#something something if only we could see the coin tattoo

[kindahoping4forever]

Ash @ The 5SOS Show Tour Cincinnati

[six-eyed-samurai]

DEATH MARKS AND SOULMATES

SUMMARY: Distancing himself from you was really hard, but Genya had no doubt as to what his coffin soulmate mark meant for you. A/N: Funny enough this is not angst WARNINGS: Set in the Kimetsu Academy AU. Fem reader.

In this world, you find your soulmate not by a red string or a name tattooed on your person, but rather a symbolic little picture imprinted on your shoulder that symbolised something special between you and your soulmate.

The world has seen the ordinary sort (a coffee cup for a cafe meet cute, a book for a library study session), with some unique types (a cross to represent a hospital visit)...but surely no one else on earth save for one Genya Shinazugawa had one of a grave.

It was a plain, unexceptional thing really. Just a simple brown casket underneath thin lines of grass and soil and a tombstone standing sentry over it.

Yet how could it NOT symbolise anything not related to death?

Did it mean he'd die before meeting his soulmate? Did it mean whoever they were, were already dead? Did it mean they were both going to die upon meeting? God, it drove him crazy.

And fearful.

Which was why Genya had long sworn off finding his soulmate. They were both clearly better off never meeting.

So he contented himself with dating around people occasionally who had yet to meet their soulmates. Sure, he knew it wouldn't last long, until they met their one and only at least, but it was fun while it did and at any rate it kept his mind off his own dark, depressing mark.

It still hurt though. Hurt to watch everyone, family and friends and colleagues - hell, even enemies - get together with their soulmates.

Inosuke and Aoi going out after she tripped on his loose shoe he lost running to class identical to the one on her arm and smacked him for it. Iguro-san and Mitsuri-chan shyly confessing their undying love when they pieced together his mark was an old pizza box and hers was a Bunsen burner and test tubes. Kanao and Tanjiro got together after their dropped wallet mix up and discovering the missing halves of their coins literally.

For fxxk's sake, even that Agatsuma kid and Nezuko started dating when they saw the lightning and the loaf of bread on each other's shoulders.

It was really making him feel...slightly left out.

But getting together with his soulmate was a bad idea. So for years Genya could've won a Grammy award for his acting like it was fine, that he never did actually want to meet his soulmate.

Until stupid, lovable HER waltzed back into his life.

He vaguely remembered her from his childhood, but when they both started talking it was like he had known her all his life. Even the gloomy way of how both of them had first met - at some services for a relative of hers and a great god aunt of his - did nothing to dampen their childhood recap chatter.

Was it her charming, if not idiotic humor? Was it the way she complimented him so naturally? Was it the way she just stared at him across the ground and smiled when he turned around?

Whatever it was...she was really making it hard for him to keep to his promise.

"Hey, Genya?"

God. This was it. No, no, no...

"Hmm, yeah?"

"There's something I want to tell you...We've been really good friends for a while now. I was thinking...something more?"

"AND I TURNED HER DOWN, ANIKI, WHY THE HELL DID I DO THAT?”

Genya groaned into his pillow and banged his head against his bed while an irritated Sanemi sat at the other end with a disbelieving expression and handa in the midst face palming himself and bringing it down on his little brother's skull in despair and rage.

"GENYA, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!? I'M FXXKING TIRED KF SEEING BOTH YOUR PUPPY EYES AND MOONING!” Sanemi bellowed, then took a deep breath to calm himself and wake his already asleep siblings. “Dammit, what did she say?"

"She was so nice about it, that's the problem!!! She even said we could still be friends if I was fine with it but I just feel even more guilty! WHY ARE GIRLS JUST SO - UGHHH."

"Genya, is this about your soulmate mark thing again?" Sanemi sighed, suddenly serious, and yanked his brother up. "You do know plenty of people don't wind up with their soulmate right, stupid idiot? It doesn't decide everything."

"Yeah, but what if she finds her soulmate and they're a better match? She showed me her mark once - something like a black umbrella lying in a puddle."

"Black umbrella?" Sanemi frowned (well, even more so than before) and leaned back. "Well, well, you don't see that many of that colour around. What are the odds of him finding her soulmate?"

"You found yours! Besides, it's really common, it's the sort of umbrella you bring to a funeral."

"Funeral? Damn, kinda like yours huh, tough luck - hang on a second."

"Yeah?" Genya peeked from the mound of pillows in surprise.

"Tell me how you guys met again." Sanemi snapped his fingers impatiently. “Get on with it, dumbass, I'm not gonna sit here all night listening to you moan about being a wimp.”

"We were at dad's funeral, remember? Her dad was his drinking buddy or something. I dropped the umbrella I was carrying and since it was raining it nearly blew off but she caught it-"

His mouth dropped open when Sanemi let out a loud groan and slapped the mattress. "What?"

"Genya. Funeral. Your mark is a coffin. You guys met at a funeral. You dropped your umbrella. She caught it for you. Her mark is an umbrella. Any bells RINGING YET, YOU GODDAMNED FOOL?"

"...oh god."

Sanemi barely had time to shout after Genya with the speed he was barging out of the room and running off. "DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU GET HER, OR I'LL LOCK YOU OUT!”

It wasn't that hard to find her house, having been there so many times. Genya tore through the storm and down the streets like it was nothing but a leisurely walk in the park, barely avoiding slipping on the puddles, until he arrived in front of the garden you and him had spent so many days messing around in. She was standing so obviously, miserably in the pouring rain holding the umbrella like he did so many years ago, a quiet moment from the accepting facade she had thrown up before.

Something about just watching that made him regret every single dead he had had before. She was a beautiful, serene, sorrowful painting.

And he'd be a fool to auction such a treasure like that off.

He called her name, once, twice, panting and desperate.

She whipped around almost at once. "Who - Genya-kun? Genya-kun! You'll catch a cold!"

She rushed forward at once to cover his dripping wet self with her umbrella, concern written - scrawled - over her features.

"Doesn't matter - look - uh -" Genya faltered, then took a deep breath. "I said no because I was afraid you weren't my soulmate. Or if you were... let's just say my mark wasn't the most auspicious. I was...scared of what would happen, so it was worse."

"Is that - is that it? Genya-kun, I - I don't - you know I don't care - care about the marks -"

"No, listen, please. Then I talked it over with Aniki and he kinda made me realize some things."

"Oh - uh - yeah? What?"

"That the grave on my shoulder was because I met you at a funeral, that I love you mark or not and...that yes, I want to be something more."

"We - we can be more than more. We'll be most - I - I promise!"

She held her umbrella over him all those years ago.

Now both of them threw it away to laugh and dance in the rain as newfound lovers.

[fredwkong]

The Prep Watch

When you first came home wearing the Prep Watch, we laughed about it. You were even the one who coined the name. You’d been at work downtown, busking and selling your punk CDs, when some preppy white boy in a Ralph Lauren polo and chinos ran up to you and smacked a Rolex or something onto your wrist.

You looked like the last person who would wear a Rolex. Every bare bit of skin was covered in tattoos, to the point that it was hard to tell you had Hispanic heritage. You had piercings all over your face and body, and you kept your hair in a neon pink mohawk. You covered up your skinny frame with heavily patched jackets and loose, distressed jeans. As the epitome of a punk, such a fancy watch stuck out like a sore thumb.

We laughed about it for a bit, and then I took a closer look. It was nice, probably gold-plated at least. “Dude, you should totally pawn it,” I told you. Our finances were…precarious, to say the least. Pawning something like this would cover, like, a week’s worth of groceries.

But you looked down and furrowed your pierced eyebrows. “I dunno,” you said, suddenly sounding far away. “I mean. It looks nice, right?”

“Definitely,” I said, assuming that would be the end of it.

But when you hopped into bed next to me that night, the Prep Watch was still on your wrist.

By the next week, it was definitely really weird. I mean, you only took the watch off to shower. But when I told you that you were being strange, you just said, “Yeah, but it looks nice, right?”

It was like living with a pod person.

I bet you thought I wouldn’t notice when you switched underwear. It was such a subtle difference, trading Walmart boxers for those fancy boxer briefs. But, I mean, I tidy the bedroom. I saw the patterns in the underwear drawer. At the time, I thought it was sort of cute. A hard-ass punk wearing underwear with a cuddly duckling pattern on it.

Little did I know.

It probably felt like temptation, the desires you were experiencing as you kept on wearing the watch. You’d be out in the city, busking the afternoon away, watching all those preppy city boys walk past in their pastel sweaters and fancy slacks. Knowing that underneath all your gear and piercings, right on top of your tattoos and your Prince Albert, you were wearing the same underwear. Did you miss any notes? Did your voice crack as you lusted over some fucking preps?

I was so confused when I found some of your more obvious piercings in the bathroom trash bin. You loved your nose rings, and we’d gotten our helix piercings together. Hearing you say that they just weren’t your thing anymore made me feel like slapping you.

I considered leaving you, you know. I could have walked out that day and left you at the mercy of whatever fucking bullshit was happening to you. But at that point, I had the crazy idea in my head that this wasn’t you. It was the Prep Watch that was doing this to you. So, like an idiot, I stayed, and tried to come up with a way to get that damn Rolex off your wrist.

One day, you came home and told me you’d gotten a corporate job. “May as well use that Economics degree,” you said, even though we’d burned our diplomas together a couple years ago. When you said, “It’s just until my music picks up,” I think we both knew you were lying, but I nodded anyway. Under your leather jacket, I could see you were wearing a polo shirt.

The next day, you got your hair cut. You hadn’t been maintaining your mohawk anyway, but it was a shock when you got home with a head of short brown curls. For some reason, it looked like it was growing in blond at the roots.

By that point, did you already hate your own music? You kept busking once or twice a week for a month longer. I think it was just for appearances. When we went out to gigs, I noticed your smile was kind of tight, like you were just there for my sake. The only times I saw you really grin anymore was when you were putting on your damn work shirts or staring at that fucking Prep Watch. I swear, you got a boner in your stupid preppy boxer briefs whenever you looked at that thing. “It looks nice, right?” you said to me, admiring the watch on your wrist under your cufflinks.

I couldn’t get the watch away from you. You only took it off to shower, and we’d stopped showering together. I bet you’d taken out all your body piercings already. Christ, they probably came off before your visible piercings, trying to hide it from me. What kind of a boyfriend— Whatever. What you were really hiding was probably how cleanly all your piercings had healed.

Yeah, don’t give me that shit about good wound care. I know what a healed over piercing looks like, and your lip has never been pierced. I mean, I know the watch is magic now. Your tattoos were fading even before you went and got them lasered off. I saw the disgust on your face every time you looked at your neck tatts in the mirror. No man’s skin gets pale like yours got. Everything cleared up.

Do you like being so much smaller? Softer? You used to be lanky and lean, now you look short, soft. Pastel. How many fucking pastel clothes can one man own? Pants, shirts, sweaters, socks, hats, fucking pastel purses! Man bags, what the fuck ever. Just a little curly-haired blond prep with perfect white teeth and a perfect little office job. Do your coworkers even know about what you used to be? They probably think you’re about twenty, with that boyish look on your clean-shaven face.

You really wanted to go to the carnival, and, I mean, you were paying most of the rent at that point, so I went along with it. For some reason, I still thought that I could separate you from that watch and everything would just… go back to normal. Who knows? Maybe if I’d found a way to separate the watch from you that night, they would have. You still remembered who you were, then. Your keyboard was covered in dust, sitting in the corner of the bedroom, but it was still there.

But as we watched the lights on the ferris wheel, you a short little pastel boy with a single demure piercing, standing next to a lanky punk covered in tattoos and wearing a patched jacket, you checked the Prep Watch. I watched as your eyes shone in the light reflected off the watch face, and with a swirl like smoke, they turned from brown to blue. You nodded to yourself and undid the watch.

“Want to try it?” you chirped at me, reaching toward my wrist.

I ran.

I think that I thought I could get back to our apartment and clear my stuff out before you got back. But I was on transit. You owned the car. I really thought I’d made it when I saw the lights off in our window. I unlocked the door, crept inside…

There was barely a rustle as you emerged from the closet and clapped the watch onto my wrist.

And now here we are. I’ve been talking for a while, I guess. I just had to get all of that out. I wish that I could just stand up, walk out, take off this watch. What I really wish is that I had just up and left when I saw the way this was going. I'm afraid that I'm about to lose myself, the way you have. I miss my boyfriend. But now here we are, and I’m wearing the Prep Watch, and, well…

It looks nice, right?

[octuscle]

My boss keeps talking about how scary it is seeing all these dyed hair, pierced, tatted up punks. He keeps saying they're going to be the downfall of society... Is there any way you could show him a real scary Halloween season? I'd love for him to eat his words.

My boss keeps talking about how scary it is to see all these dyed, pierced and tattooed punks. He says they're going to be the downfall of society…. Could you show him a really scary Halloween season? I'd like to measure him by his words.

The costume for your boss looks completely harmless. Nothing but a pretty harmless looking ring. Okay, with a skull on it. All we need is for him to put this ring on. And then we can activate his costume.

You put the ring on his desk. Between his mail. As expected, he picks up the ring, turns it back and forth. And puts it back on the desk. This is repeated four or five times. Only after the office building is almost empty does your boss put the ring on his ring finger. Too big. It fits on his thumb. He looks at the ring. And the trap snaps shut.

Your boss doesn't notice, but his body gets younger and younger. Slimmer, more athletic. His suit fits snugly. And the expensive dark blue virgin wool slowly becomes a cheap polyester check pattern. The first piercings appear in his nose and ears. And the craving for a cigarette grows. Actually, your boss doesn't smoke. But his mindset has already changed in this regard. A pack of cigarettes and a lighter can be found in his coat. He throws on the coat and goes outside to the front of the building. And lights a cigarette. And he sees his reflection in a window pane. His coat has turned into a studded leather jacket. Underneath is a Sexpistols T-shirt with heavy chains over it. Something like the ones that hang down like suspenders from his plaid pants. And his feet are in DocMartin's with red laces. His face is still his face. Younger. Slimmer. More piercings. But that's still clearly your boss. Even when the transformation comes to the finale. His stuffy haircut gives way to a gorgeous mohawk. Shit, he dropped his cigarette in shock. With trembling hands, he wants to light a new one. But the pack of cigarettes is gone. All he has left is loose tobacco and cigarette paper. Your boss rolls a cigarette with astonishing routine. And realizes that he no longer has a lighter. "Excuse me, could you please give me a light?" your boss wants to ask a passerby. "Mate, ya got a light?" comes out of his mouth instead. Most passersby quicken their pace. It takes minutes before someone takes pity.

When he has kicked out the cigarette butt with his boot, he wants to go back to the office. But his door card is gone, as is his entire wallet. There are a few coins in his pocket, that's all. He rings the night bell. After a few minutes, a night watchman comes and opens the door. And yells at him to fuck off, he can't scrounge money or food here. Your boss still wants to say that he pays the night watchman's salary. But the door has long since closed again. "Fuck ya" yells your boss and shows the middle finger. Between his boots is an army backpack full of patches and scribbles. Hopefully he still has a beer. Thank God, yeah! The beer is warm. But it's better than nothing. Air is getting cold. And he's getting hungry, too. Shit, there are also a few of these miserable punks loitering around at the bus stop and mooching off passers-by. Disgusting and lazy riffraff. "Mate, dee ya hav anutha 'eer for us?" asks one. Your boss realizes the seriousness of the situation. He sits down with the punks on the sidewalk and shares his beer with people who are his last hope.

Three days later. Halloween. The party is raging in the condemned house where your boss has found a place to sleep. Somehow enough beer, booze and weed always come together. The tattoo artist, who your boss blew for a bit of money, has promised to tattoo a Union Jack on his neck tomorrow for free. Your boss doesn't know yet that tomorrow at 08:00 he will wake up in his old body again. Let's see if he likes it….

[itslouisan]

Some Revivebur headcanons!:

Btw some of these only exist due to @syndicatedsystem design on my man so...yep

Also shootout to @utahlive because some of these headcannons also came from some of the posts in there and @tntduopolls for answering some of my questions but also ✨ headcannon material✨

(Art by: zirzipper on twitter!! )

• Transmasc!! Either we agree C!Wilbur in general is transmasc or demiboy ot transfem, and that's it. Also bi

• This man totally tried dying his hair back to complete brown only to find out the streaks are always coming back white no matter what he did

• He started smoking on teenager years, considering how I hc Wilbur roughly as a 40 year old max (and C! Quackity as a 36 year old max) he lived through the time where smoking was seen as something "mature" and "cool" and socially even to this day many adults use smoking as a way to cope with pressure but also fit in the society and create connections in the work space, which Wilbur probably understood, picking up the habit of smoking for said reasons

• That being said, he's autistic, end of story, bye. He's also probably REALLY good at masking

• Because of tntduopolls I came to a conclusion: either Wilbur's style fluctuates between classy, rustic, OR JUST RANDOM BS FROM THRIFT STORES HE BOUGHT FOR 1.99 FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES

• Wilbur is anemic as fuuuuck, also lacks vitamin D

• His coat has a intense smell of cigarettes, whiskey, dry blood, gun powder and wet dirt, that's because he always had a problem with washing clothing, to the point he felt if he washed it, it didn't fit in his skin anymore and felt wrong, when Tommy took it, it was already completely destroyed and there was nothing he could do to repair, it was as if a mark of Wilbur was in that coat even after death

• This mf will enter in your house/office or whatever and steal anything he finds fitting, no, he won't apologize, yes, he will gaslight you to believing you just lost the item and is crazy blaming him, yes he keeps a collection of said items

• His favorite items to steal? Gold, keys, dice, cards, coins, lighters, rings, necklaces, sketchbooks (these he might give back if you draw him), history books and gems

• Quackity had to create a "code Wilbur" during Las Nevadas from how constantly that bitch forced his way into the office to steal some shit or just sit in Quackity's chair and play the president

• He did have an affair with Quackity before dying, it was secret though and both of them took it to the grave, literally

• He is rotting inside, like, he doesn't have warmth in his body, but it's not JUST that, other things that show that he's dead is the fact Wilbur has to constantly stitch himself together otherwise his limbs may stop responding and fall apart, also he feels phantom pain in the chest sometimes at night if he doesn't go to bed for far too long, but, inside his skeleton, his bones are rotting slowly, his voice is slowly becoming raspier and raspier because his vocal chords are hurting each other, maybe one day he'll end up mute and it doesn't help the fact that he smokes so much, and his teeth are permanently yellow. Not to mention the rotten and fucked up nails

• He actually has a tattoo with the L'Manberg flag on his left wrist

Tw: some of these can include the topic of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, body scars, body dysphoria

• He always HATED that he is an avian, often using unsafe binding methods on his wings, the result? He can't fly anymore, and due to death, his wings are rotting, falling apart, you can even see some of the bones in it already, birds also tend to pluck out feathers when stressed, so just like Phil, he took away multiple of his feathers from the wings, arms, armpits, neck and chest. He also clipped his wings.

• Wilbur DID self-harm when he came back to life, not because of depression this time though since in Pogtopia he used to sh from mental illness, in here, he feels ALIVE when he cuts himself, it's a reminder that he isn't just a husk, an empty cold corpse, that he feels pain again, that he isn't going to wake up in that train station again.

• In his limbo he did think of jumping in the train line a couple of times, but because the train never came he'd just be suffering in the bottom without a way to go back up

• Wilbur unsafe binding also extended to his chest, in which resulted to permanent scars in his chest and ribs, as well as breathing problems, all due to the fact he didn't want to ask for help of others for his gender but didn't want to live not feeling manly enough

• Wilbur has a massive issue with bed rotting sometimes spending half a day only in bed, and that extends to his apartment, dirty and messy and his own appearance

• In pogtopia, knowing that he'd die, every night he'd wrote song lyrics to burn them in candle light, letters saying what he wished he had the courage to say to people he cared about in person, and burnt himself with cigarettes only to feel alive (yes, yes it is a reference to Noel's lament, I'm sorry Wilbur is so Noel codded--)

• Sometimes by walking near places with water he sees the ghost of sally....he hates water now

[bluxb3rry]

❝𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬!❞↳෴੭˚ ༘♡·˚₊˚ˑ༄ؘ 💙

Felix x male reader!

he/him pronouns! English is not my frist language!

More "has a lots of tattoos x doesn't have any tattoos" oneshot :D

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

Felix Lee always liked to bake sweet things for his class, at frist he did it only for his friends, but then all the class liked his baking. So is just a normal thing at this point.

Right now is walking with a food container full with brownies, his class favorite thig from all his baking. While he was walking to his class he notices how there were more people looking at his class then normal, confused he got close to the one he knew the most.

-Jeongin?-the named looked at him

-oh, Hyung-

-"Oh"? what's going on?-he asked still confused

-um, theres a new guy in you'r class-

-so?-

-look-he grabed him and put him more close to the door, so he could look inside.

It was just a normal guy, just some tattoos and pirecings, he wasn't able to look well but some tattoos showed in the neck of the boy, also some i his hands and fingers, he seemed to have a snake bite type of piercing, and some others, and maybe some combinatios in his ears. But to be honest nothing else.

He looked at his friend

-still not know what are you talking about-

-It's y/n!-

-wHAT-

He looked at the boy again, nah no way, yeah knew that people may change but the last time that he saw this guys was when he was 10, being the best one in maths, and just an intelligent but introvert guy.

Who is this?

-Okay out of my class-the deep voice of a professor made everyone that wasnt from there leave, and the ones who where supossed to be inside ran to their seats.

Felix was in front of him, one seat at the left.

-well, now that everyone is more calm, i would like to introduce our new classmate, Y/N L/N-

He got up from his seat, giving a slight smile.

-nice to meet you all-

Felix just looked at him weird, he really changed and he wondered why they didn't talk anymore, did something else changed beside appearance?

-well with that done, lets start class-

Felix opened his notebook, ready to take note when a paper was thrown at him, suprised he opened it

"the principal want's you to show me the school Lix"

He looked behind him, meeting with the smile of y/n, looking in front again, sighing tired again.

Long day.

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

After class, and some brownies sold, the boy with tattoos got in front of him.

-Hello Lix-he said looking down at him.

-Y/N...hi-he got up from his seat, looking at him, with a slight akward silence from the rest of the class-should we get going?

-yes captain-

Felix started walking, still with the food container of brownies since he knew some of his friends were gonna ask anyway, with Y/N following behind, and him explaining very short the different places.

-Did you forgot about me?-

-huh?-he looked at him-what are you talking about?-he asked

-Well...you don't say anything about the time i was gone, can't blame you though, i didn't ask neither-he said, walking now in front of him, to the vending machine

-oh well, i didn't knew where to start, um-Felix saw how the male put a coin a selected the bottle of milk-those tattoos...when?

-some of them two years ago, some one month ago-he opened the bottle-i just liked them, the same with the piercings

-you changed...-

-maybe, im still a fucking nerd to-y/n laughed a little, resting in the wall

-not an introvert to-Felix said, resting beside him

-mmh, what makes you say that?-he asked with a smirk

-the little mosquito bite in you'r neck-he smiled

Y/n looked at his neck with his phone, not seeing anything.

-mmmh, not an introvert huh?-

-haha, look mister Lee, i may have sex, but, that doesn't mean i like going out-y/n said laughing a little bit

-if you say so-he looked at his bottle of milk-hey want some brownies?

-it has drugs in it?-

-wha-No! jesus just normal brownies..Do you-?-Felix was about to ask

-nah, i just make jokes and yes i do want some brownies please-

Felix gave him some, seeing how he ate it and drank some milk later.

-mmh good combination, thanks-

Felix looked at nothing while a comfort silence filled the air

-well, we should get going mister rebel-Felix said watching the time

-mmmmh if you say so-he trow the bottle and finished his brownie

Y/n hugged him, resting his face between his neck and schould

-you must be kidding me...-Felix protested

Yet he hugged him to.

-i missed you-

-i missed you too Lix-

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

[nehswritesstuffs]

HEART PIRATES WEEK 2024 - Part 9 of 9

I told myself last year that I was going to participate in Heart Pirates Week this year, and by thunder I'm going to participate in Heart Pirates Week!

Day Nine: Law - Tattoos and/or Fantasy AU

794 words; this also might become something else later; I wonder how many of us Same Brained this prompt bc it’s, like, perfect (I did not look at what others did to spoil myself); warnings for this one is basically just mild language

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Room.”

Law closed his eyes as he felt magic course through him, making his hair stand on-end. Once opened, he saw that his opponents were pissing their breeches, knowing that they messed up. So much for what looked like an easy target—a lone man on a deserted forest road—if only they noticed the magic sigils inked onto his body earlier…

“This is your last chance,” he smirked. “Now what’s it gonna be?”

“Tch; I can’t have some prissy pretty-boy get the better of me,” the bandit leader growled. He was trying to keep a brave face, even though none of his men were even close to bothering. From the looks of their own bags, whomever were their first targets of the day were too soft and useless and rich for him to be no less than the month’s biggest regret. “Any last words before we kill you?”

Ha; wasn’t even convincing.

“Shambles.”

Law’s tattoos glowed blue and chaos broke free. A twitch of his fingers and his opponents were tossed about in wee bits, screaming obscenities as they realized they were all still alive.

“Now!” Penguin shouted, just out of sight. The Heart Bandits all popped into view, grabbing the others’ things and running off before anyone could realize what was going on. Law stuck the leader’s arms on either side of his head and let the abomination drop to the ground.

“Good luck getting back together,” he chuckled. The bandit only was able to open his mouth before he vanished, having used his ability to pop himself down the road.

“It looks like a good haul today!” Shachi grinned. “They go down okay?”

“Like always,” Law replied. The Hearts all ran back to where the rest of their half of the crew was waiting with the horses, Law putting everyone in the saddles instantly and the ten-strong group all galloped off.

It was a couple hours’ ride, but eventually they made it to their current hideout. The group was greeted by the rest of the Hearts, with everyone but Bepo grabbing the haul and beginning to go through it.

“You didn’t go in by yourself again, did you?” Bepo asked as he led Penguin and Shachi’s horses into the paddock. Law disengaged from his mount and tied the horse up next to its trough, not answering. “You did! Law! You shouldn’t do that so often! You’re going to overdo it one day!”

“You worry too much,” Law insisted. Bepo simply frowned, the pair in uncomfortable silence until Ikkaku came over and took charge of the paddock.

“Hey, there’s something interesting you need to see in the loot,” she said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. Law took that as an opportunity to escape, but Bepo did not let him off easy, following him back into the main of the encampment.

“I keep on warning you!” the bear pouted. “You keep going into these raids by yourself and you’re going to bite off more than you can chew!”

“Relax,” Law shrugged. “The rest of the crew wasn’t far behind. Besides, if it was that much, then we’d be screwed no matter what.”

“Captain…!”

“Come with us next time if you’re so scared.”

“Then who will guard camp?”

“They’re not useless.”

“Yeah, I know that…” Bepo trailed off as they approached Uni and Clione as they were going through the loot they’d gotten from the other bandits. There was something about it that felt… off. “What’cha got there?”

“Solid gold from the looks of it,” Clione claimed. He held out what looked like a weight measurement—a shiny golden bell. “I can’t make some of it out; must be from a place outside of the North.”

“I can see exactly where the rest came from,” Law said gravely. He took a coin Uni was holding out and looked at it in the late afternoon sunlight. “Dressrosa.”

“The one and the same,” Uni confirmed. He then presented what looked like a gem-encrusted bracelet. “This has a mark from a smith in Spider Miles; definitely all related somehow.”

“Maybe it means we beat up some of his lackeys?” Bepo wondered. “Joker’s network is spread far as well as deep.”

“It’s possible,” Law agreed. “Where’s Jean Bart? Does he have the new spellbook deciphered?”

“He’s working on it,” Clione shrugged. “We only got that thing two days ago—you want him to translate it, not work a miracle.”

“If Joker’s men are here, then that means that we need something a lot more spectacular than a miracle,” Law stated. He felt as though he would jump out of his skin; Doflamingo was close and he had the means. This could be it…

…only for a familiar cackle to cut through the air.

Oh, shit.

Straw Hat.

[katsukikitten]

@bakugotrashpanda thank you for your service, your date is so excited to see you.

Enjin downloaded our app on a whim and then never got back to us on a single application we sent him!

That is until we sent him you. He's head over heels with you, the new cleaner in the crew so he was ECSTATIC to see that you are both single and on our special app! Naturally he accepts our offer right away and we send him with a special meal ticket to the crew's fav high end hole in the wall restaurant to make sure things go extra smooth!

Although he makes a few mistakes along the way. Like being careless enough not to bring you flowers on the first date (girl we told his dumb ass to bring SOMETHING) and then he makes the even bigger mistake of betting that he can out drink you (lol poor dumbass)

Several shots in before even ordering the appetizer the two of you are giggling over empty shot glasses of what once held tequila and tons of discarded lime wedges over the table.

The main course comes out and the two of you agree to box dessert in favor of a few more drinks. Locking arms to take your shots, licking salt off of his tattooed hand and when you hold your tongue out for him to squirt lime juice onto the fluttering muscle the blood rush to his cock is almost enough to make him pass out! Almost.

Instead he licks salt off of your hand and waits impatient for you to squirt lime on his tongue.

The to go boxes come back and the two of you receive the check. Enjin is excited to get out his all expenses paid gift certificate he got for using our premium service only to find his hand going straight through a hole in his pocket.

A literal fucking hole.

No voucher, no wallet, no spare coin, nada. Just himself and his jinki left at home.

FUCK. What's he gonna do what's he gonna do? You only showed up to this date with a killer dress and heels on and that was it. He TOLD you to leave your bag at home and you did. Fuck it's not like he could call Boss or Zanka and especially not Riyo or Tamzy they'd never let him live this down.

So he leans across the table to whisper in your ear, the smell of tequila and his cologne dizzying.

"We've gotta run for it."

"huh?" You ask blinking at him owlishly and his brows furrow. Desperately pulling at your wrist to get you to come to his side of the table as he waits for majority of the staff to step into the kitchen and the bar tender distracted.

But it never comes and so desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Just be ready to run baby."

With that he twists his lean body around and palms the guys head behind him to slam right into the table.

Naturally the hulking man rises and throws a punch that Enjin ducks and you, as his best sparing partner, lean your entire body against the table so you can horse kick the ever loving shit out of the poor sap! (Girl get it beat his ass!)

With that a bar brawl has been started! Giving perfect cover for Enjin to drag you out of the place without anyone noticing, running in your heels before the two of you stop to catch your breath.

"So..." He pants, "How about a second date?"

"I don't know are we going to have to dine and dash again?"

"Don't act like ya didn't like it pretty girl. I saw you smiling when your kick sent that guy flying! Even got a flash of your underwear!"

"Hey!"

"When's the second date?"

[meganwasbored]

The Dragon Prince Thoughts Season 3 Episode 9

-THIS IS IT

-wait does he actually have to paint the symbols on his arms to get the spell to work or is he just trying stuff because if he does does that mean that ibis has them tattooed on his arms or something? that made no sense i should probably watch more than 5 seconds before i start making stuff up

-WAS HE ABOUT TO SAY I LOVE YOU

-soren’s character development from season 1 to now is incredible i went from being slightly annoyed by him to loving every second he’s on screen

-is it just me or is aaravos’s snake form thing longer than it was last episode

-OMG CALLUMS TRANSLATING I JUST REMEMBERED GREN ISNT HERE WHERE IS HE

-won’t they all die on the way up because of the air or does their demon form change that

-THE LAST DRAGON GUARD

-wait why is callum down here i thought the plan was for him to stay near the top to pick them off on their way up

-SERIOUSLY WHO IS THIS GUY

-claudia carrying the whole army rn

-NOOOOO NOT THE DRAGONS

-IDC IF HES THE KING HES STILL A CHILD GET EZRAN OUT OF THERE

-“it’s going to be okay, wee fella” not when the thousands of demon soldiers burst through that doorway

-ok so the rainbow lighting did nothing but at least it was pretty

-THERE ISNT A SINGLE PERSON WITH CALLUM???? THEY LITERALLY JUST DROPPED HIM OFF LIKE “YOURE ON YOUR OWN KID SEE YOU IF YOU SURVIVE”

-everyone could just swarm kasef and claudia for a second and it would solve 90% of our problems

-callum why do still you have your emotional support sketchbook on you in battle i feel like that’s just slowing you down buddy

-AANYA WHERE DID YOU COME FROM

-THE MOST ICONIC CHARACTER AND I MEAN THAT MY QUEENNNN

-IM SPEECHLESS OMG

-I CAME HERE FOR RAYLLUM BUT I STAYED FOR THE BROYALS

-CRYINGGGGGG GREN AND AMAYA BACK AGAIN I FORGOT HE PROBABLY THOUGHT SHE WAS DEAD SINCE THE VOLCANO

-SKBAIFBEODBDOSNDOSJWLWHAODH

-THE ELVES BOWING TO EZRAN

-EZRAN THE BATTLE LITERALLY JUST ENDED YOU CANT JUST RUN OFF ON YOUR OWN LIKE THAT

-WHAY WAS VIREN HIDING UNDER A BLANKET AND WHY WAS CLAUDIA WALKING AWAY FROM HIM WHAT IS GOING ON

-NO WORDS THIS IS TRULY SORENS EPISODE

-THE AMOUNT OF SOUL CRUSHING TRAUMA HE JUST WENT THROUGH IN THE PAST HOUR

-THIS ONLY TERRIFIES ME BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW HES GONNA SURVIVE SO WHAT HORRIBLE THING IS CLAUDIA GONNA DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN

-ALSO SOMEONE LITERALLY JUST GOT STABBED RIGHT BEFORE EZRANS EYES POOR BABY

-SHUT UP HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING

-HOW DID HE GET UP THERE

-RAYLA IS IN THE EXACT SAME POSITION HER PARENTS WERE IN THIS SPOT I DONT LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING

-HARVEST????? CONSUME??????

-BAIT OMG

-IM SO DUMB HER PARENTS ARE COINS LIKE RUNAAN ARENT THEY

-I HATE THIS I HATE THIS I HATE THIS

-I WENT INTO THIS THINKING I ALREADY KNEW MOSTLY EVERYTHING THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN AND I WAS SO SO WRONG

-BAITS FACE WHEN RAYLA CALLED HIM A HERO

-PUT ZYM DOWN RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL KILL YOU THROUGH THE SCREEN

-OKAY I KNOW SHES GONNA SURVIVE THIS AND YOU KNOW SHES GONNA SURVIVE THIS BUT SHE DOESNT KNOW SHES GONNA SURVIVE THIS WHICH MEANS SHE JUST SACRIFICED HER LIFE FOR THAT DRAGON

-THE FACT THAT HE DIDNT EVEN THINK TWICE ABOUT JUMPING AFTER HER

-pause can we talk about how strong rayla is to hold herself up like that i’d be dead

-this is the one time the “we beat the unbeatable villain through ✨the power of love✨” trope is acceptable

-this is awesome and all and i’m loving every second of it but why are we acting like everything is okay it’s not claudia is still out there with a super powerful staff that could destroy that whole cave with all of you in it if she gets up there

-also i can’t be that only one who doesn’t see the point of this baker like i feel like they just put him here because they can he serves literally no purpose

-wow very convenient of you to wake up right after the battle is over it’s not like you couldve been a huge life saving help anyway😐

-ZYM IS LITERALLY THE SIZE OF THE QUEENS EYEBALL I CANT

-i’m sorry i still can’t get over the fact that the dragons can talk i don’t know how to feel about it

-claudia’s hair is now half white i don’t like this

-if aaravos hatches out of that cocoon i’m gonna lose my freaking mind

-my word that was a lot

-you’re telling me y’all had to wait 3 YEARS after this cliffhanger for season 4???? i’m suddenly very glad i didn’t start watching until now i don’t think i could’ve handled that

[yakdee]

Ramblings on Only Friends Ep. 2

Part 1/4

Again, public declarations/proposals my be-loathed

Cheum is really just here for the vibes and her friends' happiness and I love her for that

JENNY!! I mean P'YO!!! AND HER MAN!!!

This confessional is giving Reality TV vibes and I'm here for it. Although the series is fiction, it is depicting the very real lifestyles of many people in the world and it's honestly so refreshing

See? Sand gets it ... so lame

Aww, Ray ... sweetie

I'm just properly looking at the intro and god everyone looks so hot

You are so right Cheum — there is nothing hotter than someone doing or talking about something within their area of expertise

Not Mew and Top being different sides of the same coin — they both like the challenge; let's see who gives in first

Seriously, can we get Ray some help :(

Mew putting that emphasis on "my friend" oof

Ah, so Top definitely knows that Ray likes Mew

The start of Sand and Nick's bestie era; we love to see it

Mew, you're really after my heart — to tell the guy who's everyone's type that he's not YOUR type *chef's kiss*

Yes, getting Mew is about the chase and conquest BUT Top is a little out of his element bc Mew stimulates his mind AND his lions; he really ain't gonna know what hit him lol

Ray, sweetie ... why are you following this man? At this rate, you're never gonna beat the stray cat allegations

Yo 10,000 Baht is 281.21 USD???! — I would do it too for a check lol

Part 2/4

Can't even focus on the heated make out etc. bc those horns/antlers behind Nick's head were a terrible accident waiting to happen *shudders*

Nick is already so gooooone I just-

With the level of game Boston is spitting, Nick really didn't stand a chance

I want Sand's messenger bag; wonder if it'll be merch

Oooo I love the way they filmed Sand walking into Ray's sitting room; nothing like a good one-take scene

Ray's mom ... that explains so much :(

I guess this wakeboarding park is the new BL spot; first Wedding Plan and now OF lol

GO APRIL!!

Oh no Cheum :(

I'm sorry but Top diving into the water was ... LMAOOO

Gdi Boston! STAND TF UP!!! Top's not gonna pick you and no dick is worth losing a friendship over

Part 3/4

Did Boston climb the shower wall bc how the hell???

Gotta find that post that talks about red (stop), yellow (slow), and green/blue (go) being prominent colors in Mew and Top's relationship because it's really evident in this episode, ESPECIALLY in this cookie scene

Look at my boi Mew setting those boundaries iktr

Mutual mast rep? We love to see it!

But seriously Nick, I'm gonna need you to run baby

Yooo Neo's body is insane; I'm looking respectfully

Can WE see the monstera? We love a good plant tour on this side of the internet

Leaving a hot girl to go home with a hot guy; Sand is winning either way esp considering this super playful vibe Ray is putting on

Part 4/4

Sleeping pills? AND a tragic backstory?

Ngl I thought he was lying too lol ... still kinda think he's lying, but I'll let it go for now

Okay maybe he isn't lying; look at the way he's holding Mew :'(

Is that Ray and Mew in the picture? And what's with the tense, sinister bg music? Whatchu plottin' Boston?

Pansexual rep? We love to see it!

As I said last week, lighting cigarettes as a form of foreplay

Who knew a cigarette smoke kiss could be so life-changing; I am a new person

That little voice in First's head must've been going crazy during this scene lol

AND YOU'RE GONNA KEEP WANTING ME??? IKTR

At this rate, Khaotung's tattoo needs to get a separate check for it's role in this series

Oh Sand, sweetie ... the fire started when you lit that cigarette and you started playing with it the moment you accepted that smoke-filled kiss *deep sigh* you're in too deep now baby (both literally AND figuratively)

Next week is gonna be insane; see you then :)

[fritextramole]

Could you love this?

part 4 of a Blair Waldorf playlist - best heard in order

tracklist and quotes under the cut

Coin de rue ~ Juliette Gréco

Je me souviens d'un triste soir Où le cœur sans espoir ~ I remember a sad evening When my heart despaired

It’s Nice To Have A Friend ~ Taylor Swift

Something gave you the nerve To touch my hand It’s nice to have a friend

Needle In A Haystack ~ The Velvelettes

Still water sometimes runs very deep You'll be sorry when you just jump

Ready Now ~ dodie

Oh, it suits me To feel strong You said, "I will listen Tell me it all You don't like the ending Then we'll find one that's yours"

Autumn In New York ~ Jo Stafford

You'll need no castles in Spain Yes, lovers that bless the dark On the benches in central park Greet autumn in New York

You Can’t Hurry Love ~ The Supremes

You gotta trust, give it time No matter how long it takes But how many heartaches must I stand Before I find a love to let me live again

The Gentleman Is A Dope ~ BLOSSOM DEARIE

He's somebody else's problem She's welcome to the guy! She'll never understand him Half as well as I

You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To ~ Helen Merrill

Under stars chilled by the winter Under an August moon burning above You'd be so nice, you'd be paradise To come home to and love

I'm Not In Love ~ Kelsey Lu

I keep your picture up on the wall It hides a nasty stain that's lying there So don't you ask me to give it back I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me

ivy ~ Taylor Swift

My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand Taking mine, but it's been promised to another

distance ~ Christina Perri

I'll give you everything I am All my broken heartbeats Until I know you'll understand

Stupid Cupid ~ Connie Francis

I'm in love and it's a crying shame And I know that you're the one to blame

Sixteen Reasons ~ Connie Stevens

the way you comb your hair (Six) your freckled nose (Seven) the way you say you care (Eight) your crazy clothes

I’m Not Calling You A Liar ~ Florence + The Machine

There's a ghost in my mouth And it talks in my sleep Wraps itself around my tongue

Andante, Andante ~ Lily James

Let your body be the velvet of the night Touch my soul, you know how Andante, Andante Go slowly with me now

Moodswings (To Come At Me Like That) ~ Charlotte Church

You just want to see, see the other side of me

long story short ~ Taylor Swift

No more tug of war now I just know there's more

Jackie Onassis ~ ELIO

We can go to dinner in Paris and spend our advances Who cares about money and finances? I'll keep taking antidepressants and count my blessings I've learnt my lesson

You’ve Got What Gets Me ~ Ella Fitzgerald

But when you smile on me I get prouder and prouder My heart goes on a spree Beating louder and louder

pov ~ Ariana Grande

How you touch my soul from the outside? Permeate my ego and my pride I wanna love me The way that you love me

Sick of Losing Soulmates ~ dodie

God knows where I would be if you hadn't found me Sitting all alone in the dark

Crépuscule ~ Cœur De Pirate

À vif, nos vies, ne laissaient que nos cris Au loin, crédules, nos peaux au crépuscule Et pourtant, j'espère encore Que l'enfant que j'étais Retrouve enfin, une parcelle de paix ~ Raw, our lives, left only our cries In the distance, gullible, our skins at dusk And yet, I still hope That the child that I was Finally found a piece of peace

cardigan ~ Taylor Swift

But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs The smell of smoke would hang around this long 'Cause I knew everything when I was young

There’ll Be Some Changes Made ~ Peggy Lee

My walk will be different, my talk and my name Nothin' about me is gonna be the same

Our Lips Are Sealed ~ The Go-Go’s

When you look at them Look right through them That's when they'll disappear That's when we'll be feared

Bags ~ Clairo

Savor this with everything I have inside of me I'm not the type to run, I know that we're having fun But what's the rush? Kissing, then my cheeks are so flushed

Le Printemps A Paris ~ Jacqueline Taieb

Entre tes doigts Qu’il est joli, cet accord J’aime ta voix Chante donc un peu plus fort ~ Between your fingers That is pretty this chord I love your voice Sing a little louder

My Baby Just Cares for Me ~ Nina Simone

Baby, my baby don't care for shows And he don't even care for clothes He cares for me

Love Is Here To Stay ~ BLOSSOM DEARIE

Together we're going a long, long way In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble They're only made of clay But our love is here to stay

If I’m Being Honest ~ dodie

All of my best bits pulled forward, collected, displayed Sadly, I just think that I was disgusting today You blew me up like a big balloon far too soon I'm left a stuttering teen

arms ~ Christina Perri

How many times will let you me change my mind and turn around I can't decide if I'll let you save my life or if I'll drown I hope that you see right through my walls I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling

Il Est Parti Comme Il Etait Venu ~ Zouzou

Il a fui sans savoir où aller Tout simplement pour oublier Que sa vie s'est juste un peu brisée ~ He walked away without knowing where to go In order to forget That his life has just been a little bit broken

Nicest Thing ~ Kate Nash

I wish I was your favorite girl I wish you thought I was the reason you are in the world I wish my smile was your favorite kind of smile I wish the way that I dressed was your favorite kind of style

Perfect ~ Selena Gomez

How does she touch you? Can I try it, too? I know you're twisted, but baby, I'm twisted, too I wanna know how she could make a man lose his mind

Sorry ~ Halsey

Don't realize how mean I can be 'Cause I can sometimes treat the people That I love like jewelry

[twisted-leader-of-something]

The Centenary

Something was here.

Something was there.

Some big event was here, forboding across the land. And most couldn't see it.

But Ramshackle Dorm could.

Grim embraced the kindness being shown to him, while Yuu and Quentin. . . were more nervous about the situation.

Everyone around them was more generous than the three remembered, especially at Night Raven College.

More parties and celebrations being thrown for no real reason.

There was more joy in the air. And it seems everything felt that joy.

Well, all but Ramshackle dorm.

It was. . . interesting.

Friends where suddenly more willing to pay for lunch, less homework and schoolwork from teachers.

Everyone was still, well, everyone just with more. . . generosity.

It was strange.

Strange times indeed.

"Dorm Leader Nighty-Sallow!" Yuu called out and Grim came into Ramshackle's dorm lounge to their dorm leader, sitting in her rocking chair.

"Yes?" Quentin answered, stopping what she was doing.

"I found these strange coins!" Yuu proclaimed.

"Even stranger than the other coins with the strange symbols and 100s on them?" Quentin asked, to which Yuu nodded before pulling out three coins-all with pictures of them on it with the strange symbols and 100s plus another set of symbols for their pocket, and putting it on the table.

Grim's chest puffed out with pride. "It's nice to know we're finally getting the recognition we deserve, especially me!"

"But who would do this? And why coins?" Yuu asked, with a hint of worry in their voice.

Quentin pulled out her magical pen-and the coins glowed with magical power for a moment before falling back on the table. "I can't find anything. It seems like totally normal coins."

"Huh." Yuu said in confusion, but Grim's chest puffed out again.

"See! It's a coin of recognition! Someone finally recognizes us for our hard work!"

"But who made it?" Yuu asked, once again.

"Could be the same people made this 100 coins." Quentin said. "And Yuu seems to be able to find use of it, so if you want to keep it Yuu, you can keep it."

"Really?" Yuu asked, with a face that Quentin couldn't tell was joy, confusion, or disgust, so it probably was a mix of all of them.

"Yes. My magic has determined they're harmless, so I don't see anything bad about keeping them if they might help you with whatever you're doing."

Yuu nodded. The coins stayed in Yuu's possession.

"We're going to the National Art Museum in the Land of Dawn!" Dire Crowley smiled to the other dorm leaders.

He'd called an emergency dorm leader meeting. . . for a sudden announcement?

Typical Crowley. Quentin looked at the cheery old crow with scorn.

"I'm sorry?" Riddle Rosehearts, Heartslabyul's dorm leader asked, clearly confused.

But Quentin knew Riddle. Riddle wasn't asking a question, he was panicking at the suddenness of the Dire Crowley's announcement.

"Yay!" Kalim smiled, even pumping his fist in the air before the tattooed boy blinked a few time sand dawned a confused face. "Wait. Where is the Museum?"

"In the Land of Dawn, didn't you listen?" Leona Kingscholar spoke up, his ears twitching in irritation.

"Right, sorry." Kalim rubbed the back of his head.

"An Art Museum?" Malleus leaned over to Quentin.

"It's like an art gallery, only it's more for the public than for one family," Quentin answered to which Malleus nodded.

"Why, exactly?" Azul Ashengrotto spoke up.

"Because they're holding an anniversary party for a '100 years'!" Dire Crowley cheerfully said, making almost everyone in the room sigh.

"We've got a free pass to the Museum because there's an event going on and you've always wanted to go there, didn't you?" Quentin simply looked at Crowley.

"My Ms. Nighty-Sallow! You make it sound like I planned this out!"

"Because I'm pretty sure you did." Quentin sighed and the tablet in the room, representing Idia, made a snickering noise.

"Quentin realy said no mercy today. We stan a girl who ran out of fucks to give." Idia giggled.

"It's true that the Nation Museum of Art in the Land of Dawn is famous for its' art, but this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime for you all as well! We've been invited to the celebration afterward as well!" Crowley said.

"A party?" Vil Schoenheit commented, and Crowley nodded enthusiastically, seeing to make the Pormfoire dorm leader cringe.

Quentin narrowed her eyes at Crowley then looked around the room-the other dorm leaders, besides Kalim, didn't seem all that interested in the event, and if Quentin was honest, neither was she.

A Party? With art people?

No, thank you. Quentin already had enough pretentious people to deal with in her life.

"I'm sorry, Headmaster." Quentin said formally, seeming to grab Crowley's, and well as everyone else's attention. "I don't think I, or my dormmates for that matter, will make to the event. After all, I, much less Ramshackle dorm have no formal clothing for a centenury event, much less have the resources to get there on our own plus our school obligations will prohibit us from fully joining the event because we've been so busy lately. Please go without us."

The other dorm leaders seemed to catch on to what Quentin was saying and they shot smirks at her as if to tell her she'd done a good job, well, besides Kalim, who seemed to be downtrodden at the mention of Ramshackle's financial situation and Crowley who seemed surprised for a moment.

"Aw!" Kalim said, rushing over to the other side of the table and holding unto Quentin's hands seeming to tear up. "You all can't go?"

"I'm sorry Kalim. Ramshackle just doesn't have the resources like the other dorms all do." Quentin said. "We'll have to sit this event out."

But before Quentin could even relish in her clever comeback to Crowley's proclamation, Crowley spoke back. "Oh, there's no need to worry about that."

Several 'Tch!' noises sounded through the air as well as a small laugh from Malleus.

"Because it's a school event! The school will provide the outfits necessary and the transportation."

"Oh, I see." Quentin said, to which Kalim tackled her into her chair with hug.

"Isn't it great Ramshackle can go?!" Kalim smiled.

"Indeed, it is." Quentin said, sighing.

So, Quentin walked back to her dorm and told her dormmates.

"We've got a celebration to go to tomorrow," Quentin told Yuu and Grim, making them confused.

"For what?" Yuu asked.

"We've been invited to an art museum and Crowley wants the whole school to go." Quentin said.

"What's an art musuem?" Grim asked.

"It's a place where pieces of art are put in one place. Normally it's a public place." Quentin answered.

Grim nodded in understanding.

"There's a party afterwords and we're also going to that as well."

"Really?!" Grim's eyes lit up.

"Yup." Quentin sighed.

"When is this party?"

"Tomorrow."

"TOMORROW?!" Yuu and Grim said in almost complete unison, though with completely different tones.

"YES!" Grim cheered, bouncing up and down with his whole body with pure joy.

Yuu, on the other hand, was not happy. They seemed rather confused and worried. "Isn't that too sudden?"

Quentin sighed. "You know that old crow. He does what he pleases."

Yuu sighed as well before smiling. "Well, at least we're getting out of school for this."

Quentin then smiled herself. "Yes, that's one bonus."

The next day, the dorm found a box.

"Open it! Open it!" Grim cheered from his dorm leader's shoulder.

"I'm working on it, Grim." Quentin teased and opened the box.

Inside the box was. . . outfits.

"Outfits?" Yuu questioned.

"This must be Crowley's outfits for us." Quentin said. "I feel bad for Crewel."

"I want to try it on!" Grim said.

"Grim, we have to-"

"I WANT TO PUT IT ON!" Grim quoted, even throwing himself into the box and clinging to the fabric with all the power his tiny paws could muster.

"Grim, listen to me!" Quentin picked up the cat, who still clung to the fabric but seemed to be listening. "We can put them on after we eat breakfast! None us have eaten yet!"

Grim lit up and the proposition. "Oh yeah! Of course we can!"

Grim then let go of the shiny fabric and went rushing towards the kitchen and Quentin and Yuu looked at each other before laughing their way to the kitchen.

After a decent breakfast, Grim insisted the group try on the outfits in his and Yuu's room. So, with a very insistent Grim, Quentin brought the box to the duo's room.

After laying out the outfits, there were three of them, each in a bag with each of their names on it.

A small bag that had the name 'Grim', there was a small silver and purple suit that Grim enthusiastically put on when he saw how sparkly he was. He had a silver sparkly long suit jacket with silver buttons, a white shirt with the same silver buttons, a purple pair of pants with silver buttons, and a small black bowtie. But, after a while, Grim seemed to be struggling to put on the pants before he gave a pleading look to Quentin, a signal he needed help.

Quentin gave a sigh then a smile then looked at Yuu. "I'll help Grim put on the suit. You go put on your outfit in the bathroom, if you need help, I'm here to help. I'll put on my outfit when I know you two have yours on."

To which, Yuu nodded, grabbed the bag with their name on it, and then went out the door, hopefully to go to the bathroom.

Soon enough, Quentin went back to what she was doing and helped Grim into his clothes. First, the pants were a lot more form-fitting than what Grim was used to since, well, he normally doesn't wear anything.

"Hey, is 100 years a long time?" Grim asked, seeming genuine.

Quentin laughed. "As a human, I think so."

"That's not a good answer." Grim pouted as Quentin finished buttoning up his vest, which honestly acted more like a vest.

"I'm serious." Quentin smiled at Grim before she pulled out the coat. "Everything has its own sense of time. Humans only live around 100 years, so for us, it's a long time. But to other species, that may not be as long. Some Beastman can live longer than humans, so they think it's a shorter amount of time, like a few years. And the Fae, well, to them a hundred years feels a little more than what we call a year."

Grim looked at her in wonder. "How long will I live?"

Quentin laughed again. "That depends on you."

Grim looked confused as Quentin adjusted his coat and continued, "I'm not sure what kind of monster you are, so I can't tell you how long you're expected to live. But I can tell you this-as long as you take care of yourself, you'll live a long life."

Grim looked at Quentin for a moment and then spoke again, "So then, what's a 'legecy', and how do I make it?"

Quentin looked at Grim in confusion, but then stopped, as she seemed to have finished. "Ah. Has Crewel been talking about it?"

Grim nodded.

Quentin sighed. "A Legecy-is complicated."

"Complicated?" Grim tilted his head.

"A legacy is something you leave behind after you've done something. It's what happens after an action. It can be good, it can be bad. Like a magical war leaves a legacy of damage to anything around it, or a magician can leave a legacy of people wanting to learn magic as well."

Grim's face scrunched. "That is complicated."

But QUetin quickly grabbed Grim in her arms and hugged him before Grim started to protest. "But you don't have to worry about it. It's too early for you to worry about your actions just yet. You're a young magician. It's okay to be irresponsible while you're learning how to deal with magic. I was irresponsible with my magic when I was still learning how to use it"

Grim looked at his dorm leader seriously. "Really?"

Quentin laughed. "I've done so many stupid things. I used to love flying on a broom-and I'd chase people around just for fun on my broom, or go to the highest place I could when people told me not to. Or I'd play with magical animals that weren't safe for me. I think it's better you learn your magic in a safe place than in the real world-where things can get complicated if you make one wrong move and they'll get mad at you."

Grim looked at Quentin-and but there was nothing there. There was nothing in those eyes of hers. A dead woman lived in those eyes. but Grim didn't have much time to study Quentin before not for long as Yuu walked in their outfit, and all of a sudden-the light in her eyes came back.

"What are you two doing?" Yuu asked.

"Waiting for you!" Grim said, jumping out of Quentin's arms and towards where Yuu was standing.

"You look good." Quentin stood up and looked at Yuu. "I think it suits you. You look like a polished diamond."

"Of my minion does!" Grim said cheerfully as Yuu blushed. "Only we could see their true worth before, but now the outfit they're wearing really shows it."

"Indeed it does. I bet the boys will regret ever treating you badly. after they see you" Quentin laughed

Yuu was starting to become the same color as Riddle face when he was mad. But they thought quickly and grabbed the bag with the dorm leader's name on it. "Are you going to make us do a fasion show by ourselves? Put yours on!"

"Sure, sure." Quentin said and she quickly cast a spell to put on her version of the purple and silver clothes.

The Dorm Leader's outfit was a dress silver princess dress with see-through silver sleeves and a huge white bow with a smaller purple bow on the inside and a purple strand flowing down the dress across the waistband of the dress with a silver asymmetrical skirt with a purple lining underneath. She also had a pair of matching purple gloves with a single silver bracelet on her left wrist and a pinwheel silver bow with a purple gem in her hair.

"You look beatiful, too." Yuu offered.

"Pfft." Quentin laughed as she put an arm around Yuu, the kind of way a close friend would when trying to tease, to pull you towards a place, to hold close and show that you were there. "No way. You look more beautiful then me!"

"No way!" Yuu laughed and pushed on back playfully.

But before the group could say anything else, a white flash of light came from the room, engulfing the room, and taking those inside with it.

Quentin clung to Yuu for dear life as they found themselves in a void of white, Quentin then looked around and saw Grim before quickly grabbing his hands and tucking them as close as she could into her chest as the surroundings around them seemed to be. . . almost coming into focus like a blur camera being adjusted to come back into focus.

Soon enough, Quentin's feet touched a solid surface. Then she started to see the lighting of the area, and then, she finally could see where her dorm was.

She was. . . in front of. . . what would you even call a building as big as this?

There was no way that was a house. It was simply too big for a single person. It seemed like it could fit a whole city comfortably.

A mansion? A castle?

Maybe both with how big it was.

The building in front looked something like a Cape Cod-Victorian styled mansion-castle that glowed with lurid light that shined into the sky as if it was announcing the building to the world. From what Quentin could tell, the building was made from stone, which had silver and purple decorations scattered all over the building, like what looked like party decorations. Ballons and various other objects seemed to be leaking from the windows like there were too many to hold inside and could burst at any moment.

The place looked so glittering and radiant that was almost like it was begging for them to come inside. And if Quentin was honest. . . this place was beyond gaudy. It almost made her sick how extravagant this place was.

Quentin no doubt this place was hiding something. There was no way this was just a party for a celebration. that was an excuse.

This was a display of wealth.

But. . . for what?

She, Yuu and Grim were in a garden of sorts with various displays of statues flowers, and shrubbery of all kinds.

And. . . the place was filled with people coming in and out that Quentin couldn't even get a count of people. . . and filled with noise.

"Quentin. . . where are we?" Grim asked.

"I. . . don't know." Quentin answered. "Are you two okay?"

To which Yuu and Grim nodded.

"Hello!" A voice appeared out of nowhere, and a glowing disc-like mouse head with dots all over that seemed to glow in the dark appeared out of nowhere, as well as a pair of gloved hands coming from the flat disc-like head.

Yuu and Grim let out a screech in panic while Quentin tried to pull out the dorm weapon. . . which had turned into a. . . white cane?

"Oh! I'm sorry, does your world not have technology?" the flat disc-like head creature said, fearfully..

"Um, I'm sorry, where are we?" Quentin asked, putting down the cane.

"The party, of course!" the robot smiled as if trying to calm them down.

"The party?" Grim poked his head out from Quentin's neck.

"Yes! You were invited by Mickey himself, weren't you?" the flat disc-like head robot asked.

"How do you know Mickey?" Yuu asked, and the robotic being beamed.

"Why, Mickey and Minnie knows everyone! They're the ones hosting the party, after all! You three are Mickey's friends, as well, as under Oswald's protection! Mickey never, ever leaves anyone close to him out! Nor would Oswald ever let you all be forgotten!" the robot smiled.

"What are you?" Grim asked, to which the robot head smiled kindly.

"I'm Toodles, I'm here to help you!" the flat disc-like head said. "Now, I know you three don't have much time to party with us-"

"Woah, woah, woah there." Quentin said, even unintentionally slamming the cane into the ground. "We never got an invitation."

The floating flat disc-like head looked confused. "No. You did."

The robot's hands pointed to one of Yuu's pockets. To which, Yuu shuffled through their pockets pulling out the three coins that said a word, and then a "100" and the Ramshackle trio's faces on it, and when the robot saw the little coins in Yuu's hand, he beamed. "See? You have an invitation!"

"Um, how does this count as a-" Yuu asked but was quickly cut off.

"So, like I said before," the robot head started to float away and the Ramshackle trio followed him. "Mickey knows you all have business to attend to soon, but nonetheless, he still wanted you to enjoy the festivities on a day such as this. He said you all can come back later if you'd like, and he'll even provide dinner for you all."

"Dinner?!" Grim smiled, making Quentin sigh.

Toodles smiled with such optimism it kind of freaked Quentin out a little. "Yes! Should I tell him you'll be having dinner with him?!"

"Hold on, can we go to our obligation and see how we feel afterward? We've got a lot on our plate for our event." Quentin quickly jumped in, before Toodles could force them into something else.

But the robot didn't seem phased at all as he and the trio approached a large door with grand cravings on it of a mouse's head. "Why, of course, you can!"

Toodles then opened the door to reveal. . . A grand party with so many people Quentin couldn't even begin to count them. If she thought there were so many coming in and out-she was wrong. There were so many people here she couldn't get a headcount. But she noticed one thing-all of them were wearing white, purple, or both.

Just like her dorm's outfits.

And they were partying it up.

Quentin only had to look around for a few moment before she understood what kind of party this was right now.

She'd seen this kind of party before. Not exactly like this, but in a different form.

This. . . was a pure party on the verge of going into chaos.

Almost everyone where was drunk on pure ecstasy. Like all of them were truly happy.

But before Quentin could deduce what exactly what the party atmosphere was-she noticed there was a small crowd of people around the door, as if waiting for them. An anthroponotic group of animals, to be exact. She could see two white ducks, one male one female, a tall black dog-like creature, two smaller chipmunks, a yellow dog, a female black cat, a female black mouse and. . .

Wait. . . is that. . . ?

She recognized a rabbit and a mouse. They were. . . Mickey and Oswald, right?

They were the ones she saw in her dream when the school was almost taken over by Malleus' Unique Magic.

The rabbit, Oswald, if Quentin remembered right, was wearing a white top hat and rubbing a white cane with an outfit mirroring Grim's outfit, only without the buttons on his pants and an open vest.

The mouse, which if Quentin's memory served her well was Mickey, who was also wearing a similar outfit as Grim. No scratch that-it was almost the exact same outfit, where it not for the buttons on the mouse's shorts being bigger than Grim's.

"What if they got lost? Or they didn't send them here? What if-" the rabbit fretted, alongside the male mouse who had a very worried look on his face.

"Oswald," A female black cat in a white dress and hat spoke up, holding the rabbit's shoulders, and another mouse figure put her hand on the other mouse's shoulders. "Your dorm will be okay. They're probably coming with Toodles as we speak."

"I've brought the last guests, Mickey!" Toodles announced, and the group of animal's heads whipped around to look at the trio. When Oswald saw the three of them, his whole body lit up with joy.

The kind of joy that you get from your guardians when you graduate from school, or doing something great and accomplish something-a mix of pride, pure joy, hope, and love all in one bundle. That moment that you remember as a happy moment for years when you have nothing left.

"There you all are!" the black rabbit smiled, and quickly tackled the three in a bone-crushing hug. The kind of loving hug like they hadn't seen you in a long time. "I was getting worried about you three."

"Um, hi." Yuu spoke up.

"What is going on?" Grim asked.

The group of animals looked at each other for a moment in confusion but after a few moments, they all seemed to have realized something.

"Ah. It must have been so sudden for you all. Sorry 'bout that." Oswald scratched behind his head.

"I'll explain," Micket spoke up. "but first let's sit down and eat. You all must be hungry after the journey."

Grim's once more eyes lit up at the mention of food, but upon seeing his realization, he seemed to snap back to being skeptical, like Quentin and Yuu were. Despite this, none of the other animal-like creatures seemed alarmed they seemed rather relaxed.

Mickey lead the trio to a more secluded area of the party, one where you could still see and hear the party but wasn't as loud as in the main room and the other animals followed suit, almost seeming to form a circle around the Ramshackle trio as they walked towards the spot the mouse had designated.

As the group walked, Mickey kept getting called out to.

"Hey Mickey!" A boy with spikey brown hair called out. "Where did you go?"

"Hey-ya, Sora!" Mickey called back. "I was just waiting for the last of other friends!"

"Ah. The ones you said would be late?" the boy answered back. "You got to introduce me to them!"

Mickey nodded. "You betcha!"

"Mickey!" A man with elf-like apperance with red hair appeared before the Ramshackle trio upside down before looking towards the black mouse. "Are those the ones from Twisted Wonderland?"

"Yup!" Mickey nodded. "But they need some time, it being their first time with this and all."

The man gave a smirk before flying off.

"Mickey." A lion that looked. . . No. The King of Beasts said from a nearby bed. "Don't us me wait too long."

"I won't Scar!" Mickey answered back, with fear in his voice.

Mickey then guided the group up a flight of stairs, and then guided the group to a large table, and gestured to the seats, Ramshackle did find their seats, to and the other animals sat near them, especially Oswald and Mickey, who sat closest to the dorm members.

"To answer your question, Grim." Mickey said. "Well, I think it would be best if we introduce ourselves. You all know me. Just in a different form."

"Different form?" Grim questioned before Mickey nodded.

"Hold on a 'eond." Mickey smiled, before he seemed to change and. . .changed into someone they knew.

The red pants with the white buttons and big yellow shoes and black eyes with no pupils.

"Mickey!" Yuu and Grim said at the same time in joyous voice.

"Aw shucks." Mickey simply said, matching their joy and putting his hands on his hips. "Now you're embarrassing me."

Yuu and Grim seemed to relax after seeing a familiar face, but Quentin didn't.

"This is Minnie, my girlfriend," Mickey gestured to the female mouse that had comforted him earlier who gave a little wave.

"This is Goofy and Donald, who I'd mentioned earlier, Yuu." Mickey smiled, gesturing to the male duck and tall dog-like beings who smiled at the Ramshackle members.

"This is Daisy." the female duck smiled kindly and waved a little at the trio.

"This is my dog, Pluto." Mickey gesturing to the yellow dog.

"And the chipmunks you saw earlier-they where named CHip and Dale. They're off getting food." Mickey sighed.

"Or causing trouble." Donald offered.

"And but not least, this is Oswald, and his wife, Orsentia." Mickey gestured to Oswald and the cat who had comforted him eariler. Oswald and Orsentia beamed at being introduced.

"I've been waiting to meet you three ever since you were sorted into my dorm." Oswald smiled while Yuu looked confused, and now Quentin looked alarmed.

Grim, meanwhile seemed to find nothing wrong here, smirked. "Of course you have! I mean, who wouldn't want to meet the Great Grim?!" which seemed to make Yuu and Quentin sigh but made the other animals laugh.

"Oh, it's so nice Twisted Wonderland could join the party this year!" Minnie said, clapping her hands together, and a wave of nods came from the anthropomorphic animals. "Despite how old you are, you weren't invited to anything so only Mickey could really tell us anything about what was going on over there. I thought they wouldn't allow you all into the party this year, but thankfully I was wrong!"

"Yeah!" Goofy smiled. "It's nice to have some new faces around here!"

"Yeah!" Donald cheered. "I can't wait to see how your story plays out!"

After some chatting, Grim seemed to get more comfortable and Yuu seemed okay enough to go with him eventually, the two first years were led down the stairs with Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto to where the food was.

Quentin watched them as they went into the main party with a look in her eyes that was hard to pinpoint. Sadness? Confusion? Unease?

"What's the long face for, my elect?" Oswald spoke up.

"I'm sorry I just-" Quentin sighed. "I don't understand. I'm really confused."

"You don't have to." Mickey simply said. "This is a party, you're here to have fun."

"That's not what I mean-" Quentin said. "What's all this about Twisted Wonderland and 'new faces'? Who is 'they'? What do you mean by 'your story'?"

Both Mickey and Oswald looked at each other for a moment before looking at Quentin with a smile on their faces. The kind of empathetic smile like they are hiding something-but not without reason. THe kind of smile Quentin saw too often.

Then Oswald took Quentin's hands. "It's alright. You don't have to understand."

"Understand what?" Quentin asked.

Oswald sighed, the kind of tired sigh like a father would give. A sigh that worries the child on the other end, despite the father not meaning to. "There are things in this world that are completely out of your understanding. Out of the laws and principles of your world. Forces beyond comprehension are at play in your everyday life. And while it is scary-it's completely okay."

"You don't have to understand everything," Mickey added, also taking Quentin's hands, placing his on top of hers and Oswald's as if to protect them. "Actually, it may be better if you turn a blind eye to this one. You won't have to feel the pain like we do."

"Pain?" Quentin asked.

"Think of this as a dream." Mickey smiled and said in such a soft voice, it was like he was comforting Quentin as if trying to comfort her very being. "And I think you'll be alright."

Quentin looked at Mickey and Oswald in confusion, but the rabbit and the mouse seemed to want to change the subject, and eventually lead Quentin down the stairs into the party as well.

Mickey and Oswald lead Quentin to the food table and give Quentin one of each food despite her protests and insist she try some.

The food was good-there was many kinds to try, all oddly enough either looked like people at the party or was based on a theme and Grim and Yuu seemed to enjoy it even if people kept coming up to them.

Eventually, Quentin was surrounded by just as many people asking so many questions about her, Twisted Wonderland, what was going on that Quentin was starting to feel overwhelmed. She wasn't sure when exactly sure when she lost track of people, but she did after a while and started going through the motions, hoping she'd survive.

The Great Seven came to the trio first and spoke with the trio. They went parading the three around like favored children to a bunch other other people, who also struck up a conversation with Quentin. Quentin couldn't remember the conversation to save her life-but she thought it was mostly praise and asking about oddly specific things...

Next, Quentin remembers talking to some princesses and princes after the Great Seven, they probably asked the trio were right and then asked them a few questions.

Quentin remembers seeing the people from stories she'd read as a child-The Brave Prince, The Wicked Queen, The Designer Princess, The Lawyer, The Foreign Queen and even the Foreign Princess who all seemed to love her and treated her to lot. Quentin really felt a connection to the Foreign Princess

Next, Quentin remembers a blur of others who were like her-and the rest of it Quentin doesn't remember at all. Things blended into each other until things became as shiny as the silver on everyone's bodies.

Yuu and Grim seemed tired of talking, as after a while, they started to hide behind Quentin whenever someone came up to them like scared children hiding from strangers.

But, before anything else could happen, a clock chimed and everyone seemed to suddenly rush outside.

"What's going on?!" Quentin asked as the Foreign Princess dragged her out, but the Princess simply smiled.

"It's almost time!" the princess in blue smiled as widely as she could.

"Time?"

"It's almost 5:30 for them!" the Princess proclaimed.

Quentin looked confused, but let the princess drag her outside.

When she got outside, almost everyone was outside, looking at the sky as if waiting for something before someone started to count down.

"10!"

"9!"

"8!'

"7!"

"6!"

"5!"

"4!

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

A loud bell rang outside, and as soon as the bell rang, the loud cheer and animals calls ripped through the people around her.

Bottles popped, glasses clinked, party-poppers went off, balloons and streamers were released into the open air and people hugged each other.

A hysteria of joy flooded in the area and infected the people around her.

Quentin looked at the darkness that the light didn't touch.

And all of a sudden, she was in the party, and not in the party at the same time.

Quentin opened her eyes.

"Child of Andalasia?" Malleus Draconia called to Quentin. "Are you alright?"

Quentin reached up her hand. "I fell asleep, didn't I?"

Malleus nodded. "It is time for us to go."

Quentin laughed as she place a arm over her head. "I had a strange dream just now."

"Is that so?" Malleus asked.

"I don't remember much-only shades of silver, purple, gold and black and talking to people and something with fireworks."

Malleus seemed confused. "Was it good?"

"I think so."

[ripplestitchskein]

Hi I hope it’s okay to ask you this. I was wondering if you would share what you had planned for the ending of Whether We Wake or Sleep. Not in like a nagging way just because it’s one of my favorite fanfics and I’m curious about how you were going to end it. Anything you’re comfortable sharing I’d love to hear. Thank you!

Omfg Nonnie I’m so sorry I didn’t see this message until now checking another message. I feel so fucking bad, I hope you are still out there!

Im torn because I don’t want to leave people hanging on it, it’s been so many years and I want to finish it but my brain has moved so far beyond that place I’m not sure I could even do it anymore. The characters voices might not be in my head anymore. But I still kinda wanna try. I loved it so much and it was such a huge part of my life and I didn’t get even to the scene that started it all 😭.

But you have been beautifully patient so I’ll share what I had so far, and who knows maybe I’ll take some time soon to finish it up! I hate leaving it unfinished, it was one of my favorite stories. I doubt I’ll finish my other OUAT WIPs but this one was super special to me. We were just a few chapters away and I still know everything I wanted to do.

I’m going to post the last scene of Chapter 9 and what I had so far for Chapter 10 below as a gift for your lovely feedback and being so patient, but based on other messages it was awhile ago. I’ll see what I can do about wrapping this story up. Please forgive me 🙏🏻.

The Chapter 10 snippet (it’s only a few hundreds words) comes after the *********.

~~~~~~~~~

Graham.

He looked exactly as she remembered him. The light curl of his hair. The dusting of stubble along his jaw. The way he stood, sure of himself but apart from the world. It was like being hit by a wave, a swift rush of emotion and awe jolting her physically just seeing him again, pulled into the undertow. For a moment she forgot herself, staring openly across the tavern at this walking ghost, at a relic from the past. Killian nudged her with his arm, and she turned back, ducking into the safety of her hood, her heart beating a rapid tattoo in her ears. They were well hidden in the shadows of the corner, but Graham was not alone, flanked on either side by two bored looking Black Knights acting as escort.

“I’ll take that as a yes, shall I?” Killian muttered. He downed the foul ale in one long gulp. It was his third.He had been surly, his face dark and shadowed, since he had returned to their room the previous evening. He had lain next to her in their shared bed without argument this time, turning his back to her without a word, though if he actually slept she couldn’t tell. He’d had no nightmares this time, his breathing steady next to her the entire night. She couldn’t blame him, she understood completely, her own nerves raw and frayed, anxiety pooling in her stomach. You never realized how long the night was when you had to wait for it to pass.

“Yes,” Emma whispered, sneaking another glance. “That’s him.” He was still at the bar, his face solemn and expressionless, but polite, collecting a handful of coins from the innkeeper with a nod.

“Alright then.” Killian put the empty tankard down with a bit more force than necessary. “I’ll distract the guards, see if you can get his attention.” He rose.

“Don’t,” Emma said, panicking. She reached out, grabbing his hand. “Wha-What do I do?”

The smirk he gave her was more of a forced sneer than anything, a flash of teeth, as he pulled his hand away. A fresh stab of hurt had her wincing as he backed away from her like she had burned him.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something Swan,” he said with that horrible false sort of cheer that only made it worse. “It’s True Love!” It was like he had slapped her. Another physical blow of pain that rocked her where she sat.

Killian turned on his heel and crossed the bar. Emma watched him anxiously, torn, and unsure of what to do. She didn’t want this. It hurt too much. She didn’t want to see Graham. But she desperately wanted to see him again at the same time. She didn’t want to cause Killian pain but this plan left her little choice in the matter. This wasn’t right. To be fucked with by some higher unknown destiny this way.

Graham had turned away, walking towards the door. He was leaving. She was about to miss her chance.

“Your story,” Emma whispered to herself. “It’s your story.” She was a bounty hunter. She had been through similar scenarios before. If she couldn’t sort out her own feelings she could at least do that. Pretend he was just like any other skip. This was just another job. Someone she needed to capture.

She leapt to her feet, just as Killian threw himself bodily into another man, at another table, sending half full cups of alcohol and bowls of the same greasy stew from the day before to the floor. Killian gave a slurred apology, playing the drunk with practiced ease, and clumsily went to pick up the discarded dishes, only to drop them again. The man he’d fallen into bellowed in outrage, cursing him and the Black Knights turned at the commotion, amused at the drunken lout. One stepped forward with a good natured chuckle to break it up.

Emma slipped past, her eyes trained on the floor, head turned to the side. She focused on the pair of soft brown boots that were leaving the tavern, apparently not interested in drunken bar fights. She increased her speed, the sunlight bright as she followed him out into square.

Graham was just ahead of her, apparently having no issue leaving his men behind as he moved to tuck away the small purse of gold he’d taken from the bar keep. Emma picked up her pace. And rammed right into his back.

The purse fell to the ground, tiny discs of gold rolling out of it into the dirt.

“Oh gosh,” Emma exclaimed, her voice high and breathless. “I didn’t see you there I am so sorry.” She followed him down to her knees. “Let me help you sir.”

“No, no need. I got it.”

Emma’s breath caught at the sound of that voice. So familiar. The accent thick, not friendly but not angry either. Resigned. She looked up, her mouth dry as she finally took him in fully. His eyes were not the same, she thought. Less open. Duller somehow. He glanced at her briefly as he gathered the coins. “Be a bit more careful, eh?” He said.

Her heart sank a bit. There was no flash of recognition. No grand romantic spark. No bolt of lightning. Just an act of clumsiness and a polite dismissal. Emma checked that off mentally. Made note of it. She wasn’t one prone to romanticized notions, so she wasn’t quite sure why, but it seemed important.

“I-I actually wanted to talk to you,” Emma stuttered. He did look at her with interest now, and more than a hint of suspicion.

“Me? What about?” The last of the gold collected he rose to his feet, reaching down to help her up with brusque efficiency. Emma looked at his hand for a long moment and then placed her own inside it.

Nothing. She didn’t know what she’d expected. His hand was warm, the skin roughened softness from labor, but nothing more than that, and gone as soon as she was back on her feet. She made another mental check.

“I-um-I,” Emma cursed herself. She was better than this. “I just, saw you in the bar, and I wanted to introduce myself.” She said finally, lowering her voice in a way she hoped was interested without coming across too strong. She should know this, she thought. She should know him. What he would like, what he wouldn’t. Her mind came up blank.

Graham just stared at her expectantly, more than a bit impatient.

“I’m Mary,” Emma said finally. “Mary Margaret.”

“Nice to meet you Mary Margaret. If you’ll excuse me though, I’ve a lot of stops to make,” he gave his pocket a pat where the coins jingled. “It’s collection day.”

“I know, I know, I just wanted to talk to you,” Emma rushed. She glanced behind her at the tavern entrance, unsure of how much time Killian could buy her.

“About?” Graham asked. His brow furrowed, scanning her face. “I know you-” he said, trying to work out if he actually did, more of a question than an absolute.

Emma’s heart stopped. He knew her. Did that mean-?

“You’re the girl on the poster. The one the Queen is looking for,” Graham’s voice was rising in alarm, his eyes darting back towards the tavern. He reached out, grabbing her arm.

“No,” Emma jerked back. “That’s not-” she pulled harder but Graham was strong. There was a reason he was chosen to be Sheriff. “That’s not what I need to talk to you about. It’s a misunderstanding. A great big misunderstanding, I just need to-” Graham had a good grip now.

“I don’t want to take you in,” He was saying apologetically. “I don’t have a choice. I have to do as she orders.”

“No you don’t,” Emma said, desperate now. This wasn’t going well at all. As far as meet cutes went this was turning into a disaster. “I just need to talk to you.”

“You can talk all you like on the way to the palace,” Graham said. He was pulling her arms behind her back now, fully in arrest mode. Emma couldn’t get them free, boots sliding across the dirt as he dragged her bodily back towards the tavern and the waiting Black Knights. Back to Regina and her dungeon, a burning pyre and the end of this entire horrible journey.

Emma sucked in a deep breath and blurted out the only thing she could think of, the only way she knew of to get his attention. The only way she knew this might work out. Perhaps she could save herself and an innocent man at the same time.

“I want to help you get your heart back.”

********

Graham’s grip loosened in surprise at her words, and Emma used the opportunity to dart away. She didn’t run. She stepped just out of reach, holding her hands up in supplication.

“Yeah, I know about that,” she said. Her feet moved across the packed earth, and they circled each other for a moment. Graham narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but she could see the warring emotion in them, the surprise and the tiny spark of hope that flitted across his face.

“How?” He asked, his voice soft. His hand moved unconsciously up, brushed his chest and dropped again. “How could y’know that?”

“I’ll explain everything,” Emma said. Her gaze darted back to the tavern. “But not here. I want to help you, to-,” she felt her throat constrict. “-to save you. But I can’t do that if you take me in.”

“The Queen-” he tried again, and took a step towards her.

“Never gave you a direct order to capture me,” Emma said following his movement with a step back of her own. It was more a guess than any kind of factual knowledge. She had no idea how far reaching Regina’s control was of his heart. No idea of what he could be made to do. “So you don’t have to do anything. I’m just asking you to hear me out.”

Graham opened his mouth for a moment, considering, and a small flare of triumph rose in her stomach. He frowned, gauging his own reaction, testing his limits. No, she realized. Testing Regina’s limits.

“There is a difference between being a slave and being a puppet,” Emma said. She saw him draw in a sharp breath. “You are still in control, Graham.”

“I am-” he let the thought trail off. “Who are you?” His gaze swept her, and she was almost sad she was hidden behind a glamour. If he could see her would it matter? Would he recognize her even though they had yet to meet? Would he somehow just know her? Connected by something greater than recognition, more powerful than acquaintance, could he see her through all the magic and deception?

“I’m-” Emma had no idea how to respond. “-a friend?” Her hesitation over the word made his expression sharpen with suspicion.

“I can explain it all, I promise.” She darted another glance at the tavern. She could feel her brief window of opportunity slipping away. “I’ll meet you. Firefly Hill, tonight. Midnight.”

That was the place Killian had suggested she tell Graham to meet her. It was a few miles or so away, far enough from the village they would be alone, away from the threat of Black Knights, isolated enough for a private conversation but close enough to reach on foot with relative ease. A neutral ground. A safe place, to do...whatever she needed to do.

Killian couldn’t help his sneer at the time she’d suggested, his eyes colder and further away than she had ever seen them.

“A kiss at midnight,” he had said softly. “How poetic. Just like a fairy story.”

He was building walls. She could recognize that as easily as looking in a mirror. He was shutting himself away. That had almost broken her. Emma shook the thoughts away, determined now as she has been then, and focused on the man in front of her. The man she was supposed to be thinking about.

She might not be able to control anything about this situation, she might not know how she felt about him, but she could at least try to save him. If nothing else, perhaps Graham Humbert or The Huntsman, or whoever he truly was, could live. Perhaps she could right one injustice.

“If you don’t like what I have to say you can bring me to The Queen. I won’t resist.”

Graham just stood there, confused and torn. She took heart that he had made no further move to apprehend her. He rubbed the spot on his chest again and frowned.

“Will you meet me?” She asked, half a whisper, half a plea.

Graham met her eyes full on, and Emma felt a jolt, a twisting in her gut that she couldn’t identify. It was tinged with guilt, with sorrow, and she had to swallow around the lump in her throat. “Please.”

“Aye.” He whispered. “I’ll meet you.”

____

“They really meant the Hill part didn’t they?” Emma groaned, her breathing labored as she crested the last rise of what she was sure was a small mountain. Killian was just ahead of her, already at the top, scouting.

“Alright there, Swan?” He asked, face pinched with concern. His hand went automatically for his satchel and Maleficent's potion within.

“I’m okay,” she wheezed waving him off. “Just not in as good a shape as I thought.”

He took a flask out instead, handing it to her. She eyed it for a second.

“Just water,” he gave her a flash of teeth that could be a smile, all without actually letting his eyes land on her. He had been doing that for hours, looking at her without looking at her. It was maddening and it hurt, but she pushed it away.

Save Graham. The rest could be sorted out later.

[tojikai]

Drama, Pregnancy, Cheating, Trauma, and Mommy Issues. OH HOW I MISSED THIS STORY.

(I'm apologizing now because for each chapter I'm genuinely just going to send a long ask of my thoughts and reactions that I had while reading. Beware.)

Chapter: IX

The mommy issues and trauma really shone through during this chapter. Hate how I could relate. It truly sucks having a parent who's a good person but a bad parent. Y/N love please get therapy. If not for yourself at least for your baby. You deserve to have some peace of mind. Especially after everything she's gone through.

He’d only choose you if she wasn’t one of the choices. MA'AM. You can't keep throwing sentences in here like this. You keep breaking my heart. That just hurt 🥹

Imma need Rie to shut up and not start stuff. So glad she kept her mouth quiet when talking to our mother. But she genuinely needs to realize that the person at fault is not y/n. It's Hoetoru's. He was the one in a relationship. He cheated when he was in a relationship with Y/N idk why you thought he'd be loyal with you but whatever.

When I tell you I cheered when she said you're not my boyfriend. GET HIM GIRL.

I've never liked Suguru but I like your version of him. He makes me feel things and I quite frankly don't appreciate it 😭. I just keep thinking about those tattoos. Especially when he rolled his sleeves up at the bar. IT'S NOT FAIR.

Not Hoejo saying you locked him out like he lives there or something. My guy go home, she don't want you. Be like Elsa and let it go.

Please tell me that this is the beginning of a budding romance between y/n and Suguru because honey that would be a plot twist. She never gets back together with Hoetoru, her baby has 3 parents who are all present in their life and everyone gets therapy. I feel like that's not gonna happen though. I'm going to be sad by the end of this series aren't I? Sigh.

Why does he need to know about y'all's business? Y'all are two grown adults who did a bit of the Devil's Tango. It happens. Hoejo don't gotta know what y'all be doing on the down low. You're still gonna tell him aren't you Geto? Please don't.

I need Gojo to stop acting like a boyfriend and start acting like a father. All you need to do it take care of Y/N and the health of the baby. All this other mess is extra. We don't need extra. We need you to be a responsible adult for just one day. I know it's hard for you hun but at least pretend or something.

I JUST KNOW HE ISN'T TALKING. I had to sit away from my phone after Hoetoru got mad at Geto. He really said I know I'm not her boyfriend but.... That's when he should've stopped talking but no he just had to keep going. 🤦🏽‍♀️ You mad? Aw poor thing. Could've all been avoided if you just drove her home and let it be.

Maybe it's just me. But I don't see anything wrong with what y/n did with Suguru. Maybe it's just my fury toward Gojo distorting my values but honestly I'm not seeing how this is a betrayal. But whatever, if y'all feel guilty i can't do anything about that. But I promise you that this betrayal is nowhere near as bad as what Gojo did. But to each his own. Y'all are better than I'll ever be.

HOW COME GOJO GOT TO PUNCH HIM? SKIP YOUR FEELINGS HOE! THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU DIDN'T CHEAT. I HATE IT HERE.

Previous sentence cancelled Geto got to punch him too. Oh nononono please I can't, don't make me cry. I loved her first. *Sobs loudly* Suguru is a true friend and even if he doesn't get y/n I hope he gets some closure.

I think it's interesting how Gojo and Geto are like 2 sides of the same coin. Both are willing to go through heaven and hell for this woman to be happy. However, Gojo is selfish while Geto is more selfless. Gojo keeps trying to force something despite the discomfort and pain that he's causing y/n. When Geto was just willing to let his feelings go because he knew it'd make things easier in y/n. I'm sure there's some people out there who'd love having a partner like Gojo who's willing to fight. But sometimes the best course of action is letting go. Especially if it's for the happiness of the person that you love.

He poured his heart out to you and you still... I don't have the energy to be mad at you anymore. I'm just done.

Oh that ending. Way to keep us on our toes.

I think the main reason why I love this story so much is the way you write makes me so emotionally attached to these characters. If only Gojo didn't cheat. If only Geto didn't give up on his feelings towards y/n. If only Gojo didn't drive Rie home that day. If only. If only. If only. It breaks my heart knowing all the possible outcomes and how this story's ending is most likely going to be bittersweet. But I can definitely tell how much you love what you're doing and how hard you've worked on this. This takes a lot of skill, time, and energy. So thank you. I'm gonna cry so hard when I get to this epilogue.

wow omgg i really enjoyed reading this !! it's nice to read a new perspective about what yn and geto did. gojo's character didn't want to be angry abt it, really. he's just so hurt and he also thinks that he doesn't have the right to be hurt bc of what he did. it's like all actions that he can take can be valid yet also invalid at the same time. it opened up the situation between them and yn before all of it. AND i like how you compared gojo and geto's love for yn !! it's nice to know that someone would fight with their whole heart and never give you up but it's also great to know that someone would rather hurt and let you go if it means your happiness🥺anyways thank you soooo much for your support, that means A LOT to me <33 i hope you're doing well ~!!

[sunflowerbloomss]

rambling abt the hozier album ok this is going to be long i'm listening to the whole thing and typing as i do. the transition from de selby pt 1 to pt 2 & the contrast in the beat of them while the themes are the same is wonderful and soooo well done, i actually have no idea how i only listened to one half of it till now lol. generally speaking de selby pt 2 is one of his best songs ever imo! 'before i heard it from your mouth my name would always hit my ears as such an awful sound' & 'to share the space with simple living things' well i am insane but apart from that first time feels like a very simple run into hell; falling in love, the terrible fate but seeing it as something beautiful anyway. reminds me of would that i. francesca's place in the order of the album is absolutely perfect - i didn't expect it to come up this early but it's like a reminder of the 'world above' so to speak. sure, it's about lust, but not just for a lover but also for a memory of the life that was lived. it's great as a single but within the context of the album this song can appear in all its glory and it's not something easy to do, take a song that work as a single and make it even stronger in the album. i, carrion is amazing as well, a sort of coming to terms with being in hell and just hoping to have some beloved company within it; it's not the falling into hell that matters, it's the not falling away from the lover. the transition to eat your young is soooooo good because i, carrion is as greedy as eat your young but you don't understand how they're two sides of the same coin till you listen to them. all that could've been said about eat your young has already been said but i will say once again the context of the album vs the single is insane in how it changes the meaning, a lot like francesca. i will say i don't like the instrumental part at the end of it but it could easily be just me lol. damage gets done well i will say i'm so glad it's a duet!! the desperation after the carelessness of eat your young, the choice of a duet when so many of the earlier songs are about loneliness is top tier. who we are well i love it but it is the weakest song on the album 2 me coming between two very strong songs - it's not bad but it either shouldn't be placed there or should have something more unique instrumentally for it to catch my ear the way the rest of the album does. and it's not a bad song!!! i feel like i have to mention it ok.

SON OF NYX RAMBLES NOW i have said it before & i will say it again this is the best song hozier has ever done and it's on a completely other level to all his other music. i want it to be a single i want it tattooed inside my ears every note is so well placed it's devastating and more than anything it shows just how much he grows as an artist; the hozier that did the debut album would not have been capable of creating something like this. the whole album has a lot of nods to the debut album but this one is so unapologetically wasteland baby that it feels almost out of place but it isn't because all things end is right there for it to lean on and take us back to the story. generally speaking i wasn't a big fan of all things end in the ep and singles because it felt more flat than the other songs (especially in the ep with through me & eat your young like helloooo) but it takes its rightful place in the album. after son of nyx's despair all things end is here to have a beautiful bit of almost hopeful nihilism. to someone from a warm climate first of all sexy hozier back at it again i missed it definitely & this song's place at the end of the album is sooo good it's a reminder of a far away beautiful world, almost like a siren calling to a sailor except it's hozier and well hell. butchered tongue is often compared to foreigner's god and well the themes are similar but i feel like this song is a lot like coming back home after living abroad in contrast to still living oppression like in foreigner's god. it's a very good song, i wish it had bass i think it would've been amazing with the cello and piano of it.

i'm obsessed with anything but because it's such a more tailored version of the first album's music and themes. i'm actually not a very big fan of the clapping i feel like after butchered tongue (seeing as its music is very gloomy) even upbeat songs need a way to be more gentle about it but well it can be just me. anyway the song is beautiful!! i love it. abstract HELLOOOOO i love it so much the confusion 'your hand in my pocket to keep us both warm' what if i jumped off a cliff and 'see how it changed' AH i love that song and actually i feel like it could even change place with unknown in the order of the songs but its position after anything but also shows the different faces of the instruments in this album - anything but is very minimal on the instrumental part compared to hozier's usual (not that it's a bad thing!!) and the chorus of abstract having these complex layers of instruments is doing wonders 2 my ear. unknown well i will be controversial and say it's a good song but i think people are being just a bit too crazy about it like hello if you're into angst and loneliness son of nyx is right there... it's a good song! and it belongs at the end of the album but i think abstract and first light are better and they sort of wash it out. it's good!!! but it's also between two other very good songs that touch on the same topic and have a stronger presence. i feel like with a cello lead instead of a guitar it could've been a bit better, now that i see how prominent the cello is in this album. and first light!!! beautiful ending to the album the harmonies at the beginning of it should feel out of place but they aren't. the hopeful note to it after a journey through hell, the strong vocals & the high guitar notes give a a beautiful end to the album. it feels like the opposite of the ending of wasteland baby - the final song of that album is the gentle closure where here the last song is the hopeful beginning. it's definitely the best album closure out of the three he's had and it reminds me soooo much of sunlight which is another nod to the second album that i love so so dearly... i was really skeptical when i saw unknown wasn't the last song on the album because it feels like an end but first light is a perfect note to end on.

overall. amazing album. it's definitely his best so far mainly because it draws so much from both the debut and wasteland baby. like ok wasteland baby is so different from the debut and i love them but they both have each its own line, and unreal unearth is not a mix of them but something born out of letting them simmer on the stove - it takes out the best features of both of them and still remains irrevocably hozier. i was worried he'd try to reinvent the sounds (i never doubted the lyrics would remain within the same themes he's always done) but this album is something so worth waiting years for. it's amazing what beautiful music artists make when they're not pressured to keep spitting it out half done and unpolished. like all album it has its weak spots and some things that i personally would've done differently but it's hozier's greatness is that he doesn't need to create the perfect music to make a concept album where every song is sat on a golden throne and it's all that matters at the end. i'm very sad through me didn't make it to the album but well it's hozier tradition to leave his second best song of every era only in the ep (nina cried power in the album & nfwmb in the ep, son of nyx in the album & through me in the ep, work song in the album & live of to be alone in the ep) so well i can't complain. all in all. amazing album. can't wait to see him live again now the whole thing is out!!!

[jellydishes]

For a long, seemingly unending length of time the world lay a comforting distance away. It was muffled as if under a thick blanket. Beyond it there were noises, flashes of light and sound and sensation, but that thick blanket of //nothing// kept it all far enough away that it was impossible to fully understand.

[[You drifted.]]

When you next became aware of anything at all, something felt fundamentally different. That thick, muffling layer between yourself and the world had lifted away, leaving nothing to show that it had been there at all save for a lingering awareness that your entire body felt cold in a way that //ached//.

[[You moaned in discomfort and reached for a blanket or to push away from the uncomfortable mattress, but your fingers only impacted something smooth and hard.]]

That was when you gradually became aware that you were lying on a firm, unyielding surface with raised slashes scored through it that pressed into your skin.

[[You grunted unhappily, turning to curl into yourself.]]

"Oh?" You heard a rich, rolling Serbian voice ask with amusement. "Having difficulties with rejoining the waking world, are we? How dreadful. Allow me to cajole you back with the sweetest of dulcet tones." There came a shuffling of footsteps, then that same voice bellowed in your ear, ''Get up, you miserable waste of flesh!''

You turned over and braced yourself on your elbows to see where a tall man had returned to lounging against the crumbling wall opposite you. He was nude to the waist, his unbound breasts covered with the faded, mottled remnants of tattoos. Lean muscles shifted as he bowed with a flourish. "There we are!" Rows of shark-like teeth gleamed in what little reflected light there was as he watched you struggle to get up, only to fall back again.

His eyes gleamed at you from the darkness like a pair of pale coins. "Feeling weak again tonight, little bird?" He asked in a languorous drawl that was made thick with his accent. "I wonder whyever that could be."

1: You shuffled uncomfortably. "You know why."

2: "Does it matter? I'm here, be happy with that."

3: A sigh. "I don't, actually, but I'm sure you will tell me."

1A: You barely stifled a scowl you were never sure if he could see. Sometimes he displayed stunning accuracy as to where you were within the room, and other times he almost seemed momentarily startled. "Must you hold back everything?" You asked impatiently.