#please let me know if you'd like me to change anything

[kabuki-writes]

An Entertainment For The Gods

chapter: 2 chapter 1

pairing: emperor geta/emperor caracalla x acacius' daughter!reader

summary: Through an invitation from the Emperors themselves General Acacius and his daughter attend one of the bloody Gladiator fights at the Colosseum. But this time it is not only the brutality of the arena that encaptures Geta and Caralla.

warning(s): mention of violence | mention of alcohol consumption | swearing | sexual implications | semi-edited | english is not my first language, faults may occur | please let me know if i missed anything

Note: -

word count: 2.5k

There was no bigger temple in Rome than the Colosseum. A monument to the Roman Empire, an architectural masterpiece as well as a slaughterhouse for humans and animals. They had to die for the amusement of the masses in the pale white sand and under the eyes of the Roman citizens as well as the Emperor's. You've never visited the arena before, it just wasn't the entertainment you usually seeked as you fancied the amphitheater and stage plays of comedies or tragedies. No one really died from a well-spoken dialogue and the stages weren't drown in blood afterwords. Your father was a similar soul with this. As someone who had seen war and death countless of times, Acacius developed a distaste for the useless killing, which he argued was the mere core of the collosseum's existence.

But while one would despise this form of humanity at its core brutality, other's simply loved it. First under Commodus the fights in the arena became more frequent, while Septimius Severus after him didn't change anything in that matter. Under Geta and Caracalla however Gladiator fights reached an all time high, especially those 'special' spectacles with exotic animals or ships. They themselves had an own Gladiator school under their wings, which was due to their wealth filled with the most skillful warriors and the best equipment, that it was almost unfair.

Given the fact that both twins enjoyed the performance in the arena and the bloody outcome, it wasn't surprising that they were frequent visitors. For the Emperor the colosseum had an own arena box with the best view over the inner pit and with two throne like chairs for each one of them to sit comfortably. It wasn't unusual for them to have guests here either and this time it was a special one. The moment Geta and Caracalla stepped out, the masses greeted and cheered for their Emperors, who - at least in Rome - offered them bread and games to forget the common sorrows of life. Both of them were dressed in the finest, colorful fabrics, while their golden laurel crowns throned on their heads. They waited for General Acacius at the balustrade to come forward, join them and speak to the people. He was still their celebrated hero, their triumph card, so to speak. It was an easy way to win the hearts of the people through a figure like Acacius, who was the ideal Roman.

After your father held a small, yet powerful speech about the braveness of the Gladiators they'll see today, a slave went forward to place a cushioned chair between the thrones of the Emperors. You hesitated a second, since usually you would be seated at the side of your father. "Since we've heard that you had never witnessed a fight in the arena befoe, we thought you might like a good view", Geta suddenly explained to you, before he sank into his own chair. "Please, sit down."

Your eyes went to your father for a quick exchange and you saw in them how he displeased this way of treatment, yet he nodded and you sat down. More and more you understood that the situation had a differnt tone in it. It wasn't mere courtesy why the Emperors treated you like that and given the way you'd read their eyes, it was more than clear that you've captured their interest. Usually any woman of the realm would fight for that privilege, but you had seen how your father acted in front of them, how worried he was when you first made your way to the palace - something was off. You knew you needed to pay attention and be cautious.

"Citizens of Rome, the arena welcomes you! Emperor Geta, Emperor Caracalla, we the people bow to your greatness and the mighty of our beloved Empire! Under the eyes of the sun the colosseum presents to you a spectacle like no other!", the high-toned, yet thunderous voice of the richly decorated announcer set the beginning of the show and drew all eyes on the white sand down in the arena pit, where a group of men in armor but with a limited equipment of weapons entered through a door from the Colosseum's catacombs. "First we present to you the brave Gladiators that will be our Theseus' today! They may not need to save their Ariadne, but they'll still have to face horde of Minotaurs today in an attempt to safe their own lives!" With those words a couple of other doors opened and six wild bulls entered the arena. Their massive and strong bodies stirred up the sands with every step of their big hooves. They may've been animals, but they had terrible weapons on their head with sharp horns that grew out of their heads.

Caracalla clapped with a joyful laugh. "Oh i love mythological pieces, even though they forgot the labyrinth!"

Your fingers nestled with the fabric of your dress in nervousness as you watched the men prepare themselves for the attack of the angry bulls, which were already pawing with their hooves. More than one set off to ran towards the Gladiators and given the fast but powerful movements of those animals, it didn't take long until the first fighter got overrun by them and another one faced the horns that drilled themselves like spikes into his torso, where blood spilled like a waterfall. The other fighters tried their best to ran or face the bulls with the few weapons they'd been given. One of them even striked down a beast by pressing his sword into its neck, when it was running towards him. You watched the spectacle with a neutral, yet pale face, while the Emperors seemingly enjoyed the show. Geta quickly noticed the way you followed the happenings down in the arena and leaned towards you.

"Are you not entertained, y/n ?", he asked you in a low voice, still loud enough to overcome the cheerings of the crowd. Your eyes went to him, facing the deep blue of his own, while you tried to put on a mask of apathy. "It is hard for me to understand, why useless killing is viewed as entertainment, I'm afraid," you answered, but it just got you an amused smirk in return.

"Oh it is not useless. You see, nothing is as entertaining as humanity itself. What lies more in our human nature than violence, power and the survival of the strongest? Without that, your father wouldn't be able to win all his great victories and our father would not have been able to secure the Roman Empire after the weak reign of the senate."

"And yet Emperor Marcus Aurelius believed that true strength isn't born in violence, but in mindfulness and kindness. The ability to speak, think and therefore to thrive for something higher than mere survival, is what distinguishes us from animals," you responded in a clear, settled tone. This sudden response surprised Geta clearly as his eyes widened and his fingers tensed up. Even Caracalla's eyes had left the arena for a moment and were locked at you. Even though he followed the fight down there, one of his ears had catched every word you'd said. What a sweet, naive woman you were... it made this whole moment even more interesting.

The corners of Geta's mouth twitched and at first you weren't able to tell if he found your words disrespectful or not. In fact, he'd not expected such a bold answer from a woman, especially not against an Emperor. And even though he wouldn't agree with you, it proved him right, that you were not a simple-minded girl. Naive maybe, but not dull.

"Interesting thought, my dear. But would you recite the words to one of these brave warriors down there too? Who will ll earn their freedom, if violence keeps them alive long enough? We offer them a precious gift, and in return they entertain us."

Your eyes went to the pit again, which was mottled in deep red blood now with only one man and one bull remaining. The moment was intense as both animal and human watched each other with intensity, before the bull stormed forward and the speer of the Gladiator, who waited for the perfect moment, hit his opponent. The massive body fell to the ground and the people cheered in Ecstasy. Geta and Caracalla clapped with admiration for the celebrated Gladiator, as he sunk to his knee and bowed to them.

The next round began after the exhausted and wounded 'hero' stumbled through one of the doors, back into the darkness of the catacombs, before he was replaced by a bigger group of Gladiators, who now had to face armed chariots. Their opponents wore the armory of old Sparta while they teared down one after one with their arrows. You leaned back in silence, watched by Caracalla, whose eyes were taking in her side profile for quite a while now. Even though he loved the fights down there, the blood, the violence... you encaptured him more right now. Your stern face, which carried a deep displeasure for this, while you tried so hard to hide it, it was captivating.

Everyone, even his own twin tend to underestimate Caracalla. Even though he was born a couple of minutes earlier than Geta and was therefore technically older than him, his stature was smaller and he wasn't as tall as his brother. This was accompanied by the fact that he enjoyed the pleasantries the god Bacchus had to offer him: wine, music, arts and sex - even more than Geta did. Together with his rather impulsive way of acting, it often led to the false thought that the more capable brother of them was Geta. Oh, Caracalla hated this, it was a misinterpretation weaved like a thread through his whole life. Because he had a gift, he could read people and together with his extensive web of information sources and spies within the city of Rome and beyond, he had a power that lied in the dark. And it was a preparation he did on purpose after he'd learned about the plot that was once set against Emperor Commodus. Some would've said it was paranoia, maybe it was, but he would call it 'preparation'. Nonetheless it came with the pleasant side effect of knowing a lot about the people around him.

"I've heard that you rather choose the theater over the arena", he said with a soft, yet unreadable smile on his lips. "You're a dreamer, aren't you?"

As you heard his voice next to you, your eyes quickly turned to him. "There is nothing wrong with dreaming, my Emperor...", you answered and he nodded quickly as if he'd hoped for that answer. Caracalla even grinned, his golden tooth gleaming in the light. "No, not at all." My Emperor. The way you've said it with your eyes looking at him. It electrified him, so much so that the cheers of the crowd almost faded in the background. You'd faced the pit and the fighters again, but he was still staring at you.

"Which play?"

"Octavia," the name almost shot from you mouth.

"And you consider yourself to be?"

"Octavia. And you?" You didn't even expected him to give you an answer on that, but meanwhile Caracalla's grin grew wider.

"Nero," he said just as fast as you'd answered before.

Your eyes instantly went back to the Emperor, whose eyes were now focused on the deadly fight between a Gladiator and a chariot rider. He couldn't hold back a chuckle, while he watched how the man pushed his sword through the neck of his opponent, ripping off his head.

Nero.

"Why?", you suddenly asked, this time it were your eyes, that watched him.

"I cannot blame him for setting himself free." His answer was almost like a whisper, yet you heard every word. It was a very unconventional way of interpreting the mad Emperor, one she herself would even despise, if he wouldn't seem to be so certain of it. It meant something more.

The arena fight slowly came to an end, when only to oppontents were fighting for the right to claim the victory. Nearly all of the Gladiators and chariot riders were dead, their bodys laying in the pale sand and drowining it with their blood, a weird composition of death that accompanied your questions about Caracalla's answer.

After a final hit, one of the men went down on his knees. He was wounded, severely, and he now felt the tip of a sword against his neck. He surrendered and the gods had to decide what will happen with him. One of the Gods was Geta, who stood up from his chair and approached the balustrade, while the crowd called for a decision. The Gods need to decide, yet Geta suddenly turned his head to you. "What do we say,...? y/n, should he live or die?"

Your face grew even paler than it already was, your fingers were almost digging themselves into the armrests of your chair. You felt a thousand eyes on you, even though it was only Geta and Caracalla watching you, as well as the eyes of your father from behind. The Gladiator waited, while his opponent's arm was cut off and his head was bowed down as if he awaited death. And the crowd screamed and screamend. Death, Death, Death, Death, Death.

It rang in your ears, you didn't want to make this decision. But the moment you faced the Emperor, just as you opened your mouth, Geta simply bowed his thumb down - Death.

And the sword went down. Death.

The head dropped in the sand followed by the body, the cheers errupted in the arena, screaming the name of the victorious Gladiator. But you just stared into the nothingness that was in front of you, while you bit your tongue to the point of pain. "Don't pain yourself about this, my dear. There was only one answer anyways," Geta said while he suddenly reached out for your hand and kissed your knuckles, before he took his glass of wine. You didn't move, you couldn't.

Caracalla stared at this scenery and his fingers were shaking as his eyes darkened. The intense urge came up his mind: To simply take his brother and throw him from this box into the pit, his neck breaking from the impact. Those thoughts sometimes came and went, but they got more intense every time he saw Geta interacting with you. And this interaction hit a new high point in him that was only interruped by your form the moment you stood up.

"My Emperors, it was a pleasure to join you, but i need to leave now...", you said in a tone that tried so hard to be polite and not carry any emotion, before you turned your back and quickly stepped out of the imperial arena box, followed by your father General Acacius, who bowed and excused himself in an equally neutral tone.

Both Geta and Caracalla watched them leaving, before the taller one of the twins took a deep sip of his wine. "She'll learn to love it sooner or later."

______________________________

Tags:

@barcelonaloverf1life @naysha140 @shinnerslighttt @mmkkzz @ange-olras @earfq0ake honey-eyed-munson @koshkahhh

Please leave a comment, if you want to be tagged in the next chapter.

If you liked my fic, please feel free to like, reblog and leave a comment. I am always happy to hear your thoughts <3

[zigrethsnotebook]

How do you manage to make even the most mundane things sound exciting?

Ford x Reader

words: 3,154

tags: sfw, hurt and comfort

a/n: this was the only note i made for myself before writing this: hnghnghng this is about moths now so yeah... enjoy:)

It's been a whole year. The twins are back from their sea adventure and the kids are staying with them for the summer again. You were on your way over to the shack. Stan had written you a letter, inviting you over. He said it'd be nice to catch up, tell you and the kids all about their time at sea and that way they wouldn't have to tell the stories twice.

The stories weren't the only thing you were excited for. Before they had left Stan had encouraged you to confess to Ford, insisting that his brother felt the same for you as you did for him. But when you told him he just went silent for way too long.

"Ford?" A nervous chuckle escaped you. "Please say something?" He looked into your eyes, his gaze blank and unreadable. "I'm sorry." The words felt like a dagger to your heart. "F-for what?" You at least wanted him to have the balls to say that he doesn't care for you. "I don't see a romantic relationship between us having a future. Especially with Stan and I going out to sea tomorrow. I'm sorry."

You just nodded, taking the words in. "...This didn’t ruin what we have, did it? Will we still be friends when you get back?" Your voice was small, afraid of his answer. "I'll always be your friend." A sigh of relief. The idea of him not being a part of your life had been the reason you didn’t want to confess to him in the first place. You only did it because Stan was so convincing that he reciprocated your feelings. Turns out you were both wrong.

You shook your head, breaking yourself out of the bad memory. After almost an entire year, you had come to terms with it. Now, you were just excited to see your friend again. Excited to have a normal conversation with him again.

Back in the shack the Family was preparing everything. The kids and Soos got the snacks and drinks ready while the Twins were busy starting the campfire. Stan watched as Ford poked around in the fire. He shook his head.

"I'll never understand it." Ford looked up at his brother. "I'll never understand how someone as smart as you could let go of the person who would have been the best thing in his life." Ford sighed. They had had this talk before.

It was pretty much the only thing they talked about the first week at sea. Stan would also bring it up anytime a night on the boat was too long and too quiet.

"We have nothing in common... That and our lifes are way too dangerous, I can't bring another person with me." He saw the disapproving look on Stan's face. "It's not like I have anything to offer. I've spent my whole life buried in books and research. I don't know how to be in a relationship."

Stan scoffed at that. "What are you talking about, Sixer? You're a catch! Times change, Nerds are the new Jocks. There's a reason I was the second choice for most of the babes we met." A bittersweet chuckle escaped Stan.

Ford sighed, focusing on the fire again. "It doesn't matter anyway. Even if I wanted to try again, I highly doubt that they're still single." Now that was something Stan couldn't counter. Mainly because it's something he hadn't even considered. You were so head-over-heels for Ford the last time you and Stan talked, it just didn’t seem likely that you'd go looking for someone else.

The kids and Soos came outside, carrying marshmallows, crackers, chocolate and Soda. Dipper was the first to sit down on one of the logs. "I can't wait to hear of all the creatures you found! It must have been awesome!"

"You bet!" Stan grinned at the boy. "But we won't start with the stories yet, someone is still missing." Ford looked at his brother suspiciously. "What are you talking about, Stanley?" At the same time Mabel's eyes widened. "Are you saying we get to see-" She was cut off as Stan stood up and called out your name, announcing your arrival.

You smiled sheepishly and greeted everyone. The kids were super excited to see you again and Mabel ran over to hug you. You hadn't realized how much you missed them. When she let go of you she practically dragged you over to the campfire. Stan, who was still standing, hugged you as well.

"It's good to see ya again, toots." You chuckled. "I missed you, too, Stan." You broke the hug and turned to Ford who made no effort to get up or anything along those lines. Instead, you just waved at him, but gave him the same fond smile you had shown the others. "The same goes for you, Ford."

Behind you, Stan frowned at his brother, obviously disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm he showed you. He quickly put on a smile as he addressed you again. "Please, take a seat! We were just about to begin with our stories."

You sat down between Stan and Soos, who just greeted you with a simple "Hey dude". You two had become friends over the course of the last year.

Soon everyone had prepared a stick with a marshmallow and held it over the fire while Stan told the most extravagant stories of their travels. You were glued to his every word, his storytelling being how you two became friends in the first place.

You were so engrossed in the stories that you didn’t notice the way Ford looked at you. He adored you. The way the warm light of the fire illuminated your features perfectly. The way your eyes seemed to sparkle with pure joy as Stan talked about heroically fighting off some beasts. Hell, he loved you.

This wasn't news to him, of course. Ford had known this for over a year. In fact, when you confessed your feelings for him, he wanted to hug you, kiss you, propose to you on the spot. But he didn’t. Because he felt like he wasn't enough.

Ford felt like he didn’t deserve happiness after almost ending the world and he knew that he would achieve it if he let himself be with you.

Back then, after you had left, Ford had told Stan about the whole thing, who took him by the shoulders and shook him, asking him if he was insane. The next day, when they were about to leave, you had stopped by to say goodbye to Stan, but refused to speak to Ford, politely making up a reason why you had to leave again.

It had crushed him. Ford wanted to sprint after you, turn you around and kiss you all dramatically like in the movies. But he didn’t. Because he had hurt you already and didn’t dare to make it even worse.

Which, of course, had made it worse anyway. The way you had parted ways meant that you were left all alone with a broken heart. And you couldn't even talk to your best friend about it because he was on the same boat as Ford.

But now, as Ford looked at you again, he felt all the feelings he had been trying to bury beneath the ocean floor bubble back up again.

"And that is how Ford and I defeated the mighty Kraken!" Stan was standing, his hands raised to the sky in triumph. All of you cheered and clapped your hands. It was so good to hear his gruff voice and exaggerated stories again. Although, you were more inclined to believe him this time.

The evening went on with more stories, smores and lots of laughter. You were so relieved to have them back in your life again, all four of them. You had missed them more than you realized.

Eventually, it turned late and the kids began to get sleepy. The fire had also died down. In a joined effort you all cleaned the place back up, bringing the rest of the snacks and drink back inside the shack.

After putting more things on the kitchen table for Stan and the kids to put away you went outside again to see if there was anything else to get. Soos came your way and you held the door open for him as you stepped outside.

Ford was still there. "That's everything. Soos took the last of it." You nodded. "Neat." You were about to step back inside again when you felt Ford's energy shift to a more energetic one. He pointed to the porch light.

"Look at that! That's a Tyria jacobaeae! I haven't seen one of these in ages. A beautiful creature, just look at the markings on its wings, the bright red color..." Ford looked at the moth in awe and when you stepped closer you realized why.

The little black and red creature truly was stunning. But if Ford hadn't pointed it out then you never would have noticed it. "It is really pretty. But there is no way I'm gonna remember a latin name for anything." You chuckled lightly as you said it.

Ford hummed in acknowledgement. "Well, it is more commonly known as the Cinnabar Moth. Cinnabar, like the mineral, of course, because of its striking color. It wards off predators, letting them know that they're toxic."

You instinctively took a step back and Ford chuckled at your reaction. "There is nothing for you to worry about unless you plan to eat the little guy." You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. "Haha, no. Doesn't really fit my diet." Ford and you shared a laugh together.

Another, considerably larger, moth joined the other one at the lamp. This one was bright white and yellow with little black dots on its wings. Ford nodded knowingly as he spotted it. "Estigmene acrea. The Salt Marsh Moth. Very pretty, but did you know that these little guys aren't very well liked around here?"

Even though it was a rhetorical question you shook your head 'no' and sat down on the couch Stan kept on the porch, letting Ford lecture you. He quickly sat down next to you as he continued. "They feed on most crops which means that farmers have to be on the lookout for them around this time."

God, how you had missed this. Just hanging out with Ford, letting him tell you all about a subject he was passionate about was one of your favorite things in the world.

Your gaze shifted from the Moths in front of you to Ford's face as he kept on talking about the little creatures. You didn’t try to keep the look of adoration off your face as you watched him animatedly explain the differences in their wingspans.

Eventually, he noticed your staring and turned his eyes to you, stuttering his speech to a halt. You chuckled fondly. "How do you manage to make even the most mundane things sound exciting?" He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You just have to open your eyes and learn to find beauty in the mundane. That way you won't ever be bored again." As if on its own your body leaned towards him. You quickly stopped yourself. He rejected you once, you didn’t need to go through that again. Ford hadn't noticed.

You forced your eyes away from his and toward the moths again with a sigh. "The only times I haven't felt any boredom were the days I spent with you last year." A tight feeling settled in your chest as you spoke the words, but you couldn't stop yourself. "And today, of course."

You tried to keep your tone casual, your voice light. Ford felt an ache in his heart. He wanted you to never be bored again, show you the world through his eyes. Show you how he saw you.

"Surely you weren't bored every day of this past year, right? I bet you went on at least one interesting date?" He tried to keep his tone equally casual. Tried to keep the desperation out of his voice.

You snorted. "Yeah, right. Who'd wanna date me?" "I would." You froze. Surely you had misheard him? You turned to look at Ford again, his expression was... honest?

You frowned. "I'm not in the mood for jokes, Ford." You stood and turned, about to walk away. Ford grabbed your wrist, stopping you. "Who's laughing?" You pressed your eyes shut and stayed with your back to Ford, unable to look at him.

"I just got over you. Don't make me go through all of that again." Ford felt his heart shatter in his chest. "I am so sorry." He paused, trying to find the right words. "I was a selfish asshole. And you deserved so much better. You still deserve someone so much better than me."

Ford took a deep breath, still holding tightly onto your wrist. He couldn't let you go until you knew the truth. "I, on the other hand, don't deserve your forgiveness. Hell," A bitter laugh escaped him, "it took Stan a whole year to convince me that maybe I deserve to be happy sometimes at all, even though I almost caused the world to end."

He took a shaky breath, tears pricking at his eyes. But he wasn't done yet. "I spent the whole year regretting every word I said to you that day. Because... what I didn’t have the guts to tell you then is... I love you."

Ford stared at the back of your head, looking for any movement at all that could give away how you felt about his words. But you didn’t move for a moment, didn’t spare him a glance. Without a word, you flexed your arm and pulled hard, tearing your wrist from his grip.

You walked away from him and the shack without turning back. Ford was in shambles, his legs trembling and tears flowing freely. He wouldn't have been able to follow you.

Stan and the kids had watched the whole thing unfold from one of the windows, being attracted to the sudden noise like moths to the light. Now they stood shocked, with their jaws on the floor.

Back at home you threw your shoes and jacket in a corner before collapsing onto your bed. You were angry at Ford for treating you like that, playing with your emotions for over a year. Slowly, it settled in that Ford had just confessed his love to you.

After a year of thinking he didn’t want you that way, it left your emotions all over the place. Angry, sad and with a weird feeling of relief you cried yourself to sleep.

A soft knock to your window woke you up again. It was still dark outside. It was a big window that led to a balcony. You stepped in front of it and pulled the curtains back, revealing Ford. He looked like a kicked puppy, making it impossible for you to ignore him.

You opened the window and stepped outside to him. "What do you want, Ford?" He cringed at your harsh tone of voice. "I came to apologize... again. I know I hurt you. I know I behaved all wrong. And I'm sorry." He looked up into your eyes.

"I don't expect you to fall into my arms or anything like that. You're over me and that's fine. I won't try to win you back. I-I just wanted to be honest... but, maybe that made it worse again..." Ford shook his head, starting to pace around in front of you.

You took a deep breath. It was time to just let go of your anger and instead seize the moment while you had the chance. "Ford." He turned to look at you with big, hopeful eyes. "I'm not over you."

He took a step closer as you continued. "I thought I was. But everything that happened tonight... everything you said... I still love you." You locked eyes with him and you could see the relief flooding through him as he let out the breath he was holding.

Silence washed over the both of you, neither sure how to proceed. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable either.

The dull moonlight cast a blue hue over the both of you. You looked up at Ford's hair, admiring the way the light made it glow, when a little winged creature landed on his perfect hair. A smile crept on your face and you raised your eyebrow along with your hand to his hair.

Carefully, you held your hand out to the creature, offering your finger to sit on. Ford stayed quiet and you urged him not to move too much with one hand on his chest. The animal took your offer and when you felt every one of its six legs on your finger you brought your hand back down.

You held the little moth between you two. Its wings were light-blue with dark tips. Ford smiled at the creature. "Lomographa semiclarata or Bluish Spring Moth." He put one of his hands under yours, making you both hold it together.

"Did you know that in a more spiritual sense, moths often symbolize transformation and are generally considered as a good omen?" You looked up from the moth and smiled softly at him. "Is that so?" You let the hand you still held on his chest wander upwards to his neck.

Ford nodded lightly. "They represent positive conclusions." You let out a content breath, accidentally startling the moth into flight. Both of you followed the creature with your eyes. "...And sometimes death."

You laughed and lightly swatted him on the chest with your now free hand. "You better not die on me, Ford." He placed one of his hands on top of yours that was now on his chest and the other one on your waist, pulling you closer. "I wouldn't dare."

Ford slowly moved his face closer to yours, giving you plenty of time to back away in case you didn’t want what was about to happen. But why wouldn't you, this is the moment you spent an entire year dreaming about!

You let your eyes flutter shut and soon enough felt Ford's lips on yours. They were softer than you imagined, making you smile slightly into the kiss. You moved your lips against his in a way that felt just right. Like this was how it was always supposed to be.

Ford sighed into the kiss, finally relaxing and letting himself enjoy the moment. This was the kiss you would remember forever. Especially because he would immortalize it in his journal first thing tomorrow morning.

When you both parted you felt like you were floating. You rested your head on Ford's shoulder, just enjoying finally being able to hold him like this.

"Positive conclusion, indeed."

[siennachavcz]

starter for: @alcrayildiz

location: Enchanted Gowns

Sienna needed to cheer up a friend who recently lost a pet and felt that there was only one way to do so — get drunk while trying on some wedding dresses. Little did she realize that trying to uplift a friend's spirits by reminding them how single they were wasn't the best of ideas when her friend got emotional and ran out in the middle of their hour long reservation. "Well, that didn't go as planned." She turned towards the owner with an awkward smile. "This sort of thing must happen a lot, huh?"

[popcultr]

CLOSED STARTER FOR @gccdwitch

MUSE: dylan webb /  / 25 / musician / pansexual

PLOT: "when the first photos of them together show up on social media, they’re fandoms, who have almost no overlap with each other, have a lot to say about it..." (from these rockstar x popstar prompts)

dylan flops down next to the other, pulling up her instagram, "your fans don't like me". she gets up the selfie she'd posted of the two of them, holding out her phone towards them, "you should read some of these comments, they are wild".

[nazliuzun]

starter for: @jessexgraves

location: rizzo's dinner

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Nazli asked as she began to pull back the chair so she could have a seat. "I'm meant to meet this guy for a lunch date but I'm realizing that he catfished me and I don't want to deal with turning him down." It was the cowards way out but she'd dealt with two too many karen's earlier that morning and she didn't have it in her to be nice about her words. "I'll pay for your lunch if you let me sit and hide until he leaves. Trust me, him thinking that I stood him up is a softer blow than I'd give him. It's been a rough day."

[wishmcker]

∘ ◦ 🍊 — starter call @pareidolah / pudding

Nami is still unsure of how she is supposed to feel towards Pudding. After initially admitting to betraying both Sanji and the other Straw Hats and then ultimately choosing to assist them with their escape, the navigator it still filled with complicated emotions.

So seeing her again, approaching the chocolatier, Nami chooses to approach cautiously.

❝ Your mother chased us to Wano, ❞ she says. ❝ Did you know she was going to team up with Kaidō? ❞

[caliblorn]

HAPPY LATE CHRISTMAS @falmerbrook!!!!!!!!! Sorry for being such a late Secret Santa...

I've loved your argonian designs since I found you on tumblr so I KNEW I had to draw one of your ocs when I got your name. And Stellar was indeed the winner!!! Both him and Ramshuribani give off such chaotic energy that them dancing around a fire just came naturally to me. Or maybe it was the fault of hours of hurdy-gurdy music on loop. In any case, hope you like it! <3

[selinymaz]

for: @gabevargas at everything goes

"Does this taste burnt to you?" Selin placed her cup of coffee in front of him, unsure if she'd do anything about it if it was burnt given that her sister owned the place— and though she'd be the first to tell her if they were in the privacy of an home— doing so at her workplace was different.

"It's probably one of her idiot workers who made it." She concluded. Her leg crossed over the other after she fell further into the seat and paused to look him over from toe to forehead. "Are you hungover or is this look the aftermath of one of those hot yoga sessions?"

[mad-hunts]

a starter for @sillyjokes related to this prompt '[ ESCAPE ]: our muses are both inmates planning a daring escape from a maximum-security prison' will be ahead.

when nightfall finally came that day, specifically whilst in the infirmary of arkham asylum... barton opened his eyes with every intention to escape. there did seem to be a certain order to the schedule the nurse and doctor followed during the graveyard shift after all. and that would give barton an opening to make his move. seemingly just by chance, the nurse that worked the night shift that week always seemed to take a smoke break right at midnight; which meant that he'd have a window (albeit a narrow one) to deal with the doctor without any interruptions and crawl up into the vents.

this also entailed that he couldn't afford to make any mistakes, however, so barton double-checked to make sure the nurse was gone from the infirmary before quietly sliding out of his bed. the details behind how he got there were fortunately not too grisly. he'd just purposely provoked another inmate into hitting him over the head, and had ended up with a moderate concussion because of it. but barton knew that such an injury would still land him in this wing of arkham so he believed it'd be worth enduring it to end up in the infirmary.

barton only wished that he was able to get his hands on a scalpel earlier. it was pretty much an unavoidable fact that, with how careful the doctor during the day shift was when accounting for all of his instruments, it was going to take him some time to obtain one despite that. the dollmaker held the metal tool by his side as he snuck behind the doctor whom had his back turned to the beds (bad idea) and reached an arm out to quickly put him in a chokehold. pressing on the man's windpipe was all he could do to possibly stop him from crying out for help, before barton sunk that blade into his neck - blood spewing from the area almost immediately.

barton held onto the man all throughout this only to pick him up at the last second. due to the fact that the vent was far up onto the ceiling, he would need to use his body as a 'boost' up against the wall in order to reach it. once he'd done that, it was just a matter of unscrewing the bolts that kept the vent in place before he reached up to crawl through it, shutting the vent up behind him. he had about ten minutes now until the nurse came back and discovered he was gone... therefore, barton had to make the most of that. he soon ran into a bit of a problem however.

right as he dropped down from the vents, barton came face-to-face with the joker's cell instead of where he'd intended to go, which was the surveillance room that had an override button that'd allow him to open all the cells. and he'd just caught the attention of a certain guard who was standing just a few spaces from him. of course the man rose up his gun whilst approaching barton, telling him to 'get on the ground' afterwards. he'd complied in a kneeling position and just as he was about to grab his wrist to cuff him, barton pulled the man forward by the wrist - sinking his blade into his chest all the while but not before the alarm that someone was missing started to go off.

shit. well, now that he was here, barton figured he might as well let perhaps both the best and the worst person out if he couldn't get everyone to cause chaos in the building. he grabbed the now dead guards keys and unlocked the door to the joker's cell. the man's gun was now in barton's possession, luckily, but that didn't meant they were out of the woods yet. he let out a deep exhale out of stress and swung the door open while saying, ❝ well? i'm giving you a chance to get the hell out of here with me, because you might be useful, even though i absolutely fucking hate your guts. so are you coming or what? ❞

[ghosthuntcr]

" can you hear my voice ? " - From Sylvester (in his Deadly Feathers AU)

It was really amazing what you could find, if you knew where to look. And Steph, well, he was certainly good at looking. So! Abandoned hospital? He had started his research the moment he heard about the place. There was lots of precedence for spirits in places that harbored negative energy after all-- so a hospital was already of high interest. And this one was even more perfect than the average hospital as he had learned, abandoned after a raging fire that trapped and killed a number of staff and patients alike. All of the loss, the fear... it had the potential to be a total ghost central!

So off he went. He stands now in the charred remains of the burnt wing-- where the structure had somehow survived but everything it held hadn't been so lucky. It's dark, sometimes spirits are more receptive to dark spaces, but he's set up a camera or two, one with night vision and another with thermal imaging capabilities. You would need neither to see him, though-- every patch and pin he wears is glowing in the dark. Even the star on his necklace and his shoelaces glow, there would be no possible way to miss him.

His handheld device of choice for now is the spirit box-- while he's not the biggest fan of the constant pulsing static noise he does ultimately love the device itself for its ability to allow a spirit's voice through if it so wishes. He'd just gotten set up and asked his first question, a very simple "Is anyone there?" When-- a voice comes through. It's clear as day. A REAL VOICE CAME THROUGH?? Steph gasps, nearly dropping the device in his excitement as his eyes grow wide. "Yes!! Yes, I can hear you!" His grin is unmatched. "What's your name?"

[iuaraes]

      The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections. The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.

      Going to the academy was scary, no matter how many years she had been there already, it was still a bit scary to be around so many people and to have to uphold her image as to not shame her father. Still, she couldn't be other than what she was, the kindness of the moon in her eyes, as gentle as the midnight breeze. She had caught sight of a classmate crouching and staring intensely at the ground, even after Iruka-sensei had called them back inside.

      Sheepishily she walked up to him, tiny hands shaking before she spoke. ❛  S-shino-kun...?  ❜ Hinata spoke his name softly, crouching a few steps away. ❛  A-are you okay? I-iruka-sensei said we should g-go back inside.  ❜  Hinata tilted her head, curious as to what her classmate was doing. They weren't friends. She didn't have any, but Shino was one of the people she admired within her class. 

@kikaichuno

[dimobserver]

i hope it's fine like this? ^^

[siennachavcz]

starter for: @deanstrickland

location: nash's supermarket

"Dean," Sienna called out from the other end of the aisle when she saw the unmistakable figure at the other end. Even with his back turned towards her, she knew it was him without a shadow of a doubt for numerous reasons. There weren't many people who were as large as he was but she'd also seen more of his body in her past. Not that she'd ever admit it to be memorable. "I'm surprised to find you by the fruit and vegetables. I pegged you more as a frozen meal type of guy."

[popcultr]

CLOSED STARTER FOR @champagns

MUSE: reese huáng / 27 / pansexual

based on THIS plot

reese had gotten their text and she wasn't happy, she couldn't believe what they were saying. "is this some bullshit prank?" she texts back, feeling confused and a little bit upset, "cause if it is, this isn't funny".

[lgcxminji]

sway to my beat

starter for @lgcharu

'dating' isn't something minji has done a whole lot of yet. she's had a few here and there, mostly during high school. but that was a long time ago, and ever since she's become invested in her career at such a strong level, dating is not something that regularly crosses her mind.

enter date lottery. she made the decision to sign up mainly to prove to herself that she could do it in the first place. and now that the day of filming is actually here, and she's about to be on a blind 'date' with someone, she's excited to try it out once again, even if it's all just for show.

she's relieved to find that someone she knows somewhat well- haru, her castmate from cheer up, is her partner. she doesn't have to worry so much about formalities; she can just spend the evening with a friend. "you know what, the pancake clue makes sense now," she chuckles as she settles into a seat at a classy, semi-upscale bar and grill restaurant in central seoul. "i was thinking, 'who do i know that likes pancakes?' but the jeon connection- that was pretty clever."

as they wait for the server to take their order, she decides to start with some small talk- even if just to get some sort of a conversation going. "it's been a while since we've gotten to talk since cheer up, she notes. after all, it was last summer that they started filming for the series. "have you been up to a lot these days?" she curiously inquires, quickly adjusting her curled hair as she begins to catch up with the older idol.

[osteus]

      The white haired male had been surprised when his master approached him, remembered being wide-eyed and eager to serve the snake sage, though the shock by what had been asked of him had been clearly written all over his face as he recalled the man’s gentle chuckling. Kimimaro was needed by the Akatsuki, how odd was to hear that. To be needed by someone else, an entire organisation having come to Orochimaru to ask for him specifically. What could they need him for, he wondered as he travelled to the indicated location. 

      Even if he had been against it, Kimimaro would have no choice but to accept this mission. It was what Orochimaru-sama wanted of him. It didn’t take him long to reach his destination, despite his illness Kimimaro wasn’t one to take breaks, he did not stop even if his bone begged for rest. Having lived for years simply choosing to ignore his whole body slowly dying.

      There, jade-like eyes fell onto two lonely figures, the red clouds of the duo’s cloaks an immediate warning to everyone who might have wanted to stir trouble with them. The Akatsuki were creating a name for themselves in the shinobi world, and not a name Kimimaro thought was good, but if Orochimaru trusted them enough, then so did he. He walked up to the two cloaked figures and bowed his head slightly. 

      ❛  Orochimaru-sama has sent me to aid in your mission.  ❜ He stated, evergreen eyes searching the other two men inquisitively, despite what Orochimaru had told him, Kimimaro wasn’t sure if he was truly the best for this job. ❛  I am Kaguya Kimimaro.  ❜  His name fell delicately from his mouth, and he straightened himself up, blinking as he felt the ache getting more intense.

      ❛  I assume you know what we are supposed to do? Orochimaru-sama said it was important that I came right away, so he didn’t have time to give me many the details.  ❜  The white-haired boy stared at the one who could only be Uchiha Itachi. No one else had those eyes, after all. 

@kiigan