#it’s funny they kind of both saw each other in pictures first and while leon was immediately having a crush

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Aahh I love your Ramon fanfics! Could you write a fluffy fanfic involving Ramon x Leon (if that doesn't work, then an x reader, male) where Ramon just has to bear with the other person teasing him and poking his sides, talking about his height and how cute he is?

The little lord and the big soldier

Leon x Ramón

warning : fluff, comfort

summary : What if Leon wasn't on a mission, what if Ashley got along with Krauser and Leon couldn't help teasing little lord Ramón at a time when they were friends instead of enemies.

info: Thanks anon for the request, at first I wanted to do x reader but I thought the idea was kind of funny. Enjoy reading, it's not the longest but I hope you like it anyway ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

°From the moment he set foot through the door and arrived at the castle, Leon knew something was wrong here. They were in the twenty-first century, not the Middle Ages, and Ashley, too, wrinkled her nose at the antiquity. ,,Who owns such a big treasure?” she asked aloud. Before Leon could answer, they saw a shadow above them, a large shadow belonging to a small man.

°Ramón Salazar, the castellan and heir of the family, the lord of this province, a man of a large ego but small stature. ,,I ask you to accept my friendship as a guest,” he invited the two. However, it quickly became apparent that Ashley was much more interested in Krauser, who took the “little mouse,” as he called her, away from the two men for training.

°A decision Leon had no problem with, better to make friends than to shoot his way through guards and cultists. ,,A great kindness, your... little Grace,” he still couldn't help the comment and saw the warning look on Ramón's face, which he tried to ignore. But the situation was so absurd that Ramón, who looked even smaller standing over him, was more absurd and cute. Like a walking piece of fluff with that wig.

°He couldn't help but kneel down, look down or touch his white hair every time he met Ramón while they were in the castle. ,,Stop that!” Ramón snapped at some point, trying to get his bow tie back, which Leon held high in the air. ,,A little higher, my little lord,” the American laughed and clicked his tongue when Ramón simply kicked him on the foot.

°The two hated and liked each other, and whenever Ramón needed help, Leon was there, whether it was to give him a book from the high shelves, to pick him up or to carry him. In return, Ramón was happy to give Leon something of the Spanish history and to understand the language better. ,,Try again, you sound like a stupid giant,” Ramón countered to the taller of the two, who was looking almost desperately at the Spanish book.

°That's how it was when Leon wasn't picking on Ramón because of his size; they picked on each other just to chase after each other like wild. Which usually ended in a tea party in the afternoon, where Ashley and Krauser just wondered what was wrong with the two of them.

°But at the end of the day, when Leon Ramón sat in front of the fireplace, bent over a family picture, the blonde put a hand on the younger's shoulder, ,,Despite everything, they are proud of you,” he said, seeing the grateful look on Ramón's face as he leaned his head on Leon's shoulder and both of them simply enjoyed the quiet company.

°Despite their coming and going, there were moments when Ramón made his new friend, his first friend, and maybe someday more comforting teas when Leon lost himself in nightmares of his past. The American, in return for Ramón's support, tried to build him up and, as they walked through the garden. Leon practiced shooting with his pistols and the Lord with a crossbow, which both of them surprisingly enjoyed, especially when they were laughing and hugging each other afterwards.

°You didn't always have to be at each other's throats, you could just be friends who understood each other more despite the big and small differences.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[winksasleeplesseye]

now that I think about it…leon definitely fell first and amara fell harder and that’s on peeta and katniss level vibes/trope

[naranciasimp]

Hello! I’d like to request some headcannons. The gang and their s/o (separate, not poly) are on a little boat trip, and somehow, s/o has managed to fall off the boat and into the water. S/o can swim and the waters are calm, so s/o isn’t in any real danger, just kinda annoyed. How does the gang react?

AN: Just for context I was picturing a boat kind of like the one they went on in Part Five, but you can imagine whatever you want. Also in some of these the reader more or less laughs it off rather than getting annoyed. I hope you enjoy!

Bucciarati Gang on a Boat and Their S/O Accidentally Falls Into the Water

Bruno Bucciarati

You and Bruno were out on a boat fishing together.

He’s really good at fishing (because his father taught him) so he wanted to take you out to share something that means a lot to him with you.

Everything was going great.

You were both sitting on the boat just looking into the water.

You thought you saw a fish swim by so you ran to the ledge to go see.

That’s when you ran to quickly and down into the water you went.

Bruno immediately got up and was ready to dive into the water.

Just when he was about to come and save you, you began shaking your head and laughing.

You were perfectly ok and were just treading water.

Bruno’s worried expression fell from his face.

He laughed a bit and you did too.

Bucciarati helped you back up and gave you a kiss on your head.

He loves you so much it’s unreal.

Leone Abbacchio

It was a very nice evening.

The weather was great and the sun was setting which made the sky look beautiful.

You thought that going on a boat could be a fun thing to do.

It took a little bit of convincing but Leone decided that he would go with you.

You were both sitting down next to one another making small talk.

You got up for a moment to get a better look at the sky.

You went to lean on ledge and that’s when you tumbled down into the water.

Abbacchio immediately panicked.

He yelled your name and ran to the ledge.

Leone was about to jump in for you when your head popped up.

You were laughing and acting like nothing happened.

The look of concern that he had immediately turned into one of annoyance but also a sense of relief.

He rolled his eyes at you and helped you get out of the water.

“Awe, you were worried about me,” you playfully said.

“Shut up,” Leone mumbled.

You just giggled more. You know that he loves you even if he tries to hide it.

Giorno Giovanna

It was your idea to go onto the boat.

Giorno saw how happy you look when you asked him so of course said yes.

You both sat down on the ledge talking to each other about whatever came to mind.

At one point you forgot that you were sitting on the edge of a boat and went to go lean back.

Down into the water you went.

Giorno was worried at first.

When he looked down into the water he saw you treading water with an annoyed look on your face.

A small smile formed on his face now that he knew you were safe.

He didn’t wast any time getting you out of the water and back onto the boat.

Giovanna saw that you were still ticked off when you got onto the boat.

So he grabbed you hand and kissed it.

Your annoyed expression went away and a slightly embarrassed one showed up.

Guido Mista

You both thought it would be a cute date idea to go onto a boat together.

Mista was telling you about all of his crazy theory’s while you listened and added to some of his ideas.

You both stood leaning on the ledge of the boat staring into the water.

You went to go turn around but you slipped and fell off the boat.

Mista began laughing so hard.

You were a bit annoyed about how funny he thought this was.

You told him to knock it off but he kept of laughing.

“Ok, I’m sorry, I’ll help you now,” Mista said while trying to calm himself down.

He helped you back onto the boat and gave you a towel.

You sighed and Mista gave you a smile. “Come on, it was a bit funny.”

You just shook your head, “I guess it was,” you said.

He gave you a kiss and you two both began laughing at what just happened.

Narancia Ghirga

You and Narancia were on a date together.

You were just walking around together with no goal or idea of what to do today.

That’s when Narancia saw a boat and got super excited.

Before you could say anything he was pulling you towards the boat saying you two need to go on it right now.

He was so cute you couldn’t even consider saying no to him.

You were both on the boat blaring music and looking around at the blue sky.

Narancia yelled you name and told you to come over to him.

You ran to him and noticed he was looking into the water.

“What is it Nara?”

You looked to your side and realized he wasn’t there.

Before you could move he pushed you over the edge.

Now you were stuck treading water while he was on the boat laughing his head off.

“You think this is funny,” you yelled at him.

He continued to laugh and nodded his head.

“At least help me back up,” you said a bit annoyed.

Narancia stopped laughing and went to go give you a hand.

That’s where he messed up.

You grabbed his hand and pulled him into the water with you.

Nara was now in the same position you were.

You two looked at each other for a moment before you both started laughing again.

Narancia began splashing water onto your already soaked body and you did the same to him.

You expected no less from your childish boyfriend.

Pannacotta Fugo

You suggested the idea of going on a boat together.

Fugo thought it would be nice to get away from everyone.

So you both ended up on a boat date.

You both were on the boat just enjoying each other’s company.

Pannacotta pointed out clouds that looked slightly different from the others.

That was the start of you and him cloud watching together.

At some point you got up and walked to the ledge.

Not really paying attention to any thing but the clouds you lost your balance and tripped.

You yelped and fell into the water.

Fugo ran to go save you, but he saw you swimming in the water.

You weren’t struggling so that made him feel a bit better.

Pannacotta grabbed your hand and he helped you get back up onto the boat.

You were fine but he wouldn’t stop worrying.

“Are you ok? You’re not hurt right!?”

You just laughed. “Fugo I’m fine.”

Fugo stopped worrying for a moment and looked at you.

He sighed and pulled you into a hug, not caring that you were soaked.

You could only shake your head and hug him back.

[marciego]

Could you do Naty for the hc ask game?? Thank you!

yesss best girl!! i'm not sure i have that many naty hcs but i'll do everything i have an answer for <3

1. Childhood headcanon

i think that the main reason she was distant with lena in s1 is because she used not to let her in to protect herself, because naty isn't confident in herself, or in her skills, and lena was younger, had always been kind of a gifted child, so "mature for her age", and obviously no one ever said that in a negative way, neither lena nor their parents, but i really think it was hard to handle for naty, which is why she probably pushed her away at the time

tho it just makes their relationship and their closeness later on more precious, because they were both hurting because of this distance so <3

3. A headcanon that you think a lot of people have

that she kisses girls

4. A headcanon for their future

MY GIRL IS KILLING IT AT SONGWRITING i just know it. obviously she keeps working with lena, but i want her to work with the whole industry, be behind every single bop latinamerica and europe see, i want her to write songs for fran and leon and produce songs with maxi and collab with diego on some songs, i want her to enjoy this at the fullest while still getting to work with her friends!!

also i kind of have this hc that the old youmix fans lose their shit a little every time they see the studio kids working with each other in their career, so imagining them reading naty's name next to diego's on fran's album in the credits and losing it is like.....a really nice thought i think

5. sad headcanon

i think even tho she got better at believing in herself, sometimes she has to deal with a pretty bad impostor syndrome, especially since she becomes pretty big in the industry as a songwriter, and it's a bit too much to deal with at times. her friends are always there to try to help her, but yeah it doesn't stop the feeling from being there

6. funny headcanon

so leon/naty was the unexpected s3 friendship i didn't know i needed but i've been obsessed with them since i saw their scenes, so i think they keep growing closer, working together etc, and sometimes leon will tell her some surprise he has for vilu or something because like, she's his friend and they're chatting you know. and every time, EVERY SINGLE TIME, she messes up and tells ludmila who immediately goes to vilu like "GUESS WHAT'S HAPPENING"

8. favourite headcanon you ever had

i think she's DEFINITELY the kind of person who spends hours making cute gifts for her friends, and i think she made some kind of friendship bracelets for everyone at the studio and gave it to them at graduation (including marco who would Not have missed this), and most of them still wear them in their every day lives. fran will go on stage with hers, ludmila proudly posts pictures on instagram showing off her wrist and tagging naty, broduey kisses his every time before going on stage as a good luck charm, maxi's is watching over him in his studio to give him strength when the artists he's dealing with are too much to handle, camila put hers on a chain to always have it hanging close to her heart beneath her clothes, leon and violetta put theirs next to each other every night before going to sleep....it's a reminder that no matter what, even if they're in argentina, brazil, england, spain or italy, they're still together

9. headcanon that you want to be a canon

editing this because what the fuck happened the first time. anyway tumblr changed my answer to this??? but what i wanted to say was, she practiced that kiss with camila like a billion times it's canon i won't hear anything else

[moonylvi]

Nct ot23 reaction to their s.o being really shy and blushing all the time 💗💞

A/N: Thank you so much for requesting this. It's actually my first ever reaction and I really hope you like it.💕 Also please tell me if I made a mistake, English isn't my native language. Disclaimer: This is purely fictional, means it's an AU and in no way meant to harm anyone.  Pairings: ¹/23 memberX gn! reader Warnings: Cringe-worthy content and me trying to be funny and writing some reactions longer than intended. Genre: Fluff, partly crackish?

Taeil:  Okay, I honestly think he would tease u. Gemini things, I don't make the rules. It was a super awkward moment because he told you one of his jokes, making you burst into laughter. And with that, you accidentally spit on his arm. Of course you immediately cleaned it, not being able to look at him for good 3 hours. When you finally reappeared from behind your scarf, he couldn't help, but to make another dumb joke, connected to you spitting on him.

Johnny:  Would definitely bug you about, why you suddenly acted all shy and blushed everytime he told you to look at him. Started teasing you without knowing the reason, until you finally told him that you had walked in on him showering earlier. Broke out into a huge burst of laughter. "Oh, Y/N you already saw me naked before. What's the problem?" Taeyong: He would definitely try to comfort you. First he wants to know why you've been blushing so hard and acting more shy than normally. Then he would tell you it's not a big deal, generally making you feel more secure. Hugs you and maybe also pinches your cheeks. Yuta:  I can see him not caring that much about you being shy. But when you are blushing, he'll chuckle, poke your cheeks, cuddles you and also tells you, how you look exactly like that cute girl in one of his Animes. Kun:  Very mature about it. Similar to TY, he would make you feel safe. "Y/N there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Really, if you didn't dropped it, either Hendery or Leon would have and in contrary to them you at least cleaned up the shards." Doyoung:  100% him touching, poking and pinching your cheeks. He would most likely laugh at you without any problems, but if someone else laughs at you, he probably switches into protector-mode, hugging and comforting you. Ten:  Annoyingly asks you why you were so shy and blushing all the time. Goes up to that moment where he tried to convince you that he will die, if you won't tell him. Naturally you can't let that happen, unlocking your phone and showing him a picture Kun sent to you. The two of were laughing at the dorm, looking like two maniacs. "Why are you embarrassed about it? It's cute. We should use it for our next Christmas cards." Jaehyun:  Finally, our valentines boy! Thinks you're super cute while blushing. Actually likes your shy side a lot and cuddles you, while calling you new nicknames. "My cute little flamingo!" WinWin:  Also kind on the unbothered side for most of the times. Just ignores your blush, knowing you want it to go away and pointing it out, wouldn't help at all. Sometimes he would blush too, especially if it is a situation where he is the reason for your blush. Jungwoo:  In the past few months he's been confusing everyone. He used to be a shy and reserved puppy, but now he said his hobby is Netflix and Chill with a smirk... Either way I think I'll go with him being shy too, for no reason. You were playing with your hair, while watching him reading through new lyrics. When he looked up and met your eyes, you both flushed red and quickly looked everywhere but at each other. Lucas:  I really don't know how he would act. He's embarrassing himself all the time, but mostly doesn't care and continues being weird. So for you, he'll probably laugh or at least chuckle a bit, crushing you in his arms. MAYBE, JUST MAYBE he's being shy too. Deep below I can see a very sensitive person in him, so that's where his enormous hugs come from. Mark:  Mark is the king of shyness. You remember how he tried explaining some lyrics, yeah? Well, he would have no idea why you were blushing and hiding in your sweater palms. A bit confused at first, but after he knew what caused your cheeks to burn up, he'll chuckle awkwardly and ignore it, waiting for you to calm down. In very few cases, CUDDLES. Have you seen him with Winwin? Xiaojun:  He would ensure that nothing serious caused your sudden shy behavior. Like you spilled a bit of water on the table. After a short chuckle by himself, he tries to get you to laugh over the situation and forget it shortly after. However if it was something serious, he would pull you into his arms and reassures you, everything is fine. Hendery:  I can see him being the actual reason why you were blushing the whole evening. Every other minute he tells you cheesy, but cute pick-up-lines, not noticing what it does to you. Eventually he did and stopped, laughing at your behavior, but when you bid him goodbye, he couldn't resist telling you a last one."It's not 'see you tomorrow'. It is 'see you soon'

because I'll meet you in my dreams" At this point I want to add a cringe pick up line for Mark that I found. It's a bit mean but if you take it with humor, read it, if not, skip the note. Did you just fart? 'Cause you blew me away.... Renjun:  I can't decide whether he would chuckle at you or try to make you feel less shy. He knows how it is to be teased about something embarrassing (geurae naegen neoppuniyAa), but he also teases the members a lot, so maybe it'll be depending on the situation. If it's about something big like cracking your voice on national TV he would comfort and reassure you, probably some cuddles. Also tries to make you forget it. If it's because of an unimportant situation he would laugh at you. The way you just walked into a closed door? Hilarious. He would bring it up weeks later, turning you into a shy mess once again. Jeno: I can totally see him being a safekeeper, inviting you into his arms and cuddling you, until you are ready to face other people again. Except for the cases where you stay where you are and mumble into his shirt what happened, making him laugh and squeeze you a bit more. Haechan:  Definitely in team teasing! He is probably the most annoying one in Nct and with you? Good luck, he is even more annoying. When you spontaneously went to the store, to buy a new bottle of your favorite bodywash and your boyfriend decided to tag along, you hadn't thought it would end like this. You just picked the bottle, when he screamed "How on earth smells 'Fresh Mountain breeze. Or here, look 'Chocolate cookie cream tart'." The few people who were standing in the same row giving you weird looks, causing you to blush and embarrassingly trying to pull him away from the different bodywash's. "No, look here is one called 'hot winternight wood'. Why are there such stupid names?" His outburst making you blush more. "Haechan, come on. Let's go home." Finally he looked at you noticing the red hue covering not only your cheeks but your whole face and of course he started laughing more. "You are so embarrassed, aren't you? Actually it should be the person who chose these silly names. I mean how can you call a simple bodywash 'Sparkling Starlight Rain'?" You couldn't help the laughter that now flowed uncontrollably out of you, forgetting your prior flustered state and enjoying your happy boyfriend. Please ignore this being long af Jaemin:  Would definitely tease you in a cute way. Means, he's chuckling and poking your red cheeks with his fingers, cooing something along the lines of "My Y/Nie. My little Angel is so cute when blushing." *cue you blushing more* YangYang:  Most likely also part of the teasing line, but also comforts you. He and hyuck are literally best friends. You really wish you could turn back time at the moment. YangYang invited you to the WayV dorm for the first time, but you already knew the rest of the boys, so you were pretty chill, walking down the street, breathing the cold air in. Maybe a bit too chilled, considering the fact you had pressed the wrong doorbell and with that, got to know their old neighbor, who ignored your apologizing and accused you of pulling a prank on her, especially after she heard, you were the s.o of the 'loud screaming kindergarten-boy'. When you arrived at the right door, you were greeted by Hendery, Lucas and YangYang laughing loudly. "Did you really just rang the wrong doorbell?!" Making you feel the blood rise to your cheeks. "Come in, you need to tell us everything she said. We only heard the end where she called me a kindergarten boy." Shyly you sat on the couch, fiddling with your fingers, after you finished talking, waiting for the boys to stop laughing at you. Suddenly your boyfriend latched himself onto you, comforting you in a big hug. "If you want to, we can really pull a prank on her the next time, you visit." Shotaro: Similar to Jungwoo. I still need to figure this boy out. He made those tiktok's, but now he is the cutest little smiling otter. Anyway, I think it's depending on the situation. If it is because of something one of you

said or did, he'll get shy too, copying your mannerism and surely goes into 🦦mode. If someone else caused it, he probably tries to stay calm and gets you to calm down too. Sungchan: I get a comfortable and reassuring vibe from him, so he'll kinda be like TY. When he first wanted to introduce you to the rest of the members you suddenly became really shy and tried to hide behind his back. He was confused at first, but soon found out that you were 'just' nervous. "Trust me Y/N, they are going to like you. Please don't worry! I'm not going to leave your side, okay?" Chenle:  This boy, honestly he would be laughing in his best dolphin at you. "Y/N you look like a tomato. What happened?" Which leads to you, trying to hide behind your hands. "Nothing." Of course he wouldn't believe you, switching his technique to tickling you. "Tell me what happened!" But you surprisingly stayed strong and instead settled for cuddling with your boyfriend to distract him and hopefully recover yourself from your heavy blushing. Jisung:  I have a feeling it would be mutual. Like you two just accidentally bumped your heads together and immediately started apologizing. You are both super embarrassed and shy about the situation, but eventually you will forget what happened or just ignore it. UNTIL someone brings it up again and both of you are blushing like crazy AGAIN.

[lyranova]

Leon and Alistar Pt: II

Hi guys! Here’s part 2 of mine and @thoughtfullyrainynightmare ‘s co-op fic, i think we had too much fun with this part hehe but that’s ok! Because I can’t add any notes at the end due to tumblr’s block count thing I wanted to thank Laura for doing this with me it was so much fun hehe 🥰! I hope you guys enjoy~!

Taglist: @eme-eleff @jovialnoise @simpingforthisonedeer @succulentsunrise @ckjwnnbc

Warnings: None

———

Inside the box laid a small crystal full of mana and..a leaf?! Alistar and Leonidas blinked and looked at each other then back at the box. This was it? This was their treasure?! Alistar shook his head and placed the box back onto the small pedestal.

“ Of course our parents would play a sick joke like this on us.” He said with a sigh before he crouched down onto the floor, looking to see if there was maybe any hidden traps that could be hiding the real treasure.

“ Well, you could say this is unbeleafable.” Leonidas said with a chuckle, he found his puns to be quite funny. Alistar suddenly stood up and looked at him , Leonidas rubbed the back of his neck nervously as silence fell around them.

“ Hey; don’t leaf me hanging!” Alistar said suddenly before bursting into fits of laughter. The orange haired boy blinked in surprise before he himself began to laugh.

“ Ah I’ve got one; Where did the plant like to travel?” Alistar asked and Leonidas shook his head. “ All clover the world!”

Both boys began to laugh even harder.

They both sat there. Just sat there, trying to gasp for air through their laughter. Tears started running down their cheeks from the released tension, and their stomachs and sides started to burn from the sensation.

But Little by little they were able to catch their breaths.

"I didn't know you were into puns," Leonidas commented with a grin.

"I could say the same," Alistair replied with an equally wide grin.

The two chuckled for a moment longer until their eyes landed back into the box. But all they could do was shake their heads. After all, time was running out and there was clearly a trick to it.

" What do you think it means? A crystal and a leaf?" Alistair inquired while turning his head to Leonidas.

"Honestly," the orange haired male began, "I have no clue." He paused for a moment while gazing into the ceiling. "It's not even that both of the items would have mana in them. But only the crystal. Now that could potentially be a key of some kind, but even then there'd need to be a magical lock to match. And the leaf is... Just a leaf? What is it even from?"

Alistar inspected the leaf forwards and backwards for a moment as Leonidas looked over the crystal in his own hands. Finally after a few moments, Alistar snapped his fingers as he recognized the plant.

“ Humulus Lupulus ‘Aurea’!” Alistar said as he began to look around the room, the orange haired boy frowned.

“ English please?” He asked politely as he saw Alistar began to inspect the room, apparently looking for where the plant belonged.

“ Ah sorry,” he laughed nervously before rubbing the back of his head, a nervous habit he had developed. “ Golden Hops is the common name for it, it’s a vine that when grown onto something provides excellent privacy. But they don’t grow on brick or stone walls, they have to grow on a lattice or trellis. They’re also used to provide a bitter bite to beer.” Alistar explained and Leonidas blinked.

“ You really like plants.” he said with a laugh as he began searching the walls for the same vine as Alistar.

“ Ah yeah, my mom was a florist so she had a ton of books on different plants, herbs, and such things. I guess my love of plants is something I inherited from her.” He said with a small laugh. “ Ah here it is.” He added as Leonidas came walking over to him. Alistar quickly used his plant magic to make the vines retract and moved the trellis out of the way. Behind it lay a stone door with a small crystal shaped hole in the center, but the designs around it appeared to look like fire and flames which seemed odd in Alistar’s opinion.

“ Leonidas, see if the crystal will fit.” Alistar asked.

Leonidas nodded in agreement and placed it onto the supposed lock. And as expected, the crystal did fit into the hole, but nothing happened. Seconds ticked away, making the two frown as there was no change in the crystal or the lock.

"I guess it would have been too easy," Alistair commented with a disappointed smile.

However, Leonidas frowned as that mechanism seemed perhaps far too familiar for him. "Maybe it just needs a bit of mana for it to activate," he pondered aloud.

"What do you mean?" Alistair inquired with a curious tone.

"Ah, well, let's say that a key gets into the wrong hands. Then for the purposes of keeping, whatever is guarded by the lock, safe, it's better if the mechanisms used to operate the key aren't clear. Or better yet, if there's only a handful of people who can do so. For example if only a certain type of mana interacts with the key itself.” Leonidas explained factually.

" You seem to know a lot about these things," Alistair chuckled in turn.

Leonidas smiled while picking up the crystal and feeding it some of his own mana, making the crystal glow bright yellow.

" Yeah, it's something I've learned from my mom," he replied," Thean can be... very private people. "

“ So I’ve heard.” Alistar agreed with a nod, Thea was a very private country. Alistar had heard very little about it himself but he had to admit he was curious about it and it’s magic. “ Maybe when this is all over you can tell me a bit about it, and I can teach you about botany.” He chuckled.

“ Hm, there isn’t much I can tell you about Thea but I’d be more than happy to share what I can.” Leonidas said with a nod before he gently placed the crystal back into the door and the runes on it began to glow yellow.

It opened with a hiss as the door swung open slowly. Alistar and Leonidas smirked at each other before they walked inside the room.

“ We make a pretty good team, considering this is the first time we’ve worked together.” Alistar admitted as he looked for a light source, which was soon provided by Leonidas.

“ Hm, I wonder why our parents would hide the treasure here?” Leonidas mused as he picked up an overturned crate and looked inside it.

“ To test our problem solving skills as well as our team skills perhaps? Especially considering the puzzle used both our magical attributes.” Alistar said before Leonidas picked up a box that was bigger than the one in the other room.

“ What’s that?” Alistar asked curiously as he walked over to the orange haired boy.

"Umm...." Leonidas uttered after opening the box. He shuffled something in his hand and let out an amused puff of air. "It seems that you had a thing for bunny plushies while growing up," he grinned.

A brief silence passed through the air, before Alistair spoke in a low, disbelieving, hushed voice: "...what?!"

Leonidas turned around and showed Alistair a small portrait of him when he was younger. And in the picture, Alistair with his bright, blue eyes and white hair, no more than 3 years of age, was holding a bunny plushie. The sight made Alistair turn bright red, which was emphasized by his otherwise fair appearance.

"Why me?" He asked while burning up.

"Well..." Leonidas grinned forcefully. "It's not just you...." he admitted while showing Alistair another, similar, photo, where an orange haired boy was hugging a lion plushie. "It seems our parents really aren't short on... surprises..." he continued while averting his gaze.

“ Nope they certainly aren’t.” Alistar grumbled as he snatched the portrait out of Leonidas’s hand and quickly put it in the inside pocket of his robes. He had hoped no one would ever see his baby pictures.

“ Well, it could be worse,” Leonidas said, trying to suppress a chuckle while being slightly optimistic. Alistar quirked a brow, silently asking him to elaborate. “ They could’ve been naked baby portraits.” Alistar blinked but laughed, it was true.

“ Knowing them; they probably considered it.” Alistar said before turning and walking out of the room, he was slightly glad now that he hadn’t been paired up with Hikari, otherwise he would be teased a lot more now than he currently was.

“ Come on, let’s head back.” Alistar called and Leonidas quickly followed him out of the room.

“ Hey Alistar? What kind of books do bunnies read?” Leonidas asked suddenly, the white haired boy shook his head. “ The ones with hoppy endings.”

Alistar couldn’t help it; he started laughing, as embarrassed as he was he still found the bunny pun hilarious.

“ Alright, What do you call a lion with a fancy hat?” Alistar asked once he caught his breath, Leonidas shook his head. “ A dandy lion.” Leonidas snorted before laughing himself.

The two boys steadily cracked puns as they made their way back to the starting point.

Sadly they were having so much fun on the way back, that they lost track of time. And it wasn't until they were getting close to the headquarters that they realized they had to hurry. So, they shared a quick glance before dashing forward towards the starting point.

They made it. They just made it until the time ran out. But It was at the cost of their muscles aching, and their lungs burning because of the lack of oxygen, so they slumped against a wall.

As they sat down, Alistair let out a little whine, which made Leonidas' lips turn into a smirk.

"Like a grape," he commented.

"What?" Alistair huffed out of breath.

"It-, um, it's...." he took a moment to catch his breath. "What did a grape say when it got crushed?"

"What did it say," Alistair grinned while turning to glance at the orange haired boy.

"Nothing. It just let out a little wine," Leonidas grinned back, making both of them burst into laughter and slide further down on the floor while holding their sides.

After a small moment, Hikari and Cyraleona walked over with a few smoothies in hand, while sipping their own, talking about how cute they were as toddlers.

"Did you actually lose brain cells on that treasure hunt?" Hikari quirked an eyebrow.

"They just might've done so," the red headed girl commented.

"No..." Leonidas tried through his laughter, "you don't get it!" He laughed.

"GRAPES!" The boys yelled in unison.

Both of the girls quirked an eyebrow at them.

"I do believe they have lost it," Cyraleona still commented with a hushed tone.

"You can say that again," Hikari rolled her eyes.

Alistar started wiping tears from his eyes as he looked up at the girls and saw the disapproving looks on their faces. The looks on their faces only made the boys laugh harder.

“ Phew, that was a good one Leonidas.” Alistar said as he caught his breath. Leonidas looked over at him and waved his hand.

“ You can just call me Leon if you want, and thank you. You’ve got some good jokes, yourself.” He told Alistar as he caught his breath as well. Hikari rolled her eyes before holding out a hand to the white haired boy as Cyraleona held out a hand to her twin, the boys looked at each other before taking them and standing up.

“ Go get some smoothies, they’re about to wrap the exercise up for the day.” Hikari said as she walked them to the smoothie stand.

“ Oh, what did you two get in your treasure box?” Cyraleona asked softly, causing Alistar and Leonidas to both blush.

“ N-Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Alistar stammered and Hikari smirked before she and Cyraleona looked at each other.

“ Baby pictures.” The said in unison before laughing as the boys faces turned even more red.

In the distance, Fuego and William watched their sons with small smiles on their faces. The white haired male glanced at the Crimson Lion for a moment before speaking.

“ It seems our sons are getting along well.” He chuckled and Fuego nodded in agreement.

“ Yes they do, which is exactly what we wanted from this exercise, was for all the kids to try and get along and become a more cohesive unit. Although, I wonder what was said that made them laugh so much.” He muttered curiously before William stood in front of the mic to address the kids.

“ Congratulations on a job well done kids,” William announced before moving out of the way to let Fuego speak.

“ Yes you all did amazing today, you showed teamwork, determination, and that you can all solve any problems that come your way.” Fuego said with a smile on his face.

"We are all very proud of you," Charlotte commented with a smile, looking at each of the kids, but keeping her gaze at Hikari for a moment longer than the others.

"Yeah, good job on not trashing half of the Kingdom while doing so," Yami stated with crossed arms.

The rest of the captains looked at him, but brushed it off as they all still remembered everything the Black Bulls had put the kingdom through over the years. They shook their heads before William continued: "And though it wasn't included into the schedule we have prepared for a small banquet."

The kids glanced at each other with knowing looks as the adults made their way to them. Of course their parents had something like that planned. After all, it had been several hours since they last ate.

"And I hope that you had a good day," William still continued with a smile, stopping his gaze at Alistair.

"Yeah, we-," Alistair paused for a moment. "You could say that it was a pun-tastic day."

Leon snorted with the comment, immediately placing his hand over his mouth afterwards and shaking his head.

The fathers quirked an eyebrow at their sons, not really knowing what to make of it.

"But yes father, it was an excellent day. And I'll be sure to treasure the lessons and relationships gained on this day," The white haired boy continued.

"Yes," Leon agreed. "Our friendship is unbeleafable," he grinned while glancing at Alistair from the corner of his eye, which made him snort in turn while the girls let out disappointed sighs.

William and Fuego blinked before looking at each other with a look of near horror in their eyes; both their sons were punny. Oh no. Maybe this was a mistake after all? Now that the two had met and were friends the punny jokes were sure to be in abundance now.

“ You two are dorks.” Hikari said with a shake of her head as she walked past them with Cyraleona in tow, Alistar saluted his father quickly before following after her, Leonidas doing the same before running to catch up with his sister.

“ Hey, only good chives will be accepted here.” He told the raven haired girl with a smirk, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed at him. She had been victim to his terrible puns since they were young children so a small piece of her was happy that he now had someone who he could be punny with.

“ Uh huh, you and your good chives can go sit at a different table until they stop.” She told him with a smirk, he sighed in defeat but nodded. Leonidas watched the exchange curiously.

“ Hey Alistar,” The white haired boy turned toward him. “ Do you have a crush on Hikari?” Alistar smiled but shook his head.

“ No, we’re just good friends. Our relationship isn’t like that.” Alistar said with a small laugh, he looked calm on the outside but inside he was freaking out. ‘How did he figure it out so quickly?! Was it that obvious? I need to keep my emotions in better check.’ he thought to himself as the children walked.

William shook his head as he began to laugh, which caused Fuego to look at him curiously. William turned towards the Vermillion haired Captain.

“ What are the chances, of both our sons being into puns?” He chuckled and Fuego shook his head.

“ Perhaps one in a million? I’m not quite sure myself.” He said but with a warm smile, he was glad his son had found a friend around his own age, and he was sure William was thinking the same.

"I know that look," said a voice behind them, which made the fathers glance behind them.

"I'd be surprised if you didn't," Fuego smiled at the sight of his wife.

"Good day, Solara, " William greeted with a polite nod.

"Good day William," she replied before continuing from the topic. "Yes, they're terrible puns. But Don't go pun-ishing them too hard," she smirked, making the eyes of both of the men widen in slight horror.

"Darling... " Fue began. "I think I died a little bit inside..."

William just shook his head while letting out a sigh.

"They're just exercising their brain cells. There's nothing wrong with that," she continued with a passing shrug.

"They could use their brains more constructively," William commented with a hushed tone.

"Oh? Can you think of a pun from the spot? No? That's pun-fortunate," Solara grinned.

William's lips parted for a moment to reply, but nothing came out. Instead he let out another sigh, much deeper this time while pinching the bridge of his nose. Meanwhile Fue let out an amused huff before shaking his head.

"Point taken dear," he commented.

“ Well we know where Leonidas gets it from.” William said with a shake of his head, Solara looked at him curiously for a moment.

“ Your wife was a jokester herself was she not?” She asked, Fuego looked at his wife and shook his head slightly, even after all these years William’s wife was still a somewhat sensitive subject but William quickly waved his concern away.

“ It’s alright. Yes she was a bit of a jokester,” William chuckled before he looked towards the sky with a small smile. “ she was partial to plant jokes especially.” He added before looking back at the husband and wife, his smile turning solem suddenly.

“ Fuegoleon, I know...there’s some issues between us and some things that have happened that may not ever be forgiven but,” he paused for a moment as he searched for the right words. “ I don’t want the things that have happened between us to affect our son's friendship. They deserve the chance to become friends and get along without our personal issues getting in the way.”

Fuego nodded along as he listened, William was still trying to atone for his actions after all these years, especially for what he did to Fuego, he gently gripped his fire arm as he got lost in thought. He looked up at his wife’s face and, for one of the few times, he couldn’t read it. This was something he would have to decide on his own.

“ I agree,” Fuego said after a moment of silence. “ our son’s deserve a chance to let this friendship have a chance, to let them decide for themselves if they wish to continue it without our influence. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even start a rivalry or something similar.” Fuego chuckled, remembering his own rivalry with Nozel and William’s with Yami.

“ Yes that would be something wouldn’t it?” William agreed with a nod. “ Well, shall we head in and have dinner with the children?”

"Yes. Let us do just that," Fuego commented with a faint smile before they all started making their way to the banquet hall.

Fuego knew that he and William wouldn't become the best of friends, possibly not even great friends, but they certainly had come a long way. It was clear that William did try his best, as well as admit his wrongdoings. And he tried to seek his own atonement, even though it wasn't served to him in the form of a juridical punishment. No, he had to look for redemption harder than that. But, as William had said, and he had agreed, their personal relations shouldn't come in between their sons' relationship.

Fue felt a slight tug of his arm, and as he turned to look, he saw an expression he recognized just as usual.

"It's alright," he assured, intending to stop there, but being forced to continue as a result of the settling silence. "I assure you, it's alright."

The moment ended and whatever tension had gathered in the air slowly dissipated away. And it was again just as usual.

"You didn't bring Nora with you?" Fue asked after a few moments as his thoughts emerged from his eldest.

"No, she's out with Mereo," Solara commented. "A few puns will be the least of our worries today."

Fuego chuckled to himself and shook his head. Indeed. A few puns didn't seem all that bad suddenly.

[spookysweet-heart]

A Night To Remember

Request: “Hey there, I really love your works and I almost read every Leon fanfic on your Tumblr lol. So I would be very happy if you could do a story, in which the reader and Kennedy known each other since childhood and they're at prom night. He confesses to her that he has a crush on the reader and secretly she/he has to. 😊♥️ I excuse myself for my may bad English xD”

Fandom: Resident Evil

Pairings: Leon S.Kennedy x Fem!Reader

Warnings: None!

A/N: This was really cute to write, Thank you so much for requesting! :)

        Walking down the halls to your locker, you were looking around at the few girls and guys who were giggling and smiling with excitement. All you heard while you passed by were them asking what dress they were wearing, colors they chose, what kind of makeup look they're thinking of doing. The boys were all talking about the limos they rented or the cars they were able to get for the night, some were even talking about the hotels they booked for an afterparty.

When you reached your locker your smile widened as you saw your best friend Leon Kennedy standing by your locker, also with a huge smile on his face once he finally saw you. Leon pushed himself off the lockers and opened his arms wide ready for a hug. You giggled as you wrapped your arms around him as he did the same to you. “There you are, dork! You're late!  The last bell was like ten minutes ago.” Once he stepped back from the hug he ruffled your hair a bit, stepping aside so you could put your books away.

“Don’t do that you know I don’t like it.” You gave him a side glare and put your books away closing your locker. “So are we still on for prom tonight?”

“Definitely, what better way than to go to prom with your best friend?” Leon put his arm around your shoulders and squeezed you a bit as you two walked out the front doors of your high school.

You and Leon had agreed to go to prom together, seeing as it would be better than just staying at home doing nothing, plus there would be free food and you two weren’t going to turn that down.

In all honesty, you were still confused since you thought for sure someone would’ve asked him to prom weeks ago. You had to admit Leon is pretty good looking, really funny, smart in certain subjects, and he has a goal of becoming a police officer after high school, what girl or guy wouldn’t want him to be their date or boyfriend for that matter.

“So my dads gonna drive us, which isn’t bad since he won’t do the whole protective dad routine.”

“I mean I wouldn’t blame him if he did though. He just wants his little girl safe.”

You readjusted your bookbag as you two crossed the street going into your neighborhood. “I know but I mean we’ve been friends since we were babies. You’d think he’d trust you enough to spare you the whole ‘bring my daughter back at this time’ and ‘dont try anything funny’ talk before we head in.”

Leon laughed and switched his textbook to the other arm, “(Y/n), if that happens it’s fine. So do I still come by around six?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure both our moms are going to want pictures.”

The rest of the walk home was pretty silent, You would notice him glance at you from time to time whenever you turned your head slightly to feel the warm sun hit your face. 

What you didn’t know was Leon’s heart was racing and his cheeks started to turn a faint pink color. He thought you looked so beautiful the way your hair framed your face perfectly, the sun making your eyes shine brightly. This wasn’t the first time he noticed the little things, oh no this boy fell for you back in middle school and he was doing a good job at not telling you about it. He didn’t want to ruin the good friendship you two had. He honestly couldn’t see a future without you.

Though that doesn’t mean he never thought of telling you. There were times he was so close to saying it but he backed out at the last second and always made up some dumb excuse to cover it up. He also thought about what it would be like to give you kisses, to call you his, giving you cute pet names, to hold your hand. He knew it wouldn’t be too different than how you two were now, minus the kissing part, but he knew everything would have a different meaning if you two did become a couple. 

“Leon? Hey, Leon are you okay?” You waved your hand in front of his face til be snapped out of his weird trance. When he did he looked at you confused.

“What? Oh shit yeah, I’m alright I just started thinking about the last science test we took, I wasn’t sure if I did my best you know?” He nervously rubbed the back of his neck doing his best to hide his blush again.

“I’m sure you did great Leon, so I’ll see you later!” He didn’t realize you two were already at your house till you waved goodbye to him while you walked to your front door. He stayed till you got inside and then made his way home too.

---------

You had just finished putting on your flats when the doorbell rang. Knowing your mom was ready to open the door gave you a few extra seconds to check your make up and outfit in the mirror before you head downstairs. You picked out a dress in your favorite color and one that complimented your figure the best. 

“(Y/n)! Leon is here!” You heard your mom call from downstairs. Smiling to yourself you made your way downstairs.

Leon was busy talking to your mom that when he did finally notice you his words caught in his throat and he stared at the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

“Close your mouth Leon, you’ll catch flies like that.” Leon quickly composed himself and stood up straight smiling as you were giggling and made your way towards him.

“Sorry, sir.” Once you were standing in front of him, Leon took out the corsage he brought for you and slipped it on to one of your wrists while you pinned a smaller and similar flower to his suit.

After almost an hour of taking photos and both your mothers gushing over how adorable you two looked, you finally made your way prom.

The drive to the venue was silent, except for the music your dad put on the radio. Once you did arrive Leon got out of the car and rushed over to open your door and help you out of the car.  

Leon thanked your dad for the ride and surprisingly your dad just nodded and smiled back saying he’ll be back to pick you both up before the night ended.

Walking into the ballroom you both made your way to an empty table. You said hello and complimented some of your other friends on their dresses and got comfortable at the table sitting next to Leon.

“You look really pretty tonight, uh not that you don’t look pretty every other day…” You smiled up at him thankful he wouldn’t be able to tell your real blush from the makeup blush on your cheeks.

“Thanks, Leon You look as handsome as always.” Your smile widened as you saw a tiny bit of pink dust his cheeks. 

“Hey, do you want something to drink? I can go get us something from the refreshment table.”

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks!” You nodded as he stood up and walked into the other side room where all the drink and food were.

Taking a deep breath in and out, you tried to steady your heartbeat. You didn’t think it would be difficult to hold down your feelings tonight but apparently, you were wrong. You knew you were done for when you saw him in his suit and with his hair combed back, he looked incredible tonight.

You calmed down just as Leon came back with your drinks and you thanked him as he handed you your cup. 

The rest of the night you both stole glances, talked to your classmates and even danced to a couple of songs with everyone. Overall the night was fun and you two were having a great time. You both had sat down taking a break from dancing, laughing at someone doing a ridiculous dance as everyone else gathered in a circle to cheer them on.

Finishing your drinks, you two started talking about how funny and adorable your moms were when they made you two take pictures earlier that night. 

As you were both laughing enjoying the conversation you noticed the music started to slow down as your laughter subsided. A slow song started to play and all the couples paired up on the dance floor.

Leon looked over at you swallowing the lump in his throat and set aside his nerves. Standing up he held out his hand to you. Looking down at you with a nervous but slightly confident look. “Would you, um would you like to dance...with me?”

Your blush was way more noticeable by now but you didn’t really care at this point. You nodded in a silent response and took his hand letting him lead you to the dance floor.

Leon placed both hands gently on your waist as you placed yours on his shoulders, both of you swaying to the music. You noticed Leon looking uneasy while you both danced. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m alright. I just, can I be honest here?”

“Of course, are you sure you're okay?”

“I am. It’s just- look I don’t know any other way to say this without being nervous as hell.” He looked into your eyes and took a deep breath. “I like you- no, I….I love you, (Y/n). I’ve loved you ever since we were kids as friends and I guess as we got older the love I felt changed to something more than friendship. I understand if you don’t want to be friends or want me in your life anymore after I just ruined everything so I’ll just-”

You caught Leon off gaurd as you pressed your lips against his. Leon was stunned for a moment and when he realized what was happening he gladly pressed his lips back to yours smiling into the kiss.

You pulled away smiling up at him wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him closer to you. “You talk too much you know that?” You laughed when he looked embarrassed hearing that from you. “I love you too, Leon. I’ll always want you in my life no matter what happens.” 

Leon beamed when he heard you say the words he would only dream of. “Good because you’re never going to get rid of me.” 

You smiled and sighed softly. “By the way, how is it that no one asked you to prom, I swear there was a bunch of people swooning over you.”

Leon laughed and shook his head. “Honestly, I got asked a couple times but I turned them all down cause I really wanted to go with you.”  He leaned down closing the gap between you two once more in another sweet and passionate kiss. This was definitely a night you two would always remember.

[juniper-rose-blower]

... Starts With a Single Step

(( #sorrynotsorry for this being as long as it is - I’m behind on writing for a week. Snippets from RP below, edited for tumblr. Enjoy ^_^ ))

‘Peace is like a river. Sometimes the waters are calm and flow smoothly for great distances. Sometimes it must fight with the shape of the land, bucking with rapids and carving through stone to reach its destination.’ ~Scrollkeeper’s Sanctum, Jade Forest, Author Unknown

Their day had gone quite well.

With Daer’Leon the first one to awaken - admittedly, he didn’t sleep very often, and when he did it was for short stretches at a time - he had disappeared from the inn to complete a morning routine of exercise, scaling trees and gliding around the outside edges of Paw’don Village to scout the way they would be headed on their way to the Jade Serpent’s Temple. He’d finished the tea June made for him before he fell asleep, finding it quelled his stomach from the upsetedness brought on by the portal they came through the day before. A grin came to his face. He’d have to find out what exactly she had put in the blend of tea; whatever it was, she obviously had a natural talent for using herbal mixtures to their full ability. And then when he woke, he found her sleeping - not in a bed, but in a makeshift hammock made from a worn stretchy sheet tied to a hook on the wall, curled up in a little ball and snoring softly. Such a peculiar young woman, and everyday full of more surprises.

Shortly after him, Malodar was up before the sun was rising over the Forest and set about his tradition of physical exercise to start the day. More importantly it kept his mind distracted from the growing unease he had been feeling since arriving. It was more than the portal, something about this land gave him discomfort. He had expected the sentient shadows to play a role, but if they were affecting him so already, he was deeply concerned, though he did his best to hide it. Several jogged laps around the village ended with him back by their lodgings, finding a heavy stone nearby to lift several dozen times. By the time he was finished and returned, he was sweaty and starving.

June was the last to awaken, but while the boys did their morning routines, she went about town hoping to secure them some form or fashion of travel to help expedite their trip a little. It wasn’t until she spoke with Miss Ai-Li, their innkeeper, before she managed to secure a riding crane for them to share. Though, if she was honest, June was likely going to travel in her equine form anyway. Regardless, she rejoined the boys as they converged outside the inn, holding the reins to a lovely crane with stormy grey feathers and gave a sheepish shrug, “This was the best I could find. We could always take turns, if we need to, to keep from getting tired on our trek.” She decided not to mention the fact that she rarely got tired when running around as a Sunrunner, or that she imagined Leon would also not get tired from long-distance travel.

With a few preparations, and a breakfast of fruit and eggs, the trio was soon on their way to the Temple, supplies secured on the back of the gray-feathered crane they had rented.

The worn dirt path through Jade Forest was certainly one to behold. With Leon gliding above them from tree to tree to keep a protective eye on them from above, June and Mal were barely out of the Village before June had looked at him sheepishly.

"You don't mind if I... uh..." even as her words faded off and her embarrassment showed, Mal smirked knowingly.

"No, I suppose not. I don't mind being the only normal one." He winked over his shoulder at that, pausing for a moment at an intersection to check the signs, seeing the one for the Temple pointing over the nearby bridge.

June blushed more, glancing up as she saw Leon gliding above them again. She dipped her head down and took the pause as a chance to shift before she could change her mind. As she did, she tossed her mane in the rain and knickered softly, looking a good deal more comfortable and sounding less nervous.

Malodar smiled at her and gestured her along with him as they crossed the strangely arched bridge. The rain didn't seem to bother him much at all, though sleeping in it would be less than preferable. He closed his eyes as they walked, listening to the sounds of it in the brush and the smell of wet foliage all around them. If it weren't for that nagging sense of darkness below the surface it would be immensely soothing.

June seemed immensely comfortable not only in her current form, but in the rain and the wilds of the Forest. This place was far greener and more peaceful than any place she'd been thus far. It was quite wonderful.

Malodar paused as they came to a second crossroads, frowning as he saw no signage on the nearby post to direct them.

As they came to the fork, June looked down one path, and then down the other, tossing her mane softly. The looks she gave Mal was just as clear as the thought that flitted through her mind: 'Which way?'

Leon glided down to the ground next to June, motioning down the hill, "That path leads to Serpent's Heart, though if I remember right, you wanted to avoid such?" He pointed to Mal curiously as he said this.

Malodar once again pulled out the map and examined it, trying to shield it from the rain. Through squinted eyes he examined the parchment, and then the paths, and then the map again. The temple was clearly visible atop the small mountain to the northeast. He nodded to Leon's words. "Yes. The map is hard to read but that's what I had thought." He then motioned toward the east path. "It's a bit roundabout, but that will get us to the Temple.”

June gave a nod of her equine head and looked to Mal and their supply-crane, and then to Leon, making sure they were both ok in the rain. It always surprised her a little that someone else was unbothered by the rain, and yet here she was with not one but two traveling companions that were completely fine in it.

Time passed as they walked along the path, verdant green trees and beautiful flowers everywhere they went. The Jade Forest held a an untamed and magnificent beauty all its own. How she had never gotten the proper chance to spend time in this Forest before now was beyond her.

Her state of wonder was nearly perpetual as they passed through the great jade serpent-carved gate into the outer Temple grounds. Serene little houses, soft white and pink water lilies floating on the little stream, and willow and sakura trees whose branches swayed in the breeze only added to the absolute air of peace and perfection. June couldn’t help but picture having a summer home here, spending weeks at a time in perfect solitude with Ky, tending to a garden and fishing and just enjoying the simple life. A wistful exhale left her flared nostrils as she took in the sight of everything, eliciting a chuckle from Leon.

“It is quite a wonder to behold, that is for certain.”

As they approached the Temple proper, Leon gave them a short history lesson before June was eagerly moving toward the stairs to the doors. The hunter and the priest followed close behind her, Leon leaning toward Mal curiously after something Mal said:

"You can hear her, can't you?"

Malodar nodded slowly with chuckle. "Yes. The shadow that still haunts me grants me some abilities, though in this particular case, only when she wishes me to."

Leon smiled as they passed through the first gate, which was already partially open. Another chuckle emanated from him, "That must help her feel more comfortable... it's quite kind of you." He glanced toward Mal, and though his eyes were gone and shrouded, the expression on his face was one of approval.

As the three were greeted by a monk who showed them about, Leon went off to enjoy some proper Pandaren brew while June and Mal went through the Temple to the library.

Another Pandaren - graying and fluffy - greeted them with a smile over spectacles and spoke with them at length about their journey through Pandaria. Even as the pair of them sat on the floor to listen to the Scrollkeeper weave his wisdom for them, he left them with more questions than answers. But one message in particular stuck out in her mind:

‘Balance in all things is what brings true peace. Peace of mind, and heart, and soul. It is what gives fulfillment in life and love. It is not easily found or kept, but is a blessing once it is earned.’

Even as more questions buzzed in their minds, June caught the expression of worry on Mal’s face, and offered him her arm:

"Shall we go for that stroll, then?"

"Yes, though I don't even know where to begin myself."

June exhaled with a sideways smile, nodding, "Yeah... but you know what they say?" She reached over to link her arm in his, their elbows intertwined, "Every new journey starts with a single step... yes?"

Malodar offered her a half smile in response. "That is the saying, isn't it."

As they walked along the terrace, June inhaled the summer air, freshened by the rain, and sighed.

"It's so strange... Despite feeling more at ease, I have more questions now than before."

"Strange indeed. I have the same old questions, and feel less at ease." He closed his eyes. "I can hear the whispers of the void even now. And according to that lesson I need to embrace them, not dispel them."

June hummed softly, "You know... he didn't say you have to succumb to them..." She looked back at Mal curiously, "Maybe what you need is more practice?"

"When it comes to the Void, the line between the two is extremely fine."

The silence that hung in the air was heavy for several long minutes before they decided to head back to find a lodging for the evening for their little traveling group. Even as Mal continued to brood, June gave him a nudge and a small smile, blushing.

"I know things have been worrisome and uncertain... but I hope you know... I hope you know that... I believe in you."

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you. Perhaps we'll do better if we believe in each other... to make up for our lack of self-belief."

As they started heading toward the main terrace where the Jade Serpent received guests, smiling the whole way, a monk came jogging up behind them.

"Excuse me," she said cheerily, "Are you expecting any mail?"

Malodar turned with a curious eyebrow. "I'm not..." He blinked. "Oh, were you?" He asked June.

June furrowed her brow, shaking her head, "No, I wasn't..." She tilted her head to one side.

The Pandaren woman hummed softly, "Oh. Well, darn. No one here in the Temple is named 'June'."

The woman barely had the name past her lips before the Botanist was rushing forward, taking the envelope from her hands, "Someone actually sent something to me here? But I only told-" but her words suddenly halted, her mouth hanging open as she recognized the handwriting on its front.

Malodar folded his arms as she took the note, nodding a thanks to the woman as June seemed distracted. "Would you like me to give you a moment?"

June blinked up from staring at the envelope, looking at Mal in embarrassment. She shook her head, holding the envelope to her chest, "No... no, I... I'll read it once we're settled in for the night." Even as she said it, she turned it over to see where it was sealed. A familiar scribble in Tanari made her heart do a somersault and she smiled at Mal, tears practically shining in her eyes, "Can we drink now? In celebration for... uh... making it to the Temple?"

Malodar smirked but nodded all the same. "Are you sure you want to do that? I don't think these folks play around with their booze."

June scoffed softly, "Please, you're talking about a woman who regularly drinks ambrosia straight." She looked at him all tough like for a full five seconds before leaping several feet into the air and squealing, "EEE!"

She jumped and spun in precisely three circles before settling down again, tucking the letter into her journal pouch and looking at Mal quietly, lips pressed together to keep herself quiet and calm. "I'm... good. I'm good."

Hours later, the three of them were reunited, having all had plenty of laughs and drinks with the Temple’s monks, and were shown to a quaint little house they could use to sleep in while they were there, as long as they took care of it. Immediately agreeing, June saw to keeping the candles lit and a fresh pot of tea going, getting everyone settled.

Once she had a free moment, she sat up on the roof to read Ky’s letter. Pale eyes scanned over the words again and again, tears forming in her eyes as she pulled the photo free and held it to her chest. The thought of Ky suffering made her heart ache. But then her stomach did a flip. Ky missed her! Oh, how she missed her back! So much!!

As she climbed down from the roof and headed inside to tuck in for the night, she hugged her pillow extra close, imagining it was Ky’s chest she laid against, nuzzling softly. Her heart was so full in that moment. She would most definitely have to write Ky back in the morning.

(( mentions: @malodarstarstrike @moonsorrowhouse @killerkyara ))

[briangroth27]

The End of the F***ing World Season 1 Review

The End of the F***ing World was a great, truly funny (and quite dark) black comedy! Jessica Barden and Alex Lawther were believable as teens (and as "proper bandits!") and were excellent at bringing humorous, serious, and compelling sides to their characters. I believed in their connection and wanted them to end up together somewhere they could find peace, despite the extremely questionable setup of James wanting to kill Alyssa. With a premise like that, this could've easily been a sexist or misogynistic tale, but the show did a great job of avoiding that trap.

Full Spoilers...

I was surprised by how likable James was, despite his belief that he was a sociopath and his plan to kill Alyssa. That may be partially because I’m not sure I ever really thought he would even attack her (much less succeed), but that didn’t lessen the emotional impact of what he was experiencing. I definitely expected her to find out what he wanted to do and while they explored her fearing him and not trusting him a bit, I’m surprised they didn’t play that card. The writers did a great job of humanizing someone who thought he was inhuman and James' mother (Kelly Harrison) and Alyssa were key to that. Admitting to the “murder” of his mother was a good way to get out of his aborted confession of the actual murder he’d committed while telling us about her death in more detail, and I'm not sure it was entirely a lie that he felt he killed her through inaction. Either way, I felt sorry for James when the truth about his mom's death was revealed. 

Alyssa could've come off as a manic pixie dream girl, only existing as an ideal to fix James' flaws and make him complete without any journey or growth of her own, but she never did. Instead, she challenged him and brought out sides he didn't know he had while discovering truths about herself as well. I liked her talk with James about not having to do what people told him after he was abused at the diner (and how she dealt with that creep (Geoff Bell) was masterful). Confronting his habit of going along with what people said even if he didn't want to was a good way to play with Alyssa’s insecurity over whether he really wanted her—or even wanted to be on this adventure—or not. It's interesting how that can be juxtaposed with how much more aggressive she was about their sex life. The implication wasn't ever that she was abusing him, of course, but setting their relationship and his personality up like that was a clever way to feed into her doubts about him, even while she was trying to get him to be more active in his decisions. This indecisiveness and uncertainty about where they stood in each other’s estimation was a great way to tease out their relationship when it would’ve been easier (and cheaper) to have them hook up as soon as they ran away together. At the same time, everyday roadblocks to intimacy like the picture of Clive Koch (Jonathan Aris) putting James off while Alyssa was trying to give him a blowjob were funny, while Alyssa getting James to dance with his eyes closed was one of many truly sweet sequences that totally sold me on their romance. The emergence of James' feelings was compelling: with him slowly experimenting and experiencing newfound parts of himself, he quickly became a far cry from the kid who put his hand in a fryer and didn't feel anything. James paying to have himself beaten up was a little odd at first—I thought it was to build a self-defense argument before turning himself in for the murder—but I prefer the explanation I saw elsewhere: it’s an attempt to feel, just like the fryer incident. Perhaps he thought an inability to feel was what drove Alyssa away and he wanted to prove to himself that he could. It was also interesting that while James had killed a lot of animals before, he couldn’t kill an injured dog after killing Koch. That was a neat way to show his growing feelings for other living things, the result of the nauseous disgust he’d experienced after murdering Koch, and possibly a tie back to watching his (emotionally) injured mom kill herself. Alyssa being able to kill the dog out of mercy worked without any sort of implication that she’s a serial killer: she doesn't have the same block nor the interest he did. I liked that James was repeatedly willing to turn himself in and take all the blame to save her, but I loved his realization that he wasn’t Alyssa’s protector—even when he killed Clive to save her, sparking confusion about her being scared of him because of it—she was his.

Even so, I loved the back and forth they gave her in regard to her opinion of James. It would've been lame to have her just constantly in love with this brooding guy out of boredom (or worse, because he was aloof), but rebuffing him off and on over the course of the series made their relationship's development feel more realistic (and his passive approach to their relationship prevented it from feeling like he was badgering her to date him). Bringing Topher (Alex Sawyer) back to Clive's house and nearly having sex with him could’ve made Alyssa seem flaky or unlikable, but her performance sold it, the writers never chose to make either lead the bad guy, and her feeling that James had rejected her prevented her from looking like a cheater. Not to mention, this was a great display of her agency and freedom to do what she wanted. I liked that Topher accepted her changing her mind and kicking him out before they had sex, even if he was angry: Alyssa laying down the law and him actually respecting her decision (despite whining about it) was refreshing. I loved that Alyssa didn't take James' crap either and took care of herself first—it’s totally understandable and reasonable that she would ditch him out of fear after the murder—until it meant the safety of a little girl (Lily Kavanagh). Alyssa aborting her escape from a shop's security guard (Leon Annor) to return a lost child to her father (Garry Summers), unintentionally convincing the guard to let her go without calling the police for shoplifting—and then shoplifting anyway—was a perfect encapsulation of her character. I also liked that she was somewhat using James to escape her life just as much as he planned to use her to see if he liked killing; that was an unconventional way of making them equals. After so many attempts to jump into sex, Alyssa asking James to wait when they were on the beach was a nice twist. Even though it wouldn’t have been immoral to sleep together earlier, there would’ve been more meaning (practically accidentally, given all their earlier failed attempts) to waiting until they both genuinely felt something—and knew they felt something—for each other instead of just having the idea of feelings.

That said, I loved that Alyssa's story wasn't just about figuring out whether she and James should be together. Alyssa crying in the bathroom on their first night in the hotel room was a great way of showing this wasn’t just some joyride as the reality of what they'd embarked upon hit her. Her reluctance to take the fastest route to her father Leslie (Barry Ward) out of fear that he wouldn’t accept her or even recognize her was a great reason to make the trip (and season) last longer and a solid insight into her self-worth. The promise of reaching her father and being happy was a strong drive for her character, made all the more tragic when she realized who he really was. For that reason, I’d be interested to see where she might go in a potential Season 2 without Leslie or James (preferably because he’s in prison, not dead); she’s definitely a strong character, but I’d like to see more of where she takes herself on her own and it’d be nice to see her find some happiness that isn’t wrapped up in the promise of a father figure or potential boyfriend. Alyssa knocking out DC Noon (Gemma Whelan) and trying to steal Leslie's boat with James will not bode well for her (even with James then knocking her out to take all the blame), so she probably has her own issues with the law to face first. I'd also be interested to see how she handles that.

Encountering an array of the worst people helped to offset the seriousness of the crimes Alyssa and James were committing. Whether they came across pedophiles, rapist murderers, or the everyday sexism Alyssa dealt with from her step-father (Navin Chowdhry), the show did a great job revealing that not only were the kids not the worst of society (as some might rush to brand younger "degenerate" generations), but they were far from the only criminals. Immorality and crime could be found everywhere, even in Alyssa's seemingly caring dad, who gave up and ran when things got too hard for his second family (not to mention being a drug dealer who laughed about running over a dog).

At the same time, the show struck a careful balance between good and bad in the adults who weren't examples of the problems with society (at least not directly). James and Alyssa's disputes with his father (Steve Oram) and her mother (Christine Bottomley) were structured realistically and didn’t make either teen seem like a spoiled brat. James and Alyssa’s parents were also sprinkled with enough care that it was believable they were concerned for their missing children, despite their flaws and shortcomings, later in the season instead of coming off as uncaring or tyrannical. It was kind of sad that petrol station attendant Frodo (Earl Cave) really wanted to come with James and Alyssa—he even helped them escape and rob his store—but they ditched him. I feel like perhaps he was in the story as a measure to keep Alyssa and James' crime spree from coming off as too enticing; they’d still committed real crimes and Frodo will doubtlessly lose his job (if not face charges) for helping them. If that was the intention, undercutting the wish fulfillment of the show’s premise and making James and Alyssa a little selfish is daring. If there's a second season, I'd like to see Alyssa and/or James meet Frodo again and deal with what they did to him, since he wasn't a scourge of society, just a little downtrodden. The most surprising balance came from Clive's mother (Elieen Davies); I didn’t expect her to have a change of heart and turn in the camcorder with evidence of him raping women. I definitely thought that would be much harder for the kids to prove, but it was clever writing to not allow her actions to fully get them off the hook. In terms of the actual investigation, I don't think the authorities needed to find James' knife. Hiding it in the pool drain was really stupid in the first place and felt a little out of character (though as I’ve seen suggested elsewhere, he may have just been panicking). He and Alyssa were already connected to the house via Topher’s wallet and the knife could've been recovered at Leslie's, so the case didn’t really need that element or his mistake.

I really liked the comedy the show got out of Detective Constables Eunice Noon and Teri Darego (Wunmi Mosaku) as they slowly closed in on James and Alyssa. Noon crushing on Darego and Darego not being interested (despite something having previously occurred between them) added to the off-kilter romantic comedy vibe the show was dealing in perfectly. It was also great that they weren't buffoons chasing much smarter teens. I was happy to see a pair of strong women not only as the lead investigators but who were defined by more than the awkwardness of their will they/won't they relationship. Their increasing difference of opinion over whether James and Alyssa were truly criminals or if they were just scared, misunderstood kids who'd made mistakes—Noon believed in them, Darego argued they’ll still get manslaughter for killing Clive in self-defense, especially given James was about to turn 18—was a great source of drama in their relationship. It was masterful that this disagreement not only drove a wedge in their partnership, but reminded the audience of how much trouble the kids were in. It can't just be fun and games for them, even if the authorities believe their story.

I saw a review that said this show was nihilistic, but I disagree: I think the fact that James is a good person at heart and just needed to realize it is anything but nihilism. Alyssa too is willing to give herself up to save a kid; how can the discovery of love and concern for one another be anything but meaningful? Unlike a lot of people (from what I've seen online), I do want a second season. I want to see James deal with his end-of-season revelation about what people mean to each other. People don't stop growing when they have realizations about themselves; in fact what they do with that information is just as (and often, much more) interesting as how they got there. I also want to know how Alyssa is affected by the events of the finale (whatever they may be; personally I think James survived, but was arrested). Maybe she could spring him from jail somehow. She also has a fair bit to answer for over the course of the season, so what will happen to her? And what happens if she finds out that James planned to kill her? I was very happy DC Noon survived, so at least they might have her in their corner and the one person who knows their side of the story didn't end up as another death on their hands. As it stands, I can surmise enough of the finale's fallout to be mostly satisfied if this is the ending, but it was still a little too open-ended for me and I want to see what happens next. I also want more time with these compelling characters! So, let's have Season 2, Netflix!

  Check out more of my reviews, opinions, theories, and original short stories here!

[herdearlybeloved]

Aloha oe

Been up for three days straight with no sleep. Packing and shipping off stuff. I love flying, it makes me feel high every time I go up or down in a plane. I was on a 13 hr flight plan. Before I left, I treated Nancy and Steven out to Miller’s ale house, then the next day, we went to Taste Of Vietnam & Maggie Moo’s. They even dressed up the first time. Brother in law was in a suit and sister was in dress and heels. Mamma Brenda told me two angels will look over me while I fly out. Their names were Gabriel & Matihas. Steven played an owl city song with aloe blacc for me before I left. Mamma dropped me off at the airport and I adulted again for the first time. Flying alone, no one in my family has done that before, at the ones I know. I’m a rebel. Crazy and ambitious. I was getting more and more restless as the hours went by. I was so excited. Plans me and babe had set were finally in motion ! I just couldn’t wait to see him. Ps. he knows how to fuck me right, Thank God. First flight, I made friends with a guy going to Detroit. He helped me with stuff I was confused about. The ticket guy scan my ticket, looked at me & say Aloha ! Delta knows how to feed a nigga. Only thing was their two salads; gourmet, yes but it taste like ass. So going through TSA checkpoint was pretty fun. My groin showed green. So I got patted up and down and hands checked. All I could think was Zaaayummmm I got some bomb ass pussy !! ^_^ In Atlanta, I watched flights take off, something happened so airport fire truck & ambulance came out. The lady standing at the flight screen helped me and flagged me down that I was going the wrong way to my flight gate lmao Boarding the plane, shit was freezing like north pole cold, my feet were swollen the whole flight. I befriended a radiologist from Charlotte, she’s 48 yrs old & her name was Charrisa. ( funny how life goes , the girl leon wanted to marry had the same name.) She was pretty much my flight mama & we helped each other with whatever even after we got off. She even gave me her blanket so I could be covered from head to toe. She taught me how to play sudoku and I caught onto it in like 10 seconds. She was a stylish mamma with her teletubbies suitcase lol I tried to sleep on the flight but the kid behind me kept whaling in my ear, I was about to say come sit on my lap and let’s colour. My body shocked me every time I tried to sleep, I bashed my heel so hard onto the metal underneath my foot, it made me angry so I stopped trying to sleep. I watched movies, played games, me and flight mamma was being flight monitors constantly looking at our flight details. She played words with friends and cookie jam most of the time while I attempted to sleep and keep myself busy. I remember getting up and thinking to myself I need to get the hell off this plane, let me go jump out the exit after seeing we had 6 hours left lol We were on a 9 hr 7min flight after leaving ATL. The girl in front of me talked so much throughout the flight trying to educate the lady next to her about Hawaiians & etc. Despite me talking shit, she dropped her pen, didn’t realize it so I picked it up and gave it back to her. Me and flight mamma ears kept popping the whole flight, every time we looked at the flight time, we would roll our eyes and laugh. I talked to her about Leon, she told me her friend she was visiting is retired army as well. Being up in the clouds was so amazing, I know for sure I’m pursuing a pilot’s license. I asked flight mum why she barely open the window, she told me the couple behind us kept shutting it down, which I didn’t realize til later after we tried opening it up so many times lol Everyone wanted to be in darkness or something, heard it was about being able to see the screen. Me and flight mamma were one of the last people to go pee. She told me we have yet to go use the restroom, honestly I was waiting on her to want to go because I was too shy to get up in front of everyone by myself. We both lost our way to our seats and had to flag each other down. Delta kept asking us if we needed drinks. They also fed us pretty well, so many snacks. I couldn’t poop because I didn’t know if someone else needed to use the bathroom & one of the flight attendants made me uncomfortable. The last and one movie I actually watched was Kong Island. It was great ! I hope King Kong finds a partner tbh. The bingo game was flawed asf, the whole board filled up and it kept saying I didn’t have a valid bingo. Flying in was amazing, scenery was beautiful. We had to sign a form saying we won’t carry seeds and etc into Hawai'i. When asked my purpose for being here, I wrote this: My boo bear ^_^ I always find time to goof off lol Me and flight mamma lost each other trying to find the baggage claim but She found me and her friend lei her and I was standing at the wrong baggage claim until he came over and asked if I sky or regular. After they seen my luggage , they offered me this cart to carry my stuff, how kind. Boo Bear saw me , kissed me and lei me. Bruh. The love I was feeling made me so fucking high as tired as I was. Babe gives me these stares that makes me feel like I’m the luckiest girl In the world because he looks at me with such love and admiration. Babe house is freezing, he likes it cold, glad I brought my winter clothes ! LOL He made me feel so welcomed saying things in context like this is your new home, our home , we this and that etc. Made me feel like wow all the shit we talk and dream about and made plans for ACTUALLY happened. I wanted to fuck & blow baes brains out and ride him out into the sunset when I came but he layed me down and helped me sleep. We went to Wal-Mart and the prices are more than Florida but not as scary as I imagined. Mickey d’s here isn’t any different from what I see in Florida. We went to Tantalus. (Mountain side) It was beautiful, saw all of Honolulu. Narrow roads, every turn you were bound to crash into a tree or go off the road. But babe knows his way and he’s a racecar driver 💙 It started raining while I was taking pictures so babe gave me an umbrella and the thing turned upside down on me 😂😅 Gonna send my mommy postcards of me in Hawaiian dresses lol Everyone is happy for me and pretty supportive, They feel I deserve it and that this is a right move for me in my life. Funny, even the ones who forgot about me was happy for me. Some people on the other hand wanna act upset and shit. They try to hate on my relationship saying oh we only been together for a week yet they don’t know the history. I brush that shit off like sand on my shoes. I been getting bad batches of men left to right. Finding love in all the wrong places but now I have a good man by my side and he treats me right , treats me good, fucks me right, motivates me to be/do better. I don’t know how the hell I got so lucky and blessed. When I look at Leon sometimes, something about him ignities a wildfire inside of me and I just fall immensely for him. He makes me so happy to the point where I asked him if the devil sent him. God this is the best thing that EVER happened to me besides my birth. I been so high on life I honestly find it hard to focus on the negative. I find it bad because whenever I get snapped on, I have no emotions about it , Hell I might even laugh. But can you believe it… I’m in Hawai'i and my home is Waipahu !! It hasn’t hit me yet that I actually flew out for 13 hrs and I’m here with my honey pie like I don’t have to wait , I don’t have to talk through Snapchat or video chat, I have him in flesh with me , showering me with love and all. What more could I ask for. I always wanted two things in life besides being happy and successful which was to love and to be loved. Now it is happening. I feel like I won the lottery lord. Nancy and Taylor and a few more people called me crazy , they say what girl drops everything to go move and be with a guy. One who is crazy, got big ass cojones , in love and got faith that shit will work out , that’s who. Whatever happened in the past, It’s in the past & I put it behind me. Time to look up and forward. If you’re reading this, pray for me. Love and light mofos ! Mahalo.