#so. off topic but. I’m happy I have the bracelet because now I can casually be flagged as queer by others in my community | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rosy-cheekx · 4 years

Text

I Want To Be A Real Fake

@kaiserkorresponds said: Black and White + "I want to be a real fake" + formal clothing <3

Prompted fic that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since I received it! Hope you like it, Kaiser!

Jon would not consider himself fashionable. He has a distinct sense of style, yes, but that style lately has been Tired-Academic-Works-in-a-Cold-Office,-Steals-Sweaters-When-Necessary-core. Not exactly suitable for the business casual dress code The Magnus Institute “requires” (no one seemed to pay attention to the Archive staff’s choices of attire), but certainly not suitable for the small rectangle of cardstock Elias Bouchard hands him, on a quiet spring morning in the Archive.

“What’s…what’s this?” Jon asked, staring at the neat, printed text as if it was Greek. (If it were Greek, at least, he could decipher parts of it. He was an English Lit student, after all, and he had really enjoyed etymology.) The card was a stiff black and white, with the black owl logo, the symbol of the Magnus Institute, printed in the top middle. Glancing down at it, he saw a date, and the words: “black-tie.” Shit.

“My apologies, I forgot how tired your position tends to leave you.” Elias’s voice was prim and polite, but Jon still winced inwardly. “As a head of a department, you are now strongly encouraged to attend the fundraiser I host in April each year. Our donors are fascinated by our departments, and especially the Archives. Gertrude’s disappearance has raised questions as to her successor, and I trust you can assuage the concerns of our donors at your accomplishments in the position.” Jon chose to believe that Elias’s keen eye didn’t sweep the mountains of paperwork that surrounded his desk as he surveyed the small, poorly lit office. “I’m certain you’ll be able to find appropriate attire for the occasion.”

He turned on a heel, halfway to the door before seemingly considering something. “Ah, and Jon, one more thing. Gertrude always requested she bring an assistant. Would you like to do the same? I am happy to accommodate one more for the catering count.”

Jon snapped his mouth shut, utterly dumbfounded by the responsibility just thrust upon him, and nodded mutely, before clearing his throat. “Ah-um, yes, I would appreciate that. Does it matter which one?”

“Someone who can make a pleasant impression, please.” Elias raised an eyebrow, nodded almost imperceptibly, like he had made a decision, and rapped his knuckles on the doorframe on the way out. “I trust your judgement.”

Jon counted to thirty, to be certain Elias wasn’t coming back, and slouched into his office chair, scanning the save-the-date again, without the immense pressure of Elias’s eyes on him.

“The Magnus Institute Fundraiser Gala,” it read below the embossed owl, within a thin black border. “23 April, 7-10 pm. Black tie. Catered.” Jon traced the owl with the pad of his finger, flipping the card over to see, in Elias’s thin cursive: Make a good impression, Jon.

God, this is going to suck.

“Sasha, come on.” Jon wasn’t one to beg, but desperate times and all that. He had cornered her in the breakroom, while Martin was on a research trip and Tim was getting takeaway from the chippie down the street. “It’s only three weeks away, and you’re the one I trust the most. Please.”

“Jon,” Sasha sighed, smoothing her skirt patiently. “I would if I could, I swear to you. But my sister’s wedding has been planned for months, I’ve already requested time off, and I can’t undo all that for a work party.”

“Fundraiser,” Jon corrected instinctively, even as he signed in resignation. “Fine. I just really didn’t want to go alone.”

Sasha scoffed, shaking her head to herself as she opened the fridge and pulled out her bagged lunch. “You have two other assistants you know. What about Tim? Or Martin?”

Jon wrinkled his nose at the thought of bringing nervous, rambling, doe-eyed Martin to the gala. “God no. Martin would be too much; I need someone who can handle themselves and hold a decent conversation. I need someone who can attend a black-tie gala and look more at-home than me.” A withering look from Sasha.

“So why not Tim, then? He can do all those things.”

“Do all what things?” Jon jumped and spun around to see Tim, carrying a grease-spotted bag in one hand and a paper soda cup in the other. He surveyed Tim in a moment: the button-up shirt, red and printed with tiny black balloons, sleeves rolled to the elbows. Sunglasses pushed to the top of his head, dark black hair artfully mussed. High cheekbones dotted with freckles, and what Jon swore could be the faintest bit of eyeliner.

“Tim, would you like to go to a fashionable, catered work party with me?”

“Boss,” Tim lowered himself to a knee and held out his soda solemnly. “I thought you’d never ask.”

“Tim, that’s backwards. The kneeler isn’t the one who accepts,” Sasha chuckles helpfully.

“You’re just jealous of our love, Sash!”

Good Lord.

Jon was really hoping the food would be good. He was in Tim’s flat, in the toilet, checking himself in the mirror one final time. His hair was carefully braided, courtesy of Tim’s deft hands and coiled into a thick bun at the base of his skull, gold and emerald hairpin snugly in place. His suit was nice: a respectable white shirt, dotted with tiny lime-colored flowers he had to strain his eyes to see, under a dark green suit jacket and matching trousers. The suit itself was cut in a rather androgynous style, pulling tight at Jon’s waist in a way he rather liked, and contrasted beautifully, he thought, with the smooth brown of his skin. He flicked an invisible piece of lint from his thigh and, satisfied, stepped into the hall to tell Tim he was ready to go.

“Tim, I’m all-woah,” the exhale was accidental. Tim’s suit was certainly not subtle. He was wearing a deep blue turtleneck, hair perfectly coiffed. Over the turtleneck, the suit jacket was white, a spray of water-color flowers in all shades of blue and purple shifting with every movement. The navy blue heeled suede boots on his feet accentuated his already-tall frame “Tim, you look good,” Jon breathed.

“Ouch. No need to sound all surprised. I know I clean up well; I dirty pretty damn good too.” Tim chuckled and adjusted his sleeves. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Mr. ‘I don’t want anything too crazy.’”

Jon grinned shyly, rocking on his heels of his own, less intimidating dress shoes. “I like it, I think. It feels nice.” The excitement over how good he felt in the clothes had, all too briefly, suppressed the impending doom he was feeling about the evening’s events. “Are you ready for tonight?” he asked for what must have been the fiftieth time, spinning the solid black ring he wore around his finger.

“Yes, Jon. Talk about the reorganization process as a structural renovation, converting files to audio formatting for future accessibility, don’t talk about artefact storage even a little, don’t get caught up with anyone too pretty, I get it.” His voice was flat, bored by the repetition. “This is going to be fine.”

“What-what if it isn’t, though, Tim? What if they ask about Gertrude or how their money is being used, o-or how the restructuring is going? I can’t bloody well tell them I’m using a tape recorder that’s probably older than I am.”

“Jon,” Tim’s well-manicured hand was on his shoulder, nails the same blue of his turtleneck. “Take a deep breath. For Gertrude: be honest. It was a tragedy, and you hope she’s found, but until then you’re doing your best to act on her wishes as her replacement. And for the rest, be vague. Restructuring is going ‘as well as can be expected’ or ‘is running quite smoothly with the help of your three wonderful assistants.’” He winked. “And tell them you’re using a multimedia system, that’ll confuse those old boomers enough to move topics. And it is technically true. Laptops and a tape recorder are multiple medias. Anything else we can riff, you know? I can talk with the best of them.” He eyed Jon meaningfully. “This will be fine. It’s one night. And we’ll get chips after. Promise.”

Jon nodded and closed his eyes, breathing steadying. He was grateful Tim had been available. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

“So, how did you know what black tie meant?” Jon asked, eyeing Tim across the seat of the cab. They’re on their way now and Jon’s hands are steepled tightly, pressing his fingertips against each other until it hurts to do so. “I had to Google it last week when I went shopping, in case we had to wear literal black ties.” He needed to talk about anything, anything but this stupid fundraiser they drove steadily towards.

Tim grew silent for a moment, considering his words. “My brother was an extra in a movie once and started dating a stylist for one of the leads. He fibbed his way into getting us tickets for premieres, so I’ve made my way through a few high-fashion events.” He shrugged, fiddling with a thin silver bracelet along his wrist, were Jon knew the letter D was carved in delicate cursive. “I like it, too, you know? Dressing up for events. It makes me feel debonaire, like a spy.”

Jon shook his head in disagreement. “Makes me feel fake,” he mumbled, eyeing the lorry floor beneath them. “Like everyone knows I don’t belong. I hate having their eyes on me and knowing they’re better than me.”

Tim prodded Jon with his elbow gently, raising his eyebrows in a comforting manner. “That’s it though, isn’t it? We aren’t fake. We worked our way here. Hell, you’re the boss of an entire department, Jon. We’ve gotten to where we are in the Institute because we deserve to be here. And anyways, everyone at that party next week is gonna be fake. They’re pretending to care about our jobs, and we pretend to care about their money, and they pretend they’re even the ones who write the checks and not some snooty financial advisor in Wales.”

Jon shrugged, trying to keep himself from biting back that he wasn’t enough, didn’t earn this spot, that Sasha deserved it more than he did and was doing nothing to prove to Elias he was up to the monumental task of being the Head Archivist. He didn’t, though, and instead took a steadying breath, nodding to Tim’s comforting words.

“And anyways,” Tim continued, shrugging. “Even if we have to be fake for a night, it’ll be fun. We get to be a part of ‘the queen’s high society,’” he added in a high-pitched, overly fake RP accent, eliciting a chuckle from Jon. “And Rosie said the catering Elias orders is divine. Apparently we should keep an eye out for tiny samosas?”

As if on cue, the cab shuddered to a stop. Jon thanked the driver, paid, and followed Tim out.

The Institute looked different under the pretense of wealth and success. It was still the same building of course, but the floor was clear of the rain mats and the smooth marble floor paved the way to the library, the main sitting room of which had been cleared as a rather respectable grand hall to host a party. Tables lined the cordoned off books, hot plates and silver trays steaming slightly. Bottles of wine lined a bar, behind which a vested individual with slicked-back hair was pouring small glasses and taking orders. A quiet orchestra completed the scene, cello and piano in a delicate duet. Before tonight, Jon couldn’t have imagined this many people in the Institute alone, least of all the library. Not that it’s packed. There’s maybe thirty or so well-dressed individuals milling about, the din of conversation white noise in comparison to the floating of the music.

Tim’s hand is on his back, pressing kindly into his spine. Oh yes, he remembers dimly, and nods, allowing Tim to guide him into the library and hand him a glass of wine. They stand out a little, two beacons of color around what is a pretty drab spectrum of black and grey, save for a few spectacular dresses in the crowd. Jon finds he doesn’t mind it, except that it may lead to unwanted conversation. It’s not his looks he fears being judged on, but that he be found wanting when it came to his capabilities. He was always selectively self-conscious like that, some things utterly meaningless, others inexplicably important.

Jon isn’t a huge fan of wine, but he finds himself clinging to the glass as a lifeline as he and Tim meander through the crowds, largely ignored. The music is intoxicatingly simple; he finds himself caught up in the deep reverberations of the cello as they walk, feeling it deep in his chest. There were, in fact, samosas, as well as small cannoli, and he and Tim piled plates as high as they could without garnering stares.

There weren’t many people Jon recognized; he didn’t even see Elias as he scanned the crowd for faces. Wine in one hand, a plate in the other, he thought maybe the night wouldn’t be too bad.

Jon shivered, the sensation of being stared at prickling the back of his neck. He spun around, trying to appear casual, and spotted Elias at last. He was standing with a large man, broad and wearing a deep blue suit, scruffy beard a mix of tawny and white. Elias crooked his finger, smiling primly. As Jon made his way over to the pair-who he could’ve sworn he hadn’t seen previously, he was intercepted by a short bald man in a plum velour suit, leaning heavily on a cane.

“Ah, Archivist,” he smiled warmly, extending a hand to shake before seeing Jon’s hands were full, and nodding his head instead. “Congratulations on your promotion. Elias has told me he expects great things from you.”

Jon smiled politely, glancing over to see Elias and the other man gone again. Regretfully, he turned his attention back to the man. “It’s a shame about Gertrude, yes, but I’m hoping I can do her proud,” he said in a practiced tone. He glanced over his shoulder. Where was Tim? He was just with him.

“Of course, of course. I was hoping I could have a word?”

“W-with me?”

“Yes, you see, I was rather concerned when I heard Gertrude’s position had been left open. When Elias said you yourself where at the junction to take over, I wanted to meet you for myself. I worry about the Archivists in your institute, so many of you do such monumental work for so little recognition. Do you worry your work to be meaningless? Your name insignificant when it is all said and done?”

(It is this conversation he remembers, months later, when he demands to record Prentiss’ attack. He refuses to be another mystery, a name on a placard to be wondered about.)

“I-ah, yes? No?” What was the right answer here? Jon stammered out a half-assed reply about doing his best, midway through when he felt a hand firmly on his shoulder, where his neck and collarbone met. Glancing to his peripheral, he saw a golden ring, an eye, and was frustratingly grateful to hear the cool tones of Elias Bouchard over his shoulder.

“Now Simon,” he said, voice even, “you aren’t trying to scare my dear Archivist, are you?” He gave the shoulder a squeeze but remained put. “Jon, I believe you’ve heard of Simon Fairchild, a significant donor to our establishment.”

Jon nodded wordlessly, not really listening to the two bureaucrats delve off into some topic or other, craning his neck to look for Tim. The music had picked up, he registered dimly, a orchestral melody led by a violin, sharp and whimsical.

“Jon?” Another squeeze to his neck, and Jon tried not to wince. “Wouldn’t you agree,” Elias asked, voice patient at surface level. “That the best way to move forward is to restructure the Archive?”

Jon nodded, trying to recall the answer he had rehearsed. “Yes, ah—my team and I have worked quite hard at recording the statements a-and organizing them in a way that will last long-term.”

“Ah, what a delight,” Simon—Mr. Fairchild—said warmly. Jon was reminded of the voices adults would use when they spoke to him as a child, when his inane facts about space or etymology had moved from endearing to obnoxious.

The conversation lasted for what felt like days, Jon feeling rather like Mr. Fairchild’s cane: a statement piece, contributing nothing to the conversation but unable to find a smooth exit. Leading questions from Elias led to thankfully rehearsed answers before Simon found his own exit and walked away smoothly, eyes wide and taking the room in.

“I-I really should find Tim,” Jon muttered, glancing around the room anxiously.

“Nonsense. He’ll be back,” Elias said, releasing Jon’s shoulder and taking his elbow in turn, “I would like to introduce you to a few dear friends of mine. I believe Tim is keeping one occupied at present.” Jon sighed inwardly (and maybe outwardly as well) and allowed himself to be led around the room. His wine glass was empty, as was his plate and he found it snatched away by a member of catering. He had nothing to cling to, to keep his hands busy, and was struggling not to pull out his delicately-placed hair pin just so he could fiddle with something.

Jon was taken on a tour of old rich people of England. Names flew past him, conversation buzzed around him, and still Jon felt like nothing more than a well-dressed trophy to be ogled at. Did Gertrude do this every year, he wondered dimly. No wonder she disappeared. He fiddled with the ring on his finger, nodding and smiling at the appropriate times, speaking when needed, and feeling the swirl of the orchestra build up in pressure behind his eyes. The music was beautiful but hard to listen to. Something about it was ugly, hiding a dark secret behind the innocent melodies.

Eventually, the evening was so much of a blur that he couldn’t even begin to fathom how much time had passed. It may have been weeks, may have been merely twenty minutes. Jon glanced down for his watch before realizing he had taken it off at Tim’s flat and never strapped it back on. Pity. It only added to the dreamscape reality he seemed to be participating in.

At last, Elias led him towards the large burly man that was suddenly in view (hadn’t he always been? Jon wasn’t quite sure. The wine must have affected him more than he thought with the nerves) and Jon saw Tim, similarly trapped in conversation as he had been. He smiled apologetically as Jon and Elias approached and the larger man smiled warmly at the newcomers.

“Ah, Archivist. I hope you don’t mind I stole your companion away briefly. I was curious about the nitty-gritty of your Archive. Timothy here was very informative.” Tim winced at the use of his full name and a part of Jon smirked, relating to the sentiment of being called Jonathan or worse, John.

“I’m glad he can answer your questions.” Elias spoke before Jon could open his mouth. “I’m quite proud of the Archive staff. Jon chose well and I am sure the four of them are going to do great things together. Jon, you remember the Lukas family?”

Jon nodded, confused for a second before the man in front of him extended his hand. “Peter Lukas, at your service.” The hand was cold, and a feeling of dismay washed over Jon as he shook it. He couldn’t help the feeling that the shake of that hand was a seal of his fate.

The orchestral music had picked up, a swirl of strings and piano, ascending in pitch until it grated at Jon’s ears. No one else seemed to react to it, however, as the manic notes pulling at something inside Jon’s brain, something he couldn’t explain. It was almost like a migraine, but sharper and deep in his spine and in his ears. Elias let go of Jon’s arm at some point during the conversation with Peter Lukas, a discussion about boats, maybe? Travel? This was the conversation Elias was so keen on Jon being a part of?

As Jon felt that grip relax, the glint of the ring on Elias’ finger seeming to wink at him, Jon took a staggered step backwards. “Mr. Lukas, ah-Peter, it’s been a pleasure. Elias, ex-excuse me.”

Jon turned and dashed out of the library, feet carrying him on instinct through the winding halls and down the stairs of the institute, deep into the Archives. He stopped when he felt his feet echo against the cold, solid lino of the archival storage and bent over, hand on the wall, gasping in shallow, rapid bursts. It was too much, it was too much, he thought he could do this but it was too much and he wasn’t enough for them-

“Woah-boss.” Tim was there. When did Tim get here? Was he speaking out loud? Shit. “Jon, yeah-hey, Jon. I’m here. You’re okay. Take some deep breaths, okay? You’re going to black out if you’re not careful.”

Jon felt his suit jacket being shrugged off of him and the newly allowed freedom of his shoulder helped. He took a deep, sputtering breath, the sweet oxygen flooding his system and sharpening his thoughts.

“The-the music and the talking,” he said under his breath, Tim craning to listen without infringing on his personal space. “Too-too much.”

“The music? Jon, hey, hey, just focus on calming down, okay? That was a dick move of Elias to separate us immediately. I was talking to that Lukas guy for way too long. Not even sure what we talked about. I think he’s just one of those guys.” Jon smirked to himself as he focused on the floor beneath his feet, breathing slowly until his heart rate had resumed a normal rhythm.

“Says you,” he mumbled, eyes closing as he pressed his warm cheek to the cold wall.

“You bastard!” Jon felt a light swat on his shoulder. “I listen to people! I have meaningful conversation; just ask Martin and Sasha and Alexa from Library and Calvin from Artefact Storage. I am practically a professional listener.”

Jon smirked, satisfied with his jab and turned around, now pressing his back to the wall. “God, Tim, I do not want to go back in there.” It was hard to admit out loud, even if the evidence was written all over his face.

“Okay. So, we won’t.”

“What?” the answer was so mind-bogglingly simple, Jon reeled.

“We don’t want to be here. We’ve talked, we’ve eaten. Let’s just leave. I can tell Elias I had an emergency and you had to escort me home, like a true gentleman.”

“Lie to Elias? I feel like that cant end well.” The offer was tempting, Jon hadf to admit.

“I mean, Sasha has keys to my flat. I could ask her to start a fire, if you think that’s sufficient?”

Jon barked out a laugh at that. “Ah, no, lets save a fire for something big. Yes. Let’s-let’s go, Tim. And-er, I suppose I should thank you. For coming tonight. I know its not an ideal way to spend an evening.”

“Are you kidding?” Tim did a twirl, Jon’s own jacket slung over his shoulder. “I look hot. You think I’d pass up an opportunity to dress up like this? You’re dreaming.” He smirked and took Jon’s arm, leading him back up the stairwell. It felt different than Elias’s touch. That had been a cold tug, directional and leashed. This felt…snug, more like a link in a chain than anything else. Comforting, reassuring.

(Luckily, they weren’t laughed out of the Nando’s they popped into late at night. Lemon and herb and spices covered their hands, but they were careful to keep their jackets clean. Jon, when looking back on the evening; remembers this moment, talking and laughing and letting the fresh night air was over them. Elias, Lukas, and Fairchild be damned. He’d deal with that tomorrow.)

#the magnus archives #tma #tma fanfic #fanfic to a tea #jonathan sims #tim stoker #prompt fic #black-tie #elias bouchard #still a dick #peter lukas #simon fairchild #sasha james #me? write everyone BUT martin>#amazing

91 notes · View notes

spidersfanfics · 4 years

Text

Maid of Time

Mallek x Goldblood Maid Reader | Self indulgent | SFW don’t worry

Y/N is a gold blood working at a maid café which does date auctions. Tonight's lucky bidder was Mallek, but it seems his motives were not all personal...

Technically gender neutral? But it makes more sense if Y/N is female, or at least fem. Just cause, ya know, maid cafes.

You took a couple of deep breaths in front of the mirror and fixed up your outfit. Date time was in five minutes and you weren't sure what to expect. Best to be mentally prepared though, the big spenders tended to be... Interesting.

"That was quite the bidding war for you," the voice of one of your co workers interrupted your thoughts and you turned around with a jolt.

Stood behind you with a teasing smile was Elania, a burgundy blooded girl who you'd worked with for quite some time now.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," you said almost sheepishly. "No doubt they want the novelty of seeing a gold blood play maid," and you weren't just saying that either.

You were usually the highest caste in the act, with everyone else being rust and bronze bloods. After all gold bloods tended to be more useful with their psionics and didn't typically have to resort to such measures.

Not much demand for a gold blood with half burnt out eyes though.

Elania shrugged, "Maybe, but hey if it brings the group more money, right?"

"Happy to help," you laugh and head off towards the room that had been set aside for your date.

"Stay safe," Elania called after you.

That's hardly up to me, now is it, you thought to yourself. Taking one last breath, you plastered a cheery smile across your face and pushed the door open.

The first thing you did was take in the client. After all, it had been hard to get a good look at him from the stage.

The troll before you was dressed in a casual hoodie and didn't look up from his palmhusk when you entered. A cerulean blood, so not too high up but still rich enough to be dangerous. Not to mention the piercings and intimidating undercut, though his sign seemed strangely familiar.

"Hello, sir," you started.

"Don't bother," he cut you off.

You blinked in surprise, "Pardon me?"

He shook his head with a lazy smile, "Two things. One, I didn't actually want to be here. A buddy dragged me with him. Two, the guy I was bidding against was a fucking creep."

"Oh, right, thank you sir-"

"Please, call me Mallek."

You sighed and dropped your persona, "You really aren't into this, are you?"

He grinned, "Nah, meat space isn't usually my scene. I just recognized that guy from a forum and knew he was kinda shitty. Wanted to help out."

You thought about it for a second, "He wasn't an indigo was he? Sharply dressed with the blunted horns?"

Mallek's eyes widened in surprise, "Spot on, he come here often?"

"Technically he's blacklisted but security doesn't really care if a couple of lowbloods get roughed up a bit," you huffed and gestured to the couch Mallek was lounging on. "Can I sit down?"

"Oh yeah, of course," Mallek said, scooting over to give you some space. "I'm actually surprised this place has a gold blood working. I mean, my buddy told me that was the main draw of this place but I thought that might be a publicity thing. Don't you have that whole living battery thing going for you?"

You shook your head, "Burnt out my eyes in a power surge a couple of sweeps ago. Hence why I couldn't even tell who was bidding for me. They don't let me wear glasses on stage, says it ruins the look."

You fished your glasses out from your pocket and put them on, "Ta dah."

Mallek laughed and pulled out his own pair of glasses, "We match."

"Isn't that fun," you said, laughing as well. Despite your initial hesitation, you felt yourself relax. "So, you mentioned that this wasn't quite your thing. What do you do then? Surely something lucrative to be able to afford this, I mean, you dropped quite the sum."

He shrugged, "It's really not that interesting. I troll forums every now and then but for the most part I look at robots. And keep an eye on whatever the hot topic of the hour is."

Suddenly, you realized why his sign seemed so familiar, "Wait a second, are you snakeBytes?"

Mallek seemed genuinely caught off guard by this. "Oh damn, and here I thought I'd been keeping a low profile. Do I know you?"

You shook your head quickly, "No, you wouldn't. But I know someone who worked for you for a bit. And well, when a highblood starts getting caught up in hacker business, golds tend to be the first to know."

"Fair enough," Mallek chuckled. "Yeah that's me I guess. Though I prefer the term information specialist," he joked

"Oh of course," you laughed, "My mistake."

Mallek smiled, "I take it you know about the drone stuff then?"

"Sure do, my friend was real grateful for the first aid stuff you rerouted her way as payment."

Mallek grinned, "Oh hey I remember her, tell her I said hi."

"Will do."

"Enough about me though, let's talk about you," Mallek leaned forward, "Why do you work in this place? Besides the faulty psionics I mean."

You raised an eyebrow, "I thought you didn't care about the date."

Mallek actually looked flustered at this and cleared his throat, cerulean dusting his cheeks. "I don't, but I wasn't expecting you to be quite so interesting."

You laughed, "How sweet of you, Mr-" you paused.

"Adalov," Mallek prompted, "But really, just call me Mallek."

"Right, well to answer your question, I work here because it's safe. No one cares too much about what we do in our free time. And sometimes, if we treat a highblood well, we get a powerful regular who can boast about how much of a philanthropist he is."

Mallek clicked his tongue in disapproval, "You guys serve clowns here?"

You shrugged, "Who are we to stop them."

"That sucks."

"It is what it is." You shook your head in resignation, "I feel pretty confident I won't get culled working here, as long as I'm nice to the clients. And really what more could I ask for?"

Mallek thought about it for a moment, "You could work for me."

You frowned, "Mr. Adalov, I am not a charity case."

"It was a genuine offer," Mallek said quickly, putting his hands up. "I'm sorry if I offended you..." he trailed off, "I don't believe you ever gave me your name."

"You know it, Maid Cipher, it's on all the signs."

Mallek chuckled, "Right, cute. I meant your real name. Your stage name feels, well staged, for lack of a better word."

You hesitated, "I'm not really supposed to say."

"I won't tell."

"Fine, it's Y/N."

"Y/N," Mallek repeated, "I like it."

You blushed, "Thank you."

"So, Y/N. I meant what I said, you could come work for me. I'm sure I could find something more comfortable for you. You said you kept up with digital news?"

"More or less, I don't personally do much of the hacking but I worked with code before the power surge," you explain. "I still keep up with it now, albeit with everything powered the old fashioned way."

"Not by your brain," Mallek finished.

You laughed, "Exactly."

A flash of movement caught your eye and you looked down to catch Mallek hesitantly reach out for you, his hand hovering over your own. You watched him in amusement as he spoke, "Yeah so, I'm sure I could find you something, and then we could get to know each other better too."

Cutting to the chase, you took his hand in yours and smiled at him, "Mr. Adalov, are you perhaps enjoying this date more than you care to admit?"

Mallek was well and truly blushing at this point as he stammered out a reply, "I, umm. Maybe? I guess I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. But you're actually really nice to talk to. And umm, cute too."

You laughed, "Quite the flatterer. As for your offer, I appreciate it but I couldn't leave my girls here. We're friends and my novelty brings in a good amount of cash. No matter how awful that sounds, I have to stick around."

Mallek nodded, "I understand. But uhh..." he trailed off awkwardly and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Could we perhaps go for coffee sometime? I'd like to see you more."

"I think I'd like that Mr. Adalov." You held out a hand, "Give me your palmhusk and I'll give you my number."

"Oh! Yes, that would be lovely," Mallek said hurriedly and handed his palmhusk over to you.

You entered your number into his contacts happily and as you handed the device back, your bracelet gave a loud beep. You looked at the clock on the wall and sighed, "Well, that's time up."

Mallek pouted jokingly, "Aww, already? Time flies, huh?"

"Sure does," you laughed and pointed at the door behind him. "You can exit the way you came, I trust you'll find your way with no problem?" Without waiting for a response, you stood together.

There was a moment of awkward silence until you took his hand, lifted it up to your lips and kissed him on the back of the hand. "Have a good day, Mallek."

You winked at him as he stared at you in stunned silence and left the room.

#Mallek Adalov #Mallek x Reader #Maid Reader #Maid cafe #Homestuck #Hiveswap #Friendsim #Troll Call #Female Reader #Gender Neutral Reader #Goldblood Reader #Spider Writes Homestuck #Spider Writes Hiveswap #Spider Writes Friendsim

44 notes · View notes

uwua3 · 4 years

Note

Your writing is amazing! Like honestly! ✨ Can I request some yuki dating headcanons like with an s/o. If not I understand have a great day! 😊

thank you so much ♡ can i just say i love your support and enthusiasm for my writing 🥺 i always see you liking/replying to my posts and i am In Love With You i swear *thousands of hearts* thank you for everything~ but yes, of course! one super soft yuki hc coming up right away!!!

summary: yuki was yours and only yours, and he wanted to make sure everyone knew

author’s note: this was so sweet, it gave me multiple cavities! i’m sorry if it’s awkward, i’m not too experienced in the art of ~ love ~ even though i’m such a hopeless romantic! hope this was cute enough :D

i hope everyone knows relationships don’t make you whole, you are your own person. your s/o can help you improve to be the best version possible, but you are just as unique and interesting as an individual, never forget that ♡

word count: 1,803

music: Q&A – seventeen ft. ailee, hold your hand – lee hi

couple outfits.

🌻👘 rurikawa yuki

yuki didn’t just date anybody, let’s make that clear. in fact, yuki never dated anyone before you!

yuki liked you, so, so much. before he said anything, it physically hurt him to be so distracted by your presence when he had so many responsibilities

(it also hurt tenma when backstage, yuki forgot what he was doing and didn’t look where the needle was going when he became too entranced)

(“you idiot! stop staring at them for one second!” tenma yelped, not seeing yuki’s embarrassed blush before the two got caught in a petty argument once again. obviously, you had to play peacemaker)

but yuki was scared every time you looked at him and saw your stupid smile. you seemed so happy around him, and yuki could tell the signs before you even knew

you had to like him romantically, your hugs lingered and personality was made of sugar only around him

you were so obvious, you liked him and he was scared of messing everything up. it was so rare to find a good friend like you, was it worth it to risk everything?

before he even knew it, yuki was preparing a rejection because no person could come between him and his work (at least, that’s what he tried to reason it with)

but every time you looked at yuki, with all the affection in the world, he didn’t have the heart to say it

maybe, yuki didn’t want to say something he didn’t believe in

so the best solution was if he avoided the topic, you guys would be friends forever and nothing would have to go wrong

so when he confessed out of no where, yuki slapped his hands over his own mouth because he was such an idiot (for once)

you two were buying fabrics for the next mankai production, yuki happily browsing the store with the increased budget

yuki practically pulled you to the secluded corner, convincing you the store’s hidden gems were always in the piles of boxes about to be donated

when you found a discarded silk scarf hidden amongst the mixture, you looped it around your own neck and pretended like you were ali–baba, reciting the lines from water me! to get his attention

(you helped yuki practice his lines in the script so you were practically an understudy)

yuki already started ignoring your ridiculous tactics, about to tell you to shut up and help him find the perfect material when he turned around—you had it!

yuki rushed forward, unintentionally pulling you in close as he inspected the fabric’s qualities, not realizing how you were invading his personal space

“how did you even find this, you must be my...” yuki stumbled on his words, looking up to see you staring at him with such unmasked fondness, it made him become flustered

“your what?” you questioned, playfully smiling as you leaned forward, causing yuki to automatically pull back

(silly yuki! he forget he still had a death grip on the scarf as you followed him forward, holding out your arm on the wall nearby to prevent you two from falling)

yuki flinched, expecting the impact of the ground but opened his eyes to see you were leaning over him and was trapped between your arms

a beat of silence passed. yuki was about to let go before you moved in closer, innocently tilting your head as you had a cat–like cheshire grin

“tell me i’m yours, yuki~” you giggled, watching the way his face immediately turned red. any other person, he’d push off without a doubt. but he liked that you teased him so much, that you were so affectionate and open to him

yuki wish he didn’t like you so much

he knew you were joking, but,

yuki really did like you so much

“you’re mine. i want you to be mine.” yuki admitted, his expression forming one of shock as if he couldn’t believe what he said. how could he just confess that?! yuki shut his mouth, still against the wall as you blinked once. twice.

it didn’t take long before you fell back from laughter, bruising yuki’s ego as he crossed his arms and looked away, embarrassed

this is what he got for trying to be spontaneous and “in the moment”. yuki didn’t know what to expect, was he ready for this?

wait... what if he’s been reading all the signs wrong? oh my god, what if you didn’t even see him that way?!

“aish... don’t laugh... you’re so—” yuki felt the scarf get yanked around his wrist like a lasso and before he could react, it was you who pulled him in close this time

his hands landed on your shoulders, trying to balance himself but you kept him steady, putting your arms around his waist as you grinned like a little kid

“i like you, too.” you confessed, overwhelmed with happiness as yuki felt the same

yuki smiled and closed the distance, feeling like you two were in your own world

the fabric store was forever his favorite now, because it was the place he 1. found the perfect silk material for a costume (every time), 2. kissed you for the first time, and 3. had his first relationship start

from that point forward, you two entered a relationship full of mutual respect, care, and even love later on

(yuki said it first, surprisingly enough. but this time, it was on purpose)

yuki fantasized about being the dream couples he saw online in his pinterest board, reblogging couples outfits and creating a private folder he gazed at every once in a while

when you discovered this, you intentionally showed up wearing the same color scheme as yuki and the rest was history

once yuki saw you were just as excited and giddy to appear as a couple, yuki put his sewing skills to work as he made custom pieces he knew you’d love

you name it, you probably got it: matching berets with your signature color, pretty hair ribbons and bows, and for anniversaries/special events, yuki would work day and night to craft the outfit of your dreams

yuki loved expressing his affection through gifts because it was personally difficult to say he liked you without sounding like his default sarcastic state

every day was valentine’s day, by the way

so showing up with a huge, perfectly wrapped box or bag with colorful tissue paper that always correlated with the gift wasn’t out of the norm, yuki loved spoiling you~ (lucky you!)

if yuki saw something in the window on his way home that reminded him of you, he bought it without a second thought and watched your eyes lit up (so worth his empty wallet)

if yuki found a teddy bear that was the embodiment of all things soft and lovely, it was already at your door step with a handwritten letter he would never admit to writing

everything that made him happy started reminding yuki of you (you had to directly tell him to stop to prevent him from going broke)

any time yuki went out shopping, he took you because he liked seeing what your interests and dislikes were

yuki was very thoughtful and considerate, always paying attention to how you reacted to certain things outside of the fashion world as well

but you also watched him closely as well, and it allowed yuki to reveal his more vulnerable, insecure side when he found out you didn’t judge him and even, understood him

you also practiced doing couple’s PDA with him when you noticed how scared he got

you would initiate hand–holding, hugging, and doing small things like bending down to tie his shoes or any ribbon he had on his outfit; just casual contact to get him used to gentle touches that were more than just friendly now

it took a while, but yuki started returning the favor by fixing the accessories in your hair and even wore this tacky tenma bracelet you bought for him as a gag gift

(he hated it and the way tenma looked like some egotistical maniac, but it made you laugh every time. it was worth it) (maybe tenma’s dumb face was good for something)

it was also nice to hear genuine, real compliments everyday. you make it your goal to remind yuki of the small details you loved on his outfit, or how soft his hair was, and the way he presented himself just to show your attention was all his when you two were together

yuki would grow to trust you with his whole heart, feeling his own heart become candy because you were just so sweet

you stole his heart and never gave it back, and it was lovely to know you were taking great care of it and truly treasured him for him

between the two of you, you taught yuki how to trust and rely on other people despite his independent complex as he often put on a strong front

yuki would go to you first if he had a problem, which was hard at first but he got into the habit because he wanted to show you he cared

yuki would text you frequently asking about your day (newsflash, he actually does want to know) and would send you updates of any piece he was working on

you understood yuki prioritized his seamstress career and always proudly spammed his social media posts with heart emojis and adoring compliments

(he always had to hide and cover his face with his hands because he was so grateful you were so proud) (he never told you that, though)

even though he’d instantly get flustered and tried to deny them, you helped him believe them more and more everyday until he could confidently take anything on in the world

(“if my partner thinks it’s cute, i’m cute!” yuki loudly said to the mirror, hearing your laugh the next room over. oops)

you guys didn’t have to talk every single day, though, don’t get me wrong. you two always wanted the best for each other and defined healthy boundaries to allow both of you to flourish and prosper!

yuki, at first, always apologized for spending time on certain projects but you never accepted them, instead encouraging him even more and praising his work ethic

yuki still sent you links throughout the day of things to try and cute outfits he’d love to see you in

it was so thoughtful that throughout the day, you were always on his mind even if he was busy

but no matter what, you two always supported one another through your endeavors and did everything 100% with each other’s best interests at heart

you really liked yuki, and he liked you back just as much, maybe even a little more

(okay, definitely a lot more)

#rurikawa yuki #yuki rurikawa #a3! act! addict! actors!#a3!#act! addict! actors!#a3! actor training game #a3! headcanons #act! addict! actors! headcanons #mankai a3!#mankai company #a3! x reader #a3 x reader #yuki x reader #a3! yuki #a3 yuki

197 notes · View notes

accioromione · 4 years

Note

your last fic was nice... can you do a drunk! Hermione being horny for Ron please :( I like how you do it from Harry's POV

Omg okay I will try

It was a Hogsmeade weekend. Harry was excited because he had not seen Ginny in one month, he was also eager to see Hermione. He had grown used to her consistent voice of concerns that it felt oddly quiet without them. Ron, who was accompanying him was also ecstatic. When the two of them had decided to go onto Auror training, they had known that this would mean that they would spend the year separated from Ginny and Hermione, who had decided to return to Hogwarts.

Harry, although sad that he had to leave Ginny and Hermione aside, was happy he had Ron by his side. Doing Auror training with Ron reminded him of his Hogwarts days, when they would sit in the back of their classes and play around. However, Ron and Harry did not even remotely goof around during Auror training, the sense of having his best friend there gave training a more positive feel. Harry and Ron, who were no strangers to dark magic, did not struggle much in training. Harry had seen a great change in Ron in the last few years, he was talented, confident and determined, he also figured that having Hermione by his side was a factor at his new found confidence. Because Ron and Harry were excelling quite well in their training, they had been granted permission for a weekend off, which both of them had requested, in the hopes that they would be able to visit Ginny and Hermione.

‘Are we apparating?’ Ron asked Harry, indicating towards his bags.

‘I dunno, maybe we should floo’ Harry suggested, ‘you packed light’ he added, indicating towards Ron’s backpack, they had established that they would be staying in Hogsmeade for the weekend, both of them had gotten rooms in Hogsmeade, and although Hermione and Ginny weren’t technically allowed to sleep outside of Hogwarts, Harry was hoping she’d break the rules for him, he knew Ron was hoping the same thing about Hermione, and they both had a silent agreement to not make it a topic of conversation.

‘Well yeah, it’s just the weekend after-all, besides there’s a chance that Hermione won’t-’ he trailed off, his ears turning red, ‘and I used the extendable curse Hermione taught me so I wouldn’t have too much to carry’ Ron responded, Harry hit his hand on his head, why hadn’t he thought of that?

‘I should’ve thought of that’ Harry sighed, ‘sorry mate, apparition would be easier, I hate flooing’

‘It’s fine’ said Ron, ‘we can put the extendable charm on one of your bags and just put the other two in there’ Ron suggested, and he casually placed the charm on his smallest bag, Harry opened the bag to see that it was much larger on the inside.

‘of course, brilliant,’ Harry said, ‘Hermione is really starting to influence you eh Ron, before you know it you’ll be quoting Hogwarts: a history’

Ron’s ears turned red, ‘doubtful- as much as I love her-’ he paused, blushing at what he had revealed to Harry ‘you could never catch me reading that, pretty sure she's the only person in the world to read it, bet you the Bathilda Bagshot didn’t even read it.’ Harry laughed, choosing to ignore Ron’s confession on his love for Hermione.

Harry put the other two bags into the charmed one.

‘Alright so that’s it, we’re settled then? They said they’d meet us outside the Three Broomsticks’ Ron told Harry, ‘wish they would’ve been able to go last week, y’know, for Hermione’s birthday’ Ron added

‘S’all right, we’ll celebrate today’ Harry added, ‘ready?’

‘Ready, see you in a second mate’ Ron said, both of them pulled out their wands, Harry closed his eyes and thought of the Hogsmeade and the Three broomsticks, and sure enough Harry felt a sensation throughout his whole body that confirmed he was apparating, when he opened his eyes he saw the Three broomsticks and Ron standing by his side, who was now twisting his head, to look around for Hermione and Ginny.

‘Where are they?’ Ron asked, stretching his neck, looking for any signs of Hermione or Ginny.

Harry looked around too, and sure enough he saw a girl with bushy brown hair and smooth ginger locks making their way to them. Ron spotted them too, beaming at Hermione.

‘Harry’ Ginny yelled, running at him. Harry embraced her in a tight hug and placed his lips on her. Ron, who was too fixtated on Hermione, did not seem to mind this.

‘Ron!’ Hermione yelled, beaming at him. He embraced Hermione, lifting her up off the ground and spinning her around, also going in for a kiss. Hermione put her arms around his shoulders and deepened it. After the excitement of seeing their significant others subsided, Harry gave Hermione a hug and Ron gave Ginny a hug.

‘Nice to see you Harry!’ Hermione grinned,

‘You too Hermione, happy belated birthday,’ he added, reaching in for his bag, when he felt his hand find a wrapped gift he took it out and gave it to her.

‘Oh Harry, you didn’t have to! Thank you!’ Hermione said, taking it and giving him another hug.

‘No problem, not as good as what Ron got you, but then again, he was worrying about it for a month, so I reckon I couldn’t have beat him anyway’ Harry added and Ron’s ears turned red. Harry and Ron were being paid for Auror training, and Ron, who had been worried about what to get Hermione a month prior to her birthday had been saving up just for her gift. Harry had gotten her a book, but Ron, who knew Hermione loved books, wanted to get her something that showed more significance in their relationship. They had been shopping around, and Ron had asked and looked around the whole day for a suitable gift for Hermione. In the end, Ron had bought a golden bracelet, that had sapphires, which was Hermione’s birthstone. encrusted in it. Ron had then spent money to get it magically customized so that, when it was placed on a book, it would be able to scan the whole book, and have it be able to recite the contents of the book either vocally, or could present the contents in a projection in front of the reader. Harry thought it was brilliant, it was like a magical audio book and projector all at once, when Harry had told Ron this he had looked at Harry confused, not realizing what an audio book or projector was. But it was perfect for Hermione, as she always had her back hunched reading, this way she’d be able to read at ease, and also have a pretty bracelet to wear. Ron had put all his savings and a lot of thought into the gift, and the idea of Ginny seeing that scared Harry for the expectations he’d have for her birthday.

Hermione looked at him with a sparkle in his eye, ‘oh Ron you didn’t have to stress about my birthday gift- you just started training!’

‘I wanted to’ Ron said Hermione beamed at him ‘I er...want to give it to you in private, if that’s okay’ Ron said shyly to Hermione.

‘Harry and I are going to go for a stroll’ Ginny said, taking the hint, ‘we’ll meet you in the three broomsticks for drinks later’

Harry followed Ginny and they enjoyed their private time together. The only other date he’d ever gone on in Hogsmeade was the one with Cho in his fifth year, and he had to admit, this experience was much more enjoyable. As the evening approached, he and Ginny went to the three broomsticks, meeting up with Ron and Hermione, and the four of them settled at a booth.

Harry sat beside Ginny and Ron sat beside Hermione, who was now wearing the golden bracelet Ron had bought him. They each ordered a couple of butterbeers, Ginny suggested a couple of firewhiskey’s as well to celebrate being together as well as Hermione’s birthday. Harry took one shot, and decided that was enough for him. Ginny had two shots and one butter beer, and seemed to able to handle it quite well for her size. Ron, much to Harry’s surprise, only had one firewhiskey and two butterbeers. Hermione, however, was already on her fourth shot of firewhiskey, and her face was looking flushed. She was about to order a fifth shot, and Ron shot her a look of concern.

‘You don't think that’s enough for the night Hermione?’ Ron hesitantly asked

Hermione’s cheeks were now a deep pink due to the effects of the alcohol, she smiled at Ron and hugged him. ‘You’re always so concerned about me you handsome man’ she said as she kissed him on the cheek

‘Did you two see what he got me?’ she sighed at Harry and Hermione, and she drunkenly lifted her arm to show the bracelet on her hand. Ron’s ears turned red and Ginny giggled.

‘Yes Hermione I know, you’ve told us two times’ Ginny said, smiling.

‘He didn’t even have to! I just wanted to see him! Even if it was just a bracelet....but no he had to go get it all charmed too.....isn’t he amazing?’ Hermione sighed, looking at Ron adoringly.

Ginny sighed, half amused, half annoyed at the adoration Hermione was showing for her brother.

‘Yeah, until you hear him singing in the shower’ Ginny teased

‘Oi!’ Ron said, his arm around Hermione, as he was supporting her to say up.

Hermione seemed to pay no mind to the joke, she put her head on Ron’s shoulder and sighed.... ‘Ou, you’re right, I love Ron in the shower......Especially when I’m there with him’ she said, now closing her eyes and embracing him.

Ron coughed embarrassingly and Ginny looked disgusted. Harry also thought he could have done without that bit of information. Hermione seemed to pay no mind to what she had said, she had drunkenly made her way onto Ron’s lap and Ron was supporting her back, making sure she would not tip over.

‘You sick prat, you’re loving this’ Ginny said to Ron,

But Ron also was paying no mind to Ginny. He had been keeping his composure in front of Harry and Ginny but it looked as though that had been eliminated the moment she had gone on his lap. Ron and Hermione were now sharing a heated kiss and Harry and Ginny looked at each-other awkwardly.

‘Right- yeah, well....we’ll be off’ Ginny added, grabbing Harry’s hand and getting up, but the only response Ginny got was Ron moving his hands to put through Hermione’s hair.

Harry retreated with Ginny, leaving money on the table for their drinks.

‘TAKE CARE OF HER RON....’ Ginny yelled back before exiting with Harry

‘Right- well...’ Ginny said as they were now outside ‘now we know not to mix alcohol and Hermione’

‘Didn’t know she had it in her’ Harry added, looking at Ginny amused.

‘All what Ron needs right? His head to get bigger?’ Ginny joked.

‘They’re good for each-other,’ Harry said, ‘I doubt he see’s Hermione that way- he....he really loves her.’

Ginny looked at him, with a now serious face, ‘I know...she loves him too.’

‘And I love you’ Harry said simply, Ginny kissed him.

‘I love you too Harry’ Ginny responded.

‘I er, I was wondering , I got a room, and I know you’re not supposed to sleep outside of Hogwarts, but seeing as it’s the weekend and-’ he was interrupted with another kiss,

‘Since when did you think I’d follow the rules?’ Ginny joked, ‘I’m not going to see you for another two months, of course I’ll spend the night here....Hermione will with Ron too obviously, reckon she’ll get in less trouble doing that than showing up at Hogwarts all pissed.’

Harry grinned, he and Ginny started to retreat and saw a Ron and Hermione also leaving the restaurant. Ron was carrying Hermione on his back, and she had her head buried in his shoulder, he saw Ron turn his head back to place a light kiss on Hermione’s forehead.

‘At least I can say my brother’s a gentleman’ Ginny sighed, looking at the two of them.

Harry, without a doubt, knew that Ron was indeed a gentleman, especially when it came to Hermione. And as Hermione’s close friend, he was very happy that she was with someone like Ron, who clearly cared about her very much. And with that, Harry and Ginny walked off, and Harry decided to forget that he would be separated from Ginny soon, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

(I thought this would be smutty but it ended up fluffy idk)

#romione #ron x hermione #ron weasley #hinny #harry potter #my fic #Hermione granger

71 notes · View notes

rwbyremnants · 4 years

Link

CHAPTER WARNINGS: Hard convos and fluff (and awkward almost-incesty feelings)

Getting pretty close to the end! Also I started writing a new project - I know I know, I'm not even done posting this and Princess And The Dragons! Believe me there's just a ton of fics I could keep posting for all eternity, but they're all a complete mess (except the 2 I'm working on posting now). I might hit the fuck it point and post a few of them without doing any editing or rereading to make sure they make any sense. Yay for all that information nobody asked for!

=Chapter 10

A few months passed. Ruby had no further contact with Winter after she drove away from her, apart from one message she asked Penny to send, establishing that she no longer wanted to continue their arrangement. No more sessions, no more visits to the club, nothing. Even the casual texts had stopped, or the occasional silly snaps back and forth of each other's day; it was like they had never met. Strangers.

Then came an occasion she was dreading. There were other family gatherings she had managed to bow out of – anything to avoid awkward contact again out of fear of embarrassing herself; but this wasn't one she could squirm her way out of so easily. Weiss's birthday. She would never want to avoid her idol's celebration, especially not when she was specially invited! Dodging that one would also raise suspicion, and make it far more obvious that she was avoiding something to the other guests.

Plus, she didn't want to hurt her any more than she already had. Her guilt was too heavy. Time to bite the bullet and say hello.

All she could do was mentally prepare while she was out shopping with Yang, looking for an ideal present with her wife. She had promised that she would look after whatever she bought so Weiss didn't find it; at least that was a promise she could keep without anyone getting hurt.

"Hey, how about a cute little pony?"

When Ruby looked over, she saw Yang was holding up some kind of rainbow-painted porcelain horse tchotchke. She practically welcomed the distraction, no matter how mundane. Raising an eyebrow, she laughed, "Oh God, are you gonna turn her into one of those kooky nerds who has a billion of those?"

"Well… no…" Putting it back, Yang sighed and looked around. "But I'm totally drawing a blank this year. You know she's the one who's good at picking out gifts, and I just… suck ass."

Still trying to distract herself, Ruby smirked back toward her, walking a couple of steps backward to keep their pace in the store. "She told me enough times she liked what you got her last year. You know… the 'banana'?" If she wasn't going to be able to distract herself with small goods, she could by embarrassing her favourite sister. "She tells me everything when she gets drunk, unfortunately."

Ducking her blonde head, her big sister groaned and muttered, "God, Weiss… why can't you handle your booze?" She cleared her throat and spoke up to say, "But I don't wanna get her another 'toy' this time. I want it to be something sweet. Y'know, romantic and shit."

"Oooh…" That didn't give Ruby all too much to work with. While Yang and Weiss were definitely happy together, even she knew romance wasn't Yang's strong point. Aside from throwing herself in the path of an explosion that time a few years ago, the closest she had gotten was buying flowers on one occasion; only to get rid of them when they discovered Weiss was allergic. That was a story she wouldn't let her live down.

"Well, what kinds of things has she been into lately? Anything she mentions in passing or something?"

"Um… music? Frilly dresses and expensive perfume? Marrying the worst girlfriend in the world?" Sighing, she leaned back against a shelving unit full of lawn gnomes and hung her head. "I'll just get her another Victoria's Secret gift card."

"Doesn't that kinda count as a present for yourself? Just saying…" But Yang's phrasing didn't sit well in Ruby's own mind. Sure, she didn't know what sorts of presents were romantic and usually ended up with a cop-out gift, but at least she wasn't hurting anyone in the process of that. The worst girlfriend award for sure went to Ruby Rose. "And we both know she has the better of the Xiao Long-Rose sisters, so don't say you're the worst, dork."

"Does not! You're the real prize, and Penny is so lucky! Geeze, if you weren't with her, I'd be beating guys and girls off you with a stick!"

Even if it was meant positively, Ruby wasn't particularly in the mood to play along. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders reluctantly as she wandered out of the store, walking aimlessly in the direction of a jeweller’s. "Nah, I'm lucky to even have Penny. Don't even know how she puts up with me sometimes."

After a moment, Yang followed. She took so long to respond that by then, Ruby assumed she had forgotten the topic. Then…

"Okay, spill. What's been up with you the past couple months?"

"H-huh?" Even if it was a question she should have expected, she was taken aback, instantly finding herself on the defensive. "N-nothing! I was just saying that Penny's good for putting up with me, that's all!"

"Yeah, but you and Penny never fight. She hasn't seemed unhappy being with you or anything like that, at all." Folding her arms over her ample chest, she demanded, "So what's up, Rubes? Spill – unless you want me to tickle it out of you."

No getting out of that not-so-idle threat, no matter how much she tried. And even if Yang didn’t tickle her, she would be like a dog with a bone. Sighing, she looked downward sadly, still idly pacing around in the hope either of them would see something of interest for Weiss.

"It's not Penny and me that have had issues. We're fine. Our relationship's been pretty solid for a while…" When she stopped in front of the bracelets, she debated where to begin, whether or not to tell the story. In the end… "But… I’m, uh…"

Sensing this was big, Yang slid an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "You can tell me anything. If you could handle me coming out and transitioning, I can handle whatever's bugging you."

In the end, that tilted the scales. Yang deserved to know, since she had always been so open with her. At the same time, she didn't need to know who it was. The thought of that conversation coming to light certainly wasn't a good one given Yang's past with Winter.

"You know Penny and I don't… y'know, that often. So, um, Penny let me go out and see someone else, purely for sex. It worked out so great at first, me and this other girl had an amazing connection… but I had to go and ruin it."

For a moment, all Yang could do was blink in surprise. "Whoa, really? Never thought of you as a 'side chick' kinda girl." She hastily added, "But that's cool! I mean, if you have needs and Penny's okay with it, why the hell not?"

"Yeah, heh… I guess." Scratching the back of her head nervously, she couldn't look Yang in the eye anymore. The situation was too sensitive. "But it got deeper than that. Penny and I talked about it as well, and… and we realised that I was falling for this other girl the same way as Penny. Which she felt, too. But then… then I said some really stupid stuff and made a huge mess."

"Falling for both of them?" But of course, Yang had mostly been saying that to confirm it to herself. Blinking a few more times, she then asked, "What kinda stuff? Like, maybe it wasn't as bad as you thought."

"L-like…" There was the awkward part; she didn't know how to word what was happening without possibly outing either Winter or Qrow. Sighing in frustration, she looked back up. "Okay imagine if, I mean just imagine here – you're about to confess your feelings to Weiss for the first time, but then when you're just about to, you find out she's been sleeping with… with Dad or someone as close as that. Y-you'd be shocked, right? Shocked enough to really hurt her feelings on accident?"

For a long moment, Yang just tried to process the very idea being put across to her. Then she burst out, "Dad's been banging your side-chick?!"

"No!!!" Quickly slapping a hand to her forehead, she groaned out in frustration; one that had a couple of people turning to look at them. "I said 'someone as close as', not Dad himself! But that's not the point, anyway!" Looking around some more of the various watches and charm bracelets, Ruby sighed again. "I was yelling at her how if she cared she would have told me, because that was happening before I started hooking up with her, and during. And like, she knew this person was close to me! And I ended up… ended up learning I'd hurt her on other occasions without meaning to. Bad."

This time, Yang took even longer to respond. They both went back to looking over the things in the displays, picking them up and putting them down. Neither really paying much attention to what they were seeing.

"This, um…" Yang held up a tennis bracelet with a musical note dangling from it. "Is this dumb? I… think she could like it, but I, um…"

Again, Ruby welcomed the distraction. As much as she needed advice for what to do next, she much preferred to ignore the subject and keep burying her head in the sand. "That is super cute, actually. Maybe you can get another little snowflake charm for it too?"

"Ooh, that's a good idea… let me know if you find anything like that. Or maybe a star, because…" Her voice got quieter as she added, "She's my star."

Despite Yang having meant it genuinely, Ruby only saw her usual attitude of pun making and groaned again. "That was sooooo bad, international superstar. But stars and snowflakes, got it."

"Y-yeah," Yang replied with a feigned laugh. Clearly she had thought that was really romantic and it fell flat.

They both dug through the display for a little while longer, and Yang did eventually find a snowflake. Ruby was still hunting for a star when she walked back over. Clearly her mind was preoccupied.

"Um… hey Ruby?"

"Hmm?" Noticing that Yang had found what she wanted, she turned back to the display a moment to look longer. "Still can't find a star… Do you mind if it's a typical one? Or do you want a more… what? Something wrong?"

"The typical one is fine, we dug through most of 'em." Then she cleared her throat and tried to sound unconcerned as she asked, "So, were you, uh, maybe, kinda… sleeping with Blake?"

That'd made Ruby drop the small charm she had picked up, which bounced and rolled under one of the displays before she could catch it. At least it was one of the cheapest ones. "Oh, shoot! Noooo!"

“Those things are dime a dozen. C’mon, I asked you a serious question.”

She looked back around to her sister reluctantly. "No, not Blake. I mean, she said she thinks I'm cute before, but also said she would never want to because of your past. Kinda... crossing the streams, or whatever."

"Okay," she sighed in relief. "Whew! Just… you know, I noticed you guys were kinda hanging out sometimes, and… like, I never for sure thought you were, but that’s the only obvious guess I have."

Breathing with relief, Ruby laughed nervously with her. "T-that's fine! Nah, she and Sun seem to be exclusive to each other, from what I know, at least."

Under her breath, Yang muttered, "She's said that one before…" Then she cleared her throat and said, "Okay, Ruby. Whatever went on between you and whoever… it sounds like you were going past just bumping uglies and into really caring about each other. Weren't you?"

"H-hey, it wasn't like-!" But as much as she wanted to deny it, Yang was right; that was the simplest way to put it. Looking downward, she mumbled, "Yeah… we were."

"But… she's also doing stuff with someone really close to you, and it kinda gives you the 'this room is too crowded' vibe?" When Ruby didn't answer, she sighed and ran a hand through her bangs. "Whoo. That's rough."

"She’s also roommates with this person," Ruby added. It seemed like a major detail to leave in given the situation. Pacing to the other displays, she explained in more detail. "I'm not really mad about that anymore, I guess… I'm more mad that I hurt her. Not just by yelling at her about that, but that I left before talking it though. And that I hurt her before all this ugliness and didn't even know I did."

"God… and you were just gonna walk around with all this weighing you down?" Reaching over, she tousled Ruby's hair until it was a messy brown-and-red mop. It was one of the few things she had done when she was Ying that still lingered, even with how much she had changed before Ruby's eyes as they both grew up.

"Sis, I can only work with the facts I got. From where I'm standing… it sounds like this, um, person is worth it to you to go out on a limb for. I’ve been watching you moping around the past few months, and it's like… like something's missing inside you. And maybe your hookup isn't what you need, or maybe she- they are, and… I think you owe it to both of you to try. Just… I don't know, talk to ‘em again. Be chill and see where it goes."

"How?" she asked desperately with a little shrug. "How can I be 'chill' about it when I more or less said 'fuck you and what you've been through' to her face? Like… okay, it wasn't those exact words, sure; but the message was the same."

Though Yang did wince at the implication of saying something like that to someone, she gripped Ruby's shoulder. Unfortunately, due to her ignorance of the topic, her phrasing was less than ideal. "Hey, so you messed up in a… not small way. Sometimes to get what you want, you gotta eat a little crow."

Which was rather noticeable, given that she immediately shut her eyes tightly at the remark. "GOD I'd rather not hear 'Crow' and 'Eat' in the same sentence, you have no idea…"

But whether Ruby liked it or not, her sister was completely right. The problem wasn't going to be solved by hiding from each other; they needed to talk. To apologise, say their piece, and learn. Even if they ended up still avoiding each other after, the least they could do was try.

Apparently, Yang had been trying to talk to her all along, because she finally said, "Yooo, you in there, little Ruby? Big sis calling!" Then a fist was knocking on the top of her head, albeit lightly.

"GAH!" Flinching as soon as her head was touched, she nearly managed to knock the bracelet from Yang's hand! But right away she composed herself again, scratching her head. "S-sorry… I spaced. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that we should probably check out," Yang laughed easily, beaming her usual confident smile down at Ruby. "This bracelet's kinda lame, but it's literally the only idea I've had all day that doesn't make me wanna hurl myself into a volcano."

Ruby could only smile back, handing over the small star charm she had unearthed. "I actually think it's really cute, she'll love it."

But just after they'd finished checking out and re-entered the mall complex, Ruby was attempting to get some information of her own. She had been wanting to for a while, but didn't know how without raising suspicion. As naturally she could, she asked, "So… who's coming to the party? Me, Penny… who else?"

"Oh, well you know. Family people. Plus FNKI is supposed to be there, and Blake and Sun." Pointing, she asked, "Smoothies? My treat, for helping me out with this."

"Yeah, I guess smoothies wouldn’t break the bank," Ruby laughed, following her big sis. "Family people… so Dad, Jacques… Winter…?"

With a slow drawl, Yang answered, "Riiiight. That's who family is. Oh, I don't know if Uncle Qrow RSVP'd yet or not; he was invited. But Dad's gonna be there for sure." Then she looked suspiciously at Ruby. "Unless there's a problem with Dad being there…?"

"Why would I have a problem with Da-" But given the rather serious look, Ruby rolled her eyes. "Look, Dad was an example. This friend isn't actually sleeping with Dad. If she was, he would be living in the house with them, cause they are roommates with the person, remember? And no, it’s not Penny, and it’s really not me."

"Well yeah, I guess. Just double-checking, okay?" When Ruby still seemed irritated, she sighed and said, "Okay, I won't ask who's who again. I get it, this is sensitive. But… I do hope you get whatever's going on squared away. And promise me you won't sit on it until too much time went by, and now you feel like you can't speak up. Please?"

Eyebrows furrowing, Ruby looked up to her sister anxiously. She was genuinely worried about her… and had good reason to be, given what she had to deal with a few years ago; of course now that a somewhat similar situation presented itself, even if only affecting her sister, she would be on edge. But not wanting to let on how truly she was bothered by this, Ruby instead looked at the smoothie menu.

"Get me a banana and blueberry smoothie and it's a deal."

But all Yang groaned in response was, "Do you have to pick 'banana'? I'm already embarrassed enough about that as it is!"

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

"…but she’s been saying she wants to eat more organic, so I figured, buying some vegetable plant seeds could be an idea; something to do with little Fèn once she gets older, also. Not such a boring present, is it?"

Winter’s father had offered to drive her to her sister’s birthday party to both spare her sobriety and cab fare. He insisted strongly, despite her reluctance to be in his company. In recent days, that seemed to be worryingly common; for her to be alone or seem a little more uptight and serious than usual. Even if he had never mentioned it, her father certainly noticed.

And when noticing she still wasn't particularly listening on this occasion, he cleared his throat. "S-so… Amber couldn't come. She had something with her own family she couldn't miss, so you and Weiss will have to meet her properly another time."

"Hmm? Oh, yes… that's wonderful, Father." It was a stock answer. Winter would normally have offered up something a lot more in-depth and pointed, but it seemed she still wasn't up to the task.

In fact, she had spent most of the past months avoiding any time alone with her father. Not that he would know why. Not that they never talked, but their discussions had been fewer and further between ever since he told her about Amber. Poor Jacques. The only cause he could think of was the possibility that Winter didn't like his flowering relationship. And no wonder; no one would like to hear their parent had moved on, much less such details.

While they were at a red light, he looked around to her, asking, "You… aren't mad at me for dating again, are you?"

"What?" she asked, roused from her reverie. "No, not at all… oh, Father, I'm sorry. My mind is just elsewhere." Frowning over at him, she told him as earnestly as she could, "I didn't mean to make you think I disapprove of Amber."

There was a wave of relief, and right away he swept the sweat from his brow. "Phew! You had me worried there! Last thing I wanted to do was make you or Weiss feel uncomfortable." As the light turned green, his attention returned to the road, but he didn't drop the subject. "Then what is wrong, dear? You've seemed off for a long time now."

"Have I?" she asked, trying to sound as convincing as she could. She shifted in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Well, you have been a little," he admitted. "So, if it's not Amber… what is it? Is there something I should be concerned about? Have I done anything to upset you?"

"No, nothing," she answered immediately. There was no way she could ever tell him why she was so uncomfortable in his presence now - especially since it was getting easier to manage a little at a time. So she had to distract him, and she could only find one topic that would adequately excuse her standoffishness without making her poor father feel worse. "Just… I was beginning to think I might have found an 'Amber' of my own. But the relationship fell through before I could figure that part out."

"Oooohh… so, it's relationship trouble." While it was a better assumption than the whole truth, it was still awkward for old Jacques Schnee. He wasn't used to talking to his daughters in such circumstances until a couple of years ago, so the advice was always rusty. Still, he tried. "There's always more fish in the sea, even if you have to swim a little further out, I suppose. I know you get out more than I do, I'm sure you'll find a nice… girl, to settle down with someday."

Laughing weakly, Winter crossed her legs in the opposite direction, hoping against hope that it would abate her discomfort. No such luck. "Doubtful. I just don't feel that kind of connection with people. Not until…" Did she dare confirm? "Until she came along."

"I see… the one that got away, hmm?" Given the silence, that was also confirmed. While it wasn't as easy for him as it would be talking to a son about this sort of thing, he tried his best to treat her in the same way he would a son, and cleared his throat. "Girls are very mysterious. One minute you think you have them figured out, the next, you're back to square one. Or in your case, square zero. Of course, you know that, being a woman yourself." Scratching his head nervously, he tried to continue, "But what I'm saying is, don't bet all your money on one horse. If it's not meant to be, it won't happen. If it is, things will… well, they'll find a way to work."

"But I wasn't putting money on any horse," she sighed. "My feelings came as a complete surprise to me; I wasn't even looking! And then…" There had to be a way to discuss this without going into specifics. "We had an argument. About our relationship, and how we hadn't been entirely honest about our situations. It should have been something we could work through, but…"

"Ah, of course. Nobody likes complications." They weren't too far from the house, but rather than pull right up to the drive, he pulled the car over onto the shoulder a moment. "Listen, I'm not very good at this, you can tell; but it sounds like you both left everything up in the air rather than talking through the issue properly."

Winter could feel her anxiety rising. They were so close! She hadn't been mentally prepared to be alone with him for any longer than the drive there. But she also didn't want to squander this chance to have a non-superficial conversation with her father; they were so rare, and if she avoided this one she might not get another for a while. Or might even lead him to believe she hated him. That wouldn’t do.

"I wanted to try again. But she let me know we were done. That… she didn't want to see me anymore. She was so upset, I… how can I approach her if she hates me?"

Leaning back in his seat, Jacques sighed deeply, drumming his fingers against the top of the steering wheel as some form of distraction. "How indeed. Then again, your mother and I used to have our fair share of arguments before we got serious; sometimes, shit happens." It was unusual for her father to swear, even more so when he was calm. Still, it meant they were possibly getting somewhere. "Perhaps arrange to meet under more neutral circumstances?"

"Perhaps so." Her eyes flicked toward her sister’s house and the promise of safety, and she sighed. "We'll see. It feels so hopeless, but… I should at least apologise for my part of our misunderstanding. Then it would be up to her, right?"

"Exactly." He smiled toward her. "The ball will be in her court, as it were. If she wants to play, she will. If not… well, you can say you did everything you possibly could. It's disappointing if it does come to that, but in the end, it's far more satisfying to say you tried than to give up without trying."

Nodding glumly, she tried to let herself believe him. It was so hard! But she knew it was the truth; yes, Ruby was well within her right to end their arrangement, even without what went on with Qrow. Even so, that didn't mean she and her sister-in-law couldn't patch up their friendship, and discuss what went wrong like mature adults.

"You're right, of course. It's… I'll think about it. Thank you."

Nodding happily, he put his hands back on the wheel again to drive the last few seconds of the journey. Already, there were a few cars and bikes on the drive from the various guests. One of which included the small red car that Winter recognised so much: Ruby's.

Oblivious to that, Jacques was already taking off his seatbelt and opening the door. "In the meantime, just enjoy the party today. I'm sure Weiss will let you hold Fèn for longer than a couple of minutes this time!"

"Don't count on it," she laughed as they exited the car and began walking up towards the lakehouse. Despite their difficulties and Winter's private discomfort, she really did appreciate the talk more than she could say.

Once they got inside, they could see most of the guests had arrived. Yang and a few members of FNKI were loitering in the spacious entryway. One or two other children from Fenléng's daycare were toddling back and forth in the living room, their mothers likely nearby. Winter thought it was nice that she had a few little friends to play with.

"I'll be back in a bit, guys," Yang reassured both Flynt and Inu upon noticing the new guests. Suspecting they hadn't seen Weiss yet, she thought it best to greet the newcomers herself, managing to scoot past them to welcome her inlaws with open arms. "There you two are! Figured you got lost, again."

Jacques chuckled to himself, accepting a quick hug from her with a pat on the back. "That was just one time. Where is my other pride and joy, anyway?"

"Out in the garden with Ruby! I think they wanted to catch up a little bit before we gave Weiss her presents and stuff. You can head through, if you want?"

Raising a small bag and the box from Jacques, Winter said, "Where shall I put these?"

"Oh, I'll take 'em while we go through, it's on the way. Weiss's been waiting for you guys to turn up!"

With a brief wave goodbye to the two guests, Yang journeyed through the living room with both of Weiss’s relations following behind. She detoured to the kitchen with the two gifts, adding them to the pile, then leading Winter and Jacques to the rear conservatory doors. And there in plain sight were Ruby and Weiss, sat together on the bench.

The circumstances couldn't be any worse. Both Jacques and Weiss were completely unaware of the tension between Winter and Ruby. It gave no time for either of them to prepare mentally, especially not when Jacques was already walking outside toward them both, calling out to get their attention. "There she is! Twenty-two years young."

Turning, Weiss smirked at him as she said, "You got it right this year, Father. I'm impressed." Then her smile widened and she said, "Hey, sister of mine!"

"Happy birthday," Winter said, smiling gently. For the moment, she could forget about the girl sitting next to her sister. Ruby was definitely very important to her, but this wasn't her day, and it wasn't Winter's. "How does it feel to be another year wiser?"

"About the same," she laughed back with a little shrug. "Yang and I were just talking about that this morning; every year is just an encore, isn't it?"

"Once you're past twenty-one, it is pretty much the same,” Jacques chuckled. “Still, gives us an excuse to have a drink or two."

While he was making small talk with his daughter, Ruby continued to sit still with a drink in hand, staring toward the ground nervously. She knew Winter was there, but was far too scared to even make eye contact with her. Clearly, she had been just as cut up as Winter was in the first place. At least that was one small good sign; the pseudo-breakup wasn’t already an irrelevant event for the girl.

"So, how many others are on their way?" Winter asked, hands in the small of her back.

"Well, there's Blake and Sun," Weiss began to list off as she embraced sister. "Taiyang is on his way with Qrow. That might be everyone, right, honey?"

"Blake just messaged and said she's on the way," spoke up Yang from behind them, who had just finished putting the gifts away and was now coming to a stop by her wife’s side. "Aaaand Dad's on the way but a little held up because he went to get Penny from the airport. That’ll be a while, so… should we do presents?"

"You guys go ahead," Ruby said from her seat. At least now she raised her head a little, and looked outward to the large lake rather than at the floor like she was before. "I'm just gonna… chill here for a minute. Crazy week."

"Sorry to hear that," Winter said almost automatically. Then she cleared her throat and hastily turned to Weiss. "Are you ready for presents, or would you rather wait for Blake and Sun?"

"We can wait. In fact, now that I've stopped breastfeeding, I'm ready to have a drink. Can I get you something?"

Smiling demurely, she responded, "Oh, come on; this is your day. I can make drinks for both of us. What will everyone have?"

"Maybe Weiss already has the drinks I…" Though before she could finish that quip, Yang realised just who was in their company. They might well be on good terms, but an adult breastfeeding joke might be a bit too much for the subject’s father and sister to take. Winding back, she cleared her throat again. "Yeah, but I'll get them though, seriously. I know Weiss wants a strawberry daiquiri, and I’m still on the dry list. You two…?"

"I'm driving, so just sparkling water for me. What about you, Winter?" Jacques asked, although he was about ready to head inside.

Her eyes flicked to Yang, but then she said, "Martini, dry, single olive. That is, if it's no trouble."

"Nope, not at all!."

Weiss and Jacques headed inside first, with him asking about how she was and how Fènleng had been. It was always the subject whenever he came over now. But before Winter could step inside, Yang's hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her slightly around.

"Hey… you got a minute?"

That was quite startling for the elder of the Schnee sisters. Glancing both between the door inside and Ruby on the bench, she asked, "Of course, what's up?"

Glancing back at her little sister for a quick moment herself, she leant in closer toward Winter, talking in a hushed tone. "Okay, this is gonna be a weird request, but could you talk to her? This past few months she's had a bad case of the blues about, um, this situation she’s in. I know it's weird asking since she barely knows you, but… I'm kinda at a roadblock."

"Me?" Gulping, she glanced back at Ruby, then again at Yang. The woman she had treated so badly once upon a time. "I… don't have the greatest track record with helping people. Mentally. I'm honestly very surprised you'd ask me."

"Well, I'm stuck… Weiss is stuck, Penny's stuck… we're out of options. Not that you're a bad option, that's not what I'm saying at all! I mean, I know it's not gonna be the same as when you talked me into leaving and-" Sensing she was rambling, however, she looked down when the quizzical gaze of Winter met her own. "Bad start… bad start. But, yeah… if it's okay with you, could you? She may open up more if it's with somebody who doesn’t know her as well as us."

"Yang… you have me all wrong. I'm honoured you trust me to help her, and I'll definitely do my very best. Just… surprised." Swallowing hard, she whispered, "I've been hoping to… make things up to you; I know I can't, but anything I can do to try…"

"Oh pssshhh, I wasn't even thinking about that!" Yang quickly assured her, even laughing a little just to prove it. But in a short moment she squeezed her shoulder, just enough to convey she was serious. "I'm asking as a sister-in-law. Not as a 'you owe me'. Please?"

That prompted Winter to sigh in mild relief as she patted the hand on her shoulder. "That means the world to me. And yes, of course; I just apologise in advance if the talk doesn't do as much good as we both hope."

"Least we can say we tried. I'll have your drink ready in a second."

Finally releasing the shoulder, she headed back in the house behind Weiss and Jacques, leaving the two girls outside alone. Ruby, who was still trying to look to one side with her beverage to do anything to avoid looking her way; and Winter, who was awkward enough thinking about what needed to be done. It was pretty obvious Ruby wouldn't be the one starting.

There was so much she wanted to say, but in the end all she did was pace up behind the bench, come to a stop, and ask, "So… how have you been?"

Nervously shrugging her shoulders, Ruby kept watching the lake while she took a sip of her drink. Damn Yang… she didn't know anything about the situation, yet had somehow managed to convince Winter to do the very thing they needed to - despite her wanting to run a mile from it!

"G-good," she murmured after the sip, resting the hand back on her knee again. "J-just, um, doing so-so. And you?"

"I've been better… but I've been worse. So… I guess the same as you." She looked down towards her hands, white-knuckling on the back of the bench, and tried to relax. It wasn't working. "How are… you and Penny?"

Yet again, she shrugged her shoulders. However this time she at least made some form of effort to acknowledge her needs, by scooting to one side of the bench. "Not too bad, I guess. She has a new job, but she's been kinda stressed because I've been super tired a lot of the time."

Realising it would look strange if she kept standing there when there was an empty seat, she rounded it, sitting down as far away as she could from Ruby. Hopefully, she wouldn't feel crowded. "Why so tired? If it's not too much to ask about. Feel free to tell me it's none of my business, I…" But she didn't finish her thought.

"O-oh, it's nothing. J-just… uh…" Seemed it was more than nothing, especially when it came to the person she was admitting this to. But trying her best, she eventually shrugged her shoulders after another drink. "Just… felt a little off, that's all. I-it's like that sometimes."

"You should talk to your sister about that. She would know more about that, since she's… already on medication. No thanks to me," she added in a bitter undertone.

Closing her eyes, Ruby sighed deeply as she placed her glass on the ground and out the way. "That wasn't your fault entirely, you know. There were a lot of issues at the time with her, hiding under the surface. And besides, I'm pretty sure it’s not genetic; my parents weren’t diagnosed with stuff like that. So if it’s anybody, it’s Yang’s mom, I guess."

"Still, you… should work on what's troubling you." This was getting harder to dance around, and when she thought about doing so, she found she was unable to. "Because despite… how things played out, I still want what's best for you, Ruby. There's just no sense in you suffering if you can talk to someone, sort things out. Medication or no medication."

"I'm not depressed," she corrected. Although from the way she kept staring toward the ground, she wasn't exactly doing anything to prove that comment wrong. In the end, she placed her hands on the bottom of her small skirt, grasping the hem anxiously. But in the end, she thought to herself; what good would it do to keep distracting and leaving things unsaid? "I've just… been upset. Not Depression, not anything else; I'm just sad, okay? It… it was my own stupid fault in the first place."

"What was?" When Ruby didn't answer immediately, she followed up with, "I don't want to assume anything. That isn't my right. But maybe whatever has upset you wasn't your fault alone, and… and then you wouldn't have to punish yourself so harshly. Right?"

For a long while, there was silence between them. Ruby continued to look downward, still unable to yet look up at someone she once couldn't get enough of. It was almost tragic how far they had drifted thanks to a single argument. But the silence was lifted by a small, but rather desperate whisper.

"I miss you."

Winter's head raised, eyes wide. Her mouth worked as if she would respond right away, but she forced herself to stop, to consider her words more carefully. Then she stated, "And I have missed you. So much."

Tucking a stray strand of hair out of her own face, she eventually settled to holding her hands together on her lap, idly crossing her legs to appear casual. Just on the off-chance anyone inside was looking. But already, she could feel everything she had bottled up coming loose, feel her heart thudding with fear, eyes welling up.

"I just got so mad," she began to confess. “S-so mad and so jealous… and I had n-no right to be. That wasn't fair. Not when I-I'd done things just as bad to you."

"You didn't realize what you had done was so…" Winter paused, having to breathe deeply. This wasn't something she made a habit of discussing, so even now, months later, it was difficult. "We both crossed a line that we didn't think as important to the other person as it turned out to be. Is… that fair to say?"

It was accurate. All Ruby had wanted to do was show Winter that she was brave enough to do more daring things, while Winter simply wanted to keep the two most important people in her life happy without awkward encounters. It was certainly a fair assessment. Nodding in agreement, she stared out toward the lake again in a somewhat more contented silence.

"…How's Qrow?"

"Oh, he's been alright. They promoted him to assistant manager of the bar; said he was doing a great job with the work but was a little rude to the customers, so he was better placed being rude to the bartenders."

"So he gets to sit at a desk behind the bar and drink? Sounds like an ideal job for him."

Winter smiled down at the hands in her lap. "You… probably don't want to know any more details than that, do you?"

Though that last comment didn't make Ruby laugh. Unfortunately, she was still rather awkward about that situation. "N-no… not really. I wanna hear if he's okay but not like, those details."

"Of course, of course," she replied hastily. "I have no problem with that. As long as you agree not to tease me about… about the other thing. We can bring it up from time to time, but don't tease. It just…" She looked away, biting her lip to keep from showing a reaction too severe.

"I know… I stepped over the line." Nervously she shuffled in her seat again, looking downward toward the floor. A look of pure shame. "The truth is… I just thought that maybe… if I used my intuition and showed that I could be daring enough to try something big like that, you'd be pleased with my progress. But now I know, t-that was completely wrong. That you can't ‘guess’ with this stuff."

The corner of her mouth ticked up as she conceded, "Well, to be fair, you were right with everything except the third person who happened to be in the room. But your performance was… I still have to fan myself thinking about how good you were."

"It… was pretty hot." Unsure if that was crossing the line or not, she shrugged her shoulders nervously. "That doesn't count as teasing, right? To admit that it was really… really thrilling?"

"No, not at all. I… could tell you how I really felt about it, if you promise not to pass judgment. A-and if you promise not to think it means I dislike you; just because I was angry and upset didn't mean I wanted you out of my life! I regret so much that I made it seem that way…"

"I wouldn't blame you if you did… I crossed the line," she admitted again. She knew she deserved more than that. She expected fury, rage even, but Winter had something else to say. "…g-go on?"

"What I said during play… that it really turned me on… I wasn't lying. It did. But admitting that means admitting that…" Winter's cheeks were pink already due to how long they had been talking about their last session, but she bravely forged ahead.

"On the car ride up here, I spent the entire time trying to ignore how wet I was getting. Because I was in the same car as my father. You were so good, and gave me such a powerful climax, that now… now I associate that with speaking to him, being in the same place as him. Which I'm so ashamed of; it's… not as if he had anything to do with it directly, or as if I want to sleep with him! GOD, no! But the two things are connected in my brain pretty strongly now." Now that the older woman had said her peace, she closed her eyes and waited for the reaction. However bad it might turn out to be.

"Ohhh…" Surprisingly, it was far easier for Ruby to take in than expected. While it was good to learn that she had given Winter an extremely powerful orgasm, and Winter was proud of her as a sub… learning that Winter now associated her own father with their escapades wasn't so good. In fact, when she thought about it…

It was the same association she now had with Qrow once learning who he was. Finding out that Qrow was another of Winter’s partners made such thoughts hard to totally block out. A sexual context for her own uncle. They were both dealing with those awful tricks of their minds. Only difference was, Ruby knew she would never accidentally be picturing her uncle during the act the same way Winter might with her father.

"Shit… I really screwed up…"

"Not so badly. I mean, it's almost fun, when I'm not disgusted with myself." A few seconds later, she added in a weak murmur, "That was supposed to be humourous, but after saying it, I realized it didn't come out that way…"

Still blinking, she finally looked more in Winter's direction than the floor at last. Not eye contact yet, but it was better than what it was. "Geeze, I just wanted to do something… adventurous. To be bold or whatever. I didn't want to ruin an entire person for you, let alone your own father!"

With another gentle, nervous smile, she turned back to face forward. "You don't have that much power, Ruby. He's not ruined, exactly… just… this is something I'll have to work through. But it does help to have a specific cause; you fucking me under the desk, instead of just 'Surprise, you're turned on in your father's presence'. Keeps me from thinking I'm even more of a deviant than I already am."

There was a small chuckle coming from her. "That would be the worst version of the Daddy kink."

"Ugh," Winter groaned, ducking her head. "Do you know how long I mentally dissected me moaning 'Daddy' when I’m being fucked?! I haven't called him that in over a decade, and I still had to worry about it!"

"Oh my god, I was kidding - I didn't know you had one!" The laugh was beginning to increase in volume. In fact, it would be the loudest anyone would have heard her laugh in weeks, even if it was a slight form of teasing. Their talk was working.

So Winter kept it going. Yes, she was uncomfortable with the subject matter, but it was also a relief to be able to get it out and discuss it instead of bottling everything up. "Well, I do, but it never had anything to do with my actual daddy until that night. Not as far as I knew, anyway." Shifting in her seat, she muttered, "You know what they say about all little girls wanting to marry their fathers…"

"Not me; never ever been interested in men. Even me being kinda weird about sex aside…" Finally, she felt her muscles relaxing as she grew more at ease; even began to smile. Maybe things were going to work out for them still being friends, after all. In the end, that's what they wanted, to be in one another's lives, regardless of feelings.

But Ruby didn't want to leave it there. Talking about where things went wrong with their arrangement was one thing, but with their feelings was another. They had come too far, said too much to leave it there without talking it through fully. If only she could take that first step.

Though Winter beat her to it. "If you're sure you want to keep these secrets, and aren't already disgusted by me…" Her eyes flicked up to Ruby's face, then away again, waiting. Bursting to speak, but afraid that she had already gone too far.

"I could never be disgusted with you." At long last, she looked up, and right at Winter's face. It was like she was seeing her for the first time all over again. She could already feel the bottled up feelings reemerging, the compulsive need to grab Winter and kiss her as hard as she could. But they had to talk it out first. "Even after all my thinking, all this time with these dumb thoughts… I can't be disgusted with you. I can't even dislike you. And I don't want to. Because all this time has passed and I… I-I… still…"

Almost as if to head her off, Winter went on, "G-good. Because it's been getting worse, even if I've been getting better at processing it; understanding it's a kink, and it doesn't make me bad for having a kink if I don't indulge it. That's not as bad, right?" Her eyes held Ruby's for just a moment, hopeful, drinking in the desire she saw reflected there, before she turned away.

"As you heard, my father has begun dating this Amber woman. I've seen her, and she really is attractive." More fidgeting from the elder Schnee sister. "S-so… I may have had a stray fantasy about walking in on them…"

"Well… I-I guess… um…" Truly speechless after that confession of hers, Ruby looked to one side wide eyed, scratching the back of her head nervously. Managing to force a chuckle of her own, she admitted, "I guess these things don't hurt. Fantasies and all that, different strokes for different folks."

"You know, I could tell he was flustered by that sketch of yours - which I framed, by the way, I hope I can show you how it looks framed. That… is part of what made it harder to forget this whole thing. He didn't know it, but he was finding me attractive." Then she cleared her throat, waving that away as best she could. "Which only makes sense; he's always told me I'm a lot like Mother was. Weiss is the one who looks so distinctly different, even though there's a family resemblance, of course."

"Weirdly? She looks like your dad, if he was a girl… if that makes sense?" She could only hope that would be enough to make her chuckle along with her. The strange thing was, at the start of this arrangement, she was so obsessed with Winter's likeness to Weiss. Now, she could completely separate them. When with Winter, it was like Weiss was never even a factor.

"She does!" Winter admitted with a giggle of her own, raising a hand to her mouth to hide it. Then she sighed and said, "Anyway, enough about my budding Electra complex before I develop a thing for Weiss, too." Turning more fully, she looked straight at Ruby with a sober gaze. "I'm so happy that we can talk again. It might not be easy, but I can't tell you how much I've missed this!"

Laughing right back with her, Ruby picked her drink back up from the ground. The smile on her face evolved into a grin. "Me too! This was one of the things I missed. I mean, Weiss and Blake are great to talk to, but you sorta get fed up with them bringing up their other halves like, all the time."

Nodding, Winter crossed her legs in a lot less discomfited gesture - though she still shivered slightly at the action. "Indeed, they do go on about each other. But it's a positive thing, that they're in such stable relationships." Glancing over at Ruby, she asked in a careful tone, "You and Blake didn't ever…?"

Drinking the final swig of her drink, Ruby shook her head lightly, drawing the glass away. "Nah. We agreed that'd be too weird with how she was with Yang and all. Plus, as much as she knows she's bisexual…" Shuffling up closer to Winter a moment, she quickly checked the area to make sure no one was in sight. Thankfully, they were all too distracted by the presents to even notice those two outside. Finally, she leaned into her ear, whispering, "She is definitely all about dicks."

Giggling, Winter whispered back, "I know. I offered to Dom her a few times, or to let her Dom me, and she said she 'wouldn't mind' but didn't seem all that excited about getting around to it. I saw that as the gentle kiss-off that it was, and never pushed for an answer."

"Yeah… She won't admit it, but she is a cockslut," Ruby whispered back. And yet even when she was done whispering, she didn't move away. Not yet. She had become content with sitting right at Winter's side, even leaning in slightly toward her. So close… even after months, it was becoming like those few romantic sessions all over again. Except there were no characters, no practice. This was Winter Schnee and Ruby Rose.

"Do you still…" But as soon as the words began to form, she held a hand up, shaking her head. "Nah, forget it, I'm being dumb."

"I still miss more than just our sessions," Winter told her firmly, offering it when Ruby hadn't finished her question. "I miss YOU, all of you."

Ruby found no more words to say. Usually a chatterbox who let her mouth run, and she was completely speechless. All she could do was keep their close proximity, feel her cheeks beginning to heat up once more as Winter stared back at her. She always managed to make her blush… and this was no exception. After a brief check to make sure no one was around, she found her eyes wandering elsewhere. To Winter's eyes, her lips…

"Kiss me."

"Are you sure?" she breathed gently, allowing her index finger to brush down along Ruby's arm. "Someone might see. Or do you want them to see?" Quirking her lips, she whispered as she drifted closer, "Not that I would fault you if that was secretly what you wanted."

"I-I want…" She wanted everything to go the way it was meant to go when she first confessed her feelings for Winter. She wanted for them to be more, so much more. "I want you… I want to feel how you feel about me. Even after this long. I-if you still do."

At the more insistent wording, the lessening of ambiguity, Winter's eyes began to shimmer. Her throat tightened, and she leaned in yet closer. With only another second of hesitation, her lips took the younger woman's, hungrily and with great relish.

And she poured every last ounce of desire into her mouth as she kissed her back, as her hand slid up to rest upon her neck. For the first time, one of their kisses wasn't merely full of confidence, sensuality, desire. This time, there was so much affection - on a level closer to Penny's, though different in its own right. Open and earnest.

In the same way, Ruby felt her eyes closing in bliss. Her hand crept up and into Winter's hair, bringing her in closer. Her other hand was holding her glass as best she could, but even that was a struggle. In the movement and effort Winter displayed when she opened her lips slightly further, when she eased her tongue forward to brush against her own, she could feel it. This kiss was so completely different to what she had felt from her before, yet entirely familiar. Winter Schnee loved her, and she could tell from that single, honest kiss between them. And already she could feel tears welling up in her eyes all over again.

Though Winter continued to pour more and more of her affection into the contact, eventually it grew to be too powerful. She had to break away to whisper, "I thought I lost you forever!" before she threw her arms around Ruby, pushing her face into her neck and trembling all over as she tried not to break down entirely.

Although hesitant at first, Ruby eventually found the strength to hug right back, pulling her in tightly as she grasped the cardigan she was wearing. Everything was back, her scent, her touch; her. And she wouldn't have it any other way. What a fool she was to let it all go, to let such a thing slip away because of a pathetic argume-

"Guys, we're starting to open the presents!"

Yang happened to call as she stood by the conservatory door. Why did that have to happen now?! Thankfully, there was no awkwardness about the embrace; it simply looked like what Yang had intended for them, for Winter to have helped Ruby with her sadness. And that brought a smile to her face. "Awww, come on you nerds, get in here!"

Pulling back with a sniffle, she was sure not to do what she would have done - kiss Ruby again - and instead turned immediately to call, "Coming!" When addressing Ruby again, she whispered, "Are you going to be alright? I mean, I think I can dry it up, but we can linger a moment if you need to."

Moving the hand from the back of her head to her shoulder instead, she nodded. She desperately wanted to do the same, quickly lunge forward and kiss Winter. But that would have to wait until another time. "Y-yeah, we'd better. Yang's been worried about me."

"Yeah, she said. Your sister really cares for you; I'm glad you're so close." Biting her lip as she stroked Ruby's arm, down out of sight due to the bench, she whispered, "Maybe… she can be one of the first ones we tell, when we're ready. She and Weiss. I think they're the ones who might feel the most strange about us being anything other than sisters-in-law."

"Yeah… Yeah that's true. It would be a good idea." But it seemed at first, Ruby hadn't quite realised what that implied. Until she started to really think about it. And her eyes widened once she began to think on it more and more, before finally gasping, "You… want that with me? Like, to be completely out in the open? Really?"

"Possibly," she answered with a shy smile as she finally began to stand up, pulling Ruby to her feet alongside. "Depending on other factors. Mainly, you and Penny; if we did that, she would be part of a polyamorous relationship, even if she has no feelings for me. I don't want to put her in that position if she's not comfortable with it. And then we'll have to decide how we feel about each of the other people in our lives knowing about it in turn."

"Yeah, of course. If we don't handle this right, people would accuse me of being a cheater. And I don't want that – she doesn’t deserve to have people thinking that, either. Don't worry, I'll be talking to her about it soon."

Winter nodded, then couldn’t help grinning down at the little puppy. Now all hers – or at least, more hers than she had been expecting. "I can’t wait."

#Lady Stardust #rwby fanfiction #ruby x winter #rwbyremnants #INCEST TW #(even tho it's not really)

5 notes · View notes

four-loose-screws · 3 years

Text

FE8 Novelization Translation - Chapter 5, Section 2

FE8 Novelization Translation - Chapter 5, Section 1

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

I call this a “section” because it is not a separate part of the chapter in the book, but divided from the rest of the chapter by a scene break.

———————————

Chapter 5: Fog of War (con’t)

The moment Eirika's army left Serafew, they were already in Grado territory.

They continued on even more carefully before, avoiding all major roads and traveling around the outskirts of every town they neared. The supplies and food they'd prepared was more than enough for their journey, but without even a moment to rest their tired minds, their anxiety only multiplied.

Still, Eirika had determination to spare. Each step brought her a little closer to her brother.

Her ever growing group of allies also helped to ease the pain in her weary heart. The mage Lute, strange as she was, indeed had the skills to back up her claims that she was a prodigy. And not only that, she was also knowledgeable about plants and animals, and knew the names of many of the weeds growing alongside the road. Whenever they were marching and one of the young soldiers found a rare plant, she would give its name and medicinal properties in the spot, gaining the fascination of those around her.

Her friend, the monk Artur, was quiet and did not stand out, but studied fervently. Almost all of the items in the heavy bag he carried on his back were books. Whenever he had a free moment, he cracked one of them open, and often asked Moulder questions. Moulder seemed happy to find someone he could make good conversation with.

The ally they'd made in Serafew, Natasha, was pure in both beauty and kindness, making her wildly popular among the soldiers. Some would even fall down and injure themselves on purpose in an attempt to get her to heal them. Seth realized this and scolded them harshly for it, and since then, of course none dared to try that ever again, but some never stopped trying to talk to her whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Then, there was the other person who'd joined them in Serafew, the mercenary Joshua. He seemed to be distant with everyone.

He was lighthearted and joked around, however, the moment anyone tried to get close to him, he would distance himself from them. And even if someone was just having a casual chat with him, he would not speak a single word about his personal life. Behind his cheerful face lied a man who did not want to even try opening up his heart to anyone.

Perhaps his many years as a mercenary had made him wary of others, but Eirika did not think that was all there was to it.

Seth saw right through her, and knew exactly how worried she was. She still hadn't gotten very good at horseback riding, so she continued to ride with him. Because of it, they had ample opportunities to talk about topics that they did not want to discuss with anyone else.

One day, a thick fog had enveloped the land around them since the morning, obscuring their field of vision. The air was chilly, and the soldiers' footsteps were heavy.

Eirika was lost in thought as she rocked atop the horse. When Seth started talking to her in a low voice, she gasped in surprise.

"Something seems to be bothering you, Milady."

"Hm? Oh, no… not exactly…"

"Is it the mercenary?"

Eirika was surprised that he'd seen right through her. She looked around to make sure that no one else could hear, then answered, "Yes… I think Joshua seems to be keeping a secret of some kind. I have no intention of investigating it, but I'm a bit worried about the fact that he will not open up to everyone."

"I think it would be best to keep watch over his movements."

His tone was firm. It made Eirika uneasy. "What do you mean by that?"

"He's a person who casually switched to our side while he was employed by Grado. There's no guarantee that someone like him-"

"Seth!" Eirika realized what he was trying to say, and interrupted him. "No way, are you saying that he will betray us?"

"I'm saying that it would be best to assume the possibility."

"I… believe him. Even if he does possibly have something to hide, I do not think he is a bad person. And his skill with the sword is very reliable…"

"That is the exact reason why he is terrifying."

Eirika couldn't bring herself to respond.

Seth's apprehensions were probably justified.

If a mercenary of Joshua's skill turned over to the enemy's side in the middle of battle, then… he might be able to destroy Eirika's army in an instant. Just as she feared might happen, she lost her confidence in whether or not it was right to make him one of their allies.

Suddenly, the horse stopped. She started to ask what was wrong, but her body froze.

Several people appeared in front of them. Eirika didn't know where they had come from. They were an unsettling group that seemed as if they had burst up from the ground.

The man standing as the leader was nearing them with shaky, unsteady footsteps. His head was entirely hidden under a hood, and his body was shrouded in a long robe. He couldn’t possibly be an ordinary traveler.

He continued forward until he was standing in front of them.

His facial features, shadowed by the hood, were now easily visible. His eyes were sharp, and his cheeks sunken in. He ordered in a hoarse voice, "Stop, Princess Eirika of Renais."

"...Who are you?" Eirika's hand swiftly moved towards the hilt of her sword.

All of her allies followed suit and grabbed their weapons in unison.

They had no idea what the man's intentions were. He didn't look like a soldier, but who would challenge them unarmed?

"The bracelet you are wearing… I want you to hand it over to me."

The man's demand baffled Eirika. "My bracelet? What are you going to try to do with it?"

"Do you think I would be privy to such information? His Majesty wishes to have it."

She guessed that he must be referring to Grado's emperor.

In that moment, she realized they were being ambushed, and bit her lip. They'd intended to march carefully, but the empire seemed to have figured out where they were all the same.

"Do not hand it over, Lady Eirika." Seth said.

She of course nodded.

The man laughed haughtily. "I advise for your own safety that you try not to be stubborn. In this case, I shall tell you one thing. Prince Ephraim's army has already lost to the Grado Army. He is currently in the Renvall Castle dungeon, awaiting his execution."

Eirika’s face stiffened. "That's a lie! My brother would never lose!"

"You can cry all you want, but it's the truth. Ephraim lost. So it would be pointless for you to continue on any further. It is best for you to hand over your bracelet quietly, then run on home."

Eirika glared at him.

He seemed to have anticipated that she would not do as he said, as he chuckled, and continued, "If you will not comply, that is fine. Bring me the hostages!"

The man ordered the group following behind him like shadows. Several people were pushed forward.

They all appeared to be ordinary villagers. There were even small children staring blankly at their surroundings, with no idea what was going on. A slightly older girl was crying and screaming, "Help me!"

So his plan was to use people that have nothing to do with the situation to get Eirika's bracelet.

'How awful…' She whispered, but couldn't move.

"These are hostages I brought with me from Renais. Now hand over that bracelet! If you don't, they will all die!"

"...Understood. I will give it to you, so please let them go."

"Lady Eirika!!"

Seth tried to stop her, but Eirika said with determination in her voice, "We cannot take back the lives of the citizens. Please let me do this, Seth." Eirika dismounted his horse and took off her bracelet.

The man snatched the bracelet out of her hands, then cackled a vulgar laugh into the air. "Yes, this is it! This is the genuine item! His Majesty will certainly be pleased… Now, next, will you drop all of your weapons for me?"

"We refuse." Seth instantly replied. "I doubt you have any intention of letting Lady Eirika return home safely. Do you really think we'll comply with such a request?"

"I don't care what happens to the hostages. By the way, did you know? Rumor has it that huge spider-like monsters are living around here…" The man placed one of his wrinkly hands on a small girl's head. "The monsters will no doubt be pleased if I give these hostages to them…"

The children all burst out crying.

Realizing what their enemy was planning, Eirika screamed.

He was going to take the hostages with him. Eirika felt anger and regret stronger than she ever had before in her life, and glared at the hooded man once more.

"You seem disappointed, princess of Renais. But this is war. There is nothing that the losers can do. The people of Renais, resenting their powerless king, will be eaten by monsters…"

"Silence!" Her voice cut him off mid-sentence like the crack of a whip.

The man jumped back and looked down at Eirika. "Wh… What? Watch your mouth, and know your place…!"

Eirika glared at the man again.

She knew she had startled her opponent. Before she could even realize what she was saying, she yelled angrily, "I… throughout all of this, have told myself that I will never hate Grado. Even when the army attacked the palace, even when I heard that Father was dead, I thought to myself that I must not let my sadness turn into anger. Renais and Grado share a long history of friendship. I did not want to ruin that bond!"

Eirika pictured Prince Lyon's face in her head.

Could he possibly know that his soldiers were committing such atrocities? Could he have allowed them to go through with cruel plots like this one?

There was no way. Surely he didn't know anything about the current situation of the war...

"But if this is Grado's way, then I will not forgive them. If these are the empire's orders… then I will never forgive the Grado Empire!"

"Y-You sound awful full of yourself, girl…!” The man was intimidated by Eirika's anger. His voice sounded indomitable, but it was also shrill with anger. "If you intend to defy me, then I will show no mercy! This will be where you all meet your end!” He disappeared as if he had blown away with the wind.

"Was that magic…?” Eirika panicked and looked around. ‘Where did he go?’

"I believe the spiders live in the mountains just ahead of us…"

Lute said, but even when Eirika looked at where she was pointing, the mountains she claimed were there were completely covered in fog, and they could only just barely see them in the distance.

"Let's hurry. The hostages are in danger!" When Eirika pictured the villagers all huddled together in fear of the presence of the giant spiders, she could hardly stand the thought.

The further they progressed, the thicker the fog became. Even after they lit torches, they couldn’t see very far ahead of them.

Before Eirika even gave her orders, Vanessa said, “I will go to them.”

“But it’s too dangerous in this fog…”

“I will be fine. There is no doubt that I can move faster than all of you on the ground.”

However, the enemy was probably using the fog to hide and wait for Eirika’s army to come to them. It was far too dangerous to let Vanessa go ahead on her own.

While Eirika was deliberating over how to respond, someone else spoke up.

“I will go with her.” The person who stepped forward was Joshua. He spoke in his usual tone of voice, and flashed Vanessa a smile. “I’ve always wanted to try riding a pegasus once. Let me ride with you. While you're saving the hostages, I'll take care of the monster spiders."

"...No." She held him back. Why did he say he wanted to ride a pegasus now, of all times?

He looked back at her, puzzled.

Eirika felt Seth's gaze on her as she spoke awkwardly, “...I want you to stay here. The person to go with Vanessa will be… Sir Garcia. Will you go with her?”

Garcia was surprised to suddenly be called out, but nodded. “If those are my orders, then of course I’ll go! But… Lady Eirika…?”

The pained look on her face was probably suspicious. Garcia tilted his head.

Joshua asked incredulously, “What? Why not me? I should be able to take out something like spider monsters…”

“It's not that, it’s because there are likely a lot of enemies lying in wait just ahead, so I want you to fight here.” Eirika turned her back to him and avoided explaining anything further.

When Joshua had announced that he wanted to go with Vanessa, she'd immediately remembered the conversation she'd previously had with Seth.

It was entirely possible that Joshua might betray them. He might kill Vanessa, then turn back over to the Empire's side.

She couldn't deny the fact that she wanted to trust him, but she was also worried. If he betrayed them now, they would lose both Vanessa and the hostages.

"Okay then, let's go." Vanessa helped Garcia mount her pegasus, then the two flew off.

Joshua furrowed his brow slightly and looked at Eirika with a dissatisfied expression on his face, but turned around with a huff and withdrew his sword.

Eirika called out, "Cavalry, march to the front! Because our field of vision is so poor, please always confirm where your allies are before making any movements. We must be careful not to split up, even for a moment…"

Before she was even finished giving her order, enemy soldiers started leaping towards them from within the fog.

As they'd suspected, the Grado soldiers had been waiting all across the plain for them. The injured enemies went down shrieking into the air.

Eirika's army panicked at first, but only for a moment, and quickly regrouped. Maintaining their formation in the thick fog was no easy task, but the soldiers remained calm. They cut down their enemies while periodically calling out to each other to confirm their positions.

This battle was their first true fight within Grado territory. The enemies they'd fought before could not possibly compare to this group. And on top of that, the Grado soldiers knew this area very well, and used that to their advantage by trying to lure Eirika's army into dangerous areas such as cliffs and swamps whenever they found an opening.

Throughout the grueling battle, Eirika confirmed Joshua's position several times. His red hair stood out even within the fog. He rushed so boldly into the enemy lines that one would think he was being reckless, and broke through areas so that the cavalry could advance. It was clear that he was an essential member of Eirika's army now.

Was her previous judgement a mistake? Perhaps he had noticed that she doubted him, and she had ironically lost his trust in the process...

"Eirika!"

Seth's voice snapped her back to reality.

An enemy soldier was running straight toward her.

It took all of her strength just to dodge his attack the moment he lunged. If Seth had not rushed over to her, the Grado soldier likely would have skewered her with his lance.

Seth defeated the soldier, then pulled her up atop his horse.

"I'm fine, Seth. I can still fight…"

But Seth ignored her plea. The moment she realized that maybe her concentration was still lacking in battle, her body shrunk back.

The battle was gradually reaching its conclusion. The enemy army seemed to be mostly defeated. Franz was rushing around their ranks and confirming the number of casualties. They had not suffered many sacrifices at all.

“All that’s left is their leader. We have to search for the man that stole the bracelet!”

Eirika shook her head. “No, Seth. I am more worried about the hostages. Let’s follow after Vanessa and Garcia…”

“It seems like that won’t be necessary!” Colm said while looking up at the sky.

Perhaps because of his experience as a thief, his hearing was far better than that of the average person. Even on a battlefield like their current one with poor visibility, his keen senses had been helpful, allowing him to give effective directions to the soldiers.

“I can hear her pegasus’ wings. Sounds like they’re comin’ back here.”

Just as he finished saying that, the noise reached Eirika’s ears. It was the unmistakable sound of wings soaring through the sky.

As the fog slowly started to clear, a lone black shadow became visible. It became much bigger in the blink of an eye, then lightly started to lower in front of Eirika and the others.

Vanessa landed with a small girl in her arms. “I apologize for returning late, Lady Eirika.

Vanessa’s cheerful expression caused Eirika to breathe a sigh of relief. “Good work, Vanessa. What about the other hostages…?”

“They are safe. Since I could not carry such a large group at once, I returned with the youngest child for now.”

“And what about Sir Garcia?”

“He is safe as well, of course. He fought the monsters all by himself. Since there may be others still lurking about, he is staying by the hostages’ side for the time being.”

“So they’ve already been killed…?” Lute cut into the conversation with disappointment in her voice. “However, ‘Spider Monsters’ is not their proper name. That would be ‘Bael.” I really wanted to see one once with my own eyes, but… I’ll at least go just to see their corpses…”

“Lute!” Everyone shouted.

“We don’t have time to be studying spider monsters right now. Leave the rescue of the hostages to Vanessa and the cavalry. Everyone else has to go after the man from before.” Seth ordered.

“Bael are much more endearing than that seedy human…” Lute looked up at Seth, but realized that there was no chance her request would be granted, and nodded her head in acceptance. “Understood. It is unfortunate, but I will likely have another chance to encounter a Bael. Let’s chase after the seedy human for now.”

Seth gave the soldiers their orders, and they all searched for the man who should be hiding within the fog. Before long, he received a report that a man had been found hiding in a thicket at the base of a mountain.

The fog had cleared considerably at that point. They were able to see him with their naked eyes.

The hooded man realized that enemies were coming towards him, and tried to flee. It was likely that he’d decided to try to leave the fighting to his subordinates while he watched from afar atop high ground. Thick tree cover and cliffs blocked him off, and there were no escape routes behind him.

Eirika jumped down from Seth’s horse and ran up to him. “There’s nowhere for you to run! Now hand over my bracelet!”

The man glared at Eirika with bloodshot eyes, and clutched the stolen bracelet tightly. “S… someone… wants to give it to His Majesty…!”

“Why does the Grado Emperor want my bracelet?”

“I-I don’t know…!”

The man muttered a spell without moving his mouth.

Eirika realized quickly what he was doing, and jumped back. A pillar of smoke rose from where she’d been standing.

It was now obvious that he could wield offensive magic.

Battle with a mage was difficult because while they had no physical strength, they could launch an attack with magic even from far away. Those skilled in magic could somewhat defend themselves against it, but the average soldiers, like sword fighters and knights, had no protections at all against it. It was far from uncommon for those who were unskilled in combat to be killed by a single spell.

Would it be best to send Lute and Artur his way? But they were not used to battle yet, and he might be difficult for them to put up a fight against...

While Eirika was still at a loss for what to do, Joshua rushed far ahead of her.

Eirika was in complete shock, and before she could call out "Be careful…!" to him, he sliced his sword through the man's skin.

"Ahh…!!" The man stifled a scream, and tried to chant one more spell.

However, Joshua's attack was faster.

The moment the sword glistened in the light, the man screamed his death cry.

"Hey, this is valuable, right? Take good care of it." Joshua said teasingly, then handed the bracelet over to her.

"Th-Thank you, Joshua…"

However, Joshua immediately turned away as if he was rejecting her.

Eirika felt the giant rift between them become even deeper.

The cavalry returned with the hostages soon after. Garcia was of course with them as well.

When asked about what it was like fighting the spider monsters, he simply answered “They’re creepy,” and grimaced. They seemed to be a particularly disgusting monster. Lute, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction from everyone else. A twinkle appeared in her eyes, and she started bombarding him with questions, which disturbed him deeply.

That night, they unsurprisingly decided to give up on marching any further for the time being, and rested on the plains.

After their meal, while everyone else was sitting in a circle and enjoying themselves, Seth called Eirika over to him, and broke away from the group.

She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to talk about, and put her returned bracelet tightly on her wrist, then waited for him to begin speaking.

Seth walked all the way over to the shadow of the trees, where they could not feel the presence of anyone else, then said gravely, “Lord Fado ordered me not to tell you anything until the time was right… But since the secret has been leaked to the Grado Emperor, it is probably best that I tell you now.”

“...About this bracelet?”

Seth nodded. “As you know, Renais has handed down one of the Sacred Stones since ancient times. And the countries of Grado, Frelia, Jehanna, and Rausten all pass down the other four.”

“Yes, it is said that during the ancient war, the Demon King’s power was sealed away within the Sacred Stones. They should currently be enshrined in each of those countries, which protect them. In Renais, our stone is kept in a large shrine, and the people worship it…”

“That stone is a replica.”

Eirika was surprised by his unexpected words. “A replica…? No… I cannot believe it…”

“I have been told that an exact copy was made and placed inside the shrine. The real stone is sealed tightly away in the Renais Castle basement.”

She couldn’t believe what he was saying. She herself had prayed countless times at the shrine where the Sacred Stone was kept, and she’d seen her father hold sacred rites in front of it before. Had all of that been a large-scale performance to keep the real stone hidden from sight?

“That’s… but… isn’t it pitiful for the people who have prayed at the replica? Everyone visited that shrine with such pure, devoted hearts…”

Eirika’s clouded expression made Seth smile. “No, on the contrary, it was likely for their sake. Lord Fado said that the Sacred Stones contain such great power that they have an effect on people’s hearts… and they will be entranced by that power, so much so that they cannot look away from them. That is why one of the previous kings thought up the idea to hide the real stone. And the key that unlocks the seal is that bracelet.”

Eirika looked down at her bracelet once more.

When she was young, her father had given her and her brother each a bracelet. Her father’s voice had been so uncharacteristically insistent when he told them to take good care of them, that Eirika had always thought it strange.

“Father… never told us even one word about how important these bracelets are…”

“He probably thought the day when we would need to unlock the seal would never come, and decided that it would be for the best. It is likely that Lord Ephraim still does not know his bracelet’s secret. Lord Fado only told me in the case of a one in a million scenario.”

“But then how did the Grado Empire learn of it…?”

“They probably found a way to get the information out of Lord Fado.”

There shouldn’t have been an easy way to get her father to spill such an important secret. No matter how terrifying their methods were… Eirika felt the warmth drain from her body. She couldn’t bring herself to think about it. Now wasn’t the time to lament the tragedy that had befallen her father.

“As Natasha said, the Grado Empire is trying to destroy the Sacred Stones. That is consistent with their actions so far... In order for the emperor to destroy Renais’ Sacred Stone, they are after my bracelet.”

*Maybe.”

“Brother also has the same bracelet as I. So that means…”

“If that man’s words are to be trusted, then Lord Ephraim has already been captured. It is possible that they have stolen his bracelet.”

“Brother…” Eirika clasped her hands together tightly.

They were so close to reaching him… and yet they still might not be fast enough to be able to save him.

“The enemy knows that we have already entered Grado Territory. If they become impatient… it is conceivable that they will execute him.”

“Yes. We haven’t a moment to waste. Let’s hurry!” Eirika looked up at the edges of the mountains above them, clearly visible in the night sky now that the fog had cleared. And past that, she could finally see Renvall Castle.

#fire emblem #fe #fe8 #sacred stones #nintendo #gba #game boy advance #japan #japanese #translation #novel #light novel #fe8 novelization translation

5 notes · View notes

ice-cream-nekogirl · 5 years

Text

Run Run Shinsou (Shinsou Hitoshi X Reader)

TIME FOR SOME HOLIDAY FLUFF!! AND HOLIDAY HIJINKS!! I’m serious Christmas shopping is the WORST and ugh this is partially inspired by some Christmas movies that involved the hardships of Christmas Shopping and my own experiences in how exhausting it is...

I’m certain it’d be easier if I had Shinsou’s power though...

Summary: This Christmas holiday isn’t new to Shinsou, but getting a gift for the person he loves certainly is. And he goes to great lengths to get you a good one.

You gave a deep groan as you managed to stumble to the dorms with your head up to let out more groans. “You made it out alive (Y/N).” Uraraka stood beside you with a nervous smile, with Tsuyu next to her.

“I’m honestly impressed given that you haven’t really been sleeping at a good time.” Blunt as ever she nonetheless was happy that you managed to work your way through this semester even though you were losing motivation and sleep over the last two weeks.

“Tell me about it… ugh thank GOD it’s over and now I can just… go to sleep…” You confided in your girlfriends since school semesters worked differently in Japan and so school literally just finished and now this meant you could relax for a day at the dorms, have a party with your classmates the next and then go home to your family to celebrate the actual Christmas day.

As you waved a ‘see ya’ to the girls you slowly walked like a zombie to find your dorm. The only thing that made you perk up was your boyfriend hanging by the door as he gave you a casual wave and smile. “Hey.”

The two of you arranged to meet up and hang once school officially ended for the rest of the year, at least until the holidays, and you were so glad that now you could relax with your sweet Shinsou. Even though you were tired as hell.

“Oh Hitoshi… thank God you’re here…” You chuckled as you opened your door to let him into your less than clean room but since he wasn’t the cleanest guy in the world he was perfectly okay with it. Then again, it was comfortable around Shinsou since he was a pretty blasé, casual guy himself. He just tried a LITTLE extra harder with you though even if you and he could be casual and relaxed.

“Oh yeah? Missed me that much?” His smirk made you scoff and roll your eyes, “Well who else is gonna listen to me bitch about how hard school is getting?” You asked as he shrugged his shoulders as the two of you lied down on your bed.

“You know you’ve got a point. I need you to bitch about my issues too…” He couldn’t deny that, you could vent to him all day and he’ll be happy to listen, because you were happy to listen to him about his problems too.

Still, you really did miss him as you cuddled up next to him, “But yeah… I missed being close to you… school is so fucking hard and I just needed a hug…” Your words made him blush warmly as he smiled at you a little bit. “Sure.” He said as he did give you that nice, warm hug you had been wanting.

“I get it… I needed a hug too… my partner and I barely made it through that exam.” Shinsou knew that’s what stressed you out for the past week, and it honestly stressed him out too but thankfully Tokoyami was a fantastic partner and easy to get along with aside from the gloom and doom part, but since Shinsou was a little on the gloom and doom spectrum himself, it worked out and they both passed it together.

“You’re the lucky one! You at least had Tokoyami as a partner for the end of the semester exam! I was stuck with Ojiro…” It’s not that you disliked the guy, but compared to the rest of your classmates he didn’t stand out much and his quirk was hardly much especially compared to classmates like Bakugou, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami and Kaminari. Ojiro was very nice to you and he worked hard to help you but… he wasn’t much compared to the others. Yes it was mean to think that but you were human weren’t you?

“You mean that bland, boring monkey Ojiro Mashirao? I’m sure that’s his name?” Shinsou chuckled and smirked when he didn’t seem to remember his name, or at least pretended to not remember his name.

“More like Ojiro Wishy ‘Washy-rao’.” You returned the smirk when you heard that snicker betray him and he couldn’t help but laugh as you burst into laughter with him. Was it the nicest joke in the world? No, but you could be your most authentic and witty self with Shinsou, and he could unwind with you too and say what was on his mind with you.

“I’m serious… you know the gift-wrapping paper that we’ve been seeing in every store? Those have more personality than him.”

“AHAHAHAHA! Oh my GOD Hitoshi… you’re such a savage… but… you’re not wrong. He’s a kind soul but he’s like a sugar cookie, all sugar but no chocolate. I like that he’s sugar but I want to taste a little something more, and he ain’t got more.” You gave him a thumbs up as you wiped your laughter tears away much to Shinsou’s great amusement.

“Well… at least you and I are done… just in time for this holiday everyone raves about… and we don’t even celebrate it here.” He said as he put his arm around you and you smiled at the thought of the holidays.

“Ah… yeah it’s more of a big deal in America and other parts of the world… I like the idea of if though… togetherness, singing annoyingly catchy songs, wearing red and green and elf costumes, watching adorably cheesy movies and eating so much sweets and food without caring about the calories.” You recalled the way your family spent the holidays and how it was especially a big deal in America, and how it was a lovely holiday even though it was busy and sometimes corny. But in a good way.

“Don’t you already do like three out of those five things? The cheesy movies, singing annoyingly catchy songs and eating a ton of food without caring about the calories?” He asked you with a cocked brow which made you laugh out loud.

“Well yeah but this holiday gives me the excuse to do all of that and no one can say anything! It’s like on Halloween! Where girls can dress like total sluts and no one can say anything.” You pointed out with a cheeky grin.

“Heh… very nice…”

“And plus we get to get each other gifts! That’s the funnest part! I already got mine for you~!” Shinsou’s face slightly paled when you more or less stated that you already had a gift for him…

He… didn’t get you anything…

Yet!

“Oh… that’s great…” He didn’t mean to sound so transparent but you were so happy and relaxed that you almost didn’t realize how uncertain he sounded. “I have a gift for you too.” So Shinsou kinda lied, but only because he didn’t want to seem like a shitty boyfriend who didn’t even get his girlfriend anything. But he knew how he was going to spend the rest of the day tomorrow before the party…

“Awww Hitoshi… you don’t have to get me anything…” You reassured him, even though you were excited already and grinning at the thought of your sweet Shinsou actually going out of his way to get you something! Okay maybe you lied when you said he didn’t have to get you anything… you didn’t wanna pressure him or nothing but it’d be really nice if he got you something.

“Of course I do. You’re the only one who actually gives a shit about what I feel, and the only one who can get me to SAY how I feel. That deserves something nice.” Shinsou said more honestly, his cheeks warming up the more he said it. He wasn’t the most open guy in the world, but he could be more open with you.

And you couldn’t help the big grin rising on your lips as you giggled and blushed giddily, “Ohh… Hitoshi…” You gave him a bigger, warmer hug and nuzzled into his chest which actually really flustered him as he started to stutter, “You’re the best boyfriend ever…!”

Damn… now he HAD to definitely find you a gift fast after hearing that kind of statement. “Y-You know me…” He said shyly and kind of nervously as he hugged you in bed…

THE NEXT DAY...

“Hahaha… oh man now you REALLY have to find her a gift.” Aside from you, Kaminari was the other classmate of the Hero Course he could rely on since he cared enough to befriend him and Shinsou couldn’t really push him away and he grew to like the guy.

“No doi, I got that already…” Shinsou groaned in annoyance at how Kaminari repeated what he had been telling himself for the past 12 hours as they walked into the mall together. He told you that Kaminari is the one who dragged him over here as a ploy to get you off his little plan and you believed it. So that was a good thing…

“Well hey it shouldn’t be hard right? You guys are boyfriend-girlfriend, and you guys know each other super well right?” Still Kaminari was going to help a brother out and Shinsou appreciated it as he nodded.

“Yeah I do… we basically like the same kind of music, movies and all. Especially MCR and Panic at the Disco…” That was one of the first things you and he bonded over, the love of emo bands, along with Tokoyami of course. Maybe he should have asked him what you would like the most since he was your good friend too, but he was with Kaminari already and now he had to rely on himself.

Kaminari snickered a bit as he put his arm around the guy, “You got this! But uh… do you have money?” That was the most important question and Shinsou hesitated before he nodded, “Oh yeah… I got money all right.” He DID have money but… he also MIGHT have brainwashed a Santa on the way over here and pretended to be one of those Santa’s for a little while to take as much money as he could. But in his defense that Santa wasn’t even donating to a good organization, that organization was really homophobic…

“Good!” But his friend didn’t seem to think much on his hesitation or the fact that Shinsou was still wearing the Santa hat he took as the two of them kept walking and looked at all the cooler stores that had some really cool things. Should he get you jewelry? No that’d be too cliché, besides he already get you a nice charm bracelet for your birthday…

He sighed heavily when he thought he and Kaminari weren’t getting anywhere, at least until he found himself at tried and true Hot Topic. And there he saw it…

The Gerard Way Funko Pop. Black Parade Edition and oh my God it looked so fabulous he almost wanted it for himself…

“I know what to get her.” He suddenly said as Kaminari perked up a bit, “Yeah?!” He looked excited too and followed where Shinsou was looking and saw it with a gasp. “The Black Parade…” He was familiar with the band too, and he thought they kicked ass!

“You HAVE to get her that…”

Shinsou nodded in full agreement as he quickly called an employee before anyone else could get it and to his relief they were able to get it for him as he held it close so no one else could see and try to steal it.

Paying for it was a pain but he DID have some of that Santa money to pay for it and left the store with a very satisfied smile. “Way to go Shinsou~!” Kaminari even patted his friend on the back when they left successful… at least…

“Hey, hey! You’re the kid who took my money!”

It was the Santa he had brainwashed, guess he caught onto it when his bucket was empty and his hat was now on Shinsou’s head. “What are you talking about? I didn’t take anyone’s money that would be stealing wouldn’t it? We don’t steal in this society.” He quickly lied as Kaminari nodded to back his friend up.

“Yeah, you didn’t take anything that’s why all my money in here’s gone and my hat! I remember! You were talking to me and then poof! It’s gone! All of it! Give it back!”

“Quite an aggressive Santa aren’t you? I thought Santa’s were supposed to be jolly.” Shinsou backed up a bit and continued to lie so he could find a way to get out of here. “Look I’m one of you, see the hat? I’m trying to make money for donation too.” Another lie but Kaminari was going to go with it.

“That’s right man! He’s super charitable that’s why he’s got his own hat here!” The blonde exclaimed much to Shinsou’s relief, but that was short-lived when ANOTHER Santa made his way over.

“Is this guy giving you trouble?” He asked the other Santa, who nodded, “Yeah this guy took all my money and now he’s lying about being an honorary Santa Claus!” The First Santa pointed at him angrily but Shinsou just shook his head.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

“Okay let’s calm down now, let me see your permit.” However, the second Santa was asking for a permit now and that Shinsou wasn’t planning on. “You really need a permit to donate to a good cause?” He asked even though that logically made sense since all these Santa’s needed to be legit in order to play Santa here at this mall.

And the Second Santa showed off his permit around his neck to show that he WAS legit and so was the First Santa, “Yeah you do, so do you have it or not?” And Second Santa was getting impatient as Shinsou and Kaminari grew kind of nervous.

“I do… in my heart. I answer to the people, as an aspiring pro-hero I can’t let permits stop me from trying to earn money to donate to the needy because they need things…” That sounded like something YOU would say since you knew how to lie out of your ass too so Shinsou took a hint from you and lied out of his ass.

“Hey! Show us your permit!” Oh shit and now a THIRD Santa showed up after seeing the commotion and Kaminari perked up fearfully and practically hid behind the taller Shinsou. “So many Santa’s are coming…” He whispered to Shinsou who was getting just as nervous but still kept his cool.

“You guys need to back off okay? I don’t need a permit and besides, I wouldn’t even donate to that organization. Don’t you know how homophobic it is? Get with the program…” Shinsou muttered in annoyance to the three Santa’s who were getting much too close for comfort.

“Don’t you bash the Savior Squad!” The First Santa took offense to that, and the Second Santa was getting closer, “Give us the money you took.” He more or less demanded instead of asked which Shinsou wasn’t going to do. He wasn’t threatened by these guys, but he DID need to get away from them.

“I’m not bashing anything. Now if you wanna take it just ask, but all of you have to say please.” He then requested of the Three Santas as they all went ‘Fine!’ and just when they were about to say ‘please’ their eyes went blank as Shinsou smirked and walked away, urging Kaminari to quickly follow him.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.” He said as the electric-user gladly complied and followed, but neither of them saw a FOURTH Santa show up so he could help his three fellow Santa’s. “Hey! Snap out of it!!” Shinsou perked up and made the mistake of looking back when he saw the Fourth Santa get the other three Santa’s out of his trance.

“He’s getting away! Get the money back!” The Fourth Santa shouted and pointed at Shinsou, whose eyes went slightly wide when he saw the very angry Santa’s all glaring right at him…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDIIYVPRpns

That was Shinsou’s cue to run like hell as he took off in a very fast dash while the pissed off Santa’s all started shouting “STOP THIEF!” “GET THAT BRAT!!” “I’M GONNA PUT A HOLIDAY HURTING ON YOU KID!!”

Kaminari shouted in terror as he backed away when the surprisingly fast Santa’s whipped right through to chase after his friend as he nervously followed. “Run Run Shinsou! Run like Hell!!” And he called out for his friend, even though no duh, that’s exactly what Shinsou was doing as he ran as fast as he could. Thank God he’d been training with Aizawa to pick up on speed. He wasn’t that fast but he was faster than he used to be that’s for sure.

“Stop him!”

“He’s getting away!”

“He took money!”

“Cut him off!”

But the Santa’s called OTHER Santa’s in the area as they stopped what they were doing for a moment to see Shinsou running off, still carrying your gift in his hands as he looked a little shocked when he saw so many more Santa’s around…

Why were there so many Santa’s!

He looked back to see another Santa, and then another, and then another! And then he realized there was now like TEN Santa’s on his ass and now he had to pick up the pace as he ran with a rare, alarmed face when he could just hear them yelling at him among the loud holiday music blaring while he was being chased.

Shinsou moved away when a Santa nearly grabbed him, and then he got lucky when several kiosks showed up for him to go to and cut off the Santa’s who were getting too close for comfort. The Santa’s all nearly bumped into each other when Shinsou cut them off, but it didn’t stop the others in the back from going ahead to try and catch up to him.

But Shinsou had to run past so many people that he was slightly ashamed to use as obstacles for the Santa’s to get past since he was only one person and there were ten different Santa’s so they had more difficulty getting past the poor people in their way.

Even as the Santa’s yelled for people to get Shinsou to stop they were much too shocked and confused to know what was going on other than the fact that Santa’s were chasing some poor teenager for some reason.

And Shinsou grinned a little when he saw an escalator and quickly ran up the one going upstairs, and kinda cut in front of others just to get away from the upcoming Santa’s. “Dude! This is crazy!” Kaminari went to the other escalator also going up and was already panting, but Shinsou nodded nonetheless. “The things I do for love.” He smirked and shrugged before giving Kaminari the gift before he jumped onto the same escalator when the other Santa’s were getting close and ran ahead of the clamoring people who shouted in shock as Shinsou made it upstairs and lost the Santa’s for a moment as he darted into a toy store.

He knew the Santa’s were coming so he was going to fight back this time, and he immediately made his way to the toy section and grabbed several frisbee’s and Captain America shields and threw them RIGHT at the oncoming Santa’s who were unfortunate enough to get clocked and the other ones moved away just in time to avoid getting hit. But when more showed up, Shinsou grabbed two toy swords to defend himself.

“All right? You Santa’s wanna dance? Okay then, but there’s only one winner coming out of this.” He said with confidence despite the fact that there were TEN Santa’s looking fierce with their fists up and ready to fight as they shouted “You can’t take all of us!” “Bring it Purple-head!”

And that urged Shinsou to quickly swat and strike at the first Santa who got too close, and he kept swinging and swinging until every Santa got too close, although he made one Santa stop in his tracks. But Shinsou’s eyes went wide when all the other Santa’s decided to body slam him to the ground in a giant Santa Slam…

His back hit the ground, but he quickly slid away fast and used the Santa that got too close to him and made the others who responded to him stop as he quickly got away and this sanpped the other’s out of it as they all blinked their eyes.

“Where’d he go?!”

“I thought you had him!”

“You let him go?!”

Shinsou snickered and laughed to himself despite the bruises he was going to get in the morning as he ran out of the store as fast as he could and ran to the nearest elevator to get the HELL out of there. To his relief Kaminari had caught up to him, still carrying your gift and panting heavily from all that running.

“Phew… dude… way to go!! That’s my man!!” Kaminari then laughed and praised his friend as they both left the mall together, rather quickly too to avoid anymore Santa’s that were around…

LATER ON THAT NIGHT…

“Let me get this straight…”

What the hell did your boyfriend just do?

“You’re telling me that you took money from a homophobic donation organization, outran and fought off ten different Santa’s just so you could get me a Christmas gift?” Because Shinsou came back to the dorms winded and with a bruise on his chin from getting elbowed by one of the Santa’s you asked him for an explanation, and he gave you one.

“Ah… yeah…” He nervously scratched the back of his neck the more you described the not-so moral things he did just to get you the gift you were carrying.

It was Gerard Way and he was SO cute and it was the Black Parade edition, and oh my God there was no way it was cheap and yet Shinsou took money just so he could buy that for you…

��That is… SO ROMANTIC~!!!”

Instead of getting pissed like he thought you would be based on your tone, you chirped rather loudly and even fawned all over the gift in your hands, “Oh my GOD~! Hitoshi… it takes a real man to steal money and pick a fight with ten Santa Claus’s just so you could go home with a gift… and you did all that for me. Awww…”

You knew Shinsou wasn’t above doing naughty things but that’s what you adored about him, he had an edge to him and you loved it. In fact it was weirdly attractive and something about this whole situation and knowing your boyfriend more than likely made the naughty list was kinda turning you on…

“Really?” But Shinsou was VERY surprised and VERY happy to hear that as he started to blush and bashfully grin, “Oh w-well… yeah I would… do that all again for you if I had to.” He shyly admitted, although he had to admit he took a twisted delight in running from all those very angry Santa’s. It was kinda hilarious the more he thought about it…

Not like he was going to get in any major trouble either, after all, he wasn’t Bakugo or anything, not many people knew he was despite his performance at the Sports Festival.

“Awww… God I love you…” You beamed as you lovingly hugged him, still holding your gift in one hand, “It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten! God he’s adorable…” Giggling, you hugged him a little tighter as your boyfriend gave a soft smile and hugged you back.

“I love you too.” He whispered quietly back to you, sighing heavily in relief that his efforts were good and that he fought for a good cause. You.

However, now it was YOUR turn to give him HIS gift, “Aaaaaand here is your gift~!” As you pulled away you gave him the box that was not-so wonderfully wrapped but Shinsou still smiled as he accepted it and opened it up with a slightly amused smile. He hasn’t gotten presents since he was like 10 years old. Mostly because he tried to act all cool to his mom and dad that he was ‘too old’ to get Christmas presents.

But this gift really shook him as his eyes went SLIGHTLY wide but the excitement was all on his shocked face when he saw it. An actual Black Parade jacket, just like the one Gerard Way wore in his music videos…

He couldn’t even speak he was so shook, and that made you increasingly nervous as your smile turned shaky. “Um… do you… like it…?” Oh my God he hated it didn’t he…?

“No…” Shinsou replied to you quickly and you could feel yourself sweating already until he said, “I love it.” Even through his excitement he gave you a soft, tender smile as you gasped and grinned widely with a big squeal.

“OH! OH GOOD!!” Oh Thank God you were so excited you jumped a little bit as he looked so marveled and excited to put this on. He was probably going to sleep in this…

“Wow… the buttons and everything.” He couldn’t help but examine how cool this looked, it was stylish and wicked as hell just like Gerard Way. “Just like Gerard wore it…” He then put it up to size himself up, and it was definitely a good fit based on what he saw.

You blushed quite madly with a shy smile, “It’s our favorite… I knew you would like it, I know my boyfriend…” You said with a smidge of confidence as Shinsou’s smile turned into a smirk.

“You knew I’d like it? Then why did you look so nervous?” He had to tease you a little bit and it just made you blush even more as you pouted, “Well…! You’re my boyfriend! I have to get you something I think you’d like…! Let me have this…! I had to kick three guys AND girls in the junk just to get this because I saw it first but they tried to take it anyway... Used my puppet-body quirk and everything...” You whined just a little bit as Shinsou chuckled and put his arm around you.

“Well you weren’t wrong. I do like it, no, I love it.... but knowing that you also broke a few laws just to get it for me... makes me love it even more... my naughty girl~.” He repeated what he had said as you smiled at him once more, “And I love what you got me too my naughty little Christmas elf~.” As you blushed with a warm smile as he grew rather flustered by your embarrassingly affectionate but sweet name as you and he shared a small little kiss in the comfort of your rooms.

“Happy Holidays (Y/N).”

“Happy Holidays Hitoshi~.”

The two of you said rather affectionately before you both decided to get out of your room to join the rest of the party. Especially since the Bakusquad (except Bakugo himself of course) had agreed to sing some Holiday songs with you.

All the while Shinsou had put on that jacket since it easily became his new favorite thing right now, and of course he caught some eyes from fans like Tokoyami, Jirou and Aoyama. “So soft…” And Shinsou was nice enough to let Tokoyami touch the hems of his sleeve, all the while looking very proud of it as he watched you sing along with Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari and Sero.

It's a wonderful feeling (hey, yeah, yeah) Feel the love in the room From the floor to the ceiling It's that time of year Christmas time is here

And with the blessings from above God sends you his love And everything's okay~

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays Oh yeah Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Happy Holidays~.

You were smiling the whole time as you sung with your friends as Shinsou for once got into it and put his arm around you.

He wasn’t the most festive guy in the world but it felt more like the holidays with you in his life as you nuzzled into his shoulder as he wore that Black Parade jacket and you were still carrying your little Gerard Way Funko Pop.

“I know I said this already but... Happy Holidays Hitoshi.. I love you.” You whispered that last part to your sweet boyfriend who warmly blushed and smiled at you.

“And I’ve said this already too but Happy Holidays to you too (Y/N)... and I love you too.” Shinsou whispered the same words back to you while you and he held each other and listened to the music, still wearing and holding onto each other’s gifts the whole time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TUMBLR!!!

117 notes · View notes

almondharry · 5 years

Text

you look so good : three

you look so good [10.8k]

“Don’t do it, M.”

“Do what?” Her voice was all too innocent.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

Part three: Neumann’s Game Theory

Neumann’s Game Theory

July 5, 2003

Genevieve’s forearms were gripped in an iron tight hold. Her mother’s long and bony fingers wrapped around like medieval vine; they curled and held Genevieve in place. With lips set in a thin line, her mother’s perfectly plucked brows were drawn in a scolding glare. The strength behind it could cut diamond.

“How did this happen?”

“I… I don’t know,” Genevieve mumbled. “I was playing and running really fast and I didn’t see the rock.” Her chin met the center of her collarbone. Loose pieces of gravel rolled under her shoe, the crunch calmed her. It was her favoured alternative over maintaining the heavy eye contact that glared from above. A drop of red splattered onto the pavement.

“Oh, Genevieve.” The defeated sigh that slipped from her mother’s lips had less to do with mourning the dress, but more to do with the innocence that framed her rose tinted glasses. “Darling, there is only one thing I ask of you.”

Genevieve was no foreigner to her tone. It was laced with a classic sweetness, one that teachers liked to lay on thick when explaining instructions to kindergarteners.

Genevieve waited. She poked a finger in the horizontal slit of fabric that hovered above her knee. The broken threads were an easy fix; she had seen her mother tackle far worse from her work. She hypothesized it would take her six minutes at her sewing machine to restore the misalignment. It wasn’t those fancy new electric ones that had ten different settings. It was fashioned mechanically and had a joint foot pedal that Genevieve pretended was its best friend. It was humble and did all the required stitching.

“Yes, Mama?” Thin red streaks slid down the sides of her leg, tiny rivers went their separate ways. They darkened the navy blue of her dress.

Her mother’s eyes skimmed over Genevieve’s features in desperation. They took in her sweaty hairline, scratched cheek, and pouty lips.

Her tone dropped to a hush. It was a secret meant to be sealed between only them. “Never chase a boy, Genevieve. Don’t do it.”

***

October 31, 2019

Genevieve wasn’t used to the stop and go. It was something she never thought twice about when she was younger and needed to get across town, but now it was painfully obvious. A middle aged man in a green tie and second hand suit sat across the aisle from her. His ankle crossed over his knee and a newspaper open in his lap. At the front, three seats folded up and made room for a teenage girl in a wheelchair. She untangled the cord of her white headphones. A mother attempted to calm down her shrieking toddler. The boy, red faced and wet with tears, stomped his feet and waved his arms impatiently.

Genevieve didn’t mind the ruckus. Between being trapped in a self-imposed exile at a still library or the solitude of her apartment, the hustle of the city gave her much needed normalcy. Her head pressed against the window, she regretted her decision when the driver hit the brakes suddenly. The potholes on the concrete made her bang her forehead several times, but she kept it there because she liked to see her breath fog up the glass with each little puff. The cloudiness stained the window for a second before it disappeared. She enjoyed counting her exhales to pass time.

She was at a prime number, sixty-one, when the buzzing of her phone interrupted her recording.

Incoming Call. Meena.

Her thumb slid across the screen and she brought the receiver closer to her head. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

“Where are you?”

“Right now? Just by King Street. Shouldn’t be any much longer. Maybe twenty minutes tops.”

“Well, hit the gas, you’ve been requested.”

Genevieve mentally went over the list of people who beckoned her. She had already texted Liam and informed him that she was running slightly behind schedule. That only left Niall.

“Niall?” She laughed. ”Tell him I can’t give him a ride tonight, my car is at the shop.”

“No, not Niall— wait, how are you getting here?”

“The bus.”

“Ooh,” she hummed in realization. The toddler was now invested in a juicebox, his nose sniffled and palm wiped at his eyes for dried tears. There was still honking on the street and Genevieve nodded along to the soft music from the car radio beside them. “Those things are never on time, no wonder you’re so far away.”

“Sixteen minutes now.”

“I could’ve given you a ride if I had known.”

“It’s alright, I’ll be there soon anyway.” Green Tie flipped the page, Genevieve briefly glanced at the stock market numbers. “What’s going on there? Have they got on yet?”

“Nope it’s some poetry thing right now, they won’t be up until later. Liza said something about two more people on the set list.”

The invitation for Liam and Genevieve had stretched out to a few more familiar faces. It was Halloween night, that meant The Cabinet had colourful drinks, orange and yellow streamers on the walls, and faux cobwebs lining the bar tops. Usually Ted wouldn’t have put much thought to it, but when he noticed the direct correlation in risen sales, he made it a full blown out theme. There was a popular promotion; if you came in with a costume you get a small percentage off your drinks.

“Liam just popped into the loo to fix his face paint. There’s a guy here with a very detailed Ironman getup. Niall has taken a liking to a brunette in a lingerie set. I think she’s supposed to be a bunny, or a hamster. My drink is making my lips blue.”

“Riveting.”

“I think so too. It makes me a more believable zombie while getting me buzzed. Talk about a two for one special—” There was shuffling, ice cubes clinking against glass—“oh shit, I think… I think I see Professor Biggins.”

Genevieve groaned. He had become a common topic of conversation with Meena. She would mostly drag his name through dirt for giving her a mark that she strongly argued she didn’t deserve. He was the type of professor that had a God complex. To do above and beyond in his class—the only thing that Meena allowed herself to do—you had to fight through the trenches with your own bare hands. “Don’t do it, M.”

“Do what?” Her voice was all too innocent.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“It’s a perfectly casual setting. I’ll just buy him a drink and ask him to give me his thoughts on my rough draft,” she said. “I have a copy on my phone.”

“Really? Are you serious?”

“Okay, well it isn’t a rough draft.” She let out a disgruntled huff. “It’s actually my final that I worked my arse off for the past week. But I’m not gonna let him know that, of course. Knowing him, he will rip it to shreds and make it seem like a mess of jot notes instead of well developed arguments.” Genevieve heard a gulp over the line when Meena threw back her drink. “You know I saw Lucy Wallace leaving his office hours in tears. Lucy Wallace! Can you believe it? I’ve never seen that girl with less than a four point oh, and he broke her, Gen.”

“Oh my God, leave him alone, he’s probably there to relax and not be bothered by students.”

She scoffed. “Relax? If I can’t sleep because of this bloody essay then neither should he. It’s only fair.” Genevieve could picture Meena squirming off her bar stool. “And if he really didn’t want to run into his students, he should’ve thought of that before choosing a pub on campus.”

“You’re walking towards him, aren’t you?”

“Yup, ten steps away,” she said, without an ounce of shame. “I hope he recognizes me behind this makeup. For being such a young prof, you’d expect him to be somewhat lenient and not have a stick up his arse. I swear to you Gen, this man hasn’t a clue what mercy means.”

“I’m sure you’ll give him a proper schooling on it then. With the whole definition and everything.”

“And nothing less,” Meena agreed. “Text me when you get in, yeah?”

“Take it easy on him.”

“Not a chance, see you soon.”

***

Genevieve spotted Liam instantly. His Captain America shield, leaned against the wooden peg of the table, really gave him away. A simple light fixture dangled above them and spilled a dull orange hue. Across from him, Angie sipped a pink drink and Liza was in the middle of telling a story with expressive hand gestures. A witch hat contained her curls and matched the long black maxi dress that she had on. Genevieve grimaced at the dried beer on the floor; the soles of her shoes grew tacky with every step towards the table.

“—She was a complete psycho! Had too many screws loose!” Liza exclaimed with brows at her hairline. “I had a feeling from the start, Liam! But it seems like anything I say falls on deaf ears!”

Angie rolled her eyes with a bored expression. The jewelled bracelets that covered her wrist hit against the neck of her glass as she brought the rim to her lips. “She wasn’t that bad.”

“She wouldn’t let you come out with us.”

“That was a... misunderstanding.”

“She refused to get along with any of us for more than twenty minutes.”

“Some people like to keep to themselves. Introversion and all.”

“She threw your clothes off the balcony and almost started a fire.”

Angie hissed at the painful memory, her face crumpled as she swallowed her drink. It was easy to mistake her reaction as a liquor burn. “Okay, yeah, maybe that bit was a little too much.”

“Wait a second, she threw your clothes? From the balcony? Don’t you live on the twenty second floor?” Liam’s eyes could drop out of their sockets and roll on the table like a pair of dice.

“Lived. And it was the whole suitcase, unzipped, the whole shabang. Quite the show.” Genevieve’s eyes wrinkled with amusement when Angie waved her hands in a jazz like theatre fashion, a sarcastic smile pulled at her painted black lips. “I was just happy that my clothes broke the fall for my laptop. But she did manage to crack my camera lens.”

“She sounds delightful,” Genevieve said at last when she approached close enough to the group. Her teeth caged her bottom lip to bite a smile. Liam’s head whipped around and he stood up to grab an empty stool to join the table.

“Gen, don’t get her started, please,” Liza scoffed. She leaned forward and wrapped an arm around Genevieve’s neck to pull her in for a quick hug. Despite being taken aback by the immediate friendliness, Genevieve relaxed into her embrace. “We prefer not to have a reenactment of her many grieving nights. Thank you for making it.”

“Of course! Liam wouldn’t let me miss it. When do you guys go on?” Genevieve balanced herself on the stool after her jacket was shrugged off on a nearby hook. She shot Liam a nod in thanks.

He raised his glass of beer. The foam rested well below the halfway level. He pointed his index finger at it and his brows curled in question. Genevieve’s lips mouthed ‘sure’. He threw back what was remaining of his drink down his throat before he headed towards the bar. He slid at the empty spot beside Niall, who didn’t pay any attention, too engrossed in the brunette in front of him. He was given a twisted pinch on his side, he jumped and yelped in his seat and Liam snickered as the brunette walked away.

Liza’s eyes snapped to the inside of her wrist, they doubled in size when she analyzed the hour and minute hand. “Shit, in about fifteen. I should get going.”

The Cabinet was far from a fancy establishment. Genevieve recognized a few people from her course littered around the space, everyone had a drink in hand. There was a modest platform that served as a makeshift stage. Amps, mics, and a keyboard was plugged in and the thick black wires resembled withering snakes.

Liza’s block heels sounded against the floor as she hurried towards the side of the stage where a crouched down Zayn fiddled with a specific setting on the amp, dressed in all black. His neck arched towards her when she was close enough. He had a guitar pick between his teeth like a toothpick, it made his smile crooked. He plucked it out and gave it to her in exchange for the microphone in her hand. Beside him, another girl turned the knobs on a bass, probably giving it some last minute tuning.

“If I remember correctly, you must be Gen. Liam and Liza mentioned you a bit.”

“I am. All good things, I hope?” She laughed.

Genevieve was impressed by Angie’s outfit. Her shirt’s bell sleeves were wide and the length of her skirt stopped at two inches below the knee. Layered necklaces and rings glinted under the light. A scarf tied across her forehead held back her hair, but it peeked out slightly. It was the crystals on the table and a deck of cards that founded her hypothesis. “Let me take a guess… you’re a fortune teller?”

“Close, try again.”

“A gypsy?” Her voice squeaked in a higher pitch.

“I’m Angie, the tarot reader.”

“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know the difference at all.” All the trinkets that laid on the table overwhelmed her. There were crystals in all shapes and sizes and charms that sat in a green bowl.

“Don’t worry, most people don’t. Here, do you want to give it a try? My great aunt swears by this deck.” Angie raised a brow. “She said something about how she had it spelled by a Sufi in India. Just between us, I think she’s ripping off the storyline of The Monkey’s Paw. But with her, who knows? Or maybe it’s the retirement home rotting her brain.”

“What is this exactly? How does is work?” It piqued an interest. Genevieve watched closely as Angie scooped the deck of cards to shuffle with expertise.

People tended to be a bit wary about myths, legends, and the ‘other world’. Genevieve understood the fascination that came along with it, but her belief regarding the supernatural was as weak as a packed public library’s wifi signal. Her belief stayed with something she could see and understand. For her, this was the existence of concrete numbers. If anything, a deck of cards was just another application of game theory. It was all permutations and combinations that were behind seeing the past or forecasting the future, not magic.

“There are two types of reading. You can do a question based or more of an open reading,” Angie said. “We’re gonna do an open one because that was the only one my aunt was willing to teach an eight-year-old on a snow day.”

“Sounds good, how do I start?”

“After the deck is shuffled, I’m going to lay out four piles of three cards each. All you have to do is tell me which pile you gravitate towards and we can go ahead with your reading.”

Genevieve nodded.

Angie’s fingers tapped the edges to align the corners; soon, the pile was neatly ordered. She gripped the two ends of the deck and bent them in a concave curve. One of her thumbs let go and the tension released, the cards slapped against one another in a harmonic way. After the shuffling, she distributed the cards on the table, her fingers looked like they were snapping at a poetry show except no sound came out, the card between her thumb and index prevented it. The cards were faced upside down, the intricate swirly blue pattern was identical on each card.

“You know what to do,” Angie hummed after she finished with the deck. She took a generous sip of her drink while waiting for Genevieve’s response.

She rapped her fingers on the table. There wasn’t a specific reason as to why her fingers drifted to tap the second pile to her right. Maybe because Genevieve’s hand was already propped on the table and it was the nearest deck her fingers could reach. Or maybe it was the Indian Sufi controlling her actions. Whatever it was, Genevieve hoped for the best.

Angie flipped the three cards over to reveal their faces. The blue pattern was replaced with three distinct images.

“Wow,” Angie said sharply under her breath. A whistle blew from her lips as she scanned the cards to interpret their meaning. On the first card, three women stood over flowers and fruit, all holding identical cups in the air. The second card had a skeleton in black armor riding atop the back of a horse. In his hand was a black flag. The last card had a royal figure behind a veil, a well-built pillar at each of her sides. “Three of cups, death, and the high priestess. Now that’s a complicated combination.”

“How so?”

“Well the three of cups means friendship which goes against the death card. And not to mention the high priestess means new knowledge. Which is a bit off. I think this has more to do with—”

Genevieve smelled his cologne before she saw him.

She felt heat lift off his skin from his close proximity. The space was packed, leaving him no option but to step into her bubble. His presence made Genevieve’s spine solid as a metal rod. The little hairs on the back of her neck bristled. Threatening scavengers wheeled hungrily above their table.

A glass full to the top was slid in front of her, the frothy foam almost dribbled over the rim.

“Don’t listen to her, this is all rubbish,” a voice to her left sounded, his breath hitting the shell of her ear. Genevieve wiggled on her stool at the jet of warmth that shot down her arm.

“Harry, you twat! Not on the cards! You know I have to give them back!” Angie lurched forward to swipe the cards nearest the drink. She began to collect all the spread out cards into her deck with a scowl. Genevieve could’ve sworn she felt a shy lingering palm hover over the small of her back, but Harry wasn’t brave enough to actually do it.

“It’s best you put them away before you give away another false reading. Wouldn’t be the first time, right Ang?” His voice was light and airy. It gave Genvieve the impression that Angie was the easiest to pick on in their group. From jokes about scorned exes to innocent jabs here and there, she took the brunt of it all.

As if it was even possible, Harry leaned further towards Genevieve, she was half a centimeter away from falling off her stool. He tapped the wood beside the glass with his pointer finger. “Liam sent this over by the way.” Genevieve nodded, without turning in her seat. Her throat was too dry to give a response, she gulped down her drink like it was water.

“Oh piss off,” Angie brushed off. Her eyes scanned Harry’s outfit and her mouth dropped open in offence. “What happened to the pirate get up? Wait, hold on a minute, do you guys know each other?” Her curious eyes bounced back between the two. Was the Indian Sufi working overtime?

Genevieve downed a large gulp to refrain from spitting her drink out. “What? No! Why do you ask that?” Genevieve coughed before Harry could answer.

Angie shrugged. “Looks like you coordinated outfits.”

Genevieve’s eyes snapped to green ones before they flickered down to his chest. The print was a carbon copy of the fabric that hung off her shoulders except for the number in the dead centre of the shirt. Thing 1. Thing 2.

Genevieve rolled her lips as she tried to think fast on her feet. Harry saw it in her eyes, the acute sense of panic. The answer being a simple yes prompted too many questions. Genevieve didn’t want to get into the how’s and the why's. It would be like untangling knotted necklaces that had very thin chains.

Sure, they did know each other at a different time. Now, years apart, the answer failed to uphold any truth. It was the same as admitting they didn’t know the other at all. Something passed between the two of them—a mutual understanding, a silent conversation.

Harry cleared his throat, his attention gravitated back to an expectant Angie. “By coordination, you mean picking the most common shirt as an excuse for an outfit, then yes, of course, we coordinated. Along with whoever is wearing a size small in this halfway across the world.”

“Forget it, I need another drink.” Angie’s curiosity went as quickly as it came. She slid off her stool and marched towards the bar. Her necklaces and rings jingled together like windchimes with every step.

And then there were two.

Harry pretended not to notice Genevieve wrap a broken fray of her jeans around her pointer finger. It was one of her many ticks. She picked at her clothing before an important presentation, a tricky exam, confrontation. She gave the thread a hard tug and it ripped off. She had one leg crossed over the other tightly on her stool. Her thumb caged the first knuckle of her ring finger.

Harry attempted to make eye contact, and she met his gaze for the length of a heartbeat.

Harry watched as Genevieve released a relieved breath. Her tongue ran over her lips. “Thank you,” she sighed.

Neither of them knew if it was for bringing her drink over or keeping the veil on their past.

Before Harry could respond, there were two taps into a microphone. The electric shrill came to a stop; heads turned towards the stage.

“Having a good night everyone?” The small crowd gathered near the stage grew slowly as Liza adjusted her mic stand. It was like the beginnings of the holy mecca. An incoherent response was given in a cheer. “We’re The Red Day, thank you for having us! Our first song is one I’m sure will sound somewhat familiar. Here is Nine Hearts!”

Niall and Liam whooped and hollered from their new position closer to the stage. Encouraging claps and cheers were shouted. Angie raised her drink in support. Meena abandoned her professor for their set.

At the first few chords of Liza’s guitar and Zayn’s keys, Harry’s head turned to catch a glimpse of Genevieve’s reaction. He didn’t know if her music taste differed from what it was. Was she still into the same bands? Did she still hate karaoke? Somehow he thought his questions will be answered with a hopeful glance. Then his chin met his shoulder, a frown pulled at his lips. The stool beside him was vacant. She left a wet ring of water on the table, the only proof of her presence.

Genevieve was no longer there.

***

Sweat coated the back of Genevieve’s neck and the high points of her face. Drinks sloshed over rims and a couple drops misted her skin. The small space began to feel like a furnace, the dial set at the highest setting. Energy vibrated with ease through the huddle of strangers she found herself among. Her lack of height and the dim lighting did little to aide her view of the stage. Genevieve elbowed towards the flash of blond that caught her eye.

The song switched when Genevieve stumbled beside her friends.

“There you are!” Niall screamed, but his voice was muffled. He trapped her neck in the crook of his elbow, pressing a messy kiss to her matted hairline. “Haven’t seen you all night!”

“You have me now!” Genevieve knocked elbows with a boy who rushed to the bar. Her index finger and thumb squished Niall’s cheek. Even with the facepaint, his skin was flushed a certain shade of red he only got when was buzzed or severely sunburnt. “What’s this?”

“I’m a mime!” His costume only registered to Genevieve when her eyes landed on the black and white striped shirt. Her mouth parted in a drawn out Oh.

He pushed his drink into her hands before his raised to spread in front of him, an invisible glass barrier became apparent.

“You’re the loudest person I know, whose brilliant idea was this?” She snorted when his face contorted into extreme expressions. “Could’ve mistaken you for a clown. It’s more fitting.”

That prompted a deep chuckle from Liam. He was an arms length away. A blue drink in hand. With closed eyes, he nodded his head to the mellow beat of the music. A few lighters were in the air.

“Two costumes in one, I am going above and beyond! For the people, you know?”

“So generous.” Genevieve helped herself to his drink. It would be something that Niall would snatch from her if he was sober. Instead he swayed with the rhythm and mouthed the lyrics obnoxiously all while he clutching his heart.

Genevieve could only imagine the heat of the potted stage lights aimed at Zayn, Liza, and the unnamed girl. Sweat beaded their temples. She hadn’t been lucky enough to familiarize herself with their sound. As Genevieve concentrated on the music, a stubborn knot in her shoulder dissolved.

Liza was the frontwomen, a guitar strap slung around her neck and red lips kissed the mic. Zayn was a natural behind black and white keys, practiced fingers knew their placements as if he was recalling the alphabet. No-name controlled the bass with expertise, the sound traveled through floorboards and made toes curl. They were skilled at holding down a beat. The tempo and chord arrangements went together effortlessly. It testified to the hours spent at their craft.

Liza’s voice was deep and rough and settled in your bones. Zayn occasionally leaned forward into his mic to add light harmonies that complimented her voice. The contrast between them made for a balanced sound. The amps thundered as they progressed into the pre-chorus. The crowd became rowdy with anticipation. It was an electric, needy, callous disorder.

“I need to pee,” Liam winced, his eyes pinched in pain. He was in the middle of a funny dance. He adjusted his bulge and shoved his unfinished drink into Genevieve’s hand.

Genevieve’s protest didn’t make it out in time because Liam was gone in a flash. Her mouth hung open. His figure drowned in a sea of people.

The song neared an end. A roar flooded the bar, the praise and claps were deafening. It was obvious as daylight, they were pocketing hearts away with every strum of a guitar. Liza’s chest heaved to catch her breath. Her hair bounced as she crouched down, the mouth of a plastic bottle met her lips. While she hydrated, to keep the momentum up Zayn pressed closer to his mic.

“Evening everyone—”

Niall cupped his palms around his mouth in a makeshift megaphone. “Yeah, Baby!”

Zayn closed his eyes and exhaled a shaky breath before he gave an acknowledging nod. “And Niall.”

“Woo!” Niall—an embarrassing soccer mom on the sidelines—didn’t quite know when to stop with the positive reinforcement. A couple heads turned towards Niall and by association, Genevieve. Zayn began to thank the crowd and plugged the student radio that he had started with Liza as another place to find their music.

Genevieve’s elbow dug in the soft pillow of Niall’s side. “You know him?” She raised a brow and pointed her chin towards the stage.

“Who? Zayn?” Genevieve nodded in confirmation. “Top lad. I smoke with him at the back after every gig. You should come. He has the best stuff.”

Genevieve’s jaw hung open in mock offence. “He’s your pot buddy now?”

“That’s what you get for abandoning me.” Niall shrugged. “I move on fast, you know?”

Genevieve recalled the last time Niall had reached out to give his invite. It was one of those weeks where too many things piled right after the other. Where days blurred into one because professors couldn’t grasp the concept of strategically placing due dates, despite having fancy doctorate degrees. “It was finals week!”

“More the reason to do it, if you ask me.” He wiggled his brows. He sighed when she pouted. “Don’t be jealous, there’s still enough of me to go around.”

Genevieve rolled her eyes freely and took a swig of the amber liquid, it slid down her throat with ease. The chords of the last song floated into the air and Genevieve didn’t bother to fix the strands of hair that stuck to her face. Her feet swayed with Niall’s, featherlight and carefree. Their arms pretzeled each other’s shoulders as they lost themselves in the music. It was a mix of knocking knees and withholding the other’s weight. Their drunken stumbles didn’t hinder their experience, if anything, it amplified it.

Liam and Meena nursed their drinks on the other side of the bar. Attempts at reclaiming their spots proved futile as the crowd grew more relentless and chaotic. All hopes of a good view died at once, like an annoying house fly under a swatter.

Meena caught Genevieve’s glazed eyes. They held eye contact, it was something they did at parties or pubs. Touching base to make sure all things are in order. Are you okay? Do you want to leave?

Genevieve shot her a thumbs up with a bubbling smile to dismiss Meena’s worries.

Meena narrowed her eyes on Genevieve’s shoulder. Her own fingers came to pinch at her top. Don’t you sleep in that?

And?

It’s wrinkled.

Genevieve spotted Meena’s professor over her shoulder. He laid some bills down on the table and folded his wallet. He then made his way slowly approaching Meena. Of course, he wasn’t in her peripheral so she had no idea. Genevieve raised her pointer finger and pointed behind her. After half a second of confusion, she turned around and plastered on the fakest smile for Professor Biggins; a perfect enactment of a comedy and tragedy masks. And so the conversation of her shirt was dropped.

Liza and Zayn wrapped up the last song, coming to a graceful end. They said their goodbyes and were off the stage in no time. Zayn proficiently folded the stand of his keyboard. Liza made sure her guitar was snug as a bug in its case.

It was a blur. Niall shoved around the group of people which were taking too long to dissipate. Genevieve squeaked when a harsh tug trapped her wrist. Niall lead her towards the door of the back exit where Zayn and Liza helped themselves to a few water bottles. Their equipment leaned against the wall.

Niall threw his arms around Zayn instantly, the sudden force caused him to stumble back. Zayn recovered easily from his falter, then beamed at Niall with a wide smile.

“You lot killed it! Insane! Absolutely smashed it!”

Genevieve nodded at Niall’s words. “It was amazing to watch, I’ll be sure to catch the next set.”

“We will definitely let you know when we get it lined up.” Liza glowed with post stage euphoria. You could reach out and practically touch the energy still buzzing around her. “Oh, Zayn! This is Gen!”

The quick introduction was met with a kind smile and nod.

“Ah, yes! Liam mentioned you.” Zayn’s thumb struck towards the iron gate. A red exit sign was fixated on hinges above. “We’re going out for a quick smoke. You’re welcome to join.”

It was a common theme, Genevieved noted. There was no awkwardness or tough exterior that needed to be cracked to befriend Zayn, Liza, and Angie. No deadbolts or fastened chains, instead a welcome mat situated boldly outside their door. Genevieve found herself taking a step in.

“Liz, you coming?” Zayn inquired when he spotted Liza shuffling towards the opposite direction.

“Gonna grab some drinks first. Rum and Coke good for you?”

“Yeah, hurry back.” Zayn pushed open the door and they stumbled outside one by one.

The cool breeze made it seem like they just exited a sauna, the heavenly contrast stretched a wide dopey smile on Genevieve’s lips. It was a narrow alley of two red brick walls. Flies circled the lined dumpsters, but they were far enough that the smell wasn’t unbearable. She had been here on many occasions. She once held back Meena’s hair as she vomited in the corner, then again when Niall needed a place to quietly cry after his first breakup, and once more when Liam became insanely paranoid after a happy pill.

Zayn and Genevieve bounced back the typical introduction. He studied life sciences, had three younger brothers, and was doing research with a professor Genevieve once had. Alongside his work at the radio, he proctored exams and did part-time hours at a record store down the block. He smiled with his tongue flattened behind the row of his top teeth. He had buzzed his hair to purposefully display the tattoo behind his ear.

Niall and Zayn got talking about the upcoming game. They made light conversation until the door flung open, abruptly. It slammed against the wall with great force.

“Fuck.”

The ugly screech of metal against brick didn’t falter Genevieve. The sight the door revealed did. Zayn grabbed the swinging door just before it had the opportunity to collide again.

“Jesus, H, you’re gonna have to pay a fortune if that falls off its hinges,” Zayn warned.

“All I have is ten quid.” The self deprecation was laid on thick, a nonchalant shrug tacked on the end of his sentence. In his hands were tall glasses, the pad of his fingers turned slightly white from their hold. “—And your drink.”

“Where’s Liz?” Zayn asked holding his drink to his lip as he looked over the rim.

“She popped into the loo for a bit,” said Harry. She is thankful for the few drinks circling her veins because it helped lessen the intensity of his gaze when he noticed her standing there. “She’ll be out with Angie in a minute.”

It feels like she’s in elementary school and in trouble. Her previous departure was still fresh in his head, it flared an insecurity in him that he thought was long put to bed.

Lately, Genevieve made him feel one prominent emotion. Her quick dismissals made him invisible, like a little boy in red shorts at a gym class line up that everyone knew would be picked last. He was a blackened steel pot pushed to the backburner. However, the difference between that boy and Harry was the years that separated them. He has learned the art of confrontation. He won’t hide in bathroom stalls during lunch, he will not cower from her rejection. He is here, whether she likes it or not.

Genevieve avoided him by taking an interest in the sky above with her fingers braided behind her back. She expected him to hand the drink and turn around, but like always—she is proven wrong about him.

Genevieve doesn’t realize how tight the ally was until Harry’s shoulders brushed the crest of her collarbone to take the vacant spot beside Zayn. She had instinctively pressed her back to the rough brick wall to create as much distance as possible. The back of her sneakers squished old cigarette butts lodged in the cracks of the pavement. She held her breath for a moment and deflated when the only thing left of him was a gust of wind.

“Perfect.” Zayn dipped his fingers to the back pocket of his jeans.

They were pre-rolled. The white of the paper is less transparent at one end and more opaque on the opposite. The two joints are rolled into a twist in a way that doesn’t make the length lopsided and uneven.

Genevieve wasn’t an habitual or chain smoker. In fact, she hated the smell of reminiscent smoke. She indulged herself every once in a while. Especially when the pace of everything increased to uncontrollable speed, when deadlines weighed down on certain pressure points and occasionally, when Niall begged her to. It was effective to take the heaviness off her, the feeling of carrying extra body weight would evaporate.

Zayn and Niall picked up their conversation, Harry adding his two cents here and there.

You can hear stumbling drunks coming out from the front doors of The Cabinet. A pair of heels dangled from a girl’s grip as she made a run to cross the street with a friend. It was nearing the time where tabs were closed out and cab rides would be split.

“Fuck,” Zayn groaned with one spliff trapped between his lips and the other one behind his ear. He patted his front and back pockets like he was looking for his car keys or wallet. His brows frowned as he repeats it again. “I think I dropped my lighter.”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Niall waved. “Gen, you always keep one on you, yeah?”

It’s humiliating.

The simple question among different company wouldn’t be much of a concern. It was innocent and didn’t hold much significance in a stranger’s eye. But Harry’s ears perked up and brows jumped at the little piece of information. The way his eyes fixated on her added a double meaning, it was enough to make something crawl under her skin.

Tiny centipede legs stomped all over her. The scales of a snake slithered itself around her neck, gradually suffocating her airways. Her mouth filled with live cockroaches.

Genevieve’s stomach churned.

“Gen?” Niall elbowed her side, breaking her out of her trance.

“Yeah?”

“Lighter?”

“‘Course.”

It was a weak fumble, her fingers trembled as she plucked it out from her back pocket. It was the most mundane looking thing on the planet. The white colour was chipped at the sides. The sparkwheel was dulled, but worked just fine. The flint spring was probably a bit beaten down.

With the back of her nail, Genevieve flicked the guard off. Her thumb pushed down and her free hand cupped around the igniting spark. It took two tries before the fork gave away and released the gas from the valve. A candle light heat absorbed into her skin. She brought the flame towards Zayn. His face was a soft yellow, and the tip of the spliff glowed a burnt orange. The flame died when it was no longer needed. His hollow cheeks inhaled a drag. Lips curled and he hummed in content. When he exhaled, a pungent smell of cannabis floated through the air.

Zayn handed it to Niall before swapping it out with the unlit blunt. Genevieve repeated her motions once more.

“Shit,” Niall sighed in bliss. “This one’s a good one.”

He handed the joint to Genevieve. Her thumb and index finger pressed the rolled paper to her lips. The smoke was smooth and Genevieve held it in her lungs for a moment. White smoke puffed out and Genevieve wishes it was thick enough to block Harry’s intentive peering. Zayn offers him a hit, but he declined by raising his drink to his mouth.

Genevieve takes another drag and taps off the ashes before passing it back to Niall.

It goes on like that for a bit. A calming silence fluttered between them. It took about twenty minutes for the high to settle in. There is an upward buoyancy in oil which is greater than the downward force of its gravity. That is why oil floats when mixed with water. Genevieve’s insides feel like someone stirred a spoon in the mixture; uneven bubbles of separated oil danced towards the surface freely.

She noticed her reactions weren’t as sharp when she laughed a beat after Zayn’s joke. It was easier to smile; two invisible strings pulled at the corners of her lips like she was a puppet in a grand show.

One side of her face was warmer than the other. The alcohol and weed blurred the edges of her view, but she felt his eyes on her. She stamped her eyes shut and threw her head back, soft giggles broke through. Everything was funnier when you were stoned. Her knuckle collected an escaped tear from her glassy eyes.

If Genevieve was sober, Harry would’ve looked away when she caught him. There was something charged in the air. He hadn’t seen her like this much before. She anticipated him to blink away when Genevieve locked her eyes on his. But he was shameless, and as usual, she held his stare for a moment too long.

Her fingers swiped the blunt from Niall. She took another hit in hopes of deluding herself into thinking that the tension between them was imaginary.

She inhaled too quickly. The smoke trapped in her windpipe and she spluttered a few coughs. Her eyes stung and fresh tears surfaced. Genevieve passed the spliff back to Niall and tipped her head back. The wall behind her propped her weight as she took a minute to calm her breathing.

In her compromised state, she could only think one thing clearly. She had to get out of here.

“I’m gonna grab some water.”

She didn’t wait to hear their response. She pushed herself off the wall. The door pulled open under her grip and Zayn and Niall said something she couldn’t make out. Her eyes squinted to focus under the soft yellow lighting. She made a beeline towards her jacket. It was easier to navigate the premises since a large amount of people had filtered out. Genevieve took out her phone and typed away.

Going hooome. -Gen

A bing sounded from her phone. The name of the group chat lit up as she wrestled an arm into her jacket.

If you wait half an hour, I’ll take you. Need to sober up first. -Meena

Gen whyyyy, stay for a bit longer! -Liam

I’m so stoned. I’m gonna go home and stuff my face with food. Or sleep. -Gen

Don’t worry, M! I’m already out! Where are you btw, didn’t see you? -Gen

Washrooms! There is a huge line :( -Meena

A girl is wearing a nice skirt, should I ask her where she got it from? -Meena

Munchies? -Niall

You know it -Gen

Eat a bag of chips for me -Niall

Maybe two -Niall

Ask her about the skirt. I have my money on H&M -Niall

Text when you get home safe -Liam

Genevieve walked for five minutes. The door of The Cabinet was far enough to be a miniature entrance of a dollhouse. She had missed the last departure time of the bus and decided the crisp night air would make for a sobering walk. Her reflexes were still a bit delayed. The traffic lights glowed on the sidewalk pavement until she harshly blinked to steady the blurred image. Everything was sluggish, her vision muddled and a few green and red circles floated about.

She recalled the corner shop from her childhood house, it sold cheap DVDs. The sleazy man at the counter never denied burning them illegally. The image quality was broken and poor. Her hands were a clump of squared pixels that took a minute to buffer.

The last button of her jacket was secured when loud footsteps mirrored hers from behind. She gripped the metal chain link of the bag sat on her shoulder tightly.

It was dark. Especially now that she passed the strip of convenience shops, no open signs lit up the streets.

She inhaled a shaky breath through her nose and a jagged puff came from her parted lips. The sweat from her palms caused her grip on the bag to slide down.

It could be nothing. Maybe she was hearing things. She didn’t want to assume the risk of turning around. Instead, she counted her steps from each lamp post to the next. They weren’t consistent. The range was from ten to sixteen. The mean would lie around twelve. The mode was eleven.

Before she began to compute the median, she choked on a sharp intake of air as the footsteps neared closer than ever.

Her neck stretched and examined her surroundings. You were intentionally supposed to put yourself in a very visible place or somewhere where a witness could be found, something she once read in an article online. Genevieve made note of the houses that still had their lights on.

“Are you avoiding me?” An exhausted voice huffed out. Impatient with a hint of naked hurt. “You are, aren’t you?”

Fear clenched her jaw. Her brain waved tiny red flags, the ones that topped cupcakes. The familiarity of the voice shot a clear fishing line and sank its hook in the flesh of her shoulder. The reel was being taken in and slowly she turned around. The crunch of gravel distracted her from the erratic thump thump thump of her pulse.

“Harry?” She wheezed. She expected his name to roll off easily, but she stuttered and added another syllable. His name sat on her tongue with the weight of a rounded pellet.

“‘Course, who else would it be?”

“Holy fuck.” Stress alleviated only when he stood under the light of a lamp post. Her shoulders eased as the impending horror diluted. “Don’t you know not to creep up on someone who is walking the street alone? I thought you were a murderer!”

“Oh–shit, I didn’t think of that,” he confessed with a sheepish smile. A wave of humility flooded his features and he glanced towards the sky. With his fists deep in his jean pockets and head thrown back, he never looked more youthful. “Well if it’s any reassurance, I’m not.”

“Lovely.”

He spluttered a laugh at her impassive tone. “Is that a new thing of yours? Not answering questions?”

“What gives you the impression I’m avoiding you?”

“You ran out of there like a bat straight out of hell.”

“I have an 8 a.m tomorrow.” She didn’t. “Nothing personal, don’t be so sensitive.”

Harry uttered a string of words under his breath so incoherent they never made it to Genevieve’s ears. His boot kicked a pebble off the sidewalk to the empty street. Genevieve and Harry watched it skip twice before it laid in an anticipated still.

His boots resumed their trek towards the direction she had previously set her path to. It was a line of residential houses. Each one had identical roofs, a sharp triangular hat. He passed four houses before it dawned on him. He didn’t feel another presence trail after his shadow. Long legs halted in an abrupt stop. He peered to his left before he turned around fully, arms raised in question. “Well, come on then! What are you waiting for?”

“What are you doing?”

“Walking you home.”

Genevieve snorted. “That is the last thing I need”

“Oh, come off it. You’re out of your mind, literally. And you yourself said that there are actual murderers on the street.”

The prolonged silence didn’t falter for a moment. Crickets chirped and a frog groaned from the nearby pond. Genevieve held his stare without remorse. He needed to offer a compelling reason as to why walking her home was his concern. It hadn’t been for the past three years. She was far from a little girl who needed her hand held to cross the street.

It took a moment, but he finally caved.

“I’m headed in that direction anyway.”

Genevieve didn’t throw him a bone right away. His proposition molded into a clay-like fixture and took shape in Genevieve’s mind. The newfound tangibility allowed her to rotate it on an xyz plane to analyze from every which way.

Her weak inhibitions, admittedly the reason behind her decision, coupled with a lack of energy to put up a fight contributed to possible human error. She dragged her feet towards him, a ball and chain clasped snug around her ankle. Her mother’s words vanished into thin air.

The moon, a clipped toenail, played a game of hide and seek with surrounding clouds. It would peek out every other second—a shy toddler that clung to their mother’s calf. Thin overgrown grass blades swayed with the wind and became italicized, upright, then italicized again. A steady and delicate whoosh sounded between them rhythmically, their own personal metronome.

It was alien to walk side by side him. Short legs worked twice as hard for every step he took. To her memory, it was never this demanding. Her breaths, once even, began to puff out in quick jabs after a few steps. It blemished the silence and perked Harry’s ears. In an instant, his pace was adjusted and Genevieve was no longer the victim to his strides.

Harry’s index fingernail scratched above his top lip. It was his attempt to hide a budding smile. “You smell like maple.”

Harry had a tendency to short circuit, there were times he blurted out a phrase or thought meant to be kept in the space between his ears. He had explained it to her as an involuntary muscle spasm, he could control the twitch at times but he would slip up once in a while. His statement was full of surety, an irrefutable fact. For a second, she ignored it.

He turned to her with a boyish grin, it coined a painfully deep dimple to his left cheek. It conveyed that this was no slip up, it was deliberate.

“What?” Her laugh was dry and perplexed under his observation.

“And weed, but mostly maple—like the syrup. Is it a new perfume?”

Genevieve pressed the neck of her shirt to her nose and sniffed the cotton. She only smelled the weed. “I think you’ve finally lost it. Haven’t you?” Harry grinned to the floor, bashful and content. His hair flopped on his face. “Along with a couple of inches. Finally figured out where the barber is located?”

“You don’t like it?” He feigned offence.

“Doesn’t matter what I like, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your ears. It’s different, that’s for sure.”

“Good different? Bad different?” He prodded. “You gotta give me something to work with here.”

“Neither… I guess? It’s just changed, is all.” The pathway curved into a right turn. They passed by a low shrill of a heater attached below a window. “People change, it’s expected.”

“Not as much as we like to think, no,” he countered, his fingers threaded his hair back. “You are a prime example, haven’t changed a bit.”

Genevieve was unaware if he had taken to being the devil’s advocate as a part time hobby, but regardless she took his bait. They still had quite the trek to cover. “What makes you think that?”

“Well for starters, you still run a bit late.” A snicker fell from his lips, adolescent yet collected. A thumb jutted out from his closed fist.

“Well, it is better than not coming at all.”

“You only drink Stellas.” His index finger appeared. She felt like he put her smack dab in the middle of a boxing ring. He was red gloved offence which left her to fulfill the defence vacancy.

“—A classic. Can never go wrong with it.”

“Can’t smoke without coughing.”

“Hey. Happens to everyone. Mild error.”

“And carry that lighter.” The slow ringing in her ear ascended in volume like a train arriving at a platform. Tight sheets of saran wrap roped around her face. “One that’s not yours.”

Ah, there it was.

Her lungs were empty, winded as though he had delivered a suckerpunch to her gut rather of a small observation. Out of the four fingers, his middle one had a metal band. An ornate rose— bloomed, its petals laid vulnerably wide open. Would it leave a scar? Her bottom lip cushioned the front row of her teeth as she sorted her brain for something, anything.

“It’s a very useful tool. Comes in handy multiple times, more than you can imagine.”

He had a good eye, perfect vision, and an even better insight to see right through her.

Harry pursed his lips. “I’m sure it has.”

The shift in the atmosphere right before it begins to pour mesmerized Genevieve. The air would be stale and thick. It held a suffocating weight and the unbearable humidity made it harder to draw a breath; each inhale came through the narrow valley of a plastic straw. That’s how it felt standing beside Harry. She had forgotten about it for years, but now it mocked her head on.

“But these—” the pad of his index finger tapped his temple twice—“These are new, right?” He expertly switched topics when her head bowed down and an ashamed stare fixed on the pavement for a moment too long.

The reply wasn’t immediate and Harry kicked himself for bringing it up in the first place. He disrupted the natural current of the conversation and it was achingly obvious. He should’ve kept his mouth shut, probably even locked it and tossed the key down the gutter. They don’t talk about it, it’s something they don’t do.

A punishing silence dragged on for an eternity. She forgot how to string together a sentence. Time was needed to collect the pieces of her scattered brain.

Eventually, she gave out a long defeated hum. “They are, how do they look?”

The glasses sat on the bridge of her nose were wide framed. If you looked closely they had a tortoise pattern, the colour of toffee. When she smiled, the apples of her cheeks pressed to the underside of the plastic.

“So good.” He didn’t miss a beat.

She smiled, halfheartedly.

Good. Nothing had felt good for a long time. Genevieve didn’t realize it for a while. Denial was a wicked witch that masked what lay in front with a dozen spells. The days continued to come one after the other. Consecutive and strict. Then Mondays got confused with Thursdays. Months came and went. And suddenly it was years later. Everything was gone. He was gone, until he wasn’t.

“Enough about me.” She cleared her throat before it knotted in on itself. “How’s Esther?”

“Annoying as ever.” He rolled his eyes, words dipped in fond admiration. It was love, gentle and timid. “She doing great. We’re talking more now.”

“That’s good,” she sighed. That was the bitterest pill of them all. Harry was good. So good.

“She wanted to meet you.”

Her head shot up, she brought her hand to her chest. “Me?”

“Yeah, she asks about you a lot.” Genevieve gulped at the piece of information. She assumed Harry would have avoided bringing her up to others. The only way Genevieve could see herself in his current life is as an abandoned cardboard box, shoved in the back of his closet. Only opened to reminisce about what was. “Didn’t know how to tell her you won’t pick up my calls.”

“I got a new number. Dropped my phone in the toilet.”

“‘Course you did.” Her building came into view and Harry feels like someone flipped an hourglass. Each grain fell too quickly. Harry’s vision darts around his surroundings as if he is in search for a lost valuable. He doesn’t look for an item in particular, but he hopes to find another topic of conversation to prolong the definite departure. His hands tremble. No matter how tight his fist clenched, the grains slipped.

He began his sentence without knowing how it will end. “You should… you should come over for dinner.”

The helplessness in his plea made Genevieve question his invite. “Dinner?”

Shaky fingers combed his hair back. He gripped the crown of his head in tepid frustration. “Yeah, or I don’t know, lunch? Breakfast? Brunch?—”

Genevieve saw the anxiousness grow in his eyes, a beast slowly rising from its slumber. If he had all the time in the world, he would spend it on completing his list. They would be there all night.

She knew better than to make promises she couldn’t keep. Committing to dinner with a non-existing appetite wasn’t at the top of her list, priority wise.

“—This is me,” Genevieve stated to put him out of his misery. A yawn escaped her. She wanted nothing more for her pillow to bear the weight of her head, which felt like a million pounds and more.

“I know.”

She coughed in her fist, a flush crept up her neck. Of course he knew. She busied herself with plucking the bundle of keys from her bag. “How far off are you?”

“Oh not by much.” His unclear answer made Gen tilt her head. A question mark hung in the air. “Just that way,” he added. A thumb pushed towards the street on the left. It didn’t even have a name plate on it.

It was one of the things about him that made Genevieve red in the face on multiple occasions. It was never a linear answer with him. He danced around to an nth degree. What do you want to eat? Anything. What time can you come around by? I don’t know, maybe seven. Where will you be at Tuesday? Can’t tell. Can you do this for me? I’ll try. At times, Genevieve wanted to dump a can of grey paint on him because that is the only colour he knew.

“Where do you live, Harry?”

“Are you inviting yourself over?” He was all cheek and wit. A tactic Genevieve saw him pick up from the master himself.

“Just answer the question.”

Genevieve doesn’t know why his living accommodation takes an interest. She conditioned herself to stop caring for his well-being and whereabouts ages ago. That’s something they don’t tell you about broken friendships. You can never resort to a hundred percent erasure of someone. There is no backspace or delete button.

Maybe a part of her wanted to know if he was actually safe, secure and stable, or if it was a front. She wanted a person to compare herself with. Sometimes Genevieve pictured them as two athletes on a track field sprinting towards the finish line. The white line signified growth, healing, and closure. Genevieve was always behind him.

“Edison and Fourth, apartment nine,” he clarified. His weight shifted from his heels to his toes. “It’s decent, but has a slight mice problem. Zayn has set up traps.”

Genevieve blinked robotically when she mapped the intersection in her brain. She frowned when the red pin dropped on the map. “That’s like a thirty minute walk in the opposite direction.”

“I’ll manage, I think I saw a bus stop not far away.”

It would’ve been a much shorter and efficient route straight from The Cabinet. Instead, his insisted pit stop tacked many more steps than needed.

“You really didn’t have to go out of your way to walk me.”

“Yes I did,” his firm tone didn’t waver. The next words flowed like ripples do in a river. “I always will.”

Genevieve slipped her fingers into her back pocket and retrieved her phone. It was warm from her body heat. Her thumb hovered over the screen until it lit her home screen, the bottom half of her face illuminated with a fluorescent light. Her thumb tapped over an application before she typed in the address previously given as the desired destination. A bubble popped up with a potential driver and route. “I’m calling you an uber.”

“No you aren’t. It’s a waste of money.”

She looked up with a bewildered expression. “Don’t be crazy.”

“Cancel it.”

She hadn’t confirmed it, her credit card information covered the screen, but she wasn’t going to let him be privy to that. “No.”

It was unexpected, to say the least.

He jolted towards her in a way that blinded her eyesight to only the colour of his shirt. Red. Red. Red. Her nose brushed against cotton over his shoulder, lint rubbed against her nostrils. His smell reminded her of the grocery store aisle with all the detergents and softeners.

The lack of distance distracted her for a moment. “What are you—hey give that back.”

His fingers brushed against hers were like hot coal. The device was swiped away as if he had the hands of a practiced kleptomaniac.

“I said I am fine as is.”

Maybe it was the effects of alcohol and weed that set something off in Genevieve. It flicked a switch that she had no idea existed, his fingers crawled deep in her chest and pushed the lever up. Anger bubbled and frustration swelled in her. The simmering volcano rose.

“Can you just stop! All of it!” The pads of her fingers dug into his shoulder as she gave a hard push. He staggered back two steps from her force. When space was created between them, Genevieve exited a narrow tunnel, seeing the whole picture and not just some biased misrepresentation. “Showing up everywhere, giving me drinks, walking me home.”

Harry’s face crumpled like a ball of paper being thrown in the nearest trash can. His posture slumped, shoulders caved in on themselves.

“That’s a bit harsh, no?” When Genevieve didn’t reply to him he bit his lower lip. His unsure steps neared her, his voice dropped to a different modulation. Tender and watchful. “Genny...”

“—No, no.” Her words broke by a parched laughter that bordered hysteria. She backed away cautiously when his eyes glimmered with something. He was doing it again. The signature pleading glaze enticed its prey. It got him many things in life: assignment extensions, a bed, with a blonde if he was lucky. “I’m not doing this with you, not again.”

“Can you just hear me out?”

Genevieve’s expression was frozen in a revengeful scowl. She compressed her lips together, an attempt to not spew out nasty words. The skin around her lips turned a shade of white from the lack of blood flow to the vessels. There was only so much self control one could contain. She reserved her ration for a particularly complex problem or when Jonah was getting on her last nerve. Genevieve hadn’t penciled in a portion to give to Harry in such a long time.

“What’s there left to hear, Harry?” She exploded and his shoulders dropped immediately. A yellow light turned on behind a window pane in the building above her from the sudden raise in volume. She inhaled a slow breath in order to contain herself. Her fingers knotted in her hair and she inadvertently felt her throbbing pulse. Her hands motioned in the space that divided them. “This, us? Whatever you’re trying to find again, is not there. You’ve got an amazing life, even better friends. Hell, they’re probably a thousand times better than I ever was.”

“Not true, don’t do that—”

“You don't get it, do you?” Her voice croaked. Genevieve trained herself to not break composure near Harry. She memorized the floorboard to such a detail that she could navigate the house blindly, but now her weight gave away on a loose piece of hardwood and it creaked. “You’re making me think about it all again and it won’t be long until I go weeks without sleeping. I need you to...” Her nostrils flared to inhale a breath, she held it in her lungs as if it delayed the inevitable. But the silence spoke.

I need you to leave me alone. I need you to go away.

He shook his head rapidly. Stern determination fixed in his every word, “I’m not doing that. Not again.”

“Why the hell not?” She spat. Her nails pressed stinging half moons into her palm. Her words, rather vindictive and eroded, were rightfully just. “You were so quick to do it before.”

She looked into his eyes, they were level headed and cool; a complete juxtaposition when compared to hers. Harry wondered when her face became gaunt and the darkness of eyebags took up a permanent living.

“Genny.”

She wasn’t five years old anymore, but a horizontal sting settled above her knee. Her skin ripped open, red splattered all over the floor. He wore red. She saw red. She spilled red.

“I’m tired, Harry.” Admitting this made Genevieve feel small. She closed her eyes and waved her white flag.

Being around Harry was gruesome. Genevieve could only compare it to a drained battery. She didn’t have enough fuel to do this with him. The cogs were rusted from not being used in ages. He brought the rim of a metal container to her lips. His fingers clamped on the back of her neck to keep her in place as he tilted the container up. He poured battery acid down her throat. Concentrated sulfuric acid blackened her insides and poisoned her with every sip.

“I’m so tired.”

***

“On Hallowe'en the old ghosts come about us, and they speak to some; to others they are dumb.” - Hallowe'en by Eleanor Farjeon

---

Thank you eriza @booksncoffee for making the banner. Copyright also applies on banners folks! Remember this.

Always so thankful for my betas @haaaaaaarrry @drivingmekiwi @at-least-im-1

Tag list: @harryschanclas @wanderlustiing @daydreamsharry @quintessentially-weird @brassharry @kizsyou @thursday-iminlove @mellamolayla @at-least-im-1 @stylishmuser @stylesfics-xx @guccikingstyles @awomanindeniall @mylifeisatoilet @confusedkiwifan @wonderonrepeat @sydneysuit @sortaanonymous @infinitiae

Check the story page if you wanted to be added on the tag list.

#1dff #harry styles fanfic #harrystylesfanfiction #harry styles x ofc #writing #ylsg3

103 notes · View notes

bluekayanite · 4 years

Text

Comments/theories: In Dreams - Homeworld Bound

So I kind of missed the SU:F updates for a bit. ^_^; That said, I'm caught up now, and have some misc. comments that I figured I'd share... before the next eps or two comes out. XD;

...That said, I was actually working on this when I'd heard that Homeworld Bound was out already. -.-; It's on XFinity Stream, at least - and I suspect other streaming services - so I consider it "officially released." I've since adjusted to implement the new info. However, I'm making the comments in an ep-by-ep structure, so if you want to avoid spoilers, you can easily stop once you get here. =3

I'd also like to note that this one's more rambly than usual, so prepare yourself for rambles. XD

EDIT: Some adjustments, mostly additions. EDIT2: Couple more little deets. EDIT3: Few more MAJOR deets. XD;

Just a quick note: my current, primary theory is that, even with everything that seems to be glaringly obvious, White also has the power to alter Gems' memories and such, and Rose was not truly Pink Diamond (or at least, in a sense, not THE Pink Diamond). Lately, I basically think that she may be a sort of a hybrid, or at least that Pink put a lot of herself into Rose... lately I've even suspected that it might be even more literal than I've previously noted... as in, Pink may have prepped some healing tears and broken off a shard of herself... or something. ._.;;;

But yeah, I figured I'd note this in advance because, well... I realize it sounds crazy. It's going to be mentioned, so I ask for a bit of open-mindedness - or at least a willingness to entertain the idea, even if you think it's wrong (and I don't blame you if you do). Frankly, I wouldn't be surprized if a lot of people would have already closed this post before getting to this sentence. (That said, if you're still here, thank you!)

With that out of the way, let's get going!

In Dreams

Okay, so Crewniverse was definitely being self-aware, and using meta-humor. XD

I've commented here before that previous eps had a building feeling of listlessness and whatnot. My sister also has commented (not in a place I can link XD; ) that the opening theme gets more and more jarring with each episode. The both of us think that odds are pretty good that they'll switch to using something the reprise version of the theme. XD; ("Here we are in the future, and it's wrooooong!")

...That said, while things have been getting intense (not to mention REAL!), I do appreciate that we seem to be moving out of "boredom" eps. XD;

The dreams-being-broadcast thing is more-than-likely a bit of setup for later story points. I'm thinking "Emergency broadcast."

On an entirely different note, I like the confirmation that Peridot has green eyes. =3

Been sort of a headcanon of mine for awhile now. ^_^

Also, is it just me, or is Peridot getting taller? 83

Anyway, it's nice to have a bit of lighthearted funtimes in the midst of all the seriousness that has been going on. =3

Bismuth Casual

So... those toilet paper jokes certainly ended up being at an ironic time, right? XD;

Anyway, one of the things that stuck out to me is how increasingly obvious Pearl's obliviousness is.

One of my long-standing theories is that Rose saw Pearl more like a daughter, if anything... and didn't realize - or even have a clue that Pearl had a thing for her.

And I mean, really, if Pearl can't tell whether any human - or Gem - is into her, then how could she know for sure whether or not Rose did (or didn't)? Odds are she's just going by her memories... which I strongly believe to be unreliable, what with how many contradictions they have. ^_^;

Together Forever

(...Does anyone else keep hearing the old Pokémon song by the same name in their head? ^_^; )

...Okay, I'm gonna confess: it actually didn't occur to me that either Steven or Ruby was supposed to be "cute" until it was mentioned in Hit the Diamond and Sadie Killer. (I didn't count Andy saying it in Gem Harvest because I figured he had a family bias. ^_^; I mean, he did make a complete and abrupt 180 about the parts of his plane being recycled, once it was Steven who started using them.)

...Cuteness is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. XD;

I guess I can see how Crewniverse was going for "cute" with Steven... Still, about the only time I've considered "Steven" to be cute - visually or otherwise - was after that last bout of Ultimate Steven tag.

...Yeah, I think that the Gems did the puppy-dog eyes better than Steven did. ^_^; I mean, I would call Steven "sweet," "silly," and a number of other things. Just... "cute" isn't typically one of them for me. ^_^;

That said, there are moments when I think that Ruby is being cute. =3 One of them is when she RAEGING.

Another one is when she's being happy... especially when she's super-excited.

So yeah. =3 For me, it was pretty nice to see Ruby spazzing like that. It's also kind of nice to see Steven eating sweets again... even if it's for unfortunate reasons.

...yeah.

It's also nice to see R+S's new forms. =3

The headband is back! 83

(...Why hasn't there been a mention of Sapphire being cute? She seems like the most obvious choice. XD; )

On another topic... So it’s not just Pearls that can store stuff in their gems? o.O

Anyway, part of my theory is that [Pink is really trapped in the moon base's observation orb], which she can use to see some of what's going on. When Pink is watching, the moon might show up, and/or the sky might turn pink (usually around dawn/dusk) - the more intense either of these things are, the more intensely she's watching.

Looking back at when either of these happen, I've noticed that:

She seems to be a 'shipper

She particularly 'ships Steven + Connie

This ep certainly continues with that pattern. 83 Heck, I think that the extra lights on the horizon might even be from Pink - maybe even intentional on her part.

Even after the turn-down, the moon still showed, BRIGHTLY - at least until Garnet got there.

I also noticed the moon at the end of Little Graduation - in general, I'm getting an impression that Pink has been wanting to help Steven... but obviously, she wouldn't be able to.

However, that said, with the way things are looking, I think that she's going to get her chance, shortly... more on that farther down. =3

Side note: The glowstick-bracelet “ring” is a nice touch. =3

Other side note: JAM BUDS REFERENCE! 83

Also: Strawberry. =3

Also-also: it seems like Garnet actually does tend to give some pretty good love advice.

"Your soulmate is your compliment, not your missing piece. [...] Whatever hole there is in your life, Steven, I want you to understand that Connie - Stevonnie - won't be able to fill it." - Garnet, Together Forever

...Also-also, my suspicions about Garnet sorta being three people keep growing. XD;

...Incidentally, I’ve mentioned before that I think that Connie is probably ace and/or aro (though I didn’t know the latter term at the time).

Growing Pains

On the funny (at least to me) side, I noticed that Dr. Maheswaren checked for Steven’s heartbeat on his right side (which, ironically, would be the wrong side XD).

There actually is a genetic condition that can flip the positioning of the internal organs, though I’m pretty sure that it’s simply an oversight in this case. For one, Dr. Maheswaren shouldn’t think to check there unless she’d checked the usual positioning, first. For another... it’s actually not the only slip up in that shot; Steven’s gem has a hexagonal crown instead of the usual pentagonal one. (This happens a lot, especially on Quartzes.) The biggest thing, however, is that Steven actually does grab the left side of his chest later on.

But yeah, just some stuff that I thought maybe some other people might consider interesting. =3

Anyway...

So it's FINALLY established that Steven has PTSD... and appears to be having panic attacks. Frankly, for a long time, I was under the impression that nothing like this would ever come up. XD;;; Call me crazy, but in a weird way, this is kind of a relief for me. It makes things feel more genuine to me.

...Hmm... I wonder if part of why we haven't seen panic in other characters is because they're hiding their own PTSD? Maybe the reason why so many are just carrying on is as a sort of coping mechanism. Maybe the also don't want anyone to worry.

...Or maybe this is an effect of this being a cartoon. >.>; I mean, as much as I can see that Crewniverse is trying to touch on a lot of hard topics (and I appreciate that), we can only expect it to be so realistic. Plus, a good story needs a bit of balance to it - as nice as it is to see the worrying stuff, it needs a good balance, or else it tends to be overwhelming.

In particular, I've been reminded that SU:F does have a number of much-younger viewers - I think we need to bear in mind that they probably aren't likely to handle this stuff as well as the older audiences. ^_^;

But yeah, I'm definitely glad that at least there's something, and the reaction seems fairly realistic (at least as far as having a half-Gem character goes). Even the fact that there was a delay is fairly realistic... maybe a bit more of a delay than usual, but... I guess Steven is half-Gem?

Also: cartoon. XD;

And of course, it's really fascinating to see the medical aspect of Gems (or a lack thereof).

And of course, the sneaking in of an Amethyst-behavior joke. X3

Also: you can see Steven's chart in two of the transitions. 83

(Assuming Dr. Maheswaren got his height right... I’m actually admittedly jealous that he’s actually taller than me - especially since it looks to me like he should be shorter. XD; )

Also-also: I noticed that a lot of things that had nothing to do with Steven's life being in danger got referenced. ^_^; Granted, I'm sure they're still important to him, but I thought I'd still bring it up.

I also couldn't help but notice there being a direct reference to Adverse Childhood Experiences, which is an actual term. I suppose Steven's are unusual... but whatever the form, ACEs can still be pretty impactful. =/

...I do wonder if Crewniverse knows anything about Childhood Emotional Neglect. It's supposedly an even bigger impact than abuse and whether one recovers from it. That said, AFAIK it's lesser-known - even the term was coined less than a decade ago (2012, if I've got my dates right). It's mentioned on the list of ACEs... I think? But it's not very well defined there, so... it's hard to know.

At any rate, it definitely seems like a thing that could be a factor... more on that farther down.

Mr. Universe

It was nice to see Steven and Greg getting some bonding time in... even if it was short-lived. ^_^;

Can't help but wonder whether or not Steven's eating a veggie burger. XD;

Steven drooling in his sleep... it's been a headcanon/theory of mine that maybe Pink does that. X3

Okay, so maybe this is a cute picture of Steven... now that he's more grown-up. X3

Anyway, It's nice to learn some more about Greg's side of the family. Especially since - aside from the strictness - they really do seem like they're probably nice people.

I mean, for one, they still kept reminders of Greg - his stuff, pictures of the whole fam, and even his letters... even if they never opened them.

(...Is it just me, or does Greg's mom look an awful lot like Connie's?)

And based on their stuff, I think it's pretty likely that they at least have a gentle side... even if maybe they didn't know how to properly use it with Greg. XD; (Or maybe they're simply an appearance-conscious family. ^_^; ...Which is apparently considered a gaslighting type of parenting-style. =/)

In any case, I hope we meet them, later. =3 Maybe they've mellowed out... or maybe they will as soon as they meet Steven. X3

My sis pointed out that Dear Old Dad plays - as in, the song from the last ep Steven and Greg fought in. Only this time, it didn't end out well. ^_^; Quoth her, "That's some next-generation foreshadowing!"

But yeah, I can see why Greg might be so frustrated at his parents that he would want to change his surname. ^_^; ...And I can also see why Steven would be upset at Greg going as far as he did. =/ Pendulum effect: being so upset by one extreme that you go just as far into the other extreme, and it sounds like Steven paid for it. -.-;

This is part of what I mean by Childhood Emotional Neglect potentially being a factor... though in general, Greg's hands-off parenting style could very well fit in as a form of emotional neglect - parents who are just kind of buddies and try to give comfort on everything kind of avoid a lot of the issues, instead of teaching their kids how to deal with them, including on an emotional level. ^_^;

But yeah, the fact that Greg apparently didn't consider whether Steven might still want some of the usual aspects of childhood seems like it could also count. ^_^; At the very least, it's common for Well-Meaning-But-Emotionally-Neglected-Themselves parents to give their kids what they wish they had in childhood, without actually considering whether it's what the children themselves want.

It's also common for emotional neglect to be passed on through families in ways such as this, so... seems like it could be a thing.

Oh, and you know how Steven also had to be "the adult" for the Gems a lot? That also counts as CEN. XD; Heck, that link even mentions the need to care for others that Steven continues to struggle with.

The parts about Steven trying to hide his struggles would also fit in with CEN, though his knowledge of emotions - and vocabulary thereof - does seem to be pretty big. I can't help but wonder if CEN is something that's being inserted in more as a retcon, but wasn't planned at the beginning. I mean... CEN was just being figured out around the time that the original SU series came out, so it seems pretty unlikely that it was the original plan. I could see Crewniverse trying to work it in now, though.

...It's also possible that it's not really what they're going for and that it's sort of included by accident. XD; I mean, there's often more than one way to arrive at the same conclusion, even coming from the same set of information, at times.

But yeah, CEN is important to me, and it's nice to see that it might be a part of the show. =3

Fragments

Okay, so that first convo was chock-full of examples on what NOT to say to someone who’s panicking. ^_^;

And those are just a few of them. ^_^;

I think that this is probably foreshadowing, and/or a setup for something coming shortly. More on this farther down.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only one who was thinking back to Why So Blue? XD;

(Or, belatedly, Strong in the Real Way.)

I do think Jasper has kind of a point about learning to control anger by using it. All-in-all, though, I think she's only about half-right. ^_^; The parts about using it solely in violence... yeah

I see Steven’s eating fish, again. =3

It’s also neat to see him chopping wood with his hands. X3

...Not to mention Jasper’s new helmet. 83

It looks to me like Pink might have noticed some training, or at least may have been looking around the area.

...I suspect that she doesn't know about all the details, though. ^_^;

Homeworld Bound

Okay, first off, I think that Garnet may have said the family thing for Future Vision reasons - probably related to what the Diamonds said, even if she doesn't know that.

And now that that's out of the way, I was really glad to see Spinel again. =3

It does seem a bit weird that she's around as tall as Steven when she was shorter than him in the movie.

And I'm pretty sure that Steven's gotten even taller since the movie. XD; Though maybe Yellow made Spinel taller...?

EDIT: I remembered that she probably wouldn’t be the first. Could be a pattern.

Anyway, I also like the confirmation that Yellow's and Blue's powers seem to be about affecting the forms of Gems, and their emotions, in general - I've made a little spreadsheet (vaguely) touching on stuff like that, before.

Also, Blue getting a full song of her own. Plus, the implications that Blue's powers are probably water-related. =3

(Who wants to try one of Blue's happy clouds? *raises hand* =D)

Not to mention Spinel doing the hammock hair thing. X3

*ahem* However... this is the second time one of the eps has felt like it's been full of Gems that are more-or-less hypnotised (the first one being Familiar). A little too happy and/or nonchalant, and a little too conclusion-jump-ish. =/ (Especially Yellow for that last one. XD; ) Steven's even pointed stuff like this this out.

Which... White acted also that way. If she really does have mind control powers, I think that this might be a sign that she's still using them, even on Blue and Yellow. ^_^;

Another thing that I think is odd is that the Diamonds were all taking initiative in doing good stuff. In the movie, it seemed pretty clearly like they were only doing good things in order to try and please Steven and get him to stay with them.

White in particular was still disgusted at the idea of thinking of others as “equal.” XD;

They were even willing to move to Earth, leaving all those hurt Gems behind, instead of trying to do anything for them. =/

And yet, despite all that, Spinel in particular felt a little too weird to me (somehow XD; ). A little too unconcerned about Steven's feelings, a little too relaxed and... blissful? ^_^; She actually handwaved the "embarrassing" issue of having tried to kill Steven.

This is the second time we've seen something like this. =/

In a way, maybe Spinel's a little too close to her original personality, in general - as in, maybe less "healed" and more "reverted." =/

I mean, it's only been... a few months? If I understand correctly? Difficult thoughts and such do not just evaporate like that - ESPECIALLY if they're more-or-less intrusive ones. =/

And a lot of the time, it seems like her voice and intonation is closer to what she had with her original personality. ...It does seem kind ambiguous, though I suspect that that’s on purpose. XD;

Here's what I think to be the kicker, though: you know the song she started singing when Steven asked how she stopped having vengeful thoughts?

It's the same song that Spinel said had said would NOT make everything better. XD;

"Just can it, won't ya?! You can't just make everything better by singing some STUPID SONG!" - Spinel, SU Movie

(Incidentally, I noticed that the moon actually did show up - rather obviously - during said song. Whoops. ^_^; It looks like Pink has probably seen Spinel’s “evil” form, after all.)

Also... Quite honestly, the way Spinel mentions not getting vengeful thoughts anymore makes her seem... "drugged" to me. ^_^;

Possibly-similarly... this line seems odd to me.

For Spinel to tell Steven that White's powers work in reverse, she'd have to know:

How White's powers worked in the first place

That Steven knows how White's powers worked in the first place

I mean, I guess it's not impossible that White's powers are/were common knowledge, but... I dunno. XD; It would have to mean letting Gems know that White could control them outright... and that White had used her powers on Steven's friends. ^_^; I guess it's also possible that this was told to Spinel as a way of trying to bond over/help with the "tried to kill Steven" thing but... yeah, again, I dunno. ^_^; If that were the case, it's possible that Spinel would mention it, rather than bursting out into song.

At any rate, I'm not ruling out mind-affecting as a possible reason for her knowledge.

So... yeah. I suspected that White acted the way she did when seeing Spinel because Spinel knew (or otherwise had) something that White wanted to be kept hidden. I kind of suspected that poor Spinel would get hit by White's powers pretty much right away, and to me, it looks like she did, and was placated a la mind-control. =(

Speaking of White... I'm guessing that the "pink-colored White" in the intro was actually Steven controlling her, or something. ^_^;

If so, then that's interesting twist on what's considered a "danger"...

...though that said, it looks like White managed to shed the pinkish tinge she had in the movie.

Now it seems to depend on the lighting, and is a fair bit fainter.

(Upper pic: purple. Lower pic: brown.)

So... that said, I wouldn't rule out that maybe she found a way to keep the pink from getting worse - heck, maybe that's even one of the reasons why she's letting Gems control her, briefly. Maybe it somehow keeps the pink from growing more saturated, or something.

So... yeah, while I think there's a good chance that the foreshadowed "Pink White" is already touched on, I'm not entirely ruling out that it might still be coming. I mean, the theory that I was going with was that [Rose's gemstone had a virus in it], that Pink made specifically for White. Possible circumstances to trigger the virus include:

Removing Rose's gemstone from whoever Rose’s child would be

Touching Rose's gemstone, in general

Trying to remove Rose from her gemstone - especially if from her child

Mind- and memory-manipulation on Rose's gemstone, in general

It's also possible that more than one trigger was programmed in.

Possible reasons for a virus include:

Trying to force White to learn empathy

Exposing White

In case the worst more-or-less happened

Prankage

Though yeah, if Rose's/Steven's gemstone really does have a virus in it, or something, I think odds are that White letting Steven control her is going to accelerate it. XD;

Also thought I'd note: while Spinel!White accurately reflects the colors of Spinel, Steven!White seems to better resemble Pink Steven than Pink Diamond, or Rose.

...Don't wanna dig up comparison pics, but I still thought I'd bring it up. XD;

Anyway, I can't help but wonder if there's some sort of deeper meaning to the scene with giant!Steven controlling little!White - like if there's something from Pink slipping in there, and her frustrations with whatever White did to her in the past.

I mean... Steven mentioned "everything" she did to him, and there were only flashbacks of stuff from Change Your Mind. Which... yeah, sure, a lot happened in a short period of time, but... I still wonder. ^_^;

Aaaand it's becoming pretty evident that whatever traces of Pink are in Steven are coming out pretty strongly.

...On another note, the softer "Pink" hairstyle that Steven is getting might be a hint that the more-solid, five-lump "Steven" style that Pink is sometimes shown with is not her actual style. ;3

(My personal belief is that her appearance in Jungle Moon accurately reflects what she looks like - everything else is probably tainted by memory-alteration a la White.)

...anyway...

My guess(es) on what's next

Okay, I was previously assuming that Steven would first fight the worm-thing (which I thought might have been a mutated Jasper, after getting all that essence-of-Diamond in one dose XD; ). I was also speculating about White having turned a much-more-intense shade of pink, accusing Steven of it, and a fight breaking out between the two (with a note that it might be a good thing that Steven's learned to better control his Diamond powers =D; ).

Now it’s looking like the “Pink White” may have already been covered... or maybe it’s still being foreshadowed. Hard to say at this point.

That said, I think there's still a good chance that White will still try to follow Steven for one reason or another, despite his plea not to. I mean, it looks like she may have genuinely been impacted by what happened with Steven controlling her... or at least terrified. XD;

She still asked him to wait, despite that.

Steven did leave his shoe behind, a la Cinderella. This could be a hint about someone following him and returning it to him. Maybe there'll be something about it fitting after he's calmed down? =3

Though... yeah. Maybe letting Steven puppet her will result in her turning pink and coming after him for it. Or maybe White will still try to follow out of more a compassionate reason - or just to “fix him, like she’s apparently done with so many other Gems XD - and Steven will try to keep her away.

In any case, I’m thinking that odds are that Steven will end up getting in a fight with What, and that it will end up being on Earth, at least at some point during the struggle. If so, I tend to imagine something like this happening:

If Pink observes a fight between the two, it might be enough for the moon + sky thing to trigger in broad daylight. If so, then the fact that there's someone on the moon who can turn the sky pink will be impossible to miss. XD Even if it's not a fight that does it, I think odds are good that something like that will be how Pink being up there would be revealed, as well as working as a quick explanation that the moon + sky color are actually important.

If something like that does happen, then I think that White will finally fess up about messing with Gems' memories + thoughts and imprisoning Pink in the orb. I mean... she'd basically be backed into a corner. It also seems like she's getting to a point where she'd consider telling Steven anyway - just maybe she'd freak out and back out first, and/or the sky would beat her to it. XD;

I've also considered that maybe Steven's powers would get strong enough that he could be contacted by Pink in his dreams, anyway - they're not mutually-exclusive, so maybe both will happen?

But yeah. There's plenty of evidence of a moon prisoner, and plenty of that evidence highly suggests that it's Pink. I know I always say this, but I think it's time - maybe even well-past-time XD; - for Pink to be released.

A few possible roles of Pink (plus rambles)

Think about it: just about everyone that Steven knows - or is close to, at least - has been failing him in one way or another. No one seems to know what's the best way to help him, or even fully understand just what exactly he might be going through - even White said that no one would be able to relate to him... but I don't think that's fully true.

Sure, maybe nobody could easily, and/or fully relate to the half-human thing, but I think there's a chance that, say, Lapis, Peridot and Bismuth could at least help with the "vengeful thoughts" thing.

But Pink, Pink could probably help with the powers, and maybe a few other things. I mean, they're probably her powers - or at least a variation of them. Heck, she may be even more powerful than Steven is. XD If anyone could help Steven get things under control, Pink can.

Heck, maybe Pink even knows how to help calm down somebody who’s having a panic attack - or at least knows how to help Steven with his panic. Given that nobody else seems to know about this, it seems pretty likely that it might be what Crewniverse is going for. =3 And hey... if nothing else, maybe it’s something she picked up just from watching the Earth for so long. (I mean... if she’s really been stuck for 5,000 years, odds are that she’s picked up on a few things. Not like she’d have an awful lot else to do, anyway. XD; )

I admit... it’d be a little extra cool to me since I’ve had the idea that it might be something that Pink would do. 83 Sort of a headcanon/fanfic idea that I never really got to or anything. XD;

But yeah, at this point, I think odds are good that Steven will more-or-less beg Pink to stay with him for awhile. XD

I mean... maybe they could ask Pink Pearl (I really don't like the name "Volleyball," sorry XD; ) about Steven’s powers, but I think she might still have too much trauma of her own over Pink's powers to really be able to help. ^_^;

...Though that said, I've suspected that White placated her, too. If her traumas can still show through... I think odds are good that others' traumas will end up resurfacing - and thus being addressed - too. =3

...But yeah, it seems like White's MO involved making everyone just forget about things, and/or suddenly become happy. ^_^; ...Another form of emotional neglect, I suppose.

I also it's possible that part of the reason why Steven is having trouble is because White did something to him. =/ I mean, if White really did remove whatever was left of Rose, then she may have removed an important part of Steven... and if she added something to him, it might be a big part of why he's so... unstable. -.-;

...Heck, maybe the reason why Steven's been getting white Diamond-pupils is because White did something to him. o.O Maybe that why Steven!White has them, too, despite Spinel!White having black pupils.

At any rate, maybe the real Pink could shed some light on that, too. ...And/or maybe White will fess up. XD; I think the latter is much, much more likely in this case, though.

I do think that, once Pink is released, it's likely to result in a lot of chaos, on account of Gems learning that things aren't how they thought they were - just one of many reasons why I think that White has still left her in there. ^_^; However, that said, maybe Pink could end up being a catalyst in bringing those problems to the surface, so that they can be addressed. XD;

But yeah. Overall, I think one of her roles would be in healing... just like with Rose, Steven, and their powers. I think she'd also be good for helping uncover the truth of what really happened, along with other things.

Could be ironic; it's Steven Universe: Future, but there might end up being a lot of looking at the past. Granted, maybe that's the point: look to the past to better understand the future. =3

#su:f #su:f theories #suf theories #rose quartz wasn't pink diamond #white diamond's mind control #theories

2 notes · View notes

cmtrydrve · 5 years

Text

hey ! my name’s link , i go by he/they pronouns , am 21+ & live in the cst timezone ! my only personality trait is being a bts , sment & girl groups enthusiast . i’m an aries sun with a pisces moon , which means i can be aggro , am always loud & obnoxious , but am a secretly sensitive softy , so plz be nice to me !!! this is my child , mikey , who’s stuck in 2006 & never grew out of his emo phase ( take that , mom ! ) . he’s also an aries , because my jjks always end up like that . hopefully , you’ll love him as much as i already do ! under the cut , you’ll find some misc . info & wanted connections . here are links to his dossier page & his pinterest board , which will hopefully give you some deeper insight . i’m excited to be here & write with you all ! like this if you’d like to plot & i’ll fly to your ims , but also feel free to add me on d*scord ( it’s easier for me as well ) : no brain only loving bts#6669 !

— jeon jungkook. he/they. demiboy. | was that michael “mikey” kwon i just saw in the hideaway lobby ? i hear the twenty-two year old spends most of their time working as a record store clerk / studying communications , but i’ve always just seen them dyeing their hair different colors with kool-aid . they live in 3c and i often see them in the halls. they always give me a vibe of getting into arguments online , an entirely black wardrobe and drinking six cups of coffee to make it through the day .

misc . info :

his parents are both very hip artists who met & fell in love while attending art school. they’re both very modern kind of parents, which meant that mikey grew up around a lot of self-expression (& being told to try it for himself), paint everywhere & pot.

growing up, he was allowed to paint his walls & even ceiling however he pleased & it instilled a love of creativity in him. his parents still have paintings he did as a child hanging up on their walls & fridge. even now, he still draws casually, though it was always a hobby for him & not his actual passion.

his parents are extremely caring & understanding. as a teenager, they allowed him to go out & party & always made sure to get him home safely. mikey genuinely can not remember a single time they ever yelled at him even when he fucked up massively. so he tries his best to make sure they’re happy & taken care of. but they’re adamant in supporting whatever mikey wants to do.

they were both the alternative types, which meant that rock music filled their home. mikey was familiar with classic rock from a young age & the sounds of fleetwood mac & other similar bands fills him with a warmth that can only be attained from childhood nostalgia.

his first taste of love came at the age of seven. his parents always brought home new albums to listen to & his dad purchased three cheers for sweet revenge by my chemical romance. while the screaming & raging instruments could have been too much for anyone else his age, mikey embraced it fully.

it ignited an adoration for the genre as a whole & soon enough, his parents were bringing home various emo music albums to sate the always dramatic & over-reacting mikey. for christmas, he received mcr’s discography (at the time, just two albums) on vinyl, which he still has hanged proudly on his wall as an adult.

he owns every variation of every mcr album now. vinyl, cd, cassettes. he even collects the japanese versions because he likes the way they’re designed.

he dropped the name mike / michael because of mikey way & he refuses to answer to anything else.

even though it’s largely part of “cringe culture” now (which mikey refuses to participate in), he loves hot topic & goes there whenever he can. his closet is full of band tees & he has a drawer filled with those spiky belts, bracelets & pants with the suspenders from his teenage years.

he’s been dyeing his hair regularly since he was twelve. he’s had every color under the sun. this is what his hair currently looks like but he dyes the highlights with kool-aid, so the color is always changing.

he has a nostril piercing & would probably get more done if someone so much as implied that he should.

he has a mcr stan twitter account & he gets into fights with everyone he decides has a wrong opinion. he’s been suspended multiple times for being too aggressive online, but he always comes back. he also has a tumblr account but he just uses it to reblog pictures of gerard way (his bias KJHFDKJ).

he works at a record store & goes to school for communications. he hopes to either be a radio dj or podcast host. he wants to get paid to talk about how much he loves music either way. but he loves his current job because he gets to talk about music all day and recommend albums to people. also it’s helpful in perfecting his own vinyl collection.

yes, he cried the day mcr broke up & yes he bought tickets to all their reunion shows. he took the day off when the tickets went on sale & his boss was understanding, knowing how much he loves the band.

he’s extremely impulsive. if you tell him to do anything, he more than likely will. he has a lot of stupid scribbled tattoos on him for this reason, especially on his hands.

while he doesn’t mind appearing masculine & even embraces it, he doesn’t fully align with being a man. he started identifying as nonbinary in his teens, but has never felt 100% a man his whole life. he’s fine with both he or they pronouns for the most part, though he does have his preferences day to day. he introduces himself as nonbinary so it’s not a secret & everyone who interacts with him is aware.

he’s kind of a party animal. he’s that loud person who drinks too much & ends up blacked out on the floor.

he gets in trouble a lot, because he plays music very loudly at both his workplace & his apartment. but he’s of the opinion that if music is too loud for you then you’re just too old.

he’s aggressive & very arrogant. he will fight you about anything & everything. he just likes to argue & he thinks he’s right about everything.

in typical aries fashion, he loves to flirt & be flirted with. he just adores attention & seeks out affection where he can find it. he gets crushes really easily & pursues aggressively (he’s extremely charming & good at making people feel good about themselves), but he gets bored when he actually obtains the person he desires. he’s never really seriously dated, but has had over a billion crushes in his lifetime.

thought dramatic & annoying most of the time, he’s also very loyal & has a good heart. if you’re in his circle of people he likes, then he’ll do anything for you point blank. he always tells his friends that he’d die for him & he means it.

while he tries to appear confident, he has secret insecurities stemming from being the middle child. he has issues with feeling like he’s not good enough or thinks he’s unnoticed by everyone, so he acts up by being dramatic.

he drinks A LOT of coffee, so he’s pretty much always bouncing off the walls.

he’s extremely pansexual & loud about it. if you’ve known him for longer than five minutes then you’ll find out how he wishes he could smash gerard way specifically in the helena mv to smithereens.

he very casually knows how to play guitar. he’s that person who plays wonderwall at every party.

while he’s not a fan of pop music, he knows most girl group dances & can do them well.

wanted connections :

exes (any gender. it will more than likely be something casual, like a few months or less, but we can discuss the timeline! also it can be messy or friendly. extra points if there’s lingering feelings!)

hookups / fwbs (any gender. singular experiences or regular type things)

childhood plots for those who’ve lived in seattle (childhood friends, first kisses / crushes, all that good stuff)

flirtationships that don’t go anywhere

one-sided crushes (don’t mind who has the feelings!)

mutual pining but they’re both idiots & have no idea

party buddies (can be drinking &/or smoking). emo music buddies. netflix buddies. any of these can be combined.

enemies???? (if we can decide on a suitable plot. or enemies with benefits :smirk:)

someone who knows of mikey from his stan twitter but doesn’t realize it’s him & talks shit openly about the asshole who runs the account in front of him.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, someone who he flirts with in the dms & they plan to meet up after realizing they live in the same apartment building.

tinder date (it can go well or not)

frequent customers (customers he flirts with or can’t stand because they just loiter or gets into fights with because they have bad taste in music

someone who takes advantage of mikey being willing to do anything he’s dared to do. make him do all the stupid shit he shouldn’t be doing, whether it’s getting tattoos / piercings or anything dangerous or just idiotic.

you’re sick of this asshole blasting music late at night & go to yell at him for it but oops he’s actually attractive (or you actually can’t stand him, whichever GKDHFGJFKD).

i have a huge tag full of plots i’d love to do on my rp spam blog. not all of them will be fitting for mikey but just ask me & we can try to change some elements or something!

literally anything you can think of i’m probably down for it!

#hide:intro #◟ * 𝟎𝟏𝟑. 𝑔𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑙𝑧 › OUT OF CHARACTER #not me being ready on time for once wow

7 notes · View notes

smolfangirl · 6 years

Text

Destined to collide

A sound so sweet, of you and me - 1 - First meetings

A huge Thank you to everyone who took time to comment on the prologue, I loved your reactions and hope you like this chapter just as much!

Story: In a world where you only know who your soulmate is by calling them by their first name, Matteo soon finds that the smallest words can be the hardest to say.

Word count: 1.6k

It was a picture-perfect day in Cancún. No clouds in the deep blue sky, only the sun, bright and warm, with a little breeze whirling up the air.

Matteo skated along the beach, enjoying every minute until he had to leave again to meet with Ámbar. Not a lot of people were around, mostly tourists sitting in the cafés alongside of hungry seagulls, which allowed him to practice some tricks. Jumps, complicated long spins and, finally, a flip.

When he got up to spin around one last time, he suddenly rolled back, losing his balance, and there was a girl, a girl crashing into him.

“What the…”, he muttered, his head dizzy, sight blurred.

When it cleared up, Matteo found a brunette girl with skates in front of him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to”, she stopped to clear her throat, “I mean, I yelled Watch out. It’s not my fault.” She crossed her arms, which lead his attention to the badge of the local fast food restaurant he had passed earlier.

Unfortunately, he found no name attached to it.

“Are you sure? Because you skated into me, so it’s definitely not my fault”, Matteo shot back.

The girl frowned at him. “You were skating in the middle of the sidewalk! Who do you think you are?”, she inquired, hands now on her hips, a challenging glimmer in her eyes.

He wasn’t completely sure if she felt as annoyed as she pretended to be.

He huffed. “I’m Matteo.”

She stared at the hand he offered her. “What a shame, chico fresa fits you so much better.”

“I’m not a strawberry”, Matteo replied. It almost sounded like a question. He found her intriguing, something about her captured his attention, conjured his curiosity… but a strawberry?

“That’s what we call a snob here”, the girl explained, the satisfied grin on her face impossible to miss. “Don’t pull strawberries into this.”

Laughing, he nodded. His gaze hurried over her again. He couldn’t deny she was cute, very cute, with the brown curls falling into her face, these bright green eyes and a smile that made him feel like laughing too.

“My bad. And what name did your parents settle on instead of chica delivery?”

“Luna”, she blurted out. A hint of red tainted her cheeks, but before he got the chance to tease her some more, she waved him off. “Anyway, I gotta go. Bye, chico fresa!”

He watched her disappear while disappointment settled on his chest. For the first time, he wondered how it would feel to say a first name, wondered what taste it would leave on his lips.

“Luna”, he whispered. There laid an unknown excitement in his stomach, almost like hope and happiness.

Too bad he’d never see her again.

Or that’s what he thought.

He was waiting for Gastón and Nina by the bar, surrounded by his friends to celebrate that the first week of school was over and to finally catch up on everyone’s adventures during the summer. Not that he cared a lot at which beach or mall Yam and Jim tried to spot cute guys or girls, or where Jazmín spent all her allowance on outfits she swore were the new deal in fashion. Until Tamara showed up, he mostly listened half-heartedly. Even then, he barely paid attention to his trainer.

At first.

Because suddenly, a small figure appeared behind her and to Matteo’s honest surprise, he recognized that girl.

Luna.

Whatever thought ran through his head previously, it immediately vanished into nothingness.

“Hey guys”, Tamara tuned in, and an entity of greetings came back. She smiled, but all that Matteo could care about was the reason a girl he had met in Mexico suddenly stood in a rink in Buenos Aires.

No matter how hard he tried to look away, his gaze refused to leave her.

With no warning, she returned his stare, her eyes like a bright green crystal under the sun, so incredibly clear and beautiful.

For a moment, everything else around him got diminished by a fogginess in his perception that only left space for her.

When he snapped out of it and took a deep breath, Tamara was talking again. “So, I want to introduce you to Luna, she’ll be working as the new supervisor.”

“You here? Weren’t you delivering fast food in Mexico?”

She turned around to him, eyes wide open but then she swallowed, all surprise gone from her face, as if him following Tamara and her towards the entry was nothing less but ordinary.

“Excuse me?” A casual tone, even bored, like he was an annoying customer who lost the privilege of fake friendliness.

Now it was Matteo who felt surprised, to say the least. Given how she had looked at him before, he would have taken a bet that she recognized him just like he hadn’t forgotten her.

However, the raised eyebrows and expectancy in her expressions proved him wrong.

“Eh, we met before, in Cancun? Mexico? A few weeks ago?” (Two weeks, to be exact.)

No realization lightened her face.

Matteo sighed. “You skated into me by the beach.” Finally, she granted him a reaction. “Ooh, you’re the sidewalk guy! The chico fresa!”

He smiled, giving her an enthusiastic nod even when he still hadn’t come to term with her weird nickname for him.

“I’m surprised you’re not in the middle of the way. And, just for the record, you skated into me.”

“I’m still not a strawberry, but whatever, and I did not skate into you!”, a weak protest, so he decided to let it be. “Anyway, you ran away pretty quickly… you know, to be honest, usually girls do everything to spend more time with me, not the opposite.”

Luna snorted, a sound he had no idea could be filled with so much objection. “I had skates on, so technically I wasn’t running away. And I was working.”

Matteo grinned. Without realizing it, she’d given him the perfect teasing material. Oh, how he already loved it… “So, you’re saying if it wasn’t for work you wouldn’t have left?”

Speechless, she stared at him.

A blush colored her cheeks, making her look even cuter. “What? No?”, Luna finally opposed after a decent few seconds of awkward silence, “You’re thinking too highly of yourself, chico fresa.”

Chico fresa. Again. Either Luna handed out nicknames like free samples in a mall or he hit a nerve. (He hoped for the latter to be true.)

“I could never think too highly of myself. But tell me, chica delivery, are you afraid you might fall for me? If you stay with me for too long?”

“Me? Falling for you? You wish!”

With the blush turning deeper and deeper, Matteo never wanted to stop. Unfortunately, though, his best friend crossed his plans of bantering with Luna some more. “Matteo! There you are!”, he shouted out of nowhere, suddenly behind Matteo and resting his arms around his shoulders.

“Who’s that?”, Luna blurted out.

Sighing, Matteo shot Gastón a look. “This is Gastón, my best friend and…” – he had no chance of finishing his sentence. “Details, Matteo, no one cares about who I am. But I care about who you are”, Gastón interrupted, before he scanned Luna, who began to shift awkwardly on her place. “How do you know Matteo?”

“Eh, let’s go with we met in Mexico”, she replied while she played with the many bracelets hugging her wrists.

Matteo hardly covered up how badly he wanted to facepalm at her reply – knowing his best friend, he’d rather come up with hundreds of follow-up questions than to let the topic go. Something as vague as We met in Mexico simply didn’t cut it for him.

Especially when Matteo hadn’t mentioned her after he came back.

“Interesting, interesting…”, Gastón indeed mumbled to himself, but luckily for Matteo, Nina decided to join them that moment. “Oh, hi, Luna! Was this the job you told me about?”, she greeted the little Mexican.

“Wait, what? You know her?”

Honestly, he felt like he was stuck in a dream without noticing – one of these weird ones that followed him around all day and left him with this haunting inability to make a distinction between reality and subconscious fantasy.

Nina shot him a side look, confused. “Yes, the teacher assigned us as seat partners.”

He turned to Luna, let his eyes wander over her. With her colorful outfit, he found it hard to imagine her in the Blake’s school uniform. And… how come he hadn’t seen her? For a whole week?

“You didn’t tell me you’re visiting the Blake, chica delivery. Any other things I should know? Did you already find out my address? My sleeping schedule?” That’s where Gastón interrupted, “Bro, no offense, you don’t have one.”

Flipping his best friend off, Matteo stole another glare at Luna, only to find her with her arms crossed, looking extremely offended. “You’re making it sound like I’m stalking you!”

He snorted. “Because apparently you are.”

Luna took a step closer to him, bringing him to realize how short exactly she was. How she had to tilt her head to meet his eyes. How he had to fight a smirk because of this observation.

“Yes, yes, there’s nothing I love more than stalking a chico fresa like you.” A short break and a chuckle that blew her cover. “I already told you, you’re thinking too highly of yourself.”

As much as Matteo would have loved to counter that, his friends jumped in before the sassy remark reached his throat. “Strawberry guy? What?”, they simultaneously asked, confusion sprinkled all over their faces.

Luna sighed. “This will be fun…”

Although she most definitely had a different meaning in mind, Matteo couldn’t help but hope it indeed would be fun.

#soy luna #lutteo #my sl fanfiction #a sound so sweet of you and me #the chapters will be longer from now on #and Saturday we'll start diving into the plot #I can't wait for next week hehe

21 notes · View notes

justicedefended · 6 years

Text

⚖ | @legalchords !

The opportunity is almost too good to be true:

the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, severely lacking in prosecutors.

It’d been the biggest punchline talk abuzz around the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, because while they’re on the opposite coast and full of stiff suits and stiff backs, the same couldn’t be said for their upper lips. Not among one another. Be it hushed one - on - one conversations behind doors closed or barely cracked, or off - hand comments where casual conversation allowed, the gossip had been in abundance.

Artemis had thrived on it. The next day, when he’d approached those with the power to approve and arrange his transfer out to the struggling LA County, he’d flourished. A smug, somewhat sadistic part of him was satisfied by the accumulative confusion, the disbelief, and the sullen resignation when they couldn’t ethically or reasonably poke holes in his argument about how at a time like this, the West Coast could really use someone like him: young, but well - established and tenacious as he was unbiased. And, most importantly of all: willing to uproot his life and make the move.

With that power move, the gossip had turned to him.

Several of his seniors had approached, but their confusion and disbelief was fluffed up and made smothering by concern. You’ve not been having a difficult time here, have you? Has anyone been giving you issue about your age? Isn’t it a little early in your career to be making a transfer? What about your family here? Are they okay with this move? He’d responded to all their questions as politely as he could manage with temper simmering to a boil just below the surface: by time the people’s angle of interrogation had become personal he’d been reigning back an ugly slew of what he really thought about their special brand of nosiness.

The topic of family was delicate. Frustrating. Embittering.

It’s why he’s opting to move to Los Angeles and live out of a hotel until he finds himself a place. It’s why he’s leaving behind work he loves in a city he loves just as much. It’s why he’s wishing an indefinite goodbye to his apartment, his friends, and a could - have - been.

In his carry - on for the five hour flight, among everything else, there’s a plastic red portfolio full of newspaper clippings and print - outs from the internet: images in grayscale and color, articles dating more than a year back. The timeline starts with a defense attorney being indicted for a crime his apprentice’s client was first accused of, then there’s additional documentation, detailing how that same loon was found guilty of another murder, in another trial. An experimental one. There’s a bit more, relatively recent, news about an alderman’s murder in some obscure Chinatown - esque village and the accused being found not guilty after a two - day long trial, thanks to the red - vested try - hard leading his defense.

He’s got money and reputation but somehow, these pits and pieces of something ( perhaps nothing ) mean the world to him.

Science says it’d be unlikely for you to recognize your own doppelganger. It says self - perception goes a long way in determining how you view yourself. It says something similar about how you can determine the differences between twins, especially if you have a meaningful relationship with one, but not the other. Science is not wrong, but there’s more than a keen likeness between himself and the unwitting subject of all his research.

He’s never seen another bracelet exactly like his on anybody.

Then there's their names.

The first week in California passes him by in a haze of minor jetlag, introductions and interviews, and not knowing where the fuck he is going or will end up whenever he leaves his hotel on his own. He goes through a half carton of cigarettes by the fifth day of his ‘new life’ and wonders if he might contract something terminal before he does the time and the energy to seek out the reason he’s come all the way here.

It doesn’t help his smog - stricken lungs that the chief prosecutor is either a hard - ass or putting him to some kind of test, because he’s only going on his eighth day of no sleep and too much caffeine when he’s saddled with some weird case about a hit - or - run happy suspect whose charges have gone from a single count of manslaughter to multiple counts of first - degree murder after more evidence linked them to additional scenes.

Artemis is sitting, has been for hours, cross - legged on his hotel room floor surrounded by these grisly crime scene photos and other duplicate files when he gets up, puts on his shoes, grabs the red portfolio, and heads out the door with the rest of his essentials in his pockets. It’s early in the afternoon, since it’s an off day for him, but he’s restless. Work was supposed to soothe his nerves, anchor him, but it’s not been enough all morning long and he’s not going to waste anymore time doing nothing when he’s so exhausted that he’s wired, and feels like he could do anything and everything.

Confronting Apollo Justice falls under the category of ‘anything.’

The Wright Anything Agency is — it’s not what Artemis expects. First things first, it’s a fucking mess of things that don’t belong in a firm: hula hoops and floating spaghetti are only a start to the visual discrepancies of what is, and what should be, but there’s a segmented box standing tall near the door he comes through that he’s pretty sure is something magicians might use in a trick. He navigates the office front cautiously, looking around for a sign of life other than the large potted plant in the corner when a squeal from another doorway has him jumping out of his skin, fingers flexing protectively against the folder he’s brought along and holding it all the more secure against his side.

“ Polly! I like what you’ve done with your hair, but you’re going to make us late! “ A teenage girl’s flouncing towards him, and her ensemble definitely screams ‘MAGIC! TRICKS! RABBITS! BOTTOMLESS HATS!’ While the paraphernalia about the space all makes now, he’s struck silent while made to edge away from her when she reaches out, gloved hand extending for the one unoccupied at his side. She rewards his rejection with a weird look, and minutely, he thinks he sees her lips purse before she’s smiling again, her hands disappearing behind her back. “ I thought you said you were going to go home and change but there’s no one reason for you to go all - out like this, silly! You’re going to spend too much of the show inside a box for anyone to appreciate your hair, or that new tie. “

New tie? Does that idiot only own the one I always see in his photos?

Lungs expand with a huff, silent, and Artemis reels back another step for good measure before fixing the girl with a look both scrutinizing and trademark. It’s soon as he speaks that he sees her shift her weight to the heels of her feet and away from him, probably catching onto his underlying accent. “ Listen, I’m not— “ From behind him, the door he came through earlier opens again and he and the girl both glance that way. Artemis smirks at who he sees, body turning sideways to the room’s two other occupants so to point his index finger Apollo’s way.

“ —him. You couldn’t pay me to style my hair like that. “

#legalchords #twin au pending.

2 notes · View notes

itslulu42 · 7 years

Text

A Broken Promise

Part Nineteen of Ninja Dorks Flailing at Interpersonal Relations

I just realized it has been three weeks since I updated. Omg. I didn’t realized I’ve been that busy. O_O

One | Previous

A Broken Promise

Sakura smiled nervously at Ino, who was staring at her with her mouth open. Ino stood from the kitchen table and reached out to grab a hold of Sakura’s wrist.

“What the hell, Pig?” Sakura asked even as she let Ino lead her outside into the yard.

Ino gave a dramatic sweep of her arm as she pointed to the monument that was visible in nearly every part of Konoha. “Him?”

The Yamanaka compound was situated in a prime spot in the village; Ino had an excellent view of Hokage Monument. The man who had carved Kakashi’s face was a true master who had captured Kakashi’s steadfast leadership. The man had also managed to get Kakashi’s hair just right, that slightly tousled look that hinted at his playful side.

“Oh my god! Look at you! You have it bad.” Ino cackled. “I can’t believe you kept this from me. I need details!”

The smile on Sakura’s face grew as she went back into the house, Ino hot on her trail. “Kakashi loves me.” Even a week later the thought made her heart flutter in excitement.

“Wow.” Ino sighed as she sat back in the chair. “Did he tell you or do you just know? How did he do it?”

Sakura hesitated, and then shoved one of the snacks Ino had laid out in her mouth. Kakashi’s confession had been romantic but painful, full of repeated phrases and halted sentences. It had been strange to see him like that, his normal cool attitude replaced by something terribly vulnerable. Sakura knew how difficult it could be to talk about feelings, so she let him speak without interruption until his body nearly vibrated with the effort. She would never forget the bravery of his words.

Kakashi’s raw confession was only for her ears.

“I’m sorry, Ino but Kakashi’s a pretty private person. I don’t feel comfortable with sharing the details.”

Ino’s eyes widened. “You must be serious about him. Can you tell me what he’s like though? I know a couple of my cousins were pretty happy when the announcement was made that he was going to be the Rokudaime, but I haven’t heard much about him. Shikamaru said Kakashi-sama used to stop by his home to talk to his dad.” Ino shrugged. “I guess that’s what you get when you’re an elite ninja for so long. Either you only work with other elite ninja or everything is so top secret you can’t talk about it. I guess that’s why nobody likes him.”

Sakura bristled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ino fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. “Sometimes I have to go to clan meetings and Kakashi-sama is there and it doesn’t go over very well. It’s mostly the old clan heads that have an issue with him because he’s trying to be progressive and they want to stick to their old ways.” Ino wrinkled her nose. “Kakashi-sama will say something that rubs them the wrong way, but he’s not wrong so the clan heads can’t argue. Tsunade-sama used to throw staplers at the clan heads to make them stop talking. Everyone used to complain about it, but they liked how she asserted her power. Kakashi-sama’s more diplomatic, so he probably has to work twice as hard as the Godaime because they don’t like him.”

“Oh.” Sakura thought about the growing stacks of paper piled in Kakashi’s office and the late nights that were capped off by a trio of Kage Bunshin disappearing into smoke. She clenched her fist. “Who should I punch first?”

Ino shook her head. “You can’t solve the problem that way, Sakura. But people like you, right? Maybe you can do something.”

Sakura gave a wave to Shizune as Kakashi muttered underneath his breath. “It’s just an afternoon off, Kakashi. Shizune says you’ve been running yourself ragged and I go back to work in the hospital next week. The paperwork will still be there and that meeting you had is already rescheduled. We need to take advantage of the afternoon.” She caught Kakashi’s movement out of the corner of her eye. “Did you just flip off an Anbu agent?”

“Hm? Did you say something?”

Sakura snorted. Now that they were dating, Sakura was beginning to learn some of Kakashi’s more interesting quirks. Even though they had been friends, he had been holding a part of himself back. Then again, the people that he considered friends were a generation older. One of the most delightful discoveries was how funny he was, his humor light and slightly teasing. Sakura was rarely without a smile on her lips when he was around.

“Where are you taking us? Am I underdressed?” Kakashi asked as they made their way down the packed streets. The crowd parted slightly when they noticed Kakashi in their mist and Sakura took advantage of it by looping her arm in his to gently lead him in the direction she wanted. He tensed at physical contact before relaxing.

“It’s primarily a ninja establishment,” Sakura explained as she saw a vegetable vendor drop a cabbage on the floor as the couple passed by. Sakura resisted the urge to pump her fist in excitement. So far everything was going to plan.

“I feel like you’re parading me around,” Kakashi muttered as Ino gave a thumbs up from inside the Yamanaka Flower shop.

Sakura discreetly returned the gesture to Ino with her free hand. “I’m trying to make you look good. All you have to do is trust me.” Sakura tugged him to the left, intent on taking the longest and busiest route to their destination. They arrived just in time; Sakura spotted Kotetsu and Izumo exiting the restaurant as they rounded the corner. The restaurant owner did a double take when Kakashi and Sakura entered the restaurant. He recovered admirably a moment later, as Sakura ushered Kakashi to a table within a reasonable distance of their target. “Good afternoon Hokage-sama and Sakura-chan.”

The only other customer in the restaurant straightened at the greeting.

“Good afternoon, Hiroji-san. Kakashi-kun and I are just here for a light lunch. We’ll both have the soup.” Sakura ushered Kakashi to a table next to the woman.

“Maybe I don’t want soup,” Kakashi said in amusement as they took a seat.

“Yes, you do,” Sakura replied. “You hate fried food and that’s eighty percent of their menu. I brought you here because it’s always quiet here during this time of day.”

“Ah. I guess I want soup.”

Sakura beamed at him before greeting the woman who was discreetly watching them from the nearby table. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Yamamoto.”

“You're looking well, Sakura-chan. I heard you had returned to the village. I was quite surprised; I thought you were going be gone for years.” Mrs Yamamoto’s eyes flickered over to Kakashi. Sakura bit her tongue to keep from smiling.

“It turns out I couldn’t stay away from the village for too long. There were some people I just missed too much.” She left a very deliberate pause before turning to her partner. “Kakashi-kun, have you met Mrs. Yamamoto?”

Kakashi’s face twitched at the suffix. “I can’t say that I have had the pleasure.”

“How does being the village leader suit you?” Mrs. Yamamoto asked in a casually disinterested tone.

Kakashi hummed as he considered the questions. “It’s very challenging. The village is growing at a tremendous rate. Not only are shinobi settling down to have families, but a great many people have moved into Konoha because we have the strongest ninja in the world living here. With the population growth comes new challenges.”

A young boy came out from the back as Kakashi spoke. The boys’ face set in grim determination as carried out the bowls of soup. He kept his eyes glued to the tray as he placed them in front of Sakura and Kakashi.

Kakashi smiled at the boy. “Thank you, Genjiro-kun.”

Genjiro lifted his head to stare at Kakashi, his eyes wide. “You know my name?”

“Of course,” Kakashi replied. “It’s very important for me to know how my shinobi are doing. I’ve noticed your taijutsu scores at The Academy have improved in the past month. You’ve must have put in a lot of hard work. I’m very proud of you.”

Genjiro’s mouth fell open and his face grew red. Sakura worried that the boy was going to explode because of Kakashi’s compliment. Genjiro stuttered his thank you and then making his exit, his legs wobbling as he vanished into the back.

“The other Hokages didn’t get weekly reports from the teachers like you do, Kakashi-kun. You would have less work if you didn’t insist on them.” Sakura snapped apart her chopsticks.

“Those reports are crucial to the future of our village, Sakura. I’m not going to compromise on my vision.”

“Vision?” Mrs. Yamamoto turned her seat to a more comfortable position, so she could face Kakashi more easily.

Kakashi nodded, poking at his own food as he waited for the soup to cool. “We are entering an era of unprecedented peace. With it comes change, and I have to make certain we provide the best opportunities to our villagers. Right now most of our money is coming in from missions, but that wouldn’t be the case in a few years’ time.”

Mrs. Yamamoto’s eyebrows nearly flew off of her forehead. “Not missions? How can that be possible?”

Sakura took a sip of the broth in her bowl to hide her smile. Mrs. Yamamoto was from Tsunade’s generation, and she was so used to the way things were that the idea was unfathomable. Konoha was specifically built to be a ninja village. How else was the village supposed to thrive without missions?

Fortunately, the expert was sitting in the very room.

Mrs. Yamamoto and Kakashi spoke about the topic for an entire hour. Sakura would make an occasional comment to distract Mrs. Yamamoto so Kakashi could sneak his food. The conversation ended because customers began to trickle in the restaurant once more. Kakashi and Sakura excused themselves and walked took another long walk, this time ending up at the top of Hokage Monument to play fetch with the ninken.

Kakashi flopped down on the grass while Sakura threw the balls as far as she could. The pack took off, all of them eager to be the first one to return. Sakura lay down next to Kakashi, her hand threading through his. She longed to press against his side, to breathe in the mix of the sweet-smelling grass and his scent. But they were in public, and he was still adjusting to her presence. Her soft touches were the ones that made Kakashi flinch the most.

Kakashi took a deep breath. “Are you going to explain what this was about or do I have to guess?”

“Tsunade put me on a grueling rotation that had me treat every illness and injury when I became her apprentice,” Sakura began, her eyes focused on a lazy cloud that was floating by. “But I also wanted her to show me how to fight and it was hard to do both. So I went to ask Mrs. Yamamoto for help. She spread the word that every shinobi with a minor illness or injury could come to see me directly. I no longer had to go all over the hospital looking for the right patients to practice my skills; they came to me. All that practice helped my chakra control, and soon Tsunade made time to her schedule to show me how to fight as well. By the time the Fourth War was over, I had treated almost every ninja in the village.

“Mrs Yamamoto is important to the village not because she’s the head of a clan or because she is rich. She’s just an old woman with lots of time on her hands and an ear for gossip. She’s the woman you go to when you’re a genin and you're trying to get your hone your skills to become a chunin. She’s the one who puts in a good word to the kenjutsu expert, the jounin who happens to have the same affinity as you. A leaf doesn’t fall in Kohoha without landing on someone who owes a favor to Mrs Yamamoto.”

“Mrs Yamamoto really liked you.” Sakura rubbed her thumb in circles on his hand. “And she is going to everyone she knows how smart you are and how hard you work. And she is going to brag to everyone that you knew her great-grandson by name and that you were proud of Genjiro’s taijutsu.”

Kakashi gave a soft laugh. “Great-grandson?”

“Yeah. I wish I could say I planned it, but the only thing I did was bring you into the room. Everything else was you.” She tilted her head in his direction. “Everyone I’ve told about us has so many questions about you because they don’t know you. I’m going to do my best to change that. And pretty soon everyone will love you like I do.”

Kakashi breath hitched. “If you keep saying things like that maybe I’ll try to elope with you too.”

“Stop it.” Sakura elbowed him in the stomach causing Kakashi to wheeze. “You’re not allowed to say that. It’s really embarrassing.” She felt the heat rise to her face. “Besides, I’d probably say ‘yes’ to you.”

“Sakura?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think we’re taking it slow.”

Part Twenty

#kakasaku #ninja dorks #my fanfiction

101 notes · View notes