#so even if you know about these outfits w morphs you would have to use a mod to be able to utilise them & choose your Sims' pregnancy wear

[rockethorse]

I did some shallow poking around, and here is every basegame mesh I could find - aside from the regular default "maternity" outfits for AF & AM - that includes a pregnancy morph. Now, assuming I haven't somehow slipped any default replacements into my game without my knowledge, I find this pretty interesting.

Some of these are already known; all pregnant Sims get pyjamas, swimwear, and underwear in addition to "maternity", and all four categories can be changed into freely from dressers. The nude mesh also has pregnancy morphs as well as any outfits that use it (swimwear, underwear, etc). As I mentioned in the tags of the original post, pregnant Sims will get forced into special pregnancy formal wear if they attend a wedding (either the knife dress up there or the racing-stripe tuxedo), but the player can't direct them to change into this pregnancy formal wear manually.

Some are more confusing; pregnant Sims can be directed to exercise, but they won't change into exercise clothes. This is odd knowing that the basegame AF tracksuit has an unused pregnancy morph attached to it. Interestingly, the basegame AM tracksuit does not have a morph; but one could argue that the default AM "maternity" outfit is more appropriate for exercising than the default AF "maternity" outfit.

Even more confusingly, there are "extra" options that never seem to get used in some outfit categories. The BG lingerie nightie has a pregnancy morph, but I've never seen a pregnant Sim randomise into anything other than the two-piece set; and for some unknown reason, the infamous baby sundress everyday outfit also has morphs.

But most confusingly of all, there are several top-only meshes that have pregnancy morphs, but zero bottoms to match:

The nude top for AM & AF has a preg morph, and I bet the elusive nude bottom does too. This isn't too surprising, but the BG AF tops with "seamless" waistlines also have pregnancy morphs. (Maybe they all used the nude top model as a base, which might've already had morphs, and there wasn't any reason to remove them.)

Do all these unused outfits suggest that at some point Maxis considered adding pregnancy morphs to all outfits, and not having a dedicated "maternity" category at all? If they did, then I'm betting they gave it up either because they realised the separates system was going to cause issues, or because it simply wasn't future-proof. They must've quickly recognised they were making a LOT of work for themselves when it came to future expansion packs, especially when Sims only wear maternity clothes for 2-3 days, and ESPECIALLY once they decided to introduce alien pregnancy.

Anyway - for my low-CC purposes, this is a very exciting discovery, and it's just an interesting insight into early days of Sims development. This might not be an exhaustive list, but I doubt there are any meshes from later EPs with morphs since they abandoned this concept in the basegame (hence there being no morphs in the outerwear category), and I'd like to sniff around some more unlocked meshes, but since pregnant Sims don't go to work it's unlikely that any career or NPC outfits etc will have morphs.

The basegame wedding dress has a pregnancy morph??

[ad7red]

can u do jack champion headcanons (or drabble) w/ a gf who gets elevator anxiety? literally everytime i have to use one i get so anxious it’s terrible😭

omg. i thought it was just me who did this LMAO i can’t get on a elavator without freaking out 😭😭

pairing: jack champion x fem!reader

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Jack and you were just about ready to leave the hotel room and head toward his Avatar premiere. However, there was an issue that he wasn’t aware of. You can’t take elevators.

Well, technically you could take an elevator, but the worry just eats you up from the inside out. Imagine all the possibilities of what could happen there! It could stop, you could get stuck, or worse, it could drop. And yes, maybe you were blowing this out of proportion but tell that to the 10,200 elevator accidents this year. Normally you would just take the stairs but with the heels you had on, it would be like walking through hell.

Yet by the time you were pulled out of your thoughts, the thing you dreaded most was straight ahead. The elevator. Now, you knew Jack wouldn't mind going down the stairs after all, it was just two floors, but you didn’t want to ruin the mood. Not when he was all giddy and excited for you to finally see the movie he worked years on.

Before approaching the elevator you came to a halt, Jack stopping with you. He looked at you with knitted eyebrows, silently asking you “What's up?” with his eyes. “Jack, can I ask you something?” Your tone was light, but you could hear the nervousness, you were just hoping he didn’t. “I don’t know, can you?” You rolled your eyes at his playful impertinent remark but asked your questions. “Is there any other way to get down? Like without the elevator?”. Jack's face morphed into an obviously perplexed one. “Not unless you wanna take the stairs. Or jump. We could probably jump, yeah?” He was chuckling at his own jokes when he noticed the serious look plastered onto your face.

“You really don't want to take the elevator?” you nodded your head at his question unsure of how he was going to respond. “How come?” he had asked, genuinely confused, Jack had loved elevators, he loved the feeling they gave him in his stomach. Like a rollercoaster ride almost.

You shuffled your feet, embarrassed to explain. “I'm afraid of them.” and though Jack didn't mean it, he found himself giggling at your confession. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry- Ok how do you wanna get down? Jumping is still an option,” You shook your head listlessly, and Jack got the message.

“Okay, how about we take the stairs?” he asked and his joking demeanor had faded. “Yeaaah, about that,” you dragged your vowels before resuming, “I think my ankles would be absolutely annihilated if I did”. Jack had a growing smirk on his face, he rubbed his chin pretending to be in deep thought. He snuck a quick glance at the staircase that was just across from where you both were standing and then a glance at you before talking. “I might have a solution.” He spoke, and before you even got to respond he swooped you up bridal style while running over to the stair case.

You had numerous protests while he was carrying you, they mostly consisted of “Jack put me down!” “Stop I’m gonna ruin your hair Jack!” and occasionally “People are looking!!” and Jack being Jack he didn’t stop until the of the stairs.

When you got there you shot him an injudicious look. “Why’d you do that? You could've messed up your outfit,” He shrugged evidently unbothered by his rash action, yet still grinning like the Cheshire cat. “You didn't seem too fond of the jumping option so I thought I’d help out a bit” You playfully shoved his shoulder. “Maybe I'll jump the next time we leave, okay?” He laughed while nodding his head. “Deal.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

also sorry u requested this like 2 weeks ago ahh!!

[daman19942]

*Deep breaths* I shared three four outfits for the LBB shape for this months Garden of Shadows theme, Fashion is for Everyone / Unfinished Business. I've teased these in some gameplay pics, and they've been done for months, but I never uploaded them...until now! Link here, details under the cut!

LBB Athletic Tank w/ Lucilla Sneakers

This first outfit is the oldest and quite literally the reason I learned how to use Milkshape. I wanted an LBB athletic outfit with the Uni tank, gym shorts, and sneakers and damned if I didn't nearly lose my mind making it. But that's exactly what it is. The LBB uni tank comes from @julietoon-ts2 LBB Tank PJs, the shorts are from Godlimpingby's Christmas in July set, and the shoes are from this 4t2 pants conversion by @lucilla-sims. I could've mixed and matched colors all day, but you get these seven. Categorized for everyday and athletic and contain both fat(!) and preg(!!) morph - that's how you know how old these are, I hadn't learned my lesson yet.

Download: SFS

LBB Tank w/ Skinnies and WBP Sneakers

Next we've got another really old outfit - a casual outfit using the same tank, G-Knee's skinnies (which I got from Julie here), and these great sneakers converted by WeBluePeace. Six tank colors, the shoes are the same for each. Categorized as everyday, also contains fat and preg morph (this would be the last time).

Download: SFS

LBB Sleeveless Hoodies w/ Vans or Sneakers

Lastly, I'm combining two outfits because they are the exact same except for the sneakers. These are Fanseelamb's Playful Sleeveless Hoodies with Shorts with either GLB's sneakers OR  ImaginaryBoutique's 4t2 conversion of Darte's Vans Old Skool. Same recolors, I simply couldn't decide between the shoes so I made both. No morphs! Everyday and Athletic.

Download: SFS

Self aware moment: I know there is some texture repetition across these outfits, and truthfully I was very torn about even uploading these because some players may not like that (or maybe would prefer separates). But, 1). I originally made these for myself, 2). Separates for All is currently broken for me, so I'm using more full outfits again, 3). downloaders can pick and choose what they like and 4). if uploading the first functional mesh you ever made doesn't count as unfinished business, I don't know what does :)

Credits to lots of folks: Syn, JulieJ, Lucilla, GLB, WBP, Lifa (for meshing help), Fanseelamb, and ImaginaryBoutique. Everything is compressorized and clearly labelled in the folders, but let me know if you have any issues. Thanks!

(I forgot to add poly counts but i will do so tomorrow! The Vans are clearly the highest).

[castle-dominion]

6x6 get a clue trying to liveblog during my family watch even tho I can't

lmao jesus I WAS RIGHT

Ah yes, the first apartment Nice place Nice orchid or flower or whatever remember rick's cockroach races? This place is genuinely really nice! Pi is so happy!

heck yeah dumpster diving I mean, chill castle.

Pi: What colour is it? RC: RC: Free oOH BEES (it is genuinely important! There is a job out there for everyone!) fruit on the table lol

crap it looks like there is no transcript on livejournal yay there is a dustjackets transcript on my second liveblog through aka my clip gathering run! RC: No, it’s not good. I was hoping for squalor. I was counting on squalor. Because Alexis cannot last in squalor. I was just hoping this whole thing would blow over. She would see Pi for the ambition free hippie that he is. And now he’s morphed into some … new age crusader? It’s a though he’s turned being a charming man-child into a career.

charming manchild into a career? KB: Now that doesn’t sound familiar, does it?

ryan is pretty but hair is too short. I used to look a lot like him but then he cut his hair & we were different & then I shaved my sides & looked way different & then I cut my hair over the top & now we look vaguely similar again lol See? called it, crucefix Where's all the blood tho? lanie & me same brain Remember when George Crabtree kept getting orders from murdoch but george already did all the stuff he needed to do? that's ryan in this moment. He is a detective in his own right he doesn't need beckett giving the orders

Ryan looks pretty, we know that, but dang esposito bisexual outfit right there (I need a pic of those two together, but ig I could get an individual pic of each)

RC: Maybe her dark secret has something to do with the dark ages

Castle might be right? coming from beckett? YES I FOUND ANOTHER TRANSCRIPT Yeah so uh you know what? A ton of pagan & occult symbols actually have their origins in christianity, & a lot of christian symbols come from other cultures & their paganism heathenry & mythology & stuff (esp in grecoroman period judeo-christian media, lots of grecoroman pagan crossover) I'm literally wearing pants with a water earth fire air alchemy symbols bc I'm a christowitch

lmao "satanic" WAIT DID YOU SEE THAT HAND IMAGE? PI HAD A SIMILAR ONE

Nice, get together for dinner every few months even tho u'r not that close...

RC: Which leaves us with my theory. Our victim was dabbling with black magic and she conjured up a demon. she did not conjure up a demon lmao

KB: Or maybe she ran afoul of some obscure religious sect and they sacrificed her to their pagan deity. well fuck you. maybe she got into trouble with the people in a people way, she disrespected their religion & they killed her for that, not bc of their pagan deity Ok but wait, bac in s1 Castle was really smart, he looked atbeckett, listened to her accent, & was able to determine intimate details about her life & her parent's death.

Washington Heights again

is this the freemason one? lmao (yes it is)

First intro babes!

RC: Ritual markings. Left by some unholy initiation. KB: They’re more like surgical scars. RC: *squints at it* (not clipping)

RC: I’m telling you, our monk, our victim, and these symbols are all connected Me: Yeah, the symbols are hers & the monk killed her. The connection is susannah richmond or w/e her names was

JE: Ah, I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Castle might be right about this Da Vinci Code thing. *castle opens his mouth to gloat.* JE: don’t ruin it.

You can see esposito go to his pocket for one of those mint spray things

Ooh a nice sword! (esposito hoping he gets to play with a sword this ep) What kind of ink? Yeah lol where is the morgue in relation to the precinct

Nice location here

lmao it is the freemasons! Oh in the capital city in the privince next to mine has christian & greek folklore symbols & roads & churches & politicians. cool conspiracy theory stuff my uncle mentioned lol. or maybe like the cool booze bottle

She could have made that symbol up herself ooh idea: her hands were burned to hide the symbols (or the symbols burned her hands)

Nice writing!! (too well lined though) I love being multilingual Is castle a freemason?

"monk's dome" lol

Ryan is so smart! He checked medical criminal stuff! KR: So that pattern of scars on our monk’s dome was from a procedure called stereotactic brain surgery. KB: Okay, can that get us an ID? Because medical records are confidential. (I'm surprised that is true in the usa) KR: Prison records aren’t. I took a shot that the guy did some time. Nineteen men in the system had this surgery, but only one had scars that were an exact match to the monk. Benjamin Wade. He got surgery to remove a tumor while doing a stretch at Greenhaven for an attempted murder.

btw esposito outfit <3

Did you see ryan flick his hand like that when he touched the railing?

wait what if this is alexis' house? KR: Look at this place. I’m going to get hepatitis just breathing the air in. said "nypd" pretty quiet Lol drugs it's the monk! & a blonde woman! What if he can't talk?

lmao silent but deadly I'm making a lot less comments & it is harder to write them down & organize them & I am missing vital watching-pretty-people & visual clues by writing. I mean I partially touch type, but I am also watching what I write on the screen & not entirely touch typing so it is hard for me to do this while watching with my family. I'm able to type this paragraph so much rn because my lil bro is upstairs stirring a batch of nuts & bolts. It is also hard bc I am using the literary/verbal part of my brain to type while also using it to listen to the show, at least one is typing output & one is auditory input, but still, I am hard of hearing & I have captions on so... yeah

Wade: Actually, I am a monk. I just learned to think before I speak. I believe this guy, this monk.

Yeah I believe him, counsel Pointing to a mysterious stranger. also brown long hair not long brown hair? Bro he didn't think he NEEDED to remember details abt it "it's what sells the lie" & then he gives a detail RC & me: nice, wicked Freuidian detail XD why didn't you say that detail earlier too?

JE: Wait, you guys are on the same page about this guy? KB: Not exactly. I think he’s guilty because of his contact with the victim, the stalking, and his history of violence. RC: I think he’s guilty because of his contact with the victim, the stalking, and his role in a sinister conspiracy involving Freemasons. (clipping)

freemason black belt lmao glad I already quoted this

RC: Way better than that. He was a patriot spy. He wrote codes and cyphers during the American Revolution. Meaning, this letter could be the key to finding the great secret of the Masons, enshrined somewhere within the city. KB: Why, because you want it to be? RC: Partly. RC: And because it’s the only story that makes sense. A shadowy brotherhood guarding Rose’s secret for all eternity. Susannah got too close, so they sent their monk assassin to kill her.

mum: didn't he buy his bar bc there was a treasure underneath it?

sketch artist for the time not the sketch?

Impress me There are times i wish she'd stayed in DC esposito's face will clip that if I get the chance (yep)

interesting shirt beckett has there lol

"up to their hoods" lol (lol)

stained glass baby Castle has a copy of the letter?

ah the ash heap is the altar! Makes sense!

interesting prayer candle corner interesting audio too weird little guy with a mouth lmao lil bro: It looks like gandalf I think the pics of the symbols are these places, see the texture? btw the stations of the cross are rly dirty. need to be cleaned.

Hephaestus is the god of blacksmiths or smth, right? he was thrown from a mountain (like me) & got ugly & also disabled? (btw from what I've heard from disbaled ppl, handicap is an outdated term but still used, cripple is a slur, & lame is a slur.)

since the 1700s? etna's forge! field trip third grade XD Nice scene with the low angle & fast walking

sexy place KB: Wow. This is incredible. Shouldn’t there be a docent or some sweaty guy hammering metal standing around? RC: Yeah. (he raises his voice in a british accent) Hello? Is there a smithy here about? We have travelled many a mile – (he’s interrupted by BECKETT’S hand on his arm) – is this annoying you?

Oooh. (he inspects them) Have it, want it, need it, got it, need it, got it, need it... (he did that with the cars too in s8) *pulls a sword on him* *castle just makes a comment* RC: Well now, that wouldn’t happen to be a double edged saber with a crenellated hilt, now would it? Zorro?

OH YEAH I FORGOT CASTLE WAS A FENCER"YOURE NOT SO BAD YOURSELF" PRINCESS BRIDE REFERENCE where is beckett tho?? WHAT SIGN SHALL BE REVEALED? So did she beat him in the swordfight? what is this guy talking about? (clipping)

OH WHAT IF IT IS LIKE SPYCATIONS so castle DIDN'T beat him?

Good old ren faires. Why does beckett's phone beep when she opened the photo?

Like the ghost episode, he couldn't tear down the murder building bc it was a historical site (man looks like my culinary teacher)

2500 is a lot of money but ig if some ppl have spent more... Ah that's why it was so pretty, it was hand written Castle's scalp lol

she never acknowledges his sword fighting? I feel like ryan & even esposito would be impressed by this. except that yk... it was fake... KB: Castle, you didn’t really believe that this was going to lead to some great Freemason treasure, did you? RC: No. Of course not. That would be foolish. (BECKETT nods once, unconvinced) Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go home to wallow in what is perhaps the most disappointing day of my crime solving career. KB: Okay. I’ll come by later and try to cheer you up. Me: *lenny face*

oh hey btw esposito has cut his hair!

IT IS THE SAME GUY KR: Well, his name and address are bogus. Everything on the application is. None of this information is real.

cheque in this context

Yeah they only showed a little bit of the dinner, I feel like it may have gotten worse as the dinner progressed Castle really IS a dad.

MR: Of course I'm right! Love her so much

Smart trace? No way. That would n't work. It would need to be straight on. IT'S A MAP!

esposito wearing ryan-core outfit here Ryan looks even more ryan-core WOW THEY ARE WEARING THE SAME OUTFIT LMAO clipping the saga of tracking down the cab (also for the outfits lol)

castle walks Right Behind ryan like that lol so weird (he just... takes his place) (btw just noticed, ryan's shirt was not perfectly ironed. I love that fact.) *puts it on the board* castle is smart/sexy af except the shape was not /that/ good RC: the killer didn't want anyone else to figure it out Me: but susannah figured it out so other people surely also could

lil bro: put your hand in it DON'T PUT YOUR HAND IN IT she speaks french? AND russian? mum already saw the letter lol Oris. Oral. latin for mouth.

he's playing her (could clip but won't) (actually mu lil bro who is my voice of reason in my clipping suggested I do) I saw the thing was oddly broken, like it was pasted on the wall nah bro you would see a seam. You WOULD see a seam.

tomb? blood SWORD How can u tell they are fresh? it's stone castle u r not moving it.

I NOTICED the world ball! There are stars painted there!

The world turns! Mum: Booby trap? (remember tho, how does this work? do they have a hydraulic system? like the last treasure hunting episode, under the gun No they are FAKE half dimes Mum: I TOLD you about the booby trap WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN?

going to the chapel lol

He would not have made an anagram of his name candle wax IS a survival food... RC: Theodore Rose … is … head or toes. No. Theodore Rose … he do rooster. (he laughs) That’s inappropriate. Okay, Theodore Rose, Theodore Rose. Deer shot oreo. Oh, they didn’t have Oreos in the 1700s.

(on phone) What's up Beckett? We don't get to see the rescue, them making fun of caskett?

EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING-- MAKE THEM ASSUME IT IS JUST A GAME they just... got em out lmao, not showing us that

oh it WASN'T just a game! crowdsourced treasure hunt lol she would NOT know that sort of family lore lmao. I have a ton of family lore & don't know any of it, anything that cool or important.

not lonely, talking abt family lore oh it WAS a big family myth he's awkward. He killed her. Similar nose! As DNA similarities!

mum: half dimes? aren't they nickels? Wow. That is sad. "the people" aren't going to receive them, the historical museum will. You could have sold them to the museum to put your aunt in assisted living.

We get to see thier shoes! (& also ryan's pants match his jacket) Ah, I was wondering how she figured it out when noone else did! She had been to weddings there! both: here we go again RC: I gotta go see alexis JE: *frowns in confusion* The girl & the dad know, but not esposito. (clipped, probably best as a gif tho)

actions speak louder than words

Alexis doubts beckett? But she loves her! WAIT DID PI & ALEXIS PROPOSE?

Make-up ice-cream my beloved SAD "I need time to stop being mad" valid lol

Ok so I did NOT comment as much as I usually do & it was very rushed & I'm not pleased with this, & I did not get any clips or pics (like a pic of rysposito walking out there) but hopefully I'll get the chance to get them.

Uh yeah so where was I? I'm done this ep. Good for me. I really feel like I had smth else to say. Tbh all throughout the film I felt like I had smth mor eto say but I never got th echance.

Oh I remember what I had to say-- & I forgot again. Maybe I was going to say that I would watch it again no wait it was that I'm going to try watching other shows like this-- ok I have it written down now I can write my thought in a better way

Since s5 is due soon, way too soon, I'm going to try writing my liveblog without pausing it at much if at all, bc I have no time. I apparently take 3 hours to watch an episode instead of 1.5 which was my goal. I can do this. I must NOT pause it tho lol

Me: here doubling my liveblog so I could get clips

[itsalltaken]

Missed Target

Steve Harrington x Reader (Part I)

Synopsis: After having a crush on Steve for so long, you decide to confess after everything is sorted with Vecna, but fate doesn’t seem to be on your side this time around

Warning: Angsty at first but has a happy ending

•~•

“Fucking hell, Robin be careful” I screech just as Robin nearly toppled over a specifically branchy part of the upside down forest. We can’t exactly have her attracting any wild sort of beasts while we make our way to the Creel house

“Sorry sorry- where’s Steve and Nancy?” She asked me, peering over my shoulder. Looking back as well, I curse when I realize that the pair wasn’t behind us anymore

“Stay here, I’ll try to walk back and look for them” Walking back to the way we came from, I can’t help but get worried. Whether or not it was because Steve was alone with Nancy or if it was because they were somewhere in the upside down; I don’t know. All I know is that I’m worried.

My unrequited crush on Steve was no secret- to everyone but Steve and Nancy at least. Even Munson immediately found out about my crush on him after just being around us for a few days! And it really didn’t help that he and Robin seem to see the same thing I did- which was that a old burnt out spark between Steve and Nancy was possibly being lit up again.

“Shit” I mutter when I nearly tripped over a branch, shushing myself immediately when I hear voices. Following the sound of the familiar soothing voice, I find myself spying on Steve and Nancy’s conversation. I know I should’ve walked away or maybe broke it apart, but I couldn’t. Not when he was professing his love and dream of six kids and a white fenced house with the perfect girl.

He was literally the definition of ‘If it isn’t with you then I don’t want it’ which usually would make my heart throb, but in this case it did nothing but bring me pain. In fact, if you listen close enough, you could hear the small pieces of my heart shattering to pieces.

I wasn’t like Nancy, that much was obvious. I took good care of my grades and stuff and had my own share of big dream, but I didn’t style my hair every single day or dressed up in skirts and dresses, making sure I looked the utmost best in every day - no, I was just me. Plain old me, so it really wouldn’t - or rather shouldn’t shock me if Steve still loves Nancy

“Guys!” I hear Robin pant “Where were you? Y/n was just-”

“I’m here!” I shouted, making myself look like I had been walking for a while. I don’t miss the slightly annoyed look that Steve had on his face for Robin ruining the moment between them. And for once, I’m glad that she came at the wrong times.

“Let’s do this”

•~•

Everything was a blur after Vecna’s vines closed around our neck. All I know is that when I opened my eyes, I was back in Hawkins at the school. I was wearing the same old outfit I used to wear when I was class president. Walking through the halls of the buzzling high school, I run to solitude in the girls bathroom when I freeze.

Giggling. I heard giggling, but not just any normal giggling. This was Steve and Nancy in the bathroom together. Running out of there immediately, I slow down when I realized that the school was now empty and... dark.

“Y/n” I heard a deep voice drawl from somewhere in the halls of the school and I make a run for it “Why would you wish for Steve and Nancy to break up when she was your friend?”

I run faster when the voice became louder and louder, it starting to morph into Steve’s voice

“Why would you want me to leave the love of my life Y/n? Don’t you love me?”

“Go away!” I scream, seeing the exit of the school and pushing my legs to run faster

“It’s your time Y/n. You can’t run from your fate”

“Go to hell, you no nosed freak!” I shout, rattling the doors open, but they just wouldn’t budge “No! Fuck you!” I scream and shake when I felt myself getting lifted and turned. When I open my eyes once more, I am no longer alone in the safety net of my school, but instead I’m facing the monster we were here to kill.

“You and your little friends thought Max was the only one I’m after” Vecna cackled “That was the first mistake in your already flawed plan to kill me”

“No,” I struggled as vines wrapped themselves around my body “Stop it! Please!” His hand came closer to my head, tilting it back as I slowly felt my bones begin to shake and my eyes black out. Was this really the end for me? Was I never truly meant for happy endings? Maybe this was for the best, but what about Steve? And Dustin?

I feel liquid starting to drip from my eyes and feel as my bones begin to get dislocated. All I can hope now is that the group is able to defeat this clock obsessed weirdo. One casualty for the sake of the many

[marsofaries]

The Itsy Bitsy Spider {Katsuki Bakugou x Reader}

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: Cursing, Blood, Assault

Summary: Your grumpy (and ridiculously attractive) neighbor helps you rid of the spider in your new apartment. Things grow from there.

Notes: fem!Reader, ProHero!Bakugou, Bakugou hates feelings

That’s it. You were moving out.

So what, that you just managed to unpack the last box in your new apartment? One look at that eight-legged... creature, and it was their apartment now. You weren’t trying to be dramatic, but spiders were the absolute bane of your existence.

This led to you shakily standing over the said arachnid, a large All Might mug trembling faintly in your hands. 

“Oh shit, oh fuck-- FUCK!” You shrieked as the spider took a quick dart to its left. Nope. No way.

It had taken about an hour before the spider was successfully captive. Another hour to finally figure out what to do next. 

And now there you were, pacing back and forth in front of your neighbor’s front door, mumbling failed greetings to yourself like a desperate prayer.

“Hi, I’m-- that’s not right. How about ‘I just moved in and--.’ God, I sound like an idiot.” Gathering all of your courage, you rapped three quick knocks on the front of the wood. The urge to bolt was suddenly very powerful.

“I swear to God, Shitty Hair, if you-- Oh.” The door was suddenly swung open to reveal the most gorgeous person you had ever seen in your whole life. With biceps the size of your head, the man completely dwarfed you in size. He almost took up the entire space of the door, his spikey blond locks brushing the top the frame. Vermillion eyes stared at you cautiously as you forgot everything you were about to say. “The fuck you want?”

As you made no move to answer, the Greek god of a man pulled his lips into a scowl. 

“What are you, a fucking stalker or somethin’?”

That definitely brought you out of your reverence.

“W-What? No!”

A scoff left the man’s lips, and you suddenly wanted nothing more that to kick him straight in the jewels. However, you were on a mission. A mission to rid a tiny eight-eyed demon from your living room.

“There was a, uh...spider.” You slowly trailed off, waving weakly in the direction of your apartment across the hall.

 “A spider? Really?” The blond questioned condescendingly, rolling his stupidly-perfect crimson eyes.

A light flush brushed your cheeks in embarrassment as you stared down at your shoes. You were sure he was going to slam the door right in your face. But he didn’t.

The man brushed right past you, marching right though your open door-- making sure to loudly mumble as many complaints as he could. You stumbled after the tall blond, failing to keep up with his abnormally long strides.

You watched in silence as he crouched by the downturned mug, raising a single perfectly-sculpted brow. However, your silence was quickly turned into a squeak of horror when your neighbor dumped the spider into his bare-hand. 

For a moment of absolute terror, you thought the stranger was going to throw it at you.

Wide-eyed, you watched as he pushed open the nearest window and placed the spider on the railing of your fire-escape. Having pushed the window back down, the man turned back to leave your apartment. As he walked past, he shoved the now (thankfully) empty mug to your chest.

“W-wait!”

He paused, sliding his crimson gaze to yours.

“M-My name is (Y/L/N)… (Y/L/N) (Y/N).”

You weren’t quite sure why you felt the need to give him your name. Maybe it was because he helped you when you were absolutely sure he wouldn’t. Or maybe how he decided to let the bug free instead of kill it. Maybe it was the amused huff he let out when he heard your terrified squeak. Perhaps it was all three. You didn’t know.

His striking red eyes suddenly raked your frame before a smirk settled confidently on his all-too-attractive lips.

“Bakugou Katsuki.”

~~~

“HOLD THE FUCKING DOOR!” 

You let out a squeak at the sudden yell, sticking the toe of your nude-colored pumps between the sliding elevator doors. A muscled arm wedged itself between the doors, pulling them back open.

“You.” You breathed as none other than your extremely hot neighbor was revealed. The blond was clad in a loose black V-neck and sweatpants-- a large duffel bag thrown over his shoulder. His hair was slightly damp, as small beads of water dropped off the edge of his spikes every couple of seconds.

“Stalker.” He acknowledged with a grunt. The corner of Bakugou’s lips shot up at your protests.

The ride down to the lobby was relatively silent and slightly awkward. You kept switching your weight on both legs as you struggled to find something to say.

“The fuck you dressed so fancy for?” The explosive blond finally said. You couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief at the break in silence.

“I got a new job at All Might Bank!” You were pretty excited, as it was your first day. The bank itself was pretty fancy, and you were cheery that it was named after the old symbol of peace. All Might had been your favorite hero growing up but you grew out of your hero phase as you had gotten older. Nowadays you couldn’t tell one hero from the other.

You turned to Bakugou with a smile, content that he even cared about your life. It was quite a surprise when compared with the vibes he gave off.

“What about you?” You asked cheerily. 

“... Agency.” He grunted.

“Oh! Are you a model or something?” You knew it! There was no way that a man as attractive as Bakugou Katsuki was not the cover of every magazine. He was, just not for the reasons you thought. You watched in confusion as the explosive blond emitted a loud snort.

“Or something...”

DING!

You were almost sad as the elevator dinged, signaling the end of the ride. Although it was short, and mostly awkward, you found yourself enjoying his company. You walked side by side until you reached the doors to outside, pausing slightly when he went to part.

“Thank you.”

Bakugou froze at your expressed gratitude, studying your figure with renewed interest.

“You know... for the spider?” You seemed to lose all cognitive brain function when he looked at you with those frustratingly gorgeous vermillion eyes. Bakugou scoffed and turned away, muttering a quiet response. Little did you know that he was trying to hide a light blush.

“Whatever...”

~~~

You were happy to say that these shared elevator rides became a daily ritual, to the point where Bakugou started to bring you his delicious leftovers for your lunch (he made the meals especially for you, but would die before he ever admitted that). Before you knew it, you were quite smitten with the blond.

You couldn’t help but replay this morning’s occurrence in your head as you filed checking account after checking account.

 “Good morning, Bakugou-kun!” You called as you exited your apartment. You didn’t even have to look anymore. Bakugou had a habit of waiting for you outside your door to give you his most current dish. 

“Morning.” He grunted in response, hating the way his heart skipped a beat.

His eyes scanned over your form, (longer than considered friendly) as he checked your outfit. Bakugou always seemed to have some sort of fashion-ready advice on the tip of his tongue, and with you still thinking he was a model-- you were more that happy to comply. And also for the fact that he really did have a good eye for it.

“Undo the top two buttons… you look like a nerd.”

Your eyes quickly flashed to your white button-up, pulling at the two buttons with one hand.

“Better?”

Bakugou only grunted in approval. He was trying to act like he wasn’t on the verge of kissing the ever-lasting life out of you.

~~~

“Hey, Newbie! Get me a coffee, will ya?” You were quickly pulled out of your daydream by one of your (slightly arrogant) bosses.

“Of course, sir.” You answered as you hurried to the other side of the bank. You’ve been at your new job (and apartment) for about a month, and they still won’t let up on the whole “newbie” stuff. 

You sighed as you waited by the coffee maker, situated right to the left of the big glass entrance. Oh, how you would have loved to pour that coffee right over your boss’ head. Too lost in your own head, you failed to notice the suspicious group of men heading straight for the vault until one of them grabbed your arm.

“What the fu--”

“EVERYBODY DOWN OR SHE DIES!” 

Oh shit! Oh fuck! Your mind was reeling at a million miles per hour. The man had pulled you to where your back was to his front, and had a blade pressed against your throat. It seemed to come out of the inside of his wrist, being a relatively deadly quirk if handled correctly.

Everyone within the pristine building froze but quickly dropped to the floor after some warning shots from one of the robbers. Another suddenly morphed into some sort of beast and marched to the steel vault door.

You suddenly wished that you had a more physical quirk, cursing it for being so useless in this situation. Yeah, you knew basic self-defense, but it would be futile with three other villains in your midst.

Minutes felt like hours, and you could only hope that someone had alerted the police and nearby heroes. You winced as the blade dug into the delicate skin of your throat.

A sudden explosion burst through the skylight of the building, raining glass shards on the hostages. All at once, people were screaming, running, and blast after blast started ringing in your ears. You let out a sigh of relief.

The heroes were here.

Using the distraction, you quickly gripped the man’s arm tight below the base of the blade. You pulled it away from your neck ever so slightly, ducking your head to pull yourself through the gateway you had created. Keeping your hands locked at the base of the robber’s wrist, you twisted his arm and shoved up-- forcing it to pop from its socket.

A sudden bump to your shoulder from a running hostage caused you to slip up on your little self-defense sequence, allowing the man to break from your grip. He whipped around to face you, holding his dislocated arm. You panicked, so... you socked him in the face.

He let out an enraged cry, thick blood gushing from his nose. You were a bit surprised with how easy it was to land a hit on him. You thought that villains would have been more prepared before robbing a bank named after All Might.

Oh, well.

You punched him again in the nose for good measure, and he was out like a light. His hot red blood coated your knuckles, and you gagged in disgust. Ew. You wiped the back of your dominant hand on you button-up absentmindedly, before being shoved to the floor by your panicking boss. Wow. Your limbs felt like mush now that the adrenaline was wearing off, and you suddenly couldn’t find the strength to pick yourself off of the floor.

A final explosion went off, followed by the most desperate and wretched call you had ever heard in your entire life. And the call... sounded suspiciously like your name.

Your eyes shot up at the scream, searching frantically for the owner of that voice. You knew that voice, you only ever heard it in grunts and light-hearted mocking sentences, but you knew that voice.

“Katsuki.” You breathed, eyes suddenly locked on familiar crimson irises. 

Relief flooded his features as he saw you, and was at your side in seconds-- dropping quickly to his knees. 

“Oh my god.” Bakugou breathed, grabbing your head and cradling it tight to his chest and-- what the fuck was he wearing? Wait, there was no way... he was the explosion hero you saw on the news! Holy fuck!

“You scared the shit out of me! Do you know how terrified I was when I heard there was trouble at your work?! And you didn’t answer your goddamn phone? Jesus Christ, (Y/N).” Worried rambles fell rapidly out of Bakugou’s lips, seemingly void of any filter. You would have been ecstatic by his cute little worrying if your mind wasn’t reeling by the fact that your crush neighbor was one of the top ten heroes in Japan.

He suddenly grasped both sides of your face and pulled back so you were eye to eye.

“Are you hurt? I swear to God, if someone hurt you-- I’ll fucking kill them.” Bakugou’s eyes were frantically scanning your face, looking for any sign of injury.

“...Katsuki?” You mumbled softly, and he immediately froze. He felt his heart lurch in his throat as his name tumbled from your lips. You, on the other hand, were completely, and utterly lost. “You’re a pro-hero?”

“....What?” Bakugou questioned dumbly. “You could have been seriously hurt and that’s the first thing you think about?”

“What? I thought you were a model.” You whined, lightly smacking his chest.

At this, Bakugou let out a loud laugh, and you just watched in awe. You had never seen him laugh before. Even though half his face was smeared in black makeup and little injuries littered his skin-- it was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen in your life. He pulled back to look at you, but suddenly froze.

“You’re hurt! Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?!” Bakugou shouted, spotting bright red stains on the front of your blouse. You quickly grabbed his hand, hoping to soothe his panicking.

“Hey, hey!” You yelped, gaining his attention. “It’s not mine.” 

You gestured over to the villain knocked out next to you.

“Holy shit.” Katsuki breathed, before turning his vermillion gaze back to yours. A quiet, amused huff escaped his lips. “So you’re afraid of a spider, but can knock out a villain?” He questioned teasingly.

A light blush covered your cheeks, causing you to force your eyes down. You suddenly noticed just how close you two were. You were situated about half way onto Bakugou’s lap, as one of his large hands softly held your waist. The other was still trapped between your own. This caused your blush to only darken.

“Hey, eyes up here.” Bakugou muttered, lifting his hand from your waist and to the base of your chin. You force your eyes back up to his, but couldn’t help but sneak a quick glance to his lips. However, Bakugou saw it, and that was all it took.

Bakugou crashed his lips onto yours, and you were quick to respond. You tangled your hands within his soft blond locks, allowing him to completely dominate the kiss. His hands held you tightly to his body, refusing to give even an inch of space between you two. He didn’t let go even as you pulled back for air, his lips chasing after yours.

Time seemed to stop while he was kissing you, and every one was distressed with the thought of losing you. It was soft and sweet, and then rough and desperate-- the sweet smell of caramel, of Bakugou, invading all of your senses. 

You finally broke for air, breaths mingling shamelessly. Bakugou rested his forehead on yours, wanting nothing more than to never let you go.

“I’m so glad I found you, Stalker.”

Bonus:

A low whistle dragged out across bank, turning the couples’ gazes over to a certain hardening hero.

“SHITTY HAIR, I SWEAR TO--”

The End.

Notes:  This was my first imagine! I hope you guys liked it!

The police watching the final scene like: 👁👄👁 can we go home?

[whorefordazai]

hii how are you? i hope you're good<3 uhm, I don't know how to use tumblr yet,, but if you're doing request,, can i ask for sfw and nsfw headcanons for sigma? i literally can't found anything of him😭

I kinda made this abnormally long unlike my other headcannons I’m sorry haha😅 but I had a lot of fun writing it !

sigma headcannons (sfw & nsfw)

ft. sigma x gn! reader

genre: fluff, nsfw

warnings: mentions/depictions of sex

SFW

Before dating:

- before you start dating, you won’t catch much of an eye to sigma. After all, you’re just another casino worker. He still respects you and definitely values your hard work (just as any casino worker) because he knows how much work you all put into the casino.

- the both of you are just work buddies at first. That’s all. Tbh if sigma started liking you, he wouldn’t even be able to identify it as a crush LMAO

- like “oh they’re actually really pretty...” and “we would make a good partnership...” and “I really admire their skills to persevere through anything...”

- really sigma? Is that all😏?

- and then he’d begin to notice the things he’s saying in his head like “oh...they really are so beautiful...” and then realization hits and he’s like “WAIT! THEY ARE JUST A COLLEAGUE!!”

- little did he know, he said that out loud while furiously waving his arms in the air. Fyodor saw, kept quiet like this 🧍‍♂️🤐, then later gossiped about it to Nikolai.

- he’d dismiss the idea at first, ignoring his own feelings because obviously he doesn’t think he’s worthy enough for you. But it’s so hard to keep away from you. Mostly because you’re his mf partner😄👩‍🦯

- unable to keep away from you, sigma knows he wants you now. He can’t deny the fact that you’re incredibly attractive. Both inside and outside. You work just as hard as him, you’re always so determined and ready for action. Sigma envied you to be able to keep a cool head throughout frustration.

- he really wanted to make the first move. Nothing too forward. He just felt anger rising in him every time he saw an old man hit on you and try to flirt. You, of course, could only laugh with a nervous nod because they were customers.

- unable to take anymore, sigma confronts you.

“Y/n...you know you can tell those old men to stop bothering you...right?”

Your smile faltered for a second, but you quickly masked it up. “But sigma...we can’t lose customers. You work so hard to maintain this casino...it would all go to waste if the customers stopped coming.”

Sigma’s heart broke at your pained smiled. He gently grabbed your hands and made you look in his eyes. “I don’t need some old perverts as customers. You matter more to me than anyone.”

HUH?! Did I just say that😃?!

Panic immediately set in sigma’s head. Of course he wasn’t lying, you did matter to him more than anything. But it was really strange hearing it come out of his own mouth. Nothing had ever been more important to sigma than the casino. This is scary...

“Really?” Your eyes lit up. You clasped sigma’s hands tighter, resting your head on his chest. He immediately froze, unable to do anything else.

They’re hugging me? What am I supposed to do? This feels so different...am I supposed to hug back? This feels better than the hugs Nikolai forces on me...😟

After a moment of stunned silence 🤩🧍‍♂️, he wraps his arms around you and pulls you into a hug. This is the first time he’s hugging someone who isn’t Nikolai😧...it feels so nice.

During a relationship:

- sigma would really have to trust you to be in a relationship with you. I mean, this is the first time he’s ever had these type of feelings for anyone.

- he’s a bit shy when it comes to showing affection. The first time he attempted to hold your hand, he almost fainted because his heart was beating really fast 🕺

- holding hands is something y’all both do. It’s like a symbol of safety and reassurance when one of (or both of you) are feeling anxious. He was a real sly mf when holding your hand for the first time😏👆

The loud music blared across the rooms. You and sigma were currently trying to make your way through the floors and between huge crowds. The casino was abnormally packed with people today, it was slightly unexpected.

You could barely see anything among the crowds, only sigma’s mismatched color hair popped out among others. “Sigma...w-wait...” you managed to mutter out. You were getting caught in people’s arms and it was becoming more unbearable to walk.

Sigma didn’t turn around at your voice, so you knew he couldn’t hear you. The music was way too loud.

Just as the both of you were turning a corner, a tall figure bumped into your body, making you fall over on your arm.

“Fuck!” You winced in pain, realizing that your arm was probably broken.

“Y/n! Are you okay?!” You heard sigma’s voice call out to you. His face was morphed into shock and worry, seeing you on the floor. You raised your eyebrows. He came back for me?

He held out a hand to you, wanting to help you get up from the floor. You gladly took in, using your feet to help balance yourself.

Once you were up, you noticed that sigma had not let go of your hand. You looked up at him in confusion.

“Uhm...we should probably hold hands. Just to make sure we don’t lose each other...o-only if you want to though!” Sigma averted his eyes from yours. His voice was almost a whisper, you could barely hear it among the loud casino music.

A smile appeared on your lips. You look down at your hands clasped together, and intertwined your fingers. “Yeah. To make sure we’re safe...”

The both of you held hands the whole night.

Sneaky little sigma 😏📸

- give him sudden kisses. On his lips, cheek, or even forehead. He’ll probably stay stunned for a few seconds, unable to process what just happened.

- and then he’d go pink 😝

- I mean, he isn’t usually shy in front of others because he runs a fucking casino? There isn’t any time to be shy! But when you randomly kiss him, you’ll see his cheeks go red and his eyes glint.

- he’ll be a little flustered, so he’ll go to the back break room and take a moment to breathe and have a drink.

- the both of you have matching necklaces. The necklace has an Amethyst stone on it. It’s said to relieve anxiety and stress, and the both of you go through that every day. But really, it was just an excuse to wear matching jewelry 😊

- might I add, sigma wears a lot of jewelry! Especially to match his hair and outfits. He’ll mostly wear rings on his fingers, or sometimes you’ll sneak hair clips in his hair😏

- when he’s having a rough day, he’ll just crawl into your lap and lay his head on your thighs. You’d immediately get the message and start to slowly run your fingers through his hair.

- his arms would wrap around your waist and somehow your limbs would be tangled together under the blankets. He’d softly mumble into your chest, “I’m so lucky to have you. What did I do to deserve this?”

- having identity crises? Yes. Before he met you, sigma didn’t think he had a purpose in life. The casino was the only thing keeping him living on. Knowing all those people were depending on him kept him going. But he felt so empty.

- after a long hard days of work, he would come into his room and feel an immense emotion of loneliness. But now that you were here, he truly felt like he had someone by his side.

NSFW

- the first time y’all had sex, he was definitely shy at first. Was a little hesitant in touching you because making you uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do. Would always ask before placing his hands anywhere intimate. “C-can I touch you here?”

- he would be extremely gentle (and an unintentional tease) the first time. He would go really slow, his thrusts would send you oblivion. I mean, your walls are clenching around him, practically begging him to go faster.

- pls, he just doesn’t want to accidentally hurt you😞

“You feel so good...” sigma mumbled into your neck. Your eyes prick with tears from the feeling of him inside you.

“Mhm...go faster!” You mutter out, hands entangling behind his neck. His eyes flick to yours. “A-are you sure?”

“For fucks sake, yes!”

“...okay🤩!”

- after your first approval to go faster, he doesn’t hold back one bit. Within seconds, your legs are over his shoulders, his arms hooked around your thighs.

- he’s a soft dom, but kinda likes teasing you (not to the point where you don’t orgasm) but making you softly beg for his dick 😙

- sigma doesn’t always show it, but he loves it when you subtly drop hints that you want him to fuck you. The way you seem to dance with every step and your hands become fidgety just to touch him.

- expect lots of hickeys. Not the dark purple ones, just pink or red ones. He loves marking you up and watching you struggle to cover them up in the morning (don’t worry, he’ll help you cover them all while apologizing)

“Sigma, these hickeys are uncover-able 😶”

“Really? I do apologize, dear 😙”

(He’s not really sorry, if anything, he’s proud of his hard work)

- pent up stress relief sex. That’s it. That’s the headcannon. Even though this man might seem calm and collected on the outside, he’s definitely not on the inside.

- after running a casino the whole day, all he wants to do is relieve himself of his pent up stress...in you😙

- like I said, he’ll be a soft dom but when you want to ride him, his extra dom side will suddenly jump out. While you’re basically panting on his lap, he’ll grab your chin and say “you look so pretty sitting on my dick. Why don’t you look me in the eyes?”

- your legs won’t be working for the next few days shawty 🙅‍♀️

[hongism]

mists of celeste ➻ eight

➻ pairing: ??? x fem reader ➻ genre: space au, pirate au, space pirate!ateez, angst, eventual smut ➻ Word Count: 3.9k ➻ Rating: M ➻ Warnings: language, violence, guns and weaponry, blood, future warnings tba ➻ summary: Sneaking aboard the ship of a renowned space pirate may not have been the best idea, but you’ll have to make do with what fate has handed to you

⇐ previous | next ⇒

mists of celeste act one ➻ part eight

​

“Well, since you’re intent on changing the subject, Y/N…” Seonghwa interrupts as Yeosang opens his mouth to say something else. “I guess now is the perfect time to explain the real reason I brought you here.

“Pardon?” You inquire, tilting your head towards Seonghwa now in search of an explanation.

“It’s time for your first mission.”

Seonghwa grins from ear to ear, eyes disappearing behind his lids as he looks your way. You blink back with your mouth agape. It seems too soon for you to be doing something like this. You can’t understand Hongjoong’s game plan in deciding this, but there must be one.

“A covert mission. Get in and get out without being seen or leaving tracks. Relatively simple for someone with your history, and it may hit a little close to home. We’ll be raiding a military warehouse for some supplies. Y/N, you and Yeosang will be on the watch team. San and Jongho, you’ll be on the infiltration team. Y/N, if you can handle holding a sniper rifle, your job will be to watch for guards. Yeosang will do the same at the back entrance of the warehouse while you’ll be watching the front. Yeosang, as leader of this mission, you’ll be calling a majority of the shots when there. Does this sound manageable?”

You watch as Yeosang, Jongho, and San all nod without any hesitation. They don’t seem bothered by your presence on the mission in the slightest, but for some reason, that doesn’t make you feel any less out of place. Seonghwa still watches you, eyes cracking open as his smile fades into a thin line.

“Yes,” you say quietly after you realize that he’s waiting for your confirmation as well. “But… well, I have a question.” You’re a bit hesitant, and this sudden show of authority by Seonghwa has you realizing that the others listen to him for a reason. It may not be your place to question him, but something about his methods and decisions strikes you as odd. You can’t tell whether it’s Seonghwa’s own decision or Hongjoong’s. Hell, Seonghwa may not even know the answer to your question, but you won’t let that keep you from asking. “Why would Jongho be on the infiltration team? He’s a Berserker. It would make more sense to have you be on the mission instead as an Elitist.”

A breathy laugh leaves Seonghwa’s lips. He glances away from you in favor of looking down at the table. “That’s the kind of thinking I hate. The military teaches you to be so close-minded and only think about two possibilities when there are at least eight. Jongho may be a Berserker but he is one who needs to stay away from most of the action. Yeosang is the leader of the mission because he is an Elitist, and as the leader, he needs to stay back and watch over things from a distance. Jongho can take care of any rogue guards who might be out and about, but his primary goal is to defend San. Just holding still and watching for enemies to waltz in is not his specialty. Catering to abilities and skillsets is far more important than just putting more Elitists on the field. Make sense?”

“I suppose…” you mutter more to yourself than to him. Out the corner of your eye, you can see Seonghwa grinning.

“Good. If everyone understands, then you had best get going. Hongjoong is preparing to enter the atmosphere as we speak.” The tall man stands up, sweeping his dark hair out of his eyes, and moves to leave the room.

“W-Wait, what?” You stutter out. Seonghwa stops in his tracks and turns to look at you over his shoulder.

“Did you not hear me?”

“No, no, I heard you. I’m just – where are we landing?”

“Have you ever been to Medra, Y/N?”

Shock overwhelms your body in an instant. Medra? How is that possible? You can only stare at Seonghwa with a dumb expression on your features for a good ten or twenty seconds.

“H-How? How are we already in Yuki? Aurum’s system is at least sixteen parsecs away, and we can’t have left the system too long ago. There’s no feasible way that a ship this size could make the trip to Yuki in such a short amount of time. Only the highest grade military ships can move that quickly.”

Seonghwa smiles at you and laughs again, his amusement shining through clear as day. It’s a bit embarrassing to be laughed at in such a manner but your confusion is too great to be caring about that right now.

“Why are you asking that question, Y/N? You should remember what ship you’re on. The Horizon is the pride of the Black Sea, the fastest ship in the galaxy. Atlanteia is home to only one ship that can travel this fast, and the galaxy always gives us favorable traveling conditions. It shouldn’t surprise you one bit. Now, hurry up and get ready.” Seonghwa doesn’t wait around to tease you any longer; he turns on his heel and walks out of the room without any further ado.

You blink at his retreating figure until he’s completely out of sight before turning to San. “Wh-What am I supposed to do?” You ask. You know that each and every single one of these people is expecting great things from you given your reputation, but if they don’t explain what the fuck you’re supposed to do, you won’t get to show them anything at all.

San stands up from his own seat as well and motions for you to follow him out the room in the direction Seonghwa headed. Both Jongho and Yeosang get up at well, so you rush to lift yourself and trail after San before he gets too far ahead.

“The Horizon is home to three transport ships for on-planet distance traveling. We use them for almost all of our missions, so that’s what we’ll be taking to get to the Military Warehouse. Hongjoong will land the ship a couple hundred kilometers away from the warehouse so we can avoid being seen entering the atmosphere. Our cloaking controls on the ship will help but as I’m sure you know, the military has countermeasures for that sort of thing.”

“Hongjoong flies his own ship?” You inquire, surprise lacing your tone. Somewhere behind you, Yeosang releases a loud laugh.

“Hongjoong would never let anyone else steer the ship. Not even Seonghwa is allowed to touch the controls, and the one time he did, Hongjoong broke three of his fingers.”

Your surprise morphs into horror at Yeosang’s retelling of the story. San glances over at your expression and a small sigh escapes him.

“We’re headed down to the hangar bay,” he explains, one hand coming to rest on your arm as he guides you down the corridor. His touch is light over your bandages but even with the faintness, your wound throbs from the impact. “We’ll suit up and get weapons there.”

“Suit… suit up?” You echo.

“You’re hardly inconspicuous in your current outfit. The best way to hide in your surroundings is to blend in with them.” San motions towards your outfit, a small smile playing at his lips. “Did you ever see ecosuits during your time in the military?”

“No way,” Yeosang cuts in again, answering before you have the chance to respond yourself. “Aera was the only military in Aurum’s system to get ecosuits. We were leaders in advanced technology.”

“Actually, I did see them,” you counter. Casting a quick glance over your shoulder, you spot Yeosang’s bewildered expression and continue explaining. “My unit received a shipment of ecosuits to use on covert infiltration and assassination missions. I believe it was engineers on Eros who built the first versions of ecosuits though.”

Yeosang all but sneers at your comment, and you smirk back at him. San glances back with you, a loud laugh erupting from his lips as he spots the bothered expression across the blonde’s features. For someone who is supposed to be a traitor, he sure seems to have a lot of pride in his home and military…

The man brushes off your comment a moment later. He disguises his annoyance with a smile before addressing you. “If you aren’t careful, I’ll have to put you in your place,” he says with the slightest hint of a threat to his tone.

“It’s not the first time a man has threatened me with that possibility.”

San snickers under his breath at your comment, but Jongho releases a full-bodied laugh that echoes through the corridor. It’s weird seeing a Berserker act so carefree and docile in all honesty. You have to look forward again though, because San stops you with his arm and you nearly collide with a wall. Well, it’s less of a wall and more of the doors of an elevator, but it would have been both embarrassing and painful nonetheless. San presses a button on the wall, receiving an immediate ding in response to his actions.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen someone who can keep up with Yeosang’s level of feistiness,” Jongho comments as you all step into the elevator.

“What do you mean?” You inquire, eyes on his back as he steps in front of you.

“We haven’t had anyone on the crew who can match his temper and arrogance in a while.” Jongho shrugs while keeping his eyes forward as the elevator doors slide shut. “You seem to be the type to balance him out with calmness and humility. At least that’s the aura I get from you. Yeosang always feels so angry but you exude the opposite of that.”

As intriguing as Jongho’s explanation is, it isn’t the part that catches your interest. Rather his comment about how it’s “the first time in a while” is what strikes you the most. You were under the impression that the crew had only consisted of eight people and that’s it. You didn’t even think to consider that more people used to be a part of the crew. Yet Jongho’s words seem to confirm the presence of previous crewmembers.

“Did there used to be more people on the crew?” You ask with a bit of hesitance in your tone. You aren’t sure whether you’re breaching a line that should not be crossed. You get your answer a moment later. Jongho turns to you with his mouth open to respond, and Yeosang sends the most heated glare you’ve ever seen in his direction.

The elevator dings, breaking through the awkward tension that has suddenly arisen between Yeosang and Jongho, and San tugs you out of the elevator before you can ask if it’s a touchy subject. The moment you two are out of earshot of Yeosang, San leans close to you, his lips brushing the shell of your ear as he speaks.

“Don’t bring up any past crew members. It’s a sensitive topic for many, and some respond with aggression rather than grief.”

You nod along to his words and bring your gaze back to where Yeosang is now exiting the elevator. There’s no time to dwell on San’s words or the possibilities lurking behind them because he keeps pulling you further into what must be the hangar bay. One quick glance at the vast open area to your left confirms your suspicions.

Three identical ships reside in the bay, much smaller and more compact than you expected, but you recognize the model to be the same as those of the military. The only difference lies in the color of the ships, each a jet black hue that is a stark difference to the white, gold, and red you’re used to seeing on each planet. San keeps pulling your attention left and right though so you can’t gawk at the ships for too long when he’s dragging you to a different corner of the room.

“Here,” he starts, pointing down at a table. It’s covered in an array of weapons – guns, knives, bullets all lined up and stacked atop each other – along with a stack of what must be ecosuits. The black kevlar is a familiar sight but not a pleasant memory, and you can only stare down at the suit with disdain in your eyes. “You can step behind the cabinet to change, if you’d like. We normally just change out here but… I can see how you may not want to do that.”

You laugh at his words, taking the tough material from his hands and bundling it up in your grasp. “Oh, I have no problem stripping down with you all but that’s more of a third date kind of thing to do, don’t you think?”

San responds with a laugh of his own, nearly choking on his saliva as he struggles to catch his breath, and you step around the cabinet he mentioned to slip into the ecosuit. It’s relatively easy to slip into, despite the bandage on your arm getting a bit in the way, but the bigger issue is that you’re having trouble zipping the back all the way up. Asking for help isn’t an option; the words Daichi spoke to you in your dream days ago still linger with you and despite claiming to not care about his words, you are a bit paranoid.

“Someone near you is a dangerous threat, one that you’ve never encountered before. You must be careful. Guard yourself wisely.”

So your only option is to suck it up and pull the zipper over your cascading tattoos rather than asking for help. San startles you a moment later, head poking around the corner as you have your back to him.

“Hey,” he says. You whip around so fast that it hurts your head, fingers still on the zipper that isn’t quite all the way up. You can only hope that he somehow missed the marking on your back. “You good?”

“Y-Yea, yea.” You nod a few times and give the zipper one last yank. It gives and pulls all the way up thankfully, saving you from any further awkwardness.

“Cool, you can just throw those clothes in a pile out here.” You gather the wad of clothes on the floor and follow San back out. Tossing them atop an already existing pile of clothes, you stretch your arms a bit to get used to the tight material over your body. The military never made these things the most comfortable to work in, so tight you can barely breathe properly, but at least the tech involved is neat to some extent. You never were one for enjoying the engineering side of things but some of your closest friends were and that was enough for you to at least respect the efforts that were put into these things.

Yeosang catches your attention, pulling you out of the memories by beckoning you closer to the table with weapons across it.

“If you can manage it with your arm, this will be yours for the mission,” Yeosang explains. You examine the weapon before you, a basic military-grade sniper rifle. It isn’t much different than the ones you’ve used in the past, but this one has more intricacies and decorations. You lift it with relative ease, finding it surprisingly lightweight despite the size.

“It’s fine. My trigger finger still works just fine and that’s all I should need with this rifle.” You peer through the scope. “No fine laser tracking on the scope, but I’ll manage.”

“Well, that’s only because your job isn’t to kill anyone. Just to be on the lookout for people coming in and out of the warehouse.” You pop the clip cartridge as Yeosang speaks, finding it full of bullets. He catches your questioning stare. “With precautions, of course. It would be stupid to give you an unloaded gun.”

“It would be stupid to give a highly dangerous criminal her weapon of choice too, but here we are.”

Yeosang chuckles at your comment. “Remember that you are aboard a ship full of criminals. You couldn’t possibly take all of us on, so I think we’re opting for a safe bet in giving you a loaded gun. Maybe it’s just in our blood to think that way though.” The Elitist turns to San and Jongho. “Go ahead and board the transport ship. Jongho, you’ll take the primary pilot seat. San, take secondary.”

Jongho follows the order first, but San hesitates. After a slight roll of his eyes, he trails after Jongho and goes aboard the transport ship.

“And for you, Miss Y/N, I’ll take that off your hands for now.” Yeosang extends a hand in your direction. You push the sniper into his hands. He grins at your quick compliance. “Good girl. See, we can make you obedient yet.”

You bite down on your tongue to keep from lashing out in response. Yeosang notices your restraint and arches a brow at you, teeth sinking into his lower lip.

“I’ll gather the rest of the weapons and meet you on the ship. You can go ahead and board now.”

“With pleasure,” you grumble under your breath, but you make sure to say the words loud enough for Yeosang to hear.

The interior of the transport ship is compact and small, consisting of only two compartments: the pilot seats and a slightly wider and more open area meant for carrying soldiers. You see Jongho and San fiddling with the controls in the pilot’s cabin, but you aren’t quite sure what to do with yourself now that you’re aboard. You seat yourself in one of the seats where you can peer into the cabin and watch them work. It’s a new territory for you as you’ve never piloted a ship this small before. You’re used to spaceships meant for doing small scale perimeter checks around a system and planets. Ships like these are definitely not your specialty, and you only remember riding one on a few occasions.

Yeosang steps into the back cabin after a few minutes, his long blonde flopping forward as he ducks to get in the door. He bears a hefty duffel bag on his back but drops it to the floor without a care as he turns to shut the door of the ship.

“Y/N, these are for you.” He comes closer to you, opening his palm to reveal a thin black wristband and a small grey device.

“What am I supposed to do with these?” You ask, blinking between the items and Yeosang.

“It’s a communication system that hones you into certain channels based on the frequency. The main channel is for all members of the crew, and its frequency is around 480. The one we’ll be using for the mission is 640. They’re paired with each other, so no one aside from us can hear our conversations.”

He sighs and picks up the small grey device first, leaning close to your ear without warning. You flinch away from him at first but he inserts the device with a surprisingly gentle touch. It’s snug against your ear and rubs awkwardly against the piercings decorating the shell of your ear.

“You seem to have a lot of piercings for a military person,” he comments as he pushes past the metal barriers. “It’s kinda hot, not gonna lie.”

“Focus on the task at hand,” you scoff. Yeosang chuckles to himself but does as told, thumbing over the material to make sure it’s secure in your ear. He slips the wristband around your hand, and it snaps to your wrist.

“To change the frequency just drag your thumb across the band and wait for this radar to pop up. Move left and right to find the frequency you want, and you’re good to go.” Yeosang swipes his index finger over the band and helps you set it to the desired frequency before pulling back. He raises his own wrist to his lips and speaks softly against it.

“Can you hear me?” His voice is loud and intruding in your ear, and a crackling sound follows his words. “Good,” he says as you grimace.

Yeosang moves towards the pilot’s cabin. You can hear him speaking to someone over an intercom and recognize the timbre of Hongjoong’s clear voice. You can’t tell what they’re saying, but Yeosang explains it when he returns.

“We’ll be landing soon. It should take around forty-five minutes to reach the outskirts of the warehouse.” Yeosang sits across from you, one leg coming to rest atop the other. His blonde hair stands out even more now that he’s dressed in all black, but that isn’t exactly what’s on your mind as you watch him closely. He notices your lingering stare and lack of response in an instant. “Is something on your mind?”

You purse your lips. “Why did you leave the military?”

Rather than words, Yeosang replies with a hearty laugh. You blink at him, thoroughly unamused by his answer, and that annoyance must read on your features because he explains himself after a moment. “You’re good at deflecting, I’ll give you that. To answer your question though, I didn’t leave the military.”

“That’s not possible. You couldn’t have gotten the chains without attempting to leave?”

“Do you know why they call me the Royal Betrayer?”

You freeze at the question. “I-I didn’t even – I didn’t know they called you that.”

“Well, it’s what they call me on Aera. I was tried for treason. I was going to be publicly executed for crimes against the crown and the Royal Guard, but I was able to get out of jail the night before my execution date. I got the brand that same night before I escaped.”

“How the hell did you escape? I thought Aera had one of the most protected prisons.”

Yeosang shrugs his shoulders, settling further back against the seat. “There just weren’t that many guards that night. I try not to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying goes. I just accept it and move on, so that’s exactly what I did back then too.”

“That doesn’t explain why they call you – wh-what, the Royal Betrayer?”

“Lots of people don’t realize that even princes and royals are capable of treason.” Yeosang glances off to the side, staring at the floor rather than at you. …a prince? Then –

“I’ve heard of you,” you say aloud. Yeosang’s lips quirk up into a smile. “W-Well, I’ve heard of a prince who betrayed the crown on Aera. His name wasn’t Yeosang though. It was Kang something…”

“Kang Minhee,” Yeosang says for you. “Yours truly. It’s amusing to think that if you had been on Aera rather than Eros, I could’ve been one of your targets if I had stayed there. Funny how fate chose for us to meet like this instead.”

“I wouldn’t speak too soon. There’s always a possibility of me putting a bullet in your before this is all over.”

“Before it’s all over? How do you think this is going to end, Y/N?”

He’s not talking about the mission; no, that much is obvious. He’s talking about your involvement with the crew, with Hongjoong, your stay aboard the ship, and frankly, you have no idea how to respond to him. You don’t know how it is going to end. You haven’t thought that far ahead, which is typical of you, but also just something that didn’t cross your mind prior to now. When you were stuffed in a crate, you thought of escape ten times over, but you haven’t once thought of it since then.

“Consider that food for thought. It’s time to head out now. Hongjoong just opened the hangar bay doors.”

✧✧✧

a/n: here we are nearing the end of act one!! i hope you all enjoy this chapter lots! it wasn’t too eventful but the real juicy stuff is gonna hit with the next part!

taglist: @faeriewoobin​ @sugarrimajins​ @atinyinwonderland​ @2504-life @lil7bluedragon @sparklychangbin​ @jeong-uwu​ @jeonartemis​

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

[flipomatic]

A New World Chapter 17: Goals (1/2)

Author Note: Hi, I’m still alive. I spent some time going for podium in D4DJ and things irl have been blowing up lately. I’m still dedicated to finishing this fic. This chapter has been split into two chapters. Thank you for your patience and continued support!

Please listen to the first two minutes of Kiseki at the right time during Rinko’s section. You’ll know when. (link if you need it https://youtu.be/BXsp6qALjr4)

Summary: The members of Roselia ponder what to do next.

First Chapter Previous Chapter

________________________________________________________

Rinko sat at her piano, eyes shut, hands poised in a familiar position over the keys. Her fingers began to move, pressing the keys softly the same way they had hundreds of times before. The tune of Black Shout drifted through the room.

It washed over her, bringing a much needed sense of calm.

Ever since the meeting earlier, Rinko’s heart had been in turmoil. Well, she’d been worried before then too, but she hoped the band would be able to come to a solution. Instead, she left with a new question and even more to dwell on.

In her mind Rinko could hear the other parts that went with hers, the blend of the band’s oldest song. She could hear how their performance used to sound, how they used to fit together.

Their performance last week had been different. Rinko tried to remember as she played, to imagine the new sound of her bandmates that they presented on stage, but she couldn’t. Their sound had changed so much, she could hardly recall it. Even Yukina’s singing had morphed into something new.

Rinko opened her eyes, hands stilling against the keys.

She had been sent to ponder a specific question, to set a goal for the band. When Rinko suggested that they take a week to think about it, it was because she couldn’t think of anything. That had never been her role.

No, Rinko’s role had always been to create. She wrote songs and created outfits, all parts of how the band presented itself. Though Rinko herself lacked presence, she contributed to the band through her work and her playing.

She supported the band, and in turn she found a place to belong. Over the last three years Roselia had come to feel like home.

It was a home that was always moving, always seeking the next step. Together, they tried to achieve something until they succeeded. Now they weren’t, and they were slowly drifting apart.

That was why Yukina thought they needed a new goal.

It wasn’t going to be enough.

Rinko’s thoughts had been trapped in this cycle, of being unable to come up with the next steps despite being desperate to do so. She’d hoped playing their music would help her think clearly, but it hadn’t worked.

Her view of the band felt more out of focus than ever, unable to even imagine how they now sounded together.

Without thinking, Rinko again began to play. It was a different song, once much slower and quieter than Black Shout before it.

The opening notes of Kiseki rang softly from the heart of the piano.

They didn’t perform this song often; it didn’t quite match their usual image. Regardless, Rinko loved it. She still remembered when Yukina had given her the lyrics for it, more subdued than usual.

She told Rinko it was a, “Thank you for everything,” with an uncharacteristic pink to her cheeks.

The accompanying tune flowed from Rinko’s soul. She matched the words carefully, with a soft melody that she hoped enhanced their meaning.

When she first played the song for the rest of the band, Yukina singing the lyrics along with her piano, they listened in stunned silence.

As the piece ended nobody said a word, but even in the quiet Rinko could feel the emotion in the room. She could feel how close the band had become, represented by the song she and Yukina had created together.

Rinko longed to return to that closeness.

Surely there was something she could do to help, to restore the band to how they used to be. She grimaced as she hit the chorus of the song, pressing her hands harder against the keys.

Perhaps that was the problem.

They had all changed so much, even over just a few months. It was impossible to go back.

The song hit its peak, unrelenting in its pace. Rinko continued to play, with her emotions laid bare through the piano.

As the members changed, Roselia could only go forward. Rinko too had changed and grown, through her playing and her compositions. Instead of growing apart, they needed to grow together.

That was easier said than done.

As the chorus ended, Rinko’s playing slowed to a halt. This was where the others would come in, bringing the whole band into the song. She could hear it in her mind. She wondered how it would sound if they played it now.

She needed to find out. Sitting here at her piano, yearning for the past, wasn’t doing her any favors.

Even if she couldn’t find a goal for the band, there were other things she could do.

Rinko’s hands moved again, deftly across the keys.

The melody that emerged was a new one, something she’d been working on near the start of the semester. If everything worked out, this would be Roselia’s next song.

No, that wasn’t the right way to think about it. Rinko was determined to make this Roselia’s next song. It still needed a lot of work and lyrics to go with it, but she was going to make sure it was a success. This was how she would support the band and bring them back together.

This song would carry them forward.

Rinko needed to spend more time listening to her bandmates from now on, adapting to the changes in their playing. Then she would be able to compose for the new Roselia.

If she tweaked it for her bandmates new sound, for the new sound of the band as a whole, that would help them find their path.

Rinko was sure of it.

____________________________________________________

Ako often found that playing video games provided a good distraction. Whether it be from school work or band troubles, they did the trick. Sayo had once specifically told her that video games provided escapist entertainment. They were playing NFO together at the time. Ako didn’t really understand that concept; she just enjoyed playing them.

As Ako directed her character across a field of burning lava, it was slightly easier to not think about the band meeting they held a couple days ago.

It felt like the only thing she’d done since the meeting was worry about it, so she really needed the break.

For while, it worked. Ako teamed up with a few other players to do some quests. They saved a local village from a volcano by redirecting the lava, then had their celebratory party crashed by the culprit who made the volcano erupt in the first place.

The twist made for a satisfying quest line, with a cool boss fight at the end. Ako would definitely run it with Rinko again, when her friend had time. After, Ako said goodbye to her party members.

As fun as playing had been, when the screen in front of Ako flicked to black nothing had really changed. Her own smudged reflection stared back at her, far more tired looking than she should’ve been after a gaming session.

Without the flashing lights on the screen, her thoughts returned to where they were still stuck, to her friends disappointed faces as they sat around the table at the family restaurant.

Lisa told Ako it wasn’t her fault, but she couldn’t help but feel that it was. If she’d done a better job, this wouldn’t have happened. The drums were supposed to keep the band together, and she couldn’t do it. Now, it felt like they were on the verge of collapse.

Ako wouldn’t let that happen. She hoped that the new goal they came up with would bring them all back together. She just needed to come up with something good. She wanted to keep playing with her friends, in the band that she loved.

Ako pushed her chair back from the computer, stretching her arms and back as she rose from it. She didn’t like to sit and wallow.

No, it was time for action. Perhaps she would brainstorm best if she moved her body. That would at least alleviate the tension in her back, which still remained even after stretching.

With that thought, Ako pushed in her chair and stepped away from the desk. She started walking across the room, turning to come back as she reached the end of it. One hand rested on her chin as she wracked her brain for any ideas.

It took a few laps before she thought of something.

Ako paused mid step as an idea popped into her mind, perhaps they could work to perform overseas? That would be a huge accomplishment, even bigger than playing in Future World FES. Ako perked up, before sagging her shoulders as she continued to think about it.

No, that wouldn’t work. She sighed as she started walking again. Her bandmates were all too busy with university to leave the country; they would never be able to get that kind of time off. Maybe during summer break, but that was too soon. There just wasn’t enough time.

It would have to be something close by then. Future World FES had always been Yukina’s dream, that the rest of them strived for with her. Ako wondered what Yukina was thinking now, what she thought about how far they’d fallen.

Though they’d accomplished their goal, they’d only grown apart since. They lost sight of what it meant to be Roselia.

Wasn’t it Ako’s job to remind them? Ako’s eyes widened in realization as she again stopped, almost stumbling forward. That was what she said, all those many months ago.

After spending so much time apart and heading down splitting roads, the band clearly needed a reminder. They needed to remember what brought them together, so they could move forward with an even stronger goal.

If Roselia got off track, Ako had committed to bringing back Louder to remind them of their path. It was time to follow through on that promise.

At their next practice, she’d be sure to.

_______________________________________________________

The park was quiet at this time of night. The local kids usually went home before sunset, leaving the swings and slides abandoned.

That suited Lisa well, as she sat on a swing near the edge of the lamppost’s light. She dug her shoe into the dirt, rocking the swing back and forth slightly.

She liked to come here to think, to get away from the bustle of her house and family. It was peaceful and calm, only slightly warm today since the sun had fully set. A few bugs chirped nearby.

The stillness of the night directly contrasted Lisa’s own tumultuous thoughts. She had seen the writing on the wall at their performance, which was only confirmed by the meeting last weekend; she knew the band was going downhill fast.

It was something she feared, something she dreaded. It was the reason she worked so hard to improve her skills, so she could help the band be the best. So that, even if things would never work out between them, she could stay by Yukina’s side.

Despite all of their efforts, or perhaps because of them, everything the band built was crumbling around them. But they weren’t giving up.

Yukina wanted to set a new goal.

Lisa believed in that, believed in her. Still, she was worried.

The problem wasn’t just that they didn’t have a goal. Ever since Future World FES they’d been looking in different directions, and their lack of focus was catching up to them.

Lisa should’ve realized it earlier, when she first heard hints of disunity during rehearsal. How foolish she’d been to just ignore it, to let things get this far. If only she’d realized and taken action, it wouldn’t have become this bad.

Now though, it was too late. They needed to come up with a new plan.

When Lisa thought about what the goal for the band should be, she only thought of Yukina. The woman she’d been following since she was a child, who she was finally able to walk side by side with in Roselia, dominated her mind. Yukina’s dreams had always lit the way for the band and propelled them forward. She was the guiding light that drove the band. Lisa filled more of a supporting role, helping Yukina and her bandmates as best she could.

This year Lisa had broken off to her own path, even more so than her bandmates. She was studying outside the realm of music, but still she longed to stay by Yukina’s side. She couldn’t bear it if the band were to fall apart.

Even though she was supposed to come up with a goal, Lisa was at a loss with what to do next. She suspected Sayo felt the same way, with the way her frown deepened over the course of the meeting.

Lisa knew that coming up with a goal wouldn’t be enough to solve their problems. They had already changed so much in a short period of time. It would take more to bring their sound back together. She sighed, dragging the toe of her shoe through the dirt.

Lisa thought back to Yukina, whose light had been on when she left the house. Yukina had probably already come up with their next goal, the next target for the band to hit. Even at the meeting, her eyes hadn’t wavered.

What could Lisa do to help?

Now she drew a pattern in the dirt, the outline of a rose. There had been so many times when she questioned her place in the band and her contribution to it. She’d learned from those experiences, about her role and what being in Roselia truly meant.

Cookies might be a good place to start. With their busy schedules, it had been a long time since the band had spent any quality time together. They really only met to practice, often without all their members.

Hanging out, even if it was just for long enough to eat cookies, could bring them closer once again. Lisa made a mental note to get some ingredients, so she could bake the finest batch of cookies she’d ever made.

No number of cookies would fix the bands problems of course; Lisa knew that. Getting the band together would only be the beginning. She needed to do more.

They only had a month until summer break, when everyone would be free. That sparked an idea in Lisa’s mind, something that would help for sure.

Lisa rose from the swing, a burst of energy surging through her. Her mouth was set in determination. She was careful not to step on her drawing as she walked away, headed back towards home with a spring in her step.

She needed to look at her calendar and start making some plans.

Next Chapter

[georgemackayhey]

Silver Lining: Chapter 5

In which you and George decide to make the most of life after meeting up at the wrong place at just the right time…

w/c: 6k

a/n: Welcome to the end! This has been such a fun story to tell. I hope you've all enjoyed it! I'm so beyond grateful for all the nice comments and reblogs and asks. I've got blurbs and another series in the works, but please feel free to come talk about this one! I'm just not ready to say goodbye to these characters! ♡

taglist: @etherealallure​ @maria-josefin​ @shelbygirlsclubx​ @loulouloueh​ @clarkewithameme​ @haileymorelikestupid​ @weyheyavengers​ @queen-bunnyears​

<Last Chapter Masterlist>

───※ ·❆· ※───

George was happily occupied, his silhouette comfy on the small balcony, the sun highlighting the pages of the book in his hands. You quietly tiptoed to the bathroom, not bothering to turn on the light, letting the glow from the window be enough while you filled up the tub and eased into the warm bath.

You felt bad, but it wasn't from the hangover.

You felt bad for ruining Aureos night. You even felt bad as you formed some sorry text, asking the guy for another hang to make up for the last one you forced to an early end.

But you felt worst of all for dragging George through the aftermath of your shitty breakup.

When this was all over, he'd go back home, back to whatever movie set or red carpet he had lined up next. And his acquaintance would be fondly remembered as a balm to your heartache. But as you tried to outrun the anguish of being cheated on, a different worry seemed to take over your world.

Now you feared you'd never get to that place again. That you'd never get to plan a future with someone. You were terrified of how badly you wanted a future, and how badly you'd miss George, no matter what happened next.

When all your worries threatened to drown you, you hurried to get cleaned up, determined to make the most of the last few days in Spain.

When you rushed out of the bathroom to find George, he was right where you remembered him to be earlier.

He gazed up at you with a hint of worry in his eye, probably because of your sudden breathless appearance in the open doorway of the balcony.

"What do you want to do today?" You asked.

"Don't we have something-"

"No, what do you want to do?" You stressed. You didn't care what you had all planned out. Nothing ever seemed to go according to your plans, anyway.

And after a little bit more convincing, you got George to lead the way. You didn't even ask where you were going. While you strolled into the city, you wondered if George even had a plan. He walked slowly and shared easy conversation. And every now and again, he'd turn an odd corner or look up and around like he'd just realized where he was.

Eventually, you ended up in a park, or a garden, or some kind of nature trail you hadn't been paying much attention. You stepped over fallen branches, swept your hand over a row of flowers as you passed, but kept your undivided attention on George as he spoke. Though the weather was perfect and the sights were new and exciting, you couldn't look away from the man at your side. You could come back to Barcelona any old time, but you hated to accept your days with George were numbered.

You wound up against the trunk of a tree, watching families and hikers stroll past while the sun shone down in spots through the treetops. You could see the trail winding down a rolling hill, and the pepperings of the city and its buildings start to pop up on the horizon. And while you accounted for your surroundings you soaked up George's voice, and listened to the things he said as if he might be gone when you woke up tomorrow.

And then you talked, and George listened, looking at you like he did. Like he'd looked at all the paintings at the Vatican. Like he really wanted to know what you were about. You tried to ignore how sad his gaze made you feel, and appreciated that you'd made such a valuable connection before all of this inevitably ended back at your hometown airport.

You brushed a fallen leaf from George's shoulder, and he grinned at you in a way that made you retract back; spooked by how you recognized the expression, how familiar sitting with him had become.

George asked if you were okay, and you quickly thought to blame your nervous demeanor for how poorly you felt about last night. How things ended with Aureo, and how you'd texted him early this morning in hopes that he'd give you a second chance.

"He texted me back, an hour ago. So I'll have to meet up with him later." You rambled, avoiding George's burning gaze.

"If you feel like you have to... then don't. But if you want..."

"Yeah. I want." You decide through a sigh, pulling your phone into view, punching out a response to Aureo that let him know our plans were on.

George remained quietly glancing toward the city on the horizon, listening to families laugh together as they drifted passed. When you finished your text, you stood to your feet to make the most of the rest of your time with George.

"Come on let's go get gelato." You extended a hand to help him up from against the tree. George smiled up at you, an expression that wasn't hard to understand. You laughed together all the way back down the trail, and into the city.

When you go there, people of all kinds were buzzing about, setting up makeshift markets and dancing to music crackling from speakers above shop windows.

George lost himself to a conversation with a street vendor about a row of old records they were selling. You left him there to cross the cobblestone with your eye on a food truck. You ordered gelato as you promised, guessing what to order for George based on your late-night debates on what the best ice cream flavors were.

You handed your card to the man behind the window, while you let the wind blow your hair back, soaking up the bright smiles on every passerby's face.

"I'm sorry, miss, this card, it's being declined." The vendor frowned as if it were his fault. He opted to try again before you had the chance to apologize yourself and suggest the same thing.

It was the only card you had, and you'd made sure it was more than equipped to handle your big trip. But alas, the vendor handed it back with a long face and you had to shell out some of the last euros you had on hand.

You reported back to George with gelato, breezed over your predicament, and moved on to giggling over a story George told about an ice cream truck-related injury. He informed you'd gotten his order perfectly right, it was a flavor he'd never pick on his own but ended up loving. All the while you ended up strolling back toward your hotel, but opted not to head in just yet. The wind had picked up a bit, and most of the beachgoers outside your resort had called it a day.

You walked along the in coming tide with George, stopping every few feet to pick up a shell or look out to the ocean as it roared in time with the wind. And for as much conversation as you'd been having, the two of you never ran out of topics to ramble over. You laughed and listened and talked about things you'd forgotten about, things you always wondered.

All topics except one. George looked at you with those eyes bluer than the ocean, something unspoken behind his gaze. At first, you thought you'd understood that look. But it'd morphed into something so complex that you couldn't figure out what the look was supposed to mean. All you knew was that every time he cast you that one certain gaze, you felt right at home. You'd gotten used to it. You expected it. You anticipated that look and feared for the day you'd never see it again.

You sent George to collect your shoes from the place you hid them under a pier, when your phone buzzed in your pocket. You stayed lingering near a bed of grass, hoping after you'd taken a beat to acknowledge all the notifications coming in, that you could go about the rest of your day.

They were all from your bank. A pit opened in your stomach when you scrolled through all your recent transactions, none of them made by you. All of them from the resort you were meant to stay at all along.

Colin had maxed out your card on room service and bar drinks and expensive film channels and God knows what else.

Before you could call your bank, you dialed in Colin's number.

"Why would you do this?" You begged to know after he greeted your call like he'd been expecting to hear from you.

Colin started in on calling you names and boasting about how his payback seemed to work. He was trying to get back at you for leaving all the canceled wedding costs in his lap. But he cheated on you. He ruined all of this. Yet, he couldn't seem to stop making your life hell. You shouted at him, begging for a truce. Pleading for your interactions to be over, to never see a trace of him again.

That's when you spotted George trekking through the sand with his of pair shoes and yours in either of his hands.

Colin made life hard and maybe he always would. George made life easy, and you were really scared that he wouldn't be around to help you see the bright side for much longer. You always figured you'd fly home and go your separate ways. But now that same thought made you want to cry.

You ended your phone call with Colin in a huff, scrambling to find every bit of composure as George approached you, wearing a look that seemed to ask what the matter was.

"God, this is so stupid." You warned, glancing up to George as he stood, ready to listen.

"Colin maxed out my bank account. Luckily our tickets home are already paid for." You let out a laugh but none of this was funny. "And it's nearly five. I promised Aureo I'd meet him round six. So I better go pull myself together."

You sucked in a breath and turned to do just that. George looked at you like there were too many things he wanted to say, but couldn't choose one from the other, so he just followed along.

___

You got ready with time to spare, putting on your best outfit, fixing your hair just right. For some reason, this date felt paramount. Like making things right with Aureo was going to help everything else fall in place, bring some kind of balance.

As you collected your bag and started to slowly make your leave, George seemed to be waiting for you in the kitchen, standing a little straighter from his slump against the counter when he noticed you enter. George looked at you with an honest open expression, stitched with a hint of worry. No, not worry, something more complex. A disgruntled, melancholic gaze you couldn't quite place. But then he just said,

"I hope you have a good time."  

And it sounded like he really meant it.

"Me too." You whispered, spinning to leave. That same sinking feeling swallowed you as you marched down the hall away from George. You knew it was because you didn't really want to leave him. But you promised Aureo a good time and damn it, you needed one too.

___

Aureo was confident. He spoke like he was wishing for the things he wanted, demanding they come to life before his eyes. He wanted more. You didn't blame him for dreaming big. Everyone had their ambitions.

Aureo was beautiful, and he must have known it, with the way he flaunted his outfit, rambling about how green and grey were his best colors. You admired the way his emerald eyes bore into yours, undeniably drinking in the sight of you.

After a small introduction to the lower level of his home, you ventured to the back garden. You turned down a smoke, but leaned against the brink of his veranda while he puffed a cigarette, pointing out all the fresh veggies in the small garden he grew, like a proud parent.

And then he led you back inside, his hand traveling to the small of your back as you stepped into his cool home. You settled onto an elegantly patterned sofa as Aureo poured you both a tumbler of dark liquor before joining your side.

You kept hold of the glass in your lap, sickened even by the thought of drinking. Thank God Aureo was too busy talking to notice your disregard for the beverage. He asked your own answers too, watching your lips as you spoke. And before too long, he leaned in for a kiss.

You knew it was inevitable. You knew this was why you'd come here. So you let him kiss you, and you kissed him back, hoping the more desperately you gave in to his advances, that you would feel something. But you didn't feel what you were supposed to when kissing someone. You weren't expecting fireworks. But a warm buzz would have been nice. To make matters worse, no; to make matters absolutely inadequate, you couldn't stop thinking of George.

Had he gone out? What was he thinking? What would he say when you got back? What if he kissed you like this?

"Wait." You breathed, sitting back.

"Are you alright?" Aureo asked, watching you lean way from him.

"Actually..." You bit your lip, glancing around the well-decorated room. You realizing you couldn't stay here. When you looked back to Aureo, he actually looked sad. Not just disappointed. Actually sad. You slumped forward, searching his eyes when he brought a gentle hand to your face.

"I'm so sorry." You meant, hoping he knew you did. "But I... I think I'd better go."

Aureo took a beat to wait for you to explain why, or say anything else at all. But you didn't. You couldn't.

"Okay." He nodded acceptingly, nudging you to stand with him.

The guy called you an Uber and refused your persistent offers to pay him back. When your ride came, you and the guy you'd met days ago shared a kiss on the cheek and a whispered goodbye. And it was almost sweet enough to make you think of staying a little longer.

But still, thoughts of George burned closer to the forefront of your mind, and you kept walking down the gravel driveway. You dared to steal one last glance over your shoulder, finding Aureo leaning against his doorway, giving you a sorry wave. The sight was almost somber enough to get you to spin on your heels and make it up to him. But you just opened the Uber door.

You realized how when you'd felt like saying goodbye to George you'd only wanted to kiss him. You realized you were relieved when he didn't meet up with Renee because you were used to having him all to yourself. You realized you wanted to keep it that way. You had been trying to push theses feelings deep down, but you had absolutely nothing left to lose at this point. You'd been drunk a lot on this trip, but you'd never felt braver than right now...

When you unlocked the hotel room door, you chanted silent prayers that George would be around. If you had to wait until tomorrow, you wouldn't be able to say what you had the guts to, right now.  You didn't waste a beat as you marched straight toward the halfway shut door of the room George had been occupying. A soft light shone from inside.

You halted after pushing past the door, making your presence known. George was kicked back on his bed, reading, and he didn't seem a bit surprised to see you here and now.

"Okay. I have nothing left to lose. So I'm gonna say what I have to say. I didn't hook up with Aureo. I left.  Because the whole time he touched me I was only thinking of you. Maybe that's fucked up but that's just the truth."

George listened from behind the crinkled pages of "A Perfect Day For Bananafish" keeping that frighteningly calm gaze on you, while you spilled your guts.

"So... so unless I've been misreading the dozens of signs, I think it's safe to gather that you'd like to kiss me. And if that's true, you should do it. Right now." You stated in one nervous breathe, frustrated by all the lingering gazes, little touches, and thoughts that had never been acted upon.

"No," George hesitated but demanded all at once, in the fabulously complex manner of his. He shut the book in his lap and moved slowly to the edge of the bed to stand, keeping an eye on you as you went on,

"You said I was perfectly kissable! And no one has ever looked at me like you keep looking at me. Even right now." Your throat grew tight as you addressed the expression on George's face. Why was he moving to stand so close to you if he didn't want to kiss you? For the first time, you saw a faint chip in the resolve of his usual composure. George's eyes grew full as he spoke in a voice thick with feeling,

"Because I don't want to be your rebound!"

"Well, what if you weren't!" There was no need to hide the way your tears bubbled over as you gaped at him. It was the only way you could get George to understand how you really felt. How you weren't playing devil's advocate. How this wasn't your usual banter. Your heart was on the line.

"Don't talk like that-" George looked afraid, like if you said something just right three times in a row it'd appear and he'd have no choice but to give in to the spell. You had a shred of bravery left in your throat and breathed out every word you could manage before the strength fizzled away.

"George! I like you! I liked you from the moment we got on the plane. I liked you in the Sistine Chapel. I like you now, and I don't see a way out of it and I don't want a way out of it- I want you to kiss me. I want to fly back home with you because I'll still like you when we get there."

George was slack-jawed, mystified by your monologue, and as soon as the words stopped coming, the vice around your throat tightened and your tears poured out all the emotion you'd been building up, but could no longer speak. You cried into your hands, feeling sorry for how pathetic you were, and sorry for thinking up this dumb idea to invite George along in the first place.

You could hardly breathe as you felt George's strong arms wrap around you. One secured around your middle, the other across your shoulder, totally encapsulating you. As much as it was a relief to have him so near, his closeness broke your heart all the same. You cried onto his nightshirt and clung to the collar, knowing full well you would have to apologize for all this later but grateful for the compassion he chose to show now.

He didn't speak as you managed your cries, he just held on to you for dear life. When you were reduced to sniffles, George pulled away, his deep blue eyes catching yours. He didn't speak then either. He just brushed a stray tear from your cheek and searched your features as you hoped and prayed you didn't look half as pathetic as you felt.

And right when enough time had passed for you to feel like speaking up, George gently pulled you across the room. He wordlessly pushed you toward the bed back against the mess of pillows and switched out the light. He then made his way round to the other side and met you in the middle.

The usual sliver of space between you and George was forgotten, as he settled right next to you. And without saying anything, he pressed a very soft kiss to the side of your face. George's lips lingered against your temple, for a beat longer than you'd expected, and with each passing nanosecond, your heartbeat stuttered between speeding up and sinking to the floor.

When George pulled your head to rest on his shoulder and kept a warm strong hand rested at the base of your neck, you could have cried again. But you knew better than to ruin the moment, and relaxed your frame against his, drifting to sleep.

___

You woke up to the sound of crashing waves and hollers from beachgoers off in the distance. You were in a big, empty bed, delicately tucked beneath covers you never remembered reaching for. When you registered George's absence, you took a moment to recall everything that happened last night.

How Colin had taken one last petty shot at getting a rise out of you. How you tried to give in to Aureo, and how the night ended without much of a bang. How you crashed into George's room, babbling confessions, all of them falling flat at your feet even though George was kind enough to pull you close, even just for a moment.

You heaved a heavy sigh, pushing yourself from the bed that wasn't yours, and slipping into the bathroom unnoticed. You brushed your teeth, and tightened the sheer cardigan around you that was meant to cover your skimpy outfit meant for last night, that you didn't even give a damn about anymore.

You found George happily humming away in the kitchen, making breakfast with some ingredients you'd picked up from La Boqueria days before.

You planned to silently sulk across the way to your room, but George stopped you, turning from the stove like a worried mother, informing he was making the best breakfast of his life and you'd be a fool to miss out. You knew that.

"I'm not hungry." 

You were embarrassed. You floated away from the kitchen to your bedroom, wondering if you should start to pack your things. You hadn't expected the trip to be perfect, but you'd hardly prepared for it to go as wrong as it had.

You gathered a handful of discarded dresses, turning to find your suitcase, when you heard George ease into the room.

"What are you doing?"  He asked in a hush.

"Packing." George stepped closer, halting in front of you. He looked right at you while he took the dresses from your grasp, discarding them on the floor. Funny, you finally got him to throw your clothes somewhere behind you. He was wearing that look again, the one that made your heart speed up and the world slow down all at once.

"I shouldn't have said anything at all last night, let alone freaked out. I'm sorry." You shied away from his gaze, feeling like a little girl. George let you but slowly moved to see your face once more.

"I'm sorry. I was afraid you were just... I don't know... not thinking clearly."

"Why are you sorry? I wasn't drunk, George. I was just being honest." You look down, feeling sick about how vulnerable you'd been. You sucked in a breath as you moved away in a daze, heading toward the desk where your suitcase was nestled in the corner. You couldn't think with George looming over you with his sleep tangled hair and intense expressions.

As you traced your fingers along the grain of the desk you gazed out of the window to a palm tree that covered much of the view of the beach.

"Y/n..." 

George's voice crept up the back of your spine. You turned from the desk, gripping the edge for security as George came to face you again. 

How had you ended up here? Thoughts flickered into your head but flickered away when George locked his dazzling blue eyes with yours. He placed either of his hands on the side of the desk just beside where yours found real estate. George was eye level with you now and he was searching your face with his starry eyes that were closer than ever. And slow, like sunrise, he leaned in closer.

George pressed his lips against yours as slowly and sweetly as he'd kissed your temple last night. Before you could lose yourself to the feeling, you rose a hand to George's chest and held it there, so he hesitantly pulled away.

"Please don't kiss me just because I asked you too." You sighed, eyes still screwed shut. You could have done that one thousand more times, but not out of pity. When you dared to open your eyes, you found George patiently waiting to meet your gaze.

"I wanted to." George spoke, softly. "I've wanted to kiss you like that since you freaked out on the plane to Rome. I wanted to kiss you at all those museums and every time you've told a lame joke since then. And I'll still want to kiss you when we get back home. I like you, too."

George echoed your monologue from the night before, with his own twist. His voice was low and gentle but full of assuredness. His eyes stayed glued on yours while your heart threatened to beat out of your chest as he went on speaking. And when he was finished, you just stood there, gaping at him. Trying to wrap your head around his words and the action preceded them.

George looked at you in that way he did. In that way no one ever had before.

Lifting his hand toward your face, he slowly trailed a finger across your jaw, letting his thumb land on your chin. Your lips subtly parted, and George fixed his gaze on your mouth as a smirk bloomed across his. Then, he leaned in to kiss you again. But this time was very different. Your mouths opened against each other's and your fingers unlatched from their grip on the table behind you.

Your fingers curled around his neck as George let his fingers slowly creep down your sides, until they reached your hips. Without breaking the kiss, he shifted you onto the desk you leaned against, closing the gap between the two of you. It was a gesture you'd been dreaming of that was far more electric than your imagination made it out to be.

"I'm sorry it took me till now to do this." George breathed, his lips brushing against yours not daring to miss a second of contact.

"Better late than never, huh?" You grinned, nudging your nose against George and looking up into his pretty eyes.

"That's the spirit." He chuckled softly, barely finishing the sentence before his lips were on yours again. One of his hands stayed pressed against your back, assuring you were held against him, while his other tangled in your hair.  George kissed you in a way that made you wonder what you'd been doing till now.

"I never dreamed you'd wanted more than wreckless fun." George spoke, as he trailed his kisses down your neck. And though you weren't too keen to stop his actions, his words held more of an impact.

You grabbed a handful of George's golden hair and pulled to make his eyes look right in yours.

"I do want to have wreckless fun. With you. For a long, long time." You confessed. No more secretly longing gazes and careful touches, hoping your multitude of feelings might have been conveyed.  

"So back to London together it is then, yeah?" George picked you up from the desk with a cheeky grin.

"Just long enough to plan our next adventure." You suggested through a giggling as he tossed you onto the bed you'd been occupying.

George smiled the loveliest smile you'd ever seen as he crawled over the top of you and reached for the string that tied your coverup together.

"Shall we pick up where we left off then?" George leaned in to purr in your ear, letting his fingers trail across your thigh.  

How was something so new and exciting so familiar? You decided not to think about it, and dove back in for another kiss.

___

That's how you spent the rest of the day and the entire night, never too far from right beside George. As your reality settled into the daydream scenario you never expected to come true, you found nothing much had really changed.

You'd spent this whole trip together, consulting over the best wine to order over dinner and arguing over what the best tv show of all time was. So while spending a day in bed at George's side left you starry-eyed, his company was familiar. And that was the best part of all.

You went on, making each other laugh like normal. Sharing old forgotten stories and thinking up new ones. George listened, as you whispered into the late, late night, like kids at a slumber party.

Waking up to his limbs pinning you lazily to the mattress even felt familiar, like something you should have been used to for a while now.

And reluctant as you both were to come out from under the sheets, it was your last full day in Barcelona. So after some careful consideration over breakfast coffee, you and George picked a handful of things to do from the list you'd created months in advance.

The first stop was lunch. You would miss the food in Spain most of all. You even took a few photos of the beautifully plated tapas you'd ordered and posted it to Instagram right away, using some over the top caption and everything.

After a frustrating morning chat, your bank informed you that it would be a few business days until your account was all sorted out. So, because of that and the fact that you only had a few euros left, you let George pay for lunch, who acted as if his evil plan had come to fruition. He'd hadn't stopped trying to cover bills since the first night in Rome.

Then you proceeded to muck about the city like kids on a residential trip. You went from hilltops to fountains to a couple of markets you'd been to before, marveling over all the sights and sounds of the city. You took more photos during the afternoon romp through the city than you had the whole trip. You sent some straight to Instagram and some to your mother. But mostly, you tossed your phone right back in your bag so you could turn your attention to George. To focus on the way his smile grew while he spoke, before laughing too hard to finish his sentence. To revel in the feeling of his hand holding yours. Feeling a little luckier every time he stole a kiss in quiet parts of art galleries and around city street corners.

He eventually coaxed you into a big fancy dinner you absolutely couldn't afford, taking a long way there to enjoy the last purply golden sunset in Barcelona. The sun beamed across streets, like it didn't dare go down without a fight. In between a designer clothing shop and another row of businesses covered in blossoming vines, George stalled, turning to face you.

"Stay right here." He held your shoulders in place nodding before rushing out of view. You laughed to yourself, standing in the place you'd been made to. Before you could get lost in thoughts of how lucky this trip turned out to be, George came back around the corner with two strangers in tow.

He enlisted them to take a photo of the two of you together, George explaining that the one from outside the museums in Rome wasn't enough. You handed your phone to the older gentleman George had roped into being your photographer while his wife stood looking at a map, glancing up to smile at you all every now and again. George wasn't even looking toward the camera when it came time to.  

The old man took surprisingly good snapshots, you found, after thanking him for taking a minute to indulge George. He really was hard to say no to. There were four photos, each great from the start, better than the last. They featured George with one arm loosely wrapped around you, his focus on you entirely. You tried, but clearly couldn't quite look at the camera either, with the way George’s smile drew you in. They weren't quite candid, with the way George must have planned to be so engrossed by you.

"These are the best so far." You hummed, scrolling to admire them each.

"I have no idea if they're Instagram worthy or not, but I like them very much."

"Oh, Insta would eat these up." You laughed, but you really do mean it. They were perfectly rose-colored on their own, no filter needed. After tossing your phone away, you'd started your walk back up, the big fancy restaurant you'd choosen for dinner coming into view in the horizon.

"Then you should post them," George said, keeping his pace in time with yours, nearly to the doors of the last stop on your getaway. You figured you'd be sad when the night wound to an end. But something magnificent burned below the surface, a promise that this was only the beginning of better days.

"Are you sure? You wouldn't mind?" You asked cautiously. George had steered clear of social media for a reason. Posting something that so blatantly put George on display seemed sinful, especially regarding the photos in question; with the way you were attached to his hip. Posting those was a very big deal for a multitude of reasons.

"Well someone's gotta get the word out that we're a packaged deal now, and I'm not very well equipped. I could phone the paparazzi, since I'm so bloody famous and all, but I'd rather not." George boasted, climbing the steps of the big fancy restaurant with a coy grin on his pretty face.

"Wow. You really are lame." You joked, nudging his shoulder with yours as you passed through the golden entryway.

After you ordered meals, you opened your favorite application and fretted over a caption for the photos you were about to post. The photos of you and George bathed in the setting sunlight, your smiles somehow the brighter.

George helped, well, he made you laugh. And after tossing out a dozen ridiculous quips, you decided to keep all your best one-liners and let the photos speak for themselves. And on the walk back to the hotel you phoned your mother to save her from having a cow when you showed up at the airport with George still by your side.

Because it had been settled, over late-night conversation that slipped into a recurring topic during the day. George would come home with you. He kept saying something about not wanting to waste another secomd sitting far apart in the same room. He kept saying how lucky he felt to have you, how he'd always hoped the outcome of your acquaintance would blossom into something more. How he felt like he'd been waiting for you longer than he knew your name.

George rambled about his future. About some of the films, he was up for. How far away he'd be for some of them. He asked you to join him. To stay for a while, wherever he ended up. How he wanted you to be a part of his life.

You agreed without having to think too much about it. You always wanted someone to see the world with. You always wanted to greet someone at the end of long days. You couldn't see your future without George. You could hardly remember how you managed life before him, anyway.

On the plane back home, you were both too busy dreaming up your lives together to freak out when the ride rocketed into the sky. You watched the same movie and got shushed by the same businessman when your laughter got too loud.

And when you sleepily lingered at the baggage claim with your head rested on George's shoulder, nothing felt new and exciting. It felt normal and right.

And when you spotted your mother waiting for you in the pickup area, she was all smiles. You hadn't expected her to freak out, but you were a little nervous that she'd make much too big of a deal about who you were bringing home. But she looked calm, content even, when she reached out to greet you with a hug.

"Mom, this is George." You turned to the man in question, watching his ocean eyes linger on you for a beat as his grin stretched into a smile.

"I know." Your mother smiled too, then turned to him, reaching out for a hug. "I've read all about you in the papers and things." She chuckled just as George happily hugged her back.

You and George both threw your heads back in a shared bout of laughter. Your mother worried that she'd said something wrong, but you just assured her that George was even better in real life than all his charming interviews.

On the ride home, you fill her in on some of the details of your wild trip. George did too, and when he spoke you could tell your mother started to understand what you said at the airport. How George's complex expressions and soft-spoken manner weren't something you could properly capture on a morning talk show. How his presence seemed magical. How whatever you might expect him to say was never what you got, but better.

He made everything better. Even the things you couldn't seem to find the good parts of. Even the demolished bits of planning that remained of what was meant to be your honeymoon. 

You found out that everything happened how it was supposed to. Even though going home to what you left behind seemed daunting and dense with negativity, there was a bright shining silver lining beaming from the smile George wore when you made him laugh over and over on the way home, together.

───※ ·❆· ※───

[husky-twst-and-obeyme]

A Maid in service (Husky x Barbatos)

(This WAS gonna be MC x Barbatos but Im Barbatos trash atm  XD but i will make a MC x Barbatos in the near future hopefully! He needs more love uwu ) I’m putting a tab in case i make this too long XD and if you wish to image yourself as Husky that’s fine  ^^ 

Warning: some cursing , slightly suggestive 

Word Count: 2,600 words

It was an absolute disaster. The Prince, Diavolo , was giving me a tour of the castle as well as with Mammon, he was mainly there to keep an eye on me. We entered a room that mainly consisted of Vases, they were all beautiful and VERY fragile.

Then i noticed Mammon eyeing some of them “Don’t even think about it, Mammon”

“ay just relax, i ain’t gonna do anything!”

“yeah sure, you said that the last time too and ended up with “unknown jewelry” “

He scoffs as he rolled his eyes at me. I payed no mind to him but literally the second i turned away i heard something get picked up and an immediate crash....I slowly turn around and there i see Mammon with a vase in shards right in front of him.

“Mammon!”

“I didn’t mean to drop it!”

“What was that ?” Diavolo came towards us along with Barbatos 

Mammon Froze “shit!”

Then Diavolo looked at the broken vase. His face was blank but it slowly morphed into a displeased look. I mean i can’t blame him, that vase must of been worth a fortune , which is why Mammon tried to take it...UGH why couldn’t someone like Satan or Beel just came with me instead !?

“Mammon...” Diavolo’s voice was low 

“eep!” Mammon sounded like a mouse 

“could you explain what happened here? I’d love an explanation. “ 

I looked over and Mammon was basically shivering and at a lost of words, I’d be the same too since Dia shut off his friendly tone. I had to think of something quick , He was already in debt and it would be much worst if he were to try and pay of Diavolo , he might as well just give him his credit card! which would never happen but then i spoke out without hesitation or thought

“I-It was me! “

The three looked at me surprised 

Diavolo raised a brow “it was you Husky? “

Shit! I probably should of said something else...can’t turn back now..”Y-yes...I wanted to admire it but I thought i saw something on the vase,....I tried to wipe it off but i accidentally pushed it! “ God I hope that’s somewhat believable

The Prince was silent for a second and then sighed “ you humans can be so  clumsy some times” Good, he bought it but i knew i was still gonna be punished ..

“Even if it was by accident, I still can’t let go you lightly , Husky. You need to be punished “

I gulped 

“I was thinking of making you pay for it yourself but...maybe you can work for it “

“huh?? work for it? “ 

“yes, you can work as a maid here in the castle until you’ve paid off the debt for the vase “

I froze in shock , a-a maid!? hell no! I’ll never hear the end of it from the brothers! God, this sucks so much! but ..it’s slightly better then using my own money i guess..?

“Y-yes sir..” I regrettably said 

“Perfect! You’ll work everyday after school until 9 PM , If there are days you wish off, i will allow it but each day off is a day lost. So choose wisely. Barbatos will also be able to help you if you have any troubles, so don’t be afraid to ask! “

Barbatos has been silent and has a somewhat concerned expression , probably pitying me

I agreed to the terms. After the Tour was over , Barbatos handed me my maid uniform , which luckily was a traditional maid outfit with a long skirt. On our way home, i made sure to give Mammon an earful , i was probably worst then Lucifer at this time. He kept apologizing and said i’d probably look great in the outfit. The second he said that I knocked him on his ass. Now I just have to mentally prepare myself for my first day as a maid tomorrow 

I was so anxious when i got home , i got myself dressed and before i left , I was stopped by Lucifer. He already gave me a lecture for breaking something in the castle , what’s it gonna be now..?

“If you need help with your studies, please talk to me. You’ll be busy as a maid and it might not give you enough study time.”

“oh..sure, thanks “

He nods “ Barbatos should be on his way to get you soon “ 

“? he’s picking me up? I thought i had to walk there” 

“just be grateful that Diavolo is making you walk to the castle from here..” 

He had a point.. the Castle wasn’t too far but it was far enough for a long walk. I waited outside and soon a carriage came by. The door opened and Barbatos came out 

“Good Evening Miss Husky.” He held the door open for me

“Good Evening..” I walked inside and he close the door after he entered and then we were on our way to the castle.

 It was Quiet for the majority of the ride.It somewhat made me uncomfortable especially since it was Barbatos. Not that he’s bad, I’m just not familiar with him is all. I guess i will be soon since I’ll be basically helping him with chores and such.

“How are you this evening?” He asked suddenly

I got a little shook but i quickly responded “I’m f-fine! Just  a little nervous “

“I assume you’ve never done anything like this before? “ he gave a light smile 

“no ..not really, I mean the closest thing to this is cleaning for my Grandma but it was mainly to help her since she didn’t have enough energy..”

“just like how Mammon broke the Vase and you took the blame? “

!! What?..how did he...how does he know that? I kinda panicked for a second but started questioning it. If he knew, why didn’t he say anything before? Why did he let this happen? 

“..If you knew..why didn’t you say anything? “

“well My lord would of gravely punished Mammon ..not just paying him back. He would of given him something then death since he’s attempted to steal so many times...but if you took the blame, he would be fine and you’d basically get  a slap on the head “

huh..so in other words, he wished not see Mammon punished because of his stupidity. I dunno how it works for punishing them but he gave me chills when he mentioned worst then death, i can’t even image that..We finally arrive at the castle 

“so..does Diavolo know? “

“no. If i were , you’d both be punished , you wouldn’t like that know would you? “

I only did this ti protect Mammon, so i guess i do..All I do is nod and head our way in. My first day wasn’t so bad expect with some of the staff trying to get under my skin..They were rude and some of them shamed me for being a human and being totally reckless. It really brought my mood down. It was recovered when  i was in the kitchen. Barbatos was already there making desserts. I Heard from Beel that he makes the best food in all three realms, As much as I was curious, i had to get back to work but He stopped me 

“Hello Husky” 

“oh!..Hey Barbatos”

“Would you mind helping me with the batter? I need to get these ready soon and extra hands would be nice “

“oh, of course” I set my cleaning stuff down and helped

I have baking experience before, I lived with my grandma for a while and i would always bake sweets with her , so this wasn’t really foreign to me Besides some the ingredients. Barbatos took notice how i didn’t struggle 

“you have a thing for baking as well? “

“not really. Im just used to it from when i lived with my Grandma. We mainly made Cookies and brownies” 

“interesting. maybe you could show me some recipes from the human world , I’d love to try some recipes with you” He looked cheerful and smiled 

He ..actually looked really cute when he smiled, the more i see it , i blushed slightly 

After making some of the batter and letting them bake, I noticed that took up some time 

“oh no! I better-” but then my arm was grabbed 

“My lord doesn’t mind you being here as long as you’re at least working” he reassured me , he could see i was stressed 

“oh ..well...I can stay as long as needed. “ i said firmly 

“good, i actually wanted you as a taste tester as well.”

“huh? but how would i know if it’s good or not? “ I said that since the ingredients in Devildoom are so unique and who knows what devil’s taste are like to what’s good or not.

“oh , don’t worry, i actually have a bit of human ingredients here, i was hoping to make some cakes , maybe some brownies as well, perhaps? “ 

Just the sound of hearing human world cake or brownies sounded good and if his skills are as good as people say they are, i can’t wait! 

“Sure, maybe we can make a 2 layer cake? “ 

He agreed and soon we started making a cherry maraschino cake , he didn’t struggle much , it was only the ingredients that he wasn’t used to. It was so funny to see him try a maraschino cherry, his face made many different reactions since it was a flavor that blasted when it touched your tongue. I explained that these were mainly used in alcoholic drinks or be turned into candy. He was quite interested and curious to learn more about certain ingredients as well 

“Hey, shouldn’t these other desserts -”

“oh the second we finished, they were headed to the dining hall. I don’t need to deliver them myself , all we had to do is get them done” 

“oh good, I was scared of taking up too much of your time..” 

he smiled “don’t worry about that, I rather enjoy your company “ that really made me blush. It felt nice to be wanted especially since i came here, I’ve been treated like a burden, intentional or not, it was nice that that one person outside of the brothers likes me.

We continued to bake , after the cake was done, it tasted so magical! The sweetness of the cherries and how soft the cake felt! No wonder he was the best, i should save a piece for beel since he liked human world food too! Then i noticed that Barbatos stared at me

“hm..? is something wrong ?” he made me a little worried 

Then, he got close to my face. Oh my god- what is he doing then..he kissed my cheek 

*Husky.exe has stopped working* 

Did..did he really just..KISS MY CHEEK- WHAT- WHY-

I was so flustered and blushed i couldn’t even speak and he just chuckled , thank you so much for laughing at my tomato looking self.  

“My apologies, you had cake on your face “

YOU COULD OF JUST TOLD ME “No no it’s fine!” 

“I couldn’t help myself..I was curious what you’d taste like..~ “ 

All i did was stood there, mentally freaking out , how do i respond to that!? more important why do i like it!? quick say something!

“w-why you know that if you actually kissed me..?”

His eye widened in surprise but then He smirked “oh?~”

why.did.i. just. say. THAT- what was i thinking?! I quickly looked around for an excuse to leave and i noticed the time, it was closing to 9. Thank god! 

“oh would you look at the time! I have to get ready to go ! “ Then i quickly left before he could get a word in. 

I finished up anything that i could do quickly and headed to the entrance but was stopped by Diavolo

“Husky!”

“! H-hello your highness” 

“ I heard you helped Barbatos with the sweets today ! You made the sweet hell chocolate cake right? “

I nod and he lightens up “It was amazing! I had no idea you were so skilled in baking! you must bake some more when you can! “

“Im glad you ! It kinda makes me happy to bake..it kinda reminds me of home.”

“well you have permission to help Barbatos again if he asks, you two can discuss it on the carriage”

“huh what do you-” then i stopped. FUCK- i forgot he’s the one who brought me here, so of course he’d be the one to take me home. Diavolo looks at me confused and i reassure him that i was fine, he waved me me off and I saw Barbatos near the carriage . I felt nervous about this time , would it be silent like before ..I’m not sure what will happen. I enter and he soon joins me but,,he sits next to me this time. The first time he sat across, i guess he’s more comfortable with me but that doesn’t change what happened between us. 

“How was your first day?” he asked, not looking at me 

“It was fine. for the most part “ 

“oh? why most? “

“...it’s not too much, just some of the staff gave me a little bit of a hard time.”

“...” 

His silence is kinda giving me chills with his face looking a little pissed 

“L-like i said it was fine mostly! It was better with you! “ I halted at that sentence , shit! that was suppose to be internal- 

His face soften after hearing that and he looked directly at me “That’s nice...you made my day as well.” 

My heart skipped a beat, my face really blushed , it was too noticeable, Barbatos took note of that , he seemed to be closer now. 

“you know..I could bake with you everyday if you want..~ Diavolo wouldn’t mind..~” 

The Idea was innocent but his tone wasn’t , Im sure he’d really want to bake with me but Im sure he has other intentions now after that kiss. Did he feel like this before that..? It’ been 3 months since I've been here. Then I noticed how we’re basically close to being face to face , he had his finger and thumb under my chin 

“h-huh-” then he lightly kissed me “ hm!”As much as it was too much..i didn’t want him to stop either.

He stops “ I hope we’ll have more interesting days like this in the future~ “

Before i could say anything else, the carriage stops. We’re back at the House of Lamentation, Barbatos gets up and opens the door for me “you should get going “ he smiled 

I was still for a moment but then  i got up and left the carriage , before i went inside , he grabbed my hand and gentle kissed the top of it. I was even redder then  i was. 

“Have a good day, My Lady~” he closed the carriage when he entered back 

My heart was beating so hard the rest of the night and i couldn’t stop thinking about what happen...did i really like Barbatos..? It was so hard to deny it  and just thinking about him made me blush. I got into my room and got changed into comfy causal cloths and laid flat on my bed , and hoped to relax. Now I’m excited to see him again...

(I hope you guys enjoy this! I had fun doing it! Suggest som stuff if you want something like this in the future!)

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Heat Haze Daze

song is Kangerou Days by Kagepro and was also my bop back in seventh grade

———————

With a chilling vibrato, Jane concluded her performance of At Last. Instantly, there was a booming swell of cheering and clapping, and a very radiant look of adoration from both Kitty and Joan. The silver queen smiled bashfully, but proudly and bowed. A second later, Anne crashed into her, spinning her around in a tight hug.

“Oh! My! God!!!” Anne exclaimed, clasping Jane’s hands in hers mere minutes after releasing her from the bear hug. “That was so amazing!! You did so good, Janey!!!”

“Oh please,” Jane waved a hand dismissively. “It wasn’t that good.”

“Don’t be modest,” Aragon said. “You have a wonderful voice, dear.” Her retort was backed up by several agreeing comments in the whirlwind of a comment section on the Live.

Jane blushed. “Thank you, Catalina. Thank you everyone, really!”

After a few more compliments and Jane struggling to not be humble, the Sunday Session was wrapped up.

Or so they all thought.

“W-wait-” A nervous, shaking voice squeaked. “I’m sorry. Can I sing something?”

They all looked over to their fidgety pianist, who can’t seem to stop tugging anxiously on the straps of her overalls. Suddenly, she looked a lot younger and her choice of outfit seemed a lot dumber, but fitting for her current shy demeanor. Only Joan would wear such a thing with a sunflower yellow shirt underneath, despite it being 2020.

“You?” Kitty said. She glanced Joan up and down, as if she were trying to find an ounce of vocal talent in her. “Why?”

“Because I want to.” Joan said, gathering herself up to her full size and this time not stammering, although she didn’t seem any more mature in those stupid overalls. “Please? I have this song I wanted to sing and I’ve really been practicing and...” She trailed off, opting to look up at the queen with hopeful eyes.

Despite most of them not being all that close with Joan, they had to admit that those puppy dog eyes were extremely effective, so they gave in and agreed. Instantly, Joan perked up. It seemed she wasn’t expecting them to say yes.

“Oh joy!” Joan exclaimed in glee. She skittered back over to her keyboard, tripping momentarily on one of the crisscrossing wires on the floor in her excitement. She nearly toppled over when she sat down in her stool, but regained her balance and flashed a grin at the queens and the phone pointed at her. “Ready?”

There’s a scattering of agreements, both in person and in the chat, although she couldn’t see those. She beamed again, then promptly straightened herself up and turned to her keyboard.

In an instant, her glowing smile and shimmering eyes were wiped, leaving her face blank and focused. But even then, it was clear her nerves were beginning to take over, knowing that tons of people, including the ones she desperately wanted to impress and the ones that didn’t like her at all, were there, watching her.

Joan’s stomach flipped at the thought of singing in front of so many fans and the queens. She’d sung before, but nothing like this. Not where other people really noticed or heard her. Stage fright began to get the better of her as she awkwardly fidgeted for a moment, then got her fingers into the right place and began to play an upbeat, fast-paced tune. A moment later, her voice resonated through the air.

“August 15th at 12:30 noon I don't see a cloud above

The sun is shining down, what a pretty day

So sick of this summer heat I can't beat away the haze

The rays are giving way

And spending all of my time having conversations sitting next to you”

The words, slightly rough from a lack of a vocal career, slide gently from her lips. They shake and shudder as they come out, but hold strong and don’t fracture on the tip of her tongue like a few of the queens and many of the viewers were expecting.

Joan was actually singing.

And she was singing good.

“"Hey but I...don't really like the summertime"

And as you were petting on that cat you said such a daring thing

Right from under your breath”

It was amazing. Sure, it was no Heart of Stone or All You Wanna Do, and maybe her voice wavered and strained on simple notes a few times, but Joan was actually doing really well. A lot better than anyone was expecting. In fact, Kitty had been betting that she would have failed the moment she opened her mouth.

“Ah, and as that cat had ran away

You tried to chase it in the end

Jumping right out in front of a

Traffic light that poured a shade of red bright red”

And then, things took a jarring twist.

“Crashing in and breaking you to bits

That truck a heard a scream a little bit too late

Blood dripping everywhere and choking your smell of hair

I breathe in a gulp of air and just can't take it

Are these lies? The heat is mocking me

"What you see is exactly what you're gonna get!"

And with the blue of sky I hear singing crickets cry and

Fall right back into another dark sleep”

It happened out of nowhere- the peaceful, serene song Joan had been singing suddenly wrenched around and turned into something much more sinister with enough force to give everyone watching whiplash. The warm summer day she sang of was gone, replaced by the gruesome image of a grueling car accident. And her tone helped portray that perfectly.

Joan’s voice was dripping with gore. It oozed from her lips like pus from an abscess and stained any ears that heard the lullaby of carnage she was harmonizing. Her eyes were lit up, too, wide and shining silver. She rocked back and forth as she sang, sometimes leaning forward against her keyboard on the more intense notes, only to lean back and relax on the lighter ones, although every word in that chorus seemed to be gratuitously gruesome.

And then, her words die off and the tune of her keyboard morphed back into a gentle, peaceful hum.

“Sitting up in my bed I could hear ticking clocks the shock

Will mock my ever ringing head

I look to see the time

August 14th at 12 something noon I don't see a cloud above

The sun is shining down

And yet I hear a cry of a cricket singing loudly in my head”

The queens were shocked into silence, and not just out of respect during a performance. They were genuinely stunned by the darkness of Joan’s song. And, yes, they knew that she had her own pent up emotions, but never in a million years did they expect their shy, soft-spoken, stuttering music director to ever sing such a thing.

It was startling. Actually startling.

“"Hey but I...I really have to wonder why

Because in the dream I had last night we sat in the

Same old park we are sitting at now

"Hey, I think the two of us should leave."

But stepping slightly off the path, their heads turned up towards sky

And were gaping pointing struggling to keep away a scream”

Something flashed in Joan’s eyes. The queens braced themselves.

“Stabbing holes and splitting you in two

The beam made seam as it fell straight from the sky

Ringing an old wind chime and shaking a passerby then filling the air

Until they hit those park trees

Are these lies? The heat is mocking me

"Bet you wish you were asleep, but it's not a dream!"

Vision it blurred away and keeping my thoughts at bay I swear you stood there while keeping such a dark smile”

A tidal wave of carnage spilled free from Joan’s lips and crashed over the queens. Another vivid death is laid out for them, this one somehow much worse than the first.

The reactions to such a thing were mixed.

Aragon had her chin raised in an impressed manner. She was stunned to see Joan sing such a thing, but proud nonetheless.

Anne looked a little dizzy, as she wasn’t the best with blood, even blood in a song. She shut her eyes, trying not to think about what was happening to the poor girl being sung about, but ultimately failing.

Jane was startled. The look in Joan’s eyes gave her chills, making her feel entirely exposed even though she’s just another face in the crowd at that moment, another spectator in the small Sunday Session audience.

Cleves hadn’t expected Joan of all people to sing a song like this. She didn’t think she had it in her, so the girl had her captivated.

Kitty was backed up against Jane, her face twisted with disgust and fear. She kept looking up at her mother, hoping her pleading eyes would make her yell at Joan to stop and shut up, but she was dismayed to see Jane far too engulfed in the song to notice her distress.

Cathy was intrigued. She never really took Joan for the type to sing, and yet, here she was. And her transitions from slow to fast, from relaxed to intense, from soft to loud, where smooth and amazing. Especially the one right after the first chorus- an elongated, downward spiral of madness.

“Endlessly I see that over heated haze

And again the laughing will repeat on through the days

You've been dying for the past ten years

We are trapped in cycles and the end is never clear”

Joan’s voice has softened, as was her playing. The notes echoed around the auditorium, soft and mournful. It sounded like the ghosts of ancient monarchs whispering from beneath the floorboards.

“But a story is a story all the same

And today like any has an ending so to say

Far away and out beyond that scorching summer day”

For a moment, all is silent. The queens get just a second to breathe and recover from the madness they had just heard, and then Joan is slamming her hands down on the keys and sliding them down the keyboard, causing an awful, but fitting shriek to pierce through the air.

“Crashing in and hitting me instead you

I pushed you aside to nearly dodge a truck

Blood dripping everywhere and choking my smell of hair

You breathe in a gulp of air and just can't take it

Are these lies? I haven't heard him say

"What you see is exactly what your gonna get"”

Her voice is soft at first, but then it builds up and up and up until it’s an uproar of blood-soaked words and shrill, screaming notes. Her eyes are lit up again, this time even brighter, and her vibrato shuddered in the air. At the last line, she suddenly leapt to her feet, knocking over her stool and continuing to play enthusiastically while keeping pace with her music.

“Maybe this summer day has finally gone away

But that's all I'll say so this is where it ends now”

Before the instrumental took over, she slammed her fingers down on the keys and cried over the wailing sound, singing louder and louder and louder.

“August 14th and sitting alone on a bed a girl awakes repeating just the same

Muttering again

"Guess I failed again.." as she sat all alone

And held a cat still cradled in her arms”

With a few final notes, the song concluded. Joan stumbled back, taking deep, heaving breaths. Sweat is dripping down her reddened face. She didn’t bother to wipe it away, instead whipping around to the queens with an eager expression.

“Well?” She said, beaming at their gobsmacked expressions. “What did you think?”

[astroellipse]

chronicles of me crying over fictional characters for the second time now: part who even knows

:((( I only came to like Papalymo even more playing the second time, especially starting in Gridania. I actually can’t recall if his death got any tears out of me the first time around but this time sure did. I understand better why they got rid of him, too... it would have made Lyse’s development in the coming expansion a lot more awkward, I think. There needed to be a focus on her, not her and Papalymo. They were too dependent on one another and tackling that codependency could have been done and resolved in a natural way, though it would have taken too long I think and wouldn’t have been terribly interesting.

They needed to continue with pruning the main cast, anyhow, I guess. Part of what made ARR so bad is that I didn’t care for any of the Scions, there were just too many to conceivably get enough screen time for them to have an impact... not that the writers tried very hard on that front. And honestly Papalymo didn’t have much going for him. Alisaie is here to be cynical, Y’shtola becomes the snappy black mage, and any wisdom or insight he could provide can be covered by either Y’shtola or Urianger.

Actually, on that note, I’m kind of surprised that Urianger has been kept in the cast for so long? I don’t think he does much in SB, and he could have easily been cut out around now, maybe in some bid to redeem himself or for the greater good or whatever. They gave him a big role in ShB and is now Y’shtola’s dedicated exposition partner, but before that... anything he had to provide could be delivered by either Krile or Y’shtola.

And on THAT note, I’m even MORE surprised that Krile is still here! She has taken a back seat for the longest time, it’s easy to forget about her. Not that I do. I don’t think I’ve said so yet but I LOVE Krile. She’s one of my favorite characters in the game, I like her more than even Y’shtola. She has just gone through so much, all of her friends being slaughtered by Ascians, being subjected to all that comes with the Echo, having her one dearest friend be summoned to the Mother Crystal’s side to serve as Her mouthpiece and subsequently give her life for a parallel world, violent experimentation by Garleans, watching over her dearest friends’ near-lifeless bodies for who knows how long. The story barely acknowledges her suffering, though... she’s been written to sound a lot more tired in the more recent stuff. Or maybe it’s just the voice acting? Her voice sounds incredibly weary to me. She’s usually pretty snappy but amicable herself which I like a lot. She’s pragmatic and smart and helpful, and despite this wears a bright yellow coat with built in cat ears for some reason. It is very silly but I LOVE it. She is such a good character.

Oh man I was on a roll there and then I almost fell asleep in my chair. Pity. Anyways have I talked about Urianger yet? I also love Urianger I think he’s my favorite character in the game. He’s just. Stupidly pretty. Very pretty bookish elf man who wears a stunning dress and jewelry with his silly old-timey speak and incredible amount of exposition and self-hatred and everything... and still manages to be incredibly funny in his own sarcastic way. I do not get fictional crushes often but god. Elma will live in my heart forever but for the moment Urianger has a seat next to her. I Love him. Very good character. I refuse to use Alphinaud in trusts bc it would mean I don’t get to hear “I shall protect thee”, and it would be sad. Secret is 7 inches taller than him. It is so so cute. In the current instance of the Rising Stones all the characters actually look at you whenever you come near and seeing him have to crane his neck is adorable. Just from his character archetype I think he’s supposed to be the tallest in the main cast but to have the WoL beat him in that is hilarious. And Man. Why doesn’t the WoL ever get the chance to truly forgive him for what he did on the First? And he still blames himself for the deception during post-HW. It hurt every time he brought it up :(

Ok. I’m slowly but surely waking up from my impromptu nap. There was actually something I meant to do with this post primarily and it’s taken four overly long paragraphs to get to it. I took very bad screenshots of Doran’s current outfits. Like the pictures are Not Good. But that’s alright bc you can see the outfits in full.

1. Overdesigned nonsense outfit, technically canonical as he’s a Bard first and foremost. Mostly the lvl 60 artifact set, with a bow from a dungeon and mask off the market, which honestly was a god send. The gems on it nearly matches the body piece, and the metal matches both the bow and armor. I think it looks pretty good all in all, at least better than the undyed set all red and with the turban and all.

2. Casual, lazy glam, literally a copy paste + recolor of one of Secret’s outfits. Doing the dragoon idle pose bc it’s funny. Will probably change this later, if anything the lance bc it’s currently not even glamoured. I really like these pants but they morph super weird when actually in action, like the joints become unnaturally pinched when sitting down.

3. When you bring a musket w you to the beach in case a primal decides to emerge from the water’s murky depths. Also cheap and low effort though I don’t plan to take gunbreaker seriously. That queensguard nonsense is silly. which is why he’s standing like that.

4. a better look at his face, taken just now

I still have not decided what I think of how he looks. I don’t immediately hate it like I do most Hyur faces, but there’s still something... off. His eyes are pretty dark blueish green, which isn’t obvious in most lighting. But in some cutscenes they just pop and it looks nice. To me he looks... almost constantly happy. The opposite of resting bitch face. Chosen sort of specifically to contrast Secret, who appears to be always frowning. Anyways. This face looks really weird on lots of lighting, but then again so does Secret’s. The lighting in some of these cells is just atrocious, notably The Solar which unfortunately is also where several cutscenes take place.

But anyhow. It works. His face, I mean. Looks just a bit uncanny, in a different way than I usually find Hyur to be, which is fitting. This particular face comes with a few options for the sharpest cheekbones I’ve ever seen but I could NOT give him any of them. His face is purposefully soft, with those nice freckles and gentle brow. But still the small irises and eyes of a color you actually have to look close to make out, pale skin and thin lips. The scar’s main purpose is to invoke symmetry. Similarly, Secret’s face is built to be round, or I guess as broad as I could get it, with dark gentle eyes and warm skin, but still with down turned lips and pointed eyebrows and the face with eyes scrunched at the corners in what I’ve seen described as “angry eyes”.

Buuuuuuuuuuttttttttt I’m gonna get back to it I’m nearly back into Stormblood!!! :)

one day though. one day i will write more about Secret and now Doran. about their own stories. maybe the other reflections too if I ever get to it. eventually.

[wildnya]

Chapter 4: Everyone, Say “Thank you, Clover”

The group was delayed before the first store was even in sight. Why? Dazai nearly died... from a nosebleed. On the way they’d passed a shop displaying the type of lingerie Dazai loved. One look at that and a glance at Robin was all it took. It worsened when Robin bent down to see if he was alright, tilting his head up so he’d have a better look. He was an angel sent from heaven in his eyes.

It was no surprise his partner knew what had caused the sudden gush to happen and reaction to it, a deep sigh as he brought his hand up to cover his eyes, head shaking like a disappointed mother. The same went for his other three subordinates, an awkward cough from Akutagawa while Gin and Higuchi exchanged a look. However the reaction he received from Clover did surprise him.

Everyone was surprised at how quickly Clover warmed up to Chuuya. None of them could come up with an explanation. A gust of wind blew off the executives hat on the way and Clover had jumped up to catch it. Akutagawa and Robin were dumbfounded seeing her not shy away from Chuuya’s head pat. Soon after that Dazai had seen Akutagawa bend over her shoulder to ask her something. He had a feeling it was along the lines of why his girlfriend was already comfortable being around the short redhead. A stumped look appeared on Clover’s face at his question. Akutagawa gave a simple nod to whatever the answer she gave him, accepting it without questions.

It was obvious befriending Clover was a must from watching the siblings interact. Their bond as siblings was just as strong as the Akutagawa’s, maybe stronger. The trouble was though she wasn’t warming up to Dazai, at all. Any attempts of starting a conversation ended with her hiding behind one of the others. Getting the shy girl to open up was going to be a tough battle, or so he thought.

Seeing his nosebleed worsen after looking at her brother all uneasiness vanished from her sapphire eye to be replaced by curiosity. She no longer found the mafia boss intimidating, but continued to keep her distance. Dazai pretended not to notice the younger’s glances, head tilts, and stares she gave him. It wouldn’t surprise him if she knew he was purposely being oblivious though. He knew his mentee was smart enough to tell his lover what job occupation he had before getting into a relationship. Clover would definitely know Dazai was the boss, Akutagawa wouldn’t address him as that if he wasn’t.

“Oi,” a poke from Chuuya brought him out of his thoughts “hurry up and ask him.” the unwelcomed nervousness returned. “Isn’t it too soon?” Dazai hated the way his nerves acted up so much whenever it came to Robin, the feeling was alien to him. “Shouldn’t I make friends with Clover first? I definitely will have to eventually, she is his top priority right now. You see it, right Chuuya? I wouldn’t want to rush things! Furthermore-” a tug on the sleeve of his coat stopped the flowing of excuses falling from the brunette mouth. Dazai scared Clover with how fast he turned to face her. She would have jumped up again if Akutagawa hadn’t put his hands on her shoulders.

“A-ah, I’m sorry!” he quickly apologized when he saw her shrinking away. Taking notice of cat ears now resting flat against her head, he put on a bright smile to come off as less intimidating, “I’m not used to having my clothes tugged on, you caught me off guard.” the ears had vanished the moment she saw his eyes, but he was not taking any chances. Better safe than sorry.

“What can I do for you, Clover-chan?” Dazai added a cheery voice to his smile, putting on his mask to hide the annoying nerves that had been pegging him all day. In the corner of his eye could see her tail entwined with a sliver of Rashoumon. “She’s sharper than she presents herself to be.” he thought seeing her tail tightened when he put on his mask “it’s probably best to be careful when she’s around.” His thoughts were confirmed when her lips pressed into a thin line after he upped his mask level. Dazai toned it down after that, but only enough to let the nervousness be seen. He made a mental note seeing Clover relax slightly when he did.

“Is there something you can’t reach? I’ll get it down, just show me where.” Dazai used a milder voice this time. He was pleased to see Clover’s tail loosen slightly but it didn’t surprise him when it tightened again. Clover played with her hands, opening and closing her mouth trying to find her voice. Akutagawa removed one of his hands from her shoulders. The other stayed as a silent reminder he was there. After a squeeze from him Clover found her voice. “U-um,” her voice was very fitting for her personality and appearance, soft and quiet. It was very cute. “Ro-Robin can-can’t afford to buy m-me a som-something and a su-suit for h-him. He w-won’t l-let you bu-buy him one w-without…” she reached her limit.

Clover scurried to hide behind Akutagawa who didn’t bat an eye finishing what she started, picking up where she left off immediately. “Robin spends nearly all of his time either studying or doing small jobs to earn some extra cash for Clover to go out. There are… complications that keep Clover from getting a job as well, and he’s too stubborn to accept money for no reason.” he glanced back at his girlfriend continuing when her grip tightened on his jacket “to put it simply, you’re compatible and she’s saying go for it.” “I heard my name~” perfect timing “what’re talking-” no time was wasted. Dazai took the students hand in his as he knelt, all nervousness gone like before.

“Robin, will you listen to this lonely man’s woes? The position of my job occupation requires me to attend many business parties every year, and I dread having to go. Every party I attract the attention of ladies there. Though they are lovely ladies and I do not mind making small talk with them, they keep making moves on me. There have been occasions where benefits which would have served us well were lost thanks to unloyal wives trying to hook up with me. It is so tiring having to tiptoe around their advances and being flirted with every other minute, but after meeting you this burden may finally be lifted off my shoulders.” cressing his hand, Dazai gave him the smile that has won the hearts of many. “Robin, will you do me the honor of accompanying me as my date to the party?”

“Can’t.” Robin pulled his hand away. “I have classes and work, I can’t skip either. Plus I don’t have the money to buy both of us an outfit.” he gestured to his sister. Rubbing his neck awkwardly, an apologetic smile formed on his lips “I appreciate the invite though.” Dazai could hear his hope and excitement shatter. Until he noticed the couple had been joined by Gin and Higuchi not far off behind Robin. The girl's were waving their arms trying to get his attention.

When they had it, Akutagawa slightly leaned down so Clover could whisper in his ear. Summoning Rashoumon, he used the demon to make characters for Dazai to read. ‘Tell him you’ll pay for his suit.’ they read. “No, I can’t accept that.” Robin immediately denied the offer while Rashoumon simultaneously morphed into a new message, ‘offer a job. Ah, she’s a clever one. Now knowing where this was going, Dazai signaled them to stay on standby and took the reins. They nodded and Rashoumon vanished. Dazai made a mental note to give them a few days off as thanks and to also invite Clover to lunch.

“I can offer you a job to replace your old ones. I’ll pay you more than what you made before.” Robin quirked an eyebrow, eyes now cautious “and what would that be?” “it isn’t anything difficult, I just want you to be arm candy.” Dazai reached out to take his hand the third time that day. “My job requires me to do mountains of paperwork and report reading everyday, and almost every week there is a boring meeting I must attend or one of those exhausting parties.” he heaved a dramatic sigh. “I’m bored and lonely, having no one to keep me company in my dark office. But then I met you. Just being in the same room with you brightens my day. It would make me the happiest man alive for you to accept.” he kissed his hand. Robin stared down at him processing what he’d just been proposed with, a faint pink blush forming once he had.

“I- um- well, it’s a nice offer- I don’t know- it’s like-!” he began stuttering, looking away flustered. “I don’t think I’d be satisfied with getting paid to-” he stopped mid-sentence feeling Clover give his back a poke, her face stone cold. “H-hey Clover,” with an uneasy smile, Robin turned to face his sister “what’s up? Did you find something you liked?” she didn’t reply, only stared at him unblinking as the air around her grew heavy. “What, are you worried about me? I’m fine, don’t worry.” ears out, tail lashing “I like the jobs I’m doing, they keep me on my toes.” eye shifts to become more feline “plus I spend every class sitting, I’d get restless from doing that at work too!” Gin and Higuchi join her with closed eye smiles, adding to the peer pressure “don’t forget I do my assignments on my breaks, so, um, yeah that’s a thing!” Akutagawa came to stand behind them, switching to mafia mode to max out the intensity.

“Fine, fine! I yield, I yield, you win.” Clover withdrew her feline features with a smile. Gin and Higuchi high fived without looking at each other while Akutagawa turned off mafia mode with a cough.

Robin sighed, “this is what you’re getting yourself into, I hope you’re ready.” “I’m very aware,” Akutagawa let out another cough “there have been many occasions she has kept me home to rest by stealing Rashoumon.” “this kid can get your workaholic ass to actually rest?” Chuuya laughed, coming around him ruffle her hair “you’re than ya seem, aren’t’cha kid?” Clover leaned into Chuuya’s hand, smiling widening.

Another sigh escaped Robin’s mouth, “anyway, let’s get back to shopping, we still haven’t found something for the lovebirds and now I need my own-” “there’s no longer a need for that!” Dazai’s sudden excimation startled the rest “I’m arranging tailor made outfits for everyone to celebrate the end of my party woes. No no,” he waved a finger seeing some open their mouths to protest “I insist! Accept this as a thank you gift too~”

The newly appointed arm candy pinched the bridge of his nose, “look, I appreciate the offer but this is too much-” “you’ll be attending many parties and meetings, the majority will require formal attire,” the mafia boss interrupted the student again “you can’t wear the same thing every time. It’s only appropriate for me to provide the clothes, since it’s part of your job. There’s no fault in this logic, no?” he smiled down at him, nothing threatening, just a normal smile.

Looking up at the ceiling eyes closed, he was quiet. “So,” Robin looked back at Dazai, crossing his arms, “when do I start?”

[ellie-scribble]

She’s So High

A Bucky x Reader fic written for @littledarlinhavefaithinme‘s Sebastian Stan Summer Song Writing Challenge. I had the song She’s So High by Tal Bachman

Summary: Bucky like you. Like, really likes you. He thinks the world of you, but he knows he will never be on your level. Until you ask him out.

Warnings: Fluff + angst

Word Count: 2480ish

A/N: i had a little trouble writing this, but i hope it’s okay. i used the song as a sort of baseline for the story, not in it necessarily. my tag list and requests are open. the gif isn’t mine but damn is it ever hot

When you first joined the avengers, Bucky didn’t know what to think. You had been first recruited to SHIELD due to your uncanny ability to sneak into places, hack computers, and overall being a good, well, spy. You were basically Natasha Romanoff without the badass backstory. That was, at least, until you were captured.

During one of your missions, your partner agent was shot, and had to retreat. You, however, kept going with your mission to acquire HYDRA secrets. You were copying the flash drive when a group of men attacked you. They took you down with a single shot of some weird advanced alien tech gun.

That was when the experimenting began.

After about 3 months of being HYDRA’s lab rat, the Avengers finally were able to come and rescued you. Only, you had changed. The experiments that HYDRA had done altered your DNA. You could manipulate light. Any kind of light. Which was pretty cool. 

Tony Stark seemed to think so, too, so he requested that you join the team. Well, not so much requested as demanded. But you were stoked, so it didn’t take much persuasion. You got along with most of the team, Steve was kind, Tony was almost a father figure for you, Sam was your pranking buddy, and Nat and Wanda were your source of estrogen in a sea of testosterone. Bucky Barnes, however, was another story. 

Ever since you were first introduced to the Avengers, you felt like Bucky was avoiding you. Which sucked, because you happened to have a huge crush on him. Whenever you tried to talk to him, he froze up, and left the room as soon as possible. You thought it was because he hated you, but in reality, it was quite the opposite. 

--------

When Bucky first laid eyes on you, he knew he was a goner. He never really believed in love at first sight, but this was definitely a close second. When you walked into the compound, practically glowing, he forgot what he was thinking about before. When you introduced yourself, your voice was more enchanting than any melody he had ever heard, 40’s and today. 

You were, quite honestly, perfect. Which was why he had to keep his distance. He couldn’t risk the chance of ruining you. 

It always shocked him when you talked to him. Why would someone as good as you talk to the likes of him? HYDRA’s plaything and the Winter Soldier. So, he froze. 

Every. Damn. Time. And when he finally unfroze, instead of talking to you, he left. 

He only confided in Steve with his dilemma. 

“She’s so perfect, Steve. What could I ever give her?” He complained one day. Steve had always listened to what he said, and his response never changed in the four months he’d been asking.

“Just talk to her, Buck. She just wants to spend time with you, but all you ever do is turn her away. She thinks you hate her.”

“Hate her?” Bucky’s eyes grew wide with fear. “How could anyone hate her? She- she’s-”

“Perfect, I know,” Steve said with a roll of his eyes. “Just go for it, Buck.” With that, Steve got up and left Bucky alone in the living room. The TV played in the background, but Bucky wasn’t paying attention. So, when you walked in, he was taken completely off-guard. 

--------

Today was the day that you decided to man up and ask Bucky to hang out sometime. When you woke up in the morning, you were originally going to find him right away, but you chickened out and went to the gym instead. After sparring with Nat (losing to Nat) for about an hour, you went to the kitchen to get something to eat. You probably should have just showered in the gym, but the shower in your room was much nicer. When you walked into the kitchen, you saw the one person you had wanted to see sitting in the adjoined living room. 

You knew you should have showered. 

“Hey,” you started.

--------

When you spoke, Bucky was startled, which shouldn’t have happened, considering his super-hearing, but nevertheless, he sprung up off the couch. 

“H-Hi.” Dammit, he thought. He was already losing his composure. To be fair, you were dripping sweat in those damn short shorts and a sports bra, and it was the hottest thing he’d seen in a while. He hated himself for thinking these things, but he couldn’t help it.

You were unbelievably attractive even straight from a workout. If he ever saw you dressed up, he would probably faint on the spot.

--------

You knew he was probably disgusted by your sweatiness, but it was now or never.

“Um, so there’s this new restaurant opening tonight in Brooklyn. I was wondering if you maybe wanna go?” You were so nervous. You were probably shaking like a leaf, and he could definitely hear your heartbeat fluttering. You almost fled the room right then and there, not being able to face it if he said no. Your mind raced, and little did you know that his did, too.

--------

Bucky barely heard the words that were coming out of your mouth. The only reason he knew you were talking to him was because he could see your lips moving and his heart was racing. His heartbeat was deafening in his ears. It was almost as if he was hearing double.

“What?” he croaked. Curse his voice for cracking now. He hated himself for not knowing what you said to him, but his mind was focused on so many other things at the moment. First and foremost why you were talking to him. 

“New restaurant in Brooklyn. Opening. You- me go?”

--------

Fuck. You nearly face-palmed at how stupid you got around him. Why was this so difficult?

“Stark said he could get us a table, all we had to do was ask. So, would you want to?”

There. That was better. Now, all he had to do was say yes. You begged whatever god was listening that he would say yes. You had already planned an outfit and gotten your hopes up way to high for them to be shot down.

--------

Was- was she asking me out? No. She couldn’t be. It must be a misunderstanding. She must have asked other people to come, too. Yeah, that sounds right. 

“Sure. What time?”

He needed to know how much time he had to mentally prepare for a team dinner. Yes, he saw them almost every day, but a sit-down dinner where all there was to do was talk and eat? No thanks. 

“Tonight, around 7. Is that good for you?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you then.”

“Great.”

--------

You were mentally screaming. You had just asked Bucky Barnes out on a date. Successfully. Now all you had to do was get ready, and mentally prepare yourself. You walked back to your room and showered, spotting your dress you had picked out for the evening laid out on your bed. 

While showering, you pulled out all the usual pre-date stops. Hair treatment, shaving, face mask, and your rose scented lotion afterwards. You couldn’t help humming to yourself as you rubbed your newly softened legs.

--------

Around 6, Bucky went to Steve to see what he was wearing for the night out. He didn’t want to be too casual, but he also didn’t want to wear a tux when he didn’t have too.

“Hey Steve?” Bucky called through his door.

“Come in.”

Bucky walked in to see Steve in sweatpants sitting on his bed watching TV. He wondered to himself why he wasn’t getting prepared for the night ahead of them. Even if it wasn’t a mission, Steve always got prepared hours beforehand, in case anything went wrong.

“What are you wearing for tonight?” At this question, a look of confusion washed over Steve’s face.

“What’s tonight?” 

“Dinner. At that new place in Brooklyn? Y/N asked me to go earlier. The whole team is coming,” 

“She didn’t say anything to me,” Steve replied, his brow furrowing in confusion as he did. 

Bucky was confused, to say the least. Why hadn’t you invited Steve? He thought you were on good terms. Maybe you just didn’t want to hear about what the dessert would do to your body, or how unhealthy everything was. It still didn’t make sense, though.

“That's weird. She asked me in the kitchen a little while ago. I thought she would’ve asked everyone else by now.”

Steve’s face morphed into a look of realization.

“Buck, did she say she was asking the whole team?”

“Well, no, but I just-”

“Assumed?” Bucky was interrupted by Steve’s question. Well, not so much a question as a statement. Steve knew Bucky better than he knew himself at some times. 

“Well, yeah. I mean, why else would she ask me?” Steve made no sense sometimes. Why would you, of all people, ask just him to dinner?

“Bucky,” Steve said, shaking his head, ”She asked you on a date.”

Bucky stood there, shaking his head. It couldn’t be true. There was obviously some sort of misunderstanding. Steve didn’t get it. You were on a whole other level above him. You would never go on a date with him.

“No. She didn’t. I know she didn’t.”

“Maybe you just don’t want it to be a date.” Steve gave Bucky a look that he didn’t know how to take.

“Why would I not want it to be a date? I’ve liked her since she came here,” he replied. He remembered the day very clearly. It was the last day of June, and it was raining outside. He only knew it was raining because Steve forced him to go on a run. After he had showered, he went to the briefing room, where Tony had called a meeting. He said he wanted to introduce the newest member of the team, Y/N. You used to be a SHIELD agent, but after a few developments, thanks to HYDRA, you could literally manipulate light. You must have been doing that when you walked in, because you were glowing. Or, maybe, Bucky just saw you as you were. But to him, you were definitely glowing.

“You tell me.” Steve was not yielding. He just wanted Bucky to acknowledge the fact that even though he wanted to be with you, he was scared. Every good thing he had was taken from him when he was with HYDRA, and he didn't want to lose you, too. He thought that if he kept you at an arm's distance, HYDRA wouldn't use you against him. After saying this, Steve got up and left, leaving Bucky in his room to think. 

--------

You were in the kitchen, ready, at 6:30 when Steve walked in. You were huddled over your computer, looking at the menu to decide what you wanted tonight. You liked to do this ahead of time so that when you got there, you didn't have to awkwardly ask for a few more minutes from the waiter.

“Hey,” Steve said. You looked up from reading what was in the Gnocchi Alla Panna. It sounded pretty good from what you were reading, but it was red pasta, and you always spilled when you ate. Plus, this was a new dress and you didn't need to ruin it your first time wearing it.

“Hey. Do you know where Bucky is?”

“Yeah, we were just talking and he has no idea what to wear for tonight. Should I tell him you’re wearing a dress?” Steve raised an eyebrow. 

“Oh. Is he really nervous? We could always cancel. Maybe it's best if we don’t-”

“Y/N, stop.” At the sound of Steve’s “captain” voice, you stopped rambling. “Yes Bucky is nervous, but rightfully so. This is his first date since 1945, and- and he really likes you. Don’t tell him I said that.”

As Steve walked out of the room, you pondered what he said. You knew that it had been a while for Bucky, but you hoped you were close enough that it wouldn’t be nerve wracking for him to talk to strangers. It seemed he was even more nervous though, because it was you. 

Now that you were thinking about it, Bucky did seem to always be flustered around you. You had always attributed it to Bucky being Bucky, but now? You wondered if it was more. 

All these thoughts were floating through your mind when Bucky walked through the doorway of the kitchen. Your breath was suddenly sucked out of your lungs. 

Bucky looked good.

You had seen him in a tuxedo before, at the many events that Tony insisted on holding, and he looked nice, but out of place. He looked like he would rather be infiltrating a HYDRA base than wearing a suit at a gala. But now? He had never looked more like Bucky.

He wore a white button-up shirt with black jeans, and of course, his leather jacket. His hair was combed back and his beard had been trimmed. All in all, Bucky looked hot.

--------

Bucky couldn’t even think when he walked into the room. 

The light blue dress you wore matched the color of his eyes and he couldn’t help but think it was on purpose. As you turned to greet him, he couldn’t breathe. You were gorgeous. He suddenly forgot all of his dates in the 40’s because you outshone them all in this instant. Perfect didn’t come close to describing you in this instant. 

“Hi,” you say with a huge smile on your face. 

“Hi,” he replied. His heart fluttered at the simple greeting. He really was enamored with you. After a couple moments of stillness, he realized he should do something. He took your arm in his and steered you towards the elevator, faking all the confidence in the world. In reality, he was unbelievably worried about everything. He was most likely sweating all over, and even someone without super senses could feel his heart speeding away. 

But, he was happy. Truly happy. For the first time in a while. Yes, he enjoyed spending time with Steve and Natasha, hell even Sam wasn’t so bad sometimes. But with you, it was different. He could finally be himself. Not the fake old Bucky he pretended to be around Steve. Not the badass soldier he acted as with Natasha. And definitely not the child he became when he was with Sam. But himself. He could be himself around you. 

You brought out the best in him. You made the clouds disappear. You turned everything he hated about himself into his best qualities. You made him feel wanted. And, yeah, that scared him, but with you, he was willing to try. 

So, he dropped the fake confidence, and became the person you made him into.

The Bucky that you had unknowingly come to love.

--------

a/n if you liked this, please let me know! i love reading the comments and love all feedback, positive and negative. i am also looking for a beta reader if anyone is interested. love you!

taglist

@deep-sea-glitter @irl-valkyrie 

[dragonotaku-justineverything]

Majin 21 using her tail to get Jaune off

I fucking loved this ask! Thank you @nate-the-content-creator!

I also really got into this ask. By that I mean 3050 words into it! Hope you all enjoy reading as much as I did writing it. I can also post it to my Ao3 page if you’d all like. Just let me know if I should!

{21′s Counseling Arc} 

Jaune stood outside one of the professors offices in Beacon. This office belonged to Ms. Android 21. He’d had been called to his professor’s office on the weekend, so he wasn’t expecting something good. When he knocked, Ms. 21 had called him inside and told him to close the door. He was a little unnerved but did as he was told on both regards. 

Ms. 21 was sat behind her desk, doing paperwork. When she heard Jaune enter. she leaned back in her chair and smiled. “Hello Mr. Arc.”

“Hello Ms. 21.” Jaune remembered when that should have sounded weird, but after almost a year at Beacon and calling her that, it didn’t even phase him now. He also knew that when she called him “Mr. Arc“, it wasn’t good news.

“Please, take a seat.” 21 gestured to the cushioned chair right in front of her desk, which Jaune did indeed sit down in. “You’re probably wondering why I called you here on your day off from school correct?” Jaune nodded. “Well it’s because I just received this.” She held up a vanilla envelope. “Your report card.”

And just like that, Jaune’s face paled. “R-really? A-and what about it?”

21 sighed and opened the envelope. She took out the sheets of paper and looked at them briefly before extending them out for Jaune to take. Jaune’s hand shook a fair bit as he accepted the papers. As he started to look over them, he heard Ms. 21 speak. “I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I’m proud of you Jaune.”

Jaune glanced up at her in confusion after hearing her use his first name before looking back down at his grades.

Grimm Studies: B-

Combat Class: B

Dust Affiliation: A- 

History: B-

Aura Control and Manipulation: A

Strategic Thinking: A

Jaune stared at the letters. After rereading them four times, he moved on to the comments his other professors wrote. All of which we commenting on how he’s improved recently and is becoming a better student. Except Oobleck, he couldn’t make out a thing that man’s chicken scratch read. But even Professor Goodwitch had written some okay things about him! That was huge!

Jaune felt joy well up inside of him at all of it. This was proof her was getting better! That maybe he was meant to be at Beacon! He couldn’t help but let a goofy smile form on his face as he looked up to his professor. “You really had me Ms. 21! I thought it was going to be like last time!”

21 giggled at her student’s smile. His joy was pretty infectious. Now down to business. “I couldn’t help it. It helped sell the surprise though. However, speaking of the last time you were here, do you remember what I said near the end of our conference?”

Jaune paused to think. It was vague, but he remembered something. “You said that I needed to try harder to do better.”

“Yes I did, which you have, but also promised that if you managed to bring your grades up to a suitable level, I’d reward you personally.” 21 opened a drawer on her desk and pulled out a file folder. She put it on her desk, opened it, then pushed it towards Jaune. “This was your report card from last semester.”

Jaune winced as he saw his old grades.

Grimm Studies: F

Combat Class: D

Dust Affiliation: D- 

History: F

Aura Control and Manipulation: C

Strategic Thinking: C

21 saw his wince when he looked over his past work. “Nothing higher than a C last semester. And now nothing lower than a B-! All you grades went up at least two marks! That’s a great accomplishment Jaune. And the fact that you managed to improve this much in just a single semester is outstanding.”

Jaune turned bashful and started listing off reasons/excuses. “W-well I-I had a lot of help. Pyrrha started training me, Blake made me spend more time in the library,”

“Jaune.”

“-Weiss let me join in on her tutoring sessions with Ruby, and both our teams started have study groups at least once a week and every night before a test!”  

“Jaune!”

21 stopped her student. He fell silent and she smiled warmly. “All of that may be true. Maybe you did get help and needed others to push you a bit. But there isn’t a person alive that doesn’t need help at some point. However, the fact of the matter is that you wanted to get better. So you accepted their help and pushed yourself. If you didn’t want to better yourself, then you wouldn’t have even tried. And that is something to be very proud of Jaune.”

As his teacher reassured him, Jaune felt pride swelling inside him. His eyes grew misty against his will so he rubbed them dry with his sleeve. “Thank you Professor, that…that means more to me than you know.”

21 nodded and then clapped her hand once, suddenly and loud. “Well now we need to move on to the second reason you’re here right now. Since I feel that these grade improvements are easily ‘suitable’, it’s time for your reward.”

“Oh, Ms. 21 I really don’t-”

“Now now, none of that. I promised you I’d reward you personally and I won’t feel right if that was just an empty promise. You did work very hard to achieve this, so I feel like you deserve something in return for your efforts. While you did improve much more quickly than I’d expected, I fully intend to follow through on my word.”

21 stood up from her desk and walked over to the door. “Besides,” She twisted the lock close and brought down the curtain to her door’s window. “I think I thought of something that a hard working young man like you would enjoy very much.”

Jaune turned around in his seat to look at his professor and what she was doing. Ms. 21 stood by her office door, taking off her red glasses before she activated her semblance and turned into her Majin form. Everyone at Beacon knew about her semblance. Most of them also feared it for good reasons. Which is the reason Jaune sprung out of the chair he was in and nearly flipped over 21′s desk. 

Her long auburn hair turned such a pale shade of pink that it was almost white, her skin also turned pink, though a darker shade, her ears grew more angled, and her eyes turned from normal blue eyes to solid black with blood red irises. A smug smirk formed on her face. 

Her clothes changed too. Her red and blue square patterned dress with a white lab coat, black leggings and red and blue shoes seemed to just morph with her body. Now in her Majin form she wore a black tube top that was barely enough to hide the bottom half of her D-cup chest, but did nothing to hide the top half and most of her cleavage. Her pants became white and extremely baggy, held up by a tight gold band around her waist. A gold collar shimmered as it appeared around her neck. In fact the only thing that still remained of her original outfit was the black arm sleeves she wore from her wrist to bicep.

The most noticeable thing however was that she also grew a large, pink tail. It came out through the back of her pants just underneath her golden belt and wagged lazily behind her back.

Jaune was nervous when he saw her enter that form. It only got worse when her red eyes focused on him, and she smirked. Before he could voice any of his numerous questions, 21 disappeared. Like, she just seemed to blip out of reality. 

Though Jaune soon found out where his teacher went when two pink arms reached around from behind him and wrapped around his chest. 21 grabbed her own wrists, fully ensnaring Jaune and pinning his arms down to his side. Jaune proved she had a good grip when he instinctively struggled, but couldn’t get free or move his arms. Jaune stopped trying to break free when he felt a breeze over his legs. He looked down to see why and went wide eyed seeing his pants around his ankles. His face turned rosy red when he saw his underwear was down with his pants, leaving his penis to hang free. ‘Wh-?! H-how!? I-is Ms. 21 just that fast!?’

“Oh you look so cute~!” Jaune was brought out of his thoughts by Majin 21 speaking up. He looked over his right shoulder to see her smiling widely at him from behind him. She squeezed her arms a bit tighter around him, pressing her large, soft chest into his back below his shoulder blades. “My favorite little student has been working so hard~. Now here you are all alone with me~. You look simply adorable and delicious and you’re all mine~!!” Jaune felt something tickle his cheek and snapped his head forward again to look at what it was. 

There, less than two inches from his face, was the tip of 21′s pink tail. It swayed side to side, looking like a cobra ready to strike. It moved forward again to gently, almost teasingly, flick the tip of his nose. He followed it as it slowly moved to his side and up to 21′s own face. 

“Get ready for your reward sweetie~.” Jaune watched as 21 opened her mouth. A tongue at least a foot long roll out. Jaune watched as 21 dragged her long tongue all over her own tail. She sensually moved it up and down her tail and even wrapped her tongue in a complete ring around it as she did. Jaune’s dick slowly began rising from the show. 21 pulled back her tongue and shot her now saliva slick tail downward. 

Jaune looked down when he felt the tail push up his against his dick. 21′s tail bounced his dick up a few times. The attention helped it reach full mast. Feeling him get fully erect, 21 giggled madly while she began coiling her tail around her student’s shaft. Once, twice, three times she fully wrapped her tail around the boy’s cock and his head was still showing! 

“You’re so big! A full meal for me to enjoy~!” 21 giggled again as her tail moved, sliding easily along his shaft thanks to her spit lubing up her tail.

Jaune let out a sharp gasp at the feeling. 21′s tail felt amazing! The appendage that he’d seen crush a training drone in half, lift over 200 pounds in Beacon’s gym, and bat aside an Ursa Major effortlessly was around his cock! It was so soft and warm! It wasn’t like any faunus tail he’d seen before. It wasn’t furry or scaly, it was just silky smooth skin. Wrapped tightly around his shaft and jerking him off.

Velvety soft and warm coils pumped his cock. Squeezing down a bit tighter made Jaune gasp and when they’d loosen he’d feel it lightly brushing along his shaft. 

Each move it made up towards his head sent waves of pleasure up his body and when it came back down he tried to buck his hips into it. Jaune threw his head back and let out a throaty groan, his eyes closing in bliss. He didn’t even bother struggling anymore. He didn’t want this to end!

21 shivered slightly both from hearing Jaune’s delightful groans and the feeling of her sensitive tail sliding along Jaune’s rock hard dick. She simply loved the appetizing noises he was making! She kept pumping her tail, the smacking sounds of her tail patting back down against his hips meshing with Jaune’s moans. 

For five minutes, 21 jerked Jaune off with her tail. Squeezing and letting go with her coils so that Jaune didn’t get use to how her tail felt. He speed kept its steady rhythm. ‘Pat pat pat pat’ the sounds of light slapping sounding from Jaune’s hips when they bucked into her tail.

21 was both impressed with how well he was holding back, but also getting incredibly impatient! Jaune was getting there, but he wasn’t giving her what she wanted! From behind Jaune, she cried out, “That’s it! I know my meal will be done soon, but I can’t take it anymore! I need to taste a sample~!”

Jaune eyes shot open when he felt Ms. 21 lick his neck. Given how long it was she was even able to lick his Adam’s apple and the under side up his chin. She scrunched up her shoulders as her tongue retreated back into her mouth. “Mmmmmm! Sooooo tasty~! Bon appetit!” Without another word 21 latched her mouth and teeth on Jaune’s neck, making his body tense up. 

She softly gnawed and suck on Jaune’s skin. She was loving the taste while Jaune was loving the feeling! Her tail pumping his cock quicker than ever and the sucking on his neck was too much to handle now! 21 felt Jaune’s cock twitch as she sucked away. She gave one last nibble to his neck and pulled off, leaving a red oval with small teeth marks where she was latched on to. “Mmmmm here comes my meal~! Give it to me sweetie! Gimme gimme gimme~!”

Jaune let out a semi-restrained “Fuck!” and came. 21 moved her tail up to wrap around his sensitive head, catching all his white cum in her coils. Every strand of thick cum landing on her tail. Not a drop was missed.

As Jaune came down from his climax and panted hard, 21 finally released her grip around him. Suddenly being able to move again along with his pants still being around his ankles, Jaune stumbled forward a bit. He stood straight after catching himself on the chair in front of 21′s desk. He spun around to look at 21. 

21 had brought her tail back up to her mouth, her tongue tracing over every inch where Jaune’s cum had landed. Making several passes over the part of her tail she’d just used to get her student off, she lapped up all his baby batter and brought her tongue back into her mouth. When she close her lips again her entire body shivered. Her eyes began to sparkle as she sighed heavenly. “So thick and creamy! Absolutely delicious just like I knew you would be! 100/100!”

21 came out of her bliss when Jaune spoke. “Wh-, why did you-?”

“Oh sweetie that was your reward! The delicious snack you gave me was just a bonus for me~! So did you like it~?” 

Jaune finally caught his breath. “Y-yeah. I really did. It was amazing!”

21 clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! Now I have another promise to make too you~.” 21 sashayed up to Jaune and poked his chest. “If you can bring your grades up to perfect, you’ll get to fuck me anyway you want~! Doesn’t that sound great?”

Jaune stared into his professor’s eyes in disbelief. “Y-you’re being serious?”

21 giggled at Jaune’s dumbfounded face. “Uh huh! Bent over my desk while you fuck my ass, holding me down in a mating press as you pound my pussy, stuffing my mouth and throat with your dick, or having me jerk you off to your hearts content~! Anything for my favorite student~.” 21 watched as Jaune’s mind seemed to shut down as he probably started imagining the things she just said. 

21 let him ponder for a bit, then said a loud “But!” breaking Jaune out of his lewd daydreams. “You’ll only get your reward if all your grades are A’s. Until then, the only thing you get to fuck is my pretty tail here.” Her said tail came up to wag a little in front of him as if showing off. 21 closed the little distance that was between them and whispered in his ear with a hot breath. “So do your best Jaune~.” Her tongue traced all the way up his ear making him shiver.

“I-I will try my hardest Ms. 21!”

“Splendid! Now get going sweetie. It’s still your day off. I don’t want to hog you all day and make people suspicious.”

Jaune quickly pulled up his pants, mind still racing from what he’d just heard. He walked over to Ms. 21′s door and unlocked it. As he opened it, he waved goodbye to 21. “T-thanks again Ms. 21! I’ll do even better in the future!” 

In return 21 waved back with one hand as well with her tail. With a giggle she said, “You’d better, Mr. Arc~.” Her tail formed a quick heart shape behind her, something Jaune barely caught before it was gone. He turned around, red faced all over again and closed the door behind him when he left. As he walked down the halls back to his dorm, he completely forgot about the love bite his professor left on his neck.

…

…drip…drip…

Now alone in the silence and solidarity in her office, 21 barely stayed standing as her legs grew weak. She let out a heavenly sigh. If Jaune had looked a bit lower on his teacher, he would have seen a wet spot appearing at the crotch of her baggy pants. It finally grew so wet that it dripped down to her tile floor. 

The whole exchange she’d had with her adorable blonde student had her so wet! From hearing his moans to the pleasure of her own sensitive tail sliding along his cock! It all added up to her dripping wetness right now. And when she tasted his cum! Mmmmmm she nearly came just from that! 

Then she had the idea to offer him another reward. Those thoughts filled her head and loins with so much anticipation for what could happen in the near future. 21 stared longingly at her door as she morphed back into her normal form. The wet spot on her white pants transferring to the black leggings that took their place. She straightened up, intent to get back to work, but not before one final thought crossed her mind.

‘I can’t wait to see how you do Jaune~. I’m looking forward to your reward even more then you are~.’

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Story word count: 3048

Posted on Tumblr: 8/6/2019