goodness.

What a charmer.

So far, he made every staff member of the set laugh. Yes, even the male staff. Because that was him. Jokes, teasing, remarks, observations, some singing here and there, then whistling a melody you didn't know. That was all him in a bubble. Plus, the shoot was long and tiring, yet his energy would hardly fade or as much as lose a tiny bit of colour. His aura was still strong and so shiny, you might have needed to close your eyes for a minute and let it sink in - his energy that seemed to slowly creep under your skin and make you an entirely bubbly, giggly girl that you never were.

He pulled off all your ideas perfectly. Whether it was a sweet concept, a light one or a dark one with heavy colours - his gaze would adjust accordingly. Holding your breath, you were staring at the photographer's laptop screen. With every loud click, a new photo would load, and you were in awe at seeing the singer shine in such a dark outfit, such heavy makeup and even a dark background. He was enchanting. Scary. Intimidating. Self-confident. And just oh so breathtaking, pulling you in like a riptide.

Looking up, you saw that he was looking at you before changing his modelling position. He wasn't laughing nor smiling, still deep in his role. Maybe it was in that moment you had this weird revelation, a weird desire you might have been pushing down. After all, you were a human with needs. And you have been feeling a weird sensation the more you looked at him, mouth ever so slightly, but still hanging open as you couldn't stop looking at him. Swallowing quickly, you snapped back to your senses when you felt a strong burn of his eyes. You faintly heard in the background, his voice light, yet so husky. “Is the editor satisfied with the photos?”

He was observing you observing him. Your breath hitched, your heart immediately in a frenzy of thumps.

And you liked it.

A lot.

So you nodded. “I very much am.”

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