#literally why am i still down here. I should be slapping this into the wip. because. actually. I think i can do that. fuck

[solsticelosthermind]

I have twenty fucking reference tabs open just for severed space, bitten time

How the fuck do I condense all this shit down to like, a handful of intuitive ‘oh shit that’s what’s happening’ sentences

[shinakazami1]

New Tales Ep 4 live review!!

- Before the intro sequence, I thought Anu didn't know Octavio friends? I don't know the timeframe in all this so it does feel a tad bit weird though, in this run I had killed Juniper so...

- Dear God Octavio not noticing it's Fran's Frogurt is so stupid 😭😭 literally no words. Till this exact moment, I could excuse a lot of the writing... Please.... He's not this dumb, right,,,, ouu,,

- "SAY UNCLE" "You're my sister and I'm your uncle" - I want to know the story behind this sm

- Fergus looking saved it with L0U13 free labour dance but.... Why did we even have the the mental worry, and then the stupid hitting Fergus butt,,, I know the games have this humour but this whole bit felt like not so well timed break

- This game cannot get where it is standing with the killing hmmmm, like no character in this run had a constant (though idk why L0u13, after his crisis, gets once again pro killing,, gonna try replaying better version)

- BROCK BACK AND HE JUST STRAIGTH UP SHOT ANU-PLEASE OFAIHFAS

- GUYS U HAVE THE GUN THAT HEALS 😭😭😭I know they wanted to make this joke but PLEASE

- I feel weird about FRAN being seen as newbie in business. Sure, she only knew one but she kept it going for a long time so I feel she knows a tad bit more seeing it's a fam business for years. Esp after that Susan talk in ep 1. She feels she should know sth more

- Bivington showing up,,, I did expect him to but I wonder. I can tell this is some setup but I wonder what type (future me I say hi) (hi past shina - dear god not one i expected, diluted elon musk oifashfiaos)

- can I propose an overpriced drink AS SIGN OF SUCCESS IS KILLING ME

- it's weird that any didn't realise she could use the lab for their project cud they need

- Anu from being a Newby to being a big fan of Maya Vaultfinder mega ultra player,,, I'm so proud

- JABBER PUBLIC PEEING AND SOOTHING MUSIC PLEASE WHAT WAS THAT WHY DID I STUMP UPON

- Anu being seen as genius and then most the work is just,,,, the goggles,,, the slapping,,,,, it's all so silly

- I was curious what would be Fran's wish and the synth sad music in there reminded me of Hyer Light drifter soundtrack. But Rita,,,

- BADASS SUPERFAN IS MY FAV character beside Rhys and all Tediore soldiers wjjwh

- Foopy PLEASE??? FOOP POOP??? The only thing broken is you HELLO - WHY WE GOT BOTH PISS AND POOP THIS EPISODE

- I wonder if Fran's focus on sexuality is a trauma response, too,, future shina here, but based on what you can tell LOUI3 I think that is the case

- 😭 Why did so many people know and could reference before Fran's traumatic experience tho??? Like it puts her so down and others just know it

-VVIP IS MORE LIKE WIP WORK WORK WORK and i got Octavio to sniff the substance cus I imagine he would try it sjshhehe

- VVVIP,,, WHAT'S NEXT A VVVVIP CUS I HOPE TO SEE SOME WWIPS,,, Also I made Octavio dance

- BADASS BEING FIRED NOOO I hope I will see him in fifth episode :0

- Susan having a gun. You go girl boss actually

- HELLO UNPROTECTED DATA STDs??? dear GOD I EXPECTED THIS AND YET I AM STILL BAFFLED

- THE FACT THERE IS A TRANSLATOR FOR YALL TALK

- I get why people like Susan, I love the translator bit, the bitchy high atittude, she gets it

- BRO THE FACT KATAGAWA SR IS NEXT TO RHYS IS LIKE 'haha remember how my son wanted to kill you well now another person does'

- "dangerous, yes?" girl it's a glowing rock

- I took around 20 screenshots of Rhys alone 😭😭😭I'm down BAD

- I wish got control of Octavio if he would say Susan is the boss... I feel it's a wasted potential

[infini-tree]

FANFIC: in post

Summary: A unexpected reunion takes place. Captain may be the one who starts it, but its Benjamin who ends it.

A/N: (alternate title - i don’t know what possessed me to write this post in fic form, but its here now and you all have to deal with it)

in post stuff isn’t going to be an ongoing multi-chapter thing, let alone in order, but just a place to put all the little drabbles I have. Unlike what the name suggests not all of them happen after the main story of the AU, though this one definitely does. The only way I can imagine this is after years after the main story has wrapped up.

though lbr i mostly because I got tired of trying to figure out titles for WIPs.

And just in case: slight content warning for verbal abuse from a parent. Its nothing explicit and is just a flashback, but it does take up the entire paragraph chunk its in and starts with “Suddenly he was back at his living room”.

                                                        ——–

Captain comes back to a gymnasium full of people and music, which wasn’t the weirdest part. Nor was the fact that the people were grown-ups. 

No, the weirdest part was that the gym wasn’t the one he had come to associate with Jerome Horwitz. Though, it was difficult to appreciate the novelty; between the sudden noise and people, he feels out of his depth.

His body moved automatically. Every accidental bump into someone was a shock, each trumpet blare was like a blow to his skull, and he dimly recalled thinking ah, that’s it when hearing the sound of snapping in the music. The clothes, while leagues comfier than his counterpart’s go-to, it was still there.

After what felt like ages of wading through a sea of people, he stumbled into a hallway just as unfamiliar as the gym. He really, really wanted to get out of this place quickly-- or at least, bring Benjamin back to deal with whatever this place is himself.

(Which bears the question: why did Benjamin come here? Parties aren’t exactly his Thing.)

The music faded as he moved away from the gymnasium, which helped a little.  Captain forced himself to look around. The walls looked the same as Jerome Horwitz was, but if the details were reshuffled. The lockers were in different places, the corridors weren’t exactly where he expected them to be and neither were the bulletin boards with posters on it-- wait, posters!

There were a lot of random stuff about clubs and other announcements, but one stood out. Its top edges curled in on itself, so he couldn’t read the top part, but the rest read: REUNION.

“Welcome back, class of--” Captain repeated, until--

Someone cleared their throat. He leapt up in the air with a short yell, nearly stumbling over his shoe-covered feet.

The newcomer winced, but nonetheless stayed silent. If the Waistband Warrior could describe her, then it would be... sharp. Sharp look, sharp flat top, sharp gaze. Not mean, though it could be. It reminded her of his sidekicks’ freshly sharpened pencils, ready and full of potential.

“...Are you lost?”

“Beg pardon?”

“You’ve been wandering the same hallway intersection and--” she pointed a thumb towards a distant hallway. “The gymnasium is over there.”

Captain blinked for a moment, letting her words sink in. “Oh-- ohhh. Oh no, I meant to get out of the gymnasium,” he said matter-of-factly. “Though yes, I am lost. Do you, ah, could you show me where the nearest washroom or... water fountain is around here, er--”

“Moxie.” It looked like she was expecting something, but when nothing did, her shoulders untensed.

“Captain!” he beamed.

The sharp look turned severe. “Is that a joke?”

He flinched, unsure of what set her off. “U-- uh, no?”

Sensing his nervous energy, the severe look shifted to apprehension. Her brow furrowed. Did she not know either?

“Ma’am?”

“...Do I know you from somewhere?” she asked, crossing her arms. “I’m no good with faces.”

Captain paled. Either she knew Benjamin-- which was not a conversation he was equipped for-- or she recognized him as Captain Underpants-- which was a whole other, potentially dangerous can of worms.

“Uh, nope!” he chirped. “About that washroom--”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” she said after a moment, pointing a thumb down a nearby corridor. “There should be one down the hall.”

"Alrighty, thank you! Have a lovely night, Moxie.” And with that, Captain rushed to the washroom to wash his face and get out of whatever that was.

And only when he looked in the mirror of the dingy washroom, to the clothes that made it hard to think did he slap a hand to his forehead. He really did just introduce himself as himself while dressed up as Benjamin. 

He was definitely going to read an essay’s worth of complaining after this whole thing.

                                                       ——–

“Hey, Captain.”

Benjamin gripped at his chest at the sudden voice. He just stepped outside and into the parking lot only to find Moxie Swaggerman, straight A student, the envy of literally half the school, now astronaut just...

“Uh, what are you doing out here?” his lip curls up wryly out of old habit-- he’ll address the whole Captain thing later-- what did that idiot do while he was out?! “Got tired of people asking for your autograph?”

She tilted her head, adjusting her aviator glasses. “Oh, so you do know me.” She almost seemed... disappointed by that. “Why, you want one?”

“Urgh, no.” He crinkled his nose. Opinions about her aside, that just sounded... weird to ask from someone he knew, even if said knowledge was periphery at best and non-existent at worst.

Moxie let out an amused huff. “Good, because I can only take so much people trying to kiss up to me.”

Despite himself, Benjamin couldn’t help but let out a laugh, short and loud and practically a cackle. The woman’s brow quirked up as she regarded him.

“What?” he snapped back.

“The lack of hair threw me off, since I remember you with that weird swoop back, but I finally figured it out--” And he couldn’t help but adjust his toupee as she swept back her hands on both sides as a pale imitation of how his hair was all those decades ago. “You were the one who competed against me for Prom Queen.”

Benjamin wanted to say something, but all that came out was half-noises. His entire body grew hot and his hands became clammy as she just... continued to stare. The worst part about all this was that, with the low light of outside, he couldn’t tell why. 

Suddenly he was back at his living room-- but not his, not anymore, he refused to consider that place his own-- staring down at the floor and clutching at the hems. Seeing his brother just peering in in his periphery vision as his mother continued her tirade, each word bullwhip-precise at hitting him in his core. But this was different; he was older and under no one’s thumb.

“A-- and what about it,” he managed to pry out of his throat.

Moxie’s posture shifted, and he could see her surprised expression now. If the circumstances were a bit different, then he would be reveling in the fact. Right now, though, he felt exposed, which was saying something considering who his counterpart was.

“Whoa-- hey, I didn’t mean it like that,” she clarified, and was that a hint of awkwardness? Remorse in her voice? “Honestly, it’s... nice to see you again.”

It was his turn to gawk. “...Really?”

“I mean, yeah. It’s uh-- like, its nice to see, ah... people like me still kicking.”

And it was then that Benjamin remembered the old rumors about Swaggerman-- about why she couldn’t get a nice guy to fall for her, and the girl from the rival school that clung by her side like a second shadow during summer vacation.

“I’ve always wondered for the longest time if you did that whole thing as a...” she paused, pursing her lips. “A joke, or something.”

“Oh,” he managed. “No, it wasn’t.”

“OK.” She nodded. “OK. Good to know.”

“Why, was that eating away at you?”

A passing car lit up her features in relief. When had her annoyingly cool façade been just that? It looked guarded now. A little more awkward. Funny how a few decades of separation can do.

Moxie shrugged. “Would have been nice to know back then.”

Benjamin wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he shrugged sympathetically and began to fiddle with the keys in his hand-- he had almost forgotten why he was out here in the first place.

She gaze followed the source of the glint. “Leaving early? Figure I should head out too.” She sighed. “Thanks.”

“...For what?”

“For making my last night before I get put to my paces a little more bearable.” She stretched her arms in front of her.

“Really, last night before you go to space and you choose to come here,” Benjamin deadpanned.

“First of all, no that’s not--” she shook her head. “Never mind. Basically, I wanted a normal night, and at least I got a bit of that. So, thanks, Captain.”

Benjamin had half a mind to correct her, but the moment had long passed and frankly he didn’t want to break the moment he was in now.

“Uh, yeah.” He waved her off awkwardly. “See you later.” 

She's going to space, idiot, not a weekend road trip, his own mind admonished.

Moxie only nodded in reply before she went off as well-- presumably to her own car.

[lady-grace-pens]

Wip Excerpt: HTKAG

In light of this wip hitting another 10k word goal recently (currently sitting pretty at a whopping 120k/150k 😅), another excerpt is due! This babe I wrote today, buut I actually loved it so much I knew I had to share it with y'all right away. That all being said, let's stop wasting time and get straight into it!

Our scene begins with Allister entering a restaurant to have dinner with Mikko, Fingal, and Perci, but Perci is late.

—

Upon telling the hostess Fingal’s name, she leads me away to the right half of the room. Off in a booth stowed away in the corner sit Mikko and Fingal jabbering away mid-conversation. Once they notice me, they stop and smile.

“Hey! There’s the man of the hour,” Mikko exclaims, throwing his hands in the air.

“Not late, am I?” I grin, taking a seat beside him.

“Nope. Right on time to get some drinks,” Mikko starts smouldering at our hostess.

“With what money?” Fingal retorts with a glare.

Mikko blinks, struggling to come up with a defense. It seems he mustn't have anticipated Fingal to interrupt his attempt at flirting…

“Wha - With our money, of course,” he laughs, trying his best to make a smooth recovery.

“Aye. Which is why we’re not using my money to buy alcohol while a minor is here.”

Mikko doesn’t reply. Then again I suppose he doesn't need to, his confusion is written all over his face.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about Perci. He’ll be here any minute.”

“Oh! Fuck, that’s right. Him. Well obviously he won’t be getting any. And come on! You know how fast I can down a beer Fin! It’ll just be a few. Just a few rounds! Don’t be an ass.”

“Watch yourself Mikko, it's not polite to use such language in the presence of a lady.” I chime in, giving the hostess a polite smile.

“Oh I’ll show you what’s not polite-” Mikko says before slapping my head.

I try to hit him back, but he catches my hand before I can. Before we know it, we’re caught in a ridiculous slapping fight, both laughing our asses off.

“Not in a restaurant, not in a restaurant!” I speak through gasps, trying to end things.

Mikko obliges, tossing his hands back in his lap.

“A waiter will be right with you,” the hostess makes a case to look at each one of us except for Mikko before finishing her sentence, “... gentleman.”

Much to my surprise, Mikko doesn’t seem to be affected by that backhanded insult. Instead he kicks his knees up against the table and rests his head back, totally listless.

“Mikko, I would’ve thought you’d be more offended by that.”

“Huh? Why would I be offended at something when it’s true?”

“I’ll say. You and Al couldn’t be any more opposite. If there’s anything larger than the truth, the fact that you’re not a gentleman is way beyond it.”

“Exactly. And Mikko, you are aware of the fact that she was just a hostess, right? It isn’t even her job to serve us drinks.”

“I... “ Mikko laughs before leaning over the table again. “Listen. You two just don’t get it, do you? No. You don’t. Allow me to be the one who graces your palettes here, eh? Let me tell you what I’m gonna do. Okay? I’m gonna give you a tip. A piece of advice that will change your lives forever. All for free! You don’t even have to pay me. All you gotta do is listen. Got it? You both ready?”

Fingal and I share a look. I can tell we’re thinking along a similar vein of confused intrigue. We should most likely stop Mikko here, as whatever will come out his mouth won’t be anything good. However, we’re both too stunned to stop him, so…

Mikko beckons us to lean closer to him. Fin and I oblige. We’re almost touching heads when at last our dear mentor speaks once again, in a hushed voice. “It’s not about what you say. It’s about how you say it.”

…

There are no words. For about a minute straight Fingal and I are just staring at each other wearing the same expression that exudes two questions. ‘What the fuck? You’ve heard that too, haven’t you?’

Soon after that’s established and our shock subsides, we burst back to life. Fingal starts us off with, “Dammit Mikko. What the fuck? Where did you learn that? Who taught you that?”

“Some guys from the bar! Why, what’s wrong with it?”

“Which guys from the bar?”

“I don’t see how it-”

“Mikko. Which guys from the bar taught you this?” Fingal insists, a flash of anger showing in his eyes.

Mikko seems to notice this, and complies straight away. “Leo, John, Peter and Paul!”

Fingal buries his head in his hands. This sparks my curiosity. I haven’t heard these names before, but Fin clearly has.

“I can’t say I’m familiar with them, who might they be?”

“Bar friends-” Mikko starts, only for Fingal to finish for him.

“Jokesters. Jerks. Cheapskates always looking for a laugh. Assholes. Can’t wait to give them a piece of my mind.”

Mikko shrinks away from Fin. His head is turned away from me, but I don’t need to see it in order to know how stunned he is. It’s expressed flawlessly through the abnormal quietness of his voice. “Fin? What’s up, why’d you-”

“Because those dicks have been filling your head with shit like this every damn time I turned my back, Mikko! Dammit, this - this is why you always get rejected! Universe, I just wish you would’ve checked with me first about things like this. Not some strangers you barely even know, yet idolize them anyway.

You wanna know how you get a girl Mikko? Huh? You be nice. You be nice to them, you talk with them, and you listen. Compliments and flirting, all that helps, of course, but not forever! And you sure as hell can’t build a relationship strictly off of it. Okay? Standards and expectations vary from girl to girl, but with each and every single one there are a few things that you just have to do. Be nice, have respect, help them just for the sake of helping them! Don’t expect anything in return. Overall just - just be a decent fucking human being. That is how you get a girl.”

Mikko sits there, staring at his brother. I can’t help but do the same. In every respect, Fingal is right. Of course he is. It’s just… rare that we see him so worked up. I can hardly believe my eyes. I can hardly believe my ears, I… I can’t imagine how Mikko must be feeling.

Oh so gradually his head sinks down into his lap. He slumps over, and I swear I can see fractions of tears reflect the golden light radiating above us.

“Can’t believe I’m actually telling you this when you’re eighteen. Fucking eighteen,” Fingal scoffs, crossing his arms.

“I’m sorry-”

“Don’t be. I’m not mad at you. This is my own fault, I blame myself.”

“Aw, come on man! That’s even worse,” pouts Mikko.

Fingal then turns to me with an abruptness that makes me jump. “Al, what’s up? You’ve been quiet for a while. You can back me up on this, can’t you?��

“I…” I force a chuckle to try and lighten the air some. “I don’t think that I’m currently in a position to give advice like this, to be honest with you.”

Fingal leans his elbows on the table, holding his head with one hand. “Why? Something happen with Maddie?”

“Oh, did it ever,” I shake my head.

—

Aand that's all you guys get for spoiler reasons! Lmao

(also because that's all I've written today but shhhh don't tell anyone)

Buut yeah. Legit I swear I didn't mean to go so hard on feminist Fingal 😂 I mean don't get me wrong here, he's absolutely right and I'm keeping it in. But still, the words just kept on coming and coming and we ended up with this

so

y'know

yeah

writing is super fun sometimes

Plus tbh, writing the part where Mikko is stroking his ego and whispers his ‘top secret trick to get women’, I was literally laughing out loud 😂 like he's just so wrong, and I love how horribly Mikko fails in life. It's just super funny to me, I enjoy it a lot.

Fingal, however, clearly does not enjoy it, lmao. Legit I had no clue he could be so protective until today! Especially over Mikko. I mean I always knew their dynamics, but today… it really hit home for me.

Go back and look at the line of dialogue Fingal says right after Mikko apologizes (a rare occurrence, actually).

It’s just one little piece of dialogue, barely a few sentences! Yet I feel like it hits you. You know? It reveals so much about his and Mikko’s vibes, their situation. A pair of brothers poor and orphaned by their birth parents and raised by their grandmother, who is only growing older and weaker each year. Fingal, the eldest, having to take responsibility often. He feels pressured to raise his little bro, and feels like he's failed when Mikko turns out to be the way he is. Ya know? It's just one little thing of dialogue but I feel like it makes you feel the pressure Fin has to bear in a situation like theirs. Even if it’s only for a moment.

And Mikko! While he does incite a lot of the comic relief in HTKAG, I wouldn’t call him a strict comic relief character because that's never what I had in mind while writing him. He and Fin actually play a vital role in the plot of the story! Much more than what I can currently reveal to y'all.

Buut anyways, I'll stop rambling now. I really hope you guys enjoyed this little excerpt just as much as I adored writing it :)

—

taglist (let me know if you want to be added or removed!): @vampire-with-a-pen @writingonesdreams @justyouraveragewriter @kazenokaori @dahladahlabills

[writingforevren]

WIP Intro Coming Soon

Excerpt - The boy who fell in

POV - Eros Rosario

Words - 1761

I was twelve or thirteen when it happened; On that day I had gone closer to land. I had always enjoyed watching humans my age hang out together and have fun, though I was too nervous to talk or interact with them- which could be due to the fact I was worried they might judge me for my rather… Unusual appearance. So I just watched them and wished... and watched... and that night I was just minding my own business, floating under the water as you do, when I heard a splash. Somebody was sinking and they weren't trying to stop themselves. I swam quickly and grabbed them, bringing them to the surface. I was worried; What if he’d drowned? I mean he had sunk, so what if something had happened to him or somebody wanted to kill him or something? I had no clue but all I knew is that I wanted to help.

At first he didn't breathe. I couldn’t help but think, Oh crap did he die? Humans needed to breathe right? He was motionless. I leaned forward and gently slapped his cheek. "Are you alright?" I asked softly and watched as his eyes fluttered open and his gaze settled upon me.

"Wh- who are you?" He jumped back away from me as he caught sight of my tail. "What are you? and what're doing to me?" he asked again and I could sense fear in his voice.

"Hey it’s okay! I’m just here to help, okay? I thought you were gonna drown so-” I tried to explain that I was there to help- that I wasn’t trying to hurt him, but… he didn’t get it.

"G-get off of me you're a monster!" he exclaimed and pushed his hands against my chest, sending this feeling of pulsing pain, causing me to fall backward on the sand. My chest throbbed and it was so painfully hard to breathe, I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on steadying my breathing. "What did I just do? What did you do to me?!" He cried, his voice was very shaky and I could tell he truly had no idea what was going on.

"P-please I was just trying to help..." I stammered through the painful pulsing that ran through my body.

"I- but can't you see I wanted to sink... why'd you- why would- why would anyone save me?" As I opened my eyes, there were thick tears rolling down the boy's cheek. I felt bad…  It was obvious he was hurt and fragile so I couldn't blame him for lashing out at me but... a monster? It still hurt.

I took a deep breath and laid back on the sand as the pain subsided. "Nobody deserves to die... we are all a part of this planet and we all have our purpose, now I dunno what yours is, but I promise you whatever is going on in your life is nothing compared to the amazing things that will come in the future." I tried to cheer him up, despite the fact that’s not really something I’d had to do before. Usually I told myself those things when I felt down, I had never actually said anything like that to someone else before.

"I- what's your purpose?" He had asked.

I felt- Well I didn’t know the answer and that’s something I had been trying to figure out. But I couldn’t exactly say ‘i don’t know’ I highly doubt that would’ve worked "mm perhaps it's to help save the world..." "Or maybe it's to save an innocent life that was far before their expiration date." I gave him a warm smile.

"Are you an angel? Are you sure I'm not dead? Is this a test of some sort?" he started asking all these questions that I found himself utterly confused as to where to start.

"Uh-” I paused for a moment. “No, Yes, and No, I'm not an angel, I'm actually a siren.” I replied, I wasn’t exactly thinking, I didn’t understand that he would judge me for being a siren, I didn’t know all the false rumours that humans had spread about us, Which makes me wonder what other false information humans are taught.

"I- A siren? Holy crap a siren? PLEASE DON’T EAT ME!” He yelled and put his hands up in front of him.

"Why would I eat you? I literally just saved your life..." Obviously he wasn’t seeing the logic here, If I wanted to eat him I would’ve just waited for him to drown and then ate him. It would be so much easier than what I had done.

"Because sirens lure humans to eat them?" He answered hesitantly, looking as if he was ready to run away at any moment.

I shook my head. "No... I eat fish also fish eggs are nice they have this sort of popping feeling in your mouth and they have a really strong-”

"So you don't eat humans?" he interrupted, and seemed genuinely confused.

I shook my head again "No I dunno who would wanna eat a human- I think I accidentally bit someone one time and they didn't taste very good."

"Oh..." He looked down.

"Why do you sound disappointed? did you want me to eat you?" 

"Uh- n-no I just uhhmmmm I dunno I wasn't disappointed-" he stammered.

"Why're your cheeks red?" I poked his cheek. Once again I was naive and had no idea what a blush was considering I had never met a human or someone with pale skin; All the sirens I knew had darker skin and were at least tanned.

"This is a really weird situation- I don't know what to say… s-o I'm not dead?" He seemed to have calmed down at least a little bit at this point.

"Nope- you seem alive to me... Also why does this cloth take so long to dry and why do humans always wear them?" I leaned over and started to peel the wet shirt off of his skin.

"D-D'you think you could not do that?" He stammered and pulled his shirt back down.

"Hmm…” I ignored him and leaned closer to his face "you're a nice one~”

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" He shrank back onto his hands behind him.

I leaned forward and cupped his face, it was so soft. I briefly pressed my lips against his which were soft and warm. "I mean you're pretty and your skin is soft."

"I- uh- thanks" The boy flushed bright red and averted his eyes.

"Mhm... Wow, legs feel different than they look." I ran my hands along one of his legs "What's this hard part?" I bonked his knee.

The boy quickly retracted his leg "Ow shit that was my knee and that hurt-"

"Oh- sorry-"

"Uhm do you mind me asking what sirens actually do with humans if they don't eat them?..."

"Mm well it’s a bit different, A lot of sirens are just lonely and lure sailors to keep them company for the night. Most of the time the Sirens have no idea where they came from so they just dump them on a random plot of land which is usually pretty far from where they should've been, so a lot of the sailors are reported to have gone missing after going to these parts of the water where there are sirens. Probably some random person came up with the idea that we eat them 'cause he saw one of us and that we have sharp teeth y'know but like worse sirens do to humans is like sometimes we can leave bites- I mean I never have but sometimes there are teeth marks and pretty dark bruises.” I explained.

"Oh-" 

"Mhm..." I smiled 

"Is this a dream?..." He asked, as he looked around the beach.

"Uhm no I don't think so- why?"

"I just tried to drown myself, so technically I could be in a coma- Sirens are mythology- and also you are incredibly attractive and I feel like only my dreams could make you."

"Am I not real enough for you?" I pouted and leaned on his chest

"Uhm- I'm just really confused mate..."

"Mate? but wait, you're a human..."

"I- what?"

"Oh wait- do humans not have mates? Mm ah yeah right I should probably explain that too. Sirens generally have to choose a siren mate before they're eighteen so that we don't go extinct considering we actually don't find each other that attractive compared to humans.”

"I eh... Okay-”

"Mmm do you have a mate?"

"I- ehm no I don't- I mean I've never even- I’ve never even kissed anyone before..." 

"Never? why not? I kiss pretty much everyone I like-"

"Oh eheh- just different for humans I guess..." He laughed awkwardly and seemed to be looking anyway other than myself

"Can humans not sense when someone is mutually attracted to them?"

"No- Sirens can?"

"Mhm I mean I could tell at first you didn't like me but then you realized what was happening and you are now very attracted to me." he smiles. "That's why I knew if I kissed you, you wouldn't reject me."

"Oh-"

"Mhm..."

"So you're on land- how does that work?..." He changed the subject.

"Well I can breathe both air and water so going on land isn't much of a problem however the sunlight does burn our scales so we can't really go to the surface in the daylight also we can't really move around that much without legs" I swished my tail around in emphasis.

"Right but uhm do you need moisture to survive?"

"Mhm we have to be in water uhm I think it was at least 6 hours a day otherwise we'll start to dry out."

"okay cool- ehm..."

"Do you have water at your house?"

"Uhh I mean yeah?"

"Can I come with you?"

"As much as I'd love to say yes- no-"

"... So you have magic right- do you think you could figure out the spell to give me legs? Because I'm bored with the ocean. it's so big and all I do is swim around and eat fish."

"I have magic?"

"Well obviously you just shocked me when you got scared."

The boy was so confused, the look on his face said it all.

"The sun's gonna start coming up soon so I'll see you tomorrow night meet me here 'kay?" I smiled at him.

"Uhm alright I guess-"

"Mhm" I cupped his face and pecked his cheek before turning and swimming away back into the sea.

Thanks for reading!

This is something I wrote about a month ago and just got around to editing, it’s more to introduce you to the characters and the way that sirens work in this world. I probably won’t include all of it in the final story but I wanted to give you a little taste of the story idea.

Taglists

General Writing - @weirdfishy @wannabeauthorzofija @annlillyjose @iespeciallyme @radiomacbeth @opes-magnas (ask to be +/-)

A Song From The Deep - (ask to be added)

[thefactsofthematter]

may we have a Softe javid fic to heal us

so i have no idea when this ask was actually sent (probably months ago) but i did START this fic when i got it! then i forgot about the wip and only found it again the other day. so here it finally is!!!

javid; 3.2k; an au in which davey is a rich socialite in the 1850s and it’s heavily inspired by laurie and jo’s meet-cute in little women; not proofread in the slightest

-

Brooklyn, NY, 1856.

David Jacobs has never been one for these pretentious, formal parties.

Hours of polite smiling, shaking hands with stuffy old people, and gently declining young ladies' requests to dance with him, all while dressed up in a stiff tuxedo— it's hardly a way to spend an evening.

And yet here he is, standing in the corner and nursing a glass of champagne, because Sarah keeps getting them invited to these things and he's not about to let her go off to a party alone. The least he can do is make a good name for his parents, as their polite young socialite son who makes connections with family friends and doesn't get himself into trouble.

"David, darling!"

Here comes Katherine, one of David's best friends and the daughter of the family hosting. She's twirling over to him, clearly feeling just as bubbly as the champagne she's been drinking.

"Hello Miss Pulitzer," he replies, stifling a laugh as he lunges forward to catch her from tripping over her own skirts. "It seems you're having quite the night."

She hardly makes an effort to right herself, seeming content to rest on his arm for a moment.

"Oh, am I ever," she sighs. "I do love when we get to host a big party— it's a bit fun being the centre of attention. And hey, don't you dare Miss Pulitzer me. I can't stand it."

David chuckles as he helps her regain her balance. She lets go of his arm and smoothes out her skirts before tossing her hair and looking every bit ready to continue dancing.

"I know, I know. I'm only being polite," he laughs, though she slaps him playfully on the arm for it. "You look lovely tonight, by the way. Though I surely hope you're not about to ask me to dance, since you know what the answer will be."

She rolls her eyes and sighs dramatically.

"Someday, Jacobs. I'll get you on that dance floor eventually— but no, that's not why I've come to find you. I was hoping I could call in a favour."

David quirks an eyebrow as he sips his drink. Why Katherine might need a favour from him in a house full of servants that literally work to do whatever she needs, he's not sure.

"I suppose," he replies. "But Sarah had me do her a favour by curling her hair tonight, and now I've got dreadful little burns on my fingers, so I'm not in the most generous mood."

"Sarah looks wonderful tonight, so perhaps your burns were worth it," sighs Katherine, hardly making an effort to hide how lovesick she is. She takes his hand to inspect it, and then rolls her eyes. "That's barely anything, you big baby! Surely no one's ever taught you that beauty and pain go hand in hand."

"My shoes are teaching me that right now," he whines. "They're my favourite ones, but they pinch my toes something awful. Anyways... what favour do you need?"

Katherine lights up like she's just remembering she'd asked for a favour in the first place.

"Oh, right! Let's walk and talk for a moment, if I can't convince you to dance." She takes David's elbow and they start to wander through the crowd. They're both well aware of the stares they get: everyone is expecting them to court and eventually marry, and they both know they'll probably go along with it someday. "So... I invited a friend of mine tonight— someone I met at the newspaper— but he doesn't really know anyone else here. I thought since you normally keep to yourself, you could show him around! I really think you two could be great friends."

David almost doesn't catch the way she winks, following those last few words, making her implication clear. He hopes no one catches the way he instantly flushes bright red.

"That's not right, Kath," he hisses, under his breath. "You brought me a date? Is he..." He trails off and giggles a little before whispering in her ear. "Is he quite handsome?"

Katherine laughs out loud and bounces giddily on her toes. For someone who's likely to be his future wife, she's awfully excited at the idea of setting him up for romance.

"Oh, isn't he! You're going to love him." She drops her voice to a whisper. "And before you ask... I'm rather sure where his affections lie— I think you two will get along quite well."

David, rather flustered now, starts to fuss with his hair and tie without even realizing it— until Katherine reaches up and fixes them for him.

"You look dashing," she giggles. "He was nervous to come in here and not know what to do with himself, so he's waiting in the library for now. Somewhere nice and quiet for you two to... get acquainted."

David can feel the heat of his blush on his cheeks and wills desperately for it to go away as Katherine drags him out of the ballroom and down the hall. He skids to a halt as they approach the library, tugging on her arm.

"I'm not ready," he whispers. "I can't do this. You can't just surprise me with a date! Oh, what if he thinks I'm annoying, or I talk too much, or—"

Katherine cuts him off with a giggle and a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"You've got nothing to be worried about, my dear." She straightens his jacket and smiles fondly. "Jack is a sweetheart, and you'll be as charming as ever. Now come on, it's impolite to keep company waiting."

With that, she walks gracefully through the library doors, leaving David scrambling to catch up.

"I'm back!" she sing-songs as she enters. She grins and grabs David's arm, dragging him into view. "I found you a friend!"

His stomach does a backflip as soon as he lays eyes on Jack. He's gorgeous. He's the kind of effortlessly beautiful that Davey has always wished he could be, where it looks like he hardly pays any mind to his appearance but it all just magically works out in his favour. His hair is tousled just the right way and his cheeks are a little rosy under these dim library lights— it's all coming together in order to make David swoon.

"Jack, David," continues Kath, gesturing between them. "David, Jack. Get yourselves acquainted and then come back and join the party! Cheers, boys!"

And then she's off, subtly winking at David as she hurries out of the room.

"Well, hi there," says Jack, laughing a little at Kath's abrupt exit. He extends a hand to shake. "Jack Kelly, pleased to meet you."

David hopes the flush on his cheeks isn't obvious as he shakes Jack's hand and smiles.

"David Jacobs." They release the handshake and it almost seems like they might fall into awkward silence, but David practically goes to parties for a living— he can command some small-talk when he has to. "So... you're a friend of Katherine's from work? I think it's just wonderful that she's gotten so far with her writing."

This manages to get the ball rolling.

"Isn't it?" replies Jack with a grin. "I draw the pictures for lots of her pieces and boy can she write. She's a real... oh what was that word she said... a wordsmith! That's it!"

David can't help but laugh. There's something about Jack that intrigues him, but he can't quite put his finger on what. He seems different from most of the snooty socialite people he's used to hanging around with— even just the way he talks, he seems more real.

"So Katherine told me you might need a little introduction to this whole..." he trails off and waves a hand absentmindedly as he tries to find the right word, "party scene. You might be best to turn around and head back home, if I'm being honest— I find the whole thing a little tedious."

Jack cocks an eyebrow. Upon a closer look, he seems a little uncomfortable in his suit, like he's not sure how to carry himself. It's like he's scared he'll slip up and make a wrong move, or something.

"Isn't it just wine, fancy food, and dancing? Sounds like it can't be all that bad," he chuckles, and then he gently takes David's hands in his own. Jack's hands are calloused and a little stained— likely ink, since he'd mentioned he draws for a living— and they make an almost poetic contrast to David's pale ones. "How 'bout you give me a dancing lesson right now?"

David's heart nearly beats right out of his chest. Oh god. This is a lot to handle. That was incredibly forward, and he sure hopes it means what he thinks it means. Are they flirting right now?

"I— I'm not much of a dancer," he laughs, sheepishly. "I mostly just stand around and watch. I tend to be a bit of a wallflower when it comes to crowds."

Jack starts to sway absentmindedly while still holding David's hands. They can still hear the music from the ballroom, and he seems to have the musicality to at least move along with the notes.

"Surely the girls are all over you," he chuckles. "You just break their hearts and won't even give 'em a dance?"

David blushes even harder, if that's possible. He remembers what Kath had said earlier— that she was quite sure Jack felt similarly about his attraction— so he laughs softly and decides to test the waters.

"I'm not all that interested in ladies," he says, and it takes a fair bit of courage to force those words out. Sarah and Katherine are the only ones who know about his... disinterest, simply because they're in the same boat. It's not something that feels like it should be talked about. This statement was at least general enough that he could brush it off, say it's because he's too focused on his studies.

There's a moment of knowing eye contact between them, during which David lets out a sigh of relief. They both know why Katherine introduced them. They're still holding hands, standing awfully close together, and David's scared Jack might be able to hear his heart pounding.

"Me neither," whispers Jack, after a long second of silence. He's not subtle with the way his gaze flicks to David's lips and then back up. He suddenly seems to notice how forward he's being, and he practically jumps backwards, before brushing his hands on his pants and looking up with a sheepish smile. "So, what if we don't even go into the ball? If neither one of us wants to dance with the girls, we can just dance in here, by ourselves!"

David's not sure he's ever wanted anything more. That sounds incredible. He freezes up in crowds, but if it's just the two of them, he might actually be able to remember some of the dances that he's watched so many times before.

"I'd like that," says David, his voice remarkably soft and his heart fluttering. "May I have this dance, Mr. Kelly?"

"I'd be honoured, Mr. Jacobs. You're gonna have to help me out though, I've got two left feet."

Slowly, hesitantly, they waltz their way around the library, constantly giggling as they trip over their own feet. Neither one of them was lying about not knowing how to dance— they're a mess— but it's delightful just moving along together with no one around to see.

Eventually, they start to make up their own moves, flailing and twirling their bodies however they want to, and David has never had so much fun. They jump and bounce around to the upbeat songs, laughing all the while like a couple of rowdy children. It's wonderful.

After several songs of dancing, they find themselves flopping onto the little couch to give their feet a rest. They're both still laughing as they try to catch their breath— Jack loosens his tie and unbuttons his jacket, which is certainly improper but also incredibly attractive.

"Thanks for that, Davey," sighs Jack, and David's heart practically leaps into his throat at the nickname. "Much better than dancing with any girls, in my opinion."

Davey laughs and drops his gaze to the floor.

"I can't help but agree," he says, still a little on-edge. "You make wonderful company."

There's a moment of quiet, filled only by the crackle of the fireplace. Davey has an overwhelming urge to take Jack's hand in his own, but he's far too nervous.

"Tell me something about yourself," Jack finally says, turning to Davey with a smile. "I'd like to get to know you better. What do you do for fun?"

Davey almost laughs. He's not sure of the last time he did anything that was purely for his own enjoyment. His life is about pleasing other people— his family, his tutors, and all the other wealthy folk that they try so hard to impress.

"Well, I like to read," he eventually settles on. He folds his hands nervously in his lap. "When I was living in France with my uncle last year, he had this grand library. I would sometimes sneak in there and read the fantasy novels— as silly as that is. It's awfully embarrassing, but I rather enjoyed it."

"Now that's not embarrassing," says Jack, still smiling, charming Davey even further with every moment that passes. "Who doesn't love a good story? And, wow— living in France? Do you speak the language, then?"

Davey hates how hard he's blushing right now. He's never had someone be so genuinely interested in what he has to say— it's a new and almost alarming experience.

His time in France was a very lonely experience: stuck in his elderly uncle's massive home, far away from his dear brother and sister, all because his parents had decided he needed to learn to be more cultured. All he really learned was how to keep himself entertained during long days with nothing to do— but at least it's something interesting to talk about now, he supposes.

"Bien oui," he responds, revelling in the way Jack's eyes light up in excitement. "C'est ma langue préférée. Tu sais... y'en a des gens qui disent que c'est la langue d'amour. J'avais mes doutes, mais peut-être je les crois, maintenant."

Jack clearly doesn't understand a word of it, but he seems thoroughly impressed.

"Wow..." he says, almost as if he's star-struck. "That's incredible."

Davey laughs softly, a little embarrassed at being the center of attention.

"Enough about me," he chuckles, desperate to get out of the spotlight. "You said you're an artist— is it something you've always been interested in?"

Jack looks a little caught off-guard to suddenly become the topic of conversation, but he recovers quickly.

"Oh, for sure. I started drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil." He gestures with his hands as he talks, which is entirely endearing. "I just do little cartoons in the paper, as far as right now, and I paint sets for a theatre in the Bowery when I have time, but I'd love to sell a painting of my own someday."

"I'd love to buy one," says Davey, finally mustering up the courage to place a hand on top of Jack's. "I'm sure they're beautiful."

It's Jack's turn to blush, which is oddly satisfying for Davey. They're holding hands on the little couch in this dimly lit library— Davey feels like one of the characters from the novels he's read, as this whole situation seems too good to be true.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Jack asks, after a moment. He's got a mischievous grin on his face, but he looks a little nervous as well. "You can't tell anyone else."

Davey smiles right back.

"Of course you can," he says, brushing his thumb gently on the back of Jack's hand. "I've been told I'm a wonderful listener— at least my sister thinks so."

Jack laughs softly and looks down at his lap. It almost seems as if he's trying to build up the courage to tell his secret.

"Okay..." he sighs, and then he continues in a whisper. "I'm not supposed to be here."

Davey can't help but frown in confusion.

"What on earth do you mean? Katherine invited you, and she's the hostess! Surely that means she wanted you to come."

Jack laughs nervously again. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

"No, I mean... I've never been to a fancy party like this, no less in a house this nice. This ain't even my suit— I'm borrowing from Kath's brother. I've never owned no suit this dapper. I'm, uh... not like the rest of you, if that makes sense."

Oh. That's where it clicks for Davey. It suddenly makes sense why Jack talks a little differently, and why he'd been so impressed by Davey's mention of a trip to France— not everyone is born into the kind of wealth that makes that possible. That's why he'd waited in the library rather than come into the party; he probably wouldn't know what to do with himself.

It's not like Davey only hangs out with people of his own social status, but he has to admit that he doesn't know many people like Jack. Most of his friends— the very few that he has— are from boarding school, or these ridiculously uptight social events, although he's always felt like he doesn't quite fit in with them. He's always wished to be more... normal.

"Ah, well that's quite alright," Davey replies, since he's truly not sure what kind of response Jack was expecting. "It's not all it's cracked up to be, if I'm being honest. Forgive my language, but I do tire of hanging around with all these blue-bloods."

If only his father could hear him use a silly word like that. It's a funny term he'd learned to refer to wealthy people, and he'd probably get a smack around the back of the head for saying it in front of his family. Jack, however, just laughs.

"You're awful funny, Jacobs," he says. "And nicer than most rich folks, too. I can see why Kath wanted to introduce us."

Once again, Davey blushes. He curses his own pale complexion, because even in the low lighting, Jack has clearly noticed.

"She's quite the matchmaker," he replies with a chuckle. "Two of our friends are married now, thanks to her."

Jack leans in a little closer, and Davey can feel his heartbeat in his throat.

"Is that so?" he asks. "She must know what she's doing, then."

He's looking at Davey's lips again, and they go quiet for a moment. This doesn't even feel real— Davey almost has the urge to pinch himself and check if he's dreaming.

He takes a deep breath, as subtly as possible.

"I'd like it if you kissed me," he whispers, finally breaking the tension.

"I'd like that too," Jack replies, and then he oh-so carefully presses their lips together.

It's everything Davey could've hoped for.

They don't even notice Katherine and Sarah peeking in to check on them— nothing could possibly break this magical moment. It feels like they're exactly where the universe intended for them to be.

- 

@landlessbud @i-got-personality @alovelymoonbeam @penzyroamin @graceful-popcorn @auspicioustarantula @backgroundensemble @magimerlyn @myheartissetinmotion @papesdontsellthemselves @jack-kellys @big-potato-asshole @stop-the-presses @starrysence @wilde-guess @never-fear-brooklyns-here @fandom-fangirl07 @theresagoodchanceicouldfly @dying-poet @asphodelnerd @agressive-cinnamon-roll @daveysexual @soft-colors-and-such @move-your-elbow

[writing-mermaid]

Siren, part 1 : Do you think I'm stuck up 'cause I'm always picking fights?

Summary : Y/N is a mutant, a Siren, the last of her kind, with deadly dangerous powers and a hidden past. If most of the Avengers likes and get along with her, Steve doesn’t, and it’s getting worse when Y/N and Bucky become close. After all what can bring two broken souls together if it’s not a dark past.

Pairing : Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings : Language maybe

Word Count : 1 479

Square Filled : @star-spangled-bingo : Nick Fury

@buckybarnesbingo : Free square

Author’s note : I have this story on my WIPs for a little time. I hope that you’ll like it. This story is also my entry for @sourpatchkidsandacokecan ‘s Little Darlin’s Mystery AU Challenge, the prompt I chose is Siren AU. Don’t forget that feedback is appreciated and really important.

Song of the title : Can’t Pin Me Down - Marina and the Diamonds

Masterlist

Star Spangled Bingo masterlist

Bucky Barnes Bingo masterlist 

Siren masterlist

Buy me a ☕

“And this is the main entrance of the facility”, Fury states, showing the doors on the plan of the HYDRA base.

He presses a button and the plan disappears. He grabs two case files and make them slide on the table.

“Y/L/N, Barnes, the both of you are going”, he adds, sending the folders towards us, at each side of the desk.

I open mine, looking at the information printed on the white sheet and then, rise on my feet.

“This doesn’t look too complicated; I can do it by myself.”

“Same, I don’t need a partner, I can do it alone”, Bucky says, before standing up.

“The both of you sit down !”, the SHIELD’s director almost yells, “I’m the one giving the missions orders, the fact that the both of you are Avengers doesn’t change the fact that I’m the one in charge here.”

“Yes, sir”, I answer, sitting back on my chair, my blood boiling in my veins, Natasha watching me from aside, perfectly knowing that I rather work alone than with someone because of the abilities that made me a part of the Avengers.

Fury finishes his presentation while I am still angry at him for not letting me have a solo mission when I am totally able to do it by myself.

“You’re leaving in an hour”, he concludes.

Everyone around me pack their things and exit the room, Fury first. I am still sitting and move my chair from the right to the left and from the left to the right, sulking like a child. Yeah that’s really mature Y/N, congratulations…

“Y/N are you coming ?”, Nat asks, leaning on the door frame.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

I follow Natasha out of the meeting room, my file in one hand, the other balled into a fist. I have already proved myself during missions, and I take my suppressing medicine that inhibit my powers when I am around people. Yeah, I must take suppressors, or everyone around would probably jump on me. That is, maybe, the worst aspect of my powers, thing that appeared during my teenage years.

“So, you think that mission is going to be easy ?”, she questions, while we are heading to my bedroom where I need to take my pill of the day.

“It’s just a recognition mission, just have to look, enter and see what HYDRA is up to. Nothing too complicated. I don’t understand why Fury needs to pair me up with somebody else…”

“Maybe because it must be really dangerous.”

“Reconnaissance mission Nat, I’m not a child nor stupid !”

I enter the room, Natasha on my heels and open the drawer of my nightstand to take a little box with the medicine the Wakandan scientists made for me based on the ones Helen Cho gave me when I first arrived here a few years ago.

“I don’t understand why Fury wants Barnes to babysit me”, I put the pill inside my mouth and swallow it with the small bottle of water that stand on my night table. “Like I can’t do anything by myself”, I continue, angrily, closing the cap.

“You’re the newest here, one day he will let you do solo mission.”

“That’s not as if I am a newbie Nat, I have worked for the SHIELD for five years now, trained for a long time before. And with all that I endured before; I had the hopes that somebody would entrust me with a solo mission…”

“Oh sweetheart, that’s not about your capacities or anything”, she says, putting one of my Y/H/C strands behind my right ear. “Fury is just being extra-cautious with HYDRA. They played with us so many times. Besides, going on a mission with Barnes is not the worst thing in the world.”

“You’re right, the worse for me would have been to go on a mission with Steve. I still don’t know why he hates me…”, I sigh.

“I don’t think he does. He’s just being extra careful and protective.”

“Steve Rogers, mother hen.”

We both burst out laughing just before someone knocks on the door.

“Come in”, I yell, trying to catch my breath, while Natasha is still crying of laugh.

“I just wanted to see if you were ready”, Bucky says, after he opened the door. “Is she okay ?”, he asks when he sees my red-head friend trying to calm down.

“Yes, don’t worry. Give me five minutes and I’m all yours.”

“So, in five minutes you’re all his”, Nat says wiggling her eyebrows, when Bucky closes the door after him.

“Nat ! Stop misinterpreting what I’m saying”, I slap her arm saying this. “You know what I meant.”

“Oh, please Y/N, I’m kidding, stop taking everything literally. Maybe you should get laid, it would do you some good.”

“Sex is not the answer to everything Nat”, I sigh.

“No, but it would do you some good. When was the last time you had a good shag ?”

“Nat !”

“What ?! Maybe you should try with Barnes. It would do you real, real good.”

The door opens at the same time, revealing a blushing Bucky on the other side.

“I’m ready”, I tell him, nonchalantly, trying to hide my embarrassment because of what Nat just said and that he probably heard through the door. “Are you coming ?”, I ask him, going towards the changing room.

Natasha leaves us and in silence, we walk to the elevator. When we reach the equipment floor of the Avengers facility, Fury is waiting for us, with Steve and Tony.

“Come here darling, I improved your suit. The fabric is more flexible. Totally in match with your fighting skills and those powers of yours”, he says, smiling and handing me the new black fabric.

“Thanks Tony, I really appreciate !”

While I am looking at my new outfits, I can feel Steve’s gaze all over me, and what he’s saying to Bucky.

“Be careful Buck, we don’t know what’s going to be in that HYDRA facility and I don’t trust her”, I hear him.

“She’s an Avenger Steve, and she worked for the SHIELD before that. You should trust her.”

“I’d like to, but I can’t. There are some blank years in her files, Fury seems to be the only one knowing where she was and what happened to her during that time, but he didn’t tell me and said that it’s hers to say when she’ll be ready to reveal it. And I don’t like this.”

“Let her prove herself Steve, I’m sure everything is going to be okay.”

He pats Steve’s shoulder and walks to his locker from where he takes his uniform.

“Go now, little one”, Tony pushes me towards locker room, “I want to see you in my outfits.”

“Out of context, that sentence would sound really suspect. And I’m not sure that Pepper would appreciate that.”

Tony sticks out his tongue and pushes me in the booth. “Make it quick, I want to see if it fits.”

I roll my eyes and start to change my clothes to those Tony gave me. The suit perfectly hugs every of my curves. I lift my arms above my head, and the fabric is really light and moves with all my movements, according to Tony, it’s also waterproof and it comes with removing gloves. I really must thank him for that new outfit.

“Marvelous !”, the genius billionaire says, when I go out. “I’m really proud of myself !”, he adds, admiring his own work.

“Please Stark, if you’re done, I’d like to talk to Y/L/N and Barnes before they leave.”

Tony and Steve step back, and Fury approaches us.

“Don’t think that I send you there as a team, not because I don’t trust each of you as agent and that you’re not capable to deal with it by your side, but we don’t know what to expect in that warehouse, we don’t know how many men are in there, nor what they’re doing. Barnes, you are strong and fast, Y/L/N is fast too, she is lighter, and has some skills that can help you outside if things become out of control. Now do you understand ?” We both nod. The Quinjet noise is heard and he gestures towards it. “I think that’s your cue. Be careful.”

With that, he leaves and lets the both of us deal with each other.

“After you”, Bucky says, letting me pass first, with that very 1940’s gentleman thing he has.

“Thanks”, I answer, stepping into the plane, putting the first emergency bag down and taking place behind the control.

Bucky steps in right after me and takes the seat next to mine.

“Are you ready, partner ?”

“As ready as I think I can be.”

The hatch opens, and we pass through it to go to the HYDRA facility.

Taglist :

@the-geeky-engineer, @feelmyroarrrr, @amrita31199, @realgreglestrade, @hellomissmabel, @mandy19875, @howlingbarnes, @belleetlabeast, @theashhole, @sebbytrash, @crazychick010, @bionic-buckyb, @callamint, @just-another-fangirl777, @learisa, @hello-sweetie-get-the-salt, @mokacoconut, @marvelbase001-blog​, @thefiregypsy, @iamthemaskhewears, @snowyseba, @theycallmebucky, @buckysberrie, @speakcroissant, @fangirlwithasweettooth, @tequilavet, @iamwarrenspeace, @melconnor2007, @jamesbarnesappreciationclub​, @mrshopkirk​, @poealsobucky​, @maiden-of-gondor​, @jurassicbarnes​, @abovethesmokestacks​, @thisismysecrethappyplace​, @arawynn​, @sebbys-girl​, @captainrogerss​, @murdocksmartinis​, @supersoldierslover​, @clintbartxon, @totallynotashieldagent​, @crazy-little-thing-called-buck​, @4theluvofall​, @supernaturaldean67​, @prettyyoungtragedy​, @papi-chulo-bucky​, @just-a-kj-blog​, @lenavonschweetz​,  @forever-graphically-frozen​,  @buckysglow​, @winterscldicr​, @whothehellisbella​, @bethanystan​, @re2d2, @asirenscalling​, @after-avenging-hours​, @mrs-squirrel-chester, @winchester-with-wings​, @angryschnauzer​,  @callingmrsbarnes​, @suz-123​, @writingruna​, @sugardaddytonystark​, @angelicthor​, @thatawkwardtinyperson​, @themistsofmyavalon​, @redgillan​, @loricameback​, @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​, @bringpietrobacktolife, @farfromjustordinary​, @you-and-buckyb​, @bucky-made-me-do-it​, @lovelykhaleesiii​, @newmooneyfanfiction​, @lovely-geek​, @fanfictionjunkie1112​, @thefanficfaerie​, @littlemarvelfics​, @cordytriestowrite​, @firefly-in-darkness​, @caplanreads​, @my-emotional-self, @imaginingbarnes-deactivated2020​, @searchingforbuckyfavs​, @buckybabybaby​,

[graffitibible]

Do you have any advice for writing or creating regularly? That’s hard for me and I’d like to get better at it.

it boils down to what works best for you personally tbh. i’ve got a system to write semi-regularly (or i did......restricted movement hours have kinda forced me to restructure that lol) and it works for me but that’s just how my brainyot works. i’m a routine-based creature so working writing into my routine was how i got myself to write semi-regularly. 

ive also had significant Brain Junk for most of my life and was gradually able to navigate how best to create in spite of that but im also like, medicated for it and the like so self-care was a factor. i couldnt create shit while i was too busy lying in a pool of my own filth having fits of paranoia about the nature of reality so i was hardly about to make myself try and create stuff when that wasnt even on my radar. 

i can share some of the things i do to keep myself writing though! like again this isn’t something that’s for sure gonna work for everybody cause everybodys wired differently but i hope some of it helps!

1. daily wordcount - i’ve mentioned this before but i have a daily wordcount that i do for my original fiction. i don’t apply the same standard to fic-writing because that risks making it an arbitrary barrier that puts too many numbers on my internal list. that being said, it’s very small. i make myself do 200 words per day. if that gets me going and writing more than that, awesome. if not, i still got a little bit done. 200 words is small, and it’s not overwhelming to catch up on if i miss a day. no matter how shitty im feeling i try to get in 200 words.

2. routine - since i’m a routine-based person by nature i basically found ways to finagle creative processes into all that. it’s not hard and fast because that kind of rigid structure makes me balk and i’m not that disciplined lol, but it’s usually something like “i have an hour-long lunch break at work and literally nothing else to do during it so i’ll write in that time period” or “i have thirty minutes of sitting by the stove making dinner so i’ll write until it’s ready”

3. momentum - or what my housemate fondly calls “The Juice.” if i have The Juice of inspiration i keep that going for as long as i can. if something’s not working for me i don’t scrap it or toss it right away. if i’m having trouble with a scene i make a note to myself and move on to a different one. example of this from my latest wip, which is part iv of mayhem

i hadnt worked out what was gonna go there and nothing was coming to me easy in the moment so i stuck the note there and kept going. my works are full of this shit. if i can’t think of a name or if there’s a statistic or a character i haven’t worked out yet i don’t wanna break my focus and momentum so i slap a note in the first draft and keep going. at a first draft stage the important thing is getting the words Out so it doesnt matter if theyre perfect. ill go back and fix them later, revise all i need to. first drafts dont need to be good, they just need to be there so i can spruce them up later.

on the flip side do not be like me and commit to this momentum so bad that you forget that you are a human being who needs to eat and consume liquids. i do that sometimes because of who i am as a person and it is a serious flaw of mine, do not be like this. sometimes getting some food in you is what you need to get The Juice flowing again and that sounds kinda gross and i am sorry

4. planning and hangups - this ones dependent on how you create. i forget where this analogy came from, but i’ve heard it said that some writers are architects who need a blueprint of where they’re going before they end up there and some writers are gardeners, who don’t need a set plan so much as they need to keep going. i’m definitely an architect - a lot of my works start out as bulletpoints of what scenes i wanna cover, what topics i wanna explore, etc. - though i have on occasion simply Written without any set destination, usually to force myself out of a creative slump. me being a big planner used to be one of the biggest barriers for me creatively because i’d spend hours agonizing over minute universe details and never start the dang story. this still happens from time to time. like heres what my organizational folder looks like wrt “pray for disaster”

that is not even all the files in there. why do i have two dictionaries. jesus. like i make these giant ass fuckin....tomes of stuff i like to keep track of, which i like to call “bibles” lol. except i could tell that getting too organized was gonna be an uphill battle with very little payoff so by the end i just made a “MISCELLANEOUS BULLSHIT” doc and for now i throw everything in there if it doesn’t fit into something like a dictionary or timeline

shit like this is why i like to just sit down and write without a clear destination in mind if i’m having writer’s block. that’s one of those things that goes hand in hand with the way i take advantage of my own momentum - if i reach a certain point where i’m just picking at details and not doing any writing i just go “ok motherfucker sit down and write shit. we will work out the details later.”

5. motivation - the ways i tend to motivate myself are weird so idk how true this is for anybody else but i’ve been writing for a pretty large part of my life. i went to college for english/creative writing and got a whole dang degree cause i still wanna make this my vocation somehow. one thing i cannot ever turn off is the writer part of my brain that’s going “oooh huh that’s not how i would’ve written that” in literally every piece of art i consume - tv, movies, books, songs, etc. sometimes that’s enough to inspire me into doing something on my own time. most of the time though if i’m feeling stumped i tend to crack open some of my personal favorite works, like books or fics that have really resonated with me, to fall in love with the art all over again. seeing the way different authors and artists do their craft helps me get in the zone of wanting to write more cause i get this nice feeling of “damn, these people really did those things with those words.....that’s fuckin amazing.....i wanna do that.” 

you do risk falling into the trap of “ugh i can’t write like them though” but that’s the beauty of writing. nobody can write the way anybody else does. ofc i can’t write like terry pratchett, only terry pratchett can write like terry pratchett, and if i compare myself to terry pratchett i’m only gonna get sad and mopey. but i can write in a way thats totally unique to me so i should not try to write like terry pratchett because that’s just impeding my own creative energy in the interest of trying to cookie-cut myself into someone else’s zone. only terry pratchett can write like terry pratchett but only i can write like zero graffitibible.

i hope that was helpful? like this is all stuff that works for me so no guarantee it’ll work for everyone else.

oh right and idk how many of yall are minors because let it be known that i do not condone underage drinking; i am an adult who occasionally will get crunk because i like to write drunk and edit sober. if you too are an adult who can legally consume alcohol feel free to write while buzzed because that is a nice way to write with zero fuckin inhibitions. i dont get blackout drunk or nothing just a little buzzed and sometimes what i write makes no sense but i am at times at my most productive at 2am while mildly buzzed. its a thing.

like again i’m not really an authority on this by any means - this is just what works for me. but if it works for you too, great!! find your zone and all that

[fortunatelyhauntedblackcherry]

Moonshine - A Beetlejuice Fanfiction 10

Warning: swearing, duh, Ouija-boarding, BJ's trust issues

- Are we seriously gonna do this like we were in a goddamn Z category horror movie? - asked Ari, while she rubbed the bridge of her nose. The coffin-table in the living room was decorated with at least 10 huge white candles, and in the middle there was a grey Ouija-board with a bright pink planchette. Sof already dimmed the lights and now was sitting on the floor, legs in criss cross applesauce. Beetlejuice was floating above the coffee table, laughing his ass off at the inscription he read on the planchette: Hey there demons, it's me, ya boy.

- And it's coming from the weird sister... - commented Rei as she folded her hands before her chest. Sof let out an annoyed sigh.

- Shut up, it gives an eerie vibe to the whole thing! I've been dreaming about using this shit for years, let me live my dream guys! - Rei and Ari both looked at each other, sighed, then sit down. Beetlejuice stopped laughing, wipped his laughter-tear filled eyes and rolled over to his belly in the air, legs dangling, hands under his chin. He had a devilish smile on his face and bright, neon green hair, mixed with a couple strikes of yellow. Even though he was excited to communicate with all residents of the house, he was kinda worried the Ouija-board won't work. He's been existing for at least a couple hundred years at that point, but nobody ever tried communicating with him through one of those suckers.

As soon as the girls got comfortable, Sofía cleared her throat.

- Okay, I know Ari knows how to handle this bad boy since we bought it together and had quite a good time while we looked into the use of spirit boards, but I'd like to state some instructions and ground rules. - Ari, Rei and Beetlejuice both nodded in agreement. - Once we start the seance, non of us should lift our fingers off the planchette. If any of us do, it might cause some trouble in the ghostworld. Concentration is essential, so please focus on contacting the dead. We have to take this thing seriously and must act respectfully towards the board and the spirit we deal with, so no frivolous questions.

- PFFFFFF kay, partykiller. - said Beetlejuice as he floated closer to the board. The girls put their pointing fingers on the planchette, breathed out, and looked at each other.

Thoughts were running around in Ari's head. Was this really a good idea? I mean if we can contact our homedemon effectively, I could tell my sisters I could hear him and they won't think I'm crazy. That's why I thought of doing this. But why am I so afraid then?

- Okay so let's start the session by asking simple yes and no questions. - said Sofía, closed her eyes for a bit, then started to talk. She sounded really confident for Beetlejuice, but her sisters noticed how her voice cracked a bit. Was she only nervous, excited, or was she genuinely afraid of what she might contact? - Is anyone here with us? - the planchette didn't move. Sofi let out a huge breath and gulped. Beetlejuice put his pointing finger on the planchette and literally screamed when he realized he could actually touch it. - Channeling the dead isn't easy so it might take some minutes to...

As soon she said that, Beetlejuice moved his finger, and literally yeeted the planchette across the room.

- FUCK I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT!!! - he screamed in a rather girly manner. Rei jumped up from the coffin-table and shook her head.

- That not normal man, a ghosty ghost couldn't do that in any horror movie! - Ari got up too and went to get the planchette. Beetlejuice floated before her.

- Sorry babes, I swear I'll be more gentle next time. Even though I know you looove wild stuff. - Ari replied with an eyeroll as she bowed down for the tiny pink thing. - Holy shit sugar I could imagine several hot scenarios with you in this position.

Ari headed back to the table and put the planchette down.

- Let's continue. - Rei sit back, fixing her glasses and putting her hair up in a messy ponytail. Ari looked at the planchette as she speak the words. - Could you please confirm that you're here? - Beetlejuice, as lightly as he could, put his finger on the pink thingie and moved it to YES.

- NAH MAN THAT'S CRAZY NA-AH I'M OUT! - shouted Rei and started to stand up.

- SIT YOUR ASS BACK DOWN PUTA! - shouted Ari back at her sister. - You said amen to this shit, we're gonna go through with it now. - Beetlejuice chuckled as Rei sit back down with the most panicked look on her face that he had ever seen. He tapped the planchette slightly.

- L-E-T-S-A-L-L-G-E-T-N-A-K-E-D. - Ari let out the the biggest laugh Beetlejuice heard yet. She snapped her head back as she squeaked like a degenerated seal while snorting. - OhmygodslashSatan your bursting laugh is so weird, I love it! - said Beetlejuice with a high voice and full on glowing hair.

- You did that. - stated Sofía, looking at Ari seriously.

- No way José! - she still giggled like crazy as she looked back at her oldest sister. - Looks like our presence is just nasty! - Sofía had a very annoyed and slightly angry expression on her face.

- ANYWAY, no, we are not going to do that.

- W-O-R-T-H-A-T-R-Y. - spelled the board. Sofía threw her hands in the air, annoyed out of words to express her feelings. Rei clicked her tongue.

- What happened to the "don't let go of the planchette" rule? - she asked.

- Shut up. - explained Sofía. She put her fingers back on the pink object before she stated the next question. - Are you a spirit guide? - the planchette moved to NO. - Then are you a ghost? - the planchette moved to NO again. Sofía shook her head in a way people do when they don't understood something.

- Did you ever live on Earth as a human? - asked Rei who calmed herself down enough to ask questions.

- B-R-I-E-F-L-Y-V-E-R-Y-B-R-I-E-F-L-Y. - Sof interrupted with her next question. Something really bugged her.

- Okay then WHAT are you?!

- S-E-X-Y - the girls all threw their hands up. They shared a look, all stating "I can't even" with their eyes. Without either of them touching the planchette, it started to move again on its own. - A-L-S-O-D-I-S-L-E-X-I-C. - Rei snorted.

- This bitch is a fuckin comic. - Sof growled in annoyement.

- No I mean what's in your pants? - she asked. Now neither of them was touching the board. And after a couple of seconds, the board answered.

- M-A-G-I-K-A-N-D-M-I-S-C-H-I-F. - Ari facepalmed, Sofía huffed.

- I can't believe that this thing is fuckin with us... - Beetlejuice could literally see the veins on her neck bulging in anger as he spelled HAHAHA out on the board. She slammed her fists on the table. - NO. TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE, SMARTASS!!!

- I-M-Y-O-R-G-U-I-D-E-T-O-T-H-E-O-T-H-E-R-S-I-D-E.

- Kay that's definitely a demon. - she stated with a huge hand gesture.

- Shit we're busted babe. - said Beetlejuice, sounding a tiny bit worried. Ari gulped.

- Why would you think that? - she asked, acting all naive. Sof pointed at the planchette, which was now moving up and down in the air since Beetlejuice was playing catch with it.

- Cause demonic spirits enjoy using deception and being a dick!

- What a keen observation, Sofía! - stated Beetlejuice, talking sarcastically. - That's built into our nature, you know!

- Let's just... - Sofía sighed midsentence. - ...stop.

- No! This is fun! - proclaimed Ari with the biggest puppy eyes. Classic smallest child trick.

- We are unprepared to deal with dark and negative forces that can wreak havoc in our lives!

- Sofía, let's be frank with each other, he already causes a lot of trouble. - Sof huffed. - At least let me ask his name. - said Ari in a sweet voice with a shy smile. - That would be the polite thing to do. - her eldest sister tried to say something but Ari stifled her speech. - Just one question. Then we can stop.

- That was a son of a bitch thing to do, and you know it. Tricking your sister into letting me tell you my name... That's low babes. - said Beetlejuice while folding his hands and shaking his head, floating next to Ari. - I'm so proud.

- UGH FINE! - said Sofía, while throwing her head back. - Little Miss Pushover. - Ari flashed a toothy grin. That was her moment. She already had a plan how'd she persuade her sisters to accept his offer of helping them out a bit and to say the demon's name 3 times. She cleared her throat and breathed out before she stated her question.

- What is your name?

Beetlejuice breathed in in excitement and grabbed the planchette.

- Welp let's hope it's gonna work this way. Here goes nothing. - the planchette started to move. - B-E-E-J-F-Q-J-E-S-U-S-I-C-A-N-T-S-P-E-L-L-S-H-I-T. - Ari sighed and Rei laughed. Come on Bug, don't be an idiot now!, thought Ari. The object started to slide on the board again. - B-E-E-T-L-E-J-U-I-C-E.

- OKAY GOOD NOW WE KNOW IT'S NAME CAN WE STOP PLEASE?!?! - shouted Rei as she reached for the planchette, but Sofía grabbed her hand.

- Wait. - with her other hand, she pointed at Ari. - Ariadné Rodríguez McLoughlin, you are suspicious, girl. Why did you want to know this demon's name so badly? - Fuck., thought Ari. She didn't think this through. She couldn't answer, she opened her mouth but no voice came out. - Demon, have you communicated with anyone from this group before tonight? - Beetlejuice fumbled through his hair.

- I'm sorry babes. But you wouldn't tell them about your superpower any other way. - he said before the planchette moved to YES. Sof looked straight into Ari's eyes. She hated that cold dead stare.

- Tell me who was it!

- A-R-I. - the oldest sister slapped the desk.

- Please I can explain... - said Ari in a shy, almost inaudible voice. Gosh things were not going the way she imagined they'd go.

- BITCH, I WILL SLAP YOU! - shouted Sofía, clapping after every word.

- Excuse me but... - cut in Rei. She mimicked a closing mouth with her hand. - ...tone! Let the girl speak for herself! - she turned to her sister. - So how long have you been talking with the dead, bitch? - Ari sighed, rolled her eyes then started to talk with very heavy hand movements.

- Let me state that I can only hear him, I've never seen him but we've been talking for weeks now and he's so awesome and funny! I mean he's actually a really nice guy to talk to!

- Ohmygod he's that special someone who's been making you feel better!!! - realized Rei who just slapped her forehead. Beetlejuice was floating beside Ari, giggling to himself. The whole situation was so comical.

- Yeah, we're buddies.

- FOR LYFE YO! - screamed Beetlejuice into Ari's ear.

- Why did I teach you how to use yo, seriously, this is getting out of hand... - she asked the thin air, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She was starting to get a headache.

- Wait you can hear him now? - asked Sofía with a jaw dropped.

- I can hear him all the time when he's near me... So yeah during every minute of the day, kinda. - she stopped for a sec. - You don't think I'm crazy, right?

- I mean we all saw what happened during the seance so nah fam, you good. Weird but good. Gee my sister is a comic book character! - proclaimed Rei excitedly. She even clapped.

- And what does he want? - asked Sofía. She calmed down a bit but her eyes were full of anger.

- Right now, and I quote him singing: "🎶I'm on the bench, but coach, just put me in the game! All you gotta do is say my name. Three times in a row it must be spoken, unbroken.🎶" - she mimicked Beetlejuice as good as she could, she even tried to do his voice. She looked at Rei, who almost had questionmarks for eyes. - Yes, he sounds like that all the time. Like he swallowed a cheesegrater, I know. - Rei nodded understandingly. Sof held her head.

- So he wants to be summoned. - she looked deep into Ari's eyes. She looked so serious. - You know we're not gonna do that, right?

- Why?! He promised he'd help us then just go away! - Sof shook her head but Ari continued. She sounded kinda desperate. - Just imagine, he could actually help us get revenge on our father for being such a prick with our moms! Just let me...

- No. - she stated. - In the Council of Sisters I vote no. - she looked at Rei. - Your vote now.

- Look I... - she sighed and looked at Ari whose eyes were now getting teary. She didn't want to tell her sisters how much she wanted to summon Beetlejuice, not because of his promise, but because how much she liked his company. She didn't have a friend like him in, why would I lie, ever, and she secretly craved his presence in her life. There was finally someone who totally accepted her as how she was, and now her sisters were robbing her of the opportunity of meeting him. - There are always a million reasons not to do something. - Ari covered her mouth with her right palm.

- No, not you, I thought you...

- Girl, we've been swimming with piranhas, we don't need a shark!

Beetlejuice was silent... until this point. He knew how arguments worked. How bloodyminded people were once they decided on something. His hair slowly turned from green to a purplish redish tone. His anger was building up and now it busted.

- And I thought you were special... Not like any other breather. - he spit between his teeth. Ari looked at his direction and shushed her sisters.

- Bug, what do you...

- YOU PROMISED YOU'D SUMMON ME! - screamed Beetlejuice. - YOU PROMISED BUT YOU WON'T! AND I TRUSTED YOU! - Ari stood up and stepped in his direction. She tried to sound calm but Beetlejuice's voice was so angry and frightening...

- Beetlejuice, I will, somehow, just...

- NO YOU WON'T! YOU'RE A LYING BITCH LIKE ANY OTHER HUMAN ON THIS GODDAMN PLANET! - he started to run while cussing at Ari. The girl ran after him, followed by her sisters. As soon as he got to the attic door, which the girls were unable to pry open, he floated through the door and laid head back to it. - I HATE YOU!

- You know that you don't and that that was uncalled for. - Ari sighed while trying to get the door to open. Rei asked if she needed an axe but she refused. - Please, this is hard enough as it is!

- Oh, I’m sorry sweetheart. - answered Beetlejuice in an annoyed way. - I just tend to get a little upset WHEN PEOPLE RUIN MY LIFE! - tears started to run down his cheeks. - FUCK YOU, GET LOST! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!

Beetlejuice heard that Ari stopped trying to open up the door. She sighed and put her hand on the hard wood.

- I'll talk to them. And I'll keep my promise. - her steps faded and as they did, Beetlejuice's hair turned fully dark purple as he started crying. He really trusted her... And he did get that she'd want her sisters to know that she'll summon a demon at their home but why would she betray him like that still? He sniffled to himself as he summoned a sockpuppet.

- 🎶You could use a buddy... Don't you want a pal?🎶 Yes I do! - he put his head on his knees, sniffling hard. - ...yes I do...

[vohalika]

Shameless Fanfic Self-Promotion

Critical Role Fanfiction (Literally all of this is Perc'ahlia. I have a brand.)

Current WiP Baby: Indefinitely Postponed A tale of two idiots who'd rather get naked than talk about their feelings. Until they do. My first attempt at writing smut. An exploration what happened after the numerous times Percy and Vex tastefully faded to black. Or the fireplace. 2/6 Chapters.

 He’s shaking as he’s closing the door, even though she is the one standing there without any clothes on. It’s almost enough to make her feel bad. Almost. If he hadn’t come here to talk, the least they could do is get      something     out of the way.

 “Are you alright, dear?” She asks, inching closer, head cocked in concern, and almost but not quite dropping the mocking tone to her voice.

 “Yes,” he answers, as quickly as his eyes dart up and down her naked form again. “Yes, quite.” Then he uncorks the bottle of what he’d referred to as Courage and takes a long swig.

 Vex raises her eyebrows at him and crosses her arms, careful to do it in a way that pushes up her tits for some totally accidental cleavage.

 “Do you honestly need to be drunk for this?” Now her tone swings back to sardonic and mocking. “I mean, by all means, do go on, this is only the second least flattering thing that happened to me in the bedroom. But once you accidentally call me by my brother’s name, I’ll have to throw you out.”

 Making him choke on it was indeed an excellent way to get Percy to put down the bottle, though it’s probably a shame about the undoubtedly fancy liquor he’s coughing up. She graciously steps closer and slaps his back to help with the process anyhow.

 “Great,” he manages to say between coughs, eyes transfixed on her collarbone for some reason. “Now that’s something for me to      worry     about.”

Rating: E

The Sad Baby: Grief Vex working through the loss of her brother, one conversation in an empty temple at a time. The saddest kind of writing I am capable of. Very personal. For an okay day. 4/4 Chapters.

“Hello… Brother,” she said into the clam and dusty silence of the former Anders family crypt, and immediately felt silly. “Sorry for not visiting sooner. I mean, I should take better care of my property at the very least.” She managed a nervous laugh. Never had Vex felt more out of place. Not even at the fancy private school she had attended in Syngorn. Or the first meetings of the chamber of Whitestone, during which people had still implicitly been giving her shit for sleeping her way to the top.

“I’m going to bring a broom next time,” she then promised the silence. “To sweep up a little. I mean, I technically have a broom, but not on me right now. Percy took it in for… Adjustments.” She cleared her throat awkwardly. “Sooo… How have you been? Besides, you know, dead?” She gave the silence some time to answer. It didn’t respond. “That’s what I thought. Well, I have been… Busy. I don’t know if you know, but like, just after you died, Grog did probably the most stupid thing he’ll ever do in his life and got his soul trapped in like a gem in a sword in the most horrible plane of existence,” she started babbling. Babbling was good, it fought down the tears rising up, again. “And yes, it was certifiably worse than the hells, at least you could talk there. Anyway…”

Rating: T, but the language gets naughty sometimes because, well, Vex.

The Happy Baby: On Meddling, Mistresses, and Matrimony Set between the one year break, about how Percy and vex got betrothed. Almost canon compliant. Oneshot.

“Would you be hypothetically amenable to the general concept of marriage?”

That gave both of them enough of a pause for him to regret all of his life choices, and for her to sit up and look at him skeptically.

“Percival…” She then said slowly and carefully. “Did… Did you just propose to me?”

“No!” He was quick to answer again, his voice a little higher than usual. “I mean… Not really?” He groaned and covered his eyes with his arm. “I was just… Trying to find out whether, you know… That was an option? To propose to you eventually? Unless, of course, you think that matrimony is a silly and outdated concept that we just shouldn’t bother with… And why would we, I mean, really…”

“Okay, slow down there for a second,” she interrupted his ramblings. “So you proposed to propose to me?”

“Ugh.” He winced. “Forget I said anything.”

Rating: T for implied sexytimes. Also Percy and Vex are naked for about half of the fic.

The Weekly Shorties: Oneshots I wrote after each new episode every week between episodes 72 and 76. Not a single one is canon compliant, but they're cute.

A Time And A Place

Princess Stabbity

Chains

Recuperating

Rating: G or T for language.

Dragon Age Fanfiction

Of Flowers and Happiness, the Elusive Nature of which A kink meme prompt about Cole giving every Inquisition member a flower crown. Whether they want him to or not.

Rating: G

Of Very Dramatic Occurrences Also a kink meme prompt. Cullen tells the Inquisitor how he got that scar on his lip. Feat. Arenya Trevelyan whose story I will totally eventually write out and publish any day now kinda sorta maybe.

Rating: G, even though it is also essentially pillow talk.

Naruto Fanfiction

Threats My forever and always life's work, or rather the much improved English reboot thereof, that I haven't updated in 3 years but will get back to any moment now since the goddamn story hasn't left me alone since 2006. 21/??? Chapters.

Rating: M

[shikastemari]

theoretical - b&s.

pairing boruto uzumaki x sarada uchiha

characters uzumaki family; uchiha family

request

word count 5,416

when it happens they’re 16 here

warnings none

a/n so, it has been a while since i posted anything, and i got a little carried away so here you go.

MASTERLIST

"Wow, Himawari, thanks. Very helpful."

A laugh coming from the next room followed his sentence. Boruto was sitting on the chair on his bedroom and the door which divided his room and Himawari's was open. He had a rubber ball on his hand, his mother had given it to him as a stress free, but basically he used to disturb Himawari throwing it on the wall.

Only that today, he was the one being bothered by her.

"Boruto, what do you want from me? I already told you what you should do. Let Sarada tell him." Her voice echoed from her bedroom and Boruto sighed.

"I can't do that, dattebasa! It doesn't feel right." He threw the ball again, catching when it came rapidly.

"She is his daughter, the chances he is going to kill her is way lower than getting murdered by him, honestly." She pointed out.

A low growl emitted from his throat. "So, is that what you would do? You would tell dad instead of Inojin?"

"We are not official..." Her voice died.

Boruto cleared his throat.

"Yet." Himawari hastily answered, but Boruto could feel her discomfort through the walls. "However, yes, I'd tell dad myself. Do you know he has a fucking bijuu inside him, right? When he is using Kurama's chakra, it seems he is literally on fire."

Boruto rolled his eyes at her, even though she couldn't see it. "No wonder why Inojin and you are not official." He threw the ball again, and it almost hit his favorite portrait of him and Sarada.

"Right. Do you also know that Uncle Sasuke can create a huge purple skeleton that could crash you in five seconds, maybe less?"

Himawari was always poking fun of him because of his relationship as he was always quick to retort, which generally tend to have them both at each other's throat more often than not. It was just a part of a natural dynamic. At the end of the day, Boruto always knew he could count on her to literally everything.

Apparently, except for giving useful advices.

Boruto frowned at the thought. "Himawari, I am shocked how convenient you are being in this situation. Like for real."

Her laugh was so loud, Boruto actually wondered if she wasn't at the door, looking at his face.

"Let Sarada tell him about your relationship." She suggested one more time, still panting from the laugh. Boruto could picture his sister wipping way her giggling tears.

"No, I want to do it. I feel like if I let her do it, I'd be breaking his trust and I need it bad, Hima. As a master and as my father-in-law." The last word had a weird taste in his mouth.

"It doesn't suppose to be this hard Boruto, it is not like you and Sarada had done anything more than kissing." Boruto raised one of his eyebrows, thinking about all the things him and Sarada have done and how Sasuke would cut him into tiny pieces with his Chidori if he knew about it. Automatically, he threw the ball on the wall and caught it right away.

"Boruto?" She asked again.

No answer, just the noise of the ball being pressed against their wall.

Her slim figure appeared on the door, her eyes wide open as she covered her mouth with shock. "HOLY SHIT, BORUTO. ALREADY?"

Not expecting the sudden apparition of his sister, Boruto missed the ball he had just thrown and it hit him right on the face, making him unbalance and falling out of his chair.

"SHUT UP HIMAWARI. IT IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE THINKING."

It is probably way worse, he thought to himself.

"I am so telling Inojin that." Himawari entered on the room, going direct for his bed and letting her body rest there, leaning against her brother's pillow. Boruto stood up, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Boruto sighed heavily, wondering how he ended up like this, asking his younger sister for dating advices. “I hate you.”

"Well, there is something else you can try to figure this out." She declared as Boruto's head jolted over to his little sister. "Talk to dad."

"The first thing dad would do was going to tell Sasuke about my relationship with Sarada." He squinted at his sister.

She grinned as she sat down at the bed, her head tilting as if challenging him somehow. "But he is the only person alive who had beaten Sasuke Uchiha before."

"You got a point." Boruto sighed. He wasn't normally the kind of person to go out of his way to ask his father for help. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he actually did it. But something had to be done and he would accept everything that come his way.

"Come on, take your chance now that he is fixing the garden for mom." Himawari got up  and pulled Boruto towards the door with her.

The Uzumaki sibilings ran down the stairs, pacing when they heard a glass noise coming from the kitchen. Boruto and Himawari found their father wearing a jeans overalls, covered in dirty. He had a glass of water on his hand, resting his body against the sink.

"The hero Naruto Uzumaki, great hokage of the Konohakagure and a gardener on his spare time." Boruto muttered, earning a elbow on his ribs from his sister in response.

"Hey, don't mock him! He could beat you up with both hands tied up on his back." Himawari shot back, giving him a nasty glance, before turning to their dad. Such a daddy's little girl.

"Dad, Boruto needs help." Himawari shouted from the door kitchen, where both of them were placed. Boruto was still trying to figure out what would he tell his dad, so Himawari blurting out the truth like that didn't make anything easier.

Sarada would know exactly what to do. She was the sort of girl that could say one thing and magically turn your whole day around. Boruto wasn't like that. He had trouble to understand people well enough to have that sort of talent. Unfortunately, Sarada was probably sleeping after a  big mission they had just arrived that day, which meant Boruto had to deal with this by himself.

Naruto startled a bit, but his blue eyes stopped on a pair of eyes exactly like his.

"Hima!" Boruto hissed at her, putting both of his hands on his hips and Naruto had to contain a laugh. The boy could look like him, but when he was angry, he was definitely Hinata.

"What? Direct to the point."  She shrugged, going straight to the couch and laying there. Boruto could feel her the expectations emanating from her look.

"So... Dad. If Him-"

Himawari punched Boruto, making him fly a meter away from where he was originally standing. He didn't even know how could she move that fast in such a short period of time. Maybe she was the next in line to become Konoha's flash, just like their grandparent.

"DON'T DRAG MY NAME INTO THIS!" She yelled at him, going back to the couch.

"FINE, DATTEBASA!" Almost automatically, a scowl came to mark Boruto's features. "Okay. Dad. How would you like to know that one of your children is dating?"

"Who is dating?" The curiosity swarming though Naruto was obvious to anyone in the room.

"No one is dating." Boruto looked around, lying to his father. "It is theoretical." He quickly added.

"Hmm, I see." Naruto didn't buy it, but he was ready to play along. "Well, theoretically I would like them to tell me."

"What about the partner telling you?" Boruto clenched his fist and for the first time, he wondered why did he have to fall in love with someone with such complicated background. He totally blamed Sarada for her beauty and intelligence, or else, he wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for her.

"What? Like your girlfriend telling me?" Naruto questioned and Boruto's cheek colored a whole new color of red.

"Theoretical girlfriend." Boruto corrected hastily.

"Right, why would your theoretical girlfriend tell me you are dating her?"

Boruto gave out a frustrated growl. "I don't know, respect? Maybe you are her master and she needs you to keep trusting her."

"Maybe..." It took some time but Naruto finally understood what was going on with his son, spluttering in shock with Boruto's indirect confession. "Oh no. HELL NO. BORUTO PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE NOT DATING SARADA."

"WHAT? I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. IT IS ALL THEORETICALLY." Boruto shouted, taking a step back as his father had just slapped him.

Naruto turned his look from Boruto to Himawari, who only nodded in response.

"HIMAWARI!" Boruto shouted over, his eyes widened in betrayal.

"What? I am not going to lie to dad." Himawari folded her arms, her eyebrows raised in a teasing arrogance.

"Boruto." Naruto called him out, clearing his throat right after, grinning widely as he shot a worried glance to his miniature in front of him. "Are you planning to tell Sasuke you are dating his daughter?"

"Yes, dad." His son acknowledged, still startle that his father had figured it out so easily.

"Like holding hands dating?" Naruto bit his lip in amusement as a faint blush overtook his son's cheek.

"Dad." Boruto's voice were now a protest this far.

"Like kissing??????" His father added, his eyebrows shot up.

Boruto groaned. "It doesn't matter what I do with Sarada!" At that point, there was a small chance Boruto would be forever red.

"Fine, why don't Sarada tell him? The chances of getting killed in this process are lower, 'ttebayo!" His father proposed, his brows furrowing.

"Thanks dad." Boruto frowned as the same time Himawari voiced 'I told you' from the couch. Her amused demeanour was almost tangible, Boruto just knew she had a shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

"Okay, let's breath and take a moment to analyze everything. First of all…" Naruto was now smiling big as if he had just absorbed the whole thing. "I AM SO HAPPY YOU AND SARADA-CHAN ARE DATING!"

"DAD! FOCUS!" Raising his voice for some sort of authority, Boruto facepalmed himself, already regretting Himawari's idea of telling their father, but deep down he was grateful for how truly happy he father seemed about the new news.

Naruto sat down on the kitchen table, his fingers intertwining over the table. "Right. Second of all, we need a plan."

"Wow, dad, you are a genius, are you serious I need a plan? I haven't realized i-" There was two things Boruto was sure in his life: one was death and the other was to stop talking whenever his father eyes became reddish or orangish, looking like a fox's or a frog's eye. "Sorry."

"When you are going to tell him, you have to tell him it wasn't something you had planned. It happened out of nowhere. You have to tell him how much you care for her." Naruto's smirk was the kind of that all Boruto wanted was to wipe it from his face and that only seemed to amuse him even more.

"Like voicing my feelings for his daughter out loud?" Boruto asked in disbelief, hoping his dad was now teasing him. He couldn't possible think he was going to tell Sasuke his actual feelings. He hadn't even told Sarada about them yet.

Naruto couldn't hide the whole entertainment behind his eyes even if he had tried. His son always talked big, but when it came down to his relationship, he wasn't as cocky as he pretended to be. "Only the fluff ones. Keep your dirty thought- oh my, my own kid. How did you grow up so fast?"

Boruto looked at the man, his eyes ablaze. "Naruto." He hissed in a low and threatening voice that would make even the bravest shinobi shake in his boots, but it was his father he was talking to.

"Fine, dattebayo. Don't Naruto me, young man. Oh, kami. I wish your mother was here. Why did I send her to a mission on this day?" His lips were tugged up by a small smile.

"You are not helping!" It seemed the minutes talking to his dad were quite possibly the slowest ones Boruto had experienced. The wait for an answer was so mind rumbing that he could swear his brain was leaking out his ears.

"Fine, important point: Sakura must be there." Naruto blurted out, his hand resting on his chin, thinking about the outcomes of that particular situation. It was one of the things he had become better since he became Hokage.

"What? What if Aunt Sakura doesn't approve?" Boruto threw his hands in the air, almost as defeat. He was pretty sure at that point that speaking to his father would be no help at all.

"Not gonna lie, son. There is a chance, you are my kid after all and Sakura knows me too well." Naruto's cheek flushed on how it might sounded to his children. "Because she is my best friend, so if it happens, make sure to remember her you are also Hinata's son."

"It is embarrassing enough to tell one parent. Imagine two." His cheeks burned red just thinking about the matter.

"Sakura is a medic nin, so she has to help you in case, well, you know." Naruto pointed out, Boruto couldn't argue his thought did make sense. "In the worst scenario, you can also use her as a shield. I am sure she will jump in front of you anyway."

"Okay." Boruto took a deep breath to gather courage to finally accept it. "I will do it. Do you know when Sasuke is coming to the village again?" He questioned his father, his tone completely confident.

"If I am not mistaken, next week. He had some reports to bring me." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to remember correctly when his best friend would appear in the Village.

"Fine. I will make sure I finish my bucket list this week." Boruto retorted, his confidence vanishing as he remember why Sasuke was his father's right hand. It was because he was one of the strongest shinobi alive. Just that.

"Boruto?" Naruto called, making his son turn his face towards him. "Everything is going to be fine. Even if he doesn't react nicely, deep down he will like the news. I know that." His father's word calmed down him a bit.

"How can you be sure of that?" Boruto hated himself for showing weakness to his father, but it wasn't like he could help it. Although, all he saw in his eyes was pure love and that alone made him at ease.

"We've been through a lot, him and I. I know him very well at this point." Boruto missed out when his father moved until he was standing next to him. Naruto rested a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. It gave Boruto such a needed support and he didn't think he could even be more thankful for actually listened to Himawari. "You can do it."

Such a tiny phrase carried with so much tenderness.

"I can do it." Boruto echoed, taking a deep breath.

-

"I totally can't do it."

Boruto was standing in front of Sarada's house, gathering courage to knock on the door. His father had told him Sasuke was in the village and he had heard that today Sakura wouldn't be working, so the chances were both of them were at home. Boruto wasn't quite sure if Sarada was there, but a small part of him wanted her to be. After all, maybe he could use her as a shield instead her mother.

He took a deep breath and cursed himself a few times more, wishing he had glanced the mirror at least one more time just to make sure he looked at least somewhat presentable. The sweat pants and old band shirt he was wearing wasn't his most impressive outfil, but it should qualify as acceptable for dying on the hands of his father-in-law. At least he hoped it did.

"Keep yourself together, Boruto. You can do it, you can do it, you can do-" He whispered while knocking on the door, already feeling how sweaty his hands were, but it didn't take much until the door cracked open, revealing a pinkette with a gentle smile on her face.

"Aunt Sakura." Boruto greeted, his heart beating much faster due the antecipation.

"Boruto. What a nice surprise." She pulled the blond for a tight hug. "Are you here to see Sarada?" He stood there awkwardly for a second before forcing himself to speak.

"Actually, no. Is Sasuke there?" He questioned, umconfortable, but it seemed it went unnoticed to his mother-in-law eyes.

"Yes, in the kitchen." She simply answered back, not finding anything strange on his request. After all, Boruto was still Sasuke's pupil.

The number of steps he had to take until he finally reached the kitchen seemed infinite. He was already so used to make that same path, together with Sarada, but without her, it was way harder.

His master was sitting on the table, taking a cup of tea.

Boruto did everything is his power not to laugh at the sight. He always wondered what people would think if he told them that their heros were actually normal people, who fixed gardens on their free time and drink tea in tiny cups.

Closing his eyes to concentrate, he cleared his throat. "Sasuke."

"Boruto." The way his master drew out his name made his heart start beating faster in nervousness and twist painfully all at once in his chest. "It is still early for our training."

"I know, it is just.." He trailed off, staring at the floor as he felt his face start to burn. "I need to tell you something."

"Then, speak." Sasuke replied, his eyes still on the hot cup in front of him.

Sakura entered the room a moment after and Boruto let out a relief sigh. The boy trained in front of the mirror a thousand times, repassing everything on his mind, unable to make a single mistake on his words.

But seeing both of his in-law in front of him just made him forget how to speak properly.

"Well, just so you know, it happened out of nowhere." He began.

"What? Were you attacked?" The most shock Sasuke could show was a slightly lift of one eyebrow.

Boruto decided to go another way. "What? No. First of all, I would like to say I have a huge appreciation for everything you have done for me during all this time and so you know, I would never do anything to break your trust."

"Why does it feels like you are cheating on me?" Sasuke deadpanned.

Oh boy. This wasn't going well.

"No, Sasuke! That's not it." Boruto cringed at his own words. That was probably weird. Sarada was never going to let him live this down when she heard about it. Then Sarada would tell Shikadai and Chocho and they would tease him about it for years to come. He started to consider wheter it would make the situation worse if he fled to Sarada's room when Sakura gave him a small smile, giving him a bit of strength to keep going. "Well, if, theoretically, something happened to Sarada, you would appreciate me telling you, right?"

Sasuke nodded, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I thought that was an obvious thing."

Boruto looked around the room before answering. "Right. Even if, theoretically, it was a relationship?"

Dead silence.

"Boruto, if you don't cut straight to the point I will use my sharingan to roam over your mind. Not theoretically speaking." Sasuke's anger bubble over in a flash, pointing down at his pupil.

So, the next thing Boruto knew, he was talking so fast that even he wasn't sure about was going out of his mouth. "Iaminlovewithyourdaughterandshelikesmetoo." Sarada will be the death of me, he wanted to verbalize, his whole face flushing an intense red.

Sakura was the first one to absorb the news. She literally went from stunned silence to quick-fire questions, brows furrowing in shock and disbelief. Sasuke just kept staring at Boruto like a horn had suddenly appeared on his forehead.

"Sorry, can you repeat it, but with pauses?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes halfheartedly, shaking his head with his eyes closed.

"I am sorry, it just happened! I don't know if you can understand because she is your daughter but there is no way to fight this feeling. She is just too amazing and wonderful, you know? Of course you know, you made her. But what I am trying to say is- there is purple chakra leaking from your body."

"Boruto." Sasuke's tone was low and husky and it startled Boruto more than anything he had heard before.

"Sasuke-kun, don't you dare use Susanoo and destroy our house because I will break every bone in your body, fix it, and then break them all over again!" Sakura's clipped voice cut through the air like a kunai and, satisfying, it had the intended effect in making her husband stop moving, as she placed herself in front of him.

"Sakura, get out of the way." He argued, but he also did nothing to move her. Boruto knew way too well his master's power and the fact that Sakura could stop him from doing whatever it was on his mind made him find a new admiration for her.

"Sorry, babe. This time I am in charge." She assured, turning to face Boruto with both of her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at him.

Boruto swallowed hard and opened his mouth to explain that yes, he was Naruto's son but he was also Hinata's when two arms held him.

"OH MY, YOU AND SARADA-CHAN I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU TWO!" Sakura beamed, holding him so tight Boruto thought he was going to die of suffocation. On his dying scenarios at the Uchiha compound, Sakura hugging him happily to death wasn't one of them.

"Aunt Saku-" Boruto called out for her, breathless. "I can't breathe."

"Oh sorry." She loosened up, but kept a arm around him as she heard her husband scoff behind her.

Boruto was still blinking in surprise as he tried to comprehend the rush of the words that came out of Sakura's mouth. Did she actually support their relationship this much? He almost didn't believe it.

"So you are going to let him fool around with our baby girl?" Sasuke's words brought Boruto out of his train of thought and his eyes widened at his master.

"She is sixteen, honey. She is not a baby anymore." Sakura protested, folding her arms across her chest, still between Sasuke and Boruto.

"Hmpf, speak for yourself, Sakura. She is not at the age to date." Never in Boruto's life he had seen the voice of his master actually fade or even crack at one word, but he was sure the word date almost didn't leave his lips.

"Sasuke-kun, only because you were being a rebel on this age, it doesn't mean your daughter can't be a normal teenager and have a boyfriend." Sakura rolled her eyes at him, but deep down, she almost wasn't able to hide the amusement. She had seen Sasuke all doting father and stuff, and that was the reason why she always thought about this very particular moment. The moment that he would find out that his little girl wasn't that little anymore.

"Does she feel the same way?" Sasuke's question seemed more a demand, as he completely ignored his wife's statement. The remark caught Boruto off-guard, especially since he wasn't sure whether it was meant as a slight or a death threat. Sasuke's vague eyes could be an indication of both, he was largely affected by the prospect of his daughter in a relationship.

Boruto hesitated a little, not sure about what he would want to hear. Did he think Boruto would go through all this if Sarada hadn't said she loved him back? "Hmm, yeah?"

"Are you asking me?" Sasuke fumed, passing one hand through his hair and breathing deeply.

"I mean, I hope that she does, or I am getting myself killed for nothing." Boruto cursed himself mentally for ditching his mind filter. The damn thing seemed not be working.

Sasuke sighed in defeat. He didn't know how his smart daughter managed to fall in love with someone such as Boruto, but taken aback, how could him blame her? Uzumaki people were just nice people to have around, as himself was aware of that. Although, it never crossed his mind his daughter and Naruto's son would actually be together together.

Just the thought of it made him shiver.

"When did it happen?" He asked, finally.

"I don't even know how to answer this one. It was always there. As I said before, she is too amazing, Sasuke. Not only she's an unbelievable kunoichi, but she is also so strong mentally and her heart... It is just so big. It kind makes me want to protect her, dattebasa. All I want is to protect her." He breathed out, nervously.

Sasuke's eyes softened a little and Boruto gave himself a mental pat on the back for managing to say the rights things. Well, the person who actually deserved the pat was his father, since was his advice to begin with, but he was happy to be alive at that point.

A beat as Sasuke pondered his words. Then he shrugged. "I guess I would happen eventually, and better you than any unknown bastard that I can't make suffer on our trainings."

"Hm, what?" Boruto questioned back, almost afraid to hear again the words suffer and trainings on the same sentence, but the next words that came from Sasuke's mouth made his heart stop beating.

"You two have my blessing."

Boruto was sure that he was staring at his master with his jaw dropped to the ground. Was that it? Of course, if Sakura wasn't there, it'd have been way worst, and maybe he'd have been punched or worst. But he survived.

Thank Naruto, his father plan actually worked.

Boruto was so wrapped around his own thought, he actually forgot about leaving. Only when he was about to exit, he noticed Sasuke was putting on his cloth, his feet going straight to the door.

"Honey, where are you going?" Sakura placed both of her hands on her hips, and Boruto wondered if him and Sarada got married, would she be that scary?

Sasuke didn't even look back at her direction, not that Boruto actually blamed him. Aunt Sakura was just terrifying when she was mad. "I need to pay a visit to a old friend."

"Sasuke-kun, please, don't destroy another valley with Naruto again. I am letting you two bleed to death this time." She asserted, crossing her arms across her chest one time more. Sasuke just took a deep breath, walked toward her and kissed her forehead, tinting her cheeks red.

Boruto didn't understand a single word of what she said, but he didn't argue either. He was feeling luckier enough.

"Boruto?" Sasuke called out.

"Yes?"

"Don't you dare break her heart, or I will hunt you down to the end of the Earth."

For some reason Boruto didn't understand, the threaten didn't give him the will to run away. Maybe because he knew it would never happen. There was not a single chance Boruto would break Sarada's heart, and if someday he actually did it, he would gladly accept any punishment his master and father-in-law had for him. "I won't. It is a promise."

"Good. Uzumaki have the tendency to not break them, better keep that up." Then, he left.

But Sakura could swear there was a shadow of a smile on his lips when he did.

 -

"He. Fucking. Did. It." Sarada slid against her door, sitting on the floor and letting out a sigh in relief she had been holding for so long. "And papa didn't kill him. I can believe it actually happened." She put both of her hands on her mouth to muffle her shocked giggle. Since the very beginning when she heard Boruto's voice, she couldn't believe he would actually tell him.

Damn it, Shikadai you idiot. She shook her head, already going straight to her safe to gather the money to pay him. At least now she knew, never in her lifetime she would bet against Boruto. He was always unpredictable but one thing she could always count on: he would do whatever it took to keep their relationship going.

With that thought, she left her room, eager to hug the hell out of her boyfriend.

 -

"Papa?"

After Boruto left to Sarada's that morning, Himawari decided she was going to help her father to finish the garden he had been working on for a week. Honestly, the girl thought it was a waste of his days-off, but Naruto didn't seem to mind.

"What?” He was burying the last tulip's seeds on the soil, concentrated.

"I have something to tell you." She stated, watering the space he had just finished. Soon he got up and looked to the ground, expectation sparkling on his eyes even though it was all earth. The girl stood by his side, glancing sideways over him.

"You can tell me anything, Himawari." He finally said, peered down at his wife miniature.

"Actually, I have a few questions first.” She started to go inside the house and Naruto followed her, intrigued. Nothing in the world would have prepared him for the next questions that came out of her mouth, especially because he didn't understand the point. "Do you consider Uncle Sai a strong shinobi?"

"What kind of question is that?" Naruto scoffed, already opening the refrigerator to pour him a glass of cold water and offering another one to his daughter.

Himawari accepted, taking a sip before encouraging him to  continue. "Just answer it."

"Of course I do." He responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Does he know any seal jutsu that could hold you?"

"Beg your pardon? Are you trying to seal me?" Naruto looked on worriedly as he moved around to the other side of the table, where his daughter was leaning on, completely confused.

"No, dad. Just answer!" Himawari laughed and threw the tiny rest of her water on his face. There was almost nothing on the glass except for a few drops but he still grimaced when it touched his skin.

He nodded, as he wipped the liquid from his face. "Yes, he has a strong jutsu capable of holding me back, for sure."

"And Aunt Ino, does she know anything about medic ninjutsu?" She was now looking down to the glass at her hand, her finger making circle around the border.

"Yeah, she used to be Tsunade's apprentice like Sakura-chan, although she is not as good as her." There was a bit of proud on his tone, and she knew it because he was always happy for his best friend. They must have had a hell of a crazy teenage years, she thought to herself.

"Hm, okay. I am satisfied with your answers." She stood up, straight, and the sudden action remembered Naruto of himself when he was at an important meetings and had to drop some random news at the others.

"Hima, I am not followin-"

"I am dating Inojin." She cut him off, her heart pounding like crazy inside her chest, waiting for her father outburst. Somehow, it didn't come and Himawari didn't discard the option that maybe it was even worst.

"Honey, kids, I am hom- Naruto, why are you using Kurama's chakra in our kitchen and why are you holding that kunai?" Hinata paused for a second before realization hit her. "Oh no, you told him, didn't you? Naruto, you can't kill your daughter's first boyfriend."

"I am just paying a visit to a old friend. Me and Sai need to talk." He said, already storming out to the door, as Himawari facepalmed herself.

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed one more time.

"Don't worry, mom. I just followed his plan, it is going to work." Himawari sighed. "Well, theoretically."

Hinata didn't understand what her daughter meant by that but one thing she was sure. If their kid decided to listen to their father crazy plans, they would be doomed, nor theoretically speaking.

[kellykadesperate]

so because i have no self control and am heavily influenced by the fandom and au’s, (i am firmly looking at you @softrobertsugden) i have started writing a ‘sweet home alabama’ fic which will be a chunky one shot piece. i promised @robertisbisexual a preview of the opening of it and considering i made her cry already today with my wip fic, i hope her heart is mended a little by this lmao.

Robert's staring at himself in the mirror and not being ashamed to admit he likes what he sees. His wearing a three piece black suit, he's got these fancy cufflinks on and something in his hair which is making it look even more styled than usual.

He can feel the ring in his pocket and it serves as a reminder of what's to come. Robert smirks, almost sees the money bags forming around his eyes if he thinks hard enough really.

There's a loose piece of thread hanging from his waistcoat and it's annoying so he tugs hard and watches it fall. It's easy, getting what he wants, maybe too easy but he doesn't want to dwell on that.

The sound of a glass clinking downstairs pulls him back to what he really needs to focus on. Chrissie White. His darling, soon to be fiancé who he genuinely does have feelings for, in a sort of way he doesn't want to have to sit down and describe. He loves her and it's enough, it's always been enough when you consider everything else he's getting. It's a sweet deal, pushing a ring down on her finger and saying some vows.

It gets him a house, a stake in a business, a wife who will actually try her hardest to please him as much as she can considering the cock up of her last wedding and the insanity of her son who they don't talk about anymore. He's in some special boarding school in Poland and Robert has to try not to find it fucking hilarious every time Chrisse decides to have her monthly cry into the satin sheets about failing him. As if she forced him to touch an drunk woman all over and get charged with sexual assault.

He doesn't understand that, her guilt over things she cannot even control. It's ridiculous.

The clock in the corner of the bedroom makes Robert's jaw clench, tense a little and shake his head. It's nearly twelve and usually that doesn't mean anything but it's New Years Eve and he should be expecting some cheesy message from Vic about seeing each other more despite her still being in that poxy village and him actually making something of himself in London.

He misses her, he's not too proud to admit that. He misses aspects of a whole life he once led but as soon as he does he realises why he left, why he had to leave and it's enough to make him forget it all. He's managed to have this great ability of blacking out entire dates in his mind, ones that should hold some importance. It's a life saver, literally, because he can't imagine being one of those people who carry around sadness and guilt and *regret over their past.

"Are you planning on hiding up here all night then?"

He hears the voice and registers it without even looking up. He knows that voice, he knows it's flirtatious tone which has long been abandoned by her sister. It's Rebecca White. Something makes Robert rolls his eyes because he knows he's probably going to have to hurt her and he could do without the hassle of it all really. So they have causal sex, quite hasty and manic yet not filled with as much heat as he would like. The last time it happened he literally just bent her over a basin and tried to block out her eager shrieking as she clearly enjoyed herself.

He has to tell her that it's happening, that he's getting engaged to her sister and he doesn't know how exactly she's going to react. He thinks about her slapping him and it suddenly annoys him because if she was being honest with herself she knew exactly what she was getting herself into as soon as she snogged his face off at that summer party. She was a flighty thing, that was always her problem, she'd run from her problems, usually to somewhere warm, and Robert would know he's hurt her heart once again.

He doesn't want to. He does like her, she just isn't enough. She isn't  where the money was. Rebecca, with her huge hats and the ridiculous beads in her hair, is just too unreliable to even consider marrying and he certainly doesn't love her enough to do what tossers do and marry for love.

The thought makes him smirk and then he has to turn to her, she looks beautiful in that sort of young, naïve way about her and he smiles.

"No, just finishing getting ready." He says, looks back at the mirror like he has to look at himself again and then he's watching her coming closer, he feels the glitter in her dress bring her closer towards him and then suddenly he smells her perfume by his neck and yeah she's fucking kissing his neck.

It takes a few seconds to prize her off and then Robert's holding onto her shoulders like she's a four year old who needs telling off or something.

"Bex. What did I say?" He's saying and her eyes are fluttering like she's confused and he sighs. "This, us, it's -"

Rebecca shrugs her shoulders away from Robert's grip and turns towards the mirror, fixes the feather headdress plastered on her forehead and then presses her lips together like she's trying to maintain the red lip she's rocking. She does this, pretends that she's not heard or that she's not bothered and then Robert will find her crying in the gardens or trying to cop off with a random.

So he'll tell her it all now to save her any more tears.

"I'm going to ask Chrissie to marry me tonight." He says, really means a few seconds into the new year but he doubts Rebecca really cares for specifics right now.

He watches her turn, watches an O form in her mouth and the way she nods after a few seconds. "I see." She says, comes closer towards him and then smiles. "Should I be happy for you then?" She's asking, expression suddenly hard and Robert looks away.

It's not hard, none of this really is but it's just frustrating. He can't decide suddenly if the impending engagement even really matters that much to Rebecca or if this is all really a front. He pictures slamming hair against a bathroom wall as the party dies down, ring free from his pocket and a hand cupping her breasts as she still tries to feign indifference. That's the thing with Bex, she tries to make out she's good when she isn't really. Chrissie owns her demons whilst Rebecca tries to hire them out for hours on end. It's why she never really looks at home with herself, maybe it's why she's so attracted to someone who wears the demons right on their sleeve without a care in the world.

"I don't get why you're taking this so badly." He argues, has a hand out and frowns at her. "You know I'm with her, you know I love her and - okay now I see a future with her too." It's not exactly lying, but he sees that Rebecca doesn't quite believe him and it frustrates him more than anything else.

Rebecca turns to leave and then Robert holds her tightly by the wrist, he fucking hears the damn hitching of her breath and the passion running through her and it's just so easy. "Nothing's changed you know." He says, lies really, voice like gravel as he bends down towards her and watches her eyes flutter again.

"Of course it has. She's going to be your wife." She hisses out, still letting Robert hold onto her wrist and not even attempting to move herself away. She likes it. She loves this.

And all Robert has to say is: "Well she's not my wife yet."

It makes Rebecca roll her eyes fucking playfully and then she's kissing his cheek, pressing her red lips against his skin and smiling as she walks back towards the door and back down the stairs leaving Robert with a mark of her like it means a damn thing.

::

Everyone is old so no one really jumps up and down like teenagers when the countdown begins. Like every year Robert is plagued suddenly with thoughts about his old life and what he used to. He spends the whole year trying his hardest to block it all out and then spends literally ten seconds thinking about it all.

He remembers a cricket pavilion. He remembers cans of beer. He remembers laughing. He remembers jumping into a car and screaming at the top of his voice as he drove somewhere. He remembers losing someone and it crushing at his gut over and over again.

"Happy new year darling." Chrissie is hanging on him, her dress is that little more expensive than Rebecca's and it manages to cement something in Robert's mind. He knows he's picked the right one, knows with a arrogant confidence that he had the fucking choice, still does really.

He kisses her, can't believe how short those ten seconds actually were and then he's holding her hand, leading her outside into the gardens where fireworks are being fired and Lawrence is enjoy a tipple with some old friends, or lovers, it's hard to tell with him.

He's down on one knee before Chrissie can say anything and he instantly regrets it, the grass is wet and this suit is expensive.

"Chrissie White, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" He's not even practiced it, just thought it would be said on a whim and it pays off because she's pulling hands over her mouth and nodding her head and then dragging him up to his feet so she can kiss him.

She tastes like appetisers and champagne. She tastes expensive basically and for a second, Robert looks out towards the night sky, watches it become decorated with pink fireworks and then he's thinking about his father.

He'd be proud, he thinks, because despite not being a farmer like the ridiculously boring other son, he was making something of himself finally.

He is hardly a disappointment anymore.

::

The thing is, Robert's convinced himself life is pretty fucking great now and it's mad.

Rebecca's managed to hug her sister and congratulate her and then talk about fancying a holiday in Crete to escape the January blues and Robert is thankful.

He thinks about giving her some money but then decides against it, watches her scowl at him as he pats through his blazer in search of some. She still manages to call him 'Roberto Sugden' before she goes though and Robert manages not to laugh at her dramatics.

So she isn't the problem, and neither is Lawrence who doesn't have enough of a problem with Robert to genuinely be annoyed by this engagement. He says something awkwardly average about Robert looking after his girl and Robert doesn't even bat a fucking eyelid.

There's one problem though, it's a niggling one, pressed so far back in his mind that it's hardly there at all.

He thinks about it as he sits down on his office chair and tries to think about a way out of the mess he's created himself. The mess no one knows about. Not Chrissie, not Rebecca or Lawrence, not even Vic.

Before he can do anything about it, someone's ringing him and he has to bite back irritation just before he says hello.

It's Vic and somehow she manages to make him settle and sit up at exactly the same time.

"Hey, I - haven't heard from you for ages." He says, gets in there first so that he doesn't feel even worse when she chastises him over something or other.

It turns out that it's over the lack of a New Years text and he has to roll his eyes as she bangs on about family, and having to keep everyone together despite their differences. It almost sounds rehearsed, like she's reading off a sheet of paper but then he's hearing a voice in the background, booming and loud and he knows it's Adam's. The twat just has this wild ability of rubbing Robert up the wrong way with his dopey laugh and lack of drive to do literally anything with his life apart from drink beer and hang off his sister.

"Yeah well, I've got lots to tell you about." He says, presses the phone further towards his ear before attempting to rummage through the drawers of the desk. He reaches as far as he can and then hears Vic ask him what he's actually talking about. He has to pretend he hasn't heard her for a few seconds as he pulls out a stack of letters addressed to him, addressed back to him and he sighs hard.

"How about I tell you in person?" Robert says, a hand pressing over the letters and then quickly pulling one open, staring hard at the divorce papers and then scrunching one up in his hand angrily. "I fancy a trip down memory lane."

Like a fucking hole in the head.

::

He gets lucky. Of course he does.

Chrissie is having a bad week, generally missing her psycho son and has this wild urge to go and see how he is getting on.

Of course she wants Robert to come along with her, bust she's in such a state that his promise of joining her out there in a few days seems to suffice.

"I just want him to know I still care." And Robert hates this part of her, it makes everything a lot harder suddenly but beneath the jewels and the diamonds and the shows, she has a heart and it's protective and loving.

"He does know." Robert says, he's watching her pack away her things as he stands by the door and thinks about telling her where he's going himself. He said it was a business trip up north and she just believed him blindly without even raising an eyebrow. He thought about doing the right thing, just telling her the truth but then she'd only want to know he couldn't wait until she was back so that they could visit his darling family together.

Because basically she hasn't got a clue and Robert likes to keep it that way.

"I promise I'll be there as soon as I can." He lies, because he can, because it's easy.

::

He's in his fanciest car, suitcase in the boot and wind running through his hair.

He feels likes he's got this covered, feels like he's going to leave the stupid village a new man somehow.

He'll be a free man. The thought makes him smirk and then he's not, then he's thinking about it all and he feels sick because he hadn't allowed himself to really get bogged down by the past and the mistakes he had made when he was young and dumb and convinced himself to live for the moment.

Robert sees the sign before he wants to.

Emmerdale bloody village.

It's dirtier, looks rugged and he hates it more than he can be.

But he drives through, because Vic is waiting for him and he needs to face the mess he made all those years ago head on. He can't run from it anymore, not now he's engaged, not now he's actually getting married.

The village is still a quaint little thing, void of any colour except for beige and the green plants which are scattered around the place and Robert wants to turn right round. He can feel people staring at the unfamiliar car and it's almost painfully embarrassing for all of them. The little busy bodies who have literally nothing else to do with their day apart from gossip about The Strange Blonde In The Silver Car.

He parks it up right outside Vic's and smiles as she opens the door to greet him. Her little cottage is just that, little, like everything else is and he suddenly misses the sound of traffic he's used to in London. He's fucking sick of knowing all about the birds tweeting in the trees already.

She squeezes his frame and he has to bend down so that she gets the majority of him. He has a hand on her back and rubs slowly, for a second or so he stays that way, just closing his eyes and holding her and then he feels like a prick for getting so sentimental about everything. But she smells like biscuits and lemonade and it doesn't take long for him to see his mother telling him to come inside for his tea and he hates himself.

"I can't actually believe your back." Victoria's got a hand on her hip, she's wearing this yellow cardigan and has a towel over her shoulder and she looks so much like a little wife it's scary. She's so young, should be dancing the night away not making her brother tea and biscuits upon his arrival.

Bless her, he thinks, only sees his mother as she smiles at him.

Robert just nods, digs a hand into his jean pocket and then shrugs his shoulders. It's suddenly hot and he can't cope with his leather jacket on anymore but he keeps it on all the same. "Yeah well, I said I had a lot to talk to you about."

He doesn't really. Vic knows he's been with Chrissie for nearly two years, she knows that they've done the whole going on holiday and not wanting to throttle each other test, she knows that Robert's involved with the business. All she needs to know is that he's finally popped the question. It's not that exciting but he'll make out it is. He can hadn't tell her the real reason why he's back can he?

Before Vic can say anything Adam is walking out and he's got his hands on her waist fucking shamelessly. He's like a grizzly bear who needs to be injected with something and Robert just stares at him, tries to stare him down and it works because Adam's suddenly pulling himself off of Vic and nodding his head at Robert.

"You alright mate?" Adam's asking and he's got a frown on his face the way he always does, as if he's making out as though he's genuinely concerned for Robert's wellbeing.

"Great." He says, he's not going to bother asking how Adam is, he really isn't so instead he's squinting, "Now I smell biscuits so ..." He watches Vic predictably grab his hand and pull him towards the cottage. "Adam you wouldn't mind?" He's saying, chucking Adam his keys and looking towards the boot.

The village idiot can carry his bags in.

The house is just as dainty, as god awful decor but Vic keeps blaming it on Betty despite her owning the house for nearly a year.

"So how comes darling Chrissie hasn't joined ya?" There's bite in Vic's voice and Robert let's it be there, he knows what she really thinks. She'd got drunk one night and rang him out of the blue, started banging on about her family being his family now and had obviously come to the conclusion that Chrissie had taken her brother from her. And it was ridiculous, considering the fact that it wasn't like that really.

It was Chrissie who wanted to see the famous Sugdens, it was Chrissie who wanted to go back to the village Robert was born in.

He just didn't want to bring her here. It was as if you were bringing a iPhone with you into a time machine and travelling back to the 1920's. It was like mixing oil with water. In short, it just didn't work.

"She's visiting Lachlan." Robert says.

"Is he the messed up kid?" Adam says and Robert just stares at him hard, doesn't even blink and then he's rolling his eyes.

"Yeah that's what we call him at home." Robert says dryly, enjoys the way he watches Adam squirm uncomfortably and fight the urge not to apologise. He does in the end and Vic fawns over him like she's grateful and it's ridiculous.

"So," Vic's got a hand on the side of her face and rests it there as Adam potters around the house loudly. "How long you staying here for?"

He genuinely doesn't know the answer. He wants to say days but who knows how difficult it's going to be.

"Not decided yet." He says, oozes confidence as he rests against the chair and then sips at the milky tea Vic has made for him. "I've still got to tell you why I'm actually here." He says with a smile and she is hanging on his every word. He's missed this, missed the way she used to look at him like he was something great.

He goes to speak and then the door is being slammed shut, for a second it startles him and then he's pulling a face as he smells farm and he's only thinking of one person.

"Blimey, he actually showed up then?"

It's Andy.

For a second, he can't turn around. It's stupid really but he's a boy again and Andy's that bit older than him and everything seems unfair in the world because he's being blamed for it all.

"Nice to see you too Andy." He smirks, turns his whole body around and greets him. He's got a beard now, a fully grown one and he's wearing his overalls.

"What did I say about you walking through here smelling like the wrong end of -"

Andy rips his eyes away from Robert and then winces at his sister's nagging. "Alright, alright." He says and then he's going up the stairs, away from sight and there's something heavy setting in Robert's chest already.

"Funny how you forgot to mention he lived here?"

"He doesn't." Vic says quickly and then frowns. "Well he does. Sometimes." She darts a look towards her brother and sighs, "Him and Katie are on a break."

And yeah, Robert can't help but smirk just a little because he refuses to buy into the whole Romeo and Juliet star crossed lovers shit that everyone else seemed to do.

"I'll alert the press." He says dryly before standing and feeling Vic hit his arm.

"You will not. And you won't tease him about it either okay? Just because you've got it made doesn't mean everyone else does."

And yeah, that prickles something in Robert's chest.

::

Andy's with his kids and he's doing the whole boring dad routine which Robert is sick to death of hearing about.

He's sent Chrissie a text, told her that it's all going well and that he hopes Lachlan is okay. He doesn't though, he's never felt so indifferent about kid ever in his life.

He's sitting on the sofa, watching the clouds move over the sky and he's long since abandoned his leather jacket which is hanging on the door.

"How about we go to the pub? I'm sure your darling public are bound to want to see ya." Vic says, pats at her brother's leg and he rolls his eyes. "I've spread the word."

"What Jimmy and Nicola and Bob and whoever he's decided to marry now." He says dryly and Adam laughs, full on cackles like he's having a fit or something.

Robert doesn't like how Adam sort of gets his humour sometimes, he prefers the vacant expression.

"Diane is in the pub." Vic says, and Robert knows he has to go now, knows that Vic won't just give up. "You can play darts with Adam." She says, scratches at her arm and Robert can't think of anything worse and it shows on his face apparently.

Adam's too much of a goof ball to take it seriously.

"I'll play n'all. Invite Aaron, make up the numbers and we can do best buds vs siblings." She's such an excitable thing and her words nearly get lost as she speaks but then Robert's latching on and he can't fucking let go.

"He might be busy." Adam's saying and then Vic says something and all he can hear is voices dancing on top of his mind and squeezing the life out of him.

"Robert?"

He must have missed her words because Vic looks all annoyed at him and Robert just stares at her.

"You remember Aaron right?" She's asking and Robert nods very slowly, watches her look towards Adam. "Him and Rob were as thick as thieves at one point." She frowns, looks awkward. "You know, before you left." She finishes, looks back at Robert.

"Didn't know that." Adam frowns, and it's painfully clear that Aaron has done his best job to forget him just as much as Robert has.

"Yeah well, we were just stupid kids back then." Robert blurts out, hastily, finds himself playing with his watch and gulping hard. "I haven't seen him for what? Nearly seven years."

Vic rolls her eyes. "Alright settle down." She teases, gets up to fix her hair or put some lipstick on or something and Robert stays where he is, waits until Adam is saying that Aaron's working and only then he's nodding.

::

Turns out that the pub is exactly the same as it was before. The only difference is Chas is behind the bar alongside Diane and Chairty.

"Blimey." Chas says, voice flat but she's itching to raise an eyebrow because it's clear that she's surprised by Robert's presence and he revels in the attention he gets. He soaks it in like some King.

"Nice to see you Chastity." Robert tilts his head and then turns to Adam and Vic, "Just their usual and a pint for me." He says and then he's looking at Diane and something warm spreads across his chest.

She's coming from around the bar and hugging him, calling him pet about five times before she's pulling away. She's saying that she's missed him and he tries to believe she has but it's hard. It's really hard considering the fact that they were like ships in the night. Diane was never really a replacement for his mum like she was for Andy and Vic. He'd missed the warmth and the love she offered, he'd been denied that as soon as he was packing his bags and leaving.

So he doesn't expect her to fake affection but when he looks at her, her eyes are filled with softness and she looks so pleased to see him and he falters for a second. There's a genuine smile on his face and it wants to stick around.

"God, how long are you here for then?" Diane's saying, eyes glued to Robert as Adam and Vic try and find somewhere to sit.

Robert shrugs, "Not that long." He hopes. "Just wanted to see you all." He looks up and Charity is staring at him, looks shocked by how well he's turned out, he reckons. "Never thought I'd see you slumming it behind a bar like this, times hit you hard?" He winces playfully and enjoys the way it makes Chas smirk but then she's hard again like she has to be mean to him.

He sort of knows why, something prickles through him and he knows why.

"Well, I'm waiting for my dashing prince to whisk me away. Mr. Money bags hasn't come knocking yet." She says, hand on her hip and a playful look on her face. "You must be waiting for one too."

Robert scoffs, "What a sugar daddy?"

"No. A daft rich little thing. Why else would you be here?" Charity asks, and Diane is staring at Robert like she is wondering the same thing.

He didn't want to tell them about the engagement until the mess was sorted out but he certainly doesn't want them all thinking he's travelled back for them to take pity on.

"To tell you all I already have one." Robert smirks out and Diane's eyes widen. "I don't think she'd appreciate you calling her that but -"

Charity frowns, suddenly disinterested but then Diane's even more animated and she's calling Vic over.

"So wait? You're - you're actually engaged?" Vic's blurting out, can't help herself as she speaks and waits for Robert to confirm it.

He feels all eyes on him and goes to open his mouth, then the door is being swung open and -

Aaron's standing there, older, taller, but with the same innocent look about him and Robert gulps hard.

"Yeah. It's true. I'm getting married." He says, admits and feels Vic crush him with a hug despite her not even liking Chrissie all that much.

And -

Robert doesn't miss the look on Aaron's face.

[jngukie]

WIP Tag

i was tagged by @floofyeol! idk if this is a blessing or a curse let’s find out.

some of these fics have been in drafts for ages? so tbh i don’t even know if i will post them but hey we’ll see. (so assume for now that none of these will be posted—except when stated otherwise with an *)

the first couple will be ships. the later ones are reader-inserts. all are still protected by the Creative Commons license.

slide it up in here: chapter 10* pairing(s): jikook, namjin, yoonseok genre: humour, crack, drama, angst tags/warnings: texting, college au, slightly filthy, innuendoes, Awkward Jeon Jungkook™, slowburn, self-esteem issues, self-hatred, implied/referenced homophobia, everyone is a mess™

SUMMARY

gguki: [image attached] gguki: what should i do with it chimothy: um chimothy: dude idk if i’m entitled to give you suggestions but chimothy: i mean you could always just stick it in the ass???????

or jungkook accidentally sends a stranger a picture of his roommate’s brand new dildo

PREVIEW

the (9)7 wonders of the world

tol: ok here’s the plan dabs 24/7: yugyeom no offence but your plans kinda suck muscle pig: ^^ what bambam said muscle pig: i don’t trust you anymore tol: wow that hurt tol: but i promise you this one will be better dabs 24/7: don’t do it kook tol: it won’t backfire in any way

untilted vhope pairing(s): vhope, namjin genre: humour, fluff tags/warnings: college au, skype dates, profanity, neurobiology/pyschology major!namjoon, ra!jin, music major!yoongi (i think), some major!hoseok, and high schooler!tae, tbh idrk bc i haven’t finished writing it lmao

SUMMARY

When Jung Hoseok signed up for college, he didn’t think he’d end up on academic probation so soon. Hell, he’d never guess he’d have friends who would use him as a fucking lab rat for their atrocious experiments. He definitely did not expect to fall in love with his resident advisor’s little brother—and then proceed to sneak into said resident advisor’s room and hack his computer just to have one more Skype date with the little brother. Without getting caught by said resident advisor. Yeah—he’s a little stressed, to say the least.

→ a continuation of It’s Burning Up in Here.

PREVIEW

He didn’t sign up for this. He thought college would be a great idea—who would pass up the opportunity for ultimate freedom and youthful stupidity? No, he was ecstatic for college—but he definitely hadn’t signed up to be the fucking victim for his resident advisor’s boyfriend’s experiments.

“Hoseok-ssi, please stay still or otherwise this will hurt. A lot,” Namjoon begged as his friend Yoongi tried to hold him down on the fragile coffee table.

“That’s not what your needle’s saying! You said it was a harmless experiment! You said I’d be fine!”

“You will be! I just need practice drawing blood once—”

“You’ve never even done this before?” Hoseok shrieked, writhing some more. Yoongi growled in frustration and flung his entire weight onto Hoseok’s body—and thus effectively snapping the legs of the coffee table and sending them down towards the floor.

His advisor ran into the room then, eyes wide in alarm while holding a skillet filled with half-cooked meat, his creased white apron reading World’s Best Dad! in pretty cursive pink. “What the hell is going on here?”

untitled taekook* pairing(s): taekook, yoonjin genre: fluff, angst, humour, crack tags/warnings: restaurant au, running away, mentions of nudity, exhibitionism, does getting caught dancing naked in your room count as exhibitionism idek, mention of mpreg, but there’s no actual mpreg, i mean it’s the sims it’s not real, many many references to the male organ, but sorry folks no smut (A/N: this is literally what i have in my docs wow i’m such a nerd for preparing ao3 tags LMAO)

SUMMARY

The last thing Jungkook expected after running away to Seoul is to score a private live viewing of Naked_Neighbour_Dancing_In_His_Bedroom.mov—and then proceed to bump into him when he’s not-so-naked. And then also manage to greet him with a slap. It also probably doesn’t help that Nude Neighbour is his new boss. All in all, Jungkook just maybe kinda wants to die. (But of course Seokjin isn’t gonna allow him, so he’s just going to suffer—for now.)

PREVIEW

He sighs, turning his head to gaze out of the window, only to freeze when he realises his view isn’t exactly the most… decent.

Because across from his small studio apartment window is a perfect view of a larger apartment in the building across, and currently, the tenant (he hopes the boy’s the tenant) is enthusiastically dancing through his room completely naked, dinglehopper fully on display. He’s mouthing the words to some song, throwing a finger up in the air as he shuts his eyes and nods his head as though the music (Jungkook thinks there’s music) blasting in his room is speaking to him on a spiritual level.

Jungkook’s face is bright red when he finally breaks out of his trance, and he wishes he wasn’t so bad at reacting appropriately to inappropriate situations so he could at least have saved himself from adding a thirty-second clip of Nude Neighbour to his collection of non-digital memories. He rushes to the window and pulls the curtains close, fingers stiff as he tries to rid his brain of such scandalous images.

At least he was hot.

His face is redder now—if that’s even possible. “Fuck me,” he whispers, and then flushes even more. “Wait, no. Don’t fuck me. That’s not what—why am I even talking to myself. Agh.”

take these words out of my lungs (and set them free) pairing(s): vmin genre: angst, fluff tags/warnings: major character death, suicide attempt, depression, body image issues, depressed!jimin, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, ambiguous original character that appears for like five seconds, high school au

SUMMARY/PREVIEW

three pounds. that’s how much he’s gained since he last stepped on the scale, the dictator that rules over his life. he stares at the numbers again, frowning at the digits glaring up at him. perhaps there was a mistake; maybe the scale is rigged or jammed or simply broken. he couldn’t have possibly gained three pounds in a span of two days. hasn’t he been walking around his neighbourhood enough?

he sighs, stepping off the scale and turning around to flush the toilet before washing his hands. even the cold water burns his skin, and he wishes he could melt through the cracks on the floor. would he slim down then? would he finally be skinny enough?

“jimin!” he hears his mother call, and he forces his way from the sink, sneaking out his parent’s bathroom and into the living room outside. their apartment is small but cozy. jimin hates it.

untitled kim seokjin* pairing(s): platonic OT7 genre: fluff, angst tags/warnings: anxiety, depression, eating disorder, negative body image perception, lapslock (lower case)

SUMMARY

honestly, he can’t remember what it’s like to live anymore.

PREVIEW

breathe in. breathe out.

three lucky charms. four cereal pieces. seven bits down the drain.

he smiles, staring at the milk-stained sink as the spoon clatters against metal, bowl turned upside down. it’s ugly—white ink staining burnt grey like liquid cobwebs feeding on rust. it looks exactly as how he feels: dirty, wasted, trash. one-seventy-nine centimetres down the drain.

untitled kim taehyung pairing(s): Kim Taehyung/Reader genre: fluff, humour, probably angst bc knowing me tags/warnings: (sor far) nudity, profanity

SUMMARY/PREVIEW

Kim Taehyung has no regrets. Sure, he probably should’ve thought twice before he spent all of his money on BIGBANG merch just to show Jungkook that yes, he’s the bigger fanboy, and sure, he definitely should’ve listened to Jimin when he warned Taehyung that no, he shouldn’t eat three whole pizza pies by himself, but that doesn’t mean he regrets any of his decisions. Even though blowing all his earnings on people he’ll never meet did cause him to starve for a good or so month.

(Thank god for ramyeon.)

So, no, Jimin, he doesn’t regret running out of the shower butt naked when he heard her singing on her way to the second floor of their co-ed dorm, doesn’t regret shouting, “I love your voice!” before she screamed, “Oh my god, you’re naked!” And he definitely doesn’t regret yelling, “Oh, shit!” into Oblivion before sprinting back into the bathroom to resume the hot shower he abandoned.

“For fuck’s sake, Taehyung,” Jimin says to him once Taehyung’s finished recounting the story, the two of them lying side by side on Jimin’s bed. “You’re going to get us kicked out.”

“I should probably say hi,” Taehyung muses, blinking at the ceiling. “Do you think she remembers me?”

Jimin glances down, and snickers. “With how small your dick is, she probably does.”

untitled park jimin pairing(s): Park Jimin/Reader genre: fluff tags/warnings: (so far) blind!reader

SUMMARY

He is an angel; and she doesn’t need to see to believe. She fathoms his widespread wings as he gently picks her up, worriedly and urgently asking for her health, voice so soft it touches her skin like silk on smooth glass. His eyes must be crinkled in the corners, a smile stuttering through apologies, heart too warm for the human hand to touch. She imagines what he looks like, faintly deciding through his rapid Korean that he must be chesnut if not vanilla, not in skin but in connotation because he sounds and smells and feels like home.

Her pause is a millennia long, and she hears him repeat himself again, the sound of melting marshmallow oozing out of beautiful lips: “Are you alright?”

She produces a smile, feathery and light, eyes glassy and the world continues to remain black. “I’m fine,” she replies, and her voice is cracked from its lack of use; she hasn’t met anyone worth talking to in what feels like a century. Another smile reappears, much strained than what she’s used to, and she picks herself up from where the concrete lay, the dust falling from her voile skirt. “No damage done.”

untitled kim taehyung #2* pairing(s): Kim Taehyung/Reader, platonic OT7 genre: fluff, angst tags/warnings: i think it’s schizophrenia?, mental illnesses, depression

SUMMARY/PREVIEW

There is a moment when time stands still. It’s fleeting, escaping the moment your fingers curl around it and pull. But it is during this moment happiness enraptures you with its warm hug as your heart thunders against your chest—the steady thump, thump, thump of a snare drum awakening. It is during this moment pain ceases to exist.

But after, everything will come rushing back.

i have more but these are the ones that are decent, at the very least.

to pass the torch on, i’ll tag @minmelly @kinky-koreans @pasteljeonggukk @haneulismykoreanname @rnjmnster and anyone else who wants to do it! (if you don’t, no pressure. good luck to you and your writing!)