#so happy my doubts were proven wrong

[local-omen]

bad batch finale thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

first of all damn. like damn. they really did it. those crazy sons of bitches did it. they ended this beloved show in a way that was cathartic, happy, full of tension, and did all the characters justice. my faith in star wars has been restored. i am so happy

—— the tension was unmatched this whole episode. like narratively, killing off tech told us as the audience that no one is safe, there’s no plot armor. so the whole time i was like omg they’re all gonna die but they dIDNT BECAUSE THEYRE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOYALTY AND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER AND THATS WHAT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT. LOYALTY AND LOVE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

—— CROSSHAIRS HAND IM SOBBING there is something so heart wrenching but amazing about his 'shooting hand' being taken away from him. it's like the physical embodiment of why he was created but now that he's free of that embodiment, he can choose to be whatever he wants. such a good choice narratively imo

—— that elite task force was badass i'm obsessed with their designs and their fighting styles i kinda wish we got more of them but they were also terrifying

—— crosshair finally made the shot that mattered the MOST. i love him so much. like he seriously means so much to me idec

—— still bummed that tech is actually dead (no he’s not haha loser i’m happy in my delusions). while i do think it’s technically more realistic for clone soldiers bred to die and raised with the expectation that they’ll be killed in battle to lack emotion, i think the lack of emotion this season was to its detriment. however i will say that the “clone force 99 died with tech” line was so good it pretty much made up for it lol

—— THE ENDING WAAA A A AAA A. A A A A. A AAA. A A A A A. A A AAA AAA AAA AAAA A A AAAAAA A A. omega and hera best friends confirmed. they were rebellion pilots together. omega is in the rebellion. like that is just the perfect ending to her character i can’t even. because of course she would. and i love her. i’m so proud of her. she is the heart and soul of this show and anyone who hated her is prolly feelin realllll silly right now

—— damn we’re really just not gonna know who the cx 2 operative was huh. like. he really was just a guy

—— that last shot of tech’s glasses almost got me i fr almost cried. he would be so so so proud of omega. he would be proud of all of them

—— omegas and hunters older designs mean everything to me. just. storytelling through clothes will never not be my favorite thing. her little skull patch 😭🫠 the bandana 🫠🥲

this show means so much to me, truly. it has inspired me artistically, comforted me, and connected me to some amazing people. i don’t even feel stupid for writing all these thoughts about a ‘silly little star wars show’ because damn it this is what art and stories means to people!! this is how powerful they can be! i do not need to hide behind jokes and irony to communicate how much this artistic work means to me!

<3

[starkwlkr]

happy life, happy wife | hugh jackman

an: “you attract what you fear” GUYS IM SO SCARED OF A 55 YEAR OLD AUSTRALIAN 😭 definitely thinking about making marvel actress!reader x hugh an actual series… i have ideas

marvel actress!reader

Deadpool & Wolverine Press tour - Hot Ones

Hugh felt like he was going to die. Each wing was getting hotter and hotter, but immediately when he heard his wife’s name he forgot all about the spice.

“Hugh, your wife is part of the Avengers, how does it feel having your wife be part of such a huge franchise? Have you two talked about a potential team up with the X-men and the Avengers?” Sean asked.

“My wife . . . Oh god, I think I’m crying-”

“I can’t tell if you’re legitimately dying or completely in love with your wife.” Ryan told Hugh.

“Wait . . I am completely in love with my wife and I would legitimately die for her.” Hugh gasped as he rearranged Ryan’s words.

“Is that in the contract she made you sign when you married her? ‘I vow to die for you’. My contract said I had to give all my money to my kids and wife.” Ryan said.

“No, she’s amazing, um, if I start talking about her I think I might go on for hours,” he laughed. “Our kids do want to see their parents fighting the bad guys together. We would love to team up, maybe it could happen.” Hugh smiled.

“The entire movie would be them making out and her beating the shit out of you. I’d pay to see that.” Ryan added.

•••

Comic Con 2024

Like RDJ, your last Marvel movie had been Avengers: Endgame. After being in ten mcu films, it was time to say goodbye to your character.

But that was in 2019.

At this years comic con, you were back. The cast of Deadpool & Wolverine had taken the stage and showed their appreciation for the fans. After their panel, it was time to announce Marvel’s upcoming projects. Kevin Feige announced the Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, Captain America 4, and finally the new Avengers movies, which everyone was extremely excited about.

After showing the title card for the upcoming Avengers film, Kevin turned to the audience.

“Something people have been asking, as of late, is who the heck is going to direct these two movies?” The audience clapped.

From the side of the stage, you were nervous. What if the fans didn’t like the idea of you directing the next two Avengers films? Your worrying caused Hugh to come to your rescue.

“Hey, they loved you as an Avenger, they will love you even more.” Hugh kissed your forehead. “If anyone says anything about this decision, they have me to deal with.”

You laughed at his words. “I really love you so much.”

“Love you too, bub.” Hugh was about to kiss you when Ryan cut in.

“I really love us too. I convinced half of the people here that we’re a throuple.” He said in the most serious tone ever.

Kevin announced you as the director. Your doubt of the fans not liking the announcement was proven wrong when you walked the stairs to the stage and stood next to Kevin. They cheered when they saw you were back.

As you said a few words, thanking Marvel, Kevin and the fans, you were being recorded by Hugh, who was being recorded by Ryan.

“That’s my wife!” Hugh cheered from backstage, holding his phone in his hand.

“She’s Marvel Jesus now, holy shit!”

•••

WIRED autocomplete interview

“Is Hugh Jackman married?”

“Yes, to me, Y/n, probably to half the population,” Ryan answered. “He’s Australia’s biggest slut.”

“All the times, I proposed.” Hugh laughed. “But yes, I am married and I love my wife very much. She’s stuck with me forever.” He lifted his hand to show off the wedding band.

“Funny, because she texted me right now. Her and Blake are in the courthouse getting married. So Deadpool three was actually made so our wives could divorce us and marry each other.”

[deadtired-highkeyenergetic]

Prompt #1. Hands

Heyo thanks for requesting and waiting!

Summary: Soft fluffy morning with Astarion

“Mmph don’t leave yet, my love.” Astarion mumbles, face still buried into your chest. You attempt to wriggle out of his grasp but he pulls you back in, holding you tightly.

“A little while longer,” you sigh. He lets out a little happy purr, shifting to a more comfortable position but doesn’t drift back into a trance. Instead, he takes in your warmth, loving how it warms him up along with the sun and finds himself mindlessly tracing patterns on your back on this quiet morning. Stealing little moments like this is what he cherishes most, and he wants more of these.

He loves watching your tired eyes flicker open, incoherent noises spilling from your lips as you struggle to fully wake up, the way your fingers grab the air whilst trying to find him. He loves the way your body relaxes when he slips his hand into yours, the tired mumble of what usually sounds like ‘good morning’, and especially the way you drag your body towards him just so you can flop onto him, burying your face in his neck.

His fingers find themselves entangled in your hair, lingering on the back of your head just so he can pull you closer and press kisses to the top of your head, relishing in a future Cazador tried so hard to deny him.

“We need to get up now, Star. The others need us.”

“They can wait,” Astarion huffs, but lets you worm yourself free from his embrace. He still whines about the coldness of the sheets now that you’re gone until you leave the room, then you hear the pitter patter of feet as he rushes to get dressed just so he can continue clinging onto you before the others steal you from him once more.

He wraps his arms around your waist, nuzzling into your neck for his breakfast and feels you rest your hand on his, running your thumb over his smooth undead skin as he feeds. He takes in how your hand never leaves his for too long, always searching for a form of physical contact with him, whether it be for his comfort or yours he’s not sure, but he likes it.

He always gets lost in your touch, the gentle caresses over his face as your fingers glide along his skin, the soft kisses that follow suit, the way your hands fit in his like they were made for each other. He clings onto each of these memories, afraid that one day they will fade away like his past before he became a vampire. He’s terrified that one day you will stop doing this, stop loving him so gently, stop lavishing upon him all the love and care you can muster, but each and every day you prove his doubts wrong.

“Star?” Your soft voice cuts through his haze of thoughts and you gently squeeze his hand, snapping him back to reality.

“Yes, my darling?” He presses a kiss to your neck, resisting the urge to nuzzle you again. The spot should be sore and he doesn’t want to irritate it further.

“Are you alright?” Your eyebrows crease with worry, the soft look of concern sent his way. His heart skips a beat each time you look at him like that, no one ever looked at him in that way until you came along and every look you send his way is a reminder of what he never had.

Instinctive words bubble up to his throat — words that throw up a facade, words that form a protective wall around his heart, words that shield him from the worst — but he pushes it all down, swallowing them. He doesn’t need these words around you, you’ve proven that over and over again. What he needs is your open mind, your caring heart to reassure him that being vulnerable is alright.

“I’m…” He’s not sure how to phrase it. Is he alright? He’s not sure. After 200 years of not being alright, he’s not even sure of what being ‘alright’ is.

Your thumb gently runs over his skin, jolting him out of his thoughts.

“You don’t have to tell me now. Whenever you’re ready, just say the word and I promise I’ll listen,” you say with such softness it nearly brings him to tears. He nods, swallowing hard and closes his eyes, taking in the way you gently hold his hands, the way you let him wrap himself around you even though he could very easily kill you with a bite in this position, the way you entrust your back to him both in and out of battle.

“Thank you,” he whispers. “Can we…stay like this a little longer?”

“Of course,” you murmur back, leaning back a little to press against him. His grip on you tightens, soft sweet words spilling from his lips into your ear and you know he means every single one of them.

You turn so that you can bury your face into his chest, intertwining your fingers with his and let out a sigh of contentment, smiling up at him.

“Love you.” The words spring forth before you know it. He blinks, caught off guard, body freezing in place as his mind struggles to process what you just said. It’s not the first time you’ve said that word to him, but every time you say it you surprise him.

You. Love him.

Even after everything the both of you have been through, there are times he cannot wrap his head around this fact. He blinks away the tears that are beginning to form and untangles his hand from yours just so he can cup your face, lift your chin and press his lips against yours.

He still can’t bring himself to say those words back to you. He knows how much weight they carry when each of them are meant wholeheartedly and he doesn’t feel ready to say them yet. He tightens his remaining grip on your hand, wanting to remain close to you for as long as possible and presses his forehead against yours until the shouts of your companions cause you to pull away.

“Looks like our time alone is over,” you murmur. “Let’s go.”

He lifts your hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles before reluctantly letting you go, a hint of sadness in his crimson eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be yours.” You smile softly at him, giving him a quick peck to the cheek before checking on the others, but you keep your hand in his, grasping tightly.

His. Always.

[cheeseceli]

That must be right

Pairing: Min Yoongi × Gn!reader

Genre: fluff, f2l, drabble

Request: can i request a yoongi idolbf! x reader and its just like a fluffy date, they're just dating and didnt really actually confess their feeling yet and like at the end of the date he or reader confesses

Warnings: tzuyu (twice) makes a cameo, suga overthinks a bit, y/n was delulu for a second here, not proofread.

A/n: don't you just love when he smiles | daily click

Yoongi doesn't know what to feel right now.

He should be happy, because oh my God this is happening. But he should also be anxious, because what is he supposed to do now that this is happening? And on top of it, he should be scared, because is this even supposed to be happening?

The way you saved his number as "my love" is a fact that has been spiraling in his head for hours now, since he discovered it. And it is just a silly little detail about your every day life. He wasn't even supposed to know about that. But he does. And now he can't stop thinking about that.

It's also about how you told Tzuyu (who definitely shouldn't have told Suga) you couldn't go out with her since you were having a date with your boyfriend. The boyfriend being Yoongi. And the date being the place you guys should go to in a few hours.

And there's nothing wrong with that, right? Except for the fact that you called him your boyfriend when he is... not your boyfriend. He would love to be, of course! But he is not. Unless he got lost in translation, which he highly doubts, considering how he is always replaying everything you say and do in his mind.

But you called him that. And, in some type of way, you called him your love as well. Never to his face, but you did. And Yoongi has no idea on how much of that he should consider. It could be just a not very funny joke. But you wouldn't joke about it, would you? So maybe he should just behave like nothing happened. Yeah, that's right. He shouldn't even know about those things at all.

So for the rest of the day, he pretends that he didn't discover anything. Everything is exactly as it was. But he can't bring himself to actually forget those. "My boyfriend". "My love". Those sentences were quite harsh to forget about.

You guys are on a date, so why can't you be actually dating? Do you even know that this is a romantic date? Does Yoongi know that? When did the line between friends who are secretly in love and actual lovers blurry itself so hard? It's getting ridiculous at this point. So many questions and very few answers.

He watches as you hold the huge popcorn bucket, trying your best not to drop anything. You were just waiting in line with him, waiting for the movie session to start, but you were so happy. Even when just standing still, your eyes were undeniably full of joy.

Yoongi also didn't miss how you never failed at being close to him. Not on a way to overwhelm him, just to be there. Like you just wanted his company, even if you weren't touching each other. Even if you were in complete silence, even if you didn't even look at each other just yet. You were both there. And that was all that mattered.

Useless to say that he paid absolutely no attention to the movie on the silver screen. He had no idea of who was staring in it, or what it was about. He barely looked at it to be honest. He was looking at you all the time. My boyfriend. My love. You surely acted like there was truth to those words.

For the first time in the past hour or so he looked away from you. He focused his gaze on the movie playing instead, but only because he wanted to reach to hold your hand, and he wouldn't be able to do it if he looked at you while doing so. That was proven particularly correct as he felt you turning your head just to look at him the moment you felt his touch.

He should've looked though. Maybe then he would see how your eyes proved that Yoongi was indeed your love. Maybe just not your boyfriend. Yet. That was soon to be solved, as he was already planning on how to confess the moment the two of you got out of the movie theater.

You were, after all, calling him your boyfriend for a while now. However, now it was time for him to call you his partner. Oh, and he so would do it. It felt right to do so.

And if it feels right, it must be right.

Masterlist | you'll probably like: shut me up

Reminder that this is all fiction! This does not represent the members in real life!

Taglist: @yuyubeans @butnotmontana

Dividers by @sweetmelodygraphics | credits for images 1, 2 and 3

[milaisreading]

🌱🩷: So here is one of the first stories I promised to write for my birthday... week? Idk, these are more of a treat for myself 😋 hope u like it!

Warnings: Reader uses a mix of she/her and he/him, since she is crossdressing. Requests are open! It's a yandere story, so be warned. If u don't like yandere stories, please skip this one

⚽️Blue lock belongs to Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura⚽️

"Hm? What's up with those two?" Hiori's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the scene unfolding in front of him. Yukimiya, who was sitting right next to him cleaned his glasses and put them on again, inspecting the two Bastard players in equal shock.

"Did I go completely insane?"

"No, you didn't. Or, all 4 of us went insane along with you." Isagi gulped, his grip around his chopsticks tightening.

"Since when is (Y/n) so friendly with that German guy?" Kurona gulped as the four watched (Y/n) and Gesner laugh over God knows what. They were both speaking in English and were a little bit away from them, so they couldn't quite understand what was so funny.

'Why are you so comfortable with him?! I am literally here!' Yukimiya thought as he fixed his glasses, trying to distract himself. Hiori had a smile and empty look in his eyes as he watched Gesner ruffle (Y/n)'s hair.

'Don't touch him with your dirty hands. Get away. Get away.'Kurona felt a unfamiliar rage take over him, but tried to keep himself calm. He can't lose his cool now.

'Why him? Please get away from him!' Isagi screamed on the inside.

As the 4 kept having their inner turmoil, (Y/n) was obliviously talking with Gesner.

"Thanks for those German lessons, they really helped me when communicating with the rest when we didn't have those translators."

"Nothing to thank me for. So, same thing tonight?" Gesner raised an eyebrow as she nodded her head.

"Sure. Now that NEL is finally over we have a lot more time to study." (Y/n) agreed as Gesner hummed.

"So, will you be picking Bastard as your team or Re Al? Just curious since you are invested in learning the language."

"I still didn't decide. But, knowing basics in a language is a good thing regardless." She answered as Gesner nodded in understanding.

The next day...

Now, Kunigami wasn't someone who felt jealousy often, after the whole Wild card thing he doubted he could feel anything. He was just tired, but surprisingly enough (Y/n) was not turned off by his new attitude. Kunigami was surprised, but a part of him felt happy that someone wanted to be around him, despite his more moody attitude. He, liked it. Along the way, he ended up developing feelings for the other player, and would always be nearby to help her with things or pull her away when Kaiser or Ness were annoying her. Of course, Kunigami never expected (Y/n) to fall for him, but he thought as long as she was his friend, he would be happy. But, today he was proven wrong with the way he viewed things.

'Why is that bastard so casually talking to him?!' Kunigami clenched his fists as he watched Gesner pinch (Y/n)'s cheek while saying something to her. Although he couldn't understand what it was the German was saying, the blush (Y/n) had on her face was enough to piss him off and set him into action. Kunigami quickly walked over to them and grabbed Gesner's wrist, pulling his hand away from (Y/n)'s face.

"Huh? Kunigami?" The girl blinked, but the boy spared her no attention as he kept on glaring at the confused German.

"Piss off."

'Scary!' She shivered and tried to separate the two while speaking.

"He wasn't hurting me, Kunigami. He just gave me back the pillow I forgot last night." Just as she said that, she immediately regretted it, as the look Kunigami gave her was full of anger, confusion, and sadness.

'Why was he sad?' (Y/n) thought as Kunigami cleared his throat.

"Can you let go, man?" Gesner said agitated as he tried to pull his hand away.

"What do you mean by last night?"

"I spent the night with Gesner in the monitor room and forgot it there."

'You... why him?!' Kunigami gulped, looking at (Y/n) in horror as he let go of Gesner's hand.

'Did... did I say something wrong?' She thought as she watched the whole ordeal.

Later that day...

Gagamaru was someone who could be perceived as different than the rest, not weird, just different. He was more of a guy who enjoyed nature, fighting with bears, and eating everything with his hands, even if they left messes afterwards. Gagamaru was aware he received weird looks, but one of the people he could count on to not perceive him weirdly was (Y/n). He always looked at her as a reliable captain, a talented player, and a great friend. Whenever he had issues or wanted someone to talk to, he knew (Y/n) would be there. And she was, and Gagamaru was always greatful for that. Along the way, Gagamaru ended up catching weird feelings, nervousness, happiness, anxiety whenever he was near her. It took him a while to understand he fell in love, to the point that he tried to keep her attention on him all the time.

'I wonder where he is...' Gagamaru sighed as he looked around the hallway. He really needed to talk to her, but the girl was nowhere to be found. Not in her room, not in the dining hall, not even in the monitor room!

Just as he was about to give up, he heard voices from down the hallway.

'(Y/n)...' The goalkeeper excitedly looked in her direction, only for the smile to drop when he saw Gesner next to her. They were way too close for his liking.

'Since when are they on talking terms?' The boy thought, weirded out by this.

"Hm? Gagamaru? Why aren't you asleep? It's pretty late." (Y/n) stopped conversing with Gesner and looked at Gagamaru in worry as they reached him. The goalkeeper stopped for a moment, then finally spoke up as he eyed Gesner weirdly.

"I... I couldn't sleep. So I took a walk. Why... why aren't you asleep?"

'And why are you with him so late?' Gagamaru wanted to add in, but stopped himself.

"I was telling Gesner what we can visit in Tokyo. Since we will have a few days off, he wanted to see some places before going to Germany." Gagamaru's eyes widened for a second, a unfamiliar pain hitting him when he looked between the two. (Y/n) having her usual smile while Gesner looked bored and confused due to him not having the translators.

"But..."

"Hm?"

"It's.... It's nothing." Gagamaru bit back his tongue as (Y/n) tried to question him again, but he completely blocked her out.

'Why him? We are your team! Not him!'

Gagamaru waisted no time to run to Isagi's room after (Y/n) and Gesner left. If there was one person who knew the midfielder well, it was Isagi. They needed to stop whatever was going on. But, to Gagamaru's surprise when he entered the room, he already saw Isagi and the other three deep in their own thoughts while Kunigami looked stressed.

"Isagi! We have an issue!"

The boy jumped up in his spot, then turned to look at the panicked goalkeeper.

"What happened?"

"Gesner... Him and (Y/n) plan on going together to Tokyo... Just the two of them."

Isagi quickly turned to look at Gagamaru, the speed made Gagamaru worry that he broke his neck for a moment.

"You... you are joking, right? (Y/n) wouldn't... Gesner and him-"

"Hiori, please don't say it put loud like that. God abandoned us today." Yukimiya sobbed and fell on his knees as Kurona looked at a pale Kunigami.

"What do we do? What do we do?"

Kunigami kept quiet as the boy kept on tugging on his sleeve, but he couldn't answer anything. The only answer he saw fit was bash Gesner's head into the wall for corrupting their captain, but that wouldn't be appropriate. (Y/n) would hate him of he did that.

"We need to call in the rest. It's an emergency meeting."

The players looked over at Isagi, who looked both annoyed and panicked.

Later...

Now that NEL was over, the other players were free to roam around without having to answer to the coaches. The BM players were more than greatful for that, even if the room was crowded for now. They had to think of a way to keep Gesenr away permanently. They seriously needed to do something about this development.

"Why are we here? I wanted to sleep." Otoya yawned, looking as annoyed as Rin did.

"Yeah, and why are we cramped up in this room?"

"Why are there clothes on the floor?" Barou looked at the discarded pants near one of the beds as Hiori facepalmed.

"That's not important now, Barou-"

"If the maid is so annoyed with it, he should clean it up. But for real, why did you call us here?" Chigiri questioned, ignoring Barou's annoyed yell.

"Calm down you both." Kunigami commented, looking for once worried.

"Huh? Kunigami, what happened to you? You are not moody anymore?" Bachira raised an eyebrow as Reo looked at the former hero in confusion as well.

"Yeah. Must be pretty serious if even you are invested in this. And why isn't (Y/n) here?"

"That's the thing. This is about him-"

"Damn, your beds are so much softer than ours. Can I sleep here instead?" Kurona held himself back as he got interrupted by Nagi, and he was about to say something but Isagi quickly stepped in.

"Please, this is serious. (Y/n)-"

"Couldn't it have waited after my nighttime routine? And you could have at least invited (Y/n) over to make the trip over here worth it." Aryu said, looking in annoyance at the 6 Bastard players while combing his hair.

"Can you let us finish speaking? This is about (Y/n)!" Gagamaru yelled, finally fed up with everyone's yelling and interrupting. The Blue lock team stopped dead in their tracks and looked at the 6.

"What do you mean about that? What happened? Is he sick?" Niko was the first one to speak up, followed by Tokimitsu who looked composed and calm for once.

"Is there something we need to know? Just tell us."

"I swear I will skin you all alive if you let him get hurt-"

"Calm down, king. This one isn't even our fault. Can you let us finish?" Yukimiya glared at the red-eyed boy as Karasu chimed in.

"Let's all calm down and let them finish. This isn't helping anyone." Although the crow boy said it calmly, they all could see he wasn't calm, at all.

"Thank you, as we said (Y/n) is the one we called you all over for." Hiori started, but stopped as he looked at Isagi for some support.

"He... well, Gagamaru saw him earlier and it looks like him and a German player are having a.... a date." Isagi cringed at the word and so did the others, who then looked back at the rest of the team. The reactions were a mix of everything. Otoya and Karasu looked stunned at each other and then back at Isagi, their expressions clearly giving away that they didn't believe them. Others like Bachira and Niko shrieked at the news and immediately jumped on Isagi, shaking the boy to repeat what he said, which caused Yukimiya and Kurona to step in and pull them away from him.

"You... you guys have to be joking. There is no way (Y/n) would date that guy... He isn't his type. Right, Reo?" Nagi said nervously as he quickly sat up on the bed, looking from Kunigami to Reo.

"That's right, I know him. He likes soft spoken people more. I am sure you misunderstood-"

"He told me that himself. You think I would make up such a horror scenario because I have nothing better to do?" Gagamaru interjected, causing Reo to shut his mouth, eyes widening in fear.

"This can't be... He wouldn't leave me like that...." The heir murmured as he slowly sat down on the bed. Chigiri and Aryu decided to approach this more rationally, there was no way they lost to that blonde guy.

"There must be something else behind it. Why would he pick some guy he just met when he has us?" Chigiri tried to stay calm as he nervously smiled at Hiori.

"You guys must be joking-" Aryu started but Kunigami interrupted him.

"We are not. And, I do find it believable after what I found out."

"Which is? What did you find out?" Tokimitsu spoke up as an eerie calmness took over the room.

"Him and Gesner spent the night together in the monitoring room. (Y/n) told me so himself." Kunigami finally said, looking as disgusted as he did when her told Isagi and his friends earlier. Yukimiya looked at everyone, as expected, none of them looked well, faces pale and looking at them like they were ghosts. He bit his lips and quickly sprung into action along with Kunigami as they heard Barou and Rin scream.

"That nobody, lukewarm player! I will kill him for trying to take him away from me!"

"Not if I do that first. I will make his death as painful as possible."

Yukimiya and Kunigami quickly ran over to them to hold them back from leaving as Hiori yelled at them, looking at Karasu's calm demeanor suspiciously.

"Wait! We need to watch our next actions. If (Y/n) finds out we even had this meeting, we are done for!"

"Are you stupid?! I am not letting some no-name player take him from me!" Rin glared back at Hiori.

"This is all your fault, Isagi! You should have watched over him!" Barou yelled at the blue-eyed boy, who tried to keep his cool after the whole room went into a panic mode.

"I will break that Gesner guy's bones." Karasu declared as he cracked his knuckles, earning a nod from Otoya.

"I will join you there. Leave some for me."

"Hey! I am in this picture as well. I want to see him suffer as well!" Bachira said in a happy demeanor, so happy that it was creepy.

"I want blood, a lot of it. There is no way I will let him go unpunished for trying to take (Y/n) away." Chigiri cleared his throat.

"Is murder legal, Reo? Please tell me it is." Nagi said as he tugged on the boy's sleeve.

"I will bail you out of jail regardless if it is or isn't."

"I just want (Y/n). Where is he?" Niko asked as he held back a few sobs while Aryu glanced back at Gagamaru.

"Where is his room? I know we can talk him out of this."

"So you don't want that Gesner guy to pay?" Tokimitsu wondered as Aryu raised an eyebrow.

"I never said that."

Isagi looked at the whole chaos in front of him as an idea popped into his head. He knew exactly what they can do! Gesner was just one, while the rest of them were a team. Sure, they might not get along, but the do agree on one thing. (Y/n) was meant for the Blue Lock team, and the Blue Lock team only. And the common enemy will make it a lot easier for all of them to get along.

"I have an idea! For that though, we all have to work together. If we want (Y/n) to just focus on us, that is."

The whole room stopped and looked over at Isagi, who had that same expression he would wear when he finally figured out where he could score the next goal.

"Go on." Rin demanded as the rest kept quiet.

2 days later...

(Y/n) was standing near the Shibuya station, waiting for Gesner for the past 30 minutes. The girl was a little worried, and she would have rather picked him up from the facility than let him come here alone, but her parents were insisting on her coming home because of some family meeting.

'It was absolutely worthless, anyway. Where is he even? Did he get lost?' She thought in a worried manner as she dialed his number again, only for it to go to voice-mail immediately.

"How annoying..." She muttered while fixing up her mask, deciding to scroll through her phone while observing some of the people that were passing by.

'The girls are so lucky they can wear those cute dresses... Meanwhile, I am stuck with a boring shirt and pants.' (Y/n) pouted and looked down at her clothes.

"(Y/n)!" The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she heard three familiar voices yells her name while she got tackled to the ground. The passerbys looked at the group in surprise and whispered as they slowly started recognizing the players. But, Bachira, Kurona and Niko paid them no mind as they looked down at the girl.

"Guys, what are you doing here? And, can you get off of me?" (Y/n) asked calmly as the trio agreed and got off her and then helped her up.

"We were roaming around the place and saw you. Why are you here alone?" Niko explained in an innocent manner, trying not to give away that all three of them knew the answers already.

"Yeah, it's kind of weird to be standing alone here of all places." Bachira giggled.

"You are the one to talk." Kurona said in a more defensive manner as he stood in front of (Y/n), to which the girl chuckled a little.

"It's ok, and I was just waiting for Gesner to arrive. He is pretty late and won't answer any calls." She said in a worried tone, but neither of the boys paid it any mind.

'You don't need him.'

'We are all you need.'

'So stop thinking of him, please.' The trio thought as Bachira cleared his throat.

"Well, if he is leaving you stranded like this, Isagi, Chigiri, Otoya, Yikimiya, and Aryu are outside waiting for us. Join us instead."

"I can't just leave him with no warning, Bachira. That's rude." (Y/n) scolded the boy a little.

"And where is the rest? They didn't want to come?"

"No, they did. They are just looking around some malls and will join us as well." Niko quickly added in as Kurona nodded along. But, before (Y/n) could say anything her phone went off. A message! She quickly looked at the sender, relieved it was Gesner who sent it to her. The trio watched her expression slowly drop, and they felt guilty for assisting in making her upset, but that slowly faded as they remembered they could lose her otherwise.

'Sorry,(Y/n). This was necessary...' Kurona gulped.

"Huh..."

"Everything ok?" Niko asked obliviously as (Y/n) looked up at him.

"Gesner said he won't be able to come. Noa-san called them in for a last minute meeting..."

"That's sad, but you can now join us instead. What do you say?" Bachira said, not even bothering to hide his excitement as (Y/n) sighed and put her phone away.

"I guess. You won't mind if I joined you out of the blue?"

"Absolutely not!" Niko smiledand grabbed one of ther arms while Bachira grabbed the other.

"Come on! We have so many fun activities planned!"

The two started pulling her towards the station's exit while Kurona was behind and pushing her.

"Hey! No need to do all that! I will follow you three." (Y/n) said I an amused manner, used to their demeanor.

'That's right. Just laugh around us.' Bachira thought as he slowly tightened his grip around her hand.

'Just pay attention to us.' Niko thought, glancing at the girl.

'We will keep you safe from outsiders. Like every teammate would.' Kurona mused to himself as they finally exited the station and saw their group of friends eagerly waiting for them.

"Yoo-hoo! We found (Y/n) on our way here!" Bachira yelled as the group smiled excitedly at the captain.

"We didn't expectvyou here. How was meeting up with your family again?" Isagi wondered.

"It was the usual. Nothing notable." (Y/n) shrugged as the three boys finally let go of her.

"Now that we have (Y/n) here, we should go and eat!" Otoya exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" (Y/n) raised an eyebrow as Yukimiya and Chigiri shook their heads.

"They are taking their time, and I am hungry as well."

"Yeah. The slow pokes will catch up to us, anyway."

"Let's go then." Aryu exclaimed as they finally started walking towards a local restaurant. The initial sadness (Y/n) was feeling slowly faded away, enjoying the company of her friends and teammates now.

'That's right. We are all you need. I am all you need.' Aryu thought as je watched (Y/n) laugh at something Yukimiya said.

'This is how it should be. Just him and us... and no outsiders.' Chigiri hummed.

'I wonder when they will arrive. Hopefully soon.' Isagi thought as he remembered the rest of his team that was missing.

'I wanted to bash his head into the wall in, but noo Karasu had to part us like this.' Otoya thought, still salty that he couldn't take part in the other group.

Meanwhile...

"This is quite a mess. It's a good thing barely anyone is here today." Tokimitsu thought as he looked at all the blood in the shower room. Karasu shrugged his shoulders as he pointed at Barou and Rin.

"Blame them. They went mayhem on Gesner."

"You guys really did the most on him. I can barely recognize his face." Hiori giggled, earning eyerolls from Rin and Barou.

"Of course I will when he tried to steal what's mine." Barou rolled his eyes as Rin sneered at Gesner's body.

"Ours, maid Barou, ours. We said we would share him." Nagi yawned as him and Reo cleaned their hands.

"Reo, for how long will the cameras be defect again?" Kunigami wondered as Gagamaru leaned against one of the walls, staring as Gesner's bloody form with a blank expression.

"You deserved this." The goalkeeper whispered, growing more and more irritated.

"We have still an hour left till the maintenance is done, they will reactivated then. Let's quickly change and leave while nobody is around." The heir smirked as Rin started walking towards the exit of the shower rooms.

'Finally. I have nothing to fear now. He won't leave me for a no name player.' Rin thought, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"I really wish there was a cleaner way..." Barou groaned as he followed after the younger Itoshi.

"This was as clean as it could get. Now lets hurry up! I want to see (Y/n) again. I didn't see him yesterday or today." Hiori hummed with a smile.

"It was either this or nothing. Intimidating him wouldn't have worked." Kunigami shrugged.

"What's done is done. We just need to make sure (Y/n) doesn't find him like that. I don't  want him to be traumatized by some pest." Reo commented as Gagamaru nodded.

"I am sure someone will find him before he does, and if not, we will keep him away from the shower room."

"You better." Nagi side eyed as Karasu yawned.

"Do you all think they started eating without us?"

"Probably. (Y/n) loves food, so I am sure he is eating at least." Barou nodded his head at Tokimitsu's statement and spoke up again.

"Let's just hurry up now! I miss (Y/n)."

The rest nodded their heads and quickly changed their clothes and packed the dirty one away to get rid of it. After all, they can't have their captain see blood of a no name guy.

[andy-wm]

https://x.com/jmnberries/status/1817503692083396934

LOUD AND CLEAR

Said by Jimin himself. He's searching for the person he's meant to be with, the one his heart is waiting for. He passes one person after another thinking is it you or you. And guess what ? IT WAS ALWAYS A WOMAN.

You and your theory about WHO proven wrong for 975939488848th time 😛

My goodness Anon, are you telling me my theory has been discussed that many times? That's quite an achievement! I didn't know my theories - or I - had such a far reaching impact.

[basking in the glow of this proud moment]

Ok I'm done basking, now back to the ask:

For those of you playing along at home, here's the tweet Anon sent in, for context.

Anon, I'm going to quote you, since you said it so succinctly...

"He passes one person after another thinking 'is it you or you'. And guess what ? IT WAS ALWAYS A WOMAN."

Absolutely correct Anon!

It WAS always a woman

I'm glad we agree on this.

You also said "He's searching for the person he's meant to be with, the one his heart is waiting for."

Yes! We agree on this too!

He's definitely working hard to find the one his heart is waiting for - you said it yourself, he's searching. He's actively looking for them.

We're doing well so far...

Oh but context is important here, right??

We should probably clarify that he's actually describing the last scene of the MV - the one he's about to film. He's not describing himself or his own life.

Yes, to be totally transparent, Jimin is describing a scene he's shooting for the MV of a song - a song he asked Jon Bellion to write. A song he himself didn't contribute to beyond that. He didn't write the visual narrative for the MV either, that was the creatives at Lumpens. No doubt he gave a lot of input but he didn't provide the material.

Did you forget that part, Anon? Or did you think he was actually describing his own life? Or... were you sneakily pretending he was talking about his real life when he said those things, because that suited your argument?

If you were trying to make it sound like he was talking about his own personal lived experiences, that kinda sucks. Because we love Jimin for WHO HE IS. We don't need to make shit up about his life and pretend things are real when they aren't.

We don't need to pretend, Anon, we can just observe, write about what we see - honestly and objectively and without judgement - and then step back and look at the situation.

I guess you might be wondering how come I'm analysing everything if I think we should just be talking about what we see. Fair call. I don't mean that we can't read between the lines or make educated (substantiated) guesses that we can back up with facts (and cite our sources - I am a librarian after all). I also don't mean we can't look deeper than the surface. There are always layers of meaning and hidden messages in the art produced for BTS. I get right into it because I enjoy it - my background is in visual arts analysis so it's kinda my jam - but I'm not just making shit up. I have a wealth of learning and experience I'm basing my analysis on. I'm also not claiming that it's fact - it's an interpretation - It's my interpretation (and just quietly I am pretty good at this stuff so it's a justified and plausible interpretation).

What I'm saying is don't purposefully misinterpret what you see to mislead, or to fuel an opinion or argument that doesn't stand up otherwise. If you have to bend the truth to back up your argument, you might want to reconsider that argument. Theory is built on evidence, not the other way around.

But back to Jimin...

Of course it's perfectly possible that he did spend several years thinking he would one day find true love with a woman. Maybe he dated loads of women. Maybe he came close to finding a deep love with one or more of them. And if he did, I hope those were happy times for him (or at least meaningful times if happiness was elusive). I would never think of denying that if I saw evidence of it, or judging him for who he loves (or loved). I don't think there's any wrong or right here - whether it's heterosexual or bisexual or asexual or gay or queer or into kink or poly or whatever else he is or does. Who he fucks or who he loves or who he feels emotionally safe with - and for many of us humans those are not necessarily even the same people - that's his business.

His life, his body, his business.

I don't judge Jimin. I just admire and celebrate him for who he is.

And I wish him happiness.

I wish them both so, so much happiness.

That's the whole point of all of this, really.

That's why I watch Jimin and Jungkook together, Anon. Not because I want them to be together or because I think they should be, but because I see real happiness when they are together.

True happiness and true love are rare and beautiful things.

I think that's why most of us Jikookers are here, Anon. Because the joy we see and the delight we feel, just from witnessing these two beautiful people being happy, is real.

I'm not saying ALL of us are altruistic. Some Jikookers are full of shit. They covet one or both of them and they think supporting Jikook's relationship entitles them to make judgements or assumptions or claims about Jimin and JK. They get possessive, they objectify, they demand things. Some people who claim to support Jikook have spite and hatred in their hearts... yes, we have our share of nut jobs too.

But the majority of genuine Jikook supporters I encounter are simply here to celebrate the greatest love story we've ever seen. We're here to get behind two beautiful men who clearly love each other despite the odds against them. We're here to bask in the reflection of their glow and it's bloody wonderful.

But, I digress....

Let's go back to the making of the MV for WHO...

<and here I go again with the analysis>

Here Jimin describes the MV, just like when talking about the final scene. He says it's like a musical movie.

"Right now we're filming one of my favourite parts. It's like a musical movie." There's definitely a narrative here, it's the part where he joins 6 other male dancers, an obvious nod to BTS.

We already know there 's a narrative, but Jimin confirms it for us here.

So let's look again at the narrative:

Throughout this production we can see that the dance (not choreographed by Jimin) and the lyrics (not written by Jimin) have been created/chosen to show /tell us that Jimin (the performer) is searching among all these women for the love of his life.

THAT'S *PART* OF THE STORY THEY ARE TELLING.

But it leaves out a pretty big development ...

He was searching for love, looking at every woman just as he was supposed to, but someone (WHO?) crashed into his life and stopped him in his tracks. Yes, that someone fell directly into his path in a way that couldn't be ignored.

Jimin said

"I try to see WHO I'm meant to be with... is it you? Is it you?"

It doesn't sound like he was giving anyone much of a chance, does it? It sounds more like he was searching for someone in particular.

Maybe it was no accident. Maybe he was searching for WHO all along and he just didn't realise, until he found him.

Ok I am done talking (finally)

I'll finish responding to this ask so we can all go on with our lives.

To respond to your specific query, Anon:

Jimin doesn't say he's searching for a woman himself, does he? Not even in that quote you supplied.

He could have said "women walk past me" but he said "people walk past me".

He could have said he's trying to see which of these women he's meant to be with, but instead he said "who I'm meant to be with"

We can't ignore him saying WHO, Anon.

The song isn't called Which woman?

The song is called WHO

Anon, if you stuck with me all the way through this post, I commend you.

And yes, I was a bit facetious in the beginning, in my defence I had a shitty day at work. But I responded to you as the adult I imagine you to be, even though your language was a little on the childish side. I assume you were intending to piss me off but I enjoyed answering to your ask, so thank you regardless.

If you are still here I want to ask you a few genuine questions in return... I'd love to hear your honest answer.

Why, in the face of all the evidence, it's so difficult to accept that Jimin and Jungkook have a bond that goes beyond friendship or brotherhood?

They look like they're vey happy together, so why do you want them to not be together?

Why is it a problem for you if they love each other? Homophobia is learned behaviour. Who did you learn it from?

And probably my most burning question:

Have you ever experienced true, deep, lasting love?

[teyums]

His Secret Admirer (Final Part) - Neteyam x fem na’vi reader

part one | part two | part three |bonus chapter

wc: 8.3k

a/n: ahhh you guys we’ve reached the end of the His Secret Admirer series! So bittersweet :,). Thank you for all the love on the chapters I’ve put out, it means a lot that people enjoy my writing this much. And thank you for 500 followers!! (still can’t believe that).

Here is the well awaited Part 4, the final part. I am sooo beyond happy with how this came out I honestly think it’s my best one, and it’s also the longest out of all of them! I had so much fun writing it i love these two so much it hurts. I hope you guys enjoy reading! 💗

contains: sooo much fluffff with a sprinkle of spice 🤭

The next morning came terribly fast, which was pretty much the opposite of what you had hoped for. You awoke groggy and unsettled, the night hadn’t the courtesy of blessing you with the rest you so badly needed to prepare for what was to come. Today was the day of the well awaited festival, the day you looked forward to all year, and now you were dreading in with every fiber in your body. While you tried to convince yourself you were ready to face Neteyam, you were still utterly terrified at the possibility of potentially facing rejection.

You pulled the light sheet that held warmth to your body over your face, hoping your mother would somehow forget you even existed.  You weren’t even sure you were breathing. Your body tensed when you heard footsteps nearing, shutting your eyes and making a wish for them to disappear. Perhaps it would’ve worked had you not used them all up last night, begging for at least a couple hours of continuous, undisturbed sleep.

The sheets were pulled from over your head, the bright sunlight making an abrupt reappearance and aiding in waking you up completely. “Maaaa!” You groaned, throwing an arm up to cover your eyes. “Leave me, I’m not ready.” Your whining did nothing to deter your mother from her plans.

“Up, child. There is no time like the present.” She sat beside you, grabbing your arm and gently pulling you to sit up next to her.

You sluggishly lifted your body from where you had fallen asleep last night, your shoulders slumping as you looked at her with doubting eyes. “But what if it all goes wrong?”

“No fear, everything will work out the way it is meant to in the end.” She spoke reassuringly, stroking your arm.

Your mother was always so positive all the time, and usually she was correct. You had no idea how she did it, but it’s been proven your mother knows best so you listened. You exhaled, your uncertainty leaving along with your breath and nodding your head in agreement.

“Good, now we must begin. There is no time to waste.” She grinned.

Taking your braids down took what felt like three lifetimes. In na’vi culture when a woman is looking to court a potential mate, her hair must be loose and styled differently than it is everyday. Something about impressing the male you would be promised to. You tugged at the beads that had been woven into your hair for about a month now, wincing whenever it would catch a loose strand in the process. Though the action of unloosing them was both daunting and aggravating, you couldn’t help the way your excitement grew every time you moved onto the next one.

You ran your fingers through your jet black hair, it slightly wavy from the style it had previously been in. It stopped just above your mid back, the sides pulled back and secured with a clasp adorned with beautiful crimson colored feathers. Two strands were left out in the front, the bottoms having two of each of the beads you used for Neteyam’s necklace on them.

Your mother had sewn together a gorgeous outfit for you, the top garment using the same feathers you had in your hair. They were strung together with thin beaded loops, about three small feathers coming down on each side of your chest to maintain your decency. You held it out in front of you, looking towards your mother apprehensively. The top was so tiny, you wondered if it would actually even cover anything.

Thankfully for you, it did. You still felt a bit exposed as this was much more revealing and dainty than something you would normally wear, however you knew it was only because of the occasion, so you obliged. The feathers felt soft against your skin, and you gently toyed with the intricate beading that tickled below your collarbone. You eyed yourself in the slab of glass that served as a mirror, covering your mouth in awe at the sight of yourself.  You hadn’t felt this beautiful in a while and your mom could tell, coming over to give you a tight hug and smiling back at you in the reflection.

“My child, you look stunning. I cannot believe how much you’ve grown.” Her voice was one of intense admiration, backing away and waving her hands as she started to tear up.

“Mama,” You laughed to yourself, bringing a hand up to your cheek as you quickly became embarrased. Your smile was bittersweet, approaching your very emotional mother and taking hold of her shaky hands. “Don’t cry. I’m still your little syulang.”

She sniffed and nodded in immediate agreeance, pulling you into yet another hug that you were sure would cut off your airways this time. Wiping her tears, she reached over to grab the necklace the two of you had made off the table, gently placing it in your open palm and closing it. “Go get him.” She gleamed.

~~~

Neteyam sat on a stool in front of a mirror in his family’s home, head hung in silence and hands clasped together in his lap. He eyed them closely, feigning interest while his thumbs twiddled idly. The tension in the air between him and his mother as she prepared him for the festival could easily be sliced with the knife he kept strapped to his waist. His braids were pulled back, orange feathers weaved into the strands here and there. He had a burning urge to pluck them out, grimacing at the fact that Eyiti would be wearing matching ones.

Neytiri worked on him silently, a word hadn’t been spoken between them since his outburst yesterday, and he felt the guilt eating him alive. His mother always had something to say, even if it were something as simple as correcting him on his grammar. Knowing her to be outspoken, she made sure her opinion was always heard, even if nobody wanted to listen. So the fact that he hadn’t heard her so much as scold him made him worry. Either her feelings were vastly hurt, or she was in deep contemplation about something.

“Your father and I have made a decision.” The sudden appearance of his mother’s voice caused his head to snap up in her direction, his mouth open slightly while he awaited the verdict. He searched her face for any hint towards what she would say next, but lately it’s been hard for him to read her emotions. Saying the two of them had been disconnected recently was putting it lightly.

“And?” He questioned, his voice just above a whisper. For some reason he was afraid that if he asked too eagerly, the answer he received would be opposite of the one he so badly wanted.

“And,” She sighed, placing the tool she had used to help re-braid his hair down on the table. “We have decided to let you choose your own mate.”

His eyes widened the second the words left her lips and his arms trapped her in a tight embrace before she could fully finish what she was saying. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” He repeated, feeling that familiar lump return to his throat. “I’m so sorry for what I said, mother.” His voice split as her hand came down to affectionally caress his head.

“Neteyam,” She peered down at him empathetically, using her hand to turn his face towards her and keeping it on his cheek. “Do not apologize, you were right. We have no right to dictate who you love. I chose for myself, as should you.” She nodded, pulling him away gently so she could finish getting him ready. “All that’s needed from you, is to get through tonight.” Tying his songchord around his bicep, she smiled at him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders. “And after that, I would love to meet the girl my son has fought so hard for.”

~~~

You watched as na’vi gleefully danced into the auburn night, singing out praises to the spirits and celebrating a year that had awarded your clan with yet another bountiful hunting season. There was a big bonfire off to the side where a circle of drunken men sat around, laughing loudly and feasting on the legs of an animal with gluttony. You clasped the necklace in your hands tightly and carefully made your way through the crowd, repeating affirmations in your head to keep yourself from puking. It was simple, really. Find Neteyam, give him the necklace, and tell him you have feelings for him and want to be his life long mate. Boom, happily ever after. Easy, right? Wrong. You kept forgetting that she-devil would probably be attached to him at the hip, making your plan even harder to go through with than it already was.

You shook the image out of your head before it burned itself into your skull, mapping out your breathing to remain calm. “You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.” You mumbled to yourself, peeking your head around in the mass of people until your eyes locked on the man of the hour.

The second you saw him it felt like time came to a full stop. Neteyam looked even more breathtaking than usual, you had thought that would’ve been impossible until this very moment. You honestly had to stop thinking like that, this was the second time he had proven you wrong and it was getting kind of embarrassing seeing as your mouth would hang open in utter shock every time. Colorful beads and feathers embelished his hair and he wore a shoulder piece that made it easy to determine his status when he stood next to the other young men. You stared at him incredulously, almost forgetting what you were supposed to be doing right now.

You wished you could have stayed there forever and it was nice while it lasted, but unfortunately it was time to face reality.

A body that had been blocking your sight of who was next to him moved to the side and Eyiti came into view, her hand clasped onto Neteyam’s forearm as she stood next to him. Her grip so tight you could see the indentations in his arm, it looked like it hurt. You swallowed what felt like an impossible lump to push down, closing your eyes and repeating encouraging words to yourself.

You quickly decided it was not working like it did before.

“I can’t do this.” Your chest heaved, your lungs out of breath without even holding it. You spun around on your heels before he could notice you, prepared to accept defeat and go home.

But the unexpected sounds of blood curdling screams and shrieks caused you to gasp and quickly return to your prior position, the commotion of people frantically running to safety not allowing you to see what was going on. “What? What’s going on?” You grabbed the shoulders of some around you and spoke anxiously, but your attempts were futile. Your ears perked up attentively at the sound of a spine-chilling growl.

Oh no. Not here.

Your feet picked up speed before your mind could register where they were taking you. Ducking through the crowd, you hurriedly ushered the children who hadn’t yet found their mothers together and in the opposite direction of the growling. War cries began to ring out, and you watched as every hunter surrounding the perimeter of the common grounds raised their bows and weapons with haste.

“Wait!” You hopelessly shoved past barriers of your people, your voice not having the ability to project over the warriors shouting above you. You squeezed yourself between panicked bodies and nearly tripped over limbs, your ears letting you know you were getting closer.

Jake and Neytiri had since stood from their chairs that were positioned to look down over the people, and the expressions on their faces let you know that the situation in front of them was far from good.

Directly in front of Neteyam and Eyiti stood a blood thirsty Palulukan, it’s six strong legs aiding in it’s slow and menacing prance towards them. By the looks of its nostrils flaring in agitation, you were sure it would pounce any second. Neteyam, being the fearless warrior he is, instinctively stepped in front of Eyiti and raised his bow, stretching an arrow against the string with one swift motion.

You forced yourself into the center where others had backed up enough to make a large circle. Mothers held onto their children protectively, more terrified than ever. “Neteyam, lower your bow!” Your voice caught his attention almost instantly but his arms stayed raised in position, ready to protect whoever he needed to.

His eyes did not meet yours, instead they stayed targeted on the vicious animal in front of him and he shook his head harshly, not daring to let his attention waver. “Get back [Y/n]. Now.” He ordered.

You shoved the necklace you realized you were still clutching away and into your bag, your hands put out in front of you as you pleaded with him. “Please, you are scaring her. She will pounce.” You responded breathlessly, your eyes flickering between him and the most feared creature on Pandora who was obviously not in the best mood. You were most familiar with her than the others of her species, she was the one you often ran into when venturing through the forest and you could instantly tell by the sound of her growl. You usually had scraps to offer her but it was extremely rare that a Palulukan would come deep into the village, leaving you with nothing to utilize but your own skills.

“She?” You heard Lo’ak’s voice carry over from the top of the hill, referring to the fact that you knew the gender of the savage animal you all heard stories of when you were young. “[Y/n], are you crazy?!” He screeched.

Kiri’s head snapped in his direction and she swatted at his arm. “Lo’ak, hush! You must not distract her.” Whisper yelling at him so only he could hear, he rubbed his arm to soothe the sting and scowled at her.

Tuk peeked out from behind Kiri’s legs, tugging on her fingers to get her attention with a worried look on her face. “Is it gonna hurt her?” Kiri peered down at her younger sister, gently shushing her and shaking her head before returning her attention back to you. Her gaze was one of profound fascination and oddly enough— trusting.

Pre-occupied with trying to stop Neteyam from releasing his arrow in defense, you hadn’t noticed Eyiti slowly backing away from him, the look on her face one of great terror.

The last thing you wanted to do when face to face with an animal threatening to attack, was move.

“Do not!” You shrieked, your warning coming late when the snarling creature started towards her. She screamed in fear, tripping over her own feet and falling flat on her butt. Her eyes flooded with tears and she used her hands to crawl backwards, farther away from the snarling beast. You hate to admit it but there was a tiny part of you that wanted to let this creature sink her teeth into the girl who had made it her life’s mission to terrorize you. The elders, including Neteyam’s parents and hers, stood in attention at the top of the hill at the roots of home tree. Eyiti’s parents called out to her in distress, but they were much too far to assist and moving would only accelerate the attack. They would never make it in time.

You jumped into action, strategically positioning yourself right in the middle of the Palulukan and a defenseless Eyiti. The entire clan gasped, some even cried out prayers and shielded the eyes of their children as they were sure you would die in this very moment. Neteyam was the only one who relaxed somewhat, the string of his bow becoming less taut. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but for some reason, he felt you knew what you were doing.

“Ma Jake!” Neytiri cried out, one hand on her chest and the other grabbing his arm, begging for him to do something. “It will kill her!”

Jake stared down at the scene unfolding in front of him, completely bewildered with his mouth hanging open. “What the hell is she doing? Get out of there!” He yelled.

With your shoulders pulled back confidently, you mirrored the hunting approach of the animal in front of you and glared through your brows, stalking like a Palulukan would before ambushing its prey. You watched it take a step back once you rounded closer in attempt to force more room between it and the blubbering girl behind you, then raising a hand in the air to silence the na’vi who had many distracting comments and opposing opinions against your methods. “Mawey my people, mawey!” You shouted, not taking your eyes off the task in front of you.

Your olo’eyktan watched intently, signaling his approval to the men to lower their weapons like you instructed.

Kiri smiled from ear to ear while watching you, the expression on her face contrasting greatly from everyone else’s. “I knew it.” She whispered to herself, resulting in Lo’ak looking at her like she had lost her Eywa-loving mind.

The giant beast opened its mouth and a loud, menacing roar rumbled deep from its diaphragm. Sharp quills stood tall off its neck while its beard flared out as an intimidation tactic. You stood unfazed, tilting your head with narrowed eyes and loudly hissing in response. Your ears had fallen flat against your hair while you barred your sharp fangs right back with no fear. Neteyam blinked at you in genuine disbelief when the animal’s challenging stance faltered, its legs lowering itself into a submissive position in defeat.

You sighed in relief and rolled your eyes, steadily approaching the beast and gently stroking its head. “What is the matter with you, Yuna? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I-is she… talking to it?” The younger Sully boy questioned, looking back and forth to anyone for an answer. Nobody could respond to him, everyone stood in shock- not able to process what had just happened. “It has a name? Bro, is nobody as lost as I am right now?” He screamed, his hands holding his head as if it were about to explode.

Your eyes dropped down when you noticed one of her legs slightly raised off the ground. You quirked an eyebrow and crouched to get a better look, easily recognizing what had made her come into the village in the first place. There was a thick, sharp chunk of wood lodged between the webbing of her paw. It would have been impossible to remove on her own.

“Oh my… you poor thing. Let me help you.” Your voice was sympathetic as you lowered your head to examine how deep it had gone, deciding it was safe for you to remove it. You used all of your strength to lift the paw that was much bigger than the size of your head with assistance from the creature, gripping the large splinter and finally removing it with a grunt after a few seconds of tugging. The animal roared in pain, and with a whimper its demeanor quelled due to the instant relief, earning an accomplished smile from you. You looked around in search of food, grabbing some teylu out of a bowl from a table off to the side. You tossed the blood stained slab of lumber to the ground once you rose to your feet.

“Make a path.” You ordered, watching the crowd that was huddled around you hurriedly part like the Red Sea.

You waved the worms in front of the creature’s nose, watching her nostrils twitch with interest before you threw them into the direction of the forest. You watched the thanator gallop away, sighing and wiping your hands off onto your legs.

“Ma Jake… Who is that girl? She possesses a fine ability.” The Tsahik stared down at you, her voice seeping with pure awe. She couldn’t even blink. Neytiri had never seen such a display in her entire life. A Palulukan had not been tamed like this since… well, her. Almost two decades past. And even then, that had been an offer of assistance from Eywa to restore balance to the land during the war with the sky people. A genuine taming, such as this, was completely unheard of.

Kiri placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder. “That is the girl Neteyam has been trying to tell you about this entire time, mother.” She smiled. “That girl, is [Y/n].”

“My daughter.” Your mother’s voice clarified as she emerged from the crowd to address Tshaik, effectively catching Neytiri’s attention, but your mother’s eyes remained on you from afar. She had been watching closely, off to the side the entire time. You had explained your hunches with the animals of Pandora to her before, how you felt a deeper connection to them than most did. All of them, even those forbidden to interact with. Though she had never seen it for herself until now, her faith in you never wavered for a second. Her eyes filled with pride seeing her daughter prove herself in a way even better than she had imagined.

Remembering you were in the middle of the circle, you looked up to see everyone gawking at you and cleared your throat before speaking up.

“Um… I’m sorry about her. You all can go back to the party now, everything’s fine. Please, proceed.” You looked around and motioned to the tables that still had candles lit atop them, staring blankly at all the eyes that were glued to your face. You were definitely not used to having this much attention on you, or attention period. It was so quiet you could hear the crackling of the bonfire in the distance. Nobody could believe how casually you were speaking about what you had just done.

“Y-you saved my life… I- Thank you.” Eyiti was a sniffling mess, her body trembling in shock from what could’ve resulted in her death. Her cheeks were stained with tears and for once in her life, her expression matched her words. Oh how it made your heart swell with joy to see her groveling.

Looking down at her, your face twisted as if you had smelled something rotten. “No, I saved my friend’s life. You, however, just happened to get lucky.” You scoffed, making your way out of the circle.

Neteyam’s breaths were heavy as he watched you, glancing up to his father with sanguine eyes, a silent plea to go after you. As soon as Jake hurriedly gave him the okay, he was running off into the crowd. Not even taking a second to help his so called ‘date’ up from the ground that served in humbling her.

He tried his best to keep up with your strides, losing sight of you a few times and apologizing to those he bumped into. He rolled his arm, swiping off the shoulder piece that was preventing him from keeping up with you and letting it drop to the ground. He plucked the feathers out of his hair with zero regard of those watching, wanting to rid of everything that had to do with the girl who kept you two apart.

You managed to make your way out of the sea of people and faded into the forest, ducking under branches and successfully escaping from the sudden influx of attention you gained from your entire village. A relaxed breath left your lips once you were out of sight, trying to take in the fact that you had saved not only one life but two, all while in front of the boy you were preparing to confess to at that. You whipped your head around at the sound of leaves rustling, hearing a voice that never failed to make your heart jump.

“[Y/n], wait!” Neteyam called out for you, his expression softening once you finally stopped. “Jeez, you’re fast.” He breathed out.

You couldn’t help the smile that threatened to appear on your face, dissappointment quickly flooding back in once you remembered the reason the two of you hadn’t been together in the first place. “Yes?”

He searched your eyes for anything that would tell him you were just as stunned as he was, but he was unsuccessful. You stood in front of him, appearing nonchalant despite what had just occurred. “What was that back there?” He asked, reaching forward and taking hold of your arm. “It was like you knew what to do. How?”

You looked down at his hand on your skin, not even being able to think as he was touching you. You swallowed hard, shrugging your shoulders sheepishly as you tried to find an answer. “I-I don’t know. I just… I listened to her. It was like I could hear her- hear her voice.” Your tone grew faint when your eyes met his again, realizing he had never once stopped looking at you, even when you stopped looking at him. You chewed your bottom lip, lowering your head to stare at the ground with a puff of air that was supposed to be a laugh. “You think I’m crazy now, don’t you.” You mumbled.

“No, no! I believe you, I do. I promise.” He shook his head vigorously, dipping his head to catch your faltering gaze once he realized that his wide-eyed, dumbfounded look must’ve given off that impression. “Look, I’m really sorry about yesterday. I did not plan for any of that to happen, with Eyiti. It was my parents doing, I tried to get out of it but I couldn’t…” He sighed, his voice faltering when he spoke of her. He didn’t even want to think about her, let alone bring her up to you.  

He felt you pull away slightly, apprehensive due to you having no idea what was really going on behind the scenes other than what you had witnessed with your own eyes.

“[Y/n],” His eyebrows creased apologetically, his hand coming up to hold your cheek. “Follow me, please. I will explain everything, I just really, really need you to come with me.”

You could never say no to him, even with the residual feelings of betrayal that lingered in the back of your mind. The desperate look worn on his face was enough for you to give in without another thought. A small nod of your head brightened his face up immediately, though you could tell he was trying to let himself not get too excited at the small victory.

He took your hand into his, fingers intertwining and hearts racing. Your cheeks heated red as he pulled you through the forest with a firm grip, no intention of letting you go.

You followed closely behind him, looking back in the direction of the festival when you heard music resume in the distance. You felt a pang of guilt, you didn’t want to be the reason he got in trouble yet again. “Neteyam, you are the chief’s son. Are you sure you can just up and leave like this? They will surely be looking for you-”

The two of you broke out from the trees and onto a stretched path, your breath catching in your throat when you were suddenly pulled into his chest. If you had inched just a smidge closer, your noses would have been touching. You blinked sporadically, probably to keep yourself from fainting.

“I do not care what anyone thinks. Now is not about them, it’s about you.” The words flowed from his mouth smooth like silk, and with the way his amber eyes eyes were mending into yours you truly felt as if nothing else mattered to him. “Yesterday, you said you wanted to go on another Ikran ride with me, no?” You had no idea how he was able to maintain eye contact so easily, your legs felt like they were about to snap at any moment and you thanked Eywa you had his arms to hold onto.

“Yes…” You would have looked away by now, but his eyes were inviting you in. There was such a different look to them, like he was seeing into you. The sound he made to call for his banshee brought you back to reality. “O-oh, right now?” You gulped, seeing his Ikran land at the end of the trail.

“Yes, now.” He laughed at your stuttering, gently pulling your hand and leading you over. He glanced at you while he prepped the saddle, a playful smirk playing on his lips as you eyed the animal, the apprehensiveness you held for years trying to re-introduce itself. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re scared. This isn’t your first time.” He hopped onto its back, extending a hand out to you.

Your mouth fell open and your eyes narrowed, pretending to look offended at his teasing. “You wish.” You took his hand and grinned, allowing him to pull you up behind him. You settled into the saddle, breathing out before loosely snaking your arms around him like you remembered.

“Come on love, I don’t bite.” He chuckled, taking your arms and tightening them around him. “Wouldn’t want you to fall.” You blushed, a small shiver striking through your body when he grasped your hands and placed them over his chest just like he had done the first time.

“Shut up.” Had he not been able to hear the grin overshadowing your words he probably would have thought you were being serious.

“Ready?” He looked over his shoulder, face beaming.

Before you could even respond, a chirp to his Ikran sent it plunging into the sky at full speed. A scream left your mouth, but unlike last time, this one was oozing with exhilaration. Your grip on him tightened and you pressed your cheek against his warm back, a laugh producing from him at your thrilled squeals every time he took an unexpected dip or a turn.

Your eyes were so focused on the gorgeous display below you that when you began to ascend higher and higher into the sky, the landscape seemingly shrinking caused you to look up at his focused expression. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

After a few more minutes of flying passed, your set destination came into view. The hallelujah mountains approaching made you gasp in amazement, you had never once gotten to see them up-close due to your now squashed fear of flying. He felt your heartbeat quicken against his back, the sensation of his hand reaching back to rub your thigh instantly drawing your attention away from the scenic landscape in front of you.

The banshee came to a gradual landing on one of the larger floating platforms, its heavy wing beats slowing once its feet made contact with the ground.

Your gaze immediately locked on the faint flickering of candles in the distance, having trouble pulling your attention away from them as he dismounted. “Neteyam… What is that?” Your voice was calm and directed towards him- but your eyes remained in front of you, worried that if you expressed too much interest, whatever it was that he had set up would disappear.

“Just, come on.” He smiled diffidently and pinched the back of his neck, ignoring your question and holding his hand out to you once again.

You hurriedly grasped it and hopped off the saddle, using his arm to stabilize your landing. You could tell he was a bit nervous but you hadn’t known the exact reason why. He leisurely lead you along and you turned your head towards him, the smile on his face making your own appear as a blanket laid over the grass with a few small, lit candles became visible. You held his hand with both of yours now and squeezed gently, marveling at the set up still ahead. You couldn’t contain your excitement and skipped off without him, lowering to your knees on the soft fabric at your feet.

You brought a hand over your mouth to stifle what would’ve been your one hundredth gasp of the day, taking a glimpse around and seeing a spread of your favorite fruits and snacks positioned off to the side. “Neteyam,” You lifted your head to see he had caught up with you now, grabbing his hand and lightly pulling on it to urge him to sit down with you. “You did this for me?” The spread along with the pillowy, bioluminescent foliage around you were all very enticing, but you couldn’t look at anything else but him.

He sat beside you, blushing and nodding his head while eyeing everything like it was his first time seeing it. “Yeah. Well, I may have asked Kiri for some help cutting the fruits. And Lo’ak assisted me in bringing everything up here…” He trailed off once he saw your sudden unamused expression, most likely due to the fact that he always struggles to take credit for the sweet things he does. He cleared his throat, rephrasing his answer. “Yes, I did it for you.” He grinned.

Your hands came up to cup his flushed face, yellow orbs overflowing with adoration for the man in front of you. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever thought to do for me, I-“ Your sentence came to a halt and your hands slowly retracted from his face upon remembering something that still hadn’t been addressed.

He noticed your demeanor change, bringing his hands up to stop yours from falling completely. “I talked to my parents,” Somehow he was able to answer the question that was lingering in your mind, without you even having to say it out loud. “They’re letting me choose now. I can choose my mate.” He repeated, making sure you didn’t miss a single word he was saying.

“That’s good.” You smiled at him sadly, not being able to help your gaze falling to the side to avoid looking at him.

He rolled his eyes at you in a joking manner, hooking a finger under your chin to tilt your head back up at him. “And I choose you, sxkawng.”

“You can’t,” You shook your head, feeling betrayed by your own mouth at the words it picked as a response. “I am not a healer, Neteyam. Or a hunter. I don’t have what it takes to be Tsahik. I can’t-“

“No,” He cut you off before you could finish, like the words angered him to even listen to. “You don’t need to be anything other than yourself, [Y/n]. Do you not remember how you single-handedly managed to save our village tonight? You have proved yourself plenty, trust me.” He rubbed the back of your hand with his thumb. “You are so much more than special, and you always have been. Especially to me.” His tone comforting and leaking with affection, he used his other hand to caress your cheek while he reassured you.

“Neteyam….” You melted into his touch and leaned against his hand, feeling all the uncertainty you held for yourself slip away.

He went to tuck one of your front strands behind your ear to get a better look at your face, then he paused. Watching his expression change, his eyebrows furrowed as he peered at what was woven in on the ends. “These beads,” He stared intently, deep in thought while he rolled one between his index finger and his thumb to try and spark a memory. “I feel like I have seen them before.”

Your mind instantly flashed back to when you had pushed through the circle to stop the Palulukan, remembering that you were still holding the necklace when you came into his line of sight. “Oh!” You quickly reached behind you to grab your small pouch, lifting the strap over and off your shoudlers then opening it and sifting through the contents. He watched curiously, his eyes illuminating when you revealed a necklace made of the same beads that were in your hair.

His mouth opened but you were already explaining before he could ask. “I-it’s for you. I was gonna give it to you, at the festival. But then I saw you with her and everything started happening so I-“

He delicately took it into his hands, tilting his head to the side to get a better look. His head was dropped down as he studied it and silence that weighed in the air began to worry you.

“You don’t like it?” Your voice was quiet and your sweating palms indicated how nervous you truly were.

His strong arms suddenly pulled you into a hug, holding you tightly. You were shocked at his unforeseen actions but ultimately had zero complaints. “I love it.” He whispered, pulling away to look at you with one of the most genuine smiles you’ve ever seen on his face. “You made this for me?” He sounded like he couldn’t believe it.

You quickly nodded, still trying to gather your thoughts. “Well, it was my idea, but I was on a time crunch so my mom-“ You stopped yourself, seeing the same kind of look on his face you had given him earlier when he went off on a tangent to discredit his efforts. The both of you were thrown into a fit of laughter at the moment of deja-vu. “Yes, I made it for you.”

You took the necklace back into your hands, motioning it towards him as a silent offer to help him put it on. He obliged, using a hand to hold his braids up and out of the way.

You licked your bottom lip and sat up on your knees, realizing now that you had accidentally volunteered yourself to get closer to him. You moved your body in his direction, not missing the way his eyes tracked every movement you conducted. You brought your hands apart and circled them around his neck, trying your hardest not to think about the way his breath was fanning against your shoulder, his lips lightly grazing it. You felt his gaze boring into your face, the pace of your heart increasing as you fiddled with the clasp before fastening it.

“There, all done.” You mumbled, allowing your hands to trail against the skin from the back of his neck down to the front of his chest. As you pulled away it was impossible to hide from his stare, your eyes connecting with his. The both of you sat there for a beat, simply looking into each other’s eyes until he decided to make the first move. He leaned forward, stopping inches from your face. Your breath shuddered, his eyes falling from yours, to your lips, then back up again.

“Can I kiss you?” He breathed out, his fingers brushed against your sides, eager to hold you but wanting to wait until he had your permission.

God, you thought he’d never ask.

He took you falling in to close the remaining space between your lips as a prompt yes. Your eyes fluttered to a close the moment your lips met, your arms ribboning around his neck to bring him closer. His hands followed suit and grappled onto your waist, his right arm hooking around your back to pull you up and into his lap as the kiss deepened almost instantly.

You broke for air after a few seconds, raking your hands into his braids when he quickly became too impatient to wait for you to catch your breath. You held his head whilst he placed featherweight kisses along your jaw, mindlessly craning your head to the side to grant him further admittance to your sensitive skin.

You nuzzled your cheek against the top of his braids, not being able to stop yourself from inhaling deeply to take in his scent. You felt his lips latch and suck on the skin of your collarbone, gasping at the feeling and knowing it would for sure leave a mark. Biting your lip to contain your voice, you drew your body away from his.

His head snapped up to look at you, fearful that he had done something you didn’t like or made you uncomfortable in any way.

His worries were extinguished once taking in the wanting look on your face, eyeing carefully when you reached back to grab your long braid and pull it forward. He followed suit, eagerly bringing his own to present it to you. The ends of your queues unveiled from the hair that protected them once in close proximity with each other.

“[Y/n], we will be mated for life if we do this.” He started, not wanting to rush you into a decision just in case this wasn’t truly what you wanted.

You placed a reassuring kiss on his lips, pressing your forehead against his once you pulled away. “I promise, Nete’. I want this.”

The two of you brought your hands closer, your queues grasping onto each other and intertwining to make Tsaheylu. Your breath caught in your throat and your eyes closed, your body trying to adjust to the new feeling that had been gifted to you. It was as if you could now feel everything he was feeling, think everything he was thinking. You felt the immense love he held for you all these years coarse through your veins. He had already told you this, but feeling it was something completely new, a foreign sensation you didn’t know you could crave this badly until now. Neteyam’s head hung below you, and based on the short, uneven breaths that could be heard from him paired with his chest rising and falling— you knew he felt it too.

He finally raised his head to look at you, his hands tenderly rubbing up and down the sides of your body. You allowed your back to be pressed against the soft blanket beneath you as he switched the position the two of you were in, meeting your lips again. His lips chased yours every time he felt you pull away, and with each kiss his lips transferred the burning desire he had onto you. Your mouth parted instinctively when his warm tongue swiped at your bottom lip and you gladly allowed it in, hands fervently grasping onto each other in attempt to be closer than you already were. You smoothed over his chiseled back, fidgeting under him slightly at the heat you felt starting to grow deep in your core while his wandering hands served as further ammunition.

You had no idea where he learned how to do all this but you were so far from a complaint that you wouldn’t even be able to hear if it yelled your name. The two of you kissed like it would be your last, lips melded together to confirm it had been a mistake that they were apart all these years.

“‘Teyam…” You softly moaned against his lips, his ears flicking in delight at the way you called his name. You trailed a hand down his torso, fingers rolling over his abs and feeling them tense at your touch. You rapidly felt yourself growing impatient, your back arching off the ground and your heaving chest coming in contact with his.

His large hand squeezed the plush area where your thigh met your hip, lifting your leg to wrap around his waist securely then dragging his hand back up to continue loving on your heated, dark blue skin. A finger finally slipped under the string of your loincloth and with one swift motion it could be lost and forgotten for the night. His heart was beating against his chest so hard he swore you could hear it. He didn’t bother to open his eyes, but simply hovered his lips over yours with enough room for you to speak.

“Do you want me to stop?” His tone was gruff and deep, tail swishing in delight as he could already feel what the answer was against his leg.

“Please don’t.” You panted out whatever would use up the least time, not wanting his lips to leave yours for more than a second and using your hand at the back of his neck to pull him right back down into you.

~~~

You were glad tonight would be a warm one, seeing as the two of you wouldn’t be moving from this spot anytime soon. Where in the world he had tossed your garments was a problem to be saved for the morning.

Even if you actually wanted to move, you couldn’t. Neteyam’s arms were wrapped so tightly around you, as if you would slip right through his fingers if he let up in the slightest. Not to mention that you were sure the minute you’d try to stand up, the stability of your legs would automatically succeed in embarrassing you.

You couldn’t exactly see just how marked up the skin surrounding your neck and chest looked, but brief flashbacks of him nipping at where he’d noticed other men ogling at before pretty much told you that you were in for a treat. Your mother would probably faint if she saw you like this, so you’d make sure to stop and get some yahlnabark in the morning to tend to the bruising before home.

Neither you or Neteyam had taken it upon yourselves to break Tsaheylu, wanting to relish in the unfamiliar feeling of comfort it brought. Enjoying your hearts beating as one, you cuddled closer to him while your queues lay connected between your exhausted bodies.

You spent your time afterwards threading your fingers through his hair and against his scalp, appreciating every part of him. The both of you took turns feeding the other pieces of fruit, easily resembling a cliche married couple on their honeymoon and giggling at yourselves for it, completely lovestruck.

“You are so beautiful… Did I tell you that already?” He twirled the strands of your hair along his fingers, his elbow propping him up and his eyes utterly mesmerized as they trailed from your head to your toes over and over again. He had said it so many times already that you were starting to forget your own name.

You cheesed, nodding your head while he continued to delve into how gorgeous you looked for the umpteenth time regardless of your answer.

The twinkling stars in the sky above begged for your attention, but all your eyes could focus on was him. The way his face lit up when he spoke of something that excited him, the sound of his voice when he laughed at his own corny jokes. You could listen to him go on and on for hours. You lived for it all and didn’t want to miss any of it.

“I won’t disappear, you know,” He chuckled at your melancholy expression, planting a prolonged kiss on your cheek that made your heart skip a beat. “Not this time.” He assured, lifting the back of your hand to kiss your knuckles.

This was definitely something to get used to. Him displaying his love for you so openly as well as literally being able to tell what was on your mind.

“I know that, but I can’t take any chances. I miss you already and you’re right here in front of me.” You pouted, not being able to stop it from transforming into a sheepish smile.

After a while of laying together he started to doze off, his slowed breathing indicating as such. He had tried to keep himself awake for as long as he could, going to sit back up every time he felt his eyes begin to close and swearing that he wasn’t tired. You had to hammer it into his head that you would remain next to him; that if he fell asleep you would still be here in his arms when he woke up. He eventually fell asleep with his head on your chest, his arms maintaining a concrete hold on your body to make sure you would keep your promise. With his tail loosely wrapped around your thigh, indistinct, quiescent snores could be heard from who you had come to love so deeply over the years.

You wished he had been awake so you could poke fun at his possessive behavior. Every time you moved so much as an inch from him, just to see what he would do, he stirred from his slumber and pulled you back flush against him with a muffled, exhausted grunt in protest. The sensation of your heated skin pressed close to his was enough for him to let his guard down and rest without worry, even if it were just for tonight. He knew he still had hardships to face, but the fact that you would be there by his side through it all helped erase all feelings concern. The man who spent his entire life protecting everyone could now bask in the same treatment. One night with you was all that was needed to heal all of his wounds. The confirmation that he now had you as his mate for the rest of his life, and in the next, aided in keeping him sound asleep.

Though it was most likely the influx of newfangled emotions washing over you, you couldn’t help but grow emotional while watching him sleep so soundly. In all your years of knowing Neteyam, you had never seen him more at peace than he was with you in this very moment. The space between his eyebrows held no weight, his shoulders no tension. His body and mind were completely relaxed for the first time in forever.

Trailing your fingers over the necklace you had made him, you chewed your lip to stop your grin from enveloping you as you remembered the way he had peppered your face with endless kisses just a bit ago, thanking you over and over again for such a thoughtful and sincere gift. He swore the only way he would take it off is if it broke, and even then he would come to you and have you fix it.

You listened to the distant sounds of the forest tucking itself in for the night, insects humming, the leaves on the trees gently swishing when the occasional breeze would pass. If someone had told you just two weeks ago that you and Neteyam would be mated for life, you would have laughed in their face. You couldn’t believe you had gone from being his secret admirer to the love of his life right before your eyes.

You vowed to always support him and love him unconditionally. You would never again allow him to feel less than he was- a beautiful, strong, humble man deserving of all the love he craved and more. You gazed down at him as you felt sleep creeping up on you, brushing the loose hairs from his forehead and seeing the corners of his mouth unconsciously turn up into a subtle smile.

“I see you, Ma Neteyam.” You whispered, eyes softly flittering to a close.

a/n: And that’s a wrap ladies and gents. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! ☺️

Please like + reblog if you can, they are greatly appreciated 💗

tag list ⬇️ (if you’re not here your blog didn’t pop up + tumblr only allows me to add 50 names!)

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[rey-jake-therapist]

I really need to know what happened to Elrond at the end of season 2. He spent almost the entirety of season 2 pestering about the rings of power being corrupted by Sauron. He jumped off a cliff at the risk of killing himself, just so the Elves wouldn't have them. This scene was even paralleled in the finals, with Galadriel doing the exact same thing but to escape no other than Sauron !

This should raise some eyebrows regarding his sudden change of heart, at the very least.

This was Elrond's stance at the beginning of season 2, and for most of the season, really. For him, there were no doubts that Sauron had corrupted the Elven rings in a way or another, and guess what ? He was right. Sauron had not only touched the mithril, but he had also touched Galadriel's dagger, which was used by Celebrimbor. His imprint was all over the Elven rings, which is the reason why the Elves took off their rings after Sauron forged the One Ring :

"But the Elves were not so lightly to be caught. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and perceived that he would be master of them, and of all that they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings." [The Silmarillion].

Elrond was so sure that the rings were no good news, that he would have rather see the Elves abandon Middle-Earth forever, than them wearing these rings. And it wasn't because he wanted to leave, far from it ! he's actually the one who pushed Gil-Galad into giving Celebrimbor a delay, so he could find a way to save the Great Tree. He wanted the Elves to stay in Middle-Earth as much as Gil-Galad did.

While they were travelling to Eregion, Elrond refused to follow any direction that would come "from this trinket". It turned out he was wrong, because they indeed fell into a trap.*

But it didn't change Elrond's mind, nor did the healing of Camnir's wound; it is proven by his resentment towards Galadriel, as Camnir says that she sacrificed herself to save them all.

"No, you are mistaken, Camnir. She didnt do it to save us. She did it to save the ring."

He was impressed by Nenya's power of healing (and the fact that it heals doesn't indicate that it's free of Sauron's influence, mind you, as his purpose is to heal Middle-Earth), but it didn't change his heart at all. When he pronounced these words, he seemed disgusted, as if for him his friend was already a slave to the ring, which to her (in his opinion) mattered more than her friends.

So, "tell it to me like I'm a six year-year-old" : what happened between this scene, and the finals of season 2 where he's all of a sudden all giddy when he announces Galadriel that they're "in a sanctuary, protected by the Elven rings" ? We know that in the future, Elrond will become a ring-bearer himself as he will get Viliya from Gil-Galad. So he's converted for good.

He even puts the ring on Galadriel's finger, a knee on the ground, as if he was asking her in marriage. I mean, wot ?

I can understand that faced with the imminent death of Galadriel, he realized ("told" by Nenya, probably) that the only way to save her was to put on the ring. He didn't look especially happy to do it, if you notice.

His face said, "fu*ing hell, I have to do this" to me. Did he have a sort of epiphany while wearing it, like it happened to Adar when he put on Nenya and healed himself ? It would be my guess : as soon as he put on the ring, his opinion about the rings drastically changed.

But is it necessarily a good sign ? Are the Elves deceived by Sauron through these rings, or are these rings really good for them ? And if they are good, then why all it took of Sauron was to forge the One Ring to master the Elves, forcing them to take the rings off to be free of his influence ?

Food for thought.

*Sauron wanted Galadriel in Eregion, as Elrond predicted. And he probably wanted her safe and sound, since he still wanted her to be his queen (Charlie said so). So I don't think that Sauron wanted the company to take the bad path Elrond chose.

[rottenr0ckets]

hi! im a sss, but i think other sss can learn a thing or two.

first of all, dont fucking send death threats or wishes of death, sss. its fucking weird??? second, dont be such a stuck up bitch if people support wilbur. there has literally been no proof yet (im supporting shelby because i go by support victims until proven wrong, but you guys do you!:3) third, dont post nsfw of TEEN WILBUR or wilbur at all?? thats fucking gross. dehumanizing a man for alleged abuse is gross and makes you just as bad if hes guilty. fourth, sending hate and rape threats is also gross. what the fuck?? so apparently its okay if you do it but not when wss do it back? hows that make any sense. fifth, and i know this one is hard to understand guys, BUT PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. crazee ik. sixth, if you are mad about someone listening to lovejoy and saying "their music sucks" save it. because didnt you like it not even a year ago? are you admitting you were a fake ass fan? like, im a shelby supporter but even i still listen to lovejoy because their music is good. just because i dont particularly like the guy who is the lead singer for his actions, A; theyre in the past and hes getting therapy. B; i still like the music. and C; as much as i dont like to admit it, their music and his streams saved my fucking life. so quit being stuck up assholes about this. the sss is honestly looking worse than wss because of how blatantly toxic it is here. if you have even the slightest doubt for even one fragment of shelbys story youre told you are a fake supporter and told to kys. if you believe it all, youre told you are so easily gaslighted and told that you shouldnt trust everything on the internet. if you dont believe any of her story, youre told to kys, support victims, and that they wish you were raped.

SHELBY SUPPORT SQUAD, YOU GUYS ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. YOU ARE NOT HELPING, YOU ARE CAUSING MORE UNNESSASARY HARM. DO BETTER. SHELBY WOULDNT WANT THIS.

anyways, i hope you guys (wss) have long and happy lives even if i dont agree with supporting him:) btw can i be 🍊🦢 anon?:3

-🍊🦢

THANK YOU OH MY GOD

They need to be sat down and told this in loop so they understand this shit. Most wss I've seen also used to support shebly or be sss until they were given reason to turn to wss (which is our case) I wish they'd realize as a fandom they represent shebly and her as a CC and that their actions can have effects on shebly. From how people view her to how in some places its by law, ccs gave to take responsibility for their fans' behavior if it gets out of hand and they haven't done anything to try and stop it. I barely see any sss actually supporting her. Barely any veiws, no happy birthday wishes no nothing. They just either made caput edits then tell tell wss to kys

It's always nice to have nice sss come on every now and then feels refreshing^^

[allmyhomieshatelawns]

Heyo I was seized by plot bunnies, so have a little DCXDP! Note, this IS heavily inspired by @phantomfen 's ao3 work https://archiveofourown.org/works/57152017

I highly recommend reading that, but this isn't connected, just inspired. This snippet is also inspired by the song "The Tale of The Shadow" by Sail North. I hope you enjoy!

This is Dead on Main because they're my favorite~

The Shadow:

The wooden boards groaned underneath my weight, as I paced in front of the boat I had purchased. I had finally done it. Bruce wasn't going to be happy, but when was he ever happy with what I did? I shook my head, straightening up as I heard several pairs of booted feet. Turning, I saw a gaggle of hardened sailors making their way down the docks towards me.

My own boat bobbed happily in the water next to me. It was smaller than anything that would normally carry cargo. I just hoped we weren't seen as a new rival pirate company. Bruce already dealt with the majority of them, but they always kept breaking out of jail and reclaiming their territory. The idea to claim it for myself was tempting, but that could come after I had found my prize.

For as long as I could remember, Alfred had put me to bed with a variety of stories. Above and beyond my favorite, besides anything set in the regency era, was the tale of The Shadow. A spectral ship, empty of any Captain or crew, but supposedly full of treasure, waiting for the right Captain to claim her. The only person said to be on the ship was some deck boy strung up to be thrown overboard. It wasn't known what the boy could have done to earn eternity on a damned ship, but I hoped I wouldn't find out.

Alfred couldn't tell me where the treasure had come from, but he did tell me of the many times someone tried to claim The Shadow for themselves, but each time, something would go wrong. The weather would turn, the crew would mutiny, a kraken would come and swallow their ship, the ship would come alive and kill the crew, the story would change but stay the same. No one was able to claim her.

The very idea sent me swooning. Tim and Dick both told me not to bother trying to look. Damian thought I was an idiot for believing the ship existed at all. With our nighttime activities of defending Gotham from gangs, pirates, and worse, I didn't know where they got the audacity to be such blatant hypocrites. If someone like Deadman could exist, then so too could The Shadow.

"Ready to go, Captain Jason?" A man I had hired on as First Mate stepped up beside me, a grin twisting his rugged features. He was unshaven, wearing sturdy clothing meant for hard labor. His hair was short and rusty brown, his eyes were a dull green, watering a bit. He slouched, turning to glance back at the men as they loaded themselves on, and began the process of getting the ship ready to sail.

My grin was sharper than his, and I hopped across the gap, landing on the top deck of the ship. Turning back to him, I gestured the man to follow. We toured the ship, and I made sure everything was flowing as it should. I had made sure to do my research on how ships ran, especially old ones, since the legend of The Shadow was as old as seafaring itself, maybe older. I knew how to sail a modern ship as well as, as many of the older versions of ships as I could sink my teeth into. I was ass at canoe, though I had no idea why. Kayaking was fine, and so was a little speed boat, but not a canoe. I kept getting flipped.

…

We cast out to sea, radio on and scanning for any unusual traffic. We were equipped to fish, and that's technically what we would be doing the most of. There was no telling how long it would take to find The Shadow, but I had made a map of where it had been sighted, color-coded by decade. We would find that ship, and I would… I would shove it in Bruce's face to stop doubting me. I would have finally proven myself to him, and he wouldn't have any choice but to pay attention!

Weeks passed, slowly sailing to each spot The Shadow had been spotted. We would occasionally put to port to speak with the ones whom had made the report. The crew was a little irritated with how long that method would take, so currently we were sailing out for our next destination, a series of sightings in the middle of the Atlantic.

"Captain! A storm's on the horizon!" One of the crew called from the crow's nest, sounding really worried.

"Size of the clouds?" I called back, already striding to the back deck to pull out my spyglass and get a better look. We had yet to see a storm yet, but it was sometimes said The Shadow would use them to travel, seemingly popping up once the storm passed and scaring the shit out of people.

"Too big! This storm'll tear us apart!" He called back, the nervous strings of his voice ringing out and alerting the rest of the crew that something wasn't right.

"Captain?" First Mate stepped up, hand reaching out for the spyglass. I handed it over easily, watching him as he held it up to his eye and looked through carefully. Pulling the lens from his eye, he glanced at me, giving a sharp nod.

"This is the best sign we've gotten so far." He announced, getting cheers from the crew. Shouldn't I be the one making that kind of announcement? Oh well. "With any luck, The Shadow is amongst those clouds! The treasure is close!"

The crew crowed in excitement, pumping their fists in the air. I dismissed them back to work, not liking some of the looks they would throw me when they thought I wouldn't notice. This crew wasn't my best idea, but it was almost over, I could almost taste the treasure on the air. We would split our shares, and be on our way.

…

Ocean spray blew into the air, flung across achingly familiar wooden planks. I glided across the damp wood, watching the ocean thrown around by my storm. The Shadow slipped across the water, my awareness brushing across something new. The souls wrapped around my throat like pearls shuddered at the foreign feeling, their rest disturbed. Interest piqued my mind however, the beauty of the ocean was unending, but then, so was the loneliness.

It had been a while since someone and tried to take what wasn't their's. My treasure had been safe for generations at this point. It had been so long, I thought the last person to know of my existence had finally died. I shouldn't have been so hopeful though, humans are too tenacious. They think they can just come aboard my ship, and hurt my charges. Maybe this can be the last time I have to defend. Maybe I can leave them with a lesson so harsh, no one else comes looking for me and mine. Maybe I could even keep a few of them for myself.

The wind I had been using to propel myself forward, ceased. I watched, flitting between portholes, flickering behind rigging, swarming the sails, as a boat drew closer. It teemed with people. They so badly wish to join my collection. I fingered my pearls, body clacking whenever I moved. The strings dangled across the ground, creating an eerie symphony.

Orders were shouted across the deck of the nearing ship. One voice stuck out from the rest. A young man with black hair stood at the helm, calling orders. A wild grin was on his face. Despite the distance I could see every detail. This young man looked as if he had found the thing he had been searching his entire life for. The way that emotion lit up his face was almost enough to make me blush.

This young man wanted me this badly? No one had come to purposefully seek me out in so long. Where maybe my heart was at one point, fluttered with emotion. Maybe this one. Maybe I could keep this one.

The boat was now close enough for them to clearly see my deck. Silence reigned as they all stared. Activity exploded, the Captain bursting forward. He stared at The Shadow, my ship, eyes sparkling and wide, his mouth hung open and everything. Tears sparked in the corners of his eyes, and he scrubbed them away quickly.

"This is it boys!" The Captain called, grabbing a rope and swinging over to me. His feet thunked on the wood, the first step made on this ship since…

Thunder filled the air as every boot landed on the deck. I flinched, hiding beneath the deck and staring up at them from between the floorboards. It had been so long since the souls around me were in a body. I fingered my string of pearls, the sound of the clattering drawing the attention of several of the sailors. They crossed themselves, glancing around nervously. I had to stifle a giggle. They had sealed their fate by coming after my charges, no amount of prayer could save them now.

My attention moved to the Captain, appearing in his shadow, watching him.

"At last… I've heard more stories about this magnificent beast than I can remember. The captaincy is within my grasp. It's right here." He murmured to himself, inspecting different areas of The Shadow. He opened doors, peaking in at empty rooms, followed closely by a few members of the crew. One of them had a knife in his hand, unsheathed, like he was going to kill the captain.

I frowned at the idea. That wouldn't be ideal. I could speak to a soul I had collected sure, but it was much easier if they had a body to move with. I tossed my head in exasperation, holding back a giggle as more of the vile sailors crossed themselves at the rattling clack that accompanied my every motion.

Pearls dripped down my body, strung across like a tight net. Each pearl was a soul I had collected on the seven seas. I kept them safe from those who might wish them harm. Here, with me, they could sail until time expired, feeling nothing but joy at the freedom bestowed to them. Being able to wander the earth, one with the oceans they had so loved? What more could a sailor want? They felt no hunger, no thirst, nor heat nor cold. I would take them around the world, even beneath the waves sometimes, to see magnificent wrecks.

I hadn't caused all of them.

The captain was stroking the wood of the bannister he leaned against. His thumb was gentle.

"I can't believe it. The Shadow is real, and looks as beautiful as if she had just come off the lot." He grinned, head tilting back to expose his neck. His eyes closed, and he sucked in a sharp breath. "I don't need anything else. I can die happy now, just having found The Shadow." He pulled away from the wood, hands going into his pockets.

"Captain! We've searched most of the hold already, it's just full of moldy rocks and bad water!" One of the sailors stomped up to the Captain, a scowl on his face.

The Captain raised an eyebrow, looking the slightly shorter man up and down. "And? We've definitely found the right ship. What do I care about treasure? You'll still get paid what I promised." The Captain waved away the sailor, running his hands over another section of railing. He was approaching the helm, staring at it like it could answer every question he had ever had.

I wasn't sure how to react to him not caring about the treasure though. No one who sought out my ship knew that I was guarding it. Everyone wanted to find and take the treasure for themselves. The crew didn't seem to like that the captain didn't care about the treasure.

My mind whirled with possibilities as the crew began to tear through the ship, trying to find me. This Captain might really be someone worth keeping around. At least for a little while. I could always collect him after I finished with the crew. It would be nice to have a soul here independent of me. Then I would know his decisions were his own. Not to mention, I can't just let him leave after finding me, and I don’t think his crew will let him leave either. I grinned at the idea that these sailors were now all mine.

The Captain touched the helm, awe on his face.

I plunged into the woodwork of the ship, stretching my senses out through every piece of rigging. Snapping out, I grabbed every throat, wringing them like so much laundry. The crew were dead before a sound could be uttered. Another string of pearls clacked into being, wrapped around my body.

The captain was staring at me, his eyes a startling blue. I hadn't seen a person with such blue eyes before. They were almost as beautifully blue as the ocean in all her moods. They would be perfect to add to my collection of the most precious objects I could find.

In a flash, I revealed myself, watching as the Captain's beautiful eyes widened, showing even more shades of blue within their depths. There was nothing for it, I was utterly besotted. I had to have them. My hand reached out, cupping his face. The man was taller than me, but it didn't mean much when my feet didn't have to touch the floor.

"You–! You're not tangled in rigging! You're the treasure!" The Captain gasped, one hand covering his mouth, while the other carefully reached forward. It was if I hadn't just killed his entire crew before his eyes.

My own hands reached out, I cupped his face, feeling the strong jawline beneath my palms. It was so strange to be touching living flesh. The Shadow had already absorbed the bodies and nutrients of the men, their bodies no longer hanging from the rigging. I hadn't touched skin in so long…

The Captain began to scream, reaching up to try and shove me away. His eyes were so pretty, they would look better as the centerpiece for my favorite necklace. The pearls on that necklace had long gone dormant, but the souls inside had been important. Probably. How long since they last spoke to me? I pushed the thought away, wiping my hand across the empty sockets of my new Captain.

The wounds healed, and the man stopped screaming, his hands slowly lowering.

"Much better. Ahhhh, these are so pretty!" I exclaimed, wanting him to know I hadn't just thrown them out. "It's been so long since someone sought me out. Even longer since I had a Captain… it seems like that was what you were hoping for?" I asked, floating around my Captain, giggling as he spun around to my clacking.

"I…" He wet his bottom lip, head tilting this way and that, probably trying to follow me. "I've dreamt about being the captain of this ship for as long as I can remember." He was even telling the truth, rare that. The emotions bleeding from him were a desperate yearning I hadn't felt in ages. Usually I would only feel them from the terrified sailors that would flee before my storm.

My grin stretched too wide, but that was okay. He couldn't see it anyway. I looped my arms around his shoulders, pressing my flat chest to his own. The sound of the pearls rang across the ship.

"Welcome then, my Captain. Where are we going?" I asked, eager to find the first place I hadn't decided on.

Captain looked like I had dangled something precious in front of his face, only to snatch it away again. He scowled, trying to shove me off. I just clung tighter, phasing through his scrabbling hands so I didn't go anywhere. My grin turned to a bit of a snarl.

"You wanted to be my Captain, didn't you? Did you think there would be no price to pay? Now tell me. Where are we going?" I nuzzled into my Captain's throat, not wanting to scare him too much. It had been millennia since I had been human myself (was I ever actually human? Or did I imagine that?), so I would have to be patient with my Captain. Maybe I wasn't speaking his language?

Captain choked on air, but had stopped trying to push me away. His heart rate had spiked, rushing faster through his body as I stayed snuggled up to him.

This was going to be the start of a beautiful partnership.

[cindol]

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐉𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐀 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 ᧔♡᧓ !

gender neutral reader

cw— geto calls reader dear, drinking multiple alcoholic drinks, reader gets called hun and dear, crack and fluff(?),

a/n: UHHH DONT GIVE YOURSELF ALCOHOL POISONING! This is pure fictional crack and fluff 🫶🏾!!

SATORU GOJO

a lightweight drinker with surprisingly low alcohol tolerance so he was bound to lose even if he swears he can last long. It's surprising he decided to even do this challenge with someone like you with a higher alcohol tolerance and a professional alcohol taste tester but he loves to challenge himself. On his first drink he’s already slurring his speech tapping his big glass and looking at you from across the table.“did you like.. put one of them pills that make ya really drowsy and happy? Because this is just making me really happppy!”

On the second and third drinks he’s more whiney with his body slouched.“you can quit anytime you want satoru, this is just a game for money after all.” he just scoffs snorting.“I’m the strongestttt! Can handle anything ya give, shoot me three more while we’re at this drinkin’ game!”

His fourth drink has him getting snappy and thinking about his morning today.“Pfft… stupid fuckin’ yaga lecturing me on my students? I’m a good teach..”

His fifth drink makes him wanna fight and it doesn’t help that he hears commotion out the front door.“fuck this.. strongest has duties to attend to.” he finishes on his fifth drink going outside to pick a fight.

SUGURU GETOU

a man with moderate alcohol intolerance, isn’t a lightweight like gojo but definitely goes overboard. He’s a wanted criminal cult leader who shouldn’t even be playing this drinking game with you but you love some fun characters right?

On his first three drinks he can handle it. His face slightly flustered but with still that friendly closed smile while staring at you.“If this is all you throw at me you’re truly doubting me dear really, my daughters have seen me worse than this.”

giving him more of a challenge like he said he was given 4 more drinks getting him more flustered and his hands brushing through his hair nervously with a slight crooked smile.“my… I see you truly threw me a challenge here haven't you? It’s fun to see you upped the pace with this burning taste.” There was a slight slur and quiver in his voice.

On his last drink he started to mutter things that just don’t make sense. Barely paying attention to the challenge at hand and mumbling words like monkeys and cursed energy till he headed out, he lasted eight drinks.

KENTO NANAMI

a man with a high tolerance for alcohol being a workaholic always being on a time crunch, he came here thinking it would be a nice game for a workaholic like himself.

His first four drinks were like a piece cake for him, no complaints or whines, just a bashful look every time he drinked. It was a change from your two contestants making you raise a brow.“how’s about i up the pace?”

His next four drinks were a doozy, his face more flustered and blonde hair a mess with his eyes nearly closing.“ if you're feeling tired you can easily drop out of this nanami, no pressure.” He did a small frown.“rest assured… I can handle this just like the other two, I’m not some ah, child..”

He was proven wrong when he fell asleep after his last two.

SHOKO IERI

Her alcohol tolerance is high for someone’s whose job it is to preach health and taking care of your body. She’s truly only here for the free unlimited drinks not caring for the money it brings.“Just hit me with ‘em, need it after the day I’ve had y’know?” And you of course abliged.

Her first three drinks had her in a better mood than she entered with her just vibing in the area.“and you and this uh whole crew here say this is supposed to test alcohol tolerance? Gotta try better than this Cmon! I’m a tough girl.”

Hitting her with five stronger drinks just got her giggling and more talkative to you.“I’m not ol’ satoru out there who needs his precious pink Whitney cute drinks, hit me harder hun.”

Her drinking time was unfortunately interrupted by satoru calling for her outside in an emergency. She would’ve lasted for 10 drinks

TOJI FUSHIGURO

almost like a demon for alcohol so his tolerance is higher than shoko’s, being a poor man always in need of money came in for him here kinda.

His first five drinks were easy ones, he was acting like himself just flustered and manspreading like a fool just happy to be drinking something free.“this like some kinda rich vodka or sake? Tastes like it.”

The next six drinks had him being a blabbermouth.“this is so so cheap tasting, I can see how everyone else is getting by easily, your alcohol is fucking terrible I’ve had better from half a bottle of beer..”

He finished on his last three, eventually snoring away.

[red-airhead]

𝓘 𝓵𝓾𝓿 𝓱𝓲𝓶 | 𝓗𝓪𝓷 𝓙𝓲𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓰 |

Masterlist

word count - 2,547

genre - hurt with comfort, romance, fluff

warnings - gn terms, you/your pronouns, afab! reader, reader is insecure, self doubt, denial, mutual pining, bsf! Jisung, technically theres an argument, swearing, mentions of comparisons to others, distancing, hugging, cuddling, mentions of alcohol, mentions of hating your body, lmk if I missed anything.

my dear friend @j-onedrabbles is being featured in this! I couldn't think of a better person to feature in this just because they've always influenced a lot of my writing, and even sometimes motivates me and gives me inspiration. I love you Karma <3

“They’re better off without me anyway.” You’d tell your friends every time you’d catch feelings on a guy or girl, or when you’d be broken up with. 

Self doubt, that’s what you had. You never believed it but you knew it was true, and there was no way of denying it whenever they would constantly point out the way you’d get all upset and gloomy seeing that person happy with someone else, as you felt like it was the only way to be proven right, that they were better off without you.

This time though, it wasn’t someone who just suddenly came into your life, it was your best friend that you caught feelings for. Jisung was beautiful to you. He was so kind and so sweet that it was hard not to fall in love.

For the 2 years you had been friends, you made it through not catching feelings but the moment that he said you were prettier than anyone he’s ever met, it made you melt. 

At first, you thought it would go away, but when days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, you knew there was no denying that you had officially caught feelings for your best friend.

You thought it was embarrassing, really. You thought that after all this time, why now? Or why did it have to be someone you were so afraid of losing. You knew it was a matter of time before he realized and left you behind because he’d find it weird, but you knew that wasn’t the case, he couldn’t leave you.

That’s when you ended up having a very long conversation with Hyunjin about this. Besides Jisung, he’d listen to you as well and would try and understand your problems.

“I feel like it’s about time you’d tell him.. It’s been almost 4 months Y/N..” 

“Yeah, and things have been fine! Nothing bad has happened and he doesn’t know!” 

“You’ve been distancing yourself.. You’ve been trying to hide away from him, and you know it. You two haven’t hung out in 2 months and you know it. I know it’s hurting you to be with him without being his partner, but he needs you more than anything and you know that it’s true.” 

He was right. It had been two months. Two months since you’ve talked to Jisung without letting the conversation die, two months since you’ve stayed at his house for the night, wearing his clothes, cuddling with him underneath his sheets. 

“How would you know that he’s better with me than without me?” 

“Because I know you two, more than anything.. Neither of you can live without each other and you know better than anyone that he’s been feeling like shit, like hes been doing something wrong this entire time.” Hyunjin did have a point. Jisung beat himself up more than anything in the world when he doesn’t know what’s wrong. 

“But–” 

“No but’s you’re talking to him soon. You need to see him, talk to him. He needs it more than anything in the world right now.” 

-----------------------------

Six months. Almost six months since you’ve been able to talk to Jisung face to face, or even hear his voice. It was so difficult at this point to even want these feelings.

You were recently invited to a gathering by Hyunjin, one he knew JIsung would be at since it was just the usual group. You couldn’t say no, you had agreed about a month go when you were tipsy. 

Except at this gathering, no alcohol was going to be consumed, and no one was going to be getting shit faced drunk to get rid of the pain. 

Movie night, something that you enjoyed so much with Jisung and the others. It was so comfortable between all of you, especially when you could all snuggle without a problem, it just felt like second nature. 

But now, you dreaded it. You were stuck next to Jisung with Hyunjin on your other side, preventing you from moving any further since he was just hogging the one side. That ended up with you pressed up against Jisung.

You could smell his cologne, one you picked out and one he kept using. He was warm, and that warmth was urging you to snuggle into his arms even more as the movie went on. 

You were quiet the entire time, and so was Jisung. Everyone knew that something was going on, and they all knew you both had feelings for each other, but you just denied it. 

It was so difficult to even look at him without wanting to cry or melt at his peaceful expression. 

Even worse, the movie night was at his house, and everyone had plans to leave early, and those who left, carpooled with the others. You were basically forced to stay the night.

Breaking the silence while you were cleaning, you said, “I’ll sleep on the couch..” 

He stopped everything he was doing and just looked at you, and you could tell he was upset, “You don’t have to..” He muttered, frowning at the way you just started to get everything set up. You didn’t even bring a change of clothes..

“It’s okay,, I’ll also just wear–”\

“No it’s not okay. Please,, come lay down with me, and get a change of clothes..” Jisung said in one of the most hush tones you’ve heard from him. You couldn’t deny him now.

“Fine..” You muttered, walking to his room and looking through his clothes, he followed close behind, also grabbing a change of clothes. You went to the bathroom to change, sliding off your shirt and then leggings. You just stared at your reflection. Yet another reason you believed you weren’t good enough for him. You hated how your body looked, he wouldn’t like it either. 

Before your tears started spilling, you quickly slipped on the borrowed clothes, blinking away your tears and then picking up your clothes, folding them and walking out of the bathroom. 

When you arrived at his room, you set down your clothes on his dresser, glancing over to see him on his phone, laying underneath the covers. With a soft huff, you got underneath the blankets and just turned to your side. You knew he was looking at you with such a heavy frown.

“You’re not gonna snuggle with me?” 

“Nope..” You popped the ‘p’ as you just buried yourself in the covers.

It was silent for a little while, until you felt him shuffle, set down his phone, and start hugging you from behind.

“Ji– Plea–”

“You know it's been really hard to fall asleep ever since we stopped hanging out..?” You knew alright. You haven’t been able to sleep well ever since.

“I’ve just been busy–” 

“Liar.. I know you, you’ve been sitting in your room alone.. You haven’t posted anything besides reels on instagram so I know that you’re lying.”

He was right. Nights when you weren’t hanging out you were in your bed, watching instagram reels and scrolling through tiktok. The one thing he didn’t include was that you’ve been crying.

“Can we not do this right now? And can you please let me go?” You could feel a pang in your heart from your own words, holding back your tears.

“Y/N–please–” 

“Jisung.” 

He slowly let you go, turning so his back was facing you. Shortly after you hear sniffling from him, “Ji,, please don’t cry…” You said in a much softer tone.

“I-I’m not crying..” He whimpered out. Yes he was. You sigh, turning around so you could hug him from behind, your cheeks flushing red from it.

“Yes you are.. I’m sorry..” You told him, pressing one of your signature kisses on his clothed shoulder. You heard him start to sob, so you just squeezed him tighter.

He soon turned around, crying in your arms.

“I miss you, so fucking much..” He said, a shaky breath following after.

“I miss you too, Ji..” 

“Then why won’t you talk to me? Why won’t you hang out with me or cuddle with me?” He whimpered out, holding onto you with a strong grip.

“It’s complicated..”

“Too complicated to tell your best friend?” He asked, looking at you with such a heart broken expression. 

You looked back at him, feeling tears prick at your eyes, “It’s not like that.. I just– I don’t want to tell you..” 

“But you’d tell everyone else right? You’d tell everyone but me right?” You couldn’t do this right now..

“You’d go to Hyunjin? Yeah? Talk to him about it and completely discard my feelings?” 

“Ji–”

“Or would you go to Minho? Tell him everything you cant tell me?”

“Jisung–”

“What about Felix? Huh? What can you tell him that you can’t–”

“Because I love you, more than a friend..!” You snapped at him. Everything froze. Did you really just say that?

You looked at him, and it felt like everything was over. His expression was truly something out of a horror movie.

“Forget about it.. I’m going home..” You quickly pulled him off of you and got out of bed, Jisung quickly scrambling to stop you, grabbing your hand.

“Wait! I-I love you too..”

“Ji, please don’t lie to me to make me feel better..”

“But I’m not–”

“Let go..” You quickly pulled your hand away from his, tears brimming in both yours and his eyes. Quickly, without changing or grabbing your clothes, you walked out of the bedroom and slipped your shoes on. It wasn’t long of a walk, but it was late.

You knew Jisung wouldn’t follow you, so it made you relieved knowing you didn’t have to stop him from following you. 

It truly wasn’t long before you got home, and immediately you just started balling your eyes out. All night long you spent thinking about him and how everything he said was a lie.

-----------------------------

It had been a few weeks since your ‘argument’ with Jisung. He kept texting you, trying to get you to answer or come hang out with him, and it even got to a point that you just put your phone on do not disturb. 

You were with your friend Karma. Both of you decided to have a night in at your house, preferably a sleepover just how you liked it.

They knew about Jisung, and your crush on him, how it felt practically impossible to be looking or even talking to him. 

“I really do think that you should talk to him,, I’m sure the poor guy is practically distraught with this situation.” She explained, sipping at the tea you had made the both of you a few minutes prior.

“You don’t get it though, it’s my best friend we're talking about. It’s Han Jisung, the guy who I fell in love with.” 

“Uh hello? I do get it, I’ve been in your situation before and not only that but that guy is absolutely head over heels for you.. Trust me I see it everytime he looks at you.” 

You scoffed before taking a sip of your own tea, rolling your eyes a little.

“Seriously! Jisung is probably the one, I can feel it. You really need to talk to him, and I know it’s hard for you but you also have to understand that he’s your best friend and the more you push him away, the more it’s gonna hurt.” 

Karma was right, you just didn’t want to believe it.

“If you say so..” You said as you watched them pull out her phone and begin typing..

“What are you doing?” You ask her, brows furrowing together as you lean over.

“Texting Jisung. I’m telling him to come to yours.” You quickly tried to grab their phone but it was too late, the text was already sent.

“Why would you do that!! Fuck now I have to see him..” You whined, throwing your head back in annoyance.

“Yes you do, and this will also be my que to leave before he arrives. I don’t want to witness whatever will go down. Have funnn!” Karma giggled out, standing up, setting down the empty cup of tea, and going to the door, sliding their shoes on and walking out to her car. 

This just meant you had to clean now, and look presentable. Before Karma had come over, you had been crying on and off when the argument with Jisung happened, and your house was a mess. You cleaned up the most you could, changing into more presentable clothes.

You waited for a knock on the door, and when you opened it you weren’t expecting to see Jisung with a gift bag and a bouquet of your favorite flowers.

“These are technically apology flowers but you can call them whatever, I also got a gift bag of all of your favorite things to eat,, and even some fuzzy socks and a new pair of pajama pants so we can match and–” 

“Okay, okay.. Just get inside..” You quickly ushered him in, watching him kick his shoes off in the process, setting the gift basket and flowers down gently.

Shutting the door, you made sure that it was locked, now walking over to him.

You saw his face, his expression, and it practically broke you. Tear stained cheeks, puffy red eyes, and his brows furrowed completely.

It wasn’t even a moment after that he had his arms around you, tears now forming again and falling down his face. You wrapped your arms around him, sniffling as you held each other.

It was silent in the house besides both of your sniffling and soft whimpers. 

“Jisung..”

“Let me go first..” He said, pulling away from the hug and cupping your cheeks, wiping away your tears. You leaned into his warm hands.

“Y/N I love you so much.. I really do, and not in the friend way I really, really love you.. Please don’t run away from me anymore, I can’t take it.. being away from you..” He paused, and you knew what he was going to say next.

“Jisung, I know… I’m sorry.. I pushed you away because I thought it would help, and prevent me from falling for you..” You replied, hands now cupping his cheeks and wiping away his tears.

“I love you too, I just– I didn’t want to–”

“Ruin our friendship, yeah I know..” He chuckled, hands going over yours as he looked back at you.

“Please.. Please stay with me, be in love with me.. I want you to stay around, I want to love you just as much as you love me..” He whimpered out, sniffling. You could see in his eyes the genuine truth, the way he wanted you to be with him so badly.

“Okay..” You whispered, slowly wrapping your arms around his neck and hiding away in his hold.

You don’t know what you missed more, the warmth or the hold of his arms.

You felt so safe, so secure.. Why did you ever distance yourself in the first place..

“I was so scared of losing you, I thought you hated me..”

“Hated you? I could never hate you..” You hugged closer.

“I love you..” 

You smiled at those words, your heart feeling warm, everything feeling safe and secure.

“I love you too..”

[lillyfics]

Soaring through the Skies || Aemond Targaryen x Reader

Summary: The trials and tribulations in the journey of your love with Aemond.

Previous Chapter

TW: swearing, sexual violence, angst, heartbreak, violence, child death, infidelity, death, references to smut

Chapter 5 (WC: 2,944)

Numb. That’s how you feel. You have endured so much pain that now they have all blended into a singular numbness. Your father is dead, and you don’t know how to feel about it. Do you mourn him? Or do you mourn of what’s going to happen now? As much as you want to keep your hopes you now know how the war is going to end, crushing your dreams of escape. But escaping also always came with a dash of uncertainty, didn’t it? At least you have an idea of what it is like on this side. On the other side, your welcome could go either way, especially after the babe. Your father would believe you to be a traitor, or worse he could try to get rid of Aelora.

Guilt floods your mind for demonizing your father, as he had always had your best interests at heart, despite his questionable feelings for your mother. Opposing guilt, doubt makes you question every interaction with your father making you think if you even knew him properly. Once, you thought you were cunning just like your father, but now you know his cruelty knew no bounds, unlike you. You never would have actively wished harm upon a child and thought your father would too, but you were proven wrong.

You mentally scoff, what use is to dissect the thoughts and moves of your father, as he has long departed the world as of now, thanks to your husband. Husband. The very thought sends bitter aftershocks through you. You understand his reasons so for killing your father, and shamefully, you don’t feel as betrayed by this act of his as you anticipated. However, the pain of his other betrayals still thrives in you.

A sudden smack on your chin inflicted by a tiny hand breaks you out of your trance. You look down at the toothless smile of your Aelora. Her eyes glimmer, unknown of the horrors happening around her. And you won’t let her know of it either, doing your best to protect her from the harsh reality. In reality, you are drowning, and no one is here to help you. Not your father. Not Aemond. You are left to drown, as you did betray all of them by not taking any action. Except now, you have to stay afloat. Not for you, but for Aelora.

You quickly swipe the tears away from your face before you play with her so that she could only see the happy version of you, which you have been failing at more and more recently.

You lift her to your eye level and gently nudge her nose with yours.

“Aren’t you my prettiest love? You are, aren’t you?”

You don’t know if she could understand your words, yet her grin grows wider, nonetheless. Unable to control yourself, you lay loud kisses all over her face, making giggles erupt out of her. Her giggles are the loveliest music you will ever hear, and you don’t think you ever want to stop listening to it. But it does come to an end, after you could sense someone entering the chambers. You don’t make yourself welcome the person, as it usually Alicent or the children wanting to spend time with Aelora. However, fate seems to mock you today as you catch sight of the silver hair.

Your eyes are stuck in stalemate with his for a long time, until he eventually sets his sight down lower. On your daughter. Our daughter, you guess.

He tries to move forward, eyes not leaving her,“Love-“

“Don’t”

You move further back, as his every move closer repulses you like oil to water. He looks devastated, almost ashamed at the fact that he is made someone who loved him to feel disgusted by him. The sorry sight of his eyes makes you falter a bit. You loved him. You never wanted him to feel hurt. To know that you have caused him to feel this pain hurts you more than you anticipated. You have missed him. You missed his kisses and his touches. You want to go back, you want to feel those touches again, and it would be so easy to do so as he is within arm’s reach. One single step, and he will know what to do. He always has. But then you remember. His hands were not only yours like you thought they were. They were the witch’s too, weren’t they? And he must have used not only her hands to touch her, you digress, due to her condition. And now your thoughts wander, as you imagine him and her naked, touching each other, caressing each other, and much and much more. Much more that you only thought you were privy too. A stray tear escapes your eye as you close your eyes and clutch your babe.

“Why?”

Aemond just stares at you, unsuccessful at hiding his guilt, unable to answer.

You don’t know what kind of answer you are expecting either. In fact, you don’t even know what you are asking him. Why? Why did he lie to you about the betrothal? Why did he betray you so with another woman? Why did he kill your father? Why did he tell you that he loves you so in the first place if he was never able to fully give you his heart?

“I am sorry.”

You open your eyes. Surprising. You didn’t think he would outright condemn his actions, but this is a start. You think. A start to where, however? You aren’t sure.  Your eyes drift to a glint of steel. Dark sister. He catches the drift of your eyes. “I am not apologizing for the killing of your father, and I never will. I know it hurts you, but I did it for Jaehaerys, and any regret I would feel towards this action feels like dishonoring the memory of my nephew. So, I won’t” he said softly but stern at the same time.

“Then what are you apologizing for?” you ask him, tired and aware. He knows that you know. You can see that in his eyes. Then why can’t he open his mouth and just say it. How hard must it be for him to form those words and acknowledge the truth? He had no problem lying to you after all.  Does he think that saying it out loud would make it real? Well, he needs to know that it already is real, and that it already has happened, and this conversation just for both of you to take a step to wherever it leads.

“Alys, she-she- “

“Stop stammering and just get to it” you sob, clutching Aelora to your chest.

“It’s just I need her-“

Every word that comes out of his mouth is like a nail to your chest. You have known of this, and you thought these months alone with Aelora would prevent the pain from occurring, but it seem like the wound is reopening instead.

“You needed her?” you screech.

“Alys, she can look into the future, my love, that’s why I have been winning these battles, you must listen to me-“

“Must listen to you! I have listened to enough of your lies, and look how I am. I trusted you, and look where it led me.”

Aelora screamed, sensing your distress, and you immediately loosen your grip to slightly bounce her around. “Shhhh…..my darling, mama’s here…”

Aemond looks at the scene with wonder in his eyes. This sight is like a dream come true to him. You, being a wonderful mother to his child.

You feel his gaze, and felt the immediate need to hide from his eyes.

“Can I hold him?” Aemond asked, hopeful for your compassion.

“No, you cannot hold HER. Were you so besotted by her cunt that you weren’t even remotely aware of what was happening here?”

Aemond was shocked. He expected your wrath and disappointment, but vulgarity? From someone as sweet as you? Safe to say Aemond was bamboozled.

“She is mine too!” Aemond commanded. “Yours? I was the one who carried her, all alone, as a prisoner, while you were cavorting with your whore!”

“ALYS IS NO WHORE-“

“Well she has me fooled” with a hint of sarcasm to your tone.

“AND she’s here, so she needs to be treated with a modicum of respect.” He stills, gauging your response.

“She’s here? In King’s Landing?”

“Yes,” he continues, before you start your questioning, “-she’s here because the war still isn’t over, I still need her-“

“Need her?” you scoff, with thinly veiled rage over your face.

“And she’s pregnant too, I can’t leave her alone, not after this.” Aemond tells you, with displeasure.

At this point, all the fight has left you. You take deep breaths, trying to calm yourself, trying to keep yourself steady for Aelora. Taking advantage of the silence, Aemond moves forward to try to hold Aelora.

“Don’t.”

Aemond stares at you in disbelief. He didn’t expect you to be iron clad.

He pleads,“I just want to hold my child, love, please...”

“You will have a child of your own to hold soon,” you say, voice on the verge of tears, holding Aelora to your chest.

A single stray tear escapes his eye as he stares at the babe in your arms. It hurts, it hurts you to see him like this, you would do anything to see him smile. Does he not understand, that it hurts for you to do this? That it hurts for you to not let him hold Aelora? A year ago, a picture of him holding your daughter would have cured all your ailments. Now, you can’t let that happen. No, not when it is worth your dignity, not when that is all you have you left that is your own. Even Aelora won’t be just yours, you understand, that she will grow up to be a person of her own. But not your dignity. Your dignity is yours, and it might just be the most powerful weapon you will ever yield.

“Can you please leave now, if that is all you have to say?” you ponder weakly.

Aemond is smart warrior, he knows when a battle is lost. Before leaving, he hesitantly questions you. “May I please know her name?”

“Aelora”

Weeks pass by, and Aemond is still trying his best to get in your good graces. But how could he? Not when you know that he is been sharing his bed with her, now that you have barred him from yours. You have barred him from your chambers, and locked yourself up in your chambers, making you a prisoner of your own choice, hence he still hasn’t caught a proper glimpse at your shared daughter.

One night, you finally decide to leave Aelora to your trustable maid, even though it hurts you to do so, to go have dinner with the entire family. According to Alicent, the children miss you and these dinners would help bring a sense of normalcy back. Normalcy? Alicent Hightower is truly delusional, you think. Things cannot go back to how they were. No, you can’t and won’t allow it. Without pretending that a sense of dread looms over you, not that you have to pretend, it seems like betraying the dead ones. Dead ones that you love. Yet, you still dress yourself to as best as you could and head to the dinner, at least for the children. They at least deserve to believe that the world is a better place, at least for a little while longer, even when they already know it isn’t.

You take a seat between Maelor and Alicent, who were already in an enamored conversation. Well, calling it a conversation is unjust, as it is just Alicent agreeing with Maelor’s half statements. Jaehaera, who is seated between her father and Maelor, leans beyond her little brother so she could ask you all about your little babe. Now everyone in the table has your attention, as they are all curious about your Aelora. They know you are a good mother, and that you would take no actions to harm her, yet they still feel like they are restrained from getting to properly know their niece, grand-daughter, great grand-daughter due to your over protectiveness, not that they could particularly blame you. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they slowly get to know more of Aelora through the little tidbits you offer through questioning. While Otto Hightower doesn’t directly question you, you notice that he has ears open towards you. You should have known, he was always to known to favor his daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter and would only be looking to do the same with your own daughter. You want to let it happen. You want her to be loved by all, get the most amount of love from everyone around her until she couldn’t anymore. But you of all people should know better than that. Love leads to trust, and only with trust could you ever receive the knife of betrayal. Thus, you restrain access to your Aelora, only allowing them to know her but not the opposite.

And while you were continuing with your conversations, you hear before you the see scrape of the chair across you. Aemond, uncharacteristically late. You didn’t think he would show up, either believing that they didn’t invite him to give you some courtesy or he himself decided not to show up. Yet here is, across you. And there comes the end to all of your conversations about Aelora. You don’t want to, knowing that talking about her is the only peaceful conversation you could have these days, but you don’t want him to know anything about her, as you don’t have any way else to hurt him. While everyone else quickly understood that the conversation has come to an end, Jaehaera, a lovely child she is, still questions you on when Aelora will be able to play with dolls with her. With a warm smile, you assure Jaehaera that Aelora still has to get a bit older to play dolls with her. Maelor, not wanting to be left out, immediately questions whether Aelora would play with him too. And you quench his doubts too, with no other choice. Because, if not conversing with them means you have to take notice of Aemond, the last thing you ever want to do. Aemond however, is desperate to at least meet your eyes with a glance, a privilege you haven’t granted him yet.

 However, your time of comfort comes to an end when you notice a dark haired woman takes a seat next to him. Chillness descends upon the dining hall, with mortification in everyone’s eyes, including Aemond’s. Otto’s sternly utters, “Aemond.” While it may seem like a simple statement of his name, everyone in the room knows it is a silent command. A silent command to get the witch out of the room, whether it be for your dignity or due to his piousness to the Seven or just his preference not to dine with a low-born. But a command is a command, one that Aemond would be to follow with no exceptions. Nonetheless, Aemond doesn’t even allow himself the slight twitch of a muscle, shaming not just you but everyone else in the room further. Aemond also found his wish to be granted, but not with a glance he was expecting but with a look of betrayal from you. Not just from you, as everyone else in the dining hall were either giving him looks of disgust, disappointment, or shame. You move to exit the dining hall, as your eyes are now filled with tears threatening to spill. You could hear Aemond gently calling you, but you make no heeds to his pleas, now that you know where you stand in his life.

After your abrupt departure, Alicent takes hold of the children and moves to her chambers to continue with the dinner, but not before uttering a gut-wrenching words to Aemond, “You have disappointed me.” Aegon and Otto quickly finish their dinner, not a single noise escaping their mouths so they could be done with the façade of a dinner, leaving Aemond and Alys to dine alone.

More weeks pass by, and you opt your decision to continue you days with just Aelora, as Aemond is no longer part of your life. It hurts, but you know time will heal it, as it heals all wounds. At least you hope so it would. You want to take your words to Aegon, to convince him to finally leave with your daughter to the Runestone, promising him of no retaliation or rebellion, just living out your days in peace. You feel like a coward, but you know that you have no other choice, revenge will only continue the cycle of violence, and you don’t want any harm to befall on Aelora due to your mistakes. You know the realm will scorn you, including your own siblings. Will you be punished for not mourning, hence failing your duty as a daughter or will you be punished for mourning him, a man history will not look kindly upon? You can’t win either way. However, your plans are thrown into a blender as you realize the war still isn’t over yet, that the Blacks are still retaliating. You learn of this when your doors are suddenly barred shut, unable to hear anything except whispers of chaos outside. Not wanting to take your chances, you take Aelora in your hands and take refugee near the secret passageway in your room, to flea at a moment’s notice.

[dira333]

Passing Peonies - Post War Touya Todoroki - Part IX

When the war ended, Midoriya Izuku had proven one thing: That Villains did not need to be killed to be defeated. That you could make friends from enemies.

Touya Todoroki, formerly known as Dabi, had been one of those taken into the rehabilitation program. After one year of intense physical and psychological therapy, he's got the chance to prove himself. To prove that he can be a part of this world.

Complete fic length: 30.600 words - Masterlist

Warnings: poor mental health and resentment against past actions is mentioned, burn scars etc. as well. There is angst but this is mostly soft Touya coming back to his family...

Part 9: (2k words)

“Todoroki-san?” 

He looks up redecorating the display outside, his thick coat warming him against the winter weather but also cutting him off from seeing the person that has approached him.

He turns to see Shouto’s girlfriend, Momo something. 

“Hi?” It’s not like she hasn’t been here before, but she usually doesn’t come alone.

“Hello. I’d like to buy a bouquet. If that’s possible?” 

He wants to roll his eyes at that question but refrains from doing so.

“Sure. Just head inside.” 

“I-” She stops and looks down at the wooden pieces he’s trying to assemble. He knew the moment he proposed it that building up the display of bird feeders - all looking like miniature homes - was a bad idea. His hands aren’t all that agreeable in the warmth and even worse outside in the cold. But Mari hasn’t stopped giving him the side eye and he’s happy for every chance to get away from her.

“Do you need help with that?” She asks.

“No, it’s supposed to look like that.”

He wonders for a second if she’ll drop it for the sake of politeness but she seems to swallow her nerve.

“I was actually hoping I could talk to you.”

“About what?”

“Shouto.”

He blinks. 

“You want to talk to me about my brother?” 

“Yes.” She nods fervently. “I- When I came over that one night. I mean, when we celebrated… I think it was both the garden and your six-month anniversary, I noticed something.”

“So?”

He knows he’s less than polite to a possible customer and his brother’s girlfriend, but it’s cold, his hands won’t do what he tells them to do and she’s keeping him from doing his actual job to blabber about nonsense.

“We’ve been together for almost a year now and he’s never looked at me like you look at your girlfriend.”

He blinks. She stares back at him with some kind of nervous determination.

He blinks again.

“You got that all wrong.” He huffs and turns back to the bird feeders. “That wasn’t the kind of anniversary we were celebrating.”

“That’s not what I meant.” She blurts out and moves, trying to get him to look back at her again.

“I’m trying to break up with him.” She blurts out yet again and he freezes this time.

“What?”

“Shouto. I’m trying to break up with Shouto. I don’t think he loves me. I mean he thinks he loves me but I doubt he knows what that really means. And it’s hard, because I don’t want to lose him as a friend, but I also feel like he’s using me as a crutch and that’s not fair to any of us.”

“Why would you tell me that?” He asks her. “I don’t want to know that kind of stuff!”

“But-” 

“No.” He drops the pieces back on the display table and rights himself up.

“You can wait here. I’m not the person to talk you out of this.”

-

You look up from the bouquet Mari is clumsily tying together.

“Everything okay?”

“No. Shouto’s girlfriend is here and wants relationship advice.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I’m not doing that. Could you… talk to her?”

You look down at Mari who immediately starts glaring again.

“Mari can help me with the Display.” Touya offers, even going as far as calling her by her actual name. “My hands don’t work outside anyway.”

“Would that be okay, Mari?”

Mari glares wordlessly until she huffs out a breath and shrugs.

“Get your jacket then.” Touya orders rudely and waits for her to slip into the backroom before he mutters a quick warning.

“Just, don’t listen too closely to what she’s saying, okay? She’s mixed up the reason we celebrated and stuff like that.”

“Thank you for that advice, Touya-kun.” You tell him, your voice almost chiding but your eyes twinkling with mirth at his expense.

-

Mari needs half an hour to build up the birdhouses and even less time to decorate them in the way Touya had planned.

Neither you nor Shouto’s girlfriend have stepped out of the shop and he’s blocked off any customers by “politely” telling them that the shop’s a little busy at the moment.

“What now?” Mari asks when everything is assembled and they can still see you at the counter. He hasn’t heard her speak once so it’s a bit of a surprise to hear her now.

“I’m buying you a hot chocolate, coffee, whatever. The more they’re talking the less I have to say.”

“Wow.” She sniffs. “What a great brother.”

“Like I’d be any help. Boss will at least set her head straight. If she still breaks up with him it’s what she really wants to do.”

Mari rolls her eyes and pulls a pack of cigarettes out of her coat jacket, flicking a lighter to life.

The sight of the little flame hits him sudden and hard, like a fist to the soft lining of his stomach or a blow to the back.

“What?” She asks when he keeps staring at her long after she’s clicked her lighter shut.

There’s a weird tingle in his hands and he wonders if he really hasn’t seen a flame since the day his family brought him in.

“Nothing.” He blurts out, forcing his head away to break eye contact with the glowing tip of her cigarette. 

Smoke circles around him and the tingling spreads from his hands up to his shoulders. 

“What do you want?” He asks, following it up with an almost panicked: “To drink, I mean?”

“I don’t care.” She stops in front of the coffee shop. “You can buy yourself something, I’ll just stay outside and have a smoke.”

When he steps inside to get away from her he feels like he did with Fukuhara, the thought of her coming after him pouring shivers down his back.

-

When they get back, Momo’s gone and he must look as out of it as he’s feeling because you put the back of your hand against his temple and tell him to go home and rest.

“You don’t have a fever but I don’t want to risk anything.” You say. “Call someone to pick you up, okay? I don’t want you driving like that.”

He slips into the backroom, the sight of the few plants up for repotting calming him down instantly. His fingers trace the leaves of a Monstera as he waits for someone to pick up, but to his dismay, every member of his family seems busy.

His mother calls him back first, promising to send an Uber his way.

“I’ll get home right away.” She promises. “I can pick you up some Takoyaki on the way, you used to love that as a child when you got sick.”

He wants to say that he’s not five anymore but every time he blinks he sees a flickering flame behind his eyelids and it’s hard to say no to comfort when you’re shaken.

“Thanks.” He mutters instead. “Love you, mom.”

“I love you too, Touya.”

-

The streets outside are busy with people starting their holiday shopping, bumping into him as he waits for the car to arrive.

When it does, he slips inside, only to have the door handle ripped from his hands.

“What the f-” Someone slips in after him, falling into his lap and rolling over until they are seated next to him, grinning like a fool.

“Toga?!” 

“Long time no see.” She says and turns to the driver with a saccharine smile. “You can drive. We’re sharing the ride.”

“No, we’re not.” He disagrees immediately. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” She cocks her head to look even more adorable. She’s still dressed like a schoolgirl, in a thick woolen blazer and a woolen skirt. “I am allowed to go and meet friends.”

He wants to tell her that they are, in fact, not friends, but there’s an edge to the look she’s giving him that has him fall silent.

“You can drive.” He tells the driver with a sigh and pulls the door closed, throwing one last look back at the flower shop but there are too many people between him and the window to see anything or anyone.

-

“How long have you been working?” Toga asks as soon as the car is back on the road. “They’re not letting me out of therapy long enough to get a job.”

“About six months now.”

“Really? Did you lie to get out faster?”

“I didn’t lie.” He pushes his elbow into her side, mainly to annoy her, but he’s surprised how thin she’s become.

“Are they feeding you enough?”

“Yeah, yeah.” She waves him off. “I’m just not in the mood to eat all the time. How’s family?”

“They’re doing good. It’s… It’s kinda nice, to have them around.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true.”

Silence falls over them.

“Did Hawks… Did he come to your therapy as well? Or did they only do that with me?”

“Oh, you mean the joint therapy? Yeah, but I tried to bite him so they have stopped trying that for the moment. My parents signed a restriction order against me, so that’s that, but Ochako comes in every other week.”

“Ochako.” He furrows his brows, trying to picture the girl. “She always buys blush pink roses.”

“Oh yes!” Toga gleams. “They are for me. I love them. She mentioned that you handle them with care so I looked up every flower shop in the city to find you.”

“Are you even allowed to do that?”

“Why shouldn’t I? It was so funny how you freaked out when I called your name last time.”

“That was you?!” This time he puts her in a headlock and she laughs, loudly, as if she knows that he’s not really intent on hurting her.

And he isn’t, really, which surprises him the most, because this might risk everything he’s worked for so far, but this is also Toga, someone he probably knows better than the rest of his family.

They fall silent again, as he lets her go, but it’s more comfortable now.

“I can’t believe you looked me up. I’m not sure if this is even allowed.”

“Is that a problem?” 

“Yeah.” His heart thrums as he thinks of the possible consequences. “If they kick me out of the flower shop-”

“You mean if they take you away from the girl you looove?” 

“Oh, shut up, this is serious.”

“I asked, actually. What I was allowed to do if I saw you… It’s a big city but we could pass each other, you know? They said I was allowed to greet you and talk to you but should keep it to a minimum at first until we know how it affects us.”

“Yeah, and sharing my Uber is minimum?”

“You looked really sad standing there, what was I supposed to do? Leave you to rot in your own misery? What happened, anyway? Did you break up?”

“No!” She eyes him curiously and he lowers his voice again.

“No, not like that. Just… Mari, our new hire, smoked in front of me and I realized I haven’t seen fire since we got taken in. Freaked me out a bit.”

“Is it because of your quirk or are you traumatized because you were essentially burning alive?”

The question surprises him.

“I hadn’t thought of the second option.” He admits.

“Well if I’d been burnt alive, I’d definitely be afraid of fire. Also, is Mari that girl you worked outside with? She’s bad news.”

Her voice takes on a grave tone and he eyes her suspiciously.

“What do you mean? Do you know something?”

“No, just a feeling.”

“You could just be jealous.”

“Nah, she’s not that cute.” 

Toga stops and stares out the window. “Are you driving home?”

“Yeah. My mom probably shouldn’t see you. Where should we let you out?”

“Can we exchange numbers?”

He hesitates and she recognizes it. 

“Never mind.” She tells him brusquely. “We were never friends anyway. You can let me out here.”

In less then a minute, she’s gone.

And he doesn’t know if he should have acted differently.

taglist: @misfit-megumi @shoulmate @pixiesavvy @the2ndl @neko-my-cat @chelseaquake @tiredslepz @frozen-phoenix17 @spltbtch @touyasprettydoll

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My Kofi if you want to tip me

[homuraakumaakemi]

Sayaka wasn’t always cold to me. I remember her defending me when some people tried to bully me. But that was an eternity ago. Our relationship was more tense from the point I became a Magical Girl. If I explained myself, she’d take the worst interpretation. When I don’t, she does so anyway.

She was still chosen to help save my sorry ass when the Incubators tortured me and reduced me to live BAIT. Probably had to be convinced. “Oh, of course you can help, but I must save her personally, Sayaka! No, don’t worry! Nothing can go wrong!” I refuse to believe Sayaka would just… give me the benefit of the doubt. She’s almost as stubborn about what she believes as I am. Yet she came. Somehow, she was convinced. I guess the times we could play nice made an impact.

Either Madoka didn’t foresee what was to come… or she didn’t want to believe it…

That awful day, when panic and impulse overwhelmed me… Every bad thing Sayaka said and thought about me was proven frighteningly true. She realized she was wise to not trust me, even if she didn’t know how wise. Maybe she believes not that I should have been left a Witch, since that would play into the plans of the Incubators to undermine Madoka’s wish even worse than I am. Would it make a difference if I planned it all along? No. The result would be the same for everyone.

Maybe Sayaka believes now I should have been killed. Either left in limbo in that Labyrinth in my soul… or shattered some time before…

I doubt she will give me the benefit of the doubt again, and she will be wise for it. No, when she remembers, when the time is right… She will be the one to maneuver Madoka to stop me… by any means necessary. Convincing her to give me everything I deserve for what I did. To her. To them. To everyone. Because now, they see what I am capable of.

All I can hope is that Sayaka understands that yes, Madoka does want to help people, and sometimes, it really is that simple… she is also lonely. Not necessarily literally. I do not know for sure how she set up the afterlife.

But imagine this. You were born a human. Seemingly nothing special, but the truth is you have a family that is alive, well, and loving. You have friends, people who would stand by you no matter what. Your school life is perfectly in the middle. Not a pariah, mocked at every turn, but not so popular that people see you more for your physical attributes or talents than as a person. You were born with an innate desire to help people. You love everyone and everything. You may be thinking that’s wonderful, and it can be. However, it can easily be turned to depression and a desire to affirm yourself, but that does not make that desire any less genuine. Allow me to explain.

You have this burning desire, as well as this passionate belief that EVERYONE deserves a chance to be happy. You also become aware of things happening in the world. You become aware that to many people, their happiness can only come by taking away the chance for other people to be happy. And you become aware you can do nothing about it. You will never be Sailor Moon. You will never be God. But it’s not about you, rather that you want to see justice and love prevail. You feel their pain as your own without the need to think about it. Everyone’s pain. If this were you, how would that make you feel? That’s how it can begin. That is how a kind, gentle girl like Madoka Kaname can hide a lot of sadness in her heart. But she’d think it’s silly to worry about this. She’d think, “Even Sayaka’ll laugh at me and say it can’t be helped.” Who can understand her? Who can reach out and say she knows what this is like?

Arrogantly, I had thought once that I could be that girl. I knew what it was like, feeling like I’m not good enough, yet desperately wanting to be useful to people. Wanting to make the suffering of the world a little less. But a long time ago, I had realized I was a fool. I missed the key. I consistently forgot that I am not the only one who lived this simple truth: When someone you love suffers or dies, and something comes along all, “The suffering can stop, and YOU can stop it. Even the hands of death and time can be turned backwards,” many people will jump on that chance to finally be useful, to finally have the power to TRULY help. Many Magical Girls make their wish for this, even if they do not have the innate desire to help absolutely everyone they can. It’s not just me… and it’s not just Madoka. That’s why the only way to save Madoka ended up being Madoka becoming the closest thing to God in this world. A by-product of our wishes. Yet still, even with all the power in the world, I know… it will never be enough. You can split a river, end a war, solve world hunger, and end dependence on oppressors, but all your mind, even then, will be focused on is what you haven’t done. What you can’t do.

It seemed logical to me when that nasty thought started to fester. Would people realize even God can feel like that? Even God can be lonely? Even Madoka can feel like she’s not good enough? She has this burning desire to help EVERYONE, yet for all her power, it only makes her feel more powerless when she can’t. Now, this isn’t a constant thing. Unlike me, she can find happiness. But sometimes, such thoughts can linger…

I hope Sayaka can come to understand this. She has known Madoka for her entire life. Even if it’s on a smaller scale, Sayaka would know what this is like, if it’s explained to her, and she listens. If anything good comes out of my actions, let it be that, and let it be that Madoka can open up about this to certain people, and they will not mock her for this.

When she will be told it’s okay to be a little selfish, I mean this… and also for her to embrace her desires independent of her desire to help and love everyone. It’s okay to yearn for family and friends. It’s okay to yearn for someone to see the universe with. A true equal. Even when people believe you can have no equal.

Who better to have by your side than the one who’s been by your side all along? She will just need to prove herself, I think. Can your equal rise up to the challenge, Madoka? Will you rise, Sayaka? It’ll be an uphill battle, but who else is in such a potential position?

[tech-sapphy]

the dndads brainworms won’t let me go and i’ve been listening to a lot of broadway these past few days while thinking about dndads. a dangerous mix for my emotions. that means i Had to write some fic (marloakworthy you’re canon and real to me)

also i hc hermie as genderfluid. so here’s a thing i wrote on a whim

-

Makeup is, generally speaking, something that Hermie is more than used to. Stage makeup was always necessary, after all, and so that was what they were used to doing.

It’s also why, when he, Normal, and Scary got ready for their date night, Hermie was thrown for a bit of a loop seeing how she did her makeup.

He watched her relax as she did it, even as she was explaining it to them. She opted for a pink eyeshadow, using some black eyeshadow at the creases of her lids and blending it down to make it all a little darker, giving it an ombré effect. She also started to add extra wings to her eyeliner, smiling as she did. It already looked good, but she liked it.

Hermie admired how she did it to express herself rather than a role.

Neither he or Normal could stop staring at her. She was clearly basking in the attention, but he didn’t care.

Normal was the first to speak up. “…Can you do some for me?”

His eyes were wide, soft, with hope. No doubt an excuse to get close - which Scary probably clocked, by her smile and eye roll.

“Whatever floats your boat, Norm.”

Luckily, she had colors more than black - so Normal’s look was one with some brighter blues and greens, and she gave him some eyeliner too, at his request, with less of a sharp wing than her own. Her hand cradled each of his un-made up cheeks as she worked, and Normal leaned into it.

It was sickeningly cute.

Hermie’s heart leapt in joy, seeing them be so sweet. It was also beating, fast.

He admired them and he wanted to be close to them too, but he knew his heart beating was partially him wanting to be on that makeup chair.

Don’t get him wrong, he’s dedicated to doing the right makeup for his roles…but he doesn’t have one right now, and he still finds that he wants to do some makeup anyways.

Maybe it could help him find who ‘Hermie’ really was.

“What do you think, Hermie??” Normal reaches out to him, grabbing a hand. Hermie holds it in return, planting a kiss on the back of it.

“You’re radiant.” Normal blushes.

As Hermie sets Normal’s hand down, he can’t help but glance down at the makeup still set out on the counter. Some colors catch his eye. He looks to Scary, who he finds is smiling at them. She almost looks away, but Hermie is inclined to ask his question before she does.

“Well well well, we can’t go out on a date together if we’re not all matching. Scary, if you would be so kind…”

Hermie picks up a compacted container of eyeshadow, one that caught his eye earlier. A dark purple.

Scary groans, but is all smiles. Maybe she’s trying to hide it, maybe not, but Hermie can tell she’s more than happy to do it. Especially since she quickly reaches for a tube by the sink.

“You guys are so cute. You need primer first, otherwise it’s gonna stain or it’s not gonna stay. And it’d be suuuuch a tragedy if it didn’t stay.”

Indeed it would be, Scary. Indeed it would.

—

For how much of a powerhouse Scary has proven herself to be, Hermie understands why Normal leaned so close into her touch.

She’s incredibly gentle as she holds his face. He admires her range.

He also enjoys the feeling of the makeup. The eye primer was cold - but the brush it was blended with was firm, warming it up quickly.

Then there was the eyeshadow. Hermie kept tapping at his knees, in rhythm to the music that was playing softly from Scary’s phone speaker.

He closed his eyes as Scary raised the brush from the compact, covered in purple. He also leaned into the hand on his chin, just a little- he didn’t want to mess up the angle too badly. But he was right across from the mirror, so he couldn’t quite help…

“Wow, you’re really good at this, Scary!” Normal exclaims.

“Yeah, well, it might be easier if you stop trying to open your eyes, Hermie.”

“Sorry, sorry, my dear. Shouldn’t try and get a glance before your masterpiece is complete, I know.”

Normal laughed and Scary huffed at the nickname, her bangs blowing up as she did.

“You’re lucky the eyeshadow is done, but we still need some eyeliner. Close your eyes, you dork.”

Affectionate as could be.

He’s glancing down at the liners she has laid out - there are two. Both are black, but one is liquid and one is a pencil.

Both she and Normal had liquid eyeliner. He wanted to match with them, right?

So he doesn’t quite know why he reaches for the pencil. But he does, and hands it to her. She looks a little surprised, but not opposed.

“Oh, sure.”

“Oooh, good choice, Hermie! I think that’ll look good with the eyeshadow! Y’know, since it’s a bit darker!” Normal points out.

Hermie closes his eyes as he replies, “Of course. As you know, I have impeccable taste in style.”

Scary snorts.

“Oh, how you wound me, Scary.” He responds, leaning into the hand on his cheek.

The pencil felt weird. Not bad, just different. Not quite as smooth, but not bad. Eventually, Scary’s hands left his face.

He opened his eyes to look in the mirror, but Normal turned the swivel chair around before he could.

“Normal, what are you doing?”

“Can’t look at the masterpiece before the artist is done, remember?” He grins.

Hermie sighs, just as Scary - also grinning - is applying some bits of blush to his cheeks. He probably won’t need it tonight, knowing his reactions to his partners doing so much as holding his hand (as much as he tries to hide it), but he doesn’t protest.

She then holds out some tubes to him. Lipstick and lip gloss.

“Want any?”

He’s… he’s only ever worn it for his roles. Only ever red, bright enough to be befitting of The Joker and Poison Ivy.

Looking at the labels on the tubes, there’s one that is bright red. He’s about to reach out to point to it when he sees it - it’s almost second nature.

But before he can gesture to it, Scary pulls them away, looking through them.

“Not all of these would look right with your eyes, though.” She picks through a few of them, Hermie hears her set some down on the counter. Over his shoulder, he sees Normal point to a couple tubes, but he can’t see what colors they are.

“Good eye, Norm.”

They both turn back to him, each holding a tube. Both matte, one of them is a dark blue that almost looks black and the other is a nude pink. It's one he recognizes as a color his co-stars often used in their stage makeup, a shade that wasn't too noticeable.

“Wanna do half and half?” Normal suggests.

“It’d look metal as hell.” Scary points out.

He likes that idea. He really likes that idea. So much that he almost wants to cry. He nods, and immediately looks up just a little bit.

To stop himself from ruining the makeup? So that they don’t see?

Either way, both happen as Normal and Scary each apply a color on his lips at the same time.

“No, wait, stop there Norm-“

“But hear me out, we could also do a different pattern!”

“No, we’re not going to do that.“

Hermie is tempted to laugh, but refrains, so as to not mess anything up. Their bickering makes him feel… comfortable. Content.

At home.

He’s never really known what that felt like. His characters never did, either. So he really has no frame of reference, nothing more than observations of his friends with their families.

But he suspects that this new feeling, of contentment and of his mind Not racing with thoughts and clever lines - just needing to do what he wants rather than live up to some expectation or role -

That might be what home feels like. He's not sure, but it's enough for him.

“Okay, ready for the final reveal??” Normal and Scary both hold one of his hands after they turn the chair to face the mirror.

He opens his eyes.

He looks different. So different.

The eyeshadow and lipstick are darker and give a bit of a shadowed look. The pencil eyeliner makes his eyes look softer than his partners’.

Both of whom are blushing. Normal squeezes his hand.

“You’re so beautiful, Hermie!”

“Like midnight.” Scary whispers.

Beautiful. Like midnight.

Beautiful. Beautiful.

It’s so… feminine. Hermie feels feminine.

He loves it.

Tears are welling up in his eyes, and he tries to look up, but a tear slips down his cheek. His partners swoop in at the same time.

“Oh no- what’s wrong Hermie?” Normal wraps his arms around him.

“Oh shit, what’s wrong? Do you not like it?” Scary squeezes his hand, running a thumb over his wrist.

She doesn’t even care that her hard work is at risk. She just cares about his feelings.

He’s overcome with adoration, at their reactions and at his reflection. It’s why his usual quick wit is completely out of commission, and he can only respond with a few words.

“I love it.”

He gets up and maneuvers around them, to bring them both into a hug. They’re both quick to return the hug, wrapping their arms around him. He can feel their hands link on his back. Normal leans into the crook of Hermie’s shoulder, and Scary’s drawing little circles on his shoulder blades. It’s reassuring, it’s grounding.

They had plans for tonight, but Hermie doesn’t want to let go.

For once in a life riddled with shit luck, Hermie feels like they’ve hit the jackpot.