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misterewrites · 3 years ago

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Mystery at the Salt-Irons

Hey everyone! E here with a new chapter! kept you waiting huh? Haha sorry it's been a busy few weeks. Nothing serious but I had to keep starting and stopping this chapter so it threw me off but it's here, it's ready and I hope you enjoy it!

I have some special guests in this story, some ocs made by my friends because you know what I can so I will and honestly, they were really great oc ideas guys. so keep an eye out for @hains-mae and Biz_fantasist OC(I don’t know if she has a tumblr but it’s late so I’ll edit it later)

That's it for me! I hope you are all stay safe, keep your loved ones safe, wash your hands, wear your masks, push to give everyone the vaccine cuz this is getting ridiculous. I hope you have a great week, thank you for reading. I deeply appreciate and feel free to share it with your friends, give me feedback. Reblog and comments all that fun stuff! Thanks and I'll see you soon!

Here’s the chapter over at Ao3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30599756/chapters/85394095

Here’s the story from the beginning if you’re curious what this is about

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30599756/chapters/75486005

and here’s a list of all my work both original and the various fandoms I write for

https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrE42/works

Summary: Finnrick is called to solve a mysterious case as per his job as the city's only Private Investigator wizard but as he sinks deeper into the case, the more it seems that something is happening behind the scenes. Of course with an old friend in town and dark magic surrounding the case, Finnrick is as busy as ever. Ain't no rest for the wicked.

-----

The Salt-Iron Flats weren’t anything special on the surface: An unassuming apartment complex on the north side of Newton Haven, the only thing most people remembered about the place was how the price tag hurt their souls.

Of course, unlike the general housing market, the Salt-Irons (affectionately referred to by the locals) actually had a very reasonable reason for fetching such a high rate: The salt and cold iron baked into every single brick that formed the building.

If you weren’t in the magical know, you’d think it utterly insane that you’d be forced to pay such a large amount of cash because some weirdo decided to make a new age artistic statement with bricks. Of course, if you are aware of the greater community at large, you’d knew you were paying the insanely large sum because someone decided to make the Salt-Irons the single most protective location in the city.

Most mortals have forgotten their history, their lore and collective knowledge passed down throughout the generations: Why their ancestors used to place lines of salt in front of the door and windows, why the elders always suggested to the braver, recklessly youthful family members to carry iron whenever they ventured through the wild.

Outer beings were repelled by salt and iron. No one really had an idea why fae, angels and demons weren’t fond of salt or iron and there's been plenty of arguing about the subject but all in all the fact remained they did not do well when faced with either.

That was the main reason Finnrick didn’t find himself in the north side of town often.

Well that and the zealous Gate Keepers. Those guys were freaks but between them and the Salt-Irons being the only supernatural community up here, Finn never got a case from the area.

Until today.

The Salt-Irons were great at protecting you from any outside threats that wished you ill will: It didn’t protect you from anything you decided to bring in with you.

It was five in the morning when Finnrick got the call. The M.R.R.D representative didn’t have much to offer beyond the address and floor but he thanked her all the same.

Finnrick yawned tiredly, stretching the tension out of his neck while he sipped his coffee. He let out a sigh of relief as the sun slowly rose into the sky.

The Salt-Irons was a twelve story tall building painted a ghastly pale green that made Finnrick sick just looking at it.

“People are paying how much to live in that shade? I’d ask for discount if I were them.” Finnrick laughing to himself, making his way into the apartment complex.

Luckily the interior was much nicer than the outside: Everything was well kept and cleaned. Not a single speck of dust in sight and the wooden stairs didn’t creak when Finnrick placed his foot on them.

Which was good given Finnrick needed to go up seven flights of stairs.

Finnrick wheezed a little, wiping the sweat from his brow when he reached the seventh floor. He glanced down the hall one way then the other as he began to search for room 707 which basic deductive reasoning suggested should be around the corner.

Finnrick crushed the empty foam cup and tucked it into his coat pocket as he made his way to 707. It was a simple wooden door and immaculately spotless just like the rest of the place. He rose his hand and gently rapped on the door.

No response.

He frowned, checking if he was still alone in the empty hallway and rose his hand towards the door frame.

His eyes glowed with a blue energy as he whispered softly “Revelis”

The door gleamed with a bluish hue for a moment before fading away without a trace.

No protective spells laced over the frame so the only thing Finn had to worry about now if it was locked.

He tried the knob, unsurprised when it swung open silently.

“It’s not breaking and entering if someone’s expecting you” Finnrick justified to himself as he pushed the door in.

He nearly staggered backwards: The air tasted thick and foul like something had been left rotting inside. His skin prickled with anxiety, a chill running down his spine with each step he took further in.

Finnrick took deep, calming breathes while doing his best to ignore the bitter taste that seem to cling the air within.

He noticed the trail of footsteps, perfectly preserved in what appeared to be black dust leading deeper into the living room.

“Hey da! You here?” Finnrick called out, carefully stepping closer “You and ma still married?”

There was a deep grunt of acknowledgment before a voice responded “Sorry son, we’re divorced now. She got custody of you.”

“Well fuck. I guess I’m going to be eating kale and poorly cooked spinach for the rest of my life.”

Garrus Valka was not in fact Finnrick’s father, adoptive or otherwise. He was actually one of the highest ranked officers of the Magical Rapid Response Department: An elf clocking in at 200 years old with richly tanned skin. His bluish gray hair was slicked back in his preferred style. Garrus’s had his back turned to the detective but Finn knew his sliverish gray eyes were deep in concentration as he took down notes about the surroundings. His beautifully inhuman features were marred with a scar on the right side of his face: burnt skin on his cheek, healed by time and various surgeries. An old war wound though Finn never got the full story.

He was dressed in typical M.R.R.D fashion: Dark blue windbreaker, jeans and a blue shirt with the words “Powered by coffee and spite” splashed across the front. His Winchester rifle was slung across his back, ready for any action that may befall the elf.

“Drift.” Garrus greeted teasingly while offering a hand.

Finnrick gave it a playful shake “Da. So is mom here or she trying to smite pigeons again?”

“THEY TRIED TO STEAL MY HOTDOG!” Garrus’s partner Eden screamed from another room “I SHALL BRING MY GOD’S WRATH UPON THEM!”

“You know when they mean justice.” Finnrick called out “I don’t think they mean against winged rats.”

Eden chuckled darkly “You know not their sins.”

“Okay.” Finnrick nodded despite the fact she couldn’t see him “If you say so. What happened Da? Aside powerful necromancy.”

“Powerful necromancy” Garrus replied cheekily “and missing persons.”

Finnrick rose an eyebrow “Persons? More than one?”

“Two: A father and son. Richard Charles and his son Richard Jr. Recluses it seems. Neighbors hardly saw them. Mostly kept to themselves.”

Finnrick pursed his lips thoughtfully “Any magical abilities?”

“They’re not on records if that’s what you mean.” Garrus answered “Never signed up in the academy, not registered with The Council. If they were practitioners they didn’t tell anyone.”

“So what was the spell? I just smell the remnants of spookiness.”

“Hadn’t noticed the rest of the room huh?”

Finnrick frowned before finally getting a good look at the rest of the room: Every inch of the apartment was blanketed with the same black dust that he found in the entrance way. Inches and inches of the substance and that wasn’t the strangest part.

Everything was bent at different and odd angles: chair with crooked legs, the wall clock warped and twisted, the fridge leaning like someone folded it in half. Floorboard reached for the sky and walls split inward.

There was a common misconception about magic. Most people thought spell casters, especially wizards, could command reality to their wills. That magic was capable of impossible feats and it was as simple as snapping your fingers.

The truth was all magic, ranging from divinity to free range nature, was performed on a micro scale. Practitioners did not alter reality but rather shortcut it. Throwing fireballs was as simple as rapidly heating the air until it combusted. Turning invisible was less about vanishing completely as it was bending the light around you to not be seen. Magic was rooted in reality and imagination. If you had the magical strength to perform the magic, the magic often followed your lead.

Of course there were spells that required much more than magical hand and willpower. Powerful magic, like summoning outer beings or raising an army of zombies, required both time and materials. Magic was like any other energy: you needed enough of it to perform what you wanted. The human body could only generate so much magic without dying and resting was necessary to replace any expended in the use of spells. Materials were guidelines for the spell. Feathers for anything with flight, ash for fireballs etc etc.

The other thing needed was to gather energy and store it for the spell’s use. There were different ways to achieve this: Wands, talismans, potions were basically magic soups. The most efficient way to gather energy was the wizards preferred way: Circles.

Finnrick eyed the room closely this time, murmuring under his breath about angles and trajectory. Garrus paid him no mind, well familiar with the private investigators methods.

“If this went like that” he gestured to the wall clock “and that went here.”

Finnrick glanced about, carefully walking about as if worried he was going to step on a landmine.

“Here.” Finnrick found himself staring at a spot in the middle of the room “Ventus.”

He gestured with a hand and light breeze filled the room. It brushed away some of the dust covering floor, revealing the outline of a half melted metal ring.

“What is it?” Garrus turned curiously

“Spell circle. The source of the explosion. I’m willing to bet it’s custom made. Copper, steel. Maybe some bits of tin couldn’t stand the surge.”

“No iron or sliver?”

Finnrick shook his head “That’s for containing or repelling monsters. Necromancy is more about drawing in the evil entities. Or sucking out life.”

Garrus sighed tiredly “Don’t touch?”

“Only if you want to live to see retirement. Might have some pent up magic ready to blow outwards.”

“Understood. I’ll call in our guys. I’ll let you know if something comes up.”

Finn nodded gratefully while pulling out a vial and motioning to the elf “Mind if I do?”

“Be my guest, you might find something we’d miss.”

Finnrick smiled gratefully before scooping up some of the dust and sealing it within the vial.

“Take care Garrus, stop fighting birds Ma!”

“Flying rats!”

-----

The cafe was lively despite being early but that was no surprise given it was Mother’s. Mother’s was the single best food establishment in all Newton Haven and if anyone disagreed, they were allowed to have their opinions.

They were also allowed to be wrong.

Finnrick paused in the doorway, breathing in the scent of well cooked eggs and sweet lemonade. The pop and sizzle of heated grease brought a sense of comfort to the hard working private investigator.

“Finny Drift!” Maddie Copperstone called from behind the counter “How’s my favorite customer holding up?”

Maddie was 40 years young with tastefully curled dark brown hair. Human, little on the short side but fierce. She wore a simple red blouse and jeans, both stained with flour that the apron around her waist did not prevent.

Finnrick bounced over cheerfully, reaching over the counter to give the matron the biggest hug he could muster “I’m good Maddie. Working a case.”

Maddie’s brown eyes searched his face carefully “You always working Finny. You resting as much?”

“Scout’s honor.”

Maddie let out a disbelieving chuckle “You weren’t ever a Scout.”

“Honorary scout after I stopped that bear from eating them.”

“Thought it was a giant raccoon.”

“Yes but people don’t take giant raccoon seriously. He here?”

Maddie clicked her tongue disappointingly but motioned to the booth at the far end of the establishment “Rest.”

Finnrick rose his hand in surrender “After.”

“Never you mean!” Maddie shouted after him.

Amos Frye hadn’t changed much since last he was roaming around Finnrick’s neck of the woods: Handsome with soft gray eyes that reminded Finn of gathering storm clouds. His long black hair was tied in a messy bun held up by a golden pin, a braided strand hung loosely near his face. His beard was much shorter than what Finnrick remembered though he noted the unkempt split ends indicated that Amos hadn’t trimmed it in a few weeks. His iconic dark red sleeveless jerkin and black jean combination would look ridiculous on a lesser man but had allowed the monster hunter to show off his muscular frame. His brown skin was a bit more pale than usual so no doubt Amos had been operating at night lately.

“Finnrick, you cheeky bastard! I am so glad you came!” Amos beamed happily, his various bangles and bracelets clinking together in equally joyous celebration as the two shook hands.

“Amos! Happy to see you.” Finn beamed brightly as he slid into the booth across his old friend “Why though? Family trouble?”

Amos’s joyfully gleam turned dark for a moment.

“No. Have you…?”

Finnrick shook his head quickly “Not a word. Sorry, I hadn’t meant to…”

Amos waved the apology away “No worries cuz. I understand why you’d think that. Coming across the pond isn’t a spur of the moment thing and Os has always been the black sheep of the family. I suppose no news is good news.”

“Right.” Finnrick cleared his throat awkwardly “So what’s the trouble? I doubt you’d call me up for a nip and chat.”

“Rightly so.” Amos confirmed, reaching into the bag at his side and pulling out a folder “Hunting business as usual cuz.”

That made sense: Amos was the latest of a long family whose specialized business was monster hunting. The Fryes had been striking at things that went bump in the night for centuries ever since the first Frye defended the folk of some underground society.

Amos was an average wizard if Finnrick was being generous. That was not a slight against his old friend, it was a matter of fact: Amos spent most of his time honing the physical aspects of his profession which was obvious given the size of his arms. Any spells he knew were purely for defensive or preventive measures so he often communicated with Finnrick for higher quality and complex spellwork.

Finnrick took the folder from Amos and began pouring over its contents.

Most were quickly scrawled notes Amos had noticed about his quarry: Long sliver hairs, canine in nature. Large paw prints found in the areas it had been sighted, far too big to any natural wolf. Wulfvur and werewolf were hastily written and as quickly crossed out. A pattern of hanging out in wild areas, often forests and swamps.

There were pictures too: flashes of sliver, blurs of fangs and muzzles darting in and out of camera frame. It was always a distance away, sprinting deeper into the wildness. It was hard to tell from the photos but Finn guessed it might’ve been 10 feet tall at the very least.

“Why we hunting wolves now?” Finnrick asked curiously.

Amos flagged down the waitress “Contract given to my pa. It was hanging around the marsh lands of the jolly old isles. Someone wanted it gone.”

Something wasn’t clicking with Finn “and you followed it here? From England?”

“Nah cuz” Amos gave a cheeky grin “I tackled it through a portal and found I illegally crossed into America.”

“Ah.” Finnrick nodded in understanding “Fae.”

“Fae?” Amos frowned thoughtfully “I thought that too but I never heard of any snarling wolfie breaking into homes and snatching out wee younglings in them old folktales.”

“Fae are weird.” Finnrick shrugged “Their whole shtick is not making any sense. I had to expel a cat the size of a bus once. Double decker tall.”

Amos whistled in appreciation as he scratched his bread “So fae. Slippy fellow as you can tell. Whatcha recommend?”

“What’s the contract?”

“Banishment. It’s looking like wolfie ended up in the wrong part of town.”

“I think you mean next town over. Fixed a pattern yet?”

“Not yet but I wasn’t looking for one.” Amos admitted “Thought I was tracking some mutant. Fae changes a lot. Magical circles?”

“Easiest way to catch it.” Finnrick agreed “Sliver for sure. Iron would hurt it and based on your files, it hasn’t done anything than thin the local wildlife population. No need to anger mister big bad wolf.”

“Good call. I got some talent to handle a few circles but tracking is not really my speed.”

“I’m on a case but if you swing by the M.R.R.D, maybe they’ll loan you a wizard.”

Amos let out a disappointed sigh “I need to take care this sometime this year Finny. Bloody bureaucracy probably set me back a month at least.”

“There’s always Jaime but she’s pretty busy at work.”

“Jaime huh?” Amos smiled mischievously “I haven’t talked to your sister in a long time.”

“I will curse you.” Finnrick playfully threatened “And not no simple hex either. I’ll make you bald.”

Amos gasped dramatically, clutching at his hair protectively “You wouldn’t dare mate.”

“Shinier than the sun.”

“Okay, okay” Amos conceded “I’m kidding. She’s with Casey anyway. Good couple. Cute couple. He still hopelessly selfless and she still trying to fast track her way to power?”

“Yep.”

“You gonna fix that?”

Finnrick shook his head “It’s their lives. Their choices.”

“Idiots.” Amos chuckled “the lot of them.”

“All you need is love?”

“Spoken true the gospel of my land.”

-----

A few hours later with a brainstorm session completed and a promise to help out the next day, Finnrick left Amos to his work and continued with his own.

It was noon now and as the sun rose high in the sky, Finnrick found himself at the Grimyard.

The Grimyard was the premiere spot for all things magical in Newton Haven: Rows and rows of shops specifically catering to the magic community. The streets were paved with century old cobblestone and the buildings here were various hues of faded brick and mortar. It was easy to get lost in the Grimyard if it was your first time as the Grimyard did not spread out, it stacked downward. Layers upon layers of the Grimyard were actually underground to allow those with issues against the sun to sell their goods and services at all times of the day. Don’t let the dark fool you, anyone with worthy talent or product was here in the Grimyard.

Normally Finnrick would wander around a bit, checking out the various businesses and protective wards around the mile long patch of land but he was on the clock and the sooner he began to figure out what was going on, the sooner he could stop it.

Luckily for him, his destination was right here on the top floor of the marketplace. Specifically furthest back corner.

Knightly Ore was ran by the Knight family. Originally they only sold rare metals and ores which were necessary components for some of the more complicated magicks. At some point the owners expanded into selling more alchemical materials and eventually brewing potions, salves and such for a fee.

Despite decent business, it was the most rundown building in this part of the Grimyard: Broken window shudders with the paint faded down to the original shade when the business first opened decades ago. The humble black door was crooked and creaked whenever it moved

Finnrick knew the owners fairly well but here wasn’t here for them. He was here to see their son.

He pushed past the building, ducking into the alley that led to the lot directly behind the shop.

“Halt!” A voice called out “Who seeks the Brewmaster of the Grimyard?”

“It is I, Finnrick the detective. I got money and I need work done”

The Brewmaster was Theodore Knight, an incredibly talented alchemist who didn’t have the same opportunities Finnrick did: He was pretty tall for his age (14 or 15, Finnrick lost track once or twice) but clearly a teenager given his short lavender hair had a few strands dyed red. His eyes were an unnatural pale blue, paler than the blue of the sky. He wore the usual attire Finn often found him in: A sleeveless dark blue hoodie with a fist sized red gem clasped in front just under his neck and a lighter shade blue t-shirt. He wore black finger-less gloves gripping his brown messenger bag slung around his shoulder. A matching brown pouch hung around the waist of his gray cargo shorts and his brown boots were kept clean despite his place of business was in an alley behind his parents shop.

Theo jumped out from a hidden shadowy corner of the lot “Finn, whatcha got for me now?”

Finnrick reached into his pocket, showing the eager teen the vial that held blacken dust within.

“That’s it?” Theo scoffed, rolling his eyes “I was expecting something…...cooler.”

He took the vial and raised it to the sun. Theo gave it a rough shake and watched it carefully for any properties the strange substance would display.

Theo frowned, clearly unsatisfied by what he saw “You brought me ash? Plain ash? It’s your money but even I think it’s a waste.”

“It’s ash?”

Theo shot the detective a look that screamed how obvious it should’ve been “Yes, ash. Thicker than what I’ve seen but ash all the same.”

Finnrick bit his cheek thoughtfully.

“Look Finn, you know my rates. I dunno what you want me to do but standard fees apply.”

“I’ll paying double.”

The Brewmaster’s eyes narrowed suspiciously “Double for ash? What’s so special about it?”

“Oh nothing." Finnrick pretended to look disinterested “Aside it was taken directly from a crime scene: Necromancy and cast via a half melted spell circle.”

It took Theo a minute to allow the implications of what Finnrick said to sink in. His eyes shifted from suspicion to wild excitement.

“Really?!” Theo clutched the vial like it was his first born child “Necromancy really doesn’t like many alchemy processes. It’s not going to be easy for me.”

“I know right?” Finnrick grinned impishly “It’s almost like I’m going to have to pay double for it.”

“Yeah, you’re gonna have to….” Theo pouted unhappily “Ha freaking ha. Okay smart guy, pay up.”

Finnrick handed over 50 gold. Theo took it eagerly, his eyes lightening up with glee.

Theo paused for a moment, his face turning oddly serious for a teenager.

“It might take me awhile depending on what you want.”

“I want to know what’s in it. Necromancy requires specific ingredients. After that it’ll be easier to track the seller.”

“And the buyer!” Theo blurted out excitedly “Smart.”

Finnrick ruffled his hair playfully “I wish I thought of it. You keep this up and you’re going to run me out of business.”

“I’ll text you when I have something.”

“Pleasure as always Theo.”

“It’s Brewmaster.”

-----

It was 2 in the afternoon when Finnrick made his way back to the Salt-Iron. He stood outside the complex, tossing the remains of his pizza into his waiting maw and crumpling the can of soda he was drinking before tucking into his coat pocket.

“What’s this?” Finnrick asked, utterly confused by the crushed foam cup he pulled from within “Oh right my coffee. I’ve been really at today.”

Finnrick wiped his hands clean and made his way inside the Salt-Iron once more, mulling over the details of the case as he ascended up the stairway.

Blacken ash cast by a spell circle. Both father and son missing with no indication where they went too. Recluses and rarely seen. Necromancy within a threshold.

It was hard to tell how deeply the father and son were involved in spell. Someone who had access to the apartment was behind it no doubt. Spell circles were the most consistent way to cast magic but they took time to build, set and channel energy. You didn’t build a spell circle without knowing exactly what you plan to do with it.

The nature of the magic was also a mystery: Dark magic had various applications and not a single one was good. Finnrick hadn’t much experience with that branch of magic but there was nothing logical about the aftereffects: Ash spread throughout the apartment, clinging to everything like a second skin. There was no signs of an outward blast given that nothing bent in the same direction. Everything in that room decided to twist in whatever wayit felt like. If the spell was supposed to draw in something then chair legs and wall tiles would’ve been pulled directly towards the circle.

“Curiouser and curiouser Alice” Finnrick spoke to no one in particular.

He was on the fifth floor when he noticed something odd.

Finnrick raised an eyebrow as the skies outside the window darken, black and stormy.

A thunderstorm it seems.

Finnrick peered out the window, glancing upwards to see what was going on.

Dark clouds swirled directly overhead. Rain began to lightly drizzle as the skies boomed. Thunder and a moment later lightning trailing across the gathering storm.

A thunderstorm that formed directly above this building.

Without warning.

“Well that’s not ominous.”

Finnrick made the mistake of leaning closer to the window, peering around to see if he could see where exactly the storm was coming from when it happened.

“Watch out below!”

Finnrick noticed three things in that moment: First, was of course, someone shouting to watch out below. Second was the distant sound of claws scratching something wooden, the walls perhaps. Lastly was the thudding of something falling down quickly and towards him.

Finnrick rose his hand, pivoting on his heels in time to see something crash into him.

It wasn’t much of a contest: Both Finnrick and whatever slammed into him broke through the fifth story window and went sprawling into a freefall.

#My story #Mirror's Edge #Original Work #original story

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jae-canikeepyou · 5 years ago

Text

| odd hour | j.jh

pair: jaehyun x fem!reader

genre: fluff again cuz why not

a/n: written without proof reading because i had other writings to deal with :p hehehe! anyway i hope you enjoy reading, my dears! ~j.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

your chest tightened at the loud sound blasting from your phone. eventually your hands pulled the remains of your blanket to muffle out the ringtone. that’s great! it stopped ringing for a moment before the vibration went ahead of the tone. heck, it rang again. you kicked the covers in frustration, little whimpers escaping your lips that it was another night you couldn’t have a peaceful trip to your slumber.

the bright light kept blinking in the dark and forcing you to open your eyes. anger was written all over your sleepy body as you turned lazily to the table beside the bed. who could be calling you at this hour when you already started to enjoy the dream projected in your brain? screw whoever cut it short. as if you had the screen memorised, your fingers slid across to answer the call.

“hello?” you greeted groggily with a long, and somewhat disrespectful yawn. no harm in letting them know how irritated you were, right?

“y/n! i called you twice and you answer at the second call? you usually pick up after the first ‘prrrring’!” mingyu, your best friend slightly yelled a bit louder in attempt to overpower the booming sound system in the background. probably in the club again, you thought.

“mingyu?” you sat up just so you wouldn’t fall asleep. “tsk. ever thought of that i might be sleeping at this hour? it’s 3 a.m for crying out loud!”

by the sound of his voice in the other line, it was obvious his phone was taken away. you could hear him scolding someone, actually, when did he never scold anyone, that included you as well. “yah! jaehyun!”

you quickly stood up in your disheveled pj’s; heart hammering non-stop at the mention of this handsome, human being that have always caught you off guard whenever mingyu would hang with you. he’d tag along too and each time that happened, you tried not to smile or blush in front of the dimpled heartthrob.

and most of the time you end up failing when the rest of the boys shoot you with teasing daggers of grins.

the call was still on hold, and it appeared that mingyu tried to snap the boy back to reality. he kept on raising his tone and uneven breaths were heard, trying to chase jaehyun. you were walking back and forth— feeling nervous, in which by the way, was unnecessary. but what were you supposed to feel?

it was jeong jaehyun.

the guy you fell hard for, literally; when you tripped over due to the desktop chair’s legs that you didn’t see. embarrassing as it was, he was indeed a gentleman to have helped you stand up on your toes. your eyes never left his until he bowed to take his leave.

“y/n! do you have time?” mingyu finally went back to giving the attention you waited for. “i got hold of jaehyun.”

“and?” you asked, eyebrows furrowed in question and held in your breath, the useless excitement of yours started growing— so were your eyes when he said the next words,

and also that had you blushing hard.

“pick your man up!” mingyu laughed with a husky and hiccupy kind.

you became flustered and panicked and your lips couldn’t utter a response. he started to burst out laughing, only to stop when jaehyun took the phone from him. “ʸ/ⁿ! ⁱˢ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ʸᵒᵘ? ʰᵉˡˡᵒ!” he sounded drunk and totally different from what you had imagined. he was already cute, but the jaehyun now was cuter.

“y/n, please come here and get him?” mingyu begged. poor guy, his 97-line friends partied the night away and if there was anyone who would drive, that’d be him. “i can’t fit an extra person in my seven-seater van.” he whined and you could already picture out his pouty lips. “i’ve got chan, seokmin, jungkook, bam, minghao and eunwoo. jae’s a big guy so-”

grabbing your jacket and slipped on some comfy sweatpants, you headed for the door but stopped mid-way when you realised what you were doing. crap i got carried away. “wait hold up.” you sighed, putting down your car keys. “an extra person wouldn’t be a problem right? put someone at the compartment area or on the floor or something.”

mingyu faked a laugh. “i’ve never seen jae drunk before. i don’t want him puking.” he claimed.

“so you’d rather want him to throw up in my car-”

“ah consider this a favor, my sweet sis.” cutting you off and leaving you stunned in your tracks. “we, your brothers know your crush towards him. so if you don’t want us to tell him about your jeelings when he’s sober, better get here soon~”

j-jeelings??

you tried to enter his blabbermouth reasons even if you knew you didn’t stand a chance against this giant puppy. “wait, ‘gyu! i don’t know his apartme-” and he ended the call.

great, what were you going to do now?

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the road was identical with those seen in an apocalyptic world described in movies. there were less people, flickering lampposts and garbage/debris spinning in circles with the wind’s currents. you flinched at the touch from jaehyun’s arms, which were attached to yours. he mumbled words in ways you couldn’t understand. it appeared more of a gibberish language; if not, then he was a total baby.

with combined smell of his perfume and alcohol, you thought you were about to pass out. he was too close and wondered how he was able to cling onto you in the most uncomfortable way possible. you sighed as you finally pulled over at his apartment block.

“jaehyun. we’re home.” you said, unbuckling the seatbelt and you had to do it for him since he was busy giggling at the buzzing fly trying to escape the window.

“we’re homeee?” he turned to you, face flushed than ever where you blinked non-stop at his stupid, adorable smile. “is it possible that you’re my wife? *hiccup* hahahaaa! wait i’m not even married yet!”

w-wife?..

you got off the car and went to his side, opening the door then found him struggling to stand up. “are you my wife?” he giggled.

“jaehyun you’re not married and i’m not your w-wife.” you said sternly, biting back from saying your actual, honest thoughts aloud.

he slung his arms around you thinking that you would support his weight. once you arrived at his doorstep, he pulled and led you into his apartment. apparently with the little furnitures he owned and no roommates found, it was clear that he lived alone. “stay here. i’ll give you water.” he offered and headed to the kitchen with wobbly steps. funny how he could make out his way there.

the place he calls home had pretty basic things; a keyboard, a complete set of tech-stuff you had no knowledge of and a vinyl turntable with several records. you snapped out of admiration when he handed you a glass of water and gummy smile glued to his face. getting up, you decided it was best for the both of you to get some rest. “thanks jae. now that you’re here, i’m gonna head back ho-”

a light thump on the wooden floor had you turning to him, but you covered your eyes at his action.

“tsk, it’s hot.” he removed his hoodie and underneath it revealed his tank top and toned arms. he was about to remove his top when you stopped him just in time.

“w-what’re you doing?!” you squealed and hopped, panicky and unsure what to do next. one palm covered your eyes and the other brought forth to reach him.

“taking my clothes off- hey! that tickles!” he whined, then laughing at the tugs you pulled at the ends of this hoodie, preventing him from further actions.

you fanned yourself at the exerted strength you’ve given, resting your arm by your waist. “gosh you’re such a handful!” you sighed. it was alright to blush since he wasn’t sober to see your expressions. thank heavens.

jaehyun crossed his arms and looked at you from head to toe. feeling the sleep signals hitting your body, you yawned at the odd hour you were suddenly dragged into. you thought bringing him home was hard, but getting him to stay at one place was harder.

his smiley face and waving body headed to the kitchen again, you slowly followed him around the apartment. “are you really not my wife?” his sudden turn to face you, causing flinch at his touch on your arm.

“jaehyun, for the last time, i’m not.” heh i wish. you rubbed his fluffy hair and grabbed your keys to get home. “wash up now and good night jae.”

he lightly slammed the wall behind you, not letting you leave. his eyes stared into yours, luring you into his world, an imperfect perfection. the weight of his forehead suddenly leaned on your shoulder, as if he was towering over you and yet he lowered himself to pull you close to him. “i won’t let you.”

the stillness of your body followed his words, like obeying a general’s command and no matter how sleepy you were, that went away once you returned his hug, not wanting to let go and take in the moment. this was rare, although it seemed like you took advantage of his drunkenness, even on normal days it was difficult to hold a conversation with jaehyun because he seemed so far-fetched.

a soft air of whispers tickled your ears, sending goosebumps at the touch of them. “did i surprise you?” he asked, followed by again a drunken giggle.

was he serious? “and if i said no?” you lied, trying to appear unaffected when you actually were. what’s wrong with you y/n?

“‘no?’ then if i do this, will you be surprised?” he asked with a challenging tone and had to leaned in closer than before where you both of your knees were touching.

“what exactly are you going to do nghf-” your fingers curled and eyes flutter when a sudden warmth met your lips. you knew you were going to faint right then and there,

but in fact it was the opposite.

jaehyun’s weight lifted off of you, collapsing afterwards when darkness consumed his sight to meet his sleep. he mumbled words that you didn’t notice, still utterly shocked with what he did. you managed to catch him and supported him to his bed.

your fingers touched the slightly swollen lips he planted upon as you were out of his door. then it immediately got you thinking that there was no way you would be able to look at him in the eye the next time you both meet.

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the drumming of your heart continued for the next days since that night. yugyeom noticed how fidgety you were whenever jaehyun would sit with the group at the library or at the caféteria. you’d immediately leave and think of lame excuses so you wouldn’t see jaehyun. at first they didn’t mind, you were a busy person after all. however this time, yugyeom managed to grab your wrists and plop you back to the chair. you mentally cursed at him and he didn’t seem to care like smiling it off would let him off the hook.

you annoyingly and purposely tilted your body so you wouldn’t face jaehyun entirely. “i don’t know what’s up with you but you gotta spill why you’re behaving this way.” yugyeom whispered and you rolled your eyes because yeah, you were busted.

“am i too obvious?” your surrendering voice softened his eyes, more so when you covered your face.

he raised his eyebrows and little did you know mingyu witnessed this as well. “obvious when you’re trying to hide your feelings for jaehyun or obvious that you’re trying ditch us again because of jaehyun?”

“both.” you sighed.

“did something happen that night?” mingyu cupped his lips, soon joining the so called ‘secret and quiet’ conversation you and yugyeom were having.

he didn’t get any verbal responses from you because you gave them a smile of uncertainty where your palms brushed your lips briefly. he covered his mouth as if he was really shocked, more of he really was. “something did, yeah?” he whispered and was convinced from your actions.

your phone alarmed, reminding you of your next class. quickly you packed your stuff and shoved them inside the bag, not caring whether they were neat or not. the rushed actions made jaehyun and the others look your way, and you tried your best to not meet his eye. “i gotta go.”

the faint smell of your perfume stayed in jaehyun’s nostrils whilst you didn’t bother to say goodbye. he turned his torso around, following your figure until it was getting further off the horizon of the caféteria. his friends became awkwardly silent, and he expected them to at least say something if there was a reason of your unusual behavior. instead, he got nothing, that they continued to eat even if they knew he had questions.

“is y/n okay?” he tilted his head in confusion, and saw how his buds bend theirs.

no one dared to speak because in this table, jaehyun was the oblivious one. he wasn’t aware of your feelings for him and the others have kept silent knowing the consequences if they told him; you were quite an angry bear, ‘a cute kind’, they said. “why are you all suddenly quiet?” he asked, the sips and slurps of the cups soon to be emptied.

“oh well y’know..” mingyu chuckled with his fangs peeking out. “just tired?”

“‘cause we’re eating?” jungkook pointed his food.

“uh we have a choice to be?” chan giggled with seokmin who was unable to keep silent.

jaehyun raised a brow, totally not convinced at the excuses and sat back with arms crossed. “you know i could tell if something’s up. who answers with a question anyway?” his straightforwardness wasn’t doing enough to keep them talking. “i’m gonna follow y/n.”

yugyeom stood to stop jaehyun from doing his thing without thinking straight. “wait!” he called out to him and the boy turned around.

the rest of the circle had given daggers to youngest who kept telling him to keep his words to himself. they really didn’t want to make you angry, but what yugyeom was doing would risk their friendship with you. to be exact, risk your friendship with jaehyun’s because of term called ‘crush’. their eyes pleaded and begging him to not spill anything.

“what?” jaehyun flattened his lips that the corners curved inwards, a more confused look seen on him. yugyeom cupped his mouth to whisper, the dimpled man’s eyes grew and scurried off the campus.

chan propped his elbows as the man sat back on his seat. “‘gyeom, what did you tell him?”

“y/n gave a hint before she left, i doubted it first. but it made so much sense as to why she kept ditching our meet-ups-”

“get to the point!” the rest of them pressured him.

the blond haired boy only sighed. “i told jae that he might've drunk-kissed y/n.”

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the sun met its sleep and the night began with patches of rain sprinkling your window. cool rushes of wind entered the thin gaps which sent shivers down to your spine, you wrapped yourself more into the cardigan. you hated it when the weather changes.

pacing back and forth of your apartment, you’ve had battles in your head that maybe it was best to tell jaehyun or maybe it was better to keep things this way before you had the confidence to do so. you yelled into the pillow to let all of your feelings out. it was too much for your heart to carry or continue. even if you did decide to tell him, how would you approach him? how would you begin the conversation?

you held your phone much tighter than before yugyeom sent a message that gotten your brows raising in millions of questions.

[19:03] yuggie: the boys and i will treat you lunch or any of your cravings! we promise! 🙏🏼

“cool. i won’t be touching my savings for a while!” you cheered, knuckles and fists closed at the good news. unbeknownst to you, the reason for their actions probably would be revealed at a later time.

whilst you waited for dinner to be delivered, you turned on netflix to binge some series you haven’t watched before. however, you paused the means of leisure because you felt lonely. your roommate was out of town, leaving you to care for the apartment for a couple of weeks. and you couldn’t call the rest of the boys because some had work while others were busy with gaming. you could join them, but the motion picture of the game just doesn’t work together with your sight. the weather was already making you sick and nauseous. might feel worse if you played.

so you uninterestedly switched on the tv again, spent nth minutes into choosing but never really decided on one.

the memory and experience from that night came flashing in your head. you remembered the touch of his plump lips, the mixed smell of perfume and alcohol, his large hands wrapping your arm and the universe in his twinkling eyes. indeed you liked him a lot, and were thankful that your friends kept it a secret. if the truth came out, you wouldn’t know what else to do.

ding dong!

you stood fumbling with your purse, assured that maybe the pizza guy could wait a little, except it wasn’t who you thought it’d be. the door revealed jaehyun, soaked with an embarrassed smile. “hi?” he greeted, the rain drenched his clothes to the skin and his hair laid flat on his porcelain forehead. “i was about to call but-”

he was pulled in immediately, your hands on his wrists as the water bead droplets wet the wooden floor. “what are you doing in rain?!” you hissed, grabbing new towels for him to dry.

“i didn’t bring an umbrella and the sky just-”

“i thought i was reckless to leave the window open but you’re actually more reckless-”

“i have something to tell you.” he let the towel hung around his neck. there was something in his eyes that you somehow.. knew what he meant by that, so you decided to deal with yugyeom later. “i-”

“pizza delivery!” the guy said, making you and jaehyun turn to the still opened door.

you sighed heavily, why is there always one interrupting the other?

once everything was settled, he walked further into your home and removed his shirt that revealed a rather toned and refined abs. he took a new tee from a laundry basket fresh out from the wash that was exclusive for the boys in case of emergencies. you took care of actual babies.

you were now with him seated around the coffee table, unpacking the side dishes and drinks. “join me for dinner. i don’t think i can finish all this in one go.” you took extra ketchup from the cupboard.

“wasn’t why i came here for but thanks y/n.” he smiled widely at the food laid out in front of him.

that statement alone made you stop what you were doing. “why did you come here?” your eyes looked everywhere but him. unconsciously you bit your lip not because the guy you like was here, but because the kiss flashed in your mind again.

jaehyun saw your action and scooted closer, the centimeters between you both lessening. “it can’t be a mistake, can it?” his voice was soft, with a hint of regret and worry at every uttered word. he eyed you from yours to your now wavering lips. “did i.. perhaps steal your first kiss?”

no words were needed to be said as to jaehyun, your actions and silence already said enough. you wanted to scream as the awkward air and your speechlessness was very unintentional. you wanted to talk, yet you couldn’t for who knew the reasons why.

“i’ll take that as a yes.” he chuckled, stopping quickly afterwards at your fidgety state. “did i look that drunk?”

now it was you who let out an awkward chuckle. “so you don’t remember what happened that night?”

a warm tone of his hums prolonged the more the thought deeper. “not that i know of.. all i remember was being in the club with the dudes.”

the rain poured heavier and it was uncertain when it would stop. thunderstorms were heard along with the patters of the droplets. jaehyun felt lucky enough that he came right before the weather turn worse. he let out a sigh of relief, but the relief of doing something unimaginable to you hasn’t lifted off of his chest. in fact, he didn’t know exactly why he felt more nervous than before when he shouldn’t be because it was just you.

yet, it was nervous because it was you.

the girl who managed to make his heart flutter at random times with your big laughs you weren’t ashamed of; the girl who rather hangs out with guys since you said there just too much drama with the ladies. but has a handful gems in her circle. and most of all, you were the girl he somehow wanted a girlfriend to be.

“stay tonight.” your words jolted him out from his thoughts while you moved the curtain aside to observe the rain. “it’s not gonna stop.”

“oh.” he muttered, internally cursing himself for interpreting you wrongly. “sorry for the bother.”

you handed him a slice of pizza, already devouring yours. “that was my first kiss.” he heard you began the topic he thought was long forgotten. “but i’m somehow glad it was you.”

“why?” he munched on his slice, anticipation was leading him on the more he waited for an answer. stupid stupid heart, he told himself.

should i say it or should i not? you thought. the thing was, he was here. the opportunity was already given and if you chose to confess later, it would be more awkward. screw it, i’m confessing.

with uncertainty and slight fear, you exhaled. “because i like you a lot.” you said, now turning away due to heat spreading your cheeks. “a lot more than i like captain america- i mean chris evans.”

he dropped his food onto his plate, lips forming a pressed smile but he remained his composure knowing that he would probably lose control any second. jaehyun tapped on your shoulders, making you turn to him. “is that so? then i’m glad i didn’t remember the kiss.” his voice low and lovely.

you tilted your head without seeing his red ears. “what do you mean?”

jaehyun, without hesitations, leaned forward and cupped your jaw. the warmth of his lips onto yours was warmer than the food in your hand. he let go of you, planting boop on your nose.

“‘cause i wanna remember kissing you when i’m sober. i like you a lot too.”

#nct 127 #jaehyun oneshot #jaehyun imagines #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun fanfic #jung jaehyun #jaehyun fluff #jung yoonoh #jaehyun au

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nekojitachan · 5 years ago

Note

My kitty and I agree that we'd love to see more not in the stars. She wants to see that kitty representation.

Well, this isn’t Not in the Stars (not yet), but it’s kitty representation? Sorta? It’s what hit me when I sat down to write yesterday, and hopefully now that it’s out of the way, I can get into Not in the Stars.

It’s not Death!Neil, but it’s Cat!Neil! This is the set-up for the sequel to No Ordinary Cats, basically (Cat and Mouse, unless I think of a better title).

Uhmm, think it’s pretty safe - the violence is all off-screen/in the past, mention of NIcky’s past, Aaron’s past, Andrew’s past and Neil’s past (all very vague), of someone being homophobic (potentially), and potential drug use. All vague.

*******

Andrew pulled off on the side of the road on 76 near Lake Murray, before it merged into 26 outside of Columbia and when the traffic was non-existent; he got out to stand by the passenger side while he lit a cigarette. It only took a couple minutes before the door opened and Neil emerged, fully clothed. It was the first time his boyfriend was in his human form since that morning; he preferred to spend the time in the car curled up on Andrew’s lap unless he was driving (which was rare considering his utter disregard for traffic laws and confusion every now and then on what side of the road to drive on).

“Almost there?” Neil asked as he hesitated a moment before he leaned against Andrew’s left side, a warm, welcome presence; he wore one of Andrew’s old hoodies and black skinny jeans with tears at the knees.

“About two more hours,” Andrew informed his furball of a boyfriend as he rubbed the back of Neil’s nape, which prompted a faint purr. “Hungry?”

Neil raised his right hand and tilted it back and forth through the air in a ‘so-so’ sign, which meant that he could hold out a while longer and left getting food up to Andrew. “Just want to get this over with, to be honest.”

“We’ll hit a drive-thru,” Andrew settled on before he took one more long drag on the cigarette then tossed it aside, not eager to meet his ‘dear’ family but wanting to get it ‘over with’, too. He gave Neil’s nape a gentle squeeze before he let go and returned to the driver’s side of the new Maserati, the one indulgence he’d allowed himself after the whole Malcolms debacle (that Neil had practically insisted upon after the Nissan had been totaled).

There was something to be said for Neil in cat form curled up on Andrew’s lap while he drove, a silky-furred, purring creature he could pet in a soothing, mindless manner while he sped down the highway… yet having a gorgeous redhead in the passenger seat who smiled and chatted away about various landmarks or mocked idiots who drove below the speed limit was also nice. It wasn’t that Neil didn’t like to spend time with Andrew in his human form (oh did he enjoy his time with Andrew when they were alone and he wasn’t a cat), it was just after dealing with the last of his father’s people hunting him down but finding out that his mother’s family were looking for him, Neil was being extra-careful while they relocated across the country.

Across the country to Andrew’s long-lost family.

Andrew’s long-lost family, which he’d been more than ‘happy’ to ignore the last few months, except that they now gave him and Neil a logical excuse to leave California (to leave the scene of the crime, so to speak) and set up a new life far away from everything – Andrew reconnecting with the bastards who’d abandoned him.

He didn’t give a fuck about some identical twin his druggie (and now dead) mother had kept instead of him and an unknown cousin who’d stepped in to help said twin, but it gave him an excuse to get Neil the fuck out of Oakland before these mysterious Hatfords tracked him down.

Tracked them down.

Andrew wondered if he’d given something away in his posture or scent because Neil slowly, cautiously, reached over to place his left hand over Andrew’s right one on the gear shift. “If this doesn’t work out, we can always go somewhere else,” he offered in a quiet voice.

Andrew clicked his tongue as he entwined their fingers together. “I’m not going to Toronto or wherever north you have in mind so you can frolic in the snow.”

Neil scowled even as he tightened his fingers around Andrew’s. “Canada’s a civilized country that doesn’t believe in declawing cats in some parts, why wouldn’t I want to go there?” he asked with a sarcastic tone of voice. “You’ll just love Nova Scotia once you give it a chance.”

“That sounds rather cold to me.”

“As cold as your heart, apparently.”

They spent much of the drive to Nicky Hemmick’s house bickering, which Andrew privately enjoyed (not that he’d admit it); when he did stop for food, he made sure to pick a place that had fish sandwiches, just to tease his boyfriend. Neil gave him one of his haughty ‘cat looks’ but ate the thing, never one to turn down food that was still good (or mostly good – the furry bastard had an iron stomach). By the time they’d reached Hemmick’s house, the conversation had switched to Neil needing to wear a licensed tag while in his cat form and what type of collar Andrew was going to buy him (Andrew was leaning toward spiked black leather).

“If you even think of putting a bell on me, your precious leather seats will be shredded beyond repair,” Neil threatened as they pulled into the driveway of a small house with faded yellow paint but with recently cut grass. “Uhm, is this it?”

“So the GPS says,” Andrew drawled as he put the Maserati in park. “What did you expect for two guys barely of legal age?”

“Uhm….” Neil’s fine brows drew together as he seemed to think about that. “But you were doing all right on your own.”

Andrew snorted at that as he turned off the car; he noticed that someone had flipped on the porch light and figured they’d have company soon. “All right in a one-bedroom apartment.”

Neil turned to smile at him even as he undid his seatbelt. “But I liked our apartment.”

So had Andrew; the place had grown beyond a place to crash into something more the last several months, someplace that had belonged to him and Neil.

Now they had to start over again, with two strangers.

“Follow my lead,” Andrew reminded his boyfriend in the French he’d learned from the furball as the front door opened to reveal a young man with black curly hair and a dark complexion wearing brightly colored clothes – Nicky Hemmick. “And let me do the talking.”

“What talking?” Neil murmured, yet he gave a slight nod in acknowledgement.

Nicky waved in excitement as he rushed down the porch steps toward the car, which made Andrew sigh as he reluctantly left the vehicle; Neil did the same, though he paused slightly when another figure, almost identical to Andrew, slipped out onto the porch. Aaron Minyard was dressed in baggy jeans and an oversized blue t-shirt, his blond hair cut short on the sides and left spiky on the top. Andrew only spared him a moment’s thought before he stood in front of the Maserati with Neil behind him as Nicky barely came to a stop a couple of feet away.

“Hi! You made it! We were getting worried because of the time but you made it! And wow, what style! Nice ride, cuz! Nice ride and nice cutie!” He gave a too-appreciative look at Neil while Andrew caught Aaron grimacing at the comment. “You are the boyfriend, right? You’re-“

“He’s Neil, and he’s off-limits,” Andrew warned while Neil shuffled even more behind him as if to hide, spooked as always by strangers like the half-feral creature he was. “We were slowed down by an accident outside of Asheville this morning.”

“Uhm, okay.” Nicky gave a nervous laugh as he finally got the hint and took a step back. “You still made good time, but I guess it helps to have such a nice ride.” He cast an envious look at the Maserati before he shook his head. “Where are my manners? Come on in, do you need any help with your stuff? We’ve a room ready for you and there’s food!”

“We got it,” Andrew informed the- his cousin, he reminded himself, aware of Aaron’s silent, sullen attention from the porch as he and an anxious Neil fetched their few belongings which had survived the run-in with the Malcolms from the back of the Maserati.

Neil had always traveled light and was a creature of few possessions, and had only been upset about losing his blanket from their apartment being trashed; once it was clear that he was staying with Andrew, he’d converted the contents of his binder to digital accounts. Andrew was annoyed over the loss of a pair of Doc Martens he’d broken in just right (and had taken that out on Romero Malcolm, along with the asshole daring to think he could treat Neil as a belonging), but otherwise had also learned to not grow attached to things. Once they’d decided to leave California, they’d stocked up on a few necessities and figured they’d get whatever else they needed once they hit Columbia.

Nicky clucked his tongue when he noticed the one duffel bag slung over Neil’s left shoulder and the two bags in Andrew’s hands. “That’s it? That’s all you have?”

“And an expensive as hell car,” Aaron muttered as he shuffled toward the door, his attention still focused on Andrew.

Andrew’s eyes narrowed slightly at the snide comment. “Life in the foster system taught me to keep things to a minimum,” he drawled, and felt a slight twinge of satisfaction when Aaron’s shoulders tensed at the jab and Nicky’s breath hitched.

“What about the boyfriend,” Aaron asked, his tone bitter as he glanced over his shoulder while he opened the squeaky storm door. “He a foster kid, too?”

“Vagabond, you could say,” Neil called out as he followed Andrew close enough to be his shadow, his steps just as quiet. “My mom didn’t like to stay in one place very long.”

“What about your dad?” Nicky asked, and judging from young man’s stunned expression, Neil had graced him with that smile. “Uhm, yeah, the house, let’s show you the house,” he sputtered in a rush to change the topic. “It’s not much, but it’s something!”

Perhaps, perhaps not, but it was better than a trashed apartment, a bunch of uncomfortable questions which Andrew (and Neil, especially Neil) didn’t want to answer, and a too obvious starting point for some freaky cat-shifting British mobsters with unknown intentions on the hunt for Neil. The only person who knew about Andrew’s suddenly unearthed family (other than a certain furball who was checking out their surroundings with an intensity that Andrew could feel from behind him) was Pig Higgens, who the doctors gave a twenty percent chance of regaining consciousness one day after his run-in with the ‘lovely’ Lola.

Unless these Hatfords could manage to wake the not-quite dead somehow.

They entered the house to step into a kitchen at least twenty years past due for a renovation; the floor was covered with clean but worn linoleum, the cupboards were small, metal ones painted the same pale green as the walls, and the white countertop bore a few chips in spots. Yet it was clean (except for a couple dishes in the sink) and showed signs of personality (the novelty mugs and dish towels, the curtains with smiley faces, the magnets featuring male pin-up models on the fridge), was better than most of the kitchens in the foster homes where Andrew had grown up.

“You can, uhm, just set the bags down for now,” Nicky told them with a nervous smile as he gestured to an open spot off to the side, near the doorway which led to what looked to be the living room. “I’ll give you the grand tour after something to eat? I made chicken enchiladas, I figured if you’re from California you must like Mexican food.”

They hadn’t eaten much that day, the stop for fast food aside, so Andrew nodded, which made Nicky grin with satisfaction. “Just sit down, I’ll make up your plates.”

Neil waited for Andrew to sit first and grabbed a chair at the table next to him, even scooted it closer, his pale blue eyes quick to take in everything and lean body tense as if ready to spring into motion at any moment; Andrew knew that he wanted to shift into his cat form and poke his whiskered nose into every crevice of the house until no spot was left uncovered, to ensure that the place was safe and find a hidey hole or two. Since that wasn’t possible right then, Andrew reached out to rest his right hand on his boyfriend’s nape and gave a blank look at his brother when Aaron gaped at him.

“Ah, so you like guys, too,” Aaron eventually spit out with a small moue of disgust which nearly made Nicky drop a plate over by the sink; a drop of sweat ran down the side of his face and his hazel eyes slightly glazed.

Andrew continued to gaze at his brother while he rubbed his thumb along the side of Neil’s neck. “You hiding something from me, FB?”

Neil made a faint spitting sound as he gently nudged Andrew in the side with his bony elbow. “Considering how often you threaten to neuter me? Not funny.”

“Well, there you have it,” Andrew told Aaron with a slight nod. “I seem to ‘like’ guys.”

“You like tormenting people,” Neil murmured in French as he glanced around the room through his overlong bangs, only to repeat the faint spitting noise when Andrew ran his fingers through his boyfriend’s thick hair – the wrong way. “See!”

Aaron stared at them in disbelief while a smiling Nicky returned to the table with two plates. “This is all such a surprise – I mean, first finding out about you after Aunt Tilda died, and then when you’re finally willing to talk to us, that you have a boyfriend and want to come here!” Nicky’s expression grew wistful while Aaron glanced aside as if he found the stove to be of paramount interest. “I mean… we’re so happy you’re here, but it’s… well, I’m happy to have something in common already,” he admitted as he twisted his fingers around a silver chain he wore. Then his expression turned almost lecherous. “We both have excellent taste, cuz!”

“How are we even related?” Aaron mumbled as he got up from the table to fetch a can of soda from the fridge with trembling hands, then left the room without another word. Nicky stared after him with a worried expression, while Neil gave their meals a few careful sniffs before he picked up a fork and began to eat.

Judging that to mean it was fine to do the same, Andrew started breaking up the three cheese-covered enchiladas on his plate while Nicky jumped up to fetch them something to drink as well. “Uhm, I’m sorry about that,” the young man babbled after he set the soda down in front of them. “Aaron’s been through a lot in the last few months, between Tilda’s death, finding out about you, me appearing and deciding to stick around to help him out and now you guys showing up.” He gave a nervous laugh as he toyed with the chain once more. “He’s not so much homophobic as… well, my parents and aunt are ‘old school’, I guess you could say about it.” Nicky’s dark eyes dulled with an old pain and his smile faltered when he talked about his family. “He’s got a lot to unlearn.”

Andrew frowned while he swallowed a bit of dinner (it was pretty good). “He better learn quickly.” He wasn’t going to put up with Aaron sniping at Neil, brother or not.

Nicky appeared ready to argue at that, then glanced at Neil, who had finished two of the enchiladas and pushed the remaining one around on his plate (a sure sign that he was full); when Andrew scooped it on his plate, Nicky smiled. “I’m sure he will.”

The rest of the meal was spent with Nicky babbling about the house and where everything was, his job as a waiter at a local diner, and the neighborhood. Once they were done eating, he did indeed give them a tour of the house (Aaron ignored them from his spot on the couch), culminating with the bedroom on the second floor which was ‘theirs’. “It’s not much, but the bed’s new and something tells me you two won’t mind sharing.” Nicky gave an exaggerated wink while Andrew reminded himself of all the reasons (not many) why killing his cousin right then would be bad.

Mostly they had to do with the Hatfords.

As soon as the pest left and closed the door behind him, Neil was busy examining almost every inch of the room, checking the windows and beneath the furniture (behind as well), crawling into the closet and standing on the tips of his toes to look up the walls as much as possible; Andrew sat down on the bed to watch the show. “You gonna pull up the rug, too?”

Neil gave him another haughty look. “I want to make sure it’s okay.” His hands twitched and crept toward the hem of his shirt.

“No,” Andrew said in a rush as he straightened up. “No changing, not tonight, not until I put on the new lock,” he insisted as he gave the door a potent look. “And then not outside the room until they’re both out of the house.” They’d talked about it on the drive to Columbia, the rules for Neil’s shifting in a household of strangers.

Neil made a low growl of frustration as he stalked toward the bed then curled up next to Andrew, only to relax against him once Andrew threaded his fingers through Neil’s auburn curls. “It’s… it’s so difficult. I want to make sure it’s all right, to know we’ll be all right here.”

“We will,” Andrew assured his lover as he held out his left forearm; even with the armband covered by the sleeve of his black t-shirt, Neil understood the meaning behind the gesture, as when Andrew motioned to the bag which contained the gun he’d pocketed from Romero Malcolm. “We’re prepared this time.”

“Hmm.” A slight purr escaped Neil as he rested his head against Andrew’s right shoulder. “Still, I’ll be happy when I can check everything in both forms.” He was quiet (save for the faint rumbling which was softer in his human form) for about a minute before he slowly pulled away. “About Aaron.”

Andrew frowned as his hand dropped from Neil’s hair. “Yeah? He’s a bit of an asshole.” When Neil’s upper lip twitched as if to form a smile, he gently flicked his boyfriend on the nose. “Collar with a bell,” he taunted.

“Shredded leather,” Neil shot back as he swiped his right hand over his face, then became serious once more. “He smells… odd.” At Andrew’s unspoken question, Neil’s brows drew together. “Something chemical.”

Andrew had caught the slight shake to his twin’s hands earlier, and the sweat on his forehead even as they sat in the air-conditioned kitchen. “Hmm.” Something to consider. However, right then he was tired from driving for a few days and just wanted to enjoy being on a comfortable bed with Neil stretched out next to him.

*******

#aftg #nekojitachanfics #andreil #cat!neil #neil josten #andrew minyard #nicky hemmick #aaron minyard #the band's getting back together #sorta #the monsters are getting back together #established relationship #andrew adores his furball #he also adores tormenting his furball with bad cat jokes #we're just skipping over a lot of plot here to get andrew and neil to columbia

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fanficnewbie · 4 years ago

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Sienna Weighs in P7

OPEN HEART: SECOND YEAR - CHAPTER SEVEN

(ETHAN x FEMALE MC)

MC is Dr. Francesca Houseman *This entry takes place after the end of Chapter Seven. (This is a chapter by chapter series…)

Francesca confides in Sienna how she met Ethan’s mother.

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS Chapter 1: MC tells Sienna about her Ethan convo at Donahue’s. Chapter 2: MC and Sienna discuss Ethan’s gym routine. Chapter 3: MC questions how well she really knows Ethan. Chapter 4: MC takes Elijah and Sienna to see Evelyn’s exhibit. Chapter 5: Sienna talks MC through a panic attack over Ethan. Chapter 6: Sienna cheers on MC for standing up to Ethan.

Word Count: 922 Rated: Teen

***

The two women sat alone in the locker room, Sienna silently digested what Francesca has just shared with her. Francesca started to fidget,

“Well, do you think I did the right thing? I didn’t sugar coat it cuz Ethan’s not a ‘sugar coat’ type of guy.”

Sienna took a breath, “Yes...I think you did. I just feel bad for him, maybe if you had shared that she mentioned she was proud of him, it would have softened the blow.”

“Here’s the thing about that. She noticed my badge, knew that’s why I was a doctor. Our badges also say ‘Edenbrook’ on it. She knows that’s where he works but didn’t ask me anything about him or even if I knew him, And then that call. It just all sounded so suspicious and shady. I just don’t trust her.”

Sienna chewed on her lip a bit, “You were in there for a few minutes, you don’t even know her.”

Francesca stood up abruptly and started to pace around the small room, “I have been trained to meet and diagnose someone quickly correctly with limited information. That’s what I did. At least if I’m wrong here, nobody will die. And I didn’t lie to Ethan, I told him what she did. He thinks she’s after his money and after that stunt, it’s not a far-fetched hypothesis.”

Sienna put her hands up, “Okay, okay. You did the right thing.”

Francesca plopped back onto the bench with a sigh. “No, if you don’t agree with me it’s fine. I’m just so confused now. I told Stephanie the truth and she’s at Mass Kenmore with our grant money. So obviously I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Sienna patted Francesca’s leg, “Hun, you’re good. You’re doing the best you know to do for those that you care about.” Sienna’s hand stilled as she went silent.

“What?”

Sienna started to chew her lip again as she weighed something in her mind. “Just, well, do you think Aurora had anything to do with the Mass Kenmore grant? I mean you told us about the situation when we were making scones and then a few days later…”

Francesca shook her head vehemently, “No. There has to be another explanation. It’s just like with Jackie, I made assumptions without the full story. I won’t do the same with Aurora… Wait! Do you think it was her?”

Sienna’s eyes widened, “No! Not at all. I just wanted to be sure that we were on the same page.”

They sat in silence for a few more moments, “I opened the door for Stephanie to go to Mass Kenmore. I really can’t blame anyone but myself.”

“You really need to stop being so hard on yourself. Mass Kenmore offered her more money, unless you called Dr. Carrick yourself and told him exactly how to beat the offer, you have no culpability in this one.”

“I guess I just wanted to have some good news. Between Edenbrook’s financial woes, two patients with permanent disabilities, another patient buying his own kidneys, and Ethan’s shady mother - I was really hoping for a win.”

Sienna cocked her head, “Well, it depends on how you look at it. I count it as a win that Ethan took you with him to see his shady mother. That was a huge dip into his personal life, a decision he could have easily said ‘no’ to. But he didn’t, he took you along and allowed you to have the first interaction with her. Hun, he’s letting you back in.”

Francesca’s face quirked into a smile, “It was a nice moment, especially on the car ride back, there was an...intimacy to it.”

Sienna looked at her watch and stood, “I think you’re closer than you think.”

Francesca stood and started gathering her things, “Well, from your lips to God’s ears because I swear if Ethan doesn’t make a move within the next month, I’m just going to sleep with Bryce.”

“You wouldn’t!!!!”

Francesca clocked the look of horror on Sienna’s face and shrugged, “Why not? It wouldn’t be anything serious, just me finally taking him up on all of his shameless flirting. A girl has needs.”

“No, no no.” Sienna shook her head, emphasizing each word. “First off, Bryce would never go for it. He flirts with you shamelessly because he knows you’re safe. He knows you’re into Ethan and as such, he can get away with it.”

“How does he know?!”

“Elijah may have let it slip but,” she put a hand up to stop Francesca from interjecting, “but, it was no real surprise. Like Jackie, he’s close enough to you to see rather clearly what others may not. More important than that, you don’t want Bryce or anyone else other than Ethan, so stay focused on the real prize.”

Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, Francesca groaned, “I know, I know. I’d never actually cross that line with Bryce. It’s just been so long and as lovely as holding Ethan’s hand is, it’s just not enough.”

Sienna gave her a knowing smile, “Don’t I know it? But life’s best gifts are always the ones worth waiting for.”

Francesca rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “Okay, Pollyanna.”

Sienna laughed, “I heard that. But you know I’m right. Was he worth waiting for last year?”

Francesca bit her lip at the memory, “Oh God yes.”

Sienna followed her out of the locker room, “Then he will be again. And just like he broke last year, he will again. A man has needs too. Trust me on this one.”

Chapter 8: Francesca has to the consequences after the baseball game.

***

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LIKES AND COMMENTS. THEY MEAN THE WORLD!

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#open heart #dr ramsey #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #open heart fan #open heart fanfiction #open heart fanfic #choices open heart

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imagines-dreams · 6 years ago

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Beauty and the Spirit Part 2- Zuko Imagine

Rating: PG

Warnings: there’s some shouting and arguing

Summary: Part 2 to Beauty and the Spirit (is tumblr still banning links i dont remember and if so please tell me cuz id have to take the link down) You were used to war and grew up with stories of captivity. But, being a prisoner in an enchanted castle was nothing like the stories you heard.

Word Count: 2695

Tags: @chims-kookies

You hugged your knees to your chest. It had only been a few hours since the spirit locked you inside. Whoever the demon was, he was powerful. The bars of your prison were constantly hot, and yet the lock still held up. He was powerful enough to sustain the same amount of heat throughout the hours without comprising the cell’s integrity.

Hopefully, in a few days, he would run out of energy, time, or attention to keep that up. Then, you can pick the lock and sneak past the other spirits and residents of the abandoned castle.

“You’re real!”

You gasped. “What? Who’s there?”

“Me!”

You tried to find the source of the voice, but you couldn’t see anyone or any spirit. The voice was a bit familiar though.

“By your feet!”

You stared at your feet, and sure enough, there was a teacup with steaming hot tea. You stared at it. “Uh, thank you.” You lifted the teacup and held it carefully. The warmth seeped into your skin, and you sighed. When the blood finally reached the tips of your fingers, you slowly lifted the drink to your lips.

“You’re welcome.”

You screamed and held the cup away from your face. You squinted at the teacup. “You… You can talk?”

“Mhm! Name’s Lu Ten, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

You laughed. “Um, pleasure to meet you as well, Lu Ten.”

“Lu, take it down a notch, will you?”

The teacup responded. “Why take it down a notch, when we have a guest!” The teacup jumped from your fingers and onto the ground near the bars. “Mai, you are such a downer.”

“I’m realistic.”

You squinted at the door. A quill was upright outside your cell, and it was talking to Lu Ten, the teacup.

You pushed your palm against your forehead. “I’m going crazy.”

The quill, yes the quill, responded, “You’re gonna wish you were when you see the entire palace.”

You tilted your head. “I’m a prisoner.”

“No, not at all!” Lu Ten hopped back to your feet.

The quill jumped to the lock and picked it easily. The door swung open.

“You’re a guest, first and foremost,” the teacup continued, “No matter what my cousin says.”

“Cousin?” You stood up and rubbed your arms. “So all the objects here are… spirits?”

Lu Ten hopped to the door. “Well, it’s a long story.”

“That none of us want to relive,” the quill expanded.

“Ok,” you drawled. The teacup and quill started to their way downstairs. You stared at the cell. No heat emanated from the bars, so the demon that trapped you wasn’t controlling it. Did it know that its … residents were breaking you out?

The quill stopped. “You coming?”

You blinked. “Yes, of course.” You fell into step with the objects. “Um, exactly where are we going?”

“To your room!” Lu Ten said. “We haven’t had guests in a while, so we needed a bit of time to prepare your room.”

“Ok.” You stared at the walls of the palace. When you first arrived, there wasn’t any light to illuminate your way. However, as you were being led by a quill and a teacup, you noticed that the candles were lit. Did the castle come to life at night? Was it a curse from a spirit? Maybe the demon who entrapped you enchanted the objects. Maybe he cursed nearby villagers to become inanimate objects.

“Here it is!”

“Son! We’re not ready for her yet!”

The doors opened in front of you, and you couldn’t hide your amazement. The room was dusty, sure, but everything else was magnificent. The bed was bigger than your old room and had more pillows than you can ever need in a lifetime. There were multiple baskets full of beauty products you haven’t even heard of. A powder here. Some brushes there.

Then, there was a shelf full of scrolls. A shelf that also had your bag. You rushed to the shelf and slung your bag over your shoulder, relishing in the feeling of its weight. You took one of the scrolls and perused it. A scroll on waterbending. Katara would love that. You put that in your bag and peeked at the other scrolls. One on the history of the four nations. Another on the legends of dragons. Some on philosophy.

There were so many!

“You like to read!”

You turned around. The teapot you saw when you first saw when you stepped foot in the castle was on a wooden tray on your bed. “I’m quite fond of Love Amongst the Dragons.”

You tilted your head. “You saw the play?”

“Multiple times. My family loved it.”

You smiled. “It is a beautiful story.” You sat on your bed at stared at the assortment of enchanted objects in front of you. Teapot, teacup, quill. “I don’t get it.” You knew of spirits and enchanted animals but not enchanted objects. Then again, maybe these things were spirits of some sort? That wouldn’t be the craziest thing you’ve heard. You bit your lip. “Why are you all being nice to the prisoner?”

“Well, the decision wasn’t unanimous,” the quill said, settling down on one of your pillows.

“Oh, don’t be so grumpy, Mai!”

You screamed and scrambled to the other side of your bed. One of the baskets had jumped right onto the bed.

“Ty Lee, you’re scaring her!” Lu Ten laughed.

The basket just giggled. “Sorry, but I’m just so excited. It’s been years since I’ve had someone to make over.”

You smiled. “I’ve been on quite a few adventures, but this is definitely the weirdest thing I’ve ever been through.” You looked around the room. “Does everything talk?”

“Nah,” Mai said. “Just us.”

“Why?”

“Now, child,” the teapot said, “I believe you need rest. Come on, everyone, let’s get back to our duties. The prince won’t be happy, so we need to be ready.”

“Prince?” you asked. “We’re in a kingdom.”

The teapot froze but quickly recovered. “A little kingdom of our own, yes.” He ushered all the objects out of your room. “Ty Lee, I expect you to take good care of our guest.”

“Yes, Iroh!”

Iroh. You heard that name before. A story maybe or from rumors? Maybe it was a common name. Perhaps. “Um, Iroh?”

“Yes, child?”

You nodded and bowed. “Thank you.”

“Of course. No, off to bed. I will come to fetch you in the morning.”

You waved goodbye and watched as the doors closed behind the teapot. You patted the bedsheets.

“Careful!” Ty Lee warned. “We haven’t had guests in a while.”

You coughed and waved the dust away from your face. “I can tell.”

You lifted the blankets and lifted it up and down to get rid of the dust. You remade the bed and answered Ty Lee’s questions.

“What’s your name?”

“(Y/n).” You moved around a few pillows.

“Where do you come from?”

You put some pillows in the other baskets. “Uh, Earth Kingdom.”

“Oh, I haven’t been there before!”

“It’s beautiful,” you said as you patted counted the many spare blankets in the baskets.

“I bet it is! What’s your favorite part?”

You shrugged. “I love a lot about my island.”

For hours, you rearranged your bed and made small talk with the enchanted basket. Finally, she lightly snored, and you let out a breath. Time to get to work.

~ - ~

Sunrise came, and you were almost done. The rope of blankets and sheets was almost near the ground. Probably needed three or four more blankets. You double checked the knot around the bedpost, pulling on it as hard as you could. When it didn’t budge, you smiled to yourself and grabbed the next blanket.

“(Y/n)?”

You shoved the rope of blankets out the window. Quickly, you draped one of your blankets over the bedpost. You grabbed a book and plopped down on the bed.

“Come in!” you yelled.

Iroh the teapot rolled in on a cart. “Good morning, (Y/n).” The teapot eyed Ty Lee the sleeping basket and your suspicious looking bedpost.

You held in your breath and moved so he couldn’t see anything. “Good morning, Iroh. How are you?”

The cart rolled next to your bed. “Not as tired as you are. Is your rope long enough to get you safely to the ground?”

You gulped. “Are you-”

“Going to tell the prince?” The teapot laughed. “I’m much older than he is, so no. Unless you want-”

“No!” You exclaimed. You laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, I just… I’m sure you understand.”

“Of course, child.” The teapot smiled as much as he could smile. “Now, for tea. Do you have any favorites? I have ginseng, jasmine, green. I have a few more, if I could find them. I have a rare one somewhere around here.”

“A rare one?” You tilted your head. “You mean, white dragon tea?” You beamed.

He stopped searching and faced you. “You like tea?”

“I love tea,” you admitted. “It was a staple back home.”

“Are you planning on returning there after this ordeal then? I’m sure your parents would love to see you.”

You managed a small smile. “I wish.”

The cart rolled to you slowly. A steaming cup of white dragon tea was waiting for you. You took it in your hands and took a deep breath. The sweet smell of the tea you cherished as a child reminded you so much of your old home. With your parents and friends. Back in the Earth Kingdom. “No, last time I was home, it was ash,” you said.

“The Fire Nation got the Earth Kingdom?”

“All the islands, and last I hear they’re moving inland towards the palace.” You laughed bitterly and rose your glass. “Cheers.”

“You know, home, I find, isn’t a place. It’s the people. And if the people you once called home have passed, you keep their love with you and find a new home.”

You smiled. “Does that ring true for you, Iroh?”

He laughed. “Very true for me! A lot has changed in my many years here, and even though, some years I went without a home, I always found love in someone, soon enough.” He rolled over the window and looked at your makeshift rope. “If you worked for another hour or two, you should have a good length to get to the ground.” He motioned to Ty Lee. “She, however, is bound to wake up soon. I advise working tonight and leaving when you finish.”

You set down your tea. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because even though you are still searching for a home, I’m certain that little boy is special and that you will be crucial to his avatar training.”

You tilted your head. “You know?”

“He’s not that secretive.”

You giggled. “You’re right about that.” You held up your teacup. “Thank you again, Iroh.”

“It’s no problem, my dear.” Just as he reached the doors, he said, “And there’s a library downstairs, if you wish to read in your spare time.”

“A library?” The smell of old scrolls. The promise of a warm fire. The comfort of a good chair. “That sounds wonderful.”

And so, when Ty Lee woke up, you immediately asked, “Can you take me to the library?”

“The library is amazing! It’s so big and full of scrolls. You’re going to love it. I’m so excited for you to see it!” You smiled. “So you’ll take me there.”

Ty Lee jumped onto your bed. “Not yet. We need a reading outfit. That just won’t do. What do you think of pink?”

“Uh-”

“Just trust me. You’re going to love it!” Ty Lee jumped around your room, and you gasped as your room came to life. Sashes and garment flew around you, pausing to stop in front of you and then being whisked away by an invisible force you could only explain as magic. Ty Lee was bubbling with excitement, saying yes and no to each thing tht stopped by you, until finally, you were wearing a dress so fancy, you were scared to move. “Um, Ty Lee?”

“Yes?”

“I think this is a bit fancy for a day in.”

“Oh, you’re right! So sorry, it’s been forever since we’ve had a guest.” SHe cleared her throat. “Again!”

Another flurry of clothes later, you were dressed in a dark red outfit with golden trimmings. Your hair was pinned into a simple hairstyle, and your shoes were replaced by a new pair. You giggled and reveled in the feeling of new clothes on your skin. “I… Would your boss be ok with you giving me new clothes?”

She laughed. “I’m not scared of him. Now, let’s go. We have a library to see!”

~ - ~

You stood over the table of scrolls you had pulled out to examine. After Ty Lee led you there, you hadn’t left. Ty Lee wanted to do other things, so she left Mai in charge of you, which you were thankful for. Ty Lee was sweet, but when reading, you preferred a quieter companion. Iroh had come in occasionally to give you snacks, but other than that, the maps were your priority.

You had maps from a century ago that described the place you were in as a spot for Fire Nation officials. It was meant to be a place for diplomacy, for Fire Nation officials to learn about and negotiate with the nearby Water Tribe.

However, as time passed, it became a vacation spot for anyone from the Fire Nation. The ruins you resided in was meant for the Fire Nation royal family. But a decade ago, the place was wiped off the map. With no explanation. There was no record of what happened to this once tourist place. Not a single ball or a building plan. If it weren’t for the maps, you would have guessed you were dreaming this entire place up.

Where maps and invitations and construction plans failed, you decided to find art. If you could find any art, maybe you could find out who had lived in this castle that became ruins. You laid anything and everything you found out on the table. A program for a theater production here. A scroll filled with a child’s calligraphy there. A tile for Pai Sho.

Then, under your pile, was a painting. Of a royal family. It was singed at the edges. A father and mother with a boy and a little girl. The picture actually wasn’t that old either. Maybe a decade, at most. Were the things that resided here related to this family?

“Where did you find that?!”

The picture was snatched from your hands. “I’m sorry,” you gasped. “I was just trying to find answers. I didn’t-” You almost screamed when you saw the face of your captor. The … thing that was holding you captive was not a spirit. Rather, it was a man, cursed beyond your understanding. Although his black robes covered most of his body, his face wasn’t hidden from view. A scar covered his eye. He had some on his neck too. A white horn sprouted from his temple, and blue spots, almost like bruises, littered his face. And every second that passed, those bruises, those blue spots, moved, like shadows.

What was he? How did this happen? Did someone do this to him?

“Get out!”

“What?” You didn’t understand. “I thought-”

“I don’t care!” He screamed, and a growl rumbled through the library. “Get out of here. Never come here again!”

“But-”

“Go!” He snarled, and his teeth, a mix of canines and fangs, was revealed.

You screamed. Fear washed over you, and in record time, you were back in the bedroom. Your makeshift rope was thrown out the window.

“(Y/n)!”

“I’m sorry Lu Ten.” Your fingers shook as you secured your bag around your shoulder. “I have to go. I can’t stay.”

“But-”

“I’m sorry!” You climbed down your rope of bedsheets and blankets and robes, and when you came to the end, you took a deep breath and jumped. Your ankle cried out in pain, but you could care less. You freed your horse and rode outside the courtyard.

#atla #zuko #x reader #imagine #oneshot #zuko x reader #zuko imagine #zuko oneshot #atla imagine #atla x reader #atla oneshot #avatar #Avatar The Last Airbender

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sunflowersupremes · 6 years ago

Text

Once in a Generation: Chapter 12

Peter Quill is Dead.

Yondu saw him die. He mourned him.

So why in the hell did a Terran show up at a slave market? It better not be his Terran, because if it is, there’s going to be hell to pay.

Characters: Peter Quill, Yondu Udonta, Kraglin Obfonteri, Gef (Marvel), Stakar Ogord, Tullk (Marvel), Horuz (Marvel)

Additional Tags: Read at Own Risk, Drug Use, background rape, Background torture, Slavery, Mistaken Identity, non consensual drug use, pre guardians movie, Flashbacks, Self-Harm

Read Chapter on AO3, Read Entire Work on AO3

There was an uncomfortable feeling building in Yondu’s stomach, although he wasn’t entirely certain what it was. It could have been something he ate. The last can of Beasties he’d eaten had technically been well past their expiration date. Yes. That had to be it.

It had absolutely nothing to do with seeing his old crew again.

Nope. It had to be the food.

He leaned back, trying to keep his posture as relaxed as possible, and glowered at Martinex. The other had the nerve to not appear cowed or intimidated in any way. Bastard.

After Stakar had left with Peter - as if that wasn’t going to turn everything on its head, he’d worked hard to keep Peter in the dark damn it - the two Ravager factions had fallen into sullen silence, content to pretend they didn’t know each other. A not so small part of Yondu wanted nothing more than to attempt to hold a conversation with Martinex, but he knew better than to think it would gain him anything. The rock was a stubborn asshole who wouldn’t let his opinions be swayed by anyone once he’d set them.

He and Yondu weren’t that unlike one another.

Yondu scowled at the thought, intentionally looking away, as though he had better places to be. He was sure the others had gotten a good view of the Elector, of the fact that his ship was hardly spaceworthy, and were judging him. Stakar had always prided himself in keeping an orderly ship. The Elector’s condition was born out of stubborn spite as much as it was out of a lack of funds to repair her.

Hopefully, Peter would be okay. Hopefully, he wouldn’t bring up too much that Stakar didn’t need to know about: Yondu didn’t pretend to be good with kids, all he knew was Stakar and slavery. He’d tried (more or less) and even if he had left a few scars he’d been a hell of a lot better than Ego would have been.

Perhaps Peter will spark Stakar’s interest, a soft voice in his head murmured. Perhaps he’ll be curious. He might even start listening.

Shaddup, he told the voice bitterly. Don’t need nobody. All I need from Stakar is for the bastard ta stop cutting us off from jobs. It was purely a business transaction, nothing emotional or personal. Nothing to do with sleepless nights when his past kept him awake and he had no one to turn to.

Martinex was watching him, Yondu had given the other man the courtesy of only looking out of the corner of his eye, but the Pluvarian was staring at him straight on. Perhaps he thought he could burn right through him. Perhaps that was what he wanted. “Like what ya see?” he drawled.

Martinex scowled. “A traitor?”

Yondu growled but didn’t make to whistle. A fight with Martinex (or any of Stakar’s crew) wasn’t going to get him what he wanted. Kraglin went for his gun, no doubt having some grand thought of dying to defend his captain’s honor. Ain’t got no more brains than Quill.

The men Martinex had brought with them grabbed for their weapons as well, leaving Yondu and Martinex the only ones not fully armed.

Yondu turned to look at Kraglin pointedly, drawing out his movements to make it all more obvious. Putting on a good show. “Ya ain’t dumb enough ta think that weapons gonna do nuttin’ ta ‘im, are ye?”

Kraglin lowered his gun. “Sorry Cap’n.”

“Lower your weapons,” Martinex said before Yondu could give the order to his own men. “They aren’t worth it.”

Jackass.

Even Yondu could only lie to himself so much. It wasn’t as though he’d never dreamed of seeing Stakar again, but typically those dreams were nightmares and ended in the worse way imaginable. He swallowed, leaning back against the wall of the hanger, resisting the urge to eye Stakar’s M-Ship.

“They writin’ a novel in dere cuz they sure is takin’ dere sweet time.” Martinex ignored the job, something he would never have done before Yondu’s exile. “I know you lot probably don’t got better ta do ‘cept harass old friends, but I got places ta be, things to steal.”

“We are not friends.”

Yondu faked an exaggerated wince, covering up the pain he truly felt. “Aw, Sparkles, don’t be like dat!” He sniggered, elbowing Kraglin so that the other would laugh along with him.

With a glance down at his wrist monitor to see how long Peter and Stakar had been gone he inwardly frowned. When Stakar had insisted on speaking with Peter, he’d felt a bit of panic rise in his chest. Stakar Ogord was The One Who Knows, but even he couldn’t possibly know everything. He didn’t know about Peter’s recent experiences, and Yondu knew better than anything that the last thing a traumatized person needed was to be backed into a corner.

If Stakar harmed one hair on Peter’s head, Yondu was going to personally eviscerate him (and then throw himself out an airlock before Aleta could get her hands on him).

“Yondu!” His chain of thought broken, he looked up to see Peter hurrying down the ramp of the M-Ship. Alone.

Shit. With no Stakar in sight, it could only mean one of two things. Either Peter had killed Stakar (highly unlikely) or Stakar had sent Peter to fetch Yondu (which wasn’t going to be fun). “What is it, boy?” he asked sharply.

He didn’t fail to notice Peter’s slight wince or the sag of his shoulders. “He wants you,” he said softly as he finally reached Yondu.

Nodding, Yondu dropped his voice so that only Peter could hear and murmured. “Ya doin’ all right?” Peter nodded slightly and Yondu clamped his hand on his shoulder, pulling him closer so he could mutter, “Go hide on dat ship o’ yers, I’ll find ya later.” Better to have Peter out of the way if shooting started. Stakar and his men wouldn’t shoot him on purpose, but accidents happened and shots missed their intended targets.

“What if it goes south?”

“Ain’t no one gonna hurt you,” he raised his voice, meeting Martinex’ eyes over Peter’s head. There was a clear threat in his voice. Then he dropped his voice and grumbled, “Long as ya don’t do nuttin’ stupid.”

Author’s Note:

Writing Yondu in this chapter has probably been the most exhausting thing I’ve done yet for this series. Dang man, you’ve got ISSUES.

I know I promised a Yondu and Stakar confrontation this chapter, but that'll be put off to the next chapter. And then Yondu and Peter are going have to have a Long Talk and Peter's going to lose control at some point because he's been holding it together for too long. Stakar means well, but he's definitely ripped open some wounds.

Beasties are possibly alive and super gross looking. If you’re curious, here’s a comic panel

Also, I was researching comic!Stakar and apparently Aleta is his "adopted sister/ex-wife" and boy oh boy does he have issues. I now have the desire to write a long ass backstory for him which I in no way have time to write.

#Peter Quill #Yondu #Stakar Ogord #Kraglin #Gef #Tullk #Horuz #series: Once in a Generation #my writing #guardians of the galaxy #marvel

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blissfullylostinarabbithole · 7 years ago

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Kiss Me Better (6/?)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader, Loki x BFF!Reader

Word Count: 835

Summary: Shopping with Bucky.

Warnings: Anxiety

A/N: Double update this week cuz it’s gonna be a bad one for me. I’ve got final papers, projects, and exams, PLUS I’m about to get my period and I can already tell it’s gonna be an ugly one. TMI, right? Ok, I’ll shut up now.

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You figured bottoms would be the easiest, so you started there. Grown Bucky had a preference for sweats and basketball shorts, and little Bucky proved to be no different. When you reached the shirts is where you started having problems.

The section was massive, so you began to sift through the closest rack, pulling everything that was his size out to show him. You didn’t realize he’d frozen at the daunting task before him. The sound of rapid breathing caught your attention. His eyes began to pool with tears, and his chest was heaving.

“Woah, hey. It’s ok,” you tried to calm him, but he couldn’t be snapped out of it. You frantically looked around for a spot that wasn’t so loud or cluttered, but came up empty. You saw a door on the adjacent wall that read ‘Employees Only’ and dropped everything you’d been holding. ��I’m going to pick you up and take you somewhere quiet, ok?” You scooped Bucky up and bolted to the door, only setting him down when you found the break room.

He looked around momentarily, and you jumped on it. “Hey sweetie, look at me.” You smiled when he did. “Breathe with me, ok?” You began taking deep breaths, and he followed. Once he’d had enough control over himself, you began to breath slower and steadier. “That’s it. Keep going,” you encouraged.

“So many,” his voice was shaky.

“I know. I have an idea, but you take your time and settle down for now.” You looked around and took note of the vending machines in the room. “You want some water?” He nodded and continued his breathing as you fetched his beverage. He was ready to head back out when he’d finished it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bucky sat on the base of a mannequin, next to a growing pile of shirts. You’d disappear for a couple of minutes, and return with a small selection for him to choose from. Once in a while, you’d get excited and only return with one, hoping he’d like it.

“How about this?” you held up a shirt with Yoda on it. “Have you even seen Star Wars yet?”

He barely gave it a glance. “Yucky green yucky frog.”

“Yoda’s not a frog!” Had it been anyone else, you might have been offended.

“Ugly yucky frog!” he protested.

You burst out into laughter and hid the shirt behind your back. “Ok, ok, no yucky frog.”

As Bucky’s clothes pile grew, you noticed he favored either plain shirts, or ones with animals on them. So you focused on finding more of those.

“Look! This one has puppies!” you returned to find an older woman, kneeling in front of him and fussing over him.

“Is this your son? I didn’t know any of the Avengers had children. He is going to be a looker when he grows up. You're going to have your hands full when this one starts getting around.”

“That’s… a weird thing to say,” you mumbled. Bucky turned to you, his eyes begging for help. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but if you could please step back a bit we’d really appreciate it.”

It was as if she didn’t hear you. “He’s a gorgeous little thing. Look at those big, blue eyes! And those cheeks,” she pinched him. Bucky’s breaths began to get shallow again.

“Please, he doesn’t like being touched, especially by strangers.” You pulled him out of her reach and he wrapped an arm around your leg.

“Nonsense, what child doesn’t love a little attention? Do you want some candy?” she began to fish through her purse.

“No, he doesn’t,” you spoke a bit firmer, but again, she ignored you.

She held out a lollipop, “Here you go, cutie.”

You turned and picked him up. “Thank you, but no thank you. Now if you would excuse us, we have more shopping to do.”

“Aw he’s a shy one, isn’t he?”

You saw her hand reach out again, and you snapped. “I swear to God, lady, if you lay another finger on him, you’d better be prepared to lose it.” You took a fighting stance, and even with Bucky in one arm, you looked every bit as dangerous as you did in uniform.

The woman stiffened and turned her nose up at you. “You can bet Mr. Stark will be hearing about this. He won’t be pleased to hear he’s housing such a rude, ungrateful, young woman. Don’t forget you’re nothing more than another stray he takes pity on until you outlive your usefulness.” She turned and walked away, chin up in the air.

“’Mr.Stark will be hearing about this,’” you mimicked. “Crusty old bitch.” A soft tittering beside you brought your attention back to Bucky. “You ok?” He gave you a small nod and you set him down. You weren’t surprised when you felt him take hold of the hem of your shirt, probably afraid the woman would return. You were shocked, however, when after a while, you felt his small hand slip into yours.

Tags: @cassandras-musings @winter-in-wakanda @gingerbatchwife @ihaveanobsessenproblem@gypsycat111 @the-wintergirl @ek823

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #avengers #marvel #reader insert

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transboygenius · 5 years ago

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SE4SON: Chapter 13

[*Behind the closed doors of a domestic castle*]

A large man, in a large room, sat on his comfy throne, accompanied by his two royal guards. He was 220 pounds, hair was bleached blond, and his skin was pasty fair. This man wore a crown, and long drapes, decorated in expensive gems. The room was ornamented with fancy pottery, huge fantasy paintings, pelts made from wild animals, and a red carpet.

"Your greatness?"

The royal cook entered the room. She was pushing a cart, holding a silver serving dish, with a lid. The guards were a bit surprised by her sudden appearance, so they raised their spears a bit. The king then called off their weapons. As the dish was pushed right in front of the king, the cook removed the lid to reveal his supper.

"Today's menu, dear lord: Stuffed roasted peacock, butter poached parsnips, umble pie, and a selection of your kingdom's finest brandy. Bon appétit."

The king chuckled in delight, for he was vanished. He took the napkin and wrapped it around his neck. Just as he was about to dig his fork and knife into the fowl, a deep voice entered the room, much to the king's annoyance. It was the king's chancellor, Richard.

"What might be for you to waltz in here AND DISTURB ME DURING MY MEALTIME?!" Shouted the king. "Uh, my apologies for the sudden disturbance, sire. Just thought I'd let you know... *Ahem* I thee bring a report to file!" Said Richard. "Hmmm? A report, eh? Well, it better be worth letting my dinner get cold!!" "You see, it appears a protest has broke out among the middle class citizens in the village!" "A protest?!" "Yes, indeed! They are demanding that we lower the estimates on certain needed essentials such as food, healthcare, and home mortgage, and they refuse to negotiate peace or silence until they get it!" "Any clue who started the protest?" "Yes, sire! It was a couple, in their early thirties, by the names Joseph and Sadie Philip!" "Hmmmm...."

The king walked off his throne.

"Send in some of my most skilled, noble knights to break up the crowds! They sure as hell won't try to pull a stunt like that ever again! Not as long as they take my word for it!" "And the Phillips, sire?" "Gather as much citizens you can rally! We will be arranging a ceremony for their hanging!" "I think that's a little far fetched. Can't we simply just, throw them into the dungeon? We never used-" "I AM THE RULER OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT, AND WHAT I SAY, GOES! Okay? Unless you wanna arrange for a triple hanging!" "No, no sire! That was just an opinion! An unpopular opinion! My opinion is not important, oh superior monarch!"

Suddenly, a collapse sound was heard. The king turned around, and saw that one of his royal guards had passed out over his food.

"What is the meaning of this tomfoolery?!" Barked the king. "You see, your greatness, he had just fallen after a small bite from your meal. But, uh, he was just trying to taste test it in your honor! ...your greatness." Replied one of the guards.

Richard then decided to examine the unconscious body.

"He's dead, sire."

That one guard began to cry. That other guard was more than just a friend, but a brother. This could only mean one thing.

"Sooooooooooooooooooooooo... An attempt to poison the king!" Said the king. "I don't know what you're talking about, your greatness! He just... Maybe he was just allergic to the herbs I seasoned the bird with!" The cook tried to defend herself. "Looks like there will be a triple hanging after all. Take her away!"

The one guard carried the chef away, dragging her off her feet. She started kicking and screaming, trying to break free of the man's grip. She wanted to be the hero, and now she is facing the agony of defeat. All that work she planned to overthrow the king, gaining his trust, now left in vain. Having no reason to act anymore, she cursed at the king, criticizing him, and even called him a tyrant, which was the last thing he heard from her.

"No peasant tries to outsmart King Jason Tremp under his nose."

..............................

[*Back at the hut*]

Jimmy, Nick, and Rodent Girl had the time of their lives. They played tag, hide 'n seek, and are now currently rat racing. All of them are pretty much too old for such juvenile games, but it's the only fun available if you're stuck in a period without technology. They don't even have any board games. Nick felt so relaxed. Games, how he used to play them, were all competitive. In sports, if a man were to lose to his rival, they'd give the him a pat on a back and call it a good game. The sports Nick gets himself into are where roles are divided between the winner or the loser. If you lose a game, people make fun of you for it, and they want you to feel bad about your defeat.

Whereas RG's games, there are no winners or losers. It's all about having fun. The first time Nick lost a game, Jimmy or RG didn't mock or ridicule him. They just congratulated him for a good game. This is what playing for fun feels like? Even when you lose, you still feel like a winner. There's no pressure in the way to push you towards that main goal, and instead it's about enjoying yourself. This all seems so new to Nick. It's satisfying because he's just letting himself run free. If he were to make up his mind about crossing over to Jimmy's three amigops, he'd probably feel this happy everyday.

For the time being, they were racing rats, with tracks drawn in the dirt. Jimmy won five games in a row, RG won two, while Nick won none, but that's okay. He doesn't really care. He's not upset at all. With all the fun he's having, why cry over spilled milk? During the game, Jimmy asked Rodent Girl what he's been meaning to ask the Faithful Five for a long time.

"So... Pardon me for being a little, inquisitive, but I'm curious about why does Diana go out of her way to steal things? Isn't stealing... You know... ...lawfully wrong?" Asked Jimmy. "And they say you're the smart one. For your information, fudgy hair, she only steals from bad guys, and the greedy, wealthy bastards who just about have enough money to make ends meet but never have enough heart to insist a starving man!" Replied Rodent Girl. "I already know that, but I'm asking why she's doing it. Are there no open positions seeking for employment?" "*Sigh* There are. We could have any job we wanted. The trouble is we don't have the privilege to get them." "What do you mean by 'privilege?'" "Oh, for Pete's sake, genius! In this village, where these four walls hold us, classes are arranged based on your image, religion, and background. In this system, majorities outweigh the minorities." "Minorities?" "Yeah. The ones that aren't conceived as 'perfect' by the king himself. The higher classes, dukes and duchess as we call them, are blessed with the easier jobs with good pay. The middle classes are stuck with the more laborious jobs for 8 shillings an hour, with no paid vacations or bonuses. Then there's us: The lower class. We get nothing, but our own pity. We are freaks to the likes of them. Diana can't get a job cuz she's not "lady-like," Benson can't get a job cuz he's been denied his manly rights, and me, you probably have the idea. Who I am is also the reason why I don't have any friends. Human friends. Di, Mitzi, and Benson don't count. They're more like my family. You can't be friends with your family. Mitzi's the quote-on-quote decent one out of all of us, which means she's the only one who has a career. Unfortunately, the pay is not enough to feed all of us together, and our economy is all up in inflation. Meat cost 5 shillings a pound. Doctors charge 4 pence a hour. Entertainment is worth gold." "Is that why Diana resorts to stealing?" "You keep asking so many questions, jeez! I thought smart people were meant to answer them!" "I'm sorry. I just wanted to get as much answers out as possible. Like, we can probably help you overcome this financial struggle if we learn the basis of the premise. Then you wouldn't have to go out stealing anymore." "I doubt you can be a big help. King Jason won't listen to anyone if it has nothing to do with his interests. Refuse to resist, and--"

Diana appeared over Rodent Girl's head, and interrupted.

"--You'll get hanged!" "HeeeeeEEEYYYY! Why is it that YOU get to say it all the time?! It's not fair!" "Sorry, Rodent. It's in my character arc!"

Jimmy and Nick noticed Diana was carrying a huge sack with her.

"What's..." Asked Jimmy. "...that?" Asked Nick. "Why, it's our dinner, of course!" Replied Diana.

The bulky woman opened the sack to reveal a big, fat, dead moose, which she killed herself. While Rodent Girl was bubbling in joy, Jimmy and Nick were dumbfounded. Moose is a least likely food any of them would think of eating. They think of them as just commonly woodland creatures. Are they ready to eat moose meat? Diana looked at the shunned Nick, and gave him a little poke. He didn't react at all.

"Looking rather squeamish there. Don't worry, I'll handle the butchering! Getting quenched in the blood of an animal is the closest thing I'll ever have to fighting in a gladiator war!"

...........................

That night, everyone feasted on moose. Nick prepared moose steaks, moose roast, moose kebabs, moose stew, cheesy minced moose pies, moose franks, deep fried moose entrails, and white rice, which he requested the other day. Despite Jimmy's disgust earlier, he found that the animal tasted good, to his surprise. Or maybe that's just Nick's culinary magic. Rodent Girl made a glutton of herself. Benson took time to savor his dinner. Mitzi ate hers in a simple, mild-manner, again not showing appreciation for Nick's hard work. Butterscotch, who was left with his oats, watched them in envy. While everyone ate, Diana told her stories at the table. Because of how much moose they had, there will practically be leftovers tomorrow, and the day after that.

After dinner was done, it was time to wash up and call it a night. Nick was so exhausted from all that cooking, he made Butterscotch carry him on his back as they headed to their barn suite. Nick is ready to pass out the second he lays down on that hay bed. The three entered the barn. As Nick began to climb off of Butterscotch, he sloppily fell due to how tired he was.

"Are you okay?" Asked Jimmy, helping his friend up. "Yeah, I'm fine." Nick replied, dusting himself off.

The boys crawled under their blankets, and then rested their heads on their pillows. Before they were ready to go beddy-bye, they shared a short convo among each other.

"How do you suppose we're gonna talk the king into getting our new friends jobs? ...and ending his own capitalism? This Jason guy sure sounds like a tough nut to crack. Look at all the consequences to list that will get us all..." Said Nick, and then imitated a victim getting hanged. "Like some dumb king is gonna scare me. Judging from what I've heard so far from Diana, he may be all power, but he certainly doesn't sound so smart." Replied Jimmy. "He may be really ugly, too." "Simple-minded folks can be easily outwitted by the charm of psychology. A long chat with him could buy us the time to figure out what makes him tick, and when we have reached his standards, that's how we will be able to compromise with him. As the old saying goes, 'you can't catch some fish without a few good worms.'"

When Jimmy turned to face Nick, he found he was already deep asleep. The boy genius just shrugged, made himself more comfy, and then blew out the candle to his left. As the room was now left in darkness, Jimmy passed on a "Goodnight" to Nick.

Meanwhile, peeking from out the window, Mitzi stared at the barn across. Earlier, when she just arrived from work, she recalled Jimmy asking Rodent Girl some questions, followed by a "I just wanted to get as much answers out as possible." To her, that sounded like a big red flag there. What are these two trying to plan? Whatever they're planning, she's not gonna wait to find out what it is. She must put a stop to it, and protect the family before her. Mitzi then ran outside to the shed, where she then fetched herself a weapon.

..........................

During that hour, where the sun was beginning to rise, Nick shook Jimmy awake from his much needed slumber.

"Jimmy! Jimmy! There's something you ought to look at!" "Nnnnick... Do you know what time it is?" "Well, no, considering that I don't have a watch, but it's urgent, I swear! When I went outside to... ...pass some water... ...that's when I encountered it! C'mon!" "I'd be more happier if you just told me. The real surprise can wait, once I'm fully recharged. And I don't need to know about your bodily functions." "Dammit, our time machine is busted!" "WHAT?!"

Jimmy's loud "WHAT" woke up every animal in the barn. The boy genius shot himself out of bed, and let Nick lead him to the disaster he's been trying to point out. There they found their time machine, now nothing but a pile of debris. But, how could this happen? The damage was too brutal to be caused by an accident. A wreck like this could only happen on purpose.

Suddenly, Diana and Rodent Girl just happened to step outside of the hut in their nightgowns. The animals weren't the only thing Jimmy's shouting woken up. Diana immediately gained back her energy when she saw the wreckage. Rodent Girl was still feeling drowsy.

"Holly Hannah! What happened?" Ask Diana. "Time Machine broke." Jimmy replied immaturely. "And what we know by far is that this was no accident!" Said Nick. "Hmmmmmmmmmm."

Diana observed the debris further.

"Any strange weather occur?" Asked Diana. "No." "Spot any ferocious animals lately?" "Just some rats, but I doubt little creatures could do damage that bad." "Any... Any... Welp, I'm out of questions. Looks like one of us is... ....a suspect!" "Don't worry, no you're not. I think I may know who did it." "You do? Who? It isn't me, right? It can't be me, because I have morals, I'm sweet, I'm lovable, and... I've been a very good friend to you two! *sob* Where has that friendship gone?" "Calm down. Of course it's not you." "*Deep yawn* Then is it me? How dare you accuse me. Did what we had yesterday mean nothing to you?" Rodent Girl said in a tired, monotone voice. "No. Not you either."

Jimmy turned to Nick besides him. It is easy to make sense of who's behind the wreckage. There's only one member of the Faithful Five who doesn't like Jimmy and Nick very much since they first met. Who else other than that deceptive Mitzi dame? The boys were so careless as to not look after her, even though they knew something like this would happen eventually. Nick won't tell Diana who did it, for obvious reasons; If she gets mad at Mitzi, then there goes their friendship. If she gets mad at Nick, she'll crush him flatter than a crepe. Maybe when Mitzi gets home, Nick oughta give her a cozy little chat.

"Who do you think did it?" Asked Diana? "Sorry, I'm not one to give out spoilers." Replied Nick. "Huh?"

Jimmy and Nick began to pick up the bits of debris, when Diana suddenly stopped them. And she was already dressed in her morning clothes.

"HOLD IT! You gentlemen have been very nice to us. Not just me, but to us. You two even kept us well fed. In return, I will assist you in repairing your wooden thing-a-ma-gigy that's suppose to take you back home!" "No, we can't possibly have you--" Said Jimmy, before being cut off. "But I insist! Friends must help each other in need! And I'm not doing this just because I don't want to be the branded suspect in this caper!" "I'll lend a hand as well. Just let me go fetch my coffee." Said Rodent Girl, heading back inside the house. "Hmmm, a little extra hands might finish the job more faster." "I'll help too! As always." Said Nick. "No, Nick. I think you should relax for a bit and save your strength. You've done so much." "But I--" "Please, you helped enough already. Take a break. You need to slow down on all these good deeds."

Nick figured, he wants to help Jimmy, but the boy genius sounds like he'd be happier if he just stopped for now. To avoid turning this conversation into an argument, Nick decided to follow the doctor's orders. The purpose why Nick is smothering his crush with so many good deeds is because he wants to prove he is worthy to be by his side. In the old times, Nick stayed out of Jimmy's way for too long, and let that Vortex girl get to him. Back then, Nick always had a chance, but he always ended up blowing it.

Rodent Girl reappeared, all dressed and fully energized.

"READY!"

Diana was thinking of waking up Benson and letting him join in on the party, but he can be in a naggy mood whenever he's awakened before his "wakey-wakey schedule." Mitzi was nowhere to be found. She must have already left for work. The bulky woman headed into the shed to fetch some tools. When she got there, she noticed that a sledgehammer was misplaced. How odd. After she organized the sledgehammer back in its proper position, she grabbed some tools, tacks, and a bucket of super paste. She refused to use anymore of her wooden planks. Diana then brought the supplies to Jimmy. Butterscotch arrived to the scene, holding a hammer in his mouth.

"Sorry, Butterscotch, but this line of work requires posable digits!"

.............................

Nick sat inside the barn, thinking. Jimmy told him that enough is enough, but it just makes the handsome boy feel guilty for not having to help the boy genius. Nick doesn't just shower Jimmy with these good deeds because he loves him so much, but he's also trying to make up for the times he wasn't there for him. He didn't offer him a helping hand even if it were an easy task. All he's ever done was watch the disastrous events occur before his eyes, not to mention stay out of any trouble Jimmy would get himself into. And, Nick wasn't there when the boy genius felt lonely at least.

Refusing to swallow his pride, Nick won't allow himself to let Jimmy down. He will do whatever he can to make that boy genius proud. He will continue to show his loyalty, and let Jimmy know he can always depend on him whenever the going gets tough. Nick looked over to Jimmy's sketch designs, which then gave the skateboard boy an idea.

He exited the barn and went over to Diana.

"Yo Di, could you step inside the hut with me for a moment? There's this ugly, big cockroach under the kitchen table!" "A roach? IN MY HOME?!"

Diana stormed into the hut with her sword, only to find no roach under the table.

"You can run from me, you little nuisance, but there's nowhere on Earth you can hide!" "Relax, there is no roach." "Ther- What kind of game are you trying to play-" "Shhh, shhhh shhhhh! Keep your voice down." "Why are we talking softly? This really is a game, is it?" "Listen, long story short; I want to help my friend, but my friend doesn't want me to. However, I deciding to do it anyways. This time I plan to surprise him, which means you can't mum a word of this to him, or anyone you can't trust secrets with." "*Gasp* Disobeying a direct order, all for the sake of helping someone you care so much about?! I swear, you're like the son I could've had!" "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" "Sorry. I tend to get a little loud whenever I'm filled with joy. I just like to let myself out." "Can we get back on the topic? I need to get into that mine." "Getting in there isn't gonna be easy, my boy. Unless you're an authority of the king or carry any legal documents, you'll get hang-" "Jimmy already told me, I know. That's why I turned to you, since you seem like an expert at getting away with breaking the law. The way you scared off those hooded men... I think I know how I'll be able to sneak into the mine without being suspected." "You want me to distract the Keeper of the Mine?" "No, I was wondering if you can make me a disguise of my own, along with a copy of one of those fabricated badges." "I can do that! Luckily I still hold this old Halloween costume Rodent Girl used to wear when she was your age."

Diana pulled out a miniature suit of knight's armor from behind her back. Nick, without removing any of his clothes, slipped into the armor one piece at a time. The suit wasn't made from plastic, but legit, real, steel metal. It was fairly uncomfortable from the inside, and a horrible order pierced through his nostrils. He also had some trouble keeping balance in the suit. It took Nick at least two minutes to stand up straight again.

"As for the badges, I don't have enough time to make a copy, so you can borrow mine for now." "Thanks." "Oh!"

Diana left the hut for a moment. Nick tripped in his armor once more, before bringing himself back to his feet. When Diana returned, she had brought along Butterscotch.

"We don't exactly own a map of the outside world, so Butterscotch knows where the mine is located."

The white stallion happily nodded his head. Butterscotch wasn't the only thing Diana brought back, though. She began handing Nick a few things she thought he'd need.

"Here's a small box to hold your quartz in. Here's a tiny sack to hold the box where you'll be holding your quartz in. Here's an apple for energy. Here's a lantern, since it's gonna be dark in there. Here's a dagger for self-defense. It's pretty dull, but you can keep poking someone until they run away. Here's some extra fuel for the lantern. Here's a few carrots in case Butterscotch gets hungry. Here's a checkerboard set if Butterscotch ever gets bored. And here's a satchel to carry all your stuff in, since the suit doesn't include any pockets."

With all that gear he was holding, combined with the weight of the armor, Nick toppled backwards.

"Again; Thanks."

After Nick placed everything into the satchel, Diana helped him out by picking him up, and placing him on top of Butterscotch's back. Giving a salute to the young boy, who's about to journey off on his own for the first time, Diana then opened the hatch in the kitchen and let the two out. Nick saluted back, before Diana closed it again.

"Godspeed to you, Nick Dean."

#Jimmy Neutron #Boy Genius #Nick Dean #Cindy Vortex #Libby Folfax #Carl Wheezer #Sheen Estevez #Season 4 #fanfic #romance #adventure #TVverse #TVEE

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