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mc-critical · 3 days ago

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Guess I also found another resident tragic couple paralleling Satrakci ~~

So while Bali Bey/Armin undoubtedly have more Mustafa/Helena parallels [to the point of Abbas Ağa kind of paralleling Joshua Efendi as well in terms of his role as an antagonist, with both of them threatening to take (and in Abbas's case taking) drastic actions to seek justice and get Helena/Armin back because they're taken pretty much against the law], some Satrakci parallels emerge too: with Matrakci himself being paired with Bali Bey, seeing him as proactive and insistent with Armin as he once was with Sadika, but advising him to stop and give up as it isn't working, to let it go, quit trying to beat these impossible odds and not complicate stuff for himself even further by going against everyone and the law, which is definitely informed by what he experienced with Sadika (but even with that pain lingering within him, he's still eager to defend Bali Bey in front of Armin and give them a place to keep cover in), Matrakci is even currently grieving Sadika and he is a witnesser of both Bali Bey telling him that a woman can heal the pain and him indulging in women as pleasures (Eleniki) the way Matrakci himself also might have before Sadika (as he's probably gone in taverns off-screen, given his knowledge of taverns we saw a bit of with Leo), Bali Bey actually falling in love with a woman out of his orbit and doing the impossible to get her, them almost getting their happy ending and being overcome by tragedy instead, the tragedy of death (not the one of necessary separation Mustafa/Helena had); Ibrahim's involvement is also key here, for he discards Bali Bey's feelings outright like he did Matrakci's in the past due to Bali Bey/Matrakci going against the law and what has to be done for things to return to normal instead of just giving pragmatic advice like he did with Mustafa about Helena (the extent of going against the law and what exactly has to be done for things to return to normal is more of a Mustafa/Helena parallel, though), and Bali Bey even blames Ibrahim for not being able to be with Armin (although Ibrahim is right here and SS has apparently agreed with Ibrahim's decision after he found out about the matter as well, but Ibrahim is still the one who gets to have the 'final verdict', with SS merely echoing it, similarly to Satrakci's case); and most importantly, Armin and Sadika's similar predicaments - both being from a foreign land, both having experienced men following them around (at least this is what Armin's first scene reads like to me) and someone else (Bali Bey and Matrakci respectively) appearing and, to an extent, proving to be better than that, and both of them not reciprocating Bali Bey/Matrakci's feelings but gaining a certain fondness for them eventually regardless.

{With that being said, Armin also has parallels with Isabella: both of them again being from foreign lands, having the men they encounter (Bali Bey and SS) saying that they won't bother them, that they won't touch them, but not following up on these claims, both of their positions preventing Bali Bey or causing hesitation on SS's part (due to his supposed bigger plans for Isabella) to fully be with them on a micro (Armin being jewish along with being a freed woman) and a macro scale (Isabella being a foreign princess and a state matter, along with being engaged), both of them being tied to the idea of kidnapping: Bali Bey directly kidnaps Armin, symbolically "saving her from his father's costraints" and Gritti professing that Isabella can be saved by Frederick from her captivity only through being kidnapped, and to the smallpox outbreak: one of the plans to get rid of Isabella being to kill her through an infected bandage and Armin literally dying from smallpox. And this happens when both of them were the closest to the men they came to love (Isabella being in SS's harem, Armin marrying Bali Bey). Isabella and Sadika have parallels too: sharing a disdain for SS due to his reputation and/or what he's literally done in their own native lands and to them themselves, wanting to get close to SS due to ulterior motives (at first when it comes to Isabella) - seeking revenge in Sadika's case and getting freed in Isabella's, SS getting close to both of them eventually without them wanting to (E21, E32) and them atoning for this (Isabella kind of also atones for her own already energing feelings for SS IMO, but I digress) and their fiancé/husband's fate being dictated by SS at the end.}

Satrakci's Ibratice & Hürremleo parallels

Sadika and Matrakci become a more fascinating story with each rewatch and one of the main reasons why is the parallels it has with two other resident tragic couples.

[My initial plan for the post was for it to only be about Satrakci's parallels with Ibratice, as I wanted to rework what I said in this IG edit I made for Sol's birthday back in July (I've been unwell ever since I was graced with the Ibratice parallels then), but upon rewatch I noticed the Hürremleo parallels as well, so why not include both, right?]

In terms of Hürremleo, the parallels are looser at first; they can be seen more through some similarities in role either Sadika or Matrakci have to Leo or Hürrem, as well as the ties they have with them in the respective plots, but then the parallels become more and more direct due to the shared, ongoing tragedy of both stories.

Both Leo and Sadika are from another country and come in Istanbul for an ""ulterior"" motive connected to their love: Leo searches for his Alexandra, while Sadika seeks vengeance for her Ariel. They gain others' favor along the way and it's this exact favor that complicates matters for them even further: Sadika is sent to Hatice and Ibrahim's castle, while Leo is sent to a painters' workshop, both encountering difficulty to finish their respective duties or missions, what's ordered to them by the rulers in general (killing Süleiman ordered by Louis, finishing Süleiman's portrait ordered by SS himself). The agency of both of them is constantly violated when they only want to be done soon as possible (Leo's aforementioned "order" itself is merely a part of this, and even though Sadika wants to seek her vengeance, the pressure is definitely wearing on her too). Both of them get someone (Nigar, Matrakci) to send their letters to the people related to their 'purposes', their closest people there, really. Both of them are labeled as traitors and are "dealt with" in the same episode after their 'traitorous' acts have been revealed in some way.

There's a whole post to be made about Sadika's parallels with Hürrem, but overall it's their whole trajectory in the harem that is paralleled: they win over some main authorities (the dynasty and SS respectively) but not others, however those who are won over are really won over, their fondness and trust is really earned (until it's broken at some point, whether permanently or for a while, namely due to something to do with murder on different scales: Ayşe Hatun's murder - that both Hürrem and Sadika are tied to - or the murder attempt on SS); they cling to their original faith at first (parallel scenes with their crosses) and become muslim for more pragmatic reasons (I believe Hürrem started developing some feelings for SS right when she fainted in his arms, with her praising him in front of Gülnihal after that scene, and having flashbacks later and so on, but it was all a gradual process); their motivations have to do (at least at first in Hürrem's case) with revenge due to their past experiences, their loved ones' losses; they are seperately tutored by Sümbül Ağa (and both call his name wrong at times!); the concubines dislike and mistrust them due to their respective rises in the ranks and both have beefs with Ayşe Hatun in particular. Both Sadika and Hürrem also have Leo and Matrakci respectively as likely to compromise what they have accomplished, so they don't want them around themselves much (at least not until Sadika finds use for Matrakci and yet she doesn't want him to go much beyond that use, understandably), no matter how much they may appreciate them or what they do for them.

Both Matrakci and Leo are harem outsiders that perceive that whole world as foreign or just beyond them no matter how close to it they appear to be at this point, so the only thing they can do is go with the flow and navigate it together (Matrakci obviously knows way more than Leo but still). They are ordinary people that somehow always end up at the heart of the action (i.e. the jannisary rebellion) due to their ties with the main characters (Hürrem and Ibrahim respectively). Both of them are characterized by their strong loves. Both of them are insistent on taking every chance they get to meet their loves no matter how impossible it may seem. Both of them lean on hope to get closure with their loves no matter how delayed (Matrakci) or inconceivable (Leo) it is. Both of them are devastated at the end as they face the consequences of being involved in a supposed betrayal. Both of them want their own lives to be taken instead of having to deal with the aftermath of the painful event (that would include having to see their loves suffer or them having to make their loves suffer).

Both Matrakci and Hürrem are people who are still on their path to adapt, but get more and more ingrained in the palace life eventually to the point they get inseparable from it much later on (and that is also helped by their contrasting relationships with Ibrahim). Both of them function as Leo's guides to the inner workings of the castle at certain points. Both of them are motivated by their resurged or newfound care for him here and try to help him in many ways. Both of them try to arrange for their loves to leave (whether subtly or directly, whether for real or as a ruse for another order to be followed). Both of them have to deal with the deaths of their loved ones, brought forth by their hands, due to a cruel order of the same person. Both of them can't seem to forget the experience, no matter how much one might push them to. Both of them keep it close to their hearts.

The more we go, the more tied together these different people get. From Sadika who comes to the harem with a mission that becomes likely to get compromised and that comes to involve Hürrem (when does Hürrem first dream of Leo himself, with him telling her he'll save her? Oh, right - when she was exiled in Edirne for Sadika's murder of Ayşe!); to Sadika aiming more adamantly for SS's chambers, becoming a direct threat for Hürrem, thus she sends her away; to Leo arriving in Istanbul and then showing up all the more in the place Sadika is sent away in; to Hürrem seeing Leo again for the first time in that same place; to Hürrem meeting Leo there again, with Sadika getting involved too for a bit, suspecting something and searching at Leo's things (and it's namely there almost all her meetups with Matrakci are as well); to both the orchestration of Leo's death and the final sealing of Sadika's fate being all tied again to Ibrahim's castle (the main room and the dungeon, respectively), to Ibrahim himself.

Ibrahim seems to "bless" both respective couples or at least the people that are part of them that are more tied to him (Matrakci, Leo); one instance genuine, the other quite performative (wanting to marry Matrakci to Sadika throughout many episodes; telling Leo to confess everything in order for Ibrahim to ""protect"" Hürrem in E24), but ultimately, he screws over both of them at the same time, in the same episode (Hürremleo at day, Satrakci at night), without hesitation. They are forever torn apart and only the surviving have to deal with the fallout (no wonder Matrakci's anguish right after Sadika's death is immediately followed by Hürrem's cries in the hammam!).

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In terms of Ibratice, along with the more basic similarities in role these four people share with one another and the ways they're tied in their respective plots, we have more outlined but deceptive parallels that solidify and become more legitimate due to the joint inevitable future tragedies that await both stories.

Both Ibrahim and Sadika are loved before they feel anything for the people who love them in return. They make their first move only when they sense they can latch onto these people due to different reasons, but they still grow eventual fondness for them regardless. They are the more restrained, cautious side in most of the interactions. They are the ones mostly sending the letters.

Both Ibrahim and Matrakci are the more active forces in their dynamics with their significant others: they seek the opportunities to arrange the meetings, they mostly send the gifts. They are more persistent to fight for their loves however possible. They respect each other's feelings (at least to a point in Ibrahim's case) because they get each other and they get it. They're close witnessers of the others' happiness.

Both Hatice and Sadika have faced the death of their former husband and have trauma related to that, regardless of their different views on said men and their different reactions. Both of them are pressured by those above them in some ways (Hatice to marry Mehmet Celebi; Sadika to avenge Ariel as quickly as possible, at all costs). Both of them are wary not to be seen, of the reactions of others while meeting Ibrahim and Matrakci respectively. Both of them strive for put some distance between Ibrahim and Matrakci respectively, no matter the reason.

Hatice's dynamic with Sadika in particular, along with Ibrahim's with Matrakci, is only bound to put Sadika and Matrakci's parallel story at a center stage. Both Hatice and Ibrahim relate to the hurdle Sadika and Matrakci are apparently experiencing, as this is a hurdle they both have recently experienced and they (Hatice especially) want Sadika and Matrakci to flourish, so they obviously plan to marry them.

However, just like Hatice is a distant witnesser to what's happening around Sadika and the similarities between the four are again very baseline, that relating of Ibratice's to Satrakci is merely relating by assumption. Ibrahim and Hatice think that a love story is happening in front of them, but despite of the similar secret meetings both duos have in the palace gardens, Sadika and Matrakci aren't quite a love story. It's more about Sadika seeking ways to smooth her situation over and fulfill her mission. While Matrakci really loved her, the way Sadika's feelings develop turns out to be way more complicated and it all starts from an initial sense of discomfort, even fear (given her previous experience with Bonçuk Ağa, why wouldn't she be wary of another man who wants her and pursues her?; I think the main reason why she grew fond of Matrakci regardless was him actually showing Sadika basic respect in spite of his passionate feelings he also struggled to contain at times, along with him helping her that unconditionally. And given how many traumas related to that she's experienced - not just by Bonçuk but also by Süleiman - of course that would mean the world to her. Him actually being decent to her and facilitating her mission? Of course that would come to comfort her at least a bit.), then moving to gratitude and only then, finally, to appreciation and fondness (even before his offer for escape in E25, as she called him a good person several times before, in E24 as well) and even then, the objective is prioritized most. The letters weren't letters for her uncle but for the Hungarian king. They all were involved in a spy mission and no one realized it until it was already too late.

But the more we head to the reveal of who Sadika truly is and the characters' realizations and reactions, the closer Satrakci end up to Ibratice. Along with Sadika becoming fonder of Matrakci, more parallels between her and Ibrahim crop up as both of them emerge as traitors to the Sultan not just through their parallel plot-lines in the same episode with Leo/Hürrem and Süleiman respectively (with Ibrahim as the more indirect traitor in both the Leo situation and his involuntary involvement in Sadika's own 'traitorous' actions; though both him and Sadika are placed as killers in their parallel plot-lines: one of Leo - a successful attempt, the other of Süleiman - an unsuccessful one), but also through one finalizing action that will directly threaten the sultan (more metaphorically in Ibrahim's case and more literally in Sadika's) that will bring them on their way to execution.

Sadika is immediately disarmed and imprisoned, awaiting for her fate while the full extent of her several crimes is yet being uncovered. lbrahim's single crime is still pondered on by Süleiman, so he isn't directly confronted, it all rather seeming like his relationship with SS is on a high instead, having no idea what would later come forth. Both Ibrahim and Sadika are supposedly given a way out by (Ibrahim's other lover :DDDD) Süleiman and Matrakci respectively - Ibrahim apparently solidifiying even more his perhaps no longer shaky place next to his majesty and Sadika getting hopeful for a few moments that, maybe, an escape is truly possible (this can also be a parallel with Hatice to an extent - with her having worries earlier but ultimately brushing them off until the unavoidable truth is delivered to her, just like Sadika). Both are executed anyway.

This is where the parallels between Matrakci and Hatice come in: Both Matrakci and Hatice will have to grapple with these respective deaths. The loves of both emerge as traitors executed by the order of another person - of the one person, the next person Matrakci and Hatice value the most. Even though Ibrahim's death comes as a surprise to Hatice, while Matrakci is all too aware of it, having to follow the order himself, their pain is the same. And both of them are urged to get over it "with time", but they struggle to (and Hatice doesn't manage to at all; just like Sadika, she'll want to AVENGE her (other) husband who SS killed).

All these different people are tied together all the more directly and from the very beginning: Ibrahim brings Sadika in the castle per Matrakci's request due to Matrakci's pity and compassion for her; the first move Sadika does to gain favor is done during Hatice's engagement to Mehmet Celebi; Sadika becomes Hatice's main lady not only due to Hürrem's suggestion, but also because she too has come to like her; Sadika and Matrakci's whole story takes place in Ibrahim's castle once again; Ibratice's wedding opens the path for a possible Satrakci wedding, as I already mentioned; both Sadika and Matrakci (along with Leo) are next to Hatice during the jannisary rebellion and witness the loss of her child; Ibrahim and Matrakci order a brooch and a necklace for Hatice and Sadika respectively at the same time after Hatice loses the child; the closer Satrakci get to Ibratice's orbit in general, the more chipper Ibratice get over said possible wedding, trying to realize it... until Satrakci's doom suddenly comes forth, once again by the same person they've been "blessed" by before {and on an interesting more symbolic note that links that doom even more with Ibrahim: we have water motives around both Satrakci and Ibratice. Matrakci's last moments with Sadika, with what will only become a relic of the past, were on a boat (coming full-circle, as Sadika herself also arrived in Istanbul by a boat, ready to embrace her future). Ibrahim traveled on a ship to Parga, a remnant of his past as well, after everyone learned about his relationship with Hatice and it was unclear what would happen. Both relationships were threatened and in a completely final way, in terms of Satrakci. The freedom symbolism of the ship is pretty much taken away for the boat namely by the guy for who it meant freedom to quite an extent and it's turned into a close, inevitable, encompassing doom instead of a further, temporary one (although one could argue that some of the original freedom symbolism remains against all odds, as Matrakci allowed Sadika to put the sack on her head herself - but the outcome isn't changed regardless and this is sadly the most he could do in this situation...). Ibrahim himself is quite associated with boats too outside of that and this association is even called back in his last episode. Ibrahim is executed at night, just like Sadika is. Okay, I may be reaching here a bit, BUT...}.

Regardless of his earlier "blessing" of Sadika and Matrakci, everything is discarded after the betrayal and Ibrahim will make him execute her anyway, constantly insisting for him to move on. What's more intriguing, he tells this to Hatice as well, presenting the very assertion of "moving on with time" that she'll challenge in the future namely over her grief for him [the "scales of relation" tip again - it's now Ibrahim who distances himself from Matrakci's circumstances (even though he will end up unable to due to what'll come for him in the future), while Hatice relates to Matrakci's pain (and she'll continue relating to it in the future). It's kind of fascinating that Ibrahim and Hatice are actually at odds for this and that it is one of the first things they're actually at odds for outside of their different relationships with Hürrem, even before Hatice's first pull of rank on him; it may not be just a matter of viewpoints (and coping mechanisms: Ibrahim strives to completely move on from his painful experiences, to not even recall them and expects others to do so as well, while Hatice arrives at a point when she no longer can after the person she leans on the most is also taken away from her, after her brother too is taken away from her; how can she cling to peace any further, will it be possible? She desperately wishes to make it possible, however...) - Ibrahim at this point definitely wouldn't want her to grieve for him forever, he would like to spare her that pain, still though...]. So Matrakci and Sadika skip straight to Ibrahim and Hatice's tragic ending in spite of both Ibrahim and Hatice's hopes for them to get that initial happy ending of their wedding instead. This is how Satrakci emerge right up as tragic mirrors to Ibratice that'll only be an omen for the future, no matter how many ups there otherwise are and will be, no matter how much everything seems to be smoothed over.

#magnificent century #sadika hatun #matrakci nasuh #armin #bali bey #isabella fortuna #sultan suleiman #ibrahim pasha #satrakci #bali bey x armin

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samatheia229 · 2 years ago

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Rise Ponderings:

The Turtles With Japanese Names

I've seen a lot of headcanons lately that support the "Rise boys' given names ARE their colours and they only got the artist names later on" narrative so I'd like to share my own.

Rise Splinter is undoubtedly very Americanised but I think that despite him forsaking his familial duties and old life, he’s still Japanese, is still a Hamato. So, subconsciously, he gave the boys Japanese names (of their corresponding colours, of course).

On that note, for all that Splinter has Celebrity-Who-Gives-Their-Kids-Unique-Names energy, I believe that he would still have enough decency to give them somewhat proper Japanese names not just 'Aka', 'Ao', 'Murasaki' and 'Orenji'.

However, for a period of time, the English-colour-names Splinter uses in the show would have been how addressed each other because they are, for the most part, an English-speaking household. Until an eight-year-old April came along insisting that those weren't 'real names', the turtles English names were 'Red', 'Blue' etc.

After adopting 'proper' English names, those became the common form of address, though Splinter still calls them by the English colours because it's a habit for him. They don't mind.

They don’t use their Japanese names often. It’d mostly be during serious-talk time, in official stuff, calling someone by their full name or teasing.

Ironically, in Splinter's (read: my) effort to not be a basic bitch, most of the boys' Japanese names are female. You can bet they tease the shit out of each other about it. The only one that actually takes offense to the teasing is Donnie whose name is very common and recognisable, so he always gets asked why he has it and/or if he realises that it's a girly name.

The Names

*NOTE: I'm using Kanji here. Fair warning, they could be written wrong, so if there are any Japanese speakers out there, do correct me.

Hamato 'Raphael' Shuiro

Shuiro 朱色 = vermilion

Raph’s name is the only one that isn’t a real given name but I thought it suited him.

Colour Symbolism:

Besides being one of the most dominant colors in Japanese culture, red is associated strongly with authority, strength, sacrifice, passion, joy, and happiness. It's also regarded as an auspicious color in Japan.

Frequently said to have Eldest Daughter Syndrome by the fandom, Raph is the ultimate authority among the brothers. He self-appoints as leader not because he necessarily wants to be, but because as the oldest and the biggest, he feels like it's his responsibility to look after the others. Which often takes great strength and sacrifice. Surface Pressure from Encanto, anyone?

Furthermore, red, specifically vermilion, is very symbolic in Japanese architecture:

Red is the color of torii – Shinto shrine gates – temples, and traditional daruma dolls. Red is said to scare away evil spirits and represent protection, strength, peace, and power.

All in all, very fitting for the big brother and family protector, if you ask me.

Hamato 'Leonardo' Aoi

Aoi 青い = blue

Aoi is a unisex name; meaning hollyhock flower when used for girls and blue for boys. I'm using the male meaning for Leo.

Colour Symbolism:

Blue commonly represents the sea and the sky (for which Japan is surrounded) and symbolizes purity, dignity, calmness, stability, security, and fidelity. Blue is also regarded as a lucky colour.

In this case, blue is rather in juxtaposition with Leo's personality, but looking at it from a franchise perspective, blue is indeed a leader's colour.

Back then, Japanese society was strictly hierarchical and displayed through the colour of their robes. Of the colors that were allowed for common folk, the color blue was work by higher ranking people. It symbolized wealth and prestige, while also remaining a color of the common folk.

That being said, Leo's a little different from his predecessors. Eventually, he will grow into the role of the leader we know and love. But even when he was unburdened from being leader, he was still the strategist. Leo's leadership in fights is a balance between what is uniquely Rise and the mission-mindset of the leaders in blue who came before him, strategies that are fun, wacky and maybe a little unorthodox yet still as effective for the team.

Hamato 'Donatello' Sumire

Sumire 菫 = violet (flower)

Sumire is usually a girl's name but I don’t think Splinter would’ve cared all that much about gender.

Donnie doesn't either and even likes his name, though it has caused him a lot of grief over the years. A lot of people think it's strange for a guy with his personality to have such a feminine name, and he's really sick of having to defend his name after introducing himself. Part of why he wanted 'Donnie'.

Colour Symbolism:

Like in the West, purple in Japanese culture is associated with royalty, as purple dye was rare and only available to those of a higher status. It can also reflect on nobility, spirituality, and wisdom.

Out of everyone, Donnie embraces his colour about the most. His clothes are purple, his tech is purple, his lab is bathed in purple lighting. Purple is Donnie's thing. This, in a way, ties in with the colour's exclusivity back then.

Flower Symbolism:

In Hanakotoba (flower language), the meaning of violet is sincerity, a small love, and a small bliss. Violets are a common gift, as they are an ideal way to show appreciation for a family member or friend and to express sincerity or love.

I think this is very Donnie. What he lacks in the emotional department, he makes up for through his tech. He creates things for his family, making them all kinds of personalised gizmo. Sometimes it results in disaster but the intention to help is there. Gift-giving is his love language.

Hamato 'Michelangelo' Mikan

Mikan 蜜柑 = tangerine

Mikan is a common Japanese girl name. Baby girls named "Mikan" are usually joyful, positive-thinkers, smiley and generally happy people.

Mikey loves his name and doesn't care that it's girly and cute, no matter how the others tease him about it. (SIDE NOTE: I swear the near-matching names wasn't intentional. I was just looking for a name that means mandarin orange for a bit I'm writing).

Colour Symbolism:

Orange is symbolic of love, happiness and the sun.

The youngest of the family, Mikey is optimistic and cheerful. He brings joy and colour to the household through his art. He encourages everyone to be express their love openly and always tries to be supportive.

Fruit Symbolism:

Besides good fortune, wealth and longevity, the fruit mikan can be tied to family because of its role in Japanese traditions. In Japan, there is a word “Kotatsu de Mikan”, which means:

A family sits around a kotatsu (a traditional Japanese table with an electric heater attached to the underside), watching TV and eating mikan — the traditional picture of a harmonious family seen in the wintertime.

Mikey is all about family. He's the heart, always the peacemaker, always bringing everyone together.

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TLDR; I really love how each turtle has a role to play in the family, how their respective colours are so appropriate for who they are as people, and I wanted their Japanese name to reflect that.

#the pics aren't mine #So many iterations of TMNT and no Japanese names?#A travesty #rottmnt #rottmnt raph #rottmnt leo #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt mikey #japanese names #rottmnt headcanons

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amanda-519 · 2 years ago

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Rise of the tmnt movie spoilers!! Read at your own risk! I just finished the movie so these are ALL tbe spoilers!!

WHAT A MOVIE!! God I've literally been waiting the while entire day for this!! Checking my watch, waiting for the time to pass, and now that it has, can I just say it was WELL worth the wait!!

I loved every bit of this movie!

Let's start it off at the beginning, the opening shot?? Amazing! I was really worried about spoilers, since I intended to go into this movie completely blind, but couldn't help myself and look up rottmnt on tumblr and hears about the KANG and future Casey and all that. I was worried that we wouldn't see the future till like, 20 mins into the movie but no! It jumps right out at ya at the start!

Gosh I absolutely loved the future versions of the characters!

Ok but can we just talk about Mikey real quick - he's my favorite of the brothers, my favorite character in the whole series actually. And apparently he can TIME TRAVEL?? LIKE FUTURE LEO JUST TELLS MIKEY TO MAKE A TIME PORTAL LIKE HE COUPD ALWAYS DO THAT??

And!! And!!

At the end of the movie he just!! Opens a portal!! Like Leo does!! Granted, it was extremely hard, but Mikey can create portals kinda like Leo can?? Ohhh, what if Leo is the "space" part of "time and space" and Mikey is the "time" part!

Gosh I would really love a future episode, here's to hoping that they get another season, were Mikey finds out he can pull items from the future/past. Maybe it's an accident at first? Like, he keeps accidently grabbing things from the future and/or past. Everything he puts down weirdly disappears. Like, at the start of the episode Donnie can't find something, and complains to everyone else, which makes them realize that things *have* been going missing around the lair lately. And at the end of the episode, when the problem has been solved, Donnie complains about his thing still being missing, only for Mikey to pull it from the past and present it to him like, "ohhhh, you mean this?" (This causing the thing to go missing in the first place)

Also! More about Mikey because like, as I said, he's my favorite turtle. Casey said that Mikey was the "best mystic warrior" in the future. The emphasis on "mystic" really made me wonder. All throughout the movie i was waiting for him to be the first to break out of the mystic power down thing, since he's supposed to be the *best* at mystic stuff. But him getting a new power was also really neat to see!

Also, if I could go on a teeny tiny rant about Mikey and then I swear I would be done talking all about him: I feel like he's the brother without really, a "thing".

Each of the brothers has a "thing". Donnie has his cool tech, Leo is arrogant but is shown to lack the skills needed to gain that arrogance, Raph is prone to outbursts and has the strongest moral compass out of tbe group. I know you're going to say that Mikey is the sensitive one, the artist, and I agree! It's something I really like about him! But I feel like in the show he's kinda always shoved aside. I could go on, but that little rant could be it's own post all on its own-

Back to the movie! If I were to have one criticism of it, is that besides for Leo and Raph, a lot of characters weren't really given much to do? Like, this is undoubtedly a very Leo movie, he has a character arc and everything. Which is fine! I like Leo. I feel like tbe writers should get a chance to explore each bother on their own. But I wish tbe other characters did more stuff, and weren't shoved to the side as much.

I'm sorry Donnie stans, that Donnie didn't really do that much in the movie. Like, when he gets uploaded onto the ship and has full control over it, he doesn't really do much? I think he should haven gotten more of a "moment". Like, maybe he shut down all tbe KANNG monsters on earth or something. Just a way for him to save the day. Raph got his "save the day" moment while he sacrificed himself for Leo. Later Leo got his saved the day moment when he sacrificed himself. Mikey got his when he opened the portal. I think it's very important when you have a group of characters, like the brothers, you need to make sure each of them gets their "moment", their moment when they get to be cool and save the day. Idk, maybe Donnie stans are satisfied with what they got. Let me know! Actually, any other brother/character stan, let me know how you felt about your special character. I was wondering how tbe Raph stans felt, since because he was captured, he wasn't really in the movie as much as the others. Do yall like his character in this movie? Or do you feel upset that his character was just kinda used to father Leo's character arc? Let me know! I'm realy curious.

Also! What was up with those blue vitals April grabbed??? I kept waiting for them to be brought up! When Leo is giving his pep talk on the building I was waiting for April to bring it up but nothing! One vital took up a KANNG whole eye! Why didn't they break into the university and steal more??

I really hope the university is brought up more in the 3rd season, if we get one. They could be next season's big bad? And that's why they weren't focused on more??

Talking about tbe 3rd season, man I really hope we get it! There's literally so many ideas for the 3rd season.

Firstly is, of course, Casey! He's here to stay,which must be weird! It messes up the timeline, not to mention how Cassie (Cassandra) would react when she finds out that she has a SON! Also, it seems like Casey isn't really used to the present, or well, past world. It'll be really interesting to see how he learns to cope with it. It has already been shown that he doesn't do well with people, an episode focusing on how he learns to live in the present world would be cool! Maybe he could even go to school with April!

The 3rd season could also introduce the brothers new mystic powers! Like I said above, I think exploring Mikey's would be cool! Also just a bit more focus on Mikey in general maybe?? Like, ok so, I've kinda always had this idea of Mikey getting insecure that he doesn't really have a "thing" like his other brothers. He can't take hits like Raph, or he isn't a genius like Donnie is, nor is a good leader like Leo is. I think giving him the ability to be more in tune with the mystic side of himself would be interesting. Real Anng from avatar vibes. Especially since there's the wholehidden mystic city and everything. Maybe there's spirit's only je can see? Oh! And that could lead back to Draxum, since he is so intune with mystic stuff and since he's been around for so long. It makes sense because out of all the brothers, Mikey is definitely the closest to Draxum.

Talking about Draxum and possible future episodes! I think he and Donnie should really get an episode. They both really like science, and Donnie looks like he's warming up to mystic stuff. Plus, they're both not really good with their feelings lol. Seeing an episode were they bond would be really interesting!

Anyways, that's all I have to say about the movie right now. But come scream at me in my inbox or my messages if you want to talk more about the movie, or just rise in general! I would really love someone to talk about all of this with!

#rottmnt #rottmnt movie spoilers #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles movie #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles movie spoilers #rise of the tmnt movie spoilers #rise of the tmnt movie

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gunsatthaphan · 3 years ago

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DONT PANIC PEOPLE BUT UH. In the preview for the special ep that they’ve now uploaded so we can pause and shit. LEO/FIAT (kinda hard to tell which one, I’m assuming leo though?) HAS WHAT VERY UNDOUBTEDLY LOOKS LIKE AN ENGAGEMENT RING BOX IN HIS HANDS AND HE SHOWS NATSU AND ANDA IT, it’s on the bit that has a kind of blurred filter over the top of the scenes but if you watch it slow and pause it’s very clear. Natsu kind of nods impressed/approvingly at it? IM??? and at another point when he says “I’m so happy” with fiat in his arms, he takes his hand and looks down at his finGers as if maybe there’s something oN one? Could also explain why all fiats friends are enthusiastically hugging him in joy and he looks over the moon about something at that glamping (I find it so unreasonably funny that they’re glamping) place they’re all in. I MEAN ITS NOT AS IF ITS A HUGE SURPRISE BUT STILL? INSERT THE ITS HAPPENING?! OFFICE MEME

aaahhhh you mean this part?

I didn't even notice that at first ahhhh 😭 It looks like Leo but also I'm not sure if that's actually a ring box? idk. I can definitely see a proposal happening though 👀 Like it's not a crazy idea. also what if they named the series don’t say no bc it refers to a proposal scene lmao

Also the thing you said about Leo looking down on Fiat's hands - you mean this part right?

I didn't see a ring on either of them but aaahhhhh idk. I would love that though 🥺 Also what else would the episode be about jkghgd

Also I love the fact that they're glamping lmaooo like that's so in character for them. They know what's good.

I'm so excited 🥺

xxx

#dont say no #dsn special ep #leofiat #preparing for a huge ass leonpob reunion and then everyone's happy 😊

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jetaime-jespere · 3 years ago

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Sandcastles

A very pointless, fluffy, and short little piece for the lovely @sequinsmile-x 💓 Set in the WSNE universe, a little snippet inside the Hotchner family vacation, featuring a few old friends and Aaron in a pair of swim trunks (you're welcome for the visual).

“Mommy!”

Nora’s excited shrieks can barely be heard over the calming crash of the ocean waves just a few yards away. Her daughter, a spitting image of herself even at seven years old, is covered head to toe in sand with a shovel in one hand and a plastic bucket in the other. “Mommy, come look at the sand castle Daddy and Uncle Shane are making!” Nora nearly trips over her own two feet as she dashes through hot sand toward the ocean, tangled dark hair flying behind her.

Emily smiles and exchanges a knowing look with Allison. Her friend holds a sleeping baby to her chest - their third, just five months old- and balances a beer bottle in the other. She’d always been an efficient multi-tasker. “I’ll go this time.” Emily checks to make sure Leo is still sleeping peacefully on the blanket under the massive umbrella, relieved he wasn’t woken by Nora’s enthusiasm. “You went last time.”

“Thanks,” Allison sighs with relief, shifts the baby on her chest. “Send Jude up here if you can.” She already has a bottle of sunscreen in her free hand. “He’s going to fight me on this sunscreen. I just know it.”

Nora meets her closer to the waves, dragging her by the hand to where Aaron and Shane are hard at work, surrounded by even more beach toys. They’re also covered in sand, exchanging laughs as they work. In the forty five minutes they’ve been gone, they’ve managed to construct one of the biggest sand castles Emily has ever seen, much to Nora’s delight. Shane and Allison’s daughter Harper is persistently asking Shane to make the towers taller, and Shane obliges, his mild annoyance overpowered with adoration for her. Nora chatters on about princesses and dragons, which princess lives in which tower, how much they have left to build. It’s a chaotic mess, but a sight that makes Emily’s heart swell with joy. Family vacations were the one luxury she never experienced as a child. It isn’t their first trip, but one they desperately needed, one full of memories she’ll hold dear.

“Look, Mommy! Daddy even made a moat around the castle.” Nora points to it - it’s already been lined with shells, undoubtedly from the massive collection she’s accumulated in the last few days of vacation. Some big, others small, but all carefully selected from her high standards.

“How do we break it to her that she can’t take home all five buckets of shells?” Aaron had asked Emily the day before.

“You’ll just have to win her a stuffed animal at the amusement park,” Emily had quipped in response. “She saw an elephant there the other night. Trust me she hasn’t forgotten about it.”

“You know who else doesn’t forget a thing?” Aaron had murmured, lovingly bumping his hip into Emily’s. “She learned from you.”

Emily appeases her daughter, allowing Nora to pull her in a circle around the castle. She points out every tower, every detail, and for a moment it’s like looking at a younger version of herself. She winks at Aaron, who heaves another shovel full of sand to begin the much anticipated second layer of the castle. It’s a stark contrast from his usual every day suit, to see him in dark blue swim trunks and nothing else, the muscles in his shoulders and back flexing with each dig. The kid-sized shovel looks miniature in his hands. “Working hard I see?”

“You have no idea.” Aaron winks back, a smile breaking on his face when he sees his wife. He told her earlier that morning, but he’s fairly certain vacation-mode Emily might be his favorite - hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck, the sleek black swimsuit hugging her body, not a trace of makeup on her face. “Grab a shovel,” he jokes. “Start helping.”

“In your dreams.” Emily brushes some sand from his shoulders, his hair. “Daddy looks like he needs a break. Uncle Shane too.” Emily laughs as Shane starts corralling Harper and Jude, swinging each of them into his arms towards their chairs.

“Daddy definitely needs a break,” Aaron pulls himself to his feet, wiping sand from his hands. “Let’s get a snack, Nora. Ask Uncle Shane to help you find the goldfish. And don’t wake your brother from his nap.”

“Okay, Daddy!” She beams, and runs off with beach toys in each hand. “Uncle Shane! Can you help me find the goldfish?!”

“She’s definitely going to wake Leo,” Emily says softly as Aaron wraps an arm around her waist. “She’s always had a knack for that.” They’re close enough to the ocean that waves lap softly at their ankles, the water cold. She jumps a little; Aaron tightens his grip around her. “Where’s Jack?”

“He met a bunch of kids playing paddle ball a little while ago. They’re in the ocean now.” Aaron points out their son right before a huge wave crashes over his head, sending him under. “I’m keeping an eye on him.”

“He’s having fun.” Emily smiles, rests her head against Aaron’s bare shoulder. “You are covered in sand, you know.”

“Oh, trust me, I know. It’s everywhere.” He kisses her, quick and discreet, then takes her hand.

“You’re the one who insisted on a beach vacation. It’s going to be everywhere for weeks, you know.” Emily sighs, breathing in the scent of him. A mix of sunscreen and salty sea air. Even slightly disheveled, she’s never loved him more than she does right then.

“Worth it though, right?” He squeezes her hand, pulls her against him. “Look how happy they are.” He gestures to their children - Nora and Leo, now awake, happily sitting on a beach blanket with Harper and Jude - and then Jack, laughing and carefree.

“Absolutely.” Emily follows his gaze around. Every once in a while, she wonders just how she ever got this lucky. Even years later, she sometimes has to stop and take it all in - how far they’ve come, how much they’ve been through. “Just maybe next time a bit less sandy.”

Aaron is about to answer before a familiar voice interrupts them yet again - Nora, ever insistent, barreling towards them with an entirely different set of sand toys in her hands. “Daddy! You said we’d finish the castle after my snack!”

Aaron presses a kiss to Emily’s cheek, smiling apologetically as he turns toward their daughter, lifts her into his arms and tosses her in the air, sand flying everywhere. Emily looks away out of habit, even though she knows Aaron will catch her every time. “I did?”

“Put me down, Daddy! It’s castle time!” Nora giggles, her face lit up with joy. “You promised!”

“I did, honey. You’re right.” He sets Nora down on both feet. “Go get us started. Pick the shells you want for the next part. I’ll be right there.” They both watch her run away, only speaking once she’s out of earshot.

“You’re in high demand,” Emily smirks with amusement. “Glad I could steal you away for a few minutes.”

Aaron laughs, low into her ear, draws her in with a hand on her back. “I have a few plans for you and me later, sweetheart.” He holds her just a few seconds longer, his eyes dark and full of want. “Just the two of us.”

Emily’s eyes sparkle, another smile twisting on her lips. “Care to share?” She murmurs, digging her nails lightly into his arm.

Aaron grins devilishly. “I would, but I have a sand castle to finish.”

#hotchniss #hotchniss fanfiction #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #wsne #we see no end universe #this might be the shortest thing I've ever written #I wrote this on the beach #and then my favorite ring got devoured by the ocean so its been a day over here

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fuckyeahisawthat · 4 years ago

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Primo is such an interesting character when it comes to violence, because at first glance he seems chaotic, but he has very understandable patterns and there is a logic to what he does.

There are times when he’s clearly decided to murder someone and he’s thought about it and planned for it in advance; in these circumstances he’s calm and methodical and almost relaxed about it. Would he still have killed Berto if he had accepted the lower offer for Paul? Who knows, but we know as soon as Primo puts that money back without arguing that some shit is about to go down, and he has the rifle so clearly he planned for this eventuality. In these circumstances he is quite uninhibited about doing violence but he’s very focused and goal-oriented; you know he’s gonna do what he planned to do and then be done with it.

Then there are times when he gets angry and anyone in his path who mildly annoys him might get murdered. And in these cases his violence is not always targeted at the person who made him angry in the first place, although there’s usually something that draws his attention to a specific person. So after the first insulting ransom offer, we see him lash out at Angelo for saying it’s like buying cattle. The actual target of his anger is (regrettably) not available for a beatdown and Angelo’s right there and said something that pissed him off. After Paul and Angelo escape he lashes out at Dante, which is not completely unmotivated--this guy clearly knows he fucked up and Primo is gonna be pissed--but also Dante just happens to be the person who’s still there for Primo to direct his rage at.

The reason he’s so scary in these moments is that you never know how far he’s gonna go. Sometimes he just needs to shake someone and hit them once or twice; sometimes he is ready to literally burn someone alive. We don’t know if he actually would have done that if he hadn’t been interrupted, or if he would have thought the better of it and stopped himself, or decided the scare was more useful than the kill, but we definitely feel like he could have done it.

But, also, we see that he can get control of himself in the middle of these moments. Sometimes he just needs to discharge the pent-up anger once and then he can control it, like when he puts hands on Don Salvatore in the barn even though that’s a terrible idea, but then the next time you see him want to do that, he’s able to control himself enough to go kick a bucket instead. (Despite what it looks like I think both Primo and Leo are exercising a huge amount of self-control in that scene; it is not easy to get provoked like that over and over and not fight back in some way.)

Sometimes he needs to redirect the anger; in the farmhouse you can sort of see him think “eh, you’ll do” about the old man before he kills him, then he’s done; he walked in ready to kill two people and that’s what he did. I would imagine that interacting with him in these moments is roughly equivalent to handling a live grenade, because it is extremely easy to say the wrong thing and have him end up directing the violence at you. Leo is...really the only person we see being able to pull it off.

Sometimes he is able to talk himself down on his own; despite telling Paul he’s going to kill him when the ransom doesn’t show, and literally having a gun in his hand to do it, by the next morning, Paul is still alive.

FWIW, I think he does learn to keep his anger in check a bit better as the series goes on, once it becomes clear to him that no one will be able to control this situation to his satisfaction but him. He’s totally ready to kill Paul in episode 4 after the first ransom offer; by episode 7 he’s able to restrain that impulse enough to think things through and ask for help, which I think is a pretty significant move on his part. But still, someone who has some control over their suppressed rage but not total control is a very scary person to be around.

(I imagine he’s probably pretty unsettling to like...hang out with, because even when he’s relaxed and shooting the shit with you, you know that violence is there under the surface. But also something-something about how deliberately cultivating an intimidating persona is a great way to convince himself his very obvious social isolation is entirely his choice...but that’s a whole other essay.)

But also. As calculating and as volatile as he can be, his violence still has an underlying logic that’s intelligible when he is using it to make someone do what he wants. There are rules that can be learned. Do this and I’ll hurt you. Do that and I won’t. If you stray outside the rules you will get hurt or killed, but if you follow them, he won’t go out of his way to hurt you just because he can. And whatever the rules are, he is generally consistent about them; he doesn’t switch them up for no reason. And he seems to take promises very seriously; if he says he will do something he’s not going back on his word. In his own warped way, he has a sense of ethics and...integrity? For a given value of those words.

I think there are plenty of times he finds violence satisfying. But we never see him hurt people just for fun. In a series with an endless number of parallels between the two families, it’s notable that he never has a scene equivalent to Old Paul siccing the dogs on the gardener for a laugh. Primo will tease people and he’ll threaten them and I do think he is...very aware of the fact that most people who know him are scared of him, and he uses that a lot to get what he wants. But he doesn’t hurt people for entertainment, just because he can.

This might seem like a minor point for a character who kills like 10 people on screen. But it’s a very important quality for a character who’s going to have life-or-death power over our other main character for the majority of the story. And it’s what allows the interactions between Primo and Paul to have this weird mix of violence and humanity. Primo will point a shotgun at Paul’s face and he undoubtedly does things to him that are traumatic, but he also won’t just...fuck with him for no reason, just because he has all the power in the situation.

Like, he is genuinely quite scary and you really do not want to be the person who catches his attention when he’s angry, but he’s not sadistic, and he has his own internally-defined rules and boundaries, and it all feels organic to what we know about him and the world he lives in. Which is really, really hard pull off, and Trust does it so well.

#trust fx #primo nizzuto #violence #long post

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five-miles-over · 4 years ago

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Blackout (Willie Gutierrez x Reader)

(image source: pinterest.com)

Summary: The reader is Willie Gutierrez’s new neighbor, and the two of them accidentally meet during a power outage when the reader wants to borrow a lighter for some candles

Word Count: 1,588

Warnings: mentions of weapons and murder, as well as references to the plot of ‘The Yards’

They'd only been apart for a week and already he had a new lover hanging off his arm.

For most people living in the run-down apartment complex, situated in the darkest, grittiest section of The Bronx, tonight was just like any other Friday night. After another day at their miserable 9-to-5, minimum-wage jobs, they’d saunter on home and either drink away a large portion of their paycheck or fall asleep in front of their television with a frozen dinner.

But for Willie Gutierrez, it was a night for celebration…a celebration of survival. This Friday marked his first week since he’d been released after 5-year-long sentence that he swore permanently took a part of his sanity. Even though there would be a parole officer visiting him twice a week, Willie was finally free to get his life back and live in society. As soon as the rays of the setting sun caught his eye, Willie cracked open a Miller beer and began scrolling through his cell phone.

I guess he finally got over his thing for Erica, Willie grunted as he looked at the photo. In an effort to be courteous, Leo Handler - Willie’s friend from grade school - sent a picture of himself with his arm around a blonde girl wearing a slip dress and Doc Marten shoes. He really had no need to try maintaining their relationship, visiting Willie in prison and calling him every week, especially not after all the trouble Willie had gotten him into. Maybe it was Leo’s mother who encouraged her son to let the past remain in the past.

Though for Willie, following that advice would be a task much easier said that done.

On the night he killed Erica, Willie remembered hearing a story from Leo’s step-uncle about Leo and Erica being in love despite their relationship as cousins., and how those two were caught having sex once. Even though it had been a while since that fateful night, it still made Willie cringe to think of them doing it. He wouldn’t have felt as bad if he’d found out one of his friends was Erica’s ex, but the fact that it was her cousin and his best friend - who’d taken jail time for their gang - made Willie want to vomit even now.

“Fuck.”

The lightbulb fizzled out like a dying fly, and the heating suddenly stopped, leaving his entire apartment completely dark and cold.

As he took in the view from the twentieth floor, the lights seemed to go out all over the city. Swearing under his breath, Willie slumped onto the couch and tried his best to take another swig of beer. He didn’t exactly have the wildest plans for tonight, but it’s not like he wanted to be stuck in a blackbox with no means of any entertainment.

A few moments later, Willie perked up when he heard a knock followed by an unfamiliar voice.

“Hello, is anyone home?”

Willie remained silent, wishing that his gun were here right now in case the voice belonged to a robber. Unfortunately, concealed carry for had a bit too much red tape for Willie’s liking. Not even getting in touch with Frank, his ex-boss, would help him get a gun for self-defense. Frank probably wanted nothing to do with Willie at this point, even if he was released for good behavior.

“I’m not a telemarketer, or anything. I’m your neighbor.” The voice added. "And I'm not armed."

"What do you want?" Willie muttered under his breath.

"A lighter would be nice," You replied. "Or some matches - could you open the door please? I swear I'm not here to hurt you."

Covering his eyes, he was blinded temporarily by the flashlight you held up so he wouldn't bump into you "Geez, you don't have to point that fucking thing at me!"

"Sorry…just wanted to make sure that you knew what I looked like." Sheepishly, you introduced yourself to him, telling him your name and how recently you'd moved into the building.

"I'm Willie, yeah…I'm new too. Why did you need lighters?"

You gestured to your other hand, which held a few candles. A flashlight probably wasn't going to last you all night, and even though your apartment was a literal shoebox, some candlesticks would provide enough brightness until the power came back on.

"Oh."

"So…may I borrow your lighter, please?"

"I would, but this is my only one."

"…And you don't trust me because you think I won't return it to you?"

After a moment of silence between the two of you, you invited Willie over to your apartment just so that he could take the lighter when you were done with it. And you secretly were hoping that Willie would turn out to be good company.

He internally debated for a few moments before accepting your proposition. On one hand, you seemed like a decent person…a decent person who probably just ended up in this place because you couldn't afford a nicer building, not because you had just gotten out of prison. On the other hand, you probably didn't know that he was a criminal and a murderer - how could he completely trust you, let alone accept an invitation into your home? He didn't even want to tell you his last name, just in case you'd seen it in the newspapers. Then again, it wasn't like he knew anybody else here except for his parole officer, and taking a chance might just be the thing he needed to get back to his old extroverted, adventurous self.

"So, what floor do you live on?"

"The same one as yours, Willie. The twentieth," You answered with a chuckle, leading him inside your home. "Can I get you something to drink - water, beer, or something?"

"Beer sounds fine."

You lit the candles in your apartment before heading to the fridge and handing him a bottle of hopefully-still-cold beer. Gladly accepting the drink, Willie sneakily tried to get a better look at you while you poured yourself another round of your favorite alcohol.

Amongst the candles, you actually looked quite pretty, maybe someone he wouldn't mind seeing more often. He'd most likely never seen you before because he rarely left the apartment over the past week, let alone his room.

On Monday, he could barely get out of bed because of how overwhelming it all felt - starting over from scratch with no friends, no family members, and no former acquaintances. He kept thinking about where to begin, and whom to ask for help. Tuesday and Wednesday, with a little help from his parole officer and prison therapist, he was able to enroll himself in some economics classes from a local college, and a part-time thing as a cashier at a drugstore. Thursday was spent mostly in bed again; it was a 'relapse', as Willie called it. And on Friday, he went out grocery shopping for the first time. Even though most of the stuff he picked out was instant, ready-to-eat food that required little to no preparation, it was still a good start.

"Power outages suck," you muttered, taking a sip.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I remember getting them sometimes when I lived in Queens."

"You lived in Queens?" "My whole life, yeah."

For almost three hours, the two of you continued to make some small talk. You eventually told him that you had recently graduated, and now working somewhere in the Bronx. It wasn't the greatest job in the world, but at least it got you a place to live and paid the bills. You told him a little about your home town, along with a silly thing or two about your childhood.

Willie felt himself relax a little more, hearing you talk about your life. He wished that maybe someday, he'd be able to talk about his past with the same ease that you seemed to have. In addition, you had a really great voice that was nice to listen to, though he wouldn't say that out loud. He didn't want to seem like he was coming onto you too suddenly. Plus, he didn't know if you were even looking for a relationship, or if you were already taken.

Just when you were almost finished telling a story, the lights buzzed back on with a crackle. "Look at that." You sighed, a part of yourself wishing that the power would not return for a while just so that Willie could be over for a bit longer.

"Yeah…power's back. I should probably head back. Besides, it's really late."

"Don't forget your lighter," you joked, reminding him why you originally invited him over to your place. Willie thanked you for your company and laughed a little, his jade-green eyes bearing a slight twinkle.

You walked him over to his place, a mere few steps away from yours, and the two of you discussed the possibility of maybe having dinner together sometime. It wasn't meant to be a date or anything, but just an opportunity for you to hang out as neighbors. You were both alone in a new city, and agreed that it would be great to have at least one familiar face to depend on.

"Good night…neighbor." He disappeared behind his door with a smug wink, proud of himself for taking a chance with you. Just like a poker player with a royal flush, he'd undoubtedly won this round.

"Good night, Willie."

#willie gutierrez #the yards 2000 #Joaquin Phoenix #willie x reader #willie gutierrez x reader

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yeochikin · 4 years ago

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of coffees and spells. | j. wooyoung

a/n: thank you so much @fvrcore for requesting a wooyoung fluff! i tried something new but still held onto the fluff concept bcs haha i suck at angst pls jfhdj this is a long read with maybe a few inaccuracies as well. so please do forgive me! i enjoyed writing this though so i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing this! ✨��

word count: 11k+ (idk man i lost count djfhh)

warnings: uhh inaccuracies with spells and the likes maybe, a few swears too. other than that, there isn’t anything else!

a soft sigh was slowly emitted from slightly chappy yet moist lips, courtesy of the warm tea swirling ever so gently in your favourite mug you are holding in your cold hands. your favourite blanket was draped over your shoulders while you admired how the stars and moon were hanging on the night sky above your head, shining ever so brightly. this certain time of day has always been your favourite, or should you call it time of night? ah, whatever. what matters is that you find comfort during the night.

speaking of the night, it was rather quiet, save for the sounds of the night’s wind breezing through that would make the leaves of the trees surrounding your cottage rustle every now and then, the wind chime hanging idly on the arch of your porch gently chiming by the wind as well, and of course, let’s not forget the crickets playing their songs into the night.

of course, you are not completely away from civilisation, where else could you get your basic needs if not from the town’s market? if you had a dollar every time someone asked if you lived deep within the wilderness, surely you could at least be a millionaire by now. truly, you feel amused with such assumptions being thrown in your direction. and as for money? why, you used to work in a little coffee house just a little over a month ago. from there, you worked on a lot of different pastries that ranged from sponge cakes to muffins to breads! and also from there, you had the determination to open up your own place when you have the sufficient funds.

and before you know it, tomorrow’s finally the day to open up your own little bakery in town, aurora bakery was the name you had decided. coincidentally, right in front of the coffee house you used to work in. despite being another place where one could hang out, the pressure of being possible rivals with the coffee house was not present. if it wasn’t for the coffee place, you wouldn’t have found out the love for baking. the thought of opening said shop up is already enough to make your chest bubble with excitement as the corners of your lips twitched up. that was, until..

CRASH!

‘oops!’

with furrowed brows at the sudden noise (and the voice that invaded your mind) from the inside, you looked over your shoulder to gaze through the window to see whatever the hell was making the noise. to your surprise, your little.. feline friend standing on one of the several shelves that were hung on the walls of your cottage’s living room. the contents of the shelves varied from glass bottles, to dried herbs, to jars of objects filled in them, some recognisable while some of the contents were just unknown.

following their gaze on the floor, a previously glass bottle with some type of red liquid had covered your floor. sighing, you got up from your seat and immediately went inside to clean up the mess.

there goes your peaceful night.

“leo, this is the fourth time you broke one of my potion bottles!” you hissed, immediately looking for your broom and dustpan right next to the door.

said cat merely had his tail swishing from back and forth as he blinked boredly at you, curling up into a little ball afterwards.

‘sorry, a cat’s instincts.’ the voice appeared in your mind yet again, undoubtedly from the cat friend in front of you.

“more like an asshole’s instincts.” you grumbled underneath your breath, and with a wave of your hands, the broom started sweeping the broken glass pieces into the dustpan, promptly throwing them into the almost full trash bin as you made a mental note to empty it out later during the morning.

ah, yes. potion bottles, jars of unknown objects, things in your house moving in the air by itself with a simple wave of your hands, a talking feline friend, living in a cottage just outside of town alone? there was no doubt the same answer would pop up into a stranger’s mind.

a witch.

sure, you don’t always wear black like it would be someone’s funeral every day of the year, nor do you have a long and pointy nose along with a high pitched laugh that could easily split someone’s ears. but is it really necessary to pinpoint someone as such just by those three points? oh how the stories you heard from the townsfolk with their assumptions were an eye roll or managed to make you feel amused.

times have changed, yet you still wonder as to why people seemed to still have such a mindset on witches.

so far, you are the only witch in town. surprisingly, no one has caught onto the fact that a little witch has been living near them for a few years now. you didn’t really care if someone had caught on though, there’s always a special drink you could come up with to erase that certain fact away from their minds or with a discreet snap of your fingers along with an incantation, it would be washed away.

it was understandable as to why your parents were against letting you move away from the safe haven they had created in another town you used to live in, afraid that someone would have found out about your true identity. but of course, as mentioned before, a simple spell or potion could do the trick. besides, you were sure you could handle it yourself. with enough convincing and reassurance, your parents finally let you go. and as some type of companion, your parents insisted on bringing one of your many pets from home to go with you. thus, having leo by your side.

true, you felt homesick at times, but the feeling was always washed away whenever leo would come up to your side and snuggle to you in bed, silently knowing how you felt deep within. if a huge chance was on your side, you could even go back to your old place for a little while to catch up on your parents, telling all of the interesting events during your endeavours.

speaking of visiting, you had made a mental note to visit them as soon as possible, wanting to tell them about the little bakery you are about to open.

‘it’s late, young lady. stop thinking too much, you’re being too loud.’ a grouchy voice interfered with your thoughts, knowing full well who it belonged to.

with a roll of your eyes, you made your way to the bathroom to do your nightly routine of washing your face, brushing your teeth, and burning the incense you had made earlier in the afternoon, sighing in content once the sweet smell of roses had wafted into your nose as soon as you got comfortable in bed.

slowly, you let the soft sound of the rustling leaves, the soft chiming from the wind chime, and the crickets of the night lull you to sleep, getting enough rest before the big day tomorrow.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

“one, two!” you heaved pulling out the last tray filled with chocolate filled croissants out of the huge oven, walking out of the kitchen to the front of the bakery with leo balancing himself on your shoulders.

‘you’re a witch, why are you going through this?’ grumbled leo.

“you seem to think that it would be easy for me to use my powers in broad daylight where half of the town could see.” you retorted, walking over to the glass display so you could place the freshly baked pastries next to the other ones.

“plus, i don't see why you are complaining considering you're just watching me.” you added.

you didn’t bother to answer the cat’s next complaint, merely pulling him off of your shoulders to let him rest on top of the counter. a satisfied purr resonated against the feline’s neck as your fingers scratched behind his ears. smiling proudly to yourself and placed both hands on your hips to marvel your hard work of the day. you had spent most of the morning just decorating the empty spots of the bakery, baking the treats, and wiped the tables clean. nodding faintly, you decided that it was time.

it was time to flip the sign to ‘open’. with that, aurora bakery is officially open for business!

while expecting for customers to hopefully smell the scent of freshly baked goods attracted them to your little bakery, you grabbed your broom and started sweeping away the dried leaves just outside of your bakery as if to busy yourself a little more without having to bore yourself waiting (another part not wanting to bicker with the annoying feline in your bakery), and occasionally greeted the few townspeople that recognised you. pausing slightly in your sweeping to wipe away the thin sheet of sweat that had formed on your forehead with the back of your hand, it was only then you noticed that another pair of eyes was watching you.

there, in the coffee house in front of your bakery, you noticed a raven haired boy leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. an unfamiliar face to you, could he be a new resident of this small town you lived in?

with the short sleeved collared shirt he wore, you could faintly make out what seems to be a tattoo on his arm but with the distance, it was difficult to make out what it was. his wavy hair was parted right in the center with a dark ebony colour that reminded you of the sky just last night. his eyes, though half-lidded, held some type of cheekiness in them. however, his appearance wasn't the one that caught your attention. the male’s aura for some reason was rather… different yet familiar? if that could even make sense. true, he had a mysterious air around him though he radiated another energy that you can't quite put your finger on.

'it's rude to stare, young lady.’

blinking a few times, you glared down at the furball sitting next to your legs, partly embarrassed that you were caught staring and partly wanting to turn the cat into one of those fortune cat dolls you see every time you were in a family restaurant around town. leo only stared up at you with an unamused expression then to the male just in front of you. following his gaze yet again, you turned to look at the boy but instead, he already turned on his heels and walked further into the coffee house with both hands tightening the strings of his apron around his waist.

“i wonder if he just moved in, haven't really seen him before.” you mumbled before feeling a slight tug on your dress shirt, immediately catching your attention to look down.

a little girl with two high pigtails stared up at you with her huge eyes, one hand on the fabric of your shirt while the other tightly held a stuffed bunny close to her side. she looked to be about six years old. you smiled gently and kneeled down to match your height with hers, tilting your head to the side in question.

“hey, cutie. what can i do to help you?” you spoke, tone all soft as if you were afraid to scare her away.

with sheepish eyes shifting over at your face then to her shoes, then back to you, she held out a ten dollar bill, causing you to confusedly blink at her actions. it took the girl a few more seconds before parting her lips to speak.

“i smelled something really nice from your… bread house and, and i have money that mommy gave me earlier, and can i buy something with this?” she asked.

internally, you were about to combust at how adorable with the way she was talking along with the fact that she had called your bakery ‘bread house’. you were happy to say that having a cute girl as your first customer managed to be the highlight of your day so far. nodding your head, you stood back up on your feet and held out your hand for her to take.

“of course! why don't you come inside and see what interests you, little one.” you cooed, melting on the inside at how she carefully took your hand in her own smaller one as her features brightened up out of happiness before the both of you walked back inside, leo trudging shortly from behind.

you watched as the little girl looked around the bakery in awe, no doubt amazed at the various treats on display, before running towards the ones that were in the large glass case. kneeling down once again next to her, you couldn't help but to release a chortle that bubbled in your chest.

before you know it, a couple more townspeople had visited your little bakery. hopefully, things are looking up. with a huge grin on your face, you stood up on your feet, getting ready to assist the customers.

“welcome to aurora bakery!”

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

you hummed to a soft tune as you kneaded the dough, leo napping on top of the shelves in your bakery’s kitchen. thankfully, his so-called cat instincts didn’t push the jars of flour and spices that adorned the many shelves. had he did so, you swear you would make him take your place instead of you. you didn’t realise how much time has passed as you were too focused on assisting the customers that walked into your bakery, along with cleaning the tables, and of course, continuing to refill the trays with your treats. though, judging by the rays of crimson slipping through the thin curtains hanging above your windows, you made a random guess that it was near late afternoon.

as soon as you placed the dough into the oven to let it bake and went to wash your hands from the excess dough sticking on your skin, a quiet ‘ding’ from the bells hanging on your door signified a customer had walked into your cafe. wiping your hands on your apron with a quick fix of the crescent shaped clip that threatened to fall off of your hair, you made your way out to the front to greet the said customer.

“welcome to- oh.” you accidentally let the words die off in our throat. really, you didn’t mean to.

standing in front of the cashier, you were met with the same cheeky eyes from before staring into your own. it was the boy from the coffee house! with his elbows resting on top of the counter, you could finally see that the tattoo on his arm was in the shape of, what looks like, a fox, a snow fox to be specific. you also noticed the little mole just underneath his eye. like before, you once again felt the familiar yet still unfamiliar energy surrounding the male. odd.

“well, hello, miss baker.” he greeted, simpering at the way you had paused in your steps.

his voice was soft, catching you off guard yet you remained a calm demeanour. it wasn’t bad at all. the tone reminded you of… of milk coffee warming you up during a rainy evening. you didn’t know if it made sense but if you had to mean it in another way, it was just… soft. shaking your head to finally get it together, you sent him a polite smile as you walked closer to the counter.

“ah, you are the boy from the coffee house. how can i help you?” you asked.

leo as if he could hear you, suddenly appeared in your peripheral vision as he jumped onto the counter next to you and gave out a soft purr as you scratched behind his ears. his eyes stared at the tattoo that was inked on the boy’s skin with intrigue. the boy smiled down at your feline friend and switched his gaze to yours.

“well, i thought i would stop by and say ‘hi’. i haven’t really seen you around before, the town’s baker at that.” he replied, quirking a brow up.

“now that you mentioned it, i’ve never seen you before. are you perhaps new around here?” you asked, tilting your head to the side ever so slightly.

the question made the corner of his lips stretch further into a grin, you could faintly make out how the apples of his cheeks looked fuller once he did so. as much as you didn’t want to admit it, you knew that deep down he looks rather cute.

“i guess grandpa didn’t tell you his grandson finally took over his coffee house once he retired, huh?” he chuckled, straightening up to shove his hands into his denims.

the look of realisation already says it all, much expected from the male with how he let out another chortle. sure, you had heard from the old man in the coffee house telling you stories about his grandson during the time you were still working there. though, the said boy never once visited. it ranged from whatever he did as a child to him during the years of growing up. however, you failed to learn the fact that his grandson would be the one taking over the coffee house. or the fact he finally retired. much less, so soon. what you clearly remember, was the name the old man had mentioned a few times.

“you must be.. jung wooyoung?” you said, though the way you had worded it coming out as more of a question.

a look of surprise was etched onto the male’s face before it softened, holding one hand out to point at himself.

“the one and only. and you are..?” he trailed off, you catching up immediately.

“i’m y/n, y/n l/n.” you introduced, a huge grin plastered over your lips.

“it’s nice to meet the baker. i guess we will run into each other more often than not, eh?” he grinned.

“you say that as if i even have a choice to open up a bakery someplace else.” you mused, causing the male in front of you to release a hearty laugh.

you noted at the high pitched laugh he had, finding it contagious as you can’t help but to find yourself chortling along. despite the aura around him, you would have to say that his presence was rather warm.

“so, how can i help the town's, um, new coffee maker for today?” you asked.

‘i don’t know, his taxes maybe?’ leo’s voice interrupted, making you discreetly pull at his tail, just enough for him grumble, ears twitching as he looked up at you. honestly, someone is in need of a cat nap rather than the one working back and forth in the bakery all day.

“ah, it would be rude to stay and not have anything, no?” wooyoung replied before his irises looked around the bakery, only stopping at a certain treat as he pointed towards the cinnamon rolls.

“i’ll have two of those, miss baker.”

“coming right up!”

and with that, your nimble fingers made a quick work of placing the treats into a little box before placing a little cat sticker as a seal so that the treats wouldn’t fall out of the box. satisfied, you gave the said male his treats, promptly thanking him once he paid. it was when your fingertips brushed against one another that you felt a sudden chill down your spine.

could he… no, he can’t be.

“thank you for this, y/n. in return, why don’t you come to the coffee house once you’re free?” wooyoung winked, a certain glint shining in his irises as he spoke.

“h-huh? oh yeah, sure, definitely!” you said, still recovering from the chilling sensation down your spine.

and with that, the boy turned on his heel to walk out of the bakery. though it seems normal, something had caught your eye.

the exact fox tattoo had moved from its place on his arm to the back of his neck, its eyes blinking over at you.

quickly rubbing your eyes with the back of your hands, the fox on his nape was gone. were you dreaming?

‘young lady, your bread’s gonna burn in the oven!’ leo called out, making you quickly turn to rush back into the kitchen to take the bread out of the oven.

you are the only witch in town. you were certain of that.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

that night in the grassy field right in front of your little cottage, you were hunched over in front of your cauldron, hands idly stirring the ladle into the concoction while your eyes had read over the instructions of your spellbook. as usual, leo was balancing himself on your shoulder blades. despite him being an annoying (and grumpy) ball of fur, he surely knows what or what not to add to whatever you are currently doing.

with a few trials and errors, along with you and leo bickering, and some ingredients being tossed in, the dark navy mixture swirling in your cauldron lit up. at first it was rather dim but after a few more stirs in the mixture, the light grew brighter and brighter while the concoction started to bubble up. you had to shield your eyes once leo told you to back away from the cauldron, a ringing sound resonating throughout the area. you could hear liquid gurgling and some type of low thrum filling the silent night. once you were sure it was safe to open your eyes, you carefully moved your palm away from your face to look at your result. upon doing so, your eyes widened.

in front of you, stood a large mirror-like object just on top of the cauldron. the huge smile on your lips along with your tense shoulders relaxing, it was safe to say that the little experiment you tried out worked. there, you could see your parents standing with your reflection. your mother had an excited grin on her brims while your father, though with an emotionless expression, the twinkle in his eyes gave it away.

“y/n! you have finally gotten the hang of conjuring up the spell your father taught you.” came your mother’s cheerful tone.

‘yes, without my help little witch right here would’ve summoned up a flame thrall by accident.’ leo responded, his own reflection had him curling his tail around your mother’s leg.

“not impossible. let’s not forget the time where y/n had forgotten to add a heart stone before spawning up a wolf familiar. the whole house was a huge mess trying to make the wolf go back to its realm.” your father mused, much to your embarrassment.

see, you didn’t have any problems with casting illusion spells, nor did you have any trouble in the restoration spells as well. but for some reason, conjuration spells were a bit of a difficult task for you. you remembered the time where you accidentally conjured up a one eyed troll instead of a pixie at the age of ten. it was a good thing your father was around to immediately petrify the troll before it could squash you with its giant club, and dismiss it back into another realm. let’s just say that you were grounded with a month’s worth of studying ingredients for potions after that incident.

“i thought we didn’t need a heart stone.” you grumbled.

“you don’t need it if you want to make your wolf guardian a worthy opponent.” your father deadpanned, causing you to pout over at him, leo snickering at you.

“all jokes aside, how are you, my dear?” your mother’s soothing voice came through, immediately reminding you of the main reason why you had decided to call them in the first place.

“i’ve been alright, mother. i’ve even opened up my own bakery in town right in front of the old coffee house i used to work in!” you said, thumbs twiddling with each other.

while your mother was delighted that you’re doing well, your father was rather quiet. eyes as sharp as a hawk, your father noticed your movements. from the years of watching you grow up and having to deal with you trying to hide away the little mischief you had caused since you were a mere toddler, he couldn’t help but to release a low chuckle.

“is there something else we don’t know?” your father suddenly asked, causing you to flinch slightly in place.

“n-no!”

“y/n..” he said sternly, causing you to sigh out of defeat, shoulders deflating.

“father.. how do you know if another witch is around you?”

the pair in the mirror-like portal looked at one another upon hearing your question then back at you, your mother moving to place her hands on your shoulders.

“are you safe, my child?” your mother asked, though she was a mere… ‘illusion’ through the mirror, it felt as if your mother really was there enveloping your entire frame as the familiar sweet fragrance she usually wore while you still lived them wafted into your nose.

“yes, i am safe, mother. i can assure you that.” you spoke softly.

“it’s just that.. the grandson of the owner in that coffee house took over. old man had finally retired.” you added, your parents merely nodded, making you continue as they were listening intently.

“he seemed pretty nice, though he had an.. aura that seemed to be intriguing. no one else in the town has that certain aura but him.” you continued.

“are you sure you will be alright, y/n?” came your mother’s worried tone, your father holding her hand.

“our child is a strong one, i’m sure y/n can handle it.” he reassured. your mother, on the other hand, merely stared between you and your father before releasing a low sigh.

“alright. just remember to cast a ward spell around your place whenever you sleep.” she said.

‘no need, she has been burning her self-made sages for a while now. might say that it’s quite useful.’ leo said, mewling up at the older woman.

it was when the light in the mirror somehow started to grow dim, indicating that the remaining time you had with your parents was slowly coming to an end. your parents, seeing the same thing as well, took a couple steps back from you, their hands intertwined with each other’s.

“it’s time for you to sleep, my child.” your mother said, you noticed how her eyes became a tad glossy. your father held her close to him and rubbed a hand on her arm reassuringly. the sight in front of you was enough to make your throat clench.

“we wish you well in your endeavours, y/n. stay safe, and good luck with the bakery.” your father said.

“take care of her, leo.” he added, the cat merely bowing his head and blinking slowly.

and with that, the object shone brightly once more, making you take a few steps back upon hearing leo telling you to do so with an arm covering your eyes. the familiar ringing noise was heard and then, silence surrounded you once again. you took your arm away from your eyes and saw how the cauldron from earlier laid idly on the grass, the fire you had prepared earlier was put out. taking a deep breath as you felt a slight rush of emotions, you went to pick up the cauldron, and the spellbook.

‘it’s late, young lady. we have another busy day at the bakery tomorrow.’ leo mewled, rubbing his body against your leg.

with a gentle smile, you leaned down so the cat could climb on your shoulders once again, purring as the two of you made your way inside the cottage so you could get started on your night routine before sleeping.

for some reason, a fox with fur as white as snow visited your dreams that night.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

it has been a few weeks now ever since your little bakery opened up. you weren’t exactly that popular nor was the bakery completely deserted of customers as well. you had your fair share of busy days, some days you had to even go for a quick run to the town’s market to get the ingredients that you had run out of. though, you weren’t complaining. you loved working at the bakery. something about seeing the people having their expressions brighten ever so slightly as soon as they took a bite out of your treats would always make you feel giddy on the inside.

and sometimes, when you really have to use it, you would quietly whisper an incantation or two to someone’s treat whenever you see them struggling with their day upon stepping through the doors of your bakery. your eyes holding a jovial twinkle once you see the happy expressions on their faces once they took a bite out of the treat.

“alright, time to close up.” you mumbled. and with a couple claps of your hands, the broom floated in the air before making its way towards your outstretched hand.

with that, you started to sweep the tiled floor and the daily routine of cleaning your bakery. whenever you did tricks like these, you made sure to keep it on the down low, only using it when you were really sure no one could see you doing so.

“good evening, miss baker.” wooyoung greeted, making you cease momentarily of picking up the empty trays for the day, mentally thanking yourself that he didn’t walk in just in time to see the floating broom.

ah, yes, jung wooyoung. it is no doubt that he is the old man’s grandson, alright. everyone in town loves him, saying his humble and bright personality reminded them of his grandfather, though with added snarkiness to it. but of course, they were all lighthearted.

on your days of not working in the bakery, you would find yourself spending time in the male’s coffee house. honestly, you weren’t a huge know-it-all when it came to coffee. all you know is that any type of caffeine being consumed by you will make you stay up all night. wooyoung was the one who would introduce you to the types of coffee he had in the place. from the weakest one to the strongest one, though you still can’t make any difference from them considering that it would still make you stay awake.

the two of you shared a similar bond for sweet things though. whenever you came to his coffee house, you would make sure to bring cinnamon rolls when he mentioned that your cinnamon rolls were really good during the first time you hung out at the coffee house. and just how you would bring cinnamon rolls to his place, the raven haired boy would make sure to bring two coffees (one of them with the appropriate amount of caffeine in them) during your break time.

it was during those hangouts the two of you grew closer but for some reason, you still couldn’t figure the unknown aura enveloping the male, the thought still gnawing in the back of your mind. and the snow fox tattoo on his arm.. it reminded you of the dreams you had been getting frequently now. you swear that sometimes you could see it staring at you with its fluffy tail swishing and curling around wooyoung’s neck. either that or you just really need to get your eyes checked.

or ask your mother if there was some type of restoration spell to fix your eyesight.

“well, if it isn’t, coffee boy. coming over for our daily hangouts again?” you replied, wooyoung following you to your kitchen to help with carrying the trays.

the boy leaned against the faux marbled counter crossing his arms. since he was wearing a long sleeved pale green shirt, the fox tattoo was hidden underneath it. as much as you were irritated with the fact your eyes could play tricks on you because of the damned fox tattoo, you would have to admit that you would find yourself admiring the details of his inked skin. sometimes you would catch yourself wanting a tattoo yourself but you were a little nervous around needles, unfortunately.

“ah, i can’t today sadly, i need to check the ingredients back home.” he replied, you looked over your shoulder with an eyebrow raised up.

“ingredients for..?”

“for my poti- ah!” the sudden squeak that left his lips was enough to make you turn around in alarm, wondering if he had hurt himself.

there, you see wooyoung aggressively rubbing his tattooed arm with his eyes glowering down at the fox tattoo. your eyebrows creased in confusion at the sight, was his tattoo still hurting him? surely that can’t be the reason. his head lifted up so your gazes could meet at once you asked if he was alright, you noticing the way his pupils were shaking as if he was nervous about something.

“oh yeah, i’m okay!” he quickly responded, hiding his arm behind his back.

“you were saying..” you continued as you placed the washed trays away, leaning against the sink.

you had expected that wooyoung would answer your question but instead, he walked closer to you. closer and closer. your eyes widened ever so slightly at his actions, leo on the shelf had his tail all fluffed up while his pointy ears flattened over his head as if preparing to pounce on the male if he planned on doing something to you. though you were nervous, you had kept a calm composure while reviewing all the protective incantations in your mind, or if that failed, you were ready to kick him between the legs.

you were about to cast a spell on him when the male held his hand up until you felt him picking softly at your hair, near your star shaped hair clip, then took a few steps back, showing you the pieces of dried batter that somehow managed to get on your hair.

“you got something in your hair there, miss baker.” he spoke softly, his expression softening up.

“also, i meant to say the ingredients for the coffee house. some were running out in the place already so i needed to check if i still have some at home.” wooyoung added smoothly.

“ah, that’s alright then. i guess i’ll see you tomorrow?” you asked, still trying to calm the rapid beating of your heart from earlier.

“yeah, see you, miss baker!” he bid then turned around to walk away, leaving you slumped against the sink.

‘what the hell was that?’ leo exclaimed, tail swaying from side to side.

“don’t ask me, i’m as stumped as you are.” you sighed, pushing yourself off of the sink and looked around the kitchen to see if there was any more cleaning to do until your eyes landed on a certain box filled with cinnamon rolls.

with a sharp gasp, you grabbed the box and quickly made your out of the kitchen. you hoped that you could at least catch up with the raven haired male yet as soon as you stepped out, emptiness greeted you instead. your eyebrows furrowed as you walked directly outside of your bakery, looking around for wooyoung but he wasn’t there. you crossed the cobbled street and peeked through the windows of the coffee shop, still nothing. the place had its lights turned off, even the kitchen.

“how the hell did he walk so fast?” you grumbled, walking back inside.

oh well, maybe you could just give it to him tomorrow. for now, you had a bakery to close.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

“thank you, come again!” wooyoung’s voice rang throughout the coffee house, sighing in relief as he bid goodbye to the last customer for the day before his hands untied the tied strings of the brown apron around his waist.

“today’s a little busier than usual. don’t you think, yuki?” he mumbled, rolling up his sleeves to see the fox tattoo on his arm.

on his skin, the snow fox tattoo on his arm slowly uncurled itself from the tight ball she was in before yawning then wagged her fluffy tail happily, a clear indication she was content. how wooyoung managed to hide his enchanted tattoo from the public’s eye was astonishing, knowing full well how foxes could be sneaky and full of mischief, whether in tattoo form or not. if wooyoung could have a dollar every time yuki would disappear from his arm and ended up in a different part of his body, he could be a millionaire. though the idea was pleasant, it also made wooyoung scold her since someone could see her easily. but of course, he couldn’t stay mad at her for long. she was too adorable for her own good.

and being the only witch in town (or so he thought) wooyoung needed to be extra careful as well.

honestly, wooyoung never felt the pain of being inked. being a witch himself, he just managed to conjure it up on his own skin and enchanted it so it could move by itself. hence, the reason why yuki would often move from place to place on his body. sometimes even jumping out to grow into a full size snow fox once she wanted to stretch her legs and not be stuck on skin. and knowing how the fox had so much energy packed in her, yuki would sometimes visit wooyoung in his dreams just to have an extra playtime with the male. though, when she’s feeling cheeky, she tends to jump to someone else’s dreams, someone who wooyoung would think occasionally before falling asleep.

drying the last coffee mug, wooyoung looked over at the bakery on the side of the street. his eyebrows furrowed at the sight of your bakery’s lights were still on. normally, you would close earlier than wooyoung’s coffee house every saturday and sunday since the both of you knew the town wasn’t as busy on weekends.

“she’s still at the bakery. wanna go check up on her, yuki?” the raven haired male said, looking down at his forearm, smiling at the sight of his companion hopping in circles excitedly.

locking up the coffee house, wooyoung made quick strides across the street to reach your bakery. peeking through the windows, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion that he couldn’t see you, instead your lights were still on. curiosity got the best of him and soon, wooyoung found himself inside. the smell of pastries still lingered in the air as soon as he entered the place. everything in the bakery looked normal, nothing out of the ordinary. that was until he walked into the kitchen, a sharp gasp leaving his lips at the sight.

your broom was floating in the air, not only that, it was sweeping by itself. wooyoung had to rub his eyes immediately to make sure they were not tricking him, maybe he even drank a lot of coffee to the point where he’s hallucinating things. however, those ideas were thrown out the window once he saw that the broom was still moving by itself, lightly tapping against his foot as if indicating him to move over so it could sweep over where he was standing, to which made him quickly move away.

his irises looked around the place before they landed on one of the many shelves that hung on the kitchen walls, a familiar glass bottle with some type of golden liquid filled in them to be exact. to someone’s eyes, it could easily be mistaken as a bottle of honey but does honey radiate a bright yellow light?

swallowing thickly, so many things were running through his mind. but all answers already pointed to one thing.

“wooyoung!”

with wide eyes, the male spun around, almost falling on his own from how fast he had moved. there, you stood in front of him with leo on your shoulders, both of your eyes were wide as you realised the broom was still moving on its own. with a quick snap of your fingers, the broom stilled by itself and fell idly on the floor.

“l-listen!” you started, heartbeat rising as your hands started to get all clammy as you were caught.

“...a witch.” was the first thing wooyoung had said.

silence hung over the both of you. it was so quiet that it was almost deafening.

your mind was racing with all the possibilities of what wooyoung could do when he found out about your true identity. you wanted to use the incantation to him forget what he just witnessed yet your throat felt constricted, as if someone was clutching on your vocal chords so you just stood there in front of the raven haired male who stared at you with his jaw dropped. once you felt a little confident, you shakily reached a hand up, about to snap your fingers as you whispered the incantation.

“wait, wait! i’m happy that you’re a witch too!” wooyoung interjected quickly, knowing full well which spell you were about to cast.

wait.. too?

“what..?” you whispered, the hand lifted near your face dropping to your side.

the surprised face on wooyoung’s features slowly melted away at the realisation he had, replacing it with a relieved yet jovial expression. you, on the other hand, stood there, the idea of being found out and having to move away from the town when you just started your own business was still lingering in your mind.

by now, the two of you were seated at one of your tables, as what wooyoung had suggested so that the two of you could talk. it took a couple of times for wooyoung to reassure you, yuki even jumping out of his arm as she attempted to help her owner comfort you, nuzzling her head against your hand. leo was on the counter of your cash register, sharp yet curious eyes watching the snow fox grow from a mere ink to a full sized snow fox.

although finally calmed down, your head was still in your hands as you tried to get a hold of the things that had happened.

“so, what you’re saying is.. you’re a witch too? does that make the old man a witch too?” you said, lifting your head to look at the male who only smiled sheepishly in return.

“well, grandpa is just a normal human. though, his wife is the one who is a witch, which she passed her powers onto my mother.” he reminded you.

it all made sense now. the unfamiliar aura that gnawed in the back of your mind, the countless times of you wondering if your eyes were playing tricks on you from the fox tattoo on his arm, the way he apparated in thin air that one time when you wanted to give him his cinnamon rolls, and how you saw the exact fox popping up often in your dreams.. things finally fell into place.

“god, the things that are happening..” you groaned, resting your forehead on the faux marble table of yours.

wooyoung could only laugh, and turned his head to the side as he watched leo and yuki chasing each other around the bakery. he felt the weight on his shoulders slowly being lifted off. relief was what he was feeling, relieved that he at least found someone the same as he was. his eyebrow quirked up once you suddenly straightened up in your seat, a look of realisation hitting you.

“you mentioned how the fo-”

“yuki.” he corrected.

“right, yuki, would visit someone in their dreams right? and that someone is someone you were thinking about before you slept?” you said, wooyoung nodding his head in confirmation.

“...does that mean you were thinking about me?” you asked.

wooyoung choked on his spit, the apples on his cheeks turning into a faint shade of pink before abruptly standing up from his seat, promptly calling yuki, who immediately scrambled up to the male and spun around. a bright light shone briefly before it disappeared, going back to being wooyoung’s tattoo on his arm.

“i-i need to head home, i’ll see you tomorrow, y/n!” he announced, making his way out of the bakery.

“wooyoung, wait!” you tried to catch him but like a little while ago, he was quick to apparate away.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

“well, aren’t you glad that you finally found another witch friend, my child?” your mother said.

you had decided to conjure up the mirror like portal once again, you wanted to talk to your parents about what you had just recently discovered. no, you had to talk to them. though, you were relieved that you had found a fellow witch in town, the idea of being caught still scared you.

“with how he found out about you, i really should say you need to be careful next time, y/n.” your father said.

despite the strictness laced in his tone, he was genuinely concerned about your safety. and he was right, someone could have easily found out. you had to admit that it was your fault for letting the broom move by itself, thinking that no one would have walked in since, well, it was your own kitchen. your head hung low as you emitted a groan, hands coming up to rub your face. you were thankful that it was wooyoung who had found out, a fellow witch just like you.

“i think that also solves the little mystery revolving around the boy, doesn’t it, my dear?” your mother said. you could only nod your head, lifting your head to send your parents a little smile.

“i trust that these things won’t happen again, y/n?” your father added.

“of course, father. i will be more careful next time.” your parents’ expression softened up at your small promise before the light around the mirror had once again grow dim, indicating that you needed to finish your conversation soon.

“do tell me how the progress goes between the two of you, y/n.” your mother teased, effectively making your cheeks heat up before whining out of protest.

“mother!”

with one hearty laugh coming from both of your parents, along with a final wave of the night, you knew what was coming up next. shutting your eyes, the ringing grew loud in your ear before it finally died down, letting the silent night to envelope around you and leo, who was already fast asleep next to your legs. rolling your eyes, you gently picked him up in your arms along with your cauldron and spellbook before making your way back to your cottage.

your eyes were staring at your reflection through your dresser’s mirror while brushing your hair, rewinding the events that had occurred earlier in your bakery, and the hasty explanation wooyoung had mentioned once he sat the both of you down. but.. a particular fact lingered in your mind.

‘what exactly do i have to do in your mind, wooyoung?’ you thought.

‘for the last time, go the hell to sleep. your mind is too loud.’ ah, of course, the one and only grouch just had to interrupt.

what a sourpuss.

with a shake of your head, you switched off the lights and made yourself comfortable in your bed before finally getting that much needed sleep.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

“miss, can i, can i buy a cake? it’s for my mom, it’s her birthday today!”

your eyes looked down at the chubby hand sliding the crumpled up dollar bills along with the shining coins on top of your counter, making the conclusion it had been kept for quite a while now.

standing in front of your counter (though you had to lean a little to have a good look at the child), it was the little girl from the very first day of you opening up your little bakery, pigtails and all. you bit down on your lower lip, heart clenching at the sight of her puppy-ish eyes. you didn’t have the heart to tell her that she had enough money to buy a whole cake. instead, you knelt down to her height and asked if she knew what her mother’s favourite treat in the bakery was.

“oh, she loved your mini chocolate croissants!” the girl chimed, pigtails bouncing as she excitedly hopped in place.

“alright, how about i give you the croissants instead?” you offered.

with a gentle smile, and a pat on her head, you straightened up and rushed around the bakery to pack the croissants into the little box, not forgetting the cat sticker to seal the little opening so it wouldn’t fall. you also placed the box into a white paper bag so the treats won’t easily fall out of the girl’s hands.

a soft cheer made its way out of the girl’s lips, taking the bag in her chubby hands before thanking you as she made her way out of the bakery. following the retreating figure, it was only then you noticed a certain raven haired male leaning against the doorway with two cups of coffee in his hands.

it had been a few days after the incident in the very back of your kitchen, you were awkward and cautious during the next day of meeting but wooyoung never gave up in trying to convince you that everything was fine, and that no one would find out about the both of your identities. as per usual, he would always bring you your coffee whenever it was your break time. sometimes, you would even sneak a little incantation in his cinnamon rolls to make his day a little better whenever you saw how his face held a frustrated expression, most likely dealing with a stubborn customer.

and ever since then, wooyoung was willing to wait for you to close up your bakery, yuki playing with leo. it was a surprise that leo was actually getting along with the fox considering how the two were polar opposites of each other, both physical and personality wise. he even managed to communicate through wooyoung’s mind now, sometimes having wooyoung laugh out loud from the cat’s snarky comments.

“one iced latte for our lady.” he grinned, handing you the cup of said drink, you gratefully taking it in your hands.

“our?” you chuckled. in response, wooyoung merely eyed his arm where yuki was spinning in circles.

you couldn’t help but coo at the snow fox, whispering softly underneath your breath so only you and wooyoung could hear, “hi there, yuki.”

“i was wondering..” wooyoung suddenly started, making you look up, tilting your head as you urged for him to continue.

“do you wanna go somewhere? after you close up, i mean.” wooyoung asked.

now that he mentioned, you had never really explored much of the town as of late considering how you would busy yourself in the bakery, and only went straight at home so you could finally rest or work on your spells and incantations (mostly conjuration spells). with a wide smile, you nodded your head.

“i don’t see why not. a little break from the bakery won’t hurt.” you chuckled.

the sheepish grin had appeared itself over wooyoung’s lips, making the apples of his cheeks grow fuller by the action. you won’t lie, it is an endearing sight.

‘i heard that.’ came leo’s voice, causing you to snap your gaze on him while wooyoung confusedly looked over at the cat who was busy licking his paw.

“what is he talking about?” the boy asked.

your cheeks flushed a faint shade of crimson after hearing the question as you waved a hand in a dismissive manner, mentioning how it was just random thought you had.

‘a random thought thinking that he has a.. ‘cute’ smile, young lady?’ leo snickered.

you could only glare at the feline while wooyoung snapped his gaze from the cat to you, the confused expression on his face melting away and instead, was replaced with a sly grin.

“you think it’s a cute smile, huh?” he teased, causing you to groan before grabbing your broom.

cue a loud yowl coming from the cat as you chased the cat around while wooyoung laughed his high pitched laugh at the entertaining sight.

“i guess both our companions know how to embarrass us.” he grinned, immediately catching you in his arms as you were about to run past him once again.

“i swear, one of these days i’m gonna turn that cat into a dog instead.” you mumbled.

it was only when wooyoung’s cologne wafting into your nose had your attention, looking up once you had calmed down from the brief chasing around. sure, you had always smelled wooyoung’s cologne whenever he stopped by but being so close to him like this, almost made you never want to leave his arms. it was if you were slowly growing intoxicated by his scent.

“y/n?” wooyoung called.

“huh?” you blinked, breaking out of the trance.

“i said i needed to go back to the coffee house so i’ll see you later?” he asked once again, amused at the slight dazed look glossing over your irises.

realising what he meant, you immediately pulled away from the embrace, almost whining at the loss of warmth around your frame. hugging the broom close to your chest, you faintly nodded.

“yeah, i’ll see you later, wooyoung.” you waved as the male made his way out after bidding goodbye, though not without sending a wink at your way.

“don’t miss my smile too much, miss baker.”

“jung wooyoung!”

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

“and that’s the last of them!” you huffed, placing the clean tray into the many racks.

with both hands on your hips, your eyes glanced around the kitchen to make sure there weren’t dirty trays or utensils in your kitchen. once satisfied, you untied your apron and hung it over the little coat rack in the corner before heading out, making sure you didn’t forget your keys. from the last specks of crimson painting the nearly black sky, the night was about to greet you once again.

true to his word, wooyoung was already waiting for you. he sent you his bright and cheeky grin upon seeing your figure walking out of the bakery, making quick strides to stand next to you as you locked the main entrance of the bakery. once he saw that you were done he held out his arm, glancing at both you and leo who, as usual, rested on your shoulders. sometimes he wondered how your back doesn't hurt from the amount of times leo would climb on you.

“ready to go?” wooyoung asked, looking down at you. with a link of your arm around his, you nodded.

though what happened next, nearly made you want to cling onto the male next to you. you had expected for a walk in the park or something similar. not apparating into thin air and quickly arriving at - you squinted around before realising where you were, the town’s old watchtower. the balcony of the watchtower to be more specific. though, no one has ever set foot here in over three years now since the town had a new one on the other side.

with the way you were practically hugging wooyoung’s arm, he made a short conclusion that this must have been your first time doing so, or rather, you not being used to it. leo was already off of your shoulders, calmly licking his paw as he balanced himself on top of the railing. yuki, on the other hand, was napping so she didn’t join leo this time. gently placing his hands on your shoulders, wooyoung leaned his face down to look at your face, concern painting over his own features.

“you okay?” he asked.

“s-sorry, i was just not expecting that, is all.” you mumbled, giving him an embarrassed smile from the sudden confession. once you were sure you were steady on your feet, your gentle eyes stared at the scenery from the balcony.

you knew that the town was beautiful, but seeing the town where most of the lights were turned on along with the moonlight illuminating the calm waters of the sea right next to it, the stars shining ever so brightly on the sky’s dark canvas. the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. once the night breeze brushed against your skin, the strands of your hair slowly dancing to their own rhythm from the gentle blow of the wind, you shut your eyes and took a deep breath. instantly, the smell of the ocean filled your senses, making a soft smile to curl itself over your soft petals.

wooyoung, who was leaning against the doorway of the entrance, couldn't help but admire the way the moonlight kissed your skin, the night breeze blowing against your strands, and the peaceful expression you held. over the months of getting to know you, he somehow started to develop feelings for you.

how could he not when you looked at peace in your kitchen baking the treats whenever he stopped by? how could he not when your expression brightens every time a customer complimented your treats? how could he not when soft laugh that sounded so melodic in his ears whenever he told his lame jokes or his embarrassing childhood stories. no, this was not some kind of puppy love or a short crush.

jung wooyoung has fallen for you.

he had spent nights trying to think of other things and not you before falling asleep, knowing how suspicious you would get if yuki frequently visited your dreams. sometimes he would even charmed your drink of the day to give you an extra burst of energy to get through the remaining hours of your day after seeing the tired look on your face. he knew that you would slip the little happiness potion into his cinnamon rolls yet could only pretend that he didn’t know, not wanting you to ever stop.

taking his eyes away from you briefly, wooyoung looked down at the palms of his hands before his eyelids fluttered shut. his lips moved as a hushed chant left his lips, slowly a faint pink smoke started to form on his palms but he was not done. half lidded eyes stared at the smoke in his hands before they were clasped together. with pursed lips, wooyoung gently blew into his hands.

there, laid a single rose in his previously empty hands. looking up at you, who was still occupied by the night view of the town, he cleared his throat, calling your name to catch your attention.

the surprise expression on your face upon seeing the rose in his hand was enough to make the male release a low laugh, walking over to where you stood. with the rose being held out, wooyoung stared at your face.

“wooyoung, what’s this?” you inquired, though you could feel the heat rising to your cheeks.

like wooyoung, you had your fair share of sleepless nights as well. but rather than thinking of other things, the boy in front of you managed to crawl into your mind every now and then, sometimes you would even find yourself zoning out while stirring whatever concoction you wanted to create, only snapping out of it once leo had called your attention or swatted at your hand.

before you could even realise it, you developed feelings for the raven haired male as well.

how could you not when he loves making you flustered by watching you with gentle eyes as you bake? how could you not when he would come by your bakery to give you your coffee while the two of you talked about the current highlight of your days during break time? how could you not when he would cheekily sprinkle a tiny bit of flour in your hair by levitating the packet above your head just to gain your attention? how could you not when his laughter sounded so endearing?

you, too, had fallen for jung wooyoung.

“from the months of meeting and getting to know you, i knew you had something that intrigued me. i have always thought that you were a normal townsperson, never a fellow witch like me.” wooyoung started, face perking up as soon as he saw the way you playfully grimaced after remembering the time he had found out your true identity.

“before i know it, the intriguing feeling was replaced with admiration, thinking i only admired how you managed to keep a calm demeanour whenever you had to face a stubborn customer, unlike me. but i was wrong.” he trailed off, feeling his heart beating fast as his words were caught in his throat.

as an attempt for him to calm down, you silently reached out for his free hand and laced your fingers in his. your reassuring smile was enough to let him know that he could take his time, gathering his words. once ready, wooyoung gave your hand a gentle squeeze as he continued.

“the nights spent thinking about you, having our own little break together, and seeing you walk through the doors of the coffee house just to give me the cinnamon rolls… i knew that i have fallen for you.” he curled a stray strand of hair behind your ears as his warm irises stared into your own, letting his hand resting against your cheek.

“so, y/n l/n..” he called out your name, making your heart beat rapidly in your chest.

“will you be mine?”

you didn’t answer right away, merely wrapping your arms around wooyoung’s neck as the corners of your lips stretched themselves into a huge grin, nodding your head. “yes, a million times yes.”

laughing out of pure relief, wooyoung hugged you tightly against his frame, your chin resting on top of his shoulder as the two of you stayed in each other’s arms, slightly swaying in place. it was when he pulled away that made you look up, your faces mere inches away.

“may i kiss you?” he asked softly, eyes trained on your brims.

“you may.” you whispered in return.

the two of you stared at each other for a few seconds, slowly feeling your faces drawing closer. closer, and closer, until the gap was finally closed with your lips pressing his own. he tasted like coffee, while wooyoung could make out the faint taste of cinnamon on your lips. his hand slowly came up to cup against your nape, moving your lips together in a slow yet synchronised dance. it seemed that everything else didn’t matter as the both of you were in your own world.

to wooyoung, this was better than any potion you had snuck in his cinnamon rolls.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

“babe, where did you put the new coffee mugs?” wooyoung called out, looking through the cabinets.

“ah, i washed them. i thought that was what you wanted to do as soon as they arrived.” you said, poking your head out from the kitchen.

it had been a few months that the two of you had finally gotten together. before you know it, your first anniversary is just a week away! during the first couple of months, the two of you went on dates frequently. it was to be expected considering the two of you would see each other on the daily. sometimes you would grow embarrassing from the flirty winks being sent at your way by the male, no matter how long you had known him.

just recently, or rather, a couple of days ago. the two of you had decided to sell off your bakery and instead, started your own shared coffee house together in wooyoung’s place, now naming the place as ‘utopia’. he was in charge of the coffee orders while you were busy with your pastries. sometimes, the both of you would teasingly cast harmless jinxes on each other as you worked, creating a small war that consists of spells and potions. of course, the two of you were careful to not let anyone else see it.

occasionally, the male would stay over at your cottage. the first time he visited, he was gushing at almost everything in your place. even admiring how peaceful the place was whenever night falls. the frequent visits only met that wooyoung had an excuse to give you his shirts or sweaters, saying how you looked absolutely adorable in his clothes. it was when your closet was almost full of his clothes that the two of you had decided to just live together in the small cottage of yours.

to your surprise, he had insisted on wanting to see your parents. which you let him do so. once the male and your parents had met, your mother was delighted to have finally met him while your father kept a stern act, causing your mother to whisper that he should be nice. of course, with the amount of times wooyoung would talk to your parents (which was whenever he stayed the night), your father slowly opened up and would even crack jokes with wooyoung.

knowing that the cottage was a safe haven for you, wooyoung would often teach you about the conjuration spells along with enchanting. he had noticed the awed expression on your face every time yuki had switched back into her tattooed form before asking whether you wanted a tattoo as well. your reaction of mentioning how you were scared of needles amused him, you glaring at him in a sulky manner in response. without much thought, wooyoung reassured you that you didn’t need needles for this.

so here you are, standing next to wooyoung greeting the customers that walked into the coffee house before taking orders, the tattoo that consisted of your favourite flowers adorned your wrist, making it look like a makeshift bracelet. occasionally, the flowers would change into a flower following your emotions.

“love, what do you wanna do for our anniversary?” wooyoung asked, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressed his lips on your shoulder.

you couldn’t help but to emit a light chuckle turning your head slightly to give his cheek a kiss, humming in thought. “dinner at the cottage, how does that sound?”

nodding at the suggestion, wooyoung grinned, eyes twinkling with excitement. “sounds good to me.”

with a final kiss on the tip of your nose, your lover unwrapped his arms to greet another customer who had walked inside the coffee house, you immediately walked to stand next to him.

you were, no, are content. you are content living in a small cottage with your lover, you are content working in a coffee house with wooyoung, you are content with everything life has to offer as long as you are with jung wooyoung.

#ateez #ateez writing #ateez fanfic #ateez au #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez fluff #ateez reactions #ateez reader insert #ateez x reader #ateez fantasy au #ateez oneshot #ateez wooyoung #jung wooyoung #jung wooyoung scenarios #kpop #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #colly's writings

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perseusjackson-jasongrace · 4 years ago

Text

Empires on the Horizon XII

Jason is a CEO: Part XII

Here’s my masterlist for the next part and my other stuff

Just wanted to say thank you for being so patient with me. It means more than you could ever know. I love you guys! Please enjoy.

TW: violence

I hope you understand

you need your own love

more than they do.

-Dhiman

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m currently unavailable. Please contact my office if you need to get a hold of me.

The music blasted in his ears, rattling every cell in his brain, shutting down each transmitter, pounding against every cage. It was not loud enough, he could still feel his heart, could still hear things. The treadmill under his feet beeped as he increased the speed again. Why wasn’t this working? Why was he still here? He’d been running so long he should be on Mars by now.

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m currently unavailable. Please contact my office if you need to get a hold of me.

FUCK.

He jumped off the machine and flung his phone across the room. He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t strong enough to do this.

His phone went off again, and he’s annoyed he didn’t break it in his rage. Apparently even destroying something was an impossibility for him. The thought was so pathetic he couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh.

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m curr–

“Okay!” He yelled, “I’m answering the fucking call. Just shut up.” He stabbed at the screen until the dial tone started up again.

“Jase?” Annabeth Chase sucked in a breath.

“Yes, what is wrong?” He knew he was being rude but he didn’t feel like it. Didn’t want what was about to happen.

“Can we come in?”

“You guys are outside my apartment?” He scowled.

“Uh yes,” She winced, “We tried knocking but you didn’t answer.”

He cut the call and walked to the front door, yanking it open with enough force to rattle the hinges.

“What do you want?”

Leo Valdez just levelled his gaze at him and stepped into the room.

“Guys, I know you mean well but I really don’t have the energy for this.”

They both ignored him, putting down the shopping bags on his kitchen counter and shoving stuff in the fridge. Leo hit the button on the coffee machine and grabbed three mugs from the cupboard.

Jason didn’t even have the strength to ask what was going on, he just collapsed onto a bar stool and put his head to the cool marble. His friends moved around him in silence, putting things away, washing the minimal dishes in the sink, and straightening the pillows on the couch. Eventually he felt them come nearer, leaning against the counter and looking at him.

“Jase,” Annabeth said softly, “Please look at us.”

He debated pretending he was asleep, but he knew they wouldn’t fall for it. With a deep breath he raised his head and stared into their matching eyes of love.

“Stand up,” Leo requested, voice gentle.

He felt his lip wobble, felt his throat close up. But he stood.

“Come here my darling.” They held out their arms.

He looked at them and collapsed to the floor, sobs catching like swords in his chest. They enveloped him as his tears soaked their clothes. He heaved with heart ache and loneliness, betrayal.

“I can’t do this,” He cried, anguish a serrated edge on his tongue. “I can’t do this.”

The just kept holding him. His friends for these years. His family through it all. They sat on the floor trying to catch all the pieces of him that broke off with each sob, not a word to interrupt his grief. And when the day blackened as dark as his lungs, they held each other by the light of the moon, and let the stars witness the destruction they caused.

***

Jason walked into his office for the first time in a week and pretended to be on a call as he avoided the chatter his employees would undoubtedly try to engage him in. A tight-lipped smile and an apologetic motion at his phone left them in their seats and far away from him. He wouldn’t be here for long. No he just had to sort out a few things and then he was packing up his crushed elation and taking himself to a place no-one save for the birds would be able to talk to him.

His office was just the way he left it, some documents neatly piled on his desk waiting for his approval, the blinds half closed so the sun still filtered in but didn’t blind, and his computer opened to the email he had been typing to Zoe about a holiday they should go on. It took everything in him not to smash the screen with the little cactus paperweight Hazel had bought him.

“Boss,”

Think of the assistant and they shall appear.

“Yes,” He didn’t bother to look up as he shuffled through the awaiting files.

“How-“ She gulped, ‘How are–“

“Levesque,” His voice was cold but it was the only way to get through this, “I mean this in the nicest way possible. Please don’t ask me that. Thank you for being concerned.”

She nodded, jaw-snapping shut, but he could see all the questions burning in her eyes. Instead she released a shaky breath and asked, “Will you be back at work full time? I just need to know if I should be transferring calls to you or putting in an out of office notification.”

He frowned, mulling it over. He could work, he should work. But everything reminds him of his failures. Of the things he didn’t see coming. And his job was nothing if not full of surprises. As he’s about to tell her his decision his phone rang.

His sister’s name flashed across the screen and he knew he couldn’t keep avoiding her.

“Fina-fucking-ly.” She grumbled, “Gees Jase. It’s like you’re purposefully ignoring me. Are you ready for today?”

He was so caught off by her question he forgot all about telling her the news. “Today?”

“Do not tell me you forgot,” She sighed, “We’re supposed to meet Octavian today. Give the idiot a piece of our mind.”

“Oh,” He muttered eloquently, “Are we still doing that?”

“Well I don’t know about you but I’m pretty pissed he dared to hurt one of our own so yes I do think we’re still doing that. Also this is the only day Bianca has so get your ass out of your office and meet me outside Titan Industries in twenty.”

With that the phone gave an obnoxious beep and the screen went dark. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to gather the scattered thoughts in his mind.

“We’ll talk later,” Hazel, still waiting at the door, nodded before waving a goodbye and disappearing into her office.

Sighing he gathered his things and trudged down to his car. Might as well get this over with and then tell his sister about Zoe. No matter what had happened between them Octavian still deserved whatever was coming for him. What he did was abominable.

The Titan Industries building loomed over him as he parked the car in a loading zone and hopped out. He was being that dick today, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care. Thalia swerved in next to him and behind her an array of cars stopped. A team of suited people poured out, black glasses, and head pieces to match. It looked fake enough to be comical. But then a woman in four-inch heels, a gunmetal coloured suit and a smile made from terror stepped out and he knew it was anything but fake. Or funny. She was the single scariest thing he had ever laid eyes on, and he knew what his sister looked like angry.

“Bianca!” Thalia jumped excitedly, racing towards the woman. They embraced with a laugh and a quick catch up. She fist-bumped a few of the bodyguards and then walked towards him.

“Di Angelo,” She smiled, “Please meet my brother Jason and the reason we’re here today.”

“Oh I know all about Jason,” Her voice was low but clear, like everything she said had purpose.

“You do?” He tried not to let the shock take over his features.

“I know everyone who hangs out with my brother. If they don’t get clearance from me they disappear.” She said it with such casualness he would have thought she was joking if the gleam in her black eyes didn’t hold a challenge.

‘Well,” He laughed awkwardly, “Glad I meet your approval.”

She just tilted her head and looked at him. A panther waiting to pounce. A competition waiting to be won.

Thalia who looked entirely too amused clapped her hands, “Shall we then? I wore my blood-stained pants for this.”

“Period stains or other stains?” Bianca asked, mirth dancing on her lips.

His sister just snorted and pushed open the Brobdingnagian door. None of Bianca’s bodyguards followed them in but he knew it didn’t matter. Between her and Thalia he doubted they would be needed.

“We’re here to see Octavian.”

The receptionist gave them a sickly-sweet smile, “Do you have a meeting?

“Tell him it’s Jason Grace from Anemoi Empires.”

Moments later they were being escorted into an elevator and taken up to the big boss himself.

“And what do we have here?” An oily voice grinned, “An intervention? Interrogation? Investment?”

“Octavian Haruspex,” Bianca drawled, examining her long black nails briefly.

“And who might you be?” He snooted, giving her a filthy look.

She smiled slowly and Jason swore the temperature in the room plummeted.

“Does it really matter who I am?”

“Greatly,” The blonde sniffed, leaning against his desk with arrogance, “I prefer to know who I’m speaking to.”

Her laugh was razor sharp as she focused her glittering eyes on him. “Bianca Di Angelo.”

Those pale blue eyes widened, shuttered, blinked. That was all the surprise he would show.

“And what is the Queen of the Underworld doing in my building? With these,” He pulled his face into a look of distaste, “With company such as them.”

Thalia growled, “I’d watch how you speak boy.”

He deigned to laugh, “What are you going to do? This is my empire. You’re just visiting.”

“She’s right,” Bianca said softly, moving to stand by the window.

“What do you want?” He scoffed, “I have work to do.”

“Piece of shit.” Jason muttered, fingers curling into fists at his side.

“I’m not the one who strung your company along for weeks only to deny them the greatest investment opportunity money could buy.” That greasy smile was back.

It took everything in him not to reach over and smack it off his face. “We’re not three-year olds Octavian. Sometimes business doesn’t work out. What you did–“ He breathed, anger making the room red, “What you did was disgusting.” He can feel the exhaustion tugging in his spine. Like a weighted chain wrapping around him.

“What I did?” He raised a bleached brow, “And what exactly did I do Jason Grace?”

“Okay,” Bianca sighed, like she was already bored with the conversation, ‘I’ve had just about enough of this.”

Before anyone could blink a dagger was embedded in Octavian’s table, millimeters from his fingers.

“Bitch!” He cursed, ripping his hand away from the shining blade. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“We don’t believe in lawsuits Octavian. It’s no necessary when people like you deserve to rot at the bottom of a sewer.” Thalia spat.

For the first time since they came in, Jason could see a flicker of fear in the man’s pale face.

“Fuck you,” He grunted, “You can’t prove jackshit.”

“We don’t have to prove anything.” Bianca grinned, “That’s not how street justice works.”

And before he can say another word, she was standing in front of him a second dagger titling his chin up and laughter playing in her eyes, “Now listen, if you ever, and I mean ever touch Jason, his associates, his family, his friends, the person he blinks at on the sidewalk, ever again I will have you erased so violently history will not be able to string the letters of your name together.”

A tiny drop of bright red blood fell to Octavian’s crisp white shirt as his glared at the woman in his space. “Fuck you.”

“Not even if it meant I could rule heaven,” She giggled coldly.

Her face pulled taut, “They are under my protection, from now until the Ouija boards can longer summon me in my grave. If you or your own ever go near them.” She snapped her teeth at him, “Well let’s just say my bodyguards are very creative with their outdoor activities.”

A dark stain spread over Octavian’s grey pants and Jason had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Fucking coward. Can order a person to stab someone but cannot even handle a little threat.

“Don’t bother doing business on our side of town again.” He hissed. The man didn’t say anything as they turned away. The dull crack of a bone echoed behind him and Jason turned to see his sister leaning over a bloody Octavian, shaking out her hand.

“That was for stabbing my friend, you fucker.”

Through his red teeth he grinned at her, “Your friend huh?”

“What the fuck does that mean?” His sister spat.

The vile man turned towards him, “And has she broken up with you yet?”

Jason wanted to strangle the smirk of his face, wanted to throw up. “It’s none of your business.”

“Isn’t it?” Octavian smiled.

“Come on Jase,” Thalia tugged at his arm, “He’s not worth it.”

He let her drag him away, but the businessman’s unsettling grin played a loop in his head. There was something distinctly wrong about the situation. He had the eery feeling he wasn’t done with Octavian Haruspex just yet.

When they finally made it outside, the sun was still shining brightly as if what occurred could never stain the glory of the world. They said their thank you’s and goodbyes to Bianca and her team of people, Thalia promising to come around soon.

“So,” She grinned at him, “How do you feel?”

“Tired,” He rolled his shoulders, “That wanker got what he deserved but it didn’t make me feel better.”

In a rare moment she opened her arms, a silent offering. He stepped into them without hesitation and drooped onto her shoulder.

“Thals–“ He mumbled, trying to keep the tears at bay, “Zoe and i–“

“I know Jase,” She hugged him tighter. “She called me. Said to tell you she’ll never be sorry enough.”

The dam inside him burst, “Everyone is always sorry. But does anybody actually care?”

She stroked her hands over his back and carried his burden on her shoulders too.

“I think,” She said after a moment, “I think you should go away for a little while. You haven’t had a proper break in nearly three years.”

“Where will I go?” His blue eyes were blurry with tears.

“We have that house in Panarea.” Her voice was soft, soothing in his ear. “Maybe go there for a little while.”

“And what about Project Hestia? And the company? You know I’m starting the Conservation Conversations initiative after Hestia and there’s still so much to close up for the mini projects, and I have that water–“

“Jase!” She frowned, her blue eyes matching his glinted with sternness, “Your company will survive without you for a week or two. Hell it’ll survive for one or two months. But you aren’t going to survive another day if you don’t get some rest.”

“I just–“ He sighed, “I feel bad for abandoning everyone.”

“If you don’t stop, you’ll abandon us permanently and I will literally bring you back to just to kill you myself if you do that.” She squeezed him, “So just go to Italy for a little while. If you want, I’ll stay here and keep things in line. I’m sure Leo and Beth know what to do where I don’t. And Hazel is more than competent enough. Not to mention Frank.”

He took a deep breath, letting the options buzz around in his mind.

“I swear if you come up with one more excuse I’m going to duct-tape your mouth and ship you off myself.”

He gave a burst of laughter and wiped at his eyes, “Okay, okay. I’m going to Panarea. But you have to let me get my life sorted first. I’m not just packing up and taking the first flight out.”

“Deal,” Thalia smiled, and when she gave him one last hug, he realised there were some things in the world he would never want to control.

***

“Okay,” He popped his head around the door, “Flight is booked for two weeks from now.”

She gave him a thumbs up, “And you’re sure you’re okay to go?”

“I’m fine, you worry pot. I promise I’m not going to crumble to dust.”

“Okay,” She looked dubious, “It just seems like you got over all of this really quickly.”

“It was coming for a while,” He shrugged, “She is magnificent, but she isn’t mine.”

“I’m just worried you’re suppressing your feelings and as soon as you have five minutes to breathe, you’re just gonna break down instead.”

“I promise if I breakdown I’ll call you to come get me,” He laughed, “Now, how about we go over the checklist for the trip. And don’t forget to book a hotel for me please.”

“Where are you going again?”

Gorgeous eyes glittered as he caught the sunset lighting up the room in dainty colours. Gods he loved the sun. Loved that no matter what it rose and fell every day and the way it changed colours each evening and again each morning. The way it astounded him no matter how it looked.

“Daydreamer?” Rachel prompted.

“Oh,” He blinked back into the world, “I’m going to Panarea.”

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

What in the world is going on?????

Tags (if you want to be added to/ taken off the tag list just let me know, all my channels of communication are open):

@lesbian-peanuts

@leydiangelo

@queen-of-demons-and-hell

@msdrpreist

@sparkythunderstorm

@nishlicious-01

@lucyisblue

#Empires on the Horizon #part 12 #baby fanfic #baby fanfic series #eventual jercy #jason grace #jason is a ceo #jason #grace #PJSSG fanfic #PJSSG series #PJJG fanfic #PJJG series #thalia grace #bianca di angelo #octavian #leo valdez #annabeth chase

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alyrae13 · 4 years ago

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Ok, time to finish this! The second part of favorite Gold Saints and why is here! Yes, after relaxing by poor finger bones for a while, they were ready for action! It’s gonna be a long post again because, well, apparently I can’t make things simple for myself. Well, with that being said, let’s get this show on the road!

Leo Aiolia

Yes, the mighty lion is upon us. Aiolia is a man who had to work his damn hardest after the death of his brother. We could all tell that he suffered greatly because of what his brother’s supposed ‘betrayal’ had done to Sanctuary. Yet, he couldn’t hate his brother despite also being lead to think of him as a traitor; He still respected him no matter what pain he had to endure because of him somewhat. Now, he’s not perfect (none of the Gold Saints are honestly); He’s a hot head who jumps into action without thinking and he was more than willing to carry out the False Pope’s orders without question. Yet it’s reasonable for him to be like this because of all he had to endure at such a young age. He’s a righteous Gold Saint who’s worked hard to get to where he is now and that’s something special to me; Also he’s practically a big kitten in my eyes so, yea, I’m gonna love him.

Scorpio Milo

And now for the scorpion to make his appearance. Now to say that Milo isn’t a hot character within the fandom is like saying that you didn't shed a single tear during Hades arc or Soul of Gold; It’s common at this point for people to find him attractive so it’s not surprising that I do. However, like the others, his looks aren’t very important in the grand scheme of things; His character as a whole is important. What I like about Milo is that he’s a whole array of different traits; He’s noble, would help clear a fellow saint’s name and he’s a man who won’t show mercy to his opponents so easily. He’s a honorable and at times quite a mysterious yet imposing figure; He’s also a friend willing to care for the feelings and thoughts of his companions. He’s a great character and a handsome one at that.

Sagittarius Aiolos

In loving memory of the martyr. Now, despite not having an active role in the story or shown that much because, ya know, being dead, he’s a character that I admire for the impact he undoubtedly had on the story. He’s the definition of what a righteous Gold Saint would be, even being selected as the next Pope which he would have done well at if, ya know, he was alive long enough. He’s a man who fight’s for the greater good and is willing to sacrifice himself in order to do just that. He’s a character that died doing what’s right and a man who loved his brother dearly. Now, I know that there has to be something within him that can be counted as a flaw (maybe I’ll think about just what for a headcanon somewhere down the line, who knows), yet for now, I’ll love the great and sexy archer for all he’s done for those around him, even when dead.

Aries Mu

Ah yes, the ram of Jamir. Mu is someone who is calm and gentleman-like yet more than capable of kicking your butt if you manage to get on his nerves. While he is very much rather peaceful, he is not overtly merciful, meaning while he can spare his opponents, it’s only if you proven not to be a continuous great threat, so he’s not as merciful as many would just assume. He also has somewhat of a troubling past as well, being that Shion was his mentor when he was killed. Mu would have still been a child when this happened and probably in his early teens when he left Sanctuary. He showed an absolute reluctance to take down his master in the Hades arc, so it would stand to reason that when he found out about his master’s death, he was quite devastated; Shion could have been a father figure to Mu, so it would make sense for such a reaction. Mu’s great character is why I love him, also he’s a cutie to me.

Virgo Shaka

And now to end with Buddha. Honestly, it would have been very hard to like him had his battle with Ikki not knocked him into such better senses. Once thinking of emotions with detachment and view life through God’s eyes instead of, ya know, actually living the experience, now is someone who better understands emotions and is willing to actually participate in what life could have in store for him. He’s still calm and collected, not fighting unless given a really good reason to but at least he’s able to see himself as just a human being like the rest of us instead of viewing everything from such a distant lens. His skills are something to be admired too, I mean what man called ‘The man closest to god’ wouldn’t have an epic powerset to give reason for such a title? Also because of his role in Hades Arc and Soul of Gold, he’s managed to become a great character to me. Also, he’s a pretty good looking Buddha, not gonna lie.

And that’s all the reasons I love the Gold Saints and why! This was really something for me to type because not only is it an essay and a half, I also wrote each reason with meaning to it so finishing it was really something for me. Whelp, Imma just go and work on other stuff right now so hopefully you all enjoyed reading this (hopefully). Peace!

#saint seiya #gold saint #soul of gold #leo aiolia #scorpio milo #sagittarius aiolos #aries mu #virgo shaka #anime #favourites #knights of the zodiac

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mikeisthricedeceased · 4 years ago

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Ghost Stories

Chapter 2: The Mechanic

Mando x OC

Warnings: Language, Angst, Graphic Violence

Word Count: ~3.2k

Chapter 1

A/N: The only storyline taking place in chronological order is the one involving Mando. Just wanted to state that early on.

Summary: We meet Vayik and the Finder, two sisters who have a tense but caring relationship with one another. Mando remains cautious around Toram, despite the fact that she watched over the child in his absence and repaired damages to his ship. The Riever claims another victim.

AO3 | Masterlist

~*~*~*~

Vayik marched down the hall, gripping a fistful of brushes that were stiff with the dried remnants of brightly colored paint. She was glad for the relatively empty path, not trusting herself to keep her temper entirely in check should she so much as bump into someone on her way to confront the one who was undoubtedly responsible.

Her gloved fingers further tightened as she neared the open workshop door, teeth gritted as she stormed inside.

She almost immediately came to a halt, poorly concealed giggles reaching her as she took in the sight before her.

The Finder looked up from where she was tinkering at her worktable, expression calm. Her gaze shifted from Vayik’s tense stance and rigid shoulders, to the leather straining over her knuckles where she held the brushes.

Vayik was more preoccupied with the sight of small arms wrapped around the Finder’s neck and scraped knees tucked tight against her waist, the faint giggles even more noticeable now.

The Finder seemed entirely unfazed. “Good morning, vod,” she said simply.

Vayik brought her eyes back up and furiously held up the brushes. “Care to explain why the ceiling outside of the forge is suddenly very pink and green?” she growled, voice made all the more accusatory by the crackle of her modulator.

“Personally, I think we’re in the early stages of an infestation,” reasoned the Finder. She gave no indication that she heard any of the giggling as it intensified.

When it became clear that the giggles had more than one source, Vayik eased. But only slightly. “Is that so?”

The Finder nodded before taking slow, awkward steps around the table between them, revealing two more small children, one clinging to each of her legs. She gestured solemnly down at them. “As you can see, my workshop has already been overrun. I guess that makes the forge the next target.” She shrugged, all three children dropping any attempt at being sneaky with their laughter. “You should probably warn Kith.”

“I shouldn’t have to warn them about anything,” she said, crossing her arms, “because there shouldn’t be any paint on the walls outside of the mural spaces. And there certainly shouldn’t be any paint on the ceilings or in the forge. Isn’t that right?” Her helmet very pointedly titled down toward Alamak and Lisith, who were still sitting on the Finder’s boots and clinging to her.

The pair of them visibly shrank at Vayik’s words.

“Sorry, buir,” Lisith said as Alamak mumbled his own apology. They let go of the Finder and scrambled up to their feet.

Vayik tilted her helmet, indicating the door behind her, and the two were quick to rush out and find other things to entertain them.

Once they had left, her attention was solely forward again. “That includes you, Kerreeka,” she said, voice stern.

A small face appeared over the Finder’s shoulder. “But—”

“No arguing,” Vayik said firmly. “You know where you’re allowed to paint, and you painted where you weren’t supposed to.”

Kerreeka reluctantly slid down off of the Finder’s back, her head hanging as she shuffled forward. “I’m sorry for painting on the ceiling,” she said softly, pouting. “I won’t do it anymore.”

Vayik just looked the girl over for a moment before sighing heavily and stepping aside. “Go on. Find the others.”

She left the room just as quickly as the other two had, scrambling to get away from the tension.

Then, it was just Vayik and the Finder.

They were both silent for a few seconds, neither of them really wanting to start the conversation, but knowing that it needed to happen.

Vayik’s shoulders slowly slumped and she walked closer to the worktable, setting the brushes down.

The Finder broke the silence first. “Don’t be too hard on them,” she said, dark eyes searching the Mandalorian’s posture.

“I wouldn’t have to be if you would stop encouraging such dangerous behavior,” Vayik huffed.

The Finder’s stance shifted, hands on her hips. “I was with them the whole time, vod. It was perfectly safe.”

She scoffed. “That’s not the point.”

“What is the point?”

“The point is that you aren’t always here. The point is that they are just children and they will try to do that kind of shit when no one’s around to make sure they don’t hurt themselves!” She jabbed a finger in her sister’s direction. “You are supposed to be an adult. You should show them how to have fun that doesn’t involve going near the forge while it’s unattended, or painting somewhere that’s impossible to reach when you’re not around! It puts ideas in their heads, makes them forget to be cautious because they assume it’ll all go just how it did when you were there!” Vayik placed her hands flat on the surface of the worktable as she exhaled shakily and tried to compose herself. Her visor shifted level with the Finder’s face. “Those children have your name, vod,” she said flatly.

The Finder tensed immediately. “Don’t,” she growled.

Vayik didn’t back down. “You’re the one who brought them here. The one who wanted to make sure they had a home, a family—”

“Stop it.”

“—after they’d lost everything. And yet here you are, putting them at risk for no reason. Making them feel like they’re invincible, even more so than children already do, when they’re too young to know any better. What are we supposed to do when you’re not here? Kith, Me, Leo, Nevera? We can’t do what you do.” Her shoulders dropped down again, her whole posture seeming very tired. “I need you to tell me you understand that.”

The Finder didn’t look up as she nodded, her voice even rougher than usual. “I understand.”

“Good.”

“I’ll make sure we stay away from the forge, and I’ll keep them grounded the next time they want to paint.” She glanced up at that dark visor. “I’m sorry, Vayik. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Thank you,” she said firmly. And then, quieter, “This all used to be so much easier.”

The Finder took a slow step closer and leaned a hip against the table. “I know.”

The room was silent all over again, but the tension was gone. All that was left was a fractured sort of sorrow.

It was Vayik’s turn to speak first. “I hope they aren’t breaking anything,” she muttered.

One of the Finder’s brows rose. “Kith or the kids?” The subtle tilt of the helmet across from her indicated a harsh glare and she chuckled.

“I’m telling them you said that. We’ll see if you’re still laughing when they melt your little project down into a flimsiweight.”

The Finder shrugged, a grin tugging at her mouth. “That might still make a pretty good weapon. Just have to throw it.”

“Throw it at you, maybe,” Vayik grumbled.

She rolled her eyes at that.

There was a beat before Vayik nodded to the datapad near the edge of the table, out of the way of the main work surface. “Anything new?”

The Finder straightened and walked over to grab the device. “There are a few new parts down in scrap, stuff from older ship models and probably junked droid components. Found some areas to look for information about weaving that specific type of traditional Sullustan robe that Yuumma wants.” She typed something in before handing the datapad to the Mandalorian, smirking. “I’ve also been invited to a party.”

“A party?” asked Vayik as she looked down at the display. Realization set in as she looked over the details and she stiffened. “You can’t do this.”

“I think we both know that I can,” the Finder said slowly. She got the impression that Vayik was scowling down at the datapad.

“That doesn’t mean that you should. Not alone, at least.”

That sounded like a scowl.

The Finder crossed her arms loosely, head tilted. “I’ll be alright. You know I can handle myself if things get complicated.”

That scuffed green helmet lowered a fraction. “And you know that that isn’t always enough,” she said solemnly.

Dark eyes reflexively glanced at the red stripe on Vayik’s left pauldron. There was a matching yellow one on the right. She just nodded, clearing her throat as she looked away.

“Be careful. Okay, vod?” Vayik fixed her with a steady gaze. “Make sure those kids have someone to cause trouble with.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will,” said the Finder, chuckling roughly.

Vayik offered a short nod. “Good.” Her helmet turned as she glanced around the workshop, straightening up and tapping her gloved fingers on the worktable to break the growing heaviness in the air. “Is there anything else?”

She sighed, shoulders slowly relaxing. “Just that little project Kith and Leo have been working on for me. I’d like to break them in before I head out, if I can.”

“Alright. I’ll check in with them,” said Vayik. “I think Kith mentioned that they were almost done.”

“I look forward to comparing them to the old ones. See how the craftsmanship has improved over the years.”

The Mandalorian’s helmet tilted. “Are you saying my riduur wasn’t skilled enough when they helped craft the old ones?” she accused, though there was little real force behind it.

The Finder held up her hands in surrender. “I wasn’t saying anything. Just noting that they’ve gotten even better than they were when I first showed up, which was already a remarkable level of skill.”

Vayik shook her head with a scoff, turning on her heel to head out. “Sheb’urcyin.”

“I heard that,” the Finder called, grinning.

“I know,” came the reply as Vayik turned out into the hall.

~*~*~*~

He stood with his back against the sealed doors of the weapon store, looking as relaxed as could be, hands folded and resting at his belt. From that position, he was easily able to watch over the child quietly playing on the narrow bunk next to him, as well as keep an eye on the mechanic as she finished repairing the side ramp.

His eyes locked onto her when the bright sparks of her welding tools ceased and she stood up to survey her work.

Seemingly satisfied, she removed her goggles, tucked her tools away and hefted her bags up onto her shoulders before ascending the ramp into the ship. Pulling the dark bandana off of her face, she nodded to him. “It’s good to go.”

The scar across her face was made even harsher by the hull’s lower lighting. It spanned from just below her hairline, between her eyes, and down to the opposite side of her jaw. It was old but he could tell it hadn’t healed cleanly.

His helmet dipped in acknowledgement before he took the child into his arms and quickly punched in the code to draw up the telescopic gate and seal it. As it steadily hissed, he made to start up the ladder.

He’d just grabbed a rung and stepped up when she caught his attention.

“Am I allowed up there, or do you want me to stay here?” she asked, a hand on her hip as she pointed in the direction of the cockpit. “I understand if you’d rather keep strangers away, given what happened.” She shrugged in sympathy.

That dark visor turned to her as he considered the consequences of either option. Letting her up meant the possibility of her harming the child or himself, or gaining control of the ship. Leaving her in the hull could allow her to sabotage the ship’s systems, steal supplies, or take advantage of any weapons that were not currently on his person.

The door shut with a dull clunk and his gaze lowered to the blaster at her hip. Being a mechanic, she was likely strong, but he was willing to assume that she relied on scrappiness more than skill in a fight. Still, he’d rather decrease the risk as much as possible.

“Leave your weapons. That includes the tools,” he specified.

For a moment, so brief he might’ve imagined it, tension pulled at her shoulders and something sparked behind her eyes. But it was gone almost instantly, and he wasn’t quite sure if it had been there at all.

She pursed her lips as she looked down at her belt before nodding. “Alright.”

He watched as she unclasped her tool belt and set it down on top of her bags, soon joined by her blaster, still secured in its holster.

When she was done, she held her hands up, brows raised. “Good?”

His posture relaxed fractionally. “Fine.”

Toram waited as he climbed up the ladder, the child carefully tucked against his chest, before she followed. When she stepped into the cockpit, she immediately noticed the open bassinet resting on the foldout seat to the right of the pilot’s seat.

The Mandalorian walked right past it, easing into the pilot’s seat with the baby in his lap.

She just smirked at his protectiveness as she unfolded the chair on the left and sat down, arms crossing over her chest.

He started prepping the ship for flight, the child cooing and watching his movements with those massive brown eyes, ears rising slightly in interest. The rising mechanical whir of the engines powering up overtook the baby’s babbling in the moments before take off, a low rumble spreading through the entirety of the Crest. As it lifted off the ground, he braced himself. The moments he actually had to pay attention to flying would be when he was most vulnerable if she wanted to take advantage of him or the child, even if she was currently stripped of her weapons and he was fully armed.

He was also fighting to press down the guilt that began consuming him upon finding out that the child had been in direct danger while he was away. He couldn’t allow himself to get caught up in it when he had to focus on leaving the atmosphere, calculating a reasonable enough place to jump, and keeping an eye on the Razor Crest’s newest passenger.

The little one seemed to pick up on his unease though, making a troubled noise and reaching for his gloved hands where they gripped the yoke.

He took one hand off the controls and let the baby hold it as a sign of reassurance.

They climbed higher up into the atmosphere, the ship shuddering against the resistance until the air gradually thinned.

Once they reached smoother flying and fully left the planet’s gravitational pull, he paused.

His helmet turned slightly to the left as he asked “Where do I need to drop you off?”

Toram shrugged, more to herself than for his benefit. “Anywhere with a decent spaceport will be fine,” she told him.

He gave no response, turning back to the controls again and taking his hand from the child long enough to charge the hyperdrive and set the coordinates for the jump. Pressing the lever forward, the stars stretched around them until the hyperdrive was fully engaged and the ship was swallowed by hyperspace.

The Mandalorian placed his hand back within the child’s grasp and sat back, allowing the guilt to trickle in slowly to keep from upsetting the baby and to prevent himself from being overwhelmed while still feeling wary of Toram.

Throughout the day, there had been little in the way of physical demand, but he was still being weighed down by exhaustion.

~*~*~*~

The tall Weequay bounty hunter scanned the crowds on the street suspiciously, the hood of his coat drawn up to offer some form of disguise as he walked. Such behavior had become common for him in the last few days, ever since a passing acquaintance had let it slip that someone had put a request on him.

He hadn’t believed it at first, assuming it was some joke or mock threat. These things were common among bounty hunters. However, his vague caution had steadily crept into paranoia. He found himself glancing over his shoulder every few steps, reluctant to accept any new bounties for fear of making his location too obvious.

He wanted to believe that the Riever was just a myth, some creature that those operating in the more...illegitimate businesses across the galaxy had made up in order to threaten one another. Wanted to believe that it was just a grandiose bluff.

But he also couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching him.

The Twi’lek and Nautolan couple in front of him stopped abruptly, setting him on edge. His hand closed on the grip of his blaster just as the Nautolan woman excitedly pointed to a fruit stand down the street.

He couldn’t bring himself to relax, even as the couple scurried off. The constant movement and noise of the night market was torture on his already worn nerves. Fingers still squeezing the blaster at his hip, he quickly turned into an alley, hoping to escape the assault on his senses.

The level of noise began to decrease only a few yards into the alley and he let out a quiet sigh of relief. There were a few more blocks before the spaceport and he was hoping to stow away on one of the cargo ships heading offworld. Any opportunity to throw pursuit off his trail would be taken advantage of, whether said pursuit was real or not.

His eyes shifted from one alleyway to the next, constantly bracing for someone to rush him, as he briskly moved through the shadows.

Rounding the next corner, his only warning was a dull gleam before something slammed into his chest.

He let out a pained cry, reflexively drawing his weapon and aiming down the alleyway in front of him. He fired, the charge illuminating the walls around him before pinging against an approaching figure.

He kept shooting at the silent form, stumbling back. His tunic was beginning to stick to him, and he risked a glance down, firing wildly in his panic.

The hilt of a blade stuck out of his abdomen. Nausea brought the sour taste of blood to his mouth.

He looked back up as the figure reached him and his blaster was knocked away, sending it skidding across the ground.

Black eyes bore into him as the knife twisted and he helplessly grasped at the figure, blood rising up into his mouth and spilling down his chin.

“Please,” he gasped, scrabbling for purchase, eyes wide. He made a feeble attempt to push out of its hold, to run away or grab his blaster, but it held firm.

The blade was yanked free. For a moment, the pain was gone and he swayed unsteadily, vision focusing on those black eyes.

Then it was plunged back into him, piercing straight through his heart.

It wasn’t long before all remaining strength bled out of him and he slumped to the ground, eyelids heavy. He listed to the side slightly before collapsing. All movement ceased.

The figure withdrew the blade, wiping it clean on the bounty hunter’s coat and sliding it back into its sheath. It drew another blade, this one larger and heavier, in order to separate the bounty hunter from his head. Again, it used the already stained coat to clean the blade. The head went into a sack connected to the figure’s belt, the body unceremoniously tossed into a dumpster.

Plucking up the discarded blaster, the figure silently disappeared down a dark alleyway.

~*~*~*~

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~ Mike

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