#my god i finally drew a background who knew i was capable of such a thing

[artsybun]

You Can’t Have Him

[amiechuchu]

Magic, Mayhem, and All Things In Between

Chapter 3: Background of the Study

[A/N: finally some y/n and loki development. soft loki moments. i am once again back with the self-indulgent fic and i hope you enjoy :’)]

other chapters can be found here

Weeks had passed since you had accepted Mr. Stark’s small favor. Weeks had passed since you began spending the majority of your time with the Asgardian brothers and dear Uncle Bruce. Though the days were filled with chatter, the late nights in the lab were quite the opposite. With only the low hum of machines to keep you company, you realized how lonely it can be. It was unlike the times you spent in the hospital, where you’d be surrounded by fellow doctors, nurses, and patients even at the dead of night. Despite how these late night duties meshed with early mornings, dulling your own sense of time, you didn’t mind it because of the company that you had. Research work, on the other hand, was a different story. Despite your years of experience, the burnout and loneliness that accompanied research work slowly made its way to the deepest parts of your brain.

“Hey,” a voice said as a hand waved in front of you, snapping you out of the trance you were in. It was Loki. “Are you okay, pet? You look rather dead.” The God held up a cup of freshly brewed coffee and passed it on to you.

“I’m fine,” came your quick reply as you received the cup from him, your hands nudging his slightly, “thank you for the coffee by the way.” You gave Loki a weak smile before beginning to sip from the warm cup of comfort that was given to you.

The lack of reaction was unusual. How many times has Loki seen you flustered with just the tiniest forms of physical touch? Probably every single time. Confused, he grabbed a chair and set it down beside you. “Are all you Midgardians always so dishonest about what you feel?” There was that usual bite in his manner of speaking. Though, no matter how hard he tried to hide it in his cold demeanor, he could feel the concern dripping from the words he uttered; the loneliness he saw in your eyes hit too close to home. Did he get too close? Maybe showing that he cared was a mistake.

Keeping your eyes on the warm mug, you hummed in reply, refusing to answer a clear yes. Your eyes glanced up at the God beside you, longing to understand why he’d even bother. Clearly, you were oblivious to any form of care or concern Loki has shown. It wasn’t as if you had your guard up, rather you were quite unfamiliar with the intimacies of talking about your own feelings. Although the question he asked was clearly rhetorical, you still wondered: Do Asgardians not repress their own feelings to prevent them from getting distracted from things that truly matter?

Green orbs stared at yours, noticing the ever darkening bags under your eyes. “I was just concerned,” Loki began, voice softening. The God looked away and focused on the variety of glassware set up on the table adjacent to them, “it has been a while since you’ve left the laboratory. You didn’t even sneak out to the medical wing for a little breather.”

You raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. How could he have noticed all that? How could he have cared at all? After all, you were just a lowly Midgardian, as he put it, and he was a God, a deity, someone with power and importance. “How did you-”

“It pains me that you put me on the same level as them, little doctor,” the God interjected as he faced you once more, “out of all the weeks we’ve spent in this laboratory, you really believed I wouldn’t have noticed.” He noticed the closeness of your proximity; his form inches away from yours, yet your mind was elsewhere. 

“In my defense, everyone else I’ve met in this tower described you as a narcissistic asshole and a war criminal,” you shrugged, “so, naturally, I didn't think you would care at all about my well-being.” You took a sip from your cup, and indulged in the buzz the caffeine began to give you. “But I don’t think you’re as bad as they make you out to be. They just didn’t think of the whole story. Just took out a portion of it. It was unfair - what they did to you. It felt as if you always had the short end of the stick.”

Silence. 

Now, it was your turn to shock your Asgardian companion. Being on the other end of empathy was foreign to Loki as everyone treated him quite harshly. He grew up in the shadow of Thor, the more loveable sibling, and, as much as he wanted to show off his capabilities, that he was just as worthy as Thor, Loki was left in the darkness, to wallow in promises unkept, to wallow in dreams broken, to wallow in his own great tragedy. 

Eyes feeling heavy, You turned your head towards Loki, waiting for a response; though you were a naturally perceptive person, the look on his face was filled with emotions you couldn’t make out. Was he mad? Did you say too much? That analysis was unwarranted, of course he’d be mad. Embarrassed, you looked down on your cup of coffee once more, “I apologize if I said anything out of line. There are just too many things in my mind right now. I don’t think I was able to filter my thoughts very well.”

“Pray tell, dear doctor. What are you thinking of?” Loki replied, deciding to change the course of their conversation. With brows slightly raised and his gaze set at your exhausted form, you felt the God studying you, attempting to break down the essence of what makes the little physician tick. 

Deciding to be a smartass, you replied, “like I said, many things.” You set down your cup of coffee on the table and crossed your arms. “Why do you ask, Loki? These past few weeks you’ve been awfully helpful to the point that Uncle says it’s weird and unlikely for you to do that just for a human. I appreciate it though, but I just don’t see why you should go out of your way to listen to me.”

“Your words wound me, doctor,” Loki chuckled, emerald eyes piercing yours, “can I not be concerned? I see years worth of loneliness and unfulfilled expectations in your eyes to the point that you can’t even deny it. I’m sure you understand what isolation and over independence can do.” Your eyes softened, glistening under the incandescent lights. You were cracking slowly, and the God knew this. He knew what you were seeking: comfort, validation, a shoulder to cry on. It was clear as day.

“Well, I could see all the walls you’ve built. You know everything about everybody, but barely anyone knows anything about you,” you attempted to reply proudly; however, your words were breathy, already beginning to shake. So much for an attempted bark. Embarrassed, you looked away defensively, not taking another moment under his perceptive gaze. It felt as if all the skeletons you’ve kept inside your closet were being showcased all of a sudden, and you hated every second of it. Your stomach churned as your defenses slowly came undone; it wouldn’t take a while now for you to start oversharing, possibly even crying your eyes out. His hand tenderly reached out to the edge of your chin and tilted it towards him. It was warm, soothing. Comforting.

“I could say the same to you, darling. You act as if you don’t build walls around you, yet you keep everyone else at arms reach. I know what loneliness and distrust does to people, and I also know that you shouldn’t hold yourself accountable for all these expectations.” There was a slight pang in Loki’s chest as he said all these truths. He too bore wounds invisible to the eye. He too carried scars from the past. These emotions were far too familiar to the raven-haired God much like old friends, and he was afraid that, by reading these off your face, he’d become attached somehow, mended together by a mutual understanding of each other’s pain. What would become of his plan then? His glorious purpose?

Looking up to him, you realized how small you were, how fragile, how easy it was for him to see through your façade. It was oddly nice to have someone who had a grasp on your inner demons, albeit without consent. You felt a connection in the making.

 Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to trust him.

 *

Days have passed since the God of Mischief and the doctor have shared a portion of the thoughts they hid away in the darkest parts of their head. It was needless to say that the two now had an unspoken connection, a commiseration of loneliness, self-doubt, and crushing expectations. Often, they’d find their gazes focused on one another, with smiles shared and laughter exchanged. Other times, a helping hand would linger longer than usual atop the other’s. A gentle squeeze or the light encircling of one’s thumb, a sign of care and concern; these gestures only happened when the two were alone, knowing that dear Uncle Bruce would be highly against it. However, it wouldn’t be long before the others noticed.

You were grateful that today was a relatively slow day in the laboratory. Majority of the specimens that were scheduled for today’s tests were finished earlier than usual along with the case presentations and progress reports Mr. Stark had asked you to make. Though it seemed like such a small feat, you took it positively; today, you could finally take a breather. You hummed happily as you began arranging the mountain of paperwork around the main table.

Upon reaching for the next pile of papers, a familiar hand laid atop of yours. You smiled and looked at your raven-haired companion, admiring the way his tousled locks framed his oh-so ethereal face. 

“Do you need help, my dear doctor?” Loki asked as his thumb drew circles on your hand. Though his silvery voice tugged at your heartstrings as they always did, your cheeks were slightly tinged a light shade of red at mention of the pet name. The God never called you his doctor before.

“I can manage,” you replied as you turned your hand, interlocking your fingers with his. You kept your gaze on your hands intertwined with his, the way they fit together so perfectly. “It’s surprisingly not as busy today.”

Loki leaned down, his face close behind your neck. “A bit bold today aren’t we, pet?” he jested, breath tickling the side of your ear.

Thor observed the scene from afar, shocked. He never thought that his brother would’ve established a bond with the doctor, not in the way that Loki didn’t deserve any type of social interaction, but in the way that his brother wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. With arms crossed, the God of Thunder continued to watch as the two continued on with their intimacies, wondering when and how this managed to start. He watched the way your eyes lingered on his brother attentively; the way you were able to tug a smile on Loki’s face; the way his face lit up when you were around; the way your gentle touch was able to open a different side of Loki. 

Though he was wary of his brother and his antics, Thor disregarded his suspicions: the two of you were much too happy occupied in your bubble of… friendship? No, it was more than that. So much more. Something was blossoming, and the God of Thunder was sure of it. He was unsure of the status of you and Loki’s relationship, but nevertheless he was still happy. However, he wasn’t so sure if your uncle would be so accepting of it, knowing the bad blood between what had happened in New York.

The doors of the laboratory swept open, startling the two friends. Thor coughed loudly to alert his brother and the doctor, but it was already too late for them to fall back to a more believably platonic position. Out came Mr. Stark and Uncle Bruce from the elevators, both shocked at the closeness of you and Loki. Tony looked more curious than shocked at the development. Your uncle, on the other hand, radiated a crushing aura, and, although Uncle Bruce’s face seemed calm and collected at the moment, you knew very well that there was anger hidden underneath it. He always warned you about Loki and the danger he could bring if you got involved, so it was no surprise to you if his anger came from both concern and disappointment. 

Awkward air filled the room as the two made their way towards the laboratory’s main table. Loki stepped back away from you, whispering something along the lines of you being okay. You nodded in affirmation then looked down, averting any type of eye contact, and started to fiddle with the sheets of paper you had in hand. 

Sighing, you knew it was taboo to speak of the laboratory’s peace out loud since it always brought bad luck. Now, you’re going to have to deal with the consequences.

taglist: @gaycatlord-stuff​  @aces-tattooartist​ 

[zaph1337]

Monster Hunter Rating 21: Khezu, the Blank Stare

When I reviewed Basarios, I made a joke about how the devs likely gave it human teeth over sharp teeth because the latter might not give children nightmares, but I don’t actually think that the devs ever intended Basarios to be more terrifying than any other monster in the game. This monster, however, is literally the stuff of nightmares, and I’m not misusing “literally” here. This may be the longest review I’ve written yet, so buckle up. Time to get spooky with Khezu!

(How it appears in Monster Hunter 1)

(How it appears in Monster Hunter Rise)

Appearance: I think there’s been a mistake here; last I checked, Capcom wasn’t making Silent Hill games. Seriously, this thing would fit right into that series, and not just ‘cause its phallic neck lends itself well to metaphors. The pale, veiny skin, the leech-like mouth, the complete lack of eyes...Khezu’s unlike any other monster in the series because it’s the only monster that’s meant to be horrifying to look at. It’s got flabby, tattered wings and gecko-like feet, but its main characteristic (other than the head) is its tail, the tip of which can open up into a suction cup that allows Khezu to stick to ceilings.

Obviously, Khezu’s an abomination that came from a really dark place in someone’s mind, but that’s just it: Khezu is a monster that appeared in an MH developer’s nightmare either before or during the production of the first Monster Hunter game, and said developer (I don’t actually remember who) decided to put it in the game. I learned of this from the Twitch streams of a streamer called DuncanCan’tDie, who’s a huge MH fan that’s on great terms with Capcom. Unfortunately, I can’t find any other sources for this claim, but I don’t think he’s lying for a few reasons; firstly, like I said, he’s on great terms with Capcom. He’s friends with some people who work there, and he even has a tattoo designed by someone on the MH team he called “Kaname-san” (who didn’t actually give him the tattoo, but drew the design that a tattoo artist used) and the only person who could go by that name is Kaname Fujioka, the man who literally directed several MH games, including the first one, and who was the art director for Monster Hunter World. So yeah. Duncan and Capcom get along great, and if he was spreading false rumors, they’d probably know about it.

The second reason I believe Duncan about Khezu’s origin is that someone once came into one of his streams (and I was there at the time) and started spouting “lore” about two monsters that looked like they could be related, but actually weren’t. Duncan flat out told this person that what they were claiming wasn’t mentioned anywhere and asked for sources...which the loregiver did not provide. In fact, after Duncan started getting on their case, I don’t think they said a word for the rest of the stream. Duncan believes that this person was just making stuff up to sound like they knew a lot about MH and weren’t aware that he was an MH expert, and I doubt that someone who would call someone out on that would do the same thing, especially if he had a reputation to uphold.

I apologize if I spent a lot of time talking about that, but I didn’t want people getting on my case because they couldn’t find anything to support my claims. But in conclusion, I believe that Khezu truly was born of a nightmare, and that’s awesome. It makes the Silent Hill comparison even more fitting since the enemies in those games are basically projections of the protagonists’ psyches. Disturbing enemies are much more effective if they scare(d) the people who created them, and Khezu is certainly disturbing. Because of that, as well as its ominous origin, I’m giving it a 9/10.

Behavior: Khezu mostly inhabit caves, jungles, and swamps due to the need for their skin to be moisturized, though they usually only leave caves to hunt, which they don’t have to do very often due to the plentiful fat beneath their skin, which also keeps them warm. Their favorite hunting strategy is to ambush their prey from a location usually concealed by darkness, which is made easier by their extendable necks. However, their reliance on darkness, as well as their preference to dwell in caves, has made them completely blind and reliant on their other senses; despite not having visible nostrils or ears, Khezu have great hearing and a very good sense of smell. Back to hunting, while they need to subdue larger prey, smaller ones, like Kelbi, are slowly swallowed whole...which is apparently something you can actually witness in the games, according to TV Tropes (I normally stick to the wiki and what I already know for resources, but I went to the “Monster Hunter / Nightmare Fuel” page while searching for another source for Khezu’s origin as a nightmare). As if this thing needed to be more disturbing, it doesn’t always kill its prey before it tries to swallow it, so the Kelbi you can see it eat is constantly struggling as the Khezu swallows it bottom-first. That’s...that’s messed up. But it gets worse.

Practically every monster in this series isn’t any more intelligent than what we consider a normal animal to be. Aside from Lynians, which are people, the smartest monster I’ve talked about is the Velociprey, which might not be as smart as, say, an irl crow, which is very intelligent by the standards of nonhuman animals. What I’m getting at here is that most of the monsters in this series don’t really take any sadistic pleasure in killing and eating prey; they just do it to survive. But Khezu is different. In several MH games, including Rise, the first time you go on a quest to kill a specific monster, the gameplay is preceded by a cutscene that shows off how powerful or intimidating that monster is (and in Rise’s case, you also get a poem). Here’s Khezu’s intro, and I want you to pay attention to what Khezu does from 0:24-0:30:

That’s right: this thing “looked” right at the monster it was going to eat, and smiled. That isn’t just me anthropomorphizing it, either; I’ve seen what Khezu looks like outside of that cutscene, and even with its mouth closed it has a neutral expression, so it smiling actually means something, and considering the context, it’s obvious what the devs wanted us to take from it: Khezu likes killing. It enjoyed the prospect of swallowing that monster whole while it was still alive and struggling, which means that this is the first monster I’ve talked about that we can definitively say is evil rather than just an animal. Rather fitting for a living nightmare, I would say. And if you thought all that was disturbing, I have some...unfortunate news. I hope you aren’t eating anything right now, ‘cause this next part is just gross.

Y’know how some wasps lay their eggs inside other bugs so the eggs have incubation they can eat when they hatch? Well, uh...Khezu do that, too. And they’re hermaphrodites that, from what I can gather, don’t need to mate, so any adult Khezu is capable of injecting another monster with its “whelps” (not saying that Khezu are always “pregnant,” just saying that any of them can be). And you know the really crazy part? After everything I said about Khezu, there are still people in the MH world that tame them and keep them as pets. Why would you want to have a slimy, flabby, sadistic, parasitoid, 14-to-40-foot abomination as a pet!? God, people are so freaking weird.

EDIT (05/07/2021): My older brother reminded me that I forgot about one of the odder aspects of Khezu; when you enter a fight with a Main Monster, its battle theme plays (don’t know if every monster has a unique theme, but several do, to my knowledge), but Khezu has no theme to speak of. I don’t know if this is true in every game, or even if it was intentional at first, but it’s still both funny and eerie at the same time. There’s no background music until you get in a fight, so if you somehow tick off a Khezu without seeing it, then it can sneak up on you. “But Zaph, the moment a monster enters ‘fight mode,’ it roars! So the Khezu will give away its position!” See, you’d be right about that if it wasn’t for the fact that, according to TV Tropes at least, Khezu’s roar sounds just like wind--howling wind, yes, but wind all the same. I don’t know if there’s any howling wind SFX in the areas where Khezu live, so for all I know you’ll still be able to identify it in a hurry, but just imagine what that’s like in-universe! Imagine that you’re walking around in the Frost Islands or something and hear a chilling wind from out of nowhere. Unless you’re an experienced hunter, you’d likely have no idea if that was a Khezu or not, so you wouldn’t know if it’s too late to run or not, or even if you should run at all. Going back out of universe, the details I just described are very nice touches to a monster that was already horrifying in behavior, so I’m bumping the score here up from the 7 I initially gave it to 8/10.

Abilities: All of the “Flying Wyverns” I’ve talked about so far have had a lot of trouble with the whole “flying” part, and Khezu are no exception; they’re better at it than Diablos and Gravios, but they still need to flap really frantically to stay in the air. They’re great at jumping, though, and their gecko-like feet allow them to scale walls and stick to ceilings, something that their tails also allow them to do. Khezu are Thunder-element monsters capable of discharging electricity in a manner of ways, including shooting balls of it from their mouths and emitting it all around their bodies. Since Khezu like to spend time around water, their attacks are even more dangerous, as everything near them will likely be wet and therefore more conductive. This also applies to Khezu themselves, which may be why they stick their tails onto the ground before discharging electricity; they ground themselves so that they don’t shock themselves. Finally, Khezu saliva is very dangerous; we don’t know if it’s electric or acidic, but anything that gives off smoke when it touches something probably isn’t good for your health, which is why owning a pet Khezu is so dangerous; their drool can literally kill you. 7/10.

Equipment: Most Khezu weapons are as interesting as you’d expect them to be, considering the monster they’re made from. Most of them have a horror aesthetic, like this Great Sword called the Khezu Shock Sword:

I just noticed that the skin is actually stretched over the blade, rather than being what the blade’s attached to. Gross, but I never expected Khezu weapons to look pretty. There are also weapons which emphasize the monster’s electric aspect, like this Gunlance called the Full Voltage:

It still has Silent Hill vibes due to its “rusty hospital” aesthetic, and looking at it long enough reveals little details it inherited from Khezu. Speaking of hospitals, there are a couple of weapons based off of syringes, such as the Khezu Syringe, which is a Light Bowgun, and a Lance from MHFG that’s literally a giant hypodermic needle, but I didn’t want to show those off in case they triggered anyone with needle phobia. The last weapon I’m gonna show will be very familiar to those of us who’ve played the Rise demo a lot: the Insect Glaive known as the Bolt Chamber!

I like the green tube running from the sac between the blade and the shaft of the glaive; according to the Bolt Chamber’s in-game description, it uses that “pulsating device” to steal energy from its targets. If you mentioned that to me before I grabbed its image for this review, I probably would have asked how it did that. If you then pointed out the mouth at the glaive’s end, I would have thanked you for cursing me with the knowledge of its existence. Seriously, I’ve used this thing probably more than 20 times, and until I saw this render, I never noticed that. As for the armor, here’s the Blademaster Khezu Armor from MHGU:

The male armor here is almost identical to the one from Rise--which sadly doesn’t have any pictures on the wiki yet--and yes, it does look like the main character from Assassin’s Creed. The female armor, on the other hand, looks almost like a nurse’s outfit, especially with that metal thing on the woman’s head with the cross. The more I look at this equipment, the more I feel like they wanted people to think of Silent Hill, and if so, that’s pretty cool. I’ve got another armor set to show you; the Gunner version of the Khezu R Armor from MHGU:

Jesus, is this an armor set or a medical emergency? I can’t imagine bandages are very effective at protecting your body from physical damage, but thankfully it looks like most of them are just covering actual armor...meaning that the people who designed this stuff in-universe wanted the people wearing it to look like they were in an accident. Not sure I get why, but I’m not here to--actually, I am here to judge, so never mind; it’s gross. Also the female set has Khezu mouths as arm coverings, which is someone’s fetish, I’m sure. The equipment as a whole is macabrely interesting (TIL that macabrely is a real word) and calls to mind a fascinating horror game franchise, so 8/10.

Final Thoughts and Tally: I figured that Khezu was gonna be interesting, but I didn’t know how far the devs would take the horror theming. Everything about this monster is creepy; it looks disturbing, it acts even worse, and its equipment makes me feel like I need a tetanus shot just from looking at it. But that’s not at all a bad thing...unless you’re really squeamish, in which case you were likely cringing this whole review. I’d apologize, but you made the choice to stick through ‘till the end. 8/10.

[spacemilkies]

gateau→  ; part i of iii

pairing: cal kestis x reader

word count: 2.5k+

summary: “So you had a Jedi as a roommate … that wont be a problem in the future or anything.”

a/n:  a bunch of new things to get me writing. all written at some ungoldly hour. this will probably be a three part series. something short and simple, based off the prologue with some background. hey, no song fic for once. i spent all day in this fandom. i feel ready. put me in coach.

                                                                    _______

“C’mon just this once, please.”

“Oh ho, no no. This is definitely not the first time.”

There was never a good reason for your roommate to visit you on the job. Not only were you stationed on opposite side of the station, you differing positions also lessened the opportunity for you to meet up without explicit reason. 

He was a rigger and you were a builder, simple as that. 

You refrained from lifting your mask, maintaining a sense of distance from the conversation as you continued to weld the two pieces of metal together. Maybe if you did your job hard enough he would eventually give up out of respect of your workload….

Who were you kidding.

A fiery shock of red hair crouched down next to you, apparently uncaring for the wayward sparks emitting from your torch. It was only when he dared to lean closer that you reluctantly cut the power out of concern for basic occupational safety. 

Flipping the hood of your mask, you gave him your sharpest glare to which he combatted easily with a killer smile. If only it was as effective on his conquests as he seemed to think the same applies to you. 

“You’re all just going to melt it down any.”

Any metals and ores that made it up here were better than the average scraps found in the lower sectors and certainly worth a pretty sum of credits. It was your roommate's favorite way to exploit your job and threaten your only means of survival in the same breath. 

 Darting your gaze around, you found that for once your colleges were rather forgiving of personal space. Though it didn’t mean that your supervisors wouldn’t have watchful eyes on your every move. Hence why these daring favors tended to have more impact than meaningless valve. 

You weren’t agreeing. Definitely were not going to get drawn into to those pleading baby blues. You were just curious. 

“And what exactly do two upstanding individuals as yourselves need with my fine metals?”

Cal’s smirk was shallow but no where lacking in its killer properties,” I’d bend your fine metals anyway.”

With a huff, you nudged him away with your shoulder. Practice allowing you to ignore the faint flush it brought to your cheeks. 

“You’re wasting time, Cal.”

“Just something nice. I’ll pay you back.”

You were not going to fall for it Totally, explicitly would not lose resolve on your promise to not give in like last time. You were strong and resilient and Cal was a big boy with his own means of survival and-

“I swear to all above, Cal if you-”

The force of his lips against your cheek nearly knocked you over and you were left momentarily stunned as nimble fingers searched knowingly against your body. Before you knew it, he was drawing away, your access card in hand. 

You should be happy with how quickly he scrambled to his feet, prepared for a hasty departure. It wouldn’t be long before your superiors began making their rounds and the last thing they wanted to see was a scrapper hunting around their stores. 

Gesturing with two fingers against his temple, Cal waved off before he disappeared around the corner. 

“Why are you not working? Your pay is based on your progress, not your time.”

Swallowing down a retort, you merely smiled shallowly in response to the haughty order as you tugged back down your face mask, Cal’s phantom touch still lingering against your form.

“Of course, sir.”

                                                                    _______

It should be said that Cal wasn’t a terrible roommate. In fact, when he first responded to your advertisement you had a feeling that he would actually be a helpful one.

That was a lie.

You knew that he would be a cute one. Someone that you would have to try /really hard to keep your hands off of. Fortunately for you, at the beginning he felt more like a brother than a bachelor. His boyish habits cutting into some of his charm.

It didn’t take much longer than that before the two of you fell into a rhythm of sorts. 

Having another human around was kind of nice too. 

Not to say you preached xenophobia. Some of your closer friends on this desolate planet were part of varying species. But in a way it aided in building a familiar quality of home even as you reside on the opposite side of the galaxy. 

Cal was moderately fair roommate. He wasn’t spotty with rent and you split the amenities, as scarce as they were, fairly. He was a little messy but not in the obnoxious unhygienic way. 

Everything was balanced. 

And you couldn’t really complain. 

He was a great guy. His humor and antics proving to raise your mood after a long day. Just the way he spoke about his own day bringing tears to your eyes and curling your stomach with laughter. 

You were a capable engineer, even though your talents were wasted on rebuilding the same schematics over and over again. At home, you are able to hone your own skills. Working on various knick knacks and gadgets. It was nice to have a second opinion as well. 

The two of you had spent many nights huddled around the living room surrounded by scattered parts and various prototypes. Only to have to separate the more advanced ones in fear of being caught. 

It was nice. 

                                                                    _______

“Damn, I didn’t think the boss would ever let you off.”

With less finesse and not a care in the world, you dropped haggeded into the seat offered by your friends. After another long week it was nice to finally load off with a few drinks and company chatter. 

For some reason the quota skyrocketed in the past few weeks. The recycling of old metal into new vessels becoming an unrelenting force on your crew. 

It turned out to be one of the worst moments to find yourself promoted. 

To think just three weeks ago you were throwing around drinks in celebration and now you were ready to drown out the accomplishment with whatever was on tap. 

“Apparently they’re bringing in a huge freighter soon,” you called out solemnly. Your supervisor had shown you the schematics of the parts that would be salvaged and what they wanted to accomplish with its predecessor. 

After another long shift all you could really make out was work and more work. 

But at least the same would be said for the riggers. 

To your right Reif, a Rodian, spoke crudely over a mouthful of food,” Yeah, been hearing about that one for sometime now. Suppose to be a Separist ship. Going to be quite the project.”

Slouching idly in your seat, you played lazily with the handle of the mug offered to you. Just another long project to keep you stranded on this planet. Not to say you had any plans otherwise. 

If anything you should really thank them for giving you something to focus on. 

Garnering everyone’s attention with a slam of her glass against the table, Enisa a pretty pale blue Rylothian, slurs loudly,” Enough of all this work talk. Let’s focus on something else.”

Then she’s sliding sharply into you, leaving you to fumble with your own glass,” Like your roommate. Why didn’t you tell me he was available.”

Because you weren’t in the market providing companions?

Your furrowed burrow must have voiced your thoughts because she was rolling her eyes without your verbal response. 

“Oh don’t play dumb. You’re harboring one of the few attractive souls on this god forsaken planet. And you’re not even bumping uglies with him, what a shame.”

You were stuck between defending your own choices and wondering when she learned such a human phrase. It was hardly worth the effort of explaining how the two of you just weren't like that. Your inventory of excuses were running dry.

“Stop making it awkward for her, she has to live with the guy.”

Catching Reif’s gaze over the rim of your glass, you give him a thankful nod. The rest of your group takes the initiative to fill the silence and progresses the conversation further into the night. Unlike most outings, neither of you are able to keep up with one another past a few extra hours. The weight of the day taking more out of you as it came to a close. 

You’re not the only one grateful when Reif brings the outing to a close. 

There is just enough alcohol in your system to make you stumble through the threshold of your home, groaning quietly as you try to stabilize yourself. More likely than not Cal was already asleep and you didn’t want to disrupt that. 

Now with the evening settling into your bones, there wasn't a part of your body that didn't ache and the incoming headache didn't make any part of it better. 

Right now the couch was looking a lot more inviting than it should be. You’d deal with the consequences it would leave on your body in the morning. 

Rounding the edge, you collapsed back into the cushions.

“What the hell?”

“Shit, Cal! What the fuck?”

A sharp hiss escapes him when your elbow jabs unkindly into the softness of his side. Before you could try to remedy it, his hand is gripping your upper arm and settling you more safely in the available space rather than on top of him. 

For a moment it's just your mixed breaths as you come down from the unexpected surprise. With more care, you twist more comfortably mindful of your limbs this time. 

It's hardly necessary but you whisper anyway. 

“Why are you here?”

You feel his arm wiggling behind your head and you raise your neck obediently to allow it to rest beneath you. As a reward, the same hand curls inward to comb through your hair lazily. He works his fingers across your nape and back up to your scalp finding just the right spot and drew small circles. 

“Dunno, just came home and ended up here. Kind of like you but less dramatically.”

You snort, “Sorry, wasn’t expecting a party of two.”

He hums to himself, the pad of his thumb pressing inward in a way the manages to reset your whole mindframe and you nearly white out from the release. 

There is more that could be said but the words escape you both as you settle for the night. If you weren't already going to regret this before, you were definitely were going to more now for an entirely different reason. But there was no chance of you altering the flow of what it was now. 

You would just have to lay there and try not to think too hard about the natural slot of your body to Lance’s despite the finite space. It was much easier to count the staccato of his dull thumping heartbeat as it lulled you off to sleep. 

                                                                     _______

“Goddammit, Meeka. You’re going to wake up your mom.”

Too late. 

Though in the defense of your mischievous loth-cat, the warm smell of breakfast permeating from the kitchen was just one waft away from rousing you. Stretching out your arms, you used the length of them to hook around the back of the couch to drag you up. 

Questionably burnt but you recognize the scent of some of your favorites.You has not caught a glimpse of what he was wearing last night but Cal appears to be wearing some fresh clothes. The way the collar of his shirt is damp in the back hints towards a shower. 

Part of you wonders if breakfast is a preemptive apology towards a cold shower you would be expecting later. 

“Where do you have to go so early?”

If you startle him, he doesn't show. He slides a bit of food onto a plate, giving Meeka more than gracious portion before bringing the plate to you. You take it gratefully, balancing it on the spine of the couch.

Alert to your presence and no doubt ready to beg for more scraps, you watch unimpressed as the feline-like creature slinks against you. She gets what's expected anyway as you part with a strip of meat.

Leaning against the counter within view, Cal scolds you playfully. “And you said I spoil her.”

“You start it,” you retort without any bite.

You blame the queasiness on residue alcohol when he laughs warmly. 

“Oh. “ You look up and Cal has a fork pointed at you. ‘’Your access card is on the table there.”

You’d already forgotten about that.

“Get anything good?” Safely, is weighted on your tongue but it seems like a waste to add it. Cal has always been mindful of his self, actions and footsteps in a way that makes you wonder how long he’s been watching his own back. 

In the few years you’ve known him, things like the past rarely came up. No one really came to Bracca chasing a future. It was just a means to an end until you could find something better if you could manage to get out. 

You hard already stopped trying when Cal stumbled into your life. But now it hardly seemed like a bad thing. 

The clank of dishes brings you out of your thoughts. His back is to you now as he cleans his mess.

“It will be a nice personal pay raise, that’s for sure. Prauf sends his thanks too.”

Cal surprises you again when he comes to collect your empty plate. Rather than comment it on it, you lounge comfortably in the domesticity of it all. 

“What’s your plan for the day?”

That was a good question. 

Your body had an obvious vote towards rest but responsibilities made a greater bid on your time. A bit of shopping would unfortunately be necessary but your savings would have to survive. Between the recent raise and this upcoming project, you should survive to hit. 

Replenish resources it would be then. At least if you start early enough it would allow you to relax for the remainder of the day. 

Cal’s gaze follows as you stretch and eventually slink off the couch. Meeka happy to have the entire furniture to herself doesn’t waste a moment to snuggle into your lingering warmth. 

“Down to the Bazaar first, then after that we’ll see.”

But first to see how much hot water you were going to be working with. Yawning loudly, you get to work with untangling the mess of your hair. Just before you can round the corner, Cal calls out to you.

“Want to make it a date?”

It’s an innocent play of words. One’s he’s used in the past without acting on it. 

‘And you’re not even bumping uglies with him, what a shame.’

And just when you finally stopped overthinking it.

Peeking over your shoulder, you found Cal waiting expectantly yet so unaware of the winds of the storm picking up in your mind. Was it even worth it to wonder if similar thoughts ever troubled him?

-nah, it was just easier to smile.

“Yeah, it’s a date.”

[thebluenoteblog]

Need You Now

Summary: You never expected a break up to hit you this hard. Now its the middle of the night and you’re making a phone call that you know you shouldn’t.

Player: Colton Parayko

Word Count: 2k

*Inspired by Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now*

Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor

Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore

And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?

For me it happens all the time

You were officially declaring yourself mentally incompetent. This was it. You had finally lost your mind. Here you were, two months out from the break up, sitting on the floor of your living room with a bottle of wine in your hand and pictures of the two of you spread out in a massive circle around you as NHL.TV played the most recent Blues game that you had already watched live.

You were pathetic.

This was pathetic.

You had ended relationships before, but never, ever, had you been in this much pain. You’d cried for a few days and moved on with your life. This time around, you hadn’t done your makeup since the day you’d moved out of Colton’s house and back in with your parents. You’d continued to go to work, barely scraping by with polite smiles to your co-workers. The most productive you had been was moving into your new apartment and that was mostly your sister. You still hadn’t unpacked anything that your sister and friends hadn’t unboxed with you the day you’d moved in.

Again, pathetic.

Acceptance was the first step to recovery, right?

Your only hope was that he was just as miserable as you were. Maybe not. You wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and he hadn’t even done this to your relationship. You had. You were the one who had broken things.

You were so stupid that you had to decide you couldn’t deal with his crazy schedule and the women falling at his feet and his being away all the time anymore. Now instead of getting to have him a quarter of the time you got to have him none of the time.

Smart.

You took a long drink from the bottle in your hand and picked up a picture of you and Colton, taken just after the blues had won the second round of the playoffs. He looked so happy. But he wasn’t looking at the camera like you were, he was looking at you. It was hard to find a picture of you together where he was looking at the camera, because his eyes were always on you.

It made your heart hurt.

You glanced over at the clock on the wall, your brother in law had hung it. It was a present from them, to make the place feel homier. But this apartment would never feel like home because Colton wasn’t here.

It was just after midnight. There was no way he was asleep. He was either out with the guys or he was at home relaxing after the game. He took a nap before games, so he usually didn’t go to bed as soon as he got home.

You knew you shouldn’t. You knew it would just rub salt in the wound, especially if he didn’t answer, or god forbid he did answer, and you could hear a girl in the background. But something drew you to the phone. Like you had no control over your actions, maybe it was the nearly full bottle of wine you’d had in the past hour. Maybe it was all these perfect memories of the two of you all over the floor, reduced to nothing because of your stupidity. Or maybe you were dehydrated and delirious from all the tears you’d shed in the past two months. All were possibilities.

He was still the number one favorite in your phone, you could never bring yourself to change it. You expected it to go to voicemail. Really. So, when he picked up on the first ring, you didn’t know exactly what you planned to say to him and your drunk brain wasn’t working properly.

“(Y/N)?” He said softly, and if you weren’t mistaken there was a bit of hope under the confusion in his voice. When you didn’t say anything he asked, “(Y/N), did you mean to call me?”

That you could answer, “Yes.”

He paused for a long moment and you just listened to each other breathe. Finally, he asked, “Why did you call?” There was no malice, he wasn’t asking you because he wanted you to hang up, at least that’s what you hoped, it sounded like he was prodding for an answer that he wanted to hear.

“Do you miss me?” You asked, “Do you still think about me?” Then you shook your head, immediately breaking through the haze of your wine and sadness and realizing the weight of the mistake you had just made, “Colton, I’m sorry. I’m drunk-.”

“I think about you nonstop, (Y/N).” He said, his voice quiet. You could hear him shifting on his end of the phone. “I miss you all the time. I have to stop myself from calling you every five minutes I have free time because I remind myself that you don’t want to be with… with me.”

“That isn’t true,” You said softly. “That isn’t true at all.”

“Don’t say things like that if you can’t follow through with them.” He said, and his voice sounded so… broken. “Please.”

“I…”

“I need to go. Call me whenever you want, I’ll answer whenever I can.”

Then the line went dead, and you were left sitting in a pile of memories with the realization that you could fix this. You had the power to fix this.

Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door

Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before

Colton wouldn’t exactly know what words to use to describe what he was feeling at the moment that he got off the phone with you, but the closest he could think of was fucking miserable. He was glad he’d been able to hear your voice for the first time in two… long… long months but now he was about ready to crawl out of his fucking skin.

Because here were the facts: He loved you. He loved you more than anything in the world. However, you flat out said you couldn’t be with a professional athlete anymore and no matter how much he loved you, he could never give up his dream. He’d worked too damn hard to get to where he was to walk away. There were too many people counting on him to pull through. He couldn’t retire at twenty-six.

So, he did the most logical thing that one does after receiving a phone call from the girl you dated for two years and planned on marrying but instead had walked out your door with all her stuff in tow. He headed for the whiskey.

He wasn’t a light weight and it took a lot to get him drunk. Hell, it took quite a bit to even make him feel the alcohol. Side effect of being fucking huge and a professional athlete who’d done his fair share of partying since his early twenties. Sometimes it was a blessing, sometimes it was a curse.

He was leaning towards curse for tonight when he heard a knock on his front door.

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now

And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now

And I don't know how I can do without

I just need you now

I just need you now

Oh, baby, I need you now

Who the fuck was knocking on his door at one o’clock in the morning?

He decided that he was going to ignore it and poured himself another shot, but the knocking grew louder. Finally, he threw back the shot and headed into the entry way not bothering to put on a shirt. Fuck whoever thought they could barge into his house in the middle of the night and expect fucking St. Albert hospitality. Take the hint when he didn’t answer the first three knocks.

He swung the door open and his eyes went wide. There you were, standing out in the cold December air. Your hair thrown up in a messy bun like you didn’t care how you looked but this was in stark contrast to your perfectly done makeup and the outfit that you were wearing that he recognized as one of his favorites. Tight in all the right places and the color of the shirt made your eyes stand out in all the right ways.

But you weren’t wearing a coat and it was twenty degrees outside. “Why aren’t you wearing a coat?” He asked.

You frowned, “I was in a rush?”

“Aren’t you drunk?” He asked as he pulled you inside and closed the door behind you, “How did you get here?”

“Uber. And no, I’m just a little tipsy now.” You stood a few feet away from him.

He nodded, “Okay, and what are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you.” You said.

He would swear that his heart skipped a beat when he heard those words leave the lips he’d kissed more times than he could count but were now off limits. “Why?” He asked, forcing himself to keep his distance from you. As much of a distance as he was capable of.

“I wanted to fix the mess I made,” You said, fiddling with the strap of the Michael Koras purse he’d bought you just a month before you’d split.

For a minute he forgot how to breathe. He’d imagined it so many times, you standing here saying that you wanted him again, but he never thought it would happen. “But you said you weren’t happy. I want you to be happy (Y/N), more than I care about making myself happy.”

You shook your head quickly, tears springing to your eyes. Afraid for the first time since you’d decided to come over to his house that this wasn’t going to go the way you had imagined. “I never said I wasn’t happy with you. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life. I thought it was too much for me, only having you around a quarter of the year but not having you at all is so much worse.”

You paused, swiping your hand at a tear that was falling down your cheek, “I love you. I need you. You made me happier then I can ever remember being in my life. I just hated that you were never around. I hated worrying about other girls. I hated going months without seeing you during the summer when all of our friends got to spend actual time together for the first time in a year.” You looked up into his eyes, a feat in and of itself and finished your speech, hoping against all odds that it would be enough to convince him that he was what you really wanted. “But it’s worth it. It's all worth it if I can have you even if it's just phone calls and text messages most of the time. It's worth it and I’m sorry it took all of this for me to realize that.”

He was a big man, a big hockey playing man who had taken pucks to the mouth and sticks to his jaw and barely flinched but god damn if he wasn’t as stubborn as he was he may have actually cried. His eyes were watering when you finished your speech, but he didn’t let the tears fall, instead he took the two steps forward that would close the gap between you and wrapped you in his arms. He lifted you into the air and your legs wrapped around his waist as he guided you in for a kiss.

When you pulled back, you looked at him still blinking back tears and asked, “So will you give me another chance?”

“Do you even need to ask?” He smiled down at you and with the hand that wasn’t holding you up and against him, he brushed your hair back out of your face, “I’ve been dreaming of this since the minute you walked out that door.”

[talldarkandroguesome]

7th of First Seed, Sundas

Nabine tells me that she is going to need to put on a bit of a performance in order to get Urtisa’s informants to believe that she is capable. Therefore, I am to become inebriated, be seduced by her, and have her steal something of value of mine.

All in all a very simple task. The issue is finding something that would be valuable to those she needs to impress, but also not something that Urtisa and her informants could potentially use against the House.

I had thought a signet ring or an official House seal, but those can be used for far too many nefarious purposes. I thought jewelry would be the most obvious sort of item though.

Going through what I had, we settled on a pendant which had the image of Almalexia on one side and the Indoril wings upon the other. Clearly a symbol that you are a high ranking member of the House, but not something that could be used by anyone for anything that might cause true damage.

So I went to the Temple to check on how things were coming with Kuna’s acceptance. So far they are still checking records, so I simply spent time, seemingly praying and meeting with others, before I headed out, under the pretense of frustration, to a small tavern between the Temple and home. It is a small place, mostly used for nobles to meet up with contacts outside of the main taverns further downtown. It has a quieter atmosphere, and rooms that can be rented for private negotiations. The owner even has a posted policy that she will not sell anyone the ability to eavesdrop on your private room, but she is not responsible should someone manage to do so anyhow. It is very difficult, given the way the place is set up, to overhear what is happening in another room. I would imagine you would have to plan far in advance to succeed.

With the stage set, I began to drink heavily. Nabine slipped inside not too long after I ordered my second bottle, but she kept to a table by the door and stayed to herself until after I had moved onto my third bottle.

I stood up to get the attention of the proprietor, and with a carefully placed choreography, tripped over my own chair leg, spilling the contents of my purse.

Nabine came over to help me gather the coins.

I looked up at her and told her how beautiful she was. It was not an act in that moment, for truly she remains the most beautiful woman I have ever met. She flirted back with me in a very feminine manner, not at all her usual self. I invited her to my table and bought her a bottle of rotmeth.

We spent a while talking, just loud enough to be heard by anyone else who might be in the place and looking to overhear. We spoke of little. In truth, most of it was me asking her questions about Valenwood and telling her how beautiful she was. By the time an hour of this had passed, we became more and more libidinous in our conversation, our chairs next to one another, our hands beginning to roam.

The barkeep asked if we would like to take our bottles to a private room and after looking to her and receiving a nod, I thanked the mer and asked for the finest room he had.

It was a simple enough set up: a fine carpet, a simple chandelier, and a pile of cushions. A small cabinet on the wall contained blankets and towels, with a basin and small pitcher of water atop. Just enough for whatever sort of business you might have to attend to.

Of course, we enjoyed the privacy and made sure to use the room well. I told her how much I enjoyed her playing a part with me.

She told me that she liked the sneaking around and putting on a part well enough, but that she did not like the fake submissive role. I told her that I did not find it attractive on her compared to her true personality and I saw a small amount of relief cross her face.

I kissed her and reassured her that, once Urtisa was taken care of, we would have little reason to ever have to put her into such a situation again, lest she decided she wanted to do it herself.

She smacked my rear and told me that she was going to give me a good punishment for being so cheeky with her and that I better not like it.

I told her that I could not make such a promise.

When the evening drew late, I gave her the pendant, kissed her, and told her I would meet her back at home later in the night. She told me it was better not to make a scene and to simply pretend I was so drunk I forgot all about the necklace. Then she left.

I laid down on the cushions once more and polished off the end of her rotmeth. I knew I would need to seem truly intoxicated, so I remained in the room, drinking and contemplating the best ways to kill my wife.

There was a rapping at the door and I closed my eyes, relaxed my body, and let my breaths become slow and even.

After several minutes, the door opened and I heard someone enter. They called out several times to me before I grumbled and muttered something about scrib jelly.

They left and soon two mer were there lifting me up and gently rousing me. They asked me for my identity and where I was staying and then called a carriage to come retrieve me and take me home.

Cheerz was waiting when the carriage arrived and had a couple of servants help me to walk inside and up to my room. Then someone with a healer’s background came to ensure I had not been poisoned or otherwise harmed in any way.

I also heard, though a while later, some argument between Cheerz and one of the Ordinators about how I should not have been left to my own devices. The Ordinator tried to assure Cheerz that Ordinators at the Temple were supposed to have taken over my watch and that she did not know how I had come to be unsupervised.

I should have been more careful about making sure to create a scene over bucking my guards at the Temple, but there is nothing for it now.

I stayed in bed and had the girls run in to wake me up. I feigned a minor hangover, but generally was excited to see them. Kuna had much to say about Dunmer history and says that she no longer wishes to be a princess, but rather, the next Mother Morrowind.

Already I could see that Nabine is going to want my head for this, but it was hard not to find joy in seeing your daughter take on such a strong role model. Rejecting the role of princess for that of a living god. One cannot say that Kuna is not a driven girl. She certainly has lofty expectations.

She asked me if she could have a blade like Hopesfire and take lessons to use it. I told her it would be up to her mother whether or not that was acceptable.

Nabine returned after the girls were in bed, but said that the rouse had been a shining success. They had sent someone to follow her and had seen how deftly she was able to seduce and manipulate me. They were impressed.

I told her that I was grateful and asked how much more time she thought they might need before we set our plans into motion. She told me she needed more time now that she had their trust, just to make sure that they did not turn suspicious. I agreed.

We talked about Kuna’s new future aspiration. Nabine was not pleased that Kuna had been taught about a religious figure, but said that at least it was a powerful woman and a god which Kuna looked to emulate.

I said I would talk to Mother about the lessons, but Nabine said that it would be best just to let them continue for now and that there would be time enough for comparative historical understanding later.

I slept well, still a little tipsy as Nabine and I laid down to sleep. And, with no morning obligations, since the Council is spending the day making their final determination about if I will become the direct heir to uncle Urnel or not, Nabine and I were able to sleep in a little bit. At least, we slept in until the girls came in to jump on us. Cariel has taken to climbing the bed posts and then dropping down from her feet into the bed. Kuna prefers a running leap. At least Cariel is still small, but Kuna is too big to do this without an elbow or a knee hitting a soft spot. I swear, I have bruises from every morning she has done it.

Today the whole family is going to go for a ride in the countryside. Nabine will have to make a short detour to meet up with a contact, but we have already set up ways for her to slip away and slip back undetected.

How wonderful it is to actually spend time with my family.

[themuffinbee]

Lore Olympus Novelized, Chapter 1

Hey all! I’ve moved my non-official fan adaption of Lore Olympus from Ao3 to Tumblr for anybody that might wish to read it. Hope you guys enjoy!

The plot and dialogue belong to the incredible Rachel Smythe.

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

Raindrops pelted the windshield as the slick streets of the Underworld glowed with fluorescent blue and electrified neon. A beautiful sight if anyone cared to notice, though few ever did.

Hades didn’t, not anymore. He hadn't for a very long time. 

At the present moment, like most moments, he had other things on his mind much more important than kaleidoscopic puddles of dirty city water. Important things like how it was only 9:15 and the night was already turning to shit.

Said shit-turning was mostly due to the absence of a particular river nymph, whose sultry silhouette should be right there, waiting under the awning of her apartment building. That was what she had agreed to with a little wink and a smirk only six hours ago, anyway. There was no way she had forgotten about it either. Not after the way she had gleefully crowed about receiving one of Hera’s coveted invitations to the night’s festivities. She had the damned thing pinned to her refrigerator, for crying out loud.

That left only one real question: what had he done to piss her off this time? He hadn’t even seen her since before the end of the workday. Then again, that had never managed to stave off her ire before. 

Eyes scanning for a streak of blood-red among all of the mirrored blue, Hades drove yet another circuit around the building, tapped out yet another text message, made yet another call. The phone rang once, twice, three times—

“Hey!” Minthe answered, voice low and relaxed. Carefree.

“You’re late, where are you?” Hades tried his best to keep any impatience out of his tone. Minthe didn't like it when he got impatient. 

He heard the sound of sloshing water in the background as she asked, “Did you get me that purse I wanted?”

“Um, yeah…” he began, “I did, but—”

“Oh, great!”

Another splash sent his heart sinking in his chest. Surely she wasn’t in the bathtub. She knew he had all but begged Hera for that damn invitation, there was no way she was taking a bath right now. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “You’re coming to the Panathenaea with me, right?”

The other end of the line went silent, and he found himself holding his breath despite knowing her answer.

“Hmm…” She drew out her simpering hum long enough to sound playful. At least, it would have, if he hadn't known better. “...I don’t think so.”

Hades bit inside of his cheek and counted backward from ten in his mind. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that I don’t particularly feel like being seen in public with you today.”

Oh, screw this. 

"Real classy, Minthe," he said, anger finally leaking into his voice. He glanced at the clock again and felt some of that anger turn into nervousness.

9:19.

There was a large difference between late, fashionably late, and late. Hera, of course, had worked out how to tell which was which down to an exacting science. He really didn't feel like getting pinned under that calculating gaze or chastened by that arched I told you so eyebrow. Or, even worse, being the beneficiary of her well-meaning but oh-so-condescending pity. 

"Come on, stop messing around," he said, sounding pathetic to his own ears. "I can't go to my brother's party by myself."

Not again. 

Minthe sighed, then explained as though she were speaking to a particularly dense toddler, "I don't feel like being seen with you in general."

It wasn't the first time she'd said something like this, but the words still hit him like a slap in the face. Normally, there would at least be a reason for her to say these things. Maybe one of their infamous knock-down, drag-out fights, or even a careless word on his part. Something. But this...this was completely unprovoked. Things had been...good...between them recently. No fights in almost a month, she seemed happy most of the time, and the two of them had settled into a comfortable routine between work and after work. It had been nice. Normal. Or, at least, as normal as the two of them were capable of being.

He opened his mouth to ask what the hell had gotten into her, what he had done to make her so angry, but Minthe’s voice halted the words in his throat 

"Hades…" she said, tone as languid as a string of cigarette smoke, "all the fine suits in the world won't change the fact that you stink of death."

That...that was a new one.

His teeth ground against one another as he tried to think of some kind of coherent response, willing himself not to give in to the outrage and panic that threatened to fill his mouth with poison. When no ingenious plan or even the will to salvage this whole mess appeared, Hades did the most sensible thing he could: he ended the call.

His limbs and head felt heavy as he sank his forehead onto the steering wheel, but not nearly as heavy as the weight that felt like it could tear a hole in his jacket pocket.

Ha. He had really thought she would consider...

Gods, what an idiot he was.

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

Even two blocks away from the party, Hades could tell the night’s festivities would very much resemble his youngest brother himself: loud, flashy, and obnoxious. Thunderous bass beats reverberated his car windows in place and splashes of light reflected off of the clouds like multi-colored lightning. The music only grew louder as he entered the building, now joined by the sounds of drunken party-goers.

As if he didn’t have enough of a headache already.

If all went well, he could make a few strategic appearances here and there, suffer through a five-minute conversation with his brothers, and be home with a bottle of his favorite scotch in under an hour. Most important of all, he needed to avoid—

“Hey! Hey! HEY!”

...Hera.

He turned around to see the golden Queen of the Gods, dripping with jewels and looking as resplendent as ever. Also, drunk. From the gentle sway of her walk and tilt of her stance, she had to be at least on her third drink of the night.

“Where is your date, Blue Boy?” She cocked her head with a grin.

“Gone,” he answered, unable to keep from averting his eyes. There wasn’t much point in trying to lie to her, there never was. Being married to a pathological philanderer for two thousand years had given her the ability to smell bullshit a mile away. “I need a drink.”

She studied him for only a moment before her face melted from a cheerful smile to tired annoyance. “Well, I, for one, am grateful! I don’t have to spend the evening with that nymph trash.” 

Ah. So she was drunk enough to be honest. Fourth drink, then.

...Nymph trash, huh? It wasn’t that all nymphs were trash. After all, Amphitrite, Queen of the Sea and bride of his least annoying brother, was technically a nymph herself. Hera wouldn’t ever speak of any of the Nereids like that, not if she didn’t want saltwater running through her taps for a month. No, his nymph was the one who was trash.

Hades began twisting a scrap of paper from his pocket between his fingers at the thought of his sister-in-law. “Did Poseidon bring his wife?”

Hera glanced down at his restless hands, then back up to his face, wearing that dreaded look of pity as she answered, “...Yes.”

Anger and anxiety had been battling it out in his brain the whole night through, and anger finally seemed to gain the upper hand.

“Great!” He threw his arm out to the side. “So I’m the only one alone?”

With her most self-assured smile, the kind that could convince almost anyone to throw themselves off of a cliff, Hera said, “Relax, no one will notice.”

Hades glared at her out of the corner of his eye. “You did.”

“Hera!” An unfortunately familiar voice boomed across the hall as the host of the night’s event, the purple pain in the ass, strode into view. Zeus, looking every bit the smug asshole he was with his white suit and diamond laurel, grabbed his wife about the waist and spun her around. “Hera, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! You look beautiful tonight!”

“Oh stop! You’re embarrassing me!” she cooed.

Zeus leaned in close, their noses almost touching as he whispered, “How ‘bout we get outta here?” 

Oh Gaia, he wasn’t about to start making out with her, was he?

Hera wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck, words covered in honey. “You big silly! You can’t leave your own party!”

Zeus began nibbling on his wife’s ear and she giggled like a teenager with her first boyfriend.

Hades sighed. Yes. Yes, they were about to start making out in the middle of the hall. Now that he thought about it, he had walked in on the two of them making rather inventive use of one of their couches a few years back at a party much like this one. That was more of his brother than he had ever wanted to see.

Hades tugged at his cuff links and cleared his throat.

Zeus looked up with an empty smile as he finally met eyes with his brother. “Ooooh! Hello, Hades. I didn’t see you there.” 

Sure you didn’t.

Then the King of the Gods and idiot extraordinaire glanced around. “Hey, where’s your date?”

Hera groaned, “Zeus, I wish you knew when to shut up.”

This was going to be a long night.

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

“Hey, Artemis! What do you think?”

Persephone stuck her hands out to the sides and tilted her hips, hoping that if she struck a pose like she had seen on the cover of one of her cousin’s magazines she might look a little more...mature? Stylish? Less like a bumpkin straight from the country that had only spent a total of forty-eight hours on Mount Olympus?

Something like that.

Artemis looked her up and down with her dark eyes, then frowned. “Persephone...you can’t wear that. You look like a relic.”

Darn it. She had been afraid of that. The fashions on Mount Olympus were so different from those in the Mortal Realm. Like, way different. Her gauzy, loose tunics and chitons and shifts weren’t going to cut it up here, especially not at one of Zeus’ swanky parties. At least Artemis wasn’t the type to soften her opinion and hem and haw, dancing around the problem without actually saying there was a problem. Persephone rather liked that about her.

But that still meant there was a problem. A big one. Persephone’s pose wilted, hands coming up to her cheeks as if she could hide her embarrassment behind them. “But this is the only dress I have right now…”

“I’ve got something you can borrow!” Artemis smiled, still a little pitying, but Persephone had already accepted that she would be encountering a lot of that in the next few weeks. It was inevitable, really.

Either way, her cousin’s words brought a flood of relief. Persephone bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped her hands together. “Thanks! You’re a real lifesaver!”

Artemis may have been one of the three sacred virgins, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know how to turn a head. The Moon Goddess’ dress sparkled with sequins like stars in the sky and paired perfectly with her indigo skin, which was very visible with those high slits up the side of her thighs. Oh yes, Persephone would be in good hands on the fashion front. 

She smiled. Maybe the night wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

Chapter 2

[st-crylo]

Rebound

Part 8

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this part out! Thanks for your patience, new update day is Wednesday nights!!

Warnings: Cursing, mentions of drugs

Word Count: 4.5K

Tagging: @haylaansmi @nankstasty @thomasscresswell @maybe-your-left

Masterlist

You took a deep breath, looking between your mom’s car in the driveway, and the front door of your house. She had to know sooner or later, and you’d put it off a little too long. Of course, you weren’t going to tell the whole truth, after all even the half truth would be too much for your mother. Taking another deep breath, you opened the door, and crossed the threshold into your house. 

“Hey, sweetie, how was school today?” she asked almost the moment you closed the front door behind you. Ah yes, the dreaded question that would kick start your news. You supposed there was no time like the present.

“Really good! I actually got asked to homecoming today,” you said, walking into the living room where your mom was sitting with your dad. You watched as her face lit up, clearly excited for what was an obvious win in her book. Oh, this was going to be painful.

“Really? Who asked you?” She asked, excitement filling her voice, causing your heart to pound from within your chest. Now or never. Now or never, you repeated in your mind as you gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of your neck.

“Ben Solo.”

As you’d expected, your mom’s face changed from one of joy to pure shock. It wasn’t an angry shock, after all even she had to admit that someone asking you out after what happened was a good thing, it was simply the person who had asked you. After the shock wore off, her face faded into one of discomfort.

“Honey...are you sure you wanna go to homecoming with him?” she asked, looking to your dad, who simply raised his hands and looked away, abstaining from this conversation. You let out a sigh, your smile turning to a frown. 

“Yes, I’m sure. He’s a nice guy mom, and he is trying to be better. Besides, we were really good friends until seventh grade,” you pointed out. Your mom still had a frown on her face, and she was twiddling her thumbs, trying to think of a response. You knew there was really no way she was going to say no, after all, she was the one who wanted you to live the most fun senior year. There was no way something as trivial as the boy who asked you to homecoming would change that. Though, just because you knew the facts didn’t mean you weren’t anxious about what she was going to say next. 

“Okay,” she finally relented, causing you to let out a breath you’d been holding in. “But I want you to promise that you’re going to be safe, okay?”

“Of course, mom. Besides, we’re going with a group, so there really won’t be any way for us to get into trouble,” you assured her, though you knew your friends were more than capable of finding trouble to be in.

“Okay, that’s good. The dance is next Saturday, right?” your mom asked, and you simply nodded. “Alright. Well, I hope you two will let me take pictures here. Why don’t you ask all your friends to take pictures here?” 

Just like I thought, you mused to yourself. “Yeah, I can see if they’re down!”

Soon, you were retreating to your room, pulling out your phone and dialing Sami’s number. It took two rings before she picked up.

“Hey, what’s up?” she asked from the other end of the line.

“Told my mom about homecoming,” you said, plopping down on your bed, laying back against the headboard and staring up at the ceiling. 

“Oh, sick. What did she say?”

“I can tell she’s not happy about it, but she’s not gonna say no. Also, she wants us all to take pictures here at my place. This’ll probably work out for Kylo too, that way his grandparents can take pictures as well,” you informed her.

“I’m totally cool with that, Mom’s not gonna be here that weekend anyways, so I’ll just get pictures from you to show her. What are you gonna do about getting a dress?” Sami asked.

“Was probably gonna go shopping on Friday for one. Can’t go Saturday because I have dinner with the Solo’s, so that’s gonna take my whole day to mentally prepare for,” you said, frowning as you thought of the idea of sitting down at a table with Kylo’s parents. Sami laughed from the other side of the receiver. 

“Well, if you want, we can go together. After all, you should definitely wear something hot, if Avarez is gonna be there. That shit will drive him up the wall,” Sami responded. You could almost feel the coy in her voice, and you laughed as well. Any excuse to get Shawn heated was good for you, especially after what had happened earlier. 

“It’s gonna be weird, seeing Kylo in a tux,” you pointed out. You’d never really seen him dress formally, he usually just wore his black jeans and leather jacket. To see him dressed up would definitely be new.

“It’s weird, seeing men like Kylo dress formally. Last year, Milo rented this really nice tux for prom, the vest matched my dress and everything. It was wild, but weirdly hot,” Sami said, causing you to shake your head. 

“Alright, well, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” you said, hearing your mom’s voice call you downstairs for dinner.

“See ya!” Sami said before the line went dead. With that, you got up off your bed and headed down for dinner.

***

The rest of the week seemed to pass by quickly, Friday seeming to appear in a flash, and as you settled down beside Kylo in English, you could feel your excitement grow tremendously. You’d never been so excited to buy a homecoming dress, and you honestly felt that it was more about the fact that you’d get to go shopping with Sami and Phasma. 

Phasma would be driving you three to Coruscant, where you’d meet up with Jordan at one of the malls there. Your mom had given you her card and said you could get dinner in the city as well. You’d never gone shopping in Coruscant before, so needless to say, you were excited beyond belief. 

“Calm down, you’re practically bouncing off the walls,” Kylo joked as you quickly pulled out your finished paper for Beowulf. You were so ready to move on to the next book, you practically threw your paper at Mr. Skywalker when he passed by. 

“Alright class, we’re going to be reading Hard Times starting on Monday. So, let’s get into some background, shall we?” Mr. Skywalker said from the front of the class, turning a video on from the projector. You tried not to yawn as the incredibly monotonous British narrator began to talk about Dickens, and the period he wrote in. 

“Can’t fucking stand Dickens,” Kylo said from beside you, causing you to laugh. “He’s only so descriptive because he was getting paid per word.” A fact that the monotonous video would soon bring up. 

You couldn’t really help but drift off a couple of times during class, and you were almost fully asleep when the overhead lights were turned on after the third video. Blinking to help your eyes adjust to the lights, you stretched your arms out, trying to hold back a yawn as you reached over to put all your stuff away. In front of you, Sami was lightly snoring, and was being shaken awake by Phasma, who was trying hard not to laugh. Once Sami was awake, she looked confused, and a little grumpy, as she wiped a small amount of drool from her lip. 

“Alright, I’ll be handing out copies on Monday. Before you leave, don’t forget to drop off your copy of Beowulf in one of these bins. I will hunt you down if you don’t turn it back in,” Mr. Skywalker said as the whole class began shuffling around, fishing for their books in their backpacks and putting all their stuff away. Kylo took all of your copies up to the front, briefly nodding at his uncle as he placed them all in the bin before walking back to your group of desks. As soon as Kylo was back, the bell rang, and the biggest group of students hurried out the door, heading for their cars or however they were planning on getting back home. You slowly stood from your desk and grabbed your backpack, putting your arms through the straps as you waited for everyone else.

As usual, once the crowd had passed, the four of you walked out of the English room, heading towards the entrance of the school.

“It’s gonna be weird, not having you ride home with me today,” Kylo stated, looking down at you. “I’m gonna be so alone.” Kylo started pretending to pout and cry, to which you playfully punched him in the arm, causing him to laugh. He shook his head before running a hand through his black hair.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, provided you don’t make any stops on the way home,” Phasma quipped as the four of you stepped out of the school, stepping into the September sun. Kylo looked around first, noticed that people were watching, and he drew you close, pressing his lips against your forehead before bringing you in for a hug. You wrapped your arms around him, also conscious of the eyes watching you, before looking up at Kylo, who had that same smirk on his face as always. You smiled at him before the two of you let go.

“Text me when you get home, okay?” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“I will. See ya later,” you said before turning towards Phasma and Sami, walking towards Phasma’s car. It was a quaint little car, just an old silver toyota, and you tried to keep up as Sami sprinted towards it.

“Shotgun!” she yelled as you and Phasma laughed when Sami reached the passenger door, desperately trying to open the door. Phasma used the key fob and unlocked the door, and Sami climbed in as fast as lightning. You laughed as you climbed in behind her, throwing your backpack on the other side of the back seat of Phasma’s car. Phasma climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car, putting her phone on a mount as she pulled up the directions to the mall Jordan had suggested.

“Thank God we’re getting dresses in the city, I need to get away from this town for a bit,” Sami said, rolling down the window as Phasma pulled out of her parking spot. 

“What about you, Phasma? I can’t imagine you’re the dress type?” you asked from the back.

“Nah, I’m trying to find a tux instead. I saw this cool floral one online and I’m thinking about wearing that, if I can find it. Who wants the aux?” she said. She held up the aux cord and immediately Sami snatched it from her, plugging it into the headphone jack in her phone. She then pulled up a playlist of music you weren’t really familiar with, but it seemed the same style that Kylo listened to. You thought about how funny it was, this was the first time in over a month that you’d been in the car with someone who didn’t have a cassette player. 

The drive to Coruscant was fun. Occasionally, Sami would play a song that the three of you could sing to, and as you watched the suburbs go by as you rode on the interstate. It was interesting to see the landscape change from rows upon rows of houses to the city skyline, skyscrapers rising and putting a feeling of awe in your heart. 

Soon, Phasma was pulling off the interstate, driving along with the city’s traffic towards the mall. Soon, and to Phasma’s relief, the three of you were pulling off into the mall’s parking lot.

“How come no one in the city knows how to drive?” Phasma said with a frown as she pulled into a parking spot.

“Ya know, I’m pretty sure they feel the same way about you,” Sami mused before pulling the aux cord out of her phone. The three of you all got out of the car, and Phasma put her phone up to her ear as she called Jordan. You pulled out your phone and saw a text from Kylo.

You ladies make it to the city okay? Also Gran won’t stop asking me about you today.

You smiled as you read the message, glad that Mrs. Skywalker liked you so much. You quickly typed your response back.

We made it better than we would have if you were driving. I have a feeling you’re a scary interstate driver. Also, tell your Gran I said hi, you responded before putting your phone away.

“What’s the dirt?” Sami asked, catching you smiling at your phone.

“Nothing, just letting Kylo know we got here safely, while also making fun of him. You know, the usual,” you said as you slid your phone into your pocket. Though you’d stopped looking at your phone, the smile still remained.

Sami nodded her head sagely as a car pulled up besides Phasma’s. She couldn’t help but think that if she didn’t know any better, she too would think you and Kylo were dating. Phasma put down her phone as Jordan rolled down the window, smiling at the three of you.

“Hello ladies!” she said before turning off the car and climbing out. When she was out, she ambled over to Phasma, who placed a kiss on her cheek before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. After that, the four of you practically strutted into the mall together, you and Sami following behind Jordan and Phasma.

There was something about going to a fancy mall in the wealthy part of the city that was just different. Of course you’d been to malls before, but to go into a mall with all sorts of designer brands and expensive department stores, it was a little overwhelming. You were in absolute awe as you passed each of the different stores, window shopping all the expensive items and wishing you had money for them. 

Soon, the four of you were heading into a Bloomingdale’s, which was intimidating to say the least. You and Sami exchanged looks as you walked in, knowing the price was going to be a little bit more than you’d anticipated. However, you heaved a sigh as you accepted that this would be a better way to not have the same dress as everyone else.

“(y/n), I think you should wear red or black. It’s very on par with whatever Kylo would want to wear,” Jordan says as you approach the semi-formal dresses. 

“Idk, I think you should wear a midnight blue. It’ll get Kylo to step out of his comfort zone,” Sami added as you all started to search through the racks. You pushed aside bright pink dresses and some weird green shades, but you never really found anything you liked.

“What about you, Sami? I know Milo isn’t gonna have time to come down, so are you coordinating with anyone?” Jordan asked Sami before pulling out a dark green dress, and holding it up to Sami’s figure.

“Yeah, Pat is my ‘date.’ We thought it would be more convenient, since, like you said, Milo is busy being a college student hours away. Also, that’s cute, let me see,” Sami said as she reached for the dress in Jordan’s hand. You laughed as Sami inspected the dress, nodding her head in approval as she examined. She then searched for her size. 

You pushed through a different rack of dresses before coming across a gorgeous blue dress. It had an A-line skirt made of blue tulle with a blue satin interfacing that ended a little above the knees, and a sweetheart neckline with off-shoulder sleeves. The bodice was beaded with small silver beads, making the top of the dress almost look like a night sky. With a smile, you rummaged through the dresses until you found your size. 

“You find something, (y/n)?” Phasma asked as she watched you. You simply nodded before pulling out the dress in your size, and holding it up. 

“Ha, I win. Midnight blue forever,” Sami said, sticking her tongue out at Jordan, who reciprocated. 

“Let’s try them on,” you said excitedly, dragging Sami to the dressing room. The woman at the desk led you to separate fitting rooms, and as soon as you were in, you were undressing, ready to see if you liked the way the dress fit on your body. As soon as you put it on, you knew it was the one. It fit your body amazingly, and made you feel so confident in it. You loved it with every part of your being.

Stepping out of the fitting room, you were greeted by Jordan and Phasma, who both smiled when you stepped out.

“(y/n), that is absolutely gorgeous,” Jordan said.

Soon, Sami was also stepping out of her fitting room. Her dress was very similar to yours in shape, but made all with satin. The forest green color looked gorgeous on her tan skin, and really made the color of her eyes pop.

“I love that,” you told Sami, and Jordan and Phasma both nodded in agreement. 

After you and Sami had decided that you’d found the dresses you wanted, the four of you then moved to find a blazer for Phasma. She ended up settling on a black blazer with a floral pattern on it. You, Jordan, and Sami all agreed that it made her look very sophisticated. Jordan especially loved it, practically fawning over her girlfriend, even after you’d all made your purchases. 

The four of you headed for the food court, where you decided to split up for food. You and Sami decided on chinese food, contently carrying the styrofoam boxes back to the table that you’d all decided to meet at. Taking a seat, you began digging into your food as Phasma and Jordan approached, each with food in hand. As Jordan and Phasma sat down, they too began to dig into their food.

“So,” Jordan started after swallowing a bite, “what’s the tea? What’s been going on at good ole Mos Eisley High?”

“(y/n) finally called out Shawn. It was badass, based on what Kylo told me,” Sami said, looking at you and grinning mischievously. You rolled your eyes before shaking your head.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal. I just wasn’t gonna deal with his bullshit anymore, especially since he tried to call me a slut,” you explained. Jordan had that same look on her face as Sami, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Rich, coming from him. Anything else?” Jordan responded.

“Pat’s planning an after party for homecoming,” Phasma added, poking around at her food. “I figured I’d warn you guys that he’s planning to invite Hux.”

Sami’s fork dropped from her hand, and Jordan gasped loudly.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Sami asked, rage dripping from her voice. “I don’t understand why Pat still hangs out with that asshole, especially after all the shit he’s done.”

“I know. Also, was he planning to invite Kylo?” Jordan asked, her attention solely on Phasma. You couldn’t help but keep a keen attention on what she was saying either. After all, you only knew that Hux was the person Kylo’s ex had cheated on him with. You wanted to know more about him, though, to see why else everyone hated him. 

“That’s just the thing,” Phasma began, “he is planning to invite Kylo. When I asked him if he thought that was wise, he said that there would be so many people there, they probably wouldn’t even run into each other. I told him he’s being a dumbass.”

“Yeah, a dumbass is right. If Kylo sees Hux without first being warned that he’s there, Kylo will beat the shit out of him,” Sami said before taking another bite from her food.

“Maybe not. I don’t think Kylo wants little Armitage running off to his cop dad. That’s why he got put on house arrest in the first place,” Jordan remarked, causing you to become confused.

“Kylo told me that he was put on house arrest for vandalism,” you said. Everyone turned and looked at you, all of them heaving a collective sigh.

“Kylo would say something like that. Look, don’t tell him I told you, but Kylo was arrested because Armitage planted drugs on him. Luckily, he’s a minor, and on top of that, his mom has a lot of influence with the judges. They didn’t believe that the drugs had been planted, but they agreed on house arrest after his drug test came back negative,” Jordan explained.

“How did Kylo know the drugs were planted?” you asked.

“Because Armitage was at the park that day, trying to taunt Kylo into fighting him. Kylo told me that he went to the bathroom, but accidentally left his stuff outside, and Armitage must have planted them then. Also, the officer who happened to search Kylo was Brendol Hux not even ten minutes after Armitage had left,” Sami added. “None of us know all the details, so if you really want to know, you should ask Kylo. You should also warn Kylo about Hux coming to Pat’s after party.”

You nodded in agreement before going back to eating your food, thinking. It seemed like Armitage Hux had a personal vendetta against Kylo, and now you wanted to know why. Was it because of Hux and Stella, or was it something deeper? You would ask one of the girls, but this was something you wanted to hear from Kylo himself. You didn’t want to worry about speculation, and what might be truth or lie. 

On the way home, as you watched the city’s skyscrapers fade into the suburbs, you couldn’t help but continue to think, and you knew that you wanted to talk to Kylo as soon as you got home.

Hey, we just left the city. Is it okay if we talk when I get back? You texted, letting out a sigh as you waited for his reply.

Yeah, I have something I need to tell you, too. See ya when you get home, he responded. After that, you felt your shoulders tense up as you wondered what it was that Kylo needed to tell you. Deciding not to worry about it, you continued to look out the window as the three of you inched ever closer to home.

Phasma decided to drop you off first. As she pulled into the cul de sac where you lived, you noticed Kylo leaning against his car, smoking a cig and staring down at his phone. As Phasma slowed down in front of him, he looked up, waving at Phasma and Sami as you stepped out of the car. 

“Thanks for the ride, Phas,” you said as you waved goodbye.

“No problem. We should do it again some time!” She called out before she and Sami waved goodbye, driving away from the two of you. With a sigh, you turned to face Kylo, and you decided to lean against his car beside him. 

“So, what did you want to talk about?” he asked after taking a drag. 

“So, Phasma told me that Pat is throwing a homecoming after party-”

“I would expect no less.”

“And apparently he’s inviting Hux.”

You could almost feel Kylo’s jaw clench from beside you, and as you looked up into his eyes, you could see the fire of rage behind them. He was more contained than you expected, and as you watched him take another drag from his cigarette, you wondered if he were simply waiting to explode. However, when he sighed as he exhaled the smoke, he shook his head.

“Of fucking course. We’ll go, but if he tries to start something, we’re leaving,” he said. “Is that it?”

You thought for a moment if you wanted to ask him about his relationship with Hux, but you decided you would ask another time. You didn’t want to upset him more than he already was, so you decided to change the subject.

“Nope. I also wanted to tell you to get a dark blue tie,” you said, smiling up at him. He smiled back at you, but you noticed it didn’t reach his eyes. A part of you regretted telling him about Hux, but you knew it was for the best. “So, what did you wanna tell me?”

“Oh! Well, I talked to my mom earlier, and so, basically, the whole family is coming over for dinner,” he said, rubbing the nape of his neck and avoiding eye contact with you.

“Okay?” you asked, confused on why this was a bad thing.

“That means Rey is gonna be there, too,” he said in a murmur. Your body filled with cold after you heard that, and you couldn’t help but frown. First of all, this was about to be a very awkward dinner. Secondly, you hadn’t told Kylo about Rey, so you weren’t sure how he knew to warn you.

“Look, it doesn’t take a genius to know that my cousin judges anyone who’s dating me. You didn’t need to tell me that you and Rey had a fallout, I guessed it would happen eventually,” Kylo said, practically reading your mind. “I am curious why you didn’t tell me, though.”

With a sigh, you crossed your arms across your chest. “Because she said some things about you that weren’t okay. I didn’t want to reiterate those words to you because she’s still your family,” you explained. 

“Just because she’s my family doesn’t mean she always thinks highly of me, I accepted that a long time ago. Besides, if she’s thinking less of you because you and I are a thing, then maybe you need a break from her,” Kylo added before dropping the cigarette butt to the ground and stomping it out. He then reached over and picked it up, clenching it in his hand as he let out a sigh. “Look, my grandparents like you, and I’m pretty sure my parents will like you. That’s the goal, after all. I wouldn’t worry about what Rey thinks right now.”

You thought about his words for a moment before letting out yet another sigh. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Kylo,” you said before turning to face him. He turned to face you as well, bringing you in for a hug. As he held you flush against his body, your arms wrapped around his waist, and his around your shoulders, you breathed in his scent, feeling a wave of calm overcome you.

“No problem, (y/n). I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner,” he said before letting you go. Once he did, you smiled up at him before turning around, heading for your house, ready to go to bed after your day of shopping.

[the-nysh]

At what point in the story you started liking Garou as a character? What was his first impression on you and how did it changed later as the story progressed?

Oooh! What a GREAT question, I’m so glad you asked! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ (Cause yes, my perceptions of him certainly did change over time! And that’s one of the fun things I love to see happen with other opm fans too.) So let’s see…*pulls up a chair and shovel to dig thru nearly 5yrs of archives* where to begin~

It was definitely a gradual process (so buckle in, this is gonna be a looong chronological trip thru memory lane. About 3500~ words!)

First impressions

Early on (and cause I’m skeptical to most new characters who I don’t ‘know’ yet), I remember feeling kinda like ‘huh? Who the heck is this guy? This wannabe Hiruma-lookalike (recognizing some of Murata’s recycled Eyeshield 21 char design elements for him) with some silly double Vegeta hair? The hell does he think he’s doing??’ Beyond being kinda incredulous about him, I honestly didn’t really give him much passing thought or attention either, and definitely not anything on a deeper level yet. He was just kinda there (I suppose?), but also out there forcefully (cockily and somewhat annoyingly?) inserting himself as the ‘villain’ into the story at times (which wasn’t really my thing), seemingly WAY in over his head with reckless antics and overambitious about what he was claiming to be and challenging himself to do (which I thought seemed both ridiculous and ironic to set up like that when characters like Saitama exist to directly check/refute his aims).

So at the time I wasn’t fully ‘on board’ or invested much in his story/concept yet cause I hadn’t really seen him…define himself (beyond those first impressions) into his own fleshed-out character. Because he still kept reminding me too much of other characters (I even heard him with Hiruma’s voice) rather than breaking out on his own. Murata’s early art also had yet to really evolve and settle him into his own distinguishable ‘face’ for that matter too (he would though later, when he’d draw ‘Garou’ recognizable as himself and not like…‘Hiruma’s shadow’ anymore). So with all that coming in, it’s hard to ‘see’ or genuinely ‘like’ a char at first when they haven’t done much yet to distinguish themselves from others and grow into their own. (Oho, how time will tell~)

This impression of Garou hadn’t really changed much and continued all thru the Metal Bat fight, by the way. (I actually caught up to the manga around the time Murata introduced MB with the centipedes and was about to start his fight with Garou. Events which weren’t on my highest priority to see either, cause I still mostly preferred seeing Saitama + Genos interact instead.) But on a surface level, I at least knew Garou was fun/impressive to watch and his excitable/feral energy was infectious and entertaining (Murata really knew how to hype him up too), but other than that, I’d yet to really ‘like’ him on his own (enough to talk/blog about) still.

I first eased into reblogging stuff with him back in Oct 2016, which included the first reblog of his back muscles (lol) appreciating how Murata drew him facing Watchdog Man so ksjggh that part of the story (when Murata was teasing their fight) was also when Garou starting having a presence on my blog. :O

First turning point

However, I distinctly remember the first ‘aha I see now’ point in understanding him better was when I did a second reread of the webcomic. (I don’t exactly remember when that was, but probably sometime during the tournament arc when the pace was kinda dragging, so I prob reread the wc around then for fun.) It was around early-April 2017 when I later admitted that (in the tags):

I’ve come to really like Garou, a second read of the webcomic made me fond of him, of his background and ideas he wished to set out and change, his heart was in it and he had his set of morals, but he was young and brashly took the wrong path, I really want to see him return someday now that he's learned better

Cause following the big webcomic reveal at the end of his arc (when Saitama calls him out), going back thru his entire story again you could totally spot all the consistent hints and signs (from both his backstory and actions) ONE sprinkled the entire time, making everything revealed about him true, and not suddenly sprung up outta nowhere. It was finally like ‘aaah, I understand what’s up with him and can sympathize where he’s coming from. Yes that makes sense. :O’ However, this clarity/acknowledgment had yet to shift from simply ‘seeing’ or understanding a thing as knowledge, to actually feeling it (connecting on a deeper/personal level) later. That’ll remain a big distinction.

May 2017, I first started writing some early meta break downs about him, starting with his end-arc parallels in Suiryu’s despair moment and from this, there was acknowledgement how all ONE’s manga additions (up til then this was still all tournament arc stuff) were only building further context towards what’s to come much later on in the webcomic.

June 2017, I started posting stream coverage about him (vs Watchdog Man stuff when he intercepts King and Saitama.) Around this time I also admit this kinda stuff in tags ‘goodness how I love that this nerd has a soft spot for that kid (truthfully he's not monstrous at all)’ for appreciating the manga’s wholesome extra Tareo moments.

Second big turning point

Around Sept-Oct 2017 was when post content/stream coverage kinda started exploding during the whole vs A/B heroes + shed fight. This whole sequence, following the tournament arc, was the first big long-awaited return back to the wc’s script (with style!), but with significant expansions (esp to his character) never seen before. In particular, the bullet shielding moment was changed/revised from him simply standing there in the wc, to Garou protecting Tareo in the shed.

Truly awesome and moving because dang, he selflessly put his life on the line for that ‘Garou the determinator fending off the impossible while protecting a kid ;o;’ Firmly standing up to (injustices) and revealing his solid moral core, like wow, what a guy. <3

Murata’s stream output picked up significantly back then too (compared to his slower pace drawing the previous arcs), so I also admitted: ‘gosh been cheering for Murata's hard work just like Garou's in-chapter determination!’

But also cause this whole fight was like the first actual, legit demonstration (shown, not told) of Garou’s prodigious fighting skills, intelligence, tenacity, resourcefulness, perseverance, etc. Like this is what he’s actually capable of when pushed to the brink; testing the actual quality of his character (showing his true colors) and allowing those merits to shine while under unfavorable, difficult, and desperate conditions. And all impressively done in a way to make the audience both believe it and root for him (presented from his side much like a protagonist? Wild! 8D) It was extremely thrilling and badass (truly that whole shed part was brilliant, narratively and spectacle-wise. As I’ve repeatedly gone back to write about many times and again. :’D) My impressions of Garou around this time:

yoooo boi see I really like Garou, the wild prodigy determinator with a misguided goal, going all out and demonstrating his talent and prowess (even tho he gets in over his head), PROTECTING CHILDREN WHEN HE PRETENDS HE DOESN'T CARE, omfg what a softie (as Saitama would say) :'D, yaaa see he was never a 'real' monster at all, Saitama can see straight through him, and what he REALLY wants to achieve

Dec 2017, first started getting some sporadic Garou anons after the whole epic manga spectacle vs Genos + Bang + EC fight with everyone.

Jan 2018, back when Garou was captured in the MA base and then left to his own devices above ground…things started getting really interesting. Including noticing ONE’s more careful (or perhaps more transparent?) approach to writing Garou’s manga portrayal this time around. Different and more nuanced from the wc for instance, so there were many fascinating contradictions and complexities to uncover (break down meta-wise) about his convictions, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and how he applied those thru his actions and behavior (revealing decisive acts of character). This was when @gofancyninjaworld also started joining in to discuss and explore Garou’s ongoing dilemma with his goals and mindset. “His heart is in the right place, but his means are not, because at his core, he’s not a monster.” I admitted ‘Garou’s one of the most well-written characters in the story, I feel.’ And I was really looking forward to all the significant changes ONE was doing to make his manga story all the more defined and cohesive than it already was in the wc. That made things extra engaging (when there’s a desire to look deeper into things for fun and excitement for more).

Third turning point

Feb 2018 Oooh man. It was around here, (when Garou saves Tareo from the bullies and confronts RR and Bug God) that I was really starting to feel that shift happening (the impression of him turning into something more), so I had to comment on his ongoing characterization presented thus far (budding into a well-rounded, 3 dimensional character) and how ONE was (re)writing him in a more personal, sympathetic light that made him so easy to root for and genuinely likeable. I was fully AWARE of this happening and what both Murata and ONE were doing to increase his appeal. Admitting the more they revealed of him the more I was falling deeper for him, and fully welcoming it by narrative design. (Like alright let’s goooo! 8’D) Cause it was obvious how much differently and expansive he was getting portrayed vs the wc (with much less moral ambiguity). I said:

“Garou’s not simply a rogue, prodigious teen going on a spiteful rampage with an overconfident, slasher smile. Consistently, he’s been shown what really makes him tic: what gets him serious, passionate, sincere, and desperate – things that force his hand to either fight or defend against, with standards and ideals that he’d put his life on the line for. All of it is great: a variety of expressive emotions and definitive acts of character that all build towards the whole. Which we’re then left to ponder exactly what that is. Is he truly a villain or a hero? Is he really a troublemaking bad guy or actually a misguided ‘nice guy’? The answer isn’t so black and white; it’s more like a mix of ALL of the above. And I LIKE that. As ONE has presented him, Garou is Garou, and not really someone to align or classify as simply one or the other. He’s in that kind of delicious gray zone where he’s getting put to the brink to show his true colors. And it’s so GOOD and refreshing to see.”

That plus the manga showing his deeper bond with Tareo, his gruffly protective qualities (ok but that’s kinda hot?) and a more sincere showing of his morals (which he refused to budge on no matter what anyone else ordered him to do), brought on all the feels. :’)

Stream coverage + ch commentary devolved to like unintelligible screaming, with some ‘man he’s so fucking cool,’ or ‘damn protective Garou’s SOO good,’ or ‘I swear the more Murata draws of him the more I fall for him like wtf,’ or even the flat out ‘GODDAMMIT MURATA ;A;’ types of suffering reactions, ahaha.

At this point I was all ‘bring on the Garou appreciation; he deserves it; I have a mighty NEED’ but was kinda annoyed/frustrated with the fandom cause there was hardly any recent fan content of him (relevant to his current plot progression, it was all suspiciously dry or old ship-related content I wasn’t interested in cause the plot had moved on, so I was like omg where is everybody, hello?!) It was already a dry spell in between seasons so overall fan content was slow anyway, but it seemed like there were so few actual fans of him (to my confusion?!) So I started making my own content (beyond just the stream coverage and ch reactions/commentary + meta) with the expression posts appreciation.

March 2018. U-uhoh, things (and posting frequency especially) were starting to escalate. His reaction to literally getting backstabbed by the monsters and losing Tareo (his quiet but seething controlled feral rage) definitely had me feeling™ things.

Final nail in the coffin

April 2018 Oshit;; Garou forcefully storming and bulldozing his way thru the MA base, his awesome BIG DAMN HEROES moment rescuing Tareo from Royal Ripper, to his hilarious absolute tsundere™ moment denying it (before running into Rover and immediately protecting the kid again) pretty much destroyed me. This was also like the first time I’d seen ONE make a character go full tsundere mode and pull it off in a genuine comedic way (with the classic ‘it’s not like I came here to save you or anything baka’ line and all) so pfft, that was so much endearing icing on the cake. :’D

At this point someone even asked me who’s my favorite opm character, to which I was all, ‘Garou’s current manga content has been on fire so he’s been quickly skyrocketing into my favs (if he wasn’t there already)!’

But then Murata soon dropped THIS ‘protect the child’ page all with perfect timing, and I was…fucking doomed.

'sugoi ojisan' was pretty much the moment of instant death for me ;A; my constant reaction to the streams has been that gaijin 4koma meme with laser heart eyes for emphasis, and I'm pretty much losing my ability to articulate much beyond screaming at this rate

Garou’s behavior could then be summarized as ‘a very stubborn and in denial asshole tsundere little shit nerd. <3’ But there was classic ONE heartwarming irony in there too, cause Garou hadn’t fully ‘lost’ his battles either…during those critical times where he actually assumed the role of the ‘hero’ for Tareo instead. (Oho~)  

basically Garou is a great character, the more you look into how ONE has built him the more meta af it gets

May 2018 (the long-awaited debut of the wc ‘scarf’ vs Rover towards Garou vs Orochi’s epic wtfshitstorm) lolwhoops~ I finally made the inevitable back muscles compilation while also writing longer, more in depth meta posts about him.

Murata delivered some of the best stream content we’ve seen of him. (Completely on FIRE, both literally and figuratively. And looking back, this was probably some of the most fun Murata’s stream sessions ever got. :’D Was awesome to be a fan tuning in during this time.)

even Murata was doodling chibis of himself freaking out in the margins XD

Delivering content from the pose of peak badassery…to dropping stream doodles of peak heartwarming/cuteness (Garou & Tareo in suits) on the fans for good measure.

bam Murata’s out to kill us with his art ...Murata can you like -maybe- chill? ABSOLUTELY NOT

Basically Murata knew exactly what he was doing, always delivering and servicing the fans (drawing the coke bottle was a fan suggestion too) yet also remaining a huge tease~

Towards S2 and beyond

June 2018, following the Orochi fight, Garou was put on a bus and absent from the manga for a while, so I went back revisiting older content again (rereading the manga for fun) and realizing/noticing/wondering stuff I hadn’t really caught about him before like…oh no why is he cute?? Was he always this way or had my eyes finally opened after everything??? (Cause aside from him being a little shit or a cool badass, he was also a complete dork and a nerd, and an oblivious dummy, and just…that was so…wtf endearing, a full package of fun to enjoy.)

But we soon got clips of Midorikawa’s voice reveal (from the opm drama cd) and all hell broke loose among the resident Garou fans. 8’D Especially cause his voice was ‘dark/smooth/mature/sexy’ as opposed to a higher-pitched, unhinged teen voice many had expected (remember that old Hiruma voice I first thought for him? So interestingly many fanboys were disappointed with this deeper voice casting). But also cause Midorikawa said “I’ll do my best to make Garou even more charming than before,” so we were excited to see Garou’s popularity spike even more cause of s2.

Aug 2018, the s2 key visual revealed with Garou prominently featured up and center and I WAS NOT PREPARED!!! I remember having like a full hyper-incoherent breakdown because of this so…yeaaaaah. 8’D I was all rationalizing,

If anything it’s all Murata and ONE’s fault that (the hype and appreciation for him) feeling’s grown even stronger. He was already a thoroughly fun walking meta source, but the manga made his softer/compassionate moments much more obvious (than in the wc). Just watch as this badass dorky nerd becomes even more hugely popular than he already is!

April 2019 was his anime debut…coincided with his post-arc WEBCOMIC DEBUT AFTER 5 FUCKING YEARS (before he even returned in the manga even) IMPECCABLE timing from ONE, holy shit people lost their minds. Including Murata, who had to draw him too! With all that and the anime airing (adding even more wholesome cute Tareo interactions not seen in the manga), fandom participation (+anons) really started to kick off.

I remember seeing the influx of new fans and how so many (who didn’t ‘know’ him yet either) would unironically label him as genuinely ‘evil’ or a ‘heinous villain’ at face value, which….uhhhhhh were the kinda takes that were hard to take seriously, but I appreciated how ONE’s writing allowed the readers to see and think for themselves as the narrative revealed more (rather than believing everything the characters said or claimed), so it’d only be a matter of time until they ‘saw’ the truth about him too. :’)

May-July 2019 the anime continued airing with fandom activity popping, until August when he finally reappeared and ‘awoke’ in the manga! ;A; After like an entire full year of him mia too. This was also the time frame when all the thirsty (and interestingly meta-hungry) Garou anons started (finding me???) regularly chiming in with fun participation. I was grateful though, cause they prompted certain takes I couldn’t have come up with on my own, and allowed me to think, examine, and explain things much more closely and thoroughly than I had ever posted before. (Yaaay~) Such as looking into just what IS it about him?!

“Garou wouldn’t be as compelling, engaging, and appealing as a character without (all) those other interesting layers and nuances to talk about too! :D It’s even better that way! Cause Murata can draw everyone looking drop-dead gorgeous and conventionally attractive, so just having a pretty face and impressive muscles isn’t enough to make him stand out in a special way from the rest of the cast. Already all those things (about him) are certainly impressive, so just what is it about him in particular? (That makes him unique.) The fact Garou has all that AND those other compassionate & interesting qualities to him just makes it the icing on the cake for a complete, well-rounded package. The fact we can know him, for all his feelings and attitude why he behaves and acts the way he does, such as when he’s contradictory, troubled and tsundere-like sometimes, to hardcore and badass other times, to softer and empathetic to fiercely righteous, protective and determined other times, and all portrayed in the way he’s capable of the range (and makes us feel) the entire spectrum of emotion too. …Like whoa (I could keep going but I’d be preaching to the choir at that point aha), all that only enhances what’s already there. In this way, I feel the Garou we’ve come to know by now is much more endearing and appealing than the one we were introduced to at the start. Because as he appeared then, he may have seemed like just another wannabe thug-of-the-week we might not have given much passing thought & attention to. But now…uhoh, you could arguably say he’s grown to the point he’s almost taken over the rest of the manga (within good reason!) by challenging our perception of who’s even the active protagonist. :O Who keeps us engaged and tuned in to see more. Buaha, just what the hell happened?! Now that’s quite the impressive feat from both ONE and Murata to create a character with a lasting impact like that!”

…So that’s what happened. :’D In my opinion, I feel Garou’s best moments where we (or really, I) got to know him better (shed scene, Elder Centipede aftermath, dine n dash, rescuing Tareo, all up towards his fights vs Rover & Orochi) mostly only happen until after s2 so… Since those were some of my absolute fav manga moments (which only enhanced my perceptions of him), those’ll be the moments I’m really looking forward to see animated in s3. But most of all, I’m hoping to witness some of that same ‘aha!’ gradual realization process happen to newer fans who come to appreciate him too. :’3

[lintheotaku]

Current Watch- Isekai Review

Season: Fall 2019

Anime:  Ascendance of a Bookworm Genre: Isekai/Fantasy Plot: “ vid bookworm and college student Motosu Urano ends up dying in an unforeseen accident. This came right after the news that she would finally be able to work as a librarian like she had always dreamed of. When she regained consciousness, she was reborn as Myne, the daughter of a poor soldier. She was in the town of Ehrenfest, which had a harsh class system. But as long as she had books, she didn't really need anything else. However, books were scarce and belonged only to the nobles. But that doesn't stop her, so she makes a decision...   "If there aren't any books, I'll just create “ Thoughts: I freaking love this one!!!! It starts off in a sorta slow pace, but it’s so you can gain an understanding of characters, build of the setting and situation of this fantasy-like world. Unlike other isekai fantasy adventuring types, Ascendance of a Bookworm is focused on the protagonist’s thirst for knowledge and to read books. From the first episode we are shown that Myne succeeds in creating her own book, and we are looking into her memories of how it all began. Before I knew it, after each episode I was craving the next episode to see Myne’s dream come true. Each character she meets have importance throughout the story. Heart goes out to Lutz as best boi <3 Overall this series is a refreshing stance of the isekai genre while still being intriguing, fun, and clever. A High recommend for a steady series and can’t wait for Season 2!! Rate: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  [5/5]

Anime: High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World Genre: Isekai/Fantasy/Fan-service Plot: “Seven high school students are involved in an airplane crash. When they woke up, they found themselves in a parallel world where magic and beastmen exist. Of course, they panicked at their sudden unexpected predicament... or not? Instead, they create a power plant in a world that doesn't have electricity, they did a little extra work and managed to take economic control over a metropolis, they managed to repay their gratitude to some oppressed citizens by upending a corrupt government, and basically do whatever they feel like?!” Overall Thoughts: If you don’t mind turning your brain off to have something to occasionally watch and don’t mind the fan-services moments, this one isn’t too bad. Far as story- What’s probably something than can turn you off is the characters. Most of them don’t have much depth to their characters and their abilities are exaggeratedly over the top. And no, I don’t mean exaggerated for high school kids, but for any humanly possible. A samurai female running along side and guiding a missile sort of over the top- It’s one of those, you either hate it or love it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ And fans are probably there for the ecchi moments. (which I didn’t initially realize there was so much of it until looking back) Rate: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ ♡ [3.5/5]

Anime: Didn't I say to make my abilities average in the next life Genre: Isekai/Fantasy/Comedy/Adventure Plot: “Kurihara Misato was a little more capable than other high school girls, and as a result, she was always alone and couldn't live her life the way she wanted. When she was reincarnated in another world after a tragic accident, she wanted a chance to make normal friends and live a normal life. So she asked God for one thing... "Give me abilities that are average for that world!" But the abilities God gave her were not "average" at all... And now this girl, who's been reborn in a world where magic is real, struggles to find simple, ordinary happiness” Overall Thoughts: This is a really fun one. I really like how Milie’s friends look like they would be your stereotype party members but don’t follow that mold. The comedy is very well received and Milie’s Anime references was a blast to see. I personally about died over her using ‘spirit gun’. The four girls are all sweet and wonderful watch. Another high praised series for the season. Rate: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [5/5]

Anime: Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Genre: Isekai/Fantasy/Comedy/Shōnen Plot: “The story follows the life of Iruma Suzuki, a 14-year-old human boy, who is sold to a demon by his parents. The demon is known as Sullivan, who takes Iruma to the Demon World and officially adopts him as his grandson. He then enrolls Iruma in the Babyls School for Demons where Sullivan is the headmaster, and where Iruma quickly befriends the demons Alice Asmodeus and Clara Valac. However, Sullivan tells Iruma to never reveal that he is a human, since he will be eaten if anyone finds out that he is not a demon. Iruma then vows to blend in during his time in the Demon World, although he only stands out due to all the situations and adventures that arise.“ Overall Thoughts: A lighthearted series of fun adventures of Iruma attending a demon school. Although not a new concept (Hells, Rosairo+Vampire, etc) but with it being a shonen type, it’s quite a fun watch with light hearted moments. Personally, I find the lack of depth of the setting and backgrounds to be a bit too vague- but is fine for a casual watch, colorful characters, and comical moments. Rate: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ [4.5/5] 

Anime: Kemono Michi: Rise Up Genre: Comedy/Isekai/Fantasy Plot: “Genzo, Japan's number one animal-loving pro-wrestler, gets transported to another world where magical beasts run rampant. In order to save the kingdom, the princess asks him to rid the world of the beasts, but he refuses and wants to save them instead! Genzo opens a pet shop for his new beast friends, but he gets too attached to them and is unable to sell them which leads to constant financial problems for his new shop! Join Genzo and his cute demi-human employees as they find loving homes for the many beasts of the kingdom!” Overall Thoughts: While the wrestling aspect is what truly drew me in, this one can be a bit close to the Furry/Bestiality line... often... It’s a fun nonsensical series that isn’t too high strong on the ‘death the demon lord’ route. I did find this one to be fun despite a couple of running gags feeling a bit stale after the 2nd time. Rate: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ [4/5]

Anime: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious Genre: Comedy/Isekai/Fantasy Plot: “In the world of Gaeabrande, Goddess Ristarte is tasked with summoning a hero to save her world. The hero, Seiya Ryuuguuin, is an OVERLY cautious hero who’s obsessed with muscle training and buying armor before setting out to deal with low level creatures. It’s simply one overly cautious mission at-a-time for this invincible hero!” Overall Thoughts: This one... Literally this gif image sums up the entire series- I personally was getting tired of some of the ‘overly cautiousness’ gags, but it soon shifted. Although still cautious, it was more clear (for the audience) to see there was more to this hero. And then I got towards the final 2 episodes... I’ll say this is one show that’s gonna continue to haunt me. Final Thought: It’s worth finishing tbh. Rate: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ [4.5/5]

[victuurikatsu]

Prompt #198 for @wewritevictuuri: Dying is a lot more painful than I thought it would be

Victor tracks down Yakov diligently through the facility with Yuri Plisetsky in tow, after completing a press conference commemorating his fifth consecutive win at the Grand Prix Final. He doesn’t realize he’s still on auto-pilot when he makes a few remarks about Yuri’s last junior program to which the young boy replies, “I already won so who cares?”

As Yakov hears the blatant attitude, he is already in lecture mode when Victor can feel a set of eyes on him.

Generally he lets this go, but something in him tells him to turn around and then he spots him. Japan’s Ace, Katsuki Yuuri. He doesn’t know much about Yuuri, and rarely spoke to him the entire time they were competing. Granted, Victor always showed up right before he was set to enter the ice, but it never deterred the other competitors from coming forward to him to wish him luck or to let him know he was going down (though Cao Bin was the only one who dared to challenge him this way).

Victor wouldn’t say that Yuuri seemed to blend into the background, because that wouldn’t be the truth. He had a mysterious presence about him, and he knew he was capable of pleasantries because he spoke enough with Chris. Watching his free skate from the waiting area on the flat screen, Victor noticed that his inconsistency drew the audience in and no matter how much he messed up he still finished through to the end, even if it landed him in last place.

He offers him a small smile, trying to break through his quiet shell by asking him for a commemorative photo, this was his first time at the Grand Prix Final after all. But what Victor doesn’t expect is a frown to meet him and a swift turn. He watches Katsuki Yuuri walking away from him. How utterly strange.

Another tailored suit, another flashy smile, another hand to shake, another mindless banquet. Victor is bored to tears but he knows it’s in his roster of obligations to be here tonight. Yakov is still lecturing Yuri P. about banquet etiquette and asks him not to scowl at potential connections when Victor’s gaze falls on Katsuki Yuuri again. His shoulders are slumped and his coach Celestino Cialdini is trying his best to get Yuuri to straighten up and at least eat a little.

Victor takes another sip of champagne, thinking to himself, “That’s a god awful tie, you couldn’t have dressed him better, Ciao Ciao?”

Another myriad of guests approach Victor again to congratulate him on his win, and then the dreaded question he’s been acting coy about with the press pops up. “What’s your next move?”

Victor answers with a wink and that same flashy smile that makes every inch of his muscles sore. “I’m hoping to continue to raise the bar, you know how I love to keep the audience on their toes.”

Laughter erupts and Victor is satisfied with placating the guests enough, grateful that they don’t catch him gracefully grabbing another flute of champagne and promptly washing it down, ebbing away at something he can’t place. When he feels like he’s just about spent at the banquet, someone abruptly says “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY. BE SURE TO DRINK THE CHAMPAGNE, IT’S FANNNNN-TASTIC!”

Victor’s eyes scan the room and he sees him once again. His suit jacket is off, he’s untucked his button up shirt and he’s gracefully dancing to the cocktail hour music with no reservations. Chris appears behind him and can’t help but chuckle.

“Maybe this is Yuuri in his final form.” He murmurs.

The whole room watches intently as Yuuri asks for a different song. Someone obliges by putting on a hip hop track and suddenly he’s break dancing and it is a sight to see. Before long, a crowd of people are stepping away from the middle of the dance floor to make room for the man. Song after song, he keeps going, stopping only to stumble for another glass of champagne.

“Geez, what an idiot. JUST RETIRE ALREADY YOU IDI-” Yuri P. starts yelling.

“HEEEEEEY. DO YOU WANT TO BATTLE?” Yuuri yells over at the boy.

“HUH?!” Yuri P. exclaims as he rolls up his suit jacket.

“BATTLE ME ON THE DANCE FLOOR.” Yuuri laughs as he seemingly composes himself, he means business.

Yakov is about to intervene but it’s too late. Yuri P. is smack dab in the middle of the dance floor along with Yuuri. Another song rages on and they are dancing on their own volition, interpreting the rhythm of the song. Victor notes that Yuuri seems to be dancing as if the music was made to bounce off of his body.

“This is too good not to capture are you getting this?” Chris says from beside him.

Victor tentatively reaches for his own phone and snaps away, laughing in delight as Yuri P. struggles to keep up and Yuuri continues to unleash dance moves that he’s never seen before. After three songs, Yakov drags Yuri P. back by the collar of his shirt.

“Are you insane?! You have a reputation to uphold!” Yakov barks.

“How can I have a reputation when my dignity is on the line?!” Yuri P. angrily sneers.

Victor is scrolling through the photos of Yuri P.’s defeat when another hushed round of murmurs resounds. “Who the hell put up that pole?”

He turns and sees the exact object everyone is pondering about. Somehow in the corner of the banquet hall, a silver pole appears. Yuuri’s gazing at it intently as Celestino tries to persuade him to just call it a night already. He shakes his head and continues to insist on dancing. What happens next sends a shock down everyone’s spine, he strips off his shoes, pants, and button up shirt, keeping his tie loosely secured around his neck.

He grabs onto the pole and gracefully climbs up before swinging back down. The look on his face seems to ask, who’s next, and Chris answers the call. Any reason to subject the room to his mature eros was his specialty and honestly he was curious to see what the man was made of.

Victor watched in awe as the two did a routine together on the pole, one climbing on top of the other, balancing on each other, swinging and looping around like an act that was always meant to happen. Someone hands Yuuri a bottle of champagne and he pours it over Chris’ body, a fit of laughter explodes from them both and they nearly slip trying to get back down on the ground. Chris throws in the towel after a good 20 minutes, Celestino successfully gets Yuuri to put his clothes back on save for his jacket before someone starts playing a fast paced latin song.

His head perks up and he’s back in the floor again but he’s searching for something, for someone. Victor doesn’t have enough time to react before he feels Yuuri’s hands in his dragging him to the middle of the floor for a paso doble. He starts in a stance that screams come hither, Victor returns the gesture with a smirk and takes the bait. They dance in tandem with each other, ebbing and flowing in perfect sync. At some point Victor takes off his jacket to emulate a matador and Yuuri puts his hands up to signify horns and rushes for him. Victor is quick enough to jump away, landing with a thump on his formal shoes. The grins on their faces are indescribable, a new feeling bubbles up in the pit of Victor’s stomach, he feels lighter than usual, more unreserved, and he swears this is what having fun used to feel like.

The rhythm changes and as quickly as Victor has his jacket back on, Yuuri has him by the waist, twirling him around for a tango. Victor notes that despite how drunk he is, he’s moving with such precision it’s making his head spin.

They continue to dance the night away together when Yuuri’s honey brown eyes stare intently into Victor’s and he asks the Russian, “Are you ready?”

Victor flushed in the face from the dancing and from feeling so overwhelming light is confused at first, but then Yuuri dips him down low, a firm loop of his arm holding Victor upright. Victor laughs with delight as he places a hand firmly on Yuuri’s back. He looks up and sees Yuuri smiling down at him and for a brief moment he envies that joy.  Not only envies it but he wants to bottle it up because it’s even more intoxicating than any of the champagne in the room. He asks him to keep dipping him again and again. He doesn’t want the dance to end.

Eventually, things settle down. Victor finds himself back with the others genuinely laughing in delight as they start to rattle on about what just happened. Chris is beside him wiping away at the last of the champagne while Yuri P. scowls in Yuuri’s direction. He’s heading right for them, against Celestino’s feeble attempts to rangle him in. Yuuri clasps onto Victor, his hips gyrating in a circular motion, Victor is stunned and doesn’t say a word.

He can briefly make out a few words that Yuuri is slurring out, something about yet another dance battle, an inn that his parents own in Japan, he wants to win this battle because he wants something from Victor.

“Be my coach, Victor!” Yuuri exclaims before he throws his arms around Victor, weighing him slightly down.

Victor’s heart skips a beat. A coach? He wanted him as a coach? Victor stays still and stunned as Celestino brandishes more apologies, finally dragging the man away from the banquet hall for the evening. Victor wonders how many times is he gonna have to watch him leave when he wants him to stay.

The next day, Victor is adamant about meeting with Yuuri again to thank him for a wonderful evening and to slip him his number so they can discuss his proposition. He’s filled with warmth and delight, as he bounces around his hotel room giddy with the aspect of being reunited. But that all comes crashing down, with 8 words.

“They left in the middle of the night,” Chris muses the next day as the duo wait for coffee.

Without another word and like the wind Katsuki Yuuri is gone. Victor’s head is pounding and he’s sure it’s not from having his fill of champagne. He hadn’t given him a number, a note, anything at all to let Yuuri know how thankful he was for a night he was sure he would be dreaming about forever.

“Hey, are you alright?” Chris asks, handing him his latte.

Victor looks at the steam pouring out the cup. He swears the pattern of the way it flows and moves take form of him and Yuuri. Even thinking of him now stabs lightly in his gut, the heaviness starts to consume him again. He doesn’t realize how blank his stare is, until Chris watches something flicker in him and he reverts back to the overly chipper attitude while saying a rather distressing line, “Dying is a lot more painful than I thought it would be.”

“Huh? What are you going on about?” Chris replies.

Something that Victor would never let on or face was how he processed through emotions. This one in particular strangled him harder than the ball and chain he felt loosely clinking around his neck. No more fun, no more joy, no more glimmering eyes and surprises.

Back to obligation, back to mindless, back to perfection, back to numb. Back to boredom.

“Nothing, I think I had too much to drink last night.” Victor says playing it off.

At least he’d always have the photos as proof of when he felt like himself again.

[whiskas-pandastar]

Sweet Dreams

NaLu Fluff Week 2018

Prompt: Day 3: Comfort/Blanket 

Summary: He sat there on the floor near the bed, taking in her sleeping form. He could sit there, watching over her forever. He wouldn’t let anyone put even a scratch on her. Not even himself. (Contains some subtle spoilers to the manga)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Rating: K+

It was a bright sunny day and the whole guild was in a cheery mood. It was festive time.  Even in broad daylight everyone drank, continued their fun banter, picked fights and made merry.

But today, Natsu wasn't making a ruckus, or breaking things, or even fighting with Gray or Gajeel. Quite unlike him, today he was the silent spectator. He didn't know what they were celebrating, but nevertheless, he was having a good time.

"Looks like Lucy is rubbing off on you," said Erza who was sitting at the other end of the table. Natsu shrugged, and then smiled as the sound of Lucy's laughter drew his attention. He watched as she clapped happily at the dance performance being put up by Mirajane and Lisanna.

But the whole world seemed to blur, and focus only on Lucy. Her flowing long blonde hair and beautiful doe eyes shining as if they had entrapped the stars in them. Her smiles biting at his heart, leaving him feel a little uneasy.

Natsu knew what she did to him. She had become the most important person to him. He was ready to do anything for her, as long as he saw her radiant smile, as cheesy as that sounds. She meant the world to him.

"You should tell her before she slips from your fingers," it was Cana this time, smiling teasingly, sitting right behind him, and taking a swig from her barrel of booze.

"What do you mean?" Natsu said, though in the depths of his heart, he knew what she meant.

"Forget it, he doesn't get it. He probably doesn't even know what he feels," Wakaba laughed it off.

"Oh but it's written all over his face!" Juvia squealed, leaving Natsu stunned.

"No way," Natsu turned to see Gray who was right in front of him, reading the paper. "I think he knows exactly what he feels." Gray looked up from the paper "After all, he isn't that dense."

As far as he could remember, Gray was fighting Elfman near the bar...

"Yep, the Salamander is no fool. Take it from me." said Gajeel who was eating a metal plate.

Natsu couldn't believe what was happening. What did they mean by it? Why were they bringing all this up suddenly? Their words echoed in his head. It continued till Lucy's voice cut through them, "Natsu! Come dance with me!" Lucy pulled him along with her and now they were in the middle of guild. Gentle music was playing in the background, and there were a few couples swaying in the background, but all Natsu could focus on was Lucy and her hands over his neck. She had done the courtesy of placing his own on her waist.

It wasn't the first time they danced. Lucy had taught him formal dancing and they did so on many missions. But this time, there was a spark in every touch, a magic to every movement.

"I wish time would stop." Lucy whispered, stealing the words from his mouth.

He looked tenderly at the girl before him. From the moment she had walked into his life, it had never been the same. Without her, his life didn't have any meaning. And he wouldn't have it any other way. She was the most precious person. The one he treasured the most. He wanted to protect her with every fiber of his being, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

He was aware of her capabilities. She was never and will never be a damsel in distress. She was resourceful, clever and powerful. She had protected him numerous times, putting her life on stake. Her kindness, stubbornness and positivity intrigued him so much. She was irresistible.

Lucy's wasn't making it easy, each passing day making it more and more difficult for him to suppress his emotions. She was perfect and deserved everything good. He knew he wasn't the perfect guy out there.

But his selfish feelings always took over him, the feeling of keeping her all to himself. An intense longing for every touch, every embrace, and every moment together, burned like fire.

"Lucy, look at me" Natsu looked at her sternly. "Promise me that you'll never leave me."

"Even though it was you who left me behind for a year?" Lucy laughed.

"That's not what I meant." Natsu was serious.

Lucy's eyes softened. "Okay, Natsu." She smiled gently, "I promise." She pulled close and melted into his arms. For Natsu the whole world seemed to fade. He closed his eyes and held her close, never wanting to let go.

When he opened his eyes, everything had faded.

"Lucy?" Natsu looked around. "Lucy, where are you?"

Natsu walked around in the darkness, trying to use his dragon senses to find any clues of where she was.

Finally, he saw her waiting, her back facing him. He ran happily towards her, "Lucy! You're here!" he sighed with relief.

"I've been looking all over! Oi Lucy-" he watched in horror as Lucy collapsed at his feet, lying still with blood splattered over her face. "LUCY!" he screamed. He shook her body, " Wake up! Lucy!"

She didn't show a sign of movement. Natsu felt tears on his face, "No, you can't do this. You promised me. You promised that you wouldn't go." he whispered like a helpless child. "That you wouldn't leave me."

"It was you, you fiend." he heard a voice.

Natsu shouted in rage, "Who goes there?!"

He ran towards the source of the voice that said the same thing over and over again, "It was you! You!"

There was a cloaked figure before him. He yanked the cloak away and gasped. It was a mirror and in it, he saw his own reflection. But what looked back at him wasn't him. It was a demon. It was END.

"You killed Lucy Heartfilia!!! END!"

Natsu's eyes snapped open. His breathing was haggard and he was sweating profusely. The next thing he knew that he was running on the streets. He was running as fast as his legs could take him.

He jumped over the window and opened the door, entering in the room. Soft moonlight was streaming in the room. On the bed, there was a lump covered by the familiar pink blanket.

Natsu slowly pulled it and found Lucy, her chest rising and falling, taking deep breaths and very much alive. Natsu collapsed on the floor with relief. He lay there till he caught his breath, the familiar scent of Lucy and her home calming his nerves.

A sudden rumbling caught his attention. Lucy's soft snores echoed in the room.

Natsu broke into a laugh. "Here you are snoring, without a care in the world,"

He sat there on the floor near the bed, taking in her sleeping form. It seemed to calm him and his running thoughts. He could sit there, watching over her forever. He wouldn’t let anyone put even a scratch on her. Not even himself. He’d rather die than hurt Lucy.

"Hmm... Natsu... “ Lucy murmured softly in her sleep. Natsu's ears perked up at this. She was sleep talking. He waited with batted breath. "I need...the rent..." Lucy frowned. "80,000 Jewels..."

Natsu couldn't believe her! Even in sleep, all she could think of was rent. He slapped his forehead and fought the urge to wake her up or draw on her face.

"I'll let you stay....so...help me... " Lucy smiled a lopsided smile.

Natsu couldn't help but smile. He sat on the edge of her bed and patted her head. "Of course I'll help you, Lucy. I'm all yours... " He softly brushed her bangs away and kissed her forehead, “Sweet dreams.” He was about to get up when suddenly, Lucy's hands gripped his arm.

Natsu tried to free his hand as lightly as possible, as he didn't want to wake her up. He didn't want to face her wrath for waking her up in the middle of the night. Or for sneaking into her bedroom. Again.

"Crap, since when did Lucy become this strong?" Natsu cursed under his breath. 

Seeing no other choice, Natsu decided to slip under the blankets and wait until Lucy would move.

It was cozy and warm, Lucy's scent intoxicating his sense of smell. He wanted to stay a bit longer…the stress and exhaustion was already making him drowsy…

Sunlight shined into the room and the birds in the nest outside Lucy's window chirped their morning song.

Lucy woke up feeling warm and fuzzy. It was the most comfortable feeling in the world. The soft bed and blanket combined with the right temperature. It was one of those days when she would wake up but continue lying with her eyes closed, salvaging every moment of comfort. The feeling of staying there and relaxing forever. It was utter bliss. She also felt a strange lingering feeling on her forehead.

All of a sudden, Lucy felt a heavy weight on her body. She opened her eyes and saw a hand over her neck and a leg on hear legs. She could her soft snores and felt warm breathing down her neck.

She craned her neck sideways and found the very person she expected to see. Natsu Dragneel sleeping away peacefully. He was on her bed, with her under the blankets, and holding her. His face inches away from hers.

"What the heck! Natsu!!!" Lucy screamed her lungs out. She kicked him to the floor along with the blanket. "I told you not to sleep in my bed!" Lucy blushed.

Natsu drowsily looked up at her, "Oh, you're awake." He cooped up into the blanket and went back to sleep on the floor.

"Don't go back to sleep!" Lucy smacked the back of his head.

Natsu scratched his neck, "Ouch... That hurt! What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?! You slept with me on my bed!" Lucy screeched, her blush becoming heavier by the second.

"What the heck... You said I could stay over yourself..." Natsu said in an as a matter of fact tone as if that made perfect sense.

"Wha- I did not!" Lucy crossed her arms angrily. “Don’t make up things Natsu!” she puffed her cheeks, the heavy blush still dusting her cheeks.

"Good Grief!" Natsu threw his hands in the air. "She snores at night and she's so screechy even early in the morning. Who will marry her at this rate?" Natsu made an indifferent face.

"What did you say?! Natsu I'm going to kill you, I swear to God, I'm not sparing you this time!" Lucy hollered picking things and throwing at him.

Effortlessly dodging them, Natsu walked away nonchalantly, "I'm using the toilet," He put his hands behind his head.

"Don't go deciding things for yourself!" Lucy threw a paperweight for a last attempt. "Just go home!" Natsu could hear her continuous grumbling as he walked through the corridor.

Natsu smiled to himself, "I wouldn't mind taking you though."

a/n: Hi i hope you liked it! Reblogs are much appreciated <3 Thanks for reading!

[shcgc]

the local police department and all its interrogation rooms weren’t exactly a brand new sight for shego to experience, the letter inquiring her attendance for a quick interview basically capable of being given to her during one of her other many visits instead of bothering the mail. she wouldn’t have cared. in fact, she didn’t care. dressed in all black ( just in case it wasn’t obvious enough that this was practically the funeral of her usually free day ) and in the extra respect-lacking gesture of still wearing her sunglasses even inside, she had walked into the room with a light-footedness as if it was her home — where she could be right now, laying in a bubble bath with a flute of champagne and not a single care in the world, and yet she was here instead, sitting across a detective who considered him important for what? having a missing person case in a town as small as sunnyside: what. a. hero.

one. is this the first time you’ve been called to the precinct? do you have a criminal record?

an expressively heavy sigh pushed past shego’s lips at the bland simplicity of the question, a sharp steel smile – full of purposefully obvious fakeness – stretching across her lips. “ is this your first time at the precinct? or is this supposed lack of research an attempt to being the first catch question? “ another sigh and her hand lifted to pull her shades off her face, green eyes giving the detective a once over. it seemed she would stay here a little longer. “ as i am sure you know, i do have a criminal record. in fact, it is not singular !! i have one in eleven different countries with several different verdicts. kidnapping and / or whatever you expect happened to winnipeg? is not one of them. “

two. where were you during the evening of ms. winnipeg sanders’ disappearance? specifically between the hours of 8 and 11 pm?

“ what day was it again? “ boredom was lacing the tone of her voice as her hand waved rather carelessly in the air; skipping apparently through her own thoughts in an attempt to reach the unimportant corners of her mind. “ sunday, was it? saturday? the twenty-third? right. “ the suggestion of an eye-roll did not fail to express her indefinite lack of interest for the matter. “ that night i must have been in the laboratory. it’s a yet non-public project. by contract i am not allowed to talk about it, i am sure you will understand i have to honour my right to remain silent in this case. “

three. can you describe what you were doing immediately before that?

“ i had to run a few errands in preparation for said project. did you know the walter elias university includes an astonishing chemical lab? in a small tribute to mother nature, we actually combined our orders for the chemical transport !! there was a mishap, unfortunately, and i must’ve spent several hours checking the new supply and preparing the transport between their lab and ours. i have nothing to hide– “ which wasn’t quite the truth, but as it seemed a much bigger crime had taken place, any of hers regarding this manner were practically insignificant, weren’t they? “ –therefore i’ll spare you the research: they’re supplies of hydrogen peroxide and potassium persulfate — ingredients for bleach, as i am not sure you would know, for cosmetic purposes. however, that is genuinely all i can reveal of the matter without overstepping the company’s restrictions. “

four. can anyone confirm your whereabouts at this time?

“ of course !! “ there was no hesitation to her answer ( as so far, to none had been ) and the combination of a sugary sweet smile and her never lacking confidence merely confirmed her words. “ the doctor, i am sure, would be more than willing to share my working schedule and confirm any and all of my statements !! as the– “ and it took all and any of her willpower, not to include the ever mocking drakken sound, “ –boss, he might be more inclined to talk about what his employee swore secrecy to. the name is drew theodore p. lipsky – that’s l - i - p - s - k - y !! additionally, i should be on the university’s security cameras the hours before the doctor picked me up. you are more than welcome to check for yourself !! “

five. how well did you know ms. winnipeg sanders?

for possibly the first time just then, shego’s interest peaked, her back straightening ever so slightly and eyes narrowing at the pessimistic choice of words. " did know? “ she repeated, head tilting curiously to the side, “ does it mean you already assume the worst? “ her shoulders leaned back, hitting the back of the uncomfortable chair in a seemingly flabbergasted manner. in reality, shego considered the information to be quite interesting — not because she cared as much about the end of the story – or, to be frank, the beginning, the protagonist or even the mystery around the antagonist – but because there was the potential for something evil. “ i would consider her an acquaintance, but one that’s held in good memory. i knew of her and i knew enough to know she’s been if not the eyes, at least, the ears of sunnyside. “

six. did you and ms. winnipeg sanders ever have beef, or a quarrel? have there been moments where you wished – even if it were just in the heat of the moment – to inflict harm on her?

“ well... “ the single word was stretched out; obviously contemplating whether the situation was even worth mentioning. however, by the mere chance of witnesses, let alone the record of actual confrontations shego had gotten into, she figured it was perhaps better to hear it from her than anyone else. “ it's barely to be considered a quarrel, it’s hardly a dissension really. i would call it a misunderstanding which simply required a firm reminder of where right and wrong lies. “ shego shrugged, sharpness beginning to edge on her features as she thought back to the one time. “ i mean, she told me to go a little easier on kim !! said the colour green didn’t suit me if it came from jealousy. can you believe that? ME?! being jealous of kimberly ann possible?! in what world?!  — i obviously couldn’t leave that unremarked. “

seven. what was your reaction when you heard about the news?

“ i suppose i– “ she trailed off, head beginning to shake ever so slowly as she seemed to think back to it and understand how foolish she had been. “ i must’ve thought the same as everyone else? i had seen the ‘ closed ‘ sign in the shop windows and believed her to have gone on vacation. everyone goes on vacation sometimes, right? to think something already happened to her by that time? “ she swallowed, a perfectly manicured hand lifting to sympathetically rest on top of her heart. “ it’s a daunting thought !! “ in reality? shego couldn’t have cared any less, not about the closing of a sugary sweet bakery and certainly not about the woman who disappeared with it. for all she cared? winnie could stay wherever she was now, dead or alive. “ i am sorry, i– “ shego’s hand lifted a little further, fingers pressing gently against her nose as if to hide the emotional shaking of her breath, “ i just– i hadn’t considered this before. “

eight. when was the last time you saw ms. winnipeg sanders? did you notice anything different about her?

" i barely knew her. i would never be able say whether she acted unusual. “ her shoulders lifted into the indication of a shrug and then sunk once more, lower than they had been before, as though suddenly burdened with the lack of information she had for the police — and wasn’t she truly? how much more fun would she have well knowing of the truth, leading the investigation into the wrong direction and allow herself a little bit of fun, where they – with their nit-picking laws and strictly left vague orders – had ruined hers one too many times. how much joy would she find in seeing the three oh so professional experts run into one dead end at a time — and honestly, who was going to stop her from it?

nine. do you know anyone who may have had any problems with her ? do you know anyone who may have had it out for her?

" i mean, who would ever..? “ another gentle shake of her head, silently speaking of the impossibility of someone having it out for winnie, and for a mere moment the rhetorical question had once more dipped into the truth. seriously, who would? she’d always liked to think she knew the so called villains of the town, but she couldn’t imagine anyone bothering to go after a woman as bland as winnipeg. and if shego couldn’t realistically imagine one of the bad guys doing it, who of the better ones could she frame? kim would be obvious enough, and no matter how much she wanted to re-pay the strain and annoyance her brother had put upon her, it would seem rather suspicious considering their family’s background. it needed to be someone else; just random enough she had no reason to blame them. “ actually !! there is one. have you ever heard of the name santorini? “

ten. have you noticed anything peculiar since the disappearance? anything special you think is worth mentioning?

" it’s about the youngling in their flower shop !! i don’t believe i ever caught the name — i am allergic, you see. “ admittedly, to anyone who knew her it might seem she was simply quick to get sick of most people, but in this case she did, matter of fact, mean the flowers. “ but i never forget a face, and i know it was him !! he was near the bakery, playing with fire and what seemed like self-built explosives..? i would never want to accuse someone of arson, but– “ she sighed heavily, anxiously, empathetically, her gaze which had previously fallen into her lap, lifting up again to meet the detectives’, “ –but for winnie’s sake? it’s a terrifying thought; but... maybe he has told her just a little, you know, too much one day and needed to correct his mistake..? he must’ve been interrupted – thank god !! – before he could perform his plan. “ — much unlike her, who would leave the station with a sardonic smile on her face. maybe people would finally understand NOT to disturb shego wobakoff on her vacation !!

[kpopfanfictrash]

Blackjack (I)

Author: kpopfanfictrash

Pairing: You / Jungkook

Rating: 18+ (explicit sex, mafia!AU)

Warning: handcuffs, breath play

Word Count: 7,579

Summary: After losing several times to a very expensive card table, you find yourself deep in debt to the notorious mafia group, Bangtan. Taehyung is kind enough to offer you a way out. If you can succeed in taking home any guy of his choosing, your debt will be wiped clear. Then he points at Jungkook.

Fastening an earring onto your ear, you tilt your head to the side and consider yourself in the mirror. It is not often that you dress up – hell, you cannot even remember the last time you did. Lena begged you to come out tonight, though; begged for your attendance at the party Taehyung is throwing and who are you, to deny your best friend.

“Come with me,” she whined, voice rising over the phone. “It’s just for one night – one night won’t kill you!”

“It might,” you said, a kernel of truth to your words. You both knew who Lena was dating – and you both knew what he was capable of. “Who knows what your crazy boyfriend has up his sleeve?” you muttered into the phone.

“Taehyung’s not like that,” Lena insisted. Rustling noises filled the background, sounding a lot like chips as she paused. “Well, not anymore.”

“Right,” you snorted. “I’m sure you can just walk out of Bangtan whenever you want, right? They gift you with severance and a keychain on the way out, hm?”

“Y/N,” Lena hissed. “Don’t say things like that – what if someone overheard?”

And there was the problem. “I hate being worried someone might overhear,” you scowled, obediently lowering your voice to stare into the mirror. “Is my phone being tapped, or something?”

Though you knew you were agitated, it could not be helped. It was impossible not to worry when your best friend was dating a member of the most notorious mafia on the west coast. Gaze flicking down, you considered which would be least conspicuous – pink lipstick, or red.

“You’re not being tapped,” Lena sighed, sounding further away. Likely, she was also doing her make-up and had set her phone on the counter. “Look,” she said, pausing her spiel. “Pretend you don’t know what they are, okay? I know that you’re worried. I don’t blame you. It’s my life though, okay? You’re just a bystander, Y/N. You know nothing.”

“Right. A bystander who attends Bangtan parties,” you laughed, pulling off the top of your bright red lipstick. Conspicuous or not, it was what you felt comfortable in.

Lena snorted. “Yeah, yeah. It’ll be fun, I promise. Besides – I’ll be there, beside you the entire time.”

With a nod, you began coloring your lips. Pursing them once, you sighed at your reflection. “Fine, but you better. I’ll never forgive you, Len, if you leave me.”

“Trust me,” she insisted, returning the phone to her ear. “What could go wrong?”

“I fucking hate Lena,” you mutter to yourself.

You stand alone, near the bar, sliding fingers over your dress and trying to pretend you fit in. Trying, being the operative word because you clearly do not. This is made increasingly more difficult without your phone for distraction. All electronic devices were confiscated at the door, phones included.

This is just a taste of what Bangtan is like; the security measures they have in place to ensure their privacy. There are several mafia groups on the west coast, but few more dangerous, or notorious as Bangtan. Led by their leader, Kim Namjoon, they are undoubtably the most feared group in the area. Namjoon is an uncertain character himself – he learned the business from his father, who disappeared years ago under mysterious circumstances no one cares to discuss.

Then, there is Namjoon’s right-hand man. Kim Seokjin. Seokjin is the face of the organization, if you will – incredibly beautiful with flawless skin and dark, almond-shaped eyes. You glance at him now, drinking in the man’s beauty, but once you realize you are staring, look quickly away. It does not do to dwell on Kim Seokjin, since he is entirely unattainable. Devoted only to his job, and whichever woman happens to be in his bed for the night.

Seokjin is the first a stranger meets within Bangtan. He is the one who welcomes with open arms and a knife, held snug to your back. He is constantly assessing, calculating and not someone to get close with. Right now, he sits lazily at a Poker table, laughing occasionally at the things Hoseok says.

Of course, it is Hoseok beside him – rarely, is one man seen without the other. If Seokjin is the face of the organization, Hoseok is its body. He is the mobilizer of Bangtan, the lawman and the law. Each Bangtan henchmen answers to Hoseok, and wherever there is smoke – Hoseok is near. It is rare to see Hoseok outside of these parties. Most of his real work deals in the shadows; his lift is spent in secrets, pain hidden behind closed doors.

Feeling somewhat nauseous at the thought, you force your gaze elsewhere. Behind you, the bartender pushes another glass of champagne your way – you pick this up without thinking, lips leaving a blunt red stain on the rim. The image is like blood. Hiding a shudder, you turn swiftly away.

By accident, your eyes lock with Park Jimin. His lips curl into a smile; a hunter seeking his prey. Jimin also works behind closed doors, but while Hoseok’s duty is a messy, violent affair; Jimin’s is not. Drugs and weapons – the two main exports of Bangtan and that which Jimin oversees. He knows everything about production line, transportation, final sale and usage. If an export passes through Bangtan, Jimin knows what, where, when and by whom.

There is a rumor that Jimin became involved in Bangtan because of a woman. He was in love – in love with a drug lord’s daughter and would have done anything to remain by her side until she was killed by a rival mafia gang. Since then, the only things to bring Jimin joy are his drugs and his weapons. Not using them, no – just dealing them, owning them. Rumor has it, the man has fucked his way through half the city and by the way he looks at you now – you look swiftly away.

Unsurprisingly, Namjoon is not here. The Head is rarely seen in public, preferring instead to stay unknown and mysterious. You suppose this is smart, although it makes you uneasy. Namjoon is unpredictable, which makes him dangerous. 

Taking another sip from your drink, you spot Min Yoongi lurking at the edge of the party. This also makes sense to you, since Yoongi is in charge of all things surveillance. He has always seemed the least threatening, but you know this to be the biggest deception of all. Although Min Yoongi might seem soft-spoken, it is only because he is listening to every word that you say. Were he so inclined, Yoongi could destroy someone completely. He could reach into their past, dig up their secrets and pass them around like hors d'oeuvres. Even now, he watches the party with lazy indifference – all while casually sipping on ice in his cocktail. It seems highly unlikely that Yoongi gave up his cell phone upon entering.

Finally, you spot the last man. Kim Taehyung. The final member of Bangtan; some call him their Treasurer, but this is the wrong word entirely – simply put, Taehyung likes money. He likes having it, making it, understanding the ebb and flow of it. He is the analytics of Bangtan and with each new risk, each new venture which crosses their threshold – Taehyung is the one who says yes or no. The few interactions you have had with him, you cannot understand why Lena continues to date him.

Taehyung is wild, unpredictable and rude. Though he tempers slightly around Lena, you have never much liked him. At least, you have never seen him be rude to her, though – that is bare minimum you could ask for. Aside from Taehyung, there exists a rumored seventh member of Bangtan – the quote, unquote Shadow – but if the position exists, you have never met them. You have never even caught wind of a name; certainly not from the members.

Currently, Taehyung plays dealer at a nearby green felt table. Leaning gracefully forward, he seems immersed in the round, smiling a grin you deem much too wide. His expression is gleeful, overly satisfied and you can only assume he has somehow rigged the game – or, that he is counting. Honestly, you have no idea if the dealer can even count cards in Blackjack. Your knowledge of gambling is limited, at best.

Draining your glass to its end, you turn around and place it back on the counter. Your third drink of the night – and enough to feel more than a little bit tipsy. This was probably not the best idea in hindsight, but you had nothing else to do. Lena disappeared early on, flitting into a back room with Taehyung and doing god knows what before she returned to one of the high stakes tables. Lena loves this place, gets off on the thrills – she is good at it, too and almost always wins. This is what drew Taehyung to her in the first place.

Leaving your place at the bar, you wander towards the table where Taehyung is dealing. Your intention is to watch, to listen but somehow or other, you find yourself in a seat. Somehow, Taehyung convinces you to play and somehow, you hear yourself agreeing. Frowning at your cards, it barely seems the game has begun before you realize you have lost. This happens three more times – embarrassing, but by now your buzz is stronger than any shame you once felt. With a shrug, you move to stand – only for a hand to wrap swiftly around your wrist.

“Just a moment,” Taehyung says. His voice is pleasant, almost inconsequential. “There’s just the small matter of payment.”

Eyes widening, you stare down at his grip. “Oh?” you breathe, nausea rising. “As in... with cash?”

Though Taehyung’s smile remains, his eyes are cold. “Believe it or not, we accept all major credit cards.” He laughs softly, releasing your wrist. “I’m sorry, Y/N, I’m only joking.”

Exhaling, you straighten your spine. For a moment, you were starting to panic. For a moment, you thought you were screwed, since Lena does not know – you have not told anyone, to be fair – that you are broke. Last year held a few, unforeseen family issues (to put it mildly) and now, you have zero dollars to your name. Well, this is not entirely true. There are one hundred and twelve dollars and twenty-six cents in your account. That is it, though – and until your next paycheck is deposited in your account, you have no idea how you will make rent this month.

Taehyung’s smile disappears. “I was kidding,” he repeats. “We do not accept credit cards.”

A laugh encircles the table, players turning to chat with one another. Blood rushes to your cheeks, the room suddenly hard to hear as your heart leaps jaggedly sideways.

Taehyung smiles. “The price of the table,” he murmurs, leaning in so that his lips brush your cheek, “is one thousand dollars per game.”

Staring blankly at the wall over his shoulder, your eyes widen in shock. “So, that means I owe… fuck.”

It was three games that you lost.

“Three thousand dollars,” Taehyung agrees, pulling away. Tugging yellow sunglasses from his pocket, he slides these on and cocks a brow. “Pay up, babe.”

You just stare at him, unable to string your thoughts into coherent sentences. “But I don’t – I can’t,” you breathe shakily. “What about Lena?”

Though his gaze softens somewhat, Taehyung doesn ot back down. “What about her?” he asks. “The fact that you’re friends? Look, Lena knows the rules as well as I do. You play, you pay.”

A tiny seed of anger plants itself in your stomach. It grows by the second and suddenly enraged, you lean in. “Listen to me,” you hiss, placing your hands on the table. “I didn’t know the price of this table when I sat down.”

Taehyung does not even blink. “Then you should have asked,” he says simply. “Rookie mistake.”

This is when you become aware of the silent table around you. People watch your conversation, no longer pretending that they do not. Struggling to school your expression into neutrality, you pull slowly away. “And what if I can’t pay?” you respond, lowering your voice. “What are my options? Can I pay in installments?”

Taehyung pretends to think it over. “You can – but as your friend, I strongly advise against it. I know the dealer personally,” he says, gesturing to himself. “And his interest rates are steep.”

“I don’t really have a choice, though – do I,” you hiss, gritting your teeth. Fuck, are you going to kill Lena tomorrow.

Taehyung smiles, gaze playful. “But – what if you did?”

Refusing to play along with his games, you pull back. “I don’t understand what you mean, Taehyung.”

His hands replace yours on the table. “How about this?” he responds. His smile stretches even wider. “I will give you an – how should I put this? – opportunity. I don’t deal in only cards, you know. I also deal with other odds.”

Anger somewhat diminishing, your confusion shows through. “What do you mean by that?”

Taehyung smiles, the gesture wicked. “I offer you a different bet,” he explains. “Then, the good people of this table place wagers on it,” he says with a gesture to the onlookers. “If you win, your debt is clear. If I win, though – you owe the house double.”

It does not appear you have any choice in the matter. When you first sat down, you did not understand the rules, but that does not matter to these people. The rules here are malleable, interchangeable and there is no law you can call upon to enforce them. Somehow, you need to find him that money. It is just how Bangtan works, you know this – which is why you debated even coming tonight.

“What’s the bet?” you demand through gritted teeth.

Taehyung’s lips lift in a smile. “Glad that you asked.” Glancing over your shoulder, he nods towards a table. “You see that guy? I want you to get him to leave.”

Swiveling around, you lift your drink to your lips – only to freeze. The man Taehyung points to sits entirely alone. His dark hair is messy, gaze contemplative while staring into his whiskey. The man is beautiful – ruggedly so, and completely out of your league. 

Suddenly panicked, your gaze snaps to Taehyung. “Are you crazy?” you hiss.

His smile broadens. “Is that a yes?”

“It’s a...” You sputter, shaking your head. “Why him?”

“Well.” Taehyung leans forward, smile coy. “Word on the street is he’s an undercover cop.” He waggles both eyebrows. “If you can convince him to leave, it kills two birds with one stone. The cops are gone from our lovely establishment – bye-bye,” he says. “And second, your debt to me is clear.”

Though you hesitate, the offer does not sound entirely awful. You would only need to get him to leave. At least then you would be gone, too. “I just have to leave with him?” you clarify, eyes narrowing. You do not trust Taehyung any farther than you can throw him.

His smile widens. “Yes.” Taehyung laughs, head thrown back. “No need to fuck him if you don’t want to, Y/N. I’m not a complete asshole.”

“Nice,” you mutter with a roll of your eyes. Despite all of your reservations, at least this offer would get you away from the party. “Fine,” you announce, standing up from the table. “I’ll need another drink.”

Turning, Taehyung grabs a drink from a passing waiter. The man yelps, a protest on his lips before Taehyung arches a brow. Paling at the sight, the waiter slowly bows. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Kim,” he intones, backing away. “I meant no offense. I’ll go and get another drink.” With that, he whirls back towards the kitchens.

Watching him leave, Taehyung keeps the man in his sights until he disappears behind revolving doors. “Pity,” he says, handing over the glass. “I did like him. He held such...” Idly, Taehyung waves a hand. “Promise.”

“You’re – you aren't going to kill him?” you whisper, appalled.

Scrunching his nose, Taehyung looks at you like you have gone crazy. “Certainly not,” he scoffs. “Or, at least – I wouldn’t kill him. This tie is Gucci, for fuck’s sake.”

Looking up at the ceiling, you accept the glass he hands you. The cup is full of wine: a deep red color you equate morosely to blood. “Alright,” you nod. “I’ll do it.”

“Excellent!” Taehyung spins in a half-circle. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new game!” Men and women within hearing distance wander closer and you cannot help but wince. “Do you see the woman seated here?” Taehyung says, pointing at you. “She bets she can take home a man,” he adds, pointing to the stranger. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I doubt it. House odds are 2:3 she loses. Are there any bets for, or against her?”

“What in the world,” you mutter, grasping Taehyung’s sleeve to pull him low, “are you doing? Why are you telling them I’m unlikely to win? What kind of fucked up game are you playing?”

Taehyung frowns, gaze suddenly dark. “Listen to me,” he says, low enough that only you hear. “If I make your win seem unlikely – when you do succeed, it means more money for the house. Which means your debt to me would be cancelled. Don’t you want that?”

Hesitating, you see Taehyung is right. If people place bets against you and you win – it means you take all their cash. “Go on,” you say, nodding as you pull politely away.

Straightening his tie, Taehyung returns to his audience. “Let the bets begin!” he crows, a natural showman.

The announcement is met with murmured laughter as players turn to their neighbors. Cheeks burning, you feel placed on display – because you are, you remind yourself. Honestly, Lena is dead meat when you see her. Glancing across the room, you find her locked in her card game, not paying attention.

“One hundred dollars on her loss,” says a male voice behind you.

Taehyung pouts at the statement. “Come on – this is fun!” he says, accepting the bet. “What’s fun about a measly one hundred dollars?”

“Five hundred she loses,” interrupts a woman, forcing you to swivel sideways. The finely dressed lady does not meet your gaze.

“Another five hundred on her winning,” declares a man to your left, surveying your dress. 

Cheeks heating further, you feel oddly cheap. You wore this dress on purpose, attempting to blend in but now, you feel like another pawn in their games. Somehow, the betting continues until six thousand dollars ride on your loss. Two thousand dollars on your success.

Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes. “Alright,” you mutter, mostly to Taehyung. “Here goes nothing.”

When you stand, Taehyung places a hand on your arm. “If you win,” he says, leaning in. “You’ll be one thousand dollars up.”

Heartbeat quickening, your head starts to spin. Though you do not dare admit it, you could badly use that money. “Thank you,” you say, wrenching free from his grasp. “I’ll be sure to collect my winnings tomorrow.”

Taehyung’s laughter dies as you march into the crowd. Laughter, people talking; it all swirls overhead as you stride towards the man’s table. All of a sudden, this seems like a horrible idea. This is not something you would normally do. You rarely go out on dates with strangers, let alone ask them to leave clubs with you.

Sudden nerves seize your thoughts, making your palms sweat. When you left, you thought you looked good but that was only because you look like every other girl in this bar. This type cannot be his type. If it were, the man would not be alone because there are many, many beautiful women here and – before you can self-sabotage any further, he looks up.

His eyes are dark, softer than you expected. Realizing there is nowhere to go, you come to a stop beside the curve of his table. “H-hello,” you stammer, feeling woefully dull.

Arching a brow, the man’s finger trails the rim of his glass. “Hello,” he says, tilting his head. The man smiles at you – a dazzling gesture which causes your stomach to sink.

Rather than respond, you sit at his table. Setting your glass before you, you glance sideways at his features. The stranger is tall, muscular – and so beautiful, you find it odd that he sits all alone.

“This is usually the part where you say something else,” the man says, upper lip quirked.

“Oh. Yes,” you say, shaking your head. “What about this? Tell me – were you a Boy Scout?”

The man seems confused by this but nods, playing along. “I – yes, I was. Why?”

“Because.” You smile flirtatiously. “Even from across the room, you have my heart tied in knots.”

The man waits a beat before bursting out into laughter. “Ah, wow. That was truly something. I, that was just – wow,” he chuckles, leaning back in his seat. The ice seems broken, though, his eyes crinkled with laughter.

“Give me some credit,” you say, grinning as well. “This is so much harder than it looks. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever felt sorry for men – they have to do this on the regular.”

Raising a brow, he smiles. “Oh? So, this is the only time you’ve ever felt sorry? Before today, what – you walked around feeling envious of the male sex?”

“Sure, sure,” you shrug. “I’ve always been jealous of men for having a penis. Men get to pee anywhere, anytime you want – what’s that like?”

His eyes widen in amazement. “And that’s the only reason you wish you had a penis?”

Seeing his expression, you try to conceal your amusement. “I mean, sure, why else?”

“Well,” he says, arching a brow. “I can think of a few things.”

Raising your glass to your lips, you take a slow sip. “I think I’m okay without that. But, thank you…” Trailing off, you allow him the opportunity to provide you with a name.

Keeping his gaze locked on yours, the man lifts his whiskey. “Jungkook.”

“Jungkook,” you repeat. Downing the rest of your glass, you lower this down to the table. “I’m Y/N. Tell me, Jungkook, how would you normally approach a woman – if my pick-up line was so bad?”

“I wouldn’t say it was bad,” Jungkook responds. He seems casually confident – almost too confident. “I’m still here aren’t I?”

This response gives you pause. It is true, he has not left yet. Jungkook has not yet moved, looking at you in a way which makes your thoughts scatter. It also makes your stomach drop, since this all is a lie. Jungkook seems to be interested in you, but you have not been honest with him.

You are lying about why you approached him in the first place – you are not actually interested in Jungkook, you just came to save your ass. Or – did you? Now that you are here at his table, it is impossible to deny the attraction between you. It is also impossible to deny you are interested.

Fingers clutching an empty drink, you watch him lean in.

“I don’t usually use a pickup line,” Jungkook says, hair falling into his gaze. “I don’t use pickup lines at all, if you must know.”

“Oh?” you murmur, suddenly wishing you had something to drink. You wish you had something to do with your gaze besides stare at the crease in his brow, the way his lips part, or the veins of his hands. Forcing your gaze upwards, you shake your head. “Then, what do you tell them?”

“I tell them exactly what they want to hear,” Jungkook says, voice low. The corners of his mouth lift. “Then I ask them to come home with me.”

Despite your feigned disinterest, you feel your pulse quicken. “What – what do you mean by that?” you say. Tilting your head, you add, “Show me.”

Jungkook smirks. “Are you sure?”

When you nod, you do not look away. “I’m the one who sat down, aren’t I?”

“True,” he nods, gaze falling to your lips. “It is hard, though. You’re actually quite difficult to read – did you know that?”

“And why is that?” you ask softly.

“Because.” Jungkook’s eyes glint dangerously. “I can’t tell if you want me to fuck you senseless – or tie me to my bedposts and ride me until I scream.”

Under the table, your legs press firmly together. It is hard not to show how affected you are by Jungkook’s words. Suddenly, you are no longer thinking of the bet at all – fuck Taehyung, fuck the money and fuck how this all started. Suddenly, you want nothing more than to do as this man says. 

Not looking away, you slowly lean forward. “And what if I want both?” you murmur, lips brushing his ear.

On the table, Jungkook’s hand tightens. “Let’s go,” he says, standing so abruptly that his knee knocks to yours. Draining his glass, Jungkook lowers this to the table. “Come on,” he exhales, reaching down for your hand.

You let him, standing when he pulls. As you follow him through the crowd, you stare at his blazer, slowly making your way down to his pants. Any way you slice it, the man is perfect – beyond perfect, with solid, muscular thighs beneath the thin cloth of his trousers and a jaw you cannot seem to stop staring at. From the corner of your eyes, you see Taehyung raising a glass.

Though you cannot hear, you know him to be laughing. Taehyung must be pleased from all the money you just won him. Not only him, you remind yourself – you, as well. A knot tightens in your stomach, since your debt is paid, but at what cost? 

As soon as Jungkook steps outside, your debt to Taehyung is clear. As soon as you leave, you should turn to Jungkook and tell him you have changed your mind. It would not be fair to take advantage of him like this, without him knowing the full situation.

Jungkook seems like a decent guy – he has not tried anything untoward, nor said anything you did not want to hear. If you said no, you are certain he would respect your decision to go. Somehow though, the thought is more painful than not. What began as a bet has set your skin aflame, your heart on fire. Jungkook’s middle finger brushes your palm as you walk, leaving you to imagine what could happen tonight.

You imagine his lips crushed against yours, his hands wrapped in your hair while you mold your body to his. Later, you imagine him letting you ride him like he said he wanted you to. A soft moan escapes and Jungkook turns suddenly, pressing your back to his front. “What,” he murmurs, hot against your ear, “was that?”

When his hips find yours, your feel your breath quicken. “What was what?” you respond, feigning innocence.

Already, you arrive at the entrance to the club. Jungkook pauses at coat check, leaning over the counter. He murmurs something to the attendant and you notice the man look up with surprise. He seems almost fearful of Jungkook and you frown in confusion because the response seems out of place. Unless Jungkook is a well-known police officer and this henchman of Bangtan simply knows who he is. In which case – what idiocy for Jungkook to have come. He must have known he’d be recognized, must have known he’d be seen.

Feeling oddly protective, you grab your phone from the counter and take Jungkook’s hand. “Let’s get out of here,” you say, realizing you have made the decision to leave.

This is no longer about the bet. Indeed, you do not mean for this to go any further than tonight – but it has been a very long time since you found yourself wanting something. And tonight, you much want Jungkook. 

Nodding, Jungkook pushes open the doors and follows you into the night. The air is cool on your skin and you hesitate for only a moment before Jungkook grabs your hand, pulling you flush against him.

His first kiss is soft, hesitant as his lips brush yours. His hands pause on your body before your lips harden further. They take on a life of their own as your arms wrap around him, pulling his body tightly to yours. Jungkook stumbles forward, one hand finding the wall as his kiss becomes needy. The brick hits your back and you groan, arching eagerly against his body.

Hands sliding under his jacket, his shirt, you grab for his belt – only to find his gun. Recoiling from this, your eyes fly open.

Registering your surprise, Jungkook exhales. “Ah, you caught me,” he murmurs, bending to brush his lips against yours. “I was trying to keep a low profile tonight.”

“Ah,” you say, continuing your slow search of his body. Jungkook stills in your grasp, eyes narrowing when your fingers brush over the metal. The gun sticks out of the fabric of his pants, right over the curve of his ass – alongside a pair of handcuffs.

Jungkook arches a brow. “Find something you like?” he responds dryly.

Rather than respond, you pull away. Tugging him further down the sidewalk, you have no idea what you are doing, only aware that you need him. Now. Your mind whirls, ragged at the thought of Jungkook handcuffed, helpless and writhing beneath you.

Coming to a stop at the curb, Jungkook pushes a hand through his hair. “Hang on,” he exhales, digging in his pocket for his cell phone. While he speaks into the phone, you do not hear what he says but Jungkook’s eyes flicker to the street before hanging up. “Done,” he announces. Before you can ask what is done, a car turns the corner.

The model is black, luxurious but before you can ask where it came from, Jungkook opens the door. He scoots into the vehicle, ushering you in and giving the driver an address – when he sees your response to the interior, Jungkook shrugs.

“Job perk,” Jungkook says, leaning his head to the seat. He smirks. “I believe you were trying to tell me what type of girl you are. That’s where we left off.”

“Was I?” you say, unbuckling your seat belt. Turning around, you swing your leg over his waist to settle onto his lap. Jungkook’s eyes widen when your hands push into his hair. “I thought I said,” you murmur, bending to kiss the nape of his neck. “That is wasn’t nice to place people into boxes.”

Groaning, Jungkook pushes his hips upwards when your lips find his collarbone. You suck, gently kneading with teeth as he hisses.

“No marks,” Jungkook grunts, head falling to the edge of the seat. “Ah, fuck it. That feels amazing – don’t stop.”

“That’s okay,” you muse, lifting your head to move your hips in a circle. Already, feel Jungkook hardening beneath you. “This is nice, too.”

“Nice?” Jungkook’s eyes open. “Nice?”

Grabbing your wrists, he lifts you off of him to fall you onto the seat. Your exhale is sharp when Jungkook moves to cover your body with his. His right knee positions between thighs, bunching your dress up and over your waist. The position is precarious, scantily-clad and when you glance up at the driver, you are relieved to see the partition is already up.

His lips, though – Jungkook bites on your dress, pulling this down until it falls off on your shoulder. When Jungkook sees you are not wearing a bra, his gaze darkens. “Bad,” he chastises, looking up. His fingers brush your breasts, teasing the nipples through the material.

Before you can respond there is the crunch of wheels on gravel, indicating your arrival – wherever the address is, of course. Jungkook pulls your hips sharply to his, forcing the breath from your body as your head hits the glass. His hands slide up your torso and you groan, breath hitching as his lips trace over your skin – and then Jungkook pulls away, leaving your craving unfilled.

The car beneath you has stopped. “Come on,” Jungkook exhales, offering a hand. He allows you to adjust your dress, straightening the material before pulling you outside. “I don’t know what the point of fixing that dress was,” he muses, slamming shut the car door.

“What was the point?” you say, somewhat dazed by the view. The yard before you is gigantic; it is hard to keep your jaw from dropping, staring out at the lawn. Gardens lead up to the main door; even in darkness, you can tell they are decadent. When you turn the next corner and the house comes into view, your feet simply stop moving. 

“Holy shit,” you breathe, staring up at the façade.

Paused, Jungkook looks over his shoulder. “I said it’s pointless to fix your dress,” he repeats, walking back towards you. Reaching your side, his fingers lift your face to his. “What’s wrong?” he murmurs, eyebrows raised at your expression.

You can only stare. “You live… in a fucking mansion.”

Jungkook’s cheeks flush. “Oh,” he says, turning to resume his walk towards the house. This time, you follow. “It’s not mine,” Jungkook mumbles, somewhat embarrassed.

He seems embarrassed, so you choose not to pry. It must be his parents place, or something, since he seems out of place here. It is not for you to know, you decide. This is only a one night thing. Stilling your questions, you allow Jungkook to lead you through a side entrance. He tugs you up a back staircase, and you find yourself forgetting your name as he pulls you against him. Nothing matters then but the touch of his hands, the graze of his lips, the feel of his body on yours.

Midway down a hall, Jungkook comes to a stop. Gently pulling you forward, he lifts your hands overhead. Slowly, his hips grind to yours while his lips trail your throat. “This way,” Jungkook pants, breaking free long enough to open the door behind him.

This must be his room, although the word room is inaccurate – rooms, plural, would be more appropriate. He seems to live in a suite, one you gape at for only a moment before Jungkook has dragged you back to him. His body molds against yours, lips mimicking his hips to drag groans from your lips. While his hands push into your hair, Jungkook’s body curves until a whine leaves your throat.

“Jungkook,” you say.

“Yes?” he murmurs, lowering the straps of your dress. “What do you need, baby?”

Shaking your head, your hands find his waist. “Put the gun on the table,” you say because, although Jungkook has not touched it – the very presence makes you nervous.

Jungkook looks up, amused. “Is that some sort of euphemism?” Seeing your sternness, he nods and obeys. Unhooking the holster, Jungkook drops the gun onto his table. “Now what?” he asks.

He looks so good with his hair mussed and smiling – unable to stop yourself, you slide your hands up his body. “Give me your handcuffs,” you purr, while surprise flashes across his expression. Jungkook removes the cuffs slowly, pulling them free from his belt to hand over.

“And the key,” you add, arching a brow.

Jungkook’s gaze darkens, reaching into his back pocket to pull out the small, metal object. He drops this into your palm. “Now?”

“Now,” you respond, glancing sideways. The room is austere; decorated for cleanliness, not enjoyment. His bed is iron, covered in soft grey sheets. Upon seeing the frame, you shove Jungkook backwards until his legs hit the mattress.

“Take off the blazer,” you say.

Without looking, Jungkook tugs his arms through the sleeves and tosses this onto the floor. His hands move towards his buttons before you stop him, grabbing his wrists and yanking them behind his back. With Jungkook’s torso pressed against yours, you look up at him and smirk. Slowly, you lock the first cuff behind him. This is slid beneath the bar of his bed, locking the other cuff into his wrist.

Exhaling gently, Jungkook stares. “What now?” he asks, voice rough.

Taking a step backwards, you survey your handiwork. Jungkook’s lips are swollen, red from kissing and already, a hickey forms below his collarbone. Biting your lip, you run a nail from the nape of his neck to his chest. Coming to a stop over his breastbone, you watch Jungkook’s chest rise and fall under your hand.

You undo first one button, then another; continuing until his shirt is open before you, his chest bare and enticing. Jungkook’s eyes narrow, arms flexing against the handcuffs. 

“And now?” he murmurs, so quiet you almost miss it.

Now, you drop to your knees and remove his belt. Tossing this to one side, you start to unbutton his pants. Lifting your gaze to his, you stare rawly while sliding his pants to his ankles. Already Jungkook is hard, straining against boxers while you hook fingers beneath the material. Tugging them down, Jungkook is left standing before you in nothing but his shirt.

When you bend, Jungkook hisses when your lips touch his skin. You slide your tongue down his shaft, positioning your lips at the head. His eyes drift shut when you swirl your tongue over the sensitive tip. His abdominals clench, arms strained when you open your mouth to deep-throat him. His dick hits your throat, as you slide your body forward. Until this point, Jungkook has held remarkably still but when you hollow your cheeks and suck – he groans, thrusting into your mouth. You allow him to do so, letting him fuck your mouth for a while.

When he is rock hard, breath coming in soft groans and grunts, you pull back and let Jungkook’s cock fall from your lips. “Are you done?” he pants out, tilting his head.

Pushing yourself upwards, you stand. “Not quite,” you murmur, sliding both hands beneath the straps of your dress.  The material hits the ground and Jungkook groans as you step free. He is unable to touch, completely chained to the bed. With a smirk, you walk forward in just your panties and bra. Sliding both hands around his waist, you press your chest to his and look up. Jungkook’s cock is hard, digging into your stomach with his jaw firmly clenched.

“Please,” he groans, eyelids fluttering. “I need to touch you, I have to.”

“I thought you wanted me to keep sucking your cock,” you whisper, sliding your lips down his chest.

Jungkook’s voice strains when he responds. “I don’t give a fuck about that,” he pants. “I just want to throw you onto the bed and make you scream my name.”

“Hm,” you muse, moving your hands to his wrists. “Lucky for you, I’m in a giving mood.” Unlocking him, the metal cuffs clink to the floor and Jungkook bends suddenly, lifting you against him. You yelp, startled by the ease of him hoisting you into the air.

“Bed,” he grunts, carrying you backwards. Jungkook tosses you onto the mattress, a hungry gleam in his eyes while stripping free of his shirt. Jungkook stands naked before you, pressing one knee to the bed. “Spread those pretty legs,” he demands, biting his lip. “Unless you want to be cuffed to the frame.”

When your eyes brighten, Jungkook pauses, tilting his head in amusement. “You’re fucking filthy,” he chuckles, retreating to grab his cuffs from the floor. He does not waste time, grabbing your waist to deposit you at the headboard. Jungkook kisses you fiercely; warm and wanton while his tongue slips between lips. 

One hand caresses your thigh, the other moving higher to graze over a nipple. Jungkook takes both your wrists in his hands, continuing to kiss while lifting your arms overhead. The click of metal greets your ears when he attaches the first cuff. The steel is cold against your skin; biting, while a shiver of pleasure runs down your spine.

At the second clink, you try to move and find you cannot. Your hands are lifted above you, touching with your back arched on the iron. Jungkook sits back on his heels, staring at you spread out before him. “Fuck,” he exhales, scooting closer. His hands slide down your thighs, pushing them slowly apart.

Lowering himself to the bed, Jungkook’s thumbs brush your clit – just once. A groan leaves your lips when he inserts a finger. Jungkook teases your body in a slow, wet circle before he withdraws to bring his hand to his lips. “Mm,” Jungkook sighs, mouth closing around his finger. “So delicious.”

You watch him, eyes glazed. Already, your core is drenched and you are sure Jungkook can see. He bends, fervently using his lips. His tongue touches the sensitive crux between thighs, darting out eagerly to have another taste. He licks, circling before he flattens and drags. The moan pulled from your body is embarrassing, tugging hard on the handcuffs when Jungkook buries himself in your legs. His arms hold you captive, preventing your hips from moving as his tongue continues, relentlessly licking your sex.

It is so hard not to move, since you want to grab on. You want to wind fingers into his hair, ride his face with your body and can barely restrain yourself from grinding messily upwards. Jungkook’s chuckle is the only noise in your ears – he looks up, lips wet with arousal. “Done?” he quips, the same question you teased him with earlier.

You narrow your eyes. “Keep going,” you exhale. “If you want to fuck me into the mattress.”

“Ah.” Bringing his hand to your sex, Jungkook slides two fingers inside to force a groan from your lips. “That’s what you want, is it? You want to be fucked from behind, ass in the air while my fingers circle your clit?” He curls both fingers upwards, sending you reeling. “That’s it, baby,” he murmurs, watching your expression. “Can you take more?”

Nodding, you gasp when Jungkook adds another finger. He stretches your walls, watching your lips part in a moan. Thumb rubbing your clit, he moves in small circles when your legs start to shake. “Jungkook,” you choke out, core tightening around him. “I’m going to come.”

“Good,” Jungkook continues, moving his fingers faster. “You don’t get uncuffed until you come. Come for me, baby.”

His pace increases, fingers burying themselves into you over and over. Rhythm building, your body shakes until you can no longer take it and come apart at the seams. Gasping his name, your orgasm shatters you whole – Jungkook’s fingers slow down, riding your waves until you lie panting, chest heaving on his bed as he smiles.

“Done?”

Feebly, you shake your head. “No,” you breathe, lifting your gaze. “Please, just fuck me, Jungkook.”

“Gladly,” Jungkook grins, leaning over to grab a condom from the table. Ripping this open, he rolls it onto himself and grabs the key to unlock your cuffs. Your hand falls to the bed – Jungkook surprises you by reattaching the cuff. He leaves you still bound, wrists shackled, but no longer onto the bed.

Pulling you close, Jungkook lowers your cuffed hands around his neck. “Don’t be afraid of leaving a mark,” he assures, thrusting into you.

You groan, losing control as Jungkook adjusts his body to yours. He withdraws and enters again, this time more slowly. Pulling down on his neck, your breath turns heavy when his cock stretches your walls. It feels so full like this – almost painfully so – with your body still sensitive from your previous orgasm. Noticing your expression, Jungkook slows the press of his hips.

He kisses you, slow, as you relax your body. Occasionally his hips twitch, needing to move; needing to feel you and lose himself in return – on the third time this happens, you feel your breath catching. Arching your hips upwards, you groan when he slides deeper. “Jungkook,” you mutter into his mouth. “Please go faster.”

He nods, forehead brushing yours as he withdraws. Jungkook hovers for a moment before he reenters. This time, it feels so indescribable that a groan curls from your toes. Jungkook’s lips drift across your neck, hips finding a steady rhythm inside you. His speed slows, torturous as he circles above you. When he finds a spot which makes you whimper, Jungkook repositions himself so he hits this every time. Over and over, you find yourself reduced to a writhing mess underneath him.

Locking your legs over his waist, you pull his ass into your frame. Jungkook’s lips crush yours, meeting your hips thrust for thrust. Clenching around him, you feel Jungkook start to lose it. “Harder,” you moan, loving it when he obeys. “Faster,” you demand, as the tempo increases.

Arms falling above, you arch your back on the bed. Jungkook’s hand slides to your throat – your eyes widen when he squeezes, but the lack of air is exciting. This, coupled with his cock, his hips brushing over your sex is just the right amount of danger and pleasure. The moan this brings is the loudest one yet, and you begin to see stars as your core tightens around him.

“Jungkook,” you gasp, already breaking apart. You find yourself unsure how much longer you can hold out against him. “I, I’m going to – ah! "

Jungkook fucks you harder, hips snapping upward as you break apart all around him. Everything goes black; you cannot see or feel, apart for him. When he lets go, the air returns in a rush and you pull him even closer, allowing Jungkook the last, final thrusts before he comes undone as well.

“Y/N,” he groans – a strangled mutter, before collapsing on top of you. His breath is heavy, chest sweaty while his cheeks flush with pleasure. You stare back, wondering if you look as fucked out as he does. Jungkook smiles, unable to stop as he withdraws from your body.

Removing the condom, Jungkook drops this into the trash and glances at you. The sheets are tangled around his waist and in response, you hold out both hands. Jungkook grins, seeing the harsh metal. 

“Whoops,” he laughs, grabbing his keys to unlock you. Placing both key and cuffs on his table, Jungkook pulls you closer. He brings your wrists to his lips one by one, kissing the reddening skin.

“Come here,” he says, lying down on his bed. Sliding an arm around your torso, Jungkook pulls you closer to face him. He stares, almost nervous when he asks, “Will you stay?”

His eyes are large in his face, oddly sincere. Normally, you would not stay over. Usually, after a one-night stand, you find yourself wanting to be as far away from the location as possible – but for some reason, you falter. It could be how his thumb brushes your waist, how his lips curve against your forehead. You find yourself nodding and before you know it, are fast asleep in his arms, entwined beneath his sheets.

The next morning you wake with a start.

The light is early and groggy. You stare blankly at blinds before realizing there is a man wrapped around your waist. Cheeks heating, you recall the events of the previous night. At first, the memory sparks excitement. You recall the taste of Jungkook – his lips, gaze, the words spoken against the skin of your body. You remember how badly he wanted you. 

Then your stomach sinks, as you remember why.

You made a bet with Kim Taehyung. The cold, certain knowledge makes you realize you need to leave. You cannot be here when Jungkook wakes up; you cannot look at him and explain that you lied. Because you did lie – even if you wanted him, you used Jungkook to pay off your debts and when he realizes this – exhaling shakily, you close your eyes.

You cannot be around for him to find out.

Quietly, you slip from beneath the sheets of his bed. Tugging on your clothes with slow, practiced movements, you make sure not to wake him. In the doorway you pause, staring at Jungkook’s sleeping form in the sunlight. He looks so peaceful like that, with his chest bare and soft. You know this cannot last, though. Not only because he is a police office, but that is one of the reasons.

He does not know who you are, any more than you do, him. This makes you walk away. Grabbing your purse as you go, you softly close the door of his bedroom. 

Once in the hallway, you pause. You came in last night from the right – or, so you think. Scanning the hall, both ways look the same and honestly, you do not recall. Everything happened so fast,and you were distracted by Jungkook. Closing your eyes, you turn left and pad silently down the hall. You are in the middle of ordering an Uber when a throat clears itself from below.

“Holy... shit.”

Freezing in place, you recognize the source of the voice. Sure enough, when you look up, you see Taehyung staring back. He seems half-asleep, hair stuck up in the back and dressed in a plain, white bathrobe. His eyes widen in recognition, glancing down the hall from whence you came.

Slowly, a grin breaks over his face. “Well, fuck.” Taehyung laughs, clapping both hands together. “I can’t believe you actually slept with him, Y/N. Congrats on getting the kid’s dick wet. Damn, I thought you’d just leave, I didn’t think you’d actually fuck Kookie –"

A loud crash comes from behind you, as the door flies out and hits the brick wall. Jungkook races into the hall, jeans half-buttoned and skidding to a stop at the landing. When he sees Taehyung, he straightens, positioning himself in between you. It is like Jungkook seeks to protect you from Taehyung – but this makes no sense. 

None of this makes sense. Honestly, you have no idea why a member of Bangtan is here, in the first place. Is Taehyung here to harass Jungkook? If so, why would he tease you into going home with him?

Shoving a hand through his hair, Jungkook stares Taehyung down. Oddly enough, he does not recoil at the sight of the member of Bangtan – he merely seems angry at the disturbance. “Fuck,” Jungkook hisses. “What did you say to her?”

Mouth dropping, your gaze darts between the two of them. The interaction unfolding makes no sense. “Do you,” you swallow, shaking your head. “Do you two know each other?”

Taehyung’s eyes brighten, moving from Jungkook to you. “Of course, Y/N,” he says, smile widening. A long moment passes, pausing for dramatic effect before stating, “Jungkook here – he’s Bangtan’s shadow.”

[ Masterlist ]

Author’s Note: Happy (belated) birthday Jungkook <3 To be continued.

© kpopfanfictrash, 2017. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[cas-backwards-tie]

The Takedown

Batmom Imagine

Request: What about batman x batmom reader doing hand to hand combat and the reader beats bruce whih leaves the other robins shocked that batmom kicked his ass?

Warnings: Fighting, Training

Author’s Note: Honestly when I read this request I fell in love and was like “oh my god! This is gonna be SO fun to write!” to I really hope you enjoy this. I thought it was cute and silly, just like the gif I picked for it.

Everyone was training in the batcave on this lovely Sunday afternoon. It was a rare occurrence than everyone was in the batcave at one point besides right after or before a mission, but today seemed to be the exception.

Sparring was a loved and playful was of the brothers competing with one another as well as their father showing all of them up. Bruce only having been beat on a few occasions here and there, many of those he was not up to his best condition either by being sick or having previously acquired a big injury.

Y/N was watching everyone do their thing while simultaneously looking through a few recent cases which she’d thought she’d found a connection between.

Y/N would occasionally pause to watch as her husband and sons trained hard. Sometimes she wished she could do such things as them. Of course she knew how to do all the basics, but that was for protection purposes. Y/N sometimes thought that maybe, just maybe in a far- far away universe she might’ve been a vigilante like them, hell, maybe she’s just alongside them.

But that wasn’t the case in this universe, oh no. Though she did know how to use the weapons and sometimes would work out alongside them, maybe even attempt to try and follow what they were doing. She’d try to be sneaky when doing this of course- as she didn’t want to be seen botching the moves her sons were completing with expert speed and execution. She definitely was not made to be a vigilante. She didn’t have the motivation, endurance or the muscle. She was flexible however, which came in handy in various, various situations. It was funny that sometimes when practicing the splits, her cartwheels or backbends her sons would comment jealousy about how they wished they could do the same (well, not Dick of course). If only they knew she felt the same away the things she did, boy would they be shocked.

After looking through the cases and not getting any solid evidence that the cases were connected (Bruce really only ever accepted solid evidence until otherwise proven) she went to sit on one of the benches in the training room, which is where everyone was currently gathered around watching Damian spar against his father.

She tried to read her book first, but the sounds of fists meeting skin eventually drew her to stop reading and join the others in watching the ‘fight’, though it’d never truly be a fight in the sense that it’d go to death or till one of them was severely broken and battered, oh no- Y/N would not allow that.

Once Damian was pinned underneath his father for more than three and a half minutes he forfeited. “Good job Damian,” Bruce was sure to always give encouragement and point out the weak spots to his sons when practicing as he wasn’t able to always give praise out in the field. 

“Who’s next?” Bruce asked tauntingly scanning the room, his sons faces and eventually striking when he met yours. You smirked back at him and tilted your head a bit.

“You wanna go?” Bruce asked obviously not expecting you to say yes. You tapped your finger on your chin as you passed the book from your lap to the bench. 

“Sure.” It wasn’t even a question. You felt up for a playful game today, and so playful is what you’d get. You weren’t in training and or working out gear. That’d definitely be a weakness and disadvantage, but you were no sore-loser.

“Really?” you could hear the shock in Damian’s voice as you started to walk towards the middle of the room.

“Yeah, I’ll go.” You reached for your hairband as you tied up your hair. “I mean, come on boys, I might as well try- right? I mean, surely I would never be able to win, but what if someone ever tried to attack me? I should practice too, right?” You were only in socks- that could either be a disadvantage or slight advantage if you used it right.

You honestly thought that there was no chance you could beat Bruce. It wouldn’t happen. It never happened. You had trained and sparred with Bruce many times at the beginning of your relationship (well, after you found out he was Batman) but most of those times he forced you to join him and encouraged you to try and spar with them. At first he’d be really rough on you- which you couldn’t handle. You knew that the only reason he trained you so hard was because he was afraid of what someone else could do to you if you weren’t prepared.

You understood that. But that didn’t mean that you deserved him to be so rough on you especially when beginning. It discouraged you. He knew that, and eventually he told you he’d be nicer about it and would help to prepare you for the things that could happen, but would be less rough. Eventually you worked up to the until where he wouldn’t hold back (this was many years later of course, considering Bruce’s background in training)

“Are you ready?” Bruce asked as he got in stance and looked at you questioningly, staring deep into your eyes to try and read you.

“Honestly? No. Will I try? Yes. Has it been a long time? Yes. Go easy on me?” You ended with a question- no way to start a fight.

“Hmm... Should I? I don’t know. Of course no one would go easy on you out there, but then again, it’s been a while.” Bruce contemplates aloud as you two dance around the mat, around each other for a few minutes.

Bruce finally lunges at you, leaving you to side step. As he stumbles and makes himself fall in fake defeat he grabs your closest leg and drags it with him forward, making you fall onto your back. You start to roll away as he tries to go in for a jab in the stomach. 

Instead of simply getting up face forward to only be kicked in the back you do a backwards somersault and get up that way. “Alright. Evasive... takes some skill I’ll admit that.” Bruce tries to catch you in conversation to distract you, but you’re smarter. He tries to jab your stomach, quickly you block the punch and push the other incoming fist away with the back of your right forearm. This hurts your arms but you use his falter time to quickly jump and roll to the side so you’re farther away from him.

Bruce then prepares to charge you again, you jump and slide away having used your slippery socks as an advantage here, leaving just enough room for your legs to trip him in the process. Getting to your feet you quickly jump on him and pin him to the floor. You pin him by his neck, trying to use your thighs to your advantage.

With your free hand you tug one of his arms in an armhold, ready to pull any further as your other hand pinning his neck to the floor grips his chin, ready to snap his neck if need be (if he were an attacker of course). Bruce struggles for about a minute before saying anything.

“Mmkay” you hear him mumble against the mat underneath him, squishing his face.

“What was that Bruce?” You taunt as you lean your head as close to his face without making you falter your offensive position.

“Okay!” You get off him and turn away, wiping your hands together as you walk back to where your book was left.

You try not to laugh at your sons baffled, confused, astonished faces as you pick up your book. You can’t help but let out a big, shy grin as you make your way back to the middle of the room where Bruce is composing himself.

You give him a quick kiss with your free-hand gently running the line of his jaw, “I’m sorry if I hurt you at all.” You walk away, leaving everyone speechless. Though to be honest Bruce would tell himself he knew that you were capable of beating him, but he didn’t think it would happen today, if he had to guess. 

As Y/N exits the training room she hears the explosions of questions, shouts and voices from behind her, directed towards her husband.

“What was THAT?!”

“You just got beat!”

“No like really- what JUST happened?!”

“Oh my god...”

“Okay! That’s enough, get back to your training, boys!”

“Dad you literally just got BEAT! By a girl! By your wife! By Mom! Oh my god!”

“When did she learn to do that?!”

“What the fuck?!”

“Language!”

“Sorry... I just- that was SO COOL!”

You grinned to yourself as you made your way upstairs to get yourself a well-deserved snack you felt. 

[fox-household]

Act 3: A Fellow Science Enthusiast, Chapter 1

Alright, here we are again, this one isn’t very long compared to how long it took to post this, also not to much happens action wise, so sorry about that. Anyway hope you enjoy the content, I’ll add links later because I am a tired individual.  Also since I haven’t done this for a while, I figure I should add it again.  Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters technically, they’re from AU’s I don’t own but they are also changed from they’re source, they only mimic the AU in backstory. Liberties have been taken for entertainment purposes as this is fan fiction basically and you can find the original non-changed and non-RP version of them by looking them up in google or something.  FIRST, PREVIOUS, NEXT, INFO

The skeleton scratched the side of his head with a finger stressfully, he was feeling the fear rise, and flashing red lights weren’t helping. Warning signals everywhere trying to warn him of ‘’Danger Imminent’’, even appearing in large red letters on the small screen, flashing away. ‘’Damn it I already know, just let me think’’, his mind was feeling cluttered with all the background noises and images, he had to cool down the core of the device before it exploded. Dropping the device on the table near the window he ran over towards the couch in front of the TV, where lots of tools were scattered, some on the floor, some on the couch and some in the crevices between cushions. Without checking which of them he was picking up, he quickly put together three different screwdrivers in his hands and ran back to the device, which he could feel heating up as he picked it up. He turned the device over and quickly jammed one of the three screwdrivers in a screw, trying to twist but finding it had no grip as the screwdriver didn’t fit, ‘’C’mon!!’’ he yelled as he threw it away and tried again with the second one, but it was only a repeat and another one went flying. The skeleton’s breathing was getting faster as panic was taking over, ‘’This better be it’’. With a shaky hand he inserted the third screwdriver, a smile appearing as he got it to fit in and start turning. A few rushed turns later the screw fell out, and another and another until finally the back of the device came off, which he was thankful for as it’s weight was starting to take a toll on his weary bones. ‘’Alright, we’re close, just got to move this wire over there…’’, he spoke to himself as he pulled out a yellow wire and plugged it into a different socket, and then completely removed a green wire from its socket, and then suddenly all the red flashing and loud warning signs stop, he turned it over to find a black screen. The skeleton let out a nervous laugh as he relaxed slightly, ‘’Heh good thing th-‘’ Suddenly a quick succession of beeps came out of the device and his eyes widened, ‘’Oh sh-‘’. Then suddenly an explosion erupted, and the only sound that was heard was a BOOM and shattered glass.

‘’God damn it Sci, here we are again’’. The skeleton sighed, he was currently sitting in his landlord’s office at her desk, watching the rabbit monster pace back and forwards over and over again, ‘’Sorry Brenda, didn’t really expect that to happen you know?’’ Brenda gave a frustrated growl towards him, ‘’Yeah, you never do, always build first, worry about OH&S later, how the hell didn’t you see this coming with an explosion like that, you took out your whole apartment.’’ Sci scratched the back of his head nervously, looking guilty, it really didn’t help that his clothes and face were black from the smoke and ash, ‘’Well uh the device was just something simple I created, I didn’t even think it was capable of such um damage.’’ She suddenly gave him a very angry and intense stare that caused him to physically gulp, he never liked being up against this look, it never bode well for him. ‘’Oh really? You didn’t think it had the capability? What the fuck were you making?!’’ He looked nervous, ‘’Um well… perhaps a… toaster?’’ ‘’Sci you better not be screwing with me!’’ He shook his head now, ‘’N-no it’s true, but not an ordinary toaster, one that uses thirty different scanners and few… other things that connect directly to a screen to give you instantaneous feedback on how well it’s cooked so it would be perfect for whoever uses it.’’ Brenda raised an eye brow at him, watching his expression and noticing the slight hesitation which gave her a theory, ‘’You know, I may not look it, but I’m smarter than the average bear. There is no way you could’ve made an explosion that badly with a simple electrical device, what else did you put in there?’’ This caused some panic on the skeleton, ‘’Uh just some other things to make it regulate temperature, especially in the core of it all…’’. ‘’Let me guess, a bunch of chemicals that aren’t completely safe… you got them from the lab, didn’t you?’’ His sudden frozen look was all the confirmation she needed, ‘’You weren’t meant to take these specific ones, were you?’’ ‘’N-no I’m sorry, yeah I used some things I shouldn’t have… but it’ll be ok right?’’ With this Brenda went silent and sighed, almost twenty awkward seconds of silence passed, ‘’I’m sorry too Sci, but I’m going to have to evict you.’’ ‘’What?! But… you can’t do that.’’ She nodded and crossed her arms, her expression had grown a lot softer now, which almost worried him more. ‘’It’s the only way, you can’t keep this up.’’ ‘’But it’s never been this bad before, this was my first big major issue, right?’’ he said as a growing worry was showing his voice. ‘’That’s the problem, it’s only escalating, it could get so much worse.’’ ‘’Can’t the company just pay for this repair?’’ ‘’Yeah they will, but after this there is no way they’re going to keep funding your accommodation and even then your stunts are making me lose customers, I can’t afford going out of business’’, she sighed once more, and gave Sci a look, showing that she didn’t want to have to do this. ‘’Is there anyway I can make it up to you, one more way to get a last chance?’’, he said pleadingly. ‘’No…honestly Sci I like you, I like you quite a lot, you’ve helped out a ton with your expertise and you’re a good friend, which is why you’ve stayed this long… and also why I’m going to falsify the report to your workplace, so you can keep your damn job. But I can’t keep it going on like this, I’m sorry, I want you to understand it’s not easy for me to make a decision like this’’. Sci nodded in acceptance, she was right, this was actually going to happen, he’d stuffed it up and he was going to have to accept the consequences. ‘’I… I understand, sorry, I’ll get what’s left of my stuff tonight and leave.’’ ‘’Do you need any help, I’ve got some friends who might take you in temporarily?’’, but the skeleton shook his head and took out his phone. ‘’No, but thanks for the offer. I’ll be good from here’’, he offered her a kind smile, ‘’No hard feelings here’’. She shook her head with a faint smile, ‘’No hard feelings here either, just stay safe, one of these days I swear, you’re gonna get worse than scorch marks.’’ She chuckled as she drew a line through the ash on his cheek, she then looked at her finger before rubbing it on her pants. ‘’If you need anything, you call me alright?’’ Sci nodded, ‘’You to, especially if something of yours goes toast’’. Brenda shook her head at the pun as he headed to the exit door, ‘’You know I’m gonna take you up on that offer, right?’’ The skeleton nodded with a slight laugh, ‘’Yeah of course, got a friend’s deal for you, about 5 grand per item I reckon’’. With this the rabbit monster rolled her eyes and gave him the middle finger before leaving. Sci now left alone in the dark office, he looked at his phone and went down the contact list. No not his Paps, he couldn’t move out of home and  move back in, plus with him having disappeared for… quite a while, he had learned to become much more independent without him, although it was good for Paps to mature. His Alphys was overseas working on something, maybe it would’ve been a good idea if he went with her, can’t very well keep her from here, not easily anyway. ‘’Grillby might be…’’ Sci’s mind flashed to the shit he was going to get from his counterpart there and without even giving time for his mind to think any other thought, he moved the contacts down a few more people before he came across another Alphys, Glitch to be precise. ‘’Heh, maybe she’ll help out, hopefully I won’t be to much of a bother, although knowing her, she’ll probably fake being ok with it anyway’’. With that he pressed the call button, and listened to rhythmic rings, waiting for someone to pick up.

 Sci stood outside the front gate, a concerned expression as he wondered if this house could even support another person living in it, surely even an extra bone of his was going to cause the whole place to come down, let alone himself and the two suitcases he brought with him. ‘’Well I guess I can’t talk, my old place is a little worse off now’’. That thought pushing him on, he chuckled as he opened the gate and walked towards the front door, hearing the creaking of the wooden porch. The skeleton started to feel some form of weird feeling inside his soul, as if he was starting to feel ill in the gut, but he couldn’t work out why, perhaps it was butterflies in his stomach, he had nothing to worry about, nothing to fear, it was just Alphys after all. Bone made contact with the door and a loud knock was made in the hope of gaining the attention of the house’s resident, and it wasn’t long before he knew it had done it’s intended purpose as he heard very fast footsteps, Alphys must either be very excited or very nervous, he instantly assumed the latter. Sci’s expression suddenly turned taken aback and confused and obviously his greeter noticed as a giggle came from the goat child in front of the skeleton. A few silent seconds passed before Asgore spoke, ‘’Heh, it’s nice to see you to Sci, how you doing’’? Sci shook his head and gave a curious smile, this was a bit different than he was expecting, ‘’Oh sorry, nice to see you as well, it’s been a while… what are you doing here? It’s getting a bit late, didn’t realise you two were close enough to have sleep overs’’. Asgore shook his head with a grin as he was obviously expecting this reaction, ‘’I’m um actually living here’’ ‘’L-living here?! Permanently? Gaster was ok with that?’’ Sci did the skeleton equivalent of an eyebrow raise as he wondered what the hell could’ve caused a situation like this, but he couldn’t complain, the more the merrier, and he enjoyed Asgore’s company at least. ‘’Yeah it’s all good, I’ve been living here for about a… a week huh? A week really goes by quick. Anyway yeah, so I guess we’ll be housemates for a while!’’, the goat child seemed to be quite happy as he moved out of the way of the door to let Sci in, an opportunity he took quickly, closing the door behind him. ‘’Well I guess you’ll be able to show me around since you’re experienced with the place’’, the skeleton said as he put down his stuff next to the front door, he would put it away later. The kid started to lead the guest to the kitchen, ‘’Well I’ll leave that to Alphys, she seemed incredibly excited to have you over.’’ Sci scratched back of his head with a nervous laugh, ‘’Really? That’s not what I was expecting… that’s nice I suppose.’’ ‘’Yeah, I think she really wanted to show off the small lab she has in the basement, I don’t think showing it to me had the effect she desired, most of it went over my head’’, Asgore chuckled as he got out a pot and started to fill it with water under the sink tap. ‘’Oh, I see, I’m actually interested in checking that out now, I wonder what she managed to fit inside? Speaking of her, where is she at the moment?’’ Asgore thought for a second before responding, ‘’She’s out getting dinner, think we’re just having some chicken and stuff? Can’t quite remember’’. He grinned, the kid was glad that Alphys wasn’t here right now, otherwise she would’ve insisted on serving the tea because she was their host, but it was his turn and he was going to deliver a good impression with this. Asgore moved the half full put over to the stove and turned the gas on, and in an action that frightened Sci for a second, he stuck his paw into the stove and then suddenly there was fire. The goat quickly pulled his hand out before it got to hot for him and turned to Sci, seeing a bigger smile appear on the skeleton filled with curiosity, ‘’Been learning some new tricks kid?’’ Asgore gave a slightly proud smile, not that he felt he had much to be proud about, ‘’Uh yeah, I’ve umm been practising this…’’, He raised his paw up and after a couple of seconds of concentration, light blue flames danced around it, like his paw was a match. ‘’Looking very nice, seems a little… familiar though.’’ Asgore gave a shy smile, ‘’Yeah we did think that as well, can’t give you a reason why though, but it’s cooler than orange… anyways there’s not much to be super impressed with, I can’t throw it and it’s not the hottest thing in the world, no where near Tori or anything.’’ Sci shrugged, ‘’Hey I’m sure you’ll get there kid, just keep working on it and soon enough you’ll be flinging fire like the best of them… flinging safely of course’’. The two of them gave small laughs as Asgore opened a packet of Golden Flower Tea, preparing for use. Sci gave a small sigh and then seemed to start examining Asgore, before finally resting on a joking grin. ‘’Guess you’re starting to grow up, aren’t you? Although… I don’t think you’ve got any taller.’’ Asgore crossed his arms and glared at Sci, ‘’People change greatly over two years and one of those great changes is my height. The Asgore you knew probably was a midget compared to me!’’ Sci laughed and shrugged, he was aware people change over large amounts of time, he knew better than most. Also, while he was mostly just trying to tease the boy, he honestly couldn’t really see much of a difference, perhaps he was just unobservant. Before Sci could try and give Asgore another fun verbal jab, the two of them turned as they heard the front door open and the goat gave a smile, ‘’Hey Al, he’s here!’’

’’Well at least this guy might actually be helpful, we don’t need another freeloader’’, Alphys sighed as the voice already started to complain, although it didn’t bring her down whatsoever, ‘’Asgore is a welcome addition to this place, ok?’’. The voice made a noise to show they didn’t care about arguing anymore, and she was fine with that. The lizard put her shopping bags next the her new guests suitcases and then sped walked to the kitchen swiftly, a big smile on her face as she entered, ‘’Hey Sci, W-welcome!!’’. Sci smiled as Alphys came over and hugged him, he returned the favour with his arms, although he still felt a little awkward doing it. She moved back and the two guys both noticed she seemed fidgety, although it was obviously more of an excited happy fidgety rather than one from pure nervousness, although that temporarily disappeared as she gave a squinty look at Asgore, and he gave back a slightly guilty shrug, ‘’The Golden Flower Tea’s already out Al, I got this one, leave the greeting tea to me’’. Alphys’ expression returned to what it was before as she turned back to Sci, ‘’S-sorry I uh wasn’t h-here when you a-arrived, but I g-got dinner, going to try and c-cook some ch-chicken and-‘’ ‘’It’s alright Al, glad to see you, how’re you?’’ Alphys was tapping her hands together, a nervous smile appearing, ‘’Oh uh I-I’m fine, j-just h-happy th-that you made it, I’m uh g-going to make sure y-you’re comfortable and such…,’’ She seemed to sweat slightly as she seemed to have some sort of realisation, ‘’Oh g-gosh s-sorry, I’m b-being a real suck u-up aren’t I? J-just make y-yourself at home, d-do whatever y-you want’’. The shy monster looked a little confused as Asgore and Sci shared a look and a grin before turning back to her, they seemed to have some mutual thought that made her a little worried. ‘’Hey Al, is there anything you want to do?’’, Sci gave a knowing smile and suddenly Alphys seemed to get super nervous, ‘’Oh uh n-nothing, I’m h-happy t-to just ummm chill and stuff…?’’ Asgore now decided to pitch in, a similar grin to the skeleton appearing, ‘’Are you sure you don’t want give Sci a tour of the place… perhaps somewhere in particular?’’ Suddenly the lizard realised what they meant and she proceeded to give Asgore another small glare before looking up at Sci, her hands balled up in front of her face and the fidgeting got a little more intense, ‘’Ok ummm I-I could sh-sh-show you… uh only i-if you w-want, n-no need to umm… feel p-pressure or anything, y-you don’t n-need to e-even w-‘’ Sci decided it was best to interrupt before she had a verbal implosion, ‘’Yes Alphys, I would like to see your lab, right now if you wish’’. She stared up at him for a few seconds as he simply gave her a nod. Before in almost in an instant, Alphys grabbed Sci’s hand and dragged him off quickly out of the room, Asgore was certain if he’d blinked, he would’ve thought the two of them had disappeared into the very thin air that was left before them.