#might revisit it later but here’s my last thing for the year hehe

[monocub]

an old sketch of a lis2 au with ace and luffy are the wolf brothers 🐺🐺🐺

[moby-writing-and-stuff]

Gym Jobs: Brawly (NSFW)

Ash Ketchum smiled as he rested his arms on the railing of the boat, enjoying the feeling of the warm, salty sea air rush against his face. “Pikaaaa” his best friend, Pikachu, chirped from his shoulder, as he felt the same air hit his fur.

“Hehe, yeah” Ash said, petting his friend’s head “It’s nice to be back in Hoenn���

Indeed, the newly minted champion of the Alola region was enjoying a bit of a vacation on his own, something he needed, seeing as his last vacation turned into enrollment into a school and getting roped into yet another plot involving hyper powerful pokemon and another Pokemon League competition. He might love pokemon training more than anything else, but right now he was just tired and wanted a break.

“Righto, we should be getting to Dewford in a few minutes” a voice called from behind him. The raven haired teen turned around, smiling as he saw the old captain walking over to him “You ever been here before, boy?”

“Oh yeah” Ash said with a nod “Came here a few years ago, when I competed in the Lily of the Valley conference”

“Ah, you competed in the league?” the old man said with a laugh “It’s great to see a former competitor!”

“Yeah, it was a fun journey” Ash said as he laid against the railing, smiling as he felt a flood of nostalgia. “Didn’t win that one, but I did one later”

“Ah, wait a second…. You're Ash Ketchum, aren’t you?” the old man said with a smile

“Yeah” Ash said with a little chuckle

“Knew I’d seen your face before. I saw you're match with that Alolan professor” the man smiled as he slapped Ash’s back “So, you taking a victory tour then?” “Guess you could call it that, yeah” Ash said with a giggle “Honestly? I just want a break for a while, and revisiting where I’ve been is a good way to do that” “Ah, I take it you’ve been to see Roxanne already?” “Yup, her and Norman” Ash said with a grin “Things have changed a lot, that’s for sure” “Oh definitely” the captain said with a laugh “Ever since Steven retook his title of champion from Wallace, he made a trip round the region and made an effort to update and renovate all the gyms”

“It showed” Ash said, as the silhouette of Dewford Island began to come into view. “Roxanne's gym looks amazing now, it moved from a simple school to a full fledged museum!”

“Hehehe, indeed” the captain said “Lot’s of gyms got very nice new layouts. I visited my grandson in Mossdeep City to watch his Gym Battle with the twins. It was quite the sight, let me tell you”

“Nice” Ash said with a big grin, Pikachu having a matching one “I was planning on heading over after Dewford” “It will be quite the sight, let me tell ya” the captain said, looking back to the rapidly approaching island “Better get back to the wheel. That fancy autopilot is useful for open ocean, but it ain’t good when you're near the docks.” with that, the older man turned and left.

“He’s nice, isn’t he?” Ash asked his fuzzy yellow friend “Pika pika” the electric type chirped with a nod

“Wonder if he’ll be up to taking us elsewhere after the visit here” Ash muttered as the boat slowed down and gently parked in the harbor. Smiling, the teen turned around, tightened the straps on his backpack and gave the captain one more friendly smile “Thank you for the ride sir!”

“You're welcome! Sorry to say I’ll be heading off soon! You’ll have to take a ferry off!”

“Thank you for the warning!” Ash said as he hopped off onto the pier, smiling as the smell of the beach hit his nose “Ah. Right, Pokemon Center first, then we go see Brawly?” “Pika!” Pikachu agreed with a nod. Smiling, the young champion took off to the nearby pokemon center.

“Here you are” Nurse Joy said as she handed Pikachu back to Ash. The yellow rodent chirped and hopped off the Nurse’s hands and clambered up to his trainer’s shoulder

“Hehe, sorry bout that” Ash said with a giggle “Well, that might be the most energetic Pikachu I’ve seen in a long time” the nurse said with a smile “So, do you have any other Pokemon that might need a check up?” “Nope” Ash said with a shake of his head “I just brought Pikachu with me. Not really here to challenge the gyms, its a vacation”

“Ah, alright then” Joy said with a smile “Well, even if you're not interested in competing, I recommend you check out the gym. Brawly has made some interesting renovations”

“Oh?” the raven haired teen asked “What kind?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, he’s exact words to Mr. Stone were ‘I’ve got nothing to do on a day without challengers and bad weather. I’d like it so the gym can be used for more than just battles’”

“Huh, that’s the first time I’ve heard someone say that” Ash muttered “Most of the time, Gym Leaders just care about the gym being in good condition for challengers”

“Yeah, but Brawly has always been an eccentric one” the nurse admitted with a shrug “Nowadays, the Gym is open 24/7 for anyone who wants to use its facilities.” “Wait, Brawly is in the gym all day?”

“Oh sweet Rayquaza, no!” the nurse said with a giggle “No, there’s a schedule for Gym battles now. Brawly is open to them between 9 and 4. The rest of the day, the gym is open terf”

“Huh, interesting” Ash muttered, he and Pikachu sharing a confused look “Well, thank you again Nurse” “It’s no problem” she said with a friendly smile as Ash turned around and walked out of the building. He grinned as he looked around, the warmth of the sun hitting his face, a sensation he had grown used to thanks to the last year he spent in Alola.

“Hey Pikachu, we do have sunscreen, right?” Ash asked as he walked down the sand covered ground of the town. Pikachu turned around and zipped open the bright blue backpack. He dug around for a few seconds before popping out with a big, white bottle with a bright orange cap

“Pika!” the pokemon chirped

“Perfect!” Ash said with a big smile, as he took the bottle from his pokemon, popping the cap off and squirting a big blob of the cream onto his hands, beginning to spread it all over his exposed skin. This was a thing he started doing the last year when he lived in Alola, the nasty sunburns he got a few times when he headed out to the beach pretty much taught him to never go outside without at least one bottle of the stuff to re-apply constantly.

As he spread his protection against the wrath of Volcarona, he slowly weaved and bobbed through the small crowds that were forming in the street. Most of them were kids who were dashing off to play at the beach, and a few were people closer to his age, dressed up and ready to start off their journeys. But what drew his attention was a rather large group of people who were walking to the gym. What drew his eye was that they weren’t dressed like trainers. None of them had backpacks, pokeballs on their belts, or clothes that were made for long journeys. 

Most of them were wearing tight shorts, sandals or sneakers and a few were even going without anything on their torsos. All of them had towels, water bottles and various other bits like that.

“That’s weird…” Ash muttered, stopping in his track and watching the large group heading for the gym. Most of them were guys, and they were around his age, a few a bit older, a few a bit younger, but most were in their late teens. Frowning a little, Ash walked a bit faster and tagged along, right behind one of the larger groups. The guys that made it up didn’t even seem to notice him, instead completely immersed in their own conversations. Still confused, Ash slowly krept behind them as they approached the gym.

From the outside it looked just like Ash remembered from his challenge a few years ago. It was on a rather tall cliff a few yards away from the sand covered town, and being the only spot that actually had grass around it. It was still a large white building with a huge orange dome roof, with the roaring of crashing waves in the background. The guys in front dashed ahead, clearly excited about something happening in the place, as they left Ash completely in the dust. Literally, as they kicked up a cloud of orange dirt as they speed ahead, leaving the newly minted champion coughing and waving his hands in front of his face.

“Gah!” he exclaimed as the cloud finally dissipated “Sweet Arceus what was that about?!” “Pika chupi!” the yellow pokemon agreed, sneezing a bit as he cleared his own lungs of the dirt.

“Brawly must be holding a party or something for people to be that damn excited” Ash muttered as he began walking to the gym himself. When he reached the door, he finally saw some of the renovations that he’d been told about. The door wasn’t the old glass paned one from his last time here, but instead was a steel door that shone like it had just been polished. Hanging right above it, in bright orange letters read ‘Dewford Town Gym’. As he walked closer, Ash saw a small plaque that had been placed right next to the door, and like it, shone like it had just been waxed this very morning.

“Huh” he muttered as he read the thing “Attention, due to changes in the layout of the gym, and in the equipment inside, memberships must be renewed early this month. If you have paid already, please bring proof of the payment and you will be excused of the new payment…. Memberships? What kind of gym has a membership?” he muttered, crossing his arms “That would get Brawly in loads of trouble with the League…” shaking his head, Ash steeled himself and took one more step. As he did, the motion sensor of the door finally picked him up and slid open. 

Ash winced a little as he was hit with a blast of cold air, as the AC of the gym smacked him in the face. Shaking his head and stepping inside, Ash did not expect what he saw. It was a simple looking waiting room, with a huge pair of doors that looked like they belonged in a school, and a lot of chatting coming out from behind it. As he stepped inside, a smell hit Ash’s nose, a smell he wasn’t that used to smelling. The weird mix of sweat, deodorant and soap that only emerged from a spot where a lot of people went to work out.

“Ah, hello there!” a cheery voice said, snapping Ash out of his thoughts. Looking over to the side, he saw a young man, again close to his age, sitting wearing a tight, compression outfit that had the letter DG stamped on the chest in bright orange.

“Um, hi” Ash said as he walked over. As he did that, Pikachu jumped off and walked over to the large door, sniffing the hair, clearly confused by the smell

“Do you have a membership?” the guy asked, glancing over to the computer “Or do you already have one?” “Membersh- No!” Ash said, shaking his head “N-No I don’t. I-I haven’t been here in a long time, and I wanted to see Brawly”

“Oooh” the guy said, blushing a little “Sorry about that. That’s kinda become my default response to seeing someone come in”

“I-It’s ok” Ash said with a chuckle “So, is Brawly here?” “Oh, no. Sorry” the guy said with a friendly smile “He left about an hour ago to go surfing. I don’t know when he’ll get b-” “How bout righ now?” a laid back voice rang out from behind Ash. The raven haired teen turned around and smiled as he saw a guy a few years older than him, with teal hair and eyes. He was wearing a tight black shirt, fingerless gloves, shorts that matched his hair color, and some of the weirdest footwear Ash had ever seen, what seemed to be a mix between socks and shoes that showed off his toes. Around his forehead was a pair of bright orange sunglasses, and he was dripping wet.

“Hi Brawly!” Ash said, a big smile on his face as he approached the gym leader, holding out his hand for a shake

“Ash Ketchum!” the gym leader said with a big smile, taking a step forewards and grabbing Ash’s hand

“You remember me?” the raven haired trainer asked in shock

“Course I do!” the fighting type gym leader said with a smile “Kinda hard to forget the winner of the first Alolan league!” “Oh yeah” Ash chuckled with a blush “So you saw that?” “Yeah” Brawly said “I’ve been thinking of heading over to Alola during my next vacation, so I thought it would be best to learn who the best trainer there was”

“Hehehe” Ash chuckled, getting even redder

“So, what brings ya here?” 

“Decided to take a trip to relax after the league” Ash said with a shrug. “Thought I’d stop by and visit. And holy crap, things have changed…” “You can say that again” Brawly said with a chuckle “Steven came knocking round last year, getting everyone to remodel the gyms and I took advantage of it do to do something extra”

“Yeah?” Ash asked

“Oh hell yeah. See, I noticed that I was pretty much the only guy on the island who was actually getting a chance to work out. Most people here don’t really care much for surfing. So I thought, if I open a regular gym here too, I can get people in here to work out and get some extra cash in my pockets to boot.” “Huh” Ash muttered, looking at the large door behind them “Have to admit, that’s pretty clever” “Yeah. I got the idea after a trip to Unova two years ago. Saw a trio of leaders that also ran a restaurant and that got this swimming round my head.” Brawly smiled at Ash “Say, while you're here, how bout a tour?” “Really?” Ash asked, shocked at the proposal

“Yeah” the teal haired gym leader said with a grin “I’ve got an hour before I need to start the Pokemon Gym part of the day up. Should be more than enough time to show ya around” “Well, alright then!” Ash said with a big smile

“Awesome!” Brawly said, turning to the guy at the reception “Right, Toby do me a favor and bring my board in a few minutes?” “Sure thing, Mr. Brawly” Toby said with a smile

“Awesome!” the gym leader said, walking up to Ash and guiding him over to the doors. Pikachu didn’t waste time and jumped up to his trainer’s shoulder, not wanting to miss the tour “Well, let’s get started then!”

“Alright” Brawly said, throwing the large doors open and leading Ash inside “Here we have the locker rooms. It's nothing too fancy, but they work”

Ash nodded as his eyes scanned around. The place looked like a traditional locker room from a high school, with rows and rows of dull green metal lockers, a tiled floor and steam hovering all around them, as some of the patrons showered. 

“So, how many people are members?” Ash asked as Brawly led him through the area, weaving through the discarded clothes and benches that littered the area.

“Oh, not that many. Small town and all that” Brawly said with a smile as he led the young trainer “I think there’s like….. 15? Give or take a few. And they don’t all come in at the same time. We get waves”

“Hehe, guess that’s a bonus for ya?” Ash asked, a cheeky smile on his face. Brawly blinked for a second, before a loud deep chuckle broke out of his mouth

“Oh damn! I walked right into that one, didn’t I?” Brawly giggled as the two approached the another door. Brawly gave Ash a big smile as he rested his hand on the doors “Well, ready to see the main attraction?” “Yeah!” Ash cheered

“Pika!” Pikachu chirped in agreement

“Alrighty then!” Brawly said as he shoved the doors open.

Ash had to admit, he was impressed. He had never been one for working out in the past, as his rather skinny twig like frame could show, but seeing all of these guys and a few girls working their asses off, chatting and clearly enjoying it all, it tempted him slightly to drop down and climb onto the closest machine.

“So, right here we have the lifting area” Brawly said, pointing at a section filled with loads of overly muscled people, who were comparing the sizes of their muscles

“Eh, don’t think that one’s for me…” Ash said, laughing a little “Hehe, oh don’t worry I agree.” Brawly said with a smile “I go over there every once in a while, but its not really my thing. But when I opened up the gym, there was such a demand for it, I had to give in. Who knew the island had that much of a body building fascination”

“Well, to be fair the town once had an obsession with Super Potions” Ash said with a little laugh

“Ha! True” Brawly laughed “Dewford Town is known to jump from fad to fad faster than the sun sets. Anyways, over here we have the cardio area”

The rest of the tour went very much like this, with Brawly leading Ash around and showing him the different spots, explaining how much use it got from either him or from the patrons. Ash listened with rapt attention. There was something about this place that really seemed to drawing him into it. He had to fight the urge to drop everything and jump into a few of the machines quite a few times, but soon, the two reached the end of the tour.

“So, what did ya think of the place Ash?” Brawly asked

“I-I….” Ash muttered, the smell of the place still on his nose, a small cloud in his head. Shaking it for a second, he smiled at Brawly “It was great Brawly. Its awesome that you managed to make something like this” “I know!” the teal haired gym leader said with a big grin. As they spoke, Ash took another sniff and felt that weird cloud come back. Without noticing, his eyes slowly moved away from Brawly and over to the nearest machine, a treadmill. Brawly noticed and grinned “So, interested in giving it a shot?”

“H-Huh?” Ash asked, blinking rapidly as he snapped out of the cloud again. “O-Oh… I mean, yeah. I-I’ve never really done anything like this before though…”

“Oh relax” Brawly said, giving the teen a friendly shove over to the machine. Pikachu hopped off Ash and onto Brawly’s arm with a cheeky grin, before hopping down to the floor. “Go on and give it a shot!”

“A-Alright” Ash muttered as he walked closer to the thing. It wasn’t really anything too fancy, just a run of the mill looking treadmill, except that the tread seemed to be modified to be softer.

“Oh, one thing” Brawly said, walking a bit closer

“What?” Ash asked

“I don’t think you're dressed for it” he said, pointing at a mirror that sat right in front of the machine. 

Looking at his reflection, Ash frowned. He was wearing the black capri shorts, striped blue and white t-shirt, red hat and the fancy waterproof shoes he got back in Alola. Looking closer at them, he did realize that Brawly was right. These clothes weren’t made for working out like this.

“You're right…. But I don’t have anything to change into…” Ash said sheepishly

“Oh, don’t worry about that” Brawly said “Just take your shirt and shoes off” “Wait, what?” Ash asked, his eyes going wide a bit “Take my shoes off? Isn’t that a bit-” “Oh relax” Brawly said with a smile “I modified the treadmills so that it would be perfectly safe to run on em barefoot. I mean come on, did you ever see me wear shoes?”

“Hehe, fair point” Ash said with a shrug “Well it can’t hurt to give it a shot” he thought as he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off in one clean motion, taking his hat off too, then reaching down and slipping off his shoes, exposing his bare feet. He turned around and handed the clothes to Pikachu “Keep em safe for me buddy!” “Pika!” the pokemon nodded, with a mock salute. Ash giggled at his partner’s antics before turning around and stepping onto the machine. 

Taking a deep breath, he turned it on and began running slowly, as the machine slowly but surely sped up.

As he ran, he started at his reflection, panting at little as he jogged. He was really skinny, just like he remembered, and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw that the sunscreen he had bought was working like a charm.

“Good work Ash!” Brawly whispered into his ear “You're doing amazing”

For some reason, Ash shivered as he heard those words. There was something about Brawly complimenting him that felt really good. 

“Think you can do better?” he asked, smiling as he saw the look of concentration and pleasure on Ash’s face

“Y-Yeah” Ash said with a dopey smile. Brawly smirked and reached over, pressing the speed up button. The tread beneath Ash began to move faster, and the light jog the teen was doing turned into a sprint, doing his damndest to keep up with the new speed. That strange mix of determination and pleasure he had felt before returned in full force, and he was determined to prove that he could do just as good as he said he could.

For the next ten minutes, Ash ran in the best sync he could with the machine, sweat running down his face as he did so. 

“Alright!” Brawly’s voice rang into his ears again. Ash blinked rapidly as he felt the ground beneath him slow down, as the machine came to a stop. “You did pretty well”

“Hahah, thanks” Ash panted, grasping the side of the machine, sweat dripping off his face and to the ground beneath

“Here” the teal haired gym leader said, handing Ash a bottle with a bright orange liquid inside “Drink it, its important to have a lot of liquid in ya when you do this”

“Y-Yeah” Ash said with another pant as he pulled the cap off the bottle and chugged down its contents in two seconds. He shivered a little as the liquid touched his tongue and going down his throat. As it went down, it left a strange burning and tingling sensation. “Gah!” he gasped

“Yeah, drinking after a workout can burn” Brawly said with a smile “Especially after a great one like that one!”

“Great?” Ash muttered, smiling at little at that

“Oh yeah! You were great Ash” Brawly said, walking a bit closer to Ash “Worked out like a good gym boy”

Those words sent shivers down Ash’s spine, and a big dopey smile formed on his face. There was something about hearing those words that made him feel really really good. He wanted to hear Brawly say them again. 

He turned around, returning the empty bottle as he realized something

“Hey, where’s Pikahcu?” he asked, looking at the empty spot where his best friend had been standing a few minutes ago

“Oh, he was tired so I took him to the gym’s guest room so he could take a nap” Brawly explained with a friendly smile

“Oh, that’s ok then” Ash said, calming down a little “I guess that my clothes are there too?”

“Yup” Brawly said with a grin “Little guy took his job of guarding them seriously, let me tell ya”

“Haha!” Ash giggled “Yeah, he takes jobs I give him very very seriously”

“Speaking of taking things seriously” the teal haired gym leader said “You took that jog there real seriously” “Oh? Yeah, guess I did” Ash said, blushing a little 

“Why are ya blushing? That’s not a bad thing!” Brawly said, smacking Ash’s bare back

“R-Really?” Ash asked “I-I never really cared about stuff like this”

“Oh, trust me stuff like that can happen” Brawly explained “Belive it or not, I didn't care at all about surfing or the beach until my best friend convinced me to give it a shot one day” “Really?” the raven haired teen asked, looking at Brawly with a smile “I find that really hard to believe” “I know” the gym leader said with a smile “Actually, let’s make a deal”

“A deal?” Ash wondered as Brawly led him away from the gym area proper and to a door that led to the back areas “What kind of deal?” “Well, the next boat off the island gets here in a week” Brawly explained as he led him into an area that looked more like the hallway of a house, cleary the area where the Brawly lived. “So, the deal is this. I give ya a free room for you and your chu to stay at till it gets here”

“Really?” Ash asked, his eyes wide in shock “You’d just let us stay here?”

“Yup” Brawly said with a grin “But remember, deal. That means ya do something for me”

“Right” the raven haired teen said with a nod “So, what do you want from me?”

“You attend the gym for that week, at least once a day” Brawly said with a smile “Cause you look like a Suddowoodo, you're so damn skinny. So, that’s the deal. Take it or leave it?”

Ash blinked for a second, before smiling “Hell, I can handle having to go work out for a few days if it means free room!” he grabbed Brawly’s hand and shook it

“Perfect!” Brawly said with a huge smile, shaking Ash’s hand back “Alrighty then! I’ll get ya something better to wear for the gym for tomorrow” he said as they reached a door that was cracked open. Peeking inside, Ash smiled as he saw Pikachu curled up into a ball on a queen sized bed that waited inside the room, along with Ash’s clothes and his backpack. “This is the guest room, but for the rest of the week, it's your room!”

“Hehe, thanks Brawly” Ash said, walking into the room and gently closing the door before taking a seat next to Pikachu, who opened one of his eyes and smiled at Ash “Sorry buddy, didn’t mean to wake ya” “Pika” the yellow pokemon said, closing his eyes again and re-curling up. Ash sighted and ran his fingers through his friend’s fur

“Well, this is gonna be an interesting week” Ash muttered as he looked at himself. “Hope it won't be too hard to keep my end of the deal…”

(===============)

Ash yawned, a few rays of sunlight streaming in through the window and hitting his face. He groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he looked around.

“Where….?” he muttered for a second, before his sleepy mind caught up “Oh right. I’m at Brawly’s gym….” 

“Pika?” he heard a soft chirp coming from a bit a further down. Looking down, he smiled as he saw Pikachu slowly wake up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and stretching 

“Morning Pikachu” Ash said with a smile, rubbing the ears of his friend

“Pika pika!” the small yellow pokemon chirped in greeting, enjoying the petting

“Hehehe, slept well?” Ash asked as he threw the covers off and climbed out of the bed.

“Chu!” Pikachu said with a nod as the raven haired teen smiled and stretched. He looked around and caught his reflection on a mirror on the wall right across from the bed

“You know, Brawly has a lot of mirrors in this place,” Ash said with a little giggle as he looked at himself. He looked pretty much the same as always, slightly pale, regardly skinny and still strangely hairless below the neck. He never understood that, but he just assumed it was a genetic quirk of his, so he never really gave it too much thought.

KNOCK KNOCK

“Yo Ash?” Brawly’s voice rang out from the other side of the door “You awake?”

“Yeah, I’m up” Ash said, quickly grabbing his shorts and slipping them on just as the gym leader opened the door

“Morning” the teal haired teen said, smiling as he saw Ash adjusting his pants “Oh, relax. It's not like I haven’t seen anything like that before”

“O-Oh…” Ash stammered, his cheeks lighting up bright red “A-Ah… Well…alright then…”

“Oh man, you're easy to fluster” Brawly said with a grin “Come on, breakfast is ready”

“R-Right” Ash said, his cheeks still red as he quickly grabbed his shirt and slipped it on, following the Gym leader down the hall, his trusted pokemon a few steps behind. The trio quickly reached the kitchen, where Brawly had set up a decent spread for them to enjoy, including a plate filled with Poke-Chow for Pikachu

“Go ahead and dig in” Brawly said as he took a seat himself. The raven haired teen didn’t need another word and sat down, grabbing a piece of toast and wolfing it down. “Damn, you’re hungry today, ain’t ya?” “Hehe, yeah” Ash said, wiping some crumbs off his mouth as he grabbed a nearby glass, which was filled with the same bright orange liquid Brawly had given him yesterday “Hey Brawly, what is this exactly?” “Oh that?” the gym leader asked as he grabbed a glass himself and took a big drink “It’s a sports drink I made” “You made a sports drink?”

“Yeah” the teal haired guy said with a relaxed grin “It’s not as hard as it sounds honestly. Its a blend of berries and a bit of lemonade mixed in. Turned out to be a big hit with the guys coming in, so I decided to make it a real thing. Sales does help give a bit extra cash on top of the memberships” “Huh, cool” Ash said, as he took a drink from the glass, smiling as he felt the sweet flavor flood his taste buds, and when he swallowed, he smiled a little, as it left a pleasant tingling sensation that spread all over his body. He leaned back in the chair and relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief

“Like it?” Brawly asked with a big grin on his face

“Yeah” Ash said with a dopey smile on his face “It’s really good…” “Thanks” Brawly said with a smile, getting up to his feet and walking next to Ash, putting his hands on the teen’s shoulders “It makes you feel good doesn't it?” “Y-Yeah…” Ash muttered, his eyes slowly moving away from where Brawly had been sitting and down to the floor. He frowned for a split second as he saw Pikachu just standing there, swaying a wee bit, crumbs of his just eaten food “W-Wha..” “Shh” Brawly whispered into his ear, holding the glass up to his lips “Drink more. Drinking it makes you feel good, right?” “Ye-Yes…” Ash muttered as he started drinking the bright orange liquid, the tingling sensation growing stronger and stronger as he kept drinking

“Drinking it makes you feel good” Brawly kept whispering “And you drank because I told you to, right?” Ash nodded, not stopping his drinking

“So that means that doing what I tell you makes you feel good” Brawly whispered, taking the glass away from Ash mouth for a second “Say it” “Doing what you tell me to makes me feel good….” Ash mumbled, a dopey smile on his face

“That’s right” the teal haired gym leader whispered again “Say it again” “Doing what Brawly says makes me feel good…” Ash muttered

“Good” Brawly said with a smile, slowly moving away from Ash “Keep saying it until I stop”

“Doing what Brawly says makes me feel good. Doing what Brawly says makes me feel good. Doing what Brawly says makes me feel good.” the raven haired teen kept repeating, the dopey smile on his face growing more and more as he repeated the words. Soon, Brawly came back with something in his hand

“Take a deep breath” he whispered, as Ash looked down to see what the teal haired boy was holding. It was a can of some kind, and Ash did as he was told, taking a big sniff of whatever was inside. He moaned a little as he felt that same feeling from the drink flood all over his body, sending shivers of pleasure all through his nerves. Brawly smiled as he saw Ash’s eyes go wide and the dopey smile on his face growing even bigger, staring off into empty space as he kept mouthing what he had ordered him to say.

“Hehe, this stuff works like a charm” he said to himself as he stared at the raven haired teen “Now, let’s get to work” he grabbed the hem of Ash’s shirt and quickly took it off, Ash unconsciously moving along, as he just kept staring ahead.

“Doing what Brawly says makes me feel good….” Ash muttered, his voice coming back after the blast of pleasure

“Listen to me carefully” Brawly whispered into Ash’s ear again “What I’m about to tell you is the absolute truth. A fact that you will never doubt or think about, it is the truth and nothing else” “Yes Brawly….” the raven haired teen mumbled, that dopey smile still on his face

“You hate wearing shirts and shoes” Brawly whispered “Shirts and shoes are restrictive, useless pieces of clothing that you cannot stand, and never wear them. You always leave your chest exposed and your feet bare”

“Yes Brawly….” Ash mumbled, as the orders found their way into his addled mind and cemented themselves in stone “I hate shirts and shoes…. I never wear shirts and shoes…. I only wear pants and nothing more…..”

“Good boy Ash” Brawly whispered, giving the boy a pat on the head “Now, keep repeating that for the next two hours”

“I hate shirts and shoes…. I never wear shirts and shoes…. I only wear pants and nothing more…..I hate shirts and shoes…. I never wear shirts and shoes…. I only wear pants and nothing more…..I hate shirts and shoes…. I never wear shirts and shoes…. I only wear pants and nothing more…..” the raven haired teen repeated over and over, still staring at the ceiling, the words cementing themselves even more in his brain.

Brawly smiled and took a step back, admiring his handiwork 

“Right, a bit longer like that and you’ll be ready to start your first day at the gym!” the gym leader smirked as he looked down at the electric type standing on the ground, who like his trainer was staring into empty space “Now, let’s get to work on you”

Ash groaned as he blinked rapidly, frowingin as he looked around. He was sitting in the kitchen of the gym, a plate of half eaten toast and an empty glass in front of him.

“Guh… What happened?” he muttered, shaking his head as he got up. As he did, he felt his toe brush against some cloth on the ground. Curious, the raven haired teen reached down and grabbed a blue and white striped t-shirt.

“Oh hey Ash!” Brawly’s voice rang out from the other side of the room. Looking up, Ash smiled as he saw the teal haired trainer walking over with a big smile on his face “You done with breakfast I see”

“O-Oh yeah I am” Ash said with a smile “Hey Brawly, is this thing yours?”

“Oh? Nah. I don’t have any shirts like that. Isn't it yours?” “Mine? Arceus no!” Ash said, tossing the shirt to the table “I hate the things, never wear them.” “Ah, alright then. That actually makes my life easier” Brawly said with a smile “Makes it easier to find you some gym clothes” “Hehe” Ash giggled a little as the two walked out of the kitchen, and down to the gym proper. The raven haired teen smiled as he felt the smell of the gym hit his nose. It wasn’t the same as yesterday, when the place had been packed full of people, but it was still strangely familiar, and it sent shivers of pleasure through his body

“Alright Ash, go ahead. Your end of the deal” “Yes Brawly!” Ash said with a smile, shivering a bit more as he said that. Something about listening to the gym leader felt really good.

Not wasting a second, the boy dashed off to the nearest treadmill and hopped on it, turning it on to the slowest setting. He took a deep breath and began jogging along with it.

“Sweet Groudon Ash” Brawly said with a laugh “Next time go get something to drink first”

“O-Oh right… Sorry!” Ash mumbled, his face flushing red as he kept jogging

“No problem. I’ll get you one from the reception’s vending machine. I have to go get my mail anyways” the teal haired trainer said with a quick smile before walking off.

Ash smiled as he saw the back of the other guy retreat past the big double doors, before taking a deep breath and focusing on his running. He closed his eyes and felt his bare feet constantly smack against the soft, spongy surface of the modified treadmill. As he kept going, he took a deep breath, the tingles returning to him as he kept going.

“Here ya go” Brawly said as he came back with a big smile, handing Ash a bottle of the tasty orange liquid

“Thanks Brawly” the teen said, popping the cap off the bottle and taking a big chug, smiling as he felt the pleasure spreading out through him.

“Right, so let’s see what I’ve got here…” the teal haired trainer muttered as he leaned on the wall next to Ash, cracking open the envelopes he had brought “Another resume…” “Resume?” Ash asked in between breaths “What for?”

“Gym trainers” Brawly said, glancing up at the raven haired teen, chuckeling a little at the look of confusion on his face “Right, guess you haven’t heard of that” “Nope. What is it?” Ash asked as he took another drink, a bit of a dopey smile forming on his face as he kept jogging

“It’s a thing that Steven set up” Brawly explained “See, he thought that just the one battle against the gym leader wasn’t a good enough challenge for the people going through the gym circuit”

“So, what are gym trainers? Someone else you have to battle?” 

“Essentially” the teal haired trainer said “Gyms have to have at least one gym trainer on staff, and they must be defeated before the challenger is allowed to face the gym leader”

“I’m guessing that you have one…” Ash said, his words becoming a bit slower as he took another drink from the bottle, almost as if it was becoming harder to think

“I did” Brawly corrected “He quit about a month ago, since he was moving. I have around two months to find a new one, but so far no one has really done it…”

“Why…?” Ash mumbled, speeding up his jog

“Eh, they suck mostly” Brawly said “Gym trainers are supposed to be kinda good but still beatable.”

“I see…” Ash mumbled as he kept jogging

“Maybe you’ll like the job?” Brawly asked with a smile.

“Hehehe, nah” Ash said with a small laugh, a small bit of lucidity coming over him “Not really my thing”

“I see….” Brawly muttered, frowning a little before his usual friendly smile returned “Well then, just keep going. So far you're doing really well so far”

“Yeah?” Ash asked, the haze returning to his mind as he took another big gulp of the sports drink “Thank you…”

“You're welcome” Brawly said with a grin “Now I think you should try out a few more of the machines! Can’t just use one all week, after all”

“Y-Yeah… T-That’s true” Ash muttered, his mind instantly agreeing with Brawly. What he said made a lot of sense, since he was doing so well, he might as well expand to the other machines

“That’s a good boy!” Brawly cheered with a big grin as he turned around “I’ve got to man the gym today, so I’ll see ya later!”

“Y-Yes Brawly!” Ash moaned, unable to contain it as pleasure rang through his body at being called good by Brawly. He took a deep breath and re-focused his efforts on his new workout routine. He only had a week here after all, and he had to keep his word. A whole week working out in the gym, and damn it he was gonna go through with it! He panted as he stepped off the treadmill, taking another really big gulp of his sports drink, the weird haze that had been hounding him becoming even stronger. “I think I’ll try out the weights…” he mumbled as he walked over to them, a big dopey smile on his face as he did so.

(===============)

Four Days Later

The teen yawned as he woke up, the familiar sensation of the rising sun streaming through the window and onto his face helping him up.

“Gah! Man I slept great last night…” he mumbled as he rubbed the remaining sleep out of his eyes. His eyes traveled down to the foot of the bed, as if he was expecting a response from someone, but it was empty, just as it had been when he climbed into the bed last night. He frowned for a second, a small ball of worry forming in his chest for a second before it evaporated “Who was I talking to?” he muttered, shaking his head as he threw the covers off and stepped onto the carpeted floor, his exposed member swinging loosely between his legs.

He turned to look at the now familiar mirror that sat opposite to his bed and grinned as he looked over himself. He had to admit, he was making amazing progress. He had gone from the twig of a teen he was a few days ago to having quite a bit of muscle. While he wasn’t a bodybuilder likes the ones he talked to every once in a while in between his workouts, he was still quite fit, especially his legs and his chest. He even had the starts of a six pack forming there.

“Brawly’s advice is really something” he muttered as he flexed a little, enjoying the sight of his new muscles. Indeed, for the past few days, Brawly had been giving him tips and tricks during breakfast. He did remember a few sounding a bit weird, like drinking three bottles of another energy drink that Brawly had made for him, or smelling a specific candle he gave him every morning, but when the teal haired trainer told him, it made perfect sense to do as he told him. After all, Brawly was the successful surfer and the owner of the gym, he must know something about it. “Right, nearly forgot!” the now muscular teen said as he turned to the tiny table that sat next to the mirror and grabbed the small glass bowl that sat there. He held it up to his nose and took a deep smell, moaning loudly as his whole body shook and trembled, his previously flaccid member going hard as soon as the smell hit his nose.

KNOCK KNOCK

“Coming!” Ash moaned as he set the candle back down, and walked over to the door, still in his birthday suit. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it, revealing the smiling face of his host staring at him

“Morning Ash!” he said with a grin, looking over the guy’s body “I see you slept well”

“Oh?” Ash muttered, looking down at his hard cock “Oh that! Yeah, sorry.” he said with a shrug, not really caring that Brawly was seeing him naked. 

A small part of him felt like he should care, but that didn’t make sense. Brawly had told him that sleeping nude and letting other guys see you like that was good and normal. And what Brawly told him made him feel really good, so they couldn’t be wrong.

“Now come on, I made a special breakfast to celebrate your progress!” Brawly said with a smile

“Really!?” Ash asked with joy clear in his voice

“Hell yeah!” Brawly said, leading the nude teen to the kitchen. Ash followed happily, quickly entering the small room and smiling as he saw the big spread of toast, eggs, pancakes and about three jars filled with the sports drink he had fallen in love with.

“There you go!” Brawly said, pointing at the spread “Go ahead and dig in”

“Thanks Brawly!” Ash squealed as he dashed over and plopped his ass down on the chair, grabbing the stack of pancakes and starting to wolf them down. As he ate, he looked up to a Pikachu walking around the kitchens and frowned for a second.

Brawly had explained that the Pikachu was his and that he let it walk around the kitchen since he couldn't use him in battle, but that explanation never sat right with Ash. But before he could say anything more, Brawly had walked up to him with a glass of a bright aqua liquid

“What’s that?” Ash asked as Brawly put on the table in front of him

“Well, there’s more than just the food to this celebration,” Brawly said with a big smile “See, I’ve been working on a new sports drink this week. And knowing how much you like the old one and the reformulated version, I thought you might like being the first to try it” “Oh hell yeah!” Ash said with a smile, grabbing the glass and bringing it to his lips, chugging it down quickly. His eyes went wide as the taste danced on his tongue. It was amazing! He never thought that something could top the old one, but this one sent waves of pleasure through him that he didn’t think could happen! 

His cock bounced up, harder than it had ever been in the 20 years he’s been alive. He moaned loudly as he leaned back, that strange haze that he’d been feeling for the past few days coming back, stronger than it had ever been before. Soon, he could do nothing except moan and twitch as another surge of pleasure rang through his body.

Brawly smiled as he looked over his new prize. He waved his hands in front of Ash’s clouded eyes, snapped his fingers underneath his chin, blew air into his ears. None of these snapped him out of his arousal induced trance, he just sat there moaning and twitching

“Perfect” he said to himself as he pulled out a chair and sat right next to the moaning raven haired trainer “You know Ash? I always like ya. You had a fun attitude about stuff like this, had a love for battling that I haven’t seen before” “Gyah…” Ash moaned in answer, his eyes trying to focus on Brawly, a big smile on his face as he did so

“Yeah, too bad the Gym Trainer job wasn’t a thing when ya first came through here. You would have been perfect. Well, battling wise” he chuckled a bit “You're body on the other hand? I mean, your cute, but damn its like you were made out of bread dough. Can’t have a gym trainer that looks like that after all. You are perfect for the job. You're a good trainer, but you're not an unbeatable beast, you love you're pokemon and you’re pretty easy on the eyes.” he reached down and rubbed Ash’s twitching cock “Gyah!” he moaned loudly, his cock bouncing up and down at the touch

“Good thing I studied chemistry” Brawly said with a grin “Now, let’s wait for the other effects to set in…” he muttered, looking at Ash’s hair.

He didn’t have to wait very long, as suddenly the spiky raven locks began to grow longer and longer. They didn’t really loose their shape, but soon his hair reached down to his shoulders, as a waterfall of black spikes

“Damn” Brawly whistled “You look damn good with long hair Ash. I should have given this to ya sooner!”

“Guuuuh” Ash moaned, a bit of drool beginning to drip from his mouth “Hehe, yeah guess I should get started on this” Brawly said, moving his chair even closer to Ash and began whispering in his ear.

“Listen to me carefully” he whispered “What I’m about to tell you is the absolute truth. If something in your mind disagrees with what I’m telling you, then you will forget that fact. The only truth is what I will tell you now.”

“Brawly….. Tells truth…..nothing else matters…..” the now long haired teen mumbled through his arousal

“That’s right” Brawly whispered, reaching down and grabbing Ash’s dick, which sent even more shivers through the entranced boy “Now, you have always lived on this island. You have never lived off the island and you never want to. All that matters to you is on this island” as he said this, he gave his penis a good squeeze, reinforcing the order. Ash moaned and nodded, Brawly’s word worming their way into his brain and replacing whatever was there before.

He no longer remembered his journey. He forgot Pallet Town, Professor Oak, becoming the first ever champion of Alola. All of it evaporated in a cloud of arousal and pleasure.

“You have three great loves in your life” Brawly kept whispering “One of those is surfing. You adore surfing. Every second you are not in the gym, you are on the beach, board in hand waiting for that perfect wave. The beach is your second home, and you enjoy basking in the sand, sea and sun on your skin” the teal haired trainer smiled as he gave the member in his hands another big tug.

“The second is working out. Working out is essential for you. Ever since you were a kid you loved working out and do it all the time. You make sure you don’t bulk up too much so it doesn't get in the way of your surfing however. You love surfing much more than being muscular” he whispered again, moving on from simply tugging at his dick to a full on rub, making the raven haired trainer spasm in pleasure

“Gyaaaaah!” he moaned loudly, as it was all he could do as this point. His higher brain functions had pretty much shut down at this point.

“And the third is me” Brawly whispered again, smirking as he looked over Ash’s body “I’m your lover and you're master. You want to do nothing more than please me and make me happy”

“Brawly…….. L-Lover…….” Ash managed to stammer out as the new information was implanted into his brain

“That’s right” Brawly whispered again “You love to obey me and will do anything to please me. You love being my gym trainer and wouldn’t trade that job for anything since it gives access to your three greatest loves at all times. Understand?”

“Yeth” Ash mumbled, his tongue hanging out of his mouth like a panting Arcanine at this point, so lost in the sexual haze. Brawly smiled at that and rubbed his dick once more before going back to the whispering

“Now listen very carefully for this next part” Brawly whispered “I want you to take everything inside that cute head of yours that doesn't match what I told. I want you to move it down through your body. Have it pass through your throat, you're belly all the way down to your groin”

“Gyah” Ash moaned, still panting like crazy. He shivered as he felt all of his now suppressed memories moving downwards

“Now, all the memories and thoughts of before this moment are all packed in here” he patted Ash’s cock, which resulted in a loud yip of pleasure from the entranced trainer “Packed all nice and tight, swirling around and going nowhere else” he said as he started rubbing the dick once again

“G-Gah!” Ash moaned, loving the feeling of a hand running up and down his twitching rod. It was at the same time a new sensation and a familiar one, something that confused him slightly, but the haze of arousal didn’t let him think about it for too long. Brawly didn’t say anything, he just kept rubbing his penis with one hand and reached up to his chest with his other, grabbing one the pale pink nipples that poked out of Ash’s now muscular chest. He squeezed it and gave it a good twerk

“GYAH!” Ash screamed in arousal and pleasure, his hips buckling as he finally came. His dick twitched and bounced as a thick stream of cum blasted out of it, splattering on the floor in front of the two. He kept going for quite a while, two whole weeks worth of arousal and cum being pumped out of him.

“Feel everything in there being drained” Brawly whispered, a grin on his face “Everything from before. All those journeys, all those battles, flowing out of you dick, splattering to the ground as it sends waves of pleasure through you. The moment it splatters down, its erased. Its gone. It will never come back, but you won’t mourn it. After all, you can’t mourn something that doesn't exist, can you babe?” “N……..No…….” Ash moaned, as he kept humping the empty air “Nothing….existed…...nothing to…...remember….”

“That’s right” Brawly cooed as Ash kept pumping his fluids out “No annoying traveling, none of that. All that’s in there is what I said. Surfing, working out and me. That’s all that’s in there now, that’s all that should be in there”

“All thats…… in there……” Ash repeated in a pant, giving one last big hump as the last bits of cum, and his old life, splattered on the tiled floor of the kitchen.

Brawly grinned as he stared at the figure in front of him before turning around and grabbing a small glass bauble from the counter and a lighter. A tune on his lips, he lit the candle inside and smiled as he felt the sweet smell hit his nose, before turing to Ash and putting it right below his nose.

The raven haired trainer sniffed the smoke by instinct, groaning and blinking rapidly as the smell flooded his nose. The more he sniffed, the more the cloud of arousal and pleasure retreated. His dick deflated like a balloon after a minute as he groaned and shook his head

“Morning sleepyhead” Brawly said

“Huh? Brawly? What happened?” Ash muttered, groaning as he clutched the side of his head “Gah, my head. It feel like a Rhydon tap danced on it”

“Oh don’t worry about that babe” Brawly said as he leaned closer and kissed Ash right on the lips. Whatever Ash had been feeling, it evaporated the moment those lips connected with his. He closed his eyes and returned it, enjoying the sparks it sent through him. Nothing else mattered right now other than kissing Brawly. That was all that was important. After snogging for a good two minutes, Brawly pulled up with a big smile “Hehehe, turns out you were excited for me”

“What do you mean?” Ash muttered, looking down at the mess that sat in front of him. “Oh that. Hehehe, sorry bout that babe” he said, not really caring about the fact he was still nude and dripping. Why would he care about that?

“I don’t mind” Brawly said, pinching one of Ash’s nipples “Now come on hot stuff, you need to start your daily routine” “Course!” Ash said with a huge grin “Lead the way!”

(===============)

Two Month Later

Ash yawned as he slowly opened his eyes, the rays of the sun coming in through his window like every morning. He smiled as he sat up and stretched, groaning a little as he heard the bones of his back pop a little.

“Damn….Musta been sleeping crooked or sumethin” he muttered as he threw the covers off and walked to his mirror, like he did every morning. He smiled as he looked at himself.

He looked like the perfect surfer. His skin was a nice bronze, tanned all over with not a single spot missed. He was so happy he listened to his master on that one and finally stopped putting on that stupid sunscreen crap every time he want to catch some waves. He looked way better like this. Well at least that’s what Brawly told him. But then again, that was as good as the truth as far as Ash was concerned. 

Continuing his morning ritual, the tanned surfer went on to pose for a bit, flexing and bulging out his muscles to make sure he got a good look at them and the new ink on his skin. He smiled as he noticed that, patting the Poke-Ball ink that now adorned his pecs. Again, he didn’t want to do it at first, but just like with his tan, all it took was a few good words from his boy to convince him he was being a dumbass and to go get inked. He argued that it hurt too much and some nonsense like that, but Brawly told him it woulndt hurt at all, and damn he was right as alway. Ash grinned and moaned about that, which got a chuckle out of him as he glanced down at his dick.

Like the rest of him, it was tanned thoroughly, and it was quite long and big. He didn’t really know how it started growing so quick in these last few days, but he sure as hell wasn’t gonna bitch! It meant that weekends with his babe were even better.

“Gya!” he moaned, the thought of his boyfriend and master sending a wave of pleasure through him and making his dick bounce up “Right, simmer down boy” he said, patting the top of his member “You’ll get action after lunch, like always” he smiled and reached over to the small stool that sat there for him and grabbed his clothes.

It wasn’t much, after all he did not get tanned and ink just to hide under a disgusting shirt or something like that. He slipped on the bright blue swimming trunks, grunting a little as he shoved his piece inside, but in the end he managed and reached over to grab the rubber band and tie up his hair. He love having it long, sure but it could be a real pain if it wasn’t in a ponytail. Finally he grabbed the gift from his lover that was waiting for him and slipped it on.

It was a necklace made of pure white, bleached Sharpedo teeth that sat perfectly over his neck. He grinned as he slipped on, feeling the cold bones against his skin sent shivers through his body

KNOCK KNOCK!

Ash smiled as he heard that and dashed to the door, throwing it open and smiling at the shirtless teal haired guy that stood right in front of him

“Morning babe” Ash said with a smile

“Morning” Brawly said with a smile, leaning in and kissing Ash. The raven haired surfer moaned as the kiss sent sparks through his whole body. The two snogged for a few more seconds before Brawly broke it up “Sleep well?”

“Course I did! I dreamt of you” Ash said with a wink, eliciting at giggle from his boyfriend

“Oh man, when did you become a romantic?”

“When I wiped out yesterday” Ash joked with a cocky grin

“Course you did” Brawly said with a smile “Now, as much as I would love to go and spend the whole day on the beach with ya, we have work to do” “Aw man, really?”

“Yeah yeah, I know babe” Brawly said, giving Ash one more peck on the nose “But we do need cash, so come on. Can’t open the gym without my best gym trainer on the grounds, now can I?”

“Right ya can’t” Ash said with a huge grin “But you owe me for ruining my dream afternoon with you”

“Oh?” Brawly said, hugging the black haired surfer as the two walked down the hall “How bout we have an extra long bed time this saturday?”

“Oooh that sounds amazing” Ash moaned, enjoying the sensation of Brawly’s arm around him. 

He loved Brawly more than anything else. Sure, he adored working out and surfing, but compared to Brawly? They were nothing.

And he wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the world.

==================

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[twstarchives]

Scary Dress・Voice Lines

● Event: Scary Monsters (October 14 - November 26, 2020) ● Exclusive Cards: Deuce, Kalim, Epel, Idia, Malleus, Lilia, Azul, Jack, Jade, Vil, Cater

Deuce Spade - R

Unlock Card “This school event is meant for everyone to have fun. I’m going to make sure this Halloween’s a success!”

Groovy “You’re not getting away from me... I’ll scare you till you're trembling to the bone!”

Home Setting “I’m a skeleton ghost that’s risen from the grave! BOO!”

Home Transitions “These are our special costumes, so make sure you’re careful with them. Grim, that means don’t claw on the lace.”

“When I was a kid, there were times when I used to start sobbing because I thought there was a monster outside. But it was actually just the laundry drying out there... Oi, stop laughing!”

“I got some treats from Epel. There’s a lot of them, so I thought I’d share with you. You know the secret code, right?”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! You just can’t help but get excited around this time of year.”

Home Taps “I saw Draconia a while ago. Seeing him walk around in that serpentine dragon costume so valiantly made him look cooler than ever.”

“I got a text from my mom—she said she wants to see my costume. I don’t mind sending her one, but I don’t know how I feel about taking a selfie... Prefect, could you take one of me?”

“I’m used to seeing the ghosts on campus, so they’re not that scary. Our terrifying dorm leader Rosehearts, on the other hand...”

“Viper fixed the lace on my hat for me. I feel like the vice leaders in every dorm are really caring.”

“Hey, you! You want me to bury you!? S-Sorry. I was practicing my scares; I didn’t mean to say that to you, Prefect.”

Kalim Al-Asim - R

Unlock Card “Are you all ready to have some fun? Alright! Come on and follow my lead! One, two—Happy Halloween!”

Groovy “Grr... Pain shoots through my body whenever I look at the full moon. You better watch your back if you start to hear some howling.”

Home Setting “Growl! I’m a werewolf now.”

Home Transitions “Rook knows a lot about wildlife, and he told me all kinds of things about wolves. It was really useful.”

“I always carry around candies this time of year. This way anyone can tell me ‘Trick or treat’ anytime!”

“My magic carpet seems pretty excited for Halloween too. I’m competing with it to see who’s the scariest!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “A party that everyone’s stoked about—that’s what Halloween is! Let’s have fun together! Growl! Growl!”

Home Taps Whine! Grrrrr! Bark! *cough!* “It’s hard trying to sound like a wolf...”

“I feel like it’d be so much more exciting if Cater, Lilia, and I dressed up for our band performances. Don’t you think so?”

“Jade said his costume is a mummy. If you wore clothes like that in the Scalding Sands, you’d get so hot that you might actually turn into one.”

“I like this costume; its design is really reminiscent of the Scalding Sands. Plus it’s easy to move in. It fits for dressing up as a werewolf.”

“Hm? You want to try scaring me? Spare me from any tricks, though. Ahaha!”

Epel Felmier - R

Unlock Card “Boo! Did I spook you? Hehe. I’ll come scare you again if you let down your guard.”

Groovy “Struggling against me is useless... I think. You won’t get away from me.”

Home Setting “Now, Halloween has begun!”

Home Transitions “Wah! Oh, crap!¹ I stepped all over my cloak. If Vil saw me, he’d get mad and say ‘It’s not proper to run around like that.’”

“I carved some of the pumpkins that are decorating the school. Mine have ghosts and our dorm’s emblem on them. Try to find them, okay?”

“Hey, have you seen the decorations on Main Street? They’re all so pretty, and really marvy².”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I think this is the first time I’ve celebrated such a festive Halloween. In my town, the festivals feel a lot more scaled down.”

Home Taps “Halloween celebrations in my hometown are never this big, but I can promise you the food’s always delicious. I want you all to come see it someday.”

“Riddle got really passionate when we were talking about the treats for Halloween earlier. Sweets are just amazing, aren’t they?”

“I’m a first-year just like Deuce and Jack, but I wish I could scare as well as they do. But only practice makes perfect!”

“Tremble in fear! ...No. That’s not menacing enough... Ah! What if I put ketchup around my mouth?”

“Huh!? A treat? Sorry. I finished handing all mine out. But I’ll peel an apple for you later, so don’t give me a trick or anything... Okay?”

Idia Shroud - R

Unlock Card “E-E-Even I get excited for events sometimes... Is that bad!?”

Groovy “Anyone who sees what’s beneath my helmet won’t be leaving here unharmed... Hehehe!”

Home Setting “Wahaha! The Pumpkin Knight has arrived!”

Home Transitions “Every time Ortho tells me ‘Trick or treat,’ I give him some candy, but earlier he got mad and said ‘Let me have a trick too.’”

“You need to know your etiquette to have fun with events. That’s true no matter what world you’re in.”

“This time of year, they’re always having tons of huge events in gacha games. I’ve got an overwhelming lack of free time.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Weheehee~... Happy Halloween. Huh? Why are you making that face? Is it that weird to see me pumped up?”

Home Taps “Hiding my face under a helmet really lets me relax. The downside is it’s a little hard to breathe, though.”

“Wh-What are you dressing up as? Don’t tell me you’re just going to throw on something basic like a headband or a hat and call it a day?”

“They say lions are members of the cat family, but... Sir Leona is not soothing in the slightest. Hah~ I wanna nuzzle a cat...”

“You can say it. There’s no such thing as a nerd that hates Halloween!”

“Weheehee! I made this using a 3D printer, so it’s got really nice durability. ‘How much did it all cost’? Well, if you want to know, it was on sale.”

Malleus Draconia - SR

Unlock Card “Halloween is a festival observed by both the living and the dead, regardless of one’s race. You, too, should enjoy yourself as much as you can.”

Groovy “I’d make anyone tremble in fear with a single breath of fire. Watch me.”

Home Setting “I’m not dressed up as a dragon. It’s a serpentine dragon.”

Home Transitions “The students in our dorm seem very pleased with our costumes. They were all cheering with joy. This was well-worth the trouble.”

“Lilia knows a lot about many nations’ versions of Halloween. He told me stories about them instead of his usual lullabies. That was a long time ago, though.”

“I saw two pumpkin knights around campus. The smaller one was floating, so I’m assuming they were the Shroud brothers.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I’ve experienced many Halloweens, but this year seems especially chaotic.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Trick or treat!... wasn’t it? If you don’t give me a treat, I’ll have to trick you. What will you do?”

Home Taps “The red serpentine dragons from the Far East, which our costumes were based on, could even play folk instruments. Hm... How very interesting.”

“I caught Asim practicing his wolf howls. He’s lacking on the impact, but it does have a charm to it. Heheh.”

“Halloween in the Valley of Thorns is especially grand. It’s a different take on it than other countries have, but you should come see it someday. It’s beautiful.”

“If you hear a strange noise, don’t automatically assume it’s the work of a ghost. Faeries love playing tricks all year round.”

“This tail? Mine is not an accessory; it’s real. As curious as you might be, don’t get too close. You’d be easily flicked aside if you got hit by it.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I’ll set fire to anyone that harms your dorm, just like a serpentine dragon would. I’m fond of that place.”

Lilia Vanrouge - SR

Unlock Card “Halloween is my home ground ♪ I can’t wait to see the surprise on everyone’s faces.”

Groovy “Do not underestimate me. You might end up finding yourself trembling and unable to sleep all night long.”

Home Setting “Growl! How was that? Did I sound like a dragon?”

Home Transitions “On Halloween Night, the goblins who served the Fairy of Thorns would gather around a fire and dance all night long. You probably wouldn’t expect them to be party animals!”

“I remember the day I met a real-life serpentine dragon in the East like it was yesterday. Its crimson scales were truly a sight to behold.”

“I like eating most sweets, but marshmallows are the only ones I can’t do. It doesn’t feel like I’m eating anything; they aren’t satisfying.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat... What? You’re already used to my tricks? Then I’ll have to bring out my trump card.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “If I were a real dragon, I could give you a ride on my back. But instead, why don’t I give you a piggy back ride?”

Home Taps “Hnn... The decorative horns on my cap are so heavy. Malleus really has these on his head at all times?”

“Aren’t my red nails cute? Vil painted them for me. He told me these were called gel nails—long-lasting nail polish.”

“Silver and Sebek used to be such crybabies. The mornings after Halloween, I’d have to spend the whole day doing laundry.”

“Have you seen Ace anywhere? He’s always eating Trey’s sweets like he really likes them, so I made some for him as well.”

“Oh, oh! It’s dangerous for someone of my stature to have a tail almost touching the ground. Try not to step on it either.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Achoo! Sorry, sorry. This peacock feather tickled my nose.”

Azul Ashengrotto - SR

Unlock Card “The Mostro Lounge is currently offering a special Halloween menu. You must come and see!”

Groovy “Let’s have all the fun we want tonight. Now, let me hear you scream all the way up to the moon!”

Home Setting “How do I look? It’s very stylish with the way it revisits the old-fashioned sort of mummy, isn’t it?”

Home Transitions “If these were my own tentacles, I could move them freely at will, but that’s not true with these bandage wraps. I have to pay close attention to my movements.”

“Of course we have Halloween celebrations under the sea. Although, unlike on land, merpeople don’t exactly wear costumes.”

“I ran into Silver with this costume on, and he yelled ‘The enemy!’ before pulling out a baton. ...He must’ve been half-asleep.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Halloween only happens once a year. Let’s have the time of our lives together.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Did I hear you say ‘Trick or treat’ just now? Offering me of all people a deal is quite bold of you.”

Home Taps “I have an affinity for the costumes Jack and the other Savanaclaw students are wearing. They look like ghosts you’d find at sea, don’t they?”

“I referenced dishes that my family serves for the Lounge’s limited edition menu... Oh, my family runs a ristorante.”

“I’ll hold back on the treats, thank you. Accepting more and more of them will only increase my calorie intake for the day.”

“The reason we chose mummies for our costumes? I’m very unfamiliar with them, which made me all the more curious. After all, you can’t have anything dry under the sea.”

“What are you in such a rush for? I understand feeling excited, but you must be discreet when getting ready to scare someone.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You must come see Halloween under the sea sometime! It’s just as fun as the academy’s.”

Jack Howl - SR

Unlock Card “Dressing up as pirates fits for Savanaclaw, since the guys here are all brutes. When you want something, you take it!”

Groovy “On Halloween, it’s ghost territory. Make sure you be careful when walking around at night. Grr...”

Home Setting “My scares aren’t just for show.”

Home Transitions “Scarabia dressed up as werewolf ghosts. They really nailed the ears and tails.”

“When we were making jack o’ lanterns, Ruggie kept eating the pumpkin seeds. Do those taste good...?”

“The pirate costume fits Leona really well. He’s lazy and vulgar—ahem! He comes off as strong and powerful.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! It’s nice with all these decorations and festive energy. Wanna walk around together later?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I was getting tired of all these sweets, so I got some jerky. Want any?”

Home Taps “Ace and the others swear that anything Trey bakes is to die for. I wonder how his pear compote would... N-No, nevermind.”

“I used to want to be a pirate when I was little. I remember making treasure chests by myself and filling them with coins and sparkling jewels. Those were the days.”

“Pirates have to aim their cannons and do a lot of heavy lifting while onboard. They’ve got to train hard.”

“I almost never wear rings, so I’m scared these might fly off at any moment. Plus it’s hard to move my fingers.”

“Oi! Stop prodding at my costume! What’re you going to do if one of the seashells breaks off?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You haven’t put on your costume yet? The ghosts will come to kidnap you if you don’t hurry and change.”

Jade Leech - SSR

Unlock Card “I’ve been expecting you. Today I have a most wonderful scare prepared for you.”

“We’ve been working hard to ensure that everyone can spend a wonderful Halloween.”

Groovy “The sight of you screaming as you try to hurry away... It’s irresistible. I cannot hold myself back from chasing after you!”

Home Setting “Who would like to be tied up in fear?”

Home Transitions “You want to see me when I’m frightened? Heheh. I wouldn’t mind you scaring me anytime you’d like.”

“There is no such thing as using pumpkins as lanterns under the sea. I was very shocked learning about culture on land when I was a freshman.”

“Have you had a chance to try out the Mostro Lounge’s limited edition Halloween menu? I contributed a recipe to it.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat! Heheh. There’s no need to look so frightened; I won’t bite.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Oh, my. Were you hoping to play a trick on me? I have a treat on hand, so please spare me today.”

Home Taps “I helped Ruggie with making jack o’ lanterns. They’re very quick, cheap, and beautiful. How fitting.”

“Dryness is fatal for merpeople. If we were dried up like a mummy... Just the thought is horrifying.”

“Floyd, don’t eat too many sweets. It’s different while we’re in the water, but here we have a high risk of tooth decay.”

“The draping wraps on our costumes resemble jellyfish tentacles. They’re pretty, aren’t they? I like their asymmetrical design.”

“You seem to have a wish to join the world of mummies. First, I will wrap your whole body in bandages, and then dry you out... I’m only joking.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Halloween under the sea? If you’re interested, I will show you around one day.”

Duo Magic Jade: Azul, we cannot waste any more time. Azul: Let’s be efficient about this, Jade.

Vil Schoenheit - SSR

Unlock Card “Are you prepared to pledge yourself to me? It’s a great honor to be the sustenance of my beauty.”

“If I’m participating in this, then I’m going to aim for quality that transcends all previous Halloweens. Please keep up with me.”

Groovy “How unfortunate; there’s nowhere left for you to run. Yield yourself to me and become my slave.”

Home Setting “You will be a victim to my fangs.”

Home Transitions “Vampires, who possess eternal beauty... This is a perfect theme for me, isn’t it?”

“It would be difficult to check my appearance if I couldn’t see my reflection in the mirror. Perhaps I’d have to check with Rook between every class.”

“The other day, I was drinking tomato juice in the evening, and Epel screamed at me. How rude.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat. Although, I don’t need any sweet treats. I’m sure you can guess what a vampire would want... Heheh.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Have you flipped your sleep schedule like a vampire’s because it’s Halloween? Make sure you don’t stay up too late.”

Home Taps “I don’t usually carry around treats with me, so last year I fell victim to Lilia’s tricks. That was honestly unpleasant.”

“You should carefully deliberate over your parasol and choose one that has strong protection from the sun. Don’t forget sunblock either.”

“Floyd’s skin is very beautiful. Makeup sits exceptionally well on moisturized skin, too. Always remember to moisturize.”

“My father is an actor, and for every Halloween he would come home in a costume with special effects makeup. I wonder if perfectionism runs in the family.”

“Even a single strand of hair out of place is something to pay mind to. Could you fix my hair for me?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “My cloak has enough cloth to wrap around a person. Should I hide you inside it if any scary ghosts come by?”

Duo Magic Vil: Let’s end this nonsense right here, Lilia. Lilia: Leave it to me to guard you from behind, Vil.

Cater Diamond - SSR

Unlock Card “I’ll fill you all the way to the bone... with fear, of course ♪”

“Aha! Are you surprised with how off things feel now? Let me show you Cay’s charm, now that I’m a touch different for Halloween~”

Groovy “You’re not thinking you’ll be able to get home safely now that you’ve dug me up, are you?”

Home Setting “Don’t you think my costume’s super aesthetic!?”

Home Transitions “The pumpkin pie Trey always makes this time of year... Mm, it’s not too sweet, and it’s sooo good~!”

“Did you see Lucius today!? He was wearing a super adorable pumpkin hat... I can’t believe Professor Trein~!”

“Sebek-kins really loves Malleus~ He’s got a reputation among the third-years for being the passionate Draconian.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! How about we take a picture to commemorate?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I have a feeling this year’s going to be the funnest Halloween we’ve ever had. You should be excited too, Prefect!”

Home Taps “I really like how our skeleton-looking laces are so elegant. Our dorm uniforms give off more cutesy vibes; it’s super different.”

“A black veil holds many mysteries... Heheh. You’re always free to lift it up anytime you want, Prefect! Just kidding.”

“Heartslabyul’s costumes last year? We were pirates! Wish you could see Cay as a pirate~?”

“The whole campus gets super festive and exciting around Halloween! And all the decorations are so photogenic.”

“Black makeup smudges easily, so you kind of need to have advanced skills to use it. Does it look okay right now? It’s not smudged?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “What are you dressing up as, Prefect? Come let me know when you have it ready. I wanna take a pic~”

Duo Magic Cater: “Jack, lend me some of your aesthetic support!” Jack: “This’ll be a breeze, Cater!”

[misssophiachase]

All You Never Say - Part 3

I’m back! Thank you for all the awesome comments and notes, it means a lot! Here is part 3, and you can read it all from the beginning on AO3 HERE. Also, I referenced the word torch a few times last chapter, to those who asked it means flashlight hehe. I changed it so it wasn’t confusing lol. 

Synopsis: One wedding and a confused maid of honour and best man with years of pent up feelings and unresolved tension.

Mrs Florence Mikaelson and Mr James and Mrs Audrey Pierce request your presence at:

The Rehearsal Dinner

On the twenty-second of June, twenty twenty-one at 1830h at Poets House Restaurant, Ely Cambridgeshire

Dress: Semi Formal

1 day before the nuptials - Poets House, Ely, Cambridgeshire - 7:29pm

“I love your grandparents, Kat, but why did they insist on a venue with such a cramped ladies bathroom?” Bonnie muttered, attempting to nudge Rebekah away from the only mirror.

“Hey, you’ll make me smudge my lipstick,” she growled, standing her ground. No one messed with Rebekah’s primping and preening time and got away with it.

“Oh maybe because my grandparents didn’t choose the venue,” Kat responded, the frustration evident in her voice. Clearly, the wedding festivities and all the protocols were wearing on her last nerve.

“It’s okay, you can say it,” Rebekah said. “My grandmother is even more overbearing than my mother. Which you didn’t think was remotely possible, but it is. Trust me, I’ve lived with it for long enough. I’m already dreading my own wedding.”

“Well, I’m sure if anyone can handle it, it’s Enzo, you two have grown up together after all,” Bonnie offered, Rebekah froze, that shocked expression on her face allowing the brunette to push in and free up some space to touch up her make-up.

“Funny joke, Bennett,” she hissed, attempting to push back. “Kol is related to over-bearing Florence too, you know just saying.”

“What exactly is that supposed to mean, Mikaelson?”

“Hey, hey, break it up you two,” Katherine intervened, attempting to keep the peace but in such a small space it was proving difficult. “Caroline? Maid of honour? Some help please?” 

Even with all of the bickering, Caroline was somewhere else. She’d been largely silent most of the dinner because all she could think about was what transpired earlier that morning with the best man.

Mikaelson Manor, Ely Cambridgeshire - 18.5 hours earlier (12:05am)

“So, what you’re telling me is that you think the ring box flew into the garden while you were shaking out the picnic rug?” He was still standing there and he was still partially naked.

Unfortunately for Caroline.

“That’s exactly what I am saying,” she muttered, trying to pretend she wasn’t affected by his seemingly toned chest.

“I’m just checking, you said there were a few wines consumed.”

“Oh, I get what this is,” she growled. “You think I’m a bad maid of honour because I had a bit too much to drink?”

“I never said…”

“Yes you did,” she shot back. “And even if you didn’t, it’s all there in that judgmental gaze. I really should know that look by now.”

“Excuse me, what’s that supposed to mean? If anything, judgmental looks are your thing, love, not mine. I seem to recall more than a few reaching me during school.”

“I’m surprised you noticed given you were usually too busy with your tongue down some girl’s throat.”

“I’m surprised you were keeping such close tabs on me,” he said. “I thought you would have been too busy with that guy with the hair.”

Sure, she dated Stefan for a year during school but she doubted he even noticed, let alone cared given he was too busy dating most of her class.

“Yes, he had hair,” she bit back, unable to help herself.

“You know what I mean, Salvatore couldn’t last an entire class without having to rush to the bathroom to check on his hero hair. I’d take a guess that he took a lot longer in front of the mirror than you ever did.”

“Maybe,” she offered, a smile tugging at her lips, unable to help herself. He even knew his name? “But if we’re going to compare love interests then…”

“Okay, I surrender,” he interrupted, holding up his hands defeatedly. “Let’s not open that pandora’s box, especially standing in the garden in the middle of the night.”

“Yeah, we may never get out of here,” she teased. “But yes, I think the ring box went in that direction.” She gestured to the green hedge before them.

“Well, I think for starters I need to get a better flashlight than that.”

“What’s wrong with this?” She asked. While Rebekah had been showering, Caroline had snuck into her childhood bedroom and found it in her bedside drawer.

“That is my sister’s Hello Kitty flashlight and, I don’t know about you, but I can barely see you let alone a small, black, ring box in that hedge.”

“Fine, what do you suggest?”

“Well, the sane person in me would suggest waiting until the morning but given that defiant glare and stance I know you’ll try to press on with or without me and who knows what could happen without my supervision?”

“You are so…”

“It was a joke, Caroline.” A low, throaty laugh pierced the air and Caroline didn’t think she’d ever heard anything so arousing. She decided to blame it on the whole no shirt thing. “I’ll go and get a heavy duty flashlight from the shed, stay here and try to not to get into any trouble.”

Before she could ask him what that meant, he was gone. What kind of creatures did they have on the loose in rural England? Caroline realised she probably should have done some more research before the trip.

Although, if she was being honest, it was probably just one kind of enticing but annoying creature that she was afraid of. A Klaus Mikaelson. Why did she always have to turn into a rambling fool when he was around? At least she only had a couple more days and this and him would be behind her.

Caroline shivered, rubbing her arms over the goosebumps that had recently gathered. Why she wasn’t too sure, it was either him or the climate. Caroline hoped it was the latter. What she wasn’t expecting was for him to return five minutes later with two impressive flashlights and a white top slung over his bare shoulder.

“I thought you might be cold so brought you something to cover up,” he handed it to her and Caroline couldn’t miss the heady aroma of his aftershave on it as he did.

“And you’re not?” She asked, hoping he’d cover up too and not because she was worried he’d catch a cold. Far from it.

“Oh no I’m fine, love, I did grow up in these parts so am used to the weather, tonight has nothing on an English winter,” he smirked knowingly before making his way toward the hedge in question. “Now let’s find this ring, shall we?”

He didn’t cover up on purpose. Bastard. Caroline wanted to play him at his own game but could feel the cold seeping into her bones and had no choice. Although, once she’d slipped on the henley, Caroline knew she was a goner.

It felt too good.

Too familiar.

It felt like home.

But at the same time, Hayley’s face came to mind and Caroline knew a heartbreak was on the cards. Hers.

Present Day

“Hello, Caroline?” Kat asked, nudging her in the ribs.

“Present,” she offered by way of response, like she’d been caught out by a teacher during roll call at school and not in a tiny bathroom by her friends.

“What is wrong with you?"

“I’m just thinking about everything I need to do before the wedding tomorrow,” she offered, albeit weakly. Although, in truth one of the things on her to-do list was to fall out of love with Klaus Mikaelson. Easy, right?

“Caroline, I love you and everything you’ve done to make this week perfect, but you need to learn to relax a bit too,” Katherine smiled, squeezing her shoulders affectionately.

“Well, that’s a bit difficult when…” Rebekah said before Caroline immediately interrupted.

“The bride and groom have to make a speech in five minutes. So, I think you and Elijah need to make sure everything is set.” Kat gave them dubious glances before eventually shrugging her shoulders and leaving.

“Okay, what the hell is going on here?” Bonnie asked. “And before you try to give me some bogus excuse to leave I’d like an answer. What’s up with you two? You are acting weirder than usual and that's saying something.” Of course, Bonnie would cotton on and demand an explanation.

“Well, Caroline we’re waiting,” Rebekah added, her devious smile not lost on Caroline.

“For the last time, there is nothing going on, Rebekah,” Caroline hissed, trying to keep her voice down and glad no one had decided to use the facilities. “And I’d prefer you don’t fill Kat’s head with gossip and hearsay the night before her wedding. She does have a lot more going on right now.”

“Gossip and hearsay?” Trust Bonnie to only focus on that part of her sentence.

“You were wearing his henley, what do you expect me to think?”

“Henley? Oh my god, you and Klaus!” Bonnie exclaimed, albeit too loudly for her liking.

It really was a dead giveaway. Why did Henleys have to be his signature style? Caroline didn’t mean to leave it on, but it was so comforting and warm and it smelled so heavenly. Then the next thing she knew she fell asleep, only to have Rebekah jump on her bed in the morning before she’d had a chance to both wake up and remove it. Needless to say her discovery had been all she could talk about the whole day. Trying to water down speculation hadn’t worked because once Rebekah had an idea in her head it was difficult to remove.

“Shhhh,” she muttered. “How about a little discretion?”

“How about you just fess up, Care,” Rebekah insisted.

“Fine, I might have been wearing his shirt, yes,” she whispered. “But it’s not what you think.”

“So, pray tell what was it?” Clearly Bonnie wasn’t going to let this go either.

That’s when Caroline decided not to revisit the fact that while she was wearing his henley, he was shirtless. No good could come out of telling her friends that particular fact. So, she decided to skip over it and get straight to the point.

“I sort of lost the wedding ring…”

“You lost the ring?” Now it was Rebekah’s turn to be a little too loud for her liking.

“What did I say about discretion?” She chided. “Look, I found it so crisis averted.”

“And you just happened to fall into Niklaus’ top in the meantime?” Again, the volume didn’t seem to be a factor with either of her friends.

“I didn’t fall into anything,” she shot back tersely. “Okay, I was outside in the garden trying to find the ring and your brother happened upon me. The ring must have fallen into the garden when I was shaking out the picnic rug.”

“And he gave you his shirt?” Bonnie asked, a dimple in her left cheek giving away her untoward thoughts. Damn, that whole thing about not drawing attention to Klaus being shirtless.

“Only because it was cold and then I must have forgotten to take it off before I fell asleep, I mean it was a stressful night all things considered, “ she rambled.

“So, let me get this straight,” Bonnie said in sudden realisation. “He was naked. Did you two?”

“Ew, no. I think we’re losing track of the point here.”

“Even I’m with Caroline on that point,” Rebekah drawled. “So, my brother gave you his shirt because you were cold? Now, that does not sound like him at all unless….” The silence that hung in the air was thick as each girl processed exactly what that could mean.

“He likes you,” both Bonnie and Rebekah deduced.

Caroline immediately blushed, not because she thought he returned her feelings but because this wasn’t how she saw things going. Klaus Mikaelson and her feelings for him were Caroline’s secret and didn’t belong to anyone else, especially her nosy friends.

“Ah, no,” she mumbled. “He has a girlfriend and, not just that, you know I can’t stand him. I mean do you remember school?”

“Oh come on, Care,” Bonnie acknowledged. At least her voice had gone down a few decibels. “We always thought you two had a bit of a crush on one another.”

They did? Clearly she didn’t hide things as well as she thought. Although, she never sensed Klaus returned her crush, not for one moment.

“More than a crush,” Rebekah intervened. “It was this lingering sexual tension bubbling below the surface.”

“Yes, tension which played out in the form of hostile insults and banter. Katherine used to say she wasn’t sure if you two were going to have sex or kill each other.”

“I’m glad you three had private jokes about me,” she muttered, feeling incredibly stupid.

“Only because we knew it would make you even more determined to avoid him and we secretly hoped you two would move past all the bluster and get together.”

“Clearly we underestimated both of your powers to hold a grudge,” Rebekah noted. “You know if you like my brother, it’s okay right?”

She wanted to cry. It was as if the emotions she’d tried so hard to contain were threatening to spill out. Unlike her friends seem to think, it wasn’t just about admitting her feelings. It was so much more than that. It was whether he even reciprocated them, not to mention his girlfriend and his family and the money and status she didn’t have. It was too many things and now wasn’t the time to visit them.

Caroline had no intention of losing it, especially at the rehearsal dinner for her best friend. She was Caroline Forbes, maid of honour and it wasn’t the done thing.

“Speech!” They heard the incessant tapping of glasses and all Caroline felt was relief.

“Saved by the bell,” she heard Bonnie mumble, but Caroline was out the door as she did making sure she plastered on a smile.

Mikaelson Manor, Ely Cambridgeshire - 5.5 hours later (12:30am)

Klaus couldn’t sleep and it wouldn’t be the first time either.

Given his previous night’s adventures with Caroline in the garden, he assumed sleep would be easy to come by tonight but no such luck. He pushed away the bed covers, careful not to wake Hayley. Klaus was glad for once that she was a heavy sleeper. He doubted he would have gotten away with his disappearing act last night if she wasn’t.

She was clearly tired from all the complaining. Apparently the bed sheets didn’t have a high enough thread count, the bathroom facilities were outdated, the food at the rehearsal dinner was mediocre and Kol was annoying her. On the last one he could concur but the fact she felt the need to share was frustrating. He was allowed to say his younger brother was annoying and no one else.

Well, except for when Caroline made a joke about little Kol finally growing into his suit but she had known him since he was sixteen so had the right. Plus, when it came to Caroline, she could pretty much do or say anything and it didn’t change his feelings for her.

He grabbed the leather notebook and pen on his bedside table and found a stray, grey t-shirt to put over his boxers hoping it would suffice given the late hour and made his way from the room. Klaus figured he might as well use his time productively and work on his half-finished best man speech. To be honest, it had been playing on his mind ever since Elijah asked him to be the best man. What did he know about love? Let alone how to articulate it in front of his family and friends. If this was a joke on Elijah’s part he was certainly getting his revenge even if he didn’t realise just how cruel it was.

Klaus walked to the kitchen. As a boy, it was always his favourite room and not just because he liked to eat. There was a certain warmth and comfort it afforded and Klaus figured what better place to make a sandwich and finish his speech. As he raided the contents of the refrigerator and busied himself with slathering mayonnaise onto the bread slices his mind wandered.

After he’d endured the suit fitting and all of their remarks about Caroline in school, Klaus had really started to evaluate their time together. Yes, he’d dated most of her class but Klaus could still remember that when he was with anyone his attention was most definitely not focused on them, more so on the blonde in the corner of the room and secretly hoping she’d lift her eyes from her book and see him. It was juvenile in hindsight, but he was a teenager and clearly he thought trying to make her jealous was a sure fire way to make her notice him. How mature.

Then when they were trying to find the ring last night she mentioned his wayward tongue that would apparently be busy stuck down some girl’s throat. So, clearly she did notice him. Given his hasty response about Stefan Salvatore, it was clear he noticed her too. Something he seemed to have blocked out, until now.

Could he have loved Caroline Forbes since high school? Klaus knew his feelings had taken a sharp turn two years earlier when they’d run into each other in Los Angeles. But he didn’t realise it spanned so many more years. The big question now was, had she loved him too or was it just his imagination?

When he came across her skulking in the garden, Klaus had never felt so pleased to be awoken. She looked stunning too and seemed caught off guard by his bare chest. Klaus would be lying if her long legs and delicious curves weren’t distracting him too. So much so that he decided to give her his top.

Two birds, one stone and all of that.

Unfortunately, their moments together playing poker, opening champagne bottles and searching for wedding rings seemed to be fleeting. The worst part was that he’d barely spoken two words to her at the rehearsal dinner. Sure, she was busy but there was clearly something else happening. He did notice she seemed a little upset after returning from the bathroom with the girls, even with that fake smile she was wearing. Klaus immediately wanted to know why she was upset and, more importantly, if he could help make it better.

“We need to stop running into each other like this,” a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

His eyes flickered across to the girl who’d been incessantly on his mind for the better part of a week. At the rehearsal dinner he thought she couldn’t look any more beautiful than in the blue dress that perfectly matched her eyes. But here she was in plaid, pyjama pants and a white tank, her face free of make-up, her hair piled into a messy ponytail and looking absolutely breathtaking.

“Are you following me, love?” He couldn’t help it, she brought it out in him.

“Says the guy who followed me into the garden last night,” she scoffed, swiping half of his sandwich and taking a bite.

“I’d offer you some of my sandwich but clearly you prefer to help yourself.”

“I figure you owe me,” she offered, opening the refrigerator and extracting the orange juice.

“For what exactly?”

“Well, for starters, forcing me to endure a full hour with that shameless display of nakedness. I mean, that kind of thing is going to scar me for life, Mikaelson.”

Klaus couldn’t miss the way her cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the mention. Scarred. Yeah right. Clearly, it was all she could focus on and he decided it was genius to make her cover up and for him to stay shirtless.

Klaus 1. Caroline 0

“Last time I checked, I prevented a monumental wedding disaster by finding that ring and let’s not forget about the whole champagne incident.”

“I could have found it on my own.”

“Yeah with that Hello Kitty flashlight,” he snorted. “Also, I can’t see how I owe you when you fleeced me at poker.”

“You totally deserved that,” she countered, pouring a glass of juice and turning around to put the carton back in the fridge. The perfect opportunity for Klaus to swipe her drink and take a large gulp.

“Hey!”

“You snooze, you lose, sweetheart,” he replied lazily. “So, what brings you here this late? You know, besides stealing half my sandwich.”

“I couldn’t sleep, too many things to think about and do before the wedding,” she groaned, taking a seat at the bench by his side.

“I think you’ve done pretty well so far, love, well, besides that whole episode with the ring last night,” the thunderous look she gave him was a clear sign it was too soon to joke about it. “Which I am taking to my grave, never to be mentioned to anyone ever.”

He noticed her face soften, a hint of a smile telling Klaus she was relaxing, albeit slightly. “So, what are you doing here besides stealing my juice? If I wasn’t so tired, I’d say something about yucky boy germs,” she teased, pulling the glass back towards her and taking a sip.

“I couldn’t sleep either,” he admitted. “I haven’t told anyone this but my best man speech isn’t finished, not even close.” He noticed her eyebrows shoot up knowing exactly where this was going. Crazy Caroline, pseudo wedding planner had returned with a vengeance. “Relax, Caroline, it will be done in time. I’m, uh, just fine tuning it.”

“Liar,” she shot back. “Relax, Klaus, I’m not going to go into crazy, organised, Caroline mode on you." It was like she could read his mind. “Would it help if I listened to what you have so far?”

No, it most certainly wouldn’t given he was trying to write about love and emotions and feelings and doing it with Caroline present was nothing short of awkward, not to mention private.

“Okay, how about this,” she pressed, clearly noting his unease. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?”

In a clothes-shedding context that last sentence definitely held much more appeal. But if he was going to do this, Klaus needed to allow himself to be vulnerable and doing it in front of the woman he loved wasn’t exactly how he saw things going.

A/N What exactly happened two years ago? And in the kitchen? Stay tuned...oh and there’s a wedding too.

[razorblade180]

Lasting Embers part24: Broken Children

[Menagerie, Oasis]

The Sun is in full affect over the desert as Sienna sits by the water to stalk her lunch. Taking her time as her is raised by her face; claws out and ready to strike. Her mother resting in the shade and enjoying the show.

Jacquelyn:You know you should learn to fish like everyone else.

Sienna:I could but....*stabs hand in the water* I enjoy the advantages I was given at birth way to much. *pulls out a fish*

Jacquelyn:*chuckles* Show off, do your sister a favor and catch three more.

Sienna:Since when does she eat that much at once.

Jacquelyn:One is for her, the other two. *points pass Sienna*

Alpha rests on a sand dune just outside the Oasis like he was painstakingly trained to remember. His eyes fixated on the freshly caught fish.

Sienna:Should I be concerned that you let her keep that grimm around?

Jacquelyn:The whole pack helped protect her because of him so I don’t mind. Plus I think it’s pretty interesting how she basically out did what makes the cult special in the first place. Makes me proud hehehe.

Sienna:I don’t like the way he’s looking at me. Jael come get your pet!!

Jael:*inside*I’m getting dressed and he’s more of a wild animal that just knows better than to pick fights he’ll lose.

Jacquelyn:Heh, sounds like Adam after a week of dating.

Sienna: “dating” he was sort of your prisoner mom.

Jacquelyn:Prisoner of lo-

Sienna:No..... Jael please come take care of this. Both Alpha and our mother have too much attention on me.

Jael:You wouldn’t be saying that if dad was the one paying attention to you!

Sienna:Like you’re one to talk! Come out here and say it to my face kid.

Jael:*mumbles* one of these days I’ll hit her for the dumb goat jokes.

After washing her face and putting her hair in a ponytail, she was ready to fish. Dressed in just a red crop top and black swimming trunks just in case the fish put up a fight. Honestly she hope they did how scorching today was turning out to be. The heat never bothered Adam as much though, yet he usually wore black. He’ll have to tell her the secret to it when he comes home.

Jacquelyn:Hey sweetie can you bring me my scroll before you come out here? I think it’s on the table.

Jael:*picking it up* I swear you never have this on you when you need it. What if someone like dad sends something important like.....like..... *drops the scroll* ...........

Sienna’s ears twitch as she hears a louder thump and startling her to the point of dropping her lunch. Sisterly and animal instinct kick in and she rushes inside to see Jael on her knees.

Sienna:Jael! What’s wrong!? *shakes her arm* is it your heart or something? Talk to m-

Jael:*crying*........the scroll *points to it*

Carefully but with haste, the older faunus picks it prepared for anything. Or at least she thought she was. Her ears automatically fold down as she suddenly feels small and frail like her early years. Despite that however, she remains calmer and mature out of necessity. Pulling her kid sister into her arms and staring disappointingly at the message.

“Things are worse than we thought. I’ll be home soon but not as long as I’d like. Sorry to do this to you but I’m leaving for another job that can’t wait; I don’t know when I’ll come back...”

Jael:We’re never gonna have time as a complete family will we?

Sienna:I.....*sniff* I don’t know.

[Patch]

After a bit more walking through the forest both Tenzen a Yujin finally made it to the house. The yard was still thoroughly trashed to the point some surrounding trees were damage. Tenzen was told about the explosive welcoming gift that was Yujin trying to beat her mom but this was another level.

Tenzen:All this happened on your birthday? It looks like a war zone.

Yujin:*weakly* No, there was plenty of sparring afterwards between Adam, myself, and even mo- Yang.....

That started to make a lot more sense. One brawl out of anger was one thing. Three or more though against people like Adam and Yang was another. Even without knowing much about the former terrorist he knew that he was cream of the crop when it came to battle like the others. No doubt these matches put Yujin through her paces as a huntress in training. That fact became more valid as he approached a familiar looking blade that had been broken in two.

Tenzen:*picking it up* Jin is this Tempered Steel? It’s completely ruined....

Yujin:Yep, guess it wasn’t as strong as I thought. Gave out on me when I blocked an incoming shotgun punch; her semblance being amplified didn’t help.

Tenzen:What are you going to use for the entrance exam then? It’s a month away sure, but making a good weapon takes up most of it.

Yujin:Don’t know, don’t really care that much either....*walks inside*

Tenzen:.....

He wanted to pry a bit more about that statement but chose not to push his luck. Fortune was smiling on him since she bothered to speak at all in her state; tired and almost colorless. Conversations about Beacon’s upcoming entrance exam can be revisited later, for now he followed her into the house they’ve shared many memories in. Most of them filled with smiles but a gut feeling another memory containing tears was on the horizon. Yujin is cracking, badly.....

Tenzen:Listen, I know you’re thinking about a lot but- agh! *stumbles to his knees*

Yujin:Tenzen!? *helping him up* are you okay!?

Tenzen:Fine....guess my ribs are still healing hehe.

Yujin:I can feel you burning up; no doubt you have a slight fever. Sigh....and an empty stomach because I ran out instead of making you food like I promised. I’m such an idiot.

Tenzen:You had a lot on your mind, it happens.

Yujin:Yeah well it shouldn’t. *lays him on the couch* can’t believe you came after me in your condition.

Tenzen:Yeah you can, it’s pretty on brand for me to look after you even when you want space. *cough*

Yujin:......Might have a point there. I’ll make you some food and water. While I’m gone try to think about your own health for a change. *walks off*

Tenzen:No promises.....

Comfort finally set in within a few minutes of laying on the couch. Was the ceiling always so high up? He’d gotten so used to having to look down that he’d rarely had a reason to look anywhere else. Though the last time he did look up it was to see an incoming boot crash into his face. Jericho wasn’t going to be a name he’d forget anytime soon.

Yujin:*carrying a bowl of stew* it’s a bit late for breakfast now and something tells me you need a hardy meal.

Tenzen:*eyes widened* Beef stew huh? Don’t think I could’ve asked for anything better. Hey, you didn’t make yourself any?

Yujin:Not hungry.....

Tenzen:.....*puts a spoon full in front of her*

Yujin:Tenzen-

Tenzen:I thought about my health for a few minutes and now I’m back to you. Eat a little bit Jin. *waving it in front of her* who doesn’t want to taste their own fabulous cooking?

Yujin:My dad made this.

Tenzen:That’s a relief all things considering...

Yujin:Hey! What’s wrong with my cook- *spoon enters her mouth*.....

Tenzen:That was easier than I thought. *smiles*

Yujin:*red* Why do you have to be so annoying?

Tenzen: *eating* I only push because you refuse to budge when you should. Stubbornness is one of your best and worst qualities. *lifts spoon to her*

Yujin:.......*takes a bit*

Tenzen:I knew you’d give in eventually. Some color is finally getting back to your face. Had me worried for a sec.

Yujin:I know what you’re trying to do. Get my mind off things....

Tenzen:Not exactly, just trying to ease the tension a little I suppose. You barely said a word on the way home and it’s a bit challenging to read your mood when you stare at the ground. However, doesn’t take a genius to know you’re about to blow....

Yujin:........*takes another bite*

Tenzen:We both know this bowl is gonna run out eventually. Talk to me please...

Yujin:I’m fine...

Tenzen:You’ve been saying that since the day she left Jin. We both know that a lie.

Yujin:*grips spoon* I don’t feel like talking about this man.

Tenzen:Haven’t been trying to feel much at all lately from the looks of it. Well, except the night I gave you your present. *messing with her bracelet* don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big smile one your face; with your mom no less. Are you really gonna dismiss all of-

Yujin:I’m not dismissing anything!! Having those moments with her were nice but it was just that, a moment. It didn’t change how I feel about all the countless moments without her. *staring at the bowl* Nothing has changed, everything is the same as it’s always been. So can we finally drop it? Pl...please?

Her hands start to shake and her voice cracking. Despite his best efforts she just refuses to open up to him. The bowl gets set aside as the both of them try to figure out what to say.

Tenzen:Alright, I’ll drop it. I want you to know that if you need to talk though I’m always available. This is eating away at you and it’s gonna keep at it until you eventually explode.

Yujin:Maybe, not everyone can be like you Tenzen. I can’t be open and strong like you all the time. You’re better than me....

Tenzen:*eyes widened* Says who? Jin you should not compare the two of us. We are different people.

Yujin:But in similar situations. Ren and Nora are leaving but you look.....fine. How the hell are you fine while I feel so....so.... *eyes flickering*

Tenzen:Woah I-

The front door opened before he could comment. It was a Yang wearing a tired expression not so different from her daughter. Somehow that got under Yujin’s more than it should’ve.

Tenzen: Mrs. Xiao Long? I wasn’t expecting you to drop by.

Yujin:That makes two of us.

Yang:Yeah well, there’s supplies that I need to get. It’s a time sensitive issue. *walking to a bookshelf*

Tenzen:How’d you get here so fast.

Yang:*grabbing paper* Dad drove me.

Tenzen:......I think I should probably get home. He’s supposed to be escorting me anyways.

Complete and utter tension was starting to stir. He knew what he was doing was not about to be pretty. It needed to be done though, or certain feelings might never come out until it was too late.

Yujin:Tenzen I really think you should st- *kissed on the forehead*.......

Tenzen:I’ll text you when I make it home. *leaves*

Who would’ve thought the sound of a closing door could feel so horrible? Yang continued to gather office supplies quickly, yet calmly. A fight was the last thing she wanted to have but all the signs pointed to that if they tried to talk right now. Not knowing what was on her own daughters mind was a special kind of torture. Yujin wasn’t too keen on keeping quiet though. She spoke with a tone colder and more deliberate than usual.

Yujin:What’s with the supplies?

Yang:Don’t really know, Ruby gave me a list and I’m following it.

Yujin:Guess that means everyone else must already be gone if you’re over here planning an arts and crafts project.

Yang:......

Yujin:*glaring at the back of her hand* If time is a factor then that means a decision was made right?

Yang:....*puts the bag on the ground* I leave in a week....

Yujin:Hmph, of course you decided to go.

Yang: Listen, this wasn’t an easy decision for me. I want to stay, I really do. However, there’s just so much going on. I’ll still come back, as soon as I c- *turned around and punched right in the face. She stumbles into the shelf*

Yujin: “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” Last time I heard that it took ten years. *tears run down her face* I’m not listening this time.

Yang:*wipes her nose* You know this isn’t easy for me either right? All these years of wanting to comeback and it falls apart immediately. You think.....*red eyes* you think you could just cut me some slack for one minute!!!!! *gets up*

Yujin:Oh spare me the pity part! You did this to yourself and you know it! All this time and you didn’t come back once!

Yang:To keep you safe!

Yujin:News flash, I almost died anyways!

Yang:I.....I was told.

Yujin:Here’s the dark reality of the situation mom. The moment you came back home you kept telling me about how hard it was to be away, that it was a difficult decision, and we’d try to make up for lost time. Yet that decision could not have been too hard because in a matter of hours you’ve already decided to leave me again!!!

Her voice shakes the room and tears flow uncontrollably as they hit the floor.

Yujin:The reality is even if I dropped onto my knees right now and begged you to stay, you might still walk out. Even if you did stay then you’d silently hate yourself for not helping. Heaven forbid they die on that mission because it would kill you inside. So instead of giving me this annoying run around about wishing you could stay, admit to yourself what you already know. Being a hero that protects everyone is just more important than being with dad and I.

Yang:That’s not true in the slightest! Everything I do is for the two of you and the rest of my family. It’s always been that way and I’ll continue to do anything for the you both!

Yujin:THEN STAY DAMNIT!!!

Yang:....

Yujin:*drops to the ground balling* Let whatever threat make its way here instead. Wake up with us, plan with us, laugh with us, keep me in your arms...... I don’t want to a hero, I want my mom. That’s all I ever wanted. I’m so sick and I tired of people telling me you love me and I just want you here to say it yourself.

Yang:*crying* Yujin there’s not a minute when I don’t love you. *sniff* you know that don’t you?

Yujin:I know, but you’re still gonna leave right? It’s just who you are. *glaring at her*

Yang:*looks away* I’m sorry.....

Yujin:*heart drops and eyes widened*..........

Yujin:Fine, I see how it is. I’m gonna make this real easy for the both of us. *tosses her the supply bag*

Yang:What are you doing?

Yujin:I’ve spent my entire childhood waiting to see you again; I can’t spend anymore time doing that. If you pick up that bag and walk out that door then you don’t have to worry about rushing home to see me again. Dad might be waiting but I’ll be continuing to live my life without you like I’ve been doing. Far as I’ll be concerned, it’s like you never came home in the first place. *clenches her fist* or you can walk over here right now and tell me that you’re going to stay.

At this point, maybe it would’ve been best to not know her feelings. That somehow Yang inflicted more damage to her daughter than Raven ever did when she left Tai and herself all those years ago. The road to hell must really be paved with good intentions. Even so, this isn’t the time to lose faith. Yang never needed a week to decide and she bet Adam knows that too. It’s for damage control; salvaging whatever you can of the relationships that will be left behind. Her only wish is that there’s something left to salvage in the first place. Slowly she grabs the bag and walks towards the door; reaching for the knob.

Yujin:So that’s really your choice huh? *shaking*

Yang:I hope one day that you’ll forgive, but for now I guess this is it. *opens the door*

Yujin:..........I hate you.......

Yang:Me too...*leaves*

Ruby and Jaune stand in the yard waiting for her return. Ruby takes the supplies and walks with her sister back to Tai’s house, Jaune stares at his front door. Nobody mentions the obvious bruise or red eyes Yang displays.

Jaune:I’m staying here.

Ruby:Thought so, go take care of your kid. We got the rest from here.

Jaune:Yang....you know she doesn’t-

Yang:She does Jaune. Right now in this moment, she does hate me and I can’t blame her. *tearing up* I can only hope it’s not forever.

The sound of broken glass ends the short conversation. With a final hug the sisters leave and Jaune walks into his once unbroken home. He looks around to find the source of the sound until he finds himself upstairs in the bathroom. Yujin his hugging her knees with her head down right below the sink. Right above it is a freshly broken mirror shattered with a single hit. He has pretty good idea why it got broken.

Jaune:Yujin.....

Yujin:Are you here to yell at me?

Jaune:No, wouldn’t make anything better. *sits next to her*

Yujin:.....Is something wrong with me?

Jaune:What?

Yujin:I keep wracking my brain thinking there’s something I missed. A little something that would’ve gotten her to stay, but I got nothing. Is the problem really just me?

The girl stares brokenly at her father. Eyes relentlessly pouring tears down her face as the glow purple; obviously without her control. The reason the mirror broke; showing her the last person she wanted to see right now.

Yujin:Am I just not enough for her to stay dad?

Jaune:*hugs her tightly* Please don’t think like that. You’re more than enough for her and I. Don’t you ever forget that. *crying* I thought I could love you enough for the both of us while she was gone but I guess not.

Yujin:I....I just want to stop feeling so hurt! I want to feel fine!

It took awhile but she finally admitted it to herself. Yujin wasn’t fine with any of this; she’s never been fine with any of this. Not that anybody ever believed the blatant lie but herself. That was over now though. The Yujin that told herself how strong she was truly left for the first time. Left behind was a devasted teenage girl that was crying her heart out in her father’s arms; desperately seeking comfort. A girl wishing for her mother, despite the hate that she has for her.

[lululawrence]

Hey! Have you read any good abo fics recently?

ahehehehehe okay, so, i put this off until now because i needed to be able to look at a few things. so, by recently i am taking that to mean since i last did an a/b/o fic rec, which apparently was june of last year (and january before that). that’s far too long ago, meaning this rec is going to have about 30 fics on it. hahahaha i’m putting them in no particular order other than the order i bookmarked them in, meaning most recent bookmarks will be last, so if june of last year wasn’t recent enough, you’ll wanna scroll a bit. :D

I have also written two more a/b/o fics since my last rec, so i’ll start with a bit of self promo and then start lauding the work of others (hope you don’t mind)

The World Will Open Its Arms - this one is actually one of my more popular fics from last year, which i wasn’t expecting at all. haha my entire goal for this fic was to take a feeling i got while listening to a song on a random drive to take my daughter to her ice skating camp and capture it in a fic. i think i did, and i love the little bit of insight we get into their lives with this one. pregnant and unbonded omega harry, alpha louis. :)

How I Feel Inside - i wrote this one also for wordplay, and while there’s omega harry and alpha louis in there, the real focus of the fic is the fact that niall is missing. you find out why at the end, so i’ll try not to give it away, but i did it kinda as a gag and a joke and loved it so i hope you enjoy it too hahaha

okay! and now to the rest. Let’s do this.

Take What's Mine by @jaerie / jaerieall i’m really gonna say about this one is i first read it as a dark fic read and then she took it off anon so i figured if she was brave enough to say she wrote it then i was brave enough to say i loved it haha so here we are. it’s a bit of a dark fic but is ultimately healing and beautiful imo.

was it all a fake? by @jaerie / jaerieso this is a fic i didn’t realize she was gonna publicly gift to me and i asked for it, so fair enough, but i love it. i love it and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so please, like with the fic before, check the tags (i feel like this rec isn’t starting well with me warning about things before people read them, but i really do love these hahaha)

These Lover's Eyes by chasingxrabbitswhat i love most about this fic is it’s a pack fic. i feel like packs are something that used to be explored more in older a/b/o fics in the fandom but that it is often ignored unless it’s in the almost tribal sense of packs, and this is very different. like the summary literally reads “A/B/O verse where Liam is an alpha, Josh, Niall, Louis, and Harry are his betas and an unlikely little omega stumbles into the picture.” and i can’t really say much more than that, but i love it so much. haha so if you’re looking for a totally different dynamic to this verse, this older fic will defo give you that. (if someone also wants to kind of explore this idea and dynamic in their own ways as well, please tag me when you post lol)

hard to confess by @hereforlou / hereforlouACCIDENTAL MPREG! gosh i love fics like this so much and they did this one really well. accidental mpreg with assumptions made that might not be entirely correct and friends to lovers and just SO MUCH GOODNESS OKAY

Desire A/B/o series by @reminiscingintherain / reminiscingintherainthis series is an established relationship, somewhat canon compliant a/b/o series that was such fun to read. super fluffy, super sweet, super cute. basically, if the dark fics i kinda started this rec with aren’t your thing, this probably is. lol

I'm Sure It Happens To All Alphas by @jaerie / jaerieALPHA. LOUIS. HAS TROUBLE. POPPING A KNOT. gosh i died reading this fic. i love it so much. she works her magic, as usual, and does it in style.

The Wilds by @jaerie / jaerieThis fic was just. it was wow. it was such an interesting world for things to take place in and fascinating how it all played out. there are quite a few sensitive subjects that this does broach, so while i wouldn’t necessarily say it is a dark fic, you do need to be sensitive to the tags, so please be careful with those!

You Gotta Swim, Swim For Your Life series by @jaerie / jaeriei swear i do read a/b/o that isn’t done by jenna. lollll but this series is so good. it’s a really incredible fic that takes you through harry’s journey with grief and illness and all sorts of things, so if that’s triggering for you, then please don’t read this, but it’s so so so beautifully done. the emotions in this series are gorgeous.

Where You Lay by @ham-palpert / HamPalpertTHIS FIIIIIIC! gosh it’s a perceived enemies to friends with benefits to lovers fic but there’s such a journey along the way. it’s so so so amazing. it ended and i just felt so complete. hahaha it’s one of those fics. so yeah, love love love.

The Nearness of You by @louisalbumnow / theweightofmywordsTHIS FIC. the nesting in this fic! the description and emotions and just ALL OF IT. it’s just gold. in a 2k wrapper. it’s amazing. i don’t even have words just read it.

One Love by @13ways-of-looking / 13waysthis fic is SO EMOTIONAL. it hit me hard and was another one of those that packs a lot into few words. it was so interesting and a really fascinating world and just. yeah. it’s a great read!

I'll Take Care Of You by @dimpled-halo / dimpled_halojacky wrote me a part 2 of my fic for my birthday! she wrote the part 1 for my birthday too, so i guess she loves me a lot if she was willing to revisit it and write me some more. i love this ‘verse so much, though. the throw back to high school/college like it’s done here is so pure and complex and i love it.

I Know How To Whisk (But Teach Me Anyway) by @2tiedships2 / 2tiedships2mel comes and delivers another great a/b/o fic! i love how she always ties in the idea of soulmates with her fics. and this one is so fun and i love that it entirely revolves around an obsession with a bakery hahaha a great read, as always!

Alpha Seeking Alpha by @jaerie / jaerieOKAY OKAY OKAY. i love this one too. gosh i say that about everyone of these, don’t i? i suppose it’s a fic rec so i would hope i love them all but i’m not thinking well tonight so all you’re getting is read this cause i love it but like ALPHA/ALPHA THROUGH A SERVICE AND JUST AAAHHHHHHH

I Wanna Be More Than Friends by @2tiedships2 / 2tiedships2this is my fav mel fic yet. i kept throwing ideas at her hoping something would stick and then she came up with something completely unique that i’d never heard of before and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. alpha harry does not have a sense of smell. OMGGGGGGGG anyway. toooootally amazing twist on the a/b/o verse.

If I Loved You Less by @allwaswell16 / allwaswell16REGENCY A/B/O!!!! did you hear me? I SAID REGENCY A/B/O!!! With side shiall! i adored this fic because even through the end i was like HOW ARE THEY GONNA MAKE THIS WORK but it does and it’s magical and so great. gosh. so so great.

The Unsuccessful Promise by trysomecatsthis fic actually just got a part 2 added recently and i only just read that part 2 last night! lol good timing, i suppose! anyway, this one is sooooo fun because it’s got feisty didn’t think he’d be an omega louis with super sweet and obviously misunderstood harry with louis’ parents being ZIAM!!! it was a fun story that i really enjoyed reading lol my fav part might have actually been zayn and liam, i loved how they were written

Moments Like These Are To Die For by @fourdrunksluts / alienharrythis is one of those fics that sucked me in and spat me out afterwards and i keep thinking about it! months later i still think about this fic. it stayed with me and i love it. it’s an arranged marriage royalty au where harry and louis are from different packs and AHHHHHHHHH i love it so so so much. PLUS!!! THERE’S AN ACE CHARACTER!!! AN ACE CHARACTER IN AN A/B/O!?!?! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! so yeah this fic means a lot to me and i love it so much so please read it.

Your Touch Is The Only Thing I Feel by @2tiedships2 / 2tiedships2mel delves into touch depri here and i love that being explored! i felt like she did it in a different way than i’d seen it in other fics too, so i really like that as well. as usual, the relationship dynamics in her fics are spot on and hysterical while also making you just love every second. 

The light is coming by @pocketsunshineharry / ishiplouislisten. i have a soft spot for hurt/comfort, especially in a/b/o, and this fic just harnesses ALL OF THAT and makes it just. i can’t. i can’t say much more but i just loved this dynamic and how much louis just needed help and the war within himself and frustration with that but harry was patient and did what he could to help and it was just so great.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year series by @2tiedships2 / 2tiedships2louis and harry didn’t exactly have the best first meeting hahaha it’s okay, though, because niall is there to force them to be friends. this is a super fun christmassy/birthday style two part series that not only explores the up to the point of finding louis’ alpha, but also what comes after that. it’s a lot of fun and i loved it hehe

Do Not Falter (There's a Star Ahead) by @londonfoginacup / LadyLondonderryNESTING HARRY. NESTING OMEGA HARRY. NESTING OMEGA HARRY NEEDING A SAFE PLACE. MUTUAL PINING. CHRISTMAS EVE. AHHHHHH this fic is short and sweet and i want to sit and sink into harry’s nest. it evokes the same warmth and almost magical feel all of emmu’s fics do. i love it.

You Should Be Here With Me by @dimpled-halo / dimpled_haloexes to lovers at christmas with pining and miscommunication and bonding and ahhhhhhhhh. i don’t even know what more to say, other than jacky is queen of exes to lovers, so make it a/b/o and christmas themed and you know you’ve got gold on your hands.

Merry Birthday by @jaerie / jaerieSOULMARK A/B/O. where they don’t even realize they’ve met until afterwards so then they’ve gotta find each other again and it’s just. gosh it’s so great and it’s so much more than just a christmas fic, even though it’s that too, it extends beyond and i love it.

Let Me Feel Your Heartbeat by @angelichl / angelichli love that “louis tomlinson wears harry styles’ clothes” is a legit tag in ao3. anyway. this is another one of those tentative enemies to friends to lovers with heaps of miscommunication and pining and confusion and everything are thrown together when mating cycles come into play and i love it. gosh i love it so so much. it was a great way to kick off the new year with a/b/o haha

Leave Your Mark On Me by @fullonlarrie / FullOnLarriespeaking of kicking off the new year with some amazing a/b/o, lauren tried her hand at it and I LOVED IT. it had so many twists i did not anticipate and i loved it so much. it was as wonderfully written as hers always are and with her signature humor and feelings and development and i adored it.

so that’s what i’ve got for you! i hope you find some on here that you haven’t read yet and that you like them as much as i did! hit me up again in another six months and i’ll see what i can do with another a/b/o rec update hehehe

[blaperile]

Homestuck Epilogues - Meat - Page 5

[simnovels-blog]

Rags to Riches - Chapter 22

My teen years went by way faster than I imagined. Before I realized it, it was already the day of my birthday. I decided I didn’t want to age up quietly like my previous birthdays. Now that we lived here and I had a bunch of friends, it was about time we had a real party in this house! And so I called everyone that morning, telling them that straight after our last day at school they should come to my house to celebrate my birthday.

While I was setting up everything for the party before I had to head out to school, Raven approached me, looking for some attention. I looked at Raven and clearly remembered my last birthday, when I first met her. We had grown so much since that day. From a clumsy rider and a stubborn horse into a great team that was capable of winning competitions. When I would be a young adult, we would have even more time together to fully dedicate ourselves to competing and winning races. I hugged my horse tightly, looking forward to the amazing adventures I’d have on her back.

Mom was inside, petting Pochi and mumbling some things to him that I couldn’t hear from where I was standing. Pochi was already super old by now. The dog had always been in my life, ever since I was born. I wondered how much longer he would be with us. He must have been at least 15 years old by now.

I rushed to school and spent the whole day accepting birthday wishes from everyone. Not everyone would be able to make it to my party at such a short notice, but those that mattered would be there. This included Lucy of course, Betty and her sister Consuela and some other friends from school. Most of them went home with me straight after school. Consuela was already a young adult so she showed up right after we got home. I had to say, she was very pretty and I kind of hoped she’d reward me to another dance after I had turned into a young adult. Couldn’t we make some sort of tradition out of it? Hehe… or maybe Lucy wouldn’t be too happy with that.

Maybe Lucy read my mind or she was just intimidated by Consuela’s beauty, because as soon as she noticed her presence she grabbed my arm and pulled me close to her. ‘Hey handsome, happy birthday,’ she said, giving me a very long kiss right in front of everyone. I was enchanted by it and returned her kiss passionately for a few seconds before I remembered we had company…

I realized I hadn’t spoken to Betty since the festival and turned towards her after Lucy finally let go of me. ‘Hey Betty, how are you? Are you feeling a little better? I’m sorry about the festival… though I’m not sure what happened, I feel like it was my fault that you got sad…’ I told her, as I tried to read from her glance how she was feeling.

To my great relief, she seemed fine. She greeted me with her lovely and genuine smile and patted me gently on the shoulder. ‘Don’t worry about that, you silly guy! The past is not important, especially not today! It’s time for your birthday after all. How about we blow out some candles and watch you grow into a handsome man?’ I stared at her for a few seconds. She really was beautiful. I had always known it, but right here in the sunset as she was smiling at me I realized it even more. Now that she was standing right next to Lucy, I realized that she might even be more beautiful than my own girlfriend…

I would have to revisit those thoughts later though, because it was indeed time for me age up! Everyone gathered around the birthday cake and cheered for me as I blew out all candles at once. Even Raven had joined the party, to my great enjoyment.

Sparkles flied and voila! There I was, a full grown young adult man. I felt more wise and independent now, as well as more manly of course. I could actually grow a beard now which was great, because I didn’t really appreciate my baby face as a teen. Whether I was handsome? Well, I’d leave that to the ladies to decide. Though, being truly honest to myself, I realized that I only cared about the opinion of one particular girl in this company...

[eyes-like-doves]

Cha cha cha CHANGES

Well…. hi!

I have now been married for 3 years. My husband Danny is the most patient, loving, kind hearted, hard working, intelligent, wonderful hunk of a man I have ever met! I am so blessed to be his wife!

Also big news! I HAD A BABY! ….. 6 months ago ^_^ ::womp womp:: hehe! sorry I’m so late in telling you all! My son, Daxton (or Dax), is such a perfect addition to our little family. I think God knew I wouldn’t be able to handle a difficult baby (with me being such a controlling person and all) and so He gave us the BEST baby boy we could have imagined! God truly held up His end of Ephesians 3:20. He definitely did more for us than we could have ever imagined by giving us such a sweet tempered, happy, laid back, adorable, bouncing (literally all the time) baby boy! He worked in my womb to create this perfect little person. I couldn’t ask for more. My cup runneth over with blessings!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20‬

As I sit here as a personal mattress for Dax. (He loves cuddling while he takes his naps) I was re-reading many of my old posts and realized that I no longer recognize myself. Where is that girl who had so much love to give? She loved meeting new people and being friends with people who were hard to be friends with. She had so much passion for ministry and telling of Jesus to the ends of the earth. The streams of Spirit’s living water used to run through her! She had so much to say about the goodness and love of God! And lately… I’ve just been… dry.

I long to get back to where I was but to be honest, I was a different person then. I have changed so much! I have lived through some beautiful times since then and also through some personal hells. I’ve loved some friends with all my heart only to be rejected by the ones I thought appreciated the friendship we had. I’ve also unknowingly rejected others who gave all they had to our friendship and have made some seemingly irreparable damage. Marriage has been the biggest earthly blessing I’ve ever had with so many beautiful moments! But with it comes along a new realization of how truly wicked I am. I have never before felt the weight of this verse until I see myself in the mirror of marriage.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:24‬

It’s pretty crazy how great you can think you are until you get married. I’ve never been more myself with any other human before. That is such a beautiful wonderful thing! But along with that full disclosure honesty is the indwelling sin that was hidden deep inside where even you couldn’t see it for yourself! Until I was faced with living with someone day in and day out who doesn’t see life the same way I do… I never knew how selfish I was (until Dannys plans got the the way of mine and I pitched a fit). I never realized how truly and deeply controlling I was (until I couldn’t even allow my newly wed husband to wash our dirty dishes unless I was watching over him to make sure he was doing it right). I never realized how mean hearted I was (until some of the most hurtful words I have ever heard came out of my own mouth). That’s only the tip of the iceberg. I have sinned so many times against my husband in the last 3 years that I could be buried under a mountain of it and never be found again. Which is why I HAVE to always remind myself of the gospel. This is what Jesus died for! This is why I have freedom and renewed life! This is why my eternity is filled with joy and not darkness. Clearly on my own I cannot please God. I needed a Savior. Praise the Lord for Jesus!

But along with the sins I commit against my husband, there are some hard to hear but needed realizations Danny has helped me with. I always knew I had a guilty conscience. Whenever I messed up I would feel really bad. But it was all in my head. Now that I speak these things out loud to someone, Danny has helped me realize how much it affects me on a daily basis! I walk around with guilt, bitterness, and anger towards myself. And then I avoid dealing with it by distracting myself with life. Dishes, laundry, cleaning, hanging out with friends, going to church, watching TV… anything so that I can punish myself longer and not give it over to Jesus. What I should do is run to Christ whenever I mess up, repent, and leave my burdens at His feet so that I can move forward in life free of the chains of sin and full of the joy He has given to me! I have been set free!

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-2‬ ‭

(I’ll come back to that verse later)

But I think as I get older and experience personal failures on a VERY regular basis, I realize that while this truth from Scripture is necessary for moving forward in our Christian life, it is something we have to actually choose to live by. It isn’t a magic potion that makes us feel better when we read it. It’s something we have to CHOOSE to actively believe every time we fail. Every time we sin. Every time we disappoint ourselves. To actively believe this verse, that means I have to call myself to action! To battle against the temptation that Satan whispers in my ear to punish myself and just go on with my days, weeks, months, or ever years without truly believing I am forgiven and freed from it. (As if I could actually add on to the FINISHED work of Christ… that’s the point wasn’t it that Jesus’s last words were “IT IS FINISHED”. There’s nothing more to do! He did it all! He paid it all for me- for all of us!) I have to be intentional with going to Christ EVERY time I face my failures. Taking each and every one of them to Him and then giving over my burdens to Him. And once I give those burdens away I can’t pick them back up again!

Full disclosure? There’s a verse in the Bible which is pretty gross to me but always makes me think of myself. If you’ve ever had a dog… you know along with the adorableness and fluffy puppy fur, they can do some pretty disgusting things…. like go over to the side yard and throw up the food mixed with grass/pinecone/wooden stick/bug/frog whatever they’ve eaten, let it sit for a couple of hours, go back and find it when they’re a little hungry and eat it back up again. Yeah. I’ve actually seen that happen before my very eyes. It’s disgusting.

So on that note

"Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭26:11

I think this verse can be interpreted 2 ways in my life. First, I regularly return to the same stupid sins I commit. It’s SO ANNOYING! I think I have “mastered” these struggles and then without even noticing I just do the same thing over again. But… if I'm really being honest with myself… most of the time I am even knowingly committing these sins over and over. Like the way I disrespectfully speak to my husband, the bitterness I harbor inside towards other women I am either envious of or feel like they have wronged me in some way, or even the TV shows I DEFINITELY should not watch (especially with my 6 month old sitting right next to me). I know what I am doing. I don’t want to be naive and tell myself I’m the victim here because, let’s be honest, most of the time I’m not the victim of sin. The people I hurt are the victims.

The second way this applies to my life which I believe in this specific case it is applying now… is that the folly I am returning to is not living my life in view of the Gospel. I “return to my vomit” by returning to my failures that I supposedly gave to Christ and pick them back up and carry them around. I remember something stupid I did and I feel utterly lost, guilt ridden, hopeless, and completely weighed down by the very sins I already was forgiven for! I just mull around in the mud getting my freshly washed Spirit clothes all disgusting again in the same mud I fell into before! Like oh, hey, I remember this mud puddle! It was so gross! I got stuck in it. I WONDER if I just dip my toe in if I’ll get stuck again… whoops I tripped and fell in. Annnnnnnd….. stuck.

Hello old vomit… you smell and look even worse than the first time I saw you. ::gulp::

I cannot continue to do this! I cannot continue to revisit my past sins and carry them around or roll in the same mud puddles. I cannot continue to eat my old vomit. It’s so unhealthy for me. And it’s also unhealthy for my marriage, my parenting, my friendships, even my mental psyche and spiritual walk.

It’s in these moments that I sure am glad God gave us His word to find hope and consolation. He gave us the “directions” out of the forrest fire. The “cheat sheet” if you will. It seems like a cheat for us. Except it wasn’t really a cheat because Jesus won the game and had to die to do so.

Remember the verse I stated earlier? Who will save me from this body of death? Yes that rings so true in my life right now, but that’s not all that is written in that 7th chapter of Romans. That’s not all God has given us in His word! Much of that chapter is filled with Paul writing about how difficult it is for him to not sin. How he struggles so much! How he fails. And how he cannot fulfill the righteous law on his own. But then chapter 8!!!!

The entire chapter is life bringing! But in this case I need to remember the very beginning and the end of the chapter specifically. Because of what JESUS did- Who can condemn me??? NO ONE! NOT EVEN MYSELF!!

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-2, 31-39‬ ‭

I am free! Free to walk away from that mud puddle. Free to leave that vomit to dry up and eventually fade away into the grass never to be seen again. I am FREE to no longer sin because I can live without guilt dragging me into my old ways. I can see the temptation to sin and remember how bad it felt, and how amazing it feels to be free of it, and choose to not sin because Christ has left an everlasting mark on my heart that I cannot deny! I just need to actively remember and choose to live out these verses. And through the power of the Holy Spirit I know I can do so!

One day at a time. Until the day I get to go home and be truly freed from even the temptation to sin. When I get to run into the arms of Jesus. My Savior. My best friend. My God.

I can’t wait!

-Amy

[blaperile]

Homestuck Epilogues - Meat - Page 4