#noah is like hmm how curious

[whiskey-fever]

Mercy-one

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: Here we go! Now this is an AU but I will keep things true to life with Bad Omens and Noah as possible! Also, this is NOT a reader insert fic. I decided to create a character for this.

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch

LETHIA

The wind whipped widely through my hair, smacking me in the face, as my limbs thrashed around with such force I cringed in pain. I could see the clouds out of the corner of my eyes as I fell through them, with no sense of comfort protecting me. I choked on a sob when I noticed parts of my long, golden, hair was being singed from the rate of the fall. I held my hands in front of my face to watch in horror as the once short nails grew in length and darkness. 

“Wh-what?” 

How did it get like this? All because I chose to follow someone else instead of the almighty King? How was that fair? I’d been loyal since creation, one of his most loyal servants, but the second I thought of something different than the divine plan, He cast me away. 

“Leth, follow me to the ends of the darkness. For we can create our own Kingdom and rule.” 

My eyes screwed shut at the familiar voice as my throat burned with the thought of him. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was close by, surely he had to be. I was thrown from the Kingdom first, Lucifer not far behind. 

The air around me began to thicken, grasping around my throat with such force, that I clawed there with my newly fresh nails. Blood dripped from the wounds but none of that mattered to me; I simply stared up towards the sky where my former home disappeared through the clouds. I could try and climb my way back, as far as my wings would allow. But I knew, like Icarus, if I climbed too high to the sun, I’d fall into the unknown jungle below. 

Icarus was a fool. 

My ears rang loudly from the sudden change in altitude and I looked towards the left, almost crying out when I took in the most recent alter to my appearance. Bright wings that mirrored the colors of the clouds surrounding me were no longer pure. No, they were dark with the tellings of my betrayal. 

“My King, forgive me!” I cried out seconds before my body fell to the hard soil below; darkness overtaking my vision.

NOAH

Slamming the car door shut with a long sigh,  I walked from the street, up to my house. I took in the variety of cars, realizing that one of the guys must have invited a few people over tonight. Usually, I never minded when we had small get-togethers, but tonight I did mind. It wasn’t anything anyone in particular did, my mind was just filled with the same dream I’d had the last seven nights in a row. 

Black feathers. Even darker hair. Cream-colored skin. And vibrant red eyes. 

At first, I chalked it up to being a random dream but as the nights progressed, the dream continued with the same figure. 

One night they were sitting on the edge of my bed. The following night, they were perched on top of the roof of my house, watching the street below. Last night, the figure was in bed with me as my lips trailed over the curvaceous lumps of her breasts. 

I ran a hand over my face as I neared the front door, taking a deep and steady breath. I thought about asking my therapist about these dreams but now that they were getting more intimate, I decided against it.

“It's just a dream, Noah,” I told myself while my hand reached for the door. 

A groan halted my movements and I turned swiftly on my heels back towards the driveway. But all I heard was silence; besides the loud music coming from inside the house. 

Shrugging, I took one final step towards the threshold until a groan sounded again, only this time louder. It sounded as if a large bird fell from the tree hanging overhead, feathers fluttering in the air.  I dropped my bag on the front porch before taking the steps back down two at a time towards where I heard the groans of pain; in between Jesse’s and Orie’s cars parked in the driveway. 

“Fuck,” I cursed seeing the crumbled body. 

Head snapped to the side, dark tendrils of hair covering her face, and an arm draped over her midsection. I winced as I saw the contortment of it, knowing that it had to be broken. 

Where the hell did she come from? 

There was a sudden surge that spread from my heart to every vein inside of me; flowing through in shocking waves. I couldn’t place it but seeing this figure in front of me, there was something so familiar about it; her. A painful groan fell from her lips and I breathed in relief, almost forgetting to check if she was alive. I’d been so entranced in her familiarity. 

Gently scooping the body up into my arms, the dark hairs fell away from her face and I sucked in a breath when I noticed there were fresh cut marks along her cheek, and blood dripping from her ears. I rushed her inside, gaining stares from my roommates, who immediately stopped the music. 

“What the fuck?” Orie’s voice was raised. 

I shook my head while setting her on the couch in our living room. “I don’t know, man.”

Our house was packed with random faces; some I recognized, others I didn’t. I knew there was a party tonight but suddenly, I wanted everyone that didn’t live here out. 

Folio, who noticed my expression, waved a finger in the air. “Alright, I think it’s time to end this party. Thanks for coming, everyone!” 

Pretty quickly, everyone who didn’t live there or weren’t part of Bad Omens left the house. 

“Where did you find her?” Nick asked.

I hesitated. “That’s the thing. I found her lying broken in the driveway.”

“The driveway?” Jolly gasped. “How long had she been out there?” 

I shrugged while brushing away the stray hairs from her face, hearing a soft but painful breath falling from her dry, cracked lips. My eyes grazed down the line of her neck down to the swell of her breasts that were barely covered by the tattered black shirt; it looked as if it was burned off. I tossed a blanket over her to help cover her modesty. 

Something glinted in my vision and I looked back at her neck to see a golden chain hanging loosely between the valley of her breasts. My heart dropped to my stomach as the reality slammed into me. 

I’ve seen this chain before; in my dreams. My lips tasted that chain in my dreams. 

My hands shook at my side as a shaky breath escaped from my throat and Jolly called my name. 

“Hm, what?” I turned to look at him. 

He ran a hand through his hair. “Should we call the police? She looks like she’s been attacked.” 

“No,” I said a little too suddenly. “She just needs a place to rest. We don’t know what happened. I’ll ask when she wakes up.” 

I slowly sunk into the chair across from the couch, resting my elbows on my knees, watching the rise and fall of her chest to make sure she was still breathing. 

Jesse stared down at her from behind the couch and let out a low whistle. “It’s a miracle that she’s even breathing right now. We should probably wrap her arm. It could be broken.” 

Just then, Michael returned with our first aid kit and handed it to me. I took it with a small smile and started rummaging through it to look for the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls. The least I could do while she slept was clean the wounds on her face. 

The softness of her face twisted as the sting of peroxide sunk deep within her wounds and when a whimper fell from her lips, my cock twitched in my jeans. Images of her lying spread wide in my bed for me flashed in my mind and I did my best to push them to the back of my brain. 

“How did she end up in the driveway? Looking like this?” Orie asked as he finished wrapping up her arm. 

“I don’t know,” I sighed while sitting back in my chair, eyes still trained on her. “With how I found her, it looks like she fell from somewhere.”

Jolly shook his head as he sat on the armrest of the couch, also watching the stranger. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

All seven of us stood around the body laying on the couch, wondering and watching to see if she would wake. 

“Maybe she’s an angel,” Jesse snorted, trying to ease the sudden tension. 

“Angels don’t exist,” my eyes snapped up towards him. 

Jesse held his hands up. “It’s a joke, Noah. But you have to admit it’s a little weird.” 

I ran a hand over my jaw and nodded. “I know. I couldn’t leave her out there, though. Once she wakes up, I’ll take her wherever she wants.”

“Luce,” the woman croaked out, head turning towards the side. 

Her voice rang out in song, echoing throughout the house, and my heart rose in my throat hearing how eternal it sounded. I barely knew anything about her but I couldn’t ignore the way my soul felt connected to her. Maybe it was because of seeing this form in my dreams or fate that I found her in my driveway, almost as if I was destined to help her. 

“What did she say?” Nick questioned. 

 Folio shrugged while leaning over her. “Luce? Maybe that’s her name?” 

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and with one swift movement, the woman had her legs wrapped around Folio’s midsection and him pinned to the ground. Her good forearm was pressed deep into his neck while he lay frozen underneath her.  All of us were on our feet but none made a move to stop her, not knowing if it would ultimately help or make things worse. 

“Who are you?” 

The venom in her voice was cold as ice. 

“Ni-Nick,” Folio choked out. 

The woman tilted her head towards him. “Where am I?” 

Taking a tentative step towards her, I placed a soft hand on her shoulder. “I found you outside.” 

It was as if my touch meant nothing to her, eyes still burning deep into Folio. It wasn’t until I spoke again that she finally noticed I was touching her. 

“You’re hurt. I brought you inside to help you.” 

Before I could register what happened, I felt myself being pinned up against the front door, fiery red eyes staring deep into my soul. With all the doubt that plagued my mind the last hour as I watched her sleep on the couch, I tried to tell myself that I didn’t know who she was. It was all a coincidence that parts of her reminded me of the figure I dreamed of.

But the moment I saw those bright red eyes, I knew that all the doubt was wrong. This was the same woman I dreamed of the last seven nights. 

LETHIA

With my nails digging into the fresh skin of the man in front of me, I assessed every inch of his face. The brown eyes widened in slight horror when my nails dug deeper and I took in the way his lips parted, breaths coming out broken. His long hair was held back by a clip but strands still fell into his face and I cocked my head to the side when I realized something drastic. 

Well, a few things. 

First, I couldn’t feel my hand around this man's throat. I squeezed harder, my face twitching in anger, when I still couldn’t feel his skin underneath my grasp. I expected to feel the erratic thrum of his pulse or his Adam's apple dip low as he swallowed. 

Instead, I felt nothing. 

No. It couldn’t be. 

I’ve heard tales of this happening to the Fallens but I never believed it to be true.  An old folks tale the other Archangels discussed over a cup of wine. 

My eyes blinked as I slowly removed my hand from the man’s throat, fingers shaking with the realization. The dark nails mocked me for my failure, scolding me for taking the darkness over the light. 

The second thing I realized? I’ve seen this face before. Moments before I fell, it flashed in my mind like a photograph, every fucking detail. The long brown hair, bright brown eyes to match, the freckles that littered over his nose and cheeks, the tattoo that wrapped around his throat where my fingers were moments before; a snake, apples, and hands. 

How metaphorical. 

“What’s going on with me?” I muttered bringing my hand to my chest, noticing it was wrapped in some kind of material. 

“You hurt your arm, we wrapped it for you,” a different voice spoke. 

My head snapped to the left, seeing another man slowly approach me. His voice sounded different than the others and I narrowed my eyes at him. 

“You’re not from around here,” I noted. 

A snort sounded from behind me causing me to whirl my body towards it, seeing yet another strange man staring at me. 

“Not from around here? Who talks like that?” 

Someone smacked him in the chest. “Michael, don’t be an asshole.” 

“I’m just saying, Nick. She wakes up in our home and attacks two of our friends. Are we supposed to allow that? We don’t even know her fucking name.” 

My tongue clicked against my teeth. “Lethia.” 

Various sets of eyes stared at me until the man who had an attitude spoke.; Michael. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“My name-,” I spoke slowly. “-Is Lethia.”

Michael snorted. “Well, Lethia, where the hell did you come from?” 

Giving him a wave of my hand, I decided it wasn’t worth answering that question only because none of these men deserve to know.

“Who’s Luce?” 

I snapped my eyes towards the man I had pinned against the door, heart stuttering in my chest. “Excuse me?” 

He rubbed at the fresh red marks on his neck. “You said it in your sleep.” 

Lucifer. 

I licked my lips, widely shaking my head. “I need to leave.” 

A soft voice called to me. “We can take you back home.”

This man had a buzzed head and a beard. “Although, you should get those injuries checked out.” 

“I’ll heal,” I answered honestly.

Lethia, come to me.

I gazed around the room to see if that voice belonged to any of the seven of them although I knew it didn’t. I knew exactly who uttered those words. 

“I have to go.” 

The man from my vision stood tall against the door, not allowing me to leave. My jaw ticked with anger and I motioned behind him. 

“Move.” 

His brow raised. “That’s a funny way of saying thank you for saving your life.” 

“Thank you?” I chuckled darkly. “You simply did nothing for me except keep me prisoner in this home.” 

“Prisoner?” It was his turn to chuckle. “I fucking found you in my driveway, broken and bruised. The least you can do is tell us what the hell happened!”

They’ll never understand. Mere mortals never did. 

I might not understand where I was but I knew mortals when I saw one. Their smell was different than angels; some were stronger than others. Except for the man blocking my way out. It was different, his aura, and I didn’t want to admit it but it drew me into him. There had to be a reason why I saw him mere seconds before I fell from the Kingdom. 

The two of us were unmoving, not wanting to break first, and one of the men must have felt the tension because one gently stepped between us; the one that sounded different from the rest.

“Noah, let her go.” 

Something fluttered in my stomach and I nearly shook with the unknown feeling. Never in my life had I felt something like this, even during my time with Lucifer. But with this mortal, Noah, it was entirely something new and it scared me to the depths of hell. 

Noah scrunched his face with anger but eventually stepped to the side, allowing me to leave. 

“Thank you,” I mocked with a slight curl to my lip; more like a snarl. 

After two steps toward the door, I froze when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eyes. Titling my head towards the glass, my reflection stared back at me and I gasped at what I saw. 

Short black hair, black ink covering almost every inch of skin across my shoulders and arms, my shirt barely hanging one by a thread, and what shocked me the most were my eyes; crimson red, not the vibrant violet. 

“No, it can’t be,” I brought my shaking hand to my mouth. 

Suddenly,  an ear-piercing ringing dug deep in my ears and I brought my hands to them, screwing my eyes shut. My head throbbed in pain as if someone was scratching their claws there. With one eye open, I noticed Michael held some kind of device in his hand. 

“Wh-what is that dreaded noise?” I stuttered. 

“A phone? Fuck, how hard did you hit your head?” 

A what? 

When the ringing stopped, I stood taller and for the first time, took in my surroundings. Everything in this home looked different than how we lived in the Kingdom. While we had advantaged technology, we simply didn’t have things of this nature. 

“None of this makes sense,” I whispered to myself before my eyes landed on a small device on a table. 

October 12, 2021. 

I nearly stumbled on my feet when everything began to click into place. Someone during my fall, I landed in a time that hadn’t existed yet. 

Noah could tell something was off because he turned towards me, a frown pulling at his lips. “Are you alright?” 

Without saying another word, I left in such haste, I hadn’t realized what I left behind in my wake. 

NOAH

My eyes stared at the space in front of me, the door wide open as it let in the cool night air. Those red eyes haunted me in Lethai’s wake and my skin crawled when an old dream crept back into my consciousness. 

I lay in my bed, bare for her to see, Lethia’s tongue traced down my chest and then stomach to brush across my navel. I gripped her dark hair, wrapping it around my fingers to guide her head farther down. My cock throbbed with such an ache, I was sure it wouldn’t last. Beads of precum slipped from the slit and Lethia’s tongue danced around it, tasting me. 

“Fuck,” I cursed as my eyes fluttered shut in ecstasy. 

“Look at me, Noah.” 

My eyes snapped open at Lethia’s firm tone and felt my heart stop dead in my chest; her eyes were glowing red. 

“Noah!” 

Breaking free from my trance, I gazed over to Orie. “Did you say something?” 

“We did all we could, man. There’s no use dwelling on it.” 

He patted my shoulder before they all dispersed into their sections of the house. But not me, I remained frozen in my spot, still staring at the vast darkness past the threshold. There was something just outside the realm of that darkness that caught my eye, it fluttered in the wind until it fell to the concrete just outside the door. 

With furrowed brows, I bent low to pick it up, analyzing it with curious eyes. It was a black feather, at least twelve inches in length, and the softness of it was something I’d never felt before. 

“Who are you, Lethia?” I murmured to myself, holding the feather close to my chest.

[ezekielsuperfan]

hi! So I’m not able to find any rules or anything so if you don’t write for Noah feel free to ignore this! But I was curious if you could do Noah cuddling headcanons? (Gender neutral)

Heyoo anon! and yeah I haven't added any intro or rules but honestly I'm okay with any type of writing for any characters, I do ocs as well!

Noah is a fav of mine so his writing will be pretty detailed depending on what it is!

Not entirely sure if you wanted romantic or platonic so I added some bonuses if its romantic!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noah x GN!Reader Cuddling hcs!

Noah would be pretty skeptical at first as to why you would cuddle with him, but... if you can somehow convince him, you might get lucky.

Afterall, what's for him not to love about warm blankets and someone willing to show him they care?

When you first get into the bed you can tell he's nervous, his breathing will hitch and he'll constantly make sarcastic jokes like:

"Jeez, get even more eager why don't you."

He's not trying to be hostile so please don't take it that way, He's just... scared.

He may not display it, but he really needed this from you, for you to hold him close and give him affection.

Maybe play with his hair a little? Gosh, just know he'd rather die than ask for it directly, but he'll definitely try to make small hints to it.

He'd love nothing more than to read with you wrapped around one of his arms, this boy loves reading more than anything, so don't expect any of his precious reading time be wasted on just cuddles (But he still loves your touch.)

If you've been cuddling for awhile, don't expect to get up anytime soon, because now he's just too comfortable to willingly let go of you.

"Hey, don't get up?"

"Come on Noah, I need to get up, I have stuff to do."

"Hmm... No."

After this... Expect him to be slightly more clingy when your in private together.

_________________꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱___________________

Some bonuses if your in a romantic relationship!

♡ Let's say you give him a few kisses on the head, the cheek maybe? Yes, please do it. He'll melt.

♡ If you thought he was clingy before, just imagine when your in a relationship. He'll be all over you.

♡ He'd get more comfortable in how he holds you, and how you hold him. Instead of just wrapping his arm around you, he'll hold you closely to his chest to the point you can hear his heartbeat and breathing.

♡ He'd mumble how much he loves you under his breath, while nuzzling against your neck with long sighs of joy.

♡ Again, this boy loves to read... Maybe someday you'd want to cuddle and read? He'd get a little embarrassed when asking so you'd just have to puzzle together what he wants.

♡ Please just know he's okay with anything as long as its with you, he loves you so so so much after all, even if he struggles to show it physically or verbally.

⋆˚✿˖°☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★❀*ੈ✩‧₊˚

[writerofadream]

Fortune favors the Bold ⛓

TDI!Duncan x Juvie Bestfriend! Reader ⛓

Chapter Twenty Five: He's like whiskey, she's like champange

^^ Duncan next chapter-

I’d like to apologize, I’ve been absent cause my friend was evicted and needed a place to stay and I was busy trying to help her out. Here’s a new chapter!

—

(Are you excited? This is the episode you get voted off! But it’s okay because I’ll do a ‘you both coming home’ chapter ‘spoiler: someone might be pregnant.’)

It had been pouring all week, you thought you were going to lose your mind. You love rain as much as the next eccentric teenager, but there comes a point where you're this close to drowning yourself in the next puddle you see.

You and your fellow campers sat on opposing stairs. Heather painted her nails while Gwen drew a picture of every single camper she had met, and then Duncan was carving a spear and held out his hand to you which was holding the various types of blades that he desired to carve.

Chris made an announcement that your mind didn’t really process because the RAIN WAS SO LOUD.

Gwen and Heather began arguing over Leshawna getting voted off. Honestly you were this close to accidentally dropping the knife into Heather's eye socket. There comes a certain point where anybody will lose their mind. 

That last challenge was horrifying. 

Your body subconsciously shuddered and in moments Duncan had his sweatshirt around you, but it seemed like he didn’t even move.

 

You smiled and pecked him on the lips. “Why are you making me like this weather?” Your boyfriend grumbled. “Because I’m your fantastic girlfriend and I make everything better.” You stuck your tongue out. “Mhm better be happy that’s true.” Duncan smiled.

Gwen and Heather both went inside their cabin, and slammed the door shut. You stifle a laugh. 

“Wanna go inside?” Duncan gave you a suggestive wink. You smiled, giving him another kiss before you ran inside.

“Come get me, Tiger.” You winked and he smiled jumping up onto his feet. “Alright scorpion.” You slammed the door shut in his face running to hide in your cabin stopping yourself from the giggles that wanted to burst.

—

The next morning the rain had finally stopped, but it had severely drowned everything around you. “You think you would’ve gotten into Noah’s ark?” You asked your boyfriend, genuinely curious. 

You wore a shirt that covered your neck (keepsakes from last night), and a pair of flared jeans that made you look like a hippie in the eighties, much to Duncan’s delight.

“Mm, I’m not sure. I don’t believe in things I can’t see.” He watched a chair float by, the cabins were currently floating in the water but no one else had gotten up yet. 

“Well what do you believe in?” Now you were curious and intrigued. “Well I believe in your strength. I believe in my moms wisdom. I believe in people.” He grabbed your hand and squeezed it. 

A small aww came out of your mouth and he blushed. “How about you darlin’?” He asked putting his chin on your shoulder.

“Hmm. I believe in myself and you. I believe I’ll see my mama again and I believe that if you put your mind to it you deserve it.” You declared and he laughed. 

“So much justice in that mind of yours but you never act on it.” He teased and you rolled your eyes.

“Because I was never meant too, honey we lived in the worst city, in the worst town, in the worst place. We were kinda destined to be horrible.” You sighed sadly. “But we’re going to do better than that aren’t we?” He asked, smiling. 

You nodded.

Suddenly you heard Gwen and Heather scream.

“Oh look at our favorite girls!” You smiled and walked out of the cabin briskly before falling into the water.

Duncan followed but he cannonballed in much to your annoyance. The girls were grumbling, which seemed all they could ever do. You watched a fin circle them. 

“Shark!” Duncan screamed, ruining your fun. All four of you quickly got out of the water and back onto the cabin, shivering from the chill.

You watched the shark eat the wood structures. “Have you ever been eaten before?” You asked, you knew a good chunk of his fathers punishments but not all of them. 

“I’ve been mauled by dogs when I was like six. Sharks, no.” He shook his head staring at the creature. “Owen!” Heather screamed and for a moment you thought the girl had an ounce of sympathy for the blonde, but then you remembered.

She was Heather.

Of course she didn’t have a heart.

She wanted the shark to eat the overweight boy and you knew your boyfriend (cough, husband, cough) would throw hands if anything happened to his third boyfriend, you smiled at the thought and Duncan raised an eyebrow and squeezed your hand.

You crashed into land and everybody quickly came off the boat grateful for the crash.

“Anything broken?” Both you and Duncan did a quick 5372 assessment of each other, which was fancy terms for a quick look over.

“Is anyone else creeped out about this island?” Gwen mumbled an anxious look across her face and you squeezed her shoulder in sympathy. 

Heather obviously decided to feed Gwen’s fear and you watched your boyfriend lay down on the sand by a bow and arrow. You laughed, and squatted down, kissing his forehead.

“Wake me up if you get hungry and we’ll go hunting.” Duncan grumbled before he tried to sleep on the sand causing Gwen to begin an argument, “We need to find food and shelter, we need to at least make a raft!” Gwen whined and without missing a beat Duncan pointed at you, who had made one as soon as you stepped on the island.

“I’m in love with a girl who completes everything in four seconds. Get used to it, sister.” Duncan said his eyes still shut in relaxation. 

“I’m not using that unless it’s made by a sane person.” Heather shrieked, causing you to roll your eyes. “I’m sorry, hun. I’d just prefer it done by a professional.” Gwen said sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck, a blush rising on her face.

—

You stared at the camera, annoyed. “I look at Duncan and we both think ‘Maybe juvie was the better choice.’”

—

As Duncan and Gwen begin their argument, you occasionally chiming in, you notice Heather walk off to find shelter. For the first time ever, you think, you might actually respect the diva queen. 

You watch her climb into a treehouse and you see a pulley on the outside of the door, your voice catches on your throat to be careful, and when she opens the door a skeleton falls from it causing her to fall backwards and scream.

One by one you'll notice huge bones lying around the area. There are dinosaur bones, as well as human bones. 

“Think we’re still upstream from camp?” Heather yells at Duncan. “I’ve been wrong before.” He says in his defense. You resist the urge to roll your eyes at the near constant bickering, half the time there was no point to the madness.

You all went back up the treehouse ladder to investigate the house once more. You poke the skeleton and are not surprised when you see the strings. “This is like Boney Island.” You grumbled, not enjoying how the skeleton made you think of your mom.

Heather agreed. “Unfortunately, the she-devil is right. This is another survival challenge. I’m not scared of you, Chris.” She yelled into the air hoping the mad-man would respond to her calls. 

Duncan and Gwen began arguing but you knew Gwen’s anger was just forged out of fear. You knew, Duncan knew the drill. You had escaped multiple prison’s and landed on islands before, there was no reason for him to be scared.

“Every camper for themselves. Let’s go Y/N.” Duncan ordered and grabbed your wrist, albeit a bit harshly and led you away, picking up his bow and arrow as well. 

Gwen waved goodbye sadly. 

—

|Trending on X right now|

#thecasualdominance?

#howdidshebuildtheraft-

#smartgirlfriendxdelinquentboyfriend

#fortheloveofallthingsmarryher

#weweredestinedtobehorrible

—-

“Can you help me with my form?” You looked up and saw Duncan struggling with the quickly crafted bow.

You lightly smiled and took the bow gently out of his hands and showed him how to do the form. “Release the bow, any target.” He told you, smiling. You nodded curtly and your eyes searched through the forest before landing on a distant coconut. You held your breath for five seconds, and let out for ten.  

“Oh where did that go?” Duncan grumbled, causing you to point into the forest. 

—-

You and Duncan were eating fruit by the beach as you watched Gwen try to dock on the boat you had crafted. You stifle a laugh behind your palm each time she falls into the water. Once she finally gets on she turns to look at you.

“Since you made the raft, Y/N you can come if you’d like.” Gwen made the offer but glared at Duncan. “I want your egg if you're coming.” She demanded and Duncan sighed, throwing the large egg into the grateful girl's hands.

You pushed the boat away from the sand and Heather ran from the treehouse screaming offers so you’d take the girl with you. You sent Duncan a look trying to convey that you were going to get off if Heather came on board.

Thankfully Gwen must’ve sensed your nervousness and began paddling away quicker than before. She had been paddling for around two hours before Duncan broke the silence. “You paddle like a girl.” He grumbled, and then you promptly punched him. 

Who said true love doesn’t exist?

 Gwen looked set on cursing him out but you spoke up when you saw the island again.

“Gwen, are you rowing in circles?” She shook her head as you redocked the island, “What the hell! That will cost you one omelet.” Duncan yelled, snatching the egg from off the boat.

They began to engage in a game of tug-a-war. “Get your hands off my egg, crazy.” Gwen screamed at Duncan, who’s eyes flickered with sadness.

You growled and stalked up to the two, dropping to your feet and swinging your leg under hers to knock her right down. You caught the egg right before it fell. Gwen pointed at the sky and you looked up. There was a huge dinosaur above you.

Duncan grabbed the egg out of your hands and began running.

“Come and get me birdie!” He yelled trying to draw its attention. Suddenly the large dinosaur swooped in and picked up Duncan in its talons, and flew back into the air. 

A hoarse scream fell out of your mouth.

You grabbed a stray line of rope and with all your strength threw it around Duncan’s ankles, and then the bird lifted you into the air. With all your expertise from military camp you scaled the rope, and climbed onto the feet of the dinosaur.

Duncan had his eyes shut, but he felt a hand on his wrist and they flew open. They softened once they saw you.

Over the harsh wind you heard him yell “Marry me?” and you tried not to cry. “Anytime, anyplace baby.” You yelled in return. 

Then the dinosaur dropped you, right into Owen’s arms.

Who for some reason had a beard?

Suddenly Gwen came barreling into you guys, and Owen scooped her up as well. “My brethren!” Owen yelled. But then a snake fell around his shoulders.

“Let me rephrase that… RUN!” he dropped you all to start running up the ladder into the treehouse.

You all quickly followed in pursuit. 

Gwen watched as you sat on Duncan’s lap, your stomach facing his. You wrapped your arms around him, and dug your chin into his collarbone, trying to feel his heartbeat. “Still here sweetheart. I promise.” He whispered.

“We need to confess our sins.” Gwen’s eyes flickered up to Owen and she scoffed. “I’m serious, I did it and I feel great.” The blonde smiled clearly dehydrated. 

—

“Oh my god, so you killed his dad?” Heather gawked at you. “You set her dad’s office on fire-” Gwen’s eyes widened staring at Duncan. You both nodded sheepishly. “...Yes, but still not as bad as what you did, Gwen. Even if that's your real name.” You teased, with a kind smile. 

“Or even Heather.” Duncan looked the rich-girl up and down. 

“My brother deserved it.” Heather grumbled.

—

You were staring at Chris dumbly. “Oh come on princess, surprised to see me?” he gave you a smirk and holy hell there was no greater urge you had then to punch his stupid face into the stupid ground and beat him until he was black and blue.

“Time for a campfire, my children.” Then he promptly skipped away.

—

“I’m going to kill myself.” Duncan grumbled as he washed the war paint off his face in your cabin.

“Honey, it’ll be alright. We always stick together right?” You hugged him from behind. “If I lose you tonight, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Duncan turned around and kissed your knuckles.

You smiled sadly. “Mi amor, even thousands of miles apart, I’d still be right with you. You are the keeper of my heart, forever until even the gods die.” You whisper and lightly kiss his lips.

“Plus, it’s not like there’s gonna be some plot twist or something.” a laugh falls out of your mouth.

—

“Tonight, there is a twist on the campfire. Since I lost so many interns in the production of this video, management said I’d have to let them vote a camper off. Which kinda is boring but whatever.” Chris grumbled, and Chef handed him the envelope before scurrying off. 

Chris opened it and his mouth dropped, his eyes widened, and somewhere in there you saw an ounce of pure and utter anger. Something that guarantees that the interns are going to have a hell filled week for the next couple months.

“The one who will be leaving us tonight is…”

Duncan squeezed your hand tight.

“Y/N L/N.” 

You felt something break, and it didn’t come from you. You looked at Duncan and saw his entire personality shift. He went blank, cold, and calculating. 

“HE’S OUR’S NOW BITCH.” You saw a redhead intern scream at you, before she went back to the intern-side of camp. Duncan nearly pulled out his gun, but you stopped his wrist.

“I love you, and if you don’t win, my love, I will kick your ass, understand?” You kissed his lips, and he nodded swiftly trying to withhold his anger.

You began walking away but Chris couldn’t stop himself.

“I’ll miss your face, along with other things, beautiful.” Chris winked, and a soft smile appeared on your face. You stepped in closer towards him. Then promptly punched him straight in the nose, and kicked him in the groin, he groaned and fell to the ground.

You stepped onto the boat of losers and began to drive away. 

But when has Y/N L/N ever played by the rules?

You stepped next to the captain with a fond smile, and quickly knocked him out, dumping him into a lifeboat and letting it go into the water. You walked back to the steering wheel and began to drive… straight to New York.

There was this anger, in the back of your mind. She was yelling at the top of her lungs, to have control, and like a calming wave, you let it. Being on that island, did you no favors.

You had it easy, food, a shelter, freaking Duncan. But now it was time to go back, to get the messy things done.

Anger was your coping mechanism. It kept you on the path you wanted, and the path you wanted currently entailed making sure that your fiancè would have his dream life to come back too. Anger gets things done, sadness does not.

[The camera zooms in on a small ring on your finger]

—

|Trending on X right now|

#OHMYGOD

#shutup-shedidntcomebacktohim-

#THEYMARRIED

#WHATTTTT

#imsobbingtears,streaming,downmyfacern

—

I’d like to thank all my wonderful supporters, who stayed with me, throughout the series. There will be an epilogue probably tmw, and soon I’ll start the second season.

I love yall!

—-

Bonus: 

Mick got out of his seat and walked over to the door which was currently being pounded on.

He and his brothers were in shock, their little sister just got voted off? Poor Duncan, he was losing his shit on TV right now. Since the show started all the brothers had been at Mick’s house for viewing.

Mick opened the door and his jaw dropped. There you stood, you wore a pair of black jeans, along with an old WSC sweatshirt which looked like Duncan’s, and you had a cocky smile which Mick could tell was fabricated.

“Miss me?”

“Well I’ll be a son-of-a-gun.”

------

tagged: @lostsomewhereinthegarden

[castlebyersafterdark]

ok here are two off the top of my head

this one analyze the moments finn talks about noah which imo just make me 👀😍

https://youtu.be/qgXPO2r8uZU?si=xbEueZAPSF4_F4t8

then this one the foah moment starting at 1:05 with them when finn is having his anxiety

https://youtu.be/TwF2PvdpyQo?si=_RGOPNgFAJVGomWP

CLIP ONE Ok, starting off strong. This is one of the top cast clips imo. I love Noah's insistence that he's not wholesome followed by an onslaught of people saying he is HA that's funny. Show us more of your really un-wholesome side, babes. We've seen it a little now. Teased it. Let go a little more. Your captive audience is begging for it. Also also I can listen to him read the damn phonebook. Noah has theee most soothing voice. I'm still obsessed. I wonder how aware this boy is of his gay audience, to be honest? He's gotta be aware of the effect he has on guys. He has to know. There's a whole other side we're not getting and I for one am curious as hell.

Finn's impressions of him, though. They're so accurate! "He's just the nicest person in the world." FINNN. Yeah this one is interesting. Overused word but ENDEARING. Wait wait I forgot how fucking hysterical this interview is - Eduardo as Noah "Oh, it's a life or death situation. Let's go get on a private jet and fly somewhere else!" And Charlie's "God it's so annoying that you have to die right now. Ugh!!" STOPPP - which is what made Finn laugh like this. Boy. Again, funny, but not that funny? He's laughing like he finds everything about the boy he likes hysterical. Or, devil's advocate - it's the fact that Eduardo and Charlie are yet more older man of which is Finn's kryptonite, always acting up and laughing harder just because he LIVES to impress and humor men. Either way. 👀

Just look at him. He was wheeeezing over that bit. Oooh then the poker story. Great moment. Finn, Finn, Finn. "What did he say!? He said something sooo funny." Do you remember word for word what my good buddy Noah said, do you remember, did you memorize everything he's done in our presence like I have? And the other two "Uhh... yeah..." Clearly Noah is someone sooo special to him, love this. Oh, to be a fly on the wall.

Noah better be with Finn and the other guys and anyone else because... someone else just isn't as fun in these interviews! Need him to cut loose and get weird and be silly and gives us the energy. Not giving with hmm. Be nice be nice be nice.

CLIP TWO Oh, the babies! Red carpets are honestly probably the hardest to get through I just want to crawl and hide in the same way baby Finn probably wanted to crawl and hide. He makes me so sad here. Clearly going through it. His nerves 🥲 He's so bouncy and fidgety and oooh it's rough. It's a little rough to watch. And then Noah saves him a bit. Sweet. And then Noah clocks it more and just, keeps trying for eye contact. He knows, and I feel like he so much wanted to slip behind Millie and console him - but how sweet when Caleb sees it, too? This group is so special. Then the very intense eye contact between Finn and Noah? Woah. It really seemed to center Finn a little.

Now, I don't even necessarily read it as romantic (but who's to say that little teenage crushes are impossible at this time) but it's more to me, showcasing this truth in front of us about the place they have now and have had in each other's lives. There for each other. They've probably helped each other out with a lot, down from the edge, a source of comfort and companionship. Beyond the romance chatter and all we love here - this is why Noah calls him a "special person" and the same with him to Finn. There's a connection there, whatever it really means. And it's cool we've gotten to witness something like this. There's a lot of negativity and contention in the industry. I think that's what part of why this group has been so compelling to observe over the years. It's a bit more authentic and real, the intertwining relationships.

Gosh, the longer I watched the clip though - the deeper I pulled my sweater over my face. Too recognizable. Seeing a kid who's both excitable and also in the depths of excruciating anxiety? Looked like a mirror. Wanted to close my eyes.

[memethebum]

Here’s chapter 2 of The Lover’s Almanac!!

This one is basically more married fluff and then Maka trying to cheer up her gray-ace hubby while dealing with her own shit

————————————————————————

Maka had been wondering if she’d truly woken up every single day for a month now. She and Soul had shared a bed multiple times over the years, but it seemed to carry a different weight now that she lived with him and the entire town considered them newlyweds.

She’d catch some girls sending her dirty glares from behind the small alleyways lining the town, but that only appeared to solidify her fantasy of the entire agreement being real and not just an elaborate favor.

“Rise and shine, my beautiful wifeee. Ya’ got a big day today,” Soul announced from the kitchen, causing Maka to jump up from the warmth of their bed.

It’s not like me to wake up after Soul the young woman thought before hearing her husband clatter a few dishes around while preparing breakfast.

“Hm?” she mumbled as she pushed the bed covers aside and sauntered towards the kitchen where Soul was sliding a spatula around a wide cast-iron skillet.

“Why didn’t you wake me up sooner! I was the one in charge of making breakfast today, remember?” the young woman pouted before watching her husband raise his shoulders into a shrug.

“Don’t worry bout’ it. I know you wash up fast, so hurry before your eggs are done cooking,” he added while turning back and flashing Maka a shark-toothed grin, probing the young woman to roll her eyes at how blatant his concern for her business agenda was.

“Fineeee,” Maka sighed before giving Soul a quick kiss on his stubbled jawline and running out towards their well.

She hastily jogged back afterwards to a large plate of bacon, eggs, biscuits, and gravy situated on the kitchen table for her.

“Oh, you made such a large spread today!” the young woman hummed in gratitude while taking her fork and greedily picking up some of the contents.

“Glad you’re enjoyin’ it. So uh…what do you have to do today,” Soul asked in between a large bite of his biscuit.

He sure didn’t waste any time asking Maka thought to herself before wondering if there was anything Soul could do that wouldn’t make her swoon in place.

“I’m planning on delivering the request form for Mister Deathman to the post office first before scoping out the vacant building again,” she added while pouring Soul a glass of apple juice and watching him eagerly reach out for it with a muffled thanks.

“Doesn’t sound too bad. Buttt, knowin’ you it probably feels like walking on eggshells,” Soul sighed, probing Maka to let out a huff in agreement.

She then felt her husband gently rest his palm ontop her hand.

“Butttttt I also know you well enough to see how many times you’ve walked into something and not gave a damn about what anyone thinks of you, so I’m absolutely certain you can do this,” he added as Maka took a minute to mull over his words before eventually giving him an enthusiastic grin.

———————————————————————

“Looking for something miss?” a man called out as Maka gazed through the thin film of dust upon the building’s windows.

“Oh, um I was just…curious about the interior of the building,” she yelped before looking up and noticing that the man who’d called out to her was Noah, the owner of the single pawn shop in Death Valley.

“Oh right, it’s been a while since I’ve had a neighbor,” Noah then added while letting out a low chuckle.

“Hmm, well you may be in luck. My husband has plans of opening up something more…innovative in our town,” Maka replied, earning her a hum from the man.

“So Solomon Evans plans on being both a successful farmer and businessman, eh? Seems as if men are made with the need to acquire more, although that’s gotten much harder with all these new laws popping up,” Noah then mumbled as the young woman felt her shoulders begin to slump at his words.

“R-right, of course. Well, I’d better go help him with the fields. You have a good day Mister Noah,” Maka whispered while turning away from the empty building.

“Ah, newlyweds and you’re already such a dutiful wife! I’ll leave you to it, and tell Solomon that I wish him good luck,” Noah exclaimed before allowing Maka to walk through the remainder of town and onto the packed dirt road which led to Soul’s farm.

Men they say. As if it’s a crime for a woman to have some god damn dreams of her own without already knowing how competitive it is to do business at all these days!!! Maka internally fumed while feeling a wave of anxiety begin to suffocate her mind after realizing that her dreams could be squashed in mere moments if one of Mr. Deathman’s associates tossed her proposal into a trash bin with the letters of other men meaning to do business with him.

“Don’t make me regret selling you some of my farmland Evans!” the young woman then heard a voice shout from outside Soul’s house, probing her to let out a groan in agitation once noticing her papa standing a few feet away from the dwelling.

“It’s technically me and my wife’s land now,” Soul chuckled as Maka came closer towards the two men and felt them both flinch from her sudden presence.

The young woman couldn’t help but let out a muffled yelp of her own once noticing how Soul was very much sweaty and shirtless from a few hours of harvesting his fields.

“Maka angel!! I’d just come by to see if this brute is treating you well only to find out you’d been-“

“Yes Papa, me and my husband are fine,” Maka added before bashfully walking closer towards Soul and allowing him to bend down and give her a peck on the cheek as a greeting.

She then let out a muffled giggle once noticing how her papa appeared to be instantly fuming from their display of affection.

“You-you crass heathen! How dare you put your dirty lips near my Maka with nothing but a pair of flimsy pants-“

“Oi Soul, we’re done with the potatoes!” a voice then shouted from behind the trio, probing them to turn around and notice Liz, Patty, and Kilik walking in their direction.

“Alright, thanks Liz! You guys abouta’ take your break right now?” Soul replied as Spirit continued to glare in his direction.

“Sure are. I hope we didn’t interfere with a family meeting,” Kilik added while Patty let out a quick snort at the insinuation.

“Oh no no, I was just about to leave,” Spirit added before rushing over to Maka and extending his arms as a request for a quick hug.

The action caused Maka to regard her papa with a small smile and then melt into his embrace.

“I’m trying not to be so angry sweetie, but watching you suddenly get married after swearing to only devote time for your dream is sort of…troubling,” Spirit whispered before turning on his heel and staring Soul directly in the eyes.

“This probably goes without saying, but…you’d better keep supporting my Maka any way you can, a-and that doesn’t mean fulfilling your marital duties if that’s what your perverted mind-“

“Papa, I told you we’re fine. Now stop pestering Soul and go back to your own farm,” Maka quickly added while pushing Spirit away from her husband, although she could already see the way Soul’s expression had deflated after her papa had brought up the topic.

Well, I suppose that ruins any chances of me coming clean to Papa about all this Maka thought to herself as she glanced at Spirit’s furrowed eyebrows and then back at Soul.

“We’d better get going as well. See you two in a few hours!” Patty added, causing Soul to give the group a weak smile as they walked away from the house.

Maka then waved her hand in a quick farewell before letting out a low sigh and encircling her fingers around her husband’s sweaty palm.

“Soul…I’m sorry Papa brought something like that up-“

“It’s ok, it’s not like the old man was gonna

stop badgering my ass just because I don’t work for him anymore,” Soul added before regarding her with a small smile, although Maka was able to see right through the mask he’d put up everytime she’d worry about his feelings instead of it being the other way around.

“Still, I’m absolutely certain you’ll find someone who’ll love you regardless of how eager you’d be to do the deed of darkness,” Maka added before feeling her heart race at the small giggle the young man let out afterwards.

Even if that person isn’t me she mentally lamented while noticing how Soul had started gazing at her when she didn’t let out a few giggles as well.

“Let’s…go take care of the corn before the others come back,” Maka then added as she pulled Soul onto the path leading towards the fields.

[aurorafables]

From the Grey, Chapter 4.

Hey there! I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Everything is heating up a little around the boys so enjoy part 4! 😉

Pairing: Noah Sebastian X Nicholas Ruffilo

Warnings: 18+, Explicit, Angst, Past character death, Suicidal thoughts

Tags: M/M, M/F, Slow burn, Childhood friends, Friends to lovers, Family drama, Band fic

Word Count: 4.2k

Cross-posted: AO3

4.

Around six in the morning, my eyes popped open, and I tossed and turned in vain, looking for the perfect position, but I couldn't get back to sleep. At night there was a storm, it rained and it cooled the air a bit, so when I went out to smoke I was glad I had my hoodie on. I sat down on the wooden steps of the terrace, but then changed my mind and walked down to the shore of the lake instead. The pebbles crunched under my shoes, and a few birds flew up at the noise from a nearby tree whose lower branches almost hung into the water. I felt like I was in a creepy utopian movie. Mist swirled over the lake, the rays of the rising sun faintly shone through it, covering the whole place with a special aura.

My phone signaled a message in my pocket. My first thought was that it might be Maya and that I should call her. It was already around eight in the morning in Virginia, and she must have already left for work. But when I unlocked my phone, I saw that my sister had sent some pictures. She and my other sister were in Paris for a while and went to Disneyland the day before. Seeing their unclouded happiness brought a smile to my face too. My sister got the ticket from me for her birthday, and they decided to go on a girl's vacation to France. I have been to so many places in the world, and I wanted nothing more for them than to experience the many miracles that I saw. It's unbelievable that I was able to pile them up with such gifts… a few years ago, I used to go to the tattoo salon seven days a week, worked out my guts, and when I came home dead tired in the winter, the heating in the apartment didn't work. Good thing I had a bed warmer.

“Hmm, where have you been? In Antarctica?” Noah asked sleepily as I stuck my leg between his calves.

“Only outside in the cold. It was cold in the salon too.”

“It's not that cold outside. Virginia is not known for its cold winters," he cooed, and I snuggled closer to him, sighing contentedly as his body heat warmed me. “How was your day?” he asked while stroking my hair.

“Like yesterday. Or the day before,” I answered him boredly. “Did something interesting happen to you?”

There was no response for a while, which I found strange. He didn't seem sad, so I wasn't really worried, but I was terribly curious. “Noah?” I looked up at him questioningly. He bit his lip and I was sure something was up. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to begin.

“I spoke with Sandra today.“

Sandra was the older sister of the drummer of his band at the time. A blond, blue-eyed barbie doll.

“And?”

“She asked if I would like to go up to her place tomorrow night after our concert.”

His eyes were sparkling and he looked at me excitedly. How he responded to that was written all over his face. I just didn't understand why.

“Noah… that girl is ten years older than you. And last time you said she was annoying.”

“Are you going to mother me now?” he asked indignantly. Sometimes it was easy to forget that he was just a seventeen-year-old teenager who would respond with an attack if I didn't react the way he wanted me to.

“No way. I just don't get it,” I admitted to him as I turned onto my back.

“What? That she likes me?”

I really understood that. I turned my head to the side and looked at the sulking boy next to me. Noah's face then was an angelic transition between childish charm and adult features. It reflected innocence, but beneath the surface it promised something completely different.

“She said she found my exotic features adorable,” he said when I didn't speak, just looked at him. It was very hard for me to avoid rolling my eyes, but I wanted to be happy for him. Noah had been through a lot of shit, but he was still a naive kid who liked kind words. I didn't want him to be crushed when even his old wounds hadn't healed… if they ever did.

“Why didn't you come here with her?” I asked him because I would have felt better knowing he was in a safe place. “I won't get home until around midnight tomorrow either.”

"The concert lasts at least ten," Noah answered, and finally he wasn't so frustrated anymore. “And… I don't want her to know that I live with my best friend. That I have nothing,” he added sadly. He probably didn't even want her to see what a little hole we were living in, he just liked me too much to say that to my face.

“Okay. But you have to promise to take care of yourself.”

“I promise.”

I turned onto my stomach and hid a little.

"Bring a condom with you," I mumbled into the pillow, shivering at how much I was behaving like a worried parent. Noah might be right, maybe I really was too motherly sometimes. But now he didn't start arguing with me, instead he laughed out loud. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw that his face was a little red. Great, I'm glad I'm not the only one that's embarrassed by this.

“I'm not a virgin, I know what I'm doing,” he stuck out his tongue at me.

“I'm really happy about that, because I didn't want to hold an enlightening speech about the importance of using condoms.”

Their relationship didn't last for one hookup, but for months. I think Noah was really in love for the first time in his life, and when they broke up, he had to write a song to process it and let her go.

"Tell me tonight that you'll be by yourself

'Cause something bad will happen if you are with someone else

I'm just all fucked up, and I really need your help

I really need your help

There's a lotta hollow souls out there all alone

And they're waiting for you to invite 'em back into my home

They touched and they took what was rightfully mine

Now I'm the devil, and their souls just went up in price

Set me free, I think I'm giving up

Don't wait for me, I think I've had enough

Set me free, I think I'm giving up

Don't wait for me, I've had enough, enough now

My pretty little face with all the right parts

My pretty little face I couldn't keep from the dark

I learned from the best as my sorrows grew

And then they pulled me out after I introduced 'em to you

We're just two wrong souls that met at the wrong time

So just go your way, and I'll go mine

You'll be alone with someone new until the day you die

And I'll watch from afar to make sure you're alright"*

The ringing of my phone brought me back from the past. Maya's name flashed on the display, but now I didn't think long, I picked it up immediately.

“Hi,” I greeted her, then I pressed the mobile phone between my shoulder and ear so I could light a cigarette.

“I didn't think you would pick it up so soon. As a matter of fact, I thought you were going to ignore me again,” I heard Maya's hurt voice.

“I didn't want to ignore you. Yesterday I was too tired,” I said straight away, but that seemed to be enough for her to calm down.

“Did you sleep well last night?” she asked in a conciliatory voice.

“Yeah, I just woke up early.”

"I missed you in bed at night," she said softly, with a hint of seduction in her voice. I smiled.

"I'll make up for it, sweetie," I promised her. “Now it's nice to spend some time with my best friend without touring.”

“But what are you two doing in the middle of nowhere?”

Her voice turned demanding again, which immediately melted the smile off my face.

“Yesterday, for example, we talked with Matt about the continuation of the tour. Anyway, I slept for half the afternoon, and in the evening we drank beer on the terrace,” I told her. ”Noah is my best friend, and unfortunately we have less and less time to just sit down and talk.

“You have less and less time for me too.”

I took a deep breath and started walking up and down the beach.

“There will be a concert in Vegas at the end of next week, and we would stay there the next day. Would you like to come? Of course, I will pay for the plane ticket.”

“Shall we spend your day off together, just the two of us?” she asked back after a little thought.

“Yes, of course.”

“I really want to go,” she answered excitedly. “And please don't be mad at me… I just miss my boyfriend.”

“I haven't been there since only yesterday,” I told, but her words actually felt nice. If we meet next week, maybe we can overwrite the last two days I spent with her, when we were both out of our minds.

“As if weeks had passed. Only the blue spots on my neck and hips remind me that it wasn't that long ago when we were together.”

I swallowed and laughed confusedly. She touched on the subject I didn't want to talk about, just wanted to forget. It was still too vivid in my memory as I pushed her hips down on the bed with my hands, not because it was in the heat of lust, but because I felt locked in a room with her like a cornered animal. Later, I saw the red marks of my fingers on her skin, and the whole thing horrified me rather than thinking it was sexy.

“I would like to apologize for being too.. fierce.”

"Are you kidding me? I loved it," she giggled from the other end of the line.

I knew she loved it, but it didn't feel right. She didn't understand that I was seriously apologizing to her, and I thought it would be unnecessary to explain to her. We said goodbye soon after that, because she had to go to work, and I was getting hungrier. As I walked back to the house, I vowed to myself to fix everything.

I woke up on the terrace in the bean bag chair, wrapped in a blanket. My neck tensed painfully as I slowly sat up, and I could already feel that it might not be a good idea to fall asleep half-sitting. I saw that the mist had already disappeared over the lake, the mystical atmosphere was replaced by a morning that promised to be hot, and as the sun got higher, the air started to warm up. I covered up and pulled out my phone from my pocket. It was already half past ten. I slept on the terrace for almost three hours, and at some point Noah might have woken up, because I didn't bring the blanket there.

"Good morning," he appeared at the door, as if he sensed that I was thinking of him. He stretched, holding on to the top of the door jamb, then stepped out onto the creaking beams. “The position you were sleeping in didn't seem very comfortable. Have you been out here long?“

“I woke up at six and came out to smoke and make a phone call. I didn't think I'd fall back asleep so easily,” I said, hiding a yawn in my palm.

“Oh, Steven called me this morning. He and his wife are popping in for a bit, but they'll be back tomorrow,” Noah said. That meant I would have to move out of the room, but I just shrugged it off.

“Okay. After all, it's their cottage, they come whenever they want,” I said, and I really didn't mind at all. Steven and Aby were really fun company.

“Is everything okay with Maya?” Noah then asked, scanning my face.

“Yes, of course,” I smiled sleepily. “There was just something we needed to discuss.”

I didn't add that we hadn't really managed to discuss things even now, in fact, I felt as if Maya and I had talked completely in vain, but I was convinced that it was only a matter of time and everything would be fine.

“I am glad. It's good that at least everything is okay with you,” he smiled back at me, but I felt some pain was hiding behind his words. Noah sat down next to the small wooden table, leaning back casually and staring out at the lake. I knew something was bothering him. He couldn't have hidden it, I knew him too well, I spent half my life in his company. But then why didn't I notice something was wrong with him earlier?

“Why didn't you tell me you and Karin are no longer together?”

Noah immediately became more withdrawn and began picking at the chipped paint on the table.

“We were just in the middle of the tour.”

“We could have gone to get drunk with the guys,” I suggested the ancient method, which has already helped many men overcome the emotional difficulties of a breakup.

He inhaled slowly and turned to me.

"I just… I didn't want to make such a big deal out of it," he said in frustration. I knew that if anyone else in the band or his friends would have asked him too many questions, he would have let it be known that enough was enough. I kind of enjoyed being exceptional, but I didn't want to make him angry. I wasn't completely honest with him about Maya either, so… Actually, it hurt that he didn't initiate me and he still doesn't want to talk about it, but in the end I just nodded because it was clear it was a sensitive topic for him.

"Okay," I answered slowly. ”Shall we have breakfast? I’m starving.”

Noah was obviously happy with the change of subject and headed to the kitchen with me to quickly whip up something to eat.

Wet and frozen, I wrapped the towel around myself, then sat down on the blanket. I pulled my legs up, hugged my arms around it, and rested my chin on my knees. I only dipped in the lake up to my waist, but it was enough to completely freeze me. After the overnight storm, the water cooled down a bit, but the sun was shining so strongly that I was sure the temperature of the water would be pleasantly warm again tomorrow. Aby and Steven stayed in the lake and continued playing with a ball without me, and Noah went back into the house because he forgot to bring sunscreen. I reached for my phone and it indicated a message. I received a heart from Maya, which I immediately returned. In the morning, I sent the details of the plane reservation, which will fly her to Las Vegas the following week, and I was satisfied, I felt that I had made the right decision. Both of us could use a little personal conversation.

I heard loud laughter and then screams, so I looked towards the lake. Steven wet Aby's hair, then pulled her along so they were shoulder-deep. Apparently Aby wasn't too mad because they almost immediately got into a heated kiss.

“Did you leave the lovers alone?” I heard Noah's voice. He sat down on the blanket behind me and started creaming his arms and shoulders.

“The water is quite cool,” I answered and fished a cigarette out of the box.

"It certainly isn't for them," Noah laughed. I looked towards the couple again, but quickly looked away. They seemed completely lost in each other, and I didn't feel it was appropriate to stare at them. I looked down in front of me, rolled the cigarette and reached for the lighter with my other hand. At that moment, hot fingers touched my waist and Noah chuckled in my ear.

“Do you get that sizzling sound when you run cold water on an overheated stone or pan?”

Suddenly I didn't even know what he meant, then it clicked.

"Yes, I do, Noah," I rolled my eyes.

“It's the same, just the other way around. Let's say it's like pouring hot water on ice. Although it would make more of a crackling sound.”

“That Cuba Libre hurt you”

Noah just continued to chuckle, his palm resting on my lower back, above the waistband of my swim trunks. I didn't mind, it was nice that it was warming. Like a personal, bite-sized ray of sunshine.

"You're using my shower gel," he said so quietly. No matter how close he was, I could barely hear him.

The small blade of grass stopped between my fingers and I felt my heart start to beat faster. I think it was his voice. It's like we're talking about some secret, forbidden thing. I couldn't even place my own reaction.

“I keep forgetting to take mine with me to the bathroom. Do you mind?” I asked, still staring in front of me.

"What's mine is yours," Noah answered without thinking, slowly taking his hand away from me and walking towards the lake. This sentence was familiar. I told him from the moment we became roommates.

Organizing tattoo inks on a shelf was much more pleasant than cleaning the salon. I couldn't wait to finally start tattooing, and even if it was in small steps, at least I already felt that I was moving towards my goal.

“Nick, could you bring me the dark purple paint?” Michelle asked from the next room, whose door was open.

I took the requested small bottle from the shelf and brought it to Michelle. She was the owner of the salon, a woman in her thirties with dreadlocks, piercings, whom I had barely known for half a year, and I already had a lot to thank her for. When I left home after high school because the three-room apartment was getting too cramped for the six of us, hers was about the tenth salon I visited. I had been sent away from all places before and I almost gave up, but a phone conversation with Noah made me want to try again. I told Michelle that I wanted to make tattoos, but I had no experience at that time. She replied that it was fine, but first I had to walk the steps, which would show if I was persistent enough. In addition to giving me a job, I also got the guest room of her apartment above the salon, which she never used. The amount I earned wasn't much, but since I didn't have to pay for the room, it was just enough to support myself.

That afternoon she had tattooed a girl's calf and was already coloring the flowers. I leaned against the door jamb and watched her work for a while. It was Saturday, but it was raining outside, everything looked gloomy, so it was almost therapeutic to look at the colorful pattern, which was getting more and more realistic.

Michelle smiled at me when she noticed that I was paying attention, then continued to work. I stayed until the bell rang because someone entered the store.

"I'll take care of it," I said to Michelle, then went out to the reception. At first I was very happy for the visitor, but my happiness did not last long. Noah was waddling around in a completely soaked hoodie, water dripping from his hair onto the ground, and he dropped a backpack on the floor next to him. My heart sank as he wrapped his long thin arms around himself. I walked in front of him without saying a word, put my hand on his shoulder and noticed that his trembling lip was badly cracked. I didn't understand it all. It happened that some idiot classmate raised a hand to him… but there was no school that day, I couldn't even imagine where he could have gotten the injury.

“What happened?” I asked fearfully, pulling him by the hand into an empty room where I could shut the door.

"I can't stay home," Noah answered, but that still didn't explain what happened to him.

“Did Andrew do this to you?” I tried to ask a more specific question. Andrew was Noah's mother's boyfriend, and from what I'd heard about him, he didn't seem too bad. He was nice to my friend, and that made him look more likable than Noah’s mother.

Noah snorted and shook his head.

"Andrew would never touch me… like that," he said. The strange emphasis caught my attention, and my mind began to project horrible images. It was so hard to stop myself from shaking him and demanding to answer my questions, but when I looked at him… he was just a child.

“Noah, doe, please. I want to help, but I need information.”

Noah brushed wet locks out of his eyes, then sat down in the tattoo chair and began fiddling with the bottom of his hoodie.

“Yesterday Andrew drank a lot and… we were out on the terrace, talking. It was nice to talk to him, he was really interested in what was going on with me and the school. That's why I didn't go in even when he started behaving strangely. He stared at me a lot.” I swallowed hard and nodded for him to continue. ”Then he sat next to me on the sunbed… so close that our knees touched.” Noah twisted his fingers and bit his lip nervously. I crossed my arms in front of my chest as if I could protect myself from his words. “I should have gone into the house, but he was paying so much attention to me,” he said desperately, his gaze bore into my eyes, but then looked away again. “He put his hand on my thigh and asked if I liked boys doing that.”

I also forgot to take a breath, I was waiting for him to continue, but he didn't. I knelt down in front of him and now I smoothed some strands behind his ears.

“Did he do anything else?”

"No," Noah shook his head. “I told him to stop, leave him there and locked myself in my room.”

I could finally breathe again.

"You did very well," I assured him. “Will you also tell me what happened to your mouth?”

Noah thought for a moment, but then gave a barely perceptible nod.

“We had a fight with my mother. She saw us from the window last night,” Noah explained. “She told me today that her relationship with Andrew was ruined because of me. And.. she also told me many other hurtful things. I told her she shouldn't behave like that with her child, and then she hit me.”

I just blinked and tried to process everything he was telling me. To me ,- whose parents were not perfect, but we helped each other where we could-, it was incredible to hear this.

“Fuck her. Fuck them both,”I blurted out. It was incredibly good to let out a little bit of my anger.

“I'm guessing your friend needs a place to stay?” Michelle entered the room. We both turned to her and she just shrugged. “I didn't mean to eavesdrop, guys. Sorry for that. But if it's like this… Noah, how about sleeping in Nick's room for a while.. while the situation settles down? Of course, only if it suits both of you. Unfortunately, I can't offer anything else, but I can tell you that there will soon be a cleaning position in the salon if you want to earn some money.”

Noah looked at me and his smile was full of hope.

“If he also agrees.”

“We need to get you a mattress,” I muttered under my nose, but I was really just trying to understand what Michelle was referring to by freeing up the cleaning position.

“Thank you, Michelle. And we have to go get my guitar," Noah added with no enthusiasm. Michelle took something out of the cupboard and went back to work, leaving us to ourselves again.

“I will go with you,” I promised him. “We'll bring your stuff.”

Noah nodded, then smiled sweetly.

“You didn't even say Michelle promoted you.”

“I didn't even know until now,” I answered, and my voice was full of excitement. “Oh my… maybe I will be able to tattooing soon?”

“You can start with me,” he offered immediately. “I promise, I will be a good first client. I won't squirm or hiss.”

I felt tears welling up in my eyes, so I quickly hugged Noah and buried my head in his neck. The whole afternoon was a big emotional roller coaster. But he was there with me and I could hug him. I felt that everything fell into place slowly.

“You'll be wet too,” Noah complained, and I just squeezed him even harder.

Of course, we got a mattress that Noah's guitar, clothes, and manga comics ended up laying more than himself.

*Bad Omens - Enough, Enough Now

[primusfortuna]

Rouge ⟡ Love Wrapped in Ribbons of Gratitude (04)

[01] [02] [03] [XX] [05] [Sun] [Moon]

“A Brief Date”

The day after Rouge-san and I paraded around town as preachers―

Emma: We got rid of our flyers and ribbons in the blink of an eye today.

Rouge: We didn’t even get the chance to advertise before they swarmed us begging please, please!

Emma: Your singing was a huge hit yesterday. But it sure got stressful today, getting asked to sing everywhere we went...

Rouge: Ahaha, who cares? It was fun! I could tell the townspeople have gotten pumped full of enthusiasm for Love Day.

Rouge: But uh, I’ve gotten a teensy bit tired. I think I wanna take a breather.

Emma: Well... then how about we shop for gifts for the Moon Wanderers?

Rouge: ...Oh. Yeah, I remember you saying you wanted to get them some things.

Rouge: Sounds good. Let’s go pick ’em out together.

Emma: Okay!

Rouge: What about... this liquor shop? I’ll get some good wine for Gran.

Stall Owner: Welcome! Say, if it isn’t Rouge-chan! Your debt collectors aren’t after you today?

Emma: That question has become a greeting at this point...

Rouge: Ahaha~...

Stall Owner: So, looking for wine? I’ll get you my signature bottle.

Rouge: You’re a lifesaver! While you’re at it, could you maybe give me a little bit of a discount―

Emma: Rouge-san!

Rouge: Next... let’s take a peek at that fresh produce stall. I feel like food means everything to Crow and Itsuki...

Middle-Aged Shopkeep: Woah! Rouge brought back a girl!

Rouge: Hiiya, shopkeep! Got any foods that last a long time?

Middle-Aged Shopkeep: Young lady, you have to believe me. Give up on this guy.

Middle-Aged Shopkeep: I know he might be handsome, but he is riddled with problems. He’ll only make you cry, you understand?

Rouge: Um... Could you not start slandering me immediately after meeting her, please...?

Rouge: Anyway, we haven’t known each other for that long, have we?

Middle-Aged Shopkeep: A few days of watching you is enough to tell you’re a scumbag. If you do anything to hurt a girl this cute―

Emma: It’s okay.

Rouge & Shopkeep: Eh?

Emma: I’m pretty sure I’m, um... very familiar with all the best parts of Rouge-san.

Rouge & Shopkeep: Woahhh....!!

Emma: Ah, but, we’re not dating or anything―

Rouge: Shopkeep! I might be the happiest man in the world right now!

Middle-Aged Shopkeep: Ahh! You better cherish this one, I mean it!

Emma: Please listen to me, you two!

Later...

After leaving the produce shop, we step into a small general store.

Emma: Are you sure you’re okay about the food? The shopkeeper wanted to treat us to it...

Rouge: It’s fine. It would’ve been so lame if I let him treat me after all you said about me.

Rouge: ...But anyway, I’m curious about something.

Emma: What?

Rouge: About those “best parts” of me...

↪ You have a nice voice (Sun +12)

Emma: Hm... I think you have a nice voice, Rouge-san. Emma: Not just when you sing, but your normal voice, too. Listening to you puts me at ease. Rouge: Hehe. You tell me that all the time. Rouge: That makes me happy, really.

↪ You’re a nice person (Moon +12)

Emma: Well, you’re a nice person, Rouge-san. Emma: I think it’s amazing how you can hit it off with anyone you meet. Rouge: That’s nothing to praise me over. Rouge: I just happen to meet all good people.

Rouge: Hmm... But I was hoping for a little different answer.

Emma: Different how?

Rouge: Something like, “Rouge-san, you’re so manly and reliable and super awesome ★”?

Emma: Okay, anyway, let’s go look for presents! We can’t take too long of a break.

Rouge: Hey? That was a pretty aggressive change of subject. Y’know, I love that assertive side of you.

Emma: Aren’t these animal figurines just darling?

Rouge: Oh! I like them~ They kinda remind me of Corocle.

Rouge: Noah would probably like these, huh? Although, he wouldn’t be caught dead accepting a present from me.

Despite saying that, Rouge-san doesn’t pick up a single figurine from the shelf...

Rouge: I’m gonna go check out the alcohol over there.

Emma: (Now that I think about it... We’ve only stopped at liquor and food shops so far.)

Something feels just a little off.

Feeling like some sort of splinter is stuck in my heart, I can’t help but worry.

← Prev ❖ Next →

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

Where the Tainted Kiss [Chapter Twenty] Mixed Emotions [Vaas Montenegro]

A/n: There are only 6 chapters left in this story, I can't believe it. I'm extremely sad that it's coming to an end. Lots of crazy shit happen in the next 6 chapters, so get ready. On another note, I planned to have this chapter done yesterday, but I kept adding more to it. Please enjoy.

Warning(s): drugs, sexual content (oral), movie references, mentions of suicide, tears, blackouts, and lots of plotting.

No Minors Allowed!!

The first thing Liv heard when she came to was the raucous sound of someone continuously inhaling something through their nose. She peeked over her shoulder, having her back turned to the computer desk, and spotted Vaas snorting a bump of cocaine with a rolled paper. This honestly didn't surprise her much given how energetic and alert he was at times. He mentioned having drugs, as much as he wanted, but seeing him do them in front of her was another thing entirely. Liv wasn't sure how to react; she was neither thrilled nor sickened by him and his choice to use them. His state of mind concerned her a tad, however, but it wasn't her place to judge him. He clearly didn't want the help or the advice, so she wasn't going to offer it.

Noah made it clear to me that he had no intention to stop using Oxycodone.

She learned this the hard way. But that was another story. Hell, she wasn't without guilt either; she drank from the moment she woke up to the moment she passed out, sometimes alone in a pile of her own vomit and sometimes with a stranger. No one was perfect and Liv sure as hell wasn't about to pester Vaas about how he was messing up his life one bump at a time. Just because she got better didn't mean she had to fix the entire world. She turned her back to him and faced the wall, resting her head against the pillow as the raucous sound continued to permeate her ears.

Once it stopped, a moment later, she heard Vaas utter something to himself in Spanish and then crawl back into the bed beside her, pressing his chest to her back. His bare skin soothed her, almost urging her back to sleep until his hand sank beneath the covers, resting on her ass. Liv held back a snort and raised a curious brow as he gave her cheek a light squeeze. His hand wormed its way between her thighs and to her surprise, he slid an eager finger into her sore pussy. Her walls burned in protest as he pumped into her, making Liv arch her back in pain; it felt like thin sharp needles were stabbing her.

"Vaas–– I don't think... it hurts."

For a moment she was scared that he wouldn't stop, but with a humorous snort, the pirate removed his finger from her. She was thankful, but a part of her felt bad for shutting him down so quickly. Chewing on her bottom lip, Liv turned onto her back and glanced at him anxiously; she could feel his erect cock against her bare leg.

"I'm sorry."

This is awkward.

Vaas grinned in response.

"You know how fucking innocent you are? Hmm? Apologizing to me."

Did he really see her as such? Liv supposed that compared to the things he had done, she was a saint, but she wasn't. She hummed and reached a hand down between them, stroking him through his pants.

"Then it might come as a surprise to you that I... thought about you like this before today."

Vaas raised a scarred brow.

"Tú niña mala (you bad girl)." He wet his lips and hummed. "Tell me about it."

Liv felt her face heat up in embarrassment. Was he serious? With her hand on his cock, he must have thought she'd talk dirty to him as she gave him a hand job. What a mess she was in.

"That night before you... fed Chris, I had a dream about you," she mentioned as she undid the button on Vaas' pants, easing down his zipper. "In the dream, it was me buried in the sand and you were hovering over me, mocking me. But then you unfastened your belt and took your cock out."

She paused to slide her hand beneath the waistband of his briefs, running her fingers over him; Vaas moaned in response.

"Jodida pequeña burla (fucking little tease)."

"I shut my eyes and the next thing I knew your cock was against my lips and you were ordering me to let you in. I knew I was dreaming, but I didn't hesitate to do as you said. And since then, I've had a craving to taste you," Liv explained.

Vaas reached down and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. For a moment she thought she had done something wrong until he grinned.

"You want to suck me off, querida (darling)?"

"Please," Liv retorted.

Vaas released her hand and turned onto his back, yanking his pants and briefs down his legs; his cock was exposed to her and with a motion of his hand, he was eagerly inviting her to do as she pleased with him. Liv smiled a brief moment, then wet her lips. She sat up on her bare knees and crawled between his thighs. With one hand she pushed back her hair; the other wrapped around the base of his cock, stroking him a moment before she leaned down and kissed the head. Again, she gave him a sweet kiss, before she opened her mouth and sank on him, taking him a little at a time until his shaft was wet enough for her.

Vaas filled her mouth, making it hard for her to use her tongue. Liv chose to press it against his shaft and took him to base, almost choking on him; her blue eyes teared up, but she easily recovered and wrapped her hand around him to keep herself at a comfortable length as she bobbed her head. A soft groan permeated her ears, urging her to grin. At least he seemed to be enjoying this.

His hand slid into her coarse locks and massaged her scalp as though he was congratulating her for taking him so well. Liv hummed and brought up her head; her lips made a soft pop on the head of his cock as she dared a look at the pirate. He had the back of her phone pointed at her, mouth somewhat opened in pleasure.

Shit! Was he recording her? When did he start? Liv felt her face heat up in embarrassment. She never much liked being the center of attention; her job put her behind the camera, not in front of it. Ignoring it the best she could, she focused on the task at hand. Tilting her head some, she took him at another angle before returning to the previous one, sinking to the base of her hand and back. She felt him press on her head and with a hum, she went down on him again; his strong grip kept her locked there as he filled her mouth with cum. Releasing her, Liv continued to bob her head until she was sure that he was done, then sat up on her legs; Vaas rose with her and brought the camera to her face.

"Smile pretty for me, querida (darling)," He ordered as he hooked his thumb into her mouth. His green eyes watched her through the screen.

Liv wanted to shy away, but she allowed him to open her mouth and record the mess of saliva and cum on her tongue. Once he released her, she swallowed on command and turned her burning face away from the cell phone's camera.

"La inocencia te conviene (innocence suits you)," Vaas mentioned. He hummed and turned her face toward him. "It's too late to be nervous, querida (darling)."

"I just... don't like being in front of the camera. But if it pleases you, then I can try," Liv explained.

The pirate snorted and tossed the phone down on the bed.

"This is some Hollywood shit, no? The innocent city girl falls for the ruthless pirata (pirate). And has a fucking mouth that can give the women of Badtown a run for their money."

There was that word again; innocent. Liv ignored it.

"I'm pleased you liked it."

She had a lot of experience in the matter, given the fact Noah was a big fan of oral; receiving more than giving.

Humming, Vass poked her on the forehead.

"Where is your mind, querida (darling)?"

Liv considered quoting the lyrics to 'Where is my Mind' by Pixies, but she decided against it. He always asked her this question when she spaced out, but she never knew what he was thinking.

"What about you? Where is your mind?"

"Always so curious to know about me. Hmm?" Vaas asked.

Not able to help herself, Liv grinned.

"Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things."

"Isn't that a movie quote?"

She didn't think he'd get the reference.

"It is. 'The Silence of the Lambs' 1991. It was a good movie, but so was the book."

"You're a little cinephile, no?" Vaas asked with a snort.

Liv was embarrassed to admit it, but she was. Born in a small town there wasn't much to do but farm and consume whatever media she could get her hands on.

"My city friends would call me a geek but unlike them, I made a living and went to film school," she mentioned as she played with the corner of the blanket.

When she and Noah broke up, she also walked away from the friends they had made. Liv thought about them often, but honestly, it was the best option considering they were enablers.

"I've never seen it," Vaas mentioned, tearing her from her thoughts.

"You haven't?" Liv asked turning her curious eyes to him.

For a moment she forgot that he was born on an island. His knowledge of movies probably came from the bootlegged copies he stole online.

"It's one of the greatest psychological horror films of all time," she pointed out. "Now we have to watch it."

"You want to watch a movie with me?" Vaas asked with a grin.

She didn't see why not.

"If ever you feel up to it. I won't make a peep. Promise."

Vaas stared at her for a moment, then got off the bed, walking over to the writing desk. He opened the side drawer and rummaged through it as Liv watched in curiosity. Tossing what appeared to be a rolled poster and several charge cords onto the top of the desk, he found what he was searching for and tossed it onto the bed beside Liv. Her eyes widened.

"My 'Olympus'?" She reached out and took the camera in her hand checking it. Other than the dust on the lens, there was nothing wrong with her. "You're giving it to me?"

"Quid pro quo," Vaas answered with a suggestive wink.

Liv felt her face turn red. He was referring to sex. Regardless, she was happy to have her camera back. Chewing on her bottom lip a moment, she sighed.

"May I ask for a favor?

Vaas raised a brow and motioned for her to continue.

"It's been a while since I've had to chance to use it. Is... there any way you can take me to the beach where I can take pictures? I can always use the camera here inside the outpost, I just––"

A knock on the door interrupted her midsentence and to her horror, Vaas called them in. Liv yanked the cover over her bare legs and watched in awkwardness as Carlos sauntered in. He met her stare and his eyes widened, before averting his attention to Vaas; the latter raised a brow in question.

"I didn't see her in her cage."

He usually woke her for work.

"She stayed the night," Vaas mentioned, sticking out his tongue.

"I have to place her with someone else while Barto recovers. He got shot in the arm," Carlos mentioned.

Was he serious? Liv knew sooner or later another incident would occur and push back her plans to escape. She chewed her bottom lip as she tried to come up with an idea. One came to mind, but it wasn't her place to suggest it.

I don't have much of a choice.

She faked a snort, gaining their attention.

"I'm sorry... but he was only grazed. If he needs someone to hold the rifle for him, I can do it; I'm a better shot than him anyway."

"He can suck it the fuck up until tomorrow," Vaas mentioned with a grin. "The three of us are going down to the beach today."

Liv widened her eyes. Was he seriously going to take her? An air of excitement consumed her; she turned on the camera and began to tinker with the settings. Hearing Vaas send Carlos away to prepare the Scavenger, she peeked up from the screen to see the former searching through the bag with his clothes. He took out a familiar black tank top and tossed it onto the bed, then retrieved a pair of green camo-printed pants and did the same. Were these the same pair Liv wore after she bathed beneath the waterfall?

"Get dressed," Vaas ordered.

But I have clothes that fit me.

Not wanting to start an argument, she grabbed the pants and stood, putting them on first. Liv quickly removed Vaas' red tank and put on the one he wanted her to wear. At least they were clean; she wasn't sure who did his laundry but she was thankful for them. Once she was done, she retrieved the key chain from her former outfit and hooked it to her belt loop, then tied the red cloth that Vaas gave her around her neck, hopefully covering the marks she knew was there.

Despite the humorous expression on his face, he said nothing as she approached him wearing a wide smile; one hand clutched her camera and the other attempted to keep the camo-printed pants around her hips. Vaas motioned for her to follow and led her from the house and into the open for his men to see.

For hours under the warm sun, Liv sauntered around the beach near the shore taking pictures of the scenery; the clear ocean, and the jungle. To her back were Vaas and Carlos, no doubt watching her like hawks as she searched for material to inspire her.

As she drew hearts in the sand with a stick, she peeked around at the area; the same area where the boats were beached.

It should be easy to push the boat into the water.

But were the keys in the ignition? Done with the sandy heart, Liv wandered closer to the nearest boat; she took pictures of the DShK heavy machine gun as a cover as she looked it over. From her angle, it was hard to see the helm, but once she backed up and raised the camera a bit she could see it on the screen. The keys were exactly where she thought they would be.

So far so good.

Liv took an uneasy breath and turned, sauntering over to Carlos and Vaas; the latter was sitting with his legs crossed in the sand, one arm beneath his chin as he stared into space as though he was in thought.

With the jungle at his back, this would make a great picture.

But would he mind?

"May I?" Liv asked, gaining his attention.

"You want to take my picture, querida (darling)?"

She shook her head.

"Por favor y gracias (please and thank you)."

Vaas grinned and motioned for her to hurry, watching in humor as Liv kneeled in front of him and raised the camera.

"Can you take out your gun?"

He raised a curious brow but did as she asked. His position was perfect but something was missing; an extra accessory.

"Do you have a handgun, Carlos? Can you give it to Vaas?" Liv questioned.

Once he handed over the weapon, she crawled forward and repositioned Vaas; one hand rested over his knee, and the other was perched beneath his chin. With a pleased grin, Liv scooted back and took the picture.

He looks intimidating as fuck.

Turning the screen around, she showed Vaas the picture.

"Iconic, no?"

He grinned.

"Are you content?"

Liv hummed and shuffled closer, sitting beside the pirate. She stared out at the open water, running her finger over the keychain, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Vaas.

Things could be much worse, I suppose.

"I'm... Content. Thank you."

A hand touched hers making her flinch until she realized that Vaas was doing it only to get a better look at the keychain.

"Why do you carry this everywhere with you?" He asked.

Liv widened her eyes and stared at him. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him.

"It's a long and boring story."

"I let you take your pictures," Vaas countered.

Quid pro quo. I guess this is how we are doing this from now on.

Liv was certain he knew when she was lying. He was like an animal; he could smell it on her. Or perhaps her eyes gave away her emotions.

It's just a question. I don't have to tell him everything.

"I um-- it was a gift from my father," Liv answered with an uneasy sigh. "It was our movie. We watched it every Halloween since I was 10."

"He's dead?" Vaas asked.

She clutched the keychain, feeling the warmth of Vaas' fingers against her palm. Liv was unaware that she had started shaking. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Yeah. He um... Got sick. Cancer and--"

"It's more than that, no? Quid pro quo."

Did he honestly need to remind her?

"I don't want to talk about it. Please," Liv declared.

Prying her away from the keychain, Vaas turned and rested her shaking hand against the long scar that spread out across the side of his head.

"I was attacked by some lovesick fuck named Dennis, who wanted to be me. But he fell flat. I gave that cocksucker a matching scar; should have cut off his fucking head."

Was this man still alive? And why was he telling her this now?

Liv shook her head.

"I said please."

"You want to fucking know about me, then tell me your fucking story!" Vaas exclaimed. His grip on her hand grew tighter.

Her bottom lip trembled as she fought back tears. Would he be angry if she told him she didn't want to know him? All at the expense of having to bring up memories she tried so hard to live with.

"H-he was so stubborn," Liv uttered with a sob. "And I was a fucking kid. I wanted to be one so badly that when he got weak and the treatments got more expensive, I tried to convince him to sell our dairy farm. I didn't want to be stuck there, tending to him and working my life away."

She remembered the argument. Her father, Daniel was so kind. He never raised his voice at her the entire time; he just listened. But she could see in his tired blue eyes how upset and disappointed he was.

I never even listened to what he had to say.

Tears poured down her face as she struggled to find the words.

"I told him that if he wanted to keep the farm--"

Liv paused to drop her head and sob. It was too much.

"You told him what, querida (darling)? What did you say to your papi (father)?" Vaas asked.

"I can't," she cried shaking her head.

Why was he doing this to her? What reason did he have for pressuring her into this?

"You can," Vaas assured her as he brought her head up, making her look him in the eye the best she could. "Because I know how much your life is worth. And you are gonna tell me, or you can live in the cage for the rest of your fucking days."

He knew something she didn't. Liv narrowed her eyes.

This is his angle? Knowledge over fear.

Who the fuck was this maniac?

"I... I walked out on him and I knew something was wrong. But I was so mad," she explained. "For two days I stayed with a friend of mine until I couldn't bare to think of how I left him. And when I came home, he was there in the same chair I left him in by the window, but... He had shot himself."

The amount of blood and his dead-eyed remains permeated her thoughts. At least over the years whenever the memories resurfaced, she stopped vomiting.

All the drinking, all the blackouts; nothing takes them away.

Her head was light, as though the oxygen she was breathing in wasn't reaching her brain. Liv felt her face heat up, then a buzzing noise flooded her ears.

"I don't feel good."

She didn't even realize that she had lost consciousness until she came to, being toted back to the Scavenger by Vaas. He laid her down in the back and ordered Carlos to take them to the outpost. Liv didn't even move. She kept her cheek against the cool leather and listened to the engine roar, aware that her skin was warm and sweaty.

And as Vaas pulled her from the vehicle and carried her indoors to his room, she didn't make a sound.

"Rest, querida (darling)," the pirate ordered as he laid her on the bed and removed her shoes.

Liv nodded in agreement. She could use the rest; her body was weak but she was alert now.

"How much is my life worth?"

Vaas snorted.

"50,000. And that's low for what I paid for you."

Liv widened her eyes.

He... He bought me?

"I don't understand. Why would--"

"Get some fucking rest," Vaas ordered. "And consider yourself lucky. You don't have to leave the island now."

How was that lucky? Liv watched him stand and walk out of the house, leaving her alone. She turned over onto her side and hugged the pillow to her chest, trying to understand what just happened. A mix of emotions was swirling in her chest; fear, anger, sadness, and confusion.

Why did he keep this a secret from me?

And how long ago did he buy her? It had to have been after she met Hoyt. In a spurt of anger, Liv sat up and tossed the pillow at the desk, knocking a charger and the rolled-up poster onto the floor. She considered leaving them there, but Vaas was set off by the smallest of things, so with a grunt she got off the bed and picked them up.

As she placed the items back onto the desk, Liv noticed a corner of the poster had folded back revealing thin lines. In curiosity, she unrolled it to see that it was not a poster, but a map; a map of the Rook Islands.

Her eyes widened in shock. Not only was it a map, but the names of the outposts were written above certain locations. She could not believe her luck.

This is it.

She knew the keys were in the boat and where it was beached. Now she had a map.

I can't take this with me, but I can memorize where to go.

Liv found Amanaki Village and ran her finger over to the island she knew they were on; the island was Northeast of Broken Neck Home and from there, the village was Northwest. It would be one hell of a trek through the jungle, but she was determined to make it.

All she needed now was the perfect opportunity to run. 

[casspurrjoybell-20]

FOOLS IN LOVE - Chapter 22 - Part 1 BOOK THREE: 'Fools Fall in Love' Trilogy

*Warning - Adult Content*

Noah Wright

"Hmm, I like this Noah, what happened?" Wesley asked against my mouth.

My hand moved to his belt buckle, undoing the latch, his body pressed up against the prep table.

"I was told to move on," was my response which got a hand on my chest and I was being nudged back.

"What does that mean?" Wesley asked, not defensively, more with an interested tone.

I sighed, not wanting to get into it.

"I told Sam how I felt and he didn't feel the same."

I shrugged.

"Moving on."

I leant back in to kiss him and again, a hand went to my chest.

"Fuck," I muttered because I just wanted to release some pent up emotions and fucking Wesley was going to help with that.

"So now you can kiss me? Because Sam doesn't want you?" he questioned jokingly but it actually pissed me off.

"Fuck you," I grabbed my keys and wallet, ready to walk out.

"Wait, hey. I'm sorry I was just laughing because your logic in not kissing me was kinda fucked, I didn't get it but whatever. I can still be your rebound," he told me, tugging on my dress shirt until I was back to standing in front of him.

His hand slid down to my crotch.

"Plus, grumpy Noah's the best fuck."

I rolled my eyes,

"Fuck you."

"Yeah, I heard that already," his hand slipped in my pants and he rubbed my growing erection.

"So why don't you follow through?" he spoke with devious, daring eyes.

I grabbed his arm and pulled his hand out from my pants,.

"Then turn around," I told him and Wesley grinned before following orders.

**********

"Work ran late?" Ciera asked me when I walked in the door past midnight.

I knew she knew what I had been up to.

I looked at her on the couch with Kaitlyn.

They were watching 'Midsummer'.

"Your bedtime run late?" I questioned, tossing my wallet and keys onto the small rectangle table that sat beside the door and kicked off my shoes.

"Come join us," Kaitlyn offered, patting the spot next to her.

"I'm not in the mood for this fucked up movie," I said glumly.

"Aw, Wesley wasn't good tonight?" Ciera mocked a pouty face.

I flipped her off.

"Fuck off," and I left them to go into my bedroom.

I exhaled a breath, thankful to be home and started tearing my clothes off.

Down to my briefs, I grabbed myself a towel and headed into the bathroom to shower.

As soon as I went to close the door, Ciera stepped in.

"Hey, What the fuck?" I asked.

She shut the door and gave me a smile like I've never seen before.

I gave her a questioning, disgusted look.

"What, you freak?"

"So... um, what's Kaitlyn's deal? I know you two dated but is she like... strictly straight?" she asked lightly like she had to tread water to ask me this.

"I actually don't know," I said honestly because there had been times that I thought Kaitlyn might be questioning her sexuality but she hasn't said anything to me, so...

"Maybe bi-curious?"

"Oh fun. So, bro to bro, could I... ya' know, shoot my shot?"

I shook my head with a chuckle.

"Go nuts," I told her as my approval.

"Awesome," she spoke in a loud whisper.

"Thank you, I love you."

"Hey," I spoke up before she walked out.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for asking," I said sincerely.

"And, I guess I love you too."

Ciera smiled.

"You should shower, you smell bad," and she shut the door.

Although, Ciera didn't shoot her shot that night with Kaitlyn because Kaitlyn fell asleep before she could.

I made fun of Ciera once I was out of the shower and she was making her way to her bedroom.

"See that? You bored her to sleep," I jested in a whisper to Ciera.

"Well, guess what, I convinced her to try to convince you to go to a party tomorrow night."

I shook my head no before she could finish.

"Come on Noah, how many times do I play wingman for you?" she argued with me in a quiet voice to not wake Kaitlyn.

"Like I don't do the same for you? We're not going to a fucking party and you don't need to go to a party to make your move, just grow a pair and flirt with her or something."

Ciera complained.

"I've tried, she's giving me nothing, yet she'll blush and shy away? I don't get it."

I shrugged.

"Noah," she whined and the next night we were walking into the college party Ciera was invited to.

"If you don't fucking make out with Kaitlyn by the end of this night, I'm not helping you again," I seethed to Ciera while Kaitlyn was walking further ahead towards the house that was lit up and booming with music.

"Listen, she loved it when I got handsy with her, it drove her nuts. So next time you get a little flirty, maybe play with her hair or touch her hand or waist. If you're sitting, maybe touch her thigh."

I was surprised Kaitlyn was shying away because when Kaitlyn wanted something, she reached out to take it.

Then again, figuring out whether you're into the same gender can be a bit nerve racking.

"Handsy, got it," Ciera confirmed.

"Hey but not too handsy," I reiterated with emphasis.

"Yeah, obviously. I'm not a fucking creep. I'll back off if she's not into it," Ciera promised and I knew she would.

If I wanted Kaitlyn to be with anyone, it would be Ciera.

Ciera was the second greatest person I knew in this world 'you can guess who takes first place for me'.

[gvldntrbl]

-🦋-

"I promise," Geneva swore as their eyes met. "We're a pack, right?" She asked softly, fingertips continuing massaging Jacen's scalp with one hand as she straddled his lap. "No drifting. For me or you." Geneva reiterated. "No more bingeing. Any sign of pushing or possibly hurting ourselves, for both of us, we tell each other?" She asked him. When Jacen mentioned their mothers before specifying her own, Geneva smiled softly. "You would've, I know it. Mama would've loved you like her own." She held his face in her hands. The expression settled on her features as the nymph hybrid felt Jacen's relief along with him. Including his other emotions. "I don't regret many things. But I do wish that things had been different. Hell, I wish everything turned out different." She replied honestly, still holding his face. "But I... I like where we are. Where we're headed. It feels... right." Jacen felt like home.

"Noah," She repeated his son's name with another smile, light and trying, as she tried to envision him in her mind. "Does he pout like you, too?" Geneva asked, blue eyes easing shut, her mind pulling up the same expression she'd seen Jacen wear. "What about his smile?" She looked back at Jacen. "Goddess, I swear you have such a great smile." Geneva laughed when he shook his head. "What if he's from a part of you that you wished to be? The one you are when you're with me." She asked him, her gaze turning curious. "In my biased opinion, I think he did get it from you. But you just don't know it yet. Some of my best parts, the most kind and gentle ones are from my Papa, Mama said." Geneva shared. "It sounds like a date. Do you know what you want me to bring you tomorrow then? For our next lunch date?"

A smirk eased onto Geneva's lips. "Sultry, hmm?" Her arms snaked around his broad shoulders while she listened to Jacen, heard his truths on how she made him feel. "I like when you get like this. When you're open and share with me." A giggle tinged with flirtation left her when he spoke of her voice and how she said his name, just the way that he liked. A quiet, and until then, unspoken fact that Geneva learned before. The sound solidified into laughter when he confirmed the hypothetical sign that he'd create and spin in front of one of her boutique locations, if ever she asked of him. "Yes! Of course, it'd have sparkles and glitter. How else will it visually catch attention to those passing by?" Geneva said aloud as the pair laughed together at the mental image. Moments later, the need for words grew less important while the couple kissed. "You have a different urge right now." She noted against his lips when they pulled apart to breathe. Geneva's grip tightened in his hair when Jacen moaned before his mouth moved to her neck. "No more words?" Her question was spaced out, the words beats apart as Jacen's soft lips and warm, calloused hands distracted her. Geneva fought her own moan as their arousal continued to grow and he squeezed her behind. She not so subtly swiveled her hips over his crotch from where she straddled him. Luckily, Jacen swallowed that sound as their lips wove together again. "You care more about causing a scene than me. Get us out of here. And yes, I'm always free for you. Always."

“I let you drift before. That’s not happening again.” He wrapped his arms securely around her. He lifted her gaze to his. “You start feeling like you’re losing yourself, you call me. I’m there. You try to push me away, I’m not going this time. So you’ll never fully get back there. I’ll be here to make sure of it.” He meant it. He allowed her the time to grieve, felt like them not trying had been best since the timing wasn’t right, he could see, that was not the right thing and he wouldn’t just let her deal with the feelings of loss alone again. “Moms and their wisdom. It’s good she knew I affected your emotional climate in a positive way. Like I would have gotten her seal of approval.” 

He practically let out a contented sigh as she massaged his chest. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. That’s just how things transpired.” He shrugged. It was just how life went. “Yes. His name is Noah. He’s almost two.” He grinned thinking about him. “Easily the most beautiful kid I have ever laid I’d eyes on, but I’m biased. He is a talker when he warms up to people. He’s so outgoing. I don’t know where he got that from.” Jacen shook his head. “No, I’ve been trying to be better about being me and eating when I need to. But yes you can bring me lunch, then we can go out for dinner, and I could make you breakfast?” 

“It’s calming and sultry. I don’t know, just hearing it calms me. Opens me up to being less of an introvert. The inflections when you’re excited about something illicit smiles from me. The emphasis you put on certain words and the cadence of the way you speak is so uniquely you. Plus, when you get all breathy and say my name? Sends blood rushing to a very specific location.” Jacen laughed at the mention of the prettiest sign ever. “Let me guess with sparkles and glitter?” His eyes met hers, his lips upturning in a smile when agreed to his pack rule of for life. When her hands shifted from his chest, he pulled her flush against him. As they kissed, he wanted her even closer, but in their public setting as close as they could get might not have been ideal. “Good, because I’m never sorry for being distracted by the urge to kiss you.” He murmured against her lips. 

Jacen moaned when she massaged his scalp. His lips busied themselves along her neck as she spoke. He could feel his body reacting to every word. Almost as if he’d unlocked another link and it was just hearing how he made her feel. He knew she could feel in more ways than one how her words made him feel. “We need to get out of here. Because I need to show you how all that made me feel, and I don’t think I have the words to properly express it. You don’t feel nearly as close as I need you to be.” His lips were on hers again. Hands roaming over her thighs over her dress. “You free the rest of the night?” His hands made it to her hips before he gripped her bottom, giving a rough squeeze. “You free tomorrow too? Tonight might not be enough time to express everything.”

[rebouks]

Question : so, reading Somnium I noticed Arturo has the “ pookie “ pet name, and now I’m curious, does anyone else have pet names? What about Oscar, or Ivan. Courtney? NOAH? Anyone else…? How about YOU? I need to know them if you don’t mind! ( sorry in advance if this has been asked beforehand hahah I probably didn’t catch it )

Bahaha.. POOKIE, really never gets old 😂

Hmm let's see, so Courtney's is obviously Cookie, but only Oscar calls her that, n' she calls him Oscy sometimes. Ivan's never really had a pet name given to him, Tilda used to called him Evan to piss him off now and then tho 😅 Oscar will sometimes call Noah, Noah-bo-boah.. lmao, but we've not seen that yet lol! Sidney calls Alton, Al/Ally and occasionally Tubster 🙈😂 n' he likes to call her Widney cos it annoys her. I can't remember anymore rn 🤔 Oh! Rhys likes to call Tommy, TomTom or THomas with the th pronounced cos he's silly 😌 Tommy hasn't come up with a good one for him yet ahah

[desultory-novice]

Hello there! Firstly I'd like to say I'm fascinated by your Kirby lore theories, I love how insightful you are with them and how well thought out they are! Phenomenal work

Now, recently I've also came up witg a tgeory of my own and, if it isn't too much of a bother, I'd love to know your opinion about it: https://jpdesenhador.tumblr.com/post/683001278858739712/my-kirby-lore-theory

(Tl;DR: Me and some colleagues believe that Another Dimension os the Kirby Equivalent of the afterlife)

Thank you so much! That's very sweet of you!

Also, sorry it took me so long to get around to this!

First off, excellent work yourself on this! As someone who writes a lot about the Kirby series, I know the work that goes into just the act of writing itself and I can tell the effort you put into this!

Now, you asked for my opinions on your theory! I wrote them down steam-of-consciousness style as I was reading through it. (A whole lot boils down to "Good find!" and "Smart!") I also added some thoughts and speculation of my own!

Thoughts:

I love how you made the connection of Void being a form of god to the residents of the Kirby universe. It fits nicely with that idea that a creature beyond human/ancient explanation would likely be interpreted as (a) god, and thus that Another Dimension where Void exists, regardless of its actual powers, would become the basis for building a parallel religion off of it. (It's also very Star Trek to discover an alien creature/space and then go on to answer the question of "Is this God or what older societies interpreted as God?")

...And of course, the whole "paradise" = paradise connection. Speaking of the "Lor" I feel like (citation needed) several creation myths in our own world have involved a boat or ship of some kind? One capable of ferrying people to paradise. And there’s Noah’s Ark, too.

Heh. All this has got me thinking of Sphere Doomers as “angels.” Well, I guess they’d be more like cherubim? ...Hmm. “Two pairs of wings and four faces.” Aren’t there four types of Doomer? And their mouths stretch all around, which could also represent the “four faces” thing. “Gleaming like polished brass” - they do tend toward a coppery color, at least, the Grand Doomer does...!

While it's funny to think of Another Dimension as the afterlife, the points about the characters who canonically end up there all do so after they should have died is pretty tight. In a normal sci-fi story, the Star Dream accident would absolutely have caused Susie's "death" (and you’re right in how her father Max talks about his failure to “get her back” and his far-too-late understanding that no machine can undo "death"). Then there’s Magolor's "death" (and boy does his resemble one, albeit, a cartoon version. But the visuals of him “ascending to heaven” can't be denied. All he needs is a little halo!) 

What struck me reading this is that I'd become so used to "not dead until the Twitter art confirms it" death in Kirby, I hadn't batted an eye at Hyness sacrificing himself and the mage sisters but...yeah, the word "sacrifice" really spells it out though, doesn't it? They could all have died.

I'm really curious about the presence of the Phantoms in Forgo Dreams in FL though. These characters are not dead, yet Elfilis is able to sustain their shadows in their little corner of the afterlife...

And NICE theory about Royal Road. There was always something unusual about that stage to me. It looks unlike anything else in TDX. And the rifts in that stage bear a strong resemblance to the one on the Lor's sail, being a double-star pattern! It wouldn't be all that unusual for Taranza and Sectonia to possess that power either, because the fairies of Kirby 64 probably possess the SAME dimension hopping power, since the portals in 64 look so much like rifts. (And their being rifts neatly explains why Kirby and the gang can visit planets like Earth-....err, Shiver Star, which definitely don't exist in the Gamble Galaxy unless something happened to move the planet out of our own solar system.)

While I'm handing out applause, GOOD CATCH on how Taranza’s “Queen's Phantom” looks like Phantom Fecto. (The word Phantom in all these.)

While your essay didn't state this outright, I think there's potential in the idea of the Parallel bosses having a connection with the phantom bosses. I'm not certain myself where I want to toss my coin in on this, as it's still a mystery what divides characters between "stuck as a phantom/a fully developed parallel character" and "comes back to life later." (I would say “maybe anyone who died once is a candidate for splitting off into a parallel self!” but we’ve never seen Dedede sent to Another Dimension, and Landia didn’t die either...)

As to the backgrounds in Morpho Knight's arena, it's interesting that, given the possibility that Taranza and Sectonia have dimensional rift powers (...which also gives a lot more context as to how Taranza even ACQUIRED the Dimensional Mirror, given I believe there's some debate about what it is/where it is/its condition after the Amazing Mirror) all the characters with the Another Dimension background have ties to Another Dimension.

Most of the Wave 1 friends have ties to Dark matter; Marx is the mystery there, having not participated in any of the Dark Matter incidents - although you can, without much need for headcanon, put him safely in that group if you believe him to be a native resident of Popstar. I bring this up because Wave 2, grouped into the Dark Star background, all share a common trait of NOT being Popstar natives. In fact, outside of DMK, they're all possibly from Earth!

(I'll have to do some more thinking about the lore implications of the backgrounds in the Morpho Knight fight...)

...Ahh, wish I could chime in on the Mirror World stuff. I am STILL trying to make sense of all that myself. It's...difficult. (Which probably means it is the ripest area for more exploration in future Kirby games? At least now that we've got a pretty good basis for understanding the transition from humans (human-expies) to the the ancients.) But I can't help but note the star (aka, dimensional rift) patterns on the mirror. And the fact that it is topped by a CROWN.

The Void Termina fight gives us a clear visual of Void using the Master Crown as a weapon. However, it's the corrupted version of the crown, not Landia's version, which is very interesting, since (novel) lore suggests it was Magolor's wicked heart that caused it to take that form. The Dimension Mirror's "crown" could be representative of the pure version of the Master Crown? (Hilarious if the Mirror Dimension turns out to be "hell." I'm not sure I’m on board with that idea, but do I wonder, if Void isn't the "god" of both the present dimension and the mirror dimension, then what is Mirror Void like? The “Zero as Lucifer” idea is a good one, but that leaves a disconnect between the Kirby verse's Lucifer and their hell. That is, there's no Lucifer/Zero there. Although you could say they've got their "the lake of fire" if you look at Dark Mind that way!)

Oh, and because I'm writing these comments as I'm reading, I need to wheel back and say, regarding the Lor, ("Paradise Starcutter") the Japanese name becomes incredibly relevant here, as Starcutter is an EN localization of "Ship that crosses (the) Heaven(s)." If Another Dimension is the afterlife/was rationalized as the afterlife by the Ancients, then of course after making a ship that could safely carry them through that afterlife, they’d dub it the ship capable of "traversing heaven."

Hmm. I don't necessarily like the use of "corrupt" to describe Haltmann and Sectonia, as, despite their undeniably evil deeds in game, they both started out as victims of a greater power. Well, Max might’ve still been a Nightmare Capitalist if he and Susie had stayed together, but she might have been a calming influence on him too. 

Meanwhile, Magolor, lovable monster that he is and present "good guy" didn't need his mind warped at all to desire the Master Crown. And his soul was VERY MUCH CORRUPTED. But.....I guess that's up for debate. I don't personally subscribe to "...being in the presence of the Master Crown is what made Magolor desire in the first place" but I know it's a popular theory for his actions. As much as I hate the novel's (spoilers!) summation that Magolor just had "evil in his heart", it does succinctly remove any blame from the crown. BUT THEN AGAIN there's the issue of Void spawning the corrupted crown, and if it was built by the Ancients using Void as a base, then it would have been MADE corrupted! Argh! I have so many thoughts about that stupid crown!

A-ahem. But yes, I think Haltmann and Sectonia are stuck as phantoms/unable to resurrect because of their unusual circumstances. Star Dream literally deleted Max's soul, and we saw with Leongar that you might not be able to come back to life if even a few pieces of your soul (in his case, the ones the Beast Pack had) are missing. As to Sectonia, I rationalize it with the fact that she's only "half-dead" having fused with the Dreamstalk, which is still alive and healthy. So she also doesn't possess all the pieces of her soul. This can also be used to explain why Sectonia and Forgo look the same in phantom form! As Elfilis's soul is fractured too, since part of them is still alive in Elfilin.

(Ough... I suppose in that sense, Max, who doesn't have ANY of his soul left, can't even come back as a phantom...)

...Hahahaha! Oh my gosh, I love the idea that Morpho is constantly checking their power level against Kirby to see if they're powerful enough to devour them yet/if it's Kirby's time to be consumed. It's so GRIM! ("Grim" Reaper?)

Aha! There's the bit about the Sphere Doomers as angels! Glad that showed up!

...So, yes! I mostly wrote this post as commentary/reaction to the essay, but I have to say, in conclusion, good job to you and the rest of the team who put it together! I really liked it! 

It was quite the fun read, and it got me thinking about some things that hadn't come to my attention before. I definitely think there's ground here to build even more theories out of, whether Another Dimension is the actual afterlife or that "afterlife" is the best word the humanity-derived Ancients have for it. (After all, people don't magically come back to life in OUR world...)

To those who haven't read this yet, totally give it a look!! I know I'll probably be playing around with some of the ideas from this essay in my future Kirby theorizing! (That darn Mirror Dimension.... What DOES it represent?!)

[raziroo]

Cotton Candy

Pairing: Lotor x gn!reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Saying "Shit" twice

Word count: 2,076 (yay) (also, I edited this, I still need to update the word count)

Author’s Note: I'm crap at writing dialogues, and this is my first time writing for a gay couple. I'm so sorry if it seems forced or unnatural or shitty. Don't be afraid to call me out.

Story Moodboard!

It’s with a grunt of effort that I manage to lift the carton containing the cotton-candy-maker.

‘Here, dad,’ I say as my dad takes the box from my hands. ‘That’s all?’

‘Yep, that’s all of it. We’ll conquer this carnival with our delicious cotton candy,’ I nod, doing jazz hands while saying the last part. Dad chuckles. I grin.

‘Hey, Honey!’ I turn back, squinting to spot where my other dad is in the crowd of bustling people. Where, where…? Yep, there he is – in his embarrassingly brilliant sunshine yellow and bottle green striped shirt and hot pink trousers, a sharp contrast to his natural bright red hair. Don’t say that it can’t look that bright; you’ll never know just how blindingly bright bottle green can really be until you see the shirt my dad’s wearing. And trust me, he usually dresses in simpler tones; such bland tones that you’d be surprised to know he was capable of wearing colourful hues as well. It’s only that he’s very passionate about his job, and so whenever we set up a booth in fetes such as the current one, he never misses to match the shop logo.

‘Hul-lo, father dearest, how seems to go your day?’

‘Oh, quite lovely, if I do say so.’

‘Well, that’s simply charming –’

‘Alright, enough,’ my other, not redhead dad snaps with an exasperated sort of smile on his visage. You see, my not redhead, a.k.a. brown-haired dad happens to be British. And that means that me and dad would rather paint our teeth blue than to not tease him. ‘You both need to shut it and start helping me with the decorations, now. You know I’m trash at all that.’

‘Aw, now don’t get discouraged,’ I say, patting dad on the back. ‘After all, not everyone can be as blessed as me, can they?’

‘Hey, why don’t you go look around for a bit? You’ve been helping out since before I have.’

‘Yeah, he’s right, pet. You should.’

I huff, rubbing my palms on the fabric of my jeans. ‘You guys sure? I’m not tired, if that’s what you’re worried about.’

‘We’re not worried, we’re just saying you should also get a look, you know? There’s a lot of surprising booths this time around. I mean, there are aliens participating too, so…’

‘Hmm,’ I play with my bottom lip a little, then, ‘yeah, okay. I’ll be back in like, an hour? Forty five minutes? Sound okay?’

‘Sounds great.’

‘Bye, then.’ And with that, I turn on the heels of my Converse, wandering about the pretty stalls and eager children and kissy couples and aliens with curious features.

It really feels bizarre, just how astonishingly fast mankind has accepted the existence of aliens. It seems simultaneously ages and just a day before when conspiracy theorists raged all around the world, presenting baseless theories and concepts as to why and how the three-man squad on the Kerberos mission disappeared. Then came the Galra, bringing along with them global terror – because alien life, intelligent alien life existed and humanity remained oblivious all these millennia, and now they were actually attacking us. It could’ve been, perhaps even was, in some other dimension, the end of Earth. But then a defender appeared; Voltron appeared in all its glory, bringing along with it proof that however much these purple aliens claim that humans are scum of the universe, humans were, in the grand scheme of things, the ones that saved the universe too.

It feels even more puzzling to actually be on a first-name basis with the leader of Voltron; that’s right, I’m personally acquainted with Keith Kogane. It was around six months after him leaving the Garrison did I come across him. He’d been loitering around the neighbourhood, had ended up in a fistfight with some other kids, and along with that a split lip and bruised cheek. I’d been watching. When the fight ended, I (somehow) persuaded him to come along so that I could at the very least provide him with a band-aid.

Long story short, we’d bonded over how our moms were no-shows and how dads were the best and we became surprisingly close friends; the only difference was that after the death of his old man, he lived alone. I’d been adopted by my two current fathers. I told him about how when they’d initially adopted me, I was excruciatingly shy. I wouldn’t even come out of my room except meals. It was only when I came to know that they knew how to make candy floss had I timidly approached them if I could have some, because previously I’d always been grossed out at the thought of having to eat that. I’d overheard this group of kids saying that cotton candy was actually just dyed granny hair, so that’s where that came from.

I love cotton candy now. So much so, that even at the age of twenty-six, I will pout if someone takes some of mine without my permission. As if I’d ever allow them to.

Speaking of Keith, I haven’t seen him in years. We lost all contact when he turned eighteen, and then he went off into space, and even when he came back, I didn’t get a chance to meet him. I bear no ill will, though. He must have formed some close relationships. Our past friendship is comparatively much more trivial.

I spot a booth selling grilled corn. I instantly head there.

As I’m about join the crowd of humans and aliens who also want corn, a familiar call of my name leads me to pull a three sixty.

Lo and behold. Keith Kogane.

Despite him having obviously grown a lot, the face was still the same. I’m sure that, if he gets a split lip and bruise on his cheek right now, he won’t look all that different.

There’s a questioning hesitance on his features; he’s probably wondering if he’s got the right person. My pleasantly surprised smile and raised eyebrows assure him. As I step away from the grilled corn stall, I notice a motley crowd behind him; some are purple, some are holding Voltron plushies, and some look way too curious to be in a carnival. The introduction is going to be fun.

‘Keith! You're gonna live a hundred years - I was just thinking about you. But anyways, it’s – it’s great to see you,’ I say with a little giggle. ‘Though I am kind of surprised you actually approached me. The sixteen-year-old you would never.’

He smiles awkwardly in return. ‘Y – yeah… I, just… oh God, this is – I’m sorry,’ he says, his inner turmoil evident.

‘It’s all good. I know you’re shit at small talk, so… like, introduce me? Maybe?’

He nods rapidly, brows furrowed. ‘Yeah, um,’ he turns to the people behind him, telling them my name, how we met, the whole affair. I give them a wave. Most of them greet me back.

‘And, this is Shiro and Curtis,’ he points to the tall, white-haired yet young man, holding hands with a tanner guy, ‘Lance, Pidge and Hunk,’ he points to a lanky, bright-smiled guy, a buffer, kind-seeming person, and a short chestnut-haired woman who, despite wearing baggy jeans and a baggier tee, looks somehow better dressed than me. ‘Then that’s Allura, Coran, and Romelle, they’re Alteans,’ a woman with enchanting beauty and a regal aura surrounding her, a redhead who’s significantly older than the rest with an impressive moustache, and a youthful appearing girl with a big grin, ‘and Lotor, he’s Galran. The Galran Emperor, in fact.’ Lotor is a tall, lilac-skinned man with aristocratic features who shares the same cheek markings as the Alteans. Oh, and he’s unfairly gorgeous, his hair a luscious mane of white which I just know will be soft. It’s hard not to stare. You remember how I said Allura looked like royalty? Yeah, the way this man carries himself, he has the aura and visage of a God. Even in a white tee-shirt and jeans he looks way better than should be legal.

I rip my eyes away.

‘So…are Noah and Oliver here too? I’d love to see them. I mean, I never did get to thank them to permit a possible criminal to sleep in their house.’

I laugh. ‘Never mind that, but we actually sit up a stall here. I could, you know, maybe even get you guys something to eat.’

‘Free? Please don’t.’

‘It’s nothing, really, just… I don’t know, accept it as a small thank you present for not letting the planet go to shit.’

A bit of thinking. Even after a nod from Shiro, it was Lance who said yes. Good ol’ Keith.

When we reach the stall, my British dad is the only one we find there. He looks up, about to say something to me, when he notices Keith.

‘Dad. You remember Keith?’

‘Your possible criminal friend who turned out to be the saviour of the universe Keith?’

‘That Keith. He wanted to see you.’

‘Oh? Well then,’ he dusts his hands, stands up, and greets Keith. Both of them engage in a conversation.

‘You guys wanna try something?’

‘What do you got?’ asks Pidge.

‘What do we got? Um, we got chocolates, candy, marshmallows, jellybeans, tortilla chips, ice cream, popcorn – butter, cheese, caramel, peri peri – Lays, like, a lot of Lays, and the good old cotton candy. What d’you want?’

So, after providing the humans with two Cream n’ Onion Lays, a pack of tortilla chips, a double scoop of butterscotch and chocolate, a small tub of popcorn, and three cotton candy sticks, I turned to the aliens.

‘I’m assuming you guys aren’t familiar with a lot of this stuff, so you could either pick whatever looks to be good, ask your friends, or I could recommend something. What’ll it be?’

Romelle was the one who asked, ‘What’s ice cream like?’

‘It’s sweet. It’s cold. And it’s like… heaven in mouth.’

‘Ooh. I want an ice cream. The… pink one?’

‘That’s strawberry. You can eat it in a cone, or in a cup.

‘What’s the difference?’

‘Well, the cup you can’t eat. The cone is like a crispy biscuit,’ judging by her face, she didn’t know what biscuit was. ‘I’ll just give you a cone. It’s all on the house, so no worries if you don’t like it.’

I watched eagerly as she licked the ice cream. An unreadable look crossed her face. Then – ‘This is almost as good as Hunk’s cookies!’

‘Really?’ Coran asked, twirling his moustache. ‘Well, then…’ he squinted to read the names of the various flavours. ‘I would like “cookies and cream”. Yes.’ A cone of cookies n’ cream was served.

‘Allura?’

‘Do you have something that isn’t sweet?’ That was a plot twist. I’d have taken her as someone who appreciated sweeter foods.

‘We do. You want spicy?’

‘…Sure.’ Peri Peri popcorn was given and enjoyed.

And last… ‘Lotor. What would you like to have?’

It takes me a lot of will to not laugh at Lotor’s way too analytical expression. ‘What would you recommend?’

‘Me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Out of all this stuff, candy floss is my favourite.’

‘Candy floss… the item that looks simultaneously like a cloud and an old woman’s hair?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I would like a helping of candy floss, then.’

As I hand Lotor a stick of cotton candy, I wait with anticipation for his reaction.

‘How am I supposed to eat this?’

It takes me a moment to process that. ‘Uh, you just… pinch a little of the stuff in between your fingers, then eat it. Or you could just, um, go in directly, which I’m thinking isn’t really your style.’

He narrows his eyes, but follows my instructions nonetheless. Only a second after putting the stuff in his mouth, Lotor purrs.

Everyone around him, being me, Coran and Romelle (Allura’s off telling Lance how great Earth food is), looks with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Lotor appears as if he’s just died inside. The berry-shaded blush on his face is adorable, though.

'I didn't, like, poison you or something, right?'

'No. It's that... I would never in my lifetimes have expected something so tooth-rottingly sweet to be this delicious.'

'So you're okay?'

‘Yes. In fact, I quite like… this cotton candy.’

I grin.

[backslashdelta]

IN FAIRNESS TO ME the Tumblr post was going to include a screenshot from the scene to back me up that it was real

But yes this would be very funny lmao low-key I should have just posted as though it were a real scene and waited to see how people reacted

Had a dream last night there was a scene in Glee where Kurt was upset about something and Puck noticed, and then decided he needed a hug so he just gave him a really big hug, and they stood there hugging each other for a while and it was such a sweet moment and they were all alone, it wasn't in the background or in the hall with people walking by and ruining the shot and I am absolutely devestated that this isn't real

[btsqualityy]

Kins: “you know Berk will never yes to a threesome” Ki: “why though? I’m hot” “shut up” “but Berk is so strong and she looks she wears the pants in the relationship with how much Noah worships her yet she’s not like that during sex…? I’m curious” “Noah does everything for her because he owes it to Berk that he has Mia. It’s obvious because Berk carried Mia but there’s a lot to unpack with that one. But I’m not going to tell you that because it’s Berk’s story to tell” “hmm interesting. You know If I didn’t become a producer I would be a marriage counselor instead. If only I could be a fly on the wall just to see what it’s like behind closed doors” “ppfftt like Noah will let you set foot in his house” “what is wrong with that guy? But I get it. If I had a wife as badass like Berk I would be so possessive of her. Never thought I would agree with short stack” “Noah is very petty though. If he saw how much Mia likes you he would explode from jealousy” Ki sniggers “I would pay so much to see that. Oohhh is Mia in the office today? I wana try that out”

If Berk was in a relationship with someone as dominant as Kiyoung, it wouldn’t work out because Berk doesn’t like to be bossed lol that’s why her and Noah work out so well 😭Kiyoung would still be lowkey confused though lol

[anemchy]

noah fence but sucrose’s voicelines about people are like some of my favorite things :’D who let this little autistic out into the wild??

About Noelle: She's a really willing helper, I can't deny that. It's just... she makes me a bit anxious is all. One time, she saw three boxes of materials stacked just outside my laboratory door, and proceeded to move them inside for me. A nice gesture, but the thing is... I'd only just finished putting them outside...

About Kaeya: Oh... I know he likes to joke, and isn't trying to make fun of me, but I often struggle to work out which parts are the truth and which parts are jokes. So whenever he talks to me, the outcome is either one of two things: morbid embarrassment or unbearable awkwardness.

About Amber: I'm curious to why her doll is called "Baron Bunny," it clearly has nothing to do with a rabbit at all. Oh, the headband makes it look like it has rabbit ears you say? Hmm... that's heavily reliant on the rabbit stereotype, is it not? Many rabbits' ears are floppy.

About Fischl: I take it you're referring to the book series, Flowers for Princess Fischl? Indeed, the world the author came up with is very creative. If only I could go and see it with my own eyes. Oh? you're referring to Fischl herself? I am... doubtful that she could really take me there.

About Eula: The role of a scout is a hazardous one, and Ms. Eula throws herself into danger all too easily. So, I made a reconnaissance device for her, so that she wouldn't have to infiltrate enemy camps herself. But Ms. Eula has such an imposing manner, she really puts me on edge, and... I was so nervous that I accidentally left out a few important details while explaining how to use it... As a result, there was an accident... Ah, what should I do... I hope she won't hold a grudge against me...