#sometimes we realize ‘oh hey I’m reading that too’ or we end up reading the one being discussed

[whimsyprinx]

im so glad that kane reads webcomics as well because none of my few friends seem to read webcomics (correct me if I’m wrong) and thus I have no one to discuss them with

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

Pairing : Han Jisung x F!Reader TW : anonymous friends to lovers type beat ; physical fighting ; reader is bullied ; angst ; fluffy ending ; Word Count : 8.9k A/N : Haven't even started writing this one yet but I know it's gonna take a bit, I hope the wait is worth it!! I hope that this is good! I kind of changed things a little bit, but I feel like it's still good... right? It has a k-drama feel to it... Not proof read!! Request : Anonny : Hello! If your requests are open can you write something for skz han? Where han is a popular person that everyone likes and he doesn't know the identity of reader but they are able to have really nice conversations. He thinks he found the person he's been talking to and starts dating them and reader agrees to help the person with talking to him. But han actually starts talking to reader and realizes that they were the person he fell in love with. Reader didn't tell him their true identity bc they were told he could never love someone like them. I hope that makes sense.

An anonymous chat room… What could possibly go wrong? It had started as a way for other students to get help with certain subjects without the judgment of their peers over not knowing enough. Soon enough, like most things, it had completely lost its original reason for being made, and now it was being used for anything but studying. There were chat rooms for dissing people, chat rooms for hooking up, and then there was the more… safe chat rooms, for people that were just lonely and wanting to talk, people that were too awkward or shy to have conversations face to face. Everyone had an online identity that no one else knew about… A different persona… It was scary… But sometimes it was nice to just… Talk to someone. 

JiHizzy : Hey! You online? 

Your phone vibrated with the message, and you couldn’t help but smile at the familiar sound of the notification. You had been talking to him for weeks now, and it was the one part of your day that you truly looked forward to. 

JustAnotherGirl : Yeah! What’s up?

JiHizzy : Finally got back to my dorm. I was trying to study for finals…

JustAnotherGirl : I’m gonna guess that didn’t work out for you? 

JiHizzy : Crazily enough, I ended up at the bar instead of the library. 

JustAnotherGirl : I don’t know how you could possibly get the two confused lol

JiHizzy : It’s a friday night, I don’t think anyone was at the library. Weren’t you at the bar too? It was packed. 

JustAnotherGirl : Mm… Nope! I don’t really party like that, I was too busy studying for my finals. 

JiHizzy : Ooh, the innocent type? I like that.

JustAnotherGirl : Are you flirting with me? 

JiHizzy : I might be… You know the acronym of your username is jag… all you need is I and you’d be jagi to me. 

JustAnotherGirl : That must be the alcohol talking…

JiHizzy : Not at all. You’re just my type. I really want to meet you.

JustAnotherGirl : Oh, would you look at the time? We should get some sleep! Goodnight! 

While it was supposed to stay an anonymous chat room, some people were just too popular to stay hidden longer than the first week. One of those people was JiHizzy, better known as Han Jisung, the most popular guy on campus simply because of his looks. All of the girls wanted him, and all of the guys wanted to be him. He was the top of the totem pole, and that put you at the very bottom. 

If the two of you were to walk past each other on campus, he wouldn’t even spare you a passing glance… But with the promise of anonymity, you were able to talk to him every night. You were able to know what it felt like to be liked by someone like him. You could never meet him though, if he found out who you really were… He’d stop talking to you immediately. You didn’t want to lose him… Even if you didn’t truly have him. 

///

JiHizzy : Are you in class right now? 

In the silence of the classroom, the vibration of your phone was much louder than you thought it would be. Everyone turned to look in your direction, and you quickly grabbed your phone and placed it on your lap, hoping that if another message came in, it would be silent. 

JiHizzy : I know you are, you’re such a good girl… WAIT DOES THAT SOUND WEIRD!? I’M SORRY!! 

JiHizzy : I was just thinking that maybe… Maybe you could tell me what class you’re in…

JiHizzy : And I could get a glimpse of you… Or who I think is you… I just want to have a face to go with the name…

You held in your sigh as you felt your phone vibrate incessantly against your lap, chewing on your bottom lip as you attempted to focus on your studies, but it seemed like he wouldn’t let up unless you responded. 

JiHizzy : PLEASE!! 

JustAnotherGirl : Why is it so important? I like being anonymous… I like talking to you…

JiHizzy : Because I like you, and I can’t stop thinking about you, and I want to daydream about you…

JiHizzy : But it’s kind of hard to daydream about someone if I don’t know what they look like.

JustAnotherGirl : Well, daydream about what you think I look like. It’s probably better than how I really look anyway. 

JiHizzy : You’re talking like I’ll stop messaging you or stop liking you if I meet you…

JiHizzy : You don’t think I’m that kind of person… Do you? 

JustAnotherGirl : I don’t know who you are… But it’s just easier like this for me… 

JiHizzy : Alright alright

JiHizzy : I’m sorry if I upset you…

JiHizzy : But hey! I heard that they’re releasing an update soon where we can actually talk to each other on the phone!

JustAnotherGirl : Can’t people tell who other people are by their voice? 

JiHizzy : Idk… But I want to call you when it comes out. Can we at least do that?

JustAnotherGirl : Maybe… I’ll think about it… I have to study now. So do you! 

JiHizzy : Right! Okay, I’ll message you later! 

He daydreamed about you… He thought about you… You wondered what this image looked like, the girl that he thought you were. You were sure that it looked nothing like you, and it was better that way. He was so popular, you didn’t want to tarnish his image if he was even seen talking with you, let alone walking beside you… although you were sure that something like that would never happen. 

///

When the call feature was released, everyone was so excited. People were testing it out as soon as their apps updated… But you were dreading it. Texting guaranteed staying anonymous, but hearing someone's voice, even if they didn’t know what you looked like, a voice was a way to identify someone. Even Jisungs voice, anyone and everyone could tell it was him coming if they heard him talking. His voice was distinct, it was his and his only. You didn’t know how distinct your voice would be, and the only thing you had going for you was the fact that you didn’t talk much at all. 

A time that you’d usually be counting down to now had your stomach twisted up into knots, your knees folded up against your chest as you tried to think of anything but the inevitable phone call that you knew he would ask for. “What’s got you all worked up?” Your roommate asked as she walked into your room. As if things couldn’t get any worse, she just had to be back in at a normal hour. 

Of course you had gotten paired up to dorm with the most popular girl on campus, it was just another way of lifes mysterious twists and turns supposedly. She was absolutely ruthless, and while you had asked to have your room changed at the beginning of every semester, it miraculously could never be done. As if college wasn’t hard enough, having to reside with her was just added stress. 

“Fine. Ignore me. I didn’t want to talk to you anyway.” She mumbled, dropping down onto the ridiculously large and disgustingly luxurious bed that took up almost the entirety of her half of the room. She was rich, of course she was, and she took every opportunity to flaunt her wealth to everyone on campus, and you were no exception, you just got the brunt of it. 

“I’m gonna take a shower real quick… Do you have to use the bathroom before I get in?” You asked, keeping your head down so she didn’t look at you like the peasant that you knew she thought you were. She scoffed loudly, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw her flick her wrist in the direction of the bathroom. 

JiHizzy : You awake? Don’t tell me you’re sleeping already! 

JiHizzy : You haven’t been online in 3 hours! Come onnnnn!

JiHizzy : Are you ignoring me?!?!?! :( 

JiHizzy : Did I do something… Say something wrong? 

JiHizzy : Ahhh… Maybe you are sleeping… Okay 

JiHizzy : Goodnight! Sleep well!!

You never took your phone into the bathroom with you, not just because it seemed unsanitary or unhygienic, you also couldn’t afford to potentially drop it on the tile floor and bust the screen. Maybe you should have, but again, you didn’t think that your roommate would go through your phone. You were pretty sure that she wouldn’t even touch something that belonged to you. You had never been more wrong. 

The vibrating of your phone had caught her attention, and maybe if it had only gone off once she would have ignored it, but Jisung was a spam texter. “Hmm…” She hummed to herself as she snatched your phone off the nightstand, and her curiosity quickly turned to annoyance when she saw just who had been texting you. “No way… There’s no way!” She shrieked, glaring at your phone. 

As the story goes, the popular guy should automatically be with the popular girl… that’s how it always goes! She wouldn’t allow something like this to happen… It just couldn’t. She was being a good person, she had to look out for Jisungs reputation, that’s what it was. Luckily everything was anonymous, you were anonymous… He wouldn’t have to be embarrassed to like you… He wouldn’t even have to know it was you. 

“What are you doing?” She was still holding your phone as you walked out of the bathroom, and your stomach dropped as you thought about what she could have been doing to your phone. Why would she even have it. “Look… I don’t touch your stuff, please don’t touch mine.” You mumbled as you scurried over to grab your phone out of her hand. 

“Jesus, don’t have a tantrum.” She muttered, rolling her eyes as she turned her attention back to her own phone. “Maybe you should silence your notifications before leaving your phone unattended.” Her words only worried you more, prompting you to check what she could have been talking about, and you could feel the anxiousness creeping up further and further until it had taken you over completely. 

She had seen the notifications, and you’d be a fool to think that she didn’t know exactly who it was that was messaging you. Would she tell him? It would be absolutely humiliating, it would destroy you, you couldn’t imagine the way he and his friends would react to finding out that it was you who he had been talking to. Should you tell her not to say anything? “I…” No… It might make her say something. Maybe she’ll forget about it in the morning. That would be the best case scenario. 

“I think Han Jisung and I would be the perfect couple, right? I mean, we’re both popular, we’re both insanely attractive! That’s why I feel so bad for him, you know? It’s not like he’d willingly go for a complete loser, but this stupid anonymous app is really getting his hopes up.” You were right there, she knew exactly what she was doing, but she still had the audacity to look over at you with the fakest smile. “Were you saying something?” 

“N-No…” You stammered, pushing yourself up off your bed and heading to the door. “I’m gonna take a walk, I’ll be back later…” She didn’t say anything to you as you left, simply laughing along with the multitudes of friends that she had on call. Had she told them? Were they all laughing at you? Of course they were, she was right… Why would he want to be with someone like you? You were a nobody, a speck of dust, no… Not even that. People notice dust… you were less than that. 

But why didn’t you deserve to be happy, even if that meant staying behind the safety and security of your phone screen and a basic username? Were you not allowed to have anything? Not even some sort of happiness brought by anonymous interaction? Isn’t that how everything on the internet is nowadays anyway? No one really knows each other… So why is it such a big deal if you talk to him? Why should you be shamed for doing it the way you have been? Could you not even have this one thing? 

Being outside was like a breath of fresh air, at least for a moment, but those thoughts brought on by the words of your roommate were suffocating. Should you even respond to him? He thought you were sleeping already… you could tell him you had been busy… His messages have the ability to help you feel better in an instant, and you needed that now. You clicked on the notification and quickly typed in your password to open the app, and not even a second passed before your phone was vibrating in your hand. 

JiHizzy : Hey! There you are! 

JustAnotherGirl : Hm… Were you just sitting and waiting for me to come online?

JiHizzy : and what if I was?? 

JiHizzy : you know I can’t sleep without talking to you first. 

JustAnotherGirl : I didn’t know that though…

JiHizzy : well now you know! :D 

JiHizzy : so… the call feature came out! I want to call you! Can I?

JustAnotherGirl : uhm… I don’t know… 

JiHizzy : are you in your room? Is your roommate sleeping? I can talk quiet!

JustAnotherGirl : no… no it’s not that…

JiHizzy : I want to hear your voice… please? We can talk about anything! Anything you want! 

JustAnotherGirl : I guess… 

In a second your phone was buzzing, Jisungs screen name front and center on your screen. What a foolish feature this is, why not just give people your phone number if you’ll just talk on the phone? What’s next? Video calling? What if…? You would never do that… You couldn’t… He wouldn’t want to see you anyway. 

Your hands shook as you accepted the call and brought your phone up to your ear. “Hehe, hey! Took you a bit to answer, I thought you’d just ignore me!” His voice came with a face, one that you could perfectly envision in your mind. His smile, the creasing of his eyes as he probably laid back against his pillow, one arm tucked under his head, perfectly at ease with everything. He was so lucky and he probably didn’t even realize it. 

“Oh… uh… no. I was just… trying to find somewhere to sit.” You lied, looking around at the line of streetlamps that illuminated the sidewalks that led to different buildings. “H-Hi…” You stammered, and you knew exactly why you were flustered, why you were so nervous. Jisung was practically a GOD here, and you might as well have been an earthworm with how much lower you were than him. If anyone found out about this, you were sure that the both of you would be humiliated, but for vastly different reasons. 

“You don’t have a couch or a bed or anything in your dorm?” He asked, and you felt stupid, this whole thing just felt insanely stupid. So what if you didn’t have a couch or a bed in your dorm anyway, not everyone was made of money! What was he going to do, judge you for it? “Well… Look, if you need help or anything… I-” 

“I don’t need help.” You stated quickly, and you truly didn’t. Sure, you didn’t have a couch or a flat screen television in your dorm, but you had a bed, and that was more than what most people had, so you had no reason to complain. “I’m actually-” A particularly loud gust of wind whipped around you, the force so strong that you could almost hear it crackling in your speaker, and it whipped up freshly fallen leaves around you. 

“Are you outside?” There was a slight panic in his voice, although you weren’t sure why. It’s not like you hadn’t braved elements far more atrocious than wind before. But then again, he didn’t exactly know you well. With the image he had in his mind of you, he probably thought you were too pretty, too perfect to be outside in the wind, potentially getting your hair messed up. “Did you go outside just to talk to me? I-If I knew you were going to do that, I would have just said to wait until a different day to call. I don’t want you to get ill.” 

You clicked your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Was he always this caring, or was he just pretending? Only the people closest to him would know, and you weren’t close to him at all. Surely to be as popular as he was, he’d have to be some kind of an asshole… That’s how the movies and the shows always depict the popular guys. They were too good for people like you… But… He didn’t know you were a person… A person like you. “It’s fine, really. I’ve walked home in thunderstorms before… A little gust of wind isn’t going to take me out.” 

There was a sigh from his end of the call, and then the rustling of what sounded like sheets or blankets. “Well tell me where you are. You’re already out, and I wouldn’t mind walking a bit to come see you. I really want to know you… I can get my shoes on real quick and-” You hung up the call before he was finished, your breath held in your throat, and you didn’t let it go until you were certain the call was ended. It was rude, sure, of course it was… But why was he so god damn pressed on meeting you!? Why wasn’t this good enough for him too?! 

JiHizzy : Did the call cut out? Was it the wind?? Are you okay!?

JiHizzy : If you don’t answer me, I’ll… I don’t know… I’m not a computer wizard but…

JiHizzy : I know people can trace things and… Please tell me you’re okay. I’m worried.

JustAnotherGirl : yeah… I’m fine… 

JustAnotherGirl : my phone battery is dying… 

JiHizzy : Oh! Okay! 

JiHizzy : Get inside quick, please. Charge your phone and message me in the morning… yeah?

JustAnotherGirl : yeah… 

JustAnotherGirl : Goodnight…

JiHizzy : Goodnight beautiful! 

This was getting worse, it was only going to get harder… Maybe you should cut ties with him now… It would be better that way, wouldn’t it? It wasn’t paying off to selfishly keep him, basically trapped behind your phone screen because you were scared of the embarrassment that would come along with actually meeting him. You needed to let him go…

///

Your roommate was laying in bed, a sheet mask over her face and the bedside table lamp had been dimmed. She was sleeping, at least that’s what you thought, until the door latch clicked as you shut it and she jumped up. “What were you out doing, huh?” The questions immediately started, and you shook your head, going over to your bed and yanking back the blankets. “I know that you weren’t out with… him. He would drop dead before being seen with the likes of you, ya know?” 

She snickered annoyingly, and you whipped around, your face scrunched up as you tried to keep the tears at bay. “How? How do you know that? How should I know that?! Do you know him?! Do you really know him?!” You asked, or, more like begged for her to give you the answers. You weren’t really sure why you were going to her of all people, maybe you were just desperate to hear that… that you would be good enough… Maybe not for him… But for someone. 

The loud laugh that poured from her lips was like a gut punch, and you dropped down onto your bed, absolutely humiliated, devastated, you felt like a fool. “Listen… I’m gonna do you a favor… You know, since we’re… friends…” This was bound to be an awful idea, you were sure of it, but you felt like she was going to keep talking anyway and… It was beginning to feel like you didn’t have a choice. “I think it’ll be a win for both of us… So, I’ll meet him, as you… And you get to keep talking to him at night. He’ll fall in love with me and my beautiful looks, as everyone always does, and… Well, you won’t be lonely. How does that sound?” 

It sounded terrible, it sounded awful, it was an elaborate ruse that surely no one would fall for… But… He wouldn’t ask you to meet him anymore… You’d still talk to him… She wouldn’t bother you or even have a reason to try to embarrass you on campus. You could stay hidden, it could work… It could really work. “Fine…” You mumbled, running your hands over your face, trying not to think too hard. “You… I don’t want to get involved too much with… What the two of you might do… But if he brings it up in the chat… You’ll have to… Tell me…” It was the last thing you’d ever want to know, but if this was going to work, you’d have to give him up just to have him still… It sounded crazy. You’d never have with him what she could… All you would ever be able to have are late night conversations, living out a fantasy through the tellings of your roommate and him. It would have to be good enough. 

“Oh, don’t worry… I’ll tell you everything!” She clapped her perfectly manicured nails together, and you knew there was something sinister about it, but this felt like the only way. “Get some sleep, we have a lot of planning to do tomorrow. This is going to be great!” 

///

“Where did you tell him to meet me… I mean… you?” She whispered, reading over your shoulder to try to see what the messages on your phone said. This was it… Today was the day… She’d probably tell him to delete the app since he finally met “you”. Was it worth it? Probably not… But you had been alone for the longest time before this all happened, you’d be fine with being alone after this as well. Nothing would change for you… But she would get everything she wanted… As if she didn’t have it all already. 

“The… The fountain, at the center of campus…” You mumbled. Would he really think it was you? The two of you sounded nothing alike… But would he be able to pick up on that? Probably not, he didn’t seem like the type that really cared for things like that. He was so excited that you finally agreed to meet him, the messages were flooding in and she had been right there to read all of them. 

JiHizzy : I’m on my way to the fountain now! 

JiHizzy : I can’t believe this is finally happening… We’ve been talking for almost 4 months now…

JiHizzy : Isn’t this crazy?!?! 

JiHizzy : I’m just a little nervous… I hope you don’t mind.

JustAnotherGirl : I don’t… I don’t mind at all…

Have fun… You thought to yourself as you stood at a distance, watching as Jooyi stood at the fountain, switching between sitting on the edge and standing every couple of seconds. She fumbled with the edge of her skirt, and fixed her hair, then checked her makeup. She was nothing like you… Would he be able to notice, even if you had only talked through text and occasionally on the phone? Was he able to tell your personality through little things like that? 

Then you saw him, practically sprinting towards the fountain, it was like everything was in slow motion. Did he even know who to look for? Would Jooyi fit the image of you that he created in his mind? You leaned against the light pole, your phone clutched against your chest… One message and you could ruin this all for her… But it would cost you too much, and you would have nothing to show for it, nothing to gain. People like you weren’t made for people like him, he would never stoop so low as to even look in your direction. They were made for each other… Who were you to ruin things? 

“Jisung!” You heard her voice ringing in your ears, and you looked up from the pavement to see her waving in his direction, and he paused. Did he know? You watched him closely, and you saw the smile slowly beginning to form on his face before he sprinted over to her. His arms wrapped around her waist in a tight hug, picking her up and spinning her around before setting her on the ground. It would never be you, that could never be you… You made two people happy today… It should feel good, but you felt sick, and you quickly turned away, rushing back to your dorm room. You didn’t have to be there to watch it, you’d hear all about it when she came back. 

///

JiHizzy : It was… Wow… 

JiHizzy : Finally meeting you in person! It’s amazing! 

JustAnotherGirl : Yeah! I’m so happy that I finally got to meet you! 

You sniffled softly as you looked over his messages. They wouldn’t be the same again, nothing would. He’d talk about everything that he did with “you”, and you’d just have to respond as if… as if it were truly you there. This… This deal… It wasn’t fair at all. It was just rubbing into your face everything that Jooyi got to do with him… And he was the one unknowingly telling you… She was evil… But she was a master at being just that. 

JiHizzy : Well… Do you want to talk on the phone? I mean… 

JiHizzy : We’ve already met each other and… I don’t know why… 

JiHizzy : I could ask you for your number… But I don’t want to get rid of the app.

JustAnotherGirl : oh? Why?

JiHizzy : There’s just so many memories on here…

JiHizzy : Sometimes when I’m alone or sad… I go back through our messages. You really know how to make me happy…

JustAnotherGirl : Really…?

JiHizzy : Yeah… Really. 

JiHizzy : Don’t tell anyone though! The guys would totally mock me for that.

JustAnotherGirl : I won’t… I won’t tell anyone.

Jooyi burst through the door, shopping bags lining her arms and she dropped them carelessly to the floor before falling back onto her bed, a loud, ear piercing squeal escaping her as she kicked her feet. “He’s so amazing! He’s so much cuter up close! He wants to take me on a date this weekend!!” She squealed again, and you felt disgusted. Did he want to take her on a date, or did he want to take you on a date? Was it her looks or was it your personality that he liked? 

“I’m… Really happy for you, Jooyi.” You lied through gritted teeth. You hated hearing about it, you hated hearing her in general, but hearing her talk about him as if she was the one who had put in the work over four months to get him to like her… It was unfair. You faked a yawn and rubbed your eyes, acting tired just to be able to wipe your tears without her noticing. “I’m gonna go to the library and study. I’ll see you later.” 

She was lost in her own world, but she sat up as you reached the door, your backpack slung over your shoulder and your hand on the doorknob. “Hey!” You put on a smile as you turned to face her, waiting for her to continue. “Did he message you? Did he talk about me? Hmm?” 

You felt your phone vibrate in your back pocket, you knew it was him, but you shook your head. “Haven’t heard from him… Maybe he deleted the app… I don’t know. I have to study though, I’ll let you know if he does.” She sighed softly, letting her head fall back against the mattress, she was back in dreamland. Her whole life was a dream… And yours was a nonstop nightmare. 

///

The library was practically empty when you walked in, you could hear every squeak of the floorboards as the one or two other students paced the shelves of books. You could almost hear the buzzing of the fluorescent light that hung over your head… You could hear… “Is this seat taken?” The man asked, and you looked up to see Jisung standing next to the chair that was across from you. It was strange, and you looked around at the vast amount of empty tables that filled the large building. Why would he want to sit with you? “I don’t like sitting by myself… I feel like it’s easier to study when I have someone sitting with me.” 

Could he read your mind? Pfft, no! That’s impossible. “It’s not taken…” You mumbled, trying to keep your voice low, hoping that he wouldn’t recognize it from the phone calls. You couldn’t even begin to imagine how furious Jooyi would be if she found out about this. Maybe you should just leave. You could study another night. Then your phone vibrated against the table, your heart froze, and Jisung, who had been smiling at his own phone looked up at you. 

“Heh… That’s a coincidence. I just sent a message and your phone vibrated!” He said rather cheerfully, and the way he looked at you, it was like he was expecting you to check it. There was no way in hell you’d do that though. You awkwardly giggled, shoving your phone into your backpack as you shook your head. 

“Probably an email or something… It is… Ironic though…” You whispered, lowering your head even further into the textbook that you had opened. You felt his eyes linger on you though, like they were burning through you, and you didn’t know whether to feel flustered, nervous, or both those things and everything in between. “D-Do you need something? A pencil… Or-” 

“I know you…” He said matter-of-factly, and it was like your throat closed up and your chest tightened. How did he know you? What was he talking about? He couldn’t possibly know you. “You’re the top student… You’re like, mega smart! I can see why now… Do you always study this late?” 

Relief, a sigh of relief and a deep breath. You were safe… You shouldn’t overthink too much. “Mmn…” You nodded your head once but kept it bowed, trying to focus on the words in the textbook, but it was so hard. “Thank you…” You added, wondering if maybe that was what he was waiting for. 

He chuckled softly, and then you felt the table shake as he dropped his own backpack on the table and started pulling out a bunch of notebooks. “You make it seem so easy. How do you just… Concentrate? It’s so hard for me to do.” He whined, and you looked around as his voice got higher and higher. “Oh… Sorry.” His voice dropped back down to a whisper and then he chuckled softly. 

His laugh was contagious and you couldn’t help but laugh along with him, your hand clasping over your mouth to try to muffle the noise. “It’s easy… You just have to find the fun in it.” He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at you and you pursed your lips, trying not to laugh at his reaction. “Seriously. Here, let me show you.” 

It was supposed to be a solo study session, honestly, it was just to try to get away from your roommate long enough for her to fall asleep. You never in your wildest dreams expected this to happen. It was like a scene straight out of a k-drama, but you also knew that after these types of scenes, things got bad. But you didn’t want to think about that right now… All you could think about was the way that he laughed with you, the way he smiled at you, the way he talked to you like you were a person and not just the dirt beneath his shoes. 

“You remind me of someone.” He said nonchalantly as you both started packing up your books. You blinked a few times, your head tilting to the side as you waited for him to elaborate, but he was looking at his phone, his smile dropping slightly as he turned it off and slid it into his pocket. “Oh… It’s nothing. She must have just fallen asleep. She’s always so tired. She studies a lot… Kind of like you. Maybe you can tutor me… I’ll bring her too! That would be cool, right?” Cool… Not at all. It was the complete opposite of cool. That… That would never work.

“M-Maybe… I don’t know… I tutor a couple other people.” You came up with the lie quickly, and you hated the way his smile almost completely disappeared. Maybe you could make an exception… It’s not like he’d find out… Right? Jooyi would just have to act interested in studying. You were sure that if you told her, she’d be on board… “I’ll… I’ll see if I can schedule you in.” 

And just like that, his smile was back and he was pulling his phone out again. “Awesome! Uhm, how about we exchange phone numbers and…” He trailed off when he saw the look on your face, and you were sure that you looked quite uneasy. There was no way that would go over well with Jooyi, she’d flip shit. “How about Anonny… You know the app, right? Everyone has it!” Oh shit… That was even worse. 

“How about… We leave it up to fate.” His eyebrow arched, and you were really going out on a limb here with the excuses, but you had to protect yourself… Not just from him, but from Jooyi too. You didn’t have much to lose… But it was enough to have you terrified. “If we both manage to come to the library at the same time, if you see me here, I’ll tutor you. I usually come at night though… Just so you know.” 

You bowed your head to him as you got up, putting on your backpack and heading out, and you could hear him following behind you. “I’ll be here. Every night. I’ll study on my own too… Thank you, for helping me.” You hummed in response, pushing open the main door and you were met with a rather brisk gust of wind that had you shivering and shoving your hands into your pockets. “Are you cold? Here…” He shimmied out of his top coat, placing it over your shoulders and smiling when he saw it on you. “You can return it to me next time fate brings us together, okay? Just stay warm, and get home safe.” 

For fucks sake… 

///

JiHizzy : Hey, whatcha up to?

JiHizzy : It’s been like… 3 hours… Are you mad or something? 

JiHizzy : You must be sleeping… I just feel like somethings wrong… 

JiHizzy : Let me know when you get this message… Okay?

Your roommate was fast asleep when you finally got in, and you quickly took off Jisungs coat and slid it under your bed, safe for now at least from the prying eyes of Jooyi. As you curled up under your blankets, ready to just fall asleep, ready to let yourself drift off into a world where you didn’t have to pretend and you didn’t have to lie to the man who had sat across from you in the library when there were so many tables to choose from. The man who smiled at you and made you feel like you were the only person in the room. Then your phone vibrated once more from under your pillow. 

JiHizzy : I was studying tonight… I know how important it is to you and… I wanted to do it. JiHizzy : I met someone there, she reminded me of you a lot! 

JiHizzy : I hope these aren’t waking you up… I know you’re sleeping. 

JustAnotherGirl : I was at the library too. We must have just missed each other…

JiHizzy : NO WAY! Dammit! Well… 

JiHizzy : I was thinking that we can do study dates. Wouldn’t that be cool? 

JustAnotherGirl : It would. I really like that idea. 

JiHizzy : Awesome! Okay! 

JiHizzy : Goodnight cutie! 

Study dates… That’s how you had looked at tonight, or you were just delusional. If tonight had happened sooner… Would you have taken Jooyi up on her deal? He seemed to be just fine with you… He wasn’t embarrassed, he wasn’t ashamed to be sitting across from you and laughing with you… Would he have liked you still if he knew who you really were? 

///

“So, how was your night last night? You got home safe?” Jisung asked and you heard Jooyi giggle loudly, it was so fake, it made you sick. He was such a genuine person, and she was nothing but a stuck up little- 

“My night was wonderful! I went shopping for our date this weekend. I can’t wait for you to see the outfits I picked out!” You sank down onto the bench. Shit… You hadn’t told her… What would happen now? 

“Sh-Shopping?” He questioned, and you wanted to crawl under a rock. You wanted to hide from her and the wrath that you knew was bound to be coming your way. “I thought you were studying? You said… You said you were at the library…” 

She went silent, and even though you were outside, you could feel the tension in the air. “Did… Did I say shopping?! Oh my gosh, I meant studying! I’m a big nerd! You know me!” She laughed again, but this time there was something else… Nervousness? Irritation? Anger? She’d be looking for you. 

“You’re acting weird… Are you okay?” He asked, and she scoffed loudly. Should you spare a glance and risk meeting eyes with her? “Were you just… Lying about studying? Was it to try to… Impress me? You know you don’t have to do that.” 

“I know I don’t. I’m impressive enough!” She said loudly, it’s like she enjoyed making scenes. She was disgusting. “I have to go really quick, I forgot my big ol’ textbook back at my room. I’ll meet up with you later? We can have lunch!” 

“Y-Yeah… Sure…” Something had changed… He wasn’t buying it anymore. But you didn’t have time to worry about that. Jooyi was looking for you, and you were tired of being scared of her. You were tired of worrying about what she’d do or what she’d say about you. Jisung liked you, even if just as a friend… You had been made clear of that last night at the library. She couldn’t even make it one day… The two of you were just too different, and he had noticed. You weren’t sure what would happen next, but you weren’t going to hide away, you weren’t going to give in. You deserved to be happy… You might not have the money, you don’t have the luxuries, but you have the willpower, and you have the drive… And that was worth way more than what her money could ever buy. 

“I need to talk to you… Now.” As if like magic, she appeared in front of you. She was angry, no doubt, but there was nothing she could do to hurt you. So you got up, following her off to the side of one of the buildings, and before you could say anything the palm of her hand connected with your cheek. “You bitch! You said that you’d tell me when he messaged you! Was this your plan?! To humiliate me in front of him!” 

Now it was your turn to scoff, your turn to laugh, and while the sting in your cheek hurt, it didn’t hurt as much as knowing that you almost let him get away, you almost let him get stuck with someone like her. “I didn’t have to plan it for it to work out like this. You humiliated yourself. He isn’t your type… Deal with it.” 

“You…” She started, but it quickly turned to a scream, one filled with pure rage as she started grabbing at the pockets of your jacket. “Give me your phone! He doesn’t want you! He wants me! You’re nothing! You’re poor and you’re pathetic and you’ll never have him! Why would anyone want you!” She just… screamed… She screamed so loud, and with every attempt to grab at you, you swatted her hands away, backing up further and further until you bumped into something… or… someone. “Oh! Jisung!” She full stopped, adjusting her hair and putting on the fakest smile. 

“What are you doing?” He asked, looking between you and Jooyi. “What are you talking about?” His eyes focused on you a lot longer, as if studying you, and you felt the heat of his gaze, but it didn’t burn, it just made you feel warm, it made you feel safe. “Why do you want her phone?” 

Jooyi was stuttering over herself, unable to form a coherent sentence as her head shook violently. “She… Sh-She’s blackmailing me, Ji! She stole my username on Anonny… She’s pretending to be me so that she can get with you… So she can take you away from me!” She whined, and you couldn’t help but look disgustedly at her. She truly was the queen of scenes, stomping her feet and throwing a tantrum like a child would. How pathetic. 

“My… tutor… Is blackmailing… You?” He questioned, and her eyes widened before turning her daggers towards you. “What’s your name on Anonny? If she stole it from you… What is it?” You didn’t have to do anything, he was putting all of the pieces together for himself. You weren’t sure what would happen once the puzzle finally came together… And maybe it wouldn’t work out for you… But to see her get knocked down to size, it made it all worth it. 

“I-It… My Anonny name? You know it! You tell me what it is!” She said, and you knew why, she was trying to get him to say it… But he was smarter than that. He shook his head, letting out a disappointed chuckle, and then his attention was back on you. “Don’t! Don’t look at her! Look at me! You love me!” 

“Do I?” He whispered, but he never looked away from you, his head tilted and a small smile on his face. “What’s your Anonny username?” He asked, and you felt the heat rising inside of you. This was your chance, your moment, you didn’t know where it would lead you to, but it was time. 

“I’m… JustAnotherGirl… Just another girl that has a crush on you… That gets overlooked and forgotten. But I’m here… And I’ve been here for four months…” You murmured, and he let out a shaky gasp. Was he embarrassed? Was he ashamed that you were the girl he had been talking to for so long? “I’m sorry. I’m not popular, I’m not even close to rich. I don’t have much to give… But-” 

“But you’re perfect…” He stepped closer to you, causing you to stumble back as your breath hitched in your throat. “You’re smart, and you’re sweet… You’re kind and you’re genuine. You’re not materialistic, you’re just… You’re wonderful, you’re wonderfully you…” His hand reached up, his knuckles brushing lightly against your cheek. “You’re the girl that I fell in love with…” 

“WHAT!!?” Jooyi screeched from behind you, and before you knew it, you and Jisung were being pushed apart. “Are you serious right now?! Her?! She’s… She’s a roach! She’s vermin! I can’t believe you right now! Have you seen me?!” 

“Sadly.” Jisung retorted, and it took everything in you not to laugh, but everyone that had gathered around to see what was going on laughed enough for you. “I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t talk about my girlfriend like that.” 

“G-Girlfriend?!” Jooyi scoffed, running her hands through her hair. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Just… When you lose all your friends because you’re with a loser, don’t come crawling back to me! Have fun being not popular!” 

“I think it’s time for us to go, don’t you?” He asked, completely ignoring her now as he draped his arm over your shoulder. “You want lunch? Anything you want, it’s on me.” 

///

HanJi : I’ll be at the library soon. I’ve got hot cocoa!

Beautiful Wonderful Girlfriend : Don’t drive too fast, the snow is really coming down now… 

“I know it is…” His voice came from behind you, and then the cups of hot cocoa were placed in front of you on the table. “It’s really pretty, isn’t it?” You glanced out the window, awestruck at just how beautiful campus could look when blanketed in dazzling white snow. “You brought your coat, right?” 

You nodded your head, patting the chair beside you where the coat that he had given you almost 2 years ago was neatly hanging over the back of the seat. “It’s your coat… You just won’t let me give it back.” You teased, and he let out a soft sigh as he dropped down into his seat. He hadn’t changed a bit since the first time you both sat at this table together. 

It was strange how time worked, it felt like forever ago, but you remembered it like it had happened just yesterday. “It’s our coat, babe. What’s mine is yours.” He sounded so serious, but you couldn’t help but laugh at the statement. He was talking like the two of you were… Married? Your laughter subsided as you stared at him across the table, your lips parted slightly as you let out a quiet breath. 

“You’re funny…” You said sheepishly, turning your attention back out the window, focusing on the snowflakes that danced down from the sky, finding the perfect place to rest. “We’re not married, our things don’t have to be shared…” Even though you both had been together for two years and he was the sweetest, most loving boyfriend you had ever had… You still couldn’t get those words out of your head. The words from the past that had been uttered by the girl that had wanted to take your place… He would never want to be with someone like you…

“Yet…” He murmured, the word like a breath leaving his lips. You blinked a few times, feeling the heat rising in your cheeks, your heart thumping loudly in your chest. Did he really love you that much? Could someone really love you that much? Were you deserving of this much love, to be with someone like him? “What are you thinking about, babe?” He cooed, reaching across the table to grab your hands that were folded on top, his thumb brushing lightly across your knuckles. 

“I’m just…” You began, feeling the familiar sting of fresh tears beginning to brim in your eyes, but it was slightly different this time… They weren’t tears of sadness or fear… You were happy. “I’m so lucky… And… I never thought I’d be with someone so amazing… So perfect…” You could barely get your voice above a whisper, your throat closing up from trying to hold back your tears. 

“Mm…” He hummed, pushing away from the table and getting up, walking around to your side of the table and grabbing your hand. “Let’s take a walk… yeah?” One more glance out the window and you saw the snow creating almost a wall of white as it came down harder, but there was no wind, it was just… beautiful. “I’ll keep you warm, don’t worry.” 

You nodded your head, grabbing the coat and slipping it on, the scent of his cologne, although faded, still brought you comfort when you put it on. “Where are we going?” You quizzed, slipping your fingers between his as you both walked out of the library. You were sure that nothing would be open, not with this weather. 

“Anywhere… I just… I want to walk with you.” He said, his voice kind of shaky, like his nerves had gotten the better of him. He led you aimlessly through campus, and you followed right along beside him. You didn’t really care where you were going, as long as you were with him, you’d follow the path he was taking blindly with your hand in his. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’ll do it…” 

Was he talking to you or was he just thinking out loud? You looked to him, the snowflakes catching on your eyelashes as you tried to read him, but he was looking straight forward, his lips turned up into a lopsided smile. “How you’ll do what?” Even though you were speaking softly, the silence that surrounded you made every word sound so loud. 

“Propose.” He sounded so calm, but the singular word alone had you pausing, pulling him back so he would face you. “What? Can I not think about how I’m going to propose to my wonderful, beautiful, amazing, sweet, lovely-“ 

“Okay okay!” Even after 2 years, you still weren’t the best at taking compliments, especially when he was looking at you so intently. “Why are you thinking about that right now? We’re still in college and… I want you to focus on graduating. So we can both be successful. You know?” 

His hand slipped out of yours and then his arm snaked around your waist as he started walking again, pulling you along with him. “I can focus on graduating, and I can focus on you. I’ve been doing it since the day I truly met you… the real you.” He chuckled quietly, the sound building in his chest as his head shook. It was funny now, to look back on everything that happened. “And I like thinking about the future, it makes me happy to know that I’ll be spending it with you. But you don’t have to worry about me proposing in college… I wouldn’t want everyone to see. I want it to be a moment for us to remember.” You hummed softly, leaning against his shoulder as you simply listened to him, you let him get lost in his thoughts because you didn’t mind getting lost in them either. They had you looking forward to a better, simpler time where the two of you would be able to be together without worrying about grades and finals. “Flower petals will line the path that I’ll take you down…” He murmured, and your eyes were focused on his face, not noticing the trail of pink and red in the snow. “A gazebo, with fairy lights twinkling brightly, shining in your eyes…” He continued, sighing softly. “Nobody is around, the snow is falling, you look absolutely stunning against the backdrop…” 

“A winter proposal?” You asked, and you were so lost in his thoughts and your own that you hadn’t even noticed how far you had walked until he was leading you up the stairs of a white wooden gazebo, perfect icicles hanging off the roof of it, and… fairy lights illuminated the inside. “Ji…” You whispered his name, a tuft of smoke coming from your mouth as you breathed it out. His arm left your waist and he kneeled down in front of you, his cheeks a dark pink from both the cold and his nerves. “You said… You said you wouldn’t propose when we were still in college…” 

He snickered, fishing a black velvet box out of his pocket, his snow dampened hair curtaining his eyes as he kept his head down. “I meant… not while we were in the college. We’re not on the grounds anymore…” He finally looked up at you, and you let out a shaky gasp as it truly set in what he was doing. “I don’t want to wait any longer, I know that you’re the one that I want to spend all of my life with. I’ve never felt more comfortable with anyone else. I love you, I’ve known that I loved you since before I even… before I even knew you. I wake up every morning and thank everything that you’re mine, and I fall asleep every night knowing that no matter what, everything will be okay because I have you by my side. I don’t care what anyone thinks, I don’t care what people might say… I only care that you’re happy… And if you say yes, I promise… To do my best to make you feel happy and loved every single day until the day that I die.” He opened the box, and the diamond facets of the silver ring glistened and reflected the lights that had been strung up. “So… Will you… Will you marry me?” 

You choked out a sob, dropping to your knees in front of him as you nodded your head yes, and he quickly pulled the ring out of the box, his hand shaking as he slid it onto your finger. “Ji…” Was all you could say as you looked at the ring, cold, yet so beautiful in its place. His chilled hands cupped your cheeks, tilting your head so that your eyes would meet his. “I love you…” 

“And I’ll always love you.” He leaned in, kissing you softly and humming against your lips. “Shall we go back inside and warm up, my beautiful, lovely, wonderful, amazing-“ 

“Stop~” You playfully whined, giggling quietly as you dropped your gaze once more. “You’re so cheesy…” You mumbled, and then you felt his lips against your forehead, his fingers brushing your hair out of your face. 

“And you’re… You’re everything to me…” He pushed himself up to his feet, carefully pulling you up and then hugging you tightly. “Thank you, for making me happy, for loving me… I can’t wait to marry you."

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[forever-rogue]

I’m really missing nurse!Steeb x pregnant reader lately, what have they been up to??🥺

AN | I love Nurse!Steeb and his clumsy girl! Besides being pregnant, again, things are as chaotic as always in the Harrington household! 💕

Warnings | Mild Language, Pregnant!Reader

Pairing | Nurse!Steve x Fem!Reader

Word Count | 2k

Masterlist | Steve, Main, Nurse Steve

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Guess what,” you walked into your bedroom, inadvertently scaring Steve who had been reading intently. He yelped slightly as you offered him an apologetic grin and got into bed next to him, “sorry babe. But guess what!”

“What's up?” He set his book on his night stand before reaching for your hand and lacing your fingers together.

“I'm twelve weeks today,” it took him a moment to put together what you were saying but as soon as he did, his entire face lit up, “I think its time we told people, what do you think?”

“Yes. Yes,” he agreed eagerly. He'd been wanting to tell people since the day you told him you were pregnant but also understood why you had wanted to wait, “I can't wait to tell everyone. They're going to be so excited.”

“And what about you, Steve Harrington?” You clutched his hand tightly before bringing it to your lips and pressing a kiss to his knuckles, “are you excited? Truly?”

“Of course I am,” he scoffed sweetly as you relaxed, giving him an innocent shoulder shrug, “you know you don’t ever have to question that, sweetheart. I’ve been dying to tell everyone, but I know you wanted to wait. Which totally makes sense.”

“I was just worried,” you whispered softly, “I didn’t want anything to go wrong. I’m really glad it didn’t. I’m excited too.”

“I can’t believe I’ve got you, Cami, and now another baby,” his smile stretched from ear to ear as your face lit up, “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“What if I get weird cravings in the middle of the night?” When you were pregnant with Cami, there hadn’t been anything too crazy, but you wanted to be prepared. And you didn’t want to annoy Steve - not that you would ever be able to do such a thing, especially when you were pregnant, “what if I complain all the time? What if I can’t sleep? What if you get annoyed with me? What if Camila doesn’t want-”

“Hey,” he put a finger gently to your lips in order to tenderly cut off any more of your doubt, “I will never get tired of you. You know that. And even if all those things happen, we’ll get through them and I’ll try my best to help you. And I have a feeling that Camila will be very excited for a brother and sister.”

“How can you be sure?”

“She’s been talking about how some of her friends have little brothers and sisters that she thinks it’s really cool,” that made you feel immediately better, “trust me, she’ll be excited.”

“So we’re all excited?” you hadn’t realized a few tears had rolled down your cheeks until Steve gently wiped them away. You reached up and held his hand to your face, offering your husband a misty-eyed smile.

“We’re all excited,” he confirmed as he brushed his thumb along your cheek, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Stevie.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Mama?” Camila's small voice cut through your internal monologue as you shifted your gaze to find her watching you with a worried expression on her little face, “what's wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, my love,” you wiped the tears from your face with the sleeve of your sweater, motioning for her to come over. She padded over and crawled onto the couch next to you, “I'm just feeling a little sad.”

“Why are you feeling sad?”

“There was a commercial with a really cute dog,” you sniffled as she looked at you in confusion, “I know it doesn't make any sense. When you're pregnant your hormones go all crazy and sometimes even happy things can make you cry.”

“Oh,” she considered what you were saying before shaking her head, “I don't think I could ever do that. What's the point?”

“Well, baby, that's how Daddy and I ended up with you. And I'm pretty glad we did,” you pulled her into your lap and pressed a kiss to the top of her dark curls, “and that's how we're going to end up with your brother or sister.”

“Daddy thinks I'll get a sister,” she grinned at you, a gap toothed little smile that you adored more than anything, “what do you think?”

“I think you're getting a little brother,” you whispered softly, “but we're just going to have to wait and see.”

“How much longer?!”

“Four months…ish,” you gently touched your ever-growing belly and sighed, “sometimes babies come a little early but it should be about four months.”

“I'm excited,” she said with wide eyes filled with wonder. She hesitantly reached over and touched your belly as well, “that's cool that they're in there. Does it hurt?”

“It doesn't hurt but sometimes it doesn't feel good,” and that was putting it lightly, “but it's worth It in the end.”

“I hope so,” she nodded solemnly before sliding off the couch and walking towards the kitchen, “can I have some ice cream?”

“Camila Mae,” you slowly stood up and walked after her, “only if you promise to share!”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Steven Harrington,” you pushed your sunglasses to the top of your head, raising an eyebrow at him, “my eyes are up here.”

“Baby,” he huffed, his eyes turning a pretty shade of pink. He had not so discreetly looking at your chest and your belly, “its not fair. You're so hot. Gorgeous. Sexy. Beautiful. All of it.”

“Please,” you rolled your eyes at him before gently pushing his chest, “I'm five months pregnant. I'm hardly anything but a beach ball.”

“You're gorgeous,” he insisted, settling his large hands on your waist as he pulled into him and pressed a kiss to your lips, “plus the bathing suit you're wearing? Fuckin’ killing me.”

“Steve,” you squeaked softly as your entire face warmed up, “you just like it when I'm pregnant.”

“I like you always,” he insisted sweetly, “but there is something about you being pregnant that drives me crazy. And that way everyone knows you're mine.”

“I'm all yours,” you agreed, biting the inside of your cheek, “I love you, Stevie.”

“I love you, baby,” he grinned, “so much-”

“Daddy! Mama!” Cami sounded so adorably annoyed as the two of you looked over at her. She was motioning towards the pool, clearly ready to get into the water, “stop being so gross!”

“Yeah Daddy,” you nudged him towards your daughter, “stop being so gross and hitting on Mama.”

“Stop,” he groaned softly, pressing one last kiss to your lips, “you're doing to be the death of me, I hope you know.”

“So dramatic,” you snorted in amusement, “go have fun and keep our kid from drowning!”

“And you put on plenty of sunscreen,” he insisted pointing at the bag you had packed, “join us when you're ready.”

“I will,” you smiled softly, already feeling some tears welling up. It seemed like everything made you cry these days. It was just one of the many perks of being pregnant, “go have fun. I'll keep an eye on this kid.”

You could hear Steve laughing as he went over to Camila. Her entire little face lit up as her father picked up her and threw her over his shoulder to climb into the pool. It was still crazy sometimes to think that these two people were your favorite people in the entire world.

“And you're pretty special too,” you sat down, slowly of course, on your beach chair and rubbed a hand over your belly, “I can't wait to meet you. You've got a while lot of love waiting for you, just so you know.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You groaned as you walked through the front door and closed it slowly behind you. It had been a long day, and one of the few that you had to work later into the evening. By the time you got home, the Harrington household was already quiet for the evening. 

“Hi honey,” Steve was at the door and already reaching for your bag before you could even wonder where he was. You relaxed as you melted into him, gladly taking the kiss he offered you, “let me help.”

You weren’t even going to bother arguing with your husband. He set your bag down in its usual spot before taking your coat and helping you slip off your shoes. When he was done, you instantly felt better. He reached for your hand and slowly led you to the kitchen, “thanks Stevie.”

“You’ve had a long day, it’s the least I can do,” you sat down at the kitchen table and let out a large sigh, running a tired hand over your belly, “how are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling like I’m very pregnant,” you huffed with a small laugh as you watched him put together a plate of food from dinner. He caught your eye and gave you a soft smile, “I can’t believe there’s still like months of this left.”

“If it’s any consolation, I think you’re doing a fantastic job,” he set the plate down in front of you and pressed a kiss to your head before grabbing a drink from the refrigerator. He set it down next to your plate before sitting down next to you, “I don’t think I could ever do it. I mean…growing a whole human is crazy.”

“I agree,” you took a big bite of the warm, delicious food, savoring the flavor before swallowing, “and I’m the one doing it. But I know it’ll be worth it. Blob number two will be worth it, just like Cami was.”

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” he asked with a hearty laugh, as you offered him a big smile.

“Never,” you promised, “not even if we have another kid in the future. I’m telling you, they look like blobs on the ultrasound and you can’t even say I’m wrong. I mean, you’re a nurse! You gotta admit they just look like blobs more than anything else.”

“I’m going to agree with you because you’re my wife and pregnant,” he folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair, playfully narrowing his eyes at you. You stuck your tongue out at him, “I know better than to argue with my pregnant wife. Whom I love very much.”

The sweet tone in his voice caused you to soften as you set down your fork, “I love you too, Steve. So much.”

“I know,” he gently nudged his foot with yours, “is there anything else I can do for you? Whatever you need. Bubble bath?”

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” you agreed, “I feel like even my bones are tired. They could use a good soak.”

“And then you can tell me all about your day,” he insisted as you nodded at him.

“But only if you tell me all about yours,” you replied, “and Camila’s. I’m sure the two of you got up to no good.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” and that told you enough to know that the two of them definitely got into something, “we’re practically angels.”

“Shut up,” you laughed at him, shaking your head in amusement, “that’ll be the day. But luckily, I love and want to keep you both around.”

“I want you around too,” he stood up and slowly stretched before reaching for your hands, “do you want seconds first or bath now?”

“Bath now,” you let him take your hands and help to hoist you to your feet, “dessert later?”

“Dessert - “ he paused for a moment as you raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to put together what you were actually insinuating, “oh. Oh. Y-yeah, we can do that. Definitely.”

“Come on then,” you tilted your head towards the upstairs, “how often do we get this much peace, quiet and alone time?”

“Almost never,” he agreed, “you’re right. Let’s go.”

Needless to say, things were as hectic and chaotic as ever in the Harrington household.

[mellowsaturns]

at the end of the day

summary: after another failed date, you run into bucky barnes on the way home and the two of you get caught in the rain

warnings: fluff, dancing in the rain, talks about love, romcom vibes i hope, pining bucky

wc: 1.7k

a/n: inspired by the talk @jadedvibes and i had a while ago heheh. men suck sometimes but we gotta put our trust in rom-communism and that everything will work out at the end :)

How many horrible dates will you go on to realize that you're never going to have your happy ending? 

The thought plagued you as you walked down the street. You were going to give up on love completely this time, you promised yourself.

You were deep in thought when a soft voice interrupted your pitiful reverie. 

“Oh?” you said, eyes widening in surprise. “Bucky, what are you doing here?”

A light chuckle filled the air between the two of you before he spoke. “I live in this neighbourhood, doll.” 

You mentally smacked yourself on the forehead. “Oh, right. I forgot.” 

His mouth curved into an amused grin before he took a good look at you. “What are you doing here?” he asked, but he had a feeling he already knew the answer. 

You looked down at your outfit, one so different from the usual attire you have on at the Tower. “Isn’t it kinda obvious?” you teased, though your voice’s laced with defeat. “I was on a date.” 

He hummed, “And how’d it go?” 

“Let’s just say there isn’t going to be a second one,” you answered, finishing off with a sigh.

Bucky winced. “M’sorry it didn’t go well.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” you said, “It… it happens a lot, I’m used to it.” 

His brow creased in confusion. “Used to what?”

Did you really have to lay out your shitty love life in front of Bucky Barnes? 

You twiddled your thumb nervously. “Going on bad dates,” you stated, “Never finding anything meaningful from them. Always going home with the feeling of disappointment. You know, the usual.” 

Bucky frowned. He never realized you had problems with the whole… dating thing. At least you didn’t look like it whenever he saw you around the Tower. You were a joy to be around—always surrounded by people. How could you possibly have problems with dating? Half the department was already in love with you. (Not that Bucky was keeping records on names or anything. Maybe a little.) If you had problems with love, then what about someone like him? 

Now that you voiced your problem out loud, you felt a bit better. It’s not that you couldn’t find someone—there’s plenty of someones out there—but none of them made you feel special or seen. That spark you were always looking for seemed to be nonexistent.

Maybe the problem was that you were too picky, your standard was too high—too unrealistic.

Or maybe you were the thing you feared the most.

“Sometimes, I feel like there’s something wrong with me,” you confessed. “No, there must be something wrong with me. Maybe the stuff you see in movies does happen, just not to me because no one wants to put in that effort with me. Maybe, I’m unlovable.”

You never thought you would be confessing all this to him. 

Bucky took a minute to digest your words before speaking again. “Hey,” he said softly. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Looking into his eyes, you wondered if he truly meant it, or if he’s just being kind like he always was. And as if he could read your mind, “I mean it,” he added, reassuring you. 

“Then why…” 

“These people you go on dates with,” he jumped in, “They don’t even realize how lucky they are. You’re amazing,” he said, a gentle smile spreading across his face, “And if they don’t see that or don’t make you feel like you’re on top of the world, then I guess they weren’t that great to begin with. They don’t deserve someone as wonderful as you.” 

You were speechless. Bucky and you weren’t strangers but calling him a friend seemed a bit too… intimate. You don’t even have his number for Christ’s sake. The two of you were just two people who worked in the same building and saw each other frequently and talked here and there. But why did his words mean more to you than any pep-talk your friends gave you? 

“I-l—” you stuttered, “I don’t know what to say. I’m honoured that you think so highly of me.”

If you only knew what Bucky thought of you. He doesn’t really know when it happened, this growing feeling inside of him, but seeing you had become his favourite part of the job. He always tried to spark up small talk (much to everyone’s surprise) but the both of you were busy, always getting whisked away mid-conversation.

Today was the first time he saw you outside of work, in his neighbourhood nonetheless. Perhaps this was his chance—finally some alone time with you. He felt like there were a million things to say, but of course, it came out wrong, as it always does. “I always think about you.” When you raised an eyebrow at him, he corrected himself, “I-I mean I always think highly of you,” he corrected, a tinge of pink evident on his cheek. 

A small chuckle escaped from you, and you had to look down bashfully, trying your best to hide your flusteredness. I always think about you.

You wondered why you never paid more attention to the Avenger who always had business in your department. 

“That’s really sweet of you to say. If I’m being honest, I was genuinely ready to give up on love tonight,” you said with a small laugh.

Bucky swallowed. “Loo—” Before he could finish his sentence, something wet landed on top of his forehead. Then another one. And another one. It had started to rain. He could have sworn that wasn’t the predicted forecast tonight.

The two of you looked up, letting the steady gentle rain hit the surfaces of your skin. It was probably a good idea to find shelter, maybe stand underneath a roof for the time being until the unexpected summer rain went away.

But the two of you just stood there, completely still, looking ridiculous to onlookers. And then you bursted into a fit of laughter. “Sorry, it’s just… I always imagined what it would be like to be stuck in a storm.” 

He grinned. “And how is it?” he yelled through the pitter-patter. 

“Hmm. Not as romantic as I thought it’ll be,” you noted amusingly.

Bucky met your eyes for a moment, then swallowed a breath. “Dance with me?” he asked, extending a hand towards you. 

You raised a brow, heart skipping a beat at his words. You would be lying if you said the hopeless romantic in you never imagined yourself in this position multiple times. You just never thought it would be with Bucky Barnes.

Taking his hand, he led you with small slow steps. 

“You must’ve done this a lot back in your days,” you teased playfully.

Connecting his eyes with yours, he confessed, “This is the first time I’ve danced with someone in the rain.”

Bringing you in and out, and then lifting your arm to twirl you around while the water rippled beneath your feet, it felt like you were suddenly transported elsewhere. Like a movie you had seen on screen that had you swooning. Or a novel you had read late into the night with a gigantic smile on your face. You almost expected some low jazz to start playing soon. But even if it didn’t, it would’ve been fine, because you had the soft glow of moonlight peeking out from behind the clouds, the summer rain, and Bucky with you. It was already enough to set the scene. 

He looked particularly boyish tonight with his hair sticking to his forehead. You had the urge to sweep the strands away.

You let out a small yelp when Bucky dipped you down before pulling you back up so you were pressed into his chest. You were glad the sound of raindrops masked your beating heart. 

He was a bit rusty, he knew that. It has been over seventy-years since he danced with someone. He couldn’t believe how you would think no one wanted to put in the effort with you. He would dance with you in the rain all the time if that’s what you wanted. Would probably do anything you asked of him, if he was being honest.

You’re not a very good dancer, you had to admit. But Bucky was leading you through the whole thing, even smiling down at you when you accidentally stepped on his foot. 

You wondered how many people this beautiful and charming being of a man had swept off their feet before. Hopefully, he still had space in his heart for you. Because you were completely wooed.

As the rain slowed down and sky started to clear ever so slightly, you realized that the spark you were always complaining about not feeling—it was here, in this very moment, ignited from the touches between the two of you. It was there the moment you took his hand. Giving him another sneaky glance, your eyes lit up like a thousand stars.

Maybe the right person was in front of you all along. 

Bucky doesn’t know how long the two of you stood there in the aftermath, looking into each other's eyes. It’s the brightest thing in the city, he thought.

Moments later, you removed yourself from him. “Well, the rain stopped.” 

“It certainly did,” he said, sounding faintly amused. 

“I guess I should get going,” you said, though you were still lingering around.

Bucky, who was soaked to the bones, asked, “Should I take you home?”

You shook your head. “I’m okay. My place is only a few stations from here. Thank you for offering though.” Maybe next time.

Before you completely escaped from his vision, he shouted your name, causing you to pause in your steps and look over your shoulder. “I hope you’re not giving up on love.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to fight back a smile.

How could you?

Bucky Barnes gave you a million reasons to believe in love again. 

[kurishiri]

epilogue . . . “ the medical record of the love between the hunter and me ”

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or may contain creative liberties for characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost or claim these as your own!

— this is the epilogue story for roger’s past records, which is available after sending hearts 700 times. this is told in kate’s point of view, and takes place after they become a couple, so i would personally recommend reading this after you've read at least one branch of his route. (but it's not necessarily required!)

— cw: roger without glasses 🤭, nsfw (fade to black), a bit unedited.

It was the early afternoon, the weather clear, a little after Roger and I had become lovers.

“Your medical records could use some polishing, lil lady.”

That was what Roger said as he called me to the laboratory.

Roger: I asked Victor for your diagnostic tests, right? As for your weight——

Kate: Don’t read it out loud!

Roger: Humans are about the only living beings that care about every little thing about their weight.

Kate: Well, I can’t argue with that, but still...

Roger: It’s all well and good you grew up big.

Even after becoming lovers, it seemed Roger’s tendency to lack delicacy sometimes was going strong.

(Well, that said... I also love that about him too.)

Kate: Wait, I’m pretty sure filling in my medical record won’t make much difference... there’s not much point...

Roger: ‘There’s not much point,’ you say?

Kate: I mean, what you want is data on the Cursed ones, right?

K: As much as I’d love to be of help to you, I’m not Cursed myself...

Roger: Hey now, don’t go saying sad stuff like that.

R: Kate, as my special fairytale keeper, you’ll need to continue to accompany me on missions from here on out.

R: And that’s already asking for more danger than a normal person. That’s all to say,

R: if I get to know you on an even deeper level, I can save you more.

With a broad grin, Roger’s canine tooth peeked out.

That smile alone was enough to make me happy...

(To think Roger’s thought this much about me!)

The happiness at having become his lover spread through my entire body, and I gave him a broad nod in turn.

Kate: If that’s the case, I’ll answer anything!

Roger: .........Anything, huh.

In my enthusiasm in answering, I missed Roger’s words, which came in a whisper.

Roger: Then, let’s start the examination.

Kate: Alright, I’ll be in your care!

Roger: What’s your type, lil lady?

(.........Huh?)

Kate: Is... is that needed for the medical record?

Roger: Very much actually. I’m a former doctor, so you think I’d go around asking pointless questions?

Kate: W-well, besides, we are dating already, so do I really need to say my type out loud...

Roger: Your type could be different, even if we are dating. So I have to ask, just in case.

(Is... that true?)

There was no hesitation in Roger’s tone, so it would be strange not to be able to answer.

My type, huh——Roger’s figure popped into my mind then.

Kate: Uhm, I like to watch someone eat a lot, I think.

Roger: Eat a lot, you say? Ahh, so you mean me?

Kate: T-that’s not necessarily the case!

Roger paid no mind to how flustered I was from him hitting the bull’s eye, instead asking the next question.

Roger: Okay, next. What’s something you’ve found fun recently?

He asked the question so quickly to me, I felt I had to answer quickly.

Kate: Something fun is... ah...

K: Yesterday, I had some very hot food, and it was so spicy I ended up laughing.

Roger: You’re talking about the one we were eating together, right? I remember that too.

Kate: ...Eh, ah...

Roger: Okay, next. Who in Crown do you find the most charming?

Kate: That...

I didn’t even have to mull over it; that was just how charming Roger was.

(...Oh no.)

——This is definitely not for filling in the medical records.

But by the time I realized, it was already too late.

Roger: What, keeping quiet? Then, let me ask a final question, for a bad patient.

Roger’s fingertips poked over where my heart was.

Roger: You’ve been teased so relentlessly, and yet your heart’s beating so fast... why is that?

Roger has the ability to hear sounds up to 100 yards away.

So it came as no surprise that he was aware how fast my heart was beating.

Kate: Please don’t listen in...

Roger: No can do, your heart’s the one that’s too noisy.

R: See, it’s going thump thump so fast, it’s pretty cute.

Kate: Uu...

Roger: Oh? You’re going to cry? In that case, by all means, feel free to. I’ll be happy about that.

(T-this man, I swear——!)

I threw him the sharpest glare I could muster at a grinning Roger.

Kate: I thought this before we got together, too, but why do you always have to do things like this!?

K: You say you don’t like doing anything unnecessary, but then you go and do exactly that!

Roger: That’s because I want to take care of you.

R: Because your crying face is cute.

R: Because I want to talk more with you.

R: And because, if it’s with you, I don’t find any of it unnecessary.

R: I’ve got loads of reasons up my sleeve. You wanna hear more?

He hit me with one sweet reason after another as if being shot by a gun, rendering me unable to respond.

No matter how frustrated I got at his teasing, I ended up on the palm of his hand,

and I end up wagging my tail in happiness, like a dog.

I really do like Roger.

(God... I really want to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him right now.)

But, if I wag my tail so easily for him, I wouldn’t be any different than Ale.

(I’m the woman who’s been trained by Roger, so I need to have some kind of comeback.)

(After all, I’m not someone who just falls on the palm of others!)

Regaining my composure, I tried to act out a confident, capable woman.

Kate: Haven’t we talked enough about me? Now you answer my questions.

K: It’s not fair if I’m the only one doing the answering.

Roger: Hmm? Okay then, ask away.

Kate: “What’s your type,” Roger?

I returned the question that had left me flustered before back at Roger, and I inwardly chuckled to myself.

(Hehe, it would be nice if I could make Roger feel the same way I did, even just a little.)

——But, my intentions were seen through all too soon, to my disappointment.

Roger: “My type” is someone who’s much like a dog, and someone who can think for themself.

R: And if you have the spirit to try and get back at me for what I did to you, all the better.

R: Ahh, come to think of it, someone like the one right before my eyes is really my type.

Kate: Wh...

Roger: “What’s something you’ve found fun recently?”

R: Right now, this moment.

Kate: Ah...

Roger: “Who in Crown do you find the most charming?”

R: If you count as a member of Crown——then it can only be you, Kate.

I could only blink in response as Roger’s strong arms wrapped around me.

My ears were pressed against his warm chest...

Roger: Here, listen to my heart.

Being hit with those sweet words on top of that, I felt myself going dizzy.

Kate: I think my heart’s being too noisy... so, I can’t tell.

Roger: Pfft, hahahaha!

R: Guess that makes it my win.

Seeing him laugh so happily while patting my head, that sort of innocence was rare coming from him, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

(...Jeez... I really am no match for him.)

Kate: Hehe, I don’t recall this ever having been a match, but I surrender.

I was always on the palm of his head, and that was so frustrating it was unbearable.

But, I’m not someone who will fall into anyone’s palm.

(Roger, you are the most special to me, and I wouldn’t replace you for the world.)

(That’s why, I will happily fall into the palm of your hand.)

Roger: What’re you talking about, isn’t it too early to surrender?

The hand that had been on my head slipped before grabbing and lifting my chin.

Roger: We’ve only just become lovers. So we have to get to know each other more.

The eyes before me pierced me with a heat that resembled a hunter aiming for his prey.

He didn’t even try to conceal that heat, and it brought out my desire as well.

Kate: ...What do we need to do, in order to get to know each other deeper?

Roger: Let’s see now, first of all...

Kate: Mn, nn...

While kissing me, Roger lifted me before pinning me down on the lab table.

Roger: Do I need to spell out the rest... lil lady?

Just thinking about what he was going to do made the bottom of my stomach throb.

As if seeing through my desire, Roger’s fingers traced my thighs before they made their way in my underwear.

Roger: ...Hm?

(Ahh, jeez...)

I removed Roger’s glasses, and in an attempt to divert him from my embarrassment, I turned my face away.

Kate: ...I know, but still... tell me.

Roger: .........Alright, I’ll tell you everything.

—— Time skip ——

As the night deepened, Victor and Roger’s shadows were present in the lounge.

Victor: Oh, right, Roger. About Kate’s medical records...

Roger: Ahh, that. I have it here.

Victor: Thank you, that was quick as always. Oh? This date...

V: To think you’ve taken such detailed records on her since the day she started as a fairytale keeper...

Roger: Well, yeah.

Victor: I’m sure if Kate knew, she would be delighted.

Roger: No, best to keep that a secret.

R: Since the day I met her, the thing I liked the most was giving her a bit of trouble.

Fin.

← main story 👑 ecb story 🪞🍻

full masterlist 🍻

END NOTES: i believe this basically concludes my translation of roger’s past records! and a big big thank you to everyone who read to the end! i had fun translating this story, since in addition to roger, we can see a variety of other characters being featured — and they even feature a chapter where crown is just being the dysfunctional found family they are 🤭

i hope this story can serve as a good starting for roger’s route (and perhaps future routes too, though in the end we still don’t know too much about victor, haha). i’d love to hear your thoughts 🥹🙏

[danikamariewrites]

Hey can you pls write a rhysand and Azriel poly ddlg relationship where reasder is being really clingy with both Azriel and Rhysand like she literally crys when one of them isn’t around her or touching in some way like she’s being really needdy and she will literally sit on rhysand lap while he works and she likes be as close to them as possible

Mine, Mine, Mine

Rhsyriel x reader

A/n: sorry the Az stuff is so short I didn’t want it to get repetitive with the Az stuff I’ve already written

Warnings: poly relationship, ddlg, daddy kink

You are super clingy with your mates. You can’t stand being away away from them you just love them so damn much

You’re also very possibly of them and demand their attention at all times

They love the attention from you and they love treating you like the princess you are

When you’re with both of them you can’t help but stare at Rhys and Azriel with heart eyes

“I have to be in the middle all the time, come here.” You say, sitting on the couch holding your arms out for them to lay on your chest. And how could they deny their precious princess

They love when you sit on their laps when they work

Obviously you switch between the two depending on who needs you most

Since Rhys works the most at home you end up with him but when Az has to do reports you sit with him

Little things you do to show them affection are holding their hands, small kisses on their cheeks, hugs from behind, and sometimes you give them little bites bc you just can’t help yourself

You used to get a little overwhelmed when they were both home

You would feel guilty if you were with one and not the other because you didn’t want them to feel neglected

Rhys and Azriel came up with a schedule after you cried one time because you didn’t want to say no to either of them. You had brought both of them lunch in the offices and each had asked you to stay with them. They both missed you so much and just wanted to hold you

You had a breakdown in the hall between their offices

Rhys and Az noticed you silently crying trying to make your decision. They rush out to comfort you. “Darling why are you crying?” Azriel wipes your tears as you explain, “because, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and you both want me to sit with you and I don’t know what to do.” “Oh princess, why didn’t you say something earlier?” You sniffled, looking up at your mates. “I’m sorry daddy. I promise I’ll speak up next time.”

At meals you rest your legs on Rhys and he rubs a hand up and down your thigh while resting your head Azriel’s shoulder

When they’re extra busy and you have to entertain yourself you get a major attitude

“Sorry darling, but we have a lot of work to do today. Why don’t you go shopping or something.” Rhys suggested with semi-convincing smile. You felt your eye twitch. “Sorry daddy I don’t think I heard you correctly. Shopping or something?” Azriel swooped in at the last second to stop the blow up and tears. He held your hips pulling you to his chest. “It’s ok princess. How about you sit with me for a while and we can let Rhysie work. Then when we have our meeting you can do your own thing, ok?” You figured that was fair and realized Rhys needed his space for a bit

When both of them have to go away you cry for a few hours

After your little hot girl cry over your daddies leaving you demand Cassian entertain you until they return

When Rhys is away Az delegates all work to his very capable spies so he can spend more time with you

Your favorite thing to do with Az is snuggle while he reads to you

His voice is just so perfect and calming, you could just fall asleep while he reads

Azriel lays out your favorite snacks and depending on the season he’ll have your favorite juice or bottomless hot cocoa with aaaalllllll the marshmallows he can find for you

When Az is away Rhys does his best to make sure your day is filled with fun activities so you don’t think about missing Azriel too much

Rhys’ activity for you was a day out that he liked to call daddy-darling days where he takes you out for lunch, do some shopping, and see a show at the theatre

When the missing half comes home you always come running at them when they walk through the door, jumping into his arms as you scream, “You are never ever leaving me again! I missed you daddy!”

Having them both back within reach made you unbelievably happy

They take you out to dinner as a lil treat and cuddle you extra tight at night

[tomorrowxtogether]

BEOMGYU: “I realized just how much love I have for performing onstage”

TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY comeback interview

2024.11.12

BEOMGYU says he spent the time he was out with an injury falling even deeper in love with the stage. Clearly, the idol draws on hardship to propel himself forward: Even as he talks about the hard times, a humble smile flashes across his face as he adds, “but it’s okay.” BEOMGYU—who knows that “sometimes you stumble, it’s fine”—knows what it takes to get back on his feet.

Season two of Workout ZZANG is really entertaining, just like season one. You seem really comfortable doing variety shows now. You’re really in your element! (laughs)  But you’ve also said that you’re not usually so energetic. BEOMGYU: Workout ZZANG is a physically demanding show. I figured out during the first season that people find it funnier when I’m really struggling. You can just tell by looking at the view count—the episodes where I have the hardest time always got the most views. (laughs) I realized not to play it safe and that I need to put in as much effort as possible. And I think my genuine love of the show makes that possible. I mean, it’s got my name on it. I really love how you’re always quick to make your guests feel welcomed, too. BEOMGYU: Because I’m playing host to them on my own show. (laughs) I thought a lot about how to approach them without making it awkward. I couldn’t do a total deep dive on them, but I tried to be plenty familiar with them. I even watched other variety shows they’d been on to see what kind of things they like to do. HUENINGKAI made a surprise appearance, too. BEOMGYU: It was great to have someone I have perfect back-and-forth with on. He was great at coming up with these quips, probably from filming so much content, like TO DO X TXT. He was a lot of fun. Oh, and the aerobics episode was exhausting, and even though it was really hot and Huening gets hot easily, he was really active during it, which I was grateful for. I was laughing, watching that episode by myself when we were in the US and I showed it to him and said, “Hey, this one’s really funny.” (laughs)

You talked before about the pressure you feel to be good on variety shows. Do you find you’re able to enjoy it a bit more now? BEOMGYU: I was worried right from when we first debuted about what special thing I could do or role I could play to contribute to the group. Thanks to doing Workout ZZANG, I think I’ve established myself as the one who’s good at doing variety shows. I was really grateful they called me back to make a second season, and I could feel that I’ve grown a lot from it. My friends I hadn’t heard from in ages suddenly contacted me to say, “Hey, this is really funny,” and the rest of the group said the same thing and wished me the best with it. I felt really proud—like I was being acknowledged.

In contrast to your overflowing energy when you’re on variety shows, the very calmest side of you comes out when you do BEOMEDIO. BEOMGYU: Part of it’s about showing what I’m like at three in the morning, but the best part is getting to read what MOA sends in. Reading their stories let me visualize and indirectly experience things I haven’t experienced myself. I read them all through quickly and thoroughly before going live. There’s a whole lot of people who write really beautifully. (laughs) A lot of times I feel like I understand them so well that I get choked up reading them. And I’m always thankful for the ones that end with, “I love you, BEOMGYU.”

You said on BEOMEDIO, “When it comes to sharing happiness, the person doing the sharing doesn’t end up with less, and it fills the hearts of the people who receive it, too.” If you could share one thing that made you happy recently, what would it be? BEOMGYU: Honestly, this year’s been filled with a lot of good experiences. I’m making an effort to find happiness even in the smallest things now. There were minor things, like when we had our “Deja Vu” comeback, I felt great because the outfits were beautiful. I helped write the lyrics for two tracks on the latest album, and that made me extremely happy. (laughs) And I’ve been incredibly happy going to my favorite artists’ concerts and doing our own. I’d say there was more happiness than sadness this year.

Even though it’s been a year full of happiness, there was also a painful period for you because of an injury. I can guess how tough that was for you considering you were crying at the end of the concert. BEOMGYU: It was really hard for me mentally. That was right when I was deep into my work. We had this great schedule lined up, and as things started to fall apart, it felt like my mental state fell apart with it. And when we were at the Tokyo Dome, I thought, We’re at this place with this huge audience and I can’t even perform? It killed me. On the other hand, though, it also had a positive impact on me in a way. That was my first time watching the other members perform from offstage, and I could see how amazing and impressive they were. The place was packed, and hearing them cheer, I was like, I’m doing something really amazing—I’m working with some really amazing people. I found it really motivating.

Didn’t it also make you think about how you’re just as amazing when you’re up on that stage? (laughs) BEOMGYU: I thought, I can absolutely slay when I’m onstage, too! (laughs) I think the others were amazing and put on an absolutely flawless performance as just the four of them, but I have certain ways of expressing myself and there’s some breathtaking parts that only I can do, you know? I thought, I don’t even care if my foot gets more broken—I just wanna be onstage. I took performing onstage for granted, but as soon as I wasn’t able to, I realized just how much love I have for it. All the rest of them carried you around when you got hurt at the Tokyo Dome. BEOMGYU: It was really reassuring to me and I was so grateful to them, but in a way I also felt really sorry. When a concert’s coming towards the end, we’ve already used up so much energy that just standing by itself can be hard by that point. I realize how hard it was for them to carry me around under those circumstances.

You said “We’ll Never Change” is the TOMORROW X TOGETHER song that made you cry the most. The practice period for it overlapped with when you were injured. BEOMGYU: It was when we had already learned all the choreo for Japan and were about to start practicing for “We’ll Never Change.” I couldn’t learn any of it because of my injury and was just staying in my room. But I said, “I really want to go to Japan. I want to sing, even if I have to sit,” and I sat in for lessons for the live performance. I felt sort of insignificant sitting at the back just singing while all the other members were dancing, and I felt terrible. I shed a tear or two at the back, but I doubt they would know that. (laughs)

I remember you said you were disappointed that your injury kept you from making the people who came to your concerts into total MOA. It’s really admirable how passionate you’ve always been about converting people into fans. BEOMGYU: I’m in it for the long run. There’s still so much I want to accomplish. Celebrities like BTS, IU, or DAY6 feel like celebs’ celebs. I feel like you have to see them in concert at least once in your life, and I want to receive recognition from my fellow artists and be the kind of person that they want to see in concert, too. I take pride in the quality of our concerts. (laughs) I used to think accomplishments didn’t matter all that much. I thought, as long as MOA’s happy and I’m happy, that’s enough, and that it’s better just to be nice and happy, but lately I feel driven to do even better anyway. (laughs) You showed off your guitar skills at this year’s Weverse Con Festival, which you practiced for until you got blisters on your fingers. Did that come from the same drive? BEOMGYU: It was no easy task. (laughs) I kept up my lessons online when we were in the US and even gave up my vacation to keep learning and practice. I love playing guitar, but it isn’t my specialty. Lots of people are pros at it so I was worried about the thought of me going up onstage and playing it, but I decided to just go for it. It’s difficult to master anything, and practice was the only way for me to make it happen. MOA loved it in the end, so I was proud. (laugh)

You’ve been going to see a lot of other artists perform lately. How does it feel being in the audience after being the one onstage? BEOMGYU: Watching things purely from a fan perspective showed me how joyful the concertgoing experience can be. One time I went to IU’s concert, and sitting in the audience at that huge venue and watching her, I felt how amazing a thing it is to be a fan of somebody and show them your love. I became determined to give MOA not just 100% but 150 or 200% at our concerts. (laughs)

The last track on your new album, The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY, is called “Higher Than Heaven,” and it feels like it perfectly captures TOMORROW X TOGETHER and MOA’s connection, especially the part where you go, “I’ll hold onto eternity, our names / Let’s dream of an endless tomorrow together.” BEOMGYU: I thought those lyrics were absolutely wonderful. “Let’s dream of tomorrow together” sounds so romantic. Since we’re in our sixth year now, I think it’s time we focus on the future more than the past. What I want now is to keep looking toward the future with the other members and with MOA—to see them there tomorrow.

The part where you go, “What you doin’ to me?” in ‘Danger’ is a real standout. It felt like you were using a voice we haven’t heard from you before. BEOMGYU: I practically insisted that the producer give that part to me. (laughs) I said, “I promise I’ll kill this part,” and that clinched it for me. When I was recording it, I had to get the pronunciation and nuance to work together, and do it all in a really deep voice, so it was kind of hard. I couldn’t get the tone right when I looked alert and ready, so I tried making a pose like someone who’s about to start a fight—stuffing my hands in my pockets, tilting my head slightly—and sang it that way. And then I was able to really bring out the right feeling. (laughs) You’ve said before that sometimes a song doesn’t feel quite right until you’ve heard the group singing it, and then it sounds better. Are there any songs on this album that were like that? BEOMGYU: “Forty One Winks.” It’s actually my top pick—I loved it right from the start, in fact. (laughs) I always connect more with the songs after I hear them with the group’s vocals. The demo versions are good, but it really feels like a TOMORROW X TOGETHER song when you hear it with our vocals. You mentioned you were happy to write lyrics for two of the new songs. What was that process like? BEOMGYU: It wasn’t anything special. (laughs) I find it’s best to write lyrics as the thoughts naturally come to you and not overthink it. I worked on “Resist (Not Gonna Run Away)” while we were touring. I was writing like crazy on a three-hour trip to a ryokan in Japan and I think the lyrics came out well.

You said before that you tend to have an ear for what people generally like. How did you feel when you first heard the single “Over The Moon”? BEOMGYU: At first I thought it was good but not lead-single good, but I fell in love with it once I heard it with the group’s vocals. It’s got a feeling that can’t be described in just one word. It’s not just, This one’s upbeat! Or, What a tough image! It’s got a little bit of this and that and everything in it. It feels like “one of our songs” or “TOMORROW X TOGETHER-ish.” (laughs)

You truly have a deep affection for the group. During YEONJUN’s first solo promotions, all the other members sent him a coffee truck and repeatedly visited in person to support him. BEOMGYU: It was the first solo work for any TOMORROW X TOGETHER member, and I knew how hard he worked on it. While the rest of us took it easy, YEONJUN had to be getting ready for it. I really empathize with how much pressure he must’ve felt. As a member of the group, I thought about what I could do and decided all I could do was go support him in person, buy him a little something, and go cheer him on. You truly have a deep affection for the group. During YEONJUN’s first solo promotions, all the other members sent him a coffee truck and repeatedly visited in person to support him. BEOMGYU: It was the first solo work for any TOMORROW X TOGETHER member, and I knew how hard he worked on it. While the rest of us took it easy, YEONJUN had to be getting ready for it. I really empathize with how much pressure he must’ve felt. As a member of the group, I thought about what I could do and decided all I could do was go support him in person, buy him a little something, and go cheer him on.

You recently wished on a sky lantern in Taiwan for the people you know to be happy, not for yourself. BEOMGYU: I really just hope that everyone I love and everyone who loves me is healthy and happy. I think it’s always like that. I’m more concerned with others being happy because of me than I am for my own happiness. You can sacrifice or give up things and still feel like, Okay, as long as you’re happy, I’m fine. It doesn’t mean I’m not happy. (laughs) I can take care of my own happiness, honestly. That’s why I wrote that. You have to be happy yourself in order to share that happiness with others.

If you were going to write down a wish not for the people close to you but just for yourself, what would it be? BEOMGYU: There isn’t really anything I wish for. I’m content with who I am right now. (laughs)

[ponds-of-ink]

The Certified Pond Analysis of Scraptrap Voicelines

Because I haven’t talked about this rabbit’s voice lines as much as I should.

Buckle up. This is gonna get wordy.

-

So, going in the order of this video, we have:

“I always come back!”

The most quoted Afton line. And understandably so. This is the man at his most triumphant, even with his.. questionable suit-repair choices. The emphasis on “always” as well as the moderately louder volume really sells that confident air Springtrap continues to have in FNAF AR. Though, as we’ll soon see, this is not the only emotion he feels as Scraptrap.

(Also, before we continue: This gives me the first point on the “I can hear the smile in his voice” scoreboard. It’s a surprise tool that should help us later.)

”Bittersweet, but fitting”

…And by “later”, I apparently mean now.

There may be a smirk at the end, but it’s not a strong one. The overall line read is much more reserved here. Maybe even somber, if I’m inferring correctly. The choice of words is interesting here too. Whoever’s the owner of the Pizza Sim building, he may not be as fond of jumpscaring them as one would think…

”What a deceptive calling! I knew it was a lie the moment I heard it— Obviously, but it is intriguing nonetheless…”

Ah, yes. The big monologue post-Salvage. Couple of things I noticed here that aren’t debatable lore implications:

(1) Man’s rushing through that second half for some reason. Don’t know if that was an editing error, an intentional line read, or Scraptrap trying to.. reason with himself? Sound smarter than he thinks he is? I dunno, something about the pacing is off here.

(2) Oh, hey, first line with a “snake hiss”! This isn’t a consistent trait with his lines, but it’s a key feature that I use to differentiate Springtrap and Scraptrap during voice impressions.

(3) This man puts so much emphasis on words sometimes. So much so that I can not only hear the smile near the end, but I can also feel the eye roll during “deceptive”. And PJ Heywood never voice acted before FNAF apparently? H u h.

Anyway, moving on before I start implying that Scrap-Trap might’ve been lured in by a newspaper or something…

“Fascinating! What they have become…”

Another point to the “I can hear the smile” board. We’re on three points now; three and a half if you count “Bittersweet”.

This one I’ve already brought up before, but the abridged analysis is: This guy (unlike Glitch-Trap in that one Security Breach trailer) actually compliments his.. uh.. teammates? Workmates? ..Just realized that the relationship dynamic between the Salvage Gang doesn’t have an official term. Bummer.

That aside, it’s genuinely interesting that he doesn’t diss them at all. You think he would given his reputation, but no. He just has this twisted sense of “oh wow they’re so cool”.

…Come to think of it, has he directly dissed somebody in the games specifically? I’m not even sure if the “Deceptive Calling” monologue or the AR Springtrap lines count. AR Springtrap tends to boast about himself more than put the player down and Scraptrap was having an ‘I’m smarter than that lol” moment.

If I’m right, then I think I may have found a proper difference between a pretend Mimic Afton and the real one. Huh.

“How can I resist a promise such as this?”

Getting back to the main topic, we’ve got a return for the snake hiss and the emphasis on certain words. Also, add another point to “I can hear the smile”— Except it’s more of a smug grin than a bizarre, wide-eyed look of wonder.

Not sure what that promise is post-jumpscare, but I do know that this has a chance to play during the office sections. So the promise is either Henry’s lure or seeing his son Mike one last time. I dunno, dude, it’s all vague to me.

”That was easier than I thought it would be…”

AKA The line that makes me wonder “Dude, you good?”

No seriously. The quick halt in-between the second and third word. The sudden choke that happens at the end. Like his voice just properly broke for the first time in ages. The overall somberness of it all. There is literally no smile here and I’ve checked. There may even be tears starting to well up, but I obviously can’t be sure.

It’s even implied that he thought he’d had a tougher time fighting the owner! He actually assumed he wouldn’t win this easily!

Something about this feels.. unnerving. He’s not supposed to sound this upset. At least, not usually. So what, pray tell, is going on with this voice line?? Why was this the take Scott used??

“You may not recognize me at first, but I assure you: It’s still me”

Well, that’s one more point for the “I can hear the smile” board. Also, I believe this is confirmation of that ‘Springtrap switched suits after FNAF 3’ theory? That’s what it sounds like, at least?

But, hey, at least Scrap-Trap is canonically aware of the sudden shift in appearance. Let’s hope his potential FNAF World 2 version isn’t as nervous about it as I assume FNAF 6 him would be… If he had access to the internet, of course.

Also, for the one person who may or may not care about this: He’s using contractions here. I think it’s been established that he only uses these at certain times, but I can’t remember where exactly I read that analysis. Anyway, he’s unafraid about “slipping up” at this point.

One more thing…

Compared to AR Springtrap, Scraptrap is much more.. casual in tone, if that’s the best way to put it. Much more low energy, though his antics are anything but.

Like, yes, he’s still coming for you if you keep letting ads play on your computer. But maybe he’ll let you live for a few seconds longer just so you could turn the ad off? He’s not in a rush, as far as I can tell.

Maybe that’s another reason why my brain jumps to Scraptrap more than Springtrap. If he wasn’t tied to this “attacking the guard” business, he could probably chill for a second and give advice on paperwork. Wouldn’t last for long, of course, but at least one could potentially die knowing that you drank coffee with a much more business-savvy Spring Bonnie… Grungy though he looks. Springtrap, on the other hand, wouldn’t give you the time of day.

TL;DR:

PJ Heywood put more nuance into this guy than even I was expecting. Big round of applause, genuinely.

[isaacthedruid]

Beekeeper castiel or buck. Or both. Maybe their boyfriends watching from a safe distance. Whatever floats your boat

(I asked from some art inspo and ended up writing a little buddie drabble instead so enjoy! <3)

It had been a while since the whole Beenado and bee-induced-plane-crashing fiasco and Buck found himself reading absolutely everything he could about bees. They were fascinating and currently took up every part of his brain– buzzing around as his newest hyperfixation. Sure, he already knew some stuff that came quite in handy during that whole situation but he was one for just following the dopamine. 

And that led to him borrowing a big stack of books about bees and beekeeping from the library– which currently covered Eddie’s coffee table and couch. They were laid out evenly across the surfaces, organized between bee books, beekeeping books and books about both– which slightly annoyed him but a third category wasn’t bad, besides he preferred odd numbers anyway. 

He sat criss-cross on the floor, between the coffee table and the couch, flipping through the pages of a book with an old man in one of those white beekeeping suits on the front cover. Incredibly engrossed in said book, he didn’t even notice Eddie watching him for the doorway. Two beers held in his hands, the bottles sweating from how long they’d been out of the fridge already. 

Eddie smiled to himself at the sight, he’d been watching Buck for a while but couldn’t bring himself to interrupt just yet. Flipping the page, Buck perked up as Eddie shifted his lean against the doorframe. 

“Oh hey!” He smiled, looking at his surroundings, “Sorry, I kinda commandeered your couch.” 

“I don’t mind,” Eddie shrugged and joined Buck on the floor with a joking groan. 

“Can your old bones even handle getting down here?” 

“And here I was going to share this beer with you or am I too old to enjoy some beer too?” He said, pulling the second bottle away from Buck’s trying grab. 

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry, you’re not an old man.” Buck laughed, “You just act like it sometimes.” 

He added that second quietly under his breath. 

“What did you say?” 

“My point exactly. Now, give me the beer so I can read my bee books in peace.” 

Eddie laughed, leaning against the back of the couch and wordlessly handing Buck the beer. 

“Don’t tell me I never give you anything.” 

“Eddie.” Buck said flatly, oh. He sounded serious.

“Buck?” 

“You have given me so much that you can’t even joke about it.” 

“I-” 

“Do I have to list them? Because I will-” 

“You don’t have to.” 

“You have given me Christopher, a place in your home, your couch, you’ve given me-” Buck listed on his fingers. 

Eddie just listened to him for a moment before he leaned over, resting a thumb under Buck’s chin. 

“Eddie?” 

“Hey.” 

“Hi?” 

That hand shifted, his thumb grazing just below Buck’s bottom lip– “Can I kiss you?” 

Buck froze, “What?” 

“Can I kiss you?” He repeated, his gaze was warm and locked with Buck’s. 

“Uh, yeah. I’d like that.” 

Eddie leaned that last little bit into Buck and pressed their lips together for one sweet kiss. He went to pull away but Buck surged forward and kissed him again, far less gentle than the one before. He tasted like their beer but also sweet like some nondescript flavoured chapstick and Eddie knew he was already hooked on it. 

Fingers carded through Eddie’s hair as his own cupped Buck’s face, trailing down his neck. 

Suddenly, having to pull away for air, Eddie realized he’d migrated into Buck’s lap. His unoccupied hand caged Buck between him and the couch. 

He smiled down at Buck, who had his hand under Eddie’s shirt and traced shapes into Buck’s back. 

“Can I keep bees in your backyard?” 

“Is that some kind of euphemism?” 

“No, I want to take up beekeeping and obviously can’t have bees in the loft.” 

“You want to have a colony of bees in my backyard?” 

“So, can I?” 

“Buck,” Eddie laughed, “We were just making out– might I add, the best makeout session of my life– and you were thinking about keeping bees?” 

“Yeah.” Buck said quietly, looking away from Eddie for a second

“God, I love you.” He smiled, kissing him again. “And of course, as long as I get to take a bunch of stupid photos of you in the suit.” 

“Deal. And-” Buck paused, “I love you too.” 

“Oh shit, I said that.” 

“Yep, no take backs. I mean, don’t kiss me unless you’re serious.” 

“I am! I am very serious.” 

“Good.” 

Buck nodded, continuing the supposed “best makeout session of Eddie’s life” for a little while longer, savoring every kiss he could. And Eddie tasted sweet too, in case you were wondering, like the honey Buck soon would be gifting to all their family and friends. 

[prismasnotebook]

hiiii i loved your nolan fix sm ahhh ❤️‍🩹 i was wondering if you could write another one where the reader is nolan’s gf and filming with mrbeast crew or something like that? thank you!!

Summary: competitive Nolan and gf have to compete in a couples challenge video

CW: light hurt/comfort, low key dramatic

“What,” Nolan asked with a nervous laugh of disbelief as he finally realized what the video that Jimmy invited the two of you to be on under the pretense of ‘you’ll know more when you get there’.

You on the other hand felt a little bit of excitement bubble up inside of you at idea.

“I don't want to compete with her,” Nolan stated, and your face scrunched up at the response and Jimmy grinned some.

“Why not? I know guys that would love to compete their girlfriends.”

“Maybe know different guys,” Karl commented and you snorted.

“Okay, no. Not like- okay, Nolan why don't you want to compete with your girlfriend?”

“Because if I win her feelings are going to be hurt and if she wins she’s going to rub in my face.”

“Oh, so if she wins you're feelings are going to get hurt,” Jimmy clarified with a satisfied smile.

“Hey, no,” Nolan started to defend but Jimmy waved for Tareq to follow him as he swapped over to you and you couldn't help but laugh at his predicament.

“You seem like you're feeling a lot better about this competition than Nolan is,” Jimmy noted, and you shrugged.

“Well, its not difficult to feel good about an easy win,” you commented and Jimmy’s eyes widened some as Karl let out a laugh.

“Yoh hear the Nolan, you're girlfriend said you're a loser, she doesn't think you stand a chance. Ouch.”

“Okay, yeah, I heard her I’m right here,” he said and Tareq panned them camera from Karl to Nolan before back to you and you just shrugged before Jimmy moved on too one if the other couples he invited that we're in another room.

“Tense in here,” Karl commented and Nolan went over to push him out the door and he complained the entire way very lightly fighting back.

“I have to be in here so we know you two aren't conspiring,” he finally whined.

“What do you mean conspiring were competitors?”

“Okay winning team gets a prize, but the person on each team with the most points gets a different prize.”

“Jimmy would do something like that wouldn't he,” you commented before crashing onto a beanbag in the room and Nolan fell somewhat on top of you.

“Well, this is the last time you guys can be nice to each other until the end of the challenge. Anything you want to say,” Karl asked after switching on his camera.

“Good luck, you're going to need it,” Nolan said and you let out a laugh wrapping your arms tightly around his waist as he sat on top of you.

“What ever helps you sleep at night, baby.”

Not long after the two of you were split up and brought to the first challenge, foam pit fist fight. To be clear their we're giant square foam gloves over both your hands, and well as multiple pieces of foam armour. It was ridiculous to say the least.

And, it was all a fun and fine friendly competition until the round four- lovers quarrel.

You were each given lines, some of which were text from your phones and some which were fake the goal was to guess based on the others persons personality and expressions during the game which were real and which were fake.

“-’I mean I don't know sometimes I just wonder if we should break up’” Karl read and you let out a small laugh.

“Fake,” you answered and the buzzer went off, and your eyes widened as you looked to Karl and his own eyes widened as he looked between you and the person who had each of the real fake inputs programmed into his computer.

“Doesnt matter, that was my last one right,” you asked and Karl nodded and you got up moving to the love conquers all obstacle course and powering through it just enough to hit the buzzer.

“And, like that the girlfriends are one up on the boyfriends,” Jimmy yelled and he went to film a small bit with you but you waved him off as you stepped away from everyone while still being in the room, trying to use everything in you not to cry before the buzzer went off again, and then a third time, and then a fourth and by the fourth time, you could here Nolan.

“Hey,” he called with a warm laugh and you turned around toward him trying to keep the devestation off your face.

“Do you ever think we should break up,” you asked, fishing for honesty, but his smile just dropped some.

“What?”

“Just, do you ever think that? It's okay if you do, I just I don't know, do you,” you asked and everything you were feeling was beginning to leak through onto your face and in your movements and voice.

“I- do you want to break up?”

“Do you,” you asked again, with so much more force this time and his eyes ran along your face and no words followed. Not a no. God, he wasn't saying no.

And, shit it would've spiraled so far if Karl wouldn't have started yelling your name and sprinting toward you, “It was a machine error! I talked to the guy and it was a machine error. Your answer was right. It was fake.”

“It was you asked,” your voice cracking in a little bit of relief, even though you drill werent confident.

“Yeah, okay, this is the screenshots of text used, and this is the list of fakes that AI came up with. It's just- the machine fluked. He never sent that anyone, okay?”

“You never texted someone that you want to break up,” you asked, voice and eyes watery as you looked back to Nolan.

“No, I would never. I love being with you.”

“Why didn't you say no when I asked then?”

“Because, I thought that was what you wanted and I was trying to change your mind,” he said and it only made you cry a little harder. You felt like a jerk. He said you name quietly pulling you in a hug. “I love you. I don't want to break up. In fact, I want to watch you go win your big prize and then I want to go home and I want to do whatever you want to celebrate your victory.”

“I’m so sorry,” you muttered over and over and he rubbed your back. “I’m a big dummy.”

“It's okay. You were upset and hurt. I would've been too.”

“I love you,” you finally muttered, pulling yourself together and moving so you could look him in the eye.

“I love you more.”

“Yeah, probably,” you agreeded and he let out a slight laugh along with his complaints, as you used needing to film the last bit of the video as an excuse. But, with the way you heart swelled when he could do nothing but compliment you when being interviewed about losing, you doubted that he could truly ever love you more than you love him.

[celestie0]

First time asker but long time reader 😭 I’m sorry that you got that shitty ask. It’s such a weird fucking thing to ask someone “hey when are you making these two fuck?” like… does that not feel weird to type out?

The gojo x reader tag has at least 5 explicit smut fics minimum daily, go read through those if you genuinely need sex in everything you read (it’s time to reflect on the porn addiction you have).

Regardless, I’ve been reading your fics on Ao3 and I absolutely LOVE the banter between gojo and reader 😭 it flows so fucking well I can feel the chemistry radiating from my screen. When I first started reading IHM, I was also an ancient hag like reader (29) so I found myself able to really relate to her. Usually when I envision Y/N, it’s a random person in their place but with this fic specifically idk why I lowkey insert myself? Everything she does, I would probably do the same and it makes me nervous (in a good way) that I’m gonna get attached to gojo and y/n’s relationship 😭

I absolutely love how gojo provides the security Y/N so desperately needs in the span of the fic. She has been suffocating on her own for so long that he just provides some fresh air. Dare I say meant to be?

The domesticity is everything and I like how we’re learning more about him alongside Y/N. So far we’ve seen just how supportive gojo has been and I’m excited to see how y/n comes through for him because my spidey senses (and your amazing writing) shows me that he has some baggage and it might resurface soon.

The build up to them realizing they love each other is making me giggle and kick my feet. I will happily eat whatever you feed us, thank you for sharing your writing with us. You absolutely have a talent for writing and fleshing out characters/relationships.

I appreciate you and will do my best to support you vocally from here on out 🥹 have a great week pls!

hi my love!! first of all thank you SO much for this supportive message, i srs teared up when i read it 😭 idk if that’s embarrassing to admit lololdjfsdfh but yea omg yesterday was rough so i can’t tell u how much it means to me

i agree on the porn addict thing omg like i love smut as much as the next person, but likeee to go into an author inbox after they just posted a 14k chap of their fic n say “are we gonna get smut soon?” like 💀 that’s sortaaaaa. i’m getting porn addiction vibes

aaaaaaaa i’m so happy you’re enjoying the banter in ihm :’’) and that you’re able to see yourself in reader’s shoes!! that’s such a wonderful thing n one of the aims of my writing ♥️ ♥️ also pls 29 is not ancient hag oml i mean there will be lots of rhetoric in ihm where reader thinks she’s old but like ultimately i want the message of the series to be that it’s never too late to start over and find happiness & joy :) i think that really applies to everything and everyone. and ahhh yes there will be some pretty angst stuffs BUT there will be happy ending <33

yes ihm gojo def got some baggage 😂😂 i need my men like that LOL. but thank you so much for being excited to see how reader comes through for him as well!! i know she’s going through a lot on her own, and that can sometimes cause her to neglect the things outside of her…but i think she has capacity to really be there for him too

oh my dear i really am so lucky to have you as a long time reader and i’m so grateful to hear your thoughts, but also please send them whenever you want to and without pressure <33 i will eat it tf up if/when you do but yea xD never feel burdened to! you have a wonderful week as well omg imma eat u fr

[kazumist]

EPISODE 7 ★ FUZZY FEELING

FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT — A SCARAMOUCHE SMAU

masterpost / prev ep / next ep / timestamps don't matter

scaramouche must have been crazy.

seriously? a date? it was the last thing you expected! however, if you were going to pretend to be a couple, going on dates is actually a given. and like you said in your message to him:

we both have to suck it up.

even if that means having your first date with the guy you hate.

luckily enough, the awkward ride to the aquarium ended faster than you expected. but now that you’re here, how does one enjoy an aquarium date anyway? or what does one even talk about on their first date in general?

these were the questions running through both of your heads as you mindlessly wandered around.

“hey,” scaramouche starts.

“hmm?”

“this fish looks a lot like childe for some reason.”

when you turned to look at what he was looking at, you seriously had to hold back a loud laugh. because why does the fish actually look like childe? “that’s a clownfish, right?” you ask him.

“you know about these things?”

“not really; i just watched finding nemo back then as a kid.”

“oh wait, here’s the description. yeah, it’s a clownfish, and it seems like even their description fits childe even more,” scaramouche says, pointing his head at a podium nearby with his hands inside his pockets.

“clownfish are active and territorial fish with an erratic swimming pattern who sometimes appear to be doing acrobatics while defending the area around their anemone," you read aloud. “see? it fits him perfectly.”

“are you saying childe seems to do acrobatics sometimes?”

“no, i’m saying that he’s way too hyper for his own good.”

“isn’t that supposed to be venti, though?”

“they’re practically the same kind; does it really matter who is who?”

you laugh at his response. 

maybe this isn’t so bad. just maybe.

with the sun almost setting, your little trip to the aquarium ends, and you both decide to stop by a cafe on the way home.

but unfortunately, the awkward tension comes back.

what now? are you supposed to say, “hey, i had fun today,” and just move along? are you supposed to ask, “so how did the date go for you? did you have fun like i did?” you couldn’t find the right words to say, but you couldn’t stand this awkward atmosphere either.

“i… kinda had fun today.”

can this guy read minds or something?

"likewise."

time flew by faster than you expected, and now you were walking out of the cafe with scaramouche. “thanks for today, even though i was kinda against it at first,” you said.

“i hope you realize that we have to do this often if we really want to be convincing.”

“yeah, yeah, i get it. give me a break. who would’ve thought that i would be going on a date with you, of all people?”

“why do you sound so icked by the thought of going out with me?” he rolled his eyes.

“because i am icked by it, smart ass.”

“says the one who equally enjoyed the day like i did?”

“sorry, my pride is too high to make me admit that i actually enjoyed your company.”

he shakes his head at your response. how very… likely of you to say such a thing.

“i guess this is goodbye, then?” scaramouche asks.

“yeah. why? do you not want the day to end?”

“don’t put words into my mouth.”

“you didn’t really deny it, you know.”

“why are you like this?” 

“why shouldn’t i be like this?”

from your peripheral vision, you could see a familiar sight of blue-ish white hair as well as a blonde walking nearby. since they didn’t really know that this wasn’t real, you acted out of impulse. but what did you do exactly?

you kissed scaramouche on the cheek and waved him goodbye, just like that.

extra notes.

i didn't expect this chapter to be so long uhm idk im 50/50 on the narrations bc deadass it was hard 2 write for me ... OTL

theyre kinda getting close! emphasize on kinda though

more silly little romance in the next chapter haha pls stay tuned

synopsis.

what happens when scaramouche, your rival since the first year of highschool, had some annoying admirers on his back? easy—he (fake) dates you to shoo them off. nothing can possibly go wrong with faking a relationship with the guy you hate, right?

spoiler: apparently, a lot can go wrong.

taglist (open): @niiheng @yinyinggie @ilyuu @veekoko @motherscrustytoenailclippings @the-ghost-0f-t0m0 @akairaindrops @kichiyoshi @lxkeeeee @user11918163805279 @sketcheeee @yukiipc @kyouzki @quokkatss @ynverse @yuyumaru @danhenglovebot @sheep-from-rad @gekkow @aeongiies @scararaw @beriiov @thenightsflower @simpforsubmissivemen @sakurapeach @akxtagawaxryxn0sxke @naheana @supernova25 @mitsu-moshi @yelleloww @kiyomi-hoku @kazemiya @theblueblub @lazy-sanns

[shinysparklesapphires]

Okkkk so Barisapph loreeee buckle up this one’s pretty long

Sapphire is cast as Usagi in a live action sailor moon, and they decide to shoot it in Kanon Town (the filming takes place throughout the entire series but she arrives there around episode 3-6 so before cure beat was awakened) So she’s living in Kanon Town for the time being. Baritone heard something about a celebrity in town and was like “eh I guess I’ll check it out ain’t got nothing better to do” and like goes out and Sapphires being crowded by people so he can’t fully see her face and eventually gets shoved and is like “ok fuck this.” Anyway he ends up making a negatone out of the moon stick prop from the set, Hibiki and Kanade defeat it, and he ends up in the shopping district in the evening where he bumps into this girl wearing a face covering and sunglasses and she’s like “ohmigosh I am so so so so sorry!” And she shows her face for a brief moment and helps him up and he’s like in his head “omg this is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen holy shit” The relationship isn’t brought up again until around episodes 9-11 (heh.) where baritones constantly spacing out thinking about the girl he saw, and obviously bassdrum seiren and falsetto are all like “Ho is you coo???” He eventually finds out that the girl he saw was named Sapphire and that she was the celebrity everyone was fawning over bc he bumped into her again while she was on a break from filming and she recognized him and was just like “hey do you wanna hang out sometime” and bc baritone doesn’t wanna make the most GENARATIONAL FUMBLE he says yes! While they’re on their “date” (not really) Sapphire realizes “holy shit. I want this pathetic man.” And eventually has a crush on him too. At some point (since sailor moon is full of romance and lovey dovey stuff hehe) she’s like “Hey wanna go over my lines with me?” And he’s like “sure” and she reads one of my favorite quotes: Endymion. I love you. You were my first love, my only love. If I’m ever reborn, I know I’ll find you again. I know that someday, we will fall in love again. And Baritones like “…this feels targeted.” (It was.) And she ends up revealing how much of a nerd she is when it comes to sailor moon and magical girls and all that

Then FINALLY at around episodes 15-17 Baritone confesses his love for Sapphire, and she does the same and they’re officially dating. He gets jealous of the guy playing Mamoru saying something like: “I want to hold Sapphire like that..” but denys it fully (keep in mind Sapphire and the guy playing Mamoru are close friends and that’s it, he doesn’t have any feelings towards her bc I don’t like tropes like that)

in episode 27 when he’s describing his plan to the others there’s a tiny doodle of Sapphire somewhere in there all like “Wow Baritone you’re so cool! I love you soooo much!” A MAJOR point in their relationship is when Falsetto becomes the leader and turns baritone into that monster thing (hubba hubba 😍) he starts distancing himself away from Sapphire thinking “she’d run away and call me disgusting if she saw me like this” and obviously Sapphires fucking pissed about him ignoring her and when she finds out about it she’s like “Oh my goodness gracious 😨” and then goes “Oh my goodness gracious 😍” and then in episode 41 where he and bassdrum are running around trying to catch fary, she sees him and is like “hiiiii!” And so he’s standing there with the goofiest grin on his face waving back at her blushing, and Bassdrum tells him to lock in and stop getting distracted. Eventually when the melody of sorrow is completed and everyone is turned to stone Sapphire’s memories of baritone are completely erased, and the same thing happens to him when he’s turned to stone. So when they’re turned back they just go back to their normal lives. Sapphire’s done with shooting so she flies back to America, and Baritone’s back in major land doing whatever, and it’s like they never met. Eventually when the Sailor Moon show comes out (which is around 2 months before the time during the novel happens) Baritone’s working in the music store and he sees the trailer for it on tv and thinks “Man that actress is really pretty huh?” Sapphire ends up in Kanon Town again since they’re filming season 2 for her show, and ends up in the music store where Baritone works in the novel. Also, since Baritone changed his hair to look “normal” he looks completely different if you didn’t already know him personally you wouldn’t know he was the same guy. She ends up asking him for help with something and he recognizes her as the girl from the tv and she’s like “oh you like sailor moon?” “No. But I think a friend of mine did and she’d talk to me about it all the time..” and Obviously since she’s still Sapphire she’s like “can I have your number?” Bc she’s not immune to cute music store employees 😞…

They start talking again and one day Sapphire’s looking through old pictures on her phone while with the guy who played Mamo and he’s like “Hey whatever happened to that baritone guy? Weren’t y’all together or something?” And she’s like “who?” Anyway eventually they both regain thier memories of each other and end up together again and get married a few years later and then Calista and Diamond (my fan kids for them) are born and they live happily ever after then end mega happy ending thank you

💌: @h2llish @lowcallyfruity @xen-blank

[needfantasticstories]

Here Now (4954 words) by SkipBreaker

Art by @hiimgin. Beta reading by @hotcheetohatredwastaken. Additional info at the bottom.

Summary: Sky, Twilight, and Hyrule go on patrol, and grapple with Hyrule's past.

HERE NOW

 

Part 1: CAMP

Logs crackled pleasantly in the fire pit Hyrule and Legend had built.

Hyrule sat on the end of his bedroll and stared at the orange flames that kept the chill evening air at bay. Fire was a luxury back home, but common while traveling with the eight other heroes.

They’d come through a portal to a new era at midday. Not mine , he’d realized with relief. The grass was too green, and the sky too clear. None of the others recognized it either.

With no sign of black-blooded monsters, or nearby settlements, Wild had insisted they camp and restock on elixirs for the coming fights.

The sun glowed a white-gold as it settled into a shroud of clouds above the horizon. Time stopped searching the trees and settled into cleaning his armor. Sky sat on the opposite side of the fire and began tuning his harp. Wind dragged Four to sit with him, complaining about his dull knife. Twilight and Warrior joined Wild by the fire to chat. 

The trees slowly darkened into silhouettes, narrowing the world down to the glow of their campfire.  

Legend huffed as he sat and leaned heavily on Hyrule and pulled out a ripped tunic and a small, fabric lined box of needles and threads. 

“Hey, I’m not your furniture,” Hyrule protested.

“Fine. I’ll keep my Roc cloak for myself tonight,” Legend replied coolly.

“Oh fine, go on then. Ravio has been rubbing off on you.” Hyrule laughed and braced his legs to his chest to support Legend’s weight. With a smile, he continued to watch the fire and his brothers. 

Savory aromas of beef and herbs filled the clearing as Wild stood by the fire, working his subtle magic that, despite Hyrule’s assurance, he firmly insisted wasn’t magic at all.   

The sky grew pink and purple as the sun dropped below the hills. The shing , shing of Four guiding Wind through how to sharpen his knife made a steady, musical rhythm to Sky’s soft harp strums. Twilight and Wild bantered as the cook served bowls for Warrior to pass around. 

Wind held up his blade and tested the edge with a bit of rope. It cut the strands cleanly. “I can work so much faster with this! Can I take you home with me, Smithy?” 

Four smiled proudly. “You can pay me back with a copy of your star charts sometime.” 

Wind let his hands fall to his lap, and frowned. “Do you ever think about what will happen with us after all this? After we stop Shadow?” 

The camp grew quiet. 

Sky broke the silence, gazing fondly at his harp. “I imagine we’ll find our way back to our own times. At least, I hope so.” 

“Same, though I think Wild might try to rope me into his world if I let him,” Twilight laughed and clapped Wild on the back.

“I’d miss your old muzzle too much to leave you alone,” Wild snorted in answer. “I suspect you’ll find a way back to my world someday, one way or another.”

“I hadn’t thought it possible we could stay long in each other’s worlds. What about you, Legend? What are your plans?” Hyrule asked. It would have been a miracle if the Hero of Legend could visit him in his own time, somehow. If only his time wasn’t still suffering from famine and the lingering armies of Ganon hunting him to resurrect the king of evil. But even Wild’s era had a few pools of Malice here and there, right? Still, it was healthy. Who would ever want to come to his era? It was a death wish.

“Well, as much as I love roughing it with you lot in the mud and rain, I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed, in my own home. In peace.”

A cold breeze found its way through the trees and coursed up Hyrule’s spine. He stared at the fire in thought while Legend continued to gush about his orchard. 

“What about you, Traveler? What do you look forward to when this is over?” Four asked, digging into the soup Warrior was passing out.

Hyrule mulled over their various homes. Time had a ranch with Malon. Sky had his floating village, Wind had Outset Island. Twilight longed for Ordon, Four his forge, Warrior his fiancee and her castle. Even Wild had purchased a house, though he admitted he barely used it. 

Hyrule missed the castle, but he couldn’t go back until the monster stopped hunting him. His cave? Perhaps, but it didn’t feel like home anymore. Not like this. This was home. Among friends, traveling the world, helping protect people and discovering more about fighting and magic and history than he could ever have dreamed. He’d seen islands floating in the sky! Forests more full of fairies than trees! With Wild’s Zora armor, he’d even swam up a waterfall, and used his glider to soar back down to earth! He’d never be able to do that in the polluted rivers back home! And snow! Twilight still held the record for shield surfing, but he was catching up. 

Hylia, the goddess he’d never known existed before this journey, had truly blessed him with a refuge from the storm of his homeland. 

“Traveler?” 

“I don’t know. I suppose… I’m already happy.”

“Aw!” Warrior set Hyrule’s soup down and plopped beside him. He put an arm around him and rubbed his hair roughly with his other hand. “This kid! I’m actually gonna miss you. Not like that one.” He pointed to Legend. 

“Tch, that’s a lie,” Hyrule scoffed and shoved Warrior away with his shoulder. The Captain fell sideways but held onto Hyrule, pulling them both down. 

“Watch it, Wars!” Legend yelled. 

Hyrule tried to pull free of the Captain’s arm, but the knight held fast. Hyrule put all his might behind it, his arms burning from the strain, and by inches he loosened the Captain’s grip. 

“You’re getting stronger, but not there yet!” The Captain groaned.

“I nearly stabbed my thumb, thank you very much!” Legend yelled at Warrior. 

“Hey now! Hyrule’s the one who shoved!” 

“He was defending my honor, so it’s your fault.”

Hyrule and Warrior both broke into laughter—Hyrule in proud victory and Warrior in admitted defeat—and the Captain finally let go and collapsed on the ground. 

Hyrule offered his hand. 

The Captain grabbed it and tried to pull him down, but Hyrule was ready and hauled him upward. 

“Fine, Collector, keep your blindspot. Thanks, Rulie. Here’s dinner.” Warriors passed them their bowls, which had mercifully survived the scuffle. 

Hyrule savored the stew, letting steam warm his face before taking a bite of the creamy, savory broth. He looked around as he ate, and watched the others quickly finishing their own meals.

Let these days last, he thought. He knew it was selfish. It would have to end, as everything did. But he didn’t want to imagine a future without them in it anymore than a future living on the run, without Dawn and Aurora. He knew, logically, that they would all part someday. 

But not today. 

He watched as Wild set aside the cooking pot and pulled out an older exclusively for making elixirs. Hyrule turned away and instead watched Legend resume his careful, methodical stitching; but the Champion lingered in his thoughts. He didn’t like knowing where the Champion’s elixirs came from. He pitied the beetles, butterflies and lizards, and the monster parts smelled awful. Then again, at least Wild found a way to channel the evil remnants of Ganon’s power into something useful. How strange. How was it possible? Could Dawn, proficient as she was with magic and rebirth, find a way to change the poison in their land into a blessing, somehow? What sort of ingredients like the beetles and butterflies would it require— He stopped the thought dead; he didn’t like where it was going at all, and he focused instead on Legend’s stitching while the spike in his heartbeat settled. 

Time broke the comfortable silence that had settled over them after dinner. “We should scout one more time before settling in for the night. Sky, Twilight, Hyrule, it’s your turn to run a perimeter check.”

With a hum of grumbled complaints about being half-asleep already, the trio yawned, and stretched.

Time clapped Twilight’s shoulder as he left, then Sky’s, nodding in unspoken but clear appreciation to both.

“We can work on your footwork for the landing before breakfast, if you’re up for it, Hyrule,” Time whispered to him at his turn. Hyrule smiled and nodded, then hurried to follow after Sky and Twilight into the woods. 

None of them saw the storm until sheets of rain descended.

 

Part 2: SHELTER

Hyrule braced his shield over his head. A torrent of rain driven by a wall of wind pelted Hyrule and Sky. Drops struck like tiny arrows, stinging Hyrule’s legs through his trousers. They clung to the steep hillside that exposed them to the storm, inching back the way they’d come. Before the rains veiled the land, the campfire was easy to see, but in the gale Hyrule had lost his sense of direction. Several trees above them thrashed and groaned, threatening to break and roll down over them.  

“I still can’t find the trail!” Twilight shouted over the storm.  

“There’s got to be something we can do,” Sky looked around, his hair plastered to his face where it stuck out from under his sailcloth.

Hyrule looked around too, and in a flash of lightning, he found what he needed. 

“There’s a gap in the rocks up there! Let’s go there until the storm passes!” Hyrule yelled over the rumble of thunder.

The gap in the steep hillside turned out to be a deep cave. While the gently rising path blocked wind and rain, they radiated the cold back to them, and the three shivered as they explored the length of the narrow room. Twilight led the way in with his lantern. 

The stone entrance slammed shut behind them.

“It’s a dungeon,” Twilight pointed out the obvious. 

Sky let out a long-suffering sigh, pulled out a torch, and once alight he raised it high.  

The cave opened into a massive hall lined with brick. Triangle symbols adorned the upper reaches in a band of simple geometric patterns. Only the back wall remained in a more natural state, save for the massive relief carving. 

Stone steps led up to a dais before the rock wall where stood a massive stone beast that seemed trapped in the rock, leaning forward in an effort to free itself. It sat on a cracked throne three time’s Hyrule’s height with a door hiding in the shadows between its feet. 

Roughly cut features, gouges still evident from the tools used to carve it, cast dancing shadows all over its bulbous, misshapen body. Two massive tusks jutted from the wall, possibly added later. One had broken off and its shattered remains littered the dais. The wide face had a grotesque, triangular nose and gaping holes for eyes. The movement of Twilight’s lamp made the eyes seem to shift back and forth between them. 

It wasn’t just the statue that made Hyrule panic.

Seeing the rough boar carving in this unfamiliar dungeon, a massive homage to beast Ganon. 

What lay before him, at its feet, chilled his blood.

Sky and Twilight stopped on either side of him.

“What in the clouds is that?” Sky asked, moving closer to the enormous carving. 

“Remember how we all faced a being named Ganon? That’s him.” Twilight spat at the statue’s feet. 

Sky frowned at the hideous thing,running his hand along one carved leg. He sneered at the jagged, artless edges. The statue barely resembles the beast, but somehow captured all of his malevolence.

“Hyrule, are you okay?”

Not really, he thought, but he dared not say it. They had a dungeon to escape.

“I’m fine.” He forced himself to borrow a smile and look forward to the dark hallway under the beast’s legs. He refused to think about the bowl-shaped altar at its feet, or how the groove from the center to the edge would pour any liquid inside out of the bowl. 

Into the waiting ashes of Ganon.

He pushed onward. This wasn’t his era. It couldn’t be. Too green, too clean, too clear-skied.

Sky moved ahead of him, taking the lead as his torch burned brighter than Twilight’s lantern. Soon, he stopped. 

“I see two doors ahead, left, right, and forward. Any guesses on where to start?”

“Left,” Twilight and Hyrule said.

“I was going to say right. I guess I’m outvoted.” Sky shrugged.

 

Part 3: LEFT

It took all of Hyrule’s Thunder spell, or “Hyrule’s Fury” as Wild insisted on calling it, to clear the horde of skeleton soldiers that rose over and over from the floor in the left room. By the time Twilight revealed the hidden wizzrobe with his ghost lantern and Sky blasted it with a skyward strike, the trio had used up most of their supplies.

“There’s a chest!” Hyrule called out, and ran to the back of the room.

The lid creaked open, and after brushing aside cobwebs he found a large iron key.

“Looks like we might have a way out.”

“Door on the right?” Sky asked, with a mocking grin, hands on his hips.

“Door on the right,” Twilight said with a sigh, marched ahead. 

Hyrule hurried to follow after the taller hero. 

Part 4: RIGHT

Twilight pushed open the other door and led the way inside. 

Unlike the brick walls of the earlier rooms, this one remained untamed. Stalactites and stalagmites reached for one another, and the largest ones had joined into eight massive pillars around the room. Luminous crystals, like the stones Wild had shown them, lit the ceiling and walls in a cold, eerie glow. Water dripped from the spiked ceiling.

In the shadows at the far end of the room, between pillars of stalagmites, a monster stirred. 

Hyrule gasped in surprise. He knew this beast! 

In the dim crystal light, Hyrule could see the blue lynel pace, turn, and stare them down. 

Black eyes glittered as it studied them. It cantered closer. The lion-face glowered and bared its knife-sharp teeth. Its human-like chest raised up a massive longsword in both hands. Iron-shod hooves stomped, reverberating through the stone floor.  

Then it looked directly at Hyrule, and its eyes narrowed. The grimace flipped into a feral grin.

“Sacrifice!” it roared.

Hyrule gripped his sword and stepped forward. He wouldn’t let his brothers suffer for his curse. He could handle a lynel. He just had to keep it from burning them all, and himself from bleeding, or else—

Sky held up his blade. “What under heaven is it?”

Hyrule pulled out his magic shield. “Go back to the entrance. Both of you need to bomb that statue into rubble,” he ordered. “I can deal with him.”

“Alone?” Twilight asked incredulously. 

“I killed dozens of them before Wind’s age.”

“No. It’s too dangerous for any of us to go alone. We stay together,” Twilight barked. 

“Fine! Shields up! It breathes fire.”

“At least we’ll finally dry off , ” Sky grumbled, adjusting his shield. 

They prepared just in time. The lynel stopped his approach and roared, blasting fire at them.

Hyrule blocked it with his shield, and the fire quickly faded. Twice more it hurled the flames with the same result. 

Roaring with fury, the lynel charged, galloping louder than a thunderstorm. 

Hrulle’s world shrank down to the fury in the lynel’s eyes. His friends could not suffer from his monsters. He would not let his horrors become theirs, nor would he let it take them away from him.

Hyrule yelled at the monster, and ran. 

The lynel turned away from the other two heroes, nearly tripping over its own legs to chase him. 

Hyrule dodged between dripping pillars, twisting and weaving through the narrowest gaps he could find, the beast on his tail. He led it to a far corner of the deep cavern. He turned with his shield high, planted his feet, raised his sword, and braced himself for the impact. 

It grinned as it charged, seeing him cornered. 

Time had warned him. He still needed to master the landing. 

But he could not risk waiting now.

The lynel’s snarling face held his gaze as the broadsword slammed into his shield with a terrible wrenching sound.  It cut through the shield! A pulse, like lightning, shot up his right arm. His vision swam as the blow threatened to shove him down. 

But the lynel staggered back. It stared blankly at him, stunned. 

It worked! Now, for the rest!

Hyrule jumped with every ounce of strength he could muster in his legs, and not with the aid of magic but purely his own strength. Let the momentum carry you, The memory of Time’s deep voice calmed him. 

His body rose into the air in a dense, forceful way so different from his Fairy form—raw, propulsive momentum in place of delicate wings gently riding the air. The world curved gracefully as he somersaulted higher, his sword at the ready. 

Helm splitter. 

His blade slammed into the beast’s skull. 

Dark ooze clung to the edge of his blade as he rolled forward. 

Black blood? 

For a moment, he remained weightless, then panic set in as he began to descend. If he had enough magic, he’d have cast his fairy spell to save himself, but none remained. 

Remember, don’t try any of this until you can stick the landing.

The ceiling and the floor spun and merged into a smear of light and dark, His stomach swooped and churned as gravity grabbed him. He catapulted downward, and tried in vain to grab something, anything.

Far beyond the lynel, his legs slammed onto merciless stone, but his body continued forward until his head cracked against the cold stone. He lay in a blinding haze of numbness and confusion.

Through the ringing in his ear, he heard a muffled yell. 

Someone was shouting, the sound reverberating painfully in his skull. The words slowly pieced together. It was …the kingdom? No, his name . 

“Hyrule! Wake up!” 

He tried to sit up, but he couldn’t! Couldn’t see! Couldn’t breathe! 

A familiar hand grabbed his shoulder as he gaped like a fish, trying to pull in the intangible substance all around him, but his lungs refused to draw the air in. 

At last, his lungs opened, and he gasped, painfully loud to his aching ears. His vision returned. The ringing sound finally stopped.

“Hyrule? You with us? Thank Hylia!”

He tried to make sense of what he saw. Sky’s worried face. Twilight’s frown. 

“‘Rulie, are you alright?” The ranch hand asked gruffly. 

Hyrule winced as he sat up. Too much happened all at once. 

His head. His arm. His brothers. Where was the lynel?

Sky moved closer so Hyrule could lean on his shoulder. Hyrule appreciated the rest, and collapsed onto him. The pressure in his head and on his arm grew stronger, sharper. 

“Nice back slice.” Sky nodded to Twilight.

“Good timing with that skyward strike,” Twilight panted in reply, clapping Sky on the back. “And you, that looked familiar.”

Hyrule didn’t have the energy to respond, only nodding with a faint smile. 

“Rulie?” Twilight asked, and moved closer.

Sky carefully pulled up Hyrule's arm, but Hyrule gasped in pain and refused to look, not yet, watching Sky’s reaction instead. 

Sky’s worried eyes told Hyrule enough. He had already felt warm liquid trickling down the side of his face and down his arm. Pressure built unbearably in his head, and worse in his shield arm. The rush of adrenaline was hiding the worst of his injuries, but he knew it was bad.

He had to know. He had to fix it.  

Carefully, Hyrule touched his temple and looked down at his hands.

Blood. 

Hyrule’s throat tightened. The pressure in his right arm built into a searing pain. Hyrule winced and finally looked down at it. The lynel’s blade had easily sliced through his leather bracer and cut deep into his arm. More blood. He clapped his hand over the gash, but struggled to keep any more of the cursed liquid from spilling out. One thought raced over and over in his mind: make it stop or they’ll come! And he muttered, “I can’t stop it. I can’t… I have to stop this…or they won’t stop coming…” He pressed his hand desperately to the wound, but still it spilled out. “They can’t know I’m here!” He curled over his arm as if that might somehow stop the bleeding. 

“Rulie, it’s okay! I promise,” Twilight chided gently, “I don’t have potions, but I can bandage these up for you until we get back.” 

“Let me see what I’ve got,” Sky offered, and he began rummaging through his pack. 

Hyrule had not bled this much, for this long, in months. Frantic memories and nightmares jumbled together in his mind, but he resisted them, trying to hold on to the presence of his friends. I’m here. Safe. No cult. No ashes! Just the stupid altar , he tried to reassure himself. But he could not stop shaking. They can smell it. They’ll come.

He let go and searched frantically for a potion he knew he didn’t have. Still, he rummaged, hoping he’d miscounted or had another secret secret backup. Nothing. Blood slipped out from under his fingers. He could not keep it closed! He had to do something .

“Sky, did you happen to get any from Wild before we left?” Twilight asked.

“No, but I—”

“I have to stop this! Now! Stand back!” Hyrule yelled at them. They didn’t understand, and he didn’t have time to explain. He groaned as the throbbing pain in his arm compounded. He didn’t look forward to the flames. He had barely enough magic built up for it. He reached for his sword and let it blaze, the rubies and silver hilt enhancing the red light. He held out his gored arm and lowered the flames toward the wound. He winced at the heat, but it had to be done. He’d spilled too much already, but if they washed it away fast enough–

“Stop!” Sky and Twilight shouted in tandem. 

“I’ve got plenty of potions,” Sky lied, and sat beside Hyrule, holding out a quarter-full glass. 

Hyrule tossed his sword aside and drained the bottle. The warm, clean rush of healing spread across his whole body. He was relieved by the familiar tickle of skin growing and knitting closed. Only exhaustion remained.

Hyrule handed the bottle back to Sky. “I’m sorry. I didn't mean to drink it all.”

“Don’t apologize. You needed it. We’ll give you more once we return to the camp.”

Still shaking more than he expected, he let Sky wipe the blood from his arm and hands while he caught his breath. 

“Is…is all this something we should know about?” Sky murmured to Hyrule.

Twilight crouched at his side, looking calm and relaxed but for a small frown that betrayed his anxious concern. “What’s the story, Rulie? Why are you so worried about closing up your arm?” 

They had to know. He just never wanted to… actually tell them. He felt dizzy.

Don’t overthink, just say it. Am I a Hero of Courage or not?   

“If my blood touches Ganon’s ashes… he’ll come back. He cursed me as he died. Monsters from my era can track the smell of my blood for miles.” 

Sky’s electric-blue eyes widened in shock. “As he died? He cursed you?”

Twilight sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around him. 

Sky sat down heavily and did the same.

“The statue back there? That altar at his feet is for me. For my blood to… I think we’re in an era after mine. They’ll never give up.” He looked at his hands, still stained between his fingers with blood. “People have died to help me before so I could escape the ritual. They didn’t deserve to die just for me, but we can’t let Ganon come back.” 

Twilight’s eyes shone bright with shock, anger, and sorrow. The pity hurt worst of all. 

“I…I’ve been able to take them on for a long time! Usually it’s no trouble to face them, especially if I’m alone and don’t have to worry about anyone else getting hurt. But, there’ve been… I just like being with you, with our group.”

“Faron’s light, ‘Rule,” Twilight sighed, “I’m sorry. Being hunted? I’ve seen what that’s like.” He hugged Hyrule tighter. 

The two held him closer between them. 

It felt so good to talk about it at last. Hyrule let his thoughts spill out. “And I know it won’t last, but I don’t want to go back. Not with Ganon’s monsters chasing me, keeping me away from everyone I care about, waiting for one wrong move too many. I just hope someone can stop him quickly when it happens. Maybe you all can come to my era, and stop him after I’m g–” 

“Rulie!” Sky growled, “Don’t say that! You’re not going to slip up. We won’t let that happen. I swear it. We’ll always have your back.”

Twilight jumped in too. “There’s no way they’ll win. You’re too tough, Traveler.”

“But it’s only a matter of time! I’m going to slip up again! And this time there won’t be a spell or a rescue or a portal to escape.” Hyrule took a shuddering breath and clutched Twilight’s arm. “I can’t keep running forever.”

“Rulie, we’ll always have your back, curse or not,” Sky said quietly. 

“We can figure this out. I’ve broken curses before.” Twilight’s deep voice reverberated in his hair. “It wasn’t easy, but you’ve got a lot of us on your side. Din, I’d bet a hundred rupees Four figures something out within a week. The kid’s got quite a mind.”

Hyrule relaxed and smiled a little at the flood of ideas. Maybe. Just maybe. Four took puzzles personally . Could he really find a way to break the curse?

Sky squeezed his shoulder. “And we can ask all our Zeldas too. You know, I dont think it’s just the Shadow that brought us together. I believe Hylia is guiding us. She wants us to work together. Perhaps this is one more reason. And we’ll do everything we can, here and now, while we’re together.”

“And long after.” Twilight’s whisper was barely audible, but he’d curled his head down closer, burying his face in the Traveler’s hair. 

“Thank you,” Hyrule whispered back. A smile warmed his cheeks. Finally sharing his curse felt like dropping a heavy pack at the end of a long trek, and he breathed deeply. What chance did Ganon’s spell have against the will of such heroes? For this moment, the curse didn’t matter at all. He was safe, and surrounded by the best family he’d ever known. For the first time in ages, he felt a clear spring of hope in his spirit.  

They sat a long time, resting together in the light of Twilight’s lantern, keeping each other warm in the cold room.  

“Alright, unless we plan to stay the night here and keep everyone else worried sick, we’d better find out where this key goes.” Twilight said. Clouds of dust filled the air and he brushed off and collected his items.

Hyrule and Sky joined him. 

Part 3: CLEAR 

The third door looked simple, and when they stepped through, nothing stirred in the light of Twilight’s lantern. No treasure gleamed. Only a stone stairway far ahead leading up to a door. 

“No treasure?” Twilight looked around. 

“There!” Sky and Hyrule pointed in the same direction.

Cracks riddled the wall to the left. Twilight barked a laugh and held out a hand to Sky. The knight passed him a bomb, and soon the wall burst into rubble, tiny stones rolling past their feet. 

They ran through the dust to see.

“By Hylia,” Sky gasped.

The room sparkled as the lantern’s humble glow reflected a thousand different directions over the gold and jewels piled on the ground. Gems snatched the faint lamplight and reflected it back tenfold in their brilliant hues.  

“They’re going to be so jealous,” Hyrule said breathlessly. “How much do you think we can fit in our pouches?”

“Let’s find out,” Twilight answered.

Once the large key opened the last door, they passed from the cramped cave stairway and hurried out into the fresh night air. Stars filled the sky, the storm just a dark line on the horizon.  They stood near the top of the same steep hill they’d entered. 

Not far beyond the base of the hill, the campfire glowed between the trees. They must have saved or restarted the fire somehow. 

Sky looked thoughtfully at the small light below.

“Hyrule, do any of them know? I only ask because I can keep a secret here and there, but I’m not the best at keeping track of who knows and who doesn’t.” Sky smiled a little self-consciously, and palmed the hair at the nape of his neck.

“I haven’t told anyone, but Legend probably figured out some of it. He always slips me extra potions.”

“We can sit on this for a while, if you need time. Nothing new for me,” Twilight barked a laugh. 

“No, I want to tell them.” Hyrule said. I won’t keep running alone. “Let’s get it over with. We’ve got a lot to explain, hopefully before Time gives us his stink-eye.” 

Twilight laughed before turning into his wolf form. Hyrule followed him down the hill toward the light ahead.

THE END-ish

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hyrule & Sky (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Twilight (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Time (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Warriors (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Four & Wind (Linked Universe) Characters: Hyrule (Linked Universe), Twilight (Linked Universe), Sky (Linked Universe), Time (Linked Universe), Legend (Linked Universe), Warriors (Linked Universe), Wind (Linked Universe), Four (Linked Universe), Wild (Linked Universe) Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hyrule (Linked Universe) Has a Blood Curse, Blood and Injury, Human Sacrifice

[storiesofsvu]

Love Comes Quietly Ch 16

Alex Blake x reader warnings: language, usual chaos, teeny smidge of smut, a hint of canon. welp. we did it. we're here at the end. I'm not gonna lie, I'm sad to see this one go, but man oh man is it nice to just write a fluffy easy story sometimes lol. That being said, don't worry, there is plenty more content coming up and another Alex series on the docket! Thanks to everyone for reading, sharing and commenting! Stay tuned for more!

The case was wrapped by the end of the next day, though it was late and everyone voted that another night in a hotel would be better than overnight on the jet and getting back to DC at an ungodly hour of the morning. You and Alex had buried into each other’s embraces immediately, letting the warmth of the other persons body lull you into the most comfortable sleep despite the shitty hotel bed. You had a bit of a sleep in the following morning, gently rolling over in her arms when the sun happened to be streaming directly across your face. She shifted slightly in her sleep, letting out a little hum before her lips brushed against your forehead.

It was probably an hour or two later when you woke up once again, letting out a little sigh as you yawned, hearing Alex let out a quiet chuckle.

“Morning.” She murmured.

“Didn’t realize you were up yet.” You replied without opening your eyes, nuzzling deeper into her embrace.

“I’m trying to evade it.” She muttered back, her lips hitting your skin again, “though if you’re up, maybe I’ve got a reason to be.”

“Mmm?” You asked, cracking an eye open as you looked up at her with a grin, “you don’t say…”

“It may be early but I can certainly think of a few ways to pass the time.” She murmured, her lips brushing against yours as she spoke, rolling you onto your back as the kiss deepened.

Hands began to roam, sneaking under what little clothing was currently covering your bodies, Alex’s lips kissing down your neck, a moan escaping them as you groped at her chest. Her breath caught in her throat as one of your hands slipped under the waistband of her shorts. Her hands matched your movements, pulling the same amount of pleasure from you that you were doing from her before she sunk lower. Tugging your pants down she made home between your legs, her mouth not leaving until you were seeing stars multiple times.

When she finally rejoined you on the pillows you were both panting, little laughs leaving your lungs as you curled around each other once again. Blissed out and relaxed you managed to fall back asleep, knowing you had more than a few hours before you had anywhere to be. And right now the only place you wanted to be was with each other.

**

You zipped up your go bag, tossing it over your shoulder as Alex placed the last couple of items into hers, glancing around the hotel room to make sure both of you had everything.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” You asked, referring to the fact that she was going to pick up Scott from the hospital and you were headed back to the jet.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “I don’t need you to worry about it.”

“Okay.” You leant in, kissing her cheek softly.

“Hey.” She grabbed your hand, tugging you back to her, “it’s not that I don’t want to introduce you to them as my girlfriend or anything. I plan on pointing out which one you were and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy about it, it’s just…”

“Family’s complicated.” You smiled, “I get it.”

“I just know that I’m going to get about eight lectures about not coming home, never calling, how ironic it is that I’m a linguist who sucks at communicating and I really don’t want to drag you into all of that.”

“It’s okay.” You chuckled, “I’m not offended. I’ll see you soon.” Leaning in your hand cupped her cheek while you kissed her and she pulled you back for another one before letting you go.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Alex was right on the nose about the lectures she received from her brother, enough even just on the ride between the hospital and her dad’s house. She was already a little annoyed and was more than thankful that you hadn’t been present for them, it would have made everything a million times more awkward so at least she had that going. She pulled up in front of the house, grabbing Scott’s bag for him as the two of them made their way up the walk and in through the front door.

Damon greeted them at the door, commenting that they’d clearly made up as they exchanged pleasantries and a bit of chit chat before Alex’s ears perked up at the sound of the back door opening. Her brow furrowing at the sight of you rounding the corner from the kitchen,

“Mr. Miller, we need more ice.”

“You’re here…” Alex questioned and you smiled, following Damon as he lead you to the deep freeze, the group making their way through the house.

“I’m not the only one.” You turned to Scott, “how’s the head? Do you need ice?”

“I’ll be fine.” He chuckled before Damon spoke up.

“He’s accident prone this one, good thing he’s hard headed.”

“Oh?” You asked, glancing toward Alex, “he’s the accident prone one? You haven’t mentioned the whole getting shot thing have you?”

“Hey!” Alex scoffed, smacking your arm and you swatted right back at her.

“Hey yourself!”

“Already bickering like an old married couple.” Damon chuckled.

“Dad!” Alex objected.

“What? Am I wrong? Emily mentioned you’ve been living together.” He countered, turning to you, “and I knew before that you were the one she was so smitten with.” You felt a small heat creeping up your cheeks, smiling at Alex before Scott spoke up.

“You do have dreamy heart eyes whenever you look at her.” He prodded at Alex’s non injured arm, “even for you, it’s impossible to hide.”

“You do have a habit of staring.” You chuckled, slipping your arm into Alex’s and she playfully scoffed.

“You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“I am.” You laughed, leaning in to kiss her gently not quite realizing how close to the patio doors you’d gotten.

“What!?” The shout came from Morgan in the backyard, “am I seeing things or did Blake and Murphy just kiss?!”

“Oh it is about fucking time! Thank god.” That one came from Emily as you stepped into the back yard.

“You knew about this?” Derek asked.

“Are you kidding me? These two have been going at it for months.”

“Emily!” Both you and Alex scolded, gesturing toward Damon as Alex’s cheeks pinkened.

“Not like that! Well..” She was quickly shut down with a glare and Scott grimacing. “I’m just glad I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore.”

Beers were passed out as an overlap of conversation, questions, congratulations and more took over the yard and you were more than happy to relax into Alex’s side for the entire thing. And this time, you didn’t need to step away, there was no reason to have to drop her hand and pretend like you were just two friends who were living together. It was a time where the team was family, along with real family, where work was finally able to be forgotten, placed on the back burner for once so camaraderie could take its spot.

Alex very happily accepted you beside her on a double lounger, hand either tangled in yours or resting on your thigh. She adored the way that the team she had made her family was bonding with her actual family and the way you seamlessly fit in to all of it. It was like the cherry on top of a sundae, everything falling perfectly into place. You had been destined to be in each other’s lives from that very first day in the bookstore, your journey had taken you through three different states before it had even truly began, you were meant to meet. You were meant to fall in love and one thing that both of you could count on forever was that you were meant to have these moments right now. The ones shared with the people you loved and cared about the most where you could simply be yourselves, joy and love weaving its way around you and deep into your hearts. You were right were you belonged.

______________

@svulife-rl @clarawatson @hbkpop @momlifebehard @alexusonfire @itisdoctortoyousir @temilyrights @alexxavicry @evilregal2002 @ladysc @dextur @disneyfan624 @augustvandyne @supercriminalbean @lex13cm @prentiss-theorem @happenstnces @whiteberryx @geekyandgay98 @onmykneesformarvel @inlovewithemilyprentiss @desperate-gay @amypoehlfey @overtrred28 @emobabeyy @1974-sp @theclassicgaycousin @kalixxh @leftoverenvy @bigolgay @daddy-heather-dunbar @regalmilfs4me @scorpsik @riveramorylunar @h-doodles @maybe-a-humanbean @rustyzebra @s1ut4nat @inlovewithmiddleagewomen @tommyriddleobsessed @ollysmulti @iluvsreid @kmc1989

[unpoeticpoison]

sworn on the stars ~ 01 - genshin impact // sagau // imposter au

a/n: If anyone’s reading this, shall we continue in second person or revert to first person? it was okay at first but rereading second person POV always makes me feel so awkward. anyways, do enjoy!!

————————————

You felt like you were floating. You were light, and your body no longer felt weighed down by that familiar invisible dread. Yet something felt a little strange. The hairs on your arm felt almost ticklish, brushing against the softness of the ground. And your right hand felt cold and wet.

“Mmm?”

A blink. Everything had looked so... bright. Brighter than the blinding lights of those white-walled rooms, but oh-so blue as well.

‘The sky?’

For a moment, you’d wondered if you had finally died and perhaps gone to heaven. Those thoughts were dismissed as soon as you’d gotten up to look around at the eerily familiar scenery.

The gentle rustle of the wind blew past as you took in the view of the cliff. The ever-so-soft grass that acted as your bed as you lay there. There were faint chirps that could heard from the birds nearby, rustling of leaves as a little animals scurried past.

“So I guess I’m really here now, huh?” You muttered to yourself, still a little dazed.

Taking in your surroundings once more, you’d come to the conclusion that somehow you’d ended up on Starsnatch Cliff.

‘Heh. I remember the first time I was here. Tried to jump off before I met Amber and discovered fall damage was a thing.’

You chuckled to yourself. Being in this place was just so calming. There were definitely more noises than there were in the hospital, but the open nature felt so much more freeing than the confines of those blank white walls.

You could feel your limbs, like an old body regaining it’s youth after years of aging (though you’d never aged, just... shut down). You could stand on your own and stretch out your fingers in front of you, something you didn’t think you’d be able to do anymore.

It made you a little sentimental. For someone who had felt- well, almost numb for the past few years, it was an odd feeling. Maybe it was the realization that you were finally in a “better place” or the feeling of calm that this world gives you, but you’d felt yourself tearing up.

It felt as though your soul belonged to this place. Like you were finally being welcomed *home*.

“Hic... oh, geez-“ you sniffled, wiping away a stray tear. ‘It’s certainly been a while, huh?’ Followed by a grimace, you wet streaks stream down your face.

Then you realized your face wasn’t the only thing that was wet.

‘Oh, right!-‘

You looked down beside you to see a small hydro slime jumping happily beside you, only noticing because it had begun to gently nudge at your leg when you started crying.

“Aww, hey little guy.”

You recall slimes being aggressive monsters, but perhaps you were an exception? Perhaps after all you’d been through in your last world, fate had finally taken pity on your soul. You’d sometimes indulged in fanfiction where the world of Teyvat loved it’s creator just as much as the creator loved their world.

‘Heh. As if I’m some divine deity.’

Still, this was a nice feeling. You certainly weren’t going to go find a hillichurl encampment to see if they’d be friendly, but you figured this one slime would be safe to keep around.

After coming to terms with your thoughts a bit better, you got up to walk around. From the peak of the cliff you could see the nameless island, Stormbearer Point and the forest down below. The very forest you’d explored when you first entered the game.

You recall getting your first chest somewhere in there, too.

~

“A reward on the road!” Lumine remarked as the chest spilled with common goods.

You were curious to see what else this world had to offer.

After that first chest, you’d go on to have so many adventures with all the characters throughout the world. It really was the beginning of it all.

~

And so you decided to look around for a bit, just as you’d done when you started the game. You’d found that slimes in particular were absolutely adorable in real life. The little hydro slime kept following you around, but you also came across a dendro slime that had grown and gifted you a flower. There was also a group of anemo slimes nearby that were nice enough to take you on a ride through the sky.

You’d just gone along with the flow, but you certainly didn’t expect to get dropped off near a camp of hillichurls by the lake.

‘Maybe I spoke too soon earlier-‘

But rather than be aggressive, they looked (?) at you with calmness, as though you were nothing but another one of their own. On the contrary, one of them came over and pulled you into the group, inviting you to dance with them.

‘Sucks I can’t understand their language though.’

You wished that you could communicate with these now-friendly creatures, and all of a sudden you could make sense of their words, if only briefly.

“Holy one, come! You dance with us!”

“All Mother has come!!”

“Yes, Mother!”

It was a bit odd to hear yourself being called a mother of all things, but you supposed that things could’ve been worse. In a way, it felt like they were young children that just wanted their mother to be proud of their efforts.

And so you joined in on their little dance until your legs gave out from under you.

“Mother, food?” One of them questioned, before handing me a sunsettia.

“Thank you,” I smiled back fondly at them. “Mmm!”

The Teyvat-native fruit was unlike any other that you’d ever had in the last world. Just as it’s description indicated, it was sweet, but not *too* sweet. To put it in comparison, it tasted like a mix between a mango and pineapple with the texture of a ripe nectarine.

And so that was how you’d spent your first little while in the world of Teyvat. Playing with slimes, dancing with hillichurls, and indulging fully in the beautiful world that you could not fully access before.

~

Elsewhere in the region, a bard felt a shiver run up his spine, followed by feelings of relief that nearly knocked him off his feet. The one who flows with the wind could feel it’s anticipation. Waiting, waiting, waiting for resolution at last.

In another place, the god of contracts clutched at his chest, almost painfully. Like the satisfaction of a perfect contract fulfilled, his old heart became overwhelmed with new emotions that resembled joy, peace and happiness. Such strong feelings that he had not felt in so very long.

Across the wide ocean sat the one who yearns for eternity. She, too, felt a change in the surrounding atmosphere, as though a permanent change had just happened to Teyvat, its citizens none the wiser. She felt herself longing for something new. She found herself changing.

Up in the kingdom of frost and snow, a girl who has fought for much throughout her life found herself speechless. She could feel power beyond her imagination filling her senses, yet she did not feel paralyzed with fear, nor in reverence and awe, nor desire to keep it for herself (maybe just a little bit). She felt like a little girl once again being comforted in the arms of the one that had watched over her for so long.

~

Up on the throne of Teyvat sat one who concealed their face. Powerless, though intuitive they may be, this being that took solace amongst the stars could feel a sense of dread.

The winds were were finally changing. The true creator had finally descended onto these lands.

But the one bearing the fake crown was merely a human greedy for power. Power that they had long held onto, alongside the respect and reverence of the most powerful figures in the world. Or so they believed.

This was power that they would not give up so easily.

Not without a fight.