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eideticmemory · 4 years ago

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FINE LINE 3 | SPENCER REID

Two decades of history and two kids later, you and your ex-husband learn to navigate the world of co-parenting. Part 3! Read Part 2 Here!

If you saw typos, no you didn’t ❤️

Word Count: 3,165.

Warning: Daddy issues, mommy issues, angst, romance, drama, yay!

PART 3: EDEN

Eden Penelope Reid was conceived on the twenty-sixth of September, on a ugly, yellow couch in the BAU briefing room. Not two feet from the roundtable! You didn’t mean for it to happen. The sex . . . or the baby. But they were both the result of a dark, disturbing case, sleep deprivation, a long plane ride back to DC, and an encounter in a dark room after everyone had gone home.

Spencer placed a long and slimy kiss to your lips, almost like he had been holding it from you for days. You stepped back, jolted, and you would’ve fallen backwards had Spencer not had his arms around you.

“What on earth are you doing?” you whispered, your voice still laced with shock and surprise.

“Wha — what do you mean . . . ?” Spencer asked, genuine confusion plastered over that pretty face of his. “I thought that’s why we came in here?”

“Oh, my goodness, I came in here to grab my things and go home, Hugh Hefner, where is your mind?”

“My mind’s on you,” he murmured, nuzzling your body into his, pressing his lips to your cheek. “Always.”

“Hm,” you hummed, your eyes fluttering closed as he gave you a dreamy kiss. “You’ve always had that verbal thing . . . quick mind, soft lips. You could talk your way into anything, Spencer Reid.”

“Yeah?” he mumbled, his lips pressed feverishly to yours. “Anything?”

“Yeah . . . anything.”

Stepping out of the shower and drying off, surrounded by the scent of fresh lavender, you wrapped yourself in a cotton towel. Your outfit was laid across the bed, from the top to the pants to the black flats. It felt a little morbid, as if you were staring at a dress made for a funeral. But, God, let’s face it, you’re just being dramatic.

You tied your hair up, and dropped the towel to your toes, warmth caught under the surface. As you took your shirt between your fingers, your bedroom door swung open with an intense creak, and you jumped out of your skin.

“Ah!” You screamed, hugging the fabric against your body, crouching down to hide any and every inch of your figure. “Spencer!”

“Whoa!” He crowed, immediately backing out of the room. “Sorry!”

“What the hell?” You shouted. You hugged the shirt, pressing it to your chest, your torso, one arm outstretched to cover your legs.

“I’m sorry, [y/n], I thought you were dressed!”

“Yeah, right . . . pervert. What are you doing here? I’m meeting you at the office in an hour.”

“I told you I was dropping by in the morning.”

“So?”

“So . . . here I am.”

“Sorry, I’m just not used to you being somewhere when you say you are, my mistake.”

He shook his head to himself, chin ducked down to avert his eyes, “I came to ask if you’d like a ride this morning? After we drop the kids off?”

“A ride?” You responded, quickly dressing yourself to maneuver an icky, uncomfortable situation. “We’re carpooling to therapy?”

“If you want,” he shrugged. “Thought we could get breakfast, maybe.”

You scoffed, and rolled your eyes as you marched towards the door. Prepared to confront Spencer with a bit of sass and sarcasm, you were taken aback by the sight of him. Early in the morning, hair perfectly curled around his face, and he was dressed in a wrinkle-free, perfectly pressed black suit. Like the ones you used to buy for him, just to see the way he moved in them.

“I think I’ll pass,” you told him. “I told the kids I’d take them to school today, and they’ve already got their hearts set on getting Dunkin’ this morning, so . . .”

“So, I’ll see you at the office,” he nodded, solemnly.

You returned the nod with a gentle motion of your head, and as you turned to walk off, Spencer aligned beside you, ultimately following you through the hall. “You look good,” he said. You didn’t respond, just released a silent exhale while focusing your attention forward. “It’s nice to know that . . . some things are still as nice as I remember.”

You laughed -- head thrown back, mouth open, the sound erupting like a volcano. “It’s not,” you explained, looking him in the eye as you approached the stairs. “It’s better.”

Four weeks after Eden Penelope Reid was conceived, you were in Texas, a small town outside of Austin haunted by a head of murders throughout the area. You can’t remember specifically what the town was called because you were so, fucking, sick. You woke up with a headache, nausea threatening to spill by the second, and a stomach ache that wouldn’t kick it. It was bad.

But you know how to put on a Brave Face. You pushed through, even with your husband’s voice echoing in your ear, close to your ear, his worried hand on your back.

“[y/n],” he pleaded. “You’re sick, just — please.”

“Spencer, I’m fine. I’m up, I’m walking, that’s a good sign. I’m okay.”

You visited a crime scene not fifteen minutes later. It was hot, very hot, suffocatingly hot, and you felt yourself. You felt yourself wobble on your heels. Felt the life just fall out of you, like gravity had sucked it into the Earth. Spencer called your name as your body fell.

“Mom?” E called, the sound of the traffic blending in with her voice. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, hun,” you glanced at her, balancing your attention between E and the road. “Why?”

“You’ve been hitting your juul more than usual lately,” she explained.

“What?” you gasped. “No, I haven’t.”

“Yes, you have. You’re driving with it in your hand right now!”

“On average, mom hits the juul 16 times an hour, but she’s just hit it seven times in the last five minutes,” Em added from the backseat.

“There. Statistics to back me up,” E gloated.

“I’m fine!” you laughed. “Really. I’m more than fine.”

“Really? So the sudden nicotine uptake has nothing to do with your super secret meeting with dad this morning?” E asked.

“It is not a super secret meeting, it’s two parents, meeting for a discussion.”

“Right . . . not secret at all.” She nodded.

You sighed, “A secret is an awful thing to keep. You can ask your Aunt Emily about that one, but, you know I’d never keep a secret from you,” you smiled.

“Right,” she nodded, suspicious at your sudden change in tone. “You sure you’re not keeping a secret, mom?”

“Are you profiling me?”

“Okay, enough with the profiling jokes.”

“No. Why? Are you keeping a secret from me?” you piqued. It’s been buried. For almost a week now. E, and the boy, as you call him. For a few days, you just needed solitude, time to process and understand. After that, came the confrontational period, well, as confrontational as you get with Eden. Which means you dropped subtle hints until she just thought you were being weirded than usual. But now, she had reason to be suspicious that you were suspicious, and two suspicious Reid women don’t make a mix.

“No?” She responded, slowly, her eyebrow raising at you. “Why?”

“No?” You paused to take a breath. “Okay.” “What does that mean?” “Nothing.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” E asked, her arms now crossed over her chest. Not good. She’s defensive. E’s never defensive.

“See, that’s just the same as the secret thing we had going earlier,” you joked.

“Ugh,” E groaned.

“What?”

“You always get like this,” she shook her head.

“Like what?” “Like this when dad comes around!”

You stopped the car, the brakes skidding to a halt at the school entrance. “Are you -- E, this isn’t about your dad, this is . . . about that boy. That boy that kissed you at your party. The boy who kissed my sixteen year old daughter on the cheek.” “What?” E snapped, sitting up in her seat.

Em slid out of the car, ran to class.

“I mean,” you rambled. “ I have an eidetic memory, E, I can’t unsee that!”

“See that . . . ?“ she whispered to herself. You could see the wires clicking in your head. Her eyes widened, “You saw that? You saw --” She began to pack up her stuff, scrambling really, grabbing her iced coffee.

“E --” you stuttered. “What are you doing? Hey, hey, talk to me.” “I’m late for school, mom, I’ll text you.”

“E --”

“Bye.” you were cut off by the sound of the car door slamming in your face. If ‘what the fuck?’ could be a facial expression, you were wearing it right now.

You had a concussion when the doctor told you about Eden Penelope Reid. You had fallen on the concrete, and couldn’t really see straight. You felt Spencer though. He was holding your arm and supporting your wobbling body with his since you’d hoped straight out of the hospital bed.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Reid,” The doctor smiled at you.

“Huh? What? Congratulations?” You slurred, tired and confused and looking to your husband.

“Oh, I’m . . . sorry, I thought of you . . .” After exchanging glances with Spencer, she sighed and beared another grin. “You’re . . . pregnant. About five weeks along.”

You fainted. Again.

“Hey,” Spencer greeted you, following your fast footsteps with his eyes.

You rounded the edge of the couch and took a seat beside him, huffing as you plopped down, only to give him a glance of acknowledgement.

“You’re late, I thought you got lost,” he said.

“Nope, just took the scenic route,” you grumbled. “Hi, I’m [y/n],” you directed at the therapist sitting across from you. She wore dark red lipstick and a matching blouse, her nails a deep purple over her slacks. Okay. Cool.

“Olivia Oliphant,” she nodded kindly. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Reid.” “Oh, just [y/n], please,” you told her.

“Well, [y/n], Spencer here was just telling me about your kids.”

“Oh?” You looked at Spencer. “He was?”

“Yep, Eden and Emerson, beautiful names. How did you guys pick them?”

When you were approximately five weeks pregnant with Eden Penelope Reid, you felt the most excruciating pain of your life. That’s including two rounds of childbirth, some beatings, a bullet wound. You clamp down on your lower stomach, grasping for air as you collapsed to the floor, in the middle of a crowded police station. Penelope rushed to your side, calling your name, “Oh, my goodness, [y/n], what’s wrong? What’s wrong?” “I don’t --” you whimpered. “Something’s not -- ow! -- something’s not right!” Local PD helped you to your feet, a worried Garcia following behind them. “C--call Spencer!” You pleaded, although the phone was already to her ear.

Spencer had just been shot in the neck.

They didn’t think he was going to make it. They didn’t think he was going to make it. You beat Derek, pounding your fists into his chest for not telling you sooner, broke down in the center of the waiting room.

But he did make it.

He made it, and he was right here. He was right here, and you were right here, and E was at school, mad at you, and it was eating you alive. Did you completely undo your ‘cool mom’ reputation with one meltdown? No, how could you?

“[y/n]?” Dr. Oliphant called.

You zoned back into reality, both Spencer’s and her concerned faces focused in on you.

“Yes,” you cleared your throat. “Well, Eden is named after East of Eden by John Steinback, and . . . Emerson is named after Ralph Waldo Emerson.”

“And,” she began. “Would you say your kids are your main reason for being in therapy?”

“Oh, wow, okay, just jumping into it, got it,” you huffed.

Spencer was still eyeing you, worried and troubled. He knows you. He knows when you’re upset, and stressed, and he couldn’t stop staring at your nails. “Uh . . .” you hummed. “Hm? . . . hm? Would I say that there’s any other reason I’m in therapy for sixty minutes with my ex-husband? No.”

“[y/n].” Spencer spoke, turning his body full to you. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing,” you shook your head.

“Yeah,” he scoffed. “ I haven’t heard that one before.”

“Yes, yes, yes, you’d ask what’s wrong, and I nothing’ed my way through our marriage and we got divorced. I know.”

“Jesus,” he sighed, exasperated, pressing his palm to his forehead.

An awkward silence floated throughout the room for what felt like hours. You stared at your shoes, and huffed. Lifting your head up to smile at Dr. Oliphant, you said, “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

There was an earthquake in California the day Eden Penelope Reid was born. A magnitude of four. This would not have mattered in the slightest -- due to the fact that you were on the other side of the country -- but Spencer was there. In California, sitting in the dark, surrounded by broken glass when Eden was born.

She came at night, after your water broke at the BAU headquarters. You spent hours of the day stumbling around a hospital room, waiting for Spencer to show. Penelope’s quick with a phone, she knew hours before you finally asked her.

“Penelope?” You whimpered, curled up in the bed with your hand pressed to your back.

“Yes?” She pipped.

“Spencer’s not coming . . .” you turned to her. “Is he?”

“We’ve got to talk.”

You glanced over your shoulder, rolling your eyes, “Spencer, please.”

“[y/n], come on,” he pleaded.

You looked him in the eye, sighing as you leaned back in your seat. You could hear the kids shuffling around upstairs, having just been dropped off by Spencer, who was stern and pressed. It was kind of funny.

“I was in a bad mood,” you told him.

“Bad mood? [y/n], you sat there for forty-five minutes sipping your coffee every time Dr. Oliphant asked you a question so you couldn’t talk with a full mouth.”

“Bad mood . . .” you repeated, this time quieter, softer, to yourself.

Spencer’s expression softened, almost instantly. “[y/n]?” he called. “What happened? You’ve been biting your nails, I know something’s wrong.”

You crumbled. You ran yours hands over your face and sobbed. From that moment Spencer and you saw E with that boy, you’ve been reliving it over and over. Trying to recognize his face, and it wasn’t until just last night that you realized it’s . . . Spencer. This boy looks just like Spencer, and you can’t even figure out how you feel about Spencer, -- who you didn’t meet until you were 23, by the way -- let alone this kid.

So how is E doing? How is she already so comfortable around him? And kissing. Have they kissed before? You don’t want to know. No. You do want to know. It’s all you want. You want the most important girl in your life to talk to you, to confide in you the way she did when she was seven years old. But now she’s sixteen and she won’t even look at you.

“And of course, I found a way to blame it on you,” you paused to breath after a long rant. “Because, well, you’re here, which is still weird to me, but hey,” you shrugged, inhaling a hit from your juul.

Spencer nodded his head understandingly, biting down on his to contain a smile. “Now, that . . . is how you should’ve spoken in therapy this morning.” He laughed.

You chuckled, for the first time all day, and rolled your eyes, “Next time.”

“Next time?” He grinned. After connecting his eyes to yours, and seeing a glimmer of confirmation, he sat up, “Well, okay, cool. Then, next time I’ll tell you that you are the best mother on the planet. Raising the kids the way you did . . . you made Eden who she is. You made that incredible girl, and you shaped her into the slightly . . . stubborn girl she is today. She is her mother’s daughter, she just needs someone to push past the hardhead every once in a while.”

You exhaled, a slow, steady breath.

Spencer.

He stayed until Sunday afternoon. Just like he said he would. A whole day after you wandered into E’s room, full of fresh courage and love. You asked her if she was hungry, and she said no. By the time you left, you had a name. Sullivan.

“Sullivan?” You repeated. “Does he go by Sully?” You cackled.

“When he was six!” She shouted, a fit of giggles dribbling from her lips. “He goes by Van now.” “Oh, my goodness,” you feigned as though you were collapsing on the bed. “Van?”

“Yes! Hey, don’t judge! You married a guy named Spencer.”

“[y/n]! [y/n]? [y/n] --” Spencer’s voice lowered to immediately silence the moment he stepped into the room. Under the hospital lights, you laid on a bed, a tiny baby in your arms and a soft smile on your face.

“Don’t be shy now,” you giggled. “Come in.”

He stepped into the room, slowly, his breath shaky from running down the halls. “I--is, is this her?”

“No, I misplaced the actual baby, so they gave me a very life-like doll,” you smirked.

“Oh, baby,” he cooed, placing a million and one kisses to your forehead. “You’re incredible, you did -- incredible,” he held you close, looking down at the infant against your chest. “So, what’s her name? You did remember to pick one, didn’t you?”

“Yep, UnSub --”

“[y/n] . . .” he smiled.

You laughed, holding your child up to her father. “This . . . is Eden Penelope Reid.”

Spencer didn’t come out of his room for hours before he was set to leave on Sunday. As worried as you were, you kept to entertaining the kids in the living room. The two of them were snacking on some popcorn, watching a movie on netflix. Em was tucked underneath your arm, and you did your very, very best to focus in on the TV. But the moment you heard the hinge of his bedroom door, you sat up in your seat.

He came down the steps in a stomping rage. Didn’t even come in to join you all, just called for you, “[y/n] . . . [y/n], can you come here, please?”

You furrowed your eyebrows, and stood to your feet, nervously eyeing the kids. “Be right back,” you told them, before walking out into the foyet.

“Okay . . .” Spencer said, just above a quiet whisper. “Okay, okay . . .” He was trying to calm himself down. Pacing, muttering, hands on his hips.

“Spencer?” You walked up to him. “Hey, what’s the matter? Hey . . .”

“I’ve had . . . some time to process, some time to fully understand the information, but I know that you, haven’t, so I’m going to get to it . . . Catherine Adams is being injected tomorrow.”

Crickets. Silence. No sobs, no boo-hoos, nothing. “And?” You replied. “Are we throwing a party? Because that can be arranged.”

“And in exchange for her cooperation in multiple homicide investigations . . .” Spencer sighed, his head ducked down, hands in his pockets. “She gets a final request.”

You scoffed, rolled your eyes, “What does she want now? A night with you at the Ritz? Just give it to her at this point so she’ll kick the bucket.”

“She wants to see Eden.”

“Wha --” The sound slipped out before you could catch it. Thoughts. Thoughts. Thoughts. So many. And all you could say was, “No. Absolutely-fucking-not . . . fuck!”

“[y/n] --”

“The psycho who had my daughter kidnapped wants to . . . meet her? She can go straight to hell, and suffer on the way there.”

And that was the moment, Eden Penelope Reid stepped into the doorway, her hands stern at her side, her face brazen with courage and strength, “I want to do it.”

#mine #fl #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid/reader #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds imagine

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sanchoyo · 3 years ago

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danny phantom 14-20 thoughts!! I finished up s1 :D these last few eps were actually really really good!!!

-did. did tucker really just say esperanto was a dead language only spoken as a secret code between geeks. google says around 100,000 people actively speak it. oh my god...it being an auxiliary language doesn't mean its 'just for geeks to speak in code' ...it helps bridge gaps between people who don't have a language in common...

-danny really isn't pulling punches when it comes to fighting the ghost-cop possessed people huh. like he SLAMMED KWAN INTO THE CONCRETE SO HARD. HE THREW PAULINA INTO A BILLBOARD. will that...I mean it WOULD carry over to their bodies non-possessed, right? like if the ghost piloting their bodies gets hurt?? itd be so upsetting to be possessed, lose time, then wake up covered in bruises (and possibly, broken bones??) real horror movie stuff im sure wont be addressed in any way

-tuckers parents seem nice! I like them :)

-WULF IS CUTE AND I FEEL BAD. im so glad the gang realized he was only causing trouble bc of the shock collar walker put on him and helped. also, him wearing that big hoodie with the hood on, and thinking its subtle. we can tell youre still a giant wolfie :) THEN GETTING SUCKED INTO THE PORTAL AAAAH :( anxiously waiting to see Him Again....

-DANNY BLASTING HIS PARENTS THINKING THEY WERE OVERSHADOWED LMFAO GET THEIR ASSES. maddie marking how many ghosts she gets with lipstick tallies on the side of her portal gun? kindaaa iconic tho. (ALSO, SHE WAS LIKE, 2 FT AWAY FROM HIM RIGHT AFTER SHE TRIED TO SHOOT HIM. HOW DO YOU NOT RECONINZE YOUR OWN SON??? like sure, he might have diff hair/eye colors. but like, if one of my family members dyed their hair, and was wearing contacts, its not like id be like 'wHO IS THIS STRANGER!!!' ...he still has all his facial features!! same everything!!! I hate it here)

-paulina being #1 girl realizing danny's a friendly ghost immediately. smart queen. lancer and kwan ran away right after he made this sweet baby face at them:

which is hilarious.

-ok. im not saying his bullying is JUSTIFIED, but. dash looked so pleased with the (cute!) poster he just painted, and danny comes thru the wall and spills paint on his nice letterman jacket. his anger is justified maybe 65% of the time so far...(not the way he handles it, but STILL.) at least lancer is stepping in!! and them making a silly little bet was...cute?? until dash pulled out his GROSS UNDERWEAR AND SAID DANNY WOULD HAVE TO EAT THEM???? WHAT THE FUCK MAN. TUCKER WAS SO RIGHT ITS FUCKING WEIRD TO CARRY THOSE AROUND EWWW. THIS KID IS UNWELL. lancer was right, his animatronic setup was SUPER IMPRESSIVE?? hes actually pretty creative. danny meanwhile is stealing the fright knight's design...I hope dash is taking art classes or smth with his sports

-fright knight is the most bestest ghost so far i LOVE THAT DESIGN. I am biased towards knights, and characters with swords, but he fucks so severely. and should sue danny for copyright infringement for stealing his design for his haunted house. if some 14 yr old broke into MY house and stole MY sword, id also be pissed. his evil winged unicorn rules too with its FANGS. and he just CAN SHOVE THE PORTAL OPEN WITH HIS HANDS??? is he the strongest ghost weve seen so far? idk but hes my fav. SOUL SHREDDER IS SUCH A COOL SWORD NAME TOO. ANY NAMED SWORD ALSO FUCKS. 'flaming bedsheets of DEATH' funny king. ALSO he was polite to dash and tucker when just asking for directions and telling tucker 'oh maybe, just a suggestion, maybe be nicer to me and be more respectful :)' I LOOOVE HIM.

-I noticed this in the Ember ep, but jazz has an electric guitar in her room!! talent musical queen!! its cool to see hobbies just in the bg.

-fright knight's murder castle reminds me of the booby trapped murder castle in zexal!! another supposedly 'for kids' show with murder/trap castles! we love that. if you are a dp fan reading this, give yugioh zexal a try. its also got 13-14 year old protags and involves (alien) ghosts. the cardgame is just a vessel for the plot, which is really good. (I just want more people to watch my fav yugioh, man)

-danny. with a SWORD.

-danny doesnt NEED TO WIN this contest, dash didnt STEAL HIS DESIGNS AND STEAL A SWORD. he also got excited to hear lancer got sent to a dimension with his worst fears too just so he could win the contest? DANNY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! BRO MAYBE YOURE 14 AND HAVENT FULLY DEVOLPED YOUR WHOLE BRAIN YET, BUT...THATS FUCKED. this kid casually says the most deranged things, I do worry for my spooky son. once again, therapy needed. that judo toss was great tho. I wonder if he actually did pick up some martial arts stuff from his mom?

-danny can fly 112 mph!!! thats so fast! I love the lil montage of him and his friends testing his abilities and stuff, very cute and a good way to showcase what he can do by now and how much more proficient he's gotten from ep 1!!! I'm sure he's going to get more abilities :)

-im glad...maddie's at least TRYING this ep. I do feel for her because her husband is a man baby. but the fact it took 16 episodes to get a kinda semblance of any kind of real concern or attempts at bonding. hmm. jack's 'BACK OFF SHES A MINOR' @ the ghost trying to attack jazz. also was very funny. and him wanting to make an action figure of her? are the parents redeeming themselves to me? slightly. they gotta Work Harder

-THE GHOST. IS FLYING. THE PLANE.

-fenton machete. but she doesnt carry a PHONE??? ???

-I mean I expected vlad when you namedrop him earlier in the ep, and also the title card picture, and dalv corp being fucking vlad backwards. but seeing him just pull up on a golf cart made me bust out laughing. WITH the gift baskets prepared. why wouldnt you at least be suspicious. also, if he wants danny to be his lil sonboy, why is he so fucking malicious?? dude you are going about this in such a bad way. stop it. get some help.

-maddie not even hesitating to drag danny out. fucking good. danny is so right, go on the internet to date. get a cat. how do you spend...how many years?? has it been since college?? at least 20, right, since the parents/vlad are in their 40s? hung up on ONE girl. my god, man. incel drama queen. her kung fu IS impressive, but dude. 'we both know hes a creep' SO right. it sucks but they do need a phone and shit being in the middle of NOWHERE. also, just stealing his helicopter was great. <3

-'you must be exhausted carrying the weight of that mistake you made years ago' 'well we all make mistakes. maybe I'll make one now!' WHY DID THIS EXHCHANGE SEND ME. AND VLAD WITH THE BREATH SPRAY EWWW BITCH. 'OLD BAIT BREATH' SOO RIGHT. both danny and his mom playing him HAHAH hes so dumb. or rather, I think he thinks with his emotions too too much and is...actually pretty gullible? lmao he believed danny was ready to give in SO fast. (which is sad hes that hopeful, like you have SO MUCH MONEY YOU COULD EASILY GET ANOTHER GIRL WHO HAS A KID. AND WOULD WANT TO BE WITH YOU AND BE SUPPORTED. GET OVER THIS (1) WOMAN ALREADY IM GETTING SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT AAAAH)

-GHOST BEAR GHOST BEAR GHOST BEAR. it was also in the title card, but I still got very excited. we love bears here

-SAM'S BAT SWIMSUIT COVERUP!!! her outfits are simply iconic.

-'i'd tell you to go to the mens room, but I don't think you qualify' top paulina transphobic moments. :( and him wearing a tanktop to the swim park? hmmm! (actually I think she was overshadowed by then, so, KITTY top 10 transphobic moments??)

-kitty just piloting paulina around makes me feel SO bad tho, paulina's gonna wake up and be like 'wtf do you mean I was dating this rando' like youre leading danny on to make johnny jealous, and also just POSSESSING POOR PAULINA. dude take your relationship problems ELSEWHERE. last time we saw them, they seemed like such a cute couple!! wtf johnny!! I mean, she sucks for trying to make him jealous, he sucks for looking at other girls...maybe they need a break, but Not Like This. or, you know, just. better communication...

-and the A-listers having a full packet and a stamp system. who organizes this. kwan fucking owning being the new danny though, this is hysterical. THE TUCKER/KWAN FLOWER FIELD TWIRL. UNIRONICALLY ADORABLE. and him giving it his all for the poetry slam. bless his HEARTTTT.

-Star owns. actually, all of the extra characters are shining this ep and I love it.

-INVISO-BILL??? NOOOO THEY DID HIM SOO DIRTY. DANNY SWEETIE IM SO SORRY.

-johnny and danny bein friends and staging a fake fight (which danny takes too seriously, once again this child has aggression he NEEDS TO WORK OUT) I hope these three stay friends, I said it before but danny needs more friendly ghosts to hang with.

-at this point, Danny's ghost enemies are a lot like, I dunno, batman's rouge gallery is the first thing that comes to mind. they all have their own gimmick and unique designs, but most of them are easy to beat after learning the Moral Lesson. I still get excited when any of them show up again, though. 18 is another valerie episode!!!! :D skulker really said you two will get along if I have to handcuff you together <3 and the gym teacher really said, youre married now, have a flour baby! ngl, I'm not really watching this show for the shipping stuff (which I am very scared to look at the fandom for after I finish this watch through- I feel like there's probably discourse/arguing about ships...) but. I'm gonna put my opinion out there. valerie/danny > sam/danny. maybe I just really love the enemies to lovers trope. And the secret identity stuff adds Extra Flavor.

-SKULKER JUST HAVING THE BOX GHOST AND DANGLING HIM BY A STRING. HILARIOUS. and him watching them with binoculars and making his silly little commentary. AND MAKING THE SACK BABY CRY. LMAO. THIS DUDE IS A BABY KIDNAPPER. skulker is super fun

-danny, you just...collapsed the water tower. and then attacked the nasty burger machine...mascot thingy...out of anger..I KEEP SAYING HE'S GOT ANGER ISSUES BUT. HE REALLY NEEDS A LESSON IN MANAGING COLLATERAL DAMAGE!!! So does valerie!! They're both pretty focused on each other. I mean it's good of Danny to say he's trying to make sure PEOPLE don't get hurt, but... (I mean I guess it's not something 14 year olds WOULD worry about, but as an adult im like, who's going to fix that? how much money will that take??)

-TUCKER MAKING BANK. and sam and tucker being super emotionally attached to their flour baby and being pretty good parents. that's cute...also him just straight kissing her and being like. WAIT. O_O JDSKAFHD. his mom baking them into cookies was the funniest possible result. tbh I dont feel like this is on tucker, if anything the other kid's shouldve been more responsible! He was just taking an opportunity to get that $$ which I respect

-Danny being more understanding of Valerie's situation in the end (helping her at her job, too, and trying to keep that a secret for her!!!) And seeing them work together this ep, and also her letting phantom get her out of the ghost zone...was very sweet. LOVE that. more valerie eps pls

-me when I realize vlad's big stupid house exploded because of his own carelessness with changing the ghost portal ectofiltrator or whatever: *pointing and laughing*

-me when I realize it means he's gonna go make danny's life hell for it somehow: >:(

-SCOOBY PARODY!!! I feel like there's gotta be some scooby doo/danny phantom crossover stuff, right? also, 'guys in white' men in black wishes

-'oh, that's right! dad married the love of your life! you're bitter and alone!' DANNNNNYY GET HIS ASS ONCE AGAIN WE ARE POINTING AND LAUGHING AT VLAD

-'jack, you captured the ghost boy!!' UMM. he did nothing <3 'we have a weapon's vault??' YOU HAVE A WEAPONS VAULT??? and jack didnt put a handle on the inside. of fucking course he didnt! why would you leave that to your son!! or expect him to clean YOUR LAB when its where you work with probably dangerous chemicals and weapons and hes 14!! give him normal chores, like, I dunno, vacuuming, laundry, dishes...CMON. I hate it here. But I'm glad Jack is more chill about danny while he's a ghost, and willing to work with him for this ep. AND. I DID ENJOY JACK PUNCHING VLAD IN THE FACE. AND GENERALLY JUST OWNING HIM. the ghost punchy fists are actually amazing. like yeah, just punch a ghost in the face. that rules.

-ep 20 opens with the coolest fucking ghost lady design. her tattoos can come off and fight. MA'AM. I like ur nose ring and your cape maam hello 👉👈😳

-sam's grandma is hilarious and the most valid member of her family and I love her. thats my grandma now. and tucker covering for sam by dressing as her. thats true friendship <3 also skipping school to go to a goth circus. just bestie things! sam's parents are haters but for all the wrong reasons.

-'my family has controlled ghosts with this for generations!' WAIT. WAIT FREAKSHOW /ISNT/ A GHOST? I didn't expect that...he's just a fucked up guy controlling ghosts? anyway watching danny shoot at police cars and rob banks while mind controlled. its like, the most stereotypical 'bad' things lmao. (tbh an evil ghost circus troupe is a sick concept)

this gives off big deviantart emo edit vibes

(I'm going to assume evil circus reaper danny has a lot of fan content. people love an edgy au, except this one is canon (even tho its via mind control...having the protag go evil otherwise might be hard, I guess?) but au where he stays with the troupe...that has to exist, right?)

ANYWAY. excited to start s2!! lowkey surprised by how many notes some of these posts have gotten. I've gone back and tagged them all with 'dp thoughts' so they're easier to find on my blog! ^^ and I will probably possibly do (more) fanart on my art blog after I finish the watch of the whole show, so like. @sanchoyodraws follow my art blog :)

#sanchoyorambles #danny phantom #dp thoughts

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story-thief · 4 years ago

Text

MHA/BNHA X READER (SHRUNK): CHAPTER 2 - Tiny Kirishima x Y/N.

Info--------------------

Y/N- Age: 16, Hight: 5'5", Gender: female, Quirk: Mind Reading, Class: 1-A

AU- None, Domestic fluff

Relationship background: You and Eijiro have been dating for quite some time now and are extremely close. ___________________________

It was early in the morning and Eijiro Kirishima had decided to go for a short walk before school started. UA was still asleep or just waking up, along with the majority of the city at that time. The red-headed boy couldn't help but hum to himself softly as he wandered the plot around the high school dorms. He liked nature far more than the city, though he loved both, and as such, he liked to take a short lap around the campus before starting his day.

The grass padded gently underfoot as he neared the end of his stroll, and that's when something caught his eye. It was a patch of bright blue and purple flowers covered in a very curious design, Kirishima had never seen anything like them. "Woah!!" He chimed excitedly as he squatted down to give them a closer inspection. The flowers were very extravagant despite their small size, looking as if the worlds most talented and skilled artist had done each one by hand. Seeing them made him think of his girlfriend, (Y/N)!

Kirishima blushed lightly as she came to mind, he'd have to show these to her after school, he was sure she'd love them!!!

Ecstatically, he reached down and gently picked a few, smelling them. They were sweet like fresh fruit. Upon reaching the pavement of the dorm's grounds he soaked in a little more of the morning's crisp atmosphere. As he took a deep breath he was quickly overcome with a strong sensation of vertigo. Stumbling lightly he shook his head briskly, blinking rapidly, surprised by the sudden tiredness. "What the-??" He coughed. What was that!? His body was probably still trying to get up and going, he'd be fine, he thought as he shook it off, flowers still in hand as he marched toward the building doors.

As he walked in, the teen boy felt another strong wave of dizziness and fatigue hit him hard. Geez, why'd he feel so out of sorts all of the sudden he was fine though, right?! Kirishima ignored the sudden change and attempted to keep walking, successfully making it up the stairs and to his room.

Opening the door, he felt unsteady on his feet. The red head made his way over to his bed where he plopped down to stop for a quick breather. What was going on??! Did he just not get enough sleep and it was only just now getting to him??? Gripping his head in his hands, he glanced over at his clock to see how much time he had. It was only 7:20am, he could probably squeeze in another forty-five minutes to an hour with plenty of time to get ready.

Eijiro flopped backwards onto his bed, eye lids getting heavier and heavier till eventually the world went dark.

****

(Y/N) chirped and talked excitedly with Tsue and Uraraka before class started. It was about five minutes or so till it was time, and it was only then that she realized that Eijiro was no where to be found. "Hey Bakugo!" She called to the grumpy blond who only turned around in his chair to glare back at her. "Have you seen Eijiro at all today??" The young girl asked him, to which he responded curtly, "Tch- How should I know??? The dumb idiot probably missed his stupid alarm." He grumbled, turning away from her to stare straightforward.

(Y/N) furrowed her brows, weird.... he didn't typically cut it this close...something must be wrong. She worried as concern flashed her features. "hmm, I'll be right back!!" She called as she dashed out the door, Iida's protests could be heard as she jogged off.

Quickly pulling herself along, she moved from the school to the dorms; she then made her way to the boy's dorm halls. She swiftly and easily found Kiri's door, her quirk picking up on his brainwaves which were surprisingly relaxed and passive for how outgoing and high energy he was.

Easing his door open, (Y/N) was met by a dark, empty room. Wait- where was he?? "Eijie...????" She called softly, slowly walking in. "Eijiroooooo~~???" She whispered quietly before flicking on the lights.

The room was indeed empty and tidy with the exception of his clothes strewn lazily across his bed. “Weird... where’d he go?!” She wondered aloud, walking further into the room. She could sense him near by, so where was he??? “KIRISHIMA!” She called one last time, causing something to stir.

Motion caught Atashame’s eye and she looked down at the clothes on the bed to see a tiny lump the size of a rat or a mouse moving under the shirt. “WHAT THE-?!”

****

Kirishima slept peacefully in what felt like a large warm mass of blankets when something woke him. “KIRISHIMA!!!!!” He heard a familiar voice call loudly, startling him awake.

As he opened his eyes and looked around he couldn’t quite make out where he was. All he could see was-.... red cloth? He squirmed around trying to find the opening to whatever or wherever he was. “WHAT THE-?!” He heard the same voice again, only now he was able to recognize who it belonged to. “(Y/N)?!” He asked looking around, still confused as to where on earth he was.

”K-KIRISHIMA?!” He heard her exclaim, “Yeah! Where are you?! Where am I?!” He replied, still crawling through the endless ocean of fabrics. “I-Is that really you?!” She asked again, only confusing him more, why’d she sound so confused, what was going on, AND WHERE ON THIS BLASTED EARTH WAS HE?!

”Yes it’s me!!! (Y/N), what’s going on?!” He yelled, growing weary. Suddenly the fabric opened just enough to pop out his head.

****

(Y/N) watched in absolute disbelief as the lump crawled around confusedly. It sounded as if it were Eijiro, but how in the galaxy would he have gotten that small??! She couldn’t wait any longer....

She tentatively reached out and opened the shirt from the neck collar, tossing it back a little, still nervous of what she might find. As the shirt fell back, a tiny head with frazzled, staticky red hair popped out.

What?

The girl was stunned, IT REALLY WAS HIM!!!! AND HE WAS NO BIGGER THAN AN IPHONE!

His little head looked around, blinking in the bright light. “(Y/N)??” He asked again still trying to make out what all he was looking at, his complete size difference making everything seem so foreign.

Things finally registered and (Y/N) finally came to grip that this was indeed, reality. “YOURE SO SMALL!!!!” She cried. Eijiro winced at the loud noise, eyes going wide as he worked to look at her, “WOAH!!! YOURE HUGE!!!” He squeaked back, his voice only slightly softer and higher than normal.

(Y/N) shook her head briskly, “NO, YOU SHRUNK!!!” She exclaimed, gesturing to the rest of the room. Kirishima sat up and looked around, the shirt still draped across him. “WH- YOURE RIGHT?!” He exclaimed, falling back over from the sheer surprise.

(Y/N) reached her hand out in an offering for him to climb on before realizing that-... his clothes were on the bed..... and he was inside of them... which would naturally mean-

“WAIT!!! YOURE WEARING CLOTHES RIGHT?!” She yelled, turning bright red. The little man moved to cover his ears again at her loud yelling before processing what she said. With wide eyes, he quickly looked down at himself which was still covered by the shirt, to see that he was, indeed, naked. “Uh- No not really!!” He admitted, wrapping the shirt tighter around himself, a rose color tinting his cheeks. He looked up at her sheepishly, “Y-you don’t happen to have any kind of tiny clothing... do you?” He asked in embarrassment.

“No, I don- WAIT!!! I MIGHT!!!!” She exclaimed running out of the room, leaving the little red head on the bed.

****

Aaaaaaaaaand she was gone. Kirishima was left in his room by himself. He stood and began walking around on the mattress, still trying to get a gage at both his current hight and at the reality of the situation. This was a dream right?? What happened?/ He was fine this morning!! As he did, he heard footsteps returning. "CRUD!-" He then dove for the cover of his shirt, his head poking out, just as (Y/N) had left him.

He watched the giantess come skipping in, "Tah-dah!!!!" She exclaimed cheerfully, holding up a doll's outfit. The was a red T-shirt and ripped shorts, along with black leggings that had been cut to create makeshift boxers. Eijiro lit up, surprised she even had the stuff! "Its so manly!!!" he exclaimed happily. "Here!! I'll uh- heh, I'll give you a moment of privacy...." She chuckles, tossing him the clothes and turning around.

The tiny bean of a child takes them gratefully and ducks back under his original clothes to change. He soon comes out fully dressed, toothy smile and all. "This is awesome!!" He laughs, "O-Oh!! Im decent, you can look now!!" He tells her, signaling her that it was safe.

She turned around and was met by the most gracious darn adorable thing she had ever seen in her life. "AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!" She couldn't help but squeal at the precious sight. "You're so tiny and cute!!!" (Y/N) giggled hysterically. Eijiro blushed lightly at her reaction. "Hey!!"

****

What (Y/N) saw before her was truly an image from heaven. There he stood, proud and small, dressed in the clothes her dolls had been wearing previously, hair a fluffy, wacky, tussled mess, sharp, sharky smile shining a bright glow, and best of all, He was so tiny, he could easily fit on her hand, shoulder, pocket, you name it!!! It was simply too much adorableness for her and she could no longer help herself.

She eagerly held out her hands as if asking his permission, to which she was granted as he carefully climbed on, wrapping his minuscule hands around her thumb as she lifted him. "You're so stincon lincon cuuuuuuuuuteeeee~~~~" She giggled, looking him up and down as he sat cross legged on her palm. He blushed more, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it so much!" He laughed. "How did this happen?!" you ask, sitting on his bed where he once stood.

"I- I don't know.... I felt sick at one point so i decided to lie down and get some more rest and well- I only woke up when you came in and I was already small!!" He explained. "Huh-.... Well... you know, Recovery Girl might- OH NO WE'RE LATE FOR CLASS!!!" She cried, standing quickly and knocking him over as he gripped onto her hand for dear life. "Woah!!" He cried, startled by all the sudden movement. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!!" She apologized, “I keep forgetting....” she admitted embarrassedly.

The tiny boy shakily sat up, giving her the same determined smile as his little body quivered from the adrenaline shock. “Don’t worry about me!” He exclaimed hardening himself in her hand as he grinned up at her. The giantess smiled back though she was still very apologetic. "I should still be more careful though, i'm just glad you're alright." She told him with a relieved sigh.

"Let's go see Recovery Girl about this first..." (Y/N) suggested, him only nodding in response. "Here.. Uh..." The girl then began looking herself up and down, trying to find a suitable spot to place him. Kirishima quickly caught on, "I can just ride on your shoulder!!!" He suggested, which she silently hoped he would. "Sure!!" (Y/N) chimed.

She tried the awkward motion of keeping her palm facing up while trying to make it easier for him to get to her shoulder. In short, he almost fell.

Once he was comfortably standing onto her shoulder they headed for the infirmary. "I really hope this can be fixed...." (Y/N) half muttered, slight worry crossing her features. The tiny shark on her shoulders only nodded as she opened the door and walked inside.

The sweet, short old woman known as Recovery Girl was tiding up the place when they came in, possibly after a different patient. "Oh!! Hello (L/N)!" She greeted, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?? What's wrong!!" She asked, apparently not noticing Kirishima's current state.

”I’m fine thanks! Um, I’m actually worried about this little guy....” She chuckled, turning her shoulder more toward the old woman, showing off her minuscule classmate. “Oh!!!” She cried, startled to see him like that. “What ever happened??” She asked the two. “We don’t know.....” “I just woke up like this...” they both commented.

Recovery girl thought for a bit, “Well what did you do in the last bit of time before it happened???” She asked, (Y/N) turning to look at Eijiro best she could whilst he thought. “Well, when I first woke up this morning, I was normal sized and I went for a walk around the campus grounds...” he recounted, “then when I came back to the dorms I suddenly got really dizzy and nauseous.” He finished.

The old woman placed a hand on her chin, “hmmm was there anything out of the ordinary or slightly different as opposed to other days??” She asked, making him think for a minute.

”Not that I remember- Wait!- I think, YES! I remember near the end of my walk there were these flowers!! I’ve never seen them before!” He exclaimed quickly, earning an interested look from Recovery Girl. “Were they blue and purple with little white designs?!” She asks, “YES THEY WERE HOW'D YOU KNOW!?!” “Wait have you dealt with them before?” (Y/N) asked after Kirishima.

The little woman let out a long sigh, “Yes I have, they’re a nuisance those things...” she grumbled, “Eating or inhaling them have the same effect, only eating will cause it to last longer,...” She explained. “And as I’m sure you’ve noticed so far, they make you shrink. The effects will ware off after a little more or less than 24 hours, depending on how much of it you took in, otherwise it can’t be helped.” The woman finished illuminating the situation for them, “I’ll send someone out to exterminate them in a bit.” She says, “For now I believe you two have classes to be attending.” She says, handing them a pass that explains where they’ve been, most likely for Aizawa Sensei. “Oh- ok then!! Thank you!!” They both called as she shooed them out the door.

“Looks like you’ll be like this for the rest of the day!” (Y/N) comments to him as they walk to their home classroom. Kirishima, still smiling ear to ear just shrugs, “I’m honestly excited about it!! Sounds like I’ll be fine, so I think this could be pretty fun!” He tells her to which she snickers, opening the class door. “Heyo! were back!”

****

Being small wasn’t all that bad! Eijiro got to sit on his girlfriend’s shoulder and desk throughout all the classes and while he didn’t admit this out loud, not having to take notes was actually kinda nice!!! And when lunch rolled around, Lunch Rush even made him a tiny dish just for himself!

Yet despite all this, Hero training classes for that day were called off, much to the little rock’s disappointment, leaving the two of them the entire afternoon.....

“So what do you wanna go do??” Eijiro asked as they flopped on the couches of the common room, little Kiri sprawled on her stomach. (Y/N) shrugged, “Well, before you shrunk I had a date planned for today...” She half asks, looking down at him with a soft smile. Kirishima perked up immediately, “REALLY?! WELL LETS GO!! WHO’S TO SAY WE CANT STILL HAVE FUN!?!?” He yells enthusiastically, standing now as he smashes his little baby fists together. (Y/N) couldn’t help but laugh, knocking him off his feet.

Gracious she was beautiful.

And the size difference only seemed to emphasize everything amazing about her despite how people said it typically brought out every imperfection.... maybe that’s what he liked so much about her, that both he and she were so different yet similar, they completed each other in so many ways, every quirk and goofy thing about her just seemed so amazing to him.

”Eijie??”

Oops!! He must’ve gotten lost in thought!!

”Oh yeah!! Sorry, I spaced off for a minute!” He laughed with a blush, scratching the back of his neck. (Y/N)'s face lit up with a smile, “It’s ok!! Just noticed you seemed somewhere else!” She grinned, sitting up some.

As she offered her hand, the little red head climbed on, beaming up at her. "So where are we going!?" He asked excitedly. "I just guess you'll have to see!!" She teased, slipping her shoes on and jogging out the door with him still on her shoulder, using her ear as support and not fall.

After some nice small talk about random things and the events of the day, they soon arrived at the train station. "Come ooooonnnnnn you've gotta tell me!!! We're going on the train, man!!" The little man begged. "Nooo, That ruins the surprise!!" She responded, determined not to tell, just as much as he was to find out.

Coming to a bench, (Y/N) stopped to sit down and wait for their ride. As they did two little girls and their mother sat beside them.

Kirishima pouted on (Y/N)'s shoulder, trying to plot on how to get her to reveal their destination. As he did it was only out the corner of his eye that he saw a giant hand reaching for him. As he moved to react it wrapped its fingers around his upper half and face. “ACK-?!” He let out a muffled cry as he kicked and pushed at the hand gripping him.

****

(Y/N) was preoccupied looking up details about her and Eijiro’s date on her phone, which she held next to her hip on the opposite side of Kirishima so he couldn’t see. So much so that she didn’t even notice when the two little girls plucked him up and began playing with him excitedly like they would a doll.

“Alright Eijiro!!!” She chimes, turning off her phone and turing her head expecting to see him on her shoulder only to see a couple of girls practically torturing the poor little guy. “Oh my heavens!!!! Um, you need to give me him back!!!” She told them, reaching for her boyfriend. “No!” One cried, holding him out and away from (Y/N). “Excuse me, Madam???” She panicked and got the attention of the woman who seemed to be absorbed in something on her own device. The woman startled when (Y/N) rapidly tapped her shoulder, “Hi!!! Yeah- um that’s mine and your little girls seem to not want to give it back!!!” She quickly told, terrified they might smother him.

Their mother reacted swiftly, “Lina, Haru!!!” She scolded, “If that’s not yours then you need to give it back!” She chided.

The girls looked down each and apologized, handing the limp little form back to (Y/N). “Thank you!” She said quickly, cupping him tenderly in her hands as he gasped for breath the moment the tiny fingers released.

The mother startled upon seeing that Kirishima was alive and not some other little doll of sorts. “Oh dear me!!!!” She cried, “Is that thing alive?!” She asked in disbelief.

(Y/N) didn’t answer, too occupied in making sure her shrunken boyfriend was alright. “Kiri are you ok?!” She cried, subconsciously holding her breath as he sucked in every possible one he could.

The tiny shark gave a weak smile and a thumbs up, still coughing and choking on each breath.

“I am so sorry!!!!” The mother apologized again, still absolutely dumbfounded. “It’s ok!” Eijiro croaked, “Dont worry about it, I’m fine!!” He added, trying his best to put the giantesses about him at ease.

The little girls just stayed quiet, looking terribly sorry, but too shy and ashamed to say anything.

It was then that their train arrived, quite busily too. “I think he’ll be ok, it my fault for not paying better attention....” (Y/N) reassures, supporting the shakey tiny in her hands as she got up and began heading for the train. “Oh my heavens!!! Are you ok?!” She asked again once they were out of earshot. Eijiro did actually seem alright now and he nodded, “Yeah! Just scared me, I wasn’t expecting that!” He says cheerily despite the fact that his body is still clearly vibrating. “Yeah me neither, and honestly I’m kinda worried about being on here....” (Y/N) admitted as they climbed onto the train and began looking for a seat. “Do you have anywhere safe you’d feel comfortable letting me sit??” Eijiro asked, cocking his little head to the side.

(Y/N) looked herself up and down, “Would you be ok in a pocket??” She asked him, using her thumb of her other hand to pull open one of her front pockets on her pants.

Kirishima lit up and smiled, “Yeah!! I don’t mind that!!!” He chirped. She smiled warmly at this, lowering her hand so he could climb in. She watched with slight amusement as he awkwardly tried to slip inside, swinging one leg, then the other, and completely disappearing from sight as she could feel him drop down inside.

****

As Eijiro slipped into the pocket he wasn’t honestly expecting such deep pockets, like who needs pockets this big?!

Luckily the pocket was loose and he was able to wiggle around, trying to find how to best be comfortable. It took a while but the mini man finally settled. It was like a giant warm cocoon of blankets!! Enough so.... that.... he began... to......... drift....... off~~.....

"Hey! Kiri!!" Kirishima awoke to something very large nudging his side softly, "Hmm?! Huh???" He muttered, blinking in confusion as he tried to figure out where he was. He found himself in a warm, dark, and cushioned room that swayed steadily back and forth. And he quite frankly didn't remember entering it... "Eijiro!!" (Y/N)'s voice broke his thoughts, and that's when realization struck him. He had fallen asleep in his girlfriend's pocket on the train. "What??" He asked, squirming to peek his head out the pocket and up at her.

She giggled upon seeing his fluffy little head emerge. "Did you seriously fall asleep??" She laughed, walking through the station as she climbed off the train. "Maybe?" He grinned back up at her, "Wait, wait, give me your hand!!" He cheered, already getting out of the pocket, "Woah!! Geez little dude, are you trying to fall and get crushed!?" The young girl exclaimed, stumbling slightly as she tried to catch him.

Kirishima ignored her question and wasted no time in climbing her arm, pulling himself up to her shoulder. "SO WHERE ARE WE HEADED!?" He eagerly bounced, ecstatic to finally be getting to see what she had in store. (Y/N) couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm.

(Y/N) walked out of the station and down the street, people they passed giving shocked, startled and amazed looks at the enthusiastic little bean that bounced relentlessly on his girlfriend’s shoulder.

As the building came to view, Kirishima let out a gasp. “NO WAY!!!” He cried, his sharky little smile growing wider than his face could handle.

(Y/N) lost herself in laughter over his reaction, the place she had taken him was a new restaurant. It had only been open a week and it already had some of the highest ratings in the area. And best of all, they were famous for their numerous meat dishes. Kirishima had been talking about wanting to go ever since it was announced that one would be built here.

”If you like it enough, we can always come back when your bigger and can eat more!!” She told him, to which he eagerly nodded.

She pressed the door open and walked in. They were then seated at a table for one, in an outside area underneath a covering. “Wow!! This is actually really nice!!” (Y/N) chirped, Kirishima waddling carefully down her arm to sit on the table before slipping and sliding the rest of the way, which he quickly shook off, adding his own excited comment, "I know right!?" He cried, "I've been looking forward to this for a long time!!" He yelled, absolutely hyped, per usual.

Not too long after they had sat down a waiter came over to take their order. "Good evening ma'am, my name is Akio!! I'll be your server tonight!!!" he hummed, giving her a charming smile. Kirishima silently grew jealous, frustrated that his lack of size made him invisible, and therefore his girlfriend a target for this young fellow. (Y/N) on the other hand seemed to pay it no mind, "Ah!! Thank you!!" She responded politely as she would under any occasion, yet it only grew the miniature man's jealousy.

"Are you ready to order or do you need a little longer??" He asked, still very clearly into her. "I think we'll wait a little longer!! For now could I get a water??" she asked. Akio gave her a confused blink when she said 'we' but shook it off, "of course!!" he chimed, moving to walk off before (Y/N) glanced down, "What do you want to drink??" She asked Kirishima, confusing the waiter even further, "I'm sorry me-??" he turned around, seeing that she was not looking at him, but down by her folded arms that rested on the table. And there his eyes met the tiny crimson ones of Eijiro, who gave him a quick look before returning to his bright and happy demeanor and answered the giantess. "Wanna just share a strawberry lemonade?!" he chimed, to which the girl seemed to perk up at, "Oooo!! Actually that sounds great!!" she beamed, turning to face Akio, who was currently in a state of shock.

"I- He- He's alive!?" The server finally sputtered, "And so small!!! How?!" the man couldn't believe what he was looking at, causing (Y/N) to scratch the back of her head, "Right, I forgot that this would still startle people,... I feel bad I've kinda gotten used to you like this..." She laughed to Eijiro who smiled back, "I know right?? Anyways, its a long story!!" He told the waiter who remained starstruck. The man nodded nonetheless, making his way off to go retrieve their drinks.

As soon as he left Kirishima felt better, he didn't like the look he was giving her, but now that the waiter knew the young girl wasn't alone he'd most likely lay off. "So what's the menu say?!" He asked merrily, rubbing his little hands together. (Y/N) couldn't help but giggle as he hopped onto the menu where she was trying to read, already looking at the kabobs. "OOOOO!!!!" He gasped at a specific option that he was definitely getting! It was an assorted kabob of fish, shrimp, beef, pork, and chicken, some vegetables like tomato, cabbage, and beets. "I know what Im gonna eat!!" He cheered hugrily, mouth watering madly. "What about you??" He asked, his smile like a tiny sun glaring up at her. "Well, I think i'll figure it out once I can see what's there!!" She teased, gently grabbing the back cuff of his shirt between her two fingers and setting him down, off the menu. "Sorry!" He sheepishly chuckled, wriggling briefly at first but going limp when he saw she was going to set him back down. She then couldn't resist the urge to ruffle his soft hair with her index finger. "Hey!! You know that's hard to fix!!!!" He whined at the motion, gently pushing her finger away with his tiny hands. (Y/N) just grinned wider, suppressing a giggle.

"I'll probably just get a Katsudon!!!" she told him as their waiter was returning with the drink. He brought a little shot glass that was filled with some of the drink. (Y/N) thanked him before telling him their orders. they agreed that Kirishima would get the meal normal sized and they'd just take whatever he didn't eat to go. Soon they were enjoying some of the best food they had ever had.

Surprisingly Kirishima had managed to eat an entire kabob, but given the fact that he was a human vacuum, it didn't startle her too much.

After dinner they went for a walk, making their way down the streets of the area, more wandering about rather than having a set goal in mind. "Today's been really crazy..." The hero in training commented with a laugh as she waltzed one of the area's public park walkways with her boyfriend perched behind her ear. He liked the spot as it was more secure than just sitting on her shoulder and he got to mess with her hair. "But very manly!!" He added, braiding a couple strands. "Yeah!! It has!!" She agreed as they made their way back to the station. As they walked, (Y/N) spotted an ice cream cart. "Ooo!! Hey, wanna get a quick treat before we head back to the dorms?!" She asked him, feeling as he quickly stood, gripping onto some of her hair for balance.

"YES!" "OW,OW,OW,OW,OW!! KIRI THAT HURTS!!" "Agh-!! S-Sorry!!" he quickly apologized, letting go, therefore losing his balance and quickly falling. "Woah!!" "Eijiro!!!" Atashame caught him before he hit the pavement, "Jeez...." She muttered, taking a slow breath after the heart attack she had just received. "Y-You ok?!" She asked, pressing a hand to her chest as if to calm her heart beat and breathing. He just nodded, giving her another shaky smile like before. "Well I'm just glad you're alright..." She sighed before lifting him up to her face and planting a kiss on his small, soft head. He blushed and smiled radiantly as she pulled away, leaning up to return the gesture on her large nose, causing her heart to flutter. He was just so sweet and precious, and huggable, and squishy, and soft, and adorable, and fluffy, and ahhhhhhhh~~~~ (Y/N) couldn't help but think to herself, subconsciously squealing and hugging him to her cheek, lost in her own thoughts. "Ack- don't crush me!!" Kirishima laughed as he hugged her back.

She finally pulled away, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself!!" her tiny boyfriend grinned mischievously before jumping from her hand to sit on her nose and better hug her face. "Hey, I wasn't done hugging you!!" he half pouted, earning another soft giggly squeal from his giant girlfriend. "Ok, now Im satisfied!! You give very manly face hugs." He declared proudly, grabbing the hair atop her head to pull himself up her face. "Ow! Eijiro I just told you that hurts!!" She flinched, hovering her hands just below him as if for him to jump down but he ignored her, eventually climbing up and onto her head where he sat proudly. "Sorry, but I really wanted to try siting here!!" He told her as she could only smile at his silly antics.

"Alright what flavor?!" She asked him as she walked over to the cart. "hmmm.... How about fudge and vanilla!" He suggested, "Really?? Just fudge and vanilla??" She laughed, "Yeah!! Its a classic!!" He complained back, slightly put out by her silent judgement. "ok, ok, that's a good point, I will admit." She gave in as they came up on the cart.

"Could I get a soft serve mix of fudge and vanilla??" (Y/N) asked the man as he served them up in a small paper cup. He nodded and handed her the soft frozen treat, not really noticing the tiny man on her head at first before taking a double take as the two walked off to find a park bench to sit on.

They soon came up on a decent bench, and (Y/N) sat down carefully as to not knock the itty bitty shark off her head. "Alright!" She grinned eagerly, "Ready??" She asked him, feeling the pitter patter of tiny hands and feet crawling toward the front of her head. "HECK YEAH!!!" He cheered, just as excited, if not then more. "Catch!!!!" He yelled taking yet his third leap of faith. "DUDE!!! STOP JUMPING!!!" she cried in surprise as his tiny little form went hurdling from above yet again.

Kirishima just laughed wildly as the soft, warm cushion of his beloved girlfriend's delicate hands caught him, cupping up around him protectively. "No more. I revoke your rights!! You keep giving me heart attacks!!!" (Y/N) scolded, completely cupping her hands around his tiny warm body. "Wha-!? Hey!!!" He squawked, trying to press against her hands in retaliation, "You can't do that!!" He protested, squirming around trying various different ways to wiggle his way out of her grasp. "Well I just did!!" She quickly shot back before she was startled by something warm and wet running itself across her fingers. "A- ARE YOU LICKING ME!?" She asked in loud disbelief, hands flinching for a brief moment to lessen her grip on the tiny man-child who stopped briefly as a chorus of tiny, mischievous giggles came muffled from her cupped hands. "SO UNCOOL!!" She added before a sharp needle-like pricking registered with her. "DID YOU JUST BITE ME!?" She cried again, this time hesitating in her grasp just enough for him to poke his head and arms out. He was a laughing mess.

Much like a worm he continued to wriggle through her fingers. "Oh no you don't Mr!!!" She scoffed, reaching a second hand to grab him, just his arms and the topmost parts of his fluffy red hair poking out of the top of her fist, just his legs kicking wildly as he refused to yield. "Ha! Gatcha!!!" (Y/N) spoke too soon when he began to plant his feet against the base of her fist and he slide out of her hand, slipping out of his shirt too in the process.

And now she had a tiny, shirtless boyfriend running across her lap and the park bench as she tried desperately to stop him.

Oh brother.

"Kirishimaaaa~~~" The girl whined, grabbing him by the ankle and quickly bringing him up to be eye level with her as she glared at him. "What do you have to say for yourself??" She asked as he tried desperately to atop laughing, "You're beautiful and that was awesome!!!" He finally answered, tears running up his face from laughing so hard and being held upside down by his foot. (Y/N) couldn't stay even remotely put out if she wanted too and soon she too was laughing as she set him back down on her knee, planting a loving kiss on his head again. "So are we gonna eat this or are we just gonna let it melt??" She finally inquired, still grinning at him as he caught his breath.

Smiling his wide, toothy smile, he finally nodded in response. "Yes!!" He added a vocal reply, still quite excited from their little wrestling thing. "You wanna try it first??" She asked, scooping a small amount of the frozen dessert out of the cup. Kirishima nodded, reaching for the large spoon, leaning to take a bite off of it before (Y/N) moved the spoon forward so he'd be able to reach better from where he was. And so, The tiny red head got a face full of cream.

"OOP-" (Y/N) exclaimed as she accidentally shoved the sweet into his face. Kirishima popped is head out of the large spoonful, taking a moment to process what had just happened. "PPFFFFTttttttt-!!" The girl was soon lost in laughter over the sight of his stuned face completely slathered in gelato. "Um, I think you have a little something-" She tried to manage through her laughs.

Eijiro finally grinned, starting to laugh with her, "Maybe I should hold the spoon." He told her, wiping the ice cream from his face and onto his hands, and then into his mouth. "Its good though!" He piped up again through a full mouth. (Y/N) finally calmed herself, grabbing a napkin that they had also received from the vendor. "Here let me help." She offered, using the paper cloth to gently wipe and clean his face. "Better?" "Yeah thanks man!"

(Y/N) Then tucked away the napkin and they were able to enjoy the rest of the treat, taking turns taking bites, Kirishima at one point or another got his revenge, slapping a dollop of the treat onto her face. "Eijiro!" She exclaimed as he chuckled. The rest of the walk went nicely after they were able to sufficiently clean sticky hands.

After another warm pocket ride on the train, they walked to the dorms, both happy but tired from the long day. It was late when they got back as well, meaning it was dark and they were both feeling sleepy. Walking into the dorm building, they were met by friends who were eager to hear about the date, tease, and poke fun at the couple.

"Hey Eijiro?? Do you want me to just drop you off in your room??" (Y/N) asked after they were away from the others. Her minuscule boyfriend bit his lip seeming unsure. "Well... I don't really want to be alone while I'm this size..." He admitted, "Could-... Could i maybe stay with you for the night??" He asked her sheepishly, a bright pink glow lighting his features like a lantern. His girlfriend could only smile, her heart swelling in her chest, "Of course Baby!" She comforted, and began heading back to her room.

After opening the door, (Y/N) very gently set the little man down on her bed before grabbing a pair of folded clothes off her dresser, "Here, get comfy!! Im going to go change." She told him before heading into the bathroom.

After she left, Kirishima bee-lined for the large fluffy pillow, jumping on it and sinking into its mushy surface, feeling very warm and secure as it smelled strongly of (Y/N), by far his favorite smell in the world. The bathroom lock soon after clicked and his girlfriend came out, dressed in modest, simple pajamas, a white top and light blue shorts. She looked around trying to find where he had gone before she noticed the tiny lump sprawled across her pillow. Letting a soft giggle escape, she crept quietly toward the bed, pulling herself onto it without disturbing him. She then promptly lied down, gently burying her face into the pillow, nuzzling the tiny man with her nose and forehead. Kirishima gives a soft "oof-" at this, startling him awake from his nodding off. (Y/N) rests the weight of her head on the pillow, still hugging it to her face, tiredly kissing Kiri's belly as it’s the closest thing to her lips. She then let a warm, airy sigh of exhaustion escape and wash over the little body, ruffling the clothes a little, mindful that the breeze isn’t in his face.

The little shark is delighted and surprised by the sleepy snuggles. He hugs the giantess's nose and kisses the closest spot he can reach, between her eyebrows, which he then begins to massage in a satisfying circular motion, hoping to coax the muscles into a softer expression and ease any tension there.

With a small smile curling at her lips, (Y/N) continues to plant very slow, gradual kisses on her little boyfriend's entire torso along with the side of his face, pausing now and then, almost as if she'd fall asleep with her lips on him and her face half atop the tiny.

With a tender expression of his own, Eijiro caresses the girl's nose and cheeks all the while, enjoying the love and attention. He felt like if they were the same size right then, (Y/N)’s head would be buried in his chest, and he would be petting her soft, well kept hair. He had to admit that it was strange to be the comforting bed for a giant, but still, he loved it. He noticed the giantess dozing off and his little beaming grin grew. It really had been a long day especially with the fun they had had, and snuggling sounded very very inviting.

(Y/N) was almost asleep when she felt his tiny hand pat her face, signaling her to let him out from under her face. "Mmmm- Sorry..." She giggled groggily, letting him scurry out from underneath her. the two then carefully situated themselves with (Y/N) on her side, curled around her tiny man who hugged to her large warm body.

(Y/N) had slept very soundly throughout the entirety of the night, and when she awoke, it was to the very soft warm golden glow of the sun stretching itself into the room through closed blinds. The sleepy girl didn't quite remember closing the blinds last night. As her eyes gently fluttered open, it came to her attention that Kirishima was not a tiny little bean anymore, but very much his normal hight as he wrapped himself around her. A bright blush that rivaled the color of her man's hair blossomed on her cheeks, ears, neck, and tops of her shoulders. She looked up at his peaceful face as he held her close in a spooning position, her being the little spoon. (Y/N) then noted that he had her sweats on, but remained shirtless, his body like a human heater. She smiled to herself and snuggled close to him.

Truly one of the best days ever.

______________________

A request for: Sunshine

i had a lot of fun writing this!!! Thank you to WinterKlover for being my beta reader and helping me sort my story to its finest!!!!! Keep up the cute requests!!! Ill be working on them as much as I can!!!! ____________________

Up next: ( ∆ requested, Ω inspiration)

∆~ Bakugo x tiny YN - Hot Pocket

∆~ Giant deku x YN - Baby Bird

∆~ Tiny Bakugo x YN - Dynamight!? More like Firecracker!!!

Ω~ Giant Kirishima x YN - The Crown Jewel

Ω~ Shoto x Tiny YN - Baby It's Cold Outside

Ω~ Tiny Deku x YN - Hickery Dickery Dock

Ω~ Bakugo x Tiny YN - Pest Control is For Pests

Ω~ Tiny Bakugo x YN - The Prize Fish

Ω~ Giant Kirishima x YN - Baby Shark

Ω~ Giant Kirishima x YN - The Big Bad Wolf

Ω~ Tiny Deku x YN - Peter Rabbit

Ω~ Tiny Bakugo x YN - He's A Pop-Rockin Pixie ___________________

let me know if you guys want some of these sooner than others, right now they are in the order of request and then inspiration. Requests willl come before inspiration.

This is my art please do not trace or repost without my permission. feel free to reblog though, id appreciate that!!

#Kirishima #redriot #Kirishima eijiro #tiny kirishima #Kirishima fanart #mha #my hero Acadamia #bnha #boku no hero Acadamia #mha fanart #my hero Acadamia fanart #BNHA fanart #boku no hero Acadamia fanart #Kirishima x Y/N #kirishima x reader #fluff #tiny mha #Giant x tiny #Kirishima shrunk

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aer-in-wanderland · 4 years ago

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구미호뎐 | Tale of the Nine Tailed - 이동욱 VLIVE 2020.11.18 TotNT Q&A

Below the cut you’ll find a translation of some of the TotNT Q&A highlights from Lee Dong Wook’s recent VLIVE, wherein the actor answers live questions from fans and shares some fun behind the scenes stories and insights.

Note: these are only excerpts I’ve selected out (primarily from the third segment) of the full 2hr VLIVE. You can find a full transcript of the second segment here.

At the start, LDW wrote a few things on a white board because he was being asked them so much. Those are:

Tale of the Nine Tailed Ep 13 & 14 will both be broadcast the following week (filming for the drama has wrapped) [on November 5th, after filming for nearly 7 months]

He really does like mint chocolate

He has no intention of running his own SNS (social media)

[In a later addition] He doesn’t know his MBTI type and isn’t interested in finding out

The VLIVE proceeded in three main sections. 1) Free talk 2) VS Game (prepared for him by his promotional team), and 3) TotNT Q&A. Below are some things I thought were of note, mostly from the third section, complete with time stamps in case you want to go see where he talks about them but also because academia has conditioned me to always be meticulous about citing my sources. ;)

Q: Do you watch Tale of the Nine Tailed on live broadcast? [0:17:16~0:17:46]

I think I watched live...about half the time. I saw about half of the episodes live, and for the other half I couldn’t watch because we were filming, so I either watched them on re-watch [online] or when they re-broadcast them.

Since it wasn’t entirely pre-produced, we were still filming as it was being broadcast, so there were occasions when I couldn’t watch the broadcast live.

[Note: The reason people in Korea are concerned with the original live broadcast (bonbang) is because this is how the viewership ratings are measured.]

Q: Are you close with Kim Beom-nim in reality? [0:30:45~0:31:03]

(Laughing) Yes, we are close in real life haha. That was a very cute question. We’re extremely close. We worked out together yesterday too. (Laughing) That was a cute question.

[Note: Lee Dong Wook and Kim Beom are represented by the same talent agency so they’re also label mates]

Q: Are there any ad lib lines that come to mind? [1:17:30~1:18:30]

Everyone, to be perfectly honest, I did so many ad libs I don’t even remember them all. I think I made an ad lib in nearly...at least once in every two scenes? Was it more than that? But thankfully the director and writer gave me a lot of opportunities to do as I pleased. Most likely if you were watching and found yourself thinking, ‘oh, that seems like an ad lib?’ those were all ad libs. And there were actually many more than that even. Yes. I did so many I can’t remember.

[Note: You can find a full round-up of ad libs mentioned throughout the VLIVE that I did here. I’m not going to repeat them in this post since it’s going to be long enough already ;) ]

Q: What line left the deepest impression on you? [1:18:36~1:19:35]

This is also...for our drama, the writer really did a wonderful job writing the dialogue and there are many iconic lines, right? So to be honest it’s difficult to just pick one...yes. But, in any case, it would probably have to be that line, wouldn’t it? The ending of episodes 1, 4 and 9. Ji Ah’s line, ‘I waited for you.’ And then again at the end of episode 4, my line, ‘I also waited for you.’ And then at the end of episode 9 Ji Ah says, ‘I waited for you’ with a different meaning. The mirroring of the lines in these ending scenes, I believe it will have stayed with you, and it stayed with me too.

[Reading the live chat] Yes, ‘I have never once missed my target.’ Yes, that line was also really good. It was a line that helped to wake something in Rang-ie’s heart, so...

Q: Was it hard acting before the CG effects were added in? [1:20:39~1:23:19]

Ah, is that so? That was also released as a clip, as a video [available here]. They compared the CG before and after...It’s not easy. Yes. Especially in cases like the Knife Mountain Hell and the Snow Mountain Hell, when you film in front of a blue screen, you need to make a lot of calculations. And, you sort of...need to be aware of the details. Right now, what cut you’re filming, what cut will come after that cut, and...for that, seeing as how everything around you is blue, you tend to lose your sense of direction a bit? You also have to take that into account. So, actually to film all the Knife Mountain Hell and the Snow Mountain Hell scenes, added together, I spent three days and two nights in front of a blue screen...so it was a bit hard. After being in front of nothing but a blue screen for nearly three days straight...I started to lose my sense of time and space. Where I am now, which direction I’m going in, whether where I’m currently standing is facing forward or backward, even what time it is currently, or how much time has passed, these sort of...the most basic senses that are part of being human, become duller and duller. That was somewhat hard. But thanks to our director, our CG director, and our stunt director helping me a lot, and the same goes for our film crew, yes, so, that was how we filmed.

Ah, and, when filming in front of a blue screen, especially in cases like the Knife Mountain Hell, there are knives flying at me right? So I get asked a lot if that isn’t embarrassing, but to be honest when I’m filming I don’t have the space to even be concerned with those sorts of things. It’s not as if, like, because I moved in such a way I feel humiliated or because I did this I feel embarrassed. I don’t even have the space to be concerned with those things. I just think about the fact that the CG team, the stunt team, the camera team, and me, I have to act well so that these four teams can work well in concert...yes. Because to the extent that my acting comes across as realistic, it should be better once the CG is added. Because it will be easier for the people filming [that way], so I always film while keeping those things in mind.

Q: Do the colors of your thread rings have to do with the drama’s plot? [1:26:42~1:27:00]

[Big pause] Hm~.....the color doesn’t.

Q: Between Lee Rang and Imoogi, who did you have the best synergy with for the action sequences? [1:27:26~1:28:11]

For me, it was easiest when I worked with the stunt team (laughs). When I do action sequences with other actors...I’m uneasy. Well, the other party might also be uneasy but I am also uneasy, because if we happen to strike each other for real, we’ll get hurt. So I always film with a very cautious mindset, but when I do action sequences with the stunt team, in any case, because they are professionals, even if I get the motions slightly wrong or I step forward too much, they are able to adjust to match me. So my heart is most at ease when I do action sequences with the stunt team. Because they are able to respond to me well.

Q: Do you get startled for real when Taluipa screams at you while you’re acting? [1:28:46~1:28:59]

No. In reality it doesn’t startle me that much. Jeong Nan-Noona (Actress Kim Jeong Nan) is also very close with me. We’ve been in a number of productions together, so we enjoyed ourselves.

Q: A behind the scenes story from the promotional teasers with Jo Bo Ah? [1:29:17~1:30:02]

Ah~, this is a bit of a departure from talking about the drama itself. I was just talking with Ji Ah, with Bo Ah-ssi, and we ended up talking about how it might be if we tried filming something funny just by ourselves to release before the broadcast...and so, I was the one who provided the idea, at the beginning. If you look, it’s written there, right? Planning: Jo Bo Ah, Directing: Lee Dong Wook hehe. Yes, we just made them like that. At the very beginning, Jo Bo Ah-ssi was the one who proposed making them, so the planning is Jo Bo Ah, and then I was the one who supplied ideas of ‘let’s do this like this,’ so the directing is Lee Dong Wook. Yes.

[Note: If you haven’t seen these, they’re great. There are three of them that were shared to both Lee Dong Wook (@leedongwook_official) and Jo Bo Ah’s (@xxadoraa) Instagram feeds ahead of EP03, EP05, and EP07]

Q: Who had the most NG (no good) takes while filming? [1:30:59~1:31:14]

I have the most NGs. I think in any case, I have the most...I joke around a lot, and I make a lot of ad libs, and I also had a lot of scenes, so I had the most NGs.

Q: Re: Lee Yeon’s Hair [1:33:38~1:34:34]

Yes, I like it. Ah, this could actually be a bit of a ‘behind the scenes.’ It was actually my idea to make Lee Yeon’s hair red-brown. It wasn’t the original character setting. I thought that, since he’s a Korean red fox, how would it be to make his hair a bit closer to that color, and also that it would be nice to give him a bit more of an otherworldly image. So I consulted with the director of our salon and the salon director said that that would be good. So I ended up with red-brown hair, and it just worked naturally that the (mountain god) wig be a mixture of red-brown and silver. Ah that isn’t white hair, it’s actually silver. It’s much closer to silver hair, not white hair. So that’s how I came to have a combination of red and silver long hair. Yes.

Q: What was your reaction when you first met the agwi while filming the Forest of the Starved sequence? [1:36:27~1:37:50]

That, rather than thinking they were scary, I mostly kept thinking about what a hard time they must be having. The Forest of the Starved sequence, adding together every time the Forest of the Starved shows up from beginning to end, we filmed for nearly a week straight. Six days? For about six days to a week. For most of them, they are actually members of our stunt team in stage makeup. There were also many people who appeared just in those roles, but those folks all had a really hard time. That makeup takes a long time to put on and a long time to take off, and seeing as it’s all special effects makeup it’s hard on your skin in a number of ways, and because it was summer it was really hot and humid, and because we were in the forest it was just...well, in any case there were truly a lot of error conditions, so while me and Kim Beom-ssi also had a hard time, in truth it was those people who had it the hardest. Those who played the agwi really worked very hard. Thank you very much to those people. For me and Kim Beom-ssi, at least our clothes and shoes were, at least we were dressed comfortably while we filmed, but those people had to wear torn hanbok and straw shoes while running, so in truth those people are the protagonists of the Forest of the Starved. They really worked the hardest of all of us.

[Note 1: ‘those people’ sounds dismissive in English but LDW is using the respective term ‘bun’ so he’s actually being quite deferential here.

Note 2: Kim Beom has said elsewhere that he filmed this sequence for 3 weeks so either LDW is just talking about his own scenes or possibly Kim Beom just remembered it as being longer than it was haha]

Q: When you played baduk with Lee Rang, did you know what you were doing or were you just placing pieces at random? [1:39:34~1:40:07]

For that, I knew what I was doing. For that baduk game, someone who knows [how to play], if they see that board just once they will know. We used a high caliber game by extremely famous baduk players and transferred the placement of the pieces exactly, and then Rang-ie and I took turns placing piece by piece like this, right? For that, we each, Rang-ie and I each memorized our moves, so we were playing an actual game of baduk. The reason being that, these sort of things are the details, and for those, well, you shouldn’t lie, right?

Q: Are there any details you payed attention to when you were acting as Lee Rang transformed (into Lee Yeon)? [1:44:27~1:45:47]

For episode 11... for episode 11, at that time, conversely, I didn’t pay much attention to it. At that time, the reason being, fooling the viewers was a critical part of that sequence, of that episode, so conversely, if I had acted like Lee Rang, and Lee Rang had acted like me, like Lee Yeon, doing it like that seemed like it would have been too obvious, so we just, to the greatest extent possible, we each respectively acted Lee Yeon as had been, and Lee Rang as had been.

But then, when Lee Rang transforms into Lee Yeon and goes to see Taluipa, at that time I tried more to act like Lee Rang. In fact, before we started filming, I asked Rang-ie, I asked Beom-ssi to read through the lines once. I asked him, ‘If it was you, how do you think you would do this?’ So Beom-ssi read it for me and I matched that. So this was another place that I manipulated the details while I was acting. When I (Rang) went to see Taluipa, when he was transformed, there was originally another version where I (Rang) looked around even more and was even more awkward. But rather than that, that was too blatantly obvious, so it was broadcast with the more toned-down version.

Q: Did you really have a video call with Ji Ah? [1:46:18~1:46:36]

No, we each shot our scenes on different days. I shot mine first, and then Ji Ah-ssi, Bo Ah-ssi, shot hers about two or three days later. We each shot separately on different days.

Q: A behind the scenes story from the sound booth recording? [1:48:07~1:48:47]

The sound booth recording is just the sound booth recording (laughs). Ah, that, the sound booth recording for the hell scene? Ah, that was exhausting. For that, honestly if it wasn’t for the ‘making’ (behind the scenes video) you probably wouldn’t have known about it. To that extent, I poured as much energy into it as when I had originally acted it out all over again as I was recording it, so I really ended up feeling like I’d gone to that hell and back twice. Which is what I said in the ‘making’...And that was caught on video by our miss Bo Ah, and that ended up being released as part of the behind the scenes.

[Note: The sound booth BTS can be found here (2:09~3:01)]

Q: Which of the mountain god outfits do you like the most? [1:50:47~1:51:11]

That...when I went to save young Rang-ie, the outfit I wore the first time I appeared, the black one, yes. In the Forest of the Starved, when I went to save young Rang-ie, the mountain god clothing I wore when we first met, I personally really liked it.

Q: Re: the mountain god hair [1:51:30~1:52:17]

It was uncomfortable. It...dragged a lot, and sort of...yes. It gives you a headache. Once you’ve had it affixed for about 6 hours, your scalp gets tighter and tighter, and it hurts your head. So the wig, it also takes a long time to put on and take off. To be honest, the mountain god scenes, to everyone watching they may be very beautiful...but they were quite tiring. That goes for the wig, but also for the hanbok. It’s very uncomfortable to move about in and restrictive in a number of ways. Especially, seeing as how I always got a headache, it was a bit hard.

Q: Does Lee Yeon know that he’s cute? [1:55:06~1:55:09]

Of course.

[Note: This is the 3rd gif ;)]

Q: What was the first scene you shot? [2:02:18~2:02:46]

My first scene was...the scene where Soo Oh and I meet at the park and talk. That was the first scene that I shot. When the little girl lost her balloon and I caught it and returned it to her. Soo Oh said, ‘Ajusshi, are you an alien?’ and I said, ‘No, a gumiho.’ That scene was the first scene of Tale of the Nine Tailed that was shot and it was my first scene that I shot.

Q: Did you have a time when you swooned while acting with Jo Bo Ah-nim? [2:03:14~2:03:20]

Of course. Whenever I act out those sorts of emotions I always do.

~~~

This is not a complete exhaustive transcription. You can find my translation of the VS game that proceeded the Q&A here.

#lee dong wook #tail of the nine tailed #totnt #vlive #20201118 #구미호뎐 #이동욱 #my translations #totnt vlive #I was impressed by how candid he was #if some of the sentences are a bit hard to parse it's because I translated exactly what he said and obviously he was talking unscripted #so not every thought or sentence was brought to its conclusion

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timothypines · 4 years ago

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The Fire of Achilles (Essay)

“He was like a flame himself. He glittered, drew eyes.” (pg. 43, Miller) Throughout the novel The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and the epic poem The Iliad, Achilles is often compared to fire. In The Iliad he is referred to as “brilliant Achilles”—meaning to sparkle with light or luster; however, this comparison is not always positive, as the destructive side of fire is not forgotten when describing his unstoppable rage. The double-sided nature of fire perfectly encapsulates Achilles. The brightness and openness he emulates, much like the welcoming of a controlled fire, attracts the soldiers to him, while uncontrolled his rage can destroy armies like a forest fire pushed by rushing wind. But while most people can only see the war in him, the rage in him, he would never have gotten as far as he had without his gentle warmth.

The Song of Achilles shows much more of the softer side of Achilles’ flame, however, I do not think this makes Madeline Miller’s interpretation any more or less correct in the characterization of Achilles; rather, it deepens what is shown to us in The Iliad. In the early moments of the book (The Song of Achilles), it is shown that just as Achilles speaks his mind freely and absolutely, he expects the same from all others; this leads to him being overly trusting in many ways. “He said what he meant; he was puzzled if you did not. Some people might have mistaken this for simplicity. But is it not a sort of genius to cut always to the heart?” (pg. 44, Miller). This is seen in The Iliad also, in his rage against Agamemnon when the king refused to return the priest’s daughter after the priest offered ransom. Most would never speak such things against a king, but he did not fear a thing, no, he was completely honest with Agamemnon, reminding the king that it was he who was needed, he who was asked to fight, “It wasn’t the Trojan spearmen who brought me here to fight. The Trojans never did me damage… we all followed you, to please you, to fight for you, to win your honor back from the Trojans.” (pg. 82, Book 1: The Rage of Achilles, Homer). Yes, the dishonoring of him is what causes this great rage, but his honesty is part of that too. But even though this rage appears to come from unbreakable pride, I feel that it came not from a place of pride, but rather rage at Agamemnon for not being at all reasonable. While he keeps his honor close to him, he is not prideful of his abilities. “‘I will be the best warrior of my generation.’ It sounded like something a child would claim, in make-believe. But he said it as simply as if he were giving his name.” (pg. 38, Miller). In this sense, I agree with Miller’s interpretation of Achilles’ feeling in this moment and how even though his honor is important to him, he is not particularly prideful. This rage, I feel, comes more from a great feeling of unfairness, which Achilles seems to value more than anyone else in the army. Agamemnon made the mistake of not returning the priest’s daughter, out of his unyielding pride, and now he is unwilling to admit to his mistake and is instead punishing Achilles, who was the only one trying to end the great plague. I am in no way saying that Achilles’ actions to call the gods to punish the entire army so relentlessly were justified, however, his feelings of rage toward Agamemnon cannot be blamed on just himself, and therefore, neither can the punishment that falls upon the army.

It seems silly to try to talk about Achilles and leave out what he loves most. Now, in The Iliad, before we get to the aftermath of the death of Patroclus, it could be fair to assume that what Achilles loves most is his honor; damage to his honor is what caused him to call for the army’s suffering and destruction, the very army he had been fighting with for nine years. However, it is very clear that after the death of Patroclus that it is he whom he loves most. Once Patroclus has died, Achilles does not care to act honorably, he does not care if Agamemnon apologizes, he simply wants the person who took his love from him to suffer. Even his own life does not seem precious to him anymore. For the brief moments that Patroclus is shown in the epic, his character is made very clear. He appears to be kind, gentle, to carry himself with a strong grace. No one has ill-will towards him; he is a good man universally in the eyes of the kings and soldiers. This is what makes his death so impactful. This version of Patroclus that we see in The Iliad I feel is lacking when reading The Song of Achilles. In the epic, Patroclus can fight, he is quite good at it and it does not feel a surprise, “And then and there the Achaeans might have taken Troy, her towering gates toppling under Patroclus’ power heading the vanguard, storming on with his spear.” (pg. 435, Book 16: Patroclus Fights and Dies, Homer). The Patroclus we find in The Song of Achilles is awkward, unwilling to fight, even just before this moment at Troy, “The wheels gave a little lurch, and I staggered, my spears rattling. ‘Balance them,’ he told me. ‘It will be easier.’ Everyone waited as I awkwardly transferred one spear to my left hand, swiping my helmet askew as I did so.” (pg. 327, Miller) When reading The Iliad, I felt none of this from Patroclus. While it may have been surprising that he ended up at the wall of Troy, it certainly wasn’t surprising that he had fought and fought well. I will say that both works made it heart-wrenching to see Patroclus slaughtering people, however, the epic held more integrity than the novel had. This can especially be seen when Patroclus and Hector meet on the battlefield. This is the interaction we get from The Iliad, “‘Hector! Now is your time to glory to the skies… now the victory is yours. A gift of the son of Cronus, Zeus—Apollo too—they brought me down with all their deathless ease, they are the ones who tore the armor off my back… You came third, and all you could do was finish off my life…” (pg. 440, Book 16: Patroclus Fights and Dies, Homer). And this is what we get from The Song of Achilles, “He is coming to kill me. Hector… He must live because his life, I think as I scrape backwards over the grass, is the final dam before Achilles’ own blood will flow. Desperately, I turn to the men around me and scrabble at their knees. Please, I croak. Please.” (pg. 334-335, Miller). Although Achilles’ stubbornness killed both versions of Patroclus, at least in The Iliad Patroclus died strong in himself, while the Patroclus from The Song of Achilles died a shell, lacking any self, just filled with thoughts of the fire that is Achilles.

One thing that no version of the story could ever take away is how much Achilles loves Patroclus (even if they decide to make them simply cousins for some reason). It is devastating to read Achilles discover that his lover is dead; this is not lacking in either version of the war. Something I especially enjoyed from The Song of Achilles is how much more deeply Miller built the relationship. While reading I could really tell that Patroclus was Achilles’ heart; he was the only one who was immune to Achilles’ rage and the only one who had a chance of getting through to him. “I had found a way through the endless corridors of his pride and fury. I would save the men; I would save him from himself.” (pg. 325, Miller). The building of their relationship before this moment where Patroclus begs for Achilles to fight made for a deeper understanding as to why, after so long, after so much suffering of the Achaeans, Achilles was willing to do something to help, no matter what that was. In The Iliad we are given a mention of how close they are and that is supposed to reason Achilles’ willingness to bend slightly. This deeper understanding of their relationship also makes Achilles’ reaction to Patroclus’ death all the more painful to watch happen and his actions during the beginning of his morning also make more sense to the reader.

Achilles’ relationship with the war of Troy is somehow both extremely complicated and overly simple. It is complicated in terms of what he should bring into the war, what he owes Menelaus and Agamemnon, and how fate plays into it all. It is simple, however, when it comes to him having to perform the act of war itself. I feel that what Miller added to the story regarding this area really deepened and strengthened Achilles’ character; she really tried to show the struggle in Achilles when he was dealing with all of these complexities that came with the politics of the war, between both the mortals and gods. This is the war he was fated to have such a large part of; he was to kill the Trojan’s greatest hero, Hector. But fate isn’t the only thing forcing him to back and fight in the war against Troy, the Achaean kings he fights along side with also feel entitled to him and his abilities. In the end, however, Achilles does not feel attached to the war in actuality. “‘The Trojans never did me damage.’” (pg. 82, Book 1: The Rage of Achilles, Homer). He doesn’t hold any rage toward the Trojans, that is until Hector kills Patroclus, and even then, his true rage is only toward Hector, it is only the magnitude of it that takes down the mountains of Trojans he slaughters. He is in a war he was expected to be in simply because of that fact, he was expected to fight. When discussing the war with Patroclus, Patroclus asks if he is afraid to fight, Achilles answers, “‘No… This is what I was born for.’” (pg. 220, Miller). So, if he was fated to be in the war, the Achaeans can only win if he fights, and every Greek kingdom expects him to fight, then what does he owe to his fellow Greeks? To Menelaus and Agamemnon? Simply put, in reality he owes them nothing, his father doesn’t even force him to go, telling him it’s his choice (The Song of Achilles), however, the issue and complexity doesn’t come from what he actually owes the kings, but from what they believe he owes them. Here are two interactions between Achilles and Agamemnon from both works. “Agamemnon stepped forward. He opened his hands in a gesture of welcome and stood regally expectant, waiting for the bows, obeisance, and oaths of loyalty he was owed. It was Achilles’ place to kneel and offer them. He did not kneel. He did not call out a greeting to the great king, or incline his head or offer a gift. He did nothing but stand straight, chin proudly lifted, before them all. Agamemnon’s jaw tightened.” (pg. 194, Miller). “‘This soldier wants to tower over the armies, he wants to rule over all, to lord it over all, give out orders to every man in sight. Well, there’s one, I trust, who will never yield to him! What if the everlasting gods have made a spearman of him? Have they entitled him to hurl abuse at me?’

‘Yes!’—blazing Achilles broke in quickly— ‘What a worthless, burnt-out coward I’d be called if I would submit to you and all your orders, whatever you blurt out.’” (pg. 87, Book 1: The Rage of Achilles, Homer). It doesn’t just matter what Achilles feels he owes Agamemnon because the king feels he is owed not only Achilles’ spear, but his total loyalty and an oath of such.

Despite this complexity with his motivations and responsibility to fight, when it comes to the fighting itself, it is as simple as breathing for him. As told in The Song of Achilles, “What he lived for were the charges, a cohort of men thundering towards him. There, amidst twenty stabbing swords he could finally, truly fight… With a fevered impossible grace he fought off ten, fifteen, twenty-five men. This, at last, is what I can really do.” (pg. 240, Miller). The war wasn’t truly a conflict for him, the true war was in the politics of men and gods; this notion agrees with what is shown in the epic.

While the men in power may not particularly like Achilles, the soldiers of the Achaean army do indeed, from the very beginning (at least in the interpretation that is The Song of Achilles). Here is the moment he introduces himself to the entire army, “‘I am Achilles, son of Peleus, god-born, best of the Greeks,’ he said. ‘I have come to bring you victory.’ A second startled silence, then the men roared their approval. Pride became us—heroes were never modest.” (pg. 194, Miller). Miller choosing to have the soldiers have these types of feelings towards Achilles makes sense. Up until the moment he declares he will no longer fight for the Achaeans, he is their hero, the one they look to and follow; in a society that values glory and heroes above almost all else, second only to the gods, he most-likely would have been viewed that way by the general public, those uninvolved in politics. An example of how deep this goes is shown just before the war begins, as the Phthians are sailing towards Troy’s beaches, “We stood at the prow with Phoinix and Automedon, watching the shore draw closer. Idly, Achilles tossed and caught his spear. The oarsmen had begun to set their strokes by it, the steady, repetitive slap of wood against his palm.” (pg. 212, Miller). Even subconsciously the men are following Achilles’ spear.

Achilles isn’t the only person for whom Miller develops a good relationship with the common soldiers—this is done for Patroclus as well. I also agree with her decision to do this; it helps solidify the emotions the people feel toward Patroclus which are only mentioned and implied in The Iliad. Miller decided to make Patroclus a healer, “I developed a reputation, a standing in the camp. I was asked for, known for my quick hands and how little pain I caused… I began to surprise Achilles, calling out to these men as we walked through the camp. I was always gratified at how they would raise a hand in return, point to a scar that had healed over well.” (pg. 261, Miller). This use of his character makes sense in my mind when regarding the character shown to us in the epic; being a gentle and kind man. It also makes his motivations when trying to convince Achilles to fight all the more authentic, “All around me are men carrying fallen comrades, limping on makeshift crutches, or crawling through the sand, dragging broken limbs behind them. I know them—their torsos full of scars my ointments have packed and sealed.” (pg. 319, Miller). So, even though I do disapprove of Miller’s decision to make Patroclus seem too awkward and weak to fight, I cannot say her making a healer of Patroclus is without any merit.

“What has Hector ever done to me?” This phrase is echoed throughout The Song of Achilles, creating a sort of foreshadowing sprinkled throughout the novel. This sentiment rings familiar from The Iliad where he expresses that he holds no feelings of hatred nor resentment towards the Trojans. The role that Hector plays in The Song of Achilles is slightly different than seen in the epic, though this is unsurprising as the novel is from the perspective of Patroclus and therefore cannot show much of Hector. Despite the lack of Hector, however, Miller included moments that are reminiscent of what we saw of Hector in The Iliad. Here is a domestic moment shared between Hector and his family when he returns from fighting, “shining Hector reached down for his son—but the boy recoiled, cringing against his nurse’s full breast, screaming out at the sight of his own father, terrified by the flashing bronze, the horsehair crest, the great ridge of the helmet nodding, bristling terror—so it struck his eyes. And his loving father laughed, his mother laughed as well, and glorious Hector, quickly lifting the helmet from his head, set it down on the ground, fiery in the sunlight, and raising his son he kissed him,” (pg. 211, Book 6: Hector Returns to Troy, Homer). Now here is a moment between Achilles and Patroclus when Achilles is coming back from battle, “I woke to his nose on mine, pressing insistently against me as I struggled from the webbing of my dreams. He smelled sharp and strange, and for a moment I was almost revolted at this creature that clung to me and shoved its face against mine. But then he sat back on his heels and was Achilles again.” (pg. 222, Miller). These are two moments of domesticity between warriors, great heroes, and the loved ones they returned to. In these moments war is more real, and it is harder to separate the men on the field and the men that return home.

None the less, the phrase “what has Hector ever done to me?” is also meant to show Achilles’ active struggle against his fate that came with the war. He wants glory but is unwilling to make sacrifices to gain it. It is only once Hector does personally harm him by killing Patroclus that he does not care to avoid fate, in fact he does not care about glory or honor after this. In a way, it is Patroclus’ sacrifice that gives Achilles glory, which is ironic seeing as he does not fight for glory anymore, but revenge. This can be best seen in how he treats Hector’s body after he defeats him. “He rises at dawn to drag Hector’s body around the walls of the city for all of Troy to see. He does it again at midday, and again at evening. He does not see the Greeks begin to avert their eyes from him. He does not see the lips thinning in disapproval as he passes.” (pg. 346, Miller). “The memories flooded over him, live tears flowing, and now he’d lie on his side, now flat on his back, now facedown again. At last he’d leap to his feet, wander in anguish, aimless along the surf, and dawn on dawn flaming over the sea and shore would find him pacing. Then he’d yoke his racing team to the chariot-harness, lash the corpse of Hector behind the car for dragging and haul him three times round the dead Patroclus’ tomb, and then he’d rest again in his tents and leave the body sprawled facedown in the dust. But Apollo pitied Hector—dead man though he was—and warded all corruption off from Hector’s corpse…” (pg. 589, Book 24: Achilles and Priam, Homer). In The Song of Achilles the Greeks, and gods, are not pleased. In The Iliad the gods see this as a disgrace.

Where Achilles redeems himself greatly in The Iliad is not as significant in The Song of Achilles which left me extremely disappointed. The moment when Achilles is meant to show what a great character he is and how willing he is to forgive, even after such a significant loss, is in Book 24: Achilles and Priam. It is here when Priam and Achilles share a very vulnerable moment with each other in which they hold no contempt towards one another and the people they have taken from each other, but they cry, together, for the horrible losses they have endured in this long war. Miller makes this moment so much less vulnerable and emotional, making it feel significantly less important and character defining as it had been in the epic. Here is the moment as shared in The Iliad, “‘I put to my lips the hands of the man who killed my son.’ Those words stirred withing Achilles a deep desire to grieve for his own father. Taking the old man’s hand he gently moved him back. And overpowered by memory both men gave way to grief. Priam wept freely for man-killing Hector, throbbing, crouching before Achilles’ feet as Achilles wept himself, now for his father, now for Patroclus once again, and their sobbing rose and fell throughout the house.” (pg. 605, Book 24: Achilles and Priam, Homer). And this is the very same interaction as written in The Song of Achilles, “‘…it is worth my life, if there is a chance my son’s soul may be at rest.’ Achilles’ eyes fill; he looks away so the old man will not see.” (pg. 350, Miller). In Miller’s version there is not even a mention of the agreement that is come to in the epic that allows Priam to host a full funeral for Hector. This left Achilles feeling cold and unfeeling, which goes completely against his entire characterization in both the novel and the epic. For me, the watering down and diminishing of the conversation between Achilles and Priam was the biggest misstep in Miller’s novel and was a major disappointment especially since I felt she characterized Achilles so well for the majority of the novel.

“His anger was incandescent, a fire under his skin.” (pg. 283, Miller) The comparing of Achilles to flame and fire strikes most true. He is never an emotionless man, never achieving a moment of utter stillness, instead he is always flickering under the surface. Even in times of calm he radiates warmth, and in times of great anger he rages in a great blaze. It is fire that is the perfect essence of Achilles. But this is what also makes him so controversial in the eyes of modern men. Some today still find themselves drawn to his wild flame and the brilliance of it, while others see the ash trails of his destruction and feel he is no good man, no hero. Achilles himself, I think, would agree with the sentiment that he isn’t a hero. In the end with Priam he felt shame for how he treated Hector’s body, his greatest love died because he couldn’t let go of his honor. In class people questioned why Achilles is remembered the hero and not Hector or Diomedes. I think Achilles achieved the fame he has because he is a good man who let his emotions drive him to do bad things, things looked down upon even in times of war. However, in the end, he redeems himself. He is a brilliant, shining character with intense emotions who manages to redeem himself—of course he has become the main hero of the story. Madeline Miller, in my opinion, did a very good job with the interpretation of his character, however, there were a few missteps with him and other things that were very important to his development. But despite these missteps, she has managed to bring Achilles’ light back into the lives of modern people, which is a wonderful thing. “As if he heard me, he smiled, and his face was like the sun.” (pg. 47, Miller)

#essay #literary #writing #greek mythology #achilles #the song of achilles #the iliad #literary critique #homer #madeleine miller

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jaxsteamblog · 3 years ago

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Cherry Blossoms

Click here to read the entire fic on AO3

For dinner, the family stayed in the large estate near to the village. The festival had attracted the Air Nomads for years, and this time they brought along the workers from the oilrig for a well-earned reprieve. All that meant Katara and Zuko couldn’t always be out in public or else they’d be swarmed.

And Katara wasn’t keen on getting attacked or kidnapped again, especially when she was in such a good mood.

“So what do you think of the festivities, Zuko?” Malina asked as she and Hakoda brought out large platters of food. Sokka followed after them with a covered tureen that still couldn’t contain the smell of seaprune stew.

“It’s been amazing. I have a weakness for festivals like this though.” Zuko replied.

“The kind that won’t piss off the spirits if you do them wrong, you mean?” Sokka asked, setting the tureen down on the table.

Katara leaned over and plucked off the lid, breathing in the steam. It smelled right for once.

“Who made this?” She asked, looking around. Hakoda opened his mouth but, looking past her, quickly shut it.

“It’s Gran-Gran’s recipe, Kat. Don’t worry.” Sokka interjected, picking up a ladle and slopping a generous scoop into a bowl. She narrowed her eyes at him but took it.

“Do you have a favorite festival?” Suki asked.

“Does it have to be Fire Nation?” Zuko asked in return.

“No?” Suki looked confused and Zuko leaned over to look in Katara’s bowl.

“I only ask because my favorite is an Earth Kingdom one. But I do have one I like a lot in Caldera.” He said and started pulling the bowl. Katara shoved it over and returned to the tureen.

“Let’s hear the favorite.” Suki said.

“I can’t remember what it’s called because I only got to see it when I was a kid.” Zuko started, picking up a spoon. “I must’ve been really young because my cousin was…”

Zuko smiled sadly and focused on the seaprune stew.

“Anyway, my mother had taken Azula and I to visit my uncle and a festival was going on when we got there. My cousin took my sister and I out to attend, and it was a lot of fun. The cherry blossoms were in peak bloom and there were picnics and tea; I knew it was probably my uncle’s favorite festival too.

“But at night, the town had set up these lights under the trees and you could walk around this garden looking at them. When the sun had fully set, other lights went on and they made sculptures with them. It blew my tiny little mind.” Zuko explained.

“So, a colony.” Hakoda said.

Katara sat up, but Zuko nodded.

“Yes.” He answered and looked back at Hakoda.

“I think,” Malina said slowly, resting her hand on Hakoda’s arm. “We can all appreciate what Zuko went through to end up here with us.”

Hakoda looked at Katara’s face and grumbled.

“My favorite is Avatar Day.” Suki stated, loudly clattering food onto a plate. Katara relaxed, rolling her eyes.

“We’re lucky Thuy’s not here.” Zuko said.

“That’d only be a problem if Katara said it was her favorite.” Sokka corrected.

“Oh for sure.” Suki said, drawing out her accent for effect. “Zuko can never leave Katara or else Thuy will smack him down.”

“Like she did his dad.” Sokka quipped and Zuko burst with a laugh.

“What’s your favorite festival, Sokka?” Malina asked.

“Love Day.” Suki and Katara shouted together and started laughing. Sokka groaned with loud exaggeration and Malina laughed lightly.

“I don’t like most festivals if they have fireworks. Those bug me.” He did say, tearing his flatbread into shreds.

“I like the solstice stuff. I get a kick out of how serious everyone gets when in reality they’re talking about Yue and my bratty sister.” He said finally and Katara launched a seaprune at him.

“What about you, Malina? Hakoda?” Zuko asked.

“Anything with good food is the best in my opinion.” Hakoda answered gruffly.

“Mine is similar to Zuko’s, actually. But I lived in the northern part of the Earth Empire and I think what you were talking about is in the south.” Malina said.

“Cherry blossoms bloom all the way up there?” Zuko questioned.

“Not natively, but for a long time the trees were a common gift the kings would send to each other. You can find them dotted all over capitals but only in the south are they everywhere.” Malina explained.

“They’re really something.” Zuko said.

“Oh yes. They reminded me of the North Pole, or at least, how my parents talked about the North Pole.” Malina said in a rush.

“Flowers?” Zuko asked.

“What about them?” Sokka snapped.

“How are they at all like the North Pole?” Zuko asked, bewildered.

Sokka looked over and met Malina’s eye, making Katara frown.

“I mean, have you actually looked at snow?” Sokka asked, turning to Zuko.

“You are clearly Piandao’s favorite.” Zuko murmured and Sokka scoffed.

“My parents would always talk about the North Pole when it snowed. Maliq and I would go crazy seeing how little it snowed inside Ba Sing Se, and how quickly the snowplows would come through.” Malina laughed and tapped Hakoda’s arm. “We were not prepared for coming back home.”

“Did you know that some places pickle cherry blossoms and make tea out of it?” Sokka asked and Zuko choked on his soup.

“Oh spirits what.” Sokka croaked.

Katara patted Zuko’s back and shrugged.

“Apparently it’s a wedding sort of tea and Iroh gave it to Zuko and me a while back.” She said.

“I was trying so hard not throw myself at you at that point too.” Zuko said, wiping his eyes.

“Excuse me?” Hakoda interrupted sharply and Malina snorted.

“Well, turns out you’re married by swamp standards so we should probably go pick up some more.” Sokka said.

“Excuse me?” Hakoda repeated.

“We have to get married before them, really.” Suki said, looking at Sokka.

“We should probably elope then, because at this rate they’ll be married twice over.” He said.

“Now hold on…” Hakoda leaned over the table and Zuko put his arm around Katara.

“We’re going backwards through the Avatar cycle. We just have to figure out which temple Aang was born at so we can get hitched there.” He said.

“No.” Hakoda said firmly, and everyone turned to him. “Both of my children are getting married in the South Pole.”

“Dad, we were just kidding.” Sokka said.

Hakoda sighed and leaned back.

“I know.” He said.

“And Suki and I are getting married in Kyoshi.” Sokka added.

Hakoda sputtered and even Katara turned to stare at Sokka. Her brother took Suki’s hand and stared down at their rings.

“I hate being in the Poles.” He said softly.

“What?” Hakoda and Katara shouted.

“O-kay.” Zuko stood up, jostling the table. “I’m taking Sokka to show me the penguins.”

“I can fight my own battles!” Sokka protested, but Suki also stood and the two of them grabbed either of his shoulders.

“I love you man, but I am trying to keep my future wife and father-in-law from hating my guts.” Zuko muttered as he and Suki started dragging him out of the room.

“That’s not my problem! Hey wait the stairs guys wai-” Sokka’s voice was cut off by the sound of chaotic thudding.

“So, Katara, what do you want to do for your birthday?” Malina asked.

Katara lowered her face into her hands and groaned.

“Cherry blossoms, huh?” Katara asked, laying on her back and looking up at Zuko.

Zuko’s long hair acted like a curtain as he propped himself over her. He was doing what he normally did when they were able to sleep together; trying to see which parts of her were ticklish as he lightly kissed her.

“They’re pretty.” He said with his lips against her shoulder.

“And very dainty.” Katara added.

“I’m not in love with cherry blossoms, Katara.” Zuko murmured, moving down to her collarbone.

“I’m just saying.”

“And I’m just saying. Though it would be nice to see you in a bath with some cherry blossoms. Seeing them stick to your skin.” Zuko laid himself on her and went back to her neck. “Mmmmm.”

“You just constantly run hot don’t you?” Katara said with a laugh threading through her words.

“You should have seen me as a young man.” Zuko said, pushing himself up to look directly at her. “And when I was plagued with thoughts of a very mysterious spirit.”

“You’re still a young man.” Katara retorted, putting her hands on his chest.

“Did you ever think of me?” Zuko asked.

“The Blue Spirit?”

“Yeah.”

Katara paused then, trying to recollect. Her memory was shoddy at best, and some events were warped by time and trauma.

She remembered her first kiss with Haru before staging a prison break to rescue his father. She remembered seeing Yue in the moonlight and knew love and heartbreak in the same moment as she saw Sokka’s face. She remembered digging her nails into Jet as if she could mold him into something else.

And she remembered the vigilante that she could never figure out.

“I used to dream about running into you over and over again in the war. We’d fight the same villains, we’d tease each other because we are always suspicious, and you would unmask yourself while proclaiming your eternal love for me.” Katara said.

“Funny, I always imagined the same thing.” Zuko said.

“I would never have unmasked.” Katara scoffed.

“There’d be no need.” Zuko said with a smile and then lowered himself again. “I told you that you sweat your stripes off.”

“Zuko!”

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#zutara #fanfiction #jax writes #modern au #the fic that prompts built #zutara month 2021

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harrysgloves · 4 years ago

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Let Your Hair Down (chapter xxvi)

Get caught up with the Let Your Hair Down Masterlist!

word count: 2,983

story summary: Harry gets more than he bargains for when he falls not only for you but your little girl as well.

chapter summary: Thea’s birthday party.

warnings: Language // violence // mentions of past sexual assault // attempted sexual assault... it’s a lot. It’s heavy so read with caution.

a/n: Please don’t murder me... you should have seen it coming. xx

>>><<<

It was finally Saturday. Your long crazy week of work and trying to plan a birthday party was finally over and you couldn't have been more thankful.

You had spent the whole week going absolutely insane over every small detail. All the thank you bags had to have handwritten glitter name cards on them, obviously. Which meant you sitting up in your kitchen at 2 am trying to figure out how to write faux calligraphy while Harry stood over top of you eating popcorn, telling you when you messed up.

Which resulted in you putting him on hot glue gun duty for all the little plastic jewels that had to be glued on one by one onto every tiara… for 25 kids' placemats.

Needless to say, he didn't criticize your handwriting again.

The only time he really started to throw a bitch fit was when you tried to figure out how to make macaroons at 3 in the morning. Both of you quickly decided to scrap that idea when you tasted your first batch.

"Pinterest fucking lied! These taste terrible!" You cried as you spit out the repulsive cookie that definitely should not have been considered a cookie.

"Fuckin' hell, love. I think ya tryin' t'poison me." Harry laughed at the glare you shot him but you had to admit that was the worst thing you'd ever tasted in your whole life.

He ended up buying the damn demon cookies from a local bakery and saved you a lot of tears.

They definitely tasted better which made you want to strangle Harry when he laughed at your face lighting up from the first bite you took.

"Told y'the recipe wasn't bad. Ya jus' can't bake." He smiled, placing a kiss on your cheek and jerking the box of treats away from you when you tried to go back for seconds.

All of that was over though and after this afternoon there would be no more meltdowns about placemats, place cards, or balloon arches. No more trying your weird baking at 4 am. Which you were sure Harry was very thankful for.

No, today was finally the day and as you dragged Harry to the hotel to set up one of the meeting rooms you'd gotten for the party you were glad it was almost over. You couldn't handle much more of this stress. She was turning 5 and you definitely went a bit overboard, you started to dread what party you'd have to plan for her sweet 16.

"The balloon arch is supposed to go over by the door." You said as you fanned out the pastel pink table cloth over the round 8 count table. Harry huffed and rolled his eyes but didn't say anything as he moved the arch for the 3rd time.

"Ya know they only care 'bout goin' to the pool." He mumbled out like he didn't want you to hear him.

"Keep it up and you're going to be sleeping on the couch tonight." You smiled when Harry turned around to look at you. The look on his face, priceless.

"Ya can't put me on the couch." He pouted big lip and all, making you bite your lip as you shrugged.

He was right, you wouldn't put him on the couch, especially not with a sleepover of 12 kindergarten girls that was going to be at your apartment tonight. But he didn't have to know that.

"Gotta go get tape from the desk for this banner." You sighed as you looked at the amount of work you still had left to do and not much time left to do it.

"Can you please go play bad guy and get Thea out of the pool? She needs to get her outfit on. I didn't wait 6 weeks for that princess dress to be shipped to us for her to not wear it when people get here." You asked as sweetly as possible when you walked pass him, stopping to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Why can't Sarah do it? Y'know I can't say no to her if she asks t'stay in longer." He followed you down the hallway stopping in front of the pool room door. His big puppy eyes staring you down as you walked away from him.

"This is exactly why you have to do it. Gotta get good at telling her no." You smiled when you heard him groan. Throwing the door to the pool room open as you made your way down the hallway and eventually to the front desk.

"Hey Ellie, can I have the tape, please?" You asked, leaning on the desk, nails tapping on the counter.

"Yeah, here you go." She smiled, her bright white teeth looking so great against the ruby red lipstick she wore all the time. Making you a bit jealous that someone could pull off that color so effortlessly.

"Oh, God." She groaned, eyes darting to the front door.

"Looks like we got a drunk stumbling in. I should go get Mack. He's better at dealing with this shit." She sighed, hands rubbing her forehead. Drunk guests were the worst, especially if they were drunk at 11 am.

You turned around to look at the damage, eyes widening the second you saw who it was.

The fucking bastard.

"Don't get Mack. I got this." Your voice laced with anger as you started right for him. You'd be damned if he ruined her party like this.

"Get the fuck outside." You growled, tugging on his arm. Nails digging into his flesh as you pulled him out the door and to the side of the building, doing to him what he'd done to you so many times before.

"What is wrong with you?" You yelled as you let go of him. He stumbled back against the brick exterior of the wall, his eyes immediately filling with rage but you could care less.

You were so sick and tired of being pushed around by him. Tired of being degraded and controlled but the one thing you absolutely wouldn’t put up with was him purposefully hurting Thea like this. She didn’t deserve a dad who would embarrass her in front of everyone by being blasted at her party, she deserved so much more than him.

And you were tired of letting him do this to the both of you.

"No, actually, don't answer that. Only a real piece of shit would show up to their daughter's birthday party completely hammered. I mean really, Ryan? This is a new low, even for you.” You stood your ground in front of him. Arms crossed tightly over your chest as you told him off. Told him exactly what you thought about him.

You were done holding back. This was the last straw.

“Oh, so now that you got your little bodyguard you think you can talk to me however you want?”

His inability to keep himself from stumbling around seemed to have totally disappeared as the visible anger ran through him. His jaw twitching from how hard he was clenching his teeth. Face flushed, eyebrows pulled together tightly when he gripped your arm so violently you whimpered in pain, trying your best to keep quiet, not wanting to show him any weakness.

You were so fucking done. You were done being pushed and pulled around by him. Done being controlled. Done with everything he’d ever put you through.

Your destroyed self-esteem.

Your inability to let people into your life.

Your constant fear of him lurking around every corner.

It was all his fault.

Your mind already made up that you weren’t going to take this lying down anymore. You weren’t going to wait for it to get better or for him to move on from him torturing you.

You were going to be your own goddamn hero.

Your hand connecting with his cheek with so much force behind it hurt your palm. His head snapping to the side from the impact, staying there momentarily before turning to face you. The deafening sound of your flesh slamming against his rung around you. The moment dripping with tension when he rubbed the side of his stubbled face. His jaw moving back and forth as his blue eyes darkened.

Any confidence you had seconds ago was quickly replaced with fear. The hand on your arm tightening like a boa constrictor. Pain shooting through your arm making you cry out. Your free hand desperately scratching at his, trying with everything in you to pry it off.

Your boots scuffing the ground trying to pull away from him, throwing all your body weight backward but it was pointless. He was twice your size and height. He was able to throw you so effortlessly against the brick wall.

You hit the exterior of the building face first. Your nose smashing against the brick so hard you heard a crunch. Yelling in pain as your eyes started watering. Blood pouring down your chin onto your white shirt.

You'd barely had time to register the fact your nose was broken when you felt Ryan's body pushed against your back, pinning you to the wall.

Panic, terror, regret- all running rampant through your brain as you screamed as loud as you could for help. Your hands hitting the wall you were pressed up against so hard you could feel your skin break open. Trying with everything in you to push hard enough to get him off you.

"You really don't know when to stop do you Y/N?" He sniggered from behind you. His hand brushing through your hair as he pressed his hips harder into you to stop your frantic attempt to escape him.

"Get the fuck off me!" You screamed as loud as you could. Your throat burning from how much you were yelling but it didn't seem to matter.

You really fucked up pulling him around the side of the building to tell him off and all you could think about was Harry was right.

You should have listened. You should have taken it more seriously, and now you're here with this fucking maniac and have no idea how to get away from him.

"Remember when you used to be such a good girl? Hmm?" He whispered behind you, lips touching your ear making you cringe away from him. Eyes closed, tears running down your face.

"I actually got bored with you for a while. You just listened so well, but this? No, this is great. We can go through all our little lessons again. You remember those, baby?"

Your eyes instantly snapped open. Mind reeling with all the things he'd done to you when you were married. That you let him do to you because you were married, justifying it in your mind as your "wifely duties".

"Ryan, stop!" You screamed louder than you thought was possible. Hands bleeding from how hard you were hitting the side of the building, legs trying to bend any way possible to kick him.

"Don't fucking move." He pressed his hand into the middle of your back, hard. Your shoulders aching from the position you were in.

You were starting to realize there was no way out of this. Your mind filled with anxiety and dread.

"When are you going to figure out that I own you? Hmm? You're mine and I'll do whatever I want to you." His voice sounded so pleased with himself. Like he was so happy to finally have you back in his complete control.

You wanted to puke. Tears rolling down your face as you sobbed. You wanted to get him off you. Wanted to go back into the party and hug your baby girl. Forget Ryan ever existed.

When his hand snaked around to the front of your jeans you lost it. Not ever wanting to go through this again.

"Stop! Stop!" You sobbed, trying to push his hands off you. Trying to crouch down to get away from him.

"I said don't fucking move." He grunted hand laced through your hair as he slammed your face into the wall again.

Your eyebrow splitting open from the impact. Vision darken for a second before flashes of tiny white fluttered through your line of sight. You groaned the second you felt more blood run down your face. Your hand coming up to wipe it away. Not even registering what else was going on around you. Feeling in a fog, your brain not seeming to put together things that were happening.

Until you heard it.

Heard her.

"Momma?" Her sweet voice rang out from the other side of the alleyway. Your head whipping around to her. Hoping it was some sort of hallucination but when you saw her running towards you, you knew you weren't that lucky.

"Thea, no! Run!" You screamed trying to push away from him and the wall. Trying to get to her and get her away from this.

She didn't listen, her tiny hands clasping around Ryan's arm, pulling with everything in her to get him away from you. Her cries for him to leave you alone broke your heart but when you felt the pressure off your back lift you really started to panic.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion.

His hand lifting off you.

Her pulling on him.

Ryan's hand swinging around him to push her away.

The sound of your baby hitting the ground is what snapped you out of it. Her hand covering her face. As her crying shrieks of pain pierced your soul.

You never want to hear that sound again.

It was only a second later when someone pushed Ryan off you. You heard them both hit the ground but you didn't pay any attention to what the hell was going on. Scrambling to pick Thea up and get her the hell away from him.

You scooped her up in your arms as she continued to cry. Her head buried in your blood covered shirt. Your arms tightening around her as you turned to run. Only glancing back once to see Harry on top of Ryan.

You couldn't stop to think about that though. Not right now. Not with Thea hurt.

"Call the police!" You snapped at Ellie as you ran past the desk. Her eyes widening as she saw the state of your face. Frantically picking up the phone and dialing 911 as fast as she could.

You bolted down the hallway, towards the meeting room where the party was supposed to be at. Grabbing your keys and purse. Leaving the meeting room only to run straight into Mitch's chest.

"What the fuck happened?" His arms clasping onto your arms, stopping you from running but you jerked away from him. Your eyes filling with tears, not wanting to be touched.

"Ryan." You breathed out. "Harry. Go get Harry."

"Where is he?" Mitch asked eyebrows pulled together, looking at Thea who had still not calmed down.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked, walking down the hallway with Mack following shortly behind her.

"With Ryan. Fuck, go get Harry. Out the side door. The police are coming." You started down the hallway, moving past everyone who kept trying to touch you, to stop you from leaving. Cringing away from all of them.

"Wait, Y/N, where are you going?" Mack tried to stop you, reaching out to touch your arm softly, making you swing around in your tracks.

"Don't fucking touch me!" You yelled, running down the hallway away from them. You didn't have time for this shit. You needed to get Thea out of here.

"Wait!" Sarah shouted after you. Trying her best to catch up to you as you ran out the front doors.

"Y/N, wait!" Mitch called out to you when the police cars started to pull up to the hotel. Harry rounding the corner to see you running with Thea to your car.

It didn't take him long to catch up to all of you. Sarah and Mitch trailing behind as Harry stood in front of your car.

"Don't do this." He said as you threw open your door. Pushing Thea inside from the driver seat. You chose to ignore him as you climbed into your car. Shutting and locking your door.

You had to get out of here. You had to make sure she was okay.

Your tear-filled eyes meeting his before starting your car. Hoping that maybe one day he'd forgive you for doing this.

But running was in your nature.

"Stop!" He yelled, hands hitting your car hood as you backed out of your parking spot. Flooring it down the road.

Tears and blood blurred your vision. You could feel your left eye throbbing, trying to close shut but you pushed through it. You had to get to a hospital to have her checked out.

She hadn't calmed down the whole time. Her cries and gasps for air were the only things you could hear anymore. You were hardly paying any attention to the road, constantly turning to see if she was okay.

Your mind ran with possibilities of things that could be wrong with her. She could have a broken bone, a concussion, any number of things wrong with her.

And you knew it'd be your fault.

"Baby?" You asked softly, eyes glancing over to Thea who had her knees pulled up to her chest, head buried in her hands.

"Thea?" You tried to be patient but you needed her to answer you. You needed to know she was okay.

"Theadora Skye. You answer me right now." You slammed on your breaks in the middle of the road. Turning to look at her, chest heaving, fearing the worst.

"Why'd he hit me?" She sobbed into her hands. Your heart breaking as you listened to her cry uncontrollably.

"I don't know." You sighed, staring off at the road. "But he'll never do it again."

#Harry Styles #Harry #Harry Styles x Reader #Harry Styles x You #Harry Styles x Y/N #Harry Styles fanfic #Harry styles fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #mineblr #lyhd

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highladyluck · 4 years ago

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Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag playlist

Direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KLghlM9nCF1WLKBNoLt5z?si=b1e1d244810e4ae9

26 songs, 1 hr 23 min. A character playlist for Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, aka the High Lady, aka the Daughter of the Nine Moons, aka “Precious” but only if you’re Mat Cauthon, aka Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag, aka the Empress of Seanchan.

She’s a fascinating mixture of good and evil, person and tool, sympathetic and unsympathetic by turns. I tried to capture that in this playlist, which is organized roughly chronologically by her personal timeline.

There are spoilers in the playlist and commentary for Winter's Heart through A Memory of Light, since this is meant to mirror the narrative.

Track List:

1. Second Child, Restless Child – The Oh Hellos

2. Game of Survival – Ruelle

3. Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya

4. When I Rule The World – LIZ

5. Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

6. The Thief and the Moon – Shawn James

7. Pomegranate Seeds – Julian Moon

8. Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

9. Jolene – Dolly Parton

10. Maybe, This Time – OK Go

11. Big Guns – Ruelle

12. Fascinated – Ivy

13. The Bullpen – Dessa

14. Pretty Little Head – Eliza Rickman

15. Greek God – Conan Gray

16. Emperor’s New Clothes – Panic! At The Disco

17. Rat Queen – The Mountain Goats

18. Carmina Burana: O Fortuna – Carl Orff

19. you should see me in a crown – Billie Eilish

20. Muse with a Dagger – Taylor Castro

21. Please Don’t Say You Love Me – Gabrielle Aplin

22. Daisy – Ashnikko

23. Mother’s Daughter – Miley Cyrus

24. I Walk The Line – Halsey

25. Glory and Gore – Lorde

26. Trouble – Stripped – Halsey

Commentary and lyrics underneath the cut. Listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KLghlM9nCF1WLKBNoLt5z?si=b1e1d244810e4ae9

1) Second Child, Restless Child – The Oh Hellos

See, I was born the second child With a spirit running wild, running free

The Empress’s second child, the only one who goes across the ocean.

2) Game of Survival – Ruelle

Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?

"Keep this doll to remind you that I will always hear you if you say my name. If I am still alive, of course."

3) Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya

Oh, I don't know what you've been told But this girl right here's gonna rule the world Yeah, that's where I'm gonna be because I wanna be No, I don't wanna sit still, look pretty

Tuon wishes she looked more intimidating, and threw a full-blown temper tantrum when she was told who she’d have to marry.

4) When I Rule The World – LIZ

When I rule the world, then I'm gonna make you sweat Dog collar 'round your neck, on your knees and scrub the deck

I promise I didn't forget about the sul'dam thing. This should be as jarring as her initial POV in Winter's Heart is.

5) Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

I see the bad moon a-rising I see trouble on the way I see earthquakes and lightnin' I see bad times today

Such a good “Seanchan invade Ebou Dar” song! I definitely stole this from someone else’s Mat playlist, but I don’t think it’s on 8tracks anymore.

6) The Thief and the Moon – Shawn James

Said the Thief to the Moon "I'll extinguish your light soon I'll put an end to all the light that you shed On this world in its darkened state"

I can imagine this as a Seanchan myth; covers Tuon's opinion on her prophecy & getting kidnapped.

7) Pomegranate Seeds – Julian Moon

Kore, Kore, fauna and flora How did you get your throne? (Hey!) You made a deal You traded daffodils For a kingdom of ash and bone

Had to sneak in a reference to Tuon's middle name. Tuon's POV on her bargain with Mat.

8) Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

so there's one thing I crave when my days become ho-hum and blah I want a zebra

Took this from my Mat/Tuon book playlist because it is truly the funniest song on there. It's a zebra in our hearts!

9) Jolene – Dolly Parton

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene I'm begging of you please don't take my man

This is very tongue-in-cheek, but at the same time, if you pay attention you can see that Tuon's particularly annoyed by/threatened by Joline Maza.

10) Maybe, This Time – OK Go

So listen, I'm not trying to prove anything at all here But don't you think that maybe, this time, you were wrong?

Mat to Tuon after confiscating the a'dam from her.

11) Big Guns – Ruelle

Every little move is fixed Like a game of chess The blood on your hands is thick And you're placing bets Can't hide in the den of lions

A really perfect song for Tuon's 'lion on the high plains' realization; I know technically Mat doesn't have cannon or grenades yet, but shhhh, the rapid-fire crossbows are more or less machine guns. Let me have this. Call it foreshadowing if you must.

12) Fascinated – Ivy

Never turned out like we talked about Never could tell how to read your mind Never found out what you're all about In this lifetime, baby, you will be mine

Tuon's POV on the marriage ceremony.

13) The Bullpen – Dessa

Forget the bull in the china shop There's a china doll in the bullpen

Returning to Ebou Dar to kick ass and take heads. This was the song that made me create this playlist, because of "china doll in the bullpen," which is such a great description of Tuon.

14) Pretty Little Head – Eliza Rickman

Catch yourself a looker, let him go, go, go Wanna have your baby, but I'm so, so slow

Tuon misses Mat, but don’t you dare breathe a word about it. Besides, it’s just business.

15) Greek God – Conan Gray

And since you always swear that you wanted me gone Then why don't you go get your gun? 'Cause you don't really hate me (You're a little baby) You don't wanna end me (You wanna befriend me)

The Tuon vs Rand confrontation (take two, where Tuon's actually there.) Rand has quite enough confidence, really, but most of the song really works.

16) Emperor’s New Clothes – Panic! At The Disco

Welcome to the end of eras Ice has melted back to life Done my time and served my sentence Dress me up and watch me die

Declaring herself Empress after meeting with Rand.

17) Rat Queen – The Mountain Goats

We who have never once tasted The stench of defeat Victory sweet as the dregs of the fast food dumpster Look how they jump when we show up Like they've just seen a monster

H/T to @anyboli, who first suggested this to me as a Tuon song. This is a good soundtrack to planning the raid on the White Tower…

18) Carmina Burana: O Fortuna – Carl Orff

O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable[…]

I literally cannot imagine a Tuon playlist without this song. It’s White Tower raid time!

19) you should see me in a crown – Billie Eilish

Count my cards, watch them fall Blood on a marble wall I like the way they all Scream

Yeah, this was inevitable too. I’m using it for that absolutely horrifying POV of hers where she's in the damane training room and decides it's time to plan a full-out attack on the White Tower.

20) Muse with a Dagger – Taylor Castro

You're making fun of my people Pretend I don't hear you Cause I won't forgive myself For fueling or burning you

Tuon's thoughts on Mat in the garden. This didn't lean as as far into the dagger/knife imagery as I'd hoped for- remember, this is the blog that insists Athaem means Magic Dagger Curse- but it seemed so strangely apt for the two of them that I had to include it.

21) Please Don’t Say You Love Me – Gabrielle Aplin

There's no need to worry when You see just where we're at Just please don't say you love me Cause I might not say it back

Her conversation with Mat in the garden.

22) Daisy – Ashnikko

Respect a bitch, I'm a maverick Flexible, so elastic But don't you dare bend a bitch backwards

This is what you married, Mat. (The Mat POV version of this character sketch is probably Cake's Short Skirt Long Jacket.) I will not apologize for the number of #girlboss songs on this playlist.

23) Mother’s Daughter – Miley Cyrus

Oh my gosh, she got the power Oh, look at her, she got the power So, so, so Don't fuck with my freedom I came up to get me some

The confrontation with Egwene. I see this as mostly Egwene's POV, with Tuon doing a sort of echo, the way she does in the original scene. They are fascinatingly alike here, and the way Egwene controls the scene and gets in Tuon's head- when that's Tuon's signature strategy- is amazing.

24) I Walk The Line – Halsey

You've got a way to keep me on your side You give me cause for love that I can't hide For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide

Tuon admitting that her heart tells her to return to save Mat (and the armies of the Light).

25) Glory and Gore – Lorde

Glory and gore go hand in hand That's why we're makin' headlines (Oh! Oh!) You could try and take us (Oh! Oh!) But victory's contagious

The Seanchan army comes back for the kill.

26) Trouble – Stripped – Halsey

Don't forget me, don't forget me I wouldn't leave you if you'd let me Hmm, when you met me when you met me You told me you were gonna get me

Death threats are just their deranged way of flirting; if Tuon wanted Mat dead she wouldn't warn him, you know? And in that final scene with the fireworks Tuon's telling Mat that she wants him around, and he understands it as such.

#this is my celebration for hitting 200 followers!#SURPRISE IT'S MORE TUON CONTENT #this is what you get for following a blog with a tuon pun in the username #wheel of time #wheel of time playlist #playlist #tuon paendrag #fortuona paendrag #fortuona athaem devi paendrag #tuon athaem kore paendrag #problematic fave tuon #wheel of time spoilers #the gathering storm spoilers

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asotin · 4 years ago

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tobirama might be madara and other thoughts tobirama doesn't want to have

(i tried to organize this and not to get too repetitive or go on a huge tangent about the details of hashirama and tobirama’s strained sibling relationship beyond the way they tie into tobirama and madara, but it’s a ~3k monster and i am but a simple nerd)

ftr i don’t think that everything here is the correct interpretation of what was happening, but i do think it's how tobirama saw things

to get to why tobirama is shit scared of madara, i think you have to begin with when they’re kids and look at his relationship with hashirama because that’s where the seeds of bad choices to come are planted

tobirama prioritizes hashirama. he can think for himself and doesn’t completely follow hashirama’s directions, but lbr he works within the framework of the things hashirama wants and builds. if hashirama had changed his mind and decided that peace was unattainable, tobirama wouldn’t have left him to start a village on his own. he would have stayed with his brother and kept fighting

madara and hashirama being pulled apart started all the shit, but it was tobirama and izuna who tattled and made that happen

why was tobirama following hashirama in the first place? because butsuma told him to? fuck no. he followed hashirama for the same reason izuna followed madara: his brother has been sneaking off without telling him. hashirama is keeping secrets, even from tobirama

you know what makes you feel like shit? guilt

tobirama made hashirama miserable because he did what he was supposed to do and told butsuma about hashirama’s secret friend (read: he did what a jealous kid does and tattled)

from the start of their friendship, hashirama chose madara. he had to stick with tobirama because they’re brothers, but hashirama wanted madara to be in his life because he liked madara

sure, hashirama chose to die before he chose to kill tobirama but what if those hadn’t been the options? what if madara had told hashirama to choose between madara and tobirama?

both of their younger brothers get killed by madara’s family, but hashirama won’t stop talking about his friend who he should have killed but won’t

tobirama killed izuna like he was supposed to but hashirama won’t kill madara

you know what else feels really bad? the possibility that the brother you love and built your life around might hate you but you can’t be sure one way or the other

hashirama is ready to abandon everything for madara, but he doesn’t really acknowledge tobirama. one of the things tobirama is known for- being a sensor- only comes up later, when hashirama mocks him for not noticing that orochimaru has hashirama’s cells. it's sort of brotherly ribbing but because he's never been shown doing that before or joking with anyone other than madara, it feels more barbed than it normally would

hashirama in general kind of ignores tobirama until they butt heads

maybe it's because there isn't a parallel character to tobirama, but tobirama’s scale of someone’s worth is based on hashirama being at the top, while hashirama doesn't think about tobirama at all outside one moment in the flashback where he thinks about wanting to keep his brothers safe

hashirama, who trusted a stranger because he was playing in a river, doesn’t think much of tobirama, and that’s where the fear starts

why doesn’t hashirama like him? what isn't tobirama seeing?

why can’t hashirama forgive tobirama for telling butsuma?

why was it wrong for tobirama to kill izuna when izuna would have killed him?

madara, who wanted to build konoha and loved hashirama (even if you read it as platonic, if they don’t love each other, what the fuck is up between them bc that relationship wasn’t built on superficial trauma bonding), can be forgiven for turning against the village

why is what tobirama did worse than what madara did?

why does hashirama get so fucked up about madara even though madara tried to kill him, but he gets mad at tobirama for being wary of the people who’ve been trying to kill them (and who they’ve been trying to kill) for generations?

the fear of being replaced by madara is already there, and it only grows as hashirama mourns himself into an early death bc he wouldn’t have done that over tobirama

now add to that what happened when madara turned against konoha. more accurately, what didn’t happen

i’m repeating myself here but if tobirama and hashirama had worked together (if hashirama had called for him to help because tobirama has no business hopping into a throwdown between hashirama and madara and he knew it), they could have subdued madara without killing him (technically madara didn’t die, because izanagi or w/e but they didn't know that). hashirama didn’t want to kill madara. he explicitly, specifically did not want to kill madara and only did after madara pushed him into it

so why didn’t hashirama ask for tobirama’s help? if he’s at the point where he’d kill anyone who threatened the village (which i don’t reeeeeally buy as true bc it feels a lot more like something hashirama told himself to make killing madara less, you know, devastating) wouldn’t he prioritize stopping madara as soon as possible? he never showed any doubt in tobirama’s abilities, so if he wasn’t scared of his brother getting killed, why wouldn’t he call tobirama up?

because he doesn’t trust tobirama

hashirama doesn’t distrust other people. he wants to be friends with anyone. madara was attempting to stir up an insurrection, and hashirama still tried to keep him in the village. but he won’t rely on tobirama

so the fear expands

you know what tobirama doesn’t have? friends. a romantic interest. anything for himself as he grows that isn’t wrapped up in hashirama

this man likes rules. that was how he imagined the ideal ninja world. people make agreements and abide by them

if the founders era is an analog to the sengoku period ie the end of the muromachi period, which it is, then it’s worth noting that at this point in its history, real world japan was transitioning from the system of multiple heirs to a single heir. that wasn’t necessarily the oldest, but when one of your kids is a fucking brick shithouse with a kekkei genkai that’s never occurred before but rebellious and the other one is a genius who would be willing to follow through on your family’s blood feud but a) is loyal to his brother and b) has the charisma of a clammy handshake, who are you picking?

no way did tobirama expect to be made heir and imo he wouldn’t have wanted to be. hashirama is good at being the emotional leader and rallying people bc they like him. tobirama isn’t that interested in being the powerful one bc he’s more of a kingmaker

but you know it occurred to him that butsuma should want him to be the heir. hashirama isn’t exactly reliable and he sure doesn’t want to kill uchihas. tobirama would and he’d do it well

even the he doesn’t actually want the role, when you’re like 16 and your brother who you think is naive and lbr incompetent gets picked- something nobody does bc tobirama is, you know, a dick- it’s going to feel significant

so the fear grows more. he doesn’t want to be the head of the clan, but if he’s the one who could carry out butsuma’s plans, why is he still the second choice?

speaking of butsuma and childhood trauma, it’s kind of interesting that tobirama winds up dealing with uchihas the same way he defused butsuma, philosophically

in terms of their behavior, to a traumatized kid who never made any uchiha friends, uchihas could resemble a certain senju, you know?

volatile, self-prioritizing, self-cannibalizing (fighting within the clan, not literal flesh eating), powerful by standing on the backs of others (no way was fugaku the first to think 'i'll show my kid what mass death looks like and that will make him strong.' the sharingan awakens through painful experiences, and uchihas are even more obsessively devoted to their clan than tobirama is to his. but paradoxically, they were ready to double down on inbreeding and blinding themselves to use izanagi, so they wouldn't be above deliberately exacerbating the trauma their kids couldn’t escape anyway for the sake of getting an edge)

to an adult tobirama, the uchihas sure could seem like a clan of butsumas, huh

how did tobirama deal with butsuma? he got in between him and hashirama. and how did butsuma react? he left to cool down (but i’d bet he never really repented, esp bc hitting hashirama wasn’t surprising to any of them)

what does tobirama do with the uchihas? he gets in between them and konoha. if they’re angry with him, they aren’t angry at konoha. he gives them something else to focus on- and tobirama likes rules, so it isn’t that much of a reach to say he’d think that being trusted to be the people keeping the peace was actually an honor- and relocates them. now they can cool off (but their fundamental nature will never really change)

i definitely don’t think most of that is conscious, but you know. he didn’t trust his father and if that’s who he relates the uchihas to, that’s fertile ground for another type of fear

butsuma was fine letting tobirama’s brothers die. what’s to stop the uchihas from letting konoha die?

konoha is entrusted to tobirama. again, though, he isn’t hashirama’s first choice

now he’s afraid of the village falling apart because of madara and his family (read: because tobirama can’t keep them in line) and hashirama’s dream will die because of tobirama

you know what’s a bad idea? fucking around with corpses. you know what else is a bad idea? war crimes. you know what tobirama’s got a lot of? bad ideas

tobirama is intelligent and more concerned with the end result than the way to get there. he has a backwards idea of what protecting people means and a brutal approach to making peace. he loves hashirama (not like madara does but still, you know. he does love his brother)

the major difference between tobirama and madara is the sharingan, which should put madara in a separate class, but the thing is, tobirama is butsuma’s son

you awaken the sharingan by getting hurt. you’re butsuma’s son by learning to do the hurting

there’s a persistent fear that can grow with that knowledge, which i think tobirama wrestled with until he decided it doesn't actually matter- except for the fact that it would matter to hashirama. coupled with the fear that hashirama sees butsuma in tobirama and that’s why he won’t trust tobirama, that isn’t something tobirama could think his way out of

he might be doing the same thing butsuma did, causing harm for nothing

that fear is further compounded by the knowledge that madara would have destroyed everything and tobirama could do the same. without hashirama to argue with him, tobirama can do what he thinks is right. he knows more about making systems that last than hashirama did, so he’s going to put structures into place that will make sure the village survives

the thing is though, tobirama is well aware that madara isn't cruel for the hell of it. he says flat out that madara is dangerous because he loves so much; that intense love got twisted without madara wanting it to be (more below). he let it happen, but he didn’t just choose it

madara isn't just dangerous because he's strong. he's dangerous because he's the only person even hashirama can't just push around and he's personally invested in what he's doing. he believes that what he’s doing is right; he’s invested in being right

he’s following logic. it isn’t good logic by any stretch, but he isn’t just causing chaos just to cause chaos

tobirama follows logic, too. it’s better than madara’s logic because almost anything would be

he’s living his life for the purpose of maintaining hashirama’s dream. tobirama wanted peace, too, but he doesn’t call konoha his dream. konoha is hashirama’s dream. konoha is hashirama's village. tobirama is just trying to make it work

after all, he told butsuma and killed izuna. the least he owes hashirama is the village he wanted. not fun how hashirama would but run better because tobirama knows better

and lbr tobirama is also the second choice for the villagers. constantly standing in hashirama's shadow and feeling the distance between how loved hashirama was and how distantly appreciative the villagers are of tobirama could perhaps be alienating

tobirama can’t protect konoha from madara because he knows he couldn’t beat madara on his own. hashirama and madara know that, too. everybody knows that if it came down to it, a fight between madara and tobirama would go in madara’s favor

madara has the same attitude but about the inevitability of people hurting each other

tobirama can’t control madara. madara can’t control people

the only way to be safe around something you can’t control is to destroy it

tobirama understands madara better than he understands hashirama. hashirama’s dream is impossible. it’s based on thinking people are better than they are. madara isn't right, but he isn't entirely not right

madara was the biggest threat to konoha, and because tobirama isn’t hashirama, he can’t do anything about that except, as the time between hashirama’s and his own grows, understand madara better

this isn’t canonical but it isn’t non-canonical and i think it works so it's going in

tobirama’s palette swap happened because he found out how/why uchihas’ get the sharingan and in his child soldier brain that doesn’t know anything about genetics (but maybe did???), it seemed like a very sound idea to, you know, try to traumatize himself into developing a sharingan as a senju

but he has the wrong ¼ alien’s blood so he doesn’t get the handy dandy cursed eyeballs. what does he get?

obviously, he got his iconic look, tumblr user asotin. you just mentioned the palette swap

i did, and he definitely got his new style. but he got more than that

specifically: a terrifying insight into what uchihas have to feel when they awaken the sharingan. bc he didn’t get the eye upgrade but he did fuck himself up enough to flood his chakra system with pain and turn his eyes red (sadness makes you pale ig? he’s a nerd so maybe he just stayed inside and didn’t eat well. idk and that part is just to enhance how much more he looks like an uchiha than hashirama, who got the ‘be careful who you call ugly in middle school’ bonus)

the amount of emotional distress it took to get there? the shit he had to make himself watch? the things he had to make himself do?

if an uchiha feels that kind of pain just to form the basic sharingan, which isn’t as fucked up as the mangekyo, then please consider how that would feel to a kid whose coping mechanism is repressing

there are rules about what you do in war and in society. tobirama likes rules. tobirama thinks rules will keep peace

so how could he justify violating almost all the rules to make edo tensei? i would like to propose that it isn’t just hypocrisy or machiavellianism taken to an extreme that made it acceptable to him to do everything that must have entailed. i propose that it’s all the fears above and a trauma response that everybody and their grandma knows now but they probably didn’t in the ninja sengoku period:

if you think i’m bad, i may as well be

in his conscious mind, tobirama isn’t bad. he’s necessary. the whole time he’s hokage, he’s doing what needs to be done

in trying to do what a good brother would do, in accepting that there’s something about him that’s malfunctioning, in accepting that his brother will never approve of him, tobirama accidentally became the worst parts of madara

madara did what he did out of love for other people. he’s got the mangekyo and a dead brother. tobirama knows what it’s like to get the first sharingan. how much worse must it feel to get the mangekyo?

tobirama is dispassionate and logical. he isn’t an uchiha. he values kagami and the other, unnamed uchihas who could overcome the curse of hatred, but that's also a condemnation of himself

tobirama couldn't overcome his own hatred. he’s worse than they are, and he knows he is

everything tobirama tried to do better, he made worse. his legacy, the students who carried on his work, nearly destroyed konoha

if hashirama had been forced to choose between tobirama and madara, it would have been better if hashirama had chosen madara. everyone is thinking that

madara betrayed hashirama because he loved so much it turned him against hashirama

tobirama betrayed hashirama because he didn’t have enough love, and every time he’s looked at madara, he’s seen his own inadequacy

#aptxt #naruto #long post #this is such a train wreck and i realized at the end that i only needed the last section and i didn't even need all of that #this doesn't even have the ~800 words cut out the first time lmao #i'm sure i missed some things #the real tl;dr is that tobirama's sense of purpose got too tangled up in what hashirama wanted

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seijch · 4 years ago

Text

tsukishima kei | dooms•day

tsukishima kei + gender neutral!reader

genre. romance, angst, bits of fluff

word count. 1.9k

recommended listening. matt maltese - as the world caves in

synopsis. how would you spend the next twenty-four hours, knowing that they would be your last?

12:00 AM | 23:59:59

The clock strikes midnight.

You exchange a glance with Tsukishima.

This is the beginning of the end, it says. Are you ready? it asks.

The meteor is en route to Earth. The planet has less than twenty-four hours left to live.

You haven’t been able to sleep much these days, and Tsukishima can’t blame you. Instead, you stay up together, a movie you’ve seen countless times playing in the background. “Can we watch something else? I don’t know how keen I am on making this one of the last movies I ever see,” he drawls.

Your relationship has always required mastery of reading between the lines, peering through the hairline cracks in words and actions for their true meaning. You called him out on it, once.

(“You’re like a nut,” you’d blurted, legs draped over his lap as you scrolled through your timeline.

There had been a beat of silence before he deadpanned, “What.” When you glanced up from your phone, he had been giving you a look.

Looks, in your relationship, are quite commonplace. Tsukki’s full of them: hard looks that express his exasperation, split seconds of pure adoration he thinks you don’t notice, and even capital-L Looks that lead to sweaty bodies against smooth bedsheets.

That night, his look had been one of muted curiosity. “You know,” you pressed on, sitting up to close the distance between you, “like how squirrels break open nuts to get to the good stuff.” To prove your point, you had knocked on his skull and stifled a laugh at his grimace.

“You’re calling me a nut?” His mouth was set into a hard line. “You could’ve just as easily called me an oyster, say I’m a pearl or some sappy shit like that.”

“First of all, no,” you frowned, having switched to carding your fingers through his hair. “When have we ever been into sappy shit? Besides, I think it’s funnier to call you a nut. So I will.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone more in my life,” he said, leaning into your touch regardless.

“Uh huh. You keep telling yourself that.” You had taken the victory that night, planted a chaste kiss to his lips as your prize.)

You know he doesn’t mind the movie; in fact, you think he enjoys it. You don’t know how to tell him that a numb feeling’s set in, ghosting over your fingertips. You don’t know how to tell him that the two things keeping you steady are his arms around you and the movie (which, really, isn’t even that good) playing.

So you don’t. The way he holds you tighter than ever tells you everything you need to know.

3:16 AM | 20:44:15

“I take it we’re not sleeping tonight?” Tsukishima asks, long fingers wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate.

You blow on your own mug before responding. “What’s the point? We’ll be asleep soon enough.” Forever, you don’t add.

“Fair enough.”

The first sip is sweet in all the right ways. You cherish the little joy, the small victory, while you can.

5:49 AM | 18:11:57

The sun rises on the last day you’ll ever see. You and Tsukishima watch it crawl up the high-rise buildings around you, darkness giving way to dawn. You’ve never understood the appeal of chasing after sunrise and sunset, but you start to wish you hadn’t taken something so constant for granted.

Tsukishima’s fingers graze yours as they hang from the railing of your apartment’s balcony. His fingers toy with yours, intertwined without your palms touching. He does this often, and you’re sure you can map out the callouses of his fingers, each line of his palm by touch alone.

It’s as the sky bleeds from orange to pale blue that it hits.

Your eyes sting with incoming tears at the finality. You won’t finish college. You won’t get to live your dreams, move into a proper house. You won’t get to see Tsukki, your Tsukki at the end of the altar, waiting for you to join him.

“I love you,” you choke out, voice strained. It’s the only thing you can think to say at a time like this. “I mean it. I always mean it, but—” You try to stress your words, make it absolutely clear that you’ve never meant anything like you mean this. “I mean it. I love you, Kei.” You retract your hand from his, needing both to wipe away your tears.

When you turn to look at him, he’s crying too.

1:57 PM | 10:03:17

You’ve just gotten off the phone with your family, the first and last people you called when the news of the world’s end got out. When was the last time you saw them? Saw your friends? The time you have left isn’t enough to see them one last time.

Your fist trembles as you press it against your lips, eyes sore but stinging with tears kept at bay.

Despite this, the sun shines cheerily outside. It’s a beautiful day, everything washed in afternoon light. You figure this is better than spending your last day with the sky painted dreary gray.

Tsukishima comes up behind you, arms rubbing circles into your upper arms. “I just got off the phone with Akiteru.”

“How is he?”

“With our mom.” You know he wishes he could be there too, wants for it like nothing else. You can only dream to grant his eleventh-hour request.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” And then, “Let’s get out of here.” You turn to face him, surprise clear as day. (You suppose that if anything can drive a homebody outside, it’s the end of the world.) “I figure you don’t wanna die in our shitty apartment.” His hold on your arms drops, instead taking his hands in yours. “Let’s go somewhere.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere.”

You scan the apartment one last time. (There really seems to be a lot of lasts today, but you figure it can’t be helped.) This was your home for months, despite the leaky faucet and chipped wallpaper.

Every corner oozes with memories, more than enough to make your heart feel as though it’s fit to burst. Tsukishima’s thumb caresses the back of your hand. That’s right. Your other home, the one you can’t afford to lose now, is right in front of you.

You get dressed.

7:25 PM | 4:35:18

The sun sets on the last day you’ll ever see. You think that you like sunsets a bit more than sunrises; less waking up early (or staying up late), a view that gives you more than enough bang for your buck. You watch the way orange seeps through the sky in reverse, dusk giving way to the dark of night, head resting on Tsukishima’s shoulder.

It’s quiet. You’ve parked somewhere secluded, hidden from prying eyes. With less than four hours before certain death, you get nostalgic for how far you’ve come since your time at Karasuno.

“Thank you,” you say, breaking the silence. “I’m glad you were such a smarmy bastard in high school.” He chuckles, the sound a pleasant rumble that singlehandedly warms you from the inside out.

“I’m glad you liked to think you could top my scores,” he replies.

(It had taken you two years to finally, finally beat his exam scores. Having no reason to talk to Tsukishima after that, you disappeared from each other’s lives. It had taken you a month to piece together the reason you felt so strangely empty without his signature smirk to rile you up.

“You like me,” you’d said, sitting backwards in the desk in front of him as he ate lunch. You didn’t phrase it as a question; why would you, when you knew the answer?

“You got what you wanted already, didn’t you? Why are you still here?” You were a thorn in Tsukishima’s side, as he’d repeated time and time again (both in private and to your face). Even still, he had to admit that the past month without you had been...boring. (He also had to endure Yamaguchi’s endless questions about you, drilling your absence into his head even further.)

“Do you want me to be nice, or do you want me to be honest?”

“Just spit it out. I don’t have all day.”

“Unfortunately,” you’d prefaced this with a long-suffering sigh, “I feel the same way. You might be an emotionally constipated asshole, but what I’m saying is…” Your fingers drummed on his desk, invading his space. “Let’s go on a date.”

Shaking himself from his stunned silence, he’d replied, “Sure.” In the moment, it had sounded nonchalant, but you had a feeling his hands were getting clammy.

Truth be told, you had it on good authority (Yamaguchi, who’d gotten sick and tired of bearing witness to almost three years of you two dancing around your feelings) that he felt the same you did. It was Yamaguchi’s words that gave you the confidence to confront Tsukishima at all.

“I’ll see you on Saturday, then. This better not be boring, Tsukishima,” you teased, snatching his chopsticks to steal a bit of his meal. “After all, you’re with me now. If you’re going to take me out, it better be in style.”

You had the audacity to throw a wink at him before walking back to your classroom. You get an eye roll in response, but take great pleasure in the way he had gone red to the tips of his ears, knowing that you’ve won.)

9:31 PM | 2:29:20

“I love you.”

“I know.” Silence. “I love you too.”

“I know.”

11:59 PM | 0:00:59

It’s bright, like a fallen star, all white-hot and angry. You think it’s beautiful in its own way, gawk at it with your mouth hanging open. “Here it is,” he whispers, squeezing your hand so tight it almost hurts. “The end.”

You cup his cheek, turn his head to look at you. You try to steel yourself. Inhale. Exhale. (Your breath comes out shaky, but neither of you acknowledge it.) “I guess this is goodbye.” You were supposed to sound strong, but your voice comes out small, weak, broken.

And for once, he is the first to cry.

“Not yet.” His voice cracks. “It’s not goodbye yet.” He wipes your tears (when did you start crying?) away, touch so fragile you think he’s sure you’d shatter. Maybe you will.

“It doesn’t have to be goodbye,” you offer. It’s hollow; neither of you have been under the delusion that this was anything but. “It can be a see you later.”

Tsukishima just shakes his head, wearing a broken smile of his own. And then he’s kissing you with such fervor that you swear you’ve never been kissed before, not like this. The way he sucks your bottom lip between his, pulls you flush against him, makes you dizzy. This is my goodbye, he says with more than words.

11:59 PM | 0:00:01

Your relationship has always required mastery of reading between the lines, peering through the hairline cracks in words and actions for their true meaning.

But now, both of you are straightforward as can be, stripped down to your bare selves. The meteor sets fire to the inhibitions and walls both of you created, and the flames lick at your skin as your tears—or his—dampen your cheeks.

If you’re going to take me out, do it in style, you’d said to him, once.

So he does.

#tsukishima x reader #tsukishima imagine #tsukishima scenario #tsukishima reader insert #tsukishima angst #tsukishima fluff #(can i call it that LMAO)#kei tsukishima #tsukishima kei #haikyuu scenario #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu reader insert #haikyuu fic #HOOO boy the concept of this fic took my brain hostage and wouldnt stop until id finished writing #the first draft of this was absolutely nasty but the finished product isnt actually so bad? i think i kinda like it #i decided to split the 11:59 segment into two right before posting as i read it for the last time before it got sent out to the world #and tsukki might seem a little ooc bc im still finding my footing characterization wise #but weve seen him be passionate about things and raise his voice tho its rare #and i think that the situation calls for a bit more passion from him so i gave it to him at the end #i was going to expand the kiss but i think that wouldve been too much of a tone shift #anyway if youve read this far into my tags i hope you have a good day :-)#i also have no idea if meteor is the right term for it -- i think (and hope) it is but Who Is To Say

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cordonian-literature · 4 years ago

Text

The Aftermath - Ch. 16

Overwhelming Memories

SUMMARY: Riley remembers Theodore

Word Count: ~6.4k

Warnings: Language, mention of drug abuse

A/N: this chapter is entirely flashback. we jump backwards, then slowly move forwards, but we don’t go fully into present time.

*All characters belong to Pixelberry, except those that are unique to my story (I’ve also used some characters and fictional instances from Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch”)*

Catch up here

Tags: @captain-kingliamsqueen @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @gkittylove99 @lovablegranny @loudbluebirdlover @mom2000aggie @kingliam2019 @queenrileyrose @shanzay44 @cordonianroyalty @hopefulmoonobject @hopelessromanticmonie @cinnamonspongecake @queenjilian @kuladekiwi @twinkle-320 @iaminlovewithtrr @charlotteg234 @amandablink @texaskitten30 @tinkie1973 @louiseingram1208 @queencatherynerhys @pens-girl-87 @missevabean @ladyangel70 @sanchita012 @cordonianprincess @liamandneca

I’m so sorry, I don’t know if the tags are working or not... but I hope I got everyone down! If I missed someone, or anyone wants to be added/removed, let me know!

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

...About ten years ago...

- Riley -

The safety that I felt in Liam’s arms would always be unmatched. I wanted to stay in his embrace forever, under the starless New York sky. But after spending a tedious day collecting Madeleine’s wedding ring, helping Drake go shopping, then having to impress Adelaide at the U.N. party, I was terribly exhausted. The tiredness was new and... disturbing. I told myself that it was the emotional strain that added to my fatigue, though I was still uneasy about it.

I pull away from Liam. “It’s getting late. Won’t you be missed?”

His face falls. It’s a look I’m too familiar with. “I’m afraid you’re correct. We should probably return to the hotel... and the rest of the world. Allow me to walk you back to your room?”

“Of course,” I allow, not ready to leave him.

The walk is short and familiar. I resist the urge to pull him back and let us both get lost in the night. I turn to look at him, his hand tightly clasped in mine, and he smirks.

Liam enjoys staring out at the landscape of the park and the people in it. I look in the other direction, subtly glancing at the faces of people who passed by. My heart gives a jolt when I see a familiar side-profile, but the man turns his head and I am proven wrong.

And then I notice the person next to him, Boris, and Boris notices me. He points in my direction, and Theodore turns to look. Theo and Boris stop in their tracks and stare at me while I walk on with Liam. I look away, hoping that they wouldn’t try and come up to us.

Liam and I part ways in the lobby. There are two elevators, and we each take a separate one.

I feel the floor below me begin to rise, which sends a queasy feeling into the pit of my stomach. I wonder how Theo and Boris must’ve felt seeing me. Boris was Theo’s college friend, and I had only known him for a few weeks before I left. I know I went away abruptly and didn’t contact them after I had gone, but I hadn’t exactly believed that they deserved an explanation from me.

Once inside the hotel room, I begin taking off my shoes, but the nausea comes back. I lean forward, and sensing that I’m about to empty my stomach onto the floor, I race to the bathroom and throw up into the toilet.

It lasts for longer than I expected it. I run through all the reasons for my having thrown up, wondering if it was something that I ate, or maybe I was sick?

I manage to pick myself off of the floor and brush my teeth. Walking back towards the bed, I take off my dress and put it to the side when I notice a notification on my phone.

It’s a text from Theo.

Hey Riley. I know we haven’t talked. It was nice to see you. I hope you’re doing well.

Bertrand had told me to speak to any of my friends in person, so I had ignored the texts on my phone ever since Liam’s coronation. I didn’t know whether I should answer him or not, but then he texts me again:

Just wanted to say that I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be hanging around that guy so much. Someone else could have seen you. Boris and I did

At that, I got angry. My relationship with Liam was none of his business!

Mind if I hop by for a visit?

yes, actually, i do mind

That’s too bad. You’re staying in the same hotel as Boris. What a coincidence. What’s your room number?

I sigh and give it to him, somewhat afraid that he would just barge into every room to try and find mine. There was always a chance that he was intoxicated one way or another, so the safest bet was to not agitate him.

A few minutes later, there’s a knock on the door. I open it to find Theo. He looks exhausted, but his suit is new. I wonder what he spent his day doing.

“Hey, Riles.”

“Hey, Theo.”

“How’ve you been holding up?”

I shrug. “I’m doing alright.”

“How long have you guys been in New York?”

“A little over a day.”

He nods and walks into the room, closing the door behind him. I stare at him, hoping that he would make eye contact and understand that I wanted him to leave, but he doesn’t look at me.

“Alright, Theo, it’s late. I’ve had a long day and want some sleep. It was nice seeing you, but,” I point at the door, “good night.”

He doesn’t say anything, but takes out a pack of cigarettes. He lights one and takes a long drag. “Riles, I think you should be careful around him.”

“Who, Liam?” I scoff. “Why? Actually, don’t answer that, I don’t want your input on my love life.”

“I’ve read up about Cordonia ever since your name kept popping up in the news. The court isn’t exactly a nice place, is it? Liam’s half brother... what’s his name?”

“Leo?” I give him.

He snaps his fingers. “Yes. Leo’s mother. Everyone knows why she left court. I bet they expect you to do the same thing eventually.”

“For your information,” I start. “I’ve made friends in court. It’s not so bad.”

“Really?” He raises his eyebrow and takes another drag. The smell of it engulfs the room. “So his fiancée... she’s fine with you hanging around her man?”

“She’s actually allowing it.” I sit on the edge of the bed. “All she wants is the crown.” For a moment, I pause and stare out the window. “She’s not making it too easy for me though. She made me pick up her wedding ring today. And she keeps talking about ‘training me’ to be presentable in society.”

He shakes his head. “None of us ever find enough kindness in the world, do we?”

“That we don’t,” I comment. “Especially not us commoners.”

Theo struggles to hold in a laugh. “I always found that term a bit funny. Commoners. As if they’re anything special. All they’ve got riding for them is power that their ancestors were able to beat out of poor communities a couple hundred years ago. If their citizens were ever determined to get rid of the monarchy, trust me, those royal pomps wouldn’t last a day against a rebellion.”

I roll my eyes, but say nothing. Theo wasn’t in a position to comment on Cordonian politics.

We sit in silence for a few more minutes, Theo fiddling with his cigarettes while I contemplate asking him to leave. I feel nauseous again, so I run into the bathroom and empty my stomach.

When I come back, Theo stares at me with wide eyes.

“What?” I ask, irritated. “Never seen a girl throw up before?”

“No, no, it’s just... are you sick or something?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so.”

He raises his eyebrows. “How long have you been feeling like that?”

“Like... a week? I remember feeling the need to throw up on the plane ride to Shanghai, but it was fleeting. I’ve just been so exhausted this entire trip. It’s probably just that.”

Theo sighs and puts out his cigarette on the table next to my bed, leaving a dark circle. “Riley you’ve got to be kidding. You fucking idiot, you’re pregnant.”

I frown, hoping that he was joking, but the annoyance in his tone was enough to tell me that he was serious. The symptoms could just mean that I was about to get my period. But then I remembered that I hadn’t been keeping track. “That’s... that’s impossible.”

He puts his hands in his pockets and tilts his head. “Really? You’ve got the nausea and the fatigue, and the privileged royal boyfriend to go with it. I’m guessing you missed your period, too?”

“Okay, wait.” I put up my hands. “‘Privileged royal boyfriend’? What does Liam have to do with this?”

“Riley, don’t be stupid. I’m guessing he didn’t wait to get engaged before you two got it on?”

“First of all, stop. Second of all, that doesn’t mean anything.”

“So you’re telling me I’m wrong? You guys were never intimate, and there’s no chance of that being his kid?” He points at my stomach.

“I’m not saying there’s not a chance, just... wait, who are you texting?”

Theo had taken out his phone and was typing something. “Boris,” he tells me. “Asking him to bring us a pregnancy test. Do you think that store a couple blocks down would have one or will he have to go all the way to Brooklyn?”

I grab the phone from his hands, leaving him mildly surprised. “Don’t involve Boris in this, it’s none of his business!” I look down at the phone, seeing that Theo already sent the message. “And it’s none of your business, either, Theo, so I would really appreciate it if you would leave!”

There’s a knock on door, and Maxwell’s voice calls out, “Blossom, can we come in?”

Theo and I turn to each other, eyes wide. I grab his shoulder and push him into the bathroom and he snatches his phone back. I go to open the door, and come face-to-face with Maxwell and Bertrand.

“Boy, am I shocked to see you, Maxwell!” I cry, trying to sound cheerful through the anxiety.

“Really?” he asks, taken aback.

“Not even a little. Bertrand on the other hand.” I turn to look at him, and find him as grim as ever.

“Yes, yes. I have returned, but that’s not the big news.”

“What is it?” I question, glancing back at the bathroom door, hoping that Theo wasn’t eavesdropping.

Bertrand turns to Maxwell, who reveals that he was able to narrow down Tariq’s address.

“That’s great!” I exclaim. “We should—”

Bertrand interrupts me. “Don’t let your enthusiasm get the better of you just yet.”

Of course there was a catch. Maxwell had narrowed it down to ten locations, which was still good, so I tell him to give himself a pat on the back.

“Wait,” I jump in. “At the party, Adelaide mentioned that Tariq only wears Sartorini shoes. Is that helpful?”

“Actually... yes!” Maxwell cries.

“Only a few of the shops carry that brand, so you can focus your efforts on the addresses from those that do,” Bertrand states, a genuine smile on his face.

“Wait, did you say ‘when we get to L.A.’?” Now I was really hoping that Theo wasn’t listening in.

I thought that the engagement tour was taking a surprise detour, but Maxwell tells me that only him, Hana, Drake, and I would go on one of the royal jets. Unfortunately, Liam wasn’t coming with, but my heart was put a little at ease when Bertrand said that Liam was giving us the jet. At least he knew we were going.

“We’ll be off to L.A. in the morning!” Maxwell states while Bertrand turns to leave. “Sleep well, blossom, we’ve got a big day ahead of us!”

Once the door closes behind them, Theo comes out of the bathroom. “Have your friends told you what’s gonna happen if you don’t find the guy?”

I sigh. “Don’t be so negative. Clearly, you were listening in, so you know that Maxwell narrowed down his address.”

“True, but rich folks got a way of hiding themselves.”

“Please.” I scoff. “Tariq’s not that smart.”

“Well.” Theo looks around thoughtfully. “He contrived this whole scheme to make you look bad. Put up the photographer and everything.”

“For your information,” I start, sitting back onto the bed after feeling a bit dizzy. “It was the King Father who did all that. Had his guard give an offer to one of the noble ladies who could send a message to Tariq and hire a photographer.”

Theo’s eyebrows jump up. “Really? And you still want to marry into that family?”

“Theo, stop it. Liam is nothing like his father. When we confronted Constantine, he defended me—”

“Sure he’ll do that behind closed doors and in front of those closest to him, but did he do that when you were getting dragged out of the palace? When you were being called a whore internationally?”

“Theo, stop—”

He interrupts me and keeps going, “At the end of the day, he followed his father’s orders. He publically ousted you while keeping the prim-and-proper born-to-be-Queen on his elbow, ready to slam anyone who said anything distasteful about the monarchy. Even if it’s different behind closed doors, how do you know it’s not just to make you feel better about the fact that you’ll never have him?”

“He did that to protect me! And he’s genuine about his feelings towards me!” I try to convince him, but he doesn’t listen.

“Riles, that’s bull and you know it. ‘Protect you’ my ass. He’s protecting himself. It looks bad to his people if he’s hanging around someone who’s been publicly shamed and has ‘betrayed’ him, and it would look bad internationally because it’d seem like he’s got his priorities twisted.”

He crosses the room to come and grab me by the shoulders, then continues, “Riley, please tell me that you see through the façade. What’s gonna happen when you can’t find this Tariq guy? Huh? Is your knight in shining armour gonna get rid of his fiancée and marry you? Open your fucking eyes, Riley.” He shakes me. “He’s willing to put you through unhappiness to make himself happy. Right now, he’s got the best of both worlds, and he’ll do anything to keep it. I’m sure he cares about you in his own way, but he’s privileged, and won’t ever know the full extent of the shit he’s making you go through, and I doubt he feels bad for it. If his country was on the line, I’m sure he’d do it again without hesitation.”

Before I can argue with him more, there’s another knock on the door. Theo allows me to go open it, and I find Boris, holding up a pregnancy test.

“Here,” he says, his accent thicker than I remember. Boris holds out the box to me, and to avoid an awkward conversation, I rush to the bathroom.

I take the test, then put it on the sink and wait.

“Did you take it?” Theo calls, knocking on the bathroom door.

“Yes, now I have to wait.” I never imagined this would be the way that I’d find out I was going to be a mother. I wanted Liam to be here. Theo and Boris felt like strangers, and I couldn’t shake Theo’s little speech out of my head. I knew that Liam loved me. More than once he had told me that he wanted to give me the world. I even had to convince him not to leave his country behind because of me! Doesn’t all that mean something?

It doesn’t mean shit. Those are just words, a voice in my head says. It sounds like Theo. I want it to shut up.

“How long does that shit take?” Theo calls again. “Riley, can’t you check? It’s been more than five minutes.”

I get up off my spot on the floor, embarrassed about having gotten lost in my thoughts.

I desperately wanted there to only be one line just so I could go out there and rub it in Theo’s face. But there are two lines.

Liam and I are going to be parents.

“Riles?” I hear Theo’s voice.

“Maybe she jump out of window?” Boris wonders aloud. I hear the sound of a smack, and know that Theo probably hit him.

I open the door, holding the pregnancy test in my hands. “I’m pregnant,” I announce. I feel overly self-conscious and overly aware of my surroundings.

Boris’ eyes go wide, while Theo stares at the test.

“What now?” Boris asks. “You going to tell the father?”

Does he care enough to hear it? the voice says again.

“Yeah,” I say out loud, trying my best to ignore the whispers in my head. “I’ll go right now.”

“Are you stupid?” Theo yells, blocking my path. “Riley, weren’t you listening to me?”

“I was listening, Theo!” I yell at him. “Everything that you said was crap! I know how Liam feels about me! I know that his feelings are honest and genuine! I know that he loves me, and there’s nothing that you can say to convince me otherwise!”

“Riley, you’re crazy!” he screams. “If you’re not going to see him for the lying royal cheat that he is, then let me break it down for you. He’s a politician, alright? Imagine him as just that. He’ll do anything to make sure that his image isn’t ruined! He’s already put you through pain! He’s one of the most powerful people in the world, he could do anything with the snap of a finger and no one could stop him, or would even try to stop him.”

Theo’s right. Liam is the king. Sure, he only rules over a small European country, but he’s one of the most powerful people on the continent, if not the world. Even though Constantine was the one who plotted against you, he’s only the King Father now. Liam holds more power over him. He could have made Constantine give a statement, but was willing to put you through continued shame just so people wouldn’t question the monarchy. Just so his throne would be secure.

“So what do you want me to do, huh?” I yell at Theo. Tears brim at the edge of my eyes. As much as I want to give in to the thoughts and just give up, I don’t want to stop fighting for Liam and I. I can’t stop fighting for us. What else do I have left?

The baby, which technically, is a part of Liam. So leaving wouldn’t be leaving entirely. You’d still have that little piece of him.

“Ah,” Theo exclaims, running a hand through his hair. “I... didn’t really think that far.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” I question. “If you don’t want me to go tell Liam?”

“Of course not,” Boris comments. “How you know he will not make you get rid of it?”

“He would never do that!” I yell.

“Riley.” Theo sighs. “I’m not gonna say it.”

“Then don’t say anything!” I try to back away from them, but bump against the wall. “Liam would never do anything like that. And I wouldn’t do that to him. I know how much he wants a family!”

Theo grabs my shoulders, and his voice is frighteningly comforting when he says, “Don’t, Riley, don’t fall for it.”

“Fall for what?” I blink up at his green eyes.

“Believing that you might have what could never be yours.”

I stare at him for a few more moments, trying to calm down the thousands of words and thoughts that were running through my mind.

Finally, Boris speaks up: “My wife and children live in Sweden. I was going to leave in morning. We can go there for few days, figure shit out. I call my pilot, jet can be ready in few hours.”

Theo lets go of me, and my shoulders feel sore from where his hands were. “That sounds like a plan.” He turns to look around the room. “Is your stuff in your suitcase or did you put it in the drawers?” He opens a drawer, taking out a neatly folded pile and putting it on the bed. Theo continues to do that until all the drawers are empty.

When I walk towards my suitcase, I feel like someone else is walking. I was no longer myself. Wasn’t I supposed to stand by Liam’s side no matter what? Why am I leaving? What good will that do to our relationship? I don’t want to leave him. I don’t think I can.

Yes, you can. Just like you both were separated after the Coronation. Remember how easy it was for him to let you go? During those few weeks before the engagement tour, he didn’t call or text or even send anyone to give you a message. If you leave again, he won’t really care. Just like he didn’t care the last time. He’s got more important things to worry about.

Unfortunately, there’s another knock on the door. I’m practically sick of that sound at this point, but I still go to open it.

“Drake?” I exclaim when I see him. His clothes look like he threw them on in a hurry, and he’s got some serious bed head. I would probably think it was cute if I wasn’t so anxious. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard yelling,” he tells me. “Wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“This isn’t the social season, Drake. You don’t have to act like my bodyguard anymore.”

He gives a thick laugh, his throat heavy with sleep. “I’ll always be here to keep you safe, Brooks.”

We stand there for a while longer, not saying anything.

This may be the last time you ever see him again.

“Did Maxwell tell you that we’re going to L.A. tomorrow?” Drake tries to continue the conversation. He’s still standing in the doorway, but when he takes a half step forward, I understand that he wants to come in. I close the door behind Drake, suddenly remembering Theo and Boris. When I turn around and don’t see them, I feel glad that they had some sense to hide away.

“Yeah,” I say. Turning around, I see Drake staring at the piles of clothes on my bed.

“You trying to organize your stuff before we go?” he asks.

I struggle to speak, knowing that the next few words would not only determine what would probably turn into the next few years of my life, but the first few years of my baby’s life. “No, uh... I’m leaving.”

Drake’s head snaps in my direction. “Leaving? What do you mean leaving?”

I don’t say anything, and he walks closer to me.

“Brooks you mean leaving for L.A. in the morning, right?”

I feel numb when I say, “No. I’m leaving court.”

He gives a forced laugh. “You’re joking, right? Tell me you’re joking.” When my expression doesn’t change, I notice a panic in his eyes. “Brooks you’ve got to be kidding. This is some type of elaborate joke, isn’t it? Is Maxwell going to jump out of the bathroom and scream ‘You’ve been pranked’?” Drake moves towards the bathroom door and gives the handle a shake. “Why’s the bathroom locked? Whatever.”

Drake moves towards the piles of clothes on my bed. He grabs one and puts it back into the drawer. “You’re not leaving, Brooks. We’re so close to finding Tariq and fixing everything.”

“The engagement shower is tomorrow,” I tell him. I don’t feel like myself when I speak. God, I feel so tired. “We’ll never make it in time.”

“How could you say that, Brooks, of course we will! You and Liam, you two are meant for each other, you’ve gotta—”

He turns to look at me, and seeing that I haven’t moved, he stops working. We stare at each other, waiting for one of us to say something, but when we slip into further silence, he closes the drawer and walks to the door.

“You’re not leaving, Brooks. I don’t believe it. I know you’re going to do what’s best for you and Liam.”

He seems like he wants to continue, but when I don’t say anything more, he opens the door and leaves.

When Boris and Theo come out of the bathroom, they don’t speak. I imagine that they’re waiting for me to change my mind or comment on what Drake said, or something. But I feel too tired to talk, too tired to fight the words in my head that wouldn’t stop saying negative things about Liam. I let the voice in my head take over, and in a blur I pack the rest of my things.

About an hour later, Boris announces that the jet is ready. We leave the hotel quickly, hoping that no one would notice me. It was late, and I knew the entire court would be asleep by now, but I wasn’t going to take any risks.

As soon as I take my seat on the jet, I fall asleep. When I wake up, we’re already over the ocean. I turn to see Boris and Theo sleeping, too. I wanted it to be Maxwell and Drake.

Okay, no, wait wait wait wait wait... you just left. Just like that. Without saying goodbye? You didn’t even get to say a proper one to Drake, you didn’t tell Maxwell good night, you haven’t seen Hana since Shanghai, and you left Liam after telling him that you loved him just a few hours ago?

I feel too weak to fight my thoughts anymore. They were annoying me. I want to tell them to take a side, but the nausea and the fatigue are too much for me. I can’t handle it anymore.

...

My marriage to Theo had happened so suddenly that I didn’t even realize that I was married by the end of it. Still a few months before my delivery, Theo and Boris come up to me to say that they think I should change my name. I tell them that I don’t want to keep running, that I want to go back to Liam.

Theo tells me that this isn’t a good time for us to be entering Cordonia. We argue, and the discussion lasts for days. Once or twice I was about to just pack my bags and leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to.

Without telling me, Theo had contacted my mother, who advised that I marry him.

That made both of us blush like teenagers. I knew my mother had always liked Theo ever since we were both kids. She had even told me that he was the ‘perfect match’ for me, but I never listened to her, and I disagreed.

That night, sitting with Boris and Theo, we made a plan as to what we were going to do. Boris’ wife, Astrid, said that getting married was nothing permanent, and would just keep me and the baby safe until I could go tell Liam. Boris laughed at that, and the two of them walked away to go plan our wedding.

The event was in Amsterdam. I was already showing a little, so I didn’t really get to have the dress that I wanted, but I still loved it.

Even through the distance, I felt a connection to Liam. Not just because I was about to have his kid, because in a way I felt like I was doing the same thing as him. Marrying someone I didn’t love to protect those I care about.

I had kept away from any news articles or conversations that had anything to do with Cordonian politics, so for a long time I didn’t know whether he had married Madeleine or not.

My mother attended the wedding. Afterwards, Theo and Boris pulled her into the discussion of me changing my name. My mother agreed. I didn’t want to change my first name, so I took Theo’s last name and became Riley Blaise.

...

Theo had always told me that he never wanted kids, so I was shocked to see him take on the roll of father so effortlessly. He became busy when he started up his business with Boris, but the fact that he always made time for Gabriel and I made my heart swell, even though I was forever angry at him for how he twisted me into leaving Liam.

Throughout the pregnancy and Gabe’s first year, Theo gave up smoking, and told me that he stopped taking all the stuff that he used to. It was a long process, and he went through terrible withdrawals, but I helped him through it. I knew it was a sickness. I didn’t want him to suffer.

We made Boris and another friend of ours, Rowan, the Godparents of Gabriel.

My mother always nagged us about wanting to spend time with her ‘Grandbaby,’ so every Friday night, Theo, Rowan, and I (and when Boris was in New York, he would come along, too) always went out for drinks or for dinner and leave Gabriel with my mother.

And then one morning, after we had drank too much the night before, Theo and I woke up side by side in his bed. We had respectfully slept in our own rooms ever since we married and moved into a New York penthouse, and I couldn’t believe that we had just crossed that line. I took my clothes from his room and snuck out of bed, hating myself.

For the most part, I still let myself believe that I was with Liam. Now I had felt like I had betrayed him.

A few weeks later, I cursed myself when I started having consistent nausea. I took a test, and found that I was pregnant. I took that as a sign that I had to go back to Liam. If I didn’t, then this fake-life with Theo would become my real life. I didn’t want to let go of Liam permanently.

Receiving an invitation in the mail was my perfect opportunity. Maxwell was asking me to come to Bertrand and Savannah’s wedding. I had cut ties with everyone, blocking them on every platform, changing my number, and deleting my email. How he found me, I never knew, but I was grateful nonetheless.

I explained to Theo, and he let me go. I hadn’t told him I was pregnant yet. I decided that I would have to figure that out later. Liam was my top priority. Liam and the life we were supposed to have together.

I checked online, and found that he hadn’t gotten married, and there was no news of him being in any romantic relationships. My heart was put at ease, but only partly; no one knew much about his private life, so his lack of romantic activity was just hopeful guessing.

I found news of Bertrand and Savannah’s wedding online, too. Liam was officiating the ceremony. I would see him. He would see me. We could talk.

But before I could even enter Maxwell and Bertrand’s home, a guard pulled me to the side and I came face-to-face with Regina, who told me to back off, that I didn’t have any right to come back to try and ruin the monarchy.

I didn’t even get a chance to protest before being thrown in the back of a van. There was no way I was going to be forced away again without a fight, so I kicked and screamed until the nausea came back.

And then, just like when Theo took me away to Sweden, I gave up. I was so, so tired.

Theo apologized when I came back. He said he felt bad for everything. After spending a whole night crying in my room, he came to me and said that he would help me get back to Liam.

I told him that was impossible now, since I was pregnant.

And so, for Gabriel and for our baby, we tried to make our life together real. Though it was painful, and I could never bring myself to forget about Liam, we managed.

When the baby was born, I named her Eleanor. I was so deep into my fantasy of what could have been if Liam’s mother never died, that I gave my husband’s daughter the name of my love’s mother.

Theo didn’t know Eleanor was the name of Liam’s mother. I just told him that was a name I found pretty. It was either between Eleanor or Audrey, Theo’s mother’s name. We put that as her middle name, and she was named Eleanor Audrey Blaise.

Whenever I even looked at Gabriel, there was an overwhelming joy. Sure he had my hair, but his eyes and his nose were Liam’s. The ‘O’ shape his mouth would make whenever he was surprised or confused was all Liam. His cheeks were chubby, but I knew that when he would grow older he would look even more like his father.

And I felt the same way with Eleanor. We had the same hair, but her eyes were as green as Theo’s. There was an affection for Theo that I didn’t really want to be there.

We fell into this state of fake-love, where it was real enough for the kids to believe it, it was real enough for friends and other family members to believe it, it was even real enough for us to take comfort in it — but neither of us forgot that Liam was the one I truly loved. It was never Theo. It would always be Liam.

...At The Met...

After dropping of Gabriel and Eleanor at their practices, Theo and I were walking around the Met. He said that he knew where the new exhibit was, but he wanted to walk around and admire the older exhibits first.

We eventually came to a section that I guessed was European history. We looked around at canons and weapons that were used in wars more than a hundred years ago. We saw portraits of monarchs and national leaders. There was a small section on Cordonian history that only held the replica of a double-sided sword and an incredibly large portrait of a warrior queen.

“Kenna Rys,” Theo tells me. “Isn’t that Liam’s last name?”

“She must be his ancestor,” I say, leaning forward to regard the portrait closely. “It’s beautiful. More beautiful than I expected. It reminds me of Cordonia.”

“Isn’t that the whole point of beautiful things?” Theo asks.

“What is?”

“That they connect you to some larger beauty. For everyone else, her portrait connects them to history, and what Cordonia is today due to her. For you, the connection is Gabriel, and through him, Liam.”

I don’t answer him and continue staring at Kenna. When other people inch forward to look, I step to the side and pull Theo away.

His words remind me of Liam’s constant worry of what kind of king he would be. I miss how he would confide in me. The longing for him is heightened after seeing the portrait.

I turn to Theo and ask, “Do you think Gabe would ever be able to bring change?”

“What do you mean?” He looks straight ahead, worried only about getting to the exhibit.

“Like... what will his story be? And our’s for that matter?”

“We don’t fit into a story, Riley. We don’t have a story.”

He leads me down a few more hallways, and when we reach a few signs that say “Grand Opening,” he slows his pace and says:

“We can’t choose who we are, and whatever that is, we can’t escape it. There’s no escape for anyone. Even the beautiful stories are like soft fruit about to spoil.”

“Do you think that’s what Gabriel is?” I turn to him. “A beautiful story about to spoil?”

“Beautiful? In his own childish way, yes. About to spoil? Not yet.”

We look around at oil paintings I remember having seen before. I look around, wondering at the stories of people in the art work and the people viewing the art. Theo looks around intently at everything in front of him. I see him take out his phone and turn off the flash to take a picture of some things for Ella.

Throughout our decade of marriage, my anger at him never fully doused, but I eventually came to forgive him. In a way I think he saved me. In other ways, in the ways that matter, he hurt me. But Gabriel and Eleanor both have a normal childhood. Right here and right now, they’re all I care about. Maybe one day soon I’d be able to tell Liam everything. I could tell him how sorry I was, how I never forgot him.

“You know—” Theo taps my shoulder, “—if you don’t mind, I’m going to go take a look in the other room. Do you want to come with?”

“Um,” I say, recovering from my thoughts. “I’ll be fine. Do you wanna met in the gift shop?”

“Sure, that’s fine.” He walks away.

I look around aimlessly for about another ten minutes, staring at details of paintings from past centuries. I wonder at what the painters went through and what their lives were. I remember Hana telling me in the ruins that it didn’t matter what people in the future thought about you. I feel empty without her. I wished she was here to give me her insight.

I wished that Drake was here to give gloomy comments. If Maxwell were here, we all probably would have gotten kicked out. Liam would tell us the historical significance of each piece.

I miss them so much that I feel empty.

I thought that I would forget about them after so long. But none of us got closure. Maybe if we had all said goodbye properly, everything would have been easier.

I begin to walk out of the gallery, trying to remember where the gift shop was, when something strange happens. A museum guard runs across the gallery, carrying something in his arms.

And then another guard flew across the room, screaming.

Heads go up, and everyone looks around at each other quizzically. In the next instant, there’s a warm burst of air and smoke. The painting in front of me, The Dance Class, is caked with ash. A second later, there’s a black flash, and I hear debris flying around me. Hot wind slams into me, throwing me against stone.

I remember thinking that I have to pick up... someone. From somewhere. I have to get on a plane to tell someone something. But I can’t see anything. Everything is black.

#the royal romance #trr #choices trr #trr fanfic #liam x riley #trr liam x mc #the royal romance fanfic #choices fanfiction

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laurawritesandgames · 4 years ago

Text

A Day Late, Sorry!

Title: Reefer Madness

Fandom: Beetlejuice (Musical)

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Beetlejuice/Adam/Barbara, mention of Charles/Delia

Prompt: Parenting

Content Warning: Set during coronavirus pandemic, underage drug use

Summary: When Lydia is caught smoking pot, the Maitland-Deetz household has to come up with a punishment. But how do you discipline a teen during a pandemic? And will Beetlejuice even let the parents (and ghostly parental figures) punish his BFF?

The door to the Maitland-Deetz home opened. Lydia came in, wearing her mask and gloves, with Beetlejuice hovering beside her.

Barbara stopped mixing cookie dough to say hello. “How did it go?” The Maitland-Deetz adults had agonized about letting Lydia go to a class picnic organized by Claire Brewster’s mother during a pandemic.

Claire’s mother had tried to make the picnic as safe as possible. She and a few other parents were chaperones, everyone was required to test negative for coronavirus before showing up, the picnic was outdoors, everyone was expected to wear a mask and socially distance, and Winter River High’s Grade 10 class was only 20 kids. Charles had gone with Lydia to a few Black Lives Matter protests, and those had had many more people than this picnic.

Lydia had been so bored of quarantine that she’d actually wanted to engage with her classmates, which had been the deciding factor.

“It went well.” Lydia threw her disposable mask and gloves into the trash bin by the door. “It was nice to see everyone.”

Beetlejuice’s smell of rotting flesh was worse than usual. Barbara winced, waving her hand in front of her face. “Can you turn it down, please?”

“Turn what down?” Beetlejuice said too innocently.

“Anyway,” Lydia said, walking up the stairs, “my introvert battery is drained. I need to recharge.”

Beetlejuice followed her. “And I need the hot goss!”

Barbara let the two friends have their time together, though she was a little disappointed she hadn’t gotten more out of Lydia. That’s teenagers, I guess. I’ll try again later.

As Lydia washed her hands, Delia’s voice sounded in the hallway upstairs. Lydia responded back. Barbara returned to the kitchen, and had just picked up the mixing bowl when Delia’s shocked “Lydia Lilith Deetz!” rang through the house.

Barbara teleported up to the second floor of the house to see Delia and Lydia glaring at each other in the hallway with Beetlejuice floating beside Lydia. Adam teleported up a moment later.

“Young lady,” Delia said, “I can’t believe you. Smoking weed? Really? I thought you were smarter than that.”

Weed? Barbara sniffed the air, but couldn’t smell anything beyond Beetlejuice’s stink.

“It’s faint, but it’s there,” Delia insisted. She patted her faintly bulging stomach. “I have smell sensitivity, thanks to the child. And I have certainly smelled enough weed in my day!”

Lydia opened her mouth, closed it, then shrugged. “So what? Weed’s legal in tons of countries except for most of this fascist dictatorship.”

“What?” Barbara blurted out as Adam gasped.

“Where pot is legal, it’s legal for adults over 25,” Delia said. “You’re 16! Your mind is still developing.”

“Because you never, ever did pot when you were my age, Delia.”

“And it’s hardly something I’m proud of! Years from now, do you want to be looking for your underwear after a night with a drummer from a Duran Duran cover band? This is how it starts!”

Lydia snorted while Beetlejuice said, “I mean, if the drummer’s hot, yeah, sign me up.” He paused. “Who am I kidding? The drummer doesn’t even need to be that hot.”

Adam frowned at Beetlejuice. “And you’re covering for Lydia. When did you find out about this?”

Beetlejuice glanced at Lydia, who shrugged and gestured him forward. “Lyds flagged me down when she got near the house.”

“And you helped her cover this up without a second thought.”

“’Course I did! Oh nooooo, a teen did some weed. Who cares?”

“You’re the adult in this situation—”

Beetlejuice floated backward, gasping and clutching his chest. “You take that back, sir! I am not!” He paused. “Well, not an adult like you mean it.” Anxious, he bobbed in front of Lydia. “I’m a cool adult. Right, kid?”

“Totally.” There was a faint sarcastic edge to her voice, but he didn’t appear to catch it.

“You all heard her say it!” Beetlejuice said proudly.

A terrible thought occurred to Barbara. “You didn’t share the joint, did you?”

Lydia looked hurt. “I’m not risking coronavirus to get high!” Reluctantly, she added, “We each had our own joint.”

“And who brought them?” Adam asked.

“A goat-footed man offered them to us for the price of signing our name in his book. He said he would visit us again on the dark of the moon to complete his dark pact.” She smirked. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“Lydia….” Delia said.

“Or maybe we found them on the ground and smoked them like the reckless teens that we are. I can’t remember.”

“Where is this attitude coming from?” Barbara asked. “This isn’t like you.”

Lydia glared at her, so angry that Barbara almost took a step back. “’Not like me’? We met four months ago! You don’t even know me. At least this one,” she jabbed a finger at Delia, “was supposed to be my life coach, so Daddy filled her in on the basics. Not that she ever bothered to get to know me, either.”

Beetlejuice laughed. “Aw, man, she burned you guys so good.”

“We’re going to talk with your father,” Delia said, “and come up with your punishment.”

Barbara was touched that she’d included Barbara and Adam.

Lydia laughed coldly. “Good luck getting Daddy to punish his little girl.” She strode confidently over to her room and closed the door.

“I’m gonna grab Lyds some chips,” Beetlejuice said. “She’s probably got the munchies!”

“You know,” Barbara said, “you could stay and—”

“Deuces, nerds!” He teleported away. A few moments later, his voice sounded in Lydia’s room along with the crinkling of a plastic bag.

Disappointing but not surprising. When Beetlejuice returned from the Netherworld, he’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in parenting Lydia or any Deetz children that came along.

As they walked downstairs to Charles’s office, Delia said, “My parents never punished me for anything in my life. They let me drink and smoke as long as I was in the basement, where they could keep an eye on me.”

“I went to some parties and stayed out past curfew in Grade 12,” Barbara said. “Mom and Dad grounded me. This one,” she nodded to Adam, “never saw a punishment in his life.”

“That’s not true, honey,” Adam said. “One time, I was doing math homework and I looked up my answers in the back of the textbook. I confessed an hour later and got extra chores for the rest of the week.” He looked thoughtful. “Grounding Lydia seems pretty redundant. Unless someone else holds another picnic, it probably won’t come up. The living are all stuck inside anyway.”

Delia sighed. “I know! And we can’t take away her phone. It’s her lifeline to the outside world! I don’t want to affect her mental health.” She bit her lower lip and stopped walking. “Perhaps we should let this go. She’s still healing from losing Emily. And no way am I going to be the evil stepmother! If Charles punishes her, she’ll probably blame me!” She glanced anxiously between Adam and Barbara.

“We won’t let her do that,” Barbara said. “We’ll be a united front.”

“Using marijuana recreationally is illegal,” Adam said. “I know not all of us agree with that law,” he nodded to Delia, “but it is the law, and she deliberately broke it. She could’ve been arrested! It’s our duty to show her there are consequences for her actions.”

“As soon as we figure out what those consequences are,” Barbara said. “You know, I read a parenting blog that said parents could ask their older teens to suggest their own punishments. Maybe she’ll come up with a good one.”

Delia rubbed her temples. The pregnancy was taking a lot out of her; she was tired and achey most of the time. “Well...let’s go see what Charles thinks.”

She knocked on the door to his office. After a few moments, Charles opened it. Seeing the looks on their faces, he frowned. “What did the demon do this time?”

“Surprisingly,” Barbara said, “he’s not the problem. It’s Lydia.”

Charles took charge immediately. After explaining his plan and getting everyone’s agreement, he asked to see Lydia in the living room.

Lydia came downstairs and Beetlejuice phased through the floor to hover by her side. While Beetlejuice slouched and scowled at everyone, Lydia looked totally confident. She didn’t blush or frown as she faced her entire family.

When Barbara had come home from Miranda’s party, she’d frozen and stammered when she’d seen her father in the living room. I wonder what Dad felt when I stayed out past curfew? Did he expect something like this? Was he grateful I wasn’t coming home drunk? I wish I’d asked him. She’d never know, now. It stung, but she had more important things to focus on.

Like whatever chaos Beetlejuice had in mind. He wasn’t going to take his best friend getting punished without a fight.

“Lydia,” Charles said, “Delia, Adam and Barbara told me what happened at the picnic. You smoked marijuana, breaking both a law and a house rule. I want to see a 5,000-word essay on my desk by the end of the week about the effects of marijuana on a young person’s development. This essay must be the same quality as one you’d do for school. Use the Chicago Manual of Style for reference and citations.”

Lydia chuckled. “You can’t be serious.”

“We’ll just plagiarize it anyway!” Beetlejuice said.

“I can Google an essay just as well as you can,” Charles said, unperturbed. “I’ll be sure to check that your work is your own.”

Her eyes narrowed. “It was just one joint, Daddy. It’s not a big deal. I’m not going to become the school drug dealer or anything—if we’re even going back to school in the fall.”

“Delia, the Maitlands and I disagree. We think it is a big deal. And since you live in our house, you have to follow our rules.”

Beetlejuice turned to Lydia. “Kid, I can get us out of this house anytime you want with a snap of my fingers.”

“And go where, Beej?” Lydia crossed her arms over her stomach. “I know you’re trying, but c’mon. It’s a global pandemic.”

Beetlejuice’s spiky hair deflated a little bit. “Oh, right.”

Charles took a step toward his daughter. More gently, he said, “Lydia, I’m not insensible that you’re facing more stress than anything I ever felt at your age. First, Emily died, then the pandemic happened, and now quarantine…. Not to mention the changes that have happened to our family.” Lydia’s gaze flicked to Delia’s stomach. “If you want to talk about what led you to make this decision, we’d all welcome that.”

Beetlejuice scoffed. “Why she did it? To be a badass!” He held out his fist for a fistbump. Lydia didn’t reciprocate, but watched her father thoughtfully instead. Good. Barbara began to relax. That means she’s listening.

“If you don’t want to talk to us,” Adam said, “we can increase your therapy sessions to two times a week.”

“I’m sick of journaling and breathing exercises!” Lydia snapped. “Nothing works! Even that stupid joint didn’t! I’ve been stuck inside for months because of a pandemic our country’s leaders are too chickenshit to deal with. I’m a privileged beneficiary of a racist, capitalist system that’s destroying the world. And I’ve literally seen what’s on the other side. Nothing gets better. This life is all we get, and it’s shit.”

She stepped closer to her father, her eyes never leaving his face. “And now, I have to do a stupid essay because I did something I thought would make it all bearable for one fucking minute!”

Her family had to do more for her. Lydia had taken antidepressants for months on the advice of her doctor—perhaps she needed her dose readjusted. If this therapist wasn’t helping, they’d find another. Adam and I could make an activity schedule to give her day some more structure, so it’s not just scrolling through social media. And Beetlejuice can probably think of lots of fun things to do—well, fun and slightly terrifying things, but Lydia loves that kind of stuff.

Charles reached out for a hug, but Lydia stepped back, hands out to push him away if he tried.

“Oh, Lydia, sweetheart, I know things are tough right now—” Barbara began.

“Mom wouldn’t do this to me!”

Charles recoiled slightly, his arms dropping.

Even Lydia seemed surprised that she’d said that, but she quickly added, “Mom wouldn’t have punished me for one joint. She would’ve understood me. She would’ve cared. And you know it.”

Charles raised his eyebrows. “Lydia, you’ve built Emily up in your mind as this creative, anarchic madwoman, and she certainly was. But do you seriously think she would be unconcerned if you started doing drugs? We had countless conversations about how to parent you, particularly in those final months when we knew…we knew she wouldn’t be around. This is the punishment we worked out together.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not. This is literally what she would have wanted me to do.”

Lydia stared at her father. Her chin began quivering as tears welled up in her eyes. Barbara almost teleported to her, but stopped. Is it my place? I’m just the ghost parent, not her real one….

At some point, Beetlejuice had floated over to her and Adam. He was watching Lydia and Charles intently, as if looking for something.

Lydia sniffled, swallowed, then said, “Fine, I’ll do your dumbass essay.”

“What? C’mon, kid!” Beetlejuice gestured to Charles. “Don’t give in to The Man!”

Lydia gave him a small smile. “Not everyone has the energy of an undead demon, Beej.” She tossed her hair. “Besides, Dad, all the research that’s out there says pot should be legalized for recreational use, anyway.”

“Not for 16-year-olds.”

“We’ll see.” She turned around and went upstairs.

“Bet you loved that, fascists,” Beetlejuice said to the parents and parental figures. But Beetlejuice usually got over things quickly as long as they didn’t directly involve him, so it wasn’t surprising when he slung his arms over Barbara and Adam’s shoulders and smirked. “Babs, Sexy, if you wanna make out to forget your guilt that you made Lydia hate you, you where know I be.”

Lydia stopped halfway up the stairs. “‘Hate you’? God, BJ, you’re so dramatic. I don’t hate them. They’re completely overreacting, but they’re just being parents. It’s their job.”

That threw him—he blinked at her a few moments, then shrugged. “So it wasn’t my best pickup line. Instead of criticizing my game, go…I dunno, cry about your dead mom some more.”

“Beetlejuice!”

At least Lydia didn’t appear hurt. She rolled her eyes and raised her middle finger at Beetlejuice before going upstairs.

Charles huffed. “I think the next thing we’re going to work on is crude language and gestures. I’ve been quite lax about that and someone—” he eyed Beetlejuice “—has been a bad influence.”

“We should also not joke about people’s traumas, Bug,” Adam said.

Beetlejuice grunted. To Barbara’s surprise, he didn’t say ‘She started it!’ He was legitimately thinking about something.

Delia sat down on the living room couch, sighing in exhaustion. “Well! We got through it. Huzzah, everyone!” She glanced at Beetlejuice. “Except you,” she said coolly.

“Things got pretty tense there,” Adam said. “It’s lucky I don’t have a body, or I might have had a small panic attack.”

“Most of the thanks goes to Charles,” Barbara said.

“I was happy to take the lead on this one. I have the most experience, after all. Unfortunately, this is hardly the first time I’ve had to discipline her. She’s not always the most attentive to her studies.”

“Really?” Adam asked. “But she’s so intelligent.”

“Which means she doesn’t always feel challenged, so she puts off her homework and assumes she can complete it the evening before it’s due.”

“Wow, I had no idea.” Barbara had pictured Lydia as a young woman much like Adam, eager to learn and devoted to school. Lydia is right. We don’t know each other that well.

“Do you think we should talk to her psychiatrist again?” Barbara asked.

Charles nodded. “I was thinking that, as well.”

Beetlejuice poofed away in the puff of smoke as the parenting talk continued. Remembering his unusual thoughtfulness, Barbara resolved to speak to him later.

Beetlejuice appeared as if summoned when, an hour later, Barbara pulled her chocolate chip cookies out of the oven.

“Ooo! They’re all goopy!” Beetlejuice snagged one, and didn’t seem to mind that it was hot.

“We got some news on where the weed came from,” Barbara said as he ate. “Claire’s mom called Charles during our meeting. Near the end of the picnic, five of the kids said they wanted to check out the empty school. Lydia was one of them. They disappeared from view for around 10 minutes. The chaperones figured they just wanted to get out of cleaning duty, and nobody thought much of it because the party was wrapping up. Claire’s mom apologized over and over again. I don’t think she’s going to be hosting any more class picnics. Poor woman. We still don’t know who brought the drugs, though.

“Er, I hate to ask, but…it wasn’t you, right?” Beetlejuice was quite casual about drug use, and Lydia could talk him into anything.

Beetlejuice didn’t mind being suspected of providing drugs to children. Maybe to a demon, that was a mark of pride? “I was watching Farscape with Adam during the picnic. I only teleported away when I heard Lyds say my name.” He could always hear the living say it, for some reason.

“The person watching Farscape could’ve been a clone, though.”

“Ooo, now you’re thinking like a demon, babe! But for real—no way would I bring joints for some teens and not for myself. Am I really that generous?”

“You’re right. Sorry, I just had to make sure.”

He winked at her. “I wouldn’t trust me either, baby.” He bit into his third cookie.

“You seemed caught off guard earlier when Lydia said she didn’t hate us. What was that about?”

He shrugged. “Just trying to make myself fart to break the tension.”

“Well, I know that’s a fib. You’re always able to fart.”

He stopped chewing, thought for a moment, swallowed, then said, “Eh…guess I’m just not used to kids and parents not hating each other.”

She touched his free hand. When he didn’t pull away, she wrapped her fingers around it. “That’s awful.”

“That’s life. And the afterlife, I guess, since Ma was there too.” He frowned. The hand she was holding twitched, like he wanted to start fiddling with something like he always did when he was upset or anxious. “Whatever. I killed her with a sandworm, the scene ended on my hilarious joke, and the audience got a happy ending. It all worked out.”

“If you want to talk some more about your mother, Bug—”

“Why, so I can cry about my dead mom, like Lyds? Sing a song about it? Not my brand, babes. I don’t even think about Mom.” He focused very intently on the cookies on the baking tray as he said, “I think about you and Sexy and Lyds, sometimes Chuck and Delia. You’re the people I care about, not that bi—sorry, sorry, that was gonna be a gendered slur, but I caught myself.”

“I’m proud of you.” Barbara leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He grinned. “You know, I don’t think I hear that enough from you guys. I could kill so many people, and I never do. A little more ‘good job, Beetlejuice!’ would be nice.”

“We’ll try.” She kissed his lips. As she pulled back, he leaned closer and kept the kiss going. Then a goopy finger brushed her nose, leaving a trail of warmth down it.

Beetlejuice pulled away, chuckling. “You look like you ate poop.”

She rolled her eyes (was she picking that up from Lydia?) and wiped the melted chocolate off her nose. Beetlejuice hadn’t used the kiss as an excuse to grab all the cookies on the tray, which was surprising.

Not that Beetlejuice was done with the cookies. He grabbed two more then floated out of her reach.

“Do you mind if I tell Adam about this conversation?” she asked. Adam, Barbara and Beetlejuice hadn’t been in a polyamorous relationship long; Barbara wanted boundaries to be extra clear to avoid hurt feelings and miscommunication.

“Girl, you know I love when people talk about me.”

“Even stuff about your mother, which might be a little more complicated than you’re pretending it is?”

“Or maybe it’s not complicated at all? I’m a simple guy, babes.”

“You do like to say that, yes.”

“But, eh, don’t tell Sexy all the crap I said about kids and parents and shit. He’ll just wanna talk. Bleh. Pretend I was always my normal awesome self.”

“Hey, Bug,” she said lightly, “I think opening up to someone you care about is pretty awesome. So, to me, you were always your normal awesome self.”

“Dork.” But he was smiling as he poofed away.

When the cookies cooled, she put two on a plate, poured a glass of milk, and went upstairs.

She checked in on Adam next. She’d left him reading in their bedroom, but now he was staring out the window at the cemetery.

“Hi, sweetie,” she said.

“Hi.” He didn’t turn around.

“Do you want to go visit them?” That cemetery held his parents’ graves. They’d died in a car crash coming home from a Christmas party five years ago.

He nodded. “I know we can’t stay for long because of the sandworms, but just for a few minutes….”

“When Lydia’s done her essay, maybe she could come, too. She’s mentioned wanting to have a solo picnic in the graveyard sometime.”

“That’d be nice. I hope Mom and Dad approved of how we handled Lydia. They probably would’ve liked a good prayer circle, but the Deetzes aren’t that kind of family.” He sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “They were good people, in their way. They knew farm life wasn’t for me, and they never made me feel bad about choosing my own path.”

“Your family was so welcoming when we started dating.”

He chuckled, smiling at her over his shoulder. “Most of that was shock, I think. They bent over backwards because they knew you were too good for me.”

They’d told this joke at parties before. Barbara laughed dutifully. “Your mom never gossiped. You’ve lived here your whole life—you know how rare that is. Most people just can’t wait to spill the beans. But I could tell her anything.”

Adam’s smile dropped. “I couldn’t.”

His parents had probably been part of the reason he hadn’t come out as bisexual until after his death. Barbara set the plate and glass down and joined him at the window, resting her hand on his shoulder.

“I have no idea what I’m going to tell them when we find them in the Netherworld,” Adam said. “’Hi, Mom and Dad, here’s my wife and my boyfriend. I have an open marriage now! I’ve slept with a man who’s not actually a man! He’s a demon.’”

“Well, saying it all at once is a bit much,” she said lightly. “You might need to lead up to it.”

A smile twitched the corners of his lips before he sighed and stared out the window again.

She rubbed at his shoulder, tense under her hand. “We have time to figure it out. We’re not going anywhere for a while. And maybe their perspective will have shifted in all those years in the Netherworld?”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t worry about it. And maybe the fact that we sort of have a child now means they’ll overlook a few sins.”

No, we live with a child. She’s not ours in any way. Barbara said, “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

Adam turned away from the window and looked at her, concerned.

Barbara and Adam approached Lydia’s room 20 minutes later. Lydia’s door stood out against the pale gray wall; she’d had her door wallpapered to make it look like a dingy, cobwebbed hallway with a mysterious figure at the end of it. Barbara knocked; Lydia groaned.

Opening the door, Lydia looked unenthused. “Is this the real punishment—everyone coming to check up on me?” The cookies didn’t even elicit a smile, though she took them with a curt, “Thank you.” She waved them in. “Shut the door, take a seat. Let’s get this over with.”

Her room was messier than Barbara would’ve preferred, with socks everywhere and a pile of folded laundry still in its hamper. Lydia set the cookies and milk down next to a new pile of books on her nightstand. There were already bookmarks in The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and Yes You Can! Your Guide to Becoming an Activist. Lydia had been ordering books from local bookstores like crazy during the pandemic.

“You missed Delia.” Lydia half-sat, half-fell onto her bed, bouncing a little. “‘Peep these stones, girl! They’ll unblock your chakras because they’re fire. But they’re actually stones.’ I got her out of here by hissing some words in Klingon over her stomach. She thought I was cursing her unborn child—it was great! And, no.” She swung her legs up to stretch out. “That doesn’t mean I hate the fetus. They can’t help being incubated in the world’s worst person. So you can tell Beetlejuice that, if he’ll listen to you. He thinks he knows me so well.” She chuckled. “He only thinks that because he thinks I’m a human version of him. Everything’s a Mommy-or-Daddy issue with that guy.”

She laced her hands behind her head. Her black dress blended in with her black duvet cover and the rooms black walls, making the pale white skin of her face stand out sharply. “And, of course, Daddy dearest came by. Did we cry a bit over my dead mother? I plead the fifth.” She looked at Barbara and Adam, waving a hand. “Speak! Impart to me your undead wisdom. Cure this troubled child of her afflictions.”

Barbara and Adam had worked on what they were going to say, but it took a few moments to absorb everything Lydia had just said. She’d be good in theatre. Maybe we could look into Zoom classes….

Adam sucked in a breath. “Lydia, we’ve been talking about what you said to Barbara earlier today. About how we’ve only known each other for a few months.”

Lydia’s eyebrows twitched up. “Oh…kay?”

Barbara spoke next. “You’re completely right. We don’t actually know you. And once I realized that, I realized it was presumptuous of us to join in with your father and stepmother while they were disciplining you today. It made me think about how we joined this family in the first place. You agreed to let us stay, and we’ll always be grateful. But you also agreed after a very traumatic experience, and none of us really knew what it meant to share our lives together, living and dead.

“We all sort of fell into these roles after Beetlejuice left. We became like your second set of parents. We’ve been calling you our adopted child and everything. But…well, you’re not. And you already have a father and a stepmother.”

Lydia sat up on her bed, facing the ghosts, her jaw tense. “You’re—you’re not leaving, right? For the Netherworld?” She swallowed, gaze darting between the two of them.

Adam shook his head. “Of course not, Lydia,” he said gently. “Our boyfriend hates that place, for one thing. And we want to be here for you and the new baby.” He nodded to Barbara to continue.

“But,” Barbara said, “that doesn’t mean we need to be in your life as parents. We could just be two roommates. We could chat over dinner, watch TV together, maybe bake something once in a while. But if you don’t want us to be, we don’t need to be so involved in how you’re raised. That’s Charles’s and Delia’s job.”

Lydia was clutching her fingers together tightly. “I never even bothered to ask—did you want kids while you were alive?”

“We did…theoretically,” Adam said. “That’s the next step in the life plan once you own a home, right? Some of our friends had four kids already. But in practice, we had a lot of fears holding us back. If we’d been braver….” He looked away, sighing, before he looked back at her. “But we weren’t, and we can’t change that now.”

“Or we might have had a child and hated it,” Barbara added. “Who’s to say?” She patted Adam’s hand. “It’s a bit of a complicated topic for us. You’re a child, Lydia. You shouldn’t have to carry a dead couple’s wishes and regrets.”

Lydia’s gaze dropped to her hands, still gripping each other on her lap. It wasn’t an easy thing they were asking. Barbara gave her silence and space to think.

“You’re not who I want,” Lydia said, looking up at them. “I’ll always want my mother. I apologize for the bluntness, but Mom always made friends with the elephant in the room, and I’m my mother’s daughter.”

“Of course, sweetie—ah, Lydia.” Barbara cleared her throat. “It’s only natural.”

“But you two…. You made me feel normal even when I was so alone.” Her voice was getting quieter and quieter. “You always listened to me talk about her. And you’re…you’re part of the reason I came back from the Netherworld.”

Barbara chuckled softly. “You’re the reason we stayed in the world of the living, originally. We had to defeat Beetlejuice and keep you safe. But that doesn’t mean we need to act as a second set of parents. I’m not sure that’s fair to you.

“Lydia, we don’t have to decide anything right now. We can talk about this tomorrow, or a week from now, or a month.”

Lydia’s dark gaze locked on Barbara. Her eyes shone with tears under a heavy frown. “You probably don’t even want me as a daughter,” she spat. “You probably dreamed of some little girl in pretty pink dresses who played with dolls instead of skulls. I’m too complicated, too messy. But you don’t want to say it. That’s not nice, and you two are nothing but nice. Just stop being cowards! Make it easy on us!”

“Oh, Lydia, honey….” Barbara couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to her. She held Lydia as the girl’s tears started falling. Adam sat down on Lydia’s other side, stroking her back. She rested her head on Barbara’s shoulder.

“I love you guys,” Lydia whispered thickly.

“And here I go,” Barbara said as she started crying, too. “We love you too, sweetie.”

“We would’ve been honoured to have a daughter like you,” Adam said, tearing up. He hovered the Kleenex box over to them, so they could wipe their eyes and noses without breaking the hug.

“I am so fucking sick of crying,” Lydia grumbled as she dabbed her nose.

Barbara wiped her eyes. “Language.”

“Right. Daddy said he wanted to tackle that next.” She smiled. “I’m sorry you got a daughter at this intemperate age, Maitlands. I was a real peach when I was four.”

“You’re perfect,” Barbara assured her. “You make bad decisions sometimes, but you’re perfect.”

Lydia’s eyeroll was somewhat undercut by the fresh batch of tears.

Adam commented, “I guess we’ll need to work on a parenting schedule with Charles and Delia. See what we can figure out.” Adam sounded cheerful at the thought. He always loved making plans.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. “You’re dating Beetlejuice, but you still love rules and order. You’re a mystery, Adam Maitland. In fact,” she sniffled again, “we’re all mysteries to each other. That’s what started this conversation, isn’t it?

“So, hello, Maitlands. My name’s Lydia Deetz.”

“Hi, Lydia. I’m Barbara Maitland.”

It was time for the Maitlands to get to know their daughter.

#beetlelandsweek2020 #beetlejuice #beetlejuice musical #beetlejuice the musical #beetlejuice x adam x barbara #charles x delia #adam maitland #barbara maitland #lydia deetz

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sparklingpax · 4 years ago

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Tales From Iacon - Part 2: Intentions

A/N:

-Part one can be found here and I also have a wattpad where I’m posting updates as well as other stories! (user is @/kunixjiro)

-Idk if this was an appropriate title for this part but the idea was that they both had their own intentions and well....you can see how it turned out.

-Sorry if this is badly written (and for any typos, mistakes, weird phrasings, etc)

-Also sorry that this is long af O//O’’

-This part isn’t so fluffy ^^’’ But dw I promise I’ll resolve everything in time....anyway, hopefully nothing got too ooc or anything! Enjoy!! <3

///

It was no secret that Megatronus was a gladiator.

He was not ashamed or afraid to admit his purpose—to kill both beast and bot alike.

For the entertainment of the crowds, and in accordance with Cybertron’s corrupt caste system.

Such a life was a choice he’d made long ago, when he rose up from the mines and cast away the life of a meaningless energon miner. With it, he’d cast away a name given to him—a name which held no meaning anyway.

D-16 was no more—he was Megatronus now.

///

The wild cheering of the crowds invigorated Megatronus, fueling his drive to utterly mutilate the monster hulking before him. All he could think of was the desire to fight stronger and harder than ever before—to show off his power so he could bask in the glory of the hundreds all around calling his name.

“Megatronus! Megatronus! Megatronus!”

The deafening roar of the onlookers filled his audio receptors, causing Megatronus to grin wildly, and the injured monster to bellow in terror. It stumbled forward hastily, only for Megatronus to dodge and deal another blow with his sword. Much to the delight of the crowd, the beast cried out in pain and reared up to attack Megatronus again.

There was no fear as Megatronus gazed into the black eyes of the beast, lit only with primal rage. They bored into him for only a moment before it shook its head and charged.

Call my name! Call it louder—shout it to the skies, Cybertronians!

He stood in battle stance, breathing hard but not yet tired. Bright lights all around blazed down on his plating, making the grey and burgundy glow as silver and red. His optics were alight with a wild look, as if he knew the battle was over and victory was in his very grasp.

Megatronus tossed away his shield, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. He released a savage cry and charged right at the monster. Screams of excitements and fear sounded from every angle as he neared the gaping jaws of his opponent.

The gladiator swung the sword and neatly sliced off half of the grey tongue that greedily reached out at him. The monster instantly recoiled, writhing in pain. Blue blood sprayed everywhere. The warm, sticky liquid showered Megatronus as he slid the weapon into its holder at his hip.

He paid no mind to it, for he had known the tongue would bleed the most.

Megatronus took a running leap off the dirt and landed on the back of the beast. With his own servos, he grabbed its snout and yanked it towards him, bending its neck backwards to injure it further. It tried to swing him off, but Megatronus stabbed his sword into its body. The crowd collectively shrieked with anticipation upon seeing the legs of the monster buckle beneath him.

Before it could scream in pain again, he vaulted off its body to the side, twisting its neck with a fatal, sickening crack. There was a brief, abrupt silence while the monster moaned more quietly, attempting to move. It crumpled inward with a low huff.

A pool of energon gushed out from its wounds, soiling the ground around it as Megatronus backed away to watch it die. He grinned with pure delight—breathing heavily, limbs quivering with exhaustion—at his work. Only seconds later, the beast went totally limp.

It was done.

The volume of the crowd was loud enough to sound as if the whole of Cybertron had packed into the small stadium.

Megatronus was victorious again.

He felt pride and joy rush through him as he raised his sword and cried out to the masses before him.

“I AM MEGATRONUS, KING OF THE PITS OF KAON!!!”

“Megatronus! Megatronus! Megatronus! Megatronus! ”

“I AM LIVING PROOF THAT ONE DECIDES HIS OWN DESTINY!!”

Hundreds packed together in the seats raised their servos and shouted as loud as they could, amazed by the skill of the gladiator before them, and filled with inspiration. Megatronus felt something warm in his spark, for he knew Orion was one of the many voices.

There was no disputing it now, D-16 was truly no more.

///

Outside the arena’s seating, there was a dimly lit, blue corridor. Various clumps of bots milled around there. Some were making their way out from the seats, conversating excitedly about the fighting, or were making their way back in. Others stayed outside for whatever reason they had. A quiet murmuring filled the space, contrasting greatly from the deafening roar of the arena.

Orion Pax had his back up against the wall, breathing hard. He tried to steady his breath, attempting to erase the images of the brutal murdering of that beast from his mind.

He had never seen anything so violent in his whole life.

Orion couldn’t bear it a second longer, hearing the crowd cheer hungrily for the monster to suffer more, and chanting all the louder for its death. All of it had felt so…wrong. For a second, he had wondered if everyone in there had lost their senses. Surely a society of civilized people wouldn’t bee chanting for the death of a living, breathing creature? Or will it to be tortured?

And yet…they were.

He had slipped out to regain himself a little, and decided he’d return to his place when the act was finished. At least, if Orion didn’t watch some of the real fight, he’d see the aftermath. After all, Megatronus had invited Orion as a…somewhat esteemed guest. It was only fair that Orion, too, should raise his voice to cheer his friend on.

I’m here for Megatronus.

I’m here because he invited me.

I’m…here to…support him….

His stomach turned upon thoughts of what he was doing to the creature at the moment. He heard a loud roar of pain and the noise of the crowd increased greatly. Orion shook his head and slid down to a sitting position.

I’ll…I’ll wait here until it sounds like it’s over…or else….I just might purge…

///

“So then, Soundwave,” Megatronus shook hands with the quiet mech and nodded. “I’ll be off. I’m meeting someone now. We can speak again tomorrow, if you like.”

Soundwave nodded, then turned and left. Megatronus watched him go, interest dancing vaguely in his gaze.

What an interesting bot, being so quiet and yet saying so much.

The gladiator was suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion, and it seemed the adrenaline that had pushed him through the fight was finally fading. With a small grunt, Megatronus stumbled and fell against the corridor’s wall for support. To Megatronus’ frustration, his legs were tremoring a little. He let out a sigh, straightening again after a moment with a small wince.

I suppose I…expended a bit too much of my energy today…

He still felt pride and joy in his victory.

Even still, all my efforts were worth it. I stand alive once more.

“Good evening, Megatronus!”

Orion’s voice reached Megatronus before he sighted his friend at the other end of the corridor. Orion picked up pace and jogged down the hall to meet him.

Megatronus immediately felt his exhaustion dissipate.

Orion had seen the fight!

He was eager to know what Orion had thought of it all. He knew it Orion’s first time seeing something as graphic and epic as this.

But more than that, Megatronus was eager to know what Orion thought of him. Battle brought out his truest form, and that form was Megatronus’ greatest pride. Having somewhat of an ego, Megatronus knew that deep down, all he needed to keep going was some sort of praise.

After all, who wouldn’t? Validation is a beautiful thing, especially in one’s own art.

“Orion, it brought me much joy to know you could make it tonight!” He and Orion shook servos and greeted one another, then started slowly back up the hall so they could leave the building. Megatronus continued, “How unfortunate you could not have seen me last week, when I, with great fervor, slayed—”

He paused, sensing Orion tense up next to him and look away.

Odd.

“Never mind. Anyway, you are usually too busy with your studies or your work. How is it that you came tonight?” Orion sighed.

“My apologies. I hope to be a master archivist one day, and full commitment to my studies is essential for me to reach that goal.” He looked up at the sky speckled with thousands of stars and smiled. Shifting his gaze to Megatronus, who was listening intently, he nodded. “I did get time off tonight, though. I have Alpha Trion to thank for that.”

Megatronus patted him on the back.

They continued through the quiet streets of Kaon—well, the backstreets, to be specific. Megatronus knew how ugly the main streets could get with all the crazy bots running around at night. He wanted no part in it tonight as long as Orion was with him.

And Orion is no fighter.

“Megatronus, uhm…” Orion’s voice jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked a little nervous. He fiddled with his fingers for a moment before taking a deep breath. “I…I hope you can be patient with me.”

“What?”

“You might feel offended.” Orion tried elaborating. Megatronus, however, was not following. “I am only asking that if you are mad, that you don’t take it out on someone else…or that you can understand what my reasoning was.”

Offended? It made little sense. Yet his friend remained tense, and would not meet his gaze. Megatronus immediately felt guilty. Have I said something wrong?

“Orion, I do not understand what it is you refer to!” He picked up his pace, trying to think of changing the subject. He so desperately wanted to know about what Orion had thought of his battle with the monster!

“About the fight tonight…” Orion’s gaze dropped to the ground and he halted. Megatronus, who had walked a few paces ahead, stopped and turned. Oh, he read my mind. How funny; I was just about to ask!

“Listen, Orion, whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not—”

“I had to leave halfway through the fight. I…” He slowly lifted his gaze to meet his friend’s. As he’d suspected, the beginnings of frustration had already begun to spark into it. He mustered all his confidence to finish. “I waited in the hall because I couldn’t take anymore of the violence…or the bloodthirsty crowd. It…did not feel right at all.”

An uncomfortable silence weighed on the pair.

At last, Megatronus turned away and sighed quietly, breaking the silence. Orion felt guilt and embarrassment to the depths of his spark. He opened his mouth to say more, then thought it better not to. He figured Megatronus would have something to say to him.

“So…that’s it?” Disappointment was fully evident in his voice, causing Orion’s spark to twist more. Megatronus turned back to his friend and moved closer. His hands were folded behind his back. Orion swallowed.

My intentions were to be honest, but I fear I have taken an imprudent course of action…

Orion decided not to voice the thought. Instead, he quietly responded, “Yes.”

“I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I’m…very hurt, Orion.” Megatronus kept his voice level as he gazed into the archivist’s eyes, yet Orion could still hear dejection in its tone.

He realized he had to fix this.

But how? What do I say? Orion Pax, you foolish child!! He scorned himself internally.

“I am sorry, Megatronus. I understand that words will do no good, but for the moments I was there, your courage in the face of the beast was admirable.” Megatronus looked away. Indignance and annoyance welled up inside him.

He’s probably making it up.

“And that is the honest truth.”

Orion looked earnest.

He also looked and sounded guilty.

Is it? Or are you telling me what I want to hear? Why did you come if you knew you couldn’t stand violence and a crowd’s wildness? Orion, you anger me…or rather…

Megatronus then remembered his friend’s quiet plea for peace and patience beforehand. To lash out at him would wound their friendship forever, and give Orion the wrong impression of Megatronus. All that aside, Megatronus realized he…felt no anger towards his friend. The heated emotions faded, quickly replaced by pangs of rejection.

…such is my fate, being a lower-caste bot raised in blood, darkness and cold steel. Of course Orion does not find it beautiful, and I should not have forced him to witness such things.

It seemed they would have to allow time to do its work.

Megatronus began to walk away, saying nothing more. Orion called after him, but received no reply. His friend disappeared into the shadows of the night, leaving Orion feeling guilty and ashamed.

I won the battle, but I now feel…defeat.

Megatronus felt exhaustion creep back into his limbs.

///

On his way out of the city, Orion paid no attention to the tranquil, moonlit nature around him. He was instead lost in thought.

Had I said nothing, I’d have lied.

He shook his head.

I can’t lie. I won’t lie. I know it would have come out eventually, and he would still be hurt.

A pang of sadness twisted his spark again.

Why couldn’t I bear it even for his sake? It is because I do not understand it that I fear it, I know. But...it is his joy...his art....and I was not there for him.

As he reached a train station, Orion still did not have any real thoughts in mind as he punched in the location for his ticket.

When the train arrived, Orion boarded and sat by the window.

I realize now that my intentions were faulted. It would have been better to stay quiet, becuase then I would not have hurt him.

He closed his eyes.

Time will have to heal this wound.

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mattzerella-sticks · 4 years ago

Text

Supernatural Crack🩹tober

Day 16: Hair Swap

He returns on a Tuesday. Walking through the door, duffel bag slung over his shoulder and spinning his keys on his fingers. Cas sees Dean at the map table, back facing him. Short hair sticking wildly at all ends, hunched over as he watches a video on Sam’s laptop. Shaking with silent laughter. The sight makes his heart swoon, Cas falling deeper in love despite the previous record set yesterday when Dean called because he texted a frowny face. They spoke well into the evening, until Cas fell asleep.

Dean has not heard him yet, so Cas uses it to his advantage. Silently descending the stairs, he creeps towards the other man. Runs his fingers through Dean's hair and drops a small kiss along the crown. “Hello, Dean.”

It wasn’t Dean.

Sam’s face comes into view, an earbud falling out. “Cas!” he says, slamming the space bar, “What are you doing?”

Cas pales, blinking. Looking from the younger Winchester’s face, then at his hair. Nothing adds up. “Sam?” he says, “you’re not…”

“I’m not what?”

“You’re not Dean.”

He snorts, turning fully in his seat. Languidly stretching, boots propped across a nearby, unoccupied chair. “Thought it’d be obvious,” Sam starts, lips pursing, “I am the more attractive brother. For a second I thought you broke and finally admitted your attraction to me, because then I’d have to awkwardly turn you down and hope it wouldn’t ruin yours and Dean's relationship.”

“I…” There’s a lot he said that Cas needs time digesting. He still hasn’t gotten past the hair. Nor Sam’s lazy smirk that reminded him of someone else. Before he can think more on this, he hears another person approaching. Deep timbre achingly familiar. “Dean? We’re in here – Dean!”

Dean steps into view, hair pulled tight in a bun. Smiling, like nothing was out of the ordinary. “Cas!” he says, striding forward with a glass of green liquid in hand, “I thought I heard you. Didn’t think you’d be back this soon, though.” He kisses him, free arm looping around Cas’s shoulder.

Cas hugs reflexively, nose scrunching in distaste. “You reek,” he says. And, as his hand trails across the damp planes of his shirt, Cas adds, “sweaty, too.”

Chuckling, Dean pulls away. “Yeah, I hadn’t showered yet. I was on my way, too, honest. Don’t like stewing in my yoga sweat for long.” He gestures at his outfit, the loose cotton t-shirt and shorts sticking at odd angles, toes flexing on the hardwood floors. “But I had to make sure someone was doing their research like he promised.” The pointed glare aimed at Sam strikes, the younger boy switching tabs with a rueful pout.

He hadn’t left them for more than three days. How did this happen? “Are you feeling all right?”

“Yeah, never better actually,” Dean says, “why do you ask?”

There were many reasons. Given how ordinary the brothers treated this situation, Cas opted for a simple lie. “It’s just… yoga?”

“I know,” his hunter sighs, leaning on map table. Tapping on his glass. “I normally do it every other day, but it was raining all morning and I didn’t feel like running in it. But I’m keeping with my juice schedule!”

“Your… juice schedule?”

Sam snickers, nudging Dean’s thigh with his elbow. “You know, Cas, it’s the thing Dean drinks that tastes like raw sewage and not… y’know, good?”

Dean needles him back, flicking his temple. “It is good. Good for you.”

“Chunky vegetable water isn’t good for me. Burgers are,” Sam stands, collecting his things. He offers a tiny salute in Cas’s direction before swaggering through the exit. “Which I’m gonna go ahead and make. Hopefully regain some of my appetite along the way. So long, bitches!”

Glaring at his retreated form, Dean sips at his juice. “Jerk.” Then, Dean downs the entire contents while Cas watched helplessly.

His mind ran through a number of possible scenarios. Dean and Sam were being possessed. Replaced by versions of themselves from a different universe. Under a spell. Touched a cursed object. Were playing an elaborately staged prank on him. The list grew infinitely. Stopping only when Dean snaps his fingers, drawing Cas out of his mind. “Hey,” he says, running a hand down his arm, “you okay?”

“Fine,” he answers, throat scratchy. He stumbles backwards, giggling. “I… it was a long trip. Guess I’m pretty – I’m tired.”

“Tired, huh?” Dean asks, grinning. Reading far past the shallow waters of his excuse. “Yeah, I guess I’m pretty beat, too. My body was such a tight knot, like I haven’t stretched in ages.” Or ever, Cas mentally tacks on. “If I wasn’t so filthy I’d collapse onto our bed and…” Dean demonstrates, shimmying onto the table and dropping. Legs helplessly kicking as they dangle over the edge. “Whoops,” he says, “give me a hand?”

Cas inches close enough he can grab Dean and lift. As he does, the hairtie holding the other man’s hair breaks and a waterfall of hair cascades across his shoulders. He gapes at the magnificence, unsure if Sam’s hair ever looked like that. Or was that long when he left.

“Dammit,” Dean growls, picking up the former accessory. Frowns at the broken circle, now a sad line. “I’m running out of these… oh well.” He tosses it blindly, tugging Cas into the space between his legs in the same breath. “Cas,” he says, “I thought you said you were tired?”

Cas winces, pants incredibly tight since the threadbare exercise shorts allow Cas to feel everything. “I did.”

“I was tired,” Dean sings, looping fingers around Cas’s wrist. Dragging the hand up, guiding it into his hair. “But if you want, I’m game for whatever. Better before I’ve showered than after, right?”

“Dean, I…” His protests still, Dean’s hand covering his and squeezing. Cas’s fingers threading through soft locks, a newer sensation that makes fireworks explode behind his eyes. He claws at Dean’s hair again, tighter. Those same bursts happen within Dean’s green gaze. “You like this?”

“Of course I like it, Cas. I love it.”

“No, no… I mean this.” He pulls Dean’s hair harder, a gasped moan stolen from his lips, “Having your hair pulled.”

Dean furrows his brow, playfulness waning. “Well, yeah. But it’s not like I’m the only one who gets off on it.”

“Hmm?”

“Cas?” Dean asks, pushing his arm away. Frowning, “Are you okay?”

In that instant, Cas makes a decision. Maybe not the best, but he sees it through. He places both hands on Dean’s scalp and grabs his hair, one after the other, in quick succession. The pupils of Dean’s eyes widen, and his adam’s apple throbs. Better yet, Cas’s leaking dick spasms. He did enjoy this. “Sorry,” Cas smiles, guiding Dean’s face towards his. Their lips hovering nearby, barely touching. “This hunt, it got me all turned around. But I can tell you about it after, okay?”

“Okay,” Dean kisses him, ankles crossed above his ass. “Less talk about work, more this.”

“Gladly.”

🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹

The next day, Cas sits with the Winchesters at the table as he explained the strange circumstances. “Apparently, when touching the finger trap,” he tells them, “it caused your personalities to switch… among other things.”

Sam sighs, brushing his bangs from his face. Hairstyle returning, the ends curling below Sam’s chin. “Thanks for figuring that out, Cas. Being Dean for two days was more than I’ve ever wanted to be.”

“I don’t think it was enough,” Dean snorts into his coffee. “Maybe if it was a week, my stunning personality would’ve rubbed off on you. Maybe then you'd be less of a wet blanket all the time.”

“Really, Dean? You wanted to drink those disgusting juices for a week?” At the mention, Dean’s stomach gurgles loudly. Dean shudders from the memory of happily inhaling those tinctures, cheeks tinted green. “That’s what I thought.”

“Whatever.” Dean stands, circling the table. Placing a sweet kiss atop Cas’s head. “Just glad you put everything back to normal.” He pulls on the hair tie at his wrist, quickly gathering wavy, chestnut locks and folding them into a messy bun. “I’m making omelets. Any requests – that aren’t vegetables, Sammy.”

“You're supposed to put vegetables in omelets!”

“Meats and cheeses only!”

Cas sighs, sipping at his own coffee while they bickered. Glad that both brothers were themselves again. At least, almost.

When researching the cause of Sam and Dean’s strange behavior, and after finding the cursed object responsible for it, Cas happened across a spell that could undo the finger trap’s effect. Returning what had been swapped. As he read through the ingredients, he kept flashing back on the wondrous night Dean and he shared together. The feel of his fingers through that long hair. Cas would miss it when Dean’s old hairstyle returned.

But, hidden within the margins, Cas found a scrawled note from Men of Letters past. Deciphering that faded chicken scratch, the writer added extra instructions. Variations of this spell that could change its effects. In the example given, a beauty mark stolen could be duplicated and shared between the donor and recipient. Cas wondered if it would apply elsewhere.

“Cas?” Dean calls, bundle of hair bouncing while he cooked. Dean swaying along with an imaginary song. “Cas, what do you want in your omelet?”

He stood, drifting closer. Wraps his arms around Dean’s waist and burying his nose in his hair. “I’ll have what you’ll have.”

“Two kitchen sinks then,” Dean grins, nipping at Cas’s lips. He shoots a stale glare over Cas’s shoulder, “and one pussy vegetarian.”

“Dean,” Cas nuzzles his cheek, laughing, “watch it. If you're not careful, some of your hair might fall in.”

Sighing, Dean focuses on his cooking. Extra cautious with how his bun flopped around. “You know,” he whispers, “sometimes I think I might be better off with a buzzcut...”

“Really?” Cas digs his fingers into Dean’s hairline, scraping it. Catching loose strands in his efforts. “You think so?”

Chuckling, Dean melts into Cas’s embrace. “Nah… short hair’s lame, and so not me.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

(Day 15 - Impala Alternate Paint Job)

#supernatural #spn #cracktober #profoundnet #destiel #deancas #dean winchester #long hair dean winchester #sam winchester #short hair sam winchester #castiel #destiel fanfic #deancas fanfic

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