#oh shoot I have to feed my panda

[honeybeewhereartthee]

Crystal Hearts

Prequel PT3: You and Me

➽─PREV─CH19─NEXT──❥

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"lil MC I'm back~ " Niki come back to a empty house.

"Ah... Where is that lil fae... It's already quite too late in the night..." He look around and saw no notes. " Wonder if there's a school activities..."

He look at his phone and saw a message

" Eh... " The panda fae eyes widen as he read the message.

" Niki! I'm here to stay at your place!" Rinne arrive with a door slam.

".... Ah Niki why are gripping your phone too much?"

"Rinne can you come with me to look for someone ?"

In rinne eyes in that very moment, he felt like his seeing a mama bear that just saw her own child being approach by a human. He will go mad.

The next morning, you wake up with someone slamming the door open.

Revealing another kohaku look alike. But this time, a beautiful female.

"Your pretty." You commented. "Why thank you! Your quite a charmer with your words ahaha." She gives a thumbs up.

"Your tall too. Did it mean kohaku would be tall like you guys?" Honestly his already tall, your just curious if he become even more taller.

"Well, that'd something we don't know yet." She smile.

" Ah. Good morning. I forget to greet you. " You bow a bit.

" Good morning to you! My, You seems like a nice kid." She commented.

" Oh. I'm bad. Cruel, weird and heartless person with my words. Well I was describe like that by humans. " You bluntly says. She pause for a moment before laughing, you also laugh with her.

" How about we go joined every for breakfast? "

" Why are you nice to me... " You mumble as you follow along to her, eyes sparkling in glee as your gonna joined a whole family dinner after a long while.

" Hmm? Is there a reason to not be nice to you? "

" You know what I am right? I am core fae. " You thought most people would hate you for it. Kohaku dad at one point don't want to lost to you because of that fact.

" Well, our dear koha is one as well. Through What's wrong being one? " She pats your head. " You and Him are alive and is born like everyone else are you?" He smile sweetly to you.

"Your Nice nee-san..." You blush from her words. She's too nice. "Can I call you nee-san?" You plead.

"Of course." She chuckle as the two of you arrive at the dining room. "Good morning." You bow.

"Oh my? You wake up on the good side of the bed it seems." Kohaku's dad who's flipping through a newspaper look at you as he sips his coffee.

"Unlike a certain someone." He gaze at his son who's looking at his sister and then to you with odd expression. "I wanted to wake them up..." You heard him grumble with a pout.

You went to seat beside him. " Good morning, kohaku. " You greeted him. " Mornin. " Smiling he look at you. "Can you give me your c-contact number?"

" Oooo. Wow and here I thought your looking through your phone cause your messaging each other. Turn out you don't have contact with them. Lmao. Ahahaha."

" Ehh. " You look surprised by his request. " I mean do you need too? You can always call me by telepathy. " You raise a brow.

" Oh my telepathic link? What a advance-through-magic couple we have here. (ㆁωㆁ)"(Ojitan)

"But the telepathy won't work when we're too far..."

"Ehh. It does. You just don't try it. I don't see you wanting to talk to me when your not trying to stalk me. Since you might be busy with life."

"Son, what is this I'm hearing about stalking?? Can anyone pls explain." (Ojitan) ( ╹▽╹ )

"I--i... I'm not stalking! I'm observing... From distance." He denied the awful true crime he did. He refuse to admit such fact.

"That's stalking." ( 3rd Sister ) (◍•ᴗ•◍)

"Anyway, we can talk through telepathy, so no need for contact number...." Through if he still going to ask about your contract. You will give him even through it would be very useless with telepathy.

*Ring: Do I need to say this? (MC: yes) panda Niki-tan is here! Please eat your meal properly or else I'll force feed bamboo shoots at your throat... Srl? (MC: yes) no candies for lunch and breakfast if you did not eat properly! (MC: gasp... THATS NOT ON THE SCRIPT!?) Ahaha. Of course. There no such thing as someone who only eat candies--

"Oh. It's niitan." You quickly answer the phone. " Sowwy imma answer this." (Ojitan)

"It's fine~ come back soon, so you get feed and we can fight right after."

You give a thumbs up as you stand up and went outside to have a chat.

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"So your stalking your fae. That's what you been doing outside huh. " The oldest began.

" My, koha is such a bad stalker too. You should spy on them without being notice~" the second oldest tease.

" You need to train more so you could able to spy without being notice. It's too shameful to be spotted in our family. Kohaku-chan." His father sigh in disappointment. " I'm going to add some training to your schedule." He added.

"..." He cannot believe this. His being told off being a bad stalker than saying his doing something bad.

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"... Ah... I..." You come back from chatting with Niki. "... I have ahmn... Some folks looking for me....since I don't go home yesterday... I apologize in advance if they will come and make ruckus"

"Oh? Ahaha. When are they gonna arrive?" (Ojitan, my, we sure have bunch of visitors those days)

" Probably after few hours. Niitan still have shift on his cafe duty." You says. " I need to answer some school work... I also have to check on Yua mom situation if what I did yesterday work out in the end." You start to think of the bunch of stuff, you need to deal with instead of being here, while tapping through something in your phone.

" Yua? Who's that?" You look at the oldest sister of Kohaku who heating up the stove to cook breakfast.

"... Schoolmate." You took a moment if you should say, a dude who's gonna give you red passionate heart after you did some good deeds for him. Thinking about your punishment you look at the head of the family.

" Can I fight ya now? (ʃƪ＾3＾）" You plead.

" My, you have no patience." He chuckle as he sip his coffee.

" Sowwy, I have stuff... Niitan is mad when I told him about what you said. Well he just told me off for being reckless... " You remember that Niki told you that your just reckless for being single and have the reckless attitude you start to develop since you

" Who's niitan?" (2nd sister. 'is this a rival of my cute and adorable baby bro?)

" My brother. Well I believe his my brother but because of another reality, that could be a thing and he takes care of me while I'm here in the human world. collecting hearts cause I'm bad child that my friend have to hide I'm awake from his stupid emperor for couple of years." You start to openly says about why your here in the human world.

Kohaku eyes widen at the thought of your friend that made you go that far. He wonder if his going to be that important to you too.

" How come your casually saying that? Do you not fear I'm going to use the info against you...?" The older Oukawa laugh at your casual honesty. He never know you'll be this honest.

" You make me laugh, ojitan. Even if I'm honest about my life. There's no point hiding stuff that create misunderstanding. Besides that's too cringe."

"Ohoho... My, your quite in a mood."

" Sorry, I'm fewr that those people would destroy your house with their presence. Can we fight now?"

He put down his newspaper, his stared at you with solemn through there's a smile on his face, he ask you as his children all stared at you with intense purple eyes like they are gazing through your deepest soul.

"... Do you think lightly of the traditions?" He ask you after a moment of silent.

" Of course not. " You pause as you look at the ojitan straight to his purple eyes. " Does ojitan dislike me? That's good of you did."

" What a silly child. Why would you want people to dislike you?" He laugh at your words.

" I just do. Maybe that's why I speak odd sometimes I can be seen egotistical like fighting you would be more of my advantage if I want too or dipolar. So people won't go and be kind to me. You shouldn't be... You guys are too nice to me." You were very scary(not), like a young child demanding to be feed candy.

They all look at you for a moment before the three sister chuckle and the father laugh out loud.

" Geez. Kids those days. You just need to eat some breakfast. Your being too emo in the morning."

Your now treated as a kid on their emo phrase as the oldest daughter pulled you back to your seat But you keep your pouting as you say that your bad person.

They all just laugh at it. Obviously if there's a bad people in the room it would be the Oukawa, their hands is tainted with blood of their victims. They are the shadow of the main branch that will do all the dirty work after all.

" Here you go." Kohaku gives your bowl of rice and you unconscious says thanks even so your supposed to act like a tough cookie. " Thank you... " You smile.

While eating, you notice the lack of the mom. You stared at one of them before looking back at your meal.

"..." You don't comment but your looking at the empty table beside the head of Oukawa. To the point everyone notice it.

"She went out to get soy sauce." The Oukawa head says nonchalantly.

"Oh... I-i wasn't curious at all." You denied and they all just laugh at it as you continue eating embarrassed that you were found out.

Through you noted everyone seems sad, except kohaku who's focusing on eating.

'ah. It won't be bad if I help...' you thought. Having another plan added to your to do list.

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"Choice your weapon."

All of you went to the dojo room or sparring Room. You stared at the weapons. "Are those a real deal?" You ask the nice big sister. " Hmm who knows?" She just giggle as she pats your head. " Now, go and have fun." She went to the side with her other siblings.

" Kohaku! " You remember something as you went toward the youngest Oukawa.

He was holding a medicine kit for later, if in case someone did some hardcore damage to one another. Hopefully its his old man who will suffer and lost.

"Yes?" He look at you before you put a bubble around you two. He look surprised by what you did.

"Are you really sure?" You ask him. He tilt his head in confusion. "Do you like me enough to wish to m-marry me ?" You felt so embarrassed. The day you have to say such words never occurred to you a long time ago.

Even with you who's able to get a glimpse to a far distance future. But you could only see glimpse and not everything and you have refused to acknowledge all what you knew to live a fun time in the present.

"I--..." He was surprised by your question. "W-why you keep asking m-me this... I-i won't ask you to come with me... E-even knowing the traditions of m-my family..." He cover haft of his blushing face. Not able to meet you (color) eyes with his purple one. Or else he would melt from the gaze your giving him.

" What if... It's the strings thats making you be like that." Your voice almost inaudible.

" What? Why would you think so?" Yet he still heard what you said.

"Because those are strings of cupid. Connection that can be a love potion. Force someone to love each other. It's a nutcase of a magic, cupid fae can Dom." Which is wataru, your cousin. You refuse to tell who's the cupid fae through, what if your cousin get in trouble.

"... Force to love each other..?" He repeated as thoughts comes rushing in his mind, a smile slowly appear on his face. "Would you love me then?"

"... That's not the point." You try to change the topic.

"I don't care. If it makes you to love me like I would love you. Then its fine. The worse thing is being rejected." Kohaku almost want to shoot himself when he accidentally said something, his face paled as he look at your reaction. You look at him with daze.

"... That's some sussy words. Do you have a yandere bloodline or what." But it seems that, what process on your mind is different, he can't help but sigh in relief internationally.

"What?" Through he did realize what you meant by that. "What do you mean yandere?Σ(°△°|||)︴ I'm not gonna kill anyone for love... I don't think so."

"... Oh. Even if you did. I would help you hide and bury the body. (ღ˘ω˘ღ)" You joked.

" Ahahah... Really? I would mind an assistant then. ( ´ ▽ ` )" He and you and chuckle and having a sweet moment till the ojitan comes to you two.

Knocking against the bubble. You pop the bubbles as the ojitan start to rant out being lonely without his wife.

" Stop flirting. You guys still aren't legally engaged yet! Also you make this poor old man felt being eaten by the ants from how sweet you two are!"

" Then go find mom. (`ー´)" Kohaku rolled his eyes at his father.

" Ehhh. Kohaku-chan your bullying your old man cause I ruined ya moment? How cruel. How cruel! My darling and wife and I give life to a cruel son! You were so cute before! "

And he show a baby picture of Kohaku who's eating his thumbs with a beautiful older woman holding him. And then he flip to another picture of Kohaku dangling over the tree.

"DAD! WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT! (´•︿´•ꐦ)"Kohaku tried to get the embarrassing pictures but his dad just run away and dodge his son attempt of stealing the picture.

"..." You take a look at the photo, when everyone is focus on those two. You clap three times. The world stop on its motion. Kohaku who's able to move stared at his father who stopped moving in the black and white scale of the world without motion.

He quickly snatch the damn photo before he look at your direction

"MC?" He saw you doing something but he don't understand it. He approaches you but when he arrives besides you, you clapped your hand three times as if done what you been doing just now.

"Wa-- how did you go there?" The head of Oukawa realize his not holding the precious blackmailing pictures of his son and saw his boy right besides you.

"Sowwy. I have to check on something. Ehehe." You reasoned as you turn to look at them. "Anyway I'm ready!" You give a thumbs up.

"Huh. That's very suspicious." The older Toujou thought out loud before he and you went to peak a weapon.

"Are we allowed to use magic?" (MC)

"Sure sure." He waves you off. "The estate is pretty much have a barrier that won't let some magic to leak out even if we did. " He pointed out.

" I see." You nodded as you pick up a gun. The two of you went to each corner as the flag went down, you two gaze at one another.

" You seems unfaze, do you really underestimate me... " Suddenly you felt sense of dread. " Oh!" You eyes widen as all your senses tells you it's dangerous.

"how interesting." You mumble before you unconsciously dodge a projectile you don't notice him thrown in your direction. "Wow!" You clap your hand in amazement.

As your very much destructive, he already went to to high kick, you manage to spin around and shoot bullets to the floor, very close to his feet.

He chuckles as he have to do a too dance to escape having holes embed on his feet.

"My. Your quite a bully to this old man." He laugh as you reloaded the gun. "Ehh. I was ?" You tilt your head. Since you still don't experience being hit. You won't be triggered to fight like crazy--

"YOUR OPEN!" (Ojitan)

You get kicked in the stomach.

"..."

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You start to giggle as you stand up after being thrown a bit off just now. Kohaku stared at your direction in worry.

"Not bad... Not bad at all..." You chuckle before you start to go back to where you were earlier but two steps in, you were gone.

"Oh?" The older Oukawa is quick to stop your punch as you flash step in front of him but as he held your hand, you smirk.

"AIYYYO??"

he was thrown off very far side of the room but as he manage to flip and land, you already behind him to kick his legs, causing him to lost balance and trip.

Crack.

You chuckle darkly as try to crash the bones on his legs if he dont manage to move his leg on time.

Crack.

The floor underneath crumble. As you sigh in disappointment.

"How sad. Oh well. Were are just starting the fun after all. I can break your 206 bones slow and painful, baka ojitan." You crack your knuckles as you throw the gun away you shall use fist to win.

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" Oh gosh... They are destroying the house! AHAHA " The oldest laugh as they run outside to see you and the head refusing to surrender to the other and throwing each other to the wall, the pond or the rock. It become very messy, wounded and in a very bad shape yet you two refuse to give up and laughing like two war Maniac and mortal enemies.

You guys fighting quite too fast but since they are skilled and trained to gasp Minor details in speed. They saw how it went.

" Are they not going to finish yet?" The third oldest yawn as they been watching you two right for hours now, it's almost sunset. Yet the two you seems still out of it.

"Well, it's kohaku chan hand in marriage, I need to protect it!" the ojitan drop down from the roof to take sip of the tea. You were nowhere to be found

"YOUR OPEN, BAKA OJITAN!"

you appear like a wild cat and smack him hard on the side, causing him to be thrown into the house.

"Oof..."

"AHAHAAH~ HOW FUN! THIS IS VERY FUN! " you giggle like a mad man. " I want to crush your bones to bits and make pie out of its powder. AHAHA~" You sing a song as you grab a rock thag fall off from the ceiling and crumble it with your fist.

" Wow... " The ladies can't help but gasp in amazement. Your very cool, their dad is very embarrassing.

" HEY! I CAN SENSE THOSE THOUGHTS! THIS WHAT YA GUYS DO TO YA OLD MAN? OH THE CRUELTY!" He cannot believe his own daughter is looking at him with such gaze! How cruel life is!' the head of Oukawa dramatize as he tried to move but cannot.

He watch in worry as you stood above him and was really going to crush his skull but your stopped before you did so.

" MC! snap out of it " kohaku who's holding your hand. You tilt you head.

" I will stop if he surrender, my Venus. " You pulled his hand that is holding yours and leaning in to give a kiss on the back of his palm as you give him a sweet smile. the strings turning bright red as your hands and his are linked with one another.

With blood that is not yours or not on your face, and the sunset behind you. He can't help but gulp at how your look ethereal at the moment.

"I-i..." His face warm up. "M-MC..." He shutter. Not knowing what to do. His suppose to stop you from trying to nuke his dad because your like that too before but you seems more murderous when it's his father and not him.

"yes, my venus~?" you called out to him as you held his hands.

Oh, Such wonderful moment.

"Are you two seriously flirting beside this beaten old man?" Get destroyed by the old man who's unable to move an inch of his body from pain, who's also right beside you two.

"why won't you just give up? " You look at the ojitan in disdain. You wanna step on his hand but Kohaku stops you. " MC stoppp. "

" Your dad wants me to break 103 of his bones which is his feet and hands, that's a haft discount as my future in law. Tehee." You winked. "My Venus, I can heal him back if he surrender. " You flatter your eyelashes cutely.

it's totally fine to beat up the old fool if he refuse to give up. And give up trying to make his son not be your fiancee.

" Heal? " Kohaku remember how you heal, you need to kiss the person. His mood drop.

" Father! You already lost when you cant stand up for minute!" kohaku point out as he glare at his father. How dare his father do this to him? He can't even get them (kisses) without your intent to he any wounds on him because his too embarrassed to ask.

"Geez... You really are my child. Ahaha." The head of Oukawa does notice the glare his son is giving him. He chuckle as his very proudly at his son attitude. his very glad his offspring is very like him, be protective of his love or else other shall steal them away. Lock them up, even. He will not judge, he will help him to do it perfectly.

"Ok.. I give up. My son is gonna leave papa side to marry! How pitiful I am!" he weep crocodile tears as you finally snap out of the zone.

"Yee! I win!" You giggle ans hugs kohaku. " My groom!" You chipped. "Ehehe~" you feel so happy. Maybe your too happy that glow ans sprouts blanc on top of your head, as the spell of Risky Venus still habe an effect on you , through the feature of tiger fae have disappear when you wake up..

"M-MC..." Your fiancee blushes. As you happiness can be seen with your wide smile. "Hmm?" You look at him as you cling onto him

Seeing your smile, he pause and felt daze.. his heart is beating too fast. His also happy in the result of the fight.

You were so cool. He can't help but blush and hope you won't hear his fast beating heart when he was watching you fight his father earlier. Ah he wanted to fight with you again. Your too different (in a good way) when in a fight.

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➽───note───❥

(if want to be tagged pls comment or Send mail) Tag List : @valeriele3 @yinenovica

[lemur-is-fine]

But the most disturbing thing is that I actually got rid of him by throwing him into lava and realized that later on...

[renova-writes]

Coney Island Hotdogs

Requested by: @maximeevansblog

Summary: “The reader is the daughter of bucky barnes, and the have a daddy - daugther Day, but the reader wants to sleep but her dad has other plans , and end of the Day the asks what do you wanna eat Mac donalds and the watch a movie, but the reader falls a sleep trough the movie, and he carries her to bed, but she wakes up and her dad she go back to sleep button, i am carring you to bed, and allot of fluff and cuteness and if its ready you tag me right thanks”

Words: 2,004

Warnings: Just basically a bunch of Fluff. Some mentions of bullying and death, but very light and fun

Other Works: masterlist

"Five more minutes," you whined. The clock on your bedstand read 5:39 am.

"Hey, button," you heard a voice whisper. The dark locks dangling over you told you that it was your father. "Get dressed. I have a surprise for you."

"It's too early."

"I know, but I'll make you a (your favorite caffeinated drink)" Your dad obviously wanted you to get up but was not going to force you. That was one of your favorite things about him. He never forced you to do anything you didn't want to.

"Really" Your sleepy eyes lit up at the mention of caffeine.

"Yes button, really. I promise. Just get yourself ready to go, and it will be waiting for you" he smiled and walked out of your room, "Also, bring a jacket. Just in case."

With that, your dad left. As you paused for a moment in your bedsheets, soaking up the last moments of fluffy warmth before you needed to get up, excitement crawled up your spine. It wasn't often that you and your dad did things, just the two of you. He was always busy with the Avengers, or you two were over with Sam and his family. When you did make time for special days, he usually asked you what you wanted to do beforehand.

His walking into your room at five in the morning, asking you to get up so that you two could have a bonding day, was unusual. He must have something special planned.

You forced yourself to get out of bed. That was going to be the hardest part. Half asleep, you dragged yourself over to the bathroom. You did your business and paused after washing your hands to brush your teeth and your hair. A smile crept across your face in the mirror as you tried to guess what you were going to do.

The zoo? The park? Maybe the museums?

You lived in the Avenger's tower in the heart of New York City, so there were many options. You gave up trying to guess and decided to go with whatever. It was going to be fun no matter what.

It was the beginning of spring, so it was warm during the day but cold in the mornings. You picked out a light floral dress, leggings, and a cardigan so that you could have layers. Some essential jewelry and your boots would also be a part of your outfit.

After putting on your clothes and some basic makeup, you made your way to the main room of your apartment. Just like he had promised, your dad had gotten your beverage from the Starbucks next to the lobby. He had probably gotten it before waking you up as it was sitting in the microwave/fridge.

"Hey button. Nice to see that you finally have awoken from your cavern of blankets," he joked, "You ready. I've got an amazing day planned out. Just the two of us."

"Yep. Where are we going."

"Button, that's a surprise!"

"Tell me!!" you giggled.

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you," he smiled. A goofy grin was on his face, with admiration pouring out of his eyes.

"Just a hint…" you begged. "I'll probably forget by the time we get there."

"No. I want it to be a complete surprise," your dad insisted, "that's why, after you drink your drink, I want you to put on a blindfold."

Oh dear, he was very insistent about this whole surprise thing.

"But first, BREAKFAST!!!" he exclaimed as he presented you with your favorite breakfast, waffles, and strawberries. The plate seemed to sparkle with deliciousness as your stomach cried out in hunger.

"Yummy!!!"

"See, I remembered your favorite" he seemed very proud of himself. You had mentioned that you liked waffles when Wanda had made them for a birthday breakfast.

"Dig in! I put some strawberry syrup into the waffles themselves so that we would have extra strawberry flavor."

He handed you a fork and a knife, and you cut into them. The heat fell off of the bite on your forked, and you braced yourself in anticipation. Your father could cook; he and Steve used to make dinners for the team. But that was with Steve, now that he was gone, your dad rarely cooked. It had been hard for him. He was slowly getting over it; you definitely helped. Having somebody to take of, his therapist agreed, was very good for him. But his food was very hit or miss. This morning, however, the waffles were amazing.

The strawberries tasted fresh and had the perfect amount of sweetness. The waffles were eggy, precisely the way you liked them.

"Dad! These are delicious!" you exclaimed.

"I know, right, they're so good," he nodded in agreement, "but can I admit something? I stole the recipe off Auntie Wanda."

It didn't matter where he got the recipe from. They were delicious. It took the two of you a total of 10 minutes to eat the entire plateful.

He pulled a blindfold out of his pocket and put it around your eyes. You had faith that he wouldn't let you bump into anything. You weren't going to have to worry about the crowded city streets. When the strangers passing by got a glimpse of his metal arm, they always made a beeline away from him.

You knew it hurt him. You could see it in his eyes. He was your dad, after all. When you were younger, you couldn't understand why they were afraid, but now that you were older, you knew. It never, even for a second, hurt your relationship with your dad. You loved him. You knew that the real James Barnes was a cinnamon roll. This was a man who wouldn't kill spiders when he found them in the kitchen. This was a man who hung out with the Parker boy and played video games.

Even though the blindfold around your eyes took away your sight, you knew that your dad was checking to see if his gun was where he needed it. After all, he was the Winter Soldier. But that was an everyday thing. When he stopped rustling with his pockets, you felt a hand on your shoulder guiding you out of the room.

------

As soon as you heard the crowd's excitement, you knew where you were. The smell of cotton candy and hot dogs confirmed it.

Your dad had taken you to Coney Island.

You hadn't been there since you were a little kid and couldn't control your excitement. The hand that had been guiding you on your shoulder disappeared and removed the blindfold.

After taking a moment to adjust to the light, your eyes took in the flashing lights and kids running around. The roller coasters and carnival games all around you captivated your attention and caused a smile to form on your face.

"How's this for a surprise Button?"

"Dad, this is amazing! Thank you!!!"

"What ride do you want to go on first?"

The morning flew by in a blur. You and your dad had decided to go on every single ride you could. He had enjoyed the bumper cars and had won you a stuffed panda bear on one of the shooting games. You got the famous coney island hot dogs for lunch and ate on a bench on the beach. The entire morning, there was one thing that you really wanted to do… Ride the Cyclone.

"Hey, dad….."

"Yes Button"

"Can we ride the Cyclone"

"Um. of course. We have to. What's the point of coming here if we don't."

You threw away your trash and got in line. A man with purple hair and tattoos strapped the two of you in and took your picture.

"Alrighty ladies and gents," the loudspeaker in the car said. "Are you ready for the Cyclone"

Everyone on the train whooped and hollered in excitement, and the car lurched forward. Slowly you crept up the first hill and felt the adrenaline follow. At the top, you saw the people on the benches below. You couldn't help but compare them to little dolls from your height.

With that, the car reached the top of the hill and falls.

"Whoa, Button, I think I'm going to be sick," Buck said once you were off. He was looking somewhat green and queasy.

It was your turn to guide him... to a trash can. It turned out he wasn't going to throw up, which you were grateful for, but the Cyclone's toll had been taken. He rested his body on a bench and called it quits.

"What time is it," he asked. You checked your watch. It was two in the afternoon. "How about we do something a little, slower."

"Sure," you agreed. You were in Brooklyn, his home borough, and he decided to take you on a tour of where he grew up.

"And this is the alleyway where your Uncle Steve decided to get in all those fights," he said you passed by. "One time, after I saved his tiny ass, he told me that he thought he had pulled a muscle, and I was all like, 'Steve, you can't pull what you don't have."

You giggled at the thought of skinny Steve. Continuing on your tour, you saw his old apartment and walked through the one he shared with Steve. It had been turned into a museum, and you laughed together for an hour as he pointed out every single detail that had been changed.

"There was no way that we could have two beds! There was no heater, so we shared one! Why would they change that! It wasn't like we had anything going on between us!" he argued. You laughed as the tour guide still could not recognize one of the old occupants of the apartment.

Once your dad seemed satisfied with his tour, the two of you walked down to the nearest subway stop. In the underground station, you passed those golden arches.

"Dad, can we get McDonald's," you asked.

"Are you sure, Button, we can get much better food back a the tower"

"Yeah, we haven't had it in forever, and I need to feed my inner Chicken nugget," you joked.

He must have been in an excellent mood because he gave in to the lure of the golden arches. He also seemed like he really wanted a burger because he got his usual order, Two big macs, a large fry, and an M&M McFlurry. The super-soldier serum had granted him the ability and need to eat loads of food. You also figured that he wanted a break from Pepper's food because she had decided that the entire team needed to become more healthy conscience. It wasn't that anyone hated her food; it was just somewhat bland. And besides, who wants couscous when you can have Micky D's.

After Bucky had wolfed down his food, and you had savored each bite of Chicken Nugget, you got on the train back home. You could feel yourself grow tired as your body finally rested from an exciting and full day. Your head drooped down and rested on your father's shoulder.

"Hey, button, let's watch a movie in the tower."

He picked out a classic, The Wizard of Oz, and made popcorn. You barely made it to the tornado before your eyes finally gave up. You were so tired that you didn't feel your dad pick you up and start carrying you to your bed.

Your eyes fluttered open as you heard 'If only I had a heart' playing from the TV.

"Hey, Button," your dad's voice whispered, "You fell asleep. I didn't want you to wake up on the sofa, so I'm taking you to your bed."

He laid you down and pulled up the blankets. With a kiss on your forehead, turned to leave.

"Dad, I love you," you called out.

"I love you too, Button" On that note, he turned out your light and closed your door

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

COSMIC - S3:E4; Chapter Four, The Sauna Test - [Pt. 2]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

𝘔𝘪𝘬𝘦, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘌𝘭, 𝘔𝘢𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘠/𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘯, 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘺𝘯𝘹.

📝: lmaooooooo this just gets gayer and gayer 💀💀

||𝟑𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

"Do you copy? This is a code red."

The rising sun makes its way through the blinds in Max's bedroom, its gentle yellow rays split into several thin beams and casting out over the three sleeping bodies splayed over one another on the floor. El's body still curled into Y/n's arm, her hair a mess. Y/n was splayed out on her stomach, crooked, as her head had edged its way onto Max's pillow and her legs fell over El's. All the while, a sleeping Max had resorted to using the back of Y/n's shoulder as a pillow.

And they were snug as can be, tucked away in sleep, drool threatening to drip from their parted mouths as Lucas's desperate voice rings out from Max's super com.

"I repeat, this is a code red."

The device seems to grow louder with every word, slowly but surely pulling the girls from sleep.

"Max. Do you copy?" Max lifts her head from Y/n's shoulder, scooching back onto her pillow, and begins palming the ground under her bed. "This is a code red."

Her hand finally finds the comms and she senses El lazily rise up onto her elbow. She presses the button and seethes into the microphone.

"Shut. Up."

She slams the antenna down and shuts off the device, throwing it back under the bed. Y/n hums into the pillow, eyes still closed.

"Mm... what's red?" She asks through clenched teeth, still much too tired to even move her jaw.

"Nothing," Max yawns.

She turns over in bed, nestling back into the rainbow sheets and finding herself nearly nose to nose with Y/n as El rubs the sleep from her eyes, finally joined them. El just settles her head back into her pillow, her tangled hair still falling over her face and blocking out the sun. She let out a soft yawn, letting sleep return to her as she snuggled back into Y/n's arm happy and warm.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Lucas stares at his super com in light shock as he looked between his friends perched on either side of him on the basement couch.

"She turned it off."

Simultaneously, Will, Lucas, and Mike's eyes all jump to the phone hanging on the wall.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

The blaring ring of Max's telephone is the next thing to wake them, and Y/n groans. Max shoots up in anger, her long red hair falling over her glaring face.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." She seethes, pulling herself up to her feet.

"Tell him we're not home," Y/n mumbles, still fighting a losing battle with sleep and a foggy mind.

Max stomps across the floor, strategically maneuvering around her friends, and rips the phone off its receiver.

"I'm sleeping. Go away,"

"Max, this is Will—" her hand caught mid-air, the boy's words barely registering to her in time. Reluctantly, she brings the phone back up to her ear. "I need you to stay on the line, and please just listen."

When Will doesn't hear the click of the dial tone, he breathes a sigh of relief. His eyes dart over his shoulder at his waiting friends trying to feed him the words but he ignores them, turning away.

Max frowns into the phone at what he says next, his voice going pleading.

"Is Y/n there?" There's a pause, and Max frowns down at the phone when she thinks she hears light shushing. "And El? Are you guys all together?"

Okay, now she was bugging out a little.

"Why?" She asks, an edge gradually returning to her voice out of concern.

She glances over her shoulder at her two best friends; Y/n had finally opened her eyes and was trying to make sense of her surroundings as she squinted through the sunlight and El was flowing up at her, worried.

"Just, stay together, okay? Something bad happened, is happening, whatever. We don't really know, but we can't take any chances."

"Okay, what are you talking about? What's going on?" She presses.

"Just meet us at Mike's house, and I'll explain. We all will. Just get over here, quickly."

"What?"

"Hurry!"

And then the line went dead.

Max held the phone in her hand, her stare drifting off as Will's words echoed in her mind.

"What'd he say?" El asked.

"Yeah," Y/n yawned, finally pulling herself into a sitting position, her face puffy from sleep. "is everything okay?"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"Try Dustin again," Mike says, turning to Lucas.

"He's not answering," Lucas says.

"So, try him again,"

Lucas bites back a sigh and returns to his comms with a sigh. Will picks the phone back up, shooting Mike a knowing look.

"I'll try their house,"

Lucas shoots him a thankful look before returning to his mindless search.

"Dustin, do you copy? I repeat... this. is. a. code red."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Dustin watches from the very same ledge as Lynx Transportation hauls a cart full of shipments from Kauffman Shoes and Imperial Panda. But his mind was still spinning, trying to formulate possible answers as to just what he was dealing with as he scouts for their routine.

His eyes had caught on the third armed officer who approached the keypad holding a small plastic card, and Dustin made a mental note.

"That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately the Russian with this keycard has a massive gun,"

Sure enough, the metal doors swung open and the cart is pushed inside. Apart from his cautious glare on the armed guard standing watch, his eyes try to catch whatever lays beyond the threshold.

It looked to Dustin to be a storage room no bigger than his living room, stacked with similar boxes.

"Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it," Dustin concludes as he paces the back room of Scoops Ahoy.

Robin and Steve sit opposite one another in thought.

"But there's gotta be a way in," Robin mutters.

"Well, you know..." Steve stops twirling his hat, quickly reshaping the top with a quick puff of air before dropping it on the table and leaning in with a serious tone. "I could just take him out,"

"Take. Who. Out?" Robin blinked.

"The Russian guard," he answers obviously.

Robin leans back in her seat, nodding sarcastically at him through wide eyes and Steve scoffs.

"What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy,"

"Did you not... hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin asks with crossed arms.

"Yes," Steve snarks, surprised. "Dustin, I did. And that's why I would be... sneaking."

"Ahh," Dustin nods. "Well, please, tell me this, and be honest, have you ever actually..." Dustin gives an all too casual shrug, knowing exactly what button he was pushing. "won a fight?"

"OH-kay, that was one time—"

"—Twice. Jonathan. Year prior?"

"Uh, listen. That doesn't count,"

"Why wouldn't it? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you."

Robin finds herself laughing, lazily rolling her eyes across the shop as the two continue to bicker.

"It was—"

Her grin slowly falls when her eyes catch something in the corner.

"—You got a fat lip, crooked nose, swollen eye, a lot of blood,"

"...things all added up, yeah they sound bad but..."

As the thought grew into an idea, the grin returned to Robin. "That just might work,"

She was out of the backroom, hand diving into the tip jar faster than they could blink. They scrambled to the window in a baffled frenzy.

"Robin,"

She didn't answer, and when she made a break for the exit, Steve and Dustin tumbled out from the back room.

"Hey, Robin! Hey, what— what are you doing?"

"I need cash," she explains, backing out of the store.

"Well, half of that's mine," he pouts. "Where're you going?"

"To find a way into that room, a safe way. And, in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up," she says with an excited smirk. "I'll be back in a jiff!"

With a quick two-finger salute, she had disappeared into the crowd leaving her privately self-proclaimed Dingus Duo at home base.

Steve sighs, looking to Dustin only to find him licking the scooper.

"Oh, dude," he scolds, yanking it out of his hands and returning it to his sling with a twirl. "Come on, man, not my scooper,"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

The trip to Mike's house had indeed been a quick one. When Max had relayed the message, a grave face became all of them. El and Y/n looked at each other and knew; their fears were being realized. And Max knew there was no more denying it, no matter how much she wanted to. No matter how much she needed to.

"I didn't think it was anything at first," Will says.

He was before his friends - most of them anyway - all of them seated around the coffee table in Mike's basement. He hadn't realized how much he had missed Y/n until he had seen her, nor her him. And neither had left each other's side since they gathered. She was sat beside him on a low footstool, El to her right on the upholstered chair, and him on her left; perched on the arm of the couch to the far right of Mike and Lucas.

Concern was etched on her features, as it was on all of them as they listened intently.

"I mean, I think I just didn't want to believe it." He sighs, locking eyes with Y/n knowingly. "The day I first felt it was at Day of the Dead,"

《•••》

And not unlike only months short of a year prior, when he felt himself ensnared in the terror and icy grip of the monster that lurked in shadows only he could see, Will Byers could feel his skin tightening painfully as goosebumps gripped his neck. It was a chill he hoped he'd never feel again, a chill that had nearly destroyed him and his family and friends. And Y/n. The passionate, fiery, hatred for the girl was the only thing about this icy monster that burned brighter than the horrifying memories it left with him.

"Will?"

Startled, his head is ripped to her direction, arm already slipping away from his neck as she stares at him in worry. She recognized the look in his eyes all too well, and immediately she knew something was amiss.

"Will, what is it?"

《•••》

"The power went out that night, too," Mike says in realization, and Will nods.

"And then I felt it again at the field near the Nelson farm the next day."

《•••》

Will stopped suddenly when the world plunged away from underneath his feet and the dark feeling returned. All the while, Y/n's voice faded into the distance as he gripped his goosebump-covered neck, looking fearfully out onto the horizon.

"Think they'll carry me if I fake a leg injury?" She chuckles, her voice far away and fleeting from him.

Despite the steady burst of hot air carried through the breeze and the sun beating down on his skin, he felt a total absence of warmth. And like almost like a phantom limb, all he can feel is panic and something dark, and desperate... Something angry.

"Will?"

《•••》

"Then again, yesterday outside Castle Byers,"

《•••》

As Will mingled with the dirt beneath him, the storm pounding against his back soaking him to the bone, he feels it again.

The same feeling he had felt the night before Dustin's return, the day of, and now...

Well, there was no denying it. No more running. This was real, and it wasn't something so easily shaken.

A great change was upon him and his friends, a change none of them were prepared for.

Shakily, he pulls himself to his feet, not entirely sure if the voice calling his name was real.

"Will?"

With a faraway look in his eyes, Will turns to his awaiting friends as his stomach plummets beneath the earth.

《•••》

"What does it feel like?" Max asks from her spot across the coffee table.

"It's almost like..." everyone watches patiently as Will draws on a thoughtful face, for once it seems, struggling for the right words. "You know when you drop on a rollercoaster?"

Y/n, Max, and Mike all nod.

"Mm-hmm,"

"Yeah,"

"Sure,"

"No," El says, still listening intently.

"It's like... everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but this is worse," Will says, a faraway look in his eyes that Y/n knows all too well. "Your body... it goes cold. And you can't... breath."

Will's eyes jump down his wringing hands when he feels Y/n entwining her left with his right, interlacing their fingers and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. He feels his shoulders slack at her warm touch and he sends her a thankful look before continuing, feeling just a little braver.

"I've left it before," he says through a wavering voice. "whenever he was close."

《•••》

He fearfully crept towards the front door. He came to a stop when he heard the dreadful sound of wood creaking and he watched in horror as the front door slowly swung open to reveal a reddish-purple sky, and the violent winds were carrying leaves and other debris with it. Something strange was growing around the outside of the house and he felt the familiar sensation returning.

He felt his blood run cold and his skin shriveled up, goosebumps breaking out all over. His breathing picked up and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he watched frozen in terror.

《•••》

"Whenever who was close?" Mas asked, fearing the answer she already knew.

Will tried to remind himself he was in the presence of his love and his friends but fear still gripped his lungs and threatened to steal his voice. Finally, with a trembling breath, he spoke the truth none of them wanted to hear, changing the rest of their summer - and possibly the rest of their lives - forever.

"The Mind Flayer."

《•••》

"Go away!"

It got closer. It was swooping in like a vulture but Will didn't give in.

"Go away! Go away!" Tears were streaming down his face, and the monster got closer.

《•••》

Y/n's eyelids fall closed at the mention of the monster that brought so much harm and grief to her and the lives of her loved ones as the truth hits her completely. Just the sight of his convulsing body and his weeping mother that day out on the field when the Mind Flayer got him was traumatic enough. Her eyes flicker back open, back onto the equally horrified looks of her friends and her grip on her boyfriend's hand tightens.

"I closed the gate," El reasons.

"I know, but," for a moment, WI loses his voice again and he clings to Y/n's touch like a lifeline bringing him back. He fears the words he is about to speak, not only for his sake but for everyones. For Y/n's. But the fear was too great to keep quiet. If it was even a real possibility, it had to be stopped. As soon as possible. "What if he never left?"

Shakily, he looks around the room with horror hidden within his hazel irises until they land on Y/n, full of grief. His voice was soaked with apology, unable to contain his worry.

"What if we locked him out here with us?"

Y/n's head turns to meet El's eyes, the two share an equally concerned and knowing gaze from beside one another. Her stomach was twisting into knots, the horrible, sickly feeling of dread that had been building for the past two nights was finally realized.

||𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

"This is him," I say, throwing a spare piece of paper on the D&D table before us all. The six of us all stood together, finally surrounding the D&D table for all the wrong reasons but there's no time to think about that now. I grab the charcoal in hand and began frantically scribbling an all too familiar shape in charcoal. "All of him,"

"But that day on the field," I explain. "part of him attached itself to me,"

I fight the intrusive memory trying to overwhelm me, bringing back the phantom chill that has always lingered since that day.

《•••》

He stood frozen, now trapped in the swirling fog. Several black tendrils spawned from the mass and invaded Will and he could feel the evil presence as it possessed his body and settled in his very soul.

《•••》

I yank my hand across the page, pulling up my dirtied palm to show my friends before nodding to my left.

"Y/n got him out of me,"

《•••》

"I think it's an earthquake!" Mike cries.

A light breeze picks up in the tunnel from where they're headed, carrying with it a warm toasty wave of heat that answered their question.

"No, not an earthquake!" Dustin's eyes went wide from behind his goggles as he looked to the others excitedly. "It's Y/n!"

•••

The Henderson child had managed to pull herself from unconsciousness, and she now stood across the bed. Her arms were stretched out before her and a blazing fire resided in her eyes, a grunt pulled from deep within her throat. Three bloody lines where his nails had caught her ran diagonally down her vein-covered face. Each vein protruded from her skin as blood poured from her nose and ears.

Like a broken dam, all that raw power trapped inside her burst free. Y/n was a supernova, a sight to behold as everything inside her exploded all around her.

•••

Will's mouth opens in another scream and a billowing cloud of inky black smoke escapes. It twists and unravels out from between his lips like a pitch-black tornado.

《•••》

"and El closes the gate,"

I flip the page back over and my eyes trail across my friends' faces thoughtfully, the last of the pieces falling into place as I explain.

"The part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world?"

《•••》

It grows larger and larger, circling over the boy and looms over the entire room as it had the last few days. Will's body goes limp, falling back onto the mattress as the dark mass zips across the room and through the front door breaking it open.

Nancy quickly recovers her footing and chases it out of the door to assure it's leaving for good. Sure enough, when she reaches the porch she spots the black dust circle the trees before disappearing into the sky.

《•••》

I plant my charcoal-dusted hand on the paper, leaving behind a faint trace of black.

"In Hawkins," I conclude.

"I don't understand," Max began. "The Demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies,"

Y/n shook her head gravely from beside me, standing up a little straighter after leaning against the table.

"But the brain didn't die," she sighed heavily in realization. "Not all of it. So the part that was in control, lost. And so did the army, but, enough must have survived... And now after all this time..." She trailed off.

Mike nodded from beside me.

"Exactly," he said. "We can't take any chances. We need to assume the worst... The Mind Flayer is back."

I feel Y/n shift uncomfortably from beside me, her eyes drilling holes into the paper as she chews on her lip and I feel a tug in my chest. But the others were still looking towards me, waiting, and so was she so I continued.

"And if he is," I begin, hesitant to tear my eyes away from her. "He'll want to attach himself to someone again. A new me,"

Once again my eyes meet with all my friends as the very air around grows thicker, and Lucas finally concludes what we all fear.

"A new host,"

I nod and the room falls quiet again at the challenge laid before us.

It was difficult enough facing an enemy as powerful and ruthless as the Mind Flayer, but I think it helped our chances considerably he attached himself to me; someone who already had some insight on his territory, the Upside Down. Not only that, but I was indescribably lucky enough to have the people I have in my life who fought for me. The chief, Bob, my friends. Jonathan and my mom, and of course Y/n.

But his next victim could be anybody, and that's what makes him even more dangerous.

Finally, Y/n broke the silence - the second time she had spoke since the news had been broken. If I thought she was terrified before, I was dead wrong. I saw pure dread growing in her eyes as they trailed from El's and up to mine, widened and shining. It was with a plunging stomach I knew she had our first clue.

"Oh, no,"

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[cherryeol04]

Stray Kids Playing Minecraft~

A/n: I hope you all enjoy, and if you liked, please leave a like! 💖💖💖💖

Tags: @straysrachaa @lordseochangbin @channiesmixtape @starryseung​ @felixsanxchatbot @jisungsjheekies​ @mrbangchannie

Chan

- doesn't know almost anything about Minecraft the first time around but he plays with you to make you happy

- you have to baby him for a while

- BUT THEN!

- He goes and learns about the game in his free time

- and then he pleasantly surprises you now that you he doesn't suck anymore

- and most peculiar of all

- he got really interested in redstone

- boi can make some INVENTIONS

- His house is like, fully automated - farm and all

- it makes you jealous but also very proud

- a pretty big pacifist

- shears, veggies and bread is all he needs

- he still big soft baby but he smart baby now

- also, would totally run around with a pumpkin on his head if you could still wear them in the latest version

Lee Know

- would kill everything that moves

- would hoard all the meat and refuse to give you any

- deforestation at its finest

- king of surplus

- playing with him is actually playing by yourself cuz he goes off on his own

- builds himself a goddamn empire!

- and no one knows where it is

- if he catches you inside his house without permission: shoot first, ask questions never

- mobs fear him, not the other way around

- will give you items cuz you're a charity cause

- actually shares when you both go mining though

- but let's face it, he's just OP

- would try to get all the cats

- totally to chase away creepers

- not because he wants an army of them or anything

- gets annoyed that he has to constantly fish because the cats keep taking them but won't be tamed by him

- he totally did not search for mine shafts just for name tags to name his cats

- DO NOT HURT HIS CATS

- or he'd cancel you in-game and irl too

Changbin

- would be super excited to play Minecraft with his friends

- he would be the first on the server to scout out the land and get resources

- however, no one warned him about night fall

- and all the creepy, scary things that spawned

- changbin lives in the ground now

- he dug a hole at the base of the mountain to take refuge during the night and never looked back

- normal person? No way! He was a mole now!

- the best at mining and interior rock design

- he would only resurface to seek out food and animals

- it was Changbin who stole all the cows and sheep, so you couldn't find them for felix

- he would have three large pins just next to his mountain

- lots of cows, rainbow sheep and pigs with saddles

- " uh...so I found these pins of animals and like...no house?"

- "What?"

- "I think the magical Minecraft fairy spawned it into the world?"

- "It's super weird. But I'm gonna kill some cows for their leather"

- "DON'T YOU TOUCH MY COWS!"

- and to your shock, a secret door in the mountain opens and Changbin comes running out

- the door made courtesy of Chan

- "He's got a diamond sword already?!?"

- it's the last thing you scream as he kills you for being near his cows

- and after a round of feeding and breeding, he disappears back into his hole

Hyunjin

- would only be about building

- he would be the first one to have a diamond pickaxe just so he could mine cobblestone faster

- would also get efficiency V just so he could speed run through the mines

- would wander through different biomes for days to collect clay so he could make concrete

- and while you're busy actually playing the game, he would beg for you to pick flowers on your trip so he can dye the concrete different colors

- his first house would be a mansion

- but he would give up half way because he kept falling off the roof and dying

- would forget he is actually playing the game and would get scared when night falls and mobs start spawning in his unlit house

- not like you didn't tell him countless times to put down torches

- but he kept saying they ruined his aesthetic

- but now he keeps dying because mobs are literally waiting at his spawn point, killing him over and over and over again

- and he begs you to set the time to day and kill the mobs for him

- but you just laugh uncontrollably at him because karma really is a bitch

- but in the end, he ends up making an entire city, and invites the others to come and play on the server.

Jisung

- would be just like Chan

- a pure ass baby when it comes to playing minecraft, but super eager to play the game

- his first spawn would be in the middle of the night (because of server)

- and you would try to tell him to not leave the safety of spawn, but he just wouldn't listen

- "Listen, Y/n, I know what I'm doing! I'm a pro at this!"

- and he would run confidently into the night, like the actual idiot that he is

- he wouldn't get too far before he was attacked by all the mobs and got killed

- "Well that was just rude!"

- "Oh my god Jisung, I told you not to do it."

- "Well how was I supposed to know they were going to kill me?!"

- and you can only shake your head at his stupidity

- he would eventually wait until daytime, but unfortunately all of his items would be lost due to despawning

- it's not like either one of you were equipped to go and retrieve his items

- zombies sucked man! And skeletons are the worst!

- but with a new day comes a new adventure and you both head out to find a place to call home

- Jisung would run the entire way, even though he had no food to keep his hunger up

- he also wouldn't be paying attention to where he was going and would fall into a hole

- a very BIG hole

- 'J.One fell from a high place'

- "Really Jisung?"

- "I couldn't see it!"

- playing with Jisung would be a very challenging task, because he would never learn

- because by the time he had diamond armor and ready to fight the wither, he would have fallen from fifteen cliffs, twenty holes in caves and three ravines

- "Jisung if you die one more time I swear to god!"

- 'J.One fell from a high place'

- "That's it! I quit!"

Felix

- You would be so hyped to play with Felix

- You've seen him play other games, so you knew he'd be great at minecraft

- Getting the server had been his idea, the easiest way everyone could play together

- First day of spawn, Felix would already be listing off the things that you would need to accomplish

- wood, cobblestone, iron, seeds, sheep

- it was all just so overwhelming

- by the time you make your first complete set of wooden tools, felix would have iron tools already

- he'd been ten feet underground, digging for more resources while tasking you to find the animals for food, wool and feathers

- easier said then done

- and when he resurfaces and you don't have animals, he would simply sigh and go do it himself

- which would upset you because you would spend hours looking for just one god damn cow

- meanwhile, Felix would take five steps in one direction and come across hundreds of cows!!!

- WHERE DID ALL THESE COWS COME FROM?!?!?

- he'd travel the whole map just to find a jungle to get coco beans

- seriously though, how did he find the fucking jungle?

- it like doesn't exist

- except it does and Minho most likely lives there with all his cats

- Also, there's pandas!!!!!

- Felix would try and tame a panda, even though it's not possible

- When not trying to show off, Felix would be in his crappy little hut (cause hyunjin was still making the city), making cookies and cakes because why wouldn't he?

- at least he shares, unlike someone.....

- Felix would be absolutely unstoppable at the game, while you struggle to get to iron level armor (while trying to keep Jisung alive)

- Felix would have just a big ego

- it's okay though. One strike from Seungmin's sword and he'd be put back into his place

- Revenge is a dish best served Seungmin.

Seungmin

- the worst of the worst

- he would be the one to pretend to not know the game

- but really, he would be a minecraft expert

- read: troll

- every chance he would get, Seungmin would try to do something to ruin your day

- don't ever go mining with him. EVER!

- he would be the one to lead over a creeper to you in a ravine while you're trying to mine diamonds, right next to a lava pool

- the first one to explode wouldn't do any damage, thankfully

- "Don't you dare bring a creeper over here!"

- "I wouldn't."

- somehow, you wouldn't be convinced

- but you decided to trust him

- y/n clown

- you're just mining away at the diamond when a big explosion happens

- and you notice two things

- 1. the diamonds and the surrounding area were blown up

- 2. you were now in the pool of lava, dying

- meanwhile, Seungmin was running away, cackling like the evil little shit that he was

- the holy terror, that's what they would call him

- he would purposefully go out and fight creepers just to gather their gunpowder so he could make dynamite

- no one was safe from him

- except Minho

- because no one knew where he was

I.N.

- Jeongin would spend at least two days researching things for the game before actually playing

- he would want to have some knowledge before walking into hell that was the Stray Kids server

- it's okay though, because everyone loves Jeongin

- really, he wouldn't need to do a thing

- diamond armor, enchanted? check

- enchanted weapons? check

- his own cat and dog? double check

- everyone would do anything for this baby

- but Jeongin isn't one to mooch *coughJisungcough*

- even with all his presents, he would still start with the basics of punching a tree

- while others have found this skills in cooking, mining, falling into holes, redstone and building

- jeongin would be more interested in potions and enchanting

- YOU'RE A WIZARD INNIE!

- Jeongin would quickly master potion brewing

- even if it meant battling the scary blazes in the nether

- huh, so that's why Changbin was screaming so much

- he would be hired by Minho to make him potions of breathing so he could go claim an ocean monument

- Jeongin would only do it if he could help

- surprisingly Minho agrees and for the first time in 84 years, everyone gets to see Minho's character

[alexboehm55144]

Alex Final Wars 2: Dark Alex, Chapter 30 - Training Day

The typhoon sat high in the sky above the Hawaiian islands. On the bridge, Kion sat in the helmsman's seat, while Alex, Toothdee, and Jasiri sat in other seats. Everyone was strapped in tight.

"Ok, Kion," Toothdee said, "each stick basically controls half of the ship."

The lion looked at the horizontal levers he was holding in his hands. The levers extended upwards from the seat's sides, then leveled up to be gripped and steered like motorcycle handlebars. The levers also had informational screens and keys on them that the user could manipulate to perform various functions.

"Push both levers forward to move forward. Push one lever forward to turn. Pushing the levers up and down will move the ship up and down."

Alex got ready on a secondary set of controls; if something went wrong, he could stop the airship from crashing.

Kion gently pushed the controls forward, and the typhoon moved on, cutting through the blue sky.

"That's good, Kion." Alex said, "Try turning around that cloud on the left."

The lion manipulated the controls, and the vessel turned sharply around the cloud, just barely cutting through it. The other mammals held on as the typhoon turned hard to the left.

"Not bad, but you turned pretty sharply. Try and ease off a bit."

"Roger that," Kion said, trying again to maneuver around a cloud. This time he was able to clear the cloud and went slower than before.

"Good job."

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Kion said, flying around some more clouds. This continued for half an hour, before Kion and Jasiri swapped places, with the hyena now taking a turn at piloting the massive airship.

"Oh good, just in time," Toothdee said. We're starting weapons training. She gestured to captain Boehm, who moved towards the helm seat.

"Scram." He said, prompting a smirk from Jasiri as she got up.

The captain took the controls and guided the ship down, just above the deep blue ocean waves. The typhoon then maneuvered near the coastline, facing a large rock outcropping that jutted up from the ocean near the shore.

"Yep, this is the correct place." Toothdee said, cross-referencing the real-life outcropping with an image on a table with the text 'approved testing site' written on it. A wrecked container ship was run aground upon a part of the outcropping. Its hull was rusted to the point where any corporate marking was obscured.

"Jack, on the left. Skye, on the right." Toothdee said, and the pair of ZIA agents took their seats at the weapon positions. "The controls are fairly easy to manipulate, and the heads-up display on the screen in front of you displays your ammo count and a live feed of where your firing."

Skye gripped the 2 levers that controlled a machine gun turret on the outside of the airship. She looked between the rock formation on the screen in front of her for a few seconds. Then her gaze shifted back to the real-life rock formation outside through the bridge window.

"Target the outcropping and fire," Captain Boehm said. "Your rounds should be tracer bullets for this test."

The two mammals squeezed the triggers on their controls, and a hail of gunfire burst forth from machine gun turrets on the typhoon's exterior. The bright tracer rounds cut through the air and impacted the rock face, with those on the bridge easily seeing where the shots were landing.

"Nice shooting. Target that spire on the right." Toothdee said, and the pair of ZIA agents directed their shots toward a thin rock spire jutting up from the sea. The bullets impacted the rock, fracturing it and causing the spire to fall into the sea.

"Impressive, now switch to missile launchers using the screen on your control panels." The captain said.

Jack and Skye both pressed a button labeled "weapon selection" on the screens in front of them. This brought up a different selection of weapons. The two taped the option marked "missile launcher" that had a symbol resembling the weapon.

The screen's view quickly changed, the camera view from the gun turrets being replaced by the camera view from the missile pods.

"Let me guess," Kion said. "They're loaded with duds."

"You got it," Alex said. "Open fire."

The mammals once more engaged the rock outcropping, the projectiles slammed into the stone. The two fired off a few more salvos to get the hang of operating the weapon systems.

"It's not as hard as I thought it would be," Jack noted.

"Yeah, it's very intuitive to operate," Skye said.

"That's the idea. Ease of operation ." Toothdee said, "Now switch to cannons; they're loaded with smoke shells."

The two ZIA agents obliged and began to control two heavy canons.

"Ok, now engage that wrecked container ship. Target the lower decks below where the turrets would be. That's where the magazines are on warships." Toothdee said. "Your gonna have to hit it hard, those areas are well armored, and the ammo is at the center of the ship."

"Or alternatively, you could target the turrets or the area right below the turrets, where the ready use ammo is stored." Alex said, "Of course this is a container ship, but.... where the turrets would be."

Jack and Skye aimed and fired, the shells punching through the hull and penetrating the vessel.

"That's it!" Jasiri said as the shells kept landing.

After a few seconds of sustained engagement, Captain Boehm ordered a ceasefire. A massive hole had been blown clean through the container ship.

"I think you got it." The captain Said.

Jack and Skye smiled, proud at their prowess using the typhoon's weapons.

"Good work, you two." Toothdee said, "you will require more training, but I think we're well on our way to having two more weapon system operators we can rely on."

000

"What the heck is going on up there?" Haida said as he and Retsuko felt the typhoon turn sharply.

"I remember Toothdee said they were going to try training some other mammals to fly the ship...."

The vessel turned again, but thankfully the red panda and hyena were able to keep themselves stable.

"....guess things aren't going so well."

"Anyway, what movie do you want to watch later?" Haida asked, sitting on his bed and tightening the strings on his bass guitar. Retsuko sat next to him, contemplating her movie choice.

"I guess let's just see what's available."

"Alright, fine by me. Ok, everything's tightened up. Ready?"

Retsuko nodded. "Thanks for offering to play me a song on your bass guitar Haida."

"Don't worry about it, anything for you."

The hyena started strumming along and quickly formed a melody that grew plunder and louder. Haida's paw flew over the strings while he concentrated on hitting every note. Retsuko sat next to him, listening to the song, which was of the punk rock genre.

Haida didn't mind Retsuko sitting so close while he played. He was in the exact same position with another mammal he dated, Inui. He felt agitated when he was playing for her like she was breathing down her neck. But with Retsuko he felt a lot more relaxed, and that definitely helped make playing his instrument easier.

Haida strummed the last few keys and turned to Retsuko, who clapped and complimented the hyena on his musical talent.

"Thanks, Retsuko."

"You know, what if we combined your bass guitar music with my karaoke? We could probably make an exciting song!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's a great idea! We should definitely try that sometime."

Retsuko opened her mouth to speak, but before the red panda could get a word out, her phone rang.

"Oh, it's my mother," Retsuko said, looking at the screen before answering the call. It was a muzzletime call, so both red pandas could clearly see the other.

"Hi, mom!"

"Hi Retsy, how have you been?"

"I've been good. Just focusing on my work."

"Oh, be sure to take some time off for yourself, dear."

"Ok, mom, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, dear, thank you for asking."

Haida turned to look at Retsuko's mother on the screen, and the older red panda noticed him.

"Oh, who are you with?"

"This is Haida, mom. I know I've told you about him."

Retsuko turned the phone's camera to face the hyena.

"Hi miss Retsuko, or uh... Retsuko's mom."

"Hello there dear, Retsuko has told me all about you."

"Heh, all good things, I hope." The hyena said, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Of course," Retsuko said, "your always so caring, and talented, and hardworking."

"Aww, that's good to hear, Retsy. So when are you going to marry him?" Retsuko's mother asked, causing Haida and Retsuko to blush madly and look away from the phone. Shocked expressions across their faces. "You have to act soon, dear, or you might miss your chance. These days young people like yourself always think they can just...."

"...uh.... listen, mom, I gotta go...."

The older red panda kept trying to say stuff about marriage and life, but she was cut off when Retsuko hung up the call.

"Ok, that was awkward," Haida said.

"Yeah, don't worry about her. She's somewhat overbearing, and she's obsessed with making sure I have a perfect life."

"Didn't you say she tried to set you up with a bunch of guys?"

"Yeah, even though she met my dad in a chance meeting at first sight. Yet she's constantly tried to set me up with an arranged marriage."

"Ah, yeah, that is definitely degrading. Remember I mentioned I'd like to marry you someday? Maybe that would get her to stop trying to set you up with people."

Restuko laughed. "Haha! Yeah! That would be nice someday, Haida. But for now, I'm fine with how we are."

"Me too Retsuko, me too."

The pair hugged and nuzzled each other's fur for a few seconds before Haida spoke.

"So, does this mean I can start calling you Retsy now?"

000

Nick eyed the typhoon through a pair of binoculars while sitting at a table in a beachside cafe.

"I'm glad we got out of there when we did." The fox said, watching the airship turn sharply as some inexperienced mammal tried piloting it. "It would have been impossible to enjoy lunch up there on the ship."

"Are you going to focus on the typhoon all day? Or are you actually going to enjoy a peaceful lunch with your rabbit?" Judy said from her position across the table. Both of them were shielded from the sun by the umbrella that was built into the table.

Nick put the binoculars away and turned to face his bunny as she took a sip of carrot juice. He reached across the table and gently gripped the rabbit's paw.

"It's a shame they were sold out of pawpsicles." Nick said, "I would have got one."

Judy chuckled.

"Why? So you could melt it down & sell it again to make a quick buck?"

"Hey, a quick buck is how I'm paying for your lunch. Speaking of which...."  

As if on cue, a tigress waiter came over, easily carrying the couple's plates and setting them down on the table.

"Ok, a salad for you, ma'am, and a burger for you, sir. Enjoy your meals."

The fox and bunny couple thanked the waiter, and she left them to eat.

"You should try eating better," Judy said.

"I know carrots, that's why I got veggies on my burger."

The fox lifted the burger bun and showed Judy the lettuce, tomato, and onions on the burger.

"Still though, you should do more for your health." The bunny smiled and reached over to grasp Nick's paw. "Because I want you to be around for as long as I am around."

Nick was slightly taken aback at first, but he soon smiled and leaned over the table to gently embrace Judy in a loving kiss.

"Please, Nick, for me?"

"Ok, for you. Guess I'll be spending more time in the training room aboard the typhoon."

A sly smile crossed Judy's face as the two started eating their meals.

"This is the one place where your shirt doesn't look out of place," Judy said with a mouthful of lettuce, prompting Nick to look down at his blue and pink colored Hawaiian shirt. "Though I am still embarrassed to be seen in public with you sometimes."

"Come on, you don't like being seen with this?"

The fox struck a smug look that made the bunny chuckle.

"Ok, that I don't mind being seen with."

"Heh, how's your food?"

"Very good, how's yours?"

"Also very good," Nick said, taking another bite of his burger.

"Is that an insect burger? Or is it real meat from an unevolved animal? Or a plant substitute?"

"The second option. It's from an unevolved cow."

"You're just like one of your ancient, unevolved fox ancestors now. Viscously feasting on other animals."

The rabbit bared her teeth and held up her claws, pretending to tear into something.

"Blood! Blood! And... death..."

Judy slumped back in her chair and stuck her tongue out while Nick laughed.

"A for effort carrots. But hey, foxes need protein."

"Yeah true, I suppose it's fair since it was an unevolved cow."

"You want a bite?"

"No thanks, I'm fine."

"Whenever we get Chinese food, you're always trying to eat some of mine," Nick said, then chuckled as he remembered who they were currently at war with.

"Wow, we're having lunch, and you're already thinking about dinner." Judy laughed while Nick smirked and shook his head.

000

"It's only us, 3." Dark JayJay said. "How could our counterparts keep besting us?"

"I don't want to say it, but I am beginning to think our defeat is inevitable." Toothdee's counterpart said.

"I know," Dark Alex said. "Heroes has taken us out one by one."

The 3 were sat at a table in a dark room. In front of the trio were reports and intelligence data from all over the pacific.

Alex's counterpart picked up a report that displayed a picture of Dark Laval, floating face down in the ocean. The warrior put that report down and picked up another one, this time showing Eris's dark counterpart lying broken on the ground. This continued with information detailing the demise of his other allies. Dark Kion lying defeated in the Zootopian streets. Jasiri's counterpart with a bullet wound in her chest. What remained of Nick's dark counterpart. Dark Judy, skewered like a kabob. Each of them having been defeated by a being they thought they would best.

"I knew our counterparts were going to give us a good fight, but I never suspected this would happen." Toothdee's counterpart stated.

"We could... call for reinforcements." JayJay's counterpart said, filing her claws and leaning back in her chair.

The room was silent as all 3 warriors thought about the options at their disposal.

"There are still some things we could do." Dark Toothdee said. "Our fleet is still a threat, not to mention our own vessel, and our orbital asset is still operational."

"Hmmm.... your right, we do still maintain a lot of power on the seas." Dark Alex said. "But our priority should be striking back at our counterparts."

"It might be wise to avoid direct 1 on 1 engagement if what happened to our allies is anything to believe. But between us, I still think I could take my counterpart."

"I would relish the opportunity of besting my counterpart. It would be a true test and statement of my skill. But with so many defeats, we need to be more careful."

"I don't think my counterpart could take me." Dark JayJay said. "But, if you want us to be more careful, I can do that. Though I would also love to best my counterpart 1 on 1."

"Then let's think tactically about this. First, I'll put our naval fleets on high alert, which will stop our enemies dead, literally. And in the meantime, let us discuss how we can take down our counterparts when the time comes."

"Let's engage with backup, but I want to be the one to lay the killing blow on my counterpart." Dark Toothdee said.

"Then only fight 1 on 1 as a last resort, or when victory is assured. But we have learned more about our counterparts throughout this conflict. And that... will give us the advantage."

[keanu-fics]

Hangover

Prompts:

28 “How drunk was I?” 38 “Why can’t you appreciate my sense of humor?”

A John Wick x reader drabble. The reader is hungover after a party and can’t remember the night before.

Word count: 656

You wake up, your head is spinning, the afternoon light coming in through the bedroom window is hitting your eyes like lasers. You want to stay in bed. You want to go back to sleep just to stop the pounding inside your head. Instead you feel parched and need to take a piss. You sit up, squinting at the room. John is not there with you. The bedroom is a mess. Your clothes are thrown randomly around the bed and it looks like someone had a pillow fight in here.

Your hand shoots up to your temple as you stand up and the headache feels so much worse. You would kill for an orange juice. You go into the bathroom and actually jump in fright at the sight of you in the mirror. You never took your makeup off yesterday; your eye makeup turned from smoky cat eyes into a trash panda look and your hair is a frizzy nest. You decide to ignore the fact that you look like a crack addict for now and go downstairs to get some juice. You descend the stairs slowly, gripping at the railings because the whole house is now fucking spinning.

You smell fried food once you get near the kitchen and you feel like throwing up. John is standing above the stove, frying up tempeh and a tofu scramble. He does not take his eyes off the pan as he speaks up. “About time you woke up, princess.”

You suppress another gag reflex and make your way to the fridge. “Are you trying to fucking kill me? That smells horrific.” you mutter, not even looking at the food John is making.

“With how hungover you are, I will force-feed you. You need to eat something.” he replies, reaching out his hand, handing you a jug of orange juice before you can open the fridge.

“You squeezed oranges for me?” you coo at him sweetly.

“For us.” John corrects you but it’s too late, you are already drinking straight out of the jug. 

You sit down behind the kitchen counter, still gulping down the orange juice. “Oh my god. This is the fucking best.”

John rolls his eyes and hands you a couple of painkillers for your hangover.

“Never. Drinking. Again.” You decide – like every time you drink too much. “I can’t remember anything, John.” You put the jug down and start massaging your temples. “How drunk was I? And did we have a pillow fight upstairs?”

John turns the stovetop off and leans against the other side of the counter, looking at you. “We did not have a pillow fight, you decided you could take me down with a pillow. You did not succeed. And hmm, let’s see. You also tried to fuck me in front of all of our friends.”

You looked up at John, disbelieving. “You’re exaggerating.”

“You said, who wants to see me peg John, we do it all the time at home.” He said monotonously to highlight his annoyance.

You snorted, covering your mouth with your hand. “Come on, that was a joke.”

“Yes, I found it particularly funny.”

“Oh, don’t be so serious all the time. Why can’t you appreciate my sense of humour?”

“I can appreciate it.” He turned around grabbing a plate and topping it up with the food he made. “And you will appreciate the breakfast I made for you.”

“No, John, I’m not eating it.” you stood up, but you saw John holding a piece of tempeh bacon in his hand.

“I think you are.” He grinned at you devilishly.

“John, no.. no..” you started giggling as he was inching towards you, holding the bacon up in the air. You bolted for the living room, laughing, but he caught you in the doorway, his arm around your waist.

“Next time don’t tell people I get pegged and I’ll be much nicer.” He said before starting to tickle you.

[theblueswallow]

LFRP - Sybelle Cassalantar

THE BASICS ––– –

Age: Fifty summers.

Nameday: 14th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon

Race: Duskwight Elezen

Gender: Female

Marital Status: Single

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ––– –

Hair: Dark blue, with light-blue dyed highlights.

Eyes: Violet 

Height: 200 cm

Build: Tall, athletic and long-legged

Distinguishing Marks: Dark-blue skin, crystalline violet eyes, she’s tall enough to pluck the stars from the sky (could probably jump to those she can’t reach)

Common Accessories: Earrings on her ears, occasionally a choker matching her outfit, flowers in her hair.

PERSONAL ––– –

Profession: Adventurer (Lancer, Machinist & novice Astromancer)

Hobbies: Cooking, sewing, helping people out, playing with children, petting / feeding every cute critter in sight (any unsupervised minions will be adopted on sight)

Languages: Common. Knows very, very little Gelmorran (her family name, basically)

Residence: Has a permanent room rented at the Quicksand in Ul’dah; is currently furnishing an apartment at the Topmast in Mist, Limsa Lominsa. Is looking for opportunities to return to Ishgard.

Birthplace: The Coerthan Western Highlands

Patron Deity: Halone, regular believer.

Fears: Loneliness, despair, helplessness, going back to the ‘old life’.

RELATIONSHIPS ––– -

Spouse: None yet

Children: None yet?

Parents: Passed away.

Siblings: Sole child.

Other Relatives: None she knows of.

Pets: Misha the Hunting Hawk; Cuddles the Red Panda; Prince the Behemoth pup; Kitty the Coeurl kitten. Honorable mention: Goldrin the golden Chocobo, the best companion a girl could hope to have.

TRAITS ––– -

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

RP HOOKS ––– –

A Gentle Soul: You might not catch her in lively, chaotic places very often (she gets lost in a sea of masses easily), but rather in cozy, secluded corners of areas she had time to familiarize herself with. The Carline Canopy is almost like a second home whenever she happens to be in Grdiania; the Hall of Flames in Ul’dah is also a likely place to catch her. Lately, she’s spending a lot of time in Ishgard, helping out in the Brume and absorbing the studies of astrology to the best of her abilities.

The Road Suits A Traveler: More often than not, she’s on the road towards places - either on a job for the Adventurer’s Guild, to help out the locals or simply to stay in motion. She will always stop to greet and chat fellow travelers should they welcome it.

The Valiant’s Trust: Sybelle has recently thrown her lot with The Valiant’s Trust, a philanthropic Free Company where she places her full faith to not only be in a position to better help those in need, but also form ties with like-minded people and finally belong to a community.

Succor for the Lost: Sybelle is very keen on helping those who need it, and would do so happily for free. She wears her heart on her sleeve and her empathy can be easily taken advantage of (whether she realizes it or not).

OOC INFORMATION  ––– –

Hi! I’m Syb-mun. I also go by Tyb (Yes. I’m *that* Tyb, if you ever were part of the LoL Tumblr RP fandom) or Shan (from WoW). You can call me Syb, though!

I’m 24 yo, July baby, female but you can call me whatever. As long as I recognize you’re talking to me :’)

EU, Romanian Timezone (GMT +3) Forever sad because I practically live in Narnia and away from all the cool people.

I don’t have a life so I’m almost always online, though.

I really love cats and I adore birds, unironically.

I play games, lots of MMO experiences. FF14 is now my favorite because oh my god visible jewelry? And minions that clamber on your shoulder? SIGN ME THE F  U  C  K   U  P.

Oh yeah I also swear a lot. Pls excuse, it’s not u, it’s me - I just have pent-up anger issues.

I also have the attention span of a squirrel, and the memory of a goldfish.

If I forget anything important, pls excuse. I don’t know how Tumblr works sometimes.

Oh yeah, @liott-monar is my girlfriend and she’s the reason I got into FF14. Blame her, m’kay?

SCREENSHOT CREDITS: @liott-monar for the gifs and Fida Viras for the amazing screenshots used in this post. If I find her URL I promise I’ll tag. <3 <3 <3

CONTACT INFORMATION  ––– –

In Game - Sybelle Cassalantar @ Balmung, Crystal Data Center.

Tumblr - @theblueswallow

Discord: Tybresa#9200. Feel free to add me and shoot me a message!

[gwaciechang]

King and Quinn (2/3)

Trigger warnings for: references to a stabbing death and gun violence, and past child abuse.

@wackiekebab @sunflowergrlpwr @danilanidingdong @scratching-wingless-thing @farewellfelidae @whatevermonkey @the-winter-witcher @supportingcats @platinum-meadow33 @toboldlynerd @acreepychan (also if you only wanted to be tagged in the Bobby stories, let me know)

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Remember this? Yeah, me neither, so there’s a refresher at the beginning.

You fall asleep at some point, because when the officer who had spoken to the flogger calls out for, “Shelley King,” something bony shifts under your cheek. You blink the last of the sleep out of your eyes just in time to hear your own name being called. An old man with kinder eyes than you’d expect to see on a cop clears his throat, and you move your head off Shelley’s shoulder.

“See you when I get out,” you say as you stand, but it either comes out garbled because you’re tired, or he’s not listening, because he doesn’t look at you before you’re both whisked inside your respective interrogation rooms.

“Quinn,” the cop says as he pushes a pile of clean clothes at you, “my name’s Harry Clayton, you can call me Harry.”

“Mr. Clayton,” you just barely nod. You don’t take the clothes, because fuck cops, seriously.

The corners of his mouth twitches up, but all he says is, “Can you tell me how you and Mr. King know each other?”

“He was a customer. He ordered some drinks, and then he defended me when the gunman demanded information about my coworker.” You don’t know what story he’s hoping to hear, but you’re going to defend Shelley until you leave.

“What’s your coworker's name?”

“Robin Choi.”

That makes him pause for entirely too long. You feel a pang of worry for Robin. You don’t know much about their history, but anything that makes the police remember your name can only be bad.

You lean forward. “Are they okay?”

“I’ll try to keep them that way,” Harry says. “So, the man threatened you, and then what happened?”

“Shelley stood up and told him to back off, only because he could tell I was scared.”

“Mr. King engaged him in a fight?”

“First, he motioned for everyone at his table to leave, and then everybody in the bar left. I got stuck behind the bar because I was shaking too hard to open the side latch. The gunman threatened me, and then Sh-Mr. King started to fight him.”

“So, when you picked up the broken glass to stab the gunman, it was to defend Mr. King?”

“Yes, and as soon as Mr. King pushed him off, we ran to the door.”

“And this is when, according to multiple eye-witnesses, an American tourist took a knife out of their purse, stabbed the gunman in the throat and walked away.”

You nod. “Pretty much.”

“And you didn’t know this tourist?”

“I think I served them at the bar, but I’m not sure. I think they got involved because they know what a gunshot sounds like. You know how America is.”

“That I most unfortunately do,” Harry sighs. “Well, you’re free to go. I’ll call you if I need any more information. Do you have any questions for me?”

“Am I or Robin in danger?”

“Not if I have anything to do about it,” there’s a look in his eyes that you would call anger if you hadn’t seen it on Shelley’s face earlier.

“That's not a no,” you point out.

“No, it isn’t,” Harry sighs as he out a card from his pocket. He puts it on top of the clothes that he pushes closer to you before standing. “If you or Robin run into any more men with guns, give me a call. And for god’s sake, when someone tells you to run away from a man making threats, listen to him!”

You shoot Harry a look. “I don’t leave people behind to get hurt.”

“God save me from idiots,” Harry mutters as he closes the door behind him.

You change into the clothes he gave you, which fit just as poorly as you expected. But the oversized green shirt and the undersized jean shorts aren’t soaked in blood, even if you do have to leave the latter unbuttoned. You leave your work clothes in the evidence bag, exit the interrogation room, and walk toward the one Shelley had been in. It’s empty, he didn’t wait for you.

You barely know him, he’s just some guy, you shouldn’t be panicking like this just because you don’t know where he is. You just dropped your bloody clothes off at the police station, so there’s no blood on the back of your shirt, there’s no one yelling at you, you’re looking at the phone you pulled out of your pocket

You take out your phone to call for a ride, but no sooner have you walked out the station door than you see him sitting in his car, moving a pile of books off the passenger seat and onto the floor. You get in

“You mind dropping me off at a coffee shop before we go home?” you ask when he starts the engine.

“The last few hours not exciting enough to keep you up?” Shelley quips.

It’s a pretty funny joke, but you don’t feel like laughing. “I’m not going there for coffee, but chamomile tea will get me pretty close.”

“There’s a brunch bar at the foot of Panda Hill with good bagels,” you say the first place that comes to mind, then you wince when you remember how far away it is.

Strangely enough, this actually brings a smile to Shelley’s face. “I love Panda Hill,” he says as he starts his car. “I’ve always wanted to go stargazing there, ever since I was a kid.”

Now you’re interested, too. “So you know all the constellations?”

Shelley laughs a little. “No,” he gets a faraway look on his face, “I’d draw lines between the stars and pretend they were the characters in whatever story I was reading at the time.”

You look at the stack of books by your feet, which run the gamut from ancient Egyptian mythology to a comic book at the topic, and you’re a little ashamed at how surprised you are. You hadn’t expected a man with a beard like Shelley’s to be so well-read. Bookish, after all, wasn’t actually a visual term.

“Only if you want,” Shelley says awkwardly.

Oh shit, you hadn’t been talking. “I would love to,” you say quickly.

The smile he gives you is almost pathetically grateful. There’s something behind his love for stargazing, but you don’t want to ask. Either he’ll tell you, or he won’t.

“I pretty much only read comic books as a kid,” you confess. “I don’t know a lot about actual stories.”

“Comic books are real stories,” it’s nice of him to pretend you’re not an idiot. “And good stories at that, or there wouldn’t be so many people who read them.”

“You sound like my grandmother,” you smile at him. “She used to defend me when my parents tried to throw my comics away.” You swear you can feel wizened hands stroking your hair, telling you, “Heroes are just the stories that find you at the right time.”

“You could make an argument that comic book heroes are just mythological gods adapted for the modern age,” Shelley’s voice draws you out of your nostalgia. “The old gods weren’t perfect, they had all the trappings of humanity, including flaws. They just also happened to have earth-shattering, mind-bending powers.”

You snicker. “I actually learned the Greek gods from Wonder Woman comics.”

“Oh?” he smiles at you, increasing the temperature inside the car. “Tell me, is Wonder Woman more like Hera, or Artemis?”

“Hera,” you say confidently, “there’s already a Wonder Woman character named Artemis.”

“Huh, I guess I should read the comics.”

“I can lend you some, my parents didn’t manage to throw all my comics out.”

He freezes for a second in the middle of turning his engine off.

“Ah, jeez,” you give him a hug, more to avoid seeing his sad eyes than because you need one. Not that the feeling of his arms around you isn’t very, very pleasant. “I’m fine, really. It was a long time ago.”

“That just means you were treated badly when you were younger,” he says into your shoulder.

“It’s fine,” you wiggle a little, and he lets go immediately. “Please don’t let it bother you. It doesn’t bother me.”

He makes a sound that you decide to take as acquiescence, and the two of you walk into the brunch bar. When he’s done ordering, he steps aside and nods for you to order. You consider shaking your head, but you remember how hurt he looked back in the car. Maybe helping you get some food will soothe him.

As soon as you’re done ordering, you sit down in a seat next to Shelley, and wake up with a drool-covered hand, with your bagel and tea in front of you. Shelley grins and moves his half-finished plate with a single egg, pancake, and two slices of bacon, in front of you.

“Nah,” you motion to your bagel, “this is enough.”

He frowns. “I don’t want you to be hungry.”

You open your mouth to tell him that you can’t eat when you’re hungry, but the growl of your stomach interrupts you, and you realize that you’re not actually stressed at all. Not since you left the police station have you actually thought about the events of just a few hours ago.

“Ha,” Shelley say smugly, nudging the plate until it hits the end of your nose.

“I’ll finish the eggs, but I’ve got a bagel, so you eat the rest,” you say, smearing the runny yolk on your bagel. “I’m very particular about my pancakes and bacon, so I usually don’t eat them unless I know the cook is very good.”

“Remind me to make you some,” Shelley says before shoving a forkful of syrup-soaked pancake in his mouth.

Your first instinct is to tell him he doesn’t have to, but despite only having met earlier that night, you know him well enough to know he would only insist. “You like cooking, then?” you say instead.

“I love it.” Shelley chews the rest of his food without speaking, like he’s lost in thought. “It makes me feel like I’m taking care of people,” he says slowly, “when I feed them.”

You want to say something about people with savior complexes, so you stick the last of the bagel in your mouth until the urge passes. “Come on, let’s go up the hill and look at the stars. You can tell me all about those constellations you made up.”

[authorjjhanna]

The snow had nearly blanketed the ground completely when my target finally left the shop. I watched from the parking lot as the neon open sign flickered off along with the rest of the lights sharing their warmth with the world through the shop windows, filtering out past the mannequins displaying the “season’s hottest looks.”

By the dim glow of the emergency lighting above the register, I watched her clock out and disappear into the back to grab her coat and set the alarm. I cracked my car window a smidge and fished a cigarette out of my pocket. I lit it, put it to my lips, and took a slow drag as I watched her check everything one last time. Smoking before a job had almost become a sort of ritual for me, calming my nerves just enough to go through with it.

Jamie Kendricks, the resident it girl of this sleepy little town, promoted to shop manager as a high school senior, set to graduate with a 4.0. Everyone knew it. It hadn’t taken me long at all to learn everything about her. This was the sort of town where everyone knew everyone else’s business and loved talking about it, including their peers’ work schedules, and the gossip about the family net worth.

There were downsides to picking a well known target like Jamie, but most of them were worth the risk. After all, it was a small town. That meant the police department would be involved, but it was usually a small team. The townspeople might remember my face, but none of their stories would connect, since I’d used a different accent and changed up my look every day I went out. A hat here, glasses there, changing my sweater for a hoodie in the car, walking most places if I needed to get anywhere.

I’d been smart, and I’d covered my tracks. Taking Jamie wouldn’t be hard, and it would definitely have a high payoff assuming I could get in touch with her family.

She walked outside and I started my car, heading closer to the only other car in the parking lot. I’d done my research. Eleven AM was the busiest time of day. At exactly 11:05 I’d cut the ignition fluid so she’d be stranded here. Everything was going according to plan.

She locked the shop doors and pulled her scarf tighter around her face, defending against the Indiana wind.

I watched and waited, noticing as she glanced over at my car. She made her way across the snowy parking lot to her car, getting inside and putting in the key. Once. Twice. Three times. She rested her head against the steering wheel and glanced back toward the shop. Why wasn’t she pulling out her phone?

Oh well. Now was my chance. I drove my SUV closer, stopping a few parking spots over, and rolled down my window. She pushed her door open.

“Car trouble?” I asked.

“Yeah . . . It won’t start. My dad’s going to kill me. You don’t happen to have jumper cables, do you?”

“Unfortunately no . . . Do you have anyone you can call?”

“Yeah, but my phone’s dead and it’s late. Why are you out here anyway?”

I waved the cigarette at her. “I needed a quiet place to smoke. Need me to drive you somewhere?”

“Don’t you have a phone I could borrow?” She seemed hesitant. No matter. I’d just have to convince her.

I shook my head. “Dropped it in the toilet the other day and haven’t gotten my replacement in the mail yet.” A lie, but believable enough for a teenage girl.

“That’s rough. Did you try putting it in rice?”

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure I was too late. Nothing happened. Lost all my contacts in one go. See if I trust technology ever again,” I scoffed.

She glanced at her car, back at the shop, and then back at me. “I’d hate to be a nuisance.”

“It’s no trouble at all, so long as you don’t mind if I smoke.” I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

She took a deep breath. I could almost see her thoughts as she tried to convince herself that it was fine, that this was a small town, that bad things rarely happened here, that she could trust me.

Then she grabbed her purse, closed and locked her car door, and walked around to the passenger side. She settled inside and buckled her seatbelt.

“Where to?” I asked, shifting my pick-up into drive.

“Just go back to the main road and take a left . . .” I followed her instructions, heading out of the parking lot and turning on my turn signal.

“So. What’s your name?” I asked.

“Jamie. And yourself?”

“Lucas,” I said.

“What do you do for work, Lucas?”

“All sorts of things. Mostly I’m a deal negotiator, though.”

“Oh! What kind of deals?”

She seemed relieved to not have to talk about herself. I decided to humor her. “Contracts, mostly. I try to make sure my clients get what they want and need.”

“Interesting. How did you get into that? Oh, take a right up here . . .”

I switched lanes to take the right but “missed” it. “Shoot . . .” I murmured, glancing back toward where she’d said to turn.

“That’s okay, there’s more than one way in . . . Just take the next right.”

“Sure,” I said, slowing down and turning.

“I got into negotiating through my family. My brother did it for a time, until he died. Too young if you ask me.”

“That’s horrible . . . What did he die of?”

Gotcha. I kept driving, straight, though I was probably supposed to turn somewhere. But she was distracted. And that was the goal.

“It was an unfortunate accident.” If you can call getting shot by cops an accident. They wouldn’t take his deal. That wasn’t his fault.

“I’m so sorry to hear that . . .”

I took another turn, one that would eventually lead me out into the main road again.

She looked around. “Oh! I completely forgot to give you directions . . . You went too far. We’ll have to go back.”

I sped up. This road opened up onto a back country road. God bless Indiana.

“Did you hear me? You went too far—“

“I know a short cut.”

“But you don’t know where I live . . .”

“This road loops back around.”

“Oh, okay.” She seemed to relax for a moment. I kept going straight until the road ended. That was when she realized what had happened. I could hear it in her voice. She was trying to stay calm, but the slight tremor gave her away.

“L-Lucas?”

“Yeah, Jamie?”

“When are we going to turn around?”

Poor thing. Is this the first time life hasn’t gone your way?

“Lucas?”

I stayed quiet.

“Lucas!”

“What?” I snapped.

She flinched. “My parents will know something’s wrong when I don’t show up at home—“

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” I said, driving faster still. She gripped the door handle, but not out of

desire to get out. My speed was going to keep her glued to that chair.

“What do you want from me?”

Her voice came out as a small little squeak.

“From you? Nothing. From your family? Everything. For you? Well, Jamie, I suppose you’ll just have to wait and find out.”

Too far. She started crying, small at first, then a blubbering mess like all the others from the past. Her mascara ran black down her cheeks and pooled around her eyes, making her look very much like a sleep deprived panda.

I pulled off the road and headed deep into the countryside. We were far from town now. If I was right, and I was rarely wrong, no one she knew would be where we were going. It would be a perfect place to lay low and wait for the inevitable ransom.

I finally slowed the car to a stop at the end of my temporary driveway where my two german shepherds came running to the car.

Glancing over at Jamie, I almost felt remorse. Almost. But as soon as it was there, it was gone again as I remembered her perfect life.

At some point, everyone had to learn that life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies and good times. Friends are fake. Parents lie. Teachers can’t be trusted. The world is so much bigger than this tiny little town, and boy was it cruel.

The sooner she learned that life wouldn’t always go her way, the sooner she’d be prepared to function in the world.

“I’m doing you a favor,” I muttered, getting out of the driver’s side and whistling low to my dogs. Immediately they sunk into herding stances, muscles taut, teeth bared. Jamie sat in the car still, staring straight ahead. I grabbed her door handle and she promptly locked the door. No matter. I could unlock it without problem.

I hit the button on the key fob.

She locked the car from the inside.

I unlocked the car.

Back and forth we went, for at least fifteen minutes before I put my hand on the door and pulled the door open immediately after unlocking it.

“P-please . . .” she whimpered, her eyes searching my face, flicking back and forth as she gazed first at one of my eyes and then the other. It was a tiny, imperceptible movement for her. She wouldn’t realize the movement at all. But me? I knew. That’s how everyone’s eyes moved when they were thinking hard, processing, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

“Get out of the car,” I ordered, keeping a firm grip on the door but stepping back so she could get out.

“Or what?”

“Or I won’t let you talk to your parents.”

She swallowed hard, glanced at the dogs, and took a careful step out.

With my Shepherds guiding her, I marched her to the barn. The drifting snow covered our tracks almost immediately, the freezing air cutting into my legs and forcibly reminding me why I was doing this.

With the money, I’d be one step closer to moving out of my car and into a house, not unlike this one. I’d love land, and space for my dogs to run free all the time. I’d love to not worry about how I’d feed myself or them.

But that wasn’t the case now. For now, we trespassed on some stranger’s land, a stranger that had been gone on vacation for a while, probably a snow-birder who traveled to Florida for the winter. None of the neighbors would think anything of it, since the neighbors were miles away.

I opened the doors to the barn and gestured to the corner. Jamie obediently sat.

“I-is your name actually Lucas?” she asked, shivering from the cold.

I laughed. “Oh, honey. How naïve are you? Of course not.”

A resigned calm settled over her despite the hopelessness in her eyes. “Why me?”

“Why not you?” I muttered, walking over to the wall, past plowing tools and sharp instruments, and grabbing a length of rope. I heard one of my dogs growl and there was a soft thud as she flinched against the wall.

I couldn’t exactly tell her that it was because she’d never faced hardship in her life. Her car had been paid in full, she’d never wondered where her meals would come from, she lived in one of the fanciest houses in town. I couldn’t very well explain that one way or another she had to learn how life really was, how nothing ever went according to plan, and how people couldn’t be trusted.

So I didn’t.

And instead of saying anything else at all, I pulled her arms behind her back and tied her wrists together, making sure it was tight and there was no way she’d get out of them tonight.

“You’re not going to get away with this . . .” she said, although it sounded like it required more courage than she actually had.

“Oh Jamie. I don’t have to get away with it any more than I already have. Now,” I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “What’s your family’s best phone number?”

As she spoke I typed in the numbers but waited to press call until I’d tied one of the dirty bandanas from the barn’s workbench around her mouth.

I waited as it rang, watching my dogs circle her. I checked my watch.

A sleepy voice answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Is this Mr. Kendricks?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and collected.

“ . . . Yes. Who’s calling?”

“I have your daughter. And before I give you the location where you’ll find her, I need confirmation that you’ve wired $200,000 into bank account 89204 by midnight tonight.”

There was silence on the other end. Then, slowly, I heard him wake his wife.

“Honey, wake up . . .”

“Do we have an understanding?” I asked.

“I want proof of life,” he said.

Muffled from distance I heard his wife ask, “Proof of life?”

I put the phone on speaker. “Jaime, be a dear and say hello to your father.”

She mumbled around the rag in her mouth. “Da—! Hel— ee.”

I switched the phone back to it’s normal settings and held it up to my ear again. “So. Mr. Kendricks, what will it be? $200,000 or finding your daughter in a ditch somewhere, frozen after weeks of searching? You have until midnight.”

I hung up and switched off my burner phone, removing the SM card. Then I sat on the work bench and called one of the dogs over. She came and sat, resting her head on my lap. I stroked her head and her tail thumped softly on the dirt floor.

To her credit, Jamie stayed still. She hardly fussed, though I could see her squirming against the rope and cringing as the rough material cut into her wrists.

This was the hardest part. The waiting.

Snatching a person was no problem. Most came without problem. They trusted the world to be kind to them and got in my car willingly.

Making the ransom call was also easy enough. Sometimes they gave me the number for the police department instead. But that was easily avoidable by programming those numbers into my phone before I took them in the first place.

Funny enough, I’d never had to follow through on my threat. Either the police showed up and still got me my money and left me with my freedom, or the parents caved and everything went according to plan.

My plan.

But this waiting. These hours of sitting here in silence, staring at each other.

The doubts always crept in. After all, it wasn’t necessarily her fault that she was popular and well-liked. It wasn’t her fault she stemmed from a family of means. She couldn’t have chosen her lineage.

But it wasn’t really her life I aimed to ruin. No. It was that of everyone around her. She was just a bonus.

How could her parents maintain their lifestyle when they’re broke? How could her father maintain his honor when his coworkers found out he’d been blackmailed into emptying his bank account? How long until their family couldn’t pay their mortgage or couldn’t buy the newest phone or car? How long until her mother was known around town as the woman whose daughter had been kidnapped?

Town like this? I expected it to take a couple days. And they’d try to hide it. They always did. But there would be rumors. Jamie would tell the friends she thought were the closest. They’d tell their closest friends, someone would overhear. And the story would spread until everyone and their mother knew of the tragedy that had struck the Kendricks family in one night.

The worst part was that they’d make the money back fairly quickly. In time, maybe a year, they’d be back to normal.

My eyes met Jamie’s.

But she would never be. This night would haunt her forever. She’d never be able to leave work alone at night without wondering who else was in the parking lot waiting for her. She’d never be able to see another stranger without wondering if they had malicious intentions. And even once she got over those initial gut reactions, the fear would linger.

Someday, she may have children of her own.

But this fear would linger.

The effects of my childhood splashing into hers and on into her children’s. Maybe it would stop there. But it was just as likely that the anger that drove me would become the fear that ruined both her life and the lives of the rest of her family until, finally, through lies and deception, a member rose up who’d forgotten the trauma.

Or maybe Jamie would become like me. A skilled “negotiator” in her own right.

I pulled my smartphone out of my pocket and checked the bank account. Still empty. Still waiting.

I glanced at the time. 11:00 PM.

“The clock is ticking, Jamie. One more hour before either I leave or we get back in the car and drive until we find a nice cold ditch.”

A shudder ran through her body and I watched tears well in her eyes. Poor thing. But it was almost over. This ordeal that wasn’t even as bad as it could have been. Others had ruined lives in more ways than I ever wanted to. Honestly, she was lucky to have gotten me and not someone else.

My smartphone binged and I smiled. 11:52 PM, and her parents had come through. I stood and Jamie flinched.

“Are you warm, Jamie?” I asked.

She shivered, but otherwise didn’t reply, though her eyes followed me unswervingly.

I glanced around the barn until my eyes passed over a tarp. I brought it to her and wrapped it around her. She was trembling, and not, mostly, from the cold.

I gently cupped her chin in my hand and tilted her face up toward mine.

“I guess your parents do love you. I’m sure they’ll be here soon. Oh, and Jamie, I don’t think I have to warn you about the consequences of describing me to the police.”

I didn’t have to say anything more than that. The fear in her eyes was enough to keep her quiet. Not that it really mattered. For every town I used a different set of facial prosthetics. I had mastered the art of disappearing.

And it was time to do it again.

I whistled and my dogs joined me at my side, hopping into the car with fluid ease. I drove until I was a few miles away before turning on the burner phone and texting the address to her father. Then I wiped the prints and tossed the phone out into the snow, heading off to the next town.

There was always someone who needed to learn.

And I accepted my role of being their teacher.

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Originally published at www.authorjjhanna.com/blog/categories/short-stories

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J. J. Hanna is a writer and reader from Colorado. She loves suspense stories above all else, and is currently working on a debut novel of her own. When she's not writing, you can find her cuddling with a cat, drinking a caffeinated beverage, and watching one of her favorite shows. Go find her on social media @authorjjhanna to keep track of her most recent reads, current adventures, and to get the most up to date news on all things publishing.

[cottonblush]

model student | hrj

❧ word count: 2,568

❧ genre: fluff, humor

❧ notes: i really didn’t know what to title this but then i was like?? hey the reader is a model student bc they’re like a top student who tutors often and renjun is a literal model student so,,,, watch literally no one get my pun um we love that! also renjun is 500% visuals he could definitely be a model and if anyone disagrees they’re irrelevant:)

renjun really doesn’t want to take more time off of school since he’s already missed a lot

but he’s gaining more popularity in the model industry and doesn’t want to miss out on any opportunities

so after almost a month he’s done bunch of shoots and decides it’s time to go back to school

but when he gets back he’s kinda lost

ok maybe really lost

renjun likes to consider himself a pretty smart person but he’s having a hard time catching up

so his teacher says he’s assigning you as his tutor bc you’re one of the smartest students

and at first renjun is like,, no way josé i can handle this on my own

but then his chemistry teacher starts talking about the born-haber method and it’s at that moment he knows

he fucked up he desperately needs help

he’s supposed to meet you after school the next day and he’s lowkey nervous because,, what if you judge him or look down on him

but then he realizes he just doesn’t?? care what people think

so he gets to the library and at first he doesn’t see anyone so he’s like

gasp!! i’ve been played

but then he notices you sitting on a bean bag chair near a big window

you’re studying what seems to be calculus and you have earbuds in so you don’t hear him approach

just when renjun goes to tap your shoulder you take a sip of water

and end up spitting it out all over your textbook bc you really didn’t hear or see him coming

meanwhile renjun is just standing there wondering if he should apologize or like help clean up or something

and he’s about to ask if you need a napkin

when you jump up from your seat and turn to face him and

??? you smile at him

renjun is officially confused™

shouldn’t you be mad?? he made you ruin your textbook and those aren’t cheap

anyway you take your earbuds out and place your book on the floor and you say

“hi you must be renjun! i’m y/n!”

and renjun is like “ok but your book,, she dead”

you assure him that it’s totally fine it’s your own copy of the book anyway

so then yall sit down at a table after cleaning up the water

and then you clear your throat and ask what he needs help in

renjun tries to be nonchalant about it like “oh i mean i’ve kinda gone for a while but i’m sure i can catch up in no time”

but then his voice cracks in the middle of it and then he’s like!! oh shoot i look dumb

but you’re nice so you just don’t bring it up and decide to assure him

“ii think so too:))))) you seem like a rlly smart person”

renjun doesn’t know how but you seem to speak the language of smiles? and he’s mildly uncomfortable like how can you be this happy after a long day of school

anyway he decides to just explain his predicament and tell you about his modeling gigs and stuff

and once again you surprise him by not freaking out or acting different like most people do

you just nod and smile some more like you totally understand him

and the weird thing is?? it’s actually believable

like renjun really feels like you get him and he thinks to himself?? mayhaps yall could be friends

so you guys finally get to the studying part and you somehow manage to crack a joke every two seconds

even though they’re lame renjun laughs bc his grades sorta depend on you helping him

but once in a while you say something sorta funny and renjun loses it

and it’s weird bc you’re the first person he’s met that he feels comfortable around (other than his friends jeno, donghyuck, jaemin, chenle, and jisung)

anyway so you two cover a couple of subjects and before long the sky is dark and you’re like

oh shoot i gtg!!

and renjun is kinda worried you’ll be in trouble

but then you’re like

lol no it’s just that my cat likes to be fed at a certain time and if she doesn’t get her food she literally attacks me but it’s totally fine ahah living my best life

you and renjun decide to meet 3 times a week so that he can get caught up asap

and ofc renjun’s friends think he’s got a gf so one day they decide to stalk him and they follow him to a starbucks where you said you would meet

and they get out a newspaper and hats and sunglasses and everything

they really think they’re being super sneaky but

everyone is giving them weird looks

except you and renjun bc for once yall are?? actually studying? who would’ve guessed

anyway after about 2 minutes of staring at you two chenle gets bored and decides to confront you

so he gets up and he doesn’t even bother taking off the gigantic trench coat and sunglasses he’d been wearing

“dude are you just not gonna introduce me to your gf/bf i’m so offended,, i thought we were close i even binged the kung fu panda movies with you”

you and renjun look up and see this giant blob of a man(??) shaking his head disapprovingly and yall are just like,, whomstve?? do we know this chump?

and then chenle rolls his eyes and then takes off his disguise and renjun groans and rolls his eyes

“how did i not know it was you chenle,, first of all they’re not my gf/bf and second you’re the kung fu panda fan here are we just gonna ignore the fact that you collect all the figurines-”

ofc chenle ignores renjun and he turns to you and is like

“how do u even tolerate renjun ugh he can be so mean sometimes he’s basically my bully”

and you laugh and tell chenle that renjun isn’t that bad he’s actually kinda sweet sometimes

cue chenle going “oooooooooooooooooooh yall are totally dating”

renjun doesn’t even try to hide it when he kicks chenle in the shin

by now, the rest of renjun’s friends have given up on their disguises and are blatantly staring

and renjun notices them out of the corner of his eye

he drops his head in his textbook and just wants the earth to swallow him up

on the other hand you’re having a blast because renjun’s friends are a hoot!!

you guys have a lot in common and after 10 minutes you’ve already promised chenle see his figurine collection and you tell donghyuck that you’ll totally go sing karaoke with him

renjun is lowkey jealous so he reaches across the table and taps your hand and is like,, can we ditch uh-,, can we ditch

so then you tell the boys that you have to take care of your cat because it’s sick

and technically you’re not lying you do have to feed it

renjun stands up and is like,, dw i’ll walk u home so we can save ur cat!!

so you two grab your stuff and dash and it kinda has the boys suspicious but they’re dumb so they’re all thinking

omg i hope the cat is ok lets all go home and pray for it

anyway so now it’s just you and renjun walking down the street and watching the sun set

and renjun is mentally asking himself why he got jealous back at starbucks

he decides that he got to know you first so maybe he’s friend jealous?? yeah bc that’s totally a thing

and his mind also goes to this new offer he got from a photographer recently

he wasn’t going to take the job but now he figures when he gets back he’ll get to spend more time with you and for some reason that makes him rlly happy

so he tells you about it and is like

“you better be there to catch me up god knows i can’t count on the others”

and you laugh and say ofc you’ll help and you’re super excited for him bc it’s a shoot for a pretty well known brand

when renjun finishes his shoot he’s really excited bc he thinks it turned out amazing and he can’t wait to show you,, and of course the others too

so he gets home and he’s about to text you when he sees this notification for an article about him

it talks about how he’s just a generic teen who does the same poses over and over again and he doesn’t even look that good

and all of a sudden renjun just feels like he’s lost all confidence

it really isn’t like him he’s usually super confident and doesn’t care about what strangers think but

this review came from a famous fashion magazine and he really liked it but now?? not so much

he doesn’t reach out to anyone for a while

and after a couple days you know something’s up because you know he’s home from the shoot already

you go to visit him and you find out he locked himself in his room

and you knock and ask if you can come in but he doesn’t answer

so you just talk to him from outside and hope he’s listening

you start by saying you heard from his manager what happened and that he’s dumb for even caring about some random article

and then you rant about how he’s smart and funny and has pretty much everything going for him

and then last but not least you’re like

“you’re someone i and a lot of other people look up to a lot and i rlly want to see you smile again bc it’s lowkey gorgeous and you’re lowkey gorgeous but anyway”

you figure you’ve said enough so you skedaddle!! and uh usain bolt can step aside bc you’re pretty sure you’ve set a new world record

all this time you’re freaking out bc you have no idea where all of that ‘ur so gorgeous’ talk came from

probably out of your left buttcheek you’re literally so flustered

and renjun is just thinking about what you said and he doesn’t know why but,,, he can’t,, stop smiling

those negative thoughts? poof gone. insecurities? whomst.

ok so a few days pass by and renjun finally goes back to school

and it’s lunch time

and renjun is nervous to see you but he still doesn’t know why

and you’re nervous to see him bc you think you made yourself sound dumb the other day

so you try to distract yourself by talking to jaemin about some gossip you two heard

but then in your peripheral vision you see renjun enter the cafeteria and your heart!! stops

and you still don’t know why but your heart is like all tingly

as renjun approaches it hits you like a brick,,, you like renjun!!!!

snap crackle pop you rlly like this dude!

so you get up mid sentence and you run up to him and you just smile and say “you’re back i missed you:))”

and he says he missed you too and he missed your smiles

and then you’re like “haha that’s nice um wanna go on a date some time,, wow is that a bird in chenle’s hair i should go bye”

renjun is like “wait what did you say” but you’re already: gone

and he runs after you and makes it to the lunch table and you’re sitting there with your face in your hands bc you think you’ve just screwed it up

so he sits down next to you and gently takes your hands away and like just holds them in his and the size difference is so cute bc compared to his hands yours are so tiny!!

at this point the rest of the boys have gone quiet and are staring and chenle is about to interrupt and say something dumb but jeno shuts him up by shoving some ramen down his throat

and he senses the atmosphere (perhaps he’s been binge watching the bachelorette and love island in private so he knows what’s up) and somehow grabs all the other boys and drags them away

as he’s leaving jeno does like a salute in renjun’s direction bc he’s got his bro’s back but

renjun is too busy rn

trying to get you to look at him

also jeno is now pouting bc he really wanted it to be this whole cool scene where he and renjun saluted each other or did some like secret code but,, it’s totally fine:(

anyway so here you are face as red as the chilies in the popeye’s red stick chicken advertisement

you’re just like

why did i say that why did i say that wHY DID I SAY THAT

but then renjun is like

“hey y/n i’d really like to go on a date with you if you could maybe breath first tho”

and you’re like

“…………………………wait what”

“yeah i actually think you’re really cool and i’ve sorta had a crush on you for a while”

“…………………………wait wHAt”

“istg if you say that one more time i’m leaving”

“nono uh i mean are you sure you like me?? i’m not that special or anything”

renjun then hits you on the head and assures you that to him, you’re the most special and beautiful and perfect

and you’re like

uwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwu

“that’s cute aw so glad i have a recording of it”

and renjun stops and says “um recording?? whom-”

“sweetie it’s called acting now ii have something to blackmail you with if you’re ever rude to me”

and then you pull out your phone from your pocket and you stop the voice memo app and save the recording as

'bf’s confession uwu’

and then renjun chases you for the rest of lunch trying to delete the recording and you’re laughing rlly loud and disturbing everyone but

you guys don’t care bc you’re too happy

and tbh everyone thinks you’re a cute couple

like jealous classmates? no how about supportive ones who ship you and write fanfics for yall

it’s cute how renjun can get flustered by some of the stories that get written about you two

and he has to try and keep his 'idc’ façade up but it never works

anyway the point is yall are basically perfect for each other

catch you two on campus at the tuck shop buying snacks for each other

or walking home together

or finding cute lil restaurants to eat at

eventually your relationship goes public and like

at first you get a bit of hate bc some of renjun’s fans are protective

but then they realize you’re a literal squish and then all of renjun’s supporters turn on him and are like

“istg if you hurt y/n i’ll kill you idc how gorgeous you are”

and honestly you love it and you rub it in his face like all the time

“hah maybe i should be the famous one it seems like they like me more”

“shut up or i’ll make chenle do his dolphin laugh every time you try to sleep”

“lol nice try we’re kung fu panda buddies there’s no tearing us apart”

perhaps renjun hates you but at the end of the day he can’t see himself living without you

so it’s all good

[rayliur]

Little Fires Everywhere; Everything I Never Told You

“To say that Celeste Ng’s novels have changed my life is an understatement; her works have saved my life.”

by Ray Liu

Follow me on Twitter for more: https://twitter.com/rayliur

No, I’m not being dramatic. They really did.

I first discovered Miss Celeste Ng through Twitter. I believe one of my friends had retweeted her and her tweet made it to my feed. At the time, I wasn’t an avid reader; I barely picked up a book (and this was in 2016). Fast-forward three years, Ng had inspired me--through her two amazing novels--to write my own novel. But my novel isn’t the focus of this blog post.

See, my whole life as an Asian American was atypically strange. I thought it was just me, an individual who didn’t know how to navigate through life. Somewhere inside me longed to see someone--a successful someone--who represented me in this country. I was born in Manhattan, lived in Brooklyn throughout my childhood and early adulthood, and only recently moved to Queens. But I was born here. In America.

But I never read a single book in all my twelve years of school that was written by an Asian American. And as a Chinese-American boy in his teens, I thought that I could never write a book or even be part of the English/literary realm--because no one would want to listen to my stories. Because I am Chinese.

Of course, after high school, and during my journey of self-discovery, I came across works like Joy Luck Club ... that was it. So scratch off that s after “work.” Just work. I was young at the time, so that was not a book I paid attention to or spent time trying to read it or understand it.

There just wasn’t enough authors who looked like me or understood stories like mine.

Over the years, I’ve dealt with issues--personal issues. And they all stemmed from my oddly dysfunctional family. I’ve tried so many ways to express my feelings toward them and about them, but none of them worked. At least not to the extent I thought they would. And I couldn’t just tell them how I felt at the time because, in Chinese households, you just don’t talk about feelings. In fact, therapy is taboo. I screamed inside every day and night--they just didn’t understand what I was going through; that my identity here in this country felt diminished, on the brink of disappearing.

To say that I never thought about death is a lie.

Then I came across Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.

“Ng,” I thought. “Interesting. An Asian-American author. Wow.”

It was at the Amazon Bookstore on 34th that I picked up the book. I was so excited. I had heard of Celeste Ng on Twitter, but never put two and two together until I googled her on my phone that day at the bookstore, and sure enough her bio popped up, including her Twitter page which I had already followed. I read the back cover. “Death!” I was immediately hooked.

The book opens with Lydia, who is dead. It’s not even a spoiler, because the whole story surrounds this incident--how Lydia’s family deals with her death and how her death reveals all the secrets that, in time, consume the family until everything falls apart. The title is elegantly designed. The choice of “I” instead of “She” or “They” had me thinking about the overarching frame of the novel. “I” applies to every character--not just one. Soon, I was swept into the seventies, where Ng takes me through a conservative society that frowned upon interracial couples, marriages, and relationships.

The first scene in this novel that stood out to me--made me rage and cry in joy--is the pool scene where Nathan (the oldest son) is bullied by white kids in a game of Marco Polo. “Chink can’t find China,” says one of the white kids at the pool (Ng 90). Ng unapologetically exposes racism in her novel by using Nathan as a target for these bleach-blond, ignorant white kids. I was Nathan. I had been in his shoes and reading this scene made me cry--not because it triggered horrific memories, but because I’ve finally found an author who gets it--who isn’t afraid to tell the whole truth, raw and with zero sugar coating.

Then there was the theme of death and suicide. Just to be clear, I’ve only thought about death--never did I ever try to harm myself in any way. Just like Lydia. SPOILER ALERT! Skip this paragraph if you haven’t read this book and are planning to read it in the near future. Lydia hates her life; she was always the quiet girl who got good grades (the stereotypical Asian) simply because she was afraid her mother would run away from her family, again. Of course, Lydia had nothing to do with Marilyn leaving. Needless to say, Lydia’s parents really fucked her up, mentally. Relatable? Fuck yes! Reading proses and passages from Lydia’s POV felt so real to me, like I had somehow channeled myself into her head. At the end, when she decides to challenge herself--rowing herself out to the middle of the lake--by swimming back ashore, she gave me hope. That, shit happens but you just have to choose to live and know that things will get better. Lydia dies of course, because she couldn’t swim and thinking you can swim is very different from knowing you can swim.

Not only does Ng break stereotypes in this novel, she bends the old narrative of Chinese Americans in the U.S. and points the fingers back at trashy white folks--all the while doing it with grace and perfection.

Little Fires Everywhere, however, had little takes on the Asian narrative. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t make a powerful statement through the lens of Asian Americans and racism toward Asian Americans. I’ll get to that very soon. This novel opens up with the Richardsons’ house burning down. And yes, this story focuses on a (presumably) white family--very privileged and very perfect in white standards. It takes place in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a town that was built on order and strict city-community planning. The streets are always clean and the color of houses all share one Home Depot swatch palette. Then comes the wild card character Mia Warren with her young daughter Pearl. Ng doesn’t specify Mia and Pearl’s race or ethnicity--but photos of the cast had been released by Hulu (due to the novel being picked up as an original series on the platform--congrats, Celeste!)--and I believe Kerry Washington is going to play Mia. With that little tidbit in my head, I read through the novel picturing Mia Warren as a black woman with a mixed-race daughter. It’s a great dynamic, actually. Mia inadvertently becomes the mirror that reflects all of Mrs. Richardson’s (and her family’s) pretentiousness and overly saturated life. That’s the synopsis. 

SPOILER ALERT (again)! Skip this paragraph if you wish to read this book in the near future. Like I said earlier, there’s an Asian-American component to this novel. While drama ensues between the Richardsons and the Warrens, a subplot underlines the novel. Bebe Chow, a Chinese woman from Hong Kong (I believe it was HK), abandons her few-month-old child May Ling in front of a fire station. The city claims the orphan and hands her over to the McCulloughs, who could not have children because of infertility. Bebe puts her life back together again and decides she wants May Ling back--who now goes by Mirabelle, a white name given to her by a white family. Toward the end of the novel, a large chunk of it is dedicated to the court case that decided May Ling’s fate: to go with the McCulloughs or be returned to her biological mother. During that legal battle, Ed Lim comes in (Bebe’s attorney). Ed Lim is my favorite character, so my review here is clearly a little biased. Ng creates Ed Lim to be someone who breaks the stereotype of Asian men. Ed Lim is “six feet” tall, “lean and rangy” (Ng 258). Wow. Ng is a literary god. As Bebe’s attorney, Ed’s job is to win the case of course. He questions Mrs. McCullough regarding how she plans to raise a Chinese baby girl. McCullough replies that she would learn Chinese herself: but she doesn’t even know the difference between the variety of Chinese dialects (Shanghainese, Toisan, Mandarin, just to name a few). Then, McCullough shoots herself in the foot by telling him that she buys Mirabelle a lot of toys--namely a teddy bear. Oh, no--not just any bear. Because Mirabelle is Chinese, McCullough got her Chinese baby a fucking panda bear. I laughed so hard at this point. Ng is a genius. But what’s most important and to be taken seriously in this scene is when Ed Lim asks if Mirabelle has any dolls, you know, because most girls in the nineties had wanted to play with Barbie dolls. McCullough, confident and chest-puffed, answers him. “We buy her dolls ... one of them closes her eyes when you lay her down...” (Ng 261). This was when I knew exactly where Ng is going with this: the eyes. Ed Lim asks McCullough what the color of that doll’s eyes is and she says, “Blue” (Ng 261). He proceeds to lecture her, telling her that the Barbie company does not manufacture Chinese or Asian dolls. There is no doll that represents May Ling. Ah, America. Fucking up children of color since 1776. And Mirabelle would lose touch with her heritage as she grows older. A young impressionable girl without any understanding (real understanding) of her identity is dangerous. Just when I thought Ng was planning on drilling through her novel with the focus on a white and black family, she crashes through the fabric of her story with THIS! Only a true legend and storytelling extraordinaire can do things like this.

In conclusion, Celeste Ng is my hero. Her powerful proses articulate the issues of racism and cultural stereotypes in America, and the [inner] human psyche--all through the telling of interpersonal and small-scale stories--that majorly impacts the world we live in.

I hope you all get a chance to read both of her books. I would definitely recommend starting with Everything I Never Told You. I love her writing style in both novels. The debut novel interchanges between past- and present-tenses, which is refreshing. And Little Fires Everywhere is written in all past-tense, which helps the reader focus more on the story.

So like I said. These books saved my life. Ng gave me relatable characters that I absolutely cannot find elsewhere and plots that had me white-knuckle through both books. I truly hope that schools across the country add at least one of her works into their curriculum because it is THAT IMPORTANT.

Below is an excerpt from Little Fires that I tweeted earlier. It’s pretty self-explanatory. It entirely captured my current situation with my familial issues. And thank you Penguin Books for retweeting it!

(p. 294, 2019 ed.)

(From Twitter)

Thank you, Celeste! Thank you, Penguin, for picking up her works to publish.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on these two works.

Now, off I go, back to writing my own novel.

Ray

[im-tops-bottom]

💑Rare Love💏 (just a fic idea)

"CHILLED BEHIND YOU" Vanoss calls out before laughing as he hears Chilled Yelp.

"Sorry Delirious, I would love to stay and chat but I gotta run" Chilled says as his hula girl prop starts zig zagging out of the room.

"noooooooo Chilled come back. I need to shoot you"

"wow Delirious, are you just gonna shoot a little girl just like that? You haven't even taken me out to dinner yet"

Everyone laughs at that and starts making bad date jokes. Vanoss, Delirious and Cartoonz all feel different feelings as they mask it under the laughter and jokes.

"noooooooo the props wo- oh my God you changed into that chair I kept walking pass? No way" Delirious says before having a drink.

"alright run it back. New teams. Let's leave the Gmod gods deligate us" Moo says as he laughs at a tweet Daithi posted.

"and this time Vanoss no ghosting" Panda says as he eats some of his food.

"hey everyone what's up?"

"oh hey Galm. We are playing Prop Hunt. Wanna join?"

"it could be everyone vs the Anthony crew"

Once again everyone goes into giggles and jokes. 3 certain YouTubers secretly don't like this idea as it would mean they won't get to be on the same team as Chilled.

"hey is Mini online? See if he can get into contact with Padilla. The more Anthonys we can recruit, the more of a chance this would turn into one massive derpfest"

"mini had to go to bed early. Sam is ill"

"damn. Hey is anyone Keen to play Mario kart afterwards"

"hell no. I've seen Galm play and he is way too good at it."

Jokes about Panda coming last in 90% of the games pop up and when they hear Daithi's come through their headsets they start making Daithi de Cumberbatch jokes.

Galm joins in on the session without recording as he is only playing just for fun and the game commences with team Anthony vs "team non Anthony".

"HEY ANTHONY"

"which one?"

"I'm seeing Chilled pop up on my screen"

"ah shit. Now look"

Delirious laughs as he is about to shoot Chilled but let's out a "noooooooo I shot the wrong one" as his player model dies.

Chilled laughs as his prop jumps around in the kitchen "I'm the king of props. No one can shoot me" and just like that he watches as his prop gets destroyed by Vanoss.

"that kill came at the right time" Vanoss says as he carries on looking for the other two props.

"what the hell Vanoss. I thought we had something special. You even ghosted for me man"

Vanoss blushes as he stays silent and concentrates on looking for the other two. Lucky for him it doesn't get awkward as he locates Galm and starts chasing him around the attic. He shoots Galm before the timer runs out.

"WHOOOOO I LAST A WHOLE ROUND WITHOUT GETTING SHOT"

"Panda had an amazing spot too. Next round I'm following you"

"where was it?"

"the both of you follow me next round"

After a couple of rounds they finish the Gmod session and some of the group leave. The only ones left are Chilled, Vanoss, Delirious, Cartoonz and Terrorizer who came in right at the end. They decide to see if anyone is else is available for Last Year Nightmare and manage to pick up Gorillaphant and Ohm.

Whenever Vanoss, Delirious or Cartoonz was the killer, they would do their best to not try and attack Chilled and if they were on the same team then they would fight over saving Chilled. Because of this Chilled was dubbed the Banana Bus Princess with his 3 saviors.

Ze joins in the call and starts teasing Chilled about leaving the derp crew but chilled whines about how everyone is teasing him. Ze laughs and tells Chilled to suffer as he joins in on the next round of games which was CAH before leaving.

The crew finish up on a game of Skribbl.io before ending their recordings and just sitting back.

"so Chilled you still Keen for this weekend?"

"yes, I can't wait"

"what's happening this weekend?"

"Chilled and I are recording some vlogs and doing a 24hr live stream with Galm, John and Tom. John found this cabin in the woods that is apparently haunted so Galm said no balls we'll do some vlogs there. If there is any internet then we'll do the 24hour stream there otherwise we'll do it after the weekend and just talk about the experience"

"can I come?"

"wow Cartoonz, someone who hates horror games wants to go to a haunted cabin in the woods? Until Dawn anyone?"

Everyone chuckles at Delirious' joke while Cartoonz tells him to shut up.

"hey man I'd be down for a spooky house tour"

"and the only person who has ever seen you in real life has been Cartoonz"

"who says anything about me being on cam?"

"are you serious?"

"yeah I'm serious. I trust everyone not to let it out that I've secretly been a talking teddy bear all this time"

Everyone makes jokes about Delirious face reveal as they plan the trip. Terrorizer says he'll see if anyone else is keen for the trip and will let Chilled and Ze know by tomorrow.

A couple of days later and it's Friday. Everyone had gotten time off their jobs so they can pack and all meet up at the airport for the overseas friends to join.

Everyone has their recording devices already out, including Delirious who is only recording for personal reasons. Everyone makes sure to not get Delirious in frame and if they do then they'll make note to edit something to block his face out. They laugh as they realize they all had been recording the moment they woke up.

They head out to grab some shopping for the weekend before going through drive thru's at different places to order something to eat as they don't want anyone to spot Delirious.

They arrive at the spooky cabin just after 2;30pm and park up. They bring everything inside and pack the shopping away before checking out the rooms.

"thank God it's a huge cabin" 2 stories in fact, Ze says as he looks around.

Cartoonz, Delirious, Vanoss and Chilled take one room. Ze, Galm, Tom and John take another. Terrorizer, Daithi, Mini and Wildcat take one. Kryoz, Scotty, Smitty and Panda take the last one.

"I swear if we some freaky shit, I'm ditching you guys and just making a fucking run for it" Wildcat says as he grabs a drink out of the fridge.

"you know what we should do?" Mini asks.

Everyone shouts out "ASK MINI" before cracking up laughing.

After finding out that yes there is reception, Mini turns his phone data on and sends out a tweet. He mentions everyone who is at the cabin and to start sending questions while recording equipment is being set up.

Ask Mini got real hectic and at some point there were dares put in place as well. Delirious, Smitty and Vanoss stayed off camera. Delirious for obvious reasons while Smitty and Vanoss weren't real big on being recorded. Vanoss was still shy in front of the camera which everyone joked about.

His shyness went away however when halfway through someone had tweeted that Chilled looked weird standing behind the couch and should just sit between Cartoonz and Ze. just as soon as space was made, Vanoss rushed over to sit down and pulled Chilled onto his lap. Jokes were made and he ignored Delirious and Cartoonz' glares in favor watching Chilled go red when Ze sings the wedding song.

After playing around outside and playing some games inside (they had laptops, phones, board games and console's galore. All types of games were played) they had a BBQ before heading of to their rooms.

Each room had their TV's on with different movies playing in each one. It was nice and calm. Well except for one.

"I wanna sleep next to Chilled"

"but I want to as well"

"how about one of you pick tonight and the other goes tomorrow night"

"why do you get two nights?"

Chilled watched the 3 fight and can't help but snort. He's had a thing for each one of these idiots and can't believe they are still fighting over him. What did he do to deserve this.

"how about instead of fighting, one takes each side"

In a minute, Chilled finds himself in an awkward position. Cuddling on his right is Cartoonz, his left is Delirious and underneath him is a smirking Vanoss.

"guys this is not what I had in mind"

"shhhh Anthony. The movie is playing"

As it was still early in the night, they watched a couple of movies. As each movie came along, Cartoonz, Delirious and Vanoss got more and more touchy feely.

Halfway into the third movie Chilled let's out a little moan as he feels a hand slide pass his clothed hard on and laying right on his thigh. In the span of several seconds of silence, Chilled finds not only himself but the other gentleman naked and kissing all over Chilled. Chilled has to bite his bottom lip so he doesn't moan out loud as teeth come into play.

Chilled finds that it was going to be a great night. He's sucking on Cartoonz as Delirious eats him out and Vanoss bites all over his body. None of them noticing a red light by the doorway.

Each of the older men take turns at drilling into Chilled. At times there are tag teams as Chilled gets spitroasted while at other times they manage to find away for two of them slip Chilleds ass while the third is getting a blowjob. Sooner or later they have practically gone through every single sex position and making up their own (and oh boy are they greatful that all 4 men are flexible) as the sun rises up.

As they make their way downstairs they notice everyone smirking at them. The older 3 look smug while the youngest of the 4 has gone completely red as he limps his way over to the kitchen table to grab some pancakes.

Chilled smiles as he is given painkillers by Delirious. Vanoss gets him coffee. Cartoonz grabs a soft pillow for him to sit on. They surround chilled as they eat while feeding chilled some of their own pancakes even though he's eating his own.

After the weekend is done and everyone is driven to the airport, another argument is made as Vanoss, Cartoonz and Delirious fight over who gets Chilled.

Terrorizer stands between the 3 and tells them that Chilled has his own life and he can make time to visit all 3 men or they can organize to meet him but until those moments come up, they'll just have to deal with long distance relationships.

Daithi feels proud as he pats his boyfriend on the back for that incredible speech.

Everyone says goodbye (chilled gets pulled into 3 long kisses) as they all separate to go their own ways.

....

So this was an idea I had in my head as I was rewatching some old gaming vids (i pretty much watched every video of that had chilled with either 3 YouTubers.) Another inspiration was this fic which I really liked.

Seriously if anyone has any ChilledxVanoss, ChilledxDelirious or ChilledxCartoonz fics then let me know.

And if anyone wants to write this up as a full fic then tag me because I would love to read it. I'm not great at writing and I prefer reading other people's stuff rather than writing my own.

[benbarnesescape]

Just One Day

Imagine – Ben getting defensive over his wife and kids while they’re out in public by paparazzi.

Warnings: Just sweet, sweet fluff. Oh and cursing but that should be granted at this point from me……

A/N: for the sweet, sweet @ladyblablabla, thank you for your patience with me, I’m so very sorry I allowed this to slip under the radar for so long! Also daddy!barnes is the best kind of barnes.

Perhaps he had been right. Perhaps it was too soon for you all to go out on a family adventure. When you had suggested it this morning, his hand placed comfortably over your belly that was barely showing, his head lost in your neck as you both floated down from your bout of lovemaking, you had felt him instinctively stiffen up from the question.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he mumbled seconds later and you nodded, shifting so you could lean your head to look over at him as he pulled his face far away to look at you.

“It was great hiding out with your family in the English countryside but it’s also great to be back in L.A., back at home and you can’t keep us hidden forever. I headed back to work tomorrow and Kira has preschool.”

“Y/N….” he begins and you cut him off,

“Kira just wants to be able to go to the zoo to see the new red panda’s! We could drive down to San Diego, go on a quick family adventure and be back in L.A. by dinner time. No one would know. Besides, paparazzi doesn’t stock people at the zoo…”

He groans, his facing hiding back in the crock of your neck. Your two-year-old daughter Kira was a weakness. Daddy’s little girl. He’d do anything for her. You weren’t even throwing in the guilt of feeling isolated by your pregnancy due to all the random photos the paparazzi tried to take of you as you got bigger. Didn’t want to throw in those big guns unless you had too.

“Baby, you know I want to make you both happy but ever since The Punisher has blown up its been impossible going out. Remember how we used to go out and do normal, simple things and no one would ever know who I was? Now it seems every woman in the metro area has memorized my face to their memory and has to share it with everyone.”

You laugh poking him as you muttered,

“Women were doing that before the success of that show. Come on, I know you’re trying to honor our privacy as a family but you must admit –  a family day at the zoo sounds way more fun than movies and forts all day. And besides, I want to be able to go out before baby number two makes me lose motivation to do anything.”

You’re sarcastic in your words and he growled, nipping at your neck before whispering out a hesitant,

“Okay wifey. Whatever makes my girls happy. But I’m not going to apologize for any of my actions if this goes south.”

You had giggled at him, assuring him nothing could happen before you both headed into another round of sex.  It had calmed him down and for a second you were confident your decision was the right one.

Now, as you all stood at the red panda exhibit, Kira happily sitting on her father’s shoulder making a point to highlight everything that the cute furry animals were doing, you weren’t so sure that your decision was the right one.

As you had walked into the exhibit, a woman had stood and started pointing at Ben and yourself, a gasp on her face and you knew she recognized him. Hoped to god she would take a creepy photo and tag it later in the day, not right now, but also knew that was unrealistic because the addiction of social media. You knew because if the tables were turned, you do the same thing.

Curse Instagram and Twitter and its awesomely cool addictiveness.

“I’m going to grab us some ice cream. Wanna share ice-cream with me and your future brother Kira?” you asl, placing your hand tenderly on Ben’s shoulder. Ben hadn’t noticed the growing crowd of people inching toward you all, their phones at the ready.

“Ooooo, I would love ice cweam mama!” Kira giggles and you smile, wrapping your arm around Ben’s waist as you direct him in the opposite direction of trailing fans, pushing Kira’s stroller with ease.  Hoping to god none of them ask them, just this once, for his autograph and a photo.

You didn’t mind when fans came up normally when you were out but you knew that since his new popularity, Ben wasn’t adjusting to the increase of paparazzi. He didn’t mind fan photos but typically, after fans paparazzi were to follow and he just wanted a simple, quiet day. Had reminded you of it the whole two-hour drive down from your home.

“You can have ice-cream after you have had a meal in your bellies. Except you. You know you’re supposed to avoid dairy.” Ben laughs, kissing your forehead tenderly as you lazily let if fall on his upper arm, walking slowly out of the exhibit area.

“Ice cream is a meal and if women can have a sip of wine what’s a lick of ice-cream?” You argue and Kira chirps in a “Yea!” which causes Ben to laugh, shaking his head.

“If you weren’t pregnant right now, you’d be lecturing me and not the other way around. I need you and our future son to be in their best health which means lunch then dessert that doesn’t include ice-cream for you.”

“Ahh, your no fun.” You pout up at him and Kira adds,

“Yea, you’re no fun daddy!”

He laughs, those dark eyes looking down at you before stopping to lean down and give you a kiss. Kira giggles though its rampant with “ewwwws” as she places her chin on top of her father’s head, used to the forms of affection you and Ben displayed. When he pulls away he whispers,

“I love you so much you know that Mrs. Barnes?”

You can’t help but smile back before whispering,

“I kind of figured after you got me pregnant with baby number 2,” he nuzzles your head as you add softly, “I love you too.”

“And maybe,” he adds, lifting Kira off his head and flipping her until her feet are safely back on the pavement, before placing her back in her stroller.  “Maybe you were right about going to the zoo. This has been fun and I do miss showing off my best girls.”

You know he’s cursed whatever silence you had hoped for as he starts pushing you both toward the food court you had passed a while back. Your turn your head, seeing the growing crowd inching closer to you both and you tug him a little harder, all the while saying,

“Race you to there! I’m dying for a hamburger.” you yell over your shoulder, falling into a light jog causing Kira to giggle out,

“Faster daddy! Mommy’s beating us!”

“What has gotten into today?” Ben yells after you, weaving through crowds as you near the food court. You stop once you reach the doors, smiling at him and shrugging.

“We got hungry.” You say casually, rubbing your stomach and he chuckles shaking his head.

“And I thought you pulling me into the bathroom to have sex at my parent’s renewal of vows ceremony was the end of you being spontaneous.”

You laugh, looping your arm through his again as you rest your head back on his shoulder.

“When, dare I ask, in the 10 years that you’ve known me, have I stopped being spontaneous?” you ask and he kisses the top of your head, wrapping his arms around you now that you’ve landed a spot in line.

“That’s a very valid question. I don’t think…. ever. You’re always getting me into trouble.”

You narrow your eyes at him, giving him a fake stank face before saying,

“I don’t get you into trouble. You’re just a prude Barnes.”

He snorts and you pull away, placing your hands on your hips.

“It’s true! Did we get caught when we snuck into that haunted house, or that castle or that winery….”

“We sneak into a lot of places I’m realizing.” Ben mutters, looking down at you quizzically as you move up in the line and you shrug,

“That’s because we’re usually going to have,” your eyes flicker down at Kira as you whisper in a lower tone, “S-e-x together.”

His face tints over in a blush and though you laugh at him, placing your arms back around him you can’t help the warm feeling that shoots through your body. You didn’t know how you could still make Ben so bashful after all this time.

“Well you should stop being so sexy and I wouldn’t run off to you to have sex with you.” He mutters, placing his forehead on your head before your moving one last time to the cash attendant.

“Daddy, what’s sex?” Kira turns and looks up at the both of you innocently and you burst out in laughter as Ben’s face tints over in red.

“I’m sorry about that…” Ben says to the cash attendance whose trying his best to hold back a laugh as you step up to order.

“Warned you to start spelling out the bad words. She’s been repeating EVERYTHING.”

After you’ve gotten your lunch, settled into a table that’s off from the rest of the crowd is when he spots them. You hadn’t even realized, too focused on fried French fries and the nuggets you were supposed to be feeding your daughter who was too preoccupied with her applesauce to notice.

Not Ben though. He had heard the familiar click and had instantly looked up to see the man hiding behind a planted pot.

“Fuck!” he mutters a little too loudly and Kira smiles, dipping a french fry in her applesauce.

“Fack!” she repeats gleefully and you look at him exasperated, shaking your head.

“I just taught her not to say that word. When your father had slipped up and said it three weeks ago!”

Ben snaps his head toward you, then Kira whose humming and sighs.

“Sorry I just…. there’s a man behind you taking photos of us.”

You turn, easily spotting the khakied paparazzi and sigh. It was only a matter of time.

“Switch me spots.  We just got our food. Pretend he’s not there.”

You’re automatically standing up and he takes your seat, sitting down and starting to urge Kira to eat her nuggets. The rest of the meal is uneventful and you even point out that the man has left. Trying to find some light in the situation which calms Ben down for a minute.

It’s when you’re walking out of the area, hand in hand as Kira licks her ice-cream that you spot your mistake.

Waiting for you is a barrage of photographers, at least four or six and there not shy about taking your photo.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ben mutters under his breath and as if on que Kira mumbles,

“Facking …..kitten me.”

“Ben – remember she repeats everything.” You comment and he huffs out an annoyed sigh.

“I’m sorry babe but I’m just annoyed because – some fucking how, these assholes have found me. Again.”

“Ash holes.” Kira mutters, smiling up at you and you shake your head.

“Don’t say that Kira.”

“Don’t be an ash hole mommy!”

You sigh at him, knowing she won’t listen to you. You nudge Ben, sighing heavily as you say,

“A little help.”

“Monkey, don’t say that word. It’s a bad word and daddy shouldn’t have said it.”

Kira pouts as she falls back in her stroller, sending you an evil glare and you roll your eyes. You prayed your son was a mama’s boy for the sake of evening out the odds in situations like this. Now you had two grumpy Barnes in your hands.

“Let’s just head back. We saw most of the zoo and Kira saw the red pandas. We could go home, take a nap,” You wiggle your eyebrows earning a small smile from him, “then make dinner, watch Trolls…”

“Trolls!” Kira jumps back to her happy self and you nudge Ben who mumbles,

“Fine.”

You make the long haul across the zoo, the paparazzi tailing you from a safe distance and as time passed, so did Ben’s temper. By the time you make it to your small SUV, already hungry from the 3 mile trek (why the hell was the zoo so damn big and let alone, why did you have to eat every 30 goddamn minutes), a cameramen had gotten bold with their actions.

It was when Ben buckled Kira into her car seat while you sat in the passenger seat, digging through your bag for the nuts you packed that a paparazzi dared near Ben close enough to capture him kissing Kira on the forehead. Your head was bent down, too focused on food to miss it or you’d warn the idiot that had dared to be so bold. Instead, he had to suffer the wrath of Ben.

“Are you fucking kidding me. You can’t relax for two goddamn minutes to let me safely buckle my daughter in while my family tries to have a nice day out. You come one step closer and I swear to fucking god not only will you be dealing with a lawsuit, but I’ll break that goddamn camera over your head.”

You’re all frozen, watching the typically soft features on Ben’s face dissipate into anger. Ben Barnes wasn’t a man disposed for anger. He typically stayed at a tepid boil, knowing when to step away to calm himself if pushed too far. There were very few times he gave into the emotion but when he did, it was a completely different human being.

Kira never had seen her father angry and seeing his normally calm nature shift – her rock that always calmed her, she begins to cry. Of the two of you, you were the firecracker and Ben typically was the water to stop you from blowing up.

“Daddy….” She mutters out between sobs and you turn to her quickly, your instincts kicking in as you start to caress her exposed legs, cooing her. Ben closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and counting to ten. Then he turns back to Kira, join in on the coos as he apologizes to her, calming her down. When her sobs have subsided, the group of photographers now a safe distance away from your vehicle, Ben shuts the door and makes his way to the driver’s side. He buckles in and starts the car before backing out, joining the ranks of vehicles leaving the zoo.

You’re all silent until he starts to sing one of Kira’s favorite songs, a classic old song and you hesitantly place your hand on his knee before saying,

“I’m sorry about that. I should have listened to you this morning. We just haven’t seen you in three months because you’ve been shooting and wanted to have a normal day out. Was all Kira could talk about.”

You bite your lip and start to move your hand but Ben quickly grabs it, placing it to his lips before mumbling,

“I’m sorry I lost my temper. You deserve a day out to the zoo with your husband and daughter without all the drama. I’m sorry that I’ve complicated things by being famous.”

You hear the strain and hurt in his voice, knowing he was kicking himself once more for the choices he made in his career and you quickly let out,

“You kidding me Barnes. I couldn’t imagine you doing anything else. I’m proud of you. And if this is a side effect of people realizing your talent then I’ll take it. I’d do anything if it meant being with you.”

You hit a red light and he turns to you, before his leaning in for a kiss and you happily meet him halfway, your lips molding against yours as his hand brings you closer to his face. Once he pulls away, he whispers against your lips,

“I’d give you and Kira the universe if I could. One of the best things that could have happened to me was you running into me back in that rose garden. When I took the Caspian role, didn’t think it changed all aspects in my life.”

You groan, placing your head on his forehead as you close your eyes.

“Why can’t you remember meeting me days later through Anna at the premier? Why do you have to remember that I clumsily ran into you reading a book at that rose garden photo shoot that I messed up for you? Into a thorny rose bush for that matter. I was sore for days…”

He smiles, placing another kiss on your forehead as he mutters,

“No way I forget about the cute American girl reading The Canterbury Tales knocking me off my feet. Literally. Besides, Anna had been talking you up for months, maybe I purposely walked into your blind eye of sight because I wanted to see if you lived up to the hype.”

You blush as his eyes twinkle at you before his lips are on you again, kissing you deeper as a horn honks behind you, causing you both to groan as Kira says nonchalantly,

“Daddy green means go! Stop doing kissy face with mommy – her and my bruda need to breathe!”

Ben groans as he pulls away, shooting her a cheeky grin and saying,

“Monkey – what would I do without you?”

She smiles, happy to see that his mood has shifted back again before yelping,

“Go!”

As if on cue the person behind you honks again and Ben shakes his head, returning his attention back to the road.

“After someone takes a nap when we get home,” your turn to him as he flashes you a glance. “I’d love to make it up to you. Me losing my temper. During our family nap time.”

He has a cheeky grin on his face and you feel that aching heat shoot to your center as you stifle out a moan. Not only did pregnancy make you must pee more, cut out most of your favorite foods including ice-cream and cause your body random achiness, you also were hornier than a rabbit. And not seeing Ben for three months had you hotter for him than usual.

“I’m going to hold you to that Ben.” You whisper and he laughs, shooting you a wink before starting up a new song for his daughter.

[sindrafalcone]

The Mom Ch. 12

Fandom: BIGBANG/ Choi Seung Hyun

Synopsis: First Birthday

Warnings: Fluff… as per usual.

Author’s Note: Well, here we are. We’ve reached the end of The Mom as a regular series. *sigh* Don’t worry though! I’ll still be writing occasional bits & pieces set in the “Nannyverse”. I could never stay away from it for too long <3

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. This story contains fictional representations of real people. None of the events are true. This is from an American standpoint, so some of the situations may not happen the same way they might in Korea. I make no money from the writing of this fictional work.

Masterlist

You could hear the sounds of your phone notification going off from your bedside table. The first three came in rapid succession. Then there was a few minutes pause before it started up again. Four this time. Then another pause, followed by two more.

With a groan, you gave up on getting any more sleep and rolled over to grab your phone. Swiping to unlock it, you were greeted by what you had suspected for causing the noise all along. A slew of Instagram notifications... all of them from Seung Hyun. Unsurprisingly, only two pictures remained. Apparently, your husband had gone on one of his infamous uploading and immediately deleting sprees. You assumed these two were the last ones. In one selca, he and the twins were both smiling at the camera & in the other they were kissing his cheeks while he had one of the biggest smiles you had ever seen. Accompanying each picture was a sweet caption about today being the twins Doljanchi, or first birthday party.

“Oh, you're awake.” you heard him say from the doorway.

“Yeah... thanks to your Instagram spam.” you laughed, rolling over to face him.

He walked into the room, each hand holding one of the twins as they toddled into the bedroom.

“I couldn't help it!” he whined. “I went to get them up and ready for breakfast and they were just being so cute!”

“Yes.” you agreed helping Seung Min up onto the bed. “It was adorable.”

You settled in to feed your son. Both children were still clinging to one feed per day. Luckily for you, Seung Ja liked hers in the evening and Seung Min in the morning. You knew it wouldn't be long before they would finally be done though, and the thought made you a little sad.

“I'll take Thing 1 downstairs and get her some breakfast.” Seung Hyun told you, leaning over to drop a quick kiss to your forehead before picking up his daughter. You smiled as Sung Ja giggled when he swung her easily up into his arms.

“Okay. We'll be down soon.”

In the time it took you to feed Seung Min, your phone had gone off an additional five times. All of them pictures of Sung Ja happily eating her breakfast of cereal and fruit.

With a shake of your head and a smile, you wondered how long it would take before Seung Hyun deleted them all.

“You... you decorated for the party in Mondrian?” Seung Hyun exclaimed as he came to an abrupt stop, stunned by what he saw.

Everywhere he looked, the colors of red, yellow, blue and black hung from anything and everything that could possibly support it. Streamers, paper lanterns, lights and balloons of varying shapes and sizes... all adorned a backdrop of pure white. It was like walking into a life size series of Mondrian artworks.

It was so surreal and at the same time touching in a way.

“Seung Hyun-a, because of you the twins have grown up adoring art, you know that.” you reminded him, kissing him sweetly on the cheek. “Would you have preferred they had a Bigbang birthday party instead?”

Your husband visibly grimaced with the very thought of his own children having that theme for their first birthday party. Images of the fancy banquet hall awash in nothing but yellow and black with crowns made him internally shudder. Not that he was opposed to the idea if they wanted to choose it later... just not for their Doljanchi.

“Hell no.” he growled. “It’s perfect just the way it is.”

“I thought you might agree.” you grinned.

Looking to his left, Seung Hyun froze, his frown suddenly reappearing with a vengeance. “Really?” he asked in disbelief, a little annoyed. “A piñata?”

“I'm pretty sure that was Yeon Jun's idea.” you thoughtfully replied, looking up at the giant, multicolored star. “He said it was so the children at the party could have something fun to do.”

Seung Hyun harrumphed with the revelation. “You do realize that you’re supposed to beat the crap out of a piñata with a stick in order to get the candy inside, right?”

“Yes…and?”

Staring at the confusion etched on your beautiful face, he couldn’t fight the smile that pulled at the corners of his lips. “I'm pretty sure that your brothers are going to be the biggest children at the party then.”

“Like you're not going to try it for yourself?” you teased him with a chuckle, knowing how child-like he could be at times. “You should take plenty of pictures then. Blackmail for later.”

The twins both began to squeal loudly with delight at the sight of all the decorations, the multicolored balloons, the streamers and lights, the large piñata dangling from a beam in the ceiling.

Seung Hyun couldn’t contain the smirk of pride or the sudden flood of warmth that inundated his heart knowing how much his children shared his passion for art. It brought about a sense of pure elation that was beyond imagination or description.

“Appa!” Sung Ja continued to cry excitedly, her bright brown eyes wide in absolute wonder as she tried to take it all in, pointing and yelling her father’s name over and over.

You chuckled at your daughter's reaction to the decorations, setting Seung Min down on the floor so he could explore it all. “I think they like the party already.” you said, amused by him.

Seung Hyun did the same & the twins toddled around the room, pointing and jabbering endlessly to everyone and no one. Suddenly Youngbae and Daesung appeared, kneeling down to pick up the twins, who greeted their uncles enthusiastically. They walked with the children around the room to the various decorations as well as the large table already filled with presents. Seung Min swiftly leaned forward in an effort to reach his presents, almost toppling out of Youngbae's arms in a desperate need to get to them.

“Whoa there, Thing 2.” Youngbae laughed, pulling him more firmly into his arms. “I hope the others arrive soon. Seung Min's getting anxious to open his presents.”

“I know what you mean.” Daesung laughed as he tried to contain a squirming Sung Ja.

“Who is ready to party?” Seungri suddenly hollered as he entered the festively decorated banquet hall, a life-sized stuffed panda in his arms.

“I think I’ve just been dropped into a new level of hell.” Seung Hyun groaned, his frustration escalating as he rubbed his face with his hands.

“Where’s the birthday girl?” Jiyong yelled. “Uncle Ji is here! It’s time to get this party started right!”

A half hour later and you felt like the party was beginning to fall apart. Both the photographer and the caterer had been late in setting up, causing you to freak out.

“Hey.” Seung Hyun softly said, his finger beneath your chin forcing you to look at him. “It’ll be alright, gongju-nim.”

“Everything just seems like such a mess.” you whispered as you fought back tears, your bottom lip trembling as you looked into his piercing brown eyes full of love and concern.

“It’s perfect.” he reassured you, leaning in and kissing you softly. “And so are you.”

You returned his kiss, a tear slipping free. He quickly captured it with his lips as he gently rubbed your back in an attempt to comfort you. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” you murmured.

“Lucky for you, you’ll never have to find out.” Seung Hyun teased as he kissed you again.

“Ok you two...” Seungri loudly said. “Get a room!”

Your husband growled under his breath, useful methods for throwing an annoying friend out of a party flitting through his mind as you took his hand in yours, interlacing your fingers with his. “Just ignore him.” you gently instructed him. “It’ll be over soon and then you can have me all to yourself tonight.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to wait that long.” he admitted. “Someone please just shoot me now.” Seung Hyun pleaded with a groan as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands.

Wiping your eyes, you leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, wrapping your arm securely around his. “No way.” you whispered in his ear. “There’s no way that I’m living without you, Seung Hyun. I did not give up my nanny job just to have you leave me.”

“Don’t worry, princess.” he said with a sigh, looking up just in time to see a caterer finally enter pushing a cart loaded with trays of food.

The woman did a double take at the sight of the gigantic panda that Seungri had his arm around as if it were a real person. The caterer rolled her eyes and shook her head in obvious disbelief before resuming her journey to the buffet table.

Several more people arrived at that moment, their birthday presents in hand, your boss being one of them. “Nice doll, Seungri.” Dong Wook said with an incredulous shake of his head.

“Hey, I had this specially made.” your brother spouted in indignation. “Nothing but the absolute best for my favorite godchildren.”

“They're your only godchildren, maknae.” Jiyong said with an irritated sigh as he bounced Sung Ja on his hip.

The sudden feel of familiar fingers caressing your cheek tore you from your thoughts. Looking over, you found your handsome husband now kneeling down before you, a tender smile on his face. “Having a rough day?” he softly asked.

“Just a lot going on.” you admitted as you leaned into his hand.

His smile turned into a worried frown. “Do you want to go outside for a little bit & get some fresh air?” he offered. “I can come get you when the twins are ready to open their presents.”

“No…no, I’m fine.” you reassured him, tilting your head to kiss the palm of his hand still on your cheek. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

Seung Hyun suddenly got a very mischievous look on his face, his smile returning. “Want me to kidnap you and take you home?”

“Definitely not.” you insisted, doing your best to keep an annoyed look on your face but it was next to impossible with how absolutely adorable he looked at that moment. He was so playful, so happy…so free from the countless burdens that had weighed down his heart for so very long.

“Do you know how sexy you look right now?” he murmured, something husky in his voice causing your eyebrow to quirk in amusement.

“Alright you two.” your mother in law said as she approached with her plate in hand, settling into a chair next to you. “You’ve already given me two more grandchildren. Let’s wait for number three until after we finish the Doljanchi, shall we?”

“I think that is my cue to leave.” Seung Hyun said as he got to his feet, noting the blush that rose to his wife’s cheeks. “I’ll go get you something to eat, ________-ah.”

Seung Hyun's mother watched with you as he walked away. Your heart felt full of a love that was only written about in fairy tales and movies, and hers filled with growing respect and admiration for you that she never would have expected a few years ago.

The older woman watched her son as he paused to check on Seung Min who was currently sitting on Youngbae's lap eating his lunch. It was obvious how much her grandson loved his uncle, but it was even more obvious how much he absolutely idolized his father.

“I can hardly believe that is the same man you married.” she thoughtfully commented. “He's changed so much.”

“It’s the same man that I saw brief glimpses of hidden beneath years of heartbreaking pain and countless fears.” you replied. “I just get to see him much more frequently now.”

“He’s a very good man, angel.” she told you. “He did well. It’s quite apparent how deeply he loves you.”

“I don’t think I could possibly love him more.” you wistfully agreed with a smile.

After the meal, it was finally time for the Doljabi. You had felt a little strange about dressing in traditional Korean clothes, but after reassurances from both your husband and mother in law that you looked beautiful, you'd just decided to go with it. So after eating, your small family of four went into an adjoining room to change clothes for the ceremony.

When you came back into the banquet hall holding Sung Ja, there were so many camera flashes that you felt temporarily blinded. This section of the party was the only one that the press would have access to, and they were taking full advantage of it. You politely dealt with it until both children began to get impatient, then Seung Hyun moved forward towards the place where the Doljabi itself would take place.

Spread out on the floor was a large rectangle of white satin, with an assortment of things for the twins to choose from. There were the traditional items, of course... string, rice, money and things like that. But you'd put a personal twist on the ceremony as well. Each of your brothers had chosen something to place with the rest of the things. There was a small piggy bank from Seungri and a toy drum from Daesung. Youngbae had added a bible and Jiyong a microphone. Lastly, there was a paint palette to represent Seung Hyun's passion for art and a toy camera for your photography.

You carefully set your daughter down on the floor & Seung Hyun did the same for your son. Both of you watched, nervously holding hands as you waited for the twins to choose an object to predict their future.

The twins crawled cautiously over to the toys, looking over them carefully while babbling to each other in a language only they could understand. After only a few moments, you watched as Sung Ja leaned over her brother to get what she wanted... the microphone. Jiyong could barely contain his excitement, & you heard his whispered, “Yes!” even as Seung Hyun groaned at the thought of his precious little girl becoming an idol like him.

Seung Min, as usual, took a little longer to decide which thing he wanted to pick up. As his sister played with the microphone, singing nonsense into the wrong end, he stared quietly at his choices. Finally he leaned forward, his chubby little fingers coming to rest on the palette. He turned around with it in his hands, proudly displaying the toy for his father's approval.

Looking over you could see the tears of happiness trailing down Seung Hyun's cheeks as he watched his son.

You watched as the twins opened the last of their presents, a toy convertible large enough for them to sit in and peddle around. The gift had elicited the loudest and longest squeal of delight from the one year olds who couldn’t stop touching it and patting it with their hands, completely in awe over it.

You didn’t think that their smile could get any bigger than it was at that moment. “Can you two give Uncle Ji a hug and a kiss for the birthday gift he gave you?” you asked the twins, laughing as they all but ran over to him to hug him.

“I think Jiyong should be banned for a month for spoiling them.” Seung Hyun grunted, his eyes betraying his chiding tone.

“That is what godfathers are supposed to do.” Jiyong proudly proclaimed in mock indignation. “Spoil them rotten and then unleash them on their parents to deal with.”

“You’re exactly right.” Daesung agreed with a nod.

“You weren’t much better, Daesung.” your husband pointed out. “A whole toy medical kit?”

“Just showing them some options for their future.” he said with a proud grin.

“Hey, nobody said anything about my gift.” Seungri pouted.

“I’m sure your gift will keep them up all night with nightmares.” Youngbae told him with a smirk.

“That’s not true!” Seungri maintained. “It’s a great gift.”

“Yes, it is, goofball.” you placated the younger man, patting his knee. “I’m sure Sung Ja especially adores it.”

Seungri grinned smugly, pleased with the attention he was finally receiving. “Anything for my little brat.”

“Who is ready for birthday cake?” Seung Hyun's mother announced as she returned pushing a cart with a huge, tiered cake, complete with decorations keeping in the Mondrian theme.

Both of your children's faces lit up at the sight of the cake, instantly abandoning the new car for the sweet treat that their grandmother had just brought out.

“Halmeoni.” Seung Min babbled, reaching up his hands towards her and the cake. “Cake!"

She laughed as she looked down at the little boy. “This one is for everyone else, Seung Min.” she informed him. “I have a very special cake set aside especially for you.”

The little boys eyes got wide as Hye Yoon and Yeon Jun came out with two smaller cakes, both of them similar to the big one, but only one layer.

“Appa!” he excitedly cried at the sight of his cake.

Picking him up, Seung Hyun sat him down on his lap as you did the same with Sung Ja. Your sister in law set the cake down on a table in front of him & Yeon Jun put his cousins cake down in front of you. Before they could light the single candle on top the cakes, the photographer was already snapping pictures, much to your exasperation, as both of the twins hands immediately went for the cake.

Small fingers dug eagerly into the colorful designs representing one of their father's favorite artists, revealing chocolate cake hidden beneath the thick cover of icing. Seung Min quickly put his fingers into his mouth, sucking the sweet frosting off.

“Well that lasted a whole two seconds.” Seung Hyun frowned as his son turned around and patted his father’s face with his sticky hands. “Great. Thanks, Thing 2.”

You couldn’t hide your amusement at seeing your children and now your husband covered in cake and frosting as Seung Min continued to eat his cake with his fingers, sharing it with his father. You could barely contain your tears of happiness as you watched Seung Hyun trying to avoid being attacked by any more cake and failing miserably.

You could only imagine how the twins second birthday was going to turn out.

Seung Hyun was just returning from cleaning himself up in the restroom when he found his friends all standing in a cluster in the center of the room. As he approached, he saw them pointing and whispering excitedly, laughing about something. Suddenly, he felt a burning desire to find out what it was all about.

“Are you going to tell him?” Dong Wook asked with a laugh.

“I'm not telling him.” Daesung snorted. “I fixed the mess last time. It's someone else's turn.”

“Maybe we shouldn't say anything?” Jiyong offered. “See how long it takes him to figure it out.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Seung Hyun asked, checking under his fingernails yet again to see if he'd missed any bits of cake.

“Oh... um, hi hyung!” Seungri said a little too loudly, causing Youngbae to smack him on the arm.

The group of men all stared at their friend guiltily and he knew they were up to something.

“What's going on... spill!” Seung Hyun said impatiently.

“We don't have to spill.” Dong Wook said with a smirk.

“See for yourself.” Jiyong smiled widely, pointing over to a table in the far corner of the room.

Your husband turned in that direction, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. You were sitting at the table, enjoying dessert with your niece and nephew, laughing at something Yeon Jun had just said. Then Seung Hyun watched as you used your spoon to dig into the bowl in front of you... lifting a huge spoonful of vanilla ice cream to your mouth and taking a bite.

“Oh, shit...” Seung Hyun whispered, causing the men around him to erupt in laughter.

[pendragonfics]

Life Can Only Be Understood Backwards

Guilt Is a Rope That Wears Thin: Chapter One | Chapter Two

Paring: Peter Quill/Reader

Tags: female reader, female pronouns, alien abductions, set after Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 1 but before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, baby Groot, mentions of fandoms, outer space, angst, fluff.

Summary: Abducted by aliens, traded between Ravager factions, and taken in by The Guardians of the Galaxy. Now that's something that you can add to your resume.

Or, alternatively, you make friends with a guy who also was abducted by aliens, and become Team Mom™ to everyone on The Milano.

Word Count: 2,044

Posting Date:  2017-04-25

Current Date: 2017-06-12

Your heart is racing even before you open your eyes. It’s like you know you’re not in your bed, surrounded by your nerd paraphernalia in the college dorms, hell, it’s like you know you’re not even on the same planet as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Maybe that’s because you can smell something that’s completely not of Earth, and can hear chatter that sounds just so alien. When you do open your eyes, it’s like you’ve woken up somewhere amidst a Star Trek convention – standing above you are figures that look like masterpieces of an over-timing makeup department and CGI. But they’re all real, because the blue man with a metal headpiece is staring deep into your soul, his mouth agape to show jagged teeth.

“She’s awake,” His voice sounds like it’s from the south, but his body just reminds you of frat boys who paint themselves for big games. Your heart hasn’t stopped it’s thumping, and almost whimpering, he sees how afraid he is. “Damn, someone get Quill before this Terran frightens herself to death.”

You swallow, wondering what a quill was, and if by ‘Terran’, he meant you, because honestly, you felt like this was a major drug dream. Wondering if your roommate had dosed you on acid, you see a human-looking guy appear, slightly older than you.

“Hey, hey, don’t freak out,” he bends, kneeling to your height, his hands raised. “I’m Peter. Peter Quill. You’re probably –,” He pauses, and shoots the aliens and creatures around him a glare, “Can we have some space? Yondu?”

The blue man, Yondu, nods. “C’mon boys, fun’s over. Leave these Terran’s to their talk.”

The crowd dissipates, leaving you and the guy named Peter there on the floor of what seems to be a real clunker of an area. “Where am I?” You ask him. “I – I was at college yesterday, I went to sleep in my bed, but –,” you catch your breath, eyes flittering over the area you’re in. “This is a dream. A prank. Did Lincoln put you up to this?” You demand, sitting up.

Peter shakes his head. “I don’t know anyone who’s called Lincoln, unless you’re talking about Abraham,” he cracks a little smile. “We intercepted a ship who had, ah, abducted you. You’re not on Earth anymore.”

Your heart skips a beat. Well, that was confirmed, then. “If I’m not on Earth, where am I?” You ask him. “Don’t tell me I’m on the moon. I’m not up for any Doctor Who crap.”

The little smile on his face widens. “I remember that show! It’s still running?” He asks you.

You blink. “I’ve just been abducted, by aliens, am currently at pissing-my-pants scared, and you, are asking me if a British TV show is still running?” You state the facts. “Yeah, it’s still running. They’re up to the twelfth doctor now.” You take a shaky breath, and add, “I’m _________. We’re in a spaceship, aren’t we?”

He grins, and extending a hand, adds, “Great to meet you, _______. If you’d like to come with me, I’m going to take you to a, ah, less crowded place.” Standing, you follow him on unsteady legs from the place you had woken up, traversing the halls of the spaceship behind his footfall. “I was abducted, back when I was a kid. I grew up out here, with Yondu and everyone. I guess that’s a terrible way to relate to another person, but, hey, it’s all we’ve got to go on.” He flashes you a sad smile over his shoulder. “Ah! Here we are. Gamora, she’s awake!”

As if you’d not had a terrible enough day already, you had to be introduced to more aliens. In the room, were the most rag-tag band of people – well, two of them looked like people. One looked like one of the trash pandas who’d rummage through your mother’s garbage at home, and the other like a little sprout…like a tree man. Baby. The lady with green skin, and purple hair eyes you, almost inspecting every molecule you’re made of before she strides forward to shake your hand.

“I am Gamora,” she nods, “It’s not like we needed another mouth to feed, but you look like you are a fighter, and are welcome here.”

You feel your face pale, your hand slackening in her grip. “Fighter? I did not sign up for this shit, I’m terrible at fighting!” You turn to Peter, a panic falling over you. “I’m studying theoretic physics, not intergalactic Fight Club!”

“Ha!” The man the colour of a pale chalk board covered in red markings belted out a laugh which almost made you pee a little in fright. “This is a woman of honour, revealing her strengths! I like her.”

The raccoon gave him a side-eye glare. “Shut it, Drax.”

You take a deep breath, but Peter Quill interrupts you, butting in. “Will everyone just take a breath, and maybe give _______ some space?” He turns to you, and gives a sad smile. “We’re leaving Yondu’s ship in the morning, but before we can drop you back home, we’ve got a mission that needs completing.”

The little tree person nods. “I am Groot.”

The racoon rolls his eyes. “What do you mean, if she even wants to go home? Of course she does, she’s quaking in her bunny slippers.”

You can’t help but glance down at that, but you’re not wearing bunny slippers. You’re not even wearing shoes. Just fluffy bed socks, and the oversized Stevie Wonder shirt you wear to bed. How on Earth did you get abducted by aliens and all that shit in your pyjamas?

“I am Groot!” He intones.

“It doesn’t matter if she looks like a good place for a nap,” He translates, sounding irritated. “Oh, so now I’m not the person you like napping on now. Fine. Nap on someone your own size.”

The pair of them walk off, leaving you, Quill, Gamora and Drax standing there. “By fighter, you didn’t mean like, a hero for hire sort of thing, did you?” you ask Gamora, breaking the silence that was left without the bickering twig and raccoon. “I’m sorry I overreacted, I’m just, like, really scared right now. Wish I had my iPod.” You add, thinking of the 250 tracks on your laptop back in the dorm room.

“iPod? Sounds like an escape mechanism.” Drax muses. “I should like to get one of those. Then I will be able to escape all danger with it.”

You clear your throat. “No – it’s more like, ah, portable music. A Walkman?” Under your breath, you add, “These guys are from outer space, nobody has a Walkman out here.”

Peter grins. “I do! I have two tapes.”

---

It’s eight months later when you realise that you still haven’t been delivered back to your boring old life back on Earth. But you’ve been busy, flying around outer space with the guys who everyone calls The Guardians of The Galaxy (pretty bomb-ass name, - better than The Avengers, but that was you probably being biased because they’d destroyed your favourite café in the Battle of New York), kicking ass, taking names.

You’re more like the planner for their missions – while they’re just doing hero stuff, you’re organising their schedules, making sure The Milano doesn’t run out of fuel, cleaning Drax’s knives after battles, putting all the bombs and doodads Rocket leaves out away in their place. You even take care of Gamora, making sure she’s okay with all the nightmares of Thanos, and eating right.

It’s a long shot from theoretical physics, but when you’re not the Team Mom™ you’re working out equations with textbooks you find at junker stops, and papers that alien academics had written on the subject (thank goodness someone invented translation devices, because otherwise you’d be left staring at scribbles all day). If you ever make it back to Earth, you’re sure going to give the scientists Dr Banner and Stark a run for their money.

But at the moment, the team are between missions, and you’re lying on the lounge with Quill, sharing an earbud each to listen to his tunes. They’re old, but you’re not complaining. It’s not like you miss modern music, it’s all just the same riffs anyways.

“Sorry we never got around to bring you back home to Earth,” he turns to you just as the song Mr. Blue Sky ends. “Not to brag or anything, but the team is much better with you around.”

You can’t help but laugh. “‘Not to brag’ ... dude, you realise that every time you start a sentence with that, you’re bragging?”

Peter chuckles at that. “Yeah, I guess so.” He glances to the tape, and pausing the next track before it begins, he sits up a little. “Don’t like, deck me, but it’s great having you out here with us, and youdon’teverhavetoleaveifyoudon’twantto.”

You frown. “What? I didn’t catch that.”

He sighs. “_______, you don’t ever have to leave if you don’t want to. I’d miss you a heap if you left, and that’s saying something because a butt-load of people I know have left me and I didn’t really miss them until too late. And you’re cool and stuff, and make jokes and you’re like, super smart.”

“Is this you coming onto me, Peter?” You’re half incredulous, because you’ve seen how smooth he is with other people and flirtation. “Or are you just listing all my good attributes like, like a job offer, or something?”

He nods. “Something like that.”

You can’t help but laugh. “I don’t think there was ever really a place for me back on Earth. I had to fight for everything as best as I could to get where I needed to be, and even then, I couldn’t stop fighting until I got it. Hell, even my own parents decided my brother was better than me, and so I did all I could to beat him and get into the best college in the country, get the best marks. But no, he was still the golden boy.” You grit out. It’s been a while since you’ve dwelled about life before you were abducted, but once you’re starting, you can’t seem to stop. “If anything, I’ve really found something worth it out here. And I don’t have to compete. I’m just … me.”

Peter looks almost relieved at your words. “That’s rough, buddy.”

You laugh. “Nice Avatar reference, Star-Lord. But I still want to go to Earth. Just, you know, grab a fresh change of clothes, give my parents the middle-finger, pick up my limited-edition comics.” You skip a beat, and add, “You can even get some more tunes!”

He hesitates. “I…I never told you how I was abducted, did I?”

You shake your head. “I took it as a no-go zone.”

Peter takes a deep breath. “Yondu picked me up on Earth on the day that my mother died. Ever since, I’ve just thought of it as the place where she died, but … if I go back there, I know I’m going to be disappointed.”

You frown, your hand seeking out his to hold it. “How so?”

“Because … nobody will remember her like I do. She’ll just be, you know … another grave in the ground.” Your hand tightens around his, and he squeezes back. “I know, sounds pathetic.”

You shake your head. “No, it doesn’t. It’s like … I know how it feels. When my brother drowned, everyone mourned like they’d lost the moon, like it was gone, no more moon. I realised that when he died, that I was the asshole because all he’d done was existed, and I’d done all I could to one-up him. It never worked, Peter,” you tell him. “If I could go back in time, I’d just once sit down with him, and give him the biggest goddamned hug. It wasn’t his fault he was loved. It wasn’t my fault I wasn’t.”

You feel a tear fall from your eye, but before it can hit the lounge, Peter wipes it away. “Let’s go back to Earth.” He whispers. His face is so close to yours, you can count ever freckle, see every line on his face. “It’s about damn time we get closure.”

You sniffle, leaning your forehead against his, “Hear, hear.”

>> NEXT CHAPTER