#seriously kiwi I have no idea how old this ask is

[xxarmchairphilosopherxx]

Why we love Five Nights at Freddy’s a tribute to an unexpected fandom

So, Five Evenings at Frederick von Ferdinand’s…

 Ok stay with me here guys I swear it will be ok. No convoluted lore timeline analysis here… Though I can’t promise that one day I won’t throw my hat in the ring and complete my insanity completionist speed run. But until that point inevitably comes, I wanted to take a step back from all the games, comics, and hot topic merch to ask that all important question. Y?

           No seriously how is this franchise so popular? It’s not just with the older audience either but with its apparent core demographic of kids. Which to be fully honest with its release being almost 10 years ago now all us technically started this journey as little ones, so I guess that’s not as surprising. Hm somewhere between Fazbear and today we all grew up… But I digress.

           Let me answer this question by asking another, Why is Harry Potter so popular? Some of you may say “oh it’s the world building or the characters or this that and the other thing lengardium LEveOsA!” No that’s not good enough, 10 vbucks away from Snuffleclaw house!

These are not unique to Harry Potter, these are qualities that almost any franchise needs to become popular. But what was key to harry potters success?

It’s not a fantasy novel, it’s a mystery novel.

Seriously it may not seem like it but almost everyone likes mystery stories. Look at Sherlock the brilliant Brit is one of the most famous characters in all of western media even though most people haven’t even read the originals. Crime tv is the only thing keeping cable tv alive, and the funny kiwi man tells me this mystery box is all he needs to make a good star wars movie! Ok maybe not all of those are the best example but that’s where the magic (heh) comes in. JK “rolling on the floor” hid the mystery series under a fantasy story about wizards, dragons, and all that actual fun stuff. But what made us stay there and not head over to re watch Lord of the rings for the 20th time to tell our friends that Viggo broke his toe, was that human trait so deadly to cats; curiosity.

           We just love what we can’t understand. We need to know it and that’s what keeps drawing us back, not only to the escapades of the least dangerous school in England. But with the recent happenings at old Freddy Foozler’s Italian Cuisine. You know a mystery is good when not even the sharpest minds of Reddit can figure it out… Ok, another bad example, but still this shit is cray just look at these timelines.

 I can’t even tell how many kids are dead anymore! Just like Nancy Drew gets the kids’ reading, so does Harry potter, but more importantly Freddy FazeClanBear get those nerds out of them books and into gaming like God intended.

           Oh, and an aside to this is the pure fact that kids, despite all signs saying no, the little munchkins love to be scared. You know how it felt right? When you watched that episode of goosebumps with the pig head kid with all the lights off? You felt a little braver when it was all over. And it’s the same reason why we all loved to play those violent games or raunchy episodes of family guy when we were kids. When a youngin sees the ratings anything over their given age that’s a challenge. Adult stuff has been and always will be seen as cool and edgy; and gosh dang it if there’s one truth in this world besides the indisputable fact that blue is a flavor and can be only distilled in the 7 eleven slushie machine. It’s that kids want to be cool, and the Possessed Chuck e Cheese Copyright Infringement Brigade got the keys to that all so coveted cool kids club.

           Another aspect that’s gonna get a bit strange is the idea of Character…

Now logically you will ask “how can a bunch of possessed animatronics with a vocal range of distorted child scream to guttural groan from the depths of hell, have any actual character?” Well, My good friend take a trip with me to the forbidden forest of the human subconscious: The internet!!!

Well mainly one aspect I’ve noticed through my many hours spent trudging the coded catacombs in search of the dankest and rankest of memes. That is, when faced with fear we usually try to make it funny. The following are in cannon possessed by a dead kids.

This comedic-fication of Freddy and the Gang came form two sources. First of course was wanting a sense of relief. You can’t be afraid of something when it’s got a mouth full of blunts dancing to snoop doggy dog’s Cremate Cannabis Customarily. And also it was just a natural consequence of the game itself for example. You in the back what is the equation for comedy?

(Pause for your stuttering response)

         That’s right!

          Misery + Time= Funny

          Exactly! Good job gold star for you champ see me after class and maybe you’ll get a little treat~ Wait sorry wrong script hold on (shuffles papers).

          Ahem here we are... These games while also being scary were at times insanely difficult to the point where even the man behind the game itself was unsure if its higher difficulties could even be completed. But from the misery of fear and rage, came the memes of dank and WANK… No no stop no nsfw here! Gosh these scripts are all over the place hold on.

           Ahemx2. Now these comedic bits also happened to mix with some of the core gameplay behaviors of the animatronic animals which lead to some odd things starting to rise to the surface. A Character.

           Take Foxy for example. An aggressive gameplay loop, mixed with his implied solitary nature in Pirates Cove made him generally a grumpy kind of guy who hates the night guard. Maybe he’s even more aware of the situation than the others. Then the big Faz himself with a more strategic code and being the main cheese himself, maybe he’s like the begrudging ring leader of the group and just too tired for this shit. And Bota Bing Bota boom in the primordial soup of Tumblr and deviantart… and hint of furry. You have characters! and characters need stories, and drama, dynamics, backstories, and ships! Oh the ships, the ships like FEDEX!!! And since these primordial soup characters are 50% meme by volume, there is no cannon! But then also, everything is cannon!

        So just like that weird doujin writer taking a bunch of legendary characters and making some weird dating sim and taking up whatever lore he wanted because that’s what everyone did before him (ie Fate Stay Night). So too did Xxgoldenshadowfreddy1987xX using MS paint make his series of comics detailing the break room shenanigans of Freddy and Co. And also inspired the likes of Thisaccountismine23 to write the most poetic story about the end of life, the eternal essence of the soul, and how it can be seen in the eyes of a child. Which just so happened to be set in the Fnaf 2 location with Mike Schmidt and his oddly attractive robot furry friends.

           You see what I’m getting at here? This is why it’s so damn popular. It’s this weird combination of memes, murder, and mystery; it creates a beautiful canvas that’s both as blank and as filled as any creative person wants it to be. And its self-feeding loop too. Fanon affects how one sees the cannon, and with a canon in constant flux and a fanon that shouldn’t even exist, you got yourself a recipe for a once in a lifetime Super Fandom.

           And to wrap this up in a nice little bow you could show your therapist this Friday, I wanted to take a moment and say a few words. 434 to be exact. If there’s one thing I learned growing up and working with kids allot, especially as I got older myself, is that there’s nothing worse than seeing yourself become that adult whose not just out of touch but who mocks a kids hobbies and interests and makes them feel bad for what they’re into. I knew what that was like and I’m sure anyone watching young or old knows what that’s like too. It hurts and it can make that thing that you liked, that gave you a bit of joy or comfort, have a sour taste in your mouth. And that can hurt all the worse. So when I caught myself being like that to these little ones, I didn’t like it. So I swore to be better than that. Now I joke about ‘fuck them kids all the time’. But it’s only a joke pure and simple. I don’t call any of these things cringe anymore even if it doesn’t jive with me, even if I feel cringed by it, I try not to be that way anymore. I don’t like shitting on what could be a kids first forefronts into art, music, or writing. I sure as hell don’t want them looking back on their old work and feel ashamed. If they moved on or not it doesn’t matter, they should be proud of their work, any work, if they gave their all. Hell, you can take a good look at my YouTube channel (@lazyboywiseguy) (#shamelessplug). I know damned well some of that stuff could be called cringe today but I’ll tell you what. Some those vids did some numbers and that means that someone somewhere enjoyed them. To that someone and to me they are not cringe. I like those things and the things I made with them. I like FNAF and the weird ass community it made for itself. And I just want to say to you at home, don’t worry about cringe or based, just be, for that is based-est thing of all. And kids don’t let some old bat say the stuff your into is wack yo. And to any older readers don’t be ashamed of anything that gives you joy. In reality that’s a lesson for young and old. Life’s too short for that, be happy and be good, that’s all you need.

           Sorry to end this on a less than memey note but I think that’s enough out of me. This FNAF lore script won’t put me in the insane asylum itself. So back to my mad ramblings I go, until next time. Smell ya latter.

[pinkiepiebones]

prompt: the ghouls discovering stim toys

I have no earthly idea how long this has been in my inbox but I found it so~ -

Like most things, it was Special’s fault.

Special had always been the odd ghoul out. He was the only ghoul in recorded church history to choose a gender. He was the only ghoul to posess the ability to telepathically communicate in a way that did not instill dread and terror in the humans nearby. He was the only ghoul to use his Satan-given glamour magic to construct an eerily decent human guise (“My human-sona,” he calls it). He was the only ghoul to openly and obnoxiously fall in love with a human, who loudly and obnoxiously reciprocated. And he was the only ghoul that adored human culture.

So one evening, in the band room, he sat with his siblings as they waited for Copia to arrive for rehearsals.

And he fidgeted with his bracelet.

Swiss‘ long ears perked up. They carefully set their guitar aside and crept to the edge of the stage, turning their head owlishly, looking at the thing on their brother’s human-glamour’s wrist.

’WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’

Special looked up at his sibling. “Oh, hej, sorry, I’m-“ Special made a noise of frustration (the ‘I can’t begin to explain this adequately’ noise, specifically) and removed his bracelet, holding it up for Swiss to see. “Is called a fidget! See, it’s a zipper, but it’s, I just pull it up an’ down, it keeps me kinda, uh, focused…”

Swiss carefully plucked the bracelet from their sibling’s fingers. They glamoured their talons away and used human fingers to pull the zipper down the length of the bracelet and pull it back up. Their eyes went wide.

’IT SERVES NO FUNCTION BUT IT IS SOMEHOW PLEASANT.’

”I know, right?” Special slipped off the stage, tail wagging, and went to fetch his bag. “You can keep that one, I got a ton of different ones…”

Cirrus and Cumulus floated down from the ceiling. ‘CAN WE HAVE ONE?’

Special considered his Air siblings and then tossed each of them a colourful cube. “Those work together, like you two! Is Velcro cubes, good sound and feel.”

Special’s Fire and Water siblings jumped off the stage, each demanding to have whatever the others were getting.

”Ah, you guys play with your picks a lot, maybe… Let’s see if you like these wavy sticks?” He handed them flat small boards with strange wavy lines engraved in them. “Drag your picks down the waves, make good noise!”

Aether gave Mountain back their drumsticks and said ‘I MISSED THIS, WHAT ARE WE GETTING FROM SPECIAL TODAY?’

Swiss jerked away as Aether moved to look at the bracelet. ‘GO RECIEVE YOUR OWN FIDGET DEVICE, THIS ONE HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO ME.’

Aether approched Special and held put their talons. Special plopped a necklace with a round soft purple Bead into Aether’s scaly palm. “There ya go, big guy. It’s a chewy fidget, so you’re gonna have t’practice your jaw shapeshifting, arright?”

Mountain slipped out from behind their drum kit and approached Special. ‘HOW IS IT YOU HAVE AQUIFED SO MANY OF THESE FIDGET OBJECTS, AND DO YOU HAVE ONE FOR ME?’

Special shurgged his human-guised shoulder. “Ehh, I been collecting them a while. Copia likes to fidget witg somethin’ when he’s nervous, an’ I just like how many types there is. Like this one.” He tossed his sibling a colourful cube. “That one’s got a li’l ball you can roll around, and you can press it down, too. I mean, I have a little tappy-tap pad too, but I’m like, eh, you’re probably sick of drumming all the time.”

Mountain shapeshifted their talons into a human hand and carefully tested the small metal ball inside the plastic cube. It rolled smoothly, and made a gentle clicking sound when they pressed on it.

’HUMANS CONJURE UP SUCH CURIOUS OBJECTS,’ Mountain mused as they watched their thumb roll the ball. ‘IT IS NICE THAT THEY HAVE DEVELOPED THESE OUTLETS FOR THE, WHAT DID YOU SAY, ANXIETY.’

Special nodded, sliding a spinner ring onto his finger. “Anxiety, focus, there’s lotsa used for these things, it’s preeetty cool.” He spun his ring a few times and grinned.

”Just be sure to put them in yo- er, shapeshift a pocket and put your fidget in there when you’re doing band stuff, yeah? Good, good.”

[maxwell-grant]

Might I please ask if you have an opinion of DRACULA? (Either the novel itself or the adaptations); having read both this novel and FRANKENSTEIN, I'm tempted to agree with the reviewer who wrote that one of these is a Classic and the other is actually Fun to read ... (-;

(Art by Cinemamind)

I completely understand the sentiment of "one's a classic and the other's fun to read" and I don't necessarily disagree with it. I don't read Frankenstein for fun, I read it because it's the book closest to me and it's heartbreaking to think about and it's got one of my favorite characters ever in it and it's got a stake in my soul I gotta renew every year. Dracula, however? Dracula is a blast and it boggles the mind as to how every adaptation can be so crushingly lesser in nearly every aspect. My hardcover edition with annotations is one of my most prized possessions.

It's interesting that people tend to talk about Frankenstein and Dracula like Frankenstein was cutting edge sci-fi while Dracula was archaic and folkloric, when it's really the other way around. Frankenstein is the story of an arrogant dipshit rejecting modern science and thinking to unearth outdated knowledge soon blossoming into a vicious cycle of savagery, where as Dracula is the story of an ancient predator adapting and trying to take over current society and fought by a ragtag team of upstanding citizens using modern tactics to stave him off and eventually fight him, desperately struggling to stay ahead of the curve as he wisens to their tactics.

This book was really ahead of it's time in so many ways. I could easily see excerpts of it, particularly the Demeter journals and Renfield's story, taking off as internet creepypastas or found footage horror films. Dracula's a story about a group of characters playing detective as they update their blog entries about the coming of an initially incomprehensible horror taking over their lives. It's a story that could work regardless of Victorian or vampire trappings, and we know this because Blair Witch Project and Marble Hornets are some of the biggest horror successes of the past decades, all of which follow the same general idea, except in Dracula, they don't just discover the true nature of the horror, they also start fighting back and ultimately destroy it.

Dracula's obviously a great villain, that goes without saying. I don't actually tend to take Dracula seriously much of the time because I'm very fond of comedy takes on Dracula and vampires, but that doesn't at all diminish his impact in the original book. He's barely in the novel for much of it which makes his every appearence Count, and the atmosphere as well as the many, many forms he can show up or be suggested at really help solidify what an incredible presence he can be.

He's the strange ruler in a foreign country, he's the kooky old man with weird customs, he's the creepy house owner tormenting a hapless guest, he's a barbarian who lives in nostalgia. He's the wind on your window, a dog on the street, a bat in your windshield, a storm on your ship. He's a predator in every way possible, he's a handsome aristocrat, he's a tragic victim of his own monstrous nature, he's a demon who threatens to consume all mankind, he's the fucker who assaulted your loved one and has to go down hard by machete right now.

Even if we just threw out the 124 years of Dracula's history out, we'd still have enough material in the book not just for a great villain, but dozens of great villains and characters who could take just about any of these traits and run with them. And still, the thing that really, really stuck out to me about Dracula wasn't him, it was the other characters

Art by Kiwi

Dracula's cast is so, so underrated, so unfortunately sidelined as a result of adaptations that only care about The Count and try to give him all the dramatic weight and characterization and sideline all the other characters as merely bit players. Stories that twist Jonathan into a useless fop or an active jerk on the idea that he's the "boring" one, that diminish Renfield's story into just being a hapless and insane goon of Dracula, that make Van Helsing the only character who's even capable of putting up a fight and make him a generic badass, that completely neglect Quincy Morris even though he's great and everyone who discovers him is aghast at discovering "holy shit there's a COWBOY in Dracula?" like yes, there is, and he's incredible and everyone should love him and everyone WOULD love him if only the adaptations remembered he exists.

Adaptations that completely sideline Mina when, and I can't stress this enough, she is the most competent character in the book, one of the greatest pop culture detectives, a wonderful and compassionate and incredibly strong and intelligent character and the main reason why they even managed to win against the Count in the first place, and arguably the closest thing the book even has to a protagonist or hero. I'm not gonna go too into it here but, even putting aside the sheer awfulness of adaptations that try and force a romance between The Count and Mina, seriously fuck off with that, why is it that pretty much every "official" adaptation has had considerably less feminist interpretations of Mina than the source material written in the 1880s? It's a complete travesty (and yes, I'm including LOEG Mina in this, anyone who likes the book and character could have done that concept better)

I enjoy aspects of Dracula adaptations, mostly regarding certain actors's takes on the characters like Bela Lugosi (the only saving grace of that movie, honestly, but rightfully considered the iconic performance), or Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. I very much enjoy the Dracula adaptation Orson Welles did because it at least tried to stay faithful to the book. But regardless of their individual quality, I don't have much to say about Dracula adaptations that try to adapt the book other than "WHY in christ aren't you just sticking to what's in the book? Do you not see how GREAT it is, all the great things about it that are just waiting to be rediscovered and loved by new audiences? STOP WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE DOING WITH MINA FOR THE LOVE OF GOD-"

So yeah I definitely got thoughts on Dracula. Utterly adore the book but thinking about how much of it's greatness has been lost in the adaptations kinda makes me a little angry. Of course, this doesn't extend to adaptations that tell different stories or just put Dracula into existing stories or reinterpret it. I love Nosferatu and Castlevania Dracula and Hellsing Dracula and Billy & Mandy Dracula and Sesame Street Dracula. Dracula's basically become a sub-category of monster in it's own right and there's no such think as too many monsters, or too many Draculas

I'm very glad that Dracula's public domain because it means not only can he just show up anywhere, but it also means that just about anyone can pen their own Dracula stories. Still, it would be nice if the other great characters of Dracula got brought along for the ride on a couple of those.

[scoobysnack1107]

So grateful I was able to commission the incredible @rainbow-taishi again for another gorgeous RokuNami piece! As always, Jin did an absolutely amazing job! The colors and atmosphere are warm, the expressions soft, and the detailing exquisite 🥺💞 Thank you again Jin for making making my day and bringing a huge smile to my face 💖

For anyone interested, I wrote an accompanying story!

You can read it below or on ao3: Un Rendez-vous Romantique

(special thank you to @jysumrae for using her French skills to help me with the title 💖 )

                                       Un Rendez-vous Romantique

 Naminé checked the time on her gummi phone again. Five minutes before seven o’clock. Five minutes before Roxas was supposed to arrive at the bistro for their date. Their first date she reminded herself.

    All around her, tables were filled with laughing couples sharing colorful concoctions that were placed onto tables by waiters dressed in well-tailored suits. Naminé, dressed in her signature white dress and blue sandals, was the only one sitting alone.

    She couldn’t help but wonder how seriously he had taken the idea. He had been the one that asked her out with that boyish grin she was powerless to resist. But this was the first time they would be together like this. Unencumbered by heartless, the Organization, Diz. Tonight, it was just the two of them in the most romantic place in town.

    Unless…he stood her up.

    Naminé’s heart sunk, and as the people milling by the bistro cast her curious looks, she started feeling more and more self-conscious. Did they think he wasn’t coming?

    “Don’t worry, Naminé. Trust me, he’ll come.”

    Startled, Naminé looked up and found Sora offering her a comforting grin. He was dressed in a white chef’s uniform and tall toque that somehow managed to stay atop his spiky head of hair. In his hands, he was carrying a large, unopened box decorated with golden fleur de lis and something scribbled on top in black marker.

    “Sora? Why are you—” she trailed off, suddenly remembering that her friend had become an occasional helping hand at the restaurant during his travels. Though, admittedly, it was strange to think of Sora as a chef in a high-end bistro like this. “Thank you. I guess I’m just a little nervous.”

    In the distance, the bell of the clock tower tolled, signaling the passing of another hour. Seven o’clock.

    Sora had to be right.

    “Excuse me! Coming through!”

    Outside the bistro, some kind of commotion had started. The tram stopping in its track as a boy riding a black and white skateboard came racing through. A flock of pigeons wandering the bistro’s checkered plaza dispersed in a flurry of feathers, and one of the waiters nearly dropped a plate of ratatouille before said boy arrived in front of Naminé’s table with an apologetic smile.

    “I am so sorry, Naminé,” Roxas said, finally catching his breath, “I promise I didn’t forget. Really. I got caught up delivering letters again because Lea ‘sprained’ his ankle and couldn’t finish his half.” Roxas shook his head. Of all the days Lea felt it necessary to fake an injury.

    Naminé couldn’t help herself. She laughed, and the anxiety that had been chipping away at her nerves dissipated with the sound. “It’s fine, Roxas. I’m glad you were able to make it. I can’t say I expected that kind of entrance though.” Another laugh slipped past her lips when she noticed a stray feather in his hair.

    Roxas scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I can’t say I really planned it that way.”

    Plucking the feather from the skater’s head unceremoniously, Sora handed his friend the box he was holding. “Well, now that you’re finally here, I’d say it’s time for you two love birds to enjoy your date with a little Tarte aux Fruits, courtesy of Little Chef and I!” Sora patted his toque affectionately, prompting a tiny gray mouse to peek out from beneath the hat before scurrying back inside with a squeak. “He’s a little shy,” Sora whispered.

    “He’s cute,” Naminé cooed.

    Roxas flipped open the lid of the box to examine the dessert. Inside the box was a round and colorful tart decorated with fresh strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, and peaches. “Sora, you know it’s just the two of us, right?” Usually, the bistro only served the desserts by slices. Not entire tartlets like this.

    Sora pushed the lid back down and pointed to the writing on top.

      Enjoy your date!

      - Sora and Little Chef

    “Yep! But you’re my friends and Little Chef insisted. It’s not like you can’t take the leftovers home. I’m sure Lea and Xion would eat a few slices for you.”

    Curious, Naminé stood up to peer inside the box too. Sora really was too sweet.  Everything about the dessert was handled with care, with each fruit arranged so precisely, Naminé could only imagine how long her friend had spent perfecting the delectable concoction. “Thank you, Sora. This is perfect, but you know, we’ll be saving you and Little Chef a slice too. It wouldn’t feel right for our chefs not to taste their own creation.”

    “Heh, guess not,” Sora agreed, scratching his cheek.

    “You can drop by the Old Mansion after work if you’d like,” Naminé suggested, “No one goes to bed early anyway, since it’s summer vacation.”

    “Yeah, and plus, you still owe me a rematch on Classic Kingdom Melee,” Roxas said with a competitive glint in his blue eyes.

    Sora chuckled and laced his hands behind his head. “So eager to get your butt handed to you again?”

    “I have Naminé’s good luck charm this time,” Roxas said confidently, “So, there’s no way I’m gonna lose again.”

    “We’ll see,” Sora said in a sing-song voice. The two boys jibed one another for another minute until Sora was called back into the kitchen by a short, portly chef with a silver whisk and a toque taller than him.

    Roxas set the box with the tart on the table and moved to pull Naminé’s chair out for her with a flourish. “Madame.”

    “How gentlemanly,” Naminé giggled as she took her seat.

   Taking the chair across from her, Roxas signaled over one of the waiters who promptly brought them two plates and utensils to slice their dessert. Naminé, her hands small and adept, cut them each a generous piece.

    The window behind them cast a warm golden glow and was embossed with the bistro’s name, Le Grand Bistrot, in neat gold lettering. Inside, the restaurant’s staff busied themselves, the sound of clattering dishes and whirring kitchen appliances blending with the soft instrumental tune floating from the speakers outside.

    Naminé spoke again first. “So, you and Hayner are entering the Struggle Tournament this year?”

    “We’re gonna win this year” Roxas boasted with a grin. He picked up his dessert but didn’t take a bite as sparks of excitement began to dance in his eyes. “We’ve been training every day since sign ups.”

    “Confident I see,” Naminé teased.

    “Always,” Roxas returned, his grin turning sly, “And besides, I’ve won the digital version once already. The real thing can’t be any harder.”

    Naminé conceded with a smile. “That is true.”

    As Roxas explained his new strategy for this year’s tournament, Naminé listened attentively, offering nods and questions at different intervals as she nibbled at her dessert. She liked seeing him so excited. After everything they had been through, happiness like this was well-deserved.

    “Promise to cheer me on?” Roxas asked. His gaze was intense now, making Naminé’s heart skip a beat.

    Naminé averted his eyes, playing with her hair as she answered shyly. “I’ll be in the front row the entire time.”

    “U-Uh, thanks” Roxas blushed at her words and drew his own gaze away. “But um…anyway,” Roxas coughed, “How about you? You mentioned buying some new paints the other day. Have you been able to try them out yet?”

    This time, it was Naminé’s face that lit up. She pressed her fingers together and tilted her head happily. “I have! I’ve been painting lots of landscapes with them, and I want to try portraits too.”

    “Is this your subtle way of asking me to be your model?” Roxas joked.

    “Mmm, maybe. Though, I’m not entirely sure you’d be able to stay still the entire time.”

    Roxas raised his eyebrows. “That sounds like a challenge.”

    “You really think you can sit still for more than an hour?” Naminé asked dubiously.

    “With the right kind of incentive.”

    Without hesitating, Naminé replied. “Sea salt ice cream?”

    “Bingo,” Roxas said and bit into his slice of the tart.

    Naminé didn’t try to conceal her laughter. Roxas really was predictable. And adorable.  “I think I can arrange that.”

    “Then, we have ourselves a deal!” Roxas held out a hand across the table, and Naminé shook it as if it was actually some kind of serious, contractual agreement.

    The two continued to talk, reminiscing over the new memories they had made in the real Twilight Town. Like the first time they had all gone to Sunset Hill for a meteor shower or when they took that impromptu trip to Radiant Garden because somehow Twilight Town had run out of sea salt ice cream. Granted, it had been a particularly hot day. But still…

    “I feel like summer vacation is too short,” Roxas complained, “and who thought it was a good idea to assign homework? We’re supposed to be on a break.”

    Naminé’s lips twitched knowingly. “You still haven’t started, have you?”

    “I tried, but the computer keeps crashing on me, so I can’t do any kind of research,” Roxas explained, pouting as he crossed his arms.

    “You and computers,” Naminé sighed, shaking her head, “What are you writing your report on?”

    “Not sure yet. Hayner, Pence, and Olette want to do something about the seven wonders, but that’s a little too déjà vu for me, you know?”

    Naminé tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, maybe you can do a report about the beach?”

    “The beach?” Roxas cocked his head curiously.

    “Yeah, like what kind of fish are in the ocean here or ways to keep our beaches clean,” Naminé continued. Roxas loved the beach. The first time they went, Roxas nearly tripped over himself running across the sand to get to the water, and he didn’t come out until it was time to leave.

    “Looks like we’re going to the beach this week then, huh?” Roxas asked with a coy grin.

    Naminé returned the smile.  “Looks like it.”

    By the time they were ready to leave, with their leftovers secured in a to-go bag, the last embers of the twilight sky above had faded, blanketing the sunset hues beneath a veil of stars. The night air was still, the bustle of the usually busy town subdued as most citizens retired to their homes to sleep.

    “I had a lot of fun tonight,” Naminé said, staring down at her feet bashfully.

    “Me too.” There was a brief silence that hung between them before Roxas added in a hesitant but hopeful voice. “Maybe we can do it again sometime?”

    “I would love that,” Naminé answered softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

    “Y-You know, there’s gonna be that new movie playing down at the theater this Friday. We could grab dinner here and then go see that?”

    “It’s a date!” Naminé agreed happily, and her heart soared.

    Roxas took her hand and intertwined their fingers. “It’s a date.”

[limenysnocket]

The Plan

Summary: It's your birthday (hooray!) and you still have to work (not so hooray). Nevertheless, you can still count on your friends to cheer you up, but not as much as your loveable boyfriend who insists you spend your birthday with him and a romantic dinner, rather than at a party your friends set up.

Warnings: Swearing, drinking, Taika (yes, he gets his own warning), some content may be explicit-ish.

Request: @whatwememeintheshadows

A/N: So people are actually planning their fics nowadays???? Did I not get the memo or something??? These come straight from my head????

THIS IS SO LATE I'M SORRY. Happy (very) belated birthday.

Tags: @honorarytenenbaum @olyvoyl

○●□○●□○●□○●□○

Okay, so maybe work was less of a bitch today, you had to admit. People were nicer to you today, you got an extra thirty minutes added on to your lunch break just because, and, of course, you got a couple of dirty birthday cards and some cash, but that really shouldn’t matter, should it? What did matter, is that you would get to have some you-time, all by yourself, with your vibrator, a couple of movies, and some nice, low calorie ice cream (that tasted like total shit). At least... That’s what you thought would happen.

“You should totally come party with us! I’ve got the booze, Jess has the men, and we’ll make a whole night out of it! Alcohol, strippers, and dancing! How does that sound?” your friend, Enid, reiterated everything for you at least one thousand times today.

“If I wanted a stripper, I’d ask Taika to dye his hair, shave himself everywhere, and oil up a little. That’s the only sight I’d be happy to see, thank you,” you huff and smile. You appreciate the effort to get you out and about, possibly be a little frisky, but your heart just wasn’t in it, and that was much to Taika’s luck.

“Oh, come on. Taika can’t have that much of a grip on you! He has a lot of ‘female friends’, so what’s wrong with you having some ‘male friends’ hm?” Jess cooed to you, but you immediately whirled around, insulted that she would even suggest that you would do such a thing. And you were sure Taika had female friends, yes, but they were just friends. Nothing else. Although, his flirtatious behavior scared you sometimes, at parties. Some of the women would just swarm him, and you feared any one of them would catch his fancy more than you did.

“No. I don’t want strippers at whatever the hell you’re planning,” you stated again, firmly this time. Your two friends whined again, Jess lowering her head in defeat.

“Fine, but can we still bring booze? Invite a few more friends to party?” Enid asked, setting a hand on your shoulder and pleading to you with large eyes.

You chew at your cheek and think for quite some time. Your friends want to throw you a genuine party, and God knows how long it’s been since you’ve hung around a group of unfamiliar faces, especially since you started to date a Hollywood writer. Maybe it was just what you needed. Taika was supposed to be busy for the night, anyway.

You succumbed to the pressure, and nodded. “Okay,” you agreed. “But if we get any noise complaints, your talking to the cops for me.”

“Hell yeah! You’re not going to regret this! Just you wait! Go home and clean your place up a little. I’ll be by in an hour or two to get things set up!” Enid clapped her hands together in mischief, and Jess suddenly looked more spry. You gave her a warning glance, and she only grinned back, before skipping away, chatting gayly with Enid at her side.

You can’t believe the shit you just got yourself into, and you still wouldn’t believe it, the moment Enid and Jess arrived with their arms full of cheap liquor, streamers, finger foods, and a bunch of colorful-looking lights that look like they just came from a Wal-Mart Christmas sale. As soon as you gave them the go-ahead, they started tearing shit open. Between setting up, your phone started to ping over and over again, as well as your friends’ phones. Apparently, just a few hours was enough time to notify everyone in LA about a party, who it was for, and where it was going to be at. 

You just sat back and sipped on frozen margaritas (meant for the party, but it's your party so you didn't give two shits), until the party started and there was a heavy flow of people rushing into your home. Invited or uninvited.

When things started getting wild, that's when a pact was made. Enid and Jess would be cleaning up your house after this was over. You were already stepping over beer cans as it was.

You can't even say you were having fun there. You barely knew anyone. Most of the people there were just randoms looking for a good time, and unfortunately you saw some of them getting that good time in a dark corner. You made an excuse to run upstairs and lock all the doors of the bedrooms before anyone could think about getting there. That's what you thought, at least.

The party was getting to be too much, too quickly. In haste, you locked yourself into your bedroom, and took a step back. You could still hear the muffled voices and loud, posh laughter on the other side of the door. Those girls would pay. You rush over to your window, overlooking your backyard and see people divebombing into your pool, creating waves and getting people outside of the pool wet. People were leaving their trash everywhere, and many red, plastic cups floated in the (for now) clear waters. You didn't know how much more you could take. Maybe parties weren't your thing after all. Especially with strangers.

You sit back on your bed and you don't even bother looking out the window anymore. It was best to stay inside your room, if you didn't want to be molested or assaulted by some dumbass who thinks it's okay to anonymously grope women in crowded areas. Your face buries in your hands, griping to yourself how this would be over in a few hours. Right?

There's a subtle knock on your door, and you jump. It's in the regular, stiff-three order, so you are very hesitant about going and getting it. Then, there comes the "shave and a haircut" tune. Not a very good one, and kind of slurred, guessing by the way there was a loud thud at the very end, the person knocking was shoved against the door. Damn you and your pity.

You're quick to move, despite the strong feeling telling you not to. You just knew some poor soul was being smooshed out there. Fuck, you were nervous. This was screaming bad idea, but you were going to pull through anyway. The plan in your head seemed childish, but it should work fine if the person was desperate enough to get in. One quick swipe of the door, and you're golden! Surely...

You flick the doorknob lock and gulp, keeping a tight grip. On the count of three-- and after having to restart because another desperate knock jumbled up your thoughts-- you sent the door flying open. Sure enough, a heavy body came tumbling in with it, tripped, tried to balance, then ended up crash-landing cartoonishly into your bed, bonking their head a tad on the wooden post at the end of the frame. You hissed a little bit, then closed the door again. You rushed to their aid as the person looked up.

"I thought you liked private parties more than this," a soft, kiwi accent cooed at you, obviously through unbridled pain. This bewildered you even more.

Taika was sitting on the floor, legs extended out in front of him, making him look like a giant from your angle, and he was dressed in a blue tux, black dress shirt, and polished black shoes. Well, they seemed a little scuffed now.

"Shit, Taika-- what the fuck are you doing here?" you drop to your knees and cradle his aching head. He winced at the touch, but was too happy to see you again to deny it.

"Well, I came to take you out on a surprise birthday dinner. Maybe pick up a bottle of wine and go dancing with my favorite person, you, under moonbeams and twighlight," his head bobbled from side to side, which didn't help his animated character, "but it seems to me you have company... and a lot of it."

You sigh and brush an unkempt curl back into place while he cheekily grins at you. "This wasn't my idea," you murmur. "Friends set this up. They'll also be the ones to take it down. I didn't really want to spend my birthday with anyone this year. Makes me feel old."

"Well, you seriously should have known someone was about to stop you from taking another bite of that shitty ice cream in your freezer. They dished it out in shot glasses down there. Even a sober chick couldn't handle the taste," Taika snorted playfully and you rolled your eyes. He seemed to be taking this situation surprisingly well. It was weird. "But it was much to my misfortune that your 'friends' got to you before I could. Maybe I should have settled on a birthday lunch, but that didn't sound too appealing to me."

"Would have been much better than the chicken salad and dry-ass piece of cake I had for lunch today," you fired back. He sighed again and stood up with a groan. You followed with him.

"What now?" he mumbled, stroking the stache on his upper lip, then letting the tips of his fingers wander down to his smooth, freshly shaved cheeks.

"Well, we're both stuck here, so I suppose we settle in for the night and wait it out." You plop yourself down on your bed again and just stare up at him. He doesn't move, however. His eyes were focused on the window, more specifically the lock on it, and he was nibbling at his bottom lip. He was thinking. Some people might call it strange to watch him think sometimes. He really was like a cartoon. With one tap of his foot, he spun around on his heel and faced you.

"New plan," he clapped his hands together. "Get dressed."

You were confused for the next fifteen minutes or so. He helped you pick out a deep blue dress that would somewhat match his and black heels. He was escorting you all over the room with his hand on your lower back. He even tried to do your makeup for you, but he was so inexperienced, you had to take over. The last time he had to do someone's makeup was on the set of the original, five-minute What We Do in the Shadows film.

While you finished your makeup, he was practically smooching your window. He was staring at it like a dog asking to go outside. It made you a bit nervous, seeing the cogwheels turn in his head. He took your hand and lead you to the window, unlocking it and pushing it up.

"Want to go first?" he said behind a proud smile. When he only received silence and a pure, "what the fuck," stare back to his face, he shrugged, and stepped out the window himself. Luckily, you knew fully well he wasn't about to fall flat on his face and die on the pavement below. You had a screened back porch, with a roof over it's head as well, since the seasons tend to get very hot and sticky and mosquitoes just love to lay visits. He stepped onto the roof, trying not to bring too much attention to himself. Once he had bounced down, he brushed himself off, then looked up at you, expectantly.

"Come on, then! Don't have all night!" he hollered and waved to you. "Need me to catch you?"

You gulped, not bothering to answer him. You gently scooted your lower half out the window and taking your heels into your hand. You didn't want to break an ankle on the landing. "Lord, give me strength," you muttered, squeezed your eyes shut, then took a leap of faith. You tried not to squeal as the rushing air flew by you like sticky wind, but before you knew it, your feet touched slanted ground. You felt like you were about to tumble, but strong hands met your waist and kept you up.

"Beautiful!" Taika beamed and kissed your flushed cheek.

"I hate you sometimes," you slapped his chest and made him laugh. He took your hand and started leading you to the other side of the porch roof, and came to the end, where your driveway supposedly was. Parked dead center was Enid's big, black SUV. Tall enough to just be a little hop away from the roof.

"One more, leap, dear?" Taika was on the move again, but you grabbed his sleeve before he could actually make the jump.

"Taika, no. That's Enid's car. She already spends so much on gas, think of how pissed she'll be if she has to remove dents from her roof!" you explain, nervous from the outcome of this little plan of yours.

"Sweetheart," Taika said airily, turning his full attention to you and taking your hand again. "If she was a good friend, she would have known a massive party like this would have pissed you off. Plus, I don't think just cleaning the house is going to get even with this God awful day. So, why not put a few dusty footprints on her car, hm?" Taika was back to grinning, and before you could say anymore, he had leapt away and landed on top of the car with a large thud. He motioned to you with a swipe of his hand. You were in way too deep with him to give up on him now.

You followed through, heels swinging in one hand, and he caught you again like the perfect, Maori prince charming he was.

Car hop, after car hop, he lead the way and made sure you were okay with every stop, until you reached a small enough car to hop down, scale the lawn and make it to his jeep.

"That was," you said, breathless. You couldn't find the right words, and Taika just chuckled at you.

"Exciting?" he filled in the blank space on his own, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah," you laugh, fanning your chest and brushing a single strand of hair back. "That's a good word for it."

"Well, excitement doesn't stop here," he opened your door into the jeep for you, bowing respectfully and playing everything up for you, like you were royalty. "I have everything set up for you to have a great night with yours truly. As long as everything goes according to the plan this time..."

[allhailthewicked]

Random JATP Headcannons: Reggie’s Allergies

Hi hello I wrote most of this a while ago and lost the motivation to finish it but I found it again and I finished it up. So there is a chance the writing styles in this could have changed a bit. Also, I know that Reggie is a ghost so he can’t have allergies, but this is my headcannon that I wrote for fun and not to be taken seriously so.... ALSO ALSO trigger warning for food mentions, allergic reaction, dread and panic attacks. Anyway onto the story

Reggie loves food, that’s a common fact about him. Everyone knows that. Honestly at this point his love language is giving and receiving food. So when Ray found out about the ghost band and how they’re now somewhat corporeal, he immediately accepted them into the Molina family and the boys were ECSTATIC, especially Reggie. And Reggie being Reggie (lovable and caring) decide to show his love for Molina family by cooking them a spectacular dinner (even though he couldn’t eat it). Reg decided to make the family a nice lobster and steak surf and turf with mashed potatoes. All was going well to well some might say (is this some foreshadowing??? nah, I would never). Reggie first had to kick the whole Molina family of the kitchen a frustrating task, but there were some many S-Tier moments like: 

“ Don’t worry Ray I promise your kitchen is in safe hands. I used to cook myself all the time in the 90′s, especially when Mom was visiting Gran in the hospice and my old man was at the bar. Don’t worry about me, Dad I’m fine, and I promise I won’t burn down your kitchen … Wait why are you- why are you looking at me like that? … WHAT NOOOO no I totally don’t see you as a father figure, Mr. Molina... oh... I can call you Dad.... noted... Dad!”

“... yes even you Ms. Julie. Why don’t you go find Luke? He was doing some serious pouting earlier because you were busy painting my nails he said something about me being your favorite. I mean he’s right but what if you go paint his nails too!!! I feel like navy is really his color.”

“Don’t be sad little dude tomorrow I’ll make some pancakes, and you can film for your channel and be all like ‘My Kitchen is Haunted By a Pancake Ghost (3 am challenge) *Almost Died* *EMOTIONAL*  See all your YouTube lessons taught me something. Well is that a smile I see now little dude? We love to see that now get out of the kitchen, so I cook you dinner.”

Anyway as I said before all is going well. Reggie hummed the newest song that they band was working on as he peeled, chopped, and boiled the potatoes before moving on to seasoning the rib-eye with salt, black & white pepper, and garlic powder moving his hip to the rhythm. He sliced the onions, mushrooms, and asparagus before sautéing them and going back to mashing the potatoes. Reggie did make the mistake of putting the steak in a scalding hot pan. It didn’t burn the steak or the kitchen that bad, but that wasn’t when things went wrong. It was when he grabbed one of the lobster when things got funky.

The second grabbed one of the swimmy bois he felt that something wasn’t right. He looked down at his hand, widening his eyes as red blotches and streaks started to spread across his hands. His hand rapidly start to swell and double in size, with a burning feeling started to arrive. 

Oh Shit.

How the hell after 25 years did I forget that I’m allergic to shellfish. Reggie thought to himself. I can even make a simple dinner right. It was the only way I could repay them. I’m so stupid. I’m so stupid. I’m so...

His vision started to blur from the unwiped tears, forgetting about his pain as he started to openly sob. He sunk down to the floor (after double-checking to make sure that the burners are off) and put his head in his hands as he ignores the itching and pain starting to appear on his face. 

Reggie sat in that position sobbing for who knows how long until he heard a voice, “Mijo? Are you okay”

Reggie's head shot up at the voice wiping away his tears. “Oh yeah I totally fine Ray onions just me cry. Don’t worry about me,” Reggie said, plastering on a fake smile he is used to putting on that was immediately undermined by his voice being watery and crackling with every word. Reggie followed Ray’s concerned gaze to his hand which swelled up to twice the size

“Reggie, you know you can tell me anything. I won’t be mad, I just want you to feel comfortable around here. I just want you to be safe,” Ray said, trying to comfort the ghost boy.

Immediately Reggie broke down again at Ray’s compassion, “I just ruined dinner because I forgot that I am allergic to fucking shellfish. How the hell does someone forget that.”

Ray pulled the crying boy into a hug rubbing his back as consoling him. “Hey hey hey mijo you didn’t ruin anything. The food looks and smells amazing you do not need to blame yourself for things that are out of your control. Okay, you did an amazing job.”

Reggie looked back up at him with big eye, “Really?”

“Of course! I am so proud of you. I couldn’t a meal like this even if I tried. You know I didn’t know that ghost had allergies,” Ray nodded examine Reggie’s hand. “Do you have your EpiPen on you or do ghost work differently?”

“Hey Reggie, Luke kicked me out of the garage and told me to hel- HOLY SHIT,” Alex shouted rushing over to Reggie. “Hold on I have a spare EpiPen in my bag”

After panicking from Alex and more hugs from Ray, Reggie was able to finish dinner. And it turned out to be a delicious after all.

Bonus:

When Reggie and Luke were in 5th grade, Luke thought it would be a good idea to catch bumblebees in their hands. Let me just say it definitely wasn’t. The caught and release about 3 bumblebees before the incident happened. One stung Reggie hand and immediately his hand swelled up, as hives started to appear on his skin. He tried to stand up before he doubled over in pain and had to sit back down. Luke started to FREAK OUT and ran to a teacher who was helping a baby Alex (by baby I mean like 10 year old) with his math homework. The teacher jumped up to to notice Reggie curled up in a ball breathing heavily, stabbing him with the EpiPen in her bag and sending another teacher inside to call the ambulance. And that was the first time Reggie rode in an ambulance.

When the boys were alive Reggie has mild reactions to a lot of food and he doesn’t realize it a lot of time. He just thought that everyone’s tongue goes numb and tingly when they eat kiwi. So one day Reggie passes Alex is eating a fruit salad and he asks him why he’s eating so much of it without stopping because of all the burning and weird tingles. Alex stops eating puts his for down and is  like Reginald, what do you mean by you feel burning when you eat fruit salad. Now Reggie knows that this is bad because Alex never busts out his full name unless he is trying to cheer him up or trying (and successfully) scolding him. Reggie goes on to explain that sometime when has fruit salad some fruits are spicy so he has to stop every once in a while to have a drink of water and goes a way brief, but the numbness is still there. The band decided to take time out of rehearsal and take him to the doctors and that is when they find out that’s Reggie is allergic to apples, pears, mangos, kiwi, and pineapple. Y’know, along with bees and shellfish.

A/N: Wow, it’s been a while since I wrote something for this fandom. It’s definitely not my best work but I enjoy the concept so much. Also, I’m sorry if some of the dialogue is cringe I’m tired and I really wanted to post before I lost motivation again.

[nemesisadraste]

Daily bug.

From : Nemesis Adraste 

To : @cosmomugen

Setting : Lyoko, sometime during season 4.

Pov : Omniscient.

It was a normal day for the warriors. They woke up, took a shower, had breakfast, and then X.A.N.A. attack! The only less usual thing is that they were missing a warrior cause Ulrich was out on a scholar soccer tournament for the weekend. But it's not like that never happened before. They can handle it.

When Yumi arrives at the factory she finds with no surprise that she was the last. Her house was less close to it then Kadic after all. She always feels bad about having to lie to her parents. This feeling had worsened when they stopped using RTTP systematically because her parents actually remember those lies now. But it was for the best. For theirs and Hiroki's safety. Though considering how often they almost… that she almost… Was it really?

- Hey Yumi! Welcome to the party! Said Odd as soon as the elevators' doors opened at the lab level.

- Good morning! Replied Yumi, her dark train finally stopped. What's in it for us today Jérémie?

- Oh nothing special really. X.A.N.A. activated a tower on the mountain sector and hasn't shown himself on earth yet. If you hurry you might stop him before he actually does something so you three go down there asap!

Yumi, Odd and Aelita went in the elevator down to the scanner room and entered in one, ready for the virtualisation. The virtualisation went perfectly as usual… except for one little tiny detail…

- Odd?... What happened to your outfit? Asked Aelita.

Odd looked down at his outfit to realise that his all new all good lyoko outfit has been replaced by his old one that he never really liked. I mean the cat thing wasn't complete without hears and the old outfit wasn't well adjusted to him. It has elephant pants strapped with knee protection, big gloves instead of literal clawed arms, his shoulders weren't covered and for lyoko's sake it had Kiwi peeing on his chest like seriously?!! 

- Einstein what's going on?!! Why do I have my old outfit back?! Is that a joke of yours? Cause the girls still have their new outfit on!

- I have no idea Odd… It must be a bug. Explained Einstein. You sure have a way to collect them.

- Or maybe X.A.N.A. is messing with you, said Aelita with her gentle laugh that'll make anyone forgive her anything.

- Well either way you have to fix this Einstein! I can't go on with my lyoko life with this old stuff on me.

Would you stop over dramatising for a sec Odd? I will fix this when I'll have the time I promise, but right now we have a tower to deactivate so focus on that ok? 

- Ugh fine. There is no reflective thing on the mountains anyway so I'll try to forget that I'm badly dressed.

- You're too kind, sarcastically replied Yumi. 

- I know, I know… Now let's get over it! The sooner we finish, the sooner Einstein can get my good outfit back!

- If Ulrich was here he'll probably tell you how well placed your priorities are. Remind the princess.

- Well he's not here so it's too bad. 

- I can take a picture and send it to him so he doesn't miss out on this. Offered Aelita. I'm sure he would enjoy it!

- Don't you dare! 

- Oups… too late! Bluffed Aelita.

- Unsend it! I won't hear the end of it if he sees it!

- Don't worry I was just kidding! Assured Aelita. I'm not evil.

- I'm sorry to interrupt you, but there are monsters coming your way. Warned Jérémie.

The rest of the mission went fine. They killed monsters and deactivated the tower without any damage done on earth. Not that they were aware of at least. So no need for RTTP. Too bad. Odd would have loved to see Ulrich's reaction when he would have suddenly gone back in time without warning.

That night, like almost every night, Jérémie didn't sleep. His work didn't end with the missions. He had to find new stuff against X.A.N.A., made sure the upgrades went perfectly with the current codes and system, worked on how to free William from X.A.N.A. and found Hopper, and as if this wasn't enough, now he had a bad outfit day to take care of. To be fair he understood Odd's frustration, but this was just a ridiculous glitch he would have gladly passed on. He still hadn't found the solution when Aelita entered his room.

- Still not sleeping I see. She said caringly.

- You neither. Observed the genius blond.

- I had another nightmare and I knew you would be awake all night over Odd's fashion problem so I thought I'll come to give you a hand. She said while gently crossing her arms around him from behind and kissing him on the check.

- Guess I can use the help. I kinda miss having you on my screen to talk through my insomnia. Admitted Jérémie.

- I miss those conversations too. Admitted Aelita. I also miss not having nightmares, she added. But you know I'm always here for you anyway right? I might not be available 24/7 on your computer screen anymore, but as much as I can I'll come help you and talk to you anytime you need it. And so are you friends. You don't have to do this alone.

- I know. I guess I'm just used to being alone. Just my computer and me you know. I'm the only one on the team except for you that know how those things work. It would be unfair of me to ask for their help for this and you have been through enough already without having to deal with a fashion crime on a computer.

- The same can be said for you, you know? Laugh Aelita. Also, fixing a little glitch is exactly what I need to forget my nightmares and the more the merrier right! Together we'll fix it in no time!

- If you say so. Accepted Jérémie. Ok let's give Odd his new outfit back before the next mission or he'll be worse than X.A.N.A. to deal with.

- Hmm… said Aelita… while we're on it, maybe we could also upgrade it a little no?

- What do you mean? Asked Jérémie.

- I mean… And she whispered her idea in the blond ear who had to contain himself to not burst laughing and wake up the entire floor and gladly accepted her Idea.

The next mission happened 5 days later. This time, everyone made it to the factory and when Odd got virtualized, he looked at his outfit, happy to see it exactly like before the bug. But that's because he couldn't see the back of it… When Odd started walking, turning his back to the others, they all started laughing. 

- What's so funny? Asked the cat-boy.

- It's a shame you can't see your back, sais Ulrich, because you have an amazing portrait of Einstein with a crown saying "fashion king" in it 🤣🤣🤣

- WHAT?!!!! You're serious?!! How dare you?!!

- Don't blame him, it was my idea. Admitted Aelita. Don't worry Jérémie will take it away in a sec I just wanted Ulrich to enjoy this bug story too. 

- Ha ha very funny… everyone had their laugh so you can take it away now Einstein.

- Wait! Scream Ulrich. Before you do this… Aelita, can you send me a picture of it please? I wanna make it my wallpaper. 

- No problem answered Aelita

- NO! Screamed Odd. Einstein take it away now! He ordered while making sure that Aelita couldn't see his back and took a picture.

- I'm trying but I don't remember how too… I was really tired last night you know… give me a minute or two...

- Hurry!

Like I said, it was a normal day for the warriors. There were a lot like them in the past, and there will be a lot more in the future.

End.

Hi Cosmomugen! Here was my gift for you for the Code Swap project. I hope you liked it! Your prompts was Odd in his original lyoko outfit, Yumi and Jérémie X Aelita so I did a mix of the three… Tell me what you think of it and have a nice day!

[in-class-daydreams]

Youth Coach!Bokuto x Youth Coach!Reader

Hey Anon, so sorry for getting to this so late, but I finally had the time to do this request! Hopefully this is kinda close to what you were expecting!

- Kiwi 

~~

Being a sports med college student is definitely not the easiest thing in the world 

Why? Well...because college is a thing. College = broke bitch

 No tengo dinero :( 

So you figured, “hey getting a part time job won’t be the worst thing in the world”  You’d be able to make some extra cash

¡logramos este pan!

There’s a youth center close to campus that’s hiring so you figured why not because

You love kids (most of the time)

You have decent volleyball experience to be able to coach since you did play for a while

Few weeks later you heard back from them and you got the job! 

Your boss asks if you can come in a couple days before your first day so you can get used to the place and get an idea of how things work

So you get there and you see a VERY familiar floof of white hair sticking out from around the corner

You had to do a double take for a second 

Bo.

Bo?

BO?!?!?

He turns around and then he has to do a double take before he recognizes you

“Y/N?!?!?!”

“KOUTAROU?!?!?”

“What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here????!”

(excessive hooting ensues)

But when you finish he’s like

“I work here as a volleyball coach...oh hold up, are you the new girls’ coach?”

“Yup!”

He was so happy when he found out y’all were working the same shift

Alrighty so backtrack, you guys know each other because you played on the Fukurodani Girls’ Volleyball team 

Since first year, you managed to befriend this hyper-energetic kid 

You saw this crackhead all 3 years of your high school life which meant that your life was guaranteed to never have a dull moment upon meeting him 

And you definitely didn’t have a crush on him what? who? (Y/N)? idk her ahaha

But seriously he's prime boyfriend material ur just a weenie who had fOUR YEARS to shoot your shot but u didn’t boo thumbs down

But tbh he ADORES you

You’re his precious (but scary when necessary) bean and will fight anybody to protect you

You honestly don’t know what you did that made him decide to become captain of Protect Y/N Squad but he is

Aaaand that stayed true even in college. He was so excited when he found out y’all were attending the same university 

But since college is a big meanie, you guys haven’t been able to spend as much time with each other >:((

Needless to say, when Bokuto found out you worked the same shift as him, he was so freakin happy

Literally jumping off the walls 

He was just really happy to spend more time with you

Before your shifts start, you guys arrive early so you can just chill in the lounge 

Actually, more like you’re getting school work done and uh, Bokuto is uhm, well...being him

But it’s not his fault!!

Bo is not a school person

That’s just not his specialty

But he is so so smart in other ways and you will s c r a p with anyone who says otherwise

Anyways

It wasn’t uncommon for a co-worker to walk in and see you getting some schoolwork done, and Bokuto, well, being him

Exhibit A : you’re working on an assignment that’s due later this week, but since you have some time now, you decided to get some of it done until -- 

“Hey (Y/N) if I punch myself and it hurts, does that mean I’m strong, or I’m weak?”

“Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

“I’ve been trying to! My arm just really hurts, and I still don’t know the answer!”

*Pouty Bo has entered the chat*

Or Exhibit B: For once you’re not doing homework. Bokuto actually brought you some smoothies he bought on his way to work, so y’all are just sipping on smoothies until -- 

“Hey (Y/N), ya ever notice how cold water tastes sharp, but warm water tastes smooth? Like isn’t that whack?”

＿φ(￣ー￣ )

All jokes aside, he’s really good with kids

His group of 9-10 year olds - The Owlets - absolutely LOVE him (but who wouldn’t?)

Honestly you were kinda surprised at how well he gets along with the kids but not really 

Let's be honest he’s the same mental age as them

He’s just as childish as them 

Whenever a volleyball from your side of the room rolls over to his, he takes it upon himself to send it back by spiking it towards you

Luckily, you’re able to receive it, and it doesn’t cause much trouble

Other times he’ll just openly sling his arm over your shoulder, and put all his weight on it but uh

he has this thing called... M U S C L E 

AND THERE’S SO MUCH

I mean have you seen those back muscles? Literally a blessing from the high heavens themselves

He’s always been toned and had muscle since high school BUT OH MY GOD he got SO BUFF in college and geez those are h e a v y 

But your eyes are being blessed everyday so can you really complain? 

The answer is no you can’t complain

But you will complain because you’ve had a crush on this mf since high school and yanno that wack feeling when you have unresolved feelings for someone and you feel weird when you look at them?

Like you kinda have feelings but you’re not sure?

Or you’re wondering if your feelings are feeling feelings or they’re just old, stale feelings coming back to harass you?

Mhmm that’s you

And uh you’re not really vibin with it 

So the fact that he’s gotten even buffer is not helping your case

AND

He’s always been a sweetie but since college he’s been taking WOMEN’S STUDIES COURSES

You asked him about it and he said he wanted to make sure he was socially aware so he can “use his male privilege to help women make their voices heard”

Is he even real??

He’s drinking his respecc wahman juice ™ everyday, twice a day

Luckily, for the next few weeks, everything goes super smoothly

Your group of kids - The Penguins - are very driven in trying to improve themselves

And kids who want to get better at something they’re passionate about is absolutely ADORABLE

So while you guys are cleaning the gym up Bokuto asks you if you could come to his game on Saturday 

And bring the kids ofc because it’d be a good learning experience 

Obviously you agree cause you’re not missing out on watching him play volleyball

So it’s finally the long awaited Sunday, and you get there kinda early just so you have more time to make sure all the kiddos get there to the meeting spot safely

And in case you run into a certain volleyball player before the game starts

Turns out, Lady Luck was on your side today 

You’re walking down the hallway when you spot a certain owl-haired man 

“Koutarou!”

He whips around so fast and his face lights up upon seeing you call out his name

He sprints speed walks over to you 

“(Y/N)! I thought you’re supposed to meet up with the kiddos?”

“Yeah, but I got here early so I ended up walking around for a bit,” 

In his eyes, you’re so adorable right now

You face is kinda flushed with a light pink spread across your cheeks, and your hair just flows around you and he’s just so in awe 

His trance was broken when you checked the time and realized you should be heading to the meeting spot soon

“Ah, I should probably head over to the meeting spot. Good luck, Koutarou! I’ll be cheering you on with the kids!”

“Thanks, I’m looking forward to it!”

So you guys go your separate ways, and make it to the meeting spot 5 minutes in advance. All the kids show up on time, and the parents saying thank you for watching their kid, etc. 

You bring them to the front row of the cheering section, but a little off to the left so the kids don’t get caught up in whatever the cheering section happens to be doing 

The game starts and the kids are in absolute awe over Coach Bokuto and tbh so are you

Now, this isn’t the first time you’ve seen him play, but goddamn every time you do it’s so mesmerizing 

He does a complete 180 whenever he plays

Completely focused, and all his movements are precise

 and the back muscles oh the high heavens are really testing you today 

You can’t help but notice how the energy from the crowd makes him so excited

At some point you could’ve sworn that he was scanning the cheering the section trying to find you 

He totally was, and he spots you and the kiddos and it makes him so happy 

His captain had to snap Bokuto back into the game since he got distracted, and that made you laugh a lil 

The rest of the game progresses smoothly

Really smoothly actually. The team had a comfortable lead and they were match point from winning their second set, so they were doing juuuuust fine 

Throughout the game, you point on things that should be brought to attention, and the kids kept asking question, which you were more than happy to answer

The match ends with victory for Tokyo U with a solid 3-1 win, and you escort the kids back to the meeting spot where their parents are supposed to pick them up

What you didn’t expect was for Bokuto to be there too 

The kids sprint over and flock him, showering him with compliments about his performance during the game

The parents arrive, and one of the parents asked if they could get a group picture with everybody, and soon all the parents were getting their phones out

Ya know the thing where one parent asks to take a picture and now you have a gallery of parents and like 60% of them take like 2 mins just to take one picture?

Yeah, that 

All the parents ended up with a whole bunch of cute pics, and the kids were on their ways home

Since Bokuto was still in his uniform, you walk with him back to the locker rooms, and just as you were about to turn the corner, he suddenly slings his arm over your shoulder, and puts all of his body weight onto your back. You’re really trying hard to shimmy out from under him, but he’s SO FREAKING HEAVY

(It’s the muscles, they are d e n s e)

Ofc he notices this and whines about it

“(Y/N)! Why’re you trying to escape?? I’m so sore, please let me use you as a human crutch for like 2 minutes!”

“Ew, no, Koutarou. You’re still sweaty and smelly, get off of meeee”

You somehow manage to drag your poor body to the locker room doors with this man child dragging behind 

“I’ll wait out here Kou--”

Before you could finish your sentence, Bokuto turned you around and wrapped his arms around you, enveloping you into a warm hug 

“Thanks for coming to the game, (Y/N)”

Your brain is not comprehending ANyTHing is boy is saying

Your high school crush is hugging you like it's some shoujo manga like eXCUse mE? 

And sis you’re not missing this opportunity, so you wrap your arms around his torso, and you can feel him tense up a little underneath your hands

Your brain finally catches up to you, and you’re able to formulate thoughts before you speak (cause otherwise you’re pretty sure you would’ve stuttered like a blubbering mess)

“Of course. Anytime, Koutarou”

“I’m gonna go clean up. Do you mind waiting for me?”

“Not at all. Take your time.”

“Ok, thanks. I’ll be out soon.”

Just as he pulled away from the hug, he leans down to kiss your cheek before reaching out for the door handle

Hold up

He

Kissed

You

On

The

Cheek 

AND HE’S TRYNA RUN AWAY FROM WHAT HE DID

NAH UH

Before you convince yourself what you’re about to do might change the whole dynamic of your guys relationship, you grab a whole muscley arm, and pull him down a little, and you return a kiss on his left cheek 

Oh shit

Oh shit

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh dear god

WE HAVE BUNGLED THIS MISSION

In order to save yourself from any further potential embarrassment, you let go of his arm, and skedaddle (skidoodle ur dicc is now a noodle) 

over to the lobby 

This poor boy

One (1) whole confused owl 

You kissed  him back…

YOU KISSED HIM BACK

Kinda. It was on the cheek, not like a kiss in reciprocity

*YOU KISSED HIM ALSO

He realized he’s standing there like an idiot so he hurries into the locker room and showers because even he recognizes that he stank

Mansweat

But he’s literally thinking about that cheek kiss the entire time he’s freshening up 

And so were you

You’re sitting on a bench in the lobby trying to think of how to talk to him without making it awkward

But the fact that your heart spazzing out in your chest, and your stomach is doing backflips certainly doesn’t help

But hey...you kissed your crush (go you!)

Time passes a lot quicker when you’re thinking about smooching Bokuto because he’s walking towards you with this bag slung over his shoulder 

You get up from the bench sweating anxiety bullets and start heading over to him 

“Hey Kou, about earlier I--”

Before you could finish your sentence, Bokuto who is also sweating anxiety bullets but at least he’s smelling nicer quickly interrupted you 

“(Y/N) I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO KISS YOU I JUST THINK YOU’RE SUPER CUTE!”

He’s yelling cause (duh it’s Bo) he can’t help it, but like you also get caught up in it so: 

“OH IT’S OK DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, IT’S COOL..!”

“JUST BECAUSE I LIKE YOU DOESN’T MEAN WE CAN’T BE FRIENDS...ALL CASUAL AND SHIT”

“aHAHAHA CASUAL YEAH YEAH THAT’S RIGHT, WE’RE TOTALLY BUDS ”

“I MEAN JUST FRIENDS IS CHILL, THAT’S COOL I RESPECT THAT, BUT I’D LIKE IT IF YOU WENT OUT WITH ME”

“GOOD CAUSE I WANNA GO OUT WITH YOU!”

Rip to everyone’s eardrums

Meanwhile…

Akaashi: “I suddenly feel super embarrassed… but I don’t know why.”

Back to the main show: 

“COOL ARE YOU FREE THIS SATURDAY?”

“YEAH”

“cOOL”

“COOL”

*aggressive hand shake*

Passersby are very confused 

But oh my god this poor boy

His hands are shaking, and he has armpit sweat galore

But it’s ok you’re just the same as him

Less pitsweat, but still stressed

Poor Bo was so out of it that when heard his phone go off he jumped a lil bit 

Luckily it was a text from you

From: (Y/N) [8:26 pm]

“You’ll ace this date! <3”

Cut to Bokuto, having the meltdown of the century

[girls-scenarios]

Time and Time Again

Idol: Nako (IZ*ONE)

Prompt: Hi!! Can I request a scenario where you are a traveler, so you and Nako always coincidentally meet up while travelling and you eventually decide to travel together. + a kiss

Writer: Admin Kiwi

A/N: I love travelling so I was excited to write this AU. I hope you all enjoy!

♡ Tip Jar♡

The first time you met her, you were in Bangkok, Thailand, taking shelter from the sudden rain in a cafe on the hottest summer day you’d ever experienced in your life. As you stepped inside, your wet hair clung to your face and a welcomed chill went through your body as a blast of cool air hit your damp clothes, momentarily cooling you down. The cafe was crowded with other people just like you, rushing in to get away from the rain, and you looked around for a free table, shifting the weight of your backpack from shoulder to shoulder as you ordered a coffee in broken Central Thai.

Once the coffee was in your hand, you slipped further into the cafe, dodging larger groups and cursing the rain for pausing your day of exploring Rumbuttri Road. There were no tables open, but you spotted a single bar stool at the window and quickly walked over to claim it before anyone else could. As you sat down, placing your backpack on the floor underneath you and hoping nothing inside was wet, the woman on your right turned to look at you with a smile.

“Did you get caught outside too?”

You jumped a bit, not expecting anyone to talk to you, and glanced over, only for your heart to skip a few beats. The woman was small, with her wet hair pulled back into a low, messy bun at the back of her neck, and had the cutest dimpled smile you’d ever seen. A backpack similar to yours, just smaller and more purple, sat at her feet, and you collected yourself, realizing that you were talking to a fellow traveler.

“O-oh, yeah, I did. I totally forgot to bring my umbrella because it looked so sunny today. You’d think after years of travelling I’d learn better.”

She let out a soft laugh. “Same here. I’m usually better prepared than this! I’m Nako, by the way.” She held out a hand, and you took it, smiling back at her.

“I’m (Y/N). You’re a traveler too, I take it?”

“I am. I work out of Japan writing travel guides and posting photos and tips to Instagram. What about you?”

“I write guides as well. I go places that my followers are curious about and give them tips as well as photograph and sometimes video my experiences. It’s a great job.” You gestured out the window, where the rain was still pouring down. “Although sometimes I’m forced to take unwanted breaks.”

“It’s kind of fun though, isn’t it?” Her bright smile didn’t fade as she looked out the window, stirring her drink. “Even though I have to be inside, I get to meet other travelers or locals. It’s nice to try local places, relax, and chat a little. Plus, I love a little spontaneity!” Her positivity made you glance back outside, watching the rain with a new gaze. The street was now mostly empty, but inside of the cafe was cool and bustling with activity and chatter. You might have never stopped here if you didn’t get caught in the rain, and you had to admit that you liked the coffee. Plus, you might not have met her without the rain.

“I like that outlook,” you said with a smile, pulling out your phone. Maybe the rain wasn’t so bad. “You said you were on Instagram, right?”

-

A few months later, you found yourself wandering around the Amalfi Coast, trying to find a certain ice cream and yogurt shop a few of your followers had asked you to visit. It had recently been featured on a travel show and people were eager to see if it lived up to the hype, but you could hardly tell them if you couldn’t find the shop. Usually, you would be grumbling by now, but the scenery, the fried seafood you’d just eaten, and the feeling of the cool ocean breeze on your skin kept you in high spirits as you wandered through the pretty side streets, your eyes peeled for a little yellow shop sign.

As you walked, you looked at your phone, using the tagged photos of the outside of the shop as reference. You had the feeling that you were close as you stopped to study to roofs of the houses around you. They looked familiar, and when you turned a corner, you saw a sign that made you smile. You’d found the road the shop was on. Proud, you went to turn off your phone, only for a username in the tags to catch your eye.

It was Nako. And she’d just now posted.

“The ice cream already looks so good, I can’t wait to try it!”

Well. This was a pleasant surprise. Smiling, you made your way up the street and quickly found the yellow sign, hanging over an old yellow door with a bell at the corner. When you pushed the door open, you were met with the smell of fruit and she sight of Nako at one of the small tables in the corner. She looked up at the sound of the bell and her eyes widened.

“(Y/N)?”

“I saw your photo and figured you would still be here,” you said with a grin, waving at her. She was more tanned than she had been a few months ago, most likely from her recent trip to the Bahamas, but she still looked just as cute as she had when you first met her, especially in her loose floral sundress. A smile spread over her face as she jumped from her seat (just as tiny as ever) and waved you over.

“What are you going here?” She asked, opening her arms for a hug. The two of you had been talking over Instagram since Thailand, so it felt like hugging an old friend.

“I’m doing the same thing as you are, I’m sure,” you said as you pulled away, holding up your phone. “Travelling for my followers.”

“I guess I should have known that.” She giggled, and you remembered how much you’d loved the sound of her laugh when the two of you first met. “Oh, you should order something! The ice cream here is amazing!”

“So I’ve heard. Mind if I put my bag down here?”

“You know I don’t.”

Soon, you came back with your own order, only to raise your eyebrows in surprise. She’d already finished half of her cup, and you were impressed.

“How did you eat all of that without getting a brain freeze?” There was a playful lilt to your voice as you sat down across from her and she flushed, tucking her long brown hair behind her ear.

“I like ice cream and I eat it a lot, so I can eat it really fast.”

“That’s impressive.”

She giggled again, much to your delight. “Thank you!” After you took your first bite, she spoke again. “How do you like it?”

“It’s incredible,” you said truthfully. “It tastes so fresh.”

“Right? This place is totally worth the hype.”

“I agree, even though I had a hard time finding it.”

“Same here, but the walk is worth it, don’t you think? Such a beautiful view.” She sighed as she looked out the window. The shop was angled so that one could see the ocean out the front window, past the other buildings on the cliff side. “It’s romantic, don’t you think?”

It was your turn to blush as you glanced out the window and nodded. “Yeah. I bet the sunset is nice around here.”

“Want to see if we can find a spot after we finish? My followers are always looking for secret spots to watch the sunset.” She smiled widely, her dimples showing, and you couldn’t help but smile back, knowing that your review of this spot would be especially sweet.

“That sounds like a great idea!”

That night, you returned to your lodging with the sweet taste of fruit ice cream on your tongue and a photo of you, Nako, and the sunset on your phone.

And maybe you were biased, but the sunset had been especially beautiful from where you stood at Nako’s side on the cliff’s edge, staring out over the sky blue ocean.

-

A month later, at the night market in Kenting, Taiwan, you weren’t even surprised when you saw her familiar figure in the crowd, ordering food at a stand. Instead, a rush of happiness went straight to your heart and a smile came to your face as you approached her.

“I think our followers overlap,” you said, making her jump and spin around before bursting into laughter. It was somehow pretty when she did it, running her hand through her hair while the other held her skewer of fried milk.

“You surprised me,” she said, her face bright under the streetlights. “But I kind of had a feeling I’d see you again soon.” She held out her arms and again you accepted a hug, feeling like you were seeing an old friend. “Try some fried milk,” she said as she stepped back and gestured at the stand. “Seriously, it’s amazing!”

“I never thought I’d try something like this,” you responded truthfully, “but I trust you.” Pulling out your wallet, you stepped up to the stand, amazed as the cook pulled out a skewer of frozen milk, coated it, and dropped it into the fryer. The smell was amazing, and you were excited to try it when you picked it up, blowing on it as you stepped back over to Nako and started to walk with her.

“Thoughts?” She asked as you bit into it, giggling at your face.

“Hot,” you said, sucking in air to try and cool it off. After you got over the heat, though, the cold milk hit your tongue and your eyes widened. “It tastes like ice cream! So that’s why you like it!”

“Bingo!” She happily took another bite, humming at she ate, and you found yourself admiring her satisfied expression. How was she so beautiful?

“Are you headed anywhere after this?” You asked, hope tinging your voice, and she shook her head, sending you a grin.

“No, why do you ask?”

“I was going to invite you to spend the rest of the night with me. I know a great place for drinks nearby. Only if you want to, though.”

She giggled again and took your arm, making your heart go wild as she looked up at you. Did she know how cute she was? “I’d love to.”

-

-I saw your followers asking you to go to Kyoto. I know Kyoto really well, I can show you around if you want!

When you woke up to Nako’s message over Instagram, your heart started to pound. She was inviting you to travel with her, that had to count for something, right? Especially with the time the two of you had spent together, most recently accidentally meeting up in Australia and going on an outback tour together. The two of you had been talking nonstop since you met, and the feeling of friendship you felt for her had developed into something... more. You couldn’t help being hopeful that this invitation and the way she had smiled at you before the two of you parted ways in Australia meant that she felt the same.

-That would be awesome! I have a feeling we’d run into each other anyway 😂 so we might as well travel together.

-Right? That’s what I thought! Plus, I’ve been wanting to travel with you anyway so it’s a win-win for me!

Butterflies started up in your stomach and you grinned like an idiot, now fully awake.

-Same here. When are you free for Kyoto?

-I get back from Korea two weeks from now, does that work for you?

-Works for me! Just send me the details and I’ll book a ticket. Your wish is my command!

-Lol just put your trust in me, I won’t let you down!

The string of emojis she sent afterwards just further brightened your day and you got out of bed with a spring in your step, daydreaming about Kyoto. You had never been so excited for a trip before.

-

Even though the flight to Kyoto was long, the bubbling excitement in your chest wouldn’t go away. Nako had told you a few things, such as where you’d be staying and how long you’d be there, but she’d left most of her ideas up in the air, answering with a little “hm, I don’t know!” when you asked about the trip. If it was anyone other than her, you might have gotten annoyed with someone else planning a trip for you. With Nako, though, you found yourself having fun. You trusted her and knew she would make a trip you enjoyed.

When you finally got off the plane, dragging your luggage with your eyes searching for her, your mind was full of possible spots she would take you to and your body was almost vibrating with anticipation. It took you a moment to spot her in the huge crowd, but when you found her, she was standing on her tip-toes and waving, and you felt a smile spread over your face. You had never seen her in a autumn clothes before, but the oversize pink sweater she had on somehow made her look even cuter: probably because she was already so tiny.

“(Y/N), you made it!” She called, throwing her arms open as you walked over to her and pulling you into a tight hug (you were starting to really like her hugs). “I’m so happy to see you again!”

“It’s been a whole month,” you said playfully as you pulled away and gave her a once-over, butterflies going crazy once again. “Did you hair grow even longer? How does it grow so fast?”

She giggled and tucked her hair behind her ears, a flush on her cheeks. Cute. “I think I just use the right products. I’m thinking of cutting it soon, since it’s getting in the way when I try to free travel.”

“I’d miss your long hair, but I know you’d look good with short hair too.”

“Really?”

“For sure.”

“Thanks.”

For a moment, the two of you just grinned and stared at each other, before bursting into giddy laughter, amused at the situation.

“You’d think that after seeing you once a month I’d stop feeling nervous,” she said, and your heart rate spiked. What did that mean? You didn’t have time to ask her, though, because she quickly turned and gestured towards the doors. “Come on, I have a car waiting for us and we have a long day ahead!”

-

Nako knew how to plan a trip. Every minute was accounted for, and she’d chosen the spots that she knew you’d enjoy. Kyoto was beautiful, especially in the fall, and her hand in yours as she showed you around warmed you from the inside, keeping you warm even when the wind caught at your hair.

The first day consisted of a tour of the city: Nishiki Market, street shopping, the perfect view of the Kyoto tower, hidden cafes, a river walk, and dinner at one of the oldest restaurants in the region. By the time she brought you back to the ryokan you were staying at, you were exhausted, your feet hurting in the most satisfying way.

Half of you had hoped that she would stay with you, but of course, she said goodbye and gave you a hug, telling you to meet her outside bright and early in the morning.

As excited as you were, you fell asleep as soon as you laid down, a smile on your lips as you dreamed about the possibilities tomorrow might bring.

-

The second day started with a walk through the bamboo forest that left you breathless. By the time you left, you were sure you’d taken a hundred photos: of both the bamboo and of Nako, who blended right in with her light green sweater. After that, you found yourself on a train ride and doing a blur of other outdoor activities that made your well-earned dinner taste incredible.

The days seemed to blend together in a rush of wonderful moments, of beautiful scenery and Nako’s sweet giggle and foods you’d never tasted before. You walked through temples and visited a sea-side village and laughed as you rode a lift up a mountain, watching Nako whine about the height. Everything was just perfect in every way, but before you knew it, it was the last night of your trip and you were sitting across from her on a train towards an smaller traditional town outside the city.

“The scenery out here is so beautiful, I don’t think I’d ever be able to get used to it,” you commented as you looked out the window, watching as splashes of orange, red, and yellow appeared on the countryside.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Nako agreed, a smile on her lips. She’d been smiling this entire time (aside from when she got splashed by an octopus while the two of you were at the seafood market) but you still couldn’t get enough of it. She was so cute that your heart squeezed every time she sent that dimpled smile your way. “But I think all of the places we visit are beautiful in their own ways. We live in a beautiful world.”

“We do,” you said, gazing at the way the evening sun cast shadows over her small face. For a while, the two of you sat in comfortable silence, enjoying resting your feet in the warmth of the train and watching the scenery go by. As you watched, you thought back over the trip and wished it would never end. You’d had more fun with her in the past few days than you’d had in a long time, and you found yourself not wanting to leave her side. In fact, you kind of wanted to spend forever with her, and that feeling was kind of intimidating. Especially since you didn’t know how she felt about you.

“Where are we headed?” You asked, finally breaking the silence to get away from the thoughts that were beginning to make your heart pound.

“We’re headed to Kinosaki. It’s a beautiful town. There’s a ryokan there with private onsen baths and the food is incredible. I thought I’d treat you since it’s your last night here.”

“Haven’t you been treating me this entire time?” You joked, making her laugh.

“I guess so, but shouldn’t we go out with a bang this time?”

She was right about Kinosaki being beautiful. You could smell the sea as you stepped off the train and the air was cool and crisp: perfect for bathing in an onsen. Like you’d been doing since the beginning, you let her take your hand and lead you as you enjoyed the scenery.

It was only when the two of you reached the ryokan that it hit you: was she suggesting that the two of you get into an onsen together? Your face flushed and you gripped your backpack, suddenly feeling light-headed. You weren’t ready for this.

“Here we are! The best ryokan in Kinosaki.” She grinned and waved her hand, apparently oblivious to your plight. “Tonight is going to be a treat, just you wait!”

“I-I bet.” You followed her inside, in awe at how beautiful everything was. There was a garden outside, and when you went inside, you saw the spa sign. This place really was high end.

“Hello, I had a reservation for two rooms with private open-air baths under the name Yabuki Nako.” Ah, so she had reserved two rooms. That made sense. You weren’t sure whether to be disappointed or relieved.

“Of course, we’ve been waiting for your arrival. Just follow me.” The clerk stepped out from behind the desk and guided the two of you down the long hallway until you reached two sliding doors, side-by-side. “Here are your rooms, Ms. Yabuki. Please let us know if we can help you in any way.”

As he walked away, you raised your eyebrows at her. “How were you able to get two rooms side-by-side? I’ve heard of this place, it’s really hard to get any rooms here!”

“I might have flexed my ‘famous travel blogger’ muscles to encourage them to get us the rooms I wanted,” she said, a mischievous grin on her cute lips, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“I figured as much.”

“Go in and explore your room! We can eat dinner together and since the baths are right next to each other, we can talk without it being awkward.” She opened her door and stepped inside and you followed suit, stepping into your room and glancing around as you took off your backpack.

It wasn’t the biggest room you’d ever stayed in, but it was nicer than most, immaculately decorated and spotless. At the back of the room was another sliding door and you could see the steam of a private bath through the panels. Curious, you walked back and opened the door, taking everything in. It was small and definitely meant for a one person bath, but you couldn’t help chuckling to yourself as you thought about how small Nako was. With her, it was definitely a two person bath.

There was a knock at your door, and you walked back to see her standing outside, her face bright and expectant. “Well?”

“It’s beautiful. I love the private bath. This is probably one of the fanciest places I’ve ever stayed.”

Obviously proud of herself, she grinned. “I knew you’d like it. Do you want to eat or take a bath first?”

“Honestly I’m not hungry yet, and the bath is calling my name.”

“Same. Meet you outside?”

You flushed despite knowing there would be a barrier between the two of you. “S-sure.”

Once you were ready, you sank into the warm water and let out a content sigh. Your sore muscles immediately felt better, and the chill from the air kept you from overheating. It was perfect.

A splash and similar sigh told you that Nako was in too, and you moved so that your back was towards the barrier, as close to her as you could get.

“This is amazing,” you said, “thanks for bringing me here.”

“You’re welcome. I wanted to try it too, after all.” She let out a giggle, and you tried not to imagine what she looked like in the bath, her face flushed from the heat. “So did you like my itinerary?”

“I’ll give it to you, you know what you’re doing when it comes to travelling. Everything has been great. I can’t even chose a favorite spot.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She paused for a moment, and you could hear more splashing. “It’s sad that you have to leave tomorrow, though. It feels like this week has gone to quickly.”

You leaned back and watched the steam curl up into the sky. The stars were beginning to come out, twinkling and winking down at you as if they knew something you didn’t. A wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves and causing some to fall to the ground, and somewhere in the ryokan, you could hear people laughing and talking. A dog barked somewhere far off and a bird returned its call as the nearby sea brushed against the sand, loud enough for you to hear but still faint to your ears. Your heart squeezed in your chest and you closed your eyes, sinking further into the water.

Was the world always this beautiful, or were you just in love?

“I almost wish I could stay forever,” you said truthfully, voice loud enough for only her to hear. “I never want this night to end.”

There was a soft splash on her side of the barrier, then a sigh. “Yeah,” she said, her voice equally soft. “Me too.”

-

After the bath, it was time for dinner. You let her into your room, breath catching in your throat at the sight of her in a yukata, her hair in a loose bun and her face still slightly flushed and damp from the bath. You were reminded of the first time you met her in Thailand, and the thought made your heart squeeze.

“You look nice,” she commented, looking you up and down, and you blushed, glad you’d put on the yukata hung in your room.

“Thanks, so do you.”

“Thank you!” Her giggle echoed in your ears as the two of you sat at the table, waiting for dinner to be brought up. “You know,” she said after a moment, “we could always do this again.”

You were caught off guard. “Do what again?”

“This. Travelling together, I mean. Our destinations usually match up anyway. And it’s nice to travel with someone else for a change.”

“It is.” You’d been thinking the same thing, but until she brought it up, you weren’t sure if she’d want to. All you wanted was to see her again, and the two of you hadn’t even separated yet. “Where were you thinking of going next?”

“I’m not sure. You know, I’ve never been to Austria, but I’ve heard it’s a beautiful place.”

“Should we visit, then?”

She smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Dinner was served.

-

She had been right about the food being amazing. Not only was it served course by course, making you feel like royalty, but it looked and tasted incredible. You almost didn’t want to swallow as you ate, wanting to savor the tastes forever. By the time dinner was done, you were full and happy, knowing you would rave about the place when you got around to your review.

“Did it live up to your expectations?” Nako asked as she finished the rest of her tea, and you nodded, glancing at the photos you’d taken of the food.

“I already want to eat it again, it was that good.” You grinned at her. “Thanks for this, Nako. I had an amazing time.”

“You’re welcome.” Her smile was soft and affectionate, and it made your heart skip a beat as she reached across the table to give your hand a quick squeeze. Just as fast as her touch was there, it was gone, and she was standing up. “Well, we have to be up early to get back, so we probably shouldn’t stay up too late.”

Words lumped in your throat as you stood up with her, and you were overcome with a feeling you’d never felt before. You weren’t sure how to describe it, but it was like a chill, telling you that you had to say something now, or you’d forever regret it. Your hand moved without your permission, and you gently grabbed her wrist, making her eyes widen.

Immediately, nervousness washed over you, but you swallowed and steeled yourself. You had travelled the world and encountered all sorts of situations, you could tell her that you liked her.

“(Y/N)? Is something wrong?”

“N-no.” You took a deep breath. “I just wanted to tell you something. Since I have to leave tomorrow and I might not get to say it again.”

Her cheeks turned pink as she looked up at you, her eyes wide with expectation and... hope? “W-what is it?”

“I like you.” The words tumbled out on their own, and you were almost relieved that they did. “Actually, I might love you. I’ve realized my feelings even more while traveling with you and I just wanted to let you know. It’s okay if you, um-.”

“I might love you too,” she said, her dimples appearing as she cut you off and stepped closer. Your heart raced and relief washed over you as you smiled so wide your face hurt.

“Really?”

“Really. I’ve liked you for a long time, actually. I just never knew if you felt the same way.”

You were breathless again, staring down at the woman in front of you. She felt the same way. It wasn’t just you. “Well, I do.”

“I see that now.”

A rush of confidence washed over you as she giggled, and you took her other hand in your own, a thrill rushing through you when she squeezed your hand in return. “Will you stay with me tonight? Since I have to leave tomorrow? I don’t mind if I don’t get any sleep. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

She stepped in, closing the space between the two of you, and as her lips met yours you allowed your eyes to flutter closed. It was a short, chaste kiss, but a promise of more to come as she hugged you, pressing her racing heart against yours and speaking in a light, lovestruck whisper. “I was hoping you’d ask me to stay.”

[daydadahlias]

‘Ello mon soleil (i’m gonna ignore u tagging me there...) anyway i’m curious as hell so i’m gonna ask a whole of six questions hopefully no one will ask in between: 1, 5, 18, 20, 21, 35 <3

Also god i agree with the top/bottom thing. It’s so unnecessary?? Like... dude just write it as it is for you... why you gotta put everything into boxes... mhm i don’t like it. But whatever

That’s it hope you have fun i’m expecting a novel <3

God, mon ciel, you really do want a novel. Alright, lemme crack my knuckles and get to writing. ((And yes about top/bottom stuff!!! S’dumb as shit))

1. How long ago did you start reading fanfiction? Writing fanfiction?

I started reading fanficiton when I was in sixth grade because that was when I properly got into the TV show Supernatural. It was a long, terrifying phase, and I wrote several shitty as fuck fanfictions for it on Quotev (which were fucking reader and OC inserts?? Because my friends were writing them... So I did too and... I hate it. I fucking hate it. This is my dark past. This is my fucking villain origin story). I had three different Quotev accounts through the years (6th - 8th grade) and everything I wrote on them was shitty hot fucking garbage that makes me want to violently gouge my eyes out. I am going to pull you a direct line from one of my Supernatural fanfics to prove it. 

“That may be the case gentlemen,” Principle Birch was arguing back to them. “But I already told you, no student has reported being struck by lightning!”

You stopped in your tracks. Struck by lightning...? But... you were struck by lightning. This couldn’t be a coincidence. 

As you can see, I was an author in the making. Look out, Hemingway, I’m coming for you.

5. What are your fanfic pet peeves? Do they have a huge effect on whether or not you decide to read something?

Fuck, I have too many... I honestly cannot even say them all. They definitely have a huge effect on whether or not I’ll read something. I won’t read anything with a daddy kink; I won’t fucking do it. I refuse. I would rather bash my head into a wall than ever read the word ‘daddy’ used seriously in a fic. Dub-con is such a hard no that even thinking about it makes me want to shrivel into a tiny ball and cease to exist. I won’t read soulmate aus. There’s no real reason. I just... don’t vibe. I don’t like the idea of predestined futures. Won’t read coffee shop aus... Won’t read anything where a chapter is less than 2k words... For 5sos, I don’t like reading any fics written before 2016 to be 100% honest. I will but I try not to because it sort of creeps me out that someone looked at 17/18 year old Luke Hemmings and went “lemme write some porn abt that kid” idk, idk. I’m definitely not one to judge. ALSO THE BIGGEST ONE: WHEN FICS CALL CALUM “THE KIWI” OR “THE MAORI BOY” I LOSE YEARS OF MY LIFE. FOR FUCKS SAKE JUST CALL HIM CALUM. It’s Fucking Racist. No ones out here calling Ash “the white man” what the fuck.

((I answered 18 + 20 so I’m moving on to the others))

21. What’s your least favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?

Oh, that’s tough. I love pretty much everything about writing and posting fic. I don’t actually think I have an answer to this. I don’t love the anticipation after posting, I guess, when you’re inbox is at (0) and you don’t know what to do about it. But I love pretty much everything about writing. It’s literally all I do in my free time. 

35. How much has writing fic changed your life?

Oh my g o d. I cannot even begin to express it to you. Fuck. Writing means so fucking much to me and being able to share that writing means even more. In a more serious way... (I’m trying to think of how to say this delicately) I went through a really genuinely bad time before quarantine started (lot of personal shit happened to me and things were just not going well) and I didn’t really know what to do, y’know? Nothing was okay, I wasn’t happy, and I was starting to worry I couldn’t fix myself. But then school let out because of the virus and I was stuck at home with all this time to write and just exist, and I really fell in love with the band and writing about them and it become such a necessary escape for me. Reading comments and interacting with people on tumblr and all that shit has been so important to me these last few months. And I’m in such a good place now and I can fully say that fanfiction has been a large part in making me happy again. :D

From Fanfic Ask Game

[wowweeharrystyles]

Part 9 | The Jumpsuit, Falling & (more) Ripped Trousers | 6.1k words

Sequins & Zippers’ Summary: An internship with Harry Lambert transformed into a job of a lifetime - Aurora Del Gatto finds herself touring the world with the one & only Harry Styles as his ‘Head of Wardrobe.’ Aurora is nothing but nerves & excitement as she packs her bags & almost 100 custom designer suits that belong to an unbelievably kind rockstar. She never thought she’d fall in love on top of it all.

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Masterlist

a/n: I hope y’all are doing what you need to during this crazy time. All the love to you all !!! 💕also...a little bit of niall in this part... go stream HBW !!! 

The loud knock on the door causes Harry and Aurora to jump and scramble to sit up on the couch. 

“Heard there’s a curly headed boy in here!” 

A once blonde, now brunette head pops into the doorway. If the irish accent wasn’t enough to give away who it was, his face surely does. Aurora messes with her hair and Harry wipes the back of his hand across his mouth, trying their best to compose themselves. They had made their way back to Harry’s dressing room from the empty arena before Harry was to be pulled away for training, soundcheck and all the usual pre show prep. One thing led to another and the episode of Friends Aurora had pressed play on was long forgotten. 

“Niall!” Harry exclaims, jumping off the couch. He hugs his old friend as Aurora is frozen on the couch. Harry hadn’t even mentioned the possibility of Niall coming to the show tonight. It didn’t even cross Aurora’s mind that in Dublin (duh), that Niall might be in attendance. A deer in headlights describes Aurora best at this moment. “Haven’t seen ‘ur hair this messy in ages! Who do you have here with you?” Niall jokes, his laugh filling the space. When Harry steps out of the doorway to invite Niall in, he fixes his hair and Niall’s laughter stops. Niall lets out a surprised “Oh,” with a small laugh. 

“Uh, Niall, this is Ror- uh, Aurora,” he corrects himself, a dopey smile forming on his face.

“Lovely to meet you, Aurora,” Niall offers a hand out to her. 

“Wasn’t how I was intending to introduce the 2 of you, but here we are,” Harry adds. 

“Uh, great to meet you as well, Niall,” Aurora says as she stands up. She shakes his hand. “Harry, you could’ve said he was coming,” Aurora comments directly to Harry. 

“It wasn’t for sure yet and I kind of wanted it to be a surprise,” Harry tells Aurora. 

“A surprise?” Niall questions. “For Aurora?” He continues to question as he gestures to Aurora, a small look of confusion on his face. 

“Ugg,” Aurora groans, to no one in particular, “Harry, please don’t.” 

“Hey, if you’re going to rub in my face that you were once a ‘Niall girl’,” he uses air quotes to pester her more, “then I’m going to have some fun with it.” Niall’s laugh echoes off the walls of the dressing room. 

“I’m gonna need more of a story behind this,” Niall says through bouts of laughter. 

Aurora groans again, rolling her eyes at Harry before turning back to Niall. “Wish we could've had this conversation over some drinks, but here we are.” 

“We could get drinks right now, I know where the bar is,” Niall adds. 

“I’m technically working… so drinking is a no,” 

“But making out on the couch is fine?” Harry asks through a chuckle, Niall’s laugh joins in. 

“Oh god, the 2 of you together is really gonna be like this huh?” 

“Like what?” Harry asks. 

“You 2 picking on me and just overall, chaotic.” The 2 former bandmates shrug their shoulders when they make eye contact. 

“Anyways,” Niall circles back to the original request, “I need the story. Correct me if I’m wrong, but did Harry say ‘Niall girl’?” 

“He sure did. I made the mistake to share that I once had One Direction posters on my wall growing up. Definitely pumped Harry’s ego a bit and I had to bring it down by informing him that I was a quote unquote a Niall Girl back then.” Aurora sighs and then laughs at the face Niall is making at Harry. “Ni, you don’t have a chance anymore, so stop even entertaining the thought in your head,” Harry says as he tosses an arm around Aurora’s shoulders. 

“How much does it kill you that she had posters of me in her room?” Niall asks Harry. 

“Don’t wanna talk about it,” Harry states with a straight face. 

“Can we not talk about any of this anymore?” Aurora questions, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment still. Both Harry and Niall’s laughter fill the room once again and Aurora can’t help but smile at the 2 old friends. 

Harry ushers them both to the empty couch and chairs to sit back down. Niall opts for the chair after grabbing a sparkling water from the fridge under the vanity counter. Niall seems carefree and comfortable. Harry doesn’t talk much about being in the band or the other guys much. It’s not that he avoids it at all costs. If it comes up he’ll talk but he doesn’t volunteer the conversation himself. Aurora does know that he keeps in touch with Niall the most. She had caught him giggling at something on his phone recently and when she asked what it was all he said was that Niall sent him a joke. 

“I’ve seen the suits you’ve got our boy Harold in, they’re incredible, really,” Niall comments to Aurora. 

“Oh, yeah, I only helped pick some of them out, thanks though,” Aurora says shyly. 

“Don’t do that,” Harry interrupts. “You’ve done more than that.” Aurora only blushes slightly and shakes her head. 

“Getting him in clothes is the hardest part, honestly,” Niall comments. 

“Why does everyone say that?” Aurora questions. “Gemma made the same comment and Lambert alluded to it as well.” 

“Harry over here was barely dressed half the time and would put up a fight when he was told to put pants or a shirt on for anything. Quite a show off back in the day,” Niall shares. 

Aurora laughs, “Well, I haven’t had much trouble.” 

“Think there’s something more in it for him when he listens,” Niall says. 

Harry rolls his eyes at Niall. An alarm rings from Harry’s phone. 

“I’ve gotta head to sound check, wanna come with, Ni?” Harry asks as he stands up. Niall agrees to join and the 2 boys stand up to leave.

“Have a good sound check,” Aurora says before pressing a kiss to his lips quickly. “Niall, seriously it was great meeting you. I’m assuming you’re staying for the show?” He nods, “Great, I’ll see you later then.” 

“Great to meet you too. See you later, Aurora,” Niall says, his blue eyes bright and his irish accent strong. 

| | | | |

Harry’s dressing room becomes a common room tonight and by the time Harry has to get ready, his whole band is in here. Niall’s tagged along with Harry since he got here earlier and Aurora has enjoyed the commotion for once. Niall is sharing a story about one of the many shows they had done together when Aurora finishes prepping Harry’s jumpsuit for the show. She joins Sarah on the couch while waiting for Harry to be done with Ayae. 

“He falls flat on his arse,” Niall continues telling the story. “In front of a sold out arena. No idea what he even tripped on or anything, to this day.” 

“Hey!” Harry interrupts. “There was a loose flap on the stage!” He defends. 

“Buddy, I really don’t think there was, but keep telling people that if it makes you feel better.” Harry rolls his eyes at Niall. 

“Ror, I’m ready!” Harry says as he walks towards the wardrobe cases. Aurora gets off the couch to help get him into the jumpsuit. 

“Hey, Mully just messaged saying he was here,” Niall says to Harry. “I’m gonna go find him.” Harry and Niall hug for a moment, a few pats on the back, Niall wishing him good luck. Aurora smiles at the two. No love was lost between them. Though Aurora doesn’t know everything about what that time was like, she's grateful that behind all the rumors and drama Harry and Niall still get along like they did when they first met on the X Factor. She’s most grateful for the fact that Harry has someone who understands it all. Someone who can relate to him and someone to share those memories with. She’s supportive and understands what she can but she wasn’t there. 

Harry’s band, Ayae and Helene follow Niall out the door leaving Aurora and Harry alone, just as it happens every night. 

“Okay, here ya go,” Aurora says as she hands off the jump suit to Harry. He steps into the jumpsuit and pulls the sleeves up on his shoulders. He lets out a grunt when he goes to button it close. “What?” Aurora asks with a look of worry on her face. 

“Uhm, fits a bit tighter than it did last,” Harry says slowly. 

“Oh no…. Can you close it?” 

“I mean, yeah, I think it’ll be fine, just not as roomy as it was for the Late Late Show.” Harry fastens the buttons up the front and adjusts the fabric in a few spots before he looks up to Aurora. 

“Turn around for me,” she directs to inspect that it’s still okay to perform in. As he turns around Aurora’s jaw drops, “Oh.” The jumpsuit certainly fits tighter than it did last. “Uh, is it comfortable?” She stutters out. 

“Uh yeah,” Harry moves around a bit. “Does it look okay?” 

“Honest?” 

“Well, yeah,” Harry says, slightly confused.

“So uh, it definitely fits tighter… but it looks really good.” It’s all that Aurora can say. Her brain actually cannot form anymore full sentences. It’s not that the jump suit looked bad when he wore it for the Kiwi performance on the Late Late Show almost a year ago, it’s just that it looks better than it did. Harry turns to Aurora to try to figure out what she’s thinking. 

“What?” Harry asks when Aurora’s face is unreadable. He chuckles a little when her cheeks turn a light shade of pink under his gaze. 

“Well your ass looks great.”

“Rory!” Harry yells, almost startled by the comment coming from her. 

“What?! It’s the truth!” She says with a short laugh. “Let’s just say all those training sessions are doing their job.” Harry shakes his head, a small huff coming out of his mouth before a dimple inducing smile covers his face. He’s drawn towards Aurora and the look in her eyes. He can’t put his finger on it. When he gets his hands around her waist, instinctively he pulls her as close as she can get to him. Her hands grab on his shoulders and then slide down to his biceps. She lets out a small giggle as Harry presses his face into her neck, his lips landing on the soft skin below her ear. Aurora moves her hands to his chest to push him away from her to get him to stop tickling her neck with the soft touch of his lips. Pressing up to her toes, she kisses him square on the lips quickly before she pulls away from his hold. “Just don’t stop training.”

She pretends like nothing has happened and goes to grab Harry’s socks and shoes. She openly watches him as he puts them on. She follows him into the large, echoey bathroom as she always does. Hopping onto the counter she watches as he goes through his routine. 

“So what’d you think of Niall?” Harry asks curiously, his face reads a hint of caution but also approval. Being the one member he has stayed in contact with the most, he’s hoping she likes him as much as he does. He’s also nervous. He’d be lying if he said the image of Aurora’s childhood bedroom with Niall’s face plastered on the walls wasn’t haunting his mind. 

Aurora can see his brain churning as he asks the question and she smiles a little at the almost nervous look that is now on his face. “Crazy to meet him if I’m honest,” she shrugs. She sees Harry take a deep breath, his shoulders rising but not falling when he breathes out a shallow breath. “I’m glad you’ve kept in contact with him.” Aurora’s trying to direct the conversation to be about Niall and Harry not Niall and Aurora. She can tell he’s thinking too much. “Harry?” He hums at her as he finishes brushing his teeth. “You know, even though I had posters of Niall on my walls, I did take them down a long time ago. My mom found them in the back of my closet and they were there for a reason.” She sighs. He thinks too much and there’s reasons he thinks too much. She just doesn’t know why yet, but that conversation is for another day. “Babe,” at the pet name, Harry looks at her, “Niall wasn’t the one who took care of me when I burned my arm with a steamer. He doesn’t bring me coffee exactly how I like it or flirt with me by getting me new sneakers,” she laughs lightly. “He doesn’t make me laugh on a daily basis or know exactly when I could use a hug.” Now Aurora has hopped off the counter and is standing next to Harry, looking at him in the mirror. “He’s not you. He never will be no matter what. I may have had posters of him on my walls 4 years ago but that doesn’t matter anymore.” Aurora turns to face Harry and he follows her movement so they’re face to face now. She tucks a rogue curl back into place before continuing. “You’re all that matters, okay? I’m here, with you, yeah? Please stop thinking so much,” she pleads. Harry nods minutely. A small smile appears on his face, the cliche twinkle is back in his eye and he uses one hand to pull Aurora’s face to his, kissing her softly. 

“You know I get in my head a lot,” Harry says quietly when they pull apart from each other. Aurora offers a small smile and sighs at him. 

“I know, but you need to talk to me about it. Tell me when something isn’t sitting right, tell me anything. I can read you pretty well but I can only do so much.” 

“Promise I’ll work on it as long as you promise me you’re a Harry girl now,” he mocks. Aurora groans as she pulls away from his hold.

“You know, you’re really good at ruining the moment?” She jokes as she walks back to the main part of the dressing room. 

“You can’t deny you don’t adore it!” Harry yells back. She laughs and it echoes through both rooms and it makes Harry smile. 

Aurora turns around when she hears him walk back through the door. There’s still a ghost of a smile on his face when he looks at her. She huffs, unable to form a thought when she goes to give the last look on his jumpsuit.

“What?” Harry questions, a sparkle in his eye. 

“Nothing,” she brushes her thoughts away. Harry raises an eyebrow at her in question. “You look really good,” she admits with a shrug before turning away from him. She starts to pick up a few things to put away but Harry is quick to grab her waist and turn her around. She only sees the smile that’s covered his face for a moment before his lips are on hers. 

| | | | |

Everyone has been spending the extra days off at the hotel’s private pool. They nap and read and just enjoy the time off. Harry and Aurora are sitting on a cushion covered wooden sectional that sits in the corner of the pool area covered by large yellow and white umbrellas. Regardless of the heat, Aurora snuggled into Harry’s side, his feet crossed at the ankle, propped up on the bench in front of them and his arm around her shoulders. He has one of his woven fedoras on and sunglasses covering his eyes. Aurora traces over the butterfly tattoo on his stomach, idly as he hums and rests his head on top of hers. 

“This is nice,” he repeats for the hundredth time this afternoon. Aurora giggles in response. Harry turns his head and places a soft kiss to her hair. Harry starts humming again. 

“Is that a new one?” Aurora asks. 

“Ahhh not yet, just a little melody that’s been stuck in my head.” 

“Are you writing for the next album?” She asks as she reaches for his cross necklace. Aurora fiddles with it between her thumb and pointer finger. 

“Not purposefully. I’ll write whatever comes to me or record a voice note or something so I can use it later if I want. But not really thinking about the next album yet. I want to enjoy the tour and the first album more before I get into the next ” he shares, looking down at her. 

“That makes sense. It seemed like it was always a quick turnaround for the band. Must be nice to enjoy it all and not have to think about the next thing when you’ve just started the first thing. ” She drops the necklace and her hand slides up the side of his neck and stops at his jawline. Aurora’s fingers trace lightly over the harshness of it.

“Yeah it’s been nice, more enjoyable” he smiles down at her. “Not that it wasn’t enjoyable-” 

“Don’t have to explain yourself, I understand what you’re saying.” Aurora’s fingers don’t leave his jawline, only grip it harder to bring his face down to hers. His breath fans out across her face before his lips land on hers. She smiles when he pulls away for a brief moment. He mirrors her smile before going in to kiss her again. Between their smiles and the small giggles coming from both of them, they barely can connect their lips. 

It’s when they’re laying in the same spot later, cold margaritas on the table nearby, the sun setting off in the distance when Aurora gets a glimpse of Harry that makes her heart swell. His face is soft as he enjoys the view. A tint of red covers the top of his cheeks and nose, the sun having made a mark. Everything feels so normal, so mundane. Three full days spent in the Australian sun has only made Aurora’s heart grow fonder of the curly headed boy that she’s tucked into. With nothing to do but enjoy each other’s company, laugh with their friends and soak up the sun, she’s had a lot of time to think about everything. She’s thought about how thankful she is that this is her life, that while working, this is the break she gets to take, that her job is to dress the man she’s falling in love with. She’s thought about that last part a lot. She’s not sure she’s falling in love with him so much as already fallen in love with him. She’s there. She fell and she fell hard and she’s there. She’s fallen so hard that a small glimpse of him in the light of the sunset is enough to make her want to give her whole self to him. 

Aurora thinks about it the whole way back to the hotel room. Harry even asks why she’s so quiet. When she responds with “just thinking” he doesn’t stop the questioning there. 

“Ror,” he whispers. 

“What? You’re the only one who can think too much?” Aurora jokes as they walk into the elevator.

Harry sighs as a small smile ghosts his face, “what’re you thinking about, love?” 

“Uhm, can I tell you once I’ve figured it out?” 

Harry angles his body towards her so he can see her face completely. He pulls her closer to him with the hand that is at her waist. He kisses the top of her cheek then her temple. “Sure,” he says quietly, “just don’t go making up stories in that pretty little head of yours, okay?” Aurora nods. 

Once they get back to the hotel room both of them take their turns to shower and get ready for bed. Aurora’s sitting on the bed, Harry’s rolling stone tshirt on and scrolling through her phone when Harry walks out of the bathroom. 

“Did you call your mum?” he asks. Aurora mentioned that she wanted to when he hopped into the shower. 

“Mom was asleep, but I called Leila,” Aurora explains. 

“How is your sister?” He asks as he wrings out his hair with the towel one last time, tossing it back in the bathroom. 

“Good…” she answers broadly, not totally focused on the conversation. 

“Ror, you’re still thinking hard about something.” 

“Yeah, no, I know. Promise I’m fine. Leila helped a bit.” Harry gives her a questioning look as he sits down on the bed with her. “I’m still trying to work it out in my head, okay?” He nods slowly at her. “We’re fine. I promise we are. Nothing to worry about,” she explains as she reaches for him. She’s endeared by the caring look in his eyes. He looks rested and calm and his skin has tanned a bit.

She pulls him into her rather than finding her spot tucked into his side. His hair is still damp and she knows if she touches it too much it’ll go all frizzy. So instead, she smoothes it down so it doesn’t tickle her neck too much. He willingly wraps his arms around her torso, his legs automatically finding her bare ones underneath the sheets and weaving with them. Subconsciously she starts to trace the ink that litters his arm. 

“Ready for the show tomorrow?” Aurora asks after some silence. 

“Yeah,” he answers slowly. 

“Is it hard to go back to touringn after a small break?” She asks, curious. She always hated going back to school or work after long weekends or short trips. His job is different but it’s work, all the same. 

“Uhm, it normally is a bit hard yeah, but feels a bit different now, this time.” 

“What’d you mean by that?” 

“It’s all a bit different now, used to be such a routine, go home for a few days or family and friends would come to me when I had a few days. It was always so hard when they left and I had to get back to work. Not that-”

“Not that you didn’t enjoy it,” Aurora finishes for him. 

“I say that a lot, huh?” 

“Don’t need to explain it to me, remember? I understand.” Harry sighs at Aurora’s words and lets his hand that's sitting on her hip find the hem of his t-shirt she’s wearing and slid underneath. He gives the skin at her hip a light squeeze before he lets the heat from his hand radiate on the skin there and rub circles into her flesh haphazardly. 

“Right, well it was hard then cause I’d have to say goodbye and it was always for an unknown amount of time. I should’ve been going back to work well rested but I would stay up for hours in the night dreading having to leave or them leaving me.” Harry stops his movements and wraps his arms around Aurora tighter, his face burying itself in Aurora’s neck and breathing in the smell of her shampoo. He pulls his head away only for a moment to share the rest of his explanation. “But it’s different now because it’s my tour and it isn’t how it used to be and I’ve got you with me. And as long as you’re not planning on going anywhere I don't’ have to dread going back to work cause you’ll be there too.” 

| | | | |

Aurora decides to watch from the mix tonight in Melbourne and by the time Harry makes his way to the Bstage she doesn’t regret the choice at all. Harry can spot her any night, but tonight is different. He catches a glimpse of her as he walks up the metal stairs, Mitch following not far behind. She still has on the black and white floral jacket. The one he wore years ago. The one he gave her, while sitting on the very stage he’s walking up. Only the stage was in an arena in a different continent. His smile mocked the glimmer of the gold foil on his suit and shined right up until the moment he focused on the next song. 

“One, two, three, four,” he almost whispers into the mic. Mitch starts to play the guitar and Aurora’s heart swells when Harry starts singing ‘Sweet Creature.’ 

If anyone would ask Aurora what her favourite song of Harry’s is she’d probably end up listing the whole album. Right now though, her favourite is ‘Sweet Creature.’ If it were actually possible, his vocals would melt her heart into nothing. There’s something about it stripped down like this, it’s the most similar to how he sings when he’s on his own, when he’s with Aurora. It's the most similar to how he sounds when he’s in the shower or when he’s getting ready in the mornings. He’ll sing his current and old favourites and sometimes mess around with the melody of some of his own. 

“You will bring me home,” he belts. “Sweet creature, sweet creature, when I run out of road,” he sings with his eyes closed, full heart and soul poured into each note. He lets the audience sing the next line. As Mitch’s guitar fills the speakers on its own and the audience screams louder, Aurora can tell Harry is trying to avoid turning in her direction but he can’t fight it. He turns his head to where she’s standing. She watches as his jaw softens. His eyes search the small section he knows Aurora’s standing in. When he finds her, a smile appears on his face. A dimple and the crinkles at his eyes follow the turn of his lips. His eyes twinkle. Maybe from the lights. Maybe it’s the result of the emotion of the song. Maybe it’s because he’s just seen the girl he’s in love with, singing along to his own song, in his old jacket with a look on her face that could be described as nothing short of absolute adoration. 

He doesn’t linger long. He knows that he can’t stare at her from the stage forever and his cue is coming soon for the last line of the song. 

“You will bring me home,” his voice sounds through the speakers, deep and clear. It rattles Aurora’s chest a bit. 

Harry thanks Mitch and grabs his own guitar, now solo on the small stage. Even though Aurora can’t pick one favourite from Harry’s album she could give you at least her top 5 favourite One Direction songs. ‘If I Could Fly’ is without a doubt in the top 5. Aurora does think Harry’s version on his own is the best version of it. Every night she’s thoroughly entertained when Harry tries to quiet the audience before he asks them to sing the chorus for him. She can’t help but take on the smile that appears on his face when the entire audience is singing, in unison, the song he poured his heart into years ago. 

As the song comes to an end and the opening of ‘Anna’ begins, Aurora’s eyes follow Harry as he walks down the stairs and back up the path that is littered with flowers and sparkles and signs and fans yelling his name. She sees the pile of flowers that sit on top of a crate at the edge of the mix near the bstage stairs and smiles. She can’t help but think how lucky she is to be standing here, wearing the Gucci jacket of dreams, getting to dress the rockstar that has just tossed his planet painted guitar over his chest and falling in love with him all at the same time. 

| | | | |

The golden Calvin Klein suit is the last Aurora can take, she thinks. He screams sunshine in this. Just like that day in Amsterdam - so many things go back to that day in Amsterdam - the bright golden colour of the suit has the same effect that the yellow t-shirt did. 

Aurora's tucked up in the corner of the couch in Harry’s dressing room. Harry is sitting in the chair in front of the vanity mirror, Ayae fixing his curls after Harry messed them up a few minutes ago. She can’t stop catching his eyes in the mirror and they both laugh quietly each time. When his hair is back in place and Harry thanks Ayae, he walks to where Aurora is on the couch. He raises an eyebrow up at her. 

“You know,” Aurora starts, “there’s this thing,” she laughs nervously. “I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s gonna sound crazy, but you’re-you’re like,” she pauses before continuing, “sunshine. My own personal sunshine.” Harry tries to hide a smile as he places his hand on top of Aurora’s that is resting on her knee. He bends down and presses a kiss to the top of Aurora’s head. 

“Don’t sound crazy to me, love. If I look like sunshine to you, then I'm your sunshine.” 

Aurora pulls her hand out from underneath Harry's and grabs his face with both of them. She locks eyes with him for a short moment before pulling him down for a kiss. 

| | | | |

Aurora and Helene are laughing while looking through the photos Helene took during the show tonight in Sydney. Some of the photos of Harry are quite entertaining to say the least. 

“This one!” Aurora yells when Helene clicks to the next photo. “You have to post this one.” Helene laughs at Aurora’s eagerness. “It’s perfect.” 

“Oh is it?” Helene pesters. 

“His hair looks incredible. The lighting is perfect,” Aurora compliments. “And- and,” she stutters out, “he looks like sunshine.” 

“You’re really in love with him, huh?” Helene asks with a newly serious tone. Aurora smiles at her before sighing. 

“I mean, yeah,” she shrugs as if it’s not that scary. As if being in love with the world's biggest pop star isn’t something to be scared of. Like it’s not this terrifying idea, cause it’s not. At least not right at this moment. 

He’s her sunshine and she’s in love. 

| | | | |

“Do not tell me that was the sound of something ripping!” Aurora yells from across the large backstage space in Brisbane. She doesn’t dare to turn around to see the chaos that is happening surrounding the ping pong tables. She takes a deep breath as silence fills the room. Silence apart from Harry's laugh, that is. 

“Oh, Rory,” Harry calls through fits of laughter. 

When Aurora turns around her jaw drops and she has to force herself to take a deep breath so she doesn’t yell. 

“15 minutes!” calls the stage manager. Aurora’s heart sinks before it starts to beat rapidly. 

“Fucking hell,” she whispers to herself. “Take them off, I gotta fix ‘em,” she tells Harry as she reaches into her bag to find a needle and black thread. 

“I’ll just put a different pair on. It’s fine,” Harry says as he walks towards Aurora. 

“It’s not fine Harry. I’d have to steam another pair of pants, which will take more time than we have and anyways, we don’t have any other options. We only packed what was needed for the Australia shows.” Aurora is frustrated. 15 minutes before the show? Really?

“Oh,” is all Harry lets out as he slips out of the ripped pants. 

“You just had to be doing trick shots right before the show, huh?” Aurora half laughs, half scolds as she sits down to stitch the rip up the inside of the leg of his pants. 

“Sorry, Ror,” he offers as he begins to watch her get to work but his name is called back at the ping pong tables and he runs back to his game. 

“Should probably put your shirt and jacket on at least!” Aurora calls after him, not looking up. “Won’t have a minute to spare once they're finished!” She doesn’t look up, too focused on the work at hand. It’s not till she hears the band and stage crew cheer not 2 minutes later that she looks up. 

Harry’s standing at one end of the ping pong table with only his boxers and tall black socks on, a look of pride covering his face. The paddle outstretched in one hand and he’s taking in the cheers as he does on stage. 

Now Aurora’s angry. Here she is doing her job, trying to fix the pants Harry has ripped almost the entire length of while Harry is off, still playing around, now 10 minutes till the show is supposed to begin. 

“Rory!” he sings. “How’s my girl doing over here?” 

“Not your girl right now,” she says shortly. She doesn’t look up to him. She just keeps focusing on weaving the thread in and out of the black fabric. She does see his feet stop in its place, just at the edge of her range of sight. Backstage begins to quiet down a bit. 

Harry’s band gathers at the stage door ready to go when they're told to do so. There’s murmurs from the stage crew as they get everything ready. Aurora takes a deep breath to try and calm the shakiness in her hands. 

“Ror, why’re you shaking?” Harry whispers. Aurora hears the click of Helene’s camera. 

“Trying to fix your pants, less than 10 minutes till the show,” she answers quickly. 

“I can go on stage late, it’s fine. Take your time, love.” 

“Harry, please, I’m not your girl right now, I'm not ‘love’, I’m trying to do my job. Just let me fix these, I’ll call you when they’re ready. Now, go put on your tank and jacket, please.” Aurora isn’t messing around and Harry’s figured that out now.

“Yeah, okay,” he says solemnly. “Pushing start time by 10 minutes!” the stage manager announces instead of giving the 5 minute warning. “Officially, 15 minutes till new start time!

Although Aurora is angry with Harry for ripping his pants in the first place and now pushing back the show to accommodate her she relaxes a bit and her hands calm down. 

A few minute pass and when she knots the final stitch she calls for Harry. Standing up from her spot she turns the pants right side out. When she finally looks away from the pants she sees Harry standing in front of her, the top half of his body much more covered than the bottom half. 

“Thank you” he whispers to Aurora as he takes his pants from her. “I’m sorry,” he says as he buttons them close. When she meets his eyes she can’t help but smile softly at him. She sighs heavily, weaving the needle that’s still in her hand on the shoulder of her shirt, just like her mom always does. 

“Out of all the suits to rip before the show it was the simple black Givency one. Really?” Aurora messes with the collar of his jacket quickly, pulling it so it sits evenly on his shoulders. “Gotta respect me when I’m working okay? I’m here to be your ‘Head of Wardrobe’ first.” Harry nods, understanding. “I know the line is blurry, but when I’m trying to fix your clothes in a timely manner and you’re acting like a spoiled rockstar, you gotta check yourself. I’ll be your girlfriend after the show and we can laugh about how you ripped the entire inside seam of your pants then. Right now, though, I’m annoyed and a little angry. You shouldn’t have been playing ping pong like that in your suit in the first place, but I am not your mother, so, yeah.” Aurora shakes her head. 

“I’m sorry,” Harry offers again. 

“Thank you, but it’s fine. We’ll figure this out eventually,’ Aurora shrugs. “You’re all set. Good luck,” she says as she pushes him towards the stage door. 

“Be my girl for a minute?” Aurora’s eyebrows furrow at the question. “Just want a good luck kiss,” he explains.

“Hasn’t stopped you before,” Aurora says challengingly. 

“You’re not making the line any clearer,” he challenges back. 

“Shut up and let me kiss you,” Aurora states as she grabs his face in both of her hands. His hands find a grip on her waist before dipping his head down and meeting their lips lightly. He lets one hand drop, the other smoothing around her waist so he can hold her whole body with the one. He presses another kiss to her lips before he pulls away. He grabs her waist tightly once more and presses a kiss to her cheek. 

She watches as the sound manager sets up his in-ear and weaves it through the back of his jacket. Harry adjusts the cords and the piece in his ear quickly and spares a last look at Aurora who’s standing where he left her, arms now crossed against her chest, smiling back at him. He mirrors her bright smile for a quick moment before turning around and disappearing through the doors.

[freetobeafcknriot]

RULES: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you are contractually obligated to know better

i was tagged by @transfob — hello there!! 😊 i had so much fun, thank you for tagging me! 💖 — aaaand i wouldn't know who to tag, pardon my shyness, but if any of my mutuals hasn't done this yet and is reading this, consider yourself tagged because i 100% want to know you, XOXO. 😉

now, onto the questions. . .

1. name: francesca — or fran; you can abbreviate it any way you want!

2. gender: female.

3. star sign: pisces!

4. height: 155 cm, which i think is 5′, right?

5. time: 13:57.

6. birthday: march 3rd.

7. favorite bands: onerepublic, of monsters and men and panic! at the disco (among others).

8. favorite solo artists: this is difficult, i don't have one! i'd say p!nk and michele bravi because i think their voices are beautiful and very powerful.

9. song stuck in my head: classic by mkto and waving through a window by dear evan hansen.

10. last movie: night at the museum: secret of the tomb.

11. last show: bridgerton, i binge watched it last night.

12. when did i make this blog: i didn't make it alone, but i think it was around 2016 maybe?

13. what i post: i reblog a lot of stuff and shitpost sometimes. i also post everything my creative peaks have to offer, it can be anything from writing, fan arts (so to say) and, mostly, edits — aesthetics and videos.

14. last thing i googled: "smoothie banane kiwi". my mom got me a blender as an early birthday present, so i looked at what we have in the house and said yolo. xD

15. other blogs: i only have this one.

16. do i get asks: i'm a shy cryptid so, seldom. i get asks once in a while, and it always makes me very happy because shy or not, i'm actually always eager to talk to people!

17. why i chose my url: it's a bit of a self-reminder i made by mixing the nickname two of my siblings call me by — frì, anglicized free — and my favourite bnha character — whose hero name is red riot.

18. following: i'm afraid to look because this blog is old, i shared it for a long time, so it's a big number for sure lol.

19. followers: 342.

20. average hours of sleep: between four and seven.

21. lucky number: not sure! i can tell you my unlucky number though! — okay seriously? i think 7.

22. instruments: the only instrument i ever played was my flute when i was in grade school and the maracas, pediodt. i would love to learn how to play the guitar though.

23. what am i wearing rn: crop top and leggins. the crop top has a little white writing on the front that says: and be awesome. be awesome, y'all!

24. dream trip: scandinavia! especially iceland and denmark! but also ireland and scotland; i unironically already have a dublin map hidden somewhere.

25. favorite food: i don't have a big appetite, but i love flavoury food like sweet and sour peppers (i don't really know how to translate it correctly, i hope it's alright), and foreign dishes that my parents are genuinely weirded out by (traditional italian family, ya know?). if there is anything i'm big on though, that's fruit — of any kind.

26. nationality: italian.

27. favorite song: king and lionheart by of monsters and men is my absolute favorite! special mention to i can go the distance by michael bolton.

28. last book read: mansfield park by jane austen — for an exam.

29. top three fictional universes i’d like to live in: i have fanfiction tropes i'd like to live in, but i'm not sure about fictional universes. maybe the wizarding world? hhm—

30. favorite color: i'm achromatic, which means i'm completely colorblind, but i like the idea of blue and violet? they just have that vibe idk.

[fandomoblivion]

Ella Enchanted (part one)

Fandom: Stranger Things season 3

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Summary: (Y/N), also known as Nine, was a girl being experimented on all her life by the Hawkins Lab, conditioned into following every command her brain heard. She managed to escape the lab, with the help of her little sister Eleven, and was taken in by Hopper. Now, it’s a year later, and the three of them are a happy family. She just got her first job, where she works alongside Steve “The Hair” Harrington… who her father doesn’t much like.

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 1,570

Notes: Part one! Here we gooo!

prologue

“Bye Hopper!” You called, giving the old grump sitting in his Lazy Boy a kiss on the top of his head. 

“Bye, Kid. Be safe.”

“You know I always am. And please, don’t spy on them all day.” You said, referring to El and Mike, alone in the bedroom the two of you shared.

“Eh. No guarantees. Have a good first day.”

“Thanks.” And, with that, you were out of the house. You didn’t know how to drive yet, so you had to leave extra early to be able to walk all the way to the Starcourt Mall, where you’d be on your feet for a couple more hours, before walking home again.

This was your first day at the ice cream place, and you were psyched to say the least. Your uniform was in your bag so you could change there--no way in hell you were walking over wearing it, listening to your Walkman and excited beyond words to start being a normal teenager.

When you got to Scoops Ahoy, you walked up to the girl who had previously met when your boss interviewed you. Her name was Robin, and she greeted you with a kind smile. 

“Hey (Y/N)! First day, right?” You just nodded, still not super comfortable with human interactions yet… even though you were about to work in customer service. “Well, I should introduce you to our shift partner, Lord Himbo himself, Mr. Steve Harrington.”

The shudders behind her opened, revealing a guy with very… tall hair. He had on a wide smile, which dropped when he saw your face. He replaced it quickly, though, and Robin didn’t even seem to notice. You for sure did, though. 

“Hi there. Steve Harrington.” 

“I’m (Y/N).” You said quietly. You held up your bag with the uniform in it and asked, “Is there a…” 

“Yeah, there are bathrooms in the back,” Robin replied. You thanked her, went, and got changed. 

And your shift had begun. Honestly, it was pretty easy. Robin and Steve worked like a well-oiled machine, you could pretty much sit back, watch, and take notes in your mind. 

When your shift was almost over, you and Robin were at the counter together, making awkward small talk, when a boy with dark hair came up and rang the bell repeatedly, continuing after you had acknowledged his presence. He looked familiar, you just couldn’t place the face.

Robin sighed. “Hey, Dingus! Your children are here!”

Steve opened the back window. “Again? Seriously?” The boy said nothing, and just hit the bell again. “Alright, come on. Don’t let people see you.” Steve said, ushering them into the back. 

“Hey! Mike!” You said cheerfully, smiling at him. He just looked at you and gave an awkward smile.

“Steve sometimes likes to use his privileges here to help his friends that are like eighth graders for some reason.” 

“Yeah… that’s my little sister’s boyfriend.”

And things were back to normal, until the lights flickered and went out a few minutes later. You jumped slightly, remembering all the times lights flickering were associated with otherworldly things. You had to remind yourself now, that these lights were just lights. 

“That’s weird.” Steve mumbled. He went and flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. 

Robin crossed her arms. “That isn’t gonna work, Dingus.” 

“Oh really?” Steve asked, before flicking the light as fast as he could. 

“I don’t think they’re turning back on.” You whispered, hugging your arms to yourself.

Steve groaned and put his hands on his hips, assessing the situation. “Alright. You guys can go home, if you want. Shifts are almost over, I can cover until we close.” 

“Hey, thanks, doof.” Robin said. You nodded in agreement and went into the bathroom to change with Robin. “So, how was your first day?” 

“Good.”

“You’re not much of a talker, are you?”

You shrugged. “I talk when I want.” 

“Do you want a ride home? If all the lights are out, it’s gonna be a difficult walk.”

You shook your head. “That’s alright.” 

Robin laughed. “Nah, come on. Let me give you a ride home.” 

Your brain went fuzzy, as it did whenever you heard a command. You couldn’t think or do anything, and you heard the words “Okay, thank you,” come out of your mouth. 

When you two finished changing, you bid Steve farewell, and Robin drove you home. It was a nice drive. She mostly talked about the mall: what to expect from the job, how to read different customers, the works. When she dropped you off, she made a joke about you living in the middle of nowhere. You did your best to laugh.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Don’t mention it.” Okay, you wouldn’t. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

---

The next day was the same. You walked to work, changed, and tried your best to help out. Steve tried flirting with different customers, but the uniform, along with the cocky personality, set him back far too much.

Just as another pretty girl walked away, giggling to her friend, Robin opened the back window and slid a whiteboard into view. You walked over from the corner to see what it said. It was a T-chart, with “YOU RULE” with an empty column under it, and “YOU SUCK” with five tally marks.

“And another one bites the dust,” Robin said, drawing another tally mark. Steve just scoffed. “You are oh-for-six, Popeye.”

“Yeah, yeah, I can count.” Steve retaliated.

“You know that means you suck.” You said, laughing.

Steve glared at you. Robin laughed. “Exactly!”

“Yeah, I can read too!” He huffed.

Robin put the whiteboard away. “Since when?” 

“It’s this stupid hat. I’m telling you, it’s totally blowing my best feature.” 

You paused. “Which is…?”

“My hair!”

“Yeah, company policy is a real drag.” Robin said, leaning through the window. You moved to stand next to Steve, so you were all around the window. How cute. “You know, it’s a crazy idea, but have you considered telling the truth?”

“Oh, you mean that I couldn’t even get into Tech and my douchebag dad’s trying to teach me a lesson, I make three bucks an hour, and I have no future? Hm? That truth?

“People don’t always like the truth.” You said, knowing from your stupid curse.

“Ah, shut up.” Steve groaned. Damn it. You hated it when people said that, because you couldn’t talk until they left, or until you were told another command. El used this tactic whenever the two of you would fight, since she couldn’t really leave, you couldn’t talk. 

“Hey, twelve o’clock.” Robin said, pointing behind the two of you. You looked behind you, at the cash register, and a group of pretty girls were walking up. 

“Oh shit. Oh shit. Okay, uh… I’m going in. And you know what?” Steve took off his hat and threw it at Robin. “Screw company policy.”

“My god, you’re a whole new man.” Robin said sarcastically. You quickly went and joined Robin in the back, watching Steve with her. 

“Ahoy ladies!” Steve yelled, making the girl in front yelp. “Didn’t see you there! Would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me? I’ll be your captain. I’m Steve Harrington.” The girls laughed nervously. You and Robin just watched in awe. “Can I get you guys a little taste of the Cherries Jubilee? No? Anybody? Banana Boat? Four people, four spoons? Share it in the booth? Anybody? It’s hot out there!”

Robin rolled her eyes and added a seventh tally to the board. 

The girls just laughed and walked away. Steve groaned, running his hands over his face. “Damn it!” He said, joining the two of you in the back. “What’s wrong with me?” He asked, looking at you.

Robin laughed. “Yeah, (Y/N), tell him what’s wrong with him.” 

Your brain went fuzzy and you heard yourself say, “You hold yourself to a standard you can’t meet.” 

Steve looked surprised and Robin snickered. “Shit, too real.” Her head perked up when she heard the bell being rung by a customer. “Be right back, guys.” She left the two of you back there, alone for the first time.

“Sorry.” You said.

“Nah, nah. I did ask. I’m just… Where do I know you from? Did you go to Hawkins High?” You shook your head. “Do you have a sibling at the middle school? I might have seen you.”

“No. Do you?”

“Well, no, but I have a friend who goes there. I don’t know, maybe I might have seen you while dropping him off.”

“My little sister’s dating Mike Wheeler.” You said, remembering that Steve took Mike into the back room the previous day.

“Mike’s girlfriend… El. Wait, El?! Your sister is Eleven?!” You nodded. “That’d make you one of the-”

Robin opened the window. “Hey, dingus, there’s a girl here who you might have a shot with.” You looked up and saw a girl walking in. Oh, you understood the joke. She’s in middle school.

“Ha ha. Very funny.” Steve said, rolling his eyes. Robin shrugged and closed the window. There was a long pause. “Are you?” He asked quietly. You held out your wrist reluctantly. “009.” Steve read to himself. “Fuck. You got out?” You nodded. He let out a breathy laugh. “Shit. Well then,” he said, drawing up two chairs to the little table back there. “Tell me your story.”

Fuzzy mind.

---

TAGLIST

@alina-margaret . @almostsecretmusic . @american-duchess . @anamcg317 . @annaewww . @blackandwhiteimagines . @bubblegumcat229 . @bucky-newtlock . @canny1902 .  @christinawxxx . @cosmickha0s . @creativedogs . @darkcrystal-wolf . @decaffeinatedtachycardia . @djisprobablydead . @eyeballtoes . @fandomsstolemylife00 . @fredweasleysupportgroup . @ggclarissa . @ginger-swag-rapunzel . @gracelynns . @grippleback-galaxy . @gruffle1 . @hananabee . @harrys-kiwi . @heavenlyholland . @hellhoundschewtoy . @in-my-dreams-2000 . @lilyhw1 . @mackycat11 . @megsell99 . @metuel18 . @morganmindflayer . @phluffyphantom . @potterhead-witch . @pppsssyyyccchhhiiiccc . @princessrow12 . @queen1054 . @rainbowmarta . @sheridans-dynamos . @thecaptainsgingersnap . @thegloryofliterature . @thoughstofaredhead . @ucantknowmeyet . @whataloadofmalarkey

[baekchelor]

ａｓｈｏｒｅ[iii]

pairing: bodevan cash x reader genre: Doctor! AU, Romance, Angst summary: After a fall out with your fianceé, and an opportunity to chase your dreams, you embark into a medical mission trip to Namibia where you run into self-taught doctor Bodevan Cash. Love ensues. word count: 3.8k

❝the  sea  beckoned  to  me,  and  all  reality  was  lost —swept  away  in  the entrancing  song  of  the  tide. ❞                                                                                                                ―meredith t. taylor

TWO ｔｗｅｌｖｅ ｄａｙｓ

◄ ｐｒｅｖ

Bodevan's eyes looked like the morning sky every day after the first one you met them. Per diem, Bo's mood was bright as the sun too, although you did notice the tears confined on his bottom lid once ―when he concluded nothing else could be done and called 20:16 as Moharerwa's time of death. Bo summoned you to the OR after practising the caesarean section, as the doctor responsible for keeping Moharerwa's baby alive. Meanwhile, you were transporting the newborn into the incubator, Moharerwa went into cardiac arrest, and despite all his efforts, Bo couldn't keep her alive.

She did, briefly, meet her son, and the few minutes were enough to announce his name was Bodererwa. She thanked Bo and expressed her gratitude by naming her infant with the first two syllables of Bodevan's name.

Baby Bodererwa wasn't the only patient under your care. You treated an Irish girl who suffered from nausea and developed rashes. Rellian (Bo's younger brother) and you bonded over an uncanny case of seizures, muscle weakness and vision loss, you later diagnosed as Tay Sachs Disease. Tjiruru, a Himba man on his forties, came in with an acute case of Hepatitis C. Later, Tjiruru brought his sister, who two weeks ago, at Henties Bay's clinic, was prescribed with azithromycin for bacterial pneumonia. Bodevan figured out the medicine killed pneumonia's bacteria and caused other bacteria (that usually lives in a symbiotic relationship with the body) to produce toxins AKA Tjiruru's sister illness.

On day eight, you met, for the very first time, Danny Dupont. He was from Australia, with Kiwi heritage, and the reason why Bodevan got himself a kind-of-nurse.

Danny was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy, which caused his heart to fail. He came to Namibia because he didn't want to spend the rest of his days trapped in a hospital, waiting for a heart transplant. During a Safari across the Skeleton Coast, he fell in love with Peera, his tour-guide. Peera became Danny's reason to live, so he accepted to spend most of his days laying on a hospital bed if it meant he would win more time to enjoy alongside Peera. So she asked Bodevan to train her as a nurse, and Danny requested Bodevan to treat him. Now Bodevan has an Organ Donation Program running on the Himba village so, in case of any death, he can get a heart for Danny.

Today, Peera will host a "western" Birthday Party for Danny. It will be held at the hospital because Danny can't leave his cot, but Reillian will microwave a cake in a mug for him ―he saw the receipt somewhere on Pinterest―, and Bodevan managed to buy a few candles and balloons.

Also today, you're running late for your rounds. Dr Gandy video called early this morning, not to inform you about old patients, but to have breakfast with you. It was 2am for Ethan, but he ate pancakes and orange juice, the same receipt he asked room service to bring to your cabin, with the bacon crisped just like you like it, and with blueberries marmalade instead of syrup. You talked bout your medical experiences in Namibia, and that he will keep the Hamptons' beach house and Harper will have the pent-house in Soho. Ethan also said he misses you like crazy.

Guilt substituted the sugar in your coffee, souring the moment, and making clear that you wish you could say the same to Ethan. And you did, of course, you did, you lied. Truth is, Danny and his heart transplant, Bodererwa and his chances of survival, and every patient you've treated so far, keep your mind busy to the extent that, when you collide on bed, the only thought on your mind is to finally be able to rest.

Or so you tell yourself. Considering that dreamland and the pillow talk with your subconscious revolve around a particular wonderful being named Bodevan Cash.

"Morning!" all smiles, you greet as you walk into the teepee. You've grown to love the place.

"Morning, Intern!" and you've grown to love the nickname he calls you. Bodevan is teaching you about surgery, and yoga, and Hambi language, and about why the globe's entire population should be Maoists.

The boy is erudite. He was homeschooled, and his parents did a hell of a great job. To the point, Bodevan received college acceptance letters from numerous Ivy League schools. "I've got something to show you. Come here."

Bo hands you a pile of old letters. Right away, you know what they are, and you can't help but stare at each of them with your mouth agape.

"Holy Cow," your wide eyes travel to meet his. "Why didn't you go to any of this? Harvard is the best school for medicine out there."

"I never pictured myself as a Doctor," he says, while you check the charts for today patients. "I just wanted to go to college, be a normal guy. But when mom died, well...life has a funny way of trampling dreams, huh?"

"Yeah, it does," you murmur softly. "Sometimes, I just feel as if life controls me, instead of it being the other way around."

Bo looks at you knowingly, but careful of his own words, "Why do I get the feeling you're talking about your marriage?"

"I love Ethan. I'm just... if you've asked me what I wanted to do at my twenties, I would answer joining Doctors Without Borders, not getting married," you answer quietly, surprised at what has just left your lips. Hearing the inner thought that had been plaguing you for the past months being said out loud unnerved you.

"Was he upset about your trip here?" asks Bodevan.

"No. He encouraged me to do it, he even paid the ticket. I guess only because I was upset about him being married before. I know Ethan. He did this to erase the guilt from his system, to try to indulge me," you tell, fiddling with your white coat.

Bo eyes you in surprise, startled, "I-I didn't know he was married."

"He is married. They'll sign the divorce papers in two days. He never really told me, I just found out because his wife made an appearance at the hospital we both work at."

Bo remains silent for a while.

"I'm sorry. I have no idea why I'm telling you all this," you intervene awkwardly, suddenly feeling ashamed. He probably thought you were an idiot for sticking with a man who blatantly lied to your face. And you were likely making it worse by ranting on about your fiancé whom you swore a thousand times before that you were madly in love with.

But Bodevan just smiles. "No, it's alright. It helps to let things out. But if I were you, I'd tell him how I felt. If you're going to be spending the rest of your life with him…"

You sigh. He is right.

"Forget about it. What about you?" you pipe. "Any significant others?"

"N-no," he is all shy again, averting his blue orbs to the floor, as far from you as possible, and stuttering.

"But I assure you, he has ladies lining up for a shot," Peera quickly meddles, grinning. She's grabbing serum and a needle from the cabinets, probably for Danny.

You raise your brow, teasing, "Oh? Even with that 70's hairstyle?"

Peera gasps, clutching her chest dramatically. "I'm offended! I think it looks quite sexy on him, or so I heard..."

You giggle as the girl wiggles her eyebrows, Bodevan flushing red.

"I was kidding. It does," you confess.

"D-Does what?" asks Bodevan.

"Look sexy."

For a second, you don't quite realize what you'd said. But as Bo smirks, a bell goes off in your head. You feel your cheeks burn and you hastily look away from him, embarrassed. What is wrong with you?

You clear your throat, gaze hiding from Bo, "I should start my rounds."

These past few days were what you could only describe as confusing. And you had a feeling the confusion started when you accidentally told your mentor that his eyes looked like the morning sky.

It didn't help that during one of your night shifts, you dozed off on his shoulder, only to wake up sensing the weight of his head resting on top of yours, his breath on your hair, your lips near his neck.

It didn't help that over your clumsy attempts of getting into crow pose, you noticed how lovely his crooked smile was, and how when he chuckled, his eyes crinkled up at the corners.

And it certainly didn't help that you woke up to skies as clear and blue as Bodevan's eyes.

Nevertheless, you kenned something was seriously wrong when Bodevan touches your hand, and you actually feel sparks fly ―although that's medical impossible and you are a doctor, you should know. Or that when he, for some miracle, looks you in the eyes, your heart somersaults ―another impossible medical matter. Or that when he leans in to whisper some of his intellectual jokes that most of the time, you don't understand, goosebumps wash over your skin.

Something is happening, something is definitely happening, you just refuse to admit it to yourself.

At downfall, Peera and Danny urged you out of duty so you could go back to the cabin and get changed. With pleading brown eyes, Peera asked you to wear something special. She's been saving money for a while ―turns out Bodevan not only built a miracle in the middle of nowhere. In like manner, he helps the Hambi to sell handicrafts and jewellery at a souvenir store―, and the past weekend, Rellian drove her all the way to Henties Bay to buy a beautiful emerald dress. Therefore, you stopped by the hotel boutique and used Ethan's credit card to buy a gown made by a fluttering pink fabric.

When one of the hotel vans dropped you off at Bo's clinic, you're welcomed by the melody Bodevan and Danny are crafting through their guitars. They are singing Guns N' Roses' Patience, and although the one with the good voice is Danny, you can't seem to drag your attention away from Bodevan. He is wearing a suave, intricately patterned mustard jacket, buttoned low so that his chest peeks through. You hate that he looks so good in it.

A wide smile spreads across your features as you cheer for both guys once they've strummed their last chords. And then, the smile is stolen away when a tall, leggy blonde [you've never seen before] is suddenly leaning next to Bo, a flirty smirk on her lips. The girl whispers something to his ear, Bodevan goes beet red but nods anyway. To your annoyance, he follows her to the drink station Peera put together ashore.

Bitting down on the inside of your cheek, you watch Bodevan lean close into her, turning on the charms he ignores he posses. You force yourself to turn away, squeezing yous lids shut to get rid of the disappointment that is dawning your heart.

Why the hell are you getting this affected by him? He is your mentor, your peer. You've known him for a grand total of six days. Most importantly, you are engaged.

A hand carefully resting on your shoulder, pulls you off your thoughts. You turn, only to come upon Peera. "Her name is Elise. She's been trying to get in his pants since he fixed her sprained ankle a week ago."

"She hasn't managed," comments Rellian, handing you a red cup filled by what you presume to be wine. Chardonnay. 80's music blasts from the speakers shove over Bodevan's desk, and Rellian offers you a hand, "Do you want to dance?" His voice is bright and warm, and his enthusiasm washes over you. It is challenging to pint-point him as the angry teenager Bo told you about.

"Absolutely," you take his hand easily. "I should warn you, though, I'm not very good."

"That's fine. We'll take it slow." Rellian's grin is so inviting that you can't be worried about your poor dancing skills, so you happily follow him out to the beach. The song is an upbeat one, which suits his mood.

"It seems you've fully recovered from Bodevan breaking your heart a couple minutes ago," he jokes

"It's a shame he didn't do any damage," you shoot back, obviously kidding. "If I was heartbroken, I wouldn't have to dance with you."

Rellian laughs, "I'm glad you're as funny as everyone says you are. I hear you're my brother's favourite, too." It sounds as if it is common knowledge. "And that your engagement is troublesome―"

"I wouldn't call it troublesome," part of you is sick of people saying that. Another part yearned for it to be different, although you know people speak the truth. It is troublesome. Sighing, you confess, "Ethan lied to me. He is married, about to get divorced but married still. We' have been engaged for over a year, and I just found out about it a month ago."

Rellian stops dancing for a moment, shocked at what he's just heard. He quickly picks back up, studying your expression for a moment. "I didn't realize that was what was going on," he says softly, apologetic. "I mean, you know I want my brother to get the girl, but I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Thanks," you shrug. "I feel stupid more than anything."

Rellian pulls you in a little closer, yet keeping a respectful distance. "Trust me, Intern, any man who passes up the chance to be with you is the stupid one."

"Bo just passed me up..." <<Oh my god. What is wrong with you?>>

"That's how I know," he replies, followed by a thread of giggles. On cue, you glance over Rellian's shoulder and find Bodevan dancing with Elise.

Seven glasses of wine have paved their way through your system, Rellian keeps throwing jokes as you swing your figures to the beat of the music, when you hear his voice beside you, "My lady?" Rellian freezes in the spot, a knowing smirk appearing on his features. Complicit glances are exchanged, and finally, you turn on your heels to find yourself face to face, lip to lip, with Bodevan Cash. "May I have this dance?"

That feeling, that indefinable something, courses through you. As dejected as you'd felt, as embarrassed as you'd been, when Bodevan offers that moment, instead of to Elise, you have to take it. Because the song is slow, and it is Guns N' Roses, and the waves are crashing on the shore...And you're drunk.

"Of course."

Bodevan, clearly drunk as well, entwines your hands together and walks you near the seaside, where the water can dance as well, underneath your feet. He doesn't seem uncomfortable, or as if he fancied to dance with someone else rather than with you. On the contrary, Bodevan holds you so close you can smell his cologne and feel his stubble against the skin of your cheek.

"I was wondering if I was going to get a dance at all," you comment, trying to sound playful. Bodevan succeeds to pull you even closer.

"I-I needed to drink up my courage, so my second-thoughts are over. Now I'm brave enough to enjoy the rest of the night with you." This time you can blame it on the alcohol, but as both always do near each other, the two flush furiously. Sometimes Bodevan's words are like single lines of novels or movies. After dating Ethan for so long, it is weird to flirt with a guy that turns beet red on the cheeks, shy to speak bluntly. Ethan does it without an effort, he always speaks his mind, whether to compliment or with the sole purpose to hurt. They are poles apart. In every way possible. Bodevan didn't go to Dartmouth like Ethan did, Bo acquired his vast knowledge out of countless books. Still and all, he is as good a doctor as Ethan Gandy.

You are kneen on different and too stubborn to accept it, but the racing on your pulse betrays you.

"You look lovely, Intern. Much too beautiful to be on the arm of someone like me."

"Someone like you? This has been perfect, Bo."

"Agreed," he giggles. "Let's do this next year. Danny will have a new heart by then."

You look at him. Next year?

"Would you like that?"

"I won't be here next year, Bo..."

He stops dancing. "Why wouldn't you?"

On a dime, it hits him. Thank God, because you don't really want to say out loud the reason why this won't happen next year, at least not with you present, is that you'll leave in a couple weeks, get married and never come back. Despite the words ain’t articulated aloud, you know Bo has heard them, and you know he espies the water welling up in your eyes and how hard you're trying to hide them.

"Intern."  

You gaze down at the wet sand. The water suddenly feels cold.

"Intern, look at me," he says gently. "I'm such a nincompoop. I had just discerned tonight is all we have and I-I misused half of it by dancing with Elise." His voice is hoarse, frustrated. "I thought you felt secure in your standing." What? You are missing something here. Bodevan sighs, not relieved, but hugely nervous. The following words are said as his ocean orbs are settled elsewhere, anywhere, but your face. "Honestly? From the beginning, I've really only looked at you, wanted you." Bodevan manages to meet with your eyes, and his gaze is emotional, and blue and so deep that it overcomes you. So, for a moment, you duck your head. "I'm having a hard time accepting that you will leave... It's fine though, you'd be surprised how infrequently I get what I truly want."

You've treated with patients for years now, you've been trained to tell when they lie, how they're really feeling, find out their buried truths. And you can tell Bodevan is hiding something, some sadness he isn't prepared to share. But he shakes it away and resumes the talking, starting to sway to the music again. "But we have tonight, haven't we?. . ."—Bo looks at your eyes. Unwavering. —"There's only you, and me, and this beach. Tonight."

It takes you a moment to attain the correct rhythm of your breath and heart. You could understand the feeling— that it is unlucky, a kick in the ass from fate. Deep, deep inside you, you feel like that daily as well.

"We do," you whisper into his neck. "We have tonight." His lips are at your ear, kissing your earlobe. The arm resting on his back draws him nearer, and he mimics the action until you're physically closer to each other than you'd ever been.

You jump over a wave, and a chuckle bursts out when you turn around and notice Bodevan chasing you out of the sea. The level of alcohol is higher in your system, and your fancy dress is soaked by saltwater.

Bodevan runs faster, and as you're about to reach the back entrance of the teepee, he reaches for your hand, dragging you against his chest.

Before you can speak, he has you up against the wall, his body covering yours entirely. Bo is breathing heavily, panting, and you're just as breathless, not only because you'd just run like a madwoman. Bodevan's proximity to you and the way you can literally feel his chest rise and fall against you with his unsteady breaths is making your brain melt —even though you know, that is medically impossible too.

“What's wrong—”

He hisses and brings his hand up over your mouth. You halt, your breath stopping as you hear Peera and Danny's grunts and moans and pants.

With a crimson streak across his cheeks, Bodevan shuts his eyes and swears softly, not removing his hand from your mouth. You keep very still, trying to stay calm by breathing in and out through your nose.

"How do we proceed?"

"The hotel van will pick me up soon."

The pants grow fainter, but you're still able to hear Peera moaning Danny's name. You don't want to disturb them, or announce your presence outside, mere meters away from they having sex. This is their special night, and who doesn't enjoy a dose of birthday sex?

Bodevan doesn't let go of you for another 5 minutes. He just stands there like that, his forehead pressed against yours. Only when you are blinded by the lights of the van approaching, he quickly drops his hand.

"Peera and Rellian will take over tomorrow. We both have the day off. So see you M-Monday."

You swallow, "Do you want to come with me? I have wine in my cabin's mini bar—"

"Alright," mutters Bodevan, shaking his head at his very own embarrassment. "I-I would love to."

"Okay."

He smiles.

Breathless. That's how you'll describe your symptoms at this precise period in time. And you had been standing still for the past 15 minutes. 

Why is he making you like this?

You catch his eyes widen in surprise as you grab his hand and lead with to the insides of the van. You greet the driver and set off.

After you’ve reached Shipwreck Lodge, and you fidget with the keys to open your bedroom door, you remember Elise and their shared laughter, their noses almost brushing as they talked, and how Bo dismissed the whole thing. Uncertain about the weird feeling stirring in your stomach, you say, "So you really don't like Elise, huh? She must have been upset to see you running away with me like that..."

Bodevan raises his eyebrows, "Oh, it's no problem at all. I don't care about her. A certain other girl caught my eye, you see. And I can't ignore her. Not when she robs my attention with every small detail."

Your heart hammers in your chest. "Oh. Good for you."

Bodevan shakes his head. "Not really. She's engaged."

You almost believe he will talk further, because of the way he glances at you, his eyes sparkling with things unsaid and his lips parted. Or maybe he is about to kiss you...

But he just drags his stare back to his converse, and you grab two cups and pour white wine, hit play on your Guns N’ Roses playlist and invite him to sit down with you at the edge your mattress.

You aren't sure how long you lay there, talking to him. At some point, your eyes start drooping, as are his, and you fall asleep like that beside him, bodies over the undo bed, feet tangled together, and your hair sprawled across his chest. Without even noticing that at some moment during the night, your engagement ring fell from your finger, leaving it empty.

ｎｅｘｔ►

[coeurdastronaute]

Essays in Existentialism: Kiwi 8

Previously on KIWI

It was like coming out of a bubble to turn the key and open the tiny, old studio apartment on the fifth floor in the building with no elevator and ancient, pealing paint. The grey of the world outside, in its thick, cloudy skies with the bitter sleet and wind that rattled the monstrous and bitterly cold glass and steel buildings to their core, all of it felt very comparable to the swirling, cold mess of being left behind by someone who was inherently the sun. 

As soon as Clarke closed the door, she leaned against it and sank down to the floor, her body exhausted by both the lack of sleep from the night before and her mind worn out from the high of being near Lexa for the past two months, and having it alarmingly stripped away despite all attempts to prepare for the inevitable. Still clad in her heavy winter coat and scarf and mittens and thick boots, she slumped there and held her arms around her legs, placed her chin upon her knee, and sighed as her mind worked hard to figure out what came next. 

The world seemed a completely new place now in that it was completely the same, she just saw it in a new way when Lexa was around. Her apartment was almost unrecognizable because it was part of a life that seemed much farther removed than just a few weeks. It wasn’t fair to meet someone like that and then to have to continue to go back to normal, as if she wasn’t aware that someone with such tiny, perfect ears liked to kiss her clavicle. 

For a few moments, Clarke sat on the floor of her apartment and allowed herself to miss Lexa before she began to formulate her plan. It would be a good idea to be away from the intoxicating presence so she could think straight, so she could get back into her real life, away from the distraction of a dream. Her rockstar was on her way around the world for the entire year, and she still had work to do to keep her busy. She would go back to her job and her internship and her pictures and her art and she would not wait for Lexa’s phonecalls like a sappy teenager. She would not mope. 

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, Clarke decided as she took a deep breath and stood up from her sorry state. She would allow herself the remainder of the night to feel sorry for herself and miss Lexa, and then she would resume her life like it never happened. 

It was easy to wallow. She ignored the pile of mail and her phone. She tossed her winter clothes on the floor by the door, and she showered, washing away the last remnants of Lexa’s wonderful smell and feel. She ordered Chinese food and flopped on the bed, huddling beneath a blanket in a ball of comfort as the television prattled on about absolutely nothing at all that she could remember. 

Just for the evening, Clarke decided. She was going to allow herself to wallow so fully that it mended her from the hole Lexa left. 

It didn’t seem quite right that someone who was only around for a short time could create such a gaping divide in her departure. It wasn’t fair that Clarke allowed herself to get attached and had hopes that they would just keep doing what they were doing. Lexa was going to play a concert in Chicago, and she was going to travel all over the world, leaving little space for Clarke. To be honest, Clarke wasn’t even sure what she was going to do tomorrow let alone in the next few months. 

Well into the evening and a lot of junk food later, Clarke was a blob on the couch, sad and unsure of what to do to fix it. She wanted to listen to Lexa’s songs, but that felt oddly obsessive and like it would hurt too much. So as the evening drew longer, as the bad rom-coms ran into each other, Clarke sighed and debated if she was too sad to have a drink. 

As she dug through cabinets in search of some sort of booze to numb her pain for a few hours and help her sleep, her phone buzzed and the bartender groaned. She didn’t want to deal with Raven or the questions. She wanted to mope and stop being such a downer. She wasn’t going to fall in love and she hadn’t, and her world was still the same, Clarke decided as she settled on opening an old bottle of wine that was hidden deep in the back of the pantry. 

Ready to rebound from her mildly broken heart, Clarke poured herself a glass of wine before picking up her phone to tell her friend that she was already over it. As quickly as she slumped down into the pillows and blankets did she shoot back up upon seeing who the missed call was from. 

There was a frantic way to her movements as Clarke tried to redial and not drop her phone or wine glass. She nearly dropped it twice before putting it up to her ear. 

“Hey, I didn’t wake you, did I?” Lexa asked, slightly out of breath and nervous. 

“No, no no, I’m sorry I missed you,” Clarke smiled. “I was… uh,” she looked at the bottle of wine and then at her sweatpants and the cocoon from which she emerged. “I was just grabbing a drink.” 

“Ah, are you out? I don’t want to dis--”

“No, no, I’m home. You’re fine.” 

“Good,” Lexa smiled to herself on the other end. Clarke could hear it. 

“What are you up to?” 

“Just going on a run. I was calling you as a distraction.” 

“Always happy to be one of those.” 

Despite it all, Clarke took a swig of her wine and burrowed into her cocoon, content again to hear the singer’s voice. On the other end of the line, Lexa smiled and sat down on the treadmill in the empty hotel gym. 

“How’s your day been?” 

“Oh, yeah, um, great. Just kind of… caught up on a few things.” 

“It’s good to hear your voice.” 

Clarke’s cheeks burned while her chest felt like someone else was using a balloon pump on it. She was entirely too warm but unable to do anything short of burrowing deeper. 

“It’s good to hear you too,” Clarke confesses quietly. “How was your trip?” 

“Not bad. We did sound check and finished up about an hour ago. I’m excited to start this tour. It’s going to be a marathon but I think it’ll be good for my head.” 

“I think it will. Plus it gives you time to write me that ballad about my ass.” 

“I’ll write an entire album to it.” 

“Promises, promises.” 

“I don’t know why you think I’m kidding.” 

“Because your sister would never let you do that.” 

“She’s just the drummer.” 

“She’s the boss and anyone would know that.” 

Lexa huffed, indignant at the suggestion. 

“Just for that I’m going to make it a deluxe album. With 4 bonus songs.” 

“I’ll settle for just seeing you again, if that’s an option.” 

“It is a very strong option.” 

“I have to get used to the world without you in it again. It’s kind of weird,” Clarke confessed, her brow growing heavy. “I’m glad I met you though.” 

“For just a little bit. But you get me on the phone whenever you want, and that’s good enough for now I think.” 

“True. Can’t have you falling in love with me.” 

“I already am,” Lexa chuckled and shook her head. 

“You lust me.” 

“That’s very true.” 

“Do you want to tell me more about your day?” Clarke asked, hoping to get a few more moments.

“If you have a few minutes, I could chat.” 

“I have a few.” 

“Cool,” Lexa grinned to herself before standing up, feeling the need to do something with her body. 

“Cool,” Clarke agreed, tucking an arm under her chin as she made herself shrink into the corner of the couch. 

By the time Lexa started talking, neither knew what to expect except that they were bad at pretending to be normal, and that it was going to be one hell of an adjustment period, even after just a few weeks. But Lexa started and Clarke sighed and decided to be a badass, independent woman in the morning. 

XXXXXXXXXX

She wasn’t sure how she could forget about the rush. It was a high like no other, where she got to beat herself raw and give every ounce of life she had in her and receive nothing but fulfillment back onto herself. After her first concert, Lexa was exhausted. She was enthralled and overwhelmed with joy, but beneath it all, there was pure exhaustion. And she sat there, drinking a water and trying to cool down, to wipe the sweat from her neck and chest, and she wondered how in the world she forgot what that felt like. But as soon as she wasn’t on stage, it dimmed. That feeling was not the same, and she realized it was perhaps the most fickle and unattainable highs to have. 

She found a good routine on the road. It helped that her sister was there, and was watching her like a hawk. It helped that she got to talk to Clarke often, and that made her smile when no one else was looking. It helped that she took time to write and refine, to work with her sister on the next album, or at least to try to do more. It all helped, and Lexa had no time to want a drink, just enough time to miss the girl she met on a dating app and who liked to get postcards from all the new cities Lexa passed through. 

More importantly, at the end of every day, Lexa was tired and spent her last waking moments talking to a very pretty voice that got farther and farther away. 

“I think I’m going to invite Clarke to a show next week,” Lexa decided in the quiet as they drove toward the media meet-and-greet in the newest city. “Fly her out. Show her a good time.” 

“That could be nice.” 

Anya measured her words because she had to with her sister. If she showed too much interest, she’d clam up. If she had any thoughts about it, she had to slowly work them into the conversation. Her sister was a tightrope and she was making such promising first steps. 

“Maybe I can see her sometimes. I want to see her more.” 

“You like her, don’t you?” 

“Yeah.” 

“She seems nice enough. Very normal. What is it that she does?” 

“Intern for a photographer. She wants to be a photographer too,” Lexa explained before growing slightly quieter. “And she bartends.” 

“Seriously?” 

“It’s not like she brings her work home with her,” she rolled her eyes at the worry. 

“I know,” Anya furrowed. “Does she know about your… condition?” 

“Yes, she knows about everything.”

“Everything?” 

“She knows about Costia and the drugs, and how bad it all felt and how good it all felt,” the singer shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably. “She knows about everything.” 

“Everything?” 

“Yeah. I told her about all of it. She yelled at me for asking her on a date at a bar.” 

“Well at least she has some sense.” 

“She’s kind of a weirdo, but in a really good way. She’s a really nice way to spend a day, and I’m enjoying getting to know her.” 

For a moment, the eldest mulled it all over. She knew some of what Lexa was doing with a complete stranger. She knew that she’d encouraged such a thing. She just wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about potentially giving her sister more leash to run with, though she knew she didn’t have much of a say in the matter. 

“It’s going to get out, if she’s here. Are you ready? Is she?” 

“I can protect us.” 

Anya bit her tongue and nodded. Her sister could see the act and appreciated it. Lexa had enough doubts herself about how successful she could be with making Clarke want to stick around. 

“I’m saying this not to deter you, but rather just to voice a concern,” Anya began. “But you can’t. It’ll come out. You were already spotted in the city before the holidays. I really like how happy you’ve been. I love that you’re putting yourself out there and living. But you can’t lie to yourself about it, Lex. It’s not going to work if you do that.” 

“I know,” she sighed, leaning her head against the window. “But maybe for a little while it can.” 

“For a little while, yeah.” 

“I want to see how she fits into my life now, on the road, before I get too attached.” 

She didn’t mean to chuckle, but Anya did before she caught herself. Lexa lifted her head quickly and furrowed at the noise as the car pulled up to the venue. 

“What?” 

“You’re not attached?” 

“She’s not.” 

“Ah. Good. I’m glad you’re at least smart enough for self-preservation.” 

“I’m not an idiot, Anya.” 

“When it comes to girls you are.” 

Lexa wanted to argue. She opened her mouth to say something as her sister slid out of the car and stood there, door open and waiting for a retort. She really didn’t have one though. Her sister was, once again and unfortunately, extremely right. From the very beginning, Clarke said not to fall in love, and Lexa didn’t listen. She never did. 

“How else am I going to keep up employed if I can’t write about how bad I am with ladies?” 

“You’re only bad at picking the right one. I think you’d be rather good at being in love.” 

“That’s a really weird compliment, but I guess I’ll take it.” 

As they walked into the building, Anya put her arm over her sister’s shoulder, a tick she knew she hated as it pointed out their height difference more than ever. She could see the little pink to Lexa’s cheeks and knew that she took it as the best compliment she could every give. 

“Bring her out and have fun,” Anya decided for her. “I think it’s a good idea.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

Lexa smiled slightly before nodding, grateful though never able to admit that she needed that bit of permission and agreement with her idea. Instead, she just took it and decided it wasn’t terrible to talk about things. 

XXXXXXXXXX

“It’s been too long.” 

“You’re being dramatic.” 

“Am I?” Raven asked, thinking about it as she poured another drink and passed it out to a customer. “No. I’m not. It’s been weeks.” 

“That’s not true.” 

“You’ve been busy with all of the dating a rockstar things that one must do.” 

“And what is that?” 

The bar was loud and Clarke struggled to keep up with the busy night. She dreaded her reunion with her friend for this exact reason. She wish she’d never said anything about her date or her worry or any of it. She could have had a sexathon with Lexa and then never thought about it again. But Raven would let her forget, and she had a soft spot to keep Lexa around too. 

“I’m sure it was about a month of sex, expensive dinners, and good drinks and did I mention weird sex?” 

“It wasn’t weird.” 

“You shouldn’t be afraid to admit you like her.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because it’s a good thing to like someone.” 

“She wants me to come out to a show in Seattle.” 

Despite being mid pour on a pint, Raven stopped, much to the chagrin of her customer. She furrowed and shook her head, not quite understanding. 

“What’s the problem with that?” 

“We’re just prolonging the inevitable,” Clarke sighed, smiling as she collected some money and shoved it in the register. “What am I going to do, fly out to her every so often? See her for a month per year?” 

“Sounds like an ideal relationship to be honest.”

“Not to me.” 

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” Rave admonished, taking a breather and grabbing her bottle of water from beneath the counter. “Just have fun.” 

“It was fun a few weeks ago, and then she just… she’s sweet. And I like her.” 

“So don’t go then.” 

“I want to go though.” 

Clarke already saw her stalemate before her friend so kindly walked her into it. There was a growing fondness for Lexa that felt downright normal and perfect and easy. There was also a restless unease that existed in the moments that highlighted their differences and their future. 

“Then go.” 

“You don’t think it’s stupid?” 

“I think wasting any time away from a gorgeous rock’n’roll star is stupid, and I think you are thinking too much because at the end of your shift, you’ll call her, and you’ll smile and blush and get all gross because you feel something.” 

“So I should go?” 

“You’re absolutely useless, just so you know.” 

“I know.” 

“You’d be good at being in love if you let yourself.” 

Clarke mulled over the words and offered only a weak smile as they sank in. She wasn’t sure how to exist like that, but she thought about maybe trying one day.

next

[inkforhumanhands]

1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 24, 29?

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Good questionnnn. I guess slightly ridiculous? But also slightly angsty? Also gay lol i can’t write het stuff ‘cause i ain’t one, RIP straight people (lol)

5. Share one of your strengths.

I don’t know if this is actually a strength since I’m sure like nobody else notices it but I have a weird habit of (maybe coincidentally) choosing words near each other with either nice alliteration or assonance lmao

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Okay this whole one-shot was really fun and chaotic, and part of the premise is that the two main characters meet for the first time at a punk show and one of them has his hair dyed red and the other his hair green and the colors clash. Anyway I Iike how I treated the colors as representing each character as he was unknown to the other one, yet they were both attracted to the other for some reason. These paragraphs don’t run together but I like them both as parallels:

A moment before he shrugs away from the action, that bit of green catches his eye again from somewhere in the thick of all the movement. He stalls. The color was on the kid’s hair, or it was the kid’s hair, or the kid’s hair is the color. Green, green, sour but not too sour, like the lovechild of a lime and a kiwi. Billie Joe kind of wants to taste that color, kind of wouldn’t mind tasting that kid’s lips, either.

and

He sees the back of his head first. The color irritates him before he can come up with a reason, but then he remembers that his own hair is green. There’s a bad joke to be made here somewhere, yadda yadda Christmas.

And then the asshole with the bright red, the Atomic Fireball candy red fucking red hair turns around and Tré maybe rethinks his position. The guy has a nice face. Tré digs the nose ring, digs the bold eyebrows framing soft, yet potentially devious eyes. Heck, he digs it so much he’s having trouble looking at him straight on, like the guy is some sort of eclipse. Or maybe he doesn’t want to be caught with his mouth open. He averts his eyes and brushes past him like he fucking hates baby Jesus. Time to seek out another joint.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

lol okay I like this dialogue that my Magnus Archives ficlet ‘Poptimism’ is based around. this like 80% of the fic because it’s short so sorry but:

“Sorry to interrupt, but Tim asked me to hand you the copy of the police report for State—hang on, is that Billie Eilish?”

Jon did a grumpy thing with his mouth. He had been hoping Martin would stick to business. This was one of the things he liked least about his assistant: too friendly.

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Martin said, and blinked in a way that affected surprise.

“Is there a problem?” Jon’s scowl deepened.

“No, no. It’s just—”

“Just what?”

“Just you don’t…seem like the type to listen to popular music is all.”

Jon moved out from behind his desk and snatched the folder from Martin’s hands. “It’s called poptimism, Martin.”

“Popti-what?” Martin laughed, and Jon found his irritation deflating somewhat. Clearly he was too tired to waste emotions on this idiot any longer.

“What kind of music did you think I listen to, then?”

“Hmm, something a bit more indie maybe? Old-school emo?”

Jon snorted. “You would have me be some hipster, then.”

“Yeah, basically,” Martin agreed like it was nothing. “But now I know not to be surprised if next time I walk into the archive you have Lil Nas X blaring.”

11. Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

Somewhere in between? I used to want to be a writer of some sort and now I just do academic writing which is.....not fun. Maybe someday I will actually like write a book or something though. I would like to take it more seriously again.

12. Is there an episode above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

This isn’t direct inspiration but just like The Vibes from the scene where Matt loses his hearing for a bit in season 2 and then season 3 depression Matt are where it’s at.

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across? 

I’m biased because this is a huge pet peeve of mine when reading fic, but “don’t use epithets unless it’s called for” is great advice. It’s okay to repeat names and pronouns, it’s not repetitive, I promise. “The man” though, when you and the narrator both know who “the man” is? That’s awful.

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

This one isn’t the worst, in fact it’s Good advice, but a lot of people don’t seem to actually understand it: “Don’t use purple prose.” Purple prose is by its nature unnecessary and clogs up a story, especially one that might have an otherwise faster pace. Purple prose is NOT, however, the same as just having a writing style that’s on the descriptive or metaphorical side. You wouldn’t say Virginia Woolfe’s entire body of work was purple prose; that’s just her writing style.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

Writing on a better laptop than this piece of shit, that’s for sure. I would say maybe with a cup of tea beside me but then I’d have to keep getting up to empty my bladder, so... I don’t know, I guess just being comfortable (like a good chair that doesn’t kill my back) + being able to get down ideas fast before I forget them and/or being able to change/edit sentences easily so good technology are musts. Also like air temperature should not be too hot or too cold.

24. Have you ever deleted one of your published fics?

Nope, HOWEVER I did get banned from a website when I was 15 (LOL) and I recently did a web search to make sure the fic I had on it doesn’t exist online still because it was really bad (unrelated to the reason I was banned). Anyway it’s gone now and will never see the light of day again so if that counts as fic deletion then yes. Otherwise no, I would be too sad if someone liked one of my fics and I accidentally took that away from them.

29. If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Okay not technically a sequel or prequel but I think it would be very fun to poke around in a_silver_sun’s Time Traveler’s Wife AU “Always Crashing in the Same Car”