#it's like. oh has anyone read price of salt

[vv-ispy]

on one hand I totally understand tropes are popular but on the other hand I think Amos is a lot more compelling as a middle aged woman trying to figure out her life after a loveless relationship than a mother figure ya know

[milf-murdock]

Heyyy been reading your fics since you were writing for matt murdock🥹🤭 idl if you take requests or not but if you dont just ignore this!!🌸

Can you write smthng for reader with asthma? With simon riley or john price☹️🫶🏻 plss

Sweet Anon!!! 🥺 My oh my, you have been here a while!! Your support means the world to me 🫶 I absolutely loved this request! I am a sucker for a sweet Simon and injured reader. I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies though. I don't know too much of what an asthma attack feels like, but I did my best. If anyone has any constructive criticism, my inbox is open and I'm willing to make adjustments to make it more accurate. I hope you enjoy, sweet nonny!!

Asthma Attack - Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader

TW: Asthma Attack, potential medical inaccuracies, protective Simon should come with his own warning

“Just one more block,” you thought to yourself, focusing on the steady rhythm of your shoes hitting the pavement. The familiar tightening in your chest set in about two blocks ago, and you struggled to keep your breathing steady. It had been a minute since you’d had a flair up, and you silently cursed yourself for not bringing along your inhaler. You should’ve known better. 

Simon easily kept up pace beside you. He enjoyed joining you on your jogs—the exercise light and refreshing in comparison to the type of intense training he was used to. He didn’t really gain much from the easy workout, but the peace of mind that came with knowing you were safe every step of the way more than made up for it. 

As your flat came into view up ahead, your breathing became more labored, a slight wheeze tinging each breath. Simon shot a concerned look your way. 

“You ‘lright,  love?” Simon’s deep voice cut through your growing panic, grounding you as you barely made it to the steps of your flat. 

You collapsed on the steps, your hand coming up to press against your chest as you struggled to get down air. 

“I can’t—“ 

“I don’t—“ 

“Simon—“

You struggled to get out a full sentence through your choppy breaths, your chest rising and falling at a rapid pace. You were borderline hyperventilating now, and breaths only became harder to manage. 

“Fuck,” Simon murmured to himself as realization dawned on him. A wave of panic shot through him: you were having an asthma attack. He inwardly began cursing himself for not recognizing the tell-tale signs sooner. He should’ve seen the signs. He should’ve stepped in sooner. 

Simon stopped himself, forcing himself to tamp down on his fear and let his tactical instincts taking over. 

Assess the situation. 

Simon knelt down to your level, pressing two fingers to the pulse point on your neck. “Alright love, I need you to try to take a slow, deep breath,” he coached, nodding to himself as he mentally took note of your elevated heart rate. “You’re gonna be okay.” 

Make a plan. 

Sliding one arm under your knees and one under your arms, he pulled you up to his chest from the stairs.  Your arms wrap around his neck and you try to force yourself to slow your breathing and control the panic. You focus on breathing in the familiar scent of Simon, the faint notes of oak and gunpowder mingling with the salt of his sweat. 

Simon makes quick work of the steps, managing to unlock the flat one handed before stepping inside. “Where’s your inhaler, darling?” He asked as he gently set you down on the sofa, making sure you’re in an upright position. His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed the panic beneath the surface. 

“Kitchen,” you manage to gasp out, tears stinging your eyes as you feel your attack getting worse. 

Simon’s back in seconds, shaking the inhaler before ripping the cap off and bringing the plastic cylinder your lips. “Okay, breathe in, sweet girl,” he coaches, pressing down on the canister. You do as your told, pressing your eyes shut as the first hit settles into your lungs. 

“Hold your breath. 1…2…3..4…5. Okay, again,” Simon gave the inhaler another shake before administering a second dose, counting down again.

“Good job, love, keep breathing. Slow, deep breaths, just like that.” The sense of urgency was slowly fading from his tone as he watched your breaths ease up. He pressed another two fingers to your jawline, checking your pulse. 

“Atta girl, give me one more for good measure,” another shake and puff following up the last hit. You finally felt relief as your airways started to expand, taking in full breaths, trying to follow the deep breaths Simon was modeling for you. 

Simon raised a hand to push back a stray strand of hair, tucking it behind your ear. Your entire body was shaking in the aftermaths of your attack. 

“Thank you,” you muttered breathlessly. Your chest was aching and you felt such pure exhaustion sweep over you as the adrenaline slowly left your body. 

Sensing that the emergency was over, Simon gingerly pulled you to his chest. You couldn’t help but notice how fast his heart was beating under the soft fabric of his hoodie. 

“Fucking hell, sweetheart, you scared the shit out of me for a moment there,” he murmured, pressing his lips to the top of your head. “You alright, then?” He pulled back, his attentive gaze raking over your body, conducting his own assessment. 

“‘M’okay,” you whispered, suddenly feeling like even carrying on a conversation was too much. 

With a nod, Simon took the hint, pulling you back into his arms once more. A strong hand rubbed up and down your back, the motion soothing you. “Let’s take a rest then, yeah? Eventful morning.” The subtle nod of your head against his chest gave him all the approval he needed to help you up off the couch and guide you back to your shared bedroom. 

He made sure to get you settled under the fully duvet first before pulling off his hoodie and crawling in on the opposite side. 

“Come on, have a proper cuddle,” he coaxed, pulling you to rest against his bare chest. Exhaustion swept over you, and you struggled to keep your eyes open as  the steady beat of his heart brought a sense of comfort and familiarity. 

“Thank you, Si,”  you breathe out. “Thank you.” 

“O’ course, darling. S’what I’m here for.” Simon held you a little tighter, thanking every lucky star out there that he was here for you and that you were okay. He’d always make sure you’re okay.  

[hwnglx]

txt's current energy ﴾ may '23

based on tarot. i do not know these idols personally. energies are always changing. what i say is NOT straight fact. pls take it with a grain of salt!

for soobin and beomgyu, the career reading was kinda messy and confusing. whenever this happens, i always get the vibe i shouldn't really know or tell, so. only included the love life update for them, hope that's ok ❤︎

yeonjun

love hangm, star, 6ofw, 9ofp

yeonjun is just having fun, enjoying his popularity and being desired by everyone for now. he's not looking to tie himself to anyone and is focusing on maintaining his indepency. i think, a romantic commitment would just put a whole different set of responsibilites with him that he just doesn't wanna deal with right now. he's too focused on himself and mainting his status, especially career-wise.

career devil&wheel, 9ofc, tower&knofw+3ofp

oh wow. there's definitely been some major turning points for him here. there might've been a project of some kind that required him to work with others, but kinda collapsed last minute? since i got the exact combo of the tower plus the knight of wands for taehyun, it might involve him too. yeonjun is absolutely one of the most ambitious and eager idols i read for till now. he has so many different things he wants so accomplish, and i think he has a tendency to overcommit almost. he can hold on too tight to his desires and obsess over his goals. this might be a bad habit he needs to let go of. he needs to learn to let things flow more.

advice - mutable moon: nothing is yet set in stone -> his situation might be unstable but far from being finalized -> there's still the opportunity for him to keep visualizing and affirming what wants -> still room for change

message to him: staying adaptable is the key to success!

soobin

love 6ofw, knofsw, 3ofsw+3ofw, 5ofc, 2ofc

his love life is pretty messy. there seems to be someone he has a deep connection to right now, but a lot of it has been tainted by heartbreak and disappointment. there might've been some third party situation that left him worrying and hurt. not sure which side it was on, but there might've been some impulsive behavior going on that resulted in this situation. they still seem to be holding on to the connection though. he seems more emotional than what meets the eye.

advice - third quarter moon: adjustments are required -> he is reevaluating his situation -> need to trust and release -> something new and exciting might be coming

message to him: your current crisis will remind you of what you need to let go of!

beomgyu

love lovers, kingofw, 10ofw, 9ofsw, judgrx

so as i said mentioned recently, he's been in a relationship with someone for a while now, and there's still feelings of passion between them. especially beomgyu feels a lot of attraction in this connection, but there's something weighing on him. i think, he realized this relationship comes with a lot more responsibility than expected, and he might've caused some hurt to his partner by just not learning his lessons. he's starting to get doubts, like "am i really doing this right?" there's some past baggage the two still need to talk out and let go of. a lot of unresolved tension.

advice - full moon in aries: a fiery climax approaches! -> he might've been too selfish, harsh or overstepped the mark -> need to accept he put himself into this situation -> ability to get himself out of it as well with a more peaceful approach

message to him: don't be too blunt or insensitive, you could pay the price for it!

taehyun

love 5ofp, 5ofsw, justice, pagofp, strength

ok i'm gonna be honest here, i believe the scandal might've made things a little harder for him in the romantic world. the justice card is showing me this lack of love is very much a cause of his own actions. tbh, last time i read for him, i did see him just having a little too much fun, and i think he's facing the consequences now. it does seem like he's a pretty self aware guy though, so he probably knows he did it to himself. he's trying to just power through it, but is feeling kinda awkward in the dating scene, it seems.

career knofw&3ofp, devil, moon+pagofc&7ofp

again, similarly to yeonjun, there might've been some collaboration he rushed into too impulsively. i got the devil for taehyun and yeonjun too, so there's definitely some toxicity and obsession connected to it. i think they were both veeery eager about whatever this is, so it ceasing to happen for now, caused some insecurities. taehyun is feeling the frustration of having to wait in the dark in a way and currently dealing with emotions pretty new to him. sorry if i can't pinpoint what exactly happened here lol, but everything seems kinda messy it's confusing me. the uncertainty, frustration and strong ambition seems to be a common thread here.

advice - new moon eclipse: expect powerful change -> current events could be uncomfortable but will lead to something better -> might be guided by his ego and strive for a certain direction but the divine will turn him instead to face the direction he needs to go in

message to him: whatever is happening right now, is happening for your highest good

kai

love sunrx+star&moon, 2ofc&4ofp, aceofsw, 8ofw

kai has been in a relationship for a few months now it seems, and he's strongly holding on to it. i think he's scared of losing this person and scared to do things wrong, since he really seems to see them as very precious. he's really in his head about it. a lot of reflection. he might be scared of facing reality of some things in this relationship, being avoidant out of fear. i do see him communicating with this person tho, and learning a lot from it. it seems to be a pretty healthy connection, i think he found himself a good person.

career death, 5ofc, 9ofw, empr&highpr

man, something keeps telling me kai is a member the higher ups often tend to not take so seriously. i feel like, he can easily feel crushed underneath their power, and is feeling very guarded. there seems to have been a major change in his career, that caused him some disappointment. he might feel like he doesn't really have a voice and can't express things. even if something saddens him, he just kinda deals with it on his own. in the past, i got the vibe he might've had some bad experiences with some staff members, and this seemed to have made him more wary and protective of his peace. he has such pleasant energy, honestly. protect this boy ☹

advice - full moon eclipse: conclusions are within reach -> forgiveness will set him free -> what he's experiencing now is what his soul signed up for - a way for him to learn and evolve

message to him: allow events to unfold and be easy on yourself

gifs: @/itshyuka

[scienceoftheidiot]

Find the word tag

My words were : sun, clouds, wind, rain, lightning

Your words if you want to do it : leaves, field, wildflowers, scent, dirt (I like the idea of keeping a theme !)

I am keeping the OPEN TAG.

Please anyone who sees this and write, do it and tag me !!! We don't have to be mutuals or have interacted. It's fun to read what people get with those words !!!

Stole this from @residentdormouse 's open tag 😝 I am mostly working on two (Royai) fics these days, "dismissed Roy" and "1923", but one other has popped there and once I'm done with these two absolute monsters which are going to be SO. LONG. I'll probably go back to this one. Everything is riddled with pain and angst and hurt/comfort there, I'm sorry, I guess that's all I do (continued under the cut).

I want to state that I will NOT tag anything I write as "whump" even if I tend to really torture poor Roy and sometimes Riza too, mostly because for me whump isn't what I do. To me the point of pushing them so low through angst or pain and often both is most of all to have them overcome or deal with whatever, one way or another, together or alone, by themselves. Even if I can be awful there is always some kind of hope for them in the horizon, and that hope is the point, the fact that they carry on, too.

Here, end of disclaimer. 😅

Sun - WIP codename "Stop the cavalry"

The drop of sweat finally fell into her eye, blurring her vision, the salt stinging. She wiped it quickly. And indeed, as she was moving ever so slightly, Mustang, as far away as he was, seemed to catch the reflection of the sun on her lense. He squinted, his gaze looking for her in the distance, and she could see him frown. Hawkeye swore under her breath. She couldn't allow herself to be sloppy. Mustang, his eyes finally stopping still on her, or rather on where he knew she was, blinked slowly, then returned to his own duty.

As the war progressed, she had spied on him this way less and less. Over the months, she had seen his face harden, the glint in his eyes fade and disappear, while the circles under them grew darker. It was… a little scary.

Riza wondered if, could someone else see her the way she could see Mustang through her sight, she would look the same. Aged. An old, tired soul in a body that had not yet reached its prime. More than probably. But that was a price she was willing to pay. She told herself so every morning.

Clouds - WIP codename "dismissed Roy"

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the window, sir. The sunset is especially beautiful this evening.”

Roy walks to the window, guided by Hawkeye's voice. He likes that she doesn’t shy away from telling him when she’s got interesting things to look at. He’s noticed a reticence in most people. It’s irritating.

Hawkeye isn’t. He knows he is sometimes irritating to her, but she’s never to him. Never has been.

“Oh. How so?”

“Hum.”

He’s close enough now to hear her breath, and his shoulder brushes against hers.

“I’m not very lyrical, so, I’ll try, sir, but I’m not sure it’d do it justice.”

“Try anyway, Lieutenant. Please,” he smiles. He was politely curious, but now he’s also interested in the way she’s going to tell him.

“The sky is this very pale blue, almost a light turquoise, but really bright. There’s big, long clouds… their underside is lit by the sun, and that makes them bright pink, when you can see the top is already in the dark, making them a striking dark purple against that bright sky. It’s really such a show of colours… I haven’t seen one like that in a while.”

There's a short silence, during which Roy's memories stir.

“I think I remember one. When I was at your place, actually.”

Hawkeye hums again. She sounds pensive.

“Yes. I think I remember some like that in the East, indeed. We had the most beautiful sunsets, from home.”

“I’m glad they still can be beautiful.” On a whim, he lets his hand climb up her shoulder. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Wind - WIP codename "dismissed Roy" (lots of this one since it's now over 50K. Arghh)

No matter that their little party was out of uniform, they stayed soldiers, even Roy, and they kept silent as they walked further in, while the bigger part of the escort stayed outside, the number of footsteps echoing on close walls reducing to half a dozen pairs. He had not needed Falman to precise they were getting inside – it was logical, and before they did he could already feel the wind had disappeared. Half a minute later, the warmth of the sun was replaced by a coolness that made Roy happy he'd kept his coat on.

The town hall felt empty. Roy couldn't really pinpoint what told him so – the cold, the faintly stale smell of dry dust and slowly decaying furniture, the sounds that echoed, hollow, being only from them and from nothing that was already inside. Falman didn't tell him anything about this, and yet it struck him so powerfully he felt empty himself. An old ghost walking ruins of his own doing. Even if this one had not been specifically his.

Doors squealed on rusty hinges and they stepped from the corridor into a bigger room. Or at least something that sounded different. It was probably set under the half collapsed dome Falman had described earlier, for Roy's hair was suddenly ruffled by a gust of warm wind and the sun was back on his skin, heating the dark coat on his shoulders.

"You'll excuse us for the state of our meeting room. Someone dropped a bomb on the amphitheater." Scar's voice drew away, his footsteps seemingly inaudible.

Rain - WIP codename "Stop the cavalry"

"Private Hawkeye !"

The incredulous bark came from a very known voice, this time. Luckily for the soldier, she didn't startle, she didn't think. In an almost too quick to be seen gesture, she stored her gun back in her holster, turned around, and clicked her heels in a salute.

"Major Mustang, sir!"

"What the hell, Hawkeye ?" Now Mustang’s tone was furious, and not one bit incredulous anymore.

"Sir, she -"

"Didn't ask you, private." Mustang gave the darkest of his looks to the soldiers. "Any of you harmed ?"

"No sir, but -"

"Then you better go back to your side of the camp. Now."

The soldiers exchanged a look, and seemed to decide that following the Flame Alchemist's order was the safest option.

"Yes. Sir."

They too, clicked their heels, and left. Rather quickly.

"With me, Hawkeye."

This didn't warrant any answer.

She followed him in the maze of tents, her gaze fixated on the back of his head, in the raven black of his hair. He didn't turn around even once. Finally, he slipped his head into a tent that was slightly remote from the others, and gestured for her to follow.

"It's empty. Come in."

It was a storage unit. Piles of ammunition and explosives in wooden boxes were stacked under the fabric roof, protected from a rain that would never come. She entered. There were still no thoughts in her mind.

Lightning - WIP codename "1923" (lucky me !!! That's the only occurrence of it and I wrote it YESTERDAY)

Roy carefully gets rid of the cigarette's butt on the table – at least the smoke hides the smell of the ointments and rubbing alcohol and his own sweat that fill this room constantly – and dozes off, turned to the window. His eyes close over the occasional flashes of blue in the angry skies.

As long as he's fully awake.

Clash of thunder. They're onto them. Roy startles. He needs to find shelter, and ensure the safety of his men.

Roy's pulled back into reality by a searing, mind wiping pain in his side.

And the steel grip of a hand over his mouth.

He's still dreaming. That's a boche, who snaked in their trench, a knife in his hand, ready to gut him and slaughter his –

Roy opens his eyes wide and another flash of lightning shows him it's not a German soldier but a tall, square man, with a bushy light brown beard, his blue eyes gleaming. There's no knife in his hand, but a pillow. It takes a while for him to understand what the intruder says, through his thick accent and the blood thumping in Roy's ears.

[watchingspnagain]

Rewatching Time Is on My Side

Welcome to “He's not even staying caught up on his reading: A Supernatural Rewatch Blog” with Lor and Mace!

  Up today, s3e15: Time is on My Side.

    Dean's running out of time and Sam's getting desperate to save him, so Sam convinces his brother to head to Ohio to investigate cases of folks getting abducted and then waking up without certain organs. Secretly Sam suspects it's the reappearance of a zombie-like doctor their father hunted years ago, and he wants to learn the dude's secret to long life. Turns out it comes with a heavy price that Dean refuses to pay. Cue the gross-out organ harvesting scenes and fraught boys.

  Below is a log of our real-time reactions as we watched. Remember that there may be spoilers for any part of SPN’s 15-season run here. Note also that the nature of our conversation is adult and thus it may contain adult language and themes.

 [and we begin:]

  Lor:

cool. gross dudes.

  Mace:

  HA! YEP

  Lor:

maybe one of them will get a supernatural comeuppance

Mace:

  it’s just possible

  Lor:

juuuust maybe

  Mace:

snork

  Mace:

  EW

  Lor:

yeeeeah

  Mace:

  any nurse worth her salt wouldn’t react like that, I’d think

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

especially if she's an ER nurse or ER triage. come on

  Lor:

oh when will these demons learn that you don't insult a Winchester's family?

  Mace:

  he’s using the Dean Voice

  Lor:

he IS

  Mace:

  right?

  Lor:

like, don't they have a demon bulletin board on Hell Commons, or something?

  Mace:

HAHAHAHA

  Mace:

  oooof. Dean’s face

  Lor:

YES

  Mace:

  the other other white meat

  Lor:

LOL

  Lor:

"I mean, obviously, I want to hunt some ZOMBIES"

  Lor:

"excuse me. no, no we're very smart"

  Lor:

"you done?" " "I think so"

  Mace:

HAHAHAHA DEAN

  Mace:

  he’s hopped up on zombie excitement

  Lor:

he is

  Lor:

people are really bringing the sarcasm to the boys today

  Mace:

  they really are

  Lor:

"DUDE I'm EATING"

  Mace:

  HAHAHAHA

  Lor:

"antiques roadshow surgery" omg Dean

  Mace:

  YAS

  Lor:

SAM WINCHESTER stop trying to make Dean go off his food. poor muffin has three weeks to live

  Mace:

  I’m gonna have to go with Laura on this one, Sam. Maybe lay off a bit.

  Lor:

ooooo, Sammy. now you really know you've been bad

  Mace:

  *SNORK*

  Lor:

gaaaaah the heart monitor in the watch

  Mace:

  right?!

  Lor:

RUFUS

  Lor:

oh Sam

  Mace:

YES

  Mace:

  and yeah

  Lor:

oh no fraught brothers

  Mace:

YEP

  Mace:

  poor sweet stubborn yahoos

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

"Sammy, be careful" "you too"

  Lor:

you two numbnuts COULD just say you love each other. the world will not end if you actually say that to your brother

  Lor:

omg his little grin to the security camera

  Mace:

  SNORK YES

  Lor:

"don't ‘look man, me’"

  Lor:

and he immediately switches to sir

  Lor:

adorable

  Mace:

you know, if we were in the bunker, we wouldn’t ever let the fraught get so far. we’d sit them down and not let either of them go off on their own all poutypants

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

OMG Rufus's grin when Dean pulls out the scotch

  Lor:

YES

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

"because I know things"

  Lor:

I love him

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

"ain't you a bucket of sunshine"

  Mace:

  ooof. DEAN.

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

(also, serious fuck 327. if someone has been told his whole life he's gonna die awful or turn into a hollow husk of a man, you DON'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN AT THE END)

  Mace:

  (RIGHT?!?!)

  Lor:

he'll do anything once

  Mace:

omg DEAN WINCHESTER

  Mace:

  HAHAHAHA

  Lor:

LOLOL

  Mace:

  SAMMY NO

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

Sam, this is where you turn around and get out and come back later with Dean

  Mace:

RIGHT?!

  Mace:

  I can’t believe we have to yell at him about this sort of thing AGAIN

  Lor:

silly Stringbean

  Mace:

  He may need punishing

  Lor:

SNORK

  Lor:

why would anyone want to live forever if all they do is find people to take their parts so they can keep living forever? like, he's not even staying caught up on his reading or anything

  Mace:

  HAHAHAHAHA OMG LOR I WAS JUST THINKING THAT

  Lor:

OMG I LOVE IT

  Mace:

  yas

  Lor:

OMG turning on the light switch with the gun

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

also the pinning to t wall

  Mace:

YAAASSSS

  Mace:

  HE’S SO STERN

  Lor:

he IS

  Lor:

oooof he lying

  Lor:

*her

  Mace:

Yep

  Mace:

  i knew what you meant

  Lor:

you good. I know you generally speak Lor gibberish

  Mace:

  HAHAHA

  Lor:

"whaddya mean no?"

  Mace:

OH DEAN

  Mace:

  yeah

  Lor:

oh Sam

  Lor:

oh god eye stuff

  Lor:

behind the sofa

  Mace:

YUP

  Mace:

EWEWEW

  Mace:

  smarty dean

  Lor:

YES

  Lor:

"wakey wakey eggs and bacy" omg

  Mace:

  YAS

  Lor:

I don't get the mechanics of this ep. if he's immortal to the point he can get stabbed and it doesn't matter, why do his organs wear out?

  Mace:

  right

  Lor:

I’m not usually fussed about that kind of handwavey stuff, but this one bugs me for some reason? maybe bc Sam thinks they can save Dean with it?

  Mace:

  yeah

  Lor:

omg the screaming over the black screen

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

dang she is cold

  Mace:

yep

  Mace:

  it was so totally Dean’s idea to use the sex dolls

  Lor:

DEFINITELY

  Lor:

dang, Dean's kinda cold here too. not that I think there's anything he could do in three minutes

  Mace:

he kinda is

  Mace:

  i think him being hard on her is him being hard on himself here

  Lor:

ooooo yeah

  Lor:

also he has no idea WHY she killed her parents, so he thinks she's just a greedy person who makes deals to kill family for money

  Lor:

and we all know how that kind of thing would go over with him

  Mace:

yeah

  Mace:

  this is one of the places where his knee-jerk judgement makes him just a little less than perfect

  Lor:

yep

  Lor:

which is part of why he's such a good character

  Mace:

  just a little, though

  Lor:

only a SMIDGE

[drakeotomy]

Why can't we be getting more people to use AI for good? I've seen someone use them to help neurodivergent people! https://goblin.tools/ has a Magic To-Do List that can expand into ever more steps if you need things to be really specific. There's a tool to make your typed input become more formal or casual. A Judge to help you read the tone of things. And more! And it's FREE!

Someone else made a program that can read aloud to you. No not an audio book, it can read literal paper books to you! How cool is that?! https://www.readtome-app.com/ has a range of different voices it can use to read your books to you no matter if your eyes are just tired or you have a disability that makes it difficult to read or hold a book for longer periods of time. (This one has a subscription price though)

But NO, people use them to steal from other people's intellectual properties or put out misinformation because the AI didn't know what the truth was. This has been happening a lot on Amazon, where there are multitudes of AI written books. Not just novels, like you'd expect. There are books on fish that mix up salt-water and fresh-water fish. Doing so in real life would kill them. Even more sickening: inaccurate field guides. "Oh, this book tells me what mushrooms and forage are safe!" WRONG! It just told you to eat poison berries or a weeping angel mushroom.

Very rarely does anyone check the output of the AI written books, and when they get taken down, more pop up! I've seen AI used for good and with caution. It's possible. Please be careful with it!

ai generated images make me increasingly sad and tired the more i see them in more and more casual contexts. i dont know how to explain, but it just fills the world with a bunch of nothing. no matter how visually stunning the pictures might be, there's nothing behind it for me. no dedication, no emotions, no feelings, no hard work or creativity, nothing i can truly think about, admire or enjoy. i dont think thats how art is supposed to be

[in-tua-deep]

Oooooo the red bock au sounds so interesting! Does Five caught himself thinking of his brothers just as numbers and weapons like Reginald talks in his book? Does he read Vanya book to remind himself that they are still human even though he reads it through lens of someone hurt by them all? And I feel like the handler would know either way about the books but o it's so much fun to see five being paranoid

I think having both books and both perspectives reminds Five that... he’s getting some very biased accounts of his own siblings. I think that when he’s still young, he writes down as many memories as he can remember because... he starts to forget, at some point. 

Vanya’s book talks about how volatile Diego and Luther’s relationship is, and so Five writes down the time Luther and Diego teamed up to toss Five off a balcony when Five kept switching the pens in their hands with pipe cleaners during a lesson (and he will maintain until his dying day that he was just practicing his control, c’mon guys!)

when Reginald’s notes call Allison an “insufferable, narcissistic creature,” Five remembers Allison bribing him to cause trouble and distract Reginald so that she could use the microwave unobserved to heat up some water bottles as makeshift heat packs for Luther’s sore muscles

when Vanya calls Ben “easily manipulated,” Five recalls Ben arguing theories with him at 2am after one of Ben’s training sessions where Ben almost flipped his bed when Five jokingly suggested that he could use the horror’s tentacles to bounce up and down like a pogo stick before Ben tackled him and tried to beat Five to death with an encyclopedia of sea creatures (affectionately)

I think having Reginald’s journal actually helps in a lot of ways, because Five automatically autocorrects literally all of Reginald’s thoughts to be like, mostly inaccurate and much harsher than they need to be. So when he reads Vanya’s journal he also autocorrects and is able to recognize that it is a very biased and somewhat harsh view of his siblings

(he doesn’t distrust them as much as he does in canon, with only Vanya’s harsh words to cling to with no reminder that they were all raised by a man capable of unfathomable cruelty, no reminder that authors can be oh so biased)

outside of his equations, there’s notes to himself written in the margins of Vanya’s book. Sometimes they’re just small, pointing out that Klaus had fought to include Vanya in trap week (Klaus then proceeded to team up with her and managed to catch Five in a snare - he actually still has a scar around his ankle from his upsidedown thrashing before he managed to steal one of Diego’s knives to cut himself down) or pointing out that Luther’s chilly attitude when they were ten was probably the result of Vanya outperforming him in every standardized test they took because of Luther’s ridiculous inferiority-superiority complex

at the very least he has comparison, because Reginald’s book calls Klaus an absolute failure while Vanya’s book called him “sweet, as a child at least”

As for the Handler... she’s aware that he has Vanya’s book and a red notebook, but I don’t think she actually knows what’s in the red notebook! Reginald was notoriously secretive, after all

So the Handler assumes that the red notebook is where Five keeps his time travel equations because aw, he hasn’t given up! how cute!

She makes an assumption that, logically, makes sense. Of course Five is still trying to figure out time travel, no matter how much he denies it! Of course he’s writing the equations down! What a silly boy, thinking that he could hide this from her, of course she knows about his little plans to save his siblings ;3c

And because she’s so powerful and knowledgeable and one step ahead all the time, she makes an assumption and assumes that it is fact. Because she’s so smart, of course she isn’t wrong! She’s had Five clocked from day one!

(The Handler thinks she has Five all figured out, a creature so based in sentiment. Why would he carry a book around that details the torture his siblings went through? He hates his father, why would he ever carry around his father’s notebook! The Handler has a fatal flaw, and it is that she doesn’t understand loyalty and sneers at sentiment and those are two of Five’s most powerful driving factors. Five lives for his siblings and would die for his siblings, almost his entire life has been dedicated to saving them. Not the world, just his family.) 

(She understands that Five considers his family to be exceptionally valuable, but doesn’t comprehend that Five is 100% willing to die for them should it come down to it. Why on earth would anyone value something like siblings over their own life? Absurd. I genuinely believe that the Handler thinks she could get Five to betray his siblings with the right leverage, and so she fundamentally does not understand Five as a person)

To be fair to the Handler, the whole academy’s morals and just. completely and utterly fucked. Luther condemns the murder of innocent civilians even if it would save the planet but doesn’t blink an eye at killing the ‘bad guy’ Commission agents. Diego stabs criminals as a pastime while still holding himself at a moral high ground for saving people, despite the fact that too many criminals are forced into crime by unfair circumstances. Allison used her powers to bolster her career without even blinking but now refuses to use her powers at all because of the manipulation of one (1) child, not even against ‘bad guys.’ 

I mean. Vanya wrote an entire salt book without consulting her siblings that had lasting impacts on at least one of her sibling’s career in the public eye and potentially impacting her siblings relationships with everyone who had every read the spark notes on her book, without the opportunity for reprisal. Publishing your entire family’s dirty laundry as personal emotional catharsis is... kind of a dick mood, lets be real. Especially when you were all abused children raised in an environment of excessive violence and rigid structure. 

Like yeah, of course Allison is good at manipulation and lying - she grew up with an abusive and over-controlling father. She probably lied as easily as breathing about where she’d been, who she was with, what she was doing, etc. The only privacy they got in that household was what they seized with their own hands and carved out for themselves! Is it fair to say that Allison’s superpower is dishonestly?

Is it fair to say that Klaus got crueler as he grew? He was tortured and turned to drugs as an unhealthy coping mechanism, and then he sat down at a table and looked at all the other little kiddies who did not get locked into a crypt overnight. In fact, there was one child who never got any extra training at all! Can you imagine the jealousy? The bitterness? Klaus might have been exceptionally cruel to Vanya as a teenager, she had everything he wanted and dared to complain about it. Can you imagine listening to someone wistfully wish they could join in on missions when you know that the cost for doing so has been carved out of your soul?

My point is, none of these little bitches have anything that resembles a sane moral compass. They’re unpredictable as fuck! It’s like herding cats! You never know what they’re going to do next! Oh? Are they going to investigate in any logical pattern? No, because Diego just remembered Patch exists and helping her print flyers for the annual police ball is more important than saving the world or whatever lol

Luther is over there investigating the moon! The moon! Meanwhile Allison is breaking and entering her sister’s student’s house because she got shady vibes off of him one time and she has never heard of a proportionate action in her life. 

Meanwhile Vanya is going through the phone book trying to call up psychiatrists who have any familiarity with whatever fucked up meds Dad put her on because like, she would like to Not Be On Them (fuck you dad) but also understands that danger of quitting cold turkey something you have been taking for years and would like a professional opinion on how to safely decrease and eventually eliminate her usage, thanks (Klaus is hanging over her shoulder pointing out the ones who will sell you non-prescription drugs for a price and Vanya mentally crosses those ones off of her list to call)

Five is probably joining on the breaking and entering because Allison promised she would sweet talk to eye dude if he did her this solid 

(Five complains at length about how investigating the apocalypse should not be a solid because she would 100% die as well if the apocalypse came to pass)

[willwriteforhugs]

it’s not okay- hwang hyunjin

boyfriend! hyunjin x reader- one shot !

word count: 1.8k

genre: angst, a little fluffy, full of hyunjin-is-overprotective-syndrome

synopsis: when a stranger on the street makes you uncomfortable with his romantic advances, it takes everything hyunjin has not to kill him right then and there.

warnings: instance of harassment, a *brief* physical altercation, arguing, some cursing

a/n: this fic was requested by a lovely anon! sorry about the wait- i hope you and everyone else enjoy this one. i definitely got carried away with this, but hopefully it’s still what was requested lol. also, if you all have any other requests, feel free to send them in. i like to know i’m writing what you all want to see.

one last thing: a quick disclaimer- all of the events in this story are fictional, and should be taken with a grain of salt. everything that happens here is just my own interpretation of the situation i was presented with. anyways, thank you sm for reading! 

- - - 

the streets around you bustle with noise. mothers calling for their wandering children, street vendors shouting out prices... the sheer volume of it almost overwhelms you. at your side, your right hand tightens around your boyfriend’s. the last thing you want is to lose him in the crowd... he gives you a gentle squeeze back. words weren’t exchanged, but you understand what he meant: it’s okay, i’m right here.

you really are not a fan of crowds- you never have been, but hyunnie loves the market- and you do too, when it isn’t this packed. but he’s been so busy lately,  and the two of you hardly get to go on dates anymore... so when he’d proposed this as how he wanted to spend the afternoon, you couldn’t help but agree to it.

you glance up at him, thankful for the opportunity of distraction. you and hyunjin have been together for more than six months now- and god, you have never been more in love. you’d been in love before- or at least, you think you had. but being with hyunjin... it’s just not the same. the feelings you have for him are ten times the feelings you’d had for anyone back in high school. of course, maybe it’s just because he’s so damn beautiful...

today, for a simple market day, your counterpart is dressed casually. he’s in a plain hoodie and jeans, with his shoulder length hair tucked into a beanie. his face is bare, and you can’t help but smile just by looking at him. 

your boyfriend smiles back, looking slightly baffled. “is there something on my face?”

you snort and shake your head. “i can’t just look at you?”

he narrows his eyes playfully. “absolutely not. it makes me suspicious.”

you roll your eyes. “you spend too much time with the boys. i’m not gonna flick you, you know.” you pause. “or shove tissues in your mouth.”

at this, hyunjin huffs a laugh. “alright, that one’s true.”

hyunjin then leads you into a left turn, heading towards a vendor selling fresh hotteok. you follow willingly, realizing that you are indeed a bit hungry. as always, he knew exactly what you needed before even you did.

as your boyfriend places an order, you wander a few feet, wanting to glance into the stall next to you. in order to do so, you have to slip behind the first stall, into a small alleyway that borders the back part of the vendor lines. you peer over into the stall you were looking for. they’re selling handmade dishes- and from what you can see as you strain you neck over the stall, they’re absolutely gorgeous. dainty tea sets made of impossibly thin porcelain line the tables. the intricate floral designs catch your eye, and you know hyunjin would love to look at them. you turn quickly, mouth already forming his name.

“hyunjin-ah, i- oh!” you interrupt yourself with your surprise. in your rush, you’d turned around and run right into another person. your face floods with heat, and if you could, you would have shriveled up and died right there.

“i’m so sorry,” you mumble, bowing frantically. you eyes burn holes into the ground. “i wasn’t paying attention.”

“it’s fine, really.” a masculine voice replies. 

you look up, shocked to see that the person you’d run into is a man, and he looks to be around your age. “oh. okay.”

the man is tall- taller than hyunjin, even. he’s got an angry look to him, and you take a step back. but he just smirks. “i didn’t mean to scare you.”

he leans against the wall, crossing his arms together. you watch as his eyes rake over you and your body, and you shrink away.

you press your lips together, and the anxiety from before begins to claw it’s way back into your mind. “it’s fine, seriously.” your breathing is uneven, and you desperately want to get back to hyunjin. “but i kinda have to go...”

the man, who is blocking your way, doesn’t budge. “so soon? why don’t you stay and talk with me? you’re so cute, i just gotta get your number, babe.”

your body jerks in reaction to the pet name. who the hell is he calling baby?

you inhale sharply. “please- can i just get by? i’m really alright.”

the stranger takes a step towards you. “come on, why are you so shy? it’s harmless flirting, love...” he reaches out and takes a hold of your wrist. your facade crumbles, and your vision begins to close. you become hyper-aware of how alone you are back in this alleyway. you quickly jerk your hand back, and he relents, freeing your hand. “so jumpy! why? how about we go get a coffee? i know a place, it’s just ten booths-”

“who the hell are you?”

the voice is sharp and temperamental, and beautifully familiar. you hear yourself breathe a sigh of relief. hyunjin's here. thank god.

your boyfriend is now standing a few feet away, sporting an expression of anger and wariness. his eyes flit to the man, then to you. though he doesn’t say it, you can practically hear his voice, asking if you’re okay.

the strange man- who is still standing far too close- speaks up, voice brimming with cockiness. “why do you care?”

you physically cringe at those words. good luck with that one, dude. you just threw gasoline on an open flame.

“get the fuck away from my girlfriend.” hyunjn’s voice is low, but the impact of the words is louder than bombs. his face has gone from wary to furious. “don’t make me say it again.”

the creep takes a step away from you, moving towards hyunjin. “why are you so pissy, pretty boy? got that much to lose?”

you can see the clockwork in your boyfriend’s mind turning. calculating the outcomes. 

before anyone can move to stop you, you dart across the apparent no-man’s-land, coming to a stop at hyunjin’s left shoulder. you reach out and rest a hand on it, hoping the action conveys your feelings. when he doesn’t respond, you lean forward and hurriedly whisper in his ear; “please, hyunjin-ah. i’m alright. let’s just go.”

the boy brushes your hand away, and maintains his silence.

“hyunjin.” you say, louder this time. “it’s okay.”

this time, his narrowed eyes flash. “what-no! it’s not okay!” he swivels to face you. “what about that was okay?!”

your chest clenches, and your hand slips forward to clutch at his shirt. your voice comes out cracked. “please, let’s just go.”

the stranger watches the whole interaction with an amused smile on his lips, and the looks sends chills up your spine.

after a moment, hyunjin takes a deep breath and raises his chin. “you’re right, y/n-ah, i’m sorry. let’s just go, my love.”

as the two of you turn to go, the stranger shouts at hyunjin’s retreating back. “where are you going? i didn’t even get your bitch’s number!”

your skin goes cold, and you can feel your boyfriend turn to stone next to you. you inhale, reaching out to stop what you know is inevitable. 

hyunjin makes a slow turn on his heel. his gaze is icy, and his tone is even colder. “what the hell did you just say?”

the other man scoffs, and it randomly occurs to you that he might be drunk. or, you think; maybe he’s just a pervert, y/n. 

“i said, i didn’t get your bitch’s phone number.”

hyunjin is silent and frozen for a moment. then, with no preamble, he lunges forward. 

“hyunjin!” you yelp. but you know- you know there’s no stopping what’s next.

his punch hits the man square in the jaw, and his opponent goes stumbling. you lurch forward, terrified of this escalating. 

without looking, hyunjin catches you with his arm and gently shoves you back. 

he refocuses on the man on the ground, who is struggling to get up. when he gets close, hyunjin pushes him back down. you watch as he comes to a crouch in front of the fallen man. he hisses his words through his teeth: “don’t you ever say that shit. calling my girlfriend a bitch... unless you want to get your poor fucking ass handed to you, you never say shit like that again.”

your mouth hangs open in shock, and you stumble forward again, pulling your boyfriend away before he does something he regrets. you drag him back through the booths, and you emerge back at the front of the hotteok stand.

as soon as the connection breaks, hyunjin’s anger disappears, and he looks almost surprised. he reaches over and grasps your hand. “y/n- are you alright?”

you sigh, and even as your eyes sting slightly, you nod your head. the creepy man hadn’t followed the two of you, but you still feel the need to run. you release a shaky breath. 

hyunjin leans down and plants a light but lingering kiss of your forehead. when he pulls away, he sighs against your hair. “i’m sorry,” he whispers.

“for what?” you prompt, whispering back.

“for getting carried away. i...i didn’t mean to.”

“it’s okay. i know.” you lean away to meet his eyes. “besides, he was scaring me. so... thank you.”

he offers a bittersweet smile. “okay, baby...” he pauses for a second. “let’s go home?”

you allow a real smile and nod. “yeah. i’d like that.” you pause, deciding to tease him a little. “will you promise to stay and cuddle?”

at this, your lover’s moment of melancholy breaks too. “yes..” he fakes a groan. “if i have to...”

you reach down to hold his hand as the two of you begin walking, initial plans long forgotten. you begin to bicker back. “oh, please. you really act like you don’t enjoy skinship with me.”

he pauses. “how do you know it’s not just to get in your pants?”

you gasp and smack his arm. “don’t say that! i’ll never sleep with you again if you say shit like that!” 

hyunjin laughs, and his real, genuine smile warms your heart. “well then i guess i’ll stop. but only because of that threat.”

“oh, really?” you raise your eyebrows.

he gives up immediately, his forehead crinkling slightly. “no. i love you, y/n. i really do. and i promise i will give you all the snuggles when we get back.”

you nod, then lean your head on his arm, inhaling his scent. you’ve never been more grateful for him. 

the two of you continue walking, hand in hand. it isn’t for another few minutes that he finally breaks the silence. “so- what do you want for dinner?”

the two of you burst into laughter when you realize you’d never even gotten your hotteok.

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 67

Firstly, I am sorry this took so long to do but it's finished now and hopefully it is a good read. Anyway, this was really fun and hard to write but I enjoyed it. I tried to make it quite light hearted compared to the others I've wrote recently and this officially marks the Lukanette part of the story. Like i know these two blueberries have been dancing around each other for a while but now they are finally on the same page on each other's feelings. However, Anatis won't be telling Lady Noir about it and vice versa. The reason is because they could work out each other's identities. Anatis thinks if he tells her, she realize he's is Luka from it as he wouldn't want to be with anyone else then Marinette and Lady Noir is still Marinette so she figures that if she tells him, he realize that both her and Marinette had the same thing happen to them at the same time and from that, he realize they are the same person. So I will be working on the Halloween Special for the Specials section and Crescendo next so I'm pretty excited about them XD

Also I changed Heureux Fin's powers a bit. He has a dust that turns people into fairytale characters that makes them not worry as a side effect. It can also change objects and places into fairytale scenery. Fairytale can shape-shift into fairytale creatures aka a fairy, a shadow and a wolf. It can also produce a dust in it's fairy form that turns Adrien's friends into the lost kids, making them think they were always lost kids while forgetting who they really are. Their canon hero names are inspiration for their lost kid names. For example, Kim is just monkey as a lost boy. Another reason why I decided to give it that power is because Neverland has that effected on the characters in the book.

Oh and for the fairytale characters that the characters became check the end notes :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Sixty-Seven:  Heureux Fin

~Agreste Manor~

 "Thank you all for coming," Gabriel stated as he looked to his guests. Audrey and her husband were sat close to him on the right side of the tablet while Tomoe was sat next to him on the left. She was still gripping her cane. XY had come in place of his father and Amelie Graham de Vanily was sat opposite him. The only person who hadn't turned up was Alim Kubdel but this did not surprise him as Alim had walked away after the birth of his son. "As we all saw the temple of the miraculous has returned,"

 "Is that why you called us here, Gabriel?" Audrey asked, making him look at her as she glanced at her nails. "I already did my part for the order,"

 "Yes and your daughter was a wonderful contribution but now we must focus our efforts on the true goal of our organization," He stated, making almost all of them look at him. "Finding the mage's latest form,"

 "We have been looking for years," Tomoe replied. "We even hoped our own children would be him reborn and when it wasn't the case, we gave up or did you forget that?"

 "Of course, I remember that but I have reason to believe he must be here in Paris,"

 "Why on earth would the mage come here?" Amelie asked with disgust. "This rat hole is not worthy of his presence,"

 "Because of Hawkmoth," Gabriel stated, causing everyone to look at him. "Hawkmoth is currently misusing a miraculous and trying to steal more. It would make sense that this would draw the mage to Paris. In fact, I believe he might even be the one responsible for giving Anatis and Lady Noir their powers,"

 "So you're saying the mage has already been reborn?!" Amelie gasped, standing up. Gabriel nodded in reply. "Well, that simply won't do! How are we suppose to control him now?! He could be older then all of us,"

 "Relax, my dear. I have reason to be believe that he isn't that old," Gabriel replied, making her frown. "As for controlling him, there is plenty of ways to indoctrinate him into our way of thinking... as I'm sure Audrey will testify with her daughter,"

 "Yes, Zoe is doing wonderfully at her current school. By the time she is 18, she'll be a perfect fit to take over my position as both the Style Queen and Queen of the underworld," She smirked, looking at her nails. "Shame that Chloe is such a broken child though... however, I'm surprised none of you decided to put your child into the program,"

 "The Tsurugi family never let anyone dictate how they see the world," Tomoe declared, making Audrey frown deeply. "We are as elusive as the wind, as powerful as the flood, and as swift as lightning. We never let anyone rule our hearts or control us,"

 "Yet you're one of the most controlling parents here," Audrey pointed out, making Tomoe frown. "So much for not letting anyone control you,"

 "At least, my family understands honor," Tomoe retorted back. "Yours only understands money,"

 "You say that like it's a bad thing," Audrey laughed. "Money is power. We all know that,"

 Gabriel clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention.

 "As much as I would love to see this continue, let's focus on the subject at hand," Gabriel stated, making everyone look at him. It took a lot of mental strength for him not go to his secret garden and akumatize the room but having said that, they would make great akumas. He would even akumatize Amelie despite the fact that she was technically family. He cleared his mind of those thoughts as they began to talk about how to track down the mage's latest form and how they would take control of him. Of course, Gabriel had no intention of letting the others have him. No, he would take the mage for himself and akumatize him. He would be the perfect akuma to finally take down Anatis and Lady Noir. They wouldn't know what hit them.

~Feng's Hut~

 "Su Han used the wish?!" Luka gasped, pushing his fingers through his hair. "Why? Why did he do that? Why did he kill Toutai?"

 "Because he wanted the title," Feng replied, making Luka frown. "Su Han believed it was his destiny to become the Celestial guardian as soon as he found out about my existence but when Toutai was revealed to be my most recent incarnation, Su Han became jealous. That jealousy was left to fester and grew, turning into resentment as the years passed. It did not help that both were in love with the same woman,"

 "Mulan," Luka muttered, causing Feng to nod. 

 "When she chose Toutai, it added salt to an already infected wound and the resentment that Su Han had for Toutai turned into a cold, deep hatred," He stated, making Luka frown. "From that, things just got worst. Thanks to his hatred, Su Han fell victim to the dark spirit I mentioned. This dark spirit influenced him with promises of power and his 'rightful' destiny. He tried to get Su Han to murder Toutai but when he wouldn't, he suggested using the wish to claim what he called Su Han's destiny but as you know, the wish requires a price in return for what you wish. Su Han wished to be the celestial guardian and so Toutai lost the title but even with the title, it didn't change that Toutai was the rightful guardian. Su Han only wished to be have the title. He should have wished to have been born as my reincarnation but he did not. He thought just having the title was enough. He thought that he would become the best celestial guardian there was and that Mulan would rush to his side as his bride. Of course, she didn't rush to his side and stuck with Toutai. The two of them intended to leave and rebuild else where but the dark spirit whispered in Su Han's ear, making him believe they intended to usurp him. He made a special dagger and confronted them but he did not expect Toutai to challenge him for his betrayal. They got into a fight and as a result, Toutai was murdered and the dark spirit was freed,"

 "That's when he possessed Su Han," Luka stated, making Feng nod. "Tell me more about the dark spirit,"

 "His name is Simme. He was born of humanity's cruelty and feeds off negative emotions. Feelings such as anger, jealousy and resentment are what he is drawn t. He is also drawn to those who's hearts are darker then others. Just been around him will bring these negative emotions to the surface but it goes much far then that," Feng replied, making Luka frown. "Simme is what the kwamis call Móguǐ or Devil in your tongue. He inspired the stories of Lucifer, Satan and most devil figures in mythology and religion. He is a trickster and a deal maker but those deals never go the way people want them to. They only work in his favor,"

 "How did he get trapped?"

 "Another spirit fought him and trapped him in Jīngshén, an area in the spirit realm," He replied, making Luka nod before he frowned. "Luka?"

 "Wait... if he escaped from there and possessed Su Han at the temple..." Luka muttered as the color drained out of his face. "I restored the temple! That means he's back!!"

 "Yes and no," Feng replied, making Luka frown. "Simme is a spirit, meaning it is rather difficult for him to interact with the physical world so while he is technically back, he can only do so much right now, especially with the fact that his host is weak... but should there be an event that creates enough negative emotion or if he was able to find a dark soul and use it as a host, it could be enough to allow him to break through the spiritual barriers and manifest a form in the physical world,"

 "Great... wait what's a dark soul?" Luka asked, frowning.

 "It's a form of a pure soul but one that is born pure evil," Feng replied. "It is rare but what's even rarer is a light soul, which is one born pure good. You see most souls are a mix of good and bad. It's very rare for someone to be born pure evil or pure good,"

 "And I brought this thing back?!" Luka gasped, running his fingers through his hair. "I've made a huge mistake! I should have given up been Anatis and then-"

 "Simme would have returned regardless of your choice. Whoever defeated Feast and cast the miraculous cure would have brought him back," Feng replied, making Luka at him. "But regardless, this is what was meant to happen and your choice has been made. You are Anatis and Simme is free but that doesn't mean you are helpless against him. As my reincarnation, you can use a spell to trap him back in Jīngshén,"

 "Wait... I can?" Luka asked, making Feng nod. "How? I don't know magic... or at least not that type. Obviously, I know how to project my emotions... but casting spells... isn't that evil?"

 "No, a spell is neither good nor bad. It is the intention of the caster that makes it either," Feng replied, making Luka nod. "As for learning, I can teach you. Of course, you won't be able to cast that spell yet. It is a very powerful spell and you must first learn to channel magic, which is why we have the tests,"

 "Tests?" Luka asked, confused.

 "Yes, tests," Feng replied, making Luka raise an eyebrow. "These tests are required to prove you are worthy of magic as well as the title of Celestial guardian,"

 "Whoa, whoa... Celestial guardian?!" Luka gasped, making Feng chuckle. "I'm not celestial guardian material! I'm barely guardian material, Feng!"

 "Becoming a celestial guardian is your destiny, Luka," He explained, making Luka frown. "Think of it as you are my heir and I beg to differ. You have already ticked a number of the boxes to becoming a celestial guardian and passed one of the tests,"

 "I... have?" Luka asked, surprised.

 "Yes," Feng nodded. "You lead a team of heroes, you have the trust of a civilization, you restored hope, the kwamis you have met love and respect you and you are willing to fight for the right. As for the test, you passed the test of determination... my test... when you continued to fight, despite having a chance to walk away. Whether you see it or not, you're on the path of becoming the next celestial guardian,"

 "What do you mean your test?"

 "Each test comes from our different lives," Feng replied, making Luka frown a little. "Me and Khnurn came up with them after he showed determination in saving Egypt despite having a strong dislike towards most humans,"

 "...Why does he hate people?" Luka asked, making Feng sigh.

 "It is not really my place to save but let's just say for now that Khnurn has seen how cruel humans can be," Feng replied, causing Luka to frown. "He'll tell you in his own time but for now, let me explain more about the tests,"

 "Ok," Luka nodded. "Why is your test determination?"

 "It is what I represent," Feng replied, making Luka give him a confused look. "Hmm... how to explain this? Well, I guess you could say we're the closest thing to a spirit a human can be,"

 "Wait... that does mean we're not human?!" Luka gasped, concerned. Feng chuckled a little and shook his head.

 "No, we're still human... we're just part spirit too," He replied, making Luka frown. "Well, you know Kwamis are born from concepts and Renlings are born from values. Well, spirits are born from traits,"

 "Traits?" Luka echoed, making Feng nod. "I'm not sure I fully understand,"

 "Ok," Feng replied, making a thinking face. "Well, a good example is Simme and his opposite,"

 "His opposite?"

 "All things have an opposite, Luka. Where there is light, there is always shadow and where there is evil, there is also good. The world is of balance and Simme is no different," Feng replied, making Luka blink as he stopped talking and took a drag from a pipe. He rose an eyebrow as he was certain that Feng didn't have it a moment ago. However, he blew smoke out of his mouth and to Luka's surprise, it formed shapes that resembled men. He frowned as he watched them hurt and kill each other as a new form shaped. It resembled a snake with a grin. "Simme was born from the cruelty in the hearts of man and as a result, he can influence it,"

 Luka frowned as he watched the smoke snake whisper to the men, causing them to be cruel and evil but the smoke changed and showed a smoke person offering another food.

 "But where there is cruelty, there is also kindness," Feng replied as Luka watched. "Not all humans are evil or cruel. There are kind and it was from this kindness, Simme's opposite was born,"

 From the smoke people, a new shape formed but this one resembled a bird.

 "Finni, the spirit of kindness.... you met him during the mob boss situation. It was him who guided you to safety," He replied, making Luka blink. He did remember seeing a bird but he had no idea it was a spirit. "And it is him that we owe our long lives and immortality to. He is why we are part spirit,"

 The scene changed, showing a boy in a temple surrounded by others but what made them stand out was they didn't look solid. Instead, they appeared to transparent but the boy in the scene looked solid. Luka realized the boy was Feng.

 "I was born with the gift of foresight and I have always been able to see spirits..." He replied as the smoke changed. It now showed the boy but he was alone in the temple while others whispered to each other. Luka knew they were whispering about him. "Other humans believed I was mad. Even my parents. I never fitted in and the other children thought I was weird,"

 The scene changed to the boy, walking through a forest before he stumbled on the kwamis.

 "Then one day, I met Tikki and the other kwamis. I invited them to live with me, finding that I had more in common with them then other humans," Feng replied as the scene showed him laughing and playing with them. However, the scene changed to him trying to tell his mother something during a thunderstorm. "But then I had a vision of death and war,"

 The smoke changed to Feng talking to a girl in a village before it showed him running from her.

 "I tried to warn my family but they did not believe me so I ran away," He replied as the smoke showed him going deep into a forest and crying to himself. As he did, the grinning snake approached him. "That's where I met Simme. He tried to tempt me into using my gifts for evil but I refused him and found Finni,"

 The smoke showed an injured bird and Feng trying to heal him.

 "I tried to help and my kindness saved his life but he was still weak. I took him home with me and for a small amount of time, I was happy again but my vision haunted me and one day, it came to be," The smoke changed into a scene of carnage as a village been attacked by men on horses. Luka covered his mouth in shock as he watched Feng been cut down then attacked by Simme. Before he could kill him, Finni flew in and attacked Simme to protect his friend. He used his magic to banish him, sending the snake away and tried to heal the boy's wounds with his tears. When that wasn't enough, he possessed a nearby body and lifted Feng into his arms. The smoke changed and showed Finni's host taking a dying Feng back to their temple and to the other spirits who surrounded the dying boy. The other kwamis and Finni discussed something and then the scene showed them surrounding him and singing as Finni turned into a ball of light before it covered the area. When it disappeared, the smoke showed Feng sit up, alive. Finni had sacrificed himself to heal him.

 "That war drained Finni's power a lot and he used the last of it to merge his soul with mine and save my life," Feng explained, making Luka blink as the smoke showed Feng placing his hand where his heart was. "That was the moment I became the spirit of Determination. Up until the very end, I tried to warn my family of the attack and when Finni merged his soul with mine, it made me into a spirit... well, the closest thing to a spirit a human could be. That is why my test is the test of determination and each time I have been reborn, I became a new spirit with a new trait but the same soul. Each of my tests is based on those traits,"

 "What is my trait?" Luka asked, looking at Feng. "Did you know straight away?"

 "No... and I don't know what yours is either," Feng replied, making Luka frown. "But you will find out,"

 "Can I know what the other tests will be?" Luka asked, making Feng nod.

 "You will be tested on honesty, loyalty, courage and compassion," Feng replied, making Luka nod. "But I can not tell you when you'll be tested or how. Only that you will be and what their traits are,"

 "Four tests? That's it?" Luka asked, a little surprised. "What happens if I pass them? I mean I don't feel any different from passing yours..."

 "Oh, you are different since you passed mine. You're stronger and I know you felt it," Feng smiled, making Luka remember how he felt when he transformed after reclaiming his miraculous back. He had felt stronger. "As for rewards for passing, I can teach you how to farther your magic and how to channel mine. You also unlocked one of the locks,"

 "Locks?" Luka asked as Feng gestured towards the door of the hut, the one that never opens. "There's locks on it?"

 "Yes, five all together," Feng replied, making Luka blink. "One for each trait and once you have passed all of them, it will open the door, allowing you to join me and the others in Shangi-La both spiritual and physically,"

 "Ok... cool..." Luka muttered, not entirely sure how to feel. "I am here physically?"

 "No but this is still real," Feng replied, making Luka nod. "Anyway, do you understand spirits, our lives and the tests a bit better?"

 "A little... yeah..." Luka admitted. It kind of did make sense. He had to admit he was interested in learning how to channel magic. "So you can teach me to channel your magic? Does that mean I can have visions? And will that help with learning to cast spells? Also what spells can we do? Is it like Harry Potter? Do I need a wand?"

 "Luka, calm yourself," Feng stated, making him blink and grin in a sheepish manner. He did get a bit excited. "No, you don't need a wand. It isn't like Harry Potter. We can cast any spells but certain ones need certain things and power level so you'll be learning basic spells and yes, it will help with casting and you will be able to have visions but learning your own magic will help too and most things can be a spell. We just need to work out how you cast,"

 "Ok!" Luka grinned, making Feng smile. While part of him was kind of weary of it, a bigger part of him was excited. After all, he just got told he could do actual magic and it wasn't like Issac was in his life anymore. He didn't need to be afraid of been a witch plus Feng had explained that it was his intention that determined what the magic actually was so as long as his intention was good, his magic would be too and this was a chance to learn more about his empathy. "When can we begin?"

 "Now if you want," 

 "Yes!!"

 ~A Few Days Later~

 "Urg, I can't believe we're back at school," Alix groaned as a number of students walked back to the school grounds. Summer holidays were over now, meaning it was back to the humdrum routine of studying and akuma attacks but the children were back, heading to the school. Felix had returned from London and was talking to Aurora and Mireille while they waited for Jean to turn up. Nino and Alya were similar in the sense they were waiting for Adrien and Marinette. Nathaniel was already at the school and in the art room, discussing the new ideas for the comic that he and Marc came up with during the holidays. Marc was also there. Alix would have joined them but she wanted to wait for Kim and Max. Mylene and Ivan were stood with the others, waiting for Juleka, Rose and Luka. "Why couldn't the summer holidays last longer?!"

 "We had two months off, Alix," Max stated as he walked up to her, making her groan before she grinned. "How was your holiday... other then... you know?" 

 "History Keepers," Alix replied, rolling her eyes. "It's been fairly good. Dad's still embarrassing and Jalil is still a history geek. When's Kim gonna be here?"

 "Oh, he is currently stuck in traffic," Max replied, pushing up his glasses. "Mr Pigeon has been trying to get rid of cars. I'm surprised Alya isn't on the scene,"

 "Eh," Alya shrugged, making Nino snigger. "It's Mr Pigeon's 60th time as an akuma and it will be over soon anyway. No one wants to watch that,"

 As if on que, the miracle cure rushed throughout the city, fixing any issues the akuma had caused. The students grinned as they saw it before beginning to chat about the recent akumas and how Anatis and Lady Noir saved them. A few of them had been akumatized before going back to school. Nino had been one of them. He had been re-akumatized into the Bubbler as he wanted Summer to never end so he tried to get rid of the adults again to allow the summer holiday to continued. Fortunately, Anatis and Lady Noir had dealt with him pretty quickly. A few minutes after the cure had been cast, Juleka and Rose walked over, followed by Luka. At the same time, Marinette had rushed out of the bakery, holding a croissant in her mouth. She had ran over and hadn't seen Luka, who had been jogging to catch up with Rose and Juleka. The two of them knocked into each other and fell on the ground with Marinette landing on Luka. She jumped up and helped him up as he laughed it off.

 "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have looked where I was going!" She gushed, making him chuckle.

 "It's ok, Marinette," He replied, smiling before he pulled a face as a limo pulled up. "I was rushing too so I should have been more careful as well,"

 "Did I miss something?" Adrien asked as he climbed out, followed by Kagami. He smiled at her as he held her hand, making her smile back as she linked their fingers together. Instantly, Marinette cooed at their action, making both Adrien and Kagami blush a little. Alix laughed and moved her arm around Marinette.

 "Just Marinette and Luka falling for each other," She grinned, making both of them blush a little bit too. However, the mood soured as they heard the screech of none other then Lila Rossi. They all looked over as she waved at them before she walked up to them, instantly making a number of them feel uncomfortable.

 "Hi everyone!" She grinned before turning to Luka. "Hi, Luka! I'm so glad you decided to take the restraining order off me! I hope we can be friends,"

 "I didn't take it off. It was granted on a temporary basis and I'll be in court tomorrow afternoon to get it reinstated," He replied in a calm but cold voice. "So no, we won't be friends. Just because it is currently inactive doesn't mean you can come near me so I suggest you back off, Rossi,"

 Lila gave him a look before huffing and walking over to Alya.

 "Can you believe his attitude?" She asked, rather loudly. It was obviously to make Luka hear. He took a small breathe and ignored her, turning back to Marinette. "I just want to fix where we went wrong and he won't even give me a chance,"

 "Lila, you didn't exactly treat him nicely," Alya muttered, making Luka roll his eyes. It was more then that. "I mean you kissed him without his permission,"

 "I misread the situation!" Lila gasped.

 "Still..." Alya stated as Nino started to berate her, saying it wasn't cool to kiss people even if she thought it was but Marinette took Luka's hand and led him inside the school, making him smile a little as they walked over to the benches. They took a seat as he let out a sigh.

 "You ok?" She asked, making him nod. "How come the restraining order ran out?"

 "The court granted it on a temporary basis," He sighed, making her frown. "If the problem still occurs, we can get a fresh one which we'll be doing tomorrow. I asked if we could get it renewed before but apparently it needs to run out first and they review the case before granting a fresh one which can take up to two weeks to grant depending how bad the case is. There is a chance they won't grant a second one against her,"

 "They should," Marinette stated, taking his hand in hers as he looked at her. She gently moved his hair, causing him to close his eyes. "Are you sleeping ok? You look tired,"

 "Hmm... my nightmares aren't as bad," He muttered before a yawn escaped him. "But I'm not getting a lot of restful sleep. Music's been on my mind,"

 "Oh, you writing some new songs?" She asked, making him smile before he shook his head. "Oh?"

 "I've been practicing for that violin contest," He admitted, making her grin.

 "You're entering it?!" She gasped, clearly excited. "Wait but weren't auditions for it a couple of days ago?"

 "Yeah... I'm just waiting to find out if I got through to the next stage," He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He hadn't even told his ma or Juleka that he had entered yet. He didn't want to disappoint them if he didn't get through. There had been a lot of entries for it and a lot of talent. Luka wasn't sure if he could get through to the next stage so he decided to keep quiet about it until he knew for certain. "I don't know if I'll get through and I don't want to disappoint anyone if I didn't so I figured I'd tell Ma, Juleka and you if I got through but I guess you know now... sorry for not mentioning it,"

 "Hey, it's ok," She smiled, making him smile back. "I get why but you're gonna get through to the next stage and blow those judges away!"

 "Thanks, Melody," He smiled as the first bell rang. "We better go to classes,"

 The two of them got up and walked over to the locker room as the other kids headed inside. Luka completely ignored Lila, who shoot a glare at him when she thought no one was watching before he put his stuff in his locker and grabbed what he needed for his class. Once that was done, he locked his locker and headed over to Marinette's locker as she put her things in and grabbed what she needed. The two of them left the locker room with their friends and headed upstairs to their classes.

 "See you at Lunch?" She asked, causing him to nod before she gently kissed his cheek, making him blush. He smiled dreamily at her as she waved to him before heading into her classroom. He turned and walked over to Mrs Mendeleiev's class as Aurora hooked her arm with his and grinned.

 "So you and Mari are an item?!" She grinned, clearly excited. He blushed a little. "Oh you are, aren't you?!"

 "W-We're taking it slow," He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Like we're not exclusively dating... just enjoying each other's company,"

 "Oh my gosh! You're courting her!" Aurora grinned, making him blush as she giggled before she leaded against him as they joined the rest of their class. "I'm so proud! Our Lu is a true gentleman!!"

 "Have you told her that you love her yet?" Mireille asked as Aurora let go of his arm and took her seat next to him. Luka rubbed his neck again. "You haven't, have you?"

 "I mean we're taking it slow..." He mused, looking to the side. "And I know she likes me but I'm still unsure if it's just because I'm her friend or more... I'm probably just a friend to her..."

 "More... it's definitely more," Marc stated, making everyone look at him. He was scribbling in his notebook but he looked up to address everyone. "She flutters to you like a bee to a flower... I would use a butterfly as an example but... akumas..."

 "It's not their fault," Luka pointed out, making everyone look at him. "Hawkmoth uses the butterflies, just like he uses people,"

 "Hmm... that is a good point," Marc smiled, writing something down. "Anyway, Marinette definitely likes you. She moves her hair, blushes and she also shows you her wrists and 'vulnerabilities'... which means she trusts you,"

 "Trust and liking someone isn't the same thing," Luka pointed out but he couldn't help the smile on his face. He liked that she trusts him. "Still... it's nice that she trusts me,"

 "She's also open with you, has a genuine look in her eye when she looks at you, she mirrors you a little bit and when you two talk, she leans towards you and acts like it is only the two of you in the world," Marc pointed out, making Luka blush. "All signs that at the very least, she has a crush on you,"

 "How do you know this?" Luka asked, making Marc blush a little as he begin to fidget. "Not that it's a bad thing... I'm just curious,"

 "I wanted to show that Lady Noir has feelings for Anatis in the comic so I researched body language for it plus it helps Nathaniel with expressions when he's drawing," Marc replied, playing with his hands. "I'm sorry if I crossed a line. I just think you should know that Marinette likes you a lot and definitely as more as a friend,"

 "No, it's cool," Luka smiled before looking down. "I just guess... I like that she might like me but I'm just Luka so I guess I don't really see why..."

 "Stop second guessing yourself, Couffaine," Felix stated, making everyone look at him. He was so quiet they had actually forgotten he was there. "Dupain-Cheng likes you. You like her so just date already,"

 "Felix! Be nice!" Aurora gasped, causing him to give her a cheeky grin before she turned to Luka. "But he's right. Oh, you should ask her out on an actual date and make sure she knows it's a date date!"

 "I don't know, Aurora..."

 ~Meanwhile in Miss Bustier's Class~

 "You look happy," Alya grinned, making Marinette jump a little as she had been day-dreaming about watching Luka playing violin. Alya grinned, making Marinette look at her. "So you finally asked Luka out on a real date?"

 "W-What?! No!" She blushed, covering her face with her hand. She wanted to but they were taking it slow. However, when she thought about it, she did want to been more then just what they were at the moment. She liked the idea of been his girlfriend. She liked the idea a lot. She really enjoyed going on their little dates and she had thought about kissing him a few times but hadn't done so because she wasn't sure if he wanted to. It seemed like he did but she didn't want to assume. She loved and respected him too much to do that. She looked up from her hands as Alya grinned at her. "I... I want to... but I'm not sure if he likes me like that. Like I know he likes me but I'm not sure if he likes me enough to want me to be his girlfriend,"

 "But you want to be his girlfriend?" Alya asked as Rose gushed, leaning against Juleka who gave Marinette a small but happy smile. Everyone knew she shipped what they had dubbed 'Lukanette'. Marinette slowly nodded. "Girl, you need to ask him out,"

 "I bet he would say yes!" Rose gushed, making Marinette blush even more.

 "Luka definitely likes you," Mylene agreed as Alix rolled her eyes.

 "I don't get the whole dating thing but you like him and he likes you then you should go for it," She added in, making Marinette smile. Even Chloe encouraged her in her own way. However, Lila kept to herself, digging her nails into her hands as she listened. She wanted to destroy Marinette and take everything from her but taking Luka from her will be really hard since he knows what she is like. Somehow, that freak had seen through her facade extremely quickly. Even Marinette hadn't seen through it straight away. It was only after Lila slipped up that Marinette had realized that she was lying and tried to expose her. As annoying as it was, Lila was partially glad because she couldn't stand the baker girl but she had to pretend to. Sure, she still had to pretend but before she couldn't do anything about it. Now, she could mess with her and that's exactly what she did. In fact, that's what she'll do. She might not be able to turn Luka onto her side but she could at the very least make Marinette asking him out impossible. Hell, Marinette or Luka might even get akumatized out of it. She could then claim that they hated her and it would be especially funny if Luka got akumatized. If it succeed, he would have to fight his friend for Hawkmoth and if it didn't... well, he'd be sick for a few days and out of her hair. She held back a smirk to herself as she pretended to listen to Miss Bustier. The day moved on and soon enough, it was lunch time. Marinette was getting her food and Lila was watching her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Seeing Marinette walking towards the lunch table, she tried to trip her up but much to her annoyance that failed so she moved onto the next plan. She tried to get Marinette to call her out by saying something clearly false. Instead, Alya told her she didn't need to lie again and Marinette ignored her. She didn't even notice Nino rolling his eyes. After a few more attempts, she saw Luka walking in with his friends and annoyingly enough, his expression lit up when he saw Marinette. It was so obvious he had feelings for her that it sickened her. However, she also noticed a number of students looking at him. A few girls were looking at him with a dreamy expression but a couple of guys were glaring at him. Lila smirked as she saw one of the boys who she knew had a crush on Marinette, not that she understood why. She didn't know his name either and it didn't matter but luckily enough, he looked like Adrien and most of the school knew Marinette had a crush on a boy with blonde hair and green eyes. She could use that to ruin Marinette's chances with Luka by getting this boy involved. She excused herself from the table, not that Nino or Alya noticed and walked over to the boy. He looked up at her with mild surprise.

 "Hi, I have a message from Marinette for you," She smiled, making him frown.

 "Um... what is it?" He asked, a little confused.

 "She asked me to tell you that she has a crush on you but is just too shy to ask you out," She stated, making him blink.

 "Uh... isn't she with Couffaine?" He asked, making Lila mentally smirk. She knew they weren't together.

 "Oh, no they're not actually dating," She stated, making him raise an eyebrow. "She sees him as a brother and really likes you,"

 "Right... but aren't you that liar?" He asked, making her frown. "Doesn't Marinette hate you?"

 "Look, I have an illness that makes me lie sometimes but I'm currently in therapy for it and it's helping so much," She replied, making him nod. "Besides, I don't lie about crushes and I want to make up for my behavior towards Marinette so I figured getting her with the guy she likes. Anyway, you should totally ask her out. I'm sure she'll say yes,"

 "Well... I do like her..." He admitted, making Lila smirk. Though she morphed it into a friendly grin. He got up and walked over to Marinette, who was chatting to Luka. Lila returned back to her seat, just as Alya looked up and the guy talked to Marinette. He frowned as she gently let him down and asked her why she got her friend to tell him otherwise. Marinette looked at him confused as he pointed out Lila. She frowned and apologized to him before she walked over.

 "Why did you tell that boy I like him?" She asked, crossing her arms. Lila gave her an innocent look.

 "Oh, I thought you did," She gasped, making Marinette grit her teeth. "I'm so sorry. I thought that's who you were talking about in class today when you were saying about having a crush on a boy called Luke was it? Or was it Luka?"

 Marinette's face went red as Lila gasped.

 "Oh, no! I must have got the names mixed up," She gasped in fake regret. "I hope I didn't embarrass you! I was just trying to help you out... I mean you suffered so badly with your crush on Adrien that I didn't want you to suffer in the same way with your new crush but I should have known it was Luka you were crushing on. I just hope you're not stalking him like you-"

 To everyone's surprise, Marinette slapped Lila across the face before storming out of the room. Lila held back a smirk but instantly started to cry. However, no one jumped to her defense. Instead, Luka rushed outside to check on Marinette and Alya leaned over to her as the rest of the room glared at her.

 "Lila, girl, I know you were trying to help but you shouldn't have done that," She gasped, making Lila frown. "Everyone knows that Marinette has a thing for Luka and moved on from her crush on Adrien. You didn't need to lie to get her to ask Luka out. We don't do those sort of plans anymore,"

 "O-oh, I thought it would be ok since you and the other girls have come up with plans like that before," Lila gasped, tears rolling down her face. "I didn't mean to embarrass her. I guess I deserved that slap..."

 "Damn right!" Alix growled as the class glared daggers at her.

 "I get it, Lila but Marinette was getting there," Alya replied, causing her to grip her fist. "It's not nice to reveal a crush like that and that poor guy... I get you were trying to encourage her but you shouldn't have told that other guy she liked him? What if he hadn't take no for answer?"

 "Oh, no! I didn't think of that,"

 "Yeah right," Nino muttered, making both Alya and Lila look at him in surprise. "It's clear you did all of that on purpose,"

 "W-what? No!" Lila gasped as Alya looked shocked. "Why would I?"

 "Because you hate Marinette and probably want Luka yourself," He pointed out, making her blink. She would have to be careful with Nino. "I mean all you do is lie. You lied to me about having a crush on Adrien, you framed Marinette and you lied about been friends with heroes,"

 "Babe, that's enough," Alya gasped, making him look at her. "I get she lied but she's trying to be better and she did it to help Marinette, right Lila?"

 "Of course," She lied, making Nino glare at her before he suddenly got up and walked off. Alya sighed and went to follow but Adrien stopped her.

 "I'll go talk to him," He stated before walking away. Alya nodded and sat down as Lila mentally frowned. Her plan didn't go the way she wanted but at least, she embarrassed Marinette enough to make it awkward with Luka.

 ~The Art Room~

 "Hey!" Adrien called out as Nino stormed in, slamming the door. He ran up to him and gently grabbed his arm. "Nino, calm down,"

 "How can I?" He asked before sitting down and taking off his cap as he ran his hand over his head. "I had to say something, dude. I wasn't there for Marinette when Lila caused her to become Princess Justice. I actually believed her until Anatis exposed her and then this whole thing Alya still believing in her. It nearly drove us apart and I keep telling her that Lila isn't a nice person and is lying to hurt people but Alya still wants to see the best in her and I love that because it's sweet but it's wasted on someone like Lila. She doesn't want to be nice! She didn't do that to make amends with Marinette. She did that to hurt her and Alya can't or doesn't want to see that. I love her but she is acting dumb around Lila!"

 "Whoa, it's ok, Nino," Adrien gasped, kneeling down as Nino tried to calm down. "I get it. You just want to look out for your friend and your girl. And someone like Lila is nasty but Alya has to realize that herself. You just need to be there for her when she does,"

 "... you're right, dude," Nino replied, nodding. "I'm sorry... I just... I just don't want Lila to destroy her faith in people but I also know she needs to realize Lila isn't the person she thinks she is,"

 "I know," Adrien stated, sitting next to him. "I wish I had realized sooner myself but if you want, I can try and talk to Alya bout Lila,"

 "That be cool," Nino sighed. "I wish I had known before Anatis exposed her. I can't believe it took that for me to see the truth,"

 "I know the feeling," Adrien sighed, looking down. "I never realized how damaging her lies could be before Anatis called her out... I really thought she was like a tabloid and that she was just doing it for attention but after he pointed out that she was hurting myself as well as others, I realized how damaging lies can be,"

 "Yeah," Nino replied before he suddenly looked up. "Wait... Anatis called her out in front of you?"

 "Y-Yeah, like a few hours before he exposed her online," Adrien replied. He was sure he had told Nino about that. "She had tried to claim she was a descendant of a superheroine and that Marinette had threatened her into blaming Chloe,"

 "Y-You knew before the rest of us?" Nino asked, making Adrien frown. "Did you know before Anatis called her out? She use to claim that she knew Aspik and Ryuko and you always seemed to ignore that..."

 "Well, I thought at first she was telling the truth but then she said something that I knew was a lie..." Adrien admitted, making Nino start at him. "I asked Nathalie about it and she just said to ignore her like a tabloid and that she would expose herself..."

 "You knew and you didn't think to warn us? Me?!" Nino gasped, surprising Adrien. "Did you not think that we wouldn't realize?!"

 "I honestly thought she would expose herself and I didn't think she would go so far," Adrien gasped as Nino looked at him with hurt, making him realize how wrong he had been. He should have exposed her straight away and he would if he could go back in time. "I'm sorry, Nino. I wish I had told you and the rest of the class. I could have saved everyone so much pain but I really thought she would expose herself and disappear like a tabloid paper,"

 "Well, she didn't!" Nino gasped, pinching his nose. "God, Adrien! This isn't a fairytale! Things don't just randomly fix themselves! You should have told us! I... I don't know how I can trust you anymore..."

 "Nino!" Adrien gasped, surprised but Nino walked out of the art room, causing Adrien to follow. "Nino, wait!"

 Nino ignored him and kept walking, failing to notice the akuma and amok heading towards him but Adrien did. He gasped and suddenly pushed him out of the way, causing Nino to turn around in anger.

 "What the- Adrien?" Nino gasped, feeling his anger melting away as he noticed Adrien gripping his head and stepping backwards towards the wall. A purple butterfly mask appeared around his eyes as he tried to fight off Hawkmoth's control. Nino gasped and reached out his hand as he realized that Adrien had taken an akuma meant for him. He gripped his shoulders as Adrien tried to fight off Hawkmoth's influence. "Adrien, dude! Fight him!"

 "I'm not going to listen to you!" He gasped before groaning. "I won't be one of your puppets, Hawkmoth!"

 "That's right, dude!" Nino gasped, trying to encourage him. "Think only positive thoughts! You've got this, Bro!"

 "I won't do evil for you!" Adrien gasped but his eyes widen as Hawkmoth spoke to him. Nino slowly let go as he remembered what it was like giving into him. Hawkmoth had a way with words that made it seem like the greatest idea of all time. No one could resist for long, even Adrien and both of them knew it as Adrien's arms fell limp to his side. A single tear slid down his cheek as he gave one last look of desperation towards his friend. "N-Nino... run..."

 "Adrien!" Nino gasped as the purple smog engulfed him and a small blue smog appeared next to him before it disappeared, revealing his akuma form. He actually didn't look much different or scary at all. His outfit had changed into a green tunic with leaves on his sleeves and he had matching green pants. Material shoes were on his feet and he had a dagger attached to his hip, along with a pan-flute. His hair was still blonde but it was messier in style and he had a green mask across his eyes. The only thing that he could see right now that was unusual was his ears that were now pointed. In fact, Adrien actually reminded Nino of Peter Pan. Nino stepped forward, unsure what to do but maybe he could find the akumatized item before Adrien did anything. He went to reach for him but Adrien snapped open his eyes, revealing that his scleras were now green and his irises  "A-Adrien?"

 "Not anymore," He replied, smiling as Nino stepped back in fear. Adrien took out a small bag and reached in it before taking his hand out and blowing the dust in Nino's face. His eyes rolled up into his head as he fell down onto the ground. A golden glow surrounded him as Adrien grinned. "Don't worry, Nino! You'll be seeing me soon... but first, I have a game to play! Come on, Fee!"

 He flew up into the air and laughed happily before he flew off with his sentimonster following him. 

 ~In the Courtyard~

 "Marinette!" Luka gasped as he rushed out of the canteen after her. He frowned as he looked around but he couldn't see so he took a small breathe and closed his eyes, listening for the familiar song. He picked up on it and luckily it was close by so he followed it, coming to one of the staircases. He stopped and looked underneath. Hugging her knees while sitting underneath it was Marinette. He crawled next to her and sat down, making her look up from her knees. Her eyes were bloodshot and her tears were tear-stained. Luka gave her a soft look before he opened his arms. Instantly, she crawled into them and wrapped her arms around his torso as he hugged her. "Are you ok?"

 "E-Embarrassed," She mumbled, looking up at him. "N-Not of my feelings for you but just how it came out... I don't make you uncomfortable, do I?"

 "No, you don't," He replied, moving part of her hair out of her face. "If you did, I would have told you already but I like been with you. Lila was just been a bitch because she is a black hearted coward,"

 "But... now you know I like you.." She mumbled, looking down as she pulled away. 

 "Well, I hope so... we have been going on dates with each other..."

 "Yeah but only like small dates. They're practically friend dates," She mumbled, pressing her fingers together as she still felt embarrassed. She really liked Luka but she hoped he liked her but they were probably just really close friends... even though she wanted to be more. She would love to be his girlfriend but there's no way he would like her that much, especially after Lila's stun. "Lila meant that I like you... like really like you... and I'm sure you don't like me. I mean I'm sure you like me enough to go on a few small time dates but I don't think you like me as more then that. We're just friends... right?" 

 "Marinette... I-"

 "Marinette! Luka!" Adrien's voice stated, causing Marinette to gasp and bring her hands to her face. Luka looked behind him as Adrien walked over. Before he could reach, Adrien suddenly blew a golden dust in his face, causing Luka to fall to the ground as he heard Marinette shout before he heard a thumb as well. He tried to look over and saw Marinette laying on the ground as Adrien grinned to him before he looked over at Luka. "Don't resist it, Luka! This is your happy ending!"

 Luka felt himself getting heavily before he fell into darkness...

 ~Hawkmoth's Lair~

 "Dusuu, fall my feathers," Mayura declared, turning back into Nathalie. As soon as she did, she felt dizzy and began to cough. Hawkmoth went to see if she was ok but to his surprise, she pushed him away. He gave her a puzzling look as he turned back into Gabriel. "I'm fine, sir... but why didn't you recall the akuma? Adrien-"

 "It would have been too suspicious," He replied, making her frown. "That friend of his is the boyfriend of the lady blogger. If he tells her then she'll publish it and it will end up in Anatis' hand which could lead him to find out that I am Hawkmoth. I have managed to keep his investigations at bay but that would only fuel his belief that he is correct,"

 "I see, Sir," Nathalie replied as they made their way back to the lift. It took them a few minutes but once they were back in his office, she took a glass of water and sat down. Gabriel frowned to himself as he began to work on designs while keeping an eye on the news. As soon as Anatis and Lady Noir were on the scene, he would transform back into Hawkmoth but right now, Heureux Fin was wreaking havoc across Paris so he might as well do some designs while observing the situation. It also gave Nathalie time to rest. He glanced over to the news as Heureux Fin burst into the news reporter. He transformed Alec into one of the ugly step-sisters and turned Nadja into a version of the boy who cried Wolf before he addressed the camera.

 "People of Paris! I am Heureux Fin, bringer of happiness! I invite all of your to the grandest ball in the whole of Paris, brought you to by me and to be hosted at Agreste Manor!!" He declared, making both Nathalie and Gabriel to stare at the screen before he grinned and flew out. 

 "Wait what?!" Nathalie gasped before the doors suddenly burst opened and Heureux Fin flew in landing on the table.

 "Father!" He declared, grinning as Gabriel stared at him. "We're having a grand ball and I've invited everyone in Paris!"

 "Absolutely not," Gabriel declared but he regretted it. As soon as the words left his mouth, Heureux Fin's expression turned dark and his sentimonster, Fairytale, transformed into his shadow before it wrapped around Gabriel, trapping him in place. Nathalie jumped up in shock as Heureux Fin walked across the table towards his father. "Adrien, stop- hmm!"

 The shadow covered his mouth.

 "I'm not Adrien anymore! I'm Heureux Fin!" He declared, taking out his bag of dust. "We're having a grand ball and all of Paris is going to come whenever you like it or not!"

 "Hmm!" He declared as Heureux Fin took a handful of dust and blew it in his face, causing his shadow to let go him as he fell to the floor and began to glow gold as well. Nathalie rushed over to the door but the shadow got there beforehand, causing her to back up from it. She felt a tap on her shoulder before she turned around. Heureux Fin was hovering right next to her.

 "Adr-" She started but he grinned and blew the dust in her face, causing her to collapse to the floor as well. Heureux Fin turned to his shadow and grinned. "Go and bring our Princess Charming. She can help us set up the ball with her skill!! Oh and why you're at it, spread this all over Paris,"

 The shadow grinned and nodded, turning back into it's fairy form before it took the pouch that Heureux Fin handed to it. He had already transformed those who he needed to. Now he just had to set up the ball. He was even willing to let the cat and the beetle come to the ball. Though he will take their miraculous from them before the clock strikes Midnight.

 ~Back to the School Yard~

 "Luka!" A voice echoed as he slowly came around. He slowly blinked and opened his eyes, causing him to notice that he was laid on the ground. He slowly sat up and looked around as he recognized his surroundings as the school yard. Tikki flew in front of him and let out a sigh of relief. "You're ok,"

 "What happened?" He asked as he looked around. He remembered been in the courtyard with Marinette. He was making sure she was ok after Lila pulled one of her tricks and was about to fully confess to her but then they got interrupted by Adrien, only he didn't look like himself. In fact, he looked like he had been akumatized. Luka's eyes widen as he looked around and saw Marinette was gone. "Where's Marinette?!"

 "She was taken by something that looked like a shadow," Tikki stated, making Luka look at her. "I think your friend was akumatized.."

 "We have to transform," He declared, standing up. "Tikki, sp-"

 "Luka!" Juleka's voice echoed, making him stop and turn to Tikki. He went to open his hoodie, only to find that his clothes had changed. His new outfit resembled the waiter outfit Marinette had made him but it was more ragged and wore out. He blinked before pointing to his hair which was messier then usual. Tikki got the idea and hid in his hair as Juleka rushed over to him. Like himself, she was wearing a different outfit too. She was wearing a white dress with a blood red overcoat, matching red shoes and a ruby and gold circlet. Her hair was her natural color, which like himself was raven brown, almost black and her lips were blood red. As soon as he saw her, he realized she was suppose to be Snow White. Following her was Rose, who was wearing a pink dress in a style similar to Juleka's. "Are you ok?!"

 "I'm alright," Luka admitted. "Just confused about the new outfit,"

 "Oh, Luka must be Cinderella!" Rose gasped before yawning. Of course, she would be sleeping beauty. "Sorry!"

 "What's that?" Juleka asked, making him frown and look down. She was pointing to a golden envelope on the floor, causing Luka to pick it up and opened it. "Well?"

 "It's an invite to a ball at Agreste Castle," He stated, making him frown before he read it out. "Citizens of Paris, I, Heureux Fin, am throwing the finest ball in all of Paris! Everyone from all walks off lives are invited so they find their happy ending and forever after! Even the beetle and his cat are invited as long as they promise not to cause a fuss and hand over their miraculous! The ball starts at 7pm tonight at Agreste Manor..."

 "That's in half an hour!" Rose gasped, making him blink as she yawned. "Sorry! I'm just really tired,"

 "No worries, Rose," He replied before continuing to read. "The Dresscode is Fairytale theme. Though that shouldn't be a problem for anyone in Paris..."

 Luka's eyes widen, along with Juleka's and before anyone could say anything else, the two of them had ran out of the school. They came to a stop as they looked around. There were a number of giant beanstalks, thorn bushes and trees, making them realize that Heureux Fin had transformed the city into something out of a fairytale. The Grand Paris hotel was now a huge castle, there was a number of smaller castles and huts around. To Luka's surprise, the bakery had been transformed into a tower. Luka rushed over and made his way inside, finding Tom and Sabine had been transformed into a king and queen. He wasn't sure what fairytale they were from but he was more concerned about Marinette. They looked up at him and rose an eyebrow at his outfit.

 "I see you got hit as well," Sabine sighed, making him nod. "Are you ok? You look pale, dear,"

 "Is Marinette here?" He asked, making the two shake their heads as they looked at him with worry. "She was with me at school but the akuma ambushed us and when I woke up, I was dressed like this and Marinette was gone,"

 "We can help you look for her," Sabine stated, lifting her dress a little and following him outside with Tom. Luka nodded and led them to where Juleka was. He frowned as he noticed she was staring. He followed her look, causing him to stare at the floating ship. For a second, he thought it was Guard-O-War again until he realized it resembled the Liberty. A rope was thrown down and Anarka swung down, making them look at her. She was wearing a red captain's coat, black pants and boots but the most interesting thing was her right hand was replaced with a hook. She grinned at them. 

 "Ahoy, Me Hearties!" She grinned as a crocodile jumped down and landed next to her. Weirdly enough, they could hear ticking coming from it. "I see that scallywag hit ye all with his cursed magic,"

 "I'm afraid so," Sabine answered as a puff of glitter appeared next to Anarka before it reformed into Penny. She was wearing a silvery suit, had fairy wings and was holding a wand. "Oh, Miss Penny, you look lovely,"

 "Thank you," Penny smiled before turning to the kids. "Everyone ok?"

 "Well, no one's hurt but we've all been turned into something out of a fairytale," Juleka muttered, gesturing towards the school where a giant version of Ivan stood. Luka rose an eyebrow as he smiled and waved at him. He waved back before turning to the others. "At least, Anatis will be able to fix this,"

 "Have you seen Marinette, Penny?" He asked, making her frown as she made a thoughtful face.

 "No but I have an idea where she might end up," She stated, making Luka raise an eyebrow. "At the ball. Everyone in Paris is invited and Marinette is friends with Adrien,"

 "She's also the class representative," Rose gasped before yawning again.

 "And she's the best at making parties and organizing things," Juleka pointed out, making Luka frown before his eyes widen.

 "You don't think Adrien has taken her to help set up the ball, do you?" He asked, making everyone look at him.

 "It makes sense," Penny stated, making him frown. "We should attend the party then,"

 "Aye!" Anarka grinned as Penny cast a critical eye towards Luka, making him blink. 

 "Something wrong?" He asked, making her look in his eyes.

 "Marinette would never forgive me if I let you go to a ball dressed in rags," She pointed, making him blink. "And since I've been turned into what is clearly the fairy godmother... it makes sense that I have the ability to do this,"

 She waved her wand at Luka, causing a silver mist to move around him, causing him to shield his face as it changed his outfit. Once it disappeared, he lowered them and looked at his new outfit. He was now wearing a light blue vest with dark blue detail and silver buttons with matching light blue pants. There was a blue ruffle tie around his neck and he had a light blue gloves on his hands that only covered part of his hands and middle fingers. His boots were a dark crystal blue and sparkled like they were made from glass. Over his shirt, he had a silver tailcoat with a small amount of frills on it. It felt like it was made from the finest silk there was and his hair had been tidied up but remained in his normal style.

"Ok, now you can definitely go to the ball," Penny grinned, clearly enjoying herself. Luka would have to find a way to sneak away from them at some point during the ball so he could transform into Anatis but at least this way he could get in there without been spotted. Now just to get there. Maybe he could get close enough to Adrien to find out where the akumatized item is.

 ~Agreste Castle~

 "Are you coming to the ball as well?" Luka asked as the ship came to a stop outside the castle. Penny looked over and shook her head as Anarka walked over and handed her a bottle of rum. "I'll take that as a no,"

 "Well, I am a pirate, Lad," Anarka grinned. "We'll just wait here until Anatis fixes everything. Now go have fun at the ball!"

 "Right," He smiled before Penny lowered a plank for them to walk. Juleka and Rose went first before Luka followed. He felt nervous as he walked through the gates with a number of other people that looked like something out of a fairytale. Once he had located Marinette and made sure she was fine, he would find a way to transform. While his mother was flying them to the castle, he took a moment to check on Tikki. Luckily, she hadn't been affected by the change of clothes but gushed over his outfit. She was now resting inside his jacket, waiting for him to find the perfect moment to transform. He hadn't seen anything on Lady Noir yet so he guessed she was in a similar situation to himself. He took a deep breathe and followed Juleka and Rose in. The ball room was the grandest room he had ever seen. It was clearly based on an enchanted forest and hundreds of people there including a number of his classmates. Luka rested his hands on the edge of the banister and kept himself hidden a little as he looked around and observed the room in his luck vision, noticing the amount of exits in the place before he turned his attention to the guests. Rose and Juleka had joined the others and started to dance but Luka was observing everyone. In the back of the room was two golden thrones. A woman dressed as a queen but with a pig's nose was sat one. Judging by the color of her hair, it was Gabriel's assistant Nathalie. He noticed a frog king sat next to her that looked a little bit moody and he suspected it had seen better days. Judging by the smirk on Nathalie's face when she looked at the frog, it was Gabriel. There were other fairytale themed characters to. A lot of the guests were transformed into one might reference to as stock characters such as royalty and witches but it seemed that Adrien's friends were themed around main characters from fairytales. There was a wooden puppet next to his maker, making Luka realize it was Max and Marvok as. Alya and Nino had been transformed into Beauty and the Beast only Alya was the beast. Kim resembled a mermaid and seemed to be holding something in his hand while he sat in a bathtub. That made Luka assume he was the Little Mermaid. Near him was Alix who was talking to Aurora. Both appeared to be characters from Alice in Wonderland. Alix was clearly the white rabbit and Aurora herself was Alice. They were also talking to Nathaniel, who was Red Riding Hood, Marc who looked like a warrior, Mireille... she was the blue fairy and Jean who was dressed as Aladdin. It took Luka a second but he realized Marc was Atreyu from the Neverending Story. He took a deep breathe as he looked over the remainder of the guests, hoping to find Marinette. The Bourgeois family were there. Audrey was the Queen of Hearts and Andre was the cowardly lion but Chloe was dressed in a beautiful dress that resembled a Swan. Clara Nightingale was nearby. She was dressed as Clara from the nutcracker by the looks of her dress and she was talking with Felix who resembled a pixie. In the far corner of the room was an old witch, which he realized was Lila. Luka wasn't surprised that she had been turned into that. He moved his eyes from her and scanned the rest of the room until his eyes landed on Marinette. She was dressed in a pink tail coat with a golden waist coat and matching pants. Her boots were dark brown and her hair was tied into a loose ponytail. She had a ruffle tie around her neck and a pink rose pinned into her hair. It was simple outfit but she looked very beautiful. However, she seemed to be look around. Her eyes moved over to where he was and a look of relief came onto her face as she saw him. A blush crept over his cheek as that look turned from relief to awe. She must have spotted his outfit. Alya was next to her and said something to her but she shook her head as Luka took a deep breathe and walked over to the staircase. He descended down them as Marinette pushed through the crowd, causing people to look at her as she moved over. 

 "Hi..." She smiled shyly as she met him at the bottom of the stairs. "You look amazing,"

 "T-thanks..." He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as well. "You look beautiful,"

 "Really?" She asked, making him nod before she moved closer as if to inspect him. "I'm glad you're ok. I was really worried when I woke up and you weren't around. I thought Adrien had hurt you. He assured me that he didn't and that he needed my help to set up this. I was gonna post on the akuma alert app but Adrien seems harmless and the heroes haven't turned up yet,"

 "I know," Luka replied, nodding. "I think they might be stuck in their civilian forms and haven't had the chance to escape yet,"

 "That makes sense," Marinette replied, nodding before shrugging. "Oh, well,"

 Luka nodded in reply and looked around as the music changed. It was the same song they danced to at Chloe's party and in the moonlight. He had a feeling Adrien was behind the song choice. Marinette smiled as she looked around too before Luka cleared his throat nervously.He knew he should make some excuse to get away so he can transform but it would just seem odd to just sneak off. Besides, Adrien seemed harmless as an akuma and he could fix everything later. He should be able to enjoy himself, especially since he was with Marinette. 

 "W-Would you like to dance? It's our song... You know... never mind it's stu-"

 "Yes," She stated, making him look at her. "I would love to dance with you,"

 Luka broke into a smile as she grabbed his hand and lead him to the dance floor. The two of them moved together, ignoring everyone else as they just danced and zoned out into their own little world. Luka couldn't help but smile when Marinette leaned against him as they swayed. The more they danced, the more a fog seem to cloud their mind, making them forget as they continued to enjoy each other's company. Around them, the same thing seemed to be happening to everyone else. Nino, who wanted to talk to Adrien and apologize to him, decided he could just do it later. After all, he was having a good time and it was thanks to Adrien. The other guests were the same. Aurdey didn't care what people thought about her, Chloe was complimenting Sabrina and others and Marc wasn't hiding behind his hair. He was laughing and happy. Lila was talking happily to people as if she wasn't a malicious witch. Her lies and fake personality forgotten by both herself and everyone else. Even Gabriel had forgotten that he was Hawkmoth and that he was after the miraculous to bring back his wife. Instead, he was sat in Nathalie's hand as they danced, all of their worries forgotten. Luka smiled as he swayed with Marinette. His own worries lifting away and been forgotten as they danced. 

 "I love you..." He whispered, making her suddenly look up at him with surprise in her eyes. A blush crept over his face as she searched his features. A smile broke through as she looked at him as well.

 "I love you too," She stated, making him stare at her before he grinned like a love struck fool. She smiled back and gently leaned on her head against his shoulder again as they swayed. Luka smiled and pulled her a little closer to him as he rested his chin on top of her head before closing his eyes as they swayed on the spot with their friends grinning and whispering as they finally confessed their feelings for each other. However, their peace was short-lived as Heureux Fin flew in and landed on the stairs case, crowing as he did. 

 "Hello, Paris!!" He shouted, grinning before a fairy like creature flew over, trailing dust over everyone. "Let's get this party started!!"

 He laughed and flew up into the air as everyone cheered before the party kicked into a swing. Everyone laughed and danced without a single care as the castle shifted into a real forest. A huge roaring fire was created in the middle, causing everyone to dance wildly around it including Heureux Fin. It was like something out of a fairytale with wild fae and characters dancing around. Sure, it would be a mess in the morning but Luka couldn't bring himself to care. Just like everyone else, he knew Lady Noir and Anatis would fix it, even if the heroes hadn't turned up yet but that didn't matter. Now was the time to have fun. The music changed into a fast paced song, causing everyone to clap and dance faster as the evening went on. Song after song, played and Viper laughed as he spun around arm in arm with Ladybug but he suddenly stopped when he saw someone standing in the crowd, watching. He let go out of Marinette's arm as he stared towards the figure but Carapace knocked into him, making him look over.

 "Everyone ok, dude?" He asked as Viper blinked.

 "Oh, I thought I saw someone over there," He replied, looking over again but the person was gone. "Huh... guess they went away,"

 "Ah don't worry too much!" Carapace laughed, joining the party again as he howled and danced around the fire with Rena and the others. Frowning to himself, Viper glanced over to where the person had been. He felt like he knew that person and something had changed but he couldn't place his mind on it. He shrugged and turned around to dance again but something inside his mind niggled at him. Something felt wrong. Very wrong but he didn't know what it was. It just felt like he had forgotten something. He groaned a little as he felt his head ache and very slowly, the fog began to lift. It still wasn't clear what he had forgotten but it was definitely something. He moved to the side and sat down as he held his head. Ladybug moved over and leaned down in front of him. He looked up at her and frowned. Was she always dressed similar to Rena? For some reason, he was sure she was dressed as a princess before.

 "Hey, you ok?" She asked, making him look over. "You look pale,"

 "My head hurts," He replied, frowning. She frowned back and sat next to him, gently rubbing his back. "I feel like I've forgotten something important,"

 "Really?" She asked. "What do you think it is?"

 "I don't know," He replied, looking down. He frowned as he noticed his outfit had changed as well. Like Rena, Carapace and Ladybug, he was dressed in what he could only described as ragged clothing. He was in a teal green tunic with dark teal breeches and material shoes but he was certain he hadn't been wearing it before hand. He was sure he had been wearing something similar to Cinderella. That's what his fairy godmother put him in. Wait... not his fairy godmother but Penny! His eyes widen as he remembered her and his family. She had been transformed into the fairy godmother and his mother had been transformed into Captain Hook by an akuma. His eyes widen even more as he remembered Juleka and Rose. They were Snow White and Sleeping Beauty respectively and Marinette... Marinette had been Princess Charming. He glanced over and saw Rose and Juleka dancing by the fire. They were dancing as if there was no care in the world. He turned to look to Marinette, who was looked at him with worry and fear. He stood up as she watched him. "There's an akuma.. we have to get out of here,"

 "What's an akuma?" She asked, confused before gasping. "It is to do with that nasty pirate-"

 "Marinette, listen to me," He gasped, cupping her face. "Do you remember who your parents are?"

 "I don't have any, silly and my name is Ladybug," She giggled, making him frown. "We're the lost kids, remember? Part of Fin's crew. We never grow up and we get to play all the time. You know that, Viper,"

 "Viper?" He asked, frowning.

 "It's your name," She giggled, tapping the side of his head. "You came here with Tigress and Pigella,"

 "Tigress and Pigella?" He asked, causing her to point to Juleka and Rose. He frowned and shook his head before gently grabbing her shoulders. "Listen to me. None of this is real. It's the effect of the akuma,"

 "Viper, you're scar-"

 "My name isn't Viper, it's Luka," He gasped, making her frown. "And your name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Your parents are Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng. You're 15 years old and a fashion designer..."

 "This game isn't funny, Viper,"

 "It's not a game," He gasped before he took a deep breathe. Something told him he needed to wake her up as well. "Remember what I said to you just before Kitty Section played live. You are an extraordinary girl, Marinette. Clear as a music note, sincere as a melody. You have been the song I hear in my head since we first met..."

 Recognition flowed into Marinette's eyes as the fog began to lift for her. She gasped and looked around, panicked.

 "Luka?" She gasped, making him let out a sigh of relief. "What happened? My mind feels foggy and confused,"

 "There's an akuma but I can't remember everything. I just know we need to get out now," He gasped, grabbing her hand and leading her away from the fire. Everyone else was having too much fun to notice. The farther they got away from the fire and the others, the clearer their minds got until they fully remembered everything including that they are heroes and that they needed a chance to escape and transform. Luka turned to Marinette, making her look at him. "I'm going to see if I can find Anatis. He might have been affected by the spell as well,"

 "Right," She nodded. "I should find Lady Noir as well,"

 He nodded before they were their separate ways. He slipped into the garden and hid behind a rose bush before letting Tikki out. He found her in his pocket asleep. He poked her and woke her up, making her yawn.

 "Luka?" She asked, making him slight in relief. "What happened?"

 "You feel asleep and I fell under the akuma's spell but now it's time to rewrite this story," He stated, making her nod before he swiped his earrings and transformed into Anatis. The rest of the fog completely cleared. He took out his yoyo and made his way back into the forest to fight Heureux Fin. He spun his yoyo when he came to the fire as all of the 'lost kids' looked at him with annoyed expressions. Heureux Fin got up from his throne and flew over, landing in front of him.

 "So you finally turned up, Bugboy," He declared, glaring at him as the lost kids sneered and shouted. "You know I'm just trying to let people have fun and helped everyone get their happy endings,"

 "By forcing them to forget who they are?" Anatis replied back, shaking his head. "That isn't how to help people... Adrien,"

 "My name is Heureux Fin!" He shouted back, taking to the air. "Besides, you can't catch me! Unlike me, you can't fly,"

 "He might not be able to fly but he isn't alone!" A voice shouted, causing Heureux Fin to look behind him as Lady Noir jumped on him. He managed to throw her off, causing her to land next to Anatis. "Got a plan?"

 "Not yet," He replied as Heureux Fin laughed and taunted them. "We need to ground him so we can find the akuma,"

 "Ok,"

 "You can't catch me!" Heureux Fin shouted before whistling. The fairy like creature flew over to him. "Fairytale, deal with this losers!"

 Fairytale turned into a giant wolf and landed on the ground, making Anatis and Lady Noir stare at it.

 "Great, he has a sentimonster," Lady Noir gasped as the wolf changed at her. She hit it with her baton as Anatis threw up his yoyo and summoned his lucky charm, which was a shoe and a sock. Anatis rose an eyebrow at it with confusion but before he could work it out, Heureux Fin tried to grab it off him. He jumped out of the way and stepped back, dropping the sock in the process. However, he was grabbed by the lost kids as Lady Noir was knocked back by the sentimonster. Anatis struggled against the lost kids as Heureux Fin flew over.

 "Now we can finally finding out who's behind that mask," He stated, reaching for his earrings. Anatis' luck vision kicked in, highlighting Heureux Fin himself, the shoe and the trees as a plan formed in his head.

 "None of this is real!" Anatis suddenly shouted, making Heureux Fin stop reaching for his earrings. "It's all a lie created by your powers. You're not Heureux Fin, you're Adrien Agreste! And this isn't a forest!"

 "You're lying!" Heureux Fin shouted but he lowered closer to the ground again, causing the lost kids to look at him with a little confusion. Seeing his chance, Anatis yanked him self free and threw the shoe, causing everyone to gasp it flew towards tree tops. Heureux Fin gasped and went to fly after it but Anatis stopped him, using his yoyo. The shoe hit the top, shattering one of the skylights before it fell down with shattered glass. The lost kids gasped and realization appeared in their eyes, causing Heureux Fin to realize. He fell down to the ground, allowing Anatis to recall his yoyo. Heureux Fin yelled out and charged at him but before he could hit, Lady Noir got the upper hand on the Sentimonster and threw it into him, causing it to fall on top of him before Anatis threw his yoyo, tying Heureux Fin and the Sentimonster to one of the trees with his yoyo. "Let me go!! Fairytale, atta- hmm!"

 To everyone's surprise, Nino shoved the lucky charm sock into Heureux Fin's mouth, cutting him off and causing Heureux Fin to look at him in surprise and slight betrayal.

 "I'm sorry, Adrien," He stated, taking the ring off and turning to Anatis, holding it out to him. "The akuma and the amok are in there. He took them to stop me from been the victim,"

 "Thank you, Nino," Anatis replied, taking the ring. "Kitten, would you mind?"

 "Cataclysm!" She called as he flipped the ring, tossing it towards her. She caught it and it rushed in her grip, causing the akuma and the amok to escape. Anatis recalled his yoyo, causing Heureux Fin to fall to his knees as Fairytale disappeared in blue smog before he threw out his yoyo and captured the akuma and the amok in it before releasing them. Lady Noir picked the shoe and handed it to him, causing him to smile as he took it. "Should I get the sock as well?"

 "The shoe will work fine," He replied before tossing it up in the air again. "Miraculous Ladybugs!!"

 The shoe burst into the cure and spreaded throughout the forest, getting rid of the trees and fire as it turned back into Agreste Manor. It washed over the party guests, turning them back to normal and restoring them to where they had been originally before bursting through the windows and spreading across Paris, turning it back into the city they loved. Heureux Fin turned back into Adrien and looked up confused as the heroes fist-bumped each other. Gabriel and Nathalie also looked around confused.

 "How did I get here?" He asked, confused before he noticed them. His eyes widen in realization and dread. "Oh, no! I was akumatized, wasn't I?"

 "Yes but I know you took it to stop Nino from been the akuma," Anatis stated, helping him to his feet as Adrien stammered an apology, "No need for an apology, Adrien,"

 "But I hurt people!" He gasped, making the heroes look at each other. "I did hurt people, didn't I?"

 "Adrien, you threw a massive party and turned people into fairytale characters," Lady Noir explained. "The most trouble you caused was causing them to forget their troubles. You didn't hurt anyone,"

 "But Nino... he must hate me," Adrien groaned, covering his face. Anatis frowned. "I... I should have never trusted Lila! All she does is hurt people and she upset my friend Marinette and Nino got upset with Alya because even though she told Lila off, she thought Lila was trying to help and fit in, just like I did. I offered to talk to her, to help her see the error of her ways like I did but in the process, Nino discovered I knew about Lila before anyone else and got upset that I didn't tell him like I should have!! I upset him and I saw an akuma coming for him! I couldn't let him down or fail to protect him again so I pushed him out of the way but the akuma and amok got in my ring and I tried to resist I swear. I-"

 "Adrien, calm down," Anatis stated, making him look at him. "Yes, you made a mistake with the whole Lila thing but that doesn't make you a bad friend. Talk to Nino and get him to help you with understanding social situations. None of this would have happened if you were taught how to interact with people your age and allowed to interact with them,"

 He shoot a look toward Gabriel, who looked at him with shock.

 "How dare you suggest that I'm the cause for this?!" Gabriel gasped. Anatis was ready to chew him out but to everyone's surprise, Nathalie stepped forward.

 "Anatis is actually correct, sir," She stated, making Gabriel look at her. "While his grades are excellent, he does lack in understanding normal social situations due to his isolated upbringing,"

 She turned to look at Anatis.

 "Which is we will work on," She stated, making him nod before she lead Adrien out, promising to get him some ice cream and to clear his schedule for a couple of days. Both Gabriel and Anatis stared in surprise as she lead him out before Gabriel turned to Anatis and held out his hand.

 "A thank you is in order," He stated as Anatis looked at it with distrust. "Is something wrong?"

 "I'm sure you saw how I call out a number of people for their behavior," He stated, making Gabriel retract his hand. "Well, you're heading to the top of the list, Mr Agreste. Adrien isn't some puppet or property. He is your son and if you keep going down this path you have chosen, you're gonna end up losing him forever,"

 "Is that a threat, Anatis?" Gabriel asked. He was certain the young hero didn't know he was Hawkmoth but he suspected the boy still suspected him. "Or a promise?"

 "Neither, Mr Agreste," He replied, making him raise an eyebrow. "It's a warning and if I were you, sir, I would heed it. Let's go, Kitten,"

 The two heroes walked out of the door, making Mr Agreste frown in a dark manner.

 "Soon enough, Anatis, I will crush you like the insect you are,"

 ~A Couple of Days Later~

 "So Adrien's schedule is been relaxed a little bit and he's asked me to help him to understand social ques," Nino explained as he and Marinette walked up to the school. "Though he won't be back in school for a couple of more days. Apparently, Nathalie is letting him have sweets and watch whatever he wants,"

 "That's good," Marinette replied before seeing Luka sat on one of the benches, listening to music. "Hey, would you mind going ahead? I need to do something,"

 "Sure thing, dudette," Nino smiled as he saw her looking at Luka. He grinned. "Go get him, tiger,"

 "Nino!" She gasped, blushing as he laughed and walked off. Licking her lips, she began to walk over. Since been restored, she hadn't had a chance to talk to Luka. She had tried to text him but he barely answered and she had a feeling is because of the party. She wasn't sure if it was the affect of Heureux Fin but Luka had said he loved her and she told him she loved him back. She did but she wasn't sure if he knew if she was been sincere. She had a feeling that he thought it was because of the effects of the akuma and in a way, she thought that might be the case as well. She stopped in front of him, making him jump a little and take out his headphones. "Hi..."

 "Hey," He stated, looking down at his hands. "Um... how is everything..."

 "G-Good," She mumbled, feeling her face heat up as he looked up at her. "How are you?"

 "I'm... good..." He muttered, though he didn't seem ok. In fact, he seemed surprised. Marinette rose an eyebrow. "I... I got through to the next stage for the music contest..."

 "Oh my gosh! That's great!" She gasped, going to hug him but she stopped and rubbed her neck, making him frown. "Sorry,"

 "It's fine," He replied, making her smile. "But are you ok?"

 "Um... actually, I wanted to talk to you about... the party and what you said..."

 "Oh god," He muttered, making her frown as he looked down in embarrassment. "Marinette, I am so sorry... I don't know what came over me with that. I know you don't like me in that way at all. I mean if you did, you probably would said already and you're out of my league anyway. I mean why on earth would a beautiful symphony like you want to be with a sour note like myself? You deserve better then me..."

 Marinette frowned as he looked down before a wave of clarity came over her. Luka didn't think she meant it but not because he didn't love her. He did but because he thought he wasn't good enough for her. 

 "Luka," She stated, making him look at him. "You're an idiot,"

 "That's mean, Melody," He stated, making her giggle "Why am I an idiot?"

 "Because I like you," She stated, making him blink at her in surprise. "I meant what I said during the party. You're amazing, funny, brave and creative. You mean everything to me and I'm so sorry it took me a while to realize it. I was so blinded by my crush on Adrien that I didn't even consider that someone else could be the one I want to be with but with you... there isn't any of that. Everything is so easy and simple with you. I don't feel like I have to be something I'm not. When I'm with you, I'm happy. Luka, I know I'm not perfect. I'm clumsy, stupid and I'm sure there's tons of girls that are way better then me but... I like you, Luka as more then a friend. I really like you and I..."

 She took a deep breathe.

 "I want to be your girlfriend," Luka's mind went completely blank as her words sank in. Marinette... liked him. Like actually liked him in the same way he liked her and she wanted to be his girlfriend. Marinette, the most beautiful girl in the world, wanted to be his girlfriend. He must be dreaming. There's no way this could be real but when he looked up at her, she was still there and he hadn't answered yet. He needed to say something before she thought he didn't like her. He opened his mouth as she looked down. taking his silence for rejection but before she could get up and leave, Luka gently took her hand, making her look at him. The way he was looking at her made her cheeks heat up.

 "I don't think you're clumsy or stupid. I actually think you're brilliant, beautiful and gifted," He stated, making her cheek heat up even more. "And there might be tons of other girls but they don't hold a candle to you. Marinette, I meant what I said when I said you were the song in my head. I still mean it and I always will. I... I love you..."

 "Luka..." She gasped, blushing. "I-Is that a yes to been my boyfriend then?"

 "Yes, it is," He smiled before blushing as well. "I-If you'll have me that is. I mean I'm not perfect and I'm certain gonna mess up but I love you and if you'll have me, I want to be your boyfriend..."

 "Yes, absolutely!" She gasped, making him blush. "Sorry, too much?"

 "N-No... I like your enthusiasm," He replied, causing her to squeak and throw her arms around him in a hug, making him chuckle and hug back as the bell rang. "We should go to class,"

 "Ok but meet me at lunch! I want to spend it with my boyfriend and hear about the contest! Ah, I can't believe I can say that!!" She grinned, making Luka smile back. Her song was louder then it had ever been. The second bell rang and she jumped. "Right! Gotta go!! See you at lunch!!"

 She blew a kiss at him before running off to her class, making him smile dreamily before he headed to his own lesson. He couldn't wait for lunch.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Bustier’s Class:

Marinette- Princess Charming/Ladybug Nino- Belle/Carapace Alya- The Beast/Rena Nathaniel- Little Red Riding Hood/Red Rose- Sleeping Beauty/Pigella Juleka- Snow White/Tigress Ivan- The BFG Mylene- Little Princess Max- Geppetto/Pegasus Marvok- Pinocchio Kim- The Little Mermaid/Monkey Alix- The White Rabbit/Bunny Sabrina- Rapunzel Chloe- The Ugly Ducking/Swan Princess/Bee Lila- The Evil Queen/Hag Miss Bustier- Mrs Darling

Mrs Mendeleiev's Class

Felix- Rumpstileskin/Chat Luka- Cinderella/Viper Kagami- Puss in Boots/Dragon Marc- Atreu (Neverending story)/Horns Aurora- Alice Liddle Mireille- Blue Fairy Jean- Aladdin Ondine- Thumbelina Mrs Mendeleiev- Unaffected

Other Characters:

Audrey Bourgeois- Queen of Hearts Andre Bourgeois- The Cowardly Lion Nathalie- The Pig-faced Princess Gabriel Agreste- The Frog King Anarka- Captain Hook (didn’t attend the party) Jagged- Tick-Tock  (didn’t attend the party) Clara Nightingale- Clara from Nutcracker Penny Rolling- Fairy Godmother (didn’t attend the party) Jean (Butler)- Knave of Hearts Mr Damocles- the Piped Piper Nadja Chamack-  The Woman who cried Wolf Gorilla-  The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Officer Roger- The Huntsman (didn’t attend the party) Master Fu- Wizard Of Oz (didn’t attend the party) Master Mila- Snow Queen  (didn’t attend the party) Tomoe- Mother Gothel (didn’t attend the party) Emile- The White Queen (didn’t attend the party)

--------------------------------------------------------------

Next Chapter: Coming Soon

[hotchley]

damaged

Well...

It's been a hot minute since an actual fic hasn't it?

Do you want to know my return is? This shambles, which is 1184 words of Hotch being sad and signing the divorce papers. Does it make sense? I don't know! But I wrote it in a few hours, and it's basically just sadness, but I worked some lines I loved very much into it... so let's just go with it! If anyone dares label this as Haley Bashing or Hotch Crit, I will fight you because I love them both very much and this was more just an excuse to make Hotch cry. Whoops.

Also, yes, it is not lost on me that my first fic with the hotchley url is sad hotchley shit, I had something fluffy planned, it did not work and ergo, we are here. Oh yes: no proofreading whatsoever lol and listening to Little Talks- Of Monsters and Men may make it hurt more? I don't actually know

Trigger Warnings: divorce, implied child abuse

read on ao3!

He signs the papers as soon as he returns to the office.

They’ve been taunting him since the day he received them. He put them in his bottom drawer. He didn’t even bother taking them home, knowing he would be spending more time in the office than in the house.

It hadn’t hurt when Haley sent them to the sixth floor, even though the embarrassment had been so overwhelming he’d had to walk away from everyone before they saw how his cheeks had reddened and his eyes pricked with tears. He knew emotions were an unpredictable and difficult thing to cope with.

He knew she would never truly hurt him, and the moment the weight of her actions hit her, she would apologise. And it wasn’t because he had profiled her. He just knew her. The same way she knew him.

(She did send a message apologising. He didn’t have the words to explain it was him that should be begging for forgiveness, so he ignored it. Just like he did with everything in his life that was overwhelming.)

He put them in his bottom drawer because it was the drawer he used the most. Erin looked in the middle drawer for things like staples and elastic bands. The rest of the BAU looked in his top drawer for their favourite snacks and comfort items. Everyone knew to not look in the bottom drawer.

It had his profile of George Foyet. And the divorce papers.

He’s read them a thousand times over, knowing deep down that he doesn’t want to go to court, that he doesn’t want to challenge the custody agreement or Haley’s possession of the house or anything written in them. He doesn’t… he does care, but not in the way everyone seems to think.

Haley deserves to be happy. She is the one that has come up with the terms of the agreement, and that is more than she should have had to do. So Aaron doesn’t want to go to court, but he does want to see Haley. Just to be sure that she’ll be okay.

He wants to see her for reasons that are completely selfish, so he doesn’t argue. He just avoids her, and tests her limits till they’re reached and she does the one thing she hates doing: phoning the BAU.

It’s being informed by JJ that Haley called that makes him realise what he’s been doing. He’s been forcing Haley to remain in limbo, to struggle along and feel miserable because he’s not ready to let go. To move on and accept that he’s going to be alone again. That he is going to prove his mother and father right. They always said he was unlovable.

Haley had always convinced himself that wasn’t true, but maybe it is. Maybe he’s destined to be alone.

But in the moment, that isn’t what matters. What matters is the pain he’s causing. It doesn’t matter that Jessica and Haley don’t feel angry with him, they’re angry because they know his thought patterns and if it’s not anger, it will be sadness, or that all Haley wants him to do is what’s best for Jack, because in the moment, Aaron despises himself.

He hates himself. He sees himself as a coward. As a man so afraid of the future that he refuses to let the past go, that he tries to keep time from passing and the world from spinning by refusing to set the ones he loves free.

But he can’t do that. He can’t stop any of it from happening, not without causing harm, so he takes the pen that Roy gave him as a wedding present- the irony is not lost on him- and he hesitates.

He reads the papers once more, even though he could recite them verbatim.

And then he signs them.

And he doesn’t feel anything.

No sadness, no numbness, no fury, no relief, no joy.

Just nothing.

It shocks him.

And rationally, he knows that he’s just shocked, that the full weight of what’s happened will hit him when he least expects it, but emotions aren’t rational and he suddenly feels terrified. Is this who he has become? Has he finally gone too far?

Will he ever feel again?

He drops the pen and closes his eyes. When he opens them, his signature stares at him. Haley’s is already above it, a mockery of the marriage certificate they signed all those years ago.

David Rossi once told him the same thing he said to Elle Greenaway: that divorce wasn’t uncommon in the BAU. He just never thought it would apply to him. And suddenly, he can’t be in the office that has come at the price it has. Nobody is ever going to love him again, and what will he have to show for it?

A hand that always trembles, scars that will never heal, and a team that only keeps him around because he can take the fall for their actions and pretend to not be human so they can carry on living.

Emily calls his name, and he gives her a shaky smile. She takes it for what it is: a plea to be left alone.

It hits him in the shower.

He’s reaching for the shower gel Haley always said was her favourite and his wedding ring glints in the light. He always showers with the lights turned off, but it’s late enough that the moon is high in the sky and able to seep through the blinds.

The wedding ring that she slipped onto his finger when they were happy and in love. The wedding ring that holds no worth anymore.

Because he’s signed the divorce papers.

He’s signed them.

Haley’s not his wife anymore.

Haley doesn’t want him anymore. Haley doesn’t love him enough to stay anymore. And it- because he cannot call it what it is, cannot shake the years of being told divorce was a synonym for failure, is definitely for the best, for both of them but it hurts.

It hurts so much that he wants to tear out the part of him that feels.

It hurts so much that he almost feels relieved that even if nobody loves him, he can still feel.

It hurts so much that the tears that fall down his cheeks and taste like salt and that mix with the shower water that continues to beat down on him mercilessly don’t feel like enough. They don’t convey how broken he is.

He’s never going to come home to a house full of lights again.

He’s never going to wake up because he can smell coffee again.

He’s never going to feel Haley’s mouth against his in a rare moment of passion again.

He’s never going to be her husband again.

He’s never going to be a husband.

He screams, and he cries.

But nobody soothes his throat. Nobody wipes his tears away. Not now Haley- the one person that never flinched at his humanity- is gone from his life.

He screams. And the abyss smiles back.

It’s gotten him forever.

[ikleesfiction]

I just wanna feel alive with you

Fandom : One Chicago Word count : 1,488 words Pairing : Jay Halstead x reader; Will Halstead x Natalie Manning Author's note : This is the second one shot of "Will you follow through if I fall for you" fic continuation. It would be better if you read it first. But if you don't, here's the quick summary.

Disclaimer

The Manning/Halstead family hears the doorbell ring in the evening. Owen runs from the kitchen to the door, yelling, "It's Uncle Jay! It's Uncle Jay!"

"Stay right where you are, Owen! Do not open the door by yourself!" yells Natalie back from the kitchen.

Will puts the last salmon on the plate and then moves to open the door, ready to welcome Jay and his girlfriend. Jay told him yesterday that he will bring you to dinner tonight. These last couple of months, Will and Natalie have met you a few times at Molly's. Natalie welcomed you back with open arms, but Will still has some resistance. He doesn't exactly disapprove of you for his brother. Will is just waiting for any sign of you changing your mind about staying. Jay told Will that he is happy and asked Will to give his girlfriend a chance. That's why Will agreed to host dinner tonight at their house.

"Hi, Dr. Halstead," you greet Will politely. Will crosses his hands in front of his chest. "We brought cheesecake?" you offer Will the box on your hands.

"What kind of cheesecake?" Owen pops out behind Will's back.

"Uh, New York, Strawberry, Oreos, Salted Caramel and Hazelnut Chocolate," you describe the content of the box. Seeing Owen's eyes widened in amazement and Will's unimpressed glare, you continue to explain with a grin, "They all look great. I cannot just pick one,"

Owen gives Will's pants a tug, "I like cheesecake," He tells Will, afraid that Will is going to reject your offer.

"I know, bud," Will replies to him. "Let's ask Uncle Jay and Miss Y/N to come in," He opens the door wider to let their guests in. Owen quickly latches on you. He drags you (and the cheesecake box) to the kitchen area. 

"If she's trying to get back on my good graces, sugar-crashing Owen is not the correct way to go," Will says to Jay after closing the door. 

Jay smirks at Will, "Hey, you're the one who asked us to bring dessert."

"A momentary lapse of judgment." Will solemnly admits.

◢◤

You and Jay volunteer to wash the dishes after dinner is done, while the family shares a few pieces of cheesecake between the three of them. Once the cakes are finished, Will and Natalie take Owen to get ready for bed. Owen hugs you tight before going. "Thanks for the cheesecake."

You hug him back and land a kiss on his baby cheek, "You're welcome. Sweet dreams, Owen."

You and Jay then move to sit on a couch in the living room. You have a mug of tea in your hand, while Jay has a plate of New York cheesecake in his. A rerun of the Blackhawks game is playing on TV. You put your tea down and start to steal small bites of cake from Jay's plate. But apparently, Jay is not too engrossed by the game as much as you thought. He moves his plate away from your reach with a laugh, "Why don't you take your own piece?"

"Yours is better," You say with Jay's fork still in your hand. 

"Oh yeah?" Jay leans in closer to kiss you. His tongue is asking for an entrance that you gladly give. His kiss is even sweeter than the dessert. You only pull away when you hear Will's clearing his throat loudly, letting you know that they are back in the room. "Hmm, that one tastes the best," Jay hums to you before he sits back on the couch. 

Will and Natalie sit on the other couch. She has a pad on her hands and seems to be preoccupied with it. 

"Work?" Jay asks Will, pointing out in Natalie's direction.

Will shakes his head to negate, "Wedding preparation." Jay nods his understanding. 

"Hey, Y/N, do you know anyone who could DJ at our wedding?" Natalie looks up to ask you. 

"I could do it," you casually offer the engaged couple.

"What? No way, you're.." Natalie starts to reason. But Will interjects from her side, "We cannot afford your price." 

"I'm not planning to take fees," you feel insulted that they even think you're going to charge them. You glance at Jay for his support. Instead, you see Jay frowns at you rather than at the couple. "What? They're my friends. I won't take their money!" you exclaim.

"I know you won't." Natalie quickly sorts it out and throws a glare at Will. "But as you say, you are our friend. I won't have you working at our wedding reception. You'd be our guest, should enjoy the party." She continues to explain.

"What she said," Jay gestures his hand, agreeing at Natalie's words. "And I'd like to dance with my date at the party. Can't do that if she is the DJ, right?" He throws his arm around your shoulder and kisses your temple.

"Oh, c'mon, that is so not fair. Now I have to rescind my offer," you fake a disappointment, but your lips are twitching with an almost smile. "Okay, I'll ask around, see if anyone available," you tell Natalie.

"Thank you," Natalie taps something on her pad. "Yeah, just make sure their rate is in our budget," Will adds.

Natalie unsubtly elbows Will. He winces a bit, "What? Do you know how much she got paid per show? It's more than what I earned for a week full of surgeries!"

"Well, that's an exaggeration." You retort.

"How do you know how much she earned?" Jay raises his eyebrow at Will, curious.

"You don't know??" Will screeches.

"I do. But y/n is my girlfriend. We talked about this kind of thing. You, on the other hand, weren't even excited to talk to her until last week," Jay divulges to the floor. Will sends stinky eyes to his brother for ratted him out. You pretend to gasp in shock, but Natalie is just laughing at her fiancé. 

"When I decided on a smaller wedding, I thought it would mean fewer things to take care of. But they still seem endless," Natalie puts the pad aside with a loud sigh. "What about you, Y/N? What would be your dream wedding like?"

"City Hall Wedding," you carelessly reply. Jay gapes at your response. You take advantage of his distraction to snitch his last piece of cheesecake.

"Oh, c'mon, be serious!" Will gestures his hand to you, half perplexed, half annoyed.

You drink your lukewarm tea to chase the stolen cheesecake down. "I am serious." 

"You, who could afford a destination wedding on some private island with 500 guests, prefer a city hall wedding?" Will states his doubt.

You roll your eyes, slightly amused, "I'm pretty sure I cannot manage those things you described,"

"You know what I mean. You got a private jet. Got paid for 30k per gig. Your current net worth almost hits eight-figures. You can afford more than city hall." Will tries to get his point across.

"Okay, first of all, I do not have a private jet. It was chartered by the company since it was cheaper than paying plane tickets for the whole touring entourage," you sit up straight to explain. "Second, it's not about what I can afford. It's about what I want to do. I don't like big shindig, hence city hall wedding." you counter Will's argument.

"Unbelievable." Will shakes his head in disbelief.

"Now, if you ask me where would I go for my dream honeymoon? Of that, I could talk your ears off," you wink and grin at the engaged couple.

Natalie looks interested. She puts her hand under her chin, "Alright, I'm listening.."

◢◤

Jay takes you back to his place, even though you moved to your own place a couple weeks ago. You sit cross-legged on Jay's bed, completing your nightly regimen of skincare. Jay already lays at his bedside with one hand behind his head.

"Are you being honest about the city hall wedding?" Jay blurts out from your side. 

"Why?" You ask him back.

Jay shrugs, "Just curious."

You pack your kits in a toiletries pouch and place it on top of the bedside drawer. "Well..." You lay on your side, facing Jay. "The most important thing is to whom I will be married to," Your fingers trace Jay's skin, from his shoulder to his arm. "I rather have a good, strong marriage that lasts forever than a fancy, dreamy wedding for one night." You hold up Jay's hand and kiss the back of it.

Jay groans and moves on his side to look at you, "Ergh, this is why they paid you big bucks for writing songs. You're a sap."

You laugh in response, "But you love me."

"Of course I am," Jay says with absolute certainty. His hand plays softly with your hair before framing your face. "One day, yeah?"

You kiss his palm and copy the sentiment, "One day."

+x Taglist +x

@lorenakaspersen @life-treatments @itsdesiree86

[uwua3]

Yo! Can i ask for a cute Pirate AU with an adventure seeking MC pirate captain, who, when she and her crew are making a stop at some port, meets her childhood friend, Tenma, with whom she has romantic tension, only Tenma is a big blushing tsundere mess, and MC is verrrryyy oblivious to his blushiness, but accidentally innocently flirts with him?? If that makes sense? Also oops the soldiers have seen me, the wanted pirate, wanna get out of here and join my crew?

summary: a deal is made between a pirate captain haunted by their legacy and an island medium who wants to go home

warnings: alcohol, death (mentions), cops/police, crime, fights (physical/arguments), fires, ghosts, military, near–death experiences, pirates, slow-burn, swords, unrequited love/love triangle

author’s note: thank you so much for your patience requesting this pirate story~ i did my best to do this justice, as i love pirates more than anything! .*:ﾟ（｀・ω・´）ゝﾟ:*. this was a jolly good time to write, thank you! (please let me know if you would like a part 02 to this, as it ran longer than expected)! thank you!! :D

word count: 6,163

music: ship in a bottle – fin

captain, let’s make a deal.

☀️🌻 sumeragi tenma

even out at sea, you couldn’t escape the fire that destroyed your town years ago. the fire that made you become a pirate captain

you were born by a local village by the coast, where the air tasted like salt no matter what and trade was your community’s main economy

it was home. a place where everyone knew each other as family, where the sun was hot upon even warmer smiles and the euphoric laughter of children surrounded the island. this was the land of the happy, the free, and the united

it wasn’t until the damn navy—your first enemy until death—came

according to heresay, pirates were supposed to plunder and pillage without mercy. pirates were the villain and yet, what would the navy be then? after what they did to you, they were anything but heroes

yonaguni was made of tall palm trees that provided shade during the eternal summer that sunburnt your skin, floating markets by the pier with tricky elderly and learning apprentinces in the family business, and rare wildlife not found anywhere else

now, it was nothing more than hell. you could remember it all—how the flames licked the open wounds from navy seamen, the screams of the innocent replacing what would’ve been last words meant for decades later, the sound of crashing trees blocking every available escape route as birds flew away in the distance

you were just a yonaguni native, and now, there was nothing left of your hometown. it was permanently erased from world history forever, and you were the sole survivor of the island, making you the most wanted vigilante alive

it had been years since you last had a nightmare of the attack. was haunting your brain and traumautizing you for life during every waking hour not enough?

but, you knew the answer why you couldn’t stop mourning the loss of yonaguni

it was nearing the anniversary of your friend, sumeragi tenma’s, death

and, as you climbed to the crow’s nest with the power of the ocean running through your salted veins and spite overwhelming you in the deepest, darkest parts of yourself, you could see it over the horizon

the navy said dead men tell no tales, but you were alive, and you would be a legend

“all hands ahoy or you’ll be given no quarter!” (everyone on deck or you’ll be shown no mercy)

“aye, captain!” your crew replied eagerly, their loyalty unwavering and strong as always. you stood atop of the main mast, surrounded by vast ocean bordering a blue, cloudless sky. even without your telescope, you could see everything in the world

beneath you sounded the swing of the lines (rope) against the wind before two feet landed in the crow’s nest. the sailor had the type of agility that only came from a boy born on sea

“cap, don’t tell me ya forgot about me?” your quartermaster, rurikawa yuki, grinned (a rare sight that only came when the ocean smelt strongest of salt and treasure), standing at the ledge whilst holding onto the lines with one hand. any other novice would’ve immediately fallen off with how strong the random gusts of wind were, but yuki was an enigma and your second in command for a reason

“ahoy, yuki! so long as the jolly rodger waves, this crew will always be ready to set sail.” you responded, sliding down the mast to be in the crow’s nest as well. yuki just rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning upon your frame like it was nothing

“don’t hornswaggle (cheat) me, cap. what are you thinking about?” yuki read you like a map, as expected of the second best cartographer (after master boatswain muku, of course) in all the seven seas. you tried to remain present in the moment, with the wind flowing and sky clear, but it wasn’t enough

“... tell me, yuki. is it so easy to read the distraught upon my face?” you joked, but it fell flat as yuki raised an unimpressed eyebrow at your facade. yuki didn’t take bullshit from anyone, not even his own captain

“aye, do not be acting as if you’re feeding the fish (about to die), captain.” yuki carefully watched if any of their small crew was eavesdropping, but the rest were doing their proper tasks for the morning. cartographer muku was happily reading directions to helmsman misumi. the two were a fantastic pair, considering the “sky” ship hasn’t sunken

surgeon kazunari was dutifully sanitizing his medical tools besides them, taking some time to laugh loudly at some story misumi was dramatically reenacting as he spun the wheel skillfully

“boom about!” yuki called out without looking away, already feeling it in his bones moments before anyone else could. his intuition was unheard of, and you watched no one hesitate as they ducked just in time

“sorry~!” misumi responded without any apologetic tone to his voice whatsoever. his sailor’s grin was infectious and wide, a smile only those accustomed to the fatal winds and waves of the ocean could make. just like everyone else on the “sky” ship, they all were forged by the sea

“smartly make way to land before i toss you off myself!” yuki snapped, but it held no malice. he rolled his eyes unimpressed when kazunari laughed at misumi’s sarcastic salute, knowing pirates did no such navy thing without mockery

“oh, dear yuki, how could i drown with you by my side?” you reached over to ruffle his hair, the precarious creak of the wooden mast the last thing on your mind as yuki swatted at your hand, irritated by the littlest of things as always

“you’re right, i’ll have your head first anyways.” yuki said with no malice, giving you a small frown as his calculating eyes glanced over you once more, trying to find any cracks in your confident visage. when he found nothing, he climbed back down, seemingly unsatisfied when you didn’t break under his stare

(you were one of the few on the crew who didn’t flinch. the other was misumi, who just had no fear towards anything, so it wasn’t personal. after all, misumi was the finest swashbuckler around!)

ahead, your acute sight narrowed in on the growing formation in the distance, your gut tensing before realizing it was far too large to be another ship

with a grin, you hanged over the edge (a habit that no longer scares your crew), your voice amplified as it was carried downward by the wind. it was to be expected, of course, as a yonaguni native, your town always had a special connection to nature that no one else did

“my men, turn your heads and look forward into the horizon! what do you see?”

“land, captain!”

“then let us sail faster! the sooner we reach the shores, the quicker you all can take a damn shower!”

with a shared lighthearted laugh, everyone focused on their role and position towards the land mass ahead. whether it was the possibility of smelling like something else other than a siren’s cove or something more, you smiled, forgetting about last night’s sleepless disturbances

up ahead was fukusaki, sky crew’s next location for the night

after three months or so on sea, your crew’s resources were dwindling (much faster since everyone had a bottomless appetite). it was time to visit a port town to stock up and set sail the next sunrise

sure, it was a rushed habit of yours, but it was never good to stay in one place for too long. that came with the risk of losing again...

besides, who liked a crew of pirates to suddenly come to the town square in their stained clothing and gleaming swords?

after barely securing a place to tie down the great beauty known as “sky”, entering fukusaki was like any other town. merchants upon the docks were experts at haggling prices, civilians went by with their day to day life, and the sun burned everyone’s skin just the same

but as you placed your leather boot upon the wooden dock, something inside you turned. like something had suddenly shifted in the town but you had no idea what

yuki seemed to have felt the same thing, even if his facial expression didn’t change. as kazunari kept muku from fighting with a seller for a map of the local area (misumi was unfortunately encouraging him), yuki inched closer to you, his brows furrowed

“you feel that? something isn’t right.” yuki bluntly stated, eyes scanning his surroundings like usual. except he didn’t know what he was looking for, so a frustrated sigh left his lips

“aye, feels as if someone’s running a rig (playing a trick) on us...” you murmured under your breath, careful not to alarm the returning muku with haughtiness ablaze in his eyes and sheepishness from an apologizing but relieved kazunari (it was hard to believe muku used to be shy prior to joining)

“keep a look out. let you know if somethin’s amiss.” yuki peeled away, checking in with muku asking where the closest tavern was. at the mention of alcohol, misumi jumped in, rambling about how he had already talked to a local about all the best spots

you took a moment to take a deep breath in, the scent of palm trees and fruit replacing your usual endless seas. it wasn’t unsettling, just new. your sea legs itched to return to somewhere always changing, always new, but you knew you couldn’t do that to your friends

you straightened your back and walked with the confidence of a true pirate captain, swinging both your arms around kazunari and misumi, peering down at the map with an easy smile

“alright my hearties, where to?”

this gut feeling could wait, you had a few hours to relax before everything turned upside down

of course the captain got the most inconvenient yet boring jobs that could’ve been assigned

(yuki didn’t look sorry as he happily enjoyed your childish huff at being the grocery shopper, knowing how much you hated to interact with people outside of the crew)

due to your very limited people skills, you awkwardly tried to summon your confidence to come back around all the fukusaki shop vendors. when you were with your crew, all eyes were on you and how high your head was held. but, when alone... a captain was nothing without its crew, you supposed

a messily scrawled list by kazunari was in your hand (never ask a doctor to write anything) as you tried to decipher the words, holding it up to the sun to figure out what the hell he wanted

after getting the main idea of what each person wanted within budget, you stood on the outskirts of the town square, desperately trying to decide what was the best way to approach this situation

you couldn’t appear helpless or confused! how were you supposed to haggle in this state of mind?! as you slowly spun around in a circle to view all of the sellers before settling on a rather small, unimpressive stand

maybe that meant cheaper prices! you thought cleverly, walking over with the poise of a seasoned native. with a neutral expression, you reached a wooden display with a certain swagger to your step

however... there was nothing. as you stood in the front of the set-up and realized no one was there, you couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. what kind of service was this? was there no one actually here to sell anything?

before you could leave, a flash of orange appeared in front of you, purple eyes wide as if surprised they even received a customer. “w-wait!” he called out, nearly falling over his own table. this kid would clearly not make it upon a ship, you thought

for whatever reason, you stopped, looking over your shoulder with an unimpressed expression at the simple boy. he was tall and lean, wearing a bandana around his orange hair and an unbuttoned shirt. it was a casual appearance unfit for a merchant

“what is it? i’ve got places to be and there’s nothing here to be sold.” you stated, a wave of shock passing over his face before solidifying in a stubborn crease in his forehead

“huh? what are you talking about? haven’t you come here to get rid of that?”

when he reached out, you jolted back, a surge of energy visible in your body. you felt that strongly, what the hell did this random merchant do to you?!

“w—calm down! stop moving or i can’t remove the yokai! you’re making this difficult.” he demanded roughly, his proper words clipped from an accent unlike any other on this island. there was a certain... twang, to his vocabulary. as if it didn’t sit right, as if it was on the tip of his tongue

so much for customer service! you didn’t listen, dodging his hand like your life depended on it. as you ducked beneath his arm, you gripped his bicep with a death glare. at your narrowed eyes, the orange-haired boy gulped and stared back with astonishment

clearly, fukusaki natives weren’t this rude

“yokai? what the hell are you blubberin’ about, kid?” you questioned, your patience thin like a century-old rope worn down by salt. he set his lips in a straight line, as if trying to assess if you were serious or not. when you didn’t budge, he yanked his arm back and rubbed the sore spot, giving in

“ghosts. you got more spirits than normal around you, they’ve been there for a long time.”

you were about to retort, but fell silent at the remembrance of yonaguni. had your ancestors been with you all this time? you almost couldn’t believe you’ve been actually haunted by their deaths for this long

“i have no ghosts. do not try to scam me.” you flatly said before turning on your heel, intent on leaving the possibility of ghosts behind before tenma took a hold on your arm this time

“but, they’re trying to tell you—”

before tenma could finish, an irritated and offended voice boomed just down the cobblestone pathway

“you dare lay your hand on our captain?!”

“yuki, wait!” the crew clambered after him, hands always short of his shirt fabric as yuki’s sword made a sickening sound when pulled out of its sheath. the orange-haired boy let go immediately, attempting to make a run for it before coming face to face with misumi, whose previous smile was cold and nonexistent

it was as if the other merchants disappeared, fearing a start of a fight would be terrible for business. tenma was caught in the middle of a 5-person circle, with yuki pointing the tip of his sword at his throat

“state your name and business for grabbing our captain like that!” yuki was adamant on proving his sword was real by putting it closer to the boy’s adam’s apple. he tried not to shake under the pressure, but you noticed how his feet had no shoes and looked ready to run to anywhere but here

“um... t—johnny. it’s johnny, and i simply belong to a family of fukusaki mediums, that’s all.” johnny(?) said, as if trying to convince himself. all of you secretly exchanged a look, trying to decide whether or not to believe this so-called johnny

“you see ghosts?” yuki scoffed, his position already clear on the issue. ever since you two have met, you knew yuki never believed in anything involving the supernatural. after all, so many mysteries were hidden in the ocean, yuki doubted anything could scare him on land

but, you... you’re starting to believe johnny as you notice his eyes waver towards you. maybe not so much you, but whatever was surrounding you

“yes, sir. i can communicate with them as well. ever since i was a young boy, i’ve brought peace to the dead.” your head snapped towards him at that, something inside of you turning

that boy could bring your ancestors peace? could it be too good to be true? as if hearing your thoughts, johnny nodded to reaffirm your beliefs

before anyone else can join in on the questioning, you held your hand up and everyone fell silent, waiting for your next words. you could easily tell yuki to kill this boy and he would... but you won’t

“how much are your services?”

johnny blinked, clearly not used to this question as he mentally calculated whatever in his head. “uh... i usually don’t get paid.”

“if we took you on your ship, how much then?” (you immediately hushed a protesting yuki and wary crew)

“my payment wouldn’t be money.” johnny quickly said, almost shocking himself with how fast that answer came. you raised an eyebrow at that, about to question his terms before muku turned, eyebrows furrowed

“there’s someone coming.” muku whispered in a hush, immediately on guard as everyone shifted to a defensive position. at the first sound of a boot on ground, kazunari’s eyes widened. a telltale sign of the cop’s traditional uniform, which kazunari knew better than most

“go! go! go!” you ordered, everyone taking off running. without thinking, you took a hold of johnny’s hand. he squeezed it without flinching, turning and impressively staying by your side even as you got faster and faster

you were fast, but you despised running with a passion. if you closed your eyes longer than a blink, you could almost smell the smoke and crack of the tree trunks. for some reason, johnny smelt like coconut, and that humored you to a certain extent as your crew ran for their lives from the officers. someone must’ve alerted local authorities nearby...

even with a map, muku was lost to the island’s complex system. despite being quick on his feet, muku’s eyes frantically analyzed the outdated lines and pressed his lips into a straight line out of frustration. you knew you should’ve stepped in, but what could you have done?

“follow me!” johnny whispered hurriedly, turning into a waypoint before stopping and looking back. your crew subconsciously looked towards you as well, as if asking if this fukasaki native was trustworthy

though, it’s not like you had a choice now

you ran with johnny, the rest of your crew following suit. when you reached a dead end, you expected this to be a mistake before johnny nimbly flung himself up the ivy-covered wall, landing with a hard thud as if he hadn’t done so in a long time. ignoring the pain, johnny extended his hand an impressive height away

“grab my hand and we’ll be free!” pirates weren’t one to say no to freedom (or put all their coins in one chest...), so you got down to provide a boost to your crew mates. it wasn’t a time to be noble, so they all took your support without complaining, easily being able to run past johnny

when it was your turn, the sound of polished boots grew increasingly closer, much to your chagrin. you backed up quietly, gulping and trying not to look behind you as you glanced up. both johnny and yuki were standing there, their hands extended as you got a running start

you closed your eyes, breathed in the imaginary smoke, and leaped, feeling the grip of both their hands upon yours as they helped you up. just as you ducked beneath the foliage, you breathed a sigh of relief as the officers ran by without sparing a second look

when you opened your eyes, you noticed johnny was still holding your hand, his fist tight around yours as you could practically feel his heartbeat through leaning on his shoulder

you got up to thank johnny before noticing yuki’s uncharacteristic quietness and the way his eyes looked between you and johnny... as if he was betrayed

you didn’t think more of it despite the sinking feeling in your stomach

it was a night to celebrate! escaping the cops was no easy feat, especially on a foreign island. your crew, who had taken a liking to johnny’s ability to hold his own, invited him to drinks (not that they needed guidance to the safest tavern, of course...)

you nursed your own drink of choice at a rickety table with the crew, watching as they became less like pirates and more like their own ages with a few drinks and good music. yuki didn’t drink, which was something that had always occurred no matter where they went

johnny was flustered under all the attention, or it was the alcohol everyone insisted he could keep down. you stifled a chuckle when kazunari hooked his arm around tenma’s neck and ruffled his hair, the look upon his face priceless

you took a sip before lowering the cup’s rim, noticing yuki’s wary gaze. he met your eye with a frown, as if hesitating on what to say next. once again, how strange

“captain,” at that, you tried not to outwardly wince. it wasn’t common for yuki to be so... formal with you, at least. “do you truly intend on bringing this stranger with us?”

“johnny is no stranger anymore, yuki. he saved our lives, we are indebted to him.” you flatly said, glancing at johnny once more. yuki huffed, clearly disagreeing with your opinion as he rolled his eyes

“we would’ve been just fine without him. plus, he’s a medium! how do you know he’s the real deal, anyways?”

“i just... know.” you tried to elaborate, but it fell on deaf ears. there were some parts of your past you just couldn’t elaborate on, some parts that wouldn’t make sense to a non-yonaguni native

yuki slammed his water on the wooden table, a sound barely distinguishable in the rowdy atmosphere before getting up with a skid of the stool. he silently left, no doubt heading back to the docks where the stars shined the brightest and moon made things shrouded in dark more visible

you got up and followed without speaking another word. the crew knew disagreements between you & yuki were far and few, so there was no time to ask silly questions

when you reached the outside, the salt in the air and muffled sound of everyone having fun made you stop. behind you, you noticed the door didn’t slam completely as a quick-footed pair of feet made their way besides you

“are... you okay?” johnny asked, his hands in his linen pockets as you exhaled, nodding as you leaned onto the wall. johnny stiffly stood by the door, as if guarding it

“yeah, yeah. i am... just a little tussle, that’s all.” you sounded as if you were trying to convince yourself, but neither of you pointed it out. a few moments of awkward silence passed, before johnny cleared his throat

“okay, i didn’t hear nothin’. just... heard the spirits around you get loud.”

there he went again about the ghosts and spirits! you subconsciously patted your hair down flat, turning to look at johnny with yuki-like skepticism in your narrowed eyes

“how can you see there are ghosts on me? how do i know you’re not pullin’ my leg?” you suspiciously questioned, watching as johnny bristled under the attention. it seemed as if the island natives didn’t question his credibility as a medium

“you know i’m right. you have tens, maybe more, spirits attached to you. i can help you take them away, for a price, of course.”

“which is?”

“i want to find an island lost to me long ago.”

if you blinked, you could’ve sworn you were talking to a past-version of yourself. why did that request seem so familiar?

“do you know its name?”

“nay... my family refuses to tell me anything about where i’m from. all i know is the navy is the reason i lost my parents.”

“mine too.” you admitted with a breath and the conversation paused, you two sharing an understanding expression of sympathy but unshakable faith. you two understood each other despite knowing one another for a few hours

“then, is it settled?” johnny held out his hand, which you took with a firm grip. his palms were soft for an islander, funny enough. he must’ve thought differently since this was one of the few times you took off your leather gloves

“as long as you bring peace to my ancestors, you’re comin’ with me.”

when the hours became late and you ultimately decided everyone passed their limit a long time ago, you and johnny led them all to their barracks with laughs and humor in the air

when you reached the docks, yuki was barely noticeable in the night as he stood upon the mast of the ship, his hair waving in the wind like a flag

he didn’t look at you, not once, so you didn’t climb up. how could you when johnny was holding your hand with his eyes flickering back to you, or whatever was around you?

you introduced johnny to his new quarters and left him to be, feeling free for once in your life that night

morning came with the unfurling of your sails and your position in the crow’s nest. the sky was blue and cloudless, just like everyone predicted as the sea welcomed your crew into its arms

“ahoy, my hearties! off we go to find our next treasure!” you commanded joyously, the crew hurrah-ing in return at your enthusiasm. like most pirates did, your crew’s goal when off-land was to find a ship to rob and make off with their goods

you turned to the side, about to say something before realizing yuki wasn’t next to you. he must’ve slept in, that’s all. you didn’t question it even if he was always on time the years you knew him

disguising your expression of disappointment, you left your crew to their own means, sliding down the mast as per usual. when you landed, you noticed johnny standing awkwardly to the side as everyone was doing their own job

“hey, johnny! what are you muckin’ around for?” you questioned lightheartedly, slamming your freshly-shined boots (after an unfortunate drunk throw-up incident) upon the oak boards. johnny flinched from the sound, unaccustomed to the constantly-busy atmosphere of a large ship

“do you... need any help? i kinda, feel guilty just lazing about in my quarters.” johnny confessed, a red flush against his face as he rubbed the back of his permanently-sunburned neck. you were taken back for a moment, not used to being offered help

“um... you seem to know how to throw a person off their rhythm! i have nothing on mind as of now, hmmm....” after much consideration, you snapped your fingers with a start. “perhaps consider shadowing me for today! get the feel of a captain’s life—”

“no need, captain. i will take him off your hands for you.”

you turned to see yuki besides you, his feet silent and eyes attentive as always. you sensed the tension still imbedded between you two, gulping as you tugged at the collar of your shirt. for some reason, you immediately felt disappointed at the missing opportunity of tenma being with you

why were you feeling this way?! there was no reason to think like that as a busy, efficient pirate captain!

“thank you, yuki. return him in one piece, alright?” you joked, turning away to review what needed to be done that day. as you left, you didn’t notice yuki place a cold grip on johnny’s shoulder with an uncharacteristically eerie stoic pose

johnny looked after you, wondering what was behind that shroud of spirits who wanted nothing more than to see you freed of them

“you’re quite lucky the captain has taken quite a liking to you, johnny, was it?”

yuki & johnny found themselves ending the ship’s tour in the underground of the main deck, located along the cannons placed in their corresponding holes. the smell of gunpowder and flint was nearly suffocating, but yuki moved with ease and seemed to revel in johnny’s tight expression

“y-yes... the captain is very kind and charitable to take me on board.” johnny managed to get out without coughing, his eyes inspecting the materials and wondered how loud it truly was during battle

“you agreed to come so soon. you have no family of your own?” yuki asked innocently, mindlessly fixing the placements of the bombs behind the barrels. johnny shook his head, explaining it wasn’t an emotional attachment he had to fukusaki

“how... suspiciously fortunate.” yuki deadpanned, suddenly whipping around with a blank stare. it caught johnny off guard, who nearly stumbled back into a cannon. yuki wasn’t armed, but his tense demeanor and personality change was jarring

“listen, kid, i’ve got no clue who you are, but you have no reason to be upon this ship.” with every word, yuki seemed to come closer until his pointer finger pushed in the center of johnny’s chest

“you may have fooled everyone else, but our captain has always been too naive. i see right through you, johnny. who are you, really?”

johnny shuddered, backed against the wall and desperately holding onto anything that can keep his wobbly legs up. he didn’t know if it was the rocky seas or yuki’s simmering anger, but he felt like he was staring straight into one of those cannons

“i’m johnny, an island medium who sees ghosts on your captain. it is my duty to let them go, that’s all.”

a moment passed, before yuki took a few steps back. before johnny could react, he found the tip of a real sword pointed at his neck once again

“you’re lying, i know it. do not make me ask you again, who are you?”

johnny tried to remain placid in the face of a weapon, but he gritted his teeth and couldn’t help himself

“why the hell does it matter to you? are you in love with your captain or something?!”

silence, then yuki lowered his sword. he sheathed it back, before turning and leaving without another word. johnny let out a deep breath, sinking to the floor as he closed his eyes

if johnny listened hard enough, he could hear your spirits try to communicate with him. but, their voices were garbled and unlike anything he’s heard before. who were you and why was he here?

the first time you & johnny met in terms of spirits was two weeks after a pattern of sleepless nights

he already found you teetering close to the edge, your hands folded as you searched for something, or someone, past the blackened seas

it was as if some savage sea monster had spilt its ink-like blood into the waters, the once blue surface that reflected lucky skies now murky and as mysterious as the dark side of the moon

with your usual guarded glint now gone, you still seemed just as capable to be the one responsible for such dark seas

“good evening.” johnny mumbled lowly, placing the lantern besides his feet as he made his way next to you. you hummed, not particularly fazed by his sudden appearance despite not paying attention. it’s as if you had eyes in the back of your head, like a sea monster

“i suppose fukusaki isn’t used to the rocking of wooden ships?” you retorted, to which johnny sharply exhaled through his nose, a sign of amusement at your observation

“nay, but... i haven’t been able to properly maintain my sleep schedule ever since boarding. your spirits... are rather loud for ghosts.”

you full-on laughed at this, disturbing the intimate atmosphere between you two. johnny couldn’t help but smile at your worn-down exterior. you presented yourself like you were made of a glass bottle, but you were as intricate as a carved artisan ship

“try living with them your whole life, boy, then you can start complaining about their volume.” you jested lightheartedly, offering a soft smile at the newest recruit. as you leaned back onto the railing of the ship, you watched the constant surface of the waves, as if you could anchor your endless thoughts to davey jone’s locker

johnny mimicked your position, his elbow knocking into yours. his hands were much too soft for a seasoned sailor, you noticed this in the dim lantern light. for a moment, you let your impulses take over and you wondered how they felt against yours

“pardon my words, but when will you let me speak to them? i can never find you through the day...” johnny began to ask, but trailed off when your salted eyes and weariness became apparent in the way you exhaled quietly

“it is not your fault but mine, johnny. this is my ship and i am the captain, that’s all. i cannot allow myself to suddenly become weak in case i am needed.” you spoke like a true hero, well, as much of a hero a pirate could be

johnny didn’t exactly understand, considering he just got up and left his entire life on a whim of a promise to find out who he was. but, he nodded anyways, watching blurred movements of entities swirl around your head like troubled smoke

“what about now? will you let me—?” when johnny reached out, you immediately stepped back, your lips pressed in a straight line as if restraining your true reaction

“you look for every reason to touch me, don’t you?” you tried to force it out like it was nothing, but it was clear how your boots twisted like they were prepared to run away

when was the last time someone physically comforted you in any sense? or... comforted you at all?

“captain...” johnny mumbled, eyes wide with pity and you couldn’t stand it. he called you captain, but he didn’t revere you like a typical person would. he didn’t flinch at your sword or head held high, it was unnerving

“what is the purpose of having a crew if they cannot help you through this?”

the wind wailing against your ears reminded you of how little time there was in a day, and how the sun would rise soon and this cycle of pretending everything was okay would begin again

it was maddening, to live the same day again and again with no change

johnny perhaps was someone you looked forward to, a diversion from the expected

“do you consider yourself apart of my crew, then?” when johnny took a moment to think, you wondered what he was remembering. was it the night where misumi pretended to fall over board to scare everyone or was it when kazunari didn’t react to seeing a skeleton that time? was it when muku could predict every type of weather for the next day without fail or when yuki finally cracked at a joke after a hour of pretending nothing was funny?

or, was it when you two shared glances across the deck, clinked your glasses a little too long, or when your hands ghosted over another when pulling lines?

“yes, your crew is my own as well. and like them, i wish to help you, if you’d let me.”

you always found yourself unsure around johnny, unaware of how to respond in a way worthy of your pirate captain title. as you hesitated, johnny looked you in the eyes and his eyes reminded you of storm clouds thundering in the distance

“why else would you take me on the ‘sky’? if you didn’t want help?”

perhaps those were words you would reveal later, but you couldn’t bring yourself to share the real answer. it was a gut feeling that your world would be turned upside down, and you were right when you felt your throat dry at johnny’s hopeful gaze

johnny continued on, straightening his usual bent posture and his voice carried, like he was one with nature. as if they supported him unconditionally

“i know this is your own battle to win and this is your ship and you are my—our captain, but please... let’s make a deal.”

you stood, intrigued, as you witnessed a side of johnny never seen before. once meek, once easily intimidated, now talked to you like an equal

“let’s promise to say things we both really feel. be honest with me, do you want me to help? to remove the spirits and let them move on?” when you nodded, johnny let out a breath of relief and moved closer, gathering your hands in his. when you didn’t pull away and only tensed, he spoke as if he was sure things would change

“i can help you, i can make them go away. you bring me back to my home, i let your spirits go home. deal?”

“is that how you truly feel?”

“and more.” johnny’s eyes glanced down, and you felt your heart stutter as if the surface rocked

“i feel the same way. i wish to help you.”

that night, you remembered for the first time in a long time, a captain was nothing without its crew

[jadoue1999]

The X-Men and the member they lost - Chapter 3

Summary: What do you get when you mix Hayward and the Xmen? A pissed off Erik that's seriously trying to not murder the man!

Previous parts: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, 

Chapter 3: The Maximoff Anomaly

They had settled in fast. The older man that had intercepted them was called Hayward. He seemed very distraught at their arrival and made them go into an unused building. The director hadn’t listened to their protesting, he preferred having them out of the way. For what ever reason, Erik wasn’t sure. They soon realized that time worked differently in this universe. While they had already seen the episode and moved on, it had just ended as they arrived. Charles had told him with amusement that Hank would go crazy over the possibilities. Thankfully, the bunker contained televisions that monitored the town and the broadcast. Hayward had deemed necessary to make sure only people close to him knew of their arrival. They were all sitting around a table when he demanded their story. Charles spoke up. “We’re not from your Earth,” he started.

The director had looked at Kurt with a raised eyebrow, “I had that much figured.”

The professor continued, “two weeks back, one of our members went missing and the broadcast was all we could find. Our universe seems to be ahead of you with the episodes, but we are behind in years.”

“How so?” Questioned the woman sitting next to Erik.

“To us, it’s the eighties.” Charles waited a few moments, letting the people around some time to understand. “We come from a world where people are born with mutations, Kurt here can teleport.” The teenager looked at the professor, silently asking for permission to show his powers. Charles nodded and the blue mutant teleported from one side of the room to another. Hayward seemed shocked as the rest of the people gasped. Charles continued, “this is Raven, she can shapeshift.” Erik smirked as Mystique changed into a perfect copy of the director, making him jump out of his chair in surprise. She turned back into her human form and watched with amusement as Hayward slowly sat back down, eyeing her with caution. Probably seeing how unsettled the agents were, Charles decided to end this quickly. “I can personally read mind and Erik can control metal.”

Erik rolled his eyes as the military people looked at them with wide eyes. He wasn’t going to demonstrate his powers; he had done enough of that with Shaw. The team seemed to get the message that there would be no more demonstrations and moved on.

“So,” said the lady next to the director, “why are you here? Other than the broadcast.”

“Oh well, like I’ve mentioned before, we had a member of our team go missing.” The professor wheeled himself close to a screen and rewound the episode to when Peter appeared. “You see this young man? This is Peter, we had no clue where he went. We watched the broadcast in hopes for answers and we finally found him. Though in a tighter spot than we’d expected, but he does have a knack for trouble.”

Erik smirked at the joke; the speedster had always found himself in the strangest place at the wrong time. He was basically a magnet for trouble.

The director broke the silence. “So, this is not Pietro Maximoff?”

Erik shook his head, deciding to speak up at last, “no, he is not your Pietro, this is Peter Maximoff; my son.”

Hayward seemed surprised that someone other than Charles had spoken. “Is he like you all, enhanced?”

“Yes, he is a mutant,” answered Raven, clearly uncomfortable about the man’s tone. “He has superspeed.”

The director closed his eyes and sighed before turning to his colleague. “Bring the files concerning the Maximoff anomaly, they need to know.” The woman nodded and left the compound. He turned to the other members that hadn’t done much but gape at them and ordered them out. Apparently, he didn’t want people to witness what was about to happen. That left the man alone with the X-men. “Look, I get what you people can do, you barge in and act on an impulse; fix what you think is a threat and leave the rest of us to deal with the mess you leave behind. You might think you’re right, but this is my base.” Erik tensed up at the man’s words, this speech being all too familiar. “I don’t want you meddling in my stuff, Wanda Maximoff is a threat that needs to be dealt with no matter the price. You can go get your friend after.”

It was now official; he hated this man.

Though, before he could show him just how much he despised him, his colleague came back. She didn’t react to the lack of personnel, perhaps she had been expecting it. She was holding a significant number of files and what seemed to be a tv remote. Hayward thanked her and opened a file labeled ‘confidential’. It showed a picture of Wanda. Only she seemed younger, and her hair were a dark brown; there was also a man with bleached blonde hair at her side. They were in a crowd of people, their faces twisted in rage as they seemed to yell to something the picture didn’t show.

“This is Wanda Maximoff, back when she joined a Nazi base and accepted to be experimented on. This is how she got her powers.”

“Director, with all due respect, I believe your thoughts betray you,” interrupted Charles, to the man’s frustration. “I think it’s important to complete your statement and precise that she didn’t know what she was getting herself into.”

Erik secretly praised his friend and his telepathy; Hayward was obviously trying to antagonize the woman. It was obvious they now had to take his version of events with a grain of salt.

“Yes...” grunted the director, obviously upset about being caught in a lie. He pointed to the other man in the picture, “this is Pietro Maximoff, Wanda’s twin, the real one. He too had superspeed.”

He switched on a screen that was flatter than any television Erik had ever seen. It showed Wanda and Pietro in what appeared to be a lab. There was a sort of casket all plugged in with tubes. The pair seemed to be arguing with two older men. There was no audio, so their discussion didn’t make much sense. Suddenly, a blue blur raced through the lab, removing all the tubes in mere seconds. The blonde man stopped next to the casket looking thing and threw the last tube on the floor. It was strange, seeing another version of his son. Their powers were very similar yet very different. While Peter’s trail was silver, Pietro’s was blue, he also left some blue energy lingering in the air. It lasted a few seconds as he stopped before it disappeared. From the few dates in the documents and video, this Quicksilver seemed to have developed his powers only for a few months. It was probably why he seemed to be a little slower than his son. Hayward spoke again.

“The twins were working against the Avengers, those in charge of defending our planet. There was an army of robots threatening to destroy the world, they had sided with the robot in charge.” He glanced quickly at Charles. “They eventually changed sides, but Pietro didn’t survive.”

The footage changed to show a man and a child trying to take cover as a trail of bullets grew nearer. Suddenly, they were out of harm’s way and the speedster was in their place. His shirt was riddled with holes that quickly soaked with blood and he fell to the ground, dead. Fear seized Erik as he watched the man fall to the ground; momentarily seeing Peter in his place. Would a similar thing have happened had Mystique not disguised herself as one of the horsemen?

Hayward continued, showing footage of Wanda fighting in a group against other people, explaining how this event had led to the Sokovia accords, which was nothing more than a differently named mutant registration act. Except this one was actually approved. She had refused to sign and went into hiding, only to resurface when a titan had attacked the Earth. He apparently needed something called infinity stones, one of which was in Vision’s head. From the next chain of event Hayward told them, the titan had apparently succeeded in retrieving the stone. The real mystery was how the Vision was back to life; the director insisted that it was Wanda who resurrected him. She had been blipped, like half of the universe, and had came back grief stricken and ready to do anything to have a perfect family life. She had taken an entire town hostage and made them into her puppets. There was no telling what she might do to achieve her goal. Apparently kidnapping an alternate universe version of her brother wasn’t out of her reach. As Hayward continued telling them about Wanda’s life and what she had done, Erik had only one pressing thought: just how powerful was Wanda?

“How many people are in this town?” Wondered Charles.

“A little more than three thousand. They’re not all casted as roles, most are simply background characters.”

The wheelchair bound man nodded in comprehension. “Have you identified them all? Warned their families?”

He shook his head. “I believe it’s in everyone’s interest if we keep this low, we don’t want to alarm anyone. Especially when the world just came back.”

“You idiot,” raged Raven, “if they can’t reach their loved ones, they will ask questions. They will panic. Your logic is awfully flawed.”

“This is not your dimension, you don’t get to tell me what to do,” argued Hayward, clearly annoyed with them. “I will try to urge the identification process, but you people stay here. I don’t want more superpowered people and their associates getting in my way.”

With that, the man just left the place, followed by his colleague. Whether it was intentional or not, they left their documentation behind. Erik took one of the many files from the pile and opened it. This one described Vision’s origin and whereabouts until he had been destroyed in-

“Charles,” he said, not taking his eyes off the numbers. “This here says that the android died in 2018, five years ago.”

“We traveled 40 years in the future?” Said Kurt, understandably a little overwhelmed by the situation.

Raven put a comforting hand on the teleporter’s shoulder before looking at her friend. Her eyes showed how the situation affected her just as much as it did them. He didn’t blame her; Erik wasn’t sure if he truly grasped the gravity of the implications yet. For now, he preferred to focus on Wanda and her past; the more he knew about her, the better of a chance they’d have to retrieve his son safely and unharmed. The later wasn’t looking too hopeful. From his own experience with mind control and the co-worker’s reaction to being awoken, Peter would likely have a long and painful recovery once he would be back to himself. He just hoped that the differences between their timelines meant that he hadn’t been controlled since he had gone missing. Perhaps, by some luck, he would have arrived a little before he appeared on screen. He didn’t let himself think of what the speedster could have endured before being put under the woman’s spell. Especially if he had been her puppet for the entire two weeks he had disappeared.

“Erik,” interrupted Charles, “I can hear your concerns and I can assure you; your son is a fighter. His mutation is a natural telepath repellent, he’ll be just fine.”

The man smiled at his friend’s words, momentarily comforted. But then, a terrible thought creeped into his head. “Then tell me, old friend, if he is so immune; what horrible torture would he have to go under, so that his mental shield would be lowered enough for him to be vulnerable?”

The silence that followed his statement seemed to confirm that no one had even considered how Peter could be controlled in the first place. They had been too panicked at seeing the young man on the screen and then focused on getting to him to even think of the logic of his newly casted role.

“B-but he’ll be alright,” stammered Kurt, his tail anxiously twitching behind him, swinging, and curling unto itself. “He’s Peter, he always comes out alright.”

Charles smiles weakly at his student, “of course he will, Kurt,” he reassured him, “but we will have to give him time to heal and let him do the first steps when he’ll be ready.”

Erik shared a worried look with Raven, the professor seemed hopeful that the speedster would turn out fine, but he didn’t seem to realize how ahead he was thinking. They were on a military base that had studied for nine days this seemingly all powerful being that didn’t let you in without her consent and a rewrite of your life. And they hadn’t gotten far. From what they had learned, Peter would not be free of Wanda’s control unless she herself brought down the dome. But how could a grief-stricken mutant with powers never seen before just give up what she perceived as the perfect life she deserved?

...

They had stayed up late, learning about Wanda’s past and being horrified at what she had to go through. Erik wasn’t sure how he felt about the woman. She had gone through awful events, a struggle similar to his own. He did feel pity towards her, but he couldn’t look past the fact that she had his son playing her twisted game. The group had eventually settled down for the night, sleeping as good as they could without beds or blankets. They were suddenly awoken by some agitation on the base. Charles stared off into the distance before turning to his team, “Hayward has kicked off people from the base that were being disrespectful to him, now he’s coming our way.”

Indeed, barely fifteen seconds after he had spoken, the director opened the door. He seemed annoyed. “I’m just here to tell you that a new episode should air in the next twenty minutes.”

The blue teen looked at the man, “what happened outside just now?”

His question apparently wasn’t a welcome one since Hayward clenched his jaw in frustration. He answered nonetheless, “I got rid of nuisances. Nothing that concerns you or your team.”

That shut the boy up, but Raven stepped in front of him protectively. “You don’t get to talk to him like that, or to any of us.”

The director narrowed his eyes at her. “You should be thankful,” he snarked, “I could have you all arrested and locked up for the rest of your days, along with your little friend. Yet I haven’t even told anyone about your presence. I’ve been more than benevolent. So, I suggest you watch your mouth.”

Rage built up in Erik, he had heard these words so many times from government figures that disguised their hatred by saying what they could have done but didn’t. The metal bender was well aware that men like him wouldn’t hesitate to sell them out for a raise. What he didn’t appreciate was the way he threatened to imprison Peter as soon as they would get him free from Wanda’s control. Erik felt the metal in the man’s outfit and forced him closer, bringing him at his level. A sliver of fear was seen for a split second in Hayward’s eyes and a feeling of satisfaction crept into his chest. That man was a coward. “You listen to me,” he growled, “we can take out this base in seconds if we feel like it. I’ve seen your kind before, you crush others to rise in rank, but deep down you’re scared. You’re terrified because you’re aware that you are nothing. And if you drop your facade even for a second, they will see you for what you truly are. So, you take out the competition before it even has a chance to realize its potential. But guess what? You’ve met your match because I see you for what you truly are.” He paused as he stared into the man’s eyes. It was a competition of stares that lasted for a few seconds. Erik’s unwavering gaze pierced through the man’s pitiful attempt at intimidation without much effort. Finally, he let his grip go and kept his ground as Hayward took a few steps back. “Here’s a deal, little man, stay out of our way and we’ll stay out of yours.”

The director glared at him and then switched to the other people in the room, probably wondering if the threats he had said had a chance of becoming reality. Whatever he concluded, Erik didn’t know, but the man left the room fuming. The room was silent for a few seconds before Charles wheeled himself closer. He was about to speak but the metal bender beat him to it. “Don’t try to reason with me, old friend, that man had it coming. I only spoke the truth.”

The bald man shook his head. “Yes, you are right, and I don’t blame you for this, but perhaps threatening the director of the base we’re staying in wasn’t the greatest idea?”

Before he could argue, Raven intervened, “I think you did good. It’s been a while since I had seen one of your Magneto speeches; that Stryker knock off deserved it.”

He snorted at her comparison; Hayward was very similar to their own impersonation of the anti-mutant feeling back home. Kurt seemed a little unsettled by Erik’s speech. But he didn’t have time to make sure the teen was alright. Suddenly, the television in their little bunker flickered on; a new episode was starting. They all scrambled to sit down as the screen showed one of the twins running around with a camera in his hands. The upbeat intro song was echoing through the room.

‘Wanda!

WandaVision!

Don’t try to fight the chaos

Don’t question what you’ve done

The game can try to play us

Don’t let it stop the fun’

He opened the bathroom door, showing Wanda brushing her teeth; she also had rollers in her hair. She closed the door with her magic and Tommy ran downstairs to Vision who was reading the newspaper.

‘Some days, it’s all confusion

Easy come and easy go’

Erik watched the screen anxiously as the family members were shown, what would she make her son do?

‘But if it’s all illusion

Sit back, enjoy the show!’

The twin went in the kitchen, their neighbor was looking in the fridge. After a distasteful close up of the woman’s behind, Tommy was now headed for outside.

‘Let’s keep it going

Through each distorted day

Let’s keep it going

Though there may be no way of knowing

Who’s coming by to play’

A blur came out from the house and Erik’s stomach twisted as his son appeared on screen. He was wearing a grey and black shirt and jeans shorts. He briefly stopped in front of the camera and pulled his tongue out like some sort of rock star. He ran out of the shot and came back holding the long-haired twin under one arm. The screen froze to simulate a family picture being taken. The logo ‘WandaVision’ in red and yellow hues.

“Pietro Maximoff as himself?” remarked Raven unimpressed. “Really?”

Erik didn’t react to her voice; he was all too focused on his son. While he didn’t seem that different than usual, he couldn’t help but notice his hair. His usual silver mess of hair were now a bleached blonde. He stared at the screen in disbelief.

This woman had taken away one of Peter’s most unique traits, a part of his personality, to fit her narrative.

He continued looking at the screen with a mix of rage and anxiety. If she had changed him so easily to fulfill her illusion; there was no telling what else she could do if she found out he wasn’t truly her brother.

***

Notes: Next chapter: the halloween special! (and something else)

[jiminrings]

the volleyball shorts

pairing: jungkook x y/n

wordcount: 5k

glimpse: coach koo’s just dying to know what his present is, you’re panicking because you can’t think of a present, and jimin and the gang tolerate jungkook a little bit better because it’s his special day :D // contains smut + gif isn’t mine!!

notes: happy birthday jungkook!!! i baked brownies irl for you u should come over sometime!!!

if you’ve read most valuable, the piece that started it all, then you knOw what i’m alluding to with jungkook and his relationship with y/n’s volleyball shorts!!

you swear,,

you could even really SWEAR on the brand-new refrigerator that you need to knock twice on to see what it contained that you split the price with jimin

and forcibly with also jungkook because he stays over so much at yours and jimin’s place that he’s basically a roommate now

and alsO forcibly with taehyung and yoongi because apparently your apartment is now everyone’s gathering place and they raid and inhale ur fridge atleast 72 times per day that the electricity bill’s gone up

that yesterday, it was just a month away from jungkook’s birthday!! you swear!!

and two hours ago, it was two weeks away!!

AND NOW

you can’t really digest the truth

that it’s just f i v e days away now

and you have zero thoughts to how you’re gonna throw jungkook his birthday bash :D

the guys probably figured that out too lol because they have an idea to how you’d be all over the place for even something miniscule

like one time you and jimin bought two rugs you couldn’t decide upon then you just agreed that you’d fit it underneath the coffee table and whichever looks ugly, you’ll return it later

but then the two rugs ended up being too pretty that you couldn’t decide nOW

and jupiter barked out of the blue and it was a eureka moment because :D aHA jimin what if we just let jupiter pick out the rug?? then that way it’s fair???

but then jupiter ended up lying on bOTH the rugs and now you were distraught

jimin was reassuring you like eH it’s okay let’s just go about our days and not spend y’know :D all our time trying to figure out what to pick :D

and then you obviously refused and you stayed up the whole night picking a goddamn rug and jimin was so close to toppling over in fear when he went to grab water at three in the morning

anyways

that’s why they’re here!!! even before you could call and gather them up when jungkook had to leave by himself to settle some things because he’s the coach,,

even before you could text tae and yoongi to take the elevator, they’re already knocking at your door

“...”

“......”

everyone’s just looking at each other in this makeshift circle you’re all in around the coffee table

even jupiter’s stopped barking and he’s been barking for the past five minutes at the new cactus succulent that jimin bought!!!

they’re waiting

waiting for that —

“I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO FOR JUNGKOOK I’M SUCH A BAD GIRLFRIEND A-AND-“

aha

meltdown

“not to stir the pot, but jungkook always zones out at practice and even during games then gIGGLES to himself!! and when i ask him why, he says that he’s just thinking about what you’re getting him for his birthday!!”

jimin shudders at that too because whew

like he knew that koo sometimes talks to inanimate objects but man his superior (albeit younger) is out here imagining his birthday present in the middle of a neck-and-neck game

he’s conversing with himself like he’s talking to you and that just makes him speechless

“kook buddy i haven’t played volleyball competitively in like two years but i sUGGEST you focus or else i will spike you haha jk but no really ahaha :))”

“not to stir the pot too, but jungkook asked me to play happy birthday. on the snare. happy birthday. ON THE SNARE.”

this time, it’s taehyung’s turn to shudder

because he got a new head that’s louder and more tear-resistant and he wanted to try it out ok

and what better way to try that than when it’s in one of your practice games??

he has his drumsticks already lifted but then out of nowhere jungkook pOps out with a cheeky grin on his face and tae almost pokes him in the eye

“how many syllables are your name, tae?”

“... are you really asking me this?”

“yeah!! how many?”

“... three, jungkook. what, do you need ME to count yOUR syllables for you??”

oh my god that is such a stupid question

but it’s coming from jungkook so lmao tae isn’t all that surprised

“what’s three plus twenty?”

“i get that you’re an athlete but don’t you kNOW how to count???”

“hyung what’s three plus twenty??”

“... twenty-three....”

tae’s so close to narrowing his eyes because if this is another one of jungkook’s lame pranks then he’s gonna whack him in the head for this

but then all of a sudden jungkook jUMPS and squeals before clapping his hands

“twenty-three days before my birthday!! quick quick play happy birthday for me nOW :D”

that’s so... chilling

“now not to stir the pot even further, but y/n,,, baby,,, why didn’t you brainstorm earlier??”

yoongi goes straight-in for the kill and it’s his version of “i told you so” but that does not make it better whatsoever

that’s the thing you don’t know either!!!!

and it’s totally your fault and you shouldn’t have been complacent because now you’re paying the repercussions of cramming AND panic-sweating!!!

it’s okay!

you got this! :D

“how about some more black shirts??” tae pitches in and it’s a resounding no from you and the assistant coach

“jungkook has enough of those,, even jimin and i can take a dozen from his stash and it won’t even make a dent!!”

jimin’s racking his brain and he hasn’t thought about something this hard but ok fine anything for you

“new chunky shoes?? but uGH he already has too many of those-“ that makes him groan even harder because buying another pair for kook means him tripping over them

not to mention that the shoe rack is now taken over by jungkook atleast 50%

and once again jimin reiterates <3 this is the y/n and jimin apartment and nOT the y/n and jimin and this dude that dOESN’T pay rent apartment

yoongi’s in deep thought as everyone around him throws ideas around

okay dOn’t tell anyone but yoongi’s now getting into bullet-journaling :D

tae just gave him a dotted notebook one day because he accidentally bought a dozen instead of one from amazon so lol here hyung u like writing right???

by writing, yoongi meant scribbling haphazardly and waking up the next day and trying to decipher his own handwriting

but then he came over to your apartment and you bought pastel highlighters because they were on sale and nOT because you needed them and you wanted to try them out!!! but jungkook was sick that time and you needed to make soup :((

“yeah ok leave it to me,, i’ll swatch it for you or something.,.,.”

one thing led to another and :D AHA

yoongi blackmailed everyone to not say a single word to anyone that he now loves bullet-journaling and he had to whack tae one time when he kept teasing him

also he now has a bujo account on instagram and it’s nearing 5k followers omg and he will d-word when someone irl finds out that it’s him

“boxers.”

yoongi says seriously and it makes everyone shut up because he sounded sO sure

he just has this certain authorative aura around him that you wavered because oH right yes boxers,,, will buy,,,, thank you

lol but you snapped out of it

“jungkook already has too many boxers!! he likes basketball shorts more nowadays and-“

“what? who said the boxers were for jungkook??” yoongi scrunches his nose at your ridiculous reply

your eyes are squinted so hard as you try to decipher the flow of thoughts of everyone in this circle

“oh. i want boxers. want them for christmas!! take note, y/n.”

oh

okay

cool

good news: you now know what you’re gonna give to yoongi on christmas

bad news: you dON’T know what to give to your boyfriend on his birthday five days from now

there’s something somewhere in the middle of all the banter that you’ve tuned out though

something that just makes your eyes bulge and hit whoever’s lap is beside you repeatedly (first of all it’s jimin’s for the record and second oW THAT HURTS) with a grin on your face before you hurriedly stand up and they equally as hurriedly do after

“i know what to get!!”

jungkook’s stArting to get antsy if he’s being honest

it’s not because he’s in his own apartment with you after so long he’s stayed over at yours

he really doesn’t mind that bit, no

jimin, tae, and yoongi were all staying over at your apartment instead as they make the last bit of preparations for jungkook’s birthday the next day!!

they all insisted that you rest because you’ve been so frantic the last couple of days and tbh even taehyung hyped of tWO cups of coffee can’t keep up

no — jungkook’s so antsy because he doesn’t know what you have in store for him :((

for the last five days you haven’t touched him nor did you let him touch you :((

a heated makeover that’s cut too short is as far as it could only go and he’s just so????

like is that a part of your birthday surprise or nOT

he has a love-hate relationship with surprises now because first of all,,,

he kNOWS that there’s gonna be a surprise and that excites him

but the worst of it all is that he knows there’s a surprise but he doesn’t know what it is

that’s like uhm

standing fifty feet away and being forced to pick between a lifetime supply of sugar and salt that’s placed into jars but u don’t know which is which

that is such an odd example to compare it to but that’s only what jungkook could process this now oKAY

you still let jungkook cuddle you so he guesses he could still touch you

he could rest his hand on your tummy!!!

but riGht when he’s about to sneak in a lil squeeze at your boob over your shirt then that’s when you slap his hand away and he frowns

just some hOURS left and it’s finally his birthday!!! he’ll just nuzzle to your neck and all would be fine :)

the lil party’s gonna be thrown in jungkook’s apartment anyways because as you’ve all come to known:

his apartment’s bigger than the one you and jimin share and that irks him because!!!

“yOU have the bigger and better aprtment why are you still cramping at ours???”

“i like staying with you guys!!!”

“nO you like staying with y/n and i come in handy when you need to steal someone’s pasta from!! i bought you tupperware and wrote your name on it but you still eat from mINE!!”

now everyone has their designated roles

jimin’s in charge of making the lasagna and he takes great pride in arranging the layers neatly and not half-assing the amount of cheese

taehyung had the great idea of wAIT what if they don’t like lasagna?? (jimin was offended by that omg who wouldn’t like my lasagna are u kiddinG)

so what he did was bring over this foldable table :D lay cups of ramen neatly :D decorate jungkook’s kettle because he realized that it looks like dOlphin when you tilt it sideways :D

and it’s now tae’s ramen station and so far the party-goers are LOVING it and it’s a close tie between him n jimin

yoongi’s in charge of food that the other two didn’t bother to think about basically

you locked jungkook in his own room lmao and had to bribe him with a kiss or two to stay there and not leave until you tell him to

you’re in charge of the decoration and not to toot ur own horn or anything but you did a pretty damn good job :D

there’s foil balloons you had to blow up and decorate meticulously

lol jimin accidentally bought the wrong ones so now it’s JUNGK00K instead of JUNGKOOK

you even learned how to fold paper cranes so u could fold the quantity of them to jungkook’s age for yoongi to stick them up to the ceiling

you EVEN bought blackout curtains and a lil disco light!!! that’s how well-put you were despite cram-planning!!

it was time to let out jungkook because the guests were starting to come in

and oh my gOD jungkook does clean up well..,.. wow

he’s dressed himself in just a white button-up but with the sleeves folded and some buttons left alone

thEn it’s the same black jeans but with a fancy belt he only pulls out whenever he goes to prissy parties!!!

and oh god

oh my

it’s his slicked hair that’s showing his forehead and tHAT’S when it sinks in you that oh.,.,. right.,.. jungkook’s growing his hair out and he’s been in a cap this past week and OH

it only hits you that oh.,.. jesus christ.,.,. jungkook has a mULLET

it’s a mullet-type of situation and it’s part-straight and part-wavy and wOW

you want nothing more but to pounce on him and it makes you audibly gUlp

jungkook’s as surprised as you were of him because w-wait a second

ok you’re wearing your favorite white shirt with the print on it that you wear at home!! he isn’t surprised

but are you wearing vOLLEYBALL SHORTS.,.,..

like as in the same volleyball shorts... that he..... adores..... a-and fantasizes over

oh my god everybody shut up

is that-

is that hIS OLD VARSITY JACKET????

the one with Jeon embroidered in the back and the one he wore to death that it still has his scent on it even if you washed it clean???

.... oh

that uH that makes jungkook put a hand over his chest

god im coming up

the party was an absolute bLAST!!

you and jungkook would stray from each other time to time because you’re each whisked away to talk but you’d always find each other after

you cAn’t contain yourselves at the sight of one another

kook keeps putting his arm around your waist and you keep squeezing his forearm

over-all it was such a great party 20/10

the girls chipped in to buy their coach jungkook (u put the idea in their head and they were amazed because they didn’t think of it) a smartwatch and he was so :D upon receiving it because wOah!!! omg he’s now a smartwatch owner sUck that kim namjoon

kim wears these fancy analog watches still and that makes jungkook roll his eyes because yEa that may be a rolex but my team did obliterate yours lmaOoo what about that huh

jimin’s gift was very heartwarming no matter how much he denies it to be

first he bought jungkook matching slippers with him because he’s so irked to see jungkook in chunky sneakers aLL the time

then uhm

an official key to the apartment and a written letter that when the two of your drive back,,, you could all do a handprint at the picture frame with the four of you and that’s jupiter’s paw included

you’re not gonna lie that dID make you tear up a little bit because wow :((( jimin used to be hesitant of jungkook at first but nOw he’s officially welcoming jungkook in with no anger whatsoever

kook also did cry a lil bit and they hugged it out

taehyung hand-knitted a blanket for jungkook with lil dolphins on them

he missed some stitches but he did his best oKAY and koo was so excited because wow omg this is so good!!!

yoongi bought jungkook a guitar because yeah.,.,. u dO get into my nerves sometimes but i care for you and i guess you’re my little brother now :)) i don’t make the rules

and as for your gift

... well

everyone’s already left and it’s just the two of you now finally

jungkook’s sat at the edge of the bed patiently because you’re fishing for the paper bag you’ve hidden and he’s sO on edge alright

he’s closed his eyes and you didn’t even tell him to so he’s THAT obedient

“you can open them now,” you’re sat on jungkook’s lap and it’s quite the tease for you to be perched near to his knees instead of his crotch but oK he won’t complain yet

it’s a box??

oh

... oH

“that’s for me??”

jungkook awes immediately when he opens to box and sees shiny silver gleam right up at him

it’s the matching thick necklace and bracelet he’s been eyeing for quite some time now yet refUses to buy

and here it is!!!! right in his hands!!!

“yes and they dOn’t allow refunds so please just wear them and don’t make yourself guilty!!”

you’re taking it from his hands and he’s smiling giddily when you clasp the cool jewelry around his neck and on his wrist

cute

and now it’s time for —

“i’m sleepy. are you sleepy yet?”

you do your part in messing with jungkook as you stifle a yawn, pretending to arrange things around the room before settling near him at the edge of the bed

he almost gives himself whiplash to look at you because you can NOT be serious

“no you’re not. you aren’t sleepy. your eyes tear up when you wanna go to bed.”

it’s endearing for you that he knows thay but you just continue to deadpan for the time-being

“i do? well i think i’m tearing up now.”

jungkook scoffs and crosses his arms across his chest because nO your eyes are dry!!!! look at them!!!! not a single tear!!!!

he’s looking at you so pointedly that it makes you chuckle, finally sitting down on his lap properly like he wanted you to that it makes him grunt

jungkook hasn’t had any decent action for a week now and even the slightest contact of you sitting on him, still-clothed, already makes him cRUMBLE

the thought that you’re in your volleyball shorts doesn’t help at all

it’s nice seeing him so flustered and willed right now,, his pupils already blOwn out and you haven’t even done anything

jungkook’s beautiful and that isn’t up to debate but even more-so up close that you could hear his labored yet trembling breathing

“you wanna kiss me?”

that dOES it for him and he almost leaps at the question but that’s when you pull back to which he audibly whines

:D

you come back again but it’s you who initiates it and jungkook practically melts at the taste of your mouth, already getting handsy as he squeezes at your thighs

he’s the one who’s gaining the upper hand and that was nOT the plan so that’s why you pull away right when he’s getting drunk on you

he’s chasing after your lips and you practically tut at him condescendingly that makes him huff again

“say please.”

aHA

jungkook’s eyes widen at that and he scoffs in disbelief because oh my god so tHIS is what you’re doing

now this is what he makes you say

and you never got him to say please because whenever you urge him to he just laUGHS upfront and it makes you pout

no jungkook’s not gonna do —

his giggling’s cut short when you let your mouth wander to his neck and right on to his sweet spot, immediately sucking on it harshly to paint your mark on

there’s slow kisses on his jugular nexy and you won’t do the same as what you did to him the first time and it’s frUstrating

add on to that with how you remind him you’re still on his lap with you grinding on him tOO pain-achingly slow

ok jungkook might say please after all

you’re coming back up to his jaw again and kissing everywhere but his lips that it’s starting to make him cave

“pl-“ he stops himself because oh gOd is he yielding but that’s when you snap too smoothly right on him, the intimate yet clothed feeling of you enough to make him moan in distress

“please?”

it’s instant relief when you’re back to kissing jungkook again and he might just bURST at this point and you’ve only been kissing him

tasting your lips is his first priority and breathing’s his second that it makes you chuckle with how needy he is, having to push him off because you know he’s getting light-headed

jungkook’s regaining his breath and he still wants mORE unsurprisingly

you’re taking off his shirt and stripping off his pants that leaves him with his boxers but on the other hand, you’re sTILL fully-clothed sans the varsity jacket

he’s about to do something with that which explains his grabby hands trYing to take off your shirt

but his hands not only get slapped away again, you’re pINNING them down back to the bed

“y/n i swear-“

he’s growing restless because he needs you right here and right now but you’re just tOO stubborn and bossy which is definitely a switch of roles

you grind on him a little too roughly than you intended to but the feeling’s more than welcome because you feel so fULL already and it makes jungkook unintentionally thrust into you

your shorts are feeling more than damp and his boxers are being a little tOo tight now

that’s when you lift yourself up from his crotch and let go of his hands, your face dangerously near his as his pupils shake

jungkook’s clearly looking at your centre and he whines when you still (purposely) won’t get what he’s trying to say

he’s always clearly had a vision of eating you out in your volleyball shorts that’s for sUre

but he didn’t imagine it like this and you know what he’s not complaining his hips try to buck up but to no avail, your finger hooked underneath his chin to make him look at you again

jungkook looks sO fucked out and he knows that far

he cries like a lost puppy with how you press your thumb to his bottom lips, your other hand making soothing circles on his chest

“you want a taste?” you ask ever so gently and that makes kook nod more than eagerly, about to pull you by your thighs and his mouth’s wAtering just by thinking about it

it’s the tut you give him again that makes him succumb, throat strained as he trains his pleading eyes on you for permission

“p-please?” jungkook’s too impatient to wait for an answer as he roughly grabs you to position your clothed core right above his face, immediately pressing his nose to inhale the scent of you with his lips ghosting your already-soaked folds — something so obscene about it that it almost makes your knees buckle, “that’s a g-good boy.”

he’s rELISHING on the slip of your tongue and he wastes no times in taking off your shorts, diving in with an eager tongue that takes you off-guard

now this is the real deal

jungkook takes mUCH pleasure in giving you yours and the unhinged and dirty moans you’re giving him are egging him on further

you taste so sweet and it’s enough to make him dizzy with how you’re opened up to him and for him only

he has a death grip on your thighs because you keep twitching and on the other hand he’s cravinG for you to take everything he’s giving you

he slips his hand to thumb at your clit in desperate circles and god the countdown to when you’re gonna reach your peak becomes alarmingly too near

jungkook doesn’t stop when you’re tugging at his hair roughly or when you’re yelling out his name like a mantra

jungkook doesn’t stop either when his face from the nose down is starting to get messy with the taste of you

doesn’t stop either when he’s starting to see your eyes become glassy and your lip trembling

absolutely doesn’t stop when you snap suddenly and gush over him because in fact, he still continues with much more fervor

jungkook was messy and kept lapping up at what you were giving him that’s enough to drive you into anoTher orgasm with how sensitive you are

holy fuck

jungkook’s laughing against your neck as you’re draped over him, making flowers bloom on your neck with his tongue as he makes you catch your breath

“there’s still another gift i haven’t showed you.”

okay nOW you’re nervous

kook stops pressing kisses and your words obviously make him perk, trying to hide his fascination and excitement but that’s poorly-done with how he’s trying to hide it

“you have mORE?? think y’already gave me heaven if i’m being honest”

he wouldn’t be opposed because honestly speaking his stamina as of the moment would last him aLL night and he’s on a high just from eating you out!!

oh my god you can’t possibly fall in love more with jungkook

you’re tracing the sweat that’s going down on the necklace and it makes you go lightheaded with how perfect he looks

the imprint of his bracelet’s marked snug on your left thigh with how hard he was gripping you earlier

he’s patiently waiting and waiting on you, drumming his fingers on your thighs in anticipation

here goes nothing!!!!

you take off your shirt and aHH jungkook visibly moans at the sight of a bare you

he’s right you are the present

but nO that’s not what you’re trying to get at

jungkook has his wandering hands taken down for the nth time this week but something about this feels a bit more special and reserved

he’s a little lost when you get off from him and instead sit beside him against the pillows, still kneeling on the bed so you could be higher than how he’s sat right now

he is mORE than lost when you smile at him gently and take his hand to —

oh

oh my god

oH MY GOD

it’s a tattoo

it’s a tiny and dainty tattoo on your rib in black ink

JJK

“jjk? that’s-“

holy fucking sHIT

everybody shut up!!!

everybody pLEASE be quiet jungkook needs a moment rn

it’s his initials

in his handwriting

on your skin.

oh my god

you’ve always adored jungkook’s tattoos i mean it’s nOt a surprise for anyone

they peak from time to time but sometimes they get covered with his coach jackets and his hoodies

and it’s at home where you can see them all

there’s a little inkling in the back of your head that oOH you’ve always wanted one like what he has

what was holding you back was that maybe it would affect your career or whatever

you and jimin read the guidelines for a whole hour and it wasn’t illegal for players to have tattoos!!!

as long as it doesn’t go against the rules and it won’t hinder your play

tattoos on the wrist or in between the fingers or in the forearm were a little risky because it’s always in direct contact with how you play

jimin was all thumbs-up on your idea because he himself has a couple of tattoos and was all wOah that’s so sweet!!!

taehyung was very warm with your idea and he swears that he’ll get one soon just give him some tIME to conceptualize what would his first one be

yoongi agreed and he alsO has tattoos himself and he was the most realistic (?) out of the four of you going “well you and jungkook better not break up lol”

he thought of it more and honestly?? he doesn’t see you and jungkook breaking up because there’s just sOMETHING alright??? something so unbreakable

jimin and taehyung and yoongi made a bet when you were getting your tat cleaned up that lmao what year would jungkook propose in

it’s your first tattoo and like you didn’t want to dive in head first and have a whole sLEEVE tattooed on the first occassion ya know

so why not the one you love?

and like it’s hidden by a shirt and obviously not a LOT of people would know about it and —

oh wow

uhhhh

jungkook’s.... crying?

he loves you sO much you have no idea

you’re tasting the salt from his tears when he kisses you so tenderly but it’s okay you don’t mind

he’s the one pinning you down this time and well he used to swear that he’s nEver the one for giggly sex

but oh god look at him now

mAYBE THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU’RE HAPPY AND ON CLOUD NINE!!!

he has your hands flat against the mattress before he holds them :D

this is jungkook’s best birthday eVER 

“wanna spend all my birthdays with you.”

you instantly giggle to his neck and that tickled him a little bit okay

“you wanna marry me??”

you’re feeling everything at once and you have never grinned sO hard and laughed

jungkook rolls his eyes but that’s only because he might burst if he keeps looking at you

“well i don’t have the ring yet dummy but yEs i do want to marry you!!”

mrs. jeon!!!

wow that sounds hEAVENLY

you raise your head to whisper to his ear, leaning down for you instead so you wouldn’t strain yourself, “say please.”

“i hATE you,” jungkook cackles and it should be illegal to how warm and content he feels!! 

“you love me!!” there’s a lil sing-song voice and of cOURSE he does!!

he’s so whipped for you and he might go to the ends of the earth just because you insist

“solid facts.”

“my god—“ jungkook stills, laughing at you who’s underneath him before he breaks out into a grin

a little tiny ᵏᶦˢˢ on your nose

“what was life before you?”

[lazaefair]

Has anyone done the Disney Princess AU yet

Part 1 - written by me, @poemsingreenink, and @iwritesometimes

poemsingreenink: Like, if anyone has big, soft innocent eyes it's Marwan who I swear to god looks near happy tears in most intense scenes. I at one point during Aladdin in theaters thought "You know Jafar's maybe just not had a great life. He's really having a day here." BECAUSE OF HIS BIG SOFT EYES.

lazaefair: LUCA MARINELLI HIMSELF SAID IT

sarah: HOWWWWW DID HE EVEN GET CAST AS JAFAR LIKE THOSE ARE DISNEY PRINCESS EYES

lazaefair: I...I need somone to draw Joe in a Disney Princess dress

sarah: but WHICH PRINCESS i feel like belle's off the shoulder gold ballgown has promise

lazaefair: Ariel’s pink gown would really drive the point home, though Although you’re right, Belle is a literate, dreamy brunette who loves poetry, so she’s closer as an archetype

sarah: i'll be honest: i was mostly thinking of getting his shoulders nude

lazaefair: Nicky is Ariel. Big blue eyes, otherworldly, utterly uncivilized.

sarah: YES

So imagine: Prince Yusuf, who had a giant statue of himself gifted to him on his birthday, and who hates it because his best friend (and immortal general of the army) Andromache is NEVER GOING TO LET HIM LIVE IT DOWN.

Also imagine: feral merman siren Nicolò who bites off fishheads and communicates through weird clicking noises, when he’s not singing men to their deaths. He’s not one of those useless pretty koi mermaids, no. He’s a motherfucking creature of the deep. Lamp eyes that are used to distract fish prey. Claws and pale fins and an intense stare and fangs.

Now imagine: Prince Yusuf going overboard in the storm that hits his royal yacht. Struggling, swept away, half-drowned and losing hope fast when an unearthly song fills the air, low and sweet and compelling. He’s swimming towards the singing before he realizes it, delirious, until something closes around his ankle and drags him under. The thing under the water kills him quickly.

And then kills him again, when it doesn’t take. After the third killing, Nicolò’s on his way to being well and truly mystified (“Okay, don't panic. They all die eventually, maybe...maybe I’ll just need to do it again?”) and gives up after the fourth and fifth killing. He drags his (attempted) prey to a little sheltered island he knows about, kills it one last time just to make sure, and then watches, resigned, as the flesh heals up and the lungs push water out until it’s coughing its way back to undeniable life.

“You rescued me,” is the first thing Yusuf says to him. “Your song – it is the song of my heart. My soul.”

Nicolò...has no idea what to do with this, coughs awkwardly in reply, and leaves before he can think too hard about the warmth in his chest answering to the warmth in the human’s expressive, grateful eyes.

(He doesn’t tell Yusuf the truth about their bloody first meeting until years later. It’s too goddamn embarrassing, to be perfectly honest.)

Of course he comes back within a day, almost shamefully quickly. Unable to help being fascinated by this gorgeous, well-spoken, kind and generous human who cannot die. He starts bringing things to Yusuf: at first just fish, then interesting-shaped fragments of rock and coral, and then bits of treasure he’s collected over the years, just to hear what new poetic turn of phrase Yusuf will spout on the spot when he’s given something.

“...this is my family crest on this treasure chest, Nicolò. How strange.”

“It is the chest you said your great-great-grandfather lost,” Nicolò says, the words coming out dry and halting from long years of disuse. Watching Yusuf’s hands as he traces the elaborate lines engraved on the lid, now blurred with rust and coral. 

“That’s amazing. Truly. I am at a loss for words,” Yusuf says, smiling.

“No, you aren’t,” Nicolò says, and keeps watching so he can see the moment when the smile turns into a laugh.

Another day, he brings to Yusuf what Booker had told him was called a ‘dinglehopper’ and was what humans used to keep their hair in order, as they did not have the ocean to spread it out like beautiful seaweed in the waves. Yusuf takes it, mouth twitching in a way that makes Nicolò doubt the accuracy of Booker’s explanation. Yet Yusuf does not correct him, but in fact solemnly thanks him before offering the dinglehopper back and asking him to help untangle his riot of curls.

And so it goes. Days pass. Fascination becomes infatuation, turns to desire and then into love, until neither can imagine living without the other, and yet—

Eventually, Nicolò has to give Yusuf up. The prince is too noble and good to just abandon his people indefinitely. And because Nicolò loves him, he goes out and once more lures a ship in with his song, but not to dash it to pieces on jagged rocks this time. He leads them to the island. Watches from a distance as the astonished shouting begins, then back-pounding hugs and joyous celebration as Yusuf boards the ship and sails away. Watches Yusuf turn back more than once to scan the beach, clearly looking for Nicolò, but Nicolò does not follow. Instead, he watches until the ship is lost to his sight and he cannot feel the ship’s current or smell, and then he dives deep and goes to visit Merrick.

Meanwhile, Yusuf arrives back at the capital, where his other best friend, Quỳnh (immortal admiral of the navy) feels terribly guilty about the prince going overboard on his birthday. Which is why she uncharacteristically doesn’t give him shit when he comes back babbling nonsense about mermaids. Or when he spends the next few weeks moping around, writing mermaid poetry and drawing mermaid pictures.

To be fair to him, the particular mermaid he sketches over and over does look pretty striking. Otherworldly and all that. Good cheekbones. Nice pearly scales. “Fucking...giant anglerfish eyes,” Quỳnh mutters while she and Andy look over the latest pile of sketches Yusuf’s left abandoned on a library table. “Our prince has been fucking bewitched by a fucking fish.”

“Mm,” Andy agrees. 

So when Nicolò arrives at the palace one fine summer’s day – naked, his fangs smoothed away to look perfectly human, a giant emerald in one hand and a silver fork in the other – and walking, on legs, it causes a bit of an uproar.

“You still smell like the sea,” Yusuf says hoarsely into Nicolò’s neck, the two of them wrapped around each other as closely as two bodies can be.

“Oh, fuck,” Andy says, lowering her axe. Quỳnh looks more closely at the dirty naked wild man their prince is embracing as if his life depends on it. Angular face. Skin encrusted with salt. Absolutely enormous piercing blue eyes. Naked, did we mention naked.

“Oh, fuck,” Quỳnh says.

“You get them separated,” Andy says. “I’ll go...get them a bath.”

The price Nicolò paid for his new human shape:

His siren song.

His immortality.

What he gets in return:

Yusuf teaching him what a dinglehopper is actually called, and what humans actually use it for.

Yusuf teaching him how to read and write his native tongue, and a few other tongues besides.

Yusuf reading poetry to him or sketching next to him on long lazy afternoons in the gardens.

The immense pleasure of intimidating the fuck out of any remaining would-be suitors for Yusuf’s hand in marriage who are still hanging around the palace for some reason.

“I am Nicolò di Genova,” Nicolò replies to the marquis’s indignant demands – predator’s smile still frightening even without endless rows of needle-sharp teeth. “You have seven days to leave this place forever. Get your affairs in order.”

Friendship with Andy and Quỳnh.

“Holy shit. Did he just—”

“—stab the marquis with a fork, at dinner, in front of the entire court? Yep.”

“...”

“...”

“New best friend.”

“Obviously.”

Yusuf writing poetry about him and to him. Nicolò likes them all. He wouldn't know a good human poem from a bad human poem, but nothing Yusuf touches could be bad, so ergo it's good.

Sightseeing throughout the kingdom with Yusuf’s strong, gentle fingers twined around his.

Yusuf breathing blissful curses into Nicolò’s ear, exactly like he used to do on their island, as they move together on his enormous bed.

Yusuf. Yusuf. Yusuf.

(Booker is also there. He insisted on being turned human, too, and coming along to make sure Nicolò doesn’t totally fuck this up, but he’s really mainly there for the entertainment. And the booze. Andy asks him at one point about losing his immortality. He shrugs. “Look, if we die, we die,” he says, then offers Andy another pour of fine French brandy. The two of them get along famously.)

It’s all going great until one night on the beach, while they’re walking along hand-in-hand under the stars and idly discussing human and merfolk constellations. Someone approaches them, dressed splendidly and moving with arrogant grace. He is also angular, also fair-haired, also possessed of unsettling eyes. And he has Nicolò’s siren song, gently humming from the shell that adorns his neck.

“Merrick,” Nicolò hisses as Yusuf’s eyes grow glazed and blank, and he tightens his hand on Yusuf’s, afraid for the first time. “Our deal—”

“He can’t bear the idea of living forever without you, can he? And so he hasn’t proposed,” Merrick says, smiling cruelly. “You’ve missed your chance. He’s mine.” And he extends his hand out to Yusuf—

Who stirs, suddenly, and turns to Nicolò. “Limpid, or shimmering?” 

“What?”

“Shimmering,” Yusuf decides, peering into Nicolò’s eyes. “Yes. Limpid would be too pretentious, I think.”

And that’s pretty much that – we don’t actually get the plot with Merrick the Sea Witch because Yusuf only has eyes for one weird-looking white guy. Also, his one artistic failing is that he's tone deaf.

They do eventually kill Merrick because true love wins out and we are all about those happy endings, Grimm’s can suck it, etcetera, so Nicolò gets his immortality and his siren song back. He’s also back to being a merman, but Yusuf does not care. “I could paint your beautiful tail for the rest of my life, my love, and still fail to capture the luminous iridescence of you,” he murmurs, stroking said tail with tender fingers. The last person to touch Nicolò’s tail got his hand bitten off. Here and now, Nicolò runs his claws through Yusuf’s hair, clicking deep and happy in his throat.

(“This is weird, right?” Quỳnh asks from where she and Andy are busy scraping evil kraken guts off their armor, a prudent distance down the beach from the lovers. “I’m not the only one who thinks it’s weird?”

Andy says nothing, just offers Quỳnh the rest of her bottle of vodka. This is why Quỳnh loves her so.)

(The wedding is a nightmare, at least according to the palace chef charged with cooking the wedding feast. “What is this, this, abomination? What in heaven’s name have you brought into my kitchen!”

“Tubeworm,” Booker says. “Considered a fine delicacy among our people. Don’t worry about it.”)

[asirensrage]

Ooooh, for the timeline asks: 7, 8, 9 & 12 + Michelle! :-D

Oh man, this required a lot of thought. That's why it took me so long to answer. Under a read more because it got a bit long.

7. the timeline in which they never experience the loss that taught them something important.

In this timeline, Kelly doesn't die.

Michelle is nearly done her thesis for her Master's. They go out together, as usual, shopping and planning a celebration. Kelly drags Michelle out into the world. They pass through the portal together. It doesn't change everything but it also does. Michelle isn't alone in Gainsborough. They face the fact that they're no longer home together. The demon still arrives but they don't get away. At least not as easily as last time. The two of them have always been protective of each other and when Kelly is threatened, Michelle reacts. The salt is in reach but this time it's less of an accident and more on purpose. Anger fuelling her, Michelle manages to shove the salt into its eyes and down its throat. The demon leaves and they are left with a bunch of corpses. The cops come but they don't run.

Castiel finds them in a holding cell, awaiting a trial that will never happen. The rest happens as it currently does, but Kelly and Michelle's friendship is deeper, the trauma is less and they will fight to protect each other. It takes Sam longer to win over Michelle. It takes Dean longer to win over Kelly.

In this timeline, the vessels are organized by the two of them. Kelly has to stay home as she too is a wanted fugitive. She puts the vessels to work. They all have better relationships with each other.

It still ends the same way, but Michelle isn't as focused on her training as she was. She no longer needs to escape the fear. She holds her anger tighter to her, relishing in it as it helped save them. She threatens Lucifer a lot sooner. She makes a different choice at the end and they leave it behind.

8. the timeline in which they gain everything they want, except for the thing they wanted the most.

This could really be the current timeline lol. Let's be real. She gains her best friend, Sam and a purpose in her life but loses her family. If we went for something different... (I wrote an au ending in the original version of this fic. This fits with it.)

Michelle gets to go home, be back with her family, her sisters. Kelly does not. Michelle is alone, surrounded by those she wanted back, with memories and abilities she can't explain. Her family asks questions that she can't answer. She can't tell them where she's been - why she's been missing. She is sent to therapy. She reacts with violence. She is drugged. She's home but not home. Somehow, being back she is more alone than ever and wishes she returned. At least back with Kelly, Jane, Sam and Dean, they didn't question what was wrong with her. She could explain. She can't tell anyone without them trying to lock her up again.

9. the timeline in which they live the life they currently see the most likely for them.

The life she currently sees as the most likely for her...hmm...

I think by the end of this story, Michelle sees her life as a form of tragedy. One thing after another. A life she currently sees as most likely for her? Michelle sees her death ahead. A life alone and succumbed to her fear. Michelle dies by a monster. She's alone in her fight and it leads to her death. Despite her role in the apocalypse, despite everything she has done to try to stop it, Michelle goes to hell. She is Lucifer's gatekeeper, after all. Time flows differently in hell and the place twists Michelle. Crowley tries to offer her freedom but with a price. She refuses. When she finally breaks free, when she makes her way to the surface, she is not the same. Michelle has become her worst fear. In this timeline, she is a demon. It does not take long for her to come across the people she once knew. The people who look at her in horror and fear and determination once they know who she is. The ones who want her back but once changed there is no return. Not yet.

Michelle is a demon. She is filled with anger and pain but not fear. No longer fear. She knows exactly who did this to her. Michelle does not concern herself with the Winchesters, even the newly married Kelly. She climbed her way out of hell only to walk back in. She ensures that the locks on Lucifer's cage cannot be broken again. She will not deal with him and when he sneers his insults at her, she snarls back and leaves him with his brother.

Crowley tries to ensure she falls in line. She pokes at his open wounds, at his friendship with the Winchesters and makes him bleed. He is still a demon. She does not accept owing anyone anymore. She does not accept anything that has made an attempt to use anything against her.

They turned her into this. So when she sits on the throne of hell, using her title of Gatekeeper to clear the way, she plans. Michelle is a demon. She hates demons. She's not so different from Lucifer in that way.

(Kelly cries. Dean says he won't kill Michelle but there's no promise. Sam is silent. He failed Michelle and part of him wonders that maybe, just maybe, if he had claimed his place as the Boy King, he could have saved her.)

12. the timeline in which they had a person in their life when they needed one the most.

There are so many times Michelle could have used someone in her life when she needed one. Let's go for this...One of Michelle's sisters arrives in the middle of the story when Michelle's grief is thickest...when she feels the most lost.

Michelle's sister arrives on the arm of Castiel. It's shock and wonder and relief. So much relief. Her sister has always been one to take charge, to take care of her and Michelle finally feels like she can breathe. Her sister threatens to burn the place down for everything that has happened to Michelle because unlike other times, she can't hide this. It divides her. She doesn't get as close to Sam. She doesn't train as much as she needs to because her fear releases slightly. Her sister forces her to stop, to breathe and to deal with things. Michelle forces her sister to face the fact that they lost their family. They get into fights, as sisters do. The rest of the house is in shock. They don't know how to deal with these types of siblings who will burn the world for each other but also will murder each other. No one is certain what will come first. The Winchesters have never been faced with siblings that are like them. Jane and her sister are friends. It terrifies everyone. Including Michelle. The apocalypse still continues and Michelle's sister threatens Dean on Kelly's behalf and encourages Sam. He hesitates more. Sam and Michelle never get together. Michelle is a little saner. The vessels are organized but there are more casualties when the house is attacked. Michelle still makes the same choice, but her sister has the same fate as the other vessels. Michelle has her own. It's somehow better and worse.